Unatomic Stacey
Chapter 12: Change of Heart
(One Hour Later)
I lay on my bed stroking Retch. My mind was stuck on what I had sensed earlier.
What was that thing? I sensed it but I even picked up that it was trying to hide from me. Is it some form of evolving self- intelligent being? It was like some form of ship now that I think about it more but it didn't seem inanimate. It definitely wasn't organic like any living being but it wasn't any toaster either. I just hope that it's not a serious threat. But something like that lurking around planets isn't exactly a comforting thought either. Especially if it's being used for malicious purposes. I just hope the Galactic Guardians can deal with it.
"I'm bored," I said suddenly.
"Miss your old missions?" Retch asked.
"Yeah," I said airily, "but at least I won't get yelled at for being a failure anymore."
"But is it worth it?" Retch pressed.
"In some ways," I said with a sigh, "I can visit the witch world more often," I said enthusiastically.
"But you don't usually like going there," Retch reminded me.
"Well if I'm careful no one will recognize me," I said.
"Sure," Retch said slowly, "the good witches who hate you because you're born from parents who are BOTH from evil witch and wizard families and of the course the evil ones who hate your Dad since he didn't want to be evil and greatly dislike YOU because they see the goodness of your father as well as the goodness that you yourself have filled your heart with," he listed, "you can drop in on a friend," he said, "but you can't go wandering around," he said seriously, "you're not a top level witch like you're mother," he reminded her, "you can get hurt or worse killed."
"But…." I started to protest.
"No!" Retch shouted, "I'm supposed to protect you," he declared, "and I WILL."
"Because like everyone else you think I'm dumb and lack any good skills right?" I accused angrily.
Retch sighed and shook his head.
"Stacey," Retch said softly, "I don't think of you any less than I think of anyone with higher skills than you," he told me, "I'm not saying that you're dumb or lacking," he stated, "I'm just saying that you'll put yourself in unnecessary danger," he added.
"So I should make friends with a WHOLE bunch of regular humans right?" I asked tearfully, "then when I move I'll have to communicate by writing letters and then just suddenly cut off communication with them so they can't possibly find out that I'm from a witch family," I said, "have you forgotten that they're consequences for allowing a regular human to find out about your powers even if it's by accident?" I asked him, "do you remember that since I'll live for hundreds of years I can't have human friends because they'll eventually notice that over the years I'm NOT getting old?" I demanded of him, "have you forgotten that the ONLY reason why I'm not in a lot of trouble about most of the Galactic Guardians knowing that I'm a witch is because my mother's on the top witch's council?" I asked incredulously.
"Have you forgotten that that there is a way to have human friends and never worry about them finding out that you're a witch?" Retch asked me in response.
"You want me to give up my powers?" I asked, "are you serious?"
"Powers aren't worth it if they make you unhappy," Retch said frankly.
"Then why don't you wish to be a normal dog then?" I spat angrily.
"I'm not the one who has your issues," Retch countered.
"Of course not," I said bitterly and turned my back on him.
"Just think about what I said," Retch said and I heard him jump off my bed, "your father was able to live life without his powers," he told me.
"But he still married Mom," I countered.
"Touché," Retch agreed, "just don't go," he pleaded.
"Argh!" I screamed, "what do you expect me to do Retch!" I shouted, "just sit around this empty house!"
"How about using your magic to make a temporary friend?" Retch suggested.
"That's pathetic Retch," I said frankly, "and the last time that I did that I was eleven," I added.
God, I am pathetic!
"Why don't you just wish for mortality?" Retch asked, "some witches have given up living really long lives if not absolute immortality to be able to grow old and die normally despite having witch powers," he pointed out.
"Do faeces in a diaper sound attractive to you?" I asked him, "because lots of mortal old people end up having to wear diapers."
"So I guess that idea is less than attractive," Retch said.
DUH!
"Well I guess that the life you currently live is your best option," Retch said simply.
"Or maybe my mother's life is better than it looks," I said bitterly.
"Oh, you mean having all her lavish evil witch and wizarding friends and having your real job being a robber of rare, important and quite often beautiful artefacts?" Retch asked.
At least she's happy.
"Do you want to become a dark witch?" Retch asked me.
"No," I said with a sigh, "no I don't."
"Your father would be proud," Retch told me.
"My father's dead," I responded hatefully.
And so is the one living person who'd give me praise. All I have is a pitying dog. That's not true. Retch really does care about me. Too bad he along with the few friends that I have in the witch world only make a small list. But I have Michelle. Oh and if I disguise myself again I still have Noah. God, I am the most pathetic girl on earth. Seriously!
"Wallowing in self-pity?" Retch asked.
"I don't want pity," I muttered.
I want to be happy.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Retch asked me.
"No," I said honestly, "I want to be alone Retch," I said suddenly.
"So you're going," Retch said.
"No," I revealed to him, "just go Retch."
"Okay," Retch agreed, "and Stacy, thank you for staying," he stated, "it's the best thing to do," he told me then left.
Why are the best thing ALWAYS the hardest?
I fell into my pillows, unable to hold back my tears any longer.
(10pm in Stacey's Room)
I was awakened from my already uneasy sleep by a loud crash.
"Shhh," a voice whispered which I realized was Bart's, "she'll hear us."
"But I still can't believe that you're a ……" I heard Glenissa say.
I didn't wait to hear more. I suddenly teleported them into my room using my powers.
"What are you doing here?" I demanded ignoring their surprised faces.
"We need your help," Bart said formally, being the first to recover from the surprise of being teleported.
"With?" I asked coldly.
"We didn't make you lose your job," Glenissa snapped suddenly.
"This has nothing to do with my job!" I exploded.
"Glenissa," Bart spat, "we don't have time for this," he told her.
"You're just lucky that my mother isn't home," I said.
"What would she do?" Glenissa taunted.
"Kill you," I told her and I only heard silence, "she takes poorly to intruders," I added.
"She'd kill us?" Bart whispered incredulously.
I looked away. I suddenly felt bad for telling them the truth.
"Well um, we're glad you didn't kill us," Bart said nervously and I gave him an incredulous look, "I mean, not that I mean you kill people but …."
"So I'm guessing you have time to put your foot in your mouth a few dozen times?" Glenissa said to Bart.
"Don't be a bitch Glenissa," Bart said without looking at her.
But I regretted that I did. Glenissa's suddenly filled with shock and I saw something that made my heart hurt. Her eyes were momentarily glistening with tears and her lip slightly quivered. But then she noticed me and in seconds her face returned to how it was before. Except for the fact that she was glaring almost threateningly at me.
"What's the problem?" I asked looking intently at Bart just to not see Glenissa's face.
"You had told Atomic Betty that she had sensed something earlier," Bart revealed and my eyes widened fearfully, "no, we're not here to arrest you for breach of contract or anything," he said with a chuckle, "we sort of need your help a lot actually," he added.
"It seems that only certain types of people are sensing these ships," Glenissa told me, "witch and wizard blooded persons included," she said formally.
"Wait," I said seriously, "did you say ships?" I asked.
"Yes," Bart responded, "unfortunately they're more of those things," he said darkly, "thousands."
"Thousands!" I cried, "of those freakish things!" I shouted, "thousands!" I screamed.
"And even better news," Glenissa said to me, "we can't even get near them."
"What?" I asked in confusion.
"These ships evolve automatically," Bart announced, "whatever's used against them they adapt themselves to be immune to it's next attack."
"So how is anyone supposed to defeat it?" I asked.
"That's just it," Bart continued, "we don't know."
I sat quietly brooding over what I had just been told. Then I had an idea.
"Wait here," I ordered then disappeared.
(Five Minutes Later at the back of a Night Club)
"Are you serious?" Ms. Carmichael asked incredulously and I nodded, "I guess the Dark Witch's Head Council was correct," she said darkly.
"What?" I asked in confusion, "what do you mea…?" I started to ask but stopped, "you KNEW?"
"We've known about these creations for six years," Ms. Carmichael revealed to me, "don't look at me like that the witches and others thought that they were all destroyed," she told ma angrily.
"There's a way to destroy them?" I asked and my mother nodded, "how?" I asked loudly.
"It can't work now," Ms. Carmichael said sadly, "we have to do leave."
"Leave where?" I asked carefully.
"This world," Ms. Carmichael said, "the non-magical and witch world," she added.
"The no…?" I started to ask, "no," I said immediately, "are you saying that we must runaway and ABANDON people?" I asked her incredulously.
"We're not heroes Stacey!" Ms. Carmichael exploded and shook me vigorously, "those things can't touch our world and we've done enough to ensure that they can't destroy our planet so that the magical world will survive," she told me, "but the non-magical world will be destroyed," she said, "I'm sorry."
"No you're not!" I accused angrily and pulled away from her, "you'd let every non-magical thing die instead of trying to help!" I shouted.
"And why should I help a world that hates us and would persecute us if they knew the whole truth?" Ms. Carmichael countered, "they can all die," she said and I gasped, "there I said it," she spat, "I'm going back inside," she said and turned to leave.
"I'm not going," I said suddenly.
My mother turned around.
"I'm not abandoning them," I said more strongly.
"You truly are your father's daughter," Ms. Carmichael said coldly and went back into the Night Club.
I stood there in shock. My mother wasn't going to help me. I couldn't dare try to talk to the good witches and other dark witches were out of the question. I sighed and walked the streets for half an hour before I teleported myself home.
(Back at the Carmichael's Residence)
I stood outside my room door and sighed.
What am I going to tell them? "Hey my mother knew about these things for years and she and other dark magical persons and creatures have decided to runaway and leave everyone else to die. Do you think we might have a great problem on our hands?" God this sucks.
I opened my room door to see a frightening sight. Retch was in his real form biting at something that kept teleporting out of his reach. I watched in horror as Retch's grotesque sixteen-foot tall form kept trying to attack something that I soon realized held Glenissa tightly.
"Retch stop!" I ordered and suddenly he stopped and turned to me as I barely was able to hide my disgust at his body that bulged and moved like it was a giant heart that just kept pumping something into those dark blue veins that extended all over his green body.
Just then a yellow spark hit Retch in the eye. Retch roared and nearly fell over.
I immediately sent a damaging spell at the source.
I suddenly heard a scream.
It was Bart's.
Oh no.
"Bart!" Glenissa screamed and I noticed that she was on the floor.
Suddenly Bart became visible and he looked very beaten up. His suit was badly torn and he had gashes all over. He floated for a second and then fell hard to the floor. I gasped while Glenissa screamed.
"Bart," I whispered and walked over to him.
"That boy's a wizard," Retch said suddenly in the deep haunting growling voice that he always had in his true form.
"What?" I whispered incredulously and leaned to touch his face.
I suddenly heard a clicking noise. I turned to see that Glenissa held a lazer gun at me.
"You won't live to pull the trigger," Retch immediately threatened.
"Get a…away f..fr…fr…from him," Glenissa stuttered her hands shaking.
"Glenissa I…" I tried to explain.
"You really ARE evil," Glenissa snarled.
"No I…" I started to say.
"Just heal the boy and make them leave," Retch said immediately, "they're NOT welcomed here," he said seriously.
"I let them stay Retch," I told him, "I should've told you," I added and Retch gave me a 'DUH' look then returned to his tiny dog form.
I looked at Bart. Blood was flowing from beneath him. If I couldn't sense life in him I would've thought that he was dead.
"Glenissa," I said seriously, "I'm going to try and heal Bart," I told her, "shoot and Retch will kill you," I told her seriously then turned to Bart.
I chanted some spells and mentally prayed that they worked. I wasn't very good at healing others.
After what seemed like a century Bart stirred. He moved back when he saw me.
"I'm sorry Bart," I apologized, "I didn't know it was you and when you hit Retch I …." I started to explain.
"You nearly killed me over your DOG?" Bart snarled, "are you THAT deprived of friends?"
I gasped at his words. I heard an angry growl and knew Retch was very angry.
"I have friends," I said formally, "Retch is one of them," I added firmly.
Bart snorted.
My eyes darkened. I began to wonder why I was trying to help them at all.
"My mother sees no way to help you," I told him, "and I don't think I want to get involved anymore," I added.
"Involved in what?" Retch asked.
"Nothing, Retch," I lied, "just go," I told Glenissa and Bart.
"You aren't going to help?" Bart asked me.
"I don't know if I can Bart," I said, "and from what I can tell, you and I are from different parts of the magical spectrum," I added.
"What?" Glenissa asked in confusion as Bart tried to figure it out.
"Are you…?" Bart started to ask, "what kind of witch is your mother?" he asked immediately.
"She'd kill you on sight," I responded, "what do YOU think?"
"So you're from an evil witch family?" Bart asked, "but you were a Galactic Guardian…"
"I'm a good person," I told him.
Bart eyes suddenly darkened.
"Are you insinuating that you and I can never get along because I'm from a good magical family?" Bart asked me.
"I don't have to ask," I said coldly, "I've experienced it," I said frankly.
"And they know….?" Bart started to ask.
"They don't care how nice I am," I said hatefully, "they judge me by my family's reputation," I told him, "the same thing happened to my father."
"Isn't your father dead?" Glenissa asked.
"No shit," Retch muttered and got a glare from Glenissa, "my eye still aches from your friend's little trick," he told her, "don't let me take my anger out on you," he threatened and Glenissa gulped.
"Touch her and die," Bart told Retch.
Retch laughed loudly.
"I?" Retch asked, "die at the hands of you?" he asked in amusement, "pinch me I just met the biggest jackass," he said with great merriment.
Bart growled at him. But this only amused Retch even further.
"You need to leave," I told Bart and Glenissa, "I cannot help you."
"You can't or you won't?" Glenissa asked.
"I can't," I said firmly, "no one knows how to stop those things," I added.
"Can't you at least try to find a way," Glennisa persisted.
"No offence but how can I find a way when you guys can't?" I spat angrily.
"Because you sensed it," Bart spoke up, "like I did," he continued, "but unlike me, you could also sense that it was a threat," he added.
"So what?" I demanded, "that makes me hero lady?"
"No," Bart said frankly, "but you can be a hero just by helping," he said, "we might not stop these thing," he said honestly, "but at least we can go down fighting."
"What if I don't want to fight?" I asked Bart, "what if I want to be left alone?"
"Then be alone," Bart told me, "and die alone," he added and turned to leave.
"I have one question," Glenissa said suddenly, "how much does your mother know?" she asked me.
"More than the Good With Council I'm certain," I said coldly.
"How is that possible?" Bart asked.
"Because these things have been around before," I said and they gasped, "at least according to my mother," I added.
"But this is crazy!" Bart cried, "wait," he said suddenly, "were they defeated in the past?" he asked me.
"Yes," I revealed to him, "but my mother says that there's no way to defeat them now," I added.
"But who defeated them the first time?" Glenissa asked in confusion.
"Someone from the evil witch council obviously," Bart said darkly, "my parents will hear of this," he said angrily.
"Good luck," I told him, "the treaty signed four hundred years ago that allows each council to keep information found and made by them to themselves is ironclad," I said seriously, "they don't have to tell the good side anything."
"But this is NUTS!" Bart screamed, "millions can die, hundreds of universes can be destroyed!" he cried.
"That's what being on the wrong side can get you," I said with a shrug.
"What does that mean?" Bart snarled but I refused to answer.
"Please leave," I said firmly, "or I'll have Retch force you out," I said emotionlessly.
"You're not helping us!" Glenissa cried incredulously, "what kind of monster are you?"
"The kind who's sick of the hypocrisy of the so called 'good people'," I told her, "now get out," I ordered.
"You can't do this," Bart insisted.
"Ask Tiffany for help," I said simply, "she is your capable leader," I said sarcastically.
"Hey we never chose her to be our leader," Bart cried almost tearfully.
"But you didn't choose me either," I pointed out then turned my back to them, "get out!"
"You're going to regret this!" Bart declared.
"I regret that I was even born," I responded, "so don't tell me about regret," I snarled hatefully.
"Let's go Bart," I heard Glenissa say softly, "she's with them," she continued, "she will not help us," she told him and I could hear Bart crying.
I took in a deep breath.
I'm not giving in. I'm an evil witch by heritage. It's about time I let those lower than me see me as that and I embrace it.
"Goodbye Stacey," Glenissa said formally and I listened as they walked to my window and heard them disappear as Bart obviously teleported Glenissa and himself out of my house.
"Stacey…," Retch started to say with open concern.
"Stacey nothing!" I shouted at him, "it's about time I start being an evil witch and liking it," I snapped at him.
"Like your mother?" Retch asked.
"Better," I declared, "much better."
End Chapter 12
Barry I. Grauman: Glad you found the conversation that I had Betty and Stacey involved in ch11 interesting. I believe you'll notice in ch12 how much Glenissa really loves Bart. That's okay about the Penelope mix up. It was an easy mistake and other readers were mixed up too. I'm just glad that I cleared it up. Thanks for telling me about Noah's last name. I don't get to watch 'Atomic Betty' as often as I'd like to some of the last names have eluded me. Interesting conversation choice you had for 'Jennifer Rutherfield' when she contacts Noah again. I might use some of it (giving you credit where it's due of course). So you can imagine Stacey as an older businesswoman? I'm glad because that's what I wanted readers to be able to imagine when I let her disguise herself like that. And you saying that she'd look pretty in anything caught my attention. It's not often that my Ocs get complemented on their beautiful looks, thanks. Okay um, I don't understand what you meant by what Stacey saw in Betty's immediate future. If you're thinking about the part at when she paused and when Betty asked what was wrong and Stacey lied and said 'nothing', um she didn't see the future. She was only surprised that Glenissa had feelings for Bart. But if you're talking about something else let me know in case I'm forgetting something. The possibility of Stacey reuniting with the crew is something not even I'm absolutely certain of. That's just something that will be on a wait and see basis. Barry, those friends of Penelope are as sincere as KLU KLUX KLAN is for racial integration. So no they're far from sincere. But they are glad that Michelle is hanging around Stacey because it makes Penelope less insistent on trying to make Michelle popular enough to hang out with her (Penelope) all the time. So you enjoy the idea of Stacey being a Galactic Guardian Angel huh? Well read chapter 12 with caution. That's all I'm going to say. I'm glad that you enjoyed ch 11 and hope you enjoy this chapter as well. I have to admit that when I started chapter 12 that I didn't expect to end like it did. But it's still a great chapter, but darker than the last one. Your welcome and thank you for reviewing. Sorry for the long wait but writers' block and bad bouts of the flu among other things slowed me down severely.
Beastfire: Well I'm glad that you liked chapter 11 as well. So your boss makes you bitter Ivy? Well let me give you a hand. Reggae hands Beastfire a Stacey plushie wearing an Atomic uniform. While Beastfire hugs it tightly Ivy runs off for some alone time. Ha! I'm just playing with you but enjoy the imaginary plushie. Well Ivy can't say I never helped her and I've FINALLY updated this story Beastfire. It wasn't soon but better late than never, right? Anyway thank you for reviewing.
MikariStar: They agreed to got to Stacey's party because for the most part they know that she doesn't want them there. So they're just going for spite. You just have to wait and see if they have a plan. You'll know what Stacey sensed in ch 12 which is up now. Yay! I'm glad that the Penelope mix-up is cleared up too. Does Stacey like Bart? I'll just say the likelihood is very high. Does Stacey find it odd that Glenissa likes Bart? Extremely? Thank you for reviewing and I've finally updated.
Skaia: Updated late. But still I've updated. Thanks for dropping a few words.