| Chapter 20 The psychologist wriggled his fingers to see how quickly he was still move them. He lunged forward at Will. Will who was taken by surprise, threw his arms into the air and purple light glowed from his hand causing Matt to fly back roughly. “Don’t mess with me, Caldwell,” said Will. “You messed with me first,” said the former psychologist. Matt put his sword back into its sheathe. “Giving up already? Your father would be so proud!” Matt lifted his hands and magically pushed Will backwards a few steps. “Oh good job! You shoved me! What’s your next trick? Are you going to ruffle my hair?” “I don’t think I need to, to tell you the truth. How do you get it to stand up so crazily like that?” “I’ll give you my secret if you give me yours.” Will opened his right hand and purple light grew from it. The psychologist watched as small rocks rose into the air. “Too bad your pupil wasn’t here to watch you fail.” The stones flew at the psychologist from all directions. He lifted his hands and sprayed them in all directions away from himself. Will lifted his arms and the small rocks flying at him hit an invisible shield causing them to fall to the ground. “That’s really cute, Matt. Trying to make yourself seem less powerful than you really are. Well come on now, show me what you’re made of.” Matt stood completely still and stared at Will. “You aren’t just going to stand there are you? What if I found a way to hurt,” he paused, “your sister.” “Alright, this Star Wars stuff is growing old, the least you could do is be original. You don’t even look like Darth Vader, and I’m obviously not Luke, so just can it, alright?” “Well, I’m sorry, I just kind of find it amusing.” “Yeah well, it’s not funny, alright?” The psychologist cleared his mind and began concentrating on removing the shadows from his legs, his speed would be very useful at this time. Will used his magic to lift up a rock and throw it at him. The former psychologist jumped out of the way just as the rock flew past him. He ran up to Will with all the speed he could use to propel him. His darkly clad foe attempted to use his levitation power but Matt deflected it with his magic. “Get back WILL!” Will flew backwards and hit the ground. Matt could feel the shadows melt off of him. In an instant he was on top of Will with his sword pointed against his neck. “Now where is Mona!?” The psychologist roared. “I’ll never tell you.” “Move and I’ll cut off both of your hands, now talk! Where is she!” Will grinned, “There’s no reason in this forsaken planet for me to tell you.” “Would you die for Mona? What has she done for you? She will undoubtedly betray you, she has betrayed everyone in her life.” “I am not afraid of death.” “You will be.” Matt could see Will’s light blue eyes cloud over. The psychologist’s sword arm felt a sting. His eyes fell on his arm and he could see tendril like shadows wrapping around his arm. In the next fifteen seconds his body was covered with them and they started to pull him to the ground. Will stood up, “I must go now, too bad we couldn’t finish this fight.” With that he tore off down the halls. “NO!!” the psychologist screamed. He ripped his sword arm through the shadows and began to cut them off from his legs. When he hit them with the sword they recoiled and fell back into the shadows along the walls. Once he removed them all he stood up and ran down the halls. At the end of one of the hallways there was an impressive room. This must be the room where Mona works, thought the former psychologist. He heard voices and quickly hid himself in the shadows. “Really Matt,” the voice sounded familiar, “After all this time and what you did to me you still follow me. You felt bad about exiling me to Neptune, hmm?” Now the psychologist could see who was talking. It was a short woman with dark skin and black and purple hair, Mona. The person standing opposite her was his pupil. The psychologist gripped at his anger and quenched it. “And how are your lintballs? I see you still have that ball of fur, too.” Chibi growled and bared his teeth but the Kidd hushed him up. “Mona, I have seen the errors of my ways, I should never have turned on such a powerful master as you,” could that even be Matt’s voice? It sounded so low and serious. “You are right, you shouldn’t have,” Mona’s voice lacked all mercy, “And where is this penny that you bring me?” Matt pulled a copper coin from a small pouch at his waist and extended his open hand. “Am I supposed to trust that this penny is real?” “It is real, I got it straight from Hannahoko’s hand, what a stupid girl she is.” “Do you believe I am stupid enough to take that from your hand? Toss it here.” “As you wish.” The Kidd tossed the penny in the air. The psychologist watched it fly in the air and clatter behind the tyrant. “Oops,” said the Kidd, “The wind must have taken it. That reminds me of a story.” “Silence! Do not lapse into your stupidity with me, Ballenger. You know I know you better than that. Now pick up the penny.” Matt junior looked at her for a moment. “Can I trust you?” he finally asked. “I am not asking you to trust in me. You sought me out and I assume by that you felt safe enough to come here.” The Kidd warily walked over to the penny and bent down to pick it up. The psychologist watched Mona quickly draw her rapier and hold it across the back of the Kidd’s neck. “You always were rather gullible, and Will isn’t even here this time. Now, why are you really here?” The Kidd dropped to his stomach and rolled out of the way. His knives fell into his hands, and he stared at her knelt on one knee. “Sometimes I wonder if I should have trained you at all, I could have killed you quite easily just then.” Matt junior did not respond. He threw as knife at her leg and another fell into his hand as he stood up. The blade flew and stuck into her boot. It may have cut deeper but she did not show her pain. She pulled the knife out and threw it on the ground. “Juvenial,” she breathed composing herself. The psychologist watched wondering what would happen next and whether or not he should run to the Kidd’s aid just yet. Before he could decide Will ran into the room. “Take care of this one Will,” she motioned towards Matt junior, “We will leave him here.” Before Matt could move the light in the room formed around him and he lost the ability to move. Will followed the action by walking up to Matt junior and cracking the flat of his sword against the Kidd’s head. Matt fell to the ground unconscious. “Let us go,” Mona ordered. “Wait, someone is here, I feel…Caldwell is very close.” “There is no time left, the cave will self destruct in 20 minutes, Will. We must go now.” The psychologist waited for the pair to leave before he strode up to the Kidd. He leaned down and looked at Matt junior. “What will we do with you, JJ?” he asked his unconscious pupil. The psychologist slung JJ over his shoulder and walked out of the room. ******************** BenBen glowed with excitement. He had wandered away from the penguins and by some source of luck he found where Mona kept her weapons. More than weapons, there were explosives. His features almost turned maniacal as he gathered up dynamite and various other explosives. He began to lay them around the caverns. Once he accomplished that task he searched his cloak for something. With extreme happiness he pulled out several cans of gasoline. He splashed them around until he ran out and then he set the timer for 20 minutes. “Gotta go,” he said to himself. He ran down the hallways and saw his brother walking towards him with the Kidd slung over his shoulder. “We need to go,” said BenBen and Matt simultaneously. “Y-eah, we really do,” said BenBen trying not to giggle. They ran out of the caverns as fast as they could. Matt senior slowing down his pace for BenBen to keep up. They managed to make it out of the caves and to safety just in time. *********** Anday woke with a start. He rubbed his hands against his face. How long had he been sleeping? Today Russia was attacking. What a thing to say so casual, he thought, someone is coming to try to destroy your home and you sat it like its something natural. He hopped off his bunk. His eye reverted to his roommate, Squirt. To Anday’s surprise Squirt’s eyes were already open. “Hey bud, you okay?” Squirt nodded slowly. “You aren’t scared are you?” “No.” “I would be if I were a poor pilot like you,” Anday said smirking. A pillow hit Anday in the face. “Come on, let’s get out there.” ********** Hannahoko dropped her head back against the pillow, and her hammock swayed underneath her. Why, why, why, why! She screamed inside her head. No, that wasn’t even the question, she knew why. She was why. She couldn’t make it right. How could she ever make it right. Lord, her inner voice cried, Please give me strength. I know that all things belong to you, and you will make it all work out somehow. Just please don’t let me forget you. Sometimes it is so hard. I don’t let people know of You enough. Why am I like that? Why am I always afraid of what they will think? Other times I wonder why you gave me the opportunity to know You. I mean, that’s what is really is. You made me who I am and gave me the opportunity to know about You. I have an advantage over others who don’t serve You. I don’t even mean people who live in foreign countries who don’t even know Your name, I mean people who under circumstances would follow You. I know you don’t create us incapable of serving You, but I know you are just and You know what You’re doing. So anyway, I will speak more later. In your name… The young queen got out of the hammock and standing in front of her was the pirate captain. “Must you always sneak up on me like that?” “What were you thinking about, Hannah’?” “I’m not sure you would understand,” she said. “No? Give me a chance.” “Dylan, do you believe in God? Not, it’s more than that. Do you believe there is a God you should serve?” “Sometimes,” he answered sincerely. Hannahoko’s smile was warm, “Thank you for being honest.” ********** Nick sat in the seat of his new ship. Why did this feel so wrong? Of course he knew the answer to that, how could he suddenly turn on his own people? And yet, he knew they were wrong. Hannahoko would never do any of those things Erika said, she would never try to inflict pain on so many people like Mona’s “prophesy” says. It is most likely a false prophesy anyway, made by Mona to turn the Russians against Hannahoko. “You alright, Nick?” Nick heard a male voice over the com, it was Anday’s. “Yeah, I’m fine.” “Alright, we’re going to move out. Our only hope is to achieve the element of surprise on our enem- the Russians. So, you know your job and post?” “Yes,” said Nick, “I understand completely what I must do.” ********************** BenBen and the two Matts walked along the dusty earth. The Kidd had become conscious and he was sullen and withdrawn. “There is a presence in my forest,” said BenBen. “Who do you think it is?” asked the retired psychologist. “Our sister is there,” he replied. “Then we will be there also, make sure she doesn’t get hurt either, LET her in the forest. Forget about equality for a moment.” Suddenly the Kidd found his tongue, “No! We can’t go there, I can’t face Hannahoko without the penny. I don’t want to hurt her again.” “JJ,” the psychologist said patiently, “You will be more help to her seeking her out than you would be continually hiding from her. She will be glad to see you.” BenBen who had scarcely noticed their conversation interjected his thoughts, “Your super lintball seems rather powerful compared to most lintballs I have known.” “No, BenBen,” Matt senior admonished, “Now is not the time. We will journey to the willow tree forest and find our sister.” |