6
"…is she?" came a tough sounding female voice, with a thick Scottish accent.
"Damned if I know," a low male voice replied, his tone traced with an Irish lilt. "I'm a bit more worried about them as is with her." "Well, she's still alive. That's all that matters," the woman replied. Slowly, Pyre stuck her head out, then she ducked back in. "It's them." Sekhmet slowly nodded. "Why don't you go out first?" she suggested, a slight quaver in her voice. Pyre looked to Marcus, who nodded. She sighed, and stepped out of the culvert. "Poni!" she called in a whisper.
"Pyre! Are you alright?" the Scot replied, boots now rushing across the stone. The Irishman followed quickly. Sekhmet slowly, unsteadily rose to her feet, looking to Marcus for her cue to go out there.
The Irishman followed quickly. Sekhmet slowly, unsteadily rose to her feet, looking to Marcus for her cue to go out there. Marcus stepped slowly behind after the human, motioning Sekhmet to join them. She followed him. The redheaded Irishman was the first to notice them. His arms came up, both holding submachine guns. "Poni," he said tersely, aiming one at Marcus, one at Sekhmet.
Poni, a young woman barely out of her teens with long black hair and green eyes, looked casually at Pyre. "These two programs hurt ya?"
She shook her head. "They saved me... programs?"
"Programs," the Irishman answered. "Both o' them rogues, more'n likely."
"We'll explain later," replied Poni. "Lower those cannons, Red. Can't ya see these two be our friends?" He hesitated, then obeyed after he noticed the little program trembling. "'Ey, kitty. What happened t'you?"
Sekhmet looked at him, then hid her face in Marcus' coat. Marcus stepped in front of her. "The Merovingian."
"Ah. Say no more."
"Now what?" Pyre asked. Poni pulled out a cell phone and spoke briefly. Then she turned to the whole group. "We leave."
"Them too?" Red asked, jerking his thumb at the two programs. Poni thought for a second, and then nodded. "Sure, why not? Come along." Red put away his beloved guns to show that he wouldn't try to hurt them, offering the two rogues an apologetic grin. Poni led them on a twisted route, listening to the cell the whole time. This finally led them to the surface --and then into an old warehouse. "Alright, we're here."
Sekhmet looked around. Her fingers were clenched tightly on Marcus' coat. "Where's 'here'?" "Our ticket home, lass," Red grinned. Poni opened the door and waved them all inside. "Welcome t'ar 'ome base."
Red threw off his bomber jacket and stretched, revealing a dark green muscle shirt and muscular arms. "'Ey, Poni, luv, where's th' whiskey?" She didn't give him a second glance as she started to pull the cover off of a chair, which was attached to various electrodes. "On the ship."
"Awww… want me t' call Salvo now?"
"I'm on the phone wi' 'er. Get the bleedin' machine runnin'." She replied, a lot of command in her voice for being so young.
"Yes, sahib," he replied, salaaming to her before going to the chair and obeying.
Pyre walked over to the machine. "What's that thing?" Poni didn't respond, and then pulled out a small case, which contained two pills--one red, one blue.
Red had heard the 'red pill, blue pill' speech many times. He ignored the two women once he had the machine running and instead turned his attention to the programs.
"This will all make sense if I take the red pill?" Pyre asked at length. Poni nodded. "Aye... won't be pretty, but it'll make sense."
Pyre popped the red pill.
Sekhmet groaned, slumping against Marcus. The vampire program held her. "What's wrong?" "I… feel funny…."
Worry marred Marcus's brow. "Do you need to lie down?"
"Marcus… something's wrong, something's happening to me!"
"What? What's wrong?" He held her tighter.
"It… it's her, Marcus! She's coming out!"
His eyes widened, and now he tried to instead restrain the girl. "You people have to leave now! Sekhmet has an assassin subprogram... and it's triggering now!"
Poni shook her head. "Can't. Red, get busy unplugging Pyre... I'll keep the kitty distracted until both of you can get out."
Red scowled, but obeyed her. "Damn it…. Programs," he muttered.
"Marcus…" Sekhmet whispered, staring up at him pleadingly. He continued to restrain her. "I'm sorry... I can't help you..." His face was full of sadness, and betrayed a profound feeling of uselessness. It was the last thing Sekhmet saw before she blacked out.
Bastet yowled and struggled in Marcus' hold, scratching him deeply several times with her claws. He winced, but tried desperately to hold onto the cat -- which was very difficult to do to any cat when it didn't want to be held. She slipped free, falling into a crouch. There was one major difference between Sekhmet and Bastet ‒ visually, that is. Sekhmet's eyes were blue. Bastet's were green.
"'Ere kitty, kitty, kitty." Poni called. "Bow out, Marcus. Ya love 'er, so you'll hold back."
Marcus hesitated.
"Don' worry. Ah'll be gentle... in me own way," Poni replied, dropping into a stance. Bastet smirked. "I wouldn't recommend it, human." "Neither would I. But Ah never was the bright one." She smirked back.
Red spared his captain a quick worried glance before returning to the task at hand. "Y'know, vamp, y'coulda tol' us she had a subprogram an' saved us a lot o' bloody trouble."
"I thought it was disabled," he replied, slipping back, still wanting to help, but also knowing the wisdom in letting Poni handle this.
"Y' think Merv is that bloody stupid?"
"Apparently not..."
"Let's dance," Bastet replied, unsheathing her claws once more. Poni smirked, not wavering at the sight of the claws. "I don't like the lead." "Fine. I'll be White, then," Bastet said before lunging for the woman. Poni waited until the last possible moment and then ducked away from the attack, slamming a high kick straight for Bastet's chin. She dodged the kick, coming in low and swiping at her legs.
The rebel hopped over the sweep, slamming her other knee into the cat-girl's chin as she switched post legs. Bastet was thrown back slightly. She snarled before lunging for Poni again. Poni stepped to the side as her foot came back down, twisted her leg around Bastet's to interrupt her footing, and then slammed an elbow into the small of her back.
Bastet would have executed a flip to stay on her feet, but the back blow had destroyed that chance. She hit the floor rather ungracefully. Poni slipped back into a stance. "You could at least try." The cat-girl rolled to her feet and snarled, her pretty face marred by the unflattering expression. "I'm merely getting warmed up."
The rebel cracked her neck a little. "That makes two of us." Bastet did not lunge this time, but instead circled her opponent warily. Poni moved her stance inward, putting both hands forward and closing her eyes. Bastet considered that a stupid thing to do in a fight, but continued circling, each circuit bringing her closer to the rebel captain.
Poni continued her stance, seemingly oblivious to the feline assassin. Within arm's reach, Bastet waited until she was behind the human and then slashed out, intending to sever her spinal cord. Poni flipped upwards from a standstill that very instant, over the feline and behind her, landing with an elbow strike at the point of juncture between the neck and collarbone of the program.
Bastet froze, then fell silently to the floor. Poni looked over to Red. "How's she coming?" "Almost done," the Irishman replied. "An' y' might wanna watch out fer th' pussycat. She ain't down yet." "Ah know, Ah know.." She replied, stepping back. "Get out of 'ere as soon as she's out. Ah'll be there shortly."
"Aye, aye, cap'n," he replied with a grin. "You havin' a good catnap, or do ya need a few more minutes on the floor?" Poni asked nonchalantly. Bastet growled as she rose, rubbing the nerve junction where she'd been hit. "Nice try," she spat. "Seemed ta work well enough ta me," she smirked, dropping back into a stance.
Bastet started to as well… but stopped. "What is… stay out of this, you weakling!" "Sekhmet!" Marcus called out, realising what was going on. "You can beat her... take control! It's your body!" "Shut up, you snivelling little coward!" Bastet snarled, ignoring him, pressing her hands to her temple.
"Take your body back, Sekhmet! please! I..." Marcus began.
"Go on, lad! Say it!" Poni called out.
"You what, vampire?" Bastet sneered. "You love the little coward? Ha! You've not even known her for two days!"
"But... I do. I've loved her since I first saw her... I fell in love with her from the first sunrise..."
"How romantically cheesy from a program unable to see the sun!"
"One day…," he began, half-dreamily, "...I sat at the edge of the window at the Merovingian's estate... and I saw the light from the sunrise filter through, and I saw just barely the reflection in a picture... and I thought it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I thought the same thing when I saw Sekhmet first squeamishly approach the Merovingian... it's why I tried to escape... so I could find her... so I could find you, Sekhmet."
"Gag me with a spoon," Bastet growled, both hands clamped tightly to her temples. Red smirked. "Ah, but there is no spoon," he said. "This bitch thinks yer a coward, Sekhy. Ah dun think so. Ah think yer stronger'n her. Ya don' wanna do this. Beat her at her own game an' take yer life back," Poni urged.
"M-m-marcus…."
"Sekhmet!"
Bastet tried once more to keep control, then suddenly she/they fell to the floor, unconscious. Poni looked at the heap, then tossed a cell phone at Marcus. "Take that an' call us if ya want help freein' your kitten here...we're speed dial #1." Pyre suddenly cried out, and faded from view.
"An' there she goes," Red grinned. "Well, cap'n, since the fight's over, I'd say it's ladies first outta this place." She walked over and hung up the phone. It shortly began to ring. "Wait... why are you helping us?" Marcus asked.
Poni smiled. "Because you helped out the lassie." She bowed and then answered., and then faded from sight.
Red grinned as he caught and hung up the phone. "An' as th' Bible says, lad… 'An eye for an eye.' Th' thing most people don' realise 'bout that is that it works both ways. It's not only revenge, it's gratitude as well."
It began to ring once more. Marcus smiled. "Thank you and your captain... very much."
He grinned and answered; then the phone fell from where he had been standing. He'd left his jacket behind.
Whoops, it's a double update! This is to make up for last week's non-update -- due to visitation, we were unable to upload anything. ::shrug:: Now we've met some humans; isn't that nice? And isn't funny that at least one seems to know of our buddy Merv? ^_^
Sugaricing: Well, Bastet is an assassin, so it fits. As for playful -- she's a cat. All cats are playful, in their own sadistic way. And as for Marcus, well… you certainly found out, now didn't you?
Alocin: Of course she's tricksy… but she's a cat, not a hobbit. ^_^ And as for Merv, all congrats go to Soldier Zero -- he's the one playing Merv. Here's a trick; try to figure out who plays which character! And it's not so much that 'Sephone hates Merv… it's just that her husband is a cheating bastard. ::shrug::
See you next chapter!