Chapter Nine
I dodged a punch from Wasp that came from in front of me, air-dashed to the
right, and landed on a nearby building-top. "Ha," I grunted as I set down.
Returning to my standing position, I gripped my saber in both my hands firmly.
"Bring it on, Wasp," I said through gnashed teeth.
I saw thirty or forty black portals appear around my body. Looking back at
my attacker, I saw that he was smiling threateningly, a glimmer of hate in his eye.
"Be my guest, Hunter," he said. Thrusting a hand into one of the portals around
him, I told myself to keep my guard up.
His hand emerged from one of the portals to my right. I moved my head to
the left sharply, grabbing his arm with mine, still hanging onto my saber. I jerked at
his limb quickly, bringing the saber nearer to it. He got an idea of what I was doing
too early, unfortunately, and slapped my hand away. A half-second later, I lost my
grip on my treasured weapon as a result of his counter-strike and watched it slip
into one of the multitude of black holes that had materialized around my person. I
watched it pop out of another and land on a rooftop about a hundred yards away
from me. I cursed silently and decided to make do with my cannon and my wits.
Wasp had taken a more defensive position now, eliminating perhaps thirty of
the portals he had been using. He threw a punch at an opening. I jumped, blocked
his fist from behind me, and flipped over to attempt a crescent-shaped kick at his
shoulder. He dodged, and I landed back on my building.
I brought both my hands together, clenching them both in a tight fist. Dash-
jumping off the roof at Wasp, I yelled with the animosity of a true Hunter as I
brought the doubled fist through its course and smacked it into...
A portal? Wait, that's not right... I thought instantly.
And then, in the next instant, I felt my hands stinging...and also the back of
my own head. He had generated an opening behind me too...I swore openly this
time. "What, you have to rely on me to beat myself up?" I asked him.
"Whatever works," he said nonchalantly. "But I think I'll take the initiative
this time."
He slammed his weight forward, instantly disappearing into a body-sized
portal he projected. For a few seconds, I saw nor sensed a thing, then...
I saw his insectlike form dart out from a portal near the building where my
sword had dropped. Scooping up my weapon as I dash-jumped toward him, he
vanished into nothingness again as I watched another portal close in front of me.
This is insane... I thought, but now he's got my saber. That makes it personal.
I dashed off the building , down to a flagpole, where I swung with the grace
of a professional gymnast, once, twice, and thrice around, then used the momentum
to propel me back up into the air. I flew up next to Wasp, his face assuming a
surprised and somewhat frightened expression. I muttered a brief "Hi", then
banana-kicked him in the back into a sign a few yards away on top of another
building.
Double-jumping in the air, I landed quietly on Wasp's building, smiling
softly. "Whatever Sigs told you isn't true about the Maverick Hunters," I said.
"We ARE that good."
I rushed up, throwing a punch at his chin. He expected the blow to come,
and created a portal there. I pulled my fist back quickly and took hold of his own,
denting his metal skin with my strong grip. I got the other in my grasp as well, and
he could not move at all. He grunted and cursed, clearly seeing I was enjoying
every second.
"Not so tough when you can't use your hands, are you, Wasp?" I asked.
"That's the way you direct your power. I noticed it when you created all those
portals around me, and when you were trying to open the gravity well. Give up
now."
He yelled "Never!", pulling the saber from somewhere, igniting it, and
holding it against my throat menacingly all in one fluid motion. I was shocked at
first that he reacted so quickly with the blade, but soon found my confident smile
again and donned it. Pulling his arms as far forward as I possibly could, he moaned
as they reached their length. I heard a faint creaking sound, as if his hydraulics
were about to burst.
In a last, desperate move, he threw the blade into a portal he concocted and
then sealed it just as quickly. It stopped me from pulling on his arms just long
enough for him to try another attack. Launching himself up into the air, he charged
a goodly deal of energy in his hands, aiming it at me. I saw my chance. Double-
jumping close to him, I threw a solid punch. He opened a portal.
Bingo, I thought. Drawing my hand back again quickly, I struck at his arm,
pulling it through the portal. He had only a second to react--would he choose to fire
the energy at himself from his arm, which was now pointing at him through the
portal intended for my fist to punch me through, or would he seal the portal...?
My question was answered. He knew the blast would've been far too much
for him at this point in the game. He closed the portal nearly instantly, his arm
lopping off from its source and falling to the rooftop as it let out a burst of energy
that passed both of us, creating a brilliant blue spark a few thousand yards away.
Now he was mad, I realized. As I landed back on the rooftop, he flew at me
full-bore, waving his unscathed arm, already charging again with energy. I noticed
a sparkle of light coming from something falling at me from the sky...my saber! I
took a mighty leap to make contact with it.
I looked down. Wasp had torn into the rooftop, making something of a
trench along the metal and stone structure. His eyes burned red as he flew up to me
now, again full speed.
I smiled calmly, caught the saber, ignited it, and with a shout of
"Hyouretsuzan!", came thundering downward with a jagged crystalline ice blade
that ripped his limbs and body to shreds. His parts flew upward as I set down on
the roof, landing with a hand to steady me, my saber flung across my shoulder. His
pieces began to rain down a minute later, decorating the rooftop in a shrapnel-esque
motif of blues and violets.
I turned to my unit on a neighboring rooftop. "That's how it's done," I
called.
I got a thumbs-up back from Chakra and Kyte both, then turned back around
and summoned up my learning computer.
From the computer, I found the Maverick's power would give me a boost in
energy, and also a new ability called Space-Time Shot. Reminiscent of an old
technique I learned from Cyber Peacock called Rakuhouha, it allowed me to charge
a bit of Wasp's spacial energy in my hand and pound the ground with it, sending
eight or ten silver energy spheres shooting up from my position. Nifty, but not the
best of weapons. I demonstrated once for the unit, raising my free hand into the air.
Blue-silver energy gathered there for a fraction of a second, then I flung down my
fist and the orbs flew and dissipated.
Dash-jumping back over to their position, I checked in. "Did Skyler land
okay?" I asked.
Chakra answered. "Yeah, he came in okay, with a little bit of turbulence.
We've been getting radios from him down there that he saw some Maverick
activity, so we sent Hale and Drex down to check it out."
"I thought it seemed a little too quiet," I said. "I think we should follow.
Any word on how they're doing?"
"Nothing just yet, sir. They're both trying to keep radio contact to a
minimum while they sneak up on the Mavericks, I think."
"Let them have it their way," I said. "They're both professional enough.
They know what they're doing."
"I think you're right, sir," he replied. "We should definitely get down there
ourselves, though, to see exactly what they're up against."
"I know who they're up against..." I said. "Wasp mention two Mavericks
named Glacial Snowcat and Sand Scarab that were supposed to be around
somewhere. Ten to one that's who Drex and Hale are dealing with."
"Well, we've gotta help!" called Chrys from the back. I smiled.
"We will," I said. "Just give them a minute. If Drex and Hale can't get rid
of two lousy Mavericks, I'll have to have harsh words with them later on."
"I think you're right, sir," Kyte said. "If anything, Drex's rage alone would
be enough to topple a Maverick. And Hale...well, Hale has his gauntlet."
I smiled. "Indeed he does, Kyte. Indeed he does..."
Drex
I slashed away at an ice block the one called Glacial Snowcat slid at me. I
was able to take it out, sending frost flying this way and that. I jumped up into the
air, coming down at the Maverick with a fierce kick. He didn't see the blow
coming, and I gave his chest a good smack. He flew backward into a pile of stone
rubble, pausing an instant before standing again.
He growled ominously, sending a small chill up my spine. "You and your
pitiful friend are no match for us," he said with an evil grin.
I shot a quick glance over at Hale. Yes, he had problems of his own, in the
form of another Maverick named Sand Scarab.
"The others nicknamed me and my friend Desert and Tundra," he said,
"because we each have unique abilities of both the two elements. For instance...I
have the ability to generate large blocks of ice and manipulate them, like so..." he
trailed off, a puff of white frosty fog coming from his hand. When the steam
cleared, I saw he had created a small, intricately designed knife made entirely of ice.
His hand jerked, and I moved out of reflex. He threw the knife where my
head would have been, hitting instead a building with the projectile, where it split
into a hundred pieces. "And my friend...Scarab can generate sand, create lifelike
drones of himself out of it, and cause storms of it. I thought your friend's armor
was looking a tad weather-worn."
"Former friend," I corrected almost automatically. "But that doesn't matter.
Point is, I'm going to end your little joyride right here, right now."
He struck with a beastly pounce. I smirked, bringing my saber up to my
shoulder level and ducking quickly. He flew over me, and I brought the saber up
through his legs as he touched down on the other side. He crashed to the ground,
his stance now destroyed. He roared fiercely as he hopped along the ground with
his hands toward me. "The Maverick cause shall never die!" he shouted, swiping a
claw across my line of vision.
The attack caught me unexpectedly, and I felt a definite hit on my face where
he had aimed. That stung.
"The Maverick cause may never die, Snowcat," I said, "but neither shall the
Maverick Hunters." I brought the saber down and swung it swiftly across his chest.
His circuitry spilled out, littering the ground. Horrified, he held both his hands to
the gash, trying his best to seal it again with a wave of ice, but to no avail. I knew I
had already cut his coolant lines, and his powers were laughable now. With another
strike of the saber, his left hand dropped, then his right arm after another hit.
"Death to the Hunters!" he yelled as I stabbed his neck sharply, and then a strangled
cry of, "Avenge me, dear Desert," as the blue gleam in his eyes died away and his
fists relaxed.
I radioed the others quickly. "This is Drex. Unit Zero, are you there?"
"Yeah, this is Skyler, Drex. Gimme the lowdown."
"I just destroyed Glacial Snowcat. Hale's still working on the scarab. Tell
Commander Omega to get his butt down here and suck up the cat's energy before it
dissipates, will ya?"
"Right. I'll get him now."
All right, I thought. The commander will be here in a minute. Until then...is
Hale having trouble with Sand Scarab? I think he may need some help.
I dashed over and watched Scarab's wings flutter out of his back, propelling
him into the air. Hale took a swipe or two at him with his gauntlet as he left, but
was only able to scrape at his leg. Scarab yelled a few curses at Hale, but Hale only
laughed heartily and watched his escape.
I walked over to place a hand on my fellow Hunter's shoulder. "Nice job," I
said.
"You don't have to be so sarcastic," he replied, shrugging my hand away.
"I wasn't," I protested. "That was really good."
"Whatever," he said, turning around. "Do the others know where we are
yet?"
"I just radioed Skyler a minute ago. He related my location to the
commander. He ought to be here in a few seconds."
"Good," he said. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the dropship, inching
nearer. Setting down after its approach, Hale and I both walked over in silence.
The door swung open, and out stepped Zero. Hopping down to the ground,
he smiled at both Hale and I and offered a wave before speaking. "Hey guys,
how's things?"
"Well, I got rid of Snowcat," I said. "The atoms of his energy are floating
around, waiting for you."
"How about you, Hale?" he asked. "How'd you do?"
"Well, I didn't get a good shot in at the bug," he said. "He faked me out a lot
with his drones."
"You've gotta watch for that," Zero said. "You have to develop a feel for
these things. There's a certain sixth sense that comes with experience in the
Hunters. You'll develop it eventually."
Hale lowered his head and made a muted grunt. "Yes sir. Thank you, sir."
"And Drex...thanks. Good job." He walked over to where Snowcat's body
lay, still mangled and smoking faintly. "Now, if you don't mind, I'll take his
power."
"Certainly not, sir. We'll just watch."
He acknowledged the response with a modest wave. Finally stopping, his
hands clenched into fists as blue-white energy began gathering around his body.
Small spheres of plasma energy radiated around, spinning in an atomic form around
its nucleus. Finally, the spheres began accelerating, moving in tighter each second,
and eventually taking home in Zero's helmet light. His eyes opened slightly, a
gentle glow about him. He smiled. "Frost Buster."
He stretched, aimed his Z-Buster up into the air, and began charging. The
color of the ball that began forming at the end of his blaster wasn't his normal blue,
however, but instead a fierce white. The blaster came to its maximum charge, and
he leveled his cannon at a nearby garbage dumpster. He fired the shot. As it
traveled outward from his cannon, it left a minute trail of white frost in the air. As
it hit, we didn't think it had done anything, but after a half-second, the container
froze almost instantly, and tons of icy spikes shot out of the frozen dumpster.
"Nice," Zero remarked. "I think I know who this weapon's meant to
destroy."
"I think we should get back to base," Hale said. "We've been away too long.
There's probably been an update in the news on what Mavericks are moving."
"Right," Zero said. "Let's get back. I need to talk to Iris."
I dodged a punch from Wasp that came from in front of me, air-dashed to the
right, and landed on a nearby building-top. "Ha," I grunted as I set down.
Returning to my standing position, I gripped my saber in both my hands firmly.
"Bring it on, Wasp," I said through gnashed teeth.
I saw thirty or forty black portals appear around my body. Looking back at
my attacker, I saw that he was smiling threateningly, a glimmer of hate in his eye.
"Be my guest, Hunter," he said. Thrusting a hand into one of the portals around
him, I told myself to keep my guard up.
His hand emerged from one of the portals to my right. I moved my head to
the left sharply, grabbing his arm with mine, still hanging onto my saber. I jerked at
his limb quickly, bringing the saber nearer to it. He got an idea of what I was doing
too early, unfortunately, and slapped my hand away. A half-second later, I lost my
grip on my treasured weapon as a result of his counter-strike and watched it slip
into one of the multitude of black holes that had materialized around my person. I
watched it pop out of another and land on a rooftop about a hundred yards away
from me. I cursed silently and decided to make do with my cannon and my wits.
Wasp had taken a more defensive position now, eliminating perhaps thirty of
the portals he had been using. He threw a punch at an opening. I jumped, blocked
his fist from behind me, and flipped over to attempt a crescent-shaped kick at his
shoulder. He dodged, and I landed back on my building.
I brought both my hands together, clenching them both in a tight fist. Dash-
jumping off the roof at Wasp, I yelled with the animosity of a true Hunter as I
brought the doubled fist through its course and smacked it into...
A portal? Wait, that's not right... I thought instantly.
And then, in the next instant, I felt my hands stinging...and also the back of
my own head. He had generated an opening behind me too...I swore openly this
time. "What, you have to rely on me to beat myself up?" I asked him.
"Whatever works," he said nonchalantly. "But I think I'll take the initiative
this time."
He slammed his weight forward, instantly disappearing into a body-sized
portal he projected. For a few seconds, I saw nor sensed a thing, then...
I saw his insectlike form dart out from a portal near the building where my
sword had dropped. Scooping up my weapon as I dash-jumped toward him, he
vanished into nothingness again as I watched another portal close in front of me.
This is insane... I thought, but now he's got my saber. That makes it personal.
I dashed off the building , down to a flagpole, where I swung with the grace
of a professional gymnast, once, twice, and thrice around, then used the momentum
to propel me back up into the air. I flew up next to Wasp, his face assuming a
surprised and somewhat frightened expression. I muttered a brief "Hi", then
banana-kicked him in the back into a sign a few yards away on top of another
building.
Double-jumping in the air, I landed quietly on Wasp's building, smiling
softly. "Whatever Sigs told you isn't true about the Maverick Hunters," I said.
"We ARE that good."
I rushed up, throwing a punch at his chin. He expected the blow to come,
and created a portal there. I pulled my fist back quickly and took hold of his own,
denting his metal skin with my strong grip. I got the other in my grasp as well, and
he could not move at all. He grunted and cursed, clearly seeing I was enjoying
every second.
"Not so tough when you can't use your hands, are you, Wasp?" I asked.
"That's the way you direct your power. I noticed it when you created all those
portals around me, and when you were trying to open the gravity well. Give up
now."
He yelled "Never!", pulling the saber from somewhere, igniting it, and
holding it against my throat menacingly all in one fluid motion. I was shocked at
first that he reacted so quickly with the blade, but soon found my confident smile
again and donned it. Pulling his arms as far forward as I possibly could, he moaned
as they reached their length. I heard a faint creaking sound, as if his hydraulics
were about to burst.
In a last, desperate move, he threw the blade into a portal he concocted and
then sealed it just as quickly. It stopped me from pulling on his arms just long
enough for him to try another attack. Launching himself up into the air, he charged
a goodly deal of energy in his hands, aiming it at me. I saw my chance. Double-
jumping close to him, I threw a solid punch. He opened a portal.
Bingo, I thought. Drawing my hand back again quickly, I struck at his arm,
pulling it through the portal. He had only a second to react--would he choose to fire
the energy at himself from his arm, which was now pointing at him through the
portal intended for my fist to punch me through, or would he seal the portal...?
My question was answered. He knew the blast would've been far too much
for him at this point in the game. He closed the portal nearly instantly, his arm
lopping off from its source and falling to the rooftop as it let out a burst of energy
that passed both of us, creating a brilliant blue spark a few thousand yards away.
Now he was mad, I realized. As I landed back on the rooftop, he flew at me
full-bore, waving his unscathed arm, already charging again with energy. I noticed
a sparkle of light coming from something falling at me from the sky...my saber! I
took a mighty leap to make contact with it.
I looked down. Wasp had torn into the rooftop, making something of a
trench along the metal and stone structure. His eyes burned red as he flew up to me
now, again full speed.
I smiled calmly, caught the saber, ignited it, and with a shout of
"Hyouretsuzan!", came thundering downward with a jagged crystalline ice blade
that ripped his limbs and body to shreds. His parts flew upward as I set down on
the roof, landing with a hand to steady me, my saber flung across my shoulder. His
pieces began to rain down a minute later, decorating the rooftop in a shrapnel-esque
motif of blues and violets.
I turned to my unit on a neighboring rooftop. "That's how it's done," I
called.
I got a thumbs-up back from Chakra and Kyte both, then turned back around
and summoned up my learning computer.
From the computer, I found the Maverick's power would give me a boost in
energy, and also a new ability called Space-Time Shot. Reminiscent of an old
technique I learned from Cyber Peacock called Rakuhouha, it allowed me to charge
a bit of Wasp's spacial energy in my hand and pound the ground with it, sending
eight or ten silver energy spheres shooting up from my position. Nifty, but not the
best of weapons. I demonstrated once for the unit, raising my free hand into the air.
Blue-silver energy gathered there for a fraction of a second, then I flung down my
fist and the orbs flew and dissipated.
Dash-jumping back over to their position, I checked in. "Did Skyler land
okay?" I asked.
Chakra answered. "Yeah, he came in okay, with a little bit of turbulence.
We've been getting radios from him down there that he saw some Maverick
activity, so we sent Hale and Drex down to check it out."
"I thought it seemed a little too quiet," I said. "I think we should follow.
Any word on how they're doing?"
"Nothing just yet, sir. They're both trying to keep radio contact to a
minimum while they sneak up on the Mavericks, I think."
"Let them have it their way," I said. "They're both professional enough.
They know what they're doing."
"I think you're right, sir," he replied. "We should definitely get down there
ourselves, though, to see exactly what they're up against."
"I know who they're up against..." I said. "Wasp mention two Mavericks
named Glacial Snowcat and Sand Scarab that were supposed to be around
somewhere. Ten to one that's who Drex and Hale are dealing with."
"Well, we've gotta help!" called Chrys from the back. I smiled.
"We will," I said. "Just give them a minute. If Drex and Hale can't get rid
of two lousy Mavericks, I'll have to have harsh words with them later on."
"I think you're right, sir," Kyte said. "If anything, Drex's rage alone would
be enough to topple a Maverick. And Hale...well, Hale has his gauntlet."
I smiled. "Indeed he does, Kyte. Indeed he does..."
Drex
I slashed away at an ice block the one called Glacial Snowcat slid at me. I
was able to take it out, sending frost flying this way and that. I jumped up into the
air, coming down at the Maverick with a fierce kick. He didn't see the blow
coming, and I gave his chest a good smack. He flew backward into a pile of stone
rubble, pausing an instant before standing again.
He growled ominously, sending a small chill up my spine. "You and your
pitiful friend are no match for us," he said with an evil grin.
I shot a quick glance over at Hale. Yes, he had problems of his own, in the
form of another Maverick named Sand Scarab.
"The others nicknamed me and my friend Desert and Tundra," he said,
"because we each have unique abilities of both the two elements. For instance...I
have the ability to generate large blocks of ice and manipulate them, like so..." he
trailed off, a puff of white frosty fog coming from his hand. When the steam
cleared, I saw he had created a small, intricately designed knife made entirely of ice.
His hand jerked, and I moved out of reflex. He threw the knife where my
head would have been, hitting instead a building with the projectile, where it split
into a hundred pieces. "And my friend...Scarab can generate sand, create lifelike
drones of himself out of it, and cause storms of it. I thought your friend's armor
was looking a tad weather-worn."
"Former friend," I corrected almost automatically. "But that doesn't matter.
Point is, I'm going to end your little joyride right here, right now."
He struck with a beastly pounce. I smirked, bringing my saber up to my
shoulder level and ducking quickly. He flew over me, and I brought the saber up
through his legs as he touched down on the other side. He crashed to the ground,
his stance now destroyed. He roared fiercely as he hopped along the ground with
his hands toward me. "The Maverick cause shall never die!" he shouted, swiping a
claw across my line of vision.
The attack caught me unexpectedly, and I felt a definite hit on my face where
he had aimed. That stung.
"The Maverick cause may never die, Snowcat," I said, "but neither shall the
Maverick Hunters." I brought the saber down and swung it swiftly across his chest.
His circuitry spilled out, littering the ground. Horrified, he held both his hands to
the gash, trying his best to seal it again with a wave of ice, but to no avail. I knew I
had already cut his coolant lines, and his powers were laughable now. With another
strike of the saber, his left hand dropped, then his right arm after another hit.
"Death to the Hunters!" he yelled as I stabbed his neck sharply, and then a strangled
cry of, "Avenge me, dear Desert," as the blue gleam in his eyes died away and his
fists relaxed.
I radioed the others quickly. "This is Drex. Unit Zero, are you there?"
"Yeah, this is Skyler, Drex. Gimme the lowdown."
"I just destroyed Glacial Snowcat. Hale's still working on the scarab. Tell
Commander Omega to get his butt down here and suck up the cat's energy before it
dissipates, will ya?"
"Right. I'll get him now."
All right, I thought. The commander will be here in a minute. Until then...is
Hale having trouble with Sand Scarab? I think he may need some help.
I dashed over and watched Scarab's wings flutter out of his back, propelling
him into the air. Hale took a swipe or two at him with his gauntlet as he left, but
was only able to scrape at his leg. Scarab yelled a few curses at Hale, but Hale only
laughed heartily and watched his escape.
I walked over to place a hand on my fellow Hunter's shoulder. "Nice job," I
said.
"You don't have to be so sarcastic," he replied, shrugging my hand away.
"I wasn't," I protested. "That was really good."
"Whatever," he said, turning around. "Do the others know where we are
yet?"
"I just radioed Skyler a minute ago. He related my location to the
commander. He ought to be here in a few seconds."
"Good," he said. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the dropship, inching
nearer. Setting down after its approach, Hale and I both walked over in silence.
The door swung open, and out stepped Zero. Hopping down to the ground,
he smiled at both Hale and I and offered a wave before speaking. "Hey guys,
how's things?"
"Well, I got rid of Snowcat," I said. "The atoms of his energy are floating
around, waiting for you."
"How about you, Hale?" he asked. "How'd you do?"
"Well, I didn't get a good shot in at the bug," he said. "He faked me out a lot
with his drones."
"You've gotta watch for that," Zero said. "You have to develop a feel for
these things. There's a certain sixth sense that comes with experience in the
Hunters. You'll develop it eventually."
Hale lowered his head and made a muted grunt. "Yes sir. Thank you, sir."
"And Drex...thanks. Good job." He walked over to where Snowcat's body
lay, still mangled and smoking faintly. "Now, if you don't mind, I'll take his
power."
"Certainly not, sir. We'll just watch."
He acknowledged the response with a modest wave. Finally stopping, his
hands clenched into fists as blue-white energy began gathering around his body.
Small spheres of plasma energy radiated around, spinning in an atomic form around
its nucleus. Finally, the spheres began accelerating, moving in tighter each second,
and eventually taking home in Zero's helmet light. His eyes opened slightly, a
gentle glow about him. He smiled. "Frost Buster."
He stretched, aimed his Z-Buster up into the air, and began charging. The
color of the ball that began forming at the end of his blaster wasn't his normal blue,
however, but instead a fierce white. The blaster came to its maximum charge, and
he leveled his cannon at a nearby garbage dumpster. He fired the shot. As it
traveled outward from his cannon, it left a minute trail of white frost in the air. As
it hit, we didn't think it had done anything, but after a half-second, the container
froze almost instantly, and tons of icy spikes shot out of the frozen dumpster.
"Nice," Zero remarked. "I think I know who this weapon's meant to
destroy."
"I think we should get back to base," Hale said. "We've been away too long.
There's probably been an update in the news on what Mavericks are moving."
"Right," Zero said. "Let's get back. I need to talk to Iris."
