A/N:
JetravenEx: And here we are at Chapter Numero Dos of the Writers' Ultimatum! In which our *sniff* beloved character's stuck us in their world and are being horribly nasty and cruel in revenge for what we've done as writer's… It's horrible! T.T
Breezyfeather: *sighs* Basically, the only way they let us out, as briefly as they did to do this A/N, was on the stipulation that we a) not leave the room and b) wear handcuffs because they do not trust us with...well, anything we can get our hands on. *waves with hands cuffed in front of her*
Superior: I wanted to put a muzzle on Jetraven, but apparently, we don't have any.
JetravenEx: I'm not a dog! That'd be cruel and unusual punishment!
Superior: YOU BIT ME! *shows left hand with teeth marks*
JetravenEx: Well, you put your hand right in front of my mouth while I was staging a protest against Masquerade; what do you think I was going to do?! *bares teeth*
Breezyfeather: ...You might want to be quiet before they stick a pair of socks in your mouth.
Superior: *blinks before turning to Masquerade* Why didn't we think of that?
JetravenEx: Breezy! You yelled at me for giving them ideas! Now you're doing it, too?! T.T
Breezyfeather: What? It's not like they have a dresser here! Superior isn't even wearing socks! And I don't think Masquerade wants to take off his shoes!
JetravenEx: How do you know Superior isn't wearing socks?! Superior? *turns to the black haired teen* Have you been with other writers behind my back?!
Breezyfeather: He is wearing SANDALS! DO YOU NOT SEE THIS?! *thrusts both hands toward Superior*
JetravenEx: *blinks and then looks down at Superior's feet* Hey, I designed you with boots; why are you wearing sandals?
Superior: It's summer and it's hot. Plus, someone stole mine. Probably Tyler.
Tyler: *pops out of a random cardboard box* YOU CAN'T PROVE ANYTHING!
JetravenEx: Tyler, why are you in a box?
Tyler: *waves hands wildly in the air* I AM THE BOX GHOST! BEWARE!
Breezyfeather: I knew that was coming!
Superior: Gyron, where are my boots?
Tyler: I don't have them… it was, uh… Mike!
Superior: *rolls eyes* Sure. *to the captive authors* I'll be back in a minute *goes over to Tyler*
Tyler: AH! THE BOX GHOST MUST STAGE A STRATEGIC RETREAT! *dives into box*
Superior: Damn it, get back here! *dives into box after him*
Breezyfeather: ...Is there a chute in there or something? Because that should not be possible.
JetravenEx: I dunno, I'm chained to a chair with handcuffs on my wrists; have someone else check for us.
Breezyfeather: Uh… Hm, who haven't I made angry? Uh... Ren? Is that box bottomless?
Ren: *looks up from computer; shrugs* I'm not sure.
Breezyfeather: Could you please check?
Ren: *sighs* Fine. *walks over to the box*
Tyler: *pops out and grabs Ren* YOU SHALL JOIN US! THE BOX ARMY WILL GROW! *drags Ren into box*
Breezyfeather and Jetraven: O_O
JetravenEx: You see?! You see what happens when I'm not there to keep Tyler in line? He goes and starts building a box army, and he took my Superior! *raises cuffed hands and clenches them into fists* CURSE YOU, GYRON!
Masquerade: *shoots Jet a death glare, stomps over to her and yanks off his boot* I will do it, JetravenEx.
Breezyfeather: *stares at Jet and Masky in surprise*
JetravenEx: *turns to look at Masquerade, raising an eyebrow* I need more damn allies in this place.
Tyler: *pops out from box* All the allies shall join the box army and live in my-OW!
Superior: *drags himself out of the box and bops Tyler on the head* Dammit Gyron, how deep are those bloody tunnels?
Tyler: *grabs head going swirly eyed* Ohh the pain in my brain. *drops back into box*
Superior: *rolls eyes before grasping onto the edge and hauling himself out, falling onto his front, now wearing his boots again*
JetravenEx: *turns away from Masquerade to admire Superior for a moment, whistling appreciatively* Nice ass. *grin*
Breezyfeather: *facepalm* *groans*
Superior: *glares at Jet from the floor* Gag her, please.
Masquerade: Gladly. *yanks off sock*
JetravenEx: I REGRET NOTHING! Mmf!
Masquerade: -_- Finally.
Breezyfeather: *shakes her head and sighs around a laugh*
Superior: *gets to his feet and shakes his head at Jetraven* Ugh, anyways, it's time we send these two back to the story. I think this A/N has gone on long enough.
Breezyfeather: ...Uh, can I protest?
Masquerade and Superior: No.
Breezyfeather: *sighs* It was worth a shot.
Ren: *dragging himself from the box* Not really.
Breezyfeather: Thanks. You're a huge help, Ren.
Superior: Good to see you made it out of there alive.
Ren: ...What is wrong with that child?
Breezyfeather: *looks at Jet and the exasperated look on her face* ...Many things *she translates*
Oserian: *emerges from a portal and looks around* Is the A/N done yet?
Superior: Almost.
Oserian: Do you know how hard it is to try and maintain consistency in this story? I had to stop time in our world to bring them here, and now I'm going to have to drag them back to the precise moment I took them from and restart time while suppressing all recollections of the events that occurred in the A/N for the duration of the story!
Breezyfeather: *appropriately freaked out* Or you could just, you know. Leave us be here.
Masquerade: ...you'd rather stay here, handcuffed and tied to a chair?
Breezyfeather: Beats chainsaws and memory wiping!
JetravenEx: *nods head vigorously before spitting out the sock* Blech! That's foul! Note to self for future fics: Socks make awful gags! *turns to characters* And I'm all for staying here, handcuffed, and-
Superior: Get your brain out of the gutter!
Breezyfeather: Oh my gosh...
JetravenEx: What?! I was going to say in good company! … Honest!
Breezyfeather: *rubs at her face out of...she doesn't even know what anymore* Now all I can think of is that song Bad Company by Bad Company.
JetravenEx: *perks up* Oh! Now I wanna hear this song!
Superior: *pinches the bridge of his nose* Oserian, just send them back.
Oserian: *nods* Agreed *walks over to Jetraven and Breezy, her eyes glowing red* Time to go to sleep, and when you awaken, you won't remember any of these happenings.
Back to the Story!:
'Oh my God, I'm going to die!' was the only thought running through Jetraven's head as she curled up tightly into a ball on the floor. She had no recollection at all about the brief interaction she'd had with Superior, Masquerade, Ren, Tyler and Breezy in the A/N. Damn, Oserian was good at memory suppression.
Back on track, Jetraven was busy panicking, her heart pounding harder and faster than it ever had before, her hands pushing down on her ears so hard it almost hurt. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't keep out the rev of the chainsaws, or the fear swirling in her belly.
The person with the hockey mask and chainsaw advanced into the room.
Breezy whimpered, peeking through the crack in between her arms in abject terror. He turned his masked face toward her and she felt her limbs freeze. Oh god. Now all she could think about was her friend forcing her to play Mortal Kombat just a few days before. Jason. Oh my god. She curled in on herself in a futile attempt to pretend this wasn't happening.
He let out a laugh as he took in the sight of Jetraven and Breezy cowering before him. Grinning, he lowered the chainsaw, the teeth on the blade slowing when he took his one hand off it to reach up and push up the hockey mask. The rev faded. Breezy lifted her head up off the floor at the unexpected silence, but was unable to quell the shaking of her limbs. Billy sneered when he saw Jet peeking warily up at him and approached her, chainsaw in hand.
"Ha! What's the matter, Jet?" Billy taunted, hefting the chainsaw so he held it over her cowering form. Breezy's heart leapt to her throat and she sat up, alarmed. "How's it feel to be the other end of someone set on hurting you-no, on killing you. I had to deal with that when you made Masquerade lose it-twice!- and had him come after me." He scowled, his hands shaking on the chain saw. "He cut me apart and I was fortunate enough to live, though you considered ending my life there, didn't you? You considered having me die, and letting Julie suffer through my death!"
Billy lashed out and kicked at the elder writer, forcing her onto her back. "Hey!" Breezy protested, but he ignored her. He pressed his foot down on Jet's arm, making her cry out in pain. Her eyes widened in terror, her breath and heart rate quickened to extremely high rates as he fired up the chainsaw again, this time raising it over her.
"Now it's my turn, to decide whether you perish here, or if you have to live the rest of your life horribly scarred," Billy declared ferociously, hefting the saw up to bring it down.
"NO!" Breezy screamed, shooting to her feet, but she was not quick enough. Jet's pupils shrank in terror and she flinched violently, when a hand grasped onto Billy's shoulder. The Sub-Terra brawler froze. He turned his head slightly, eyes widening. Julie stood behind him, eyes wide with sadness and horror.
"What are you doing? Don't do this, Billy," she pleaded, her hand tightening. The cadence of her voice was all wrong; it shook and wavered, like something was caught in her throat. Here and there, it cracked, and she choked a bit on a breath. "It's not worth it." Tears sprung to her eyes. "What happened was horrible, yes, but you're alive." Her expression hardened almost imperceptibly. "Rather than lowering yourself to this, to taking revenge, you should be out there showing everyone that you won't let these injuries beat you."
"Julie," Billy breathed, the chainsaw slowing to a stop before lowering it to the side. A bit of the wildness in his eyes faded. He released the weapon, causing it to hit the ground with a deafening clatter before he turned to face her. "But, I'm scarred," he mumbled, his hand drifting towards his left shoulder, where he'd been stabbed the worst.
Julie forced a small smile through the tears. "So? You're still alive, and I know you can show everyone how tough you are-by beating that masked clone and his flunkies back on Earth while we try to rescue Dan." Her watery smile broadened marginally. "You can be the hero-the champion this time."
"You-you really think that?" Billy sounded as if he could barely believe her.
Julie nodded. "Dual Dimensions was rough-a lot of people got hurt; Shun, you, Masquerade, even Jet's own characters suffered. But, through it all, we showed how strong we could really be."
"I hurt you in Dual Dimensions," Billy protested. His eyes watered as he rested his sweaty hands on her bare shoulders. "I scared you and tried to hurt you; how can you say it was a good thing when I was hurt and hurt the person I cared about the most?"
Julie smiled sadly. "You've suffered a lot, all that pain you went through, the injuries. It brought perfect clarity to the fact that you care about me, and you don't want to wait around moping about what you did wrong. And for me..." She wrapped her arms around him. "I saw what might happen if I lost you, and… I couldn't bear the thought of it."
Jetraven glanced at Breezy while the two characters were having their moment and angled her head to the door. Breezy nodded. Jet quickly and quietly crawled out of the room, working hard to avoid drawing any attention to herself. Breezy did the same. She stepped as lightly as she could in her crouching position, eyes locked on Julie's closed ones. She wasn't sure what the bubbly girl would do if she saw her trying to escape.
Of course, true to her awful luck, Julie's eyes opened slightly. Typical. Breezy froze, her heart in her throat, as her deep blue eyes focused on her. She didn't dare breathe. The girl's mouth flattened into a thin line, but she didn't release Billy from the hug. She'd seen her; why wasn't she pointing it out to Billy? Some emotion flickered in her eyes, something Breezy couldn't interpret, and she opened her eyes wide and glanced pointedly at the door.
She stared at 12-year-old Julie in disbelief. Billy shifted in her embrace, earning a startled look from the pre-teen and a flinch from Breezy. Julie's lips parted. "Go!", she mouthed.
Breezy didn't need to be told twice. She shot to her feet and dove as quickly and quietly from the room as she could.
Outside of the door Jet had dropped to her knees, panting hard.
"Thank goodness for Julie," Jet muttered to herself, shifting to sit against the wall, placing a hand on her still-racing heart. "I thought for sure that was it for me."
"Let's not stay here," Breezy whispered, grabbing the girl's hand. "Time! And I do not trust that kid in room full of chainsaws!" This time, she yanked the Jet to her feet and led the charge down the hall.
Jet stumbled. "Ah! Easy on the arm!" she said, before she began to run as well, pulling even with Breezy. "How much time do we have left before Masquerade and Superior come after us?"
"I dunno!"
Jetraven huffed. "Ah it doesn't matter, as long as they're not popping up in front of us anytime soon." She frowned. "So, Viki's got me, Runo had her crack (granted I didn't do much against her now that i think about it…), Billy had a go, who's left…?" she muttered, narrowing her eyes as she thought it over.
"Five minutes!" Masquerade called out.
"Oh, SHUT UP!" Breezy shouted. Immediately afterwards, she regretted her decision, but fear was making her do weird things, too. Only five minutes...
"Dan?" she suggested after a moment.
Jetraven shook her head, looking a bit more frazzled. "I don't think so, I mean he's trapped on Docorrus, but I haven't done anything to him that's too bad. He might be mad about Shun-oh dear. I still have to deal with Shun," she muttered glancing around worriedly.
Breezy moaned out. "Ugh, I will, too…" Then, she perked up a bit. "Do the limitations of our stories apply here?" They slid a bit as they turned a corner.
"What do you mean by limitations? Oh! You mean that would Shun have his ninja powers gone?
"Yeah!"
"Uhh.." Jet frowned, squinting her left eye thoughtfully. "Not sure…"
Breezy sighed, but because she was panting from the running, it came out more as a thick cluster of exhales. "We're gonna die. Why did neither of us write about priests in our stories?"
Jet pulled a face. "Priests? I don't-oh… you mean to preside over our funerals…? Eh."
"No. So I can go to confession and get absolution before I die," Breezy shot back. At Jet's blank stare, she rolled her eyes. "Catholic school kid. Faith In Action award. Father and Mrs. Pat literally made up an award for me and Campus Ministry at the end-of-the-year ceremony."
Jetraven shook her head. "I feel so sorry for you-granted, I guess I can't really talk since all my 'awards' to my name, are XC golden plate awards ranging from 'Most Improved' to 'Most Dedicated'."
"Good for you!" Breezy congratulated her as they rounded another corner-only to collide with a warm body. The girls shrieked while the person simply grunted, and all three fell to the ground.
"Five guesses." Jet muttered rubbing her forehead as she sat up and caught sight of their 'speed bump'.
"Five?" Breezy asked lowly. She shook her hands, hoping to relieve the aching in her wrists from cushioning her fall.
"First number that came to mind-Oh hi, Shun." Jetraven said waving at the ninja, who had gotten to his feet so quickly she wasn't sure if he had even fallen at all. "You wouldn't happen to be willing to point us in the direction of the exit?" she asked hopefully, grinning nervously.
"No," he said, with an impossibly straight face.
Jet's face fell as she picked herself up, extending a hand back to Breezy to help the other girl to her feet. "Oh well, can you let us pass then?" she tried again, turning back to Shun. "Or are you steamed about the whole Victor-stealing-your-ninja-abilities?"
"Why are you reminding these people of what you've done to them?" the ginger asked, throwing her hands in Shun's direction.
"Because I'm in a haunted house, been chased by zombies with no capacity for dancing, took a fall from a floor above, and then was trapped in a room with chainsaws as far as the eye can see! My mouth's kind of just moving rapidly without a lot of input from my brain!" Jetraven fired at her. Even in the dim light, Breezy could see the deer-in-the-headlights expression on her face. "I ramble, I can't help it! When I'm nervous the words just come out, also when I'm excited, but that's beside the point!" She waved her hands in front of herself. "Can you please let us pass? I promise things get better for you in Doom and Docorrus," she offered, putting on her best puppy dog eyes and clasping her hands together as she turned pleadingly to Shun.
Being the ever-stoic, possibly insentient ninja, he did not yield to her attempts at adorability. Instead, he simply stood there, staring at them.
"He reminds you of Kratos, too, right? It's not just me?" Breezy whispered fearfully.
"From Tales of Symphonia? Oh yeah," Jetraven agreed, nodding her head and grabbing her chin. "Though is he as tough to get by?" she mused, trying to edge around Shun.
Instead of shouting "JUDGEMENT" like Breezy half-expected, Shun simply fixed Jet with another, possibly more callous glare, and the girl wilted. "So...yes?" the ginger murmured, backing away.
"I dunno, is the trampoline at the end of the hall?" Jet asked, gesturing behind them. "Because if not, maybe the doors that way…" Before Breezy could say anything Jet frowned and shook her head. "But, if we were going the wrong way, Shun wouldn't be blocking our path in this direction… Wanna just rush him and hope we live?" Jet asked glancing to Breezy. "I mean we might end up looking like pincushions afterwards but at least we tried right?" She laughed weakly. "Right?"
"...Didn't Masky say they couldn't…?" She glanced uncertainly at Shun. "And please stop saying what we're about to do in front of him."
Jet choked out something resembling a chuckle. "Sorry, only having a complete mental breakdown going on inside. Forgive me, I nearly got disected by Billy with a chainsaw!" she squeaked, an edge to her voice.
"...Fair point," Breezy conceded, guiltily.
"Look the clock's ticking! We need to make a move! For NARNIA!" Jet cried, raising her fist before lowering it slightly frowning. "Wait… I didn't actually read that series… Um… For Sylvarant then? or Vestroia? What's a good place to shout?" she asked, turning to Breezy.
"Oh my-for goodness-" Breezy just stared at her friend, trying to make sense of this. "Who cares?" She snatched her hand and aimed a kick at Shun's legs, which he deftly avoided, and pulled the girl along with her. She ignored her continued attempts at making anxiety-induced conversation. "Less talking, more running!" she yelped again.
"That's a good plan! I can get behind it! Running! There's a solid plan-always good, running." Jet said a bit too loud, once again stumbling from being dragged before she started getting her legs working as well.
Breezy grimaced. "Jet, shut-" And that was when something beeped and her feet were no longer beneath her, and the girls were tumbling through the air.
"Oh come on! What's with all these pitfall traps! AAHHHH!" Jet cried as they plummeted her stomach dropping with the motion. However, rather than slam into a hard floor-or trampoline-at the bottom of their fall, they hit dark, icy cold water with two loud splashes. It felt like hitting concrete, only wetter. Jet sank under for a moment before she kicked to the surface, breaching and taking in a deep lungful of air. "Buck, that's cold! Last time I checked, I didn't sign up for the polar bear plunge!" she complained, turning to her left. "Right Breezy-Breezy?" she trailed off as she spun around, looking for any sign of her friend.
The girl surfaced with a gasp, immediately whipping her shoulder-length hair out of her face. "God!" she sputtered, pawing at her eyes. "What th-the hell?"
"Cold water," Jet said as she peered around.
"No shit!" Breezy commented harshly, gracing Jet with one of the rare instances in which she swore.
"Where's the side?" Jet ignored her; she swore so often now that it didn't impact her as much as it once would've. Her mind had snapped into Lifeguard Mode, her sole focus on getting her and Breezy to the side before they got sick-or worse.
However, besides the dim light emanating from the hole in the ceiling above them, the room was pitch dark, though Jet could see some white tiles on the wall closest to the hole. Which hopefully meant they were in a pool.
"I dunno; it's too fr-fricking dark," Breezy chattered. "WHAT THE HELL MASQUERADE?" Her voice echoed just as it would in any room with a swimming pool, but she was unprepared for a reply.
"Well, Jet is a lifeguard," Masquerade said casually, his voice coming from somewhere to the right. "Not a very good one, considering she's never handled an actual situation..."
"So, we decided we'd give her a scenario to see how she fares when she has another life in her hands," Superior's voice added his voice sounding from the left. Breezy gulped.
Jet's expression darkened. "Great," She muttered as she treaded water. "I worry so much about getting stuck with a situation in real life; I don't need one in this world, too…" she grumbled as she turned to Breezy. "You all right at the moment?" she asked.
"I know how to swim; I'm fine," she stammered, abandoning treading to float on her back. "And I sound whacked because I'm scared, not because I'm cold." Which is not totally a lie. She bit her lip. I'm the target now, aren't I?
Jet nodded. "Good, good to hear," she said. "We need to get to the side though. I can tread for 10 minutes straight if need be, but the cold isn't…"
"Please, less t-talking, more r-swimming," Breezy pleaded, flipping over and kicking her way to the left.
"Okay, I wasn't sure which way to go, but I guess, when in doubt, go left…"
"Well, you know. I trust Superior more than Masky," Breezy stuttered.
"I'll swim ahead," Jet announced as she began to swim strongly in a front crawl, pulling ahead of Breezy and disappearing into the gloom.
Breezy swallowed, trying to banish the knot of terror in her stomach as she began to swing her arms in a front crawl. She kept her head above of the water, though; she could hardly see anything as it was, but putting her face in the water seemed like inviting someone to hold her head down.
A soft thud was heard up ahead followed by Jet's cry of 'OW!'
"What?" Breezy demanded.
Several loud splashes sounded ahead followed by a string of curses from Jet.
"Stupid, blasted, evil, damned wall! I banged my head!" Jet called, "Oh, that smarts..."
Breezy nearly choked on a fear-induced laugh. "Hardly the worst thing that's happened today," she muttered, keeping her arms in front of her as she powerfully kicked after her friend.
And nearly collided head on with Jet. Luckily, the elder girl pulled back at the last moment, splashing wildly to evade Breezy. They avoided each other, but Breezy did get a faceful of water.
"Eyak!" she exclaimed, flinching.
"Sorry!" Jet said, quickly. "Wasn't expecting to nearly run into you there."
"It's fine-why are you still in the pool?"
"It's a wall." Jet said. "Superior's voice was coming from a speaker on it, it's completely sheer. Nowhere for us to climb out."
"The hell?" Breezy kicked away from the left, beginning to panic. Her waterlogged shoes were starting to get noticeably heavy. "O-okay, was there a ledge under your feet at all?"
"Why do you think I was splashing so much after I hit the wall?"
"Because you hit your head!"
"I hit it head on! I sank a foot or two before I recovered and surfaced!" Jet snapped, then she growled. "Nevermind, I'll swim to the right. You'll know if I hit a wall again, hopefully." She sped off to the right, kicking and swimming as hard as she could with her heavy, soaked clothing slowing her down. She was splashing a lot with her movements. Jet might have been a lifeguard and a decently quick swimmer, but she was loud and kicked up a lot of water.
Breezy wiped her face, took a deep breath, and kicked to the right of where Jet was going. "I'll check this end," she called, streamlining her fingers and kicking beneath the water to keep herself quiet.
A few moments passed before the sound of shifting water petered off to the right, and then Jet gave a shout.
"Hey! I found the side! We can get out over here!" Jet called over to her, several soft splashes sounded to the right. She was crawling out.
"Oh, thank god," Breezy breathed, immediately looping back and heading toward her voice.
"Hurry, hurry, who knows what's next! They might decide to drain the pool!" Jet cried, there was a pause. "Oh god, I hope they don't do that, I don't want them to suck my intestines right out of me…"
"...What?" Breezy panted. "The? Hell?"
"I'll tell you after you get out! Just hurry up!" Jet urged, an edge to her voice. "I don't know where Masquerade and Superior are at…" There was two bright flashes of light that illuminated the room before dimming and leaving it enveloped in darkness. "Uh, nevermind...I found them."
"Abandoning your friend, Jet?" Superior's voice came from the dark. Jet was just able to make out the android's shape nearby, but she could no longer see Masquerade.
"I'm fine!" Breezy called out, defiantly, but could hardly ignore the intense sense of foreboding building in her chest. She began to swim like she was at a meet, paying no heed to how much water she displaced in her haste.
"She'll get out!" Jet said, though her voice sounded panicked as she hurried for the edge, nearly falling in. "Hurry up, Breezy, before they try something!"
"You mean something like this?" Masquerade's voice came from somewhere by the edge. Something clicked on and two glowing rings came to life on the end of a silver rod, the rings crackling with electricity.
Breezy recognized the stick for what it was immediately and felt her insides chill. Her limbs began to tingle just looking at it. "Jet…"
Masquerade grinned as he dropped the stick into the water. The liquid sparked where the rings came into contact with it, and it shorted out. Breezy choked, suddenly unable to move. The world was oddly...fuzzy. And painful. Her muscles were suddenly on fire where before they'd been frozen. And it hurt.
"Fetch," he said, turning to Jet.
Jet didn't hesitate. She jumped in, performing a compact jump without even thinking about it. She surfaced several feet away from the edge before she headed in the direction where she'd seen Breezy. The cold gripped her muscles in sharp claws but she paid it no mind, her sole focus on getting her friend out of the water.
"Come on! Come on!" Jet said, squinting in the dark, trying to make out Breezy. "Breezy, I can't see you! Try to splash, cough, make a sound, please!"
Breezy would have done as her friend requested if only her ears were above water. Instead, all sound registered as warped, distorted by water. That was silly. She felt oddly euphoric. Was that normal? Probably not, but she couldn't really bring herself to care. She was sleepy…
Jet whirled around, searching desperately for Breezy squinting her eyes to the point they were practically closed in her desperation to catch a glimpse of her. "I can't see her!" she cried. "Please, Masquerade, Superior! Give me some light! I'm begging you!"
Masquerade snorted from his place on the edge. "I don't think so."
"Fine," Superior said, purple energy gathering in his hand illuminating him and the immediate area around him. "But this is all you're gonna get!" he called, hurling the ball of energy out over the water, illuminating the surface. Jet was just able to just catch sight of Breezy before the ball of energy dissipated as it hit the water's surface. She was floating there, face down, her limbs twitching.
"Breezy!" Jet called as she threw herself into swimming, her clothes slowing her down. "I wish I could lose these clothes…' She thought, but it would take as long to lose them as it would to get to Breezy.
Jet grabbed Breezy's arm and after a little bit of struggle she flipped her over so the redhead was floating her back. "Breezy!" she cried, smacking her cheek lightly, trying to rouse the redhead. She coughed weakly, but didn't otherwise move.
Jet glanced around then cursed. "I don't have a tube!" she said. The floatation device that all lifeguards used was not present. She would have to swim Breezy to the end, keep the girl's head above the water and keep herself above the water's surface as well. Great.
"Fuck my life," Jetraven growled, turning so her back was to the floating Breezy. Then she reached out her left arm and wrapped it around Breezy's torso, winding her arm so it was under the girl's arms keeping her from slipping out of her grip. "Let's try this," she said to herself with gritted teeth as she began to swim, dragging Breezy along behind her. However Breezy's head easily slipped under water despite Jetraven's grip.
"Th-that won't work," Jet muttered, shifting around so that she was hugging the girl from behind to prop her up. "Come on, I'm so c-close..." she gasped out as she kicked as hard as she could, adding her right arm to the exercise after she was certain her one armed hold could keep Breezy up above the water. The water was so fricking cold!
Jet grunted as her back hit the edge with a thud. Sharp pain shot up her back from the unexpected collision. But she glared at the edge and then she grimaced.
"How am I going to g-get her out of the water?" Jet cried, turning her head to look at Superior and Masquerade. "I can't do it alone! Please help me!"
Masquerade crouched down by Jet, grinning at the girl. "What's in it for me?" he asked.
Jet looked taken aback. "What do you want?"
Masquerade gave her a look. "Have you forgotten already?"
"Right, revenge… Look, you can take me, just don't let Breezy drown!" Jet firmly beseeched him, yanking Breezy up the girl having begun to sink slightly.
Masquerade chuckled. "Fine," he acquiesced, nodding to Superior. The black haired teen moving to the left of Breezy, Jet edging to the right.
"Grab her arms," Jet directed, struggling hard to lift Breezy's arms, the girl nearly sinking out of her grip. Thankfully, Superior easily grabbed Breezy's left arm, and that freed up Jet to better support the girl's body in the water.
"Give me the other arm," Superior said, nodding to Breezy's right arm. Jet did as he asked and lifted it for Superior to grab with his other hand. The android grasped the girl's wrists in a solid grip and pulled, bringing Breezy's shoulders and head above the edge.
"I'll push from below!" Jet said, swimming to Breezy's legs and she boosted the sopping redhead up and out of the water. Superior's inhuman strength did most of the work as he easily pulled Breezy from the water.
"She's out," Superior announced, dragging Breezy six feet away from the edge of the water, before letting her lie on the surface. He crouched beside Breezy and lowered his head to her face, inspecting the ginger, his right hand drifting to the her neck, feeling for her pulse.
Jet tried to haul herself out of the water, her arms straining, her whole body shaking from the cold and exhaustion. She fell back with a splash, driving Masquerade a few steps back to avoid getting wet.
"Come on, Jet, don't tell me you can't get out of the pool," he taunted, with a sneer on his face.
"Give me a minute!" Jet growled as she kicked her feet and pushed hard against the edge, hauling herself out. She managed to get her upper body onto the tile, while her legs hung over the water. "Okay… okay… tired… need... need a minute."
Superior nudged Breezy. "She has a pulse, but I'm not getting any response… What should I do?" he asked, lifting his head to look at Masquerade.
Masquerade shrugged as he reached down to grab Jet by her bicep. The girl gave a cry of protest as he hauled her roughly to the feet. "Time's up."
"It's been that way for 5 minutes, actually," Superior commented off to the side.
"You jerks, you wanted to wait and see if we drowned," Jet grumbled glaring at Masquerade. "You could have helped!"
Masquerade laughed, ignoring her comment. "It was worth the extra wait, now come on. You have delayed your comeuppance for far too long," he said, pulling out his DT before he teleported away from the pool, leaving a disgruntled Superior with the unconscious Breezyfeather.
/-/
It was a relatively peaceful evening, all things considered. At least, it was for Princess Cassandra, who was wandering in the garden atop the Vestal Palace. Maron and the others had gone for dinner, but Cassie had politely declined, wanting to take some time for herself to think things over. Keith and Mira had imparted upon her a habit of considering the morality of people's actions, as it was a quality they felt was hugely necessary in a monarch. As such, the decisions made by the rest of her fellow cast members was weighing on her mind.
Were Masquerade and the others in the right to seek revenge on the two writers? Cassie wasn't sure how to rate their actions. Everyone had seemed so angry with them-even Mira and Keith. Mira had been tight-lipped about the whole incident, but something about her body language suggested that she felt they deserved their 'punishment'. Keith, on the other hand, was considerably harder to read, but he hadn't protested-not even when Superior expressed slight misgivings about the situation.
Even if Keith and Mira thought it was the right thing to do, was it really so? After all, if it weren't for Breezyfeather, Cassie wouldn't exist. Obsidian wouldn't, either, which was part of the reason, or so Cassie believed, that Obsidian hadn't seemed as eager about the situation as everyone else. Mylene hadn't seemed psyched about the plan, either, which was odd, considering how bloodthirsty she had been in the past. But, again, Cassie knew that without Breezyfeather, she wouldn't be around.
So...who was in the right?
It was when a high-pitched beeping cut into her train of thought that she realized she'd been staring at the same patch of marigolds for the past several minutes. Mildly confused as to who would be calling her, she held up her wrist as though she was checking the time. The incoming message appeared above the Baku-Collar, but instead of featuring a video of her contact, static was present. She blinked.
"Hello?"
"Hello," a robotic, male voice spoke up from the other end. "Am I speaking to the Vestal Queen-To-Be, Cassandra?"
Cassie hesitated for a moment. "Give me your name and I shall give you mine."
"My name is of no importance, your highness," the voice replied smoothly. "I've merely come to ask you a question. Tell me, do you care for the people of your world? For your friends, Obsidian, Saffron, and the rest of the Caretakers?"
"...Are you threatening me?" Cassie returned, her voice surprisingly steady for someone panicking internally.
"Oh no, my dear, quite the opposite, in fact. I'm offering you the opportunity to save them, and many more whose lives will be lost if action is not taken."
Cassie didn't speak for a moment, trying to decide whether or not taking the bait was a good decision. Oh, how she wished Keith was there to advise her on-
No. Keith wasn't always going to be there. He and Mira weren't the heirs-she was. This was her call, her kingdom to protect.
"What do you mean?"
"I cannot explain in detail, but bring all who you trust to listen to logic. You can bring as many as you'd like. Refrain from bringing any of those closely tied to the Brawlers though, that could bring about… some terrible negative effects if you do," the voice said.
"Bring them where?" she questioned, her powerful facade slipping. She was well aware that this request greatly diminished her protective guard-should she decide to follow up on this strange invitation.
"I will leave you coordinates, I will be waiting for you at the Windmill Diner. If you followed my advice and don't bring the Brawlers (or their close friends) I will reveal myself. If you go against my advice… you will have no hope, and believe me, I will see you all long before you see me."
And just like that, the connection closed, leaving Cassie feeling very alone, and very responsible-but for what, she could hardly guess.
A/N:
Tyler: Do we get to party some more in the A/N again?
Aidan: No we're plotting revenge dingbat!
Cassie: Oh, you say that, too. Huh. *goes back to musing*
Aidan: Of course I do! Jet made me suffer extreme pain before I was brainwashed into serving Naga, plus look at all she's done to Billy, Masquerade and Shun!
Cassie: I meant that you say 'Dingbat'... Guilty conscience?
Aidan: what no. I call Gyron a number of things, bonehead, dimwit, dingbat, being the top 3.
Cassie: ...Hm... *walks out of the room*
Mike: What's eating her?
Tyler: 0.0 something's eating her?! What?! But she looked perfectly fine! Is there a parasite inside her or something?!
Maron, Obsidian and the others: -_- No.
Mike: It's an expression Tyler…
Tyler: Oh! Why didn't you say so in the first place!
Superior: Okay, I have an unconscious Breezyfeather; what the heck am I supposed to do?! I don't have lifeguard skills like JetravenEx!
Lena: Is she breathing?
Superior: *looks helpless as he peers down at the unconscious Breezyfeather.* Uh… I think I saw her chest move…
Lena: …*walks over* You're supposed to listen. *kneels down and tilts ear near Breezy's mouth* She's breathing. She'll be fine. *walks away*
Superior: *sighs* Hey I was built to fight, I don't know this stuff!
Jessica: Great, since JetravenEx is in the story, I have to go by Jessica since JetravenEx gets shortened to 'Jet'
Obsidian: *shrugs* Could be worse. You could be getting tortured by Masquerade right now.
Jessica: *blinks* good point.
Meredith: Speaking of which, Jess why aren't you helping JetravenEx?
Jessica: *shrugs* I don't want to get on Masky's bad side.
Meredith: *looks at her incredulously* You're risking the death of your creator to avoid pissing off Masquerade?
Jessica: When you say it like that it sounds stupid!
Obsidian: ...I wonder why….
Superior: Okay, now I have an unconscious but alive Breezyfeather…. What do I do?
Jessica: *glances around for any optimists* I dunno if that's a question you should open to the peanut gallery… Especially if Dan's around.
Dan: *frothing at the mouth* *screams until he passes out*
Everyone: ….
Keane: ...Good talk.
Superior: No seriously, I don't know what to do with her, and Dan's… input… didn't exactly help.
Runo: *slasher smile* I'll take her, if you want….
Superior: *edges away from Runo* uhhh, no thanks.
Meredith: Why are you backing away from her? You're an android for pete's sake.
Superior: She's a Haos brawler. I'm a Darkus human from Destria, aka a Darkus Bakugan, she can send one of two Haos bakugan after me… I kind of like living…
Sid: *sighs angrily* If it really bothers you, just go tie her up in a room or something.
Maron: ...That sounds harsh.
Sid: Do you have any better ideas?
Meredith: Runo, at some point, we're battling-when most of us aren't caught up plotting revenge, I need to show this version of Superior that he shouldn't be afraid of Haos Bakugan.
Superior: *groans* Great.
Bakugan!Superior: Wait, but she has Splight and Tigrerra! I clock in at 500 gs! Splight would be a hard fight.
Runo: *laughing like a maniac* Sucks to suck! *deranged*
Meredith: *eye twitch* We'll see who's sucking when I whoop your butt! MY Superior has abilities that can devastate his opponent, even those that are far stronger than him. We'll show you.
Jessica: Okay, okay, we're dragging this out. *separates the two* focus on Writers' Ultimatum not on fighting each other!
The two girls: *growling*
Superior: *pulls Meredith further back from Runo* easy Mere.
Jessica: Anyways uh, how'd we end this last time?
Aidan: Where were you last time?
Jessica: I was sleeping.
Skylord: Being awesome is exhausting you know.
Obsidian: Right… awesome….
Cassie: *outside the room* ...What should I do…?
Real A/N:
JetravenEx: So I get a quick second before Masquerade does horrible things to me to say hi readers! I hope you're enjoying this. If you are you're all sadistic jerks.
Breezyfeather: ….Like you aren't enjoying writing this, you masochist.
JetravenEx: I regret nothing, and besides that you're just as bad! Or going to be once we get into ultimatum! I don't even know how bad that's going to get!
Breezyfeather: … *looks away in frustration* Touche. Anyway! Thanks everyone! Please sign a petition to ask everyone that we don't die, because if we die, you don't get updates :/ EVER.
