Disclaimer & stuff: Yeah right! If I owned it then I wouldn't need to
Note: I think I'm going to make you cry. Sorry, I got on a kick and started to type away on this. The next chapter will end this fic. But be warned that though there isn't much romance in this chapter, it is chalked full of action and a very touching moment.
Inside My Heart
Chapter 13
Mirage looked at the concerned face of Peppita. Her heart sank but her adrenaline kept her going. "Peppita, Call back when you find a map." She didn't wait for the girl to respond before she closed the communicator. She didn't put the device back in her pocket either, but kept a hold on it so she could answer immediately.
She slowed her pace before coming to a complete stop. "Okay guys, let's take a breather. It'll do us no good to run ourselves to death. Once we know where we're going, then we'll get hyped up. Until then let's conserve our strength."
They had stopped in one of the many hallways of the ship. Mirage started to wonder if they were really on a space ship and not in an elaborate labyrinth of some kind. She performed a quick check on her group. Cliff had leaned on the wall with his arms crossed. His head was tilted down. He was clearly analyzing the situation. He always analyzed things, but managed to keep an innocent persona to throw others off. But she had known him for too long to think he was nothing more then a simple 'muscle man'. She almost giggled at him.
Sashia was lightly pacing the hall. She never was one to stay still. She too was doing an analysis of her own, but on a different level then Cliff. Where Cliff would think about the groups strong and weak points versus the enemy, Sashia would be analyzing how best to conserve her energy if she was given the opportunity again to battle Luther – probably one on one. She could handle defeat, but loosing to someone like Luther really irked her in the worst possible way.
Gates was leaning on the wall opposite of Cliff. He wasn't analyzing the situation or fighting tactics. Instead, he had opened the device Mirage had given him earlier and was trying to figure out how to operate it. He had always loved puzzles and such, so the device was another challenge he would freely examine. Mirage hoped he could figure it out. She was almost sure he could. After all, this was the same kid she had to cover for when he was in trouble with the Klausian government a year ago. He had designed the blueprints for an engine, one totally from his own research, just to have government officials nearly arrest him for thievery. It took almost three weeks for them to convince the government he had no knowledge of any governmental files marked confidential.
As she watched him fiddle with the device, it started to issue a series of beeps followed by a faint light as the screen came on. "Alright, yes, that's it…now how to navigate…" Gates mumbled continuously to himself as he tapped the small keys.
In tune with the accomplishment of her brother, Sashia stopped her pacing and ventured over to his side. "Got something?"
He looked at her and mocked her with a fake frown. "Yeah, but it'll be easier to concentrate on this if you would stop thinking so hard on how to ram you spear into the 'crazy, lunatic whose nothing more then an irryan sicwein bastard'. You really should learn to tone down on the language sis."
She scowled at him. "Okay, okay…I'll stop but it wasn't easy to plan out my moves with you and your geekosity like thoughts in my head. Anyway, it'll be easier to fight if I didn't have to deal with my new fashion accessories." She held her wrist up to indicate the restraining bands.
Gates smiled at her before resuming his work. After five minutes, along with a few choice (but non-offensive) words, he let out a sigh of accomplishment. He looked up briefly to find all eyes on him. His smile widened.
"Prepare yourselves ladies and gentlemen; for you are about to feast your eyes on my handy work." With that he made an elaborate hand gesture and finished by pressing his index finger to the key pad. Almost immediately Sashia's bands opened and fell with a loud clank to the floor.
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Fayt tried not to hover over Maria's shoulder. He wanted to tell her to hurry, but he was aware that she was quicker then he would have been. He tried to take at least a little comfort in knowing that Cliff, Mirage and the twins were on their way to help. If they could find the way.
"Alright, Maria, we now have full control of over half the ship. Right now we can transport the seven of you out of there." Marietta smiled weakly. Her eyes were blood shot from the previous hours of crying, worrying, and staring at the screen.
"Seven?" asked Peppita. "What about the others?"
"Sorry but they are in the sections we don't have control over yet. We're working on it."
Maria glanced back at Fayt and nodded her head at him. She turned back and continued typing. "Sorry Marietta, but we're in this together. Once you have gained full access and are able to transport all twelve of us then do it. But not before then."
One of the screens beside the flat image of Marietta flashed on. "Peppita," Maria said turning to the girl. "Let me see the communicator."
As Peppita passed the communicator over to Maria, she felt the bands around her wrist shift. There was a click sound; causing Peppita to nearly drop the communicator when the metal bands fell to the floor.
Nel approached the two as she rubbed her wrist. "It appears that they found a way to open them."
"Yeah," Maria smiled as she kicked one of her bands across the room. She then set quickly to the task at hand; taking the communicator to the second screen and plugging it into the terminal. She opened the communicator and called Mirage.
"Mirage," she spoke, giving the Klausian no time to issue a word. "I've downloaded the map into the communicator. We'll be joining you shortly."
Marietta watched as the group left the room. Once the last one was out of sight, she continued to hack into the ship's mainframe. Then a realization hit her. She froze and stared at the screen showing the empty room.
"Did she say the twelve of them?" She ran the number over and over in her mind as she did a mental head count. "Maria, Fayt, Mirage, Cliff, Albel, Nel, Peppita, Roger, Adray, Sophia and Gate's sister. Who is number twelve…could it be?"
Marietta didn't say another word before resuming her work. She didn't want to get her hopes up.
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Sophia watched the back of Luther as he typed away. She felt a few tears fall down her cheek. She cursed herself mentally. She had sworn years ago never to be the victim again, yet here she was. She was strapped to a table and unable to move.
Then she felt the weight on her wrist lighten. Her restraining bands opened. She lifted her head and looked at her wrist. The bed straps still held her down but the bands rested, opened, under her wrist.
She tried to summon her symbology. Even with her hands tied down, she would still be able to cast Fire Bolt. But it was useless. Obviously the table itself was made to perform the same task as the bands. She was still unable to use her symbology.
"What is this?" Luther said as he stood up. He turned and walked to the table. Sophia held her breath as he took the loose restraining band from beneath her hand. "So, they have found a way to gain control over most my ship and a way to rid themselves of these." He held the band up and to his chest.
His cold blue eyes turned to Sophia. He reached for her with his free hand and tenderly took a thick strand of her hair. He let her hair fall around his fingers. He smiled as he bent closer to her, still holding her hair. "Well, Miss Esteed, it seems we have ourselves a problem."
Her heart raced as he lowered his face again. His nose was almost touching her cheek. She closed her eyes as more tears ran down her face. She was repulsed.
His hot breath fanned over her ear as he spoke. "It would seem your friends want you to live. As we speak they are on their way. But we can't have that now can we? I guess it's time for you to die."
She called all her strength and jerked her head toward his face. She managed to make contact; the side of her forehead colliding with his nose. He lifted abruptly, letting go of her hair and the restraining band. As the band bounced dully on the floor he lifted two fingers to his nose. It was bleeding slightly.
He looked at the blood on his finger tips and laughed. "Oh, now this will be fun."
He pulled a dagger from his belt. It was a double bladed dagger. He turned it over a few times, inspecting his reflection in the blade. He leaned over her being sure that she was able to see the dagger. "Now, where to start?"
Suddenly the door opened. "How about you start by finishing what you started?"
Luther looked up. There in the door was the Klausian who had torn his shirt. She stood there and smiled at him as she gripped her spear.
Luther bared his teeth at her. He knew by now that where there was one, there was more. He had to do something before he lost it all. She was still on the other side of the room. He would kill the Connection Child and then take care of the others. At least if he died this time, he would take someone with him.
He lifted the dagger over Sophia. Laughing insanely, he put his whole weight into the downward thrust. The dagger aimed straight for her heart.
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"We're almost there," Maria puffed as she led the group.
Fayt followed closely behind her. By his side was Roger.
"I hope we're not too late," Peppita worried.
"Just have faith, child," Adray assured.
"That maggot's going to pay for what he's done."
"Keep your head, Nox. Revenge can get you killed."
The group rounded the final corner. Ahead of them was the entrance to Lab 4. Cliff stood in the doorway. He looked to be preoccupied with the events which they could not see from outside the room.
Finding a boost of untapped energy, Fayt sprinted ahead of Maria. "Cliff?"
If Cliff heard him, he didn't make any indication. Instead of acknowledging Fayt, Cliff left the hall and entered the room.
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Sophia couldn't take her eyes off the dagger that rushed straight at her. Her heart stopped, taking her breath with it. The dagger seemed to slice through the air effortlessly.
The downward thrust abruptly took a sideways path. The dagger buried itself in the table beside Sophia. Luther screamed and stepped back. He had a throwing knife lodged in his chest.
"You should keep your hands to yourself you arschlocian!" exclaimed Gates as he threw another throwing knife at his target.
"And he talks about my language," Sashia mumbled as she scurried across the floor.
Luther backed away. His eyes darted to the girl charging at him. With one swift motion, he fired his aura at her, throwing her into the wall. She bounced off and hit the floor.
Sashia moaned, fighting the pain from the blow she had just received.
"Did you think it would be easy to beat me this time?" Luther hissed as he pulled the two knifes from his chest. "This time it is you who will die."
Mirage stepped back. She saw Fayt enter the room, followed by the rest of her friends. Her heart was racing. She had to come up with something fast. She needed time to think, but there was no time.
She looked up to see Cliff rushing Luther from one direction and Gates from the other. She knew that Cliff would be concerned about stopping more from being injured as Sashia had been. Gates was driven with an instinct to protect his sister from further damage.
Fayt and Maria had moved instantly to Sophia. Using various symbological techniques, they were releasing the metal straps which held her down.
Everything was moving too fast. Everyone had piled into the room and was ready to fight. Looking around frantically, an idea came to her. Mirage spotted the equipment behind Luther and in a flash knew what it might take to bring him down once and for all.
She moved out the door, regretting that she had to leave her friends. She pulled her communicator out and made contact with Marietta.
"Marietta, do you remember our third trip to the Quanzic System?"
"Quanzic System? You don't mean when we were confronted with Borus and his crew?"
"Same one."
Marietta studied the screen. "Mirage, you're not talking about pulling a stunt like that again are you?" She was starting to panic.
"Right now I don't think we have much of a choice. I need you to transport everyone off this death trap but me."
"You can't be serious. We lost Fredric because of that."
"And if I don't do something they are going to die. Marietta, just do it."
Mirage closed the link to Marietta before she could protest further. She punched in the command for the map and made her way to the control room.
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Cliff had almost gotten his hands on Luther when an eerie green light had lashed out and thrown him off his feet. He lifted himself off the ground in time to see Gates thrown in the opposite direction. Luther laughed hysterically. Both his hands glowed. Things weren't looking good for the good guys.
Sophia reluctantly stepped behind Fayt. Once her two blue haired friends had gotten her free, she had all but darted off the table. It was only after she was standing behind him did she notice that Luther had hurt her after all. The dagger had missed her heart, but had torn into her side when the initial blow missed its mark. She was loosing blood.
Then a light surrounded Sashia, who could barely move. Luther's eyes shifted in her direction as she was transported off the ship.
"It's over Luther," Fayt shouted. "Looks like we have full control over your ship."
As the words left Fayt's mouth, Peppita was transported. She was followed by Roger. Three had been transported now. The remaining eyes fixed on Luther.
"Ahhh, you won't get away! I'll kill you all!" He hunched his back slightly. He was furious.
Without warning, Albel jumped out of nowhere and sliced his katana at Luther. Luther had been so focused at Fayt that he almost missed his new attacker. Luther was only a split second behind Albel, and used his energy to throw Albel across the room. That split second had been just enough time for Albel's katana to land a blow, slicing deep into the lunatics arm.
Albel had landed at Nel's feet. She gave him a quick worried glance. "I told you to keep your head Nox," she said, healing him.
Albel had just sat up, healed and ready to try again when he was transported off the ship. Nel couldn't help but to smile mentally at the rude awakening he would have when he realized he wasn't in the fight any longer.
"At least he's alive." Nel thought. She didn't give her mental comment much attention at the moment. Right now she needed to focus on staying alive herself. There would be time later to think about everything this 'adventure' had provided.
Fayt side stepped, ready to make his way around the table, when movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned in time to see Sophia fall to the floor.
Before he could react, Maria had bent down to her aid. "She's lost a lot of blood, Fayt," Maria said as she healed Sophia. Though the wound closed, Sophia was still weak. The blood lost had been significant.
"That's it!" Fayt shouted as he stepped free from the obstacle the table created.
Sophia was transported next, and followed closely by Maria.
Gates managed to sit up. He took deep breaths as he watched Fayt and Luther stare each other down. He hadn't been there three years ago for the last battle, but he knew enough to know that this wasn't the same Luther they had fought then. He started to charge his energy, determined to give Fayt the upper hand when he was transported.
Cliff stood and scanned the room briefly. The only ones left were Nel, Adray, Fayt and himself. Everyone else was onboard the Silver Fox. He stepped forward and stopped slightly to Luther's right. Luther, Fayt and Cliff now formed a triangle.
"ICE NEEDLES!" Nel managed to release her runology just seconds before she was transported. Though her final attack hit its mark, Luther was unaffected by it.
Adray was next to be transported; leaving Fayt and Cliff.
The three men stood still, as if frozen in place. Luther smirked. "You don't really think you stand a chance do you? You can run all you want, but I'll find you again. Only next time – you won't get away."
Fayt readied himself as he winced at Luther's laugh. Before he realized what was happening, the room and Luther dissolved. The transport room of the Silver Fox took over.
One of the crew members rushed to his side and pulled him from the transport pad. He glanced around. His eyes locked on Marietta who was crying.
"Marietta? What's going on? Where is everyone?" At the moment, Fayt couldn't find anyone else in the room but Marietta and a few of her crew members.
"Everyone's been moved to the infirmary."
"Good," Cliff said as he stepped off the transport pad. "Let's get out of here. We need a plan on how to deal with Mr. Loony."
Marietta broke down into sobs. "We can't go just yet." She did her best to regain her composure. "I need to get to the bridge. When I'm given the signal I need to give the order to…to go through with 'Project Raze'."
Cliff's jaw dropped. He was rendered motionless. "Where's Mirage?"
Marietta shook her head as she turned to leave the transport room.
"What's going on Cliff?" Fayt asked. He wasn't sure what was going on but he could tell that Cliff wasn't taking it well.
"Not now," Cliff snapped at him. He turned to one of the crew members. "Give me a communicator now!"
The nameless man hastily handed Cliff a communicator. Cliff set rapidly to the task of contacting Mirage.
"MIRAGE!" he shouted into the communicator.
"Cliff, sorry but there's no other way."
"You can't be serious. Look, get your butt up here. I'll do it. I just got you and I can't loose you now." His voice was laced with panic.
"No Cliff, not this time. I'm not going to let you die."
There was a silence. Fayt examined Cliff for any sign of what was going on. Then Fayt witnessed something for the first time. Cliff's face was clearly marked with worry, and tears were falling from the corners of his eyes.
"Cliff, it has to be this way. Just remember something. No matter how far you were from me, no matter how long I had to wait…you were always inside my heart."
Mirage ended the communication.
Cliff stood frozen. Fayt felt lost.
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Blue Afterthoughts: Okay, don't cry…it's not over yet.
Translation time: irryan sicwein comes from the German words irre which means psychotic and schwein which means pig. The word bastard is the same in both languages. Okay and now for Gates and his first use of Klausian (boy, he must have been real mad). Arschlocian comes from arschloch with is German for asshole.
Blue's Facts, Q&A:
Having taken German, I decided to use that language. Anyone (um, d-p1) who wishes to twist any other language (such as French) then I say…Go for it! It's so much fun! Spread the joy:D
There might not be much Albel and Nel action…but that's what the sequel is for. (insert evil laugh here)
Since the next chapter will end it, I will respond to any questions in the authors note at the top of the next chapter.