4: The Countdown Begins

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Sliver X

(The Spirit)

C.C.

8/10/47

Sliver officially felt ridiculous. They had forced him into these flouncy pants and laced shirt completely against his consent. And then to top off the humiliation, a green hat with red feathers in it. At least he assumed it was green with red feathers. It could have been red with green feathers, sometimes he got those mixed up. Still, he knew it looked ridiculous. Every time he and Nefertiti paraded by a mirror, a window, or even a particularly shiny glass he saw it.

“I don’t understand why you don’t ‘ave to wear a costume,” Sliver pouted to Nefertiti, who was sporting a delicate red cocktail dress and high, but elegant, gold heels. The only thing that vaguely resembled a costume was the spot makeup spread deftly across her cheeks, but she wore that every day to begin with.

“I’m just that special,” she replied, smiling at him. Some of the air in his lungs wooshed out of him when he saw that smile. Those teeth. Those absolutely straight, brilliantly white, jewel studded, perfect teeth. He had never seen a set like that ever until he came here. He never thought he’d see another, until he met Cleopatra the sixth.

“Yes, yes you are,” he said more in reference to the image of Cleopatra in his head than to Nefertiti, but it worked all the same.

“Anyway, you out of the four should be the least embarrassed,” Nefertiti tossed her head lightly to the side. He followed her direction and glanced over at Roy, whose costume was see-threw. Literally. It was armor made of glass.  Even the pants, which were not made of glass (Thank Glory) were one step away from non-existence.  “I should have put a stop to that one. All the girls cannot stop drooling. And Kain is covered in silver paint.” Sliver stood slightly taller to see over the crowd, but his co-consort was easy to find. He was doing a (very lame) robot impersonation, dropping his arm and letting it swing back and forth, blue eye visor glinting in the light as his costume’s LED’s blinked steadily. The only visible part of Kain’s body that wasn’t silver was his lips, and they had probably been too, at some point tonight. “And don’t forget Chester,” Nefertiti held in a delicate snort. “He’s wearing a toga.”

“You mean a man dress,” Sliver snorted,

“It’s a toga,” Nefertiti says faux-indignantly, slapping his arm.  

“It’s a dress.” Nefertiti huffs and Sliver smirks at her before peering through the crowd, trying to find the toga-ed Chester. Exactly how many burly tailors had it taken to wrestle the man into that thing?

“You’re the lucky one. You even get to carry a weapon,” Nefertiti said, gesturing at his bow. But Sliver wasn’t really listening. He couldn’t find Chester anywhere. “I mean Roy was so jealous of you.” Sliver raises an eyebrow and she sighs. “Well, internally. I think slightly pursed lips means jealous in I-show-no-emotion communication.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Sliver responded automatically, “I don’t even know ‘ow to use a bow.” He stopped in the middle of their dance, standing on the tops of his toes so he could see over everyone in the crowd. He couldn’t see him. Chester, who was over two meters tall, and in a dress, was not visible anywhere.

“Sliver?” Nefertiti was saying, but he barely heard her. “Sliver, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t see Chester,” he said, stepping down off his toes and meeting his future Leader’s reflective black eyes. He saw his own distress there, shining in that red and green or green and red cap.