Highway 51: Chapter 3- In which Athena learns something of significant
importance
10:00- Athena's Group
Athena was driving. She and Amidala had found one of the low- dosage tranquilizers and promptly stabbed Anakin. He was in the backseat, snoring peacefully, and there was blessed, blessed silence. Other than the snoring. They were enjoying their peaceful, quiet ride, occasionally peering out into the low brush on the side of the road. All of a sudden, a scrabbling noise came from the bed. Athena's eyes widened. "Chibiusa!" Amidala gave a little scream and looked through the window into the bed of the truck, which held nothing but a pile of duct tape. She saw the small pink figure flee into the trees, and Athena promptly pulled over and dove into the underbrush. But Chibiusa was long gone. Amidala had a chilling thought. "What about..what about Vega's team? No one told that pink spore about Vega and her hunters, and if Chibiusa thinks they're the enemy.." She shuddered, and drew her finger across her throat. "Call her" she whispered as they returned to the truck.
Vega, Who Is Somewhere In The Woods
Vega's radio crackled, and she lifted it to her ear. Several hunters gathered round. "Athena to Vega, Athena to Vega, Do you copy?" Came the urgent voice. "Yeah," said Vega casually. "Vega, you need to be on FULL ALERT! We have a- a jailbreak. Chibiusa has escaped, and she doesn't know who you are. We told her to suck the life out of anyone who appears to be an enemy, and..I'm afraid you'll get saccharine-ified if one of your team makes the wrong move. QUICK! Send out the warning to the rest of your team." Vega felt a chill run down her spine. "O-okay," She whispered. "Over and out." Vega caught her breath and turned to Mary and a sharpshooter named Joe, who had become her seconds- in- command. "Quick, I need you to get a call out to all the team captains, pronto. Tell them to watch out for a pink-haired little girl, and to switch to their most powerful tranquilizers. Tell them not to wait for my permission to fire, and to fire and aim mercilessly. May their shots ring true." The two marksmen nodded and relayed the message to the rest of the teams of hunters, all through the woods. All through the woods, camouflaged heads nodded and dart guns were loaded, with powerful tranquilizers.
Delta's Group- 10:15
Luke was once again driving slowly and without lights. Several minutes ago, Delta had threatened to give Serena a black eye, which made Serena protest in that awful, awful voice that she was Sailor Moon and could beat Delta any day. Therefore, Delta had proceeded to whoop the living snot out of Serena, who was now lying quietly in back, holding her throbbing head. All of a sudden, Luke leaned further out the window. He sniffed twice, then brought the vehicle smoothly to a stop. "Violets!" He whispered. Delta grinned and donned her camo jacket, a large net, her dart rifle, and a bag of Milano cookies. Luke did likewise. They slipped out of the hummer and into the ditch, ever so quiet. The smell of violets got much stronger as they stepped into the woods, trying not to let the fallen branches crack underfoot. Delta hesitated to turn on the lantern, but a cloud passed over the moon and she reluctantly did. Luke scattered some cookies around haphazardly. "You know, wasn't there a horn or something that we could blow? To, you know, call him?" whispered Vega. Luke shook his head. "If there is, we haven't got it. But, maybe." He thought for a moment. "What would he want most of he were stranded in the woods, and was trying not to be seen?" Delta shrugged. "Dunno." "Okay, so what would YOU want?" Delta frowned, then brightened visibly. "Running water. And we might be able to lure him with the sweet smell of.." She rummaged in her oversized jacket pocket and pulled out a squashed plastic bottle. "Hand lotion! Smells like plumeria." Luke nodded, then squeezed the bottle so that a small puff of plumeria-scented air assaulted his nostrils. "Perfect, Delta, you're a genius! Here, I'll go get my CD player, and you puff the bottle around. Maybe put some on and walk around a little bit." Delta nodded, puzzled. CD player? Luke trudged rather loudly back to the truck and returned a minute later, with a CD and a Walkman with tiny speakers. "Voila!"She peered at the CD. "Sounds of the Ocean?" Luke grinned. "Yeah. Yoda said it helped him meditate, so I bought a copy." He popped the CD and a fresh battery into the CD player and cranked up the volume. The sound of shrieking seagulls filled the air, and Luke cringed. "Whoops." He forwarded to number three, and the sound of what could possibly be a brook or stream flooded Delta's ears. "Perfect!" They high-fived, and waited, weapons at the ready.
Athena's Group, Who Are Now Driving- 10:32
Amidala fidgeted restlessly. "We're running out of gas." It was the fifth time she said it since the little red light indicating they were on empty blinked on. Athena sighed, and pulled into a gas station. Inside, on a whim, she asked the clerk about the rumors of a strange young man living in the woods. "Yep," said the man, "Lady in the Bath & Body Works down the street said he came down there one night. Mighty handsome young fella, with long blonde hair. Said he reminded her of someone, can't rightly 'member his name. Said she had a nice conversation with him.What I think, is that the lady watches too many movies. Addles yer mind, ya know." Athena nodded and smiled, but inside she was rejoicing. They had a lead! She hopped back into the car. "Where to now?" asked Amidala. "Bath & Body Works," Athena didn't bother explaining to the puzzled senator.
Jamie's Group, Who Are Relatively Useless
Mercury was driving, and sweating, and mumbling to herself, and crying all at the same time. Why? Because she was afraid of getting caught by the police, and Obi- Wan and Jamie were snuggling in the backseat. Mercury let the tears fall, uncaring. She kept on inching slowly down the highway.
Somewhere in the Woods
Legolas, the stealthy dude that he was, slipped soundlessly through the forest. He had seen one of the teams of hunters and was heading in the opposite direction. Along the forest floor, he saw something strange. He bent down and picked it up. A cookie! Pepperidge Farm Milano, too, his favorite! He sniffed it delicately, and cast it to the ground. Laced with sedative. Damn. He was hungry, too. He moved on, wondering innocently what a laced cookie was doing in the woods. A piece of paper slipped from his pocket as he stepped elegantly and daintily over a pile of beer bottles, directly under the tree stand of a drunken, unconscious Frank. He didn't think to look up, and went on his little way towards the town of Covington.
Delta's Group, Most Of Whom Are Camped Out Near the Side of the Road
There isn't much to say about Delta and Luke, because they were sitting down, leaning against each other. Asleep. The sounds of the ocean (or a brook) played on, and the scent of plumeria wafted gently with the slight breeze that had begun to blow. All was silent but for the burbling of the imaginary stream.
10:00- Athena's Group
Athena was driving. She and Amidala had found one of the low- dosage tranquilizers and promptly stabbed Anakin. He was in the backseat, snoring peacefully, and there was blessed, blessed silence. Other than the snoring. They were enjoying their peaceful, quiet ride, occasionally peering out into the low brush on the side of the road. All of a sudden, a scrabbling noise came from the bed. Athena's eyes widened. "Chibiusa!" Amidala gave a little scream and looked through the window into the bed of the truck, which held nothing but a pile of duct tape. She saw the small pink figure flee into the trees, and Athena promptly pulled over and dove into the underbrush. But Chibiusa was long gone. Amidala had a chilling thought. "What about..what about Vega's team? No one told that pink spore about Vega and her hunters, and if Chibiusa thinks they're the enemy.." She shuddered, and drew her finger across her throat. "Call her" she whispered as they returned to the truck.
Vega, Who Is Somewhere In The Woods
Vega's radio crackled, and she lifted it to her ear. Several hunters gathered round. "Athena to Vega, Athena to Vega, Do you copy?" Came the urgent voice. "Yeah," said Vega casually. "Vega, you need to be on FULL ALERT! We have a- a jailbreak. Chibiusa has escaped, and she doesn't know who you are. We told her to suck the life out of anyone who appears to be an enemy, and..I'm afraid you'll get saccharine-ified if one of your team makes the wrong move. QUICK! Send out the warning to the rest of your team." Vega felt a chill run down her spine. "O-okay," She whispered. "Over and out." Vega caught her breath and turned to Mary and a sharpshooter named Joe, who had become her seconds- in- command. "Quick, I need you to get a call out to all the team captains, pronto. Tell them to watch out for a pink-haired little girl, and to switch to their most powerful tranquilizers. Tell them not to wait for my permission to fire, and to fire and aim mercilessly. May their shots ring true." The two marksmen nodded and relayed the message to the rest of the teams of hunters, all through the woods. All through the woods, camouflaged heads nodded and dart guns were loaded, with powerful tranquilizers.
Delta's Group- 10:15
Luke was once again driving slowly and without lights. Several minutes ago, Delta had threatened to give Serena a black eye, which made Serena protest in that awful, awful voice that she was Sailor Moon and could beat Delta any day. Therefore, Delta had proceeded to whoop the living snot out of Serena, who was now lying quietly in back, holding her throbbing head. All of a sudden, Luke leaned further out the window. He sniffed twice, then brought the vehicle smoothly to a stop. "Violets!" He whispered. Delta grinned and donned her camo jacket, a large net, her dart rifle, and a bag of Milano cookies. Luke did likewise. They slipped out of the hummer and into the ditch, ever so quiet. The smell of violets got much stronger as they stepped into the woods, trying not to let the fallen branches crack underfoot. Delta hesitated to turn on the lantern, but a cloud passed over the moon and she reluctantly did. Luke scattered some cookies around haphazardly. "You know, wasn't there a horn or something that we could blow? To, you know, call him?" whispered Vega. Luke shook his head. "If there is, we haven't got it. But, maybe." He thought for a moment. "What would he want most of he were stranded in the woods, and was trying not to be seen?" Delta shrugged. "Dunno." "Okay, so what would YOU want?" Delta frowned, then brightened visibly. "Running water. And we might be able to lure him with the sweet smell of.." She rummaged in her oversized jacket pocket and pulled out a squashed plastic bottle. "Hand lotion! Smells like plumeria." Luke nodded, then squeezed the bottle so that a small puff of plumeria-scented air assaulted his nostrils. "Perfect, Delta, you're a genius! Here, I'll go get my CD player, and you puff the bottle around. Maybe put some on and walk around a little bit." Delta nodded, puzzled. CD player? Luke trudged rather loudly back to the truck and returned a minute later, with a CD and a Walkman with tiny speakers. "Voila!"She peered at the CD. "Sounds of the Ocean?" Luke grinned. "Yeah. Yoda said it helped him meditate, so I bought a copy." He popped the CD and a fresh battery into the CD player and cranked up the volume. The sound of shrieking seagulls filled the air, and Luke cringed. "Whoops." He forwarded to number three, and the sound of what could possibly be a brook or stream flooded Delta's ears. "Perfect!" They high-fived, and waited, weapons at the ready.
Athena's Group, Who Are Now Driving- 10:32
Amidala fidgeted restlessly. "We're running out of gas." It was the fifth time she said it since the little red light indicating they were on empty blinked on. Athena sighed, and pulled into a gas station. Inside, on a whim, she asked the clerk about the rumors of a strange young man living in the woods. "Yep," said the man, "Lady in the Bath & Body Works down the street said he came down there one night. Mighty handsome young fella, with long blonde hair. Said he reminded her of someone, can't rightly 'member his name. Said she had a nice conversation with him.What I think, is that the lady watches too many movies. Addles yer mind, ya know." Athena nodded and smiled, but inside she was rejoicing. They had a lead! She hopped back into the car. "Where to now?" asked Amidala. "Bath & Body Works," Athena didn't bother explaining to the puzzled senator.
Jamie's Group, Who Are Relatively Useless
Mercury was driving, and sweating, and mumbling to herself, and crying all at the same time. Why? Because she was afraid of getting caught by the police, and Obi- Wan and Jamie were snuggling in the backseat. Mercury let the tears fall, uncaring. She kept on inching slowly down the highway.
Somewhere in the Woods
Legolas, the stealthy dude that he was, slipped soundlessly through the forest. He had seen one of the teams of hunters and was heading in the opposite direction. Along the forest floor, he saw something strange. He bent down and picked it up. A cookie! Pepperidge Farm Milano, too, his favorite! He sniffed it delicately, and cast it to the ground. Laced with sedative. Damn. He was hungry, too. He moved on, wondering innocently what a laced cookie was doing in the woods. A piece of paper slipped from his pocket as he stepped elegantly and daintily over a pile of beer bottles, directly under the tree stand of a drunken, unconscious Frank. He didn't think to look up, and went on his little way towards the town of Covington.
Delta's Group, Most Of Whom Are Camped Out Near the Side of the Road
There isn't much to say about Delta and Luke, because they were sitting down, leaning against each other. Asleep. The sounds of the ocean (or a brook) played on, and the scent of plumeria wafted gently with the slight breeze that had begun to blow. All was silent but for the burbling of the imaginary stream.