Shalimar had lain in stunned silence after the shocking 'Spice Girl' revelation. She couldn't believe that Adam would ever subject someone else to that kind of torture. And yet…somewhere deep inside Shalimar, in the same place that wondered if those unsubstantiated rumours about Adam being an android were true, she realised it was well within his capabilities.
Unfortunately for the rest of us, this part was by far outnumbered by the rest of Shalimar who was loyal (stupid) to the end where Adam was concerned.
"I don't believe you." She finally managed to say.
"I had a feeling you wouldn't. That's why I have a recording of it as proof, despite the fact there was no recording equipment present." Draco suddenly appeared with a TV screen beside Setesh at the bottom of the table.
"How does that work?" Shalimar queried.
Setesh shrugged. "If the writers can do it in Final Judgement, I can do it here!" Shalimar conceded this point. "There's no sound, so don't worry about that. Despite entertaining the possibility of destroying the world, I would never force anyone else to listen to them. I don't think Gabriel Ashlocke would have gone that far." Then Setesh, with a flourish, played the recording.
And Shalimar was left completely without her brain as the part that trusted Adam was shocked almost to death, and the other, smaller, part rejoiced at finally winning an argument. In fact, it was so happy that for a moment it believed it could turn Shalimar away from Brennan and back into Jesse's arms. Alas (for incandescence anyway) it was not to be. Loyal-Stupid-Bimbo side would not have anyone take Shalimar away from Brennan. Maybe in the next fic…
Speaking of the devil, Brennan has finally snapped and decided it's time to go save his damsel. Of course, Brennan would never use the word damsel as he is a 'Streetwise, unbearably cool rule-breaker' and as such his ass would have been kicked if he'd ever used the word 'damsel'. He would probably use either 'chick' or 'bird'. How he got away with reading poetry, we'll never know.
"Adam, with or without you I'm going to get Shalimar!" Brennan yelled.
"Okay." Adam replied.
"Now, before you go lecturing me again I know I could be walking into a trap but I don't care! I have to save her. Without me she doesn't stand a chance, despite the fact she can beat me in a fight blindfolded!" Brennan had spent so long preparing this argument, it hadn't sunk in yet that Adam was going along with him.
"I agree. It's always funny when she does that…"
"I know it'll be dangerous, but that's why I want you to come with me! So I can use you as a human shield! Now, Emma has agreed to come with me so we're going to the Double Helix. If you want to come, you can come, but we leave as soon as I've re-stocked the onboard snacks. We ran out last time, had to stop in Italy." Brennan walked out, and Adam shook his head before following.
Brennan met up with Emma at the bottom of the stairs to the dojo. Suddenly, he looked up at the dojo, then back to Emma.
"What?" she asked, desperate to get back to the Double Helix.
"I've just realised something." Brennan started. Then stopped, to allow a smug grin to spread across his face. He had just realised something! That happened almost as often as Thingy got a line.
Seeing a look of frustration appear on Emma's face, he decided to explain what he had realised. "Well," he began again, still with the smug grin, although it was tinged with confusion, "throughout this fic there has been repeated reference to things that have happened in season two. But," and he paused for dramatic emphasis, "the dojo is still here."
Despite his efforts, all Emma did was hit him upside the head.
"Ow! What was that for?" he growled. Shalimar had been giving him lessons.
"Didn't you bother to read the disclaimer? It's at the beginning for cryin' out loud!" Brennan continued to look confused. He looked confused pretty much all of the time, actually. Emma elaborated. " 'All spelling errors are intentional and any perceived plot holes are imaginary'. Sometimes I can't believe you."
They both continued on to the Double Helix. Adam was already there, so Brennan sat down in the pilot's chair and guided the plane that was similar to, but not quite the same as, the blackbird in X-Men out of the tunnel. In fact, the whole show is similar to, but not quite the same as, X-Men. This fic even included a joke similar to, but not quite the same as, the N'Sync joke in X2. Alas, I digress.
They were half-way out the tunnel when Brennan suddenly realised that Adam had agreed to go with him all along. He was so startled, he swerved, and would have crashed into the walls if the Double Helix wasn't on 'Brennan-pilot' – the setting that had saved them in The Future Revealed.
"Adam!" he gasped out. "Adam, why didn't you argue with me?"
"I told you that as soon as we found out what he was planning we could go." Adam replied.
"But we haven't found out what he's planning!"
"When I said 'we' I meant the reader. You really think we'd be allowed to know what's going to happen? It's called dramatic irony, idiot." Adam was getting really quite irritated.
Brennan thought about what he said. And thought again. Then thought some more. In fact, he thought so hard he nearly hurt himself, and they would all have crashed on numerous occasions if it wasn't for the unlamented hero called 'Brennan-pilot'.
Brennan had at least turned the right way leaving the tunnel this time, so it only took ten minutes to reach the warehouse. Upon arriving, they all exited the Double Helix and were promptly knocked unconscious.