Chapter 52 - Visions
By Cille
Clarice trudged toward the infirmary, tired after a long morning of haggling over food rations with Raef and Foley. She carried some books and notebooks and a pencil box. Her pace quickened as she approached Samson's room. As tired as she was, she was still looking forward to spending some quality time with the people she cared about.
She opened the door, expecting to see Anne sitting by Samson's bedside with Ein in her lap. What she found was a conspicuous lack of Hikki.
"He went back to his own room," Samson explained, seeing the look of surprise on her face. "He said since his foot was better and I wasn't dying anymore he thought it would be okay if he left."
"He thought? He actually said that?" Clarice asked incredulously.
"What, you don't believe me?"
"Well no, I'm not calling you a liar or anything, it's just... I have a hard time believing nobody had to tie him up to get him out of here."
"Maybe he wanted to get away from you glaring at him every time you came in here."
She made a face at him. "Well if that's all it took then I won't complain."
Samson rubbed his eyes. "Anyway, what's up? Were you looking for me or Hikki?"
"Neither, actually," Clarice answered. "I came to see if Anne wanted to go over some lessons today."
"Oh, she's with Starry. They went to go, uh, I dunno, play or whatever girls their age do."
Clarice smiled. Samson still saw his sister as a little girl, even though she was probably the more mature of the siblings.
"Well it's good that she's getting out of here more," Clarice said. "Especially if she's got a friend her own age."
"Well Starry's a few years older than Anne," Samson pointed out. "Remember, Starry's already got a boyfriend, and... I don't even want to think about Anne getting interested in boys."
"Somehow I don't think she's got too many prospects here," Clarice laughed. "Unless she's into big tough muscle men." Samson shot her a death glare. "Although that Elian's a nice boy..."
"Gaaawd, don't make me add 'Fiancee matchmaking for underage sister' to my list of Things I Don't Need..." Samson groaned.
"Okay, spoilsport," Clarice teased. Then she turned more serious. "You know, you using the "F" word makes me think of something... Is it time to tell everybody yet? I mean, that we're engaged?"
Samson looked thoughtful. "Hmm, I don't know. I mean, I guess there's no reason to hide it anymore. We mostly just didn't want that getting in the way of the war effort, right?"
Clarice nodded.
Samson continued, "Well that's over now, but... we're not exactly out of the woods yet, are we. Um... figuratively or literally."
Clarice sighed. "You're right about that. But if we wait until we figure out how to get out of this mess, then who knows how long it'll take. Maybe we should just put it out there and be done with it. I mean there's really only one person who might not want to hear it..."
"Yeah, I know," Samson said. "And we have been trying to consider his feelings. But if he hasn't come to terms with our relationship by now..."
"Yeah."
They looked at each other, already pretty much in agreement.
Samson scratched his head. "Okay, so... how does one go about making an engagement announcement in the middle of a bunker?"
**********
Starry and Anne were in the laundry facilities, folding bed sheets together. It might not have seemed like a first choice for a leisure activity, but Anne was actually enjoying herself. It was nice to get away from the somberness of the infirmary and spend some time chatting with her friend.
"So he actually tried to keep it?" Starry asked with a laugh.
"Yeah, he hid it in a shoebox under his bed so our parents wouldn't see it," Anne said. "He made me catch bugs to feed it since bugs weirded him out."
"Did it work?" Starry asked.
"We kept it up for about a week, and our parents never noticed. And then it started making these chirping sounds at night. We had to pretend we didn't notice it."
"What happened?"
"Well after a few days our dad started looking around to see what was making the noises. He accidentally kicked over the box and the lizard got out and started running around. Sammie had to chase it to try to catch it again. It was hilarious."
The girls laughed really hard imagining the stoic Samson as a boy running after a wild lizard.
"Sometimes I wish I had a brother or sister. It might have been nice to have someone else to be with," Starry said with a hint of melancholy.
"You grew up in Comdot Estate, right? What was that like?" Anne asked.
"Well we didn't live there until Mother became Head Governor. When I was young I stayed with Walter and our housekeeper Pinako while Mother was off with the army. I guess that was a fairly normal childhood, it just felt like I was living with grandparents instead of parents."
"Walter seems nice, although he's a little scary," Anne said.
Starry laughed. "He does seem that way, but I've always felt safe when he's around."
Anne smiled. "I'm glad you and he were able to come here."
Starry smiled back, a little sadly. "I am too."
They folded in silence for a few minutes, as Anne thought about Starry's situation and debated asking her something.
Starry seemed to notice Anne's thoughtfulness, and Anne looked up to see Starry looking back at her inquisitively.
"Oh, um... I was just thinking about things," Anne said, and then decided to go ahead and ask. "You can tell me if this is too personal, but I've been wondering about something... it's about your mom."
"What is it?" Starry asked, seeming unfazed.
"It's just... we're here fighting this big war, and you're here with us, but the person we're fighting against is your mom. Isn't that hard for you?"
Starry sighed. "I've had a lot of time over the years to think about my mother and the things she does. It hasn't been easy, but I think I see her for who she is."
"What do you mean?" Anne asked.
"My mother is not a good person. I wish she were, so things wouldn't have to be this way. But she's done many things that I know are wrong. If it were any other person, I would definitely say that they should be punished for what they've done."
"But it's not some other person. It's your mom."
Starry nodded slowly. "I don't know if it's wrong of me to oppose my mother. But I do know that she's doing bad things and needs to be stopped. And... I also know... that she couldn't care less about what happens to her daughter."
Anne was shocked. "What?"
Starry looked down sadly. "She made that clear to me too. So if she ever wanted any loyalty from me..." She shook her head. "No, I'm quite sure she doesn't care what I think or do. She just... doesn't care. So I'd rather support the people I know do care about me and are trying to do the right thing. I think I can do that and still have a clear conscience, even if something bad happens to my mother."
Anne was impressed. Starry might seem like a bubbly, carefree girl, but she had clearly dealt with a lot of weighty matters and had managed to come to terms with the conflicting and complicated aspects of her life in a remarkably mature way.
"Well I think that makes a lot of sense," Anne said. "And if it means anything, I think you're doing the right thing. I hope it all works out in the end for all of us."
"Me too," Starry said. She plopped a folded sheet onto the stack and took a deep breath. "Well now that the serious stuff is out of the way, I want to hear more stories about Sammie."
Anne smiled with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "You got it."
**********
Matrix sat hunched over a table in his own room, working on his "personal project." He had left Larry and Winry to deal with the preening Lloyd, figuring that they could get the grunt work out of the way before he returned to add his personal flair to the reconstructed machines. He hoped that Lloyd wouldn't notice the absence of all of the tools that he had snuck out of the lab to use.
On the table in front of him, his beloved cyberwang sat partially disassembled amongst a variety of spare parts, tools, and assorted components that he thought might prove useful.
As he concentrated, he didn't notice that someone else had appeared behind him and was peering over his shoulder watching him work.
"Dammit, where did that micro screwdriver go..." Matrix mumbled, searching through the junk strewn across the table.
"It's right there next to those batteries to your left," the other person commented helpfully.
"Oh, thank you," Matrix said, reaching for the screwdriver. Then he froze for a few seconds, and then he slowly turned around until he was face-to-face with his visitor, who smiled pleasantly back at him.
"AAAAH!" Matrix screamed, pushing his chair back. Instinctively he grabbed a wrench from the table and threw it at the intruder. But it just sailed right through him and hit the wall.
"That was kind of mean," the apparition said, looking back at the wrench.
Matrix looked at him and sputtered, "Who the hell are you? And why are you transparent?"
The specter seemed disappointed. "Aww, you don't remember me? You created me... or at least the version of me that I am now. Or was. Or something."
Matrix furrowed his brow. "Dude I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Yeah it's a little jumbled for me too," the vision admitted. "Somehow it's harder to think without a physical brain. But here, maybe this will jog your memory."
The apparition pulled down its spirit pants, and Matrix got a good look at his defining feature.
"OHHHHH, YOU'RE THE TENTACROTCH!"
"Well yes, that is one way to describe me," the ghost said, pulling up his pants. "The name's Maverick... Goose Maverick."
"Didn't you die during the war?" Matrix asked, trying to remember the list of casualties.
"Yeah, that was pretty rough," Goose said regretfully. "I went berserk and had to be put down. I didn't mean it and I'm really sorry about it."
"So what are you doing here?" Matrix asked.
"I wasn't ready to be written out of the story yet. So I've come back to be your muse... or something."
Matrix facepalmed. "Okay so... you're gonna just randomly pop up out of nowhere and start talking to me whenever you want?"
"Um... I think I'm supposed to pop up when you're working on something and inspire you."
Matrix sighed and looked at him skeptically. Then, with a "might as well give it a shot" shrug, he pointed to the cyberwang. "Okay, what do you make of that?"
Goose glanced at the device. "Um... it's either a dildo or a remote control. Either way it looks way more complicated than it needs to be."
"Well you're partially right, which I guess is all I can expect from a non-scientist," Matrix said, adjusting his glasses.
Goose looked around. "I don't see a TV in here, so I'm gonna go with dildo?"
Matrix sighed. "It's a major advancement in male enhancement technology. It is a masterpiece of phallic gadgetry. It is the most majestic, innovative cyberpeen the world has ever seen."
Goose just looked at him with a blank expression. "So... it's a fancy robot dildo."
Matrix threw his hands up in exasperation. "It's not a dildo, it's a cybernetic penis! And it's supposed to be attached to me!"
The light gradually dawned on Goose's face. "Ohhhh... I guess I should have figured that out sooner, considering what you did to me."
Matrix calmed down a little. "Well, yes, I hope that worked out for you. I didn't really get the chance to ask permission beforehand or anything."
Goose just shrugged. "I got used to it."
He turned his attention back to the cyberwang.
"Okay so if this thing is supposed to be attached to you, how come it's not?"
"Hrm, well, that's a long and rather awkward story," Matrix said uncomfortably. "And it's not really important here. What is important is that I am now tasked with reconstructing it with a relatively limited range of tools and technology available to me. So if you have any brilliant ideas, I'll be glad to hear them."
Goose regarded the cyberpeen and then glanced warily in the direction of Matrix's crotch. "Do I even want to know what you've got going on down there?"
Matrix scowled. "A collection of wiring delicately integrated into my nervous system and musculature, mounted on a surgical-quality titanium interface."
"Oh. So um... that's where it's supposed to attach."
Matrix Kif sighed. "Yes, that's where it's supposed to attach. It's just... kind of broken right now."
"Hmm..." Goose tried hard to think about how they should handle the situation.
Suddenly a knock sounded at the door. "Professor Matrix? Are you there?" Winry's voice said.
"Crap!" Matrix exclaimed under his breath. He quickly stood and looked frantically at the stuff on the desk, and then at Goose.
Not hearing anything, Winry called again. "If you're not here, I just need to come in for a minute..."
"Wait!" Matrix shouted, but it was too late. Winry opened the door and was startled to see him there.
"Oh!" she said. "I'm sorry, I thought you weren't here. I wish you'd said something."
"Uh..." Matrix wasn't sure whether to try to hide the desk or the ghost. He decided on the desk, and leaned against it to block her view of the wang and the tools.
"No problem, really..." he said, trying not to sound panicked. "We were just, uh... going over some theories for the mech designs."
"We? Is someone else here?" Winry asked, looking around.
Matrix looked at Goose, who just shrugged.
"Oh, uh, heh heh, just me and my muse," Matrix said jokingly.
Winry smiled at his eccentricity. "Well that's cool. I just came in to see if you had something."
"Oh, what's that?" Matrix asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Lloyd couldn't find the Faraday charger and he thought you might have taken it."
"Oh, hmm, I don't think I've seen it recently," Matrix lied, putting his hand down on the edge of the table to further shield the tools.
But this only drew her attention to the tools on that side of the table. "Wait, isn't that it right there?"
She moved toward the table, and in a panic Matrix picked up his cyberwang with his other hand and passed it behind his back to Goose to hide it. But as the ghost tried to take it, it passed right through his incorporeal hands and thudded to the floor.
"Oops, I guess these hands aren't made for grabbing..." Goose said apologetically.
"Shhhh, quiet, you!" Matrix hissed at him.
"Um... who are you talking to?" Winry asked warily, starting to wonder if Matrix might actually be a little bonkers. "And... what is that?" She pointed to the thing on the floor.
"It's a super secret experiment and you are interrupting science!" Matrix bellowed, standing up menacingly. "Here, take your Faraday charger and BEGONE!"
He thrust the tool into the bewildered girl's hands and shoved her toward the door. Pushing her outside, he slammed the door behind her and locked it.
"You probably should have locked the door to begin with," Goose observed.
"Yes, thank you, Captain Obvious, you're very helpful," Matrix snapped through gritted teeth. "Best muse ever."
"Aww, shucks, that's nice of you to say," Goose said, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "I wasn't even sure I'd be any good at this muse job."
Matrix rolled his eyes, and bent down to retrieve his cyberwang from the floor. "Yeah, well, you'd better come up with some inspiration for this thing pretty quick, or you'll be out of a job. You're just lucky you're apparently invisible to everyone but me."
As Matrix sat down and inspected the device for fall damage, Goose hovered over his shoulder to look at it. Matrix waved a hand at him as if trying to disperse a cloud of smoke.
"Wait, you're not even standing on the ground, are you," Matrix realized.
"Yeah, I can float too. Being a ghost is actually kind of rad. Aside from the whole not being able to interact with the physical world thing."
As if to illustrate his point, the specter passed his hand back and forth through the cyberpeen that Matrix was holding.
"I'll thank you to keep your non-physical mitts off of my manhood," Matrix grumbled, pulling the device away.
"Sorry," Goose said contritely. "I of all people should know how important it is to respect a guy's junk... no matter what state it's in."
Matrix couldn't argue with that.
"Okay so you can't just hook it up the way it was before?" Goose asked, getting back to business.
"No, there's too much damage," Matrix said. "I'd need the tools I had in my old lab, but there's no way to get those."
"Can't just duct tape it?" Goose joked.
Matrix just shot a glare at him.
Goose kept brainstorming. "You could replace it with a tentacle, you seem to be good with those."
"A tentacle would require a completely different configuration. And if I did that, all of my masterful technology here would be for naught."
"Well what if you could switch between them? Cyberdoodad for business, tentacle for fun?" Goose suggested.
"Well that just sounds..." Matrix started to object, until the glorious possibilities of the concept began to unfold in his mind. "...freaking brilliant! Interchangeable wangs! How did I not think of this before!"
"See, you just needed your muse on the job," Goose said proudly.
"Ehh... okay, sure, you get some of the credit," Matrix said grudgingly. "But only because nobody else knows you exist."
Then they noticed that Goose's ghostly form had begun to fade.
"Hey, are you disappearing?" Matrix asked.
"Whoops, I guess I can only stay until I get you your inspiration," Goose said. "I'll be back the next time you need me!" He waved goodbye until he had completely vanished.
Matrix just sat there in silence for a long time. His mind instinctively tried to come up with a scientific explanation for what had just happened, but he only made his head hurt. He looked at the cyberwang in his hands, and looked down at his crotch, and a broad smile began spreading across his face.
So what if there was a ghost, or if it was a dream, or if he'd just been delusional talking to himself? He'd come away from it with a brilliant new idea, and he couldn't wait to implement it. His mind started racing with all of the different types of toys he'd be able to install between his legs.
All he'd have to do was turn the titanium interface into a kind of docking mechanism, and construct each attachment to integrate seamlessly into a standardized configuration. It would still be hard without his arsenal of refined equipment, but Professor M. Matrix was not one to let a challenge stand in the way of attaining this level of glory.
The wang of his dreams would yet be his.
**********
"So we're supposed to just act normal now?" Cowboy asked.
"I guess, that's what Clarice told us. Whatever normal is supposed to mean now," Spice answered.
The two of them were sitting in the cafeteria, which was empty now after the dinner rush.
"I think they're just trying to keep everybody from going crazy since we're stuck here," Angel said, overhearing their conversation as she walked in for a late dinner. "You got anything left back there, April?"
"There's always something," April said from behind the counter. "Gotta warn you though, we're tightening up the belt straps from now on."
"Clarice told us that too," Spice told Angel. "You should have seen the fight that almost broke out when those big guys didn't get to eat as much as they wanted. The only thing that stopped a riot was April smiling at them and telling them it was healthier to eat smaller portions or something. I tell you, he's magic."
Lunchlady April smiled at Angel as he dished out a bowl of Sanji's latest soup creation, and somehow Angel could believe it.
Angel brought her bowl over to sit with Spice and Cowboy, leaning her crutch against the table. "It's weird with everything being so quiet after everything that just happened, but I think I'm okay with it," she said.
"Well yeah, you actually did get your ass shot off," Cowboy said. "I bet you'd rather be in here not doing anything."
"I'll probably get bored at some point," Angel acknowledged.
"That's okay, I've been bored for weeks," Spice complained. "I almost wish a fight had broken out in here so I could have busted some heads."
"We spent months just living here before the war started," April pointed out. "I expect we'll just go back to the way it was then."
"And hope there's a way out of here at the end of it," Cowboy said ruefully.
"I try not to think about that," April said. "I just think about what has to be done."
"I guess that's the way to go," Cowboy said. "Man I wish I had my chello..."
Angel enjoyed the rest of her soup in silence as the others drifted off one by one. When she finished, she sighed at her empty bowl and pushed back her chair to stand up.
"Can I take care of that for you?" said a voice behind her.
She looked up to see Mustang standing next to her holding out a hand, as if he were a gallant butler waiting to take her bowl away. It made her heart flutter just a little.
"Well if you want to wait on me, I won't turn you down," she said coyly.
He grinned and took the bowl back up to the counter. By the time he returned she was on her feet and fumbling with her crutch.
"If you'd like I could lend you my arm," he offered. "It might be more comfortable than that thing."
"It's like you're reading my mind," she said with a smile, taking his arm.
"Where to?" he asked as they headed out of the cafeteria.
"Well, I don't really have anywhere to be," she said. "How about you?"
"I'm off duty for the rest of the night," Mustang said. "I was thinking I might go relax in one of the common rooms. I happen to know one with a nice sofa that nobody ever goes to."
"Sounds good to me," Angel said, thinking that relaxing with Roy in his new less angsty state might be quite enjoyable. She wasn't sure why he seemed to be in better spirits, but it made her feel a lot more comfortable being with him.
They made it to the common room, and as Mustang had predicted there was nobody around.
"So, how's it going?" Angel asked as they settled onto the couch.
"Ehh... I've been better. I'm sore all over," Mustang said.
"Sounds like you could use a backrub," Angel said, and gestured for him to turn around.
"You really don't have to..." Mustang tried to protest, but she wouldn't take no for an answer.
He turned his back to her, and she started massaging his shoulders. He had to admit that it felt really good.
"So what's got you so tense now that the war's over?" Angel asked.
"It's been a rough couple of days. I spent half of yesterday and most of today cremating our fallen comrades. And I'll tell you one thing, burning your friends is a lot less fun than burning your enemies."
"Geez, that's terrible," Angel said sympathetically. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that."
Mustang shook his head. "It had to be done. And I feel a lot better about it knowing that all of those people will be able to rest in peace."
"Mmm..." she murmured.
"But that's enough morbid talk," Mustang said, brightening the mood. "So how did things go? I mean with your sleepover?"
Angel sighed. "Well the good news is she didn't ralph all over everything. But if you think Emiri makes a mean drunk, she's even meaner when she's hung-over and feels like crap and starts demanding more alcohol. 'Hair of the dog' my ass."
Mustang chuckled in spite of himself. "I'm sure you were able to handle her."
"Yeah, I threw her sass right back at her, and then got Kira to come carry her home. It worked out okay."
"Glad to hear it," Mustang said. He seemed to be melting into Angel's hands. "Man that's nice..."
Angel smiled. "I'm glad to see you relax. I think we've both been too tense these last few weeks."
"You're right. And I'll apologize for that. It's definitely something I want to change."
"I'd say you're making a good start," Angel said encouragingly.
They lapsed into silence as Angel worked out more of the tension in his back and he sank closer and closer to her. She almost wondered if he was going to doze off.
"I meant what I said... about making things up to you," he said quietly. "I'll do whatever I have to do to make things right between us."
"I understand," she replied. "And I'm just as ready as you are to see where that goes."
She put her arms around him, and he let himself sink back the rest of the way into her embrace.
They spent the next few hours just talking. It felt like the first time they were really able to open up to each other. By the time Mustang escorted Angel back to her room, she felt not only sleepy but quite content being able to just kiss him goodnight, knowing that this might just be the start of something wonderful.
Chapter 52 author's notes:
Recurring characters:
Clarice Rowe - QueenoftheDorks
Raef Compton - Maenos
Foley S. Goode - Foley_is_Good_149
Samson Monroe - MasterSamson
Anne Monroe - herself
Hikki Follet - Kohikki
Starry Ozzal - starryjelly
*Michelle Ozzal - Mike Lazzo
Professor M. Matrix - matrixman124
Larry Zorin - LAZY17
Goose Maverick - Top_Gun
Cowboy - CowboyCadenza
Spice Spamton - spiceweasel228
Angel Sarcasta - mgangel1124
April - LirpaYamEnujYluj
*Emiri - _Boxers_
*Ein - Cowboy Bebop
*Elian - s-CRY-ed
*Walter Dornez - Hellsing
Winry Rockbell - Fullmetal Alchemist
Lloyd Asplund - Code Geass
*Sanji - One Piece
Roy Mustang - Fullmetal Alchemist
*Izuru Kira - Bleach
New characters:
*Pinako - Fullmetal Alchemist
* Characters marked with an asterisk are mentioned but do not take an active part in the story.
Clarice trudged toward the infirmary, tired after a long morning of haggling over food rations with Raef and Foley. She carried some books and notebooks and a pencil box. Her pace quickened as she approached Samson's room. As tired as she was, she was still looking forward to spending some quality time with the people she cared about.
She opened the door, expecting to see Anne sitting by Samson's bedside with Ein in her lap. What she found was a conspicuous lack of Hikki.
"He went back to his own room," Samson explained, seeing the look of surprise on her face. "He said since his foot was better and I wasn't dying anymore he thought it would be okay if he left."
"He thought? He actually said that?" Clarice asked incredulously.
"What, you don't believe me?"
"Well no, I'm not calling you a liar or anything, it's just... I have a hard time believing nobody had to tie him up to get him out of here."
"Maybe he wanted to get away from you glaring at him every time you came in here."
She made a face at him. "Well if that's all it took then I won't complain."
Samson rubbed his eyes. "Anyway, what's up? Were you looking for me or Hikki?"
"Neither, actually," Clarice answered. "I came to see if Anne wanted to go over some lessons today."
"Oh, she's with Starry. They went to go, uh, I dunno, play or whatever girls their age do."
Clarice smiled. Samson still saw his sister as a little girl, even though she was probably the more mature of the siblings.
"Well it's good that she's getting out of here more," Clarice said. "Especially if she's got a friend her own age."
"Well Starry's a few years older than Anne," Samson pointed out. "Remember, Starry's already got a boyfriend, and... I don't even want to think about Anne getting interested in boys."
"Somehow I don't think she's got too many prospects here," Clarice laughed. "Unless she's into big tough muscle men." Samson shot her a death glare. "Although that Elian's a nice boy..."
"Gaaawd, don't make me add 'Fiancee matchmaking for underage sister' to my list of Things I Don't Need..." Samson groaned.
"Okay, spoilsport," Clarice teased. Then she turned more serious. "You know, you using the "F" word makes me think of something... Is it time to tell everybody yet? I mean, that we're engaged?"
Samson looked thoughtful. "Hmm, I don't know. I mean, I guess there's no reason to hide it anymore. We mostly just didn't want that getting in the way of the war effort, right?"
Clarice nodded.
Samson continued, "Well that's over now, but... we're not exactly out of the woods yet, are we. Um... figuratively or literally."
Clarice sighed. "You're right about that. But if we wait until we figure out how to get out of this mess, then who knows how long it'll take. Maybe we should just put it out there and be done with it. I mean there's really only one person who might not want to hear it..."
"Yeah, I know," Samson said. "And we have been trying to consider his feelings. But if he hasn't come to terms with our relationship by now..."
"Yeah."
They looked at each other, already pretty much in agreement.
Samson scratched his head. "Okay, so... how does one go about making an engagement announcement in the middle of a bunker?"
**********
Starry and Anne were in the laundry facilities, folding bed sheets together. It might not have seemed like a first choice for a leisure activity, but Anne was actually enjoying herself. It was nice to get away from the somberness of the infirmary and spend some time chatting with her friend.
"So he actually tried to keep it?" Starry asked with a laugh.
"Yeah, he hid it in a shoebox under his bed so our parents wouldn't see it," Anne said. "He made me catch bugs to feed it since bugs weirded him out."
"Did it work?" Starry asked.
"We kept it up for about a week, and our parents never noticed. And then it started making these chirping sounds at night. We had to pretend we didn't notice it."
"What happened?"
"Well after a few days our dad started looking around to see what was making the noises. He accidentally kicked over the box and the lizard got out and started running around. Sammie had to chase it to try to catch it again. It was hilarious."
The girls laughed really hard imagining the stoic Samson as a boy running after a wild lizard.
"Sometimes I wish I had a brother or sister. It might have been nice to have someone else to be with," Starry said with a hint of melancholy.
"You grew up in Comdot Estate, right? What was that like?" Anne asked.
"Well we didn't live there until Mother became Head Governor. When I was young I stayed with Walter and our housekeeper Pinako while Mother was off with the army. I guess that was a fairly normal childhood, it just felt like I was living with grandparents instead of parents."
"Walter seems nice, although he's a little scary," Anne said.
Starry laughed. "He does seem that way, but I've always felt safe when he's around."
Anne smiled. "I'm glad you and he were able to come here."
Starry smiled back, a little sadly. "I am too."
They folded in silence for a few minutes, as Anne thought about Starry's situation and debated asking her something.
Starry seemed to notice Anne's thoughtfulness, and Anne looked up to see Starry looking back at her inquisitively.
"Oh, um... I was just thinking about things," Anne said, and then decided to go ahead and ask. "You can tell me if this is too personal, but I've been wondering about something... it's about your mom."
"What is it?" Starry asked, seeming unfazed.
"It's just... we're here fighting this big war, and you're here with us, but the person we're fighting against is your mom. Isn't that hard for you?"
Starry sighed. "I've had a lot of time over the years to think about my mother and the things she does. It hasn't been easy, but I think I see her for who she is."
"What do you mean?" Anne asked.
"My mother is not a good person. I wish she were, so things wouldn't have to be this way. But she's done many things that I know are wrong. If it were any other person, I would definitely say that they should be punished for what they've done."
"But it's not some other person. It's your mom."
Starry nodded slowly. "I don't know if it's wrong of me to oppose my mother. But I do know that she's doing bad things and needs to be stopped. And... I also know... that she couldn't care less about what happens to her daughter."
Anne was shocked. "What?"
Starry looked down sadly. "She made that clear to me too. So if she ever wanted any loyalty from me..." She shook her head. "No, I'm quite sure she doesn't care what I think or do. She just... doesn't care. So I'd rather support the people I know do care about me and are trying to do the right thing. I think I can do that and still have a clear conscience, even if something bad happens to my mother."
Anne was impressed. Starry might seem like a bubbly, carefree girl, but she had clearly dealt with a lot of weighty matters and had managed to come to terms with the conflicting and complicated aspects of her life in a remarkably mature way.
"Well I think that makes a lot of sense," Anne said. "And if it means anything, I think you're doing the right thing. I hope it all works out in the end for all of us."
"Me too," Starry said. She plopped a folded sheet onto the stack and took a deep breath. "Well now that the serious stuff is out of the way, I want to hear more stories about Sammie."
Anne smiled with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "You got it."
**********
Matrix sat hunched over a table in his own room, working on his "personal project." He had left Larry and Winry to deal with the preening Lloyd, figuring that they could get the grunt work out of the way before he returned to add his personal flair to the reconstructed machines. He hoped that Lloyd wouldn't notice the absence of all of the tools that he had snuck out of the lab to use.
On the table in front of him, his beloved cyberwang sat partially disassembled amongst a variety of spare parts, tools, and assorted components that he thought might prove useful.
As he concentrated, he didn't notice that someone else had appeared behind him and was peering over his shoulder watching him work.
"Dammit, where did that micro screwdriver go..." Matrix mumbled, searching through the junk strewn across the table.
"It's right there next to those batteries to your left," the other person commented helpfully.
"Oh, thank you," Matrix said, reaching for the screwdriver. Then he froze for a few seconds, and then he slowly turned around until he was face-to-face with his visitor, who smiled pleasantly back at him.
"AAAAH!" Matrix screamed, pushing his chair back. Instinctively he grabbed a wrench from the table and threw it at the intruder. But it just sailed right through him and hit the wall.
"That was kind of mean," the apparition said, looking back at the wrench.
Matrix looked at him and sputtered, "Who the hell are you? And why are you transparent?"
The specter seemed disappointed. "Aww, you don't remember me? You created me... or at least the version of me that I am now. Or was. Or something."
Matrix furrowed his brow. "Dude I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Yeah it's a little jumbled for me too," the vision admitted. "Somehow it's harder to think without a physical brain. But here, maybe this will jog your memory."
The apparition pulled down its spirit pants, and Matrix got a good look at his defining feature.
"OHHHHH, YOU'RE THE TENTACROTCH!"
"Well yes, that is one way to describe me," the ghost said, pulling up his pants. "The name's Maverick... Goose Maverick."
"Didn't you die during the war?" Matrix asked, trying to remember the list of casualties.
"Yeah, that was pretty rough," Goose said regretfully. "I went berserk and had to be put down. I didn't mean it and I'm really sorry about it."
"So what are you doing here?" Matrix asked.
"I wasn't ready to be written out of the story yet. So I've come back to be your muse... or something."
Matrix facepalmed. "Okay so... you're gonna just randomly pop up out of nowhere and start talking to me whenever you want?"
"Um... I think I'm supposed to pop up when you're working on something and inspire you."
Matrix sighed and looked at him skeptically. Then, with a "might as well give it a shot" shrug, he pointed to the cyberwang. "Okay, what do you make of that?"
Goose glanced at the device. "Um... it's either a dildo or a remote control. Either way it looks way more complicated than it needs to be."
"Well you're partially right, which I guess is all I can expect from a non-scientist," Matrix said, adjusting his glasses.
Goose looked around. "I don't see a TV in here, so I'm gonna go with dildo?"
Matrix sighed. "It's a major advancement in male enhancement technology. It is a masterpiece of phallic gadgetry. It is the most majestic, innovative cyberpeen the world has ever seen."
Goose just looked at him with a blank expression. "So... it's a fancy robot dildo."
Matrix threw his hands up in exasperation. "It's not a dildo, it's a cybernetic penis! And it's supposed to be attached to me!"
The light gradually dawned on Goose's face. "Ohhhh... I guess I should have figured that out sooner, considering what you did to me."
Matrix calmed down a little. "Well, yes, I hope that worked out for you. I didn't really get the chance to ask permission beforehand or anything."
Goose just shrugged. "I got used to it."
He turned his attention back to the cyberwang.
"Okay so if this thing is supposed to be attached to you, how come it's not?"
"Hrm, well, that's a long and rather awkward story," Matrix said uncomfortably. "And it's not really important here. What is important is that I am now tasked with reconstructing it with a relatively limited range of tools and technology available to me. So if you have any brilliant ideas, I'll be glad to hear them."
Goose regarded the cyberpeen and then glanced warily in the direction of Matrix's crotch. "Do I even want to know what you've got going on down there?"
Matrix scowled. "A collection of wiring delicately integrated into my nervous system and musculature, mounted on a surgical-quality titanium interface."
"Oh. So um... that's where it's supposed to attach."
Matrix Kif sighed. "Yes, that's where it's supposed to attach. It's just... kind of broken right now."
"Hmm..." Goose tried hard to think about how they should handle the situation.
Suddenly a knock sounded at the door. "Professor Matrix? Are you there?" Winry's voice said.
"Crap!" Matrix exclaimed under his breath. He quickly stood and looked frantically at the stuff on the desk, and then at Goose.
Not hearing anything, Winry called again. "If you're not here, I just need to come in for a minute..."
"Wait!" Matrix shouted, but it was too late. Winry opened the door and was startled to see him there.
"Oh!" she said. "I'm sorry, I thought you weren't here. I wish you'd said something."
"Uh..." Matrix wasn't sure whether to try to hide the desk or the ghost. He decided on the desk, and leaned against it to block her view of the wang and the tools.
"No problem, really..." he said, trying not to sound panicked. "We were just, uh... going over some theories for the mech designs."
"We? Is someone else here?" Winry asked, looking around.
Matrix looked at Goose, who just shrugged.
"Oh, uh, heh heh, just me and my muse," Matrix said jokingly.
Winry smiled at his eccentricity. "Well that's cool. I just came in to see if you had something."
"Oh, what's that?" Matrix asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Lloyd couldn't find the Faraday charger and he thought you might have taken it."
"Oh, hmm, I don't think I've seen it recently," Matrix lied, putting his hand down on the edge of the table to further shield the tools.
But this only drew her attention to the tools on that side of the table. "Wait, isn't that it right there?"
She moved toward the table, and in a panic Matrix picked up his cyberwang with his other hand and passed it behind his back to Goose to hide it. But as the ghost tried to take it, it passed right through his incorporeal hands and thudded to the floor.
"Oops, I guess these hands aren't made for grabbing..." Goose said apologetically.
"Shhhh, quiet, you!" Matrix hissed at him.
"Um... who are you talking to?" Winry asked warily, starting to wonder if Matrix might actually be a little bonkers. "And... what is that?" She pointed to the thing on the floor.
"It's a super secret experiment and you are interrupting science!" Matrix bellowed, standing up menacingly. "Here, take your Faraday charger and BEGONE!"
He thrust the tool into the bewildered girl's hands and shoved her toward the door. Pushing her outside, he slammed the door behind her and locked it.
"You probably should have locked the door to begin with," Goose observed.
"Yes, thank you, Captain Obvious, you're very helpful," Matrix snapped through gritted teeth. "Best muse ever."
"Aww, shucks, that's nice of you to say," Goose said, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "I wasn't even sure I'd be any good at this muse job."
Matrix rolled his eyes, and bent down to retrieve his cyberwang from the floor. "Yeah, well, you'd better come up with some inspiration for this thing pretty quick, or you'll be out of a job. You're just lucky you're apparently invisible to everyone but me."
As Matrix sat down and inspected the device for fall damage, Goose hovered over his shoulder to look at it. Matrix waved a hand at him as if trying to disperse a cloud of smoke.
"Wait, you're not even standing on the ground, are you," Matrix realized.
"Yeah, I can float too. Being a ghost is actually kind of rad. Aside from the whole not being able to interact with the physical world thing."
As if to illustrate his point, the specter passed his hand back and forth through the cyberpeen that Matrix was holding.
"I'll thank you to keep your non-physical mitts off of my manhood," Matrix grumbled, pulling the device away.
"Sorry," Goose said contritely. "I of all people should know how important it is to respect a guy's junk... no matter what state it's in."
Matrix couldn't argue with that.
"Okay so you can't just hook it up the way it was before?" Goose asked, getting back to business.
"No, there's too much damage," Matrix said. "I'd need the tools I had in my old lab, but there's no way to get those."
"Can't just duct tape it?" Goose joked.
Matrix just shot a glare at him.
Goose kept brainstorming. "You could replace it with a tentacle, you seem to be good with those."
"A tentacle would require a completely different configuration. And if I did that, all of my masterful technology here would be for naught."
"Well what if you could switch between them? Cyberdoodad for business, tentacle for fun?" Goose suggested.
"Well that just sounds..." Matrix started to object, until the glorious possibilities of the concept began to unfold in his mind. "...freaking brilliant! Interchangeable wangs! How did I not think of this before!"
"See, you just needed your muse on the job," Goose said proudly.
"Ehh... okay, sure, you get some of the credit," Matrix said grudgingly. "But only because nobody else knows you exist."
Then they noticed that Goose's ghostly form had begun to fade.
"Hey, are you disappearing?" Matrix asked.
"Whoops, I guess I can only stay until I get you your inspiration," Goose said. "I'll be back the next time you need me!" He waved goodbye until he had completely vanished.
Matrix just sat there in silence for a long time. His mind instinctively tried to come up with a scientific explanation for what had just happened, but he only made his head hurt. He looked at the cyberwang in his hands, and looked down at his crotch, and a broad smile began spreading across his face.
So what if there was a ghost, or if it was a dream, or if he'd just been delusional talking to himself? He'd come away from it with a brilliant new idea, and he couldn't wait to implement it. His mind started racing with all of the different types of toys he'd be able to install between his legs.
All he'd have to do was turn the titanium interface into a kind of docking mechanism, and construct each attachment to integrate seamlessly into a standardized configuration. It would still be hard without his arsenal of refined equipment, but Professor M. Matrix was not one to let a challenge stand in the way of attaining this level of glory.
The wang of his dreams would yet be his.
**********
"So we're supposed to just act normal now?" Cowboy asked.
"I guess, that's what Clarice told us. Whatever normal is supposed to mean now," Spice answered.
The two of them were sitting in the cafeteria, which was empty now after the dinner rush.
"I think they're just trying to keep everybody from going crazy since we're stuck here," Angel said, overhearing their conversation as she walked in for a late dinner. "You got anything left back there, April?"
"There's always something," April said from behind the counter. "Gotta warn you though, we're tightening up the belt straps from now on."
"Clarice told us that too," Spice told Angel. "You should have seen the fight that almost broke out when those big guys didn't get to eat as much as they wanted. The only thing that stopped a riot was April smiling at them and telling them it was healthier to eat smaller portions or something. I tell you, he's magic."
Lunchlady April smiled at Angel as he dished out a bowl of Sanji's latest soup creation, and somehow Angel could believe it.
Angel brought her bowl over to sit with Spice and Cowboy, leaning her crutch against the table. "It's weird with everything being so quiet after everything that just happened, but I think I'm okay with it," she said.
"Well yeah, you actually did get your ass shot off," Cowboy said. "I bet you'd rather be in here not doing anything."
"I'll probably get bored at some point," Angel acknowledged.
"That's okay, I've been bored for weeks," Spice complained. "I almost wish a fight had broken out in here so I could have busted some heads."
"We spent months just living here before the war started," April pointed out. "I expect we'll just go back to the way it was then."
"And hope there's a way out of here at the end of it," Cowboy said ruefully.
"I try not to think about that," April said. "I just think about what has to be done."
"I guess that's the way to go," Cowboy said. "Man I wish I had my chello..."
Angel enjoyed the rest of her soup in silence as the others drifted off one by one. When she finished, she sighed at her empty bowl and pushed back her chair to stand up.
"Can I take care of that for you?" said a voice behind her.
She looked up to see Mustang standing next to her holding out a hand, as if he were a gallant butler waiting to take her bowl away. It made her heart flutter just a little.
"Well if you want to wait on me, I won't turn you down," she said coyly.
He grinned and took the bowl back up to the counter. By the time he returned she was on her feet and fumbling with her crutch.
"If you'd like I could lend you my arm," he offered. "It might be more comfortable than that thing."
"It's like you're reading my mind," she said with a smile, taking his arm.
"Where to?" he asked as they headed out of the cafeteria.
"Well, I don't really have anywhere to be," she said. "How about you?"
"I'm off duty for the rest of the night," Mustang said. "I was thinking I might go relax in one of the common rooms. I happen to know one with a nice sofa that nobody ever goes to."
"Sounds good to me," Angel said, thinking that relaxing with Roy in his new less angsty state might be quite enjoyable. She wasn't sure why he seemed to be in better spirits, but it made her feel a lot more comfortable being with him.
They made it to the common room, and as Mustang had predicted there was nobody around.
"So, how's it going?" Angel asked as they settled onto the couch.
"Ehh... I've been better. I'm sore all over," Mustang said.
"Sounds like you could use a backrub," Angel said, and gestured for him to turn around.
"You really don't have to..." Mustang tried to protest, but she wouldn't take no for an answer.
He turned his back to her, and she started massaging his shoulders. He had to admit that it felt really good.
"So what's got you so tense now that the war's over?" Angel asked.
"It's been a rough couple of days. I spent half of yesterday and most of today cremating our fallen comrades. And I'll tell you one thing, burning your friends is a lot less fun than burning your enemies."
"Geez, that's terrible," Angel said sympathetically. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that."
Mustang shook his head. "It had to be done. And I feel a lot better about it knowing that all of those people will be able to rest in peace."
"Mmm..." she murmured.
"But that's enough morbid talk," Mustang said, brightening the mood. "So how did things go? I mean with your sleepover?"
Angel sighed. "Well the good news is she didn't ralph all over everything. But if you think Emiri makes a mean drunk, she's even meaner when she's hung-over and feels like crap and starts demanding more alcohol. 'Hair of the dog' my ass."
Mustang chuckled in spite of himself. "I'm sure you were able to handle her."
"Yeah, I threw her sass right back at her, and then got Kira to come carry her home. It worked out okay."
"Glad to hear it," Mustang said. He seemed to be melting into Angel's hands. "Man that's nice..."
Angel smiled. "I'm glad to see you relax. I think we've both been too tense these last few weeks."
"You're right. And I'll apologize for that. It's definitely something I want to change."
"I'd say you're making a good start," Angel said encouragingly.
They lapsed into silence as Angel worked out more of the tension in his back and he sank closer and closer to her. She almost wondered if he was going to doze off.
"I meant what I said... about making things up to you," he said quietly. "I'll do whatever I have to do to make things right between us."
"I understand," she replied. "And I'm just as ready as you are to see where that goes."
She put her arms around him, and he let himself sink back the rest of the way into her embrace.
They spent the next few hours just talking. It felt like the first time they were really able to open up to each other. By the time Mustang escorted Angel back to her room, she felt not only sleepy but quite content being able to just kiss him goodnight, knowing that this might just be the start of something wonderful.
Chapter 52 author's notes:
Recurring characters:
Clarice Rowe - QueenoftheDorks
Raef Compton - Maenos
Foley S. Goode - Foley_is_Good_149
Samson Monroe - MasterSamson
Anne Monroe - herself
Hikki Follet - Kohikki
Starry Ozzal - starryjelly
*Michelle Ozzal - Mike Lazzo
Professor M. Matrix - matrixman124
Larry Zorin - LAZY17
Goose Maverick - Top_Gun
Cowboy - CowboyCadenza
Spice Spamton - spiceweasel228
Angel Sarcasta - mgangel1124
April - LirpaYamEnujYluj
*Emiri - _Boxers_
*Ein - Cowboy Bebop
*Elian - s-CRY-ed
*Walter Dornez - Hellsing
Winry Rockbell - Fullmetal Alchemist
Lloyd Asplund - Code Geass
*Sanji - One Piece
Roy Mustang - Fullmetal Alchemist
*Izuru Kira - Bleach
New characters:
*Pinako - Fullmetal Alchemist
* Characters marked with an asterisk are mentioned but do not take an active part in the story.