NOTHING PERSONAL

A Fan Fiction Inspired By Disney’s “Atlantis: The Lost Empire”
By Karen

CHAPTER 2

I was grasping onto the ledge of the volcano for dear life... Soon, I felt it
trembling and growing hotter and hotter... My grip weakened... I dared to
look below me... I was dangling a good hundred feet above the boiling lava...
The heat of the flames increased as they slowly rose upward...
I desperately tried to scramble out... Trying to find something, anything, besides
that ledge to pull myself up... Just then, I felt something seize my foot... A familiar
face leered below me. His hair was unkept, his eyes wild, but I knew him
anyway...
“Rourke!”, I gasped... My fear quickly being replaced by rage, I struggled to fight
and kick myself free... But he held my ankle firmly in his large hand...
“Nothing personal!”, he growled with a cruel smile... then he roughly pulled me
from the ledge...
“Nooo!!!”, I screamed as I fell down into the fire with him...

“No!”, I gasped as my eyes snapped open... I closed them again in relief when I
saw that I was laying down on the bed in the guest quarters... Sitting up and
breathing more easily, I brushed a few strands of blonde hair away from my face
and sneered in self-disgust. A nightmare at thirty years old! How juvenile!.
This place had always made me feel uncomfortable... It brought back bad
memories... I couldn’t stay here any longer. I had to escape Atlantis and get back
to the surface tonight... regardless of what might be waiting for me upon my
return...
Having made up my mind, I got up and threw on my faded military trousers and
boots, then, after pulling the black sweater over my thin shirt, I slipped into my
worn coat...
I peered out of the doorway and spotted a lone guard, with his back to me,
clearly not expecting a threat from behind...
Softly, I made my way over to where he stood... then, quick as a cat stalking a
bird, I seized him, making him drop his spear in surprise...
“I have a gun”, I hissed softly as I pinned his arms behind his back with one
hand, while covering his mouth with the other.
The lie was enough to frighten him into silence.
“Good boy”, I purred as I undid the blue crystal from his neck. “You don’t mind if I
take this with me, do you?. I’m sure you have more where it came from”.

Softly, I tread down the stairway to where I knew the Atlantean vehicles were
kept... If I could manage to take one of them I would be able to make my way
back to the surface through the old volcano shaft...
I spotted a machine that looked less fish-like then the rest, though I wasn’t sure
what the Atlanteans called it... It was small and could probably fit no more then
two passengers... Perfect!.
Remembering Thatch’s constant lectures about these machines, I climbed into
the vehicle and inserted the crystal in the slot... I placed my hand on the
inscription pad and quickly turned the crystal a quarter turn back...
Whoosh! The machine went zooming backwards into a wall, nearly giving me
whiplash!.
“Katzen drecht!”, I cursed through clenched teeth, rubbing my neck. After three
years as a chauffer I should have known better then that!. These advanced
machines required gentle signals, not unlike the Dorfenheimer Wildcat...
“Leaving so soon?”, came a familiar voice nearby...
I rolled my eyes. “Thatch, what now?”, I groaned. Now why wasn’t I surprised
that that idealistic busybody had followed me?.
He crossed his arms, giving me a dirty look through his glasses. “Where are you
going with that?”.
“Oh, you know, it’s such a nice night I thought I’d go for a little joyride!. Where
do you think I’m going?!”.
He looked at me seriously. “You’re going to take allot more then just that power
crystal, aren’t you?”.
“And have the entire Atlantean armada on my tail all the way back to
Washington?”, I sneered. “Absolutely!”.
“Alright, alright”, he rolled his eyes. “Dumb question, I know... But Helga, for
once be reasonable. It would take weeks to get back in that, and you have no
food or supplies”.
“I’ll manage”, I answered. “I’ve been in worse situations”.
“And what do you plan to do when, if, you do get back in one piece?. Whitmore’s
probably heard the whole story by now from the rest of the crew. You think he’d
take you back after what you and Rourke did?”.
“Thatch, I’ve been the man’s personal bodyguard and chauffer since our return
from Iceland!. I’ve even saved his life on a number of occasions!. He won’t fire
me for this!”, I argued.
Milo’s eyes narrowed. “You’re right... Maybe he’ll just turn you over to the
American or French authorities. It would be all to easy to accuse you of being a
spy for Germany...”.
I was silent for a moment... Yes, it would be too easy to accuse me of being a
German spy, especially after all that had happened... Whitmore had always
been kind to me and treated me like family, as he did all his household
employees, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t turn me in if it meant protecting his
country from a threat... Sometimes he had even seemed ill at ease around me,
calling me ‘The Ice Queen’, because I preferred to be on my own and usually
steered clear of relationships... The hypocrite! As if he was such an extrovert!.
Thatch shook his head. “I won’t stop you from leaving... I know you’re no threat
to Atlantis now, even if Kida doesn’t agree... but think about what you’re doing.
You’re far safer here then you would ever be back above the surface”.
“And since when did I ever care about ‘safe’”, I wanted to answer back, but I
wasn’t that stupid... Thatch had a point... Damn! I hated it when men were right!.
Reluctantly, I took the crystal out of the slot and handed it back to him...
“Alright, Thatch”, I sighed. “You win!”.

The next morning found me by the outskirts of the palace, near one of Atlantis’s
large crystalline pools and waterfalls. Lush flowers and greenery grew around it.
This place was beautiful enough to be a painting in a museum, but I had so
much on my mind I payed no attention.
Had I made a mistake by agreeing to stay in Atlantis?. True, technically I was
safer here then I would be if I went back... but I could survive. I had always been
able to take care of myself before and I could do it again, no matter what
happened if I went back... On the other hand, there was not much for me to go
back to. There might be even less by now...
I began to warm up, practicing some of the basic martial arts moves I had
learned over the years... It would clear my head and help me think better...
I studied my movements in the water... Kicks, punches, and various jumps, twists
and turns... I had studied and trained in this type of fighting since I was a girl...
Only it had not been able to save me when Rourke turned on me on the
gyro-evac...
I stopped, brushing my blonde bangs away from my face with a sigh... Why did I
have to be thinking of that right now?...
“Good morning, Helga”, Milo Thatch’s voice suddenly greeted me...
I turned to see him and Queen Kida approaching. They were holding hands and
smiling contently.
“Good morning, Mister Thatch”, I gave him a knowing nod. He had not said a
word to anyone about my attempted escape the other night, and he had
convinced that guard to do the same...
Kida crossed her arms with a cynical smile once her eyes fixed themselves on
me. “You are a warrior as well as a mercenary, are you not?”.
“Hmmm, I suppose you could say that...”, I answered, crossing my own arms, not
sure of what this was leading up to...
Kida nodded. “I thought so. Those movements, they are similar to those taught
to our own warriors... Of course our warriors are far superior, having perfected
their fighting over thousands of years”.
I raised an eyebrow... “Is that a challenge?...”.
“It was only meant as an observation. However, you may take it as you wish”,
she shrugged... but the way her mouth twitched up at the sides told me
otherwise...
“Now that was a challenge if I ever heard one”, I said, stepping forward, taking
defense position...
Kida stepped forward as well. “I am warning you, I am the most feared warrior in
this kingdom!”.
“And I’m warning you, you are talking to the 1912 Ladies Kickboxing Champion
for the state of Jersey!”.
“Whatever that is, I am not impressed!”.
“Ladies, please...”, Milo began to protest. “There’s no need for...”.
“You, stay out of this!”, Kida and I both snapped at him. He backed away
nervously.
The queen and I circled each other slowly... Then Kida lashed out with a lightning
swift kick... I managed to dodge it, but the first kick was only a set up!. A second
kick soon sent me sprawling to the ground!.
I scrambled to my feet and managed to block two more blows before I lashed out
with some powerful kicks of my own...
For the next few moments it was an even battle between us... with one fighter,
then the other in control... Finally, Kida managed to overpower me, pinning me
down on my back...
“Do you yield?”, she hissed...
I sighed in defeat... “Yes, yes, I yield. Please, have mercy!?”...
Her face softening, the queen relaxed her grip on me... This was just what I was
waiting for!. I quickly kneed her in the stomach and tossed her over my head,
into the deep water behind us!.
“Kida!”, Milo cried, rushing to the edge of the pool.
“Relax, Thatch”, I growled, getting to my feet. “The little brat can swim”... I then
looked over the edge and down into the blue water... I waited one minute... then
two.. then three...
“Kida?...”, I finally called. “Are you alright?... Well, you’d better be alright,
because I’m not coming in after...”.
Just then, my sentence was cut off as the conniving little sneak leapt out of the
water and grabbed my arms, pulling me into the pool with her!.
I kicked and struggled up to the surface. Furious and humiliated, I grasped the
edge of the pool, sputtering and coughing.
Kida had already climbed out of the pool and was sitting on the edge.
“Very funny!”, I smirked, climbing out of the pool myself.
She crossed her arms indignantly, but with a hint of a smile on her face. “Well, it
serves you right!”.
We eyed each other for a moment... then we heard Milo laughing uncontrollably
behind us.
“Oh brother!”, he chuckled. “You two should see yourselves! You look like a pair
of drowned rats!”.
Kida and I looked at the pool... then we looked at Thatch...
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”, I asked.
She nodded. “Exactly!”.
“Oh no!”, Milo backed away, shaking his head with a nervous grin. “Oh no! Don’t
even think about it!”.
Kida and I looked at each other... Wicked smiles slowly spread across our
faces...
“Let’s get him!”.

Later that afternoon, after Kida and I had formed that rather grudging truce, I
followed her and Milo down the clean, white streets of Atlantis as they admired
the wares being sold at the numerous vendors... Strange, this was such an
advanced, civilized culture, yet the people dressed in the same way and
followed the same customs and traditions as they had for thousands of years...
Maybe it was because they didn’t feel a need to change as the rest of the world
had...
“I think I still have water in my ears”, Milo said. “Did you two have to throw me
into that pool?”.
“Oh stop whining, Thatch. You had it coming”.
Kida smirked. “This from ‘the bellyflop champion of Camp Runamuck’!”.
“Well, yeah”, Milo crossed his arms with a sheepish smile. “I was the bellyflop
champ, but you girls threw me in a body slam!”.
At this, the queen and I burst out laughing, remembering the way Thatch had hit
the water when we threw him in!.
Milo smiled at me. “You know, Helga. It’s good to hear you laugh. I don’t think
you’ve ever done that before, at least not in a long time”.
“And what makes you say that?”, I asked, eyeing him.
He shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know... You just seem like that kind of person...”.
I said nothing in reply...
Thatch spoke up again... “So, how do you like living in Atlantis?...”.
“Yes”, Kida added. “Is this anything like your ‘Washington’?...”.
I shook my head slowly. “No, not exactly... “.
“I don’t even miss Washington anymore”, Milo confessed. “What about you?”.
“I suppose not”, I answered. “There really wasn’t anything there for me to miss
anyway... Whitmore will probably find another bodyguard and chauffer. Hired
help is very replaceable”.
Kida tilted her head. “You have no friends or loved ones?”.
“No”.
“Where’s your family then?”, Milo wanted to know.
I shrugged. “I’m it... at least since...”. Here my voice trailed off slightly...
Milo looked at me seriously through his large glasses. “Since when?...”.
“Since I left Germany!”, I snapped. “What is this, an interrogation?!”.
Milo and Kida both looked at each other with concern...
I sighed and shook my head. “Both my parents are gone... My witch of an aunt
sent my brothers to either military or boarding schools... I never saw any of them
again... We could all be on opposite sides of the war for all I know...”.
Milo shook his head sadly. “I’m sorry to hear that... I can’t imagine having any
brothers on Germany’s side...”.
I shrugged again. “Can’t you, Mister Thatch?. Well, people always think war is
about right or wrong, but it’s not. It’s about power”.
Thatch adjusted his glasses awkwardly and Kida frowned... “That is what my
people thought as well... Then the Meh-behl-moak came...”.
“The great flood”, Milo translated.
I shot him an annoyed look. “Thatch, I may not be a linguist, but I’m not stupid!”.
None of us said anything for the next few moments... We continued to walk in
awkward silence...
Finally, Milo pointed to a vendor’s stand... “Hey! Anybody hungry?”.
Kida and I both nodded. “Starving”, I answered.
“Well then come on, let’s get some lunch!”.
I followed Kida and him to the stand and was soon presented with an odd
looking delicacy on a stick...
“Mmmm”, Kida bit into hers. “Delicious, as usual!”.
I studied mine suspiciously... “What exactly is this?”, I wanted to know...
Milo grinned. “It’s every Atlantean’s favorite treat, squid tentacle on a stick!”.
“You don’t say?”. I tried my best to hide my disgust. I was starting to miss Cookie
already!.
Smiling and holding hands, Thatch and Kida continued through the market while
I stopped to look at the unusual and exotic looking objects and foods for sale...
Just then, I felt a tug at my hand... I looked and saw a young Atlantean boy who
looked no more then nine or ten. He was holding the hand of a little girl who
appeared about five or six... but I knew from listening to Thatch that even the
children here were hundreds of years old...
“Soo-puhk!”, the boy smiled. “Ah-nik kah-gihn Kash eh seh-toat!”.
“Ah-nik kah-gihn Neda eh seh-toat!. Mekh-ah-nik moh-khin eh-seh-toat duhp?”,
the girl added, looking up at me.
“Excuse me?”, I put my hands on my hips, raising an eyebrow in annoyance.
“Are you two talking to me?”.
“Oh!”, the little girl exclaimed in English, tugging the boy’s hand. “I don’t think
she speaks our language, Kash!”.
“You think right, young lady”, I answered with a smirk.
The boy gave me a sheepish smile, then he too spoke in English. “I am sorry!. I
forgot, the one called Milo Thatch is the only outsider who knows. My name is
Kash, and this is my little sister, Neda!”.
“What is your name?”, the girl asked.
“Helga”, I answered, feeling slightly irritated. I never did get on very well with
children. “Helga Sinclair”.
Neda gave me an innocent smile. “That’s so pretty!. Are you are one of the
outsiders that helped to save Atlantis?”.
I bit my lip with a sneer. If this situation hadn’t been so awkward, I probably
would have laughed. “Well... yes.. I suppose you could say that...”, I lied.
“You must have been very brave!”, Kash said admiringly.
“And you’re very pretty too!”, Neda added. “When I am a few hundred years
older I want to help protect Atlantis, and be as brave and pretty as you are!”.
Amused, I had to smile at that. If they only knew!. “I’m sure you will be”, I said,
then I handed Neda my squid tentacle on a stick. Didn’t make sense for it to go to
waste, and there was no way I was eating it!.
“Thank you!”, the little girl grinned, taking a bite.
I nodded, trying not to grimace as she took another bite. “You’re welcome. Now,
don’t you two think you’d better be getting back to your parents?”.
“Yes!”, Kash exclaimed, taking his sister’s hand again. “Come on, Neda. Mother
wants us home in time for dinner!”.
“Goodbye, Helga!”, Neda waved as she followed her brother.
“Maybe we will see you again another time”, Kash added, waving also.
I gave a half-hearted wave in return, rolling my eyes, then I shook my head with
a smirk as I turned to join Thatch and Kida at another stand.

Later that afternoon, I decided that if I didn’t want to be eating squid and octopus
for the rest of my life in Atlantis I had best try my hand at making a few meals of
my own... I browsed around to find what these people had in the way of fruit or
berries and pastry... Everything I found was from the sea, of course, but seemed
perfectly edible...
Curious, Thatch joined me in my ‘grocery shopping’, and I soon had what I
needed to make a passable dessert...
“This looks like a great recipe”, Milo said cheerfully as he started on the fruit
filling. “I can’t wait to taste it! Maybe I can give some to Kida too!”.
I grinned, remembering how I had thought up the idea to get Thatch to talk to the
princess... Clearly, his feelings towards her were growing...
“Don’t get to exited, Thatch”, I answered as I worked on the dough. “It’s been
years since I’ve tried this recipe, and I’m not using land ingredients this time”.
“Which makes it all the more interesting. Who taught you to bake anyway,
Helga?”.
A small smile played about my lips. “My father. He was Scottish-American, but
he loved to try German recipes, though Mutti was always so strict about us
eating healthy”.
Thatch grinned. “My grandpa was a good cook too, but it never rubbed off on
me”.
“Anything would have been better then Cookie’s escargot and oriental spring
roll”, I assured him... then I looked at him seriously... “Besides, you’ve inherited
almost everything else from Thaddeus...”.
Milo smiled. “Really? You knew my grandpa too?”.
“I was on the Iceland expedition, wasn’t I?”.
“Yes, I remember, that’s how you met Rourke, right?”.
I shifted my eyes away from his questioning gaze... “No”, I said, biting my lip. “I
knew Rourke long before then... He was my instructor at WestPoint...”.
“That was before you were hired by Mister Whitmore?”.
I nodded. “Yes, I was Rourke’s intelligence officer... Then after the Iceland
expedition he and Thaddeus recommended me... Though, knowing Rourke, it was
probably to keep tabs on the journal until you were ready”.
Thatch looked at me thoughtfully as he stirred the fruit filling. “I get the picture...
Helga... I’m sorry about what happened... between you and...”.
“Don’t bother, Thatch!”, I snapped, pounding the dough. It’s over, so just forget
about it!”.
Milo nodded calmly, saying nothing, but his eyes looked startled...
I pounded the dough again, rolling my eyes with a sneer. The only real friend I
thought I had cheats me out of my fair share, trying to kill me in the process, and
people like Thatch and Whitmore still wondered why I was such a ‘lone wolf’. I
hoped that when Rourke had perished in that volcano it had been excruciatingly
painful!.
Just then, the door to the palace kitchen opened, and in came those two little
monsters I had met at the market, Kash and Neda. “Oh no”, I muttered, rolling
my eyes, “Not them again”.
Thatch shook his head with a chuckle, then he turned to greet the little intruders.
“Hey guys, how’re you doing?”.
“Fine!”, Kash smiled as the grinning Neda was lifted onto Milo’s shoulders. “We
got away without having to do the dishes, but Neda almost got us caught”.
“I did not!”, the girl stuck her chin out indignantly.
Laughing, Milo set her down again and tussled her hair affectionately.
“What are you making?”, Kash asked, looking at the sorted ingredients Thatch
and I were working on.
“Oh, that’s stroodle”, Milo explained. “Helga used to help her father make them
when she was a little girl”.
Kash and Neda grinned... then before I could stop them they had plunged their
grubby little paws into the bowl with the fruit filling!.
“Mmmm”, Neda said, her mouth and cheeks smeared with red sticky syrup. “It’s
delicious!”.
“But it’s not as good as Mah-timhs jellyfish cream”, Kash added with an impish
smile.
“Oooo, you little rats!”, I shoed the two them away, smacking them both on their
rears. “That’s what my Vati would have given me! Now out! Out!”.
Fruit filling all over their mouths and cheeks, Kash and Neda trotted, giggling out
of the kitchen.