Gatekeepers 21 Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ One Wild Trip ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

I

'm not in the mood tonight. Come back tomorrow," I said. It was a hot July night and I was lying on my stomach on my bed, reading. Who am I? I'm Ayana Minamino, the Resident GateKeeper for my region. What's a GateKeeper? That's a long story. I'm sure you'll catch on as we go.

My area is in special WorldGating Tactics and Solutions, so I usually get all the weirdoes coming thru to earth. All the Gates I run on a daily basis are like airports. For over three million star systems but don't let that catch you up.

Then I turn them (intergalactic immigrants) over to GateKeeper Chan (Senior Advisor for the North American Division) for their customs course and they go off on their merry way, inhabiting earth, doing mundane human-like things. Most aliens (and I use that term loosely) come here to seek refuge from warring home planets or simply because they were bored and wanted a change of pace. But every once in a while, the GreatGateKeeper up there decides to let one come to earth, to fulfill some purpose or other.

That supposed particular one is now standing in front of my open window in a deep bow, his eyes directed towards the ground. Who is he? He's Dante. I don't know what his last name is and even if I did, I probably couldn't pronounce it. Dante came thru Gate 0445 a while ago, seeking political refuge from his home galaxy, which now, may I add, is torn up in three million little pieces. So it's not like I could send him back, even if I had clearance to.

Dante is very…um, how do I say this politely? I can't. He's a pain in my ass. You see, he was brought here by the Big Dude up there to do…well…something…and Dante seems to think that I am the one to help him do or achieve this something. I, on the other hand, think differently.

"GateKeeper, I need to ask a favor of you," I sighed and sat up on my bed, flipping my book on it's face to keep my page. Okay, it's my job, I know, don't give me anymore grief than necessary. But sometimes, I just don't wanna do it. It takes time and energy depending on what type of Gate people need. And Dante always is asking for something. Something big usually.

"I deny your request. Sorry Dante, I need a night off. Anyways, Devo's tired," I pointed towards my black laptop sitting quietly on my desk. It looked up at the mention of it's name, it's green hard drive light blinking at me.

Okay, yes, my laptop. Okay, um…Devo (yes, named after the 80's group that brought gardening into fashion) is really more like a friend than a computer. Every GateKeeper is issued a special laptop when they finish their basic training. Over time, the laptop gets upgrades on what it can do and it's overall physical appearance. I'm not quite sure when Devo started to act like a human. I think it was a slow progression over time thing.

Speaking of the computer, it unfolded it's 8 spider like legs and walked off my desk, and jumped up on my bed, flipping its top open. It read "Gate Access Request number 56678…please wait"

"How did you do that? You can't do that without my consent!" I yelled at Devo and punched the keyboard. In retaliation, the LCD screen then clamped down on my hand. "AGH!! All right Devo! Let up! I said let go! I'll format you!" The computer let go of my hand and sat obediently on my bed, the hard drives whirring softly. "You lied, I'm not tired. You are…" came up on the screen.

"Fuck you." I hissed to the black box sitting in front of me.

"GateKeeper?" Dante's voice was apprehensive and I looked up from Devo's screen. Dante was a 6-foot Tabket (a humanoid alien species) with long white hair and snowy skin to match. Whitish-blue, slanted eyes and long claws on the tips of his fingers caused a big hubbub up at Customs but they let him thru. Sometimes I think the only reason they let him thru was because he had the Big Guy's stamp of approval on his ass.

He was constantly in red leather and had two, almost always smoking, custom-made handguns, named Ebony and Ivory hanging at his hips. Yes, he named his guns, I think it's a guy thing.

Over those, a black, flowing trench coat. But the real cherry on the sundae so to speak is the huge sword he carries on his back, Alastor. He says it was a gift from his late father. I think he stole it off the Tabketish Black Market.

Even if his appearance was sort of intimidating, Dante is an overall nice guy. He's intelligent, responsible and caring to a degree. I consider him one of my best friends. I really don't have that many so, if I name you a friend, I must really like you.

"Dante, so what is it this time? Do you want me to pull a rabbit out of a hat? Or maybe a whole S-class galaxy out of my ass like last time?" I sighed and scrubbed my face with my hands.

"I told you I was sorry about that, GateKeeper. I didn't think that it would come to that," Dante's voice was soft and didn't hold it's usual command. I looked up in surprise and was about to ask him what was up when Devo beeped and prompted me to being Gating.

"What do you need?"

"A simple Displacement Gate. 789504-type," my mouth dropped open in surprise.

"That's it? That's all!? I can do Displacement Gates in my sleep! Why didn't you say that in the first place? Devo, run pre-set 8465. Yes, clearance for all." I sat and watched Devo run the Gating program that I had already auto-set.

Displacement Gates were a simple way of getting rid of extra matter that was no longer wanted or useful. Sorta like an intergalactic garbage chute. It's one of the more simple Gates to open and operate. I'm not saying that you should go try and open one to get rid of your annoying little sibling. That's mean…and against the GateKeepers Creed.

As I sat watching Devo run the Gating Networks, I thought about the day that I had taken that Creed. I smiled back on the memory. Dressed in my white robes, with Chan smiling at me, in front of the whole GateKeeping Community, I raised my right hand and…

"In the Power's name, and the Power's good, I shall work only to ease suffering and end pain.

I shall not hurt nor harm any life that comes into my hands. I shall lay down fear for courage, falsehoods for truth and, when necessary, death for life.

I shall trust in the Powers Above and in my own abilities to save all that is good and worthy of being alive, for that is…

"…the true joy of being a GateKeeper," I whispered the last words of the Creed out loud. Dante looked up from the stapler he was studying on my desk.

"The GateKeepers Creed."

"You know it?" I asked him, typing in my authorization codes for the Gate.

"Of course. Is the Gate open?" Dante asked, setting the stapler down and reaching for a back pocket.

"Whoa! Whoa! Before you go and do what ever you want with this, I need to know the reason why you need this Gate," I held up a hand to stop him. Dante was notorious for bringing ill-meaning things back to me. I wasn't really worried about why he needed the Gate, I know he would never misuse a Gate I've opened for him but I was a little apprehensive about what he was going to pull out of his pocket.

"I need to dispose of this," he held up a…oh Lord.

"A Kuyrl? Ugh, Dante! Quick! Get it out of my room before it stains the carpet!" In Dante's hand, hanging by a thin shred of what used to be a tail and dripping a bright orange substance, was a Kuyrl. Orange nasty little buggers, Kuyrls like to hide out in nice, dark places, eating whatever they could scrounge up. Even humans at times, if they get to be big enough. You can see why we need to get rid of them. Not only are they fuckin' ugly…they're dangerous.

"Gate Open!" I said, as I pressed the enter button. A green shaded portal opened above Devo, the air rushing into it but not out. A Displacement Gate is a little like a Black Hole. Things go in, things do not come out.

Dante tossed the Kuyrl into the Gate and I again pressed the Enter button and the Gate snapped closed. I sighed, closed my eyes and waited for the dizziness to pass. Even simple Gates take energy and for some reason lately, I haven't had a lot of energy.

"GateKeeper?" Dante's voice was still soft. Have to ask him about that…oh shit…the vouchers. Along with energy, Displacement Gates come with lots of paperwork. Lots of paperwork.

"Devo, fill out the forms. You know how, I can't do it right now," I ordered my PC. He beeped a little and I felt a nudge on my leg. I cracked open an eye and smiled down on my little laptop. Devo's LCD screen nuzzled my leg in an affectionate way and one of his spider legs patted my arm. His screen flipped open and a message for me appeared,

"Don't worry about the papers. I got it covered. You need to recharge your batteries."

The screen cleared and a new message flashed up again…

"You work too hard. I'm worried about you."

And the text disappeared as Devo stood up and crawled to the head of my bed and rested on my pillow, his hard drives softly whirring as he processed thru the paperwork. A laptop? Worried about me?

"Hmm…must've had an upgrade I'm not aware of…" I muttered as I watched Devo's hard drive lights flicker.

"No, I just spend too much time with you…" I raised an eyebrow at that.

"How odd. Sometimes, it seems more human than most of the humans I meet out in the world," Dante mused. I sighed and nodded a little.

"He. He seems more human…yes…he does sometimes. Is something wrong Dante? You seem, I don't know, different," I asked, trying to meet Dante's eyes but moaned as a sharp pain erupted in my head.

"GateKeeper, perhaps you should lie down. I'm sorry, I was wrong to ask you to do something for me tonight when you are so tired," I took deep breaths to calm the aching pain that was now jutting down my spine and into my back. I bit my lip as fire raged thru my muscles and bones. I had had Gate-backlash before, but never this bad.

"GateKeeper? Will you be alright?" I felt a hand on my shoulder, pushing me down to my bed. I started to cry out but I stopped myself. It was only Dante, yes, only him. Nothing was going to happen to me. Just Dante. He wouldn't hurt me. He was my friend. "GateKeeper? Do you wish for me to stay with you?"

"No, I'll be okay…I've got Devo…"I half-caught a whimper as it forced it's way up my throat.

"Ayana," that cut thru my pain. I looked up at Dante in shock. That was the first time he had ever called me by my real name. But I didn't meet his eyes. Because they were busy looking at Alastor. Which was glowing and crackling with electricity.

"Shit," he whispered. "Ayana, you must come with me. I'm sorry for this." Before I knew what was happening, I was in Dante's arms and he was rushing out my open window.

"Wait! Devo!" I cried, holding out my arms to my laptop. Devo jumped with amazing speed and agility into my arms and I cradled him against my chest. "What's going on, Dante? What's happening?"

"They're coming…the Invaders," Dante said as he jumped out my window and ran to the edge of my roof.

Invaders are the mortal (or immortal, no one's really sure) enemies of all GateKeepers and all well-meaning life everywhere. They aren't usually dangerous if a well-trained GateKeeper (like myself) is around and that well-trained GateKeeper (me again) has the right tools. But I didn't have enough energy to do jack shit and Devo wasn't responding to my commands. Poor guy, probably a sensory overload.

I hoped Dante had a plan. Because right now, he was standing at the edge of my roof, his eyes shut in concentration, doing nothin!

"Um, Dante. What are we going to do now? Dante? DANTE!!!" And Dante jumped, right off my roof. I screamed and wrapped my arms around Devo, my pain forgotten for the moment, seeing as I was going to be in a whole lot more pain as soon as we hit the ground. I clenched my eyes shut, waiting for the ground to come smashing into my skull, but it didn't.

I opened my eyes, slowly and sighed in relief. "Dante, what the hell…AHHH!!!" I screamed for a second time tonight as I looked at the…creature that was holding me in its arms. Black, black and more black. Longs, sharp looking horns and deadly looking teeth. Two giant raven wings stretched out of the creature's back and beat against the night air.

I screamed and kicked, trying to wrestle with this monster that was carrying me.

"Do you want me to drop you!?" a deep growl of a voice came from a glowing mouth. I stopped kicking and screaming as I looked under me. I was a least a mile up, flying in the clouds. Yes, dropping would be a bad idea right now.

"Who the hell are you and what did you do with Dante?!" I screamed at the monster over the rushing winds. Two glowing, hell-fire shaded eyes flipped in my direction.

"I am Dante."

"No you're not."

"Yes I am. Do you really want to fight with me right now?"

"Dante isn't a gigantic…monster! He doesn't have wings! He can't fly! He definitely does not have horns!" The glowing eyes looked away, a strange expression in them. What was it? Anger? No, it was…hurt. Remorse. Guilt, maybe?

"A monster…perhaps," the creature said as it beat its wings to slow us down. We were landing. On the wrong side of the train tracks, so to speak. Great, just peachy.

We dropped in front of a large, dirty, run-down apartment complex. Luckily, no one was around to see the little girl and the giant monster that had just touched down in their front yards. Thank God, considering that they would probably pull out their .45's and start shooting. All the while, drawing on their joints, shooting up heroin and arranging the next drive-by shootings.

The monster set me down on my feet and Devo jumped down from my arms, whirring and beeping angrily from the sudden ride he was forced to take. I hissed at him to shut up and looked back at the thing standing beside me.

The inky monster was huge, towering over me at at least 7 or 8 feet tall. It gracefully folded its wings back and the glowing eyes looked down at me again, the same sad expression showing in them.

Then the monster started to morph, the black skin changing into a familiar black trench coat, the glowing red eyes being replaced by soft, sad ashen blue ones. White hair and snowy skin returned along with the red leather shirt. My best friend appeared in front of me, born from the skin of that…that…demon.

"Dante…" I whispered, taking a step towards him, "It really was you. What the hell was that?"

"It's too dangerous out here. Come inside," and Dante turned his back to me, and I had no choice but to follow him into the dark apartment building.