45 replies to this topic

[RocksmySocks]

Well, here's an update. A short update, but an update nonetheless.

Part IV

________________________________________________________________

My ears seemed to wake up before my eyes did.

“Good grief, it’s been over two days already,” a familiar male voice said.

“Yes it has, and I will sit here as long as necessary. She must wake up in case Avia used her to pass a message onto us. That can be the only reason Eddie’s mercenaries would have kept her alive,” a female voice responded.

“Right, sure,” the first voice answered, wryly, “I know you too well. Don’t tell me you aren’t sitting here because you’re concerned about the girl’s health.”

“Shut up, Joey.”

That voice…

A rush of memories came at me like a tidal wave.

The smoke.

My lungs.

That Neutron Knight…she was…FLYING…

And…and…

“RATTIES!” I cried, bolting up and very much awake.

The room around me was white, and I realized I was elevated off the ground on some sort of a cushioned platform. Two familiar faces stared back at me.

“Well, finally!” Joey said, smirking at me. “Glad you decided to join the living.”

The woman just grinned.

Smiling was the last thing on my mind. “Where are my Ratties?” I asked, trying to blink away the light-headedness I received upon sitting up so quickly. “Please?” I added, seeing their falling faces.

The bright lights in the medical chamber burned through my blanket, but all I could feel was cold fear. The woman walked over to the corner of the room and came back bearing a box with a towel over the top.

My heart leapt to my throat for one glorious moment before I noticed the woman’s pained grimace.

“I’m sorry, kid,” she said, passing the box to me and folding the towel back on itself. “We couldn’t save them all…”

One little confused rodent face stared back up at me from her cowering stance in the box’s darkest corner. Some part of my mind vaguely registered that her eyes had finally opened, as they were now glued on my face peering in.

I swallowed hard. “R-right then,” I stammered, clutching the box to me, my own eyes drifting off, unfocused. “Well, uh, thanks. Yeah. I mean…at least I have…”

I do not remember exactly when the tears started, but they did not stop for a long time. Joey eventually left awkwardly, but the woman stayed with me, passing me tissues when I needed them.

It was not until the little rat crawled forward towards me that I stopped crying. “Hello, little Ratty,” I said between hiccups. I reached in and picked her up, feeling an ounce of relief as she snuggled into my hand. “I’m glad you made it through. We toughed it out together, didn’t we, girl?” The young rat just closed her eyes and leaned into me.

The woman smiled and set the tissue box to one side. “Well, that is something. You know that rat has been shaking like a leaf since we revived her? Opened her little eyes up and promptly spazzed out. Wouldn’t come near any of us.”

I nodded along, mostly just processing everything that had just happened to me. Then, I suddenly remembered.

“The tree that blooms the longest holds the cure for life’s greatest defeat!” I spun to face the woman. She blinked at me in surprise. “The tree that blooms the longest holds the cure for life’s greatest defeat,” I repeated.

An expression of determination crossed her features. “Thank you. You have done the Neutron Knights a great service.” She got up and began to walk out. “Please excuse me. I must give this information to my superiors. If you need me, just ask for Writer Woman.” With that, she left.

I sat with my Ratty, a series of confused thoughts running through my mind and countless emotions running through my heart. Eventually, I laid down and fell asleep, with my Ratty dozing on top of me, still in my arms.

[CraazyOne]

Awww, awesome, Katie! And sweet. =)

Hehe, Writer Woman rescued you! *giggle* Cool how you incorporated a fellow NK in your own story.






~Rachel~

[Beks]

Yay! I absolutely love how your protraying me in this. ^_^ So cute! I can't wait till the next update! :thumbsup:

[Mara=^.^=]

EPIC WIN FOR KATIE!

LOL, reading this has been rather hilarious because our local dining hall is called "the Ratty", and every time you mention that word, I think of the huge, ugly building with its lukewarm food and nauseatingly bright overhead lights.


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[RocksmySocks]

Thanks, Rach! Thanks, Beks! Thanks, Mara!

I just reread the whole thing and so hopefully I'll be able to have motivation to finish the next installment relatively soon. :rolleyes: Sorry I am so slow with this lately.

[RocksmySocks]

Okay, Part V. Finally something long-ish again. And thanks, Gretchen, I'm glad you like it!


______________________________________________________________________

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” I said, trudging into my room at the Neutron Knight headquarters. “I’ll stay in here.”

Writer Woman gave me an appreciative smile. “Sorry we have to do this to you again, but some of our meetings are Level One Classified. It’s not that we don’t trust you, after all you went through, but protocol is protocol.”

I smiled back at her. “It’s alright, really,” I said, despite a tiny voice inside me urging me to roar with protest. “I’ll just get some studying done.”

Joey chose that moment to walk by. “C’mon, Writer Woman, you heard the Rat Girl, she’s just fine. Now let’s get to the meeting room before the Black Knight throws a fit about us being late again!”

Writer Woman raised an eyebrow. “You mean, you being late again?”

“Er, right,” Joey said awkwardly, scratching the back of his head and flashing an apologetic smile.

Writer Woman just laughed, before turning back to face me. “Alright, I’ll come and check on you later. And as far as studying goes, I think it’d be best if you moved onto the historical files of the last century, now that you are caught up through the Great War.”

I nodded. “Sure thing, Writer Woman. Seeya around.”

“Have fun!” she answered, waving as Joey pulled her down the hallway.

I shut the door to my quarters and sank to the floor. Sometimes, it was a relief to be alone, away from the social pressures of having to act “okay”.

Though, of course, I was not entirely alone.

Ratty stared at me from across the room, sitting in her makeshift cage, ears perked and eyes bright.

“Hey, girl,” I smiled as she hopped a bit to get my attention, “You want to come out, don’t you?”

She responded by racing around her cage in excitement. I got to my feet and walked over to undo the latch. With all the emotional turmoil I had gone through recently, Ratty was the only one who could truly make me feel better inside. She was a blessing that I was never going to allow myself to lose.

Ratty’s cage set up against a blank wall, with a dull linoleum floor beneath it. My room was never meant to house a person, and presumably used to be a small secondary kitchen for the Knights that had long sense fallen out of use. The head of my cot squeezed into the space a refrigerator once occupied, and my desk was a rechristened countertop near the sink.

All in all, though, I was quite grateful to the Knights for finding room for me. As far as I could tell, none of them knew precisely what to do with me now that I had delivered the message from Lady Avia. To just send me on my way would surely mean recapture (or worse, I added to myself), but to let a kid hang around the headquarters of the galaxy’s top crime-fighting agency did not sit well with anyone, either.

I had begged them to let me get a message to my mother, to let her know I was alright, but the Black Knight had refused, claiming it would be too risky for my family to have such information while Eddie’s mercenaries still were on the hunt for me. It was not without tears that I finally agreed to his logic.

It was just so frustrating! I lifted Ratty out of her cage and slammed the lid down a bit harder than usual, causing the young rodent to scamper up my shoulder and hide beneath my hair. I feel so useless! Just sitting around here…I want to help! I want to leave! I want to do SOMETHING other than mooch off of an organization that has far better things to concern themselves with than some teenage girl and her pet rat!

“Ratty, it just isn’t fair!” I complained, scooping her out from the tangles she was weaving in my hair and bringing her down into my arms. “I’m tired of just sitting around here! I know I could be doing something more useful. Sure, those files Writer Woman gave me have been interesting, but am I really only good as a student? I want to be more than that! I’m ready to get out there and do something to HELP!”

Ratty twitched her nose at me, and as usual, her little beady eyes saw straight through my charade.

My shoulders slumped. “Yeah, I know,” I said, leaning up against a counter. “You’re right. It’s Tyson. Just knowing that man is still out there…just…” I clenched my fists in anger. “UGH, I hate him, Ratty! I hate him!” I spun to face the counter and placed my head in my hands. “Someone needs to DO something about Eddie and his gang, and all these supposed heroic Knights are doing is sitting around for weeks and TALKING about it!”

I shocked both Ratty and myself at my outburst. Generally, I was not a person prone to anger, nor impatience. But this was personal.

Ratty hopped down from the crook of my elbow onto the counter and stood up on her hind legs to put a gentle paw on my nose.

I smiled, in spite of myself. “Thanks, girl. Where would I be without you?” I scratched behind her soft ears and she bruxed in appreciation.

I glanced over at the computer screen on the countertop, just about to mention that I should get to work, when Ratty seized the opportunity and took off across the room. She loved playing the “come and get me” game. It was her way of asserting her independence, I assumed, and since I never wanted our relationship to be that of owner and property, I allowed her a certain range of freedom. She was young, however, and liked to push her limits.

And this day was no exception.

Like an acrobat, she hopped from kitchen chair to kitchen chair, until she reached the shelving unit which she scampered up like a mountain climber.

“Aww, come back here, Ratty,” I said, making my way over to her. “Don’t make me climb up there to get you.”

With a flick of her tail, she made one final leap and landed on the air vent near the ceiling. The vent cover must have been loose, because it fell off quite suddenly, bringing a shrieking Ratty down with it.

I yelled out and dived forward to catch my baby rat, and just managed to wrap my hands around her before hitting the floor. The vent cover landed on top of me, billowing out clouds of dust, while Ratty shook in my grip, quite panicked.

I coughed and slowly got to my feet to assess the damage.

The vent cover was surprisingly in perfect shape, as was the wall it had been attached to. All that remained as evidence of the accident was the gaping hole near the ceiling to the ventilation shaft.

I breathed in relief. “Ratty, hun’, are you okay?” I asked, holding my little charge close. She calmed down quickly and hopped to my shoulder, reassuring me she felt just fine.

I pulled several of the kitchen chairs over, giving myself a nasty splinter in the process off their roughened backs. I stacked them up and climbed upon the small tower of chairs to replace the vent cover. Just as I was about to begin screwing in the rusted metal sheet, a sound caught my attention.

Words. Faint, unrecognizable, but words nonetheless.

They suddenly got louder, and then there was a strange explosion of vocalizations that nearly made me stumble off the chair. Amidst the ruckus, my ears caught a burst of Joey’s unmistakable laughter.

The Level One Classified meeting. That was what I was hearing.

My brain floundered for a few moments, conflicting thoughts and morals running through my head. Put the vent cover back on. Pretend you never heard anything, one voice said, while another insisted, Come on, this is your chance! Go on, crawl in there and figure out once and for all what is taking them so long in this planning process! Heck, if they have time to laugh and crack jokes, they certainly have time to go after Eddie and Tyson and those horrible people!

My eyes darted back and forth. Could they really find out if I managed to listen in? Not if you put the vent cover back on after you are done and before they come to collect you…the second voice said, slyly.

Breathing out as I made my decision, I climbed down from the chairs and proceeded to slide the shelving unit over for a better ladder to the ventilation shaft.

I can’t believe I’m doing this, I thought to myself as I scaled the empty shelves. Ratty seemed thrilled that her surrogate mother wanted to play a climbing game, and raced about my hands and feet rather dangerously as I ascended the shelves.

Upon reaching the top, I took one last deep breath, then close my eyes and slid into the shaft, careful not to make a sound. Ratty hopped in after me and climbed up my back to ride along as I crawled the tunnel.

I inched along slowly, terrified that I would make some obnoxiously loud noise and alert the Knights that something was amiss.

It was a long journey at the pace I had set myself, but I finally arrived at my destination:

A vent that gave me a full view of the meeting room, and all its occupants.

“So what you are saying is that this formula could keep Eddie looking young for as long as he takes it?” A man with dark beard asked, leaning into the table.

“Not exactly,” a familiar voice responded, and I turned my head excitedly to see Writer Woman standing before the group with a holographic presentation cube in her hand. She pointed at some chemical formulas flitting across the image. “This elixir would not just keep Eddie looking young, but literally keep him young. Or rather, mostly. An unpure formula, which is the most likely to be created, would merely prolong life. A pure formula could make a man immortal.”

I gasped, then immediately threw a hand up against my mouth. The sudden movement caused Ratty to squeak in alarm.

The meeting below abruptly stopped as the Black Knight’s eyes narrowed. “Did anyone else hear that?”

“Hear what?” Joey asked. “Dude, you’re jumping at shadows again. It’s always something, isn’t it? Can never just have a normal meeting, noooo…”

“Joey,” the dark bearded man growled menacingly.

“Okay, fine, fine!” Joey threw his hands up in mock surrender. “Alright, Writer Woman, carry on. So, magic potion, eh?”

Writer Woman sighed. “It’s not magic, it’s science. And it is of great concern to us. We are very fortunate that Eddie’s mercenaries failed to get the information Lady Avia passed onto our young guest.”

Young guest…me! I realized in a shock.

“Yeah, well, how do we know that?” A brown haired woman asked, twirling a teabag around a mug. My eyes narrowed at the accusation. “The girl could be lying. Maybe she did break and give them what they wanted to hear.”

“Rat Girl? Psh, never,” Joey argued in return. My heart soared at knowing I had a defendant, and I patted Ratty on the back in pride. “She’s a strange duck, no kidding, but she’s honest enough. She would never do anything to betray the trust of a Neutron Knight.”

“Agreed,” Writer Woman said, nodding. “She is trustworthy. I vouch for her.”

Suddenly, my stomach dropped from under me. Trustworthy…I felt sick. What was I doing currently, if not betraying the trust of those defending my honor? Since when did I become a liar, and an eavesdropper?

I shut my eyes in frustration. That was it. I had to go back. No more spying.

“Alright, alright,” the brown haired lady said, as I turned in the vent to head back. “Fine, go send for her then. If you want to invite her in on classified meetings like this one, then who am I to stop you, Writer Woman?”

SEND FOR ME?! I panicked. But that means someone going to my room! That means someone seeing I’m not there! And that means them noticing the open shaft and the missing vent cover and, and…

I began crawling like I had never crawled before, barely even caring if I was making noises as I went.

Oh, this is bad. This is very, very bad. Just keep moving. You’re almost there. Almost there…

I finally reached the end of the tunnel. In my momentum to climb out of the ventilation shaft, my grip on the shelving unit was a near-miss. Snatching half-way into thin air, and half-way onto the edge of a shelf, I tumbled forward, bringing the whole unit down behind me.

A resounded crash echoed throughout headquarters, and Ratty dove into my shirt as we fell to the floor.

Shivering in panic and minor pain, I lay on the ground, blinking in indecision: to carry out the ruse that the unit fell of its own accord and brought the ventilation cover down with it, or to come clean and admit to spying.

With a heavy heart and shaking hands, I knew what I had to do. So I sat with Ratty on the floor, waiting for the knock that was sure to come any moment at my door.

[Jimmygang 005]

Wow really classic, wonderful, just one question there are 3 black knights so who's in the story Hussein or Omar or me?

:) Khalid :)

[CraazyOne]

Whoa! Excellent job, Rat Lady! Don't leave us in suspense too much longer!!!






~Rachel~

[RocksmySocks]

I decided the Black Knight in this story would be you, Khalid, cuz you're the coolest one. :D
From what I've gathered from your story and from other NK origins stories, I think during the time I'm becoming a Knight, the other senior Knights from the forum only include Writer Woman, and yourself, am I right? Or is Red Storm already a Knight at this time, too?

I know Spike and Isaac set their stories later on. And Lady Gwendolyn's is after Queen Mara rose to power, so that one is later, too. Or at least, I think all those are later. Maybe they aren't, lol.

So yeah, I just keep making up random other Knights that can hang around the plot. Haha. Such as in this installment, Sir Black Bearded Man and Lady Brown Haired Woman. Haha. They'll get names later.

Anyway, glad you liked it!


And @ Spike: thanks! I'll try to update faster this time! :lol:



-Rat Lady :ahoy:

[Jimmygang 005]

Yah I think its right, oh yah red storm is the first one of the forum neutron knights, I’m working on my knight story now and red storm is the first neutron knight I meet after black knight Hussein, and sorry for the confuse I’m just trying to make things on track

:) Khalid :)

[.:!Gwen!:.]

UGH EPIC WOW.

I agree with Spike, don't leave us in suspense much longer!






.:!Gwen!:.

[Kaytron]

Wow Katie!

I love the entire story so far!!!!!

Even the little cute smilies can't express how much I like them!!!

GO RAT LADY!

^Kaytron^ :ph43r:

[RocksmySocks]

New installment! :o

I know, it's been forever.

This one is pretty fluffy, not a lot happening. And it isn't that long, but I figured anything is better than nothing! I just wrote it up in the past hour, lol, cuz I didn't want to do my real work.

Okay, here's part VI!

____________________________________________

As minute after minute crept by, I began second guessing my decision. Maybe I would have had time to put the ventilation cover back on, maybe I could have propped the shelving unit back up…

But it was no use now. Every second that someone did not come to knock just meant a second closer to when they would. Oh, what am I going to say…

There was a solid knock. “Rat Girl, you in there?”

Oh gods, it’s Joey. Why does it have to be the one Knight who loves to see me get in trouble?

“Um, yes?” I answered, unable to move out of guilt and fear.

Though during the meeting he did say he trusted me…

The door opened and Joey stepped in, seeming at first oblivious to the mess of the room. “Hey, Rat Girl. We’ve got a treat for you today. Not sure you’ll like it all that much, though – whoa!”

His eyes finally fell on the wreckage of the shelving unit. “What happened here? And how did that shaft get opened up, I thought we kept those on lockdown?”

I could feel the adrenaline start shaking my veins. Ratty burrowed down the back of my shirt, sensing the imminent conflict. Her tiny claws pricked the skin of my back and I squirmed unintentionally. “Ratty!” I said, frustrated. “Will you get – hey – come on – get out of there!” I stood up and turned circles, like a dog chasing its tail, as I tried to reach for the rodent down my back.

Finally slipping her out the bottom of my shirt and into my arms, I faced Joey again. He did not look impressed.

I swallowed and started talking. “Well, you see, Ratty climbed up there and the vent cover fell off, and she…and I…” I shook my head, determined to make things right. “I heard voices. Coming through the air vent. I crawled through it and heard your secret meeting and – ”

Joey’s eyes narrowed. “Wait,” he interrupted, holding up his hands for me to stop talking. I winced, expecting the worst. “Let me get this straight. You climbed up there? And crawled through that itty-bitty shaft?”

Confused, I nodded. “Yes, and then I heard –”

He gaped at me. “Seriously?” Walking over, he heaved the shelving unit back up to its proper position. “Using this?”

“Yes,” I said, getting a tad frustrated that he kept interrupting my apology. “And then – ”

“But this thing is so weak! How did you climb it without breaking it?”

“I was trained at the Vortex Academy, remember? I know how to test for strength on climbing supports. I got an A+ on our Scaling exam back during – ”

“Listen, kid, I’m sure you did, but that doesn’t explain how you fit through that ventilation shaft.” Joey crossed his arms and squinted up the wall towards the open hole.

I glared at him. “I know I’m a shrimp. No need to rub it in.”

Surprised, he looked down at me, then back up, and then back down again. His face actually reddened slightly. “Oh, well, I didn’t mean that you were…I mean, that’s still impressive. This room is a good 14 feet high. And that shaft ain’t exactly spatious.” He whistled in awe, looking at me with what I shockingly realized was a newfound respect.

I turned to look back at the shaky shelves and the tall wall. Somewhere in my mind I finally registered that the whole situation actually was fairly impressive. I guess by watching Ratty go first, I just knew what to do.

Almost forgetting what I had been trying to tell him all along, I finally got back to it. “I heard your meeting,” I blurted out. When Joey did not say anything, I continued. “I…I was eavesdropping. I crawled through the shaft to find out why it was you all were taking so long to start a plan to stop Eddie and Tys – er, his mercenaries. I’m sorry. I know it was wrong, but I had to know. I had to know when we would catch – ”

Joey took my arm. “Come on, kid. I think there are better people for you to talk to about this.”

******

We entered the meeting room after Joey had finished going through a series of DNA scanners down the hallway. My eyes had widened and my stomach felt ill after watching him hock the biggest loogey I had ever seen onto the last one.

“Saliva analyzer,” he had grinned at me, wiping his mouth with his hand and rubbing it on his pants.

I had made a wide arc around that part of the hall before hurrying to catch up and enter the room.

“Hey everyone,” Joey said casually. Conversation stopped and everyone looked over at us. “Ventilation shaft 26 needs to have its sensors checked. This one,” he jerked a thumb at me, “Got all the way from her chambers to right above our heads in it without setting off any of the alarms.” He turned to me, “Unless, of course, you want to tell me that on top of everything else, you managed to disable those, too?”

“She what?!” the brown-haired lady said angrily.

“What do you mean, on top of everything else?” Writer Woman asked, eyebrows narrowing.

Panic butterflied up inside. “Oh no, I didn’t turn off any – I mean, I didn’t even know there were sensors, and – well, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry. I was eavesdropping and – ”

“And being pretty dang stealthy for a squirt,” Joey interrupted. “She scaled a flimsy-ass shelving unit a good 12 feet and somehow dove into one of our ventilation shafts. You know, the ones designed to be too small for people to fit? Then she got all the way down here without us hearing and - ”

“How?” the Black Knight asked, leaning forward.

“Well, she is pretty tiny – ”

“I wasn’t asking you, Joey, I was asking her,” the Black Knight said, staring at me.

I gulped. The meeting room suddenly seemed a lot smaller. “I am very sorry, sir,” I said. And I was.

“Yes, I know. But where did you learn to do that sort of thing?” he steepled his fingers and looked for all the world like one of those terrifying villains off of ancient Saturday morning cartoons.

“The Vortex Academy, sir,” I said. Ratty chose that moment to pop her head out from my shirt. I pushed her back down, hoping no one saw that. I had noticed people tended to get squeamish at the thought of a rat in ones clothing.

“Really?” he looked surprised, then turned to Writer Woman. “Did you know she was a Vortecian?”

For the first time, I saw Writer Woman look nervous. “Uh, did I forget to mention that in my report, sir?”

The Black Knight looked amused. “Yes, it appears you did. And I can guess why. With all your hammering on about getting her involved in the mission, you wanted to make sure we had no excuse to put her in the dangerous parts, didn’t you?”

Involved in the mission? Me?!

Writer Woman gave a sheepish smile. “You know me too well.”

“Um, Black Knight, sir?” I asked timidly. Eyes once again turned to face me and I felt completely out of place. “What is all this about putting me in a mission?” I managed to ask. You shouldn’t be so scared, I chided myself. They invited you here, after all.

“How long were you at the Academy?” the Black Knight asked, ignoring my question.

“Just over two years, sir,” I answered, wishing Ratty would just hold still. Someone was bound to notice the moving bulge around my stomach. They all already thought I was weird enough for keeping the rat, and I didn’t want them making more judgments upon realizing I brought her everywhere I went. Especially that lady with the brown hair. She hasn’t stopped glaring at me from the moment I walked in, I realized, a sick feeling taking up place in my stomach.

“Hmm, two years, good. That is a worthy amount of time to get a good grounding in basic theory and defense,” the Black Knight said, half murmuring.

“And you should have seen her kick butt back during our escape,” Joey piped up, grinning.

I looked at the spiky-haired Knight, confused as to when he had switched from being a menace to being my defender.

“Fantastic,” the Black Knight said. “Yes, Writer Woman, I am convinced now. She will be part of our mission. With the loss of our latest stealth operative, we could use an extra pair of eyes around. Don’t you agree, Lady Yaola?”

The brown haired woman’s face darkened. “I told you, I do not wish to have a new partner.”

“Partner? Yaola, look at her, she’s just a child. She isn’t a new partner. Think of her as an appren – ” He stopped, looking at me. I tried not to let my eyes show surprise at what he nearly had said. “ An assistant,” he amended. “She’ll help you, and you’ll help her. I think it will be good for you.” The Black Knight talked amiably, but his expression clearly showed that this was not up for discussion.

Assistant…my mind was still trying to take all this in. I break the rules and betray their trust, and yet I’m forgiven and made to be an assistant on the mission! I have to show them that they haven't made a mistake. I have to show them that I'm worthy of being an assistant…that was almost an apprentice.

Ratty chose that moment to announce her presence by dropping a button that she had chewed off my clothing. It pinged off the floor, and I laughed awkwardly. The Knights all raised their eyebrows at me.

Probably not a good start.

[Beks]

:lol: This just gets better with each chapter! B)

EW! We have a SALIVA scanner?! :drool: :blink:

I'm still all tingly about the fact that you seem to put me in some kind of sympathetic older sister role, or something. :P

And Joey cracks me up! :lol:

[RocksmySocks]

Thanks, Beks!

And on to Part VII! Also short, but kind of informative.

_________________________________________________________

“Ratty, push.”

Beady eyes stared back at me. I adjusted the remote control and held the treat higher.

“Come on Ratty, push. Push the button, Ratty.”

A knock at the open door interrupted the lesson.

“Hey there, kid,” a woman’s voice said. I turned to see my friend.

“Hi, Writer Woman. I’m just trying to teach Ratty a few tricks,” I explained, scooping up my young rodent and letting her clamber up to my shoulder.

Writer Woman raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Tricks? Really? Like…how to push a button?”

“Yes,” I said, quickly on the defensive as I often was with my little rat. “She’s a smart girl. She already knows her name, and comes when I call, and knows what ‘no’ means, and how to give paw, and look what we learned yesterday!” I paused for dramatic effect. Writer Woman just smiled in amusement. “Ratty: hide!”

The little brown animal dove down the hood of my cloth jacket, burying herself in it. Grinning, I passed the treat I had been holding into my hood. “Good GIRL, Ratty!” I congratulated her.

Writer Woman chuckled. “Is that one for when you have her out and about the headquarters?”

I smiled, sheepishly. “Maybe…”

Writer Woman glanced over my shoulder at the tiny twitching nose poking out of my jacket fabric. “And exactly why are you trying to teach her to push a button?”

“Well,” I started, picking up the remote control I had set down. “Ratty loves playing and exercise, and I’m a bit more lazy. I figure I could give her a task to do that she’d be happy about, and meanwhile, the holovision channel could be changed without me having to reach for the controller.”

The Neutron Knight laughed. “You certainly have a lot of time on your hands, don’t you?”

I grinned. “You could say that.”

“So,” Writer Woman crossed her arms expectantly. “With all this spare time you seem to have, did you find the time to go over those files I sent you?”

I gave her a mock salute. “The mission files? Sure did. Finished them up this morning.” I walked over to the computer to open up the main file. “I had no idea Eddie was so OLD. I mean, I had read the history of the Knights you assigned me a few weeks ago – ” I said quickly, to make sure that she did not think I had skipped out on my homework. “But I sort of figured it was more of an honorary title, maybe inherited even. I did not realize this was still the same Eddie as back during the lives of the founding members…”

“Mmm, yes, he is very old. He’s a genius, though. Rumored to be related to the Great One himself,” Writer Woman explained. “His sole purpose is to continuously find new ways to remain alive. He’s sworn to do so until he has complete control of the planet. And so you can see why our mission is so important.”

I nodded. The mission files had finally revealed to me what the big deal was about that message I had delivered to the Knights.

“The tree that blooms the longest holds the cure for life’s greatest defeat” referred to an ancient flowering tree, known as the Illwood tree. Its flowers were in bloom long during the summer, past the end of spring, and continuing into the fall. They were nothing special to look at, and its wood was so poor for woodwork or logging that it was almost never used by any human. The species carried on, basically ignored, for its entire existence. But the monks of Shangri Llama had discovered its true nature. By using the blossoms in a basic tea, a person could extend their health, youth, and even their life for many years beyond normal. At first, the monks were overjoyed and sought to share their knowledge with the world. However, it soon became clear that these trees were rare and few between. For all their blooming, they rarely were fertilized, and seeds were almost never produced. Realizing that such an astounding gift in such a rare vessel could only result in anger, battle, and bloodshed, the monks hid their knowledge from humanity.

But somehow, Eddie had learned of this fabled tree, though he had no name to give it. Longing for immortality, he sent his henchmen around the world to learn of the tree’s identity. Led by Tyson, they destroyed everyone who would not give them a straight answer. The Neutron Knights knew that they had to step in and ensure that this tree was never found. Lady Avia had been sent on a reconnaissance mission to the monks of Shangri Llama, to learn what she could about the mysterious tree and find out if there was any truth to the tale. She was never meant to be discovered by Tyson and his men. Sometimes things do not go as planned.

Writer Woman, using the cryptic message I had later delivered, was able to learn what tree the monks must have spoken about. With the help of Sir Roonello, the Neutron Knight’s chemistry expert, they deduced the chemical composition of the Illwood blossoms. They were shocked to learn that the formula was not just for extending life, but if distilled into a pure form, could produce eternal youth for whoever consumed it.

It was essential that we find out if Eddie and his mercenaries had learned the identity of the tree, and to set up hidden defenses around Shangri Llama, where the last known tree still bloomed.

I swallowed, thinking of the enormity of it all. Setting Ratty down on the table next to me so that she would stop clawing at my hair, I sighed. “So uh, when do I start my training with Lady Yaola?”

I was more than a little nervous to begin working with the dark, brooding Knight. Lady Yaola never looked happy when I was around, and nothing I ever did seemed to make it any better.

“She should be ready for you in about fifteen minutes,” Writer Woman answered. She looked a little hesitant.

“What is it?” I asked, picking up on the woman’s disinclination.

“Well…there is just something you should know before heading in there. Joey didn’t want me to tell you, but I think it is better if you are prepared.” Writer Woman sighed, straightening her shoulders and resigning herself to whatever she was about to reveal.

“Lady Avia was Lady Yaola’s partner.” She paused, looking at me to see if I understood the implications of that.

I definitely did. “So…that’s why she hates me,” I said, everything beginning to make sense. “She blames me for Lady Avia’s death?”

Writer Woman nodded, sadly. “It is ridiculous. We’ve all tried to talk to her about it, but she just can’t stand that you were there when it happened. She feels that someone should have been able to prevent it, and you’re the only person she’s got to stick that impossible duty on. She also is very unforgiving that the Knights have chosen to welcome you here, and have asked that you be trained in stealth. Lady Avia and Lady Yaola were our stealth duo, and to ask for someone to basically begin acting as Avia’s replacement…”

“I get it,” I said. “She thinks I’m trying to replace her best friend or something. That I’m using her death as a catapult to put myself amongst the great Neutron Knights. It isn’t like I asked to be here. I never asked to do ANY of this.” Frustration began bubbling up inside me. “Does she think I enjoyed being starved down in the dungeon for weeks? For losing contact with everyone I ever cared about? I can’t even call my mom and let her know I’m ALIVE after that horrific blast at school!”

“Yes, yes, I know,” Writer Woman said, holding her hand out for me to stop and calm down. “It is not fair. Just try to keep in mind that she has seen a lot more horror than you, and these arguments won’t sway her opinion of you. You are still a child to her.”

“A child?” I asked, indignant. “But I’m almost fifteen! My birthday is next month!” Even as I said it, I winced at how childish I managed to make myself sound with that protest.

If Writer Woman was at all unimpressed by that, she did not let on. Instead, she just continued speaking as normal. “Well, I thought I should warn you before you went to begin working with her. Do not mention Lady Avia. Ever. I fear the only way she will ever accept you is if you can put yourself at as far a distance from that subject as possible.”

I nodded and then sighed. “Some leader the Black Knight is, sticking me with her…”

“Leader?” Writer Woman frowned. “He is not our leader. The King is our leader, and the Black Knight acts as…sort of a general.”

I was puzzled. “The King? But, in the history files you had me read, it said that the monarchy had been disbanded years ago. Something about duck flu? Wiping out the last of the lines?”

“What?! But – ” Writer Woman stopped, as if realization had struck. “His Majesty has been at it again. This wouldn’t be the first time he has messed with our historical files…”

I blinked in surprise. “So wait, you’re telling me there is a King? Right now?”

Writer Woman laughed in shock at my confusion. “Why, yes, of course there is a King! King DeCarlo! And he is in the headquarters, down in Sector H. Did you really not know that?”

I blushed, incredibly embarrassed for having spent over a month with the Knights and missing such an important piece of information.

Writer Woman smiled. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll introduce him to you after your session with Lady Yaola. Which,” she glanced at the clock, “You had better be on your way to. I don’t think it would be a good idea to be ever a second late with her.”

I looked at the time and jumped. “Oh! Right! Alright, well then. Thanks again, Writer Woman! I will see you later! Come on, Ratty, let’s get going!”

I raced out of my room and down the hall, just barely hearing Writer Woman’s protest. “Oh come on now, are you really taking the rat?”

Her voice faded as I ran on ahead, grinning.

[Mara=^.^=]

Yes Katie! Take the rat! Taaaaake her! ;)

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[RocksmySocks]

I think I've given up on attempting to write long segments, lol, so you might have to get used to short installments.

Part VIII

________________________________________

KABOOM!

A huge explosion shook the hallway I was running down, and the wall crumbled in front of me to reveal a charcoal-faced Joey collapsed on the floor.

He coughed. “Oh, hi, Rat Girl!”

“Joey!” I exclaimed. “Are you alright?” I asked, kneeling down to see if he needed any help.

He waved a smoldering hand in my direction. “Naw, I’m fine. This sort of thing happens all the time.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Well…if you’re sure…”

“Yeah, don’t worry, kid,” the Knight said, getting to his feet and brushing the blackened plaster off from his crisped clothes.

“Alright, well, I do have to get going,” I said, starting to back away to get around the rubble and move along. “I have a lesson with Lady Yaola today, but if you need anything, just let me know.”

Joey laughed. “Lesson? Here’s a good lesson: rocket fuel is HIGHLY flammable. Think you can remember that?” He grinned, his white teeth a sharp contrast to his darkened face.

I smiled. “Yeah, I think I got that one. I will see you later!” I waved, and continued my race down the halls of the Neutron Knight headquarters.

Room D11…room D13…ah hah! I came to a halt in front of room D15, a large open training area.

Straightening my shoulders, I did my best to enter the room confidently, yet respectfully.

The interior was not well lit. In fact, its flickering shadows put me a little ill at ease. I glanced about, looking for the Neutron Knight I was supposed to be meeting.

“Lady Yaola?” I called, taking a tentative step forward. I could feel Ratty moving in my hood on my back, twitching her nose back and forth at the new environment.

A figure suddenly appeared at my left. “You’re late.”

Jumping, I turned to see…well, I wasn’t sure what I was looking at, at first. The voice was Lady Yaola, but the figure was blurry, almost like smoke. It was as if someone had taken Lady Yaola and wrapped her in a clouded cloak, making her one with the shadows of this strange room.

I stared for a moment, completely forgetting my manners. After she lowered her head to set a glare in my direction, I remembered that she had spoken. “Oh! I’m so sorry. I was delayed. Joey – he kind of –”

“Exploded himself?” she asked, stepping forward. As her body entered the light, the strange shadow which has encased her seemed to fade, and suddenly the lines of her features were clear. “Does that all the time. Is that really what delayed you?”

“Erm…yes,” I said, still a little unnerved.

“Well don’t let it next time. He was fine.”

“I’m sorry, ma’am. I didn’t know that at the time. I thought he might need help…” I tried to explain.

“What, is that some sort of a pastime of yours? Checking up on people after explosions?” Yaola’s eyes flashed dangerously.

My stomach flipped. Why is she doing this? She can’t possibly want to talk about THAT…

“No, ma’am,” I answered, idly wondering when I had decided to start calling her “ma’am”. I did not use that title for Writer Woman.

“Hrmph,” was all her reply.

This was going to be a long afternoon.

* * * * *

“Farther back.”

I pressed myself up against the shadowed wall as flat as I could, draping my hood around my shoulder so Ratty would not get squished.

“Farther.”

“I’m sorry, ma’am, that’s as far as I can go,” I said through partial breaths in an effort to keep my chest flat from even breathing.

“I can still see you,” Lady Yaola said, sternly.

I closed my eyes in an effort to keep myself patient. My left eyelid chose that moment to start twitching in annoyance. “Well, then maybe this is not the best place for me to hide,” I said, surprising myself at my forwardness.

Yaola harrumphed. She seemed to do that a lot.

“I could hide there,” she said, crossing her arms.

I wanted to scream in frustration. Instead, I took a deep breath and chose my words carefully. “Yes, ma’am. But you have some sort of…power…in the shadows. Something that makes it hard for people to see you.” I glanced at her quickly, hoping she would take the hint and finally explain to me how she could do that strange blurry smoke trick. I had gone the whole afternoon dancing around that question.

She said nothing for a moment, and I wondered if I had gone too far. I had tried to phrase it politely…

Her eyes went through several shades of emotion before she looked back at me. “Fair enough,” Lady Yaola finally said. “So where would you hide along this wall?”

My disappointment in still remaining answer-less to her strange abilities was quickly overcome by my surprise at her response. She wants MY input?

“Well, uh…” I glanced up and down the wall. Various shadows covered the edges, but none that I felt I could disappear in. There were a few boxes to climb, but they were a distance away from the wall’s edge. I looked up to see a pipe running along the ceiling. “What, precisely, is the situation I would be in?”

Lady Yaola considered her answer for a moment, and then said, “You are being pursued from a distance. However, the light, as you see here, is strong enough for them to keep a visual track on you. How do you disappear?”

I could feel Ratty scratching at her sides inside my hood, and an idea struck. I chased down the guilt that immediately followed it, and insisted to myself it would be worth it. “Alright,” I said, walking forward a couple steps. “So, I will imagine you are the pursuer,” I indicated for her to take a couple steps back for it to be more realistic, while extracting Ratty from my hood. “And I would disappear from sight like this.”

I leaned down quickly and set Ratty on the floor. “Run, Ratty!” I whispered, as the little girl scooted off in alarm across the room.

Lady Yaola yelped, completely shocked, and spun to watch the rodent scurry away.

The moment her eyes left me, I sprinted over to the boxes and clambered up them as silent as possible, then leapt onto the pipeline on the ceiling, crawling up right against the wall. My motherly eyes scanned the ground carefully, hoping that my attempt to impress the Neutron Knight would not result in losing Ratty in the strange room. Luckily, I spotted her eyes shining out from underneath a collapsed table. She would stay there, I knew, where she felt it was safe. I could apologize later.

Meanwhile, Lady Yaola turned back around and glanced in surprise at my absence along the wall. She walked to the wall’s edge, looking back and forth. I grinned as I saw uncertainty play across her features.

After a few minutes of walking the wall up and down, she peered out into the room. “I said hide along the wall, girl.”

Smiling to myself, I decided I might as well reveal where I was before she got too annoyed. “I am along the wall,” I called down.

Startled, Lady Yaola looked up at the piping. I waved, but stop when I could see her eyes narrowing.

“Ah,” she said.

I quickly swung down off the pipes back onto the boxes. Jumping down from those, I walked back over to my teacher, trying to gauge her reaction.

To my surprise, there was a hint of a smile on her lips. She must have noticed, however, because it was quickly replaced by her usual look of disdain. “Alright, so you were being clever. But what if the opportunity to be clever was not there? What if, like I intended originally, it was just the wall? As is?”

“Well,” I thought, taking another look at it. “Without some sort of…cloaking device…?” I glanced at her again, hoping that guess would spark some answer to her own method of disappearing. But she revealed nothing. I carried on quickly. “I couldn’t. It would be better for me to turn and make a stand.”

She glanced me over and let out a humorless laugh. “You?”

I swallowed my anger. “Yes,” I answered calmly. Then, as fast as I could, I threw myself into Defensive Posture 32, which was part of the Gamma Series of self-defense. I had gotten an A+ on the Gamma Series back at the Academy. “Me.” I raised an eyebrow, challenging her to tell me I could not take on an adversary.

Yaola stared a moment. “Alright.”

I was taken aback. “Alright?” I repeated, dumbly.

She nodded. “Okay. That would appear to be your only option.”

“Er…yes,” I said, not really sure how to respond.

Lady Yaola motioned, and full lights came on in the room. “I think that completes our lesson for today. Come back tomorrow. Same time.”

“Yes, ma’am. Thank you,” I said, stepping out of the way to let her pass. As soon as she was out of sight, I walked over to where I had seen Ratty hiding earlier.

“Hey, Ratty. Here, girl.” I called to the rodent, squatting down on the cement floor. When there was no response from under the table, nerves suddenly overwhelmed my stomach. Oh gods, where is she?! Did I lose her? What an idiot I was! Tears welled up surprisingly quickly. “Ratty!” I called, more desperately. “Ratty, come out!” I glanced about the room. She could be anywhere…the door! I realized suddenly. Lady Yaola left the door open! I stared at it in horror.

“Oh, Ratty, where are you?” I hiccupped.

Then, like the touch of an angel, I felt a paw on my shin.

“Ratty!” I cried, looking down to see her fuzzy little face staring up at me, loyally. I scooped her into my arms. “Oh, you’re here! You’re safe! I’m so sorry, girl, I never should have done that. I just wanted to impress that stupid woman so badly…I should never have used you for that. I could have lost you! Oh, but you came back to me, you’re here!”

Ratty hopped onto my shoulder and licked at the corner of my eyes were salty tears were spilling out.

“Never again,” I said, more to myself than anyone. “I won’t lose you. Not for my pride. Not even for the Neutron Knights.”

My hands were shaking as we left the training center to head back to our room.

[Flank]

That was intense and interesting, I read it very fast. And you add very nice moments with your Ratty. I don't usually have time to read, but, couldn't resist reading this.

[RocksmySocks]

Thanks, Flank. ^_^