A/N: Kat is captured!
Kit is enroute!
H'earring is nearing,
And Takinom is...
Wait, where is she? Meh, oh well...
Don't know if you're expecting dark but here it is!
Red H'earring Part 2~
At the Doors of the Castle
The Underworld has a natural state of chaos about it. The Tribe that lives there takes pride in this as it shows how many of them are strong and not to be looked down on for their place away from the sunshine. They detest the Overworlders who have forests ,light and water in abundance. Every citizens holds a grudge and would not hesitate to destroy any resemblance of an Overworlder. Yet even here there is such a thing as too much destruction, or perhaps here is a feeling of being threatened by even the tiniest bit of resistance. Kat Kalinkas, a mere human girl of sixteen, had started five brawls in Underworld City and would have gone on causing more if Takinom had not arrested her. No one threatened Chaor's rule, least of all a mere human who showed spirit.
The home of the Tribe's conqueror was the most imposing and massive than anything else Kat had seen today. At least two towers were visibly spewing fire and some had different odd glows emitting from the windows. If she wasn't settling for just glaring at the guards with her hands bound in front of her, Kat would have called the structure overcompensating and overheated. She stared straight for the most part of the long walk through the halls being escorted with six guards surrounding her. Takinom had already flown off somewhere.
Kat's scanner was being held by one of the guards in front of her, well out of her reach. Every guard was much taller and wearing red armor that even Kat knew she couldn't fight against. Just the same, each time she cast a nasty glare in their direction, Kat also was looking past them to the inside structures if the castle. She looked for windows and tried to memorize the turns and corridors.
Kat was stubborn. She truly believed that at the first opportunity she saw she would be able to escape. Brute force wasn't an option. She was clearly not in the guards' weight class, though those weren't unfamiliar odds to her. The human rebel figured what she would really need is a distraction! She could pretend to trip when they turned the next corner, then she would wait for an opening and jump, kick or dodge her way back out. These guys were likely to underestimate her being unarmed and nothing more than a human.
A flash of red caught Kat's eye for a second. She didn't see for long to be sure, but it had looked familiar enough. She had seen it so many times, especially when she was least expecting it. The guards weren't able to see her grin. As they were all going down a long hallway, Kat tried to look for hint of her brother. It wasn't that dark thanks to the big and frequent fires lighting the halls, yet there were shadows big enough to conceal Creatures. But Kat could still see slight flickers of spiky red hair. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do or if Kit was just planning to follow her. Her gaze at the shadows became glares as she could no long make out any trace of her brother.
"HEADS UP!" Kit came swinging down on a loosened chandelier that H'earring was holding onto the chain on the second floor with all his might! The guards were so stunned at the sight, that unlike Kat they didn't have the sense to duck out of the way in time.
(A/N: For those who enjoy comedy, please play your Benny Hill theme… now!)
Kit felt triumphant at knocking the Underworld guards straight into the wall! But his luck ran out when H'earring, being denied the structure of his ancestors, couldn't hold the chain anymore and it lifted him off the ground! When Kit felt the chain losing slack at his end he looked back over his shoulder to see H'earring slam his head into the castle ceiling, he uttered an, "Uh-oh." And fell with the circular, meat ornament!
As he was falling, Kit's chandelier turned to the side and became a wheel which Kit had to run backwards on! Seeing her brother now in distress after trying to save her, Kit dropped her constrains (that were clearly meant for a creature much bigger than her) and sprinted down the hall after him! She managed to catch up, but she couldn't grab the chandelier to make it stop. Instead she opted to jump inside and try to slow it down so Kit could get off. Kat had highly overestimated her own strength and underestimated the momentum of the chandelier so once she was inside, she was as helpless to stop it as Kit. In fact, with the two of them together, Kit on top of the wheel and Kat inside, the chandelier went alarmingly faster! Until finally they crashed into a wall.
The Underworld guards had recovered and taken off in the direction they saw the children go. When the caught up to them the chandelier was half-way into the castle wall, and the two humans were laying off to the side with looks of dizziness. Upon seeing the guards however, Kit grabbed his sister's hand and took off running with her despite her wobbly steps. The six guards gave chase, staying in a group with their blasters ready. Kat and Kit had a good head start though, that the guards were having troubling keeping up with through the corridors.
Kit led Kat into a room with a long table and many chairs. They ran on opposite sides of the table, pulling out the chairs or knocking them over behind themselves to impede the guards. To their luck, the guards were at first so confused who to go after and ended up running into the table, before bouncing back and falling over the chairs that it gave both humans enough time to get through the next door.
The next room was a library, Kat's least favorite place but one she knew the rules of. Kit shushed her as they entered and the two tried to tip toe as fast as possible to the next door. Seeing Agitos was there, the twins ducked under a study table when he looked over his shoulder to see who came in. Seeing no one, he returned to his books. Kit and Kat resumed the quiet, fast paced escape only for Kat to push Kit down under a table again when Agitos took another look. He shrugged once again seeing no one and went back to reading. This happened two more times of the blue Creature nearly spotting them, until the two humans were only four feet away from the door. That's when the guards burst in noisily! "GAH!" Agitos fumbles the book he was holding and cast an angry look at the bumbling guards. Seeing their hunters made Kit and Kat sprint out the other door while Agitos was going over to scold the guards. The masked Creatures trampled all over Agitos, now fully focused on capturing the humans. And when Agitos got up he, with equal fervor, ran after the guards!
The chase brought Kit and Kat down to a hallway of six door, three on each side. They hesitated, not sure which one would possibly lead them out safely. But when they saw the red of the guards' helmets coming closer, Kat took Kit and went in the second door on the left and Kit shut it behind them. The guards had seen the children go down the hallway, but none of them saw which door the children took. One of the leading guards chose the third door on the right and the others followed him in, closing the door so the humans could not escape the same way. After the guards came and infuriated Agitos and he chose the third door on the left to come after them!
Kit peeked out of the first door on the hall's left and gestured for his sister to come with him. They closed the door behind them just in time for the guards to spot them as they came out the third door on the right!
The twins screamed and ran through the first door on the right with the guards right behind them!
Agitos looked out the second door on the right to investigate the noise before deciding to try the third door on the left.
Kat came running out the third door on the right with just one guards chasing her, and they disappeared through the first door on the left!
Kit came running out the third door on the left with two guards behind him and to the first door on the halls left.
Two guards went from the middle door on the left to the middle door on the right, Agitos screaming after them!
Kit came chasing his sister through the first door on the right to the third door on the left.
Agitos came yelling through the first door on the left to the first door on the right with three guards behind him.
Then Kit appeared chasing two guards through the left's second doors before turning around and running right back through it.
Agitos chased Kat from the right's third door all the way to the left's second.
Then when Kit came out the first door on the right, he hid around the corner as the guards ran on through to the door on the left. Then he grabbed his sister as she came running out the same door and slammed it shut on whoever was right behind her! The two red-heads laughed and high-fived each other as the they ran back down the corridor they came from, seeing that they had outsmarted their pursuers and were well on the way out. They turned a corner and were each caught by a giant red claw whose owner's voice boomed with the authority and brutish nature of the Underworld's own leader. "Who are you two?"
At which both the twins looked at each other and gulped. "Busted."
(A/N: Music end)
Kit and Kat both stood before Chaor in his throne room. Both their scanners had been confiscated and in the possession of two of the six guards standing behind them. To Chaor's right stood Takinom looking down on the children, and on Chaor's right was Agitos rubbing his now red nose in pain before glaring down at the children as well.
"Well," Agitos spoke first in a tone of disgust. "I must say that it quite impressive that on a single day two humans can cause such a disturbance. And in the Great Castle, no less." Agitos' words were not praise, but they weren't completely directed at the two children. "The damage is extensive! How could you have let it go on this long? Imagine if the other Tribes learn about this, it will be a dozen solons before you leave the Pits!" The guards trembled, as did Kit.
"Children!" Takinom exclaimed, pointing a talon at the guards. "Chaotic Players, new ones too! You fools couldn't even hold one for an hour! She was meant to be taken to the dungeon and processed. Yet you could handle that! Forget your jobs, your lives are at stake."
Agitos looked over at Takinom. "You are the one who brought her in, Takinom. Didn't you see if she had a collaborator?"
"Enough!" Chaor raised his hand, signaling everyone in the room to stop. "You two!" he pointed down at Kit and Kat, and ordered. "Come closer."
They complied. Kat had a brave look on her face, but Kit was sweating in fear. He was almost regretting coming to his sister's aid. They stood in front of Chaor, he looked between the two of them. "They are not spies." He stated. A bit of relief washed over Kit, Kat crossed her arms and smiled confidently at her brother. Then Chaor reached out and grabbed them both by their collars! "BUT YOU DESTROYED MY CASTLE!" He bellowed. "YOU LITTLE WORMS, OUGHT TO BE DIGESTED BY TOXIS FOR THIS HUMILIATION!"
Chaor didn't exactly have a 'nice guy' voice, but his stern voice made both his seriousness and meaning through to the twin. " However… I see may have further use for each of you." He not-so-gently placed them back on the ground and brought his claws away. "Therefore, you will swear on your miserable lives that when I summon you into my presence again, you will perform any deed for the Underworld that I say. IS THAT CLEAR?" Fire was blazing from Chaor's eyes!
Kit and, for the first time in her life, Kat meekly, shrunk back and replied. "Yes!"
After a beat, Chaor was satisfied with this and signaled for the guards to return the scanners to their humans. Once each of them held their device in their hands, Chaor growled, "Now scram." And they ported out.
Later in Chaotic…
Kat and Kit were reunited with Manny and Angel, and were all currently laughing as the twins retold their adventure. "I can't believe escaped with our lives!" Kit chuckled, holding a chocolate milkshake.
"Totes!" Kat agreed wrapping one arm around her brother. "Man! Chaor's even scarier than Dad described him!" She laughed along with the rest of the table.
Manny leaned back and began to lounge, kicking his feet up onto the table. "I'd say today was a good day all around. Angel met a Prince, you two evaded the wrath of a blodd-thirsty Conqueror, and we all got roped into sneaking into places we shouldn't! Man, are we a team!"
Angel leaned over the table with what must have been her fifth lemonade. "I'll save Manny the trouble of saying today 'really turned up the heat.'"
"Word." Manny okay-ed her.
"Yeah. And we're really just getting started? I mean, even when I used to imagine coming here when I was little, I would never have imagined all of this would play out the way it did!"
"Chaotic, Angel." Kat reminded her. "Chaotic is the name of the game." A snide grin spread over Kat's face. "And speaking of the game: I need to challenge someone whose not afraid to take Underworlders who's Courage and Power are amped to the max thanks to yours truly!" Kat waved her scanner around and then slid it with an image up to her three friends to see.
"Whao-ho-ho!" Manny exclaimed, seeing the stats. "How did you get those?"
Kat let out a short laugh and stated. "My personal booster ability. I got at least fifteen scans of guys like that. All ready to clobber the first person they see!"
"Not bad, Sis, not bad." Kit consented. He knew they were all here to play, and: if Kat could, then Kat would. That's just how his sister was. "But since you, unfortunately didn't have your scanner while we were in Chaor's Castle, you missed out on these!"
Kit hadn't only gotten scans of H'earring on his day out. He'd also gotten Locations scans while they were being chased, along with Battle Gear around the castle and a scan of Agitos.
"WHAT?" Kat couldn't believe it. She would never admit it, but Kit's scans might just make a match with him more difficult even with her new Creatures. "How-?"
Kit tapped his own forehead. "Planning ahead. I figured if I was going to rescue you, I might as well get some scans out of the deal. You really did me a solid on this one Kat."
Angel looked over at Kat, expecting her to be angry. But instead, Kat looked at her brother like she was proud. "Huh… Good plan. You might just be a contender against me, Kit."
"He's got to beat me first!" Manny interjected. Then he looked back down at Kit's scan. "But… first I mmmmight need to go on another scan quest."
The four friends all laughed as they shared their stories of high stakes and new friends. Kit and Kat's argument wasn't forgotten, but they seemed to have made amends in, what to them is, their usual way. Kit was a bit worried about what Chaor might ask them to do when they go back to the Underworld. And Kat assured him that whatever it was, she was going to back him up no matter what. Angel and Manny even volunteered to be on standby.
Meanwhile in the Underworld…
Chaor stood gazing on his balcony overlooking his city when Agitos approached him carrying some official papers. "I have it all right here, Lord Chaor." Agitos announced. "The record of crimes as well as the punishment should those two humans turn on you."
Chaor swipped the papers away from Agitos and looked them over. Agitos' attention to detail was as good as ever. Along with what he told Chaor he had, there was also a physical description of the two humans should they need to be identified on sight. Chaor read the entire report over before saying, "Good work, Agitos." Agitos nodded in gratitude to his leader. Then Chaor tore up the papers and burned them saying, "Now forget you ever saw them."
Agitos' eyes quivered and his jaw dropped as his work was destroyed before his very eyes. "Bu- But the damages, my lord! Your reputation! If even a whisper-"
"All rumor." Chaor stated. "Everything broken can be repaired easily enough. If anyone dares to say anything different," Chaor got right into Agitos' face, "they can bring it up to me."
Agitos got the message. "Of c-course! As you say, Chaor!" And the scaly, blue Underworlder ran back into the Castle to make sure the guards got the same message. Chaor watched as his advisor disappeared and returned to looking over the capitol.
His peace didn't last long as Takinom flew in and quietly landed behind him. "You knew." She wasn't asking. Takinom knew better than to ask stupid question of Chaor.
Chaor nodded without turning to face her. "It was obvious enough."
Takinom walked over so that she was standing beside him. "The boy I can see, but the girl-"
"You didn't know Kaz like I did." Chaor told her. "Most of the time he used his head, he knew his smarts was his strength. But every now and then he'd do something dangerous just for the heck of it."
"True." Takinom also remembered that many of those times it was Chaor who was there at the boy's aid. "And I supposed the hair on their heads would be proof enough."
Neither Creature had asked anyone who the twins were the offspring of. But Chaor had summoned one other Creature, besides Takinom to come to this spot in regards for their actions today. H'earring came hurrying out of the room. He hadn't been eavesdropping when Agitos came to talk to Chaor, his ears just 'happened' to pick up on it.
"Chaor!" H'earring bowed to his leader. "Takinom! Please, they're good kids! Not the goody-two-shoes like those Overworlders have, but their potential-!"
"Quiet!" Chaor bellowed at the small Creature. "The fact that they didn't beg me or use their father when I met them proves those two have the hearts of Underworlders." To some this might sound like a reprimand. H'earring however caught a hint of pride, like Choar was bragging about Kaz's children and their behavior.
H'earring walked up to join the two on the other side of Chaor. "You weren't going to punish them from the beginning." H'earring observed. "You just wanted to see if those two had the same guts KidChaor did at his age."
Chaor said nothing. But Takinom did. "He must have had them after the humans disappeared from Perim. I want to know how old he is, perhaps Kaz doesn't even know about the Wrip Wave."
"It doesn't matter." Chaor shot her down. "Kaz is gone, the new ones are here. All I need is for them to be as efficient if my plans are to work in the future." Chaor walked farther onto the balcony and placed his hands on the rail. "The two of you are the only ones I want keeping an eye on them when they're here. Learn their habits, so that when I call on them… they will be here."
A/N: I wonder what Chaor has planned? (I know but you don't! :P)
Kaz was one of my favorite characters in the series so I wanted to make sure his kids got the limelight.
If you don't know what a Benny Hill chase is ( Idon't own it), but you should look it up! It's funny!
Leve review and I'll see ya next time!
(Seriously, I drop the story if no one seems interested)