An; another chappie! Hmmmmmm. Sorry about the slow update!
There's a Child???
They were waiting at the airport when Linna arrived, puffing slightly, with a skid on the tiled floor.
"Sorry I'm late, traffics terrible!"
Daley stuck his nose in the air.
"We had the prescience to know that the vehicular multitude would be accumulating at this instance and left our temporary residence prematurely in order to circumvent the multitude. We, therefore, have been at this place of departure in excess of an hour, and are thoroughly sick of it."
There was silence for a beat. Priss and Leon both looked rather flabbergasted. Linna's mouth quirked, just a little. Then she said,
"Our transport, aided by Sylia's money is here. We should leave."
Their 'transport' as Linna called it, was an old army helicopter, big enough for the two hard suits, the two motoslaves and the four passengers. (An; help! I know nothing about helicopters! Chinook maybe? Not that civilians can actually buy them when they're out of commission, besides, they're not exactly made for comfort and noise reduction...):
As they took off, Linna, looking out the window and remembering her last visit saw three Libyan jeeps roll onto the tarmac in front of the airport, each bearing a symbol she knew. Her mind flashed back into a dark alleyway on a warm night and a lost girl. She blinked and shook her head. If they had come for the suit and Priss then they were too late.
A movement beside her caught her eye, and she turned to find Daley looking over her shoulder. He met her eyes with a question and glanced towards where Priss was talking to Leon. Linna shook her head no. they didn't need to know. They were happy as they were. Daley nodded and sat down, strapping himself in.
It was a comfortable flight. Linna slept most of the way, but her dreams were haunted by dark alleys and darker purposes (An; anyone else seen Aladdin recently?), so the rest was not a fitful one. Priss and Leon did a lot of talking, but they played cards with Daley for a few hours when they got bored. Daley slept the rest of the time too.
They arrived in Tokyo sometime during the next night, after a quick stop for fuel and grub (An Grub is the aussie word for food, if that has anyone confused). Priss ate ravenously, or, well, she tried to. Everyone kept insisting that since she had eaten so little for so long that her stomach would revolt if she ate too much too quickly. They were right, and Priss had to make a few pit stops before leaving the restaurant.
After getting of the helicopter, Linna stood straight for the first time in hours and winced as sore muscles protested. On her right, Daley was doing the same, while Priss and Leon staggered towards the waiting group of Mackey, Nene, Sylia, Nigel and even Henderson. Nene of course didn't wait for Priss to get to the safety zone away from the helicopters spinning blades, but ran forward and plowed into Priss with the force of a small train.
"I can't believe you're back!" she yelled over the noise of the rotating blades, quite a feat for anyone, but on Nene it seemed normal.
Linna took the bags from one of the attendants and threw one at Daley, the other a Mackey. Both whined, but obeyed, after a glare from Priss, anyway.
Sylia and Nigel came and said hello to Priss, Sylia hugging her affectionately and Nigel making some crack about 'knowing it was just a matter of time before he would have to fix her bike again'. Priss laughed, smiled and chatted, but Linna noted wryly that she didn't leave Leon's side, and as often as not, her hand was in his.
Later, at the celebratory bash that Sylia threw at Nigel's place, which was looking considerably homier than the last time Linna had seen it. The chatter was cheerful, and Daley had everyone laughing at his jokes about Leon. Linna lent against a bench that ran along the side of the room, content to listen. Priss joined her, and Linna wordlessly handed her a beer. Priss smiled and gulped.
"Hey Linna,"
"Hmmm?"
"I never said thanks," said Priss, shifting awkwardly, "so thanks."
Linna smiled at her, and nodded, "s'ok, you would have done the same for me."
Priss chuckled, and then Leon called her over to a toast.
"To a return long delayed!" said Sylia, and the others echoed her words, "to a return!"
Linna's phone, now on silent, shook in her pocket, and she pulled it out, frowning when she saw who was calling her. She disappeared out the door, answering as she did.
"Linna, its Mary here, from Cairo."
"Mary! What can I do for you?" "I don't know whether you know or not, but I have a daughter, by Michael."
"Michael mentioned her; he said she was a darling. What's up?"
"Well, Michaels part in your rescue is known, and-"
"omigod!" what can I do?"
"Nothing, well, that is...er... there's no easy way to say this Linna, but, well..."
"Spit it out! I'll do whatever I can!"
"We're going to send Eleni to Tokyo, she'll be safe there, if you look after her. She's too young to go into hiding."
"Hiding? It's that bad?"
"I'm afraid so."
"I'm so sorry; I don't know what to say!"
"Say you'll take care of her. She's only six, and she won't understand."
"Are you sure? I'm not very well qualified... and she doesn't know me!"
"But you're the only one that has the power to protect her!"
"I thought you guys were the ones that..."
"They'll get her too if they can. She should be landing in Tokyo in half an hour."
Linna shut her eyes, "ill take care of her." She said quietly, exhaling painfully, "I promise. Nothing will happen to her until you come and collect her."
"I doubt we'll be able to, Linna, I'm so sorry."
"Are you sure there's nothing I can do? How's Michael?"
"He hasn't said anything since they fired him. Were just waiting..."
"Well DON'T!!" yelled Linna, surprising herself with her vehemence, "get out! I don't care if you have to wear face paint and walk, but move!"
There was a click. Mary had hung up. Linna cut her connection, and closed her eyes, too a deep breath. The party had continued in her absence until her yell, and the door opened and Nigel stuck his head out the door, frowning at her.
"Nigel, I need a motoslave."
"In the garage, what's wrong-?"
"Thanks. Tell the others im sorry to have to leave so quickly." And she was gone, cursing the luck that got her landed with a kid, at her age! What was with all this? Circumstances kept forcing her to act out of character, and Linna hated it with a passion. All she wanted to do was to be a Knight Saber and have a day job. Was that so much to ask?
The party upstairs stilled for a second when she started the motoslave, and too off, heading towards the airport, but as Nigel delivered her apologies, Daley spilt a drink down his front and the laughter redoubled, Daley protesting that he had meant to do it.
The motoslaves had not trouble negotiating the large cracks in the road, and Linna arrived at the airport as the flight landed, and headed through the crowds (Tokyo airport was always busy, but whether with travelers or not is another story) to the receiving lounge, where she saw a little girl, wearing a pink dress and with dark hair in pigtails crying, hugging a small rectangle of paper in her grimy hands.
Linna didn't notice the four men in suits as she went to the girl.
"Eleni?"
The little girl looked up, and then immediately looked at the scrap of paper in her hand. Linna, kneeling in front of her, could see it was a photo of her, Michael and Mary, a few years ago when she had holidayed with them.
"Linna?" the girl's accent was very pronounced and Linna could see she was not very good at speaking English.
"That's me, are you alright?"
The little girl burst into tears and Linna wrapped her arms around her awkwardly, wishing her mother was around, she honestly had no idea with kids.
"Are you Miss Yamazaki?"
Linna turned, her grip tightening on the girl; there had been something slightly hostile in his voice...
A tall man wearing an ugly cheap suit looked down at her through sunglasses.
An; sorry about the update, but ere it is. Smile and have a good day (but hey, no pressure!!)
There's a Child???
They were waiting at the airport when Linna arrived, puffing slightly, with a skid on the tiled floor.
"Sorry I'm late, traffics terrible!"
Daley stuck his nose in the air.
"We had the prescience to know that the vehicular multitude would be accumulating at this instance and left our temporary residence prematurely in order to circumvent the multitude. We, therefore, have been at this place of departure in excess of an hour, and are thoroughly sick of it."
There was silence for a beat. Priss and Leon both looked rather flabbergasted. Linna's mouth quirked, just a little. Then she said,
"Our transport, aided by Sylia's money is here. We should leave."
Their 'transport' as Linna called it, was an old army helicopter, big enough for the two hard suits, the two motoslaves and the four passengers. (An; help! I know nothing about helicopters! Chinook maybe? Not that civilians can actually buy them when they're out of commission, besides, they're not exactly made for comfort and noise reduction...):
As they took off, Linna, looking out the window and remembering her last visit saw three Libyan jeeps roll onto the tarmac in front of the airport, each bearing a symbol she knew. Her mind flashed back into a dark alleyway on a warm night and a lost girl. She blinked and shook her head. If they had come for the suit and Priss then they were too late.
A movement beside her caught her eye, and she turned to find Daley looking over her shoulder. He met her eyes with a question and glanced towards where Priss was talking to Leon. Linna shook her head no. they didn't need to know. They were happy as they were. Daley nodded and sat down, strapping himself in.
It was a comfortable flight. Linna slept most of the way, but her dreams were haunted by dark alleys and darker purposes (An; anyone else seen Aladdin recently?), so the rest was not a fitful one. Priss and Leon did a lot of talking, but they played cards with Daley for a few hours when they got bored. Daley slept the rest of the time too.
They arrived in Tokyo sometime during the next night, after a quick stop for fuel and grub (An Grub is the aussie word for food, if that has anyone confused). Priss ate ravenously, or, well, she tried to. Everyone kept insisting that since she had eaten so little for so long that her stomach would revolt if she ate too much too quickly. They were right, and Priss had to make a few pit stops before leaving the restaurant.
After getting of the helicopter, Linna stood straight for the first time in hours and winced as sore muscles protested. On her right, Daley was doing the same, while Priss and Leon staggered towards the waiting group of Mackey, Nene, Sylia, Nigel and even Henderson. Nene of course didn't wait for Priss to get to the safety zone away from the helicopters spinning blades, but ran forward and plowed into Priss with the force of a small train.
"I can't believe you're back!" she yelled over the noise of the rotating blades, quite a feat for anyone, but on Nene it seemed normal.
Linna took the bags from one of the attendants and threw one at Daley, the other a Mackey. Both whined, but obeyed, after a glare from Priss, anyway.
Sylia and Nigel came and said hello to Priss, Sylia hugging her affectionately and Nigel making some crack about 'knowing it was just a matter of time before he would have to fix her bike again'. Priss laughed, smiled and chatted, but Linna noted wryly that she didn't leave Leon's side, and as often as not, her hand was in his.
Later, at the celebratory bash that Sylia threw at Nigel's place, which was looking considerably homier than the last time Linna had seen it. The chatter was cheerful, and Daley had everyone laughing at his jokes about Leon. Linna lent against a bench that ran along the side of the room, content to listen. Priss joined her, and Linna wordlessly handed her a beer. Priss smiled and gulped.
"Hey Linna,"
"Hmmm?"
"I never said thanks," said Priss, shifting awkwardly, "so thanks."
Linna smiled at her, and nodded, "s'ok, you would have done the same for me."
Priss chuckled, and then Leon called her over to a toast.
"To a return long delayed!" said Sylia, and the others echoed her words, "to a return!"
Linna's phone, now on silent, shook in her pocket, and she pulled it out, frowning when she saw who was calling her. She disappeared out the door, answering as she did.
"Linna, its Mary here, from Cairo."
"Mary! What can I do for you?" "I don't know whether you know or not, but I have a daughter, by Michael."
"Michael mentioned her; he said she was a darling. What's up?"
"Well, Michaels part in your rescue is known, and-"
"omigod!" what can I do?"
"Nothing, well, that is...er... there's no easy way to say this Linna, but, well..."
"Spit it out! I'll do whatever I can!"
"We're going to send Eleni to Tokyo, she'll be safe there, if you look after her. She's too young to go into hiding."
"Hiding? It's that bad?"
"I'm afraid so."
"I'm so sorry; I don't know what to say!"
"Say you'll take care of her. She's only six, and she won't understand."
"Are you sure? I'm not very well qualified... and she doesn't know me!"
"But you're the only one that has the power to protect her!"
"I thought you guys were the ones that..."
"They'll get her too if they can. She should be landing in Tokyo in half an hour."
Linna shut her eyes, "ill take care of her." She said quietly, exhaling painfully, "I promise. Nothing will happen to her until you come and collect her."
"I doubt we'll be able to, Linna, I'm so sorry."
"Are you sure there's nothing I can do? How's Michael?"
"He hasn't said anything since they fired him. Were just waiting..."
"Well DON'T!!" yelled Linna, surprising herself with her vehemence, "get out! I don't care if you have to wear face paint and walk, but move!"
There was a click. Mary had hung up. Linna cut her connection, and closed her eyes, too a deep breath. The party had continued in her absence until her yell, and the door opened and Nigel stuck his head out the door, frowning at her.
"Nigel, I need a motoslave."
"In the garage, what's wrong-?"
"Thanks. Tell the others im sorry to have to leave so quickly." And she was gone, cursing the luck that got her landed with a kid, at her age! What was with all this? Circumstances kept forcing her to act out of character, and Linna hated it with a passion. All she wanted to do was to be a Knight Saber and have a day job. Was that so much to ask?
The party upstairs stilled for a second when she started the motoslave, and too off, heading towards the airport, but as Nigel delivered her apologies, Daley spilt a drink down his front and the laughter redoubled, Daley protesting that he had meant to do it.
The motoslaves had not trouble negotiating the large cracks in the road, and Linna arrived at the airport as the flight landed, and headed through the crowds (Tokyo airport was always busy, but whether with travelers or not is another story) to the receiving lounge, where she saw a little girl, wearing a pink dress and with dark hair in pigtails crying, hugging a small rectangle of paper in her grimy hands.
Linna didn't notice the four men in suits as she went to the girl.
"Eleni?"
The little girl looked up, and then immediately looked at the scrap of paper in her hand. Linna, kneeling in front of her, could see it was a photo of her, Michael and Mary, a few years ago when she had holidayed with them.
"Linna?" the girl's accent was very pronounced and Linna could see she was not very good at speaking English.
"That's me, are you alright?"
The little girl burst into tears and Linna wrapped her arms around her awkwardly, wishing her mother was around, she honestly had no idea with kids.
"Are you Miss Yamazaki?"
Linna turned, her grip tightening on the girl; there had been something slightly hostile in his voice...
A tall man wearing an ugly cheap suit looked down at her through sunglasses.
An; sorry about the update, but ere it is. Smile and have a good day (but hey, no pressure!!)