NOTHING PERSONAL


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

CHAPTER 4

“Alright, ‘Miss I’m the beautiful, special queen of the sea’”, I growled, narrowing
my eyes. “It’s time to get what’s coming to you!”...
Unintimidated, Kida leaned forward, accepting my challenge. “I have not yet
begun to fight! It is you or me this time Helga Sinclair!”...
“Hah!”, I sneered. “Prepare to die, amateur!”... I then took my chess piece and
expertly moved it across the board, jumping more then half of Kida’s pieces!.
Checkmate!.
“Oh no!”, the queen moaned in defeat. “Not again! I was sure I had you this
time!”.
I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms in satisfaction. “Once again,
undefeated chess champion of Frankfurt!”, I purred smugly.
“That is not fair!”, Kida protested. “You took advantage of me, just because I
have never played this game before!”.
“Well, it’s not my fault you never learned!”.
Kida shot me a dirty look. “You had better not tell Milo about this! It would be
humiliating!”.
I had to smirk. So, Kida wanted to impress Thatch as much as he wanted to
impress her. Not that she would admit it outright of course. I supposed she could
have had worse taste in men... after all, he was a skilled cartographer and
linguist, not to mention a good plumber...
As if on cue, Milo James Thatch entered the throne room, a small handful of
guards following him. He looked concerned about something... Kida saw it too
and in an instant she was on her feet.
“Milo, what is it?”, she asked. “Is something wrong?”.
Thatch adjusted his glasses. “Well, we’re not exactly sure yet, Kida, but the
scouts have important news... They’ve found fresh tracks and other signs of
survivors near the volcano...”.
“What!”, the queen gasped. “I was sure the lava would have finished those
plunderers off for good!”.
“Excuse me!”, I snapped, indignant to Kida’s bluntness. “But in case you two
haven’t noticed, it did not finish off this plunderer!. I wouldn’t be surprised if
Rourke or one or two of his troops survived, just like I did”.
Milo and Kida looked at each other for a moment... then Milo shook his head
slowly... “No”, he said. “If anyone else besides you did survive that eruption it
wouldn’t be Rourke”.
“And why not?”, I demanded. Rourke may have turned out to be an insane
double-crosser, but he was the first one I would have expected to survive...
mainly because he was the first one I would want to strangle, and make suffer a
slow, painful death, if he had survived...
“Helga, you’re probably not going to believe this”, Thatch said. “But Rourke was
crystallized on board the gyro-evac... He got caught in the propellers... and...”.
“Oh, say no more!”. I held up my hand. “I take it that it gets a little messy from
there, right?”.
“That is not the point”, Kida said sharply. “Your commander was destroyed by the
crystal, but there is no possible way the crystal would restore him unless there
was a special reason or purpose for it”.
I raised an eyebrow. “Such as?...”.
Kida silently twisted her bracelet around her wrist... “The crystal took my mother
as a punishment for my people’s arrogance in thinking they could conquer and
dominate every other civilization... then it brought be back because we had used
it’s power to protect the city, and because I am still needed to care for our
people...”. Here her voice trailed off... then at once her tone changed from sad
and wistful to keen and business-like. “Milo, we must take a search party to the
outskirts of Atlantis and find out more. Helga, you will come with us”.
“Excuse me?”, I asked, eyeing them. “Would you mind running that by me
again?”.
Kida crossed her arms impatiently. “You were once a warrior and a spy, were
you not?’.
“Yes”, I answered without hesitation. “But now I’m a former bodyguard and
chauffer”.
Thatch shrugged. “Hey, close enough!”.
I grinned at them. “Don’t tell me you actually trust me enough to go on a spying
mission with you”.
Kida grinned back. “No, it is just that I trust you even less when you are alone
here in the city”.

Minutes later, I was canning the terrain outside of the city, accompanied by
Thatch, Kida, and a small handful of Atlantean scouts... Even though Thatch had
doubted that Rourke himself had survived, and if anyone had it was most likely
one or two of the troopers or Atlantean warriors, the queen was taking no
chances...
As we drew nearer to the volcano, Kida turned and began giving instructions.
“We will each go a separate way, so that we may cover more ground. This will
be our meeting place before dark, but if anyone sees something, or if anything
goes wrong, remember to give the signal”. And with that, our small spying party
separated...
I made my way through the ashy ground to the cave that had saved my life
during the eruption... Once there, to my surprise, I was able to make out a few
fine prints in the ash... They were large, so I knew right off they were not from
when I was here... Whoever had made these prints had been careful enough to
cover them up as they left, but in too much of a hurry to do it thoroughly...
I was not an expert in tracking, but I knew enough to tell where whoever had left
this shelter had been headed... Where they were by now, I could only guess...
Just then, I felt a strong hand grip my shoulder... Before I could even spin
around in surprise, I felt a hard object strike the back of my head... I sank to my
hands and knees in pain as everything went black...

“Open up! Police!”, the harsh voices commanded as angry fists pounded on our
door...
I sat up in bed, terrified. “No”, I whispered. “No, they couldn’t have found out so
soon!”.
I jumped from my bed and, barely taking the time to throw my housecoat over
my nightdress, I left my room.
The boys were all awake, and peeking timidly from behind their bedroom doors.
“Stay there!”, I ordered them with a hiss and they all nodded. They were just as
afraid as I was, but unlike me, they were not to proud to show it...
There was more loud banging on our front door...
“I know, I know!”, Mutti cried rushing from the main bedroom, Vati following her.
“I am coming, just a minute!”.
“Mutti!”, I cried, grabbing her hand. “No! You can’t!”.
She shook her hand free. “I have to, they’ll be through the door in a minute!”.
Taking a deep breath, my mother unlocked and opened the door... At least three
or four armed soldiers pushed their way into our house...
Vati moved in front of me and put his arm protectively around Mutti’s shoulder,
but my mother was in no need of comforting or protection.
“Good evening, gentlemen”, she crossed her arms, meeting their angry glares
unflinching. “What can we do for you?”.
One of the men stepped forward. “We want the schoolmistress, Katrina Sinclair”.
“Well then, congratulations. You have just found her”.
Upon hearing this, the soldiers came forward and seized her by her arms. “Frau
Sinclair, you are to come with us”.
My eyes widened in horror. I wanted to scream, “No! You can’t take her! She
didn’t do it!”, but Vati was quicker then I.
“Now, wait just a minute!”, my father cried, pulling Mutti from the soldier’s grasp
and standing in front of her. “What is this?!”, he demanded angrily, his light
Scottish brogue growing more noticeable as he raised his voice. “Why are you
treating my wife like a common criminal?!”.
“Because she is a criminal, herr Sinclair!. Do not be so surprised, after all you
are the one who encouraged it!. Teaching your wife and children to throw knives
and shoot guns!. It was only a matter of time before one of them practiced their
skills on our officers!”.
At this, Vati’s face hardened as he fought to control his anger. “That is
ridiculous! Katrina has never harmed a soul in her life!. She’s been against my
lessons in weaponry from the start!”.
“Save your lies!”, another of the soldiers growled. “We have a testament saying
that Frau Sinclair was spotted near the body of one of our men. Not only that,
but she had an army revolver in her hand and was trying to throw it away”.
I bit my lip... Mutti had told me to run straight home while she disposed of the
weapon... I was trying to decide weather or not to admit this when my mother
spoke...
“It’s true, Tommy”, she said softly, bowing her head, putting a hand on my
father’s arm. “That soldier tried to attack Helga and I on the street today, but I
was the one who killed him...”.
I opened my mouth in shock as Vati took her hands, his face pale.
“What?!”, he gasped. “But Kat, that can’t be true... You wouldn’t...”.
“I am sorry to tell you, Herr Sinclair”, interrupted another of the soldiers. “But
your wife is a murderer, and a traitor as well. Not only has she murdered a highly
respected local officer, but she has, on a number of occasions given aid and
information to French and even Russian spies in secret!”.
At this, Mutti’s head came up and she glared at the soldiers. “That is not true! I
hid escaped and wounded prisoners in secret at my school”, she snapped.
“Some were only children!. Russian, French, why is that such a terrible crime?.
It is Germany that is trying to start a war with the rest of the world!”.
“Treacherous vermin”, the soldier snarled. “You and your American husband!”.
And with that, he roughly seized my mother.
“Leave her alone!”, Vati screamed, lunging at him, but the other soldiers grabbed
him by the arms and dealt him a hard blow to the stomach. He doubled over,
clutching his stomach in pain.
“Thomas!”, Mutti cried, trying to break away, but her captors held her tight, then
struck her face when she tried to resist. She fell against the wall with a sharp cry.
“Mutti!”, I screamed as the men began to advance towards her... Vati, wounded
on the floor, was powerless to help...
Thinking quickly, I grabbed the sharp cutting knife off the kitchen table, and with
a shout of anger, ran towards the soldiers, my new weapon drawn...
“Helga, no!”, my father cried...
The men saw me coming and their hands slowly reached towards the guns in
their holsters...
Quick as a cat, my mother scrambled to her feet and moved towards me...
Shocked, I stopped and stared at her in bewilderment...
Mutti’s clear, dark blue eyes met my own... “Helga”, she said quietly, but sternly.
“Put the knife down”.
My eyes widened as I stared into her pale, steadfast face... I felt my hands
tremble... the knife slipped out of my hand...
At once, the soldiers relaxed... Their guns remained in their holsters...
My mother knelt by me and gently took me by the shoulders. “You are never to
do anything so foolish again!”, she hissed. “You must take care of your father
and brothers from now on, and never tell anyone about what happened, do you
understand?”.
“But Mutti”, I pleaded. “It wasn’t your fault! I...”.
“Hush! Hush!”, she interrupted, drawing me close to her in an embrace. “I am
doing what is best for all of you, and you know it”.
I knew no such thing!. I threw my arms around her neck and buried my face in
her shawl as she lovingly stroked my hair.
“Du bist frohlich sein, Helga Sinclair... Kein es nicht verdufte aus du...”, my
mother whispered into my ear. “You have a good heart, Helga Sinclair... Don’t
let anyone beat that out of you...”.
It was then that the soldiers pulled her away from me, and though she made no
move to fight them, they began to drag her away...
“Mutti!”, I cried as I tried to follow, but my father rushed to my side and held me
firmly by my shoulders as she had just done.
“No, Helga”, he sighed brokenly as he drew me close to him. “They’ll only take
us too, and the boys”.
I looked away from the tortured expression on his face, trying to swallow back a
sob... Stubbornly, I blinked back the tears that were beginning to blur my
vision... I had never cried in my life, especially not in front of my family, and I
wasn’t about to start now...

Slowly, the aching pain in the back of my head brought me to my senses... My
eyes flickered open and I bit my lip, rubbing my head as I got to my hands and
knees...
It was then that I realized I was not alone... I looked up and gasped, nearly
collapsing from shock... He was alive! Thatch had said it was impossible, but
there he was, smirking down at me, his eyes cold and emotionless...
“Hello, Lieutenant”, he greeted me in his usual easy manner. “Still alive I see.
Well, you always were quite the scrapper”.
“Rourke!”. I glared up at him in hatred, my shock melting away into anger. I
thought I had made him pay for what he had done to me, and somehow he had
escaped!.
I scrambled to my feet and lunged at him in a rage. “I’m going to kill you!”, I
screamed, trying to strike at his face... but I was to weak and dizzy from being
knocked unconscious, and my former teacher and commander was stronger then
I was...
He soon overpowered me, throwing me to the ground and landing a sharp kick in
my side. I winced in pain as he jerked me up by my hair and pinned my arms
behind my back...
“Close but no cigar”, he said coolly into my ear as I struggled to free myself.
“You bastard!”, I snarled. “When I get free I’ll...”.
He swiftly brought his hand to my mouth, cutting me off. “How about you let me
do the talking, alright, Helga?”, he said tauntingly, I could almost see his leer.
“Now, first off, in case you’re wondering, I don’t know how I survived the volcano
after turning crystal and being sliced and diced three different ways, but I do
know I’m going to take advantage of a good thing. Second, that crystal is still out
there, and still mine for the taking...”. He then turned me around to face him...
“That’s where you come in. You’re going to help me find it again. Hah! Just like
old times, eh, Lieutenant?”.
Three years ago I had jumped at this chance... Now, instead I shook my head...
“Forget about it, Rourke”, I snapped. “That crystal’s probably long gone by now,
and in a better hiding place. It’s a lost cause!”.
“Oh, I don’t know about that”, he answered with a small smile, thoughtfully
fingering the crystal pendant around my neck. “Something that huge can’t be to
easy to hide... Besides, did I mention I would split the profits with you, fifty fifty?.
That’s a way better offer then last time!”.
I sneered. Did he really believe I was that gullible?. “The last time I got an offer
like that, I seem to recall being thrown off a gyro-evac!. Nice try, commander, but
your on your own with this one!”.
“Maybe I’m not being clear...”, Rourke said in a deadly calm tone... The next
thing I knew he had landed a swift punch in my stomach, throwing me hard
against the cave wall.
“I think you’ve been hanging around Thatch and his little princess to long!”, he
growled, pinning me against the wall by my throat. “Don’t forget, if it hadn’t been
for me you’d still be that wayward German immigrant, with prospects but no
future!. Lieutenant, I’m not going to ask you again!”.
“Ass!”, I gasped, struggling to pry his hands away as their grip on my throat grew
tighter. “If you think I’m going to help you find that crystal, just so you can kill me
and keep it for yourself...”.
My voiced trailed off as Rourke drew his Colt. 45 from his holster and pointed it
at me...
I bit my lip and stopped fighting... Rourke’s grip lessened and he soon released
me... I fell to my hands and knees again, coughing and gasping and grimacing
from the pain of my previous beating.
“Alright...”, I whispered, lowering my eyes in defeat. “Alright... I’ll do as you
say...”. What else could I have done?. I had been trained to follow Rourke’s
orders for almost half of my life!.
The commander grinned, looking like a little boy who’d just won a game or had
gotten good marks at school. “Nice to see you have some sense after all, Helga,
and who knows? If Thatch doesn’t blow a hole in our escape vehicle, I might not
have to get rid of you this time!”.

Minutes later, I was making my way towards the agreed meeting place, the spot
near the volcano... I must have been unconscious for quite sometime. It was
already beginning to grow dark...
Just then, I noticed she shining blue lights of two Atlantean war masks coming
towards me from the shadows as they had the day I was found... only this time I
did not run...
“Kida?...”, I called. “Thatch?...”.
“Helga?”. Milo removed his mask. “Where have you been?. We’ve been
searching for you?”.
I bit my lip, not meeting his questioning gaze... “I... uhhh... I got a little
sidetracked... “, I answered, then, remembering Rourke’s orders, I added, “But I
think I’ve seen more signs of survivors around here”...
“Where have you seen this?”, Kida asked. “My scouts and I have found nothing”.
This was my chance. “Over there, by that cave”, I said, pointing...
Trustingly, they followed me... But I think Kida must have been telepathic...
“Helga, what is the matter?”, she asked after a moment, placing a hand on my
arm.
I cringed, that arm had been severely bruised when Rourke threw me against the
cave...
Milo and Kida both noticed me cringe. “Helga, what happened?”, Thatch
demanded.
Kida put her hands on her hips assertively. “Who did this to you and who took
your pendant? What is going on?”.
I shook my head. “Look, let’s just forget about this, alright?!”... then I lowered my
voice... “Thatch, Kida... you have to get away from here... “.
Kida’s eyes widened and Milo gasped. “What?! What are you talking about?!”.
“Just trust me, alright!”, I hissed, glancing nervously from the cave and back to
them...
“Let us take care of your wound first”, Kida insisted, bringing her pendant
towards my arm.
I pushed her hand away. “No! Don’t you understand?!”, I cried. “There’s no
time!”...
“Oh, there’s always time”, a calm voice said... and at once Commander Lyle
Tiberius Rourke stepped out from the shadows...
Thatch and Kida both let out startled cries, while I held my breath, unsure of how
much the commander had seen and heard...
“Nice work, Lieutenant”, Rourke grinned at me. “Thanks for distracting em’”. He
then seized Milo before he could get away. “Nice to see you again too, Thatch”.
“Rourke!”, Milo gasped as he stared at his captor. “You’re... you’re alive...”.
“Yeah”, the commander smirked. “Sorry to disappoint you!”.
Enraged, Kida started towards Rourke, her spear drawn... “Let him go, intruder!”,
she growled...
“Sorry, honey”, I purred. “Not today!”. Quickly, I seized her and forced the
weapon out of her hands.
Kida was almost too shocked to resist. “Helga!”, she gasped, staring at me.
“How... how could you?!”.
I smirked. “What can I say? He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse!”.
Upon hearing this, Thatch stopped struggling... “I’m such an idiot!”, he said with
an exasperated sigh. “I should have known you wouldn’t give up on that
crystal!. Helga, we trusted you!”.
“My people will die without the crystal!”, Kida added, trying to break out of my
grip. “Woman, children, babies!. Does this mean nothing to you?!”.
I was silent for a moment... “Any culture that’s so weak it has to depend on an
oversize jewel to survive, doesn’t deserve to be saved!”, I answered coldly.
“And what are you going to do with the crystal?!”, Thatch challenged. “Sell it to
the Kaiser?!”.
“Or the President, or the Czar”, I shrugged. “Whoever makes the biggest offer”.
“Hah!”, Rourke laughed. “Spoken like a true mercenary! I’m proud of you,
Helga!”.
Milo shot me a betrayed, angry look... the same look he had given me that time
in the crystal chamber... when Kida, frightened and overwhelmed by the place,
had sank to her hands and knees in prayer, and I had done nothing to help or
comfort her... I had only stared at her, eyeing her as though she were some
crazy beggar on the streets...
“Mercenaries! You’re all the same! All that matters to you is money!”.
“Oh please Thatch!”, Rourke scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Don’t start this again!.
Less time on the soapbox and more time showing me the secret entrance to the
palace!. When you translated the journal you said it was on the outskirts of the
city!”.
“Forget it! I’m not showing you anything!”, Milo snapped.
Rourke pointed his gun at Kida and skillfully took aim... There was a sound like
lightning... and Kida crumpled to the ground... Her shoulder was bleeding...
“Nooo!!!”, Milo screamed, his fight returning. He struggled to break free of
Rourke’s grasp. “Rourke! I’ll kill you for that!”.
The commander released him and he ran to Kida’s side, cradling her in his arms
and stroking her long white hair.
“Rourke, there was no need for that...”, I said quietly. “If Thatch is right, they’ll all
be dead in a matter of hours once we take the crystal...”.
He frowned, narrowing his eyes. “Are you arguing with me, lieutenant?. You
know what happens when you argue with me!”.
I bit my lip and stared down at Thatch and Kida, who lay motionless in his arms...
“Is she?...”, I whispered.
Milo shook his head in relief. “No, she’s alive... “. He then tore off a piece of his
clothing and used it to bandage the wound.
Rourke pointed his gun again. “She won’t be for long, Thatch, unless you take
us to that hidden entrance!”.
Milo stood up, lifting Kida’s feather light body in his arms. “Alright... Alright
Rourke, you win... for now...”. He drew his pendant towards Kida’s shoulder...
“Ah ah ah!”, Rourke’s finger tightened on the trigger. “Crystal first, Lover Boy!”...
Sighing in defeat, Thatch nodded. “This way”... Still carrying Kida, he led us
down one of the worn pathways, leading away from the volcano...
Within moments after leaving the volcano, we were nearing the vine covered
entrance to what looked like a tunnel...
“I’ve already told you!”, Thatch continued to argue with Rourke. “The crystal isn’t
in that chamber anymore! It isn’t even in the palace! You’re wasting your time!”.
“Better let me be the judge of that, Thatch!”, Rourke answered. “Don’t forget, I’m
the one with the gun!”.
“Gun! Hah! You wouldn’t have the nerve to say that if we had our stone vehicles
with us right now!. Remember, Rourke? Remember their lasers?!”.
The commander’s jaw tightened... his eyes narrowed... Clearly, he did
remember.
We continued to approach the secret entrance in silence...
Worriedly, Milo put a finger to Kida’s neck, feeling her pulse, then he gently
brushed a few strands of silvery white hair away from her face.
“She’ll be alright, Thatch”, I assured him, lowering my voice so Rourke wouldn’t
hear...
At this, Milo glared at me. “Maybe not. She’s never had to handle a bullet wound
before, Helga!. It isn’t enough that you helped kill her father, now you let Rourke
shoot Kida and destroy the city just so you can get a percentage?!”.
I rolled my eyes in disgust. Thatch, if you think I’m going to pass up this chance
just so you can have your dream-land, marry your princess and live happily ever
after, you’ve got another thing coming!”.
“Is that what you think this is all about?”, he snapped. “You’re even crazier then I
thought!”.
I glared back at him as we entered the darkness of the cave and moved further
underground... Thatch and Kida’s amulets glowed brightly, lighting our way...
Soon, after a number of twists and turns, we came to a place that looked
familiar...
“Bingo!”, Rourke grinned. “The crystal chamber!”.
Milo rolled his eyes. “Yeah, the crystal chamber!”, he snapped. “But in case you
haven’t noticed, there’s no crystal here!”.
I smirked. “True, but I’ll bet you know exactly where it is, don’t you?”.
Thatch’s jaw tightened and his mouth became a stubborn line.
“Listen to the lady, Thatch”, Rourke said with a cruel chuckle. “Where’s the
crystal now?”.
Milo shook his head. “Not until you let me help Kida!”.
“I said the crystal was first, Romeo!”.
“Please! There might not be enough time left! She could die!”.
Rourke shrugged. “Hey! Survival of the fittest!”.
Thatch shot him a look of pure hatred... then he defiantly knelt down, still
cradling Kida, and brought his glowing pendant towards the unconscious girl’s
wounded shoulder...
With an angry growl, Rourke advanced towards them... his hand reaching for the
gun in his holster...
“No!”, I snapped, stepping in front of Milo and Kida...
Rourke stepped back, surprised... Then he fixed his stony gaze on me, his face
hardening... “No, Lieutenant?. What is this?”...
Biting my lip, I looked towards Milo and Kida... then back to Rourke... “Let him
help her...”, I whispered. “It doesn’t change anything, and it won’t do them much
good in the long run...”.
The commander and I stared at each other for a moment... Neither of us
flinching, nor lowering our eyes...
Finally, Rourke let out an exasperated sigh and drew his hand away from his
holster. “Alright, what’s the difference if she dies now or in a few hours?. Maybe
she’ll be of more use to us then Four Eyes here”...
I turned and nodded towards Milo. “Alright, go ahead”...
He looked at me strangely... “Thank you...”, he whispered...
I rolled my eyes. “Thatch, just get it over with before I change my mind!”.
Milo nodded quickly, and once more brought his amulet to Kida’s wound... A
whitish blue light surrounded her shoulder... then all at once, the bullet wound
healed... Kida stirred in Thatch’s arms, her eyes slowly fluttering open...
“Milo...”, she whispered...
“Kida!”, he cried, embracing her. “Thank goodness! I thought I was going to
loose you!”.
Kida threw her arms around him, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Why,
Milo?!”, she cried. “Why did the crystal restore life to that insane monster?! Why
are we being punished again?!”.
“I... I don’t know...”, he stroked her hair soothingly. “I just don’t know...”.
I bit my lip and looked away... It seemed like hours, though it was probably more
like seconds, before Rourke's amused laugh make me look back...
“Well, this has all been very touching, but we still have a crystal to find and an
escape plan to make”...
He strode over and grabbed Kida, still weak and dazed, by the hair. When Milo
tried to stop him, he pointed the gun at her head, and there was no more
resistance...
The four of us stepped onto the ‘aquavator’ that would take us up to the
throne-room...

We arrived in the middle of the calm, reflecting pool in the throne room...
“Step lively”, I said as we waded out of the shallow water...
Once we neared the throne, Rourke turned to Kida, firmly gripping her arm.
“Alright, Princess, where is it?”.
She shoved his hand away. “I am a queen!”, she exclaimed with a defiant glare.
“And you will destroy yourselves!”.
I had to smirk. She sounded just like her father!.
“Nerve and stupidity must run in the family!”, the commander said, narrowing his
eyes... and before Kida could reply, he raised his hand and struck her face hard,
sending her sprawling to the floor...
“Kida!”, Milo cried rushing to her. He helped her to her knees as she rubbed her
smarting cheek.
“Let’s try this again”, Rourke hissed as he aimed his gun at Thatch and Kida,
who clung to each other like frightened children. “Now I’m going to count to ten”...
His finger tightened on the trigger... “One... two... nine...”...
But before he could shoot, I stepped forward. “Commander, wait!”.
Rourke lowered the gun, giving me a disgusted look. “What is it now,
Lieutenant?. I’m starting to lose patience with you!”.
“Ooo”, I purred in a falsely injured tone. “You cut me to the quick, and I was
going to offer to get rid of them for you”.
He eyed me. “And why would you want to do that?”.
“To show there are no hard feelings”, I smirked. “I am still your lieutenant after
all”.
He seemed to be considering it... then he smirked back... “Alright then, Helga”.
He handed me the gun. “Be my guest”...
Standing directly beside Rourke, I pointed the gun at Thatch...
“Go on, do it!”, Kida hissed, her light blue eyes narrowing in anger. “We were
fools to have ever trusted you!”.
Milo just stared at me calmly through his glasses. “So, this is what you’ve
chosen. We helped you, gave you a place to stay, and now you wipe us out for
the sake of the almighty dollar!. Congratulations, Helga!. You’ll be the richest
German war criminal in America!”.
I had to sneer at that. German war criminal?. Why did people continually
overlook the fact that I was half Scottish?... My finger tightened on the trigger...
“Say goodbye, Thatch”...
Still clinging to each other, Milo and Kida looked away, preparing to meet their
deaths... They should have known me better then that by now!.
In one lightning swift movement I spun around and aimed a fierce martial arts
kick in Rourke’s stomach!. He let out a startled gasp as he landed hard on the
floor.
“That was for throwing me off the gyro-evac!”, I growled, pointing the gun at the
commander, then I turned to Milo. “Thatch, take Kida and get out of here! Now!”.
He and Kida stared at me, wide eyed and open mouthed...
“But... what about... you?...”, Milo finally whispered...
“Dammit, Thatch!”, I snarled. “That was an order, not a suggestion! Now move!
Go go!”.
Milo obeyed. Scrambling to his feet, he helped Kida up and the two of them ran
as fast as they could out of the throne room...
“Not so fast!”, Rourke cried. Getting up, he started after them... but I pointed the
gun at his chest...
“Take one more step!”, I hissed...
He stopped... We glared at each other... Finally, a cold smile spread across the
commander’s face... “Well, what are you waiting for, Lieutenant, Christmas?. Pull
the trigger already!”.
My finger tightened on the trigger... I prepared to shoot...
“Funny, isn’t it”, Rourke said, stepping towards me with defiant smirk. “I was the
one who taught you how to use military firearms. Remember, Helga?. You were
sixteen, and you promised to obey your commanding officer, no matter what?.
It’d be a good end to your training, shooting me, so go ahead! That’s an order!”.
I bit my lip... Slowly, I lowered the gun... “That was then, this is now”, I
whispered. “I’m not taking orders from you anymore, Commander”... I wouldn’t
shoot him... Shooting was to good for him... and I wasn’t going to let him order
me to do anything, ever again...
“Well, that’s just to bad”, Rourke leered... The next moment, he lunged at me,
seizing my arms. We struggled to the floor and I dropped the gun. He managed
to pin me down by my throat with one hand while reaching for the gun with the
other...
But before he could reach the gun, I lashed out and kicked him right where it
hurt a man the most... He fell over backward, with a cry of pain...
I leapt to grab the gun... but just as I reached it, Rourke’s boot came down on my
hand...
“You’re the last one I expected to go quality of life on me!”, he leered. “You turn
on me and throw away a chance to get rich, just to become a bleeding heart
idealist?!”.
I sneered. “Well, like you said, I’ve been hanging around Thatch and Kida to
long!”.
Rourke snatched the gun from me, releasing my hand. “Fine”, he scoffed. “More
for me then. Just imagine the profits I’ll make from selling Atlantis’s power
source...”, then a greedy look clouded his eyes... “Not to mention the praise for
capturing the princess of Atlantis and disposing of a dangerous German spy!”.
My eyes widened. So that was what he had had in mind for me all along!. I might
have known!.
“I’m not a spy for Germany!”, I snapped.
“You are if I say you are. Besides, they were already getting suspicious of you
back in America. I’d just be proving them right”... He lowered the gun towards me
and his finger tightened on the trigger...
Before I could make a move to escape, I felt the ground rumbling beneath me...
The vibrations grew stronger and stronger until it felt as if the whole palace was
shaking...
Rourke glanced about in shock as parts of the ceiling began to fall...
“It’s an earthquake!”, I gasped as I scrambled to my feet. I had to get out of
there!. They were likely to be ten times more powerful below the surface!.
I hurried towards the doorway, but the commander made a grab for me, still
ready to fire his gun... Before he could shoot, I raised my free arm in an upwards
thrust, knocking the weapon out of his hand, then I aimed a swift punch at his
face, sending him stumbling backwards...
Dodging falling debris, I ran as fast as I could out of the palace as it began to
collapse behind me...
Outside there was chaos. People were rushing frantically around, trying to get to
the emergency shelters... I looked around for Thatch or Kida, but I couldn’t make
them out in the confusion...
Just then, someone clumsily brushed past me in a panic. I stumbled forward,
landing on my hands and knees... but before I could get up and rush to an
emergency shelter myself, I looked up... There in front of me was Kida. Unlike
the others, she stood there calmly, with a gentle peaceful expression that
seemed familiar... then I remembered... it was the same expression as Kida’s
mother had had in the portrait...
The queen’s eyes grew brighter, shining with whitish blue light... She looked at
me and smiled... “Kwahm teh-red-seh-nen, Helga Sinclair-toap”...
I did not know what she was saying, but somehow it was reassuring... I smiled
back, despite the turbulence around me...
Just then, a familiar red beam landed on Kida, instantly turning blue... I looked
up... There, coming out from beyond the thick clouds and the steam, was The
Heart Of Atlantis!. No wonder Milo and Kida had said that it could never be
found in the palace!.
I watched in amazement as the crystal’s beam drew Kida upwards to it... It was
exactly like that time in the underground chamber... Only this time I did not feel
afraid...
I was so intent on watching the amazing scene that I didn’t notice Rourke had
gotten out of the palace too, and was coming up behind me...

I watched in amazement as the crystal’s beam drew Kida upwards to it... It was
exactly like that time in the underground chamber... Only this time I did not feel
afraid...
I was so intent on watching the amazing scene that I didn’t notice Rourke had
gotten out of the palace too, and was coming up behind me...
The next moment, he had seized me from behind and plunged his army knife
into my side...
I let out a strangled cry, collapsing to my side in pain as Rourke withdrew the
knife... He stood over me, a cruel smile on his face... “Nothing personal”, he
leered...
He raised the knife again, preparing to finish me off... Just then, the earth’s
shaking grew even more violent... the ground began to crack open... I barely
managed to grab a hold of the ledge as the ground gave way beneath me...
I looked down... There was fire... more like lava... It was slowly beginning to rise
upwards...
Rourke casually walked over to where I was grasping the ledge... Raising his
booted foot, he prepared to crush my hands, making me loose my grip...
But I would not be thrown to my death this time!. Quickly, I seized his foot with
one hand and pulled him over the side... but he was able to save himself by
grabbing onto my foot...
Though I was slowly beginning to loose the feeling in my arms, I looked down,
giving my former commander an icy glare... “Nothing personal”, I growled, then,
summoning all my strength, I lashed out with another fierce martial arts kick,
making him let go of my foot... He fell, screaming, into the boiling lava...
Searching with my foot, I found a small ledge below me. With that, I managed to
hoist myself up and out of the chasm... Exhausted, all I could do was lay there,
breathing heavily... but soon I began to focus on what was happening around
me...
The stone giants around the city were glowing, and their hands were placed
together... Blue light and energy seemed to be radiating from them and
surrounded the city... The rumbling and shaking stopped... Houses and buildings
that were about to collapse were righted... Steaming chasms from the quake
began to close... I watched in relief as a pillar that was about to crush the shelter
where Milo, Kash, Neda and the others were was stopped and placed upright
again...
I struggled back up to my feet... then I saw Milo, who had been the first to leave
the shelter, gazing anxiously up at the sky...
More people began to emerge from the shelters as the smoke and clouds above
the city began to clear... then Kida began to float down from the sky... The
crystal had, once again, decided to give her back...
Milo came forward and she landed into his arms... They embraced... then shared
a warm kiss...
I slowly approached them... “Congratulations, you two. You’ve saved Atlantis
again”, I said with a small smile.
At this, they turned to me, still holding hands. “Helga, you know we couldn’t have
done it without you”, Thatch answered, smiling back.
I shrugged. “You did it before without any help from me, and you did it again... I
just... want to apologize for...”. It was then that the aching in my side began to
take over... I looked down and saw the blood beginning to stain the lower part of
my shirt... I sank to my hands and knees with a hiss of pain...
Milo and Kida knelt by me . “Helga, your hurt!”, Thatch said when he saw the
wound from Rourke’s knife. Kida held me gently by the shoulders, keeping me
steady.
“No kidding, genius!”, I smirked with a roll of my eyes... then I looked at them
seriously... “Thatch?... Kida?... I... I’m sorry... I’m sorry...”. But I was unable to
finish my sentence before I collapsed to the ground and darkness overtook me...