PREVIOUSLY, ON “LEGEND OF AKI: REBIRTH”…
During a field test of the Remote Access Personal Interface (RAPI), Irene meets a young girl named Nessa, who mistakes her for a talking toy. As she tries to sneak away, she overhears a pair of burglars plotting to rob the mansion…
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COLONY SHIP 02, UR: RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT
When the burglars returned to the mansion a few minutes later, Irene was ready for them. As ready as she was going to be, anyway.
The power in the building was out and Irene’s wireless antenna was damaged. That meant she couldn’t call for help. Zelfred the butler was unconscious on the living room sofa—admittedly, that part was Irene’s own fault. Now she had to protect the Newman girl, Nessa, and drive off a pair of thieves by herself, all while stuck in her RAPI form.
I’ve faced worse, she thought, trying to seem confident.
It’s nothing the Masked Phoenix can’t handle, right?
She didn’t feel much like the Masked Phoenix at the moment, though. She felt like a small metal bird about to fight a pair of grown men. Which, of course, she was.
The sound of splintering wood caught her attention. A crowbar in the living room window, probably. A pair of shadowy silhouettes moved about in the artificial moonlight outside. Irene opened the jar she was carrying and let its contents spill across the floor beneath the window. After that, she ran and hid behind the couch.
A moment later the window slid upward. A pair of rough voices carried inward. “See? What’d I tell ya, Jeffen? Piece o’ cake.”
“Yeah, Nash, good call cuttin’ the power like that. Who knows what kinda security systems this place has. Now we just gotta worry ‘bout the old man.”
“He’s nothing. C’mon, follow me.”
Irene heard the sounds of exertion as the first man hefted himself through the open window.
Wait for it. Waaaaait for it…
“Agh!” The loud yelp was followed by a thud. Irene peeked around the corner of the couch. The first man lay on his back next to the window.
“What happened, Nash? You slip or somethin’?”
“There’s… there’s somethin’ all over the floor. Hold on, lemme check.” A pause. “What the hell are these? Marbles? The brat needs to learn how to clean up her damn toys.”
Actually, that was me, thought Irene.
And they worked perfectly. Now, onto phase two…
She darted from the couch to the kitchen doorway. She had hoped to go unnoticed, but the voices behind her indicated otherwise.
“Hey, what was that?”
“What was what?”
“I saw somethin’ run past just now. Small, like a dog.”
“I never saw no dog when I was checkin’ out the place. You sure you saw somethin’? Maybe you just imagined it.”
“Yeah, maybe you’re right. Okay, move over, I’m comin’ in.”
“Just watch out for these damn marbles.”
Irene watched from the doorway as the second man cautiously entered the house. Taking his buddy’s advice, he was careful to avoid slipping on the marble mine field.
Now they were both inside. Using her enhanced CAST vision to see in the dark, Irene got a good look at them for the first time. As men, they weren’t much to look at. One was short with a jagged scar across the bridge of his nose, the other was tall and wore a perpetually confused expression on his face. They had a hard look about them, probably the result of living tough lives.
Neither appeared to be armed. That was something, at least.
The tall man, Jeffen, spotted Zelfred lying on the sofa. “Hey, Nash, check it out—the crusty ol’ butler’s asleep on the job!”
“Leave him alone. And keep your voice down!” the other man hissed.
“Fine, fine. So what’s the plan?”
“This place is huge. We’re better off splittin’ up to cover more ground. I’ll start in here, you head to the kitchen.”
“Roger.”
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Irene ducked out of view as Jeffen came her way. Because she was so small, he didn’t notice her as he entered the kitchen. With her back pressed against the wall, Irene carefully sidled towards her next line of defense. Halfway there, however, Jeffen suddenly turned around.
And saw her.
Irene froze in her tracks. Jeffen squinted, and she realized he was having trouble seeing her in the dark. “What the hell’s that?” he mumbled to himself, and walked over to her. The man bent down and grabbed Irene with one hand. Still she didn’t move.
Jeffen inspected the RAPI from front to back. “Eh, just some kid’s toy,” he grunted and set her back down on the floor, then left in peace.
Irene let out a sigh of relief. As soon as the coast was clear, she darted across the tile floor. Hidden behind one of the dining room chairs was a remote control. She knew where it was because she had put it there only minutes ago. Irene picked it up, flipped the “on” switch, and pushed forward on the stick.
There was a sharp whine as a small motor turned little rubber wheels. From around the corner, a toy car came racing into view. It was made of pink plastic with the words “Dream Car” stamped on the side. Strapped into the driver’s seat was none other than Super Bambie, the Newearl doll with the red superhero cape tied around her neck. Irene had made a special modification to Bambie’s Dream Car. All across the hood she’d tied an array of kitchen utensils, including steak knives and dinner forks, turning the car into an instrument of bodily harm.
And now it was headed straight for Jeffen’s ankle.
The toy car tore across the smooth tiles and rammed the burglar at high speed. The tall man howled in pain as knives and forks stabbed into his leg just above the shoe. Using the remote control stick, Irene threw the vehicle in reverse. When it had backed up about a meter, she abruptly changed its course and sent the car plowing into Jeffen’s leg once more. Again he cried out.
Get him, Bambie! Irene thought with delight.
The other burglar, Nash, poked his head in the doorway. “Jeffen! The hell are you shoutin’ at? I thought I told you to keep it down!”
“But Nash, something attacked me!” Jeffen protested. He looked around but Irene had already navigated Bambie’s car around the dining table, out of view.
“Huh? Whadda ya mean, ‘something’? I don’t see nothin’, do you?”
“Something attacked my leg, I swear! I think this place might be h-h-haunted!”
The short man rubbed his temples and groaned. “Geez, what are you, stupid? The house ain’t haunted. Get it through that thick skull of yours. Now get back to work before the old man wakes up!”
Jeffen grunted in acknowledgement and Nash returned to the living room. Irene knew where Jeffen was headed next, the downstairs study, and she planned to get there first. She took off down the hall and slipped into the room on her left. Sure enough, the sound of creaking floorboards confirmed the man was headed in her direction.
Everything was set. Irene steadied herself. A few seconds later, a dark silhouette appeared in the doorway. As Jeffen stepped into the study, Irene pushed the button to activate the Jump Jump Rebellion game.
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“Are you ready to
jump to the rhythm?” an energetic female voice called out. A life-size hologram of Quna the pop idol suddenly materialized in the air in front of Jeffen. The man leapt back in momentary surprise.
“W-Who, me?” asked the man, dumbfounded. Evidently he didn’t realize it was only a game.
“Show me your dancing spirit! Try to keep up, okay? Here we go! One, two, three, four!”
Quna launched into one of her hit songs as flashing beams of light shot out of the projector. On the floor, colorful symbols lit up showing players where to move their feet to follow along.
Jeffen was so entranced—and confused—that he actually started dancing in tune to the rhythm! Tried to, at least. Hidden in the corner of the room, Irene stifled a laugh. Then she took aim and fired.
Pap! Pap! Pap! The burglar winced as a barrage of tiny pellets—marbles?—pelted his arms, legs, and chest. Most men would’ve run for cover, but Jeffen wasn’t most men. He had “too much of his father in him,” as his mother used to say. Jeffen liked to think she was referring to courage, though she was most likely referring to his lack of common sense. In any case, he stood his ground and took the beating, hopping around to avoid as many marbles as possible. All the while, Quna continued to sing her song.
During a lull in the attack, Jeffen rushed forward and tackled the one responsible for his pain. When he opened his eyes he found himself holding… a metal Rappy doll? It was the same one from the kitchen, except now it was clutching a toy gun loaded with marbles.
“Boo,” said the Rappy.
Jeffen shrieked and released Irene, stumbling backwards as he did so. He tripped over the Jump Jump Rebellion projector and Quna’s singing hologram flickered out of existence. Once again the room fell into darkness.
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“W-W-Who are you?” the man stuttered, his voice quaking with fear.
The metal bird, now just a black silhouette, stepped forward. “I’m… a ghost! Yes, that’s right! The ghost of, um, your ex-lover…!”
“J-Janey? Is that you…?”
“Yes, it is I, Jaaaaaney!” The metal Rappy howled, flapping her wings ominously. “And I have come back in this form to haunt you!”
Jeffen’s wide eyes grew even wider. “I-I had no idea you were dead…”
“Well I couldn’t be a ghost if I weren’t dead, could I?”
“Good point,” Jeffen agreed. “But Janey, you sound different than I remember.”
Irene coughed. “I, erm, have a cold right now. A ghost cold. Because I’m a ghooooost! Ooowooo...!” she wailed in her best ghost impression.
“W-W-What do you want from me?”
“I’m disappointed in you, Jeffen! You’ve become nothing more than a common criminal! I want you to stop stealing and earn an honest living for once!”
“But baby, Nash said this was our chance to finally make it big—”
“I don’t care about Nash!” Irene bellowed. “Do as I say, or else… or else I’ll put a
curse on you! We ghosts can do that, you know. Ooowooo…!”
Irene hopped towards Jeffen and the big man ran screaming from the room. In his haste, he nearly tripped over his own legs.
Idiot, thought Irene. She could hear his boots thudding down the hall as he fled the mansion.
Just then, Nash’s stocky form appeared in the open doorway. He wasn’t looking at Irene, though. His attention was on his fleeing partner. “Jeffen!” he called out, as quietly as possible. “Where the hell you goin’? Get your sorry ass back here! Jeffen!”
When it was clear the other man wasn’t coming back, he grumbled, “Don’t think I’m sharin’ any loot with you, shithead. I swear. Makin’ me do everything myself…”
He added, to himself: “I’ll finish up in the living room, grab the kid, and get outta here.”
Oh no, Nessa! I have to save her!
Nash went back to the living room. Irene dashed around the corner and up the stairs to the second floor. She left a little “present” for the intruder along the way. Upon reaching Nessa’s bedroom, she quietly opened the door and slipped inside. “Nessa? Nessa, are you in here?” she whispered.
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There was no answer, but that didn’t mean anything. Irene looked around the dark room. A closet. A dresser. A visiphone station. A queen-sized bed. And under the bed: Varnessa, the young Newman girl.
“You found me!” she exclaimed with a grin. “Okay, it’s your turn to hide next. I’ll count to twenty. Ready? One—”
“We’ll play hide-and-seek later, Nessa. Right now it’s time to play a different game. Remember the Twin Snakes Gang?”
“Of course! I told you about them already.”
“Well, the brothers in charge of the gang are here, and they’re not too happy.”
“Firan and Aisar are
here?”
“That’s right. I chased Aisar away, but Firan is downstairs and he wants to capture the Masked Phoenix.”
“But
I’m the Masked Phoenix!”
“I know, that’s why we can’t let him catch you. He’s going to be here soon. When he gets here, I need you to be
very quiet and do exactly as I say. Do you understand?”
Behind her mask, the girl’s eyes were wide with fear. Her arms began to tremble. She knew, somehow, that this was more than just a game. “I-I’m scared, Goldie…”
“I know, honey. I am too. But you have to be brave this time. Can you do that for me?”
Nessa nodded reluctantly.
“Remember what you told me earlier: ‘A hero never forgets to smile.’ Be brave, follow my instructions, and you’ll be okay.”
“Uh-huh…”
From outside the bedroom: a crash followed by a curse. That meant Nash was on his way up. And he’d found the marbles Irene left for him on the stairs.
The burglar’s footsteps pounded louder, faster, until they were right outside the bedroom. The door swept inward. From underneath the bed, Nessa and Irene could only see the man’s shoes as he stepped into the room.
“Alright ya little brat, playtime’s over! Come on out so I can shove these marbles down your throat!”
Irene placed a metal wing on Nessa’s shoulder to calm the girl’s nerves. Neither of them made a sound.
“I know you’re around here somewhere, kid!” The man’s shoes stomped to the left, then to the right. Finally they stopped directly in front of the bed. “Come out, come out, wherever you are!”
Nash started to bend over.
This is it, thought Irene.
I’ll shoot him in the face and we’ll make a break for it.
Unexpectedly another voice spoke up—one Irene recognized from earlier that day. “A hug is a gift you can give for free!”
Nash stood up without seeing them. “Hidin’ in the closet, eh?”
The man turned around and threw open the closet door. Seated inside was a toy bear with a black patch covering one eye—the infamous General Bear.
“The hell?” said Nash, surprised.
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Irene rolled out from under the bed and immediately sprang into action. Grunting, she headbutted the back of Nash’s right leg. He was unprepared for the blow and toppled forward into the closet.
Irene pushed the door shut behind him. “Nessa, follow me!” she shouted.
The RAPI and girl fled the bedroom. There was a furious roar as Nash came charging down the hall after them. Irene considered going downstairs but decided against it—the marbles on the steps made that route too dangerous. No, better to find someplace for Nessa to hide, then she could—
Ack! Irene’s tiny foot caught the edge of a rug and she went sprawling face first to the ground. The marble-filled gun spun away from her grasp.
Behind her, Nash stopped a few paces away. The man still didn’t realize Irene was a person. To him she was nothing more than a child’s toy, which is why his attention was focused solely on Nessa. “Give up, kid. Come along quietly and I won’t make things
too painful for ya.”
“Run, Nessa!” Irene cried in desperation. “Go now!”
But Nessa didn’t run. She picked up the toy gun, stepped in front of Irene, and pointed the weapon at Nash. In a booming voice she declared, “Rising from the ashes to do what’s right, villains everywhere fear my might! There is no wrong I cannot fix, for I’m the one they call… the Masked Phoenix!”
Then she fired. The marble struck Nash in the center of his forehead. Reeling in pain, he tripped backwards over a stuffed Lillipan plushie lying on the floor—Captain Lilly. Momentum carried him over the edge of the staircase. Gravity pulled him the rest of the way down. He tumbled head over heels all the way to the bottom, where he lay unconscious in a heap.
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From above, Irene stared in disbelief. “You did it,” she said. “You saved us.”
Nessa smiled sheepishly. “Of course! I’m the Masked Phoenix, after all!”
* * * * * * * * *
The police arrived and took Nash into custody. Jeffen escaped, but vowed never to commit a crime ever again. Zelfred woke up with a large bruise on his forehead but was otherwise fine. Nessa’s parents rushed home and showered their daughter with much-needed love and affection.
Irene slipped away into the night before the police showed up, but not before promising a certain young Newearl that she would return to play again later.
And as for Nessa? She would eventually grow up and become a real masked hero.
But that’s a story for another day.
INTERLUDE: END
Author’s Notes:
Originally Posted by AIDA
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. Looking forward to what happens next.
I can tell you've got more planned for Nessa, so it's not like we've seen the last of her and Irene anyway. Irene was hilarious in this one, and very inventive! I love how much you've been able to do with her since the beginning of Legend of Aki. She's definitely one of my favorites of all your characters.
I...may or may not be a massive fangirl for her >>;
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