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Disclaimer: Okay, look – if you think I own Outlaw Star, then you MUST be an idiot.
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Author's Notes: Okay, people – this is it. The last chapter before the Epilogue. I hope you're excited, because I know I am! I sound like a fool – sorry. By the way – I've come to realize (took me long enough) that the Author's Notes in the middle of the chapters are REALLY annoying and therefore have underlined anything that may require explaining or author's notes. The clarifications are at the end of the chapter.
I'm so sad! I only got five reviews on Chapter 17! –sobs- I'm seriously hoping I'll get more than five this time...I mean...it was just disappointing. OH WELL! The reviews I did get were awesome reviews from people I love, so it's all good! Anyway, I really hope you enjoy it!
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Review Responses:
The Ronin – My computer is stupid. It should be beaten to death with a stick. –kicks the CPU and flinches when it makes a scary beeping noise- It wouldn't let me give reviews and all kinds of other stuff. I couldn't even log into my AIM account. I'm so sorry it took me so long to review, but I finally did. It was beautiful. Bravo! I understand what you mean about the proclamation of love, but I felt that I needed to have that happen before the very end so as to increase the sense of urgency for them to find Gwen Khan. If that doesn't make sense, I'm sorry. Thanks for the review and I appreciate it!!!
StoryWeaver1 – Heh-heh. I'm evil, my friend, and I'm sorry. –giggles- There is a little FLUFF in this chappie, but it goes full throttle in the epilogue, so I hope that satisfies your thirst which has been obviously very strong since Chapter 1!!!
SonJanusX – Hey Janus. Yeah, if it feels weird to the reviewers, then it feels being thrown into an alternate reality to me. O.o it's really odd. I think that after I finish up Prince Charming I'll take a break, maybe only around 3 – 4 weeks. I need my rest. My brain is broken and I'm mentally exhausted. Thanks for your review.
Breakaway-republic – Yes, that seems to be the main complaint: chapter lengths. I know, and I'm really sorry, because it pisses me off when people make chapters too short too. Chapter 17 was pretty long, but this one is like...monstrous for me. I usually find it difficult to write a lot when concentrating on a fanfiction because I'm so used to writing original fiction. It's easier for me to make my own world and create my own rules than to follow the rules of other worlds. That's one of the reasons I like writing fanfiction – it's a challenge. I appreciate your comments and your constructive criticism.
Midi Tenshi – Where the hell have you been?! Update, DAMNIT!!! Oh, well it's taking his sorry ass long enough, isn't it? I'm in a pissy mood since you sorta BROKE MY FREAKIN' PORCELAIN CAT!!! –shakes a fist- I'm coming after your pillow!!!
And that's all. Please excuse my French in the response to my stupid BAKA sister!!! -COUGH-MIDI-COUGH-
That's all for now. See you at the end.
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(In the last chapter...)
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Gene had never seen Melfina so crestfallen. Tears formed in her eyes and left trails from her cheekbones to her chin as they slid silently down her face.
"So...I guess that there's nothing else we can do..."
Gene shook his head determinedly. "No, Mel. That's not all we can do. We're gonna call up an old friend of ours on a well-past-due favor."
Jim arched an eyebrow and exchanged a glance with Aisha.
"Who?" asked Suzuka.
Gene's mouth was set in a hard line.
"Gwen Khan."
(WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT? READ ON TO FIND OUT!)
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Prince Charming: Chapter 18
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They just stared at him.
"I think I may be going deaf. What?" inquired Aisha, sticking a finger in her ear and rubbing it around although she must have heard his words clearly, considering her race. "I thought I heard you say Gwen Khan."
Gene just nodded and Aisha's jaw dropped.
"What makes you think he'd ever help us?" asked Suzuka, folding her arms and cocking her head to the side slightly. "In case you've forgotten, he's the once who placed the restrainer inside Melfina's body in the first place."
"And anyway," added Jim, scowling. "He said that the contraption in Mel's body isn't the only thing holding her back – there was something about Tao magic."
Gene half-heartedly tried to show them his old, more confident grin, but only managed a grim smile. "Don't worry about that," he told them seriously. "I've got that part figured out already."
Mel sighed a little. Gene noticed quickly.
"Are you in pain?" he demanded immediately, atypical concern lining his usually certain features.
Mel shook her head, the corners of her mouth upturned just slightly. "No, I'm alright, Gene. It's just...it seems an awful lot of worry and inconvenience has been caused because of me, and..."
"Hey," interrupted Jim, placing a hand on the glass of the navigational system's over view. "This isn't just your fault."
"Yeah," inserted Aisha, giving Gene a sidelong glance. "It's his too."
Gene glared at her and then released a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. "Okay, so yeah – it's my fault, too. So don't blame yourself, Mel. We'll figure out what to do."
Mel nodded, assurance settled on her face.
'I almost wish she didn't trust me so much,' thought Gene, smiling outwardly but sad within. 'I'm so afraid I'll fail and then she'll be lost...'
"One problem," said Suzuka after a moment, catching their attention. "We have no idea where Gwen Khan is."
The others looked bewildered and Suzuka shook her head remorsefully. "You people never think about the details."
Aisha rolled her eyes and elbowed her friend (though the assassin would never admit they were ever anything but unwilling acquaintances). "I hate to break it to ya, Suzu, but since you starting traveling with us, you're officially one of the 'people' you refer to us so fondly as."
Suzuka said nothing, but her eyes held an undeterminable mixture of emotions.
Jim almost laughed. Almost.
The black-haired woman coughed once, covering her mouth with the sleeve of her rather revealing white kimono, trying to hide the blush that no one else would believe was there. "But anyway, what are we supposed to do about Gwen Khan? We have no idea of his location."
"Correction," answered Jim, eyes lighting up. "I think that I may be able to track him through the video message he sent Mel."
"Yeah, but Khan has a tendency to move from place to place rather quickly," said Gene bleakly.
Melfina remained silent.
Jim's face lost some of it's previous confidence. "That may be so," he said, face miserable. "But it's the best and only chance we've got."
"Alright!" exclaimed Aisha, waving her hands around in the air wildly. "Jim's gonna be lookin' for the crazy Khan guy, but what are the rest of us supposed to be doing?! And what the hell is Melfina going to do 'till then?!"
Suzuka sighed, shaking her head slightly. "Grin and bear it, I suppose."
"But Suzuka," interrupted Melfina softly, blinking slowly. "The only thing taking away from my pain is being in the system. One we land, it may be difficult to keep the ship going."
Gene held up a finger pointedly. "Who says we have to land? We'll just keep flying around until Jim finds that bastard."
Aisha rolled her eyes. "Fly around? That the best you got?"
Gene blanked and then laughed nervously, scratching at the back of his head. "Well, uh...yeah, actually."
Jim slapped his palm to his forehead. "Why did I have to be landed with this idiot?"
Gene turned on him. "Jim, this is no time to be standing around discussing fate. Get your lazy ass into your room and track that message!"
He stiffened and saluted him. "Right away, ma'am!"
Gene cringed as the eleven-year-old made a run for it, the only thing holding him back from pounding the little twerp's face in being Melfina's welfare.
"Well, alright," said Suzuka loftily, grabbing her sword up from the monitor's surface. "I'm going to heat up some tea."
"Tea?!" shouted Aisha, waving her arms again. "We're having an emergency situation and you're making TEA?!" She grabbed the assassin's sleeve and shook it dejectedly. "Where-" SHAKE "-has-" SHAKE "-your-" SHAKE "-sanity-" SHAKE "-gone?!"
Suzuka blinked once at the C'tarl-C'tarl and arched an eyebrow. "You're yelling at me for my lack of sanity?" She smirked a little and headed out of the hull. "Hypocrite."
Aisha growled loudly and stomped after her, shouting insults.
Mel laughed a little, wrapping her arms around herself and folding her knees up to her chest, a lingering pain striking her chest.
She'd always tried not to complain, but it was becoming worse and worse, despite any consolation she received from the others.
"Don't worry, Mel."
Melfina looked up to see a smiling Gene. He looked so confident, so sure of himself and his friends – Mel wished she could feel that way too. She knew she should. Aisha and Suzuka were the two strongest women in the universe, she was sure of it. Although they said otherwise, they'd always been there to help out because they cared, not because they were amused as such (Suzuka) or getting their due (Aisha). Jim was just that sort of boy – helping everyone because he could. And then Gene –
It was impossible for her not to trust him. It wasn't something she could not do. She believed in him more than she believed in herself or anyone else.
"Don't worry," he repeated, placing a hand on the thick glass and then resting his forehead near his hand. "It'll be fine."
Melfina was overcome with a wave of pain, but somewhere inside that pain was a flicker of comfort and hope. She nodded, eyes bright.
-----
"So Jim," said Aisha casually, strolling into the large kitchen where he sat at the table. "Found anything yet?"
Jim sighed, bowing his head in defeat and scowling. "The computer's being an ass – it won't do anything I want it to."
Aisha grinned and sat down across the table from him, lifting up the CPU with one hand effortlessly and gaining a confused look from Jim. He'd grown used to seeing her do amazing and inhumanly possible things like that, but it was still weird sometimes.
"Is this the same thing that Mel got the message on?" she inquired, setting it back down. Jim nodded and she reached out again and poked the monitor for absolutely no reason whatsoever.
"Er...Aisha? Why are you poking it?" asked Jim, eyebrows shooting up.
Aisha's mouth twisted to the side in an untrusting look and she poked it again. "I've never trusted these stupid things," she replied, withdrawing her hand. "But if it's Mel's only chance...then I guess that we'll just have to leave you to the dirty work of getting it to do whatcha want." She stuck out her tongue at the CPU and glared. "Why do you spend so much time around these dumb things anyways?"
Jim shrugged. "I dunno. I guess it's mostly because a long time ago, before all of...this...began, the only person in the entire world I trusted was Gene. I didn't really like other people, so I spent time with computers because they're the exact opposite of humanity."
"That's a pretty twisted theory, Jimmy," Aisha said as she sighed and shook her head sadly. "I've never really gotten along too well with other people either...especially after getting kicked out of the Special Forces." She pouted for a moment, and then proceeded: "But you know how the old saying goes – don't trust someone you'd never sit and eat a pickle with."
Jim exploded into laughter and Aisha snickered. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" he gasped, pounding his fist into the table.
"Well, they might have poisoned the pickle or maybe they're feeding you rotten food. Y'never know."
Jim's laughter died to a chuckle. "Aisha, you're weird."
The C'tarl-C'tarl drew herself up and reached down, grabbing Jim into a headlock and gave him a noogie. "You're not so bad yourself, Jim Hawking." She released him and made her way to the door. "Keep up the hard work, kiddo."
Jim rolled his eyes and patted his head gingerly, grinning a little.
-----
"Hey Suzu!" called Aisha as she entered the room, hands on her hips. "Is that weirdo tea stuff ready yet?"
The assassin's eyes spared her a brief glare before returning to the kettle in front of her. "Almost," she replied, pouring hot water into five cups and then adding the tea bags. There was a short silence. "How is Jim faring?"
Aisha shrugged a little and sat down at the table. "Poor kid's working his butt off. He doesn't seem to have much confidence right now."
"Jim's only eleven," observed Suzuka, stirring one of the cups. "That's a hard age. It must be difficult for him to deal with all of the things that happen with you peo-" She stopped mid-sentence and Aisha arched an eyebrow. "Us."
Aisha smirked and Suzuka just went back to the tea.
-----
Gene leaned back up against the side of the glass.
"Hey, Mel?"
"Yes, Gene?"
"Is it okay for me to be here?"
"What do you mean?" She gave him a curious look.
"Well...I mean...you're in pain and it's because of...obvious reasons. Doesn't me being here make it worse or something?"
Melfina was quiet for a few moments. "I'm not really sure, Gene. It causes me pain, yes, but then your presence is also a comfort despite even that. It's strange."
Gene turned to look at her. The blue glow inside the over view cast a divine radiance upon her, making her seem like she were an angel. "So...if I'm away you won't hurt anymore?"
Melfina squirmed around a little bit, suddenly even more uncomfortable with the present situation. She didn't want to hurt Gene's feelings or his pride, but...It was true. The effects of the limiter were much worse when he was nearby.
"Well...perhaps..." she whispered guardedly.
Gene nodded once, surprisingly unaffected by her comment. "I'll leave."
"But-"
Gene smirked and leaned forward a bit to look at more directly. "If it hurts, then it isn't fair. Either way, it isn't fair anyway, but I don't want any unnecessary pain caused." He pressed his lips softly against the glass for a moment and then turned, smiling, and left the hull.
Melfina blushed a little, and then closed her eyes, wishing that she could enjoy his display of affection without any consequences.
She hoped Jim found Gwen Khan quickly.
-----
Jim's eyes suddenly stopped scanning the screen and his scowling face slowly developed into a wide grin.
"HEY GUYS!!!!"
Barely moments later, Suzuka, Aisha, and Gene came dashing in, eyes frantic.
"Did you figure it out?!" cried Aisha.
"Have you discovered his whereabouts?" asked Suzuka.
"WHERE THE HELL IS HE?!" yelled Gene.
Jim twitched a little, and then double clicked on the text link at the bottom of the screen.
"You'll never believe this..."
Gene pushed past Aisha and slammed his hands down on the table. "Just tell me where he is!!!"
Jim looked up. "Sentinel 3."
Aisha gasped and Suzuka stepped backward. "I should have known that devious bastard would do something like this. But it doesn't matter anymore. We're going back to Sentinel 3. Now."
And with that he stormed back towards the hull with the other three trailing behind.
-----
Melfina was shocked again.
"Gwen Khan really is evil, isn't he?" asked Melfina. Jim's eyes widened. That was not something he'd expect Mel to say, but he supposed he'd be acting out of character too if he was about to...He stopped himself.
"Oh, don't worry, Mel. We've found out where he is, and now all we've got to do is get Gilliam to set course."
"That is right, Melfina," said Gilliam, zooming in on her. "Everything will be fine. All I must do is set the course and we will be there in no time at all."
Mel nodded a little.
Gene sighed and threw himself into his usual place. "I'm getting tired of all this playing tag," he grumbled, just loud enough for the others to hear. He cleared his throat once. "Let's get going. The sooner we get there, the sooner Melfina feels better. Get on it, Gilliam!"
"Right away, Gene," he replied. "Are you ready, Melfina?"
After a moment, Mel nodded, face a little skeptical.
'I must trust in Gene,' she thought reassuringly. 'He'd never let me down. I will trust in Gene.' She lifted her face, looking determined. "Yes, Gilliam. I am quite ready."
"Very well. Here we go."
-------
"Gilliam! Hurry up, damnit!!!" Gene yelled, kicking at the consul.
"Please refrain from damaging my system."
"Why should I care what happens to the stupid system?" Gene retorted, kicking it once more.
"I've got many replies to that question. I shall list them. The entire ship may crash. The over view could possibly be infected with incoming viruses. If you damaged an internal hardware, you would have to have extreme repairs- "
"Okay, okay," he said, giving in. "I'll 'refrain from damaging your system.'"
"Thank you. The information will be ready momentarily."
The tall red head scowled and fell backward into his seat.
This just wasn't fair.
First of all, he wanted to talk to Melfina, but that would only increase the level of pain she was experiencing. Second of all, he wanted to ring Gwen Khan's neck, but he'd have to wait until he fixed Mel before he could do that. Thirdly, Gilliam was taking forever to get him what he wanted. Fourthly –
"The requested facts have been processed and are waiting in the inbox of Jim's personal computer."
"Thanks!" Gene shouted, giving Mel a quick smile and nodding to Gilliam's camera.
As soon as he was down the hall and heading towards the bedrooms, Gilliam zoomed in on the black-haired girl who was floating in the over view, looking completely exhausted.
"Melfina?"
Her chin lifted up a little and she looked out towards Gilliam's main frame. "Yes, Gilliam?"
"Would you like any assistance in navigational procedures?"
She shook her head slightly, blinking sleepily. "No, that's alright. I need to help out as much as I can. Thank you, but I'll be fine."
There was a short silence.
"Gilliam?"
"Yes?"
"What sort of information did Gene want?" she asked, eyes dazed but curious.
"He asked specifically for information regarding Tao magic."
Melfina bit down on her lower lip. 'I understand that, at least.'
"Alright. Thank you."
"Of course."
-------
"Hey Jim!!!"
The younger boy glanced up as Gene came running in, eyes wide and hair flying all over the place.
"What the heck's wrong with you?!"
Gene took a deep breath of air, trying to calm his ragged breathing.
"Gilliam sent information I requested to you computer. I need you to print it out for me."
Jim nodded once and opened up his inbox. "What sort of information?"
Gene shoved Jim out of the chair and sat down, pressing the send/receive button and ignoring the protests being thrown at him.
"Tao magic," he replied, opening the email and clicking on 'print.' "We know that Gwen Khan will be able to take care of the technical stuff, but he isn't to be able to do anything about the magic the pirates set upon her."
The younger boy nodded once. "I get it."
They watched silently for a moment as the pages zoomed quickly out of the computer.
"Gilliam says we should be there soon," said Gene out of no where.
"...Right."
Another silence.
"Are you as nervous as I am?"
Jim gaped. "What?!"
"Are you?"
"W-well...y-yeah – I'm nervous," he stuttered. "But you? Nervous? That's so out of character I don't think-"
"I can't help it. This is an all or nothing mission." His face hardened. "We've done this before, but it's never meant so much. It was all about money then...Now it's about Mel...and the risk that we might lose her."
By then the email was completely printed. Gene reached over the CPU and grabbed them, standing up. "And I'm the guilty one, too," he added almost inaudibly.
But Jim heard.
-------
"Suzu!" cried Aisha, rushing inside the room.
"Don't call me that," replied Suzuka, lifting her eyes to the C'tarl- C'tarl, who looked even more annoyed than she.
Aisha glared and slammed a fist into the table, denting the metal considerably.
"This is not the time to be acting like children, Suzu!!!" she snarled. "We can do that later! Gilliam says we're landing in ten, so get your butt off that pillow and come to the hull!!! Try to care a little bit more about others than you for once!!!" And with that she stomped off, muttering angrily under her breath.
Suzuka, who was known for showing nothing but apathy, stared after her, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. She recovered quickly, but it was surprising all the same. She set down her tea, picked up her sword, and followed after the other woman.
Aisha made it to the hull first, but Suzuka arrived soon after, still a little dazed at Aisha's words.
"What took you guy so long, Aisha?" asked Jim, waving a bit. "I thought you said you'd be back in around a millisecond."
"Don't push it, kid," replied Aisha, sitting to the left of Gene while Suzuka took the right.
They were almost entering Sentinel 3's atmosphere, so the entire planet took up the window.
"Where did you say you pinpointed him, Jim?" Gene asked, gripping the controls a little shakily.
"On the north side of the city," he replied, re-opening the file he'd saved on his computer to double check. "Yeah, the north side."
Gene nodded grimly while Aisha and Suzuka stayed decisively silent.
"Are you going straight there?" inquired Melfina from the over view, where she still remained.
He nodded exuberantly. "Yeah, we can't waste any time. That freak moves faster than a speeding car on an open highway."
"But, Gene – what if he's not even-"
"Shut UP, Aisha!" he snarled, almost turning around to glare daggers at her but remembering that he was trying to land a ship.
"This is the Sentinel 3 Landing Port. Please state your business."
Gene took a deep breath and replied loudly.
"This is the Outlaw Star! We're asking to land! RIGHT NOW!!!"
There was a pause and the sound of shuffling papers could be heard from the other end. "I'm sorry sir, you'll have to wait for at least half an hour so that we can prepare-"
"Alright, look, woman!" Gene yelled, continuing his descent. "I really don't have the time or the patience! I've crashed there before and I'm not afraid to do it again! Give me clearance now or I'll have to resort to much more drastic measures!!!"
The woman gasped and her once-pleasant voice became much more annoying. "Excuse me, sir, but I really don't think-"
"Sucks for you, lady!" Gene shouted back and cut off the audio.
"Gene," began Gilliam. "I'm not sure that that was the best approach."
"I really don't care," he replied, eyes narrowed in determination. "Who cares about a fucking landing port?! Melfina's in trouble and I don't have the time to listen to that load of bullshit!"
Jim's eyes widened at his use of language, but before he could say anything, they were descending and it didn't matter.
-----
Aisha groaned as she dragged herself out of the ship.
"That landing wasn't the greatest, Gene," commented Jim, following her closely. Gene gave them both a death glare as he continued on, stopping only to grab Jim's laptop.
"Shut up, Jim."
Suzuka only sighed as she hoisted Melfina up a little farther into her arms. They'd agreed that it would not be the best idea to let Gene carry her under the circumstances.
"I want exact coordinates," Gene told Jim, handing him back the computer. Jim nodded as Aisha came up behind him and peered over his shoulder. "You can find exact locations with a computer?" she asked cattily, eyes a little wider than usual.
Jim grinned at her over his shoulder.
"Nope. It has to do with my my extremely intelligent brain," he replied cockily, opening a new window along with the computer's custom calculator.
Aisha rolled her eyes. "What?" asked Jim. "You don't believe me?"
The C'tarl-C'tarl woman only sighed.
"Alright, Gene," Jim called. "He's at...the Tanagawa Building off of Fifth."
"Got ya," Gene replied, glaring daggers at anyone and anything that happened to catch his eyes. Gwen Khan was a dead man.
-----
The Tanagawa Building was huge, but that was to be expected considering it was a center for scientific study.
"Y'know," commented Aisha, walking in right behind Suzuka, who still held Melfina. "You'd think he'd be smarter than to hide out in the one place we'd expect him to be."
"I'm thinking he's using it as a reverse psychology thing, Aisha," Jim said, closing the laptop with a 'snap' and tucking it under his arms as they followed Gene towards the front desk. "He thinks that by doing the obvious we'd judge him by his usual nature and not even think about coming here."
"Talk about your complex personality."
The interior of the building was extraordinary. The floor and walls were so white it was almost blinding and dozens of people were rushing along inside, wearing white coats that only added to the blaze.
"Do you think they could have added a little more white?" asked Suzuka, causing Melfina to giggle softly.
"Why – hello, sir," said the woman at the front desk, who turned out to be a beautiful and busty red-head. She batted her eyes flirtatiously. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
Gene, who at one point would have flirted right back, only rolled his eyes. "Yeah, lady, there is something we need."
The woman, who was obviously not used to being ignored by the male race, sniffed. "Alright. I'll try to help you to the best of my ability." Her voice was now flat and uneager.
"We need to know where Gwen Khan is," Gene snapped, slamming his hands down on the front of her desk. "Now."
The woman's face immediately paled and she gave him a nervous glance before looking behind him to see a very angry C'tarl-C'tarl, a young brown-haired boy that looked just as infuriated, and then a tall, ebony-haired woman holding a very fragile-looking girl in her arms.
"I'm sorry, but-"
"Listen," said Aisha, pushing Gene aside. She stood in front of the woman with a glowering look on her face and her hands on her hips, standing in an intimidating pose. "If you don't tell me where the hell he is, I'll kill you."
The receptionist was about to laugh, but then she saw the look in the other woman's eyes and choked it back.
"R-right this way," replied the woman, getting to her feet immediately and gesturing towards a hallway to the left. "If you'll just follow me..."
Although he didn't trust her for a second, Gene nodded and looked back towards the others in confirmation.
They all followed her.
-----
"This doesn't feel right, Gene," whispered Jim.
"Of course it doesn't," replied Gene, snorting. "This woman obviously knows who we are. Gwen Khan probably told the people here to watch out for us."
Jim's eyes widened. "Then why the hell is she showing us the way?!"
"Because," interrupted Suzuka. "Aisha's quite frightening."
Jim glanced down at Mel, who had fallen asleep in Suzuka's arms a long time ago. She'd been sleeping since they'd left the ship.
"She's getting weaker," muttered Aisha under her breath. "We-"
"Here it is," announced the receptionist, who had stopped in front of a closed door. "Mr. Khan's office. I"ll just be leaving you now, so-"
"I don't think so," said Gene, grabbing her by the arm before she could leave. "You go in first."
The woman looked terrified. "But-"
"Go. Now."
The force behind his words must have frightened her even more than what was waiting behind that door, because she turned right around and went inside.
"Oh, Teresa? Is there something wrong? You look frightened, yes quite frightened."
"S-sir, you h-have v-visitors," she stuttered before spinning around and running from the room as quickly as possible, pushing past Gene.
"Visitors? Who would-" He stopped as soon as he saw Gene and he gave him a shocked, nervous smile. "Ah...Gene....It's so nice to see you aga-"
"Cut the crap, Khan!" he snarled, lunging forward and grabbing the much shorter man up by the collar. "You know what we want!"
Gwen's eyes flicked over at Melfina and then back up into Gene's raging face. "N-now, now, let's not-"
"DO IT!!! NOW, BEFORE I RIP OUT YOUR HEART, KHAN!!!"
Gwen lifted his hands up defensively as Gene threw him to the floor.
"Alright...alright!" he agreed, watching in absolute terror as Gene reached into his coat and brought out his Caster. "I'll do it! Set Melfina up on the table over there, yes right over there."
Suzuka approached him quietly, handing him Melfina's sleeping form and he carefully laid her out on the cold metal.
Gwen Khan stumbled to his feet and cast a weary look at Gene.
"I don't understand, not not at all," he mumbled to himself. "She should be dead by now, yes dead..."
"Shut up, Khan!" ordered Aisha, flicking him in the shoulder and practically breaking his arm.
Gwen Khan winced and approached Melfina. Before he began to do anything, though, he turned to Gene.
"You do realize that I can only remove the physical restricter, yes the physical restricter, don't you? There's nothing, yes nothing, I can do about the Tao magic." His voice was almost triumphant.
Gene's eyes grew dull and his expression grim.
"I've already got that part figured out. I don't want...to do it, but..." He cast a depressed look at the beautiful girl lying down not hardly three feet away. "If I want to save her, I'm going to have to get her permission, and...it might cause even more pain than what she feels now." Then he turned back to the much shorter man. "But right now that isn't any of your concern." He glared at him. "Get to work."
Gwen Khan eyed his Caster for a moment, and then turned around and began his work.
-------
"Gene."
He looked up to see Jim standing beside him. "She's gonna be okay." The younger boy gripped his shoulder.
Gene and Jim were both outside in the hall. They'd all agreed that no one could leave Gwen Khan and Melfina alone, but that it probably wasn't the best idea to have Gene in there – just in case. Aisha and Suzuka were watching him like a hawk, while he and Jim were trying to get a little rest.
"Can we be sure, though, Jim?" he asked, brow furrowing and face dark. "I don't trust him, and I really don't like him. He's the dirtiest bastard ever to walk this galaxy."
"Yeah," replie Jim, sitting down beside him. "But he's also the biggest coward. You hold a gun to his head and he'll do anything you want."
This caused Gene to crack a small smile.
"Back in space," began Jim hesitantly. "You said that Gwen Khan owed us a favor...what were you talking about?"
For the first time in almost two days, Gene grinned. "We could have killed him, but we didn't. He owes us for that."
Jim rolled his eyes.
All of a sudden the door swung open and Aisha's head popped out. "He's done," she told them, voice unnaturally soft and quiet. It was almost scary to see Aisha acting like this.
Gene felt his heartbeat increase dramatically. He knew what he had to do now, and he wasn't sure he wanted to do it. How could he?
The room was a lot darker than it had previously been. Melfina was still lying on the table, covered only in a sheet, and Gwen Khan was sitting in a chair nearby, looking exhausted.
As Gene got closer, he noticed that Melfina had awoken and was looking at him with dazed and glossy eyes.
He smiled a bit. "Hey Mel."
She smiled back. "Hello Gene."
He leaned forward a bit. "Are you feeling any better?"
She nodded. "It still hurts, but not as badly."
There was a short silence, and Gene's eyes suddenly grew sad. "Mel, I know how to get rid of the Tao magic, but...I'm not sure you'll want to go through with it. You'll have to go to sleep again for a while, so you can heal." His voice was hushed.
The room was completely silent. The only noise was the sound of Gene's friends breathing and the exhausted heaving of Gwen Khan's chest. The dark room shone only with the light of the lamp hanging from the ceiling above, illuminating the silver metal upon which Melfina lay.
"It's alright, Gene." She hesitantly lifted her hand and cupped Gene's scarred cheeks, eyes filled with that same unwavering trust. "You can tell me."
Gene closed his eyes and released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, and then leaned down to whisper something in the girl's ear. For a moment, her eyes were wide and her jaw slack, but then her mouth closed. The man drew back and waited for her reaction. She nodded and gave him a reassuring smile.
Gene leaned down pressed his forehead against hers for a moment. "Are you sure?" he asked, gulping and looking a little scared.
Her only response was a smile.
Gene sighed and leaned back, standing upright. He looked back carefully at his friends. They all looked completely serious.
"Aisha. Suzuka."
The C'tarl-C'tarl and the assassin looked surprised. "What's wrong?" asked Aisha.
He took a deep breath. "I need a favor."
They were quiet for a moment, but then moved forward, both approaching him slowly. "No problem."
He walked forward and leaned in, murmuring something that was meant for their ears only. He stepped away, eyes questioning.
"Sure," Aisha said, face settled into a soft, supportive look.
"Of course, Gene," Suzuka replied, nodding.
"Thanks," Gene replied, sounding as though he were about to cry.
Then he looked at Gwen Khan. "These two lovely ladies are going to be with you for a while, Khan," he told him, completely ignoring the protesting look in his eyes. "You do what they say, or they'll kill you. Got it?"
After a moment, the terrified scientist agreed.
After being reassured, Gene turned back to Melfina, who was smiling gently.
"I'm sorry, Melfina," he said, voice breaking. "I'm so sorry."
"It will be fine. I'll recover soon, and everything will be alright. I'll come back, I promise."
The silence that filled the room after those words left Melfina's lips was something that Gene would never forget. And the look in Melfina's eyes – the trusting look that had always been there – was something that was implanted into his heart forever.
With that, Gene reached into his coat, pulled out his Caster, and aimed.
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Okay, before you all freak out and have a heart attack, yes that was the end of the chapter, but NO! You shall receive answers in the epilogue, so PLEASE don't come after me with pitchforks and torches, okay? Anywho, I AM SO PROUD OF MYSELF!!! I think I pulled that off exactly how I wanted to! I believe the mood was properly set.
I hope that was enjoyable. Reviews are appreciated, especially because the next is the epilogue. I'd really like to know how many of you saw that coming. Thanks. Ja ne!
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Clarifications:
– 1 – When I recently looked up the Outlaw Star's outline-thingy, it said that the cylinder in which Melfina stays to navigate is called the 'over view.' This may not be true, but since I was tired of calling it the 'navigational-system-thingy-majinger' I decided 'over view' sounded much better.
– 2 – I absolutely couldn't resist making Aisha grow up a little in this story. She's my favorite character and I love developing her. I would think that pretty much anyone stuck in such a situation would have to grow up at least a bit. Flame me if you like for making her act like that, but I'm happy, so I don't really care.
– 3 – I'm not sure if Sentinel 3 is a planet or a city, so I'm going to say it's a planet.
– 4 – I'm not really sure if that's what it's called, and I'm sorry, but I'm too tired to even care. I've been trying to finish this for like...five hours, and I'm having a hard time because I keep getting distracted.
– 5 – Erm...I'm not into using strong language, but c'mon – Gene's pissed off, so...yeah. I figure we can fit one F-word in a PG-13 fic, right? They do it all the time in the movies and in other fanfictions! –sighs- Gomen. I'll stop droning.
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Here's some omake for you all, because I'm bored and these are epiphanies I've recently had:
Ways to recognize that you have no life and have been hanging around too much:
1 – When you're reading review responses and you start to recognize the people that have reviewed as either 1: writers of fanfiction you've read...even if they wrote fanfiction for a different anime; 2: people that have reviewed your fanfiction; or 3: people that have reviewed other stories you've reviewed right along with you.
2 – When you're searching for a good fic and you click on a link only to realize that you've already read the story. ((That gives you the weirdest feeling....O.o))
That's all I've got so far. Anyone got any others? I'll type them up for the epilogue and credit them as yours. It'll be an omake for the finale of the fanfiction.