Sorry for the three-week hiatus. Also, a side note: I'm not sure what color the C-Cube is, because the American version calls it blue and the European version says it's red, apparently. Since it's a European book, I'm going to go with red.
I was absolutely and completely annoyed.
Holly had gone back to piloting the ship, while Hermione had a book open on her lap, lost in its pages. Emma and Annabeth were inspecting the fancy machinery.
"Look at this sophisticated technology!" Annabeth was marveling, holding up what looked to be a red, electronic cube.
Holly's head whipped around from the front to glare at her. "Put that down."
Annabeth raised a blonde eyebrow but did as she asked.
Emma, meanwhile, was inspecting the seatbelts. A curl of her magic-fire-whatever wound around her finger but failed to melt the belt's metal clasps.
This apparently was an unprecedented discovery, because she pulled back with big eyes. This time, she lit her whole hand on fire, which was quite an alarming sight, and scorched the seatbelt completely. The buckle didn't melt, but the seatbelt straps curled in the heat and blackened.
Hermione looked up, probably feeling the heat, and recoiled with a shout, since she was unfortunately seated right next to the smoldering seat. "Emma!" she cried, holding her book away from the flames.
Emma apologetically snuffed out the fire with her hands, but not before the shuttle's sprinkler system went off.
Hermione wailed, making a futile attempt to save her book. Annabeth gasped with surprise as the water hit her. I gritted my teeth and sat through the shower, too irritated with them to care about being wet.
The shuttle jolted suddenly, and Holly marched out of the cockpit, her face red with rage.
"D'Arvit!" she snapped to all of us. "Why can't you Mud Maids just sit still for twenty minutes! Is that so hard?"
She spotted the charred seatbelt, and her face became livid, then miserable.
"Why?" she moaned to herself, her posture slumping. "Now I'll have to get a replacement seat… I just want this to be over."
I cleared my throat.
"Sorry," Emma said shortly. "I'm just not used to this stuff."
Holly sighed, lifting up the electronic cube that Annabeth had been looking at earlier. She stared at it affectionately for a moment before saying, "It's okay. I'm just stressed, that's all."
I cleared my throat again. This time, everyone looked at me.
"This is all very moving," I said, "but we have a place to be, and the apocalypse isn't anywhere near stopped. Do you remember why I'm here?"
"To annoy us?" Emma muttered under her breath.
"Nope." I was tired of sitting around. Tired of listening to their banter, tired of watching them in silence. Heck, I'd been quieter than Fang on this trip.
I met their gazes with intent. "We need to get those other Time Association people and fix this mess. I don't care what happens, because if you haven't noticed, everyone dies where I'm from. Me and my flock are the only ones left, and I made the choice to come back to a time when no one cares about us. I'm sacrificing my freedom to save the world. So let's get it over with already."
There was silence for a full two seconds. Then Holly's gaze dropped to the ground.
"I guess it's time to tell you what we're up against, then," she said quietly. "Sorry, Mud Girl, but saving all life on or under Earth might take a while."
?
Lord Voldemort faced the Consortium. He himself was not a part of them. He was much higher than them, and would never consent to sharing the role of leader. In fairness, though, neither would the fairy or the Titan.
The "Consortium," as it had been named, was their army.
The Dark Lord scanned the ranks. The simple "Lumos" spell he'd used showed what normal light couldn't: hundreds upon hundreds of invisible monsters, undetectable except for their shadows. This army, the Consortium, was the gift of the one who had helped him rise.
Behind Voldemort was the Lord of Time, the Crooked One, Kronos. Kronos was a worthy opponent, but Lord Voldemort knew he would defeat him in time. When he no longer proved useful.
In the swivel chair, looking very out of place with her petite looks, the pixie Opal Koboi giggled, clapping her tiny hands together.
"We should find them right now," she suggested cheerfully. "Leave a little present for them, perhaps. Then capture it on camera as they meet their demise!"
Lord Voldemort considered it. It was about time they destroyed their enemies and took control. But there was one major flaw in her plan.
She was in it.
Turning regally to face her in her chair, his black robes billowing, Lord Voldemort lifted his wand.
"Avada Kedavra."
