Next chapter is here, thank you for all the reviews, glad you guys are enjoying!
One week over and I was still alive. A success right? Only thing was, it began all over again. The time tables mixed up a little more until I was practicing with everyone at least once a day. We started early and finished late. Pretty soon my body was so stressed out that I took to meditating alone in my room until someone came to tell me I had either missed a meal or was about to. The burning memory thing only happened once again after that time in the cafeteria when Storm Shadow hit me in the head with a wooden staff we were training with. Apparently I'm allergic to sticks.
I still struggled to feel relaxed around Snake, it would take some more time until I could convince my mind that he could be trusted. Sucking in a deep breath of salty air I took another step closer to the sea. I knew I didn't have all my memories back but I was pretty sure that I had never seen the sea before. I was always fascinated with it, the way it moved on different days, the changes of colour and the way light reflected off it in different was, from either the sun or the moon.
One morning I awoke with laughter. I had remembered something about myself. I was a thief. That day I spent all my time reviving my old tactics, stealing everything from everyone left right and centre. Don't worry, I returned all items. I found it specifically funny when I managed to swipe Storm's shuriken from his hand without him even noticing. That had ticked him off and I spent the rest of the day avoiding him, should he decide to throw said weapon at my head
Weeks turned into months, months into an agonizingly long wait until Hawk came to his decision. I made the team. He said he was very impressed with my ability to adapt to all situations and circumstances. Although my training was far from over, I was happy to know I was definitely secure here and that I could allow myself to call it home.
So I stood here by the ocean, my private celebration. I turned and walked along the shore, stopping to pick up pretty looking shells and inspect them closely before placing back where I found them again. I was walking along when I saw an oddly shaped shell poking out of the wet sand, obviously just washed in from the tide.
I crouched down and picked it up, brushing the sand away from it until I held a rather large shell in my palms. Stunned at the strange item I stood, turning it around then tried to poke my nails into the crease of its lips, attempting to pry them open but they remained firmly shut. Blinking I lifted it to my ear and gave it a little shake. Something rattled inside.
What could it be? I tried to search my memory for any explanation but none arose. Most of my childhood memories had faded away into the void too. For a time I had even forgotten how to write until it came back to me a few days later.
Curious and intent on finding out what the object inside was I selected a dry patch of sand and sat down, concentrating my efforts on getting this shell open. It was clamped tightly shut. No amount of prying, smashing or pulling would get that stupid shell open. By now it was beginning to get dark and I would have to go back inside. Should I just leave it here?
Out of pure pride and stubbornness I clutched the double sided shell in my hand then returned, climbing up the rocks until I was safely back home. Home. It felt a strange word to think. It felt alien. Shrugging off the feeling I continued to clean the shell, stopping at a fountain to run it under some water before drying it gently with my shirt.
I didn't look up once as I walked back to the rec room, still attempting to open it by force. The door of the rec room opened and a messenger boy dashed out, gripping some papers in his arms so I walked through as the door began to swing shut, still intent on opening this damn thing.
"What you got there sweetheart?" Heavy's warm tone greeted me, making me raise my head and smile.
"I don't know. You tell me." I held it out to him and Heavy frowned.
"That's an oyster." Now I was the one frowning.
"Oyster?" The word sounded familiar but I couldn't quite place it.
"You don't know what an oyster is?" Everyone looked around and I shrugged before tapping my head, stating what didn't need to be said. "Right, of course. So, how about we get it open?" Heavy suggested then looked around. "Where are those ninja boys when you need them?"
"There's something inside. I heard it rattle. That's why I was trying to get it open." I explained to him. "I know I should know what is and I feel stupid for not knowing."
"Don't be. You're anything but stupid." Duke said to me, coming up and slinging an arm around my shoulders and I leaned into him, his solid frame taking the weight off my feet. Heavy tried to open it with a regular knife from the kitchenette but only served to bend the cutlery piece. He shrugged then straightened it back up again.
"Give it here, this requires a little more muscle." Roadblock chuckled, holding out his hand. Heavy Duty dropped my oyster into Block's palm. Block tried to open it with his bare hands but still, the crust around the edge sealed it shut.
"I tried picking it off but I couldn't get it all." I explained unhelpfully, cracking a grin at Block. Just then a black clad hand reached out and gently pulled it from Block's fingers as he strained to open it. Snake pulled out a knife then gently worked it in, moving it around before suddenly, the oyster popped open with a soft click like the sound of an opening chest.
He opened it up fully then lifted the object inside, twirling it between his thumb and finger before presenting it to me. It was a large shiny ball of white, gleaming effortlessly like the moon. I stared at it then slowly reached forwards. I paused then looked to Snake for permission. He lowered his hand and held the pearl out to me so I cupped my hands together and he placed the treasure in them.
"It's a pearl. Quite a big one too." Scarlet explained. "Can you remember pearls?" I shook my head, lifting it up to the light.
"It's like the moon." I mused then smiled at Snake. "Thank you." He nodded to me then looked to Roadblock as he took the shell.
"Well, I know what to do with this." He said then threw the rest of the contents into his mouth, against all protest. He laughed then was about to toss the oyster in the bin when I stopped him.
"Wait! Can I have it? It can hold the pearl for me." Though I was reluctant to let this pearl go, it was silky to the touch and I already loved the light that shone off it. Block nodded then helped me wash it clean of all the gunk and crusty bits until I had a perfectly beautiful oyster and pearl in my hands. I smiled proudly then looked up at him.
"They're valuable, you know." Roadblock said to me. "Just so you know."
"Why would I need to know that?" I asked, confused. "I'm not going to sell it."
"Someone might try and take it, though. So I'd put it somewhere safe if I were you." Quickly I tucked the oyster safely in my pocket, hand gripping it tightly. I trusted everyone in the rec room, though, so I found my oyster a nice place to sit where the light could hit it effectively before sitting down next to Scarlet, who was reading a book whilst leaning against Ripcord.
"Breaker?" I asked, turning to my geeky friend who looked up. "What do you know about that chip?" Everyone suddenly went quiet and looked over at both Breaker and I. Both of us suddenly felt uncomfortable.
"Well, it's certainly unique. It's like a computer chip, only it works with the transfers in your body, sending the right frequency of pulses to affect the genes in your body. I'm not quite sure what the frequency is yet, I'm still trying to work on the codes but since the chip fried out after Cobra tried to destroy you, I managed to salvage a small piece of the signal on my scanner." Breaker explained. "The signals transferred the orders from Cobra Commander through a computer system which used radio waves to send the signal, transferring them into your body so that they could manipulate your genes into becoming stronger, faster, more flexible and so on."
"Do you know why it only worked on me?" I pressed and Breaker frowned as he shook his head.
"The tests show nothing special about you, no offence." He quickly put in. "You were perfectly normal but somehow you managed to override everything. How did you cope with the pain?" The dreaded question. I swallowed then tried my best not to look back.
"I created a void." I explained. "I put all pain and the memories in there. I think that's how I lost my memory. They stripped me of my identity until I was a no one, so I would go to that void to escape from myself and that's how I managed to deal with the pain. After a while, I couldn't even feel it." I felt Scarlet's hand touch my back gently and rub soothing circles. "Everything's still a little…disorientated, but I'm sure that's what I did." Breaker nodded his head, typing this new information into his laptop.
"Maybe it's not about science." Scarlet said, surprising me. Scarlet never disagreed with science. "What if the reason the chip worked with her was because of her psychological endurance. You were strong willed and wanted to survive, so you built up mental barriers which enabled you to then shield yourself from all outward pain." Breaker and Scarlet instantly began to toss this new theory around. It made the most sense to me. I always knew I was strong willed, to my earliest memory I showed signs of stubborn mindedness and endurance.
"But how did her body not decompose from the treatment? Her strength of mind couldn't have stopped the natural rejection of genetic moderation." I turned my head away from the rest of what Breaker was saying, not really wanting to know that I could have melted into a pool of wax on the spot.
"Well, I vote for some pool. Rip?" Duke said, getting up. His buddy jumped up with a wide grin.
"You're on. I call first shot. Block? Heavy? You guys up for some rounds?"
"You bet." Roadblock nodded, stopping his weight lifting to join them alongside Heavy Duty. Scarlet and I looked at each other before grinning.
"Hey wait up, we want some of the action." Scarlet called and together we ran to catch up with them.
"Oh I see how it is. Alright then, let the tournament begin. Let me just say, I will wipe the floor with you, baby, then you'll be paying for it tonight." I shuddered and gagged behind Rip's back as Duke did the same. We grinned at each other then went into the much larger rec room where the pool tables were. "Okay Robyn, this is how you play…"
"I know how to play." I informed Rip with a smirk. "Trust me."
"Uh…don't you have…a little bit of a memory problem?" I grinned at him then picked up a cue.
"Come on, you don't think a girl like me wouldn't put remembering how to play pool at the top of her priority list?" I began to set up the table. "Let's play. I'll take you on, Rip, then we'll see who is left standing." The boys all glanced at one another, slightly disbelieving.
"How do you know how to play pool?" Duke asked, frowning. I shrugged.
"Its how I used to rustle up most of my money back in the street days. That is until they kicked me out because I kept on stealing everyone's money anyway." Scarlet grinned then laughed aloud.
"Oh this is one I have to see."