Ultratech Corporation: Guest Quarters 225

          Julie rolled over in her bed, and threw her arm over to the adjourning nightstand. She felt around for a few moments, looking for an alarm clock, before she realized the ringing was going off within her own head.
          "I'm never gonna get used to that." She mumbled. With her eyes still closed, she could still see the text prompt through her eyes.

          _CURRENT TIME: 6:31 AM EST

          Julie sat up and dragged herself out of bed. She continued to push forward, eventually making it to the shower. A few minutes later she emerged, soaking wet and wrapped in her white towel. She went over to the mirror; it was still slightly fogged up, but she could see her own reflection at least.
          Julie stared hard for a good minute. It was yet another time in her life she did not fully recognize the face staring back at her. The last time was shortly after she joined the Organization. That time, the cosmetic surgery had helped in the changes. They did not change much, but just enough to create a new face different from the one she had had. There is nothing quite as disconcerting as meeting a new face in the mirror. It is a sensation most people never get to experience in their lives. Yet, Julie was feeling it again.
          Her physical features had not changed since her "death". Since she had been in stasis for the past three years, she looked exactly the same way she did the day she died. Azrael's "improvements" to her had been mostly internal; there was a control panel on her arm, but even that was shielded by an artificial layer of skin. She could feel metal plates and bones here and there, but nothing could really be seen. It was these internal changes that were most unsettling. She looked the same, yet she did not feel the same. She could look in the mirror and see the person she used to be, but she knew that internally, she was far from that. She was something new, something strange. And this only reminded her of her first rebirth, from angst-filled teen Julie to Agent Julie.
          Of course, there were her eyes. They were red now, and if Julie looked closely enough she could see the metal cornea, the electronics within. They were a haunting reminded of what she really was. If the eyes truly were a window to the soul, what was her soul saying? Julie wasn't sure she wanted to know.
          She quickly shook of these thoughts - they were counter productive - and headed for her closet. Today was an important day; the first day she felt it would be safe enough for her to do what she planned. Out of all the things that had happened, and everything that was going on, there was still one aspect she cared about more than anything else.
          Julie opened her closet door, and to her dismay, found only three Ultratech jumpsuits.
          "That won't do at all." Julie frowned. Still in her towel, she teleported away, reappearing only a few minutes later, this time her arms filled with clothes. With the city abandoned, and her teleporters, Julie was free to take whatever she wanted from wherever she wanted it. Julie tossed the new wardrobe on her bed, and began selecting pieces to try on.
          The first piece of clothing was a dress - a simple blue dress with a white checker pattern. Julie looked at herself in the mirror, obviously unsatisfied. She was never one for dresses. The next attempt was a white tank top, and a pair of blue jeans, both very tight fitting. It was sexy, she thought, but far too impersonal. It looked like she hadn't put any effort at all into this, and that wasn't the message she wanted to send. She tried adding a shirt, beige and unbuttoned down the front, but it still was not to her liking.
          Next up was a black sleeveless blouse, accompanied by a gray skirt. Again, this was unsatisfactory. Far too formal, Julie thought. She might as well be attending a funeral. She liked the blouse somewhat, so her subsequent move was to replace the skirt with a black pair of slacks. It was nice; attractive, refined, and it showed that she had put effort into it without being too formal. However, the colors were off; all black still looked more like funeral attire more than anything else. She changed the blouse to blue, and long-sleeve. This was nice. She unbuttoned a few buttons down the top, bringing the overall look to a more casual tone, as well as, hopefully, increasing attractiveness. She was almost done, but she just didn't like the black pants. She switched to dark gray, and presented this new outfit in front of the mirror.
          Julie smiled slightly, and nodded to herself.

Just Outside New York City

          At Orchid's suggestion, work began on building a new base of operations just outside of New York City, shortly after the evacuation efforts had come to a close. With crews working around the clock, the building had been erected in just a few short days. It had even been fully furnished with computers, radar and other tracking devices, as well as whatever equipment that might have been in the smallest sense relevant.
          Within this new structure, which was simply being referred to as the Operations Center, there was a large room near the back for conferences. It had a long, silver metal table in the center of the room, and a big video monitor near the front. Displayed on the monitor was a still picture of the city of New York, complete with the plasma shield covering it. There were computer work stations positioned around the perimeter of the room.
          Currently seated at the table were President Harrison at the head of the table; Orchid to her left, and a middle aged man in a black suit to her right. Finishing the left side after Orchid was Jago, Secretary McTaggert, and a man wearing a black polo shirt and gray khakis. On the right, after the man in the suit was Chief Thunder, Lt. Preston, and another man in military uniform.
          "Well," President Harrison said, pulling her chair in some more, "I'm sure you're all familiar with John Burgemeister, major of New York City," she said as she gestured to the man on her right. "And of course, we have, Thunder was it? Lt. Samuel Preston from the 431st unit, and General Thomas Briggs. On my left we have government…agent…Orchid, her brother Jago; these two and Thunder have previous experience with Azrael and Fulgore cyborgs. Past Jago we have Danny McTaggert, my Secretary of State, and Dr. Phillip Carlos, a technician from Ultratech's Research and Development project. All right, now that that's out of the way, let's get down to business, shall we?"
          Orchid stood up, and went over to the monitor. "As you all know, about three days ago, Azrael erected this plasma shield up around the perimeter of New York City."
          "We've been studying it since," Dr. Carlos said, "and here is what we've been able to determine about it. It's a class one; probably the strongest you'd ever see, and it's reflective."
          "What does that mean?" Mayor Burgemeister asked.
          "Simply put," Orchid resumed, "it means that whatever you throw at it, it throws back. Now, we've been looking into ways around the shield, but it would appear that Azrael has the city completely cut off. Subway lines, sewage tunnels, underwater, all routes into the city are completely blocked."
          "So then, the city is completely cut off from us?" President Harrison inquired.
          "At the present time, yes." Dr. Carlos responded.
          "Well, what's our plan here?" General Briggs interjected. "Are we planning on attacking these things or what? And how so?"
          Orchid crossed her arms. "It's imperative that we find a way to attack, now. Satellite pictures have not shown any activity within the city, except an occasional excursion from Azrael, Julie, or Fulgore-X."
          "Our biggest problem right now is the numbers game." Thunder said. "You've all seen that just one Fulgore is more than a match for anything we've got. Right now there are three."
          "And we know that Azrael is planning to mass-produce." Orchid continued. "If he does…I don't know if we'll be able to beat them. At all. The only tactical advantage we have is that they are all concentrated within New York City. Therefore, if we can find a way to take them out all at once…some large attack…I think that would be our best plan of attack."
          Lt. Preston gasped. "Surely you can't be thinking…nuclear?"
          Orchid shook her head. "I would if I thought it would actually do us any good. Remember, the Fulgores have their own plasma shields. You can drop a nuke right on their heads, but they'll be able to activate their shields in time and be protected from the blast. Besides, with the reflective shield up, as is we'd do more damage to ourselves. The city would be completely unaffected."
          "I don't understand," Secretary McTaggert pressed, "is plasma technology really that potent?"
          "Yes, it is." Samuel responded. "I've seen it myself. We threw everything we had at Azrael, and he threw it right back."
          "Well then, we have to come up with something he can't throw back." General Briggs smirked.
          "Excuse me," Mayor Burgemeister interrupted, "but it sounds like you all are talking about an all-out assault on New York City. You can't do that! New York is a city grounded in American history and tradition. You can't just launch missiles into it, especially to destroy only three terrorists!"
          "We're not talking about terrorists, we're talking about Fulgore cyborgs." Orchid retorted.
          "It doesn't matter. New York is still the center for a lot of things. Art museums, the stock exchange, the theater! There are a lot of irreplaceable things in that city."
          Orchid sighed heavily. "Let me lay it down for you. If we don't find some way to destroy those three terrorists, as you call them, every single human on Earth is going to die. So basically, we need to take them out, in whatever capacity we can. If the city has to fall, let it fall. To be perfectly honest here, if we found a way that could maybe kill all three, but would definitely take out half the world's population, we would have to go for it. Better half than all. The situation is that dire."
          Everyone in the room fell into a stunned silence. Jago especially bowed his head; there was something further troubling him, something he hadn't mentioned to anyone, especially his sister.
          "…So, what do we do now?" Thunder asked.
          "Now, we worry about getting past that shield." Orchid said. "We can't do anything unless we get past that shield."
          "And how do we do that?" President Harrison said.
          "Plasma shields are tough," Dr. Carlos responded, "but not invincible. Azrael was smart in picking a reflective shield; it definitely makes things harder for us. In order to break the shield, we need to overpower it in one specific point. A quick burst of energy, more potent than the output of the shield. If we do pull that off…the shield will break, but only where we hit it."
          "What do we have that can do that?" General Briggs asked.
          Dr. Carlos frowned. "Nothing. As Ms. Orchid said, all the energy and force a nuke puts out would simply be bounced back to us. It isn't nearly strong or concentrated enough to breach the shield."
          "We do have something." Orchid said. "Sort of. In order to win this game, we're going to have to play on their terms. We have to upgrade to plasma weaponry, and we need to do it now. Secretary McTaggert, whatever happened to the plasma weapons that were found within Ultratech Brazil?"
          "Confiscated by the Brazilian government, I believe." McTaggert answered.
          "Get them. Now. Plus, I'm sure this government obtained a few samples…if not from Brazil, then directly from Ultratech. Where do you think Sheridan got his initial funding anyway? Get whatever you can, get them now."
          "And will these weapons be able to breach the shield, and be effective against Azrael?" President Harrison asked.
          "As is, no." Orchid returned to her seat. "They're not nearly powerful enough. But they are a step in the right direction. If we can work on making them stronger, boosting their efficiency, then maybe we've got a chance."

          The meeting continued on. Jago sat, vaguely aware of it but not really paying attention. His thoughts were elsewhere. In the initial rush of discovering Azrael, and the evacuation efforts, he had been sufficiently preoccupied. In the past few days, as the Operations Center was being built and actively within New York had been quieted, he had been given the opportunity to think about things.
          One in particular.
          It had been Julie who tried to kill Orchid that night. She had the powers of a Fulgore cyborg…apparently, she is one now. Orchid said she had been killed; yet here she was, alive and apparently well, three years later. Could Orchid have been wrong? Or did she lie? And what about Julie…she is working for Azrael now? How did that come to be? And why?
          And why hadn't she bothered to come see him since that night?
          For three months, Jago had wondered why, after having gone through the trouble of seeing him, his old master made him remember meeting Julie. Now, he could see why, it was obviously an issue, but Jago still did not know how everything would come to pass.
          The meeting was becoming more heated. Jago could hear elevated voices, his sister's in particular, but he was long past the point of comprehending the words. They talked about things he did not understand, could not help with. Should they get a shot at Azrael, he would fight. But past that, there wasn't anything else he could do. Orchid had been slowly teaching him about computers and technology over the past few months, but all this talk of plasma shields and weaponry was still far over his head. He was used to a simple life - religion, martial arts, some fieldwork, and training. Now, he had lost that, and had been thrust into this technological jungle. And although he didn't freely admit it, not to Orchid, Thunder, or anyone, he didn't like it, and wished he could return to a life like the one he had at the Tiger Shrine. But he knew that was impossible.
          "Jago…"
          Jago snapped to attention, hearing his name whispered softly in his ear. He looked around - the other people seated around the table were still passionately involved in their discussions. He didn't see how any one of them could have whispered his name. Or why. But he was sure he heard it.
          "Jago…"
          There it was again! But Jago simply could not come up with an explanation for this disembodied voice. No one at the table had said anything to him, and he doubted he could be hearing something from outside the room, even though his hearing had been finely tuned from years of training.
          Back in the meeting, President Harrison thumped both hands on the table, not slamming them, but firmly enough to get everyone's attention. "Gentlemen! Miss Orchid! This isn't getting us anywhere!"
          Thunder sighed heavily. "I agree. We're all just stressed out and worried. Very worried. Why don't we take a break, clear our minds? We're not getting anything accomplished now."
          President Harrison looked at him. "That's a good idea. Everyone, let's take fifteen, get some air, or coffee, clear our heads, then come back and try to make some progress."
          Everyone made a move to leave the table. As Jago was getting up, he felt something lightly brush against his arm. It was soft, yet deliberate. Like the touch of another person. But no one had touched him. Not that he saw, at least. This, combined with the whispers of his name, made Jago a little suspicious. Instead of leaving the room, he lingered around the table, waiting for something he was uncertain of.
          Thunder noticed his hesitation. As the last out of the room, save Jago, he doubled back for a moment.
          "Hey Jago, you coming?"
          Jago looked up at him, a little surprised. "Oh! Oh…yeah. Yeah. I'll catch up with you guys." Thunder nodded in acknowledgement, and left.
          Remaining in the room, Jago looked around nervously. He could feel the presence of another person…or at least he thought he did. The room appeared to be empty. And he had to admit that perhaps his perceptions were being betrayed by his emotions, his hopes. So all he could do was wait there for a minute or two…and see what happens.
          It wasn't long before Julie de-cloaked before him. She wasn't wearing the Ultratech uniform this time, but a blue blouse and slacks. She looked beautiful. She looked exactly like she had three years ago, as if it was only yesterday that Jago had seen her last.
          The pair simply stood, staring at each other, not quite knowing what to say. Both racked their brains for something appropriate, something meaningful to start off with, but nothing felt right. After a small eternity of wretched silence, Julie decided to forego sentimentality and just say…something.
          "Hey."
          "…Hey." Jago never took his eyes off her. He had to admit that, even though Orchid had the bruises to prove it, he was beginning to doubt that he'd really seen her that night. Before he knew it, he found himself blurting something out. "Come to spy on us?" It was incredibly stupid, and even as he was saying it, he wished he wasn't. But it was the only thing he could think of, and he had summarily decided that the sound was better than the silence.
          "No…I came for you Jago. I came to see you." Julie swallowed nervously. "We…we should…we should talk."
          Jago smiled, involuntarily. "I'd say."
          Julie half returned the gesture. "No time like the present."
          Subsequently, Jago found himself in the familiar, encompassing blue light of a teleportation beam.

          When the light faded away, Jago found himself in a very different place. He was outdoors now; standing on a dirt path, with a plush grove of trees to his right. The trees were an incredible green, with pink and white blossoms. To his left, the land sloped down a bit, leading to a small creek. The water was amazingly clear - Jago could see fish swimming downstream, and the pebbles lining the bottom. It was all very beautiful.
          "Where are we?" Jago asked.
          Julie shook her head, as she started walking along the path. "Doesn't matter." Jago took a quick step, catching up with her and walking alongside. Both walked in silence, again, having too many things to say and no proper way to begin saying them. Having lived in the city, it had been a while since Jago was surrounded by nature in its purest form like this. He took a moment to inhale the air, feel the mist from the stream against his cheeks.
          "Well…" Julie started, "it's been a while, hasn't it? Well. Uh…my story's, admittedly…a little more complicated…so how have you been the past three years?"
          Jago inhaled deeply, taking in more air. He still did not know how to start. But he might as well just jump in. After all, this is exactly what he had been wanting for the past few days. "After you left the Tiger Shrine, I immediately began to wait for your return. I waited for a while…several months. Then, I realized that you wouldn't be coming back. I didn't know why, I just had to accept that. I…uh…began to really focus on my training. I made a lot of progress. After a while, the Masters said that I was the most skilled student at the temple. They began to worry that I would not find any challenges among the other monks at the Shrine. So they sent me to the Killer Instinct tournament, in America, to test my skills against the world's best. And…you probably know the rest from there."
          "Bits and pieces." Julie said. "I don't know, in general, what happened, but I don't know any details." A moment of silence passed. "And Orchid…is your sister?"
          "Yes. The demon lord Gargos told us we were connected by blood - we ran a test and it was confirmed that we were related - sister and brother.
          Julie laughed. "I'll be damned. It's a small world, so they say."
          "I thought you two were teammates." Jago said. "But you were trying to kill her the other night."
          "I would have killed her if not for you, Jago."
          "Why?"
          Julie shook as if laughing, but she was frowning deeply. "Tell me Jago, when you learned that your, sister, Orchid was an Organization agent…did you ask about me?"
          "Of course."
          "And what did she say? What did she say happened to me?"
          "She said you died on a mission."
          "And?"
          "And? That's it, just that you died on a mission."
          "That's it, huh?" Julie actually laughed this time.
          "Why are you so upset with her?"
          "Why don't you ask her about that?" Julie retorted, almost rudely. "Ask her, and if from her answer you can't see why I'd be upset, ask her again until she tells you the truth."
          Jago fell silent at this response.
          Julie paused for a moment. "And she's really your sister? And neither of you knew about it until recently? This whole time."
          "Yes. We had been separated when I was very young. Orchid ended up at your Organization, and I was found by the monks of the Tiger Shrine."
          "How did that happen?"
          Jago half smiled this time. "Why don't you ask Azrael about that?"
          This answer silenced Julie.
          Now, Jago resumed the conversation. "Now, what about you? What's happened to you? Where have you been these past three years? And, are you…are you…are you a Fulgore now?"
          Julie took a deep breath. "Like Orchid said, I was…killed…on that mission we were on, right after we left the Tiger Shrine."
          "You were killed? But, how is that possible?"
          Julie ignored the question, knowing that it would be eventually answered. "We were in the Brazilian Rainforest, that's where I was killed."
          "Brazil…Ultratech Brazil!" Jago realized.
          "Yes, apparently I died not too far from it. From what I've been told, the Ultratech president found my body only a few minutes after my death, brought me back to the building and had me placed in stasis. I remained dead for the past three years. Azrael eventually found me. He figured that I was a former Organization agent, and he decided to revive me because I might be useful."
          "And…he did so using cybernetics?"
          "Yes. By integrating cybernetics into my body, he was able to reanimate me and bring me back to life. It sounds so silly, doesn't it? I wouldn't believe it myself…if it wasn't me we're talking about."
          "So…you are a Fulgore?"
          "Half. About half of my body is in its original state; the other half has been replaced by Fulgore technology. Mostly internal. Save a few…places…here and there." Julie rolled up her left sleeve a little, exposing her forearm. Pressing down on a point on her forearm, the skin disappeared, and a metal panel slid backwards revealing a computer interface. Jago involuntarily recoiled a bit from the sight. Julie restored her arm and her sleeve, and continued. "That's why I have the powers of a Fulgore now…teleportation, cloaking, energy beams out of the hand and what not." Julie paused again. "I haven't been able to see you these past few days because I've been busy…doing things…as well as trying to get used to my new abilities."
          Jago swallowed uneasily. He had a hard question to ask. There was absolutely no way around it. "And now…you're working with Azrael?"
          Julie looked down. "It…it's…complicated."
          "Try me. Is he forcing you?"
          "No."
          "What is it then?"
          "There's no 'it.' There's no catch."
          "Then…you're doing this of your own free will?"
          "Jago…like I said…it's complicated."
          "Like I said…try me."
          At this point, Jago and Julie had come to a small, painted-white bridge, leading across the small creek to the other side. Julie crossed it halfway, stopping and looking down at the creek below. Jago joined her on the bridge.
          Julie stared down at the creek. "When Azrael revived me…he gave me a choice. He told me that, as a half-human, half-Fulgore hybrid, I was in a unique position. He said that I could choose…I could choose which side I would align myself to."
          "And you chose Fulgores."
          "I chose not to die, Jago. Azrael told me…he showed me his plans. To give birth to a new Fulgore race, and exterminate the human race in the process. And I've seen his plans, his capabilities…and I don't think there's anything on this planet that can stop him. So yes, I chose. I chose to live as a Fulgore, rather than die as a human."
          "What makes you think Azrael can't be defeated?"
          "Because he can't be! I'm part Fulgore now, I know better than anyone else how powerful they are. Two or three would be an impossible obstacle to overcome. Thousands? Millions even? What chance does humanity have?"
          "Our chances may be grim Julie," Jago said, "but we will fight down to the last."
          "I don't doubt that. But the truth is that you will fight to the last. This is a fight you cannot win."
          "Julie…if you really are a Fulgore…or even half…with their powers you could help us! You could give us a great chance of defeating the Fulgores!"
          "You think I didn't think of that? That was the first thing I thought of. But, it's not an issue. I may have powers, but I can't hope to turn the tide in this fight. I'm not as skilled as Azrael, and I'm not nearly as powerful as Fulgore-X. If I tried…if I tried, I'll be killed on the spot. And if I did choose humanity, you really think Azrael would have sent me back with all my powers? And then to die with humanity? I had a choice, but in reality, I really didn't. I'll do no one any good dead. To tell the truth, I'm little more than a consultant in this affair."
          Passionate, Jago grabbed her arm, twisting her to him. "You're more than that! You are helping the would be murderer of billions! Don't you know what that makes you?"
          Julie batted his arm away, tears filling her eyes. "Don't you know that I already am a murderer! Already was. Have you already forgotten what I used to do? I was an assassin, Jago. A professional terrorist. Killing people…was part of my job Jago. It was…part of my job…"
          "That…that's different!"
          "No it wasn't! Has Orchid told you nothing of the Organization? We did the very things America condemns. We lied, cheated, stole, and killed. Yeah, our targets weren't often the models of sainthood…but a lot of times, innocent people got hurt. It was just part of the job, Jago. However stained with blood Azrael's hands may be…mine are more so at this point."
          "…Julie…"
          "I don't owe humanity anything, Jago. Not one damn thing. And I haven't been a part of this world, not for a long time. Why should I die with them? Why should I die for them? You don't understand Jago. You grew up in that Shrine of yours with the old Masters and the monks. You had religion and hard work and…and…things to believe in. Me…I…I…I did the work that needed to be done but refused to be acknowledged. I grew up surrounded by the worst of humanity. So a lot of what Azrael says about the race…a lot of it is true. Maybe he's right. Maybe they do deserve to die."
          Jago was stunned. He felt sick, physically sick to his stomach. To hear these words coming from the woman he loved…to say it was disappointing was a grave understatement. Jago turned away from her, looking down at the creek below.
          Julie felt his apprehension; her eyes, her cybernetic eyes, filled with tears again. "Jago…listen…there's really only one reason why I chose to work with Azrael. In order…in order to persuade me to choose the Fulgore side, Azrael made me an offer. He…uh…he told me that, if I wanted to, I could save the life of any one human I choose. And after everything was done, my obligation would be done. I could go wherever I wanted, live whatever life I choose."
          Jago was silent still.
          "Don't you see, Jago?" Julie pleaded. "I know three years has been a long time, and I know you thought I was dead, but for me, it's only been a month since I last saw you at the Shrine. I still…I still…oh God…I still love you Jago, as much as I did when I had to leave you. And now, now we can have the life we wanted. We can find a nice little spot somewhere, and just live, you and me together." The tears swelled in Julie's eyes now, until a few drops actually fell down her cheeks. "It'll be so perfect Jago, it'll be so perfect. Just you and me, together for the rest of our lives. No worries, no concerns."
          "Sure." Jago said weakly. "No worries. Nevermind the six billion people we sacrificed for it."
          "Jago! There's nothing you, I, or anyone can do about that! So why die needlessly? Why Jago? I don't give a damn about those six billion people. I only care about you. I don't give a damn about any of this, humans or Fulgores. All that matters is that when the dust clears, and everything is said and done, that you and I are together. That's all I care about. I can save you, Jago."
          Jago looked up at her, slowly. "And you really believe that Azrael will allow you to save me, of all people?"
          Julie shook her head. "I know you two have a history or something, but he promised me. After everything's done, he won't care. I can protect you Jago. I can save you. And then, we can be together! All you have to do is say yes, come with me now! And we'll be together."
          Jago looked down again, for a moment, before looking back up at Julie. "If what you say is true…if you really can save a human…save my sister. Save Orchid."
          Julie narrowed her eyes at him. "What? Orchid? I can't. I can't. I won't! Jago!"
          "If what you say about the Organization is true, and I don't doubt you on that... every time I look…every time I look into my sister's, into Orchid's eyes, I see a soul, that has died a little bit, every day, until all that's left is fainter than a dying candle into the night. She doesn't need to fight anymore. She's paid her dues. Twice. And if humanity is to die, then you and her should reconcile your differences, find some small measure of peace. But I can't just sit around, and watch as a cold-blooded killer cuts humanity down. Maybe this is a losing fight. Maybe the fruits of my efforts will end in my death at the hands of Azrael. Maybe it will be some random Fulgore. But…I have to try. Maybe I'll choose life with you, and yes Julie, after three years I do still love you, I've never loved again and I never will love another. But…I couldn't live with myself. I couldn't be happy knowing I didn't fight. Every time I looked at you…I'd see the six billion lives I sacrificed to do so. I'd see Master Zen'keth. I'd see Tomas. I'd see Chief Thunder. I'd see Orchid. And ultimately, that would be worse than death. I love you Julie…but what you're asking me to do…I cannot do. I'm sorry. I have to fight."
          What Julie found amazing, at this particular point, was that despite the cybernetic implants in her eyes, despite her enhanced vision and everything, she still lacked the ability to control her tears.
          Nevertheless, she fought them back, a few defiant streams rolling down her reddened cheeks. "Okay." She said weakly, no louder than a whisper. "I'll…uh…I'll send you back." And no sooner than she said it, the teleportation beam appeared within Jago, consuming him as it spread outward, both fading into nothingness as if they were never there at all.
          With Jago gone, Julie saw no point in holding back. She turned back towards the creek, weakly grabbing the edge of the bridge. The tears flowed without restraint now, as Julie sobbed. She was on the verge of collapsing on the bridge, but an intruder's voice wouldn't let her.
          "That didn't go as planned, I imagine."
          Julie turned - she saw Fulgore-X leaning up against a tree on the side of the creek they had came from. She hadn't noticed him before, although she had not been all that observant of the surroundings.
          "How long have you been there?" Julie asked, quickly composing herself. She turned back to the creek, her left shoulder facing Fulgore-X.
          "Long enough."
          Julie half smiled. "Actually, that's exactly what I was expecting. But, I had to try."
          "Apparently, so does he."
          Julie's stare became more vacant. "You won't tell Azrael, will you?"
          Fulgore-X raised an eye. "Why would I possibly want to do that?"
          Julie looked down. "Thanks."
          Fulgore-X uncrossed his arms, and came partially from under the tree. "Julie…you know…that kind of life…is not for people like us."
          Julie batted her eyes towards him, turning her head slightly. She pushed away from the edge of the bridge, letting her back arch slightly. "You know…" she started, "when I was a little girl, I used to think that I could fly. I mean, bugs could. Birds could. Airplanes could. Why couldn't I? I used to think that, if I just pushed down on the earth hard enough, I would fly."
          Fulgore-X looked down to see Julie's feet leaving the ground. She began to ascend into the air, slowly; her arms raised from her sides, spread outward.
          "Every day," Julie continued, "at a certain time, it was in the afternoons, I don't remember exactly when, I'd go out into the yard, spread my arms as far as I could, and just push down, try to fly. My mother, she just let me. Every day, I'd come in, and she'd ask 'Did you fly today?' and I'd just say 'Tomorrow' and she'd give me a cookie. That went on for quite a while…a year I think. Then one day, I just…stopped. I don't know why…I just did. But I never stopped wanting to fly. Have that feeling, where nothing is tying you down…air all around you, through your hair and your clothes, what the wind feels like against your skin…up…there."
          And then, Julie shot upwards, straight into the sky. She flew high - until the ground below her seemed to be miles away. She then flew forward - in no particular direction, zipping along at incredible speeds. Coming upon a mountain range, she effortlessly weaved through the peaks, never losing speed. She passed the mountains, and it wasn't long before she hit an ocean. She lowered her altitude, skimming the surface of the water as she flew. The water kicked up in her wake, a terrific wash of white.
          Suddenly, she stopped flying forward, and darted upwards again. She flew higher and higher, the ground becoming increasingly more distant. When she had enough altitude, she flew forward again, slower than before but still faster than anyone's standards. She closed her eyes, turned her back to the ground, and facing the heavens with the sun upon her face, she drifted through the air, no longer tied to the earth below.