AN: Okay, the desu wa thing is CLEARLY a nod to Bubbles of PowerPuff Girls Z. -rolls eyes at self- Yeah, it's s nerdy reference, but I swore I saw some mutual PPGZ and Psychonaut fans of LJ, so I thought someone'd get the reference. Way to not take a joke, guys. Also, as Wikipedia will tell you, it is a mini phrase often used at the end of sentences by women in Japan to establish an emotional connection with the person they're speaking to. Normally women use it when they're older, but it's not unheard of for young kids to use it, kinda like how I love you is used more often by young people in Japan and with less seriousness than that of adults.

And it is NOT unreasonable for Lucky to know all those languages. I knew that many by age ten, so why can't she by age nine and a half? Think outside the box, people. And, uh, the eveyrone being on edge thing? It's called plot, and it happens for a reason. What was I supposed to do, explain everything in the first chapter? God, you people are impatient. Oh, and Lucky DOES have flaws. She can't do telekinesis and she's totally oblivious when it comes to technology.

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When Lucky and Austin emerged from their hangout, which Austin often affectionately referred to as their Anti Reality Chamber, it was several hours later. This being summer, it wasn't quite dark yet, though it was darker than usual, and the two children began to plot their escape. Austin was deadset on having dinner before attempting escape, so he parted ways with Lucky at the cabins so that she could go pack for them. (Austin always took too many snacks, as evidenced by him showing up at camp with one outfit and twelve bags of chips.) Packing was a nightmare as far as he was concerned, but Lucky was used to fast packing, having lived in a circus for so long. The familiar activity soothed her mind, allowing her to think.I don't trust this Austin kid, Lucky.

Why the hell is he always so nice to you? It makes no sense, especially with everyone going insane around here. I think it's a trap.

Lucky snorted. "Yeah, right, desu wa."

I'm with Luckinata on this one, Shadow. He doesn't seem the kind to turn evil on us. Projection, much?

Bite me, Hikari. I'm just trying to keep the kid safe. And Bobby didn't seem that bad the summer he was in the circus, and he turned around and stabbed her in the back the second she got to camp. If he can be a totally different person here, Austin can, too.

Lucky rolled her eyes. Austin was just a harmless psychic nerd with a love of potato chips that went unrivaled. "You're just being paranoid, desu wa."

Maybe Shadow's desperate for attention. Let's quit talking to him and see if he cries and listens to MCR in his downtime.

Lucky laughed at that, finishing packing with a grin on her face. Of course, Shadow was now suitably pissed, and he protested wholeheartedly, but she shut him out. Honestly, the two of them deserved each other, and though she knew she shouldn't talk to the voices in her head, they were like old friends at this point, albeit old friends who couldn't get along for five seconds. Shaking her head at their umpteenth argument today, she brushed her ebony tresses out of her eyes and went off to find Austin so they could leave. He had to be done with dinner by now, right?

The evening was cold, almost freezing, and again Lucky wondered why the weather was so unseasonably cold. Walking briskly, breathing into her hands, Lucky had to wonder if something was wrong. There were no campers to be seen. No Kitty and Franke collecting arrowheads, no Dogen apologizing to the squirrels, no Nils peaking into the girls cabins with renewed vigor after having been successful last night. It was a silent world, deprived of even animal noises. Not a single bird could be spotted in the entire camp. Struck with the sudden thought that something might've happened to Austin, she broke out into a run, mind racing, only to crash headfirst into Milla.

"Milla-san, I'm so sorry, desu wa," Lucky immediately burst out, backing up several feet. "Gomenasai gozaimasu, I was in a rush-"

"It's alright, darling," Milla said softly, sounding worried and rushed herself. "Have you seen Sasha, by any chance?"

"Not since this morning's class, desu wa."

The Brazillian's face just fell, and she ran off without another word. Her terror redoubled, Lucky rushed off again, this time on her levitation ball, sure that Austin was in trouble. If Sasha Nein went missing, that should be taken as a red flag that things were going to go to hell in short order. When polite and gentle Milla couldn't spare a few words for anyone, that meant things already had gone to hell. Lucky felt her heart sink when she opened the doors to the Main Lodge, only to find that it was empty. For a second, her mind ran through the possibilities. Death, torture, kidnapping, terrorists, psychic terrorists - until she heard the TV, and practically dove onto Austin's reclining form.

"Austin!" she squealed as his arms wrapped around her on instinct, "You're alright, desu wa!"

"What's wrong, did Vernon start molesting kids in their sleep again?"

"Everyone's missing, and Sasha's disappeared, desu wa," she replied, not noticing the blush appearing on his cheeks as she continued to hug him. "I was so scared you were gone too, desu wa."

"What do you mean, everyone's gone?"

"They're just gone, desu wa! I can't find anyone anywhere!"

Austin stood, helped her to her feet and slung his backpack over his shoulder. "Then I suggest we get the hell out of here before whatever got them violates us with a pencil sharpener, films it and puts it on YouTube. Come on, Shorty, we're going across the lake."

He had his hand in hers and had pulled her out of the Main Lodge before she had the presence of mind to ask, "Why across the lake, desu wa?"

"The road's surrounded by forest. We'd be pretty easy targets out there, like Coach Oleander at a Weight Watchers meeting. Now, come on, I think I heard-"

And then it all went black. Lucky hadn't fainted, per se. She could see and hear, but everything was suffocatingly black and quiet. Her hand slipped from Austin's, and she reached out only to find air. Spinning around, she saw nothing, but in the back of her mind, she felt a presence, dark and forboding, so evil it made Shadow look like a Boy Scout. The darkness threatened to choke her, invading her thoughts like a virus. Everything was wrong, wrong, and it was all getting so hot. She reached out for Austin, and blindly found him. Yet even as she latched onto him, he was falling, choking and gasping like she was. Everything was burning, scorching. She was going to die, and Austin was, too.

"Austin!" AUSTIN!" and Lucky, lacking any other ideas, slapped him so hard her own hand ached from the motion, desperate to snap him out of it. "Wakaranai!"

"Rukki?" He was shaking her, but everything was dark and she couldn't see him as she began to scream in pain as heat seared through her body. Her eyes darted from side to side, unseeing and yet desperate to see something, anything. "Wake up, damnit, I'm not gonna punch a girl!" But she was shaking and screaming too hard to hear him, so cringingly, begrudgingly and ruefully, he decked her. The impact threw the slender girl onto her back, and she gasped. For a second, there was a dark figure above her, eyes gleaming red and seemingly made of smoke and shadow, and she screamed, teleporting ten feet away on instinct. As if it was startled to have been seen, its six diamond shaped eyes widened, and it vanished, turning into part of the sky. Just like that it was gone, and Austion stood above her, worried.

"Austin?" she whispered, looking at him as she stood on shaking legs. "What was that, desu wa?"

"I have no clue," he replied, shakily running a hand through his hair, "But now I'm SURE you have to get off the camp grounds."

"Me, desu wa?"

"Yes, you. I'm going to call for help on the Coach's radio, now that he's fixed it, and send out a distress call to the Psychonauts from Sasha's lab. You've got to get out of here now before something horrible happens to you." He stated firmly, handing her the backpack. "Try to stay in the shadows, and get across the lake as fast as you can. Don't stop for anything or anyone, just go."

"But what about you, desu wa? I can't leave you with whatever the heck that thing was, desu wa!" she protested, staring at him in shock.

"Look, someone needs to be alive and outside the danger zone to tell the Psychonauts what happened. I'm the oldest kid in the whole damn camp, so I can take care of the technical stuff," he reasoned. "And I can go hide in Anti Reality Chamber. I'll be fine there. Whatever it is, the kids cabins look untouched, and besides," he smiled warmly, ruffling her hair, "You're like my kid sister or something. I can't leave YOU here to be killed by the fiery ghost of Godzilla's bastard child."

And he couldn't. Every time he looked at her soft, heart shaped face, his heart tore at the thought of her being hurt. She was the first person he'd ever met who got his sense of humor. She laughed at his jokes, understood his ramblings, didn't mind his swearing. She was one of the few people in his life who he really enjoyed being around. So even if he wasn't sure what he could do, he would keep her safe, like he would've if he'd really been her big brother. She was like family to him (in his own mind, anyway). Though his cynical humor threw people off every now and again and made them think he was a jerk, Austin actually had a bit of a soft spot for kids younger than him.

She sighed, not meeting his eyes as acceptance knawed at her brain. "You're deadset on this, aren't you, desu wa?"

"Yeah."

Her arms wrapped around him as she gave him a watery eyed stare that made him feel even more guilty for leaving her than he already did. "Aishiteru yo, Austin, desu wa."

"And I've grown fond of you, Shorty." With that, and a parting push, Lucky was off to the lake, and he was off to the kids cabins.

Still think Austin's a jerk, Shadow?

Honestly, Hikari? We're in way too much trouble to argue, and I never thought I'd say that.

"I'm scared, desu wa."

I know, they whispered back, and Lucky stifled the urge to cry as she broke into a frantic run down the beach, visions of Austin swimming before her eyes. He was gonna be okay, she told herself with every step. Austin will be fine, Austin's got a plan, the Psychonauts will come and save us. The Psychonauts will come and save us. Her emerald orbs couldn't hold back the tears streaming down her cheeks. Austin was out there all alone and she should've gone back for him but she was sure he was right. Someone had to be safe and sane enough to tell the Psychonauts what happened, and he was going to have to hide after sending out for help. It had to be her. No one else was in their right mind enough for this except her, the eternally unlucky Lucky.

So as the wind blew her razorcut raven hair everywhere and the waves bobbed her canoe up and down so fast she nearly got whiplash, Lucky made herself a promise that she would bring back help for Austin no matter what, because whether or not she liked to admit it, he had become her best friend the second they'd met, and that kind of bond was irreplacable. There could be no room for failure here. She would find out why everyone had gone crazy and vanished, she would find out what that was back there, and she would find help for the incredibly brave (if a bit too humorous) Austin. There could be no room for self doubt now, only success. And if Raz could face worse odds and come out of it a Psychonaut, she could come out of this in tact.

"Guys, I can do this, desu wa," she whispered, and their support warmed her as she made her way to the place where sane people went to go mad, where no hope dwelled even now it's broken state, and the ghosts of the past ripped at those who dared to approach it...

The Ruins of Thorny Towers.

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AN: Okay, so the action is next chapter. I just had this done on my comp, so I decided to post it instead of writing the bigger, more grandiose super mega chapter I had planned. Anyways, I'm off to piano lessons. (Ode to Joy is a bitch.) Reviews are love, by the way. And don't worry, I'll post a the action filled kickass chapter of death wherein Lucky just loses it and goes off to kick ass and take names later this week, I promise. I just didn't want a looooooong chapter. (It would've been, like, five thousand words and not all that climatic. Trust me, this is awesomer this way!) ^__^