The Stronghold 2: Immortals

Singing Monkeys

A/N: I've given up putting things in italics. This (normal text) is how the story will be told now, until someone takes over first person.

Somehow one of them came to their senses and they got out of the Stronghold before Pepper came back. A quick phone call brought them to the correct coffee shop and there they were told Brian had cleverly booked aeroplane tickets for the next flight to New York City. He'd also been forced to explain everything by a woman with a threatening glare the man addressed as 'Tomorrow'.

"So you see," he ended, "we sort of have to go."

"Commercial airline?" Tomorrow guessed. Brian nodded and she snorted.

"I'm upgrading you to first class," she said, tapping away at her device. "That is, under the assumption you actually save this world and not let everyone die."

"What if the plane crashes on the way there?" Emmi asked. "Then we'll be dead."

"And so will the rest of the world," Tomorrow said shortly. "So you'd better use your magic powers to stop it from crashing. Why are there children here, anyway?"

Delta turned into a snake, Tobi blended into the wall, Cleo's hands shone with a gentle glow, Angel made everyone feel uncomfortable and Max somehow managed to suck the light out of the air around them while doing a dance - Loki was later to learn it was the Macarena - perfectly. Harry just buried his head in his hands and let out a groan.

"Fine," Tomorrow said. "Stop. What can you do?" She looked directly at Harry.

"I know stuff," he said tiredly.

"Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know, everything, Miss Helena Smith," Harry snapped. Tomorrow went pale and took a step away from him.

"Nobody knows that," she hissed.

"Well I do," Harry replied. "Believe me yet?"

"You are one dangerous individual," Tomorrow murmured. "I hope to have you working for Pridian in the future."

"Maybe," Harry said, standing up and pacing down the road. He was jittery and his hands were shaking slightly. Loki wondered at the human's behaviour but brushed it off as Tomorrow turned on the adults.

"What can you lot do, then?" she said aggressively. "Apart from pry into my mind, of course."

In the same fashion as the children the adults displayed their powers. Emmi got her little penguin, a small fox-dog-thing and a rabbit to do some kind of dance with lights, water and weird noises. Amalia drew a sword that glistened in the light and Rebecca let her hands light up with electricity. Brian's eyes went yellow and he smiled to reveal pointed fangs that were gone as soon as they appeared, Sophie doing a similar sort of thing for her cat powers. Loki froze a passer by and Georgina stood there doing nothing.

"So you're the useless one, are you?" Tomorrow sneered.

"I had a friend called Helena at my primary school," Georgina responded thoughtfully. "She was a bitch, too."

Tomorrow bristled as the others laughed.

"Georgina is the sassy, sarcastic one," Sophie said. 

"And she's the only one that knows what she's doing half the time," Emmi added.

"Unlike us," Rebecca concluded. 

"Well, Loki maybe, but he's not human, so he can be ruled out," Amalia said. 

"Sorry, what are your names?" Tomorrow questioned. "I only know Agent Starr."

Loki decided to speak. "Loki, Rebecca, Sophie, Emmi, Amalia, and Lady Georgina." Georgina couldn't be bothered to hit him any more. "And my Lady does have powers, actually."

"Really?" about four people said in surprise, including Georgina.

"Yes," Loki said firmly. "Imagination."

"That was years ago," Georgina scoffed. "Not any more. I'm just a weird, golden eyed freak now."

"Your eyes don't go gold any more because you have other powers," Loki said. "Trust me. Just imagine something." 

"Okay," Georgina said uncertainly. Suddenly a stampede of monkeys raced down the street singing the National Anthem. "Yep, I have the powers of imagination."

"That was terrifying!" Rebecca cried.

"Why would you think that?" Sophie questioned.

"What just happened?" Emmi said uncertainly.

"Why not horses?" Amalia whined. 

"Are we going to ignore the fact that they just carried away Harry?" Brian said. Heads turned to see a young man in a suit being held aloft by a group of monkeys, his arms folded and an expression of resigned irritation on his face.

"Glad to know I've been noticed," he said dryly. The monkeys marched past and dumped Harry on the ground before vanishing. He got to his feet, dusted himself down and then shot Delta a glare that told her never to speak of it again. The girl was too busy laughing to say a word. 

"Your plane leaves in just over two hours," Tomorrow said frostily. "Better get to the airport, children. There are cars for you now." Four cars rolled up in procession next to the little coffee shop and doors swung open. The large group split themselves up into four and Loki and Georgina were pushed into a car with Sophie and Rebecca, possibly two of the worst people to be with. They were brilliant people, true, but they shipped everything. Especially when it concerned either Loki or Georgina.

"So," Rebecca began with a mad grin.

"You two," Sophie continued.

"Are you together?" they said in unison. 

"If so, I vote you be called Goki," Rebecca said.

"Or Lokina," Sophie added. 

"What is going on?" Loki said nervously. "What are the names for? I don't want to be sacrificed."

"They're ship names," Georgina said, giving her friends a glare. 

"I don't want to be a boat, either," Loki said in confusion.

"Ship as in relationship," Sophie explained.

"Or friendship," Georgina said, raising her eyebrows coolly. 

"Yes, but we all know you two are the couple," Rebecca said. 

"We could always just go back to Peppina..." Sophie warned.

"That's blackmail!" Georgina cried.

"If it weren't for me then Shosh would never have happened," Sophie stated.

"And Josh died so things turned out brilliantly," Georgina said sarcastically. "And Shaade managed to find another boyfriend without your help."

"Oh, I just came up with the ship name and confirmed it," Sophie said sweetly. "I never made them do anything. I just got the word out."

"They had quite a long time together," Rebecca pointed out. "And they were happy."

"Until Shaade tried to kill himself," Georgina shot back.

"We've all died more than once," Sophie said calmly. 

"You were the first to die, George!" Rebecca said in exasperation.

"Anyway, you two never answered the question," Sophie said. 

"Are you together?" Rebecca stressed.

"Well right now, in this car, we're all together," Georgina said. Her two friends groaned and she laughed. 

"Just answer the question," Sophie said in an annoyed tone.

"Properly," Rebecca added. 

"Yes," Georgina said, although she didn't sound as confident as usual. 

"Oh thank Odin," Loki said in relief. "I was worried for a minute."