FFC: What made me write this? I dunno¡
(Sweatdrops) Pryce: Then why did you bother posting it?
FFC: Cos¡ it¡¯s a chapter.
Pryce: Right¡ anyway, FFC doesn¡¯t own anything that isn¡¯t his. Don¡¯t sue.
FFC: You¡¯ll only get your lawyers back in an urn.
Pryce: Huh?
FFC: Destructive family. *holds portable vacuum to head¡ somehow* when I pull this trigger, I shall become a clean man. Don¡¯t try to stop me!
Pryce: Okay¡ -_-;
Chapter 7
The sky outside was gloomy, clouds a solid grey, threatening to rain. A young girl was standing at the window, hands pressed against the cold glass pane. She had red hair, crystal green eyes looking up into the sky disappointedly.
¡°There you are, Rio.¡± a voice came from behind her. Turning, she came face to face with young man with silvery white hair and blood red eyes. He looked about twenty, four years older than the girl.
¡°Jen.¡±
¡°Is something wrong?¡± the young man, Jen, asked, sitting down next to the young Rio.
¡°Whenever Paul says that he¡¯s coming back home, it always rains¡¡± Rio said, frowning. Jen smiled and patted his sister¡¯s head.
¡°He always keeps his promises, doesn¡¯t he?¡±
¡°Yes¡¡± Rio muttered, gazing up into the sky yet again, ¡°but he¡¯s late this time.¡±
A few moments later, the clicking sound of a lock and a door creaking open indicated that someone had entered the house.
¡°Paul!¡± Rio said excitedly, running out of the room to greet their eldest brother. Jen followed her, and found a man at the door, taking off his wet coat. He had silvery white hair, eyes an emerald green. A young woman was beside him, running her hands through her medium length red hair which fell freely about her, going well with her violet eyes.
¡°Miss. Coronation?¡± Jen asked, surprised. The woman smiled.
¡°Call me Chikage, Jen.¡± she said, unbuttoning her own coat.
¡°Now wouldn¡¯t that be rude?¡± Paul teased as he took Chikage¡¯s coat and deposited it and his on the coat stand nearby, ¡°though I guess those two will get used to that.¡± he added. Chikage blushed lightly.
¡°Paul? What¡¡± Jen began, but it was then that he realised that there was a golden ring on Chikage¡¯s finger, sparkling with a beautiful diamond.
¡°Did you¡?¡± Rio asked, unable to suppress her excitement as she noticed the ring also. Paul gave no answer, save by pressing his lips against Chikage¡¯s, catching the young woman off guard. As they parted, Chikage was a brilliant red, mouth slightly ajar in shock. Paul couldn¡¯t help but laugh at her expression.
¡°Paul¡¡± Chikage muttered.
¡°The look on your face was priceless.¡± Paul said, causing Chikage to pout slightly as she turned away. Paul caught her chin and brought her back to face him, ¡°but anything about you is priceless in my eyes.¡±
The couple¡¯s moment was interrupted rudely by Jen¡¯s gagging sounds disguised poorly as ¡®light¡¯ coughing. Rio smacked him left and right for that.
¡°Jen!¡± Rio hissed, before turning to her eldest brother and wife-to-be, ¡°When¡¯s the wedding?¡±
¡°We haven¡¯t really decided on a date, but it¡¯ll be as soon as possible, because¡¡± Paul whispered something to Chikage which caused her to slap him in slight indignation, cheeks red. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess what Paul said, but some things are better off left unspoken.
Jen awoke with a throbbing headache, facing what seemed to be a whitewashed ceiling. Silence was his only companion, and it seemed that he was alone.
¡°Jen?¡± Turning slightly, Jen came face to face with a brunette, soft violet eyes looking at him worriedly.
¡°Oh, it¡¯s you.¡± Jen said, looking round. He felt stiff, but was able to take in the surroundings, it appearing to be a patient¡¯s room of the hospital Sora was previously admitted to.
¡°Umm¡¡± Jen¡¯s eyes fell on the brunette yet again as she began to speak. She had her hands on her lap in a cute feminine fashion, her expression sad and slightly pained, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I got you into this state.¡±
¡°It isn¡¯t your fault,¡± Jen pointed out, ¡°They made you do it, didn¡®t they?¡±
Peroth bowed her head, ¡°They said that if I didn¡¯t obey them, they would harm my sisters¡¡±
¡°But they did anyway,¡± Jen finished for her, causing the brunette to clench her hands even harder.
¡°I didn¡¯t really catch your name last time¡¡± Jen decided to change the subject. As he tried sitting, Jen flinched as pain shot through his entire body. He felt something warm close to him, and realised it was the brunette. Her delicate face was angelic-like, what seemed to be a natural perfume invading Jen¡¯s senses with a unique fragrance. Jen felt drowsy, somehow, staring into those eyes of hers and feeling her so close.
¡°Your injuries haven¡¯t fully recovered yet.¡± she pointed out, seemingly oblivious to the effect she had on Jen as she held him.
¡°Yeah¡¡± the cyber angel captain mumbled, trying to shake himself of the strange sensation, ¡°Err¡ what was your name?¡±
Jen felt like slapping himself for how idiotic he seemed to have sounded as the words stumbled out of his mouth. The brunette however smiled brightly, making Jen feel lightheaded.
¡°Peroth.¡±
¡°That¡¯s¡ a nice name.¡±
The door creaked open and Fio appeared at the doorway.
¡°Peroth, you should really¡¡± her words strayed as she saw the two. In a flash her face turned scarlet.
¡°I-I¡¯m sorry!¡± Fio said, spinning round, ¡°Am I disturbing the two of you?¡±
It was then that Peroth and Jen realised that they were in a rather¡ awkward position, bodies literally rubbing against each other, faces just inches apart. Turning brilliant shades of red, the two separated. Jen however had forgotten he was in rather bad shape, yelping in pain as he fell back onto the bed.
¡°Jen!¡± Both Peroth and Fio exclaimed. Jen grinned slightly.
¡°I¡¯m alright, I guess.¡± the two girls relaxed a bit.
¡°The others will be relieved when they hear you¡¯ve come through,¡± Fio said, smiling.
¡°I¡¯ll go get them.¡± Peroth said, standing. It was apparent that she was uncomfortable with what had just happened, disappearing quickly out of the door. Jen sighed.
¡°Would you like a glass of water?¡± Fio asked.
¡°Sure,¡± Jen replied, ¡°how long have I been out anyway?¡± he added as Fio went about pouring the drink and handing the glass to him.
¡°It¡¯s been nearly a week,¡± Fio answered, sitting back down at the bedside, ¡°and¡ um¡ Jen?¡± she added hesitantly as Jen downed the water.
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Were the two of you¡?¡± Fio let her words hang, but Jen understood.
¡°No. She was just helping me up, that¡¯s all.¡± Jen replied calmly, having regained his composure without the presence of a particular brunette.
¡°Oh¡¡± Fio replied, slightly disappointed.
¡°What? Is something the matter?¡± Jen asked curiously.
¡°Well¡ it¡¯s just that,¡± Fio stammered, blushing, ¡°The two of you look good together.¡±
¡°Good?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know¡ it¡¯s just that the two of you seem to match¡¡± Fio turned to the door as it opened. The cyber angels all piled into the room, together with the rest of the oracles.
¡°Fio! Don¡¯t tell me you were flirting with Jen?¡± Maya accused. Fio turned bright red.
¡°No!¡±
Maya giggled, ¡°Oh alright. I was just joking.¡±
Fio stood and moved aside so that the others could see how Jen was doing. As usual GISB had gotten him a get well hamper, without a card. Jen didn¡¯t mind that, since it was always the case whenever one of the cyber angels was hospitalized. Jen however did notice that Peroth wasn¡¯t present. He wondered what Fio meant by her words just now, hardly paying attention to what the others were talking about.
The said brunette was just outside, listening to the cyber angels as they chatted and laughed inside the room. Clasping both hands on her chest, she bowed her head.
¡°What was I thinking?¡± Peroth muttered to herself, confused. Footsteps echoed in the corridor as Peroth looked back up, seeing Herald, Chikage and Sora.
¡°Herald,¡± Peroth said, bowing towards the elderly man.
¡°What are you doing outside?¡± Herald asked softly, ¡°Is Jen alright?¡±
¡°It¡¯s¡ crowded inside,¡± Peroth found herself saying, ¡°but Jen¡¯s okay.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a relief,¡± Chikage sighed, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know what to do if he was to die.¡±
¡°Chikage?¡± Peroth asked, puzzled. Chikage merely smiled as Sora headed to the door and opened it. Herald and Chikage went in, but Peroth remained where she was.
¡°Go on Peroth,¡± Sora said quietly, holding the door open.
¡°I¡®ve been with him for almost the entire week Sora. I think¡ that¡¯s enough.¡±
¡°For whom?¡±
Peroth opened her mouth to answer, but stopped short. Biting her lower lip, she too began to wonder. Why had she stayed with Jen all this while? Of course she felt guilty, being the cause of his current condition, but staying at his side all this while, Peroth began to feel something else. She had wanted so badly for him to open his eyes, to respond to her, and when he did, she felt happy. Could it be? Was this¡? Peroth shook her head to clear her mind. Taking a deep breath, she looked up and smiled at Sora, before nodding. She entered the room yet again, finding everyone still chatting away.
¡°Where have you been?¡± Maya asked Peroth.
¡°I was having a chat with Sora outside.¡±
¡°EH?¡± Eliza and Maya exclaimed. Peroth smiled impishly.
¡°It¡¯s nothing really.¡±
¡°Neh? What were the two of you talking about alone?¡± Maya asked.
¡°Really, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Peroth repeated.
¡°Don¡¯t you do anything to big brother!¡± Eliza warned, taking this chance to glomp Sora ¡®protectively¡¯. Peroth giggled.
¡°Alright Eliza, just so Sora won¡¯t choke to death,¡± the others also began to laugh.
¡°Eliza!¡± Maya didn¡¯t seem very happy about what her sister did. Eliza did let go of Sora after a while though, and everyone settled down after that.
¡°Well, if it¡¯s of no real significance,¡± Herald said, ¡°I presume that there are other matters and questions which you want answers to.¡±
The room was dead silent for a moment. The first one to speak was Chikage.
¡°General, who are we really up against?¡±
¡°Not much is known about the organization we are dealing with, but we do know their name: Armageddon.¡±
¡°Armageddon?¡± Duo snorted, ¡°What? So they¡¯re a bunch of Christian fanatics?¡±
¡°Perhaps, Duo. Till now we have yet to discover their true intentions and why they had infected the oracles with such a virus. Every possibility is still feasible.¡±
¡°Have they made any demands? Money? Comrades in prison?¡± Jen asked, receiving a shake from Herald¡¯s head as the answer.
¡°We¡¯ve also identified the zombie creatures you encountered. They¡¯re organic.¡± Chikage explained.
¡°Organic? How?¡± Rio asked, shocked, like the rest.
¡°When someone dies in the matrix, a part of their soul is turned into data which normally floats about in cyberspace as unusable clusters called ¡®soul cells¡®, but when altered correctly, an effect similar to ¡®raising the dead¡¯ occurs, allowing souls to be reanimated into undead.¡±
¡°Then that means¡¡± Banks began, ¡°¡those things were once real humans.¡±
¡°How could they do such a thing?¡± Rika said, disgusted.
¡°Few people actually know of these data clusters, and even fewer know how to use them.¡±
¡°So we just find those who can and force some answers out of them,¡± Duo stated, stretching, ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem that hard.¡±
¡°Um¡¡± everyone turned towards Fio who had spoken. She continued after a brief pause, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what¡ happened to Sora?¡±
Silence fell. Slowly, everyone turned to look at the said boy who had remained quite still during the entire conversation, looking out of the window at a singing mockingbird.
¡°Come to think of it, he does look different.¡± Duo said. Even Chikage didn¡¯t seem to know why Sora¡¯s appearance had been altered, turning to Herald for an answer.
¡°I guess it can¡¯t be kept under wraps any longer,¡± Herald muttered, smiling. Walking forward, he stood at attention and saluted briefly towards Sora.
¡°Sora Truehearted, Project Oracle, designated first guardian of the matrix. Welcome back.¡± everyone gasped at Herald¡¯s words.
¡°What?¡± Duo sputtered, ¡°It¡¯s been over a century since the first oracle was created!¡± The others were equally stunned.
¡°Genetic engineering back then wasn¡¯t as controlled as it is today,¡± herald went on to explain, ¡°while genetically boosting Sora, the first oracle, to accommodate the large amounts of data that was to be stored in him, we somehow also gave him immortality.¡±
¡°I just don¡¯t die that easily Herald,¡± Sora corrected, turning round to face everyone, black coat sweeping round him.
Herald chuckled, ¡°Yes. It seems that way.¡±
¡°What about the story of the first oracle going berserk then?¡± Rika asked, now slightly confused, ¡°Is it true?¡±
¡°Yes, it is true, and we managed to eliminate the problem by splitting the data the first oracle had held. That was how Sora could regain his mentality.¡±
¡°Split the data? Into what?¡± Jen asked.
¡°We used several mediums to store and safeguard the latent data.¡±
¡°Our bangles.¡± Peroth answered, piecing the things together. She received a nod from Herald.
¡°True. Part of the data was encrypted onto each of the bangles the future generation oracles received. This is the most probable reason why all of you could merge with Sora, since each of you hold a component of his powers.¡±
¡°Component?¡± Fio asked.
¡°There are ten components of my powers,¡± Sora explained, ¡°The seven of you hold the components wind, earth, fire, water, metal, prismatic and darkness. The other three are foresight, eternity, and abyss.¡±
¡°Neh, what component do I hold?¡± Maya queried, pointing at herself.
¡°From what I know, Maya holds wind, Eliza holds fire, Peroth holds earth, and Fio holds prismatic.¡±
¡°Part of this data also existed in the sixth sense program GISB was developing,¡± Herald put in, ¡°That was foresight.¡±
¡°So now that program-err-component, has been absorbed by Sora?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Sora replied.
¡°What about the oracles then? Why didn¡¯t they assimilate as a part of you?¡±
Silence. Sora bowed his head.
¡°Sora?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t want to,¡± Sora muttered, ¡°because I would be taking lives again.¡±
An uneasy silence fell.
¡°Those people we¡¯ve fought, do they follow some sort of pattern?¡± Jen queried, changing the subject. Herald nodded in affirmation.
¡°The matrix¡¯s existence relies on a series of major data streams connected to nine collection areas called data pools. This system, coupled with the matrix mainframe, is called the tree of life, making up the basic foundation of the matrix for us to build up on with points and sectors. If this system is to be harmed,¡± Herald paused to let the information sink in, ¡°the matrix, together with everyone within it, will be erased from existence.¡±
¡°We could possibly interrogate some answers out of the two terrorist leaders we caught,¡± Chikage said, ¡°I will be heading there myself tomorrow. Jen, since you need time to recuperate, Rio will take over your captain duties for now. Get a list of all those who know how to alter soul cells and track the people down.¡±
¡°Understood, ma¡¯am.¡± The two siblings answered.
¡°Keep in mind. Do not take the targets by force. Be as discreet as possible.¡±
¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± The cyber angels answered, saluting briefly. Visiting hours were almost over, so the group began filtering out of the room. Soon, the only two persons left in the room were Jen and Sora. Jen was slightly disappointed that Peroth had not stayed a while longer. Soft footsteps broke Jen¡¯s line of thought as he turned to see Sora heading towards the door. Sora stopped when Jen called him.
¡°Sora,¡± Jen just needed to ask, ¡°What were you and Peroth doing outside, really?¡±
¡°I only asked her a question,¡± Sora replied.
¡°What question?¡±
¡°Maybe you should ask her yourself. She still hasn¡¯t given me an answer after all. Get some rest Jen. You need it. She won¡¯t be back until this afternoon though.¡±
¡°Huh? Where is she going?¡±
¡°School.¡±
¡°School?¡±
With that Sora left, letting the door click shut behind him. Jen sat there silently for a moment, before turning to the window. Sighing, he laid back down on the bed and closed his eyes, sleep taking him quickly.
Somewhere else, Valdez was sitting on what seemed like a throne, his chin propped against his left hand. Kaiser appeared from the floor.
¡°Master, I am sorry to disturb you, but¡¡±
¡°Those two have been captured, haven¡¯t they?¡± Valdez muttered, smiling. Kaiser bowed his head.
¡°Yes, master.¡±
¡°At times like this is why I need someone like you, Kaiser,¡± Valdez said, ¡°Do what you must to silence them.¡±
Kaiser put his hand over his abdomen and bowed, ¡°As you command, master.¡±
As he disappeared through the floor yet again, Valdez raised his right hand and a black orb of energy formed in his palm, expanding into a large crystal orb as it hovered upwards. It solidified, now a translucent jet black. Valdez peered lazily into the orb, seeing three different coloured entities floating within it.
¡°So beautiful,¡± Valdez muttered, smiling lightly, ¡°but so disillusioned¡¡±
Meanwhile, the school bell just rang and everyone took their respective seats.
¡°Neh, who¡¯ll be our new mathematics teacher?¡± Maya whispered, ¡°Didn¡¯t Mr. Lim say that he was retiring?¡±
Fio shook her head, indicating that she didn¡¯t know. Sora remained silent as usual. Mr. Lim was one of the oldest teachers in the school, having worked for nearly fifty year here already. The door slid open and Chikage walked in. The class fell dead silent as the headmistress stood at the desk. One student gave the command and everyone stood to greet her.
¡°Good morning class. Take your seats.¡± Seeing that everyone had seated themselves Chikage continued, ¡°As you all know, your mathematics teacher, Mr. Lim, has retired after 49 years of serving this school.¡±
There was polite clapping from everyone. The noise died down after a moment for Chikage to continue.
¡°As such, we will be having a new teacher.¡±
The door slid open yet again, and a brunette stepped in, a few books clasped to her chest. Most of the boys¡¯ jaws dropped as they saw the reincarnate of a goddess move gracefully towards Chikage. As for Fio and Maya though, their jaws dropped for another reason.
¡°Sis?¡±
¡°Good morning everyone. It¡¯s nice to meet all of you,¡± Peroth said, smiling. The boys instantly melted, and the girls, well, also couldn¡¯t help feeling envious.
¡°This is Peroth Oracle. She will be joining us from today onwards,¡± Chikage continued.
Upon hearing the surname, all eyes turned to the back of the class where Fio, Maya and Sora sat.
¡°Oh. I didn¡¯t know you were in this class,¡± Peroth said, surprised.
¡°Demo, sis¡ you¡¯re our new teacher?¡±
¡°Yes. I just graduated from Harvard, remember?¡±
¡°Oh¡¡± Maya mumbled, ¡°I guess¡¡±
¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll leave you to carry on with lessons then,¡± Chikage said, nodding towards Peroth before she left.
¡°Well then,¡± Peroth turned towards the class and smiled, ¡°Let¡¯s start!¡±
In a jail cell somewhere, Reap and Ellison were held in tight security.
¡°Hey bro?¡± Ellison called across the small room, ¡°How long till we¡¯re busted out.¡±
¡°Just wait Ellison. He¡¯ll come,¡± Reap replied. He still had his lighter, and he was flicking it open and shut.
Ellison laughed, ¡°They¡¯ll never know what hit them.¡±
¡°Hey you,¡± the guard outside shouted, ¡°Keep quiet!¡±
Reap smirked, snapping his lighter shut.
Back at the university, the bell just rang. As soon as Fio, Maya and Peroth were gone, all the boys instantly swarmed round Sora.
¡°What?¡± Sora asked, slightly freaked at the sudden attention he was getting.
¡°Spill it,¡± Ronald said.
¡°Spill what?¡±
¡°What¡¯s up with the appearance of so many sisters? And more importantly, how many are infatuated with you?¡±
Sora sweatdropped, ¡°They just came. It has nothing to do with me.¡±
¡°Right¡ you become a cyber angel, then all these hot chicks start appearing. We believe you¡¡± Ronald commented, snorting.
¡°You can ask them yourselves if you want.¡±
¡°Ask what?¡± All the boys turned round to find Maya and Fio standing there.
¡°Umm¡ nothing!¡± All the boys dispersed immediately.
¡°Neh, what were they asking Sora?¡± Maya queried as they walked over.
¡°Nothing. Where did the two of you go?¡±
¡°We went to talk to Peroth.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°What were they asking Sora?¡± Maya repeated the question. Not wanting to be pestered by the girl, Sora had to give and answer.
¡°They wanted to know how many sisters you have.¡±
Fio seem to mistake the true meaning of that question, so replied in the most direct way, ¡°Seven. Why?¡±
¡°WHAT?¡±
The effect was instantaneous. The boys had been listening in on the conversation, and hearing that there were seven of these beautiful angels, they reacted. Sora sighed. Life just got a little more troublesome. As the day progressed, a lot of boys in the school began pestering him for details on the girls, something which grew mundane and almost ritual. ¡°What three sizes are they?¡±, ¡°What do they like?¡±. ¡°What personalities do they have?¡±¡ the questions just kept coming.
The day finally ended, and Sunday came, that finding Chikage and Sora in the limo as it cruised smoothly through the matrix towards its destination. Sora was silently watching as view outside, knowing that Chikage¡¯s eyes were set on him.
¡°Is something on your mind, Chikage?¡±
¡°I still can¡¯t believe something.¡±
¡°That I¡¯m the first oracle?¡±
¡°No.¡±
Sora turned to face Chikage, who smiled.
¡°That you still have your innocence.¡±
Sora bowed his head as he heard this words. He smiled bitterly.
¡°Innocence? I never had that to begin with.¡±
¡°We¡¯re here, Miss. Coronation.¡±
As they were speaking, the cityscape gave way to barren land. A shadow loomed in the distance, and in a few moments a large stone fortress came into view. That, was the prison known to most as ¡¯unbreakable¡¯. Sentries were posted on strategic locations, sniper scopes trained on the limo as it stopped briefly at the exterior gate. After a identity check with a guard, the heavy stone slabs grinded apart, allowing the limo passage to the interior gate. Though not as formidable by appearance, the metal gate was actually charged with a million volts of electricity 24-hours a day, the guards posted there were all required to wear isolative suits so as to protect them as they manually opened the gates. After a few more gates, the limo finally arrived at a dirt clearing, about the size of several football fields. Prisoners were lounging round a fenced in space guarded by various armed guards and exo-shells. The limo pulled up at what seemed to be the main entrance into the prison. A man was waiting outside as Chikage stepped out together with Sora and several bodyguards. The man, dressed in a warden¡¯s fashion, saluted.
¡°Good afternoon, commander.¡±
Chikage saluted briefly, before turning towards the fenced in area where the male prisoners were catcalling from.
¡°I¡¯m sorry for their¡ behavior.¡± The warden said, bowing slightly.
¡°It¡¯s alright. Please, lead us to them.¡±
¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±
The group entered the prison, light having been cut off abruptly just two steps into the corridor. Even the lamps that dotted the ceiling were insufficient to provide much luminance. More guards joined the group as they passed through the first gate in, forming a protective circle round the warden, Chikage, and Sora with the bodyguards. After several more security checks, they reached the first block of prison cells. It was unnaturally quiet, the feeling that numerous pairs of eyes on them dominant and unnerving for those not experienced with such things. Guards were everywhere, keeping an eye on the prisoners in the multi-storied facility.
¡°How many prisoners do you have in here?¡± Chikage asked.
¡°In the four main blocks and thirty special blocks, we have a total of 510236 detainees, of which 302405 are offenders of major crimes such as armed robbery, kidnapping, and of course terrorist activities,¡± The warden replied.
¡°What about the rest?¡± Sora asked.
¡°They¡¯re small time criminals. There aren¡¯t many prisons left in the world, this being one of the largest currently. Most law breakers are sent here no matter what crimes they commit.¡±
The group passed through the first block of cells, arriving at yet another corridor. Doors lined one side, each labeled clearly with plastic tags. The warden stopped at one with the word ¡®interrogation room 1¡¯ and opened the door.
¡°If you would, commander.¡±
Nodding, Chikage stepped into the room. It was mostly empty, save a panel of security camera screens and controls. Next to the panel was another door, and above the panel was a window which faced another room, one with a table and several chairs. Another door could be seen on the wall on the other side.
¡°One of my subordinates will be monitoring the interrogation room while you speak with the prisoners, commander. There will of course be guards accompanying you in, together with your own bodyguards.¡±
¡°I understand. It¡¯s been hard on you, warden.¡±
¡°Ma¡¯am.¡± The warden saluted and left, accompanied by two guards, to fetch the prisoners. Quietly Chikage motioned Sora to follow her into the other room. The prison guards and body guards followed suit, standing warily against the walls. Chikage took a deep breath and closed her eyes to relax. Sora chose to remain standing beside her.
¡°Hopefully we¡¯ll be able to find some things out.¡±
¡°Hopefully¡¡±
Meanwhile, the other cyber angels had split up into pairs to make tracking down the people who knew how to modify soul cells easier. Rio was with Banks, Fio went with Mei, Peroth with Chi, Maya with Eliza, and for some ungodly reason, Rio made Duo go with Rika.
¡°What the¡ can¡¯t I go with Mei?¡± Duo protested.
¡°Now where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± Rio replied sheepishly. Duo face-faulted. He couldn¡¯t make a comeback since Rio was their current captain, and she was a persistent girl. Even Rika didn¡¯t bother arguing with her, only fuming in silence as Duo got Éclair up and running. To add to the frustration, Rio had gave them the list of people who lived in the most remote of areas inside and outside the matrix. The only option was to take the airship, and if they completed their job, Duo and Rika would have gone round the globe once already. Currently the two were onto their fifth name on the list in six hours. Even with an agile ship like Éclair, you could only cut travel time by that much. Coupled with the fact that the people the two have tracked down so far were either eccentric or just plain reclusive, meaning that conversing methods rarely got through, the tolerance between the two was starting to thin greatly.
¡°This time let me do the talking,¡± Duo said.
¡°Why?¡± Rika snapped, ¡°you¡¯d just mess everything up like with the first guy we tracked down.¡±
¡°That was an accident. How was I suppose to know he hated Queen that much?¡± anger got the better of Duo now, ¡°Besides, you were standing at one side doing practically nothing.¡±
¡°Oh, so it¡¯s my fault now?¡±
¡°Maybe. What is it to you anyway?¡±
¡°God, I hate you.¡± Rika stood and went down to the lounge without another word, leaving Duo alone on the bridge.
¡°As if I don¡¯t too,¡± Duo looked at the data on the next person they were suppose to track down. Apparently he lived in heart of Antarctica. With the constant blizzard and coldness there, Éclair wouldn¡¯t be able to cloak properly, so Duo would have to find a secluded area to land the airship.
¡°A.I., set a course for the nearest deserted ice cap to where target supposedly lives.¡±
The sphere blinked a few times, and Duo cursed as he realised it was going to take a while to reach their destination.
¡°Damn it,¡± Duo stretched and leaned back on his seat. He badly wanted to grab a bite, but Rika was at the lounge, so it would probably spoil his appetite. With practically nothing to do, Duo¡¯s mind began to wander to his past.
How long has it been?
Three, four, five? That¡¯s right. Five years.
Five years ago I was a freshman from the academy. I had taken engineering as my major, so naturally I was assigned as a mechanic onboard the battleship Repulse. The ship orbited Earth around the clock, together with its sister ships the Reconciliation, the Rebuke, the Renaissance, and the flagship Resurrection. These five atlas-class battleships act as the launching points for the global army, the Legion of Iron, in their training missions and skirmishes against terrorist activities. Since it was a demanding job, everyone rarely went back down to earth to visit relatives, not that I had many anyway.
So, for a year I worked onboard the Repulse. Quick with my hands and wits, my superiors always said I was gifted with machines. Much of my time was spent in the hanger maintaining the ship¡¯s mechanical units or in the engine room monitoring the reflex drive and installing modifications. I formed a tight-knit group with the other mechanics. Rank didn¡¯t mean much to us, and we treated each other as equals, laughing at jokes, playing pranks. Life was great, in my eyes.
That was, until she came.
Word got round that there was a new nurse on board the Repulse. From those who had caught glimpses of her, apparently she was one cute gal, with medium length chocolate brown hair and yellow orange eyes.
¡°So what¡¯d you think?¡±
The other mechanics and I were sitting at the makeshift table in the hanger, having a quick lunch break. The one who had spoken was a good friend of mine, Joseph. Like everyone else he wore the standard grey jumper and a pair of dirtied white gloves. He also had on a yellow bandana. Apparently he was addressing me.
¡°Of?¡±
¡°That new chick in white.¡±
¡°Who? The nurse? What of her?¡±
If there was something I knew best, it would be Joseph¡¯s playboy nature. With baby blue eyes and light yellow hair, most of the girls on the ship found it hard to ignore him, even when they knew of his ways. Joseph smiled mischievously.
¡°You haven¡¯t seen her yet right?¡±
¡°Nope, and I don¡¯t intend to until I¡¯m really messed up.¡±
¡°Aw, come on Duo. I know you¡¯re curious.¡±
¡°Right¡ curious in what sense?¡±
Everyone else laughed as they got the hidden message. Joseph merely shrugged it off.
¡°Fine then.¡±
¡°Guys.¡±
Everyone looked up to find a middle-aged man standing there, arms crossed. His hair was black, with traces of white strands. His dress code was like theirs, only that the top part of his jumper had been pulled down and tied round his waist, a deep blue shirt in its place. His eyes were also around the same colour.
¡°Cap¡¯n¡± everyone said instantly. That was Raven, the head of the mechanics and engineers on board the Repulse. He was a good man, though a bit bossy at times, and a very dedicated mechanic.
¡°The commander is impressed with the new drive system you¡¯ve built for the ship, but there¡®s one major problem,¡± everyone was dead silent. The group had spent months designing and building the new propulsion drive for Repulse to make it faster and more maneuverable. In was in every aspect perfect for the colossal ship. What could be wrong?
Raven broke into a grin just then.
¡°He¡¯s having trouble finding a way to use all the excess energy we have now.¡±
Everyone burst out laughing, giving each other hearty slaps on the back and handshakes. It turned out that the drive system was too effective in recycling energy, it¡¯s main power source actually stemming from a machine called the energy converter, which, as the name suggests, converts energy from practically anything.
As everyone continued with their cheers, I found myself face to face with Raven. Joseph noticed this and signaled everyone to quite down.
¡°Duo Maxwell,¡± he said as he extended a hand, ¡°Good job, newbie.¡±
I grinned as I took his hand and firmly shook it, ¡°Thanks, Rex.¡±
Raven flinched at that name, ¡°I specifically told you not to call me that.¡±
¡°An eye for an eye, Rex,¡± I repeated, grinning as Raven winched yet again.
¡°That¡¯s it, two rounds of the ship. Get your ass out of here now!¡± Raven shouted, extremely pissed. The others were practically rolling in laughter as I went off, grinning. Even if I had to pay dearly for my fun, it was worth it. The others were cheering for me from behind as I disappeared round the corner out of the hanger.
A soft beep brought Duo out of his reminiscence. A.I. was hovering in front of him. It was red in colour, different from its usual bluish hue. It blinked several more times, and Duo smiled.
¡°It¡¯s alright, A.I., I¡¯m fine.¡± he said softly, gently touching the orb which rippled.
Unknown to Duo however, was a pair of eyes watching him closely. The ice in the glass tinkled slightly as Rika turned round to look out of the window. Snow was falling outside, flakes drawing intricate paths in the sky. Sighing, Rika sipped her drink. The last time she had saw snow, was the day when she left for the battleship, Repulse¡
¡°Master¡¯s degree in biology, medicine, and chemistry. Graduated as the top student of Labyrinth University. Served in the army for two years as a medic, but also as a sniper¡¡± The man cocked an eyebrow as he read the report and looked up me questioningly. He had brown hair, with emerald green eyes. He wore a white coat, dark pants, and a navy blue shirt, indicating that he was a doctor. His name was Hara, the head medical officer of the battleship Repulse.
¡°I was in the air rifle club in school,¡± I explained. Hara replied with a simple ¡®ah¡¯ before returning to the report, muttering to himself as he scanned the sheet of paper. He chuckled, before putting the clipboard away and stood.
¡°Well then, I hope you enjoy your stay here on the Repulse.¡±
¡°Thank you, doctor.¡±
¡°Please, just call me Hara. Everyone does. Don¡¯t hesitate to ask any of the other nurses for help. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be happy to oblige.¡±
I bowed slightly, ¡°I understand.¡±
¡°Well then,¡± Hara looked past me and called, ¡°Renee! Come over for a while.¡±
A girl appeared. She was about the same age as I was, dressed in a short white one-piece dress. A tag was pinned neatly on the left side of her chest. Her hair was pink in colour, tied back in two braids. Her eyes were a light red.
¡°Yes, Hara?¡± the girl, presumably Renee, asked.
¡°Show Rika around would you? I¡¯ve got to run, the commander wants to hold a meeting with all the section leaders.¡±
¡°Okay.¡±
Nodding, Hara left the medical wing. Renee turned to me and smiled cheerfully, ¡°Hi, my name¡¯s Renee Easting.¡±
¡°Mine¡¯s Rika Jun,¡± I replied automatically.
¡°I guess we¡¯ll be working together from now on?¡± I nodded to Renee¡¯s question. First off, she took me round the medical wing, introducing me to all the rest of the nurses and staff there. She also showed me to my room, which apparently I shared with her. Already the two of us were becoming close friends.
After changing into more comfortable clothes (walking around in a nurse¡¯s uniform on a ship wasn¡¯t that hard, but walking around in that in a ship full of males was asking for trouble), Renee and I toured the rest of the ship.
It was then that I met him.
Due to the long periods of time spent in space, recreational activities became important for the crew, hence the presence of recreational areas on board the battleship, including an arcade, sports facilities, a gym, and several parks. Renee and I were at one of the parks having our lunch break of packed sandwiches. Most guys had been checking us out ever since we left the medical wing.
¡°It¡¯s normal,¡± Renee explained as she waved at several boys nearby, smiling cheerfully, ¡°We¡¯re nurses. To them, we¡¯re their lifeline.¡±
I could understand that, but that didn¡¯t mean I allowed staring at some places. We finished off our lunches and cleaned up, heading towards the door. The flora always ended abruptly with metallic walls, serving as a reminder that all of this wasn¡¯t natural.
As the door slid open, someone crashed straight into me. Tumbling backwards, a pair of firm hands caught me in mid-fall. Gazing up at a pair of crystal blue eyes, I came face to face with a boy only slightly older than I was.
¡°You alright?¡± something told me that I should be blushing, stuttering as I replied to his question with feminine shyness. However, I was more concentrated on other thing, such as where he was touching me.
My fist cracked across his face sending him reeling and crashing into the wall. Renee, together with anyone else around, were all staring at me, stunned.
¡°PERVERT!¡± I screamed, before storming out of the park with Renee at my heels.
Footsteps caught Rika¡¯s attention as Duo appeared, his growling stomach having finally forced him down.
¡°Hey,¡± Duo said less than amiably. His appetite really did diminished a bit, but nonetheless he grabbed a chocolate bar from the fridge in the open kitchen.
¡°Hi,¡± Rika replied, yawning and stretching. Duo plopped down on a sofa within reach of the fridge.
¡°Throw me one,¡± Rika found herself saying. Duo cocked an eyebrow, and she rolled her eyes, ¡°A chocolate bar, you idiot.¡±
¡°Right¡ and I thought you were on a diet?¡± Duo snorted as he took another bar from the fridge and threw it at Rika, who caught it with both hands.
¡°Can it,¡± Rika replied, ripping the wrapper open. Somehow, she just developed munchies all of a sudden. Neither of them really felt like fighting now, and silence settled for a moment or two.
¡°Say,¡± Duo began after a while, ¡°you still remember the times spent on board the Repulse?¡±
¡°Of course, who could forget?¡± Rika answered dryly.
Since their first encounter with each other, all hell broke loose on board the battleship. No matter how hard they tried, the two just seemed to meet each other wherever they went. The two became quite well-known for their frequent quarrels. Even the commander had trouble controlling the two, and would often sigh in resignation when this topic was brought up. The commander could simply get rid of them, but they were the best in their trades, Rika being an efficient nurse and medical officer while Duo the whiz with machines and a skilled programmer.
¡°YOU IDIOT!¡±
¡°WHAT¡¯RE YOU SCREAMING FOR? IT WAS AN ACCIDENT FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!¡±
¡°NO IT WASN¡¯T!¡±
Again, the two were at it on one particular day. Raven rolled his eyes, regretting that he had asked Duo to go get some coffee for everyone.
¡°This is getting old¡¡± one mechanic muttered nearby.
¡°Just get to work,¡± Raven replied, rubbing his temples as more shouts were heard from outside. Sighing, he was about to pick up a wrench when the ship shook slightly.
¡°What in the world was that?¡± Joseph asked, sitting up warily. Everything was still for a moment before another rumble came.
¡°Shit,¡± Raven muttered, just as red lights flashed throughout the entire ship.
¡°CODE RED! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK FROM AN UNIDENTIFIED GROUP! ALL PERSONNEL REPORT TO YOUR BATTLE STATIONS NOW! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!¡±
Outside, hundreds of flyers were attacking the battleship Repulse in bombing runs, bombarding the ship¡¯s hull with beam fire. The flyers were arrow shaped, bodies jet black with red trimmings. Repulse retaliated with its own turrets and defense systems, but nailed few of the enemy as the flyers nimbly dodged the gunfire. LOI troops poured out of the ship, either in fighters or mechs. Both sides crashed headlong into an all out dogfight, but the enemy proved far superior over the LOI troops, slowly pushing them back.
A launch ship flew towards the raging people, it manned by Joseph as everyone else readied to enter the fray. The mechanics¡¯ mechs were modified to carry basic repair equipment. Though lacking in firepower, these mechs were covered with considerable amounts of armour and were very nimble.
¡°Suit up people! There¡¯re scrap piles that need fixing out there!¡± Raven hollered through the intercom, slipping into his mech.
¡°Sir!¡± Everyone replied.
Joseph had literally ploughed through into the heart of the battle. A bright blue shield expanded from the ship, covering a large area and shielding troops from harm.
¡°Ship outpost deployed,¡± Joseph said through the intercom, ¡°Let¡¯em roll guys.¡±
The ship¡¯s hanger bay doors opened, and the mechanics flew out in their mechs, latching onto any nearby friendly units, repairing anything damaged on them and refueling them. Just recently had the energy converters been installed onto the mechanic¡¯s mechs, and that significantly increased their performance on the field.
¡°It¡¯s damn good to see you guys finally hauled yourselves off your asses,¡± one of the field captains said through the intercom. Raven grinned.
¡°You know us, we love to arrive fashionably late for wild parties like this.¡±
Raven suddenly found himself under fire from one of the enemy flyers, taking a damaging hit on the mech¡¯s much weaker back armour.
¡°Shit,¡± Raven spun round, whipping out his mech¡¯s only weapon, a handgun. The flyer however had long since been hit by a missile and exploded. Something collided with Raven then.
¡°Watch your back. I can¡¯t always do it for you,¡± Duo¡¯s voice came through the intercom. Several metallic arms surrounded Raven¡¯s mech and began repairing it.
¡°How degrading, saved by an amateur!¡± Raven said in mock horror, before grinning.
¡°Got a problem with that Rex?¡± Duo¡¯s mech disengaged from Raven¡¯s who turned round, weapon raised. A flyer behind Duo exploded into a ball of fire.
¡°Nope.¡±
Duo grinned, and the two went off in their separate ways. The battle raged on, and slowly it turned into LOI¡¯s favour.
¡°They¡¯re retreating!¡± one soldier shouted. The enemy were seemingly pulling back, but something didn¡¯t feel right to Duo.
¡°I don¡¯t like the looks of this,¡± he muttered as those around him cheered. Unfortunately, his premonition came true.
Back on board the Repulse, on the bridge, the sensors detected something big. Very big.
Everything happened in a blur then A blinding column of light shot forth, decimating half of the remaining LOI troops instantly. Caught off guard, the remaining forces were furiously assaulted by the enemy flyers. This time though, some of the flyers had morphed, their arrow shaped heads splitting into four sections, forming the arms and legs of what looked like a mech. While it¡¯s aviation companion had beam lasers, these had a pair of plasma claws, obviously well meant for melee combat. They moved with insanely speed, swiping LOI troops as they zipped past.
¡°All units! Regroup! I repeat! All unit-¡± A scream of pure agony abruptly cut off the transmission. Presumably one of the enemy mechs had destroyed the squadron leader¡¯s mech, killing the pilot as it did so.
¡°To all repair units, return to the turtle immediately,¡± Raven¡¯s voice crackled through the intercom.
¡°Raven!¡± Duo shouted, ¡°We can¡¯t just leave!¡±
¡°We¡¯ll head back to ship and do what we can with repairs. The Repulse is our main concern.¡±
¡°Look around you for crying out loud! People are dying!¡± Duo had just said those words, when just then, another ship loomed into view. It was entirely black, slightly smaller than the Repulse, rippling with red energy, pulsating, almost¡ alive.
¡°Dear god¡¡± Duo heard Raven mutter as the ship¡¯s front opened, emitting a loud rumble, much like a yawn. White energy began to gather quickly.
¡°EVERYONE OUT OF THE WAY NOW!¡± Raven shouted, seconds before another column of light burst forward. It seemed like the end for the troops, but fate had other plans in store.
Another beam shot forth from behind, this time a blue one. It clashed with the yellow column and both exploded, right in the heart of the enemy forces. Flyers and mechs were sent reeling as a hail of burning energy blanketed them, destroying a considerable amount of the enemy. Repulse flew into view, its name gleaming red on its silver hull.
¡°Duo,¡± a voice came through the intercom, ¡°the commander would like to thank you for designing the new drive system.¡±
Duo grinned, ¡°Sure thing Chris.¡±
Duo¡¯s sensors beeped just then, and turning in the direction from where the signal came from, Duo¡¯s jaw dropped in horror. The seemingly docile pieces of the destroyed flyers and mechs began to bubble and expand, forming numerous more copies of themselves.
¡°What the hell?¡±
Now, all the enemies began concentrating their attacks on Repulse, explosions engulfing the ship. The enemy¡¯s ship began to gather energy yet again, intent on destroying the opposing atlas-classed battleship.
¡°At this rate Repulse won¡¯t be able to get her main cannons recharged in time!¡± Duo said through gritted teeth. Without a second thought Duo directed his mech forward, it shooting forward at maximum speed.
¡°Why do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Raven shouted through the intercom.
¡°Just what I can.¡±
¡°Are you insane?¡±
¡°A bit.¡±
Raven cursed slightly in his mech. Joseph¡¯s voice came through the intercom.
¡°What¡¯re your orders cap¡¯n?¡±
¡°Give that idiotic newbie some support. I don¡¯t want to clean up the mess of him afterwards.¡±
¡°Sir!¡±
¡°I hope you know what you¡¯re doing Duo,¡± Raven muttered, chasing after the said person with the rest of the repair squad and several LOI troops.
Duo was weaving through enemy flyers and mechs nimbly, trying to close the gap between the enemy¡¯s ship and his mech. A hail of bullets pierced a nearby enemy mech which had tried to backstab Duo¡®s mech.
¡°Finally decided to tag along?¡± Duo asked, grinning.
¡°Just shut up and do what you had planned to do you nutcase.¡±
¡°Alright cap¡¯n¡±
Duo¡¯s mech let loose all its missiles. They hurtled forward, crashing onto the sides of the enemy ship¡¯s mouth like front. The monstrous entity flinched, snapping its opened shut. Instantaneously, the energy it had gathers exploded within the ship, which bloated for a second or two, before erupting into a gruesome explosion, what seemed like blood and innards flying everywhere.
¡°Gross!¡± Duo said as his mech was covered by the remains. Even from inside, the stench was horrible. However, that became the least of his worried just seconds later. A blur zipped past, and the mech¡¯s back was carved with three streaks. Duo spun round, but it was too late. Three enemy mechs had descended upon his mech, claws vengeful for what he had done.
¡°Maxwell!¡± a female voice screamed, and that was the last thing Duo heard before everything went dark.
Some time later, Rika was seated in a room in the medical wing. Watching as the trees and flowers wavered outside the window in an artificial breeze, she sighed. She had on glasses, her hair tied up behind her with a band. A book was on the table beside her.
¡°Why me?¡± she muttered.
Just as Rika felt like dozing off, there was a soft groan from the bed nearby, as someone stirred. Pulling off the oxygen mask, Duo cracked his eyes open and placed his arm on his forehead. Both his arms, chest, and head were bandaged.
¡°I think I¡¯m going to puke¡¡±
¡°There¡¯s a basin right next to you, so don¡¯t go messing up the entire place.¡±
Duo turned to look at Rika, who in turn looked back at him expectantly. After a moment of silence he rolled his eyes and turned to the other side, his back now facing Rika.
¡°So?¡± Rika questioned. To tell the truth, she found Duo¡¯s silence unnatural, almost¡ unnerving, ¡°I got charged with looking after you by Hara, despite the fact that he has seen us argue about anything and everything.¡±
Silence. Then, Duo replied, ¡°Thanks then.¡±
¡°Thanks?¡± Rika cocked an eyebrow, ¡°For what?¡±
¡°For tending to my wounds. And besides,¡± he added, ¡°you look too cute like that to argue with.¡±
Against her own will, Rika found herself blushing at Duo¡¯s¡ compliment.
¡°C-cute?¡± Rika stuttered, face a soft pink.
¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong,¡± Duo said as he waved his hand, ¡°you really look too adorable for me to argue with you. Much.¡±
Rika opened her mouth, found nothing to say, and closed it. After a moment¡¯s contemplation, she looked out of the window and sighed yet again.
¡°Why am I stuck with this dork?¡±
¡°I heard that Rika.¡±
Before the quarrel could spark off, the door clicked open. Looking, Rika immediately stood.
¡°Vice-commander Keating.¡±
¡°At ease, lieutenant.¡±
Duo grinned, ¡°Hey Chris, what¡¯s up?¡±
¡°Obviously not you,¡± Christopher Keating, or Chris for short, checked his watch, ¡°It¡¯s been four days, two hours, and forty six minutes since you blacked out.¡±
¡°That long huh?¡± Duo remarked, ¡°and why would you, of all people, come down and see me?¡±
¡°I¡¯m merely an escort,¡± Chris stepped aside, revealing a girl a little younger than Duo¡¯s and Rika¡¯s ages. Her light blue hair was tied at the side of her face in a short braid, its end like a brush. Her eyes were yellow in colour, and she wore a military uniform consisting of an orange long-sleeved top, short black skirt, and a pair of brown laced boots.
Silence settled, but moments later, Duo flinched as he found something landing against his chest and embrace him.
¡°Ack¡ Tessa¡¡±
¡°I was so worried!¡± the girl named Tessa looked up, tears brimming in her innocent eyes. Duo could not help but sigh and hug her back. Rika¡¯s face was beet red.
¡°Commander Loppacafoi?¡± Rika couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. Chris coughed lightly.
¡°Commander, mechanic Duo hasn¡¯t recovered from all of his wounds yet.¡±
¡°Ah,¡± Tessa let go of Duo, blushing slightly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±
¡°Nah, it¡¯s alright.¡±
Tessa Loppacafoi, overall head of the battleship Repulse. She has an IQ of over 400, and graduated at the age of 12. She joined the LOI at the age of 13 as Repulse¡¯s navigator, and her rank rose quickly to commander of the atlas-class ship. Now the age of 18, she¡¯s become a veteran when it comes to handling terrorists threats. On a side note, she knew Duo since their childhood days. Her vice-commander, Christopher Keating, a well-seasoned man of battle tactics, was and still is her guardian.
¡°Thank you for taking care of Duo, Miss. Jun.¡±
¡°M-ma¡¯am!¡± Rika realised she was being spoken to and began to stutter, ¡°I-it was n-nothing¡¡±
Tessa smiled, ¡°It¡¯s alright, Miss. Jun. You don¡¯t have to be so formal.¡±
¡°Rika will be fine then, if you don¡¯t mind?¡± Rika replied, finally feeling at ease. Tessa nodded.
¡°How are you feeling Duo?¡± Tessa asked.
¡°Fine, I guess. And the ship?¡±
¡°The ship suffered minimal damages, but 80% of the mechanical units were damaged or destroyed, and 75% of the pilots and personnel were injured in the course of the battle.¡± Chris reported.
¡°It was lucky that Hara let his best nurse look after you around the clock with so many other patients around,¡± Tessa said pointedly.
¡°Yes, yes¡ thanks Rika.¡± Duo replied, stretching his sore body.
¡°It was pretty easy anyway¡¡± Rika said dismissively, ¡°he was unconscious after all, so I just had to keep an eye on him to keep him from rolling off the bed.¡±
¡°And what is that suppose to mean?¡±
¡°Nothing¡ oh, by the way, you snore too loud for your own good.¡±
¡°Hey!¡±
¡°See these black rings? I couldn¡¯t sleep with all that sound you were making.¡±
¡°Well good. Serves you right for insulting me. I don¡¯t snore!¡±
¡°Yes you do.¡±
¡°No.¡±
Tessa giggled, ¡°The start of a blossoming love affair¡¡±
Duo and Rika looked at the commander, then at each other, before saying in unison the first thing that came to their minds.
¡°WHAT?¡±
¡°That was rather stupid, don¡¯t you think?¡± Rika queried, looking over at Duo.
¡°Maybe.¡±
¡°Maybe?¡±
¡°She is a smart girl anyhow. I won¡¯t put it past her to do fortune telling.¡±
¡°Ha. Ha. Don¡¯t tell me you really think that what she said was true?¡±
¡°No. Just won¡¯t put it past her abilities to predict things that will come true.¡±
¡°Right¡¡±
Somehow, Duo had moved over to the table where Rika was sitting. The sense of getting as far away from each other set in yet again, and Rika was the first to react by standing up. Unfortunately, a blizzard gale had slammed forcefully into Éclair just then, causing the ship to jerk wildly. Rika stumbled, and looked like she was about to fall, when a pair of arms caught her. Looking up, her eyes met Duo¡¯s, and she felt her heartbeat quicken.
¡°What¡¡± Rika never got a chance to finish what she had to say as her lips were sealed by Duo¡¯s in a soft kiss. Her cheeks flared, eyes widening at what Duo was doing. As they parted, Duo smiled.
¡°Couldn¡¯t help myself.¡±
For a moment, there was silence. Rika was still in Duo¡¯s arms, panting slightly from shock. The fist came flying however as she regained her composure.
¡°YOU IDIOT!¡±
Back in the prison ¡®unbreakable¡¯, one of Chikage¡¯s bodyguards got off his mobile.
¡°Have the cyber angels found anything?¡± Chikage queried.
¡°No, ma¡¯am. Most of the people on the list have been accounted for, and they don¡¯t seem to be related to any terrorist organizations.¡± the bodyguard reported.
Chikage frowned and returned her gaze to Reap and Ellison. The two were sitting on the other side of the table. The warden had brought the two in a few hours ago, but the two had remained silent all this while. Reap smirked.
¡°It seems that your efforts are futile.¡± he finally spoke.
¡°Who do you work for?¡± Chikage asked yet again.
¡°Gods, woman. We work for gods.¡±
¡°Gods?¡±
¡°Have you ever heard of Jesus Christ?¡± Ellison asked. Chikage blinked.
¡°The one who burdened himself with all the sins of humanity? What of him?¡±
Reap smiled, ¡°He has come again. However, this time, he shall crush all those that have sinned.¡±
¡°What are you talking about?¡±
Reap smirked, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. This place shall be your grave soon.¡±
Ellison burst out laughing then, ¡°DIE!¡±
As if prompted by that word, a guard crumpled to the floor, dead.
¡°What in the¡¡±
The guard had turned round surprised, seeing his companion fall. A split second later, his abdomen was ripped apart, innards and blood splattering across the wall. Cries of pain filled the room for a moment, before everything fell silent yet again. Mutilated bodies laid everywhere, the smell of blood pungent in the air.
¡°How?¡± Chikage covered her mouth, shocked.
Ellison still continued to laugh, ¡°You¡¯re next bitch!¡±
A man stepped out of the shadows behind Reap and Ellison then. He wore traditional Chinese clothes, eyes a vile green and jet black hair tied back in a long braid. The lower half of his face was covered with a black cloth.
¡°I apologize for this, but those who stand in our way must be taken care of,¡± Reap said, smirking, ¡°Kill them.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t take orders from you human,¡± the figure behind the two replied.
¡°So?¡± Ellison spun round, ¡°You were going to¡¡±
His sentence was never completed. Ellison was on the floor, eyes wide and unblinking, face devoid of emotions. Reap stared shocked at his brother¡¯s corpse.
¡°What was that for?¡± Reap spun round, eyes contorted in rage.
¡°My master has commanded me to get rid of any¡ trash,¡± the man replied. Reap threw a fist in anger, but it missed as the man grabbed his head with a hand. Instantly his frustration diminished as his face rapidly paled.
¡°W-wait¡ we were just set b-back,¡± Reap stuttered, ¡°We¡¯ll complete the mission. I guarantee it!¡±
¡°You¡¯ve failed once already, human.¡±
A brief flash of light occurred, and Reap¡¯s body grew limp. The man let go of his head, and he crumpled to the ground, face blank.
¡°Who are you?¡± Chikage asked, forcing herself to ignore the scene before her. The man bowed courteously.
¡°My name is Kaiser. I come from my master bearing a message,¡± the man known as Kaiser straightened, ¡°Do not interfere with our plans again, human. It only delays the inevitable.¡±
¡°Of what? Acts of terror? How many more people are you going to murder?¡± Chikage shot back, ¡°We will never tolerate the likes of you!¡±
¡°The likes of us?¡± Kaiser repeated, before closing his eyes, ¡°He never did tell you, did he?¡±
¡°What?¡±
Kaiser opened his eyes and looked over at Sora, ¡°What¡¯s your name now, Seeker?¡±
Sora had remained still the entire time he was here, head bowed. His eyes were hidden from view by his hair. On the ground, one of the guard¡¯s rifles began to move slightly.
¡°Sora?¡± Chikage asked worriedly, confused by the situation.
Sora raised his head, returning Kaiser¡¯s gaze with his own. He seemed different somehow, what little light flickering across his face. It was cold, and almost¡ hateful.
¡°My name¡¡± the rifle on the floor suddenly jerked and flew into Sora¡¯s hand, some blood following in its wake. He brought the nozzle of the weapon towards the surprised Kaiser, ¡°¡is Sora Truehearted.¡±
The trigger was squeezed, and a hail of gunfire burst forth.
¡°Remember it.¡±
Author¡¯s Ramble
Pryce: What¡¯s with the cliffhanger?
FFC: ZZZ¡
Pryce: Okay¡
(Pryce pokes FFC¡¯s eyes a few times. FFC stirs slightly.)
Pryce: FFC?
(As Pryce is about to poke FFC again, a claw snaps over his finger and Pryce is thrown across the room)
FFC: ZZZ¡ need sleep¡ ZZZ¡ do not disturb¡ ZZZ¡
Pryce: Ouch¡
FFC: ZZZ¡ short chapter¡ ran out of ideas¡ ZZZ¡ bye-bye¡ I ain¡¯t a clean man yet¡ ZZZ¡.