Chapter

25

A large orange orb sat against a teal blue backdrop. Its warmth was mild in the early hours. Moist, miniscule frames of mist lingered at heads height along the land, as was customary in most tropical areas. The Sephora Island, ever expanding through its digital highways, sending constant information to the island's outskirts and pushing, building, and modeling the land the way the island, the culture, the entity sees fit.

On the backside of the big island was the small port town of Stafraengard. The residents of Stafraengard wondered about the replica stone paved streets, doing their daily duties; duties modeled after the norms of a functional society. Some were inspecting small boats or large ships. Others just opening their shops; such as the town's only human food source, a bakery called Stimulator. Many other folks were just out enjoying the morning. A nearby house displayed its occupants setting up the front yard for a birthday party; the lawn was an artificial turf and though fake, it gave a very up-kept and real feel. The mother and father gazed down at their daughter and asked her if she was ready. The girl nodded with a big smile across her face. In a matter of seconds the girl morphed into a slightly taller, slightly more mature tween. Her shiny plastic skin flipped like small checkerboard tiles from her feet up. Her physical appearance changed just a bit and her chest grew just a tad bigger. She shrieked at the sight of her growth spurt in the chest region. Her parents laughed and the family continued to set up the decorations for that day's festivities.

At a hotel located on the shore of a small crescent beach, up in the fourth floor porch, sat Toby and Eli. Toby had his pipe out and had been puffing on it for the last twenty minutes. Ferrari sat in an old "wooden" recliner with his legs propped upon the railing. He had his guitar in his lap, and he was strumming lazily at the cords.

"I have been wondering, all of my life,

Looking to ease my strife,

When I peer through the window, I see you standing there,

My lover and my wife,

And I'm trying to find me,

But darkness it surrounds thee,

And all the days keep turning into night,

Keeping me locked away from what is right,

Now I know what's missing in all of my life,

Causing me this damned eternal fight,

Many a road, I have been walking on,

And I have been staying away from the promise that we made,

What leads me back to who I am,

Is the vision of you in my hand,

And I'm trying to find me,

But darkness it surrounds thee,

And all the days keep turning into night,

Keeping me locked away from what is right,

And now I finally found what saved me from my fate,

All of my life,

The sound you make when my fingers cross your face,

Is music to my soul,

You're song, it surrounds me,

And keeps me, from trying to thrash thee,

All the days you've been in my life,

My guitar, my voice, they are my wife."

Toby put his pipe down and peered at the musician, "That's deep man, deep."

Ferrari brushed his long hair from his face, "Righteous baby. Think I've my new single on my next album." he said lightly, his face giving a jovial sign. A moment later Hunter barged through the door and gave a sharp whistle, "Good day gents, I do believe some of your fellow colleagues have meandered into the town."

Toby and Eli glanced at each other in surprised joy, then to Claptrap, who remained looking like a robot. "How did they look?" Toby inquired.

"Well, rather a ragtag bunch if I must say. One chap who I am guessing is or was a Marine from Earth. Accompanying him is a woman with boisterous, blue tattoos." answered Hunter.

Toby leapt from his chair, "Oh boy, that's them!" he exclaimed. The others followed swiftly behind him and out of the building. When the gang got to the street outside Toby instantly recognized Vex's back, "Well strip m' pants, shave m' grundle, fart in m' face, and give me pink eye!" Toby shouted in excitement, "If it ain't the only man the Huntsmen Guild can't kill."

Vex froze in his tracks; at first he didn't recognize the voice and thought someone had spotted Nevaeh and himself. But then after listening to the deep southern drawl, he knew instantly who was at his back. He turned around and faced the three men and one robot, "You know I gotta tell you brother, it never gets old hearing the crazy shenanigans that comes from your mouth." he said with a grin. Toby quick-stepped it down the street to Vex and embraced him with a handshake and hug.

"Ooooh man, Vex buddy, it's good to see yer still kickin' and such." Toby said.

"Well we had a couple of close calls." Vex replied with a sigh of relief.

"More like one hundred close calls." Nevaeh piped in.

"Hot damn, it's that Siren chick." Toby said, gazing hard at her body. "Mmm hmm."

"The name's Nevaeh Fastwater, I was on the ship you guys destroyed." the Siren said.

"Yup, yup. I remember that." said Toby, "Stickin' it to Black and wut-not."

Vex greeted Eli and introduced himself to McKillingsworth while Nevaeh made acquaintances with the two. Vex then turned his attention to the robot, "Clap buddy it's good to see you again."

"No, no, no. Please Sir Vex, the pleasure is mine." the bot responded graciously.

Vex couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. He leaned in to Toby, "Uh, is everything okay with Clap?" he whispered.

"Yeh, McKllingsworth fixed him so he ain't so obnoxious." Toby replied. Claptrap gave a cheerful giggle overhearing the conversation.

"Ah, I like the change," Vex nodded, "well does you guys have the Key piece?" he asked.

"Of course hombre." Ferrari answered. "We found it first thing here. Since then we've been holding wicked parties nightly, waiting for your return." Eli crossed his arms and thrusted them upon his pelvis. "They have been most righteous."

"We got'em." interjected Toby, his face however changed from delighted to upset. "But I got bad news Vex." he began.

"Yeah?" Vex frowned.

"Glorious Black swooped in on our stash back in Mechadine after we skedaddled." groaned Toby.

"So you're saying he took the Keys?"

"Yup."

Vex breathed heavily, his mind grew increasingly frustrated. How could this have happened? he wondered. What are the odds, how is their luck so poor? "Damn, so our keys were destroyed with that ship?" bellowed Vex in frustration to himself more so than the others.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." came a familiar voice from across the street. Appearing next to the wall of a nearby house stood Niamh and Abaline. Both of the ladies clothes were shredded and their bodies stained in green, blue, and red blood.

"Niamh!" exclaimed Vex. He briskly tortted to her side and picked her up in his arms, "You look like shit." he laughed. Niamh let out a chuckle between her soft sobs of relief.

Toby rushed to Abaline and hugged her tightly, "Dang chubs, you're alive!" he exclaimed. Abaline was too tired, too overwhelmed with happiness to be upset at Toby's comment; though she knew he meant well. "I've missed you, err, I mean you know…" Toby fumbled his words embarrassingly.

"What happened to you?" asked Vex as he examined his friends, "You look like you've been through the 'ringer'?"

Niamh shook and stumbled, she was exhausted. But she leaned on Vex and waved her head wearily, "I don't want to talk about that." she shuttered; an image shot through her head prompting her eyes to water. Vex looked to Abaline, who's expression matched Niamh's.

"Okay, we won't. You two are fine now." he said

"Let's head back to casa de Toby." said the scrawny boy.

The group agreed and moved back into the hotel room for some much needed rest and relaxation. Once inside the girls flopped themselves down on a plush hovering bed, and kicked off their boots. Everyone settled in; Vex opened the fridge and pulled out cylinders of Ether Water and began passing them about.

"We haven't lost the Key pieces for good." Niamh stated.

"What do you mean, weren't they with the ship when it exploded?" Vex inquired sitting down in a cushy hover chair.

"They were, but back at the station in Mechadine, before we left the city, my office coated the Keys with an invisible liquid-silicone tracking device we call S.I.L.K. Once Abaline and I were on route to these islands, a very weak blip came up on my HUD. It was a key piece. Instead of being destroyed, I believe the pieces were thrown across the galaxy." Niamh finished.

"I do say, that sounds like a bit of an inconvenience." Hunter muttered.

"Heck yeah mate, about as inconvenient as a girl telling you no." Ferrari added.

"Remind me never to be alone with him." scoffed Abaline.

Eli just smiled and mouthed silently to her, you wouldn't be able to resist me. This prompted the Siren to make a gagging motion.

Toby pulled out the piece he and Eli and Claptrap had found on the islands, "Well we still have one piece. Better than none I guess." The metallic shard glistened in the sunlight; its carvings pulsing a deep green glow.

"Yeah that's a start… again." Vex huffed. He gazed around the room at the party; they looked beaten, he had seen this among his Marine comrades in previous battles. It wasn't a look he was fawned of. He decided he better come up with something, "Here's the game plan folks, we need to find where the other pieces are, and then we need a ship." he said.

"But our ECHO equipment isn't strong enough to locate where the other pieces are." Niamh said.

"There's got to be somebody around these islands with gear strong enough to pick up the signals and pinpoint the Keys location." chimed in Nevaeh.

"And they gots plenty 'o ships here." Toby said.

Vex could see their moods start to lighten; which made him feel better about the group's overall morale. "Then that settles it. We find the Keys, we get a ship, and we go get what was once ours."

"Yeah." murmured Abaline.

"Uh huh." nodded Toby.

"Your ideas are always perfect and welcome!" blurted Claptrap.

And then, out of nowhere, it dawned on Vex. Someone was missing. "Hey wait, where's Roleena?" he inquired.

The room's atmosphere darkened again as Niamh and Abaline both dropped their heads. Both girls looked as if their dog had been shot right before their eyes. Abaline was the first to go; her makeup smearing down her cheeks as tears flowed out. Vex knew something was wrong.

"Wha… what happened?" he asked quietly.

"I'm sorry Vex." Niamh began.

"No, nope." Vex mumbled.

"She's gone Vex." said Niamh.

"I don't believe it, no, she's strong. She's out there still." he said in denial.

"No Vex she's gone!" shouted Niamh. Everyone in the room was silent. Their eyes probing back and forth from vex to Niamh, who was now standing. "Your lover is gone Vex, sorry. And it's all my fault." she roared at the Marine. "I'm sorry, but I guess you'll have to settle for someone less like me."

There was a combined gasp of surprise from the others as they listened. "What are you talking about Niamh?" inquired Vex, equally as surprised and perplexed now.

"I'm saying…" she felt embarrassed, this wasn't the way she saw this news being brought to Vex's attention. "I'm saying… Uuuh never mind Vex." she finally said.

"No, tell me. You can't just start to bring up an issue and then stop and hide it all." Vex said raising his voice.

"This is some talk show shiznit." whispered Toby to Eli, who nodded in agreement.

Nevaeh stood up in the silence, "Come on guys, let's go somewhere else and let these two resolve this." Nobody got up. "I said move it!" the Siren shrieked; her tattoos flashed a bright blue then died with her agrivation. The group got to their feet and shuffled out.

Toby patted Vex on the shoulder on his way out and whispered, "G' luck man."

Vex looked at Niamh, "What is it? You can tell me Niamh."