A/N: My first Author's Note at the beginning! Anyway, the chair is used. The memories will be centered and will start and end with dashs (-)
It had been two days since the Special Ops team had returned from Vickstralia with the chair's battery and Chester was still working on turning the chair on.
"I don't get it," Tim complained. "Shouldn't there be an 'on' switch?" He was sorely frustrated at the time it was taking for the chair to be up and running.
Veronika smiled and shook her head. "It isn't always as easy as an 'on and off' switch." She scoffed.
Tim hadn't spoken to Veronika much in this reality. He wasn't quite sure why. Maybe he already had a set-in opinion of her from his past life. But from what he could tell she had no wanting to be Trixie, or as she was called in this reality, Kristen Beatrix 'Trixie' Tang. "Oh, boy." Tim sighed. There was so much difference between what he remembered and how things really.
"What's wrong?" Veronika asked with genuine concern.
"Nothing." Tim told the thirteen year-old blond. The two stood in silence, staring out the base's window at the Special Ops jet where Jenny and Michael were carrying on a conversation. "How is he?" Tim asked.
"Who, Mike?" Veronika asked.
"Yeah. I heard he was broken from a stasis tube hold prematurely during the mission."
"Yes, he was. But he's fine. Miracle he survived, though. His implant needed to be replaced, though."
"He has an implant?" Tim asked.
"Yeah he does." Veronika replied.
"Why? Implants are for kids with mental disabilities."
Veronika smirked. "Guess who's dyslexic." She asked.
Tim frowned. "Mike's dyslexic?"
"You'd never guess, huh?"
"No. That implant really works."
"Actually it is a strength implant. It doesn't inhibit his disability. Or as Kaytlin calls it; his 'kiss-ability.' The disability helps him create plans so wacky and confounded that Victoria and the Dark Soldiers see no logic in them…until it is too late."
Tim smiled as he reminded himself that everything, in the right light, could be counted as a gift
Molly loved being out at night. Though she was away from the safety of the base, she was also away from her brothers Tad, younger, and adopted Chad, older brother. In the forest and fields on the outskirts of the Strong District, the District that Molly at one point called 'home.' If you could grow up in the Strong District with your body intact, you could survive anywhere. She had frequented the plains as a child to escape the hardships of the Strong District. This made her a natural choice as Top Scout in the Resistance Vickstralia Branch. She knew these woods like the back of her hand.
She released a content sigh as she lay in the crook of a tree. At night the sky didn't seem so bad…
"Molly. Molly. Do you come in?" Molly sighed and tried to remember why she had brought her radio with her. Dwight was a pain the ass. He was her partner in crime. The two were near opposites. Molly was disorganized, wise, strong, agile, fast, and beautiful. Dwight was organized to near perfection and creepiness, intelligent but naïve, weak, not as agile, slow, and nerdy with a face full of freckles and pimples. To make up for his lack of strength, Dwight would carry every kind of gun he could manage and was considered a weapons pundit on the base. Stupid teen thinks he is cool, Molly cursed as she answered the radio. "Yeah, yeah, I'm here."
"Thank goodness!" Dwight sounded concerned. If Dwight was concerned, that meant something was happening. Something bad.
"What's going on?"
"There's someone near your position!" Dwight shouted. "We aren't sure whether or not it is one of ours, but he or she is out there waiting!"
Molly clenched her teeth in agony as she fumbled with the volume controls. She wanted to ram her palm into Dwight so hard. Okay, so there's someone out here that could kill me and he blurts out my position! Ugh…Dwight, Dwight, Dwight…
Molly's thoughts were interrupted by a groan. "Hey. Hey, is-is someone there?" another groan. "My leg…oh…."
Molly moved toward the groan with cat-like stealth. Years of walking around in the shrubs had paid off and Molly was a great sneaker. An outstanding rumor on base was that she had snuck up on a Spire, the guard towers to the Tower, in the noon sun, on asphalt, on flat ground, with planes overhead. Though it was a rumor, Molly never contradicted it. Moving large leaves from her view, she gasped. On the ground with his mask off and sleeves and one pant leg rolled up to his thigh was a Dark Soldier
Tim and Trixie were the youngest among a group of teens being briefed on a convoy transporting a weapon known as laser staffs. The laser staff was a staff that could release energy as a thin but deadly film around the staff. When activated, the staff was only able to be held via power gloves that only Dark Soldiers were equipped with.
Mark groaned. "I told you we shouldn't have tossed those!" he yelled at Jenny.
"Okay, okay, so I was wrong for once in my life. Sue me."
There was a slam followed by Chester's voice. "Dudes!! I totally got it! Trixie Tim! Whoo hoo!" He gestured wildly for the two he called to follow him. Even after they had left and the door was closed, Chester's yells and whoops were still audible.
"Tim and Trixie. It's always Tim and Trixie." Mark complained. "Why?"
"I think there's something between them that they won't admit to even themselves." Sanjay said.
"Love?"
"I guess."
"Pfft," Jenny scoffed. "That's not love."
"Then what is it?" Sanjay asked interested about the ten year-olds view of the strong emotion.
"Simple. Love is making a sniper-shot to the knees of a target 120 kilometers away using a double barrel projectile sniper rifle with a tri-light scope. 'Love' is knowing your target, putting them in your targeting reticule, and together, achieving a singular purpose against statistically long odds."
Sanjay and Mark stared at her in silence and surprise. "Weird." Sanjay muttered.
"Hey, you asked." Mark told the Indian teen.
"Okay, sit here." Chester instructed Tim.
Tim sat in the chair and Chester placed the helmet on Tim's head. "Now to turn it on…" There was a soft whir and the machine came to life.
"Is this safe?" Trixie asked.
"Of course. We have a great test record. Everyone we've used it on before today has survived unharmed."
"But Tim's the first person to use the chair."
"Exactly." He turned to a nine year-old at a control panel. "Enable live feed."
"Enabling live feed." The young kid obediently informed.
"Live feed? For who?"
Shade's dark form appeared on an overhead screen.
Trixie shook her head. "Let me guess, Chester; you're also recording this for future generations?"
Chester smiled. "Yep, how'd you guess?" He turned to Tim. "How's it going?"
Tim felt a pull on his head as if someone was working really hard to pull the hair from his scalp. "This is painful!"
"Hey, you just wanted to prove you were special." Chester retorted calmly. "Now, pipe down, a mental picture is coming into view." On the screen directly above a picture of Tim's other memories.
"Wait!" Trixie pushed Chester aside and switched the machine to stand-by. "He's been ridiculed so long for this, shouldn't the others see this?" She looked up at Shade. He nodded in understanding.
"It will also prove to them I know best."
Within minutes the viewing room was filled to overflowing. Some wanted to watch his memories, while others just wanted to prove the fact that he was just some kid that thought he was special.
The room filled with many voicing their opinions. "When does it start?"
"I was in the middle of eating!"
"Rock, paper, scissors, SHOW!"
"Aw dang, you beat me."
"I'm bored."
"What the point of this?"
"This is stupid."
"You're stupid."
Trixie sighed and turned the screen on. "Everyone shut up and watch!"
The room darkened and all eyes turned to the screen above Tim's head.
What was shown first made everyone gasp. The ten year-old Timmy was apparently outside. Because these were Tim's memories they couldn't see his body, and luckily, his pink hat.
"Is that…outside?" a kid asked in awe.
Another person spoke. "It's so…colorful. And, and do you see that?"
"Yeah."
"It's the sky."
"I-ungh-know you're here." The Dark Soldier grunted. "Now come here and help me or I'll sick the entire Dark Soldier Force on you." He held up a communicator device.
Molly's heart was beating hundreds of times a minute. He knew she was watching him. No choice. Molly stepped from behind the bushes. "What do you want?" she asked defensively.
"He-he, thanks." The Dark Soldier replied. "Down here, your friend the sharpshooter blasted my leg earlier."
Molly nodded. A squad of Dark Soldiers had set camp in the field in search of the Resistance Base. Luckily, Molly had spotted them before they really became an issue. Their best runner, Carlos, drew the Dark Soldiers out and Chad led a sniper team to dispose of the threat. When Dwight and some others searched the camp, all were dead. This one must have gotten away. A big feat considering the shape he was in.
The Dark Solder could see the worry on her face in the moonlight. "Don't worry, girlie, I won't hurt you."
"How can I be sure?"
He laughed. "Does it look like I'm in any shape to hurt you?"
No…Molly answered in her head. The last thing she wanted was to tell the enemy he was right. Aside from helping him. "Fine" She bent to his foot and grimaced. She never thought about what the Resistance was doing to people. They were taught to shoot and move on. Don't stay and watch. By living with the Resistance you forget that no matter how evil, the enemy was still human. The Dark Soldier's leg was a disgusting picture of raw flesh.
Molly gagged. "What hit you?" she asked.
"Bullet." He answered as if it was an everyday occurrence. "Ya know, I'm glad you're part of the Resistance." As he spoke, he reached for his chest pocket. "There's something I needed to get to Lawrence."
Molly stiffened. Lawrence was the leader of the Vickstralia Resistance Branch. "How do you know Lawarence?"
"Here." He handed her an enveloped letter.
Molly's eyes briskly viewed the document. "This is a schedule for bombing raids…and…" she skimmed it further. "…how to sabotage them?" She looked from the letter to his face to his leg. "Why?" She strapped long strong sticks to his femur to make a makeshift splint.
"Read who signed it." He smirked through the pain.
"'Erebus.'" Molly looked at him. "You are Erebus?"
"I'd be a liar if I said 'no.'" The Dark Soldier reclined. "So, when do we leave?"
"Wait, wait, wait, what's this 'we' stuff?" Molly asked.
"Hey, I'm part of the Resistance as much as you are, or more."
"Hmph." Erebus was an inside man. He'd give Lawrence special information straight from the Tower. Almost any important event the Dark Soldiers and Ninjas were apart of, Erebus would transfer all needed information Lawrence would need for a successful counterattack, defense, or ambush. "How can I be sure?"
"Again, what can I do to you?"
Awkward silence.
"You know what I mean."
"Okay, you want proof, fine. Take me to Lawrence and you'll get your proof. I'll strip off all weapons even. You just have to trust me."
"How old are you?"
"Seventeen."
"Warrior's genes?"
"Yeah, how else would I be a Dark Soldier?"
True, Molly helped the Dark Soldier claiming to be Erebus up. "Come on, let's go. Holy curd you're heavy!"
"It's all muscle."
"Yeah, I'm sure." Molly blushed as his chest brushed against her back then her arm. It really is all muscle.
"I can't believe we are seeing the sky." Chester's voice was verging on tears.
Trixie looked up at Shade in the screen. He has holding his head in his hands and was shaking. It was obvious he was crying; a rare sight. Trixie ran up to Tim and hugged his frozen form.
"Oh, Tim! You've shown us the sky!"
Instantly the picture changed as Tim's subconscious registered Trixie's voice.
--The scene shifted to school. Timmy entered the lunch room holding a tray. The view swept from one end of the room to the other. Then Timmy moved toward a table with purple table cloth and a muscular bodyguard coolly leaning on a nearby wall. At the table were four students; a girl in a cheerleader uniform, two boys, one African-American and one Caucasian, were wearing identical clothing, and a girl in a purple top with white skirt.--
"Hey!" Sanjay exclaimed, "It's Trixie! In a dress!"
Cat-calls and wolf whistles erupted from the audience.
Gross! Trixie thought, I'd NEVER wear a dress!
--Timmy's voice broke her thoughts and silenced the audience. "Hi Trixie, I-"
The alternate memory Trixie stuck her nose in the air and held up a hand. "Not worthy."
The girl sitting next to Trixie, obviously Veronika, clapped her hands. "Ahem. Bodyguard, hello?" Her strong valley-girl accent made the real Veronika cringe, "Buck-toothed loser at ten 'o clock!"
"Right." Suddenly the view was raised as the bodyguard lifted Timmy off the ground. "To the trash, chump."
"Whoa!" Timmy flew through the air and landed in a garbage can.--
"Ouch," Chester stepped from behind the controls. "Trixie…Veronika…" He looked at the two girls, one by Tim's frozen form and the other holding strong on Gary's wheelchair, as if they were different people.
Trixie withered under Chester's stare, but gathered enough courage to approach him. "Ma-maybe showing this to the others is a bad idea." she stuttered.
Chester's nostrils flared at her. "Right." He agreed but did nothing to stop it.
--"What do you mean you couldn't watch the sewer gator special?" it was s shrill voice and Sanjay as a ten year-old came into view.--
Snickers coursed through the audience.
Sanjay, embarrassed, stood quickly to defend himself. "I do not sound like that!" But Sanjay's emotions were so mixed up that his normally controlled voice rose and fell like that of a preteen boy with voice changes. Of course, this only succeeded in giving the audience more to laugh at.
--"Dude, you're on child blocks?" it was Chester's voice.--
"Huh, at least I sound normal." Chester crossed his arms.
-"Yeah," Timmy replied. "A. J., did you tape it for me?"
A. J. came into view. "Yes I did. Here, ol' buddy." A. J. handed Timmy a tape. "You're totally going to enjoy it."
Timmy took the tape an sighed.
"Trixie?" his three friends asked simultaneously.
"Yeah," Timmy bowed his head.-
"Hey!" shouted Elmer, "Where am I?"
His voice registered in the subconscious and brought up a memory.
--"Hey, best friend." Elmer was standing in front of Timmy in a 'Talk to Elmer' booth. "Life got you down? Talk to Elmer... for free!"
Timmy sat on the stood provided. "Life sucks."
"Trixie?"
Timmy groaned. "Awwww, why does everyone always think it is Trixie!?"
"Because it always is! You try to get her attention and she blows you off!"
"I know. I've tried almost everything. She doesn't even know that my love burns for her like the white-hot intensit of one thosad suns!--
There were 'ooh's' and 'whoo hoo's' and Trixie blushed. I don't love him in that memory? But I love him in this life! She held her head. Oo, this is so confusing! She returned her attention to the screen.
--Timmy bowed his head.
"So it rerally isn't Trixie this time?" Elmer asked with concern.
"No. It's Vicky."--
There was an audible gasp then dead silence. Shade spoke for the first time. "Vicky." He said the name of the feared dictator rather loud so it could be registered in Tim's subconscious.
Instead of bringing up a memory, Tim's mind brought up a series of pictures, like a slideshow. Each image showed a sixteen year-old with fiery red hair with an evil gleam in her dark eyes doing something egregiously bad to land Timmy in trouble. Every image evoked utmost pity from even the most hard-hearted in the audience.
"He really knew her." Sanjay breathed as the images flashed in front of his eyes. Finally the images were enough. "Shut it off…"
Chester nodded. "I have the whole thing on tape." He turned to Shade's image on the screen. "I'll send you everything else faster than you can toot a horn." Before he could turn the chair off, the images stopped and a new video came to screen.
--A girl, ten years-old and dressed in a school uniform, was running towards Timmy, arms open. "TIMMY!" she called out in a squeaky voice.
"Oh, no!" Timmy said to himself. "Tootie! Aw man!" Timmy turned and ran as fast as he could to his home. But he wasn't fast enough. The view jerked as Tootie wrapped her arms around Timmy's neck. "Urck!"
"Oh, Timmy! It so great to see you! I haven't seen you in two days, five hours, and twenty-four minutes!" She laid sloppy kisses on his cheeks.
Timmy desperately tried to push away the loving girl. "Don't you get it?" Timmy strained to talk under the barrage of kisses. "I don't like you. I never will like you!" He broke away just in time to see Trixie walk by followed closely be her bodyguard and Veronkia.
"Oo! Loser love!" the rich elementary student cruelly mocked.
"Yeah," Veronika added. "Congratulations, Turner. You've finally found someone, aside from your parents, that loves you!"
"Oh, wait!" Trixie finished the kill, "You're parents don't love you either!" The two girls laughed hysterically.
"Thanks a lot, Tootie, for ruining my life." Timmy murmured.
Tootie's eyes brimmed with tears, but Timmy turned. "Oh, no," Timmy huffed, "I'm not falling for that."--
The others in the audience turned and looked at each other. "Who's Tootie?" Elmer asked.
"Shhh!" quieted the girl next to him.
"But I wanna know!"
He was quickly hushed again.
--"Why won't you return my love, Timmy? Why, why, WHY?!" Tootie was in shambles, but no one could see her face because Timmy's eyes were closed.
Then there was a yell. More like the screech of a harpy. "Mistake!" Timmy's eyes opened in time for others to see Tootie being snatched up by Victoria.--
The pressure in the room could be cut with a knife. Everyone was holding their breath. Only certain people actually saw the world dictator face to face. Now, all were seeing the one they feared, fought, and hated.
--"I asked you to clean the windows. And when I ask you to do something, I am TELLING YOU!" She smacked Tootie across the face then turned to Timmy. "As for you, Twerp, according to your parents and the wad of cash I received as an advance, I'll be seeing you later." Then, with Tootie in tow, Vicky guffawed as she walked to her street.--
Tim blacked out from the stress on his mind. The chair turned off with a buzz and there was silence.
"Okay, almost there." Molly soothed the wounded Dark Soldier. "Just hang on to me."
"As if I want to do anything else?" he replied cockily.
Molly blushed. Smooth. "Here we are." She lifted the trapdoor integrated into the woodland floor. "Okay, there's a slight incline, you'll have to stoop. Can you manage?"
He grunted a yes and both entered the base.
"Halt!" The guard called out.
Molly sighed. "Ben, it's me, Molly."
"You are aiding the enemy."
"He needs to speak to Lawrence."
"I'm sure he'd love to, but it is too bad he'll die before he can speak!" Ben leveled his pistol with the wounded soldier's eyes.
Molly sighed. "Ben, give it a rest, will ya? You really believe he's gonna try smething when so heavily guarded? Look." She waved a hand over his body. "He's left every weapon."
Ben made a move to give the Dark Soldier a pat down, but the Dark Soldier resisted. "Uh I'd rather you not."
"Why? Afraid I'll find a hidden weapon?" Ben smirked.
"No, I'm just leery of pat downs by other males, that's all. If a girl wants to volunteer, then I'm okay with that."
Ben raised the gun again. "Too bad."
The Dark Soldier smiled as the hammer clicked into place. "That, my friend, is a Jetfire A113 model. It takes one point three seconds to fire and two point five to reload."
"So?"
"I can disarm a man in three tenths of a second." As soon as the sentence finished, the Jetfire was in the Dark Soldier's hand. "See?" He threw the gun back at the stunned boy. "Nice try, though."
Molly stifled a giggle and continued to lead the Dark Soldier calling himself Erebus to the door to the main floor. There was a sharp click.
"Oh yeah," The Dark Soldier turned and faced Ben. "You might want these to fire." He opened his hand and the bullets from the Jetfire plinked on the metal floor. "Nice kid."
Molly and the Dark Soldier were immediately the focus of attention from the time the main door opened to the time Lawrence exited his chambers. Every stare was a mix of hatred at the Dark Soldier and surprise and betrayal at Molly. Even Dwight looked hurt and angry that his friend would betray the Resistance. Then Lawrence came out.
Lawrence was the twenty-three year-old self-proclaimed ruler of the Vickstralia Resistance Branch and no one challenged him. He was an excellent strategizer and mathematician. He would engage his mind daily in mental challenges and use mathematics to predict the enemy's next move in times of war. Like all good leaders, he also accepted the views and opinions of others. Though terrible on the field, his charisma was so wonderful that he could convince almost anyone to fight for him.
The look on his face when he spotted the Dark Soldier was first of horror and defense then of recognition. "Mario!" He ran forward and embraced the Dark Soldier.
Confusion descended on the others, even Molly. "Did we miss something?" she asked slowly.
"Okay, okay. OW" The Dark Soldier pushed Lawrence of then fell, his splint was broken.
"Ouch, dude, what happened?" Lawrence asked.
"Uh, ignore that and answer us!" Chad yelled.
"Right." Lawrence turned to his friends. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet my younger brother, Mario. You might better know him as Erebus, the double-agent."
Assured 'ahh's' filled the main room and some waved welcomes.
Mario smiled despite the pain shooting up his leg. "I left with a squad whose goal was to place markers for bombings t rat you guys out. I made a copy of the plans and was going to deliver them to Lawrence then sabotage some before leaving. Well, damn, you did show up and next thing I know, a sniper's round enters my shin. Pow! Right through the Dark Soldier leg armor." He took another look at the wound and smiled again. "At least I know the schematics I gave you are being used."
There was little laughter as a medical team began moving Mario to a stretcher
Molly and Lawrence stood in the medical room by Mario's bed. He was giving them precise information about the layout of the tower, the guard duties, who was where and when, weak points in the shield, location of the shield generator, and other things that needed to be known for the planned take-over of the Tower.
Ever since the Tower was built, it plagued the landscape and the once hidden Resistance Branch was under constant threat and surveillance of some of the best Dark Soldiers and Ninjas in that hemisphere.
Eventually Lawrence left to let Mario rest. Molly stayed behind. "Why you staying?"
Molly shrugged.
"I told you I wasn't evil."
"Yeah, yeah, shove it in your ear." Molly playfully, but carefully pushed Mario.
"Warming up to me, huh?" Mario asked slyly.
"Maybe. Never know, I might be on your team someday."
"Why not now? I think I've proved myself to join the Resistance."
Molly scrunched up her nose. "Aren't you going back to the Tower?" she asked.
"Hell, no!" Mario exclaimed. "If you show up late, they drill you with questions about where you were. Better they think I'm dead. Besides, their food's horrible."
Molly giggled. "Get well soon, soldier." She kissed his forehead.
"Aw, my lips were ready." Mario winked.
Molly rolled her eyes. "Some other time."
A dark figure stood facing a large pane window. Her eyes swept over the now empty streets of Dimmsdale. Se was the only one who remembered that there was a time that she wasn't in control of people. That is what she thought until someone stole the chair. She wanted that chair destroyed. She wasn't even sure why it had been made. "Grrar!" She verbally lashed out in pure frustraton. "Denzel!"
In walked her mentor and father figure, Denzel Crocker. Denzel had been let in on the plan to rule the world as soon as she conqured it. She had severly underestimated his demented mind. She killed her parents and he was now her father. He was her favorite person because every time she felt down and out, he'd show her someone suffering and she'd be feeling better. "Yes, my friend." He was the only person other than her sister that called her something other than 'Dictator' or any other title.
Victoria shook where she stood. "I can feel it. My reign is slipping. I have a feeling that I'm going to loose the people. That soon something is going to happen that will jeopardize everything we've worked for."
Crocker smiled with his crooked teeth. "Sounds like someone needs a visit to the torture chamber!" He spoke like a father to a sad child.
Victoria nodded. "Yes. I need to be reminded that my rule is forever."
"No!" Crocker shouted. "You have it wrong! You don't need to be reminded, the people need to be reminded."
A slow smile spread across Victoria's elegant face.
A/N: Wow. This is cool! Or not. School's starting so updates will be slower and chapters will be shorter. This chapter is my longest. Seventeen pages baby! Mario is not my character, he is Trixiestix character. I forgot my disclamer, but I don't think I have to tell you I don't own FOP because it would take a more storyline directed path and the characters would age! Also more would be done with the future, (duh). Read and Review and pray I can update soon!
