A/N: Bada bing bada boom, here it is, the sequel to Lost in Transition. Bet you weren't expecting this particular idea were you?
Tykkimikk, this is what I meant by jumping the shark. Acidika, this is why I asked. Everyone else, here's the sequel you asked for but definitely didn't want.
Before I begin, there's something I want to make clear first. I have no problem with cursing, or sentence enhancers if you prefer. But there are a few words that I simply do not like, and I refuse to use them. Unfortunately the Boondocks is filled with one thats on my list. I don't like it, but I also want to stay true to the show (and to a lesser extent the comics). So, in its place will be n*****. Whine about it all you want, its my choice.
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Koko lowered the phone, a distant look on her features.
"Rock, I have a question for you" she said lowly. The girl tilted her head, frowning. Adopting her own, Koko showed her the email.
"Does this name mean anything to-" she stopped mid sentence, making Jonah look over himself. He saw Black Rock Shooter's expression, always calm, always reserved, twist into burning fury.
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Woodcrest, Maryland, two weeks earlier...
The phone rang.
The afro haired youth stared at the quaint looking digital phone, one of tens of millions that existed throughout America. Grey and black plastic, and a green display. It wasn't very fancy looking, but neither was it cheap. Middle of the road, bought by one that didn't want to shell out too little or too much money for their phone service. Perfectly average, unlike its owner or its owner's family. Then again, what is normal?
The phone rang again.
The youth watched it intently, one hand marking the page of the book he was reading. He didn't look like much; african american, a medium sized afro, and a grim countenance. Decent looking, so claimed the few women who were willing to give opinions on his appearance. He wore a plain tee shirt, jeans, and his flannel. Unusual attire for ten p.m. on a week night, but he had his reasons.
The phone rang for a third time.
"Huey answer the damn phone!" bellowed an older man from the other room.
Huey Freeman, age fourteen, picked up the phone.
"Hello" he greeted neutrally. Bereft of emotion, the boy's voice could've belonged to a robot.
"Oh shit, I thought yo dumb ass would never pick up" exclaimed the relieved voice from the other end, the same voice Huey had been expecting for the past three hours.
"Where are you and what trouble are you in?" he asked mechanically.
"Shit man, some weird shits goin down, you gotta help me" the younger voice, younger than Huey, quickly rattled off. It perplexed the youth; he jumped straight to the point instead of quipping out an insult.
"I will. Where are you" Huey insisted.
"At the park. Hurry n*****" he answered fast, the line clicking dead.
Huey lowered the phone, his brow wrinkling in thought. His brother rarely called him unless he was in deep trouble, his own headstrong ways kept him away until the situated boiled over. To call him meant that it was Bad. To call him and forgo their ritual of insults, meant it was Beyond Bad. For a moment he wondered what could've happened that would cause such a situation. Whatever the situation was, it demanded haste. And protection.
Huey set his book (Nighteen Eighty Four, he was on a kick for those type of novels lately) aside and rose from the comfortable chair, where he had been keeping vigil over the phone for the past two hours. Taking just a moment to stretch out his sore muscles, he walked from the living room to the front door. His ears told him the other occupant of the house was still where he was from earlier, doing something in the kitchen.
"Where you goin boy!?" the older african american man bellowed. He was out of his sight but Huey wasn't out of his, apparently.
"Riley needs a ride Grandad" he called back, stopping by the cupboard near the door to open the top drawer.
"Damn that boy, always staying out late" the old man, his and his brother's grandfather, irately complained to himself. True name Robert Freeman, he went by Grandad by the boys.
"I'll be back in a little while" Huey called out, doing a brass check on the glock before flipping the safety on and stuffing it in his belt.
"You better. Its bad enough with one little n***** running around raisin hell" Grandad yelled, largely to himself. Huey wasn't entirely sure what he was up to, nor did he care. Slipping his shoes on, he left the house.
The darkened street loomed just beyond, with only a few lights from similarly awake people's houses bravely standing out. Looking out, he mentally ran the numbers for how much electricity was being wasted by the mostly affluent and mostly white neighborhood. He forced the thought (and its related anger) to the back of his mind. Later he could rail against the ignorant masses, but for now he needed all of his attention on the matter at hand.
His bicycle was where he left it, chained inside the garage. After getting the chain off, he mounted the bike (making sure the riding pegs he put on the other day were still attached first) and sped off. Keeping his speed slow, he scanned the road for any obstacles. Nothing larger than a discarded soda can crossed his path. Part of his attention was fixated on listening; there weren't many cops in town, but it paid to be vigilant. To say nothing of any defense fixated homeowner that could misinterpret a black boy riding a bike at night in various creative ways.
The bulk of his thoughts, however, were still going over the brief phone conversation. Riley almost always spouted off an insult or a jab whenever he and Huey spoke to each other. And he very rarely asked for help, much less pleaded for it. What he kept coming back to was the boy's tone. Something he saw only a few times across his entire life, something that had Huey on edge enough to grab a gun.
Fear.
For the life of him Huey couldn't figure out what could've scared his brother so badly. Though lacking in common sense (among many other things), he had to give grudging respect for his courage. To hear that shorn away was disquieting. Seeing it, which he would shortly, would be a new experience for the youth. The weight of the two pound gun gave him uncomfortable reassurance in the face of his suppressed anxiety.
Woodcrest's city park wasn't very far from his home, probably a half hour ride during the day. Huey managed to cross the distance about forty five minutes, going slow in case of obstacles and stopping a few times when he spotted a cop. Nevertheless, he reached the park rather quickly, considering the circumstances. Stopping to check his watch, he felt a degree of pride at his time.
He dismounted his bike to pull it into a bush, taking care to keep it out of sight. Once finished, he glanced at the darkened city park, a handful of street lamps providing some illumination. Hardly enough to beat back the oppressive darkness, they merely kept it at bay. As far as he could see, there was nothing or no one in sight. That didn't mean he was alone however. Inhaling deeply, he entered the park.
Shivers crawled up Huey's spine, leaving goosebumps in their wake. His instincts were warning him of danger lurking behind every corner, hiding in every shadow. The rational part of his mind beat it down, using logic to show how foolish those thoughts were. Nonetheless, it did warn him to be careful. He heeded both parts, keeping his pace at a sedate walk to scan over everything that could be a threat.
Though it was dark, Huey had been through the park numerous times. Enough that he had an idea of his location, roughly in the center of the square area. Stopping by a tree, he swept his afro'd head around, looking for Riley. Or a threat, either or. Despite a nearby streetlamp he saw little. His ears picked up nothing but the rustle of leaves in the weak wind at first, but when a much more intent rustle reached him he looked up.
"Huey" a whispered voice called out. He furrowed his brow; he knew that voice.
"Riley? What're you doing up there?" he asked softly.
"Had to hide, the fuck else was I gonna do?" the speaker angrily whispered back. Huey shook his head.
"Whatever. Get down from there and lets go" he said to him.
"Hold up. Is that bitch still around?" Riley whispered. Huey blinked; the fear was in his voice again.
"What bitch?" he asked.
"That bitch!" he quietly yelled.
"Its just you and me here" he said back.
"You sure?" he demanded quietly. For good measure Huey swept the area again, finding no one else, let alone a bitch.
"I'm sure. Now get down from there" he commanded.
More rustling came from above, starting towards the center of the tree branch and working its way back. Huey watched its progress, every few seconds searching around. Every time it was the same result: they were alone. No one else, especially not a female. He wondered what this hypothetical woman did to scare him so badly. The memory of Luna bubbled up, involuntarily bringing on a shudder.
Where he was, the streetlamp's light was faint. Not so faint that be couldn't see the younger boy begin to crawl down the tree, shimmying along at a snail's pace. Name brand sneakers that his favorite idol of the month wore, followed by a pair of blue jeans a size too large. After that came a black windbreaker, a white tank top flashing underneath it. No hat was on his head (Huey suspected there was one not too long ago), so his cornrows hairstyle was visible. The black child finally jumped to the ground with an oomph. He dusted himself before facing the youth, his relived face bearing an uncanny resemblance to his own.
"You a lifesaver n*****" Riley, Huey's twelve year old brother, exclaimed happily, before suddenly clamping his mouth shut. He nodded in acknowledgement.
"What are you doin here?" Huey questioned immediately. Riley blinked, caught by surprise.
"Doesn't matter, now lets go" he replied fearfully.
"Not before you tell me. You said earlier you were going to hang out with Ed and Gin" he stubbornly questioned.
"Theres a psycho bitch on the loose, we have to get the fuck outta here" he insistently urged. Huey stayed exactly where he was with his arms crossed, prompting Riley to sigh and lightly slap his face.
"Alright alright. I was meetin some n****s here for a, um, a business proposition" he reluctantly admitted.
"What kind of proposition" Huey pressed, unmoving.
"A, uh..." Riley trailed off, looking away embarrassedly. He narrowed his eyes at his younger brother.
"If its drugs, or anything to do with drugs, I'm leaving you here" he threatened. The boy's own eyes widened in shock.
"No! Its not drugs, I swear" he said desperately. Huey could tell he wasn't lying, not this time.
"Good. I don't wanna get shot at by an angry n**** because you were being a dipshit" he spat. Riley shook his head frantically.
"Yeah alright, now can we fuckin leave now?!" he pleaded. Huey nodded, glancing at his watch.
The dial, faintly visible, read eleven on the dot. He looked back up in time to see his brother's widen in fright. He'd seen enough horror movies to know what was going to happen next. That by looking back he was going to lay eyes on a monster, a killer, or both. He would look, draw the gun that was still tucked in his belt, and yell for Riley to run. Neither of them would leave the park alive, he was sure of it. But Huey slowly turned around anyway, forcing his fear down. Whatever was going to happen, would happen.
He heard it before he saw it. An unassuming sound, out of place for the circumstances. It was the sound of footsteps. Not loud ones, just the flat tap of loafers on pavement. It started quiet, but grew louder at a worrying pace. In the pressing darkness he saw nothing, noting another streetlamp a shirt distance away, telling him where his brother saw it. Or her, in this case. He made an estimate of its location and judged it close, chilling his spine. A few feet away he finally saw the silhouette of the being, a moment before it entered the light.
What he saw was not what he was expecting.
Approaching them was a girl, no older than fifteen. Unusually pale skin was the first thing he noted after her odd black dress, with frills tapering off at the end of her skirt. A small white bow was hanging off the side. Her legs were covered in a skintight garment that ended above her ankles, showing what looked like a pair of loafers. Two small pointed objects akin to stubby wings behind her bobbed with her walking, and two more objects that looked like ribbed horns rose from the top of her scalp. Her black hair was long, with several ringlets leading down her shoulders.
"Fuck" he heard Riley whimper. The being stopped ten feet away, coolly regarding the boys.
Standing in the light, Huey saw two other details that made his blood run cold. The first was her hands, or what would be hands on a normal human being. Instead they were black, and slightly reflective. They were also much larger, with elongated fingers ending in what were likely claws. The second was her eyes. The irises were a brilliant shade of green, showing small inlaid gears in them. Nothing but guarded curiosity showed in those neon orbs.
Forcing himself to breath, Huey said "Who are you" to the being. For several seconds, it continued to stare at them.
"Who are you" she repeated, her voice meticulous and flat. It brought another chill to the youth.
"My name is Huey Freeman. Yours is?" he asked again, ignoring his brother's tightening grip on his shoulder. The girl tilted her head to the side.
"Huey Freeman" she echoed again, mulling the words over.
She began to walk again, going closer to the boys. Riley suddenly sprinted off, sputtering in terror. Huey needed all of his willpower to stay put and not run after him. Even so, he breathed raggedly, trying to show no fear. The corners of the girl's mouth twitched upwards, telling him he was failing. She stopped once more about five feet from him. All the while, her bizarre eyes didn't leave him. By some act of God, he stayed where he was.
"You're afraid" she said pronouncedly.
"I am" he said back, his tone somehow level. Something akin to amusement graced her features.
Several more seconds passed before she held out one of her arms to the side, her clawed hand flat. The digits curled inwards, something starting to glow in her hand. Once the fist closed, flashing lights shot out from both ends. The bottom one ended a few inches above the ground, while the top kept going, a part of it shooting off. It grew larger and more detailed, with the lights morphing into black colored metal. In a few seconds there was an intricately designed scythe in her hand. Huey could only stare in shock.
The girl twirled around the heavy weapon like it didn't weigh a thing. Since he was so close, he could hear a whoosh in the air as it lazily swung. All the while, she kept staring at him with a bemused smile. Her features suddenly twisted into a sneer, the scythe going to the ground in the same moment. Huey reflexively jumped back with a yelp. He immediately went for the gun, drawing it as the large swiped at him, missing by inches.
He needed a second to regain his balance, lining up the gun's sights at her at the same time. She stayed where she was with the weapon twirling once more, only switched to her other hand. The end of Huey's glock trembled a little, raw fear clawing at the youth. She smirked, straightening up her stance and flipping the scythe so the top spine was touching the ground.
"You fight when you should run. I like you" she complimented, startling him.
"What?" was the most coherent reply he could come up with.
"Those two back there tried to run. That one behind you ran. But not you. You grab a weapon" she explained. Still panting, Huey gave her a confused look.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked him, tilting her head again.
"You like fighting" he said at last. She nodded.
"Whats your name?" he asked her guardedly. She leveled her own questioning look at him.
"Dead Master" she answered, making him blink.
"Dead Master? Oh...kay" he replied confusedly. She glanced around, letting her attention slip away from him. It occurred to him that if he was going to shoot, now would be the chance.
"Where is this place?" she asked. Against his better judgment, Huey lowered the gun.
"I don't suppose the terms Woodcrest, America, or Earth mean anything to you" he went on.
"No" was her curt reply. He quietly sighed, coming to a conclusion.
"You should come with me" he said at last. Her unnerving green eyes swiveled back to him.
"Why?" she questioned flatly.
"You mentioned there were two others that tried to run. I'm assuming they're dead" she nodded, no emotion beyond curiosity showing "then that means law enforcement will be here. They find you, and kill you" he explained grimly. Contrary to his expectations, she smiled.
"I'd like to see them try" she said viciously.
"They will. Trust me" Huey pressed. The scythe twirled once more.
"Thats just the problem. I have no reason to trust you at all. However..." Dead Master trailed off in thought, looking away contemplatively.
"However?" he repeated. She looked back at him with a small grin.
"If you can help me, I'll come with you" she offered. He raised an eyebrow.
"With what?" Huey questioned suspiciously. She smiled conspiratorially.
"I'll tell you later. First, you want me to come with you" Dead Master reminded. Huey scowled.
"I don't like unknown clauses" he stated sourly.
"I don't care" she said back. He lightly slapped his face.
"Lose the scythe first" he said, dragging his palm down. The weapon began to flash lights, in seconds dispersing into nothingness.
"What?" she demanded.
"How did you do that?" he questioned at last.
"I just do. Your people can't?" she questioned back. He shook his head, making her raise her own eyebrow in a very human fashion.
"Your kind are strange" she commented, ignorant of the irony. He sighed once more, reluctantly placing the gun back in his belt. His brushing fingers made him coldly realize that he never flipped the safety off.
"Follow me" he told her.
Huey started walking, painfully aware of the girl walking after him. The memory of the weapon she created out of lights was thoroughly scarred onto his brain. He did his best to hide it, but he was frightened of the otherworldly girl behind him. And he was certain she knew that too. There wasn't anything he could do about it though. He pushed it out of his mind for the time being, instead he tried remembering which bush he stashed his bike in. The girl watched him intently as he pawed around the thicket. Finally he found it, yanking it out with a grunt.
"What is that?" Dead Master inquired.
"My bike. You want a ride or do you want to follow?" he asked back.
"Follow" she answered flatly.
He debated for several seconds whether to walk it or to ride it back. He was certain she could move fast (like any cinema villain) but he wasn't sure how fast. The possibility of riding off as fast as he could pedal crossed his mind, only to be countered by the knowledge of what he told her. She knew his name; if he ran, it would be just a matter of time before she tracked him down. When that happened, he didn't want to imagine the consequences.
Deciding on the latter, Huey mounted the bike and shoved off. He started off at a slow pace, barely enough to keep it upright. Glancing back at her, he found her almost beside him. Surprised but not too shocked, he kept going. Experimentally he increased his speed. Dead Master kept pace with him easily. Frowning, he pedaled faster. She did the same, the taps of her shoes on the pavement becoming indistinguishable from each other. He slowed down a notch, briefly letting her pass him. It came as a surprise to him to see the back of her dress was exposed, the two winglike objects he spotted earlier actually sprouting from her back.
Compared to the trip to the park, the trip back went by much faster. Partially because there were fewer people out and about that he had to be careful with. Mainly because he was unwilling to be alone with the girl any longer than necessary. He ended up crossing the distance in a little over a half hour, just a few minutes longer than a daytime ride. Unlike before, he felt no pride at his speed.
Dead Master's tapping slowed down in time with his movement. Coasting up to the garage of the nice house his grandfather owned, Huey sent a covert glance at the girl. He saw that she was craning her head to eye the house, either appraising it or searching for threats. It could've been both for all he knew. The second was that she didn't even look winded. It was easily a three mile run, yet she was breathing a bit more than before.
"This is the place" he told her, kicking the stand up and chaining the bike up. He was paranoid about thieves, though it was the least of his problems at this point.
"I see" she murmured. Her eyes left the building to track him, leaving the bike alone to go to the front door. After a moment she walked after him.
The door was locked, but Huey had a key. A couple of seconds later and he entered the brightly lit house, blinding after the dark of night. Dead Master had to block the light, her eyes hurting. Once they adjusted she saw the youth waiting, holding the door open for her. She felt a degree of trepidation at the entire affair, yet she was confident in her abilities. If something came her way she could deal with it. Cracking her neck, she walked into the light.
"Boys!" his grandfather shouted. Huey shut the door behind her and took a deep breath, facing forward with confidence he didn't have. Stomps sounded out, revealing an old man with balding white hair and glasses wearing a night robe coming around a corner. His direction was clear.
"Now what have I said about goin out at night? I don't wanna hear bout you little-" he stopped mid-rant, noticing the pale girl beside Huey giving him a strange look.
"Huey, the fuck is this? And where the fuck is Riley?" Robert demanded.
"Grandad, this is Dead Master. She's an alien" Huey said flatly, drawing the strange look to him. Robert was still for a moment.
"What've I told you bout making shit up?" he asked irately.
"Can you do that scythe thing?" Huey asked her, stepping away.
Dead Master raised her clawed hand and clenched it into a fist. Flashing lights ran from her hand, turning into glossy black metal. In seconds there was an ornate weapon in her hand, the tiny walkway space just big enough to accommodate it. She let the top tilt forward, coming dangerously close to Robert. The man yelped and jumped back, far faster than his age would suggest. His wide eyes swiveled from the girl to Huey and back again.
"What the fuck?" he sputtered. Dead Master tilted her weapon back the other direction, letting it rest against her shoulder.
"What's an alien?" she asked them.
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A/N: And so it begins. I fully expect this to bomb. For the sake of my wittle feewings, prove me wrong. Or not, up to you.
And before anyone asks, I'm plotting this to be about 8-9 chapters long. And yes, Koko & friends will pop in. When, I leave to your imagination.