~Chapter Twenty-Nine~

"Oh these must be the new clothes Melissa was talking about at the ball," Ada said as she found a few unfamiliar outfits in Melissa's closet.

She had just finished showering and had put on a pair of Melissa's pajamas. Now she was snooping through her friend's wardrobe.

"I must say though she's been gone so long I'm starting to think SHE got lo-"

Ada stopped talking to herself when the door opened and Melissa practically floated into the dorm room. The eighteen-year-old fell against the door and slid down with a sigh, her eyes full of stars. Ada laughed, bringing the girl back to her surroundings.

"Well I presume from the look in your eyes that it went well?" Ada said.

Melissa turned to her friend and smiled as her cheeks reddened again. In a quiet, but excited teenager voice she said:

"He kissed me!"

Ada cupped her hands over her mouth and let out a girlish squeal. Melissa did the same.

"Well what happened next?" Ada said excited.

"I kissed him back!" Melissa exclaimed as she got up.

The response, another pair of girlish squeals.

"Well go on," Ada urged, "Tell me everything that happened next!"

But when her roommate returned at 5:00 P.M and saw Ada casually sitting at her desk writing a poem, she pratically attacked the girl with hugs.

"Oh Ada I was so worried about you!" she said still hugging the girl tightly, "I'm so glad you're safe!"

"I'm glad to be safe too Mandy," Ada gasped, "But could you please let go of me? I can't breathe!"

"Oh sorry," Mandy said letting go of her roommate, "But I expect you will be telling me what exactly happened to you."

Ada rolled her eyes. "Here we go again."

Earlier That Day:

Marbles' class ended at 2:50 P.M. He still had more classes but what was one more day off? He really needed to relax after all he and Ada had been through and, like Melissa, he rarely became ill. Such strong immune systems seemed to run in the Benson family.

Archimedes had reacted exactly the same way Melissa and Mandy had upon seeing his roommate and was most definitely confused about the body. In fact, that body was the main reason that Marbles was taking the rest of the day off. He had contacted the cyber-wide police about what had happened and asked them to come and investigate the body, feeling rather uncomfortable at the idea of carrying a dead body around the campus. Melissa portaled Ada to his dorm before the police arrived, so that she could provide insight also.

"So you kids suspect that this woman is Ann Arky's younger sister Francesca?" the head officer asked as he examined the corpse.

"That is correct sir," Marbles answered.

"That could be possible," the head officer replied, "Because Francesca had been pronounced missing for quite some time now."

"Now Miss Lovelace," the other officer began and turned to the teenaged girl, "You've been missing for... five days counting today, is that right?"

"Actually sir," Ada said, "We've both been missing. But the search only went out for me."

"Okay," the officer said writing sme notes down, "Thank you for relaying that information to us."

"Now please explain exactly what happened during this time," the head officer said.

Yet another lengthy conversation over their mishap ensued and by 4:30, the police had the information they needed. They wrapped the body in a white cloth to bring to a morgue and left the campus with it.

"Well I suppose that covers that," Ada said as she texted Melissa for her to send another portal.

A portal then appeared in the dorm room. Ada kissed her boyfriend goodbye before jumping into the portal and Marbles went to his study desk to read some of his textbooks. Just then Archimedes walked into the dorm.

"Catching up on your studies I see lad?"

"Affirmative," Marbles said, "How much have I missed?"

Archimedes laughed. "You've only missed two school days lad! And only one per subject."

"Still?"

"Well," the Poddleville citizen began, "Our English professor assigned a paper on the works of Playspeare, we reviewed for the Advanced Calculus quiz... And I don't have any other Monday classes with you."

Marbles groaned. "This is just wonderful!"

"At least you made it to your Design Physics class today," Archimedes reminded him.

"True," Marbles acknowledged, "So what did you tell my professors?"

"I told them you were searching for Ada."

"Thank you," Marbles said, frustrated that Abaddon's existence still had such an impact on his daily life.

Location: Control Central:

"I'm telling you Gerald, Abaddon IS at it again," Richard said as he watched the cyber-ruler training with his sword fighting instructor.

It was tradition that the leader of Cyberspace engage in daily self defense training, since the leader is also a protector and, therefore, may or may not need to involve his/herself in physical combat. And, though not often, swords were still used in attacks.

"He told us that he was through with trying to take over Cyberspace," Gerald said as he blocked a swing from his instructor.

"And how many times throughout both your reign and Sir Dalhart's reign has he said that?"

"I know Richard, but this time is different, he is getting too old for this."

Their swords clashed one last time.

"Okay, I think that's enough for today," he told his instructor.

"I'll see you tommorrow then," the instructor replied and left to go to his room.

Gerald sat down on the bench with Richard. "Look if you think I'm not still trying to track this cyborg down you're wrong."

"I'm not saying you aren't Gerald," Richard replied, "I just think we should consider the posibility that the recent attack on Aquarium's cyber slugs could be his doing. If for nothing else, just to spite us."

Gerald nodded in agreement. "Okay. But we need to find some better way of tracking Abaddon and his army. Do you realize how many undiscovered cybersites are out there?"

"I'm working on it sir."

Gerald smiled and patted the technician on the back. "We'll find him. I won't rest until we have."

Richard smiled back then stared at his feet silently.

"So... On a lighter note," he began, "When do you plan on proposing to Chell?"

"Oh how many more times am I gonna hear that question?!" Gerald exclaimed rolling his eyes, "You know I want to, but we've only been a couple for a year and a half. Besides, I don't have the time to get married right now. Someone like me can't be in a marital relationship and run Cyberspace at the same time. And now is NOT the right time to switch leaders. I want to at least narrow down Abaddon's whereabouts before I resign."

"I see," Richard said then got up from the bench, "Well I've got a short circuit to rewire."

"Have fun," Gerald called to him as he left the garden/training room.

Once Gerald was alone he walked over to the cyber-daisies, his girlfriend's favorite flower. Just staring at them reminded him of how much he missed her when she had to go back home.

"Some day we'll get married Chell," he said to himself, "Some day."