"No, thanks. I have some matters to deal with," Taurus declined politely to his friends, Aries and Leo, who just asked him to play some games in Aries' room. Apparently, as the captain, he got a bigger room than the others. Taurus wondered if Aquarius got a bigger room too, since he was the vice-captain.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAROdzu3H5zr
Scorpio was inside, too. He wasn't trying to get Taurus play with them because well... the two had a complicated friendship. Truthfully, Scorpio would probably prefer if Taurus didn't join at all--he'd probably be cheering and dancing his horrible signature victory dance.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAugwg5W1Uhy
Leo laughed. "You're missing out, man! Plus, you talk like those old and overly-polite people," he commented. No one ever thought he was rude, because Leo was Leo and he liked to say what was in his mind without thinking.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAYZpi7BqyJT
"What's wrong with being polite?" Aries asked, genuinely curious. He pulled Leo inside and closed the door. From outside, Taurus could hear Leo explaining how polite people were overrated.
966Please respect copyright.PENANA8A7unza0Fo
Smiling softly at his two friends, Taurus started to make way to Ms. Lenate's office, holding the important papers close to him. Hopefully, her guest had gone home.
"Excuse me, miss, I-"
966Please respect copyright.PENANAHN6tZsvQRL
"Have the others finished training yet?" the teacher interrupted. She was currently eating, so Taurus understood why she was acting quite rude--Taurus, too, would get cranky if his alone time with food was interrupted.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAwUpLHhyZWX
With a nod, Taurus answered a small 'yes' before continuing his earlier statement, "I'm wondering if I can bring my Star aboard. I have the document stating he's not ill and stuff."
966Please respect copyright.PENANAhXCsPU1e5G
Earlier, Taurus had found the list of the requirements to get Antares permission to get into the Royal J254. The list was shown on the guidebook that he bet no one else read. He'd been working on it for the last three days and the last thing he needed was a teacher's signature.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAoOt5KByqlB
Getting everything on that list was hardwork, especially since Antares wasn't bought--he was a rescue, so Taurus had to bring him to the hospital to get documents and such.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAEpxazVFYrc
With a lazy sigh, Ms. Lenate motioned to her desk. "Of course. Put it here. I'll have to check it first so I'll get back to you during the next five days," she answered before practically shoo'ing Taurus away with her eyes.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAK3akFq9Uvw
Frowning, Taurus closed the door after muttering a small 'thank you'. He hoped he hadn't skipped anything on the list. He'd be devastated if his precious Star couldn't join him on his journey. He never even spent longer than five days without Antares who was currently sleeping in Taurus' dorm room.
966Please respect copyright.PENANASDbvIlQN7I
Taurus walked slowly to his dorm room. He didn't know what to do for the rest of the day. Zodiacs was surely a unique school--they didn't even make schedules for the students, just provided them with an insane amount of facilities and expect them to be ready for a fight just by training for seven days.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAWmXnjPqSgj
"Hey, Taurus! That's your name, right?"
966Please respect copyright.PENANAVy2NjYLeCe
As quick as lightning--not really--Taurus turned around to face the purple-haired girl who was somehow holding Antares in her arms.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAK4jJwc4IwG
"This guy here suddenly clawed on my room door whilst I was eating," she said whilst flashing a fond smile to the Star she was holding. Antares licked her on the cheek which caused her to giggle. The girl walked up to him and gave him his Star.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAD28p6mf4JC
Taurus gladly took him from her and raised an eyebrow. "Why- How'd you know my name?" he asked, slightly mortified. Oh, that scary time when I've gotten a stalker...
966Please respect copyright.PENANACeYe7sb4g1
The stranger cackled. "Wow, that hurts. I thought you'd at least remember your vice-captain," she answered, but something else was hidden beneath her cheerful smile. Some... disappointment?
966Please respect copyright.PENANAikxB0gXVUt
Taurus furrowed his eyebrows, thinking. This purple-haired person did seem pretty familiar, perhaps he'd seen her photo somewhere...
966Please respect copyright.PENANAIbvY9tgITM
"Oh! You're Gemini!" he exclaimed in realization before quickly closing his mouth in surprise. Then, he started apologizing about how rude he was. "I'm really sorry! It's just, I have this problem with remembering people's faces and-"
966Please respect copyright.PENANAdVoREIHA45
However, Gemini just laughed. "It's alright. It's probably my fault that I prefer sitting in corners and not talking that much," the vice-captain said casually. Taurus didn't reply for he didn't know what to say.
966Please respect copyright.PENANABMKbXcckag
"Anyways, would you like to accompany me on a walk?" she offered when realizing that the guy wasn't going to reply. Taurus just realized that the vice-captain's attire quite fit for a walk--she was wearing a t-shirt and shorts with her hair tied up in a ponytail.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAx4Ova1iU81
She looked comfortable, but Taurus didn't understand why she would want to move her body again after that training. He knew she was last to finish, accompanied by Pisces, because she was very focused on her training and wasn't just playing around.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAuG4p0hqQ1z
"I'm guessing this means you don't want to," were the words that snapped him out of his trance. Gemini looked at him with such sad eyes that were extremely enchating--Taurus felt dizzy.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAQjM2yg0nbH
Panicked, he shook his head no. "No, no, of course not! I'd love to accompany you on your walk."
966Please respect copyright.PENANAv6PzmmGDzL
Gemini flashed a shiny smile, contrary to the sad eyes she was mustering up just a few seconds ago. Honestly, she would put toothpaste advertisements to shame with that award-winning smile of hers.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAsGEkQf4yES
"Sweet!" the girl cheered, but her next words made Taurus wonder, What am I getting myself into and why do I feel like I'm being offered a drug deal?
966Please respect copyright.PENANAbcYv9GuIOP
"Now I'm not alone and if we get caught, we can go to jail together!"
"Why am I here again?" Taurus asked himself after reaching the last step of the stair. He was very tired, but kept going and followed Gemini who was still energetic after she walked through around one-hundred-and-fifty stairs.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAohEoaYcwkg
Gemini chuckled, pulling him outside and he was surprised that they were at the rooftop. They had a very good view of the whole city. "You're here because you were accompanying your lonely vice-captain for a walk," she answered even though the question wasn't directed at her.
966Please respect copyright.PENANASx8mVjdEFP
After that, they were enveloped in silence. For Taurus, it was quite awkward. He was watching every move the girl beside him made, unsure of what to do whilst Gemini was enjoying herself, looking outside.
966Please respect copyright.PENANA37kI0iybAe
"Is this even legal?" he asked like a statement, trying to make Gemini realize that her common sense had flew away. Taurus' common sense had probably ran away, too, since here he was, standing here with the insane girl herself.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAYoj2BW3FkK
As a response, Gemini shrugged. She acted as if she couldn't care less anymore. "You should stop staring at me and look at the scenery in front of you. Maybe you'll be a bit calmer," she said instead.
966Please respect copyright.PENANA7ZPgBKXuNx
Blushing in embarrassment, he did what she told him to do and took a few deep breaths. The sky was beautiful--a mix of orange and pink, accompanied with white beautiful clouds.
966Please respect copyright.PENANA5QCpEFuJ5S
After a while, Taurus got bored. He looked around the rooftop of their 'school'. There was a tiny house, it was the thing that linked the building with the rooftop--like, it hided the staircase? Yeah, that.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAzT0P2UeIsl
That house thingy was placed between lots of crates and boxes that totally blocked the way behind them. Two large trash cans were placed in front of Gemini and Taurus--a pair of bigger-than-normal trash cans.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAMfhAdu6Nga
He announced, "It's getting late, shouldn't we get in?"
966Please respect copyright.PENANAYYPZqCOK8w
The girl being asked looked at him, causing Taurus to blush again, before putting on her thinking face. "You can go in if you want to, but I'm staying. I'm waiting for something." Then, her attention was, again, fully centered to the sky in front of them.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAGx9dMAODvI
Taurus contemplated whether or not he should get in. It was quite chilly outside, even though his vice-captain looked unaffected of it. For some unknown reason, he felt a pull telling him to stay, so he did.
966Please respect copyright.PENANADiZzOVdRXj
Sometimes, Taurus wanted to kill that absolutely curious brain of his. Curiosity killed the cat, he reminded himself every time, but apparently... curiousity killed and broke many but seemed to be immortal.
966Please respect copyright.PENANA3rchKpMZv0
Therefore, there the two Zodiacs stayed, up on the rooftop, probably doing an illegal deed.
"What in the world is that?" were the words that came out of Taurus' mouth the moment he saw weird-looking creatures flying around. He didn't know what they were, but it didn't look like they were real.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAeLJjrFTrSx
"You can see them, too?" Gemini asked, then Taurus noticed no one else seemed to be paying any attention to the phenomenon happening right in front of them. "I don't know, but I'm the only one able to see it yesterday."
966Please respect copyright.PENANAbULKg55Ccz
Actually, those flying creatures were earth animals, but obviously the Zodiacs didn't know that. There were dolpins, lions, bats--all kinds of animals--in the air of Sky.
966Please respect copyright.PENANA2apl3tfeuG
"Is this what you were waiting for?" Taurus asked in curiousity. He looked at his Royal J254's vice-captain who nodded in response. Then, he continued watching three squirrels climbing up a real tree as if it was their home.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAB7lyd2i7U2
Gemini giggled--a dolphin had approached her and poked her nose with his face. "Dolphin," she mumbled unconsciously--not understanding the word, but she just wanted to say it.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAlr3NYyifKC
"What?" Taurus looked at her again. He wondered if the other people who couldn't see this would think Gemini was a crazy person for giggling to herself.
966Please respect copyright.PENANArekN3Z1cmK
However, the purple-haired girl shook her head as if she just had a major headache. Taurus noticed that her eye colour... changed? It was back to normal, but it was a bit darker shade of black just a moment before--whilst she was saying that odd word.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAutIGNWvJ6y
Just as he was about to ask if she was okay, footsteps echo'd from downstairs. He was frozen in place until someone--Gemini--pulled him behind the pair of gigantic trash cans.
966Please respect copyright.PENANABMmdQT7lG2
They watched as a man, a big and hulk-y man, opened the door and then closed it. He didn't seem to notice them, so he continued walking to the massive pile of boxes.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAcUXNyYcxj0
Both of them didn't have even a single idea of what he was doing. Surely, he wasn't gonna take a box out of that pile--the other boxes were gonna fall down and...
966Please respect copyright.PENANAD3oWjQApMP
The man clicked some kind of button which made the boxes... split up? Are those boxes just some kind of decoration to hide a secret? What secret?
966Please respect copyright.PENANACruPYP5bMF
"Do you wanna go inside now?" Gemini asked calmly. Her usually warm and kind eyes now showed coldness, it was so different. Maybe Gemini had always have two sides... Two-faced but in a good way, I guess.
966Please respect copyright.PENANATZ29agOQWG
Taurus shook his head. "I don't know who that man was, but I get the feeling he's up to no good," he stated. "I want to know what's happening behind closed... boxes."
966Please respect copyright.PENANAz4CuQJGrKp
Gemini gave out a little smile. "Taurus, we have to take some people with us. Someone from J254 maybe, but we can't do this alone. That man is huge and I know for sure he's not a good person."
966Please respect copyright.PENANAIJAhGsTXEC
The boy sighed but nodded. Gemini was the vice-captain, after all... And since Aries wasn't here, she was considered the captain...
966Please respect copyright.PENANA4voIECtW3R
"Maybe we should take one person each, it'll be better that way. Four is my lucky number. Who do you want to take?" Gemini asked. "I'm taking Pisces."
966Please respect copyright.PENANAaDA5FZCsjN
Taurus shook his head, "Don't know yet."
966Please respect copyright.PENANAQlIIsxqGCZ
Gemini nodded. "Alright. Let's sneak to the door and then run down," she said, taking a peek from the trash can. The door was just a few metres from them.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAfuTl0LXNim
"Is that a good idea? Our footsteps might be heard from here," Taurus stated worriedly.
966Please respect copyright.PENANA1C0JHSPxe3
Gemini sighed. "Yes, but if we walk slowly, we'd be heard anyways. Didn't you hear that Hulk going up? He was going as slow as he could, but his footsteps could be heard clearly. I think running is the best idea, unless you wanna get caught."
966Please respect copyright.PENANAuRiyF5ec4u
Suddenly, the girl said, "Ciao!" before running to the door, opening it and running down.
966Please respect copyright.PENANACwLKjg6jjb
"WHO'S THERE?!"
966Please respect copyright.PENANAKhfABnTtQd
Taurus' eyes widened before he quickly ran to the opened door and slammed it close before running down with Gemini.
966Please respect copyright.PENANAAWOTxNSQwD
Don't worry, you damned vice-captain. I'll make sure to kill you later, when we escape this place.
ns216.73.216.223da2