Hey everybody! I posted a new picture on It's a cute little EltonxVernon(the grown up versions from this fic) hug-fluff moment. If you wanna see it, my username on Deviantart is deserthaze.
To Fireflyoflight: Really? Wow! I'm really flattered! I'm so glad you like it!
To Zikka-chan: lol! It's gonna start getting better with Fred and Boyd in the next couple of chapters!
To Black Dawn: Yes, I did read the rest of your dream lol! Weird! Psshhh! I've got a younger brother that used to be in scouts too. I feel your pain - -…GASP! shhhh! Do not speak of Fred and explosions yet! You might spoil the next chapter RETURN OF THE FORSHADOWING OF DOOOOOOMMMM!….MWA HAHAHAHAAAAAA!
To Lyn: Yay! I'm glad you got the review problem figured out! Thanks! I'm so excited about my trip! XD!
To Digitaldreamer: Don't worry. I can be taught! We're pretty much moving away from Mikhail, Maloof, and Benny in this chapter, so say buhbye, mkay? XD!
To Black Rain: WHEW! as the daughter of Coast Guard Lt, I feel your pain! Moving is the pits…glad to see you again though! Thanks for the review!
To EmptyHeart: YES! CURE ID! ….I haven't gotten around to that due to a major outbreak of my new favorite disease that I totally just made up…uberprocrastinationshitloadastuffIhavetodoitus! XD!
…did I get everybody? Okay, I think so…ON WITH THE CHAPTER!
Chapter 12
Benny blushed deeply, hypnotized by Maloof's beautiful eyes; which were finally, after several long years, once again glittering with every star in the heavens.
Maloof stared back at Benny, unsure of why he was being stared at. Then, Maloof blushed as he caught on. He chuckled sheepishly.
"Oh, sorry about that, Benny…I didn't mean to gross you out…" Maloof chuckled. His expression saddened slightly.
"I guess the habitual sexual undertone thing is another thing I'm gonna have to work to get rid of…" Maloof said slightly softer, rubbing his arm self-consciously. He sighed and tugged at his hair irritated. He was obviously mentally kicking himself, judging by his expression.
"God, I must come off like a total slut…well…I guess that ain't too surprising' seein' as I am…" Benny grabbed Maloof's wrist to silence him.
"Don't say that." Benny scolded firmly. His expression, grip, and tone softened as he brushed a stray curl out of Maloof's eyes. "Don't you ever say that."
Maloof looked away shamefully. Benny gently lifted Maloof's chin, forcing Maloof to look at him.
"Look at me…" Benny said, getting eye contact with Maloof before continuing.
"You. are not. A slut." Benny said clearly, but softly. "How many times am I going to have to remind you that it was against your will?"
Maloof again tried to cast his gaze elsewhere, but Benny wouldn't let him.
"I mean it, Maloof." Benny said a bit louder. A small smile tugged at his lips. "Quit beating yourself up. Beating you up is my job and you're puttin' me out of business here."
Maloof cracked a small smile. He felt Mikhail snake his arms around him.
"Everything will work out." Mikhail said reassuringly. Benny rested his hands on Maloof's knee with a reassuring smile.
"Mikhail's right. We're all gonna work through this. We're gonna get through it together." Benny said. "I promise."
Maloof sighed. Relief shone in his eyes. He stopped himself before he hugged Benny, only to find Benny hugging him.
"Please, Maloof. Don't go getting all modest and bashful around me now. It's just a hug. We do it all the time." Benny chuckled. Maloof blushed, slightly embarrassed before allowing himself to relax against Benny's chest. He close his eyes and sighed.
"Thank you, Benny…for everything." Maloof said softly. After a long moment, he looked up at Mikhail, who just smiled gently and snaked his arm around Maloof's waist.
THEGREATDIVIDER!
She entered the room quietly. The only source of light came from the many flickering computer screens all around the room; and they provided plenty of light.
She stood silently behind the chair as its occupant studied the screens carefully. He paused.
"How are they, Lili?" he asked, turning to face her.
"They're all in stable condition now." Lili said.
"What about things down here, Dogen? Any luck tracking Jt?" Lili asked. Dogen sighed.
"Not really, no." He said. He turned back to the screens. "For a genius mastermind, Sasha sure was messy. I can't trace anything through the jumbled mess of random facts I know about the inner workings of his ring of contacts."
"You'd think that with something this important, he'd be a little neater." Lili mused. "There's nothing we can do about it. We're just going to have to do our best to untangle the mess Sasha left us."
"So did you find anything at all?" Lili asked.
"Well, not exactly…but I am finding a repeating factor in some of the relocation files that I've been able to salvage from some of our contacts within the rebellion." Dogen said.
"What is it?" Lili asked.
"I've found several cases in which references are made to what I believe is an alias referring to a group of people…the name is in a dialect of Chinese or mandarin that is particular to Tibet. Translated to English, it says "The Blue Angels who Roam the Mountains"." Dogen explained.
"What does that mean for us?" Lili asked.
"Well, my theory is that these "blue angels" may be largely responsible for the task of putting people into hiding within the rebellion." Dogen explained.
"Then they are people that we need to get in touch with. They could be a big help." Lili said.
"My thoughts exactly." Dogen said.
"So, you think these blue angels might be in Tibet?" Lili asked. Dogen nodded.
"Most likely, yes." Dogen said. Lili sighed and sunk down on the arm of Dogen's chair. The two silently studied the screnes for a few minutes.
"Well…Nils is going to be sticking around to help me keep Mikhail from killing Maloof at least long enough so that he will have the chance to hear Maloof out." Dogen said. "Benny will be staying here with me for a while too to keep Maloof company; and I'll be teaching Benny about the rebellion and finding him an area to work in."
"Before we lay the stress of the rebellion on them, we need to focus on getting them well again. Physically and mentally." Dogen said. "More than likely, we'll have Phoebe come in to give them counseling."
Lili nodded.
"They're messed up pretty bad." Lili said.
"Once they're ready, we'll talk to them about the rebellion." Dogen said. "Until then, they're safe here."
Lili nodded again.
"What's your next move going to be?" Dogen asked.
"We gotta get Raz out of here. Maloof and Mikhail aren't ready to see him yet." Lili said. Dogen nodded sadly.
"Where will you go?" Dogen asked. Lili shrugged.
"Nils is going to let us crash at his place since it's not far. He's letting us stay there until Raz gets better. After that…well…what would you suggest, Dogen?" Lili asked. Dogen leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Elka, Nils, Maloof, Benny, and Mikhail are secured so far…Elka has taken on the assignment of trying to assess the possibility of restoring Elton…" Dogen mused.
"Clem is my best friend. If it's okay with you guys, I'd like to be the one to go after him." Nils said as he entered the room.
"Sure. Knock yourself out, Blondie." Lili said. "Less work for me and Raz."
"So…what will you and Raz do?" Dogen asked. Lili thought for a long moment.
"Milka is too deep in the agency for he and I to go after…we can't approach Chloe yet without the risk of Bobby getting suspicious 'cause Bobby is waaay too close to Lerio…Fred is handling Franke and Vernon…Kitty is too deep in the agency for us to handle…Franke would be best suited to handle her…that leaves us with either finding these guys in Tibet or finding Chops..." Lili said. She pondered quietly for a long moment.
"I'll have to talk to Raz about it and see what he thinks." Lili said. Just then, Elka came running in, out of breath.
"Maloof and Mikhail are awake!" She panted. Everyone jumped up, prepared to go intervene; but Elka held up her hands.
"It's okay. They're fine. They aren't trying to kill each other anymore!" Elka said. They all raised an eyebrow at her.
"Mikhail knows Maloof's side of the story. Back in the alleyway they weren't strangling each other, they were hugging! They're back together!" Elka said happily. Everyone let out a sigh of relief and smiled.
"If they're both awake, that ups the risk level quite a bit. We should probably move you and Raz to my place tonight, Lili." Nils said. Lili nodded.
"Our stuff is already together. I just want to talk to Mikhail and Maloof before we leave." Lili said softly. Nils nodded understandingly.
"I'll get Raz into my car. We'll meet you out front." Nils said. Lili nodded and headed off to Mikhail and Maloof's room.
She couldn't help but smile when she found Maloof, Mikhail, and Benny all lying on the same bed, fast asleep. Maloof was lying on his side, facing Benny with his head resting against Benny's uninjured shoulder. Benny had his good hand resting on Maloof's shoulder. Mikhail was lying on the other side of Maloof, facing Maloof with one arm draped around Maloof's waist.
She heard them stir as the door creaked shut behind her. Benny was the first to wake fully. His movements woke Maloof, and Maloof's movements in turn woke Mikhail.
"Lili? Lili freakin' Zanotto?" Maloof asked incredulously.
"Heya, half-pint." Lili said smugly.
"Oh, muthafuck…" Maloof groaned. "We've been screwed over!"
Mikhail had become very tense and alert. His hold around Maloof's waist became uncertain and protective. Dread and fear freely flooded his features.
"Cool it, Bulgakov. I'm not with the 'Nauts anymore, remember?" Lili said. "You two aren't going to be arrested. Not while you're among friends."
"No one here is going to hurt you." Lili said softly.
"Why'd you track us down if you weren't gonna arrest us?" Maloof asked. Lili's heart dropped. Her gaze drifted to the floor. There was a long silence.
"For two years you guys have been alone…you suffered alone and you fought alone…no one was there to help you. Friends are supposed to help each other…" Lili said softly. She felt tears pricking at her eyes. She struggled to keep her composure.
"I'm so sorry." She whispered. Mikhail and Maloof raised an eyebrow at her.
"I never believed you were a traitor, Maloof. I was just so caught up in all the stuff happening between my dad and Lerio…and I gave up on fighting for you too easily. I thought you'd be too hard to find and that it'd make me, and thus, my dad, look bad if I went after you." Lili said. She wiped a tear from her eye. "I wanted to help Mikhail find you, but…I was lazy and stupid and selfish…there's no excuse…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…a real friend would have…but I didn't…I'm sorry…"
Maloof stared at her. Lili took a moment to compose herself before directing her gaze to Mikhail.
"After Raz died, you were there for me. You filled that empty spot. We didn't date for very long…I was too convinced that Raz was still alive and we agreed that we were too close to be dating…it was like dating a sibling…but even after we broke up, nothing changed between us. We were still best friends…" Lili said. She sniffled softly.
"I let you down. I'm sorry, Mikhail. If I hadn't been so selfish…if I had tried harder to help you…things could have turned out differently. Maybe none of you would have gotten hurt so badly." Lili said, a tear falling from her eyes.
"Benny…I'm such a bitch for just totally ignoring you after you decided not to become a Psychonaut. Just because I didn't see you during my normal schedule…just because I'd have to go out of my way to see you…" Lili began, self hatred shining in her eyes. After a moment, she calmed down a little. A watery smile came to her face.
"You're really talented at what you do, Benny…I mean that." She chuckled. "I've seen some of your performances that Bobby recorded and brought back."
Benny blushed. Lili's expression saddened again.
"I wish now that I had cared more. I wish that I had gone to see some of your plays myself in person. Instead, I just blew you off." Lili said. "If I had taken more interest in keeping our friendship…maybe…maybe you would have felt like you could have come to me for help when you discovered what was happening with Maloof. You wouldn't have had to deal with it all on your own. I'm sorry."
There was a long silence as Lili tried to get her tears under control. Benny smiled gently and struggled to his feet to put an arm around Lili. Mikhail and Maloof looked to one another in confusion.
"Okay…who the hell is this broad and why is she trying, and failing miserably, to impersonate Lili Zanotto?" Maloof asked, motioning to Lili.
That did it.
Lili abruptly stopped crying and stared at Maloof. Maloof froze, uncertain of what she was going to do.
Lili stomped across the room and socked Maloof in the cheek. Maloof yelped loudly and Lili seized him by the collar.
"I WAS TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND APPOLOGIZE TO YOU, YOU STUPID MIDGIT! IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THAT, HUH, TINY?" Lili roared.
"GAH! NO! I'M SORRY! OKAY! OKAY! I TAKE IT BACK! I BELIEVE YOU'RE LILI ZANOTTO!" Maloof cried. Mikhail was laughing.
"You've made a believer out of me! You're Lili Zanotto alright!" He laughed. Lili glared at him menacingly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Lili asked darkly. Mikhail paled and held up his hands in surrender.
"Nothing! Nothing!" He said hastily. Benny gently pried Lili's hands off of Maloof's collar.
"Easy, Lili…you're taking my job…I was supposed to have first dibs on the runt." Benny chuckled. An awkward silence followed. Benny put his hand on Lili's shoulder.
"Apology accepted, by the way." Benny said warmly.
"I say keep your apology, Lili. Mikhail and I don't need it." Maloof said seriously. Lili's heart sunk yet again.
"What's done is done. We don't want you beating yourself up over what could have been." Maloof said. "It's a hard concept…trust me…I would know...but you gotta learn to let the past go. It's time to move on."
Lili smiled slightly at Maloof.
"But there's one thing I don't get…" Maloof continued. "What made you decide to come after us now? Mikhail's a deserter and I'm on the 'most wanted' list. We've been beyond redemption for well over a year. You know you won't be changing any minds."
"I don't have to. The world thinks you both died in that shootout. We modified a few memories in your favor and got you out of there. By the time you two are back on your feet, you'll be yesterday's news. No one will be looking for you. You can start things over and finally be free to have the life you want." Lili said. Mikhail and Maloof looked to each other in astonishment.
"Who is the 'we' you speak of?" Mikhail asked.
"You have Elka to thank for our finding you. She had a vision of you two being killed in that alleyway. She is the one who patched you up as well; and Dogen opened his home to the two of you until you're back on your feet and Nils has been helping however he can." Lili said.
"You haven't answered my question yet, Lili…why the sudden interest in helping me and Misha at the personal risk of getting caught assisting known criminals?" Maloof asked. His eyes seemed to sense that she was hiding something from him.
"Tiny boss…she just said that she feared for our lives." Mikhail tried to reason.
"Yeah? Well, our lives have been in danger for a while now." Maloof said. "I'm sure she was aware of that."
"Maloof!" Mikhail hissed, shocked by his lovers' sudden coldness.
"No, he's right, Mikhail. I was. I just gave up too easily and convinced myself that you two were too far gone because it would be easier for me if you were." Lili said. "When Elka had her vision…I've just lost too many friends. I couldn't live with myself if I had let you two slip away knowing that I could have done something. Not again."
Maloof studied her carefully for a long moment.
"Okay. I'm sorry for being so offensive, Lili. Between my Psychonauts training and my life of crime…well…I can't help but be a little skeptical." Maloof said. Lili smiled slightly.
"It works for you, small fry. You know me. I'm a big fan of skepticism." Lili said. Maloof smiled back at her.
"You're okay, Zanotto." Maloof remarked.
"Yeah, well you're not so bad yourself, short stuff." Lili said. "I guess the whole 'puberty' thing didn't really work out for you, huh?"
"Oh, ha ha, very funny, Zanotto." Maloof said. "If Mikhail and I weren't so scared of you, I'd have him teach you a thing or two."
Lili laughed.
THEGREATDIVIDER!
"Good morning, dearie." Gloria said cheerfully as she entered the kitchen.
"Morning, Gloria." Fred said as he flipped pancakes. Gloria giggled and propped herself against a nearby counter.
"You cook, you clean, you've got money, you've got brains, you're sweet, and handsome to boot!" Gloria said. "How you have managed to stay out of show business…even more so how you've managed to stay single is a wonder!"
Fred chuckled.
"I mean it! Darling, you could easily snag a lead roll if you went for it. Psychiatrists make great actors!" Gloria said. "Men with your looks sell like hotcakes in Hollywood. Men with your looks and charm get snatched up in the blink of an eye…if some lucky lady hasn't snatched you up already, hmm?"
Fred laughed.
"Nope. Still happily single." Fred said.
"I know some beautiful, successful, accomplished girls who would love a guy like you…" Gloria said.
"Give it up, Gloria. Supermodels and actresses aren't Fred's type; and you're not going to get him into show business." Boyd chuckled as he entered the room. "He's too modest and too bashful."
Fred blushed and Boyd laughed.
"See what I mean?" Boyd said, elbowing Fred playfully. Fred took the pancakes out of the skillet and turned to Boyd. Fred let out a long whistle.
"I might not be cut out for show biz…but you could probably get Boyd a kick-ass role as hardcore lawman…he makes that uniform look gooood…" Fred remarked. Boyd laughed and started striking ridiculous poses.
"Hell yeah. Eat your heart out, Tom Cruise!" Boyd said. Gloria and Fred laughed.
"Do whatever you want on the big screen, but I'd better not catch you doing anything that'll land you a segment in an episode of Cops. The only special effects in that show are the flashing red and blue lights." Fred said.
"Aw, I didn't know you cared!" Boyd said, batting his eyelashes. Fred rolled his eyes, pushed Boyd into a chair, and set a plate down in front of him.
"Shut up and eat your pancakes, Dudly Do-right." Fred said. Edgar laughed as he walked in.
"Such loving friends." Edgar joked.
"Ah, just the man I wanted to see!" Fred said, setting down plates for himself, Gloria, and Edgar.
"Oh? And why is that?" Edgar asked, taking a seat.
"I have a very talented young woman under my care right now. Her name is Yolanda, and she is a wonderful painter; not to mention a big fan of yours." Fred said.
"Well then, perhaps I should pay her a visit." Edgar said.
"I think she'd enjoy that very much." Fred said.
"When would you like me down there?" Edgar asked.
"Whenever you'd like to drop by. I daresay, Gloria has a little fan club of her very own down at the institution." Fred said.
"Shall I meet them in the music room as usual, then?" Gloria asked.
"They'll be awaiting your arrival with baited breath." Fred said.
THEGREATDIVIDER!
"Listen, you guys…I'm really glad I was able to have this talk with you…but I have to go now." Lili said.
"When will you be back?" Maloof asked.
"You probably won't be seeing me again for a while…" Lili said. She looked Maloof in the eyes. "But listen…"
"Elka and Phoebe are going to take good care of you. They're going to set you right again and get you back on your feet. I know we've failed you…but your friends are here for you now and we're going to do everything we can to try to set things right." Lili said. Maloof stared at Lili with a curious shimmer in his eyes.
"Lili? What's happening?" Maloof asked quietly.
"Nothing that you guys need to worry about right now. Just focus on yourselves for a while and get better." Lili said. Maloof nodded understandingly.
"Well…good luck." Maloof said.
"You too. Bye, guys. Get well soon." Lili said before heading out the door.
When she got to Nils' little red Camry, Raz was lying asleep across the back seat.
"Didn't even stir." Nils said. "He's sure a hell of a lot heavier than he was the last time I saw him."
"Wuss." Lili snorted as she climbed into the passenger seat.
THEGREATDIVIDER!!
"Well, Yolanda…if you and Edgar are comfortable here, I will be going to see how Gerald is doing today." Fred said.
"Oh, everything's fine here, Dr. Bonaparte! Go right ahead!" Yolanda said, her voice airy with excitement as she sat across from one of her favorite artists. Fred chuckled and bid them goodbye.
THEGREATDIVIDER!!
Boyd's jaw nearly dropped to the floor when he entered the police station. Who should be at the front desk, but Lerio; the Grand Head of the Psychonauts himself.
He was speaking with the officer behind the front desk until Boyd walked in.
"Ah, you must be Boyd Cooper, the new officer on the force!" Lerio said briskly, offering his hand to Boyd. "Congratulations!"
Boyd shook Lerio's hand, doing his best to contain his distaste.
"Thank you, sir."
"Your boyfriend Professor Doctor Bonaparte spoke very highly of you." Lerio said. Boyd blushed.
"I beg your pardon, sir…but Dr. Bonaparte and I are just friends. We're not dating." Boyd said.
"Oh? My mistake. I just assumed from the way in which he spoke of you that you were together." Lerio said. "He is a good man, that Dr. Bonaparte. So young to be so highly accomplished."
"He's been a talented guy for as long as I've know him." Boyd said.
"It must be terribly difficult for you, however…" Lerio said. Boyd raised an eyebrow at the man.
"How so, sir?" Boyd asked hesitantly.
"Dr. Bonaparte is, as I said, quite young and his job can be quite dangerous." Lerio said. "The mentally unstable are nigh impossible to predict at times; and when agitated, can become quite violent; and, let's face it, Dr. Bonaparte isn't exactly the reigning heavyweight champion. He may be tall, but he is still quite scrawny, I'm afraid."
"If I were you, I don't believe I would ever be able to stop worrying about him." Lerio said.
"It's true. The dangers of his job do tend to cause me to worry about him; but Fred can take care of himself." Boyd said.
"That may be so…but I've seen former officers turned orderlies taken by surprise and overpowered by a charge in a blind rage. People have been badly injured and even killed by the mentally unbalanced." Lerio said.
"I myself worry about the young doctor…he has far too much trust in his charges, in my opinion. I would hate to see one of them turn on him. Even if he wasn't hurt, it would tear him apart!" Lerio said compassionately.
"I do wish he would take me up on my offer; for his own safety. Our facilities are so much safer and more state of the art. He'd be able to work with people as gifted as he himself is and he could do so much good with the agency." Lerio said. Boyd shrugged.
"Fred likes his simple life. He's the kind of guy who starts an organization; a leader…not a follower. He has his own way of doing things that obviously works well for him and everyone involved. Fred prefers his independence. It's just the way he is." Boyd shrugged, trying not to let show the pleasure he got out of knowingly irritating Lerio.
Lerio tried not to let his irritation show. He had hoped that the buffoon would fall prey to his words. He'd hoped that his words would unnerve him and eat away at him until he crawled back to that tall, insufferable, stubborn, irritating Boy Scout Bonaparte and begged him to take him up on his offer for the sake of his own peace of mind.
Lerio was certain: Bonaparte was just the sort of sentimental fool who would listen to a close friend and sacrifice anything to put him at peace.
It appeared that Officer Cooper would need more incentive for concern if Lerio's plan was to work.
"Perfectly understandable, yes." Lerio said. He sighed softly.
"I do desperately hope that all that you say is true, Officer Cooper. I really would hate to see such a fine, talented young man suffer that kind of hurt." Lerio said, accepting a stack of files from the officer at the front desk.
"Good day to you, Officer Cooper." Lerio said.
Once he had gotten to his car, Lerio tossed the files violently into the back seat.
"Officer Cooper…before this day is through, you WILL be behaving according to my plan…" Lerio muttered darkly before starting up his car.
THEGREATDIVIDER!!
Lili smoothed back Raz's hair gently. He hadn't so much as stirred during the trip to Nils' house.
"Well, you guys will basically have the place to yourselves since I usually stay at my quarters up at the station." Nils said, glancing down at his watch.
"I had better get going…I'm going to try to track down Phoebe and Quentin while I'm on my shift since they don't know what's happened with the lot of us yet; so you should probably expect one or both of them to pay you a visit either tonight or tomorrow morning. So, you guys can just make yourselves at home." Nils said.
"Much appreciated, Nils." Lili said.
With that, Nils said goodbye and headed out the door. Once he got behind the wheel of his car, he let out a long sigh and leaned back in his seat.
"Damn…this is turning out to be one hell of a week…" He chuckled to himself.
THEGREATDIVIDER!
"…Morceau?" called a hesitant, shaky voice.
"Morceau! Morceau! Come quickly!" The voice cried, terror seeping into the tone.
Morry quickly slipped his duffle bag under his bed and ran into the living room to see what had the Mental Minx so upset…
…well…beside the obvious reasons she already had for being upset, that is.
"What is it, Milla?" Morry asked gruffly. The woman was standing in front of the TV, looking suddenly pale and with an expression of horror and disbelief plastered on her already gaunt face.
"…police apprehended 7 men, who confirmed that the incident was indeed the result of the power struggle between Italian mob boss Ruliano and Russian mob boss Derelou. The bodies of Psychonauts deserters Mikhail Bulgakov and Maloof Canola, who were reportedly killed in the gunfight, have not yet been found. It is believed that the bodies may have been disposed of by the members of the mafia that remain at large." Said the news reporter.
Morry's heart plummeted in his chest.
"Oh, no…" Morry whispered. Milla plopped down on the couch and buried her face in her hands.
"Maloof…he used to be so sweet…and Mikhail…he was so kind…" Milla whispered.
"They were another pair of good kids who made bad choices." Morry said softly.
"Razputin, Elton, Jt, Sasha…Vernon might as well be dead for all the hurt he's been through…and now Mikhail and Maloof…" Milla whispered. Morry climbed up onto the couch and put his arm around her.
"How many of the people I love will I be forced to burry before I can finally just die and be at peace!?" Milla cried. A pang of pain ripped through Morry's body.
"Please, don't talk like that, Milla...you did all you could for Raz...Jt might still be alive, and Elton isn't dead and neither is Vernon…and we haven't lost Sasha yet either." Morry said.
"Oh, stop it, Morceau!" Milla snapped. "You saw the state he was in, Morry! He's wasting away in there! He probably won't live to receive his death sentence!"
A sob wracked Milla's body. Morry hugged her tightly.
"I know things look really bad, Milla; but we can't give up hope while Sasha's still alive. He's not gone yet. There's still time for a miracle to happen." Morry said softly.
Ford blinked back tears and slipped out the door unnoticed. He just couldn't bare seeing Milla suffer like that.
"Sasha, you stupid bastard!" Ford seethed to himself. "How could you do this to her?"
He sighed as he made his way down to the lake. He arrived just in time to see Sheegor climb out of the Whispering Rocket Underground Rapid Transit System.
"Sheegor…" Ford called. Sheegor jumped, startled by Ford's voice.
"Oh, Mr. Cruller. I didn't see you there…" Sheegor said, blushing deeply. Ford smiled and took one of her hands.
"Please, Sheegor; I do wish you'd stop being so formal and just call me Ford like everyone else." Ford said. Sheegor blushed and giggled.
"Sorry, I keep forgetting!" She said sheepishly. Ford scanned the area for any signs of life before turning back to Sheegor.
"How is the boy doing?" Ford asked her just above a whisper.
"He's still very weak." Sheegor said softly. "He needs someone to be there with him…I know he appreciates Mr. Pokeylope and Linda being there with him…but he needs more human company than just having me in to check on him and change his bandages 30 minutes a day."
"I know…I feel terrible at having to keep him over at Thorny Towers by himself…but we can't risk Milla or Morry finding him." Ford said softly.
"He's just so lonely…" Sheegor sighed sadly.
"I know he must miss his partner terribly…" Ford said softly.
"That's just it, Ford…I don't think that Melvin was merely his partner…" Sheegor said.
"Of course not. They have been best friends since their childhood days here at Whispering Rock." Ford said. Sheegor shook her head.
"I think it goes even deeper than that, Ford." Sheegor said. Ford's eyes widened.
"Well…I daresay that that would explain a few…quirks…of his." Ford said. Sheegor placed her hands on Ford's arm.
"If he is like this…just think of how Melvin may be suffering." Sheegor said. "I'm doing all I can for him…he hates himself for failing Sasha and betraying Melvin…he just doesn't seem to have the will to go on, Ford…I'm scared."
Ford wrapped an arm around her as the two gazed across the lake.
"He says that he has to stay away from Melvin…but he needs him, Ford." Sheegor said. Ford nodded.
"I understand." He said softly. "Just give me a little more time and I'll see what I can do."
"I would love to be able to reunite them; you know that; but it's a very delicate and dangerous goal." Ford said. "I'm going to do everything in my power to make it happen."
"Thank you, Ford. I think that having Melvin here will be the best medicine for him." Sheegor said.
"It will likely be best for Melvin too…at least Lerio wouldn't be able to pull him into Operation Black Fantasia." Ford said darkly.
"Did Sasha know about Operation Black Fantasia?" Sheegor asked.
"I don't know; but I'm almost certain that Lerio used him in an early test of it…and now he's free to continue to use Sasha as a test subject. That's what's causing the rapid deterioration in his condition; and it would appear as though Lerio has taken an interest in using Clem Foote in the project as well." Ford said.
"Quentin has been sniffing about. I fear that he may be working to carry on Sasha's work; and I'm fairly certain that he is aware of Fred's importance to Lerio." Ford said. Sheegor gasped.
"Do you think they know about the project?" Sheegor asked. Ford shook his head.
"No…I don't think they do. If they knew how important they themselves were to the project, Quentin would have taken his wife and he and Fred would have all gone into hiding by now. I don't think they realize the danger that they're in." Ford said. Sheegor unconsciously squeezed Ford's arm.
"Lerio needs Fred for the project…Fred's not cooperating." Sheegor said softly. Ford placed his hand on top of hers.
"Don't worry. I'm working on getting Fred some protection…in the mean time, I'm sure Quentin has taken measures to keep Fred safe; even if Fred doesn't realize it." Ford said. "Quentin is a smart young man. If Lerio wants Fred, Quentin will see to it that Fred stays out of Lerio's reach…which brings young Vernon into the equation…"
"Vernon?" Sheegor asked.
"Lerio seems to have stumbled upon the Psychonauts Clandestine Twilight Force." Ford said.
"Oh my…" Sheegor whispered. Ford nodded.
"Vernon eluded Bobby Zilch a few days ago and there has been no word on his whereabouts since then. Vernon must know that he's been discovered, so he's gone into hiding. Either that, or he's killed himself." Ford said. Sheegor gasped. "He knows the horrors of Black Fantasia. Without him, the project would halt; or at least slow down considerably. He knows what could happen if Lerio were to get his hands on him."
Sheegor nodded slowly.
"Vernon was deeper into the agency than anyone knew. I doubt even Sasha knew about Vernon's involvement in the PCTF." Ford said.
"I thought Sasha used to be on the PCTF." Sheegor said.
"He couldn't handle it. It was too much for him. His experiences in the PCTF are what makes him so withdrawn. The things he experienced in the PCTF are what makes him wear his sunglasses." Ford said darkly. There was a long silence between them.
"W-what about Sasha?" Sheegor asked.
"I'm furious with that bastard right now…I know it sounds horrible; but I've almost got the mind to let Lerio have him…but I want a shot at him myself, Milla still needs him, and being able to use him as a test subject is benefiting Lerio." Ford said darkly.
"You don't really want him dead, Ford." Sheegor said. Ford sighed.
"No. I don't; but I don't know if I can bring myself to forgive him either." Ford said. "He's lucky that Milla loves him so much and that I have a big soft spot for Milla."
"The experiments…will we be able to undo the damage?" Sheegor asked.
"I really don't know…I'm working as fast as I can…the sooner he's out of Lerio's clutches, the less Lerio can learn, and the more sanity Sasha will retain." Ford said.
"I hope Lerio hasn't been able to get Sasha to tell him anything important…" Sheegor said.
"It's hard to say…Sasha is very strong…but so is Lerio." Ford said.
"How do you plan to save Sasha?" Sheegor asked.
"Well...Mr. Aquato has been exchanging contact with The Bug-Eyed Bandit and Lynx…" Ford said.
"Do you think they'll help?" Sheegor asked.
"Yes. They seem very enthusiastic about the prospect." Ford said. "I just wonder if they can pull it off."
"I hope so." Sheegor said.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Maloof, Mikhail, and Benny are on the road to recovery while the rebellion is on the road to discovery. Who are the mysterious Blue Angels? Will Lili and Raz go after Chops next, or head to Tibet to look for the Blue Angels?
It sounds like Lerio is getting ready to do something nasty…will our favorite former inmates be able to weather the Grand Head's wrath?
Finally! Morry, Milla, Ford, and Sheegor make their grand entrance! Who is 'the boy' that Sheegor is secretly caring for? How was he involved with Sasha? Who is Melvin?
And just what exactly has Ford gotten involved in? It would seem that, whatever it is, Sasha has made things rather difficult for the former Grand Head.
What is Operation Black Fantasia and what roles do Fred and Quentin (unwittingly?) play in it? What part does Vernon play in it?
What is the Psychonauts Clandestine Twilight Force? How did Vernon get involved? What was so horrible about it that drove Sasha to forever wear those sunglasses of his?
Ford has been in contact with Raz's dad and he has been contacting the Bug-Eyed Bandit and Lynx!? What role will they play in Ford's plans?
I suppose we'll find out more in chapter 13; won't we?
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