Chapter 13: Making Progress
To the guest who asked about how only one person noticed her tattoo.
Firstly I mistyped and put the Guardian tattoo on her right. I meant the left shoulder.. (Fail on my part. I'll go back in and fix that)
Also Elsa has seen it (the A117 one) but doesn't know the meaning behind it. And Anna keeps it covered. By law she has to keep her tattoo with her name Anna on it in the open out in public.
With the guardians she always had on a jacket, keeping the tattoo to herself when she found out how crazy they got over the fact she knew what A117 was.
Anyone who sees the A117 tattoo, who doesn't work with the program who made her (Or isn't a Guardian) just see it as a number.
The mark of a flier is only really looked at when someone wants to identify who the flier is. (Guardians like to ask for the name and never actually look at tattoos since they don't want to degrade the fliers even more)
Like a tag put on a cow. Anyone can see the number, but only the company gets the meaning. Ya know?
Sorry for the confusion. I could have actually portrayed that a whole lot better. I feel bad because I had to explain it here.
Phillip stared at Anna and waved his hand in front of her face. She blinked but she didn't stop her senseless smile.
"Alright. Ever since the lady incident two days ago, you have been grinning like an absolute idiot. Did she really give you diseases and now you can't stop smiling? I thought you were moping about that whole thing?"
Aladdin and Herc nodded, looking just as worried. Chesh was laying across Anna's lap, twirling a strand of her hair around his finger, waiting for answer.
"I'm just happy alright guys?" They stared at her and then Phillip got a big grin on his face and he lay back against the lounge chair.
"I think I know. How was sitting up on the roof with little Miss Roe? Something happen?" Aladdin and Herc leaned in, waiting for her reply. Anna turned bright red and her shoulders touched her ears.
"Well.." She twiddled her thumbs feeling like an idiot for feeling embarrassed. "Alright I actually got to kiss Elsa on the roof. Then of course it turned into a makeout session." Phillip sat up, tearing off his sunglasses, arms resting on his knees looking at her in disbelief.
"Holy hell. You convert everyone don't you? I'll be telling stories about this moment for ever. The story of Anna. The flier who changed the way the world thought, kicking ass and taking girls. Or well in your case soon to be taking Elsa." She laughed and reached over to punch him on the arm.
"Seriously! You will be famous! Everyone will know you. Remember me when you take over the world?" Aladdin and Herc nodded in unison, staring at her wide eyed.
"Alright fine. When I feel like I can't do things anymore and I need help, I will call up my four favorite fliers. That includes you too Chesh. That is if I was actually changing the world and kicking ass." She tickled his belly because really the flier was still a young kid. He looked like he was twelve at the very least.
Chesh giggled and jumped off her lap, finding another spot to sit down on. Aladdin stretched his arms out, "Alright I want to do something more than stare at the girls all day. I have had enough of being a creeper. And I don't want to hear about Anna being the lucky bastard who gets to make out with one." Aladdin gave Anna a playful glare but he smiled to show he didn't mean anything by it.
Herc sat up suddenly, "Doesn't Aurora have horses?" Anna, Aladdin and Chesh stared at Herc for a moment, wondering what made him think of horses.
"Yes. She has around ten. Eleven if you count the new one that bucks everyone- Oh. Oh I see. Herc you damn genius!" Phillip leapt to his feet, unfurling his wings. "Lets fly. We don't get to do it often."
And with a whoop, a few confused looks from the girls wondering where their fliers were going, they took off, heading for the stables.
XxXxXxX
"Anna you damn cheater! Why didn't you say you could fly good? You make it look like childs play!" The four were panting, wings dragging behind them limp and tired. Anna sat up from the hay bale she was laying on.
"Took you girls long enough. I got her around ten minutes ago. Slowpokes." They couldn't even glare they were too busy gasping for breath. Herc recovered the fastest since his body was trained for flying small distances quickly. Aladdin and Phillip were not and they were doubled over, hands on their knees.
Chesh looked a little sleepy, but he gave Anna a thumbs up. Anna got up and went into a little office type room full of water, extra boots, pants and so forth. "Yo, they have water in here." They all squished in the room to refill on water and regain some energy.
Phillip tossed his crumpled paper cup into the trash, clapping his hands together. "Alright. Herc had a brilliant idea. Today we ride Manto the new horse Aurora got. He's a wild one! Bucks just about anyone off. So lets see who can ride the bastard longer."
Chesh opted out, more than happy to watch the other four possibly break necks or wings. It was a challenge itself to get the horse into the corral. Aladdin suffered a bit hand, and Herc got head butted once by it. Anna ended up punching the horse in the face for stomping her foot.
Now that they had the horse stuck in what Anna could only describe as a mini cage they stared at the horse. It jerked his head up and down, snorting and stamping its hoof on the ground. His eyes rolled around, staring at the strange looking humans around it.
Phillip eyed the horse a moment deciding he wasn't going first, "Alright who is going first?" He turned around and Herc and Aladdin stepped back. Leaving Anna the only one standing next to Phillip. Phillip grinned and took Anna's arm. "Anna! Good of you to volunteer!"
"Whoa me? Why me?" Phillip rolled his eyes and climbed the side of the small cage. Anna did the same but she still had a questioning look.
"Because you were handpicked by unanimous vote. Now get on the damn horse you pussy." He slapped her on the back good naturedly and she pointed her finger at him, glaring at him.
"You guys are a bunch of dicks. If I die doing this. Tell Elsa that I would have loved her given more time." They laughed and cheered her on, and she took a deep breath and settled herself on the brown horse. "Alright Manto, don't mangle me please." The horse began to jerk and her leg slammed on the metal gate. "Open the damn gate already before I break a leg!"
Her heart started pounding and she twisted the horses white hair in her grip, tightening her legs around its middle. Phillip jumped over the fence and reached for the latch and he nodded. Anna shut her eyes and took a deep breath.
Then Phillip unlocked the gate and he swung it open.
Anna felt her whole world spin and she clung to the massive horse for dear life. Cursing all the while. To her time sped up and it happened in a few seconds. To the guys it took forever watching the horse buck, leap, spin and do its best to kick off the unwanted rider.
The horse slammed its head back into Anna's face and she groaned and let go of the horse, flying off with its next leap. The horse stopped its bucking when it realized its leech was gone.
She landed with a moan and she held her eye, her other eye noticing a blurry brown speck coming at her. She vaguely heard shouts and then the world righted itself.
She scrambled to her feet, running for the fence. She gave herself points for making it as far as the fence. The horse slammed his head into her back, trying to trample her. She curled her wings in to save them and did her best to climb the fence.
Her vision blurred and she heard those whispers again. She could hear the scratchy voice that spoke to her. Then it was gone and Herc and Phillip dragged her out by her arms.
They lay her on her back on ground and she spit blood out of her mouth onto the ground. Phillip spoke first. "Holy shit! Anna how was it? We thought you were going to be that horse's bitch for a minute."
Herc was next, "Anna does anything feel broken?" He was kneeling beside her, checking for any bones sticking out.
She coughed and touched her eye, she winced from the pain on her eye then she shakily sat up. "Lets do that again!" She held her arms out, and the two grasped her arms, helping her stand. Aladdin came running up with a first aid kit.
"I got it guys! Wait do we even need it?" Aladdin opened the white little case and shuffled through it. He pulled a tiny bandaid out and put it over a small cut on her left cheek. "Well, I think that's all you really need."
She took a cup of water from Chesh, taking a drink so she could swirl the excess blood in her mouth and spit it out. "Alright you chickens who is next?"
The three all looked the other way, shuffling their feet. Chesh just held his arms out to be held.
"Oh you assholes, seriously?" She crushed the paper cup, imagining it was all of them together.
XxXxX
They gave up putting the horse back into its stall. They would send a servant later. For now they watched the horse canter around, looking less nervous now that the fliers no longer bugged him.
They all watched the horse take a piss and Aladdin laughed. "Alright I wonder. How does a horse store that huge ass thing? It snakes its way out then slides back in. What the hell is up with that?"
Phillip scratched his chin in thought, never having thought about it before. "You know.. I don't even know. I wonder if that horse has a huge penis, or is his tiny compared to others?"
Herc tilted his head thinking it over and he shrugged. "I'd say he's huge. That is a monster sized penis."
Anna stared at the three of them through one eye, since the other was a little swollen. "Are you all seriously talking about horse penis? I'm done with you three for today." She lifted Chesh's sleeping body since he was laying on her. His arms hung over each shoulder, and she tucked her arm under his rump, so he wouldn't fall. "I'm taking this kid back and when you guys decide to show up. Please don't mention horses, dicks, or my eye. I'm hoping Elsa won't see it."
They all busted into laughter, quieting a little when Chesh grumbled against Anna's neck, lazily stretching his wings out before curling them in.
"Anna, your eye is a little swollen and… oh I forgot to mention completely black!" Aladdin said, pointing at her shiner. "Here instead of saying you got your ass kicked by a horse. We will say you fought off some Indians."
Anna flipped him off, "You are lucky I am carrying a sleeping child. Otherwise I would kick your ass and then toss you in with the horse." Aladdin flipped her off in return, running a finger down his cheek in a mock tear.
"Whatever, I have the war wound. I have bigger balls than all of you. I rode that bastard horse, and you all chickened out. AND I fought off 'Indians'. You guys are going to look so bad." She ignored their spew of curses and took off, making sure to keep a firm hold on Chesh.
XxXxXxX
Anna put Chesh on his bunk in the room that the guys all shared. After making sure he was comfortable she left the room. Anna walked down the hall, into the kitchen where servants gave her an ice pack for her eye. She thanked them and left, heading for the music room next to play the guitar.
Anna sat in the chair, facing the windows so she could see the roses outside. She picked up the music book and tried to replay the music on the sheet. She sighed after thirty minutes of trying to make sense of the song.
"..Lady.. lady love..." She trailed off when she hit a wrong note and she put the guitar on its stand angrily. She plopped herself back onto the chair, hanging her arms limply over the sides. With a sigh she let her head fall back onto the chair.
She felt something soft tickle her face and she opened her eyes to a curtain of blonde around her. Elsa looked concerned about her eye, and she was standing behind the chair smiling down at Anna.
"Hi." Anna whispered, smiling up at Elsa. "Like my war wound? I got attacked by some Indians. But I won."
Elsa rolled her eyes and she giggled, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. "Oh really? Does that mean you get a reward?" Anna nodded and her smile only grew when Elsa gently placed her hands on her face, leaning in and placing a chaste upside down kiss to her lips.
Then she kissed Anna's brow above her black eye. Anna grumbled about 'real kisses' and put her hand on Elsa's neck, trying to pull her back down for another. Elsa shook her head smiling at the now pouting flier. "I didn't close the door Anna. I also was going to speak to Jasmine about her company. I just happened to stop by."
"Then close the door and come here." Elsa sighed like she annoyed but Anna saw the grin on her face when she turned so she knew Elsa actually wanted to stay.
Elsa closed the door, clicking the lock into place, and as she turned around she said, "alright now we just need to close the blinds."
Anna had already done that and she was standing by the couch, and Elsa wondered how she did all four windows that quick. The room was now barely lit, the only light was the small amount from behind the blinds. Elsa walked over and pushed Anna hard enough to fall back onto the couch.
The blonde put a knee on either side of her flier's legs whose hands slid up the side of her thighs slowly. Anna stopped her hands ascent on Elsa's hips and she pulled her down so she sat on her lap fully. The flier unfurled her wings and wrapped them around Elsa like a protective shell.
"I suppose Jasmine can wait a few minutes." Elsa whispered, running her thumb across the bandaid on Anna's cheek.
"Of course she can wait. Kiss me already. The suspense is killing me."
XxXxXx
A round short scientist hobbled his way down the massive hall ways, taking in the impressive decor. "Very nice here isn't it Doctor Stone?" On his right was a patient who had finally made enough progress to test.
Doctor Stone glanced up from the chart he held as they wheeled Lovdahl in a wheelchair towards the Creature. "I suppose so, I don't really care much for it. I want to see if we got it to work this time."
Lovdahl twitched in the wheelchair, groaning from the pounding in her head. "Doc..thor..Sthone?" Doctor Stone looked down at her and he smiled.
"Lovdahl, perfect! Awake for the test I see." Doctor Stone walked down a hall and he got an eerie feeling from it. He could hear a ticking and a door slammed shut as he neared the door at the end of the hall. He smiled widely all the way through it, punching in the numbers, then swiping the card ,and finally unbolting it by hand. He opened the thick metal door and it was an elevator.
Lovdahl shivered, not feeling right going down the hall. Where was she? Was this the labs still? She could hardly remember anything. The pounding in her head grew worse as they rode a small elevator down.
After a long fifteen minute trip down, the elevator doors opened with a ding. Down a short hall rested another door and it opened on its own when they were close enough. The room inside was pitch dark. The round scientist flipped a switch and a single circle of light lit up the middle of the room.
In the light there was something crouched on its knees, its head was covered by a muzzle like mask. Two massive chain's held its arms straight out and massive black gauntlets covered its hands. A large collar around its neck with poles sticking up and out, putting pressure. A chain connected to the collar and it was soundly bolted to the ground.
It looked exactly like a human if it wasn't for the black wings that hung limply behind it. The frazzled wings were suspended in the air by chains wrapped around it. The feathers looked dirty, old and where the chains held the wings they were raw and featherless.
Lovdahl started shaking and that pounding feel like a beating to her whole body. She whimpered and Doctor Stone put a hand on her shoulder.
"Okay Lovdahl, I want you to think hard. Very hard. I want you to control that creature. Only with your head. Command it." Lovdahl looked up at him, her eyes watering and she shook her head. How could she make it do that with her head? She really wanted to leave but then the pounding turned into whispers.
Her eyes fluttered shut and she felt it. Something in the room. "Yes thats it. Find it.. Now control it." Doctor Stone sounded excited, and he wrote a note down on his clipboard.
Voices. Lovdahl could hear voices. She felt a pressure inside her head and she pressed back with all her might. There was a threatening rumble that shook the room and she backed off, letting what ever was pushing on her gain some ground. Her heart started pounding and she noticed the fat scientist was shaking.
Pathetic. Something growled in her head.
"Control it Lovdahl. Don't let it win."
She gripped the arms of the wheelchair and she tried to push back again, and the creature in chains twitched. She searched through all the whispers ignoring the calls until she found the source of the voice.
Listen to me. She mentally shouted, sweat dripping from her forehead from the strain. She felt the whispers shriek and she screamed along with them, and then it was blank. All the pain gone and she knew she won this round.
Open your eyes. There was another rumble throughout the room and the chains rattled from the creatures shuddering breath.
In the slit of the mask two forest green eyes opened and there was a deep hum. Lovdahl stared at the green eyes and then she felt a slam in her head. As if the creature slammed a door in her face. Her eyes rolled back and she fainted, going limp in the wheelchair.
The eyes closed and the rumble died off, the oppressive air in the room disappeared. Doctor Stone looked at his partner who had pissed himself from watching the whole thing. The poor fat man was shaking and he ran a hand through his balding head.
"What does this mean sir?" The scientists voice cracked and he tugged at the tie on his neck, trying to breath easier after what he just felt in the room. He could feel the power in the creature in the room. The whole way through Lovdahl's struggle he wanted to run very far away.
Doctor Stone himself didn't even look frightened. If anything he looked over joyed and disgusted when he noticed his partner had pissed himself. He excused it this time because they were men of science, not bravery. "This means we have made leaps and bounds in progress. What we have accomplished today is beyond what we have ever done. The Dream program is finally working."
Doctor Stone pulled the wheelchair out of the room and the fat man followed quickly. The white door shut on its own, and he sighed in relief.
"I want Lovdahl given months of rest. I want her recovering, and given plenty of food. She needs to be stronger. Double her program time. More time and practice is what she needs." The scientist frowned, bouncing on his feet like an overgrown frog.
"But sir! Double the program time could kill her." Doctor Stone pressed a button on the elevator glaring at the short man.
"Then you better make sure she lives. Lovdahl is the key to our success. Soon we will control that monster in there. And we will have everything." Doctor Stone laughed, because everything truly was going as planned. Even if A117 was still missing. He wouldn't be for long.
AN: Alrighty then! Would have had this done yesterday but Viruses, college classes sign up and just not being around the laptop in general stopped me. This is the last chapter that Anna and Elsa are at Aurora's summer place. Time for them to move on.