Sal: Well, I'd better get moving before my muse runs away again.
Roadrunner: * all tied up * Meep! Meep! (Translation: Unhand me vile scoundrel, lest I have at ye.)
Sal: Articulate little thing ain't he?
Henry: um, Sal? * Tugs lightly at Sal's sleeve * Am I gonna be in this chapter? I'm getting bored.
Sal: ^_^ Of course, most of this chapter is just you and Bunny. * Henry jumps for joy * And Rokusho of course.
Henry: Damn.
Roadrunner: * still tied up * Meep! Meep! (Translation: Come on guys, my legs are falling asleep.)
Ikki: * confused * How can the same two words always mean different things?
Sal: ^_^ Just go with it. Here's chap four re-done. I hope it meets everyone's approval.
Chapter Four: More Soap Operas, Tourist Stuff, and other Important Events
Bright sunlight spilled in through the window, onto Bunny's face, awaking her from a pleasant dream, which I will not go into. As her eyes focused on her surroundings, she momentarily panicked, not recognizing where she was.
"Where am I?" she asked aloud.
(-Gandalf: You are in the House of Elrond, and it is ten o'clock in the morning on October the twenty-first, if you want to know. -All: * stare * -Sal: Uh, Gandalf? Rivendell is that way * points off in a general direction * -Gandalf: * raises eyebrow * Is it now? My apologies. * Walks off mumbling * Stupid damned eagle. Wind-lord my @$$. -Samantha: Who was that? -Sal: Sorry, out of reality experience. Won't happen again…for a while.)
Even as she phrased the question, she suddenly remembered. 'I'm at Ikki's house. His mother let me stay the night. This is the guest room.' She glanced over at an alarm clock on the small nightstand. It was 9:00 in the morning. 'And I slept in too.' She smelled something wonderful coming from the kitchen, and sitting up she swung her legs out and onto the carpeted floor, nearly tripping over her carryall bag in the process. She swiftly dressed, and wandered into the kitchen where Mrs. Tenryou was cleaning up.
"Good morning!" she greeted her houseguest cheerfully. "Did you sleep well?" Bunny smiled in response.
"Considering the time, a little too well it seems. Where's Ikki?"
"Oh, he left for school hours ago. Are you hungry? I just finished making some waffles for you."
'Just finished?' Bunny thought. 'What, is this woman psychic or something?' (-Ikki: Nope, just mom. They tend to do stuff like that.) Out loud, she said, "Thank you."
She ate the delicious waffles, and after being refused the privilege of helping with chores, and at the suggestion of Mrs. Tenryou, walked outside, and walked off in no specific direction. Just wandering aimlessly.
After about ten minutes of said aimless wandering, Bunny found herself outside the 24 Hopmart. Peering through he window, she could see a very bored looking Henry leaning on the counter. 'Hmm' she thought. 'Maybe Henry can suggest some places to go.' She walked in.
"Hello, can I help you?" Said a very bored Henry, not yet looking up.
"Hi, I don't suppose you remember me from yesterday, do you?" Henry's head shot up.
"Uh, yeah, Elizabeth right?" Henry said trying to reduce his adrenaline level, which had shot up as soon as she had spoken to him.
"Yeah, that's me." She gave Henry a sympathetic look. "You look about as bored as I feel. Slow day?"
Henry gave a little laugh. "No kidding, almost no one comes in this early on a Monday. Nothing to do?"
"Absolutely. It's Monday, and Monday equals boredom. But at least I'm out of that hotel."
Henry blinked. "Where are you staying then?"
"Ikki was kind enough to lend me his guestroom. Apparently his mother adores houseguests, and I adore being one. Plus Quicksilver adores anyone with cable." Henry blinked again.
"Quicksilver. Your medabot?" Bunny looked surprised at his confusion.
"Right, you didn't meet her yesterday. Yeah, she loves watching soap operas for some reason, and is currently camped out on the Tenryou's sofa with Metabee. Personally, I can't stand them."
"So, you're on your own for the day?" Bunny rolled her eyes.
"Sadly, yes, I am left to my own devices. Of course, as a child, that would be a very bad development." (Insert ominous music here.) Bunny then asked what she had come there to ask. "So, anywhere interesting in this town where I can't get into too much trouble and still have a relatively good time?" Henry sensed an opportunity to get away from work and get to know this beautiful enigma. He thought quickly.
"Yeah, there's lots, if you know where to go, and I know where to go. Lucky for you, I get off work in twenty minutes so I can show you around." (-Samantha: *cough* Plot hole! * cough * -Sal: I know, ain't it convenient?) Bunny was ecstatic that he was going to give her the 25¢ tour, but also knew that he was going to skip work to do it…not that she minded.
"That's fabulous!!" She laughed. Henry laughed too, albeit a little more nervously. 'Well, now I just have to figure out how to get out of here.' He had a plan. He gently, but firmly guided her towards the door.
"Okay, uh, you just wait outside, and I'll join you in a minute. I just have to take care of something."
After she was outside, and the door had closed, Henry hurried out the back of the store, where another employee was stacking, uh, things. Just go with it.
"Hey Bob?" His colleague turned to face him.
"What?"
"Uh, I'm not feeling well, and I think I need to go home early. Could you cover for me? I'll make it up to you." Bob gave Henry a calculating look. He shrugged unconcernedly.
"Whatever, man. I won't tell the boss you skipped out of work to play tour guide for some girl." Henry sweatdropped. 'So much for secrecy' he thought. 'But hey, at least he won't tell.'
"Thanks." He ran out the door, and his apron floated in the air and finally landed on Bob's head. He shrugged again. "Yeah, whatever."
Henry showed Bunny around a few places, and at 12:00, they stopped for a light lunch at a quaint looking diner that looked more like a French Café, and just talked for a while. Henry discovered that Bunny was an only child, and that her parents had died when she was five ("That's awful." Henry interjected). She had been living with her grandfather for a while until he had perished in a fire ('That sounds familiar.' Thought Henry), then she was sent to boarding school in England. Financially, she was pretty well off, because of her grandfather, and she had earned minor degrees in engineering, mathematics, and robotics. Henry was amazed and said so.
"Wow. You're pretty young to have engineering, and a robotics degree. What kind of genius were you growing up?" Bunny smiled slightly.
"No kidding, while all the other kids were learning sports, I was solving fractals. Elizabeth Monroe, child genius. It wasn't that bad, actually, I had Silver, and I was done with school by the time I was 16. Learning English was a pain in the ass though." Henry laughed sympathetically.
"Yeah, I remember learning. Got through it by pure stubbornness. Still, three degrees in five years, that's impressive."
"Weird too." Bunny said quietly. Henry blinked.
"How so?" He asked.
"Weird like…I don't know, like I wasn't really learning anything, more like I was remembering it as I was supposed to be learning it." Bunny shook her head and laughed sardonically. "Sounds unreal doesn't it?
"That is weird." Henry agreed. "But hey, you seem like a pretty balanced person otherwise…unless you're secretly a homicidal maniac and you've been sizing me up as your next victim. You're not right?" Henry faked a look of suspicion and mock fear. "'Cause I'm not allowed to associate with crazy people." Bunny, playing along, gave Henry a look that suggested she was crazy.
"Well, now that you've figured me out, I'm going to have to kill you." She then smiled, and they both laughed together. "Well, enough about me, what about you?" Henry felt nervous, he was afraid this was going to happen. 'Okay Henry.' He told himself. 'Just play it cool, and change the subject.'
"I'm not that interesting a person to talk about, and besides," he said, pulling Bunny up from her seat. "I still haven't shown you the zoo yet, and it's almost three, so we should get there before everyone gets out of school." 'Nice one.' He thought. Bunny, for her part, recognized the diversion, and put on a pout.
"So, not gonna tell me anything huh?" Henry was prepared now, and answered quickly.
"Of course not. How can I play the cool, mysterious guy if you know everything about me? I'm actually extremely dull, so I'm trying to play it out as long as possible." 'If you only knew what a lie that really was.' He thought. 'I just wish I didn't have to lie.' Bunny maintained a half-pout, and quirked an eyebrow.
"I know you're not nearly as dull as you say you are, but since you're taking me tot the Zoo, I'll let it slide." 'For now.' She thought to herself, and Henry clearly heard the unvoiced comment.
'I think this is going to develop into a very interesting relationship. I wonder what she would think of the real me?' Before Henry could answer himself, Bunny's insistent tug on his sleeve brought him back to reality.
"Come on handsome! You promised to take me to the Zoo." Henry blushed at the use of the word 'handsome', and then laughed at how childish she looked at that moment, hanging onto his sleeve like a seven-year old that was impatiently trying to get a parent's attention.
"What are you, seven?" Henry was still laughing, as he ducked when she took a half-hearted swing at him.
* * *
After a fun-filled hour at the Zoo, spent mostly watching the penguins (I love penguins! Especially when you get them to chase a light reflection from a small hand mirror.), Henry and Bunny mad their way to Lotus Park, where they saw Ikki and Erika, along with their medabots and Quicksilver. Ikki was in the middle of a robattle with the Screws, and as usual, he was winning. Metabee KO'd Peppercat in twenty seconds, and Mr. Referee declared Metabee the winner…no surprise there. The Screws ran off, but not without first giving Bunny a quick look, wondering who the Hell she was and why she was there, and why he Hell she was with Henry of all people. Henry was a little disappointed at their arrival, because he was enjoying this alone time. After congratulating Metabee, and when Erika stopped taking pictures for her scrapbook, Henry and Quicksilver were finally introduced.
"It's very nice to meet you, Henry." Quicksilver intoned. Henry looked amazed and confused. He had never seen any medabot like her before. Erika, the ever-watchful reporter, noticed this look of confusion and pointed it out.
"What's wrong Henry?" She asked. Henry shook his head.
"Huh? Oh sorry. It's just that I've never seen any medabot even remotely like you before Quicksilver. And for me, that's really saying something." Everyone else looked absolutely floored that Henry didn't recognize a medabot.
"Whoa. That is weird." Stated Ikki. "Henry probably knows more about medabots than most people around."
"Yeah." Agreed Erika. "The last time he saw a medabot he didn't recognize was… I think Rokusho."
Bunny, who had sat down on the edge of the bench, lost her balance and fell off, a look on her face that said that she had just had the biggest shock of her life. Quicksilver gave a little metallic 'Eep!' and then moved to help her fallen mistress. Henry grabbed Bunny by the hand, and helped her back onto the bench, concern etched into his features (and what fine features they are! ^_^). Erika and everyone else looked worried as well.
"Did I say something?" she asked. Bunny, now over the worst of the shock found her voice.
"Did you say Rokusho?" Collective blinking ensues. Erika looks nervous now.
"Uh yeah I did." Bunny looked like she was going to pass out. "Hey, you know him?" Metabee asked Quicksilver.
Since Bunny was clearly too shocked to speak, Quicksilver decided she would field the questions.
"Yes. We did, at least. Before I was created, Rokusho was the one who looked after Bunny. Then later, he was my teacher." An eerie silence followed as everyone was too freaked out to say anything. Then, suddenly, everyone was talking at once, asking questions, making comments, and testing microphones. Well, at least everyone was talking but Henry, who was having an inner monologue.
'Of course, the fire! That's why it sounded familiar when she described it to me. Wait a minute! Rokusho took care of her? Before Quicksilver was created? Is that why I didn't recognize her design? Because she's original? Does that mean she has a rare medal?' Another voice in Henry's head piped up.
'Ooh, a rare medal…let's steal it."
'No!' he yelled internally at his Phantom Renegade voice. 'I'm not going to steal her medal.'
'It would be dishonorable to do so.' Yet another voice said, that one his SMX voice.
'Wuss!' PR voice said.
'Take that back, you petty thief!' SMX voice yelled back.
'Petty? I hope you hang on that stupid scarf you wear!' PR voice yelled back.
'Shut up!!' Henry yelled at both of them.
'Sorry.' They both said timidly. The two voices faded into the recesses of his mind, still bickering, but quietly now. Now that his mind was silent, Henry became aware of more voices, calling his name. It was Erika, waving her hand in front of his face. Henry blinked and came back to reality. He saw Bunny sitting on the bench, with Quicksilver sitting beside her, Ikki looked confused and Metabee looked a little nervous, like he wanted to do something to help, but didn't know what.
Bunny sighed heavily, and Quicksilver put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Are you okay, Bunny?" She asked gently. Bunny looked at her, and returned the smile, although somewhat half-heartedly.
"I think so. I guess just the shock of hearing that he's still alive. I didn't think anyone but us survived that fire that night." Ikki then realized something.
"Hey." He said. He had everyone's attention. "Rokusho thinks he and Baton were the only survivors. He never said anything to us about you two." Erika gasped.
"That means he doesn't know the two of you are alive. In the same town!!" It was Quicksilver's turn to gasp.
"You mean he's here?" She asked incredulously, jumping up from the bench. Ikki nodded his head in affirmation.
"I think we saw him not three days ago." Affirmed Brass.
"Oh my." Quicksilver was so surprised that Rokusho could possibly be so close; she momentarily lost her balance and would have fallen to the ground if Metabee hadn't been standing nearby and caught her. Bunny, on the other hand, also would have fallen off the bench a second time, if Henry hadn't grabbed her and pulled her closer to the middle, so she simply leaned heavily against the back of it.
'Whoa' thought Metabee. 'This is intense. This is turning into a soap opera…Cool! And I'm a part of it!!'
And so everyone became absorbed with their own thoughts, Erika now sitting next to Bunny giving a reassuring hug, and thinking how this was gonna make the best story of the year, Henry, once again arguing with that stupid little voice in his head about what he was going to do next, Ikki wondering where they were going to find Rokusho, and all the medabots were all thinking such thoughts as;
'I hope Erika isn't going to make me carry that stupid video camera around all day again. I felt like my arms were going to fall off again.'
'Maybe Bunny is the heiress to a huge fortune and maybe she'll be kidnapped, then I can go save her and Quicksilver and then maybe Quicksilver will go out with me. KIYKIYKIYKIY. Crap! How am I gonna keep her away from Sumilodon, if he tries to steal her, he's gonna regret it!'
Absorbed in his or her own thoughts, no one really noticed that it was getting darker. That is, until Metabee suddenly realized it.
"Hey!! Who turned off the sun?" Erika looked at her watch, which incidentally was an Indiglo, but that's not important. (Mmm, Indiglo)
"Wow!! It's 6:00 already. We should get home. My mom is gonna kill me, if I'm any later."
"No kidding. What are we gonna do about… well you know?" Asked Ikki. Erika had a plan. (Mimi's got a plan!!)
"Here's the plan. Listen up everyone." She said in an authoritative tone of voice. Everyone listened up. "Tomorrow we all meet up here after school, and then we go look for Rokusho." She finished simply.
"That's it? You make it sound so easy." Ikki pointed out. "Not much of a plan now is it?" Erika was furious.
"Do you have a better idea, Ikki? How else are we going to find Rokusho if we don't look for him?" She argued.
"How do we do that Erika? Rokusho isn't the type of Medabot you go looking for. He usually finds you remember?" Ikki shot back. But Erika was determined to allow no one to find fault with her plan.
"Then that will just make it that much easier, won't it?" She countered angrily. Ikki was about to add another retort, when someone suddenly giggled. They looked around, and discovered the source of the giggling…Bunny. Several of them sighed with relief that she hadn't had a nervous breakdown. Henry voiced that relief.
"Hey, welcome back to reality. Thought we'd lost you there for a bit."
"Thank you all for trying to help me, I…we really appreciate it."
"Great." Said Metabee. "Does this mean we can all go home now?" Ikki face vaulted, sweatdropped, and recovered with the intention to send a stream of insulting adjectives towards his medabot, but was interrupted by…
'Grrrummble.' Ikki sweatdropped again, when he realized that the sound was in fact, his stomach.
"Uh… sorry?" Everyone else sweatdropped, but it was decided by everyone to follow through with Erika's plan, and hope something would happen to make it easier for them. They would all meet the next day at 4:00 ("With Karin, of course." Ikki insisted.), and then organize a search party for Rokusho.
Everyone parted ways, and went home, while Ikki, Metabee, Henry, Bunny and Quicksilver walked back to Ikki's house where Ikki's mother invited Henry to stay for dinner, but Henry stated nervously that he had to get home and do something, but he would see them later.
"What a nice young man." Said Mrs. Tenryou. "Always in such a hurry though. Oh well, dinner's ready."
After a wonderful dinner, Bunny went to sleep that night, and dreamed of Rokusho, who, unbeknownst to her, but now knownst to us (Mel Brooks kicks ass! A cookie to whomever can figure out what that means!), was in fact perched on a branch outside her window, now positive that she was in fact his little Elizabeth, as he had been listening to their conversation in the park earlier that day. He resolved to follow her tomorrow and make his presence know to her and Quicksilver while they were alone, so to avoid any interference from anyone else's questions that he didn't want to answer.
'Tomorrow.' He thought. 'Tomorrow, everything takes a turn. For better or for worse, I know not, but a turn it shall be.'
* * * * Meanwhile, in a small shack in an undisclosed location…
A shadowy figure sat on a cushion facing a glowing television screen. He spoke.
"Sir, I have reason to believe that the grand-daughter of Dr. Hushi, Elizabeth Monroe has arrived in the city, and in her possession is a medabot of unknown design." A voice emanated from the television screen.
"Finally." The voice stated in a raspy voice. "At last I will have that which I have sought for so long."
"What are your orders, sir?" Another shadowed figure spoke up.
"Do nothing for now. Continue to follow and assess this medabot and the girl's abilities. We must be certain that she possess what I desire. When the time is right, we will strike, and take them both!" One of the figures was confused.
"Um…sir? Why the girl? Isn't it the medal that we want?" A bolt of electricity shot through the floor, striking the questioning figure.
"Silence! Do not question me!! Just do as I have said!!" The television switched off. Apparently the Great and Powerful Oz had spoken. The kneeling figures stepped out of the shack, where the moonlight revealed their identities.
"Hey Seaslug? What does the Boss want with the girl anyways? I thought we was after medals, not people."
Whack! "Shut up Squidguts! Don't ask stupid questions!"
"Don't get violent Shrimplips!! I wanna know too!!" Spoke Gillgirl. "What's this girl look like anyway?" she asked. Squidguts, who had been the one following Bunny all day answered.
"She's real pretty. Long white hair, and pretty red eyes. * Sigh * She looks like one of them angels you hear about." Whack! "Ow!! What was that for?"
"Keep your mind on the mission, moron!!" Shrimplips is getting pretty slaphappy today isn't he? "We follow her around for now, and then we grab them both when the time is right. Got it?" The other three agreed.
"Got it!"
"Can I go home now? I'm hungry." Whack!!
So absorbed were they in their arguing, they never even noticed a cloaked figure duck away into the trees.
'So, they plan on trying to kidnap Bunny and her medabot, eh?' Thought the cloaked figure. (Look! Up in the trees!) 'Looks like I'll have to keep a close eye on those two, and thwart the Rubber Robo's plans…again. God I love messing with these guys!' As the Phantom leaped from tree to tree, much in the same fashion, as Rokusho was earlier, he pondered how he was going to accomplish such a feat.
'Damn! I'm working tomorrow!! How the Hell am I supposed to watch her? If she shows up, I might have a chance, otherwise I hope she'll stay put and not go out by herself, looking for Rokusho.' His attention began to drift as his thoughts turned to Bunny, remembering the day's events. He became so distracted, that at his next leap, he caught his foot on a branch and tumbled to the ground below like a sack of potatoes.
THUD!! "Ow!! That's gonna hurt tomorrow morning."
* * *
Well, that's it for this one. I really made some considerable changes to this chapter. For some reason, I really like the idea of Henry arguing with his other…um, selves? It makes him sound so schizophrenic. That and it's cute. I hope I portrayed the personality of SMX well enough. Now I'm tired. Bye all.