Chapter IV: Water Water Everywhere
"There!" Cye pointed out the surface of a pool above them. Probably the city's water treatment plant. If not, then it was the pond located in the park.
"Yes." The pair kicked harder, propelling themselves upwards, the water becoming rapidly lighter.
With two loud gasps for air, Cye and Sekhmet broke the surface, bobbling on the water. The dozen men around them nearly died of several heart attacks.
Venom and Torrent had come up in Toyama Water, Inc., the workers there sufficiently freaked out enough to let the two Armored monstrosities climb out of the water, and out the door into the streets without so much as a word.
Now on the seemingly empty streets of Toyama, Cye got his bearings. "Let's see.. we're on 45th street... the hospital..." Cye pointed west. "Is over there."
"We'll go by roof. Much less conspicuous." Sekhmet added, and the two launched themselves into the air, bounding off the sides of buildings, until they rested safely on the top of the water plant. "Come on." He nodded, and the pair took off like a gunshot, racing over the rain-slicked rooftops of the city.
Toyama General loomed in, Sekhmet stumbling only once. "It's here. And it's with Ryo." His hands shot out, pulling free two of his tachi blades. Cye held his yari at the ready, as they came to a halt on the roof of a business firm, across the street from the hospital. They were level with at least the 10th floor. "Ye gods. There!" Sekhmet pointed with his right sword.
"Bloody hell!" Cye swore, seeing the figure dangled out the window, almost directly below them. "Ryo.. please be okay..." He was nearly mowed over as Sekhmet suddenly tore past him, leaping off the building, and plummeting to the ground below.
He had cleared the street, falling close to the building. Eight stories... 7...6... NOW!! His swords shot out, as he plunged them into the side of the building, coming to a screeching halt, three feet below Ryo. His arms went aflame with pain at his sudden stop. "Wildfire!"
"N-Nice of you to join me, bud."
"Yes, Sekhmet, very nice of you to join us. I was about to teach this insolent whelp the meaning of fear."
Sekhmet craned his neck up as far as he could, his faceplate splitting down the center as his helmet vanished. He squinted in the rain, trying to make out the face. He smiled down at him, and Sekhmet's eyes went wide. "Anubis!!"
"You don't seem happy to see me, Sekhmet. What's the matter?" Anubis' hateful smile widened.
"You're... alive?"
"In a matter of speaking, yes."
Sekhmet was baffled. Why was the supposedly deceased Anubis alive, and so evil? Then it clicked. "...YOU!"
"It finally makes sense now, doesn't it, Serpent?"
"You're the one who kidnapped Kayura!!"
"Erg... could.. could we save the accusations for later ...AND GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE?!?!" Ryo cut in, beating on the powerful arm with his last remaining strength.
Just then...
"LOOK OUT BELOOWWWW!!"
An aqua streak dropped from the sky. There was a flash of silver, a howl of pain, a gush of blood, and Ryo was falling.
Cye dropped in, just in the knick of time, and had cut off Anubis' arm, thus causing Ryo to fall. But Cye's hand had shot out, and grabbed his superior by the arm, and held fast to the window sill. Anubis was howling with rage and pain, lurching back from the window, holding the stump of his right arm. "I gotcha, Ryo!"
"Heh.. good of ya to drop in."
"Well.. they say better late than never.." Cye flashed a smile. But it wasn't over yet. A gore-covered skeletal hand suddenly appeared from the window, locking around Cye's wrist. "Oh.. dear.." Cye turned his gaze upwards to see Anubis, his eyes wide with hate, and his nostrils flared, as he used all his undead power to regenerate his missing arm. The muscles and sinews wound themselves down over the bare bone, the skin knitting back together slowly, some of the raw tissue still visible through gaps in the flesh.
"...time... to ...die.."
"NO!" Sekhmet howled suddenly. He switched to an overhand grip, kicking his legs out from under him. His momentum was sufficient enough that he was able to flip himself over, and through the window, a pair of feet meeting solidly with Anubis' face. Anubis staggered back into the room, Sekhmet perched on the windowsill, his swords held out, ready to strike. "Get Wildfire out of here. I'll take care of this pest..." he hissed through bared teeth. He felt around for Cye's hand, and in one heave, lifted both Cye and Ryo upwards, until the three of them were safe and sound on the floor. "Go, NOW!" He roared, shoving Cye towards the door.
Cye didn't have time to protest, as the Warlord lunged for Anubis. "I'll catch up, Torrent. Just get Wildfire out of here!!" He snarled, as he and Anubis locked arms. Cye disappeared out the door and into the hall. His escape was unhindered by Anubis nor hospital staff. Anubis was being dealt with by Sekhmet... so where was everyone else? He rounded the corner, carrying Ryo on his back, running like there was no tomorrow. He then knew why he hadn't been stopped.
They were all dead. Or asleep. But probably dead.
Orderlies and patients alike were sprawled on the ground, unmoving. Nurses and doctors lay where they had fallen, clipboards and instruments scattered in the hallways. Cye closed his mind from the horror, focusing all his emotion into running. The elevator lay ahead, but Cye veered to the right, for the stairwell. He kicked the door open, clean off the hinges. Cye peered down over the landing. The railing was smooth steel, on the outer edge of the 5 flights.
He backed up, out the door. Ryo, who had been semi-conscious most of the way, came to life. "Uh... Cye.. what are you doing?"
Cye pressed his lips together. "Something Kento taught me." Without another word, he ran forward, and leapt, timing his jump perfectly.
With the grace of the most trained skater, Cye's feet hit the railing, and he leaned forward, doing a flawless 50-50 grind down the first flight of stairs. The banister bent at a right angle twice, to lead to the second stair. The gap between the railings was several feet, and Torrent grit his teeth and jumped. His landing was right on, and he continued down, repeating his movements every time he came to a bend.
His momentum lasted for three more flights, as he came to the street level exit. He dove off the rail, and hit the ground running, throwing himself out the door. He and Ryo were both plenty dizzy, and the rain washed away the sweat that poured down his brow.
"N-Nice job, Cye. Kento'd be proud..." Ryo muttered, adjusting his grip on Cye's shoulderguards.
"Come on, Sekhmet... I can't get into the Dynasty without you..." Cye whispered, as he continued running down the sodden streets of Toyama. His mind whirled, realizing that Anubis was not only back from the dead, but also the one responsible for Kayura's abduction.
"Cye, uh.. what's going on?" Ryo groaned, as his sore and beaten body was jostled and moved.
"I don't know, Ryo. I honestly don't know."
"There!" Cye pointed out the surface of a pool above them. Probably the city's water treatment plant. If not, then it was the pond located in the park.
"Yes." The pair kicked harder, propelling themselves upwards, the water becoming rapidly lighter.
With two loud gasps for air, Cye and Sekhmet broke the surface, bobbling on the water. The dozen men around them nearly died of several heart attacks.
Venom and Torrent had come up in Toyama Water, Inc., the workers there sufficiently freaked out enough to let the two Armored monstrosities climb out of the water, and out the door into the streets without so much as a word.
Now on the seemingly empty streets of Toyama, Cye got his bearings. "Let's see.. we're on 45th street... the hospital..." Cye pointed west. "Is over there."
"We'll go by roof. Much less conspicuous." Sekhmet added, and the two launched themselves into the air, bounding off the sides of buildings, until they rested safely on the top of the water plant. "Come on." He nodded, and the pair took off like a gunshot, racing over the rain-slicked rooftops of the city.
Toyama General loomed in, Sekhmet stumbling only once. "It's here. And it's with Ryo." His hands shot out, pulling free two of his tachi blades. Cye held his yari at the ready, as they came to a halt on the roof of a business firm, across the street from the hospital. They were level with at least the 10th floor. "Ye gods. There!" Sekhmet pointed with his right sword.
"Bloody hell!" Cye swore, seeing the figure dangled out the window, almost directly below them. "Ryo.. please be okay..." He was nearly mowed over as Sekhmet suddenly tore past him, leaping off the building, and plummeting to the ground below.
He had cleared the street, falling close to the building. Eight stories... 7...6... NOW!! His swords shot out, as he plunged them into the side of the building, coming to a screeching halt, three feet below Ryo. His arms went aflame with pain at his sudden stop. "Wildfire!"
"N-Nice of you to join me, bud."
"Yes, Sekhmet, very nice of you to join us. I was about to teach this insolent whelp the meaning of fear."
Sekhmet craned his neck up as far as he could, his faceplate splitting down the center as his helmet vanished. He squinted in the rain, trying to make out the face. He smiled down at him, and Sekhmet's eyes went wide. "Anubis!!"
"You don't seem happy to see me, Sekhmet. What's the matter?" Anubis' hateful smile widened.
"You're... alive?"
"In a matter of speaking, yes."
Sekhmet was baffled. Why was the supposedly deceased Anubis alive, and so evil? Then it clicked. "...YOU!"
"It finally makes sense now, doesn't it, Serpent?"
"You're the one who kidnapped Kayura!!"
"Erg... could.. could we save the accusations for later ...AND GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE?!?!" Ryo cut in, beating on the powerful arm with his last remaining strength.
Just then...
"LOOK OUT BELOOWWWW!!"
An aqua streak dropped from the sky. There was a flash of silver, a howl of pain, a gush of blood, and Ryo was falling.
Cye dropped in, just in the knick of time, and had cut off Anubis' arm, thus causing Ryo to fall. But Cye's hand had shot out, and grabbed his superior by the arm, and held fast to the window sill. Anubis was howling with rage and pain, lurching back from the window, holding the stump of his right arm. "I gotcha, Ryo!"
"Heh.. good of ya to drop in."
"Well.. they say better late than never.." Cye flashed a smile. But it wasn't over yet. A gore-covered skeletal hand suddenly appeared from the window, locking around Cye's wrist. "Oh.. dear.." Cye turned his gaze upwards to see Anubis, his eyes wide with hate, and his nostrils flared, as he used all his undead power to regenerate his missing arm. The muscles and sinews wound themselves down over the bare bone, the skin knitting back together slowly, some of the raw tissue still visible through gaps in the flesh.
"...time... to ...die.."
"NO!" Sekhmet howled suddenly. He switched to an overhand grip, kicking his legs out from under him. His momentum was sufficient enough that he was able to flip himself over, and through the window, a pair of feet meeting solidly with Anubis' face. Anubis staggered back into the room, Sekhmet perched on the windowsill, his swords held out, ready to strike. "Get Wildfire out of here. I'll take care of this pest..." he hissed through bared teeth. He felt around for Cye's hand, and in one heave, lifted both Cye and Ryo upwards, until the three of them were safe and sound on the floor. "Go, NOW!" He roared, shoving Cye towards the door.
Cye didn't have time to protest, as the Warlord lunged for Anubis. "I'll catch up, Torrent. Just get Wildfire out of here!!" He snarled, as he and Anubis locked arms. Cye disappeared out the door and into the hall. His escape was unhindered by Anubis nor hospital staff. Anubis was being dealt with by Sekhmet... so where was everyone else? He rounded the corner, carrying Ryo on his back, running like there was no tomorrow. He then knew why he hadn't been stopped.
They were all dead. Or asleep. But probably dead.
Orderlies and patients alike were sprawled on the ground, unmoving. Nurses and doctors lay where they had fallen, clipboards and instruments scattered in the hallways. Cye closed his mind from the horror, focusing all his emotion into running. The elevator lay ahead, but Cye veered to the right, for the stairwell. He kicked the door open, clean off the hinges. Cye peered down over the landing. The railing was smooth steel, on the outer edge of the 5 flights.
He backed up, out the door. Ryo, who had been semi-conscious most of the way, came to life. "Uh... Cye.. what are you doing?"
Cye pressed his lips together. "Something Kento taught me." Without another word, he ran forward, and leapt, timing his jump perfectly.
With the grace of the most trained skater, Cye's feet hit the railing, and he leaned forward, doing a flawless 50-50 grind down the first flight of stairs. The banister bent at a right angle twice, to lead to the second stair. The gap between the railings was several feet, and Torrent grit his teeth and jumped. His landing was right on, and he continued down, repeating his movements every time he came to a bend.
His momentum lasted for three more flights, as he came to the street level exit. He dove off the rail, and hit the ground running, throwing himself out the door. He and Ryo were both plenty dizzy, and the rain washed away the sweat that poured down his brow.
"N-Nice job, Cye. Kento'd be proud..." Ryo muttered, adjusting his grip on Cye's shoulderguards.
"Come on, Sekhmet... I can't get into the Dynasty without you..." Cye whispered, as he continued running down the sodden streets of Toyama. His mind whirled, realizing that Anubis was not only back from the dead, but also the one responsible for Kayura's abduction.
"Cye, uh.. what's going on?" Ryo groaned, as his sore and beaten body was jostled and moved.
"I don't know, Ryo. I honestly don't know."