A knock on the thick steel door alerted Mandy to someone's presence. Her head jerked up, casting a glance at the clock. Nine o'clock on the dot... that woman didn't miss a second. Of course, she wouldn't be much of a predictor of the future if she couldn't figure out where SHE would be in five hours. So Mandy stood from her bed and rushed to the door to pull it open. Lady Luna made her way inside, her arms full of maps and charts of various kinds.
"Are you ready to glimpse the future, starshine?" Lady Luna let the rolls of charts fall onto the bed, bending over to straighten them all out.
"Absolutely, I am." Mandy sat down on the edge of the bed eagerly, waiting for one of her favorite TV stars to finish setting up and turn her attention back to her.
"When is your birthday?" Lady Luna asked as she took a seat on the edge of the bed, on the other side of the star charts.
"June eleventh." Mandy replied.
"Ah... the time of the Gemini." Lady Luna smiled and brought one map in particular on top of the pile, running her hand over it to smooth out any wrinkles. "And your day is ruled by the house of Mars, fiery and hot-tempered. You know what you want... I respect that." She smiled.
"I don't feel too fiery lately..." Mandy admitted.
"Well every flame can burn low." Lady Luna replied. "But you know your fire will be stoked once again, and your world will turn to one of light." She stared down at the chart, is if staring deeply into a crystal ball. Mandy grew suddenly nervous, but quickly chided herself for being stupid. This was a professional, she knew exactly what she was doing. "You are in love."
"Wh... wha?" Mandy blinked in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"I mean what I said. The rings of love's binding are all around your star sign this night." Lady Luna said as cryptically as a gypsy, running her hands over the star map. "It's a beautiful thing... marred by the passing of a dearly held loved one. Your sign is crying... like so many millions of others..." She shook her head. "Pain is rampant."
Mandy was getting really nervous now, so she decided to try to cut to the chase. "Look, to be honest, I wanted to ask you about something in particular. Something that I saw... dreamed recently."
"Tell me about it." Lady Luna said.
"Well, in this dream I was standing in the middle of my school." Mandy began. "Everyone was gathered around me... everyone was there. Everyone I knew before this all happened... they were all happily worshipping me. Everything felt wonderful... and then the water came. I was fine, I swam up and then came back down and nothing happened. But everyone around me was dead... bloated and disgusting. I guess that's all kind of obvious with the flood and everything... but then I saw Brittany... and she..." Mandy gulped, not really wanting to say it. "She died right in front of me... or she looked like it... she was still standing and staring at me, but her face was white."
"Hmmm..." Lady Luna looked through the star charts curiously, running her fingers over a few lines of text and examining some small lines running through it. "Your future is that of the Gemini... a great challenge awaits you. She is likely of the Gemini too... but the two may become one soon." Mandy waited for her to continue, but that was all she said.
"Well, what else is there?" Mandy demanded. "Please, tell me as much as you can... I need to know."
"I can't tell you more of the future until you tell me of your past." Lady Luna replied. "Please, tell me everything."
"Well... okay." Mandy nodded nervously. "I was born sixteen years ago, here in Beverly Hills... but my mother wasn't exactly a successful businesswoman...
In fact, she was little more than another welfare case. She breastfed me because she couldn't afford formula, and half the time she used washrags as diapers. But she refused to leave Beverly Hills, because she was born there and figured she was tied to the Earth. After I was born she swore she would get me a good life and enough money to make it happen... but she didn't stand a snowball's chance of getting a good job. Her only option was to become a filthy trophy wife... a married whore, basically.
And she did when I was two years old, after years of living in the gutter. Suddenly, I had everything I could ever want. My adoptive father was one of the entrepreneurs of Beverly Hills... Hell, he ran half of the businesses based in California. He was never around... but I still thought of him as a father I guess. He was the only adult man I knew, so I guess I kinda latched onto him. He didn't deserve it, but that's what happened.
By the time I started going to school, I felt like any normal kid... but that didn't last long. While they arrived by walking or riding in a car, I arrived in the back of stretch limos. Other kids started treating me like an outsider... but I started bringing in cookies every afternoon and they all loved me after that. I spent all of pre-school and kindergarten on top of the world.
Then came first grade. Man kids suddenly become brutal when they hit that age. All the money that bought me friends before became three strikes against me. Envious little bastards enjoyed locking me in places, giving me wedgies, the whole nine yards. I tried to talk to my dad, but he ignored me. I talked to my mom, but she simply preached pacifism, saying 'Treat them with kindness and they shall in turn be kind.' What bullshit... I was alone, getting beaten up and abused on a daily basis. Even the teacher didn't care. I was just a rich brat who needed a lesson in real life.
Day after day I got my ass kicked for being rich, and nobody bothered to step in and stop it. It was then that I learned that pacifism was for people who COULDN'T fight back. But I could, so I did. I had one of my adult servants buy me a pair of brass knuckles to defend myself with. He thought it was just jewelry, the stupid bastard. The next day at school Jeremy got the surprise of his life when I broke those things out and fractured his nose in three places.
Naturally, I got in trouble for it... but oohhh was it worth it. I finally stopped being the helpless rich girl and kids stopped picking on me real quick once I was allowed back in school. I was Mandy the Masher, the kid who told OTHER kids what to do. Actually, it was about this time that my mom decided we needed to get away for a while. So we left Beverly Hills... and I had the time of my life. Just me and my mom, sitting on a hilltop looking out over the ocean... it was like sitting in Heaven. No threats, no coldness... just me and her, warm and safe.
But it had to end, and I went back to Jr. High the next year. My money seemed to come back into style, and people began worshipping me again. But it was still hard to trust people... so I pushed them away, tried my damndest to keep them at arms length. But they wouldn't stop kissing my ass, so I broke out my knuckles again one day and went to work. I knocked out six people before the teachers caught me and pinned me to the ground.
I was expelled pending psychiatric evaluation. Heh... Mandy Myers, the girl with everything, was thrust into therapy. They diagnosed me with chronic Depression... stupid assholes. No shit I was depressed, I didn't have a Goddamn thing to look forward to except the fear of being beaten by the other kids and ignored by my parents. I'd like to see someone not get depressed under those conditions.
I was in therapy for about two years, and my school life didn't improve a whole lot. I was alone a lot... until I reached puberty anyway. My God did the boys flock to my side. Well-endowed, slim figured, carefully groomed, and one rich bitch. It was like I suddenly became what every boy wanted and what every girl wanted to be. It took me a while to get used to it, but I guess I just realized that I was finally getting what I deserved. Popularity.
I was the queen of the first year of High School... and then SHE appeared. A blonde haired blue eyed bimbo with goods to spare and a willingness to flaunt them like she was God's gift to mankind. I tried to be nice to Clover at first, and we were civil for a while... but I guess when you compete so fiercely against each other for popularity, friendship just kind of becomes unimportant. Actually, I kinda like fighting Clover. It gives me a chance to release all that anger that just builds up, y'know? She's like a human punching bag. She deserves it anyway, arrogant little slut."
Mandy was sitting on the bed with her legs folded up against her chest, her arms wrapped around her knees. "I guess despite all my troubles, my life was pretty damn good before... it's just hard to believe it's all gone now. Bev. High, my money, my popularity, my mother..." She shook her head. "I guess my life IS over... the old Mandy is dead."
"Do you think that's what your dream was about?" Lady Luna suggested, having remained silent the entire time. "The end of your old life and the beginning of a new one?"
"I guess so... but what is left for me? I mean... in the dream even Brittany was..." Mandy trailed off.
"Your star is still shining, Mandy. Your old life may be over, but you have not gone out quite yet." Lady Luna told her with a gentle smile. "You've simply changed form, and that's nothing to be ashamed of. Isn't there something the 'new you' can latch onto? Something to help you define who you are now?" Mandy stared at her, trying to think of anything she had. Only one thing came to mind however...
"Brittany." Mandy replied simply.
Lady Luna smiled slightly and stood up, gathering her charts. "I believe we're done here, then."
"Huh? That's it?" Mandy asked, startled.
"Yep, that's it." Lady Luna replied.
"Well... thank you." Mandy smiled. "You know, you may be a wacky TV Astrologer... but you're actually pretty good at this."
"Hey, I DO have a degree in this stuff you know. It takes more than just looking at the stars to be able to interpret what they mean." Lady Luna winked and walked toward the door, passing by Brittany on her way. "She's all yours starshine. Be good to her, she's a good kid." Lady Luna left, leaving Brittany standing just inside the door. Mandy stared at her in shock. She never even noticed that Brittany came in.
Mandy's face turned bright red. "Uh... how... how long have you been there?" Mandy asked in embarrassment.
"I came in about the part where you broke a kid's nose." Brittany smiled and walked over to sit on the bed beside her. Mandy looked away, her face bright red. "You didn't tell her much about your parents..."
"I guess they're not really important now anyway..." Mandy shrugged slightly, thankful Brittany wasn't pressing the more sensitive issues. "What I had or didn't have makes no difference."
"That's not true." Brittany replied. "What you had plays a direct role in what you can have now." Brittany put one hand on Mandy's knee, squeezing it gently. Mandy stared at her eyes, looking back and forth between the violet orbs. "And you know what? I'm glad I've been able to help you... I really am." She smiled, her eyes seeming to glow with kindness.
"I'm glad I met you." Mandy replied. "I have no clue where I'd be right now if not for you... probably floating face-down in the ocean somewhere." She shivered at the thought of her lifeless, bloated corpse bobbing in the water. She felt Brittany slide closer to her, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. Mandy straightened her legs along the bed, putting one arm around Brittany's shoulders. "Thank you... for everything."
"You're welcome... Mandy..." Brittany breathed softly, her face less than a foot away from Mandy's. One blue-gloved hand rose to run across Mandy's head, her fingers brushing through her long black hair. Mandy's breath quickened as Brittany moved closer, her eyes half-shutting as their faces inched ever closer, their lips quivering in anticipation.
Their lips met, Brittany's fingers running through Mandy's long, lustrous hair, holding their lips together. Not that Mandy was going anywhere. Her eyes closed, the arm around Brittany's shoulders pulling her tightly against her. Their bodies pressed together, their legs intertwining as Mandy pulled the blue-suited girl closer still. Her breath became ragged and rough as she felt her body growing hotter in preparation...
"Brittany, Jerry said... shit!" Clover shouted in shock and stumbled against the door. Mandy and Brittany shot up instantly, hurriedly trying to disentangle from each other. "Oh God... um..." Clover stammered, red-faced.
Mandy growled and shot up from the bed, her blood boiling. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT A DOOR IS FOR? YOU KNOCK ON IT! LIKE THIS!" Mandy raised her fist and charged at the blonde girl.
"I'm sorrryyyyy!" Clover ran out of the room at full speed, with Mandy stopping just outside of the door. Clover vanished around a corner, leaving Mandy glaring after her, panting and clenching her fists at her sides. Brittany walked up beside her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Calm down Mandy, business before pleasure." Brittany told her coolly. "She said something about Jerry, so we should go see what he wants from us." She turned to walk down the hallway as if they hadn't just been in the middle of something Mandy thought was pretty important. Mandy huffed and followed behind Brittany, still trying to get over the shock and embarrassment of being caught in such a compromising position. If Clover uttered a word to anyone it might be time to find another pair of brass knuckles...
Brittany led the way back to Jerry's office, where they walked in and stood in front of the desk. Jerry looked up at them from his seat. He looked pretty tired, but that was to be expected. He was apparently a very important man now, the one everyone looked to for orders. "You wanted to speak to us, Jerry?" Brittany asked.
"Yes, I would like you to embark soon on a mission to Japan. There has been a shortage of WOOHP agents there, particularly ones who understand the language." Jerry told them.
"I understand sir. I'll do my best." Brittany said.
"Fantastic." Jerry said. "Your teammates will meet you on the roof. As for you Mandy, I think you should-"
Brittany cut him off. "If it's all the same to you sir, I would like Mandy to be on my team... officially." Jerry looked at her curiously.
"You already have a team." He told her.
"Yes... but to be honest, I feel that Mandy and I have developed kind of a kinship... I believe I'm the best person to teach her how to be a WOOHP Agent, since she has no formal training." Brittany replied. "Besides, you just said you're short on WOOHP teams. Making teams of two instead of three allows you to cover more area."
Jerry stared at her with a steady gaze, then his gaze flicked away from her to suddenly fix on Mandy. "Do you agree with this, Mandy?"
"Y... yes I do. Jerry... sir... sir Jerry." Mandy stuttered. She really wasn't used to this kind of thing. "I would love to remain with Brittany."
"Then you shall." Jerry nodded. "It's essential that our teams be content together... I'll convey the message to Megan and Yuki not to expect you, Brittany." Jerry said.
"Thanks Jerr." Brittany smiled.
"Now you should arrive as soon as possible. You'll mostly be acting as a translator, Brittany, but you should both keep your eyes peeled for any hint of hostilities between American and Japanese workers. It's vital at this juncture that the rebuilding effort be an international, interracial affair everywhere we look. Cooperation is essential." Jerry said sternly.
"Understood." Brittany acknowledged.
"Good. Your transportation is already waiting on the landing pad. Hurry on up. Your gadgets will also be waiting in the plane, for you to choose from." Jerry told them.
"We won't let you down Jerr." Brittany turned to leave swiftly, leaving Mandy to scramble after her. They made their way to the elevator and leaned against the back wall while it made its way up toward the roof. Mandy felt a bit uncomfortable... unsure of herself for once. What happened in the bedroom... was it just in the heat of the moment? Or was there really that kind of connection between them?
"Brittany..." Mandy began.
"After we're on our way, okay?" Brittany interrupted. So Mandy fell silent, her heart sinking. It was just that once, and the mood had been broken by that blonde bitch. Damn Clover always had to stick her annoying nose into everything Mandy did.
They emerged on the roof and made their way to the WOOHP jet, getting inside without incident and taking their seats. They sat comfortably in the back while the pilots made pre-flight calculations, then got them into the air. It would take some time to reach Japan from California, so they settled in for a long flight.
"About what happened... I..." Mandy gasped when Brittany grabbed her and yanked her into a sitting position on the arm of Brittany's chair. "What're you doing?"
"We were in the middle of something..." Brittany ran a hand through her hair, staring tenderly into her eyes. "We took care of the business... nothing wrong with pleasure now..."
"Oh..." Mandy smiled back tenderly, leaning down against her. Their next kiss wasn't as magical as the one they'd shared minutes before, but it still felt wonderful to Mandy, who'd long craved the kind of affection Brittany had to offer, especially after being left truly alone in the world for the first time. She needed someone... she needed someone badly.
Time passed with the two girls exploring everything new, everything that had developed between them since they'd met at the airport such a short time ago. Brittany didn't feel like a stranger anymore, she didn't feel like the woman whose arrival had ended Mandy's life as she'd known it. Brittany had become more... so much more that Mandy's mind and body were both reeling in excitement and confusion.
When all was said and done... when the exploration was over and Mandy settled down once again into Brittany's arms, Brittany held her close. Her hands turned from fiery to soothing as they rubbed her shoulders, one running over her forehead, wiping a few stray strands of hair out of her eyes. Mandy looked up at the girl who had managed to become everything to her. Her savior... her lover.
Brittany smiled down at her, not saying a word. That was just as well... any sound would have destroyed the moment, and Mandy wanted to hold it dear as long as possible. They would have a job to do soon enough, and she didn't know when they would be alone together again... if they ever were. This moment was sacred... she wouldn't make the mistake she made so many times before, taking her happiness for granted. She would always hold this moment close to her heart... as the first time she found true love.
TO BE CONTINUED
Author's Note: Megan and Yuki were written into the story before "Escape From WOOHP Island" was aired, and by the time it did it had become too difficult to replace them with Brittany's real teammates in this fic. So that is not necessarily representative of show cannon, but a bit of artistic license.
