Escape
by jalpari
Just when they thought they were making progress, the team suffers another blow.
A/N:
Sorry about the delay. I've been traveling internationally for visa work and life admin stuff has caught up with me. But I'm finally posting the next few chapters and can't wait to move forward and thicken the plot.
"Bani! Shiro! We were just about to contact you", Ryner looked flustered.
"Is everything okay, Queen Ryner?" Shiro stepped up to the screen.
"The scientist creature...he has escaped!"
"What? How?" Keith exclaimed.
"We're not sure what happened! The prison was suddenly attacked...and that too by our OWN guards!"
"How did that happen?!" Bani asked in shock.
"All we saw was a...a heavy shadow spread through the prison and before we knew what was happening, all our guards turned on us."
"It's him. It's the creature", Pidge turned to the others, "Somehow it unleashed its shadows to break the scientist out. Probably at the same time it woke all the guards that attacked us."
"It probably needs the scientist to finish the experiment", Hunk added.
"It doesn't make sense", Luten shook his head, "it could have done the same to us…let the shadows posses us. Why didn't it? It would have made its life a whole lot easier."
"Maybe not all hosts are easy to take over", Pidge thought out loud.
"And we're not easy victims", Hunk grinned.
"Where's Noor", Ryner asked.
Noor walked up to the screen and stood beside Shiro.
"My dear", Ryner continued, "I have a feeling there is something much much deeper behind all this. The creature you were captured by...did it say anything to you?"
Noor recounted everything she had shared with the others. With each piece of information, Ryner's face grew more worried.
"This all sounds familiar. I can't put a finger on it, but this reminds me of old folklore", Ryner frowned.
"The Olkari's connection to everything around them is what allows us to work so flawlessly with metal and nature and fuse everything to create things with our mind", she looked at Noor. "The quintessence and the alchemy that the Alteans received from the sages in Oriande, is an extension of a similar connection to the energy in the universe."
"The dark powers that Zarkon and Haggar harnessed might as well have been another form of these energies...in a way", Ryner was lost in her thoughts.
"I can't tell you exactly what all this is, but I know that the creature...somehow it has gained knowledge we thought was lost. And if its words to you are true, it has found the root of something ancient...that existed in the cosmos far before any of us can remember...and it may be able to wield it...through you."
"Folk tales tell us", Ryner continued, "that in ancient times, there were mysterious creatures that roamed the universe. No one knew where they came from. Stories spoke of their powers. That they carried the spirit of the universe within them. Their connection to everything is what allowed them to bend the energy that resides within everything. The lucky few that came in their presence, were granted the knowledge and gained insight into the secrets of the cosmos."
"These are children's tales. Who knows if this is true, but it is believed that that is how the Olkari, the Alteans, and so many other races learnt to work with the elements", Bani added.
"Perhaps", Ryner smiled, "but it's been tens of thousands of years . We have advanced so much as engineers and scientists that such things sound like fantasy."
"I…", Luten spoke hesitantly, "I have heard similar stories from my grandparents and great grandparents. Of how there was a time when humans lived in harmony and balance with nature. Of how they could harness the chi around them, which was present in everything. Water, fire, earth, air. It seems unbelievable though", he chuckled.
"But then how do you explain what happened on Sepi?" Hunk interrupted.
There was silence in the room for several minutes as everyone processed their words. It was beyond anyone's understanding, beyond any science and tech they had ever heard of or seen. It seemed like magic, something outside of reality.
"What's our next step?" Keith finally broke the silence.
"Bani, Pidge…", Ryner replied. "You two need to analyze the contents of the vial, but be very careful...and also...study Noor...so we can understand as much as possible."
Just then, they heard a sound outside the craft. Pidge pulled up a visual and to everyone's astonishment, they saw the terrorist's ship begin to move.
"Who is in there now? There can't be more guards! The creature can't possibly control them from inside an ice….", Pidge froze and looked at Shiro in alarm.
"I'm not letting them have their way this time", Noor grunted as she made her way to a pod.
"No!", Keith stopped her. "You're still recovering from that...event...and they're trying to get you and the creature back. We can't afford to lose you again."
"The last time you guys fought them, you failed. That's how they got me in the first place", Noor snapped.
She paused when she realized how rude her tone was.
"I'm...I'm sorry…", she fumbled, "All I'm saying is...I want help."
"You need to heal", Keith replied.
"I don't want to heal! I want to fight!" Noor scowled.
"Clearly", Shiro chuckled. "Please Noor...try and understand."
"Are you forgetting that I...did that", she pointed to the now white planet. "I...took them all out."
Shiro and Keith looked at each other, both unsure of what to say.
"Can you do it again?" Pidge stood up finally.
"Uhh", Noor avoided everyone's expectant gaze.
"Here", Pidge brought over a glass of water. "Try it."
Noor took in a deep breath and focussed on the water. She closed her eyes and lifted her hands over the glass. She could feel everyone holding their breath. She felt unsettled by the attention and flashes of the destruction she had brought down on the base attacked her racing mind, unsettling her. She dropped her hands and gulped.
"No", she stuttered. "I can't."
"It's settled then", Keith said as he walked to the pod.
Noor frowned and joined Bani in the control room and saw five pods dart towards the ship. This time, they seemed more prepared and were able to successfully dodge the red beam.
Pidge shot green beams at their pods and Noor watched in awe as the pods were swallowed whole by growing vines.
"Ryner adapted Pidge's bayard's powers to make this new weapon. Pidge has always had a deeper connection to nature than the others."
"Pidge? Nature?" Noor asked bewildered.
"It's true", Bani chuckled.
They managed to take out half the pods as Bani provided them with cover fire. But Noor saw in frustration as the black shadows escaped each time and returned to the ship. Within seconds, more mercenaries emerged from the hatch and fought off Shiro, Hunk and Keith who had managed to climb aboard.
"This is hopeless", she grunted. "They're just going to keep coming back and…"
Suddenly they heard a noise behind them. Noor turned around in alarm and Bani pulled up all the security footage.
"There...in there", Bani pointed.
"Tell the team. I'll need back up", Noor called and began running out of the control room, followed by her obedient daggers.
Noor slowed down as she approached the corridor. She took in a deep breath and whispered into her comm.
"Do you see them?"
"I see two, ahead on your right", Bani replied. "They're trying to break into the…"
Noor heard a loud sound.
"Bani! Can you shut the doors remotely, once they're in?"
"The controls are down for that entire sector!" she groaned. "The manual control is just outside the room."
Noor leapt ahead and turned into the corridor just in time to see two bodies entering the ambient room. She ran ahead and entered the master code to the entrance. But before the door could close completely, one guard jumped out towards her. The other was locked in with the creature.
Noor snapped her hands forward and her daggers whizzed past her and lodged into the guard's chest. He fell back and Noor rushed at him. Her fist flew towards his jaw and made heavy contact. She heard more sounds from the room - a loud crack and then repeated knocking.
The guard took advantage of her momentary distraction, pulled out her daggers and lunged for her. Noor fell back as it gripped her neck. He raised her off the ground, crushing her between the wall and his hand. Noor struggled but managed to call the daggers to her fingers and as they touched her, the knuckles popped out and clicked onto her fingers. With two clean swipes she slashed at his neck.
The guard winced in pain and bent forward grabbing his bleeding neck. Noor caught her breath and before he could recover, kneed him in this face. His shouts fell silent as she struck a final blow with her daggers and rendered him limp.
She stepped back trembling as she saw blood dripping out. Just as she was sure he was dead, the black shadow escaped. She swatted and swiped but couldn't make any contact with the wispy form. She willed herself to conjure up water to create an ice trap all around it but to no avail.
"Guess I need actual water around me for that", she placed her hands on her hips in frustration as the shadow escaped.
"Noor!" Luten came running down the corridor. "Where are the…"
He paused when he saw the dead body outside the room.
"Okay then", he mumbled.
"The other one's in there", she pointed. "Should we just...leave it in there?"
"That's probably the best thing", Luten sighed.
"How did they even get in here!?"
Just then, a loud rumble shook the room's door. Luten grabbed hold of Noor's arm and stepped back. Suddenly, a giant hole broke through the door and they saw the creature emerge. The other guard was passed out in the room.
Noor gasped as she saw its face. It was even more distorted than before. It had a wild look in its eyes and moved with new found strength. With every passing second it seemed to get more savage and twisted, like its features were melting and would soon disappear.
But before that happened, it flew at them and knocked them out.
Noor felt shiny stars twinkle all around her. She groaned as her eyes slowly opened and then she felt the pain. Her head was throbbing and her jaw seemed like it was out of place.
"Noor…", she felt Keith lean closer. "Are you okay?"
"Huh…", Noor felt disoriented. She pressed her temples tightly between her hands to stop the spinning.
She saw Luten sitting beside her, also groaning and wincing. He was pressing something against his jaw.
"Here", Keith held up a white pack.
Before she could see what it was, he was pressing the cold object against her cheek.
"You were knocked out", he whispered slowly seeing her cringe at every sound.
"What happ…", before she could finish her sentence, Noor's eyes rolled back and the next second, she was falling back once more.
"Aaand she's out again", she heard Pidge chuckle before she lost consciousness.
When she woke up again, Noor was on her bed. Hunk was by her side, pressing a cold pack against her face.
"Better?"
"I think so", she sighed. "What happened?"
"Well...they managed to get the creature and escape in their ship. But the good news is we managed to do some damage to their ship."
"I can't believe I let them get away", Noor frowned and felt anger rushing through her body.
"Hey, we failed too."
Noor gritted her teeth and didn't respond.
"But you really did a number on that guard", he chuckled.
"They're as good as dead either way. I think the only reason they can do things is because of those shadows that possess their body."
"Hmm…"
The door opened and everyone walked in.
"You're up!" Pidge exclaimed and sat beside her.
"Looks like it", Noor grunted.
"So we have good news and bad news", Pidge continued.
"Hunk told me", Noor interrupted. "I let the creature get away and the ship escaped too."
"And we've kinda lost their trail. But I was able to predict their path based on their movement and it looks like their headed to this swap moon."
"This is hopeless", Noor mumbled.
"You did your best, Noor", Luten said, "None of us could have stopped him...given the way he fought…."
"I think I know how he did that", Noor chewed on her lips.
"I think, somehow, the shadow left the guard and entered him and that made him...stronger or something. But his body...something strange was happening to it while he held the shadow. I think it can't hold it for too long. That's why his appearance is what it is. He gets deformed when he holds these...shadows. And the other guards...they're not really alive when the shadows use them. They're just alive enough that the shadows can possess them without any effort."
"What I don't understand is...how they broke in here?!" Noor frowned.
"It looks like one of the hatches was jammed and didn't close properly when someone's...", Keith glared at Hunk, "...pod exited."
"What!?" Hunk held his hands up in defense, "It's not my fault...it was a mechanical failure!"
"It was jammed by a can of soda", Keith snapped.
"Okay yeah...maybe that was a little bit of my fault."
"Alright, team", Shiro spoke finally, "We're headed to the swap moon for now. Shouldn't take more than a day."
Noor sat by the pool, her legs dangling in the water. She was gazing deep into the blue water. Her mind kept seeing the tank she was immersed in, as if her spirit had floated out of her body and now watched her submerged body.
She tried to remember what she had done and how she had done it, back on Sepi. She remembered the fear and rage she felt when the guard held a gun to Pidge's head. Everything had gone white and the next thing she knew, her mind was racing with noises that drove her crazy.
When she had finally opened her eyes, she saw Keith's bewildered and concerned face telling her that she had saved them all. There were fountains spouting from the ground and frozen ice covering the terrorists and everything else.
"But how?" she muttered to herself.
She took a deep breath and lifted her hands above the pool. She concentrated and tried focussing on the water. Nothing. She closed her eyes and placed extended both hands above the water and moved her arms up slowly.
"Come on, Noor. Connect. Feel the...energy or whatever."
Nothing. She grunted and clenched her fists.
"How did I do it?! Stupid water", she yelled at the pool.
"Am I interrupting?"
Noor looked up and saw Shiro walking over.
"No", she groaned and shook her head. "You're not interrupting anything. Because nothing is happening. It's no use. Whatever happened on Sepi, I can't make any sense of it. And I definitely can't do it again."
"Give it time."
"Maybe…", she frowned and looked at him.
"Noor", Shiro placed a hand on hers, "look at how far you've come."
"What do you mean? I'm still as clueless and useless as when you found me", she whined.
"You're looking at it all wrong. When we found you, you were terrified. But now, you've pushed past all your pain. You've opened yourself to all of us. That took guts after everything you've lost. You sacrificed yourself and went back into that hell hole without hesitation. Not only did you survive whatever it is they did to you, but you saved us all."
Shiro's face was filled with admiration and affection. He squeezed her hand encouragingly with every word. She placed her other hand on his and looked at their hands for several seconds. It was comforting to feel the warmth that radiated from his presence.
"I'm still scared though."
"I know...that's what makes you so much braver...you did all this despite being scared...that's why I'm so proud of you."
A single tear rolled down her cheek as she rested her head on Shiro's shoulder. Shiro patted her hand and they sat in silence. After a few minutes, he spoke again.
"Are you ready to join the others? Pidge and Bani need to do some...tests on you and the vial."
She smiled and nodded, wiping her tears. Shiro stood up, offering her his hand.
"Thank you", she hugged him.