So lets recap, I got expelled from NASA's school by my own mother, the barns gone, last time I saw my house it as on fire, oh AND I'M HALF ALIEN. One of those same aliens is currently in the custody of the DCPD, and my only hope of finding him is a blue space wizard who may or not has ADHD, this is going to be a long night. So I decided to take inventory of what I managed to get out before Duncan and this Beastman's deathmatch destroyed my room. Managing to grab my backpack I had my theoretical astrophysics book written by Neil Degrasse Tyson, a notebook with a few pens and pencils, a grey hoodie with the NASA on the front and back change, holographic calculator, an old candy wrapper, and my car keys. I had it all laid out in the park next to the reflection pool, sitting under a tree with Orko who was having a deep philosophical conversation with a squirrel up above. Shivering suddenly from a cold breeze decided to put the hoodie on under my pink jacket since the cold was getting to me.
Looking up I heard him say "I never thought of it like that, it makes sense."
Don't even want to know why, oh if you're worried about Cringer he's curled up in my backpack, I wonder how he was taking all of it. I was an intelligent human and one of the only teenagers in the country who use to go to a school for space exploration. He's a cat who licks himself to take a bath, probably used one of his nine lives and died of shock. I had left my smart devices at home and my phone had exploded so I was pretty much off the grid until I found a kiosk. Meaning any news or police report about me, Duncan or anything relating to the sword that rested on the tree next to me. I looked at it then up at Orko, our last conversation had left me with more questions than answers, so many questions.
Mainly about my dad, he was a king guess that makes me a prince, also why did Orko send me a magical sword that a dark emperor is seeking like stolen plans to a space station. Did Orko know the sword was showing me visions, did he know more than he was letting on?
"Orko, can you find Duncan with your magic?" I asked deciding we needed to move soon, DC was a busy city and I could see people walking on Constitution Ave NW in the distance.
Orko ended his conversation with the squirrel and floated down "Sure thing Adam, let me give it a whirl.' Orko said rolling up his baggy sleeves.
That's when I saw his blue arms the skin around his wrists were scared and callus. I was about to ask him about it when Orko began to cast his spell.
"Need to find what's lost, help us-... uhhhh." Orko started to wobble and mumble before he fell down into the grass.
"Orko?" I asked about to get up before the Wizard sat up shaking his pointe eared head and hat. "Oi… sorry, Adam let me try again."
I got up and knelt down in front of him grabbing his hands "Whoa, who are you okay?" I asked he looked a pale shade of blue than before.
Orko nodded "Yeah, it's just teleporting magic, especially between the cosmos can take it out of a guy."
"So like an Einstein-Rosen bridge?" I asked him, I wonder if him using Magic was like how the Flash used his superpower, or it was more like straining a muscle? I couldn't let him over exert himself, he may be my only hope of that Beastman thing wasn't captured too. Looking over at my stuff I saw my car keys sitting on top of my notebook, I'm sure I could take the subway or find a kiosk to request a ride and walk the rest of the way to get my car, at least then we'd be mobile.
"Who?" Orko asked I didn't have time to explain it so I gave him the short version.
"A-a wormhole, two points in space and time that are separated, you go through one and come out the other like a doorway."
Orko looked at me eyes spinning, "Okay no theoretical astrophysics of general relativity, for now, take it easy, for now, then maybe you can recharge, do you think you can fit in my backpack?" I ask starting to shove stuff back into it letting Cringer climb out and stretch. Orko looked at the backpack and nodded "Uh-huh, I should be able to squeeze out a shrinking spell."
"Since it's not a house, make me small as a mouse," Orko said waving his fingers as he shrunk down to the size of yeah, you guessed it, a mouse. And super cool by the way, it was like seeing Ant-Man for the first time. Before he flew into the backpack wondered if he could do it to the sword to Orko flew into the backpack with Cringer watching him looking like he was ready to pounce. I grabbed the cat by the collar and pulled him away before he could eat Orko, which only left me with what to do with the sword, it wasn't really that easy to hide.
"Orko can you do that with the sword?" I asked looking into the bag to see Orco passed out in one of the backpack inner pockets.
Magic must really take a lot out of him, thankfully it was late, or really early maybe already one or two in the morning since it was so cold. But this was DC. There were cameras everywhere and a teenager out late at night with a sword is going to be pretty suspicious with or without Orko. I slipped my arms through my backpack and picked up the sword and Cringer, I let him crawl up onto my shoulders and felt him slip into the hoodie hanging down my shoulders.
"Alright, let's roll," I said looking around the park for a public kiosk before I saw one near the pond. It was closed and I sighed in relief seeing nobody there but three touch screen screens for public use, with a phone attached if you needed to call with a coin slot beneath it. When I was a kid, the US declared that the internet was a basic human need in first world countries and started setting up these hubs and monitors for people to use when the needed to access the internet for information, direction, and for me an Uber. I looked through the public apps and swiped across the screen before reaching behind my back to pulled out my wallet only to feel nothing there, I started to panic before I remembered I had slipped some pocket change into my backpack when I bought a Snickers at a vending machine yesterday. I pulled it around setting the sword down and taking it out, Orko still fasts asleep among my stuff. I spied a few quarters at the bottom and took them out counting a total of three. I couldn't order and uber but I could call a friend, I slipped the quarter into the slot before a grid of numbers appeared. Then I froze, who was I going to call, I couldn't wait to start second guessing on calling mom so I called the next best thing. Roger, the screen changed to show a rotating phone that shook every once in a while to signal it was ringing. I didn't really know what I do and I didn't know who to trust, cops had to be looking for me and who knows who else. Maybe NASA, Space Force even these really cool guys called Galactic Garrison, they'll never last. But that's what ESPN said about Barstool Sports and now they do the Super Bowl every year
The ringing screen vanished and an image of Roger appeared from a screen in his own room, it had a white floor with a grey bed and polished wooden furniture. He was dressed in sweatpants and a long white shirt that went to his knees.
"Adam… what time is it dude I was asleep?" Roger asked, "Roger! Don't hang up I need your help."
Roger checked his smartphone and gapped "Whoa, you got like three amber alerts out for you?"
"What, crap, look I need you to come and get me I'm at the Lincoln Memorial." I said quickly as Roger looked at his phone "Says your house blew up, are you okay?"
I slapped the machine "Yes, can you come to get me?"
"Lincoln huh, how'd you get out there without your car?" Roger asked me, "It's a long story, but right now can you help me." Roger looked up at me and sighed "Yeah, you got your phone?"
My head shook remembering it was totaled, "Okay, I'll be there soon, meet me near the spot we got dropped off last week when we attending Dog Rights to vote rally."
"Still can't believe that almost became law." I said making him laugh "Yeah, yeah well I think whatever story you got about all this will be better."
"See you, bro." I sighed in relief before hanging up, I took my chance to see what was going on with these amber alerts and typed in my name. Google popped up with the most recent news 'NASA Director's house blown up, son Adam Glen missing.' I sore in my mind as saw Fox News was already saying China could be to blame, and I was trending on Twitter. It wouldn't be long till I was everywhere, I needed to get out of sight, I prayed Roger would be here soon and hung up. Walking over to a park bench and sat down, I was at a loss for what to do next other than wait.
I set my backpack down and looked inside to see Orko was still asleep, I gently shook him it "Orko?"
"Hmmm Five more minutes…." Orko mumbled in his sleep, he'd gotten us this far but this was an emergency. I shook the bag again but stopped when I felt something very cold made of metal pressed up the back of my head "Get up, slowly."
I knew it was either one of two things, either a robot was poking me in the back with his finger, or yep then I heard the cocking sound, it was a gun. Closing the backpack I got up slowly peeking over at whoever it was "Eyes front." they barked, their voice was muffled by something maybe a mask.
"Hand me the sword," they growled pressing the barrel of the gun up against my head, Cringer the noticed me getting up and must have seen the gunman, he rattled of a series of frightening meows.
"Shut that thing up or I will." the mugger said when I picked up the word "No! He's just scared, you know a scaredy cat." I said quickly getting in front of Cringer grabbing my backpack and getting a look at the mugger. They weren't what I was expecting, usually, tv commercials made the mugger or burglar a white guy in his late twenties wearing a sock cap and hoodie. It was a girl, a muscular girl with freckles on her face and body. She wore reddish leather armor with bright bronze armor over her chest, collar and down over her navel. Over a white tunic or one-piece leotard, she had a leather belt with guided leather straps around her waist, but I could see dark black spats around her thighs that had a holster for the gun made of some sort of scaled hide that matched another one on her right bicep. She had a hood lined with fangs and a scaling mask over her nose and mouth. I stood up slowly and reached for the sword.
She looked just as surprised at me "You, you understand me?" she asked lowering the gun. I nodded slowly lifting the sword to her.
"Yeah…" All I could do was a gap at her, we were the same height but she had to least have over ten stones on me of muscle "Uh, who are you?"
She shook her head in disbelief before arching her brow "The one holding the gun, sword, now." she said holding up her hand. I looked at her muscular arm and the hand attacked to see a few fading scars and recent ones "Wait how do you understand me, your like the first one to know what I was saying?"
Whoever this ginger was she looked like she was getting flustered, I was about to say something but my left hand felt my backpack shift. Orko popped his head out of the bag "Adam, sorry I fell asleep what's going…" Orko blinked his two yellow eyes at me then looked at the mugger dressed like a larper, a larger. The girl gapped and aimed her blaster at the backpack "ORKO!" She screamed before Orko screamed and sunk back into the backpack zipping it tight, she hopped over the bench and grabbed the backpack out of my hands "Orko come out." now she screamed pressing her gun to the bag "No, no, you're just going to shoot me again."
Again, I thought in a fear that she had really shot him before but less so if she'd shoot me if I intervened. "This time I'm going to strangle you imp."
She pulled her hood down and mask showing fire red hair was shaved on the left side with the other combed over on the right. She had two green paint stripes on her left cheek that matched sea green eyes that looked cold as ice under a bronze circlet with an emerald in it. Her wrists had white wrappings around her hands like a boxer that looked worn and torn in some parts. Her legs were covered brown leather boots with metal on her right shin. Altogether she looked like an auburn space wonder woman with a gun, crazy right, and she looked my age.
Wait for that soundly oddly familiar like Duncan, and they knew each other. "Wait… Orko who is this?"
I wish I hadn't asked because the second I opened my mouth, was the same when she raised her gun right in my face "Don't trust her Adam, she's the scariest girl in the universe." Orko screamed before said the scariest girl in the universe slammed the but of her gun into the bag ten retrained them on me "Shut up imp, give me the sword or I'll shoot you in the face blondie."
"Okay, Okay just let him go," I said holding up the Sword of Power, my attention was drawn away from her to the sound of raised voices outside the park. A few pedestrians wandering the sidewalks were looking over at us, I even saw one person with their phone out recording it.
"Uuuhhhh we should move." I said looking back at her but saw her gun get even closer "What part of in the face didn't you get, boy?"
Somebody from the sidewalk must have had enough because they called out "What's going on over there?" the girl looked over at them and so did I, it was a beat cop in black fatigues with an orange armband that read police on it standing in front of a few newspapers stands. The ginger groaned turning her gun on them and squeezing the trigger a bright green laser shot out and made the newspapers explode making everyone near it scream. In the chaos, I grabbed my backpack and scooped up Cringer before running away.
"Get back here!" I heard the girl scream as Cringer clung to me shivering, I could barely run straight as the backpack bounced around me. I didn't get far the girl tackled me to the ground and twisted my arm behind my back while wrapping her other arm around my neck, man she was strong.
"Last chance, give me the sword?" she said as I felt her press the blaster into my skull I tried to uncurl my fingers but my arm was stiff.
"Okay, back of the face it is." she said I felt her point the gun at the back of my head when Orko jumped out of my backpack "Teela stop it's him, it's Prince Adam."
"What?" the girl named Teela said as I felt her elbow drive into my back and my arm about to be rebroken all over again "This scrawny kid, oh by Grayskull you have got to be joking Orko."
I turned around holding Cringer close to my chest letting go of the sword, "This has to be a joke, where's Duncan." Teela said grabbing the sword holding it with one hand.
"No, no it's not Teela I swear it and Duncan well," Orko said getting between me and her
Getting up, grabbing my backpack Cringer quickly scurried into the safety of the bag "Where Orko?" Teela said shooting another laser past Orko and my head exploding a tree.
"I know where he is, I can take you to him," I said stepping forward without thinking so she didn't shoot Orko.
"Then take me to him mustard top," she said, the familiar sound of police sirens came into ear range "Ok, ok, ok just stop shooting things and follow me."
"I turned my head up from the grass and dirt to see the shock on her face, she got off me and glared at Orko. On the far side of the park, I could see DCPD heading right toward us. "Run, run." I snapped at Teela and started to run. We ran across the side of the reflection pool on the other side of the park "Orko you up for another spell?" I asked Orko who flew alongside us "No, anything but that." I heard Teela snapped.
"You got a better idea carrot top?" I hissed, Teel ran closer to me "Lock up mustard top." I guess that wasn't going to get old any time soon before she grabbed the scruff of my backpack and jumped, pulling me along with her into the trees. Her hand slapped onto my mouth hard as she pulled us up onto a large tree branch as the cops ran past us. "Where did they go, I think they went this way?"
We watched the cops run by us and Teela glared down on them letting go of my mouth "These guards are everywhere, tell me what kind of weapons they have?"
"Weapons, why?" I asked her clutching to the top of the tree "So we can fight them if we can take one hostage I can find out where Duncan is."
"No, no torturing, look I have a friend coming to help us up but please trust me." I begged her she raised her gun at me once again but something had changed, she lowered her gun "This friend, how will we know him, how many reinforcements is he bringing?" she asked me.
"Reinforcements, no he's going to give us a ride, he has to be close?" I said shaking my head and almost losing my grip on the tree. She seemed to be thinking it over, her nose started to scrunch up a bit and her brow furrowed. Looking back on it now, she'd do that a lot "...An escape then good, we will need a distraction." she held up her gun and I saw a small panel open up in the grip. I saw a series of multi-colored buttons, there was a green one with a multi-pointed circle with a long line coming out of it, a pale blue one with a white cloud on it, an orange one with a parachute, then purple one with a pixel symbol. Teela pressed the orange button and held up her gun before she squeezed the trigger. A bright red flare shot out into the sky above the reflection pool.
We watched the cops run toward it and start looking into the sky to try and track the trail but the burning flare parachuted down in a blinding light. "Lock your knees," Teela said grabbing my collar again and jumping out of the trees, who was this girl with a Judge Dredd gun and legs like a kangaroo. We jumped out of the tree before lading away from the trees. Getting up, I remembered where we were from when Roger and I were her last. I got up heading toward the edge of the street looking around for Rogers car.
Thankfully I didn't need to, two honks to my right and I saw Roger flashing his car "That one." I said to the leaping laser lass who followed behind me. "Adam, what's going on- is that a sword, who's she and WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?" Roger asked seeing me, then Teela and then Orko hence the scream."
"I opened the passenger door with Teela smashing the window in the back and jumping in "Hey!" Roger snapped as she climbed in pushing past the glass. I guess they didn't have doors in Eternia but that was a question for later. "Drive, Roger, drive!" I said getting in and buckling up.
"Adam please tell me what's going on-" but Teela got to him first with her gun again as her method of persuasion "Command this griffins ass to pilot this land mover away from here."
"What does she want?" Roger asked me not understanding her, I guess Orkos spell only works on me sing both Roger and the cops couldn't understand Teela or Duncan.
I grabbed Teela's arm "Drive."
Roger peeled out of the parking spot and down the road away from the park giving me a chance to breathe, "What the hell is going on."
"I don't know man, I've been trying to figure that out." I groaned rubbing my forehead
I couldn't go anywhere without something popping up to try and kill me, first Orko, then Duncan, Beastman now this psychopathic girl who blows stuff up. I said looking back at Teela and Orko with Teela glaring at Orko who was doing his best to avoid her gaze, I noticed Teela hadn't let go of the sword and it didn't look like she would any time soon.
"Alright is there any more people from Eternia here?" I asked Teela, she turned her glare at me "You met the furball right?"
"Furball, you mean the Beastman?" I asked her when Roger came to a stop "This Beastman, he about six-five orange fur head to toe in spike armor?" Roger asked me, making me gap at him before I saw Roger point out in front of the car "He's in the middle of the road." Orko, Teela and I looked out in front, the red monster was standing fifteen meters ahead of us in the middle of a deserted road, then he started to head toward us than a full on a charge on all fours "Turn around."
"YOU THINK!" Roger snapped throwing his car into reverse before doing one eighty to turn around, I watched Teela point her blaster out of the window and fire at Beastman to miss and hit some bodies parked car. "Tell this pilot to keep it steady." she said down to me "What she say?" Roger asked.
"She said to keep it steady." I translated "How do you know what she's saying."
Yanking him off the glass I shook him "Orko, we need you."
The Wizard had stars in his eyes before he shook them out, "I-I I don't know what to do."
I looked into the back seat to see Teela kick out the back window "WHY?" Roger asked his eyes in the rearview window before Teela got down over the back seats to shoot at Beastman, And either this Teela was a terrible shot or Beastman had, yeah it had cat-like reflexes because the Beastman was jumping on and off cars like spider-man.
"Yes you do, come on think of something," I said trying to encourage him to pull a rabbit out of his hat, I prayed he literally wouldn't though.
I started to see flashes of red and blue and at first I thought Orko was doing his thing, but the loud sirens over Teela's shooting and missing made me know otherwise. "Aaaadam?" Roger asked drawn out and long.
"...Cops?" I groaned up at Roger "It ain't GI Joe." Roger said.
Not yet that is, "Reinforcements." Teela said when we both saw one of the police cruisers drive right up next to a running Beastman who was on all fours before one came up behind it. Beastman leaped up and landed on one of the side of the buildings clawing his way over the concrete buildings, not like Spider-Man more like Venom now which made it even worse. I watched Teela punch out the last window "Another one, really?" Roger whined before Teela pulled the trigger on her blaster.
"No." I snapped trying to stop her when I recognized the building. I wonder if she knew she just did the first drive by on the FBI in history. Her shot tore out from beside the car and blew up chunks of the building with Beastman flying right at us landing right on the hood "AAAAHHHH!" Roger and I both screamed when Beastman let out another roar large ape and lion-like fangs gleamed in front of them before a cobra flew past our faces and smashed the window hitting Beastman right in the snout. The two of us looked back to see Teela holding this warrior staff the top resembled a cobra's head striking.
Roger was still screaming, most likely from the fact, a red ape was blocking his view, or it could be from Teela breaking the fourth window on his car. Beastman fell back but I saw his lower paws dig their claws into the hood.
Teela's face appeared next to mine as she shoved her gun in my hand, it had a slender handle, long barrel with wires sticking out of it, "Here shoot them."
"I'm not shooting cops," I said while holding onto Orko, Teela pulled out from the front and in the rear view mirror slipped out the back window and on top of the roof of Rogers car. Beastman leaped off the top of the hood and on the top of the car. Five claws pierced through the roof above each of our heads, I poked my head out of the window to see Teela and Beastman fighting on top of the car. They were moving so fast and quick it was hard to make out the white and gold from all the red hair. If this was weird for me I could only imagine what the cops were thinking.
I dropped the gun on the floor not even thinking of using it, I held up Orko and slapped his face "Come on buddy." I said as I watched the back of Teela's head smash into my window sending glass all over us. My arm flew up to shield Orko and Roger before the car shook violently to the left turn when black vans with red and blue lights in their grills appeared in front of us, Roger took another hard left which only prompted me to ask.
"Where'd you learn to drive like that?" I asked him "Rocketball." Roger replied I looked behind at the black cars knowing they weren't standard police. Could be anyone, FBI, CIA, Space Force.
"Uhh.. buddy uhhh." Orko mumbled coming to, Orko took only a second to see the Chaos again
"We're on the run, our lucks almost done, so make this chariot run." Orko said casting a quick spell that made Rogers dashboard light up sending the cars speed dial way over the limit. Teela fell of the top of the car back down off the rear. "Oh, crap." I said climbing over the seat pushing Orkoa aside. I clambered over the back seat and extended my arm out to her. Teela saw me climbing back and raised her snake staff for me to take. if I hadn't grabbed on her stick "Hold on!" I yelled being pushed into her chair Orko fell back into the back seat cushioning in on before I pulled Teela back inside to safety. Roger let out a scream, his small car going into hyperdrive faster than the Millennium Falcon. Orko even let out his own scream very similar to a small trash can shape robot piloted by a small dwarf.
I watched the buildings and monuments turn into a blur as Beastman faded into nothing but and range spec with the entire car zipping out of DC before we started to slow down far outside the District. The lights of the city were gone and the car's engine was smoking, Roger and my hair were blown back from the sheer force of speed we had just hit. My eardrums and I was betting everyone else had popped as we got our bearings.
Then I started to feel dizzy, I think everyone else was to cause Roger, Teela, Orko and I seeped out of the car wobbly. My ears were still ringing but they began to work again when I heard Roger puking into a nearby bush. Bush, where the hell where we that night, oh yeah. So Orko's spell sent the car way out of DC we're on a road in the middle of a nowhere forest.
Roger came back over wiping his mouth and ruffling his brown hair "Adam tell me what the hell is going on please?"
"Short or long version?" I asked him.
"Short please!" Roger snapped trying to hold it together "Okay…. A sword blew up my barn, this guy popped up along with a cyborg, then that red ape attacked us and to save us Orko teleported us to the Lincoln Memorial, then she showed up, you know the rest but I need your help to get the cyborg out of jail who brought the sword, he got arrested after he saved us from the Beastman, just like these two did." Roger just stared at me wide eyes even after we heard a loud moan from Rogers car. Followed by the suspension giving out and his last car window shattering into little bitty pieces.
"And you killed my car." Roger said clutching the sides of his head, "Will sorry make it better?" I asked
After Roger got done screaming into his wheel, he took everything rather well all things considering as we stood outside the car. Orko's had sped us all the way outside of Washington into the middle of some woods just outside DC, somewhere outside the city limits I think, oh wait I already told you that. Sorry, I forgot. Roger told me that everyone had been texting him asking where I was, the same for Jasmine, Dijkstra, and Takeshi too. The cops had already spoken with Takeshi and Jasmine, but the cops hadn't spoken to Roger, but he told me something I already heard before.
"You have to call your mom Adam." Roger said after he got done the explaining of the situation.
"No, no way." I said back to Roger while Teela leaned the sword on her back and Orko petted the purring Cringer who had finally calmed down. "What, she's literally the one person who could sort all this stuff out, we just ran from the cops
"No, we can't she… she knew about all this and hid it from me?" Roger looked insulted after I said that "For good reason, that- that thing just totaled my car?" he said pointing at Orko.
Raising my hand I held up one finger "First off his name is Orko, he's a wizard and second…." I said holding up another he just saved our asses."
"He just burned my ass, do you know what my parents are going to do when they find out what happened to my car?" Roger argued holding his arms up to his destroyed vehicle, it really wasn't that good a car just a Ford.
I guess Teela had finally gotten tired of being quiet because she walked up to both us and slapped me on the back of the head "Ow, why'd you just hit me?"
"Because I felt like it, you two are squabbling like children." she said hands on her hips flexing her biceps.
Glaring back at her as I rubbed my head, she had hands like wooden planks, "Now, take me to Duncan." she said crossing her arms not looking like she was about to take no for an answer.
"Look I don't really know exactly where he is but I know where they might take him." I said but Teela didn't like that, she grabbed me and shoved me up to the car "Where?"
"Space Force, Duncans at Space Force." I said before Roger heard us "Oh I hate those guys, wait whose Duncan?" Roger asked
"Duncan is the cyborg." I said to Roger who looked at Teela and backed up at her piercing gaze "He's not a cyborg." Teela said out of nowhere. Ignoring her comment I looked back at Roger, "Look we just had a high-speed chase in the middle of DC, our faces are going to be all over FBI's and CIA most wanted, FBI more so because Xenia shot up the building."
Roger starred at Teela who was picking something out of her teeth "You shot the FBI building?"
"What is he saying?" Teela asked me seeing Roger had spoken to her, "He said you shot the FBI- uh Federal Bureau of Investigation."
"Federal Beryou- what kind of stupid name is that?" she said, I guess all Eternians ask stupid questions. I remembered not to engage because the last time I never got Orko to shut up "Not important right now."
"What language are you speaking?" Roger asked me, "Language, I'm speaking another language."
I asked him and he nodded "When you were talking to me, you were speaking English and then when you spoke to her it was different?" it was Orko's spell of course.
"Now both of you shut up and let me think." I said
I walked away from the two of them, and headed toward his car to check on Orko"Orko can you…." I cut myself off when I saw Orko was passed out in the back seat like he was in my backpack, "Alright our Wizard is down again." I called back, their feet made a crunching sound of dead leaves under them when they approached the car. crunching
"Here hold him." I said picking Orko up out of the car and handing him to Roger
Teela and Roger came up behind me and looked inside his car, Teela let out a long sigh "Leave that to me," Teela walked behind the Wheeless car and started to push, it screeched across the street before Roger and I watched Teela push his car off the road and into a deep ditch. Both of us were looking at her slacked jaw at how strong she was "Okay, Orko is this wizard, Beastman; names pretty self-explanatory, and then a cyborg named after my favorite place to get donuts, who is she, the ginger she-hulk and why is she destroying my car?" Roger asked me.
"I have no idea but she scares me." I whispered watching her shove the car in the ditch with an extra push "There the vehicle is hidden," Teela said confidently turning around hands on her hips the rear of the car sticking out of the ditch, then the horn started to go off followed by the blinking lights.
"What no, not hidden it's even worse the alarms going off." I said, Teela spat out a huff of hair over her auburn bangs before she took out her gun and fired off three rounds into the back of the car the alarm shut off mid-ring, "There two problems solv-" she was interrupted by the car catching on fire then erupting into flames.
I had to hold Roger back from screaming and looked at Teela, "We start walking now." she said knowing we had to get going. We left the car behind and started to walk down the nighttime road, Teela had sheathed the sword over her back with a leather harness holster.
"So what now?" Roger asked me "I don't know." I said watching Teela and staring at the sword, it didn't seem right that she was holding it. It was one of those things I couldn't explain, like when you see your sibling wearing your clothing, if I had any siblings.
"Adam I want to help you, but your scaring me, I've asked the others not to call the cops or tell their parents but that won't last long?" Roger said reminding me people took missing people reports a lot more seriously then they did a few years ago, Roger handed Orko over to me as he took out his phone showing me more twitter feed about the chase. It read as such 'High speed chase at the Capital, FBI building attacked' oh and the worst of it all "National Mall set on fire… oh crap."
"Oh crap is right Adam, things are things are… oh, wait no only a few trees were caught on fire, that's just bad journalism." Roger said reading it in more depth "The other stuff though is still pretty bad."
I looked down at Orko who was still passed out before turning to my friend sighing "Roger, this guy came across the universe to ask for my help, he and Duncan said they made a promise not to come here but he did, Orko must have risked everything to get here." I said looking at the small imp as he slept "I can't just turn my back on someone like that." I sighed before I summoned up the courage very few boys ever had when talking to girls, especially when she looks like she can bench press a truck and has a laser gun.
"Do you even know these people?" Roger asked looking at her to "I don't her, or this Duncan guy, but him." I said holding Orko up "His name os Orko, the same as the AI I invented that can't just be coincidence can it?"
Roger leaned in "You take theoretical quantum astrophysics with me after PE, space is infinite that makes everything possible somewhere in space?"
"And?" I asked him "And it means I don't know what the hell is going on here, all I know is were about to become America's most wanted, just like when Vice President Kanye West 'accidently' gave Texas back to Mexico, and they got him within twelve hours." Roger said reminding me of one of America's lesser moments.
"Roger, he fled to his private island, shaped exactly like his head and tried to declare himself king of an island full nothing but Kardashians?" I reminded him "And that's why Guantanamo Bay is there instead of Cuba now." It actually wasn't renamed Guantanamo Bay, President Johnson insisted it be renamed Kanyetanamo Bay before he resigned, we also got Texas back but I doubt anyone really missed it, truth be told President Johnson actually got Mexico to join the United States, you get a name like the Rock for nothing.
Shifting Orko back over to him "So what's your point?" I asked handing him the wizard.
"My point is, we are making a lot of noise in a place that has more eyes and ears then Kingslanding, you know?" Roger said making another reference "What is it with you and all these references, you sound like one of those old Disney superhero movies."
"Teela right?" I asked.
"Mustard top." she said back while I eyed the sword and her gun strapped to her muscular leg.
"You know Duncan, Man-At-Arms mustache cyborg Macho Man?" I said describing him as best I could "Yeah, he's my Commander."
"Your Commander, okay so you should know a lot of stuff right?" I asked.
I looked over my shoulder to see Roger holding Orko awkwardly and no cars behind us, the smoldering remains of his car fading behind us. It was my hope that since Orko was out, and most of the time very unhelpful since we'd met maybe she'd give me better answers.
"Alright, how did you guys get here, Orko said he teleported here?" I asked "Teleport?" she asked me.
"I walked through a portal, a wormhole." she said, suddenly my curiosity was peaked "You know what a wormhole is?" I asked.
Nodding "Well you'd call it a wormhole, we call it an interdimensional tear in the fabric of space and time, every time Orko opens it he's ripping a hole in the space-time continuum, but to Orko it's a portal."
"Whoa, really." I asked her, Teela gave a light not bucking out her lip "Yep, now I've told you something you tell me something agreed, Mustard Top?"
"It's Adam actually, but yes ask away." I said seeing she was going to do a give and take thing.
"Where is this Space Force you mentioned?" she asked me, asking about Duncan, but I wasn't sure if Orko was, I looked back at Roger and remembered he had his smart device. "Hey, Roger can you look up anything related to my house blowing up?"
Teela looked at me not sure what I was up to, "Give me a second." Roger said taking out his phone, we waited for him to walk up to us and held up the phone "There saying the terrorist who blew up your house and kidnapped you is being taken into federal custody… however before the FBI could arrive, US Space Force had already taken the suspect away?" He said Teela seemed to recognize the name 'Space Force'. Her hand reached out and she snatched the phone out his hand "What is this, some sort of magic mirror?" she asked when she pressed the button "Hey!" Roger groaned.
"You know about wormholes, but you've never seen a smart device?" I asked her.
"Smart device, hmm Duncan would love this." she said handing the device back to Roger "Your technology is basic but imaginative." she said, "Thank you?" I asked indifferent at what she meant and getting off task, Roger looked down at the phone and I nodded at him to keep reading "There saying the suspect has been transported to Andrews Air Force Base, which is, yeah really far from us." he said showing me and Teela the distance on the map, a blue dot lighting up the part of DC we were on.
"How far is that?" Teela asked me.
"To far to go on foot before they move him again." I said knowing that the FBI would probably be on there way by now. As I was thinking of what to do next, the three of us heard the sound of something flying up above. Raising my head I looked up to see what I first thought was a delivery drone but I'd never seen one with its design. It was shaped like a basketball but had three fins on it on top and two on the bottom it flew around a bit then stopped hovering above us. "That a drone?" Roger asked but Teela knew exactly what it was and believe me we're glad she did "Spybot… then that means."
"Run, RUN!" Teela screamed breaking for the treeline next to the side of the road, Roger and I followed her looking over our shoulder to see the drone swooping down
It flew just above us and behind us, just in time I saw the eyes of the drone open up and a green light starting to glow from it, Teela must have seen it to because I felt her grab both me and Roger and pull us out of the way "Look out for the Gamma beam." I barely got a chance to see the small part of the force that had been melted before we had to start running again, it was so dark we were stumbling of broken limbs and twigs before another gamma beam went off again vaporizing another tree.
"Follow me." Teela ordered, we did so as she led us through the maze of trees and bushes before she came to the trunk of a larger tree and scrunched up behind it with Roger and I cowering behind her.
"What… was… that?" Roger asked panting.
"Spybot, one of Skeletor's tracking drones but this one has a gamma beam so it's a more advanced model and only one person in Skeletor's army has one with a gamma beam and him…"
"DOWN!" Teela screamed grabbing us as a green emerald pierced the blade sliced the tree right at the trunk before falling over. We looked up to see standing over us on the stump was glowing red eye before it came out of the shadows. It was a man dressed like Teela and Duncan but his apparel was a bit more, revealing. They wore a strange carbon fiber stitched scarf or headwrap in a baggy hood, a harness of dark black that looked like body armor, over a sleeveless cut off the top, his waist was covered in a belt that looked like a wrestler or gladiator would wear with a short tunic around his waist. Both arms had black leather bracers with green lined metal armor, his left arm had small on it, maybe a remote for the drone. The other was studded with spikes, under his short belt tunic were muscular legs in leather chaps tucked into dark black boots with armor on the knees. In one hand he was holding a green xiphos sword with a crescent hilt and the other a short sword or dagger, the hood fell back around his head, a strange helmet with a ring visor and black top, a single red glowing lens was looking down at us. His entire head was encased in black metal around his chin, except the area around the person's nose and mouth.
Raising his blade he pointed it at Teela without even paying Roger and I any attention "Hand over the blade and you will be spared." the man said, then his eye helmets visor twisted around to show a green glowing one similar to the one the 'spybot' had.
"Tri-Klops, should have known." Teela growled out feeling the tip of 'Tri-Klops' sword at her throat
It lowered down in front of us both eyes locked on us, "I won't ask again." Tri-Klops said, his visor turned slightly to the left looking at me before it rotated around for the third time to show a blue eye "...hmmm."
Teela later told me she saw an opening because she rolled out of the way for Tri-Klops blade and tore out her pistol and shot the drone out of the sky with a single blast. Tri-Klops stabbed at her but she held up her staff parrying his sword and getting up at the same time. It was all a flurry of motion and she moved it was like a dance. Roger and I watched Tri-Klops move just as fast swinging his sword and dagger with both hands. I mean, it was like watching one of those kung fu movies the ones where they would jump and move twenty feet in the air because of strings, but without the strings. We had been so busy running from the drone, that we never noticed where we had run too. The tree line had ended to the edge of a cliff only a few feet away from where the two were dueling.
"Get Orko out of here." Teela snapped before Tri-Klops could unleash a flurry of sliced sliding slithering swords that made Teela back up. Then broke it off with a punch from his short sword in a reverse grip hatching into Teela's staff, her feet were planted firmly in the ground, saw his other blade arm coming down on her, kicking her staff up she caught both blades. Tri-Klops knee shot up, Teela's did to blocking him and pushing against Tri-Klops. Spinning herself out of his blades she rolled away and used her stick and swung her leg around kicking Tri-Klops in the back. She tore the Sword of Power from her back and through toward us making the blade sink deep into a stone next to me.
"I said to run Mustard Top." she said when Tri-Klops fell forward then turned around and shot at her with his gamma beam in a more focused laser.
"Lookout." I yelled trying to warn her the gamma beam hit her square in the chest hitting her like a shotgun. Teela fell back into the dirt gasping for air, the shot had vaporized the trees but this one had to be a lower power level, he didn't mean to kill her, yet.
"Adam we need to go." Roger snapped at me.
But I couldn't move, it was that same feeling that I got in the simulation the first time I saw the Julian Simulation recordings of people just giving up to save the last man. The one everyone ran away from, everyone but me. My eyes were drawn to the Sword of Power, my feet pulled me toward it reaching out I gripped the sword and yanking on it with all my strength the blade released without any resistance. I ran out in front of the downed Teela between her and Tri-Klops who stopped.
I must have looked as stupid as I felt because Tri-Klops gave me a soft smile "Drop the sword boy, it's all I want."
"You want, come and get it."
Tri-Klop's eye narrowed like a camera lens scope, "If you insist" The three-eyed warrior kicked off from where he stood and swung his sword arm at me. The Sword of Power felt lighter than when I first held it and I raised to catch his sword but came up with the short sword. My left arm shot out without thinking and I felt the blade slice down my forearm. The pain went straight up my arm and made me fall back holding my arm close to my chest to see my pink jacket, white hoodie and shirt had been sliced open along with my arm. My blood started to gush out down my arm I took a step back but didn't move out of the way from Teela and Tri-Klops.
Tri-Klops spun his blades around in his hands showing his obvious skill in swordsmanship before he held them low crossed over one another "You have courage boy, a fools courage but courage." he said while I tried to hold the sword with blood seeping into my grip making it slippery.
"Adam!" Roger yelled out to me, Tri-Klops heard him and then looked back at me gapping "... Adam?" Tri-Klops asked out loud.
He was distracted, something about my name that was enough, running right at Tri-Klops with my own sword raised high, he saw me coming and raised both his arms to block, I through the sword at him. Tri-Klops caught the sword and swatted it away from his arms in enough for me to tackled into him. I planted my feet got down low to wrap around his waist like Dijkstra had taught me when I tried to play rugby. Throwing my shoulder into him with all my might making Tri-Klops lose his stance. He stumbled back again toward the edge of the cliff before I watched him fall right off.
I sprinted toward the edge I dove reaching out with my cut left arm over the side to see Tri-Klops had grabbed onto the small nooks poking out of the cliffside. Looking up at me, when he saw my Hand Tri-Klops armor lined jaw opened "Grab my hand." I snapped at him.
I felt his kallus covered hand to latch onto mine, but the blood from Tri-Klops blade started to seep down into my palm making me lose my grip. I had to be fast or he'd slip soon, starting to pull, Tri-Klops started to climb when his fingers slipped out of my bloodied hand and he fell.
"NO!" I screamed watching him fall into the blackness of the night.
I lost sight of him in the darkness and shut my eyes pressin my head into the cold stone of the cliff, I couldn't save him and now I felt like absolute garbage for it. Look yeah, I know what your thinking, why would even try to save someone who tried to kill me and almost took my entire forearm, but having simulated over a thousand times I fell to my death at the NASA Academy. Trust me it's a bad way to go, even if you're a crazy sword-wielding tryclops. Pushing off the cliff I got up and held my cut arm up close, man it was a bad day to be my arms.
Getting up off the cliffside I saw Teela starting to wake up, looking like the wind has been knocked out of her. "Where… where's the sword?" she asked.
I looked over to the edge and at the Sword of Power, standing in the moonlight alone I walked toward it and picked it up and headed back toward a now standing Teela.
"I told you to run." She said feeling her chest, her white hide or leather armor had been darkened from the blast, but I guess it was stronger then it looked since she was okay.
"Well, I'm not very good a following orders," I replied holding the sword up to her, she waved me off from handing it to her "Where's Tri-Klops?" she asked, my gaze returned to the cliff and she sighed "He'll be back, he always comes back, speaking of back we should return to the main road" she said picking up her cobra staff.
"ADAM!" I heard a familiar wizard cry out, I saw Orko had awoken from his second nap and he flew over toward me "Adam, oh no your bleeding."
"It's a scratch Orko." Teela said to him with Roger coming up behind, "A scratch he almost lost his arm." Roger snapped reminding me.
I saw Teela roll her eyes, probably because she was sporting a lot of scars herself "On Eternia, you aren't considered an adult till you get your first battle scar." she said reaching down to tossing me a leather pouch with a cap on it.
"Is this medicine or a health potion?" asked, Teela snickered, Orko flew around and looked at my arm taking his pinks scarf and wrapping it around my arm to try and seal the wound. As he did Teela answered my question "Wine, Mustard Top."
I took one sniff of it and felt the sting of grape or berries, taking a sip and almost gagged on the wine but the second it went down I felt the pain begun to dull.
"Orko, get us back to the road will you?" Teela asked him "Sure thing Teela."
"Adam…" Roger said "What?" I asked knowing he was going to start freaking out again probably.
"I'm freaking out man, I mean really freaking out.", called it while he said into my ear while we followed Teela back the way we came.
"We're alive aren't we?" I asked offering him some of the wine which he took without question and took a large gulp. It didn't take long for us to get back to the main road "Barely, and I do mean barely what are we going to do."
Now I was the one rolling his eyes, "As I said, find Duncan and help him."
"Help him, how?" Roger asked me, he did have a good point we would never get to Duncan before the FBI did even worse we'd never get him out if they did.
"We'll get a car." I suggested, "You really think someone is going to stop for us and say we do get a car what then?" Roger asked me, and just then a car zoomed past us coming to a screeching halt.
"Orko, hide," Teela ordered the Wizard who flew into the trees like a squirrel away from a dog for us to see the car had a big red, white and yellow Pizza sign delivery magnet on the top of the car. A young man wearing a red jacket and hat come out he looked like he was in his mid-twenties and as he came out the three of us starred at one another before looking back at him "You kids okay?"
Teela smiled at me and at Roger, sighing I knew this would be our best bet of getting to Duncan, but it wouldn't be pretty "Just don't kill him." I said to her, Teela tossed her staff at Roger before she cracked her knuckles and walked toward the pizza delivery boy who started to back up. I'll save you the details because I'm not proud of what we did. Pizza Delivery drivers get paid absolute garbage, so we made Roger give the man all his money after Teela knocked him out and we stole his keys, so now we're in a stolen pizza delivery car about break into the most fortified Air Force base on the planet with a wizard, sociopath, and my best friend. Oh and Cringer who was still in my backpack, so no pressure.
But at least we got free pizza.