Emily: Of course it's OK with me if you put it in your signature! =D

...as long as you say it's from this story, written by me, and then you declare me queen of the universe.


Just kidding! No citation needed. ;)

And of course I'm glad you're liking it =D


Next chapter will be up by the end of tonight, btw. It'll be one of the more emotion-driven chapters in the story. You'll see what I mean. Chapter 17 will also probably be up tomorrow, since it's probably going to be the shortest chapter in this story, but is also EXTREMELY climatic and important.

-- Edited by Dragon Wing at 20:03, 2008-04-26

O_o

Sorry; to me, it looks really huge on the screen. XD

Dragon Wing, OF COURSE I was going to cite you! *squish*

It’ll be like, a promotion sorta thing. ;P

I can't wait for the next chapter. Wrrrriiiittteee. xD
Oh wait, I'm pro'lly distracting you. 'Cause I'm talking to you right now. Haha.

So far you're doing astoundingly well, DW. :D
I'll have to run you through on a few tricks, though... maybe when I have the energy. x.x I'm pooped. All that reading made my eye hurt, and I can feel bags under it too.

But uhh-- just to press the matter further, you write very well. High School Graduate level, from what I've seen so far. :3

-randomly taps on closet door-

...Emily, don'tcha think she might want some food and water in there? XD

-is still distracting Dragon Wing- >D
Typewriters have IM these days. Muahaha.

...forget Mika, Emily. You need to get off the amphetamines!

I'm not on ampototamberines. ;__;

Sorry I'm late guise. D: But if I had done it all last night it would have been rushed and therefore bad. So here it is now.



Chapter 16: Lifting Shadows off A Dream

Rev continued looking out of the window and into the world beyond. He painted a picture of the scene into his mind; committed it to memory. Then, with an odd sense of determination, he closed his eyes and tried to picture the scene devoid of any conflicts, any troubles, any sadness. What was left, he found, was nothing, and everything; a barren field, where nature stirred quietly, quietly humming the songs of long ago. Where had everything gone wrong?

Rev opened his eyes, and turned around, seeing her once again, lingering amongst the rest of his friends. Evidently, Rev was no longer special to her. No more special, at least, than anyone else. What had changed? Rev couldn’t bear to take witness to the scene any longer. He made refuge to Tech’s lab, as he had done many times before.

Unbeknownst to the rest of the team, Tech’s lab contained a secret latch, which opened a seven by nine-foot section of the wall on the far side of the room. The unveiling of the metallic barrier revealed the world below, peering beyond a small balcony. Tech secretly used this balcony to get some fresh air when the confines of his lab were starting to nearly suffocate him. Tech tried to keep it a secret, even from Rev, but Rev had inevitably discovered it quite some time ago, given all the time he spent in the lab. He hadn’t told anyone else about it, though, and this terrace was just what he needed right now.

Unleashing the latch located on the leftmost part of his work desk, Rev watched the wall open up to the world with several loud clunks, and stepped outside. Cool wind whipped his face, bringing forth the same sensations and sense of freedom his ancestors likely felt. He wished he could remain out here forever.

Meanwhile, Tech remained behind in living quarters, along with all the others. He merely glanced at the others visiting with Shannon; the wonder girl who magically returned from the dead. In all honestly, he had little to say to her. His mind was elsewhere – the details of Shannon’s story. Something was obviously significant about the hours between 2 and 4 p.m., but what? And she had said the place looked rather like a warehouse, and that it may or may not have been southwest of headquarters. However, the location seemed less significant than the how she was captured. It seemed as though the whole motive behind the explosion, now, was merely to capture her and hold her captive for some weeks, until she was released. What was the point of that? Was someone trying to get to them, Rev specifically?

Where was Rev?

Tech had initially failed to notice that Rev was not among the group chatting it up with Shannon. This didn’t make sense; he was positively exhilarated at the first sight of her. Now, all of the sudden, he wasn’t even in the room? This indicated something very wrong. He had been heartbroken over her for weeks – why wouldn’t he be with her right now?

Wondering why he hadn’t seen Rev leave the room in the first place, Tech excused him self from the group, relatively unnoticed, and went in search of Rev. First he checked his room, only to find it empty. Well, there was really only one other place he’d go, unless he took after Duck and went outside of HQ for hours at a time.

Tech made his way over to his laboratory, to find the door already open. A warm breeze swept over his body as he walked in, ruffling his fur, and he noticed immediately an unusual source of natural light at the end of the room. There he saw him; leaning over the railing clearly disheartened by something. Out of unquenched curiosity, Tech paced over to join the roadrunner, who, at first, barely acknowledged his presence.

Rev continued to stare out into God knows what. By the weary, sullen look in his eyes, Tech knew that something had gotten to him badly. Which was, still, extremely odd - he was about to pass out from excitement not ten minutes ago.

It was then that he had remembered that Shannon had to have a “private talk” with Rev. The source of Rev’s pain undeniably stemmed from that. But, clearly, he wasn’t going to start talking about what happen without some sort of provocation.

“So,” the coyote began, “you found about my balcony.”

This finally caused Rev’s head to turn. “Yeah,” he replied, smiling slightly, “actually I found out about it a few months ago.”

“And yet I’ve never seen you use it, save now,” Tech said, pondering. “Usually you’d be very quick to rummage through my things without any sort of permission.”

Rev merely shrugged, and went back to surveying the planet as they could see it. Tech clearly had to get to the heart of the matter.

“Is everything okay between you and Shannon?”

The roadrunner recoiled slightly at this question. At first, he began to nod his head very slowly and reluctantly, but then rapidly shook his head no. He then threw his arms up in the air, as if telling the sky he gave up.

“Oh, I don’t know Tech, one moment everything makes sense and the next you’re confused again it’s like one of those really complicated puzzles where you think you’ve got it solved but then all of the sudden one little thing doesn’t fit and you have to start from square one!”

Tech merely started for a few moments before he spoke again. “So… what happened?”

“Shannon pretty much broke it off with me,” Rev said, his voice down a couple of octaves from the last time he spoke, “she said that we can still be friends and stuff, but that she doesn’t feel safe in a relationship where she could get hurt again.”

“Oh,” Tech said. He hadn’t a clue of what to say.

“I mean, I guess I can understand her reasoning. I wouldn’t want to go through that trauma again if it happened to me, either. But it just makes me wonder about how she felt about me in the first place if she breaks it off just like that.” The roadrunner sighed. “Tech, am I being selfish in wanting her back?”

Rev was quite obviously in a state of guilt. A guilt that should not have been burdening him at all, Tech thought. “Not in the slightest,” Tech replied, “in fact, I would say she’s the one being selfish. She had to have known such an incident was way beyond you. I mean, bombing a restaurant! If that kind of stuff happened every time you went out somewhere, the entire planet would be in shambles! Simple, elementary logic would be able to tell her that an incident such as that would, by the laws of probability, never happen again. I don’t know what she’s thinking right now, Rev, but do not feel bad about it. You carry no weight of the blame in this, and I hate seeing you look so guilty over something you didn’t do.”

This miniature-rant from the coyote was what Rev sort of needed to hear at that moment. Still, his mind was not at ease.

“Now I can see why you’re so reluctant to get in a relationship, Tech,” Rev said with a sad smile.

A few weeks ago, Tech would have been elated to hear this. Now, however, he received no satisfaction from the words, and actually wished to amend them.

“Now, I’m not sure about that,” Tech said, “I think I was a little premature in saying that. I think the main reason why I’m so disinclined to the prospect of a relationship is because I simply can’t seriously see myself being in one,” Tech sighed.

Rev seemed to almost forget about his own problems and focus now on the coyote.

“Aw come on Tech you’re a very eligible bachelor. I mean you’re smart you’re probably handsome you’re funny when you want to be and not to mention you’re very fuzzy.”

Tech laughed slightly. “And obviously my level of fuzziness accounts for everything.” Tech sighed. “I don’t know, I guess when I just think of being involved with someone, there’s this indisputable ‘not for you!’ message that rears it’s ugly head in the back of my mind.”

“Well if you really feel that way I don’t think I can change your mind on that. But, Tech, sometimes not all ‘relationships’ have to be romantic, you know? You could have a perfectly good platonic relationship with someone. Anyone, even! Whether it be a neighbor a classmate a child a senior citizen a bank teller if you really connect with them and feel happy around them even if it’s not romantic in the slightest it can be just as good, if not better!”

Tech analyzed these words for a bit. “Yes,” he said slowly, “I suppose you’re right.”

Silence befell the pair again. Tech noticed, however, that Rev didn’t seem to be quite as desolate as he had moments earlier. Perhaps Rev’s own words of comfort made him feel better?

“I had really memorable dream two nights ago,” said Rev, breaking the silence.

“Oh, another nightmare?”

“No… I’ve had so much of those lately that if I had had one it wouldn’t have been very memorable or remarkable. No, this one was actually pretty happy.”

Tech thought for a moment. “Did it involve Shannon?”

Rev shook his head. “No actually it was just the six of us, meaning the team. We were at this beach and I think it was on one of Duck’s crazy vacations. Kind of like how the four of them went to that place Apocalypso and we were left behind as usual? Anyway we were there too this time and man it was a blast. It was kind of weird though because I think Duck and Ace were a couple! I mean there they were whispering sweet nothings into each other’s ears and meanwhile Lexi was really irritated with the two of them and apparently she was trying to win one of them over but you know I’m not sure which one! All I know is that I was giggling my head off in my dream and so were you. And meanwhile while those three are doing their own little thing Slam was eating all of their food which made it even more funny. And you and I were just laughing at them the entire time probably for far too long but dreams are just weird like that I guess.”

Tech chuckled alongside Rev’s recollection. “I suppose they are. That certainly sounds like a nice break from the dreams you had been having lately."

“Well it didn’t really end with that. After a while the sun started to set in my dream and all of the sudden the other four kind of fell asleep on the beach and they eventually transformed into pelicans which I know probably seems weird but hey that kind of stuff isn’t unusual in dreams. But you were still as you were though and I was still as I was and we found a black and white beach ball in the water and we just sort of picked up and started playing catch. Like we played catch for a ridiculously long time but somehow it was very nice and peaceful and was just really really fun. You and I just ran around throwing the ball to each other and I never really wanted it to end. Then of course Duck shattered a bunch of plates in the kitchen and I woke up immediately. I guess all good things must come to an end huh?”

“Yeah, I suppose they must,” Tech said, still contemplating Rev’s dream. “But that did sound like a good dream, albeit a bit… strange at times. But hey! Maybe dreams can come true, and Duck and Ace really will become a couple.”

Rev laughed. “Yeah and maybe we can be the two best men at their wedding.”

“A male duck and a male rabbit getting married, alongside a coyote and a roadrunner being the two best men. Discriminatory bigots and stereotype mongers, eat your hearts out!”

“Hey wouldn’t it be funny if you went spontaneously feral and started chasing me around the hall during the ceremony?”

“Oh, I could just see the headlines now.”

“…well what would they say?”

“I don’t know. You know I’m not very creative.”

The two broke out in spontaneous and perhaps irrational laughter, which eventually subsided into a more serious mood.

“But, what you said about all things coming to an end, sometimes I can’t help but feel we may not have too much longer to go on this team,” Tech said.

Rev looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“Well, technology is growing at such a rapid rate these days,” Tech pondered, “that I think someone might be able to genetically recreate our powers and splice them into any test subject. Hell, I might even be the one that does that. But when that happens, we’ll be rather obsolete.”

Rev ****ed his head slightly. “Well even if that does happen and I’m not sure that it will we won’t lose touch right?”

“Oh, of course not, we’ll probably all still see each other.”

“Well that’s good to know,” said Rev, smiling, “and plus we would still need to get together and work on some of those inventions I mean if we can create a regenerator in one night who knows what else we could do?”

“Heh, who knows?” Tech replied.

Silence took them once again, and Tech suddenly remembered what had just happened moments ago. “Rev, I think we should go back. I mean, we got a pretty good lead on who these bad guys might be, and I think we might get called to mission soon. And I will do everything within my power to make sure you’re a part of it.”

Rev grinned. “Thanks Tech I would really owe you for that one I mean Ace is really not on good terms with either one of us right now obviously. And, Tech?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t forget what I said about platonic relationships I mean if you have a really good one you know who needs a girlfriend?”

“Oh, I won’t forget it.”

“That’s good to hear because even if you don’t think you could ever have a girlfriend or anything like that you can still find someone who just makes you happy and that you could see spending a lot of time with so don’t doubt yourself so much.”

Tech smiled at Rev. “Oh, don’t worry about that. I think I’ve already found someone.”

-- Edited by Dragon Wing at 18:57, 2008-04-27

x3 I like this chapter especially!
Well, you probably know why already...you tricky thing, you.
Anyway, by saying "tricks" are actually "crit"...yes. Actually you're right. x_X I'm just trying to be as subtle as possible. Don't want to be hit for saying the wrong thing.

Anyway, you might or might not already do this, but try and read what you've written out loud without your reading voice. Try making it sound like you're actually speaking without a crutch. If the rhythm of the story doesn't match up with your talking rhythm, there's something wrong.
I do that so much that even when I'm posting comments I'll suddenly say what I typed out loud, and my mother and sister will hear it and instantly think I'm weird. x_X

-- Edited by Bandkanon at 13:37, 2008-04-27

Yep. That's what I thought. I used to do that too, but then I got yelled at for it. My tutor was so freakin' crazy...

Anyway, just try that for a bit and see what happens. If you don't like it, then go back to what you were doing before. Sometimes leaving it unspoken can be better. It depends on the person.

Yes, and Dace will soon infect THE WORLD!
+Evilplansevilplans+

I swear to any deity out there that I thought of the whole dream sequence well before the Dace topic was made, so I wasn't trying to, like, intentionally go with the times or anything. It just happened to work out that way. Which is... good?

Admittedly I did think of it after Bandkanon told me she liked Dace, but that was still before the Dace topic was made and the revolution was started, so YEAH.

-- Edited by Dragon Wing at 17:20, 2008-04-27

.... Fuzzies..... 8D
Great chapter! Tech/Rev friendship always makes me smile. 8D

I bet we can bring it up to 50% if we don't talk on GoogleTalk tonight. XD

Holy crap, I actually got it done?! I was someone faithful?! Holy crap!

Yep, Chapter 17 is up as well. Two chapters in one day! New record.


Again, this chapter is pretty short, but as you will see, very pivotal.




Chapter 17: Into the Storm

Tech and Rev made their way back to living quarters, with Rev, for the most part, feeling more at ease. They pair had almost expected, at this point, for there to be some sort of meeting going on regarding the events that had taken place. However, all they saw was Duck and Lexi engaged in a rather too-loud conversation.

“All I know,” Lexi said as the two walked in, “is that you’ve been disappearing a lot more than usual lately.”

“And what about it?! Are you afraid I’m going out to buy something cooler than the junk you wear?”

“First of all, no, because you don’t have any eye for fashion to speak of. Second, the things I wear aren’t 'junk', they are the absolute latest and most exclusive line of clothes and accessories, and third, I’m just bringing it up because, well I’m worried about you! You’ve been growing more irritable every day – you know, more irritable than usual! Everyone’s seen it.”

“Well, missy, maybe the reason I’m so irritabable is because I get questioned so much!”

“Lose the speech impediment, Duck, as cute as it may be. And no, we’ve put off question for far too long. You were enraged on the phone today. I mean, why? What are you up to? Does it involve criminal activity? I think I and the rest of the team have a right to know!”

“First of all, I do not have a ‘speech impedimediment’, and… you think it’s cute? Feh, I’m getting off the point! I fail to see why person matters are anyone’s business but my own. I mean, do we ask Ace why he has a Brooklyn accent when no one on this planet has been to Brooklyn in hundreds of years?! Well, maybe we should, because I’m a bit curious myself, and-“

“Duck, stop rambling! You’re almost as bad as Rev! Look, if you’re doing anything that might get the team in trouble, then we deserve to know. I mean, I wouldn’t suspect you if you weren’t so secretive about it.”

“Oh, my, I’m having an epiphany! Yes, for now on, I shall voice all of my thoughts and personal life details to the whole team! They deserve to know everything about me! Privacy is so last century!”

“I’m pretty sure all of your thoughts and personal life details would scar us all for life. Duck, this is different. This is something that seems to be disrupting your entire life, and… fine. You know what? I’m… I’m worried about you. Okay? Fine. Are you happy?”

“Oh, I’m overjoyed. She’s worried about me! Just like mommy would have been, and-“ Duck stop, his sarcastic demeanor fading. He cast his eyes to the floor for a second or two, then grew purely irritated. “You know what? I don’t need this. I have some business to attend to right now. Business that is not yours.” And, instead of giving everyone the courtesy of walking out as would be usual, he simply quacked out, and was gone without a trace.

Lexi sighed defeatedly and made her way to the second table, sitting down and rest her head on her hands, propped by her elbows.

Tech and Rev looked at each other, wondering if they should say something to Lexi, when the team’s leader approached them.

“Hey guys, erm, I wanted to talk to ya,” Ace said with some reluctance.

“As long as you don’t go off and Rev again,” Tech said, still irritable from their last brawl, “sure.”

“Oh, don’t worry it’s nothin’ like that, in fact,” Ace paused, “I kinda wanted to apologize for what I said earlier. I was just angry that you just didn’t respect any of my authority anymore. I mean, I guess I can understand, I was acting like a jerk, but we still need to act as a team, and those little fights are no good for the team. But I deserve a large chunk of the blame. So I’m just sorry for mouthing off to you guys, and Rev, I admit I have kind of neglected you over the years, and if you want a little more action, that’s fine with me.”

Neither them had expected the bunny to apologize so soon after the fight. Nevertheless, his apology seemed to settle things.

“Wow thanks Ace I admit I could have picked a better time to voice my dissatisfaction but Ace I feel really ready to fight and I have a feeling the time to fight may come soon but just so you know I’m ready!” Rev said contently.

“That’s good to know, Rev, cause I have feeling we’re gonna need ya. These guys we’re dealing with here seem a little nuts. I mean, look what you did to your-“

“Ace,” Tech interrupted.

“Yeah, Tech?” Ace said.

“Oh, um,” Tech paused, looked at Rev, and turned back to the leader. “Nothing. It was big of you to apologize like that, and I guess I have to apologize too for being so irritated.”

“Don’t worry about it, Tech, let’s just make sure we never get into that kind of a spat again. So are we all good?”

“Yeah don’t worry about it Ace we’re one big happy family here right Tech?”

Tech chuckled. “Right.”

“Well, that’s good to know, because I have a feeling we’re gonna organize soon, and we-“

A piercing beeping sound cut off Ace’s speech. Someone had left the team a message on the transmitter, in the form of a fax.

“Huh, I wonder what that could be. We hardly ever get written memos,” Ace said. He went over to pick up the piece of paper, and took a second or two to peruse it. After he read it, his eyes went wide with fear.

“What is it, Ace?” Tech inquired.

Ace said nothing, but handed the letter over to Tech. The coyotes also widened as he scanned the words:


“We have your precious duck. Bring your entire team over to the Acme orphanage in ten minutes, or he meets his demise.”

-- Edited by Dragon Wing at 23:22, 2008-04-27

*slaps Xtream* Snap out of it! Duck is gonna be ok.

Bring on the next chapter so Xtream can stop crying.

*BAWLBAWLBAWL*

D’:

*cries even more*

*sobs* I just want the next chapter to come to end this suspense! *tears*

*nods sulkily* Yusplz…

Duck got kidnapped! Quick! Use your quacking powers Duck!

Anyways, these stories are geting more and more tense. They grown very exciting too. Keep up the good work

XtreamCrazy wrote:

---

He's unconscious! He's injured! he's bleeding! He's DYING!!! D:

Or... maybe he's coated in anti-quacking gell?

---

Anti-quack gell? I'd like to see that in stores.

 

8D +Cackles+ Duck hash been kidnapped.
Kekekekekekekeke....

>_>;;
No, I'm not happy...
really.

+Hides under a rock+ TT_TT I'mnotweirdI'mnotweirdI'mnotweirdI'mnotweird...