Realm Sagas: Story 17: Trust No One By: Chandra Rooney ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Legal stuff: Sonic & Knuckles, and all related characters are copy-right of Sega and Archie comics. The X-Files and all related characters are copy-right of Twentith Century Fox. KTE, and Jack are copy-right of KTE. Vampire Sephiroth is copy-right of Vampire Sephiroth. The Green Gibbon! is copy-right of GG! Moon the Echidna, Selene, Gabriel Shadows, k.a. Echidna, Tonia, Leslie, Sailor Evil, Lirsage and all other original realm sagas characters are copy-right of Chandra Rooney. All the characters and ideas presented are my own, unless otherwise noted. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trust No One-- from "The Erlenmeyer Flask" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prologue: Location: Maryland, USA Fox Mulder sighed. He was dirty, tired, and there was a ton of paper work waiting for him to complete for tomorrow. He closed the car door, and made his way to the doors of his apartment building. It would be good to be back home in number 42. "Excuse me," a woman's voice spoke up, softly, from behind him. Mulder turned. No, not a woman. A girl; a teenager. Maybe old enough to vote; definitely not old enough to drink. "Yes?" he asked. "I'm sorry to bother you, sir, but I seem to have a dead car battery," she laughed, nervously. "I suppose you'd like to borrow my phone, and call a tow truck?" "Actually," she smiled. "I was wondering if you had a set of booster cables." Mulder paused. "Yes. I think I do." He waved her over to his car. "You're lucky. It's late. Not many people around." "True," she nodded. "But I believe we make our own luck, sir." "Please, no more of this 'sir' business. I'm Fox." He extended the booster cable to the girl. "Why don't you hold these, and we'll see if we can't get it to start?" "I am called Sarazine," she replied, after popping the hood. "Tell me something. Do you live alone, Fox?" "Now hold on," Mulder began. "I don't see how that has anything to do with your car." She laughed. "Oh, maybe my interests lay elsewhere." "And where exactly would that be?" he asked. She smiled, and put a hand on the back of his neck. "I'll whisper it in your ear." He bent forward, as she bit into his neck... Chapter One: Local: Somewhere in Maryland "No." "What do you mean 'no'?" Vampire Sephiroth demanded, narrowing his green eyes. "Exactly what I said," the green, two-tailed fox replied. "I am not going to have anything to do with this." "And why not?" "I do *not* like this place." "Are you scared, Green?" The dark blue-eyed girl in the black sailor scout outfit asked. She tossed her silver hair, and laughed scornfully. "That's it, isn't it? You're scared!" "No," the Green Gibbon! snapped. "I am not scared." "You want to get the Master Tools and the Realm Protectors, don't you?" "Yes..." "Then," Sailor Evil smiled. "You can be Mulder." "NO!!!!" GG! wailed. "I don't wanna be Mulder! Can't I be Scully? I would look great in those little suits she wears!" Vampire Sephiroth looked at Sailor Evil. As if to say 'you deal with him'. "Green..." she began. "And Mulder always gets shot and stuff!" GG! continued. "And I...don't like aliens!" "You *are* an alien," Vampire Sephiroth muttered. "Green," Sailor Evil smiled, and spoke in a patient tone. "You're being very childish." She touched his face. "Why don't you show me how brave you are?" GG! looked more uncertain than usual. "I still don't see why we're here." "I told you," she continued using the patient tone. "There's a tear in the dimensional fabric which separates this realm from the Vampire Home realm. That will bring the Realm Protectors here to fix it. And Mulder and Scully are the people that would most likely investigate the vampire attacks. The Realm Protectors will use the clue we left to find them. And that will keep them all occupied." "So?" GG! asked. "So, you, my cute wittle green foxie-gibbon thing, will go and keep an eye on them, without them ever suspecting." She paused. "Don't you see, Green? It's the perfect plan. When the Realm Protectors join up with her, as they'll have to, you will be there to steal their Master Tools and spy on them." "What if Mulder shows up?" "Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," Sailor Evil laughed. "I called up an owed favor, and got him taken care of. He'll be cooling his heels for a long time. Just like Moon." Chapter Two: Moon the silver Echidna moaned, and opened her dark blue eyes. She was in a dark room. It might have been a cell. It was stone walls, and a cold floor. Sitting up; she discovered she wasn't bound. But her head hurt like hell. "Where am I?" she whispered. "This isn't anywhere in the Green Hill Zone." She stood, turning full circle. "Can anyone hear me?!" She yelled. "Hello?!" There was something like a groggy reply. "I hear you," the voice was male, older. It almost sounded like her father. "No need to shout." "Where are you?" A muted band on the left wall. "Here. On the other side of the wall." Moon walked over to the walk. "Who are you?" "Special Agent Fox Mulder of the FBI." She blinked. "Agent Mulder? FBI?" she frowned. "The hell...?" "That would be me. And you are...?" He paused. "And please say you're real and not a voice in my head. I was certain I was going crazy for a while there. Thought I saw...things." "No, I'm real. My name is M-" she stopped. "I'm Chandra Rooney." "You know a way out of here, Miss Rooney?" "No, I can't say I do," she paused. "Why are you here?" "I was attacked by a young lady who felt the need to bite my neck, and drink my blood." "A vampire." she replied. "Yeah, that figures. I wonder how long they've been here." "Vampires have always been with us; many cultures have described their presence for thousands of years," he paused. "Were you attacked as well?" "I was attacked, yes, but not by a vampire," Moon sighed sadly, remembering the events of the past realm. "It was a gibbon." There was a long pause. "A gibbon? Well, that's one of the only ones I *haven't* heard yet." Moon was about to reply. But the sound of a door opening cut her off. "What the hell?" he exclaimed. "Agent Mulder? What's going on?" "A *green* fox?" She sat up a little straighter. It had to be Kit. It had to be. He was the only green fox in the Realm Destroyers. "With...*two* tails?" Or, then again, it could be GG!. "Tell me what you see," she instructed. "Tell me what's happening. Talk to me, Mulder." "Shuddup or I'll come in there and make you." A slam on the wall by where she sat. It was the Green Gibbon!. She could recognize his voice. "GG!..." The sounds of a scuffle cut her off. Someone cried out, and then silence. "Agent Mulder?" Moon whispered. "Are you all right?" Keys in her door. Fumbling, trying to find the right one. "Hey, are you still in there? I...overcame the gibbon, and stole his keys. I think we can make a break for it." She paused. "Gimme a second to grab my things." She shifted to a human form, hoping the changes would keep her safe from being recognized by the Realm Destroyers, if they were lurking around. The man on the other side had green eyes, and brown hair. Mid-to-late thirties, she would guess. He looked down at her, taking her in. The reddish-brown layered bob, and the pale blue eyes. She was so small compared to him. 5'2" to his 6'. Maybe 100 pounds soaking wet. He smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, Miss Rooney. I'm a professional. If I can't get us out of here, no one can." Chapter Three: Local: Outside the J. Edgar Hoover Building, Washington, D.C. "What is this place?" Jack asked. He narrowed green eyes at the huge building. The white-blond boy with the twilight blue eyes copied the motion. "Sign says Federal Bureau of Investigation." Jack looked back at the last member of their party. "Are you comin?" "I'm coming," the boy with the green eyes, and red-streaked blond hair replied. "Are sure these humans aren't going to catch on to us?" Ashrire paused. "Bella...Mom said the spell would keep you human so long as we were in a human realm, Lir." "I don't like it, Ash," Lirsage replied. "All these...*homo sapiens*. Couldn't I have stayed back at the Realm entrance with Shadows, Miss Prower, and Princess Tonia?" "You're the one who said he'd rather be there to see Moon was found safe and unharmed," Jack told him. "Oh. Quite Right, Jackie-boy." Lir scratched his chin. "I think this spell is affecting my brain. Are you sure it will wear off once we're out of this realm?" Ash growled slightly. He'd been in a bad mood ever since he'd said good-bye to Delphine Kiminsu in the GHZ. "It will only activate when you're in a human realm." "Oh. What approach do you think we should take?" Lir asked, after a pause. "A direct run on the building? It doesn't appear to be heavily guarded." "How bout we join up with the tour group?" Jack joked. "There's a tour group?" Lir asked. "Since when does the enemy give tours of it's secret base?" "Maybe we don't need to worry about getting in," Ash smiled. A small flicker of green chaos energy shone in his eyes. "C'mon guys. Let's walk up to the front door and see how susceptible these humans are to suggestion." Local: Realm Entrance Gabriel Shadows stumbled. "Are you all right?" Tonia asked. Her brown eyes were concerned. She tugged a piece of bluey-black hair. "Fine," he told her, green eyes cold. He pushed his own black hair away from his face. "You look a little pale," Leslie said. Her light green eyes were worried. She kept reaching up and playing with her tanny-blond hair. "I'm fine, ladies," he told them. He sat down away from them. "We're all fine in human form. A moment or two with my thoughts would be appreciated, though." Despite his bravado, he knew he wasn't fine. There was something seriously wrong with him. He'd noticed as soon as he'd gone back into human form. He could feel it. "Explain to me again how we came to be here," Tonia requested. "On the paper left by Sephiroth there was a realm coordinate, an address, and a number," he told her. "The realm coordinate led us here. Ash, Jack, and Lir have gone to the address with hopes of discovering what the number means." "What was the number?" Leslie asked. "JTT04710111." Gabe replied. "Whatever that is." Chapter Four: Local: Inside FBI Headquarters "Hey, how did you get back here?" the burnette at the desk asked them. "Excuse me, ma'am," Ash turned to her, speaking softly and keeping eye contact. "My associates and I would like to know what this number means." "This is stupid," Jack muttered. "The security guard didn't know it." "The guard sent us here," Lir reminded him. "Let Ash do his thing. Maybe he's better with the ladies." "What is the number?" the brunette asked, blankly. "JTT0410111," Ash replied. "That sounds like a badge number," she told him. "Who's?" Ash asked. "I don't know...I would have to look it up..." "It would be much appreciated if you did." "Success?" Lir asked. "Possibly." Ash didn't take his eyes off the woman. "Let's just hope she doesn't come out of the trance before we've got what we need. Whatever that is." "Would you like to be put directly in contact with the agent?" the brunette asked. "Or would you like to be taken to his office?" "Tell her the office," Jack whispered. "We don't know if we can trust the guy. Or why Vampire Sephirjerk left us his badge number." "So we go and snoop through his office?" Ash raised an eyebrow. "That's an invasion of personal privacy, Jack." "With all due respect, Ash," Lir butted in. "When the safety of one such as the heiress to the House of Sorcery is in question, such technicalities as personal privacy can be revoked if it hampers the investigation." "What?" Jack asked. "Realm Enforcer Protocol is very clear on the procedures for reconnaissance missions of this amount of importance." Lir paused. "Let me put it so you can understand, Jack. If we do not find Moon alive and well; it will be a very, very bad thing." "I think I knew that already," Jack replied, annoyed. "How bout we just leave you here, Mr. Protocol?" "Shut-up you two," Ash snapped. He refocused on the woman. "If you would be so kind as to show us the office." "Certainly." The brunette rose, walking as if asleep. "This way." Local: Inside the office "What now?" Jack asked. "Would you look at this place?" Lir gestured to the messy office. "It looks like a tornado touched down." "Jack, you take those file cabinets over there, see what's in them," Ash replied. "Lir, you get those ones. I'll tackle the desk." They were at it about twenty minutes when the interruption came. "What do you think you're doing?" a voice asked. Ash looked up to see the auburn-haired, blue-eyed woman. She stood about 5'3" and was dressed in a wine-colored pant-suit. "Who are you?" he demanded. "Special Agent Dana Scully," she replied. "What are you doing here?" "Remain calm, Dana," Ash replied, meeting her eyes. "Nothing is out of the ordinary." "Three teenage boys going through my partner's office does not fall under the ordinary category," Scully replied. "What are you doing?" Jack gave Ash a confused look. <> <> Ash paused. <> <> Jack shot back. <> "We were here to see your partner," Lir was saying, smiling slightly. "You see, we came to talk to him about finding our missing friend. She disappeared under 'unusual' circumstances. He wasn't here, but he left a note saying we should take a look through the files to see if we could find a similar case documented." "All right," Scully replied, but she definitely did not look convinced. "Who are you?" "I'm Lir Hunter," Lir added. He gestured to Jack. "That's my little brother, Jack." "I am not-" Jack started to say, but Lir elbowed him. "And you?" Scully looked over at Ash. "Ash Guardian," he smiled. "A pleasure to meet you, Dana." "You may call me Agent Scully," she told him coolly. "So you saw my partner then." "No, but we talked to him on the phone," Ash replied. "We were supposed to meet him here, but he didn't show." "Hmm, yes. Mulder's been missing for a few days," Scully replied. She paused. "When did you speak to him?" "A week ago. We're from out of town, so it took us that long to make the trip up here," Lir replied. "Where are you from?" Scully inquired. "Canada," Ash replied. "I thought as much," She turned. "I'll be right back." "Canada?" Jack demanded. "What would you have said?" Ash asked. "Louisiana." "Where the hell is that?" "I dunno. But it sounds cool." Lir mouthed the word. "Yeah, it does sound pretty cool, Ash." "You two are idiots." Ash snapped. "Where did that 'my little brother' thing come from?" Lir shrugged. "Saved Jack the hassle of coming up with a last name." "Whatever. Let's think up what we're going to tell her," Ash suggested. "No doubt she's gonna have some questions." Chapter Five: Local: Somewhere in Maryland Moon was surprised. They'd made it out of the basement where the vampires had been holding Agent Mulder without incident. He stumbled over to a blue ford Taurus, and fumbled in his trench-coat pocket, pulling out a set of keys. "That's yours?" She asked. "Uh huh." He paused, looking down at the keys hesitantly. "I'm still not feeling 100%. I don't suppose you have your license?" Moon took the keys. She didn't know what he was asking for, but how hard could it be to drive a car? "Get in the passenger side, " she opened the door, and paused. "It's not a standard is it?" "Julie-su," Vampire Sephiroth smiled at the pink echidna, with the purple-tipped bangs. "I have a favor to ask of you." "What is it?" Julie-su demanded, blowing a pink bubble. He held out a small vial. "I need you to take this and go to the Realm Protectors. You will see to it that Shadows drinks this. Pour it in his coffee, or dump it down his throat yourself; I don't care. Do whatever it takes. Just see that it's done." Julie-su took the vial. "I don't know where they are." "You remember where we came in?" She nodded. "Good. Go there. In the house on the corner, you'll find them. Do not disappoint me, Julie-su." She put the vial in a compartment in her boot. "I won't. But, can I ask what this is?" "That's not really any of your concern, my dear." Sephiroth smiled. "The less you know; the better. And Julie? Speak to Sailor Evil or any of the others of this matter, and I will kill you." "There must be an explanation," Scully muttered, walking back down the basement steps. "And I can't wait to hear it." She came back into the office to find them whispering amongst themselves. She shook her head. As strange as Mulder might be; these boys were stranger. And liars. Mulder would never tell someone to go through his files. And why would someone from Canada contact the FBI about a missing person's case? Not to mention that they certainly weren't old enough to be crossing the border on their own. Of all she'd heard, the only believable thing was that the two were brothers. They had the same eyes. "So, boys," She said. "Why don't you tell me about your friend?" The blue-eyed one looked up. "My sister." "Excuse me?" Scully's mind felt fuzzy. Last time she'd made eye contact with him a similar thing had happened. "She's my sister. The girl that we came here to find is my sister." Scully sighed. Of course. Now she understood. Mulder still maintained his younger sister, Samantha, had been abducted by aliens when they were young. This case probably had a personal feeling to it. "Okay," Scully found a chair, and cleared a stack of folders off of it. "Tell me what happened to your sister." "She was abducted," the other blond boy said. Scully sighed. "Of course. Why else would you come to Mulder." "You don't believe us," the one with the red hair, frowned. "But you should. We're not liars, ma'am. We were there. We saw what happened." "Maybe what you *think* you saw, wasn't what *really* happened," Scully began patiently. "Proof enough for you?" Jack turned to Ash. "She's gotta be working for *him*." "He can change his form," Lir reminded him. "So, she probably *is* him. This is a set-up, Ashrire. It has to be. Why else would they leave that card?" "That would explain why you can't control her mind," Jack added. "Wouldn't it?" "I don't understand..." Ash trailed off. Scully felt a tingling in her skull. "Her thoughts don't have any hint of Sephiroth to them." "It's a trick," Lir paused. "He tricked Shadows. He could fool you." "I'm not Shadows," Ash snapped. "I think I am just *slightly* more powerful than he is." He paused. "And if she was Sephiroth, or was working for him, don't you think she would've attacked us by now?" "Not necessarily," Lir replied. "Maybe she's supposed to 'befriend' us and act as a spy for them." "I say we don't take the chance," Jack took out his sword. "Let's find out." Scully pulled out a gun. A Smith and Wesson 1076. "Drop the sword. And don't make any sudden moves. I'm calling for backup." "See?" Jack pointed. "The Realm Destroyers will be on us in a second." "Jack's right," Lir's hand moved to inside his jacket. "I could take care of her now, Ash. Before they get here." "No." Ash glared at Scully. His eyes turned chaos green. "You are going to sit down and tell us where Moon is. Make a move to contact anyone and you will regret it." "Don't you threaten me," Scully snapped. "It won't help your situation at all. I don't know who you three are, or how you got here, but you are under arrest." "Arrest?" Lir blinked. "You can't arrest us!" "Shut-up so I can read you your rights," Scully snapped. "You have the right to remain silent-" "What is this?" Ash demanded. "Why are you doing this?" "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you by the state-" "But we didn't do anything!" "This is the place," Mulder told her. "My office is downstairs. You can phone your family from there. No doubt they'll be worried about you." "Yeah," Moon nodded, there was a jarring bump. "I think you hit the curb," Mulder remarked. "Did I? Sorry. It was my first time." Moon turned the car off. "Let's go." Gabriel Shadows was alone. Tonia and Leslie had gone down the street to see if they could find a place to eat at. The intruder didn't waste time. She stole into the house, and saw he was conveniently drinking something. She snuck up to were he was half-asleep and took the vial out. Julie-su twisted off the cap, and pour the contents into the cup. Then she picked up the cup and poured the liquid into his mouth. After a couple choking sounds, he swallowed it. Julie-su smiled. She put the cup back and left. to be continued.... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------