Author's note: Keep those reviews flooding in you lovely people! Suffering from a bit of a sprained wrist at the moment – doesn't make typing the easiest job in the world. And my internet messed up. And then the writer's block hit. And of course, homework. So this chapter was a little (OK, a lot) later than planned. Sorry!
Sunrise over the Tango Factory: Thanks! For me, it's really easy to get inside Mike's mind, because I have an almost identical personality…hope that doesn't mean I'm gonna end up 3 inches tall…I'm short enough as it is!
Leigh the WonderlordYeah, he probably would have killed Wonka…ooh, fic idea! Anyway, thanks for review!
Necromancer and SorcererGod, your review made me laugh! Do you not like Violet, or something? Lol. Good news – Veruca's downfall isn't until next chapter, so you have more of her brilliance to come:D
soccerstar8281: I wasn't too happy with the ending of the last chapter; reading it back, it does seem a bit un-Mike. But it shows how the tour is changing him. Mayube it was a little too soon? Anyway, I'm rambling again. Thanks for reviewing! Keep it up!
The Weaving WheelI knew I liked to do it, but I have a gift for making people want to kill Wonka? Rock On! I like writing through a character's eyes, and I'll probably do it more often now I've found it. Thanks!
10
"Without the boat we'll have to move double time. There's far too much to see," Wonka said as they strode purposefully down a stark white corridor.
"Mr Wonka?" Scruffy asked.
"Huh?"
"Why did you decide to let people in?"
"Well, so they could see the factory, of course!" Wonka replied cheerfully. Mike suspected there may have been an altogether different motive for letting five children into this god-awful place. But he couldn't prove anything. Both The Blob and Possessed Jr. had perished because of their own actions. And he suspected that the downfalls of Satanic Kid and Scruffy were going to follow suit (Mike wasn't going to be stupid enough to let temptation overcome him). He didn't particularly care about Scruffy, but Mike kept his eyes peeled for anything Satanic Kid may find appealing. OK, so she wasn't as hot as Possessed Jr. but she wasn't hideous. The fact that Mike was even thinking like this proved to him that he was maturing (whether he liked it or not).
"What's the special prize and who gets it?" Mike asked, ignoring his 'don't-talk-to-Wonka' rule. He was vaguely aware that Scruffy had said or asked something else, but his question was probably more important. Besides, it proved to Satanic Kid that Mike was that kind of assertive, dominant male that girls found so alluring…or so he'd heard.
"The best kind of prize is a surprise!" Wonka said, giggling again.
Although it hurt quite a lot afterwards, Mike actually liked it when Satanic Kid elbowed him out of her way. He began to think that maybe he wasn't exactly 'maturing'; more like 'developing a sicker mind'.
"Will Violet always be a blueberry?" she asked, with a hint of hope in her voice.
"Yes."
Oh dear…
"No."
Oh, good.
"Maybe."
Huh?
"I don't know."
I give up…
"But that's what you get for chewing gum all day, it's just disgusting."
Mike had so many questions he wanted to ask, so many issues he wanted to address, but he knew he would only bother to deal with one of them. Which one should he go for? Why children were being picked off one by one? Why chewing gum will inevitably make you turn blue? Why everything was completely pointless?
"If you hate gum so much, then why do you make it?"
Great, Mike, just great. Choose the one you care least about, why don't you…
"Once again, you really shouldn't mumble, 'cos it's kinda startin' to bum me out!"
Just shut up from here on out, OK?
"Do you remember the first candy you ever ate?" Scruffy asked, possibly because he was genuinely interested, but more likely to stop Mike from hitting Wonka right there and then.
"No," Wonka said, going into a dream-like trance.
"Good," Mike drawled, "Something else for you not to tell us."
"Mike," his dad said warningly, "Behave, OK?"
"Why? He's not even listening!" Mike said, waving a hand in Wonka's direction. Sure enough, he was stood there, mouth half-open, eyes glazed over, in a total world of his own. Posh English Dude waved a hand in front of his face, but Wonka did nothing. He didn't even blink.
"Odd…" he said, withdrawing his hand.
"Daddy," Satanic Kid said, pulling on his sleeve, "I want to get to the next part of the tour."
"Yeah, so do I, actually," Mike said to his dad, "The sooner we move on, the sooner we get out of here."
"You have a rather disparaging attitude, don't you, young man?" Posh English Dude said to Mike, leaning down a little.
"You gotta problem with that?" Mike said, hardly even blinking, though the comment had come as a surprise. Satanic Kid stepped forward.
"Daddy's told me about people like you," she said, narrowing her eyes.
"People like me…?"
"Know-it-alls."
"I am not a know-it-all! You take that back!"
Satanic Kid span round, "Daddy! The TV Freak is arguing with me!"
"That's right, get Daddy, why don't you?"
"See?" Satanic Kid screeched.
"Mr. Teavee," Posh English Dude said to Mike's father, rather than addressing Mike directly, "I do think you ought to put a tighter hold on your son."
"Me?" Mr. Teavee said, "What Mike does is his own problem. He needs to learn that we won't always be there for him."
"Looks like you're never there for him…"
"Excuse me?"
"Raising a boy through television? I can't think of anything more hideous!"
Mike raised an eyebrow; that comment was kinda uncalled for.
"Well, unlike some," Mike's dad said, giving a pointed glare at Posh English Dude, "I don't believe in spoiling children. Give them their distance and let them learn by themselves. Look at Mike…"
No, don't look at Mike…
"Straight-A student, completely healthy, and, most importantly, completely independent."
Mike raised his other eyebrow; he's never heard his dad speak like that, particularly not of him.
"Are you saying my little Veruca has none of those qualities?" Posh English Dude asked threateningly.
"No."
"But you implied it!"
"I didn't imply anything!"
Whilst his dad and Posh English Dude had an argument, and the Fraily Family had a Mother's Meeting, Mike was able to talk to Satanic Kid.
"How many ponies ya got?" he asked sarcastically.
"Three. Not that it's any of your business."
"Think you're gonna win?" asked Mike.
"I expect so," Satanic Kid said, "Daddy will make it happen."
"Oh, I bet he will…" Mike muttered under his breath.
"You don't like me, do you?" Satanic Kid said, her voice quavering slightly. Mike couldn't help but feel a twang of sympathy.
"Well…it's a little hard to judge. I barely know you."
"No one ever likes me. They always think I'm over-protected."
"You are over-protected," Mike said firmly, "If you just broke free from your dad and became independent then I bet you could-"
"End up like you?" Satanic Kid snapped.
Mike blinked, "What?"
"You think you're so smart!"
"Well, I don't mean to sound boastful here," (that was a total lie), "But I am smart. I can beat anyone at anything."
"Sounds like a challenge."
Mike sighed, "OK, what do you think you can beat me at?"
Satanic Kid pondered for a bit, "I can beat you to the special prize at the end of this tour."
He snorted, "You're on!"
Mike studied Veruca carefully; she was really quite pretty. Up until now, Possessed Jr. had always been around to steal the limelight from her, but she really was beautiful in herself. If only she'd smile or something! Though, that might be a bit hypocritical of Mike…
"You got a boyfriend?" the question slipped out of Mike's mouth before he could stop it.
"No," Satanic Kid almost snapped, like she'd been expecting the question.
"Neither do I," Mike said, then put a hand to his head when he realised what he'd just implied, "I don't mean that I don't have a boyfriend. No, wait…I do mean that I don't have a boyfriend! Because I don't! I…I meant girlfriend. I don't have a girlfriend, though I don't have a boyfriend either, I…I…"
He staggered to a halt when he realised Satanic Kid was laughing. Laughing! At Mike! Or was it with Mike? He played the conversation over in his head, found the funny side, and started laughing too. She really did look amazing when she laughed…
Mike didn't know how it happened. One minute he and Veruca had been laughing with each other, the next he was kissing her, and now he was squirming in his father's hands.
"Mike!" Mr. Teavee hollered, "What do you think you're doing?"
"Get off me!" Mike shouted, pulling his shirt away from his dad's grip.
"Veruca!" it looked like she was going to get a lecture, too, "That is no way for a young lady to behave!"
"It wasn't me, it was him!" Satanic Kid screeched, pointing at Mike, "He just leapt on me for no reason!"
"Hey!" Mike retorted, then noticed the Frailies looking at them with more than a hint of contempt, "What are you looking at?"
"Don't you try to change the subject," Posh English Dude said, moving dangerously close to Mike.
"I don't want to hear this!" Mr. Teavee said conclusively, pulling Mike by the arm out of Mr. Salt's reach, "Let's just all of us keep our distance from each other, okay?"
"I'm sorry, I was having another flashback…" Wonka suddenly said, focusing out of his fantasy and back into the real world.
"I see…" Posh English Dude said, pulling Satanic Kid closer to him (possibly away from Wonka, but more probably away from Mike).
"These flashbacks happen often?" the angriness had almost completely vanished from Mike's father's voice.
"Increasingly," Wonka replied, "…today."
He walked on with a faint laugh, and the others followed.
Eventually they reached a vault.
Nut-Sorting Room.
Mike smiled to himself, knowing exactly what was going to happen. And he couldn't say she didn't deserve it!