Link: I bet you're wondering where the writer is by now….
Sora: Well, he's trying to think of some other cool powers that the Moon Soul gives out.
Vyse: Weird; I thought the guy already had everything figured out, considering the fact that he spends hours without end daydreaming.
Blade: Anyways, you two continue with the disclaimer.
Sora: Well since you paid us just to do this….
Link: "This is a disclaimer. Fina was not really harmed in the making of this next chapter."
Sora: "CTU Agent Jack Bauer will not later on get involved. He will not be carrying a gun if he does."
CHAPTER SIX: FINA VS. ESPIO
Upon entrance to Horteka, none other than the King himself along with his best high priest Isapa greeted the five Blue Rogues. "Welcome back, great warriors of Quetya!" King Ixa'taka greeted Vyse, Aika, and Fina. Turning to Blade, and looking at the green feather on his sword he muttered, "Could it be… Grendel?"
Blade was really confused. According to Fina, Grendel was the name of the Green Gigas. "I think you have me confused for the Green Giant… if that's what you call him," the mouse explained.
"Actually," Isapa started, "The Gigas were named after the six mice that were here in the old world, in order to honor their deeds of bringing peace."
Now everyone except the Ixa'takans in the area was confused. How could the mice that the Gigas were named after create Blade's sword? Disregarding this news, Vyse asked a question that was bugging him ever since he got here. "Your Majesty," the Legend started, "not to be rude, but what are you doing in Horteka?"
The King lowered his head, and began, "Well, those cursed villains- I think they're called the Black Eight- have been spotted recently. In order to protect ourselves, we've all taken refuge in Horteka until we've been blown over."
Fina thought to herself, and couldn't shake something that was going on. Ever since they had token on GUN, she couldn't help but feel that they were being followed… but by what?
Aika's voice snapped her back into reality. "Hey, Fina! We're heading over to talk to Centime! Come on!" And so Fina did, and they headed over to the Iron Clad, Centime's ship.
However, Fina's hunch was right. When everyone had left the area, a purple chameleon that was about Blade's height… minus ears, ninja gloves and boots, and brown eyes came to visibility. This was none other than Espio of Team Chaotix, a group of detectives from Earth. His two teammates, Vector the Crocodile- a really big guy who's green, wearing yellow headphones, a gold necklace, and black shoes with brown eyes- and Charmy Bee- a little guy with the traditional bee style colors, an orange sweater vest- came out of their hiding spots.
Espio looked around just to be sure, then whispered, "I've seen the target. Vector," the chameleon asked, "any choice of action we apprehend her?"
Vector was the team's leader. He thought about it, and then suggested, "We could bring that girl down right now…."
Espio stated, "Too many witnesses. The last thing we need is to fight a couple ticked off Air Pirates, as Blue Rogues don't take revenge very lightly."
"Well," Charmy started, "You could wait until she's alone, then take her."
Vector then answered, "We don't know how long that'll take, and we don't have the time!"
Espio was thinking, "We could just go with the smoke bomb- then kidnapping trick."
Charmy sighed, "We don't have smoke bombs. Better just wait in ambush on the steel ship they have back there in ambush."
Vector gawked at this, then excitedly whispered, "Charmy, you're a genius in this case!" Turning to Espio, he ordered, "You wait on their ship's deck. Then when you bring her back, we'll deliver her to the client… whoever the hell that guy is."
"Roger," Espio simply replied, and ran to the Delphinus. Vector and Charmy spilt up after that.
Meanwhile, Vyse and the gang went over to the Iron Clad, only to find out-
"What do you mean Centime was captured about half a day after the transmission?" Blade yelled in a confused voice after Centime's Wife explained the story.
Centime's Wife cried, "He was taken to Moonstone Mountain… by three teenage girls."
Aika immediately knew who Centime's captors were. "The Ixa'ness Demons are with the Black Eight, as one unit I guess. So much for just containing the Moon Crystal- and the Chaos Emerald- and heading back to Crescent Isle."
"Damn… looks like we'll have to do it the hard way," Vyse thought aloud. "We're going to need to spilt up. Since me, Aika, and Fina know the territory of Rixis better than you two," he started by pointing at Blade and Glider, "the three of us we'll head there and secure the Moon Crystal and the Chaos Emerald. Blade, Glider, you two have infiltrate Moonstone Mountain and free Centime. If his knowledge falls into the Black Eight's hands… we're in trouble."
Glider complained, "You guys get the treasure hunting job while we do search-and-rescue?" Sighing, he muttered, "May as well have fun with it. Let's head to the Delphinus, but we need to make sure GUN's no longer on our tail."
Later, as they were nearing safe lifeboat range of the mountain, Fina was on the deck of the Delphinus, with her head down. Why can't I shake this feeling? The young Silvite thought to herself. Is there really someone stalking us? She quickly got an answer as a ninja star swerved past her shoulder, and into the door. Gasping, she quickly got out Cupil, and waited for her attacker to reveal themselves to her.
"I guess you're waiting for a response, aren't you?" said the figure as he revealed himself. "Well, my name is Espio… and I'm from Team Chaotix. We've been ordered to bring you in for questioning," stated the ninja chameleon as he took out a few more ninja stars, "and you're coming. So, are you going to come quietly, and we don't have to bring you in a bloody mess… or do you want the hard way, and I knock you unconscious?"
Fina's mind was racing with thoughts on how she was going to save herself from Espio. Fight? Escape? Magic? And the best was to get Blade's knowledge on her opponent. Espio was clearly from Earth, as he did not know he was about to attack one of the greatest spell casters in the history of Arcadia today. As she ran to open the door, a jolting pain went through her body as she touched it.
"I wouldn't suggest opening the door. That ninja star isn't ordinary… it's a Bolt Star, making anything it's lodged into a shocking barrier," Espio coldly chuckled as Fina fell to her knees, and held her heart. Then the ninja walked up to her.
Back on the bridge, Blade's ears picked up a scream in pain. "Damn it! Vyse, I think we have an assassin to deal with. Fina's got to be in danger out on the deck!"
Vyse stooped the Delphinus, and Lawrence took the helm. "Fina, we're on our way! Lawrence, expect Blade and Glider to leave a bit later than we thought."
When the four reached the door to the deck and Glider attempted to kick the door open. However, he felt a jolt of electricity go through his body. The guy fell over in pain. "What the hell just happened?" Glider asked as he was getting up, with Aika and Blade's help.
"Looks like someone doesn't want us to help Fina. A Bolt Star has locked her out, and us in. They're like regular ninja stars, except they cause anything they touch to become an instant shock machine," Blade answered Glider's question.
"Looks lie we're sniping whoever's attacking Fina then. To the lookout's nest!" Vyse ordered, and they all rushed to help their friend.
Back on the deck, Fina was having the worst of luck with Espio. Not only was the guy fast, but he had her slightly bleeding in the leg when he had thrown another star minutes earlier. Fina really needed a strategy that worked for the chameleon. He could cause her to miss with her magic every time, even though magic was very accurate.
Trying to catch her breath, Espio kicked her where she was already bleeding, causing her to lose her balance. Then, another kick made her fall down. As she grappled her injured leg in complete agony, Cupil then tried his best to heal the wound as well, obvious tuckered out as well. If this guy is after me, she questioned her logic, then why hasn't he killed me yet? Unless…of course! Obviously, Espio was trying to bring her back alive, as he hasn't even once- when he could have several times- gone in for the kill.
"What's the matter?" Espio questioned his easy triumph over Fina as he gave up his hidden location in the shadows. "It's not too late to change your mind. The sooner you give up, the sooner you pain stops."
Suddenly, Fina looked up, and Cupil's tired face rose up as well, and he turned into a cutlass. "If I have learned one thing in the single year I've been fully living in Arcadia that would help me right now…" Fina remembered, and grabbed the cutlass, "It's that an Air Pirate never gives up, no matter how bleak things seem!"
She slashed Espio in the chest with the Cupil Cutlass, causing him to stumble back. Suddenly, a gunshot hit Espio in the foot… from Glider's gun! Fina looked up, and smiled at her friends as it was Espio's turn to writhe.
"Damn… you're lucky that Charmy didn't see that lookout's nest, or I would've blocked that as well," Espio warned. How the hell could Charmy miss this on the way from his spying? The ninja thought to himself.
"Espio… he's pretty dangerous by himself. He's a great ninja, and a pretty good hacker," Blade explained to the team. "One of the three members of the Chaotix Detective Agency."
Fina now could see through Espio's tricks, and blasted the crap out of him with magic. When Espio finally made it to his feet, he scowled, "We'll meet again, witch. You'll be brought in some day." Then he warped off the ship, and the Bolt Star deactivated.
Fina fell down, grasping her leg, still badly wounded from Espio's attack. The reat of her body was injured, but her leg was the worst. As tears came from the immense pain, the rest of the Blue Rogues rushed to her aid.
As Aika was treating to Fina's leg wound on the bridge, Vyse asked, "Why would someone attack Fina out of the blue?"
Blade thought for a minute, then tried to answer this in the best way he could. "Team Chaotix are detectives for hire. They're kind of like Lawrence, with the fact they'll only do paying jobs." Lawrence was listening in on the mention of his name. "Unlike Lawrence, they are animals, and not cold-blooded mercenaries." Lawrence didn't care about the cold-blooded comment. "I once met them when they were hired to track down a bunch of Chaos Emerald thieves. I still got the Emerald afterwards, only to lose it to Sonic. In logical terms… Espio would only attack Fina if he were put up to the task. And whoever wants Fina is probably either A: a complete idiot who has no idea that they're messing with one of the most powerful heroines of Arcadia; or B: Some evil force that could only benefit from Fina's capture and could use her power to rule the world."
After Blade's long explanation, the green feather on the sword lit up. Blade put it above the Moonstone, and he transformed into a High Priest of Ixa'taka style mouse. His fur was completely brown this time, and the Moon Soul was now a spear. On his back were a bow and an arrow holder, which held fifty arrows. Blade was now Grendel the Strong, with the might of the green giant flowing through him.
Fina ignored the pain in her leg, and got up. "Blade, will that work in Moonstone Mountain?" the Silvite asked, before Aika told her to sit down.
Blade answered, "I don't know… but I bet this will be cool! Now, for my first trick…." And then he snapped his fingers, and Fina's pain was gone. "A little Sacres spell, but it should keep you going in your part, Fina."
Glider was completely impressed. "As long as the Moon Soul keeps you in that state, we should come out of this alive! We're in docking range anyways. Fina, I hope you feel better when Blade and I get back. We'll bring Centime to Horteka, which will be the meeting point. ¡Ver el ya! That's Spanish for 'See ya later!'" And the two headed out to the lifeboats.
When they landed, they saw a bunch of guys labeled on the back, "CTU", and were about to head in. Glider cursed under his breath, and asked, "Should we take them?"
Blade then shook his head. "Nah… let's just get in."
However, one of them (Jack Bauer) pointed his gun at the two Blue Rogues. "CTU! Put down your weapons!"
Blade asked, "CTU? You're those guys from the show 24!" In his mind, he thought, COOL! I met CTU, and I'm braking in to a mine! Well, there's only one thing to do at this point… put down the Moon Soul, the gun, the bow and arrows, the Moon Crystal, and the bomb I was going to use to blow this place up. And he started unloading himself.
Glider was finished after ten seconds. "Listen here, buddy. We're just breaking into these mines, busting a few Black Pirate heads open, and getting out with our friend. What are you doing here?"
Jack started, "Well, we're here to stop the terrorist plot coming from these mines. These "Black Pirates" are threatening Earth. I can't let them do that."
Blade then got an idea. "How about we bring the three in charge to you, and we hold nothing against each other? As in, we take the Ixa'ness Demons into your arms, and you don't shoot us… and I get your autograph. The Blue Rogues honor is on this one, because we are the good guys!"
Jack Bauer thought about this one, and answered, "You may as well. But you two better bring them out, or you'll get shot in the ass!"
Glider answered, "No problem! We'll just need our weapons back… except for the grenade. You can have that for later."
Link's Notes: What a shocking plot-twist! In order to not get either captured or shot by CTU, Blade and Glider must bring down the Ixa'ness Demons by themselves, and rescue Centime! However, Fina's injured, so how will she fair in Rixis?
Sora's Notes: One thing's for sure… Part 2 is for the hit TV show, 24! And Chuck Norris was honored at the end of Part 1, so a TV show is this one.
Kingdom Rider92's Notes: If you have any problems, take it up with Link and Sora. They've taken over Part 2. Kingdom Rider92, Link, and Sora out!
