Disclaimer see first chapter.
Okay this is part 15. !6 won't take as long to be posted. I had horrible writers block and im swimming in homework. Ive got exams in 5 weeks and I have to do three years of Spanish in 12 weeks.
Part 15
Max was still pulling her shirt over her head and slipping into her shoes as she ran down the steps and into the streets of TC. Alec, not a second behind her, hadn't even bothered with a shirt as he ran in jeans and shoes.
They burst through the infirmary doors not stopping till they reached the group. It seemed everyone had stopped what they were doing to rush over; Jondy and Zane were attempting to comfort a hysterical Rook while Joshua sat beside a paled Sandeman. Wesley and Mole sat silently to one side near Kahlua and Bintz who held a distressed Mint. Even Zack was here. Not to mentions the curious transgenics that sat outside.
Jondy quirked an eyebrow and a quick smile passed her lips at their current state of undress. No one spoke and the only sound was a few quiet mewls from Mint and the complete uninhibited curses from Rook that were slowly dissipating but where just as damaging to their sensitive ears.
The tension was so thick you could taste it and feel it on your skin and the whole room stood when Zyme and Stitch walked in.
Rook didn't hesitate running up to the smaller boy and holding him by his shoulders, "Is she okay? Did she break anything? Is it serious? Can I see her?"
Max wedged herself between the two and looked pointedly at Rook and he stepped back obediently. She turned to hem and asked in pretty much the same tone as Rook had, "Well? How is she?"
Stitch smiled and got their attention, "She'll be fine. She's still asleep and we gave her a relaxant. Honestly, there isn't anything wrong with her except bumps and bruises. She's fine."
Stitch took a step sideways effectively blocking the way' "No you can't see her. It's best if you go back to command, we'll call you the moment she awakes," Rook was about to protest but Alec laid a hand on his shoulder and said calmly, "He's right. I know you want to see her, I know what you're feeling, but we should let her rest."
*****
Spartacus remembered this place. Not consciously, more like she'd had this dream before. She had never felt so at peace, so confident; it felt like, for the first time since she'd awoken not recalling her own name, she belonged. Spartacus snorted at her own thoughts; she belonged anywhere and nowhere, wherever her family was. Yet this place threw her, baffled her to complete confusion, it felt . . . right.
Her eyes fluttered around her surroundings drinking in every detail that wasn't there. She couldn't see. A shiver ran down her spine as she noticed for the first time that everything was jet-black. Her hand rose blindly in front of her to find something, though what, she had no clue. It was supposed to be there though.
She closed her eyes growling in frustration and had to smother a squeak of surprise. Her eye-lids flicked open as if to test her own sanity and her sigh echoed in the darkness. Impossibly slow she closed them once more. She felt foolish as she observed the place she found herself in, seeing with your eyes closed wasn't exactly normal.
She stood in a small clearing within the heart of a forest she didn't recognize. Tall trees rose upwards surrounding her but she felt safe, secure rather than threatened by their impounding appearance. She inhaled deeply, the scent of soil and wood was deep and calming invading her senses.
She found herself kneeling down and her hand lowering to the earth to scrape away the soil. The Familiar symbol was engraved into the surface along with a name she couldn't read and somehow Spartacus knew this was her mother's grave. Her fingernail scraped out the grime disguising the letters she wished to see. The dirt stuck under her nails as she finally cleaned it away and read, "Alana."
*****
Sandeman sat completely still on the small couch in headquarters, the one Rook had laid in hours before. Joshua sat beside him an arm over his shoulder trying to comfort him.
Mole was at the computer with Wesley both looking over Dix's shoulder as he explained what kind of files they would be looking for. Luke quietly worked on some mechanism with Zack watching in interest. The others all sat around a large map of Sector 7 while Jondy explained the building layout and showed blueprints. Everyone was trying to keep busy, to not think of what had happened. Despite the stupidity of how, it was still terrifying.
Rook fidgeted anxiously; a complete nervous wreck and he couldn't seem to concentrate on anything for longer than a couple of minutes. All he saw was Spartacus crashing through that skylight, holding her limp body in his arms trying in vain to wake her.
****
Spartacus bolted up from the bed breathing heavily. Her eyes darted around scanning her surroundings and she found herself in a strange white room. Medical equipment around her and an IV in her arm.
She scratched her head mentally trying to remember when she had come to the infirmary. Her breath was still coming in ragged gasps and her fingers clawed at the sheets to throw them off of her. It was then that she noticed the black stain of soil underneath her nails.
She tumbled to the floor unceremoniously still looking at her dirty hands; "It was real."
The door opened and Zyme walked in a worried look on his usually carefree face, "You're awake," he stated more than anything else, "How's your head?"
Spartacus' hand flew to her head feeling the large bump on the back of her cranium and she winced when her fingers brushed it. She realized for the first time that all her limbs ached and she smothered the urge to groan as she lifted herself to her feet. Zyme was at her side in an instant helping her regain her balance.
Pushing Zyme aside she started limping towards the door, "I have to get to HQ. I have to tell them."
Zyme, dumbstruck at the strength he'd felt when she pushed him, didn't move for an instant. For a moment he couldn't do anything and Spartacus took her chance knowing he'd never willingly let her go. She dashed out the door and down the corridor to the metal, vault almost, door that led to the outside.
It took him a second for everything to click and then he blurred after her.
Despite the head start Spartacus was fast, Zyme thought. She was running as if the hounds of hell were after her and Zyme was Satan himself hot on her heels. He pushed himself to his limits trying to catch up to her but she'd already burst through the door of HQ still wearing the gown they'd changed her in.
Zyme cringed knowing Zane would have his ass for letting her get out of bed; that is if Rook didn't kill him first. He couldn't exactly say she bet him running but then again she couldn't have sneaked out without him hearing and the X6 silently cursed at Spartacus trying to decide which option was less embarrassing.
Hesitantly he popped his head round the main doors expecting a fist to fly out but instead a far more amusing sight met him.
*****
"Me and Zane were there all morning and the scouts you sent for last night confirmed it. The guards change at 2100 hours and then again 0100 giving us plenty of time. We go in with three teams. The first will enter through here," Jondy explained pointing at a certain point on the blueprints.
"The second will come in through the other way while the third stays outside, they're back up. We're certain this is White's base of operations. Spartacus confirmed that he isn't there at the moment. He's in Washington DC, no doubt meeting with the conclave. There'll be no familiars there so the only up they have is they'll be armed. We don't want to destroy anything, we just want all his files and fry the computers, this should set him back enough for us to be completely ready for whatever he will try," Zane continued wincing slightly at her name. She was like a little sister to him.
Everything had sort of been put on hold. All the emotional issues were pushed aside, because dealing with one would mean dealing with all of them. They were interlinked.
The X5's nodded to each other and as one looked over to Rook who had taken to pacing. He waved them off meaning that he'd understood. Max looked worriedly at Jondy who shrugged; "She really does mean everything to him."
The two sisters moved to a more secluded corner and sat down on the ground whispering as to not be heard, "You should have seen them when they first met. When you burnt Manticore down I was in the area. Found some stragglers on my way outta there. Rook and Wes were the only conscious ones really though Mint seemed rather energetic. Wes had Zyme and Kahlua one on each shoulder and Rook had Bintz. It was by mere chance that I found them. They didn't even wait for me to ask again; I opened the doors and they all just piled in. I drove straight back to Sandy. Even with my shortcuts it was a pretty long trip."
Max listened wide-eyed to her sister, "When I got to Sandy's place they were all out. Dead to the world. I basically had to carry everyone inside. When Rook woke up she was the first thing he saw. I got told later but apparently his hair was standing on end like battlements and Cus said he looked like a rook. That's how he got his name. There's something so intimate, so . . . I dunno, a bond, when someone gives you a name. Like a child with it's mother and I guess when our group named each other."
Spartacus giggled, "You look like a rook with your hair like that."
"My designation is SO-815," he said emotionlessly, but she'd already seen the curiosity he had.
"Yeah but your hair is standing all on end. You look like a chess piece. Rook suits you better," she explained smiling.
"I excelled in strategy. What's your designation?"
"I ain't got one. I have a name, Spartacus. And I'm gonna call you Rook."
Jondy grinned and cocked her head towards the still pacing Special Op, "She always said that the only reason she hung around him so much was because her mind thing didn't work with him but as you can see it's way more at least on one sid . . ."
She never finished her sentence as Spartacus burst through the doors and ran straight into the subject of their conversation. The two fell in what seemed like slow motion but Max must have blinked cause she missed it. Utter silence reigned as everyone watched Spartacus in a thin gown lie completely shell-shocked on top of a just as dumbstruck Rook.
He was the first to break out of the reverie and he crushed her to him, burying his face into her neck.
Spartacus could only hug back for a second. Being in his arms had made her forget the reason she was even there. Someone cleared their throat and she pulled back eyes wide and a small smile formed at her lips soon turning into a grin.
"I remember. I know now, I'm not just some nobody who's missing eight years of her life. I remember Rook, this is Great!" she yelled her hands bunched into his shirt. She started shaking him, emphasizing each word, "Do you understand?! I remember!"
Rook was too shocked to move but as he floated back down from the clouds and noticed their positions he relaxed and began to enjoy it. Spartacus was straddling his chest in just a thin blue gown. Her knees squeezed him slightly and her face was only inches from him. The only disadvantage was that she was shaking him.
All of a sudden her words clicked in and Sandeman who had jumped to his feet, as fast as a man his age could, asked wide-eyed, "What do you remember?"
Spartacus jumped to her feet excited that someone had finally understood and she ran over hugging Sandeman with all her might, "I remember stuff Pop! I remember, I don't know why but it started this morning."
Sandeman pushed her back and hel her by her shoulders he jumped in surprise when two voices right beside him said unanimously, "Start from the beginning. Sandeman this is as good a time as any to answer all our questions."
There was a slight pause and then the same voices still at the same time yelled, "SNAP . . . DOUBLE SNAP!"
Come on . . . please review? All I ask is 5? (looks at readers with sad puppy look) grins (
Okay this is part 15. !6 won't take as long to be posted. I had horrible writers block and im swimming in homework. Ive got exams in 5 weeks and I have to do three years of Spanish in 12 weeks.
Part 15
Max was still pulling her shirt over her head and slipping into her shoes as she ran down the steps and into the streets of TC. Alec, not a second behind her, hadn't even bothered with a shirt as he ran in jeans and shoes.
They burst through the infirmary doors not stopping till they reached the group. It seemed everyone had stopped what they were doing to rush over; Jondy and Zane were attempting to comfort a hysterical Rook while Joshua sat beside a paled Sandeman. Wesley and Mole sat silently to one side near Kahlua and Bintz who held a distressed Mint. Even Zack was here. Not to mentions the curious transgenics that sat outside.
Jondy quirked an eyebrow and a quick smile passed her lips at their current state of undress. No one spoke and the only sound was a few quiet mewls from Mint and the complete uninhibited curses from Rook that were slowly dissipating but where just as damaging to their sensitive ears.
The tension was so thick you could taste it and feel it on your skin and the whole room stood when Zyme and Stitch walked in.
Rook didn't hesitate running up to the smaller boy and holding him by his shoulders, "Is she okay? Did she break anything? Is it serious? Can I see her?"
Max wedged herself between the two and looked pointedly at Rook and he stepped back obediently. She turned to hem and asked in pretty much the same tone as Rook had, "Well? How is she?"
Stitch smiled and got their attention, "She'll be fine. She's still asleep and we gave her a relaxant. Honestly, there isn't anything wrong with her except bumps and bruises. She's fine."
Stitch took a step sideways effectively blocking the way' "No you can't see her. It's best if you go back to command, we'll call you the moment she awakes," Rook was about to protest but Alec laid a hand on his shoulder and said calmly, "He's right. I know you want to see her, I know what you're feeling, but we should let her rest."
*****
Spartacus remembered this place. Not consciously, more like she'd had this dream before. She had never felt so at peace, so confident; it felt like, for the first time since she'd awoken not recalling her own name, she belonged. Spartacus snorted at her own thoughts; she belonged anywhere and nowhere, wherever her family was. Yet this place threw her, baffled her to complete confusion, it felt . . . right.
Her eyes fluttered around her surroundings drinking in every detail that wasn't there. She couldn't see. A shiver ran down her spine as she noticed for the first time that everything was jet-black. Her hand rose blindly in front of her to find something, though what, she had no clue. It was supposed to be there though.
She closed her eyes growling in frustration and had to smother a squeak of surprise. Her eye-lids flicked open as if to test her own sanity and her sigh echoed in the darkness. Impossibly slow she closed them once more. She felt foolish as she observed the place she found herself in, seeing with your eyes closed wasn't exactly normal.
She stood in a small clearing within the heart of a forest she didn't recognize. Tall trees rose upwards surrounding her but she felt safe, secure rather than threatened by their impounding appearance. She inhaled deeply, the scent of soil and wood was deep and calming invading her senses.
She found herself kneeling down and her hand lowering to the earth to scrape away the soil. The Familiar symbol was engraved into the surface along with a name she couldn't read and somehow Spartacus knew this was her mother's grave. Her fingernail scraped out the grime disguising the letters she wished to see. The dirt stuck under her nails as she finally cleaned it away and read, "Alana."
*****
Sandeman sat completely still on the small couch in headquarters, the one Rook had laid in hours before. Joshua sat beside him an arm over his shoulder trying to comfort him.
Mole was at the computer with Wesley both looking over Dix's shoulder as he explained what kind of files they would be looking for. Luke quietly worked on some mechanism with Zack watching in interest. The others all sat around a large map of Sector 7 while Jondy explained the building layout and showed blueprints. Everyone was trying to keep busy, to not think of what had happened. Despite the stupidity of how, it was still terrifying.
Rook fidgeted anxiously; a complete nervous wreck and he couldn't seem to concentrate on anything for longer than a couple of minutes. All he saw was Spartacus crashing through that skylight, holding her limp body in his arms trying in vain to wake her.
****
Spartacus bolted up from the bed breathing heavily. Her eyes darted around scanning her surroundings and she found herself in a strange white room. Medical equipment around her and an IV in her arm.
She scratched her head mentally trying to remember when she had come to the infirmary. Her breath was still coming in ragged gasps and her fingers clawed at the sheets to throw them off of her. It was then that she noticed the black stain of soil underneath her nails.
She tumbled to the floor unceremoniously still looking at her dirty hands; "It was real."
The door opened and Zyme walked in a worried look on his usually carefree face, "You're awake," he stated more than anything else, "How's your head?"
Spartacus' hand flew to her head feeling the large bump on the back of her cranium and she winced when her fingers brushed it. She realized for the first time that all her limbs ached and she smothered the urge to groan as she lifted herself to her feet. Zyme was at her side in an instant helping her regain her balance.
Pushing Zyme aside she started limping towards the door, "I have to get to HQ. I have to tell them."
Zyme, dumbstruck at the strength he'd felt when she pushed him, didn't move for an instant. For a moment he couldn't do anything and Spartacus took her chance knowing he'd never willingly let her go. She dashed out the door and down the corridor to the metal, vault almost, door that led to the outside.
It took him a second for everything to click and then he blurred after her.
Despite the head start Spartacus was fast, Zyme thought. She was running as if the hounds of hell were after her and Zyme was Satan himself hot on her heels. He pushed himself to his limits trying to catch up to her but she'd already burst through the door of HQ still wearing the gown they'd changed her in.
Zyme cringed knowing Zane would have his ass for letting her get out of bed; that is if Rook didn't kill him first. He couldn't exactly say she bet him running but then again she couldn't have sneaked out without him hearing and the X6 silently cursed at Spartacus trying to decide which option was less embarrassing.
Hesitantly he popped his head round the main doors expecting a fist to fly out but instead a far more amusing sight met him.
*****
"Me and Zane were there all morning and the scouts you sent for last night confirmed it. The guards change at 2100 hours and then again 0100 giving us plenty of time. We go in with three teams. The first will enter through here," Jondy explained pointing at a certain point on the blueprints.
"The second will come in through the other way while the third stays outside, they're back up. We're certain this is White's base of operations. Spartacus confirmed that he isn't there at the moment. He's in Washington DC, no doubt meeting with the conclave. There'll be no familiars there so the only up they have is they'll be armed. We don't want to destroy anything, we just want all his files and fry the computers, this should set him back enough for us to be completely ready for whatever he will try," Zane continued wincing slightly at her name. She was like a little sister to him.
Everything had sort of been put on hold. All the emotional issues were pushed aside, because dealing with one would mean dealing with all of them. They were interlinked.
The X5's nodded to each other and as one looked over to Rook who had taken to pacing. He waved them off meaning that he'd understood. Max looked worriedly at Jondy who shrugged; "She really does mean everything to him."
The two sisters moved to a more secluded corner and sat down on the ground whispering as to not be heard, "You should have seen them when they first met. When you burnt Manticore down I was in the area. Found some stragglers on my way outta there. Rook and Wes were the only conscious ones really though Mint seemed rather energetic. Wes had Zyme and Kahlua one on each shoulder and Rook had Bintz. It was by mere chance that I found them. They didn't even wait for me to ask again; I opened the doors and they all just piled in. I drove straight back to Sandy. Even with my shortcuts it was a pretty long trip."
Max listened wide-eyed to her sister, "When I got to Sandy's place they were all out. Dead to the world. I basically had to carry everyone inside. When Rook woke up she was the first thing he saw. I got told later but apparently his hair was standing on end like battlements and Cus said he looked like a rook. That's how he got his name. There's something so intimate, so . . . I dunno, a bond, when someone gives you a name. Like a child with it's mother and I guess when our group named each other."
Spartacus giggled, "You look like a rook with your hair like that."
"My designation is SO-815," he said emotionlessly, but she'd already seen the curiosity he had.
"Yeah but your hair is standing all on end. You look like a chess piece. Rook suits you better," she explained smiling.
"I excelled in strategy. What's your designation?"
"I ain't got one. I have a name, Spartacus. And I'm gonna call you Rook."
Jondy grinned and cocked her head towards the still pacing Special Op, "She always said that the only reason she hung around him so much was because her mind thing didn't work with him but as you can see it's way more at least on one sid . . ."
She never finished her sentence as Spartacus burst through the doors and ran straight into the subject of their conversation. The two fell in what seemed like slow motion but Max must have blinked cause she missed it. Utter silence reigned as everyone watched Spartacus in a thin gown lie completely shell-shocked on top of a just as dumbstruck Rook.
He was the first to break out of the reverie and he crushed her to him, burying his face into her neck.
Spartacus could only hug back for a second. Being in his arms had made her forget the reason she was even there. Someone cleared their throat and she pulled back eyes wide and a small smile formed at her lips soon turning into a grin.
"I remember. I know now, I'm not just some nobody who's missing eight years of her life. I remember Rook, this is Great!" she yelled her hands bunched into his shirt. She started shaking him, emphasizing each word, "Do you understand?! I remember!"
Rook was too shocked to move but as he floated back down from the clouds and noticed their positions he relaxed and began to enjoy it. Spartacus was straddling his chest in just a thin blue gown. Her knees squeezed him slightly and her face was only inches from him. The only disadvantage was that she was shaking him.
All of a sudden her words clicked in and Sandeman who had jumped to his feet, as fast as a man his age could, asked wide-eyed, "What do you remember?"
Spartacus jumped to her feet excited that someone had finally understood and she ran over hugging Sandeman with all her might, "I remember stuff Pop! I remember, I don't know why but it started this morning."
Sandeman pushed her back and hel her by her shoulders he jumped in surprise when two voices right beside him said unanimously, "Start from the beginning. Sandeman this is as good a time as any to answer all our questions."
There was a slight pause and then the same voices still at the same time yelled, "SNAP . . . DOUBLE SNAP!"
Come on . . . please review? All I ask is 5? (looks at readers with sad puppy look) grins (