Chapter Four
"What's with that face?" Yu asked.
"Disappointed cher?" Jean chuckled.
"Hell yeah! There's nothing here!" Lane shouted. "You brought me all the way up here to show me nothing!? I passed out for this?"
Her voice rang strangely in the massive, empty space. Their footsteps sounded oddly flat and incomplete.
"Did you know it was empty?" Lane asked, her tone accusing.
"Not me," Yu said, raising his hands in a gesture of innocence. "I've never been in here before."
"And you?" Lane asked.
"Oui cher," Jean answered. "I knew it was empty."
"And you didn't tell me because?"
Jean shrugged his shoulders lazily. "You needed to see the Ark, no? It makes no difference what is inside."
Lane couldn't argue with his logic. "I wanted to see something weird," she mumbled and pouted.
"This is only the beginning of our trip cher. There is much weirdness to come," Jean assured.
"Let's get out of here," Yu said. "I'm freezing."
******
"This is for you."
Lane looked up at the Japanese Spriggan. He was holding out a thin plastic card.
"What is it?" she asked, taking it out of his hand.
It was as thin as a piece of paper and gold in color. It shimmered in the dim light. A message was scrawled across it in a language she couldn't read. She tried to bend it and, to her amazement, couldn't.
"A warning from the people who built the Arks."
"What is it though? It looks like plastic but it won't bend."
"We don't know," Yu answered. "All our test have come up empty."
"What language is this?"
"Hebrew."
"Where did it come from?"
"It was found in Turkey. Before that? Who knows."
"What's it say?"
"To the wise and just, we send this message from the past. Once there were many thriving civilizations on this planet. They are about to destroyed. Corruption and war prevail. Our civilization is in its decline. We hope that yours has a future," Yu recited darkly. "We leave behind the relics of our civilization scattered all over the world but if your people are not ready to use these relics wisely for the good of all, then we implore you to seal them away. Protect your legacy from evil forces. You must not follow the same path as us."
"The same path?" Lane asked slowly, staring down at the plate in her hands.
"They destroyed themselves with the arks," Jean answered. "They were greedy for power and brought about their ruin."
"Why didn't they just destroy them then?"
"They had hope that others could use them."
"Then why bother to hide them?"
"They thought that only the righteous would be able to find them," Yu answered. "But you can't just walk into an Ark after you've found it. You have to have the key."
"Key?"
"One of those plates has to activate the door of the Ark. Each Ark has a certain plate and none of the others will work on its door."
Lane whistled between her teeth. "Those guys sure were serious about keeping these things secret." She paused. "But if I had a machine that could destroy the world I'd be hell bent on hiding it too. Which one does this belong too?" she asked excitedly, sitting forward to wave it in Yu's face.
"We don't know. Hopefully one that we find quickly," Jean said.
"Oh," Lane mumbled and sat back in disappointment. She turned the plate around in her hands, watching the dim light catch and reflect off of it. "Why are you giving it to me?"
"I thought you might like it, no?" Jean answered, a chuckle behind his words.
"Way cool," Lane mumbled, stowing the plate in her bag. "Where we headed now?"
"Slovakia," Jean answered.
Lane sat up in surprise, fear churning in her stomach. "Are you sure you're not trying to get me killed? Do you have any idea what they'll do to me if they find me?!"
"They won't find you," Yu answered.
"And how can you be so sure? The whole of the Czech police force was hunting my father down! You think they won't kill me just because he's dead? He betrayed them to the Turks, remember?!"
"You are under the protect of the Spriggan now Lane," Jean assured. "The police won't dare go up against Arcam. Attacking you would be a direct attack on Arcam."
"I'll remember that. It'll be a comforting thought when I'm dead!"
"Everyone all ready believes you are dead. You have changed your name and dyed your hair. You were not seen anywhere near your father in the last five years of his life. I doubt anyone is still looking for you."
"Doubt? Wouldn't it be allot better to know?"
"Its not like we're going into the Czech Republic," Yu said, his tone impatient.
"The people over there are trying to kill me so why don't I go next door?!" Lane shouted at him.
"Quit whining!" Yu shouted back.
"Its not whining! Its self preservation!"
"Enough both of you," Jean said, his voice stern. "We would not put you in danger cher."
Lane glared at him for a moment and finally sat back in her seat with a sigh.
"Okay cher?"
"Yeah," she answered. "Not like I have much of a choice."
"Its not like police could take us down anyway," Yu grumbled.
Jean rolled his eyes. 'How did I end up baby sitting both of them?' he wondered, hoping that they would both shut up for the rest of their time together.
*******
Author's notes: I'm really, really sorry this took so long. School has really been taking it out of me lately but don't worry I've all ready got most of chapter six done as well. It will hopefully be posted tonight or tomorrow afternoon. Again I'm REALLY REALLY sorry for the delay.
Thank you very much to Neko-chan, Kat Warrior1, and Hyoyasha for leaving me such nice reviews. I haven't abandoned this sorry you guys. I've just been kinda busy but I promise I'll work on it more. Thanks again! ^__^ Ja ne.
*goes to watch Spriggan DVD for more inspiration*
"What's with that face?" Yu asked.
"Disappointed cher?" Jean chuckled.
"Hell yeah! There's nothing here!" Lane shouted. "You brought me all the way up here to show me nothing!? I passed out for this?"
Her voice rang strangely in the massive, empty space. Their footsteps sounded oddly flat and incomplete.
"Did you know it was empty?" Lane asked, her tone accusing.
"Not me," Yu said, raising his hands in a gesture of innocence. "I've never been in here before."
"And you?" Lane asked.
"Oui cher," Jean answered. "I knew it was empty."
"And you didn't tell me because?"
Jean shrugged his shoulders lazily. "You needed to see the Ark, no? It makes no difference what is inside."
Lane couldn't argue with his logic. "I wanted to see something weird," she mumbled and pouted.
"This is only the beginning of our trip cher. There is much weirdness to come," Jean assured.
"Let's get out of here," Yu said. "I'm freezing."
******
"This is for you."
Lane looked up at the Japanese Spriggan. He was holding out a thin plastic card.
"What is it?" she asked, taking it out of his hand.
It was as thin as a piece of paper and gold in color. It shimmered in the dim light. A message was scrawled across it in a language she couldn't read. She tried to bend it and, to her amazement, couldn't.
"A warning from the people who built the Arks."
"What is it though? It looks like plastic but it won't bend."
"We don't know," Yu answered. "All our test have come up empty."
"What language is this?"
"Hebrew."
"Where did it come from?"
"It was found in Turkey. Before that? Who knows."
"What's it say?"
"To the wise and just, we send this message from the past. Once there were many thriving civilizations on this planet. They are about to destroyed. Corruption and war prevail. Our civilization is in its decline. We hope that yours has a future," Yu recited darkly. "We leave behind the relics of our civilization scattered all over the world but if your people are not ready to use these relics wisely for the good of all, then we implore you to seal them away. Protect your legacy from evil forces. You must not follow the same path as us."
"The same path?" Lane asked slowly, staring down at the plate in her hands.
"They destroyed themselves with the arks," Jean answered. "They were greedy for power and brought about their ruin."
"Why didn't they just destroy them then?"
"They had hope that others could use them."
"Then why bother to hide them?"
"They thought that only the righteous would be able to find them," Yu answered. "But you can't just walk into an Ark after you've found it. You have to have the key."
"Key?"
"One of those plates has to activate the door of the Ark. Each Ark has a certain plate and none of the others will work on its door."
Lane whistled between her teeth. "Those guys sure were serious about keeping these things secret." She paused. "But if I had a machine that could destroy the world I'd be hell bent on hiding it too. Which one does this belong too?" she asked excitedly, sitting forward to wave it in Yu's face.
"We don't know. Hopefully one that we find quickly," Jean said.
"Oh," Lane mumbled and sat back in disappointment. She turned the plate around in her hands, watching the dim light catch and reflect off of it. "Why are you giving it to me?"
"I thought you might like it, no?" Jean answered, a chuckle behind his words.
"Way cool," Lane mumbled, stowing the plate in her bag. "Where we headed now?"
"Slovakia," Jean answered.
Lane sat up in surprise, fear churning in her stomach. "Are you sure you're not trying to get me killed? Do you have any idea what they'll do to me if they find me?!"
"They won't find you," Yu answered.
"And how can you be so sure? The whole of the Czech police force was hunting my father down! You think they won't kill me just because he's dead? He betrayed them to the Turks, remember?!"
"You are under the protect of the Spriggan now Lane," Jean assured. "The police won't dare go up against Arcam. Attacking you would be a direct attack on Arcam."
"I'll remember that. It'll be a comforting thought when I'm dead!"
"Everyone all ready believes you are dead. You have changed your name and dyed your hair. You were not seen anywhere near your father in the last five years of his life. I doubt anyone is still looking for you."
"Doubt? Wouldn't it be allot better to know?"
"Its not like we're going into the Czech Republic," Yu said, his tone impatient.
"The people over there are trying to kill me so why don't I go next door?!" Lane shouted at him.
"Quit whining!" Yu shouted back.
"Its not whining! Its self preservation!"
"Enough both of you," Jean said, his voice stern. "We would not put you in danger cher."
Lane glared at him for a moment and finally sat back in her seat with a sigh.
"Okay cher?"
"Yeah," she answered. "Not like I have much of a choice."
"Its not like police could take us down anyway," Yu grumbled.
Jean rolled his eyes. 'How did I end up baby sitting both of them?' he wondered, hoping that they would both shut up for the rest of their time together.
*******
Author's notes: I'm really, really sorry this took so long. School has really been taking it out of me lately but don't worry I've all ready got most of chapter six done as well. It will hopefully be posted tonight or tomorrow afternoon. Again I'm REALLY REALLY sorry for the delay.
Thank you very much to Neko-chan, Kat Warrior1, and Hyoyasha for leaving me such nice reviews. I haven't abandoned this sorry you guys. I've just been kinda busy but I promise I'll work on it more. Thanks again! ^__^ Ja ne.
*goes to watch Spriggan DVD for more inspiration*
