Episode 33: Runaways
Deep within the Great Bamboo Forest, there is a military base which Aether and the others are taken. They are locked deep underground in the base's dungeons with Aether lying in the corner. Keqing and Paimon are right beside him to see he is beginning to wake up. "Hey there," Paimon said with a smile as Aether goes to hug her.
"Paimon, are you okay. Are you still hurt?" Aether sounding deeply worried as Paimon nods her head.
"Paimon is fine and quite happy you cared about me so deeply," Paimon said as Aether looks shocked by you.
"Of course, you are my best friend. I would go hell and back to make sure you are safe," Aether said as Paimon feels her cheeks getting red.
"Oh gee, you are going to make me blush," Paimon said.
"Okay kiss and makeup," Keqing teases them as they both give her a look.
"Be quiet," both of them said as Keqing laughs at this.
"What is so funny over there?" Hu Tao comes over to check on Aether. "Gee, you finally woke up. It's been hours since you were lying there," she said.
"Oh Hu Tao, why are you here?' Aether asked looking confused by this.
"Oh Hu Tao, Xiangling, Xingqiu, Chongyun, and Yaoyao help with the others protecting the city," Paimon said.
"Oh really, I was so knocked out from using my power too much," Aether said as he looks around to see everyone beside Xiangling there. "Where is Xiangling?" Aether asked as Keqing and Paimon look sad about this.
"She died in the battle protecting the city," Hu Tao said as Aether's eyes widen by this.
"She is dead, seriously. Paimon survived and Xiangling dies instead. Fate is weird like that," Aether said.
"Yeah, I remember the meals she made at one of my bouquets not too long ago. There were weird but they tasted pretty good. Too bad such talent is gone so soon. I bet her father will be deeply saddened by his loss," Keqing said as she has sympathy for Xiangling's family.
"Don't be so gloomy about it, she chose to fight for the city. She died protecting it and we are here now able to do something about it," Hu Tao said.
"Yeah, you are right. I can't be dwelling on the past, we need to get out of this place," Keqing said as she is getting annoyed by this whole situation. "I can't believe Huang is using Ningguang's death to push his agenda," she said.
"He was always a man of ambition and will do anything to gain a foothold for more power," Hu Tao said.
"Also, I overheard the guards talking about Huang using an orb to save the city," Zhongli said as he is lying on the wall to look outside the cell's bars. Aether looks on with his mind clicking at the word 'orb'.
"Orb, Nazo said the key is the orb. Like the orb we took from the Treasure Hoarders awhile back," Aether said.
"Exactly, this is a giant play by Void. She always likes to play the long game," Zhongli said as Xingqiu is getting quite angry at this,
"We are played for fools, I don't like being played with like some twisted experiment," Xingqiu said as Chongyun and Hu Tao try calming him down.
"It's not your fault for what happened with Xiangling," Chongyun said to gently pat him on the back.
"Yeah, she chose like us to protect our city from those robots," Hu Tao said as he looks up at the two.
"I know but still I wish I can do more," Xingqiu said as Zhongli walks over to place a calming hand on Xingqiu's head.
"You did what you could, you can help by helping us taking down Void and her plan to ruin Liyue to remake it in her image," Zhongli said.
'Speaking of which, Nazo said that his mistress Void wants to make everyone into Shades and be part of her hive mind," Aether said.
"That is so creepy," Keqing said.
"Tell me about it," Hu Tao said as Zhongli looks down onto Xingqiu.
"Me, Aether, Xiao, Keqing, and Ganyu will be going after Void and stop this civil war from getting worse. This is Void's making and we will stop her, We need all the help we can get," Zhongli said as Yaoyao, Chongyun, Hu Tao and Xingqiu nod their heads.
"I am going to help, this is insane. I can't stand by and let this happen," Yaoyao said as Ganyu protest against this.
"You can't, you are too young," Ganyu said as Yaoyao pouts at this.
"I can hold my own and save you guys a few times now. I earned my worth to help you stop this evil woman," Yaoyao said.
"Well, she was useful," Xiao said to be beside the bars keeping watch of the guards pressing by.
"I agree, she is quite capable for her age. Besides, you are her guardian anyway," Zhongli said as Ganyu nods her head.
"Yes sir, okay you can help but stay close to me," Ganyu said as Yaoyao looks happy about this.
"I will not let you all down," Yaoyao said.
"We will fight too; we lose our friend back there. I am more fired up to beat that goddess's ass into the dirt," Hu Tao said.
"Me too, I can't let that injustice be unchecked," Chongyun said as they both look at Xingqiu for he regains his kind smile and raises his head high.
"Yeah, Not just for Xiangling but for all of Liyue. We are with you guys," Xingqiu said.
"Good to hear, we need all the firepower to solve this big problem," Keqing said as Zhongli wants to talk with the Traveler.
"Traveler, I am curious. I sense vast amounts of elemental energy from the Golden house, I guess you caused it," he said.
"Yes, I use my former powers for a brief time against that corrupt samurai Nazo. It was too much and I blacked out when I got to the jail here," Aether said as Zhongli ponders about this.
"Very interesting, very few beings in this world god or mortal can use more than one element. You are quite the anomaly," he thought. "You mentioned a samurai?" he asked.
"Yes, Nazo hated the Shogun it seems," Aether said.
"Indeed, Inazuma is in a state of war within its borders. People fighting back against her rule due to her very strict laws in her Shogunate. Many samurais would rebel against her and Void scooping him up is not a surprise," Zhongli said as they see guards coming to the gate.
"Miss Keqing, come with us. Great Leader Huang wants to see you now," the guard said as the others were confused by this.
"Great Leader?" Paimon wondered as Keqing approaches the gate.
"For what purpose?" she asked sounding suspicious at this.
"He will give you an offer you can't refuse," the guard said with a crooked smile.
"I got a bad feeling about this Princess," Aether holding her arm with Keqing turning to face him and place a hand on his cheek.
"Don't worry," Keqing said.
"This could be a trap," Aether said as she kisses him on the lips to calm his nerves.
"Relax, I know Huang is a perverted scumbag. I will keep my eye on him," Keqing said as she is taken away by the guards to Huang's main office within the military base. She goes through the hallways to see soldiers in different parts of the levels doing various things.
Keqing also saw some weird machine armor build like a humanoid in the corner the soldier is working on. "Must be one of Huang's experiments," she thought as she is taken into his office for she sees them with a big grin on his face.
"Welcome to my office and my new age for this nation," Huang said as Keqing looks confused by this.
"Oh, so you did take advantage of the crisis like the snake you are," Keqing said as Huang get off his seat to approach Keqing.
"Of course, any good businessman would do that. Well not what your father would do, he would be too soft to do something like this," he said as Keqing shakes under the grip of the guards. "After you killed Ningguang. I took my chance to use my military rank to take over the nation fully as its Great Leader to fill in the vacuum you created," he said with a devilish smile.
"You bastard, you want to be a dictator over Liyue," Keqing said.
"A leader it deserves, the people will fall into line and I will crush the Red Legion. Also, you will be my wife Keqing," he said to leer at her beautiful face and large chest jiggling while she is struggling under the men's grips.
Keqing felt disgusted by his lustful gaze as she spits into his face. "Go to hell, I will never marry you especially in your part with the Qixing who murdered my father." she cursed him.
"Well, Ningguang about that. Yes we did but I was the one to poison himself," Huang said as Keqing's emotions explode wanting to rip his dick off.
"How could you, why do this?" she shouted at them with vicious venom in her voice.
"Well, I was always fond of you Keqing. You have your mother's sheer beauty and curvy figure," he said as he brushes his hand across her chest making Keqing want to throw up. "I wanted you for so long and now my chance is here. You will marry or they will be severe punishment. Your boyfriend and friends will be put up in public execution for all of Liyue Harbor to see," Huang said as Keqing's head snaps up to look into his eyes.
Keqing felt stings of worry within her heart as she doesn't want Aether, Paimon, and the others to suffer further. "Fine if I marry you, don't kill them," Keqing said as she hatches a plan in her mind to escape later on.
"Good girl but you don't have your Vision and sword. Don't try anything funny, my dear," Huang said as guards let her go with him moving her to a seat. He slaps her in the ass to make her jump in surprise and disgust. "Keqing's ass is quite big under that skirt. I am going to have fun with it soon," he thought with lewd intent to go over to his guards. "Take care of the trash for me," he said as the guards head for the dungeons below.
Aether and the others are just sitting them without their Visions and weapons awaiting their fates. "I bet that bastard will torture us to be made of an example," Hu Tao said as Xiao looks over to see something odd is happening.
"What is going on?" Xiao wondered as Zhongli looks on with a soft smile.
"My backup plan," Zhongli said as fireballs were flying in the hallway to strike down guards.
"Gee, that was messy. Hey Zhongli, I manage to get here in time," a bright voice said as a pink-haired young woman appears with antlers on the sides of her head.
"Good timing Miss Yanfei, you got my message," Zhongli said.
"Oh yes, those dream messages were weird but I got the idea," she said as she summons her Blackcliff Agate and blasts the gate open with a fireball.
"Who are you?" Aether asked as Yanfei at him with a bright smile on her face.
"Damn, he is cute," she thought as she hands Aether and everyone else their stuff back. "I am Yanfei, I am a legal advisor to you guys," she said as everyone is equipped with their Visions and weapons.
"A lawyer, why would we need a lawyer for something like this?" Paimon asked.
"Well, I need to prove your guys' innocence and throw the book at that fat ass's bloated head," Yanfei said.
"Well, I am glad you are on our side Yanfei," Aether said as Yanfei giggles at this.
"My pleasure Aether," Yanfei said with her batting her big eyes as Paimon groans at this. "Okay, this way. I cleared the hallways, don't mind the blood and bodies all over the place," she said as there is a bunch of burned bodies lying on the floor.
"Damn it, they are escaping," a guard shouted with Yanfei shooting a fireball to knock the guy off his feet allowing them to go outside into the Great Bamboo Forest.
"Grab my hand, we are going to use the teleport stone to get out of here," Aether said.
"What about Keqing?" Paimon asked.
"She can take care of herself. We need to regroup and think of a new plan," Aether said as they all hold each other with Yanfei connected with Aether and the others.
"Let's get out of here," Yanfei said as Aether touches the bluestone to teleport them out of the area.
Back with Keqing as she is being taken to another location for he is being told by his bodyguards about Aether and gang escaping. "How amusing, your friends and boyfriend manage to escape," Huang said as Keqing looks relieved by this. "They are deemed criminals and will be hunted down. They will be back within my hands soon but now we will make plans for the wedding," Huang said as Keqing looks on into the sunset to worry about the future of Liyue.
"Aether, everyone please be careful out there," Keqing said as she is taken away to an unknown location where no one can find her.