Technicolor Dreams

Chapter: 3

And Everything Hits the Fan

Here's the next chapter. I felt I should pay tribute to the song that inspired the whole idea for this fic so it will be included within.

Zel walked down the alleyways he usually did in his daily routine to go to work. This time was a bit different though. For some reason he felt compared to listen to music on his way there. He normally preferred to walk in silence, but the guilty feeling inside him wouldn't go away. The more he fought against it the stronger it came against his mental defenses. He soon was looking for a way to at least drown it out of a few moments at least. "Why didn't I think of this before," Zel asked no one in particular as the music played in his ears.

But, soon he also regretted this decision as well. Zel had a wide range of music; including music from decades ago. He found the angsty, angry, and dark music of earlier decades to suit him better than the pop idol rubbish that was all over the place nowadays. But, one song, the one song from that era that seemed to have been a prediction to the situation he was in now began to play as he thought, 'I was almost there...why now?'

She's lost in coma where it's beautiful.
Intoxicated from the deep sleep, deep sleep.
Do you wonder what it's like living in a permanent imagination.
Sleeping to escape reality, but you like it like that.

Guilty by design, she's nothing more than fiction.
She dreams in digital, cause it's better than nothing.
Now that control is gone. it seems unreal.
She's dreaming in digital, cause it's better than nothing
Now that control is gone. it seems unreal.
She's dreaming in digital. she dreams in digital.

And your pixel army can't save you now.
My finger is on the kill switch.
I remember I used to compose your dreams, control your dreams.
And don't be afraid to expose yourself before I shut you down.

You made some changes since the virus caught you sleeping.

Guilty by design, she's nothing more than fiction.
She dreams in digital, cause it's better than nothing.
Now that control is gone. it seems unreal.
She's dreaming in digital, cause it's better than nothing
Now that control is gone. it seems unreal.
She's dreaming in digital. she dreams in digital.

She's guilty by design. (cause it's better than nothing.)
Now that control is gone. it seems unreal.
She's dreaming in digital. (she's nothing more than fiction.)
Cause it's better than nothing. now that control is gone.
It seems unreal.
She's dreaming in digital.

Zel actually grunted as the song came to it's final notes, his mind at war again. 'I can't do anything...even if I could release her from the comma Kenjo would never let her go,' Zel thought as he went through the steps to get to Lina's chamber. As he opened the last door he noticed Vera coming out. She stopped for a second and said, "Hi Zel," seeming a bit brighter than the day before.

"Hello Vera," Zel replied as the woman walked by. Zel quickly jump and turned around to she Vera smiling at him as she walked down the hallway. 'She pinched me...on the butt nonetheless,' Zel sighed mentally as he was now assured that Vera hadn't given up.

"Oh well can't worry about that now," Zel remarked as he sat in the chair.

He place the helmet over his head and said, "Lina program. Composer Zelgadis Greywords," as he began to prepare the scene.

Zel noticed that it was somehow harder to meld and form the scene. It was like Lina was fighting him for control. 'That can't be she isn't aware of this,' Zel thought as he strained to form the scene.

He appeared in the front courtyard of the high school. He was about to move when he heard, "Hey Zel," from behind.

He turned and smiled as Lina ran up to him. She stopped and panted somewhat to catch her breath. As he was about to say something her image disappeared. Zel panicked and looked around to find everything was in place but slowly changing. He then turned and yelled, "Lina program Abort! Abort now!!"

Zel was brought back into his body as he stood, taking off the helmet, and walked out of the compartment in a fluid movement.

"What in the hell is going on," he asked as he stepped forward.

Lina blinked as she fought off the strange drowsiness that she was feeling. She closed her eyes as bright lights over her almost blinded her. She raised an arm to cover her face while thinking, 'Where am I...One moment I'm talking to Zel the next I'm laying down with a bunch of lights over my head.' She sat up to see she was in a room with lots of machines attached to her here and there. 'What the hell,' she thought as she quickly unplugged the machine from herself. As she took off the last bits, including all the wires attached to her head, she said out loud, "Hello...anyone there?"

As she looked towards a big steel door she heard a sharp intake of air coming from behind her. She turned her head quickly and her eyes widened at what was there. It was an odd creature that looked to be human but it wasn't. It had greenish blue skin with what looked like rocks embedded in its skin. Its silted eyes widened slightly as it asked, "Lina..."

Her eyes widened more as she recognized the voice. It was his, but this couldn't be him, he didn't look like this. She studied the figure closely, noticing the same hair style, color of eyes, and stature. This was him, this was Zelgadis Greywords. "Zel what happened to you? Where am I? What's going on," Lina assaulted him with questions.

Zel moved closer with a grace that seemed to be so inhuman and yet so him. He stopped in front of her and just stared as he stuttered, "It...it...it can't be. They said you'd...you'd never wake...wake up."

"What do you mean Zel," Lina asked while she grabbed his arm because of how worried she was.

Zel, not able to take the stress of this shock, collapsed to his knees and embraced Lina. His body shook and he couldn't help but convey that in his speech, "You...are Lina Inverse. Daughter of Magnus Inverse one of Kenjo Corporation's largest stock holders...until you're family was in a car crash. You were the only one to survive but you were in a coma so Kenjo housed you here."

Lina looked at Zel but didn't know how to react. 'Then what was all that about high school and my family being alive,' she thought as she asked, "Zel what are you doing here?"

"I'm Zelgadis Greywords...Kenjo's star composer," Zel answered as he looked into her eyes, "I am one of the people that...that manipulated your mind while you were in the coma to produce your dreams. Those dreams were recorded and is the entertainment for the this country...I'm sorry Lina, but there was nothing I could do..."

Lina looked down with anger in her eyes. One because of Zel's confession, 'How dare he...mess with my mind and then expect me to forgive him,' she thought while it dawn on her that she was completely nude. Her face reddened and she screamed as she punched Zelgadis, sending him flying into a wall, while covering herself with the small sheet provided. "You mind rapping, perverted son of a bitch," Lina threw insults as she looked where he landed before she became silent again.

The reason for her silence was she now noticed that Zel had impacted with such force that he left an extremely large dent in the steel wall. She looked down at her own hand, marveled at the strength she just displayed, and then asked herself, "How did I do that?"

"Ow...," Zel replied as he stood up rubbing his jaw, "Remind me never to get hit by a cyborg again."

Lina glared at him and asked dangerously, "What did you call me?"

"I said cyborg. Your body is that of a robot," Zel answered as his mask of cool neutrality washed over his face and voice.

Lina looked down at herself again but didn't see anything to show she was actually a cyborg, 'Well other than denting the wall with Zelgadis...and what is up with him one minute he's all apologetic and now he's ice cold,' Lina thought. "Why am I a cyborg then mister big shot," Lina asked, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

Zel narrowed his eyes as he thought, 'If all you're going to do is be hateful then an eye for an eye,' before answering in a cold, uninterested tone, "When your family was in the crash your body was found mangled and barely alive. To keep you from dying they transferred your brain into a robot shell. And, there you have it your a cyborg, any other brain teasers?"

Lina glare at the man in front of her. The man that had turned as cold as an iceberg in a matter of moments and said, "Say that again and I'll make sure you go through that wall next time."

"Try me," Zel challenged as he glared back at the girl.

Lina blinked slightly as she saw a lite blue aura from around Zelgadis as his anger mounted. She didn't know what the hell was going on but she wasn't backing down, "It'll take more than that little light show you've got there."

As if coming out of a trance Zel shook his head and the aura dissipated. A look of horror washed over him for a moment before the mask was back in place and he walked past Lina to the steel door saying, "Follow me."

Lina looked at his back as she got up from the table while thinking, 'What was with that look? What's he afraid of.' Lina followed Zel down the hall until they reached a little side door. He opened it to reveal a janitor's closet and a janitor's uniform. He pointed and said, "Get dressed and then we'll get out of here before they notice anything is wrong."

Lina huffed at the tone he was taking with her and jabbed back, "Yeah, Yeah I'm going you slave driver," as she walked in and closed the door.

Zel was furious, and that was just saying a little, he had never met anyone that got under his skin like she did. 'Maybe it's because you know she right when she called you a mind rapper,' called a small voice in his head but his anger quickly silenced it. A few moments later Lina emerged wearing the dull gray shirt, pants, and dull hat atop her head. She walked up to him and said, "Well let's go or has that desire to move as fast a possible gone now," Lina jabbed at Zel again.

Zel just grumbled as he lead her into the elevator and out the front door. He looked and asked still in that cold tone, "Ready to leave own your own miss independent or are you following me?"

"I have no where else to go and you owe me more than you can pay back for what you did," Lina glared daggers at him and dared Zel to protest.

"Fine," is all Zel said and walked off with Lina following behind him in total silence. 'I am sorry about what happened Lina but I'm not going to give you the pleasure of seeing my guilt.'

Disclaimer: Any characters or ideas from The Slayers do not belong to me. I am not selling this material, just writing for the heck of it as I go.

Feedback is requested, please send all comments to findelhe@hotmail.com