Part 21 – Tell Me My Fortune

Ebony returned from her early trip to the Mall to once again find Java sitting in her office. This time she was dressed in civilian clothing and had some bags with her.

"Hello sis," Java said cheerfully.

Ebony didn't even bother to look at her. "You can just turn around and go right back to the organ grinder."

Java raised her eyebrows and stood up. "Why's that? We have a deal Ebony. And it's not exactly one you can go back on, is it?"

Ebony took her jacket off and slung it over the back of her chair. "I told Bray you were back, and asked him if you could stay in the Mall. He said he has to have a meeting with the tribe about it."

Java smiled. "Well that's just not acceptable Ebony. I stay at the Mall, or the Technos make their presence known. Simple as that."

Ebony titled her head. "Is it? Is it really? It seems to me that your fearless leader wants to keep his Technos —and what they can do— a secret for as long as possible. It gives him more time to work out his grand plan, doesn't it?"

Java said nothing, she just gave Ebony a bored look. "Ebony, difficult though it may be for your tiny brain, could you please focus on the matter at hand? I'm staying at the Mall, and you need to make Bray agree."

"Bray's stubborn. He's already got a full house. Frankly Java, there's no room in the inn."

"Make room," Java intoned dangerously.

"I'm not a magician."

"This is pathetic. You'd do anything to keep me from that Mall. I guess I'm going to have to do it all myself then, aren't I?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ebony crossed her arms.

"I'll go to the Mall myself. You can just stay here and hide like a good little girl."

Ebony arched an eyebrow. "I highly doubt that I'm going to do that. And you're not stepping foot in that Mall without me either."

"Too bad," Java snapped. "I'm going. I have a job to do here, and I'm going to get it done whether you like it or not."

Java turned on her heel and went to walk out the door. Ebony shot forward and yanked her back by the arm.

"Don't you dare!"

"Just try and stop me!" Java sneered. "You've got nothing Ebony. You know you can't stop me, or what's about to happen to your precious. So just stand back and let the grown ups take over!"

Java shot a mocking smile at her sister, and shook her head. She pulled her hand from Ebony's grasp roughly, and opened the office door.

"You know what happened to the grown ups, don't you Java?" Ebony said in a deceptively sweet tone. Java turned to look at her. "They all died. So you'd just better watch your back, huh?"

Java raised her chin. "I always do."

Java stalked out of the office, and left Ebony fuming. Her witch of a sister was going to just wander into the Mall and make herself at home now. The thought made Ebony almost shake with rage. She hated being stuck like this. A horrible, powerless feeling was engulfing her.

She was losing her grip on it all.

She sat down behind her desk, slightly dazed. How had it come to this? In an effort to rid herself of Amber and claim Bray, she had ended up losing him forever to an Amber clone. She'd lost all influence she'd had within the Mallrats after the attempt on Tai-San's life, and Danni's farce of a trial. None of them had ever listened to a word she'd had to say after that.

Even her own men ignored her these days. She had hardly any idea what her Locos were doing at any given time. Half of them lounged around the hotel, the other half were off in the City doing who knows what. It was a battle to get any men to go to the Mall on market day, and she'd had to use all of her most potent threats to arrange them all to do security for the Gathering.

She'd noticed Spike gaining more and more power. The tribe listened to him immediately while they just talked over her when she tried to speak. She had never thought that that mindless idiot would ever become better than her, which was exactly why she'd appointed him lieutenant— she'd never expected any threat from him. It seemed she had been wrong, very wrong.

And now here she was, caught between a rock and a hard place. The rock being her failing position as Loco queen, and the hard place being Ram's hold over her. What could she do? Stand up and fight? But how? Her men refused to listen to her. And backing down wasn't an option either. She wouldn't give Java and Ram the satisfaction.

So Ebony sat, and pondered her future, but still didn't manage to come to any conclusions about what she should do.


Java walked slowly up to the Mall, smiling at the huge structure towered above her. She took a breath and walked in through the side entrance where the Trading Market sign was. When she arrived under the grille, she couldn't see anyone. The place seemed deserted. She moved forward, heading for the stairs.

"Ebony?"

Java looked up on hearing her sister's name called. Bray stood at the top of the stairs, a baby in his arms. He looked at her for a moment, realising she wasn't Ebony. Then a spark of realisation ignited behind his eyes.

"Java?"

Java smiled demurely at her old friend, and walked up the stairs to meet him. "Hello Bray, long time no see."

Bray laughed disbelievingly, and pulled her into a one-armed hug. "It's great to see you Java! Ebony asked me if you could stay… but I said I had to call a meeting about it. I was going to have one later."

Java pouted. "You weren't going to turn an old pal away, were you Bray?"

Bray paused, and then shook his head sheepishly. "No… no, of course I wasn't. I just wanted the tribe to have their say so."

"Of course you did," Java nodded, taking the chubby little hand of the boy in Bray's arms. "But that hotel is just so stifling. All of those Locos, they're just so loud all of the time. They're no peace. I really would just feel so at home on this visit with you around."

Bray smiled modestly. "Thanks. We can fit you in Java, I'm sure we can."

Java smiled, relief pouring into every part of her. "So Bray, is this your son?"

Bray looked at the toddler. "Yeah… yeah I guess he is. Java, this is Micah."

Java smiled at the child. "Hi, baby! My, my Bray, you've certainly changed since I last saw you. I never thought of you as the settling down type!"

Bray shrugged. "Time changes people."

"Are you still with his mother?"

"Micah's mother… well, she's dead."

"Oh… I'm so sorry…"

"No, it's all right. I didn't really know her. See, he's not my biological son Java, I adopted him. His mother was killed by some kid out in the City. My girlfriend Danni and I took him on as our own."

"That's so great of you Bray. He'll have a terrific upbringing, I just know it."

"Thank you. So, do you want to meet the tribe?"

Java smiled widely, and looked around the Mall with a glint in her eye. "Bray, there's nothing I'd like more."

Bray gathered up the tribe, and she saw what Ebony had been talking about. They really were a band of mismatched kids. There were very young kids, mixed with pre-teens and of course the older teenagers. All of these children—the youngest member of the Technos was Ved, and even then he was hardly a child. How they all functioned together she didn't know— how they had managed to gain such power in the City was another mystery to her.

A girl with bright red hair and an unhappy pout on her face walked up with a broad guy who had short blonde hair. "Who's this?" the girl asked in a defensive tone.

"Everyone, this is Java," Bray announced. "She's an old friend."

A raven-haired girl stepped up beside Bray, and looked at Java with a hard, protective look on her pale face. Java guessed she was the girlfriend, Danni.

"An old friend from where Bray?" Danni asked.

Bray paused, and gave Java a conflicted look.

"An old friend from the Locos," Java answered for him.

An exotic-looking, dark-haired guy in the corner let out an affronted groan. "Oh please. You can't be serious."

"Yes, I'm perfectly serious Lex," Bray stated plainly. "Ebony asked me yesterday if she could stay here, and I was going to call a meeting about it… but Java just arrived here to ask me herself."

"Why did Ebony ask you if Java could stay?" an Asian girl asked calmly.

Bray again looked like he really didn't want to say what he had to say. "Because… she's Ebony's sister."

The tribe immediately dissented, and their angry chatter rose loudly through the Mall.

"No, it's okay guys, trust me—Java's a lot more friendly than Ebony is," Bray insisted.

"How do we know that?" the red-haired girl asked.

"Because it's the truth Salene."

Everyone looked around to see Trudy walking over to them, her baby in her arms. Java looked at the girl in surprise. The last time she'd seen Trudy she'd been five months pregnant, and scared for her life living with the Locos. Here she was now, with that same baby she'd been pregnant with. Java and Trudy had never had the problems Ebony and Trudy had. Firstly, Java had never been interested in either Bray or Zoot, which eliminated the main source of trouble between Trudy and Ebony.

"Trudy!"

"Hello, Java. It's good to see you back. Guys, she's trustworthy. A lot more trustworthy than Ebony. In fact, Ebony conspired to throw her and their other sister Siva out of the Locos so she could grab all of the power for herself."

"There's another sister?" some kid spoke up.

"Yes, but she's still with our tribe. And what Trudy just said is true, Ebony did do that. But I came back to make up with my sister, and all I wanted was a place to stay while I visit. I wanted to stay here because I knew Trudy and Bray so well," Java explained.

The Asian girl spoke up again. "I don't see any problem with it. We welcomed Amber's sister in, we should do the same for Ebony's sister."

"Yes, but the difference there is that we actually liked Amber," the sour-faced girl, Salene, said.

Bray gave Salene a warning look. "Stop that. Both Trudy and I have vouched for Java, isn't that enough?"

Lex stepped forward, a leering expression on his face as he looked at Java. "I say the more the merrier!"

Bray nodded. "For once Lex, I agree. You're welcome here Java, very welcome."


Solaris was sitting with Ellie at a table up in the café later that evening. They were the few people in the Mall not rushing around preparing for the Gathering. Ellie had gotten her press release written up and sent out days ago, so she had very little to do except watch Jack freak out over his many inventions which weren't ready for presentation, or were breaking down constantly.

Solaris was showing Ellie how she read palms.

"This is your life line. Here's your fate line. This one right here is your heart line."

"What can you tell by these lines?" Ellie asked.

"Lots of things. And they're not the only parts of the hand that you can tell things by. The bumps on your palm just under your fingers, they're called The Mounts, and depending on how big they are, you can tell how courageous, or how imaginative, or how loving a person is."

Ellie grinned. "That's so cool. Will you read my palm for me?"

"Of course," Solaris agreed.

They both looked up on hearing the echo of heavy footsteps through the café. Lex was walking in, seemingly looking for someone. "Seen KC?" he called distractedly.

"No," Ellie said plainly.

"Lex! Come and join us," Solaris invited.

Ellie's mouth dropped open. "No, don't… Solaris he's an idiot. And a huge bully besides that," she hissed.

Solaris shook her head, and looked at the blonde girl kindly. "Ellie, not everyone is what they seem to be."

Lex walked over, an uncouth look on his face. "What?"

"Are you interested in palmistry? I've been taking a look at Ellie's hand for her."

"You want to tell me my fortune?" Lex laughed derisively.

"If you'd like," Solaris nodded.

"What can you tell by someone's hand? All of nothing," Lex said snidely. He looked at Ellie. "Don't waste your time kid. Go back to the electrical shop, and do something productive like giving your nerd boyfriend a good time."

"How dare you! Jack isn't like that— and he's not like you! So keep your mouth shut Lex!" Ellie shouted.

"Ooh touchy subject!" Lex sniggered. He looked at Solaris contemptuously. "So have you got a crystal ball too? Can you tell if she's ever going to give poor Jack a night to remember?"

"Lex, you're disgusting. How about you focus on your own sex life — or lack thereof — before judging other people's?" Ellie hissed at him.

Lex just arched an eyebrow at the blonde girl.

Solaris spoke up, interrupting the argument. "Lex, I don't have a crystal ball… but won't you stay and let me read your palm instead?"

Lex snorted. "No thanks. I'm busy. I've got to go and see my death in the bottom of a tea cup," he sneered

Solaris smiled. "It's not like that. I'm not pretending I've got some kind of all powerful magic here. It's just simple knowledge of palmistry."

Lex looked like he was losing his patience. "I said no thanks. I've got better things to do. You know, I think I'd prefer Amber to you any day. She may have been stuck up, but at least she wasn't a crack pot."

Ellie and Solaris watched Lex leave the café.

"He's such a pig. Like he'd know a thing about a loving relationship. All he knows is how to degrade and insult women," Ellie spat.

"I think he's one of the most interesting members of this tribe," Solaris remarked thoughtfully.

"What? How can you? He's completely repulsive Solaris! Don't get taken in by him!" Ellie exclaimed, looking horrified.

"I'm not being taken in by anyone Ellie, I promise. I just think there's something there, something more than meets the eye."

Ellie looked at her sceptically. "Solaris, trust me, there is no one besides someone who thinks with… well, with something south of his waist."

Solaris chuckled. "I've known people like that Ellie. I've dated people like that. And I don't think that's really him."

Ellie just looked at her incredulously. "Okay… but you're making a mistake. You know, he broke my sister Alice's heart. I mean, she's a tough girl, but he totally crushed all of her hopes."

"Well that's very sad Ellie, and unfortunate. But maybe he had a different path to the she wanted him to take."

Ellie's expression became slightly annoyed. "You sound like Tai-San! She's always going on about this amazing and wonderful Lex hiding underneath the arrogant womaniser."

"Is she? Seems we think alike… Anyway, let's get back to the reading. Let me see if your love line is long and strong. It might tell us what's in store for you and… Jack, was it?"

"Yeah, Jack." Ellie nodded happily.

"Good. All right, let's start. Give me your hand."


Another meeting.

More of his time wasted while he stood around silently, awaiting orders. He should be the one giving orders.

Spike fought not to yawn as Bray went on and on to Ebony about the importance of keeping the peace at the Gathering and how the Militia had better be on top of everything. He was well and truly bored. The sooner his plans went into practice the better.

He looked at Java who was sitting in a corner pleasantly watching the proceedings. He was incredibly suspicious of her. The sister that Ebony despises just turns up out of the blue, and she's welcomed into the fold instantly? Something wasn't right. Ebony would never invite Java to stay, let alone in the Mall.

Truth be told, Ebony was jealous and threatened by her older sister. Spike knew she had been ecstatic when she and Siva had left. There was no way they had kissed and made up. Java had something on Ebony that had made her let this happen. It was the only explanation.

A few words caught Spike's attention, and he looked at Bray.

"As you all know, Spike and his men found the one who murdered Micah's mother."

At this, Spike felt the Mallrat's eyes on him, and fought to look indifferent. He had fooled them— for now. Over in the corner though, Ebony was looking at him with a calculating expression. She wasn't buying it, he knew that much anyway.

He'd lied of course. Like Spike was going to tell Bray that the murderer he'd organized a hunt for was one of the very men that protected his tribe. He'd had to think of something to shield his Locos from accusation. While he didn't yet know exactly which of his men it was, he was several suspects – and the list was growing longer each day.

"It couldn't have come at a better time. Right before the Gathering we have good news to tell the leaders… but at the same time we have grave news to tell them. They may have been ignoring the terrors going on in this City, but we aren't— not anymore. And I am not going to let them do so either. We have to wake them up to this City, and we have to ask them to help us in bringing the violence and murder to an end."

Spike couldn't resist rolling his eyes at Bray's impassioned speech. His mindless band of Mallrats were all nodding and voicing their agreement. He couldn't believe they were so gullible. Bray was just as much the dictator that his brother had been— he just went about it with speeches rather than riots. His little tribe of followers would never see that though. Bray was far too noble to ever be like Zoot in their eyes— but Spike could see it.

As much as Bray protested that he had never wanted power, Spike wouldn't ever believe that. Everyone wanted power once they got a taste of it. Even the ever righteous Bray. Why else would he maintain such control over his tribe?

Spike sighed, and waited impatiently for this meeting to finally end. He glanced up to see May looking at him. She immediately looked away once they met eyes. Spike grinned to himself. She was certainly a little firecracker. Since their argument he'd been watching her whenever he was in the Mall. What it was that had come over him to make him suddenly find her interesting he didn't know. Maybe it was that she really didn't seem to belong in the Mallrats. She wasn't as surly as she often seemed, she was in fact talkative, chatty, and positive.

Spike waited until the incredibly boring meeting was over and then approached May. When she looked up and realised he was coming toward her, she immediately began to walk away. Spike didn't call after her, but simply followed her slowly. It would be best to talk to her out of sight of the others anyway. He found himself outside her room and stood in the doorway.

May didn't even realise he was there, and so he knocked loudly on the doorframe twice. She wheeled around, and once she saw him, her eyes flared.

"What the hell are you doing? Are you some kind of pervert?"

Spike laughed. "No, I'm not. Just thought I'd come and see how you are."

"I'm fine. Now leave."

"I don't want to leave."

May walked up to him, a furious look on her face. She took in his slight frame and slender shoulders, and wondered just how he had managed to seize such power and keep it. He certainly couldn't have by brute force. That meant he had a brain, unlike most of his Loco lackeys. And that also meant he was a lot more dangerous than them. He was playing with her mind, because he was smart, he knew exactly how to do it. She almost would have preferred it if he had just hit her, that she could handle. It was this psychological mind play that caused the most pain.

"Do you think that just because you're a Loco you can do whatever you like, wherever you like? You have no right to walk into my room like this!"

"I'm not in your room. I'm outside your room," Spike pointed out.

"Not far enough outside it!" May spat, pushing against his chest.

Spike caught her arm and pulled her to him. Was this the physical aggression she'd been expecting? May steeled herself for it, but it never came. Spike just held her where she was, pressed against his chest.

They were so close that Spike could feel May's hurried breaths on his neck. He knew by her shallow breathing that he'd scared her. He just looked at her, and she looked back, a slightly stunned expression on her face. Her features soon relaxed though and moved into a pensive, calculating look.

"What do you want?" she asked very softly.

"I don't know. I just think that you and I are very, very alike," Spike replied, just as softly.

"We're nothing alike," May insisted, shaking her head. "You're—"

"Don't use the Loco excuse May. You know as well as I do that it holds no weight. It doesn't matter if I'm a Loco or not."

"Then what is that matters Spike?" May asked darkly.

"You tell me," Spike whispered.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Both of them looked around to see Lex swaggering over, a thunderous look on his face. Spike resisted the urge to simply punch the guy. He had in fact been resisting the urge to punch Lex for a very long time. Spike got irritated just by looking at him. He was even more irritated now.

"Get away from her," Lex hissed at him, staring at Spike confrontationally.

Spike didn't let go of May's hand, in fact his grip on it tightened possessively. May looked at Spike in surprise, and was even more surprised by the fact that she liked it.

"Why don't you get away from us," Spike returned.

"Listen, Loco scum, you have no right to touch her!" Lex shouted.

"Why Lex?" May spoke up suddenly.

Lex looked at her, confused. "What?"

"Why doesn't he have the right to touch me?" she asked, a mock-innocent look on her face. "Because I'm— your woman? Is that it?"

"No… I just—"

"Didn't think so. I'm not your woman Lex. The time for that has long since passed. I'm nothing but your go-between girl. Someone you can use and then kick to the curb whenever you like."

"It's not like that. It never was. I didn't mean to yell the other day, I was upset," Lex insisted.

"And so was I, but that didn't matter!"

Spike smirked, and watched the exchange with interest. So something had been going on between Lex and May? That thought almost infuriated Spike.

"We had a deal May!"

"Deals can be broken— and this deal just was."

"You can't do that."

"Watch me."

May walked off, dragging Spike behind her. Once they were out of Lex's sight, she let go of his hand. Spike smirked at her expectantly, and crossed his arms.

"Friends with benefits?" Spike smirked.

"Something like that," May replied, looking repulsed.

"So I guess that paves the way for you to start something new, with someone else."

"Maybe. But that someone else isn't you."

With that May stormed off, but Spike just smiled after her. "We'll see," he muttered.


Lex was on Mall security that night. He walked past the café to see Ellie pouring a drink of water. He smirked and went into the café. She saw him and turned her back, disgusted.

"So, Jack get any yet?" Lex laughed.

"Get away from me Lex. You disgust me," Ellie said, infuriated.

"Don't get so wound up. I'm just kidding," Lex said smoothly, coming up behind her.

"I don't care. We civilised people aren't like you. We don't treat each other like sex slaves and then move on."

"Oh, you're so much better than me, are you?" Lex whispered in her ear.

"Infinitely better," Ellie said irately.

"Prove it," Lex breathed. "Show me what you're made of…"

"I don't have to prove anything to you," Ellie snapped, turning around. Once she did so, she realised he was trapping her into the corner she was standing in at the counter. Her eyes widened, and she tilted her chin proudly.

"Maybe not. But I could prove a whole lot to you— that you're wasting your time with science boy first of all."

"Oh really?"

"Really. You need a real man, not some geek who has no idea how to please you."

Ellie shook her head calmly. "Lex, you just don't understand, do you? If I wasn't happy with Jack, I wouldn't be with him, but that never occurred to you, did it? You immediately assume I must be waiting for someone better to come along. I'm not. So you can back off."

Ellie pushed her way past Lex, who just stood there. He wasn't angry at her snubbing him, or walking off. Surprisingly, he actually considered what she'd said, but soon found himself wondering just what a complete dork like Jack had that he didn't.

"Lex… a bit late for a meal isn't it?"

He turned to see Solaris behind him. "There are always midnight snacks."

"I suppose there is," she laughed.

"No, I'm actually on security for the night."

Solaris nodded. "Oh, right. Well, I hope you have an uneventful night then."

"So do I."

"And I meant what I said Lex, I'll still give you a reading if you want one."

Lex just watched her walk away, frowning. Did he really want to fall prey to that fairytales and hokum bit? He'd never believed in any of that stuff. But right now he certainly felt like he could use a little peak into the future.


Coming soon in Part 22 – The Tower:

- Lex and Trudy come to an understanding
- Solaris gives someone insight into their future
- Salene pushes away her only confidante

And more…