Not So Extra Ordinary

(Haha...play on words...ahem, let's get on with it, shall we? )

"STUPID STUPID STUPIDDDD!!" she hissed, kicking the rock across the sidewalk, getting a sick pleasure when it hit the brick wall of the office beside her with a satisfying CLACK

Marie glowered at the space ahead of her, hands jammed deep into her jacket pockets. It was autumn, her next-to-favorite time of year, and she wasn't even admiring the beauty that so often took her breath away.

No, Marie didn't care anything for the scenery right now. She was too busy despising that low-down, no-good, son of a--

SNAP

Marie was thrust back into the real world, a shock much akin to going from a hot tub to the swimming pool at a hotel. Looking around apprehensively, she shrugged.

"Prob'ly just a squirr--"

There! She heard it again. Marie looked at the broken down building on the other edge of the sidewalk. The windows were broken and boarded up in some places, and the windows that were miraculously still intact were covered in a veil of dust and decorated with cobwebs.

Marie crossed her arms. "Well, I guess we'll just have to investigate, hm?" she said, thinking aloud.

Climbing over the rubbish as daintily as she could, she began working on pulling off boards so she could climb through a low-to-the-ground window.

[Cat would love this]

Jerm looked up from the comp board. "Did you hear something, Cat?"

{Myaha. Yesh}

Trying not to let her uniform skirt hike too far up her leg, she hoisted herself upwards, balancing on the windowsill.

Her kneesocks got caught on a nail, however, and when she tried to dismount, she was sent tumbling over the edge into the old building, her sock ripping as she went.

"Crap. Mom's gonna have a COW!" she said, inspecting the damage

At least her skirt was still intact...

{Sorriez, ppl! I've been busy with teh homework and whatnot...}

Cat shook her head distractedly, poring over the last map she had created. "No, why? Haven't the rats left, yet?"

Speak of the devil.

A large rodent skittered across the floor. Marie's lip curled.

Trying to be as stealthy as possible, she looked at the dusty crates and cardboard boxes. The light filtering through a nearby broken window reflected off the millions of dust particles, casting an eerie pallor to the atmosphere.

The silence itself was deafening. Marie frowned.

"Classy..." she muttered, walking carefully across the floorboards.

She could hear a female voice now.
"Oh God!" she thought aloud "Just my luck! I bet this is like a hideout for theives!! Or...or...maybe murderers! Oh God!" she said, her stomach tying itself into knots.

"...I can't die today. I have to get home and check the forum..." she said, looking about for a weapon of some sort

"And Bingo was his name-o." she said, craftily. Marie grabbed onto the board with numerous rusty nails sticking out of it like a pincushion.

Carefully--oh so carefully!--she pressed her back against the wall, listening intently and clutching the club with a deathgrip

"So," Cat continued, completely oblivious to thewood-wielding newcomer, "any changes to the Comp that I need to now about? Or are you going to surprise me?"

"I changed the flux configuration," prattled Jerm, clicking away at buttons. "And I upgraded your bow..."

"Bow?!" she gulped.

They must be some kind of crazy killers and hunted people down with bow and arrow and shot them and...OH GOD!

Marie caught her breath. "Dear God...please don't let me be killed by nutsos with archery equipment..."

(LOL, Mal.)

Cat grinned approvingly. "Good. Maybe the things I aim at will actually die this time, instead of becoming stronger??"

"I said I was sorry," Jerm insisted. "It was the first week of discovering this thing. I was inexperienced and error-prone. Besides, I fixed it, didn't I?"

"Only after the frickin' cro'zac nearly took my arm off!" Cat shuddered. She hated bugs. ANY bugs. And the huge man-eating mosquitos in Tgilia were not her favorite.

"Well, yes, but now you've got a better bow, arrows that work, and the instincts of a cat. What more do you--oops. I shouldn't have said that..."

Cat slowly raised her head, glaring at Jerm. "What did you say?" she whispered, deathly quiet. "You've been messing with my configuration again? After I clearly stated that I wanted NOTHING to do with your tinkering?"

"It's just in the portal, Cat," Jerm insisted quickly. "Not here! However...some...side-effects may have...stuck..."

Cat hisses between her teeth. "JEREMY!"

Marie was on her knees now

"God, I know I haven't exactly been religious, but I just want to take the opportunity to ask you for forgiveness...Jesus, I'd like to rededicate my life to you before it is snuffed out by psycho killers...please let my life be a testament to the fact that curiousity really DID kill the proverbial cat. I commend my spirit into your hands. Amen."

Quietly, oh-so quietly! she sneaked around the corner. Board in hand, she walked silently towards the voices, raising the weapon high...

"HOLY CRAP, GIRL! PUT THAT THING DOWN!"

Surprising herself with her own abilities, Cat leaped at the intruder, pinning her board to the floor. "Woah. Cool." Realising what she'd done, she glared at Jerm. "I'm gonna get you for these side-effects, pal..."

She stood up, keeping her foot pressed firmly on the girl's weapon wrist. "Okay, talk," she demanded. "You get three minutes."

"OHMYGODPLEASEDON'TKILLMEISWEARIWASONLYWALKINGHOME!!!!" she gasped, trying to kick Cat off of her.

"Seriously..." she said, regaing her calm, "I swear I won't tell the police if you like robbed a bank or something, just don't kill me. My mom would kinda freak out, I think...well...whatever...if you wanna kill me then get it over with and don't let it hurt too bad..."

Her voice was calm now, almost carefree. She didn't struggle. "I don't much care."

Cat was speechless. Dumbstruck. Dumbfounded. Etc.
"Kill you? Why would I do that? And...we didn't rob any banks... Hey, haven't I seen you...before?"

"Um, because you're secretly bank robbers/mass murderers and this is your hideout, which I have inadvertantly stumbled upon. That's why."

Marie looked at her.
"And...um...I don't know? Probably not outside of my school...or walking home from the school. Other than that, I don't really go outside."

Jerm peered at Marie over his glasses. "No, I've seen you in school... You're a... Freshman, right? Homeroom is 211?"

"Hey, yeah..." Cat removed her foot and offered her hand to help Marie up. "You're that... Marie person, right?"

"Marie's the name, world domination's the game." she said, getting up and dusting herself off.

"Yes, 211. Sits in the back. Avoids conversation. That's me."

Jerm nodded. "Oh, yes. I know you now. I'm the teacher's aide that hour."

"I'm not in 211 firdt off. I'm on the band room," Cat admitted. "I'm musical like that." She looked Marie over. "Mind if I ask you what you're doing here?"