Marla narrowed her eyes as she peered out from her hiding place. She had been stalking the soldiers that had exited the transporter from the previous chapter for a couple of Beats while she waited for backup. It was not that she did not think she was capable of taking on the twelve soldiers there, it was just that she preferred that they shoot at someone else in battle. With BEE messages already dispatched to the other officers, all Marla could do was bide her time.
"Excuse me, but what do you think you're doing?" Said an irate female voice.
"Sorry ma'am, I'm commandeering this vehicle for HCIU operations." Replied Marla pointing to the badge on her blue beret.
"Well, be that as it may, does it have to be MY baby stroller?"
Marla pointed her Varista squarely between the woman's eyes.
"Lady, I suggest you keep quiet and keep pushing."
Transportation secured, Marla was free to continue observing the soldiers. They were all armed with rifles, flanked around a hover lifter on which there was a large wooden crate that would rattle and roar occasionally. Whatever was in that crate was either very precious or very dangerous, there was only one way to find out which... And that was to let Bernie open it.
The crate was not the only unusual thing. The Hunters that Hikara had said were accompanying them were no longer accompanying them. Unless they were hiding inside the crate itself they had gone. Random Hunters hired for a Military quest? More than likely, since there was no possible reason that the red and purple RAcaseal would be Ult operating in the service of the Military. The line of soldiers came to a halt, it was show time...
Marla leapt out of the stroller and drew both of her Varistas.
"Freeze! HCIU! You're surrounded!" She said in a nicely commanding tone.
The men looked blankly at her. At this point Marla realised that they had stopped because the crossing light had showed a red light.
"Uh... Never mind! April fool!"
"Hands up! You're surrounded!" Said Bernie.
The soldiers all turned back to see a RAmar dressed in blue and white armour, leveling the largest gun that had been pointed at them all day. Next to him was a scrawny FOnewm in black with a colourful cloak, armed with... A very large pencil. The lead soldier smirked.
"You're surrounding the twelve of us... With three people?"
Chuckles of derision rose up from the others.
"What do you think guys? Should we surrender to their numerical superiority?"
Cries of "Hell no!" rose up from the others.
"You'll be laughing the other side of your faces in a moment..." Marla warned them.
"It's okay Mean Lady. Numbskull will handle them." Said Zonky.
The commanding officer of the soldiers raised an eyebrow at what the runt of a FOrcer had just said. He expected to take on the might of the Military? He stepped forwards, raising his rifle a little.
"You think you've got what it takes?"
Zonky said nothing but tensed the muscles in his body as he narrowed his eyes. The officer did the same, both prepared the miliBeat the other made a move.
"Draw!" Shouted the soldier.
There was a blur and it was all over. The soldier raised his hand to his mouth, touched his lip and looked at his fingers. Black! The FOnewm had drawn a comedy moustache on him.
"By the Light, they are too powerful! Argh!" He screamed dropping his rifle as he fled as fast as he could.
With their commander gone, the other soldiers panicked, dropping their weapons as they sped off into the distance. Marla walked over to Zonky, removed his hat and ruffled his hair playfully.
"Who woulda thought that the little freak was useful after all?"
"Hey, I helped too you know." Protested Bernie putting away his Flame Visit.
"Really? And when was the last time that people ran screaming from you in fear exactly?" Marla asked him.
"Er... Well, there was that one incident with the Hunewearls, but I did my community service."
"Oh yeah! Great times those were. Hey numbskull, open the crate already."
"Why does Mean Lady call Numbskull numbskull?" Asked Zonky.
Marla pressed the barrel of a Varista against Zonky's temple.
"Quit moaning and open the crate already."
Zonky examined the wooden crate from different angles before deciding on the best angle of attack. Jamming his pencil into a crack he attempted to leverage one of the sides open, his arms shaking from the effort he was putting in. With a loud splintery snap, he finally broke it open, the panel falling to the ground with a bang. Zonky peered inside.
"Big Bird?" He said, followed by, "Oww! Numbskull's eye!"
The Fonewm stumbled out of the box and fell off the hover lifter to the floor. Following him out of the crate was... A giant Rappy? Not quite but something akin to the love-child of a Rappy and a RAcaseal...
"HUcaseal damnit!" It squawked.
The HUcaseal was bright yellow and white. Its head was sleek with a mass of feathers protruding backwards, the nose and mouth pointing forwards like a beak. Its body, arms and legs adorned with many pairs of wings. Flapping these many wings it rose up a couple of metres in the air before descending on the hapless Zonky to peck him repeatedly.
"As much as I would like to watch you continue..." Said Marla poking the HUcaseal with a Varista, "I need you to answer some questions."
The bird-android hybrid stepped off the FOnewm and eyed Marla with trepidation. Which was easy to do since it had eyes the size of tennis balls.
"Okay, who are you and why are you in a box?" Marla asked it simply.
"I am Sunny Urchin and I was captured by some Hunters." Replied Sunny.
"Yes, but that doesn't tell us that much. What's with the costume? And why would the Military require Hunters to capture you?"
"It's not a costume! I am an Insa! Pii! Pii! The first of a glorious new breed!..."
Marla and Bernie looked at each other. Bernie made a circle motion with his finger at his temple while whistling a bird-call not native to Coral.
"I was a Military 'Droid in the Service of Major Crysalis as part of a W.O.R.K.S. operation to understand the nature of the ancient Ruins and mysterious photons discovered below the planets surface. During my mission I interfaced with a non-mechanical, non-native entity which resulted in my hybridisation."
"Wait... You interfaced with something from the Ruins?" Asked Bernie rather enthusiastically.
"Yes, but he promised that he would respect me in the morning..." Said Sunny with a far away look in her eyes.
"So what was your mission in the Ruins then?" Asked Marla.
"That information is classified to civilians."
"That's okay, I think you've told us everything we need to know. Go about your business."
"The Insa Republic will become a mighty empire! Pii!" Sunny proclaimed proudly as she began to peck at Zonky again.
"Don't they make such a cute couple?" Beamed Marla to Bernie. "Come on, you and me need to pay the Doc another visit. I'll explain when we get there."
The only thing louder than Bernie's sigh as he left were the cries of Zonky as he tried to fend off Sunny's unwanted attentions.