Back and bad. Still as terrible as ever, but at half the cost!
Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread.
#2:frozen reception
The three women slowed to a walk as they reached the table. Behind them just now popping over the lip of the indentation, were several small children. Barnette was the first to speak from the women's group.
"What are you dong here?" She said, her voice cold.
"I came to repay some favors from 5 years ago."
"Don't feed me that line of crap, you had the opportunity to do that right after the castle exploded, but you were the one that failed to make a move." She shot back, furious. It was now that Jack had realized just how much different she looked. Her green hair was unadorned, and shoulder length, Shining dully in the evening light. She was wearing a baggy long-sleeved purple shirt, with pants matching in hue. In short, drop-dead gorgeous. Meia and Jura were nothing to sneeze at either, but Jack found himself unable to tear his eyes away from Barnette as she raged.
"I had to deal with a few conflicting circumstances."
"Yeah? Like what? You wear on the ship, you could have done it then, when nothing mattered to me, but you didn't, and so now is to late. I suppose after you left, you went back and picked up those things? Thought if you gave it enough time that you could trick me again?" This made something click in Jack's head. She thought he was Cage. That meant that he hadn't been with her all this time, just like John had said.
"I'm not Cage." He said quietly, eyes locked with hers, reading her emotions. There was no change in the fury in her eyes.
"I'm not falling for that one again." She said. Jack pulled down his cloak's neck, revealing the small scar from where she had shot him, still encrusted with a bit o dry blood.
"You gave this to me on the day you left with Cage." He growled, pulling the cloak back up.
"You've already shown that you know as much about me as Jack would have." She shot back, angry that Cage would shoot himself to try to fool her again. Jack sighed, remembering how much he had liked her stubbornness before. He realized what would convince her that he was Jack, and was about to implement it, when he felt a small tug on the side of his cloak. He looked down into the face of the little girl who had a striking resemblance to Barnette.
"I take it that you are Sophia?" He asked, a slight smile touching his features for a split-second. The little girl nodded as she starred up at him, no concern in her eyes.
"Want to see something interesting?" She asked sweetly, not noticing the horror struck look that Barnette was giving her. Jack was amazed at how this little girl spoke flawlessly, like a miniature adult, not struggling with any of the words. He nodded. The little girl held her hand out, and screwed up her face, looking like she was focusing extremely hard. After a few seconds, an orb of green light flickered and then solidified in her miniscule palm, casting green shadows on the ground. The orb flickered and faded again, and she beamed up at him. He noticed that her hand wasn't burned, and he was impressed.
"Pretty cool, huh?" She asked excitedly. Jack nodded. "Mommy and her friends can do it better, but I'm trying really hard." She said in a self-satisfied way. Jack clicked his gauntleted fingertips to his palm, and then back out a small bit. He shifted hand, and showed her a small orb of shimmering purple, lit from within by a dark light. He handed it to the little girl, who was amazed.
"Wow! I've never seen it this color before! It's just like my eyes, and it so dark!" She spoke very fast, but Jack missed out on some of the small descriptions as he was knocked to the ground. Barnette had jumped him, taking him by surprise and locking lips. When she finished, she slapped him in the face, got up, and ran off, crying her eyes out and not wanting to be seen. Jack got to his feet.
"I forgot how much I missed that." He said happily, and the four remaining in the field walked in the direction Barnette had run off, catching up. Jack was glad to finally be back in the company of his friends.
END OF 2.
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