Hey there, How are you? Hopefully all is well and good on your end. Here's the next part of Cadre Sister, I finally got around to it ;-) Actually, I finally figured out where the story was going. Anyway, please let me know what you think. BTW, are you gonna come out with more of Fallen Angel soon? That is such a sweet fic, and of course, BKRL is SO wonderful, there just aren't words. Can you tell I love that fic? Anyway, I know this part of CS is sort, but I have another paper to write (this one is on Socialism, imagine my joy) so I got done what I could. Meredith Cadre Sister 2/? by Meredith Bronwen Mallory mallorys-girl@cinci.rr.com ------------------ 5 Years Later ------------------ All was silent in the lush, trim green commons of the Negacorps academy. The day was over cast, and a few blue birds chirped to each other from the trees, as though expecting rain. Bellow in the valley, the Negacorps town of Greenville bustled quietly, and beyond that, one could see the fence separating the telepaths from the rest of the world. Then the bell rang, short and quick, and the silence was shattered by several hundred students, all glad to be freed from school. Ten year old Darien was one of them, tall and handsome in his crisp black uniform that marked him as one of the more high scoring students. He smoothed a hand over his hair, looking very, very glad to be out of class. His instructors had pushed him father than usual today, and his mind felt like it was going to bust. ³Hey! Dar!² a another black uniformed student raised his hand in greeting, long blonde hair pulled back in a pony tail. ³Zoicite!² Darien hurried over to his friend, his eyes searching for the other members of their little circle. ³Where are the others?² he asked. The other boy heaved a sigh. ³Andrew had a challenge today, I donıt think he did too well cause the instructor asked him to stay after. Neph and Jed are on their way, they stopped to look at the girlıs volley ball game, and,² here Zoicite made a face, ³Kunziteıs in trouble.² ³What for?² ³Um...² Darienıs friend looked distinctly uncomfortable, so he let it go. A moment of silence passed between them, before three familiar figures were spotted coming down the path. ³Andy!² Darien called out, ³Howıd you do on the challenge?² Challenges were the scourge of every studentıs week, including Darien, though he often did much better than the others. The instructors would form a picture in their minds, and the student had to take the picture from them, only there were a lot of barriers you had to fight your way through. With a shudder, Darien remembered one of the first challenges heıd ever watched. The little girl, Ann, had died when her brain over loaded. Heıd been very careful ever since then. ³Moderate,² Andrew replied, looking extremely tired. His friends clapped him on the back supportively. ³I know whatıll make you feel better,² Jadeite said excitedly, ³The sixth grade girls are having a volley ball game over on the other side of the commons. Letıs go watch!² ³I dunno, Iım pretty tired,²the other blond replied. ³That Rita girl is playing,² Nephrite teased. Andrew instantly brightened, his posture getting better as he stood tall, running a hand through his hair. ³Well, whatıre we waiting for!² he cried. The other guys laughed. ³What about you, Dar? You in?² Zoicite asked. The other boy sweat-dropped, feeling acutely the weight of his Œadvancedı assignments, which he held in his arms. ³Sorry, guys, canıt,² he replied, ³I have a ton of work. ŒSides, I wanna get home before Seiya puts frogs in my bed again.² Seiya was Darienıs room mate, and the two of them had a habit of playing nasty pranks on each other, though Seiya had instigated it. ³Dude, why donıt you just beat Œem up?² Nephrite wanted to know, grinding his knuckles into his fist suggestively. ³I donıt need trouble,² Darien informed them. ³Then let US beat him up!² Jadeite suggested with a blood thirsty smile. His friend merely shook his head. ³DAR-ien!² a high pitched, female voice pierced the afternoon air, and all five boys flinched. ³Shoot,² Darien said, rolling his eyes, ³Itıs Beryl. I wasnıt here, Œkay guys?² The others only nodded, sweat-dropping when they realized theyıd have to deal with the annoying red head. With unparalleled speed, Darien split the scene, just before Beryl managed to catch up with the group, huffing and puffing, unnaturally pale cheeks pink from the exertion. She wore her long red hair down about her shoulders, contrasting rather unpleasantly with her dark blue blouse and long black skirt. ³Hey boys,² she struck what must have been meant to be a Œsexyı pose, ³Whereıs Darien?² ³Um, he went that way,² they answered simultaneously, their fingers gesturing in the direction they believed their friend to have run off in. They were all pointing different ways. Darien let out a sigh of relief as he reached the gate of Cadre Omegaıs main house. It was only a short walk down the drive and he wouldnıt risk running into Beryl for another twenty four hours. He began to whistle, despite the dismal day. Heıd heard Seiya, who was in a lower class, had gotten a detention today. Normally Darien was a kind hearted boy, who did not take pleasure in the misfortuneıs of others, but, as far as he was concerned, Seiya deserved it. Since the day theyıd met, theyıd been adversaries, trying constantly to best one another. It made one wonder why theyıre Cadre Mother, Ms. Augustine, had made them room mates. But then, no one ever new what went on in her slightly off beat mind. But, while to others it might seem that their fighting had no reason behind it, there was. Seiya wanted the gifts the girl had given to Darien. The other boy had lost both his brothers in a telepath riot, and had lived in squalor before that. The first night with Cadre Omega, Darien had removed the blanket feeling, and Seiya had tried to take it from him. Ever since then, the boys had been mortal enemies. Speaking of the girl, Darien remembered there was another group of telepathic children coming to the town. Theyıd been picked up from the outside world, most of them having been hidden away by their parents. Darien wouldn't wish that on anyone, but there was always the chance that *she* was among them. And, if she was, he wanted to be the first to meet her after they let her out of the Œeducation centerı. Heıd seen it in his mind over and over. Sheıd be standing there, as he had five years ago, lost and alone. Heıd come up to her and theyıd know each other instantly, and heıd give her a great big hug, kinda like the ones his mother used to give him, and theyıd be best friends forever. True, that in the five years since their first meeting, heıd hated really managed to find her again. They had almost touched one other time, but something (Darien didnıt know what) had blocked them, and her pretty little mind voice had faded. He knew she wasnıt dead, if sheıd been killed he would have felt her Œlightı go out. No, it had been more like her voice had been smothered, protectively, by several other voices. Opening the door, Darien stepped in the main hall, stopping by Ms. Augustineıs office to report in on his school work, before headed off to the room he shared with Seiya. As he walked towards the dorms, he passed by the commons room. Inside, several boys where watching some normals beat each other up on T.V, while a few girls where playing with paper dolls. Along the walls, several plaques served as the only decoration. One said: THE ONLY GOOD HUMAN IS A TELEPATHIC HUMAN, and another, the largest, claimed; THE NEGACORPS IS MOTHER, THE NEGACORPS IS FATHER. Darien barely registered their presence, he saw them everyday. As he flipped on the light, Darien sighed, for he heard the distinctive and unmistakable ribbiting of frogs coming from his bed. Sighing, he threw his books down on his desk and pulled back the covers. Sure enough, four poor little frogs had been trapped under his sheets, ribbiting for all they were worth. Darien quickly opened the window, freeing Seiyaıs latest slimy victims from the confines of the room, before going down the kitchen and bribing some honey out of the kitchen girl, a poor normal who had a terrible crush on him. He put the honey in Seiyaıs shampoo, knowing how vain the other boy was about his long black ponytail of hair. Finally ready to settle in, Darien flipped on his computer terminal and looked over his shoulder, checking to make sure the coast was clear, before he hacked with ease into the main data base. Heıd figured out how to do it only a few months ago, but knew it was expressly forbidden. Pulling up the latest records on the newly procured children, Darien watched intently as the images of all the new females flashed before him. Twenty seven images passed before him, and though he had no real idea of what SHE looked like, Darien felt he would recognize her immediately Not a one of the new girlıs was his special friend. Disheartened, and yet filled with happiness (for the girl was still free, as she should be) the young boy finally settled in for his homework. Fifteen minutes later, Seiya came in, seething from his detention. The other boy paid his room mate no mind, watching as he waltzed into bathroom. Hearing the shower turn on, Darien pushed his chair back and began to count. ³Five, four, three,² he smirked a little, thinking of all the times Seiya had roughed him up, or stolen his homework, or put frogs in his bed, ³two, one....² ³DARIEN!!!² --------- The RV jostled a little as it moved over the desert road. Inside, six little girls leaned against each other wearily, smiling at the older woman who glanced back at them through the rear view mirror. asked Lita, who was braiding Rayeıs hair. Serena replied , gazing out the window absently. Raye retorted, her anger coming over the whisper line. The other girlıs groaned inwardly, knowing the routine well. a worn Molly asked. Respectfully, Raye and Serena kept their bickering to mere whispers. Mina put in, her image of Paris, with itıs glittering lights, flashing before each girlıs eyes. Amy said wisely, sending comfort Minaıs way. The girlıs sighed collectively. The last five years of their lives had been spent running. Theyıre parents had agreed to stay together, traveling all over Africa, Europe, and Asia, avoiding the Negacorps operatives and just trying to get by. There were always jobs open to Œdeviantı telepaths; mobsters that didnıt want to be answerable to the law, perverts who wanted to invade other peopleıs minds, or business men out to steal government secrets. But none of the girlıs parents wanted that danger in their lives, there was enough all ready. So they got jobs as normals, low paying jobs that most people had enough sense to turn down. But they didnıt have any choice. Often there wasnıt enough food to go around, and often they were running, making narrow escapes from the Negacops, but they were free. It was strange, but none of the girls would ever remember their parents complaining, or ever looking sad. Their eyes always shone when they looked on their children, who frolicked happily, seemingly oblivious to the danger all around. Serena leaned against the window, stretched her mind forward once more, broadcasting a single message on wideban: The signal was weak, but she knew that the one it was intended for could pick it up. She didnıt know his name, only knew that he was her age, and that, when they had touched before, he had been frightened. Every night since then, sheıd reached for him under the cover of darkness. Theyıd only managed to touch one other time, before they were blocked by the other girls. Serenaıs friends meant well, they knew that the boy was with the Negacorps, though not willingly, and they wouldnıt let their friend endanger herself by communicated with someone who could be an enemy. But now, now they were distracted, discussing the things theyıd seen in Paris, and what it might be like in Istanbul So Serena broadcast her little message and reached for him. A tear slipped from her eye when she could not touch his mind. --------- ³I hate you,² Seiya told Darien casually as he rolled over and went to sleep. Darien glanced at the boy in the bed opposite his, and made a noise of disgust. ³I hope you have nightmares,² he retorted. Seiya didnıt comment, but Œsnoredı loudly, and Darien turned away. As soon as he knew the boy was really sleeping, he reached down below the bed, running his hand along the wall until he felt a lump in the plaster. Peeling it gently aside, he reached into the wall and pulled out his one and only treasure. His motherıs star locket. Children in the Negacorps were not allowed to have any personal possessions Everything was shared, from the paper dolls the girls had been playing with earlier, to text books and other toys. The only thing a child truly owned was their uniform, and the little Negacorps pin that adorned their lapels. Everything else, jewelry and the like, that had been with them when they first arrived, had been confiscated. But Darien, some how sensing what the adults were up to, had wisely hidden the locket in the toe of his shoe, being extremely careful so as not to crush it. At first heıd merely hidden the little treasure under his pillow, but when Seiya started getting into his bed, Darien found a hiding place for it in the wall. Now he removed it, watching it as it gleaming in the pale moonlight but not daring to play it. Placing it back where it belonged, Darien closed his eyes, reaching for the girl one more time before succumbing to sleep. Just before he surrendered completely, he remembered, with some excitement, about the field trip his instructors had spoken of. They were going to a city to watch how the Negacops worked. Dimly, he recalled the name of the place: Istanbul ------- Hmmm... will our heroes meet up? Will Seiya get a life and stop putting frogs in Darienıs bed? Will I get the next part of this out before V-Day? Is everyone disappointed in this chapter? EMAIL EMAIL EMAIL ME!!!