Fragile Glass ch-2

Chapter 2… "That makes two of us."

     Robert and Michelle were still in the lobby confused at the people they were seeing and the state in which they were in. Tucker with a scar, Misha ruling Amity Park with an iron fist. God only knew what Danny Fenton was like in this universe.
     Robert looked at the Mirror Misha and stepped in between her and Michelle. "I'm sorry," he started. "But may we ask where we are?"
     Tucker answered for Mirror Misha. "You're at Amity Park." He stated. "The center of authority in this country."
     Michelle frowned curious and still well beyond confused. You couldn't blame them. "Center of authority?" she repeated. "Who's authority?" she asked.
     "The Resistance." Mirror Tucker replied.
     Michelle decided to change the subject. "Something is very wrong here." She said. "We must've taken a wrong turn in the Ghost Zone."
     Now Mirror Tucker was confused. "Ghost Zone?" He asked raising an eyebrow.
     "It's another dimension we…" she paused thinking that it'd probably be best for them not to know about the Ghost Zone. "Look it's a little complicated to explain." She said. "But maybe we if we got back to our ship we could-"
     "No!" The Mirror Misha called. "I don't think so."
     Robert stepped between Michelle and Tucker. "Now wait a minute."
     "Don't' take that tone with us," Tucker said. "Halfa."
     Robert turned to face Tucker with an angry scowl on his face. Tucker said 'Halfa' like it was an insult. "What did you just call me?!" Robert growled.
     "Robert," Michelle started. "Put your ego away before ya hurt someone."
     Just as Robert stepped down, Tucker decided to continue mocking him. "atta boy." Robert stopped and faced Tucker still angry. Tucker clicked his tongue as if Robert was a dog.
     "If," Mirror Michelle began, "You are who you say you are, I'm afraid I can't run the risk of letting you guys go." She said as she turned to Robert. "Take this one below." She told Tucker. "Put him to work and make sure Baxter tells him the rules." As the Guys in White agents took Robert in one direction, Mirror Misha faced Michelle and had Tucker guide her in the opposite direction.

    The group left the lobby onto a promenade. As Michelle stepped through the sliding door, she noticed banners with her logo on them, however they were not the same black and white motif. They went for blood red and black and the symbol itself was altered even moreso. It was bigger and more oppressing. It reminded her of those old World War 2 pictures she saw in history class with germany and its swastika banners and flags. She saw what looked like slaves carrying heavy objects, containers, energy conduits and engine parts. Her ghost sense went off as they passed by but the mirror her didn't seem to notice. Nor did Tucker. "Your grace!" someone called from behind.
     Mirror Misha turned to face an intimidating looking guard with red hair and glasses and was bulging with muscle. 'Holy crap that's…'
     "What do you need Mikey?" mirror Misha asked.
     Mirror Mikey was seen dragging one halfa by the heels. "This halfa was caught trying to stow away on one of the convoy's leaving town." He said.
     Mirror Misha cocked her head to one side and stepped closer to the old man with a betrayed expression. "What's your designation?" she asked.
     The old halfa shuddered. "0431-theta." He answered.
     "Theta?" Misha repeated.
     The old man nodded.
     "You worked so hard to earn your theta designation," she started. "To earn our trust. Why do you throw it away like this?" she asked, trying to play the victim and failing miserably but not caring. The man didn't answer. And as the Mirror Misha turned and walked passed Tucker, she felt her anger boiling along with feelings of disgust towards the way her counterpart was acting. "Reassign him the mines." She ordered.
     "The mines?" Tucker asked. "He should die for this. We should make an example of him."
     Mirror Misha stopped in her tracks and turned around. "You have made a career of making examples, Foley." She replied. "I think you enjoy it too much."
     Tucker gritted his teeth. "He could never have gotton on that truck without help!" he yelled. "At least let me interrogate him."
     "Fine! Interrogate him!" Misha yelled back. "But if he dies under your interrogation, you will be made an example of. Get it?"
    Tucker controlled his anger for the time being. "Got it."
     "Good."

     In the ore processing center, someone was trying to explain the need for an upgrade. "I'm telling you," a slave said. "If you don't upgrade the containment tanks, there's gonna be a leak and I'm not gonna be the one to explain it to her."
     A guard walks in with Robert in a tight grip and the overseer walks over to him. It was Dash in a similar outfit as Tucker only his jacket had red stripes on the sleeves and his hair was longer into a mullet. "Another worker for ya." Said the guard. "A halfa who doesn't know the rules."
     Dash wickedly grinned. "Well, we'll have see to it that he does." He steps closer to Robert attempting to scare him but failing. "What's your designation?" he asks.
     "Robert Slezak." He replied.
     Dash cocked his head to one side and his grin disappeared. "Is that a joke?" he asked.
     Robert grinned himself. "I dunno, is it?" he replied.
     Dash smacked Robert across the face. "No jokes." He said. "That's rule number 14. Now what's your designation?" he asked again getting frusterated.
     "I don't have a designation." Robert said.
     "I don't have a designation, SIR."
     "Another rule?"
     Dash smacked Robert again, this time it was Robert's anger that was boiling. "I don't have a designation SIR."
     "I don't have a designation, SIR."
     "Why?"
     "I don't know, and frankly," Robert continued, "I don't even know what I'm doing here in the first place!"
     "You're here to process ore." Dash said. "Have you ever done that?"
     "No I haven't."
     "Have you ever worked in the mines?"
     "No."
     "Then what have you done?"
     "I've been protecting Amity Park."
     Dash slaps him again and Robert comes to within hair width of losing control of his anger and it shows as he grits his teeth and growls. "Did you already forget rule 14?" Dash asked.
     "It's not a joke." Robert said. "I'm a fighter."
     "Well, then," Dash said. "Don't forget to warm up before your first round. Ha-ha!" Dash grips Robert's arm and shoves him into a cart full of raw ore and Robert looks at the slave who was telling the overseer to upgrade. It was someone he knew from a long time when.

     As Robert was being put to work in the ore proccessing chamber, Michelle followed her mirror self through a control room and into her office with a guard closely following. Mirror Misha sat down at her seat while the guard remained behind Michelle. "Well sit down." she says. Michelle takes a seat on the other side of the large irregularly shaped desk. "You're me," Mirror Mish astarted. "Aren't you?"
     Michelle maintained a serious tone. "I am Michelle Blackhurst."
     Her reflection smiled widely. "That makes two of us." she said. Misha bent over her desk. "Weher you're from, it's much like this right?" she asked.
     "The players are the same," Michelle answered. "But everyone seem to be playing different parts."
     "You didn't seem to reconise the Resistance."
     Michelle shook her head. "Nope."
     "Hm. Then maybe you'd reconise the name Robert Lewis Slezak." she said.
     Michelle raised both her eyebrows in astonishment. "Yeah, my friend's grandfather's name was Robert Lewis Slezak." she said.
     "Well, almost fifty years ago," Misha started. "Slezak and his team accidently crossed over into our universe." she said as she got up to face the window overlooking Amity Park. "Our halfa's were barabarians then but their empire was strong." She turned to face Michelle who's expression was only one of curiosity. "In our universe, he met another halfa named Fenton and had profound influence over him and afterwards Fenton rised to Command and Cheif of the Empire and began preaching the owrd of peace and disarmament." she laughed. "It was quite a remarkable turnabout for his family and he became just as powerful as the Blackhursts and Slezaks but after the reforms, the empire was in no condition to defend itself from us."
     "The Resistance." Michelle breathed.
     Michelle's reflection nodded. "The uniting of full humans and full ghosts."
     "And I suppose Texas is part of this..." she twirled her finger around.
     "Oh yeah," said Mirror Misha. "We Texans in this universe had quite an influence over the resistance. We found our place in this world and finally got the respect we deserved." Mirror Misha smiled almost sinisterly and it was her turn to ask questions. "Is it simliar at all on your side?" she asked.
     Michelle shook her head somberly. "No." she replied. "texas on my side isn't as influential as yours. There are a lot of people who steario type us for being just cowgirls and cowboys."
     "I'd lvoe to hear more about it." said Mirror Misha.
     Michelle changed the subject and her expression to a serious matter. "I can't stay here." she said. "Don't you see that?"
     Mirror Misha pouted. "Well that's part of the problem," she said. "Because I don't know how to send you back. But what I'm worried about is the law I have to follow now."
     Michelle shook her head. "I'm sorry you lost me." she said.
     Mirror Michelle walked over to the other side of the desk and sat on it in front of Michelle. "After the first crossover we were afraid others might come to interfere with events in this universe so it was decided that if it ever happened again we'd have to..." she searched for a word thaat didn't sound to harsh. "Dispose of them."
     "Oh." Michelle said wide eyed.
     Mirror Misha leaned back. "But unlike my X.O. Mr. Foley," she started as she ran her hand through ehr hair. "I've got no taste for violence."
     Michelle nodded. "I know exactly what you mean." she said.
     Mirror Misha sudden;y got into a more vulerable position. "You do, don't you?"
     "I know that you don't wanna kill me." Michelle said. "And you're looking for a good excuse for keeping me alive."
     Mirror Misha bent closer to Michelle's face and another wide smile stratched across her face. "Any ideas?" she asked playfully.
     "My side needs what you have." Michelle said. "A stronger more respected Texas. And if you knew the struggles we've been through, who's to say your side won't influence us this time?"
     "Me?"
     "My side changeed the course of history in your universe and maybe you can do the same for us. MAybe you could teach me what I need to know to become as a good a leader as you."
     Mirror Misha smiles again "That appeals to me."
     "If I can find a way back."
     Misha raised her finger and stroked Michelle's nose. "But I will have to kill your friend."
     "No. Dont kill him." she pleaded. She started to chuckle. "If you knew him, you'd know that he's a stuck-up, pompous, egotistical halfa who's lived a privileged life on my side. Let him see how the other half lives."
     Misha shook her head. "No it's too dangerous." she said.
     Michelle frowned. "Are you in charge of this country or not?" she asked.
     Mirror Misha laughs and places her hand on her chest. "Oh. You know how to manipulate me!"
     "I know how I'd feel in your place." Michelle said. "I wouldn't give a damn what anyone else thought."
     "You're right." Misha breathed. "I don't." Misha bends over her desk and presses a red button to single the guard to come in. "Find this..." she smiled. "Attractive young woman a luxorious apartment. Oh and Misha--could I call you Misha? I'll call for you later." she said as she smiled and chuckled evilly.
     Michelle stood up and left the office with the guard behind her. Her tongue nearly hopped out of her mouth just by having to appeal to her bitter half. "Blech!"