[A/N]: This chapter is Holly-centric; a little peek at our favorite elf's mourning.
Holly raised her Neutrino and let off three well-aimed shots before ducking back into cover, where her other teammates were also hiding. The goblins walked in circles, confused.
"T-th-they're gonna sh-shoot me," Corporal Kelp stuttered. "I'm t-telling Mommy!"
Holly shushed him. "They won't shoot you," she said reassuringly. "They'll just fireball you."
Encouragement was not one of Holly's strongest suits. To be honest, it was easier with Artemis, because he was woeful at encouragement too….
She cut off that line of thought almost before it started.
"They're gonna kill me!" Grub bawled.
"Quiet!" Major Evergreen hissed from Holly's other side. She nodded her appreciation to him. The Major replied by shooting a goblin that was out of Holly's line of sight, but about to kill her.
"On three," Holly said, powering up her wings and lifting her gun.
"Two," the Major muttered, copying the captain.
"W-what?" Grub asked.
Holly grabbed the corporal's collar. "Get ready…" she eyed the situation, "...go!"
The two blazed up and out, shooting any goblin that moved and flying for a way out. Grub's eyes widened, and he began gibbering nonsensically as Holly dragged him by the collar.
She gave him a sound kick to the shin. "Move it, Kelp!" she hissed.
Grub fumbled with the wing controls and finally got them working. Holly released his collar, flying off without him and hoping dearly he would find a spine to actually move.
Holly returned a few shots to the goblins below. As she turned to clear her path ahead, she heard them continue shooting, although she knew one that sounded louder than normal somehow.
Then, she heard Grub's frightened shrieking, and the sound of a wing rig sputtering.
Oh, no.
Holly turned midair, knowing Major Evergreen had turned as well. Grub's wing rig sputtered and died, sending the corporal into a plummeting freefall that would take him straight to his death.
Evergreen grabbed Holly's arm just as she was preparing to go after him. "Short, if you go, you will both die."
Holly ignored him, pausing only to wrench her arm free from his grip (which wasn't terribly hard, the Major simply wanted to hold her back) and rapidly figured out the best method of attack.
Artemis isn't the only one who can make plans…. Holly thought.
Wasn't. Wasn't, Short. Artemis is dead. Her blunt side argued.
Maybe, but he's coming back. Holly defended.
Holly pulled herself out of her thoughts and pulled in her wings, flying at the falling corporal at an angle. She knew that although Grub was only affected by gravity, she was both affected by gravity and her wings powering her down. She could overtake him.
You spent too much time with Artemis. Honestly? Gravity? Holly's blunt side said.
That doesn't matter. Holly thought.
She slammed into the corporal's side, sending them both flying into a window. The goblins kept shooting at them, and she vaguely thought she heard Grub squeaking because a laser had tagged his arm. Holly had bigger problems to worry about, however. One of the lasers had connected with her chest.
Holly couldn't focus. She hit the floor, sending a shockwave of pain shooting through her already aching body.
I'm dry, Holly thought. I'm out of magic.
"Holly," she dimly heard Grub gasp just before it all went black.
When Holly opened her eyes, it was all white.
She blinked. The white didn't go away.
"She's awake," someone called.
Holly raised her head, registering only a dim throb from her chest. She rubbed it. "Ouch."
These hospital rooms are so white. I'm blind.
Someone clopped over to her. "Holly! Girl, you really took a number!"
"Foaly," she croaked. Holly pushed herself up on her elbows. "How'd I get here?"
Her centaur friend blurred. "Evergreen healed you and brought you back here."
"Oh," Holly said, swinging her legs down. "Where is he now?"
Foaly grimaced. "Back on duty. We need every pair of pointy ears available on the job."
Her feet hit the floor. "I'd better get going, then."
"No-o," Foaly said, drawing the word out. "You're going home."
"But you just said we need every pair of pointy ears available. I'm available," she protested.
Foaly shook his head. "You may have been, but not anymore, little Captain. Trouble said when he swung by not to let you work when you woke up."
"Why not?" the elf questioned, moving her friend over.
Foaly held out his arm to stop her. "Holly, I'm willing to bet that you haven't seen the inside of your house since the Crash."
"I did," Holly said.
He gave her a skeptical look. "How many times?"
She thought for a moment. "A few times," she said.
"Try once," Foaly snorted. "You have been working nonstop. Go. Home."
She glared at him. "Foaly, I can work just fine."
The centaur gave a horsey laugh. "You just had a major healing, and was overworked even before that!"
"But Haven," Holly weakly protested, knowing the Commander was on Foaly's side. "And Artemis."
"Haven will be there," Foaly said reassuringly. "We've got other members of the LEP. And Artemis is doing just fine."
Holly wilted. "Fine. But I'll be back."
Foaly shrugged. "At least you'll have slept."
Holly stepped into her dark apartment, almost stumbling over the threshold. She was starting to feel sick. Her body was simply unprepared for the amount of drama she put it through.
After a lengthy and ridiculously hot shower, Holly found herself listlessly stirring a bowl of soup as she sat on her couch, not hungry. She stared at her communicator for a long moment before lifting it to her lips, toying with the idea of bugging Artemis when it struck her.
Artemis is gone.
No, she thought stubbornly. He's coming back.
Sure.
He is! Unable to take it any longer, Holly jumped up, slapping her communicator on her wrist and bolting out the door.
Holly entered Foaly's lab without knocking, knowing she was authorized. The centaur glanced up as she came in, looking annoyed.
"Didn't I send you home?"
Holly waved her hand dismissively, crossing the room as she waved away his point. "You did. And now I'm back."
Foaly huffed. "Trouble will have your acorns for disobeying an order."
Holly rolled her eyes. "No, he won't. We need every officer alive."
She stopped beside Foaly and looked down. "How's he doing?" she asked quietly.
Foaly gave an exhausted sigh. "Fine. He's doing fine."
Holly tore her gaze from the nutrient pipes, sensors, and various cloning equipment to look at her centaur friend. She took in his stressed, frustrated face, the bags under his eyes, and his haggard appearance. "Foaly," she began.
He held up a hand. "I know, I know."
She pressed onward anyway. "You look like you need to go home too, tech-boy. Seriously, those bags under your eyes are glorious."
"Of course they are," Foaly muttered. "They're Gucci."
Holly shook her head, unsure if she'd heard him properly. "What?"
Foaly shook his head too. "Nothing."
Holly had already almost forgotten, looking down again. "Okay," she murmured, "just get some sleep soon."
Foaly nodded. She wasn't paying attention anyway.
Holly dropped her hand against the glass, tapping against it with tips of her fingernails. She studied the peaceful expression of her best friend.
It's not him, that annoying voice in her head said.
Not now, but it will be, she retorted.
She saw, for the briefest moment, his eyes flickered, revealing that shock of blue. Her breath caught, and in the tiniest space of that quiet moment, the voices in her head quieted, leaving only one hopeful thought behind:
It's not over.
It's going to be okay.
[A/N]:
Eeee!
(An unprofessional outburst, but I'm really excited!)
Thus is the end of my first posted fanfiction! I've called this "An Interlude" because it is post-canon and sort of a prelude to Part II, which will happen... whenever I finish it. I'm working on it. Should I post it?
This work can stand alone, however. Part II doesn't really need to come out.
Okay, fine, it does. Because who can live without our favorite genius?
Thank you for reading!
So...
Did you make it all the way to the end?
What did you think? Was it okay? I don't mind if you review (actually, I'd love it [no pressure {which actually means I want you to review =)}]).
God Bless! =^v^=
ChocolateKittin