A/N: Well, this is long overdue. After holding this off for about a year, it's finally out. I initially put this thing off because I had no idea how this was going to work, but...everything finally came together. :3
The fic takes place a bit over a year after the events in TLC, in which Foaly is calculating the group's time of return and Sool is screwing everything up in LEPrecon.
Disclaimer: I do not own AF or any LP songs, etc.
Song: Plc. 4 Mie Hæd – Linkin Park
I wanna be in another place
I hate when you say "You don't understand"
I wanna be in the energy, Not with the enemy
Need a place for my head
Trouble Kelp placed his head on his desk, tired. Not tired of everyday things, such as sending out rookie Recon officers on missions and filing out loads of e-paperwork. He was tired of his life in the LEP, considering that gnome Ark Sool, now promoted to Recon Commander, was making him feel like crap. Trouble had loved his job ever since he graduated from the Academy, but working under a greedy, pompous commander had downed his spirits.
Trouble raised his head up, and stared at his nameplate with golden trim. Major Trouble Kelp. He allowed himself to smirk a bit, remembering the ceremony in which he was promoted. When he walked up to the podium, he could remember the expression on ex-Commander Root's face: neutral, but still beet red. Even though his face showed nothing, Trouble was still sure Root was proud of him, and maybe even happy.
I watch how the moon sits in the sky on a dark night,
Shining with the light from the sun
But the sun doesn't give the light to the moon
Assumin' the moon's gonna owe it one
It makes me think of how you act to me,
You do favors then rapidly
You just turn around and start asking me
About things that you want back from me
LEPrecon had drastically changed since Julius Root's death and Ark Sool's rise to the spot of commander. The officers had divided themselves into two factions: the oppressed, and the ass-kissers. Completely full of himself, Sool always favoured those who licked the dust off his shoes, and gave difficult missions or monstrous (and generally unnecessary) loads of paperwork and IA interviews to the people who opposed him. Foaly had enough several months ago, and left his position. Ever since then, LEP technology growth had been slowed to a crawl.
An intercom on Trouble's desk beeped. He pushed a button on the intercom, and Foaly's voice sounded.
"Well...Hello, Major Kelp," Foaly's cheeky tone of voice apparent.
Trouble sighed, more memories coming to his mind. Unlike Julius Root, Trouble wasn't put off (much) by the centaur's attitude and character. He actually enjoyed his company, and Foaly in return was a little less annoying. Just a little.
"Yes, what is it, Foaly?"
"Just came back from interviewing Butler. We know what went down now."
Being the gnome that he is, Ark Sool gave no attention to the demon situation Holly and Artemis were involved in, until the Council recently forced him into investigating the event. Foaly had already determined when the group would be returning with the entire demon population months ago, and had tried to present his findings to Sool multiple times.
I'm sick of the tension,
Sick of the hunger,
Sick of you acting like I owe you this
Find another place to feed your greed
While I find a place to rest
(x2)
"So, what really happened?" Trouble asked.
"After some conflict with a group of Mud Men mercenaries and a bomb, two demon warlocks and Artemis with said bomb was strapped onto Holly's Moonbelt, and she tried to fly their way to safety. Unfortunately, the wings on Holly's back failed, and as a last effort, Artemis somehow transported everyone attached to the Moonbelt to Hybras in Limbo. Butler didn't really see them fall all the way, but he came to that conclusion considering that there were no emergency vehicles at the base of the building and no bodies being examined by forensic analysts."
"Are they safe then?"
"Assuming they haven't been attacked by the entire demon population the island of Hybras, Holly and Artemis should be fine."
Trouble sat back on his chair, relieved.
"It's not over yet though," Foaly continued, "I know when and where they would be coming back. However, we need to be prepared for their arrive. Sool won't do a goddamned thing about it since he's not willing to spend an ounce of gold for a group of humans and fairies he hates."
I wanna be in another place
I hate when you say "You don't understand"
(You'll see it's not meant to be)
I wanna be in the energy
Not with the enemy
Need a place for my head
(x2)
Foaly closed the connection, leaving Trouble to his own thoughts again. Until his little brother, Grub, burst into the room.
Trouble sighed. Grub was annoying, but he wasn't anywhere close to the hatred he felt for Sool.
Grub plopped down onto Trouble's only empty chair in his office, fuming childishly.
Taking the stand of the typical 'big brother', Trouble said, "What's wrong?"
"Sool sucks."
Trouble rolled his eyes. No really?
Continuing his care for his brother, Trouble got up and crouched behind Grub. "Look. This isn't going to last, trust me. Soon, Sool's gonna be replaced by someone better. But for now, you just have to suck it up and take it."
"Who's gonna replace him then? You?"
Trouble froze for a minute. The prospect of becoming the next LEPrecon Commander hadn't crossed his mind before.
Keep me in the john to keep me calm; you and your mom keep on dram'
Used to be a team, passed that baton, but you flopped that bomb when you dropped that bomb
Take it the john, your Babylon
Flush down with the sound that you carry on
I don't really give a damn you pissed off or not
Took a dump like a punk, now the battle's on
So sick of you stressing, sick of you fessing
Sick of you acting like I owe you some'
Find another place to feed your face
If you don't we gonna bump get it up get crunk
Sick of you stressing, sick of you fessing
Sick of you acting like I owe you some
Find another place to feed your face
If you don't we gonna bump get it up get crunk
Grub, reading his brother easily, said, "what, you never thought about it?"
Trouble shook his head silently, still deep in thought.
Grub smiled genuinely. "Hey, you COULD be the next Recon commander! You're pretty hands-on with the people under your command, and you could totally do a better job than Sool."
The brothers paused for several seconds, both of them thinking of the possibilities.
Grub grinned, and said a final word to his older brother. "Just think about it, Trubs."
With a cheeky grin, Grub Kelp ran out of Trouble's office before he could object to the Trubs remark.
I wanna be in another place
I hate when you say "you don't understand"
(You'll see it's not meant to be)
I wanna be in the energy
Not with the enemy
Need a place for my head
(x2)
The moonometer on Trouble's desk beeped. 6:30 AM, human time. His shift was over. Trouble stood up, walked out of his office, and shut the light.
Walking over to his locker. Trouble collected his belongings, and strode out of Police Plaza's main double doors. Fairies were still jam-packed, arguing and demanding justice. He calmly ignored the raging crowd, eventually breaking through into a near-empty street.
Trouble turned his head around, staring at the crowd. He thought silently to himself. These fairies deserve so much better from us. Ark Sool is definitely not helping our population. Maybe I do have to step up and take the position.
Trouble resumed his walk back home. Watching a bit of human TV back home, he promptly fell asleep on his double bed later on, only 10:25 AM human time.
You try to take the best of me...
You try to take the best of me...
(x3)
You know what? You try to take the best of me!
You know what? You try to take the best of me!
(x2)
The very next day, Trouble was once again back in the padded seat of his office, scrawling comments and signatures on application forms and taking the occasional call. Trouble had the job of organizing the next Recon initiation site, because Ark Sool didn't want to deal with it. Trouble had selected the Térn Mor islands, a silent dedication to his ex-commander Julius Root and Holly Short, a close friend.
The communicator on Trouble's desk beeped. The major picked it up, and looked on the screen. It was Foaly. Again.
Grunting slightly, Trouble pressed the TALK button, and was greeted by the voice of his centaur 'friend'.
"Serious news here, Kelp-"
Trouble paused time in his mind for a bit. Foaly had referred to him by his last name, so it was important.
"-I've gotten some information that could be extremely important."
"Well, Foaly, what is it?"
"I shouldn't really have to explain. It concerns a memo that Ark Sool recently sent out."
"What, I didn't get one yet?"
"No, you should be getting yours in about...now."
A window popped up on the wide-screen monitor of Trouble's desk. It was definitely a memo from Ark Sool, and it apparently was concerning the Demon population...
"OK, Foaly. I just got it. It's just the typical trash that Sool spews out on a dail-"
Trouble paused, a few lines catching his eye. Three words stood out to him: let them die.
Trouble lifted the communicator back to his right cheek. "Whoa."
"That's right, Trouble Kelp. Ark Sool has officially committed career suicide."
Trouble leaned back onto his chair, shocked. He remembered what Grub said: you could totally do a better job than Sool.
"Well...looks like that time is now," Trouble whispered.
(coward!)You know what? You try to take the best of me!
(coward!)You know what? You try to take the best of me!
(x2)
Get away from me! (-take the best of me)
(coward!)You know what? You try to take the best of me!
(coward!)You know what? You try to take the best of me!
(x2)
Get away from me! (-take the best of me)
(coward!)You know what? You try to take the best of me!
(coward!)You know what? You try to take the best of me!
(x2)
Stay away from me!!
A/N: Well...this took a while. Mostly because school started up again and I had a load of homework that smacked me in my face.
I'm probably gonna take a short break from fanfiction now, because I have to focus more on my homework from Grade 11. However, I'm still guaranteeing the fact that I'm still gonna write fanfiction. Just give me...4 months or so. Give or take a semester. :3
And when I DO come back...I'm probably gonna write my RR7/NFS:PS one-shot crossover first. I've been thinking about that for a while now.