Author's Notes:
Okay, this is Chapter 7! This is where things really heat up! Winda is immediately rushed to the hospital where she suffers severe complications and while there she learns a shocking family secret; meanwhile, Tess McNeal, Suzanne, Cliff and Buddy run into Zalira's older sister Nia and she warns them about Zalira's big plans and just how dangerous she can be. She also tells them of an old and rundown half-way house that serves as a base for a newly founded religious cult called the Children of Aquarius, with Zalira as its Queen. In the meantime, though, the five heroes gain entry into the Kingdom of Aquarius and are immediately ambushed by its members before being confronted by Zalira herself. And Rhonda and her team wait on word for Winda's condition as she grows progressively worse while her mental and physical health rapidly deteriorates.
Chapter 7 – Winda's Fight For Her Life
Winda was rushed to Children's National Medical Center amidst telephone rings, a nurse calling over the AC, and sirens wailing in the distance. A doctor was pumping oxygen into her mouth and her eyes were taped shut while small tubes were connected to her nose. An IV was connected to her right arm and her heartbeat fluctuated. "Doctor, check her pulse," said one nurse. The head doctor puts his index and middle finger on her neck and listened to her pulse. "Well, I'll say that her heartbeat is beating quite faintly. We better rush her to the emergency room," he announced to everyone. Winda was then wheeled to the emergency room.
Once they got there, five people gathered to lift her onto the bed. "Ready?" said the head doctor. "Ready!" chorused everyone. "Okay! One, two, three!" ordered the doctor and then all of the doctors heaved and lifted Winda up and laid her on the bed. One of the nurses injected adrenaline into her IV to increase her heart rate. Then another doctor arrived with a soapy and wet sponge and scrubbed the young cub gently as to sterilize her wounds. Another nurse then carried in a bucket of water and then dumped it on Winda.
The head doctor then looked at her IV and saw that her heart rate had improved dramatically. A third nurse then injected a solution into her IV to stabilize her. The head doctor then got an electric razor. The sound of the razor buzzing woke up Winda and then she soon recognized that she was in the hospital. She then looked at the doctors hovering over her and soon screamed in pain. Her wounds stung.
"She's awake, doc," the nurse called over to the head doctor, and then he walked in to take a look at her. The doctor had a grandfatherly visage and he had a gentle smile on his face. He also had an inquisitive, curious, shrewish, yet compassionate and merciful expression. His gray-blue eyes twinkled in the light and there were some silver sideburns on his head, indicating that he was balding. The head doctor had a slouching stance and his face was wrinkled and rough, yet smooth. His skin was aged and covered with brown spots. He had on a doctor band and a simple white scientist suit with white formal pants. His sleeves had black marble buttons and so did his white suit. His jaw was round and smooth, and his salt and pepper eyebrows were furrowed and wild. He also had a long, narrow and thick nose and also had high, thick cheekbones. The head doctor also had a white, scratchy, snowy beard and a pair of small eyeglasses.
"Hello, little one. I'm Dr. Angel German-Zion," the head doctor introduced himself. Winda sat up in surprise and then winced from the pain that her wounds delivered. "What? You actually recognized me?" retorted Dr. Angel, confused. "My mother told me of a guy named Gilbert German-Zion. Do you know him?" inquired Winda. "Why, yes. He is my son," answered Dr. Angel. Winda then rested her head on her right paw and tapped her leg with her left fingers. Then she glanced at Dr. Angel again. "My mother took in a boy into our house. His name is Payton Jonathan German-Zion. He could be your grandson," Winda revealed to him. Dr. Angel was taken aback. His eyes quivered and dilated as his body shook in shock. He then adjusted his glasses and took a puff from his pipe. "Gilbert never mentioned to me he had a son. Not even once. And now I'm not even sure if you might even be my granddaughter too," Dr. Angel confessed to her.
Then he turned away from Winda and fell silent while he took another puff from his pipe and was in thought for a moment. Suddenly, his eyes glowed at the thought of a memory. Dr. Angel then turned his gaze to Winda again. "Let me tell you a little secret. Years ago, (I'm not sure how long ago it was), Gilbert visited me here in the doctor's office and told me that he had a relationship with a young lioness named Zalira Demur. Now, Mr. Piano treated her just like all the other girls he dated, but he was the one man that Zalira had truly ever loved. It was a very passionate, stormy affair, and although Mr. Piano and Zalira were very ambitious people, they had different ideas about a lot of things."
"Mr. Piano believed that women should be submissive to their male peers, but Zalira thought otherwise," he explained to her. "Mother thought that women should be the power leaders of our society. She attributes all of the problems that we have in the world to men, because she says that men tend to be more attracted to power and also tend to solve things by fighting and generating disorder, confusion and force. Women, however, should also use force and strength to solve conflicts, but in a constructive manner," pointed out Winda.
Dr. Angel wrinkled his nose in curiosity. "Interesting philosophy. Your mother must be a very headstrong and strong willed woman. Anyways, they had similar philosophies about how to handle things too. They both thought that children should be given the most severe punishment possible. They both also detested this generation and feel that they should be dealt with seriously by using drastic measures. As I can recall clearly, Zalira wanted to run for public office in state government. But, she reasoned, she had to hold various positions in order to win influence and consolidate her power."
"From there she could climb up the social ladder and then finally attempt to crack into the state government. But what was tearing them apart was that the fact that Mr. Piano had a notorious reputation for being an adulterer and an abusive lover. Zalira was pushed around, kicked, beaten, punched, whacked, struck with an open hand and with weapons, and frequently insulted and verbally abused. He would even push her down the stairs, nearly snapping her neck into two many times."
"She was bossed around and told what to do and what to say. Mr. Piano imposed his own plans on her and wasn't willing to listen to her ideas. Finally she had enough and was going to leave him when she discovered that she was with child. That child was a girl. When Mr. Piano found out about the baby's gender, he walked out on her and didn't speak to her for years to come. Mr. Piano even tested for paternity of the child and I still have it in my archives. I can get one of the nurses to fetch it for me," he continued. "Actually I looked at it recently, Doctor. The child was his. He's the father," interrupted one of the nurses and then she picked up Winda and then carried her to a sink.
Once Winda was set into the sink, Dr. Angel approached her with the electric razor. "You know," he began. "I think I know who you are." "Who can you possibly think I am?" scoffed Winda haughtily. "You, you are the daughter of Zalira Demur and Gilbert German-Zion," declared Dr. Angel with a twinkle in his eye and a knowing simper and then began to shave off Winda's fur as she tried to grasp what she had just learned.
...
Meanwhile, in the streets of downtown Washington, D.C., just near the barren and empty roadside, Suzanne and Tess McNeal were driving the 2008 Nissan GT-R just as the sky was beginning to be illuminated by the newborn dawn. "God that was a really long night," commented Tess McNeal, frazzled. She was periodically falling asleep and waking herself up in an effort to be alert. "No kidding. This may be one of THE longest nights of my life. Get some rest, Tess. You're not the one driving," Suzanne agreed. Then in a low, soft voice, Tess McNeal begins to sing, "That's What Friends Are For." Suzanne then joined in and they chorused for a full five minutes before switching to "Taking Chances." The two actresses sung each part of the song alternately while they tapped their hands to the beat and swung their bodies in tune. At the climax, Cliff and Buddy suddenly emerged and then they all continued to sing in unison. Then, the foursome concluded their song in a hymn.
Finally, Tess McNeal noticed that the two teenage fingerbirds were both sitting in the backseat of the car. "Cliff, Buddy. How the HELL did you get into the car?" she screeched in horror. Suzanne then peered over her shoulder and then frowned at them. "Well… There was a gap in the exterior of the car and Buddy and I managed to sneak into the car without anyone noticing through there," explained Cliff while rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Curse that bumbling, numbskull, cheap stake salesman who lent us this goddamn car!" swore Tess McNeal furiously. "It could've been worse," suggested Buddy. "Oh well that's just great, Buddy. Gee, thanks a… Oh my God I'm going to hit an animal!" Suzanne retorted and then once she turned her head back to the window she quickly realized that she was about to hit a lioness carrying a young cub in her mouth. She slammed on the brakes and stopped in the nick of time, for the car was merely 5 inches away from the lioness.
Cliff and Buddy darted over the women's heads like flies being swatted on a smoggy day and banged on the window like soggy, wet paper balls and slid off while making loud and audible screeching and squeaking like magnets trying in vain to be stuck to concrete. The lioness relaxed her grip on the cub and then got onto the car and began to eye on the actresses. She stood no more than 6"7 and was a powerful cat that towered the car. Her shoulders were short but wide and her neck was thick but muscular. They also had cardinal marked lines that crossed through them and merged into one straight endless line on her back and then split again on her legs all the way to her ankles.
The line also extended to the top of her head and ran down the middle of her face and there was a cardinal eye shadow around her eyes. The line also sliced through her neck and all the way to her underbelly. The lioness was a mixture of pure snowy white and marmalade bright orange. Her narrow, intense, focused, determined, hardened, powerful, fearless chestmere eyes radiated her entire smooth, rounded, cheeky, short and rectangular-nosed face.
Her ears were large, pointy, and oval-shaped. Although she did somewhat resembled a jackal, it was less apparent. The inside of her ears and her nose were bluish black, and unlike her sister, she had four full legs and a foot-long tail that was not deformed in some way. The lioness also had a small little gray mane that was underlying her head, making her look like a tomboy. The hairs in her ears were sticking out. It was Nia, Zalira's older sister, and she was now scraping the window with her claw in a detesting matter. Suzanne then unlocked the door and then got out with her hands up in the air. Nia then menaced toward her and then circled around her suspiciously. "Who are you?" she growled. "Suzanne Carmichael. This is my friend Tess McNeal, and Clifford "Cliff" Roscoe Martin-Foster and Bernadette "Buddy" Mae Foster-Martin, both aged 15," was Suzanne Pleshette's answer.
"Why did you leave my daughter all alone in the penthouse?" enquired Nia demandingly while she continued to circle around her. "We didn't even see her there. We were too busy dealing with Zalira's daughter Winda. She was ravished and buffeted by her henchmen," Suzanne insisted. "Liar! You're a liar! You handed her over to Zalira, did you not?" Nia accused her mistrustfully. "Yes I did," replied Suzanne, still composed and collected. "You imbecile! You should know that Zalira is not to be trusted! She's the black sheep of the family; she has murdered thousands of innocents without a thought of remorse. She seeks to strengthen her political power and get rich off selling infants and babies from the black baby market she sponsors in her corporation and she also auctions off unwanted orphans for slavery, especially teenagers. She also wants to found a space station society that has funding space ship programs and missions as one of its main functions and using certain space equipment for everyday use."
"She also wants to use the equipment she designs for her own gain. Don't you understand? Zalira wants to scam the federal government too by doing shady dealings behind the feds' backs!" Nia screamed at her. Suzanne was horrified. She felt faint. "The worst part is also that she hires criminals for slaves so that they can do her dirty work. She also holds an Iraqi girl that she had smuggled into the country hostage and she is hoping that the Iraqi government will come over and launch a terrorist attack on the United States once they find out about the abduction. And once she creates a team of superheroes, she will convert them into super villains and feed them dark energy to fuel their power and keep them in her control. She also has some animals whose characteristics are changed in order to make them stronger, more powerful, more ferocious, more vicious, and to demoralize them. Believe or not, she has done this to some of her employees and some of the customers that went to buy some of her products and never came back."
"Zalira also has harvested plenty of fetuses and did genetic experimenting on them. She keeps them in refrigerators and aquariums in the laboratory and they grow and developed for nine months enclosed in an ice egg pod that contains an air hole for them to breathe. If Zalira wants to, she can even infect the entire country with viruses and diseases, (also known as biological weapons), that she also keeps in her laboratory, as you may already know. She contaminates the products that she will put up for sale one day with these diseases and when people start buying the contaminated products and using them, they will get sick sooner or later. An epidemic will break out and if the police try to catch her, she'll just store them away in an old attic that is supposed to be condemned."
"Be careful around her. Zalira can deceive you and trick her by pretending to be caring and pleasant, but in fact she is only being that way so that she can entice you into one of her deadly traps. Heck yeah, she did get caught killing 10 cubs, but she might have killed a lot more. The problem is that she was never linked to those crimes, although she was suspected," Nia elaborated further while walking in a circle and then stopped in front of Suzanne but still watching her from a distance.
"So what do you suggest we do?" importuned Suzanne. "Catch her in the act. It's going to be difficult though. Zalira is a brilliant born businesswoman I'll have to admit but she is very good at putting up an image. And the one way she does this is by finding ways to use her products for beneficial uses and winning her clients' favor. That way they'll be more likely to trust her and won't even suspect her a bit if something is amiss. I also suspect that the Madame Aphrodite's Sexy Dancers strip club massacre might have to do with her. No one trains cops better than she does. Her police force is the best in all of Virginia. They do their tasks and duties without being told and carry them out so professionally and efficiently, it is almost frightening and eerie. It is almost like they rehearsed their missions beforehand. Not even the New York Police Department could measure up to that kind of skill and level. If you ask me, they could have gotten their training from Hitler's assholes the Nazis and the Spartans combined. I even fear her police force sometimes."
"I also hear rumors that Zalira funds a top secret terrorist program that no one – not even President Brush – knows about and also is the ringleader of a new religious cult called Newfoundia. It is the combination of the New Age Movement, Santeria and Pagan. The members of Newfoundia are referred to as Newfoundlars. If you ask me, Winda is also a member of the group and had been initiated into it ever since she was a newborn cub. Since Zalira is the Aquarius Queen, as a female leader of the cult is called, Winda is referred to as the Princess of Aquarius and is also treated as a very important member of the cult. You may have to come with me, to the halfway house on the rocky, jagged, uneven shores on the beach away from the city in Rhode Island. They named it Kingdom of Aquarius. Newfoundlars also prefer to have their group called "The Children of Aquarius." You have to see their place for yourselves though; it's not pretty," was Nia's answer.
"Well, we have to get to Team Legacy first. Winda's been badly hurt and has landed in the hospital. Some of Zalira's goons ambushed her and one of them deflowered her," pointed out Cliff, who has climbed out of the car and was roosting on the top along with Buddy and Tess McNeal. "I don't give a damn about your friends. Payton's the one who's in real danger. Zalira has made some dirty plans for him. You must hurry," Nia snapped impatiently. Suzanne noticed that Nia had long stopped pacing around her and attempted to reach out her hand and pet her head, but Nia simply just turned away. Then the lioness picked up Finn and then tossed her on her back and then led the four heroes towards the horizon just as the morning sun was beginning to rise.
...
Finally they were on an ocean side lighthouse property where the halfway house was. Block-sized rocks, coal, horse manure, grained hay and black sand littered the area. There was also some blood splattered on the ground and dozens of skeletons of former members lying around. Suzanne was greatly disturbed by the ghastly sight of it all. "My God. This is a slaughter house," she muttered to herself. "See what I mean? Zalira is the coldest blooded creature that had ever roamed this earth. My parents were greatly ashamed of her, and so was I. I had to get away from my family, so I eloped with my boyfriend, who has since long being dead. Don't ask why."
"You see yonder vultures and condors sitting on the roof of this house? They are her messengers and companions. Zalira brought them over from South Africa. Meerkats as big as bulldogs and as long and swift as greyhounds and as skillfully trained as Afghan hounds stand guard outside of the halfway house and watch for intruders. They're ferocious and fierce beasts that are deadlier than police dogs. Zalira stores children from Third World countries in here and some of them are from the Middle East. Maluku and his gang are Newfoundlars too."
"The children that Zalira smuggled from foreign countries are also members of The Children of Aquarius. The Newfoundlars perceive the general population as other members of the Zodiac Calendar and treat them as inferior species that are nothing than a disgusting slack of dirt. In other words, just because all these imbeciles were born in January, (forgive me if I offended anyone who was born in that month), they think that they are superior. That makes me sick. Let me do the talking, people. I know the secret password. It's in French," Nia retorted. "Wait! I might be able to find out the secret password for you," volunteered Tess McNeal. "NO! I'm the only person who can get us in," Nia refused. She then walked up to the meerkats and then one of them was hissing at her while swiping his grubby paws at her. "Le tuyau en bas, vous le monstre. Vous ameliorez ne m'attaque pas," Nia growled right back and then the meerkat's deference was to crouch down in submission and humbly bid her passage to the Kingdom of Aquarius. Her new companions trailed behind her and then they were stopped by a female Gypsy waif.
"Quel est le mot de passé?" the female Gypsy inquired her. "Le poison de serpent ou la mort a tout," replied Nia and then the female Gypsy turned her head around and then screamed into the doorway, "Votre Majeste, les etrangers sont arrives!" Then the female Gypsy gazed at Nia and then added with a scowl, "Le faire rapide, la chienne." She ambled away and then Nia and her allies finally got inside the house. Once they got inside, the room faded into darkness, and everyone could feel dark, shadowy figures approach them from all directions. There were a couple of low roars in the atmosphere and then Suzanne and Tess McNeal were seized by the necks by a couple of lions and were gagging because their airways were compromised and then they were thrown down onto the floor and remained there. Taska, one of the lions, snagged Cliff with his paw and clenched his body tight and his jaws watered with hunger as he slurped his tongue hungrily. "BUDDY! HELP!" Cliff squawked, panicking. "Um, Cliff, I'm in a jam too," riposted Buddy while Newman, another member of Maluku's pride, held her upside down by the tail while preparing to gobble her up too.
"Hi, welcome to the Kingdom of Aquarius. And who you may be?" a female Tsavo lion with a whispery, breathy voice greeted her. "Tess McNeal," choked Tess McNeal while she was gasping for air. All of the lions were jeering and cackling with mirth and were also howling with amusement at how four outsiders could drop by to the halfway house without notice. But then something lurked in the darkness and the lions immediately were silenced. The lights began to dim to life once more and then Zalira was revealed approaching the heroes. She then happened to spot her sister and then giggled with a smirk on her face before stopping in front of her and confronting her. "My dear Nia, so glad of you to come by for a visit," she mused graciously. "This is for business, Zalira and you know it. I think you stole away Payton in the dead of night when the paramedics rushed Winda to the hospital amidst a very electrifying brawl."
"I also believe that you took him away for some sick plot. I knew that ever since you were a young cub you had a thing for people younger than you," declared Nia accusingly and boldly. Suzanne was stumped and flabbergasted while she went livid with horror. She hadn't expected that kind of comment, especially coming from Nia. Zalira was incensed. She then lunged at Nia but Nia dodged her. Zalira then continued to menace towards her older sister. "How dare you say that, Nia! As for you, you were always the brazen one of the family. You're arrogant, rude, cynical, bitter…" she rebuked her. "You're a serial pedophile, Zalira! Do you not know that nowadays there is a federal sexual predator registry in effect and if you don't register yourself as such, that's a felony!" shot back Nia while snarling.
"Why don't you rot in Sam Hill, Nia? Huh? Is that what you want, Nia? To rot in hell?" screeched Zalira. Nia scoffed and blew on her silver tufts of hair. Zalira then turned to Newman and Taska and the female lioness that held Tess McNeal against her will. "Newman, Taska and Reline. Take those two women to their chambers and imprison them together for the rest of the night. Tie them on their backs and have them face opposite directions. Chain them to the bed post and at midnight, kill them," she instructed them, and then Suzanne and Tess McNeal were carried off to their chambers on the second story floor.
Zalira then switched her focus to the two fingerbirds. "And in the meantime," she added while a smile brightened her face, "Bring them to my office and put them in a birdcage. They would make interesting pets." At noon, when the office was shuttered up and Cliff and Buddy were napping in a small, light compact, can-sized copper birdcage that hung in the ceiling on a chain, Zalira was typing up some documents and was working on a letter to Mr. Piano. She then got up from her seat and turned off the computer monitor while strolling to a dog bed where young Payton lay in a drugged, feverish sleep and had been transformed into a small, gray, scrawny lion cub with whiskers and a black eye circle around his right eye and smudged black spots on his fur and white fluffs of hair on his head. His crooked ears twitched as he slept.
Zalira then hovering over the youth and a wave of passion overtook her as she sat there looking at him. He had captivated her from the moment she first looked at him. Zalira didn't understand why, but the beauty of younger people always seemed to interest her from her cubhood days. Something told her that she had to be mentally sick somewhere, but otherwise, what could she do? She might as well succumb to her lust for Payton. "Soft, my little Payton. Don't make a peep, for your ancestors are hovering over you. I'll be there, through foul and fair, until the day you're finally MINE!" crooned Zalira in a singsong voice. The room spun around in darkness, and misshapen, deformed, ghoulish, monstrous, zany, whacky and wild spirits of devilish aliens began to crop up out of nowhere and one of them, which was in a grey African parrot form, clung to the copper birdcage that Cliff and Buddy were locked up in and began to rattle and shake it.
"Hey! Q-Q-Q-Quit it!" stammered Buddy while her head was banging against the barred wall of the birdcage. "That's my stepsister you're messing with!" screeched Cliff threateningly and then he began to jab at the spirit's eyes with his beak. The spirit lashed his talons at Cliff and gave him a few slashes before a fingerbird knocked the birdcage down to the floor. The birdcage then began rolling on the floor once it crashed to the ground and then several fingerbirds swooped down and attacked. Cliff and Buddy were petrified beyond belief and huddled to shield each other from their voracity. Zalira then flicked on a lighter over a cluster of crunched up paper balls and then the office was set on fire! The fingerbirds soared, glided and flew at the cage and continued their assault with jabs, slashes, and pecks while their bird calls echoed in the tense and fiery scenery. They were demonic creatures coming straight from Sam Hill that arrived to descend upon their helpless victims and bring in misery.
Clicks and chattering could be heard in the background. Cliff and Buddy kept on screaming with all their strength while Cliff lay on Buddy to protect her. Zalira climbed on top of a computer for a better view and then the scene suddenly turned bright crimson and shadows illuminated her stature and gait while many more danced around. Payton still lay sleeping, completely passed out. "On top of a promontory, in the city of Hell, I am the deliverer of the damned and condemned. Fire spurts out from the pit and the smoke belches with rancor acid. My heart is black and my soul is none, but inside of me there is a pool of ice. To be rid of my sister is what I intend, and I'll execute a merciless killing that is just for her. In this ring of fire I can hear the screams of children go up in flames; my bloodlust boils in me, and I'll depose of those two simpleton parrots before the midnight hour strikes. Before Aurora shows her face to the heavens I shall flick the life out of the two dames that I now hold captive."
"Eventually the lives of so many children will end; parents will stream from all over to mourn their precious dead. If my plot is to be completed all of the young ones must die," Zalira belted it out in tune. She then leaped from the computer monitor and then walked alongside the burning, sizzling flames and soon reached Payton. Then, the musical tone, which had been blasting a serious, hair-raising, suspenseful, church choir-like melody, quietly lowered down to a harpy, mellow, soft whispery string tune as Zalira brushed her muzzle against Payton's motionless body and purred. The fire spouted out into nothing, and whiffs of smoke stirred in the cold, dead air. Cliff and Buddy were nothing but a dusty, ash black, sooty bunch of fowls. Their beaks were hardened into dirt and grime. They looked like miniature crows and felt quite out of place. "My prince lies asleep in his keep. I hope to bring forth an heir from his store. I'll make a man out of him yet and claim him my king. He is the one for me," Zalira sang in a lovely voice, careful not to wake him up.
Then as the church choir music began to play again, she cocked her head to the direction of the dark that loomed before her and her expression turned into a sneer. "Proud America, don't turn and look back. You will pay for your haughty ways; I'll make sure of that. The day of war will arrive, and you won't have to chance to survive. All of your people will die. Your towns and cities will fall, and your leader will cease to exist. Society as you know it will melt away," she decried in a loud voice while singing. Then Zalira lifted her head up to the ceiling and closed her eyes. "Ceci permettre d'être une malédiction sur toutes vos maisons. Laisser vos familles meurent un à un. Laisser tous les enfants souffrent des morts pénibles et déchirantes. Laisser les personnes âgées distribuent leur souffle dernier et frémissant. Laisser les adultes de ce pays meurent horrible, horriblement, les morts tragiques horribles. Ceci est ma prière à vous Sonon mon ancêtre, donc écouter votre descendant," she recited out loud.
Zalira then took out a potion bottle filled with black powder and then flung it onto the ground, causing smoke to appear. There was a glimpse of Zalira's malicious, cruel, cold eyes before she added, "Tout pour le bon de Sonon." And then there was the echo of the church choir music's climax as its effect was emphasized and then everything was quiet.
...
Meanwhile, Rhonda and Team Legacy were sitting in the waiting room at Children's National Medical Center and were anticipating word about Winda's progress. Winda's entire fur had to be shaved off so that she could have blood transfusion. The doctors also used the rape aid kit and determined that her rape had been brutal, violent, and rough, for her rectum was torn and bleeding. It was also decided that if Winda becomes pregnant as a result of the rape, she would have to give birth by Cesarean section, for it would take a long, long time to heal and her baby might get infections when delivered naturally. Winda was also ridden with infections and allergic reactions to certain antibiotics. This caused her heart to stop several times and her breathing to be labored. She even had seizures that knocked her out of consciousness and plunged her into comas for hours on end. Winda also had sores emerging all over her body and her eyes bleed for no apparent reason. Sometimes she would cough and spit out or throw up blood.
Occasionally Winda would hallucinate and even display symptoms what seems to be Tourette's syndrome. Just then, Dr. Angel burst into the waiting room and ushered Thomas to the hallway. "Mr. Carmichael! Come quickly! Winda is acting up again!" he urged him on. The two men rushed to Winda's room where Winda was busy hallucinating about being Charles Manson. "I'm going to start a race war, where all the black people and the white people will just kill each other! The world is ending soon," mumbled Winda dazedly and then when Thomas and Dr. Angel arrived, Winda switched to Minnie Riperton singing, "Loving You." Dr. Angel was puzzled. He just couldn't figure out what was wrong with his young granddaughter. "My God. Seizures, flat heart rate, labored breathing, hallucinations, showing some signs of Tourette's, infections, allergic reactions that come out of the blue from some of the antibiotics we gave her, comas… What in the name of St. Helen is going on here?" Dr. Angel gaped in awe and terror.
"It could be a new disease that might have the potential to morph into an outbreak," Thomas suggested. "Impossible! The only latest disease the feds are worried about is the avian bird flu. I think her mother is doing something to her that I just can't put my finger on it," disagreed Dr. Angel while scoffing. Just then Winda was convulsing wildly as her heart rate fluctuated erratically. Her IV machine was beeping. "Scram, man! Winda is having one of her heart attacks again. You kids better get back to your motel," Dr. Angel egged the elderly man on, and he soon fled as a stampede of doctors swarmed into the Emergency Room to treat the ailing cub. When Thomas rejoined his team, they instantly got up. "What is it, Thomas?" asked Minnie Rogers, concerned. "Winda is in cardiac arrest once more. We better get moving guys," Thomas explained. "But Thomas. Isn't it strange that Suzanne and Tess aren't even back yet?" pointed out Anne Margaret. "Yeah, Cliff and Buddy vanished into thin air too. They must've snuck out without us noticing," added Audrey Marlin.
"It's time we file a missing person's report to the Montgomery County Police. Does anyone want to take a trip there?" was Sophia Lopez's suggestion. Norma Alexander shook her head. "I'm not sure if it's such a good idea especially since they've been gone for 12 hours. But we can send out a rescue mission," she said thoughtfully. "I'm siding with her on this one," acquiesced Jack Lennon. "All right. But we have to drive back to the motel before we do anything. First… Is everyone hungry?" shrugged Rhonda. The entire team was hooting and howling with hunger. "Fast food! Fast food!" demanded Hallierella. "Why not go to Burger King?" Ariel questioned the young Englishwoman. Rhonda then thought for a moment. Then she snapped her fingers instantly, for she had an idea. "Why not Outback Steakhouse?" she suggested proudly. "Outback Steakhouse it is," nodded Maria. Just then, Thomas's cell phone rang and then he picked it up, opened it, and then held it to his ear.
"Hello?" he called. "Tom! It's me, Suzanne! Listen, darling. I'm in trouble," uttered a husky, throaty voice. "What? Why? What happened?" Thomas enquired her. "Tess, Cliff, Buddy and I ran into Zalira's sister Nia. She led us to a shabby halfway house that looks more like a butcher shop atop a rocky beach shore. Zalira has meerkats smuggled from South Africa that are bred into monsters and are being used as guard dogs. She even brought in children from Third World countries and from the Middle East. Nia managed to get us in by using a French password. There is horse manure, block-shaped rocks, coal, horse crap, blood, and real live skeletons around the property. Once we got inside, we were ambushed by Zalira's lions and a couple of them held us down while two more were planning to feast on Cliff and Buddy. To them, they were just another meal to snack on, regardless of whether or not they were from outer space. Zalira sent us to a second story room where we are tied on our backs and chained to a bed post."
"Now here's the worse part: at midnight, we will be slaughtered. I can't talk any longer, Tom. They might catch us sooner or later, but I'll say this: Zalira is rumored to be sponsoring terrorists in her company and is the leader of a newly created cult called The Children of Aquarius. We are at their sanctuary, The Kingdom of Aquarius. Ironic, right honey? A grand name for such a shitty place. She is also a murderous bitch, much more dangerous than we previously thought. Her penchant for slaying children runs very deep and she also can use the biological weapons that she stores in her laboratory to make her products liable for disease."
"Nia even accused her of being a sexual predator, and I suspect she abducted Payton so she can carry his child. I'm not kidding, Tom. I know, it's very sickening and she should be sent to a mental institution. And Tess wants to talk to Abraham. Give the cell phone to him and I'll put Tess on the line. She has a few things to say to him. I love you, Tom. If I get killed at midnight, the last thing I will see in my eyes will be you," answered Suzanne.
Thomas then handed over the phone to Abraham Hershel and then Tess McNeal got on the line. "Abraham! Oh I'm so glad to hear you! Talk to me, baby," she cried desperately. "Tess, what is Zalira plotting?" Abraham asked her. "Well, according to Nia, she has kidnapped an Iraqi girl and is trying to instigate another terrorist attack by having the Iraqi government come over here to bomb us. Like Suzanne said, she's very dangerous. Her police force is very deadly and they probably got more training than the Nazis and the Spartans combined. She sponsors the sale of infants and babies and also sells orphans as slaves. Zalira does genetic experiments on fetuses, some of her customers, animals and her employees and she also manipulates the superheroes she creates by turning them into evil and fueling them with dark energy for their power. She also has criminals for hired hands."
"Zalira also wants to set up a society composed of space stations that are designed for funding missions and putting some of the space equipment to use in daily civilian life. She also wants to use the equipment for her own purposes. Zalira didn't just kill cubs and animals; she has killed many people too," said Tess McNeal in reply. "So Zalira might be defrauding the federal government and be possibly committing a felony!" concluded Abraham Hershel, upset. "That's what it looks like. You better come down to Rhode Island after your lunch. I'm afraid things are going to turn pretty nasty. When you see ultraviolet light flash from the lighthouse beacon three times and you're on the west bound riding on the beach, that's where The Kingdom of Aquarius is. After the ultraviolet light passes, you'll briefly see Nessie in ghost form wink at you and giggle. That's when you know you're there," replied Tess McNeal grimly and solemnly.
"Are you going to see your sister again?" Abraham Hershel made an inquiry of her. "I might see her again this year. I could sense her presence around this building. Good day, Abraham. Hope to see you again soon," remarked Tess McNeal and then she hung up. "Tessie…" started Abraham Hershel but knew he was too late. He then sighed and slipped the cell phone into his pocket. Abraham then turned to his friends. "Come on, guys. Let's head to Outback Steakhouse. It's just down the road, two blocks down," he informed them, and then he and The Super Kids paraded out of Children's National Medical Center.
Translation:
Le tuyau en bas, vous le monstre. Vous ameliorez ne m'attaque pas:
Pipe down, you freak. You better do not attack me.
Quel est le mot de passé:
What is the password?
Le poison de serpent ou la mort a tout:
The snake poison or death to any.
Votre Majeste, les etrangers sont arrives!:
Your Majesty, the aliens are here!
Ceci permettre d'être une malédiction sur toutes vos maisons. Laisser vos familles meurent un à un. Laisser tous les enfants souffrent des morts pénibles et déchirantes. Laisser les personnes âgées distribuent leur souffle dernier et frémissant. Laisser les adultes de ce pays meurent horrible, horriblement, les morts tragiques horribles. Ceci est ma prière à vous Sonon mon ancêtre, donc écouter votre descendant:
This can be a curse on all your houses. Let your family die one by one. Allow all children suffer from painful and agonizing deaths. Let seniors distribute their last breath and trembling. Let the adults in this country die horrible, horrible, horrible deaths tragic. This is my prayer to you Sonon my ancestor, so listen to your descendant.
Author's Notes:
So I'll bet you did not see that coming what Winda finds out about the identity of her real father, right? Well, I really don't know why that third English translation came out so funny though; the actual translation was supposed to be: "Your Majesty, the strangers are here!" I think it would be weird for that female Gypsy waif to refer to the good guys as aliens, with the exception of Cliff and Buddy. And yeah, in case you have not noticed already, Cliff and Buddy are actually alien birds that came from Planet Birdland, which is a world populated with fingerbirds. That fact alone didn't seem to phase Taska and Newman, who were clearly eager to make the two fowls their next meal.
And as to how the cult The Children Of Aquarius came about, I actually did a bit of research on the New Age movement, Santeria and the Pagan movement. The Pagan movement as a lot to due with the seasons and nature and it is very freestyle more or less without any strict guidelines or rules like most Western religions do. Santeria is a religion that was originally dated from Africa and it was even practiced a lot in Cuba; however, it seems to have gained a bad reputation due to its supposed connotations with witchcraft, voodoo magic, and the occult, which is very sad; my interest in the religion increased after watching an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit that dealt with the detectives probing into the religion after an immigrant African boy winds up dead. The New Age movement, however, was even more bizarre and intriguing, and I think one of the main aspects of that religion is that the people believe that using jewelry could help them heal from illnesses and the like, and I will hint though that there is going to be another new original character that holds such beliefs.
Since Winda is the daughter of Gilbert German-Zion, (Mr. Piano's actual name), and Zalira Demur, that makes her and Payton half-siblings and therefore they are both the grandchildren of Dr. Angel. I know there's going to be plenty of uproar resulting from this since people are going to be debating how it was even possible for a lioness and a human to produce a female cub, but I could care less. This is a fantasy superhero universe and anything in this world is possible, even having an animal and a human producing some offspring. As for the songs Suzanne and Tess were singing, "That's What Friends Are For" happens to be my favorite song of all time and "Taking Chances" was a song by Celine Dion that came out a year before and I immediately fell in love with that song and I still like it to this very day.
As for that infamous scene with Zalira singing out her desire for Payton and her intentions to make America pay, the song was inspired by Zira's song from The Lion King 2, "My Lullaby", and I guess you can say the imagery was inspired by that Hunchback of Notre Dame song "Hellfire". The song Zalira sings is actually called "Zalira's Reprisal" and I also wrote down the lyrics to the song as well in hopes of setting the music to it someday if I could ever make a song out of this one of these days. I also wanted to post the lyrics to this website but according to the rules I can't do that, so my only hope is to post them in this website's sister site that houses original stories and compositions, which I'm still considering on whether or not I should even get an account from there.
And when Tess McNeal informs her boyfriend Abraham Hershel on how to get to the Kingdom of Aquarius, this is the third time her sister Nessie is mentioned in the series and also the second time she even talks about her since her death. You might get a cameo appearance by her!
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