*Chapter 3: The Bodyguard*
Rem narrowed her eyes and quickly picked her hockey stick carrier, unzipping it as she rushed to the sliding door. She went cautiously out to the hall where the youngest geisha, quite upset and terrified, rasped to the other geisha in breathless and rapid Japanese. A few seconds later, Memblo poked his head out.
"What on earth is going on?!" he ranted.
Rem was too busy focusing on the frantic line of conversation happening down the hall, that she nearly ignored him.
"...Something about a robot?" she murmured quizzically. Then a realization hit her. "Oh crap..."
Suddenly, the walls burst open, causing the rest of the geisha to scream out in fright. Standing in the rubble, was a Frankeninni robot, scanning the room for its intended target. Rem quickly shoved Memblo back into the room.
"GET BACK!" she shouted.
"What are you gonna do?!" Memblo sputtered. "Whack it with your hockey stick?"
"Hockey stick he says..."
Rem then slid her blade out and launched herself at the mechanical behemoth, slicing it open.
(Now Playing: What's Up People?! by Maximum the Hormone)
Wires went sparkling and chips went flying as the robot teetered over on the floor. Rem's ears twitched to the sound of more coming into the building. She was fully prepared to raise holy hell when Memblo yanked her aside.
"What do you think you're doing, young lady?!" he exclaimed.
"What does it look like?" Rem barked back. "Saving your lousy butt!"
The teen then beheaded another robot that crept up behind them.
"Come on!"
She took the elderly man's hand and raced down the halls of the tea house to the nearest exit. They quickly found themselves in an alleyway where the rain had slowed to a sprinkle. Rem cautiously remained quiet to listen for any sounds of mechanical life. She slightly relaxed when they seemed to die down.
(End Music)
"Okay, I think we're in the clear for now." she whispered. "You've got a pad I hope?"
"As a matter of fact, I do." Memblo replied irritably. "But let's stop for a moment and talk about that little stunt you pulled back there. Toons don't fool around with lethal weaponry!"
"Yeah, I know." Rem responded back a little impatiently. "Warner already gave me the talk. Unfortunately, it's all I got."
"So tell me then, how does that make you any different from Buddy?"
His question caused a very loud and uncomfortable pang into Rem's self-consciousness. She knew he was right, but she was too angry to admit to that.
"Because for one thing, you could say that some of the rules don't apply to me because of my...unconventional creation. Second, as both Frankeninni and Buddy would put it, I'm a god damn half breed."
Memblo visibly grimaced when she said that last part.
"Oh for heaven sakes, how could you possibly reach that conclusion?!" he cried.
"I bleed." Rem replied shortly. "That, and I take a lot of damage."
That wracked Memblo's brain. He certainly never heard of such things, but since Rem was so absolute on the matter and considering that she was a product of one of Frankeninni's science projects, he figured she was telling the truth.
"Well, don't be calling yourself that." he drolled awkwardly. "It's a disgusting word. Can you at least pull stuff out of thin air, or small spaces like a pant pocket?"
"Sure, if I have it on me." Rem replied in a calmer tone, humoring him.
"Then you're as much as a Toon as Porky Pig."
Rem would've smiled warmly at him if she wasn't so riled up. She honestly didn't take him for someone anti-prejudicial.
"...where's your place?" she asked in a softer and passive voice.
"A few blocks from here." Memblo told her. "Which brings me to my second question; Are you here in Okinawa by yourself?"
"Pretty much."
The aging cartoonist heaved a heavy sigh and started up the street, motioning the teen to follow him.
"Come on." he grumbled.
XXXXXX
The rains ceased completely when the odd pair reached Memblo's flat. It wasn't too big or small and compact as Rem was expecting it to be.
"Don't suppose you'll be staying long?" Memblo asked.
"Not until you agree to come back with me to California." Rem replied pointedly.
"Jury's still out on that."
"Then I ain't goin' nowhere. But don't mind me, I'll be hanging out on the balcony."
The teen marched towards the sliding doors keeping her blade close by.
"And for the love of God, do not try to skedaddle out on me." she ranted before slamming the doors behind her.
Memblo watched her with irritation and curiosity before going to his kitchen for a glass of club soda, and muttering under his breath.
Outdoors, the air was cool, but not enough to make Rem shiver. She saw the heavy clouds breaking apart in the horizon, so she could count on no rain for the rest of the night. She sat on the patio chair fuming to herself about whether or not Buddy had just been happening to be tracking her and others' movements and if she should label the aging cartoonist a jackass or not. In any case, Rem thought now was a good time as any to send another letter in the form of text messaging.
Dear Wonskolaser,
Finally found your artist. A bit stubborn if you ask me. Not sure if he'll paint me a piece, but hopefully come morning, he'll agree to it. Ran into some 'tech' issues while here; You don't suppose we've got 'people' eyeballing us with that stuff, do you?
Hope to hear back soon.
-Renae
Rem heaved a very heavy sigh and hit the 'send' button. She looked up at the overcast sky before slowly closing her eyes.
xxxxxx
The teen was sound asleep in the Water Tower along with her three peers. Peacefully, where she belonged. All was well, and tomorrow held the promise of another fantastic day of screwing with the other employees of the Warner Brothers Studios.
Suddenly, Doctor Frankeninni's familiar crazed cackle along with Buddy's pierced the calm quietness, jolting her awake. Seconds later, the mad scientist's robots burst into the Tower, with one managing to run her through with its claws before she had a chance to defend herself...
xxxxxx
Rem's eyes snapped open and let out a harsh gasp. Her heart thundered into her chest while she tightly gripped her sword. She shifted her eyes quickly left and right. Everything seemed to be alright; the only things to disturb the silence of the night was the automobile traffic down below, and a few planes that occasionally flew by high above. The particularly loud aircraft was to be expected as Okinawa was host to an American military base.
Regaining her normal breathing levels, Rem in a fit if frustration, yanked out her phone, fully intending to send another message. For pity sakes, she found the guy already, why couldn't they answer back already? Or get their asses down here ASAP?!
Only three words into her new 'letter' however, Rem stopped as the gears in her head began to turn more fluidly.
...you're being stupid. Put the damn phone away.
After a painfully long pause, Rem deleted her letter and turned off her phone.
(Now Playing: If I Could Be Where You Are by Enya)
She let out another heavy sigh, hugging herself and bringing her knees to her chest, still tightly gripping her katanna. Her eye caught the small WB shield dangling from the kashira, causing her spirits to fall further.
'Where are you this moment?
Only in my dreams, you're missing,
But you're always a heartbeat from me.'
Rem looked up at the sky again despondently. There were now only a few clouds drifting by, allowing the twinkling stars and moon to be visible. It was still a bit hard to see them because of all the lights from the city buildings. It was then that Rem suddenly felt...alone.
'I'm lost now without you,
I don't know where you are,
I keep watching, I keep hoping,
But time keeps us apart.'
She knew it was a ridiculous feeling to have, especially since everyone else was pulling their weight. That and the major risks involved considering that a mad, psychotic Toon was watching and waiting for them so he could pounce. But it was hard to ignore it.
She missed them. She missed them terribly. Long gone were the days where Rem could stubbornly deny that. No more could Rem bluntly declare that she had no family, that anyone who was remotely related was dead to her. She couldn't fathom any hatred for Buddy now, since that feeling of abandonment was edging dangerously close to her mind.
'Is there a way I can find you,
If there a sign I should know, is
There a road I could follow, to
Bring you back home?'
Rem rubbed her eyes when tears threatened to escape. She couldn't think the worst of things. Not now. She came this far; she couldn't just give up. Rem had a job to do, and now that she found their guy, it wouldn't be long before they responded back. And so help her, she would drag the bastard back to the States kicking and screaming if he still refused.
'Winter lies before me,
Now you're so far away,
In the darkness of my dreaming,
The light of you will stay.
If i could be close beside you,
If I could be where you are,
If I could reach out and touch you,
And bring you back home...
...Is there a way I can find you,
If there a sign I should know,
Is there a road I can follow,
To bring you back home...to me?'
Rem calmly let out a breath and cleared her head. She got a hold of her backpack and reached inside for the packaged snack she got earlier.
(End Music)
"Can't sleep?"
Rem had an almond cookie halfway into her mouth when Memblo appeared in the patio doorway.
"You also don't strike me as the kind of person that snoozes outdoors often." he continued.
Rem made a pouting face.
"...Well, at least you didn't run out on me." she muttered.
Memblo ignored what he considered to be sass from her and sat in the chair on her right.
"Let me ask you somethin'." he began again. "Just how old are you really? And ixnay on the zany schtick."
"Um...I just turned sixteen." Rem replied awkwardly.
"Heh, figures. Although Frankeninni also doesn't strike me as the sort to draw a teenager with sass."
"I wasn't drawn. The good doctor teleported me from where I used to live and zapped me into this...I guess you can call it an avatar made from the Warners' DNA."
Memblo paused for a moment to take that all in.
"...You know, there's a reason I'm not fond of science fiction. I wasn't real fond of that James Cameron picture either." he said.
Rem nearly snorted.
"But on the other hand, that explains why you seem to be rather different from the Warners." Memblo continued. "You're almost...oh how do I put this delicately...?"
"C'mon, let's hear it." Rem huffed.
"Tolerable."
"Well, I've got my moments."
"So if you're not related to the Warners, why are you so set on getting rid of Buddy?"
Rem became a little quiet before answering.
"...because...Warner Brothers sorta became my home." she replied softly as if confessing to something. "I used to live in Palm Springs pretty much alone. My parents were dead from a plane accident, my grandma from terminal illness and my...a brother who was convinced that I was nothing more than a waste of space." Her voice then became a bit more agitated. "And after ten years of taking crap from him, I was almost convinced of it. I didn't feel anything but anger and hate. Then your three favorite kids came strolling into my life and...I've been a better person since."
"And let me guess, Buddy's threatening to take away all that?" Memblo inquired in an almost condescending yet sympathizing tone.
"I don't feel threatened by him. I feel bad for him because he's got the same problems. I wanted to try and help him before it was too late."
The teen paused to lightly massage her previously injured wrist.
"...But maybe Slappy was right." she continued. "He was probably beyond help by the time he returned to the studio."
Memblo arched a brow at her.
"Do I get the feeling that your heart's not really set on this thing you're practically badgering me to do?" he asked pointedly.
"I don't want to do think, Memblo." Rem lightly ranted. "I would rather give him a helping hand considering all that he's gone through. But he'd not leaving me or anyone else much wiggle room."
There was another long silence between them.
"Well, I guess that's it then." Memblo grumbled. "I'll go with ya to California."
Rem gawked at the aging animator, barely blinking.
"...wait, seriously?" she sputtered.
"Seriously." Memblo replied. "Of course I'm probably gonna kick myself later on."
Rem could hardly contain her gratitude.
"...Thank you." she stammered. "Lemme just send them another note and-"
"Hold your horses, young lady." Memblo interjected, taking hold of her shoulder. "You're not doing anything until you get a good night's shut eye."
"But I don't-"
"And you're not gonna get that on a patio chair either. So park your butt on that futon."
He pointed towards the living room area inside the flat.
"Fine!" Rem cried exasperated. "Jesus!"
Crap...forget stepdad, he's worse than grams!
