Cos entered the room and saw Lorna, as a single figure, lying on her king-sized bed, on her back in a white Bugs Bunny T-shirt and blue jeans, with her eyes closed. He grabbed one of her chairs and pulled it up to the side of the bed.
"How're you feeling?"
Lorna twisted around to sit on the edge of the bed facing Cos, then leaned forward to rub her face with her hands and said "Tired," she let out a sigh, "just really tired Cos."
Cos paused for a moment. She'd been tired a lot of late. "Lorna, this isn't like you. You know it isn't. You really need to..."
Suddenly, Trinity split into three, and it was T-Purple that interrupted, "To let Irma into our head?"
"I was just going to say 'speak to someone about this. About what happened'. But where's this hostility to Irma come from? You trusted her before."
None of the three replied. She knew it wasn't rational. She knew - from experience - that she could trust Irma, but...
"She's worried about you Lorna. I'm worried about you. We all are."
"Even Mr. Big Shot First Lieutenant Marine Corps I-want-this-weakling-off-my-team Man?" Purple spat the words out.
"Even Gene." Cos kept his tone quiet and level, but this worried him. He thought Lorna and Gene had buried the hatchet a couple of months back when the three of them had sat down together and hashed out codenames for the team. This bitterness wasn't like her. Any of her.
"What, you're trying to tell me that he didn't use my getting kidnapped as an excuse for another try at booting me off the team? I got blindsided Cos - it could happen to anyone."
"Lorna, he wasn't trying to "boot you off" there. He wanted you to take some time off and get some trauma councelling. Like I do."
"Cos," it was Neutral who replied this time, "I'm fine. We're fine. Honest. We don't need some old fart in a white coat telling us our problems are all down to our parents. We're just a little bit more fragile than usual after what happened."
"Lorna, you don't even remember what happened. You can't honestly tell me that's a good thing. And I was the one who stopped your time off being mandatory. But if you're going to spend half the day hiding in your room and not get any help, I'm wondering if that was the right call."
Trinity looked at each other, thoughts racing between her heads.
"Anyway," Cos was still worried, but he needed to move on. This wasn't getting anywhere except to make her angry at him, and he didn't want that. "There were two things I came up to see you about and having a fight wasn't one of them. Are you going to the Hallowe'en party?"
Lorna took a mental vote. T-Orange got overruled. "Yeah. You?"
"I got roped into helping organise it," he made a face, "it's comic-book superhero-themed (Zoë's idea) and the Workforce are coming, so that made 26, and you're the last one I needed to know about."
"Remember to count me as three," T-Purple smirked.
"I wouldn't forget," Cos smiled back. "Have you decided on costumes yet? Zoë wants to know so that she can spend as much time as possible talking you out of unfashionable suits before she has to make them," he said with a broader grin.
"How did she know we have no sense of fashion?" Neutral smiled back.
Cos stuttered for a moment, trying to answer that, before realising, "There's no right answer to that one, is there?"
"Nope," all three Trinities laughed at his embarrasment, and even through it, Cos was glad to see her laughing. "No," she remerged and answered as the last giggles were subsiding, "no ideas at all yet."
"Did you see the site Lyle set up, with all the super-hero pictures to give everyone some ideas?"
"No, what's the address?" Cos gave her it, "I'll have a look around it then, see what there is. How good's Zoë with making them?"
"If she knew you'd asked that after seeing her, she'd kill you you realise?"
"Let her try," Lorna smiled, her mood much improved, "What was the other thing?"
"Get changed. A few of us are going jetskiing in..." he checked his watch "...half an hour, and you're coming with us."
"Huh?! Why, who's going, wha...?"
"You've been sitting up here too long. Lyle, Jaz, Zoë, Garth and me are going, and you're coming or else." He'd slipped a metal hook into the neck of her bathrobe, hanging on the back of her room door, as he came in, and now he used it to pull the bathrobe off its' peg, through the air and into his hands. He surreptitiously pulled the hook out and tossed the bathrobe at her. "Come on, I'll expect to see you in the lobby in twenty-five minutes and that is an order!" he smiled and walked out.
Lorna sat there in shock for a few moments, then hurried to the shower. «Cos...», she thought.
Out of thin air, the group of four magically appeared. Maziah instantly collapsed on the ground, totally exhausted in every sense of the word. Her body seems beyond dehydrated, and her head was pounding so hard she was sure something was swollen on the inside.
“Up there!” yelled Jacquie, still in full royal Moldavian garb, and rushing forward to where they saw green energy crackling, and a blur of moment that she was certain must have been Mon-El.
“Where the hell are we now?” Dirk said out loud to no one in particular, running ahead. This was getting ridiculous. He was tired of not knowing what was going on. He let his power start building in his hands and felt the intense heat emanating there. Up ahead, he saw Mon-El pounding on the Empress, knocking her backwards. She regrouped and rained raw emerald energy on Mon, knocking him farther away. Dirk couldn’t wait anymore. He fired everything he had at her.
Tatiana held Maziah. “Maziah, are you alright? Are you hurt?”
“G-Go…help the others…I’ll be fine,” she replied.
Tatiana didn’t wait for a second time. She ran at full speed, glad to be only in jeans and a blouse, letting her raven colored hair ripple in the wind. She held a steel spear in her hands, poised for battle. She hadn’t let on to the others that she grabbed it off the wall in a moment that she now realized was just her trying to calm herself and stop from panicking. It seemed like the right idea to arm herself. She reached the opening.
Dirk fired upon the Emerald Empress with all that she had, and the flames seemed to consume her. But the Eye suddenly erected a thick energy barrier around her, and she blasted back with what looked like green lightning. She was bloody and bruised with purple blotches on her face. Mon had done some damage.
Mon-El was rising again, seemingly unphased by her blasts. Before he could move, another boy, Middle-Eastern possibly, leaped at the Empress, and was somehow able to penetrate her shield and fight her one on one.
Nemesis knew he’d be able to beat her in a one-on-one fight, and thus broke right through the shield. He had no idea that the Eye counted as its own separate entity in regards to his magically enchantment, and was caught completely off-guard as lightning rained down on him.
Blok grabbed the Empress, wrapping his arm around her throat, choking her out and bringing her close to him. He said nothing, and just stared at the Eye, waiting for what he knew was coming.
But the Eye was suddenly blinded, as Jacquie used her unique abilities and placed it under the illusion that Sara was long-dead, the last of the Romanescue’s gone, the line broken. It seemed close to penetrating that lie…
“Tatiana, use her darkness on it! Now!”
Tatiana didn’t wait. She blasted the darkness, letting it rip forth and engulf the Eye. “I’ve never cut loose like this,” she thought, letting the power flow forth, unaware that the pigment in her skin was beginning to change with it. She grew more and more pale, her skin whitening as she let forth the darkness.
Mon-El raced over to the Empress, preparing to render her unconscious while Blok held her still. And then suddenly, he felt cold steel press across his back, and was shocked that he actually felt his skin rip.
“AAAAAARGH!!” screamed the Persuader, rage burning at his eyes of the indignation of being tossed to casually aside. Whoever these people were, they were about to pay for it.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
The teenagers turned to see this massive man suddenly bring Mon-El to his knees with one blow from his atomic axe. The realization of what had just happened set in, and immediately, all their nerves flared.
That was all the Eye needed. It was free.
The Empress used it to blast Blok with a focused beam of energy, knocking him backwards. She turned her attention on Dirk Morgna, blasting him backwards.
The Persuader charged Princess Jacquie, and panic set in, causing her to leap out of the way. Who the hell was this guy, and what was he doing? She regrouped and moved through the bushes—she had to get back to Sara. This was her battle, and she needed to be the one to end it. The Persuader turned the corner. He wasn’t going to allow that at all. She ran. He followed.
The Empress enjoyed the sudden feeling of victory, as she blasted Dirk Morgna and paid him back for burning her moments earlier. Blok and Nemesis too felt the full brunt of the Emerald Eye of Ekron, as did Mon-El, the one who would pay dearly for damaging her face. She poured it on.
“Enough.” As the Emerald Empress looked up, she saw Tatiana Mallor, standing before her. Tatiana’s shirt was torn around the stomach, revealing a lean and muscular stomach that had grown very pale in color. Her raven colored hair billowed in the wing. She held a spear in her hand, pointing it at the Empress, as if threatening to stab it into her eye. “You’ve hurt my friends enough Sara. You will stop now.”
The Empress laughed, although she could feel a slight hesitation in her stomach. How dare this girl be as arrogant as to act this brave in the face of certain death! She stopped firing her energy on the four at her feet. “Do what you must Tatiana.”
Tatiana had never used her shadow powers offensively before—all she knew she could do was blind people with them, and use the darkness to her advantage when being sneaky. But she knew in her heart they could do so much more. An ancestry of shadow-wielders…she just felt like there was so much to use them for... She blasted the shadows forward, directly at the Eye, engulfing it in darkness. The Empress laughed. Tatiana focused. She blasted again, this time piercing her own darkness, driving the force right into the Eye. She made it into the shape of the spear, using what she had in her hand as a way to focus her shadows.
“Aaargh! Witch! H-How dare you!” screamed the Empress, obviously in tremendous pain.
------------------------------
Jacquie ran at top speed and the Persuader followed suit, destroying all the brush in his way. To tell the truth, he had no idea why he was chasing her now, he just knew he wanted to focus all his rage on her. Whoever these people were, it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered. He wanted her to suffer.
“Calm down!” she screamed at herself, “calm down and use your illusions! Trick him into going the other way!” Her own thoughts were thunderous. And then she turned the corner, running into a rocky area, and tripped over her feet.
The Persuader turned the corner, and a hailstorm of bullets fired at the Persuader, catching him off-guard, and causing him to fall backward. A bullet pierced his shoulder, and another one through his left leg. Ten Zil Kem stood before them, an M-16 in his hands, Maziah by his side, holding onto the tree.
He screamed in Korean at the man, “you will pay for what you’ve done! You’re terror stops today, Persuader!” More bullets poured out, as Jacque crawled to the side, to Maziah. The Persuader, fearing certain death, swung his axe as quickly as he could, slicing the gun in two pieces. The bullets slowed him down though, he could barely walk. He crept forward, looking to kill these three pups.
Jacquie used her illusions to convince him they weren’t there. To show him another path, where they were running. He kept moving, slowly, swinging his atomic axe. Ten Zil, Jacquie and Maziah moved backwards, aware that they were running out of room.
------------------------------------
Mon-El couldn’t believe what he was seeing. She was a goddess. A warrior-born. She was an Amazon.
Tatiana continued to fire at the Eye, knocking the Empress off-guard. Fatigue set in on the Empress. She had endured quite a bit up until right now.
Mon-El stood up, blood pouring down his back. He ripped his shirt off and stood by Tatiana, preparing to join her. “Help Jacquie Mon! That man with the axe! He’s gone after her! Please, I’ve got it here!”
Mon didn’t want to leave, but knew he must. He flew away at top speed. Nemesis, Dirk and Blok all regrouped now. “Alright!” said Nemesis, “it’s our turn!”
“Damn right it is,” said Dirk, letting fire build in his palms.
“Wait Dirk!” said Blok, “not fire! Yours is the power of the sun! Don’t let the fire seduce you, you can do so much more. We don’t need you firing on the Empress now; we need you misdirecting the Eye. Use the sunlight to block its line of sight. Darkness and sunglight used together—yes, this may be the way to beat the Eye.”
“Ok,” said Dirk, firing his sunlight around the Eye, so that it reflected in different ways. Nemesis leaped at the Empress, not giving anyone any time to give him instructions. The Empress was faltering. “C’mon, Blok!” yelled Nemesis.
Blok did not join him. He walked over to Tatiana. “That’s it Tati…keep firing upon her. You’re beating her. You can do this.” The strain was unbearable, and Tatiana was gritting her teeth hard. Her skin was now completely white. So white, in fact, that it was almost turning blue. “Be strong, child…” he whispered in her ears.
“ENOUGH!” screamed the Empress, falling to her feet. She let loose one rip of power, knocking everyone back. She was on the verge of passing out. Slowly, she rose into the air, it now evident that the Eye had taken direct control. It placed a shield over her, and began to fly away.
----------------------------------
The Persuader inched forward, one step at a time, swinging his axe. Jacquie, Maziah and Ten Zil crouched together, now completely out of room and up against a rocky cliff basin, trying to figure out what to do next. Jacquie used new illusions of death and war, of everything she could think of. Maziah concentrated on a new spell.
Finally, a familiar figure appeared. Mon flew in, landing in front of them, so they could see the blood running down his back. He said nothing. And then, from his eyes, he let forth a beam of pure heat, red and raw. It blasted the Persuader right into his helmut, all over his face, knocking him so hard, that he not only stopped, but turned away in pain.
“No more, beast! Whoever you are, your day is done! You’ll harm no one!”
The Persuader could not hear the screams. He was in immeasurable pain. His helmut had welded itself onto his skin, and the burning hot iron seared his flesh with every second. He dropped to one knee.
Suddenly, emerald energy rippled forth. The Eye appeared, with an unconscious Empress in two. It pulled the Persuader forward, encasing him in healing emerald energy, and pulled him away. The Persuader too passed out, and suddenly, the Eye, the Empress and the Persuader were gone.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
“They are here, in Japan, and this is an opportunity that we cannot allow to pass us by.”
The aging man said nothing, but nodded, allowing his comrades to continue.
“We have waited our entire lives, built upon the lives of all those in our circle that lived generations before us, on the hope that one day progress would be made and the secret history would once more come into the light.”
“Don’t speak so vaguely, brother,” said the man finally, cutting his friend off. “Two girls so immersed in our history are in Japan together, and one other girl, Sara Romenscue, was with them previously. The Emerald Eye of Ekron exists once more. But most importantly Maziah bint-Mordru bin-Ahmad Al-Nayal has escaped from her father’s sight. These two events confirm that our shared beliefs are true and that our faith has born fruit.”
“Precisely, brother,” replied the other hooded figure, and they all nodded in agreement.
“Now, after long centuries, the Dark Circle can act.”
--end Interlude--
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
Things had moved fast, and what seemed like brief moments was actually days, and was turning into weeks.
Jacquie overlooked the beautiful harbor, still trying to let all of what happened settle in her mind. Following the battle, there was absolutely no sign of the Emerald Empress or the Persuader, despite Mon-El and Blok checking the area very thoroughly.
She had wanted to be the one to take down Sara so bad…it was her duty as a member of the Moldavian Royal Family to stop the Romanescues. And Sara had killed her father…
She let a tear fall down her cheek. And she remembered what Dirk said to her. “Its not about vengeance anymore, Jacquie. You have to let it go, and you have to start now. Embrace the fact that your father is dead and remember him. But stop carrying this vengeance with you. We all defeated her together, which is as it should be. This ‘group’ we’ve created, with whatever purpose we’re supposed to have, is beyond anyone one of us. It’s about all of us. I told you we need some semblance of a leader. I hope you’re up for the challenge.”
His words stung, and she hadn’t talked to him since. He felt bad, she knew, but she was mad at him. Mad at him for being so right.
They decided to go to Japan, to accompany Ten Zil Kim to find his brother and mother. The poor boy. Landing on Seoul did one thing important thing above all else in saving his life and stopping that animal the Persuader from torturing him. He had been through so much, and only this morning did it seem as if he was finally starting to relax. The came here to help him find the rest of his family, but so far it had been to no avail. Tatiana already told him they could travel with him if need be, and Jacquie expected him to, since she knew it would be impossible to find his family here, if they even were here.
What were they doing anyway, gathering such a motley crew of teenagers and strange people, traveling around Asia and Europe? Did they have a purpose? She had thought it was the Emerald Empress, but now she felt like there was more. “Don’t kid yourself Jacquie,” she thought, “you know exactly what it is. Maziah’s father. Mordru.”
Hasim suddenly was next to her.
“A little cold out here tonight, isn’t it?” he said quietly. Hasim was someone Mon-El met in Rome of all places and ended up with them. Mon had not given them any reason why, and neither had Hasim. The boy definitely felt distant, moreso than the rest, and there was something about him that was untrustworthy. But he was dangerous, and that might not be such a bad thing. Despite herself, Jacquie liked him a little.
“A little, but the view is worth it. We’ve been here for a little while now, and it feels like we haven’t even taken a step back to enjoy it. I’m a long way from Moldavia,” she added.
“Yes, and I am from Turkey. You miss your father?”
Jacquie looked at him, wondering why he would bother to ask when he knew she did.
“I recently lost mine too,” he continued. “Ten Zil, you and I, all suddenly orphans. It doesn’t feel right.” He stared further. “I’m here if you want to talk about it, but if not, I don’t mind that either. I’m not much of a talker when it comes to my feelings. More of a man of action.”
Jacquie gave him a quiet smile. Hasim smiled back. He had been waiting for this moment for days.
-------------------------
Tatiana looked in the full length mirror, unsure if what she was seeing was true. Her skin, which had become a pale white, now almost looked like it was starting to get so white that it had a hue of blue in it too. “This can’t be…” she couldn’t help but say aloud.
“But it is,” said a voice, which she turned to see Mon-El, “and after all the strange things you’ve seen, how could you even doubt it?” He had his ever serious look on his face, but something about him told her he was slightly smiling and amused. “Especially myself.”
“A very valid point,” she replied. “You have abilities unlike anything I have ever even heard of. And that is not even including the part about being over two thousand years old.”
“I have always been able to do these things. But it is you that is truly impressive. The way you were in the fight with the Empress…I don’t know if I’ve ever seen such ferocity and bravery. It was staggering.”
She turned away, smiling, looking away from him. “Thank you. I was caught up in the moment.”
“I’m glad. You saved our lives. Thank you,” he finished, as she turned to be face to face with him, only inches apart. For a moment, their eyes locked on each other. She stepped back and now he actually did smile.
The small, posh Japanese hotel room felt roomy and extravagant, which was a tribute to the talented architect who designed the place.
“I don’t know how long we’ll be able to live off the Princess’ dime,” said Dirk to Blok, who didn’t seem to be listening. “Unless you feel like giving me a hint on what it is we’re supposed to be doing…?” he added. “No? Great.”
“Hey Sun Boy…”
“DON’T CALL ME SUN BOY,” said Dirk to Ten Zil. “That kid Hasim is having a little fun at my expense. I hate that name. They gave it to me when I was like fourteen, and I’ve grown to hate it.”
“Uh, right. I was thinking of going back out tonight,” said Ten Zil.
“Tenz, look. I don’t think that’s such a good idea. Let’s just stay put tonight and go out tomorrow again.” Ten Zil looked like the words stung more than they were meant for. “Tenz…we need to start considering that your Mom and bro aren’t here in Japan.”
-----------------------------
Blok had moved across the room by this point, closer to Maziah. She was sitting quietly, enjoying the sound of running water in the fountain in the section of the open room. “Hello Blok,” she said.
“Hello Maziah,” he replied. “In quiet contemplation?”.
“Yes,” she said, then blushing slightly, “I’m trying to figure out what we’re doing here.”
“We are here for Ten Zil, I presume. He will see soon enough that his family will not be found here. Tatiana wishes to go back to her manor, which is where I assume we will go. Of course, that is not what you are asking me.”
“I-I’m not sure what you mean, Blok” she replied.
“Maziah, I can assure you that you can confide in me. You are worried that we will have to cross the area of the world where your father Mordru has the most power.”
Maziah turned even whiter than usual. “Yes. But he holds power in all parts of the world, so it is a useless fear. I won’t be able to teleport us back this time, and Mon-El can’t fly us all there and back. We have to travel the normal way. After I spent so much time with Nura escaping in the first place.”
“Amazing, is it not, that you and your sister became friends with the heir of the shadow wielders, the heir of the House of Romanescue and the Heir of the Moldavian Royal Family, despite being spread across the world?”
“Yes Blok, it is amazing. It was Irma,” Maziah quickly said.
“I have no doubt that Irma’s role was to bring you all together. Now the three of you are here, as well as Monius Elysius of two thousand years past, who also fought your father.”
“Mon-El fought my father? Blok…that makes no sense. Blok, you—“ her voice trailed off. “Blok, how do you know so much about my father and me?”
“I know a great deal. And the time is coming for you and I to tell the others what are real mission must be.”
“Real mission?”
“In regards to your father.”
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Mano sat with a knife, carving at the bit of wood. He didn't know what he was making - he'd barely started, but in these days of Nightmare, it was one of the few things which brought him any pleasure.
Elsewhere, Tellus "sat" - if you could call what his deformed body did "sitting" - reading The Three Musketeers, flicking the pages with the tip of his tail. He didn't complain about what his lot in life had proven to be - what was simply was.
Elsewhere still, Micro was at a nightclub, talking constantly to anyone who'd listen about anything and everything he was allowed to talk about.
Finally, yet another elsewhere, Wolf howled. The body of a man, blood still warm as it leeched onto the uncarpeted floor, lay beneath him. His claws were red. Again, Wolf howled.
-------------------- My views are my own and do not reflect those of everyone else... and I wouldn't have it any other way.
posted
Roberta Skye Herrera gazed at the view from her home in Baguio City. No amount of pushing by the city council of the Summer Capital of the Philippines for modernization would ever make her wish that the beautiful greenery would give way to a sprawling cityscape.
She checked her things once more. She had packed her jacket, toiletries and enough clothes to last two weeks. She double-checked her passport, tickets, visa and wallet. She had enough money for two weeks' worth of expenses, with enough left over for a ticket back home. And that was if she was frugal. Everything was all set.
She walked down the large wooden stairs, looking at the family pictures on the walls. Her parents, smiling at their wedding. Her grandmother, twenty years gone now. Her lolo, her grandfather, the one who had given her her second name - Skye. He had always dreamed of flying through the skies in a plane, and he finally had - not as a pilot, though, but as a passenger. Roberta had inherited his love of heights and the sky - and something more.
Around her, the air began to whirl.
"Berta! What did I tell you about using your powers in the house?"
Roberta clicked her tongue angrily. This lack of control would not do if she was to impress the Legion! She let the breeze die down before it could do more damage, then thought again. She used her powers to fix the picture frames she had moved with the wind. Satisfied, she continued down the stairs.
"You must not get distracted, Berta. The Americans are tightening security now, and we would not want them to mistake you for a terrorist."
"I'm sorry, inay. I will be careful."
"Ay, you listen to your mother, Skye. You may only get one chance," her grandfather said, not unkindly.
Berta smiled back at his wise, weathered face. "Yes, lolo. I'll join the Legion and make you proud."
Her mother smiled too. "Just think what your ninangs (godmothers) would say when they find out that you have such wonderful powers! They already say that God has blessed you with so much."
Berta wondered what her friends would say, too. She imagined their excited reactions - her closest friends would definitely be thrilled with her, while her acquaintances might become even more plastic. She could tell they were jealous of her intelligence, her good grades, her leadership skills and the high positions she held in high school, and now her acceptance into the University of the Philippines and in Ateneo and La Salle. She had also made it into the University of Santo Tomas -and as a nursing student, no less! She had been having trouble deciding which to enter, but then the news about the Legion had reached them, and she was quick to seize the opportunity. Her lolo had backed her up, and her parents, after a bit of hesitation, agreed as well. An opportunity like this did not come by often, and if it somehow didn't work out she could always come back and enter college.
"I'm sure they'll be proud, mother. I just hope that no users will take advantage of us."
"Ay, hija, don't you worry. We can deal with them if there are any. We are used to that. Now come, let us have breakfast. We still have a long drive to make before reaching Manila. And we have a lot of things to take care of before you leave."
Berta grimaced. She wasn't looking forward to the almost eight-hour drive. It would be faster to fly there on her own power, but she understood the risk in doing that. There was no telling what would happen if the media got wind of her powers. It would be nice to fly again and feel the wind in her face, but... no matter, she'd have plenty of chances to do that in America. As she sat down to a hearty meal, she relished the thought of that. Soon, soon, all her dreams would come true.
posted
"Jenni." Jazmin whispered her teammates' name calmly, but with a hint of urgency in her voice. "I have a new lead."
Jenni nodded. It was all she could do to hope. She waited impatiently while Jaz caught her breath.
"I was on monitor duty the other day, and an alert came from a military installation in the Arctic. But before I could do anything, a second message came in, saying that the situation was contained. Following protocol, I called up a live feed to make sure - and I caught a glimpse of what looked like Chu."
Jaz looked Jenni straight in the eyes.
"This could be it. Ostensibly, the place's purpose is for research on counters to known chemical weapons. Chu definitely has no business there."
Jenni nodded. "I'll get tickets to Norway pronto. How long will it take from there?"
"Forty-five minutes, about. I can't fly near as fast as you can run, though, so I have no idea how long it'll be for you. Probably half that."
posted
Jenni's mind flashed back to the conversation she had had with Jazmin earlier that week. Her pulse quickened as she thought about what it would feel like to see the end of her search. She imagined herself racing in, grabbing the monster who had killed her mother and...
... and what?
She'd thought about that moment many times over the last few years, but she'd never gotten farther than that. It all seemed one of those movies where the heroes move heaven and earth to battle the villains, and you can only imagine what's running through their minds while they do. Jenni couldn't quite imagine what was in her mind. Why had she left her surviving family, joined the Legion, worked with her new teammate to track down the people they had both been looking for for ages - and why, now that it seemed like they had finally found them, was she suddenly not sure about it all?
"Jenni?"
Jenni jerked out of her trance to see Zoe Saunders, Kinetix, floating above her. The beautiful telekinetic had a green glow around her, and was wearing yet another costume. "Finally! I've been trying to get your attention for the past minute. I mean, that's like a lifetime for you, right? I was about to give up and leave you here. Would have saved me from the horrible curse of Monitor Duty!"
Jenni stood up, face burning slightly. Inwardly, she kicked herself for that. What if her teammates got suspicious? "Sorry, Zoe! I was just - thinking." Her mind raced, telling her to change the subject. "You wouldn't really have left me alone, would you?"
"Oh, if I were sure nobody had noticed me coming in, I would've." Zoe answered with a mischievous grin. "Tina and Nura want to head to the beach tomorrow, and I wanted to talk them into going today. Why wait, right? Besides, I'm almost done with the Halloween costumes. You'll LOVE yours, Jenni. Want to try it on right now?"
"Uh, no thanks. Surprise me. I'm sure you did a great job on the design."
Jenni was relieved to see the green glow around Zoe die down. "Yeah, I guess it'd spoil the surprise. Say, you think I can talk Cos or whoever's in charge into opening the party to the public? I'd love to have my old classmates over."
Jenni thought she detected a touch of - something flash in Zoe's eyes. Anger? Jealousy? Whatever it was, it probably wasn't serious.
"Oh, you still keep in touch with them? I thought you couldn't, what with all the travel you did with your mom."
Zoe shrugged, a tad too violently. "It was tough, but I did e-mail them. They replied often enough, though we did lose touch a bit. That's why I want them to come, so they can see me now. Anyway - I've gotta get to work. Don't want Gene or Irma to catch me slacking off."
Jenni sensed that she had touched a nerve. "I - Okay." Now wasn't the best time to fix it, though. Besides, it wasn't like she did it intentionally. Not like Zoe would hold a grudge because of that. "See you around. Hey, it'll be too late to go to the beach later, but maybe you want to jump in the pool? It's almost as good."
"Sure." Zoe gave a little smile. "Why not? But only if you let me design your suit."
"Deal." Jenni smiled back, thoughts of her search almost gone. Maybe she wasn't looking for revenge, after all. Maybe she just needed some friends to fill the gap in her heart.
posted
"Jenni." The word hung in the air for but a second, but the sound of her voice almost frightened Jazmin. She sounded hard. Very hard. "You've been avoiding me. We need to talk."
Jaz paused as she took in the surprise on Jenni's face. It lasted only a moment, though, before being replaced by a short look of guilt, then calm once more.
"You're right, Jaz. I'm sorry. I just don't think..." Jaz saw Jenni swallow, almost imperceptibly, but it was there. "I think we should take this info to Gene."
Jaz felt her temper flare up, but she willed herself to calm down. She had been exhausting herself lately, keeping up with her training AND keeping an eye out for Chu. She had no solid proof that Chu had been behind her brother's death, but it seemed likely. Like the rest of the team, Jenni had supported her. Unlike the rest, jenni had been a big help. At first. Lately, though, she seemd to be getting cold feet.
"We can't. He'd turn it in to the police or the military or confront Chu himself. You know that. Rex and Irma would too. So would most of the others. We agreed we had to do this ourselves, Jenni. Don't bail out on me now."
"I just don't think revenge is the best reason for us to do this.
"It doesn't have to be. We'll be stopping them from ever doing this again. Look, Jenni, I know revenge isn't all that. I admit it's part of the reason why I'm so focused on this, but for me it's just a small bonus. I'm doing this to stop Chu. Period."
Jaz watched Jenni closely. It was true, what she had said. Mostly. She hoped Jenni believed her.
She did. "You're right. I'm sorry. We should get ready."
Jazmin let a smile creep back on her face. "I'm glad, Jenni. Let's go."
posted
Sally grew back to normal height as she watched Jenni and Jaz walk down the hall. She had come to join Zoe at monitor duty, knowing how much she hated spending her time alone. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but she was glad she had dropped that pin on the carpet.
Sally knew she had to put a stop to this, but she wasn't sure how. She was a bit afraid of what might happen. Almost anything she could think of could end badly for Jenni or Jaz.
This wasn't the time for inaction, though. Sally had learned long ago that just because you're not sure of yourself doesn't mean you can't act. She needed help, though.
Jacquie, Ten Zil, Dirk, Hasim and Maziah walked through the streets—an odd group of teenagers in Osaka if their ever was one. Monius Elysius had elected to stay behind with Blok, and Tatiana did too for her own reasons. Ten Zil assumed it was because she was feeling embarrassed by the changing pigment in her skin. Dirk knew better—despite him being a good four or five years older, the brave young girl was on the verge of being a love-sick girl around Mon-El.
Despite Blok telling a few of them in private it was a waste to continue looking, Jacquie had agreed to one last trip into the city to find Ten Zil’s mother and brother, if for no other reason than to remind Ten Zil, who was doing an amazing job concealing how bad he was hurting, that he had friends now. Dirk was proud of the Princess that he was quickly becoming friends with, but they were still not on speaking terms.
Maziah seemed happy to be with them. “I…felt the need to be out and about with you all. Too much quiet mediation and not enough interaction with all of you,” she continued, “we still all hardly know each other.” Hasim smiled on the inside—an obvious white lie for the ‘white witch’. She was more uncomfortable around Blok than all of them, and it was no small feat for any young person to feign comfortableness around a giant creature made of Earth and stone.
Hours passed, and they questioned people here and there, thanking Maziah’s spell for the ability to communicate in other languages. Finally, two fisher-man appeared to be startled by their appearance, in a way that led them to believe they might know something.
“You speak flawless Japanese,” said one, “a better dialect than me!” he laughed. “But I can tell you are of Korean decent,” he said to Ten Zil now, “and are not the first person to past through here who has been.”
“Ah yes,” said the other. “The boy. Younger than you. We did not catch his name. He tried to steal a fish, but we could tell he was starving so we let him think he got away.”
“That might be my brother, Ren Kil,” said Ten Zil quickly.
Jacquie stepped forward. “Is there anything else you might possibly know?” Dirk looked at Hasim and Maziah—Maziah seemed to think they were genuine and they seemed to be. Hasim didn’t trust anyone.
“Well,” said the fisherman, “we saw him when many ships were coming in and out. There’s a chance he most likely boarded one, as he had the look as if he was running from something,” added the fisherman, this time raising his eyebrow as if to say, ‘I know he looked suspicious and so do you.’
“Any idea where?” said Jacquie, grasping at straws.
“We can check the ship-log inside,” said the other. “It should be no problem, although it might not help much—there are many ships that pass through here.”
“We’ll come with you,” said Jacquie, and she, Maziah and Ten Zil stepped into the tiny shack, not enough room for all five. “Great,” thought Dirk, looking at Hasim.
“Boys,” said a man suddenly, approaching. He was aging, and looked very distinguished. A business man, most definitely.
“Yes, sir?” said Dirk.
“I could not help but notice that you are American, and you are Middle-Eastern/European, most likely of Turkish decent. We do not get such a variety of cultures here on the shipping docks of Osaka often, and I was curious to meet you. You see, I often travel and have many colleagues around there world, and am interested in such matters.”
“Well, we’re just hear, visiting Osaka,” said Hasim. “It’s lovely,” he added begrudgingly.
“That’s amazing,” said the man. “You just spoke flawless Japanese.”
“We are very fluent in languages sir,” said Dirk.
“I see. Amazing enough, I was speaking in English.”
“We understand English too. I’m American.”
“And what am I speaking now?” replied the businessman again.
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t play the fool with me boy. Tell me. What language now?”
“You have no right to talk to us like that—“ started Hasim.
“—Oh, but I do,” cut in the man. “I know what language you’re speaking quite well. I believe the term you would call it is: magic.”
Suddenly, Hasim felt a crack over his head as many men were on him. Dirk felt as if he was being jumped.
“Amazing, isn’t it? Here on the shipping docks of Osaka, of all places, is the day the Dark Circle stepped out of the shadows of society.”
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Maziah, Jacquie and Ten Zil entered the shack. The two men led them to a schedule they had tacked onto the wall.
“Here. This is a log of all the ships coming in and out today.”
“Thank you,” said Jacquie, as they took a look at it. Maziah stood to the back. “I’ve never been on a fishing boat,” she said to the man quietly.
“No? It is very difficult work, you would not like it I’m afraid,” said one.
“I’d love to try it,” she replied.
“Would you? We can’t have that! A young pretty lady like yourself working so tirelessly?”
Maziah seemed taken aback by this obvious compliment. “I can work hard. I value that much more than being pretty.”
“We know you do,” said the other man. “We have a lot of faith placed in you, Maziah bint-Mordru bin-Ahmad Al-Nayal, daughter of the Dark Lord Mordru.”
“What?” said Jacquie out loud, suddenly turning, as she felt a cloth go over her face. She looked up and saw another man, in a hooded purple costume doing the same to Ten Zil. The men were screaming.
“Your day is at hand, daughter of Mordru! We have come for you! You will grow to love us, as we will love you!”
“NOO!!!” screamed Maziah, obviously scared beyond all reason. A glow began to emanate from her hands, but one of the fisherman grabbed her by the waste, and began pulling her outside.
Men seemed to be coming in from everywhere. How many were there?
Ten Zil looked up and was overwhelmed, and then suddenly a gigantic tidal wave crashed into the shack, destroying it instantly. He could see Dirk and Hasim.
Water was everywhere. They were underwater now. Drowning. Ten Zil didn’t understand what happened, but was trying to breath. No chance—they were all going to die, and he had no idea what was happening.
Suddenly, Ten Zil snapped back to action. All the Dark Circle men were on the ground, gasping for air, apparently under the illusion they were drowning. Dirk and Hasim were recovering just the same. Jacquie was standing in the midst of all of them, ending the battle with her powers.
“Nice Jac,” said Dirk, breathing heavy.
“Maziah. Now. They’re taking her up ahead.” They ran.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
The men from the Dark Circle moved with Maziah, as she tried to gather her thoughts and see what was happening. Concentrate, she told herself. She had more than enough power to destroy this entire group.
“Daughter of Mordru! We, the Dark Circle, will change your life! Our sacred history can come to light! What man has long forgotten, has left in the dark, you will be our guiding light!”
“N-no!” she said. Their yelling was distracting her. But “daughter of Mordru”! “Dark Circle”! Why were they yelling such things? Why were they interested in her and her father?
“Help,” she whispered, bringing her hands to her lips. A simple spell, which she always had prepared, and a golden butterfly flew into the air from her hands. The men evidently saw it and stopped.
“She cast a spell,” said an older, aging Japanese man. “The witch has cast a spell. What was it?!” he yelled. “Did you call your father?!”
“N-n-no!” she yelled. “Leave me alone! My father is the least of you worries!”
The butterfly flew into the air and sped through the city, stopping above a posh hotel.
“Nonsense girl,” said the older Dark Circle leader. “We know all about magic, far more than you! We know all about your family and your people too. You can be our greatest hope—but you must first give us a chance to show you the dark, so that you may be our white light.”
Above the hotel, the butterfly turned into a cocoon, and dropped into the hotel, phasing through all around it. It landed on its intended destination, and turned into a small caterpillar, crawling up the side of the creature it was intended to find, and into his ear. And Blok knew.
“You say you know magic,” Maziah whispered, “you might. But you do not know it like I do. There are none that have been forced to know it like I have.”
“She speaks truth,” said a voice, as all turned to see Blok standing there before them, holding two members. “She will always speak truth,” he finished, slamming them together.
“What is that thing?!” yelled one man, turning his back to Maziah, and catching a magic dagger through his back. It did not kill him, but it made him feel the pain it would if she had. She was terrified.
Blok said nothing, moving them into walls and surrounding objects. He moved to Maziah. Their numbers seem endless.
“They are too many,” she said to him.
“Trust us Maziah, and will not let you down. They are numerous indeed…but we are Legion.”
Fire blazed into the sea of people, as Dirk ran into the fray. Ten Zil, Hasim and Jacquie were behind them, but the Dark Circle were already scattering. The older leader was already no where in sight. Hasim ran forward at full speed, “let’s grab one for questioning!” he yelled above the roar of the fight, but it was not to be. The Circle was better at escaping than actually fighting—a telling attribute of their organization.
They gathered around Maziah and Blok. No one said anything, until finally Jacquie asked “Maziah, are you alright?” Maziah walked forward, silently, and put her arms around Blok, hugging him. “Yes.”
“OK, enough is enough. We’re getting Mon and Tatiana, and we’re talking this through,” said Dirk. “No more secrets. You’re all going to tell us finally: Who is Mordru?.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Riding a horse, the man stuck out more than he realized, or cared, when compared to the other men on camelback. How the horse survived in the heat was a question among the locals, although they had no idea that it never drank or fed anymore. At least, not in the traditional sense.
He was in all black leather armor, and he had a sense that he cared not for how he looked. He enjoyed knowing he was a relic from yesteryear. Yester-century, in fact.
The man road up to the opulent palace and paid no heed to any guards, any maidens, or anything whatsoever. He had seen the beauty of the halls before many times. He did not waste time—indeed, that was why he was one of the most called upon of all the mighty wizard’s agents.
He approached the great throne and saw the old man, today adorned simply in fine red silk. His white beard neatly combed and an aroma of sweet cedar in the air.
“Milord,” he said, bowing.
“Lord Vykros,” said the old man, “you know why you have been called?”
“I do,” he replied. He was not supposed to, but he never lied to the wizard. The wizard raised his eyebrow, but knew this and appreciated the direct honesty. “I have dispatched your brand of justice for loose tongues.”
“As you always do. Then I send you off, Lord Vykros, on the most trusted of tasks that I have asked an agent to do in many a century. I need you to bring me my daughters. Use your discretion and do whatever you must to ensure their return, save the restrictions you are aware of for my most earnest goals. Do what you wish to any who stand between you and them.”
“Thank you Lord, I shall leave at once.”
“You may take rest here for the night if you wish,”
“I thank you, but I must leave during nightfall.”
“Of course.”
“Good day, Lord Mordru.”
End Interlude
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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