My Morphine
Ch 12: Strategy.
The group of five and their two Organoids sat around in the Living room, trying to work up a plan. Mizuno lounged on the loveseat, playing with a gameboy, his sister sitting on the floor, polishing her staff. She stared at her distorted reflection in the cylindrical gold base. She bit her lip, noticing how her features changed.
"I…"
Raven looked to her. "Yeah?"
"I've got it!" She grinned and jumped up. Her hair blanched to white-blonde, her eyes inverting to crimson, her skin gaining a more healthy glow, her marks changing and her height lessening. Raven and the others' mouths dropped open as she giggled in that fake-sweet voice.
"How do I look?" She struck an 'innocent' pose as Raven smiled in awe.
"Exactly like Elise Lynette's Goth half." He said taking the corset, fishnets, short cutoffs and spike collars and cuffs into account.
"Ha-ha," she remarked sarcastically. "But no, Imagine the possibilities, this is the key!" She jumped around to the mirror in the hall.
Raven drummed his fingers quickly on the table in thought. "Well, with that, we could gain more knowledge of Elise Lynette's whereabouts and what exactly she's doing. We could install cameras and Thomas could hack into the channels."
"But we'd need an insider to install them, steal some of her clothing so Meara could get in and start screwing around with things."
"Karl!" Thomas said suddenly as his partner nodded.
"I'll have to release him from her hold but it shouldn't be too hard." He looked to him. "Can you contact him?"
"Yeah, I'll do it now."
"Thank you, love." he said giving him a kiss.
Thomas sat on their bed, the vid-phone before him. It rang three times before his brother answered.
"Colonel Schubaltz speaking." he said wearily, his worn-down image appearing on the screen.
"Karl!" He yelled happily, watching his brother's face brighten immediately.
"Thomas! How have you been?" He asked, tilting back his hat to brush his bangs from his lime-green eyes.
"Very well, and you? I hope you are well, you look so tired, did I wake you?"
"No, no, I'm fine. I just got off my shift, that's all." He smiled to his little brother, loosening the collar of his uniform. "So what have you been doing with yourself, where are you? It's so lonely here without you…"
Thomas pouted. "I know, I miss you, too, Karl. So, we're at Raven's, his childhood home. It's such a beautiful house, Karl! We've been laying low, really, Meara got sick the other night and Raven's probably bound to get it next, seeing as how he took care of her all night." he chattered happily.
The Imperial Officer smiled. "As long as you're safe."
"Karl! I want you to visit, we want you to visit. I miss you, Karl!" Thomas said merrily.
"W-what?"
"We want you to come for a visit, I miss you, bruder…" He grinned. "I promise that Raven and the others are a lot of fun!"
"Thomas, I--"
"Oh, Karl! I know you have sick and vacation days piling up! Please?"
"Thomas, if I don't use them, I'll get a raise, maybe even a better shot at a promotion--"
"Oh, Fi~ne! You won't use a few lousy days of well overdue leave to see me? Hmph! Promotion, hah! You're the best soldier the Imperial Army's got! I can't believe they haven't crowned you yet!" He sulked, folding his arms across his chest.
"Now, Thomas, come on, you know it's not like that, please, don't deride the Empire--"
"Why not? I don't have to listen to anyone, now." He wrinkled his nose. "And you, Karl…please? Please, please, please come for a visit." He gave his older brother puppy-dog eyes and he sighed and smiled.
"All right, all right…I give. I'll come for a few days, but only for you, my little Tommy." The younger laughed happily and blew him a kiss. "Now, where exactly are you?"
"It's a secret."
"And I'm supposed to find you…how?"
"Can you find the Wind colony?"
"Yeah."
"Head that way and I'll contact you."
"Whatever you say, little brother." He sighed with an amused smile.
Raven jumped from the Geno-Breaker and slid in through the crack-like aperture to the lair of The Dark Kaiser.
"Prozen?" He called and received no reply. He shrugged and made his way further into the cave. The lighting was dim, but Raven could see. The only sound to be heard was the dripping of water from the stalactites. He crept deeper, reaching Prozen's empty throne. A level surface was lain out near it, covered in what looked like blood. He stiffened as he heard a set of footsteps stop, making him turn swiftly. There stood the tall, ashen haired man in his elegant white robes.
"Prozen! It worked! Shadow's back!" He ran up to him smiling but it faded into a frown as he saw his angered seeming face. "Prozen…?" He said as the older man grabbed a fistful of his hair.
"What are you doing here?! Snooping around!!" He bellowed as Raven flinched.
"W-what are you talking about!? Prozen!! Stop!!"
The Dark Kaiser's eyes cleared and he looked down to the teen's face mingled with fear and bitterness.
"Raven…" he said, letting his grip go and pulling him into his arms in a tight embrace. "My pretty little bird…" The maverick tried to look up, his cheek smushed against his chest.
Thomas sat by the front window, the chilly, early-spring breeze blowing the semi-transparent white curtains back. He tapped his foot anxiously listening to water splash and Raven huff in the kitchen, Shadow growling cutely. He shot a look over his shoulder to see his love shaking suds and water from him, the black Organoid seeming to grin and nuzzle his master affectionately while standing in a large tub of bubbly water. He turned fully and laughed, making Raven look to him. He smiled clumsily and gave a slight wave, dumping another bucket on the dirty Organoid.
"Sorry, I'd take it outside but I'm afraid he'd catch cold."
"Is that truly possible? I think all you'll do is rust him." He teased, leaning his back against the window. "It's you I fear getting sick." He said noting his shorts, bare feet and t-shirt.
"Oh, well. I'll shower later."
"Do you want some help?"
"Nah, your brother should be getting here soon."
"You sure?"
"Yup, in fact…." he closed his eyes for a moment, smiling cutely, flexing his toes. "He's approximately 9...no 8 miles away going about 184 KPH."
Thomas laughed and watched him rub Shadow dry with a fluffy black towel. He got up and went to him, sliding his arms around his waist, resting his chin on his shoulder. Raven nuzzled his cheek softly and kissed him on the lips.
"What's wrong?" He asked as Thomas smiled back and nipped his ear.
"Nothing, nothing at all."
Thomas greeted his older brother at the door, running up to hug and kiss him.
"You're still in uniform," he remarked as Karl smiled and kissed his cheek softly.
"Uh-huh, I figured if I was going to take the time off I might as well make it worth it." he joked as Thomas beamed and pulled him inside.
"Karl, you know everyone…one way or another, right?" He laughed just a little nervously. "That's Meara," he pointed to the brunette who lounged casually on the loveseat, who only narrowed her eyes at him. "That's her brother, Mizuno," he pointed to the other blonde on the couch who was staring at his hands in his lap.
"Hello…it's nice to see you again…" he said uncharacteristically withdrawn, nudging at his sister with his foot to be polite. She looked at him quizzically and noticed his slight death-glare.
"Yeah, hi, whatever." she said with a roll of her dark green eyes.
"That's Reese," The cerulean haired beauty looked up at the mention of her name and smiled shyly.
"Hello….erm…sorry about that whole mind control thing….you'll understand later." she laughed softly and nuzzled back into Meara.
The striking Colonel gave a confused look as Thomas smiled and dragged him by the hand to where Raven stood, looking just a bit uneasy, half afraid his partner's slightly intimidating brother would beat him shitless for touching his Thomas.
"And Raven." The former Lieutenant said happily.
"H-hello." He said softly, ready to duck or block whatever he thought Karl might throw at him. Fortunately for Raven, all he got was a stern glare. "Come on, Karl! Let's go somewhere to chat--"
"Fine by me." He said, throwing a look to the shady bunch of outlaws.
Karl sat with Thomas, giving his brother a dour stare.
"So how have you been, brother dearest?--"
"Thomas, you're coming home with me, back to the base."
"W-what!?"
"I don't like you being here. Raven and the others are no good at all! I will not permit you associating with such…abominable felons to the Empire! It's a disgrace to the Schubaltz name!" He said as the other blonde stood up and laughed.
"Don't be silly, they're not felons to the Empire, we're the ones who defeated Hiltz, remember?--"
"So?! It doesn't prove their loyalty any little bit! I will not stand for this, Thomas, we're leaving, now."
"K-Karl!" he cried, throwing himself into the Colonel's arms, kissing him passionately. "Please I hate you speaking like this! Raven's not bad, none of them are…" He pouted to him.
"Thomas…you aren't being fair…think of all they've done…"
"S-so!? They can change! They have changed! You have to see that, you always said so. You always said that people could change…" He buried his face into his brother's uniformed shoulder.
Karl held him close, nuzzling his neck softly.
"Thomas…you know how much I love you…you can't do this to me…"
The other lost his patience for playing along with the blonde Zoidian's game. "Damn Fiona!" he cried out in frustration. "Damn you to hell, Fiona…how dare she make my brother say such hateful things…"
He heard a sigh as Karl's hand touched his cheek in concern at his outburst. He looked up and saw Reese and Meara appear behind him.
"Plan B!" She said hitting Karl over the head with her staff. He crumpled neatly into Thomas' arms as he shot her a look to kill.
"Did you have to hit him that hard?!"
She smiled naively and scratched her head. "Oops. Guess I don't know my own strength…sorry."
Thomas lay his older brother onto the bed, sensing Raven approach behind him, Mizuno in tow.
"Is he out?" He sounded a little more at ease, though was afraid to go near Thomas even in Karl's unconscious state.
"Yeah." Reese said as Meara materialized a pair of handcuffs and bound the Imperial colonel to the wrought-iron headboard.
"He's all yours." The brunette stated to him, making her staff vanish.
[To be continued…]
a/n: Hello! *laughs* Raven was so cute around Karl-chan, ne? Don't worry about all the shit he (Karl) was spewing, remember he's one of Fiona's "mindless army' at the moment. Hehe, Thomas-x-Karl is fun.
I just uploaded a Rhyss-x-Meara ficclet so read and review it. It's all morphine prose. Some spoilers too.
And Can you all please just can it with the "What's Raven? Why is he magical?" already? There are over 20 chaps in this, and certain things are not meant to be revealed so goddamn quickly. Sorry to be snippy, but for things like that just hold off on the commenting on it since you haven't had half the plot established yet.
Disc: I own Meara, Aqua Rhapsody owns Mizuno, Tomy© owns Zoids. Et cetera et cetera…
