Awww! Those reviews were so very nice! I feel so honored to have so many people reviewing already. Sadie was sitting at my computer all day looking for reviews! Ah, you have no idea how much I danced around after that.
I don't own Cyborg 009, but I own the children of the cyborgs.
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The Cyborg Children
Chapter Two: Destiny's Trail
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"This looks like the end, huh, Joe?" 002 asked glumly.
"Don't jump to conclusions, Jet. Doctor Gilmore and Ivan may have dreamed something up still," Francoise replied, determined not to loose hope.
"Well, I won't, mate. Let's just hope we can all get out of here before Sophia has her next gymnastics tournament." Britain said, looking into the darkness.
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"Celeste! That was fantastic!" Julia cheered. "Just a little bit more effort and you'll knock the sucker out."
By this point, the new Dolphin crew had managed to get into the Sea of Japan. Julia was teaching Celeste how to do a spinning back kick, and it was working suprisingly well. Liana was working in the kitchen, scavenging for supplies that could be used. Sophia had already taken herself on a tour of the Dolphin, and was shocked to see how orderly it was.
"Sophia? I need your help!" Liana called.
"Coming!" Sophia replied, running toward the kitchen. It was beyond her logical reasoning why anyone would need help in an old kitchen.
"It's alive!" Liana squealed, pointing at a large spider.
"That's all?" Sophia asked. She seized a paper towel and squashed it. "That's all you need to do. By the way, do you need any hair gel? I found about five crates of the stuff,"
"No," Liana said. "Thanks for your help! I'm going to start cooking in a few minutes, so be on guard to see if I short-circuit the place."
"I'll tell that to everyone," Sophia returned, scuttling from the room. Ivan had told Sophia and Liana that their fathers were always fighting one another. It was funny, since their daughters were best friends.
"Look what I found," Florence said, dragging a large box from a closet. "Earpieces. We can communicate if we're far away!"
"Interesting. I found a ton of hair gel." Sophia told her. Florence giggled.
"Maybe we can experiment of Julia's hair. We can get it to look like Uncle Jet's!" Florence laughed, leaning against the box for support.
The lights flickered on and off, then eventually died out completely.
"What?!" Julia's voice demanded. "Who blew a circuit already? Jeez, you try and do something..."
"Sorry!" Liana's voice squeaked. "I didn't know that was the power switch!" And with that, the lighting came back on. Julia huffed and came dashing down the hall.
"Girls, you must be careful! This isn't like a computer. You must be careful. Don't flip any more switches without telling us first," Ivan shouted.
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"All my hope is used up," Chang said. "I can't even cook!"
"Oh, shut up. It isn't like you have to..." Britain started.
"You two! I can't stand it any longer!" Madison Link screamed, hands on hips. "If you two have to fight, then do it after we're out of this. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, ma'am." The two cyborgs said in unison.
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"I'm falling asleep. Forget listening to how it is," Julia mumbled. "I'll be on the couch, trying to get to bed. Night."
"Julia! It isn't even six o'clock!" Angelina shouted. The time difference was effecting her also, but nowhere near as much as the effect it took on Julia.
"I know Celeste and Liana are used to this time, but are the rest of you having jet lag?" Rene asked.
"I speak for all of us when I say yes," Sophia said. "Let's just sit the sack early and deal with everything in the morning."
"Doesn't Julia wear contact lenses?" Ivan asked Issac.
"Oh, dear," He said.
"Julia!" Angelina shouted, shaking the sleeping Julia.
"Dammit!" The American swore, half asleep. "Leggo! I wanna go to bed!"
"Your lenses," Rene told her.
Julia sat up. "I don't care about them. Now let me go to sleep."
"I'm not volunteering to get boxed, so let's forget about it go to bed." Rene said.
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"My eyes!" Julia hissed. "What time is it?"
Slowly, she stood up from the couch. She was still wearing her clothes that she arrived in Japan in. It was dark, so she reached for her cosmetics bag in the dark and pulled out her lens solution.
Having done this many times before, Julia expertly managed to get her lenses out and get them into the container in less than five minutes. Pulling the thick, coke-bottle glasses on, Julia felt her way into the darkness. It wasn't like her to be snooping in the dark; she'd the one who would be snooping in a storm. Silently, she walked down the empty halls.
I should tell you that Julia is known for her short temper. Right now, it was being exercised to curse as loud as possible at nothing in particular. Being the fire she is, her parents hoped that she would let it out in Tae Kwon Do.
That lasted for maybe ten minutes. Julia donned a uniform and promptly knocked the teacher out cold. We're talking age 11, people. The teacher was forty something. Instantly, Julia was at first degree green belt. After all the trouble, Julia just managed to find new ways to exert her new skill.
This year, Julia has a friend who cheerleads. They sometimes teach one another. Now that Julia's done that, she's got her red baton and ready to kill.
"Julia?" A sleepy voice asked. "What are you doing up?"
"Isn't it like, late in the morning?" Julia returned.
"No, it's only four in the morning! Again, why are you awake?" Celeste asked once again, coming out of a room. Julia looked puzzled.
"Oh, that's right. Time difference." Julia said, admitting defeat. "Where's Ivan?"
"Control room." Celeste responded. "Later."
With that, both girls slinked back into the ways that they had come from. Julia was in the control room before she knew it, only to be facing Ivan.
"How dare you sneak up on me?" She demanded, quite nearly dislodging Ivan's head with a fantastic punch. Then, Julia noticed who it was and blushed a brilliant shade of magenta. "My bad, Ivan! Warn me!"
"It's quite alright, Julia. A week cannot change an American into a Japanese. At least you got your contacts out. Do you know how hard we tried to get those things out?" Ivan said, inviting her in. Julia was just getting over the fact she had nearly managed to destroy a person.
Little know to her, she would have only been like a poke.
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"Using that thing makes me sick." Celeste stated flat-out. Her face looked as if it had been freshly bleached and was hanging on the line to dry. "Honestly, Julia, I prefer you method."
"Score for me-sa! I kick CAN!" Julia screamed, running and punching a metal disk. The only thing she obtained from that was a seriously swollen fist.
"Julia, we're working on shooting," Florence said in a shaking voice. "If you do that any more, I swear, we'll be moving you around in wheelchair."
The fire-headed twelve-year old obediently donned the sound mufflers and picked up a gun. It's all right, she told herself. I have to do it. There's no other way. Florence is right. I'll be in a wheelchair by tomorrow if I keep using martial arts.
"Bleh," Liana commented, firing one last round. "At least I hit the target!"
After a week on the Dolphin, Issac had decided that it was time for the girls to learn to use guns. Seeing poor Celeste with one was like trying to imagine Godzilla with a parasol and a tutu. Florence could shoot with extreme ease; then she'd take a minute to forget it was just for defense. Julia was almost as difficult as trying to get your dog to golf was. The rest of the girls just did it to get it over with.
"That's good for today." The old man sighed, collecting the guns. "You did very well."
"Celeste, could I have a word with you?" Ivan asked. Celeste already knew what the questions would be. She'd been going through it every day.
"I'm not a little girl, Ivan" She retorted before the boy even had the chance to speak.
"Celeste, you aren't fine. You know you aren't. After we do this, you won't eat and you become extremely pale. Your grandpa and I are worried about you. Are you ill?" Ivan asked, unshaken by Celeste's outburst.
"Perfectly fine, Ivan." Celeste snapped, pulling away. "Besides, how can I trust you're just not some freak?"
"Would I care about you if you weren't my cousin?" Ivan asked. Celeste thought. "I know. To prove I'm that I'm your cousin, shoot me. If I die, then you'll know that I was lying."
Celeste thought. It will be following destiny's trail, so I'll prove it. He's my cousin, and he wants to see that I'm not a chicken. "Very well. Hand me a gun."
Ivan did as he was told. Celeste accepted it, and with a tiny shiver, took aim. Ivan backed away. Without hesitation, Celeste shot. Ivan took the shot, but didn't seem to mind it. On the other hand, Celeste was now brutally shaking.
"I'm not dead. You can look," Ivan told the shaking female. Celeste slowly looked at him; her face (if possible) was even paler. She handed the gun to her cousin and darted for the bathroom, shoving her way past Florence and Liana.
"What did you do?" Florence asked her only male cousin. "No, don't tell me. You made her shoot you. Most likely, you were wearing a bulletproof vest. It wasn't hard to figure out."
"Yes. Celeste told me that she wasn't scared to shoot." Ivan smoothly replied.
"We all know that she's dead afraid. She only wanted to prove you wrong. Still, Celeste shouldn't have done it. You and Grandpa should give her a break tomorrow from practice. If you don't, she'll never leave this place." Liana added, turning to face a paper-white Celeste.
"Ivan, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. You were right. I'm scared to shoot. Really, I'm sorry. When I was eight, there was a gun fight near my house." Celeste said. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go and request to be excused tomorrow."
"Can I predict the future or what?" Liana giggled. "And why did you shoot, anyway?"
"Destiny. You can't refuse destiny when it beckons. Ask the stars, they always tell the future." Celeste returned, winking. "Later."
"She's obsessed with stars, is she not?" Florence asked.
"Yes, just like you are obsessed with music." Ivan said.
"Don't get me started. I have two weeks to memorize ten pages of piano music, and this isn't helping me very much," Florence commented. "It's a huge recital with a professional judge. If I get an encore, I'll be accepted into the Germany Conservatory of Music."
"Sounds like a high standard. Have fun!" Liana said cheerfully, skipping toward the kitchen.
"Is there a piano anywhere? You had everything else, so you must have one." Florence questioned.
"I'm sorry, Florence, but we don't." Ivan told her. I only wish we did.
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"Didn't I tell you to shut your faces a few hours ago?" Madison Link demanded, infuriated by the two bickering cyborgs. "I'm really getting pissed. I swear, if you don't stop, I will kick your ass to the next universe. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!"
"Madison," Jet said, holding his head in his hands. "Try and relax."
"Please be quiet," Francoise said. "I'm trying to find our children."
"Look for piano playing," Albert told her. "Florence plays piano."
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"Hello Uncle...sorry, Florence." Sophia said. Florence didn't seem to mind any more.
"I need a piano. I need one or I will get this thing to a music store." Florence said in a monotone voice.
"Out there! Dinner time!" Liana shouted. "It's getting cold!"
"PIANO!" Florence hollered. Sophia jumped a foot in the air. "Sorry. Ever since I was reminded of my stupid recital, nothing is going to stop me from playing. You may want to invest in finding a music store nearby so I can play. If not, I'll most likely go insane within the next month."
"We haven't got a century, peeps!" Julia screamed, temper quickly burning to nothing.
"We're coming, youngling." Sophia said curtly, walking the yard to the dining room. Julia was on top of her chair, wearing her glasses and a set of steel-toed boots.
"I would think a week's long enough," Julia said, looking Sophia square in the eyes. "So let's see what you're made of."
"Really, Julia, you're TWO YEARS younger than I am!" Sophia replied, getting ready to take whatever Julia was going to throw out at her.
"HIYA!" Liana boomed, silencing the two girls. "It is POINTLESS to fight like that! Save your anger for another moron who NEEDS IT!"
"Like her?" They asked in unison, pointing like children.
"I agree." Celeste said, rising. "It's stupid. If our parents were friends, then why are we fighting for just a name? It is almost the same as me getting in an argument with Florence because I think the celestial force is better than music. We have our separate opinions! Get over it!"
Julia reluctantly seated herself. "Guilty as charged. My name is Julia, not 'youngling', Blondie."
Sophia was nearly pleased. "Why, thank you, Juli...THAT IS IT! Listen, hothead, they told us not to fight. And here you are, pouring gas on the forest fire. When I left home, I was leaving weight training. I've waited since I was three to do that. I'm missing it for this. I'm missing eleven years of waiting to be discriminated. It had better stop, or I'll be out of here on the next plane to England."
Nobody dared to budge after Sophia's speech. Julia was trying desperately not to talk, but sadly, the result was a stream on incoherent babbling. Florence was watching with her large, understanding eyes for what was coming next. Angelina was peacefully meditating; watching Sophia's every move with the single eye that was open. Rene had frozen passing a pitcher of water.
"Well, now. What seems to be the problem?" Sophia asked neatly, at last sitting on the innocent stool. "We're all different. Not a one of us like the one seated next to us. In Japan and England, we have tea. In Africa and some parts of North America, they have tribal dances. In Germany and Russia, different beliefs are almost as common as different looks. In China and Japan, all that girls are good for is wives. Sure, we've all got a different background, but what does it matter? We all have a common goal: to get our parents back. Who cares about everything else? Remember it. Don't get sidetracked."
"Um. Well, let's eat?" Liana chirped, uncertain if she should even be moving.
Not even Issac or Ivan could speak. Sophia was the oldest out of the eight females, but still, they all treated one another the same age. It was right for Julia to feel out of place, as it was for all of them. But giving out a long speech as if it were planned was as out of place as the girls were.
A curtain of silence fell over the table. All you could hear was the sound of silverware meeting plates and the gentle thump when a platter of food or a pitcher was placed on the table. Celeste's hair fell into her food, but she wasn't in any hurry to pull it out and fawn over it. Sophia's eyes had turned from mysterious to angry and depressed. Not even Liana was in the mood to try and bring conversation into the room.
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"So it's possible for you two to be quiet," Madison said, leaning on her husband. "Francoise, have you found them?"
"GB, does your daughter have an accent?" Francoise asked.
"A slight one, yes," Amanda Britain said for him.
"They're out looking for us, and by the sounds of it, they fight almost as much as 006 and 007 used to." Francoise announced. "Your daughter just finished rattling out how important it was to not fight and get over differences and find us."
"Since when was she like that?" Chang asked. "Last time I looked, she was a gymnast with a wild sense for drama."
"Beats me, mate." Britain said, puzzling over how his own child turned into a philosopher.
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"Look, Julia, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound like a lunatic," Sophia apologized. Julia met the large black and blue eyes again.
"I'm extremely sorry. You're right. Why fight when we have to get over all this?" Julia answered, all fire cleaned from her voice.
"Good news, everyone!" Celeste shouted. "We're going to a mall in America tomorrow!"
"Really?" Seven voices demanded.
"Yes, and by Florence's request, we are stopping at a music store first thing!" Celeste exclaimed. "What are your malls like, Angelina?"
"First, they're noisy. Then, when you look up, you get dizzy from seeing all the floors above you. People are swarming all over. There are so many guys on skateboards, just trying to break their necks. I could go on all day." Angelina remarked. Celeste's broad smile drooped a little, but didn't lose its glow.
"Malls are insane! Many challenges for a fight await me!" Julia shouted, striking a pose.
"No way, forest fire. You're going to control your temper or stay here all day." Florence snapped, frightening Julia. "And besides, you could find something at a music store. They're pretty cool."
"Grandpa, are we allowed to buy stuff?" Julia asked.
"Possibly, if we have enough." He replied from the dining room.
"Yay! Then I can introduce you to Hot Topic!" Julia cried, performing a full-fledged somersault over the couch. Once she landed, Sophia topped it off by running, then a handspring and over the couch with a somersault.
"You two are worse than swimming a duel meet," Rene said, getting a dreamy look in her eyes. "Nobody will ever take what the last team did. They have to lay it to shame before they can be happy. They are fun."
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"THIS IS AMERICA?" Celeste screamed, jaw dropping as they landed in a nondescript bay. "Wow. It's...I don't know...darker. There's almost a foreboding aura around it. It doesn't feel quite right."
"I can't help but agree," Rene said. "It's...unpleasant. Even though it's rumored as 'The land of the free, home of the brave', it doesn't jump out at you. America is polluted."
"You can save your comments for later, guys. Right now, all I care is that that have a decent music store." Florence told them, instantly shutting them up. "I think we should divide into pairs. Angelina and Rene, you'll be a pair. Celeste and Liana; Sophia and Ivan. I'll take Julia with me. Grandpa, do you mind going alone?"
"Not at all, dear," Issac replied. "I'll be doing some shopping on my own."
"This should be fun!" Celeste said gaily.
"Well, now that we've landed, we've got to find a mall first," Julia commented, dampening Celeste's glow.
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There was a large crowd around a tiny little music store at the heart of the mall. Florence was perched on the piano bench, playing a long piece with her eyes shut. She was so deeply in tune with what she was playing; she hadn't noticed the mob around the hole-in-the-wall Bronstein's.
Julia was playing guard at the door along with Sophia. The employees were in total shock. Florence moved right along with the music, going on and on and on. In her world, it was only her and the grand piano she was playing. Nothing else mattered.
Florence finished the last measure of her ten-minute song, and snapped out of her musical world to hear the sound of applause. She turned red as one little boy asked if she could teach him to play as well as she did.
"People, listen. Just go back to shopping! She's a normal girl!" Julia screamed, driving twenty people away. Florence sighed in relief on the piano bench. "I SAID SCAT, YOU IMBECILE!"
"What're you calling me an imbecile for, squirt?" A black haired boy demanded. Julia was spitting tacks. "What, you mad?"
Julia had hit the boiling point five minutes ago. At this point, she was well over rage. This punk was being a jerk. As her teacher had been telling her for over a year, "Think before you do". Julia's mind and body seemed to separate as Sophia tried pinning the child down, and Julia broke free like a bull through restraints of straw.
"Mission control, we have a Julia on the loose," Florence whispered into a tiny speaker.
"Are you still at the music shop?" Ivan asked back.
"Yes." Florence said softly. "You had all better come as quickly as possible. She's ready to bring the place down with those steel boots of hers."
"We'll be there in five," Several voices clambered. Julia was still trying not to use her absolute favorite steel toed boots, but it was getting harder by the second. The punk was just begging for a broken leg.
After what felt like an hour of holding down rage, Julia cut it loose and flew at the idiot punk. At the same moment, quite a few strong pairs of arms caught her. Julia didn't care. Her target was in range, so she simply pulled back and dashed forward once more.
"Kuso!" Celeste cursed. "Julia is going to get herself killed."
"Tell me about it," Sophia muttered. Julia had already done away with the punk's delicate area, as we'll call it.
"How'd ya like that, dork?" Julia demanded, swirling on her heels. The boy was doubled over in pain. Now it was Julia holding up a lit sign asking to please have a limb broken. Julia vaulted over the punk.
That was the worst mistake she had ever made.
Just as she was over, the punk stood up and grabbed her leg. Julia lost her balance and tumbled down onto her right arm with a loud CRUNCH. Not that it mattered to her. Her arm was less important than kicking this idiot's can.
"Little girls aren't supposed to be here without their mommies!" The boy crowed, pouring gas onto Julia's forest fire. It wasn't like Julia even needed it. She charged once again at the ass, this time targeting his head.
"Yeah, really, little boys should be playing basketball!" Julia jumped and gave her best kick. It had landed on his chest.
"ENOUGH!" Ivan roared, alarming each and every one of his calm cousins. Julia was frozen by mental energy. White-hot pain roared through her wrist and at last caught up with her mind. Julia was involuntarily brought in by Ivan, her rage at long last starting to fade away.
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WELL? How was it? I wanted to get in that mall scene before next chapter. You guys are really making my day! Sorry this chapter took the first half of eternity.
Next chapter we'll get what happened to both fighters! I hope to see you all then!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE! :doles out Coke and candy: