Authoress Update: The biggest blocker is the fact I haven't been watching the show (is it even still on?). If only I could figure out how to convince my TV and DVD player to work together. It's hard to be inspired, y'know? Plus, well, in a minor way, we've had really bad weather 'round here this October. And now Christmas is slithering up, and I'm…not financially secure. :D

For those of you still desperately clinging to the hope of a completed story somewhere w/in the decade- Happy Halloween, Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Holidays, Shalom, Konnichiwa. Just enjoy.

If you read and review, then I will give you virtual chocolate chip cookies-no trans fats!

The Future Is Wild!

By Nefertanya dragongurl Ahhotep

Chapter 17: Love in an Elevator?

The battle over the luggage was mercifully brief, and now Lexi was smugly leaning against it as Ace and Duck cautiously milled around. The room they were in was all sleek metal, and rather…cavernous. Large enough to hold an entire league of superheroes, she mused.

They were, however, alone. No amount of straining on her part could tell otherwise. This turnout had been…well, disappointing. Lexi had envisioned being welcomed by a throng of shapely, well-cut, spandexed contemporaries with impossible brilliant smiles. Idly, she wondered if the boys had thought the same.

Ace straightened up from his crouched position with a sad sigh. He felt something of a loss, like a child whose parents reneged on Christmas Day promise. Truly, he hadn't known what to expect, but he had thought he'd end up on familiar ground. The gray rabbit let his eyes wander, first over to hid inexperienced feathered friend, then over (and a little longer on) the young female. She was going to be a pip; of that much he was sure. Though, sadly, she was quite a bit smarter than Duck. She'd already wised up to his little mind games. Ah well.

"What a fine kettle of fish this is!" Duck snapped irritably. "One giant, humongous tower, and we're stuck in the service quarters!" He struck a melodramatic pose. "Is this anyway to treat the savior of Acmetropolis?"

"Savior?" Lexi sputtered. With a cheeky grin, Ace slipped a conspiratorial arm over the girl's shoulder.

"Why, sure, doll! Dontcha recognize da military's finest when ya sees it? Dat's how we met, right Duck? Youse was practicin' some of dose top secret maneuvers!"

Lexi smirked right back. "Ah, of course! I should've guessed by the orange sauce!" She gestured to the fowl's brightly colored plumage before lightly but firmly slugging Ace in the gut. "And don't call me doll."

Ace grinned madly. Now he had a bead on this girl-she was not only smart, she wasn't afraid to mince words or establish her boundaries. In short, everything he'd like in a second-in-command! Oh sure, he and the waterfowl had known each other longer. But there was a 'yellow' streak in his aura Ace didn't trust just yet.

"Harrumph. Well, I suppose I can't expect untrained plebeians to comprehend the genius that is yours truly. BUT MARK MY WORDS! This little black duck-!"

"A-hem…?" Lexi intoned expectantly.

Duck sighed irritably before re-striking his pose of defiant grandeur. "This little black-and-orange duck is going places! The world is my oyster! Yes sir, the only way from here is UP!"

Before his echo could even begin to fade away, the room began to shudder. "Going up." A pleasant voice informed from a tiny speaker. The rumbling grew louder, and then the sensation of being lifted quickly became painfully obvious to Lexi, who was forced to clutch her head as the pressure increased.

"Lexi? You okay?" She looked up to see two pairs of worried eyes, but she could barely nod.

"Duck! You look after her! If trouble shows up, 'Quack' yourselves outta here tout suite!"

Danger Duck, eager to play the part of the manly hero (and secretly relieved to have a valid excuse for avoiding a fight), swiftly gathered her in close. "Aye, Aye, Mon Capitan! Leave it to Danger Duck, Protector of the Innocent, Defender of the Weak, to take care of this fragile femme from the malevolently masked machinations-"

"Are you always this annoying??"

Ace glanced over his shoulder to her. "As long as I've known him!" He replied brightly.

"Ha ha, very cute. Fine, see what I care. But don't come crying to me when three or four dozen bad guys come running and calling for your blood. I'll be long gone by then."

The pressure had ebbed enough that Lexi felt strong enough to stand again. But she was still quite irritable. "What a refreshing way to say you're a coward. Anyway, this tower's deserted."

Ace stared in surprise. "How's dat again??"

"There's just the three of us in here. Or else everyone's got on really good slippers."

"How-"

She smiled and directed the boy's attention to an oft-overlooked part of her anatomy-her pink ears, still tied together at the base with a frayed green ribbon. "My ears. Ever since that crazy night with the meteor, my hearing's been incredible. Well, it was always incredible. Now I guess you could call it exceptional."

"So you sayin' you got super-sonic hearing?"

"Honey, I can hear a cricket breaking wind three cities over." Lexi smirked at the dropped jaws in front of her. Just the effect she was going for! "I have big brothers." She slipped a holo-plate1 from her pocket and held it out. Ace and Duck glanced at the image- Lexi surrounded by three massive, headless torsos- before passing should-we-even-be-looking-at-her looks and stepping back carefully, as if they were to pop out of the screen and beat them senseless.

Fortunately, they were saved by the elevator's sudden, grunting stop. A pneumatic hiss accompanied the smooth glide of the doors, and the trio stepped into an even larger room. Again, it was totally metal, with smooth-faced monitor interfaces2 blinged3 with tiny lights and buttons circling the outer wall. Three stairwells poured like a gentle waterfall to a lower section. The centerpiece of this section was a round table, divided into sections. Each section was outfitted with an LCD monitor; another smooth-faced monitor interface was embedded onto the counter. Soft, pleasant humming filled the air, the occasional chirp! Or beep-beep! Adding to the symphony.

"Sheesh! It's like a nerd's Christmas wish list come true!" Duck squeaked in awe.

"Ace… ACE!"

"Yeah, Lexi, I'm right next t'ya! What is it?"

"We're not alone!"

"But you said-"

"There's another elevator coming up on the other side! And I can hear two heartbeats!!"

-o-

Holo-Plate: A thin, ipod-like device. It has a rather large screen that can show digital pictures in either the traditional flat format, or in 3-D.

Smooth-faced Monitor Interface (Smooth MI): Think Star Trek: TNG, and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

Blinged: I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself.

Ooo, who could it be? I get a kick writing for Duck and Ace. They can come so naturally, and still be amusing when I flip back and forth time after time. Yes, this is a single chapter, but at least you have it!