ISSUE 1- Enter the G!
A/N I wrote this chapter a day after I wrote chapter two. It took me ages to put it up cos, well. I really got into Azumanga Daioh, and I had considered planning on moving the G-Squad from Manga to Comics, and I've finally done it, so I can finally post it.
MORE CHARACTERS, MORE ACTION! YAY!
Chapter 3- The G-Squad Begins
The Adelaide State Library was quiet at the best of times, and closing time on Friday night was about as noisy as it ever got. It was therefore easy for the two secret carrying friends to slip into the staff lounge and wait for their knowledgeable friend to finish the last few requests at the circulation desk.
Finally, most of the lights were out and the doors were closed. Cathie closed the door to the staff lounge behind her and ran towards the two. The trio embraced in a huge hug, this was the first time Ken and Nikki had seen Cathie for two years.
After high school, Cathie had gotten a job in Melbourne, Although Ken and Nikki weren't exactly sure where it was, they did know that she was working in some sort of library. A few days ago, they received an e-mail from her saying that she was transferred back to Adelaide and to meet her after work on Friday.
After the hug, she stayed silent, as per usual, and motioned them to follow her. She took them to the warehouse of the huge library, and they followed her to a full-scale black marble statue of Plato. She deftly lifted the chin to reveal a switch.
Both Ken and Nikki looked on in awe as the trigger caused a panel to slide away from a nearby wall.
"Now look at who's got a big secret!" Said Ken with a huge smile.
"W-wait until you s-see what's u-under this p-place." Cathie stuttered.
The trio walked into the darkness as the panel slid back into place behind them. A blue light slowly came on, revealing a large metal pole, ala a fire station. Exchanging grins, the three slid down into the blackness underneath the State Library of South Australia.
The underground storage areas had pretty much been abandoned since the stores had been moved to an offsite location, all, except the most prized of possessions. But at the moment all that could be seen was a pair of free standing neon lights that displayed only the items in closest proximity.
Right before them stood a desk with a computer on it, hundreds of cables trailing off. On either side were rows of bookshelves that went on into the darkness. Cathie approached the desk and picked up a torch.
"I-I wanted t-to show you something, K-Ken." She said with her usual stutter.
Ken and Nikki followed her as she put an index finger on a book, and started walking away from them, breaking the darkness before her with the torch.
She only took a few steps when she stopped and pulled out a large leather bound book. She walked back to the desk, which could seat all three of them, and threw down the dust covered volume with the words "Enchantment and Inanimate Possession" Etched into the front.
"I-I was reading into y-your ring, K-Ken." She said as she scanned the contents page, then flicked into the middle of the book and handed it to Ken. On the page were peeled pictures of crowns, thrones and jewelery of many different styles. He read the small paragraph at the top of the page.
"Holder of a power: An easily worn or held artifact that gives the possessor an enchanted quality. These have been known to grant people both magick and social status. However, as with all magick, there are restrictions to its functionality, such as temperament and the draining of other of their vitality."
Ken finished the paragraph and looked up at Cathie, his brow furrowed.
"So, when I smacked Jay, I could have killed him"
Cathie shook her head.
"N-No, just h-his ego, and o-only for a w-while."
Ken snapped the book shut. Him and Cathie exchanged a meaningful glance and Nikki took this as her cue to ask about herself. She simply raised an eyebrow and tapped her left thumb against her sternum.
"W-Well honed t-telekinesis." Began Cathie. "Not p-pyrokenesis p-per say. You s-speed up the m-molecules around y-you. All done with your m-mind." She said rather quickly.
"I-I'd say it's a t-temperamental p-power"
Ken looked even more impressed than Nikki as he remarked.
"Hmm, must only happen when you're steamed." He said.
For a moment he looked at the two and burst into laughter, which went for several more minutes until he calmed himself down.
"Oh man, that was good." He said, wiping a tear from his eye. He was quickly shut up by the cold glare he received from his compatriots. A cold glare that quickly turned into shock as Ken heard a voice behind him.
"I hope you have enjoyed your little class today. It'll probably be your last." Ken turned around to see a man descend from the ceiling, on what looked like a high tensile steel cable in the dim light. He wore what looked to be non-descript street clothes, and his face gave him the age of between fifty-five to sixty five. In his hand was a very real pistol that glinted metallically in the basement.
"Old M-Mr. Winters." Stammered Cathie. "I thought y-you were only s-staying late for ge-genealogy"
Nikki also piped up. "Aren't you the old Mr. Winters who runs the amusement park"
Mr. Winters easily swung off the rope and landed deftly on the ground, he used his free hand to reach for his neckline, and pulled off an impressively real mask to reveal common yet hardened features.
His age was difficult to place, somewhere in his late twenties. His hair was a light red, a sort of orange, and slightly grayed at the temples. His eyes were cold, images of a thousand deaths reflected behind them.
"W-Who s-sent y-you?" Stammered Cathie, stuttering more than usual.
His laser sight put a little red dot on Cathie's forehead as he advanced slowly. Ken slyly reached into his pocket. But the assailant's trained eyes were ahead of him; he swung the red dot over to Ken's face.
"Now, now fatty. We can't have you reaching for your lifeline. Why don't you put those hands up where I can see them?"
None of the three had ever even seen a gun, let alone had one pointed at them. Ken slowly withdrew his hands and put them up. The gunman smiled with a cruel malice, once again training his weapon on Cathie.
"To answer your question Miss. Someone who clearly wants you out of the picture. Now…"
His finger tensed on the trigger, he didn't see the movement behind him that the three saw. Soundlessly, what looked to be a large black sack descended over his head. A deafening bang shocked the trio and it took them a few moments to realize the shot had harmlessly strayed into the ceiling. They looked back at the stranger to see black gloved hands tweaking what looked to be knobs on the black sack, the gunman himself grappling futilely in all directions, as if not knowing where his head was.
The bag slowly lifted to have the mysterious gunman fall to his knees; he sat there with a lethargic look on his face. After a few seconds he blinked, and looked around, seeming dazed and confused. Slowly, the deus ex machina stepped into the light.
He was dressed as of a monk, in a large brown robe, the large hood cowled over his head, leaving his features in shadow.
"You're welcome." He stated with a calm voice of a thousand mysteries. The black bag, with a tightening chord at the top, and a strap, was hung over his shoulder. Hundreds of knobs and switches covered every inch of its surface.
All of them stood there silently. Cathie and Nikki and Ken had known some strange things, but what happened in the last five minutes topped off the lot. Cathie made the first move. She stepped quickly and took the gun from the limp hand. He still blinked and swayed as she took out the magazine, and emptied the chamber.
She then helped him to his feet, to which he offered no resistance, and then frisked him. Finding a small arsenal of weaponry. Nikki gestured Ken around the frisking to approach the hooded mystery man. She took the lead with the questions.
"Who are you?" She stated, talking rather fast. "What's with the bag"
The hood shifted slightly, and there was a slight glimmer from beneath, indicating his gaze was directly on her, it was quite disquieting.
His answer was just as directly to the point as her question.
"I'm a person who knew where to be and what to have when I arrived"
Ken, as per usual, was quick on a pop-culture reference.
"HA! Just like in The Dead Zone! Word, the psychics are among us"
Nikki rolled her eyes and turned back to the stranger.
"In English please, I don't speak Cryptonian. Or," she nodded towards Ken, "in this guys case, nerd"
"Hey!" Retorted Ken. "Nerd is a widely respected language, I'll have you know"
Nikki turned her head and gave Ken a look that shut him up.
"On with the story." She said, turning back to the hooded stranger.
"I am all that remains of my creator, Craig Harris." He started, his eyes glancing between the two under his hood.
"I am a bio-synthetic construct that has taken his place in society. The item I carry with me is a multipurpose molecular alteration unit. Your gun-toting associate was… 'rearranged'. He won't remember anything for some time, and I have done my utmost to scramble his current mission."
Cathie seated and restrained the gunman, having removed enough ordinance for a small squad of paratroopers. Nikki pressed on.
"So how long until he remembers everything? We need a timetable to know wether he'll kill us tomorrow, or in our sleep next year"
The eyes under the hood flickered briefly.
"In the next few hours," the Craig Harris construct explained, "he'll probably remember his name. But after that not even an educated guess could tell us how long it would take to achieve total recall. First his more important memories would return, such as his childhood and events from his youth. Slowly, the more recent memories will return to the surface. As for his final mission, it could take many years."
Ken interrupted the little session.
"So, when does he start talking"
The construct turned around and walked to a nearby support pillar. He whisked a small flask from under his robes and took a gulp. Then turned back to the group.
"In approximately twenty five seconds"
There was a moment of silence, as he looked up the pillar leading into the blackness, then looked back at the group one last time.
"I'll see you all again." He said enigmatically. "Even the one who isn't here."
With that, he turned into an inhuman blur as he climbed up the stone pillar and disappeared into the darkness, without a sound.
Ken and Nikki stood there quite dazed, as if waking from the oddest of dreams. When Cathie's voiced piped up behind them "G-Guys?" she said. Her two friends quickly swung around. "Take a l-look at t-this."
Slowly, Nikki and Ken approached Cathie who looked to be holding a small card. On closer inspection, it was a tarot card; it showed a single blade, vines curled around the border of the picture, on the top and bottom of the card was written "The Ace of Swords".
They slowly turned the card over to reveal an almost plain white back. The words "Madame Frenchy: Clairvoyant and Psychic" were printed in tiny words on the bottom.
Nikki gasped suddenly.
"That's my psychic!" She said slowly.
The three exchanged glances, and looked over the card to see the gunman staring shrewdly at them.