Adventures In Parodyverse: The Awakening, Part 2 (UT#274 tie-in)

Links:
Part 1

Adventures In Parodyverse - The Awakening Part 2 (UT#274 tie-in)

    "How's the mansion?" Liu Xi asked Yuki Shiro softly, the first question she asked the purple-haired cyborg detective upon her arrival at the St. Jude Orphanage.

    "It's in bad shape," Yuki admitted. "We don't even have power fully restored yet."

    "I can help fix it," Liu Xi offered. "I am almost done here."

    "I'll call for you when it's safe," Yuki told her. "Right now you're safer here."

    "I can't stay here," Liu Xi reminded Yuki. "If the Parody Master, or the Doomherald come for me...they may keep the innocents here hostage so I will surrender."

    Yuki couldn't help but smile at that. "You sound more like Hatman every day."

    "How is Hatman?" The timing of Liu Xi's question seemed perfectly timed as both genuine and a distraction from Yuki's lighthearted accusation.

    "He's...been through a lot," Yuki whispered, her head bowed sadly. "Kind of hard to read him. I think he could use a friend like you right about now though." She looked up and quickly added, "But you can't concern yourself with him right now. There are too many others who need your help."

    "I know." Liu Xi nodded sadly. "I'm starting to feel...overwhelmed."

    "I have an important question for you, Liu Xi, and it will help a lot of people. You have to answer as best as you can."

    "Okay." The Chinese elementalist nodded and waited for the question.

    Yuki narrowed her eyes and asked bluntly, "How did you raise the defenses of the Lair Mansion?"

    What little was left of Liu Xi's smile disappeared, replaced with a kind of gentle apprehensive appearance. "I...don't really know," she whispered.

    "Tell me what you do know," Yuki demanded patiently, "Everything you felt."

    "I...can't." Liu Xi looked away from Yuki as she whispered that.

    "Why not?" Yuki was starting to lose her patience at that point.

    "Because--" Liu Xi looked up at her with dark, saddened eyes filled with a friendly sort of determination. "I feel I've been entrusted with something," she whispered, her voice wavering slightly, "Something great...yet terrible. It must remain secret."


---

    "I'm not sure what you want me to do." Lara Night sounded confused as she was led by Chiaki to the eastern waterfront in Paradopolis. Through the dim lighting she could see the bridge leading to the Lair Mansion and a crowd gathering on it.

    "The Lair Mansion is ground zero," Chiaki told her as she looked out over the bay. "When the next assault is launched, it will be here." She turned to Lara to note, "All of these people will die."

    Lara paled suddenly. There was something about the weight in Chiaki's words which made them sound like absolute truth. "You want me to protect them? All of them? By myself?"

    "Sometimes panic is sufficient to protect a very large group standing in a very dangerous place." Chiaki smirked and added, "As intimidating as my sword can be, I simply cannot have a large enough effect."

    "So you want me to scare them? That's why you brought me here?"

    Chiaki nodded once. "I know how you feel about that. You don't wish them to think you a monster--"

    "No, that's not a problem," Lara sighed. "I could probably chase them away without them seeing me directly. It just doesn't seem right, though. Maybe we can just convince them to leave."

    Chiaki waved toward the bay with her left hand. "Be my guest," she said, silently implying that was something she already tried. "I wish you luck," she said, as she sat down to watch.

    Lara leapt into the air, letting the currents of wind carry her in virtually a straight line to the bridge, where she set down just ahead of the crowd, between them and the mansion. She looked around at the group - they were sitting, standing, leaning, sharing food, and listening to Reverend Mac Fleetwood speak.

    "Mac!" Lara tried to interrupt him. But there were simply too many people between her and the reverend. In a moment of inspiration she raised both hands above her head and created a powerful flash of light. That encouraged everyone to look her direction at least. "Mac! You have to get everyone off this bridge!"

    "She's branded!" someone called out. "Don't listen to her!"

    "Mac, you have to listen to me!" Lara repeated.

    "Get her!" someone else in the crowd yelled.

    Lara's eyes widened as a fairly large chunk of the group came directly toward her. She quickly began projecting a powerful field of energy around herself, leaving the gathering crowd pushing against an invisible bubble trying to get to her.

    She simply sat down on the ground, cross-legged, and waited patiently. They wouldn't be able to break through her shield, and she wasn't going to fight them either.

    "What are you doing?" Mac finally got close enough to ask her that question. When he did, he recognized her from one time Hatman brought her to visit the Zero Street Mission, so he dispensed with the first question.

    "They all need to leave," Lara told him, just barely loud enough to hear above the noise of the crowd, "They'll be hurt. If I can't get you to go...I have to stay here with you and try to protect you with this shield."

    Mac looked around him and quietly urged the angry group to back up. As he did, Lara stood and dropped the invisible bubble. "Hatman sure knows how to pick his friends," he said. He ignored the whispering in the crowd echoing what he had just said - they had no idea Lara was Hatman's friend.

    "Yeah," Lara chuckled at that. "Good to see you again, Mac."

    "Likewise." He looked around at the crowd again. "So you say we're in danger on this bridge?"

    "It's not the police or military we have to guard against now," Lara told him. "It's something a lot more dangerous. A peaceful protest doesn't stand a chance." Lara shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, Mac."

    "Hey, all we can do is our best," Mac told her. "Maybe our part in this is played out, and its time we let someone else take the stage for a while."

    "Maybe." Lara gave him a quick, nervous smile.

    "You should be proud. You did good today." Mac turned around and waved his arms in the air, urging everyone to move back toward the city. "I only hope I get to see more of it," he added before he began to personally herd the group away.


---

    "That's a load of crap," Yuki accused, bordering on becoming angry with Liu Xi. "Why would it be a secret? We might need to know in case the mansion has to be protected again. And who knows if you'll even be around when it does, since you keep disappearing on us."

    Liu Xi bowed her head and frowned. "I'm very sorry," she whispered.

    "Don't be sorry," Yuki told her. "Just explain yourself."

    "They are...were...creators," Liu Xi explained slowly. "The ones who left this...thing. Creators of galaxies, universes. Anything used to create can also be used to destroy. If their secret is learned, is taken and used by someone--"

    "Oh." Yuki calmed considerably. "I think I see the problem," she said.

    "Their power is their very soul," Liu Xi continued. "I felt it...in me. I felt the whole universe, Yuki. It was like...being surrounded by glass sculptures, afraid to move and break something by accident."

    Yuki turned a little pale as she listened to Liu Xi's account.

    "Yuki...I felt for a moment that maybe I could destroy the Parody Master with a thought. That I could make him nothing. But I...I knew it would kill me, because my fragile body was never meant to be a...a conduit. I started to hurt, and...it left me when I passed out."

    "But it left a little trace in you somewhere, and that's why you seem...different now."

    Liu Xi nodded slowly. "But I feel sad," she whispered, "Because I feel like I could have ended this. I was too afraid. So many lives may be lost because I am a coward." She hung her head sadly.

    "Liu Xi--" Yuki gently reached down to prop up the Chinese girl's head. "Sacrificing yourself is overrated, you know. There are people who depend on you for protection and friendship. If you were gone, what would they do when the next Parody Master comes along? Who would protect them then?"

    She bit her lip and thought about that. "I suppose you are right," she whispered in her accented voice.

    "Against my better judgement," Yuki suddenly changed the subject, "It looks like you're nearly done here. And you're right, it is safer for the innocents here if you return to the mansion. So it's up to you, Liu Xi. You're an adult, you can come home whenever you like."

    "Is that your way of saying you all miss me?" Liu Xi joked.

    Yuki smiled. "Yeah. We all miss you." She patted Liu Xi gently on the shoulder and turned to leave. "See you soon, I hope."

---

    Beth Shellett looked up as Lara Night and Cleone walked into her office at St. Jude Orphanage. "You're back," Beth exclaimed, referring to Lara's presence.

    "I wanted to stop by and tell you," Lara quickly began, "I'm kinda tuned in to this place now that I've been here long enough. If it's ever attacked or invaded I'll know to come here. Or at least ask Liu Xi to come here."

    "Oh, that's not necessary," Beth replied with a smile. "The Zoot Suit Gang watches the neighborhood. If they notice anything they'll probably tell Yuki Shiro, and she'd tell Liu Xi."

    "Oh. Well, good." Lara smiled at that. "Then you'll have everyone coming here if there's an emergency. It'd be quite a surprise to anyone who might have evil intentions."

    Beth couldn't help but laugh at that. "Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh, it's just that...after dealing with the quiet, mysterious Liu Xi and the kind of scary Zoot Suit Gang...you're just so different. I can't really describe it."

    "I hope you mean the good kind of different," Lara joked.

    "I'm not sure," Beth admitted. "I mean, most of the super-heroes I've met were much more serious...or at least not so casual. The casuality is kind of unsettling. But it's also reassuring knowing you have to be a 'good guy' with such a friendly attitude."

    "Sounds like I'm being reviewed," Lara replied with a smile.

    "It was Cleone's idea," Beth quickly ditched the blame. "She was worried that you don't feel accepted among the Lair Legion. She asked me to talk to you and give my honest opinion."

    "Oh...well the reason I don't feel accepted is I managed to gain a certain...reputation. I'm finding it hard to shake that."

    "You just have to give it some time," Beth told her. "Do a few extraordinary things. Sooner or later you'll get a new reputation."

    Lara nodded. "In the mean time I guess I'm fortunate to have friends with them."

    "See? That sunny attitude of yours is perfect," Beth said. "It's just what they need sometimes."

    "Especially now," Cleone spoke up, having walked into the middle of the conversation. "Their current situation is likely to leave them somewhat demoralized and depressed."

    "Does this mean we're going back to the mansion?" Lara asked Cleone.

    "Soon," Cleone replied. "We have a few stops we need to make first."


TO BE CONTINUED?

-- Story written and copyrighted (C) 2006 by Jason Froikin, and may not be
-- reprinted without permission.
-- Yuki Shiro designed by Jason Froikin, based on designs by Masamune Shirow
-- Liu Xi Xian and the Psychic Samurai are original design by Jason Froikin
-- Lara Night is an original creation by Jason Froikin

Post By Anime Jason Thu Jun 08, 2006 at 05:00:21 pm EDT	Subject Adventures In Parodyverse: The Awakening, Part 2 (UT#274 tie-in)

	[Reply] [New] [Email] [Print] [RSS] [Tales of the Parodyverse]	Next In Thread >>