Lookaround (The Empire)

The blare of the alarm clock wasnt enough, the combination of screeching beeps and morning talk radio did nothing to wake Moe from her nightmare.  She sprung from her bed in a cold sweat, almost falling out of her bed.  She was breating like she was claustrophobic, and she was looking all over the room for anything familiar.

But everything was familiar, she was in her room afterall.  Moe ran her forearm across her head and rubbed the sweat on her shirt.

"A dream... it was just a dream" she threw her blankets off and took a shower.  After she got dressed she made her way towards the kitchen of the Secret Underground Base of the Empire.  As she walked she greeted others as they crossed her path.  The first person she met that morning was Zip.

"Morning Zip, how go things this morning?"

"Eh... they go fine, still tired though" Zip yawned as she spoke.  A door down the hall opened.

"Master Zip" it was Cid, Zip's apprentice.

"heya Cid, ready for some heavy training? we're rooftop leaping today" Zip rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and walked off with Cid.

"we'll see ya later Moe"  Moe nodded and continued on her way.  she opened the door and saw Blackhawk, Relm, Shinoburai having breakfast.  They greeted Moe as she opened the fridge.  There were leftovers from yesterdays dinner. The pizza they ordered, that would do for her.  She picked a few large pieces and nuked them for a few minutes.  Moe left the room while chewing on a piece of Supreme.  She entered the Armory and continued work on a project of hers.  While she worked she couldnt help but think of the only part of her nightmare she remembered.  she was standing in a room, staring outside.  She saw a ferris wheel and a building stood out from everything else.  Moe peered through the window and saw as everything became foggy and unclear, the room she was in started to glow red.  She looked down at her hands as they turned bright red.  Thats when she woke up.

"its a dream, nothing more" she shook her head in an attempt to remove the thoughts from her mind.  Moe's pocket started to vibrate, her cell phone was going off.  She pulled the phone out, it was her friend Jo.

"hey Jo, how go things today?" things had been rough for Jo, since they moved to Denver things havent gone well.

{I'm caught in a rut here Moe.  Anna wont talk to me, she's still having issues with this infection she got.  she just sits in the corner of her room and rocks back and forth.  I feel like I'm watching our friend just fall apart.  What should I do Moe? not being able to help her is killing me}

"I think this is something she needs to do herself, I'm sure that anything you have to say would be helpful but she needs to conquer this challenge herself" Jo didnt say anything for a while.  Moe knew that Jo was comfortable with helping others, if she couldnt do something for someone it would drive her nuts.

{I just want our Anna back you know, seeing her like this}

"I know... think of it as a challenge for her and you" the door opened and there was a call for her name.

"look I have to go, if you need anything just call me okay?" Moe hung up and walked towards the door.  Triki walked around and looked at the numerous guns and blades that lie about the Armory.

"hey Triki, what'cha looking for today?" Moe could hear Triki humming.

"I'm looking for... something exciting, something that'll make jaws drop" she picked up a grenade launcher and twirled it in her hand for a moment before Moe took it away.  She grabbed an axe off the rack and gave it to Triki.

"take this and please be careful" Triki just smiled and hummed as she left.  Moe wasnt doing anything productive so she decided to find something else to do.  Perhaps a ride would help.

Moe opened the doors to the garage.  The place was pretty quiet when Booster wasnt around.  Moe took the elevator down to her section.  Among her wide collection of motorcycles she chose the Green machine, she pulled the bike out and rode the lift back up.  Just as she rode out she saw Neko crash through the door.  By the time she saw her, Moe was already gone.

The afternoon sky was bright and blue, and the Freeway wasnt as busy as it shoud've been for a saturday.  She liked that though, empty roads meant she could speed without sidewinding cars.

She got off the freeway and stopped at a nearby Wendys for a shake and fries.  She made her order and went back out to her bike.  She leaned against her bike and ate slowly, enjoyed her moment of peace and quiet.

"this is nice, I should do this more often"  her phone rang again.  this time it was MJOLNIR.

"hey I have a question about the homework we were given could you come to the base and help me again?" and with that Moe's moment of peace was put off for another time.