Sidestory:
Would You Like a Side of Graikos With Your Big Mac?
by Angie, Emiko, G, Rachel, and Tami
Dear McDonald's people,
We love your restaurant. We would not have placed this story in your restaurant chain if we did not love you. McDonald's has the best food and service and is always very clean. We love Grimace. We love Hamburglar. Most of all, we love Ronald. Any statements made below are those of our characters, not us. We love you. You would never take legal action against people who love you, would you? We even think our story could be good advertising. McDonald's, home of the Graikos Senshi. Have I mentioned how enamored we are of your restaurant?
Sincerely,
Emiko, GM
Jace shuddered surreptitiously as she heavily pushed open the door to McDonald's and wheeled herself in. She had to admit that Perdix was something of a sick genius - nobody in their right mind would go looking for a Graikos group among a bunch of screaming six-year-olds all hyperactive from eating sugar and pigfat. In fact, even if the other groups HAD known that the Graikos was going to be sitting among a screaming bunch of six-year-olds and pigfat, Jace hoped that most of them were sensible enough to stay well away. After all, even though she could turn into a reincarnated god at will, six-year-olds could projectile-vomit from fifteen feet.
Glaring viciously at a couple of little kids to clear the path, Jace stopped momentarily to examine a frieze of happy McDonald's characters and decided the Hamburglar and Ronald were secretly lovers. Then she spotted the back of Sophie's head at an abandoned corner table and gratefully scooted over, parallel parking herself skillfully.
"Can anybody tell me what the FUCK Grimace is supposed to represent?" she asked by way of greeting to the brunette and the partridge next to her. "Is he supposed to be a milkshake or what? I'm damned if I know."
"Grimace? Isn't that an expression of pain?'" Perdix asked from beneath Sophie's jacket. Sophie looked down at him with a frown on her face and took a big bite out of her sandwich.
"You see this? This is chicken. You're sort of like a chicken." To emphasize her point, she took another large bite. Perdix just gave a cooing sigh and looked over towards the door.
Zach pulled open the door, and couldn't help but to inhale deeply. No matter what Mickey D's he had been to, every one had that strange, intoxicating aroma. He never thought too deeply about what it could possibly be, for fear that the reality might not even be close to intoxicating.
He looked around the restaurant, and spotted two girls towards the back, one of which was in a wheelchair. That would mean he would have to be extra polite AND politically correct. Drag, he thought as he made his way over to them. He was glad Leta had told him about this meeting. He would finally meet his team. The Graikos. He wouldn't be alone again.
"Hey. What's up? I'm Zach," the blonde said upon reaching them, putting his skateboard on the ground. He looked down at the girl with no legs, and avoided staring too hard. "You must be Grace. Nice to meet ya!" He held out his hand.
The redhead took the hand in a bone-shattering grip, then dropped it. "You must be Dack or Pack or Wank or whatever the hell your name is," she said with her normal Jace Kellen politeness. "And the name's Jace. J, A, C, E. Hey, do YOU know what the hell Grimace is? I thought he was a giant purple sperm but that's not on the menu. Yet."
Zach blushed slightly. Her name was JACE, moron. Just go with it. "Grimace?" he said, turning to look at the big purple monstrosity. "He looks like he has down syndrome..." he concluded after a moment. He then turned to the other girl with dark hair. "Zach." he said, offering his hand once again. She had nice eyes.
Before the girl with nice eyes answered, the heavy McDonald's doors opened yet again. As Wilma sauntered in, she breathed in that lovely aroma of chicken grease and beef fat...she couldn't help but wonder how she had found that smell to be so appetizing when she was six.
Spotting the group of fresh acquaintances, Wilma began making her way over ever so slowly, hoping to sneak up so she could make sure they were the right people. Unfortunately, those darned teenagers who were working at McDonald's that day had actually done a bit of cleaning, and had just mopped the floor. As she was walking across, Wilma tripped on her shoelace, and went sliding into the unsuspecting boy standing by the girls... "Eeeek! Er...hi?"
Perdix immediately jumped up. "Wilma! Hi!" he said enthusiastically before Sophie shoved him back underneath her jacket.
"Shut up! You want to get us kicked out of here?" she demanded.
"I'll be quieter," Perdix promised. "Everyone, this is Wilma, Sailor Persephone! Wilma, meet Jace, who is Sailor Hephaestos, Sophia - Sailor Metis, and Zach ... Hyperion Knight?" The last introduction was more of a question, since Perdix had not met the boy before.
"The one and only," the blonde answered with a smirk, a faint sun sigil winking briefly on his forehead and then disappearing. "Does everyone have a talking bird but me?"
"I don't," a tall, lanky young man said quietly as he set down a tray of Big Macs on the table and slid onto the edge of the nearest seat. "I'm Jack," he continued, reaching out to unwrap one of the paper- covered sandwiches of fat and psuedo-meat. Carefully, he balled the paper up and dropped it on the tray. Then he looked up and flashed a lazy half-grin around. "Heya, Jace. Good to see ya again." A second later, he noticed the petite girl with the purple hair slouching in the corner, a faint blush still evident from her not-so- graceful entrance. "Oh, hey, Wilma. Same with you."
The redhead immediately beamed, throwing a kleenex at his head affectionately. "Jackalope!" She looked around the group importantly. "This is Jack Reilly, call him Jackalope or Jack o'Lantern. He's Tyche and he gets a cool hat, but otherwise he looks like a pansy." She folded her arms and looked expectantly at the partridge Sophie was trying to smother. "I think that's everyone, Perdy-boy."
Leta slowly peeked her head in through the door, grimacing slightly. Everybody had arrived before her. But out of all the places, why McDonalds? She wanted to play in the playpen, but she was to old for it. But the temptation was there. Sighing, and putting on a bright smile, Leta sauntered over. Jace let out a groan. "Not everyone! You almost forgot me," she tittered, and then frowned as Percy gave a unhappy squawk from inside her pink messenger bag. Opening the flap, she glared down cutely at the brightly crested bird. "Shh, you'll get us kicked out!" she hissed angrily.
Percy ignored Leta, and looked at the senshi. "Ahh, you're Tyche, right? I don't believe I've met you yet. Hyperion, Metis, well, we all seem here... Hello Perdix." Percy greeted them all, bobbing his brightly plumed head up and down in welcome.
"Wait, who's Tyche?" Leta asked, looking up from the bird.
Percy pointed Jack out with a wing.
"Ah! Oh, hiya!" Leta giggled.
Zach smirked at the blonde girl, and took in all these new faces before speaking again.
"Okay, not to be pushy, but why don't we start whatever it is we came here to do? Everyone grab some seat," he said sternly before adding "So who's gonna start?"
Wilma snagged a seat next to Jack, since he was the only one she knew the most.
"I suppose I'll start." Wilma shrugged softly, glancing at the two birds, "Have any of you fought the other senshi? I mean, we could swap stories to see the strengths and weaknesses for the next time we meet..."
Perdix stared at Wilma a moment, beak hanging open. "STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES!?" he suddenly yelled. Sophie promptly hit him over the head, and he quieted, hoping anyone who looked over would assume that outburst came from Jack or Zach. "Don't you know why I called this meeting?" He looked around the table frantically, but nobody seemed to have a clue.
"Get a grip," Sophie growled at Perdix. "Everyone's here now. Just tell them what you saw." Grimly, Perdix nodded in obedience.
"I was downtown with Sophia, since I had sensed some enemies there, but by the time we got there, it was gone. It didn't last very long. There were some police sirens, and Sophia wanted to see what was going on..."
"I was hoping for a drug raid," Sophie interjected. "Those are fun to watch."
"Well, it wasn't a drug raid," Perdix replied angrily, "it was a murder scene. There were cops everywhere. Sophie asked what was going on, and the cops said they had a body. I thought we'd go home after that, but Sophia had never seen a dead body from a murder scene, so she slipped under the police lines with me in her jacket and snuck over to where the body was, and... It was Acacia." Perdix let the name hang on the air, eliciting response.
Leta's innocent looking eyes widened. "Oh my," she whispered softly, at a loss of words.
Percy ruffled his chest feathers and hung his head in a look at sorrow. "Was it Romanus? Astronomia?" he questioned, but a surprisingly harsh look from Leta shut him up.
"Wasn't she, wasn't she the girl in our Latin class? We met her in the bathroom, didn't we Percy?" Leta tried to remember, and then nodded. "Yeah. That was her. How are her parents taking it? I mean, she was only our age. That's so sad," Leta sniffled, and if anyone looked closely, they could've seen her ears somewhat droop.
Jack frowned down at his burgers, a massive change in his usually placid face reflecting the shock and sorrow of the announcement. He had never met the girl but the words "our age" struck a chord deep inside him. That meant young, just a teenager. Slowly, he knotted his fingers together and rested his chin on them. "How?" he asked simply. "Why? Who?"
"It those goddamn Romanus," Zach answered darkly. "I've met one of them, and he almost did the same to me." Thinking about Neptune just made the blonde's blood seethe. He allowed himself a breath before continuing. "This shit is no joke. One of us is dead. That's why it's good that those of us that are still here stay tight." His tone was touched with a hint of sadness. He didn't know this Acacia girl, but she was Graikos. That made her friend in his book.
"It was indeed the Romanus," confirmed Perdix, looking down at the floor. "I think Acacia's dad is probably taking it pretty hard -- her mom died when she was young. BUT!" At the last, booming word, Sophie promptly clogged Perdix on the head. He ignored her. "This only shows us why we must strengthen our resolve. They struck us the first blow, so we'll have to strike the next, and make ours stronger. Do it for our fallen comrade, Hades. Do it for yourselves."
"Do it for sex and drugs an' all that good stuff," Sophie interrupted, tossing a fry in her mouth. At the stares she received, she quickly added, "Yeah, I'm bummed about Acacia's death, but I'm gonna be the first one to make that retaliatory strike. I'll draw Romanus blood. I swear it."
"Sex," mumbled Perdix, not seeming particularly put off by her mockery of his speech.
The redhead at the other side of the table looked grim. "Don't get all het up over just the Romanus," Jace snapped to Zach and Perdix. "There are the other teams as well that are just as fucking dangerous and want us now." After all, she had gotten thrown over a storeyed building. "And besides, that brings up another point - the police shouldn't have gotten a body."
So maybe it was callous, but Acacia was dead. All of -her- problems were over. Theirs were just beginning.
Wilma swallowed past the lump that had suddenly lodged itself in her throat. A girl her age had been found dead. Ehat if one of the people sitting around her was next? Nodding her head in agreement with Jace's comment, she managed to find her voice.
"I agre--" Wilma broke off to clear her throat, "I agree with Jace. If we want to remain, um, I can't think of the word, so I'll just say anonymous. If we want to remain anonymous, shouldn't we travel in pairs? Y'know, to back the other person up, and I dunno, bury the body and avenge our comrades if they...die?"
"Jesus Christ, that's morbid. Assigning burying buddies?!" Zach voice raised slightly. "Listen, NO ONE else is going to die. That's it."
"Oh, of -course- not," Jace agreed sarcastically, grabbing a hamburger and liberating it from the wrapping. "Acacia isn't dead. She's just pining for the fucking fjords. If it can happen to her, it can happen to us again. I mean, who here HASN'T come off with at least a bruise in a fight?"
Leta raised her hand nervously, and giggled. "Um, I haven't," she squeaked meekly. "I mean, I've, like, come close but I've never really been, like, injured injured," she added.
Percy decided to add his own two bits for fun. "No, but she's come home with hickies!" he volunteered, only to have the flap of the backpack replaced and locked in place.
Wilma shook her head, "I'm not saying that any of us are going to die, but it is a possibility. If it can happen to Acacia, it can happen to any of us. I mean, the last fight I came home from I had the remnants of a frikkin' hangover, and bruises from falling on the floor. Haven't any of you come home from a fight still aching?" Wilma looked around expectantly.
Pushing another hamburger towards Jace as a meaty sedative, Jack shrugged. "Can't say myself but I guess it happens. Can, will, might." He hesitated for a second and then wrapped a comforting arm around Wilma's shoulders. The poor girl was almost shaking. "Doesn't mean it will, okay? But it might. It's not like what we're doing here is good for our health, right?"
"Definitely not. Which brings me to another thing that's been bothering me," Zach said, clicking his Zippo open, then shutting it. "Anyone know WHY the hell we're fighting these guys? As far as I've seen, I don't see 'evil' senshi destroying downtown and trying to conquer the world." Zach's comment was met with some odd glances. "That's from a comic book reader's point of view," he finished. "The point is that my guardian is mad cryptic when it comes to my questions on why we're risking our asses here ... and here I see two guardians who might have the answers I'm looking for."
Wilma smiled slightly at Jack, then turned back to the guardians, "Yeah, shouldn't we at least have a *good*, I'll repeat, good reason, for fighting these people? I mean, Bacchus, the chick I fought didn't seem like she actually wanted to fight."
Perdix bristled angrily. "She may not have seemed so to you, but who do you think killed Acacia? I can't be sure, but I think there were traces of her attack at the battle. You just can't trust these people. Blind innocence is never rewarded." For a moment, there was a sense of true hatred on Perdix's tongue. Then he added, "You're too young to understand."
Wilma glared at the bird. She couldn't help wanting to toss him in the deep fat fryer. Instead, she took a deep breath and counted to ten, "Okay, so, maybe she killed Acacia, but still, you haven't told us what it was that Acacia died for, and what it is that we're putting ourselves in danger for. I think that we should all calm down, and one of our friendly feathered friends can tell us what on earth is going on."
Percy's voice wafted out through the back pack, muffled slightly. "Perdix, why don't you tell them? I better not waste my air in here, its almost suffocating," he complained, almost asking Leta to open the bag at the same time. She didn't.
"Fine, fine; must I do all the talking?" Perdix said in mock exasperation, since he really didn't mind being in charge. "The way it goes is this: you are all reincarnated senshi, right? You are reincarnated senshi because in the past you died. The Romanus killed you. And now they're trying to kill you again. Regardless of how good you think they are." That statement he directed at Wilma.
Wilma glared at Perdix, "All I'm saying is that they're as unsure as we are, you snotty little ass."
Perdix took a deep breath. "It's them or us. Don't you have any survival instinct, Persephone? If you're not going to stand up in your own defense, maybe we should just leave you at home. Over time, though, as your senshi power grows, you'll be detectable by the enemy in your un-transformed state, so they'll get you then if they haven't already. That will take many years, so I'm not worried about it right now, but still. This is a real war, and if you don't fight, you're a liability because you know of our identities and could reveal them under torture. Or don't you think they'd torture you if they're willing to kill?" The partridge looked like he could have said more, but was temporarily winded.
Wilma shook her head, "Look, I'm going to fight. I could care less, personally, of what you think of me. But, I don't think that the senshi on that team are anywhere near as dangerous as you say they are. I mean, Bacchus knocked the shit out of me, and you know it. At least, you saw most of it, until you waddle yourself out of the bathroom. But, I gave her some pretty good knocks, too, and I don't think they meant to kill. I think they might've had some pushy guardian whining all the time, and it was just too much." Stopping for a breath, Wilma glanced around nervously at the other people. She couldn't help thinking they might all hate her for defending the enemy.
"Right on, girl," Zach said, pounding his fist on the table, a lone yellow wrapper fluttering to the floor. He looked at Perdix. "You do realize that that you conveniently avoided answering my question by making our enemies out to be bloodthirsty killers." Zach bit his lip, and spoke again. "They're probably just as scared and confused as we are. I made an enemy out of them, because I got so caught up in the idea of being a super-hero, that I let it blind me. I have these powers. They are mine. And I'll be god damned if I'm going to let ANYONE tell me what I should fight for."
"I agree," Jack added softly. Usually he wouldn't have cut in so abruptly but something about the bossy partridge was rubbing him the wrong way. Reminds me of my freakin' father, he decided. He bent down to simultaneously retrieve the wrapper and collect his thoughts. Finally, he straightened up again and directed his gaze around his assembled teammates calmly. "They attack, we defend. We attack, they defend. Sure, it works but is there any sense here?" A faint smile touched his features. "'Sides the all-important idea of waking up the next morning."
Percy, who had squawked and brawked madly until Leta had finally opened up the bag decided to take this time to speak. "Hyperion, you were born to fight the Romanus. It's your destiny. It's all of yours! The Romanus may not be bloodthirsty, however, they are out to kill us. Like Perdix said, this is survival, not a game. Any one of you could be picked off, just like poor Acacia. We need to get them before they get us." Percy squawked, although not to loud as the group was beginning to get a couple of odd stares.
"Now, like, wait a sec. I don't wanna die! Can I just, like, quit? I'm not made out for fighting," wailed Leta unhappily, sniffling a bit.
"You've got no choice," snapped Percy, his beady black eyes turning towards Leta. "You've got to fight, no 'buts' about it." he added, addressing them all this time.
Zach sneered, getting up. "Yeah, that doesn't mean I have to like it. I'm going outside to smoke a butt." He maneuvered around the people at the table, and made his way toward the door.
Wilma sighed, rubbing her forehead with both hands, "Well, Zach may smoke his cancer sticks to soothe himself, but he is right. We don't have to like this. I know we may sound weak, Perdix, but we don't." She looked around at everyone. "We may not even have to like each other. However, I think that we should learn about each other. Not really hang out at school, for us younger people, considering it would look a bit suspicious, but just get to know each other in the very least. What do you guys think?" This time, she directed her comments to Jack and Jace.
The redhead had been sitting quietly, utterly flabbergasted at the direct display of utter -sissyness- everybody had shown. This was not a game, and the other side did -not- want to raise a white flag and have a good time; she'd learnt that well enough. "I think that most of you are all -insane-," she pronounced heatedly. "The only way I'd ever associate with you was if you got off your ass and decided that this wasn't a goddamn tea party. D'you know why you were made a senshi? I'll tell you why - to kill people. Frankly, nobody here is going to ever sleep well at night again until the Romanus are all dead or out of order - and if you're such a sap that you just want to go and wipe your nose on the sidelines, then I think you need a fucking wake-up call."
Long speech over, Jace directed a look at Perdix, the last five minutes having been one of the only times she would ever sympathize with the fat little bundle of feathers.
"Look, I said I'd fight. So did Zach. I just don't have to like it alright?" Wilma couldn't help being just a little ruffled by the red-head, "You may enjoy going out and beating the shit out of people, and killing them, but some of us here have things called consciences. You may have managed to silence yours, but fortunately, mine still works. I'm still going to fight these people until they're wiped out, but not because you think it's utter wussiness not to, and not because that stupid little bird told me to. I'm gonna do it for that Acacia girl, because she decided that this mysterious cause is enough to die for, and because they shouldn't be allowed to get away with killing her." With that lovely little speech, Wilma sank back in her seat. She knew she should've stayed home.
"Acacia didn't decide to die for the cause, that's why she was killed," Perdix said simply. He looked at Sophie, who was just polishing off her chicken sandwich. "I'm ready to go. Nothing more can be achieved in this meeting." He turned back to the others. "I guess I'll leave this job up to our enemies. If you won't take my word, you'll take their blows. That should prove enough of a unifying factor."
Jace pushed away the remnants of her hamburger and nodded grimly at Perdix. "I'm gonna go train off this liquid fat," she announced. "Contact me, Perdy; we have stuff to discuss, as apparently these guys are afraid of getting their soft little hands dirty. Bye, Sophie, Leta, Jack, whatever the fuck the rest of your names are, etc, have a nice life, give me your coffin size."
With barely a wave, Jace wheeled away from the table and down the aisle.
Wilma shook her head, "Whatever. I'm out of here, I have conditioning." Wilma stood up, sauntering out the door. "See ya whenever the next enemy attacks, I'm sure, Perdy. Bye Leta, bye Jack, bye Sophie." With a shrug and a wave, Wilma made her way out of the McDonald's. Mentally, she reminded herself never to go to that particular one again.
"Bye!" Leta called after them, with a wave and a giggle. Then with a sigh, she gave Percy an apologetic look before closing the backpack this time. "Zach, don't smoke, it's, like, bad for you and stuff," Leta advised, and blowing a kiss to the remaining senshi, left the McDonald's, still wanting to go on the playground.
"Thanks, Leta. That's news to me," Zach said, only half- sarcastically. "Meeting's over, huh?" he asked. He flicked his cigarette, and went back inside for his board. On his way, he passed by Jace.
"See ya around, sunshine," he commented. He got back to the table, grabbed his skateboard, and said his goodbyes. "Oh hey bird," Zach turned to Perdix. "Phaeton sends his regards." With that, the blonde made his way toward the exit once again.
Jack waved vaguely at his departing teammates. The ensuing conversation had given him plenty to think about. Everyone had valid points but somehow he rankled at obeying orders. No, not somehow. He knew exactly why he did. His past made no difference here, though. What was important was surviving, him and the others. Deliberately, he stacked the remaining burgers on his tray, collected the wrappers from the few eaten ones, and then looked up at Sophie and Perdix. "So those are our only two options? Kill or be killed?" he murmured.
"I wish they weren't, but I'm afraid so. I... I really don't want to die again. You guys wouldn't remember dying the first time around, but we guardians do. That's why we understand better why it's important to fight." Perdix looked like he would cry if he could. Sophie picked him up.
"Nice meeting you, Jack. We've got to get going. It's a long car ride home," Sophie said as she pushed Perdix's head inside her jacket. "Damn, I guess I'm never going to wear this thing again, now that it's covered in partridge." From inside the jacket, there was an indignant sound, muffled by the thick canvas material. Sophie waved and walked towards the exit.
After watching Sophie leave, Jack shrugged. Meeting's over, I guess, he thought. That was interesting. With another shrug, he flipped his knapsack open and tossed the few remaining hamburgers inside. No sense wasting them. Then he zipped it closed and stood, grabbing the trash from the table for the garbage cans. From the looks on some of the faces of his teammates, he was almost starting to pity the Romanus. The other teams, too. He couldn't see them stopping until they were the victors. Well, that's life and that's how it's going to go now... Blinking, he walked towards the exit, finally realizing the extent of his new life. Fighting, pain, possible death. None of it sounded particularly appetizing. However, now they had found each other and, hell, nothing could take that away. Everyone else had better look out...