Chapter 9 – The Dignity

"How was that?" I asked expectantly, looking over at the mirrored glass on the wall of the room.

"Wonderful." Came Finitevus' response. "Now, do it again."

I sighed and looked to the ground where Boomer was lying. The poor robotic walrus had been today's pick of 'punching bag'. So far I'd sung 'Footloose' about five times in the past hour, and each time I finish, he drops to the floor for about ten minutes until he comes to again. I felt fine to say the least. Actually… I felt great! It sickened me to take Boomer's energy from him, but it was just… so much fun. Ever since Mogul's, Finitevus made sure I practiced my singing in front of a person, so he could see the effects. Unfortunately, it didn't end so well for the person I was singing to. Like Boomer, most victims just got drained.

"Can't we just stop for today, please? I'm getting tired." I whined.

Finitevus gave me his famous quirked eyebrow stare.

"Charolette, you've been doing this for the past three weeks and not once have you complained from being tired."

So he saw through my rouse… Dang.

"Then, can I take a break for a while? I'm sure Patches would spar with me, so I wouldn't completely waste my time." I reasoned. Boomer groaned in his comatose state and whacked his metal arm against the floor. The sound bounced off the walls.

"I suppose… but you must practice again tonight, understood? And Scourge will be your playmate until then. Patches has other matters to attend to." Finitevus said as he walked away on the other side of the wall. No doubt he was going to his lab.

"What should I do with Boomer?" I called.

"Leave him!"

"Okay…" I murmured to myself. Stepping over his unmoving body I walked through and closed the hidden door in the wall. Hopefully he'd sleep well in a soundproof room.

I walked slowly through the hallways, mildly angry that I couldn't go to see Pathces. Hell, I hadn't seen him in a few days. No doubt by sword skills are getting a little rusty…

But I've had enough of Finitevus telling me what to do. Why couldn't I help Patches with his 'other matters' or something? He's better than hanging around other 'bad influences' I know… Man, if he ticked me off too much more I may end up singing in front of him…

I smiled at the thought of Finitevus lying at my feet. Helpless and – wait. What was I thinking? As far as I could remember I was never this violent.

But, why was I doing what he wanted? I knew I was more powerful than him at the very least, and no one but Fiona would really lift a finger to try to hurt me. If I could just take down the Doctor… threaten him and drain him, Fiona being a minor bonus… then again… with my luck, no one else would know how to get me back home. And I still haven't found anyone who had the technology, or want, to get me back.

I shivered and continued to walk down the cool hallways. Eventually I found myself in the basement. All the cold stones pressing up around me though they never moved. The spider-webs blew eerily in the darkness. And faintly, up ahead, I saw something shine.

I ran towards it and stopped just as I was about to pass it. A silver acorn on a silver chain.

"Pretty." I whispered to myself as I picked it up off the ground. It was a little dusty, but it still looked nice either way.

"What are you doing down here?" Asked a voice from behind me as I stopped halfway from putting the necklace on. I turned quickly.

"Scourge?"

"Who else would it be?" He asked as he walked up to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. "And , why YOU down here?"

"Just wandering around. Didn't want to deal with Finitevus anymore, you know?" I said. He nodded and rolled his eyes in response.

"Yeah, I do. And if I knew I wasn't going to get chewed out by several people, I'd take you out for a bit."

I looked up at him and smiled.

"And who could possibly be so fearsome that it would stop the great and terrible Scourge from doing what he wanted?" I asked, putting my hands on his chest. The chain of the necklace clinked against the zipper of his black leather jacket. He looked down at me and revealed a maw of sharp teeth.

"Fiona and Finitevus. Not to mention Miles would attempt to kill me if I 'kidnapped' you." He said putting his hands over my own. I blushed, and looked away, thinking of all the times my mother tried to warn me about guys like him. Why didn't I listen to her? I would never have been here if I did and-,

"What's this?" I shook my head and focused on Scourge who opened my hand with the necklace.

"I don't know, I found it lying on the ground just a couple minutes ago. Isn't it pretty?" I asked letting him take it.

"It is. But how did you JUST find it down here? I gave it to you back on Earth."

I stared at him blankly.

"What?"

"Yeah, back when the Doc first brought you back. I told you to keep this with you. Don't you pay any attention?" He asked making a twirling motion with his finger. I complied and turned to face away from him. I saw the tiny silver acorn pass my line of vision and lower onto my chest. The metal was pleasantly warm from being in both our hands.

"There. All done."
I turned back around to see Scourge beaming with the perverse joy he usually found in everyday life.

"What is it?" I ask worriedly.

"Nothing, Charolette. Just… keep it hidden okay? It'll protect you when you need it." He said, patting my shoulder.

I watched him walk away and carefully tucked the necklace into my shirt before running after him.

"So, what are YOU doing down here if I may ask." I questioned.

"I'm just walking around. Aren't I allowed to? Seeing as it's my castle and all that." He retaliated.

"I suppose you can. …So, when did you become a King?"

"A couple years ago. And I ruled pretty well until I learned about my goody two-shoes counterpart, Sonic the Hedgehog. Fiona went to see what he was all about, and after a while, so did I. Needless to say there have been – erm - complications to his ultimate demise? But with you're help, it shouldn't be too much longer until he's gone, and I can take my rightful place as ruler of Moebius and Mobius." He growled. The flames from the lamps flickered evilly across his face during his rant. And for a brief moment I was frightened. But only for a brief moment. His want and need of conquest intrigued me.

"Do you think I'll ever meet this Sonic?" I asked.

"I hope you don't have to. He'd probably try to convert you to his side. You know, how Jehovah's Witness try to convert the people back on Earth?"

"Ha! Ha! Yeah, I know what you mean." I smiled at him.

We walked in silence for a while, our footsteps the only sound in the hallways.

"Where are we going?" I asked, turning down another cobweb filled path.

"Honestly, I don't know. You said the Doc gave you some time off?" Scourge replied.

"Yeah. He did. I have to go back later and sing some more,though. I just don't think Boomer could've handled too much more."

"I know what you mean. It hurts when you do that, you know?"

"No, I don't. But I can imagine."

Everyone BUT the Doctor had fallen pray to my voice in the past couple weeks. And each time they either ended up not being able to move a part of their body for a few hours, or getting completely drained of energy- like Boomer. I always felt awesome after I sang, but… there were definitely repercussions to my moral code.

"Well, at least you're getting better. I mean, my ears don't bleed anymore."

I whirled on him.

"You're still going on about that? I thought you were cool with it!" I shouted, jumping and putting my arms around his green neck. He chuckled, placed his hands over mine and began to spin around in tight circles.

"Never, Charolette!" He replied, laughing like mad.

"Stop it! I'm gonna hurl!" I shouted. He slowed to a halt and turned his head.

"No. If you wanna hurl, you're gonna half to go a lot faster than this." He jumped, causing me to fly up away from his body, and caught me around my legs as I came back down. All in a split second.

Being a babysitter for most of my 'working' life, I knew this position.

"Hold on to your butt!" He said, as he pretty much flew down the hallway. Or at least, that what it seemed like. I mean, I couldn't really see where I was going, as the force of the wind was keeping my eyes closed.

But I could feel the wind. Feel it blowing through my hair and over my face as Scourge ran. To the left, to the right, to the right again. I remembered this sort of feeling. Not knowing where I was going.

As a child, I remembered sitting on the swings in my backyard, kick myself up as high as I could go, then lean back and close my eyes. Plummeting towards the Earth at the zenith of my forwards swing with my eyes closed. Falling so fast with my hair streaming past my face. Gaining speed until I was the right way up again and had to pump to get back to the other side.

And again, I'd fall in my own little world.

When my dad was behind me, I'd let go of the ropes….

Without even thinking I let go of my own wrists and began to slide my hands away from Scourge's neck….

Whiplash then occurred as Scourge abruptly stopped as fast as he could –taking a good ten seconds at least. I grabbed onto him and screamed as he came to a halt.

"Owww." He groaned.

"Sorry," I apologized, sliding off his back. "Why'd we stop? Is something wrong?"
I looked at our surroundings only to see that we were no longer in the castle proper, but somewhere outside it in the surrounding forest.

"Yeah, something was wrong! What the HELL where you thinking? Letting go while I was running that fast! You could've died, Charolette!" He yelled at me, his eyes and teeth flashing. I backed up a few steps and winced.

"I'm sorry!" I answered quickly.

"Sorry doesn't cut it!" He snapped, walking towards me. "At the speed I was going- if you would've fallen off, months upon months of time would've gone to waste!"

I backed up against a tree and cringed as he towered over me.

And to think that we were having a good time less than a minute ago….

Scourge hit the tree behind me and leaned in close.

"I don't want to lose you Charolette. You're way too important to lose now…. So, the next time you're holding onto me and I'm running at a couple hundred miles per hour, do NOT let the hell go!"

He pushed away from me and the tree, both, and only then did I remember to breathe again.

"Well, the next time you decide to go over the speed limit, let me know, kay?" I told him, placing my hands on my hips.

He turned around and gave me another one of his cocky smiles.

"Charolette, there IS no speed limit."

I smiled and ran towards him when I see the ground begin to get closer and closer and CLOSER!

As soon as I landed face first on the ground, I felt some sort of a living being use my back as a spring board and shove me further into the ground.

"Oh great." I heard Scourge's deep voice mutter from above.

"What is it?" I asked, pushing myself up and spitting grass from my mouth. "Cause I need to hurt it right now."

As I looked up, I saw a woman… okay, a woman Moebian, standing in front of me. Her long, dark chestnut colored hair was knotted and tangled, her once blue uniform was stained, cut and torn from traipsing around the woods, her eyes shining with the intensity of a pack of wolves on the hunt.

"Scourge," I said, slowly standing up, never taking my eyes off her. "WHO the hell is that?"

"THAT, Babe, is the reason you shouldn't get involved with Miles." Scourge replied. "Isn't that right, Alicia!"

The woman, Alicia, snapped her gaze onto Scourge, and screamed a bloodthirsty war cry as she ran forward.