Title:
Galactic Smash: The Tormented
Rated T:
Warning for mild language and violent theme.
Author's Note:
A special sequel to "War of the Undead: Chiro's Forgotten Memories," and takes place approximately two years after the war. So Chiro is twenty-three, and Jinmay (guessing her age) is the same as Chiro's age.
Chapter 1
-A Dream's Poison
Shuggazoom sat upon a high standing plasma screen, fingers drumming the metal chair housing its owner. Tall figures draped in shadow stood eerily behind the individual, ice blue eyes illuminating the darkness that veiled their faces.
"You know what to do," a voice hissed.
Bowing, the slumped figured turned and approached the monitor, fingers running over the buttons as a red marking laser locked onto the tall standing city. Pulling a lever released a massive missile that plummeted at top speeds to the civilization.
The impact ravaged the countryside, flames as high as skyscrapers licked up the peoples' homes, burning everything made to ash and rubble. People's high pitch screamed echoed throughout the cosmos as they ran for safety from the devilish flames.
"Hehe, at last…" the seated figure mocked while standing up, hands outstretched in pure joy.
"I've at last become the number one player!"
XxXx
A short-haired woman draped in red nightwear shot up in her metal comforter, sweat trickling down her pale skin. Fingers outstretched, she bit her tongue, unable to produce any words from the dream that had just plagued her.
In the inner mechanism of her room was deep grey metal littered with strange beeping devices surrounded with connecting wires. Blue and green lights spectacled up the window side, pulsating with her ships electrical current flow and keeping its owner up to the date of any changes.
"Harper," a deep male voice echoed through the metal room. "What is going on?" A tiny hand pushed her door open with a shrill squeak.
The blonde woman known as Harper groaned, turning her body around to properly sit up. Head pressed into her hands, frustration rose from her grinding teeth. Constantly having her sleep disrupted for nearly five days straight was really beginning to take a personal toll on her usually composed mind.
"Another nightmare my dear?" A tiny figure draped in an all-black tuxedo asked, an eyepatch covering his right eye with a hot pink dress shirt beneath his classy clade jacket.
"I don't know why I keep seeing the same city Sokko," the woman muttered while kicking the covers off and rising to her bare feet. "It does not matter, I've rested enough, time to return to our plans."
The pink toy monkey waved his hands, coaxing the human to sit back down while he adjusted the red tie he wore on his neck rather than head as Harper fell back into her grey sheets. His single white eye beamed in the light, the other hidden beneath his tiny eye-patch.
"Pesky humans always so stubborn, if you don't listen to me about your health, you won't have any plans to tend to, which in itself is pretty stupid, especially for a mastermind as intelligent as yourself."
The toy monkey snickered at his smart mouth comment, grinning like he was deserving of some gold star.
"If I wanted your opinion, I'd pay you for it. But that's not why I allowed you on my ship," Harper murmured as her hands searched the nearest closet for her black jacket and matching pants fitted with heavy studded white belts.
"Right, you just gave me a place to stay out of the goodness of your heart." He mocked with arms crossed sourly, only good eye glancing toward the open window displaying all the passing stars their intergalactic ship shot past.
"Actually, that's precisely why I allowed you here," Harper tossed her sleepwear aside and rapidly changed into her casual wear before working on her boots. Ignoring the pesky pink simian that shadowed her every move.
Wrapping a tight leather strap of pilot goggles around her narrow face, the tallish girl jabbed a thumb in the cocky monkey's face to silence his arrogance.
"Your presence here is not up for debate, you're here only because I allowed it. Just because I rarely condone company does not mean it negates my duties, I still work alone. Understand?"
"You humans are so obsessed with doing things your way, it's no wonder you were recruited for the Galactic Smash trials."
Tensing up, Harper shot a hot glare to the pink monkey, shutting him up instantly.
"Enough, go back to tending your own hobbies." She looked to the shadows and gestured to Sokko with a stiff wave of her hand. Her shoulders nervously bumping closer to her neck as she felt the flicker of two faded life forms leap down from the ceiling.
Two individuals, one male, and the other female leaped onto the floor, their black eyes with faded blue pupils burning through the darkness. Both stood very tall with grey hoods masking their faces, they bowed to Harper's command. Frost built around the rooms edges the closer they got to the pink simian, the air turning colder as Sokko could see his breath as they robotically marched towards him.
Sokko tensed nervously around the lifeless duos' eyes boring into him as if he were nothing but air, slouching in a defensive demeanor as they grabbed him and roughly escort him out.
"Yea, you work solo, but having two Cold Bloods following you around kind of disapproves that fact… don't you think?"
Harper sighed as she gestured for the two assassins to lock the pink simian in his room. Once Sokko was out of sight, she grunted and paced down the opposite end of the hallway.
"What is that city I keep seeing…?" She asked no one in particular, "and why is the area's mass destruction… disconcerting?"
Shaking off the paranoia, she focused back to the file that was now strung out in front of her. She'd have to worry about the dreams later, right now, she had more important things to worry about.
~Shuggazoom City
Antauri sat on his high standing metal stool, an I-pad in his silver paw as a weeping elderly man sat on his office's leather couch.
"Mr. Simone," He started in a deep gentle voice, "Do not yet let the wounds of your former wife continue to ail you—her departure was not your fault, the sooner you release yourself from unneeded blame the sooner healing will welcome you."
"It just hurts so badly, for thirty years… I still can't help but blame myself."
"My friend, infidelity is a very deep ocean to swim in… you can often ask yourself what went wrong, but often what's done is done. It is better to cease the 'what ifs' and look at what already is."
The old man with a long white beard lowered his head, unruly eyebrows clamped shut with salty tears raining down his cheeks.
"Like always, your words bring so much truth… it's just hard to accept."
"Moving on is always hard, as I hoped today's session has helped you." Putting his tablet down, the silver monkey hovered over to the human and placed a comforting hand upon his patient's bony shoulder.
"Remember, if you ever need to make the following appointment, contact me."
"Thank you Antauri, bless you and your family for bringing peace to this city. Is there nothing you cannot do?" His wrinkly hands grasped the small silver paw in much relief.
Antauri chuckled, straightening out his grey colored sweater vest.
"We all play a role in this life, for it's not just us." Shaking his hand, the metal simian aided the old man up and escorted him to the door while handing him a card. "Remember, my e-mail is on the back, contact me whenever you need to. Good luck on your family outing."
Shaking his hand once more, the elderly man finally left, leaving the wise monk-like monkey alone.
Blue eyes glimmering beneath reading glasses, Antauri pressed a hand to his chest to slow his metaphorical heartbeat. Programs beeping to signal a battery charge was needed soon. Shrugging off the reminder, he hovered back to his desk and reorganized all the items to their original spots before locking up and heading out.
Walking out the door, he folded his glasses and placed them into his vest's shirt pocket. Stopping by a dark corner in the lobby, he paused and swiftly glanced to the left, spying a single azure orb floating about like a ghostly light.
"My beloved," he called calmly, his fingers stretched out in yearning for the hidden figure's attention. "Why do you linger in the shadows?"
A soft sigh from an alto voiced female went past his ears before long deadly claws reached into the light and took his hand. Antauri smiled as he tugged on the arm, coaxing the stranger out.
Vex emerged in the light, her single azure eye bloodshot as drooped eyelids revealed her exhaustion. A large piece of medical tape wrapped around her head, hiding the awful scar that sealed her right eye shut.
Antauri noticed this and shook his head.
"Vexahlia, what have you been up to?" He knew using her full name was an accurate tell-tale sign a stern lecture was coming her way, especially if she proceeded to weasel her way out of it.
The taller scarred monkey smirked a tiny smile before offering the male monkey something in a paper bag.
"You like honey cider tea in the late evening… da?"
Antauri removed the plastic cup from the bag and smelled the delicious warm liquids stirring in its external prison. Smiling, he clasped the cup in both hands and slowly took a swig. He breathed a satisfied breathe, savoring the sweet taste.
Vex chuckled as he continued to drink it.
"Tis was not being of easy finding," she muttered through the testy English her Romanian accent often liked to garble.
"Thank you," he ran his fingers through her long white mane that trailed down her back like a waterfall. "But that does not answer my other question, why are you so exhausted?" He shook his head.
"You know it is critical you rest in later evenings since falling ill…"
She rolled her eye and nudged him to look up into her gaze that often promised him much comfort.
"The ill episode aired last month. You worry too much, sterling."
"And you worry to less."
Vex paused, thrown off by the statement as she sighed and, once again, surrendered to his way.
"I have been… distracted." Stepping aside, she allowed her mate to gaze about Chiro's adopted twins sitting in a stroller.
Antauri's suspicious look melted away into a beam of joy as he rushed to the stroller to greet the two-year-olds. He rubbed the boy's head while applying loving pecks to the daughter's cheeks. Vex chuckled as she leaned against the wall to observe the sweet sight.
"The clock informed it was my shift for toddler watching."
Antauri gave one last kiss to both twins before hovering behind the stroller to take over the steering.
"How long have you been watching them by yourself?"
"Since noon, you seem… anxious by such a fact." She chuckled, letting a tiny smile creep onto her usual bored face. "May I remind you I was a long time mother to your pup's parents? My maternal instincts are not that shot."
"I know, I just desire you to be more mindful of your health." He closed his eyes, shifting uncomfortably in the air. "I do not wish to receive another phone call informing me you had passed out on the job. Especially not with little ones with you."
"I vow to you, I'd never endangered them. If I felt unfit to handle it—I would've left them with Goldilocks and her annoying red bear." Her little nicknames for Sprx and Nova always left the silver monkey humored—but this time all sense of laughter was absent from his stern face.
Antauri gestured his feral looking mate to follow him as he pushed the stroller out the exit and onto the street.
He knew deep down he was being a little hard on his wife, but seven years since the war had ended left the whole city a little shell shocked. Antauri knew all was safe, hence why they were able to work different part-time jobs aside from being 24/7 protectors. But, it did not pardon all dangers, such as not knowing when the ooze that made up Vex's DNA could stop working and render her lifeless again.
Like the day she had fallen ill and passed out during her working hours, Antauri was unable to forget how that phone call had severely frightened him. Thankfully she recovered, but that was just another reminder for the silver monkey to watch his female companion like a hawk—he was not going to risk it, even if keeping a watchful eye on the sneaky formless was difficult. As she, like Chiro, had a tendency to wander into trouble.
As they wandered down the busy streets, their tails intertwined, the older couple gazed at two familiar faces emerging from across the street.
"Sprx I told you, I'll have to leave next week!" Nova rolled her eyes with metal arms sternly crossed. "I mentioned this to you like… six times, how do you not catch it till now?"
"Hey," he purred in a seductive tone that always left his gold warrior reeling with butterflies. "I just got back from my own little detours, not easy being a pilot who has to work on call."
"And it's no cake walk being the Shuggazoom's first Commander for our newest Defense Forces. You have any idea how clueless these new trainees are?" She rolled her eyes and playfully smacked her fiancé on the back of his red helmet.
"Plus those new combat instructors I requested to transfer here still haven't shown up!" She frustratingly slapped her fist to her hips accompanying by a loud huff.
"Nova, those guys live like… three solar systems away!" Sprx laughed at her temper threatening to boil over again. Though, unlike before, Nova had a much better hold on her rage and was no longer a subject to worry about.
"I know, sorry, a lot of my attendants are just getting on my nerves. So, like I already told you, I have to leave next week to meet up with a few more volunteer combat trainers. Have to make sure these guys check out before allowing them residence in the City."
Antauri waved his hand to signal his family across the street to come to them, which they happily did and raced to the older primate couple and the adopted human children they hovered over.
"Hey, guys! Didn't think we'd you see this early in the evening," Nova greeted.
Antauri chuckled as Sprx and Nova went to greet the toddlers with immature faces and words only children would approach.
"I pardoned myself early from my job," The wise silver monkey pointed out before glancing to his quiet wife. "Though another has been a touch more 'busy' despite my requests for her to spend the days off resting, at least till I returned."
Vex, like always, just shrugged her shoulders at the overly protective male and brushed her mane down to look a touch more presentable while casting away her mate's worry.
"I simply desired to spend a free window of time with the youthful ones."
Antauri sighed, knowing that if 'brushing things off' was a sport, the formless monkey would be an undefeated champion.
Sprx seemed to notice the small amount of concern between the older couple and bounced in to help them out. Knowing it wouldn't take much to ease Vex, the true target being his silver second in command.
"Hey, why don't you guys come and join us for dinner? Nova and I were heading to the Pub, they have a special tonight on Lobster!"
Antauri gawked, snout twisting in disgust at the mention of meat before his raging carnivore of a companion covered his mouth and gave a thumbs up. Nonverbally signaling their agreement to accompany the red and gold pair, to which Antauri sighed and nudged her hand off his maw.
As the four monkeys and two children vanished into the busy streets to hunt down the city's Pub, a nearby computer monitor started to fizzle and bleep. A large red eye appearing over the screen before fading out when curious citizens passed by.
A/N: Please pardon spelling mistakes, i was in a rush to write this. Hope you enjoyed it, stay tuned for chapter 2.