:comes in, holding ALL her presents: People…man oh man! I got SOOOO many awesome presents! I got Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, a new pink scarf, a 009 plushie from Sadie, and so much other cool stuff! You can't believe it O.O! WE ROASTED JET'S NUTS ON AN OPEN FIRE! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! XD
((begin rambling session)) In this chapter, I mention some songs. I love the full version of Genesis of Next. IT'S SO AWESOME! And What's the Justice? That song is wonderful. It's nothing like Cartoon Network's rendition, even though that version is really pretty. Catch You, Catch Me from Cardcaptor Sakura ROCKS! FULL VERSION! TASOGARE NO UMI! OPEN YOUR HEART! You must all see the first unedited and uncut episode. It was so great. The end…they start singing What's The Justice?! "My name is…009! You've got the chance to express you…" ((end rambling session))
I wish I owned Cyborg 009. BUT I GOT THE FIRST EIGHT UNCUT UNEDITED EPISODES FOR CHIRSTMAS! BOOYA!
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The Cyborg Children
Chapter Eleven: Sing it for Me, Only Me
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"Do you have it yet?" Hana asked.
"Mi-chan doesn't, nope nope, not yet!" Midori answered, fingers flying over her keys. "But she will have it soon, very soon! She promises!"
"Ho.." Hana began.
Midori turned. "All the coding is enough to last a life time. I could hack…" She motioned to the cyborgs, "Each of them if I wanted to. It would take me a long time, but I can."
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Sophia looked nervously into the bubble that held her cousin. She'd been in there for half an hour, and was radiating more light by the minute. Off a sudden instinct, she reached in a pocket and picked out a small necklace that Emma had given her as a birthday present.
Celeste says that you can find someone in your head if you have something that they gave to you, Sophia remembered. Had to love that girl, yes you did. Emma…Emma…0021…000…you're here somewhere, aren't you…?
000 snapped awake inside her forcefield. (Sophia? No way!)
Sophia couldn't have been more surprised if 009 started worshipping her. (I found you! But how?)
(Very long story. I'll come out,) 0021 answered. The forcefield shattered into billions of periwinkle fragments. Zero stepped out, looking positively furious.
"Now, which one of you wants to try and kill me first?" Zero asked merrily. She lifted an invisible weight, palms upward. Rocks were crackling under her feet, shaking, then magically plastered themselves together.
"I'll finish her off!" 0023 crowed, jumping out to meet Zero. Zero laughed wildly.
"You dare challenge me? You dare challenge the only person who could ever smack sense into your daddy?" Zero asked. 0023 turned from hate into loathing.
"THAT WAS WHY WE WERE SENT TO KILL!" 0023 roared, fully consumed now by rage. "You were the one problem. You had too much power, so you posed a threat to us."
0021 commanded the rocks to fly toward 0023, who easily shot them.
"Shimatta!" Celeste cursed. ((MORE alliteration?!))
"That's why they wanted her," Sophia realized, blue eyes mirroring her surprise. "It makes sense now. If Emma had so much power, she could overthrow operations and destroy everything they'd worked on."
"Oho, the Middle-girl's cousin finally comes to the world!" 007 laughed.
"Don't tempt me," Sophia replied viscously.
"If you want Sam-chan to do that…" 007 said.
"DAMN!" Zero shouted. "Too late now for synthesis!"
"No it ain't!" 003 called. "In fact, I'll do it!"
"SYNTHESIZE!" Zero shouted as he opened his Italian mouth. The Megas burned with blue flames, and Zero stood, believe it or not, hands outstretched commanding the flames.
The Megas vanished with the flames as Zero held her fists. All eyes watched her, expecting some move where she turned tails.
"BANISH!" Zero cried, expelling white tongues of fire. 0022 and 0023 stood looking, horrified and amazed at the same time. This was what he had feared she would do. Now it was time for their original mission to be completed.
Time for them to divide and conquer.
-&-&-&-
"Was I dreaming," Midori said, lifting the data scanner. "Or did 0021 just, like…destroy them in one simple smite?"
"You weren't dreaming," Elyon said, sitting down in an armchair. "Heavens, she could have told us that. We would have understood. Midori probably knew, and didn't want to tell so she could hack."
"I didn't know, honest, Elle. I knew about the cyborgs in this room because they were interfering with transmission signals. If I hadn't…oh, never mind, none of you would understand the rest. It's just code." Midori answered.
"You should go help them, at least." Tamaki said lightly. "They are yours, are they not?"
Joe looked out the window.
Celeste was shouting out her orders, the others dashing to follow. A yellow cape billowed behind her in the wind, as did another, differently colored cape, for each. All of them had changed since he had seen them: Florence had become a strong young woman with the power to destroy, Liana would kill anyone who snuck up on her instead of vice-versa, and Celeste…Celeste had changed in many ways. Celeste had forgotten her fears and jumped in where there was room, and that meant filling in for the missing Julia.
(Are you going to help them?) Zero asked.
(Sure, why not?) Joe replied. (Right?)
(Go out and fight! Come on, we wanna see!) Midori said playfully in the cyborg's minds, causing them to gape at her. (It's the computer, not me. No offense,)
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Julia opened a single green eye. All that was visible was white, white, and more white! Ok, yes, I'm not screwing with you. I like exclamation marks.
On with it!
Genevieve had left with Haruna, Haruka, and Hideki at about the time the band of bad guys popped up. Julia, by then, had been out for two solid days. Stitches held her face together, as well as part of her left arm.
"Where am I…and what about…Celeste!" Julia whispered, sitting herself up. Madison seemingly jumped out of thin air to hug the twelve-year-old.
"They're fine, for right now." Madison explained. "Your dad just left to help them finish off 0023 and them."
"Then I've gotta help!" Julia said, regaining more of her voice.
"No you don't!" Madison said.
"WATCH ME, WOMAN!" Julia roared, her voice back in full volume. She freed herself of her mother's grasp and threw some sheets off. Over the side of the bed for her legs, then she dropped onto the ground. Julia held onto the bed for a moment, then let go, and…
"I told you not to," Madison sighed. Julia sat crying on the ground because of the searing pain in her right ankle. "It's all right, Julia. You're fine…"
"No I'm not!" Julia wailed. She stood up again and waited for her balance. She pulled on a pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt, then a pair of shoes and her green cape, tattered and torn, but hers. This time, Julia ran all the way up the unfamiliar halls. She reached a door where cold air blew in from the crack below. Julia turned the knob, and saw something amazingly terrible.
"Accelerating will kill her!" Joe screamed.
Celeste wriggled about in 0022's arms, kicking and screeching for all she was worth. He laughed at her.
"I know that and you know that, so if you want to save her, you can…." 0022 said.
"KISS MY ASS!" Julia hollered, ignoring any and all pain. 0022 turned around in time to get a full-on punch in the face. Julia laughed. "DEFENSIVE MOVE NUMBER THREE HUNDRED SEVEN: KICK 0022 IN THE BALLS!"
Instead of her right foot, Julia spun and kicked 0022 in-between his legs with her left. He dropped Celeste and bent over in pain. Celeste didn't give her usual smile and thanks, however.
"What are you DOING?" Celeste demanded. "You almost DIE and then you come out here to help us! It's SUICIDE!"
"Like I care," Julia snorted, kicking 0022 again. "You needed help, Celeste. I don't care if it's suicide. I was supposed to be dead six years ago, anyway."
Celeste's face softened. "Here, come on. Let's get you back in there. FLORENCE!"
"What?" Florence called.
"I'll be gone for a few minutes, and if I'm not back in an hour, have fun!" Celeste shouted in return. "C'mon, Julia…!"
Julia had run at her fastest toward 0023. 0023 smirked at the child, holding up a single hand. White light radiated from it as Julia charged face-first into it.
"Got anything to tell them, pipsqueak?" 0023 asked.
(What was she thinking?) Jet demanded.
(Good question, we always wondered that about you.) Albert replied.
(HEY!) Jet snapped.
(Well, it's true!) Francoise said. (You would fight off your own accord. If you ask me, she inherited it from you.)
(Actually, Mister Jet, if you'd have stayed down there, maybe we could have avoided this bit with her.) Zero said. (She went because she can't live with sitting out. You should know that better than any of them, you're her FATHER! Celeste knows more about Julia, and they've only known each other for three weeks!)
(Should be any second…NOW!) Midori's voice boomed.
Lightning streaked across the sky, brilliantly flashing the visible spectrum. 0022 and 0023 were flying out to meet the lightning, weaving to stay away from the other.
(HERE IT COMES!) Midori roared.
The spectrum had run out of colors. 0022 and 0023 stood facing one another, rockets keeping them from falling into the sea. With one last spectacular blaze of blue/green/yellow/purple lightning, rain poured from the heavens and 0022 combusted.
0023 tried to enter acceleration mode, but as she did, the blaster rays of Celeste, Liana, Florence, Rene and Angelina met her.
It was over.
They had won.
They had won!
Rain splashed across Celeste's beaming face as she stood at the edge of the cliff, but it didn't dampen her smile. Julia's hair hung lank as she threw her arms up to meet the rain as it fell. Red water dripped from her hair, evidently, the rain was washing away the blood.
-&-&-&-
"That was AMAZING!" Hana cheered.
"I have something to ask of you now," Florence said. "Julia's returned to us. You promised me, all of you, that once she was back, we'd get the truth."
"I was waiting for that myself," Celeste added, standing up. It was three hours after their final fight, and all present in the Kazumi mansion sat in the living room.
Florence stood in the middle of the room, looking pointedly at her uncles. "Whatever you were," She said, "Tell me. I can number you. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 009," Florence pointed to each of them in turn. ((A/N: if you've ever seen the full and real version of What's the Justice? that's part of the opening sequence))
"Sing it for me, only me, and I won't tell the world I know." Julia said from her dad's arms. "What? My friends tell me that all the time."
"Sit down," Joe commanded. They sat on the couch, Celeste on her left foot. "Now, this began with 001."
"That's right. I am Project 001, and your parents, for Celeste both, but for the rest, your fathers, are cyborgs. They all have an ability, and none of them was given it because they asked for it. We were kidnapped off the streets at random." Ivan explained. Florence's eyes widened, then slimmed to a thin blade.
"You lied to me," Florence said, eyes downcast. "You lied to ALL of us! Don't try and tell me that it was for my own good, because it wasn't! I would have found out anyway, and I did! You wanted to postpone the shock, or rather, intensify it!"
"I can't say I don't agree," Sophia chimed in. "We're your own children, your blood, your DNA, your flesh, your bone, and we can't know the truth. Aside from everything else, we want to know what we are."
"Yeah, I know that I've been Celeste Maria Shimamura my entire life, but never who I truly am. I've got a name, an identification, but am I a regular girl? Am I an alien?" Celeste added.
"We were going out and hurting ourselves for you," Julia said, green eyes burning with fury. "I almost died saving all of you. And now we learn it was all a LIE! You weren't spies, you were CYBORGS! YOU WERE TRYING TO PROTECT US FROM YOUR SECRET, BUT IT ENDED OUT HURTING US MORE! WHAT KIND OF PROTECTION IS THAT?"
"More than once we had to step over the line to get information on the Megas," Angelina added. "And on one occasion, it nearly cost us Emma. Emma was just a warning to show what would happen to us, wasn't she?"
"We weren't trained, we were all mild-mannered teens," Liana said, leaning against the wall. "We had to adapt to be able to get you back, to get back the people who knew us best! But after this, I think it's Grandpa and Ivan that know us the best. If we could have trusted you, you would have told us when we could understand."
"One last thing," Rene said. "Each of us had a fear. Our fears prevented us from going further. But we changed. Celeste isn't afraid to use a gun anymore, I don't think any of us are. Florence is nowhere near as afraid of blood any longer, and I can be near fire. We had to max out what we were good at, whether it be hacking, swimming, fighting, or whatever. Think about that,"
The girls were frozen in their spots, frowns pasted across their faces. Florence's eyes were burning with tears, and they teemed over and spilled down her cheeks. Celeste rose and sat down next to her, hugging the German girl as she cried. The Kazumis sat around, watching the display of fireworks go back and forth.
"I'm so very sorry. I should have told you," Zero said, trying to take some of the damage away. Julia cast her a very dirty look as she said it.
Joe looked again at the girl who sat comforting Florence. His daughter had chased and hunted them down without knowing why. She'd probably risked a lot to get to where she was. Celeste may not have been changed into a machine, but she had had to open up to very different causes for him.
"Open your heart," Julia sang softly. Celeste looked at her. "I watched your .hackSIGN DVDs."
"He was killed by a cellular phone explosion," Celeste sang.
"They scattered his ashes across the ocean," Julia returned in her line.
"The water was used to make baby lotion," Florence sang in turn.
"The wheels of promotion were set into motion!" Sophia said.
"But the sun still shines in the summer time, I'll be yours if you'll be mine. I tried to change, but I changed my mind. Think I'll have another glass of Mexican Wine," They all sang together, softly and unsure.
"She lived alone in a small apartment," Liana sang.
"Across the street from the health department." Rene answered.
"She left her pills in the glove compartment," Angelina said.
"That was the afternoon her heart went." Zero sang.
"Please, no more." Joe said. "But before we tell you anything, we want to hear what you did to get here."
"We were all called, and each of us was told to answer the phone," Florence said through her sobs. "The phone call was for our fathers, who then got zapped away with our moms. We called Grandpa, shocked out of our minds enough."
"Then to make it worse, we find out we have cousins. And we're introduced to them over the phone, not knowing. The next day, we all go to Japan, to Grandpa's house. The entire thing starts here. The spy story was born because there was no other real explanation. We accepted it, and started to accept one another. It was hard, but we got used to how we rubbed against one another." Sophia continued.
"After that, it was training. Celeste was terrified by it. We went to a mall, where Julia proceeded to sprain her wrist. As it turned out, we had met 0022. He was back about a day later, and it was pretty much Celeste who fought him off. After that stunt she pulled, Celeste went into shock for a while." Rene added.
"We flew to England to rescue Emma, who had already been turned into a cyborg. As we got to her, 0022 and 0023 attacked us. We got away with Emma after being attacked for a second time in ten minutes. Emma fell asleep for a few days after that, and then 001 showed her face. 001 and Emma went out and had an acceleration fight, in which Emma had a close brush with death." Celeste explained. Haruna choked on the coffee she was drinking.
"002 came after that. Angelina hacked a computer at Black Ghost's base, then 003 and 004 came to bring back Emma. They failed once again. This time, it was war. The entire Megas Project came, we beat them, and they revealed that they were our friends. Oh yes, that last about seven hours. Then we went to this weird circus thing and fought once again." Liana said.
"They faked us out. The Megas were never our friends. So we went to the base. I'm sure you can fill in from there," Angelina finished.
"Now tell me I wasn't right," Julia said, standing up. "Instead of making it easy, you made us learn the hard way about your secret. You sacrificed Emma so you could keep the secret away. You had guts to hide it."
"Let's hear it now," Florence said.
"Will you hate us after we tell you?" Midori asked. "Oh sure, I know all about you. The reconstruction after 0011's attack, 0013 destroying Tokyo, and we even heard about 0010. So yes, I'd say I could tell them your entire story if I wanted to."
"We're not going to hate you," Florence hiccuped. "We'll need time to think about what we hear, then we'll come back."
Silence buzzed around the room as the cyborgs looked at one another. Liana sank to the ground, and Julia gave a moan of pain as she sat down again.
"It was sixteen years ago that our team was formed," Ivan began. "That was when 009 came into existence. We had all been taken in so they could reconstruct us, and that was what they did. 009 took a while to…shall we say, confront the fact that he was a cyborg. In fact, he wanted to punch my lights out because I was leading him into danger."
"009 joined us in our rebellion against Black Ghost. We came here for brief residence. At the time, we were being hunted by 0010. Once we destroyed him, 0011 came soon after, then Professor Kazumi was kidnapped…" Francoise continued. She was only stopped when Tamaki held up her hand.
"You say 'Professor Kazumi'. Does that mean my father, grandfather, or Genevieve? Oh wait, you don't mean Genevieve. She was only twelve, and my father…well, Keiko hadn't met him yet." Tamaki said to herself. "Ah, that's right! My Granddaddy is the leading researcher in biochemistry! I'm such a spaz at times,"
"We get the message," Celeste said softly. "We're the children of cyborgs. Thank you for the truth. Fifteen years was a wait, but we have it. I'll be outside after I get out of these clothes. I don't want to parade about in the clothes I killed a person with."
With that, Celeste rose from the couch. She walked out of the living room and closed the door with a small click. As soon as she did, sobs tore through the air.
It was easy to tell that Florence was hiding her own depression by her trembling. She rose quickly and ran from the room, crying her eyes out.
(Get ready for a long couple of days ahead. None of them are going to be willing to talk to you after that burst.) Zero said sadly, flopping over onto her Uncle Britain. (It's not going to be very fun, but it'll get better. Leave them be,)
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"She's starting to worry me," Florence said. She looked out from the window up onto the cliff where they had finished 0023 and 0022, where Celeste now sat.
"She's probably feeling betrayed," Sophia replied, looking out. "I can understand that myself right now. Shall we join her, or at least bring her an umbrella?"
The rain had continued falling at a steady pace through the night, which none of the girls had slept through. Julia had been forced to stay either lying or sitting constantly, for if she were to stand, she could kiss her right leg good bye. Liana didn't even have the spirit to cook or yell at her father.
So Florence and Sophia grabbed three umbrellas, their raincoats, and stepped out into the steady downpour. It took them seven minutes to reach the cliff where Celeste sat, brown hair clinging to her shoulders as well as her clothes. Her cheeks were pink from the cold, and probably from crying. After all, Celeste had been sitting there for close to two hours, knees curled up to her chest.
"Hey," Florence said, covering Celeste with an umbrella. Celeste looked up and motioned for them to sit with her. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine," Celeste mumbled, shaking out her long sleeved white shirt. "I don't like this feeling!" A fresh round of sobs broke out as she shook from the cold. "I can't help but feel so awful for them, but they kept this from me for thirteen years! And all my uncles…even Uncle Jet, and the evidence was right there in front of me!"
The three sat under the umbrellas, the older two comforting the lost younger one. They shared the same feelings of betrayal, depression, triumph and happiness, which made them all very confused. To be so happy about destroying 0022 and 0023, and yet so sad because they knew the very reason they were pursued.
"Sophia?" Celeste asked shyly.
"Yeah?" Sophia asked back. "What's wrong?"
"I was thinking about ((way back in chapter two when you gave that speech)) when you were telling Julia about how we all had to work together. At that time, we were happy now knowing. Then why are we so sad now?" Celeste asked.
"I don't know," Sophia honestly replied.
"The stars…I remember reading something in the stars about this! It was the correspondence between two of the constellations and the planets, something was wrong! That was the night of the phone call that changed our lives." Celeste said blankly.
"I'll say that," Florence answered. "I wonder if that could have been prevented if we knew?"
"It was our destiny," Celeste cried. "We had to follow it, no matter what. Does it mean that this is owari?"
"Owari?" Sophia and Florence asked together.
"It means the end," Celeste explained. "Or I wonder if there's more to come."
"Let's hope for the latter," Florence said bitterly. "I've had enough fighting. I want peace, not this war."
Celeste faced Florence. "I'm so tired…but I can't sleep…the dreams I'd have would wake me up…"
"Well, being out here isn't going to help anything." Florence said, rising. "Let's get inside and then think about sleeping."
"But…I killed someone…" Celeste said, voice shaking. "You can't deny it…it's there forever…my fault for everything…"
"Celeste, you did us all a favor. Now come on, two hours up here crying isn't going to bring him back." Sophia answered. Celeste had another round of tears as soon as the words had left Sophia's mouth. Thunder boomed in the distance.
"Let's go inside, and get you dry again." Florence said. Celeste stood up stubbornly, crying with the effort in her numb muscles.
"Onee-chan…" Celeste murmured lazily.
"You're calling me your older sister?" Sophia asked serenely.
"Yeah," Celeste said. "But how you know Japanese?"
"Some girl from school," Sophia replied. "But why call us your older sisters?"
"You're older, you have the same problems that I have, and…" Celeste's voice trailed away. "You're the closest I've felt to having…y'know…"
They had reached the door. Elyon looked down from a balcony and Tamaki let them back inside. The atmosphere inside was laden with grief and passion, and was thick from steam issuing from the kitchen.
"GET OUT!" Liana screamed from the kitchen, holding a smoldering frying pan and swinging it dangerously close to her father's head. ((that rhymed…oh dear, look at Mika in the Hat!))
Liana stood in the doorway, eyes blazing with pain and rage. The frying pan had burnt a hole in her shirt, but it was of no matter. She turned and left through the door she'd come, sighing Mandarin curses as she went.
"How hard is the rain coming down?" Julia demanded from her seat on the couch. "Oh, I'm going to be so mad if it's really getting good out there,"
"Julia, could I asked you something?" Celeste asked, sitting down next to her.
"Anything at all, except for a few off-limit areas," Julia said with a wink.
"Why weren't you supposed to live past six?" Celeste asked. Julia looked puzzled for a moment, then the question registered.
"Ah, that. I have a weak immune system, and at first, they thought I wouldn't see a day past my second birthday. Then once I did, they had to eat their words. Oh jeez, my mom rattled them out so badly. Soon after, I had to get my glasses, and then I had a bad encounter with pneumonia on my fifth birthday. So those idiots came up with the age of six that I'd die. Oh yes, I look very dead right now. Then I got addicted to the rain. Rain is fun, even if it makes things worse. Oh hell, I don't even care about it any more. But it's fun to have it sometimes, worthwhile. Sometimes I can get out of something stupid by having a cold that would otherwise be harmless. So ends my tale." Julia answered.
"What's your birthday?" Celeste asked next.
"Why?" Julia asked.
"Just tell me." Celeste answered.
"March thirteenth, I'm an Aires, if you're gonna ask." Julia said.
Celeste gave something like a shadow of a grin. "I'm a Leo, birthday's August twenty-first."
"You're going to ask anyway. Born September sixth, so that makes me a Virgo." Florence said blandly.
"February fourth, Aquarius." Sophia said.
"That's odd…if I knew the others, I'd say that we aren't supposed to be getting along very well. Leo, Libra, Scorpio and Virgo get along best, but sometimes others clash with them. It's interesting how the zodiac is occasionally incorrect…I'm supposed to be such an optimist…" Celeste wailed. The aura she gave away was that of a young sparrow with an arrow through its wing: damaged, flightless, and a very bruised ego. Julia felt even worse around the other girl.
"Celeste, you're tired. That's the problem," Julia said. Celeste gave a little hiccup. "Don't worry, we'll be here to wake ya up if anything goes mad. You wouldn't want to miss out, would you?"
Celeste didn't wait to dry herself before lying down on the squashy couch pillows. As soon as her head made contact with the fabric, she was sound asleep.
"I feel bad for her," Julia said eventually.
"Why? She's the one who felt responsible for what happened, all of it." Florence replied.
"…" Julia said nothing.
-&-&-&-
Jet walked into the living room. The four girls had all fallen asleep; Julia had drool dripping from the corner of her mouth. Celeste whined and cried out in her fitful rest, and she was very wet.
Madison came in to stand next to her husband. "They're peaceful…enough,"
Florence was sitting on the ground; head leaned back on another couch, muttering something. Sophia was asleep like Celeste on another couch, stretched out and was sleeping, so it seemed, the calmest of all.
"These are the others?" Madison asked, brushing damp hair from Celeste's face.
"Some of them. The others are somewhere, I don't know where. Relax, Madison. You're worried about Julia, right?" Jet asked his wife.
"That's right," Madison sighed. "It feels like it's all on my…"
"It's fine," Jet interjected. ((oh my God, that sounded so stupid. Jet, interject. -.-)) "Julia has your temper, darling, but you've survived with it. Julia will be fine. She'd probably kill the grim reaper."
Madison laughed and wiped the drool from her daughter's mouth. "She was wearing her glasses, right?"
-&-&-&-
Celeste sat bolt upright, dripping with cold sweat and breathing heavily.
Pale moonlight filtered in from the picture window, then was whisked away by the clouds and rain.
It wasn't true. It was just a dream. Celeste thought, panicked. All that about me killing them was just a nightmare…
She noticed the drool hanging from Julia's mouth and began to bawl. Julia woke up to the crying Celeste, of who seemed utterly terrified.
"Celeste! What happened? Are you okay?" Julia demanded. Celeste cried even harder into her friend's shoulder.
"Just a dream…" Celeste sobbed. Her face was pale and she shook from her fears. "I'm so sorry I woke you up…you needed to sleep…"
"Don't worry about it." Julia said, brushing the comment away. "You need to go get something to calm you down with. I'll come with you, better than staying here."
"But…!" Celeste exclaimed.
"But nothing," Julia snapped, standing. "Come on, let's go."
Celeste allowed Julia to lean on her as they walked to the kitchen. It wasn't a very far walk, but it took a lot from both girls.
"Wonder who's this is?" Julia asked herself as she sat down on the floor. "Mocha Cappuccino mix! I'm going to have to try this stuff later."
"I found tea," Celeste remarked. Julia tried to stand, but it was useless. Celeste extended a hand to help Julia stand, and so Julia accepted.
"How fast can you make it?" Julia asked.
"I have to boil water…" Celeste mumbled.
"Microwave!" Julia exclaimed, filling a mug to about an inch from the top. Celeste watched as she put it in the microwave and pressed a few buttons. "There. It'll be ready in no time. Are you sure you're alright, though, Celeste?"
"What are you two doing up?" Ivan asked as he walked in on the two.
"I had a nightmare…" Celeste whispered.
"You don't look very good…would you like to come down with me to sleep with your parents?" Ivan asked.
"No, I'll be alright." Celeste replied with the closest thing to a smile yet. "Thanks for the offer though, Ivan. I appreciate it. Where are the others? Are they safe?" She demanded, remembering her feverish nightmare.
"The others are asleep," He answered her. "But why are you asking?"
"She had a nightmare, that's why," Julia said nonchalantly from the microwave.
The blood…the tears…"Celeste! Why are you…"
"You must die, traitor!"
Celeste gripped the counter to steady herself. Not again…those images…
"Help me!""Worthless scum, how dare you speak my name?"
The shiny blade glinted in the rays of moonlight, then there was screaming in the darkness. There was a murderous laugh and blood on her hand; the blade was wet with warm blood.
"You don't have to do this!""Lies!"
The blade shone red, then plunged into the speaker's body.
"CELESTE!" Ivan shouted. Celeste's eyes shone wet with tears as she clung for her life to Ivan, scared beyond all reason. "Are you positive you're fine?"
"I need to see the others," Celeste said. "Please."
Julie handed her the mug, full to the brim with steaming tea. Celeste accepted it and drank slowly, letting the hot liquid calm her tense body.
"Can Julia come with us?" Celeste asked.
"Sure," Ivan replied.
They were off down the dark halls, Julia clinging to Ivan for support. Celeste shook and sipped the tea, trying to rid herself of the nightmare. It had felt so real.
They reached a large room where all the others were camped out. Celeste sighed in relief and nearly spilled her tea on Ivan. She was crying again.
"They're fine, Celeste!" Julia exclaimed. "Now let's go back upstairs and go back to sleep. You need it the worst."
Julia's hair was flying in the wind. Celeste laughed at it and struck her in the back and smiled when the sickening image of blood being coughed up was shown.
"I'm not going to sleep if this is what's going to happen," Celeste mumbled. "It was horrible, Julia. You have no idea."
"Then tell us about it on the way back." Julia ordered.
"If you must know," Celeste said as they turned to go back. "I was so mad with you all because I thought you killed my daddy. Then I started killing all of you so you could feel my pain, and the worst part is, I watched myself do it all. I heard myself laugh."
"After you've gotten some sleep, I'll ask your grandfather to see if anything's wrong." Ivan said as they reached the living room again. "But Julia's right. You need sleep. Take a break. Go, lie down. I'll stay here with you and wake you if you begin to scream."
As Celeste lay back down, Ivan left the room. Julia sat down near Celeste's feet and curled up to sleep.
(What was that about?) Zero asked lazily.
(She was terrified because of a nightmare she had.) Ivan replied, returning to the room to see the others.
(You have my attention,) She said. (Did she tell you about it?)
(She said she dreamt someone had killed her father then she went and killed everyone else, including us. First-person perspective,) Ivan told her.
(Then hurry down here, because we need to talk. All of us.) Zero said grimly. Ivan ventured into the room where Zero waited, ondangoes messy from sleep.
"0031 and 0010 are coming," Zero said. She turned to Joe. "Mister Joe, has Celeste had any premonition dreams ever?"
"No," Joe answered her.
"Then it was just a nightmare," Zero muttered. "That's good to know, or else I'd be pretty freaked. Well, in any case, get ready for those two. Neither are very sweet people, and they're probably headed here for me. Or you, take your pick."
-&-&-&-
"TRUST ME!" Julia bellowed.
Celeste was out crying again. Julia was inside, debating with her grandfather, Ivan and Zero over what Celeste had that gave her that nightmare. Celeste had woken up that morning only to go back out onto the cliff.
"In any case, 0010 should be here any minute now," Zero said lightly.
"Must you gloat in front of me?" Julia whined. "I can't fight! I WANNA KICK CAN!"
"Help me get Celeste back in here, then I might think about doing something more," Zero said, seizing an umbrella. Julia looked at her.
"Yes, I get to go out in the rain!" Julia cheered. Zero came over to help Julia stand, then they walked out.
Instead of the brief seven minutes it had taken Florence and Sophia, it took Julia and Zero twice that time. Celeste was homesteading the spot still in the drizzle, crying hard as ever.
"Celeste! Let's go back in! 0031 and 0010 are coming soon!" Julia yelled. Celeste turned around. She ran to them and cried again into Julia's shoulder. "Come on, you. You are going to get sleep and like it."
"Going somewhere?" A menacing female voice asked. "Ah, project 0021. So we meet again."
"You always had the worst timing, 0031." Zero snapped.
"Thank you!" Another voice called. It, too, was a female's. "Zero, I've missed you! Ever since the others were banished, it hasn't been the same. So we came to visit you and your…friends."
"And 0010." Zero grumbled. "Celeste and Julia, go back inside. These two are royal pains, so I suggest you tell Mister Joe. Ivan could stand knowing, too."
"Well then, I'll settle it," Celeste said, taking a blaster out from under her shirt. "BLASTER MODE!"
Julia's glasses were steamed up from the heat she was expelling out of anger.
-&-&-&-
"FINISHED!" Liana sang as she pulled a triple-layer cheesecake from the oven. She twirled her spatula and admired the coating. "Aw…I want someone to enjoy it…"
She placed it on the cutting board, then looking in the refrigerator. Shelves were piled high with numerous Chinese dishes, cakes, pies, and all sorts of sweets from Liana's distress. Cooking helped her to feel better.
Someone screamed outside. Liana rushed from the kitchen into the living room, and looked out the picture window.
"Zero was right! 0010 and 0031 are here!" She screeched, bounding over the couch and out the door into the rain.
"This much be the last battalion of them, because otherwise we're going to fall apart at the seams!" Liana heard Julia yell.
And Julia was absolutely correct.
"Do you guys need help?" Liana demanded, rushing up.
"Oh look, another one for shocking!" One of the cyborgs said. This cyborg had blue hair and twinkling purple eyes, and wore a knitted beige sweater, cuffed dark blue jeans and black Converse. "Hello then. I'm 0010. Ready for the shock of your life?"
And with that, 0010 sent a series of lightning bolts at Celeste, who took one and collapsed to the ground in a helpless pile.
"You know she can't handle that!" Zero screamed. (IVAN! JOE! JET! GET UP HERE!)
(But why?) Joe asked. Zero could tell he was moving.
(0010 and 0031 are here already! They're the last two cyborgs ever created, so they're gonna fight until they're dead! Midori!) Zero called.
(Right here!) Midori chirped.
(You can fight, correct?)
(Oh yes. I'm not project 0014 for nothing, am I?)
-&-&-&-&-
OOOOOOOHHHH YEEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHH!
I got my hair cut! It's so short and light now! There was all this hair on the ground…it took them a few minutes to get like, this mountain of hair vacuumed up! Whee! Now I have shorter braids!
The end is coming soon. Boo! I don't want it to end TT.TT! But next chapter will have some stuff I stole from the episode "After the Battle"! Yay! Then it's gonna be pretty much tying up loose ends and the epilogue is a secret!
What's this? Midori is 0014? And 0010 is like her prototypes in the Cyborg Project? How is it possible? Start e-mailing Mika at the address on her bio and demand she tell you! ONE MORE POSITION OPEN! I NEED AN OC FROM YOU! E-MAIL IT TO ME!