Éclair brushed her red hair behind her ear and sighed. Business was slow and the fact that she had only five minutes left was killing her. Lumiere watched her squirm, a smile in place.
"Try to relax Éclair. We still have to wait for Ricki before we can leave," she said.
"Oh right," Éclair muttered, sighing.
Lumiere suddenly looked up and gasped.
"Lumiere?" Éclair asked, worried.
She also looked up. What she saw made her freeze. A girl was approaching them, holding a sleek, black cat in her arms. She was dressed in a black dress that came up to her thighs, similar to the dress Éclair use to wear, and she had black stilettos. The girl removed her black sunglasses and looked directly at Éclair. Éclair stared back. The girl had her old face. She had the same brown hair and golden eyes. Two bodies ago, she and Éclair could have been twins. Lumiere gulped as the girl came closer, stopping directly in front of her.
"I'm looking for someone. Could you find him?" she asked.
Lumiere gulped. Up close, the girl seemed to have an aura that Lumiere could not overcome.
"I'm sure we can find who you're looking for. What's your name and who are you looking for?" Éclair said.
The girl's golden eyes fixed on her.
"I'm Artemis and I'm looking for him," she said, pointing to Dextera.
"Dextera?" Éclair nearly yelled, earning her a few nasty stares.
Lumiere finally snapped out of whatever trance she was in and smiled.
"Dextera. This young lady has been looking for you," she called.
Dextera looked over and suddenly his face lit up.
"Art! There you are!" he greeted.
Artemis smiled.
"Yes, I actually came. Now what did you want me for?" she asked.
Dextera looked at Éclair and Lumiere.
"I think it best if we talk in private," he suggested.
Artemis shrugged and started in the direction he indicated. Before he followed her, Dextera glanced back and nodded his apologies, before hurrying after Artemis.
"Éclair. She-" Lumiere began.
"Looked just like me," Éclair finished.
"Um…hey. Lumiere, Éclair," Ricki said.
She was standing in front of them, hands on her hips.
"Sorry I was late. You can go now," she said.
Éclair and Lumiere were gone before she'd spoken the last word.
TweedleDee and TweedleDum looked up as another one of Eclipse's messengers burst into their room.
"Chief Eclipse wishes to see you!" the girl blurted.
"Obviously," TweedleDum said.
"TweedleDum!" TweedleDee scolded.
"Sorry," TweedleDum replied.
Quickly, they made there way to Eclipse's office. Éclair and Lumiere were waiting outside the doors. Éclair looked ready to snap and TweedleDee saw why. Armblast was standing against the door.
"Don't be so harsh Éclair. I've been kicked out too," he was saying.
"Kicked out?" TweedleDee asked.
Lumiere turned to her.
"He's kidding. Chief is having a conversation with an old friend of Dextera's and she called us all here I'm guessing. Armblast's just upset that he's not allowed to sit and observe," she explained. "I'm an auditor. That's what I do," Armblast joked, shrugging casually.
The doors opened and Artemis stepped out.
"Éclair!" TweedleDee exclaimed.
"Hardly," Artemis replied.
She stepped back, inviting them in. Lumiere held back for a moment before passing Artemis, eyeing the girl as she did. There was something about Artemis that made her feel uneasy. Artemis's cat leapt onto Lumiere's shoulders and settled there. And suddenly the girl seemed so much nicer. Lumiere blinked. Was the cat creating the illusion that Artemis was dangerous? It was impossible but it felt like that. Lumiere sat beside TweedleDee on one of the sofas in Eclipse's office and waited. Eclipse seemed preoccupied. Yes, something was definitely wrong. Finally, Eclipse straightened, keeping her hands folded.
"There is some information I have withheld from you all. And those of the Global Union," Eclipse announced.
Artemis sat on the corner of her desk, legs crossed. At some point, her cat had left Lumiere and was now sitting in Artemis's lap, purring as she ran her hand over its back. Eclipse stood and sighed.
"As I'm sure you all remember, Alv and Dvergr had many secrets."
She stopped and looked at Dextera. He stepped forward.
"One of those secrets was Artemis. As you can see, she looks exactly like Éclair did," he said.
He stopped and looked around the room.
Artemis is…she's…"
Dextera trailed off as he looked at Artemis.
"Wanna help?" he asked her.
Artemis smiled.
"Now? I think you're doing a fine job," she lied.
Dextera glared at her.
"Oh alright," Artemis conceded.
She set her cat on the floor and stood, brushing off her dress. She took a good ten minutes to do this and then she stood, facing the ES members with an uncaring expression.
"As human as I am, I am merely an artificially made one. Infused with animal DNA to insure I'd be better, so to say. Than the average human. Or ES member," Artemis explained, looking right at Éclair.
"What are you saying?" Viola asked, hugging her stuffed animal.
Artemis smiled.
"Well. I don't actually look like this," Artemis said, holding up a lock of hair with disgust.
She flicked it away and her smile vanished.
"That aside, I was made to be a better ES member. Which ,according to statistics, I am," she declared.
Éclair shot to her feet.
"If what you're saying is true, then you are no better or worse than the rest of us! Here at GOTT we all bring something to the table!" she yelled.
"Elegance Éclair," Lumiere and Artemis said at the same time.
Lumiere, shocked, looked at the girl.
"I have a mix of everyone in this room as well as a few originals of my own. So really anything you can do, I can do better," Artemis declared.
Éclair clenched her hands into fists. Lumiere urged her to sit and Éclair obeyed. Artemis also sat. Eclipse stepped to her window.
"Artemis was at a research lab ever since the demise of Alv and Dvergr. They deemed her ready to be freed and with no other place for her to go, she must stay here," she announced.
Artemis grinned at Éclair.
"Won't that be fun?" she joked.
Armblast chuckled. Eclipse smiled.
" I thought you'd find her charming Armblast. That's why I told the Global Union that she'd be perfect with you," she said casually.
Armblast coughed, obviously choking on his tea.
"What?" he sputtered, still coughing.
"Serves you right," Éclair, TweedleDee, and A-oh said together.
Armblast sighed at the girl sitting beside him. She was watching traffic pass as if she'd never seen such a thing.
"You know. Now that you work at GOTT, you'll be able to ride in cars like those," he told her. Artemis looked at him.
"Sweet," she said.
Then she turned back to the window.
"Back there you said this wasn't what you looked like originally. So what's your real face?" Armblast inquired.
Artemis turned to him.
"You've seen Dvergr right?" she asked.
"Yes," Armblast replied.
He parked and gave Artemis his full attention. She smiled.
"My hair is longer but instead of pink, they made me dye it green. I don't know my eye color and.." Artemis paused for dramatic effect.
"My boobs are way bigger," she joked.
Armblast hung his head in defeat.
"Do women see me and just automatically think I'm a pervert?" he asked.
Artemis patted his head.
"There, there. Of course we do!" she laughed.
He looked up at her.
"I'm being punished for something. I just don't know what," he declared, getting out of his car. Artemis followed, leaping on his back as he walked.
Heh. Surprisingly, I though you'd be heavier," he joked.
Artemis smiled.
"Duh. Artificial ,remember?" she reminded him, rapping on his head with her knuckle.
Armblast sighed.
"Yeah, yeah," he muttered.
Eclipse remained by her window, scrolling through the information in her mind. Her fists were clutched at her side.
"Protect him Artemis," she whispered.
Armblast watched Artemis as she scampered around his apartment like a little kid, examining everything. She ran into the bathroom and he heard the toilet flush. As if she was on fire, Artemis ran out and grabbed his arm.
"Come look!" she ordered, pulling him into the bathroom.
She pushed the handle down and watched as the water swirled.
"Yes. I've seen it a hundred times Artemis," he explained freeing his arm.
Artemis continued her exploration of his house while Armblast ordered takeout. When he turned to ask her what she wanted, Artemis was gone.
"Hold that thought," he said into the phone, running off to find her.
Artemis was standing at the door, staring at it. Suddenly, she spun and grabbed his arm.
"We have to escape. Now!" she said.
"What?" Armblast asked, confused.
"NOW!" Artemis yelled.
She tugged at his arm, looking for any place that was safe.
"Artemis. We're fine," he said, trying to convince her.
The girl was stronger than she looked and was easily pulling him to the living room.
"Artemis!" Armblast said, pulling his arm away.
She still held his sleeve.
"You don't understand!" Artemis hissed.
"Understand what?" Armblast demanded.
"Alv is alive and she wants revenge," Artemis said as the front door clattered to the floor.
In the doorway was Alv. She looked exactly the same except her arm was replaced with that of a robot's. She smiled evilly.
"Hello Éclair," she said.
Artemis planted herself in front of Armblast defensively and slowly Éclair's looks faded. Armblast gaped at the girl in front of him. She had green hair and her eyes were also green. Her clothes also changed. Instead of the skimpy clothes she'd been wearing, she had on long pants, a shirt with long sleeves and boots. All were black.
"Artemis," Alv hissed.
Artemis held up her hands and the nails grew to claws.
"Correct," she said.
Alv also crouched into a fighting position.
"It's all a matter of who attacks first," she said.
Artemis looked at Armblast and signaled for him to move closer to the window. He obeyed. Artemis smiled, grabbing a nearby chair and throwing at Alv. While Alv was distracted with that, she grabbed Armblast and leapt through the window.
"No!" Alv growled running to the window.
Artemis landed on the road below, Armblast over her shoulder, and then ran.
"Impressive," Armblast remarked, doing his best to avoid biting his tongue as she ran. "Now how about an explanation."