Star's Gaze
Chapter 13: Help Me to Breathe
Kattie
Disclaimer: What do we truly own as human beings? Does not our soul belong to the Heavens? Our body is mortal, therefore it belongs to the world. And our minds belong to our teachers, as they fill them with endless knowledge. In reality, can we say we own anything?
Lawyer: .. You're full of it.
Kattie: ;_; Just trying to cheer myself up. sob I don't own Gundam Wing!
Notes: Just so you don't get your hopes up, you aren't going to learn Duo's disease in this chapter. pats on head and gives lollipop But you do learn all about the dream! Yay! (^^*) I feel like I was connecting the dots in this chapter.. Sorry it took so long, I was on vacation. (Japantown in San Fransisco is great! YAY!) and then.. I got writer's block. Second to last chapter is the hardest, you know. bows SORRY! hands out free lollipops
Note: Sorry if I've completely changed my writing and started writing to sound a little (well, in a word) British. I've been watching a LOT of British films and reading British books lately (Movies- The Full Monty, Bridget Jones' Diary, Harry Potter Books- Discworld series, American Gods, Harry Potter). Since I'm from the U.S. I may have changed dialect, which can be confusing. ^^* Sorry!!! glomps previously mentioned books and movies
Another Note gasp: People keep thinking Duo has malaria. Just to let you know, he doesn't ^_^. I wouldn't need to spend hours researching malaria, it's actually pretty well-known (Personally, I think it's because all the U.S. schools seem to have Oregon Trail. Duo did have malaria when I was playing that..). This disease is far less common. BWAHAHHAHAHA! coughs and chokes
Dedication: This is dedicated to all the students out there! (Especially CloudNeroZ who helped me break this evil writer's block huggles) sniffs Going back to school real soon sob sob sob But I will not sniff let that sob get me down. ;_; Have a great school year full of 4.0's! (er.. You know, I haven't the foggiest whether they use that grading system in other countries.. So basically that means, if you don't use that grading system, I hope you get straight A's! YAY!) ^.^v
Aboard flight T-42 (1)
The pilot, Captain Rever Send, had never seen such a full shuttle in his life. Even during the holidays, they never seemed to sell out of tickets for a flight. Something was definitely going on. Perhaps this was a test. The people from the Board of Shuttle Pilots were seeing if he was truly capable of flying.
However, he didn't remember there being so many teenage girls on the board. It was all a bit disconcerting. Then again, he wasn't paid to know what was going on, he was paid to pilot. So he'd just have to make sure he did a very good job piloting. Just in case.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The very back of the shuttle
By the time they got Quatre on the shuttle, he was stuttering with fear. "Women..Everywhere!"
Cocking an eyebrow, Duo stared at his friend in disbelief. "Is that a bad thing?"
"T-took my vest." Quatre continued stammering.
"It's okay, Quatre," Iria said reassuringly, "They're gone now."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The station manager was red-faced and short of breath by the time he reached the ticket booth. When he'd heard of the missing cashiers, he'd rushed down himself to check and fix the situation. "Sorry for the delay," He huffed to the first person in the only remaining line. All of the other windows had signs on them reading, "Closed."
"Our staff consists mainly of young women and it seems they've all gone to," He paused a moment to read the note they had left, ".. 'Chase their dreams'."
It was then that the manager finally looked up at the customer, wearing the always-present grin of a salesman. Miscellaneous words of profanity began swimming in his now throbbing head. He immediately recognized the man standing across the counter. Hell, anyone would. Winner Corporation was one of the most prosperous companies there was, after all.
"W-which flight?" The manager stuttered.
Mr. Winner was glaring at him. "T-42." He said, his voice drenched in acid.
The manager's hands shook so badly, as he checked the computer, that he could barely type. "U-unfortunately," The fool of a manager uttered, "That flight just finished loading p-" Losing his train of thought, he fell silent for a moment, before continuing, ".. Passengers. The next shuttle leaves in a couple hours. Would you like me to book your for that flight?"
Fixing his stare on the incompetent man, Mr. Winner spoke his answer without any hesitation whatsoever, "No. You will now sell me two tickets for flight T-42. You are going to call the shuttle and tell them to wait."
Now, the manager of the shuttle station was a weak man. He was quite taken with his vodka and was sure that a "designated driver" was a kind of golf club. He had a mistress in every city/colony his shuttles went to. After all, he was the shuttle station manager, that made him a real catch.
But there was only so much a man could put up with. He'd already had to deal with all of the complaint calls, the cashiers leaving, and cleaning up shred of purple fabric off of his lovely floors. He was NOT going to let anyone tell him how to run his business. Not even if the person telling him was the richest, and probably most powerful, man alive.
"No," The manager argued, "It's too late. You'll have to catch the next flight."
Sensing a storm coming, Wesley put up his umbrella, or rather, began talking with the people behind him in line. "So," he asked, "Where are you headed to?"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
On the shuttle
Quatre had finally stopped shivering and was now content with staring ahead and muttering to himself. "My vest."
"Good evening, folks," The flight attendant, who Duo had previously flirted with, said over the intercom, "Due to technical difficulties, there will be a slight delay in our departure. We ask you to please remain seated and we will inform you when we are ready to lift off. Thank you for choosing Colony Air. We hope you have a pleasant flight."
"Technical difficulties?" Duo questioned, with a yawn. "They always say that. I'll bet the pilot got stuck in traffic or something."
"That's enough out of you," Iria replied, throwing a pillow at him, "You've been talking to much. It's a waste of energy. So now, you have to go to sleep."
Duo crossed his arms in a pout. "I'm not tired."
Shrugging, Iria tossed him a blanket to go with the pillow. "You were yawning. Good night, Duo."
Yawning again, Duo gave in, which was a first. "G'night." It didn't take a minute for him to fall asleep.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The manager escorted Mr. Winner and Wesley onto the shuttle. It was the least he could do, he had said, to please his customers.
He and Mr. Winner had had a little chat. The manager soon realized his own imperfection and how very right Mr. Winner was.
Always remember, money is power.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Sorry for the delay," The stewardess said in a cheerful voice, "We are now ready for take off.." She continued to tell them all the safety rules, the fact that there was no smoking at any point, or anywhere, on the flight, and how to fasten their seatbelts.
And then, they were off.
A small demon perched itself on one of the wings and grinned to itself. "Yay!" It said cheerfully. "Let's see how many lives I can ruin today."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Meetings
Quatre didn't notice his attackers when they got onto the shuttle, but Iria had. She'd also noticed them walking slowly down the aisle, opening luggage compartments as if they were flight attendants in an attempt to be discreet while making their way to the very back, where Iria and her party were seated. One of them was wearing a very shredded purple vest and another wore a beige headband.
Glaring at them, Iria turned to look at Quatre, who was carefully reading the safety pamphlet, as if he would miss something important if he read too quickly.
They had almost reached Quatre, when the stewardess, whose name was Hana, came down the aisle, looking very disgruntled. "Excuse me, ladies," She said with forced kindness, "But this flight has assigned seating. Please return to your assigned seats and remain seated for the remainder of your stay."
Molly looked very disappointed. "B-but.." She stammered. "He's Quatre! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!"
With a sigh, the stewardess looked over at Quatre and then back at Molly. "That isn't Quatre Winner," She explained, "Didn't you watch the Morning Teen Show? He dyed his hair BROWN last night."
Tears forming in her eyes, Molly mumbled a "Sorry" and headed back to her seat, the other girls following suit.
Hana grinned back at Quatre and winked before blowing a kiss and returning to her duties.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Elsewhere on the shuttle
"Aren't you going to read the safety pamphlet?" Lenore asked.
Naihu looked at her as if she was crazy. "Hell no. It's bein' talking about "water landings". Shuttles don't land in water, they crash. It's badly written and I ain't gonna read it."
Lenore shrugged and stood up. "It's good to be prepared."
"Where th' hell're you goin'?" Naihu questioned.
A look of concern covered Lenore's features. "The bathroom," She answered, as if it were very obvious, "Where else would I be going on a shuttle?"
Naihu glowered after Lenore as she walked away. "Damn young 'un. Thinks she's so smart. Prob'ly thinks she's more 'ntelligent than Naihu even." As she continued muttering, Naihu pulled out her safety pamphlet, and began reading.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
'Uh oh,' Iria thought, 'here they come again.'
Mistaking Lenore for another reader of "Teen Spot", Iria prepared herself for a good yelling session. She wasn't having a good day and was actually pretty tired, though she wouldn't dare sleep in case Duo needed her. 'If that woman takes another step,' She told herself, 'I'm going to tell her what I think of her and her little friends.'
Lenore took another step.
Standing up, Iria took a deep breath, positive that she wouldn't have time to catch it later. Just as she was about to start telling the woman off, Lenore spoke.
"Hello, you must be Quatre's sister.. Iria? We met at the hospital, I believe. My name's Lenore." Lenore wore a huge grin, and held her hand out.
It took Iria a moment to realize what had happened, so Lenore took Iria's hand and shook it herself.
"It's nice to see you again," Lenore continued, "If I may speak with your brother?"
"Uh.." Iria stared blankly ahead, trying to get rid of all the energy she'd built up for yelling, "Sure."
"Quatre?" Lenore said softly, shaking Quatre's shoulder.
He was still reading the pamphlet, though he seemed to have made his way to the copyrights. "Yes?" He asked, finally looking up. His eyes seemed to light up as he saw Lenore and he smiled with recognition. "Oh, hello Lenore. What a coincidence that we're on the same shuttle."
"Actually I followed you." Lenore explained.
Quatre looked at her for a moment, trying to understand why she would do this. He couldn't really think of anything to say to this. Luckily, he didn't have to.
"I thought you should know what you're up against," She continued, "You're quite the popular one today. There are about 30 young women who followed you onto this shuttle, intent on getting souvenirs. Oz send a small army of about," she paused to think about this for a moment, "22-23 soldiers to deliver the five of you to Oz Headquarters. Your father is sitting in the front of the spacecraft with his assistant and, what seems to be, the shuttle station manager. Also, Naihu followed you and is set on killing you during this flight."
Patting him on the head, Lenore flashed a brilliant smile. "But don't worry, I'm sure the five of you can take them. I'll send Suki back just in case." Inserting her pointer and middle finger into her mouth, Lenore produced a very impressive whistle.
Suki came bounding down the aisle, skipping happily. "Hi daddy!" She said cheerfully, clamping onto Quatre's arm. "I'm gonna keep you company."
Bowing her head slightly, Lenore walked back to her seat, leaving poor Quatre with a bewildered expression and a bouncing ball of joy.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"It's time." The computer whiz, also known as Agent Alpha, told Colonel Itsa.
Putting his hand into his jacket, just to make sure his gun was there, Itsa stood up and made his way down the aisle. He was followed by about 20 other soldiers, all dressed in civilian clothing.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
At the front of the plane
Wesley watched the men walking towards the Winner heir in horror. "U-uh Mr. Winner, sir," He said nervously, "A group of men are going towards your son."
"Damn." Mr. Winner muttered, putting down his paper, "Are they armed?"
Inwardly sighing, Wesley shook his head. "I wouldn't know, sir, I'm just an unemployed secretary."
"Guns, you say?" The manager asked, following Wesley's gaze, "On MY shuttle?"
"Probably," Mr. Winner said, more to himself than to the manager, "They are soldiers, after all."
Manager (2) looked stunned. "Why would soldiers be after your son?"
Mr. Winner shrugged. "Why are they planning an attack on a shuttle?"
Nodding, Manager looked satisfied. "A few episodes short of a series, are they?" He suggested. "Well we can't have firearms on a spacecraft. We'll just have to commandeer them."
"Unless they shoot us," Wesley muttered, just loud enough for Manager to hear, "What a great day. Wouldn't let me quit, so now I get shot."
This didn't do much for Manager's confidence.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Hiiro and Quatre exchanged a look as the soldiers began pouring down the aisle. With Duo asleep, there were only four of them. Things weren't looking good.
"It looks like they're coming for you, daddy," Suki observed, "I hope you're as good as mommy says."
Iria looked over at Quatre, then over to the soldiers. "Shit," she swore, than fearing for Quatre's innocent ears, she corrected herself, "I mean, shoot. You didn't hear that." Well, she wasn't about to let her little brother be taken away by troops who didn't even wear uniforms (3). "Something I can help you gentlemen with?" She asked, standing up to block Quatre from view.
"Step aside, ma'am," The man in front said, "This doesn't concern you."
"Who does it concern then?" Iria questioned them. For some reason she seemed to have twice the usual amount of bravery and half the usual amount of brains. Or maybe she was just in a bad mood.
"Ma'am, please step aside or we will be forced to..force.. you aside." He explained.
Iria didn't move, and so, the soldiers helped her move.
"Let go of me!" She screeched. "Ow!" The man holding her pulled her hair, causing an immense amount of pain in her scalp and her eyes to water.
He was on the floor in less than a second, a bullet firmly secured into his skull.
"What do you want?" Quatre asked, keeping his gun pointed at the remaining soldiers, who had now taken out their own weapons.
"We will escort you to Oz HQ #7 immediately after landing." A man, who looked like he spent far too much time on a computer than was healthy, explained.
"No." Hiiro replied, standing up as well, and brandishing his own gun.
"You don't really have a choice." The man who seemed to be the leader said.
"Ex-Excuse me, gentlemen," Manager stuttered, pushing his way to the middle of the group. "B-but I thought I might.. Inform you that you are breaking safety regulations 1, 2, 5, 7, 18, 27, 34, 36, 39, 40, 47, and 5001. Firearms are not allowed on the spacecraft and you must remain seated at all times. Failure to do this could lead to endangering yourself or others on the shuttle and may lead to a minimum of 3 years in prison."
"Shut up!" One of the younger and more foolhardy soldiers yelled, firing a bullet at the poor man.
Manager slid to the ground, clutching his chest. "T-that's regulation 495 as w-well." His voice trailed off as he fell unconscious.
Duo, who had been awakened by the first gunshot, didn't look well. Iria was noticing this from her position behind Quatre. He looked very tired and pale but he was holding his gun.
Shots began ringing out from all over the shuttle. It seemed like a strange opera consisting of miscellaneous bangs.
Quatre was barely conscious of the soldier making his way over to Duo. "Leave him alone!" He shouted, though his voice was lost amidst the noise.
The soldier, ignoring the plea, slammed his gun against the side of Duo's head.
"Stop it!" Quatre screamed, making his way back towards his friend. If he could just get a clear shot.. "Leave him alone!"
Though he was exhausted and feeling very ill, Duo punched the soldier weakly in the face, causing very little damage if any.
"He hasn't done anything!" This situation felt oddly familiar.
Slapping his gun against Duo's head again, the soldier grinned in the familiarity of battle.
"NOOOOO!"
One bang seemed to scream out above all others. It was like the voice of death saying "Hello, nice to meet you."
Everything comes to an end.
Especially chapters.
End of Chapter
grins with satisfaction Ah, it's good to be evil. drinks a diet coke Lallalla!
(1) Just as a note, T-42 was the schoolbus I rode in 3rd grade.... Can't believe I still remember that. ^^*
(2)I'm sure you all know that his name isn't really "Manager", but writing "the manager" over and over gets very boring and I'm sure you agree that I've told you enough peoples' names. The manager's name is actually Marlboro Camel Jefferson. His parents had sold the rights to his name on e- bay, and the cigarette companies had taken advantage of the situation, so now he was a walking advertisement.
(3) I gotta say, this would displease ME greatly. Kattie: being taken away by the military HEY! Where are your uniforms? Soldier: .... we were undercover. Kattie: blinks Let me get this straight. I'm being taken away to God knows where, and you don't even have the kindness to wear a uniform so I can swoon over you? Soldier: blink ...No. Kattie: pouts Meany! Soldier: ^^* sorry.
If you don't like "A few episodes short of a series" please feel free to replace it with: A few balloons short of a parade, a few hairs short of bald, a few strokes short of a painting, a few cards short of a deck, etc. etc. My beta also adds: A few bananas short of a bunch, a few crackers short of a box, a few bars short of Beethoven's Fifth, a few headlines short of a paper, a few protons short of plutonium...and their elevators don't quite go to the top floor.
One chapter left. I'll try to make it count. A sequel will follow, but it may be a month or so later, depending how evil my teachers are.
More questions ^.^ (getting the answers last chapter made me very happy)
1) Will Duo live to the end of the fanfiction? 2) Will the shuttle make it to its destination? 3) Can Iria save everyone who's been shot? 4) Is Kattie evil?
Please review! (I know it took a long time, and I apologize again!) Thanks for reading! glomps
Chapter 13: Help Me to Breathe
Kattie
Disclaimer: What do we truly own as human beings? Does not our soul belong to the Heavens? Our body is mortal, therefore it belongs to the world. And our minds belong to our teachers, as they fill them with endless knowledge. In reality, can we say we own anything?
Lawyer: .. You're full of it.
Kattie: ;_; Just trying to cheer myself up. sob I don't own Gundam Wing!
Notes: Just so you don't get your hopes up, you aren't going to learn Duo's disease in this chapter. pats on head and gives lollipop But you do learn all about the dream! Yay! (^^*) I feel like I was connecting the dots in this chapter.. Sorry it took so long, I was on vacation. (Japantown in San Fransisco is great! YAY!) and then.. I got writer's block. Second to last chapter is the hardest, you know. bows SORRY! hands out free lollipops
Note: Sorry if I've completely changed my writing and started writing to sound a little (well, in a word) British. I've been watching a LOT of British films and reading British books lately (Movies- The Full Monty, Bridget Jones' Diary, Harry Potter Books- Discworld series, American Gods, Harry Potter). Since I'm from the U.S. I may have changed dialect, which can be confusing. ^^* Sorry!!! glomps previously mentioned books and movies
Another Note gasp: People keep thinking Duo has malaria. Just to let you know, he doesn't ^_^. I wouldn't need to spend hours researching malaria, it's actually pretty well-known (Personally, I think it's because all the U.S. schools seem to have Oregon Trail. Duo did have malaria when I was playing that..). This disease is far less common. BWAHAHHAHAHA! coughs and chokes
Dedication: This is dedicated to all the students out there! (Especially CloudNeroZ who helped me break this evil writer's block huggles) sniffs Going back to school real soon sob sob sob But I will not sniff let that sob get me down. ;_; Have a great school year full of 4.0's! (er.. You know, I haven't the foggiest whether they use that grading system in other countries.. So basically that means, if you don't use that grading system, I hope you get straight A's! YAY!) ^.^v
Aboard flight T-42 (1)
The pilot, Captain Rever Send, had never seen such a full shuttle in his life. Even during the holidays, they never seemed to sell out of tickets for a flight. Something was definitely going on. Perhaps this was a test. The people from the Board of Shuttle Pilots were seeing if he was truly capable of flying.
However, he didn't remember there being so many teenage girls on the board. It was all a bit disconcerting. Then again, he wasn't paid to know what was going on, he was paid to pilot. So he'd just have to make sure he did a very good job piloting. Just in case.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The very back of the shuttle
By the time they got Quatre on the shuttle, he was stuttering with fear. "Women..Everywhere!"
Cocking an eyebrow, Duo stared at his friend in disbelief. "Is that a bad thing?"
"T-took my vest." Quatre continued stammering.
"It's okay, Quatre," Iria said reassuringly, "They're gone now."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The station manager was red-faced and short of breath by the time he reached the ticket booth. When he'd heard of the missing cashiers, he'd rushed down himself to check and fix the situation. "Sorry for the delay," He huffed to the first person in the only remaining line. All of the other windows had signs on them reading, "Closed."
"Our staff consists mainly of young women and it seems they've all gone to," He paused a moment to read the note they had left, ".. 'Chase their dreams'."
It was then that the manager finally looked up at the customer, wearing the always-present grin of a salesman. Miscellaneous words of profanity began swimming in his now throbbing head. He immediately recognized the man standing across the counter. Hell, anyone would. Winner Corporation was one of the most prosperous companies there was, after all.
"W-which flight?" The manager stuttered.
Mr. Winner was glaring at him. "T-42." He said, his voice drenched in acid.
The manager's hands shook so badly, as he checked the computer, that he could barely type. "U-unfortunately," The fool of a manager uttered, "That flight just finished loading p-" Losing his train of thought, he fell silent for a moment, before continuing, ".. Passengers. The next shuttle leaves in a couple hours. Would you like me to book your for that flight?"
Fixing his stare on the incompetent man, Mr. Winner spoke his answer without any hesitation whatsoever, "No. You will now sell me two tickets for flight T-42. You are going to call the shuttle and tell them to wait."
Now, the manager of the shuttle station was a weak man. He was quite taken with his vodka and was sure that a "designated driver" was a kind of golf club. He had a mistress in every city/colony his shuttles went to. After all, he was the shuttle station manager, that made him a real catch.
But there was only so much a man could put up with. He'd already had to deal with all of the complaint calls, the cashiers leaving, and cleaning up shred of purple fabric off of his lovely floors. He was NOT going to let anyone tell him how to run his business. Not even if the person telling him was the richest, and probably most powerful, man alive.
"No," The manager argued, "It's too late. You'll have to catch the next flight."
Sensing a storm coming, Wesley put up his umbrella, or rather, began talking with the people behind him in line. "So," he asked, "Where are you headed to?"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
On the shuttle
Quatre had finally stopped shivering and was now content with staring ahead and muttering to himself. "My vest."
"Good evening, folks," The flight attendant, who Duo had previously flirted with, said over the intercom, "Due to technical difficulties, there will be a slight delay in our departure. We ask you to please remain seated and we will inform you when we are ready to lift off. Thank you for choosing Colony Air. We hope you have a pleasant flight."
"Technical difficulties?" Duo questioned, with a yawn. "They always say that. I'll bet the pilot got stuck in traffic or something."
"That's enough out of you," Iria replied, throwing a pillow at him, "You've been talking to much. It's a waste of energy. So now, you have to go to sleep."
Duo crossed his arms in a pout. "I'm not tired."
Shrugging, Iria tossed him a blanket to go with the pillow. "You were yawning. Good night, Duo."
Yawning again, Duo gave in, which was a first. "G'night." It didn't take a minute for him to fall asleep.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The manager escorted Mr. Winner and Wesley onto the shuttle. It was the least he could do, he had said, to please his customers.
He and Mr. Winner had had a little chat. The manager soon realized his own imperfection and how very right Mr. Winner was.
Always remember, money is power.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Sorry for the delay," The stewardess said in a cheerful voice, "We are now ready for take off.." She continued to tell them all the safety rules, the fact that there was no smoking at any point, or anywhere, on the flight, and how to fasten their seatbelts.
And then, they were off.
A small demon perched itself on one of the wings and grinned to itself. "Yay!" It said cheerfully. "Let's see how many lives I can ruin today."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Meetings
Quatre didn't notice his attackers when they got onto the shuttle, but Iria had. She'd also noticed them walking slowly down the aisle, opening luggage compartments as if they were flight attendants in an attempt to be discreet while making their way to the very back, where Iria and her party were seated. One of them was wearing a very shredded purple vest and another wore a beige headband.
Glaring at them, Iria turned to look at Quatre, who was carefully reading the safety pamphlet, as if he would miss something important if he read too quickly.
They had almost reached Quatre, when the stewardess, whose name was Hana, came down the aisle, looking very disgruntled. "Excuse me, ladies," She said with forced kindness, "But this flight has assigned seating. Please return to your assigned seats and remain seated for the remainder of your stay."
Molly looked very disappointed. "B-but.." She stammered. "He's Quatre! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!"
With a sigh, the stewardess looked over at Quatre and then back at Molly. "That isn't Quatre Winner," She explained, "Didn't you watch the Morning Teen Show? He dyed his hair BROWN last night."
Tears forming in her eyes, Molly mumbled a "Sorry" and headed back to her seat, the other girls following suit.
Hana grinned back at Quatre and winked before blowing a kiss and returning to her duties.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Elsewhere on the shuttle
"Aren't you going to read the safety pamphlet?" Lenore asked.
Naihu looked at her as if she was crazy. "Hell no. It's bein' talking about "water landings". Shuttles don't land in water, they crash. It's badly written and I ain't gonna read it."
Lenore shrugged and stood up. "It's good to be prepared."
"Where th' hell're you goin'?" Naihu questioned.
A look of concern covered Lenore's features. "The bathroom," She answered, as if it were very obvious, "Where else would I be going on a shuttle?"
Naihu glowered after Lenore as she walked away. "Damn young 'un. Thinks she's so smart. Prob'ly thinks she's more 'ntelligent than Naihu even." As she continued muttering, Naihu pulled out her safety pamphlet, and began reading.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
'Uh oh,' Iria thought, 'here they come again.'
Mistaking Lenore for another reader of "Teen Spot", Iria prepared herself for a good yelling session. She wasn't having a good day and was actually pretty tired, though she wouldn't dare sleep in case Duo needed her. 'If that woman takes another step,' She told herself, 'I'm going to tell her what I think of her and her little friends.'
Lenore took another step.
Standing up, Iria took a deep breath, positive that she wouldn't have time to catch it later. Just as she was about to start telling the woman off, Lenore spoke.
"Hello, you must be Quatre's sister.. Iria? We met at the hospital, I believe. My name's Lenore." Lenore wore a huge grin, and held her hand out.
It took Iria a moment to realize what had happened, so Lenore took Iria's hand and shook it herself.
"It's nice to see you again," Lenore continued, "If I may speak with your brother?"
"Uh.." Iria stared blankly ahead, trying to get rid of all the energy she'd built up for yelling, "Sure."
"Quatre?" Lenore said softly, shaking Quatre's shoulder.
He was still reading the pamphlet, though he seemed to have made his way to the copyrights. "Yes?" He asked, finally looking up. His eyes seemed to light up as he saw Lenore and he smiled with recognition. "Oh, hello Lenore. What a coincidence that we're on the same shuttle."
"Actually I followed you." Lenore explained.
Quatre looked at her for a moment, trying to understand why she would do this. He couldn't really think of anything to say to this. Luckily, he didn't have to.
"I thought you should know what you're up against," She continued, "You're quite the popular one today. There are about 30 young women who followed you onto this shuttle, intent on getting souvenirs. Oz send a small army of about," she paused to think about this for a moment, "22-23 soldiers to deliver the five of you to Oz Headquarters. Your father is sitting in the front of the spacecraft with his assistant and, what seems to be, the shuttle station manager. Also, Naihu followed you and is set on killing you during this flight."
Patting him on the head, Lenore flashed a brilliant smile. "But don't worry, I'm sure the five of you can take them. I'll send Suki back just in case." Inserting her pointer and middle finger into her mouth, Lenore produced a very impressive whistle.
Suki came bounding down the aisle, skipping happily. "Hi daddy!" She said cheerfully, clamping onto Quatre's arm. "I'm gonna keep you company."
Bowing her head slightly, Lenore walked back to her seat, leaving poor Quatre with a bewildered expression and a bouncing ball of joy.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"It's time." The computer whiz, also known as Agent Alpha, told Colonel Itsa.
Putting his hand into his jacket, just to make sure his gun was there, Itsa stood up and made his way down the aisle. He was followed by about 20 other soldiers, all dressed in civilian clothing.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
At the front of the plane
Wesley watched the men walking towards the Winner heir in horror. "U-uh Mr. Winner, sir," He said nervously, "A group of men are going towards your son."
"Damn." Mr. Winner muttered, putting down his paper, "Are they armed?"
Inwardly sighing, Wesley shook his head. "I wouldn't know, sir, I'm just an unemployed secretary."
"Guns, you say?" The manager asked, following Wesley's gaze, "On MY shuttle?"
"Probably," Mr. Winner said, more to himself than to the manager, "They are soldiers, after all."
Manager (2) looked stunned. "Why would soldiers be after your son?"
Mr. Winner shrugged. "Why are they planning an attack on a shuttle?"
Nodding, Manager looked satisfied. "A few episodes short of a series, are they?" He suggested. "Well we can't have firearms on a spacecraft. We'll just have to commandeer them."
"Unless they shoot us," Wesley muttered, just loud enough for Manager to hear, "What a great day. Wouldn't let me quit, so now I get shot."
This didn't do much for Manager's confidence.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Hiiro and Quatre exchanged a look as the soldiers began pouring down the aisle. With Duo asleep, there were only four of them. Things weren't looking good.
"It looks like they're coming for you, daddy," Suki observed, "I hope you're as good as mommy says."
Iria looked over at Quatre, then over to the soldiers. "Shit," she swore, than fearing for Quatre's innocent ears, she corrected herself, "I mean, shoot. You didn't hear that." Well, she wasn't about to let her little brother be taken away by troops who didn't even wear uniforms (3). "Something I can help you gentlemen with?" She asked, standing up to block Quatre from view.
"Step aside, ma'am," The man in front said, "This doesn't concern you."
"Who does it concern then?" Iria questioned them. For some reason she seemed to have twice the usual amount of bravery and half the usual amount of brains. Or maybe she was just in a bad mood.
"Ma'am, please step aside or we will be forced to..force.. you aside." He explained.
Iria didn't move, and so, the soldiers helped her move.
"Let go of me!" She screeched. "Ow!" The man holding her pulled her hair, causing an immense amount of pain in her scalp and her eyes to water.
He was on the floor in less than a second, a bullet firmly secured into his skull.
"What do you want?" Quatre asked, keeping his gun pointed at the remaining soldiers, who had now taken out their own weapons.
"We will escort you to Oz HQ #7 immediately after landing." A man, who looked like he spent far too much time on a computer than was healthy, explained.
"No." Hiiro replied, standing up as well, and brandishing his own gun.
"You don't really have a choice." The man who seemed to be the leader said.
"Ex-Excuse me, gentlemen," Manager stuttered, pushing his way to the middle of the group. "B-but I thought I might.. Inform you that you are breaking safety regulations 1, 2, 5, 7, 18, 27, 34, 36, 39, 40, 47, and 5001. Firearms are not allowed on the spacecraft and you must remain seated at all times. Failure to do this could lead to endangering yourself or others on the shuttle and may lead to a minimum of 3 years in prison."
"Shut up!" One of the younger and more foolhardy soldiers yelled, firing a bullet at the poor man.
Manager slid to the ground, clutching his chest. "T-that's regulation 495 as w-well." His voice trailed off as he fell unconscious.
Duo, who had been awakened by the first gunshot, didn't look well. Iria was noticing this from her position behind Quatre. He looked very tired and pale but he was holding his gun.
Shots began ringing out from all over the shuttle. It seemed like a strange opera consisting of miscellaneous bangs.
Quatre was barely conscious of the soldier making his way over to Duo. "Leave him alone!" He shouted, though his voice was lost amidst the noise.
The soldier, ignoring the plea, slammed his gun against the side of Duo's head.
"Stop it!" Quatre screamed, making his way back towards his friend. If he could just get a clear shot.. "Leave him alone!"
Though he was exhausted and feeling very ill, Duo punched the soldier weakly in the face, causing very little damage if any.
"He hasn't done anything!" This situation felt oddly familiar.
Slapping his gun against Duo's head again, the soldier grinned in the familiarity of battle.
"NOOOOO!"
One bang seemed to scream out above all others. It was like the voice of death saying "Hello, nice to meet you."
Everything comes to an end.
Especially chapters.
End of Chapter
grins with satisfaction Ah, it's good to be evil. drinks a diet coke Lallalla!
(1) Just as a note, T-42 was the schoolbus I rode in 3rd grade.... Can't believe I still remember that. ^^*
(2)I'm sure you all know that his name isn't really "Manager", but writing "the manager" over and over gets very boring and I'm sure you agree that I've told you enough peoples' names. The manager's name is actually Marlboro Camel Jefferson. His parents had sold the rights to his name on e- bay, and the cigarette companies had taken advantage of the situation, so now he was a walking advertisement.
(3) I gotta say, this would displease ME greatly. Kattie: being taken away by the military HEY! Where are your uniforms? Soldier: .... we were undercover. Kattie: blinks Let me get this straight. I'm being taken away to God knows where, and you don't even have the kindness to wear a uniform so I can swoon over you? Soldier: blink ...No. Kattie: pouts Meany! Soldier: ^^* sorry.
If you don't like "A few episodes short of a series" please feel free to replace it with: A few balloons short of a parade, a few hairs short of bald, a few strokes short of a painting, a few cards short of a deck, etc. etc. My beta also adds: A few bananas short of a bunch, a few crackers short of a box, a few bars short of Beethoven's Fifth, a few headlines short of a paper, a few protons short of plutonium...and their elevators don't quite go to the top floor.
One chapter left. I'll try to make it count. A sequel will follow, but it may be a month or so later, depending how evil my teachers are.
More questions ^.^ (getting the answers last chapter made me very happy)
1) Will Duo live to the end of the fanfiction? 2) Will the shuttle make it to its destination? 3) Can Iria save everyone who's been shot? 4) Is Kattie evil?
Please review! (I know it took a long time, and I apologize again!) Thanks for reading! glomps