Writing The Sol Chronicles

[DeathBug]

This is my own personal work. Please comment, and I'll post more.
_____________________________________

Sol

1

Simon knew who was shoving him before he even hit the ground. There was only one suspect, actually. As he crashed to the ground, he was already preparing to right himself and get into the inevitable altercation. Getting back to his feet, he turned around and sighed as his suspicions were confirmed.

?Well,? he said sarcastically to the aggressor. ?Why am I not surprised it?s you, Brooks??

Matthew Brooks, six foot three, wearing a varsity football jacket, was the perfect image of the obnoxious jock. His parents were rich and irresponsible, the later trait having been passed on to their offspring. Brooks took special pleasure in making Simon?s life a living Hell, and took to the task with a work ethic he applied to little else, least of all his studies.

Next to Brooks was his best friend/crony, Tyler Stevens. Tyler was the second best player on the football team, the second most popular jock, and the second dumbest kid in the school. Brooks had first place in all those categories, and it seemed that Stevens was destined to be a second banana for the rest of his life. So he did the only smart thing produce in that position could do: hang out with the top banana. Stevens himself really had no problem with Simon personally, but the second banana never makes diplomatic policy.

?Hey there, Goth geek,? Brooks sneered. ?Did you have fun on your trip??

?Yeah,? Stevens snickered. ?Wanna? go again??

?Wow,? Simon said, deadpan. ?You guys thought that up all by yourselves. Want a cookie??

Brooks laughed, an irritating bray. ?That?s what I love about you, Simon. No matter what, you?re still an annoying prick!?

?It?s all you?re good for,? Stevens confirmed.

Simon sighed and rolled his eyes. ?Well, glad I could help. And you know, I?d love to continue this conversation, because it?s really fascinating. I mean, I didn?t know anyone actually could be dumber that dirt. But I really have to go??

?Hey,? Brooks grabbed Simon?s shoulder. ?I didn?t say you could go yet!?

Simon yanked his shoulder away. ?Oh, I?m sorry. I didn?t know I had to ask Mommy permission to go anywhere.?

Brooks glared. ?Watch yourself, Simon. Don?t forget where you are in the food chain.?

Simon knew he was treading on thin ice, but his anger overtook his caution. ?You moron, can you even spell ?food
chain???

Brooks nodded slightly to Stevens. Stevens stepped behind Simon and gabbed his arms. Brooks began to pummel Simon with a series of blows to the stomach. Simon felt queasy.

After a minute, Brooks stopped and Stevens let him fall to his knees. Simon fell to the ground, reminded of his lunch in a most unpleasant manner. ?See?? Brooks gloated. ?This is what happens when punk-*** guys like you start thinkin? they?re somethin? special. You?re just a loser, got it??

?Aww,? Stevens crooned. ?You hurt his feelings! He doesn?t have a smart-*** reply!?

?Actually,? Simon groaned. ?I have one??

?What, hot shot??

Simon grinned up at Brooks. ?I just puked all over your shoes.?

Stevens looked down. ?Matt, he ain?t lyin?. Your Nikes are all gross and stuff.?

Brooks looked down too. ?Damn it! Come on,? he gestured to Stevens. ?I gotta? go home and change.? For good measure, Brooks kicked Simon before leaving.

?Later, loser!? he laughed as he and Stevens walked off.

Later loser? Simon thought. Wow, did you think that one up all by yourself? He got to his feet and brushed himself off, the nasty taste of bile fresh in his throat. Damn jocks, he thought bitterly.

He continued his walk home, then stopped suddenly. Across the street was the image of perfection and goodness, but She went by the name of Susan Hawkins. Simon sighed. Susan was a girl he?d known ever since he?d lived in this town, and She was the only human being he didn?t find repulsive in some manner. While others might say She was pretty, Simon would say She was beautiful. Not because of Her looks, which casual observers would describe merely as ?cute?, but because She possessed a trait almost unknown in most other people: She was actually nice to Simon.

It would be going a bit too far to say the two were friends, though Simon would have given his right arm for it to be true. If you asked Her, She would say they were, in fact, friends, but She was one of those people who wanted to be friends with everyone, and Simon knew it. He could actually try to form a real friendship with Her, but he held Her in such high standards that She intimidated the heck out of him. He thought he might love Her, but he knew at least he was infatuated with Her. For a couple of high school juniors, the difference was minimal. Simon could at least claim his attraction to Her was purely mental and emotional, and he would be right; he did not lust for Her.

A wild thought suddenly hit Simon like a truck ramming an armadillo: maybe he could go up to Her and ask Her out. On a date?! With Her?! Was he mad?

??what do I have to loose?? he asked himself. The answer: not a thing. If he could pull it off without passing out, he?d be proud. The worst that could happen was that She could say ?no?, in which case he would simply go home and forget the whole thing. It was a win-win scenario.

Jay-walking across the street, Simon inhaled deeply, then called out, ?Susan!? At least, that?s what he meant to call out. It got caught in his throat in the last minute, so all that could be heard was a sound similar to a gag. Susan kept walking, not having heard a thing.

Damn, she?s leaving! Simon thought, panicked. I?ve got to get it right this time! He counted down in his head. ?Three, two, one??

?Hey, Susan!? She stopped and turned around. Yes! He thought. Wait?now what do I do?

She smiled at him, Her perfect white teeth gleaming. ?Hey, Simon!? She said. ?What?s up??

To say Simon had butterflies in his stomach would have been a very large understatement. It would have been more appropriate to say that Simon had Mothra?s family reunion in his stomach, and they?d stated a game of Battle Tag.

?Hey, uh, hi!? he said, feeling stupid. ?Hey, you know, uh, I was wondering if you wanted to see the new Bond flick?with me?you know??

That?s it?! He demanded of himself. That?s the best you could do?! That?s it, you?re screwed!

?Thanks, you?re sweet,? She said, still smiling. ?But I?m going to be busy all weekend. I?m sorry.?

As the entire Mothra family simultaneously burst into flames, Simon tried to keep his cool. ?Sure, no prob. I understand.?

?Okay.? She smiled again. ?See you Monday! Oh, wait, take one of these.? She handed Simon a purple flier; it was an advertisement for some event at her church.

?Thanks,? he said, not even looking at it.

?Bye!? She waved, walking away. Simon waved back weakly.

?See ya???


The entire walk home might not even have happened. It was as though Simon had been standing there, watching Susan walk away one minute, and the next he had been on his doorstep. All that was in-between was a horribly morbid self-examination that left him oblivious to his outside surroundings; he was lucky not to have been struck by a car.

The question of the hour was, of course, why Susan hadn?t said yes. Was She really busy? Was She just blowing him off? Was he too upfront? Did She think it was a date? Would it have been a date? Hey, did he even know if She had a boyfriend?

The most important question remained: did he just screw up the only chance he might have had to go out with Her?

These questions were at the forefront of the young man?s mind as he entered his humble abode. However, up until now, the audience has know almost nothing of Simon; not his name, his appearance, his history, or anything else useful in forming any sort of opinion on him or his character. A closer examination is in order.

To be continued...or not...you never know....maybe I'll continue it...or maybe I won't....you'll got to your grave, never knowing if it was continued or not! BUWAHAHAHAHA!!...ahem...nah, it's to be continued....

[rokas]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by DeathBug [/i]
[B]?Aww,? Stevens crooned. ?You hurt his feelings! He doesn?t have a smart-*** reply!?

?Actually,? Simon groaned. ?I have one??

?What, hot shot??

Simon grinned up at Brooks. ?I just puked all over your shoes.?
[/B][/QUOTE]

This bit was sidespliting.
You got an original yet clear style of writing.
do continue.

[DeathBug]

Part two...

2

Simon Lewis was a young man of about five foot ten, average build. He wore his black hair in a chaotic pattern that implied a lack of maintenance. He had green eyes and was perpetually snide. He wore, from head to foot, black: a black t-shirt, black jeans, a black windbreaker, and black tennis shoes. All of his clothes contained black and could therefore be mixed and matched with no care given to style or possible color clashing.

When Simon was a young boy of five years old, his parents had died in a car crash. Simon was at day care at he time, but was picked up by social services. The new question was: where would the boy go? After checking the Lewis?s files, it was determined that the only living relatives were Mr. Lewis?s sister, Fran Richards. Fran, for her part, thought it would be wonderful to have a child around the house, and eagerly accepted him.

However, like a young child with a new toy, Fran soon grew tired of the work involved in raising Simon and took a hands-off approach. Her husband, Lenny Richards, had no interest in the boy in any way, shape, or form, and Simon quickly realized he couldn?t count on his aunt and Uncle for anything. Thus Simon grew up somewhat bitter and quite snide. His dim view of the world and human nature could hardly be considered his fault, considering the environment he grew up in: Fran was something of a harlot, Lenny never got off the couch.

When Brooks called Simon a ?goth?, he was incorrect, because ?goth? is a term for a social group, and Simon belonged to no social groups. He was alone, and he had convinced himself he was better off this way. He had made some friends before his parents died, but he was five then, and they were on the opposite coast of the country. Simon had lived in a cheerful suburb in Seattle, but Fran lived in a tacky suburb in Virginia, so there Simon went.

Simon?s new house was rather slovenly, with an obnoxious paint job and a poorly cared-for lawn. He sighed as he opened the door, resigned to his fate of sub-mediocrity. As he walked inside, Fran came up to him hurriedly.

?It?s about time you got home,? she said, not making eye contact. ?Your money?s on the table.? Fran?s secret to legally imposed child rearing was to give the kids cash and let them worry about things like food and clothing.

?Where are you going?? Simon asked, deadpan.

?I?ve got to work late with Mr. Reilly at the office. I?ll be gone all night.? With that, she left.

Simon rolled his eyes. It was funny, but no matter how much Fran ?worked late? with her male co-workers, she never got any work done. He wondered if there was a Mrs. Reilly, but decided he was better off not knowing. He went to his room.

Simon?s room was the single neatest room in the house. This did not reflect on Simon?s habits, but was rather a reflection of his personality. The house was messy, so his room was clean. Had the house been clean, his room would have been messy. It was simple.

Looking at Simon?s room would cause one to ponder exactly what kind of person lived there. It was full of contrasts. Above his bed was a large poster of the velociraptors from ?Jurassic Park?. His bookshelf held such diverse titles as The War of the Worlds, David Copperfield, The Andromeda Strain, The Cat in the Hat, Faust, The Silence of the Lambs, and Moby Dick. On his dresser were a mismatched assortment of playing cards, baseball cards, cards from movies and comic books, and game cards. A reproduction of the Mona Lisa was on his opposite wall.

His modest collection of second hand VHS and CD?s were equally mismatched. ?Batman?, ?The Great Muppet Caper?, ?Young Frankenstien?, ?Ever After?, ?The Mask? and ?The Pokemon Movie? were among the tapes available for his viewing pleasure. His music collection consisted of REM, Tim McGraw, Mozart, Billy Idol, Blink-182, Madonna, and ?Thriller?. All in all, Simon?s room gave the suggestion of a very unique individual residing within, a theory that wouldn?t have been off the mark.

Simon sighed once again and deposited his school supplies in their designated locations. He changed into casual attire, a simple action that merely necessitated changing his shirt. Determined to leave the house, he put on a jacket of predictable color and went into the kitchen to get his money.

?Hey,? Uncle Lenny called from his busted recliner in the living room. ?Where you goin?, boy??

?Out.? Simon wished, just for once, that a one-word answer wouldn?t be enough to satisfy, but he was disappointed.

?Well, then, don?t take the last cola outta? the fridge. I?m savin? that.? Lenny never even bothered to look up from ?Jerry Springer?, a fact that did not escape Simon?s attention.

?Sure,? Simon said as he grabbed the last cola from the fridge. It wasn?t a blatant display of rebellion so much as it was a bid for attention. Sadly, Simon knew he would not get the attention, and accepted this. He walked out the front door, not bothering to say good-bye.

He would go to the park, he decided. Simon loved the park, mostly because of the seclusion offered. With Susan off doing who-knows-what with who-knows-who, he felt that a bit of natural seclusion would do him a world of good.

_________________________
She didn?t know what the planet?s name was, but it orbited the star marked as ?Sol? in the ship?s database. Her enemy was hot on her trail, so the time for further education was limited, to say the least. She turned to her companion.

?Did those last rounds damage the ship?? she asked authoritatively. Of course, she did not ask this in English, but due to the phonetic limitations of human keyboards, suspensions of belief must be made for the benefit of the audience.

So, the audience will kindly pretend that she really did ask ?Did those last rounds damage the ship?? instead of a phrase sounding more like ?Ieyscazaa toloro muka ne??

Her companion nodded. ?The cargo hold is badly damaged! Another shot may knock us out of the sky!?

Murphy?s Law working true to form, a sudden jolt raked through the ship. ?Our cargo hold?s been blown open!?

?Has the artifact been lost?? she demanded.

?Everything?s lost but that?s the least of our problems! I-!?

Another jolt, and the ship?s lights went black. ?Scuz!!? she swore as the ship was pulled apart from the rear and began to descend into the planet?s atmosphere.

*********

Part three coming soon....

[DeathBug]

Part Three, because I love you...


3

The sky was slowly getting darker as Simon sat in quiet contemplation. He?d found his favorite place in town: a hidden part of the park, where he could be alone with his thoughts. Due to his harsh treatment at the hands of his peers, he accepted solitude as a preferable state of being.

Soon, the stars were coming out. Simon loved to watch the stairs, though he knew nothing of astronomy. It was actually rather interesting; he created his own constellations based on his first impressions of the heavenly outlines. Because the next day was Saturday, he would be out all night stargazing, sleeping in until well past noon. Why get up? He had no one to miss him.

For a brief, poignant moment, Simon wished that things didn?t have to be this way. He wished that someone would care about him, or miss him. He could have been picky and wished it were Susan, but poignancy plays no favorites. Anything had to be better than being so terribly alone.

The moment passed, though, as such moments have a way of doing; after they?re gone, their owner would deny their existence to everyone, even themselves. Simon was waiting for the sky to get bright enough to see the Lizard, one of his homemade constellations, when he noticed something: two of the stars were moving.

He?d seen shooting stars before. He knew their pattern of movement: they fell downward quickly, disappearing from sight like a poignant moment. These moving stars weren?t doing that, though; they were diving sideways and up and down. It reminded Simon vaguely of Tom chasing Jerry?

No, actually, it reminded him exactly of Tom chasing Jerry. Whatever the hell those things were, one was defiantly scared of the other.

Suddenly, the star Simon had already dubbed ?Jerry? stopped. It stood still for a split-second, and then began to spiral downwards. Dozens of tinier pieces fell from it. What was going
on?

Simon lost track of the aggressive star, but couldn?t help but notice where the falling star was.

It was heading towards him.

One of the tiny pieces of star debris was defiantly coming down towards him. Excited, he leapt to his feet; whatever this thing was, he would see it when it landed! Leaving his Thoughtful Spot, he raced through the dense trees in of the park?s forested area. Getting towards the picnic tables, though, gave Simon a reason to take a detour.

On the tables, Simon could see and hear Brooks. Stevens was also there, as well as three or four other football jocks. There were beer cans everywhere. Simon shuddered when he thought of what a team of drunken football players would do if they caught him, off of school grounds, no less.

Electing to take the long way, Simon trudged through the underbrush and trees, almost getting lost as he shied away from the lampposts. Every few minutes he would glance over his shoulder to the falling star; as it got closer, he began to make out a shape?

It was a sphere, a perfect sphere, about the size of a basketball. Now, Simon was no expert, but even he knew that a geometrically perfect sphere was not a shape found in nature. Sure, something could be round, or spherical, but the fact remains: no natural force can create a perfect sphere. Logically, whatever the stars were, they must have been unnatural?

Simon managed to pull his legs free of the denser bushes and turned around again. He gasped. The falling star was now twenty feet above him, and it was coming right at him. He barely had time to comprehend that he falling star was not only spherical, but also metallic. On instinct, he turned around to run, but was suddenly struck in the back by the sphere at full speed. The impact sent him flying.

Simon marveled for a second at just how far he was being thrown by the collision just before he was driven into the ground, the sphere still grinding into his back. Everything went dark.

__________

If anyone reading any of this actually likes it, please comment so I know I'm not wasting my time by posting. Expect part four soon. :)

[DeathBug]

.So, is anyone reading this? I'll post more if someone speaks up.

[rokas]

well, I'm reading this and I quite like it actualy. Becouse of the way you write reading this is not a chore, but the storyline hasn't yet formed clearly before me.
Maybe it will with chapter four...

[DeathBug]

Because Rokas demanded it, the next chapter. BTW, I've written the first ten chapters, so I hope the storyline becomes more concrete by then.

4

The pilot of the predator ship smiled to himself as he watched his prey spiral downwards into the planet?s atmosphere. Now, all that remained was track the artifact he sought, and his mission would be complete.

He brought his ship down.
_________

Simon drifted in and out of consciousness, not feeling cold metallic tendrils work over his body. Instead, he inhabited the dim world between sleep and reality. Random events flashed through his mind: his last memory of his parents, his first memory of Susan, and his self-imposed soul searching.

There was a sudden electric jolt through his body, harshly yanking him back to the real world. He shook his head groggily, flexing his muscles. He had a dim perception of something being wrong; something was out of place.

It hit him like a ton of bricks: the shooting star. It had struck him at a speed well above one hundred miles per hour. He should be in pain; hell, he should be a paraplegic. Yet he was fine. Why?

He performed a mental survey of his body, and everything was working normally. Nothing was out of place?except his right arm. It felt cold, like cool metal. Why was he reminded of cool metal?

He got to his feet. Maybe he?d imagined the whole shooting star thing?he looked at his right hand and screamed.

His right hand was metal. It was like his hand had been coated in liquid metal, ending in splotches around his wrist. It was silver and reflective, like a polished surface. What was going on? What in the hell was going on?!

Terrified, he ran through the park. He didn?t know where he was going, but he couldn?t just stand around. Already he had decided that whatever happened to his hand had something to do with the shooting star that struck him. How long had he been unconscious?

In his panic, he forgot his earlier caution regarding the picnic tables. So when a foot was stuck out to trip him, he didn?t see it until it was too late. The law of inertia working as it should, he was sent flying. However, instead of landing in a heap, he somehow managed to regain his balance while in mid-air. He landed on his feet; this surprised him so much he temporarily forgot his predicament.

?That wuz pretty neat, Lewis?? Brooks lisped, clearly intoxicated. ?Mebbe? you can be faster?n that in a fight!?

?Wha-why?? Simon asked. ?Brooks, you?re wasted, and being stupider than usual. I don?t have time for this??

?He be tryin? you, man!? One of Brooks? teammates yelled. ?Beat his ***!?

Stevens stumbled over to his compadre. ?Hey, man??member??member what he did to your shoes?that was nasty??

Brooks nodded. ?Hell yeah! You, you?re goin? down, you prick!?

As Simon and Brooks faced off, neither of them noticed the two strangers who stood nearby, appearing as if from nowhere. One was a tall, Hispanic girl in blue jeans and a halter-top. Her companion was a short young man, about four feet tall. He appeared to be Caucasian, and wore a green turtle neck and khaki pants.

Their enigmatic arrival was not noticed by anyone they watched, however. Brooks was circling Simon menacingly, occasionally punching the air near him.

?Brooks, I really don?t have time for this!? Simon said. ?Get out of the way!?

?Don?t you order me, bastard!? Brooks yelled. He took a swing for Simon?s jaw.

Simon, acting on instincts he never knew he had, went into action.

[DeathBug]

5

Simon arched his back, getting out of the range of Brooks? swing. His right hand shot out and grabbed his attacker?s extended forearm. Hoping for the best, he applied pressure.

Simon got more than the best. Brooks actually cried out in pain, which totally took Simon by surprise. Since when could he hurt Brooks?

?Damn you, Lewis!? the jock howled, yanking his arm away. ?I will kick your ***!?

?Gotta? catch me first,? Simon sneered, more confident than he expected.

Brooks took another swing, with the opposite arm; however, rather than dodge, Simon got a wild notion. He outright blocked the attack, deflecting the blow with his forearm.

Good lord, Simon thought. How the hell am I doing this? This isn?t possible! Maybe this has something to do with the metal stuff?if that?s the case, me likes muchly!

Brooks grew frustrated again and charged Simon, having lost any type of planning. His drunken rage at being humiliated by this?this nobody was beyond measure. He was working on an animalistic level.

The sudden brutality frightened Simon, so he decided to test his theory right then and there. If the metal stuff on his right hand was what caused his newfound skills, then perhaps the concentration would be strongest at the point of infestation (for lack of a better term.)

All the while, the mysterious pair watching in the shadows stood silent. The shorter young man tried to make eye contact with his companion, but she remained focused on the battle. The look in her eyes revealed a simple truth: the gears were turning.

Simon waited for Brooks to get close enough. As the larger teenage was within striking distance, Simon suddenly thrust his metallic right hand out into Brooks? stomach.

It was like a bat hitting a baseball. Brooks was literally thrown off his feet, sailing about ten yards through the air before crashing into the side of his car. He slumped to the ground.

??.owww?.?

Brooks? buddies, who had been hooting and hollering incoherently all through the fight were suddenly stuck dumb. Stevens glared at Simon.

??you?what the hell are you, man? What?s up with your hand??

Simon, for his part, was terrified at the reaction his attack had. The metal coating hadn?t just changed him; it had made him a freak. Although he always considered himself emotionally alienated, he had never been physically identifiable as unique. Now, the gripping realization that he might have to wear a Michael Jackson glove for the rest of his life made him want to wet himself.

A second realization his harder: the metallic coating was spreading. At first, it had stopped at his wrist; now, it stopped in the middle of his forearm. When would it stop?

Not looking back to the drunks, Simon raced away into the night. After a while, he found himself in a secluded spot and simply collapsed to his knees, totally overwhelmed.

?What?s happening to me?? he muttered aloud. ?Dear God?what?s happening to me??

?I can tell you,? a feminine voice said. ?But you?ll have to cooperate fully.?

Simon looked up; the strange Hispanic girl and her vertically challenged companion stood before him.

?Wha-who-who are you??

?Observe.? Suddenly, their forms began to shimmer, like a television with bad reception. When it stopped, the people standing before him weren?t people anymore.

The female was still tall, six feet even. Her body seemed to be covered in a light brown layer of fur, even on her face. She had triangular ears on the top of her head that ended in points. Her eyes were large, green, and almond-shaped. Her hair was strait and shoulder-length, and totally black.

She wore a gray bodysuit that seemed to be armored in several places. It covered all but her head and hands. Her nails were silver, and sharp to the point of being claw-like. Behind her, one could see what appeared to be a tail. It whipped back and forth purposely. It was the same brown fur as on the rest of her body, except for the tip, which was the same black as her hair.

One phrase popped into Simon?s head: ?cat girl.?

Her short accomplice, on the other hand, was a different story. Standing about four and a half feet tall, his body was covered in light-green scales. His hands had no nails, but hand only three digits. He wore a bright silver jumpsuit, with a black belt around his waist. His feet were exposed through the suit; there were two spread-out toes, with a third, opposable toe
out of his heel.

He also had a tail, a thin thing that ended in two digits. His face, however, was the most interesting feature. He had two red, tangerine-sized eyes with a thin line for a pupil that spread horizontally across the orbs. In the center of his pupils was a v-shaped indention. His mouth had two rows of tiny, sharp teeth, with a skinny tongue.

He had no hair on the top of his head, (or anywhere else on his body, but Simon couldn?t know that), but at his forehead, his head branched off into another v-shape. Between the indentations were another set of scales.

Another two-word phrase: ?Lizard boy.?

Simon had no doubt what he was seeing: these were aliens. Honest to God aliens.

?Whoa??

[DeathBug]

Well, confession time: I acceidentally left off part of chapter five. ^^; My bad. Anyway, I'll be posting that, along with chapter six.

I'd ask for comments, but so far it seems that only Rokas is reading. Thus, this chapter is dedicated to Rokas, for paying attention.


The predator ship touched down on Earth, and the pilot stretched his muscles. His quarry was within a two-mile radius; he would soon find them, retrieve the artifact, and return to the home base. Anything that interfered would be dealt with appropriately.

It was a simple mission.


6

??I totally don?t believe this?? Simon muttered. He really didn?t; already he was theorizing that he?d gotten hit on the head somewhere along in his day and was hallucinating furiously. Maybe if he were lucky, that grade he?d gotten on his math test would be a hallucination, too.

?I assure you, this is real,? the female alien said authoritatively. She had the tone of one that was used to being obeyed. ?It is very important that you cooperate.?

?Please?? the short male alien added. He had the tone of one used to receiving orders. It was an interesting dynamic.

?No, see, this is all in my head. I?m high or something. I didn?t think I was the type to use drugs, but apparently I was, ?cuz here we are?me and my hallucinations??

The female alien snorted in disgusted and backhanded Simon across the head. ?Are you awake now??

?Ack! What the hell was that for? ET would never do that!?

?I told you, we don?t have time to waste! Now come with us!?

?No way! First, you tell me who you are and what you want! Then you tell me everything you know about this!? He gestured to his metallic right forearm.

?First, let?s?? the male alien began, but the female cut him off with a gesture.

?No, he?s right. He deserves to understand the situation before becoming involved any further.?

Simon nodded. ?That?s the first thing you?ve said that makes sense. Start from the beginning. Who are you??

?I am Mistress Rena of the Ichnet Clan,? she said, somewhat haughtily. ?This is my pilot and ship?s mechanic, Von Drazil.?

?Hi,? the alien now known as Von said meekly.

?We were shot down over your planet by a pursuing warrior,? Rena continued. ?His name is Tybalt. He is the son of a rogue warlord known as Natas. Natas has amassed a very respectful empire; however, he is a cruel, maniacal creature who has violated galactic peace laws without remorse, waging war on peaceful planets in violation of previous charters. He is currently the single most hostile force in the galaxy.?

?Wait, Natas is the most hostile, or his son?? Simon asked, confused.

?Natas. Tybalt simply follows orders.?

?Why was he after you??

?Because I stole something he wanted. The ?Sol? system, a cybernetic enhancement device of unknown origin. I stole it, and he wants it, so he sent his son after us. We were shot down, but we were able to track the system. We tracked it
to you.?

Simon blinked, then blinked again. This was a lot of information to digest. ?Wait?you mean I??

Von nodded. ?Yeah, sorry, but the system?s bonded to your organic system. It can?t come off unless you?die??

?What?! So that?s what?s been happening to me? This thing?s been ?enhancing? me?!?

?Yes. Now you must come with us,? Rena said again. ?We?ll need your help in dealing with Tybalt.?

?No!? Simon backed away. He was terrified for the third time that evening. ?You freaks stay away from me! This is
so unreal! Good God, how am I even understanding you? You?re freaking aliens!?

?Like all intelligent species, we?ve been outfitted with translator chips in our throat,? Rena said, still maddeningly calm and haughty. ?Now come with us. Although I hate to admit it, we need your help. You are a native of this planet, and our ship was almost destroyed. We need your help while we?re here.?

?No! I don?t want any part of this! I just want this piece of crap off of me!?

?We told you, we can?t do that. It bonds for life.?

Not waiting to hear anymore, Simon simply turned and ran from the park. He didn?t turn or stop.

?Uhh, should we follow him?? Von asked.

?No. He?s unstable and incompetent,? Rena said, snorting again in disgust. ?We?ll go into the town and find help elsewhere.?

After a few minutes of wandering in the streets, deserted due to the late night darkness, the two foreigners began to feel a little less confident. Not that Rena would ever show it, of course.

?Maybe we should find him,? Von suggested. ?We still have the tracker??

?We don?t need to use the tracker!? Rena snapped. ?We certainly don?t need the help of that cowardly Sol-being!?

A small, circular canister landed in front of her feet, releasing a yellow gas into the air. ?Wha-? Rena began before the gas hit her nostrils. The world span in front of her. ?What?s going on??

?If you have a device capable of tracking the Sol system,? a voice said out of nowhere. ?Please hand it over. I don?t want to kill you if it can be avoided.?

Von and Rena turned to the source of the intrusion. It was a tall male humanoid, dressed from head to foot in stark, elegant black. He had red eyes that pierced the darkness.

?Tyb?Tybalt?? Von stammered.

:?Of course. Don?t try to fight, Mistress Rena,? Tybalt continued in a slow, monotone voice. ?That gas canister was specifically built to match your species, sex and build. You are far to disoriented to walk forward, let alone fight me. Von, give me the tracking device.?

?Von,? Rena hissed, staggering. ?Don?t let him have it, no matter what!?

?But??

?Don?t.? Rena looked into Von?s eyes with a pleading look, and he knew he wouldn?t give the tracker to Tybalt. He wouldn?t betray Rena like that.

?Well, I?m afraid I?ll have to take it by force, then.? Tybalt closed his eyes, and his features began to morph. Unlike Rena and Von, whose change in appearance had been caused by holographic technology, Tybalt possessed a shape shifting ability that allowed him to mimic a bipedal being of similar build. He revealed his true form.

His skin was black. It wasn?t black in the sense that humans think of a person of African descent, it was completely black, a slick, oily black akin to a snake. His eyes were two slit that seemed to glow red. He had sharp, pointy teeth and no hair or scales. From his back, hidden under his shirt, two small, red wings sprouted. They were too small to allow total flight, but were just large enough to allow simple gliding. Finally, he had a slim, simple tail that ended in a triangular point.

All in all, he had the appearance of a demon, but he held the air of being a respectable demon at least.

?Now, please don?t struggle,? he said as he attacked.

[Solo Tremaine]

Fantastic stuff, DeathBug ^_^ I love the dialogue and description- the emotion in it's very good.

I can't wait to see what happens next. I'm a sucker for animal-aliens, hehe.

[DeathBug]

7

Simon was in the bad section of town, but he still didn?t care. He was confused and disoriented, and really not sure what he was doing. The events of the last half hour kept swirling in his mind. None of it made any sense!

He ran past a homeless shelter, and then stopped cold. He listened again, and verified his suspicions: it was Her! Susan was inside the shelter. He was confused, of course, but he needed to talk to her. He needed to talk to somebody, anybody, and he knew she would listen.

He wondered into the shelter, hiding his right arm under his jacket. The first thing he noticed was that it smelled like people. It smelled like huddled masses of people. It wasn?t an unpleasant smell; in fact, after all of the strange, alien things Simon had experienced, it was rather comforting.

There was a dingy hallway, and Simon followed it towards the source of Susan?s voice. As he got closer to the partially opened door at the end, he realized She was laughing. Simon grinned; he loved to hear Her laugh.

He peered through the door; it opened into a cafeteria. Behind the buffet line, Susan was one of the people serving food to the homeless patrons waiting patiently in line.

Perhaps Simon was biased, but Susan seemed to be the most cheery, pleasant person in the serving line. She greeted each person with a hearty smile, and asked how they were. She seemed to know many of them by name, and took to the task with a zest all Her own.

Oh my God, Simon realized. This is what She had to do. This is why She couldn?t go out with me. Good Lord, She?s amazing?

Susan finished serving Her last patron, and took off Her hairnet and gloves. ?I?m going to take a break for a few minutes, Tony,? She told the man apparently named Tony; he had a look that suggested he was in charge of the place.

?Sure, Suzie,? he said, grinning. ?Go check on the boat, can you??

?Sure.? As She walked away, She saw Simon in the doorway. ?Simon? What are you doing here??

Busted, Simon thought. Best to tell the partial truth. ?Well, I was walking by, you know, just walking, and I thought I heard you, so I came, and, well, here you are??

She smiled, showing those perfect teeth again. ?Yep, here I am. My church group volunteers here every week, and I always show up. Tomorrow, we?re taking some of the people in the shelter on a fishing trip. Do you want to come with me and see the boat??

?Okay.? He followed Her out back, where a respectable fishing boat was waiting. ?Nice boat.?

?Yep. It?s Tony?s. He lets us use it for the fishing trips. Sometimes, it?s the only fun the people in the shelter get. It?s really rewarding.?

Simon snickered while at the same time making sure his jacket covered his metallic right hand. ?I should have known you?d be involved in things like this.?

?We have to help those in need, Simon,? She said. ??There but for the grace of God go I?.?

Simon sighed. ?Sometimes I think God forgot about me.?

?Don?t ever say that, Simon. God has a plan for everyone. I just know you?re destined for something important.?

?You?re just saying that. I mean, come on, what would I do??

?Well, all you really need to do is to live the best way you can.?

?How??

?I?m not sure?when it comes to the Bible, there?s a lot of debate on that part. The one thing I know for sure is that you always need to help others, no matter what. That?s what I?ve dedicated my life to doing.?

Simon thought for a second, regarding Rena and Von. ?Hey, hypothetically, if you?ve got someone who needs help, but to help them would really complicate things on your end, should you do it??

?Absolutely. Think about it; you might be the only one who can help out.?

?I didn?t realize it was so cut and dry??

?Simon,? She looked into his eyes, and his heart skipped a beat. ?If you have the opportunity to help anyone, in anyway, it?s your responsibility to do so. That?s why I?m going to be a missionary when I graduate college. I?ll be able to help people all over the world.?

?A missionary??

?Do you think that?s stupid??

?No way.? He flashed a smile. ?In fact, I think you?d be the best damn missionary ever.?

?Thanks, but please watch the language.?

?Sorry.?

She checked Her watch. ?I?ve got to go back. Are you going to be okay with you hypothetical problem??

Simon considered for a moment. ?Yeah, I think I am.
Thank you.?

She turned, then stopped and turned back. ?See? You needed help and I gave it to you. That wasn?t so bad.? She grinned.

Simon snickered. ?All right, I get the idea. I?m gonna? book. See you Monday.?

?Bye.?

As she went back inside, Simon climbed into the boat. If he was going to help Rena and Von, he wanted to be cautious; that Tybalt guy sounded dangerous. He checked underneath a floorboard of the boat, and found a pair of emergency kits. He opened one up.

Perfect. It had a flare gun. Simon mentally acknowledged what a strange weapon of opportunity a flare gun was, but if worst came to worst, he?d probably need it.

He hid it under the folds of his jacket and hopped off the boat. Now, he thought, time to find those two again. Man, is Susan persuasive or what? Hope they?re not getting into any trouble.

[rokas]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by DeathBug [/i]
[B] Thus, this chapter is dedicated to Rokas, for paying attention.
[/B][/QUOTE]
To me? :D ahhh... thanx, well uhmm. hehe anyways.

just few chapters ago I said that storyline wasn't that clear. well that was basicaly becouse those aliens sort of surprised me. It was a good piece even without them, but now I got a feeling we are in for some hard core action, and I can't wait... {rubs hands}

[DeathBug]

8
From his wrists to his mid-forearms, Tybalt had a pair of cybernetic cup-links under his skin. They were tiny field generators, with tiny wires that ran up the length of his arm to a component nudged into his neo cortex. They produced, according to his mental whims, green, translucent force fields, the types a science fiction write would dream of. Tybalt used them to create a variety of plasma weapons, usually blades. He could also produce shields or daggers. The daggers could be tossed, but they lost cohesion about ten feet away from his wrists and disseminated harmlessly.

Von was not ten feet away, however, so the green, translucent plasma daggers Tybalt tossed were real and very deadly. He skittered, lizard-like, up the wall of a nearby building, then leapt over Tybalt in an attempt to get out of range.

It didn?t work. ?Just give me the tracking device,? Tybalt said calmly. ?I don?t have to kill you, you understand. However, you may force my hand if you?re not careful.?

?N..no?? Von stammered, scared out of his bloody wits. ?Rena told me to keep it away from you. You?re just going to take the Sol system to your crazy father!?

Tybalt didn?t like that. ?My father is the greatest warrior in the galaxy! I could train my whole life to achieve half his skills! I will not let you defile his name!?

Forming a sharp-edged plasma blade on his left arm, Tybalt struck at Von?s chest. Von, however, was not unarmed. He had an expandable staff hidden on his person. He had quickly whipped it out and extended it while Tybalt was ranting. The staff had a sharp, distinctive barb on the end; it was the trademark weapon of Von?s people, and he had trained with it since he was a hatchling. He brought it up to block Tybalt?s blow, but the black warrior?s strength was overpowering his defenses.

Tybalt suddenly ceased his attack and gasped in surprise. A sharp pain shot through his shoulder; Rena?s claws suddenly pulled out of his skin, dripping with his blood.

?I thought you incapacitated, Mistress Rena,? Tybalt said. ?I forgot to take your tenacity and stubbornness into account.?

?It will take more than you stupid smoke bombs to defeat a warrior of the Ichnet clan,? Rena sneered, trying to appear defiant. In fact, the gas Tybalt had used was working in full effect; her stance was unstable. She was physically unprepared to fight, but one thing a gas can?t counteract is personality. Rena was drugged up, but she was also too stubborn to let something like that stop her.

?Very well,? Tybalt said. ?Your funeral.?


Simon raced through the streets, looking for Rena and Von. He turned a corner and ran smack-dap into a person running equally fast in the opposite direction. They fell to the ground.

?Hey!? Simon swore. ?What?s up? Where?s the fire, hotshot??

The man quickly got to his feet. ?Kid, don?t go that way! There?s some sort of freaky gang war or something going on back there!?

?Wait, what??

?Yeah, there?s a big fight. And these guys look?weird. Like circus freaks or something. I?m getting the cops!? The man raced away, presumably to alert the authorities.

Circus freaks? Simon thought. You don?t suppose?aww, of course it?s them. Who else would it be? Sounds like they found that Tybalt guy?great?

Simon got up and ran to the source of the panic.


Tybalt grabbed Rena?s arms and easily tossed her over his head. She landed with an unceremonious thump, making Von wince. Taking his opening, he leapt towards Tybalt, but the more experienced fighter easily dodged his clumsy attack.

?I hadn?t wanted to take the route of a common blackmailing thug,? Tybalt said. ?However, you leave me no choice. Here are my terms: you give me the tracker to find the Sol system, or I kill Mistress Rena right in front of you. It?s a simple proposition.?

To emphasize his point, Tybalt grabbed Rena by the back of the neck and form a plasma blade close to her throat. ?She?s strong, but in her current state is far too disoriented to stop me.?

?Von?don?t let him have it?? Rena gasped, still in pain from the impact.

?I?I don?t know?? Von was in way over his head.

?Look, it?s simple: I will kill her, and then take the
tracker device from you anyway, and the sol system will still be presented to my father. The only difference is that Mistress Rena will be dead. Do you want that??

Von took the silver rectangular box that was the tracker for the sol system out of his suit?s pocket. He glanced at it, then to Rena, then to Tybalt. He had no idea what to do.

Tybalt sighed impatiently. ?Listen, just give me the tracker. This isn?t some epic story; no deus ex machine, no hero to come in and save you- AGGHH!?

There was a violent impact on Tybalt?s back, and suddenly his entire torso burst into flames. Howling in pain, he released Rena and frantically tore his burning shirt off. ?Who??

He turned and saw a native of the planet. ?Who are you?? he demanded.

Simon was nervous now. That guy had shrugged off a flare to his back. ?Uh?I?m Simon?and I was kind of hoping that the flare would stop you??

Suddenly, the tracker in Von?s hands began to beep violently. Tybalt glanced at it and then at Simon. He easily put two and two together.

?Oh, I get it. The Sol system activated prematurely and bonded to you.?

?Yup,? Simon sneered. ?And they told me it bonds for life. So you might as well leave right now, because you can?t get it anymore.?

?Oh, I think I can. I don?t even need the tracker anymore. I?ll just relieve you of the system myself. I?m sorry for the inconvenience it will cause.?

Simon dropped the flare gun and backed away slowly. ?Hey, wait?they told me it bonds to a host for life??

?Correct. The operative term is ?life?,? Tybalt said. He formed a plasma blade on his right arm and charged at Simon with astonishing speed.

?It?s nothing personal, but you have to die now!?

[Solo Tremaine]

Cool ^_^ I hope the next bits are as good.

I can identify with Von's situation there, not knowing what to do. I could imagine myself being like that, heh. Nice stuff.

[DeathBug]

9

Simon yelled out an indiscernible yowl when Tybalt lunged at him. He stumbled backwards, barely avoiding his opponent?s thrust.

Don?t panic, Simon, he told himself. This is your life now. This is what you have to deal with. You can get out of here alive. Just focus?

He fell backwards and shoved his feet into Tybalt?s chest. Grabbing Tybalt by the wrists, he tossed the fighter over himself, and then got to his feet.

Discerningly, Tybalt easily landed on his feet. ?Interesting,? he said. ?Your reflexes are far too fast for a creature of your strength level and muscle ratio. The Sol system has already markedly enhanced you, after less than an hour. It?s a very worthy prize.?

?Yeah, well, if it were up to me, you could just have the damn thing,? Simon snapped. ?I sure didn?t want it!?

?We must play with the hand life has provided us,? Tybalt sneered, forming a new plasma blade.

?That?s easy to say when you?re not the one who needs to die- watch out!? Simon ducked down quickly to avoid Tybalt?s next attack. The demonic-looking warrior could spar with the best of them, and Simon certainly wasn?t the best.

?Flippant, aren?t we? I would meet my own execution with more dignity, but to each their own??

Simon hatched a new plan: run like hell. He made it about ten feet before he felt the impact to his back knock him to the ground. Tybalt had leapt after him and executed a perfect flying kick. ?Executed? sounded like poor word choice to Simon, but he had more pressing concerns.

Tybalt raised his plasma sword high, and then plunged it towards Simon?s chest. Simon used his metallic right arm to try and block the blow, but Tybalt kept pressing harder. Simon was slowly but surely loosing ground.

??And the rest is silence?? Tybalt muttered, sure of his victory.

?Go @#$%^ yourself?? Simon shot back.

Tybalt snickered at his foe?s tenacity, but something caught his eye. Suddenly, he whipped his left hand out, intercepting Von?s staff. The reptilian pilot had tried to attack while Tybalt was preoccupied, but he wasn?t fast enough.

?Oops?? the lizard muttered.

?You could have left; I had no further use for your tracking device,? Tybalt said, irritated. ?Yet you interfered again. I can?t comprehend your motivations.?

?He helped us?? Von explained shakily. ?I wasn?t going to sit there and let you kill him??

?Noble, but stupid?? Tybalt sneered. Simon, however, took his opening. While Tybalt was distracted, he kicked at his feet, trying to knock him off balance.

It didn?t work. Tybalt held fast. ?Opportunistic, aren?t you?? Tybalt lifted Von into the air by his staff, and then tossed him into a nearby building. ?There. Now, if there are no further
interruptions??

?There will be!? Rena?s voice called out. She charged Tybalt from behind, shoving him off of Simon and smashing his face into the concrete. She lifted his face up and began to slam it into the sidewalk repeatedly.

?You think?you could ignore?a warrior of the?Ichnet Clan?? she demanded as she pummeled his head. ?You will?be lucky?if I let?you escape with?all of your teeth!?

?I take it you overcame the gas?? Tybalt muttered. Flipping around suddenly, he backhanded Rena off of him. ?Well, things just keep getting more complicated. It?s time to simplify the problem!? He formed a plasma dagger and shoved it to the back of Rena?s neck. Still slightly disoriented, there was no way she could turn around in time to block him.

Simon saw all this, and was filled with a desire to help her. Desire and action are two different things, however; he was too far away to get there in time. He held up his right hand, the palm open. It was as if he expected his mere motion to stop Tybalt. The urge to get him away from her was predominate in his mind, which explains what happens next.

The entire part of his arm that the metallic Sol system covered began to feel warm and tingly, as though it had put on a sweater on a dry morning. His fingertips began to glow, and a strange orange ball of energy formed at the center of his palm. It grew in size until it was as large as volleyball; then, it was launched at the target with astounding speed.

This all happened in less than a second, so Tybalt had time only to glance at the approaching attack. Just before his dagger could pierce Rena?s skin, the energy connected. It burned into Tybalt?s muscular torso, which was still sore and shirtless from Simon?s antics with the flare gun earlier. The burning sensation, however, was nothing compared to the concussive impact: he was thrown off of Rena and sent crashing through the front window of a dingy five-and-dime.

Simon was in shock, as was Von. Von, however, had a goofy grin on his face, like a child seeing a new toy. ?That?s it?? he whispered, the mechanic in him fascinated beyond description. ?That?s the power of the Sol system??

Police sirens in the background quickly brought the pair out of their daze. Tybalt got to his feet and swore. ?Scuz?it?s too early in the mission to involve local authorities?it might be prudent to make myself scarce for now?? He leapt into nearby shadows, and seemed to disappear.

Simon didn?t notice this as he rushed to Rena?s side. ?Hey, Kit-Kat, you still with us??

She got to her feet as though nothing had happened. ?Sol being, what do those sirens indicate??

?Uh, my name is ?Simon?, and that?s? the police. We should leave??

?Very well. Von! Are you okay??

?I?m fine?how are you two??

?Tolerable. Come on, we?re leaving.?

?Jeez,? Simon muttered. ?Who died and made you queen? Come on, we got rid of Tybalt!?

?Are you really so dense?? She asked indignantly as they fled. ?Tybalt has merely experienced a setback. He won?t give up until he has the system, and he has much more cunning methods of getting it. Need I remind you that you have to die for
him to get it??

?You mean it?s not over?? Simon panted, crestfallen. Behind him, Von shook his head.

?Over?? Rena scoffed. ?Sol being, it?s barely begun!?

[DeathBug]

10

Tybalt stumbled through the shadows, his chest still burning from the Sol system?s blast. He hadn?t had any time to prepare himself for the impact, and being tossed through a window like a common street brawler not only hurt his pride, but also disoriented him greatly. He would, he knew, have to get back to where he had hidden his ship, but he doubted he was in a condition to glide there.

He stopped and observed himself in a small window. Closing his eyes, he felt his features rearrange in response to his thoughts. His wings completely retracted into his back, and his tail was sucked back into his body like a slurped noodle. When he opened his eyes again, he was a defenseless-looking middle-aged human male. Granted, he still had no shirt, and his injuries still hurt, but at least he wasn?t instantly noticeable as an out-of-towner.

He continued his trek through the streets, soon coming across a young man in a hooded sweatshirt. Tybalt had never seen him before, so he had no way to recognize him as Tyler Stevens. Stevens had ditched his drinking buddies after Brooks? ignoble thrashing at Simon?s hands, and, still slightly drunk, was looking for a little ?fun? of a less-than-legal nature.

Tyler could never tell his friends about his extra-curricular activities, especially not Brooks. Tyler couldn?t tell his friends lots of things, like who it was who trashed Brooks car with a crowbar last spring, or who lit the school?s auditorium on fire. Tyler was a very angry young man, with very violent tendencies, tendencies he kept hidden from most of the world. The most interesting aspect of this character was an unspoken resentment of those around him; being forced to keep his rage inside allowed it to fester, so whenever it surfaced, the results were very
unfortunate.

Tybalt knew none of this, and thought he could simply pass the young human male with no trouble. That was not to be.

?What happened to your shirt, pops?? Stevens asked nastily.

?I lost it,? Tybalt said simply, trying to pass. Stevens stepped in his way.

?Well, ain?t that too bad? Get ready to loose something else!? Stevens pulled a knife out of his sweatshirt. ?Give me your wallet, or I?ll slice you like an onion!?

?I have no wallet. Do not try me, delinquent,? Tybalt said, once again simply. ?You can leave right now; I won?t stop you.?

?Maybe you don?t get what?s going on, gramps,? Stevens sneered. ?If I don?t get any money, I at least get a good time!? He lunged towards Tybalt?s chest.

Tybalt sighed as he grabbed Stevens? wrist. The knife stopped centimeters from Tybalt?s chest. Still holding his assailant?s wrist, Tybalt tossed him over his shoulders. Tyler landed with a small thud a few yards away.

?You bastard!? Stevens swore as he charged Tybalt?s back. Tybalt turned around swiftly and kicked the mugger upside the head. His heel connected with Stevens? right temple, effectively ending any chance of a continued assault. Stevens fell to the ground, unconscious.

Deciding that there might be dangers in continuing in easy view of the public, Tybalt began to move among the shadows again. Against his better judgment, he crawled up a ladder leading to the top of a two-story building. He hopped among the rooftops for about five minutes, until he startled a flock of pigeons. They flew towards him, preventing him from landing on the next rooftop.

Making a quick correction to his course, Tybalt positioned himself to land on a Terran watercraft parked in front of a small building. However, one final bird hit him square in the face; his missed the boat by inches and landed on the grass with an unceremonious thump.

This is a tad bit humiliating, he thought. Suddenly, a door opened from the building in front of him. A young human female came out. ?What?s that sound? I- Oh, my! Sir, are you
okay??

Tybalt decided to tell half the truth, anyway. ?I?I was mugged?I?m not sure where I am??

?Oh, come with me, sir. I?ll get you fixed up. Let?s go inside.?

?Thank you, ma?am,? he said, getting to his feet and allowing her to lead him inside.

She set him down and got him a blanket and some water. ?You?re very kind,? Tybalt commented, earnestly. She was the nicest human he?d met yet. ?I didn?t catch your name.?

?Oh, it?s Susan,? she said, getting him some soup. ?Susan Hawkins. Here.? She handed him a cup of soup. ?This is supposed to be for the residents of the shelter, but we can spare a little.?

?Thank you,? he said, sipping the soup. He really had to leave, but first he would finish his soup. He examined the girl, and a new thought occurred to him: she was about the same age as the human male who hosted the Sol system. What was his name?Simon, that was it.

?Tell me,? he said. ?Where?s the nearest school??

Susan looked puzzled by the question. ?Uh, well, the high school I attended is across town, you know, Washington High. The nearest elementary school is??

?I must go,? Tybalt said, standing quickly. ?I thank you for your hospitality.?

?Wait, are you sure? I can call a cab?it?s not safe??

?I?ll be fine.? He went out the door quickly, and by the time Susan got through the door, he was gone.

?Weird?? she muttered, closing the door.


What a charming human, Tybalt thought as he arrived to the scrap yard he?d hidden his ship in. It?s always nice to deal with a being that doesn?t want to fight you or take something from you.

He lifted aside a dismantled Chevy to reveal his ship. It was completely covered with other vehicles in various stages of deterioration. Should it be discovered, it was programmed to automatically fly itself to a secondary location. Tybalt felt secure.

Entering the ship, he let his features return to normal. Towards the rear of the small ship was a nutrient bath. He took off his clothes and lowered himself inside, allowing the chemicals to flow over him and speed the healing of his wounds.

He pressed a small button on the side of the bath, and a potable computer consol was released from the ceiling within his reach. Sighing, he began to type in his report, which was instantly transmitted to his father, untold parsecs away.

So you didn?t retrieve the Sol system yet? The reply came back.

?No, father,? Tybalt said as he typed. ?There were unexpected difficulties. It bonded to a native of the planet.?

You?ll have to kill him, then.

?I know, Sir. However, it may take time. I only have one bit of information on how to find him; I might know where he attends school. I?ll have to investigate, of course.?

How hard could it be to find him? How many inhabitants are there on this planet?

?At least six billion.?

And they?re standard humanoids?

?Yes. Class Beta-type humanoids.?

There was a delay on the line, as though his father was pondering something. Finally: You know, adding a planet of six billion Beta-humanoids to my empire would give me enough power to crush the military forces poised against me.

This got Tybalt?s attention. ?Father, unless something has changed drastically since I left, we don?t have the resources to defend the current assault on our home base and conquer a
new planet.?

I don?t plan to defend this base any longer. I believe now is the best time to relocate. This Earth-planet would be the perfect base of my Empire, especially with six billion new slaves. I?m going to ready the fleet to move out.

?What shall I do??

Study the planet; learn more about it. I?m putting the retrieval of the Sol system as a secondary objective. After all, once I control the planet, I can find the scuzball at my leisure. Do you understand?

?Yes, sir. Tybalt, signing out.?

Tybalt sunk deeper into the nutrient bath and mused thoughtfully.
_____________

Well, that's all I wrote so far. What's everyone think? Anything you like/dislike? Any character strike you as cool? Just give me your thoughts.

[DeathBug]

After several months, a continuation:

11

Simon was very groggy when he awoke. Man, he thought. I had the weirdest dream last night?aliens, and cat girls and me whipping Brooks?must?ve watched too much TV?

He checked his right arm, and sighed with relief; it was normal, in no way metallic. Sighing again, he rolled over?and almost screamed.

They were there! Rena and Von, right there! In his room! Rena was sitting in a chair of his, flipping through a comic book. Von sat in a corner, fiddling with a laser pointer. How the heck could they be there?

Friday night?s events came back to him slowly; he?d brought them back to his house to hide out, then sort of collapsed on the bed. Oh man?

Rena looked up, sensing his movements. ?This character here is really insipid,? she said, gesturing at the comic book. ?His costume looks absolutely nothing like an Earth-spider.?

?Yeah, don?t diss the classics,? Simon muttered. ?Man, what time is it??

Von looked up from the laser pointer. ?By your standard of local time, it?s five thirty in the afternoon.?

?Aw, man. I can?t believe I slept through Saturday!?

Von cleared his throat. ?Uh, actually, by your human system of days, it?s not Saturday, it?s Sunday.?

?What?! You?re telling me I slept through the entire weekend??

?It?s a side-effect of the Sol system?s bonding to your organic system; initially, it causes extreme fatigue in the host.?

?The Sol system,? Simon muttered. ?Wait?my arm??

?You?ve reached the point where you can control the system,? Von explained. ?The cybernetics are retreating as a result of your desire to hide them.?

Simon flexed his hand. ?Come again??

Rena sighed. ?It is responding to your thoughts; please try to keep up.?

Simon shot her a look, then turned back to Von. ?This is freaky?you mean it?s responding to my thoughts??

The alien nodded. ?Of course. It has a nueral interface. It?s supposed to work with you; you shouldn?t be afraid of it.?

Simon smiled slightly, a bit relieved. ?So, I won?t need a Michel Jackson glove after all??

?What??

?Forget it; when are you two leaving??

Rena stood up. ?We cannot,? she said simply. ?If you?ll recall, our ship was rendered inoperative, or at least the engines were. We are stranded, and we have nowhere else to stay.?

Simon stood up as well, trying to appear tall. ?Well, no offense, Kit Kat, but what if I don?t want you here??

Rena had two inches on Simon, and stepped forward slightly to gain an authoritive stance. ?I?m afraid you have no choice, Sol-being. I am comandeering your living space in the name of the Felinon Republic, under the Emergency Statute. This is clearly an emergency situation, after all.?

Simon didn?t back down. ?No offense, but I don?t care about your stupid statutes. You can?t stay here!?

?Why not??

?Because?.someone might find you! My aunt and uncle??

?Your guardians have not approached within the thirty-six hours we have been here.?

Simon sighed, defeated. ?How long are you gonna? stay??

Rena nodded slightly, glad that he was recognizing her authority in the situation. ?While you were sleeping, we assembled a makeshift shelter from the wreckage our ship. It is not suitable for habitation, but there are various productive activities we will be partaking of when possible. We will only be here when it is necessary.?

?That?s nice to hear?? Simon muttered. ?But?what about me? If Tybalt is still out there looking for me, what should I do??

?Tybalt can?t find you,? Von said cheerfully. ?He never got the tracking device. The odds of him finding you by random searches in your city are very slim.?

?You shall continue with your daily routine,? Rena said. ?We can?t have any indication that anything is out of the ordinary, you understand.?

?Damn,? Simon sighed. ?Thought I could skip school because of this??

?A reminder,? Rena continued. ?Do not tell anyone of our existance, or alert anyone of the Sol System.?

Simon laughed. ?Like they?d believe me.?

He got a glass of water and went back to sleep.

12

When Simon awoke the next morning, Rena and Von were already gone, off to?wherever the hell they went. Simon shrugged and got ready for class.

As he walked out the door, he took note that Lenny was sleeping in the living room, surrounded by trash as usual. Fran wasn?t even there.

He was lost in thought the entire walk to school. What was he going to do? The situation was so odd it was funny; he had aliens crashing in his room! He hoped they?d leave soon?and let?s not forget that psycho killer alien who has to kill him. Simon sighed; he was actually looking forward to school, for God?s sake! That wasn?t right?

When he arrived at school, he got a pair of books out of his locker for his first two classes. He welcomed the assured monotony that they would bring?

?Simon! Hey, Simon!?

Simon looked up suddenly; it was Her! Susan was calling? He turned around?.

She was with another guy. Just by glancing at him,
Simon decided that he hated him, although he might have been biased. This interloper was tall, with neat brown hair combed nicely over his completely perfect face. He wore a green polo shirt, and biage slacks. His teeth were perfect and shiny, and he had a gold Rolex on his right wrist. Prep?

?Simon,? Susan said. ?I want you to meet Timothy Nathan; he?s new here.?

Simon relaxed a bit; Susan was part of the school?s meet and greet program; she was probably with this punk because she had to be.

?Hello, Simon,? Timothy said cheerfully. ?Nice to meet you.? He extended his hand.

?Yeah, welcome to...here,? Simon nodded, taking the hand. Timothy?s grip wasn?t just firm; it almost hurt. Jerk.

The bell rang and the crowds in the hall began to disperse. Susan tapped Timothy on the shoulder. ?I?ve got to go; my class is a few halls over,? she said. ?You know where your first period is??

Timothy nodded. ?Yes, thank you.? He paused. ?Susan, are you available for lunch? I?d rather not have to sit alone.?

Susan nodded. ?Sure; you can sit with my friends and I.?

?Thank you,? Timothy flashed that annoyingly perfect smile. Simon turned to leave.

?Hold up there, Simon,? Timothy called as Susan walked away. ?What?s the rush??

Simon sighed; this guy couldn?t take a hint. ?I?ve got to go to class.?

?Well, if you insist. Do give Lady Rena my regards.?

Simon froze, and an icy chill ran down the back of his neck. ?What did you say??

?Well, I assume Lady Rena has maintained contact. It would be foolish to do otherwise.?

Simon turned around slowly. ?I?how do?oh my God?Tybalt??

Timothy?s eyes flashed bright red for an instant. ?The same.?

Simon let out a strange yelp and backed into the wall. Timothy/Tybalt laughed.

?Calm down Simon; if I wanted to kill you right know, I would have.?

Simon was standing on shaking knees. ?Why?why not??

?Why haven?t I killed you? My mission parameters have altered. I am here for strictly observational purposes. Were you to disappear, I might draw unwanted suspicion. This façade is really the ideal situation; I can keep track of you, and what better place to learn about your planet than a school??

When it became obvious that death wasn?t iminant, Simon regained a bit of his composure. ?Listen, Tybalt?you?you stay the hell away from Susan??

Timothy/Tybalt raised an eyebrow. ?Why not? I mean her no harm.?

Simon glared at him. ?Just leave her alone!?

Timothy/Tybalt smiled slyly. ?I get it; you?re attracted to her, aren?t you??

?Shut up! I?m warning you, freak??

An assistant principal turned the corner. ?Lewis! What are you doing? Is there a problem here??

?Timothy? flashed a smile. ?Not at all, Sir. See you around, Simon Lewis.?

Great, Simon thought as ?Timothy? walked away. Now he knows my last name?could this get any worse?

It was worse, he reminded himself. That freak was hanging out with Susan!


At lunch, Simon watched them like a metaphorical hawk. It never occurred to him to go sit with Susan, but he didn?t trust Tybalt, no matter what his frickin? parameters were.

?Timothy? sat directly next to Susan, which only turned the knife. He said something, and she laughed?this was disgusting.

Simon wanted to go over there and break his face, but knew he couldn?t, for a variety of reasons, ranging from expulsion to horrible death. He didn?t know that this crap would hit him so close to home?.

She laughed again, and Simon winced. That?s it, he decided. Right after class, me an? Rena are gonna? have a long talk.

[Bandit Joeykuba]

After reading all twelve chapters in one sitting, I find myself quite satisfied.

The plot is easy to follow and the characters are described well.

I'm tempted to do character sketches now. Oo;

P.S. I like Tybalt. ^^ He rules!

[DeathBug]

Yes, I like Tybalt, too. ^__^ Too bad he's not in this chapter...O.o

13

Simon slammed the door to his room behind him. ?Rena!? he hissed, trying to keep the volume low.

Rena and Von were there, having returned from the ruins of their ship. She was on his bed reading a book; Von was toying with what looked like a remote control.

?Good afternoon,? she said.

?Shove it,? Simon spat, tossing his school supplies on the floor. ?Tybalt went to my school!?

Rena instantly sat up, alert. ?That is very unfortunate,? she said. ?What happened??

Simon related the entire incident to her. She and Von listened carefully. When he was done, Von whistled, an odd hissing sound. ?Wow,? he said. ?I?m sorry??

?There is nothing to apologize for, Von,? Rena said simply. ?This situation was inevitable.?

Simon glared at her. ?You knew this would happen??

?It was bound to,? she replied. ?Tybalt didn?t get to his position by genetics alone. It was only a matter of time until he found you. It was just unfortunate that it was so soon. I?d wanted more time-?

Simon slammed his fist into the wall. ?That freak is with Susan! Weren?t you listening?!?

?She?s in no danger,? Rena said simply.

Simon sighed. ?You don?t get it, do you? Maybe you don?t care about her, but I do!?

?No, no?? Von said hesitantly. ?Really, she?s not in any danger.?

?Why not??

Von cleared his throat. ?There?s no reason to hurt her. And if anything happened to her, it?d draw attention to Tybalt that he just doesn?t want.?

?That?s what he said?? Simon said slowly. ?But why the sudden shift in his priorities? Last night, he seemed ready to take me out. What happened??

?That is the question, isn?t it?? Rena said thoughtfully. ?I imagine that I know the answer, but it is not pleasant??

?What? Come on, I really think that maybe I should know. I mean, it can?t possibly be any worse than-?

?Natas is going to invade your planet.?

There was a moment of silence. Then, ?What??

Rena flexed her hands. ?You have to understand the position that Natas is in. His home base is currently under heavy assault; most of its resources have been depleted. The statistics Tybalt must have sent him about this planet must be incredibly enticing. He will establish his new military base on this planet, and be able to go on the offensive after your species has been enslaved.?

?Oh my God??

?Yes, praying might not be such a bad idea. Your planet cannot defend itself from this sort of attack.?

Simon slumped against the wall; the hits just kept on coming. ?Well?.is there any way to?.?

Von nodded. ?If we can get back to Felinon, and alert them before Natas arrives??

?No,? Rena said. ?That is highly improbable.?

?Then there?s nothing we can do, is there?? Simon asked.

?Actually, there is. All invasion forces are horribly vulnerable in their embryonic stage. If we could strike before Natas gets a stranglehold on this town, we can disrupt his entire plan long enough for the Planetary Militia ships to arrive.?

Simon nodded. ?Wait?this town? Why here??

?It?s where you are. Or, more accurately, where the Sol system is. Natas still wants that as well, remember??

?So this is all my fault??

Von shook his head emphatically ?no?. Rena thought for a second. ?Well, in a manner of speaking??

?Rena!? Von said sharply.

?Lying about the truth won?t alter the facts, Von,? she said. ?If the Sol system hadn?t bonded to him, Tybalt would have been gone by now. It is not through any malicious actions on the sol-being?s part, but if he hadn?t been bonded to the system, his planet would not be in danger.?

Simon had been silent for several minutes. Finally, he looked up, glaring at both of the aliens.

?Get out.?

?I beg your pardon?? Rena asked sharply.

?I said, get the hell out of my room. Get out!?

Von crept back, offended. ?But Simon??

?No! Just shut up! I am sick of this crap! I don?t want to know any of this, and I don?t want to know you!?

?You will not speak that way to me, sol being,? Rena said, standing up. ?You cannot ignore the reality of the situation.?

?The hell I can?t! An alien killer is hanging out with the only decent person I know, the whole world is screwed, everyone in town?s gonna? be an alien slave, and it?s my fault? No! No, I don? want to know this! I don?t want any part of this!?

Rena glared at him. ?I am a princess of the Ichnet Clan,? she growled. ?You will not disrespect me as such! This situation goes beyond your personal feelings!?

?Another thing I?m sick of is your damn high-and-mighty attitude,? Simon spat. ?I don?t care if you?re a frickin? Martian princess. This is Earth, and this is my room, on my turf, and I don?t have to listen to you! Now get out!?

Rena stared at him for several minutes. If looks could kill, both Simon and Rena would have been dead by the other?s eyes. Von had backed into a corner; he hated confrontations?

?If you do this,? Rena said slowly, icily. ?You are the biggest fool, and the most ungrateful cretin, that this planet has ever produced. I am offering you a chance to save your race.?

?I don?t frickin? care,? Simon said, just as slow and icy. ?This is your mess, and I never wanted to be a part of it.?

Rena scoffed disdainfully. ?Very well, sol-being. If that is your decision, I cannot change it. Come, Von; we?re leaving.?

Rena pressed a button on her armor, and her form
shimmered. Suddenly, she stood as the same young Hispanic woman she had been when they met. She opened Simon?s window and climbed out.

?But?? Von said. ?But Simon, I thought??

?You heard her,? Simon said slowly. ?Go with her.?

?Fine,? Von snapped, hurt. ?I thought we were friends.? He climbed out after Rena.

Simon watched them walk away, and then closed the window. ?Friends?? he asked himself. ?No way. Not by a long shot.?


?Is that the planet??

?You got it, chief. Tybalt landed down there; I?m pinpointing where his ship is parked. If he?s there, your Sol System is sure to be there, too.?

?Excellent.?

[Bandit Joeykuba]

Yay! A fight between not-really-friends-but-kinda-are! ^o^

But no Tybalt. V_V Tybalt must appear soon!

[DeathBug]

14

Class was a horrible daze for Simon the next morning, which probably explained the grade on his chemistry test. He kept thinking about what he?d said to Rena; was he wrong to not want this? After all, she?d basically said it was because of him that the Earth was screwed. Maybe he?d been tactless, but he still thought he made the right decision. He had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time; there was no way he could take on responsibility for any of this.

He was eating lunch alone when ?Timothy? suddenly sat down next to him. ?Good afternoon, Simon.?

Simon glared at him. ?What do you want, freak??

?Timothy? sighed. ?You?re a very hostile young man, Simon. I came her with a proposition for you.?

Simon flipped him off. ?The answer is no. What?s the question??

?You shouldn?t be so hasty,? he frowned. ?I wanted to inform you that if you were to cooperate with me, my fathers? scientists might be able to remove the system from you without killing you.?

Simon considered this for a second. ??Cooperate? how??

?Well it would aid my father?s plans to have a few natives cooperating, and giving up information.?

Simon glared again. ?You want me to sell out my planet??

?I want you to realize the inevitable. This planet is going to be part of my father?s empire either way. You can save yourself, or you can die. Your choice.?

?I think I told you this before, but @#$% off.?

?Timothy? shrugged. ?The Sol system is a part of you, and it will be my father?s either way.?

Before Simon could reiterate his profanity, a familiar group of jocks approached. Brooks, Stevens, and co.; Simon rolled his eyes.

?Hey, Timmy,? Brooks said. ?Why are you hangin? with this looser? Come on, let?s go. We can throw the ball around before class starts again.?

?That sounds fun,? ?Timothy? said as he got up to leave. ?See you later, Simon.?

Simon watched them walk away, then laid his head on the table.



?See you tomorrow, Susan,? Timothy said, waving.

?You, too, Timothy!? She smiled back, turning down her street.

Timothy walked alone, examining several of the books he had procured from the school?s library. History texts, philosophy, art books?this planet?s culture was very rich.

Lost in thought, Timothy was slightly careless as he approached the scrap yard. He almost didn?t notice the attack until it was too late.

?Yah!? He leapt aside, narrowly avoiding the two metal tendrils that lashed out at him from a pile of metal parts. They were long and snake-like, with tiny gripping claws on the end.

?This isn?t Rena?? he muttered as his features shifted back to his normal form. ?Nor is it Simon?who-??

The tendrils attacked again, but he was ready for them. He sliced one in half with a plasma dagger, then grabbed the other one as it stopped mere inches from his face, the claws gripping uselessly. ?Too easy??

He turned around, only to be assaulted by another pair of tendrils. Just a distraction, he thought as he leapt over them. He landed a few feet away, but was too late in realizing that he?d been orchestrated to land there.

A third pair of tendrils arose; these, however, had electric current running through them. Tybalt didn?t have time to dodge before they made contact; the shock rendered him unconscious.



In a small, desolate area of the local woods, the remains of Rena?s ship were hidden under a great deal of foliage. Add in the holographic technology cloaking it, and it was quite secure.

Inside, Von was tinkering with the radar, while Rena ran another check on the computer systems. Von had been quiet most of the day, and Rena was a little bit annoyed by that.

?Tell me, Von, what would you have done?? she finally asked.

Von looked up, startled. ?About what??

?You know what. The sol being.?

He hesitated. ?Well?I mean, what you said was right and everything?but did you have to be so harsh??

?I was simply stating the facts of the situation. Emergencies such as this don?t allow for tact.?

?Well, sure, I know that, because I know you. But he doesn?t, not really. To him, you probably come off as a bit?arrogant??

Rena sighed. ?It?s the curse of the weak-minded to mistake confidence with arrogance.?

?Yeah?but still?? Von connected a wire on the radar, and it suddenly sprang to life.

?Whoa! Rena, ma?am, there?s a ship!?

?What? Is it Tybalt?s??

?No?not Felinon?or Natas?it?s a rogue ship?no identifying data??

Rena sighed. ?Just what we needed; bounty hunters. Track it.?

?Are we going to tell Simon??

?You heard what he said; let him figure it out on his own.?

[Bandit Joeykuba]

^o^ Yay! Tybalt!

V_V Tybalt is in for it now, though. Poor guy.

Way to build the suspense DB. ^^ Can't wait for the next chapter. *goes all Zombie-like* Must find out what happens to Tybalt.

[DeathBug]

15

Tybalt regained conciousness to the sound of blood rushing past his eardrums. He opened his eyes; he was upside down, bound from steel wire from the ceiling.

He appeared to be in some sort of laboratory, and not a clean one. Various mechanical devices in different stages of disrepair littered the steel shelving units around him. The walls were smooth and silver; he was on a space ship. That couldn?t be good.

?Well, soldier boy woke up!? A voice called. High-pitched, and obviously female?

?Who are you?? Tybalt demanded. ?Please show yourself.?

?Oh, I?m sorry; what was I thinking? You can?t turn your head like that. My bad.?

She entered his field of vision from the right corner of his eye. It took a few seconds for him to flip the image in his mind, but Tybalt grasped the characteristics of the being he was looking at. She was short; he?s say only about one and a half meters tall. The most striking feature about her was her eyes; most bipeds had two, but she had a third in the center of her forehead. Her skin was teal, and she had a series of orange tiger stripes running down the side of her face. Her hair was an unkept wall of purple, like a pair of frizzy mops. She was standard in other respects; two arms, legs, mammary glands, five fingers, no tail. Her wardrobe consisted of a sloppy pair of brown worker?s overalls, over a black sleeveless shirt. She had a pair of three-lense goggles, and pale yellow gloves.

She seemed very out-of-place in this situation, Tybalt decided. She did not project the aura of someone who would plan a kidnapping, for whatever reasons.

?I don?t think I?ve had the pleasure,? he said. ?I am Tybalt, prince of the Empire of Natas. I?m also upside down. Why??

The female chuckled. ?Sorry to leave you hanging, but I?ve got to keep an eye on you until SAU-7 completes his search.?

Tybalt nodded knowingly. ?I see; so that?s what this is
about. I assume you are his hired gun??

She nodded. ?On the credits. The name?s Tazer.?

Tybalt was already freeing his right hand as he kept her occupied. He wasn?t Natas?s son without reason? ?Tell me; how did you land without my ship?s scanners picking this craft up??

Tazer smiled with pride. ?I blocked your scanners with a dampening field.?

Tybalt was a bit surprised. ?My scanner is state of the art. The technology doesn?t exist to block it.?

?It didn?t; I invented it.?

?You created a blocking system to counteract my scanners? Just like that??

She shook her head. ?I knew you?d have the most advanced tech; I had already created the blocking tech. That?s what I do.?

Tybalt?s right hand was free, but he wasn?t going to strike yet. ?I thought you were a bounty hunter; why are you working as such if you?invent things??

Tazer sighed. ?I?ve got to pay my bills somehow, right? SAU-7 pays good credits for this job, so I took it. It wasn?t my ideal career, but whatever works.?

Tybalt?s left hand was now free. ?You?re playing a dangerous game here. You do know who I am??

She shrugged. ?You don?t scare me. Anyway, your guys stole SAU-7?s cybernetic system, what I hear.?

?That?s not exactly how it happened, but that is inconsequential. Release me.?

She laughed. ?Why would I do that? I?m getting paid to keep you here while SAU-7 searches for his system. I get paid, and I use the money to fund more research.?

In a single motion, Tybalt formed a plasma dagger and sliced through the steel wires that bound him. He performed a graceful summersault and landed in front of the astonished Tazer. He placed a plasma blade at her neck. ?Tell me; is your research worth your life??

?My?my research is my life?? she said slowly, shaking.

Tybalt shoved her to the ground. ?If you interfere with my plans again, I will have no choice but to kill you. Don?t throw your life away.?

She didn?t say anything, but watched him fearfully as he walked away. ?Bu-?.where are you going??

?To find your employer.?



?He?s loitering,? Von said into the radio. ?Lady Rena, he?s been standing in the same spot for a half-hour; I don?t think this is necessary.?

?I apologize for the mediocrity of the mission, Von,? Rena?s voice came back. ?But the bounty hunters that we detected are an unknown variable; we cannot leave the Sol system open to abduction.?

Von was hiding in a tree, across the street from a human drug store. Simon had been standing in front of it for a while, sipping a soda.

?Can?t I just tell him the situation?? Von asked.

?He told us not to, and we shall abide by his wishes,? her short reply came back. ?I refuse to go out of my way to help such a brat. He is important only because of the Sol system; nothing more.?

Von sighed. ?Well?he did help us??

?Von, please do your job. I?m trying to do mine.?

Von sighed and turned off the radio.



Rena was in the center of town at a busy intersection, regarding each passerby with suspicion. Somewhere, a bounty hunter ship had landed, and she intended to spot them before they found whatever they were after.

There were really only two options, she thought as she crossed the street. Either they were after Tybalt, in which case she had nothing to worry about, or they were after the Sol System, which presented a whole host of problems?.

This would have all been so much simpler if that damned sol being had cooperated! She decided as she crossed the street. At first she thought he was fairly decent, but to behave as he did in an emergency situation?.he was a selfish fool, and she might end up paying for it. Damn him!



The selfish fool in question was actually doing a fair bit of soul-searching at the moment his name was being cursed. Simon was actually starting to regret his decision. He?d been afraid, sure, and he still didn?t want any of this responsibility, but he shouldn?t have yelled at Von. Rena deserved it?.

He knew the sol system was spreading; he had activated it in the school bathroom. It now covered a good portion of his torso, his upper neck, and a little of his face. It was very disturbing.

What he would do, he decided, was tell Susan about ?Timothy?, or at least tell her that he was dangerous. He started to walk away, only to feel someone place their hand on his shoulder.

He turned around. ?Von??

[StrikeGundam]

need...more..story...HURRY!

[DeathBug]

[color=indigo][size=1][font=century]16

Although he looked like little more than a vertically challenged teenager, Simon recognized it as Von?s human disguise. ?What are you doing here, Von??

Von sighed. ?Listen, there?s trouble, and Lady Rena will be mad at me for telling you, but there?s an unknown ship on this planet.?

Simon raised an eyebrow. ?What? Unknown ship? You mean more aliens??

Von nodded. ?Yeah; we think they?re bounty hunters. You?re in potential danger.?

The human scoffed. ?More than already? In case you weren?t listening, my planet?s on the chopping block!?

Von shook his head. ?Not about that! Right now, there are bounty hunters in this community!?

Simon raised an eyebrow. ?What??

Von sighed. ?We assume they?re bounty hunters because their ship had no registration signal. They landed and then dropped off of our radar. We don?t know what they?re here for, but we think it might be you. The Sol system.?

The boy shrugged. ?Big whoop. Another alien after me. Still don?t care.? He reached the curb and pressed the button on the cross signal. Von just shook his head.

?What?s wrong with you?! How can you not care about this??

Simon sighed heavily. ?Look, Von, I don?t want this. This whole mess is way too much for one person to deal with, especially me. How would you feel if this crap all fell to you, and you couldn?t even tell anyone or ask for help??

Von thought about that. ?I don?t know; I guess I?d be upset??

?Now you get it,? Simon said. ?It?s nothing against you; you seem like a nice lizard guy. I?m just going to step out of this, and whatever happens, happens.?

The signal changed to green, and Simon crossed the intersection; Von, still not convinced, followed him. ?Yeah, but-?

A garbage truck approaching the intersection didn?t
slow. Yelling, Simon leapt back, pushing Von as well. ?Hey! The light?s red, moron!!?

The truck suddenly skidded to a stop. The side door opened; there was no driver.

Simon blinked. ?What? What?s going on??

Suddenly, a black wire, about a dime?s thickness in diameter, extended from the dashboard of the truck. It wrapped around Simon?s left leg and pulled him into the vehicle with surprising force. Simon let out a yelp and grabbed at the ground, but there was nothing to grab on to.

Von got to his feet. ?Simon!? He ran forward to help his friend, but a second wire emerged from the truck, easily snagging the much-lighter Von. The pair was pulled into the truck?s cab with such speed that no one around noticed. The light changed to green, and the truck pulled away.


Inside the cab, the wires wrapped around Simon and Von, strapping them against the seats. ?Screw this,? Simon spat. ?I?m getting? us out, now!? He closed his eyes, and tried to activate the Sol system?s cybernetics.

He felt the cool feeling spread over him, but before it could implement, he felt a harsh, burning pain.

?Agh! Damn it, what was that!??

An electronic voice emanated from the truck?s radio. ?Attempt to activate the cybernetics attached to you, and a progressively stronger electric shock shall incapacitate you. Do not resist.?

Von?s eyes grew wide with surprise as his holographic disguise dropped. ?Who are you??

?That is none of your concern. Please remain calm; you will arrive at your destination soon.?

Simon glared. ?Tell us what?s going on!?

?That is not necessary at the present time. You shall be informed at a later time.?

The pair was silent as the truck continued its course. It eventually came to a closed-down grocery store in an otherwise functional strip mall. It rounded the turn to the back, and pulled up next to the large deliver hanger. The doorway opened, as did the door to the truck. The electronic voice said, ?Please ext the vehicle in a calm fashion.?

Simon spat. ?There?s no way in hell I?m getting out of this truck for god-knows-what unless you tell me what?s going
on!?

?You have the Sol system, and it belongs to me. Exit the vehicle.?

Simon felt a small jolt from the cables that entrapped him; the negative reinforcement, combined with his curiosity regarding the last statement, prompted his exit. Von followed.



Tybalt was crouched on the roof of the grocery, watching the procession with interest. He had left the ship, only to find that it was stored within this Earth food seller. If SAU-7 and Tazer were searching for the Sol system, and he wished to keep it on Earth, it made no sense to leave their base. They were skilled, but compared to him, they were nothing. They would not take the system off of this planet, nor would they endanger his mission; he would make sure of that.[/color][/size][/font]