Vagueness and Nonsense

Pretty soon the whole team was fighting the confused soldiers, eventually driving them back. Once the last one had left there really was only one thing to say.

"So when do we get to kick some serious butt?" Valandra emphatically asked, "I'm Bored!"

Fuzz had not participated in the battle; he now limped out of the remains of the bar, which was not on fire and replied to the girl, "Many years ago, Valandra, many years ago."

"Here he goes, with all the vagueness and nonsense, AGAIN! Speak sense man!" Raven snapped.

"Fine," the old man began, "I wish you to go back into the past, to save the first League from destruction."

"They can take care of themselves," Raven shot back, "believe me I know." She certainly did, Raven had worked with the original League. She'd joined it only a few years after it was founded.

"A man from our time has gone back to stop the success of their first mission," Fuzz continued, as if Raven had not spoken.

The group looked at each other warily and finally Mystique spoke, "I have not cared about the outside world for so long. My telepathy sees to that, and these petty wars that people insist on placing themselves in are also a source for my alienation."

Aquial replied to that statement by hissing "Your telepathy is not stopping you from caring; Mystique, and the wars might go better if you'd actually gotten off your arse and helped."

The other members of the group were grumbling among themselves, and Ben was actually trying to sneak off. He'd had more than enough of this; no way was he risking his neck to protect the start of this society.

Valandra meanwhile, hadn't been paying attention to any of this. She was ignoring them all, twittering happily to herself as she conjured up several stunning butterflies and a parade of bubblegum-pink bubbles for amusement. Raven smoothly leaned over and elbowed her in the ribs, "Will you at least pretend to be interested, you pretentious little hair-ball, after all you voluntered for this!" She hissed. Valandra just grinned merrily and tossed several bubbles in Ravens direction, which Raven angerily swated.

Aquial sauntered up to Raven and said, "Just look at them, they're misfits not soldiers, this is never going to work!" Raven replied with a scowl as she grabbed Ben by the scruff of the neck to halt his escape.

Finally, when Fuzz had become totally fed up, he yelled, "QUIET, you can all bicker or kill each other, after you've saved the past. Then once the mission is over you can all just fall back into the dark holes you've been living in."

For a moment everyone just stared at the old man, shocked by his outburst. Then slowly, one by one, they all sheepishly nodded acceptance, except Valandra who was busily turning her butterflies into bright blue bubbles.

"Now, can you tell us EXACTLY what it is you want us to do?" Raven asked quietly. Her tone had lost some of its defiant edge and was now, almost respectful.
Fuzz took a few calming breaths before he replied to the immortal. "You must go into the past to stop a madman from the present from destroying the League's future and altering all we hold dear. He is targeting the first mission and attempting to change its outcome. You must stop him."

Raven took a deep breath, held it and let it out. Her face was filled with indecision, but finally she spoke, "Fine, I'll probably regret this in the morning, but I'm in."

Aquial closed her eyes and stepped forward, followed by Justin and Bobby. They were soldiers after all, and it was expected that they would fall in line, despite their doubts. All three looked wary, and Bobby kept glancing at Justin as if to say 'Don't get us both killed.'

Raven was still holding Ben by the collar, although he had stopped trying to run. She'd just completely forgotten she was holding him, until he asked quietly, "Why us?" Startled, Raven quickly let go of him as he continued, "I mean we have nothing to gain or lose either way. We're societies' outcasts, their dirty laundry."

"And their favorite scapegoats to boot!" Valandra laughed sarcastically. Ben shot her a dirty look and popped several of her bubbles. Valandra responded with a shrug.

Fuzz turned to the boy and replied, "If you all do this, all of your past crimes will be pardoned, including those that were not your fault but an imprint of society."

"Benjamin Turner, Tec void extraordinaire, at your service," the young man saluted with a slight mock-bow, but he was sincere. What the man offered was a normal life, free of persecution and pain, how could he turn that down? Though technically the man hadn't completly answered his question.

Valandra glanced at Mystique then slowly and seriously looked from Raven, to Aquial, to Justin, to Bobby, to Ben and finally to Fuzz. Finally she drew a deep breath, stepped forward dramatically and said "Me too," in a high pitched, falsely sweet voice.

"You were not invited," a quiet voice spoke out. The whole group turned expectantly to Mystique. "What?" She inquired calmly, "Have you not guessed my answer?"

"You're going to say no!" Aquial muttered and everyone but Raven and Fuzz slowly nodded in agreement.

"Isn't it obvious?" Raven laughed, "She's already said yes." Everyone starred blankly at the immortal, except the old man of course, who just smiled knowingly. "So to paraphrase an old hunter, who was in a similar situation," she continued, "The team is set and the game is on."

"Excuse me," Aquial interrupted, "but what do you mean, she's already said yes!"

"She's here, isn't she?" Fuzz stated calmly.

"I'm here to help you create the portal into the past, am I not?" Mystique prodded softly, "Temporal forces are tricky and you need a stable mind to catch and control a portal."

"All righty then, let's blow this joint!" Valandra cheered with her usual bout of enthusiasm.

"The portal was designed for six, not seven." Fuzz said, "I didn't expect a new arrival." As he spoke the world exploded with color as the portal opened, popping the last of the bubbles.

"Tough cookies old man," Valandra exclaimed, "I'm going whether you like it or not!"

Justin ran into the portal, his brother following closely behind. Then Aquial leaped in, howling back a "Yeehaa!" as she did so. Ben and Mystique eyed each other before slowly walking into the portal. This left Valandra, Raven and Fuzz still standing in the lot.

Raven walked up to the portal, then turned, "the boy raised an excellent question earlier, and I for one would very much like an answer to it." Raven looked Fuzz straight in the eye, "So why us?" She never got her answer however, as the portal picked that exact moment to begin degrading.

"C'mon Raven," Valandra yelled, impatiently dragging Raven into the portal, "hurry up or we'll miss the bus!"

"Wait," Fuzz cried franticly, "you can't both go in at the same time!" But it was too late, they were gone.

Play it again Sam… A note from the Beta: Hello again my author friend, I've finished beta-ing the new chapter you've sent me. Now hurry up and write some more! This is just getting interesting. K & U love it too! And a big blessed be to all you readers once again!
-Lady Knightmare & K & U.