Chapter Seventeen: A Daring Rescue

The empty darkness continued to swirl around the two girls who were both lying on their backs, staring up at the endless sky. "You know, isn't it strange how our names are both shortened?" Lei asked quietly folding her hands on her belly. The two had much idle talk since their breakdown which seemed to have happened hours ago, but time didn't have much meaning in the unchanging world that surrounded them. "Yeah...they are quite familiar sounding too...Lei...Rey...the Japanese would have a hard time deciphering the difference on that one." She commented with a slight smirk and the other girl laughed a bit. "You're right..." It began to grow quiet, and then suddenly their listlessness suddenly ceased as a voice began to intrude upon their empty dream. It was familiar to Lei who had heard it before, and she quietly sat up looking bilwildered as the voice continued to echo throughout the void. "Leila...Leila, Leila, Leila...that's a beautiful name you have there, you know that? You never were this talkative when I was around. Do you not like me? Is that it?" The voice mocked sadness as someone began to appear in the dark haze, and that was when Rey jumped to her feet with a renewed sense of conviction. The figure of the young delinquent that Lei was only slightly acquainted with stepped into the empty space with a massive smile etched onto his face. "You...how did you get in here?!" Rey demanded, and Dare turned to the school captain with a look of false confusion. "My oh my aren't you dedicated! You came all the way out here to catch a couple of rogue students" He chuckled, and Rey bounded forward, throwing a punch at him, which he expertly dodged as he stepped back. "Whoa, whoa, whoa...easy there. I'm not one of the bad guys." He said, yet he couldn't get his smile to go completely away. Lei on the other hand was hooded once more and she came over to Dare and turned him about. "Are you an idiot?!" She whispered harshly, punching him in the gut. He doubled over, and coughed for a moment. Slowly he rebounded and all the while remaining optimistic. "What a way to greet your knight in shining armor." He pouted rubbing his belly tenderly. "What knight? All I see is a delusional delinquent in street clothes." Rey commented folding her arms. "Now, tell me, how the hell did you get in here?" Rey asked and Dare shrugged. "Well you see it was quite simple..." He began to recount the events which had lead him to the mysterious dream world that Lei and Rey had become prisoners of.

The door to the head of security's room burst open and a group of guards came in bearing dangerous looking weapons. Tama was once more slouched over the couch, watching TV, and with a look of boredom he turned to them with distaste. "Eh, sorry boys, we got ourselves a situation a'brewin." He said flipping the TV off, swinging his legs around and onto the carpeted floor. "The girl escaped away. Be careful, ya? She's armed with a real loaded gun." He said and the confused guards looked around for a moment. "Well? Whattya waiting for? Go out there and find that girl, oh yeah, it's probably a bad idea to go shooting those guns, you might end up hurting the resale value on this place." The head of security added as an afterthought, and then like he shooed them away with his hands and the guards quickly ran out of the room. After they left he let out a sigh and threw his hands into the air. "I hate my job so much. I just want to go back to living in a real city, where there are real girls, and not these stupid horrible mindless drones who do whatever you tell them. Where's the drama? Where's the excitement!" He flopped back down onto the sofa before he heard a shuffling of objects behind the closest door and his face further drooped into despair. "Damn. I forgot about the ogre I hauled into the closest. What a mess, they could have just taken him somewhere, maybe to get drugged or something, but then I'd have to talk to someone or something annoying, argh! It's all that stupid Sen's fault. 'Oh hey Tama, I got this nice job at Senba, I can, uh, hook you up if you're interested.' And then I just have to jump onto the bandwagon like a stupid idiot! 'Sure Sen, I' think that'd be swell, considering that it's a nice paying job and all, but waittillya hear this!' 'We aren't actually working for Senba, Tama, in fact, we're part of a coup de tat, and then we work our asses off, building shit, drugging people, and creeping around in the dark! Then Sen comes in and tells me, 'Tama, you can't just quit, if you do, they'll drug you too man.' So I get all paranoid, and then before I know it, I have this nice and easy job, where all I have to do is tell the REAL security guards to do my job for me...bunch of stupid idiots. Who am I talking to anyway? I need to get laid, again. Seriously." The head of security let out another long sigh, when the closest door flew open and there stood the bewildered and drunk appearing Dare. "Oh yeah. Great. More trouble." He stood up slowly, but still keeping his distance from the young man. "So you're awake." Tama stated quietly stepping back, and the delinquent staggered from the closest entrance and into the room rubbing his head. Not everything was clear to him, as he speculated that a lot must have happened since he had randomly blacked out. All he knew was that there was a man who was casually staring at him, and he appeared to be standing in a bizarre living room area.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked sounding very much drunk, and looking down at the man with a somewhat serious expression."Hey screw you man! You're plastered!" Tama laughed pointing a finger at Dare and he took a few more steps shaking his head. "No man, I've been sober for..for five months!" He coughed and sniffed, trying to somehow clear his mind. Then, using the wall as a crutch he turned to look at the man suspiciously. "Hey, did you see a girl, about, this tall, go somewhere?" He asked using his hand to indicate how high he thought the silent girl was, even though he was probably about a foot off. Tama shrugged. "The only place to go in this room is out the door. There was some girl here, and she ran off with that gun you had." Dare sighed, continuing to try and figure out just where the hell he was, or what he was doing. "Yeah, and just who the hell are you? Some kind of janitor?" He asked despite the repetition, and the man shook his head with another laugh. "Screw you! I'm the head of security I'll have you know." He said stepping over to the boy and slapping him on the shoulder. "Hey-hey I like you, oh damn you're so wasted!" Tama kept laughing and Dare kept denying it. "No man, I swear, I'm clean. God, where the hell am I even?" He lurched forward finding the door and slowly getting it open. "Ha-ha! Come back any time! Good luck saving your girl!" The man gave him a light push and then he closed the door and locked it. With another elongated sigh the man returned to the couch and turned the TV back on. "Well. That was easier than I thought. Now I can spend the rest of the day mourning the loss of my girlfriend..." he ended his sentence with a softness in his voice, before letting out one giant wail of grief. 

It was eeirely quiet, Dare began to wonder in his mind which had more of a priority: finding Maki, or finding that strange girl he had been traveling with. Still a little foggy from the toxin, he staggered down the hallway, using the wall as his support. Things just lot a little more...complicated...I need time to clear my mind damn it.

Slowly as he paced down the hallway as it spiraled up, his began mind clear, and he started to consider a number of things. Making a plan wasn't his strong suit. He acted on impulse. That was how you survived. If you could adapt to change, then you wouldn't need a plan to succeed. With that in mind, he stopped at the end of the hallway which was comprised of three doors. One was straight ahead, and the other two were to his right and left. All of them fit the strange futuristic scene which had been apparent throughout the dome structure thus far. He was still uncertain as to where the students had gone, or where the girl had run off to. It may have been possible that she was somehow kidnapped or apprehended, though in meeting with the head of security, he wondered if it was possible for anyone to get captured. Deciding that moving forward was the best choice, especially since thinking was hard while under the lasting effects of a mysterious toxic gas, the young man pressed through the door in front of him, surprised that it wasn't locked. Though as he entered in through the door a thought past through his head that maybe it wasn't a good idea, which seemed to happen a lot when he acted as such. Though such thoughts quickly faded as he noticed what was before him. His brow furrowed as he circled around the dimly light room. At the center there were two girls hooked up to a very strange looking machine. It reminded him of an arcade video game that looked like a helmet, as a way of immersing you inside of the game world entirely. It seemed to be running as the girls were strapped down into chairs, their bodies motionless. He identified one as the girl he was with before, and yet he was too afraid to move any closer. There were a few screen which were flashing images above them and it made him wonder if what they were seeing was being displayed on the screens.

"Ah, I see you've come upon one of the greatest scientific marvels in this facility." A voice broke out beside him, and it took Dare completely by surprise and his nerves shocked as a man seemed to appear from nowhere off to the side of the room. He was casually dressed with a white lab coat slung over regular street clothes, and made no move to arrest Dare or apprehend him. Is everyone in this building this relaxed? Not like I'm complaining... He smiled slightly at the thought of everyone being lazy like the security guard he had awoken to. "So what, you guys don't care that people are just wandering about?" Dare asked and the man chuckled. "Not exactly. It's not like we haven't been watching you, Daryl." For a moment Dare took a step back, and his smile faded and was replaced with a look of distaste. "How did you--"

"Because it's my job as an informant to know. I know a lot." He said quietly. "That doesn't really answer the question." Dare's voice was still. "Is it really that big of a deal?" The other asked, watching the two girls, and the images that popped up onto the screen occasionally. "It is to me. I don't like when a stranger knows who I am." He said turning to watch the screens as well, but he wasn't getting a good idea of what it was about. "There's an art there, a trade, you have to gather information without people knowing. Know as much as you can about someone, without them knowing anything about you." The man continued adjusting his glasses. "For example, I know that you and Miss Gladrin are good friends." Dare tightened his fists as he was growing to feel more and more like punching this guy in the face. How much of my past does he know? "I know why you came here too. It may come off as a bit odd, but I'm not your enemy." The man turned to look at Dare for a while, examining his expression and then chuckling again. "You look dangerous." He observed and Dare slowly turned his head to face the man. "You wanna find out?" Dare asked and he shrugged. "Eventually, I would consider finding out how dangerous you really are, but what's more important here is what you are planning on doing now."

"I'm not much of a plan maker. I roll with the punches." He said turning back to look at the screens with amazement. It looks like a movie kind of, but it's hard to make out from here. He thought to himself wondering just what it was that was going on. "Forgive me Dare, but I just have one question for you." The man said holding up his hand, suddenly changing his approach and using the other's given nickname. "Yeah, well I have a lot of questions for you." He held his anger in check for a moment, and then the man leaned up against the wall. "I just want to hear your recollection of an event which took place, oh, maybe five years ago." There was a long pause as Dare began to sort through his mind. Five years ago would have put him at the end of his Middle School career, and during that time he was just starting to put his reputation into full gear. Yet what incident could this man be thinking of? After a short while longer, he began to understand what he meant. "Tell me, where is Maki?" He asked suddenly stepping in front of the man and placing a hand on his shoulder. "She's in the other room..." the man said looking at Dare's hand and yet he remained unflinching. "Is she alright?" He asked and the man nodded slowly. "She has some business to tend to...with a certain teacher..." The words rolled off of the man's tongue in a way that made Dare slowly release his grip. "How much do you know...about Maki?" He asked quietly looking away. "I've already answered two of your questions, first you have to answer mine." The man replied. Dare gave one last glance at the two girls hooked up to the machine and nodded."Alright, I'll trust you for now." 

It was five years ago or so.

The summer moon had risen into the sky, as a loud clamor arouse over the ghetto homes, and a group of young delinquents emerged from the ally and were on their way towards the school lot. It wasn't much of a gang considering that the real deal often spent their time on the north end where the casino and bar were, but low profile gangs had taken a steady rise as the gap between the lower class and upper class began widen. At the center of the group was a buzz-cut, somber looking guy who kept his hands in his jean pockets, and it was probably his calm collectiveness that kept the others around him. Racism was never a real problem for Midwest gangs, at least not in Stadweld, which seemed isolated from the rest of the world. A little bit of everything was there, and it didn't make any difference at all. They were young, and this was their time to be something more than just a group of mindless drones. They would stand up against the tide, and glory would come to their name. But even at the age he was, Dare never felt that way. As they crossed the street exiting the acclaimed ghetto, the ever popular leader of the group stopped them just on the other side and looked up at the sky.

"What's up boss?" Someone asked. "Something the matter?" He shook his head, and then moved over towards a bench and sat down slowly. The group stopped to look at him for a moment. He had gained their respect over the years, many of them were his former victims, but for a while now he seemed to have calmed down a bit. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and began to think of what it would mean down the road if his wild lifestyle got him into some real trouble. It would probably be better to lay low...but he didn't know how to do that exactly. When he wanted something, and someone told him, no, he did what he knew best to get it anyway. Discipline had been something that he had beat into him time, and time again and after all that time, he felt like he could finally understand it's significance. Patience was never one of his virtues. Yet tonight he felt sad for some reason. Amidst his self-conscious melancholy his phone vibrated inside of his pocket. He flipped it open and a slight smile came to his face. "Hey that must be his girl ha!" Someone said and the boy stood up and stretched. "Do me a favor guys and get the job done at the lot. I heard some stupid punk has been spreading lies about us." He waved and began to jog off in the opposite direction. "H-hey boss, don't ya want to come and help us out?" Someone asked, and then, Dwayne, the senior member of the group chuckled. "C'mon boys. Let's just get something outta tonight while we still can."

He wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing. In his mind he vaguely remembered the first time he had met Norina. She was a rich girl, or at least a lot better off than his family was. Yet he couldn't help but enjoy her spirit as it grew before his eyes. Whenever he heard of how she was feeling he felt happy inside. So as he was jogging along the sidewalk, making his way into her neighborhood he felt that it would be the right night to try and ask her out. She seemed angry though. Inside, he felt like it was his fault. But at the same time, he knew where she was coming from when she spoke about family issues. Dare had yet to meet someone who had it more complicated than him. Yet he thought that if he could bring love into her life, and into his, it might ease the pain, instead of constantly trying to grind it out in violence. Through Norina's transformation he was beginning to understand himself, and he wanted to share his life with her...but he was scared. Would she accept him? I never think of a plan, so what am I doing? I should just play it by ear.

At this time, the plans to build the new school were in motion, he knew that much, but the lot was still being cleared. Not wanting to waste any time he ventured through the empty lot, a nifty shortcut he had discovered one day. That lead him to the scene that was quickly unfolding before him. A strange wind was blowing that was sending shivers down his spine, and as he crossed through towards the street that stretched out behind Norie's house, he saw two people standing in the middle of the street. There was a sharp scream that pierced the night and he knew immediately that it was Norina. Damn it! What the hell is going on!? Norina! His mind raced as he began to close in on the two figures. His heart throbbed inside of his chest, and he could never remember a time when he felt scared. it was more than just the strange gust of air, or the palpable aura that surrounded him. It was someone he cared about, who was in pain. He rushed in and stopped dead in his tracks as he saw the girl on her knees, and the other girl was known to be Maki. It appeared that Maki had blacked out for some reason, and so he came in and grabbed Maki by the shoulders, forcing her away from Norina. "What happened?" He asked, and then he suddenly noticed the strange bloodlust flowing in the other girl's eyes. It was strange how an elementary school girl could match his strength, but in the end, whatever it was that was going through his mind he couldn't exactly tell, he managed to force the young girl to the ground. She seemed to have snapped out of it, but shortly after she became still herself. "Norina?" He asked then turning to the girl who had blood running down both of her arms. There were some marks that may have been burns on her body, but he didn't have time to check as a police car quickly rolled up.

There was some finger pointing. Some misunderstandings. At the time he felt so confused and distorted, that the only plan he had ever thought to make could backfire so easily. Of course the only people who mattered understood. Norie and Maki both owed him a great deal, even though he couldn't understand it himself.

Now he was here, thinking about it again, and he wished that he hadn't been so eager to let her go. The only girl he had ever cared about. Was that why he went so far to help Maki?

The man he was talking to sighed and nodded. "That matches up well from what I've heard. I'm sorry, it's probably not going to make up for anything, but I didn't intend to blackmail you into telling a personal story." For some reason Dare couldn't get himself to become angry. He would save Maki, and then he would try to befriend Norie again...despite how much she's changed. But first he had to resolve the situation at hand. "Hey. Tell me how I can get those two out of there." He asked and the man turned with a bit of surprise. "Oh, I didn't know you knew about the Pichanto sisters." He said quietly. "I don't really know either of them. I just want to grab who I can and get the hell out of here. By the way, why are you being so helpful?" He asked and the man adjusted his glasses once more and smiled slightly. "I'm just doing what I think is best." Though he didn't say best for what exactly. "All you need to do is go in there and bring those two girls to their senses. Chances are, they're experiencing some kind of trauma, so perhaps by entering in yourself, you can disrupt whatever hole they've dug themselves into."

Though the metaphor really didn't make much sense to him, he slowly walked towards the machine and found his own place to sit down. "How do I know I won't get sucked in as well?" He asked and the man shrugged. "It's a gamble."

"You idiot! You're stuck in here now too!" Rey and Lei both pouted and Dare laughed. "I don't think so." He looked around. "What is this anyway? A bunch of dark empty spaces. Why don't I just turn on the lights huh?" He said and suddenly there was a brilliant bright light that filled the entire space, and with that, the dream world lost its hold, and the three of them woke up inside of the dimly lit room. As they removed the helmets placed over the heads, the three students stood in silence. For a brief moment Rey stared at Lei, who was doing a good job of avoiding her stare, and then Dare split into the middle of them. "Come on ladies, let's not dwell on the past." He stated placing his hands on their shoulders, and reluctantly turning them towards the front of the room where the man with the glasses smiled brightly. "My name is Sen. Pleased to meet you all." He said with a slight bow. "What the hell are you doing putting us in some kind of bizarre thing like that! I swear to god I'll tear you from limb to limb right here you asshole!" Rey was screaming as she broke free from Dare's hold and the man held out his hand. "Oh but that wasn't me. It was all Calvin's doing. He's the one who's been targeting the Mafia." Lei suddenly looked up. "Where is he now?!" She asked and the man pointed to the far wall. "Next door, having a friendly chat with Maki. Shall we pay them a visit?" With one final movement he removed the glasses from his face and opened the door. Without a second thought the three of them charged through the door, each hoping to find what they were hoping beyond.

The door slid back, and Dare was the first to plow his way through stopping dead in his tracks the two girls behind him slammed into his broad back. Silently he stood there looking at the scene which glared at him from the center of the room. A horrible, nostalgic feeling began to envelope the student outlaw, and for the first time in five years he felt that very same tinge of fear churn in his gut. 

/End


Next time on Scratch: A Chameleon's true colors. Is Trey really the deceased Troy that Michi once knew at her old high school? What are his real intentions at the dome? What is Jack doing at the dome? What about Sen's intentions? What about Maki? Is she really okay? What happened to Hiro for god's sake? What about Norie and Toru?! Only three dome chapters remain as our aspiring heroes and villains exchange blows...