Exodus
By Mardrena
A young Nobeyl with dark green beard and eyebrows discreetly ducked out of an airlock hatch and back into a hall. Outside the hull of Nsenagvvik, a tiny blinking module floated away silently before shooting off in a thin streak of light. The Noble sighed in relief and walked down the hall, composing himself. He rounded the corner and almost back-pedaled a step when he found the hallway blocked off by a dozen or more obsidian-armored shock troops. Bru Ranir, second-in-command to Mal Daggur, the Thunthen Supreme High Overlord, stood infront of the guards. He regarded the young Nobeyl with a level gaze. The young Nobeyl wrinkled his dark green eyebrows meekly, feigning innocence. "Is my assistance required?" he asked calmly.
Bru Ranir stared at the young Nobeyl for several seconds. "You've been busy," he purred sinisterly, and right then, the young informant's heart fell. He knew he'd been exposed. The guards raised their phergon rifles and took aim. The informant inhaled deeply in resignation and raised his hands in surrender. He would be killed on sight, of course. There would be no tribunal for him. He had no regrets, however, save that he would not live long enough to see peace restored between Planets Earth, Thunthen, and Thanged.
"on…on…on the contrary!" The young Nobeyl whirled around when he heard the voice that started out with a soft triple echo that melted into a booming roar. His eyes widened in horror upon seeing the regal pale-skinned dark-haired woman clad in elegant robes wearing a crown of star ornaments. She seized him with her glare: black irises and glowing green pupils. "YOU'LL LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO SUFFER!" Her voice, like the crack of thunder, rang through his skull with the sight of the Empress of Night being his last living memory.
Nsenagvvik drifted onward quietly, nothing leaking through the hull, not even a scream.
Ryo entered the comm. room and waited by the doorway. "Bak, you said you wanted to see me?" Bak Thraplek glanced over his shoulder from where he stood supervising the technicians Miz Paufan and Ita Tarmvun. Bak walked towards Ryo, glancing over his shoulder almost worriedly. He didn't say anything right away, waiting until he walked up directly infront of Ryo, leaning down towards him. Ryo could see his bluish eyebrows wrinkled in worry.
"I've lost contact with my informants in the fleet," Bak said in a hushed whisper, his voice tinged with anxiety. Ryo said nothing for a few seconds, digesting the news.
"Do you think they were found out?"
"Ryo, these are agents trained from the moment of hatching to conceal their true natures. They've operated for cycles undetected until now."
"Well, maybe one of them decided to turn snitch?"
"I'd hate to think so poorly of any of them. We all swore on Roth's Name, and one does not invoke the Queen of Triumph lightly. There is one small grace, however…" Bak reached to the side and pulled something out from under his shell. "This is the last message I received," he said and held up one of the small "carrier pigeon" devices. "These are the clearance codes for Mal Daggur's personal fleet. Should it appear that he will attempt to fire the Vyerrdeklagn, an individual can use these to bring Raider within striking distance of the Maw of Flame."
"I can guess who that 'individual' might be," Ryo said with a brief smirk.
"Such an occasion might arise sooner than you think. First I must ask; how aware are you of the goings on in other nations?" Bak asked abruptly.
"What do you mean?" Ryo raised an eyebrow, puzzled. Bak grimaced and shrugged.
"Current events," he elaborated.
"We've kind of got a lot on our plate," Ryo replied, frowning. Bak nodded understandingly.
"I gathered as much. I was recently approached by Sage, who raised concerns about the lack of recent large-scale activity by both Mal Daggur and Ouagli's forces. He suspected a secretive plot and worked in concert with young Crystal Hacker to utilize the ORACLE system to detect any potential threats. ORACLE has proven itself time and again a cunning program and Crystal used it to peer into the security agencies of other nations." Ryo's jaw dropped at that announcement but before he could blurt out an objection, Bak continued.
"Most incidents involved relatively minor skirmishes in the grand scheme of things, proxies vying for supremacy…one individual, however, raised several red flags," Bak turned around and walked back towards the console, leaving Ryo no choice but to follow. The main screen looked cluttered with various maps and news articles and the smaller side screens showed images of an otherwise nondescript young man whose wild-looking eyes betrayed an unmatched depravity.
"His name is listed as Dimitri Patrov, a native of Russia with a long history of violent acts that have escalated recently. He has cut a swathe through northern Asian nations, sowing terror and seemingly unstoppable. Most recently he somehow managed to steal a weapon of immense power from a government installation and escaped with it."
"…And this concerns us…how?" Ryo shrugged, mildly puzzled. Bak turned to the side and leaned down again, looking agitated.
"Because all indications show he is headed this way."
Ryo had called an emergency meeting in the comm. room at a particularly late hour, wresting most of the Ronin from sleep. Tanya stood next to Cale but rest her head against his shoulder, snoozing. Cale tried to elbow her awake but her alertness only lasted a few seconds before she dozed off again. Aside from the ten Ronin, the mystics Kayura, Michelle, and Shannon also gathered in the room. Ita and Miz remained at their seats poring through data and Bak stood solemnly off to the side. Crystal Hacker had pulled up a chair next to Ita and held her personal laptop, FLEA, propped up on the console. Sage paced behind the three of them, looking grim.
"Say hello to Dimitri Patrov, formerly a no-name clinically insane terrorist, he's recently skyrocketed to the top of the most wanted list of every major intelligence agency across the globe. He had been under lock and key in a Russian prison, but staged an escape and pulled off an even crazier stunt: stealing a nuke from one of their bases," Sage explained. "I asked Crystal to pull up any data on him so we could establish a pattern-"
"Hold up! I didn't authorize any of this-!" Ryo sputtered angrily.
"Quit being so melodramatic Ryo. In the time it took for us to assemble here, he already arrived in town," Sage shot back. A startled gasp rippled through the room as Crystal pulled up surveillance footage of the crazed man weaving his way through a subway platform. He carried an innocent-looking metal suitcase with him, and hapless train personnel let him go on his way.
"I thought this just happened today…you're telling me he got here that fast? Not only that, how'd he pull off such a crazy stunt? I've heard about those places, they're guarded air-tight. No way such a scrawny guy could've done this on his own," Cye argued. Sage looked over his shoulder at Crystal again, who nodded and pulled up grainy footage on the main screen. Soldiers yelled in a coarse language and sheeting snow obscured what looked like a military installation. An armored jeep sped out onto a driveway, pursued by soldiers firing guns. As the military vehicles closed in, the ground shook, the camera jolted, and a looming shape erupted from the ground. Even through a blizzard, there was no mistaking the outline of a Nether Gate as the erratic jeep being driven by Patrov absconding with his prize darted straight through the yawning doors. Crystal paused the footage and Sage looked back at the other Ronin.
"That answer your question?" he scowled. Ryo seemed at a loss for words. "I began suspecting Talpa might have something major planned after that attack by the fearix failed. Mal Daggur's been able to match him in air superiority, but Talpa knows the worst of humanity inside out. He's used our own weapons against us before, and he's preparing to do it again."
"B-but why here? Why bring a freaking nuke all the way here?" Kento croaked incredulously.
"Why not? Think of this from a strategic standpoint. If such a device were to detonate, not only would it damage the entire city, but surrounding cities would be thrown into disarray. While the government struggles to contain the situation, Talpa can establish the foothold he has coveted for so long, that has escaped him thus far. The damage dealt would be incalculable: those not killed instantly would be no doubt captured and harvested," Anubis explained. "The Dynasty's supply of Nether Spirits has dwindled severely as of late, leaving Talpa unable to successfully deploy a Nether Bomb. This would deliver as devastating an effect at a fraction of the cost."
"That's assuming Patrov detonates the device above ground, but it seems he has other plans," Bak drawled. Sure enough, none of the security cameras arrayed around the subway train Patrov had boarded showed him getting off at any point. "These systems of yours course all throughout the city. He could have easily found a way to access older, deeper systems or even natural caves. Were such a detonation to occur beneath the surface…" Bak leaned over to the console and called up a simulation of the city. A large flash erupted from deep underground and the buildings on the surface collapsed, toppling against one another in a shallow crater.
"We have to find this guy! Hunt him down! WILDCAT can sniff him out, can't she?"
"Blackblaze can track him through the shadows!"
"No…" Sehkmet and Cale paused in exchanging ideas and everyone looked at Ryo. "…We have no choice…we have to evacuate the city!" he stated firmly.
"The entire city? That didn't work out so well the last time," Rowen commented, remembering how too much of the populace had lingered haplessly at the start of the First Dynasty War. Even during the siege of the Ramahatesguad, more people had been inclined to watch the battle unfold than head for the hills. "People wouldn't just up and leave, least of all in an orderly fashion. We're talking millions of people here!"
"I have a plan to provide ample…'incentive' to drive out the civilian population, using the Argonauth. The Christmas Gala demonstrated it is fully capable of maintaining altitude for extended periods of time. However, with such a populous city, the ensuing chaos will prove difficult. This will require efforts on behalf of all of us…each and every one," Bak looked about those gathered. "I will assign my crew to assist. We should raise the Northern Garrison as well. Members of the Neo Ronin and their families can be housed in the residential hall if need be. The projected blast radius in the worst case scenario is twenty miles. Here we should be safe…"
"Sounds good, Bak. Everyone will be assigned sections of the city to clear out. Shannon, you should go to Shinasha Memorial and check up on your dad. He might need help evacuating patients," Ryo said to Shannon, who nodded numbly, still trying to digest the dire situation.
"Ryo, there is a spell we could channel to pull out a portion of the population in case of emergency, but it would take all three of us," Kayura interjected.
"The hospital uses choppers to airlift critical patients out of the city. I'll help Dad until they're safe then come back to join you," Shannon offered.
"Crystal, contact Emma, Conan, Colby, Edward, and the rest of the JJDS. Archie and Pauline should be safe where they are," Ryo said to Crystal, who nodded firmly. "Anubis, you'll be on a different assignment with the Raider. Dais, you'll be helping him too."
"This should prove interesting," Anubis chuckled merrily while Dais harrumphed irritably.
"We might only have a few hours at best. Everyone, do what you can to make sure the entire city is absolutely clear-" Without warning, all of the side screens turned black and a time clock appeared. In the background they could barely make out the silhouette of Talpa's flying fortress. Ryo glanced at each monitor, wrinkling his brow in confusion. "…What's this?"
"I'm not…entirely sure…I'm picking this up from local stations, its overriding their broadcasts," Miz muttered as he performed an analysis. The time displayed flickered and changed to 24:00 then began ticking down. A groan of dismay rippled through those gathered.
"Well at least he's being considerate giving us a timetable…" Cale grumbled.
"Sage, I'll let you coordinate the evacuation teams since you found out about this first." Sage nodded solemnly in agreement. "Bak," Ryo turned to face the Thunthen captain, narrowing his eyes in determination. "I need you to show me how to disarm a bomb."
Citizens of Toyama went about their lives as they normally did from day to day. Some of them paused and looked to the sky when they thought they heard a distant rumbling whistle. Overcast hung low, but the clouds seemed to roil and peel away as an immense black object descended from on high. The populace gazed in awe at the polished black hull that emerged.
"I'm really not sure this is the best use of my talents…" Miz whined as he straightened the articles of his costume. He looked as if he could attend an anime convention cosplaying as Plaedarr Bloodhun. "Wouldn't someone like Rgn or Koi be better suited?" Miz argued as he fumbled with the eye patch, unable to decide which eye to cover.
"They will be participating in evacuation efforts. You are the most expendable, and therefore, the most qualified," Naz Dassyr snorted as he calibrated equipment in the main bridge.
"Thanks…I think… But, what do I do? I'm the least scary Common there is!" Naz growled and took a step towards Miz, cocking his fist threateningly.
"Now now, there's no need for that!" Michelle Lonely Coyote intervened and waved her hands at Naz, who relented and went back to work. "Um, Miz. Look, I know you like watching TV a lot," Michelle began gently. Miz tensed up, looking guilty. "You just have to be creative. You're very intelligent and resourceful for someone so small." Miz blinked, bashful at first, but cocked his head slightly, preening at the praise. "Listen, there's three races of you guys, right? Well, there's three races of humans too, but at our hearts, we're all the same. So, if there can be a little Common inside a Noble, then there's a little Noble inside of you. You just have to reach deep down and get in touch with your inner Noble," she encouraged and clenched her fists together close to her chest. Naz glanced at her out the corner of his eye, uncertain whether to feel incensed or amused. Miz put an index claw to his chin as he dwelled on her insight.
The Argonauth descended below the cloud line and came to a stop looming menacingly above downtown, as long and wide as an upended skyscraper. People crowded the streets and pointed, some even snapping pictures wondering if this was a publicity stunt or military exercise. Light flashed above the deck of the air platform and a projection appeared in the sky of a wiry draconian being clad in black leather and wielding a nasty-looking rifle.
"AVAST YE!" the projection bellowed. "LONG HAVE I TRAVELLED THE SEVEN SOLAR SYSTEMS! ABANDON YER HOMES! FLEE, FLEE FOR YER LIVES, LEST YE FEEL ME FURY!" Miz's projection swept his arm to one side and lashed his tail.
"Wow…he's really laying it on thick," Kayura commented from the rail of the deck. She frowned when she spotted several objects approaching from the distance fast. "Ohh this never ends well…" she grumbled and rolled her eyes at the sight of military defense jets.
Targeting reticules aligned over the menacing humanoid dragon as it turned to face them. "THINK YE CAN PULL THA WOOL OVER ME EYES! ARTILLERY TURRETS, DEPLOY!" Miz shouted and stabbed a claw at the squadron angrily.
Rectangular hatches popped away from the Argonauth's hull and steam seeped out from within. Inside the bridge, Naz worked the command controls. Argonauth's assault turrets had never been actively deployed before, being mostly unfinished at first, and while they could not actually fire…the military didn't need to know that. Segmented limbs extended from inside the hull and the turret heads swiveled around and pointed at the squadron. From the front, the Argonauth had the appearance of a menacing spider with legs splayed.
"…yeah that's not happening…" the lead pilot of the squadron muttered and signaled for the jets to break away and retreat. Upon seeing the defense force jets flee, the citizens panicked.
"FORSAKE YER PETTY TREASURES AND FLEE WITH YER LIVES WHILE YE STILL HAVE THA CHANCE!" Miz growled in his scariest voice possible. Civilians scrambled for their cars and took to the streets hurriedly. They hastily packed clothes and smaller provisions. A senior officer and his younger partner did what they could to keep things orderly on their corner of the city. A TV reporter and her two crewmembers recorded footage of the alien ship and the titanic-looking draconid threatening the city. A city councilman nearly spat out his coffee when he peered out from his high-rise apartment to see a dragon-pirate threatening the populace from the deck of what looked like a flying naval aircraft carrier. Ms. Yui, who had counseled Ryo before Ryu's birth, looked up at the sky and decided it would be a good idea to cancel all of her appointments for the foreseeable future.
"Ey, Ian!" Ian Holmes looked over his shoulder from stuffing a briefcase into the trunk of his car when he saw another vehicle pull up to the curb. "Ya'll need help?" Jeremy Hacker asked as he leaned out the driver's side window. The passenger door opened and Crystal skipped over to help Harry with carrying another suitcase.
"Nah, we're packing light. Just a change of clothes and some of the boy's things. Chester offered us room at his farm. I asked him if he could use an engineer, he asked me if I knew how to fix a well pump. Not exactly my field of expertise but I'll take whatever I can get," Ian chuckled heartily. "What about you?" he asked as walked over to Jeremy's car.
"Crystal an' I are headin' to the airport to catch a flight out o' here while we still can."
"You're going away?!" Harlann whined and ran over to Crystal.
"Aww, I'm sorry boo, but I have to! My auntie gets real upset when there's trouble." Crystal cooed and patted Harlann on the head. He pouted in dismay, looking ready to cry. "Look, Ryo said he'd have someone port me back in a jiffy if there's a fight, so I'll still see ya."
"You know they got some spare rooms in that underground base of theirs. Emma, Conan, Colby, Davie, and Edward moved on in while Archie and his mom are staying with Hashiba's girl in her cabin," Ian mentioned and pointed a finger over his shoulder.
"Ehh, I know, but my sister o'er in Louisiana threw a fuss when she saw the news. Plus I figure we haven't visited in a good long while. You all stay safe now. Crystal, let's go!"
"Don't get yourself into trouble without me, alright boo?" Crystal hugged Harlann briefly before turning to face Harry. "Harry, I gots a real bad feeling about all this…"
"I know what you mean…" Harry looked over his shoulder at the news choppers circling above at a distance from the looming air platform. "Like the city's not gonna be the same again."
"We'll do this in waves," Sage began as he took a red felt tip marker and drew lines out from the center of a map of the city. Seven of the Ronin Warriors along with Chi Chi Lina, Azuro and Bak Thraplek gathered in the room to listen to the briefing. "Anubis won't be assisting right away, but Dais should rejoin us after he finishes his part of the plan with Raider. Ryo is going to to after Patrov himself." Tanya opened her mouth to voice an objection along with several expletives. "Worst case scenario, he has the best chance of survival with his affinity to fire. Have faith in him," Sage reminded, and Tanya quieted down, still uncomfortable with the decision. "The seven of us will take the first wave. Already the highways out of Toyama are clogged to the gills, but if we can get the populace outside of the detonation zone they'll be relatively safe.
"Azuro and the Thangien garrison will take the second wave. Their Pegasi can ferry multiple people safely with their group-teleport ability, but they'll only be able to do so much," Sage added, drawing green arrows between the red lines. "Bak and his crew will take the third wave and assist any stragglers or invalids, and there's bound to be more than a few…"
"Shouldn't we include the Neo Ronin in this? We're going to need all the bodies we can get, right?" Cye argued. Rowen shook his head firmly.
"Negative on that. Ryo doesn't want them anywhere near the detonation zone. They don't have full armors like we do. They already got their hands full assisting their families."
"Thanks to Miz's convincing performance, the military's been called in to keep order on the highways and funnel people into neighboring cities, so they'll be out of our hair for the most part. It falls to us now to make sure not a single human soul falls into Talpa's hands. Everyone has their assignment now. Let's go, and good luck," Sage finished and nodded. Those gathered filed out of the conference room, but Sage looked over his shoulder back at the map, scowling.
"I know I can't stop you from flying off and helping people evacuate, but I want you to stay safe and know that your father and I both love you very much," Mrs. Yamano said firmly. Outside the garage, Mr. Yamano had the car partially parked on the curb while neighbors frantically packed and filed out of the suburb. Yulie stood alongside White Wind in the shadows of the garage as not to be seen. A laundry basket seemingly full of clothes shifted and Whisker poked her head out, curious about all the fuss. Mr. Yamano hissed and pushed her head back down under the clothes. "You. You look after my son, alright? Don't let anything happen to him!" Mrs. Yamano placed her hands on White Wind's cheek plates and leaned close to him.
You have nothing to be afraid about, Mrs. Yamano. I won't let him out of my sight. White Wind burbled and nodded slightly. Mrs. Yamano wiped tears from her face and stepped away.
"We'll meet up with you at the summer house. Goodbye Mom, Pop…" Yulie whispered and smiled, tearfully watching as his mother got into the car and they drove away down the street. Those people living in the immediate vicinity had already cleared out, so no one saw or noticed a boy astride a winged metal horse emerge onto the street before launching into the air and flying off towards the center of the city. Yulie and White Wind would be assisting with the Ranks of the Northern Garrison on the second wave, and this time, he would not be the helpless bystander.
Mia leaned against the crib rail looking down at little Ryu, who snoozed peacefully. The grave situation facing the city and the Ronin Warriors weighed heavily upon her. She had smuggled away as many artifacts as possible, and the university had secured transport of other artifacts and texts via train, but the thought of losing the city yet again, including the building named for her late grandfather, left a cold ball of worry in her gut.
"Mia? Are you there?" a voice spoke up from the wall speaker.
"GYAAH!" Mia yelped, startled. She scowled irritably and glared at the speaker. She glanced back at Ryu, who still napped, before walking over to the wall. She raked her fingers through her hair and furrowed her brow then pushed the button. "Ita, I really wish you wouldn't route communications through this speaker. Ryu's asleep, he's young, he needs his rest, and-"
"Can you come to Roost? Is urgent," Ita stated. Mia blinked, confused by such a request. She looked over her shoulder again. Whiteblaze lay curled up on the floor. He raised his head inquiringly and flicked his ears. He twitched his tail, signaling he'd be more than willing to watch over Ryu. Mia sighed and shook her head then quietly slipped out of the room.
"Alright Ita, what is it?" Mia grumbled as she entered the comm. room. Ita rose out of her chair and walked over to Mia, meeting her halfway into the room.
"Can you take over supervising evacuation teams?" Ita asked abruptly.
"Wait…what?" Mia blinked, confused.
"Taking skybike to retrieve Shannon from hospital. Both needed aboard Argonauth."
"…Ita…I'm certain there are others more capable of doing this. Crystal or Miz..."
"Crystal leaving town with father. Miz already aboard Argonauth."
"…I…I'm not sure I can…Ryu he's…" Mia stammered.
"Mia," Ita said firmly. "Not asking as peer or subordinate. Asking as friend." Mia blinked, amazed by the admission. She saw the look in Ita's eyes and right away could read her feelings. Friendship was a concept as alien to the Thunthen as they were to Humans, and yet it was something Ita had come to learn and value in her time on Earth. Mia sighed and nodded.
"What do you want me to do?" she asked softly. Ita reached up and unhooked a device from around her left horn that functioned basically like an earpiece that looked wide enough to fit over Mia's ear. She held the device out to Mia who accepted it and fastened it over her left ear.
"Console has all data on sector assignments. Alert teams if area needs attention. City only twenty percent clear. Must move faster. Mystics can pull ten thousand aboard Argonauth if need, but effort will tax them. Only as last resort. Roth guide and guard you," Ita explained then performed a rare shell bow for Mia before walking past her out into the main cavern. Mia watched her leave before walking over to the console. Smaller windows on the main screen indicated which areas of the city already cleared or still in progress. She glanced down at the keys marked in Highscript before chuckling and shaking her head.
"Certainly a step up from the old laptop," she mused.
Charles and Shannon O'Connor jogged out of the elevator flanking a gurney. They escorted it over to a waiting helicopter and helped hoist it into the waiting cabin. Charles' coat furled in the downdraft from the rotors and Shannon's ID tag thumped against her shoulder. "Shannon, you've done all you can here. I'll be taking this chopper out to the airport then we'll board a transfer flight to Tokyo. Your mom's out of the country on tour so she'll be safe."
"Are you sure you don't need any more help here?" Shannon shouted over the roar.
"Positive. All wards are clear and all personnel are on their way out. Besides, you have a ride coming to pick you up," Charles nodded towards the distance. Shannon looked over her shoulder and saw the lone Thunthen skybike coming in on a descent towards the hospital roof out of line of sight of the chopper. The people on the ground were so absorbed in fleeing they didn't notice.
"Stay safe, Dad!" Shannon hugged her father, who patted her on the back reassuringly before pulling away and stepping into the chopper cabin. She stepped back towards the stairwell and watched the chopper lift off and veer away against the backdrop of the looming Argonauth.
Despite the overall sense of panic, there remained a few individuals incapable of grasping the severity of the apparent threat. Some stood on the sidewalks and shot video or drank away their sorrows lamenting the impending apocalypse. A black blur zipped up and down the street at such blinding speed dawdling civilians didn't notice others missing. A man yelped in protest as an unseen force snatched him from the sidewalk and deposited him on the side of the highway leading out of the city proper dozens of miles away. The black blur continued moving in a zigzag up and down the street. Man, even moving as fast as I can, it still doesn't feel like enough… Richard Hashiba fretted as he used Kai's magical powers to evacuate people.
It'd be faster to kill them to be honest…idle sheep unaware of the true threat…
No one asked for your two cents!
"a…a…and who might you be?" a melodious voice purred from behind Rich, startling him enough to where he braked hard and skidded to a stop in the middle of an empty street. He whirled around, glaive in hand to face any threat. "an…an…an errant piece on the board?" Rich turned to the side when he heard the voice again and blinked in surprise upon seeing the tall regal woman clad in elegant robes. A crown of glittering star ornaments adorned her head and long black hair flowed down her back to her waist. She regarded Rich with strange-looking eyes: black irises with sharp green pupils. "You are not one of the Morind de Witheren…"
"Who the heck are you, lady? I don't have time for games, in case you hadn't noticed, I'm trying to keep people from getting extreme sunburn," Rich snapped.
"Wh…wh…what an arrogant little boy you are," the woman narrowed her eyes, her voice briefly shifting into a deep rumbling boom. "Sh…sh…shall I put you in your place?"
Rich, maybe you should let me take care of her. We're running short on time and I'm sensing she's more powerful than she looks.
Uhh…yeah, good idea. I'm sensing it too, and its giving me the willies! Rich's expression hardened and he scowled at the strange woman with the murderous calculation of Kai.
"You have a thing for stars, I take it? You should know that stars shine-" Kai began with his trademark smirk, tightening his grip on the shaft of his glaive. The air around the woman blurred and in less than the span of a blink, she had appeared next to Kai, close enough to touch shoulders with him. His confident smirk melted into shock. …I didn't even see her move…!
Before Kai had a chance to react, the woman pulled back her arm and lunged with an underhanded swipe, clamping her left hand around his manhood. Despite being a spirit, he still felt physical pain via Rich, and he let out a strangled gasp as the woman tightened her grip. Kai felt his heels leave the ground then his toes as the woman lifted him off the pavement. He glanced down shakily and could see tendons protruding along her wrist as she squeezed with such force as if she wanted to crush his vital parts until they liquefied. She stared ahead past Kai with a cold rage. His glaive slipped out of his grasp and clattered onto the pavement.
"You're an unknown actor on this stage…I…I…I don't like unknown actors," her voice thundered briefly. "I suggest you remove yourself from this play. Go far, far away and don't look back. I…I…If you attempt to intervene, I will know it…AND YOU WILL BE PUNISHED! n…n…now…be a good little boy…and do as you are told," the woman purred menacingly before at last releasing Kai. He nearly collapsed before righting himself, keeping a hand clamped over his crotch. He glanced up at the woman as she seemed to glide backwards a few steps before fading out of sight. Her eyes lingered in the air briefly before fading altogether.
Whoa…who was that woman?
She just squished my nuts!
Such dreadful power…I think I might be in love…
I think she tried to Bob Barker me…
"Rich…I think we should leave. We've done all we can here," Kai grimaced.
"Yeah…I'm gonna have to agree with you on that…" Kai's expression relaxed and Rich opened his eyes, blinking before getting his bearings. He winced when he took a step forward and pointed the tip of the glaive at the pavement. He rose off the pavement slightly and glided forward slowly, grimacing all the while. Man…even when levitating, it still hurts…owie…
Tanya walked down the middle of an empty street and glanced from side to side. The people in her assigned sector didn't waste time in evacuating, and discarded magazines and plastic bags strewn all over the sidewalk fluttered idly in a somber breeze. "Looks like a ghost town…guess I should move on to the next-" Tanya froze and stiffened when she thought she heard something. She turned around to pinpoint the location then walked back over to an apartment complex. It sounded faint, but she thought she heard someone crying. She reached for her AnimArmor ring and switched to Jaguar sub-armor then crouched, springing up all the way to a third floor balcony. She scanned the empty windows then pounced further up to the fourth floor. She spotted a lone source of light coming from one room and sprang over, landing on the balcony neatly. She leaned back slightly and slashed with both clawncher blades, slicing an X into the window. Glass shards tumbled onto the balcony and Tanya entered the dimly lit room.
She sprang back out into the air, sending glass fragments scattering from the window before landing on the ground far below, cradling a little girl in her arms. She dismissed the Jaguar sub-armor, switching back to Ronin then set the girl on the ground gently. The girl's cheeks glistened with tears and her face looked puffy and red from crying so much. "Hey, where are your parents? Don't tell me they abandoned you out here?" Tanya demanded. The girl continued crying uncontrollably. "Are they even in the city? Is there someone else staying with you?" The girl bawled unabated. Tanya scowled irritably and raised a hand. "Snap out of it will you-!"
Something seized her wrist and stopped her from slapping any sense into the disoriented child. "Hey, you'd hit your sister?" Kento growled and let go of Tanya's wrist before intervening between her and the girl. Tanya blinked, both surprised and irritated.
"Well…maybe…what the heck are you doing here anyway?" she demanded.
"My sector's all clear. Mia asked me to help you," Kento stated before kneeling down infront of the girl. Tanya raised an eyebrow, somehow doubting Mia actually said that. "Hey there, does your momma work out of town?" Kento asked gently. The girl gulped down sobs and nodded slightly, wiping tears from her cheeks. "She probably can't get back home with all the traffic. Don't you worry, I'll get you back with your mom safe and sound." Kento promised and stood up, cupping his hands to his mouth. "WILDCAT TO THE RESCUE! WILDCAT TO THE RESCUE!" he bellowed. Tanya looked over her shoulder when she heard the approaching clanging. The little girl hid behind Kento's legs, clutching at him nervously upon seeing the metallic tiger. Kento patted her on the head reassuringly and beckoned to WILDCAT.
"Her name's WILDCAT. She's a very special robot kitty, and she can sniff out your mom wherever she is. Isn't that right?" Kento asked of WILDCAT, who swished her tail in confirmation. Kento grabbed the little girl by her sides and gently set her on WILDCAT's back between the shoulder plates. WILDCAT opened up two small slats on her back and metal tabs poked out, which Kento pulled out to buckle the girl in snugly. "Where's your momma work?"
"T-T-Tok-yo," the girl sniffled.
"Good, that gives WILDCAT a reference point. Make sure you hold on to her tight because this kitty runs fast. Got that?" Kento asked and the girl nodded shakily. "Run like the wind, WILDCAT!" Kento shouted and WILDCAT took off so fast the girl barely had time to turn around and wave her gratitude. Tanya watched them leave before glancing at Kento.
"You certainly have a way with kids…" she commented. Kento shrugged sheepishly.
"I got a little sister about her age," he admitted. Tanya frowned slightly. Kayli was about that age. During the walks through the forest they took to get to know each other, Kayli had demonstrated herself to be as staunchly independent as Tanya, if not more so. Kayli didn't seem need an older brother or sister to protect her…after all, she had stood up to Kylyra on her own using nothing but a worn little blue blanket that Kayli inexplicably carried with her at all times. "Mia says there's some people stuck at an old-folks home further up. We can use Boulderdash and Jaguaradina to help," Kento stated abruptly and walked away. Tanya wanted to snap that she didn't need help, but thought about how he had spoken to the little girl and followed quietly.
"Man, what a mess…still, things look on track…" Rowen muttered as he flew over a particularly dense traffic jam. He spotted Koi Udsarrin and Rgn Chorrez on a feeder loop far below trying to repair the vehicle of an irate couple. Koi held the car up off the ground while Rgn worked replacing a flat, and he flinched when he heard the woman shout multiple expletives at her husband. Both seemed to be too absorbed in blaming each other for their current predicament to care about the two Nobles. Further away on a jammed street, members of the Thangien garrison used their Pegasi to assist city cops in directing traffic when the lights of an intersection had failed. Their war saddles served as deterrents to any outbreaks of road rage.
"Hey, Rowen? You there?" Rowen blinked and raised his wrist-com, seeing Richard's face on the screen. Despite not having a com of his own, Rich could use Kai's magic to broadcast.
"Rich! Hey, I really appreciate you coming to help on such short notice-"
"Yeah, about that. Listen, I'm going to head on out. I've got things I need to take care of."
"…what?! Rich, you just barely got here an hour ago! We've got fifteen hours left and we need all the help we can get! The city isn't even fifty percent clear yet!"
"Yeah, well, not my fault and not like I care." Rich rolled his eyes callously. Rowen frowned in disbelief. "The last dozen or so people I've ferried out were all standing around like a bunch of dopes. Miz is up there acting his little heart out and all these idiots care about is taking pictures. I have better things to do with my time."
"Come on, Rich! Don't do this! Kai might be a real jerk, but that doesn't mean you have to-"
"Look. Rowen. It's cute you think I'm a Ronin Warrior, but I'm not. I have no attribute like you do, and there's no Armor of Polestar or whatever for me to wear. If people don't want to follow their survival instinct when there's a giant dragon pirate threatening the city, that's their fault, not mine. Good luck with the rest of the evacuation. I'm out of here. Bye." And with that, Rich shut the connection and left Rowen hovering in the air stunned.
"Rich…" Rowen whispered and glanced at the highway. Traffic started to move much smoother now at least. When Kai's spirit had bonded with Rich, Rowen initially worried it would cost his cousin his life. Now…he worried it would cost him his soul.
"GET A MOVE ON YE SLACK-JAWED DAFFODILS!" Miz's projection shouted. He let out a hissing roar, which to a Nobeyl, would've sounded frankly pathetic, but to the humans trying to flee the city, sounded very terrifying. On the curb of an empty street, a little girl sat idly gazing up at the giant air platform. She heard footsteps approach and looked to the side, having to gaze up at the bipedal saurian standing beside her.
"Child, why are you still here? The city's been ordered to evacuate. It is unsafe to remain by yourself," Tar Uhnin chided softly. The girl didn't seem frightened and thumped her heels.
"Mom called me from work. She said to stay here until she came back home."
"Well I can't very well leave you here alone, so I will just have to wait with you," Tar smiled and sat himself down on the curb, coiling his tail on the opposite side of his body away from the girl. She leaned backwards slightly, looking at his spiked shell then at Miz's projection.
"How come you sorta look like him?" she asked. Tar cocked his head to one side.
"We come from the same planet. My comrades and I had to flee our home world because of bad people like him. There are sometimes bad humans, are there not?"
"Yeah…I guess…one time this nasty guy stole my Mom's purse while we were shopping. He didn't even ask! But the police catched him! They said a guy with long blue hair stopped him and beat him up!" the girl answered, happily punching the air. Tar's lips spread in an amused grin. He had an idea who she described. "…Um…may I?" He blinked, glancing at the girl who reached up towards his face. He smiled, bemused as she wiggled her fingers through the scaly fibers of his beard. The girl lowered her hands and giggled merrily. Tar smiled at her warmly.
"ABANDON YER HOMES, AN SURRENDER ALL YER BOOTY!" Miz's projection bellowed. The girl gasped and clamped her hands over her mouth.
"Why is he after my butt?!" she whispered in awe. Tar wrinkled his brow awkwardly.
"'Booty' is a term pirates use to refer to treasure," he explained politely.
"Ohhh…I like pirates. I watch them on TV sometimes. They have long stretchy arms," the girl said and raised her arms above her head, opening and closing her fingers. Tar opened his mouth in an 'ah' and nodded slightly. He raised a snowy-gray eyebrow and glanced to the side when he heard a car approaching. The vehicle parked on the opposite side of the street and the door opened. A woman dressed in business attire stepped out and stared wide-eyed at Tar as he rose to his feet. She held out her hands towards the little girl and beckoned her over. "Momma!"
"Greetings madam. The routes leading to the north are extremely congested, so I would recommend you pursue a westerly or southerly route," Tar began as the little girl scampered over to her mother's waiting arms. The woman grabbed the girl by her arms and all but tossed her into the car, not taking her frightened eyes off of Tar.
"Momma, no! He was really nice!" the girl protested as the woman got into the driver's seat, shut the door, and backed up before turning sharply and speeding away down the street, leaving Tar standing alone looking quite embarrassed. He sighed in dismay and surveyed the abandoned community, picturing in his mind a street filled with Humans, Thunthen, and Thangiens mingling peacefully about their daily business.
"One day perhaps…but not this day…" he muttered and turned around, walking away slowly. "This is Tar: Sector clear."
Mia scanned the city map displayed on the main screen. Cale and Sehkmet had evacuated their employer's worksites, and Dais had returned to assist. Sage reported all-clear on his sector and moved to the next but Cye still had some people to evacuate. Tanya and Kento were co-operating to evacuate a retirement center and Azuro and his subordinates were still dealing with feeder ramps on the highways. Mia frowned and pulled up Rowen's sector, zooming in on a building flashing red. "Rowen, are you sure your area's completely clear? I'm picking up life signs in an office tower near downtown," she spoke into the earpiece Ita had given her.
"What? I've gone over that area five times already! There shouldn't be anyone still there. Wait…Mia…does that building have a basement level?"
"Looking up blueprint records now…" Mia's fingers flew over the Highscript keys. A wireframe projection of the tower appeared on screen and turned to a profile view, showing a deep sub-structure. "Yes, there's an old blast bunker below ground level. It looks like that's where all the life signs are concentrated."
"For crying out loud, there's always some idiots who think they can ride out the storm," Rowen growled and turned around before shooting off into the distance.
"There once was a woman…who swallowed a fly…" Dimitri Patrov sang as he ate simple rations heated on a battery-powered stove in the confines of a small cave. "Now why, oh why would she swallow a fly…I guess she will die…heh heh heh heee!" he cackled madly as he kept vigil next to the suitcase containing the pilfered bomb. The lid lay open with a panel flipped up to display the time clock as it ticked down. Patrov leaned forward to wolf down more of his rations but a sudden blow to the base of his neck sent him sprawling, barely missing landing face-first on the heating plate. While he remained conscious, his limbs remained paralyzed.
"You talk to yourself too much, otherwise you would've heard me sneaking up on you," Ryo snorted as he stepped over Patrov and knelt beside the suitcase.
"Y-Y-You're…the Ronin Leader! I must say, it is an honor to meet you in person! H-How did you find me? It was your alien allies, wasn't it? The Master told me all about them!"
Where does Talpa get these people… Ryo rolled his eyes and called up the instructions Bak had written up for him through his wrist-com screen.
"You cannot stop the Master's plan! He won't let you!" Patrov bleated and scraped his fingers against the dirt of the small cave uselessly. Ryo removed the panel just below the timer, exposing the myriad colored wires. He placed his thumb and forefinger around the first wire. "I wouldn't do that if I were you…" Patrov cautioned with a grin.
Ryo howled in pain when violet energy crackled around him and sent him sprawling backwards. He scrambled back to his knees and shook his head, dazed. "What the heck was that!?" he demanded as he scooted back over to the suitcase. "Was that Dark Energy!?"
"They told you, didn't they? Those conniving lizards! The Master knew they would try to ruin his plan! There's no stopping him!" Patrov cackled as Ryo again tried to touch the wire. Despite his efforts to endure the pain by sheer force of will, a powerful burst knocked him several feet from the device. "Did you really think the Master would not foresee all ends?" Ryo stalked back over to the device and slipped his hands under the suitcase itself. Another feedback pulse repelled him, sending him stumbling onto his rear. "That won't work either! The Master's power is all around us, you couldn't even use your Armor to teleport if you wanted to!"
"You slimy worm!" Ryo seized Patrov by his collar and lifted him off the ground. "Millions of people could lose their lives because of your delusions of grandeur and you don't care?!"
"Jimmy crack corn, and I don't care, Jimmy crack corn, and I don't caaare!" Patrov giggled toothily, his head lolling about on his shoulders. Ryo's eyes widened with rage and frustration and he pulled back one fist and drove it into the madman's cheek, nearly snapping the man's neck. He flung the limp man to the side and summoned Lion AnimArmor then retrieved his wrist-com from the floor and slipped it around his wrist before stooping over the case.
He again tried to lift the device, and again the feedback pulse coursed up his arms and over his body, but the Lion Armor lessened the effects. "If I can't port out…I'll…I'll carry this entire freaking thing out if I have to!" Ryo staggered to his feet and took a first step then a second. I can do this…I have to do this…I can't fail…I won't… If he just focused his will, he could ignore the pain and use the speed of his Lion Armor. His discipline seemed to be working.
Dark Energy sent him skipping like a stone over the floor of the cave, rolling to a stop on his side. The suitcase itself clattered to the floor, emitting a whirring click and an electric beep from the timer. Six hours became one. Ryo's eyes widened in horror.
"Now look at what you went and did…" Ryo's gaze snapped over to Patrov, who by all rights should've been out cold, and yet his lips moved while his glassy eyes stared ahead. "How many mortals remain in your precious city? Hundreds? Thousands? A million? Dare you make a second attempt, Ryo of the Wildfire?" Talpa's voice purred out of Patrov's mouth. "Another failure like that, and you might end up with mere minutes or even seconds. Is that a risk you are willing to take? Hah hah haaaa! Are you really that naïve to think that I would not plan for all contingencies? Why trust such a complex scheme to my lieutenants, who have failed miserably in the past, when a simple man, so easily pandered to, could prove far more resourceful?
"Dimitri Patrov knew his life would be expendable, and yet his name will be inscribed with honor upon the halls of my future empire. What need have I to bestow great power upon those who would readily betray me over silly ideals like honor, when my trust is best placed in the hands of a mere mortal to whom service itself is the greatest reward. To think, a man without power could fulfill my orders more precisely than any Dark Warlord.
"Has the realization sunk in yet, Ryo of the Wildfire? The sheer scope of your complete and utter failure? Even with the aid of your 'allies', you cannot save everyone! I have augmented this device's destructive capability with my Dark Power, amplifying its potency. I will claim the souls of these pitiful mortals, one way, or the other. And this time, nothing will stand in my way!" Talpa's voice taunted. Ryo, eyes wide in horror, scrambled to his feet and took off running on all fours, using the Lion Armor's enhanced agility propel him through the system of tunnels he'd followed to the cave in the first place. "Time for you is wasting, Wildfire! I, on the other hand, have all the time in the world…HAH HAH HAH HAAAA!" Talpa's booming laughter followed Ryo out into the tunnels as he fled. He had to warn the others…
"Get a move on, idiots! Equipment can be replaced, lives cannot!" Dais sneered through his face mask at the supervisor for the construction company he and the Elders worked for. At least the man didn't recognize him in full armor, otherwise he'd be in hot water. Other company workers grabbed their boss and dragged him into the back of a van. All the while the supervisor whined about how much of his vehicles he might lose and whether or not insurance would cover the loss. Dais watched the van leave, followed by a procession of other company vehicles. He waited until they went out of sight around a street corner before flipping up his face mask. "I'll have to admit, I enjoyed that a little…" he said with a smirk. "This is Dais, sector clea-" he began to speak but a light blinked on the upper left corner of his com screen. "Hold on, there's something coming through the open channel…" Dais flicked the screen.
"…-an…anyone-…me?! An-…er!" Ryo's face appeared on the screen.
"Ryo? Whoa, I can barely hear you! Your signal's breaking up. Let me switch to ArmSig," Dais said and pressed a button on the side of the screen. Ryo's face cleared up, but bars of static still rolled across the screen. Why am I getting interference even in ArmSig?
"I've been trying to get through for the past half hour or so! Everything's hit the fan! Talpa set up failsafe on top of failsafe! I couldn't disarm the bomb! I couldn't even move it! I dropped it by accident and it set off another failsafe. You have fifteen minutes. GET OUT OF HERE!"
The signal cut out abruptly, and Dais lowered his arm, his single eye wide in horror and his body numb with shock. He surveyed the city skyline. How many other sectors had cleared?
Teleport rings formed in the parking lot of an airport and Cye appeared, depositing a dozen civilians just outside the main terminal. People making a mad dash for plane tickets looked startled by the sudden arrival but promptly went back to clamoring for additional seating. The civilians backed away from Cye and voiced their thanks before heading for the terminal. Cye tried to stand but sank to one knee suddenly. "Whoa, you okay there, dude?" a man asked.
"Yeah…I'm…a little bit worn out…" Cye replied weakly. All these group teleports are taking a toll on me...I don't think I have it in me for another one… Cye pushed himself to his feet and focused on a reference point in his assigned sector. Teleport rings formed again and swept over him, depositing him in the middle of the street. Individual teleport didn't tax him nearly as much this time, and he looked up and down the street to see if anyone still lingered. The streets looked completely empty. "Good…at least the people will be safe outside the city…This is Cye, sector clear-" Cye spoke into his wrist-com and turned around.
He froze when he saw something in the shadows of a subway ramp. He walked closer to get a better look and heard hushed whispers and shouts. "Cye? Cye, are you positive you're all clear? I'm picking up life signs nearby. They should be right infront of you." Mia informed.
"Yeah…yeah…I see'em…" Cye replied, stunned at the sight of a dozen-maybe more- children huddled on the stairs. Their clothes looked shabby and mismatched. Orphans? They probably ran away seeking shelter underground. They looked at Cye, eyes wide in amazement.
"There, here's the last one," Kento grunted as he lifted up an elderly woman-along with the wheelchair she sat in- into the back of a bus. "Good to go ma'am!"
"Here…I found this for you," Tanya added and hauled up a heavy case onto the van floor and pushed it alongside the wheelchair. "I know it's not exactly considered essential, but I heard you talk about it so much I knew you couldn't bear to part with it," Tanya gave the sewing machine case a pat. The woman's eyes glistened with tears of gratitude. "Okay that's everyone. Move out!" Kento shut the van door and the driver pulled out and headed down the street.
"You sound like someone who's familiar with crafting," Kento commented with a grin.
"…I dabble…" Tanya said with a shrug. She scowled abruptly and shook her head, looking annoyed for some reason. They both heard their wrist-coms beep. "Dais? Hey, what's up?"
"You didn't get Ryo's broadcast just now?!"
"Uh…what broadcast?" Kento blinked and scratched his head.
Keep running! Keep running! Just a bit further! Ryo bounded rapidly through the narrow passage, moving so quickly on all fours he lost sense of left or right, up or down. Earthen tunnels gave way to metal pipe and concrete and he could barely make out a pinprick of light.
"Ring around the roses...pocket full of poses…" Patrov croaked from where he still lay on the ground, paralyzed by the blow to his neck. Saliva pooled in the dirt under his cheek. "Ashes, ashes, they all…fall…down…he he he heee…AH HAH HAH HAAH!"
The time clock ticked down :10
"Gather close everyone. Make sure you hold hands tight," Cye urged the children to huddle around him. I'm not sure if I can do this, but I have to try. Cye wrapped his arms around their shoulders and focused on the airport again.
:05
Ryo could make out the opening of the maintenance shaft. His legs churned furiously.
:01
"I see them!" Michelle cheered and waved energetically, leaning against Argonauth's deck rail. Shannon leaned out from behind Ita's shell as the skybike they rode approached the deck and slowed for landing. Kayura walked out from the interior onto the deck to join Michelle.
:00
Tanya and Kento ran down the street using AnimArmor sub-armor. Suddenly the pavement beneath their feet seemed to roil and Tanya lost her balance and tottered to her right then fell onto her side. She propped herself on one elbow then rolled onto her back. "Oh my God! Was that what I think it was!?" Kento didn't answer and blinked in disbelief.
Ryo dared a glance over his shoulder when he felt the tunnel around him shudder. Air seemed to be sucked inside the shaft briefly before being ejected out rapidly, and a faint orange glow roared up from the depths of the shaft. He reached for his insignia ring and twisted it to the side, dismissing Lion Armor. "WHITE DRAGON!" he shouted above the roar of hot air lashing at him from below. Fire roared up through the shaft towards him. The Dragon AnimArmor materialized over his body, he tucked in his arms and legs before wrapping the leathery wings around himself just before an angry gout of fire engulfed him.
Renee Sanada stood outside hanging bedsheets from a clothesline: she preferred traditional to modern. The lawn under her feet shuddered suddenly and she almost fell over, barely catching ahold of the line and pulling it down slightly to steady herself. Inside the house, Kayli jumped out of bed when she felt the entire room shake and ran out into the hall and down the stairs. She ran into Renee just as she entered from the hallway. "Momma! Momma!" Kayli cried and wrapped her arms around Renee's waist. They both stood in a door frame and Renee braced one hand against the wood while keeping her other arm around Kayli's shoulder. Inside display cabinets and cupboards, plates rattled and shook. On the walls of Mia's office upstairs, antique swords bounced out of their hooks and in display cases samurai armor toppled off their mounts.
Little Ryu woke up out of a deep sleep and began crying when his crib rattled violently. He opened his eyes and looked up, reassured by the sight of Whiteblaze's tummy. The tiger stood on his hind legs and braced his forepaws against the opposite rail of the crib. Ryu burbled and cooed in gratitude, but Whiteblaze kept his gaze on the mobile hung over the crib, the wooden figures swinging wildly from the frame.
Mia had to grab ahold of the edge of the console when she felt the room shudder. In his room, Kaosu looked up at the ceiling from where he sat on his meditation mat. Despite Bau's assurances of the cavern complex being stable, tiny bits of granite rained down upon his shoulders and tumbled into folds of his robe. Danae sat bolt upright in bed, jolted awake by the quake. Outside in the main cavern, larger chips of stone broke loose from the remnants of the magmites on the ceiling and littered the floor. The stone groaned and whispered but did not crack at least and the shuddering subsided. Mia gathered her wits and glanced at the side monitors depicting seismographs spiking wildly.
"Oh my God…All teams! We have confirmed detonation! I repeat, we have confirmed detonation! Evacuate! Evacuate! Evacuate!" Mia shouted shrilly into the open channel.
Here it is… Rowen arrived over the office tower housing a few stubborn people far below the pavement. He prepared to descend but paused when he heard a low rumbling boom and it seemed the ground roiled as dust flew up in rolling waves. Manhole covers in the streets surrounding the building popped out of their resting places, flipping like coins. Rowen's eyes widened in horror when he realized what happened. His horror only deepened when he saw a crack form in the street alongside the office tower. A chunk of asphalt collapsed inward, followed by another, and through the widening crack, a hellish orange glow appeared.
Author's Update
I actually meant to have this done much sooner but have had a lot to juggle: work, saving for a house, having a tropical storm park its merry buttcheeks over the city for 4 *censored* days…
