Disclaimer: WordGirl is property of Soup2Nuts, PBS and Scholastic. This is a fanfiction and not the doings of the show's creators.
A/N I hope you enjoy the chapter; it's shorter than I intended it to be, but I think it's for the better. R constructive criticism always welcome.
"You know, I use to be a world class flying ace." The pilot of the small aircraft spoke. "I use to fly in all the big air shows and people would come from miles around to see me." He then proceeded to swerve the plane on and off course.
"Please stop." Sally gripped the arm of her chair.
"Oh don't worry," the pilot gave her a thumbs up. "I use to be a world class flying ace."
"I know," Sally sighed. "You've told me, about a hundred times." The disheartened woman looked out of the window of the small craft hoping to spot something familiar below; something to say she was almost home.
"Yeah, it's a good story to tell. It's even better if you could of seen me. People would come from miles around just to see me fly."
Sally tried to ignore the man. It had only been three hours, but it felt more like three years. All she could think about was Becky. Where could her daughter have gone?
"We're going to have to make another stop." The pilot spoke. "I'm almost out of fuel again. Wouldn't that be awful if we ran out. Woo, I'd have to use my world class flying ace skills to land us safely on a lake or something. I'd be a hero."
"Why me?"
o.
Sitting silently in the back of Dr. Two-Brains van were TJ, Violet and Todd. Tired, confused and disappointed, the group's only hope of saving Becky and Tobey was to head back to the police station.
"We should be out looking for Becky," TJ was staring at the floor, avoiding eye contact with the other two children. His whole body trembled with anger.
"There's nothing we can really do TJ," Violet spoke softly. She shivered slightly from the wetness of her clothes and sent a worried glance in Todd's direction. He was occupying himself with the view outside. "Even Two-Brains thinks it would be best to head back and tell the police."
"Yeah, and waste more time!" TJ's outburst startled the adults at the front of the vehicle, but they chose not to respond to him. "What if that Adler guy has my sister, you saw how dangerous he is!"
"That just shows how much we can't help TJ," Violet glared at the younger boy. "This is too much for us to handle alone. We'd be wasting more time trying to fight Adler alone then we are getting help."
TJ could think of nothing to combat Violet's remark. Instead, he focused his attention back on the floor. . . There really wasn't anything he could do. It was dumb luck that had saved Todd back at the lake house, not anything he and Violet had done. Plus they still didn't know where to look for Becky, but perhaps the police could track down Adler. TJ clenched his fists, he hated this helpless feeling. . . WordGirl just had to help, she just had to be out there working on Becky's behalf.
Though TJ was too vexed to look outside, he was comforted knowing his hero was out looking for . . . no, finding his sister. WordGirl would pull thru for him; she always did.
Violet on the other hand began to think about what she had just said. Did she really believe there was nothing they could do to help Becky? Of course not, telling the police about Adler was the best thing they could do for her. Though, Violet could agree with TJ that this didn't feel all to great. Violet sighed. She then turned her attention to Todd.
"Are you okay?" Back at the lake house there wasn't much time to ask Todd about his ordeal. TJ's and Violet's rescue had happened so fast, Violet wasn't even sure how everything went down. Or maybe that was due to her little accident. Either way, now felt like a good time to ask.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"They didn't hurt you did they?"
Todd seemed to shut down after this question. He closed his eyes and declined to answer. Violet waited just a moment more before Todd did speak up. His speech was directed to her, but Violet could tell he was seeking some kind of condolence in his own words.
"I should be dead right now . . ." he paused for a moment; the van's engine humming being the only sound in the vehicle. "This is the second time I've been saved this week. . . What happened to Becky?"
Violet explained as best she could, leaving out the part of Becky begin WordGirl that is. "I think she went out looking for you, but now she's missing too. WordGirl hasn't been around all night either, but I'm sure she's out looking for Adler."
Todd sighed.
"So it's my fault Becky's missing?"
"No," Violet didn't want Todd to feel guilty for Becky's disappearance. It was because Becky was WordGirl that she had to run off. Becky just must have been so caught up in the search she forgot to let her parents know she was out. Either that or her amnesia was kicking in again. "Becky's going to be fine."
"How do you know?" TJ spat suddenly entering their conversation. He was angry and ready to point fingers. "If you know where she is why don't you tell us already Violet?"
"I don't know where she is."
"At the police station you said you did! So which is it Violet!" TJ was so angry Violet could feel the heat on his face as he got up into hers. "Spill it Violet!"
"Calm down back there," Steven warned. "You're not helping anyone by acting like an animal boy."
"Shut-up old man!" Tears feel from TJ's eyes as the driver glared back at the boy from the rearview mirror. Todd quickly retaliated on the young boy.
"No you shut-up, you're no good to any of us right now. You're screaming and yelling and you almost got us killed on that bike. If you really want to help your sister let her do what she's gotta do and help us identify Adler!"
Everyone was quiet after that outburst. TJ resumed his watching the floor, Todd watching the window, Steven the road, Claire the time. Violet just let the questions roll in her mind, unsure of anything now.
The van pulled up to the police station.
"Get in there and tell them everything you know about the guy." Steven ushered the three children out of his van. "Get every police officer in the station on this case if you can." The children looked up at the police station, angry that this was the only option they had. No WordGirl, no brave attempts at heroism, no clue to their friends' whereabouts; just a strange man's advice.
Claire nodded in response as she too stepped out of the van in front of the sation. She didn't want to stop her search here, but she knew Todd would need some help convincing the police to quit their manhunt for Two-Brains.
"I'm trusting you not to double cross us." Claire said firmly as the mousy villain returned to the driver's seat.
"I'm going to keep looking for them, I promise."
"Are you sure you can handle this on your own?"
"No." Steven smiled confidently. He pulled away from the battered group, watching them enter the station from his rearview mirror; his daunting task looking grimmer by the minute. He still blamed himself, and yet he knew a greater danger was still lose in the city. There was no time to feel sorry for himself, WordGirl needed his help, Tobey was in danger, and other children could be next on Adler's list.
"I'm sorry." A soft voice could scantily be heard over the engine. Steven quickly sent his gaze skyward to acknowledge the speaker before returning his eyes to the road.
"Why won't you tell me where they are?"
"I don't know where they are."
"You're the narrator!" Steven yelled nearly losing control of his van for the second time that day. "You know everything!"
The narrator didn't answer. After his run in with the group earlier, he returned to his work station. He couldn't risk Mr. Comte noticing him missing. Leaving the school was strictly against High Law and would result in a whole lot more than an expulsion. Still, he was proud of his decision to help.
"Can't you at least tell me where I can find Adler?" Steven asked trying his best to remove the agitation from his voice.
"No," the narrator heaved. "My hands are bound by High Law. I'm not even supposed to be talking with you right now."
"What's High Law?"
There was a long pause. Steven waited. It was then he came upon the warehouse where he had last seen his henchmen.
"You're not going to answer me are you?" Steven left his vehicle and entered the warehouse. Save for the dust particles that dance about in the morning light, the building was empty. "I'm wasting my time, aren't I?" Steven sat down on a nearby crate to think.
"It's more like several laws," the silent narrator, who had merely been contemplating his answer, finally spoke. "It was a law made by Britannica's former queen to protect Earth from all foreign influences."
Steven raised an eyebrow.
"So, you're saying that you're an alien, and there are alien rules to protect Earth?"
"Pretty much."
"So, you're going to tell me about it? Isn't that against the law?"
"Well, if Adler's finding a way to break the law, then I only think it's fair that Earth knows about it."
"You do realize that I'm a villain, right?" Steven lowered his head at the shameful fact.
"True, you are a villain," the narrator's voice perked up a bit. "But you're an Earth villain."
Steven smiled lightly at the comment. He couldn't fight logic like that.
o.
"Grandma?" Only WordGirl could hear the words coming from Tobey's mouth. The roar of the council drowned out any hopes of being hear. "That's my gammy sweet mum-mums!" Tobey's face lit up, but then faded. "What is she doing here?"
The doors to the council room opened again as Nona ran to the children's side.
"You two should not have come in like this," Nona struggled to be heard over the crowd. "You're not supposed to be introduced yet." Nona grabbed Tobey's arm and tried to pull him from the room, but she stopped when a sudden hush came over the council.
Tobey's grandmother had raised her hands as a signal for silence. Everyone gave their full attention to her; Nona released her hold on Tobey. Both Tobey and WordGirl were put off by the sudden change in mood by the whole council. The silence was worse than the taunting.
"Why isn't she saying anything?" WordGirl tried to whisper, but Nona gave her a hard nudge to rebuke her questioning. The silence remained for another two minutes as the eldest member just stared at them from her elevated position. Tobey then stepped forward.
"Well if no one else is going to speak . . ."
Nona hurriedly threw her hands around Tobey's mouth. All eyes shifted to the couple.
"Don't you dare say anything." She hissed in his ear while smiling up at the gawking crowd. Nona straightened up and stepped in front of the two children. "Your majesty," Nona bowed her head to the elder woman. "I'm sorry for the, unorthodox manner at which we have come here today, but we acknowledge your immense, and humbly ask for a private audience with you."
The crowd broke out into whispers again as Nona lifted her gaze to the woman. Tobey looked over to WordGirl, lips parted as if he wanted to say something but was holding back.
The elder woman then nodded her head in response and, slowly, the council began exiting the room. Glares and questionable looks were shot in WordGirl's direction. They must have been mad that her being there was more important to Thesauria's queen than theirs. No, that wasn't it, it was Tobey. WordGirl looked to him as if begging him to say what he was holding back.
"She looks like my grandmother, but I don't understand how, how she's the queen of . . . and in space. . ." Tobey was at a loss. "She's supposed to be using a walker and making me cookies, not living in space as the ruler of an entire planet. I don't understand."
"I told you two to hush," Nona reprimand as the room emptied. "Not another word from either of you unless spoke to, got it?"
"Hmm." Tobey crossed his arms while WordGirl watched the older woman step down from her elevated position. Once the woman was level to the small group, Tobey broke away and ran up to his grandmother, much to Nona's horror.
"Grammy sweet mum-mums, this woman kidnaped my friend and me, and I don't understand why you're here, and you know WordGirl helps keep the city safe from people like Adler so I don't know why she's here and . . . can you tell me what's going on!"
The grandmother's eyes lit up at the information she was given. The news set in quickly with her, and she took Tobey's hand in hers.
"Have you been behaving lately?" She asked kindly.
"Just like you've told me grandma," Tobey's smile faded. "But I'm really concerned with . . ."
"And your mother is well?"
"As ever, but . . ."
His grandmother released his hand and went to stand in front of Nona.
"WordGirl is the only child you were supposed to bring back." Despite the sweetness of her voice, Nona seemed to quiver under the old woman's stare.
"I understand, but, Adler seemed to have located your, your gran-grandson?" Nona fiddled with her hands as she tried to explain. "I, I wasn't sure what to do. To be honest I didn't even know if he was, really, your, grandson. You know this changes a lot about history . . . Not that I need to tell you that- but . . . you knew . . ?"
"Adler huh?" The grandmother's face became stern. "Well I guess it couldn't remain a secret forever." She went back to her grandson and placed a hand on his shoulder to get a good look at him. "I'll be keeping Tobey here with me of course. But this bit of knowledge doesn't leave this room, understood Nona?"
"Yes your majesty."
"As for you princess," Tobey's grandmother looked to the superhero. "You are not to mention Tobey's presence to your new guardian. Do you understand?"
WordGirl lowered her eyebrows.
"No, I don't," WordGirl wasn't going to allow herself to be separated from another friend. "We're going home."
"Tobey will," the woman responded. "But you my dear have a duty to fulfill and that requires you to be here. And for Tobey's safety you will follow my instruction without hesitation."
"Wait, wait!" Tobey was still trying to make sense of his new situation. "So WordGirl's a princess and has to go back to Lexicon? And since you're the queen of this place, that means I'm prince here too, right? So, why is it okay for me to go home but not her?"
"We are going home," WordGirl interjected. "And we're going now!" WordGirl didn't want to argue the point anymore. Tobey's grandmother or not, there was no way WordGirl was going to allow herself to be taken away from Earth forever. Not for Lexicon, not to be princess, not for anything.
WordGirl took off like a shot and scooped Tobey up in her arms. The boy hardly had time to protest before WordGirl was out the door.
"She can fly!" The queen looked to Nona with agitation. "I swear, those birth defects are getting worse every year. Can you stop her?"
"I have some lexinite on me, but I'll still have to catch up with her."
"Well, do it. The last thing I want is for people to find out we found both the heirs to the largest kingdoms in existence."
"Right away." Nona ran for the door but stopped as the queen spoke one more word.
"If WordGirl uses this information against Tobey, you will pay for it Nona."
WordGirl tore thru the halls. Guards and servants were flung off their feet at her passing. They looked on in confusion until Nona ran up behind them and explained that WordGirl must be stopped. The council hall's security system was activated and everyone was on their toes. It was more of a mad house than a government building. People were everywhere trying to slow the flying wonder. Jumping up, climbing furniture, throwing random items . . . madness.
"Where are we going?" Tobey called up to his 'rescuer.'
"I don't know," WordGirl admitted. "I guess we could just fly thru a window." The plucky superhero tried to do just that, but the window proved to be more formidable a foe than she first anticipated. The window wasn't made of glass. It was some kind of clear rubbery material that she could only stretch so far. She and Tobey were flung back into the halls of the building like they were shot from a sling.
"Well that worked out well." Tobey crawled out of the heap they had made on the floor. He then proceeded to feel for his glasses. "Help me I can't see." His glasses had been knocked across the room and were now being picked up by one of the servants.
"Gimme those." WordGirl rose to her feet and approached the servant. The lady just smile absentmindedly at WordGirl. "Give that to me." WordGirl pointed at the eye wear.
"Meri samajh men nahin aya." The servant shrugged at WordGirl still smiling, but then she frowned. "Princee," The servant then seemed to recognize WordGirl as the escapee that the council hall was bustling around to get. "Yahan aiyega."
WordGirl wasn't certain what this woman was talking about, so she just snatched the glasses from the woman and went back to Tobey.
"Here Tobey, we got to get out of here."
"Why, my grandma will send us home."
"No, they all plan to keep me here. They think I'm some kind of princess and I don't want to be."
Tobey got to his feet now that he was able to see again. He watched the servant take off down the hall, probably to get some help. He then glared at WordGirl.
"So what's your plan. Keep running until we starve to death. Attack Nona and demand she get us a ship home. Pretend we're not royalty and hope to fool them."
"No," WordGirl couldn't believe Tobey was taking this kind of attitude with her. "I'm thinking we need to find a way home, stop Adler and get our lives back."
"And how are we going to do that, huh?" Tobey wheeled on the superhero, his anger actually causing her a bit of discomfort. "Because the last time I checked, we don't have a ship, we don't speak their language (despite the fact you're 'WordGirl') and they think we're their long lost leaders. People like that want to keep the royal bloodline thing going; it's how they keep their power."
"But that's just it; we're not royalty!"
"You might not be," Tobey smirked. "But I am."
"Be serious."
"I am, my Grammy's sending me home. And she'll get rid of Adler since she's queen and all. So there's no reason for me to run."
WordGirl was hurt by this comment, but knew it was true. Tobey had his ride home, why would she deny him of that.
"What about me?" WordGirl asked.
Tobey tried to hold his unconcerned expression, but his emotions betrayed him.
"Well, you're the princess of Lexicon," he reasoned. "You're going to be treated better here than on Earth anyway."
"Tobey? I'm the city's superhero."
"Not to Becky you weren't."
It was at this time Nona and a few guards appeared at the end of the hall. WordGirl didn't even try to run. She lowered her head and allowed Nona and the lexinite to catch up to her.