Well, since there was only one response to my authors note at the end of the last chapter, by default, I'll be going with Fireflyoflight's request! You are the requester, so this chapter goes out to you, Firefly!
This chapter may go out to Firefly, but I've hidden a few little surprises in here for each of my friends, the reviewers, as well. Keep your eyes peeled ;)
To Carcaohtar (squee! This is the first time I've spelled your username right without having to go back and look at it!): Aw! I'm glad you liked the Raz-Lili reunion! There is more fluff to come between the two in this chapter, and another reunion with an old friend will be thrown into the mix! Wuh-oh…did I copy someone with my psitanium based 'holy water'? If I did, please let me know and I'll make a disclaimer. I dun wanna be a copy cat. I had the limiters in Loyalties and Where They Lie…perhaps you recalled those? Bow chika weh ow! Oh yeah! Vern and Ellie know each other real well ;). Yes! All hail Dart! And yes, I saw those posters. I just thought I'd spare you readers the confusion of meeting those siblings, so I made them into fellow Aquato gypsies instead. Thanks so so much for the fave!
To Fireflyoflight457: Yep, you were right! Cant wait for a new chapter, huh? Well, good thing I happen to have one right here for ya!
To Lazycrazysugarhighchick: XD! Thank you! You make me blush!
To Lyn: I hate it when the site eats reviews too X0. Yes, there is no denying the awsomenessness that is Lili Zanotto XD!
Chapter Four
Raz, Anita, Fred, Boyd, Phoebe, Lili, and Quentin all stood in front of the door to Vernon's apartment; tensely awaiting for someone to answer the door. Minutes ticked past and there was no answer.
"Fred? Boyd? What? Lili? Phoebe and Quentin too? What are you guys doing he….oh my god…" A voice from just down the hall muttered. Everyone turned to see Franke Athens standing in the hallway pale with shock as she stared at Raz.
"Ah, Franke! We were hoping we'd catch you. Do you know where Vernon is? We really need to speak with both of you." Fred said.
"Um…y-you just missed him…h-he decided to…erm…go out of town for a few days to cool off…" Franke said faintly. She blinked rapidly, rubbed her eyes and shook her head in an attempt to make the ghost among the group of her friends disappear.
"Okay…can we speak with you in private?" Fred asked. Franke nodded dumbly and opened the door to her apartment right next door to Vernon's. The group filed inside silently. Franke invited them to take a seat in the living room, never taking her eyes off of Raz.
Everyone sat in awkward silence in the living room. No one was quite sure where to begin.
"So, Franke, how'd you and Vernon come to be next door neighbors?" Raz asked warmly. Franke jolted and sputtered.
"I-I…uh…I'm sorry, but…d-do I know you?" Franke asked. Raz smiled at her warmly.
"Franke, I am just who you think I am. You're not crazy. I'm just as real as you are." Raz said.
"B-but you're dead…I-I-I went to your funeral…" Franke whispered.
"We only thought he was dead, Franke." Phoebe said.
"If you'll remember, his body was never recovered." Quentin said. The gang proceeded to fill Franke in on Raz's 'return from the dead'.
"My god…how'd you get away? How'd you end up in France?" Franke asked. Raz cast his gaze to the ground.
"Honestly, I still can't remember; but I'm here now, aren't I?" Raz said. Franke made no inclination of an answer.
"Are you going to join us or not?" Lili asked impatiently. Franke had the look of a deer caught in the headlights. Phoebe sighed.
"You don't believe us, do you, Franke?" Phoebe said.
"I-I don't know what to believe…" Franke said. "I just really don't know…"
"It's alright, Franke. This is a lot to absorb." Quentin said understandingly.
"J-just give me a few days…I wanna talk this over with Vernon." Franke said. Fred nodded understandingly.
"That's fine. You just come on down to the Bonaparte Estate when you have your answer." Fred said. Without another word, everyone (minus Franke, of course) rose from their seats and left Franke to her thoughts.
"Well, that was a brilliant success." Lili muttered darkly.
"It's a lot to process, Lili." Quentin said.
"You'd think she'd have a little more faith in us." Lili said.
"Hey, it's a pretty unbelievable story. I can't say I blame her for questioning it." Raz said.
"I hope you're not expecting everyone you go to to instantly and without hesitation join your crusade; because, I hate to tell you this, but the odds of that are slim." Fred said.
"And this is coming from a world-renowned psychiatrist. He knows how the human mind works. I hate to say it, but Fred is right." Phoebe said. "This won't be easy."
"But zat does not mean zat it is impossible." Anita said.
"Anita's right. I believe that the plan will still work. We just have to really put all our effort into it. We gotta keep trying. We'll come back to Franke later. Who should we try for next?" Raz asked. Everyone pondered the question carefully.
"It's a stretch…it could turn out either way…she could be the hardest or the easiest to persuade…" Quentin muttered to himself.
"Who?" Phoebe asked.
"Elka. Elka Doom." Quentin said.
"That's right! She may have had visions to back up our story!" Lili said.
"On the other hand, she's damn stubborn and thick headed. Once she has made a decision, it's impossible to change her mind." Phoebe said.
"Then again, wherever Elka is, Nils is never far. If we can't convince Elka, I think Nils will be easier to persuade; and if Nils joins us, there's a better chance that Elka will follow him." Quentin said.
"Yeah, or she could go into one of her hissy fits with Nils not being totally under her control and turn us all in to get her way." Lili said.
"It's a big risk, but I think we should go for it. Her medical expertise would be a real asset to the rebellion." Quentin said.
"So, are we all in agreement?" Phoebe asked.
"Yeah, I think that winning Elka over is a good next move." Raz said.
"Okay, then Elka it is." Phoebe said.
"Great! Where do we find her?" Raz asked.
"Well, if I'm not mistaken, she's stationed up in New York City right now." Phoebe said. Quentin nodded.
"Now, as I'm sure you all know, we just can't prance up to her willy-nilly. Lerio is watching his best people like a hawk. Lili wouldn't work. Lerio would be suspicious of the daughter of his biggest adversary returning to the force to pay a friendly visit to an old friend. Raz can't do it because…well, he needs to stay dead for a while longer. Lerio might get suspicious if Phoebe and I were to go out of our way to see Elka." Quentin said.
"But I feel that it'll take all four of us to convince her of our story." Phoebe said. Quentin nodded.
"I think that the only way we're going to confront her properly and successfully get our point across is if we do it discretely and in disguise." Quentin said.
"Now, how to go about it?" Raz asked. After deliberating long into the night, a plan was finally set. Phoebe and Quentin returned home while Lili accepted Fred's invitation to put her up at the Bonaparte Estate.
Lili and Raz sat on the sofa in the library, curled up together by the fire and just enjoying the company of the other.
"Lili" Raz asked softly. His expression was deeply troubled.
"What's wrong, Raz?" Lili asked.
"I was wondering…a-about my father…" Raz began. Lili nodded understandingly.
"Oh, yes. I don't know why I forgot that you'd ask about him." Lili said. This made Raz very tense and pale. Lili smirked at him reassuringly.
"He and I keep in touch. He's become like a second father to me. He sends me gifts on my birthday and Christmas...everything he so desperately wanted to do for you." Lili said. Raz's expression brightened.
"S-so he's okay?" Raz asked. Lili nodded.
"He's fit as any acrobat should be." Lili said.
"How am I ever going to find him when he lives with a traveling circus?" Raz sighed, looking even more depressed than before.
"I'll put Dogen right on it. He'll find them." Lili said. Her smirk grew and grew until it was an uncontrollable grin. She began to chuckle. Her chuckles turned to giggles and her giggles to a full blown fit of laughter.
"Do-Dogen is gonna shit himself when he finds out you're back!" Lili laughed.
Thisisthelinethatmeansthesceneischangingthisisthelinethatmeansthesceneischanging
Fred and Boyd clanked their cups together and downed their drinks. They sat at the same table Fred sat at with Vernon the night before; but this time, for a much cheerier reason.
"Remind me again why we're in a gay bar." Boyd said.
"Do you like your drink?" Fred asked.
"Best damned vodka I've ever had." Boyd said. Fred raised an eyebrow at Boyd and smiled. Boyd chuckled.
"Aren't you worried that you might be spotted? You know how the media is. A world renowned psychiatrist spotted in a gay bar…everyone in the bar will be assumed to be your boyfriend and it's scandalous relationships everywhere, then the sexual abuse claims start rolling in…Your rep will go right down the toilet." Boyd said. Fred just rolled his eyes.
"Nobody will recognized me. There's a reason that I've never put my picture in any of the books I've written and never appeared in person on TV. No one knows what I look like unless they've met me personally. Even if I was recognized, screw them. I don't give a damn about what the media thinks of me." Fred said. A grin rose to Boyd's face. He leaned closer to Fred.
"You been screwing the milk man? (1)" He asked. Fred burst into laughter.
"Let's see…according to the tabloids, I've done the gardener, the home decorator, the plumber, the pool boy, and the exterminator…nope…I don't think I've screwed the milk man yet." Fred said sarcastically. Boyd laughed. The moment was interrupted when Boyd's cell phone started ringing.
"Aw, damn…" Boyd muttered as he checked the caller ID.
"It's my boss…I should have expected it…I'll be right back, Fred; I gotta take this call." Boyd said. He jogged out of the bar where it was quieter to take the call. Fred sighed and rolled his eyes when he caught a few burly men at a table across the room staring at him and whispering to each other with predatory smirks. Fred almost groaned aloud when they got up and approached him.
"Don't even start with me." Fred warned. The men chose to ignore him.
"Aw, come on. Don't be like that!" One of them said.
"Yeah, it's tough to find anyone good looking around here." Another said.
"Yeah, I mean, just look at who you came in with!" Another exclaimed. The men all laughed and Fred just ignored them. One of the men walked up and boldly put an arm around Fred's shoulders.
"Aw, come on, Legs!" He said.
"Yeah, ditch the hobo and come with us!" One of the men said.
"Yeah! We'll show you a good time!" Another said.
"Mmm hmm! I love the ones with legs!" Another laughed.
"Well there's plenty there for everyone!" Another laughed. Fred rolled his eyes. One of the men let out a seductive purr and put his hand on Fred's knee.
"Very nice!" He said.
"I'm a black belt. Remove your hand from my leg or I will remove it for you." Fred said, glaring ice daggers at the man. This earned several loud hoots from the men.
"He's feisty!" One of the man laughed.
"Hey, you think I'm joking, buster? These legs aren't just for looks." Fred warned.
"Oh yeah, I'll bet they have all kinds of uses!" One of the men hooted.
"I'm warning you, you're getting on my last nerve." Fred said.
"Hey, if I'm working your nerves so nice right here, just think of what it'll be like in bed!" One of the men said. The others whistled and hooted. They finally noticed Boyd standing behind them, looking extremely peeved.
"Get lost, man." One of the men said.
"Yeah. You don't have a chance with a piece of ass like this." Another said.
"This one's our find." Another said. Boyd ignored them, his expression shifting to a pleasant one as he sat down beside Fred.
"That was the Chief. He said that it turns out that that guy I caught in that drug bust the other day may live after all. He'll never have children again because of what happened with that axe, but he'll survive to serve his life sentence." Boyd said.
"Oh. That's good." Fred said. The men that had been hitting on Fred paled and stared at Boyd.
"So, it looks like I won't get my wrist slapped this time around." Boyd said.
"So you'll be able to stay with the boys in blue?" Fred asked.
"Not just stay. I'm getting a shiny new badge." Boyd said. Fred smiled coyly at Boyd.
"My hero." Fred said. The men who had been hitting on Fred promptly sent back to their table and Fred and Boyd decided to leave.
"Yeesh! Vernon's right! There's nothing but sex depraved perverted assholes around here." Fred said, pulling his coat closer around him as he and Boyd walked toward the Bonaparte estate. "I wonder if they're the same guys who keep hitting on Vernon."
"Thanks for bailing me out with that quick thinking, by the way." Fred said.
"No problem." Boyd said. "So, still think the vodka's worth the trouble?"
"Hell yeah; as long as there's someone with you to keep the vultures away." Fred said. Boyd chuckled. That was exactly what Boyd liked about Fred. He was independent, and daring, yet at the same time wise and caring. He wasn't afraid to step up to a challenge. He was noble and trustworthy and he played by the rules. He was stubborn in an admirable sort of way. When he stood up for something, it was always the right things.
"That was good vodka." Boyd admitted. He kept a smile on his face even though his heart was sinking in his chest.
That's right. He and Fred had visited the gay bar because they wanted to celebrate Raz's return and the vodka there was good. It was nothing more than that. Boyd mentally kicked himself. Why did that disappoint him so much?
"I hate to see him have to go so soon, though." Fred said. "I mean, we only just got him back today and he has to leave first thing tomorrow."
Fred shook his head and blushed slightly.
"Shit…listen to me…He's going off to try to make the world a better place…I'm being selfish." Fred said.
"No you're not, Fred. You're the least selfish guy I know." Boyd said. "You're entitled to want to spend a little more time with him."
"I'll be able to spend plenty of time with him once we get things rolling." Fred said. Boyd nodded.
"Sheegor, Sam, Edger, and Gloria are going to flip when they hear the news." Boyd chuckled.
"Yeah." Fred chuckled. He let out a soft sigh.
"What's on your mind?" Boyd asked.
"I was just thinking about Vernon. I really hope Elton can be revived…I don't think Vernon will take this whole thing very well." Fred began.
"I mean…he's spent months with me in therapy trying to grasp the reality that he and Elton were so expendable to the Psychonauts and that Elton would likely remain in a coma for the rest of his life." Fred said.
"He hates the Psychonauts now, and I don't blame him; but his hatred is strong. I didn't want to tell Phoebe and Quentin about it, but Vernon sees them as backstabbers for staying in the agency after the atrocious treatment he and Elton were shown." Fred said.
"Maybe once he knows that Phoebe and Quentin have stayed in the agency to try to avenge that injustice, he'll join us." Boyd said. Fred shrugged.
"I don't know. He's pretty insecure, Boyd. That's why he travels so much and gets so wrapped up in his work. He doesn't want to have close friends. He barely speaks so that no one will want to engage him in conversation that would lead to bonding. He is timid so that he will go unnoticed. He doesn't want to be available to meet someone new. He needs an excuse to escape relationships. He doesn't ever want to suffer the pain of betrayal and loosing someone he gave his heart to ever again." Fred said.
"He's determined that he has accepted all the tragedies that have happened in his life and he's determined to make sure that he won't feel that kind of pain ever again. I'm not saying he's paranoid, but out of habitual self defense, I think he'll deny what we have to say. He'll say that he believes that Phoebe and Quentin are backstabbers that the Psychonauts sent to try to get him in trouble. He'll have his mind made up that Raz is dead and won't ever come back. By doing that, he can assure that he won't work up hope that Elton might wake up; thus likely preventing a lot more emotional pain." Fred said.
"You're the psychiatrist." Boyd said.
"I think it'll take nothing less than Elton himself walking up to Vernon and explaining the situation for Vernon to join the cause." Fred said as he and Boyd approached the door of the Bonaparte Estate.
"Hey, don't give up hope. That may be possible, remember?" Boyd said. Fred smiled slightly.
"You're right, Boyd. Thanks." Fred said. Boyd blushed slightly.
"So, er…I'd better get home. I gotta go to work tomorrow." Boyd said. It was Fred's turn to blush.
"Oh…I'm so sorry that I make you play hooky the past two days, Boyd." Fred said.
"Aw, you didn't make me. I wanted to. I have no regrets about it. I'm glad I did it." Boyd said. There was an awkward silence between the two.
"Well, best be going now. Goodnight, Fred." Boyd said.
"Goodnight, Boyd." Fred said.
Thisisthelinethatmeansthesceneischangingthisisthelinethatmeansthesceneischanging
The next morning, the Bonaparte household was buzzing with activity. Fred was cleaning up the mess from breakfast while Lili, Anita, and Raz prepared for their trips. The news was on the TV as Lili, Anita, and Raz packed.
"In other news, the Bug-Eyed Bandit strikes again! Yes, folks, the same masked intruder that has been sneaking onto Psychonauts Private Property for the past year has struck yet again; and yet again, his masked partner who the media has named 'Lynx' has failed to accompany him. We go now to Sophia Tate in Washington for the full story. Hello, Sophia." The anchorman said.
"Oh, I love these Bug-Eyed Bandit and Lynx stories! Those two are great! Turn it up!" Lili called.
"Good morning, Stanley. I'm standing here in front of the Psychonauts Grand Archives building where, last night, the masked intruder that the media has named 'The Bug-Eyed Bandit' for his beetle costume struck again in his most daring break in to date. For a year, this mysterious masked man has snuck into Psychonauts bases all over the world. During his first few months at large, he was accompanied by another masked man that the media calls 'Lynx' for his speed, precision, and grace and stylish cape and who has, in the past month, failed to appear alongside Bug-Eye. Both Lynx and Bug-Eye are believed to be powerful psychic teenaged boys." The reporter began.
"And what makes this case so strange aside from the fact that one of them is dressed like a beetle and the other looks like he wandered away from a Star Wars convention is the targets of their heists. These two are knowledge stealers. They've stolen countless pieces of research and classified documents from Psychonauts databases all over the globe. Not to mention the things that they leave behind." The reporter said.
"The two seem to taunt authorities as they deliberately pass in front of security cameras and flip the bird. Often times, they stand in front of the camera and write the names given to them by the media into the walls, waving and snickering to the camera the whole time. They have pulled many pranks on the locations that they have broken into. They have unhinged doors, written 'Truman Rules, Lerio Drools' on the walls, mixed up mail and other documents, changed screen desktops to feature rabbits, covered chairs in pasteurized cheese spread, written false love letters, hidden toilet seats, changed schedules to feature such activities as nose picking and hallway office chair jousting, rigged speakers throughout the compounds to play such songs as 'the hokey pokey' and 'the llama song', filled offices with frogs, chickens, geese, ducks, and rabbits, replaced cafeteria food with pistachio ice cream, TP'ed the exteriors of the compounds, painted offices outrageous colors, replaced lighting fixtures with Tiffany lamps, put fart machines under desks, removed the ink from every pen in the compound, unplugged every pencil sharpener in the compound, and altered the PA system to make whoever spoke into it sound like they had been breathing in helium." The reporter said. Everyone was laughing.
"Aside from the stealing of classified Psychonauts documents and breaking and entering, these teenaged boys don't really seem to be doing anything very harmful to the locations that they breech. Mostly, their antics have been annoying, but not destructive. However childish the antics are, the boys have been stealing delicate information and that is a serious crime. The two are obviously clever, despite their playful pranks, as they have managed to elude authorities for almost a year now; and still, there are no leads on the case that might help identify who Lynx and the Bug-Eyed Bandit really are or to figure out their motifs, what they actually do with the information they steal, and how they can make such a clean getaway. More on this story after these messages." The reporter said. As soon as the news cut to commercials, the phone started ringing.
"Bonaparte residence. What? Oh, hello Mrs. Tate. Yes, as a matter of fact, I'm watching it now. Some insight? Certainly." Fred said. A few moments later, the news came back on.
"We continue this morning's story on the break in at the Psychonauts Grand Archives by getting an insight into the possible mentalities of our mysterious teenaged bandits. I have world renowned psychiatrist Fredric N. Bonaparte on the line to provide us with that insight. Good morning, Fred." The reporter said.
"Good morning, Sophia. How can I be of service to you this morning?" Fred asked pleasantly. Raz, Lili, and Anita had gathered in the doorway, looking back and forth from Fred to the TV.
"I'm sure you've heard all about the mysterious Bug-Eyed Bandit and Lynx, have you not?" Asked the reporter.
"Why, yes ma'am, I have." Fred responded.
"Would you please share your thoughts as a psychiatrist as to what you believe the men may be like behind the masks?" The reporter asked.
"Gladly, Sophia. I've been following the activities of the two men on the news. Judging by what I know about them, they seem to be very self confident. They believe themselves to be immortal in the sense that they believe they'll never be caught." Fred said.
"What do you think they're doing with the information they steal?" The reporter asked.
"If I had to guess, I'd say they were stealing it just because they have the ability to do so. As they have a clear dislike of Grand Head Lerio, I think they've stolen nothing but this classified information just for the sake of watching the Psychonauts squirm." Fred said.
"So you don't think they were hired to make the heists or perhaps they might be selling the information or maybe even planning to use it against the agency?" The reporter asked.
"I don't think so. They may simply be doing it as a daring show of support for former Grand Head Truman Zanotto. They may believe that their actions might somehow encourage others to know that Zanotto's supporters still remain." Fred said.
"Do you think they may be involved in Agent Sasha Nein's attempted assassination and coup against Lerio?" The reporter asked.
"That's hard to say, Sophia. I would have to go with 'no' on this one. Agent Nein is a brilliant man. His movements against Lerio were carefully plotted. He kept everything quiet so that when the right moment came along, he was ready to make his strike quickly and without warning. These two are obviously cleaver, but, however, are boisterous and daring. They make no moves whatsoever to prevent themselves from being incriminated. They want the world to know that there are those out there who are making this bold stand against Lerio, yet they want to keep their true identities concealed so that they can continue their masquerade and continue to elude Lerio and the Psychonauts; thus, very effectively making Lerio very frustrated." Fred said.
"Well, I'm afraid that we're out of time on this subject. Thank you, Dr. Fredric N. Bonaparte, for sharing your insight with us." The reporter said.
"Anytime, Sophia." Fred said before hanging up the phone.
"And now, on to our next story…" The reporter continued. Fred chuckled.
"Frankly, I'm cheering for the Bug-Eyed Bandit and Lynx." Fred said.
"God, what I wouldn't do to have those two on the rebellion!" Lili laughed.
"I'll bet if you could find them, they'd join you." Fred said.
"That'd be awesome." Lili said.
"They sound like fun." Raz agreed. "But first, we need to recruit the people we know how to find."
Lili nodded.
Since he still had his patients to tend to and really wouldn't be able to do much to help if he accompanied them, Fred was going to remain at the Bonaparte Estate. Anita knew she would only hinder the crusade, plus she needed to get back to the orphanage. She was heading home. As for Lili and Raz; they were preparing to set out for New York City.
"Oh Raaaaaz…." Lili called in a singsong voice. She stood in the doorway looking smug. Her expression was making Raz nervous.
"You know, I simply can't be seen walking around with the late agent Aquato." Lili said. She smirked smugly and pulled a bag out from behind her back. Raz groaned as Lili dragged him into the next room to get him into disguise.
By the time Lili was done with him, he had short black hair and a set of contacts turned his eyes from green to brown. Lili also had him wear a pair of thick, gold framed glasses. She had him dressed in a baggy red t-shirt with some baggy brown cargo pants and a pair of white sneakers. She shoved a royal blue beanie over the black wig and handed him an old, shabby, overly large brown trench coat. But even that wasn't enough to satisfy her. She proceeded to cover his face in a foundation two shades too light for his skin tone to make him look pale. She used a special pencil to give him small wrinkles around his eyes to make him look tired. By the time she was done, Raz looked like an exhausted collage student with no fashion sense on his way home for the holidays.
"That ought to do it." Lili said, stepping back to admire her handiwork. Raz laughed as he examined himself in the mirror.
"I look like a hobo minus the facial hair!" Raz chuckled.
"I thought about giving you some facial hair, but…I decided to go with the 'collage student' look instead." Lili said.
"You did a good job…" Raz said. Lili shrugged and handed Raz a small French to English dictionary.
"Okay, so here's how it's gonna go…" She began. "We'll call you Demetri. You're a collage student in the exchange student program. You're going to Dogan Boole's place to live there for a year and, since I'm his friend and I'm on my way back from a vacation to France, I'm dropping you off there. You speak very little English, so keep that dictionary in your pocket and pull it out whenever you want to say something. Got it?"
"Got it." Raz said.
Not much later, Raz, Lili, Fred, and Anita were all gathered in the main entrance of the Bonaparte estate. Fred hugged Raz and patted him on the back.
"We just got you back and Edgar, Gloria, Sheegor and Sam haven't gotten the chance to see you again yet, so be careful out there, okay?" Fred said. Raz smiled.
"Don't worry about me. I'll be careful." Raz said.
"I want you back here for our big Christmas get-together in one piece." Fred said. Raz chuckled.
"You can count on it." Raz said.
Anita dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief for the umpteenth time that day. Raz sighed and walked over to embrace the woman. Anita hugged him tightly and cried on his shoulder.
"Aw, Anita…I'm not leaving you forever." Raz assured her. "Just give me some time to sort things out. I'll call you every day until I can get my dad up here to France to meet you. You'll see me again before long."
"Promise?" Anita asked.
"I promise." Raz said. "Pinky swear and gypsy's honor."
He linked his pinky with hers and gave her a comforting hug.
"I'm going to miss you so much." Anita whispered.
"I'll miss you too. Watch out for the little ones for me. Tell them I said for them to be good for you while I'm gone." Raz said. Anita nodded and kissed Raz on the cheek. Raz kissed her cheek back.
"I'll be back before you even start to miss me." Raz said reassuringly.
"Zat is impossible, because I already miss you." Anita said. Raz chuckled softly.
"Well, you know, I have to drop by to drop off Christmas presents for my family at the orphanage." Raz said. Anita's expression brightened.
"You mean it?" She asked.
"Of course I do!" Raz chuckled. Anita gave him one last tight squeeze before turning to Lili.
"Take good care of 'im, won't you? Make sure 'e eats enough and dresses warmly and gets plenty of sleep and do not let 'im get 'imself in to too much trouble, eh?" Anita said.
"Anita! I'm twenty years old, not five!" Raz groaned. Lili smiled and the two women shared a brief embrace.
"Don't worry. I won't let him out of my sight." Lili assured Anita.
"Well, your cab's here. You two had better get going if you want to make it through airport security sometime this year." Fred chuckled. The four of them walked outside. Fred and Anita helped Raz and Lili get their belongings into the cab.
"'Ave a safe journey." Anita said as Raz and Lili climbed into the cab. "I'll be staying 'ere with Fred until tomorrow when I catch my train back 'ome. Call me when you land, alright?"
"I will. I'll see you guys in a few weeks. Take care." Raz said. With that, the cab pulled away from the curb and started down the street. Anita waved to Raz until the cab was out of sight.
Just as Fred had predicted (Well, anyone could have forseen it, really) airport security was hell. Lili let out an exasperated and relieved sigh when she finally sank down into her seat on the plane. Raz hesitantly sat down beside her.
"Man, do I ever miss having private transportation." Lili muttered. Raz nodded stiffly. Lili glanced over at him. He looked terribly pale and his eyes were wide. His body was tense and his eyes darted around nervously.
"R…er, Demetri, are you okay?" Lili asked. "You look awful…"
Raz nearly spoke, but clamped his mouth shut, remembering the plan, and fumbled through his pockets to pull out his French to English dictionary. He flipped through it for a moment before speaking.
"No know why…nervous on plane." Raz said, making sure his voice was thickly accented. Lili put an arm around him to comfort him. She was growing very concerned. Raz had never had a problem with flying before.
"It'll be alright. The flight will be over before you know it." Lili said. As the stewardess got on the plane, Lili buckled her safety restraints and Raz fumbled to get his secured. He was beginning to tremble slightly. Lili put a hand on his shoulder. Raz did his best to relax his body. He closed his eyes and focused on taking deep breaths. Lili felt Raz jump under her hand when the plane door shut. A pang of raw fear had just raced through him. A brief image of a plane door opening in mid flight flashed before Lili's eyes, just as it had for Raz.
"What was that?" Lili asked him softly. Raz didn't open his eyes. He swallowed and shrugged. The stewardess finished talking and took her seat as the plane engine roared to life. Raz gasped aloud and gripped the armrest of his seat hard. For a brief moment, Lili felt herself being tossed forward. She couldn't see anything and couldn't move. Her body ached all over. Raz swallowed thickly again. A thin sheen of sweat was beginning to form on his forehead.
Lili pried his hand off of the armrest and took it in her own. Raz's eyes snapped open and looked over at Lili. His breathing was elevated. Lili squeezed his hand reassuringly. He was making her nervous.
"Have you ever had a premonition?" Lili asked softly. Raz shook his head. That relieved Lili somewhat. She just squeezed Raz's hand reassuringly once more.
"You'll feel better once we get into the air." Lili said. Raz subconsciously leaned closer to Lili until their shoulders were touching. He tried again to relax his body. He closed his eyes and focused on taking deep breaths. As the plane began to move down the runway, Raz was as white as a sheet. Faster and faster, the plane picked up speed as it roared down the runway, preparing to lift off. As the plane's speed peaked, Lili could swear she heard a whimper from Raz mixed with the roar of the engines. He had her hand in a death vice of a grip as the plane's nose began to tilt upward.
It was almost like Lili was seeing ghosts. She knew that this was what Raz was seeing in his own mind. Despite it being well lit in the aircraft, it was like she was looking through a fine black mesh. Everything was shadowed. Dark, ghostly silhouettes dashed this way and that as though the seats and other occupants of the plane didn't exist. Lili felt as though she were unable to move. She felt as though she were being jarred by the aircraft taking off much more than she knew she really was.
Raz's eyes were squeezed shut. He let his chin fall against his chest. He moaned ever so softly. He wanted nothing more than to be off of the plane at that moment. A few tears slipped down his cheeks. Lili pulled Raz close, letting his head rest against her chest. He was shaking like a leaf and nearing the point of hyperventilating. It was a hellish eternity before the plane finally leveled out to cruising speed and altitude. The plane's occupants were allowed to take their seatbelts off now. A stewardess walking down the aisle paused when she reached Raz and Lili's seat.
"Is he alright?" The stewardess inquired. Lili glanced over at her. Her nametag read 'Lyn'.
"I guess he doesn't do so well on planes." Lili said. Lyn nodded sympathetically. She handed Raz a paper bag.
"Breathe into that and I'll go get you chamomile tea, honey. It'll help you calm down." Lyn said.
"S-sank you." Raz muttered. Breathing into the bag seemed to help a little. Lili kept her arm around Raz's shoulders soothingly. It was only a few minutes before the stewardess returned with the tea.
"Here you go, sweetheart." Lyn said, setting the cup down on the tray in front of Raz. "By the way, My name's Lyn and I'll be your flight attendant. I've been a stewardess for years and I've seen everything. Motion sickness to people who are just terrified of flying. This stuff works wonders on nervous fliers. It'll settle the stomach with motion sickness, calm your nerves, soothe the airway, and help you to relax."
"Sank you, madame Lyn." Raz said. With just a few sips of the tea, he seemed calmer.
"No problem, sweetheart. Why don't you try taking a nap? It'll help pass the time and we'll be landing before you know it." Lyn said. Raz nodded.
"Thanks. You're a real god-sent." Lili said.
"Aw, it's nothing. I'm just doing my job. Thank you for flying Carcaohtar Air and just push that button if you need anything." The stewardess said, gesturing to the flight attendant call button before walking off to tend to another passenger.
"Feel any better?" Lili asked. Raz nodded slowly. Lili put a pillow on her lap and moved the arm rests out of the way.
"Here. Lie down and try to rest." Lili said. Raz downed the rest of the tea and hesitantly lowered himself down so that his head was resting in Lili's lap. Lili threw the blanket over him and began to stroke his hair. She had never seen Raz so distressed.
Just as the stewardess had said, it wasn't long before Raz had fallen asleep. It was an uneasy slumber, but he was asleep nonetheless. Whenever the plane would shift, Raz would bolt awake with a gasp. Lili's vision would flash red and she'd feel like she'd just been hit. Raz would sit up, look around the plane, and stare nervously at the door before finally calming down. To put it lightly, it was a long flight. The landing was just as bad as takeoff for Raz. It wasn't until the plane was stopped, the door was open, and people were beginning to exit the craft that Raz leaned back in his seat and let out a sigh of relief. He was still pale and shaky. They were the last off of the plane. Lili had to help Raz off.
Once inside the terminal, many people stared at them anxiously, whispering among each other and wondering if Raz was alright. A young man with pale blue skin approached them with a shy smile. He was about the same height as Raz with pale blue skin and pale blonde hair poking out from under a silver helmet. He was slightly pudgy.
"Hi, Lili. Is this the friend you were telling me about?" The young man asked. Lili nodded.
"Yeah. Dogen, this is my friend Demetri. Demetri, this is my friend Dogen. He's going to let us crash at his place tonight." Lili said. Raz raised his hand and tried to smile as he waved hello to his long time friend. He resisted the strong urge to stare at Dogen, glomp him right then and there, and bombard him with conversation. However, Dogen didn't yet know that he was Raz, so doing that would kinda defeat the purpose of his disguise. Plus, Raz was still leaning on Lili, shaken from the flight. He was pretty sure that if he stepped away from her support, he'd fall.
"Gosh, are you alright?" Dogen asked.
"Demetri doesn't fly too well." Lili said. Lili, Dogen, and Raz sat down in the terminal until Raz had stopped shaking and was able to walk unassisted. Dogen and Lili talked animatedly. Raz decided to keep his mouth shut, lest he be tempted to break his disguise. He stuck to just nodding, shrugging, and shaking his head. It wasn't until Raz and Lili went through baggage claim and piled into Dogen's car that Raz was safe to speak.
"God, Dogen…I can't believe how tall you are!" Raz chuckled. Dogen paused and turned to stare at Raz.
"Wait…I've never met you before…and I thought Lili said you understood English, but only spoke French." Dogen said. Lili was beaming from ear to ear.
"Surely I come across as a little bit familiar to you, Dogen!" Raz said. Dogen just stared at Raz. Confusion, conflict, and a hint of denial swirled in his eyes.
"You changed you hat. I like it. It looks good. Do the squirrels still bug you?" Raz asked. Dogen continued to stare. Raz took off the thick gold rimmed glasses he had been wearing and put them in his pocket. He stuffed the royal blue beanie on his head into his other pocket and removed the brown contacts from his eyes. Dogen gasped and visibly stiffened as he saw Raz's true eye color.
"Oh, yeah…and Lili tells me that you still have my old helmet." Raz said as he took a small packet out of his pocket. He tore it open and used the moist towelette inside to wipe the makeup from his face. Dogen went as white as a sheet. He stared at Raz disbelievingly and swallowed thickly. For a moment, Raz thought Dogen might faint.
Without warning, Dogen launched himself from the driver's seat to the back seat and squeezed Raz tightly.
"I-it's you, isn't it?! It really is you!" Dogen cried, grinning madly. Raz laughed.
"I knew it! I knew it I knew it I knew it I knew it I KNEW IT!" Dogen chanted, tears leaking from his eyes. Raz felt tears springing to his own eyes as well.
"Yeah, it's me, buddy. I'm back." Raz said. He hugged Dogen back. "And, boy, have I ever missed you!"
"Oh my god!" Dogen laughed/sobbed. "I missed you so much!"
Lili wiped a few tears from her eyes and smiled as she watched the heart warming and…well, in the back of a car, rather cramped reunion.
"B-but how? Where have you been?" Dogen asked. His expression suddenly darkened. He punched Raz in the arm roughly. Not terribly hard, but more than enough to express his displeasure and leave a bruise. Raz rubbed his arm tenderly. Dogen seized him by the collar.
"Do you have any idea what it feels like to go to your best friends funeral and being told he died a slow and agonizing death!? They put me in therapy for eight months because I didn't believe you were gone!" Dogen said. Raz smiled at Dogen gently.
"And they still couldn't convince you, could they?" Raz asked. A watery smile broke out across Dogen's face.
"Nuh uh." He laughed. "Not for a second."
The two embraced again.
"Thanks for having faith in me, Dogen. It means a lot." Raz said.
"I knew it'd take much more than a non-psychic mad man and a sleeping drug to kill my best friend, Agent Razputin D'Artagan Aquato, World's Youngest Psychonaut." Dogen said. His expression became angry again.
"You're changing the subject! Why didn't you send word that you were alive?" Dogen asked. Lili put a hand on Dogen's shoulder.
"And you! Why didn't you tell me right away that Raz was back?" Dogen snapped.
"Dogen, it's a long story." Raz said.
"Yeah, and we're beat. So, could we just get on the road already?" Lili asked.
"We'll explain everything on the way." Raz assured him. Dogen thought for a moment.
"Alright." He said. He clambered back into the driver's seat and started the car.
Lili and Raz were bring their story to a close as Dogen turned into the driveway of his home. Dogen just sat behind the wheel for a long moment, staring at his own hands.
"Wow…so you don't remember how you got to France or anything like that?" Dogen asked.
"Actually, I have some idea of it now." Raz said. He had paled just slightly.
"The plane?" Lili asked. Raz nodded.
"You saw those images too, then, huh?" Raz asked. Lili nodded.
"Raz had some kind of episode on the plane. That's why he was such a wreck when he got off." Lili explained to Dogen.
"Judging by those images I saw, I'd have to say that I was taken to France by plane. Don't ask me why." Raz said. Dogen brushed his own bangs out of his eyes and sighed. A smile broke out across his face.
"Damn…this is just unbelievable…You're finally back after all these years." Dogen said. "And better yet, you're joining the rebellion!"
"Hell yeah." Raz said, giving Dogen a high five. "I just hope the others take my return as well as you have."
"Well, what are we just sitting here for!? C'mon! Let's get out of this damned car already!" Lili said.
Dogen's house was very nice. It wasn't the Bonaparte Estate, but it wasn't an apartment complex either. It was a nice, tidy, two story house with a well managed yard. There were plenty of trees for the squirrels to hang around and, much to Raz's amusement, Dogen kept feeders and little squirrel houses up in the trees for his little fury friends. Raz was quite fond of the quaint house.
"Yeah, well, I guess that's what happens when your parents are loaded." Dogen chuckled as he unlocked the door.
"I always wanted to have available space for visitors. Whenever someone from the old gang comes up here, they stay with me." Dogen explained. "Your dad has actually stayed here before when the circus was in town."
"He did?" Raz asked. Dogen nodded.
"I like your dad a lot. He came by to see how I was doing. He misses you terribly, you know." Dogen said. Raz nodded, a pang of guilt and longing surging through him.
"Well, according to what you've told me, you guys have a busy day ahead of you tomorrow. You guys want something to eat, or would you rather just turn in for the night?" Dogen asked. "I've got a crock pot full of vegetable beef stew going."
"Sounds good to me!" Raz and Lili chimed. Mere minutes later, the three were sitting at Dogen's kitchen table, laughing and chatting as they dined.
"So, you plan to go see Elka tomorrow. If you can't recruit her and Nils, who do you plan to go to next?" Dogen asked. Raz thought hard.
"Well, we've already tried confronting Franke and Vernon…they haven't given us an answer yet…Jt's missing…" Raz said. Dogen cut him off.
"You know, Milla still stops by your memorial back at camp every morning and talks to you." Dogen said. Another pang of guilt and longing soared through Raz's heart.
"That sounds like her." Raz said softly. He sighed.
"I know what you're trying to tell me, but I can't go see her yet." Raz said.
"Why not? Raz, she really needs some comfort right now. Ever since you vanished, she's not been the same, and since Sasha got put behind bars…well…I'm worried about her." Dogen said.
"I think there's a reason Sasha didn't want her involved in all this, Dogen. I think you know that too." Raz said. Dogen sighed.
"I know. I'm just frustrated that the kindest most innocent woman I've ever known is suffering through all this." Dogen said. Raz nodded.
"I'll go to her, just not yet. You wait and see. Once I reveal myself, Milla will be right there beside me before sunset that day." Raz said. Dogen smiled faintly.
"Yeah. You're right." Dogen said.
"How are Ford and Morry doing?" Lili asked.
"Ford is kinda quiet nowadays. Morry is doing the usual thing and trying to act like he's not affected by anything that's going on." Dogen said.
"How about Chops? Are you still calling him once a week to check up on him?" Lili asked. Dogen nodded.
"He's really depressed. Nothing's surfaced that might indicate whether Jt's dead or alive. I'm afraid he's also starting to feel bitter toward Jt. He feels betrayed." Dogen said. Lili sighed.
"I can't say I blame him. Hopefully he'll listen to us. Maybe when he hears the whole story, he won't feel so bad and he'll help us." Lili said. Dogen and Raz nodded in agreement. Dogen looked troubled.
"Lili…" Dogen began. "There's something I gotta confess."
Lili and Raz turned their full attention to him. Dogen stared at the table.
"I-I heard that Sasha isn't doing very well right now." Dogen said.
"What do you mean?" Raz asked.
"Being behind bars has been really hard on Sasha…He's hardly been able to keep anything down and he's sleeping a lot…being confined like that…i-it's hurting him." Dogen said.
"Do you think Lerio has anything to do with it? He's always hated Sasha…could he be doing something to him?" Lili asked. Dogen shrugged.
"I-I guess it's possible…but….you know…I hate to say it…I really do…but, it's not exactly a secret that Sasha's been just a little…erm…well…you know…" Dogen said, moving his index finger in a circle around his ear. "Ever since Lerio started gaining power."
Raz nearly choked on his stew. He stood up and slammed his fists down on the table in utter shock.
"WHAT?!" Raz cried. He looked back and forth from Lili to Dogen. Lili was blushing and looking away guiltily.
"When were you planning to tell me this?!" Raz asked.
"Raz, I didn't tell you because it's really not that significant, I swear!" Lili said.
"Hello?! My MENTOR; the most down-to-earth man I've ever known; is being described as loopy!" Raz cried.
"It's not what you think, Raz! He's not loopy! He's just gotten a little…weird…" Lili said.
"Explain!" Raz demanded.
"I-it's just like little changes in his personality. He just…does some strange things. It's kinda hard to explain. He's still a bloody genius and all that…he just has strange ways of seeing things." Lili said.
"What kind of strange things does he do?" Raz asked.
"He's become a tad cynical…he cracks remarks that you'd expect to come from me…but he voices them in times that even I would hold my tongue. He's also got this really weird thing about lizards…" Lili said.
"Go on." Raz said. Lili scratched the back of her head.
"This lizard thing…he's even worse about it than with the Tiffany lamps. Before he says anything during rebellion meetings, he always searches the room for lizards. Don't ask. I have no idea what it's about. He's become a little superstitious as well." Lili said.
"He's perfectly coherent and all that, he just has a few weird quirks." Dogen assured Raz.
"Kinda like a very watered down version of Boyd's paranoia." Lili said. Raz nodded slowly.
"I guess I'll just have to take your word for it for now." Raz said. "I wish you'd have just come out and told me from the start, though."
"Sorry, Raz. I just thought you had enough to worry about. Besides, like I said, it's really not very noticeable at all." Lili said.
"Anyway…Sasha hasn't spent a lot of time in his lab since you disappeared, Raz. He prefers working in a more open space. He seems to have developed a slight claustrophobia of sorts. I think that is why being in prison is having such a strong negative effect on him." Dogen explained.
"That could be it. He doesn't have control over the situation and he doesn't like being confined." Lili said. "Though I wouldn't rule out Lerio just yet."
Dogen nodded.
"I've learned never to rule him out." Dogen said, a hint of a dark underdone in his voice.
"Man, and I thought I hated this guy before…" Raz said.
"You'll come to loathe and despise him with all your being down to your very core before long." Lili said. She yawned and stretched.
"Mmm…that was really good stew, Dogen." Lili said.
"Yeah, it was." Raz said.
"I'd love to keep on chatting about Lerio and the extent to which I hate him and what I'd like to do to him, but there aren't enough hours in a day and I'm bushed." Lili said.
"Yeah. Me too. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow." Raz said.
"It's okay. I understand. Besides, I have to go to work tomorrow anyway. Come on. I'll show you to your rooms." Dogen said.
To Be Continued….MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!
This is a line from the musical Chicago in which one of the 'Seven Merry Murderesses of the Cook County Jail' recounts the night she murdered her husband. She had been carving up a chicken for dinner when her husband stormed in that night in a jealous rage and demanded her to confess that she'd been 'screwing the milkman'. After that…well…as the woman put it…her husband ran into her knife. He ran into her knife 10 times…
Go onto YouTube and look up 'Psychonauts Cell Block Tango'. Someone has done a hysterical video of our favorite Psychonauts characters singing the song. Not only is just the song itself funny, but with the characters…just…oh god it was funny! There were some interesting pairings on that video…
Okay, sorry Fireflyoflight! I kinda overlooked that I had to get our gang to Elka first…hehehe…next chapter they'll find her for sure! Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookie Lover's Honor!
So, what is Raz and Lili's plan to confront Elka? Will it work or blow up in their faces? Find out in chapter five of Up Against the World!