Chapter 6: Betrayal at home
"It's been a week now…" Renton said while sitting on the couch in the cooking room. Next to him sat Eureka. They were both eating by themselves.
"Sense when?" She asked and looked over at him.
"Sense the day the microwave blew up. Heh, not that that's really important. But it was the day just before that we landed here for repairs. And now that every thing is complete, we're prepping for launch. We were planning to launch the next day right? Didn't matter since we found a problem with a cooling system." He said simply and took another bite of buttered bread.
"I hadn't realized. It just went by so fast." She took her plate and set it on the table in front of them. "When did Holland say we were taking off?" She asked him curiously. Renton looked at the ceiling and thought about it for a second. Then it clicked and he looked back down.
"Well, at about three o'clock. So… that's about in an hour." He nodded in satisfaction and set his food down as well. They both sat there looking at the ceiling.
"So we finally get to see the kids…" Eureka said softly. Renton looked over at her. He noticed a look of stress on her face. Gently he took her hand and held it. She looked back at him with a smile of gratitude.
"The kids won't hate us… Holland's going to take us there and it's going to turn out fine. I know the kids will be happy to see us." He said confidently. Eureka finally nodded herself and let the worry drain from her. The door opened up suddenly, Matthieu looked around and stopped when his eyes fell on Eureka and Renton.
"There you two are, we've been looking every for you guys. Any way, Holland said we're about to launch. He suggests that you guys get ready for the Final Beginning. Once we get far away enough from the site we're going to test it out. Though, it's going to be an hour or two. So don't worry, it's just a fair warning." With that he waved and left the room. Renton stood up and stretched his arms.
"Great, should we go say good bye to Konner and them? They say they'll be staying on the Izumo. Konner did admit that he wish he could come with us on the Gekko-Go. But Holland wouldn't let it pass, not a chance." Eureka stood up after him.
"Hmmm, I'll miss them." She said as they walked out of the room. They moved through the halls and down the hanger which led to the outside. The grounds weren't nearly as crowded as they once were. This time people were out either for recreation, or just relaxing and lounging around. Every now and then they spotted a group of engineers looking over the ships, just to make sure that nothing was missed. Konner and his group didn't seem to be any where in site. That was until they saw Jake and Klera pointing up at the Izumo. Next to them they spotted a very bored Konner.
"Guys, look, you both agree that the ship looks fine. So let's go do something interesting?" Konner said and stepped up next to them. Jake shared a quick glance, but he turned his attention back to the Izumo.
"We're almost done Kon. Just wait a little while will you?" Jake said a little agitated.
"Yeah well-" His attention suddenly diverged from them to Eureka and Renton. "Thank you!" He said running up next to them. "These guys can be fun to hang around with… but when they get to work. It's like turning off your wave board. After that there's nothing left but air to fall on." He looked back at the two seeing that they weren't even paying attention. A sigh came from his lips and he rolled his eyes. Renton laughed and so did Eureka.
"Well, we just came to say good bye." Renton said with a small grin. Konner eyes went from excited to distressed.
"You can't leave me alone like this. The Izumo has another two days planned. All the engineers are so paranoid about the ship blowing up when they start the engines." He fell to his knees. "Please don't leave me like this." Both Eureka and Renton laughed at his sarcastic nature. He couldn't help himself either and stood up. "Gahhh, oh well, it's only two days until we're on the move again." He held out his hand to Renton. Renton reached out and shook it. Then Eureka took her turn.
"Thanks Kon, we wouldn't be where we are with out you." Konner laughed and rubbed the back of his neck.
"I don't know about that, but no problem. I'll miss you guys. Next time we meet we'll have to do some Reffing. These uniforms are only for show, but when I'm on a board. You'll see what I can really do." He said and grabbed the ends of his collar. Renton let out a short laugh.
"Yeah, we really should." Konner nodded and put his hands in his pocket. The sound of jets suddenly boomed behind them.
"Hmm, looks like the Gekko-Go is warming up its engines. Well, I'll see you guys later." Konner then turned around and walked up next to Jake and Klera. Eureka and Renton started back for the Gekko-Go. The power being emitted from the Gekko-Go wasn't powerful enough to move it. But just enough to refresh the engines and gears. Once they reached the Gekko-Go. They walked up the long catapult and started for the command room.
"I wonder who Konner was originally." Eureka said suddenly while they walked down the halls of the Gekko-Go. Renton looked over at her confused and shook his head.
"I don't know." He replied with a shrug.
"Well, what qualified him for the P.O.F.? Or why did he even want to join the P.O.F…" She wondered aloud. Renton wasn't really sure himself. Konner was a pretty energetic guy. Not one you would think would want to join the military of sorts. "I'll have to ask him that when we meet again." She said and tilted her head in thought. They continued down the halls until the reached the command room. Every one was in their usual spots, almost as if nothing had ever changed. Except for Moondoggie in Talho's spot. Which now that he noticed, Talho wasn't to be seen.
"Ok Moondoggie, ease the flaps now." Moondoggie quickly nodded and worked with the controls. A reply quickly came from the comm., it was Job's voice.
"I'm not getting any faulty feed back. The engines, flaps, and… everything else looks good." The comm. abruptly shut off. Holland nodded in satisfaction and leaned back in his seat.
"Good, then I think it's time to take off. Earlier I saw Renton and Eureka leave the ship. Moondoggie, Gidget, go look them ou-"
"No, we're right here." Renton said while stepping down the stairs behind Eureka. They both stopped next to the command seat.
"Oh, then we're ready for launch." Holland said with little surprise. "It's time to get this thing back where it belongs… in the sky." Moondoggie got the obvious command. He smirked and gripped the controls lightly.
"Its all clear in space, this birds ready to fly!" Gidget said excitedly. Moondoggies pulled back on the controls. The Gekko-Go's back jets exploded with immense power. It slowly gained speed until it suddenly shot forward. People on the ground lost their attention in what they were doing and looked at the event. The Gekko-Go lifted into the air and turned. It then flew over the Izumo as a last send off. A few people on the ground waved their arms in excitement.
"And that's that." Ken-Goh said from his station, smiling to himself. Eureka and Renton were holding on tightly to the railing. They weren't exactly planning on the sudden force of power.
"Good, then it's off to Bellfrost we go." Holland said while standing up. Eureka and Renton caught their footing. Holland stopped by them and looked between the two curiously. "You guys ready for this?" He asked with sincerity. The look in his eyes gave way to a serious reflection on the two. Renton looked at Eureka who nodded back at him. Holland smiled gently and turned around walking away. "By the way guys, we test the Xellien out in an hour." He said just before the door closed behind him.
"Hmmm… what should we do now then?" Renton asked Eureka. She thought about the many possible things they could do.
"Let's go visit the Xellien." She said and started walking for the doors. Renton liked the idea and followed after her.
-----
Dominic sat at on of the command computers silently. His eyes were moving across the screen quickly but with smooth precision. The bridge was livelier then it had been a week ago. Every one was readying the ship for tomorrow. It was finally time to get on the move again.
"Dang it…" He said after entering a code in. It was instantly rejected with out hesitation.
"What is it this time?" The familiar voice of Anemone came from beside him. "You've been sitting here all day Dominic, the Gekko-Go took off a while ago." Dominic lifted his head when she said that. He would have really liked to have said good bye to Renton and Eureka.
"Shoot… I'm just really curious about this… Irik Livings. He's going on board with the Gekko-Go. And Captain Jurgens won't tell me why…" He turned around in his chair to face Anemone. "Apparently his father was a partner of Adrock Thurston. His father's name being…" Irik turned around and looked down at the screen. "Xellien Livings."
"Yes…so?" Anemone said looking at him strangely. He looked at the screen for a few more moment and then turned his attention back to her.
"It's just strange… I mean… there's no record of his son on here. This is an old data file that belongs to the U.F. force. All records were previously saved. When I searched for him on the updated information, the P.O.F. archives, he popped up immediately. So then his information must have been erased from the U.F. archives. But then why?" Dominic asked himself more then Anemone. She looked at him dully and rolled her eyes.
"Maybe he just wasn't recorded into the archive." She looked down at the screen herself. Dominic shook his head instantly.
"Unlikely… The family of that kind of scientist would be archived for sure. So, maybe they weren't removed. But rather just moved…" He said with a tinge of curiosity. Anemone wasn't really sure what he was getting at.
"I thought the U.F. archives held everything?" She asked him. Dominic looked back at the screen once more, his face was serious.
"No, there is another sector of information that I only found about a while ago, just before Dewey died." He stopped and then continued. "The archive was originally to be only viewed by the sages. When Dewey took over, he gave me specific privileges to use it. I was only able to briefly look over some information before I was signed back onto the Izumo. The information was held at the city… Where the tower extends all the way into space." He finished deep in his own thoughts. Anemone was slightly surprised. She had no idea that information like that had existed.
"What information was held in there?" Anemone asked him. Dominic looked at her and then back at the screen.
"Everything…"
-----
"Ok, you guys are ready for this right? The board you're going to use was a redesign of a KLF board. It doesn't fit the lay outs of the Final beginning. So don't pull any stunts." Hollands voice spoke through the comm. of the Xellien.
"Yes, everything is ready for the test run." Eureka replied back into the comm. The catapult in front opened slowly.
"Good, then you guys are cleared for the launch. Just try to keep up with the Gekko-Go." Holland cut off the comm.. The catapult extension finally stopped, and all light turned green.
"Ready to fly…" Renton said under his breath. He gripped the controls and shot the Xellien forward. Little static bolts danced behind the quick moving gears that launched the Xellien from the Gekko-Go. It quickly pulled out its board and curved with the winds. Bright green waves of trapar splashed from the edges of the board. Then it did a few more curves until it was sailing right next to the Gekko-Go. Eureka was looking over the read outs carefully.
"Everything's good, no strange or faulty feedback. How long are we going to go at this?" Eureka asked.
"Only for about thirty minutes. We want you to get use to the new control settings. And long enough for Stoner to get a few good shots of you." Eureka nodded and looked out the window. That's when she noticed something strange. She looked out the viewing and down bellow them.
"Hey, could you guys get in front of the ship. I would really like to get a good shot of you guys moving towards the shell cliffs." Stoner's voice came over the comm.. Eureka's eyes went wide.
"What's wrong?" Renton asked her. The look on her face started to worry him.
"Renton, we're moving up towards the shell." She said almost too quietly to hear. Renton frowned in his confusion and looked forward. Then he quickly looked back behind them. It suddenly dawned on him in what she had meant. In front them they saw a large cliff, massive, beyond compare to anything they'd ever seen. And behind them laid the planet earth. They were slowly moving away from the planet and up to their existing home. The outer shell of earth.
"Hey, are you guys going to move out in front or what?" Stoner's voice came over the comm.. Renton shook his head and grabbed at the controls. The Xellien swerved to the side, putting them selves directly in front of the Gekko-Go. Renton looked over at Eureka who was still looking forward in shock.
"Eureka…" Renton said in slow words. She looked over at him and then down at her hands. He reached over with his own hand and took hers. The Xellien moved on for another thirty minutes. Irik aboard the ship had taken all the recordings he'd wanted. With that the Xellien turned around and moved back into the ship. Once everything was settled and docked, they hopped out of the LFO. Both decided to head over to Eureka's room.
"Eureka, me and Dominic were talking. And he-" He stopped and noticed Eureka was no longer with him. Turning around he saw her standing still looking at the floor. "Eureka?" He asked walking towards her. She suddenly fell to her knees. Renton felt a jolt run through him, his feet went auto and he ran forward. "Eureka!" He urgently yelled and crouched down next to her. She fell forward into his arms, not finding the strength to keep herself up.
"Renton… I suddenly feel so tired." She whispered next to his ear. The weakness in her voice sent a shiver down his spine. Carefully he leaned her back and put his arm under her legs. Then when the position was right he lifted her up.
"I got to get you to Mischa." He turned around and started down the hall. His adrenaline was surging through him. 'Eureka what's wrong… what in the world is happening?" He said and barely stopped in front of the infirmary. The door slid open and he ran inside. His luck hadn't run out on him yet, Mischa was sitting at the computer taking some readings. She turned around to see what was going on. Instantly she stood up when she saw Eureka, though no stress or worry was in her eyes.
"Put her down on the bed, and what happened?" She asked him with utter calm. Renton did as he was told and gently laid her down on the medical bed. Mischa walked forward and looked her over.
"I don't know, she just suddenly fell to her knees. She said something about being tired. It has to be more then that right?" He asked her, the stress building in his voice. Mischa didn't respond, in the mean time she raised an eyebrow and looked over the computer screens. Renton waited impatiently, wanting his answers now. Finally Mischa sighed and shook her head.
"Renton, nothings wrong with her. As far as I can tell she's just physically fatigued. The past week has been overwhelming for the both of you. Maybe you should… just rest." She said looking over at Eureka, who was now sitting up. Renton spotted this and quickly ran next to her.
"I'm sorry… I'm fine." She said feeling her head and standing up. Now that Renton thought about it, he was feeling tired as well. But when she fell to her knees, it surprised him. She seemed to be looking better, her legs were stronger. "I just want to sleep." She admitted and started for the door. Renton looked over at Mischa. The two looked at each other until Mischa nodded. Then Renton left, following along side of Eureka.
"Are you sure you're alright?" He asked her. She nodded and kept walking. They reached her room and Eureka laid down on the bed. Renton sat on the bed on the other side of the room. He stared at her for a while, an unnerving feeling in his stomach. He dropped his head in thought. The desire for sleep was starting to overcome him. Even the thought of leaning back against the wall surged at his muscles. Eureka opened her eyes and looked over at Renton. She saw the worry and fatigue drowning his energy.
"Renton…" He looked up at her. They held a gaze for a long time until Renton nodded and turned on his bed. Laying down felt better then he thought. It almost felt as if his muscles were rejoicing in the need of rest. But his worry for Eureka was still rolling around in the back of his mind. He turned his head to gaze at her one last time. It was obvious that she had fallen asleep. Her mouth was slightly open, and her breathing had slowed. The want of rest took his body, and he fell asleep…
"Renton." The voice suddenly broke into his mind. It was calming and sweet. He opened his eyes to see Eureka standing over him. "We're here." She said with a smile across her face. The fatigue that once resided in her eyes was gone, but now remained a burning excitement. Renton sat up quickly and rubbed his eyes. "Holland came in a little while ago. He told me we're only five minutes away from Bellfrost." Renton smiled at the thought. Turning on his bed he stood up next to Eureka. The two left the room and headed down to the hanger. Once they got there they found Holland and others there too. Speedily they ran down the stairs next to the lot. Holland looked up and then back down.
"You two, me, and Matthieu are all going down. The others will stay with the ship. Also, we're keeping this thing in the air. Reason being we have to start moving again." Holland was stressing on something. Every word he spoke seemed unsure. With a deep sigh he nodded to no one but himself. "Look Eureka… Renton… We can't stay here, and we're constantly on the move. This time though, you're not coming with us." Eureka eyes went wide in surprise. But there was also a look of hurt. Renton couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Why?" Renton asked.
"Because…" Holland paused for a second thinking. "It's no longer safe on the Gekko-Go. Things are changing, and its going to happen fast. We can't let Maurice, Maeter, and Linck on the ship. And you guys will be safe in Bellfrost, now that the military base converted to the P.O.F. The U.F. no longer has a reason to come after you. You've suffered enough, and did more then enough for the world." Holland finished with hesitation.
"But… what about the Xellien?" Eureka asked him with hope.
"It's going to be put back at a facility and worked on." He turned around and started walking towards one of the port doors. Matthieu walked forward handing both Eureka and Renton a board. Every one in the group didn't make much eye contact with them. It felt like being stabbed in the heart. The crew was doing it for them, and Renton knew it. But the pain in his chest was growing. Uncomfortably they said good bye to the crew and followed after Holland. They jumped out a small hatch, flying down to the city bellow. The ride there was silent, but Renton's mind was racing. The sparklingly streaks across the sky shined in the night. Finally the four curved and swooped to the ground. They all came to a short stop. Renton started to feel tired again, but this time from the thoughts on his mind. It was all going by so fast and complicated for the both of them. Just after catching up, it felt like he was falling behind again.
"We'll stay for a while longer. Then we got to head out." Holland spoke as if nothing had changed. Renton and Eureka didn't respond, they only walked towards the house. Matthieu stepped forward next to Holland. "They want to stay with us, but they know they can't."
"It's better for all of us. They need to stay here." Matthieu replied to him.
"I hope so." His voice sounded unsure as it came. The two decided to follow Eureka and Renton. Once they caught up with them, they found the two looking at the door oddly.
"What's wrong?" Holland asked. Renton looked back and then at the window.
"I'm not sure, it looks like the place is empty." Holland frowned and started to pace around the house. All the lights were off as he could tell. Once he reached around back to the group he stopped.
"Try opening the door." He pointed at the knob. Renton complied and reached down. The door knob opened with ease. He let go unexpectedly.
"What in world?" Matthieu said from behind them. They all moved in and looked about. The place seemed completely empty. Every room they check only held lifeless objects.
"Maybe they're out." Renton said slowly after meeting back up with the three. Holland thought about it for a second, and then nodded.
"It is possible that they just forgot to lock the door." He didn't sound to sure when he said it. "Well, they might be some where here. Let's check the outside. Matthieu come with me. Eureka and Renton go look out back." With that the two groups split up. Eureka and Renton headed out back. The grass was moist from a passing storm. Renton couldn't help but notice the glow in Eureka's wings. It cast the area about with a mystical feel. And the color of the soft moon blended with it perfectly. He suddenly found himself dazed just looking at her. She started walking up the hill and reached the top, the moon shining directly behind her. She turned around and looked at Renton, tilting her head in confusion.
"Renton?" She asked him. He shook his head and laughed. Then quickly picked his feet up to catch up with her. It was then that he noticed something strange about the moon. There were words written on it.
"What?" Renton said when he suddenly realized its meanings. Eureka couldn't hold in a laugh. She walked over next to Renton and grabbed his arm gently. She then leaned against him, letting the moon reflect off her eyes angelically. He found himself lost in them. Their trance was broken by a sudden yell of words.
"Renton, Eureka, come here!" Matthieu yelled from bellow the hill. Eureka broke her gaze and looked down. The two started down, but Eureka stopped suddenly. Renton didn't notice, and Matthieu had already gone in the house. A strange sound had caught her ears. It was the sound of talking.
"Maybe…" She thought to herself and started walking to see what it was. She walked around the hill a little farther. The sound got louder, but she wasn't sure what to make of it. Then after a small dip she found a group of men all talking. They were wearing uniforms that belonged… to the U.F. She wasn't sure what to do, but run. She turned around and started to run. But an arm briefly grabbed hers. The force reflected and bounced her back.
"Well, didn't think we would catch you so soon." An older man said. He had a black beard and a cold face. He gazed down at Eureka with no interest. The group of men from before popped up over the hill to see what was going on.
"Hey, what did you find Captain?" One of the men spoke up. The older man looked up dully. They then spotted Eureka.
"Just keep a watch on her, we're about to spring the trap on the rest of them." He turned around and started walking away. Eureka was about to make a break for it, but she was quickly surrounded by the men.
"Well she's a pretty one." A man smirked as he talked. Another stepped forward with anger. He reached down and furiously picked Eureka up by her wings. A stinging pain shot through her back.
"I know this one… she killed my family with that… that Nirvash." He said with disgust and threw her against the ground. Some of the others started to act up as well.
"Yeah, she also killed one of my friends… my best friend. He never did anything wrong, he didn't deserve to die." They all started to in close on her. She could almost feel their dark fury cover her. Another reached down and picked her up by the wings. Then they tossed her down one side of the hill. All of them laughed in satisfaction. Eureka rolled down and slammed against the ground. The wind was knocked out of her, and the burning in her eyes was building. She already felt the warm tears fall down her cheek. But it wasn't just the pain, it was the guilt. It was all a massive spin of confusion and pain. She stood up unsure of what to do. Whether to fight back or just let them hit her.
"Please…" She whispered weakly. The men paused for a second in surprise. But it quickly faded with a wave of laughter. They slowly advanced on her.
Renton, Holland, and Mathieu were still at the house. Axel Thurston was talking with Holland when the other two arrived. A look of disappointment flushed through his grandfathers old eyes.
"Grandpa?" Renton asked noticing the strange look.
"I'm sorry Renton, I'm a failure." The words were all too familiar to him. His father spoke it, and so had he. At that moment the grandfather stepped aside, revealing a man holding a gun.
"This is good, then the informants were right. You guys really would come back here." The guy laughed and waved his gun. They raised their arms and followed the specified direction. Three more men stepped forward from behind him. One was holding a group of hand cuffs. "Cuff that guy first." He said and pointed to Holland. The man nodded and started walking forward. When the man got close enough, Holland reacted with speed. He shot forward and grabbed the man. He then twisted him around and shoved him in the others. They all fell; Holland reached down and picked up the gun pointing it at them. The urge to shoot was building in his finger. But taking a breath he slowed down. The men stood up and slowly put their arms in the air.
"Eureka's not here. Matthieu, Axel, tie these men up." Holding the gun carefully, Holland walked forward and picked up the other guns. He hand one to each of them, including Renton. Matthieu nodded and so did Axel. Renton noticed a look of guilt on his grandfather's face. He wanted to say something, but now wasn't the time. Holland ran out and Renton followed behind quickly. Holland stopped and looked around.
"Go around the hill there, I'll check down into that valley." He said and pointed at the turn. Renton nodded and started for the hill. Quickly he turned around the hill. The energy inside him was quickly building.
"Eureka." He said under his heavy breath. "She has to be alright." A sudden yell pierced his ears. The voice made him stop in his steps. Instantly he turned around and ran down that direction. His feet slamming against the ground, knowing that Eureka was close. He then fell upon the sick situation. The group of men were literally torturing her. Two were pulling on her delicate wings. One kicked her in the stomach, and in all the pain, they just laughed. Renton felt a fury he hadn't felt in a long time. But this was different, it burned massively. His body took over. He ran down the hill with incredible speed. Then he took the gun and slammed it against one of the men's heads. The guy fell over, out cold from the attack. The others lost their attention on Eureka and looked at Renton. A look of fury, vengeance, and chaos burned inside his eyes. For a split second they felt a wave of fear, but the situation was quickly reanalyzed. It was four on one. Two started to raise their guns, but Renton didn't give them a chance. He jumped at one, knocking the gun out of his hand. The other quickly raised his gun and aimed it at Renton. But another hand gripped his tightly. It squeezed with intense pain, until the strength in his hands failed him. The gun dropped and he received a powerful kick in the stomach. Eureka had taken the man down with excellent precision. When it came to Renton, she knew the right path to take. The training as an S.O.F. kicked in. Suddenly she had become a killing machine. She jumped at the other man quickly snapping his arm. Then she ducked from a swift kick aimed at her. Swiftly she jumped up like a dart and kicked the man in the chin. He fell over with out another thought. Renton quickly stood up and turned around, ready to take on anything else. But it soon came to his realization that… they were all knocked out.
"Eureka?" He asked in utter confusion. She turned around regaining her grip on reality. Her eyes fell down to the bodies on the ground. Then she looked up at Renton and his face of surprise.
"I… it…" She muttered trying as hard as she could to get out the words. Renton immediately ran forward and embraced her in his arms. His warm essence evaporated her worry. A smile softly grew across her face and she let him hold her.
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry." He said with a tone of guilt. She shook her head and held him tight.
"No… thank you Renton." For a long while they just held each other. Suddenly the sound of gun clicked. They both turned around to see Holland holding his gun. When he saw it was just them, he slowly lowered it. The banging sounds of guns could be heard behind the hill. Holland quickly turned around.
"Matthieu, just get up here. There's no point now." He yelled down. Two people suddenly emerged from the other side, shooting their guns bellow. It was Matthieu, and Axel Thurston. When Axel spotted Renton, he took a quick breath of surprise. The relief overwhelmed his old and tired body.
"Renton." He said and ran down quickly. They gave each other a quick hug.
"Where are the kids?" Renton asked him suddenly. At that point Axel suddenly found it hard to make eye contact.
"I'm sorry Renton, they took the kids away with out warning. They knew you would come here, and they wanted me to lure you into the perfect position. I… I refused at first, and then they threatened to kill the kids. After that I followed every order given. Luckily, they didn't suspect this." The old man smirked, only causing more creased wrinkles in his face. He reached in his vest and pulled out a small black device with a button on it. His finger pressed the button with a bare click. Behind the hill there was a loud bang. The whole ground shook, and smoke rose into the air. Renton couldn't help but smile at his clever grandfather.
"Good, this gives us enough time to escape with the boards... I've already communicated with the Gekko-Go, they know what's going on. They'll make a brief dive in. That will be our best chance to get out of here." He finished and started walking. They all started to follow except for Eureka who grabbed at Axel's arm. The old man turned around in confusion. He looked down at Eureka, tears swelling in her eyes.
"Please Axel… where is my children?" She asked in desperation. Just looking at her made him weak. He felt as if this was his fault.
"I…. They took the kids to the command center." He said and shifted his gaze to the large and dark structure. Eureka shifted her attention between it and him. Out of sudden decision she jumped up and ran for it. Axel reached out to stop her, but she was already speeding off. Renton turned around to see what was going on, and he noticed Eureka running off.
"Where is she going?" Renton yelled and chased after her.
"She's heading to the command center, because thats where the kids are. I'm sorry Renton, I couldn't stop her." Axel spoke quickly and firmly. Renton nodded and kept following her.
"Eureka, stop, there's no way your going to do it on your own!" He yelled at her from behind. She reached up and wiped a tear from her eye.
"No… they need me, and I'm not going to let them go." She told him with an aching voice. Renton couldn't believe how fast she was. But her steps were becoming wobbly and weak. The depression was starting to surge through her body. Finally she slowed down enough that Renton jumped forward and grabbed her. They fell to the ground. Eureka was trying desperately hard to get out of his tight embrace.
"I can't let you die…" He said to her quietly. It then hit her like a brick wall. The tears were no longer held back. Like stream they fell from her eyes. Renton tried to comfort her, but the pain was hard in her heart.
"I can't leave them." She said with a quivering voice. Renton helped her to her feet and gave her his smile of confidence.
"I promise you they'll be safe. But if you try to go now, all they'll have is a dead mother." She flinched, not liking the word he spoke. But at the same time, they were true… The painful truth to her. Slowly she nodded and they walked back to the rest of the group. Axel looked down at the ground. Holland and Matthieu held the boards out to them. They each took one except for the Axel.
"I don't know how to reff." He told them in ignorance. Holland nodded and held out his long board.
"Just hold on tight." The old man looked between the board and then Holland. He finally understood and sighed in annoyance. With a short nod he stepped behind Holland. In the distance the sound could be heard. The burning engines of the Gekko-Go sped towards them. Holland raised his hand and made the gesture. They all ran forward and launched off on the board.
"I said hold tight old man!" Holland yelled in his impatience.
"I'm doing the best I can. It's a small board, it wasn't designed for two!" Axel yelled back. The two argued only for a little longer, until the time finally came. The catapult door to the Gekko-Go was open, and ready to pick them up. They all swerved right inside. The door closed and they were yet again running away from the chaos about to start. They all had a hard time landing with the immense speed they were heading and with the Gekko-Go already coming the opposite direction fast. With short luck they had barely enough trapar to turn and drop off the boards.
"That was exciting." Matthieu said sarcastically while standing up. He then wiped himself off. Axel and Holland stood up as well.
"There were many things you could have done to improve that situation." Axel spoke with a tone of arrogance. Holland gripped his hand into a tight fist. With all his might he kept the boiling anger from surging through him. After a few slow breaths Holland nodded and looked over at Eureka and Renton. Eureka eyes looked lifeless, and Holland had no doubt why.
"I'm going to my room." She said and walked away. Renton looked between her and Holland.
"Don't worry, you kids have done enough." Renton nodded and quickly headed for Eureka's room. He ran down the hall and stopped while turning to the door. It slid open and he stepped inside. Eureka was on the bed, lying down, and covered in her blanket.
"Eureka." Renton said and walked over to her bed. She gave no response, not this time. With a sigh he turned to his own bed. He started for it when he suddenly heard a shuffling sound. Turning around Eureka had suddenly wrapped her arm around him tightly. Tears where falling down her face. Renton instantly wrapped his own arms around her.
"Renton… I miss them so much. I just want to hear their voices again. The sound of them running about and playing around. Renton… please help me." She started to cry into his shoulder. Renton helped her back to his bed and they sat down.
"Eureka… I know we'll get them back, no matter what. There's no way I'm going to let the U.F. take our children away." He held her tightly as she held him. Slowly the cries stopped and she looked up. Although she had been crying, her eye's still mystically reflected into his own.
"Thank you." She said and put her head forward. They then kissed for a long moment. Slowly she pulled her head back and looked up into his comforting eyes. Then she leaned her head again his shoulder. The two sat there with a soft feeling. Worries of the world were draining at last. And for that split second, as long as they were together, they could forget the world. Everything yet again gathered in darkness around them, and they fell asleep.