From: "Adrian Tymes" <wingcat@pacbell.net> Subject: [PW!] [SST] Shen Gong Cue Date: Thursday, January 29, 2004 2:47 AM William Rendfeld wrote: > "We'll be fine," Alex noted, another strange vibe rushing towards them. "Do you > need any help?" > > Cue blinked again, then asked, #Have you encountered a being named Jason > Cassidy?# > > Alex's eyes narrowed, and she replied, "As much as I hate to admit it." > > #Could you distract him?# Cue replied. > > Alex smiled. "Sure thing." "Heads up, Aerie. We've got to-Aerie?" Alex found herself talking to thin air. #YOU.# Although Aerie's message was not directed at her, it carried enough intensity that Alex easily picked it up. #No, Cue.# #...right. You are going to help me solve my problem.# #How?# #By returning.# #You would decide this for me?# #If I don't, others will.# Alex tuned the conversation out just in time to see Jason step onto the deck. The two immediately began staring daggers at one another. "You again," Jason spat. "Figures. Were you the one chasing that shiny unown?" "You saw it?" "Yeah." Alex pointed out to sea. "It floated that way. I guess it figured sharing a boat with the likes of you was too much. I hope it makes it to land okay." "I'll let that pass. This is too important." Jason headed for a nearby lifeboat, released it, and set off in the indicated direction. Once he was gone, Alex chuckled to herself. "That was too easy." --- On the other side of the ship, Yuki and Lynkeru ran as fast as they could, Yuki keeping an eye out while Lynkeru kept one eye on her wristradar. #You know, it's awfully convenient that you keep asking me questions.# The two girls exchanged a glance, but neither of them was the source. The mental voice was familiar, and coming from just beyond the next door. #Because they're like a tracking beacon!# They slammed open a door, to see Cue floating over an open cargo bay. Lynkeru ran and leapt onto Cue, just as Aerie shot up through the bay. They grabbed Cue simultaneously, Lynkeru's horizontal momentum and Aerie's vertical sending them spinning skywards. "LEGGO!" they shouted in unison, each one clawing at the other to dislodge their opponent. Lynkeru landed several punches that would have stunned a normal girl but seemed to just sink in through Aerie's clothes, while the purple haired one was having a tough time landing a single blow on the constantly dodging and blocking swordsgirl. Yuki, meanwhile, was soon having a tough time seeing what was going on. She pulled out an empty pokeball and aimed, but realized that as high as they were, even her friend might have trouble coming out of the fall unscathed. Eventually, both girls clinging to the still-rising Cue slowed their attacks. "We seem to be at a stalemate," Lynkeru observed. "Maybe." Aerie smiled. "Or maybe I've got some tricks left, and I'm holding back because I want to know if you're still serious about catching them." "The unown told you you were tied with me for returns?" "No, but you did. Thanks for the tip." Lynkeru narrowed her eyes. "Aerie, let go. The longer we stay here, the more time Yuki has to knock you off and claim this for us. I don't want to see you hurt." "*Or*," Aerie countered, shaping her free hand into a blade, "I could just cut this unown in pieces, grab you, fly down, and let whoever wants shiny unown bits take 'em. I don't think anyone gets the wishes unless all twenty six are returned alive." "You're bluffing." "...okay, you got me." The blade became an arm again. "But how 'bout this: your friend makes a move against me, *especially* tries to catch me like your other friend did, and I take that as an invite to make a life of pain for her and her pokemon and you if you interfere, and I walk away with this unown anyway." "You're not bluffing." "Correct again. Now. All that aside, I'd rather make friends than enemies. I've made enough of a mess with the people who were already on my side. So, given that you don't seem to want to give up and neither do I, and assuming our friends don't interfere, can you think of a way out of this?" TBC?