A/N: Not the most exciting chapter, but I still had fun writing it. Hopefully you guys will enjoy reading it. Oh, and this week I will make it my DUTY to answer reviews. All of 'em, even just to say thanks. So, have random questions or the such, this is the week to ask. That doesn't mean I'll be able to answer 'em, but I can point you in the right direction at times. So, thank you for your patience for this chapter being delayed, and enjoy the chapter!
Disclaimer: Own, I do not.
Chapter 34 Rebellion Reunion
Stumbling out of the time portal, Takashi and Sam found themselves in an empty hallway somewhere in the maze that was Plasmius' Tower. It took both of them a second to regain their senses and get back to a functioning level. The second their wits had returned, Takashi's watch blipped softly.
"It's Mac," Takashi said as he brought the communicator to his face for inspection. "Be quiet as I take this." Sam folded her arms in front of her and gave a sigh. She couldn't fake the interest on her face, though, when the hologram of another Guardian sprung to life on the watch face.
"Where did that portal come from?" Mac asked Takashi the second communication was achieved between the two. The dog hologram wagged it's tail with gusto energy, and it's ears twitched with Mac's excitement. "How'd you know it would send you here?"
Takashi frowned. Any lie, good or bad, Mac would be able to see straight through. He might have acted like an idiot at times, but Mac was just as brilliant as the rest of the Guardians. He'd see through any wool Takashi tried pulling over his eyes.
"Look, Mac," Takashi started while rubbing his forehead with his free hand, "I talked to Clockwork for a few minutes. He gave me the portal here as a gift for our conversation. Okay?"
"Plasmius told us Clockwork was off limits," Mac pointed out emotionlessly.
"I know," Takashi said with a nod. "But I felt like talking to him."
"You can get into big trouble for this, Tak," Mac stated with a raised doggy eyebrow.
"I know!" Takashi repeated, voice rising slightly. "What do I have to do to keep it secret?"
"Oh, that's a tough one," Mac said, tail wagging more with this news. He looked up in thought. Takashi sighed, glaring to the side in annoyance. Sam repressed a smile. As professional and smart as the Guardians wanted to be, they still acted like little kids at times. To a human like her, it was pretty amusing.
"You know those dog biscuits that were accidentally shipped to the Tower twenty years ago?" Mac asked hopefully.
"The ones where the shippers were sentenced to life in prison for messing up the order?" Takashi asked.
"Yep! That one," Mac confirmed with a single nod. "Plasmius kept 'em for some reason. The chiefs know where they are. I want one each time we see each other." The dog grinned evilly as it asked sarcastically, "Is that too hard, Tak?"
"Consider it done, slobber boy," Takashi shot back with a faint, wicked smile. "And if you get your essence into a twist from the old things, don't blame me."
"Fair enough," Mac laughed.
"Oh, and Mac," Takashi said, a genuine smile coming to his lips. "Thanks."
"What?" Mac asked with a disbelieving laugh and an odd expression crossing his dog features, which was hard even for him. "You human or something, man? Stop messing around. Over and out."
The hologram vanished into the watch. Takashi glanced up at Sam and shrugged. He was just happy that his deal to keep Mac silent was simply giving him dog treats. Typical Mac. Although annoying, the Guardian was an easy friend in times of need like this one.
"All you did was say thanks," Sam said with a tilt of her head. "Was that unnatural for a Guardian?"
Takashi smiled at her, saying, "You have no clue." He waved a hand in the air, creating a set of futuristic handcuffs with his essence energy. A lightning quick lunge, and the Guardian had Sam's wrist in one hand. "You better get used to these things," he said while forcefully shoving her hand into one of the cuff holds. "You'll have them on for a very long time."
"Hey! Can't we do this thing at a slower pace?" Sam asked while pulling her other hand away from Takashi so he couldn't catch it. "You're freaking me out."
"Sorry," Takashi said flatly, a sigh accompanying the word. "But Plasmius will be wondering why I'm not by his side already. We have to move fast to evade suspicion. Hold still."
"Look, I'll hold still when I want to," Sam said stubbornly.
"Not anymore," Takashi grumbled. He shoved her back into the wall, forcing a scream from the startled girl. Takashi ignored her constant struggle and protesting words as he grabbed her other wrist and shoved it into place. He brought her hands up over her head and pinned them there as he put his face close to hers. She fell silent.
"From here on out, you don't know my name," he told her in a dark whisper. "We aren't buddies or friends. We hate each other. I'm your captor. I'm no more than that. Be angry. Be scared. I don't care what emotion you choose. I just want you to know that the only emotion I'll show you is coldness. You prepared for that?"
Anxiety churned in Sam's stomach from her rise of fear, but she managed to push it away as she nodded in understanding. "I'm ready," she said.
-Poseidon's Terra-
Danny looked out at the perfectly white sands of the beach and smiled at the soothing sounds of the rhythmic waves. He glanced over to Theo who sat across the table on the same type of comfortable cushion seat the ghost boy was relaxing in with his lemonade. Instead of soaking in the blissful rays of sunlight, the young man was staring at the waters with a look of deep thought placed lightly on his moody features. Danny wondered what his friend was thinking.
Brushing the ponderous emotion off him, Danny returned his stare to the beach and watched as Melody bravely ran into the crashing waves with a shrill scream of joy. The little girl had never experienced the beach. These days, a beach was only part of a long, fairy tale story from a grandpa. It was a shame to think of what Vlad had turned the world in to.
Zara played with her master by transforming into a sea turtle and scooping Melody up on her old shell and dragging her out into the sea for more fun. Bob played parent as he buzzed around the girl with squeaks of worry for her safety. Danny's smile widened at the sight.
"You boys want another round of drinks?" Poseidon asked as he came out of what seemed like nowhere.
"I'm good," Danny said while raising his tall glass. "Thanks!"
"I'm fine," Theo said before taking a small sip of his drink. He quickly put it back on the round, wooden table the three now shared as the god eased into his chair between the two heroes. Theo flashed Danny a serious look that meant they needed to get down to business.
"Alright, Theo," Poseidon said with a humorous laugh and shrug. "Let's talk politics. It's what you want, right?"
"I hate politics," Theo said tersely, taking another sip.
"Then why'd you marry a politician?" Poseidon asked him with a joking smile.
"To balance me out," Theo said, grinning a little. "But this is battle strategy. My territory. I'll warn you now that I'm not backing down. Here it is to you straight: you're either with us or against us."
"So if I suggested that you merely suck me into a silly thermos so I can wait till this war is over, you'd say no?" Poseidon asked with interest.
"Yes," Theo said flatly. "Artemis has already joined us and will supply the Rebellion with her archers. We have Danny. We have Melody. We have Mandrake. That's all we have to our advantage at this point."
"That's not a lot," Poseidon pointed out. "Are you suggesting you want me and my command over the cyclopses that make weapons to join you and your Rebellion so you can have another advantage?"
"Of course," Theo said. "Look, we have brilliant, passionate humans, demigods, and gods on our side. The only thing Vlad has is fearful followers and Guardians. Maybe a handful of ghosts, but they aren't much of a threat. He's out of gods. Danny and I have knocked them off his plate. All we need is some more firepower, more willpower on the Rebellion side, and we're set. You're that last thing we need."
"I'm flattered," Poseidon said after a long swig of his drink. "But I'm in no mood for another war. That's the entire reason why I came here in the first place, young demigod. After Vlad took over, we had no more war. I have my own spot to rule over the waters and relax. I'm done with building weapons at the snap of someone's fingers. I might be good at it, but that doesn't mean I always like it. No more war for me. Understand?"
"Well, guess what?" Theo said with a cruel smile. "There's a war going on right now. Wherever you go, there's always gonna be one. And in this war, you either choose a side, or a side is chosen for you. So you either help us, or we're gonna give you a position in this war you won't like."
Poseidon smirked back at the young man, not knowing if he liked the cockiness displayed so pretentiously on the feline's face. A few centuries ago, the god would have punished any foolish demigod or human who would have addressed him in that matter.
"You and the Rebellion don't have any power over a god such as I," Poseidon finally said with hardness in his voice.
"Try me," Theo said.
"Fine," Poseidon said with a harsh, sharp laugh. "I won't join your silly band of renegades. Your group is incredibly imbecilic if it believes it can overpower Plasmius." He glanced over to a listening Danny before asking in a sneer, "You think this child god is going to give all these humans freedom in the matter of a single night? I could beat the boy with my hand behind my back. He's no match for Plasmius."
"Don't pick on him," Theo said, addressing the issue with an intenseness in his voice. "He doesn't know a thing about that just yet. He'll be fully prepared when the time comes, though. The main issue here is you and how you will benefit the Rebellion."
"I don't know about what yet?" Danny asked with concern. When no one answered him, the boy leaned across the table and demanded, "Theo? What aren't you telling me?Answer me!"
"Shut up, kid," Theo snapped at the upset ghost boy. "You're not part of this." He focused back on the water god and said, "If you choose not to help us, the Rebellion can easily pass the word around that you let Danny and I go free instead of capturing us for Vlad. We'll attack your shipments of water to the Terras. That will put you in a sour relationship with Plasmius, who I'm sure will be coming out here to ask for your help in this war. He'll force you to work for him eventually. And with the Rebellion's sky pirates wiping out your income, I can guarantee you a miserable life here on Terra Poseidon."
Poseidon's lips turned into a deep, pensive frown as he leaned back in his seat. As he pondered over his options for a moment, Theo took a quick sip of his drink and glanced at Danny. The teen looked angry and confused. The glare he kept on Theo was clear proof of those emotions. Theo ignored the stare and expectantly waited for Poseidon to cave into the Rebellion's demands.
"Alright," Poseidon said with a sigh. "Tell the Rebellion they have a deal. I'll make them their weapons in time for the first attack to Vlad's Terra."
Theo grinned in triumph while setting down his glass and saying, "I think you made an excellent decision."
Poseidon shook his head with a smile coming to his rough, handsome features. "Pleasure doing business with you, young demigod," he said, sticking his large, calloused hand out for a shake. "The Rebellion might be a foolish bunch of people, but they chose a very sly, skillful kid to strike their deals."
Theo laughed while shaking hands with the god. "I'll take that as a compliment," he said. "I'm just wondering why you didn't attack us in the first place. You've always been the type of god who struck first then asked questions later." The hand shake with the god was bone crushing. Theo had a hard time containing his wince as he pulled his hand away.
"Oh, I did," Poseidon said, brushy brown eyebrows raising in wonder. "I thought that ghost-impervious orca whale I had sent out found you guys. Did it?"
Theo and Danny shared a look of surprise before they sighed simultaneously.
"Yeah," Danny said with a bitter chuckle. "It found us alright."
-Weeks Later-
Poseidon had been kind enough to let the group stay on his Terra as his cyclops workers built them another solar ship. A few days later, the team had boarded the deck, got the needed supplies for a long journey at the closest island Terra, and were on their way to meet the rest of the Rebellion. Fortunately, the crew didn't encounter any more unwanted difficulties along the way. They were all hoping Ember and Skulker had given up on them, but it wasn't much of a reality. And Danny was constantly weary of another sighting of Cloak Guy. Somehow, none of these enemies showed themselves as the weeks strung swiftly by.
Danny found himself finding a good routine with each passing day. He'd train for a few hours with Theo, learn cooking tips from Bob at lunch or dinner, play with Melody in an attempt to hear her beautiful laugh, win and loose chess games with Zara in the afternoon to practice his banter, and then end the day with some reading from the books Mandrake had given him. He enjoyed the business of each day, but it wasn't enough for the hole in his chest and the homesickness that would keep him awake all night. The teen was happy and proud at himself for improving in so many different areas, but he couldn't help but worry about how this adventure was going to end.
"So, we're supposed to arrive at the Rebellion's main base today?" Danny asked Theo after his stab was avoided with a deft jump backwards from his feline friend.
"If Zara says we're going as fast as she claims, then I guess we will," Theo grunted with a perry of Danny's blade with his staff. He knocked Danny's sword away and maneuvered his staff to come down on Danny's shoulder. The teen threw himself into a roll to his side just as the harsh piece of metal hit the air where he used to be.
"Will Rhodes be there?" Danny asked before he let out a sharp battle cry and came at Theo in a leap. Theo brought up his staff, gritting his teeth as the metals collided in a loud clank.
"Don't try to distract me, kid," Theo said with a teasing smile. They battled it out in pure strength as they pressed their weapons against each other.
"Oh, I'm sorry, dude," Danny said, grinning wickedly in return. "I didn't think you'd fall for the mental image of your beautiful, pregnant wife." He stepped a foot forward as Theo was momentarily distracted.
"Quit it, ghost freak," Theo said. "That's like going so low as to remind you of Sam waiting with concern for you back in her own time. Ready to kiss you the second her boyfriend returns." Danny's grin vanished from his face at the memory of his girlfriend, and he took a step or two backwards.
"Point taken," he said quietly.
"She probably sits each night at her kitchen table and awaits your call as she stares at her cell phone," Theo persisted with a smug smirk. "And she doodles inside her notebook each day at school, all the pictures of you."
"Hey! Stop, okay?" Danny snapped into Theo's smiling face. "That's enough. You know I miss her and my family. They're all I got to go back to."
"They're your weakness, Danny," Theo told him with all seriousness now. "You'd give up the entire world for their safety. Your friends in danger can make a situation for you ten times worse when it shouldn't. You and I both know that."
"So?" Danny barked back angrily. "Nothing I can do to stop that."
"I know," Theo said. "But I want to tell you that this war is bigger than the life of one person. If you see my life threatened and you have a mission to carry out, don't save me. Know that I'd rather see you let me die than to blow your chances at taking down Vlad's empire. Destroying Vlad will help the world. My life is not nearly as important as the millions of other lives. You know that, but I just want you to hear it again."
Danny shoved Theo off his sword but didn't move to attack. Theo stood back, taking Danny in with concern. He didn't even have to ask what was wrong. Danny asked weakly, "What if I can't kill Vlad?"
Theo let out a long sigh, face unmoving. "You will," he said finally. "You have to."
Danny didn't look at his friend. He stared forlornly at the floor, winced in regret, and struggled as he asked softly, "What if I don't want to kill Vlad?"
Theo didn't answer. He knew the internal pain of not wanting to take the life of someone despite the fact they were enemy. He'd dealt with it when on a battle field once, all before he had even met Danny. When he refused to kill an enemy warrior in the heart of battle, he was instantly banished from Egypt because it had been considered betrayal to the Pharaoh. Though it had been a hard decision not to kill, Theo knew it had been the right thing in the end. Now Danny was confronted with the same ordeal, and Theo didn't know what to say.
"Theo? Please, answer me," Danny practically begged. He so desperately needed someone's guidance. Theo could see it in his friend's searching eyes. It was a sad sight to see.
"Then you better come up with a better plan pretty quickly," Theo said, his voice staying emotionless. "Because the world's depending on you for their freedom. And freedom never comes for free. Someone has to pay for it." He paused before saying more hopefully, "You'll do the right thing in the end. You always have."
"You're just saying that to make me feel better," Danny muttered dejectedly, muffled voice sounding acrid.
Theo swirled his staff into it's compact form with a lurid grin touching his features. "Yep," he said brightly. He bent down to look up in Danny's face and said, "But I'm for once telling the truth. You're a stupid, good kid, Danny. You'll do fine."
"You're not doing it right. I still feel like crap," Danny said. His face scrunched up in baffled frustration.
"Does it look like I care?" Theo laughed. Suddenly, he whipped out his staff again and slammed it down upon the ghost teen's unsuspecting head. "Guess I should have warned you with a heads up," Theo said. His mocking smile was reflected his his eyes.
"Ow!" Danny cried while holding his pain filled head, winces dotting his face. He glared up at his friend and demanded, "What was that for?"
"To make you angry," Theo answered with a shrug. The half sphinx said it as if the answer had always been clear, and Danny had been too slow to grasp the meaning behind the blow. The attitude only produced more of the heated emotion from the boy.
"Why?" Danny said. His hands bunched into fists, ready to punch his friend's lights out.
"Because you're depression is annoying," Theo stated with a smirk. The expression swiftly formed into a grin when he saw Danny release his blade in a lightning fast motion. Just as fast, he brought up his staff. Right before their weapons hit, the ship stopped. It didn't slow down. It flat out stopped.
Balance destroyed, the boys screamed as they were jerked off their feet, and their faces had very personal meetings with the wood of the deck. Cursing like a sailor, Theo dragged himself back to his feet with a groaning ghost boy doing the same beside him. He glared back in the direction where Zara stood proudly at the controls. She flashed him a coy smile before stating, "We're here."
"Huh?" Danny asked, rubbing his head with a fed up sort of expression crossing his face before he noticed the frozen Theo. His eyebrows rose in curiosity, and he stood up taller to lean backwards so as to look around his friend. The sight that both boys were looking at made Danny's head tilt in perplexity. "Who's ship is that?" he asked, pointing.
"The Rebellion's," Theo answered absentmindedly. They watched as the ship, which was at least three times bigger than theirs, slowly came to a rest beside them. With controlled grace, the Rebellion's ship smoothly aligned decks so that it was easier to attach the smaller ship to the bigger one.
Waiting anxiously on the other deck was a young woman with a short but elegant stature. Her wild red hair seemed to float in the wind as her violet eyes searched desperately for the thing or person she wanted. A pair of furry fox ears were flatted with her worry against her head. To magnify her emotions, her two tails swirled like restless snakes behind her.
When her eyes settled on Theo, the smile couldn't be stopped. As if her large, bulging stomach wasn't even there to encumber her, she threw herself forward with smile widening in pure joy and longing.
Danny watched Theo choke on his emotions with a grit of his teeth. The boy smiled slightly when the half sphinx ran to meet his wife. The two lovers made it to their ship's railings. Theo jumped swiftly over to the other boat, hardly noticing the dangerous drop the gap of ships still had between them.
As soon as the two were close enough to touch, Theo rushed in for a deep, tender kiss. Rhodes giggled in her giddy bliss as she pulled him closer by gripping his shoulders and prolonging the passion. Theo brought his hands up to her face but stopped when they burst into blue flames. Gently, he took her head in both his fiery hands as he let his love for his woman come forth. With her electric powers, the kitsune hardly noticed the heat against her body. If anything, it turned her on more.
Stepping around the couple, the leader of the Rebellion, Mr. Mandrake, smiled with the shake of his head at the two before leaping across to the other ship with hands placed calmly behind his back. He walked straight up to Danny, stuck his hand out confidently to the teen, and said, "I believe we've met before, Danny."
"Um...yeah," Danny said, peeling his eyes away from Theo and Rhodes who were still intensely making out. He smiled quickly before shaking hands with the leader. He said jokingly, "You were the one who gave me homework my first day."
Mandrake let out a light chuckle when hearing this, his shoulders bouncing slightly when he returned his hands to behind his back. "Yes," he said. "I do feel like one of those rather unpleasant teachers. But I'm sure some of the knowledge has come in handy along the way."
All Danny could do was shrug. "Guess so," he answered with a guilty smile. "Truthfully, I've been a little busy."
"Well," Mandrake said with a dissipative, short sigh, "At least they will help you now." He glanced behind his shoulder before leaning down to say quietly to the boy, "Can you break up the couple for me? We have important business to discuss, and I'm not sure if Mr. and Mrs. Theo will be much of conversationalists when they're like that."
"Consider it done," Danny said with an evil smile. Mandrake watched with a raised eyebrow in bemusement as the teen ran off to obey the order. The man wondered if that had been the right course of action to bestow on the kid.
Forgetting the half ghost, Mandrake strode his way over to Melody and Zara who stood close by. He hardly noticed the girl as she played a chasing kind of game with Bob around the annoyed Guardian. Zara felt like a bee hive with so many sounds swirling around her. Her glare directed in Mandrake's way clearly stated this emotion.
"You must be the infamous Zaramama," Mandrake said as he stopped in front of her.
"Yeppers," Zara said, keeping a hard stare of intimidation. Something didn't feel right about Mandrake. He wasn't ghost. He wasn't Guardian. He wasn't fully human. He had a hidden power in him that reminded her of Theo's, but it was ten times stronger. She didn't like it. She lifted a single nostril, gave him a face, and said flatly, "You smell."
"To you, I probably reek," Mandrake said with a secret smile.
"I don't like you."
"No surprise there," Mandrake said, unaffected. He stuck out his hand for a shake and said pleasantly, "I want to thank you for taking such special care to the girl and boys."
"It was my job," Zara said, sounding bored although all her nerves were on edge around this guy. She couldn't figure out what he was. That lone fact was very unsettling for someone like her.
"Yes, but you did it," Mandrake said with a smile. His hand was still out for a shake. His dominant gray eyes urged her to shake his hand.
Eyeing the hand wearily, Zara suddenly grabbed it in a surge of her usual prideful bravery. Her eyes found his, and she pursed her lips in astonishment when the touch granted her the answer to what he was. He smiled as she quickly retracted her hand away from his when he let it go.
The sound of water splashing and a cry of outrage disconnected their eye contact. The two turned to see Danny with an empty bucket of water and holding his sides as he laughed at a soaked Theo. Zara instantly broke out into a wide grin at such a novel action. She actually giggled at the downfall of the feline.
"This won't go well," Mandrake muttered.
"His wife will take care of them," Zara said, pushing past the tall man, grabbing Melody by a hand in the middle of her game, and walking over to join the three with a bold smirk upon her lips. Bob stopped in mid flight, quickly changing his course to follow the Guardian with an irritated chirp.
"Oh calm down, you hot head," Rhodes was ordering her husband as he shook off water, ears flat in his silent fury. The half sphinx for once did as he was told with an angry sigh. As Rhodes turned to Danny, Theo mouthed his threats to the boy, instantly frightening the ghost into a nervous grin.
"Wow, look how you've grown!" Rhodes exclaimed at the sight of the ghost boy. She'd always been short, but Danny's height to her was at least two heads taller. She had to stand on her tip toes to grab his head and bring it down for her to kiss him on the forehead. She giggled when his cheeks flushed red.
"How have you been, Rhodes?" Danny asked with a wide smile.
"I'm a planet!" Rhodes said with a laugh. She rubbed her bulging tummy with a fond expression coming to her soft features. "Kind of emotional," she told him. "I'm due any day now."
She turned her head when feeling Theo wrapping his arms around her from behind. The feline was acting like a needy kitten that was desperate for attention around her as he lightly kissed her on the lips again. After a second, the kitsune shoved her man away teasingly and said, "Jeez, Theo. Control yourself. You're making the baby kick."
"There is a baby in there?" came the faint voice of Melody. Everyone looked down to the girl and smiled. She shied away at their stares, retreating to behind Zara's legs.
"You were right, ghost boy," Zara said. "She's cute."
Rhodes smiled at the comment before adverting her attention back down to Melody. "The baby is growing inside my tummy," she told the girl. "In a few days it will be ready to come out and you will be able to see him. Here, you want to feel him? Put your hand on my stomach."
Timidly, Melody reached out and touched Rhodes' stomach. Her face lit up with an excited gasp when she felt it kick. Melody quickly looked up at the others and said, "I felt it! I felt it!" They all laughed. The girl suddenly grabbed Danny's hand and pulled him towards Rhodes. He let out a yelp before his palm was placed against the warm skin of her stomach.
Eyes raising, he made contact with them with Rhodes. She could feel the pride for her in his intense gaze. He thought she was so brave to give life to this kind of world. Instead of expressing it eloquently like he desired to do so, he simply said with a smile, "That's kinda cool."
A/N: A lot of Sam and Takashi will be in the next chapter. At least half the chapter will be of them, so I'm excited to write that. And since I'm opening all this week at my new job and get home at 10, I'm gonna have the time to answer reviews and write stuff. So, expect the next update on time two weeks from now. I'll see you guys then!