From: Ina-chan April 4, 1999 Disclaimer: JQ not mine. Non-JQ characters and storyline mine. No money made. All for fun... Category: Alternate Reality, Episodic , Angst Rating: This entire series is for mature readers with a tolerance to slight netiquette language violators, implied violence, VERY DARK (You have been Warned!) Archivers: If you want it... note: Do not attempt to read this part if you haven't read the earlier installments. Well, you can, but I don't advise it... I'm pretty sure you'll get the gist of the storyline, but it's not the same as reading it from the beginning... So if you wanna know the whole story... Go to http://www.fortunecity.com/lavendar/psycho/66 to see this fic and others written by me and my friends. ^_^. Don't 4-get to sign my guestbook as well... Or you can send me a note, demanding to send you the copies of the parts you want at: inachan2@ican.net ******************************************************************** Geneva, 1987... it started when the world's most ambitious effort for global peace ended in a massacre. A tragedy that lead to the rise of the "New Order"... the Zin Empire. Ten years later, in the year of our Lord 1997, the children of the fallen generation has come of age. Now it begins. The brave journey to bring light... Into the Valley of Darkness Chapter 6 Act 3: Restitution "How tarnished the gold has become. The fine gold has lost its luster. Why, the sacred stones lie strewn at every street corner!" --Lamentations 4:1 After a brief exchange of glances, John watched his red haired companion hurry after the distraught young man. Without another sound, the blonde boy strode into the room and crossed his arms over his chest as he glared at their mysterious saviour through narrow slits. "Loose the hardened look, kiddo. It doesn't suit your pretty face," The woman finally spoke with a hint of amusement in her voice "Another ruined life to hang on your belt?" Jade simply smiled, "Tell your friends to get ready. I already arranged three seats to Washington..." "Wait a minute... three? There are four of us. Did Mr. Highness decided to stay?" "Despite his stubborn pride, I don't believe he has a death wish." "Then..." John's voice trailed as realization hit him. Another frown crossed his face, "No. He's not going to stay here." The woman raised an eyebrow, "Hmmm... my first impression of you never pointed out that you have a strong... attachment... to Jason." "I have my reasons." "Of course. Bannons seem to have this interesting hold over people, don't you think?" The woman made a satisfied smile as she watched the boy's cheeks flush with colour. "That's not my reason!" John stammered a little too loud "It's simply impossible," Jade stated, her tone dropping into a more serious demeanor, "Its a miracle that the Crown hasn't released the hounds on you... yet." "Why?" "Because, dear boy," The woman replied as she reached out to light a cigarette, "He may not be a Harcourt by blood, but he's still kin. You should realize by now that you just kidnapped a ward of the Crown." John studied the woman before bursting out laughing, "How did you ever dig that out?" "It's my business to 'dig'," She simply replied before taking a long drag "Is it?" The boy countered in a quiet voice, "Are you sure its not because he's an emulator?" The woman simply stared at the boy expressionlessly. "I saw what he can do. From the looks of things, emulators seem to be very valuable, aren't they?" Jade gave the boy a leveled look, "Its nice to know that you haven't lost your sense of trust." John snorted, "Trust? For all I know, you've probably made a deal with Zin already." "Maybe," Jade replied with a teasing smile as she blew a breath of smoke, "But I'm a business woman over everything else. I'm afraid this transaction will carry through unless someone gives me a higher offer." The boy replied with a hard impassive glare, "He's coming with us, no matter what." Jade threw back her head as a peal of amused laughter erupted from her lips, "So serious! You are truly Daddy's little boy, aren't you, Johnny?" John clenched his jaw, "Why did you help us?" The woman shrugged, "I was in the neighbourhood and I had nothing else to do." "He sent you, didn't he?" Jade sighed, "Its propably none of my business..." "Damn right, its none of your business!" "He's trying hard John. He loves you..." "What he loves is an illusion, NOT me," The boy spat through her sentence harshly, "I'm just his penance." An unearthly silence rang as the boy's words echoed hollowly through the room. John unclenched his fists and faced the woman before him with a determined stance, "I first promised Jessie that I'll help her get Blu out of this godforsaken place. Personally, I didn't really give a damn about him. I still don't. But after what I've seen, there's no way I'm trusting someone as valuable as him to you." With that, the boy spun on his heels and started out of the room. "Do you honestly think that you can carry out what Raven told you to do?" The woman's voice called out after him, in an almost mocking tone. "I'm hoping that I don't have to find out," The boy replied truthfully in a quiet voice before he continued his trek out of the room The woman watched the boy disappear from sight before slumping defeatedly on her seat. She took a final drag from the stick before crushing it onto the nearby ashtray. "That's one damned heavy cross you're carrying, Dr. Quest," She chuckled silently as a wave of pity washed over her being for her old friend. Her amusement, however, fell short. The boy spoke some truth that struck painfully in her own heart as well. It was true that Jason Lynd IS a very valuable child... "Penance..." She whispered softly to herself as her fingers unconsciously played with the thin gold chain around her neck. *** "Hadji?" Jessie called out worriedly to the young man at the opposite side of the door. The sound of running water on the sink was the only reply she received. Jessie stared at the door uncertainly, "Hadji, are you okay?" No reply. "Hadji, if you don't answer me within five seconds, I'm going to break down this door," The girl called out more urgently, hoping desperately that it didn't have to come to the point wherein she had to carry out her threat. To her relief, the door started to open. The vision that met her in her tracks. "Hadji..." "I am sorry. Did I worry you?" The young man said apologetically with a forced smile on his lips "Hadji... what did you do?" "This?" Hadji replied nonchalantly with a small laugh as he ran his fingers through his hair, "I had not cut it since I was eight years old. I thought it was time for a change. But I am rather very clumsy with it." The girl simply stared at the young man silently. The young man bowed his head uncomfortably and averted his eyes to the floor as a wave of silence passed between them. "Clumsy is not the word," Jessie finally said critically as she found her voice. She held out her hand to the young man, "Come on, let's find Khau-lun for a pair of scissors or something. I'll even it out for you." Hadji stared at the slender hand outstretched comfortingly before him. For a flash of a moment, he remembered another hand that more than once offered similar solace. He closed his eyes and pushed the memory to the back of his mind. "Hadji? Are you okay?" The young man gave the red head a sad smile, before taking her hand and letting her lead him away. *** From within the dark crevices of its lair, it watched patiently. But the scent of another hunt has caused it to stir restlessly. Soon... soon... (To Be Continued) written by: Ina-chan comments, criticisms, bricks to inachan2@ican.net Author's Squawk: Major writer's block on my 5 page essay... so what the heck... why not do something productive. I certainly hope people remember this. If you don't, chapters 1- 5:3 are at http://members.xoom.com/inachan/valley.html, while 5:4 - 6:2 are at the Wildey Awards Homepage. Ja matta ne! Ina-chan **************************************************************************** Ina-chan's Quote of the Moment: "I'm no model lady. A model's just an imitation of the real thing." - Mae West ~@@@~ Ina-chan inachan2@ican.net main: http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/psycho/66 W.A.R.: http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Set/1986 ICQ:13667820 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Did you know that we have over 85,000 e-mail communities at Onelist? http://www.onelist.com Come visit our new web site and explore a new interest