D-D-DING DING DING DONG!
Lance yawned, trudged over and opened the door. �AJ? What�re you doing here?�
�Close the door!� AJ said quickly.
The 23 year-old leapt at the curtains and yanked them closed. Then he sat down on the couch.
�What? What�s going on?� Lance asked, fully awake now from his nap.
�Someone�caught�me,� AJ panted, bending over. Then he leaned back against the material of the couch and fought to regain his breath.
�What?! Are you shittin me?� Lance asked, his green eyes wide.
�Shh! No! Is Stacey here?� AJ asked.
Lance shook his head. �She left two hours ago- that�s why I took a nap.�
�Ok. I was in my yard, you know, target practice,� AJ paused for effect, �and this kid- couldn�t be more than 10- caught me. Goes running off and screaming like a freakin Banshee! Man you�d think that they�ve never seen a fire shooting ring before.�
Lance scoffed but he let it slide. �So he took off? Did he tell anyone?�
AJ shrugged. �I can�t just go and check. What if he knew who I was?�
�How hard can this get?� the 21 year-old sighed. �Fine you can crash here. But don�t�melt anything, ok?�
The bearded man smiled. �You can count on me boss.�
�Why does that not assure me?�
+ + +
No one noticed the lone figure walking up and down the streets, looking for her. But then again, no one was supposed to.
He stopped at a market and reached out to grab an apple when the owner looked away. He hid it in his brown cloak and hurried away.
+ + +
�Brian come on,� Kevin said, nudging his cousin- still lying on the couch.
�He�s still your best friend,� Nebula called over.
�Just�just gimme a minute,� Brian said.
�We�ve given you an hour now get off that lazy butt!� Nebula called again.
�You know you can be such a smart ass sometimes,� Brian smiled.
�This planet�s getting to me,� she muttered, tapping away at the spaceship�s computer.
�Found anything?� Kevin asked, looking at the woman.
�Nope.�
Suddenly Brian sat up. �Guys.�
�What?� Nebula asked, still staring at the computer screen.
�I have another ring.�
�What?� she asked, her head snapping towards him in attention.
�I was goin over to Nick�s house and I�� Brian�s eyes widened and his head flopped backwards as he groaned, �Oh no��
�What?�
�Nick- he�s one of us.�
�You make it seem like we�re a new species,� Kevin muttered.
�Are you sure?� Nebula asked, ignoring the older man.
�Yeah�I dropped my ring, and I went to pick it up, and I found another one,� Brian explained, taking out the two rings. �This one�s mine, this one�s Nick�s.�
�Turquoise,� Kevin reported, the closer of the two to the rings.
�The seas.�
�Knew it,� Brian half smiled. �He loves the ocean.�
�But��
�I don�t think he�s gonna do it,� Brian sighed, staring at the rings.
�Why not?� Kevin asked.
�Well for one thing I practically kicked him out of the house, and Chris�I dunno.�
�Chris? You mean that other dude with him?�
�Yeah.�
�Weird fellow isn�t he?� Nebula asked.
Brian laughed. �Yeah. And he�s older than me.�
�So I�ve heard.�
�SO�� Kevin said loudly, attempting to get them all back on track. �What do we do now?�
�Get Nick down here,� Brian said determinedly.
�And we would do that how?� Nebula asked.
The tan haired man stared back at her.
�NO. Brian NO,� she shook her head.
�COME ON NEB!� Brian pleaded. �It�s not like we can send KEVIN down there!�
�Hey��
His tone was ignored.
�Neb please? Come on�you�re a girl, he�ll listen to you,� Brian said pointedly. �I know that he won�t listen to ME.�
Nebula stared at him. �You�re sure?�
�Told ya you liked him.�
�Ok we�re back to this. Brian, no.�
�Please?�
�No.�
�Perty please?�
�No.� Her gaze wavered.
�C�mon. Your planet- our planet- depends on you,� Brian said, knowing he�d strike a nerve.
Nebula stared at the wall. Then she looked at Brian. �You�re POSITIVE?�
Brian smiled.
+ + +
�How do I get myself IN to these things?� Nebula mumbled, slamming the door of her Cruiser.
Letting out a breath she strode to the door and stopped.
�Damn feelings,� she muttered, ringing the doorbell.
No one answered.
The Princess furrowed her eyebrows and knocked. �HELLO?!�
Nick stared at the ceiling, ignoring the pounding on the door. �Go away.�
But when the pounding kept on, with shouts of, �I KNOW YOU�RE IN THERE!� and �Get out here!�, he threw his legs over the side of the bed.
�Damn salespeople.�
Running his hand through his hair, he stepped down the stairs to the door, where the doorbell ringing still persisted.
�What do you,� he opened the door and stopped, �want?�
�Hi I�m Nebula. We met earlier today?� she said breathlessly, most of her hair out of her braid and in her face.
�Pretty salesperson�
�Uh I�m Nick,� he said, giving her a smile.
�Yeah I know,� she said shyly. �Um the reason I came over here is�I need your help.�
�My help?�
�Yeah. Just�come with me please?�
The blonde just stared, hesitating. �Ah what the hell� �Sure.�
+ + +
�What�s taking so long?� Brian asked frustratingly, looking out the window. �Picking him up can�t take THIS long.�
�What, it can�t take time to convince him?� Kevin asked almost mechanically.
�Look at her!�
�Point taken.�
�Finally! You would�ve thought that they went to the movies!�
�That was 15 minutes Rok,� Kevin said amusedly.
�Whatever,� Brian called carelessly, hurrying towards the front door.
His hand reached for the doorknob.
�OW!� Brian cried out, grabbing his forehead in pain. �What in Hades was THAT?!�
�Brian? Oh my gosh Brian are you ok?� Nebula hurried towards him, worried she had hit him when she opened the door.
�I�m grabbing my face, groaning. I�m peachy,� he said sarcastically.
�RACHELLA!� Nebula shouted. She caught the pained look on Brian�s face and winced. �Sorry.�
A woman about 25 came towards her. �Princess?�
�Find an icepack,� she said.
�Right away.�
�Don�t call me princess!�
�Yes Princess.�
Nebula rolled her eyes when Nick and Brian snickered. �Shut up.�
�Ok we�re here. Now what?� Nick asked brusquely.
Brian sighed.
�C�mon. Brian, you stay here and wait for Rachella, got it?�
He smiled. �Yes ma�am.�
�C�mon Nick.�
The blonde smirked and followed after.
�I understand that you and Brian are best friends?�
�That�s what I thought.�
�Nick�he didn�t mean to have it come across like that. You can say we�re on sort of a�a mission,� Nebula tried, turning the corner with her large strides. Nick jogged to catch up. �Mission?�
�Yes mission. And I know for a fact that you�ve lost something.�
He narrowed his eyes in suspicion as she opened a door by putting her hand on a control pad. �How did you know?�
�Connections. Come in.�
He stepped inside and his eyes rested on the figure at one of the many computers. �Kevin?�
�Hey Nick. How�s it goin?�
�So basically you�re all in on this�mission, right?� Nick asked, looking around the spacious computer lab.
Heavy-duty computers lined the room in six rows. It was unbelievable. Each computer was a transparent console that had so many plugs and wires coming out of it that it looked like a wad of multi-color vines.
�Yup. And so are you. C�mon,� Nebula said, walking toward an oak table.
Nick followed and his eyes narrowed, then widened. He ran over and snatched it up.
�HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD THIS?� he demanded, throwing her a furious glance.
She stepped back, surprised- and scared. �Uh just t-today. Brian-�
�BRIAN! I�m gonna kill him!� Nick cried, storming out of the room.
Nebula blinked. �Uh, that went well.�
Kevin rolled his eyes. �Wishful thinking.�
+ + +
�BRIAN!�
The sandy blonde froze. �Uh oh.�
�Brian! How long have you had this?!� Nick growled, shoving the ring in his face.
�I found it,� Brian spluttered, scared by the look in the younger man�s eyes.
�FOUND IT?!� Nick shrilled. �FOUND it?! How in HELL could you have just FOUND it? Like it was lying on the GROUND?�
�Actually yes it was.�
The blonde�s eyes narrowed to slits. �What?�
�It was on the ground when I found it,� Brian said quietly, being careful not to set him off.
�Nick!� Nebula cried, running up to him. �Nick what are you doing?�
�This,� he pointed to the ring. �This was my father�s. I swore not to lose it. You know how scared I was when I lost it? And all that time you HAD IT?�
�I�m sorry.�
Nick stared. �No Brian, I�M sorry.�
�Wha-�
�I�m sorry I can�t help you.�
Without another word, Nickolas Carter left the house with a slam of the door.
+ + +
�Brian I-�
�Stop. Just stop.� Brian buried himself in the couch. �He�ll be ok. I�ll be ok.�
Nebula stared. �We can�t do it without him.�
�I know. I�m sorry I ruined things.�
�Then help me.�
Brian looked up at the young woman.
�Help me find the others.�
After much thought, Brian sat up. �I�ll do all I can.�