Sailor Moon:
Seven Knights
*************
Part 3: "Re Genesis"
Written by Strike Fiss
Ninja Crowbotics, 1999
Prologue
Dave would have never thought he would be saying this to himself,
but they were fools.
All of them. Even when he looked at William, though the boy
tried to humour his theory, Dave could see the same aimless joy in that
he saw in the others.
The Universe was intact.
With the exception of three Keys being destroyed, nothing else
had been changed. The power re-assembled itself and drifted to the
vast reaches of space. There was a good chance that even if some far-
distant mage from a race in the future managed to form some of that
power into another Key, the other two would never be resurrected.
Armageddon was now impossible.
And the Armageddon that the Universe just suffered didn't seem to
be all that bad. Somehow, the balance had been saved. Records on both
parties of the Omega Web showed identical histories, and perfect time
continuation. Nothing had changed.
That afternoon, the Web had assembled their collective
intelligence and came up with the all too easy conclusion that
everything was perfectly fine. Good and Bad. Right and Wrong. Coke
and Pepsi. Everything was still in balance, and nothing was out of the
ordinary.
It was too good to be true.
So Dave had ordered the immediate halt on all other projects
until the next Point Calculator could be constructed. They were flying
blind in a reality that just suffered a very close call with mortality.
The Calculator would at least give Dave some piece of mind that they
had windshield wipers.
That order, of course, created an uproar in the Web's ranks.
Dropping everything was something that they weren't used to. Dave
mused that maybe they had been so vocal on the subject because it would
mean a few of the older members, and the lower-ranking members, would
actually have to do some hard work for once.
Fuck them. Dave knew he was right. If he didn't get the Omega
Web Employee of the Year vote because of this, then it wouldn't be any
difference to him.
He looked out over the horizon, standing on the top of the Empire
State Building. The slightly cleaner, but always smoggy New York air
clung to the Earth below.
Just like always.
Bullshit, he told himself.
Something had changed.
They just hadn't found it yet.
Chapter 1
Miharu ran at the red fire-hydrant, sword extended. With little
more than a flick of her wrists, the blade cleaved through the top
half, causing water to spurt up in the frozen air.
"MERCURY! ICE BUBBLES! FREEZE!" Ami yelled, directing a flow of
ice crystals at the water, grabbing it like a hand, then forcing it up
and over to spray on the apartment building that had just caught fire
on it's roof.
An ambulance just swerved around the corner, slamming into
another parked car in it's hurry. It recovered from the skid finally,
though, and roared down the street towards them. Chris and Andrea both
came running out of the building. Hooze had a baby under each arms
while Fiss carried an elderly man on his back.
"There's one more in there! Ami! We need you!" Andrea dropped
the kids off gently on the ground and took off with Sailor Mercury back
into the building.
Chris was coughing almost as much as the old man was, and
gratefully accepted the medic's complimentary oxygen mask to regain his
breath as they attended to the family.
"Dad...you should get back to the hotel." Miharu scolded,
sheathing her sword. "You didn't recover from that vortex thing yet."
"I'm fine." He hacked. "Just need a break."
The truth is he did feel a whole lot better than that morning.
The few hours of sleep had been nice, and knowing that the entire
universe wasn't turned into a fiery hell put his mind at ease. It had
just been some riots that started the blazes.
Someone had told the media that Armageddon was coming, and people
panicked. Tokyo was in a state of shut-down as the police tried to
keep it under control. Sailor Moon and the others had been forced to
return to help, but Mars and Mercury stayed behind to help with
Edmonton and the surrounding areas. It was current public belief that
Sailor Scouts were going to cause the End Of The World, and had to be
killed.
Though that may have been true two days ago, the End Of The World
was over and done with. A few more cities had begun to rally, but even
that was stopping. Andrea proved to be an excellent Public Relations
manager, explaining to the live broadcast that the danger was over, the
Scouts were helping to stop the fires and riots, and that whoever
started the rumors should bite her.
The fires had been confined, and were the only real problem
remaining. Melting snow managed to keep everything from spreading too
fast, and between the Senshi and the fire departments, it was almost
over.
But there had been a death-toll. Rather high, even for this kind
of disaster. Most of it had been in Tokyo, but at least a hundred
thousand people were dead or missing in rubble. In less than three
days, too.
Their first week as political entities, and they weren't doing so
well.
Andrea and Ami emerged from the building just as a balcony fell
down, blocking the entrance. The gathered tenants all gasped and a few
broke out in tears. "It was too late..." Hooze whispered, sitting on
the snow next to Chris, accepting his offer of mask-usage.
Ami re-doubled her efforts to direct the spraying hydrant into
the building, and in a few minutes, only a light smoke was rising from
the burnt roof. Her entire body sagged, relaxing for the first time
that day.
"You know, in all this confusion, I forgot to ask..." Miharu sat
down with the three soot-smudged Senshi and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Anyone got marshmallows?" she smiled.
They all groaned at the lame joke, until Chris pulled out a small
packet of marshmallows from his tuxedo vest and tossed it over to his
daughter. They all looked up at him. He shrugged. "I never leave the
house without them."
A few blocks away, the last of the big fires was raging out of
control. "This isn't working." Maury grumbled, arms crossed.
Four fire-trucks had joined the fight to try and put out this
multi-building blaze, but it had already spread to three older, run-
down shops, adding to the problem. He and Rei had been helping to try
and contain the blaze by carrying hoses and other equipment back and
forth from truck to truck.
"Of course it's not working." Rei sighed, brushing the back of
her hand on her brow to move a stray hair away from her face. The snow
on the ground did little to keep everyone cool. "The only help I can
give is my knowledge of fire. And that blaze is not slowing down
anytime soon."
The main building in the middle had been evacuated, but was a
tall, rickety old residential project. Maury sighed. "The problem is
that it isn't burning clean enough. Fire is still licking the other
buildings." A smile lit up his face. "Wait a minute..."
Rei saw the expression on his face. "You have a plan?"
Maury nodded. "Come on, you can help too."
They walked past the line of fire-fighters despite their safety
advice to the contrary. "What are you DOING?" the chief ran up to
them.
Maury turned, and gave the man his best 'I'm in charge here!'
look. "Turn off the hoses! You're going to have a few minutes to re-
pressurize the trucks back to full."
"What? Turn OFF the hoses? That blaze is still at top speed!
ARE YOU MAD, MAN?" he bellowed.
"YES!" Maury cackled back. "Not crazy...but MAD! Now do what I
say before I get crazy too!"
Reluctantly, the chief turned to his men, circling hand in the
air as a signal to cut the flow and re-charge the fire-truck's
pressurized water tanks from the hydrants. A few men looked at him
like he was crazy, but they followed orders.
"Maury, I hate to say it, but that's probably not going to help
putting out the fire." Rei sighed as the water stopped and the blaze
roared back to full strength.
"Just help." Maury smiled. He raised his arms, spreading the
front of his black trenchcoat open. "SOL FLARE!!!!!" His body lit up
with fire and shot out to slam into the side of the building. The fire
inside gathered strength.
Rei shrugged. "MARS FIRESTORM IGNITE!!!!" Her gloves turned a
bright red and yellow, then shot out a stream of liquid fire, adding to
the blaze.
"Keep it coming!" Maury told her. "Don't stop till I say!"
Everyone watched in horror as the residential building turned
into a pillar of fire that shot up into the sky. It looked like Hell
on Earth. Anything that hadn't already been lit on fire in that
structure was now nearly vaporized. The fire trucks pulled back
desperately once the men saw the tires begin to melt from the sudden
temperature increase.
That's when they noticed that the central fire was sucking
everything up into itself. Loose wood and cardboard were sucked into
the fire. Oxygen whisked away from the fringe blazes, putting them out
in less than a few seconds.
Finally, after a good minute of intense solar heat and blazing
fire, the entire building collapsed like a pile of matchsticks. Not
much more than a frame left. Maury cut off his power, returning to a
smoking black color, instead of the human torch.
Rei took the cue and stopped a second later. The fire dissipated
with no more fuel to burn, leaving only a small crackling mess and half
a dozen smoking buildings around it.
The fire trucks zoomed in to secure what was left of the fire.
Amazed, the fire chief turned to Maury and gave him a giant hug, nearly
crushing the younger man. "That was AMAZING!" he said, ecstatic.
"Thank you thank you thank you!" he shook Maury vigorously.
Mo finally managed to pry himself free and gave him a dizzy
smile. "Don't thank me, sir..." Maury turned to an invisible camera-
angle. "Thank the Discovery Channel and their informative program
series on forest fires!" he raised his thumb and winked in salute.
Rei eyes rolled back. "Yeah."
As they walked away from the cheering crowds, Maury turned to
her. "Marshmallows?" he reached into his coat and produced a
smoldering gooey pile of plastic and sugar.
Rei cringed. "No thanks..."
Maury sighed. "Shit. I forgot to take them out before I did
that Sol Flare." He shook his head. "You know...I've lost more drivers
licenses and bank cards that way..." he pried something green and white
off of a chunk of marshmallow. "Dammit! There's another one!" he
shrugged, licking it. "Though, at least they make the bank cards taste
good."
Chapter 2
Dave stormed through the Omega Web. William and Sonia struggled
to keep up behind the twin back flaps of his lab coat. "Why didn't you
TELL me Pain was still in the Web?" he demanded.
"It took a few hours to scan the training ground, Dave..." Will
explained. "Not to mention all the anti-protons that were floating
around." He fell silent when he remembered that it was he who did most
of the shooting.
"It's going to take three weeks, Dave." Sonia sighed. "That's
just to forge the crystal. And we need at least another week to
generate enough compressed plasma for another star."
"I don't care." Dave replied. "Everyone who isn't on the Point
Calculator is scanning for something out of the ordinary. No
exceptions."
"What about the riots?" Will said. "At least three more..."
"The Senshi are doing just fine." Dave interrupted. "Now, what
about this woman?"
"We don't know much about her, actually. Turns out she was off
planet ten years before the ice. She was an astronaut, actually. One
of NASA's hush-hush projects." William sighed. "We didn't have any
operatives in NASA at that time, though."
"Mm." Dave nodded. "What about the fuzz?"
"Fuzz, sir?" Sonia blinked.
"The cop." He smiled. "You know. Da fuzz. Piggy piggy. Po-po.
Men In Blue. Donut eaters."
"Oh." William sighed. "She died. I think she figured out a way
to destroy both her and Pain's key. Kind of a loop-hole in the whole
Justice idea, I suppose." He paused. "We were waiting for your orders
on what to do with the body."
"Tell Jessie in New York to arrange something so it doesn't look
suspicious." He sighed. "But full honors. The whole-nine-yards
funeral. She definitely deserved it from what you're telling me.
Chances are she saved the Universe."
"That's another thing, Dave." Will said. "Two of the keys were
destroyed, and the vortex was spinning out. Even if Chris did get
inside that thing before it collapsed, not all the power was
centralized."
"Armageddon happened. I don't care what theory makes sense.
I'll believe it when I get the Point Calculator up and running."
Dave's look told William that the conversation was over.
They rounded the corner, taking them from Western China to
Central Europe in a matter of foot-steps. This brought them to a small
series of rooms, all connected to the hall by a clear glass door. Dave
found the one that wasn't empty and looked inside.
A young woman sat in the comfortable white chair with her knees
up against her chest. Though she probably knew she was a temporary
prisoner of the Web, she looked to be ecstatic. On her face was a
genuine smile that could have lit up any dark room. Her long, jet-
black hair was spread out over her shoulder, and she seemed to be
enjoying the feeling of having it freshly washed. Dave turned to the
others. "SHE had the Key of Pain?"
They both smiled and nodded. "It appears she's enjoying her new
freedom from it." Will pointed out happily. "At least Armageddon
wasn't a total disaster."
"Perhaps." Dave sighed. "Okay, I'm going to talk to her for a
bit. If she is clean, we may as well set her up with a new life. It's
the least we can do."
Pain looked up in surprise when she saw a door appear and open on
what had looked like a perfectly white, smooth wall. She couldn't help
but giggle. "That's a neat trick..."
"Well, we're very good at stuff like that." Dave said with a
smile. He walked over to a point just ahead of her, then pressed a
button on his watch. An identical white leather chair rose from the
floor and he sat down across from her. "I'm Dave Reinquest." He
paused. "I'm afraid I don't know your name."
"I'm afraid neither do I." She said playfully. "I suppose I
should get one."
Dave crossed his fingers in front of his chest. "As far as our
records can tell...and let me assure you that they are extensive...you
were some kind of astronaut for NASA back in nineteen eighty-four." He
raised an eyebrow. "Do you remember anything about that?"
She nodded silently. "I...well, that was a few years after I got
my..." her eyes closed.
"It's okay..." Dave said. "You're in no hurry to explain what
happened. If you want, I can transfer you to a nicer room and you can
get some sleep."
"Sleep?" Pain's eyes widened. "Oh my goooood..." she sighed
happily. "That's right! I can finally sleep now!"
"You mean you couldn't before?"
She shook her head. "No...the Key made sure of that." Her eyes
narrowed. "Even trying to rest made my mind more open to the pain.
Keeping awake was the only way to make it bearable. Even after all
those years with it in my body, it could still surprise me..." she
sighed. "Once in a while, anyway."
Dave nodded sympathetically. Even the mind-expanding seizures
that each Omega Web member went through couldn't come close to what
pure pain was like. If the Key of Pain could indeed deliver that
horrible amount of sensory overload, it would make anything any human
had experienced feel like a tap to the shin.
This woman had lived with it, without respite, for over a
millennium.
"What about you, Mr. Reinquest..." she sighed. "Do you sleep?"
"I do." He smiled. "We don't have to as much as most people, but
I usually try to sleep a few hours a week. I guess I enjoy dreaming
too much."
The blissful smile returned to her face. "That's what this all
seems like to me. A dream." She sighed. "I'm so scared I'm going to
wake up and it will come back."
"Sometimes it feels like that." Dave sighed. "I'm still worried
about Armageddon, and what it might have done to our reality." He
shook his head. "But that doesn't matter until it happens. If this is
a dream, you will wake up, and have something nice to hold on to."
"Mmm. I guess." She smiled. "It's kinda weird. I was looking
forward to Armageddon so badly. It would have meant an end to my
suffering." She shrugged. "I never thought that it could have this new
start." A tear came to her eye. "Sara...she sacrificed herself to
save me."
"If you don't mind..." Dave said "I'd like to hear more about
that. It will help me figure out what's going on."
She nodded. "Of course." She rubbed the palm of her hand against
her eye, drying her tear. "Anything if it means I can stay in this
pleasant dream."
Dave stood and the chair beneath hum sunk back into the floor.
"For now, though, you will be a guest of the Omega Web. I expect you
to at least get a good night's sleep before you so saving the world."
"Aye aye sir." She yawned.
Sonia smiled as Dave exited the room. "I'll set up a room on the
guest level."
"Good." Dave nodded. "Oh, and post a guard outside her room." He
grinned. "Someone who doesn't volunteer. I don't want anyone slacking
off thinking they have an easy time."
"A guard, Dave?" William raised an eyebrow. "You've been
watching X-Files again?"
"Just in case." He replied. "She probably knows more about the
end of the universe than we do. I don't need her accidentally stepping
into our Bio-Lab and vaporizing off half her skin."
Chapter 3
"Fire officials across the city are hailing the Scouts help as a
life-saving effort. Our own resident Sailor Scouts, Prince Destiny,
Sailor Hooze, and Strike Fiss, along with help of local authorities put
out over two dozen blazes, some as big as a city block."
Camera angles of fire-licked roof-tops and people running for
cover were next as the local news-station's helicopter did flybys.
Chris smiled. "Well, at least they didn't say 'Strike Fish' like last
time."
Rei chuckled. "The anchor-woman was a rookie. I'm sure her
directors chewed her out enough about that."
Andrea pointed excitedly to the TV as she and Maury were seen
making faces behind the woman reporting. "RIGHT ON!" she laughed.
"Ah, NOW, we're famous." Maury smiled. "You aren't anyone till
you're on the news." He said as his image on the screen began to
pretend to bite the neck of the reporter.
"This came after the apparent apocalypse so many were fearing had
been stopped." The reporter continued. "Rumors are still flying to
what happened earlier on today, but it appears the danger has been
averted. We managed to get a clip from Sailor Hooze's press conference
earlier today."
The screen changed to the side of another road, where Andrea was
standing up next to a microphone. "...managed to get the situation
under control with no adverse side-effects happening to the world." She
said. "It's very safe to say that the danger is over. If all you
crazy people who think we can't handle a little thing like Armageddon
would calm down a little, I'm sure your fears will be put to rest." She
cleared her throat. "Otherwise, bite me."
"That spirited speech," the woman smiled "managed to get most of
the hysteria under control. No new riots have broken out since, and
police are on alert for the rest of the day to make sure there will be
no new problems."
"In other news, Bill Gates was convicted of two accounts of
manslaughter today..."
Chris shut it off. "Man, I'm sick of hearing about Bill Gates."
He turned to the rest of them. "Anyone want to watch Pizza Cats?"
Maury smiled. "Maybe it was your innate dislike of Microsoft
that made Armageddon turn him into a triple-homicide suspect."
"That's not funny." Chris replied, but after a moment added: "But
then why aren't the Spice Girls gone?"
Everyone looked over to him. Andrea raised an eyebrow. "Spice
what??"
Chris' eyes widened.
They all smiled. "Gotcha."
"Not funny." He replied again. "You know what a big deal this
all is. I don't like not knowing what the hell I did to our universe."
"Well," Maury sighed "the taps don't pour Jolt Cola yet...so
maybe Serena was right and it didn't work."
"Yeah. Probably not." He nodded hopefully. "Yeah...and maybe
I'm a Chinese jet-pilot." He stood. "I'm going for a bath. That sand
is nasty shit."
Maury shook his head. "Well, I'm going out for pizza. See if I
can get a discount for saving the city. Demeter, you wanna come? I'll
pick you up a sheet of welding glass on the way."
Demeter smiled eagerly. "Sounds great."
Chris flung Mo his keys. "Don't crash, or you'll wish Armageddon
vaporized you." He smiled.
"Okay, I'll keep it under nine-hundred and sixty." Maury
promised.
"No need to go THAT slow." Chris replied. "Under a thousand will
be fine."
"Bye, ya' all." The two boys left the hotel room. Chris walked
over to the bathroom and shut the door, humming a little song.
Finally, it was quiet. After dinner, most of the group had gone
off on their own little adventures of daily life. Shopping or down at
the hotel's swimming pool. Rei was finally left with her thoughts and
a wide-screen TV to test out.
She had just found a nice show on Discovery Channel when a knock
on the door interrupted the narrator's speech about the mating cycle of
sperm whales.
Ami came out of the next room, drying her hair from a shower.
"What's up?"
Rei shook her head. "Nothing much. They're just going to get
some food." She mentioned absentmindedly as she changed the channel on
the TV.
"When are you coming back?" Ami asked suddenly.
"Uh?" Rei blinked.
"Well, I just wanted to know what to say to Serena and the gang."
Ami explained as she folded her towel neatly and placed it on the
couch. "I'm catching a plane back to Japan in the morning. We have a
lot going on over there, and now that everything's settled here..."
"I don't know." Rei sighed. "What do you want me to say? That
I'm not staying here forever?"
Ami nodded sadly. "Rei, you're happy. You have a family now.
You have a life with them just like you had one with us and Grandpa. I
can understand your need to replace the parts that are gone but..." she
stopped when she saw Rei's hurt expression. "I just want you to know
that we need you too."
She nodded. "I know..." Rei closed her eyes and swallowed back a
lump in her throat. "I'm not replacing you guys. I'm just..." she
looked up. "I just need some time to live life here for a change. I
want to wait till this is all over and I can leave knowing I'm not
deserting anyone.
"Over in Tokyo, you guys hardly need me right now." Rei
continued. "But here, Chris needs me for the first time he's ever
needed anyone in his life as much. Miharu can't fill my place, and I'm
sure needs the support just as much."
Ami nodded, calculating each word. In the end, though, she just
stood and smiled. "Okay. Goodnight. Hopefully, we'll see you soon."
Rei smiled back and stood to hug her blue-haired counterpart.
"Have a good flight, Ami."
Rei was, again, left alone with her thoughts.
The city of Edmonton was dark with cloud and smoke, but it had
still been light enough to see the shadow.
It cast across the sky, landing on clouds, only to disappear
below just as quickly. It descended faster than any aircraft would
have been able to. Few birds would have been able to match it's dive.
Finally, the silent, plummeting shape reached the rooftops of the
city, swooping up slightly to reach a suitable destination. Large,
full wings, aggressively angled, cut the air like it was nothing.
As the form approached the pointed roof of a church, the wings
folded up to it's body, changing color from a dirty white to a dusky
blue.
Arms reached out at the last moment before gravity took hold,
grabbing the iron lightning rod on the highest spire of roof. It spun
around the pole once, losing momentum until it could drop to a lower
balcony safely.
A young man stood from his crouched landing position, clothed in
a dark blue trenchcoat and black boots. He pulled his coat around his
body for warmth, not used to the cool air.
His dark, haunted eyes scanned the city around him, taking in the
sights. "What an interesting place..." he whispered to himself.
"...so many castles." His lips turned up in a smile. "He must be
around here, then. In the Ruling City."
He jumped down another story, landing on a window-ledge no more
than a foot wide. Crouching again like a gargoyle, he pulled his coat
around himself and smiled. "Tomorrow shall be a great day." He patted
the long outline of a sword and scabbard at his side.
As the last remnants of the sun fall behind the curve of the
horizon, the figure never moved. Watching. Waiting. Looking.
Smiling.
He tried to remember where he had seen that kind of green before.
It was much brighter than a forest-green, but not so close to a lime.
The color flooded over him, and he rolled his hand around in the light,
attempting to remember. He had seen it before.
But his thoughts were interrupted by a long, drawn-out squeak.
Off in the distance, a door opened. Curious to why he hadn't seen the
door before, Strike Fiss walked down the green-flooded hall. The semi-
soft rubber soles on his shoes made little noise, but sounded like they
were walking across smooth marble or tile.
As he got to the door, cracked open on an invisible frame, the
scene changed. Each step he took now was echoed. It also made a wet
sound. He looked down to confirm his fears. A lake of ankle-high red
filled his vision.
Back in the hospital.
Strike Fiss tried to stay calm this time, though. He needed
answers.
"Why do you keep coming here?" a familiar voice asked behind him.
He turned, but saw nothing behind him. With a silent shrug, Fiss
turned back to his front. Standing a few meters ahead of him was Him.
Chris. Bokken in hand, red stained mouth. His hospital clothes
were splashed with blood. "Why do you keep coming here?" he repeated.
Fiss took a step back, feeling for his sword. It was there, as
always. "I keep coming here?" he frowned. "Not by choice, that's for
sure."
Laughing, Chris took a step towards him, reclaiming the space
between them, but no more. "You would not be here if you weren't so
fucking stubborn." His features became jaded and angry. "How many
times must I kill you? When will you be convinced that you are not
welcome here?"
"I...I don't understand?" Fiss admitted. "I have no quarrel with
you...you are me. You yourself have told me that many..."
"WHAT?!?!" Chris roared, covering the slick few steps with ease
and grabbing Fiss' vest, lifting him up effortlessly. "You DARE
compare yourself to ME?"
Strike Fiss was promptly thrown into the air, landing with a
sickening splash in the blood a few meters away. He stood as soon as
he realized he had landed, and in a smooth motion, withdrew his katana.
"Do NOT touch me." He growled.
Chris now had a raised eyebrow. "Mmm, maybe I was wrong." He
smiled. "Maybe we do have something in common." He spun his wooden
sword around expertly. "But the differences still sicken me." He
continued.
"Why are you two fighting?" another voice asked.
They both turned to see the small Chris from before. Hey eyed
their weapons nervously. Strike Fiss smiled. "Hi again."
"Do not talk to him, Chris." The larger Chris growled.
Strike Fiss looked back up to Chris. "Wait a minute..." he
paused. "Why don't you want me talking to him?"
"He's scared of you." The little Chris smiled happily. "But I'm
not scared of you, Mr. Fiss!"
Fiss was about to smile, when he felt something jam through his
chest, knocking out all the breath in his body. Chris stood over him,
bokken through his back. "Give up." He hissed. "You can't win him
over. He's mine..."
He raised his fist, then brought it down fast at Strike Fiss'
eye.
BANG BANG BANG! "Chris! Are you alright!?!"
Chris woke up in the bathtub. The water around him was cold, the
lights dim. He shivered and stood. "Yeah, I'm fine." He yelled back.
"What happened? You weren't answering...and the door is locked."
Rei replied from the other side of the wall.
"I'm fine!" he sighed. "Just fell asleep, that's all." He
leaned over and twisted the hot-water tap to full, re-heating the water
so he could at least finish his bath.
"Okay..." Rei said. "Mo and Demeter just got back...so hurry up.
Your pizza's getting cold."
"No problem." Chris nodded to himself, descending back into the
water, taking a deep breath.
It was starting to come together. If he could just talk to the
younger boy more...maybe he could find out what all these dreams were
about.
"Too many Chrises." He sighed.
Chapter 4
"What do you MEAN we have an intruder?" Dave yelled, disappearing
momentarily and coming back out of his closet with a small hand-gun
like weapon.
William looked too nervous to speak. "I...I don't know...the
alarm went off and..."
"All hell is breaking loose..." Dave mumbled as they ran out his
office door and down the hall way. "And people keep telling me nothing
happened?"
"It's just one person!" Will insisted. "They aren't armed, and I
think that they were more shocked to be here than we were of him
coming."
"Nobody can get in or out of this place without either self-
energy manipulation, or time control." Dave raced. "You can't just
stumble on the entrance and hit the wrong button." He grumbled. "This
must be a bad dream. Yeah, I'll just click my heels together three
times and that will set everything back to normal."
The two men skidded around the corner where a crowd of seven
heavily armed Omega Webbers stood around one of the entrance nodes.
Kneeling before them was a young man, who was looking up in absolute
terror at the men and women pointing Pookies at him.
"Stand down." Dave ordered quickly, but kept his own smaller
pistol ready at his side.
"Where am I?" the man asked, looking around at the strange
corridor. "Am I in a hospital or something?"
"How much has he been told?" Dave asked.
"Nothing, Dave." Will whispered back.
He nodded. "Okay..." he knelt down, pocketing his weapon. "Sir,
I'm afraid you stumbled onto a secret military site. We're going to
have to ask you a few questions."
"I...I was just...I mean, I found my grandfather's texts..." he
chattered nervously. "This wasn't supposed to happen! I didn't think
it was real...but I was desperate!"
Dave snapped his fingers and the man dissolved into a shower of
light, then whipped off down the hall. "I want a full background check
on that man. Get this text that he was mumbling about. Rip this man's
life apart if you need to. Something's changed, and I want to know
what it is NOW!" he growled, standing.
"Where...did you transport him?" William asked, catching up to
Dave, who had already took off down the hall.
"Medical room." Dave replied. "We'll wipe his memories and get a
consciousness dump. See what the fuck he was doing before he got
here."
"You could have just asked him." Will mumbled.
Dave's hand came up to Will's chest, stopping him instantly.
"Will, my friend. You've only known me for a month or so, is that
correct?"
Will nodded quickly.
"In that time, when have I ever been wrong?"
Nothing came to mind. Will sighed and nodded. "Dave, I DO trust
you...I just wish I was following your train of thought."
"I don't need that poor bastard mumbling on for a day about how
he didn't know what the hell he was doing." Dave explained. "We need
to get inside this man's head. Make sure it's not something I'm
already pretty sure it is."
"What do you mean?" Will asked as they resumed walking down the
hall. "You have an explanation for all this?"
"I was too busy being worried about what happened at the end of
Armageddon." Dave smiled. "Not very smart. What I should have been
worrying about was what I already knew had changed."
"What changed?"
"The Keys." Dave said. "Three no longer exist." He raised an
eyebrow. "Their powers got mixed back into the universe."
Will stopped walking as the possibilities hit. "Oh my god..."
Dave nodded. "This universe just got a whole shit load of magic
dumped back into the mix." He said. "Just like I feared. Magic's
back."
"You mean that guy got into the Web with magic?"
"It's the beginning of a whole new Universe, Will." Dave called
back. "Gotta be ready for anything."
He frowned at the strange squiggles on the green plastic sign.
They looked like writing, but were all garbled. The letters were too
wide, and though one or two looked similar to Theban script, they
didn't form any words.
Not only that, but the script was too high to reach. The strange
metal pole they were put up upon was easily a match for his reach.
"Excuse me..." the young man spun around, grabbing the shoulder of
another man who had been walking past. "What does that say?"
The man blinked, looking at him like he was crazy or something.
"What? Can't you read, pal? You're on White Ave." he angerly shrugged
off his hand and continued down the street. "Crazy pot-head..." he
mumbled."
Frowning, he turned back to the street sign. "Who's this pot-
head fellow?" he sighed, opening up the front of trenchcoat.
His fingers wrapped around the hilt of an elaborate wood and
metal sword-hilt, and pulled the weapon free from his side. In less
than a second, everyone who was on the street was gawking at the young
man. "HE'S GOT A SWORD!" one woman screamed.
Indeed, he did. It was a beautiful, but wicked weapon. A long,
double-edged blade that varied in width along it's length. It was set
between four smaller blades that curved out from the grip, forming both
an effective hand-guard, and a secondary cutting surface. The handle
itself was striped in rich black and gold, and ended in a sharpened
pommel. The entire sword looked like a large, slender hornet. As
people ran screaming for cover, and vehicles began to swerve around him
as they saw the weapon, the young man ignored them.
With a quick slice, the metal pole was down on the ground.
SHNNICK! He put his sword away back in it's scabbard, then set about
the task of trying to read the sign. "Mmm, White Ave...that's a
start..." he knelt down and pressed his hand against the white
lettering.
Nothing happened.
The man stood, almost falling backwards in shock. "What the
hell?!" he looked around desperately, trying to find what he was
looking for. Maybe it was a little different in this world. Nothing
to be alarmed over. "Shit. Now what the hell am I supposed to do?" he
mumbled to himself, throwing the useless sign on the ground.
His eyes turned to the distance where a large bridge span the
river, connecting the two halves of the city. "Ahh! Finally! A
drawbridge! That must mean the castle is just over..." he looked along
the bridge to a number of large commercial buildings. He laughed to
himself. "Of COURSE! Those spires must be where he lives!" he nodded
his approval. "Very impressive castle. I will have to ask him how he
makes them reflect the sky like that."
Suddenly, he heard something. It was like a combination of
screaming birds and howling babies. He did not like it...especially
when a police car came screeching around the corner, lights flashing.
"What manner of fucked up demon is this?" he mused, letting the hilt of
his sword float free of his coat.
The car came to a halt and let out a final siren blip. A second
later, two police officers got out from the doors, wide-eyed.
"A coach?" he frowned. "Where the hell are the horses?" he took
out his sword. "YOU SIR!" he walked over to a point just in front of
the police cruiser.
The cop blinked. "Who? Me??" he hadn't been quite expecting the
man to ask him any questions. They had gotten the call of some guy
high on crack with a sword who had been cutting down street-signs.
Perhaps another attempted riot.
"Yes, my good fellow." He said, tapping the impressive sword
against the hood of the car. "I was wondering what drives this
contraption."
"Sir?" the police officer blinked.
"He MUST be high on crack..." the other whispered to his partner.
The young man raised an eyebrow. "Oh!" he smiled. "I forgot to
introduce myself! How thoughtless of me!" he sheathed his sword and
bowed slightly. "I am the Archangel Michael, Knight of SkitZ. Virtue
to the Pool of Angels."
Both police officers looked at each other, a smile cracking their
lips. "Okay, buddy. A night in the drunk-tank should help." The
second officer chuckled, taking out his hand-cuffs. "Then, you can
explain why you were carrying around that fancy steak-knife."
Michael frowned. "Uh...yeah. Anyway, I was wondering if I might
trouble you for directions. Your signs don't appear to be working."
The two cops looked over to the street signs. Excluding the one
or two Michael had cut down, they stood there, quite clean and visible.
"What do you mean, 'not working'?"
"Are you quite sure you are awake, sir?" Michael sighed. "You
have not answered a single question of mine. You are starting to annoy
me." He took a tentative step towards the first officer. "Being
annoyed always makes me get crazy. I don't think you'd like that."
"Okay buddy." The second cop stomped around the front of the car.
The humour in his tone had been dropped completely. "Hands behind your
back."
He frowned at the two men. "Fine. I will be on my way then." He
pushed past the officer with an aggressive shoulder check.
That prompted a rather direct reaction from the cops. Both drew
their guns, training them on the young man's chest. "HOLD IT RIGHT
THERE!"
Eyes wide, Michael's jaw dropped. "Are you threatening me?" he
growled, letting his left hand rest on the handle of his sword. Both
cops took a step back. "I said...are you threatening ME?" the sound of
ringing steel sung out through the air and the long, tapered blade of
his sword rested against his forehead as he looked at the two cops past
the metal.
"Sir..." the first cop said nervously. "We don't want to hurt
you. Please put down your sword and come with us."
"My sword?" he growled. "You must be mad if you think I will
relinquish my sword to you." His eyes growled back louder than his
voice ever could. The look that the young man gave the cop was only a
slight bit less frightening than it would have took to make the poor
cop fall over in fear. "Now, I shall demand that you point the way to
the Royal City. The sooner you tell me, the sooner I can forget your
blasphemy."
"Shut up!" the second officer growled, feeling his courage
returning. "Put your weapon on the ground and your hands on the hood
of the car!" he cocked the firing pin on his weapon, making an
impressive click.
Michael motioned to the car. "This is a...'car?'"
"Of course it is! Now DO IT!"
He smiled an evil, toothy smile, and dropped his sword on the
pavement. It hit with a resounding clang. Then, he kicked it under
the car. "SKITZ!" he cackled. The blade lit up in a blinding flash of
white, and a high pitched scream filled the air.
Everyone on the street cried out in pain. The two police
officers dropped like rocks, holding their ears desperately. Michael's
sword underneath the cruiser continued to vibrate. The vehicle started
to hum, adding the ring of metal into the air.
"Okay, that's enough, SkitZ." Michael said, his voice the only
thing cutting the high pitched scream of his sword.
It stopped abruptly, and everyone rose as the man retrieved his
sword. The two cops were the last to stand, unsure what to do. "My
god...what the hell was that?" one whispered to himself.
Michael, Knight of SkitZ, walked past the two men and leaned over
to the front of their car. He smiled, raised his pinky-finger, and
tapped the door frame of the car.
Everyone gasped as it dissolved into dust. The only thing left
intact in the pile of sand was a small puddle of gas and anti-freeze.
Both cops fell over on their asses, their guns long forgotten.
"And now, I take my leave." Michael said with a grin a mile wide.
He sheathed his sword and turned to walk off. "No help from either of
you."
Their eyes widened as the back of Michael's coat split and began
to change color to a dirty white.
"Oh my god..." the first police officer gasped.
The second officer could only cross his heart as the young man
took flight.
Chapter 5
That bloody witch.
Dave watched the information stream around him in the 3-D
display. It was the numerological representation of a section of human
Mind. Right now, it was displaying the last few moments before this
man had stumbled upon the Omega Web's entrance.
Harvey Grape, besides having a stupid name, had a fairly
interesting family. His grandparents had dabbled in the arts of magic
and witchcraft. Though their power had been limited to psychological
and herbal spells and crafts, Harvey's grandfather was a rather
excellent scholar on the subject, and recorded much of his research in
a book.
Apparently, distraught that his ex girlfriend had found him
cheating with a younger woman...thereby breaking up with him...Harvey
was desperate for a solution to get her back.
Looking over his grandfathers' old texts, he searched for a love-
potion or something to give him the edge he needed to win his girl
back. However, he lacked many of the ingredients to make the said
love-potion. So, instead, he came across a spell of sorts to turn back
time.
The plan was simple. Go back a few days, fix it so he wouldn't
have slept with the female bar-tender at the bar, and everything would
turn out okay.
God, Harvey was stupid. Dave rubbed his temples with the tips of
his fingers. Time was never that easy to circumvent. Normally, it
would be out of the question, too.
But Harvey had preformed the spell perfectly. And in close
proximity to an Omega Web entrance node.
The next thing he saw was seven heavily armed Webbers pointing
bazookas at him. Dave couldn't believe it. This middle-aged loser of
a man had pulled off the first successful spell in what had to be
thousands of years.
Science based on Thought. AKA, Magic. It was dangerously new
territory even for the Web. What little had been recorded in times
that Magic had been existent was long lost to previous Omega Web civil
disputes. One of the reason why Dave had been so adamant in studying
the Senshi was the fact that their weapons were based largely on magic
and thought. Looks like it wasn't enough, though. Now, the future was
upon them.
It had been a long-shot, but Dave had actually seen a version of
this reality in the last Calculator Dump. Some far-fetched future that
occurred after one or two of the Keys had been destroyed by their own
devices. That one-in-a-zillion chance was now happening, however, and
Dave was beginning to wish he ordered the construction of the new
Calculator even sooner.
He stood from the chair, cutting off the mind-readouts of Harvey
Grape. The poor man was already back home, memories of the Web
replaced by a lonely evening of Jack Daniel's whiskey and self-
repentance over his cheating. Hopefully, he'd use the memories well
and apologize to his ex.
In the mean time, though, Dave needed to talk to a few people.
He would have to update Sailor Moon and the Prime Minister for a start.
Confirm his fears, and make sure they were on the right track. Then,
have a nice long chat with Pain. See what he could piece together from
her accounts as well.
It was going to be a long week. Dave could tell that right now.
Very long.
Day broke, and with night's shattered pieces flying everywhere,
managed to spill forth a healthy Spring-Sunrise. Rei felt, for the
first time in months, the warm glow of sun on her side when she woke.
Even though Chris wasn't there to share it with her, she smiled. He
was up. Smells were coming from the kitchen.
Probably the most admirable trait that he and Maury had was the
fact that they loved cooking. They both helped out with chores and
treated their women like gold. They took turns cooking, and even did
their own laundry.
However, when they cooked, it was a sight to behold. Or, to be
afraid of. Despite their enthusiasm, they often mixed together
foodstuffs that should not mix in any non-zero-gravity environment.
And by the spicy smell of the air, Rei feared that they had mistaken
the quantities of "water" and "ground-cloves" for each other again.
When she finally dawned a house-coat and overcame her fears, she
found that not only were Maury and Chris cooking...but they were
teaching Demeter as well.
"Now, the secret to this dish..." Maury explained, gathering the
ingredients "...is making everyone think that it will taste horrible."
Demeter's confused expression asked the question for him.
"That way," Chris continued "when they finally DO have some, it
will be so unbelievably good that they'll have an orgasm and melt into
a drooling puddle of lust."
"But...Andrea can't melt unless she's heated to a temperature
of..."
Maury shook his head. "No no no...you don't want to kill the
poor girl, Demeter." He smiled, showing pretty much all of his teeth in
the process. "Killing is generally really bad for their health."
"Exactly. Women are usually a lot more seductive if they don't
have third degree burns." Chris offered.
Maury walked over to the fridge and pulled out a tray of sliced
apple halves. "Remember, this recipe is TOP SECRET, Demeter...you may
only show members of the male sex this secret...and only if you trust
them with your life."
Rei's eyes widened and she walked silently behind the corner,
curious to hear what they were up to.
Demeter nodded to the two guys. "You can trust me." He bowed
slightly. "I consider it an honor to be taught."
"As you should!" Maury nodded. "This is the way you make a batch
of:"
Both Chris and Maury raised their voices in proud salute, and
recited in unison: "MO AND FISS' HOLD-YA-DOWN-AND-SCREAM-FOR-MERCY
CHOCOLATE KISSES!"
Rei raised her eyebrow, almost laughing.
"Now, we're still working on turning the recipe into a song, but
we still can't find any other food-word that rhymes with 'NyQuil,' so
you're just going to have to wait on that one." Chris said, taking out
a bunch of bowls and utensils from the cupboards.
"We have all the ingredients set out here." Maury explained.
Rei's curiosity won over caution, and she peeked around the corner to
see what they had. Chilled apples, a tin of instant iced-tea crystals,
a few other spices, and some chocolate milk mix. Some strawberries and
kiwi fruit lay in a small bowl next to them. On the stove sat a
bubbling pot with a bottle of NyQuil and Jack Daniel's next to it.
"And as you know, you must always mix everything into..."
Chris raised his hand. "Wait a minute."
Maury's eyes widened. "Oh my god!"
"Exactly." Chris nodded sadly.
Demeter looked back and forth at them. "What? What is it?"
"Demeter, my friend...we forgot the most important ingredient of
all." Chris explained. "We better go downtown and pick some up."
Rei decided to make her entrance. "Did I hear something about
going downtown?"
All three boys jumped back in horror...their secret ritual nearly
interrupted by a *GASP!* female! They all relaxed, though, trying to
seem like nothing was going on. "Oh, yeah!" Chris nodded quickly as
Maury and Demeter hid the ingredients behind their backs. "I need to
go later. You wanna come?"
Maury elbowed Chris from behind. "Are you CRAZY, man?" he
whispered. "You'll give away our secret ingredient!"
"Don't worry...I can sneak it past her..." Chris whispered back.
"What's going on here?" Rei asked coyly, peeking behind the boys.
"You teaching Demeter how to cook?"
They all nodded quickly.
"Aww. How sweet!" Rei smiled, walking back down the hall.
They all breathed a sigh of relief as Rei went off to the
bathroom. Demeter raised an eyebrow. "So what's the secret
ingredient?"
"Ahhh...not yet, Demeter." Maury patted him on the back. "Only
when you see the final result will we tell you what the final secret
is."
"Not only that, but it's a safety device in case any women are
listening." Chris nodded. "We NEVER say the ingredient's name out
loud."
"Do you mind if we come along too, Chris?"
The boys mouths dropped as Rei, Dana, Miharu and Andrea all stood
at the kitchen entrance, somehow already dressed in their best shopping
clothes.
"Uh..." Chris blinked.
"That is unless you want to be all secretive about something..."
Rei pushed. "Say...what IS it that you're making there?"
"Fine!" Chris said quickly. "Well, look at the time! We better
go before the mall closes!"
The door closed behind them as they left for the mall...sealing
their fate.
Maury and Demeter looked gravely at each other. "Today...our
secret is put to it's ultimate test, Demeter." Maury whispered. "If
the Women find out about it...all hope is lost. It would be a
disaster." He shuddered. "Chris must sneak past those cunning ladies
the most important and deviously clever ingredient known to mankind."
"Godspeed, Chris..." Demeter prayed. "And good luck."
Beavis, snoozing on the top of the fridge, just sighed and shook
his head. "Retards..."
Maury looked over to Beavis. "Hey! At least we get some!"
"I'm going for a walk." Beavis mumbled, hovering over to the
window.
Chapter 6
Despite the fact he would have to sneak a container of...THE
SECRET INGREDIENT...past not only his sister, daughter, and fianc‚, but
Dana as well, Chris was in a wonderful mood. The roads were clearing
up nicely in the warmer weather, "Cherub Rock" played on the stereo and
he was returning to his driving hobby of out-accelerating any car next
to him.
"So, ladies." Chris smiled as he punched the gas and they zipped
around a city bus. "Armageddon is over, the city is back to normal,
and Bill Gates got convicted on the third count of murder in the first.
Do you think this day could get any better?"
Andrea grinned. "Well, YOU are still here...that's one thing
that could change"
"Don't make me drive off a bridge." Chris grinned back.
They gravitated finally to the good old West Edmonton Mall, much
to the dismay of Rei and Andrea. "I thought you said we'd avoid this
place." Rei said. "I don't have very good luck with this building."
Last time any of them had gone to the Biggest Mall on Earth, it
was to find and fight Sailor Moon, who was well under the effects of a
nasty virus. "At least Serena isn't here this time." Andrea smiled
hopefully.
"Quit your complaining." Chris said happily as they parked and
got out of the car. "I need to pick something up, and I know I can
find it here. I just need to look around a bit."
"Oooh!" Miharu said happily. "Can we check out the swords? Can
we? Huh?"
Dana smiled. "Most kids want to look at Barbie's and Lego's."
"Most kids can kiss my ass." Miharu smiled back.
"You let you daughter talk like that?" she turned to Chris.
He smiled and shrugged. "She has a sword. I'll let her do
whatever she wants."
Beavis landed on the Planet of the Tumblers what would be
considered a few hours after leaving Earth. His blue glow subsiding as
he hit the soft, dead sand.
Right away, his spirits sunk. The Temple was still there. Sound
only came to Beavis in the form of his own heart fluttering. At the
entrance to this great monument to one of the evils of the cosmos...
His friends.
The cloudy sky turned their robes a dusky red where once pure
white had been. Their bones were bleached by the sand. Sinewy jaw-
bones lay open in silent laughter.
He had no idea so few had been left. The skeletons of no more
than twenty Elders stood silent guard over the entrance, just like they
had sworn to do.
Their final bit of power froze the structure, forming an icy tomb
to whatever dust had been left inside. Even if Tumbler came back, he
would not have the option to use his own shackles as weapons.
And so, the Last Elder...Beavis the Hedgehog, was finally alone.
And he alone bore the pain of Tumbler's curse. The simple
displeasure of having known the monster was perhaps the only thing
worse than to be killed by him.
It was also then, when he realized that Armageddon had done
nothing to Tumbler's existence, that he realized the Elders were needed
once again. The bastard would be back.
"I am sorry, my friends." He whispered in the dead air, gazing
into the empty eye sockets of each of his comrades. "We are dead. All
of us." He shook his head. "I cannot be an Elder alone."
He looked up into the sky. Eyes wet with tears. "They are the
new Elders. The original Senshi." He looked back down to the dirt.
"We have been selfish..."
Beavis' words...hours of thinking of the perfect speech, the most
touching monument to his friends, and all his soul searching...were
interrupted by tears.
"By god...though..." his voice cracked. "We were a grand
people." He whispered proudly. "But...we are not the last. Not the
last."
The Universe's final Elder wept for hours.
Chapter 7
Talk about a lucky break! Rei and Miharu went over to the
bathroom, Dana was busy wrestling with the ATM machine into giving her
some cash, and Andrea was ordering food at her favorite little sandwich
place.
Chris stood slowly from his seat, making sure he knew where they
all were. Nobody was looking at him.
NOW!
He took off down the hall at speeds that would have left a little
puff of dust if he were a cartoon character, dodging shoppers and
diving behind potted plants. When he turned around, he looked through
the foliage to see Andrea and Dana returning to their seats, realizing
Chris wasn't there, and then desperately looking around for him.
"Hehehe..." he cackled to himself. "Still haven't lost it at
your old age, Fissy." He slunk away, making sure to put lots of
distance behind him before he stood to his full height, just in case
the girls would be able to pick him out of a crowd.
Rei and Miharu came back, distraught to see Chris gone. Andrea
and Dana shrugged apologetically. Taking charge, Rei nodded. "Okay.
Andrea and Dana, you take the upper floor. Check out any food stores
first, but you never know, so just keep a general eye out."
They both nodded.
"Miharu, you check out to the right." She pointed past the food-
court and down the mall's main hallway. "Don't forget to check out the
skating rink and the water-park. Both have food-places." Rei
continued. "I'll go left just in case he found some smaller place in
that quarter of the mall."
Miharu smiled and nodded. "Sounds like a plan."
Just before they split up, "Remember, girls..." Rei said.
"...This mission could revolutionize the battle of the sexes! We need
that recipe! It's one of the few things that stand in our way of total
victory." She raised her fist, bringing it down, clattering the table.
"Let's GO!"
Chris walked out of the hardware store happily. In his hand was
a small bag. Triple wrapped in alternate layers of plastic and
paper...making SURE nobody would be able to see through the package,
and giving it enough padding that the girls would never guess what it
was in a million years.
Carefully, he slid the mysterious package into his coat pocket
and decided to take his time going back to the food court. His extra
long absence would make the girls fret about it a little more. Serves
them right, he figured. Trying to learn the almighty recipe for "MO
AND FISS' HOLD YA DOWN AND SCREAM FOR MERCY CHOCOLATE KISSES!" was like
trying to find the holy grail. Sure, it must be a tempting target for
a willing explorer, but even Indiana Jones and his father realized it
would be better left to the dusts of time.
He walked on the second floor of the mall...not too far away from
where he had been caught on camera so many years ago; firing his weapon
at Sailor Moon no less. Must have made an interesting impression on
the world. He briefly wondered if that was why he had so much pull
with the government. Anyone who could beat the fuck out of the Bearer
of the Silver Crystal deserved a little respect. All of that, however,
seemed millions of years away.
It was nice to walk down these familiar halls once more as just a
person doing some shopping. Not trying to save the universe.
The sky was beautiful outside. REAL sunshine...not just the
stuff that filtered down through clouds and smoke...lit up the entire
building through it's giant sky-lights.
Clouds drifted by lazily, reflecting yellow, gray and purple.
Chris smiled, stopping to sit on a bench that was under the direct sun.
"I'll have to take Miharu on a training mission or something today." He
said to himself.
A few other people seemed to be taking in the sunlight as well,
joining Chris around the balcony overlooking the skating rink below.
Including a young man in a dark blue trenchcoat. His black, leather
boots hand-made from some unknown skin. Under his coat, he wore
rugged, old clothing that any woodsman would be proud to have owned.
Though hardly much like the shirts and sweaters of the crowd, he
blended in quite well.
His eyes widened as he noticed Chris.
"Well well!" Michael smiled to himself. "Little Fiss grew up."
Humming at his side, his sword resonated happily, recognizing
Strike Fiss. "That's right SkitZ!" he whispered. "That's him! It has
to be." He squinted, looking over across the open balcony at Chris.
"He even looks like him...though the hair is shorter."
Michael sighed and stood from the bench, stretching. "Well.
Might as well get this over with. It's not going to get any easier
later on."
Chris casually glanced over to the other side of the rink,
observing the crowd. Something caught his eye on mid-glance, though.
A kind of strange light reflecting off of something.
Wings. Angel.
He blinked. They were gone, but on a mirrored surface, a kind of
bright ghost image slid past it's reflection. He stood, looking around
the crowd again. This time, he glanced over to the roof, which was
half-covered in mirrors.
Wings. Light.
Again, he saw it. It fluttered through his vision like a phantom
cloud, registering not even as an image, but an afterthought.
Walking to the edge, he noticed that the cloud seemed to be
following someone. Someone who's eyes were transfixed on his own. A
young man who was himself walking around the balcony.
He passed another mirrored wall...and Chris' eyes widened.
In the man's reflection, he wore wings.
They followed behind him, moving like a cape, folded slightly at
his back. A strange, unreal light traced a trail as he walked through
the crowd. His movements were exact, demanding obedience from the
people around him. Even so, his walk was smooth as glass.
At his hip sat the long scabbard of a broadsword, only party
hidden by his long blue coat.
Chris didn't even notice that he was walking until they had
almost met. Both men stopped less than a meter from each other.
Michael looked him over, then stopped on his eyes. In an even, but
somehow playful voice he said "Defend yourself."
"Excuse me?" Chris stammered.
SMACK! Chris fell over on his ass as Michael flattened him with
a punch to the jaw. He looked up, rubbing his face, not sure what had
happened. Atheist or no, he was pretty certain that an Angel had just
decked him.
An Angel that had just pulled his sword out of it's scabbard and
pointed it at Chris' throat. "Let's try this again." The man demanded,
this time without humour. "Defend yourself."
TINK!
Michael's eyes were wide as he felt his sword leave his hand and
skitter along the floor. A slender, mirror-like blade pointed at his
throat now. Chris held the other end. "You don't have to tell me
twice." He stood, never taking either his gaze or the tip of his katana
off the man.
"Mm, this should be fun." Michael smiled.
Chapter 8
Chris transformed in the few moments it took Michael to retrieve
his sword. They now stood opposite of each other, circling the other
like sharks. Though very elaborate, only a fool would think that
Michael's sword was decorative. It was a very lethal weapon indeed,
and welding of such a blade denoted caution on Chris' part.
"What are you?" Chris demanded as they circled. "I saw you in
the mirror...why are you inside my head?"
"I am Michael, Knight of SkitZ." He stated proudly. "And I have
not been inside your head." He laughed. "I'm sure I would have noticed
if I had been. It would have been a tight fit."
"I don't believe you." Chris replied, eyes narrowed.
"And why would that distress me?" Michael smiled back, then held
out his sword. "NOIZE!" he screamed.
His sword's blade shot out a pulse of sound at Chris, slamming
him back and causing an awful ringing in the air. People screamed in
pain as they doubled over into fetal positions.
Head ringing with the sound, Chris finally managed to stand up
from the ground again, fighting off a wave of nausea. "You want noise?
How's THIS!" he swiped his sword up at the ceiling, letting fly a
bright blue arch that slammed into the tile and brought a large chunk
of plaster and concrete falling down towards Michael.
His sword came up, slicing the largest chunk away from his head,
and was about to take a run at Chris when he was hit by a blast of blue
force, square in the chest.
Michael stumbled backwards, slipping on some of the plaster dust.
He then hit the balcony railing, smashing through it and falling over
the edge.
The crowd around Chris gasped, and all was quiet. Chris blinked,
then slowly walked over to the edge. The moment he looked down to see
where Michael had landed, a flap of wings shot the young man up, and a
quick knee to Chris' jaw sent the Senshi flying backwards.
The crowd gasped in a mixed mass emotion of both awe and fear as
Michael landed, folding his wings against his back. The crowd was
stunned. Half of them whispering prayers and crossing their hearts,
promising they'd go to church next Sunday. He smiled and motioned to
the people. "Friendly folks you have here, my friend."
"I don't even know you." Chris stood, rubbing his jaw. "And I am
most certainly not your friend."
"That's no way to talk to your pal!" Michael laughed, and with a
great flap of his wings, propelled himself at Chris, sword out.
There was no way for Fiss to counter the sheer momentum of the
attack and he was flattened against the wall hard...saved from
Michael's blade only by his own.
"That's a nice vest." Michael said, picking at Chris' suit with
his free hand. "Ooh! And armored too! You must tell me the name of
your tailor." He laughed as Chris finally managed to push him away.
Bracing his foot on the wall, Chris propelled himself forward,
much the same way Michael had done. CLASH! CRACK! Chris hit one side
of his opponent's blade, then crashed down on the hilt, forcing the
weapon to the ground. Though Michael kept a firm grip, his balance
failed and he landed on his face. "That looked like it hurt." Chris
smiled as he waited for the angel to stand back up.
"Glad to see you've been practicing." Michael grumbled, rubbing
his chin. "I like the sword. Nice and fast." He smiled. "Suits you."
He raised his own weapon. "SKITZ!"
This time, Chris was ready. He jumped out of the way as the near
solid block of sound crashed toward him, and was about to strike when
the sound rebounded off the hard marble wall and slammed into him from
behind.
The impact was bone-jarring. Michael simply stepped out of the
way as Chris slid past his foot. Though his vest had taken the impact,
it didn't look like he would be getting up any time soon.
"You know...you did a lot better than I thought you would." He
smiled. With a stretch of his arms, the two wings folded around his
body and changed color. A second later, he was wearing his coat. He
gently kicked Chris over onto his back with his foot, and brought the
tip of his sword to the Senshi's throat.
Chris lay helpless, sword a few heartbeats away from his hand.
Those inches may have well been miles. Consciousness was pleading to
take a five minute nap in his head. Not to mention his back felt like
it had been ripped open.
"Now." The angel said, his voice low and dangerous. "Do you
concede?" His blade was almost touching the flesh on Chris' neck.
"No." Chris answered back, his eyes looking along the deadly
sword. "I do not give up."
Michael nodded slowly. With a quick swipe of his sword...it was
back in it's scabbard. Now, instead of a weapon, he held out a hand.
Chris, confused as hell, just stared at it.
"You answered correctly." Michael said, taking Fiss' hand and
pulling him to a wobbly stance. His smile became wide and toothy.
"God DAMN it's good to see you!" he gave Chris a big hug.
Chris just blinked, then fell over, exhausted.
Rei, Miharu, Dana and Andrea came running onto the scene. "God
damn I hate this mall..." Rei sighed as she saw the caved in roof.
Between the destroyed railing and the body-shaped indentation on
the wall, half a dozen feathers littered the ground. Police were
trying their best to record the events that had happened from the fifty
or so witnesses to the fight. A large, forty-something woman was
nearly screaming at the poor rookie cop in charge of taking her
statement. "And then that Strike Fiss guy gets attacked by the angel,
and I thought for certain that maybe it was one of them demons..." she
gibbered.
"What?!" Rei walked over to her. "Strike Fiss got attacked?"
she turned to the cop. "Where is he?"
"Well, the angel was about to kill him, but then he helped Mr.
Strike Fiss to his feet and gave him this big hug...and I was thinking
what the hell was going on...and then Mr. Fiss passed out, and the
angel guy was kinda worried, so his coat turned into his wings again
and they flew out through the roof..." the woman pointed to the sky-
light. A large, jagged hole was through one of the panes of glass.
"He was so graceful! I knew he must have been one of the nice
angels..." the woman nodded profusely. "You know...like that nice
young man, Nicholas Cage on that movie."
Rei turned back to the other three girls, who were all looking at
her with similar dropped jaws.
"Where are they now?!?" Rei demanded, grabbing the woman's
collar. "Did you see what direction they went?"
"Well, they circled around once, so I don't know..." the woman
nodded. "But they must have went to the beach like off of that movie."
Rei shot her a dry look. "Edmonton has a beach?"
The woman blinked. "Oh...I guess not..."
"Grrr." Rei dropped the woman and walked past the others. "Come
on. Looks like the shopping trip just got cancelled."
Chapter 9
Strange how wading through an endless puddle of blood would begin
to feel familiar after a while. Almost expected. When his mind raced,
and he let his thoughts drift, it still scared him more than most
things. But after nearly a dozen times finding himself walking through
the sticky human waste he was able to think of it more like a
confirmation that he was dreaming.
The blood was just there as scenery. The real terror was what
else shared the dream with him.
Strike Fiss smiled as he saw his younger self instead of the
hideous parody named Chris. The little boy sat in the endless red
ocean, faced away from Fiss as he walked towards.
"What are you doing here?" Fiss asked playfully. "You should be
in school or something. Out playing with your friends." Besides those
facts, he couldn't quite distinguish how odd it was for the child to be
sitting in blood in the first place.
The little Chris never turned around. "I'm playing." He said
simply. Not even moving.
"Oh." Strike Fiss shrugged, then smiled. "What are you playing?"
he asked, redoubling his efforts to get to know the young boy.
"I'm playing peek-a-boo." He replied in a happy voice, still
content to look out over the endless red horizon, showing Fiss only the
back of his head.
"Peek-a-boo?" Strike Fiss looked around, uncertain. "I don't see
anyone else around her to play with."
"That is because you are blind." The little child sneered,
turning to Fiss.
Strike Fiss nearly fell backwards.
The little boy's eyes were stitched shut. Blood ran out from
each puncture, pooling down the sides of his face, then dripping down
his chin to join the endless amount at their feet.
"You are all blind." The boy continued, his voice oozing with
venom. "Weak. Stupid. Blind." He hissed.
"Oh my god..." Fiss whispered to himself as the boy raised his
hands to his eyes and wrapped his fingers around some of the ragged
leather twine that bound his vision.
And pulled.
Flesh tore away quietly as the boy clawed at his own eyes. Dark
red and black tissue glistened underneath. Flecks of bone now exposed
as well. His eyes were now free...gazing back up at Fiss with lidless
glares.
The child now looked to be a ghoul, and spoke with a slow,
certain tone. "You can't have one or the other..." he said. "Even
though they try. You both try so hard." He laughed happily, oblivious
to the gore running down his face. "And you both think you will
succeed.
"But you cannot have death without life, or life without death."
He said. "Nor can life kill death. Remember that."
Strike Fiss stood back, too stunned to speak.
And with a final, happy smile, Chris' young form raised his hands
over his eyes once more. "Peek-a-boo!"
"GGAAAWHHHHH!" he woke with a jump rivaled only by a person under
defibrillator paddles.
Reality, or what went by the name reality anyway, rushed over
Chris, forcing him to wonder where the hell he was.
When a gust of cold wind blew over him, and he realized he was
looking straight down a few hundred feet to the ground below, he really
wished he was back asleep.
"You're awake."
Chris turned, finding himself on the ledge of a building's roof.
Behind him sat Michael, resting up against a large transmitter antenna.
The young man...or whatever he was...looked up and smiled at him. "I
was beginning to think that I might have killed you. That would have
kinda sucked. Ruin my entire trip."
"Yeah..." Fiss coughed, testing his dry throat in the even drier
air. "My pleasure..."
"Mmm." Michael nodded. "I hear you kept your name. I'm
surprised you were even told."
"What?" Chris stood carefully, putting some distance between him
and the ledge. "What the hell are you talking about? My name is
Chris."
"Your name, actually, is Fiss." Michael said, picking at his
finger nail with one of the smaller hand-guard-blades on his sword.
"Your inherited name, that is. My given name is Michael, yours is
Chris...but we both have our Knight names. Fiss and SkitZ."
Chris felt at his side...and was somewhat surprised to find his
sword still there. "But...that was just my nickname...how do YOU know
it? As far as I knew, it was just some gibberish my grandfather made
up in place of 'Chris'."
"Ah...good old Yamato." He smiled happily. "Always kept the
mystery going for as long as he could. Awesome story-teller. Just the
way he hinted at things and talked kept us riveted for hours."
Fiss' eyes were wide. "You knew my..." he paused. "HOW did you
know him??!!"
"So many questions!" SkitZ stood, then grabbed onto the
transmitter tower, starting to pull himself up it's side on the ladder.
"Too many questions. Hell, I don't even have all the answers."
"How about starting on who the hell YOU are?" Chris offered
angerly, watching SkitZ climb halfway up the tower. "And would you
STOP doing that?"
SkitZ stopped, then shrugged, jumping back down a good fifteen
meters, and landing as light as a feather. "You already know my name."
"Then WHAT are you?" Chris asked. "How do you sprout those wings
whenever you want??"
Michael looked at Chris as if he had just asked "How do you spell
CAT?" "I'm an angel. I thought I told you that already."
"But..." Chris faltered. "Where's your halo? Why aren't you
glowing? How come you tried to kill me?"
"Well, I don't know what kind of angel you're thinking of...but I
can assure you that I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing."
He chuckled. "Since when can angels glow anyway?" he shook his head.
"And I didn't try to kill you. If I had tried to kill you, you would
be quite killed by now." He shrugged. "Just making sure you were who
I thought you were."
Chris sighed, slumping over, trying to figure out what the hell
to ask.
"My turn." SkitZ said after a moment's silence. "How did you get
that hard air to stay at the top of the castle?"
"What?"
"You know..." he continued. "That air that breaks when you pass
through it. It's rather remarkable."
"Glass." Chris replied. "It's called glass. It's not air...it's
sand that's been heated and purified."
Michael looked at Chris in amazement. "Sand? You must have some
powerful mages here to work sand into air!"
"No." Chris shook his head. "We just have a lot of glass. Now,
my turn." He looked at SkitZ carefully. "Are you the one I keep seeing
in the mirror?"
Wide already from the explanation of glass...SkitZ's eyes somehow
got wider. "Mirrors? You have mirrors!!?" he threw up his arms.
"Holy SHIT! I didn't even notice them! I walked past mirrors!" he
laughed. "REAL mirrors! And I forgot to even notice!?! WOAH!"
"Uh...excuse me...but you didn't answer my question." Chris
interrupted SkitZ's little ranting dance.
He stopped in mid-rant, turning to Chris. "Oh...sorry. Well, I
can assure you that I am not appearing in any mirrors. I haven't seen
a mirror since my tenth birthday!" he cackled. "What a wondrous place
this is!"
"Ugh." Chris sighed, sitting down on a heater box. "Are all
angels screwed in the head like you?"
SkitZ regarded Fiss with a strange look. "No...Actually...I'm
the only one that's like this."
Chris blinked, noticing the change in Michael's voice. "Oh...I
didn't mean that...I was just mumbling out loud."
"You would be a little...strange...too." He continued. "If you
saw the things I saw." He raised an eyebrow. "Ironically, if you had
seen those things, I wouldn't be here to tell you how crazy I am." He
grinned crookedly.
"You don't seem too crazy." Chris mused. "Then again, I'm
probably the last authority on sane right now."
"That's one of the things I must talk to you about." SkitZ shook
his head slowly. "You are in danger, my friend. The dreams are coming
to you, aren't they? Terrible dreams. Dookie dreams. Ones that seem
almost real?"
Chris found himself nodding even before Michael had finished
asking. "Yeah. For about a month now...and headaches. The only time
I get a break is when I can sleep...and that doesn't last too long
because I get these fucking dreams where I'm killing myself in big
pools of blood and there's all these fucking severed heads and sewn
eyes." Chris grumbled, stopping himself before he got carried away.
SkitZ was just smiling at him. "Woah...You were right. You are
pretty crazy." He laughed.
"But you know why I'm having these dreams?" Chris asked
hopefully.
Nodding happily, SkitZ sat back down on one of the ladder rungs.
"Oh yeah. It's actually very simple. You're going through puberty."
"WHAT?" Chris stood up. "Hey hey HEY hey, hey HEY HEY HEY!" he
said. "I can assure you that THAT boat passed a long time ago! I'm
almost twenty!"
"No no..." Michael laughed. "Not like that. Don't
worry...that's the standard version. I wasn't talking about that."
Chris frowned. "Then what the hell are you talking about?"
"It's the mental version." SkitZ said. "It comes part of the
ownership of the Virtues." He pointed to Fiss' sword. "I assume you
know what your little knife can do, right? You know it's linked to you
in a number of ways." He sighed, thinking of the correct wording. "You
know how salmon have to go..."
"Yeah yeah." Chris nodded. "Spawn upstream and all that fun
stuff. Travel for millions of miles just so they can get jiggy in the
place they were born."
Michael nodded. "Anyway, when you are old enough to use your
sword at it's full potential, you must first return to the Pool of
Angels before it can happen."
Chris rubbed his temples. "So where's that? Mount Fun-Noop, or
some impossible to spell ancient place?"
"It's not in this universe." Michael said with a shrug.
"Great." Chris sighed. "So now what? Am I supposed to live with
these damn dreams for the rest of my life or something?"
"You can't." Michael said sternly. "If you can't get to the Pool
of Angels in a few weeks, you'll die."
"What?"
Michael nodded solemnly. "The dreams will continue to get worse.
Eventually, they'll break through your perceptions of reality and time.
Pretty soon you'll be at least half as crazy as I am." He raised an
eyebrow. "You wouldn't like that."
Chris blinked.
"From there, it goes downhill." Michael continued. "Only one
other like you has survived this long without visiting the Pool. He
went stark raving mad in another week, and his head exploded the next."
He cringed. "It wasn't pretty."
"No shit..." Chris blinked, not quite believing what was
happening.
Here he was, sitting on the roof of some commercial building
downtown, talking with an angel about how his head was going to explode
in two weeks time. An angel who knew his name...his grandfather's
name...and seemed to know everything about his dreams.
SkitZ sighed and stood, walking over to Chris and placing his
hand on his back. "Here's the deal, my friend. And I know you're
confused. There's a lot you need to be told, and a lot that you need
to tell me." He shook his head. "But right now, you are in danger of
ripping apart your own mind."
"But..." Chris looked up wearily. "You said that this Pool of
Angels place doesn't even exist in this universe. What kind of chance
do I have to get to it if it isn't even here?"
"Oh...but it does exist." Michael smiled. "In OUR universe."
Chapter 10
"It was weird when I first arrived." Michael said as they flew
across the sky, holding Chris by the back of his vest. "I noticed a
lot of people have these long coats. At first I figured they must all
have wings like me."
Chris nodded, trying not to look down too much. The truth was
that he was actually beginning to enjoy himself. Michael didn't fly
too fast, and cornered in large circles to make it easier to carry him.
So long as he looked ahead, to where they were going, it was quite a
wonderful ride considering the only thing holding him up were a pair of
hands. "Oh? The trenchcoats?" he smiled. "No...no wings...they're
just really good coats."
"I liked your gray one." Michael smiled. "That color is very
rare where we come from." He flapped his wings lightly, gaining a
little extra lift. "When we fold our wings into the...trenchcoat was
it?"
Chris nodded.
"When we do that, they change color. We have no control over it,
and it ends up being our seal color. Kind of like a coat of arms for a
household." He grinned. "You should have seen the look on the artist's
face when he saw my coat. This color is next to impossible to find
paint for. Took him a month just to get started."
"You keep talking about Knights."
Michael nodded. "That's what we are."
Chris frowned. "What exactly ARE Knights?"
"You could say we're the leaders of the Seven Houses. That's
just the title, though. The actual definition are those who are
blessed by the Pool of Angels. There are a few other angels in our
universe, but they are mostly prophets and scholars. Knights of the
Pool are the warriors."
"Was my grandfather a Knight?" Chris asked.
"No." SkitZ admitted. "But to many people, he was even greater.
He actually taught many of the Knights. He did not have our powers,
yet he could teach us to use them. He was a very rare man."
"That makes a lot of sense." Chris smiled. "He loved teaching.
On days where one would not want to get out of bed, he was up, ready
with a sword, and dragging out of bed to show me some new move."
"Sounds like him." SkitZ smiled. "I only had the pleasure of
learning from him for a year and a half. But it was time I missed
greatly ever since."
"Are there any Knights here?" Chris asked. "Besides you?"
"Hell no." he replied. "Most don't even know that this place
exists. When I told my house where I was going, they thought I was
crazy." He paused. "Well, of COURSE I'm crazy...but they thought it
was just the Noize talking."
"Head Noise?" Chris raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like what a few
of the people here get sometimes. Maybe we could get some doctors to
look at you."
Michael's response was dry as a desert. "It is not like ANYTHING
any of your people have. That, I can assure you. And there is no
cure."
Chris was silent, not wanting to provoke him while they were
zipping past skyscrapers.
"Sorry." Michael sighed. "Just that it's nothing you could ever
understand." He raised an eyebrow. "No...wait...you could...but if you
ever did, you would wish you hadn't." he forced his wings into a long,
powerful flap, and they shot up and forward, assisted by some unseen
hand of magic that Chris figured must be part of the wings.
"Why haven't you told me anything about why you're here?" Fiss
asked. "I mean, you said you were going to take me to this Pool of
Angels and save my head from popping...but how did you know how to get
here...and how DID you get here?"
Michael considered this for a moment. "I'll show you later.
Right now, we'll just get back to your...what did you call it?"
"Car."
"Yeah. Your car." Michael smiled. "Man, you sure have funny
names for things here."
"Be thankful I haven't mentioned Telletubbies or Furbies yet."
Chris shuddered as they circled down around West Edmonton Mall.
"Sounds like evil magic." SkitZ commented. "Are they weapons?"
"I think so." Fiss smiled. "Very evil little objects."
Michael smiled. "We shall have to exchange information when
you're safe from your headaches. It will probably take a lot of time."
They finally found Nacho parked in the lot, and Michael swooped
down, dropping him off, did a quick flutter to slow down, and landed on
the ground, wings already around his body in coat form.
Chris walked over to his car and pulled what looked like a
traffic ticket off the windshield. "A note?" he blinked.
"I don't hear anything." Michael replied.
"Not that kind of a note." Chris held up the paper. "I'm in
trouble."
Michael blinked and reached for his sword. "What?"
"Not that kind of trouble..." Chris stopped himself. "Well, then
again, Rei's probably wondering where I am...so we may need weapons."
"Who's Rei?" he smiled. "Is she cute?"
"Beautiful." Chris smiled, opening the door. "But she's taken."
"Ah." Michael nodded. "So...where are we going?"
Chris leaned over and opened up the passenger side door for
SkitZ. "You hungry?"
"Thought you'd never ask!" Michael grinned, hopping into the
seat. "What is this thing?"
"Well, most of us don't fly around." Chris explained. "And
walking is too slow. So, we have cars." He turned the key. A second
later, popped it into gear. "Lock N load."
Dave felt something was wrong a full second before it happened.
Some would say that even if this man wasn't the most intelligent member
of the Web, he was definitely the best when it came to foresight.
"BROOOOOOOOOOOM!"
By the time Dave's mind had recognized the sound, distance, and
accounted for the Omega Web HQ's space distortion, he was already in
transport. A quick mental flicker summoned his energy-form to pick up
emergency support clothes, put them on, and check the oxygen levels of
the gas mask.
He materialized in time to see the remains of the Point
Calculator crystal bouncing a second time. The surreal glass shards
bounced like rubber off of the hard white floor. Each time they hit,
they left little trails of purple color hanging in the air.
As the final shards settled, Dave sighed, looking around at the
faces of the Forging Team. Each was a grave expression. Even if Dave
was one to chew out the mistakes of his team, he wouldn't have needed
to. They looked like shit. That was enough.
Dave, with a flash, removed his emergency clothes, returning to
his lab-coat. Sonia was there and walked over to him, putting her hand
on his shoulder. "We rushed...I'm sorry."
"What now?" another asked.
"Do it again." Dave said, walking towards the door. "Still have
enough time to do this three more times. Just get it done."
"Where are you doing?" Sonia asked as two of her team began to
clean up the shattered crystals.
"I need to talk to Strike Fiss." He paused. "He's the last
person I know that might have any clue what's going on."
Chapter 11
Everyone looked up with wide eyes as a tall man with short, spiky
hair and a leather blue trenchcoat poked his head into the room. "Hi!"
he waved happily.
Maury's entire arm began to glow as he pointed it at SkitZ. "You
better not be Avon calling."
Chris walked in behind him. "Don't worry, guys! He's with me."
"Where the hell WERE YOU!?!" Rei jumped up from the couch and ran
over to him, giving him a big hug.
"Just flying around." SkitZ replied happily. "You must be Rei."
He extended his hand.
Rei blinked, then shook his hand. "And who are you?"
Michael stood to his full height proudly. "Archangel Michael,
Knight of SkitZ and Virtue to the Pool of Angels."
Everyone in the room's jaw had dropped.
Fiss walked smoothly over to the fridge and poured a glass of
milk. "What? Haven't any of you seen an Archangel before?"
Rei, still wide eyed, walked over to Chris and leaned over,
whispering in his ear. "Chris...do you KNOW what an Archangel is?
Michael is supposed have power equal to, if not greater than
Lucifer...this man is one of the most powerful...THINGS...in the
universe!"
He just shrugged. "He seems like just a regular guy with wings
to me." Chris turned to SkitZ. "So, what do Archangels eat?"
"Uh...well, I like peaches, myself." Michael replied absently,
turning most of his attention to Maury's trenchcoat.
Maury watched nervously as SkitZ began to lift up the back of his
coat and sniff it. "Are you trying to turn me on?" he laughed. "Cause
it's working."
Michael dropped Maury's coat and jumped over a chair to go over
to the window. He smacked his head on the glass, falling over.
Everyone blinked. He stood a moment later with a toothy smile. "Hehe.
Oh yeah...Glass..."
Rei sighed. "So much for organized religion."
Demeter smiled and walked over to Michael, unlocking the patio
door. "Here. Most of the doors around here work on these little
latches."
"Amazing." Michael blinked.
"Took me forever to figure out." Demeter grinned, sliding open
the glass.
Michael stepped out onto the balcony, smiling. Across the city
lay the color of gold. Sunlight bounced off the sky scrapers and the
crystal white snow. The gray and brown roads turned into tiny rivers
of light, crisscrossing the land precisely and flowing up impossible
hills.
"Can you fly?" he asked quietly.
Chris walked out to join him. "No. I can't fly."
Michael turned to look at him. "You're lying."
He blinked. "What?"
"I...saw you flying." SkitZ whispered. "You were flying." He
closed his eyes.
Slowly, his coat melted off of his back, shifting to gray and
white feathers. Maury, Rei, Miharu, Demeter and Andrea's eyes went
wider.
"In that car, I saw you flying." SkitZ grinned, turning his head
to Chris. "These wings are just feathers. Your car is just metal and
fire and glass. The magic is real, though."
Chris looked out over the horizon with him, arms on the railing.
"It feels good..." he sighed. "Gets rid of the headache."
"And for me, it silences the noise in my head." Michael nodded.
"But we can't fly forever, and the longer you're on the ground, the
closer you're going to come to death."
"When do we need to go?"
"Anytime you're ready." Michael said. "Sooner the better."
Slowly, looking back into the hotel suite, he saw his friends and
family. Each person Chris would trust with his soul, and protect with
his life a thousand times over if he only could. "Give me a day."
Michael nodded, his wings around him like a cloak. "There's
something else, Chris."
"Mmm?"
He took a long, deep breath. "I came here for two reasons. I
knew because of what's happening in my home, you would be in danger
from your headaches." He shook his head. "The noise in my mind lets me
see things nobody else can."
"What's the second reason?" Chris asked, eyebrow raised.
He shook his head. "I can't tell you." He smiled. "But, I can
show you. Not here, but later on."
Chris blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I can't let you come with me until you know the full deal." He
sighed. "It would be dishonest of me to trick you to come with me.
I'll have to show you later." He blinked. "But for now, I need you to
let me have your sword."
"What?" Chris backed off. "No...nobody touches my sword...not
after all the shit that's been happening."
SkitZ nodded. "Fine...you can do it. But you have to trust me
on this one." He pointed at Chris' katana. "Take off the handle."
Chris looked at SkitZ long and hard...debating weather or not to
listen to the request. He had never taken his sword apart. Never
needed to. The damn thing was nearly invincible, and the grip hadn't
needed replacing yet. Finally, he sighed and walked back inside. "I
need a screwdriver."
Maury found one in the desk drawer and handed it to Chris.
"You're actually going to listen to him?"
"He knew Yamato, Maury..." Chris said. "I trust him at least
that much."
He withdrew his sword and lay it on the floor. With his fingers,
he felt the leather grip for the place he was looking for...a tiny
bump. He carefully parted the leather wrappings to reveal a small pin.
Repeating the process to the other side of the handle, Chris then
began to hammer the pin through to the other side, then, once it was
far out enough, pushed it through with the screwdriver. It fell to the
carpet with a light thud, probably made from the same metal the blade
was.
Carefully, Chris gripped the bare blade and began to pull on the
handle. Slowly, easing off like a piston, the wood and leather grip
slid off the blade's end, revealing a smoky, blue-steel few inches,
marked by some writing and the pin's hole. Chris held up the blade and
showed Rei. "What does that say?" he asked, pointing to the writing.
Rei shook her head, trying to make out the characters.
"It...it's not Japanese...I have no idea what language that is."
Some of the letters squiggled and curved, ending in tiny circles
like a star-map. Others could almost be of some alphabet, but were
combined with extra lines and curves. SkitZ walked over and knelt
besides Chris. "That is Theban Script." He said. "One of the dozen or
so Angelic Alphabets."
"What...what does it say?" Chris asked weakly, gazing at the
naked blade.
"Touch it." Michael said simply. "Touch it and watch."
His shaky hand finally slid over the etched script. At first,
nothing happened...but as he took his hand away, something was
different. The letters began to cast different shadows...dripping down
off the sword like honey.
Everyone watched in absolute fascination as the shadows began to
draw light from the room, and form a picture in mid-air over the sword.
It was a circular crest. It looked almost as if it was carved from
wood...polished so it gleamed like metal. Over the top, written along
the edge, sat the same script that had been on the sword. "That means
Fiss." Michael whispered, touching the ghostly image. "In the centre,
this symbol means Guardian." He pointed to four smaller runes that were
surrounding the centre. "Protection, Life, Death, and Infinity." He
smiled. "Very nice combination. Brings power to whatever cause you
choose to protect."
"What is this thing?" Chris asked, not even moving. His eyes
totally entranced by the hovering symbol.
"It's your seal." Michael said. "This is who you are...much more
than your name ever could be." He smiled. "Think of it as your soul's
footprint. All the Knights have them."
Rei looked over to SkitZ, then Chris. "What...what do you mean?"
The seal disappeared with the break in concentration, and
returned to the engraving on his sword.
"I'm not from this universe." He sighed. Everyone looked over to
Chris. He blinked. "Well *I* didn't know about it! Why are you all
looking at me?!?"
Beavis padded down the hall, leaving tiny paw-prints as he
walked. He hit planet side as the sun was setting. The night seemed
to filter into the darkened hotel. An occasional person or two walked
past him, not even paying any attention as he skittered in the corners.
That was, until a white and gray shoe slammed down an inch from
his nose. "So..." a dry voice said. "We meet again, Bond."
The hedgehog looked up, eyes wide, as Dave Reinquest stood over
him. "You?"
"Me." Dave frowned. A flash of light and a moment later, they
were thirty thousand feet in the air.
And falling.
Beavis gasped as they began to plummet. "DAVE! What are you
DOING?!!"
"I'm sure by now you will have noticed that I am suppressing your
ability to fly." Dave said calmly as they fell. He seemed to be able
to stand straight up and down like he was simply on an elevator that
was descending. "Not only that, but by my calculations, you have less
than two minutes until you hit the ground." He smiled happily, doing a
little flip. "Do you know what that means?"
"You have my undivided attention." Beavis replied quickly, trying
not to notice how fast the ground was coming up at his feet.
"Exactly." Dave nodded. "Now, I don't normally eavesdrop. But,
I was able to figure out something today." He took a deep breath.
"Your Senshi, Chris, is not from our universe."
"WHAT?" Beavis sputtered. "That's impossible!"
Dave regarded the plummeting hedgehog with a smile. "Ah, the
Elders. So worried about what was impossible that they never thought
to let their own universe work things out via the natural course of
things. Did you ever think that maybe Tumbler had a purpose in the
grand scheme of things? Perhaps, at least, to rid the universe of a
race that would control it?"
"How DARE YOU!" Beavis growled back.
"Very easily, considering we are now about eighty-four seconds
from touch-down, if you don't mind the expression." Dave said. "Now, I
know what you did in Armageddon. I saw it. I didn't stop it because
quite frankly I didn't know what else to do." He frowned. "And I was
hoping you knew something I didn't."
Beavis was silent as they fell.
"You tried to make them go into Armageddon with the intent on
changing something." He raised a hand to his chin. "Now...let's
see...what would YOU change...out of all the bad things that have
happened in the entire..."
"WOULD YOU GET TO THE POINT?!!!" Beavis yelled as they passed
through some clouds.
Dave nodded. "You tried to alter time, destroy Tumbler, and fuck
up everything that the Sailor Scouts have gained...just because you
lost the battle to that bone-faced asshole. But, like always, your so
called good-intentions were not good for the universe." He crossed his
arms. "If Tumbler had been nuked from all existence, you can not even
begin to conceive of the damage to our home. Chances are that our
timeline would be erased, and WE would join the poor bastard in non-
existence.
"If you can't start fighting for the right reasons then you're as
same as our enemy, my little friend. And don't think that I cannot
take you down like the little rodent you are." Dave leaned forward,
looking into Beavis' eyes. "Do you understand? Forty seconds."
Beavis nodded wearily.
"Good." Dave nodded. "Now, Chris touched Armageddon. That would
be bad normally. However, his heart, mind and soul were focused on
another universe when he did. He saved us all from Armageddon by
directing it to a place that probably doesn't even exist anymore. From
what I know, Tumbler got to his old universe." He paused. "But
something else has happened. And I'm going to need a few days to check
it out. You need to stall Chris and his new friend Michael from going
on their trip. Just for a few days. I'll show up to help when I know
more."
"Michael?" Beavis asked.
"You don't have enough time to ask questions." Dave said, looking
down. "He needs you as a guardian. Hell, that's the only reason
you're not dead. Are you going to do that for me?"
"They're all dead." Beavis said quietly.
Dave blinked. With a snap of his fingers, they stopped falling.
"What?"
The hedgehog looked at him with tired eyes. "The Elders.
They're all dead." He shook his pointy nose. "I haven't been one since
I betrayed my personal feelings for the safety of the universe, and I
will have to live with that for a rather long time." He sighed. "My
place is with the Senshi...like it has been for a while. You have
nothing more to fear from me. I cannot save a race that is already
extinct."
Dave...despite his mindset to give the little guardian one hell
of a lecture...felt sorry for him. His features softened and he took a
long breath. "I'm sorry...I had no idea."
"As I looked at them...frozen in their own death throws...I had
kind of a realization" he sighed. "An epiphany. All these centuries
have been a waste of time for me. I've been doing it all wrong."
Beavis smiled weakly. "You Omega Web people...you've had it right.
Non-interference. Only guidance. Let the people who live in the
universe decide it's fate."
"We all live here, Beavis." Dave sighed. With a snap of his
fingers, they were back in the hotel hallway. "And that's why we all
need to stick together." He knelt down to Beavis' level. "We survived
the hardest part. Stopped the universe from committing suicide or
going insane. But the trouble isn't over, and it's just going to get
weirder." He gently petted Beavis' back. "Just make sure you don't
make it any harder than it is, and everything will work out."
Beavis sighed and waddled off. "I think I'm going to get really
drunk tonight."
Chapter 12
"I hope I didn't scare your friends." Michael said as he began to
hover.
Chris smiled to himself as he huddled in his own coat.
"Actually, Sailor Moon, our leader, can sprout wings when she needs to.
We're pretty much used to it."
They were outside now, a few miles away from town in some
undisturbed field of snow near a farm. Michael was using his flying
magic to literally walk on top of the field without leaving footprints.
He took out his sword and began to trace Theban into the snow. "Have
you ever had wings?"
"Nope." Chris laughed. "I'm no angel."
"That must be because you were re-born here." SkitZ said, moving
over a few steps and continuing to trace in the snow. "Though I still
don't know how all that works."
"WE don't even know how it works." Chris admitted. "Every time
there's a rule or guideline, one of us seems to break it. As long as
our heart-crystals are intact, it seems..."
"Heart-Crystals?" Michael blinked, looking up from his drawing.
"I haven't seen one myself." Chris explained. "Apparently, we
all have them. They carry our life-energy and all that fun stuff." He
paused. "Maybe you can teach me how to write like that, and I can show
you what I mean."
"Good idea." Michael nodded, continuing. "This is how we pass
down most of our stories and history, but this language is banned from
most of the populous because it's so dangerous."
"Dangerous?"
SkitZ nodded. "If you don't have a lot of practice, and
misrepresent a thought or mind-set, it's possible to drive someone mad
just by letting them read." He grinned. "Don't worry, I have a lot of
practice."
"Who wrote the seal on my sword?" Chris asked, looking down at
his freshly assembled weapon on the hip of his coat.
"It's possible Yamato did." SkitZ said. "He was a blacksmith as
well as a teacher."
"Really? Back then too?" Chris smiled. "Guess some things never
change."
"How long did you know him?"
"Only a month in this life." Chris said sadly. "And what I
remember of my past lives comes in dreams. I haven't had any new
dreams in a while, though...just nightmares."
Michael turned to Chris. "He died?"
Chris nodded. "The first year I came to Japan...he...well, he
was killed by one of my enemies." He sighed. "Actually, he was killed
by my clone."
"Mm." Michael sighed. "Well, at least it was by someone worthy.
He was a great man. If some thug robbed him in his sleep, that would
give me enough reason to shove my sword up the poor bastard's ass and
drive him insane for the last hour of his life before he bled to death
anally."
Chris nodded. "Lovely thought. I managed to destroy him on the
molecular level...how's that?"
"That will do." Michael smiled.
"I never knew he was from another universe." Chris sighed,
brushing some snow off of a hay bale so he could lean against it as
SkitZ wrote. "He was old by the time I started to remember things from
my childhood. Then, in this lifetime, I only met him that one month."
He paused. "Will you tell me a bit about him?"
Michael nodded, still working on the intricate designs and
patterns. "Sure. What do you want to know?"
"I don't know..." Chris shrugged. "Just tell me a story." He
smiled. "You can do that, right? You don't need to write everything
down."
SkitZ thought for a moment. "There was this one day during the
first month of my training, where he was getting really pissed off at
me." He raised his sword. "I kept doing this."
SkitZ's blade began emitting what could be called music...but it
was mostly just an annoying, low buzz. Chris laughed. "How do you do
that?"
"Well, SkitZ here..." he tapped his sword "is a weapon of sound.
Yours is...well...I really don't know what kind of power yours
has...but mine runs on thought and sound. It's a nice mixture. Let's
me level people to the ground just by knowing the exact sound that will
shut their minds down."
"Mmm, sounds handy." Chris nodded.
"Yup. And Yamato was getting pissed off at me, because for
hours, I'd just be making noise with it. He he." He turned the bulk of
his attention to the snow. "So, one day, he comes up to me while I'm
just dancing around, half naked, with my sword and making all the birds
in the forest run for cover with all this noise.
"'Michael,' he says, 'I will make you a deal. If I can make more
noise than you, you will be quiet when not using your powers to train.
If you win, then I won't bother you any more about it, and you can make
noise all day long.'" He smiled happily. "Obviously, I thought he was
crazy, but that I had a sure fire victory. So I agreed to the bet."
Chris smiled. "What happened?"
"He says that, when he nods, to start making as much noise as I
can. And he reaches over and touches my forehead, making some kind of
pattern. Then, when he's finished, he steps back and nods." SkitZ
grinned evilly. "So I pumped every ounce of NOIZE into my sword and
let it fly!" he laughed. "But it took me a second to realize that I
didn't hear anything." He smiled. "Absolutely nothing. I couldn't
even hear the wind or the birds chirping. So, after trying really
hard, I finally gave up.
"So, Yamato leans over, wipes my forehead, and then suddenly I
can hear. He grins at me, opens his mouth, and yells at me. I fall
over on my ass, stunned. He walks away happily, and I'm pretty much
quiet except when I have to practice."
"How did he do it?"
SkitZ smiled. "He wrote Theban for 'Silence' on my forehead.
Though I WAS making a lot of noise, I couldn't hear it. I didn't
realize it was a trick back then, and so, he won. All he had to do was
not flinch when I was trying."
"Smart man."
"Yup. He knew his shit. Anyone who can shut ME up has my
respect." Michael cackled. "He was also a great father-type person,
but I guess you knew about that. Taught me a lot."
Chris nodded. "Yeah. He was the only family I had back on
Enceladus...the first moon I ever stayed on. Really boring there."
"Do you remember anything about your first three years?" Michael
asked. "I got to see you as just a wee littl' baby." He laughed.
"What?!" Chris blinked.
SkitZ grinned wide. "Last time I saw you, you were about as long
as my forearm, and your head looked like a large potato."
"Then how come we're the same age now?"
"Actually, you're about half a year older than me, I think."
SkitZ said, making an elaborate curve with the tip of his blade.
"You'll know more of what I mean when I finish my little drawing here."
Chris looked down at the snow. It was rather amazing. Michael
continued to add to the intricate patterns. Each symbol was just as
important as it's relation to the others, Chris realized. The most
intricate vines and iron-fences wouldn't have been able to match the
complexity.
"This really is amazing." Chris said, motioning to the work of
art that was unfolding.
"Let's just hope a gust of wind doesn't come." SkitZ smiled. He
wrote the symbols that made up 'Fiss' at last. Michael brushed his
sword clean on his coat and sheathed it. Then, he walked back over to
Chris, never making any imprint with his boots on the snow. "Okay.
Two things you need to know."
"Mm?"
"You can stop this at any time by shifting concentration from the
script to anything else." Michael said. "But you shouldn't. Not until
you have your answers."
Chris nodded. "What else?"
Michael looked at him with a stern eye. "You will want to stop
the vision. And that is why you need to come with me." He pointed over
to the patterns. "Just go over and jump into the script."
With a deep breath, Chris walked over to the edge of the snowy
masterpiece. "Just...?"
"Just jump in." Michael smiled.
"Okay." Chris nodded. Slowly, he took off his coat, tossing it
away. He checked to make sure his sword was at his side. "Story
time."
He jumped.
Chapter 13
When Chris looked up, everything was dark. He hadn't been
expecting anything like this. The symbol that jumped out of his sword
had been pretty damn amazing...but this?
This was a whole new world.
Light and sky melded with the clouds, rolling into a giant storm
both above and below. For a split second, Chris felt an incredible
feeling of vertigo. It was like flying while standing on a conveyer
belt.
It looked like Heaven. "Heeeeeeere Cupid Cupid Cupid!" Chris
called out with a laugh.
Instead of giggling Cherubim, however he heard a scream. As he
turned, the world shifted to night. A rumbling storm swept over the
sky and fire from below tossed smoke into the air, choking his vision.
From the clouds rose six long pikes arranged in a triangle. The way
they slid in between the smoke sent a shiver through Chris.
He walked on the clouds towards them. Each pole was metal.
Rough and unpolished. Raw from the earth. The only clue that showed
they were not some kind of twisted tree or root was that each was
sharpened to a blunt, but obvious point.
The scream returned. Louder than before. It came from just over
his shoulder...crying into his ear with frightful clarity and obvious
pain. "FISS!" he growled, mustering all the courage he could into one
fluid motion. Withdrawing his katana and spinning it around in a wide
arch, anything behind him would be cleaved in two.
Nothing was behind him.
His blade shivered against the empty black sky, lit only by the
distant fires below his feet. Chill like he had never felt before was
running through his bones, threatening to tear his senses away from
them.
"Shit..." he breathed out a jagged breath, reaching out with his
fingers to his scabbard, sheathing his blade.
That's when it started.
A low, crying moan. Chris slowly turned back to the spikes.
Michael's lifeless eyes stared back.
Chris almost fell over. The man hung over one of the poles,
impaled through the back. Three feet of dripping red metal adorned
where his rib-cage had split apart from the inside out. His wings were
stained with his own lifeblood, shedding silent feathers that fluttered
to the smoke below, or stuck to the gore on his arms.
But the moan didn't stop. It got louder. It came from Michael
and everywhere and up and down and inside and out. Whispering the
promise of pain.
And it grew louder when Chris turned his head away, only to see
another spike, covered with an angel's bleeding corpse. This one was a
woman. Young and frail looking. She had armor on her body, but it had
been no defense against the intruding pile of metal. Her back was
nearly split open by the pike. Bone mixed with once beautiful
feathers, shredding what had been left of her wings. Her open mouth
spoke only the quiet drip drip drip of blood.
Chris turned again, shaking. His nightmares upon him now in the
day. As he turned back to the crying, the spikes had re-assembled in
his single vision. Each had a broken body over them. Michael had been
in the front, but he and the young woman had been joined by four
others. One angel had ripped, worn wings, but a massive body.
Muscular and war sturdy. His long, wild hair and beard were stained
with dark red slashes of color. His stomach and bowels dripped down
from the spike-ripped flesh.
Another, hung face down in a similar way, was a thin, tall man.
His wings and limbs lay scattered in a mock crucifix; bone and joints
stabbed through his own flesh, and let his extremities form unnatural
shapes. His face had been nearly torn off, from one cheek to his chin.
Chris could swear he saw bite marks along the ghostly white skin.
A gnarled, witch like woman hung on the next. Her eyes black and
dead. Her body too small to hold the spike, yet it ripped through her
throat, and hung her like a noose. Wings wilted along her arms.
The next looked like the giant spine had been driven down through
his back as he sat hunched over. It folded his back, and Chris
couldn't make out a face because of the oily red mess that splattered
against the dark white and orange wings.
Finally, as the moan had lengthened to a scream, there was the
final angel, who's only distinguishing feature was the fact that most
of her skin had been ripped off. Glistening white bone stung through
her breast, and exploded out against her face and limbs. Tiny,
delicate wings that looked like a butterfly's, were torn into shreds.
She couldn't have been any older than Miharu's age.
"Oh god...oh god..." Chris whispered to himself. "I'm in
hell..."
He turned to run, and the scream stopped.
Silence.
Blessed silence.
Stealing himself against what might be next, Chris turned to the
pikes again.
And he saw himself looking back.
Oh, there were differences. This man had pale white skin, void
of color. Dark brown hair that framed his face and an all too familiar
crooked smile.
Black wings. Folded around him like a robe. Each feather shone
in perfect glassy conformity.
Fiss looked back and smiled. In a quiet...nearly whispering
voice, he spoke. "Hello, Christopher."
"CHRIS! CHRIS! STRIKE FISS! SNAP OUT OF IT!" Michael's
powerful arms lifted him up like a rag doll, shaking him. "LOOK AT
ME!"
"No! This..." Chris shivered, shaking his head back and forth.
"No! NO! FUCK!" he managed to pry away Michael's grip. "HOW DID YOU
KNOW!!!?" he demanded, reaching for his sword desperately, but not even
being able to draw it.
Michael looked down at Chris as he sat, shaking in the snow. "My
god...I didn't think you'd get that far into the prophecy..." he closed
his eyes and shook his head. "You saw him, didn't you."
"I SAW ME!" Chris yelled back. "I saw the SAME fucker that keeps
torturing me in my dreams!" he clawed desperately at what was left of
the script on the snow. "Was THAT who I was?" he looked up, voice
shaking harder than his body was. "Am I that god dammed bloody..." he
screamed. "SHIT! I need to KNOW, SkitZ!"
Michael folded his wings around himself. "What do you want me to
say? Yes? That the man who killed me and the other Knights to
maintain his own power has some control over you? That he IS you?"
"I didn't kill you...I didn't kill them..." Chris whispered to
himself. "Who...who was the last one?? How old was she? Jesus...I
could never kill someone like that..."
He turned away. "I came here because I need your help, Chris."
"YOU need help?!" Chris laughed, finally regaining some breath.
"Sheeeit! I'm seeing dead angels who looked like they exploded from
the inside out." He shook his head. "Michael...what the HELL is going
on?"
"Revelations." He sighed quietly. "We're at war. My brothers
and sisters are not the same as the good days. I need your help to
fight to get them back."
Chris' jaw had dropped. "A...an angel war? You want me to help
you fight in an angel's war?"
"IT IS YOUR WAR!" Michael spun, lifting Chris back up to his feet
with one hand. "Don't you understand? Somehow, we're back. Our
universe died. We never existed. But now, everything's back. Only
Fiss and I know what happened. I will do everything in my power to
keep it from happening again. So will Fiss...but only because he's
scared of losing his throne." He sighed, putting Chris down. "I need
you to fight with me. I need you to give me and my allies the edge we
need to stop him."
Chris closed his eyes. "You mean...he's there? Right now?"
Michael nodded slowly.
"How...how do I know you're the side I should be fighting for?"
Chris asked.
"Well." Michael sighed, walking back over to Nacho. "You don't
know. This will be a leap of faith on your part." He shook his head.
"I will take you to the Pool of Angels, and I will let you heal your
nightmares. If you wish to fight with me after that, I will be
grateful, but if you wish to go home, I will send you back here and you
can live out your days as the last survivor of a dead universe, instead
of the Knight of Fiss."
Chris opened his mouth to object, but he realized he couldn't.
The headaches were getting worse every day. The nightmares would soon
make the prophecy he had just seen look like a picnic. Even if Michael
was taking him to his death, he had to risk it.
He couldn't leave Rei and Miharu. Not if he could help it. Not
when he had just gained them. He had to try.
"Deal." Chris sighed.
Michael nodded quietly. "Do you have liquor in this universe?"
"Hell yeah."
"Good." SkitZ sighed. "I think we could use a drink."
Chapter 14
Chris looked up from his laptop to see Rei standing in the
doorway, leaning up against the frame. "Michael's sleeping on the
couch. I think he's done puking." She sighed.
"Guess he wasn't quite ready for my Jolt and Jack combination
drink." Chris smiled widely. "How's it going?"
Rei shook her head and closed the door. "You look hilarious when
you're drunk." She smiled. "You keep trying to be serious, but you
just end up looking goofy when you smash your head into things."
"Hey! I don't smash my head into things!" CRACK! He blinked,
then picked his head up from the desk. "See? I just crack it into
things."
"You're still goofy." She snickered, walking over and pouring
herself a drink from what was left of a bottle of Jack Daniel's and
some Jolt that Chris always seemed to have an extra bottle of. Chris
watched her, hypnotized as she poured the liquids. "You really are
drunk, aren't you?"
"Yup." He breathed out a long sigh. "Ugh. Long over due.
Sometimes I wish I was an alcoholic. It would probably go well with
this line of work."
"You act drunk half the time anyway." Rei smiled sweetly as she
sat across from him on the tiny table.
"True." Chris nodded. His head movements exaggerated from the
liquor. "But the last time I got drunk was just before Tumbler killed
everyone."
Rei's eyes darkened at the mention of his name, but she nodded.
"Yeah." With a quick tip of her head, she downed almost the entire
glass...then immediately regretted it. "Ohhh GEEZE that's strong..."
her voice wasn't much more than a gasp.
"I was about to warn you...but I'm a little slow right now." He
smiled sympathetically, taking a sip.
"What..." she coughed "What made you two need to get drunk
anyway? See something? Another dream?"
Chris shook his head. "No. Worse."
"Tell me about it." She insisted, tipping her glass back,
managing to get it down to half-full without flinching this time.
"It turns out that me, in my old universe, is not the nice
friendly fuzzy Fiss you know and love." He sighed. "He's trying to be
a god. He's winning the support of the other angels. If Michael is
who and what he says he is...then he's losing the war. He needs help,
Rei."
Rei nodded slowly. "And you have to provide that help."
"Among other things." He shrugged.
There was a long pause. Rei finished her glass. "I'm going
too."
Chris' eyebrow raised slightly. "No you're not. I don't even
know if you can come along. It might not be possible."
Rei's nose wrinkled up. "It might not be possible?" she shook
her head with a sigh. "Chris...when has that ever stopped us? When
has the impossible been nothing more than something we just needed to
work on. It's not a brick wall...it's Jell-O. The impossible is just
a quirk we sometimes need to get around. And if you don't let me come
along on this little crusade, then I'm scared that you're going to
forget what you have in THIS universe."
"Rei..."
"I'm serous." She said quietly. "If you have a cause to fight
for, you give it your full attention. What if that cause takes you
away from your family? Your friends?" she gave him a weary smile.
"That is all too possible."
Chris sighed, swirling his drink around in it's glass. "So you
want to come." He smiled. "I want you to come too. I suppose it would
be a good idea...especially if we need more help than just I can
provide." He looked up. "Miharu will want to come...Maybe even Maury
and Hooze. I'll ask Michael to see if it's okay."
Rei nodded her head happily, satisfied at the answer. "Sounds
perfect. Now, there's just one more thing I need to know."
"Oh?" Chris said, putting a little more Jolt in his glass.
"What did you buy earlier on at the mall?" she asked casually,
hoping Chris' drunken mind wouldn't pick up.
Chris nodded. "I got the secret ingredient to Mo and Fiss' Hold
Ya Down And Scream For Mercy Chocolate Kisses."
"And that is?"
He looked left, then right, expecting spies but finding none.
Slowly he leaned over the table. Rei's eyes widened and she leaned
over to hear him whisper. He cleared his throat, and said: "The
secret ingredient is..." he smiled "a secret. And you must think I'm
pretty drunk if you thought I was about to tell you."
Rei fell over onto the table. "Dammit! Chris...I AM going to
find out, you know."
"Not in a million years." He smiled happily, touching his glass
to hers, making a light crystal 'ting.'
"Then I'll live a million and one years, and figure it out then."
She smiled.
"Deal." He nodded, leaning over and kissing her on the nose.
"So if I try and seduce you when you're drunk, is that illegal?"
Rei asked sweetly.
"I'm not sure." Chris shrugged. "I suppose you'll have to try to
find out."
"I was hoping you'd say that." She smiled, standing and going
over to the light switch, dimming the living room's lights. Chris
watched with a raised eyebrow as she went over to the cupboards and
took out some candles.
Andrea opened her eyes to a bizarre smelling odor. "What on
EARTH?" she laughed as Demeter came into the bedroom with a tray of
food.
Well, food was a relative term. They were about the size of
mushrooms, and looked to be about the same shape...except that they
were a glossy chocolate color with little square chunks poking out of
the otherwise rounded objects. Demeter smiled proudly, setting the
tray down next to her plate on the little table they were sharing for
dinner. They sat on the floor, however, next to the low window,
watching the stars and city below.
"So what are these anyway?" Andrea asked, pressing her finger
against one of them. It squished quietly, then rebounded like a
marshmallow.
"Just something Chris and Maury helped me whip up." He smiled
happily.
"Whip up, huh?" she laughed. "Sounds kinky."
He smiled and started dishing out the food. "Can I ask you
something?"
"You just did." Hooze smiled cockily.
"Damn...I always fall for that..." he shook his head.
"It's okay." Andrea grinned. "Just bugging you."
He sat down across from her and nodded. "Okay. The question."
He raised an eyebrow. "Do you ever think about the future?"
Andrea looked up at him with a half-smile. "Is that supposed to
be a joke, Demeter? I'm the co-caretaker of Time."
"I meant..." he paused. "More of...our future."
She blinked, then nodded to herself. "A lot, actually."
"It's strange." He sighed. "I've known you only a few hundred
days on this planet, but I could tell you things about yourself that
you probably don't even know."
Andrea raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" she smiled. "Like what?"
"Well, for instance, you like to have someone watching over you
when you sleep." He smiled slightly as Andrea blushed to a beet red
color. "Your mind relaxes a lot more when you know you can dream
safely. Even if I'm just sitting on a chair in the same room, it seems
to help."
Andrea looked up from the burning candles and into Demeter's
crystal clear eyes. "I...didn't know that...but I guess I have been
sleeping better since you came."
"I know you also like my hair." He grinned. "Even though I
almost got it to be perfectly human now."
"I like the sound it makes." Andrea smiled. "That one's easy."
She reached over across the table and brushed a lock of stray hair from
his eyes. It made the faintest sound of a wind-chime as she did. "You
have awesome hair."
"Yours is copper, you know?"
"Uh?"
"Under sunlight." Demeter said. "Your hair is normally brown,
but it gets little flecks of copper when it's really sunny outside."
"Demeter...are you trying to flatter me?"
"Is it working?" he looked up hopefully.
Andrea smiled, mostly to herself. "Yes, actually."
"I have yet to begin." He stated proudly. "Hehe."
There was a long pause. "Demeter, can I ask you a question?"
"You just did." He smiled.
She shook her head. "WHY are you trying to flatter me?"
He paused, then shrugged a bit disappointedly, "Well, we ARE you
know...a couple...I don't see why I should have to explain it..." He
looked down, then up at Andrea again, who seemed to have paled
slightly, "I dunno...I guess I'm still not used to the time? I'm
trying!"
"No, no..." Andrea sighed, her goofiness muted by a more serious
tone. "Hell, out of the two of us, you know what you're doing more
than I do half the time."
"So...I didn't screw up?" he smiled, "That's one small step for
man..." he added to himself.
Andrea scratched at her head, "I...I get scared sometimes, that's
all."
Demeter blinked. "What...of me?? Andrea, you know I'd never
hurt you or..."
"Not like that," she smirked softly at his innocence. "I mean
how intense my feelings got for you in so little time...it scares me
that, even though I know better, that you're not going to stay."
"W-what?!" he said bewildered, "Hey! I floated in space for a
thousand years to be with you!" Demeter's eyes softened to something
Andrea saw to be very human, "And I'd do it all over again if I had
to."
She hugged him. She hugged him so tight that Demeter flinched a
little. They sat on the floor in her room.
"I know..." she whispered, "That's what scares me!"
He laughed. "Afraid you're turning into a stalker like me, eh?"
"What do you mean turning??" she smiled evilly. They were both
quiet for a moment, and Demeter shifted to rest his head on her lap.
Andrea brushed her hand through his hair, smiling at the tinkling it
made.
"...I get scared sometimes, too." Demeter whispered, "Scared that
I'm too far behind to catch up to you."
Andrea kissed his forehead, then looked into his eyes. "Are you
kidding?? All this mayhem and re genesis has pretty much nuked
anything we could consider tradition, or normal society." She closed
her eyes, "We have a chance to start probably the ONLY non-pre-destined
relationship in the entire bunch with a whole new set of rules! It's
gonna be great."
The Zistle thought a moment, "Wow...and all it took was an
Apocalypse, an Armageddon, and a crazy alternate universe to bring us
closer."
Andrea grinned, "Now, if only that could happen for more
relationships, the world would be a better place."
"You're right...I feel much better."
The smile widened on her lips, "I've never felt so groovy before
as I do with you, Demeter. I love you."
Demeter cuddled closer and took her hands in his, looking up from
his resting spot on her legs. "I love you too, and whatever groovy
means, I'm guessing I'm feeling that too."
"Now then..." she cleared her throat, "Can I have a kiss?"
Demeter looked lost, but quickly found again, "Oh! Yeah, they're
on the tray. I'll get you one."
"That's not what I meant..." she winked, then pressed her lips
against his.
He smiled widely afterward, "Wow! Girls don't even have to EAT
them for them to work?! God bless Maury and Chris..."
Andrea shook her head, "C'mere, you..." she grabbed his shirt and
hauled him in for a kiss. "Keep talking sweet to me, and you won't be
thanking Maury or Chris..." She whispered. "Though you might be
thanking me."
"Is that a promise?" Demeter replied with a raised eyebrow.
Andrea nodded with a smile, pulling him in closer. "Ooh yeah."
Chapter 15
Simultaneously, eyes opened and lips smiled across the connected
hotel rooms. The MOST delicious smell was coming from the kitchenette.
Even Maury, who had rose to Lita's wonderful breakfasts on more than
one occasion, had to admit that this was even better.
Michael, who had been tossing and turning most of the night on
the couch, nursing his hangover, nearly leapt off of the cushions in an
effort to get to the kitchen first.
When he and Maury poked their heads inside, they were surprised
to see Dave Reinquest and Beavis setting the table.
"Dave? Beavis?" Maury blinked, wiping his eyes. "Am I still
dreaming or something?"
Dave had a long apron on that said "Shag the Cook" on the front,
and a tall chef's hat. He turned to the young men and smiled. "Boys!
Nice of you to join us! We made breakfast!" he pointed over to the
sunshine-lit table.
Michael was instantly at the table, perched like a bird on one of
the chairs, scooping waffles and sausages into his hands, then eating
them happily. "Gooo stuuu!" he complimented the cooks over a mouthful
of bacon.
Maury took another seat and showed Michael the virtues of a plate
and utensils before he got too messy with the maple syrup. Dave had
poured them some coffee as Chris and Rei walked in, looking at the
feast prepared with wide eyes.
Beavis beamed at the two. "Good morning, Fiss, Miss Mars."
"Did you cook all this, Dave?" Rei asked, astonished. The entire
table was a mountain range of alternating kinds of food. It smelled
like a dream, and looked delicious.
"Naw. Beavis helped." Dave said, setting a bowl of fruit next to
the two boys who were already busy competing to see who could belch the
loudest.
"My way of saying sorry for the Armageddon incident." The little
hedgehog said, zipping across the counter to retrieve some butter. "I
should have told you all more about it to begin with."
Chris shrugged and sat down next to Maury. "Cool. A free
breakfast for every end of the world!"
"Did someone say breakfast?" Andrea yawned, stumbling around the
corner. Demeter poked his head around a moment later. His hair
tinkling slightly.
They all were busy chewing and scarfing down when a thought
occurred to Rei. "Dave...why are you here?" she asked, setting down a
cup of tea.
"I'm coming with you." Dave said with a smile.
They all looked up and blinked. "What?" Chris asked.
Dave took off his giant chef's hat and placed it on the counter.
"I assume a few of you are planning a trip to another Universe. I
would like to come along."
Michael blinked, turning to Chris. "How does he know about our
universe?"
"He knows pretty much everything, SkitZ. That's who he is."
Chris said, turning back to Dave "But why he would want to come along
with us is beyond me."
Michael frowned. "Not to mention I am NOT taking back someone
that I don't even know."
"Pish posh!" Dave said, producing a glass of orange juice from
out of mid-air. "I'm perfectly harmless. I suppose the big reason I
want to come is to make sure OUR world is intact. I want to compare
notes. Get some Point readings. Look around. See if anything bad is
happening to here because of there." He drank his glass in one gulp.
"But I am also curious as hell to check out another Universe." He
smiled wide. "Not only that, but one back from the grave? It's
amazing. It defies every law in the cosmos! I can't wait to meet it!"
Chris turned to Michael. "How many people can you bring with
you?"
Michael blinked. "I was only going to take you and I back
through the boundary."
"That's another thing I look forward to." Dave mentioned. "Might
help me figure out some timeline breaches and continuity problems on
the Point Calculator."
"I am not TALKING to you." SkitZ said firmly. "I am talking only
to my fellow Knight. The rest of you simply aren't invited."
"SkitZ..." Chris warned.
"I'm SERIOUS!" Michael growled, standing up. His coat made a
sharp leather whipping noise as he did. "This is not a camping trip
into the woods. This is fighting a war against angels just as powerful
as me or Fiss."
"We know the risks. We've fought wars before." Rei said.
"Do you know what an angel is?" Michael said. "I don't know what
you've been taught in this silly poky universe, but where I'm from, I'm
pretty damn sure." He slid his sword out of his scabbard. "This is who
we are. We kill all day. We fight wars that nobody sees. We turn
cities into salt. Destroy galaxies when we feel like it." He leaned
over, looking at Chris intently. "Your counterpart and I once turned
fifty thousand men into piles of screaming dust, then let them fill a
desert with their endless howls of pain. You can still hear them to
this day.
"And when we DON'T do that, we try to protect whatever we think
is worthy of our attention." He sheathed his sword. "And that alone
makes sure there is an endless supply of fuckers who think they can
destroy it."
Rei placed a hand on Chris' shoulder. "And what if he dies while
you're trying to get him to this Pool of Angels?" she said. "What if
something happens, and just when you need a little extra backup, you
get attacked or ambushed or something else you're not prepared for
happens."
Michael crossed his arms, shaking his head. "Then at least only
we will be dead. Not half of your own universe's Knights." He paused.
"That's what the Senshi are, aren't they? Guardians who try their
damnedest to protect what they think is right and just? I'm not going
to risk you all for our war."
Chris looked over to Dave, who seemed just itching to say
something. He took the hint and nodded. "Michael, my friend." He
walked over, putting his hand on SkitZ's shoulder to the obvious
discomfort of the angel. "It is my understanding that you need another
Knight to even begin to balance out the powers in this war. Correct?"
"Yes...?" Michael growled, knowing he would regret answering very
shortly.
"But Chris here," he pointed to Fiss who smiled "is not from your
universe. Well, even if he was, and his soul in general is, his body
and current powers have not been as rooted in this other existence like
yours have been."
"So?"
"So, what if you get to the Pool of Angels, do whatever you need
to do, and find out that all it did was get rid of Fiss' nightmares?"
Dave shrugged. "Oh oh. You only have the help of Strike Fiss, Prince
of Saturn...no offence, Fiss..."
"None taken." Chris shrugged.
"And not Fiss, Knight of blah blah blah." Dave waved his hand
around for emphasis. "There is a phrase we use in this universe that
describes that situation. You will be 'shit out of luck.'" Dave
smiled.
Michael said nothing, continuing to look angry at Dave's hand on
his shoulder.
"Or, even worse...heaven forbid...Chris is unaffected by this
pool, and he goes insane." Dave shook his head. "I don't think he's
going to help you win a war then."
"I am well aware of the risks." Michael grumbled.
"Yes, perhaps you are. But these risks would be a LOT less if
you had us come along as well." He smiled proudly. "I can do my best
to help Chris till we get back to our universe, and then I'm sure the
Key of Purity..." he shook his head. "Sorry, Armageddon talk...the
Silver Crystal...can hopefully save his head as a last resort.
"Also, I know for a fact that each and every one of the people in
this room is able to fight a small army by themselves." Dave continued,
motioning to the group. "And I'm not really bound by extreme Omega Web
non-interference acts if I decide you ARE the right side to fight for."
"Mmph..."
Dave smiled. "Oh, not to mention I might be able to figure out
the fabric of Cosmotic space-time and Formation. That means I might be
able to protect universes like ours from people like Tumbler in the
future. No more Armageddons. No more non-existence. Didn't you say
you were fighting to keep your universe alive? Well, this is a rather
good research opportunity in that direction."
Despite his scowl, Michael was listening. "Go on..."
"Also, once we leave this universe, I can probably copy the
sequences to a scientific model, and we can travel back and forth
easier than on...excuse the expression...wings of an angel." Dave said,
pointing out the window. "You'd have a permanent refuge from enemies,
and an emergency meeting place in case you need it."
Chris walked over to Michael. "You asked for my help. I'll go,
but my friends are also willing to go if it means fighting for a good
cause. If I can't fight as well as your hoping, then their help would
be exactly what you need."
"It's the neighborly thing to do." Demeter smiled.
"Fine." Michael sighed. "But I can only take one or two of you
extra. I can only carry so much."
"Not a problem." Dave said. "I'll take care of the weight, as
long as you get us there."
"How?" Michael demanded.
"If he says he can," Chris smiled. "he can...and he's probably
already packed and ready to go."
Michael looked at them all. Looking each of them over, centreing
on Chris a few times with an angry look. "Fine. But I am not
responsible for anyone who does not make it back to this world."
"When do we leave?" Dave asked eagerly.
"I need time to draw the script." Michael said. "And a large
field or something to do it in. Undisturbed snow or sand. It has to
be absolutely perfect."
Dave smiled. "I have just the place! I'll just un-dock a part
of the training dimension to somewhere safe. You'll have all the sand
you need."
"It will take a day to draw." SkitZ said. "If you can have it
set up, we'll start right away."
With a flick of his wrists, a small cellular phone was in his
hands. Dave pressed a button and raised it to his face. "Undock ten
thousand square meters of the training universe to the following co-
ordinates." He punched in a bunch of numbers. "Thanks." He turned to
SkitZ. "Ready when you are!"
Michael turned to Chris. "You better be sure about this. By the
time we're ready to go, you better make sure everyone knows what
they're getting into. I'd offer to show them, but only Knights can
read the level of Theban that you saw."
"When he's done, I'll call." Dave said, straightening his coat.
"Come to the warehouse on ninth. It's an Omega Web building. Should
be filled with sand by now."
They all nodded. Michael turned to Dave. "Can you fly?"
"Yup."
"Good." He grinned. "Try to keep up." His coat exploded open
and formed his wings in less than a second. Even Chris was surprised
how fast they were.
They walked over to the balcony, and jumped off, into the sky.
Chapter 16
Everyone sat around the table, sipping their tea. Andrea and
Demeter. Maury and Chris. Rei and Miharu. Beavis sipped tea from a
saucer silently as everyone waited for someone to speak.
"He's right." Chris said finally. "This isn't a camping trip.
This is a war we're going to."
Rei crossed her arms. "You already know how I feel."
Everyone nodded their encouragement. Maury downed the rest of
his cup. "Remember when we were called to the Negaverse to try and
help out, Chris?" he smiled. "We had no idea what to expect. No clue.
Hell, we had only heard stories about brief encounters up until then."
"But we still helped." Andrea nodded. "Kicked the shit out of
the bad guys. I'd say that was a fairly good war in itself."
"Yeah. For two days." Chris shook his head. "We're talking
months now. What happens if we're in there for two months? Or even
two weeks for that matter? Even if we decide to get the hell out of
there after I get to this Pool of Angels, and we just go home right
afterwards." He paused. "Two weeks would probably be the minimum." He
turned to Maury. "I know you have some survival training. You love to
camp and shit like that, Mo...but hell, even you have no idea what to
expect in another world. What if the fucking trees have fangs and they
are all able to fly?"
Everyone was silent.
"Not to mention that we're probably going to meet up with me."
Chris said coldly. "Who I was. The fucker I keep having nightmares
about. That alone is enough to give ME second thoughts about going."
Miharu shook her head. "But you have to go."
"And you don't." Chris replied quickly. "None of you do. Dave
maybe. If it helps him figure out how to save our universe from future
Tumblers or Armageddons, I say that's fine. But what if something
happens, and only people FROM that universe can survive? You'll all be
dead." He sighed. "And before you start refuting that, you should know
that anything is possible. Hell, a million new deaths in every
universe. Who knows?"
Beavis cleared his throat. "We are all quite aware of the
dangers."
"Are you?" Chris frowned.
"What happened to you, Chris?" the hedgehog demanded suddenly.
Chris blinked. "Pardon?"
"I remember a time when you were damn near jumping out of your
seat, ready to kill and die if it meant being a hero." He said, pacing
across the table. "Meanwhile, you've gotten used to the routine.
What's worse, is that you're scared to do anything about it in fear of
your nightmares getting worse." He shook his head. "What happened to
you?"
"I grew up." Chris said, crossing his arms. Immediately, though,
Beavis saw the twinge of regret on his face.
"Here's the NEW deal, Strike Fiss." Beavis said, using a
commanding tone of voice. "We are going. We are going on what could
possibly be the greatest adventure of our lives. Exploring not just a
new world, but a new set of rules. A new reality. A new existence.
Where angels exist, writing jumps out at you, and maybe even flying
trees leap at you in the night with razor fangs, but we are going
nonetheless.
"Like always, each event and fight leads to the present, and we
are willing to test our skills against whatever this new universe holds
for us. If we fail, we just go home. If we win, we may be able to
help the forces of good and justice regain a foothold in what appears
to be a rather bleak existence from what you've told me." Beavis said
triumphantly. "And we WILL win. It's who we are. Who you are. Who
we ALL are." He walked over to Miharu, who was smiling happily. "And
you'll be able to let your daughter have a REAL adventure. Not a fight
to the death, or a desperate last-second race against evil. An honest
to goodness ADVENTURE!" his voice soared.
Everyone smiled as Beavis walked back over to Chris. "And if you
want to come along...then be our guest." He bowed his head.
Silence.
Chris held his head for a while. Cradling his chin on the top of
his fist. His other hand curled forgotten around his tea. "Fine. A
two week adventure. But if it's a hopeless war, we're leaving."
"Sounds fair." Maury nodded.
Miharu's eyes brightened ten-fold and she leapt at him with a big
hug. "Thanks dad. Don't worry, we'll all be fine!" she giggled
happily.
He nodded slowly, waiting for her to let go of his shoulders.
When she did, he stood. "It's settled then. Twenty hours from now,
we'll meet at the warehouse and be on our way." He said.
"Where are you going?" Andrea asked as Chris walked towards the
door, slipping into his coat.
Chris shrugged. "Since this is our last day here for what could
be a while, I'm going to spend it enjoying this universe."
They all blinked, suddenly realizing how true that was. This was
their last day. "Good idea." Andrea stood, dragging Demeter with her.
"Come on, baby." She smiled. "Let's go for a night on the town."
Rei turned to Miharu as Chris closed the door behind himself.
"This is just what he needs. A trip. Something to do." She sighed
hopefully.
Miharu nodded. "I hope so."
Chapter 17
I wrote a letter today. Sent it to a few people that might care.
Basically, just a warning that the Senshi wouldn't be around for a few
months.
One went to the Premier. Poor guy. I still feel bad about
putting him in the spot-light like I did. But at least we got his
attention.
The second went to the Police. God, they've been amazing this
last year. I think that if people would stop looking at the super-
heroes and flashy powers, they'd realize the REAL heroes were the men
and women who busted their asses all day, every day, on the streets and
knee-deep in scum. I donated all the money I had to the local
precinct, as a kind of thank you, I suppose. I hope, somehow, it helps
them keep things okay while we're gone.
The other to the Mayor of Edmonton. Apologizing for the messes
and promising we'd come back soon as possible to finish what we
started.
Imagine my surprise when I got a reply e-mail from him ten
minutes later.
I read it right now as I look out over the city. Something
magical about the words and the view. "You have a home here. All our
support. Anything you need. Any time, anywhere. I know there are
many more evils out there, and we cannot monopolize your time. But
also know that we will welcome you back with open arms, and pray for
your safe return."
Fuck. When did this all turn into a crusade? When did this stop
being a dozen and a half kids trying to balance school, puberty, and
fighting evil in one lifetime? When did it turn into what it is now?
A nightmare world, where the only salvation is knowing that the next
dream might be a happy one. A world where the evils have spotted us,
and now see us as their next target.
But...
While the evil's fighting us, it's not hurting the World.
Someone once told me that the worst evil is within ourselves.
That's why I'm going to this place with a man I have only known a day
and a half. Not to be cured from nightmares, but so I can see if this
is true.
See if I can stop myself from becoming what I keep seeing in the
mirror.
Ohh...but damn if I'm not close.
This. Close. To regaining everything I've lost. Just a little
more, and I can find out what I'm made of. Find out who I am. Good or
evil, it doesn't matter, so long as I start with the truth on my way to
salvation or damnation.
I just wish I could hold on to it this time. The truth. The
wonderful clarity. It keeps slipping. I drive around in Nacho, and my
spirit soars. Then, I look at my reflection, and what I gained dies
faster than any man I've killed. I spend an evening with Miharu,
teaching her how to be me, so maybe, the evil has a harder time keeping
up. But I put down my sword, and I can feel my mind closing in. I
spend a night with Rei. We talk, we converse, we think as one mind;
and maybe one body if we're really all not too tired. But that all
fades when I wake up from the nightmares of her severed body laying on
the ground in a pool of blood a thousand miles wide.
That's enough to knock the clarity from anyone's head.
And yet, Beavis had a point today. With all of his romanticized
talk of grandiose adventuring...had a real point.
I've been so caught up in the evil that I forgot how great it was
to fight against it. To wake up the morning after some horrific fight
to the last man...and realize that you just saved the ENTIRE FUCKING
UNIVERSE!
I miss that feeling a lot. I miss fighting for what I believe
in. Too worried about fighting to save my own ass to do that. Damn
I'm stupid. A man cannot live on the saving of his own ass alone. He
has to have things. Things to fight for. To believe in. To hope for.
And so, for a start, I have one hope. One dream to believe in.
I'm going to ram my sword down the throat of the man in the
mirror, and split him open. Yeah. That's a nice thought.
That's a start.
Dave sipped his tea as he watched Michael float above the sand,
dragging his sword across it in tiny patterns. It had been five hours
since they came to the warehouse and he had started on the design. His
wings were half extended from his body, like a light gust of wind was
keeping him up. The light black undercoat he wore under his wings
didn't flap, though. "Don't you get warm with all those coats on at
the same time?" Dave asked, breaking a long standing silence.
Michael looked up, annoyed, but with a shrug. "Not really. Our
wings just feel like part of us. We're used to them. Even when we
hide them." He took a moment to stretch his back and arms. "Don't you
get tired of wearing that coat?"
Dave smiled, looking down at his lab coat. "Never."
Michael nodded. "It's nice. Too bright, though. You can't go
anywhere without being seen."
"Don't worry about that." Dave nodded.
"Mmm. So you keep telling me." He turned his attention back to
the sand.
Finishing his tea, Dave made the little plastic cup vaporize into
thin air. "Tell me, Michael." He cleared his throat. "What made you
come here?"
"I told you." He mumbled from over his chest as he looked down,
tracing in the sand. "I needed help. I knew he needed help too.
Figured it would be a great trade, so I chanced crossing the barrier."
"How did you know Strike Fiss was in danger?" Dave inquired.
Michael grumbled. "I'm busy if you don't mind. This is going to
take until morning to complete."
"And stopping for five minutes to answer my questions won't set
you back an hour." Dave pointed out. "Now, I'd like to know what's
going on."
Michael glared at Dave, but finally shook his head in a quick
nod. "Fine. I had a dream." He said. "We don't dream like you do.
Like anyone does. Our dreams are prophecies and visions. Sometimes,
we have dreams that are entire worlds and galaxies. Sometimes, we have
dreams that are the insides of a flower." He pauses, shaking his head,
unsteadily. "I had a dream where there were two of him. Fiss."
"Go on?"
"It was..." Michael swallowed hard. "Devastating. I have never
seen a battle like that before. It was the kind of thing that makes
seasoned warriors look on in shock.
"But, then, just as what I could determine to be the good
Fiss...THIS universe's Fiss...was about to strike a winning blow to his
counterpart..."
Dave blinked as Michael's eyes went dark. It was a physical
change. "Michael?"
He nodded. "But just before he won, he fell."
"What?" Dave asked after a pause. "You mean he tripped?"
"No." Michael almost laughed. "He fell. He lost his wings, and
he fell." He looked up at Dave with his eyes still clouded over with
some kind of dark mood. "Now do you understand why I knew he was in
trouble? To fall is for an Angel to die. To be banished from himself.
To lose the ability to fly."
Dave nodded, arms crossed. "It must have been hard for you to
watch."
"It was." Michael admitted. His words slow and calculated.
Something Dave had never heard before. "It is our greatest fear. That
somehow, we fail. That we lose a battle, and fall. It doesn't matter
if the battle is to destroy a galaxy, or cause a tree to grow. In
everything we do, we must do it with our entire being." He paused,
looking back over his shoulder to his wings. "If we don't?" They
turned back into his coat, and he dropped down onto the sand with a
light thump, landing like a cat. "Then we fall."
A long pause interrupted them. Dave allowed SkitZ to recover
from the memories and unfold his wings again, hovering just above his
own footprints. "What does the Pool of Angels do?"
SkitZ smiled, the darkness in his eyes receding. "Good
question." He took a long, deep breath. "Basically, it shows you what
you need to do to be an Angel. The rules you must follow. The word
you must obey. Teaches you how to keep your wings on your back. Also,
it's a good test to see if you can swim or not." He grinned.
"That's why Chris needs to get there?" Dave asked. "He's in
danger of falling?"
Michael raised a finger. "He's in danger of never even lifting
off. That's even worse. That's when demons are born."
"He hardly seems like a demon." Dave replied.
"Maybe not yet." SkitZ nodded. "But he will be. The dreams will
take him." He looked at the sand. "I lied. If he never gets to the
Pool, he will live. He will probably live a great many years, and be a
great warrior." He looked up. "But he will be like Fiss in our
universe was. Even worse, without the other Knights to keep him in
check."
"Agreed." Dave sighed. "I've seen the way he fights lately.
It's cold and efficient. Too easy for him."
Michael's eyes widened, but a smile was on his face. "So he's
used his sword? How good is he?"
"The best." Dave sighed, rubbing his chin. "Quite frankly, if I
picked up a sword and memorized every technique, I doubt I could beat
him. He adapts so quickly to any fighting style. It's impressive to
watch."
"That's not the demons directing him." Michael smiled. "That's
the other half. The half we need to make sure he keeps. It's the
angel in him.
"It makes you a fighter. Vicious and efficient. Cold and
perfect in the ways of killing." He continued. "But it is in defense
of your wings. Of what you believe in. What you protect."
"What do you protect?" Dave asked suddenly.
Michael was silent for a long time.
That's when Dave saw it. Something else in his eyes. Something
he had only seen one other time before. "You saw it, didn't you." He
said quietly. It was not a question.
"What do you mean?" Michael shook the question off.
"Was it like they say?" Dave continued. "Was it that horrible?
Watching time around you collapse and rush over you in shattered pieces
like a tidal wave?" he thought back to Seeker, the tiny star, and the
screams it made during death.
"Did it scream?"
SkitZ was shaking...unable to speak.
Dave nodded slowly. "My god...it did, didn't it?" he closed his
eyes for a moment. "And you remembered those screams."
"How..." SkitZ coughed. "H-h-how do...y-you know about that??"
he shook his head, back and forth. "No...you're not supposed to
know..."
"Neither were you." Dave looked up with sad eyes. "You weren't
supposed to remember the death of your own reality. You shouldn't have
remembered that, for thousands of years, you did not exist." He looked
up to see Michael sitting on the ground, holding his knees up to his
chest. "You still hear it, don't you?"
The angel nodded slowly, eyes blank. "I can hear it right now."
He whispered. "It's not as loud as when it happened...but...it haunts
me." His face cringed and his hands came up to his ears. "FUCK! I
can't get it out of my FUCKING HEAD!" he nearly tore out hair as he
forced his hands off of his head. "You want to know what I fight for?"
he demanded. "I fight so nobody except me has to hear this fucking
noise. Ever."
Dave knelt down in front of SkitZ and nodded. "Me too."
"You...you heard it?!" Michel stood suddenly.
"Sometimes." Dave sighed, standing. "I almost heard it...just
over the horizon. When Armageddon came." He laughed weakly. "I have
the ability to see just a tad into the future. Unfortunately, that
ability will haunt me for some time now."
They were both quiet for a long time. Very long. It had to be
half an hour. They both just looked at the wall, blank. Trying to rid
their minds of the noise by filling it with silence.
It wouldn't get rid of the noise. Never completely. But at
least it didn't add to it. Adding to it only made it want to stay
longer.
"I trust you now." SkitZ said finally, standing on shaky legs.
"Anyone who has heard the Noize fights against it."
Dave nodded. "And now I know why you're here." He smiled weakly.
"And now that I'm sure we're on the same side, I would like to help you
with this drawing."
Michael took a long, cleansing breath and nodded quickly. "We
better get to work."
They both stood over the sand, discussing what to do next.
Chapter 18
"How much did you see of this place?" Dave asked as they sat
across from each other, drinking coffee.
"It's nice." He said quietly. "Lots of noise, but it's a nice
noise. The sky is really nice. Do wars exist here?"
"Not lately." Dave nodded. "And not around this part of the
planet."
"That explains it. The skies are so clear." Michael said, taking
a sip of his mug. "And the coffee is great." He grinned. "Normally,
I'd be asleep by now."
"That's Web-Cola. Tastes like coffee, but we also have also have
water and beef-jerky flavors. Induces REM sleep while you're drinking
it. Helps clear your mind. Five times more efficient than sleep."
"Skeetoes!" SkitZ smiled. "How much are you bringing with us?
It might come in handy."
Dave stretched his arms out, noticing the morning sun was hitting
the back of his hand through the windows. "Well, I'm going to bring
some supplies for the trip. Webbers can create pocket universes around
their minds. It's basically storage space, but you can use it for a
few other things. We just call it PenguinSpace."
SkitZ frowned. "Penguins?" he grumbled. "You mean those little
black and white birds who live near ice?"
"Exactly." Dave nodded. "Though the world isn't quite ready for
the truth, I CAN say that they are more advanced life forms than they
usually let on. They do the same thing, and can create little
universes like we can."
"So what are you bringing?" SkitZ asked finally, finishing off
his drink.
"Medical supplies mostly." Dave sighed. "We are going to be
fighting in a war, right?"
"Mmm. Good idea." SkitZ agreed.
"Food, water, all the basics. Shelter." He smiled. "And a few
Pookies."
SkitZ just shook his head. "Whatever. I've learned enough new
terms to send my head spinning for the next week."
"I'm also bringing some computer equipment." Dave said. "To map
out the jump from universe to universe. If all goes well, we might be
able to prevent..." he paused.
"Armageddon." SkitZ sighed. "Good. Anything to stop it from
happening again."
"That's not the bad part, SkitZy." Dave said. "Armageddon in our
universe probably was what allowed you to break through and contact
Fiss. It also destroyed a number of very bad things. In a way, we got
the best possible Armageddon. It turned out to be not so bad." He
paused. "And it might also let us stop it from happening ever
again...in ANY universe."
SkitZ's eyes brightened considerably. "You think so?"
"It's my job." Dave smiled. "I plan on getting a raise sometimes
soon, so I may as well earn it."
They both turned back to look at the script drawn out on the
sand. It was breathtaking. Like a winding, snaking hedge, the nearly
endless script spun around a central symbol, making it's way in a
expanding star-like pattern.
Only one more character was needed to complete it. One last
swipe of his sword, and SkitZ would complete the centre script. If all
went well, they could jump through then. "So how exactly are you going
to take us all?" Michael asked. "I can only take one other body with
me. Anything too far away from the centre will be vaporized when we
jump."
Dave smiled happily. "I'm going to stuff everyone in
PenguinSpace."
SkitZ blinked. "I thought you said you could only store so much
in it?"
He nodded. "And that's why I can't bring along more. But
hopefully, I'll be packing enough supplies as it is, so it won't be a
problem."
"Tell me again how it has to do with Penguins?"
"Sorry." Dave winked. "They wouldn't like it if I gave away all
their secrets quite yet."
The tires of Nacho crept forward, slowly, as the Senshi inside
tried to read the street signs. "Is this it?" Chris asked, squinting.
He wasn't used to the bright morning sun without his sunglasses, and
already missed a few street signs.
Maury, who still had his, nodded. "YES! Now let's go already!"
"Where the hell am I going to park?" Chris realized. No sooner
than he had said that, then a large industrial garage door appeared on
the side of the warehouse and slid open smooth as glass.
Andrea and Demeter were almost bouncing up and down in the back
seat with excitement, driving Maury to the edge of insanity. "I can't
wait to kill somebody." He mumbled under his breath.
"Whee! We get to go kill some bad guys!" he sung. "Do dat funky
yeah, man! Jam! Baby baby baby JAM!"
"That's the spirit." Miharu grinned happily, hanging off of Rei's
neck.
"Don't bounce." Rei gasped. "You're getting heavier."
Dave and Michael turned to the far end of the warehouse to see
Nacho's front end creep through the door. It was jam packed full of
bodies. "If they think THAT'S crowded, wait till they get into
PenguinSpace." Dave mused.
Chris parked along the wall and cut the engine as the garage door
shut and sealed. The four doors launched open and the NA Sailor Scouts
emerged. Even Beavis perched on Chris' shoulder, hanging onto the
shoulder-strap on his trenchcoat. "Good afternoon, boys!" Chris
smiled. "Enjoy your art class, Dave?"
Dave smiled. "It was quite impressive to watch." He pointed over
to the pile of sand that had been transported to the otherwise barren
floor.
Everyone's jaws dropped as they saw the script. "Holy shit..."
Andrea said in awe.
Demeter walked over to the sand and was about to touch it when
Michael coughed. "Don't touch that. You mess it up, and we could
transport into a star somewhere."
"You wouldn't like that." Maury mentioned quietly.
"Mmm. Good idea." Demeter nodded, backing away slowly.
"Do you have any sand in this other universe?" Andrea asked.
Michael nodded. "We won't be going by the ocean if we can help
it, but we will be passing close to a desert."
Demeter nodded gratefully. "Good. Gotta eat, ya know."
"I already packed you some extra silicates, Demeter. Don't worry
about it." Dave said, then paused. "That reminds me." He walked over
to Chris. "Give me your laptop."
"What?" Chris blinked.
"Give me your laptop." Dave repeated, holding out his hand.
"Come on, this is no time not to share your toys with others."
"You're not going to take it back, are you?" he asked. "I mean,
I have all my stuff on it!" Chris complained.
"Fissy, please give me your laptop before I get impatient and
make all your clothes disappear in order to find it."
"Mm. You don't have to be so mean about it." Chris sighed. A
moment later, he dug into the deep pockets of his coat, almost around
to his back, and unzipped the computer pocket he had sewn inside. His
hand returned with the amazingly thin computer, and he slowly handed
over.
Dave opened it and smiled. "My my! You certainly have a hang of
the Web's assembly languages. I only know a few people who can
reprogram the startup sequence."
"It was too slow." Chris joked.
"Well, I agree. By our current standards, this thing is a
dinosaur. The average portable computing unit turnaround time in the
Web is about three months as opposed to two years in the outside
world." He flipped the little computer over and found an almost hidden
access panel. A second later, he opened it and took out a thin green
wafer.
He then tossed the laptop on the ground. It vaporized a few
seconds later. Everyone's jaw dropped. Dave just smiled. In his
other hand materialized a new laptop. He opened up the side and slid
in the wafer crystal. It booted up a moment later. Dave then flung it
over to Chris, who caught it...nearly smacking himself, unprepared for
how light it was.
"You've done a good job keeping the old one a secret." Dave
explained. "So long as you continue to use our technology with a
little desecration, I don't care if you have it."
"Holy shit..." Chris gasped, pressing a button on the side. The
top morphed into a screen, and a kind of holographic keypad.
"It's the latest model. Has all the bells and whistles your old
one had, but a few extras for our trip. It couldn't hurt to have two
computers scanning when we leave. I have one too." Dave explained as
Chris retracted the screen and slid it back into his coat. "Don't be
fooled by it's weight. It has about ninety times the power of your old
one and it's armor would be able to stand up to a few casual blows with
your sword. It's our special field model."
"Hoo haw!" Chris grinned. "Thanks."
Dave rubbed his hands together excitedly. "Here's the low-down.
From what SkitZ tells me, we'll be landing in a Spring type climate.
Ditch the winter coats and those trenchcoat liners. You wont need
them."
The group began to undress to their shirts. Maury and Chris
unzipped the extra thermal layer of cloth on the interior of their
coats and packed them up.
"Looks like you girls will be fine in your fuku outfits and kendo
stuff. Also, I doubt Demeter needs to worry too much about the
elements." He turned to Michael. "Our winged friend also informs me
that we will be going through mostly forest and trails. Horse type
stuff. But, since none of you can ride horses, and there ARE non in
this universe, I suggest walking will be fine." He smiled.
"What the hell is a horse?" Michael said.
"Later." Dave promised. He turned back to Chris. "How's your
head?"
"Good." Chris nodded. "Didn't sleep too long last night. Saved
me from the dreams. If you're bringing some Flintstones Chewable
Morphine, however, it would be much obliged."
"I'm sure I can find something." Dave nodded. "Speaking of
which, as I have already informed SkitZ, I am packing most of the
luggage for this trip. We don't have to worry about emergency water,
glass, food, or medical supplies. Also, I brought some tents and
camping gear, and some basic climbing equipment." He turned to Rei, who
had a large backpack on. "You can ditch the gear past your personal
belongings and first aide kits. Even though I have enough, you guys
can't access my PenguinSpace, and I don't want you to be unprepared if
we're separated."
"PenguinSpace?" Maury grumbled. "You didn't say there would be
ANYTHING about penguins in this trip..."
"Relax, Maury." Dave sighed. "It's just a non-scientific term
for a pocket universe." He paused. "And what do you have against
penguins anyway?"
"Oh oh..." Andrea sighed.
"Here he goes." Chris finished.
Maury's face crumpled up into a sneer as he closed his eyes. "I
remember it well..."
"You see, before becoming a Senshi, I always dreamed of being a
truck-driver. Be my own boss. Live on the open road. Freedom and all
that cool shit.
"But then there was this one night I had a dream. Way back when
I was ten. You see, my grandpa Gus had bought me this cute little
stuffed penguin for Christmas, thinking I needed a new stuffed toy
after the dog ate my little Cujo."
"Cujo was his degu." Chris explained. "They're kinda like rats,
only bigger and smarter."
"I know what they are." Dave nodded.
Maury cleared his throat. "ANYWAY, as I was saying, so Grandpa
Gus gives me this biiiiiiig box for Christmas. And I'm all flipping
out how cool he is, and thanking him. But when I finally open it, it's
just this little stuffed penguin on a crappy foam iceberg, instead of
the Knight Rider Semi-Truck I wanted."
"So you don't like Penguins because of that?" Dave asked.
"I'm not done yet." Maury continued. "So I thank Gus anyway, and
we finish Christmas without incident. But THEN, that night, Gus, the
old bastard, decides he's going to be a nice grandfather, and tucks me
in to bed. But just before he leaves, he sees that I threw the penguin
aside with all my other presents. I don't know why, but he seems to
think that his present should be special, and starts blubbering how us
kids today never appreciate anything.
"So I feel sorry for him and explain I was going to find a place
for it tomorrow around my room. But of course, that's not good enough,
and Gus gets all happy and takes it and puts it right next to me on my
pillow, saying he found a nice spot for it. Isn't that sweeeeeet?
Aww. Anyway, so then he leaves."
Maury shifted uncomfortably in his coat. "And he leaves, and my
room is all dark, except I can still see this fucking penguin's face
staring back at me in the dark like a damn nightlight. It wont let me
get to sleep because of it's wee beady little stuffed eyeballs
reflecting the moonlight from my window.
"When I finally DO get to sleep, it's like two in the morning."
Maury smiles. "I'm having one of them cool ass dreams. You know, the
really realistic ones that make you glad you're asleep."
"Humph." Chris mumbled.
"Well, you know what I mean." Maury amended. "So, I'm living out
my dream of being a trucker. It's awesome. I have this kick ass rig
and it's all black, and has a 99 channel CB and I'm just chatting with
my pals on the road, and we're hauling a big load of aircraft parts
down to Washington.
"And suddenly, it's nighttime." Maury's voice got really quiet,
so everyone leaned in to hear him better. "I've been driving non-stop
with orders to get there by daybreak. That's a good two hours away,
but I have three hundred kilometers to go still." He explains. "So I
start to speed. But I also start to get really tired at the same time.
"And then suddenly I see them." Maury gasps.
"For FUCKS SAKE!" Andrea yelled suddenly. "Maury! Shut the fuck
up!"
"NO!" Maury yelled back. "I'm not DONE yet!" he turned back to
the group. "At first, they're just these little black specks on the
centre line. I can barely even make them out." He continued. "But
then, I see them. They look like little sacks of sugar dressed in
tuxedos.
"Three of them." Maury growled. "Like little raptors."
Chris rolled back his eyes.
"I try to turn away. At first, I'm not too sure what they are,
so I don't want to hit anything that's too solid or something that will
blow a tire." He explained. "But I'm going pretty fast and I can't
turn in time. Their wee little beeeeeeady eyes glint in the moonlight
at me. Beaks open, foaming with rabid anger!
"So I realize I'm going to have to drive over them. My rig is
high enough that I probably won't even hit them. I pop it into the
highest gear and gun the Cat engine."
"Cats?" Michael blinked. "How did cats get into this story?"
"Caterpillar engine." Dave filled him in. "Makes the trucks go
fast."
"Oh."
Maury nodded. "So I gun the engine, and I must be going at least
a hundred and fifty. No chance in hell a penguin's going to survive.
But then suddenly, just a few seconds before they hit my bumper..."
"Nothing."
Maury looked up from the ground. "For a second, I think I just
drove over them. But then suddenly, CRACK! CRACK! The two side
penguins clomp onto my side windows with their beaks! They start
clawing their way through the glass, cracking it as they go.
"And then, I see the last one...he leaps at the front of the
truck...eyes full of hate and rage...and he hits the glass, shattering
right through it!"
Maury was quiet. Everyone blinked.
"The last thing I remember was it's beak sinking into my neck."
Maury whispered. "And do you know what the creepiest thing is?" he
began to undo the collar of his shirt. "When I woke up the next
morning, the stuffed penguin that Gus gave me was sitting on my chest,
looking down at me. And on my neck, was THIS!"
He pointed to the side of his neck.
Miharu leaned in for a closer look. "There's nothing there...?"
Maury frowned. "Oh...well...uh...I guess it healed." He quietly
re-adjusted his shirt and coat. "Well, the point of the story was that
THAT dream is why I hate penguins."
If it had been warmer outside, there would have been crickets
chirping in the silence.
Michael had a bright smile on his face. "THAT'S EXACTLY why I
hate them too!" he said, moving his finger up and down for emphasis.
Chris and Andrea both groaned and went back over to Nacho to get
their backpacks.
"That..." Dave said finally "...was the STUPIDEST thing I have
ever heard!"
"You're the one that asked." Maury shrugged.
Chapter 19
Dave was helping everyone finalize their backpacks and equipment
when Michael knelt down to Chris. "You okay? You've been staring out
over the sand for an hour now."
"It's my head." Chris admitted. "I've never had migraines, but
this must be at least a close equivalent."
"Maybe you have head-cancer too." Michael smiled helpfully.
"With my luck? Probably." Chris sighed.
"What's head-cancer?"
Chris smiled. "Dave been telling you things again?"
Michael nodded and sat down on the sand with him. "Too
confusing. But even if we're only gone a week, I'll be able to learn a
bit more. Teach you a lot too."
"Yeah. I must admit, the excitement is a nice change from the
absolute terror." Chris said. "The unknown is a lot nicer than facing
certain death."
Michael looked around at the building. "You know, I never did
thank you for coming. This must really suck for you. Most of the
Knights had their entire lives to prepare for the Pool. You get four
or five days."
"Don't thank me yet. I still might not want to get involved with
this war." Chris said, rubbing his index fingers against the bridge of
his nose. "Fuck this is annoying." His eyes brightened a notch.
"Don't suppose you can write some script on my head and cure me for a
bit?"
"Nope." Michael sighed. "Don't work with this kind of headache."
"Shit."
"You two ready to go?" Dave said suddenly, standing over them.
SkitZ nodded. "Anytime. But I want Chris to ride with us. I
can fit three people through the portal."
Dave nodded. "Agreed. Also, it will give his computer a better
scanning radius.
Maury walked over to the group. "Hooze, Demeter, Rei and Miharu
are all ready man. Whenever you two feather heads want to go, we're
all set."
"Let's do it." Chris nodded.
Dave smiled and threw his coat down on the floor. "Okay
everyone. Step onto the coat. Bring your stuff."
"What?" Rei blinked.
"It's going to be a bit crowded, but it's the only way you can
all fit." Dave explained. "PenguinSpace."
"OOOOHHHH NO..." Maury said.
Andrea and Demeter both crept up besides Maury and lifted him up
one arm each. "There's no penguins, Maury. Now shut up and get in
there." Hooze said as Maury struggled.
They finally tossed him at Dave's lab coat. Maury promptly
vaporized.
"He's okay." Dave said quickly. "Everyone just follow. Don't
trip over the supplies once you're in."
Demeter shrugged, and jumped. He zapped into the invisible hole
hovering just above the cloth. Andrea jumped a second later, making a
little snorkel gesture with her hand.
Rei blew Chris a kiss and jumped in with Miharu. Beavis
skittered along the floor, jumped and disappeared next with a little
squeak.
Finally, just Michael, Chris and Dave remained. Dave put back on
his coat and briefly closed his eyes to seal up his PenguinSpace for
safe transport. "They're sealed and belted in. Our computers are
running. I suggest we blow this Popsicle stand." He said, walking over
to the edge of the scripture.
Michael's outer leather coat dropped and changed color, unfolding
a second later as his wings. "Both of you, grab on." He smiled. "But
no hanky panky on the first date."
"Aww, damn." Chris laughed, wrapping his arms around SkitZ. "But
youze so cute!"
"I know, I know." SkitZ winked back. "Now, just don't touch my
sword. Clothing is fine, just no bare flesh."
Dave held onto Michael's other side. "Ready on this end."
Slowly, their feet left the ground. All three began to float in
mid-air, just a few inches above the ground.
"Man, you two eat a lot?" Michael grunted, flapping his wings
once to gain a little more altitude.
"Sorry..." Dave said. A second later, they jumped up another
three meters into the air. "How's that? We each weigh about thirty
pounds now."
Michael was impressed. "Perfect!" Dave slid the belt out of his
coat and tied it around their waists a second later. "Final chance to
back down."
"I'm always ready." Dave nodded.
Chris took a deep breath and nodded as well. "Anything to get
away from all this snow for a while." He smiled.
Michael's wings spread each feather and expanded to full length
and size, jutting out from his shoulder blades. They were all barely
breathing as they floated over the script below. Any small disturbance
might blow over a piece of the sand, and then they would be transported
to who knew where. He couldn't even flap his wings, or the gusting air
might erase hours of work.
With a slow, echoing ring of steel, SkitZ drew his weapon free of
it's scabbard and pointed it toward the circular spiral below. "I
suggest you all hold on." Michael smiled wickedly. "This is quite a
ride."
With that, they dropped.
Michael's wings folded around the two passengers and himself,
angling down to cut through the air like a knife. The razor sharp,
double edged tip of his sword slid ahead of their decent, just by a few
inches past their shoes.
As it hit the sand, completing the last of the angelic scripture
with a needle-thin line, a shattering sound filled the air. It was
like the air around them turned into glass and shattered bit by bit,
falling fast like an out of control elevator car hitting the basement.
Chris and Dave looked up in amazement as the sand around them
turned into a kind of clear, milky liquid and started replacing the
building around them, melting it away, dissolving it. Light began to
swirl up around their feet, taking the ground away just before they
could touch. All within the span of a second.
It looked like the first few seconds of a video camera booting up
during the first few seconds of shooting a sunrise. At first, all
white; sand and color brightening to a blinding level. Color drained
away and dissolved into every direction at once. Finally, however, the
white began to fade.
WHOOOOOOOSH! Wind slammed up from their feet, causing wing and
coat alike to flutter up to the now non-existing roof. The gust died
down finally, and SkitZ turned to the two while there was a brief
second of silence. "Now watch this." He smiled.
Reality exploded.
In the span of what linear minds call one second, all time, all
matter, all energy and all thought around them shifted half a meter to
the right, half a meter to the left, then popped. The explosion
destroyed itself, then redoubled back to implode around them.
As the last shockwaves passed through them, tossing them around
like a leaf on the surf, the Universe was gone.
In perfect, pristine silence, Dave, Chris and Michael all opened
their eyes wide.
"Oh my..." Chris whispered to himself.
Nothing but black surrounded them. No...it was tinted. Blue and
green and red and every color. But it was still black at the same
time. Silver and gold and copper blended into whites and grays until
they all became one and then redefined themselves like a symphony of
colors, finally shifting into an endless aurora of spikes and curves.
It was everything and nothing at the same time.
Oh, but there was something else. They saw it at the same time.
Dark shadows that bent the light and threw color across to reflect on
the other shapes.
Three. Chris could make out three. The closest one was at their
feet. Rotating silently like a colossal galaxy. A sphere cut in the
middle and squished into a torus. A cosmic ring an infinity wide and a
quarter high. They sped away from it faster than anything in
imagination could comprehend, yet it was so infinitely huge that they
could barely notice it moving away.
Right next to it...almost colliding into it, was another torus.
It's equally flawless and shadowy surface hovered what looked like a
hair's width away from the first. Almost touching. This one was
smaller, or further away. There was no way to tell in a space with
infinite dimensions filtered down to three dimensional eyes.
Dave's eyes widened with realization and he smiled at Chris.
Chris was too busy being awed to notice, however. They were flying
toward the third of the tori. The third universe.
His home.
His home before he knew what home was. At that moment, however,
he could feel it was right. What it was. His home. A place he had
not known for millennia but his soul never forgot.
It could have been minutes, or seconds. It could have been weeks
already. There was no time in this place. Nothing for the mortal mind
to understand. Nothing in the swirl of void and creation but
imagination. To Chris, however, it felt like an hour. Just flying.
Pure flying. No gravity, no air, no void. Just speed.
Soon, the third and final Universe filled their entire vision.
Coming up like a wall that stretched forever in every direction and
beyond. Still, it came, after more timeless moments of speeding
towards it beyond comprehension. Breath did not concern them, as they
forgot to breathe. Nothing mattered except thought, and right now,
their thoughts pointed them onward to the approaching shadowy wall.
Michael looped his arms around them tighter, sensing something
they didn't. "Hold on!" he said, never breaking the unending silence.
Dave and Chris braced themselves, looking at an approaching
reflection. The wall was closing in. It was their reflection off of
it's surface.
SkitZ unfolded his wings, ready to hit. They saw it too, bracing
themselves for whatever came next. Each of them held breaths they
didn't even have.
With one final, mighty flap of his wings, they rocketed forward
even faster. "HOLD ON!"
To be continued...
=======================================================================
4 am. God I love it. It is the true best time of the day. 2 am is
nice. 3 am starts the magical 3 or so hours, but 4 is right smack dab
in the middle.
Hehe! Time for author's words!
Yes. I'm late, and since I'm not a white rabbit, I have no excuse.
Wait! Yes I do! Hehehe! I shall blame the horrible delay to moving
into a new house. Yup! Fissy got a nice new room that's all spooky
keen and even nicer than the last one. View is great, and hey ladies,
my bed's always the place to go on a Friday night. ^_^ Kidding. I'm
a hermit. I'm frightened by female companionship. (Starts laughing at
the blatant lie) But anyway, I'm settled in and rocking. Drew and I
share a wonderful corner, and we write faster than before. I finished
30 pages in 2 nights.
For anyone who cares, Drew is the name of my current computer with it's
fresh hard-drive that has been blissfully free of problems.
SkitZ is new, as you may have noticed. I shall have pics of what he
looks like soon.
Don't worry about our old palls, the Sailor Scouts. Sailor Moon, and
all the others won't be left out just because the NA Scouts are taking
a vacation to another universe. SK 4 and up will be a split story,
explaining what goes on while everyone is on vacation, as well as the
vacation itself. I promise it won't be TOO confusing.
On a sad side note, the real life Beavis has passed away at the ripe
old age of 6 years. He was quite possibly the best little hedgehog the
world has ever seen. Any donations in his memory can be sent to your
local SPCA.
HOME PAGE:
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/9110
Yup! Thousands of readers strong, and always looking for more, Crystal
Canada is the site you can get all my stuff. Check it out, you won't
be disappointed. Now comes with an easy to digest TXT version, though
the graphics are pretty, so you might want to look at them too!
E-MAIL:
Strikef@bigfoot.com
My current average reply time is 2 days. However, that is the average.
Sometimes, it takes a week. ^_^ Sorry. Just write! I love to hear
from people! I love to hear from aliens! I love to hear from
dolphins! Anyone who can write, please do!
So, stay tuned to this station for the next sugar laced installment of
SAILOR MOON: SEVEN KNIGHTS! The only Sailor Moon Fanfic that needs
this disclaimer at the end:
"No penguins were hurt in the making of this story."
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