Sorry for the delay...but no one is reading this any more anyway...no reviews. But what ever...i promised myself i would finish it and i will. I just had a friend of mine die in an accident...and i'nm writing purly to take my mind off so the quality may vary. This is a chapter I've been looking forward to for a long time. It has one of my friend fire cat's characters in it . so onward i go. Read if you want...review if ya feel like it. It would be apreciated. And to top it all off a planed character in this story was to be based off the friend that died...so i might have to stop writing anyway...or change the plot around i don't think i would be able to do it.
:Jules, Eruka and Flame look up from their tea party and they glare evily :
that means review or else...or maybe they just don't want you to eat their danishes... looks at her mission list wow...Yay! We are almost out of act one!... -.-;;
---Get your freak on---ch: 26 or so.
Clue sat morosely in the sands of the churning desert, the wind whipping sand about his ankles playfully. He had sat there all night, arms wrapped about his legs, staring off into the horizon. The sun had risen hours ago, and had yet to reach its zenith. Occasionally he would chance a look at the leaper to his left and the long narrow box strapped to it back.
The leaper had since dug into the sand, sounding its self in a nest of it and with every glance the lizard would raise its dull blue head and chirp. And all through the night he had spent sulking he had turned away from the disappointed leaper to stare back into space and think.
To him it seemed as if some parts of his life could simply not connect to the others, and any intrusion of one part to another was distressful him. the precursor muddling around in his mind had not helped, and he could not help but to continue to dredge up better left forgotten memories.
"the past is dead," he had muttered to himself more than once as the night had progressed. But with the rising of the sun, so came the day star, and more pertinent worries came to mind.
Suddenly he swore bitterly . He hadn't realized the amount of time it had taken to compose himself. He looked down bitterly at his exposed hands. They glistened with a dull luster in the bright sun. cascading across ed his entire hand was what could be best described as a closely knit diamond shaped scaled pattern. But the flesh was more smooth and sensitive than hard and armor like, for the skin on his hands was no less sensitive than the rest.
He cracked his knuckles loudly with an angry snort, "this is wonderful, absolutely so fucking wonderful." venom soaked every word as he pulled himself to his feet, looking pointedly at the day star. His knees popped in protest as he extended them fully and made his way to the now hyperactively excited leaper.
"I wasn't talking to you now calm the hell down." he mumbled at the poor creature sourly. He grabbed the reins more harshly than had been necessary and the lizard gave a small protest. Its only response from clue was to lead away from the sulking place at the top of the dune.
The long trek back to the city could be summed up, from the leapers point of view as boring. And try as Clue might he could not keep the naïve animals attention. The creature was never at a lost to find things more interesting than the strange wastelander leading him home. Even the odd cacti, rock, kanga rat or whisps of sand would grab its small attention. Clue was at his witt's ends with the leaper and was seriously considering to murder it or at least just leave it there in the desert.
"Come here you! Stop that! Pay attention!" he yelled viscously, tugging hard on the reins again. The lizard leaper squealed in distress pulling away from him more.
"your a stupid bastard aren't you..." he crooned to it after getting it under control again. He continued to croon insults to it as he mounted it. The species as a whole annoyed him. And after what felt like an unnaturally long trip , the high walls of Spargus came into view. Reluctantly he trotted the leaper towards the largest door visible along its wall: Kleaver's.
The large mechanical door clanked open for him loudly and he brought him and his mount into the garage.
He was in the middle of dismounting when a voice addressed him from across the garage, " if it ain't me favorite freak of a wastelander," Kleaver's voice drawled out cynically, "oh and look ya brought yer mum home too."
Clue just stood there next to his leaper, giving the pompous garage owner a rather frightening look.
Kleaver just snorted at him, "well it ain't my fault that it looks like your whore of a mum did a leaper."
Clue's face went from frightening to rather calm. He clasped his afore insulted hands behind his back and strode purposely towards the fat wastelander.
"I'm really not in the mood for this," he said softly and almost casually as he stopped in front of Kleaver.
Kleaver harrumphed at him, "really now? Well you should be thankful i even let ya use me garage at all!" he proclaimed seemingly unaware of the intension's of the man in front of him, as if some how his calm nature had meant some sort of submission.
Then suddenly before Kleaver had anytime to elaborate or even flinch, Clue had a hold of his yellow slug of a mustache on each side.
Wham! Clue whacked his skull against the man's in his grasp.
Kleaver stumbled backwards into the hood of a dune buggy with a yowl. By the time he had looked up from clutching his head, Clue was already leading the leaper out the door and into the street.
Clue hitched up his leaper next to the pale green one already there. He unhitched the box on its back and heaved it over his shoulder and started down the street, more glad to be rid of the leaper than one could probably imagine.
As he progressed down the street, he made a point to look at his feet. In all honesty he felt like he was a kid again, mostly because of the lingering insecurities he was having at the moment. If he had the sense at the time to look up from his feet, he would have seen that no one on the street was paying him any attention at all.
It was in this manner that he arrived at his house. It took a bit of self control on his part not to dash up the steps and slam the door behind. When he did shut the door behind him he locked it.
Clue let the box fall heavily onto the kitchen table with a clatter, "Jules?" he shouted towards the other room.
No answer.
He poked his head up into the her lab only to find it empty, he slid back down the ladder half relieved and half upset at her absence.
So he stood there in the sitting room below the lab, just stood there for a good long minute. With his next course of action chosen he began rummaging around in his pockets of his duster.
Eventually, after pulling out a couple packs of cigarettes he hadn't known existed, he pulled out his communicator. With a speed that was probably unnecessary he dialed in a number with on cobalt colored digit.
"Jules?" he asked the communicator in his hand, "where the hell are you?"
"in the temple...I think-"
"ARKK! I've been waiting, and I'm not getting any older!"
"oh my... Jak is that a talking monkey?"
Clue made a what-the-hell face and blinked at the device in his hands, "Okaaaaay... but what are you do there?"
"oh! You weren't home yet so i went out and found that blond guy-" Clue could hear Jak's voice in the background but not the words "Yes i know what your name is shut up! Anyway he has one of those little seal thingies like-"
"so you took him to the door at the temple..."
"um yeah? How'd you guess?" Clue groaned and took a seat on the infamously uncomfortable couch. He could still hear voices in the background over the com.
"You worry to much...what have i told you about worrying about me. Its a stupid pass time because i can take care of myse-oOoOoOH it floats? its AMAZING! Told you we'd find good stuff down here, and its yellow to... I like yellow" the last bit was more of a whisper, thenclue heard voices in the backgroundagain "your not expecting me to get in that...Oh god! I'm of to see the wizard love ya bye! EIP!" and the com went dead.
Clue took a deep exasperated breathe, "she took him, to the sub rails..." there was a hint of disbelief in his voice, "I really hate it when I'm right..." he finished thinking out loud.
He stood up and started to pace the sitting room, taping the blue tattoo on his face with one matching finger. The with out warning he kicked open the trap door in the floor and slid down the latter there.
He stepped off the latter and into a rather ordinary looking bedroom. A large bed with a yellow flowery bed spread dominated the room, the room looked uncommonly immaculate and even the bed was made. The walls and floor was covered with hard wood slats, giving it an odd boxed in feeling. The large area rug was also evident on the floor. Amazingly even the furniture seemed to be of a matching dark wood set. It was obvious this was more Jules's room than his.
He made his way to the other side where another door was, and passed through it into a walking closet sized room. The first thing that greeted you when you opened it was a large gun rack, on which a variety of guns, both new and old hung. On both sides was shelving filled with boxes trunks and odds and ends.
He reached down and pulled a metal foot locker off the bottom shelf, he opened it and began to rummage through the red armor he found there till he laid hands on the helmet. He picked it up and threw it over his shoulder and it landed on the bed. He also threw over his shoulder some kind of device. He shoved the foot locker back into place and moved to the next box, and then the next and the next until he quiet the little pile on his bed.
He shut the closet and moved onto a chest of drawers and pulled out a pair of thin black shoulder length gloves and threw them on the bed as well.
A few moments later he appeared back in the siting room, changed into a pair of pants instead of shorts and the black gloves under his white tee and brown duster. he snatched up a pack of cigarettes and lite one then threw a little green pack over his shoulder and tried to remember if he had forgotten anything. He spun toward the kitchen table pointing at it with both fingers, "You..." he said scooping up the box under his arm. He locked the door behind him with an ominous click, which made him doubt his plan for a just a moment. But only for a moment.
As he walked down the steps the remaining leaper at his hitch chirped plaintively at him, he stopped and looked at it, "oh come on...don't look at me like that..." the leaper continued to chirp sulkily, putting him on a guilt trip.
"Just make sure its alive when I get back." he thrust the reins at the dark haired gang leader.
"I can do that!" she chirped in the same manner a leaper would.
"the other two are hitched at Kleaver's," Clue continued watching her croon at the animal.
"heh heh" Eruka giggled evilly,"kay, we'll get them...NEKO!"
"yes?" the violet haired boy seemed to apear out of nowhere, Clue couldn't help but smirk despite his mood.
"get some lackeys together and go grab Clueless's Leapers from Kleaver's hitch post." she said sounding commanding for once.
"Yes ma'am!" he shouted and mock salute and ran off again before the gang leader had time to try to smack him for calling her ma'am.
"So..." she leaned against a wall near the large gate that lead into the desert, "besides leaper siting what brings you to my humble garage?"
He took a drag off his cigarette, "need to use your door again."
"aha! I knew it!" she nearly danced with glee, "so this little mission of yours is-," she was pointing at his little green pack.
"is none of your business." he finished for her, "just open the damn gate!"
"NEKO!...NEKO!...Neko?" she looked hurt that he hadn't appeared.
"you already sent him on an errand. Remember?" he told her impatiently.
"oh...damn. SOME ONE OPEN UP THE GATES OR, OR , or...or ELSE!" she yelled at the gang members nearest. "see...thats how you get things done," she said adjusting her green bandanna as the gates clanked open.
Clue looked at the fierce and slightly insane woman before him, he could clearly see a a crazed spark in her green eyes, "I really don't get you."
she pouted, "at least i don't have to be a disgruntle angry stick in the mud hard ass like you. And the felling is entirely mutual believe me...whatever mutual means...any way don't die or nothing, kay?"
He took another drag of his cigarette and snorted smoke out his nose, "alright then..." was all he had to say.
The gate was open now and he was just outside it when Eruka yelled at him again, "Tell Jules her explosives are the SHIT!" she held the fingers of her right hand to her lips and blew an Italian kiss to indicate its goodness, "...tell her we should have cookies and tea sometime!" at this the gates slammed shut behind him.
He stared at the shut gate for a moment and shook his head, dropping his cigarette and putting it out with his foot. He looked up and shaded his eyes from the high noon sun, and with that he took off north across the sandy terrain.
Mid afternoon found our wastelander a good ten miles north of Spargus in view of the ocean separating the desert from Haven. Clue sat on his knees panting, he had decided to run the last few miles and was now regretting it.
He took one last deep breath to compose himself and pulled the bag of his back. He pulled out the red helmet and the matching device and began putting his little plan into action.
The device popped open like a compact makeup case, the top part being a screen and the bottom half a jumble of buttons. Clue shook the thing impatiently when it refused to tun on, he grumbled angrily. A crackle emitted from his hand holding the device, then a welcoming beep chimed from it. Clue opened his hand and then the device, which was now glowing and beeping and running messages across its screen. He then went about pressing buttons on it like a disgruntle typist. Eventually he shut it and put it down, it continued to beep rhythmically.
"I really hope this works," he mumbled to himself as he shoved the crimson colored helmet onto his head and laid down in the sand, "otherwise I'll need a boat..."
Clue didn't even have time to realize he was asleep before he was rudely awakened by the sound of an air craft and a screaming voice.
"HEY! YOU! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? THIS STUPID ID IS LIKE A THOUSAND YEARS OLD FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! YOU SHOULDN"T DO THAT YOU KNOW! PEOPLE TAKE DISTRESS CALLS SERIUSLY...sometimes..."
Clue bolted up right and blinked at the large blue air train hovering a good fifty feet above him in the nigh sky. He blinked again, when had it become night? He stood up and turned on his com in his helmet.
"Can you hear me?" he asked tentatively at the disgruntle pilot.
"course I can fucking hear you, you idiot...." the pilots voice was a womans, and had the smooth accent of some one who had lived there whole life in the back alleys of Haven.
Clue rolled his eyes behind the visor of the helmet, he had been afraid the mike wasn't working, "so, you gona give me a ride or what?" he asked business like.
"Why the hell should I?" the woman asked with a less angry tone.
"cause you flew all the way out here maybe?" He answered in the innocent sounding way he always spoke when pointing out the absolute obvious. The com was dead for a moment.
"well! what the hell are you doing out in the desert anyway? Your no that idiot freak they exiled are you?"
"nope, I'm just an idiot freak that needs a ride," he said cynically getting tiered of the pilot real fast, and not looking forward to the ride back to haven if he managed to get one.
"alright but what do i get out of it?" Clue gave a loud sigh, he wished she would hurry up and land so he didn't have to listened to the air train engines roaring over his head.
"If you hurry up and land... I got three thousand haven credits."
the Blue air train immediately came in for a landing, kicking up sand everywhere as it did. The vehicle finally made a landing on the sand and the engine went dead as the pilot's door opened vertically.
A dark hired woman swung her legs out of the cockpit and stood in front of her ship, her hair had a plethora of red streaks running through it and her pale blue eyes just seemed to glare at anything that came under their gaze. She wore the regulation armor that matched the air train.
Clue tore of his helmet and gathered up his pack before approaching her.
"hey?" the pilot asked as he approached, putting one hand on her hip and pointing at him with the other, "I thought you were supposed to be blond?"
"I told you already I'm not Jak." he said icily as he rummaged around in his pack for the bag of credits to buy his flight.
"Well Excuuuuuuuse me, i thought you were, you know being sarcastic or something when you said no" she said rolling her eyes.
Clue gave her a hard look and held out the money,as she went to rreach for it he pulled it back, "were you originally blond or just slow?"
"...OH! Your gona die you bastard!" she said with unexpected anger and rashness she steped towards him throwing a wide right hook at his head.
Clue triped backwards in the sand, as the short pilot flung the unexpected blow at him. The unbalanced Blow ended up with the pilot face first in the sand, With Clue tripping over his boots and uncharacteristically landing flat on his back in the sand.
Clue hauled himself onto his feet and watched the pilot sputter in the sand. She rolled over and glared up at him.
"Do you take every thing this personal?"alls he could think about at that moment was the fact that he wanted another cigarette
"Yes, yes I do," She said glaring with. She watched as he snorted and tapped the money purse against his leg.
"So...we still doing business...?" she titled her head in a way reminiscent to a large bird of prey and eyed the money.
"Three conditions," he said holding up the matching amount of fingers.
The pilot simply continued to glare.
"One, don't do that again and the world we be a much better place for both of us, two you get the money when we get to haven-"
"And three?" she asked impatiently?
"Grab that box, will ya?" he said pointing.
"what the hell, do it yourself..." she started to turn toward her vehicle, but stopped dead at the sound of three thousand credits jingling behind her.
"Sooooooo...you got a name?" She looked over at her passenger. He was lounging with seat reclined back and his feet on the dash. Taking full advantage of the lengthening of her patience when money was involved.
One dark blue eye cracked open and glared at her, "Clue."
She looked at hi, "GOD! At least give me your real name!"
"I did, now shut up and keep your eyes on the ocean." the pilot grumbled and indeed looked out the windshield at an all encompassing blue green ocean.
She snorted indignantly at the view, "Its on auto pilot..."
"Sounds fancy Miss pilot."he didn't even open his eyes.
She snorted again "Don't you even want to know my name?"
"not especially," he sounded half asleep.
"To bad, I'm Flame, Cassie Flamebrough." No response came form her apathetic passenger and he seemed to be asleep by all appearances. He looked unkempt, it wasn't the clothing or his messy hair that fell over his face, it was sand. It seemed to Flame that more pounds of sand fell off him than breaths he took. She shook her head. He looked like that kind of shady guy she would in most cases befriend. 'if only he wasn't an ass' she sighed.
"Your an ass. I hope you die or something... wait your coming back to haven with me...i don't have to hope." she finally said at him.
"Is it really that bad?" he asked skeptically.
She was about to snap something back at him when she saw that she had his full attention, both cobalt eyes fixed on her. He looked worried suddenly, she wondered why, "Well M.H. And K.G bots have more than half of the city in their control...so yeah its pretty fucking bad."
He turned his head and looked out the window at the sprawling seemingly endless body of water.
"Why even go, I'd take the desert over that hell hole." she pointed vaguely in the direction they were going.
"Just drive the ship Blaze," he growled coldly.
"Its Flame!"
he snorted.
"Ass... you could at least be nice." she grumbled more as an after thought.
"Well, I for both of our sakes i was going to sleep but I see thats not going to work" he slide his feet off the dash and sat up, "we're going to have to do this trip the hard way."
Flame gave him the raised eyebrow look. He grinned like a small child who had discovered a new toy. Well, maybe a sadistic child.
"Are we there yet?"
Flame blinked, "its a three hour flight..."
Are we there yet?" he asked again leaning back in the chair again.
"Oh hell no...two can play at this...Are you dead yet?" she crossed her arms and looked at him.
"Are we there yet?"
"Are you DEAD yet?"
he paused for a moment as if in thought, "No."
"Ermmm..."
"Are we there yet?"
"NOOO!"
"I was only asking," He started laughing suddenly, as if at his own joke.
"Are you crazy? How long were you out in the sun back there?" she unconsciously dropped a hand to her side arm.
He looked up at the ceiling of the vehicle, "You ever feel like the world is run by a kid with an over active sadistic imagination, and your life is their person play thing?"
Once again she blinked, "More like a pair of neurotic teens hyped up on sugar with nothing better to do than watch you suffer..."
"That too..." he said shaking a finger at her "If I ever find them..."
"I'll personally hold them down so you can shoot them?"
He grinned, "now we have an understanding..." he shook his finger at her again and continued to look out the window.
She snorted with amusement, "yep, he's nuts."