Title: Red Twine and Portals

Verse: Treasure Planet, Disney, Reality and World Events

Pairings: Scroop x Obsessive Pseudo-Scorpion Fangirl

Summary: "S.C. Arachnida was a conspiracy theorist. And if it's anyone's job to uncover the secrets that the Disney Corporation has been hiding, it's hers. She just didn't expect her investigation to transport her halfway across the galaxy."

A/N: DUN DUN DUN! I'm in hot water now lol. Cliffhanger, how I hate you. You're so painful to write and it would spoil the story to solve you right away XD. Now poor Jim thinks "Sophie" is a double agent. She's after his pot of gold! Somebody stop the crowbar wielding maniac!

I call myself a sensitive name in this, twice *double facepalm combo*

Oh btw, Azarathian Angel, I'm stealing one of your scene ideas since you never wrote it lol

Hope you don't mind!~

Thanks for all the wonderful reviews and favs!~ I wish I could answer them at school. Curse their block system. And answering them in the notes drags out the chapter and makes the file size huge. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to read Homestuck.

(And I'm in a good mood, if you haven't noticed. Don't ruin it with flames! Not that I've gotten any, yet. XD)

=====Chapter 5: Duplicity==============================

04.7-003.49, 815

"...STARK RAVING! TOTALLY BLINKING DAFT!" Sophie jumped at the booming voice, lost her balance, and promptly tripped down the stairs, face-planting in the process. A few angry mutters and some soft snickers sounded around her. "Well, well, 'aven't got ye' space legs yet, lass?"

Sophie growled a response and grabbed for her crowbar. She wedged it against the floor and used it to prop herself up. "Yes, yes, let's all poke fun at the newb. It's totally NOT juvenile."

A few chuckles broke from the crew members, and Sophie could have sworn that she saw Scroop crack a bitter smile and let out a hiss-like laugh.

"What brings ye' down 'ere, Miss Arachnida?"

"Ice." She declared impatiently, thumping the curved edge of the crowbar against her leg. Silver glared at it distrustfully.

"For what?" Scroop hissed, despite already knowing the answer.

"For the cabin boy." She shot a glare over her shoulder at Scroop. He smirked back mockingly.

"He sssshould learn to keep his mouth sssssshut."

"I agree completely, but that's no reason to beat him. He is fifteen, after all." She scowled. "Look, I'm not here to argue; I'm here to get ice for a massive bruise on a patient's back. Is it down here or not?"

"It's in the freezer, down near the engine room." A fat, horned alien answered.

"Thank you. That's all I came down here for." Sophie grumbled and stomped up the stairs. Scroop took note of this: the girl was heavy-footed; she would have a hard time sneaking up on people.

Sighs of relief filled the air once she had left.

"You think the broad suspected anything?" The multi-eyed Onus called out.

"No, but she be a wild card, that one. Almost worse than the boy. But, the lass seems to fancy you, eh Scroop?"

Scroop growled, "The lassssssss issssss a ticking time bomb with a ssssssshort fuse."

"Maybe so, but why don' ye keep an eye on 'er an' make sure that fuse stays unlit. It'll keep you out of the brig and away from the boy."

"The boy was sssssssniffing about!" Scroop yelled, causing the crew to jump at his sudden outburst. Scroop had never been one to fear Silver, unlike the rest of them.

"You just stick to the plan ya bug brained twit! As for the boy, I'll run him so ragged he won' have time ta think."

Scroop smirked. That was the Silver he was friends with. After that little show up on deck, he was afraid Silver was going soft.

Silver pushed him toward the stairs: "Don' ye have a little arachnid to be chasing after."

"Silver, you matchmaker!" Birdbrain Mary shouted. The crew erupted into laughter.

Scroop scowled, obviously not liking the connection of his species and her last name, but said nothing and instead made his way up the stairs.

She cursed under her breath. "Oh, it's such a good thing I brought this crowbar too, since none of you people seem to know what an ice tray is!" The block of ice crunched as she swung the heavy iron rod down on it.

"The icccccccce isssss meant for the engine, in cassssssse it over heatsssssss. Mosssssssst don't use it for medicinal purpossssesssss."

Sophie jumped at the unexpected voice. "Geez, don't do that!"

Scroop snickered. "Need ssssssome help?"

"I don't think my patient would like it if I dragged you into the med bay with me."

"I can wait outssssssside."

"Persistent, aren't you?" She turned around to find him looming directly over her, and pointed the crowbar at his scrawny neck. "Down, Rover."

He sarcastically stepped a foot back. She growled at him, leaning over to collect the ice chucks into a bag then pushing the freezing item into his chest. He yelped at the sudden contact.

"Don't like the cold, huh? You're even more arachnid-like than I thought." She snickered, "If you're so insistent on helping, then you can carry this."

Scroop grumbled something under his breath and snapped up the bag in his claw. "Sssssstubborn female. Who putsssssss icccccccce on a bruise anyway?"

"A smart person."

"Are you inssssssssulting my intelligence?"

"Not if you're able to use such big words."

"Of coursssssssssse I'm able to use big words. I was an Englissssssh major before I-" He cut himself off, and looked away.

"Before you what?"

"Nothing."

They walked in awkward silence for about five minutes, until Sophie took it upon herself to grunt and start up another conversation.

"Don't think of this as rude or anything but, what exactly are you?"

Scroop looked at her like she was insane. "I'm a Mantavor, you imbeccccccccile!"

"Well, excuse~ me! Back on my planet we didn't have such things as Mantavors and Densadrons and, and tentacle monsters!" Her voice was rising, on the verge of hysteria. Her hands balled into fists and shook at her sides. "I never asked for this! I JUST WANT TO LEAVE THIS AWFUL PLACE!"

"Look jussssssst calm down."

"SHUT UP! I NEED TO RANT SO JUST SHUT UP!" She made to swing the heavy iron crowbar, but he caught her hand and wrestled it out of her grasp. It hit the floor with a resounding clang.

Even though she was now unarmed, Sophie continued to fight. She had a surprising amount of strength, and he sensed the use of some military technique as well, but Scroop was stronger. Within seconds, he had her pinned against the wall and hoped to whatever deity that would listen that no one walked in right now.

A low whine caught his attention, causing Scroop to look down. Sophie was now full-on sobbing and her voice was once again increasing in volume. He had to silence her, but couldn't relent his hold since she was still faintly struggling. He took a deep breath, then quickly pressed his fangs against her lips, stiffling an escaping wail.

She immediately fell silent and went limp in his grasp. He withdrew, a small amount of clear venom still dripping from his fangs. "Ssssssssssorry, but I can't have you rampaging like you did back at the sssssssstore." It was a fast-acting poison, but not deadly. "You won't catch me off guard like lasssssssssst time."

He lifted her up bridal-style and pushed the med bay's door open. That scrawny cabin boy was nowhere to be seen, but it looked as if some of Sophie's belongings had been sifted through. He laid her on the guest bed in the back room and tugged the covers over her.

There was no need for the ice now, so Scroop returned it to the freezer, leaving a note for Sophie in case she had another emotional fit when she woke up.

He took another mental note of the woman's behaviour. Perhaps she had some mental disorder that Terrans were so prone to: one that made her act cheerful and talkative one minute, then irrational and violent the next. Afterall, he had thought their conversation was pretty normal until she exploded.

He groaned, too tired to think up the proper term, and silently crept into the crew's quarters and crawled into his hammock.

"Are you certain of this, Mr. Hawkins?" Captain Amelia asked as she was examining the communicator. It certainly did bear a striking resemblance to the Procyon Armada's communicators, but she still had her doubts.

"I'm positive. I've seen enough of them walking in and out of the Benbow Inn with these things to know." He cast his eyes downward. "I just can't believe someone would betray their own kind like this."

"Yes, yes, it's an unfortunate thing. However, I cannot act unless I have solid proof and confronting Miss Arachnida could cause a number of events to take place. She could be innocent, she could lie, she could commit suicide to avoid capture, or she could alert an entire convoy to our immediate location. It would be in our best interest to feign ignorance for the time being, until we have enough solid evidence to arrest and restrain her."

From across the room, Doppler huffed. "With all due respect, Captain Smollet, how was she allowed to come on board anyway?"

Amelia stood and moved toward the window. "I'll admit it was a rare moment of charity, but it won't happen again anytime soon. In the meantime, I'll keep a close watch on her. Perhaps, she could assist Jim and the crew with hunting for the beacons on Port Lutine tomorrow?"

Jim scowled and grumbled under his breath: "I don't want some bloody Procyon loyalist coming with me..."

"What was that, Mr. Hawkins?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Amelia pulled the holoblinds shut on the windows. "Very good."