((( Someone asked me if I was creating Poe after myself. Now, I want you all to think about this for a moment. Poe is obviously a sistah. I am as white as they come. Even my parrot calls me cracker. The thing was I never expected her to be black! She just came out that way! You WILL have to forgive me because it's been awhile since I spent time around myblack friends, and I may not word things correctly. I AM NOT A RACIST! I am extremely anti-racist and all racists should die a horrible horrible death by acne. I hope it doesn't sound in any way like I'm making fun of blacks either. I'M NOT! Oh, just read and don't listen to my whining.
Sonic: what do you get if you lock Aeyvi in a basement?
Knuckles: a very pissed and screaming Aeyvi?
Sn: T.T a whine cellar. You ruin all my jokes.
K: what? I don't get it... that wouldn't be nice because Aeyvi's afraid of the dark...
Sn: -sigh- nevermind, Knux. Nevermind.
K: But it would be mean! You're really mean Sonic. You are.
Sn: geez...
PS! Anonymous person REVEAL THYSELF! Anyone who gives such nice reviews deserves a thankyou note from me! And I want to read your stuff too... you obviously have an eye for literature...
K: anyway, like I was saying, grapes.
A: and that certifies it. Do drop me an email if you get the chance, neh? Okies, onto the fic. Mind you I'm thoroughly deprived of sleep, so it'll come out how it's going to come out...
&( the voices in my head tell me I don't own Sonic, but I DO own the happy land of cheesecake. Visit any time you like.)&
Chapter 3- A New Breed of Enemy
This had to be the first time anything like this had happened. I really need to start monitoring who drinks the champagne from now on... well, she was rather... attractive... and now sadly unconscious thanks to a quick swipe to a pressure point. There was literally no other way to stop the woman. Maybe I'll talk to her when she sobers up...
I pondered a course of action from there, trying to decide if it would be proper to drag her out the door and leave her there. No, that's not very considerate is it? I finally decided she could have one of the lesser guest rooms for the night and she could be on her way in the morning. The only dilemma was that she looked rather heavy... Not fat, mind you, just... well, to my surprise, quasi-muscular. She didn't appear to be an aristocrat at all. She acted like one, but she couldn't have been.
I looked up with a jolt as something bumped against the curtain, batting at it to find the opening. Finally a hedgehog stuck his head through, though it was dark and I couldn't tell who it was.
"Espio? I saw you getting molested and I thought I'd come and help..."
"You came to help molest me, Sonic?"
"What? Gross! No, to pry her off, sicko..." He closed the curtain behind him, looking at the girl.
"Hey, you could do worse..."
"Shut up and help me carry her. See that door over there?"
"No, but yeah."
"sigh I'll lead. Get her feet."
I managed to lift her by wrapping an arm under hers and Sonic lifted the other end. We then made our way in the dark to the door.
There was a metallic clatter as something fell to the floor.
"Did you drop something?"
"No, did you?"
"No..."
I set her down, feeling the stone floor until my fingers closed around it. I see...
"It was nothing. Let's keep moving."
I pocketed the small gun and continued the trek to the guest quarters.
"So, she's like, out cold..." Sonic nudged me. "She probably wouldn't remember a thing..."
I gave him a look of disgust.
"You people sicken me. Go back to the party."
"Your loss..." he turned and left, closing the door behind him. I shook my head sadly as I looked down at her, strewn across the small bed. In the transportation to the room; her red hair had come undone from its neat bun, strewn messily across her face. I brushed it to the side, still puzzling over who she was.
"Why? Why were you trying to kill me...? Was all this just a distraction or... were you just drunk?"
I pulled out the small pistol, looking it over. Nicely made... maybe she was a boss's daughter? They all carry guns, but those kinds of people weren't invited to parties like this...
I sat in a nearby chair, still examining the pistol. This might have become a serious situation... I decided to advise the head of security to have metal detectors installed at all entrances as soon as possible. This wouldn't happen again.
I looked back at her, feeling a pang of sympathy for the poor girl. It was reflex only that saved me from a certainly embarrassing situation. Had I not reacted as I did, I can only imagine...
My eyes widened, and I shook my head of those thoughts. Absolutely not. I was a professional. Professionals don't do THAT while on the clock.
Come to think of it, I'm never actually "off the clock" anymore. Why oh why did I accept this job? I guess this was the last thing I'd expect to happen... my experiences with the opposite sex had been rather limited up till tonight. I just can't... imagine letting down my guard enough to...to...
I stood, stuffing the weapon in my pocket again. I had left my post absent too long already. She could take care of herself when she woke. Lucky for me I could disappear if she came looking for me again. With that, I turned on my heel and left.
-
Aka looked about frantically, seeing no sign of Kaimera anywhere. She excused herself from petty conversation and took refuge behind a pillar, dialing on her cell. She waited, hearing the ring tone several times.
"Come ON!"
"You've reached Kai's voicemail whateveryouwanacallit, I still don't know how to check the bloody thing, but leave a message if it'll make you feel better. G'day!"
"Oooh! So help me God when I get my hands on that girl..." she lashed her bristling tail, her pointy ears going flat on her head like a cat's.
"Can I help you, miss?" a random servant who happened to be a skunk asked kindly.
"NO!" she screamed. The servant jumped, eyeing her warily.
"Forgive me, yes. Have you seen a girl in a brown dress? She's a lizard, eh... she has flaps hanging down her neck..." she motioned the general area on herself.
"No, miss, I'm sorry I haven't."
"Thank you anyway..."
He walked away from her hastily.
She paced for a few moments, her tight dress allowing little room for her usual long strides. She opened her cell again, dialing Poe.
"What?"
"Kai's missing. The bodyguard is nowhere in sight. I'm going to head back."
"Wait a damn minute! Kai's missing?"
"Yes. I've looked everywhere for her. My guess is she found the free champagne and wandered off. She'll probably wake up on the steps tomorrow. I'm not too worried. What pisses me off is the bodyguard's not here."
"You don't even know what he looks like!"
"A cat, remember? I've talked to all the cats here and not one of them even knows."
"You don't know if he's a cat."
"Nevermind. Mission unsuccessful. I'm on my way."
"Psh, whatever."
She closed the device, pinching her temples with a hand. Her intricate hairdo was falling out from all the pacing she had been doing and she could feel a migraine coming on. Maybe one glass of champagne before she left... it couldn't hurt...
-----------------------
Far from where any of this was happening, a certain scarlet echidna was sitting on the far edge of his floating island, staring out at the night sky blankly.
Two months. No letters, no phonecalls...then again, Angel Island wasn't exactly the best cell zone, being a few thousand feet above any celltowers... But Sonic had promised to forward any word from her to him as soon as he got it. The hedgehog was a little unreliable, though. He could imagine the precious letter sitting under a coffee cup on Sonic's kitchen table. When, God, WHEN would that boy grow some SENSE?
He tossed a rock into a nearby cloud bank angrily. It had been awhile since he'd worn his gloves. He just felt like they confined him, and he was done with confinement and tight spaces for the moment. Like what Tarsa said when he asked her why she didn't wear them... "I feel more like me without them. So what if everyone else wears them? I like being different. We have to have at least a little uniqueness in this conforming world, right?"
Tarsa, always the ever-enlightened flowerchild. She always used these confusing terms that just confounded him, yet she made sense. It never really occurred to him before how... quiet...it was on the island. How cold it got at night...how alone he actually was.
He missed her. He admitted it. Everything reminded him of her... That color of blue the sky took on just before sunrise, the night-blooming jasmine that grew in the dense forest, the striking beauty of his island home and how much he wished she could see it...
"I have to find her... what if something happened to her? What if she's hurt? Dying? What if-"
He stood, the painful realization finally striking him.
"What if she's found someone else?"
-----------------------
Kaimera groaned loudly, rolling over in the soft expensive bed, wondering for a moment where she was. She opened an eye, lifting her head slightly.
'nice room...how did I get myself in here?' she thought. She sat up, rubbing the bruise on her neck, earflaps flaring at the sting of pain.
"Damnitall, he got away he did." Swinging her feet over the side of the bed, she removed the offensive stilettos, swishing her tail angrily. She didn't even want to know what time it was. Aka would have her tail removed this time for sure. And it wouldn't be growing back.
She reached absently for her gun, finding it gone.
"FUCKAROW! Me bleeding gun's gone! That scaly little..." She stood angrily, then to her surprise, fell at once.
"I hate it when this happens... not that it's eveh happened before..." she tried to move a leg, but found them both useless.
"He knows the immobilization touch. Damn. Can't see 'im half the time and can't get near 'im. How the bleedin' 'ell is he to be killed?"
"From far away, I suppose. With a rifle." He replied.
"Oh. Yes, I suppose that would work..."
She jerked her head up suddenly, realizing who she was talking to.
"YOU!"
"Yes, me. I have a few questions, if you don't mind." Espio began, walking around her.
She growled, the colorful flaps flaring again with anger. "You let me up now or else!"
"Are you threatening me?" he asked, amusement in his voice as he stooped to look her in the eyes.
"Yes." She gulped a little audibly, his closeness now making her uneasy. He did have her at a major disadvantage; but she could still use her arms, she thought.
'When he gets close enough he's going to earn himself a nasty hook to the jaw...'
"Why are you trying to kill me?" he continued his slow circle around her.
"Why not?" she smirked.
"You have a reason. Is it as obvious as I think it is, or is someone after me in particular?"
"I don't know... Have you pissed anyone off lately?"
"I can name a few people, but I was hoping you'd tell me."
She shrugged as she was lying on her back. "Hell if I know. All our orders are given anonymously. He never gives a reason."
"'Our'? Who else is in on this?"
She froze, realizing what had slipped.
"We're skitsophrenic. The good doctor told us so."
"Uh huh... I see... So, they sent a skitso after me. Right."
"If you don't believe us, that's your own problem." She folded her arms, looking away.
"Just tell me why you want to kill me and I'll let you go." He stated finally.
"Oh, right, so I can kill you later. I see. You think I'm a bleeding idiot! There's no way you'd let me go!"
"Try me."
"You're a cocky one, aren't you?" she chuckled, smiling at him.
"That's what they tell me."
"Fine. Come closer and I'll tell you..."
He stooped down on one knee, staring seriously into her mirthful rust-red eyes.
"closer..."
"Just say it."
'damn...so much for that idea.' she thought.
She looked from side to side as if making sure no one else was listening, then whispered:
"I don't like you."
He frowned blankly. "Really?"
"Yes. It's true." She sighed sadly. "Now let me up, will you?"
He sighed as well, reaching in and pressing three points on the back of her head and neck, releasing her muscles from their temporary paralysis.
"Thank you. You're very kind." She stood, stretching momentarily. "Now, might I have my gun back?"
"No."
"But... but it's mine!"
"No."
"Damnit, it's expensive! Me daddy gave it me when I was ten!"
"Get going."
"You're mean..." She sniffled, ear-flaps shuddering.
"Before I change my mind..." he warned.
"It was nice chatting! So long!" she made herself absent quickly.
((ah, what a lovely chapter! I shall have to make more like it in the future! Na na na na naaaa...so, it's been fun and chao!))