AB: Seriously, where does everybody keep going?! Ugh! Guess what, everyone, I'm alone for the start of this chapter too. I'm sorry that last chapter was dark, violent, and an explanation into why the fanfiction's rated T. I'll try not to do it again. This chapter doesn't have much going on. Also, as I said at the end of the last chapter, if you like reading this fanfiction, please let me know, and please tell others. I want to know as a writer what you all think of my writing style. I do a fair amount of original works, so I want to have an idea of what the public thinks. One last thing before I go: sorry about just adding the countdown/time limit in the story last chapter. I meant to do it sooner, but I couldn't find a good place for it. With that said, let the two months in the story begin! Disclaimer: The Secret Saturdays belongs to Jay Stephens and Cartoon Network. Here's Chapter 9: Free at Last
(3rd Person POV)
When the Great Serpent awoke, he knew he would have to gather up his belongings that day in order to leave by the set time. He started his task, not bothering to glance at his tail, which was by that point mostly brown-orange. All he knew was that he was going to get to see his true love and spend eternity with her in his realm, the Underworld. And he had that young messenger, Kash, to thank.
Night soon fell, and the Great Serpent left his palace to travel to the Underworld. He learned that travelling at night was safer and far more enjoyable for himself than travelling during daylight. As the Great Serpent travelled, his mind began to plot and twist. He realized gradually that something was amiss, but the damage had been done. His mind began to twist even more as plans to conquer the world and regain his throne among the Sumerian gods developed. The Great Serpent, his mind split in two, fought with himself over what he wanted to do. His usual self said accept his kingdom below the earth and rule with his future queen, Gulama, but this new Great Serpent wanted to destroy the gods and rule over heaven, earth, and underworld. While all of this was happening, the Great Serpent's scales changed colors rapidly from white to brown-orange and back to white. Finally, around midnight, the Great Serpent stopped. His mind was too chaotic for him to travel safely.
Oh, how he yearned to have the power of the gods and the messengers. Oh, how he wished for the power to appear and disappear whenever and wherever he wanted. But he had not been gifted with such a blessing; no, he had unique travelling abilities, but they they were nowhere near as convenient as the others'. The Great Serpent's power was the ability to cross the earth in only a few hours, as if he were breaking the tie between time and space.
The Great Serpent rested in his stopping place and waited several hours before continuing his journey. He was about to village just a few miles from where the gods dwelled. The the sun was starting to rise, so the Great Serpent decided to sleep rather than travel during day and be seen by his believers. Normally he would have relished the attention, but something had changed in the Great Serpent, and he didn't want anyone else to notice it.
The Great Serpent fell asleep, but he awoke around midday to the sound of a young woman crying. The Great Serpent looked around from his hiding place and saw a young woman from the nearby village crying as a giant Naga hissed at her and told her she would never escape him. The woman begged the Naga to let her go, calling him the Great Serpent. The true Great Serpent was taken aback by this. The Naga was pretending to be him! The Great Serpent started to reveal himself, but when he looked down at his scales, he was no longer white but completely brown-orange, and his once curved spines were now sharp and jagged spikes coming off his back. The Great Serpent realized that something had twisted him to make him this way, and he fled is hiding place, hoping he could reach the Underworld before someone saw him.
(Iris's POV)
Dr. Grey doesn't sleep all night, nor does she leave her sister's side. She keeps praying for some kind of miracle to take place and let us escape. She continuously asks me to try to heal Ms. Grey again, and each time something blocks my powers. Dr. Grey just holds her sister's head in her lap and cries. I can only imagine the pain she must be feeling. To my knowledge, she's the only one left, but I also did not know about her brother, so it's possible she has other siblings. Dr. Grey's soft cries become loud sobs after a while as she begs her sister and God to do something. I only sit there in silence as she keens.
Then Dr. Grey suddenly stops keening and makes no noise. She grabs Ms. Grey's wrist and turns it over, pulling off her glove and feeling the underside of Ms. Grey's wrist. Dr. Grey gasps and hugs her sister ever so gently. Then she shoves her glove back on and pulls out her matter transporter, or at least she tries to pull it out, but it's not there. Dr. Grey starts to panic, as calmly as she can, before asking me to sit by Ms. Grey while she looks for her matter transporter. I crawl over and hold Ms. Grey's head; Dr. Grey crawls on her hands and knees and searches everywhere in the cramped room for the transporter.
"I bet you're getting a kick out of this, all you, aren't you?" Dr. Grey hisses under her breath. "Making us act like caged animals for your own enjoyment. That's just sick." I have no earthly idea to whom Dr. Grey is speaking, but I guess I shouldn't ask. Dr. Grey keeps searching the room for the matter transporter until she finds her way to the door. She mumbles something as she picks up a small object. "Found it," she sighs, "or well part of it. I bet Arthur has the other parts. It would make sense, he could have grabbed it as he was walking out." Dr. Grey sounds as if she's trying more to convince herself what happened than explain where the transporter's gone to me. Then she crawls back over to Ms. Grey and me and starts stroking Ms. Grey's black hair. Dr. Grey has some interesting instincts, I'm noticing. Je me demande si cela à cause de la mort de son frère. (I wonder if this is because of her brother's death.)
Dr. Grey watches over Ms. Grey, and I the Saturdays. We both have a goal to keep the dying people in this room alive for as long as possible. I just hope we can accomplish that goal. As I think, my eyes find themselves looking at the two sisters. I pray everyone survives this ordeal, oh, how I pray. Then I notice that the knife in Ms. Grey's side is not stabilized. I make my next to her, and untie my apron. Next I carefully wrap it securely around the knife and Ms. Grey's waist. I pull it taut and tie a knot.
"Cela devrait aider à arrêter tout écoulement de l'excès de sang et de garder le couteau toujours à minimiser les dommages internes, (That should help stop any excess blood flow and keep the knife still to minimize internal damage,)" I explain.
"Thank you, Iris." Dr. Grey says nothing for a long time. Then she breaks the silence. "Iris, do you want to learn to speak English?" I nod eagerly. It will make communicating so much easier!
The door swings open slightly, and in walks an Asian man. My brow knits itself together in ignorance. This man is obviously a Secret Scientist, but I don't know who he is. My attention turns to Dr. Grey, in hopes that she recognizes him, but she seems just as confused as I. Her eyes widen in surprise after a moment. She says the name Talu, and the man nods. Dr. Grey asks how, but the man gives no response. Suddenly, the name Talu registers to me: Professor Talu Mizuki! His place on Master's list was next to Dr. Beeman. My guess is that the two work very closely together.
Professor Mizuki's eyes flash utter hatred for Dr. Grey. It's the kind of hatred I've only seen with complete betrayal, like that one time Munya . . .
"Talu, please. My sister and the Saturdays are dying."
"Why should I? You betrayed us, all of us!"
"You were going to kill him. I didn't have a choice!" The door slams shut, leaving the two of us in total shock. Dr. Grey looks at me. "I swear I didn't have a choice. I wasn't about to let them kill him." Dr. Grey places her hand on her stomach, as if it hurts.
It's been a long day, or so it feels, so we attempt at rest. Dr. Grey stays up for a long time, unable to sleep from anxiety. My rule is just to wait until after everyone's asleep before going to sleep. Dr. Grey fidgets a lot before settling against the wall, her sister's head in her lap. She starts to doze off.
"Certaines choses que vous ne pouvez pas dire, les murs et le sol autour de nous ont été construits sur les secrets anciens, mais le plafond ci-dessus nous montre qu'ils nous aiment; chacun est une pierre, mais vous n'êtes pas seul; bébé de mes enfants, je sais que vous ferez très bien; oublient ce qu'ils vous ont dit, ils ne savent pas vraiment vous; enfant bébé, vous reposer et de bien dormir toute la nuit; lorsque le soleil se lève le matin, je serai là avec vous, vous verrez; mais quand je suis parti, je vous suis comme les étoiles et le soleil; souvenez-vous toujours, vous êtes le meilleur bébé jamais et je vous souhaite bonne nuit; bonne nuit. (Some things you cannot be told, the walls and floor around us were built on secrets old, but the ceiling above us shows that they love us; every one is a stone, but you're not alone; baby child of mine, I know you'll do just fine; forget what they've told you, they don't really know you; baby child, you'll rest alright and sleep through the night; when the sun rises in morning, I'll be here with you, you'll see; but when I am gone, I'll follow you like the stars and the sun; always remember, you're the best baby ever and I wish you goodnight; goodnight.)" I finish singing; I don't know where I learned the song, but I've just known it for as long as I can remember. But it doesn't sound right in French, as if I learned it in another language. I look over at Dr. Grey, who has fallen asleep, and then I curl up and fall asleep.
When I wake the next morning, I have a heavy feeling in my chest, and the guilt is overpowering. I do not remember my dream, but something is telling me that I dreamed of Master and Munya. Dr. Grey is not yet awake, so I crawl over to all the Saturdays and check each one of them. They all seem to be doing pretty well, but I can't say because I've no idea what Dr. Beeman does to them. I notice that Mister Zak's breathing is labored, so I try to heal him. This time, surprisingly, it works. Well, it kind of works. His breathing settles for a while, but I feel much weaker, as if part of me is gone.
Dr. Beeman opens the door a few hours later. He sees me and kicks me out of his way. He mumbles something I do not hear under his breath. I crawl over to the wall and watch. Then I notice that the syringes are much larger this time than they were the last time I saw them. This cannot be a good thing. Dr. Beeman stabs each of the syringes into the Saturdays' shoulders and slowly injects the liquid. My heart races, I want to protect them, but there's nothing I can do.
"Arthur, this has to stop. Haven't you done enough to hurt us all? First chasing them, then trying to kill him, now this. Arthur, what will you gain from murder? Your sister will never come back, you know that. So why do you want to make others hurt so badly, others who had nothing to do with what happened?" Dr. Grey sounds so much like a mother, it's scary.
"What do you know about my sister?" Dr. Beeman hisses.
"A lot more than you think." Dr. Beeman finishes with the syringe and tosses it the side. Then he walks over to Dr. Grey and whips out the rest of her matter transporter. Dr. Grey gasps.
"Tell me what you know, or else."
"I was the last person to talk to her, just hours before it happened. She said she was going out for a while. I offered to stay up until she got home, but she declined. I went to bed that night and got the call the next morning." Dr. Grey breathes heavily. "Arthur, had I known, I never would have let her walk out that door." Dr. Grey smoothes Ms. Grey's hair. "She was an angel. You know she wouldn't want you doing this. Besides, if you're going to 'punish' anyone, it ought to be me." I admire Dr. Grey's bravery.
"I already have," Dr. Beeman retorts. Then he drops the matter transporter on the metal ground, breaking it, and locks the door on his way out. Dr. Grey stares in utter shock and horror at her destroyed device. She doesn't say a word for a while, a long while. When she finally comes to her senses, Dr. Grey motions for me to come over and take her sister's head. Then she crawls over to her broken matter transporter. She picks up the pieces one by one, shuddering at each.
"Dr Grey, êtes-vous d'accord? (Dr. Grey are you alright?)" I ask.
"I'm fine." Dr. Grey looks at the pieces. "Who am I kidding? No, Iris, I am not alright. We just lost out only way out of here. And I can never build another one ever again."
"Pourquoi pas? (Why not?)"
"Because I don't have the plans anymore. My work was so secretive that I had to destroy all evidence of a discovery after I created a smaller device. That was the only matter transporter in the world, and now it's busted." Dr. Grey continues to pick up the pieces in silence. I can only imagine the emotions coursing through her body.
In the meantime, I try to heal Ms. Grey once more. Her pulse is extremely weak, and I'm worried for her. My gloves come off, and I place my hands on her chest, but nothing happens. Elle a perdu beaucoup de sang. Elle va mourir si cela ne fonctionne pas. (She's lost so much blood. She's going to die if this does not work.) Once more, I try in vain. Qu'est-ce qui empêche mes pouvoirs? Pourquoi ne est-ce efficace? (What's stopping my powers? Why isn't this working?) Then I hear Dr. Grey grunt a little. I look over and see her holding her bleeding palm; her blood is showing through her glove. I hurry over to her and reach for her hand. She nods and tentatively removes her glove.
"I know it has to be skin-to-skin. And, I'm willing to face whatever memory comes." I nod and press her hand between mine. I imagine the cut vanishing and it appearing on my body. I breathe deeply as the exchange takes place. When I open my eyes, Dr. Grey's hand is healed, and my hand looks as if nothing happened. Then I look at Dr. Grey's eyes. They're fearful and anxious. "Do you have any idea how to control your powers?"
"Non. (No.)" I look down at my hands and stuff them back inside the gloves. Je ne veux pas que quelqu'un de mal à cause de moi. (I don't want anyone to hurt because of me.)
Dr. Cheveyo drops in a couple of times, but he only looks at us with scorn. His eyes show no emotion besides hatred. It makes me wonder what the Saturdays and Dr. Grey have done to them and if I should hate them too. It makes me question whom I can trust without Master here to guide me. It makes me contemplate what happened to Master to make him forget to come reclaim me.
Several more hours pass, and the two of us feel drowsy. Dr. Grey is the first to drop off to sleep, and I'm the second. I dream of Father and the person whose identity escapes me. It was Christmas, and the three of us were together. If only I could remember this person. Then I might have a clue as to now what. But I don't so, I have to serve the Saturdays and succumb to their plans. It's just part of being a servant, I suppose.
Morning comes before I'm ready, but I know I have to take care of the people around me. Dr. Grey wakes up shortly after I do, and we immediately begin devising a plan to get out of here, after we discover Ms. Grey and Mister Zak have both taken turns for the worse. After about fifteen minutes of planning, we come to a decision. But there's no guarantee Professor Mizuki will be the person who opens the door. All we can do is wait and hope. Time is a tortoise.
After an eternity of waiting, the door opens. Dr, Grey nods to me, and I grab the leg of the person and pull on it. The person, who turns out to be Professor Mizuki, tries to shake me off, opening the door even wider in the process. Dr. Grey sets her sister's head on the ground gently and lunges for the door. She pulls it open all the way with a SCREECH. Then she leans against it to keep it open as she grabs Professor's Mizuki's arm and bends it behind his back.
"Listen to me, Talu. You're going to help us escape this cursed place, or I'll tell Arthur about that time you crashed-"
"Like I care."
"Do I also need to mention that Iris here has special powers that could destroy you in a matter of seconds if she wanted to?"
"I thought you were refusing to 'sink down to our level.' What happened to you?" Professor Mizuki snaps.
"I haven't killed anyone. I haven't held ten people captive in a small closet for a week. I haven't -"
"Enough, or I shall call Arthur."
"Do it, and Iris here will annihilate you." This discussion continues for several more minutes until Professor Mizuki finally gives in. He tied our hands behind our backs as part of the escape plan, and tells Dr. Cheveyo and Dr. Cheechoo to go get the Saturdays and Ms. Grey from the room and to bring them to Dr. Beeman's airship immediately. They hurry to the room.
"Dr Grey, je n'ai pas les pouvoirs de détruire, (Dr. Grey, I don't have destroying powers,)" I whisper on the way out.
"Je sais. (I know.)" Dr. Grey then shoots me a look that tells me to stop talking, so I shut up. Professor Mizuki leads us out to the hangar, and finding Dr. Beeman's airship out of order, loads us onto Ms. Grey's, which is now working and somehow here. Dr. Grey smiles triumphantly. I have a feeling she knows something about Dr. Beeman's being out of order.
Once everyone is on the ship and Professor Mizuki, Dr. Cheveyo, and Dr. Cheechoo are all off and inside, Dr. Grey slices her ropes and takes the controls. She sighs and ignites the airship's engine. She smiles. "Thank you, Father, for being a commercial pilot," she whispers as we take off. Once we're high in the air, I see Dr. Beeman start yelling at everybody down below. "So, Iris, would you like to learn your first words in English?" I nod. "Thank you."
AB: (blinks three times.) Um . . . Er . . . Uh. Okay then. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and you'll have to wait to find out what happens to Abbey and the Saturdays. In the meantime, let me know what you all think of this story and of my writing style. If you have any questions, for me or the characters, feel free to ask. I don't bite, I swear. Love you all! Don't forget to -
Iris: Vais-je savoir ce qui est arrivé aux Maître et Munya, et je suis jamais je vais rappeler qui la personne est dans mes souvenirs? (Am I ever going to find out what happened to Master and Munya, and am I ever going to remember who the person in my memories is?)
AB: Un jour, mais pas aujourd'hui. (Someday, but not today.) Who do you all think the person is? And what do you all think happened to Dr. Beeman's sister? Don't forget to follow, favorite, review, or all three!