Cloverfield
01-11-2006, 04:00 PM
See the winning fan fic HERE (http://futurama.myfreeforum.org/ftopic629.php)
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GURMAN169
FUTURAMA
For the Love of Our Planet
Gurman169
(Starts off with us Seeing a special news report then Linda and Morbo)
Linda: Hi, I’m Linda (whatever her last name is) and today we have some great news don’t we Morbo.
Morbo: Pathetic Humans and their News, when Morbo’s Planet comes to destroy all humans you won’t be smiling.
Linda: Oh hahahahaha, Morbo your so funny some times.
(Scene Cuts to them all at the meeting table with Professor Farnsworth Standing up.)
Professor: “Horrific News Everyone” I have reason to believe that something big is coming our way.
Fry: That’s what she said.
Leela: Fry shut up, now Professor what makes you believe that something “BIG” is coming towards us.
Professor: Well I was using my smell-o-scope when a peculiar smell came in to view.
Bender: I think the old man fell of his rocking chair, I know I’m a robot an all but I’m pretty something can’t come into view with your noise.
Professor: I did not say that you piece of garbage.
Bender: Yes you did.
Professor: Fine, I’m sick of this, Zoidberg no food for today.
Zoidberg: ( Sounding Sad )ooooooohhhh
Professor: Anyway, where was I.
Bender: The smell-o-scope, the big thing coming our way.
Fry: That’s what she said.
Professor: Oh yes now I remember, It was a smell I’ve never smelt it before something not from around here.
Fry: Did it smell like a big ball of garbage.
Professor: Oh heavens no, and anyway Zoidberg sitting right there.
Zoidberg: When I thought I was down they just keep bringing me lower and lower.
Amy: Professor what could it be.
Professor: I don’t know, I just don’t know.
Commercial Break
(Scene Cuts to Fry, Leela and Bender talking around the Planet Express ship)
Fry: Okay this time I know it the old man has totally lost it.
Leela: No, he hasn’t what if he’s really telling the truth what if this is something that could change the world.
Bender: Well if something does happen, I call the bomb shelter.
Leela: We have a bomb shelter and why was I never informed of this all those times we were in danger and could have gone down there for safety.
Fry: What gives Bender, what gives, where is this shelter anyway?
Bender: It’s behind the empty locker over there. (points to the bunch of lockers and all there names on the lockers except one plain nameless locker.)
Fry: I always wondered what that locker was for, Bender how did you know about the bomb shelter anyway?
Bender: I used to play hide and seek with a friend down there when I was young I wondered what happened to that guy.
(Scene cuts to them Walking into the locker and down stairs when they finally reach this big door.)
Leela: Bender, what’s the combination?
Bender: There is no combination.
Fry: What do you mean?
(Bender hits the wall next to him and door opens up to another bunch of stairs.)
Leela: Wow that’s pretty handy.
(They walk down the stairs to find another Vault type door.)
Leela: Alright what’s the combination.
Bender: 1, 2,3
Leela: So your telling me after all secrets tunnels and secret doors that the combination is 1,2,3.
Bender: Yep
( Leela types in the combination and the door opens and some guy runs out (His name is Bruno))
Bruno: Oh Bender, you finally found me that must have been the longest hide and go seek game ever.
Bender: Oh yeah hide and go seek. (like he’s obviously forgot.)
Fry: Who is this guy?
Bender: Oh this is……(Gets interrupted by Bruno.)
Bruno: Well were best friends of course who do you think I was, Bender wouldn’t be searching for me for years if he wasn’t my best friend.
(Fry looks down as he’s sad)
Fry: Oh, okay.
(Scene cuts to thousands of Ships flying through space with Earth in view.)
Commercial Break
(Scene starts with Fry and Bender sitting on their couch when the turn on the T.V to see a broadcaster getting shot at and explosions everywhere.)
Broadcaster: Alien attack, the Morbonians have come to “take back their king” The Morbonians are saying that their King has been lost for many years.
(Scene Cuts back to the couch)
Leela: (Yelling) Everyone you better get in here
(You see everyone come running into the room)
Amy: What’s going on?
Leela: Alien attack.
Amy: Again that’s like the third one this week.
(Scene cuts back to the T.V.)
Linda: So why are they attacking us?
Broadcaster: They say that they received word that their king was here on earth.
Linda: That’s weird what do think of that Morbo…………….
(Silence)
Linda: Morbo
( Scene Cuts to everyone watching the T.V. )
Leela: Alright, everyone get in the bomb shelter.
Professor: What Bomb shelter?
Bender: You know the one behind the locker.
Professor: That’s not a Bomb Shelter that’s Scruffy’s Janitor Closest.
Leela: What’s with all the secrecy?
Scruffy: Scruffy doesn’t know, kind of makes Scruffy feel like a secret agent.
Fry: Alright Whatever lets go into the Janitor’s Bomb Shelter or whatever it is.
(Scene cuts to everyone running into the Shelter.)
Fry: How come their King has just contacted them now?
Professor: Now I think this is all my fault.
Amy: Professor how could this possible be your fault?
Professor: Well a couple years back someone approached me to make a machine that could send messages to far away distances that a machine has ever been able to be reached. I called it a Distance Machine. Plus, It would take years to reach the Morbonian’s Planet.
Bender: Who was this guy?
Professor: His name was Morbo.
Fry: The Guy from T.V.?
Professor: Yes, that Morbo.
Leela: But I don’t get it, how do you know that Morbo is the Morbonian’s King.
Professor: When ever the Morbonians elect a king his name is change to the name of their species so Morbonian but for short Morbo.
Bender: What are we going to do?
Professor: I’m going to go and save this planet.
Bruno: I’ll help you.
(Everyone starts clapping and yelling)
Professor: Let’s go save planet earth.
(You see the professor walking like and inch per step(Everyone’s still yelling yeah and the longer it takes to reach the door the softer the yelling gets) Finally you see bender pick the professor up and throw him through the door.)
Bender: So what do we do now.
Fry: Anybody up for a game of Monopoly
Everyone: I’m in.
(Scene cuts to Morbo getting ready and packing to leave when he turns on the T.V.)
Broadcaster: The attack is over the Morbonians are retreating.
Morbo: What no this can’t be, No those pathetic Humans. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
(Scene cuts back to the Janitor’s Bomb Sheltor Thing, when there’s a knock on the door.)
Bender: Who is it?
Professor: It’s me you idiot.
(Bender opens the door)
Fry: Did you do it, did you save Earth?
Professor: mmmmmmmm Oh yes know I remember, Yes I did.
Amy: How did you do it?
Professor: Well, first I made another Distance Machine, then I called the Morbonians home planet that their king being on Earth was a misunderstanding and that he was on the planet of Omircron Persei 100 the furthest planet from here. 20 years to be correct.
Fry: Wait where is Bruno.
Professor: Oh Bruno, oh I told him that Bender was playing hide and go seek and that he was hiding on one of the Morbonians ships.
Bender: Oh thank God he was really starting to annoy me.
Fry: Wait so If I got this right the Morbonians are just going to realize it’s a lie after they kill everyone on Omicron Persei 100 and then they will come back and kill everyone on Earth in 20 years.
Professor:I know and by then hopefully I will be dead.
Leela: What about all those innocent People.
Professor:ZZZZZZZZZZZZ(Sleeping)
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JLE1993
Everything for her
Chapter one
Bender powered down as soon as he had entered the apartment, and Fry was left lying on his bed staring at the ceiling, wondering how the hell his life had gotten so bad so quickly. It all started after he finished the opera.
“Damn me and my stupid hands,” cursed Fry with tears in his eyes, “All I had to do was finished the damn opera, but I couldn’t even do that without the Robot Devil’s hands. I am such a loser; no wonder Leela won’t date me.” At the mere though of Leela the tears he had been holding back began to fall freely and the painful memory of that night washed over him.
*Flashback*
Fry finished the opera just like Leela asked him. He set down his holophoner dejectedly and turned to look at her, a solitary figure in an auditorium built for masses, expecting the same look of disgust that everyone else had shown when he gave up the devil’s hands and the musical skills that went with them. All the empty seats seemed to melt away as Fry turned and his heart leapt at what he saw, Leela was smiling. Suddenly the fact that his opera was the biggest flop of the millennia didn’t matter anymore. Leela was smiling at him, showing a smile Fry hadn’t seen since he had the worms.
“Oh Fry, that was so beautiful.” She exclaimed, moving from her seat and onto the stage.
“It would have been better if I still had those hands, I’m sorry if I embarrassed you Leela.”
“You didn’t embarrass me Fry, because even without those hands, to me it was beautiful because it was from the heart.”
“Really?” asked Fry, a faint look of hope crossing his face.
“Really, this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me!”
“Does this mean you still like me, even though the opera was a flop?”
“Of course I still like you, you’re my best friend!”
Friend. The word echoed inside Fry’s head, and the look of hope on his face was quickly replaced with crushing disappointment.
“Are you okay Fry? You look upset all of a sudden.” Asked Leela, genuinely concerned.
“I’m fine, glad you liked the opera. I’ll see you at work okay?” said Fry, his voice hollow. He didn’t trust himself not to break down if he let any emotion into his voice.
“Okay, are you sure you’re alright though, your voice sounds different.”
“I’m fine,” Fry repeated in the same hollow tone.
“Okay then, just remember you can talk to me if you need to. After all, what are friends for?”
Friend, there was that hideous word again.
“Right, friends.” Said Fry, the disappointment creeping into his voice this time.
“Now I know something’s wrong, please tell me Fry, we’re friends.”
That hideous word again, friend. Fry couldn’t take it anymore, he just snapped.
“That IS the problem Leela,” Fry screamed, “we’re FRIENDS!!”
Leela flinched and looked confused, “I thought you liked me!”
“Exactly, I like you too much. FRIENDS ISN’T ENOUGH ANYMORE DAMN IT!!!” he yelled, before he clamped a hand over his mouth and realised what he had said.
“I…I don’t…I mean…Sorry Fry.” Stuttered Leela before she turned and fled the auditorium, leaving Fry alone.
*End Flashback*
“She didn’t have a problem dating me when I had the worms or when I had the Robot Devil’s hands. Why can’t she just like me for who I am, instead of for who she wants me to be. Arrgh, one minute she compliments me and the next she insults me again, she loves my boyish charm but she hates my childishness. I know I’m from the stupid ages damn it, but at least I care, wait no; I love her, which is more that I can say about the rest of the men she’s bedded. ARRRRGH I can’t take this anymore.” Roared Fry, sitting bolt upright in bed, “I’ve told her how I feel time after time, I’ve risked my life for her, saved her from complete jerks, humiliated myself in front of thousands of people, and I’m still not good enough for her. I’m SICK of it.”
Fry got out of bed and slowly counted to ten, trying to calm down. Fry could feel all the pent-up anger and frustration building, all the insults and jibes, all the putdowns and rejections, all the stupid excuses to get out of a date with him, all of it was creeping back to the front of his mind. He rummaged around for a piece of paper and a pen, and he poured out all of his emotions.
“Maybe she’ll finally understand what she’s done to me,” Fry sighed, the anger being replaced with sorrow. “Then again, maybe not, either way, I’m not waiting to get hurt again.”
Fry glanced at the clock, and saw it was 5:30am. He picked up the letter and crept into the front room.
“Bye Bender,” he whispered, even though he knew Bender couldn’t hear. With that, he left the apartment and headed towards Planet Express.
Fry arrived at the PE building at 6:00am, and he let himself in. He knew the door would be open because Hermes liked to start filing requisitions early. Fry walked through the building until he reached Hermes’ office.
“Hey Hermes!” He called as he opened the door. There was a thud as Fry entered and he saw Hermes and an overturned chair on the floor.
“ARGGGH!” screamed Hermes until he realised that it was Fry, “Sweet Zombie Jesus Fry, ya nearly gave me a heart attack, ya pointy haired loony.”
“Good morning to you too.”
“Yeah yeah, what are ya doing here,” Hermes checked his watch and gasped, “three hours early? Sweet Zombie Jesus, what’s wrong, is someone hurt, is…”
“Calm down Hermes, no-one’s hurt. I just need to talk to you before everyone else arrives.”
“What about?”
“There are two reasons. Firstly I need you to give this letter to Leela.” Said Fry, pushing the letter onto Hermes’ desk.
“Why can’t ya give it to her yaself? Ya lazy…”
“Actually, that brings us to the second reason. I quit.”
“WHAT? Don’t joke about something like that mon!”
“For once I’m being serious.”
“N…no, ya’ve got to be joking!”
“For the last time Hermes, I’m not joking, I quit!”
“Y…ya’re serious. Look Fry, I know we haven’t always treated ya the best but can’t we work something out?”
“It’s not the job Hermes, I swear. I just need to get away.”
“Then take a vacation, I can fill out the forms now”
Fry gave a twisted laugh, “That’s a good one, where would I go? I barely have the money to pay my rent. Besides, even if I went on vacation, nothing will have changed.”
“What do ya mean Fry?”
“What I mean is I would still just be some kid from the stupid ages, an unsuccessful delivery boy, and a slob that acts childish. I need a clean break, a chance to prove myself, you know, a chance to actually make something of myself, to grow up. I can’t do any of that here.”
“I…I see, and ya’re sure there’s nothing I can say to change ya mind?”
“Nothing.”
“Okay then mon, I’ll fill out the appropriate forms. I’ll be sorry to see ya go, you brighten up the place a bit, ya know. It’ll be hard to replace you.”
“Thanks Hermes, remember to give Leela the letter.”
“I will, and Fry,”
“Yeah,”
“Goodbye mon, remember that if things don’t work out there’s always a place here for you. I’ll miss ya,” said Hermes, an expression of regret on his face as Fry turned and left.
Chapter two
The clock struck nine and everyone except Fry was in the PE boardroom, even Bender. Leela and Bender were both standing up and were inches apart. Leela’s face was flushed and her hair was slipping from her ponytail.
“Where is he Bender, what have you done to him?!? You’ve never at work BEFORE Fry!!!” screamed Leela.
“I didn’t do ANYTHING to the meatbag; I haven’t even SEEN him since he came home last night looking like his whole world was falling apart. If ANYONE has done ANYTHING to him, it’s YOU!”
“What the HELL do you mean by THAT?!?”
“Exactly what I said eyeball, if he’s upset about ANYTHING it’s because of YOU!!!”
“I never did ANYTHING to hurt Fry!”
Bender let out a cold, mechanical laugh. “You never did anything to hurt him? Why did he come home crying every other night then? I’ll tell you why, it was because you treat him like dirt. You compliment him and insult him in the same breath. You sleep with jerks and when they hurt you, you use Fry as a pick me up! Ha, you never did anything to hurt him; well you can bite my shiny metal ass!”
In a flash Leela had Bender by the throat, “Take it back Bender!” she screeched, as she watched Bender squirm in her grip. She knew that even though she wasn’t able to choke him, due to him being a robot, she was still making him uncomfortable. Hermes decided that now might be a good time to step in.
“Err, Leela, if ya could stop attacking Bender for a minute, I have an important announcement.” He said nervously, eyeing the grip Leela had on Bender’s throat. Leela didn’t let go of Bender but she did look towards Hermes, as did everyone else.
“What is it?” she snapped.
“I saw Fry this morning.”
“WHAT? When, what did he say, where is he? TELL ME!”
“I…I was just about to, I saw him at 6 o’clock this morning. He came in early to tell me that…that he’s quitting.”
“And you LET him go? You LOUSY, NO GOOD BUREAUCRAT!!” Spat Leela. She dropped Bender and advanced towards Hermes.
“I tried t…to stop him but the mon wouldn’t listen. He did leave you a letter though,” said Hermes, backing up and fumbling in his pocket for the letter.
“He what?” asked Leela, suddenly stopping.
“He left you a letter, here.” Said Hermes, passing the letter to Leela.
Dear Leela,
I don’t hate you, I could never hate you. What I hate is the way you reject me time after time, no matter what I do to impress you. I hate the way you always yell at me for all my mistakes and yet you never seem to notice when I get something right. I hate the way that one minute you’re being nice to me and raising my hopes, and the next you’re biting my head off and crushing all my dreams. I hate it when Show you my feelings and you throw them back in my face. I hate it how you’ll sleep with jerks, just because they seem important, yet you won’t even go to dinner with me, even though I care about you more than all those jerks put together. I hate it when you call us friends, because I love you and I have since to first time I met you. Even after all the crap you put me through, I still love you.
But I can’t live like this anymore. Every time I put my heart back together, you come along and shatter it again, and it’s getting harder to pick up the pieces. Every jibe and insult, every dumb excuse and rejection, all of it, it wounds deeper inside then any physical attack, and the pain just keeps getting worse. I’m not sure if I can handle it anymore, or if I even want to try.
You say that we’re friends, but that isn’t enough anymore. I love you and I can’t change that, though god knows I’ve tried. All I wanted was a chance to see if you could love for me, instead of for what you think I should be.
But now it’s too late, everyone has a limit to how much pain and rejection they can take and you’ve just sent me straight past mine. I can’t handle it anymore, and so when you read this, I shall be gone, as I can’t bear being near you, knowing that you never gave our love a chance. I can’t live like this and I’m of trying.
I will love you forever and always, Fry
The colour drained from Leela’s face and she collapsed onto the nearest chair, trembling.
“What’s wrong Leela?” asked Amy, moving over to Leela.
“Bender was right, this is all my fault!” whimpered Leela, sobs racking her body, “I was so scared that he’d leave me and now I’ve forced him away!”
“What do you mean?” Amy gently asked, not wanting to upset Leela.
“R…read this,” Leela said, pushing the letter into Amy’s hands. The room was deathly silent as Amy read the letter.
“Poor Fry, I guess he really did love you, I just can’t believe he would do something like this, he must have been really upset.” Sighed Amy after she finished reading the letter.
“You can say that again. That eyeball turned my meatbag into an emotional wreck. First it was all, ‘Leela’s great’ and ‘I love Leela’, then it was ‘why won’t she date me’ and lately it’s been ‘I must be a real loser’ and ‘I wish I didn’t love her so much, coz it hurts’. It’s been getting worse and worse lately.” Bender interjected.
“Oh my god, why didn’t someone tell me?” said Leela as she started sobbing again.”
“Would it have made any difference?” asked Amy.
“Of course it would. All this time I thought he would be like everyone else, that if I let him close he’d hurt me. If I’d known, then I could have…have, oh what’s the point. I just never thought he’d leave me before I told him, that I…I…” Leela broke off sobbing. Amy tried to comfort her, but Leela just kept on crying.
Chapter 3
Meanwhile….
Fry was getting tired, he’d been wondering around New New York since he’d left Hermes, and he still hadn’t found what he was looking for.
“Lousy signs, never there when you need them” he muttered to himself, getting more lost with every step he took. Fry was beginning to wish he’d never quit Planet Express, until he remembered that if he hadn’t quit he would have to be around Leela. He felt tears prick the back of his eyes at the though of her.
“I wonder if she’s read the letter yet, I wonder if she’s even noticed I’m gone.” He murmured wiping his eyes with the back of his sleeve. Fry being Fry, he carried on walking while he was wiping his eyes, and subsequently he bumped into someone.
“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” barked a stout looking man.
“Err, actually I’m looking for the DOOP recruitment center.” Answered Fry a tad nervously.
“What are you, stupid? You’ve standing in front of it!”
“What, I am?” asked Fry
“Yeah, you are. You’re also standing in my way!”
“Oh right, sorry,” apologised Fry, stepping out of the way.
“Whatever, dork.” Said the man before striding off. Fry turned and looked at the recruitment center in front of him. The building was a simple two storey design, built from the finest titanium and designed to withstand some of the most powerful alien attacks in existence, Fry thought it was quite impressive.
Being careful not to look back in case the urge to chicken out overtook him, Fry quickly walked forward, through the doors marked ‘No Return’, and made a beeline for the reception counter.
“Err, hi, I’d like to sign up to DOOP,” said Fry.
“Desk or field job?” asked a clearly bored receptionist.
“Field, I think,”
“Earth or space?”
“I know this one, err space, definitely space!”
“Congratulations,” announced the receptionist in a bored monotone.
“What for?”
“You’re our five millionth space recruit. You get to skip basic training and instead you get an apprenticeship under Zapp Branigan onboard the Nimbus.”
“Zapp, that jackass is going to teach me, I don’t believe it, we hate each other.”
“Look, you don’t need to accept it if you don’t want to, but stop whining.”
“Oh I’m accepting alright, there’s no-way Leela will go near the Nimbus if she doesn’t have to. When do I start?”
The receptionist smirked, “Right now.”
Suddenly the ground underneath Fry disappeared and he started falling.
Fry landed with a thud on a pile of pillows in a giant underground room.
“Ouch, man that really stings!” complained Fry looking around; there was a loud humming coming from a variety of shiny metal machines that were dotted around the edges of the room. The room was tiled from ceiling to floor in sterilised, white tiles.
“Sorry, I really should add more pillows to that pile.” Apologised a familiar voice from behind.
“Arrgh,” screamed Fry as he spun the face the person talking to him. The voice gasped.
“Fry, what are you doing here?”
“I got picked for the apprenticeship, what are you doing here yourself Kif?”
“I was ordered to pick up the apprentice.”
“Okay, but I warn you, I’m quite heavy.”
“What?”
“Never mind. What happens now then?”
“First I take you on board the Nimbus, and then I ring Amy and let her know that you’re safe.”
“No way Kif, you can’t tell Amy.”
“Why not?”
“Coz if you tell Amy, she’ll tell Leela, and I don’t want Leela to find where I am.”
“I can’t lie to Amy, just because you don’t want to see Leela.”
“You don’t have to lie, just don’t tell the whole truth.”
“I’ll try my best. Now let’s take you to the jackass…I mean to Captain Branigan.”
“Thanks Kif.” Said Fry, as Kif led him out of the room. They took so many corners and twists and turns that Fry thought they were going in a circle.
“Err; you do know were we’re going don’t you Kif?”
“Of course I do, look here we are now,” said Kif, leading Fry through a door. As Fry stepped through the texture of the ground changed, and Fry stepped into a grassy meadow. Sat in the center of the field was the Nimbus, glistening in the sunlight. Fry followed Kif towards the shining beauty and stared in awe.
“I see my new apprentice knows a good ship when he sees one.” Chuckled Zapp, as he came up behind Fry.
Fry span around, “She’s is very beautiful sir, how could anyone not see that she’s a good ship?”
“Ah ha, I like your style soldier, what’s you name?”
“Phillip J Fry, sir”
“That name sounds familiar,”
“That might be because up until recently I worked under Captain Leela,”
“OH, hey I remember, you’re the redhead that keeps interfering with my wooing.”
“Yes sir. That would be right.”
“Then I have one thing to say, now that you’re my apprentice, you keep out or get out.”
“Sir?”
“Don’t interfere. If you have to be around at all, then just watch and learn, understood?”
“Yes sir. When do I start my apprenticeship sir?”
“You already have, oh and welcome aboard the Nimbus.”
“Hey Kif, you got a call!” called a soldier. Kif looked at Fry and Zapp talking and decided that it wouldn’t hurt to leave for a few minutes.
“I’m coming.” He called back, rushing to the phone.
On a screen was Amy, and she looked upset.
“Amy, what’s wrong?”
“Have you seen Fry?” she asked, sounding desperate.
“Err…I can’t tell you.”
“So that’s a yes. Thank God, now I can get Leela to calm down.”
Kif panicked, “NO, you can’t tell Leela that Fry’s here.”
“Splugh, of course I can, she’s been crying since he disappeared and if I tell her he’s not there, she think he’s gone to a suicide booth.”
“Why would she think that, there’re plenty of places he could be?”
“She’s made us search the city, this is her last hope.”
“But Fry doesn’t want her to know.”
“What’s he doing on the Nimbus anyway?”
“He has an apprenticeship under the jackass”
Amy let out a string of catonise curses, “Damn, if I told Leela that she’d go postal.”
“Then don’t tell her, if not for Fry then for me, please?” Kif implored.
Amy swore again, “Fine but you owe me Kiffy,” she said smirking in spite of herself.
“Oh my,”
Part 4
Amy braced herself as she walked into the boardroom; Leela was sitting slumped at the boardroom table, gripping a picture of Fry with shaking hands, sobbing softly. Her eye snapped towards Amy.
“W…well, was h…he there?” she asked, her voice shaking as badly as her hands.
Amy looked down at the floor; she knew that if she looked Leela in the eye she wouldn’t be able to lie.
“Err, the only new news is that Branigan got a new whipping boy, I mean apprentice,” she said carefully, trying not to sound as guilty as she felt, even though it wasn’t a lie it wasn’t the truth either and Amy’s conscience was screaming blue murder .
“Oh,” Leela whispered, “but if he’s not in DOOP then that only leaves a sui…”
“Don’t say it Leela, there plenty of places he could be other then…there.” Cut in Amy, trying not to let Leela get to upset.
“Where Amy? He isn’t in New New York, he doesn’t even have a car let alone a spaceship and he hasn’t joined DOOP!” said Leela, her voice rising in volume and pitch.
“He could have brought a ticket to someplace,” tried Amy hopefully.
“Bender has his wallet,” cried Leela
“Oh,” was all Amy could manage
“He must have used a booth,” whimpered Leela, “God what have I done?”
“You as good as murdered him,” fumed Bender, stepping from the shadows.
“Bender leave her alone, can’t you see she’s upset,” snapped Amy.
“Well she’s not upset enough, not by a long shot. She’s the reason the best buddy I ever had has run off and could be dead.” Bender snapped back
“Bender don’t!” panicked Amy, worried that Bender might do might do something rash, and it’d be all her fault.
“She killed him; I think its time for a few home truths, don’t you?”
“Wait till she’s calmed down, please, she’s already upset enough!”
“SHE’S upset,” roared Bender indignantly, “What about Fry, what about all the times she upset FRY and then made everything out to be his fault, HE was hurting every time she did that but it didn’t stop her, wasn’t Fry upset enough until he did this?”
“Bender, ple…”
“I just wanna hear why? I wanna hear straight from eyeballs mouth why she was so driven to destroy Fry? I wanna hear why she dumped Fry after the opera. Come on Captain Killer, why did you do it?”
Leela looked away, “I don’t know, I was so confused. One minute Fry was a talented musician and the next he was the same dumb old Fry he’s always been. I didn’t know what to do, I panicked,” she said, she had stopped crying and was staring vaguely at the wall, as if she was just remembering.
“You dumped him because he lost the hands. You VICIOUS
LITTLE FLESH PILE. Well listen up CHUMP, Fry loved you, even without those god damn hands. The only useful thing those hands ever did was help Fry show you and the rest of the world just how strongly he felt.”
“I…I…”
“SHUT UP FREAK, I’M NOT FINISHED,” yelled Bender hoisting Leela out of her chair, forcing her to stand up and look at him, causing Leela to filch. “When Fry wrote that opera he put everything that his fleshly human heart felt into it. He had the chance to be famous, but he gave up EVERYTHING, just to save you from having to spend the rest of your selfish, pathetic life married to the Robot Devil and living exactly where you belong, HELL. And HOW did you repay him, by throwing his feelings back in his face and forcing him to this!”
“YOU THINK I DON’T KNOW THAT!” roared Leela, launching into a sweeping spin kick at Benders legs, knocking him off his feet. She then booted the fallen figure half way across the room, causing a massive dent to Benders chest compartment. She ran over to where Bender had landed and started to kick him fast and hard, tears streaming down her face, her kicks getting slower and weaker until she fell to her knees crying harder than she had ever before in her life. Bender slowly raised his dented body up to stand over Leela.
He looked down at her, feeling a pang of sympathy before remembering what she had caused. He turned the sympathy meter onto venom mode.
“Maybe you did know, but you obviously didn’t care until it was too late, did you? Maybe you needed to be told by someone how actually cares about Fry, and don’t you DARE tell me you care.”
“But I did care, I just didn’t know how much until now.”
“You were confused, you didn’t know,” Bender mimicked, “Well I don’t care, you’re a worse idiot then Fry ever was, at least he knew how to treat people. You just build your walls and won’t let anyone who cares near you, you just let in the jerks who use and abuse you, how the hell do you think Fry felt about that, you piece of mutant filth?”
“I…I don’t know,” sobbed Leela.
“I’ll tell you exactly how he felt. He thought he wasn’t good enough for you; ha you’re the one who’s not good enough for him. He though that you only went for the high ranking jerk types. That it wouldn’t matter what he tried, that you would never love him. He tried everything he could, everything. Every single time you rejected him, I had to hear my best friend cry himself to sleep. Do you know something; he even threatened to kill himself to get the worms to leave, just to see if you could love him for who he really was. And you rejected him again, he would have killed himself over a piece of unfeeling trash like you, he already might have. He didn’t leave your side once when you were in a coma, in fact you’d be dead if it wasn’t for him. He’s told you how he feels time after time, he’s risked his life to save you, he’s saved you from complete jerks like Alkazar and Zapp, and for hell’s sake , he even humiliated himself in front of thousands of people, just to finish that damn opera even though he knew he wouldn’t be able to play well. But HE STILL WASN’T GOOD ENOUGH, WAS HE?”
“Bender, please, I don’t want to…”
“I DON’T GIVE A DAMN WHAT YOU WANT! TRUTH HURTS DON’T IT!?!”
“Please!” sobbed Leela.
“STOP CRYING!” shrieked Bender, moving to kick Leela.
“BENDER, STOP!” screamed Amy, running to restrain Bender. He struggled but Amy was using every ounce of strength she had.
“I’LL KILL HER, SHE MURDERED MY BEST FRIEND!”
Amy dragged Bender forcefully from the room, leaving Leela sobbing in a heap.
When they were outside the office building Amy whipped Bender around to face her.
“Calm down Bender, Fry’s not dead.”
“WHA…wait, he’s not dead? How to you know?”
“He’s in DOOP, Kif told me.”
“But you said to Leela that he wasn’t.”
“Actually, I said there was a new apprentice, if you eavesdropped properly.”
“You mean Fry’s the apprentice. Why the hell didn’t you tell her or me for that matter?”
“Fry doesn’t want her to know?”
“I don’t blame him; she’s a cold hearted, selfish, ungrateful…. Look Amy, even if Fry is alive, I blame Leela for him leaving. I’m going home to cool off before I do something Fry’ll regret.” Sighed Bender, walking away leaving Amy to wonder just how much worse things could get.
Part 5
“What do you mean you TOLD Amy, I deliberately asked you not to!” yelled Fry, Kif had just finished telling him about his conversation with Amy.
“I…I tried not to, I swear, I j…just couldn’t lie to Amy,” stammered Kif, shaking as his camouflage reflex kicked in.
“Why not, all you had to say was ‘Fry isn’t here’, but noooo, you had to tell her the truth didn’t you. She’s probably telling Leela right now. I asked you to do one little thing, you’re meant to be my frie…” Fry stopped suddenly, his own voice reminding him of the one he had run away from and Kif reminding him of himself, “Sorry Kif, I just really didn’t want Leela to find where I am, I couldn’t take seeing her again after everything that’s happen,” apologized Fry, sighing deeply.
“T…that’s aright Fry. I am sorry that I told Amy, but I love her too much to lie to her.”
“And she loves you, I’m sure you’ll be very happy together,” said Fry in a hollow voice, his eyes clouded over as he blinked back tears. Kif realised what was wrong immediately.
“I’m sorry Fry; I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Upset, who upset? Not me, I’m hunky-dory. Why would I be upset? Just because everyone else gets to be with who they want.” Said Fry, his voice brimming with pent-up emotion more than his eyes were brimming with tears.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to…”
“STOP APOLOGIZING!” cried Fry, Kif was reminding him of himself again and it hit home hard. “Damn it Kif, stand up for yourself. You’re not me!”
“Huh!”
“I’m not Leela and you’re not me, so stop apologizing to me when you haven’t done anything wrong! Damn it, I joined DOOP to get away for all that!”
“To get away from all what,” came a voice behind Fry, the voice of Zapp Branigan.
“Err, to get away from temptation to slack off?” tried Fry.
“I see, and was Kif temping you,” asked Zapp.
“NO, err I mean no sir, I was talking about before I joined DOOP and I got carried away again, sir.” Said Fry, trying to sound honest
“Ahh, I see. Good to see a soldier with a fire in his belly, maybe you should take note Kif.” Zapp said.
“Actually sir, the same fire you talk about was sparked by watching Kif’s loyal devotion to DOOP and to you, I only hope that one day I can become half the man he is.”
“A stirring speech, no doubt you learned the style from me, you’re a good solider, brave, cunning, just like me!” boasted Zapp, feeling more than a tad of fatherly pride “Come now my young apprentice, we’re about to announce the fact that we’ve declared war on Omicron Persei 8, we’re going to be live on every TV channel on earth.”
“We’ve what?” asked a stunned Fry
“Declared war on Omicron Persei 8, I’m about to make the announcement on TV, and as you are my apprentice, you get to stand next to me and bask in all my brave glory and fame as I get even more famous and glorious.”
“But sir, the last time you tried to attack Omicron Persei 8, we, well we got completely crushed sir, how will losing make us glorious and famous.”
“Ahh, yes, but this time we won’t lose, we have more men to send wave after wave of. Plus there’s the fact I have a secret weapon.”
“What’s that then?”
“YOU! I trained you myself; there is no better soldier or apprentice willing to die for his planet than you.”
“D…d…die, sir?”
“But of course, you will be honoured as my loyal apprentice, who died to save me and I will be famous for being the brave captain that led Earth in a great attack and victory against our most hated enemies.”
“Oh,” managed Fry before collapsing into a dead faint.
“Ahh, he seems a bit nervous, must be the idea of going on live TV with a man as magnificent as me. Wake him up Kif; we’re on live in 10 minutes and war waits for no man, even one as sex-tastily wonderful as me!” Zapp ordered, walking to the bridge of the ship as Kif sighed.
Part 6
Leela was sitting dejectedly in the PE lounge watching ‘All My Circuits’. She wasn’t concentrating on it though, she too busy thinking about what Bender had said, well screamed at her.
Flashback
“He tried everything he could, everything. Every single time you rejected him, I had to hear my best friend cry himself to sleep. Do you know something; he even threatened to kill himself to get the worms to leave, just to see if you could love him for who he really was. And you rejected him again, he would have killed himself over a piece of unfeeling trash like you, he already might have. He didn’t leave your side once when you were in a coma, in fact you’d be dead if it wasn’t for him. He’s told you how he feels time after time, he’s risked his life to save you, he’s saved you from complete jerks like Alkazar and Zapp, and for hell’s sake , he even humiliated himself in front of thousands of people, just to finish that damn opera even though he knew he wouldn’t be able to play well. But HE STILL WASN’T GOOD ENOUGH, WAS HE?”
End Flashback
Leela sighed, it was true, Fry had done all that stuff for her, if not more. And yet, she had still kept rejecting him.
“Just because I couldn’t accept him for who he was,” Leela sighed.
“And you didn’t trust him,” her mind hissed at her.
“What?”
“You thought that he was like every other scumbag that ever bedded you, you thought that if you let him close then he’d leave you when he got bored, that he’d hurt you,”
“No I didn’t! Fry would never hurt me like that,”
“You say that now but you didn’t believe it, I should know, I am your mind after all.”
“SHUT UP,”
“No, you didn’t trust Fry, you thought he wasn’t good enough to trust, it’s your fault he’s dead, you’re a murd…” Leela’s mind started, but was cut off.
“And now we bring you an announcement from DOOP!” said a voice from the TV.”
Leela watched in stunned disbelief as Zapp Branigan walked on stage followed closely by Kif and a red-head.
“Hello everyone! I am here to announce the fact that first thing tomorrow morning we will be going to war against Omicron Persei 8. Now I know that last time they beat us, only due to despicable cheating on their part, but this time we’re ready. We have more men and one in particular. I would like to introduce my apprentice, Phillip J Fry.”
Leela switched off the TV and stood up, fists clenched.
“AMY, GET IN HERE NOW!”
Amy heard Leela shout and sat bolt upright, banging her head against the underside of the PE ship in the process.
“Oh my god, she knows,” Amy gasped. She slowly came out from under the PE ship and stood up. She braced herself as she walked towards the lounge, hoping that she was wrong. One look at Leela’s flushed angry face told she wasn’t.
“W…what’s wrong Leela?” she asked.
“As if you don’t know!” Leela spat
“I…I, what do you mean?” Amy said, attempting to sound shocked and innocent.
“You said Fry wasn’t in DOOP!”
“Actually, I said there was a new apprentice.” corrected Amy.
“Why the hell didn’t you tell me it was Fry? I’ve been feeling guilty because I thought Fry was dead, I’ve been crying my heart out, and you knew he was ALIVE!” screeched Leela, advancing towards Amy.
“I wanted to tell you, I really did,” Amy whimpered, backing up.
“Then why didn’t you? You have 10 seconds. 1-2-3-4-5…”
“Fry didn’t want me to; I swear I would have told you otherwise!” rushed Amy. Leela stopped counting.
“What, why?”
“Kif told me that Fry didn’t want you to know, and I think we both know why.”
“Because I kept rejecting him and he wanted to get away from me. If he’d told me I would have told him to stop being stupid and nothing would have changed. He’d still be getting hurt and I still wouldn’t be sure how I feel about him.” Leela though aloud with a stifled sob.
Amy noticed and after quickly deciding that Leela wasn’t about to attack her, she put her arm around Leela.
“Shh, it’s alright Leela,” Amy comforted.
“No it isn’t! I pushed him away and now he might die in this damn war,” wailed Leela, sobbing into Amy’s shoulder. Amy was shocked.
“War, what war?” asked an astonished Amy.
“The war against Omicron Persei 8! They’re going tomorrow!”
“WHAT!?” yelped Amy, “They’ll be completely obliterated.”
“I know!” Leela cried.
“We’ve got to do something,”
“What can we do? They’re going to war and I’m gonna lose Fry before I’ve got him!” stated Leela with noisy tears rolling down her face. Amy couldn’t handle it, Leela, safe and strong reliable Leela, was breaking down. Amy grabbed Leela’s shoulders and shook her.
“SNAP OUT OF IT LEELA!” she yelled, Leela just hung and shook her head.
“Why bother?” was all she said. Amy let out a string of catonise curses.
“DAMN IT LEELA, DO YOU WANT FRY TO DIE!?!”
“NO!”
“THEN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!”
Leela shook her head again, “What can I do?”
Amy swore again, “I DON’T KNOW, YOU’RE THE CAPTAIN, IF YOU LOVE FRY THEN THINK OF SOMETHING!”
“L…love? You’re right; I think I love him, why didn’t I realise that before?” said Leela perking up.
“Probably because you’ve never been loved like that by a man before Fry and you didn’t know that it wasn’t just an act like the rest of those jerks.”
“How do you know all that?”
“Hey, I spent my whole life dating men; I know a thing or two about love alright.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you,”
“Don’t worry ‘bout it, now what are you gonna do about Fry?”
“I have to tell him how I feel, I love Fry, I lov…”
“Right, but how?” cut in Amy
Leela’s eye sparked at the thought of a challenge, “Leave it to me.”
Part 7
Fry was shaking, his heart was pounding twenty to the dozen and his head was spinning. Zapp was finishing off the declaration of war and Fry was standing next to him, trying not to throw up.
“And so, there’s no need to panic, we have everything under control,” finished Zapp smiling broadly.
“Easy for him to say, he’s gonna be safe on his ship, I’m the one risking my neck” thought Fry, his face paling. He followed Zapp and Kif off stage and collapsed into the nearest chair.
“Are you okay Fry?” asked Kif.
“Not rea…” started Fry only to be cut off by Zapp.
“Of course he’s okay, he’s my apprentice, right Phil,”
“Er yes sir, and the name’s Fry, I don’t like being called Phil,”
“Yes, whatever you say Phil.”
Fry sighed, “What time do we go to war sir?”
“Oh, in about half an hour.”
“WHAT!?! You said we were going to war tomorrow!”
“I know, but if the Omicrons were watching then they’d know, so we’ll go today and surprise them,”
“B…but we’re not ready sir!”
“Of course we are, all we have to do is get to Omicron Persei 8 and send wave after wave of men.”
“But we need more time to prepare,”
“I am the sex-tastily brilliant Captain of this ship, and I say we’re ready.”
“If you say so sir,”
“By the way Phil, I’m sending you in with the first wave to inspire the common soldiers,”
“Excuse me for a minute.”
Fry ran to the nearest toilet and threw up. He dragged himself from the cubicle and washed his face in the basin
“Fry you have a phone call,” came a voice from the corridor.
“Who from,” Fry called back.
“Some chick,” came the reply. Fry was confused, what woman would be calling him. Amy would have called Kif and Leela didn’t know where he was.
“Coming!” yelled Fry, trudging from the toilets, still feeling sick. He arrived at the vidiphone and didn’t bother raising his head to look at the screen, “Phillip J Fry speaking.” Was all he said.
“FRY!” came a voice from the screen
“LEELA! What the hell? How do you know I’m here?” babbled Fry, his head snapping up so he could see the screen.
“I watch TV,” said Leela, in a soft tone that Fry recognised from the opera, before she had broken up with him. He instinctively put up his guard.
“What do you want?” he asked, accusation lacing his voice.
“I wanted to talk to you, to see your face,” Leela whispered in a soothing voice. Fry’s guard rose higher.
“What do you really want Leela?”
“Do you still love me?” Leela asked softly
“WHAT!” yelped Fry.
“Do you still love me?” Leela asked again, in the same, silky soft tone
“Why? Why do you want to know?”
“I just need to know,”
Fry was silent for a minute before replying, “No Leela, I don’t love you anymore,”
“Why not?”
“I used to love you, I did everything I could to make you love me too. Every time I tried, you rejected me. Every rejection shattered my heart, and it hurt like hell having to pick up the pieces. So I gave up, I joined DOOP and I don’t hurt anymore, and I’m not about to start again.”
Leela looked crushed, “But… I…”
“Don’t Leela; I don’t have time for this. I have a war to get ready for and I don’t need you playing about with my feelings anymore,”
“But I love you!”
“Too late!” Was all Fry said as he hung up.
Part 8
Leela stared disbelievingly at the blank vidiphone screen, stunned at Fry’s reaction. A single tear escaped from the prison of her eye, she had been rejected again.
“How did it go Leela,” came a voice from behind her.
“He…he said that…he doesn’t love me anymore!” said Leela. Then the full realisation of what he had said hit her.
Flashback
“I used to love you, I did everything I could to make you love me too. Every time I tried, you rejected me. Every rejection shattered my heart, and it hurt like hell having to pick up the pieces. So I gave up, I joined DOOP and I don’t hurt anymore, and I’m not about to start again.”
End Flashback
“I drove him away, he loved me and I drove him away! What am I gonna do Amy?!” wailed Leela breaking down into a flood of tears. In a flash Amy was at her side.
“Shhh, its okay Leela,” soothed Amy
“No it ISN’T. He loved me but I drove him AWAY. He’s given up on me, I told him I love him but he doesn’t believe me. What am I gonna do!?!”
“I don’t know Leela.” Answered Amy as Leela sobbed.
“I just n…never thought h…he leave me!” bawled Leela. Amy was silent in thought for a moment before answering.
“If Fry doesn’t believe you, then make him.” She said slowly.
“How, how Amy?” asked Leela, frantically grasping at any hope that was left.
“You have to show him that you’re serious, that you’re not just using him like before.”
“Hey I never used…” started Leela before realising Amy was right, “How can I show him that?”
“I don’t kno…” started Amy.
“First you have to find the meatbag,” cut in a voice
“BENDER!” screamed Amy and Leela in shock.
“We know where he is, he’s on the Nimbus, heading towards Omicron Persei 8,” said Leela, slowly backing up.
“You can stop edging away from me eyeball, I’m not gonna attack you. If you know where he is, why aren’t you there too?”
“THAT’S IT, BENDER YOU’RE A GENIUS!” whooped Leela.
“I know I am, what did I say?”
“I’m gonna go to the Nimbus and talk to Fry, so he knows I’m serious!” babbled an excited Leela.
“Err, you two, sorry to burst your bubble, but in case you’ve forgotten, the Nimbus is heading into a war zone, to start a war.
“WHAT?!” hollered Bender.
“It was on the news; DOOP is going to war against Omicron Persei 8 tomorrow.” Said Amy
“Oh your god, Fry’ll be butchered to his base components,” squawked Bender.
“Not if we get to him first!” stated Leela.
“HOW!?!” asked Amy and Bender in disbelief.
“The Professor gave me a spare set of keys to the Planet Express Ship; I was thinking we could borrow it.”
“You mean steal it? I wouldn’t have thought it of you Leela, me maybe but not you.” Said Bender, stunned.
“Borrow, steal, it’s all the same. Now let’s go get Fry!!!” Leela called as she ran to the ship.
Part 9
“How long until we reach Omicron Persei 8 sir?” asked Fry as he strode towards Zapp.
“We’ll arrive in five minutes.” Answered Zapp.
“Good, I’ll organise the first wave.” Said Fry marching to the barracks without stopping or breaking stride.
“RIGHT, listen up. Everyone in the first attack wave get ready now! We have five minutes until we have to kick Omicron butt!” hollered Fry as he pulled on his armour and picked up a selection of guns.
“SIR, YES SIR!” came the reply. The soldiers respected Fry more than they did Zapp, because they knew that Fry was actually going to fight with them, and more than likely die with them.
“If I don’t make it back, I want you all to know that you’ve been like family to me. I came to DOOP because I thought I was in love, but now I know what love is. Love is caring about each other, helping each other succeed, finding each others strengths and seeing past the weaknesses. Know this is love the way I know that I love you all; you are my friends and my family. Now, ARE YOU READY?!”
“SIR, YES FRY!”
“THEN ITS TIME TO KILL WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE, LETS GO!” called out Fry running towards the airlock followed by the soldiers, his family.
As soon as the Nimbus landed, Fry lead the army out to meet the waiting Omicrons. The air was still and silent, both sides sizing each other up. Fry felt a wave of apprehension sweep over him and he shuddered as his looked at the far reaching Omicron army.
“They knew we were coming a day early. Oh, whatever, CHARGE!” yelled Fry charging towards the Omicrons, laser guns blazing, never looking back.
Then the war began. The dry, barren landscape turned moist with the blood of the wounded, dead and dying. Bodies fell thick and fast as the two sides struggled to gain the upper hand. Fry dodged laser blasts while firing blasts of his own. He fired shot after shot, not stopping to see whether or not they hit their targets, to do so would have been suicide. As his friends dropped around him, Fry felt his eyes dampen.
“You’re killing my family! Die you Omicron scum, die, die, DIE!“ Fry cried as he fired off another round, he shot down two Omicrons for every human he saw fall, and yet the Omicrons just kept coming.
The sun rose higher and the air shimmered. Sweat was rolling down Fry back and every other part of his body, he gasped and wheezed for breath as he dodged lasers and weaved through the dead. Omicrons and humans were dropping like flies, yet neither side seemed to give way or gain the upper hand, like a game played to a stalemate with neither side willing to accept it. The reinforcements from the Nimbus were dying nearly as soon as they stepped off the ship, and the Nimbus’ turrets were cutting down both sides. It wasn’t a war anymore, it was a massacre. The sound of screaming drowned out the gunfire. Fry however, heard nothing. All he focused on was killing as many Omicrons as he could.
Fry saw a flash of green over the battle field and looked up distractedly. Then he suddenly felt a stabbing pain and he collapsed onto a mass of bodies in shock. Blood ran down his leg and he screamed in agony as the shock subsided, the pain setting in and increasing tenfold when he looked down and saw a hole going clean through his thigh. A tall Omicron officer stood over his fallen figure and pointed a gun at Fry’s heart.
“Die, you Omicron killing scumbag!” yelled the officer.
He keeled over abruptly while simultaneously firing. Shear agony tore though Fry’s torso as he tried to scream, his mouth filling with blood.
“NOOOOO!” screamed a shrill voice; it was the last thing Fry heard before everything went dark.
Part 10
“NOOOOOOOOO!” screamed Leela as she watched Fry fall. She raced to him and collapsed by his side, “Fry…FRY WAKE UP, no no no, you can’t be dead, don’t die Fry!”
Leela cradled Fry’s head and sobbed, gun blasts roared but the only sound that Leela heard was her heart breaking. She had pushed him away, and now, now that she knew she loved him he was slipping away. The one man who loved her was dying in her arms and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it. She cried hard and her chest ached with an emptiness she had never known was there, maybe it never had been until she realised that someone had loved her and she was going to lose out because of her own pride. She had been duped and hurt so many times that she hadn’t known the real thing. She laid her head upon his chest, wishing that she had realised how much she loved him before now. And then she gasped.
Thud thud thud
Fry’s heart was still beating, he wasn’t dead. Leela dared hope, that maybe, just maybe her shot at the Omicron Officer had been enough to change where the shot had hit. She listened again.
Thud thud thud
She hadn’t imagined it, Fry was alive, his breathe was shallow and his heart beat irregular, but damn it all, Fry was alive!
“Thank god thank god thank god,” murmured Leela.
“HEY EYEBALL, HURRY UP BEFORE WE GET BLASTED!” came the indignant voice of Bender, breaking Leela out of her reverie. She carefully picked up Fry’s unconscious body, and rushed towards the PE ship, ducking and dodging as laser shots whistled over her. She breathlessly boarded the ship.
“Quick Amy, get us to the Nimbus, NOW!” she screeched at Amy, as she rushed to her quarters. Her quarters were larger than everybody else’s and she wanted Fry to be comfortable, unconscious or not, she didn’t want to risk him dying, not when she was beginning to hope that they might have a future together. She laid Fry on her bed and sat in a chair next to it, holding Fry’s hand all the time. She felt the ship rumble as the engines started, and prayed that they’d get to the Nimbus in time.
As the ship took off Bender hurried to talk to Leela.
“How is the skintoob?” he asked cautiously. Nobody really knew it, but Fry had forced Bender to evolve emotions, and right now Bender was extremely worried.
“He’s alive Bender. But if he’s gonna stay that way we have to get him to the Nimbus. It’s the only place close enough to have a shot at saving him,” Leela said, never taking her eye off Fry’s face, which was taking on a slight bluish tinge.
“Right!” said Bender rushing to tell Amy to hurry the hell up, “Oh and Bigboots,” he said stopping suddenly.
“Yeah,”
“Thanks,” he said before hurrying out.
Leela would have been surprised if she hadn’t been so worried about Fry.
“Hold on Fry, we’re gonna save you, you just gotta hold on for me. I know you didn’t believe me but I love you Fry. You’re the first person that hasn’t used me or duped me or hurt me, hell you saved me most of the time. I was just so afraid Fry, afraid that you’d leave me if I let you close. But I pushed you away, didn’t I, I hurt you and in doing so I hurt myself. I forced you away time after time. I don’t want to push you away anymore; I want to be with you. But you have to hold on, don’t leave me Fry, please…” Leela sobbed.
Amy was flying as quickly as she dared when Bender came back in.
“Hurry up rich girl!” Bender yelled.
“I can’t, I’ve never flown any faster than this, I don’t know if I could handle it!” she yelled back.
“Well you better damn well find out. Fry’s dying in there, do you understand that, he’s dying, and getting to the Nimbus in time is our only hope. Damn it, I know you don’t care…”
“That’s not true,” cut in Amy, thinking of her brief relationship with Fry and simultaneously speeding up. The ship strained against the increase but Amy wrestled the controls so that they were on a direct course for the Nimbus, which had retreated as soon as it had dropped off the soldiers.
Soon after, Zapp’s face appeared on screen.
“Ah the lovely Lady L…”
“Shut up Zapp, this isn’t Leela; this is Amy Wong requesting permission to dock.”
“Where is you sex-lusciously amazing captain?”
Amy stiffened, “Leela is tending to an injured solider we managed to rescue, he was shot and seriously injured. He needs medical attention right now!”
“Soldiers come and go, the Zapper remains. Who is it?”
“Fry.”
“Who?”
“Your apprentice you thick-headed numbskull!”
“Phillip, you managed to save Phillip, why didn’t you say so? Hurry up and dock so he can receive medical attention. Hurry!” said a concerned Zapp, signing off.
Amy was shell shocked by the concern Zapp had shown, but she shook her head and bulleted the Ship towards the Nimbus.
“Go tell Leela to get Fry ready, we’re docking in 10 seconds.” Amy commanded Bender, who for once, did what he was told without question.
“Hey, Captain. You might wanna get Fry ready for transport, we’re docking.” Stated Bender, casting a worried glace at Fry before walking out. Leela slowly and very carefully picked up Fry again. She waited until she felt the ship powering down before she walked towards the airlock and onto the Nimbus
“Phillip! PHILLIP! What’s wrong with him, why won’t he answer?!” cried out an alarmed Zapp, staring desperately at Fry, and to everyone’s amazement, completely ignoring Leela.
“He’s been shot, the gun was aimed at his heart but I managed to shoot the person aiming at him so the shot missed.” Explained Leela.
“If it missed, then why isn’t he answering?”
“While the shot missed his heart it still hit him, he’s fading fast,” Leela’s voice broke as she said the last bit.
“You mean he’s dying…No, he can’t, not Phil! Someone take him to the medibay quick.” Yelled Zapp, flapping his arms about in blind panic.
Everyone rushed to the medibay and Doctors crowded around Fry, whisking him away from Leela and putting him into intensive care.
Everyone waited, and then after an hour Amy announced that she was going.
“I’m going to find Kif, waiting here isn’t helping and I need to talk to him,” she said walking out.
“I’m with the rich girl, waiting here isn’t gonna help and I want to find Fry a waking up present.” Announced Bender also walking out. Leela just ignored them and stared painstakingly at the door to intensive care. She’d been forbidden to go inside, and as much as she hated it, she knew she wouldn’t be able to help. She glanced over to Zapp and saw him with his head in his hands, and sounding like he was in tears.
“Why do you care so much?” she asked him.
He looked up, and Leela saw that he was indeed in tears.
“You’ll laugh.”
“No I won’t, I promise.”
“Well, you see he’skindalikethesonIneverhadandIdon’tknowwhattodoa ndI’mscared.” Zapp babbled.
“What?”
“I said he’s kinda like the son I never had and I don’t know what to do and I’m scared.”
“YOU think of Fry like a son? Why?”
“I don’t know, he came and I had to apprentice him and I guess I started to like him.”
Leela was about to say something else when the doctor walked in.
Part 11
The doctor’s face was expressionless as he approached Zapp and Leela.
“I have good news,” he said, “Mr Fry is awake!”
Zapp and Leela broke into near identical smiles.
“Can I see him now?” asked Leela.
“Err, are you Miss Leela?” inquired the doctor nervously.
“Yes, yes I am,”
“Then it might not be such a good idea for you to see him.”
Leela’s smile slipped of her face and was replaced with a confused frown.
“Why not?”
“Because he’s been talking about you for the last five minutes, and none of what he said was good.”
Leela’s frown deepened, “I don’t understand. Look, I need to talk to him, right now!”
“I don’t think…”
“I don’t give a damn what you think, take me to him now!” yelled Leela.
“Fine, if you’ll both…”
“Alone!” cut in Leela.
“Hey!” roared Zapp, “I demand to see my apprentice!”
Leela turned to face Zapp, “Look Zapp, I know you care about Fry, but I need to talk to him first, okay?”
“Kay,” sniffed Zapp, “But hurry up, I want to see him.”
Leela followed the doctor into the Nimbus’ medibay.
“We gave him a private room because of the seriousness of his condition; if you like I’ll leave you alone with him,” said the doctor in monotone.
“Thank you doctor,” replied Leela, slowly creeping into Fry’s room, so she didn’t disturb him.
Fry was sitting up in bed, wearing a hospital gown, and ranting loudly in a half-sob half-indignant rage.
“Damn Leela, it isn’t enough she wrecked my life at Planet Express, nooo, she has to wreck my DOOP career as well. Damn it, now the soldiers won’t respect me, they’ll think I’m a coward like that jackass Branigan. Why the hell couldn’t she just let me die? Does she want to gloat, ‘Look at me, I’m Leela and I’m gonna save your ass whether you want me too or not’,” Fry broke down for a minute, still not noticing Leela, “Those soldiers were my family, I loved them damnit, and now their dead and she had to stop me dying with them! Why does she torture me? If she can’t love me then why can’t she let me die?”
“Because I do love you Fry!” said Leela, stepping into Fry’s view
“Ah, the woman herself. You know Leela, the Devil is the prince of lies, maybe I should have let you be his princess!” spat Fry, turning away.
“I’m not lying to you Fry!”
“Probably lying about that too.”
“Damn it, what do I have to do to prove I’m not lying!”
“Hmmm, how about threatening to kill yourself to get rid of something that makes you better, just to see if I love you for you, or what they made you. How about spelling a love note in the sky and watching it get blown up. What about staying by me for two weeks when I’m in a coma and not getting a thank you. FIND my parents for me. HOW about getting your hopes and dreams crushed, or doing EVERYTHING YOU CAN AND STILL GETTING REJECTED!” roared Fry, facing Leela with years worth of hurt and rejection in his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” apologized Leela softly, looking at her feet guiltily.
“YOU’RE SORRY!! IS THAT IT, AFTER EVERYTHING I WENT THROUGH FOR YOU AND ALL YOU CAN SAY IS SORRY?!?!”
“Yes, all I can say is sorry,”
Fry took a deep breath and counted to ten, “At least give me an explanation. You say you love me, why did you push me away?”
Leela braced herself, “I was scared okay, I thought that if I let you close to me then you’d use me, or hurt me or something. I thought that if high ranking people were jerks then you’d be worse.”
“So you only love me now I have rank and title, jeez…”
“NO! I loved you before, but I didn’t realise how much till I thought I lost you!”
“All those times I said I love you, showed you how much I cared, that I’d never hurt you, you loved me? I don’t believe you; you wouldn’t have pushed me away if you did.”
“Why won’t you understand? I was confused, I’d been hurt so many times that I was being cautious,”
“Cautious enough to jump into Branigan’s bed?”
“That was a MISTAKE, I LOVE YOU DAMNIT! I was confused, I was feeling all these new feelings that I’d never had before, feelings so strong that they scared me! You said you loved me but so many people had said that and been lying that I didn’t recognise the real thing until it was too late. I don’t want to lose you Fry, not when I’m just finding you!” cried Leela with tears streaming down her face. Fry looked away.
“Just leave me alone, I can’t deal with you anymore. You treat me like dirt one minute and gold the next, I couldn’t handle being with you and you changing your mind again.” He said quietly.
“Now who’s not giving our love a chance?” asked Leela softly, the tears falling from her eye thick and fast.
“The chance past, I want to move on now.”
“You can’t! You said in the letter that you’ll love me always and forever, don’t change that,”
“DAMNIT LEELA, Of course I love you, but I refuse to be a pick-me-up or whipping boy. I want someone to love and respect me, and you can’t do that!”
“I can, I swear I can, just give us a chance!”
“I’m sick of giving chances, I took a chance when I gave you my heart and you ripped it up, I can’t take always having to pick up the pieces!”
“But you won’t have to Fry, it’s different now. I know I love you…
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GURMAN169
FUTURAMA
For the Love of Our Planet
Gurman169
(Starts off with us Seeing a special news report then Linda and Morbo)
Linda: Hi, I’m Linda (whatever her last name is) and today we have some great news don’t we Morbo.
Morbo: Pathetic Humans and their News, when Morbo’s Planet comes to destroy all humans you won’t be smiling.
Linda: Oh hahahahaha, Morbo your so funny some times.
(Scene Cuts to them all at the meeting table with Professor Farnsworth Standing up.)
Professor: “Horrific News Everyone” I have reason to believe that something big is coming our way.
Fry: That’s what she said.
Leela: Fry shut up, now Professor what makes you believe that something “BIG” is coming towards us.
Professor: Well I was using my smell-o-scope when a peculiar smell came in to view.
Bender: I think the old man fell of his rocking chair, I know I’m a robot an all but I’m pretty something can’t come into view with your noise.
Professor: I did not say that you piece of garbage.
Bender: Yes you did.
Professor: Fine, I’m sick of this, Zoidberg no food for today.
Zoidberg: ( Sounding Sad )ooooooohhhh
Professor: Anyway, where was I.
Bender: The smell-o-scope, the big thing coming our way.
Fry: That’s what she said.
Professor: Oh yes now I remember, It was a smell I’ve never smelt it before something not from around here.
Fry: Did it smell like a big ball of garbage.
Professor: Oh heavens no, and anyway Zoidberg sitting right there.
Zoidberg: When I thought I was down they just keep bringing me lower and lower.
Amy: Professor what could it be.
Professor: I don’t know, I just don’t know.
Commercial Break
(Scene Cuts to Fry, Leela and Bender talking around the Planet Express ship)
Fry: Okay this time I know it the old man has totally lost it.
Leela: No, he hasn’t what if he’s really telling the truth what if this is something that could change the world.
Bender: Well if something does happen, I call the bomb shelter.
Leela: We have a bomb shelter and why was I never informed of this all those times we were in danger and could have gone down there for safety.
Fry: What gives Bender, what gives, where is this shelter anyway?
Bender: It’s behind the empty locker over there. (points to the bunch of lockers and all there names on the lockers except one plain nameless locker.)
Fry: I always wondered what that locker was for, Bender how did you know about the bomb shelter anyway?
Bender: I used to play hide and seek with a friend down there when I was young I wondered what happened to that guy.
(Scene cuts to them Walking into the locker and down stairs when they finally reach this big door.)
Leela: Bender, what’s the combination?
Bender: There is no combination.
Fry: What do you mean?
(Bender hits the wall next to him and door opens up to another bunch of stairs.)
Leela: Wow that’s pretty handy.
(They walk down the stairs to find another Vault type door.)
Leela: Alright what’s the combination.
Bender: 1, 2,3
Leela: So your telling me after all secrets tunnels and secret doors that the combination is 1,2,3.
Bender: Yep
( Leela types in the combination and the door opens and some guy runs out (His name is Bruno))
Bruno: Oh Bender, you finally found me that must have been the longest hide and go seek game ever.
Bender: Oh yeah hide and go seek. (like he’s obviously forgot.)
Fry: Who is this guy?
Bender: Oh this is……(Gets interrupted by Bruno.)
Bruno: Well were best friends of course who do you think I was, Bender wouldn’t be searching for me for years if he wasn’t my best friend.
(Fry looks down as he’s sad)
Fry: Oh, okay.
(Scene cuts to thousands of Ships flying through space with Earth in view.)
Commercial Break
(Scene starts with Fry and Bender sitting on their couch when the turn on the T.V to see a broadcaster getting shot at and explosions everywhere.)
Broadcaster: Alien attack, the Morbonians have come to “take back their king” The Morbonians are saying that their King has been lost for many years.
(Scene Cuts back to the couch)
Leela: (Yelling) Everyone you better get in here
(You see everyone come running into the room)
Amy: What’s going on?
Leela: Alien attack.
Amy: Again that’s like the third one this week.
(Scene cuts back to the T.V.)
Linda: So why are they attacking us?
Broadcaster: They say that they received word that their king was here on earth.
Linda: That’s weird what do think of that Morbo…………….
(Silence)
Linda: Morbo
( Scene Cuts to everyone watching the T.V. )
Leela: Alright, everyone get in the bomb shelter.
Professor: What Bomb shelter?
Bender: You know the one behind the locker.
Professor: That’s not a Bomb Shelter that’s Scruffy’s Janitor Closest.
Leela: What’s with all the secrecy?
Scruffy: Scruffy doesn’t know, kind of makes Scruffy feel like a secret agent.
Fry: Alright Whatever lets go into the Janitor’s Bomb Shelter or whatever it is.
(Scene cuts to everyone running into the Shelter.)
Fry: How come their King has just contacted them now?
Professor: Now I think this is all my fault.
Amy: Professor how could this possible be your fault?
Professor: Well a couple years back someone approached me to make a machine that could send messages to far away distances that a machine has ever been able to be reached. I called it a Distance Machine. Plus, It would take years to reach the Morbonian’s Planet.
Bender: Who was this guy?
Professor: His name was Morbo.
Fry: The Guy from T.V.?
Professor: Yes, that Morbo.
Leela: But I don’t get it, how do you know that Morbo is the Morbonian’s King.
Professor: When ever the Morbonians elect a king his name is change to the name of their species so Morbonian but for short Morbo.
Bender: What are we going to do?
Professor: I’m going to go and save this planet.
Bruno: I’ll help you.
(Everyone starts clapping and yelling)
Professor: Let’s go save planet earth.
(You see the professor walking like and inch per step(Everyone’s still yelling yeah and the longer it takes to reach the door the softer the yelling gets) Finally you see bender pick the professor up and throw him through the door.)
Bender: So what do we do now.
Fry: Anybody up for a game of Monopoly
Everyone: I’m in.
(Scene cuts to Morbo getting ready and packing to leave when he turns on the T.V.)
Broadcaster: The attack is over the Morbonians are retreating.
Morbo: What no this can’t be, No those pathetic Humans. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
(Scene cuts back to the Janitor’s Bomb Sheltor Thing, when there’s a knock on the door.)
Bender: Who is it?
Professor: It’s me you idiot.
(Bender opens the door)
Fry: Did you do it, did you save Earth?
Professor: mmmmmmmm Oh yes know I remember, Yes I did.
Amy: How did you do it?
Professor: Well, first I made another Distance Machine, then I called the Morbonians home planet that their king being on Earth was a misunderstanding and that he was on the planet of Omircron Persei 100 the furthest planet from here. 20 years to be correct.
Fry: Wait where is Bruno.
Professor: Oh Bruno, oh I told him that Bender was playing hide and go seek and that he was hiding on one of the Morbonians ships.
Bender: Oh thank God he was really starting to annoy me.
Fry: Wait so If I got this right the Morbonians are just going to realize it’s a lie after they kill everyone on Omicron Persei 100 and then they will come back and kill everyone on Earth in 20 years.
Professor:I know and by then hopefully I will be dead.
Leela: What about all those innocent People.
Professor:ZZZZZZZZZZZZ(Sleeping)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JLE1993
Everything for her
Chapter one
Bender powered down as soon as he had entered the apartment, and Fry was left lying on his bed staring at the ceiling, wondering how the hell his life had gotten so bad so quickly. It all started after he finished the opera.
“Damn me and my stupid hands,” cursed Fry with tears in his eyes, “All I had to do was finished the damn opera, but I couldn’t even do that without the Robot Devil’s hands. I am such a loser; no wonder Leela won’t date me.” At the mere though of Leela the tears he had been holding back began to fall freely and the painful memory of that night washed over him.
*Flashback*
Fry finished the opera just like Leela asked him. He set down his holophoner dejectedly and turned to look at her, a solitary figure in an auditorium built for masses, expecting the same look of disgust that everyone else had shown when he gave up the devil’s hands and the musical skills that went with them. All the empty seats seemed to melt away as Fry turned and his heart leapt at what he saw, Leela was smiling. Suddenly the fact that his opera was the biggest flop of the millennia didn’t matter anymore. Leela was smiling at him, showing a smile Fry hadn’t seen since he had the worms.
“Oh Fry, that was so beautiful.” She exclaimed, moving from her seat and onto the stage.
“It would have been better if I still had those hands, I’m sorry if I embarrassed you Leela.”
“You didn’t embarrass me Fry, because even without those hands, to me it was beautiful because it was from the heart.”
“Really?” asked Fry, a faint look of hope crossing his face.
“Really, this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me!”
“Does this mean you still like me, even though the opera was a flop?”
“Of course I still like you, you’re my best friend!”
Friend. The word echoed inside Fry’s head, and the look of hope on his face was quickly replaced with crushing disappointment.
“Are you okay Fry? You look upset all of a sudden.” Asked Leela, genuinely concerned.
“I’m fine, glad you liked the opera. I’ll see you at work okay?” said Fry, his voice hollow. He didn’t trust himself not to break down if he let any emotion into his voice.
“Okay, are you sure you’re alright though, your voice sounds different.”
“I’m fine,” Fry repeated in the same hollow tone.
“Okay then, just remember you can talk to me if you need to. After all, what are friends for?”
Friend, there was that hideous word again.
“Right, friends.” Said Fry, the disappointment creeping into his voice this time.
“Now I know something’s wrong, please tell me Fry, we’re friends.”
That hideous word again, friend. Fry couldn’t take it anymore, he just snapped.
“That IS the problem Leela,” Fry screamed, “we’re FRIENDS!!”
Leela flinched and looked confused, “I thought you liked me!”
“Exactly, I like you too much. FRIENDS ISN’T ENOUGH ANYMORE DAMN IT!!!” he yelled, before he clamped a hand over his mouth and realised what he had said.
“I…I don’t…I mean…Sorry Fry.” Stuttered Leela before she turned and fled the auditorium, leaving Fry alone.
*End Flashback*
“She didn’t have a problem dating me when I had the worms or when I had the Robot Devil’s hands. Why can’t she just like me for who I am, instead of for who she wants me to be. Arrgh, one minute she compliments me and the next she insults me again, she loves my boyish charm but she hates my childishness. I know I’m from the stupid ages damn it, but at least I care, wait no; I love her, which is more that I can say about the rest of the men she’s bedded. ARRRRGH I can’t take this anymore.” Roared Fry, sitting bolt upright in bed, “I’ve told her how I feel time after time, I’ve risked my life for her, saved her from complete jerks, humiliated myself in front of thousands of people, and I’m still not good enough for her. I’m SICK of it.”
Fry got out of bed and slowly counted to ten, trying to calm down. Fry could feel all the pent-up anger and frustration building, all the insults and jibes, all the putdowns and rejections, all the stupid excuses to get out of a date with him, all of it was creeping back to the front of his mind. He rummaged around for a piece of paper and a pen, and he poured out all of his emotions.
“Maybe she’ll finally understand what she’s done to me,” Fry sighed, the anger being replaced with sorrow. “Then again, maybe not, either way, I’m not waiting to get hurt again.”
Fry glanced at the clock, and saw it was 5:30am. He picked up the letter and crept into the front room.
“Bye Bender,” he whispered, even though he knew Bender couldn’t hear. With that, he left the apartment and headed towards Planet Express.
Fry arrived at the PE building at 6:00am, and he let himself in. He knew the door would be open because Hermes liked to start filing requisitions early. Fry walked through the building until he reached Hermes’ office.
“Hey Hermes!” He called as he opened the door. There was a thud as Fry entered and he saw Hermes and an overturned chair on the floor.
“ARGGGH!” screamed Hermes until he realised that it was Fry, “Sweet Zombie Jesus Fry, ya nearly gave me a heart attack, ya pointy haired loony.”
“Good morning to you too.”
“Yeah yeah, what are ya doing here,” Hermes checked his watch and gasped, “three hours early? Sweet Zombie Jesus, what’s wrong, is someone hurt, is…”
“Calm down Hermes, no-one’s hurt. I just need to talk to you before everyone else arrives.”
“What about?”
“There are two reasons. Firstly I need you to give this letter to Leela.” Said Fry, pushing the letter onto Hermes’ desk.
“Why can’t ya give it to her yaself? Ya lazy…”
“Actually, that brings us to the second reason. I quit.”
“WHAT? Don’t joke about something like that mon!”
“For once I’m being serious.”
“N…no, ya’ve got to be joking!”
“For the last time Hermes, I’m not joking, I quit!”
“Y…ya’re serious. Look Fry, I know we haven’t always treated ya the best but can’t we work something out?”
“It’s not the job Hermes, I swear. I just need to get away.”
“Then take a vacation, I can fill out the forms now”
Fry gave a twisted laugh, “That’s a good one, where would I go? I barely have the money to pay my rent. Besides, even if I went on vacation, nothing will have changed.”
“What do ya mean Fry?”
“What I mean is I would still just be some kid from the stupid ages, an unsuccessful delivery boy, and a slob that acts childish. I need a clean break, a chance to prove myself, you know, a chance to actually make something of myself, to grow up. I can’t do any of that here.”
“I…I see, and ya’re sure there’s nothing I can say to change ya mind?”
“Nothing.”
“Okay then mon, I’ll fill out the appropriate forms. I’ll be sorry to see ya go, you brighten up the place a bit, ya know. It’ll be hard to replace you.”
“Thanks Hermes, remember to give Leela the letter.”
“I will, and Fry,”
“Yeah,”
“Goodbye mon, remember that if things don’t work out there’s always a place here for you. I’ll miss ya,” said Hermes, an expression of regret on his face as Fry turned and left.
Chapter two
The clock struck nine and everyone except Fry was in the PE boardroom, even Bender. Leela and Bender were both standing up and were inches apart. Leela’s face was flushed and her hair was slipping from her ponytail.
“Where is he Bender, what have you done to him?!? You’ve never at work BEFORE Fry!!!” screamed Leela.
“I didn’t do ANYTHING to the meatbag; I haven’t even SEEN him since he came home last night looking like his whole world was falling apart. If ANYONE has done ANYTHING to him, it’s YOU!”
“What the HELL do you mean by THAT?!?”
“Exactly what I said eyeball, if he’s upset about ANYTHING it’s because of YOU!!!”
“I never did ANYTHING to hurt Fry!”
Bender let out a cold, mechanical laugh. “You never did anything to hurt him? Why did he come home crying every other night then? I’ll tell you why, it was because you treat him like dirt. You compliment him and insult him in the same breath. You sleep with jerks and when they hurt you, you use Fry as a pick me up! Ha, you never did anything to hurt him; well you can bite my shiny metal ass!”
In a flash Leela had Bender by the throat, “Take it back Bender!” she screeched, as she watched Bender squirm in her grip. She knew that even though she wasn’t able to choke him, due to him being a robot, she was still making him uncomfortable. Hermes decided that now might be a good time to step in.
“Err, Leela, if ya could stop attacking Bender for a minute, I have an important announcement.” He said nervously, eyeing the grip Leela had on Bender’s throat. Leela didn’t let go of Bender but she did look towards Hermes, as did everyone else.
“What is it?” she snapped.
“I saw Fry this morning.”
“WHAT? When, what did he say, where is he? TELL ME!”
“I…I was just about to, I saw him at 6 o’clock this morning. He came in early to tell me that…that he’s quitting.”
“And you LET him go? You LOUSY, NO GOOD BUREAUCRAT!!” Spat Leela. She dropped Bender and advanced towards Hermes.
“I tried t…to stop him but the mon wouldn’t listen. He did leave you a letter though,” said Hermes, backing up and fumbling in his pocket for the letter.
“He what?” asked Leela, suddenly stopping.
“He left you a letter, here.” Said Hermes, passing the letter to Leela.
Dear Leela,
I don’t hate you, I could never hate you. What I hate is the way you reject me time after time, no matter what I do to impress you. I hate the way you always yell at me for all my mistakes and yet you never seem to notice when I get something right. I hate the way that one minute you’re being nice to me and raising my hopes, and the next you’re biting my head off and crushing all my dreams. I hate it when Show you my feelings and you throw them back in my face. I hate it how you’ll sleep with jerks, just because they seem important, yet you won’t even go to dinner with me, even though I care about you more than all those jerks put together. I hate it when you call us friends, because I love you and I have since to first time I met you. Even after all the crap you put me through, I still love you.
But I can’t live like this anymore. Every time I put my heart back together, you come along and shatter it again, and it’s getting harder to pick up the pieces. Every jibe and insult, every dumb excuse and rejection, all of it, it wounds deeper inside then any physical attack, and the pain just keeps getting worse. I’m not sure if I can handle it anymore, or if I even want to try.
You say that we’re friends, but that isn’t enough anymore. I love you and I can’t change that, though god knows I’ve tried. All I wanted was a chance to see if you could love for me, instead of for what you think I should be.
But now it’s too late, everyone has a limit to how much pain and rejection they can take and you’ve just sent me straight past mine. I can’t handle it anymore, and so when you read this, I shall be gone, as I can’t bear being near you, knowing that you never gave our love a chance. I can’t live like this and I’m of trying.
I will love you forever and always, Fry
The colour drained from Leela’s face and she collapsed onto the nearest chair, trembling.
“What’s wrong Leela?” asked Amy, moving over to Leela.
“Bender was right, this is all my fault!” whimpered Leela, sobs racking her body, “I was so scared that he’d leave me and now I’ve forced him away!”
“What do you mean?” Amy gently asked, not wanting to upset Leela.
“R…read this,” Leela said, pushing the letter into Amy’s hands. The room was deathly silent as Amy read the letter.
“Poor Fry, I guess he really did love you, I just can’t believe he would do something like this, he must have been really upset.” Sighed Amy after she finished reading the letter.
“You can say that again. That eyeball turned my meatbag into an emotional wreck. First it was all, ‘Leela’s great’ and ‘I love Leela’, then it was ‘why won’t she date me’ and lately it’s been ‘I must be a real loser’ and ‘I wish I didn’t love her so much, coz it hurts’. It’s been getting worse and worse lately.” Bender interjected.
“Oh my god, why didn’t someone tell me?” said Leela as she started sobbing again.”
“Would it have made any difference?” asked Amy.
“Of course it would. All this time I thought he would be like everyone else, that if I let him close he’d hurt me. If I’d known, then I could have…have, oh what’s the point. I just never thought he’d leave me before I told him, that I…I…” Leela broke off sobbing. Amy tried to comfort her, but Leela just kept on crying.
Chapter 3
Meanwhile….
Fry was getting tired, he’d been wondering around New New York since he’d left Hermes, and he still hadn’t found what he was looking for.
“Lousy signs, never there when you need them” he muttered to himself, getting more lost with every step he took. Fry was beginning to wish he’d never quit Planet Express, until he remembered that if he hadn’t quit he would have to be around Leela. He felt tears prick the back of his eyes at the though of her.
“I wonder if she’s read the letter yet, I wonder if she’s even noticed I’m gone.” He murmured wiping his eyes with the back of his sleeve. Fry being Fry, he carried on walking while he was wiping his eyes, and subsequently he bumped into someone.
“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” barked a stout looking man.
“Err, actually I’m looking for the DOOP recruitment center.” Answered Fry a tad nervously.
“What are you, stupid? You’ve standing in front of it!”
“What, I am?” asked Fry
“Yeah, you are. You’re also standing in my way!”
“Oh right, sorry,” apologised Fry, stepping out of the way.
“Whatever, dork.” Said the man before striding off. Fry turned and looked at the recruitment center in front of him. The building was a simple two storey design, built from the finest titanium and designed to withstand some of the most powerful alien attacks in existence, Fry thought it was quite impressive.
Being careful not to look back in case the urge to chicken out overtook him, Fry quickly walked forward, through the doors marked ‘No Return’, and made a beeline for the reception counter.
“Err, hi, I’d like to sign up to DOOP,” said Fry.
“Desk or field job?” asked a clearly bored receptionist.
“Field, I think,”
“Earth or space?”
“I know this one, err space, definitely space!”
“Congratulations,” announced the receptionist in a bored monotone.
“What for?”
“You’re our five millionth space recruit. You get to skip basic training and instead you get an apprenticeship under Zapp Branigan onboard the Nimbus.”
“Zapp, that jackass is going to teach me, I don’t believe it, we hate each other.”
“Look, you don’t need to accept it if you don’t want to, but stop whining.”
“Oh I’m accepting alright, there’s no-way Leela will go near the Nimbus if she doesn’t have to. When do I start?”
The receptionist smirked, “Right now.”
Suddenly the ground underneath Fry disappeared and he started falling.
Fry landed with a thud on a pile of pillows in a giant underground room.
“Ouch, man that really stings!” complained Fry looking around; there was a loud humming coming from a variety of shiny metal machines that were dotted around the edges of the room. The room was tiled from ceiling to floor in sterilised, white tiles.
“Sorry, I really should add more pillows to that pile.” Apologised a familiar voice from behind.
“Arrgh,” screamed Fry as he spun the face the person talking to him. The voice gasped.
“Fry, what are you doing here?”
“I got picked for the apprenticeship, what are you doing here yourself Kif?”
“I was ordered to pick up the apprentice.”
“Okay, but I warn you, I’m quite heavy.”
“What?”
“Never mind. What happens now then?”
“First I take you on board the Nimbus, and then I ring Amy and let her know that you’re safe.”
“No way Kif, you can’t tell Amy.”
“Why not?”
“Coz if you tell Amy, she’ll tell Leela, and I don’t want Leela to find where I am.”
“I can’t lie to Amy, just because you don’t want to see Leela.”
“You don’t have to lie, just don’t tell the whole truth.”
“I’ll try my best. Now let’s take you to the jackass…I mean to Captain Branigan.”
“Thanks Kif.” Said Fry, as Kif led him out of the room. They took so many corners and twists and turns that Fry thought they were going in a circle.
“Err; you do know were we’re going don’t you Kif?”
“Of course I do, look here we are now,” said Kif, leading Fry through a door. As Fry stepped through the texture of the ground changed, and Fry stepped into a grassy meadow. Sat in the center of the field was the Nimbus, glistening in the sunlight. Fry followed Kif towards the shining beauty and stared in awe.
“I see my new apprentice knows a good ship when he sees one.” Chuckled Zapp, as he came up behind Fry.
Fry span around, “She’s is very beautiful sir, how could anyone not see that she’s a good ship?”
“Ah ha, I like your style soldier, what’s you name?”
“Phillip J Fry, sir”
“That name sounds familiar,”
“That might be because up until recently I worked under Captain Leela,”
“OH, hey I remember, you’re the redhead that keeps interfering with my wooing.”
“Yes sir. That would be right.”
“Then I have one thing to say, now that you’re my apprentice, you keep out or get out.”
“Sir?”
“Don’t interfere. If you have to be around at all, then just watch and learn, understood?”
“Yes sir. When do I start my apprenticeship sir?”
“You already have, oh and welcome aboard the Nimbus.”
“Hey Kif, you got a call!” called a soldier. Kif looked at Fry and Zapp talking and decided that it wouldn’t hurt to leave for a few minutes.
“I’m coming.” He called back, rushing to the phone.
On a screen was Amy, and she looked upset.
“Amy, what’s wrong?”
“Have you seen Fry?” she asked, sounding desperate.
“Err…I can’t tell you.”
“So that’s a yes. Thank God, now I can get Leela to calm down.”
Kif panicked, “NO, you can’t tell Leela that Fry’s here.”
“Splugh, of course I can, she’s been crying since he disappeared and if I tell her he’s not there, she think he’s gone to a suicide booth.”
“Why would she think that, there’re plenty of places he could be?”
“She’s made us search the city, this is her last hope.”
“But Fry doesn’t want her to know.”
“What’s he doing on the Nimbus anyway?”
“He has an apprenticeship under the jackass”
Amy let out a string of catonise curses, “Damn, if I told Leela that she’d go postal.”
“Then don’t tell her, if not for Fry then for me, please?” Kif implored.
Amy swore again, “Fine but you owe me Kiffy,” she said smirking in spite of herself.
“Oh my,”
Part 4
Amy braced herself as she walked into the boardroom; Leela was sitting slumped at the boardroom table, gripping a picture of Fry with shaking hands, sobbing softly. Her eye snapped towards Amy.
“W…well, was h…he there?” she asked, her voice shaking as badly as her hands.
Amy looked down at the floor; she knew that if she looked Leela in the eye she wouldn’t be able to lie.
“Err, the only new news is that Branigan got a new whipping boy, I mean apprentice,” she said carefully, trying not to sound as guilty as she felt, even though it wasn’t a lie it wasn’t the truth either and Amy’s conscience was screaming blue murder .
“Oh,” Leela whispered, “but if he’s not in DOOP then that only leaves a sui…”
“Don’t say it Leela, there plenty of places he could be other then…there.” Cut in Amy, trying not to let Leela get to upset.
“Where Amy? He isn’t in New New York, he doesn’t even have a car let alone a spaceship and he hasn’t joined DOOP!” said Leela, her voice rising in volume and pitch.
“He could have brought a ticket to someplace,” tried Amy hopefully.
“Bender has his wallet,” cried Leela
“Oh,” was all Amy could manage
“He must have used a booth,” whimpered Leela, “God what have I done?”
“You as good as murdered him,” fumed Bender, stepping from the shadows.
“Bender leave her alone, can’t you see she’s upset,” snapped Amy.
“Well she’s not upset enough, not by a long shot. She’s the reason the best buddy I ever had has run off and could be dead.” Bender snapped back
“Bender don’t!” panicked Amy, worried that Bender might do might do something rash, and it’d be all her fault.
“She killed him; I think its time for a few home truths, don’t you?”
“Wait till she’s calmed down, please, she’s already upset enough!”
“SHE’S upset,” roared Bender indignantly, “What about Fry, what about all the times she upset FRY and then made everything out to be his fault, HE was hurting every time she did that but it didn’t stop her, wasn’t Fry upset enough until he did this?”
“Bender, ple…”
“I just wanna hear why? I wanna hear straight from eyeballs mouth why she was so driven to destroy Fry? I wanna hear why she dumped Fry after the opera. Come on Captain Killer, why did you do it?”
Leela looked away, “I don’t know, I was so confused. One minute Fry was a talented musician and the next he was the same dumb old Fry he’s always been. I didn’t know what to do, I panicked,” she said, she had stopped crying and was staring vaguely at the wall, as if she was just remembering.
“You dumped him because he lost the hands. You VICIOUS
LITTLE FLESH PILE. Well listen up CHUMP, Fry loved you, even without those god damn hands. The only useful thing those hands ever did was help Fry show you and the rest of the world just how strongly he felt.”
“I…I…”
“SHUT UP FREAK, I’M NOT FINISHED,” yelled Bender hoisting Leela out of her chair, forcing her to stand up and look at him, causing Leela to filch. “When Fry wrote that opera he put everything that his fleshly human heart felt into it. He had the chance to be famous, but he gave up EVERYTHING, just to save you from having to spend the rest of your selfish, pathetic life married to the Robot Devil and living exactly where you belong, HELL. And HOW did you repay him, by throwing his feelings back in his face and forcing him to this!”
“YOU THINK I DON’T KNOW THAT!” roared Leela, launching into a sweeping spin kick at Benders legs, knocking him off his feet. She then booted the fallen figure half way across the room, causing a massive dent to Benders chest compartment. She ran over to where Bender had landed and started to kick him fast and hard, tears streaming down her face, her kicks getting slower and weaker until she fell to her knees crying harder than she had ever before in her life. Bender slowly raised his dented body up to stand over Leela.
He looked down at her, feeling a pang of sympathy before remembering what she had caused. He turned the sympathy meter onto venom mode.
“Maybe you did know, but you obviously didn’t care until it was too late, did you? Maybe you needed to be told by someone how actually cares about Fry, and don’t you DARE tell me you care.”
“But I did care, I just didn’t know how much until now.”
“You were confused, you didn’t know,” Bender mimicked, “Well I don’t care, you’re a worse idiot then Fry ever was, at least he knew how to treat people. You just build your walls and won’t let anyone who cares near you, you just let in the jerks who use and abuse you, how the hell do you think Fry felt about that, you piece of mutant filth?”
“I…I don’t know,” sobbed Leela.
“I’ll tell you exactly how he felt. He thought he wasn’t good enough for you; ha you’re the one who’s not good enough for him. He though that you only went for the high ranking jerk types. That it wouldn’t matter what he tried, that you would never love him. He tried everything he could, everything. Every single time you rejected him, I had to hear my best friend cry himself to sleep. Do you know something; he even threatened to kill himself to get the worms to leave, just to see if you could love him for who he really was. And you rejected him again, he would have killed himself over a piece of unfeeling trash like you, he already might have. He didn’t leave your side once when you were in a coma, in fact you’d be dead if it wasn’t for him. He’s told you how he feels time after time, he’s risked his life to save you, he’s saved you from complete jerks like Alkazar and Zapp, and for hell’s sake , he even humiliated himself in front of thousands of people, just to finish that damn opera even though he knew he wouldn’t be able to play well. But HE STILL WASN’T GOOD ENOUGH, WAS HE?”
“Bender, please, I don’t want to…”
“I DON’T GIVE A DAMN WHAT YOU WANT! TRUTH HURTS DON’T IT!?!”
“Please!” sobbed Leela.
“STOP CRYING!” shrieked Bender, moving to kick Leela.
“BENDER, STOP!” screamed Amy, running to restrain Bender. He struggled but Amy was using every ounce of strength she had.
“I’LL KILL HER, SHE MURDERED MY BEST FRIEND!”
Amy dragged Bender forcefully from the room, leaving Leela sobbing in a heap.
When they were outside the office building Amy whipped Bender around to face her.
“Calm down Bender, Fry’s not dead.”
“WHA…wait, he’s not dead? How to you know?”
“He’s in DOOP, Kif told me.”
“But you said to Leela that he wasn’t.”
“Actually, I said there was a new apprentice, if you eavesdropped properly.”
“You mean Fry’s the apprentice. Why the hell didn’t you tell her or me for that matter?”
“Fry doesn’t want her to know?”
“I don’t blame him; she’s a cold hearted, selfish, ungrateful…. Look Amy, even if Fry is alive, I blame Leela for him leaving. I’m going home to cool off before I do something Fry’ll regret.” Sighed Bender, walking away leaving Amy to wonder just how much worse things could get.
Part 5
“What do you mean you TOLD Amy, I deliberately asked you not to!” yelled Fry, Kif had just finished telling him about his conversation with Amy.
“I…I tried not to, I swear, I j…just couldn’t lie to Amy,” stammered Kif, shaking as his camouflage reflex kicked in.
“Why not, all you had to say was ‘Fry isn’t here’, but noooo, you had to tell her the truth didn’t you. She’s probably telling Leela right now. I asked you to do one little thing, you’re meant to be my frie…” Fry stopped suddenly, his own voice reminding him of the one he had run away from and Kif reminding him of himself, “Sorry Kif, I just really didn’t want Leela to find where I am, I couldn’t take seeing her again after everything that’s happen,” apologized Fry, sighing deeply.
“T…that’s aright Fry. I am sorry that I told Amy, but I love her too much to lie to her.”
“And she loves you, I’m sure you’ll be very happy together,” said Fry in a hollow voice, his eyes clouded over as he blinked back tears. Kif realised what was wrong immediately.
“I’m sorry Fry; I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Upset, who upset? Not me, I’m hunky-dory. Why would I be upset? Just because everyone else gets to be with who they want.” Said Fry, his voice brimming with pent-up emotion more than his eyes were brimming with tears.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to…”
“STOP APOLOGIZING!” cried Fry, Kif was reminding him of himself again and it hit home hard. “Damn it Kif, stand up for yourself. You’re not me!”
“Huh!”
“I’m not Leela and you’re not me, so stop apologizing to me when you haven’t done anything wrong! Damn it, I joined DOOP to get away for all that!”
“To get away from all what,” came a voice behind Fry, the voice of Zapp Branigan.
“Err, to get away from temptation to slack off?” tried Fry.
“I see, and was Kif temping you,” asked Zapp.
“NO, err I mean no sir, I was talking about before I joined DOOP and I got carried away again, sir.” Said Fry, trying to sound honest
“Ahh, I see. Good to see a soldier with a fire in his belly, maybe you should take note Kif.” Zapp said.
“Actually sir, the same fire you talk about was sparked by watching Kif’s loyal devotion to DOOP and to you, I only hope that one day I can become half the man he is.”
“A stirring speech, no doubt you learned the style from me, you’re a good solider, brave, cunning, just like me!” boasted Zapp, feeling more than a tad of fatherly pride “Come now my young apprentice, we’re about to announce the fact that we’ve declared war on Omicron Persei 8, we’re going to be live on every TV channel on earth.”
“We’ve what?” asked a stunned Fry
“Declared war on Omicron Persei 8, I’m about to make the announcement on TV, and as you are my apprentice, you get to stand next to me and bask in all my brave glory and fame as I get even more famous and glorious.”
“But sir, the last time you tried to attack Omicron Persei 8, we, well we got completely crushed sir, how will losing make us glorious and famous.”
“Ahh, yes, but this time we won’t lose, we have more men to send wave after wave of. Plus there’s the fact I have a secret weapon.”
“What’s that then?”
“YOU! I trained you myself; there is no better soldier or apprentice willing to die for his planet than you.”
“D…d…die, sir?”
“But of course, you will be honoured as my loyal apprentice, who died to save me and I will be famous for being the brave captain that led Earth in a great attack and victory against our most hated enemies.”
“Oh,” managed Fry before collapsing into a dead faint.
“Ahh, he seems a bit nervous, must be the idea of going on live TV with a man as magnificent as me. Wake him up Kif; we’re on live in 10 minutes and war waits for no man, even one as sex-tastily wonderful as me!” Zapp ordered, walking to the bridge of the ship as Kif sighed.
Part 6
Leela was sitting dejectedly in the PE lounge watching ‘All My Circuits’. She wasn’t concentrating on it though, she too busy thinking about what Bender had said, well screamed at her.
Flashback
“He tried everything he could, everything. Every single time you rejected him, I had to hear my best friend cry himself to sleep. Do you know something; he even threatened to kill himself to get the worms to leave, just to see if you could love him for who he really was. And you rejected him again, he would have killed himself over a piece of unfeeling trash like you, he already might have. He didn’t leave your side once when you were in a coma, in fact you’d be dead if it wasn’t for him. He’s told you how he feels time after time, he’s risked his life to save you, he’s saved you from complete jerks like Alkazar and Zapp, and for hell’s sake , he even humiliated himself in front of thousands of people, just to finish that damn opera even though he knew he wouldn’t be able to play well. But HE STILL WASN’T GOOD ENOUGH, WAS HE?”
End Flashback
Leela sighed, it was true, Fry had done all that stuff for her, if not more. And yet, she had still kept rejecting him.
“Just because I couldn’t accept him for who he was,” Leela sighed.
“And you didn’t trust him,” her mind hissed at her.
“What?”
“You thought that he was like every other scumbag that ever bedded you, you thought that if you let him close then he’d leave you when he got bored, that he’d hurt you,”
“No I didn’t! Fry would never hurt me like that,”
“You say that now but you didn’t believe it, I should know, I am your mind after all.”
“SHUT UP,”
“No, you didn’t trust Fry, you thought he wasn’t good enough to trust, it’s your fault he’s dead, you’re a murd…” Leela’s mind started, but was cut off.
“And now we bring you an announcement from DOOP!” said a voice from the TV.”
Leela watched in stunned disbelief as Zapp Branigan walked on stage followed closely by Kif and a red-head.
“Hello everyone! I am here to announce the fact that first thing tomorrow morning we will be going to war against Omicron Persei 8. Now I know that last time they beat us, only due to despicable cheating on their part, but this time we’re ready. We have more men and one in particular. I would like to introduce my apprentice, Phillip J Fry.”
Leela switched off the TV and stood up, fists clenched.
“AMY, GET IN HERE NOW!”
Amy heard Leela shout and sat bolt upright, banging her head against the underside of the PE ship in the process.
“Oh my god, she knows,” Amy gasped. She slowly came out from under the PE ship and stood up. She braced herself as she walked towards the lounge, hoping that she was wrong. One look at Leela’s flushed angry face told she wasn’t.
“W…what’s wrong Leela?” she asked.
“As if you don’t know!” Leela spat
“I…I, what do you mean?” Amy said, attempting to sound shocked and innocent.
“You said Fry wasn’t in DOOP!”
“Actually, I said there was a new apprentice.” corrected Amy.
“Why the hell didn’t you tell me it was Fry? I’ve been feeling guilty because I thought Fry was dead, I’ve been crying my heart out, and you knew he was ALIVE!” screeched Leela, advancing towards Amy.
“I wanted to tell you, I really did,” Amy whimpered, backing up.
“Then why didn’t you? You have 10 seconds. 1-2-3-4-5…”
“Fry didn’t want me to; I swear I would have told you otherwise!” rushed Amy. Leela stopped counting.
“What, why?”
“Kif told me that Fry didn’t want you to know, and I think we both know why.”
“Because I kept rejecting him and he wanted to get away from me. If he’d told me I would have told him to stop being stupid and nothing would have changed. He’d still be getting hurt and I still wouldn’t be sure how I feel about him.” Leela though aloud with a stifled sob.
Amy noticed and after quickly deciding that Leela wasn’t about to attack her, she put her arm around Leela.
“Shh, it’s alright Leela,” Amy comforted.
“No it isn’t! I pushed him away and now he might die in this damn war,” wailed Leela, sobbing into Amy’s shoulder. Amy was shocked.
“War, what war?” asked an astonished Amy.
“The war against Omicron Persei 8! They’re going tomorrow!”
“WHAT!?” yelped Amy, “They’ll be completely obliterated.”
“I know!” Leela cried.
“We’ve got to do something,”
“What can we do? They’re going to war and I’m gonna lose Fry before I’ve got him!” stated Leela with noisy tears rolling down her face. Amy couldn’t handle it, Leela, safe and strong reliable Leela, was breaking down. Amy grabbed Leela’s shoulders and shook her.
“SNAP OUT OF IT LEELA!” she yelled, Leela just hung and shook her head.
“Why bother?” was all she said. Amy let out a string of catonise curses.
“DAMN IT LEELA, DO YOU WANT FRY TO DIE!?!”
“NO!”
“THEN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!”
Leela shook her head again, “What can I do?”
Amy swore again, “I DON’T KNOW, YOU’RE THE CAPTAIN, IF YOU LOVE FRY THEN THINK OF SOMETHING!”
“L…love? You’re right; I think I love him, why didn’t I realise that before?” said Leela perking up.
“Probably because you’ve never been loved like that by a man before Fry and you didn’t know that it wasn’t just an act like the rest of those jerks.”
“How do you know all that?”
“Hey, I spent my whole life dating men; I know a thing or two about love alright.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you,”
“Don’t worry ‘bout it, now what are you gonna do about Fry?”
“I have to tell him how I feel, I love Fry, I lov…”
“Right, but how?” cut in Amy
Leela’s eye sparked at the thought of a challenge, “Leave it to me.”
Part 7
Fry was shaking, his heart was pounding twenty to the dozen and his head was spinning. Zapp was finishing off the declaration of war and Fry was standing next to him, trying not to throw up.
“And so, there’s no need to panic, we have everything under control,” finished Zapp smiling broadly.
“Easy for him to say, he’s gonna be safe on his ship, I’m the one risking my neck” thought Fry, his face paling. He followed Zapp and Kif off stage and collapsed into the nearest chair.
“Are you okay Fry?” asked Kif.
“Not rea…” started Fry only to be cut off by Zapp.
“Of course he’s okay, he’s my apprentice, right Phil,”
“Er yes sir, and the name’s Fry, I don’t like being called Phil,”
“Yes, whatever you say Phil.”
Fry sighed, “What time do we go to war sir?”
“Oh, in about half an hour.”
“WHAT!?! You said we were going to war tomorrow!”
“I know, but if the Omicrons were watching then they’d know, so we’ll go today and surprise them,”
“B…but we’re not ready sir!”
“Of course we are, all we have to do is get to Omicron Persei 8 and send wave after wave of men.”
“But we need more time to prepare,”
“I am the sex-tastily brilliant Captain of this ship, and I say we’re ready.”
“If you say so sir,”
“By the way Phil, I’m sending you in with the first wave to inspire the common soldiers,”
“Excuse me for a minute.”
Fry ran to the nearest toilet and threw up. He dragged himself from the cubicle and washed his face in the basin
“Fry you have a phone call,” came a voice from the corridor.
“Who from,” Fry called back.
“Some chick,” came the reply. Fry was confused, what woman would be calling him. Amy would have called Kif and Leela didn’t know where he was.
“Coming!” yelled Fry, trudging from the toilets, still feeling sick. He arrived at the vidiphone and didn’t bother raising his head to look at the screen, “Phillip J Fry speaking.” Was all he said.
“FRY!” came a voice from the screen
“LEELA! What the hell? How do you know I’m here?” babbled Fry, his head snapping up so he could see the screen.
“I watch TV,” said Leela, in a soft tone that Fry recognised from the opera, before she had broken up with him. He instinctively put up his guard.
“What do you want?” he asked, accusation lacing his voice.
“I wanted to talk to you, to see your face,” Leela whispered in a soothing voice. Fry’s guard rose higher.
“What do you really want Leela?”
“Do you still love me?” Leela asked softly
“WHAT!” yelped Fry.
“Do you still love me?” Leela asked again, in the same, silky soft tone
“Why? Why do you want to know?”
“I just need to know,”
Fry was silent for a minute before replying, “No Leela, I don’t love you anymore,”
“Why not?”
“I used to love you, I did everything I could to make you love me too. Every time I tried, you rejected me. Every rejection shattered my heart, and it hurt like hell having to pick up the pieces. So I gave up, I joined DOOP and I don’t hurt anymore, and I’m not about to start again.”
Leela looked crushed, “But… I…”
“Don’t Leela; I don’t have time for this. I have a war to get ready for and I don’t need you playing about with my feelings anymore,”
“But I love you!”
“Too late!” Was all Fry said as he hung up.
Part 8
Leela stared disbelievingly at the blank vidiphone screen, stunned at Fry’s reaction. A single tear escaped from the prison of her eye, she had been rejected again.
“How did it go Leela,” came a voice from behind her.
“He…he said that…he doesn’t love me anymore!” said Leela. Then the full realisation of what he had said hit her.
Flashback
“I used to love you, I did everything I could to make you love me too. Every time I tried, you rejected me. Every rejection shattered my heart, and it hurt like hell having to pick up the pieces. So I gave up, I joined DOOP and I don’t hurt anymore, and I’m not about to start again.”
End Flashback
“I drove him away, he loved me and I drove him away! What am I gonna do Amy?!” wailed Leela breaking down into a flood of tears. In a flash Amy was at her side.
“Shhh, its okay Leela,” soothed Amy
“No it ISN’T. He loved me but I drove him AWAY. He’s given up on me, I told him I love him but he doesn’t believe me. What am I gonna do!?!”
“I don’t know Leela.” Answered Amy as Leela sobbed.
“I just n…never thought h…he leave me!” bawled Leela. Amy was silent in thought for a moment before answering.
“If Fry doesn’t believe you, then make him.” She said slowly.
“How, how Amy?” asked Leela, frantically grasping at any hope that was left.
“You have to show him that you’re serious, that you’re not just using him like before.”
“Hey I never used…” started Leela before realising Amy was right, “How can I show him that?”
“I don’t kno…” started Amy.
“First you have to find the meatbag,” cut in a voice
“BENDER!” screamed Amy and Leela in shock.
“We know where he is, he’s on the Nimbus, heading towards Omicron Persei 8,” said Leela, slowly backing up.
“You can stop edging away from me eyeball, I’m not gonna attack you. If you know where he is, why aren’t you there too?”
“THAT’S IT, BENDER YOU’RE A GENIUS!” whooped Leela.
“I know I am, what did I say?”
“I’m gonna go to the Nimbus and talk to Fry, so he knows I’m serious!” babbled an excited Leela.
“Err, you two, sorry to burst your bubble, but in case you’ve forgotten, the Nimbus is heading into a war zone, to start a war.
“WHAT?!” hollered Bender.
“It was on the news; DOOP is going to war against Omicron Persei 8 tomorrow.” Said Amy
“Oh your god, Fry’ll be butchered to his base components,” squawked Bender.
“Not if we get to him first!” stated Leela.
“HOW!?!” asked Amy and Bender in disbelief.
“The Professor gave me a spare set of keys to the Planet Express Ship; I was thinking we could borrow it.”
“You mean steal it? I wouldn’t have thought it of you Leela, me maybe but not you.” Said Bender, stunned.
“Borrow, steal, it’s all the same. Now let’s go get Fry!!!” Leela called as she ran to the ship.
Part 9
“How long until we reach Omicron Persei 8 sir?” asked Fry as he strode towards Zapp.
“We’ll arrive in five minutes.” Answered Zapp.
“Good, I’ll organise the first wave.” Said Fry marching to the barracks without stopping or breaking stride.
“RIGHT, listen up. Everyone in the first attack wave get ready now! We have five minutes until we have to kick Omicron butt!” hollered Fry as he pulled on his armour and picked up a selection of guns.
“SIR, YES SIR!” came the reply. The soldiers respected Fry more than they did Zapp, because they knew that Fry was actually going to fight with them, and more than likely die with them.
“If I don’t make it back, I want you all to know that you’ve been like family to me. I came to DOOP because I thought I was in love, but now I know what love is. Love is caring about each other, helping each other succeed, finding each others strengths and seeing past the weaknesses. Know this is love the way I know that I love you all; you are my friends and my family. Now, ARE YOU READY?!”
“SIR, YES FRY!”
“THEN ITS TIME TO KILL WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE, LETS GO!” called out Fry running towards the airlock followed by the soldiers, his family.
As soon as the Nimbus landed, Fry lead the army out to meet the waiting Omicrons. The air was still and silent, both sides sizing each other up. Fry felt a wave of apprehension sweep over him and he shuddered as his looked at the far reaching Omicron army.
“They knew we were coming a day early. Oh, whatever, CHARGE!” yelled Fry charging towards the Omicrons, laser guns blazing, never looking back.
Then the war began. The dry, barren landscape turned moist with the blood of the wounded, dead and dying. Bodies fell thick and fast as the two sides struggled to gain the upper hand. Fry dodged laser blasts while firing blasts of his own. He fired shot after shot, not stopping to see whether or not they hit their targets, to do so would have been suicide. As his friends dropped around him, Fry felt his eyes dampen.
“You’re killing my family! Die you Omicron scum, die, die, DIE!“ Fry cried as he fired off another round, he shot down two Omicrons for every human he saw fall, and yet the Omicrons just kept coming.
The sun rose higher and the air shimmered. Sweat was rolling down Fry back and every other part of his body, he gasped and wheezed for breath as he dodged lasers and weaved through the dead. Omicrons and humans were dropping like flies, yet neither side seemed to give way or gain the upper hand, like a game played to a stalemate with neither side willing to accept it. The reinforcements from the Nimbus were dying nearly as soon as they stepped off the ship, and the Nimbus’ turrets were cutting down both sides. It wasn’t a war anymore, it was a massacre. The sound of screaming drowned out the gunfire. Fry however, heard nothing. All he focused on was killing as many Omicrons as he could.
Fry saw a flash of green over the battle field and looked up distractedly. Then he suddenly felt a stabbing pain and he collapsed onto a mass of bodies in shock. Blood ran down his leg and he screamed in agony as the shock subsided, the pain setting in and increasing tenfold when he looked down and saw a hole going clean through his thigh. A tall Omicron officer stood over his fallen figure and pointed a gun at Fry’s heart.
“Die, you Omicron killing scumbag!” yelled the officer.
He keeled over abruptly while simultaneously firing. Shear agony tore though Fry’s torso as he tried to scream, his mouth filling with blood.
“NOOOOO!” screamed a shrill voice; it was the last thing Fry heard before everything went dark.
Part 10
“NOOOOOOOOO!” screamed Leela as she watched Fry fall. She raced to him and collapsed by his side, “Fry…FRY WAKE UP, no no no, you can’t be dead, don’t die Fry!”
Leela cradled Fry’s head and sobbed, gun blasts roared but the only sound that Leela heard was her heart breaking. She had pushed him away, and now, now that she knew she loved him he was slipping away. The one man who loved her was dying in her arms and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it. She cried hard and her chest ached with an emptiness she had never known was there, maybe it never had been until she realised that someone had loved her and she was going to lose out because of her own pride. She had been duped and hurt so many times that she hadn’t known the real thing. She laid her head upon his chest, wishing that she had realised how much she loved him before now. And then she gasped.
Thud thud thud
Fry’s heart was still beating, he wasn’t dead. Leela dared hope, that maybe, just maybe her shot at the Omicron Officer had been enough to change where the shot had hit. She listened again.
Thud thud thud
She hadn’t imagined it, Fry was alive, his breathe was shallow and his heart beat irregular, but damn it all, Fry was alive!
“Thank god thank god thank god,” murmured Leela.
“HEY EYEBALL, HURRY UP BEFORE WE GET BLASTED!” came the indignant voice of Bender, breaking Leela out of her reverie. She carefully picked up Fry’s unconscious body, and rushed towards the PE ship, ducking and dodging as laser shots whistled over her. She breathlessly boarded the ship.
“Quick Amy, get us to the Nimbus, NOW!” she screeched at Amy, as she rushed to her quarters. Her quarters were larger than everybody else’s and she wanted Fry to be comfortable, unconscious or not, she didn’t want to risk him dying, not when she was beginning to hope that they might have a future together. She laid Fry on her bed and sat in a chair next to it, holding Fry’s hand all the time. She felt the ship rumble as the engines started, and prayed that they’d get to the Nimbus in time.
As the ship took off Bender hurried to talk to Leela.
“How is the skintoob?” he asked cautiously. Nobody really knew it, but Fry had forced Bender to evolve emotions, and right now Bender was extremely worried.
“He’s alive Bender. But if he’s gonna stay that way we have to get him to the Nimbus. It’s the only place close enough to have a shot at saving him,” Leela said, never taking her eye off Fry’s face, which was taking on a slight bluish tinge.
“Right!” said Bender rushing to tell Amy to hurry the hell up, “Oh and Bigboots,” he said stopping suddenly.
“Yeah,”
“Thanks,” he said before hurrying out.
Leela would have been surprised if she hadn’t been so worried about Fry.
“Hold on Fry, we’re gonna save you, you just gotta hold on for me. I know you didn’t believe me but I love you Fry. You’re the first person that hasn’t used me or duped me or hurt me, hell you saved me most of the time. I was just so afraid Fry, afraid that you’d leave me if I let you close. But I pushed you away, didn’t I, I hurt you and in doing so I hurt myself. I forced you away time after time. I don’t want to push you away anymore; I want to be with you. But you have to hold on, don’t leave me Fry, please…” Leela sobbed.
Amy was flying as quickly as she dared when Bender came back in.
“Hurry up rich girl!” Bender yelled.
“I can’t, I’ve never flown any faster than this, I don’t know if I could handle it!” she yelled back.
“Well you better damn well find out. Fry’s dying in there, do you understand that, he’s dying, and getting to the Nimbus in time is our only hope. Damn it, I know you don’t care…”
“That’s not true,” cut in Amy, thinking of her brief relationship with Fry and simultaneously speeding up. The ship strained against the increase but Amy wrestled the controls so that they were on a direct course for the Nimbus, which had retreated as soon as it had dropped off the soldiers.
Soon after, Zapp’s face appeared on screen.
“Ah the lovely Lady L…”
“Shut up Zapp, this isn’t Leela; this is Amy Wong requesting permission to dock.”
“Where is you sex-lusciously amazing captain?”
Amy stiffened, “Leela is tending to an injured solider we managed to rescue, he was shot and seriously injured. He needs medical attention right now!”
“Soldiers come and go, the Zapper remains. Who is it?”
“Fry.”
“Who?”
“Your apprentice you thick-headed numbskull!”
“Phillip, you managed to save Phillip, why didn’t you say so? Hurry up and dock so he can receive medical attention. Hurry!” said a concerned Zapp, signing off.
Amy was shell shocked by the concern Zapp had shown, but she shook her head and bulleted the Ship towards the Nimbus.
“Go tell Leela to get Fry ready, we’re docking in 10 seconds.” Amy commanded Bender, who for once, did what he was told without question.
“Hey, Captain. You might wanna get Fry ready for transport, we’re docking.” Stated Bender, casting a worried glace at Fry before walking out. Leela slowly and very carefully picked up Fry again. She waited until she felt the ship powering down before she walked towards the airlock and onto the Nimbus
“Phillip! PHILLIP! What’s wrong with him, why won’t he answer?!” cried out an alarmed Zapp, staring desperately at Fry, and to everyone’s amazement, completely ignoring Leela.
“He’s been shot, the gun was aimed at his heart but I managed to shoot the person aiming at him so the shot missed.” Explained Leela.
“If it missed, then why isn’t he answering?”
“While the shot missed his heart it still hit him, he’s fading fast,” Leela’s voice broke as she said the last bit.
“You mean he’s dying…No, he can’t, not Phil! Someone take him to the medibay quick.” Yelled Zapp, flapping his arms about in blind panic.
Everyone rushed to the medibay and Doctors crowded around Fry, whisking him away from Leela and putting him into intensive care.
Everyone waited, and then after an hour Amy announced that she was going.
“I’m going to find Kif, waiting here isn’t helping and I need to talk to him,” she said walking out.
“I’m with the rich girl, waiting here isn’t gonna help and I want to find Fry a waking up present.” Announced Bender also walking out. Leela just ignored them and stared painstakingly at the door to intensive care. She’d been forbidden to go inside, and as much as she hated it, she knew she wouldn’t be able to help. She glanced over to Zapp and saw him with his head in his hands, and sounding like he was in tears.
“Why do you care so much?” she asked him.
He looked up, and Leela saw that he was indeed in tears.
“You’ll laugh.”
“No I won’t, I promise.”
“Well, you see he’skindalikethesonIneverhadandIdon’tknowwhattodoa ndI’mscared.” Zapp babbled.
“What?”
“I said he’s kinda like the son I never had and I don’t know what to do and I’m scared.”
“YOU think of Fry like a son? Why?”
“I don’t know, he came and I had to apprentice him and I guess I started to like him.”
Leela was about to say something else when the doctor walked in.
Part 11
The doctor’s face was expressionless as he approached Zapp and Leela.
“I have good news,” he said, “Mr Fry is awake!”
Zapp and Leela broke into near identical smiles.
“Can I see him now?” asked Leela.
“Err, are you Miss Leela?” inquired the doctor nervously.
“Yes, yes I am,”
“Then it might not be such a good idea for you to see him.”
Leela’s smile slipped of her face and was replaced with a confused frown.
“Why not?”
“Because he’s been talking about you for the last five minutes, and none of what he said was good.”
Leela’s frown deepened, “I don’t understand. Look, I need to talk to him, right now!”
“I don’t think…”
“I don’t give a damn what you think, take me to him now!” yelled Leela.
“Fine, if you’ll both…”
“Alone!” cut in Leela.
“Hey!” roared Zapp, “I demand to see my apprentice!”
Leela turned to face Zapp, “Look Zapp, I know you care about Fry, but I need to talk to him first, okay?”
“Kay,” sniffed Zapp, “But hurry up, I want to see him.”
Leela followed the doctor into the Nimbus’ medibay.
“We gave him a private room because of the seriousness of his condition; if you like I’ll leave you alone with him,” said the doctor in monotone.
“Thank you doctor,” replied Leela, slowly creeping into Fry’s room, so she didn’t disturb him.
Fry was sitting up in bed, wearing a hospital gown, and ranting loudly in a half-sob half-indignant rage.
“Damn Leela, it isn’t enough she wrecked my life at Planet Express, nooo, she has to wreck my DOOP career as well. Damn it, now the soldiers won’t respect me, they’ll think I’m a coward like that jackass Branigan. Why the hell couldn’t she just let me die? Does she want to gloat, ‘Look at me, I’m Leela and I’m gonna save your ass whether you want me too or not’,” Fry broke down for a minute, still not noticing Leela, “Those soldiers were my family, I loved them damnit, and now their dead and she had to stop me dying with them! Why does she torture me? If she can’t love me then why can’t she let me die?”
“Because I do love you Fry!” said Leela, stepping into Fry’s view
“Ah, the woman herself. You know Leela, the Devil is the prince of lies, maybe I should have let you be his princess!” spat Fry, turning away.
“I’m not lying to you Fry!”
“Probably lying about that too.”
“Damn it, what do I have to do to prove I’m not lying!”
“Hmmm, how about threatening to kill yourself to get rid of something that makes you better, just to see if I love you for you, or what they made you. How about spelling a love note in the sky and watching it get blown up. What about staying by me for two weeks when I’m in a coma and not getting a thank you. FIND my parents for me. HOW about getting your hopes and dreams crushed, or doing EVERYTHING YOU CAN AND STILL GETTING REJECTED!” roared Fry, facing Leela with years worth of hurt and rejection in his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” apologized Leela softly, looking at her feet guiltily.
“YOU’RE SORRY!! IS THAT IT, AFTER EVERYTHING I WENT THROUGH FOR YOU AND ALL YOU CAN SAY IS SORRY?!?!”
“Yes, all I can say is sorry,”
Fry took a deep breath and counted to ten, “At least give me an explanation. You say you love me, why did you push me away?”
Leela braced herself, “I was scared okay, I thought that if I let you close to me then you’d use me, or hurt me or something. I thought that if high ranking people were jerks then you’d be worse.”
“So you only love me now I have rank and title, jeez…”
“NO! I loved you before, but I didn’t realise how much till I thought I lost you!”
“All those times I said I love you, showed you how much I cared, that I’d never hurt you, you loved me? I don’t believe you; you wouldn’t have pushed me away if you did.”
“Why won’t you understand? I was confused, I’d been hurt so many times that I was being cautious,”
“Cautious enough to jump into Branigan’s bed?”
“That was a MISTAKE, I LOVE YOU DAMNIT! I was confused, I was feeling all these new feelings that I’d never had before, feelings so strong that they scared me! You said you loved me but so many people had said that and been lying that I didn’t recognise the real thing until it was too late. I don’t want to lose you Fry, not when I’m just finding you!” cried Leela with tears streaming down her face. Fry looked away.
“Just leave me alone, I can’t deal with you anymore. You treat me like dirt one minute and gold the next, I couldn’t handle being with you and you changing your mind again.” He said quietly.
“Now who’s not giving our love a chance?” asked Leela softly, the tears falling from her eye thick and fast.
“The chance past, I want to move on now.”
“You can’t! You said in the letter that you’ll love me always and forever, don’t change that,”
“DAMNIT LEELA, Of course I love you, but I refuse to be a pick-me-up or whipping boy. I want someone to love and respect me, and you can’t do that!”
“I can, I swear I can, just give us a chance!”
“I’m sick of giving chances, I took a chance when I gave you my heart and you ripped it up, I can’t take always having to pick up the pieces!”
“But you won’t have to Fry, it’s different now. I know I love you…