Chapter 6- Brooke and the Angel Tear

[junkuroki]

Ani~

Reese’s sudden bang on the doorway made Stardust turn back. Her gaze lingered on the empty doorway for a while, trying to make out with what was eating him. She brought the sandwich to her lips and took a bite.

/Brooke’s in the living room./ Diwata noted.

I can see that, replied Stardust and headed out, leaving Darla in the kitchen.

[junkuroki]

Auria~
Tomoe blushed slightly. "Well...normally the train would be the best escape but...we couldn't just get on...I couldn't..."

"Yeah, I know." Zacke agreed. They came to the elevator and stepped inside. Zacke moved away from her to press the button.

"So," he leaned against one wall and crossed his arms. "What if we walk the tracks?"

Tomoe looked at him as if he were crazy. "What?!"

Zacke shrugged. "We could stick close to the side. I mean, they wouldn't stop a train because they saw a bunch of people walking along the tracks, would they?"

Tomoe seemed to consider. "It could work...awfully long walk..."

The elevator dinged. Zacke shook his head as the doors slid open. "Maybe half a day. It's worth a safe escape."

Tomoe nodded. "True." He gestured for her to step out before him. She smiled slightly, a smile he returned, and stepped out.

They walked into the kitchen to see all the group seated in various places. Darla was cleaning the breakfast dishes. Brooke was sitting on the counter, legs dangling over the edge.

"And Diamond Eater in there hounds on me for sleeping in!" she said exceptionally loudly, maybe so he could hear from the other room. If Reese did, he wasn't responding to it. Brooke eyed Zacke and Tomoe. "What were you two doing anyway??"

Zacke moved over to the counter and grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl. "Finding our way through your ridiculously hugantic, ginormic mansion and into this kitchen." he shot back.

Brooke arched an eyebrow. "Yeahhhh."

Zacke shrugged it off and bit into the apple. "Me and Tomoe were thinking maybe we could walk the tracks, to FH." he said, still chewing in one side of his cheek. "Seems like the safest way out of the city. What do you guys think?" he swallowed and glanced around.

[junkuroki]

Ani~

What do I think? Stardust gave Zacke and Tomoe a weird look.

She had gone back to the kitchen for a glass of chocolate milk. Across her were the others taking breakfast, Brooke sitting comfortably at the counter where she was on. A few minutes later, Zacke and Tomoe came back from sightseeing in the mansion. They were proposing to walk along the tracks to FH. As usual, it didn't really appeal for her. But it wasn't that she meant it not to appeal for her. The plan itself didn't seem like a good idea.

/Hmm...I think he's talking about that enormous hi-tech train that we saw when we first got here./

"It won't work," Stardust replied on the corner, holding her mug. "This Esthar is big...You can't just say you'll walk those tracks when you have no idea how long will it be until it reached Fisherman's Horizon." She shook her head irritatedly and took a sip from her drink.

Judging from the size of Esthar, she assumed that it would take them half of the day just to make it to Fisherman's Horizon by 'walking along the tracks'. They would be tired and would probably had a nice long break and a warm mawkish chitchat before setting along to Garden which would take them another long hours of crossing the ocean. Who knows? They would probably make it back to Garden tomorrow morning. Lowlife kind of things that Stardust had no tolerance for.

"And for your information...We're not spending another day outside Garden. We need to get back there as early as possible.

"Besides, If she's coming with us." Stardust looked at Brooke. "Wouldn't it be weird if the ambassador's daughter was spotted walking with a bunch of people? It's going to be conspicuous." She let her mug rest on the counter and stared at the chocolate milk in it.

"Some idea..." she mumbled, her tone sounded a lot like, 'Stupid idea'.

[junkuroki]

Bun~

"Wouldn't it be weird if the ambassador's daughter was spotted walking with a bunch of people? It's going to be conspicuous." Infinity stared into her mug intently, as if the chocolate milk inside would give her some answers. "Some idea..."

Tomoe bit back a retort and shook her head slightly. "Well, it was only an idea," she said quietly beside Zacke. "It's not set in stone." Her gaze traveled over the kitchen as she reached for a banana hanging on the hook over the fruit bowl. As she made ready to eat her measly breakfast, Tomoe returned her attention to Infinity. "Do you have any ideas to give us, Inifinity, since you're always so keen on shooting down everyone else's?" She kept her voice carefully subdued, so as not to piss of Infinity, since the girl had a penchance for flying off the handle.

Just like Blaze.....

Just then Wolfe walked in, whistling cheerfully and grinning like a Cheshire Cat. "Good morning to all you pretty ladies," he said genially, and then to Zacke, "and some not-so-pretty ladies. What's on the agenda today, I'm bored with this namby-pamby rich kid stuff."

Brooke looked insulted. Tomoe smiled slightly to herself. Wolfe squeezed between her and Zacke and mussed Tomoe's hair.

[junkuroki]

Ani~

"Do you have any ideas to give us, Inifinity, since you're always so keen on shooting down everyone else's?" Tomoe asked her. Just then, Wolfe came crashing along in his gleeful mode and situated himself near Tomoe to fiddle with her hair.

Stardust didn't bother looking at the pigtailed girl when she said, "Underground passage..."

Shooting down everyone else's ideas? she thought to herself. It wasn't her fault these lowlifes kept suggesting inconsistent ideas. She was just telling the truth.

"If we made it here by taking that, I don't see any reason why we shouldn't use that to go back." Casting a sideway glance Tomoe's way, Stardust arched an eyebrow.

/How's that?/

[junkuroki]

Ash~

Blaze finished eating the entirety of her apple, core and all, while listening to Tomoe and Stardust. She could hear the distinct tone of Tomoe's voice, a tone she used often with Blaze.

"Well, if Brooke looks so out of place with us, why don't we just crap up her hair and dress her in some dirty clothes? It's a foul proof plan." Blaze suggested.

[junkuroki]

Auria~

Zacke frowned at Wolfe's insult. Wolfe wedged into the spot between him and Tomoe and messed with Tomoe's hair. Zacke scooted over so he wasn't touching Wolfe and crossed his arms. "This is really getting old." Zacke muttered so only Wolfe could hear. "She's not a little girl."

"Well, if Brooke looks so out of place with us, why don't we just crap up her hair and dress her in some dirty clothes? It's a foul proof plan." Blaze said.

Brooke's chin lifted proudly. "Whatever it takes!" she said enthusiastically.

"That's true, disguising Brooke wouldn't be too hard. But tell me about this underground passage, Stardust." Zacke said

[junkuroki]

Ani~

Stardust finished her chocolate milk, turned to Zacke, and paused for a while. He was talking normal and that was good. She nodded.

"As I said, we got here smoothly through that underground tunnel Reese showed us," she said. "We made an opening on the flooring on one of those..." She stopped for a while to think for a term. "..those flying lifts.

"If we can make it back down there again. I'm pretty sure that there'll be another lift waiting that can transport us back to Great Salt Lake." She leaned on the counter. "I know it's going to be suspicious if a bunch of teenagers approach that certain shaft in public but since you mentioned disguising..." she paused again. "Well...They're constructing something near that spot, if we can make ourselves look like we're repairing the elevator too, I think they won't notice us."

[junkuroki]

Lily~

Finishing her meagre breakfast of yoghurt and sky juice in the midst of their little discussion on getting out of Esthar, Jun set her empty glass carefully on the table.

"Sounds workable." She said in reply to Stardust's suggestion. "But how are we going to get to where that underground tunnel was? A bunch of lift repairmen strolling out of the Coroniere mansion would look kinda suspicious. And you can bet they're keeping their eyes on us. And if we get caught? Those Estharian police have another excuse to haul us off to jail again - kidnapping of the Ambassador's daughter. Or at the very least, conspiring and aiding with her escape if she kindly decides to speak up for us."

Which I doubt she will... cos that will blow her plan to slip out of the city. This thought she kept to herself, looking round at the rest for opinions.

Then she turned to face Brooke.

"Where does your back door lead to? Do you have camera surveillance where we can see movements around the perimeter of this house? I'm thinking maybe there's a way that's not being ambushed by the police.

Or better yet, are there any secret passageways in here that lead out of the manshion itself?" She paused for breath.

{You're babbling.}

I know... I sound like an idiot.

[junkuroki]

Auria~

Brooke rolled her eyes at Jun's suggestion. "No, we don't have any secret passageways. My dad's an Ambassador, not a..a..a frickin' secret agent or something." she hopped down from the counter. "And what makes you think I wouldn't speak up for you guys? Do you think I'm that cold-hearted? Or are you under the impression I'm too cowardice?!"

Reese appeared in the doorway. "Where's my gunblade?" he demanded of Brooke.

Brooke whirled around to face Darla, who was wiping the kitchen counter. "Darla, go tell Russell to get their weapons. He knows where they're at." Darla nodded promptly and dropped her rag, brushing past Reese as she left the kitchen.

Reese shot Brooke a glare and strode over to the wine rack, pulling a bottle from it.

"Anyway," Brooke said, turning again to Jun. "I wouldn't let you guys take the heat for this. And yeah, there's cameras all over the place, watching every move every single person makes--" she stopped abruptly at a popping noise and turned to glance at Reese. He brought the bottle of liquor to his lips, casually listening. She rolled her eyes and turned back to Jun. "it doesn't really matter though, they're all under my command. If I tell them to shut off the cameras they have to do it. I can get us a ride to that...that construction site, was it?" she glanced at Stardust. "The one you mentioned, with the lift." she shrugged. "Or, I could buy us an entire car on one of the trains out of here and we could ride to FH."

She crossed her arms and leaned back against the counter. "I just want you guys to know that the more involvement I have in this escape plan, the more likely it is someone will notice. That's why I was just going to go with whatever you guys had in mind. I mean, you got inside on your own. I have no doubt you can get outside, too."

Just then a loud melodic chime sounded. Someone was at the door. A maid could be heard opening it, and muffled voices sounded, before the confused maid ushered two young men into the kitchen.

One of them was Nirkit. "S'up guys." a wide grin spread across his face. Brooke arched an eyebrow and glanced around, confused.

[junkuroki]

Lily~

Jun was immediately irked at Brooke's reply. She never took kindly to anyone mocking her.

She knitted her brows irritatedly, but kept her mouth shut. She recognised, to some degree, that she had asked for that kind of reply by mentioning the secret passageways, which in retrospection sounded rather stupid even to herself.

"I just want you guys to know that the more involvement I have in this escape plan, the more likely it is someone will notice." Brooke continued.

Jun actually agreed with her on that, albeit grudgingly.

Maybe she isn't as "airy" as first impression suggests.
Should I start giving her the benefit of the doubt?

{There never was any cause for the distrust you've displayed anyway.}

Two young men were then shown into the kitchen, interrupting their "brainstorming session" for an escape plan.

"S'up guys." One of them said, a wide grin spread across his face, acting as if he knew the SeeDs.

Jun studied them for a spell, unable to guess how and why.

"Care to introduce yourselves?" She asked, looking quizzically at the two guys.

[junkuroki]

Ash~

Blaze stood up from the wall she was leaning on and plucked a few dried chili peppers from a bundle on the wall.

Hey, these are pretty spicy.

/Those aren't for eating, Blaze./

She turned around from her chili peppers to the noise at the door. She saw Brooke give a confused look when Nirkit nodded familiarly to team A.

It's that Nitpick guy...

"Don't look at us, we don't know him." Blaze said to Brooke, eating another one of her wall decorations.

[junkuroki]

Auria~

Brooke noticed Blaze chewing away at one of the extremely rare and extremely expensive dried peppers Darla had decorated the kitchen with. She had the fleeting urge to say something to the loud, rude, tomboyish SeeD, but stopped herself upon being reminded of the two strangers standing in her kitchen.

Nirkit let out a chuckle at Blaze's comment. "Hi, Fuck You!!" he said enthusiastically. He nudged his friend and motioned to Blaze. "This one is kinda fiesty but doesn't she look just adorable??"

Brooke pushed away from the counter and stared straight into Nirkit's eyes. "Sorry for interrupting your chummy little chat, but why the hell are you here?"

"It's okay, this is Nirkit." Zacke explained. "He's uhh...we met..." Zacke looked to Nirkit for some kind of guidance. He didn't know what not to say around Ambassador Coroniere's daughter.

[junkuroki]

Ani~

"Sorry for interrupting your chummy little chat, but why the hell are you here?"

Stardust turned her head to see two unfamiliar guys. One went by the name Nirkit--as told by Zacke--and the other she didn't know--she didn't care.

He was medium built. He had a dark hair, with heart-shaped bangs that reached to his cheek, oval face coated with a grin like that of his friend.

"First things first," the dark haired guy cheerfully said then looked at everyone. He had to give them his name atleast. Nirkit seemed to had grown a little bit famous just because Madison picked him to come with her instead of him yesterday. He had to catch up.

"My name's 'Screw me!'" His coffee-colored eyes dropped at Blaze, grinned with Nirkit, then laughed. Afterwards, he continued, "Oh no, Sorry.. Just woofin'...Hahaha." He cleared his throat and straightened himself.

"My name's Vindell! Nice to meetcha all. And yeah, this is Nirkit right here. We were sent to track down you guys, SeeDs." Vindell glanced at Nirkit.

[junkuroki]

Auria~

Nirkit laughed aloud. "Yeah, Madison said she's getting kind of sick of arrogant SeeDs waltzing up into Esthar and falling on their asses." he chuckled to himself and stepped forward a bit.

"You see, any enemy of Adel's is an ally of ours, and we usually just help them out of trouble or whatever and then go on about our business. We don't usually interfere with SeeD missions and stuff. But Madison caught a whiff of the I'm-up-to-something-big stench you all reek of, yesterday, and sent me and Vindell here to basically tell you guys that we might be able to help you out if you want." Nirkit explained casually, as if he were having an everyday chat over lunch.

"Plus," he added, taking a few steps over towards Zacke, but shifted to the side and motioned to Tomoe. "It's not every day you see the infamous Sephirot daughter running around with a bunch of rowdy SeeDs, causing havoc in the main highways of Esthar." he grinned. "It's enough to make anyone curious, even Madison."