For The Soul of The Stars: More About You, And the ATTACK!

Written by: Lynderia

Disclaimer: I, in no way, own the Outlaw Star Characters. I do own Kat, Proteus, Jaguar, and all other characters you do not recognize from Outlaw Star.

“Listen, if you don’t have money to pay up front I can’t help you.” the clerk explained. Who did these people think they were? They didn’t expect him to let them sleep in this hotel for free.

“Come on. We’ll pay you as soon as you have the money. Don’t you take IOU’s?” Why were they always broke? Gene wondered where all their money went to.

“If you continue this I’m going to have to call security.”

“Please, it’s really late and I’m sleepy!!” Aisha just wanted a nice hot shower and a nice soft bed, something every Ctarl-Ctarl deserved.

“SECURITY!!! This Ctarl-Ctarl is threatening me!!” the clerk shouted over the intercom.

She wondered why humans were so afraid of the Ctarl-Ctarl. Aisha knew she was a bit grumpy when she wanted sleep, but calling security on them was different. She wasn’t going to kill him. She was just going to toss him around a little. “Why you little…”

“It’s okay. We were about to leave anyway.” Melfina said pushing her friends for the doors. She didn’t want any trouble.

“That jerk!! He could have just taken my IOU.” Gene was tired and a bit stressed out. He still couldn’t believe that The MacDougall Brothers were still alive and they were connected to Kat, most likely through Hilda.

“This is all your fault Aisha. Why do you have to eat so much when we go out to eat?!” Jim asked.

“I was hungry!!” Aisha shouted.

“Bickering like this will get us know where.” Suzuka had a feeling-one that she couldn’t quite explain. Things were going to get a lot more complicated and complex from now on.

“Suzuka, what do you suggest we do?” Melfina asked. She was still worried.

It was really boring when he didn’t have any one to hang out with. Kat, most likely, was going to work until she couldn’t work any more and then some. She was definitely a workaholic. What was he going to do now? Proteus had been walking around mission-less, nothing to do, and no one to see. He turned the corner kicking a beer can as hard as he could. He didn’t expect to hit anyone, but who would be out so late.

“What the hell?!” Gene shouted rubbing his head.

Proteus looked at the group. Why did it have to be them? He had better go and inspect the damage he had caused. Proteus causally walked over to the group. “I hope I didn’t damage anything important.”

They looked at him. “Like hell. You hit me in the head!” Gene shouted at him.

“I guess it was nothing really important then, now was it.” Proteus smiled.

Did this guy always make jokes? Gene made his mouth into a thin line, in almost anger. This guy was making fun of them.

Proteus laughed. “Can’t take a joke?” How did Kat not laugh at people’s expressions when she told them insulting things? He had to master that. “Anyway, why are you people in the street? I don’t think it’s safe for you to be out.”

Was he worried about their well being? He didn’t seem that bad. At least he didn’t act like Kat. How could he be friends with her? She was cold, cruel-she tried to kill Gene. “We have no money so we have no place to sleep.” Melfina told him.

He looked at them as they all nodded their heads in agreement with what Melfina said. “Well, I guess I’m just going to have to… leave all of you here to die.”

Melfina gasped. Maybe he wasn’t that different from Kat. She stared at him in total shock, and placed her face in her hands and sobbed.

Proteus laughed, she was so sensitive. But he did want to get to know her better. They were a like, except for a little difference. Proteus stopped and stared. He took her hands and lifted her head by the chin, and stared. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.” He wiped her tears away, “So, don’t cry, okay. Lighten up.” He smiled warmly at her.

He shocked her even more. She didn’t expect him to do what he just did. She was a total stranger to him, but yet he told her such kind words and the manner in which he had done it was so sincere and heart felt. Melfina nodded happily in response.

Proteus wrapped her arm around his and said, “If you all please follow me, you can find shelter.”

It was huge, and in a different part of Blue Heaven they had never seen. It was a large house in what seemed like a normal neighborhood. They stood at the house looking at the exterior wondering what they would find inside.

Proteus led the small group inside. The first thing they noticed was how clean it was-something they didn’t expect. The walls were white-even the stairs were white. The banner was gold. The interior was white and gold. Aisha went to inspect it. “Is this real gold?”

Proteus smiled. They looked as if they were in a whole new world, “What do you think?” Aisha glared at him. “Idiot, of course it’s real gold.”

It was lovely, and it was only the main floor. “Do you live here alone?” Melfina asked.

“No.” Proteus started walking into the huge living room.

Gene noticed a piano. He passed his hands on the keys. How did he possibly pay for this house?

“Please don’t touch the piano. That’s Kat’s, and she wouldn’t appreciate you touching her things.”

“Kat’s?” Jim asked. Somehow he had this strange feeling-he wanted to see her again.

“Yes, Kat’s. That is Kat’s piano.”

“You live with that little bitch?!” Aisha asked.

Proteus glared at her. Kat wasn’t a bitch. “I don’t live with a ‘little bitch’.” he said in a dark tone.

Aisha blinked. He looked almost like Kat when he said it. “Who’s the one that can’t take a joke now?” she smirked.

Proteus’ eyes lit up in amusement as he chuckled. “Nice one. Why don’t I show you to your rooms?”

She heard numerous voices and only one of which sounded like Proteus. Kat wondered who Proteus brought home. She dropped her tools, and headed for the door. Kat headed upstairs to the bedrooms.

“There are a lot of rooms, so you all get to pick one.” Proteus said.

“Proteus?”

The group turned around and noticed Kat standing in the hallway. She was in her mechanic jumpsuit and her face was dirty-grease rubbed all over it.

He was almost afraid to turn around. He didn’t know how she would react, hopefully not violently. Proteus knew when he left she wasn’t home. “Kat, I didn’t expect to see you so soon.”

Kat stood where she was and stared at him. Why had he brought Them here-of all the places. Finally, “I see you brought guests.”

Proteus stared, “Well, yeah. I was trying to be nice. They had no place to sleep, so I brought them home. Is it okay?” He didn’t want her to be unhappy-that was the last thing he wanted.

To her, it sounded almost as if he had brought a lost puppy home. “Sure, they are your Ugly guests. Make sure you show them the bathroom and the towels. You can bring them into the kitchen if they promise to sit in the chairs, and eat with the eating utensils like normal human beings.”

Gene looked at her. What was she getting at? Were they a bunch of dirty ugly animals? “We didn’t come here to be insulted!”

“Of course you didn’t. You came here to be the ugly dirty freeloaders I know you are.” Kat stared with no emotion-not even a smirk.

“You little brat!!” Aisha screamed. That self righteous human brat!! Why did she have to call them ugly?

Proteus started laughing. This was so funny. Didn’t they know, of course they didn’t.

“Proteus, I wanna give you a check up. Kay?”

Through his laughter, Proteus nodded.

Kat smiled and started laughing. He was a sight.

He noticed her smile and laugh was genuine. Jim stared in bewilderment. She was like two different persons.

She was proud. He was evolving-there was a 25% change in his physique. It had only been a month when he had started using his body. He must really want to become human. “You’re making great progress. Can I ask you something?”

Proteus smiled. He knew he was changing. Proteus started to put on his pajama pants. Kat had brought these sun and stars pajama pants form him. “Sure, what’s on your mind?”

She didn’t know how to ask this, “Why…what motivates you to want to become human?”

Proteus thought. Kat seemed, to him, almost scared to ask. “Um… ‘cause I wanna be with you. Yeah, I like being with you. Besides, I get to experience new sensations, even though sometimes they’re not all good, but they’re worth it.”

Kat nodded in understanding and smiled.

Proteus smiled in return. She was something special. When he was the operating system of Proteus II she spoke to him as if he were a real being. They became great friends, and that’s maybe when he started to develop a personality and gain real feelings. He was happy when Kat told him she was going to make him a bio android body for him, but it was gong to be special, more special than Melfina-the navigational system for the XGP15A-2. “Kat…thanks.”

“You should thank yourself. I only help plant your foot in the right direction. You’re doing more than I could ever do.” Kat smiled up at him as they left her workplace/garage.

She sighed as she sank in the hot bath. What was she going to do? Was it fate, maybe destiny? Did she believe in either? Was fate and destiny the same thing? Kat didn’t know. Uriel. That name plagued her thoughts constantly. She didn’t know what Uriel meant-was it a person, place, or thing? Maybe it was all the above? Gene was supposed to protect Uriel, and she was supposed to know-know whatever she was suppose to know. She didn’t want to work with ugly people. Kat laughed silently to herself. There was time to decide what she was going to do, hopefully.

Gene watched her as she checked on Proteus as he slept. Didn’t she sleep? As Kat descended the stairs he quietly followed.

Kat hated nights like these. She could never get to sleep. Her nightmares were ready to tear her mind apart if she went to sleep, and in her wake she was still plagued by nightmares. She just couldn’t win. She sat by the piano, in the dark, and began to play.

His ears perked up to the sound. It was familiar. A tune his mother used to play on their piano to get him to sleep. He began to miss his mother, the only woman that ever truly loved him. But enough about ‘mama’ he had to get information. “The Angel’s Song.” Gene said moving from the foot of the staircase.

Kat stopped playing, and watched as he moved toward the piano. Couldn’t he have waited until she was done? “Yes.” She began playing again.

Gene sat next to her. As she played he closed his eyes letting the music take him away.

Kat finished ‘The Angel’s Song’ and watched him as he slowly opened his eyes to meet her stare. “What is it that you want?”

It was a fair question. Somehow Gene thought he knew answer, but when he opened his mouth to answer nothing came out. Gene closed his mouth and stared at Kat, straight in the eye.

Kat quickly bowed her head and stood. Why was he staring at her, what was he looking for? “Then I guess you don’t want anything.” Kat started to walk away.

Gene, too, stood and grabbed a hold of her shoulder. “I’ve been given a job to protect Uriel. It was Rock’s dying wish, and I’m going to fulfill it. I need your help to do that, will you help me?”

Kat stared ahead of her in the dark. Before she could say anything the place shook violently.

Somehow Gene landed on top of her. When the shaking stopped, “Get you filthy ass off of me.” Kat said. He was crushing her. Gene started to get up, so did Kat, but the shaking began again.

Gene fell on her again. He caught himself staring at her-into her eyes. Kat suddenly looked away. The shaking stopped, “Do you still want me off?” He was smiling. She smelled good, like vanilla.

Kat didn’t answer and pushed him off. What the hell was that? She made her way to the phone. “Swanzo, what’s going on?!”

Damn them. That was close a call. “Kat, is that you?”

“Yeah, what happened?”

“Pirates.”

“Kei?”

“Worse, Scorpion. They busted through. Mike and I got the emergency haul doors to close.”

“Mike and you okay?”

She was really a sweet kid. Hilda had the same way about her. “Yeah, but they’re looking for you.”

‘Me?’ They didn’t know… “I’ll take care of it!”

Swanzo was about to say something more but heard the phone hang up. She was going to get herself into trouble, again. Nothing was new with Hellfire Diamond.

Proteus ran down the stairs with his guests behind him. “Kat!” Where was she? “Kat!” He reached for the living room light and found Gene on the couch and Kat by the phone. “Kat, are you okay? What’s going on?”

She looked at him and could tell he was worried. “I’m fine.” She ran past him, and he headed up the stairs.

“What are you doing?” Proteus asked. What was going on?

“You don’t expect me to go hunting in my robe, do you? You better get some clothes on if you wanna come.”

“Hunting? What are you going to hunt?” Proteus asked. Something was going on.

“Hunting for pirates, and the worse kinds at that. The Scorpion Pirates.”

They continued coming. Nothing seemed to be slowing them down. Aisha was beginning to get worn down. She should have eaten more. The worse part of their situation was that these pirates used magic expertly and like there was no tomorrow. “Would you just stop it already?!” Aisha screamed out her frustration. In response the enemy just cracked a smile.

She was the only one with a real weapon, even though Kat had her small dagger. Suzuka had her hands full. When she got rid of one three took their place, and she had only managed to barely get rid of one. “What are these things made out of?” she asked herself.

“Stay behind me Melfina.” Proteus was sick of these…things. What the hell are these things? They had pointy ears accompanied by faces made out of clay, sharp as knives fingers and feet, and just wouldn’t die.

“These stupid cartridges aren’t doing me any good!” Gene shouted.

“You can’t use any powerful stuff.” Jim reminded him. This wasn’t good. Jim looked at Kat, who seemed to be holding her own. Did she know how to kill them, if so she should share it was the rest of them.

Kat was thankful for her martial arts lessons, but she was using her Ki to destroy these creatures and it was taking a toll on her. She had to; they were made of pure Tao magic. She could use her other weapon, but they would then know.

Suddenly, the creatures stopped their assaults and stood still. They began melting away into nothingness. Raw power exploded from no where heading straight for Melfina. Proteus stood in the way protecting her.

“Proteus!!” Melfina screamed. Why did he do that? She didn’t want him to die-not for her.

Proteus stood again. A wave of power shot out again. This time Proteus screamed in pain. His flesh was on fire, tearing it apart.

She wanted to close off her ears. “Proteus!! Proteus, answer me!” Kat shouted.

No answer came. “Melfina, run away. It’s after you.” Proteus silently spoke. It hurt. His body hurt.

At first Melfina stared, but then ran. Again, the wave of power shot out. Proteus ran in front of it.

She, too, ran. She knew he couldn’t take anymore. She got there in time standing in front of Proteus and Melfina respectively. Kat stood in a defense stance bracing herself as she tried to push back the energy the best she could.

He watched her. She was a good fighter and stood against his attack. “Amusing. This little event became a four-some.” Jaguar’s voice rang out as his figure appeared floating above them.

“It’s you!!” Gene shouted.

“I’m not ‘You’. You’re supposed to say, ‘It’s Jaguar! Please don’t kill me, please spare my life!!” Jaguar began laughing hysterically.

“They should call you Hyena! You laughing pieced of…” Aisha began shouting, and never finished. He appeared before her slamming her head to his knee allowing her to fall to the floor, and then kicked her aside.

“I just had this strange feeling you were going to say something mean to me. If you’re not going to beg for your life then, you should not say anything at all!” A new game, with new players, he had to teach them the rules.

Kat looked at her arms, they were red and they hurt. She felt a presence above her, and didn’t dare to look up.

“I know you know I’m up here. Why don’t you look at me?” Jaguar reappeared a few feet in front of her. “Hellfire Diamond, what an inventive name? The name Kat is nice, but Kitty is even better.” Jaguar slowly began to walk toward her.

“You’re not a Scorpion Pirate.” Kat spoke.

“You’re right, I’m not. I just work with them for reasons I won’t share.” Jaguar began smiling.

Kat lifted her head and stared at him.

Those eyes, he almost felt naked under those beautiful eyes. He stopped walking and returned the stare. Jaguar couldn’t read her, which was strange. She was a human-female after all.

“What is it that you want?” Kat asked loudly but coldly.

Gene noted that it was the same question she had asked him. He wondered what Jaguar would say.

“I want you, of course. Not only for you looks, but also for the information in that pretty little head of yours, my Kitty.” ‘My’ Kitty sounded so good. Jaguar licked his lips and his eyes narrowed. “What’s your answer?”

Kat smiled cruelly at him, her eyes turned murderous.

Jaguar looked at her; she looked like a She-Devil, hence the name ‘Hellfire’

“No.”

Jaguar wondered what game she was playing. She just couldn’t say ‘No.’

“Didn’t you here, I said NO. Now leave, you’re unimportant in the large scheme of things. Why don’t I just kill you now? Shall I?” Kat still had the look of a She-Devil.

Jaguar growled in anger.

She had him

“Don’t you know who I work for?! Don’t you know what I’m apart of?! I work for the ones that call themselves The Dark Stars.” Jaguar screamed at her.

Dark Stars, better know as The Fallen. Now she knew why Rock had come to see her. It was a shame that after all this time The Scorpion Pirates were still working with them. She wanted to say something but her mouth didn’t move.

Jaguar didn’t like her reaction. She just stood there with a blank expression on her face. He hated not being able to read her. He needed her to react. In a blink of an eye Jaguar appeared in front of her with Proteus in his arms. “I would have never guessed that this one was a bio android made out of Dragon Metalic.” Jaguar mused aloud.

Proteus was a bio android just like her. Melfina didn’t quite believe what she heard. “Stop!! Leave him alone, please!” Melfina begged.

Jaguar ignored her pleading. He began to float in the air, drafting farther away.

Kat seemed to wake up and whispered, “Proteus.” Her mouth was working again and her legs were running toward him.

He looked down at her as she ran toward him. Jaguar still wasn’t happy with her response. There was no indication of emotion on her face.

Something sharp went through her shoulder. It was one of the things fingers. The clay face thing disappeared. “I had invited you but you said no. Now I’m inviting your friend, and now you want to be invited again.” Jaguar said.

Kat jumped for him. Jaguar put up a shield. He watched Kat as she tried to tear open a magical shield with her bare hands. The shield, itself, was threatening to rip her apart, but yet there was no indication of pain, sorrow, or remorse. “Who the hell are you?” Jaguar whispered.

It hurt. It hurt a lot. Her skin was being brunt and ripped, but she couldn’t let Jaguar take Proteus. The shield threw her back to the ground. “Proteus.” She couldn’t lose him. She started thinking, ‘Proteus, don’t go, don’t go away and leave. You said you wanted to be with me.’

Something was wrong. Something was attacking his shield. Where was this power coming from? Jaguar looked around, he couldn’t pinpoint where the magic was coming from.

<Proteus, don’t go, don’t go away and leave. You said you wanted to be with me.>

He heard her. Proteus looked at the darkness, <Kat?>

<Don’t leave me, please!>

Where was he going? Proteus didn’t know. She sounded sad, like she was scared, but Kat never sounded like that. <Kat?>

<Proteus, you’re going away. Don’t go!!>

He heard crying. <Kat!> He saw a light, and headed for it.

‘Where the hell is it coming from?’ Jaguar didn’t know how long he could keep his shield up. He tried teleporting but this energy was keeping him here. What magic could be higher than his? Jaguar watched his shield shatter. A hand formed pulling Proteus from him. Jaguar shot fire at it, but his attack was stopped by a shield.

The hand brought Proteus to Kat and disappeared.

Jaguar was concerned. Why hadn’t he been able to sense who or what was using magic? If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes he would have never known magic was used. It had brought her friend to her. “Enjoy you victory now. If I don’t see you in a couple minutes this place goes! Be seeing you, my Kitty.” Jaguar said in anger. He would enjoy blowing this place to kingdom come.

To be continued

After Thoughts: The very last part with Proteus, is like a dream sequence. I hope things weren’t confusing, and I do hope that you enjoyed this part of For The Soul of The Stars. I would like to know what you think, so email me when you get the chance. SailorRai@aol.com