Episode #18 - A Window of Opportunity
It was a week later, Geoff was still in the infirmary and the others were diligently conducting their own investigation. Lita had been the 'servant' that was asked to clean up his room. She obtained samples of hair from the floor, some of it was human, and others that weren't. She had given them to Amy for analysis after she had finished the gristly work. Haruka and Michiru had been asked to look after Geoff, and Lita had volunteered to help as well. Serena had met with Queen Serenity and had told her what she knew, reiterating Geoff's ramblings about a 'Beast that slaughtered his family' Serena was dismissed, and Queen Serenity hadn't noticed that Serena and her daughter looked identical. Amy was busy helping in the kitchen, and Raye was busy helping Amy. It was the end of the day, and they had returned to their room and sat down. "So, anyone find out anything?" "I've overheard some of the palace guards talking about something, but it seems a little implausible." said Michiru. "What, at least tell us what you've heard!" said Serena. "Well, I've heard that the night that Geoff's family was killed, the entire battalion, well, fell asleep" "Uh hun. the entire battalion. asleep? I don't understand how that could've been accomplished" said Serena. "Well, if our murderer spiked their mead with a sleeping drug of some kind, it would be pretty easy to get around" "I see. but how much do you think it would take to put the whole battalion out of commission?" "That's the problem, there's too many of them to be put out like that, but. isn't there some ceremony that they do where they all take a drink of wine or something?" "Just evening prayer. but. wait a second, that would work! The murderer would only have to spike a few glasses of wine, not ten or fifteen kegs of mead!" "But what could be potent enough to knock someone out with just a small sip of it?" "There is one thing." said Amy. "What?" asked Raye. "Whisper Weed" The others nodded. Whisper Weed was a very potent sleeping drug, imported from Kyron before it was destroyed. Only a few granules of its pollen could fell an elephant. "That would work" said Serena, thinking. They discussed more of what they had found, and then went to bed. They awoke early next morning, starting their work. Michiru and Haruka walked into the infirmary, saying a quite hello to those who were awake, keeping their heads down and their hands clasped infront of them. They went to Geoff's bed, he hadn't stirred since the attack, and had been in a catatonic state ever since. They had to shut his eyes so they wouldn't see that blank stare all the time. Lita came in soon after. The other scouts had asked about her sudden change of heart, but all she had said was "This isn't the man I hate." Lita knew that the Geoff that had killed her Kenny and this man were two totally different and separate people, the other's just had to figure it out. Their Geoff and this man didn't even look the same, but this guy did sorta look like- "Lita!" Michiru said, jostling Lita from her internal thoughts. "Hm? Sorry, just thinking" "We need clean bandages for the other patients, could you be so kind as to get them for us?" "Sure" she said as she got up and retrieved the bandages. She returned soon after, handing them to Haruka. Lita walked around, making the un-used beds, while Michiru and Haruka changed bandages and helped patients get up out of bed. Lita looked around, Geoff was stirring. He tossed and turned occasionally, mumbling in his sleep. Lita returned to the bed she was making, and felt a hand on her shoulder a few seconds later. She turned around, looking down at Geoff. "You're. you're awake!" she stammered. "Yeah. awake. and that's about it, M'Lady" said Geoff. "You should be in bed still!" said Lita, trying to get him back into his bed. "No, I've been cooped up in here for too long, or at least that's what it feels like, I need to get out of here" he said forcefully. "Alright sir, I can't stop you if you want to get up" "Thankyou M'Lady, I shall return later, no worries there" he said, throwing a thick robe about his shoulders and he walked out. Lita watched him go. All the time that they had spent here was awakening memories from the Silver Millennium, and Lita had many. Most of them were of Geoff, but it was this Geoff. The shorter, kinder Geoff. They had confirmed that this Geoff and the one from their time was the same person, there was no refuting it. A micro-cellular scan from Amy's computer confirmed everything, this Geoff and the one in their real time were the same person, but it wasn't just their physical and mental differences, there was something wholly evil about the Geoff in their time, and this man lacked that certain quality. Lita walked over to Haruka, looking at the tall Soldier. "This 'investigation' that Serena insists we keep up is going no- where, we should just go home" said Lita. "Serena needs to be sure that Geoff isn't going to be the threat that he is now, that's why were doing this" "How would you know?" asked Lita. "She dropped this just after we arrived back here" Haruka produced a small pistol. "What the! Why did she have that?!"
"Isn't it obvious?" "Yeah. but why would she kill him, in cold blood?" "Because she wanted to right the timeline, but this wouldn't've done it, it would've only made it worse." "How so?" asked Lita, intrigued by how much Haruka knew. "If you take Geoff out of the picture, then you four would be left unprotected, and that would mean that there would be a greater risk to your lives, and, if there is a greater risk, then other plots to kill you that Geoff did foil would've happened as they were intended to, and none of you would've been re-born, and then we'd've had some serious problems" "Beryl would've come back and won" Lita said in a soft tone. "Yes, she would've, and it would all be Serena's fault, and I think she's doing this to try and see if Geoff is the problem, or if he actually was framed, to make sure that the real culprit is brought to justice before he is banished" "I understand now. it does make sense" "Yes, but I'm more worried about Geoff now, right now his mentality is more fragile that Hotaru's was a few years back, and I'm worried someone might just give him the proverbial 'shove over the edge'" Haruka said, her voice low. "Maybe one of us should keep an eye on him?" "It would be a good idea, you got anyone in mind?" "Well, I could do it. I guess" said Lita. "Your sure?" "Not totally, but I've done worse things." Lita said with a joking smile. She hurried out the door, looking for Geoff. She caught up to him soon, he was pacing outside a stairwell leading upwards. "Sir, is there anything wrong?" she asked. "No M'Lady, just considering things" "Mind if I help?" "Well. I could use another person's input on this dilemma" "So, what's up?" "Well, I'm debating if I should go back to my room or not." "Uhh. well. if you want my opinion. face the problem head on and overcome it as quickly as possible, that's what my mother taught me" "She was a wise woman" Geoff said. He looked up the stairwell and then back to Lita. "Would you mind accompanying me?" he asked softly. Lita was a little startled, Geoff, asking for help? "Uhh. sure" She said, walking with him. They walked up the stairwell and to the hall above. Geoff looked at the door, he was a little paler, but Lita looked at him reassuringly and he nodded, walking forward, and into his room. He looked around, it was clean. No phantom images of blood in the walls, no zombies rising from the floors. They were all just dreams. Geoff sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Thankyou M'Lady, I appreciate you being here" "Thankyou sir" Lita said, remembering that she was still 'just a servant'. Geoff looked around, he could still see his wife and children playing. His twins, Megumi and Lilliara. Megumi had hair like her mother, fiery red and had the temperament to go with it, and Lilliara, she had long blonde hair, a genetic gift from Geoff's mother, and she had her father's eyes. She was a quiet child, mostly keeping to herself, but she did play with the other children in the palace when they were around. Geoff looked to the place where he and his wife's bed sat, and he nearly broke down. His lovely Terrica. gone now. Her long red hair, her flashing green eyes, her musical laughter. he would never hear or see any of it again. She was the only woman for him. and now she was gone. "Terrica." he said in a broken, pitiful, quiet voice. He slowly went down on his knees and began to weep. Lita put an arm around him, comforting him. "Don't worry sir, I know they'll catch the bastard who's responsible for this" "No, they won't" He said in a stone cold voice. Lita froze, now that sounded like their Geoff. "They. won't?" "No," he said with a sneer on his voice. "And do you want to know why?" "Uhh-" "I'll tell you why," he said, his tone dark and powerful. "They never suspect a sleeping dog, do they, Princess?" "What the? How did you? What on Earth!!" "You think that I didn't know who you are? Please! Just because you changed your clothes and hairstyle doesn't mean I'm blind!" Lita was looking at Geoff with horror in her eyes, now he sounded exactly like the Geoff from their time. "Oh, wasa matta litta pwincess? Big Mr. Nasty scaring you? GOOD!" He looked at her, his eyes flickering with gold energy. "Geoff, sir, please, stop it, this isn't like you!" "How would you know?" "I've seen the way you acted before this happened, this isn't you!" "Please, Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes has gone Bye-Bye, Bon Voyage, Ka Poofka! You'll never see that spineless twit around here again!" he said, turning around with a flourish of his cape. "What have I done?" Lita asked herself as Geoff, the Geoff she knew and despised so much, walked out of the room.
It was a week later, Geoff was still in the infirmary and the others were diligently conducting their own investigation. Lita had been the 'servant' that was asked to clean up his room. She obtained samples of hair from the floor, some of it was human, and others that weren't. She had given them to Amy for analysis after she had finished the gristly work. Haruka and Michiru had been asked to look after Geoff, and Lita had volunteered to help as well. Serena had met with Queen Serenity and had told her what she knew, reiterating Geoff's ramblings about a 'Beast that slaughtered his family' Serena was dismissed, and Queen Serenity hadn't noticed that Serena and her daughter looked identical. Amy was busy helping in the kitchen, and Raye was busy helping Amy. It was the end of the day, and they had returned to their room and sat down. "So, anyone find out anything?" "I've overheard some of the palace guards talking about something, but it seems a little implausible." said Michiru. "What, at least tell us what you've heard!" said Serena. "Well, I've heard that the night that Geoff's family was killed, the entire battalion, well, fell asleep" "Uh hun. the entire battalion. asleep? I don't understand how that could've been accomplished" said Serena. "Well, if our murderer spiked their mead with a sleeping drug of some kind, it would be pretty easy to get around" "I see. but how much do you think it would take to put the whole battalion out of commission?" "That's the problem, there's too many of them to be put out like that, but. isn't there some ceremony that they do where they all take a drink of wine or something?" "Just evening prayer. but. wait a second, that would work! The murderer would only have to spike a few glasses of wine, not ten or fifteen kegs of mead!" "But what could be potent enough to knock someone out with just a small sip of it?" "There is one thing." said Amy. "What?" asked Raye. "Whisper Weed" The others nodded. Whisper Weed was a very potent sleeping drug, imported from Kyron before it was destroyed. Only a few granules of its pollen could fell an elephant. "That would work" said Serena, thinking. They discussed more of what they had found, and then went to bed. They awoke early next morning, starting their work. Michiru and Haruka walked into the infirmary, saying a quite hello to those who were awake, keeping their heads down and their hands clasped infront of them. They went to Geoff's bed, he hadn't stirred since the attack, and had been in a catatonic state ever since. They had to shut his eyes so they wouldn't see that blank stare all the time. Lita came in soon after. The other scouts had asked about her sudden change of heart, but all she had said was "This isn't the man I hate." Lita knew that the Geoff that had killed her Kenny and this man were two totally different and separate people, the other's just had to figure it out. Their Geoff and this man didn't even look the same, but this guy did sorta look like- "Lita!" Michiru said, jostling Lita from her internal thoughts. "Hm? Sorry, just thinking" "We need clean bandages for the other patients, could you be so kind as to get them for us?" "Sure" she said as she got up and retrieved the bandages. She returned soon after, handing them to Haruka. Lita walked around, making the un-used beds, while Michiru and Haruka changed bandages and helped patients get up out of bed. Lita looked around, Geoff was stirring. He tossed and turned occasionally, mumbling in his sleep. Lita returned to the bed she was making, and felt a hand on her shoulder a few seconds later. She turned around, looking down at Geoff. "You're. you're awake!" she stammered. "Yeah. awake. and that's about it, M'Lady" said Geoff. "You should be in bed still!" said Lita, trying to get him back into his bed. "No, I've been cooped up in here for too long, or at least that's what it feels like, I need to get out of here" he said forcefully. "Alright sir, I can't stop you if you want to get up" "Thankyou M'Lady, I shall return later, no worries there" he said, throwing a thick robe about his shoulders and he walked out. Lita watched him go. All the time that they had spent here was awakening memories from the Silver Millennium, and Lita had many. Most of them were of Geoff, but it was this Geoff. The shorter, kinder Geoff. They had confirmed that this Geoff and the one from their time was the same person, there was no refuting it. A micro-cellular scan from Amy's computer confirmed everything, this Geoff and the one in their real time were the same person, but it wasn't just their physical and mental differences, there was something wholly evil about the Geoff in their time, and this man lacked that certain quality. Lita walked over to Haruka, looking at the tall Soldier. "This 'investigation' that Serena insists we keep up is going no- where, we should just go home" said Lita. "Serena needs to be sure that Geoff isn't going to be the threat that he is now, that's why were doing this" "How would you know?" asked Lita. "She dropped this just after we arrived back here" Haruka produced a small pistol. "What the! Why did she have that?!"
"Isn't it obvious?" "Yeah. but why would she kill him, in cold blood?" "Because she wanted to right the timeline, but this wouldn't've done it, it would've only made it worse." "How so?" asked Lita, intrigued by how much Haruka knew. "If you take Geoff out of the picture, then you four would be left unprotected, and that would mean that there would be a greater risk to your lives, and, if there is a greater risk, then other plots to kill you that Geoff did foil would've happened as they were intended to, and none of you would've been re-born, and then we'd've had some serious problems" "Beryl would've come back and won" Lita said in a soft tone. "Yes, she would've, and it would all be Serena's fault, and I think she's doing this to try and see if Geoff is the problem, or if he actually was framed, to make sure that the real culprit is brought to justice before he is banished" "I understand now. it does make sense" "Yes, but I'm more worried about Geoff now, right now his mentality is more fragile that Hotaru's was a few years back, and I'm worried someone might just give him the proverbial 'shove over the edge'" Haruka said, her voice low. "Maybe one of us should keep an eye on him?" "It would be a good idea, you got anyone in mind?" "Well, I could do it. I guess" said Lita. "Your sure?" "Not totally, but I've done worse things." Lita said with a joking smile. She hurried out the door, looking for Geoff. She caught up to him soon, he was pacing outside a stairwell leading upwards. "Sir, is there anything wrong?" she asked. "No M'Lady, just considering things" "Mind if I help?" "Well. I could use another person's input on this dilemma" "So, what's up?" "Well, I'm debating if I should go back to my room or not." "Uhh. well. if you want my opinion. face the problem head on and overcome it as quickly as possible, that's what my mother taught me" "She was a wise woman" Geoff said. He looked up the stairwell and then back to Lita. "Would you mind accompanying me?" he asked softly. Lita was a little startled, Geoff, asking for help? "Uhh. sure" She said, walking with him. They walked up the stairwell and to the hall above. Geoff looked at the door, he was a little paler, but Lita looked at him reassuringly and he nodded, walking forward, and into his room. He looked around, it was clean. No phantom images of blood in the walls, no zombies rising from the floors. They were all just dreams. Geoff sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Thankyou M'Lady, I appreciate you being here" "Thankyou sir" Lita said, remembering that she was still 'just a servant'. Geoff looked around, he could still see his wife and children playing. His twins, Megumi and Lilliara. Megumi had hair like her mother, fiery red and had the temperament to go with it, and Lilliara, she had long blonde hair, a genetic gift from Geoff's mother, and she had her father's eyes. She was a quiet child, mostly keeping to herself, but she did play with the other children in the palace when they were around. Geoff looked to the place where he and his wife's bed sat, and he nearly broke down. His lovely Terrica. gone now. Her long red hair, her flashing green eyes, her musical laughter. he would never hear or see any of it again. She was the only woman for him. and now she was gone. "Terrica." he said in a broken, pitiful, quiet voice. He slowly went down on his knees and began to weep. Lita put an arm around him, comforting him. "Don't worry sir, I know they'll catch the bastard who's responsible for this" "No, they won't" He said in a stone cold voice. Lita froze, now that sounded like their Geoff. "They. won't?" "No," he said with a sneer on his voice. "And do you want to know why?" "Uhh-" "I'll tell you why," he said, his tone dark and powerful. "They never suspect a sleeping dog, do they, Princess?" "What the? How did you? What on Earth!!" "You think that I didn't know who you are? Please! Just because you changed your clothes and hairstyle doesn't mean I'm blind!" Lita was looking at Geoff with horror in her eyes, now he sounded exactly like the Geoff from their time. "Oh, wasa matta litta pwincess? Big Mr. Nasty scaring you? GOOD!" He looked at her, his eyes flickering with gold energy. "Geoff, sir, please, stop it, this isn't like you!" "How would you know?" "I've seen the way you acted before this happened, this isn't you!" "Please, Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes has gone Bye-Bye, Bon Voyage, Ka Poofka! You'll never see that spineless twit around here again!" he said, turning around with a flourish of his cape. "What have I done?" Lita asked herself as Geoff, the Geoff she knew and despised so much, walked out of the room.