A/N: Another one bites the dust! Another one gone! Another one gone! Another chapter bites the dust! Yes, that is correct! Here is the next chapter in the series, and an answer to that cliffhanger I left everyone with last chapter. It took me awhile, but I finally got it done. I've recently come into some spare time to do my writing again, so hopefully the following chapters should come out sooner.
A big thanks goes out to all the fans of this FanFic. Shout outs to : Pusca, Draco Maxima, GlitterP, DragonmasterYO, Water Runs Deep, Taeniaea, Draco10 and Midnight Librarian for leaving reviews. An even Bigger Shoutout goes to XV-Dragon for reviewing all my work, even though I feed it in pieces every 12 months it seems. Last, but not least, A big Thank you goes out to Sokai for inspiring me to become a more active, better writer. And to all those who have read my story and chosen not to leave a review, I hope you do in the future cause it's those who read my work that help me to continue writing. Enjoy everybody!
This chapter was posted in Febuary 2009
W.I.T.C.H.: Dead Memories
"A New Ally"
Beyond time and space at the heart of infinity resides Kandrakar in a great void. All that is, started here; and all that is, will come to an end here. Alpha and Omega, Yin and Yang; equilibrium and chaos at its heart. Interconnectivity between worlds and realities as well as barriers between them. This is Kandrakar, home for those whose job it is to maintain an ever watchful eye on the worlds only a breadths hair away from each other yet separated by an infinity.
At the center of Kandrakar lies the Temple of the Congregation where the Council of Kandrakar keeps a watchful eye over all of existence. There within the temple is a mile high shaft with a blissful pond. Residing at it's center is the Oracle. Immense power and wisdom are at his disposal. His mandate, to watch over all that occurs as the head of the council. His most faithful friend and advisor, Tibor, approaches him now.
"Oracle, someone has found out about the Guardians. This could potentially interfere with their duties and bring harm to them!" Tibor informed the Oracle who floated a couple of feet above the pond meditating. He ran his hand agitatedly through the long gray beard that covered most of his face.
"Indeed Tibor. Their identities have been revealed to someone with possible harmful intent. However, do you not trust the Guardians to resolve this situation like Luba?" The Oracle asked of Tibor, remaining in the same position he maintained while meditating.
"Well, no Oracle. I trust them as you trust them. But if their secret were to get out?" Tibor continued, worry tinting his voice.
"I would not let this matter interfere with the Guardians primary duty. Why don't we watch the girls as they handle this situation themselves?" The Oracle asked of Tibor opening his eyes and peering at his friend. "After all, they are the ones that I bestowed the title of Guardianship upon. I would not have done so if I had not believed them capable of completing the task at hand."
"As you wish Oracle." Tibor replied watching dutifully as the emerald screen the Oracle used for such purposes as this one materialized before them with a wave of the Oracle's hand. The scene that was about to unfold became visible on its surface for those who watched over all.
Ω
Hands, numb with cold, fumbled to catch the emerald green beer bottle as it tumbled slowly end over end, towards the ground. What came next was both expected and surprising. Smashing into a hundred little pieces, the bottle made a deafening crashing sound, as if alarms and big signs pointing at Detective Talia screamed "I'm here!". Either frozen by fear, shock, surprise, or all of them, Talia remained crouched behind the dumpster semi-concealed from their sight.
Just as she feared, they all turned around as one and looked at the spot where the crash had come from. Surprise colored all of their faces as well as shock. Silence louder then a bomb going off was broken by a light whisper from one of the girls.
"Detective Talia?" Hay Lin asked as if not believing her eyes. The decision was made. Panic consumed Talia as she turned around and started to run. Fear and disbelief ran circles in her mind as she tried to make sense of it all. First there had been the clones of the girls appearing out of thin air… then… then this! Transforming into some sort of fairy? Bird? It didn't make sense. Not one bit at all.
Even as cries of the girls pleading for her to stop followed her, Talia ran as fast as her legs could carry her. The familiar routine of her morning jogs fell into place. Breath in. Left, right, left, right. Breath out. Left, right, left, right. Looking over her shoulders, she couldn't see the girls anymore. Or whatever they were. It didn't matter. Detective Talia kept running for some time until she felt exhaustion overcome her.
Slowing down, she put her arms above her head and continued to walk. The moon had come up and was providing ample enough light too look about. She had made it into one of the nicer neighborhoods, with neatly trimmed lawns and manicured gardens. Chain-link fences separated one yard from the next, one house from the other. Feeling her heartbeat return to normal, Detective Talia stopped by a fence covered in what appeared to be a creeper vine. It's vibrant green leaves and tendrils soaking up the moon light that cast its soft glow hither and dither.
Leaning up against the fence, Detective Talia thought about what she had just seen. It was frightening… unbelievable… all at the same time. Talia didn't believe in Ghosts, goblins, or dragons. She had left those fairy tales in her past with a forgotten childhood. Yet… what had just happened? Something magical? Maybe an illusion? Maybe there was a scientific explanation for what had happened?
Talia put a stop to that train of thought right there. What had happened couldn't have been logical. But what was it then? Nothing came to mind as Talia rested against the fence. About to get up and move, Talia heard a rustling in the vines about her. Frozen in fear, the only thought Talia could think of was that they had found her. But how? Well if they were creatures unknown, then reason dictated that they would be able to do things a normal human being wouldn't be able to do. That single thought sent a chill down Talia's spine.
Remembering the gun in her holster, she slowly pulled it out. Turning the safety off, she slowly looked about her for the source of the rustling. Suddenly a cat shot out of the underbrush and ran across the street. Talia's finger nearly squeezed the trigger as she followed the cat as it ran. Letting out her breath, Talia put a hand to her fervently beating heart. It was only a Cat? What harm could come from a…
It was all around her. Twisting and tightening its squeeze knocking the gun out of her hand and causing her to trip and fall to the ground. Looking down at what was around her, Talia was shocked to see it was the vines from the fence she had been leaning up against. They slithered about her as if snakes with harmful intent.
Struggling with all her might, she tried to break free of the vines. But they were too strong as they continued to encircle her body in an ever tightening embrace. Wondering what was going on, Talia's mind made the connection to the girls at the same time she heard a female voice address her.
"Gotcha! Boy do you sure run fast!" Came the not so enthused voice of Cornelia. Talia looked up from where she was struggling to see the tall blond smirking over her. "I thought we had lost you for sure, but luckily I stumbled across you."
"Ugh! Let me go this instant! I'm a police officer and if you…" Talia began but was cut off.
"Hurt you? Wouldn't dream of it… but I don't know. We're going to have to do something with you." Cornelia cut in raising a delicate eyebrow.
"Yea, And I have no idea what either." Replied Hay Lin as she landed softly next to Cornelia. Then aside to Cornelia, "Will and Taranee are a couple blocks away. I saw them as I flew over here. Irma is still pretty far away though, having to search the completely opposite direction."
Cornelia nodded her head at Hay Lin, "Good. That means we won't have to wait for long, then we can go help Elyon after we figure out what to do with our snooping detective here."
"Elyon? You know where Elyon is?" Detective Talia asked in surprise drawing the attention of the two girls.
"Uh… yea. It's a long story." Hay Lin said in reply watching the Detective who had stopped squirming at the mention of Elyon.
"And unfortunately we might have to explain it," Will replied coming to a stop after running up and hearing what Hay Lin had said. She bent over, slightly out of breath from all the running she had done. "Where's Irma and Taranee?"
"Taranee is almost here. She was about as far away as you are. Speaking of which…" Hay Lin replied as Taranee showed up around a corner coming over to the trio that stood around the detective. "And Irma was 6 blocks over when I landed."
"Running... isn't… my… favorite…." Taranee panted, sitting on the walk next to Talia who had resumed struggling.
"Seriously," Will replied rolling her eyes. "I'm actually surprised I was able to run that well though. I mean... I just got out of the hospital."
"I don't know Will, maybe it was the heart helping you out." Hay Lin chimed in. She took a moment to look at Will before returning to curiously study the vines that continued to wrap themselves around the helpless detective. "Good job on Catching her Cornelia. I thought we never would of found her."
"Thanks. She just happened to stumble across these creeper vines. I couldn't resist the opportunity." Cornelia replied, basking in the glory of catching the witness to their powers. However, this was also the exact moment Talia decided to not go down quietly. Her screams echoed around the neighborhood shattering the peaceful evening air.
"HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME! I'M BEING ATT-" Was all she managed to get out before a vine covered her mouth, cutting her screams off abruptly. Almost instantly, Hay Lin had formed a solid wall of air around them to silence the screams too.
"That's enough from you!" Cornelia stated, an angry glint in her eye. However, the scream had made the Guardians realize they still were on earth in the middle of a neighborhood with families who were just settling down for evening activities. The last thing they needed was to be caught by a bunch of people as they "Kidnapped" the detective.
"Let's move her into an alley or something guys. We shouldn't just be out in the open like this. If someone sees us, that'll only add onto our problems." Will stated to the rest of the guardians, an uneasy hypersensitivity to noises and movements around them settling over her. Everyone silently agreed as they all bent down at once and picked up Detective Talia who was struggling to still get free. They moved her into a nearby alley around some more dumpsters that looked to be just like the one Talia had been trying to hide behind. It was at that exact moment that Irma bolted around a corner heading straight for the group huddled around Talia.
"No! No! Irma Wait!" Was all Hay Lin was able to franticly shout waving her arms before Irma smashed into the invisible wall of air surrounding the Guardians. Irma bounced back and landed on the hard concrete of the alley. Hay Lin instantly dropped their air shield as the group ran to surround there downed comrade.
"Irma, are you okay?" Taranee asked tentatively, kneeling down beside Irma, who in return let out a groan.
"Wha- what'd I hit?!" Was all Irma could gasp out, obviously winded from the ordeal.
"Oh, I'm so so so sorry Irma but Detective Talia started screaming so I made a solid wall of air to keep the sound from traveling far and I tried to warn you to stop but I guess you didn't hear me and I'm so so sorry Irma." Hay Lin let out in one long rapid sentence blinking her eyes and wringing her hands at Irma who sat up from her prone position.
"It's... okay", Irma replied, a sheepish grin coming across her face. "Just a little stunned is all."
Before the conversation could carry on though, there was a muffled "Mmm, Mm, Mmmmm!" from the bound and gagged detective, who was the reason for the chaos they had been through in the past 10 minutes or so.
"Hey, be quite over there. We're looking after Irma over here." Cornelia snapped at the detective. "We would be on our way to meridian right now if it weren't for you."
"Ah, I'm touched Corny! You actually care for me!" Irma replied, apparently having recovered her composure and humor. She then continued on in mock shock, "I think I need to go to the hospital guys. The stress of Cornelia actually caring for me is too much!"
Cornelia just turned around pointing a finger at Irma. "How many times have I told you not to call me corny! My name is Cornelia! And I only care because we might need your help to rescue Elyon!"
"Alright, enough already. We have bigger fish to Fry. Primarily Detective Talia here. The sooner we deal with her, the sooner we can go help Elyon. Agreed?" Will asked, intervening before the argument between Cornelia and Irma continued on further. Cornelia acknowledged Will's word with a curt nod, while Irma said "Alright boss."
"Hey guys, I have an Idea..." Taranee said to them before they could return to the vine covered Detective who had managed to worm her way over to a dumpster, and was futility trying to hit it to make noise.
"Alright, what do you got?" Will asked, sense she herself didn't have any ideas. The day was taking a toll on her, and it was far from over too. They all huddled in a group as Taranee began to explain her plan.
"Alright, one thing I was thinking of, is you know all them superheroes that have contacts with the police? You know, kind of like Batman and Commissioner Gordon, or The detective in Charmed that helps them out from time to time..." Taranee began as looks of disbelief crossed the others face's.
"Are you suggesting we do something similar with Detective Talia?" Cornelia asked with ridicule in her voice. "And what makes you think she'll do it?"
"I... I don't know what will make her do it..." Taranee replied trying to explain her idea, which seemed to be quickly falling apart.
"But those are superheroes; we're not really superheroes are we?" Hay Lin asked next. "I mean... We don't exactly go around saving cats from trees and stopping thieves in the act..."
"But... we kind of are superheroes though... I mean think about it guys. We are helping the rebels, and we close all the open portals to keep Phobos from coming through and conquering earth!" Taranee cut in quickly, trying to sell her idea to the group.
"But how many superheroes do you see that look like fairies? And only one of us can fly..." Irma quipped, doing a twirl to show the girls the wings on her back.
"Fine, don't call us superheroes. But try to think about the benefits about having someone with the police who knows our story and will help us? I don't know about you, but there are some mysteries here on Earth that need solving, and Detective Talia could help us with them." Taranee replied, running a hand through the braids that covered her head while pointedly looking at Will. "She could help to keep our secrete... you know, just in case someone else un-intentionally finds out about it?"
"Well, I see your point there Taranee. I just don't think we can trust her though." Cornelia answered, looking over her shoulder at Talia, who had finally given up in trying to escape the vines, and was just staring at the group before her. A small smirk crossed the tall blond's face at seeing this.
Hay Lin fidgeted with her clothes before saying to the others, "Geee, I really don't know guys. What do you think Will?"
The girls attention shifted to their red headed leader who looked to be deep in thought. They hadn't noticed she hadn't said anything the whole time Taranee was pitching her idea to the group.
"Well... I can see both the advantages and disadvantages about having someone like Detective Talia in on our secret. The only thing I really have to say is, do we have a choice? I think we should convince her to help us. Otherwise, if you guys think you have better Ideas, you should pitch em now. Right now Taranee's is the only one that makes sense in our situation." Will replied with her two cents on the subject. "I'm as greatly disturbed as you guys about her knowing our secret, but there is no use crying over spilled milk. The only real problem I see is convincing her about who we are and what we do."
"Well, we could take her to Meridian. I know that was proof enough for me when we finally went there." Hay Lin replied as the idea spontaneously popped into her head.
"That would so totally freak her out. And there is nothing like seeing to believe." Taranee replied thinking about it. "We should just give her a little talk before hand though. It's going to be quite shocking for her world to be turned upside down and inside out like that."
"I don't mind. I never really liked her anyways," Cornelia replied to the group.
"Since when have you liked anyone else besides Caleb and Elyon Cornelia?" Irma replied rolling her eyes.
"Okay, stop it for a minute guys. We have to go help Elyon. You both are not making this easy right now." Will replied, feeling a big headache coming. "So we tell Talia the truth and bring her to Meridian if she doesn't believe us. Hopefully she will believe us, or we'll have to think of something else..."
With that they all turned as a group towards the detective who looked as worn out as they felt. They all crowded around her and semi-waited. The real question was where to begin. Will took the initiative and started from the beginning. They all took turns explaining everything to Talia; from the strange things they noticed happening around her, to the events the night of Halloween dance and the eventual Disappearance of Elyon. They explained how Yan Lin was a Guardian before them and who Phobos was. Eventually the story ended in the present with where they were now.
"Okay, I'm going to take the vine away from your mouth if you promise not to scream? We would much rather not anyone else found out about us. We are not ready for such an eventuality as that." Cornelia asked of Detective Talia, who merely nodded, since that was all she could do. The vine came away from her mouth and she took in a big breath, and then spit out pieces of plant.
"Bleh, I never want to taste creeping vine again." Talia replied before looking around at her captors.
"I wouldn't either. Then again I never liked Vegetables." Irma replied with a grin across her face.
"We know you probably have a lot of questions, but we need to make this quick. As you can see, we need to help Elyon. Whatever Phobos has planned, it isn't returning Elyon to the throne." Will stated to the Detective before her. "I know this is really hard to believe, but you have to. Lives are at stake here, and not just ours. The whole world is in danger and we have to..."
"You really expect me to believe a story like that. I've seen some strange things tonight, but you honestly think I would believe a story like that without some... proof?" Talia said, fear and anger coloring her voice. The stress was defiantly getting to her.
"Then how do you explain this?" Taranee replied igniting a ball of fire in her hand, which she then began to make it dance about them. It cast light about in the darkness that had overtaken Heatherfield. The other girls got what Taranee was trying to do. Talia just couldn't believe they had magical powers and do the things they explained they could do. So they had to show her that what they said was true.
"And what about the creeping vines that I used to tie you up? Huh?" Cornelia asked. "You don't think those just randomly crawled around you did you?"
"Well... No... but-" Talia began to say before Hay Lin gracefully took off and began to do loops in the air around them.
"Look, Talia. There is something we could really show you to prove this story is not a story. Guys, let's take her to Meridian. If there is any doubt in your mind, this should help erase it." Will said to the disbelieving detective. "Cornelia, Untie her. We'll let Talia walk this time. Besides, I don't want to carry her all the way to the portal."
"Alright. If you make one false move, or try to get away again, you'll be eating more vines for dinner, okay?" Cornelia warned bending over the disabled detective. Talia only gave a curt nod, before Cornelia waved her hand causing the vines to pull away from her. Talia slowly stood up rubbing circulation back into her extremities.
"Where's my gun?" Talia asked, uncertain if any of them had picked it up. It could be a serious thing if she lost her firearm. She would never hear the end of it back at the station. Talia the perfect detective loosing her firearm where some kid could just pick it up. On top of that, she was quite sure how she would explain to her superiors how she lost it in the first place.
"Oh, you mean this one?" Hay Lin asked holding a Glock 9mm by the butt upside down. "I happened to grab it when we moved you. Didn't want to leave it for some kid to find."
"Be careful with that. The safety is off..." Talia warned holding a hand out for it.
"I think we should hold onto that for awhile." Will replied as Irma examined the gun.
"Here, let me hold it. I know where the safety is on this model." Irma said to Hay Lin. "My dad showed me a few of the police issue guns and how to hold them."
"Yea... I don't like holding that thing." Hay Lin replied gladly handing the gun over to Irma, who promptly turned the safety on. Talia noted that she even held the gun properly, keeping her finger off of the trigger and pointing it anywhere but at a person. It made sense though, since Irma's father was an officer on the force.
"What, you guys don't trust me?" Talia asked of the group before her.
"No, not exactly. You haven't exactly proven you can be trustworthy." Taranee replied, reminding Talia that it was she who had followed them and discovered their secret.
"Well I was just doing my job. We knew something was up because you guys weren't telling the whole story. I just needed to find out what it was." Talia said reminding them who she was.
"Well the point is moot. Time is a wasting and we need to go help Elyon." Cornelia said reminding them that they should be on their way.
"Right, well Hay Lin, why don't you take point and look out for anyone we should avoid. Taranee can lead and Talia will..." Will started to say before Hay Lin interrupted.
"Take what?" She said, a look of confusion clearly showing on her face.
"Oh uh... take point. You know, scout ahead of us?" Will explained, a look of puzzlement coming across her face. "You know, I don't ever recall learning that term before."
Shrugging it off, she continued how to explain to everyone how they would work their way over to the portal. Talia was quite shocked actually because she recognized the military formation a squad would use if they were escorting a VIP. There was no indication of ANY military training in the Vandom family. So Talia was wondering where she could have picked up on something like that. Will even used proper military terms for some of the maneuvers she was describing to the group before her.
"Uh, Will? Where did you learn all this?" Taranee asked, stating the question that was on the group's mind.
"Honestly... I... I have no idea. It just seemed right though." Will replied shrugging. "I'm pretty sure it wasn't the Heart that taught me any of it."
"The what?" Talia asked, clearly confused at Will's terminology.
"Oh, this," Will replied grabbing the heart of Kandrakar that gracefully hung from her neck showing it to Detective Talia. "It's the Heart of Kandrakar, the thing that kind of enhances our abilities. Remember we explained that in our story, or were you not listening?"
"I uh... Just forgot. You have to realize this is all hard to believe for me. It's also a lot to take in." Talia replied to Will, who just shrugged.
"Just give us a few more minutes and you'll start to believe. For now, let's just focus on getting to the portal." Will replied gesturing for the group to start out.
Everyone got in their places and started moving towards the portal that awaited them. Everything worked out great, and they only had to make one detour because of a couple out for an evening stroll. Hay Lin's scouting got them to the portal within about 20 minutes. Talia had really run far from where they had been, and on top of that they had to be cautious as they traveled so they wouldn't be discovered.
The street lamps provided just enough light to see, while allowing them ample cover in the shadows. The city provided a seemingly peaceful stroll in the night, punctuated by night sounds that accompanied any evening in Heatherfield. While Heatherfield was a small town, it was still large enough for a nightlife to exist. Some of the more ugly elements of Heatherfield made their appearance at night. However, the girls were lucky enough none of these elements chose to show themselves at all during their walk back to the portal.
"Alright, Hay Lin, Taranee, go ahead and go through. We'll send Talia next and Cornelia, Irma, and I will follow after words." Will said to the group who all nodded in agreement. All except Talia who was shaking her head.
"We're not going into that are we? I-I mean I don't think it's a good Idea? Is it safe?" Talia asked clearly showing her fear of the blue portal before them.
"And that's why Hay Lin and Taranee are going first, to show you it won't hurt you. Now let's please get on with this." Cornelia said plainly irritated. And with that, first Taranee and then Hay Lin stepped through the portal disappearing from view.
"It's your turn Detective Talia." Will said, guiding the uncertain detective towards the swirling blue anomaly before them. "We know what we're doing, more or less."
"Wh-what do you m-mean more or leeeeeessssssssssssssssss!" Talia stuttered just as Will gave her a quick shove into the portal. The world went bright as Talia stumbled forward, causing her to close her eyes. She tripped and hit the ground. The first thing she noticed when she opened her eyes was that it wasn't cement or pavement she had hit. It was dirt.
Quickly, Talia looked around her to find that the alley had disappeared, replaced by a jungle like area with flora and fauna she had never seen before. Standing before her were Taranee and Hay Lin who were grinning at Talia, before walking over to help her up.
"Surprise!" Hay Lin said to the stunned detective who was at a loss for words.
"Where are we?!" Talia said nearly screaming, panic mode re-engaging. "This is not real!"
"Yes, this is all a figment of your imagination. The police department thought it would be a good joke to play on you." Irma joked with her usual humor from behind Talia who had spun around to see who it was. With Irma was Will and Cornelia who had come through the portal right after Talia.
"Welcome to Meridian Detective Talia!" Will said raising her arms to indicate the world about them. "And, it's about as real as it gets."
Talia continue to look about her, captivated by the scene before her. And if to help cement it in, the swirling portal from where they had emerged glowed brightly behind the three girls. The lighting all around them was different too. No longer was it the cool dark night the alley had been covered in. No, now it was much brighter, a muted light though as Talia looked up at the gray cloud cover that seemed to bring a certain misery to the whole situation.
No, this wasn't a dream or a hallucination. As Will said, this is as real as it gets. Her wandering mind was brought to full attention when she heard rustling in the plants to her left. All the girls tensed up looking towards the sound too, and from the looks on their face they looked like they were ready to fight a battle.
"What is it?" Talia whispered to Hay Lin who still was in front of her. Hay Lin only shook her head implying that Talia should be silent. Talia reached for the gun that was normally holstered at her side, realizing that Irma still held it. The sudden feeling of not having the familiar grip of the gun in her hand left Talia feeling very naked.
The rustling stopped as a greenish colored figure appeared, and at the almost exact time a horrid smell hit her.
"Blunk find Portal! Blunk find Girls!" The small ugly monster exclaimed to the girls who all noticeably relaxed around Talia, who was trying not to gag from the smell.
"Gah, Blunk! You know better then to sneak up on us like that. One of these days we're not going to realize it's you and totally attack you." Will said to the character who seemed to be Blunk.
"Blunk sorry. But girls must hurry! The attack is about to start!" Blunk replied to Will, and then finally noticing Talia. "Oooo! New girl!"
"Uh, yea. Blunk, this is our friend... Detective Talia." Taranee replied indicating Talia who still was having trouble trying to breathe with the smell.
"Uh... Hi." Was all Talia could say, not exactly sure what to say. However before Blunk could reply, Cornelia cut in clearly anxious.
"Can we get this over with? The attack is about to start and we need to be there!" The nervousness present within the assertive blond clearly colored her voice.
"Right... Okay Talia. I think you should head back to Earth. We need to help Elyon right now. Irma give her back her gun." Will said to the Detective who was starting to get used to her surroundings. Irma walked over and held out the gun to Talia who took it and checked the safety nervously.
"After you are back through the portal I'm going to close it Talia. That way no one from meridian can get through to earth, and no one from earth can get through to Meridian." Will said gesturing to the portal, holding out the heart of Kandrakar at ready.
"But... if you close the portal how will you get back?" Talia asked, curiosity overpowering the feelings of running through the portal and all the way back to her house.
"I can make another one. We'll be fine Talia... We'll see you soon enough." Will said to Talia who looked like she quite didn't believe her. However, the need to return to a reality that was normal overpowered any other doubts Talia had and she stepped up to the portal.
"Oh, before you go. Can you do us all a favor?" Taranee asked of the Detective, who stopped and turned around.
"Uh... maybe. What is it?" Talia asked tentatively, unsure if she should just step through the portal anyways and leave this all behind.
"Can you keep this all a secret. We aren't ready for our parents to know. Let alone the world." Taranee stated to the Detective who stood there for a moment, and then nodded. Talia could see the fear in all the girls eyes. Apparently they saved the world every day... but in the end they were still just kids.
"I can do that. I don't think anyone would believe me anyways," She replied a sheepish smile covering her face. "Goodbye I guess."
All the girls waved at Talia as she stepped through the portal back to earth. Immediately she noticed the cold and the dark alley before her. Turning around, she watched as the portal shrunk and disappeared before her eyes. Blinking, she tried to imagine it there again, acting as a gateway to a different world. Turning, she began the long cold walk back to her car... and possibly a bar. This was all still a lot to take in.
Back in Meridian, the girls gestured for Blunk to lead the way. It was time to challenge Phobos and save Elyon... if they could.
Ω
"They found her body resting by the river..." The radio blared, a popular new tune from Tickle Me Pink. The song always depressed Detective Ethan Riley, as it reminded him of a case he once worked a few years back. "Madeline! Madeline! You will be remembered! Made-"
The radio was cutoff as Ethan turned the sedan's engine off. He was parked just outside the Petersburg residence. Yellow police tape could be seen tapped to the door. Around the side where the Family dinning room window was, more police tape covered the shattered glass pane where the sniper bullet had nearly killed Jonathan. CSI had already been by and documented everything, so the Petersburg family was free to move back into the residence. However, for security reasons, they had not yet.
That was all fine for Ethan though as he stepped out of the Sedan. If any of Senator Petersburg's story was true, which he was starting to believe, he would need physical proof before he could go to the police chief, and maybe even the FBI. Jonathan had given instructions on where to find the evidence to support his story. Some of it was in virtual documents on a hidden ghost drive on his home network. The rest of it was physical documents stashed away in a hidden safe.
Ethan knew that time was limited if Jonathan's story was true, because the Majestic 12 had eyes everywhere and probably knew that the Senator wasn't dead. It also meant that he himself was in danger since he now knew about the secretive group. Tearing down the police tape, Ethan opened up the door to the Petersburg residence and stepped in.
Three blocks away, a used 4 door Pontiac sat idling. Blue paint was peeling off of the doors and rust spots could be seen in various places. The interior was a red color and there were plenty of holes in the seats. A man inside with wire rimmed glasses and a pock marked face watched Detective Ethan make his way over to the Petersburg residence and step in.
Jonas had been tailing the detective for quite some time, looking for the right opportunity to strike. Now seemed to be the best time as any, since he would be able to also recover the evidence linking Senator Petersburg to the rest of Majestic 12, as well as kill Ethan. It would be a double bonus for him in light of his recent failures with the Vandoms. The Detective had been in the presence of his partner all day, up until they split up at the hospital. Then Ethan left with out Talia and drove through town until he came to here.
The Detective must not have been looking for a tail or was really good at hiding that he knew someone was following him, because it was no problem for Jonas to follow him. Stepping out of the car, he looked around to make sure no one was looking. He then reached into the glove compartment and took out a silenced 9mm Beretta. Stuffing it into his black trench coat, he then discreetly made his way over to the Petersburg residence.
Ω
It was all amazing! Invoices! Receipts! Meeting Agendas! Research papers! All of it was here, and there was much more. Employee lists, meeting locations, and assassination orders were just the tip of the iceberg, sorted and stored in various file folders in the safe. It was a prosecutor's wet dream and a criminal's worst nightmare. Links to some very well known names were indicated in many of the documents, including CEO's, Politicians, and even Nobel Prize winning scientists!
Ethan was amazed at the mountain of evidence that lay before him. Just the receipts alone could prove half a dozen conspiracies's and solve many murders. He hadn't even gotten to the ghost drive yet with all the virtual evidence. There was no way the Senator was lying. There was too much information here for it to be a fabrication of a crazed lunatic. No, this was much more.
As Detective Ethan kept reading through all the evidence collected, the scope and gravity of the situation became deadly clear. Whoever Majestic 12 was, they were big… no not big… huge. They made the CIA and MI6 look like a big joke. But it also worried him… a lot. Senator Petersburg must have been working on coming clean because this was a large paper trail to just leave behind. He also must have been planning it for a long time, because there were documents dating back nearly 10 years, a good 3-4 years before he even became a senator.
The picture was crystal clear and laying before Ethan in an entirely new light. This… this group… this whole thing was way out of his league and he did not like it. He felt naked now, knowing the truth of what was really going on.
Sifting through the papers, he found documents pertaining to the present… to Project Innocent Assassins. The names of several hundred children were listed, including Wilhelmina Vandom. There was also a detailed file on Will including missions run and everything except… Except what was that creaking noise?
Looking up from the file he was reading, Ethan listened hard. There it was again, the creaking of loose floorboards. Ethan had grown up in a house that creaked and moaned throughout the day and night. But this was different, as if someone was trying to sneak up on him. That put Ethan on high alert because nobody should be creeping through the house. If it was a family member, they would have no need to creep.
Just as Ethan was bout to get up from the Queen sized bed he had been sitting on in the Senator's bedroom, the door burst inward with tremendous force. There standing in the door way was a man with wiry glasses, a pockmarked face, and greasy hair. He wore a black trench coat and his gloved hands held a silenced pistol pointed directly at Ethan.
Jonas had done his best to hide his movements throughout the house, but the damned floor boards were surely giving him away. However, he was fairly certain the detective was in the master bedroom as the hall light leading to it was on. He could see the light in the room was on through the slightly ajar door. Kicking the door open and bringing his gun to bear, Jonas' guess was confirmed as the startled detective looked at the man pointing the gun at him. Time to die Detective Ethan...
Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the intruder squeezed the trigger and the gun made a small hiccup sound accompanied with a flash. As Ethan's assailant squeezed the trigger again, the feeling of pain in his chest registered with his brain and brought reality up to full speed again. Rolling across the bed to find himself on the other side and taking cover from his attacker, Ethan reached for the gun holstered in the shoulder holster he put on every morning before coming to work.
A few more shots landed with a thwack! in the dry wall across from Ethan. Without even thinking Ethan unsnapped the Glock 9mm and aimed it over the bed in the general direction of his assailant and pulled the trigger. His un-silenced Glock clapped loudly in comparison to the silenced 9mm, but it was a welcome sound. There was a startled yelp from his attacker, so maybe he had been lucky.
Crawling to the end of the bed and then peeking out to look at the door, Ethan found his attacker wasn't there. Unfortunately for his attacker, the hall light gave away his position behind the wall; a small shadow visible in the door way. Ethan knew these thin walls would not protect the man, so taking aim at the crème colored wall where the man should have been, Ethan fired his gun several times.
He knew he was successful as there was a startled gasp and a thump as his assailant's body hit the floor. Getting up and cautiously approaching the door, Ethan peered out to find the man who had been shooting him lying in a pool of his own blood. Kicking the silenced 9mm aside, Ethan checked his pulse and found none.
Searching the dead man's body, Ethan found nothing to give him a clue to his assailant's identity. Whoever he was, and whoever he worked for would remain a mystery. However, Ethan had a pretty good idea who the man worked for; Majestic 12. Ethan realized the would-be assassin probably had either tailed him to the Petersburg residence or had been waiting for him there.
With the sudden burst of adrenaline gone, Ethan began to really feel the pain in his chest. Fingering the blackened holes in his button up shirt, Ethan could feel the Kevlar vest underneath. Ripping his shirt open, he pulled the metal plate out of the vest that covered his heart. There in the near center were two identical dents, a testament to the man's aim. If Ethan had not been wearing his vest, he would have died after those first two shots.
One good thing had come out of his father's death, and it was the wearing of Kevlar vests. His father had been old fashioned and chose not to wear a Kevlar vest. It was heavy and could get hot sometimes. But not wearing it had been the reason he had died. In truth, if he had been wearing a vest the day of that fateful shootout with the bank robbers, Joseph Riley might still be walking around, showing his son how to handle the ropes.
In truth, Ethan had been very lucky. If his assailant had realized he was wearing the Kevlar vest, his aim would have been about a foot higher pointing at Ethan's head. One man's miscalculations were another man's triumph.
With the pain in his chest a blinding reminder of the danger he was in, Ethan returned to the room and gathered up the documents that had been scattered about in his mad scramble for cover. Then an idea popped up in his head as he was picking up the various personal files. Sifting through the various records, he came across the face of the man who had confronted him earlier.
Eagerly glancing through the file, Ethan was brought to disappointment as only a codename "Jonas" was listed. The rest of the file had unknowns written under age, place of birth, and history. Whoever he was, he wasn't known to the Majestic 12 either. Sighing, he gathered the rest of the documents up and moved onto the Senator's office.
Logging into the computer using the username and password he had been given by Jonathan, Ethan discovered the hidden drive was an external connected to the PC via a USB cable. Disconnecting the drive, Ethan was about to leave the office when his cell phone rang. It was Detective Talia. Looking at his watch, he knew that it had gotten late in the evening and his partner was probably trying to check up on him.
That was bad though, very bad. Majestic 12 probably had his line tapped, and they would soon know about the failure of their hitman on him. So he ignored the call and turned his cell off. Perhaps paranoia was getting to him, but Ethan felt it was better safe then sorry. Besides, what was that one saying? "Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean there isn't someone following me."
Speaking of which, Ethan pondered if he should call the shoot out in to dispatch. But again, paranoia whispered thoughts of more danger to come if he didn't. So, he stepped over the body of "Jonas" avoiding the blood that was starting to congeal, and left the house. He needed time to think and read. He needed a place that was safe and secure from all these conspiracies and plots of murder. As he started the engine of the blue sedan, a perfect place popped into his head; a place from his past.
A/N: Tada! It's finished! No! Not the story you silly! The chapter! I'm really pleased with the way the ending showdown between Ethan and the mysterious hitman turned out. It more then makes up for the guardian's scene which I think could use a little more work. But it's fine the way it is right now. So, hopefully I'll have a new chapter out soon!
Just an FYI to all those of you who don't like to read long profiles, I usually update my Work in Progress section with information about new chapters and various things each time I post a chapter. If you don't feel like scrolling through my entire profile to see what I've changed, I do have a change log at the very bottom that lists where my changes are for that time around.
Anyways! Enough about me. Be sure to leave reviews! They are much appreciated!