She woke up screaming. Her eyes darted about the room in panic, and sweat had soaked her clothing. Her chest heaved as she frantically tried to recall where she was and who she was. It was disconcerting, to wake up and not remember who you're supposed to be.
After several long tense moments, with nothing jumping out of the dark at her, she began to calm down. She started to tremble as her heart rate and breathing relaxed a little, and she curled up in a tight ball, face buried in her knees. A knock on the door startled her. She lifted her head and looked at it warily.
"Kim?" called out a hesitant voice. Kim sighed in relief.
"Yeah?" she called back, her voice slightly shaking. That got an immediate response. The door flew open and Georgia, Jenny, and even Sandra all entered the room. Georgia was scowling while Jenny and Sandra both looked worried.
"Kim…" Georgia sounded threatening, she even looked like she was threatening the redhead, but Kim knew otherwise. She tried her best to smile.
"Sorry, just a bad dream."
Georgia shook her head, scowl growing deeper.
"Kim, you haven't had that dream for ages. What's going on?" demanded the taller girl. Kim grimaced. Georgia only used her actually name when she was serious. Usually Georgia stuck with calling her Red. It used to kind of bother the redhead, seeing as a couple people she didn't particularly like used to call her that, but after a while, the nickname had grown on her.
"Nothing. Everything's fine."
"Bullshit. Stop lying to me and tell me what's going on."
Double damn. How did the black haired Goth always know when something was wrong? Especially when it came to the damned dream… Kim sighed, propping her chin on her knees.
"I really don't know Georgie… I haven't done anything to bring that memory to surface."
"Hello, demon that shoots green fire from her hands!"
Kim winced. That really caused Georgia to frown. She hesitated a moment, seeming to fight whether to step forward or stay put. Jenny saw it and moved forward to envelope Kim in a hug. She knew Georgia cared about Kim as much as she did. She also knew that the black haired Goth had a seriously hard time letting any other emotion other then anger or irritation show. The Goth always had an internal battle within herself, and Jenny didn't like to see either of her friends so vexed. That being so, Jenny was usually the one to step forward and comfort the redhead while Georgia belted out the questions.
"Kim," murmured Jenny. "You need to let us know what's going on."
Kim growled slightly, trying desperately to hold back tears.
"I already told you, I don't know! Seeing… her didn't help matters, but it shouldn't cause the dreams." Kim rubbed her forehead with the heel of her palm. "Yeah, she pissed me off, but in all honesty, what happened that night wasn't any fault of hers. She wasn't even there. She shouldn't bring those kinds of memories back."
Georgia shook her head.
"She was still linked with him. Because they worked so closely together, you can't help but think of him when you think of her. Going all heroic again doesn't change that matter. All your memories of her deal with her being with him."
"So in other words, I'm fucked." Kim hid her face in her knees again. "Damn dreams..."
Jenny pulled Kim closer, stroking the tangled red hair.
"Kim, you want me to stay with you tonight?" she asked. "I know it makes you feel better when you have someone to cuddle up to."
Kim picked her head up enough to glare at Jenny.
"I don't need a fucking cuddle buddy."
Jenny couldn't help but grin.
"No? I could have sworn I saw that tattered old pandaroo on the top of one of your boxes you brought in."
Kim blushed and looked away, muttering something under her breath.
Sandra clapped her hands, getting everyone's attention.
"Oh! We could have a slumber party in Kim's room!"
Kim and Georgia's eyes widened in horror.
"No way in HELL!" they both shouted at the same time. It sent Jenny and Sandra into fits of giggles.
"Why not?" she asked innocently. "It would make Kim feel better and we would feel better because we could keep on eye on her."
Jenny nodded.
"It's a win, win situation," she remarked, earning a glare from the redhead and Goth.
"I repeat my earlier statement," said Kim. "No way in hell."
Sandra took them all by surprise by running across the room and leaping onto the redhead's bed, giggling when she bounced upon landing.
"Too bad, you're stuck with us," she said impishly, fixing her crooked glasses. Jenny grinned and looked pointedly at Georgia. Georgia crossed her arms and lifted her chin, trying to look threatening.
"Don't even think about it," she warned. Jenny didn't even hesitate. She raced off the bed.
Georgia tried to sidestep her, but Jenny dodged around her and kicked her square in the back. Georgia went flying towards the bed. Before she could regain her balance and flee, Sandra grabbed onto her hands and yanked her onto the bed.
"Come on up!" the genius replied cheerily.
"Fucking cheaters!" growled Georgia as Jenny came up behind her and grabbed her ankles. She flung Georgia's feet onto the bed.
Kim eeped as Georgia landed squarely in her lap. Jenny didn't help matters by sending the bed quaking as she jumped on it, letting her legs spread over Georgia's, effectively trapping the Goth.
Georgia muttered a few choice words before giving up and glaring at Kim.
"What?" Kim asked. "I didn't do anything!"
"Hug me like your pandaroo, and I'll kill you," she said tersely. She made sure add the other two in her glare. "That goes for you two as well."
Jenny grinned again and flopped down on her back beside Kim on the large bed. She sighed.
"Damn it Red, your bed is so much bigger and comfier then mine!" she whined. Kim rolled her eyes.
"If you try stealing it, I'll kick your ass."
Jenny smirked.
"I'd like to see you try."
Kim huffed.
"You take Georgia's threats more seriously then mine?! That's totally not fair!"
Jenny laughed.
"I see Georgia keeping her threats a lot faster then I see you doing it. Besides, you haven't been around for a while. I've gotten stronger."
Kim fell onto her back with a huff.
"Yeah, and I just let myself go." She shook her head. "You think I don't train while I'm not home?"
Jenny tapped her chin.
"Maybe?"
Kim managed to twist her torso enough she could look at the blond and poke her in the ribs.
"I'm not you, Sloth."
Jenny huffed playfully and slapped Kim's hand away.
"Stop picking on me and go to sleep."
Kim smirked and relaxed into the soft mattress.
"Georgia, you're not sleeping in my lap. Either lay on the bed properly or I'll kick you off in the middle of the night," threatened Kim. Georgia glared at her.
"Kick me off and I'll burn your pandaroo."
Kim's eyes widened.
"You wouldn't!"
Georgia couldn't help but smirk evilly.
"Try me," she dared. Kim swallowed and proceeded to ignore the Goth making herself comfortable on her lap.
----
Morning rolled around to find them mostly in the same positions as the night before, but Georgia had moved to use Kim's stomach for a softer pillow. She was the first to wake, and finding herself in her current position, grumbled and scrambled out of the bed, waking the others in the process.
"Hmm?" mumbled Kim, rubbing her eyes. She spotted Georgia heading for the door. "You making pancakes?" she asked hopefully. Georgia stopped to look at the half asleep redhead. She mentally sighed at herself. Kim's unguarded sleepy face and tousled hair were almost as bad as her puppy dog pout.
"Yeah, be sure to be up when they're done, or I'm throwing them in the garbage." She retreated out of the room. Kim grinned sleepily and snuggled back into the blankets with Jenny and Sandra, who had woken up but gone right back to sleep.
"She only does that for you," Jenny mumbled grumpily. "The only thing she made me was a knuckle sandwich."
Kim could only chuckle.
Half an hour later, all three of them stumbled into the kitchen. Georgia was standing over the stove, spatula in hand. She didn't even look up as she flipped a pancake and the others took a seat at the table. Sandra yawned behind her hand, causing the other two seated to yawn as well. Georgia turned to give them all a measured look.
"Why are you half asleep? Aren't you guys usually the morning types?"
"Good company does tend to make it more tempting then when left alone," remarked Jenny. Kim and Georgia rolled their eyes.
"You wouldn't care either way. I think she was referring more to Sandra and me anyway," said Kim. Sandra grinned.
"Yes, but I'd have to agree with her statement. It is nicer to sleep in when there's someone there to steal warmth from."
Kim shook her head.
"Well, you're going to have to remember it well, cause it's not happening again." She glared at all of them. "My room. My bed. No more sleepovers."
"Awww!" whined Sandra and Jenny. Georgia snorted and brought over a plate stacked high with pancakes.
"Shut up and eat," she commanded. "I don't want to hear whining this early in the morning."
Kim happily took the first four off the pile, leaving the other two only two apiece. Jenny shot Kim a glare, but the redhead paid her no mind. All three dug in, Kim the one with the most gusto. She paused between one bite, swallowing roughly.
"By the way, our job is on tonight. Sandra found their sub's hiding spot. She's going to fly us there by way of jet then we're going to get to start the mission."
"Who's doing what?" asked Georgia, flipping another pancake.
"Jenny and I are going to be providing a distraction, and possibly a second heist, while you get the sub."
Jenny lifted a delicate eyebrow.
"A second heist? For what?"
Kim's grin turned feral.
"There was something good about my dream. It reminded me that there's another item GJ has that is of great interest to me."
Jenny's brow scrunched up in confusion.
"What is it?"
Kim smirked playfully, diving back into her pancakes.
"You'll just have to find out."
Jenny rolled her eyes.
"Whatever."
--Somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean—
Kim hung out over the water with a wide grin on her face. She motioned behind her with her free hand while clutching tightly to the doorframe with the other. Sandra kept the jet hovering in one spot over the water. Jenny stepped forward. With a nod, they both jumped from the jet and into the water. As soon as the two figures disappeared beneath the waters surface, Sandra pulled on the controls and sent the jet high into the night sky, keeping it out of sight.
Kim and Jenny swam down into the darkness. No light other then a faint glow from a single small flashlight could be seen. The beam cut through the darkness only a few feet, and if they hadn't had a map digitally imprinted into their watches, they wouldn't have known where they were going.
They both glanced periodically at their watches, making sure to stay on track. Every now and then, an unidentified shape would swim past them, causing their pulse to pick up pace a few beats until they were certain it wasn't a manmade object. Of all things they were worried about, it wasn't any kind of fish or shark that might be swimming about. They were certain they could handle that. The unpredictable contraptions people came up with though, were worthy of being alert about. Especially when it came to GJ.
Their pace slowed as a sleek surface came into sight. Kim pointed, flashlight reflecting slightly off the metal surface. Jenny gave her a thumbs-up. Both women swam faster. Trailing the light across the body of the machine, Kim and Jenny kept an eye open for what they were looking for. They were glad that the submarine was currently going a near standstill pace.
Kim stopped, grabbing hold of a small jutting handle on the side of the sub. She motioned Jenny over, who quickly found a hold on another one across from her. Kim pulled out a small device from the bag on her back. She placed it on the side of the submarine and pushed a button. Soft static filled her ears.
"…late watch!" complained a stranger. She listened through the earphones built into her helmet as the conversation continued. She smiled when the two people speaking agreed to go grab a bite to eat.
"Not like anyone knows where we're at!" joked the other person as their voices faded. Kim held up her hand for a high five. Jenny grinned and met Kim's hand with hers. It made things easier with no one by the door.
Kim waited a couple more moments to make sure that no one was there before putting away the one device and pulling out another. She opened a panel next to the rectangular hatch between the two women. She held up the second device in front of it. She watched a red light blink several times before turning a solid green.
With a hiss, bubbles escaped into the water around them, momentarily blinding them. Next, with a nearly silent groan, the door fell back then slid to the side. Kim and Jenny swam inside, closing the door behind them. A yellow green light held them caged in while the water started draining out of the small room. As soon as it was empty, the yellow light turned green. The second door opened.
Kim and Jenny grinned, slipping into the empty room on the other side of the door. After checking to see if the coast was clear, both women released their helmets and removed them. Keeping silent, they both secured their helmets in their backpacks before grabbing a towel from a rack on one side of the room. They carefully moped up the pools of water they had left and dried off their feet and suits to the best of their ability. Satisfied with their work, they proceeded through the narrow corridor.
Kim glanced at her watch. She frowned. She motioned for Jenny to lean closer.
"Didn't we expect a distraction about this time?" Kim murmured in her ear. Jenny glanced at her watch and smirked.
"Chill out girl. We have another ten minutes."
Kim looked at her watch again. She grinned sheepishly.
"Whoops."
She turned around again and picked up her pace. They expertly moved through the submarine without detection, quickly making it to their destination. Jenny frowned moodily.
"This is too easy," she murmured. Kim glanced at her and grinned widely.
"The fun's just about to start," she answered softly.
A LOUD alarm started going off, and Kim and Jenny nearly covered their ears. Rolling their eyes, they watched as the sub came to life. People started milling about everywhere.
Kim and Jenny quirked an eyebrow as everyone suddenly stopped as the alarm changed. Everyone put their hands on the wall, bent their knees, stood on the balls of their feet, and opened their mouths. Amused, the two women mimicked the position, giggling to each other. Then the sub jerked suddenly, nearly knocking them from their feet. The only thing that kept their footing was the funny position they'd been in. It also proved to save them a mouthful of teeth. Jenny did chip a tooth though, much to her irritation.
Kim pushed a button on her watch with a scowl.
"What the hell was that?!" she hissed as Sandra's face came into view. Sandra grinned impishly.
"Just a simple missile."
Kim rolled her eyes.
"We want the sub WHOLE!"
Sandra laughed.
"That's why I only shot one. Now, quit complaining and get back to work. Rover is already at the hatch."
Kim shot her one last glare before cutting the connection. She scanned the area and motioned Jenny to stay low and wait there.
Kim cocked her head to the side, earning several little pops from her neck. Rolling her shoulders in relief, Kim grinned and stepped out of her hiding spot and into the new room. She slid up to the hatch in front of her and opened it. She watched in dark amusement as she stepped inside and saw the lone chair swiveled around at the sound of her entry.
"W-wha…! You're dead!"