What's Behind the Curtain

Chapter 9(!)

Zara

Sorry for the short chapter, but you'll understand why it's short. Also, Zara belongs to JotunheimStorm.

I fly towards the house. It's really not that hard to find. The house is practically a glowing blue dot of Nova force.

Screw politeness. I'm taking the direct route.

CRASH.

I hear screams. Well, that is to be expected. I just crashed through a window.

I take off my Nova helmet and fall to the ground. Then, this kid, twelve or thirteen, walks up to me.

"UH...WHO ARE YOU? AND DO YOU WANT CANDY? OR SODA? CUZ WE'VE GOT A LOTTT OF THAT..."

The red head is jumping up and down. Judging by what she said about candy and soda, I'm guessing she's on a sugarhigh. "I'm Zara Atkins, an honorary member of the Nova Corps. I'm here to retrieve Samuel Alexander, a member, too." Ugh. I sound like I'm reading this from a script. Well, technically I am. Nova Prime briefed me on what to say.

"UM, YOU MEAN SAMMY? HE'S OUT BACK. I THINK THEY'RE LIKE, DOING SHOTS OR WHATEVER."

"Can you please stop yelling?"

"Oh. Okay. People have told me to stop, and I guess I probably should."

"Yeah, you-" I froze. "Wait. SHOTS? Sam's file says he's FOURTEEN! Or fifteen! He's underage!"

She snorted. "Not like THAT. Well, Peter's doing actual shots. But Sam and the rest of us are doing soda shots."

"Ohh...okaay..."

"It's soda, with extra sugar added!"

"Yeah...I could tell..."

"Follow me!"

I followed her into a typical family room. Except it looked like it had been trashed. Cups and cans were strewn everywhere, and even some furniture was overturned. And...a giant stuffed bear...?...

The girl skipped right past the mess, though. I followed her onto a deck overlooking a backyard. In the backyard was a ship.

My mouth was wide open, though more at the scene on the deck than the ship.

Five kids, a teenager, and an adult were...uh...I'm not even sure how to describe it. Going absolutely nuts, maybe? Or being crazy?

Well, make that two kids. A boy was just standing off to the side, looking a lot like me, gaping, and just kind of sitting there. A brunette girl was curled up in a ball, moaning. And the other girl was just watching with a small smile on her face.

The other two kids looked like they were having the time of their lives. A girl was going around licking people, and another was running around screaming.

Sam, I'm assuming, the teen, was drinking soda shots about 10 per minute. Which had disastrous effects.

The man, who I vaguely recognized as the Star-Lord, was drinking actual shots. And being drunk. Stuff like that.

"EXCUSE ME!" I hollered. "WHAT IN THE NAME OF XANDAR IS GOING ON HERE?!"

Everyone froze.

The kid, Sam, squinted at me. "Xandar? You-you know about Xandar?"

I crossed my arms. "My mom was from Xandar. She was in the Nova Corps. And the Nova Corps wants you to come back, Sam Alexander."

He actually did a spit take. "STALKER! STRANGER DANGER! SOMETHING!"

I rolled my eyes. "Sam, I'm not a stalker. I just want to get you back to Xandar. I'm following orders here."

"Yeah, well, we don't all follow orders!"

God, this kid is infuriating.

"I'm just trying to do what's RIGHT! Maybe you should try to do that, too!"

He looks at me, his ice blue eyes filled with fury. "You don't think I try to do what's right? I try to do what's right. Every. Freaking. Day. And- and maybe I'm not one of the greats, but I will ALWAYS try to do what's right. Always."

Me saying this seemed to sober him up and get him out of his sugar induced stupor. Good. I need him sane for Xandar.

"Whoah, dude. You just, like, totally got slammed. But not slammed like the other kind of slammed. I've been that way before. It's like-" Peter help up his beer bottle.

Andrew held up a hand. "We get it. Please don't explain further."

"Kay kay."

I grabbed Sam's arm. "Sam, you're coming with me."

"No." He pulled back. He's...surprisingly strong.

"SAM TUG OF WAR!" The hyper brunette takes Sam's other arm. Then, the others join. The redhead, the girl with dyed hair, even the girl that was just watching.

"SAM'S OURS!" the redhead yells. Reagan.

"YEAH! WOO!" The girl that was watching joins in.

I'm pretty strong, but I don't really stand a chance against four other people and a Nova, so...I let go.

"Sam! You don't understand what's at stake here!" I yell desperately.

He looks at me again with those piercing eyes. "What? What IS at stake here? Can you tell me? Or would that be against your precious orders?"

I sigh. This guy gets to me. "Well...our intel suggests one of you is a spy. A traitor, if you will. Someone here is working with Ronan."

They all stared at me, wide eyed and open mouthed.

At last, Reagan speaks up. "None of us are working with Ronan. Never."

I shake my head. "I really hate to break it to you, but one of you is. In fact, I think it's..."

CLIFFHANGER! No, I do not regret that or feel guilty for that at all. But don't worry! Chapter 10 will be out sometime soon! With standardized testing going on and the weekend soon, I'm writing like crazy! Anybody have any ideas who the traitor is? Leave a review! I might just give you a hint if you do!