Sho and Makishima hovered above the abandoned refinery, surveying the rusting buildings and the weeds forcing their way through the concrete.
'Are you sure this is a Chronos base, Makishima? It doesn't look much like anywhere they have used before,' Sho sent along the Guyver link.
'This is where my spies indicate Imakarum came after the battle with your Guyver 4. You asked me to come back from America to help you get the control metal back, but if you're going to question my Intel, then I can leave again,' Makishima sent back impatiently.
Sho bit his tongue to keep silent, anything he could say to that would probably degenerate into an argument, and this wasn't the time or place.
'Where do we go in? I don't read any heat signatures, no sign of movement and no signs of life,' he finally sent.
'They're probably underneath; I can't read anything under the level of the buildings floors. We check out the main building first, there must be an entrance inside one of the structures,' Makishima told him, mollified by Sho's apparently backing down.
They set down and cautiously entered the main plant building, both alert for any sign of an attack. Inside, the building was a maze of rusting machinery and pipes, along with half shattered banks of computers that would have once run the machines.
'This is definitely the place, it looks derelict, but the building is structurally sound, and there is no indication of vermin, something must be stopping them coming in and making themselves at home here,' Makishima mused.
They moved through the machinery, scanning for any indication of an entrance into an underground base.
/x/
Shin watched on the screen that monitored their two intruders, leaning back in the chair as he directed more troops toward the entrance they were most likely to find on their current search pattern. His eyes flicked over as another screen lit up, and he saw Balkus, now standing in one of the labs that Shin recognized as the American section, de Galenos standing silently in the background.
"What is the situation Shin?"
"They're still in the refinery, but I estimate they should find access point D in the next few minutes," Shin replied.
"I have communicated with our Lord Archanfel, he instructs that you should stay and direct the battle for as long as you can, but you are to take no risks, he wants none of us to directly battle the Guyvers at this time. If either of them gets too close to your position, you are to depart and join me here," Balkus ordered.
"Understood, Elder Balkus," Shin nodded, his eyes flicking back to the other screen as Guyver 3 figured out that the floor of the office at ground level was an elevator. Instead of looking for the controls for it, the two Guyvers started blasting at the floor to gain access to the shaft.
"They're in," he reported.
"Then I shall stop distracting you. Be careful, Shin," he sighed.
"I will see you soon," Shin assured, having no intention what so ever of disobeying Archanfel's command to leave if the Guyvers got too close.
/x/
Sho and Makishima plummeted down the newly revealed elevator shaft, they knew that is was unlikely that Chronos didn't know they were coming even before they blasted their way in, but there was still a chance to get the drop on any Zoanoids that might be waiting.
'What if Imakarum is still here?' Sho asked.
'Then I damn well make sure of killing him this time. You just worry about your part, find the labs and get the control metal back, you let me worry about taking out whoever is in charge here,' Makishima snapped.
They tore out of the shaft in that moment, vibro blades cutting immediately through the front ranks of the massive Zoanoid force that was waiting. They separated instantly, Sho splitting to the left, and Makishima going right, the Zoanoid force splitting behind them, trying to slow them down.
/x/
Shin continued to watch, now alternating his attention between two screens, one showing each of the Guyvers. He assessed that Fukamachi was heading for the lab area, obviously hoping to get the control metal back out of Chronos's possession, but Shin judged him insignificant at the moment, the labs were evacuated, there was nothing there for him to find now. Guyver 3 on the other hand seemed to be searching for the base commander, and Shin wondered if he thought Imakarum might still be here, Guyver 3 definitely seemed to have developed quite a grudge against the youngest Zoalord.
Shin began filtering more Zoanoids in after Makishima, he had no illusions that they could defeat Guyver 3, they were all standard class after all, but they would hopefully slow him down, with a bit of luck distracting him enough to injure him.
There was no further reason for Shin to stay, so he flicked a switch on his desk, programming the security parameters for the room, and then teleported to join Balkus and de Galenos in America.
/x/
Makishima cursed as more Zoanoids poured into the corridor both ahead of him and behind him. He was fairly certain that there had to be a Zoalord controlling them.
"Imakarum, get out here and fight me," he roared up at the security camera in the corner of the corridor.
There was no response at all from Imakarum, or whatever Zoalord was in charge here, and Makishima snarled in annoyance, fighting even harder, it seemed like every Zoanoid in the base was trying to get into this corridor now.
'Fukamachi, have you managed to get near the labs yet?'
'Yes, I met hardly any resistance, but there is nothing at all here, it looks like they've cleared out.'
'Try and get back to me, there may be something of interest here, considering the number of Zoanoids I'm coming up against. No sign so far of Imakarum, but someone is in command here,"
'We came for the control metal, it isn't here. Maybe we should pull out,' Sho suggested.
'We can't be sure that it isn't here until we know what these Zoanoids are trying to stop me getting to,' Makishima pointed out.
'I'll get there as quickly as I can,' Sho sent back with a mental sigh.
He had a feeling that there was nothing at all of interest here, that whoever had been here was playing games with them, making them run round in circles, but there was no point in disagreeing with Makishima now, he would probably still need to have his help if he was going to get the control metal back before Chronos managed to use it.
Sho moved at top speed toward where the highest concentration of Zoanoids was, assuming that had to be where Makishima was. Coming up behind the unsuspecting creatures, already building up a pressure cannon blast, he quickly let Makishima know to get out of the way, and fired straight up the middle of the corridor. Between the two of them, the Zoanoids which survived that blast quickly fell to their vibro blades and head cannons, and within twenty minutes, they were knee deep in dissolving Zoanoids, and no more seemed to be coming.
"Let's find the base commander's office," Makishima said.
Sho followed him resignedly, just wanting to get out of here now, make sure the others were all right, and see if they could find out where Chronos had taken the control metal, but knowing that wasn't an option while he still needed Makishima's spies.
They found the base commander's office without meeting any further resistance, and Makishima forced the door open, stepping inside. The room was deserted, and he stepped in boldly, striding over to the desk. Sho followed him more cautiously, scanning the room carefully.
"Uh, Makishima, wouldn't a countdown be a bad thing?" he asked, registering a lighted panel on the wall beside the door.
"What?" Makishima snapped, turning.
Sho pointed at the panel, which couldn't be clearer if it were jumping up and down waving red flags.
Security Compromised
Destruction in 30 seconds
"Out," Makishima barked, turning back from the desk.
29
28
27
Sho automatically kept track of the countdown in his head as they headed back to the shaft where they had entered the base.
26
25
24
23
They entered the shaft and flew back to the refinery at the top, Sho still keeping track of the time. Five seconds to get to the top, but once they were out of the underground base, they could go straight out through the roof.
Breaking free of the building, they took up stations in the air, watching the base they had just left. Fifteen seconds later, the ground below seemed to shake and rumble and fire blossomed out of the refinery from where they had broken free, along with three other places spaced around the plant, but nowhere else was there a sign of the explosion that had occurred belowground.
"They're getting smarter," Makishima rumbled as they watched fire take hold in the plant below, sirens already starting to sound as the fire engines rumbled into life to control the blaze.
"What do you mean?"
"The explosion made no impact on the surface, whatever the civilians blame the fire on, it won't be Chronos, the elevator shafts will all be buried by debris."
"Well, at least they can't blame us, this time," Sho sighed.
"Maybe, maybe not. Anyway, I've done what you asked me to do, I need to get back to my own people now," Makishima said, starting to lift higher into the sky, away from Sho.
"Wait, please Makishima."
"What?" he asked, pausing.
"Will you have your spies keep looking for them, please? Even if we can't bring her back now, we can hopefully stop Chronos from using that control metal to recreate the Guyver for their own ends."
"I'll think about it," Makishima shrugged.
"It will be just as bad for you as everyone else, if Chronos manages to bond a Zoalord with a Guyver. Do you really want to face Archanfel or Imakarum powered up like that?" Sho pointed out.
"I'll finish Imakarum any way he comes," Makishima growled, lifting further away.
He had to admit, Fukamachi had a point, it would be bad for his plans if Chronos had a Guyver. Fukamachi was getting smarter too, he was going to have to keep an eye on him, he didn't want him turning into a problem he would have to eliminate before Chronos was finished.
/x/
"Shame, I rather hoped they would be buried in the explosion, that would have inconvenienced them for a while," Shin said, shutting off the screen and walking back to where Balkus had now finished hooking up the control metal to the computers.
"They would never be so considerate," the old man said dryly.
"Where did de Galenos go?" Shin asked.
"To the South American section, there has been a whisper that Krumeggnic and bun Haiyan have been seen in the Brazilian office," Balkus said, his lip curling in annoyance. Waferdanos had been a good friend, and he hated the thought of that treacherous scum taking over his section.
"He can't take them on alone," Shin said, horrified.
"He isn't going to, he's just going to confirm or deny the rumor, and see if he can find out who else might be there with them," Balkus said, not taking his eyes off the data that was now scrolling across the screen.
"Hmm, interesting," he murmured.
"What is?"
"The comparison scan from the first time we reconstructed this Guyver from the control metal indicates that damage has started to repair itself," he replied.
"I thought that the control metal was the one part of the Guyver that couldn't regenerate?" Shin asked.
"Hmm, perhaps it just takes so long that no one realized it could. After all, until very recently, I didn't think a damaged Zoacrystal could be regenerated," Balkus mused, more to himself than Shin.
"So how long do you think it would take to regenerate completely?"
"Longer than we have, the scans indicate that the damage has reduced by 10%. However, it does suggest that were Archanfel to be cautious, make sure it didn't take any further damage, it would regenerate completely in a few years," Balkus said, tapping a few keys on the computer.
"Do you really think our enemies will allow him to be that careful?" Shin asked.
"We will make sure we are always at his side in battle."
"How long will the Guyver take to regenerate?"
"Six months. During that time, if we try to stay below the radar of our enemies, only fight when we have no option, and quietly build up our forces, then by the time the Guyver is ready for Archanfel, we will be ready for the battle to come."
"And Imakarum, will he be ready to fight in six months?"
"I wish I knew, Shin. I wish I knew," Balkus sighed.
/x/
Archanfel stood in the jungle, his eyes closed as the wind whipped around him, howling through the upper canopy and rattling the lower canopies and undergrowth. A portion of his mind was still monitoring de Galenos, but his Zoalord was fine at the moment, he had been there a week, and there wasn't so much as a suspicion that the traitors had noticed his presence. Now he was talking to several members of the staff from the Brazilian office who had abandoned their posts when the traitors took over, refusing to serve those who were not loyal to Chronos, and the memory of their beloved Lord Waferdanos, who had really cared about his section, and the people under him.
There was rustling in the bushes that wasn't the wind, and Archanfel's eyes drifted open, he was surrounded now by creatures that resembled Ramotiths, only taller, more muscled, with longer claws and fangs. One bigger than all the rest towered over Archanfel's slight form as it stepped forward, and even when it knelt, it was taller than him.
"I have a task for you, Ferrous," he told the Alpha of the Werolf pack that were the islands best hunters.
"The pack is at your command," it said gutturally.
None of the ancient Zoaforms on this island even remembered a time when they had been able to retake the default human form, they had lived, and bred, in their Zoaforms for so many millennia that the human form was lost, and only a handful were still able to talk, or even think, in the way they had as humans, the Werolfs, the Satyrs, and the Mermalines at the coast.
"Good, you will also pass word to the Satyrs and Mermalines. Every being on the island must be on the highest alert, I must leave for a time and I do not know when I will be back. If anyone other than me lands on the island, or worse approaches the temple, I require to be informed immediately. You will set your best hunters in a constant watch over the temple, they do not need to leave the cover of the jungle, no one can enter the temple without approaching from the outside. Is that understood?"
"It will be as you command," Ferrous swore, bowing low to his God.
"Questions?"
"The Lord Imakarum and the Lord Balkus, are they too forbidden to be here now?"
"The Lord Imakarum sleeps within the sanctity of the temple; it is he you are protecting. The Lord Balkus is permitted to approach the temple, but he is very, very unlikely to come here without my presence at the moment."
"We will protect him with our lives."
Archanfel nodded, watching as the huge creatures melted back into the jungle before returning to the temple as the storm that had been approaching broke. The rain started splashing onto the stones as he went inside, but the sound of the thunder soon faded away as he went into the room deep in the heart of the temple. Masaki lay on the altar, black robes now replacing the medical gown he had been wearing when he had brought him here.
"My Masaki, I have to leave you now, but don't you worry, you're being guarded by the best hunters on Sihla. They won't let Apollyon, or anyone else for that matter, get to you before I can get back here," he said, brushing the dark fringe away from his Imakarum's eyes.
"Wake up soon," he sighed, brushing a light kiss over Imakarum's forehead before leaving the room, and the temple, with a steady, determined stride.
/x/
Balkus was alone in the lab when Archanfel came in, Shin having finally gone to get some rest.
"Archanfel, how is Imakarum?" he asked, looking up from the scrolling data on his screen.
"Unchanged, he shows no sign of waking, but it has only been a week. How does your work on the Guyver go?"
"As expected, there are indications that regeneration has begun, but my estimate of six months stands," Balkus said.
"That is fine. I have ordered de Galenos back here to Alaska, he has found out what we need to know, for the moment. The staff members he found who left their posts because they remained loyal and refused to serve the traitors will also be coming," Archanfel said, walking over to look down at the control metal, which was suspended in a small tank of growth medium, connected to dozens of sensors.
"Is that crack getting smaller?"
"Yes, the damage has been reduced by 11% in total, I believe if you are careful, after it is bonded to you, then in time it will fully repair itself."
"Interesting," Archanfel nodded.
"Our spies reported in on the Guyvers this morning, they're still looking for us, for that, but they are nowhere near to finding us as yet, and Guyver 1 remains in Japan," Balkus told him.
"Good, and have they located the base of the Zeus Thunderbolts yet?"
"Not at this time, they have narrowed it down to Colorado, but so far they haven't been able to get the precise location of the base."
"Hmm, tell them that locating the base is a primary objective. We need to cripple their ability to produce those damned Liberatus of theirs," Archanfel said, turning to face him again.
"Yes, Archanfel."
"And those we have seeking Apollyon, what have they found?"
"Nothing thus far, he seems to have gone to ground completely."
"Damn it, I want those Zoacrystals back," Archanfel growled.
"Well, at least we know he can't use them, if that is what he intends," Balkus pointed out.
"Yes, but if he destroys them trying to use them, then they are no use to us either." Archanfel pointed out.
"Hopefully it won't come to that."
Archanfel glanced upwards then, toward the ceiling.
"de Galenos has arrived, I will go and receive his report. Do not work too late old friend, you need to rest too, you know."
"I will retire for the night soon, I am nearly at a suitable stopping point," Balkus said.
"Good," Archanfel nodded, leaving the room to go and meet de Galenos.
The big Zoalord seemed agitated when Archanfel reached the room where he waited.
"What is wrong?" Archanfel asked.
"There was something I learned just before we left, I did not want to tell you via telepathy, or an unsecured radio transmission."
"What is it?"
"One of the men who came with me was from the medical department, he told me about a man who came with the traitors, badly scarred from burns, but he recognized him none the less. My Lord, Richard Guyot is alive, and with the traitors,"
"Guyot?" Archanfel hissed venomously.
He had thought he at least was dealt with, but it seemed that he would have to make sure next time.