-- Chapter Five: Nightfall Covers All -- 6:00 in the morning You're the last to hear the warning You've been tryin' to throw your arms around the world You've been falling off the sidewalk Your lips move but you can't talk Tryin' to throw your arms around the world. -- "Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World", U2 Monterey hadn't returned yet, although from what Bink told her, Gadget wasn't sure if he'd be back at all. Still, it wasn't too late yet, so Gadget put the worry for him on the back burner. Henry was snuggled up in her cot while she sat next to him, lightly running her fingers through his tousled hair. So small... her heart went out to him, wanting to protect him from the dangers of the world, and guard his hopes and dreams from the forces around them. She wondered, as she did often these days, if this is how her father had felt about her. "Aunt Gadget?" Henry said sleepily, stirring. "I'm here," she touched his cheek paternally. "I can't sleep." "Shhh..." she cooed. "Just close your eyes, and let the sleep overcome you." Pause. "Aunt Gadget?" "Yes?" "Will you sing me a lullaby? Mommy does." Gadget's face flushed lightly at the thought of it. I can do that, she thought happily. Golly, I never even thought about it before, but I really can do that! Gee, maybe being a mom isn't that hard after all. She smiled down at him and tucked him in. "Okay, I will. All settled in?" Henry shuffled slightly in the blankets until he was officially snug. "Yep." "Okay then," Gadget said, thinking back. Her mother had written a number of songs that Gadget memorized, but she wasn't sure which one to use. After a few seconds, though, she remembered one that was perfect -- something to reassure Henry about his missing mother. Gadget scooted closer to Henry, so she would be able to sing softly. "This is a lullaby that my mother wrote," she started, smiling down at him. "She wrote it for my dad, who was often off on various trips around the world. My mom had to stay home, though, so she could work in her study." Gadget laughed lightly, remembering. "She always told him that her inspiration seemed to flow the best when she was there. Anyway, they didn't get to see a lot of each other, and it got lonely at times, so she wrote this song for him. Then, when I was a little girl, my dad used to sing it to me as a lullaby. When it's sung, you're supposed to think about the person you wish you were with, and then the song connects the two of you. Understand?" Henry yawned and nodded. "I should think about mommy?" Gadget smiled tenderly. "Right." With that, she quietly began to sing: Tonight You think you're alone Your breathing The only sound that you hear You don't know You don't understand You're safe Trust in this Slowly, Henry's eyes began to drift shut, but Gadget's enrapturing voice was still heard clearly in his ears, and his mind, as he thought of his mother, who seemed so very far away. I'm here Though you can't see But I'm with you with every breath you take For I live within you In your heart And with my love for you We'll never part Yes dear Listen and you'll hear Henry's chest was rising and falling steadily in the gentle breathing of those asleep, but Gadget didn't stop her singing. She knew that to make the song work, she needed to carry it all the way through, just as her mother had intended. Besides, she was thinking of someone, herself. A lone chipmunk, lost to the shadows of the Earth. * * * Last night Remember Together We spent time with each other A blessing Or depressing It depends on How you feel A lone chipmunk, lost to the shadows of the Earth. The sewer water lapped up at the side of the still form, which was sprawled out on the small embankment. This part of the sewer was far from any area that most of the underdwellers would have been, tucked securely off to the side. It was merely a landing, really, as the water flowed in from the inlet pipe up above, and then was carried on out to a water processing plant by the pipe in the back. The noise of the rushing water seemed to be louder in the dark cavern, caused by the single, weakly-lit gas lamp against the far wall. Not too far from the prone chipmunk, movement stirred. It started in the privacy of a small hole, then proceeded elegantly over to this surprise guest. A pair of hands checked for a pulse. Another pair turned the head slightly, so that the face could be seen. And recognized. Dropping the limp hand, the hands hoisted the body up, and began dragging it over to the hole. You used to think It was planned out But a wrong turn Brought you to here Now you know you're At fate's mercy Alone and weak And far from me And something has you In its territory Far away, Gadget sang onward, while Chip's body was hauled into the den of the graceful black widow he had only met when the Rangers turned her over to the A.P.F. A black widow named Victoria. Outside, the ambient sounds were once more all that were active. * * * But I am here.... Entwined in your heartbeat Here.... Intangible but complete Here.... Covered with the night sky's sheet Outside, the ambient sounds were once more all that were active. Zipper and Zinger had ceased their conversation some time ago, and were just resting, watching the stars. Somehow, knowing the limitlessness of their being comforted them, and held the hounds of depression at bay. For Zipper, he was still wrestling with his emotions. He was responsible for the death of a team member, his friends were still held prisoner and going through who knows what, and he couldn't see any way out of disaster without a lot of people, either rodents or insects, being severely hurt. He almost felt as if he was utterly alone. Almost, but the comforting presence of his big sister prevented that feeling from creeping in. He wanted to make her proud, to make her know that she wasn't wasting her time supporting him, even if they were siblings. The way to succed in that, too, eluded him. Several feet below them, Gadget continued on, but neither could hear. Zinger, herself, was too worried about her little brother. He had been put in a lose-lose situation; no matter what he did, someone important to him -- his friends or his fellow insects -- would be hurt or killed. She wanted to do more than just hold him, but knew that he was the only one who had any shot at bringing Swarm down. But would it be worth the price? It just wasn't fair. * * * Wherever You are In a darkened room Or in your mind Those emotions Will stay with you And they're not the nice kind It just wasn't fair. Washboard stared down at the peaceful form of Ruth, deep in slumber. His eyes were misty again, having reread the folder for the nth time. He kept hoping and praying that the doctors had made a mistake somewhere, but every time he checked, all he wound up doing was confirming their findings. Ruth would be dead by the end of the week. He sat down heavily by Ruth's bed, placing his head in his hands. It was just so horribly unfair. She was young, she had never done anything to anyone, and yet, she was still going to die. But the part that really made this bitter was that even after all of Swarm's success -- after all of the softskins that had been enslaved, after they had all been punished, humiliated, and been sentenced to the Jars -- after all of that, it still didn't amount to one iota of difference for Ruth. She was still going to die. Helplessness Loneliness Anger, worry, and despair Tears flowing down his face, Washboard gingerly ran a single hand along Ruth's small head, wondering about all that the bright girl might have accomplished if fate had been kinder. Elsewhere in the compound, not too far from Ruth, Gadget's song flowed on. The little girl heard none of it, but was smiling nonetheless. * * * But if you listen You'll hear my voice Comforting you But it's your choice To see you have reasons to rejoice The little girl heard none of it, but was smiling nonetheless Tim sighed in contentment. At least she was smiling. He lightly kissed Serena on the forehead, careful so as not to wake up the other girls. Gadget's soothing voice was audible through the thin wall separating their barrack rooms, and Tim liked to think that it was helping his own children to sleep peacefully. They had been through so much, even though they had never done anything to anyone. How could Swarm punish them, based solely on their species? Was life really meant to be that predetermined? Born with fur and you're automatically a monster? No matter how he tried, he just couldn't understand the reasoning behind it. Leaning back, feeling honest happiness in that he was keeping his girls safe and warm, he let go of his fears. The enriching tones of the nearby female voice massaged the pain from his body, mind, and soul. * * * If you can hear.... The night will unveil my song Hear.... Daybreak will come before long Hear... My breath within your own Hear.... My pulse against your bones Hear... It's to you that I belong The enriching tones of the nearby female voice massaged the pain from his body, mind, and soul. Dale cracked an eyelid open, smiling at Foxglove, who was skillfully humming while changing his bandages as he rested on the couch. He had been resting for quite a while, and Foxglove, surprisingly knowledgeable in the arts of medicine, insisted he continue to do so for a little bit longer, until he had healed up his most painful bruises. After all, she had pointed out, if he was going to save the Rangers, he needed to be in tip-top shape. Dale's smile steadily grew into a grin. Foxglove never seemed to run out of talents. Her cheerleading, though, was what he loved the most about her. No matter what the odds, she had complete faith in him that he would either succeed, or try his best. In either case, he couldn't fail. Her undying belief in him lent him an unseen strength, one which he knew was helping him to recover quicker. Some might call it witchcraft, but most songs he had heard equated the effects of sorcery with love, so he really doubted it mattered. She was expertly wrapping up his forearm, when he suddenly moved his hand over just a bit, taking a hold of her foremost wingtip. He gave a gentle squeeze, causing a sudden flush to Foxglove's cheeks and a fumbling to her wingtips. The bandage roll slipped up and over their clasped hands, then bounced off the couch, and, oddly enough, back over their hands once more, fully entwining the two of them together. Foxglove felt her heart race as Dale pulled her closer to him. They both knew that plans had to be made, and some sort of general idea set up as to how the rescue should be performed. Dale, though, felt a strange tug from something intangible at the moment, and for some reason, thought he heard a soft voice singing in his head. Whatever the reason, he knew he should be thanking Foxglove, and letting her know that her devotion was far from being wasted. As their lips met, and Foxglove wrapped her trembling wings around her love, she really had to agree with Dale: The plans could stand to wait for a little while. * * * Ooooh Oooooo Ooooh Oooooo Ooooh Oooooo Ooooh Oooooo The plans could stand to wait for a little while. Bubbles would have liked to start work on his supposed conquest of the city, but was just as happy to boast to his gang about the wonders he was about to lead them too. Desiree, however, had expressed a desire to do some more thinking. Her thinking had nothing to do with Bubbles, which would have surprised him greatly. The overblown mouse wasn't a bad looker, to be fair, but he was easily manipulated, and somewhat boring because of it. Soon he would walk right into a trap laid by Fat Cat, and that would be the end of him and his petty gang. She liked a bit of a challenge, and Bubbles was really too much of a pushover for her charm, figure, and intelligence. Come to think of it, all of the men she had used were. Except one. And that one was the reason she had wanted to do some thinking. She couldn't help but wonder if he was going to come through this ordeal in decent shape. She certainly hoped so. It would be rather rude of him to get out of her plans for revenge by dying. That Aussie mouse annoyed her, mainly because the image of him refused to be submerged in her thoughts. The fact that he had bested her in her last major criminal endeavor in the city was very irritating. The only thing more aggravating than that was that he was the only man she had used who had managed to even the score. She had used dozens of males before, easily bending them to her will. All but Monterey had never risen from the incident to strike back. She frowned as she looked out over the city, which was quickly becoming her favorite view. She thought she heard someone singing as she thought about her last encounter with the Aussie mouse. In her mind, people were to be used and then discarded -- most never got a second thought from her. Monterey Jack may be the only person to have breached the defense. * * * Three o'clock In the morning It's quiet And there's no-one around Only you And my essence The two of us Forever bound Monterey Jack may be the only person to have breached the defense. He felt a cold gnawing at his soul as he made his way inside the reclusive building. As he suspected, the poor training of the guards had given him enough of a chance to take advantage of opportunities and find a way inside. Most of the guards had been just workers in their old hive, and the basics that had been taught had never really caught on. This building was the last place he saw them bring Tammy, who had been struggling all the way. The guards had re-emerged only a few minutes later, by themselves. Tammy must still be in here, somewhere. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he finally understood the phrase "to the Jars". Empty glass mayonnaise jars lined the walls of the place, with one at the far end, opposite the door he sneaked in through. Were they supposed to be something similar to solitary confinement? He felt that cold sensation racing through the core of his being now, as he carefully made his way down between the clean and chillingly sterile mayonnaise jars. He was guessing there were at least two dozen in here. As he drew closer to the end wall, he spotted a figure in the jar. It must be Tammy! Having not seen any guards or anyone else inside, Monterey jogged down towards the end jar, increasing it to a flat out run when he could make out the fact that the figure was indeed Tammy, and that she was lying still on the glass floor. He hit the side of the jar forcefully, trying to wake her up. Her eyes were open, but she seemed stunned. What happened?! She was put in here not more than five minutes ago! Why wasn't she-- That was when he spotted the cotton ball partially hidden behind her. His brain stopped and his heart dropped like a lead weight as his sensitive nose caught a whiff of something.... Ether. Horror building, he now realized why her glassy eyes held such a distant stare.... In this life And in our death The two of us Forever bound Off in one of the camps, Gadget finished her song, and quiet resumed. The stillness was tore asunder by an utter scream of rage and denial, punctured by the sound of glass shattering as Monterey launched himself through the side of the Jar.