Nero slowly walked out of the GLOVE meeting, looking somewhat rumpled, maybe with a hint of hysteria in his expression, but that was ridiculous. The head of HIVE hysterical? Impossible, or was it?
Nero sighed as he strode across the launch pad to the shroud, he couldn't wait to get back to HIVE and lock himself away in his office, the day had assumed an unreal quality, as if he was having a really, really, really vivid (and frightening) nightmare.
Leaning against the side of the shroud was Raven, Nero sped up slightly wanting to talk to her, but as he neared he saw that she didn't look happy, not happy at all. And I'm not talking about the "oh dear, I've just lost my toy bunny" sad here, this was "you idiot, I hate you" not happy, or in Raven's case, "give me one good reason why I shouldn't use you for my katana practice."
'Raven?' queried Nero cautiously, 'What is the matter?"
Raven gave Nero a cold look, 'You of all people should know,' she replied icily, for a moment Nero could have sworn the temperature dropped several degrees.
'Know what?' asked Nero feeling uncomfortable, it seemed that somehow Raven had discovered the video…
'Why Max?' she asked suddenly throwing her hands up and stepping forward, 'We've been together for so long and then you go and…'
Nero held up his hands, 'Wait, wait, wait,' he said looking puzzled, 'What are you talking about?'
Raven glared at him, 'This maybe some sort of joke to you, but it isn't to me.'
Nero gave her a puzzled look.
She sighed, 'Why are you trying to replace me? This is a pathetic joke Nero, and my sense of humour doesn't stretch this far.'
'Replace you? Why on earth would I do that?'
'But you…'
Nero let out a short laugh, 'Raven,' he began gently, 'I would never dream of replacing you unless something serious happened to you, or you need to quit for whatever reason that may come along.'
'But Carlos said that you had…' Raven paused in mid-sentence.
Nero's eyes narrowed after a few moments of silence.
'Do you get the feeling something suspicious going here?'
Raven nodded her eyes narrowing too, 'Yes,' she said slowly, 'I do.'
'What day is it today?' asked Nero suddenly.
'April the first,' responded a bemused Raven, 'Why?'
'April Fool's Day,' breathed Nero.
'What?' exclaimed Raven, 'Seriously?'
'Adds up doesn't it?' responded Nero bluntly a frown creasing his forehead.
Raven groaned, 'You mean we're probably victims of a prank?'
'Someone is seriously going to regret this.'
Raven nodded grimly, 'If your certain,' she added suddenly glancing over at Nero.
'As I said, it appears to add up.'
'Why don't we wait till the end of the day and decide then,' suggested Raven.
Nero gave her an agonized look, 'Do you have any idea what I've been through today?' he moaned.
'Do I honestly want to know?'
Nero paused, 'No.'
Raven shot him a suspicious look but left it at that, if Nero said she didn't want to know something then it was best to let the matter lie.
He sighed, 'So we're just going to go back to HIVE and wait the day out?'
Raven dipped her head into a nod, her face determined and resolute, 'We might also be able to learn who is behind this.'
Nero sighed again, 'Fine,' he said to weary to argue, 'Let's get it over with.'
Nero cautiously stepped out of the brightly coloured shroud, wary. He groaned inwardly, he'd never be the same again after today.
Guards dotted around the cavern were studiously avoiding staring at the shroud though a few seemed to be having problems with maintaining that famous blank stare.
Raven marched out of the shroud behind him, making a beeline for the door.
'Where are you going?'
'To catch our prankster,' she responded over her shoulder.
'Yes,' murmured Nero quietly to himself watching his assassin march out of the door, 'But what remains to be seen is if the prankster will get us first.'
Nero cautiously walked down the corridor, it was interesting how Nero's "formidableness" had detoriated somewhat over a few events in one day. Ahead, he saw Raven striding down the hall, her hands balled into fists. Nero winced, he knew that stance well enough, it usually went trouble for someone, trouble with a capital T, R, O, U and so on.
'So,' he said casually as he caught up with her, 'Who are you going to interrogate first?'
'H.I.V..'
Nero raised his eyebrows, 'Logical decision,' a sudden thought occurred to him and he frowned (something he was doing far too often of late), 'You don't suppose he had anything to do with this do you?'
Raven nodded slightly, 'It's a possibility, but I doubt that H.I.V. would become involved in such….mundane matters.'
Nero nodded but didn't look so convinced.
'So,' she said eventually, as they came to a section in the corridor which branched off in separate directions, 'I'll see you later then.'
Nero nodded not really paying attention to her as his thoughts were somewhat preoccupied.
He should have noticed something was up, his highly developed sixth sense was kicking in slightly, but then, it had been all day.
The first inkling of what was to come came with a certain theme tune blasting out over the tannoy system making Nero jump out of his skin,* then all thoughts faded away as he stared slack-jawed at the hallway before him.
There were a few teachers walking past the hallway in front of him, nothing to strange there, what made it so….weird was the fact that a) the Contessa was dressed in a bikini which looked like the one Princess Leia wears in Star Wars and 2) her hair was multicoloured and 3) Professor Pike was dressed like a certain Hahn Solo, and appeared to be trying to ask "Princess Leia" to marry him.
Nero's mouth opened and closed but nothing came out. As he quickly shot a glance at the side of the corridor he had to bite back a shout of surprise as a man in a black costume, complete with evil-looking black coat and breathing problems came striding along the corridor.
'Okay,' said Nero slowly.
As the music reached a crescendo a troop of clones came marching along the hallway, past Nero, and proceeded to wage war on Professor Pike and the Contessa, Pike still seemed to be trying to convince the Contessa that they loved each other.
As the Star Wars group noisily ran off around the corner Nero's sense kicked back in and he quickly jogged after them but they had gone.
'So,' he said thoughtfully, 'The Professor and the Contessa are involved.'
Meanwhile, Raven was completely oblivious to these events and wrapped up in the search for the prankers. Little did she know she was being stalked.
Suddenly there was a zapping sound, a lot like that of a sleeper, Raven spun around and drew her swords from her sheath and froze.
She expected a gentle reassuring hum and purple glow, instead there was one foam sword and another bubble sword. She stared at them blankly for a few moments before remembering that someone had shot at her with a sleeper.
Raven's gaze shifted from her swords to a petrified looking Franz clutching a blackbox in two hands.
'What are you doing?' she asked tightly.
Franz swallowed, went a shade paler and mumbled something incoherent.
Raven glared at him and snatched his blackbox of him, tossing her bubble sword to the ground in annoyance.
On the screen was a game that Otto and Laura had recently developed for the blackboxes: "Sleeper Shootout" complete with authentic sound affects.
She shoved the box back into Franz's shaking hands.
'Where are my swords?' she growled.
Franz pointed a shaking hand to the two swords lying on the floor.
'My real swords,' she snarled, leaning close towards Franz's face until they were only a few centimetres apart.
The reply never came, instead there was a soft thud as Franz keeled over backwards and passed out.
Raven let out a string of words in Russian, which for the benefit of the audience (and the fact I don't want an "M" rated fanfic) have been censored. After a few minutes she stopped her tirade and marched off down the corridor occasionally muttering the odd expletive under her breath, leaving a unconscious Franz slumped on the floor.
*Yup, it's the Star Wars theme…:-)
Hope you liked it! I'm about to start on the next chapter soon (it might take a while -_- ) Review review review review review review review review review!