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Life Chapter 7

I was so excited about visiting Sashie. I hadn't seen her in years.

Sashie is a black Anthro-Cat with gorgeous amber eyes and she was my best friend all through high school.

We were inseparable; she was like a sister to me. We were so similar yet at the same time very different.

I hadn't seen her since after graduation, shortly before the meteor, when I helped her move into her new flat.

As I headed off in the direction of the flat, I hoped that she hadn't moved since then.

I walked up to the complex door. It was locked.

I stood there for a moment unsure of how I was going to get in. I briefly considered going all Romeo and Juliet and throw pebbles against her window.

I quickly dismissed this idea upon realising that I didn't know which window was hers.

Then I saw the buzzers for each unit. I pushed the one with the number 22 next to it and waited.

"Hello, who is it?" asked a confused Sashie. Evidently she wasn't expecting a visitor.

"Hi, Sash it's me Lexi. Can I come up?" I answered happily.

CRASH! Sashie dropped her intercom.

"Oh. My. God!! Is it really you? Come right up!" She said excitedly.

The door buzzed, so I pushed it open and walked inside.

I walked down the hall of Level 4 looking at the number on each of the doors.

19, 20, 21, 22. Found it.

I knocked twice and was about to knock again but the door flung open.

Sashie leapt towards me and enveloped in the tightest hug I had ever received. Just as I thought I was about to suffocate she let me go.

"Oh my god! I can't believe you're actually her!" She exclaimed making me feel slightly guilty for not keeping in touch.

"Well, I got some time off work and I was in the neighbourhood so I thought I would pop by" I smiled.

Sashie stared at me for a moment, as if she just couldn't believe her eyes.

"Come in, come in. We have so much to talk about!" Sashie said as she dragged me by the arm into her apartment.

As soon as I stepped inside I realised that she hadn't changed a thing since I helped her move in. It made me smile.

The apartment was distinctly girly, which was a welcome change. Don't get me wrong, I love the team but sometimes a girl just needs another girl.

Sashie gave me a quick tour of the place, pointing out important places like the toilet and bathroom.

As we entered the lounge Sashie said "Wait here, I'll go make us some tea."

"Ok" I replied as she disappeared into the kitchen.

I noticed the TV was on. Eager to see what was happening around Acmetropolis these days, I took a seat on the couch and once I found a remote I turned the volume up.

It was an interview with a grey Anthro-bunny with dark eyes. He looked so familiar, but I just couldn't place him. For a moment I thought he looked like Ace, and that was why he was familiar. I mentally slapped myself for being so stupid.

If I kept thinking like this I was going to start thinking that every grey Anthro-bunny looked like Ace and then how would I move on.

I turned my attention back to the TV just as he stopped talking.

"So Bud" said the interviewer.

The penny dropped, he was the guy I ran into in the lobby this morning. I had completely forgotten about it.

"I've heard you do all your own stunts," continued the interviewer, "and I've heard that you're really good. Can you explain why you chose comedy instead action, especially when you have such an obvious flare for action?"

'Well,' I thought, 'that was a long winded question.'

Bud sat for a moment contemplating his answer.

"Ok," he said slowly, "I'm going to answer this question in parts."

The interviewer nodded enthusiastically.

"1. I am able to do my own stunts because I have been trained as a stunt double. 2. I have previously tried to get in to the action film industry but, as you can see, I was unsuccessful. And 3. I chose comedy mainly because it is easier to get into and after travelling the universe and being a spectator to some pretty horrific battles action just lost its appeal" Bud answered with a shrug.

"Wow," I whispered, "That's a heck of a reason."

There was one thing that bothered me about it though. Bud had said that he had travelled the universe and witnessed great battles. As far as I knew the Loonatics are the only people with access to the universe and ever since we gained access we have been at every battle since then.

I don't remember anyone else being there, but then again I was normally a bit preoccupied.

The more I thought about his answer, the more I realised that maybe someone else had access to the universe back then and maybe he went before the Loonatics left Acmetropolis.

I shook my head and turned my attention back to the TV. The interview was nearly over.

"Well, that just about sums up our interview, but can I ask you one more thing?" asked the interviewer.

"Sure" smiled Bud but he looked like he was over it.

"Do you think you can take us to the add break with your favourite stunt move?" was the request.

"Of course" replied Bud, visibly excited.

He got up and walked behind the chairs where an area had been cleared for him and did a series of stretches before completing a few handsprings and back flips.

Then Bud walked out of the view of the camera.

'Was that it?' I thought.

All of a sudden he ran back into view and did a handspring that launched him high into the air. Tucking himself into a ball he spun around 6 times before he landed crouching on the ground.

I was stunned. I just sat there staring at the TV, mouth agape.

"He's amazing isn't he?" commented Sashie. She must have walked into the lounge in time to see the flip.

"Yeah" I agreed vaguely.

I just couldn't shake a niggling feeling that I had seen that move before.

"So," said Sashie, "who's going to start this catch up?"

"You start" I smiled as I sipped my tea.

Sashie told me about her time at Uni, her new job, past boyfriends, work mates and her best friend. Well, her other best friend.

"You have to meet her," she finished, "Now it's your turn!"

I laughed at her enthusiasm then told her how the meteor gave me powers and that I became part of a team called the Loonatics. I also told her how we started by protecting Acmetropolis then eventually became guardians of the galaxy.

Then I gave Sashie detailed descriptions of the guys.

"You're the only girl!" She exclaimed "It must be so hard sometimes."

I agreed with her before telling her about my feeling for Ace and how much fun we had together. Sashie being as boy obsessed as she is wanted to know if we had ever gotten it on.

"NO!!" I exclaimed but then I caught her eye and we both burst into laughter.

Then I let her know that Ace had died.

"Oh, Lexi" she said softly as she leaned over and hugged me.

I explained that Tech and I had become the leaders and how it had taken months to become a team again.

I let her know that I felt like I walked around with a fog in my head which only lifted during missions, that this morning when I woke up at the Acmetropolis HQ I had thought that the last few years were a dream and how every time a door opened at HQ I thought it was Ace. The tears fell freely now, I couldn't stop them.

"Oh honey, it's completely normal to deny the truth in these circumstances" said Sashie as she hugged me again

I can tell you right now I did not feel normal, but I felt better for letting it all out and having a bit of a cry. Ok, so I was a complete mess. At least I wasn't holding it in anymore.

Sashie passed me a box of tissues as she said "I know just the thing to make you feel much better."