Chapter 7 : ???
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"Maybe Data 7 can sniff them out," suggested Lucas, half-joking. Data 7's ears perked up, and she glared at Lucas.
"He's a panther, Lucas- not a bloodhound." Cybersix reminded him. She snapped her fingers. "But I think I know where we can get one. Lucas, see if you can contact the Meridiana Police about getting a bloodhound... Do whatever it takes, but it's the best chance we have of picking up Julian's trail." Lucas nodded. "Yashimoto, Ikiko- you go out and see if you can find some canoes around the harbour we could rent or use. I'm taking her shopping." She jerked a thumb at the closed bathroom door. The other three said their good-byes and left to go complete their assigned errands. Cybersix closed the door after them and sank down into a now-vacated chair.
The bathroom door opened and Cyber 0 stepped out, hair damp from her recent shower, but still plaited neatly down her back. She looked around at the empty room.
"What'd I miss?" She looked at Cybersix, confused.
"I'll tell you on the way. We're going shopping."
"Shopping?" Cyber 0 blinked. "I don't think this is the best time to go shopping... Jose is still out there and-"
"Trust me, we both need a new change of clothes," Cybersix said wryly, pulling the other girl out the door. "You can pay m e back once we teach little Jose a lesson, once and for all."
"You won't get away with this, you brat!" muttered Julian as the Fixed Idea threw him into one of the two canvas tents that had been erected on the damp vine-covered soil. The Fixed Idea ignored him and bent down to tighten the ropes around Julian's wrists.
"Oh yes, we will!" laughed Jose, strutting into the tent and shooing the Idea out. "Now that you and your little girlfriend know about our plans-"
"She's not my girlfriend, Four-Eyes!" snapped Julian, cutting off Jose's bragging.
"Arrrrrrrrgh!" growled Jose, annoyed that he had been interrupted. "Techno!" The Tencho came into the tent, carrying a bag of supplies. "Gag him!" Julian's eyes narrowed angrily as the Techno stuffed a rag into his mouth, and taped it securely in place. "Ah, the sound of silence," Jose teased, hopping around in excitement of having the poor boy under his control. "If you're thinking that your friend Cybersix will show up and save the day, then we're on the same wavelength." He grinned. "Of course you know that she'll be after this-" Jose pulled a worn leather book from under his khaki shirt- "which contains the key to what might save her life. Your girlfriend probably ran crying to Cybersix and that idiot detective brother of hers." Jose went up to Julian so that his nose was touching the other boy's. "And then, I'll finally show my father who's the smartest- by killing Cybersix." Jose sneered at Julian, and for the first time, Julian began to have his doubts. Jose was perfectly capable of killing him then and there- he had weapons: The gun Julian had seen in the box of supplies, along with several knives and the machetes they had used on their way up the trail.
"Boss? Do you want me to stay here?" asked the Techno, gesturing pointedly at Julian, who was staring at Jose with anger in his eyes.
"I don't think our guest will try anything funny, but yes, stay and guard him! If he tries to escape- kill him!" snapped Jose. "Even if we don't have him as bait, we still have Father's notes about sustenance to lure Cybersix here." With that, he turned on his heels and strutted out, closing the tent flap behind him.
Julian sighed and managed to roll over onto his side, legs and arms still painfully bound. He could make out the reddish hue of the setting sun filtering in between the vines and trees and casting a shadow across the canvas wall. He closed his eyes and settled down onto the hard fabric floor, and waited for sleep to overcome him.
"Hello, Lucas... Yashimoto... Ikiko," Cybersix said, opening her apartment door after hearing them knocking on it. She watched as Lucas's eyes widened, seeing her dressed in the second-skin bodysuit, cape, and fedora once more. "I took her shopping."
"Yeah. There wasn't much time to enjoy it, though," said Cyber 0 from the window. "Between thoughts of Jose's evil plans and worrying about your friend Julian, that is." She turned to face them, dressed in her new wardrobe. From the waist down, her outfit wasn't much different from Cybersix's. Her legs, slightly longer than Cybersix's, were encased in the familiar shiny leather attached to the six inch stilettos. But her upper half was where Cyber 0's outfit differed from Cybersix's, in the strapless top attached to the rest of the bodysuit. The only thing that seemed to be holding the top up were armbands attached to the shirt at her underarms. The cape was no less magnificent than that of Cybersix's, though its inside was of a deep midnight blue.
"You two look ready to save the world," spoke up Yashimoto, his eyes moving from one of them to the other. Lucas was simply staring at Cybersix, then at Cyber 0, then at Cybersix. Dressed in those amazing bodysuits, the resemblance was even more clear, except for Cyber 0 was slightly taller than Cybersix, and she wore her hair differently. Cybersix caught his eye and he snapped out of his thoughts.
"Well, uh, it looks like we're ready to go," he said. "We have two canoes, enough room for all of us if we split up. Yashimoto found a dog the police are willing to let us use for the trip... Oh, and we have food." His eyes twinkled briefly at that realization. "I think we're set."
"All right, then, let's go," nodded Cybersix, leading the way out of the apartment once more.
"It'll be really dark in a few hours," announced Cybersix from the canoe in the lead. Behind her sat Lucas and Data 7, staring at the dense rainforest around them. A bird cried out sharply from way above their heads, and was followed by the answering call of the other forest-dwelling birds.
"I guess they aren't used to visitors," Yashimoto mused from the canoe, eyeing the warily staring at him. Ikiko was sitting in his lap, being there not much room in the second canoe with Cyber 0 at the front, oar in hand.
"Are we there yet?" asked Ikiko, staring in wonder at the trees and brightly-colored birds.
Cybersix turned and spoke to the little girl in the canoe behind them. "No, we aren't. We have a way to go, Ikiko." She smiled at the child. "Why don't you try and get some sleep." She then looked at Yashimoto. "I told you it probably wasn't a good idea to bring her along..." Yashimoto grinned sheepishly and yawned.
"Don't worry, she'll behave. I think she just wants to rescue Julian and save the day." He yawned once more. "I think I'll take a leaf out of her book and get some sleep myself, Cybersix... unless you need me." His eyes drooped as he said this.
"Don't worry about it, Yashimoto," she said. "Get some sleep. We have a long ways to go..."
