-Chapter 10-
__________________________________________________________________________________
As the floating vehicle rested just above the beach of Misery Isle, a
figure wearing all black jumped out and headed through the forest of rotting and
fallen trees. One of these days the group was going to have to clean this place
up. The figure couldn't think of that now, though- he was here on a very vital
mission. Without his Linka, there would be no way to summon Captain Planet and
bring down Zarn for the time being! Slowly, he noticed sleeping figures all over
the ground in the woods and at the front of the fortress. Good thing Ma-Ti and
Sonia came along, he thought, I'll have to thank them when I get Linka out of
this. He made a mental note as he spied the door open a crack. Deciding taking
that route would be too risky for both Linka and him, he analized for another way
into the compound.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Linka had been nearly dozing, despite the fact that she was a
prisoner to this madman, when she heard a noise above her head. When she looked
up, the vent directly above her was moving and clanking. She almost called for
Wheeler, but then remembered where she was. Then she was glad that she had not
been bound, as she was good at knocking bad guys out with her gut-busting kicks.
If whoever it was trying to get in was another of Zarm's goons, they were going
to find themselves at the other end of the room. Getting out of the chair, she
poised herself for attack. The vent moved and then disappeared inside. Come on
down! Linka thought, You're the next punching bag for Linka's right foot! The
thought almost made her laugh. Just when she thought the creep was about to pop
down through the vent, a handsome, very familiar, very determined face with red
hair showed up. "Wheeler?" Linka almost shouted for joy, restraining herself
with the fact that they were still in Zarm's fortress, turning it into a
whisper.
Landing soundlessly on his feet, a trick Kwame had taught him when he learned
self-defense karate, Wheeler looked relieved to her. "Ma-Ti used the Heart
ring and found you were safe, but afraid, and he gave your message to me." he
whispered to her. "I wish we could kiss now, but Zarn would catch us and kill
us both."
"Ah, Wheeler, I am so glad you are here with me. Let's
get out of here- there's not time enough for us to stay and talk now." she
replied.
The door to the room opened and a dark voice spoke. "Oh, but you do have,
Linka!" Zarn stood at the entrance, gun pointed at them, though no guards
were with him. "I'd say your precious Wheeler here ought to say his last
farewells to you, and you to him. Hah! So you thought that by whispering,
I would not hear you, huh? Well, had you been smart enough to stay away from
here, you wouldn't be in this predicament, Wheeler! How clever for you to
have your Ma-Ti friend lull my comrades to sleep with his Heart ring, too!
Well, with what I'll do to both of you, there will be no need for a Heart
ring-induced sleep!"
"Or, with what I shall do to you, you will actually need a Heart
ring- and medication-induced sleep!" came a femanine voice from behind
Zarn. As he turned to look at the newcomer, a fist collided with his
face and, when combined with his head hitting the floor, knocked him
unconcious. Looking at Zarn, their heroine said, "Well, that's at least
one less jerk for me to deal with. Oh, and by the way, I'm Amazoness,
Linka."
"Huh? How did you..." Linka started.
"Let's just say that, while Zarn had expected Wheeler to come to
your rescue, he didn't know about me and therefore didn't know what hit
him- or who, in his case." Linka smirked at Amazoness, but not unkindly-
Captain Planet was definitely going to enjoy having a girlfriend like
Amazoness. "Well, let's get out of here and get your hero! It looks
like this place needs a good clean-up," Amazoness said, pointing her thumb
towards Zarm.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The trio sauntered up to the rest, Wheeler holding Linka's hand. Neither
were embarrassed to be doing so, although the others seemed a bit surprised
to see Wheeler being so affectionate. Clearing his throat, Kwame said,
"Well, now that Wheeler and Linka are with us now, let our powers combine!
Earth!"
"Fire!"
"Wind!"
"Water!"
"Heart!"
With a swirl of color and elements, the champion appeared and, of course,
spoke his introductory words before getting to work. Captain Planet was
very pleased with the fact that he now had a companion to help him- his
only hope now was that she felt likewise. What was he feeling just now?
His thoughts and emotions ran wildly inside him- he had never seen such a
beautiful being in his life!
When they had finished sending Zarm, his company and his
fortress back to outer space where he came from, Captain Planet looked at
Amazoness, who looked back at him, emotions showing in each other's eyes.
He silently cupped her chin and said, "Have you ever wondered, beautiful
Amazoness, what it feels like when you fall in love?"
She looked like a schoolgirl who had just gotten her first crush, as she
told him, "Until today, I have always wondered silently, Captain Planet."
Leaning closer, he said, "I guess we both know how it feels now, then."
Suddenly things became like a scene from a romance movie. He leaned in
further, she got on her tip-toes, and they kissed- even her foot, which
had been on the ground until now, popped up! They didn't even notice the
Planeteers watching them until they both, even though superheroes, stopped
to get air. All they did was smile- they were happy, as were Wheeler and
Linka.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Planeteers! Have you retrieved Linka from Misery Isle? And who is that
handsome young man all dressed in black?" said the image of Gaia on the
Geo-Cruiser screen, good humor in her voice and manor- she knew who the
guy in the black duds was, but was only teasing them.
"Eh, Gaia! This here's Wheeler- you don't recognize him?" asked
Matthew the Australian, in an equally teasing voice. Linka and Wheeler
pouted and then laughed, causing Gaia and Gaius, who was with Gaia as
they spoke, to laugh themselves.
"Actually, I have a message for Kathrine." said Gaius, who felt it
necessary to let the young Frenchwoman know a few facts before she
returned to Hope Island. "It appears your birth mother, Barbara
Blight, has recovered from her allergy temporarilly. She has asked
the government, however, to make it look like she died anyway and to
give her a new identity, so you won't have to go by your old last
name anymore.
"I will try to do my best in explaining things to the rest of you, but
for now, come on back to Hope Island. Gaia and I have decided to get
married and are inviting all of you, plus Captain Planet and Amazoness,
to our wedding feast, which is all prepared for you. Hurry fast, and
we shall see you all soon."
After the interaction ended, Ma-Ti gently asked Kathrina the question
that was on all of their minds: "What is going on?"
__________________________________________________________________________________
As the floating vehicle rested just above the beach of Misery Isle, a
figure wearing all black jumped out and headed through the forest of rotting and
fallen trees. One of these days the group was going to have to clean this place
up. The figure couldn't think of that now, though- he was here on a very vital
mission. Without his Linka, there would be no way to summon Captain Planet and
bring down Zarn for the time being! Slowly, he noticed sleeping figures all over
the ground in the woods and at the front of the fortress. Good thing Ma-Ti and
Sonia came along, he thought, I'll have to thank them when I get Linka out of
this. He made a mental note as he spied the door open a crack. Deciding taking
that route would be too risky for both Linka and him, he analized for another way
into the compound.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Linka had been nearly dozing, despite the fact that she was a
prisoner to this madman, when she heard a noise above her head. When she looked
up, the vent directly above her was moving and clanking. She almost called for
Wheeler, but then remembered where she was. Then she was glad that she had not
been bound, as she was good at knocking bad guys out with her gut-busting kicks.
If whoever it was trying to get in was another of Zarm's goons, they were going
to find themselves at the other end of the room. Getting out of the chair, she
poised herself for attack. The vent moved and then disappeared inside. Come on
down! Linka thought, You're the next punching bag for Linka's right foot! The
thought almost made her laugh. Just when she thought the creep was about to pop
down through the vent, a handsome, very familiar, very determined face with red
hair showed up. "Wheeler?" Linka almost shouted for joy, restraining herself
with the fact that they were still in Zarm's fortress, turning it into a
whisper.
Landing soundlessly on his feet, a trick Kwame had taught him when he learned
self-defense karate, Wheeler looked relieved to her. "Ma-Ti used the Heart
ring and found you were safe, but afraid, and he gave your message to me." he
whispered to her. "I wish we could kiss now, but Zarn would catch us and kill
us both."
"Ah, Wheeler, I am so glad you are here with me. Let's
get out of here- there's not time enough for us to stay and talk now." she
replied.
The door to the room opened and a dark voice spoke. "Oh, but you do have,
Linka!" Zarn stood at the entrance, gun pointed at them, though no guards
were with him. "I'd say your precious Wheeler here ought to say his last
farewells to you, and you to him. Hah! So you thought that by whispering,
I would not hear you, huh? Well, had you been smart enough to stay away from
here, you wouldn't be in this predicament, Wheeler! How clever for you to
have your Ma-Ti friend lull my comrades to sleep with his Heart ring, too!
Well, with what I'll do to both of you, there will be no need for a Heart
ring-induced sleep!"
"Or, with what I shall do to you, you will actually need a Heart
ring- and medication-induced sleep!" came a femanine voice from behind
Zarn. As he turned to look at the newcomer, a fist collided with his
face and, when combined with his head hitting the floor, knocked him
unconcious. Looking at Zarn, their heroine said, "Well, that's at least
one less jerk for me to deal with. Oh, and by the way, I'm Amazoness,
Linka."
"Huh? How did you..." Linka started.
"Let's just say that, while Zarn had expected Wheeler to come to
your rescue, he didn't know about me and therefore didn't know what hit
him- or who, in his case." Linka smirked at Amazoness, but not unkindly-
Captain Planet was definitely going to enjoy having a girlfriend like
Amazoness. "Well, let's get out of here and get your hero! It looks
like this place needs a good clean-up," Amazoness said, pointing her thumb
towards Zarm.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The trio sauntered up to the rest, Wheeler holding Linka's hand. Neither
were embarrassed to be doing so, although the others seemed a bit surprised
to see Wheeler being so affectionate. Clearing his throat, Kwame said,
"Well, now that Wheeler and Linka are with us now, let our powers combine!
Earth!"
"Fire!"
"Wind!"
"Water!"
"Heart!"
With a swirl of color and elements, the champion appeared and, of course,
spoke his introductory words before getting to work. Captain Planet was
very pleased with the fact that he now had a companion to help him- his
only hope now was that she felt likewise. What was he feeling just now?
His thoughts and emotions ran wildly inside him- he had never seen such a
beautiful being in his life!
When they had finished sending Zarm, his company and his
fortress back to outer space where he came from, Captain Planet looked at
Amazoness, who looked back at him, emotions showing in each other's eyes.
He silently cupped her chin and said, "Have you ever wondered, beautiful
Amazoness, what it feels like when you fall in love?"
She looked like a schoolgirl who had just gotten her first crush, as she
told him, "Until today, I have always wondered silently, Captain Planet."
Leaning closer, he said, "I guess we both know how it feels now, then."
Suddenly things became like a scene from a romance movie. He leaned in
further, she got on her tip-toes, and they kissed- even her foot, which
had been on the ground until now, popped up! They didn't even notice the
Planeteers watching them until they both, even though superheroes, stopped
to get air. All they did was smile- they were happy, as were Wheeler and
Linka.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Planeteers! Have you retrieved Linka from Misery Isle? And who is that
handsome young man all dressed in black?" said the image of Gaia on the
Geo-Cruiser screen, good humor in her voice and manor- she knew who the
guy in the black duds was, but was only teasing them.
"Eh, Gaia! This here's Wheeler- you don't recognize him?" asked
Matthew the Australian, in an equally teasing voice. Linka and Wheeler
pouted and then laughed, causing Gaia and Gaius, who was with Gaia as
they spoke, to laugh themselves.
"Actually, I have a message for Kathrine." said Gaius, who felt it
necessary to let the young Frenchwoman know a few facts before she
returned to Hope Island. "It appears your birth mother, Barbara
Blight, has recovered from her allergy temporarilly. She has asked
the government, however, to make it look like she died anyway and to
give her a new identity, so you won't have to go by your old last
name anymore.
"I will try to do my best in explaining things to the rest of you, but
for now, come on back to Hope Island. Gaia and I have decided to get
married and are inviting all of you, plus Captain Planet and Amazoness,
to our wedding feast, which is all prepared for you. Hurry fast, and
we shall see you all soon."
After the interaction ended, Ma-Ti gently asked Kathrina the question
that was on all of their minds: "What is going on?"