Chapter 28: Here There and Everywhere
Character Charolite
After DC had left Earth Charolite had been taken in by Jack Turner, he was a nice enough sort but prone to ramblings and political discourses that were extremely boring to the twelve year old girl. While the Legion and 141 were around they had tried to find her parents but to no success, Charolite missed them, missed her home and her friends but the demons took all that from her. So she remained with Jack and together with Domingo the necromancers Helda, Tyler and Joe, and the few Flood that Doug had left in their control had mostly eliminated the remaining demons from Earth, well all except one. Charolite flicked her golden hair out of her eyes and ran her fingers over the soft sleeves of her blue sweater as she waited for Jack and Dom to finish talking with Tyler and Doug. Jack waved her over and she left the low, white couch she was on and walked into the large oval room adorned with wood and white trim.
"Yes," she asked, "What can I help with?"
"We may have need of your unique ability to track these demons through the tells you can pick up on," Tyler said, "Doug here has made quite the case for you being able to track down the last commander of these demons."
"Over the past three months the same demon has not only been able to evade us but has even been able to strike a couple of very prominent targets," Doug explained.
"I know, Pretoria and Durban," Charolite said, "You think it might have come through the portal that Carter and Cloak destroyed before they got there?"
"Sharp one," Doug the creepy, flesh, snake, creature complimented, "That is our assumption, but you could tell us where he is slipping off to if you went with us."
"No! I'm not going anywhere near the demons," Charolite said, "I helped you from here before why can't I do that?"
"Because we can't get footage of this demon like we did with the others," Domingo said, "Freaking wraiths don't show up on camera we tried already. We are out of options and if we don't stop this creature it will keep destroying cities until we do."
"If I can't see it I can't help," Charolite said defensibly.
"Oh but we think you can," Jack said as he knelt down to her level. The action puffed up the top of his suit and made him look funny causing Charolite to smile. "You didn't actually see the other demons either but you could still pick up on their patterns, we think that if you are near the demon you will be able to tell what it will do."
"Your innate ability to sense these demons is like our ability to feel the flow of life and death," Tyler added, "Most of the time we can't see the lay-lines of the power we use but we know where they are and what they are doing if in proximity to them."
"I don't want to go," Charolite pleaded, "K promised no more demons."
"He said you would not be forced to fight them," Jack said, "And if I have to I will uphold that promise, but this demon has made two whole cities of people vanish and we can't find where he has gone or the people he took. Only you, Charolite, can do that and only if you come with us."
Charolite looked between the four people, well three people and Doug she corrected herself. She chewed her lower lip and brushed her hair back out of her eyes even though it wasn't in them. "You didn't find anyone," She asked them.
"No one," Doug said.
"Two cities," She muttered, "Two cities of people who could end up like I was?"
"It is a possibility," Dom stated.
Charolite sighed as she made up her mind, she couldn't let the demons do to other children what they did to her, or adults for that matter. "Ok where are we going?"
Jack smiled and patted her shoulder as he got up from his kneeling position and said, "Ron has given us Bertha to use for this. He will arrive with the plane in about an hour then we will be off to Pretoria or what is left of it."
The plane ride was one of the better parts of the next few hours, Bertha being very stable and surprisingly quite for having so many engines. Ron, the sharp dressing man with the buzz cut and round face with gray eyes, leader of some Private security firm from what Charolite could tell, was the pilot and Domingo was riding as co-pilot. Jack sat with her while Joe, Tyler and Helda sat across the isle and Doug was in the cargo area. Tyler and Joe had brought a chess set that she watched the two play until she determined that they would likely end in a stale mate and went back to her window seat. It was only two hours before they were landing on the abandoned airfield of Pretoria and she along with the rest made their way towards the city.
"So what do you want me to do," she asked Jack.
"Well since we don't know where the demon actually is we were hoping that you might be able to determine something from walking through the city," Jack replied, "Its the best lead we have."
And so they spent the next few hours wandering through the empty streets of the city. The abandoned feeling that the deserted city gave off was spooky but harmless, so long as it stayed deserted. They took a thirty minute break as evening approached to eat the dinner they had brought. It consisted of cold chicken, salad, and water but was good enough after having wandered through an empty city for half a day. It was during this break that Charolite picked up on something, she couldn't tell what but she just felt like she should go look down a street that led towards the South and East.
"Charolite where are you going," Jack asked as she headed for the street.
"Not sure but there is something about this street," she replied.
"This may be what we were hoping for," Doug said as he slithered up to her, "Go on little one show us."
She spent the next hour leading them from street to street following the something that she felt coming from the South-East. When they reached the edge of the city Charolite stopped. She still felt like she should go on but she didn't want to go out across the desert at night.
"Still heading South-East isn't it," Domingo remarked, "Towards Durban."
"Exactly what we had hoped for," Doug said. "She can follow the demon's trail."
"Then I suggest we leave in the morning for Durban and see if she can pick up the trail form there," Ron said.
"Yes I suppose that would be best," Jack agreed, "You look tired Charolite."
"No I'm fi," she was cut off by a yawn, "Well maybe a little tired."
"Come on back to the plane," Domingo said, "lets go I don't like being out in this city at night anyways."
Character General Fenix
It didn't take long to determine that the people of the town of Whiterun were, while not entirely trusting, not openly hostile. After several meetings with Jarl Vignar, he had even convinced them to inform them if anyone, or thing, strange that passed through the town. Johnson and Throon had started up a base on the plains to the west of the city and had gotten the carrier repaired enough to move again. Now they were all in the process of determining how to get back to K and get help for Serra.
"Look I know things are bad," Fenix was replying to Sam's angry quip about their current situation and the loss of Serra, "But we got everyone we could off. It is true however that we have no idea where or when we are but we can be sure of one thing, one person... Storm."
"Yeah how do you figure," Dom asked as he spun around in the captain's chair in the steely board room.
"She sees time," Fenix stated, "Even now she probably knows what happened and where we are, so while rescue is most likely not going to be fast I am sure that she can get someone to us to pick us up."
"So we just sit and wait," Anya asked, "That is not like you at all, Mr. Fenix."
"Blarg it ain't, Mrs. Fenix," he replied, "No we need to get to know the area, the locals, anything and everything that can help us fight off an invasion, cause if we are here then I am willing to bet that demons are here too."
"You know it is still really weird when you two do that," Baird remarked.
"Do what," the Fenixs asked.
"The... um... never mind," Baird said, "So the locals?"
"Yeah we've got them to the point where they will notify us of anything unusual but they certainly don't trust us," Fenix said, "We need to change that. We also need to know the lay of the land at least as far as the oceans of this continent, preferably the entire planet. Johnson and Throon have the tech so we should get to know the world we are on."
"What makes you so sure that demons will be here," Cole asked.
"When aren't they," Sam replied, "At least it gives us something to do, prepare for the worst you know."
"Exactly and," Fenix was interrupted by a hail from outside the ship. He answered it and saw a guard of the city standing outside. "Go ahead," Fenix said.
"Ah oh sorry you scared me," the guard, a man in his thirties with balding hair replied, "The Jarl says you should come meet with him got some important guests arriving soon he wants you to be there when they do so you can explain your situation to them."
"Ok we will be right down," Fenix replied as he shut off the comm, "You heard him lets go make a good impression."
"So Throon and Johnson get left out again," Anya said.
"Seems that way," Baird said, "But they are busy with creating a functional base anyways."
They headed to the elevator that took them to the aircraft pads where they then took a transport to the city. The guards always seemed nervous around the big machines but never left their posts even when Delta landed the transport right out front of the gates. The ship auto-piloted itself back to the carrier as Delta walked through the city on the hill. Whiterun was divided into three levels the lowest one was mostly the houses while the second level was the market and the third level was the home of the oldest families in the city. It was on the top of the hill in a huge palace that Jarl Vignar, a man of incredible age but who was still strong of body and mind, waited for them on his throne at the end of a long, fire lit, stone, hall on his raised dais.
"Look alive," Jarl Vignar said, "Got word that Grishnake and Lydia are heading our way, they are probably the two most powerful and influential people in Skyrim. That is since the Dragonborn went missing."
"Wait Grishnake," Fenix said, "He wouldn't happen to be an orc?"
"As it is I am," Grishnake bellowed from the other end of the hall that he and Lydia and Bad Co. just entered through. "Fenix what brought you all here?"
"Accident," Fenix replied, "A transportation device we constructed must have not been fully calibrated but we didn't exactly have time to fine tune it. I'll fill you in later, what brings you all here?"
"Looking for you actually," Preston said, "We picked up your radio chatter and went out looking for you."
"Where is Serana," Dom asked.
"She is at her castle getting things straightened out there," Lydia said, "Political tensions rise when the leader is absent."
"Yeah don't we know it," Cole said.
"You all know each other," Vignar said, "Well that is a point in your favor at least."
"Thanks," Fenix said.
"And you'll be glad they are here soon enough," Grishnake added, "We've got it on good authority from both Solitude and Morthal that something has been making its way across Tamerial. Word from outside the province speaks of shadows moving in the light, farmsteads turning up empty, the forests of Ellyswere are not safe to travel anymore and something has taken root in Cyrodil."
"Well its a good thing you routed the bloody empire then," Vignar said, "I'll have the men double the watches Whiterun wont be hit by surprise."
"Jarl if you are willing we can get more detailed information on what is spreading its influence across your lands," Fenix offered, "Our planes could cover several thousand miles in a day and gather information as they fly."
"I won't be against it," Vignar said, "We fought Cyrodil already and won if they are now resorting to dark summons then High King Ulfric Stormcloak needs to be told."
"We were heading to Windhelm after our visit here," Lydia said, "We can tell him."
"We can get you there faster with our transports," Fenix said, "But you'll have to introduce us, if the demons are here then we will need all the help we can get."
"Agreed," Grishnake replied, "We saw your construction on the way in. We will meet up with you there after we check in on some things here."
"Ok," Fenix replied, "That will give us time to check in with Throon and Johnson and tell them of what happened."
"And I would still like to know who those two are," Vignar said.
"No trust us you wouldn't." Grish replied as he headed out into the city.
"Bad Co. you coming with us," Sam asked.
"Sure," Haggard replied, "Besides the guards here all give me some strange looks, I think they want my Pyrolauncher."
Fenix laughed as he waved for Bad Co. to follow them as they bid Jarl Vignar goodbye and left for the transport beacon that would take them to the carrier.
Character Mr. Torgue
"You wanted to do what!" Mr. Torgue, a huge hulk of a man with long black hair a huge jaw and muscles the size of Texas, figuratively speaking, yelled at the crew of nine smugglers who had just attempted to steal a shipment of his weapons.
"We just wanted to refuel at your station," Malcolm Reynolds a medium sized man in a brown coat with brown windswept hair replied.
"Like - you did!" Mr. Torgue responded, "You were trying to hijack my weapons shipment, what the - would you do with a - weapons shipment?"
"Uh is your voice literally getting bleeped out when you swear," the gun for hire, a studly and cunning looking man in a bogon named Jayne Cobb, asked.
"- yeah, its annoying as -, this - thing bleeps out half my- vocabulary," Mr. Torgue replied, "Now tell me about the - weapons now!"
"I think if we all just calmed down we could sort this out," Derrial Book, an elderly black man with graying hair and a calm demeanor suggested.
"- it if I wasn't taught so well to respect my elders I would keep yelling!" Mr. Torgue replied.
"See that is better isn't it," Inara Serra, a finely dressed lady of dark hair and tanned skin said, "The weapons you are so interested in are in our hold we were going to use them to procure some money so we could find a way back home, you see we arrived here after escaping from some people who wanted to blow up our ship."
"Wanted to blow you up," Mr. Torgue exclaimed, "Oh I get it you want to blow them up now don't you and since you knew that my weapons were the best out there you wanted to get as many as you could. That is badass thinking right there!"
"Um yes that is exactly it," Mal said, "now if we could just have our ship back..."
"No need for that - you're on the Torgue deep space station," Mr. Torgue said, "I can fly you to wherever the - you need to go and we can blow stuff up together. So I have just one question for you and one question only... EXPLOSIONS?!"
The crew of the Serenity, a slender ship with twin free moving engines, Mal, Jayne, Derrial, Inara and their friends, the odd lady River Tam, her brother Simon Tam, the Washburns and Kaylee Frye all just looked at each other for a minute before Jayne replied, "Well I like explosions."
"- yeah you do," Mr. Torgue yelled, "Now to find the Vault Hunters. If anyone is badass enough to blow up the guys chasing you it is them! Oh sorry I said I wouldn't yell."
"That is alright," Derrial said, "It seems to be your customary speech pattern though your language indicates a bereaved mind filled with violence."
"Explosions are violent what the - do you expect," Mr. Torgue replied as he pointed to the door of the gym that he had had the crew brought to, "Now onward to the bridge and the Vault Hunters!" He kicked open the door and strolled out into the corridor. "- it, Which way is the bridge?"
"This way Mr. Torgue," said his aid from behind him, "Are the prisoners coming as well?"
"THE WHO?" Mr. Torgue exclaimed, "We have prisoners, that is awesome!"
"I'll assume that means yes, follow me if you would," The aid, Charles, Mr. Torgue remembered, said as they were led to the bridge. "Unless you've found a replacement for the pilot I don't see the point in going to the bridge."
"Oh yeah which one of you knows how to fly a spaceship," Mr. Torgue asked, "My last pilot got killed in the massive death tournament I held to see who could open a vault."
"That would be me," Hoban Washburn replied, "Just let me see the controls."
Charles showed the pilot to the control panel where Wash, as the man liked to be called, started running checks before firing up the engines.
"Well hot - you got it working," Mr. Torgue exclaimed, "All right the Vault Hunters were headed to a world called Sanctuary supposedly it had more Vaults on it but whatever, we can probably pick up their trail from there."
"Ok," Wash said, "You mean this little backwaters planet here?"
Mr. Torgue looked at the screen and nodded. Wash set the course and they were off. A few mass relays later, which seemed to surprise the supposed pilot, and they were staring at the strangest fight ever. A massive lobster looking robot with lasers on its legs was attempting to fight a giant tentacle creature, the tentacle creature was winning.
"Holy - what the - is that," Mr. Torgue yelled, "Its like that robots vs aliens movie in real life! That is awesome, lets see who wins."
"And then what," Mal asked, "Recruit them?"
"Why the - not, that is a badass idea, I like the way you think," Mr. Torgue rapidly remarked, "Pilot take us in."
As Wash took them closer to the battle the tentacle creature had ripped off the legs of the machine and tossed the body off into space where it subsequently exploded causing Jayne to laugh while Mr. Torgue tried to replicate a guitar with his mouth.
"Charles get me a signal to that tentacle creature," Mr. Torgue said, "I want to talk with it."
"On it... and it answered our hail," Charles said with surprise.
"This is Mr. Torgue talking to the giant tentacle creature," Mr. Torgue said, "The way you handled that robot was - amazing! I don't know what the - you are but you seem like someone who likes guns and pecs and explosions so I've got no idea why I'm doing this but would you like to join us to blow up some more stuff?"
"Ah Mr. Torgue," the creature responded in a deep, rumbling, thunderous, voice, "I heard a lot about you from your Vault Hunter friends. I am Doug, not only will I help you but I can take you to the Vault Hunters."
"Did that seem to easy," Zoe, Hoban Washburn's wife, asked.
"What no," Mr. Torgue replied, "Ok Doug take us to the Vault Hunters!"
Character John (Master Chief)
His new body felt... powerful, John could feel the energy of the world around him as if it was calling for him to control it. Were her a lesser individual he might develop a god complex but as it was Cortana was helping him work through his new body and its unlocked powers at a nice steady pace. They were in the training room of the Infinity, which Arbiter now had command of, the room was filled with punching bags and various tools of all kinds that would be used in mock sparring and other fighting drills. They had forgone the equipment and went for the hand to hand.
"John you sure you want to spar me," Cortana asked as they got into the ring marked out on the floor.
"Your the only one who is strong and fast enough to beat me," John replied, "I have to test everything this new body can do." Cortana looked amused at that but nodded and assumed her fighting stance. John flexed his muscles trying to get a feel for the flexibility and strength of his new form and the armor that Storm had given him. "Ok hit me."
Cortana came in fast, not as fast as she could have, but fast enough that John would normally have been pushed backwards to allow more time to defend. This time however his perceptions speed up to meet the required speed for defense. Cortana responded by disengaging after a few parries from John and reassessing the situation. "Why don't you attack me," Cortana suggested.
"I wouldn't want to hurt you," John replied.
"Chief I'm made of metal," Cortana exasperatedly replied, "What could you do to hurt me?"
"I don't know what this body can do just yet or the armor for that matter," John replied, "But you have a point. Just tell me if I start doing any damage."
He could almost feel her Sentinel powers activating, which was new, as he charged in. Cortana dodged, parried, and even counterattacked at times but neither of them could get through the others defense. John was rather happy about how the new body was working out, as fast as Cortana was amazingly impressive, but he still felt that there was something else he had yet to discover. "Tana hit me with some of your abilities," he said, "I want to see how the shield on this armor holds up."
Cortana nodded and sent a spark of electricity at him. John reacted, through some old unlocked instinct or genetic code he didn't know or care, he redirected the energy into the suit's energy fields making them stronger.
"John what did you just do," Cortana asked.
"I'm not sure," John replied, "but it was like I could direct the energy where I wanted it. Try throwing something at me."
Cortana looked torn between her concern for his safety and her curiosity for his new form, curiosity won as she went and picked up a training knife and threw it at him. John caught it, as he normally would, but the knife was still three feet away from him, floating in the air. With a thought John sent the knife back to its holder on the wall.
"So the Forerunners were Jedi," Cortana said, "Hmm... no that seems unlikely. Qui-gon and Star both have to concentrate to direct their abilities, yours seem to be reaction based."
"Well one way to find out," John said, "Lets brawl."
Cortana seemed to let go of her reservations after his display of whatever power he had and the two went at with gusto. After they had been at it for a full ten minutes Cortana called a stop so she could check his vitals to see how the new body was holding up to the stress.
"This is amazing," She said, "Your not even breathing heavy. Its like that suit links up to your brain and exerts most of the effort for you. You could fight for hours without breaking a sweat in that thing."
John placed a hand on her shoulder as he bent to look at the numbers. To his surprise her normally cool hard metal body was warm and soft as skin. "Tana your..."
"I know," she stated, "I can't help it its a by product of fighting the metal heats up..."
He lifted her chin so she was looking at him as the visor retracted into the helmet. "I know that but this is... you're soft."
Cortana looked at him then kissed him nice and deep before letting him go and saying, "I get especially hot for you."
On a hunch John reached out and picked her up. The suit in combination with his new body supported her with an ease that even his old suit would have had difficulty accomplishing. Cortana seemed both surprised and pleased at the same time, wrapping her arms around his neck after a moment and leaning into him as he carried her out of the training room. Their moment didn't last as long as either of them would have cared for it to as Arbiter called them on the comms.
"Chief, Cortana, We have more of those robots heading towards the aft loading bay. The Doctor thinks he has a plan to get some information out of one but we need your help keeping them at bay until he is finished with his contraption," Arbiter said.
"We'll be right there," John replied as he set Cortana down and they both started running for the designated loading bay.
"Time to show off your new prowess," Cortana said with a smirk.
John nodded in response and as they neared the bay drew and activated his energy swords. They exploded into the bay where all blarg was breaking loose. Ghost and Anjali were spraying fire everywhere, Soap was a flicker, which John could actually follow to some extent now, the SaDiablos were blazing out their death beams, Surreal and Grays-fang had both somehow appeared out of nowhere and were now running to the aid of their friends, Jackson and Price were with Arbiter and Del Rio who where all protecting the Doctor and River as the two hurriedly built pieces to some device. Lucas, Reinhardt, and Katarina were with Lasky by the entrance doing what they could to funnel the influx of robots to the SaDiablos and away from the Doctor. The robots consisted of the dogs and flying creatures but none of the large bipedal ones, yet.
"The large ones are the commanders," Cortana said, "There must be a few of them around here somewhere."
"We are the only two free," John remarked, "Shall we?"
"On it," Cortana said as she sent out a tracer on the robots to find their leaders, "Got them, come on they are..."
Just then three of the large robots appeared in the middle of the room. One blasted Cortana off her feet with a sniper type weapon that started to dissolve her another was blasting at the shield around Janell and her friends and the third was harrying Anjali and Ghost with an assault rifle similar to the spike throwing weapons the dogs used. John just reacted as he saw Cortana starting to dissolve and heard her anguished cry. He exerted his control over the robots... all of the robots, fliers, dogs and battle-wagons, as their Ids labeled them. With the fight frozen for the moment he turned to check on Cortana. She had reformed the damaged parts of her body and took his hand as he offered to help her up.
"What happened," Arbiter asked, "What are they doing?"
"Don't look at us," River said, "This device here isn't finished."
"You don't need that," John said as he walked over to join them, "I've got them, now lets see about getting them to be more helpful..." He ignored the questioning looks that everyone gave him as he delved into the three battle-wagons' code. He quickly learned that these robots were not robots but were the computerized versions of humans that had been trapped in these bodies and bent to the will of the Didact. With a few quick mental switches John undid the protocols that were driving the people stuck inside the AI frame work insane and let them go. The battle-wagons shook off their immobility first and looked around. The biggest one of the three, a massive thirteen foot tall construct with the ability to construct the flying bodies for more of the AI programs or living minds and the large sniper rifle, walked over to John.
"You've freed us," it said in a voice that almost sounded human, like a microphone that had static interference. "I am Kris, these are Allen and Lona, we thank you for our freedom and are sorry that we had to attack you. The Didact he fears you and wants to escape to his composer before you can stop him."
"The what," the Doctor asked.
"The Composer," Lona, definitely a female, replied, "The space station that made us like this."
"Then we can't let him do that," Daemon said, "If he were to compose one or more of us..."
"He would have control of the most powerful force in creation," Surreal said, "Oh hey everyone sorry we stayed hidden for so long but its what I do."
"Assassins," Luciver snorted.
"Chief," Arbiter said, "How did you free these people?"
"Forerunners bound them only a Forerunner can free them," John replied with a nod.
"The Didact, the Covenant have reached him and they have someone who can free him," Allen said, "His prison is a spacecraft he will be able to travel to his Composer once he is free of the gravity bubble."
"Arbiter get Doug on the line," John said, "We will need backup on this."
"Master Chief what are these things," Del Rio asked.
"They were human once," John replied, "turned into AI's or the equivalent of them and uploaded into these forms."
"Like Adam," Ghost remarked, "Only not by choice."
"Indeed," Arbiter said, "Doug is on the line go ahead."
"You called," Doug asked.
"Yeah we may need some space coverage, we've got a Forerunner that wants to turn any organic life into AIs," John informed, "He has a spacecraft of some kind, and is what the Covenant are here for."
"Understood," Doug said, "I see you've found the Infinity and the Pillar II, Once you are done in there please arrange for them to join our fleet."
"You can't do that," Del Rio said, "We are not yours to order about."
"Perhaps not but I'll contact Lord Hood and see what he has to say on the issue," Doug replied before he cut the communication off.
"Wait you all really know Lord Hood," Lasky remarked, "That is impressive."
"No the impressive bit is he knows us," Price said, "Now we need to get to this Didact and kill it before his buddies can free him and we have to go hunting him down."
"Agreed," Arbiter said, "Del Rio?"
"I can't deny the evidence now can I," the disgruntled captain remarked, "I'll show you where the readings were coming from and we can start from there."
Character Storm
Storm had just finished talking with Zora and now was heading down the corridors of the Pestilence. Her talk had been... enlightening, which was strange for her considering the seeing through time abilities she had. Still that made the subject matter all the more important, she needed to talk to Blitz. She found him, predictably, in the training room nearest his quarters with Rayon, they were sparring. They noticed her arrival and broke off the combat to see what she wanted.
"Storm want to go a round," Ray asked.
"No thanks," Storm replied, "I actually wanted to talk with Blitz but since you are here..."
"No I get it," Ray replied as he headed for the door, "I'll leave you two alone."
"So what did you want to talk about," Blitz asked as he walked up to her.
"Us," Storm replied, "I know what we are to be but,... Do you think I love you because of the visions or because of who you are?"
Blitz seemed at first taken aback but then assumed a more thoughtful countenance. "I can see why you would have such questions, I suppose I would too given your circumstances. Your mother I assume had something to do with this introspection?"
"Yes," Storm said, "She and Dad their love for each other is visible, true, um no those aren't the words."
"Sincere," Blitz supplied.
"Hmm yes something like that," Storm agreed, "I didn't really notice it but your parents have it too as do Geyser and Kris, K and C but us what do we have?"
"Well trust for one," Blitz said, "An understanding, care-laden, friendship, a hope, and love, at least you have mine. Perhaps that is enough."
"I don't know," Storm remarked, "I've seen us together, I've seen..."
"Forget the vision," Blitz snarled, "Listen to your heart and the best way to hear it is to spar. You me in the ring, no powers just strength and agility."
Storm considered for a moment but after not being able to find this encounter in her many slices out of time agreed. No powers didn't mean much for them, their fighting styles were such that their powers only amplified their natural tendencies hers towards agility and his towards strength. "You get the first move," she said as they circled each other in the light blue room.
Blitz didn't nod or blink or anything just launched himself at her, jaws open claws ready wings and tail balancing his trajectory. Storm rolled to the side and whipped him with her tail, Blitz grabbed hold of it however and pulled her into his grapple with his superior strength. The next thing Storm knew was she was on her back on the floor and Blitz was giving her a deep kiss, she brought her wings around him and returned the kiss. As they broke apart Blitz asked, "Clearer now?"
After a few moments of contemplation Storm replied, "Much, thank you Blitz. Next time though we fight with powers so I have a fair chance of ending up on top."
Blitz laughed at that as they walked out of the room into the east side of the ship. Out the window they could see the Sphere that had been sitting just outside of their weapons' range for three days now and where she knew John and Cortana would have a very interesting experience, the thought made her smile.
"What, like the view," Blitz asked.
"Oh just a little something I know about some of our friends," Storm replied, "As soon as they are done there, the fleet should have assembled and all that we will have to do is wait for K, Haggard and Fenix and their friends to join us."
"Wait didn't we leave Haggard and Fenix on different planets," Blitz asked.
"Yes but now they are on the same one," Storm replied, "They will have some situations to handle but nothing they can't beat."
"Your ability is nothing short of amazing," Blitz commented, "Hey just out of curiosity how many kids do we end up with?"
"Nine," Storm replied as she turned her attention from the Sphere back to him.
"That frisky are you," Blitz remarked as he too turned his attention to her.
"Well we've got a while to wait and with our lifespans now immortal," Storm began.
"You don't have to elaborate," Blitz said, "Nine huh, that beats out Mom and Dad easy."
"Even combined our parents have only five," Storm said, "Do you want to know their names?"
"Our childrens' names," Blitz contemplated, "No I think I'll let it be a surprise."
"Hey dragon mons," Arie greeted as he waked down the hall, "That thing is creepy as all get out isn't it?"
"Hey Arie," Storm said, "the Sphere is actually going to be quite useful for us, once the Doctor get our friends back, but yes it is creepy."
"What brings you down this way," Blitz asked, "You normally hang around the bridge and the commons."
"Trying to find weak points in Doug's security framework," Arie replied as he ran a device across the wall, "I'm using this Oms meter to follow the wires and locate the routing hubs in the ship, then I give them a good once over to make sure that other hackers, unlike myself, can't infiltrate the protocols."
"You mean like you did upon entering the ship," Storm said, "Show us."
Arie nodded obligingly and started to inform them on how the device worked, the transfer protocols for electronic data, the network structure of the ship and other relevant information that pertained to his current mission.
"So why are we learning this," Blitz asked.
"Cause it may be important later," Storm replied.
"Hey are you two listening or talking," Arie asked as they arrived at a junction, "Now this is the router or one of them..."
"Doug to all crew, everyone get to stations, suit up if you need to we have a space mission to undertake," Doug said over the inter-ship comm system.
"Well that doesn't sound good," Arie remarked, "You two better get out there, I'll finish talking to you later."
"Will do," Storm said, "You may want to stay away from the outer walls if there is a fire fight out there the hull could get breached."
"I appreciate the concern but I've got to follow these lines only way to keep track of what I've covered," Arie replied, "You two be careful out there."
"We will," Blitz said as they headed off to the hangar where their suits were stored.
