Now that was some seriously bad writer block! I hope it doesn't come up again… sorry for waiting about three months to update this, but I hope the updates will be a bit more constant now!
Darkstar71: Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying it.
john: I'm sure nobody did!
Demon Fan: Good answer for the first one, but the second… well, we'll see.
Sukara-Nodori: Thank you. I hope you continue to enjoy it.
Chapter 13: Escape
Ikari was getting sick of going through forests. After his last disastrous encounter with the two tigers, he considered this trip to be going a lot better, but he was still uneasy.
"I wonder if this was really a good idea…" he muttered as he went on.
Suddenly, he tripped over something. Barely managing to stop himself from falling, he looked at what he had come across.
He yelped and leapt back as he saw the five corpses of the soldiers. "Ugh… what the… ok, on second thoughts, I'd prefer the slope." Then he began to run back the way he had come, not looking back at the grisly sight.
-----
The others pondered over their position. What would be the best thing to do? They couldn't leave while Karen was recharging, but staying would certainly mean being discovered. It was a lose-lose situation.
Ryei finally broke the silence. "Let us remain here for a while. Before we can continue, we need to explain a few things to each other."
"What do you mean?" Hope asked.
"What do you mean, what do you mean?!" Varen exclaimed. "Hello! We don't even understand what's going on! These creeps that are chasing us for some reason keep talking about a marked one, Zari and Valor are still being pursued by other wackos for another reason we don't know, Daine is still alive somehow, Gaignun suddenly has human intelligence, Karen nearly dies on us, and Ark is immortal! I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd like some answers!"
"I think we all would," Daine stated. "We do need to rest for a while anyway. So let's get to some explanations."
"Well, there's nothing better to do at the moment," Zari stated.
Zarek glanced at Ark. "I guess we can fill him in later."
To their surprise, he responded. "…No… I will listen now…"
"Are you sure?" Zari asked. "You should probably rest."
"…This is more important…" he managed to say.
Zari thought for a moment, and then took off her trench coat, putting it beside Ark. "You can wear this until your shirt is mended."
Since she lacked her trench coat, Zarek noticed the long cut on the back of her shirt. "Don't you need it?"
"It isn't like it makes much of a difference when we're alone," Zari shrugged.
Hope was looking over Ark's stained shirt. "I can repair this somewhat, but I need a water source to get rid of the blood first. I can also fix yours, Zari, once we get our supplies back."
"Yeah… it looks like our stuff was confiscated," Varen realized.
"Thank you for telling us all what we already knew," Ryei said sarcastically.
"Hey, we're in a life or death situation! I can't help it if I don't notice everything!"
While they were talking, Ark forced himself to sit up long enough to slip on the trench coat before collapsing again. Zarek, noticing the movement, turned to him. Seeing that Ark seemed ready, Zarek gently lifted him. The group went into the cell where Yamato and Karen were. Zarek carefully put Ark back down, leaning him against the wall.
"Will you be alright like that?" Zarek asked.
"It's fine…" Ark was still in serious pain, and his position did not help matters. But he wanted to be able to speak while he had the chance, which meant he needed eye contact.
Although Karen was still trying to calm down from her panic, and felt disoriented, she was able to follow what the others were saying well enough. Because of that, she tried her hardest to listen.
"So, who first?" Daine asked. "Any volunteers?"
Gaignun gave a harsh barking noise. Hope looked over at him, a bit surprised. "Gaignun wants us to go first."
"Go ahead," Daine encouraged.
"Alright…"
You cannot tell them everything, Gaignun reminded Hope. Just enough to get by.
Yeah, I know.
"Gaignun is a special wolf," Hope explained. "I found him when he was just a puppy. He was abandoned in the snow, and in fear that he would die, I took care of him. As he grew, he acted in a strange manner. I soon discovered that he is just as smart, if not more so, than humans. He understands what we say, and can respond in his own ways. We have been together for a long time, and as time passed, we learned to develop a method of understanding each other. He is the most loyal companion I could ever want."
"Having a wolf as a friend must be pretty handy," Varen commented.
"You could say that," Hope replied, petting Gaignun's head.
"We were lucky he came to us, or we would have probably never found you guys," Daine said. "What happened, anyway?"
"It was an ambush," Zari stated. "We ran into a cloaked man and a bunch of soldiers. We were about to fight them, but a gray fog came onto us. That's the last thing that I can remember."
"It must have knocked us out," Ryei threw in. "But the cloaked man and soldiers were not behind it. So that must mean that they have another ally."
"Then we need to be even more careful," Daine stated. "But what about Gaignun? Was he with you?"
"No. He had left to hunt," Hope responded. "So he probably saw us and avoided them to go for help. I guess he came across the two of you."
"Yeah, what happened to you two?" Varen inquired. "You guys fell off of a freaking cliff! I see now why Ark lived, but what about you Daine?"
"I didn't know at first," Daine said. "I had thought that maybe the trees broke our fall, since there were a lot of them. It seemed unlikely, especially since I was not injured very badly, but it was the only explanation I could think of. But now, I know that wasn't the case." He glanced over at Ark. "When we were falling, Ark grabbed me out of the air. At the time, I was about to panic, and didn't have time to wonder why he did that. When I came around, I had forgotten about it. However, now that I know that Ark is immortal, what happened is perfectly logical."
"I think I understand," Ryei nodded. "Ark used his body to shield you from the force of the fall. Is that right?"
"Yes," Ark whispered. He was still finding it difficult to talk after the heart wound he had suffered.
"It also explained why Ark could barely move while I was fine. He said his bones felt like they were shattered. But what I didn't know then was that Ark can heal from death wounds, although the pain remains. So all of the bones his body, most likely, did shatter. Even though they mended, Ark was still feeling it. Is that right Ark?"
"…All except for one thing," Ark responded softly. "It is not just death wounds. I recover from any injury whatsoever."
"Any injury? That scientist that wrote those books wasn't lying?" Hope said, her voice betraying her amazement.
"Heart wound, head wound, spine wound, brain wound, lung wound, stomach wound, kidney wound, liver wound, intestines, beheading, fire, electrocution, drowning, exposure to heat, exposure to cold, poison, suffocation, blood loss, starvation, dehydration, viruses, seizures, and old age," Ryei listed. "Can you survive through all of those?"
Everyone stared at Ryei in astonishment.
"Sheesh!" Varen exclaimed. "What are you, a master at murdering?"
Ark ignored the interruption. "Yes."
Now everyone stared at Ark.
"You've been through all of that?!" Varen said in disbelief.
Zari glared at him. "How can you bring yourself to ask such a thing?"
"Oh… yeah… sorry…" Varen muttered.
"It has all… been tested," Ark stated. "As for old age… I have not grown any older… since this change first occurred… so it can be safely assumed… that I can live through that as well."
Then he closed his eyes, which basically told them he was done talking about himself. They did not want to press him for information, so Ryei changed the subject. "Zari, Valor, what about you two? You have never told us why you were being chased."
Zari nodded. "I suppose it's fair enough that we give you this information. Is that alright with you Valor?"
"It's fine," he said softly.
"Then I'll give you a brief explanation," Zari decided. "I was traveling through Side Capital when I happened to be invited to the mayor's house to meet him. They had not had any visitors for a while, and he wanted to hear the news I had to bring. So I told him the basic things I knew, which were not very important anyway. He accepted that, and said I could leave, or stay for the night, since it was very late. I accepted, since I had nowhere else to be at the moment. But late at night, from my room, I heard something. Unsure of what it was, I left the room I was occupying, and went over to the room I had heard the noise from. I entered, and inside was Valor. The mayor had never mentioned anyone else living with him, so I was surprised to find him. But I was also shocked to see that he was kept in an iron cage."
"What the hell?! The mayor did that?" Varen said in disgust.
"Yes. The key to it was in the same room though, so I was able to unlock it fairly easily."
"Hold on. What was the noise that you had heard?" Varen asked.
Valor answered quietly. "I was crying. I often do that. It's not easy, to be alone…"
Zari continued, breaking the uncomfortable silence that followed that. "He had no desire to stay, so we fled from the house. When we made it to the forest, we discovered we were being followed. So I told Valor to hide, tossing him my trench coat and Duel Disk. You guys know the rest."
"Hold on. There are a few things that I do not understand," Zarek said. "If the mayor wanted to keep Valor a secret, why did he let you stay in his house?"
"He thought I was a cold, heartless mercenary," Zari stated. "And in a way, he was right. I keep that act up so that I can be in control of most situations I run into."
"Did your past cause you to act like that?" Hope inquired.
"If it did, I would not know," Zari replied. "I do not remember my past at all. All I know is that I have been working as a mercenary for some time now."
"There's something else," Zarek told her. "Why did the mayor want Valor?"
"I do not know," Zari responded. "I cannot begin to guess, and I have not pressed Valor for an answer."
"I can tell you what I know," Valor said.
Everyone's gaze went to him now.
He seemed a bit shyer, but continued in his quiet voice. "For most of my life, I have lived in a laboratory. My father is a scientist. I do not know about my mother; she died giving birth to me. My father had needed a specimen for his experiments. He could not use just anyone though. The experiments were considered inhumane, so he could not let anyone know of what he was trying to do. But I was his son, and he had control over what he wanted to happen to me. So I was the perfect specimen for him to use."
"He would experiment on his own son?" Varen said, mortified.
"Yes… it was a painful life," Valor continued softly. "I was alone, except for my father, who tortured me for science. Even worse was when I blacked out during an experiment. I never could remember what had happened then, so I have no idea how they changed me. But one day, my father gave me to the mayor. I do not know why, and I do not know how many days I spent there. Eventually, Zari came, and that's all I know."
Zari looked at him sadly, placing her arm around him in a comforting gesture.
"Don't we all have a bunch of cheerful pasts?" Daine said in disgust.
"How about you tell the rest of them yours?" Yamato growled.
"I suppose I should," Daine sighed. "Ok, you guys all want to know what our enemies mean by the marked one, right?"
"Of course," Varen replied.
"Then let me show you." Daine took off his right glove, and showed them the palm of his hand, and the red pentagram on it.
Varen yelped, jumping backwards. Ryei stayed where he was, staring at the mark. Valor was astonished, but did not say anything to show this. Zarek did not show his shock either, but was unable to look away from it either. Ark eyed it cautiously.
So that is what I felt when I grasped his hand, Ark realized.
When Zari saw the pentagram, and she felt the dark magic, she was paralyzed. Something… she could hear something… a voice… a whispering voice… it was too soft… she could not make out the words… but someone was speaking to her… she had to hear… she had to obey…
Daine noticed that while the others just seemed shocked, Zari was acting strangely. Her eyes seemed glazed over, and she seemed to be unable to focus.
When he saw this, Daine quickly slipped the glove back on. "Zari? Are you ok?"
As the pentagram was hid from view, Zari came to, shaking her head.
What was that?
"I'm fine," she assured. "I must be tired."
"So what is it?" Varen asked, still a bit stunned by it.
"I wish I knew," Daine sighed. "I've had this mark since my birth. I have no idea what is it for, but I do know it makes many fear and despise me. I had no friends. The only person I could trust was my mother. My father… mom said he died shortly after I was born. She never went into any details as to how he died though."
"You seemed to not know about several things we see as common knowledge," Ryei stated. "Why was that?"
"About twenty years ago, on April 29th, I was put to sleep by a scientist. When I woke up, I found my town to be abandoned. I went into the forest and found Hope. We soon encountered Yamato and Karen, and they explained to me what had occurred twenty years ago. That's all I really have to say. I have no idea why these men are after me, but they're dangerous. I'm sorry to have gotten you all into this."
"It's alright. It isn't as though we never face danger anyway," Varen shrugged. "You can count on us to help you out… well, at least I think you can count on the others. I know I'll be there to assist you."
"As we said before… we will stay with you for the time being…" Ark stated.
"Thanks guys," Daine smiled. "It's good to know that some people are on my side."
"So now that those facts are straightened, we need to figure out what we are going to do," Zarek said.
"I cannot move while charging Karen," Yamato told them. "Obviously, she cannot either. So we're stuck here."
"How long does this recharge take?" Hope asked.
"Twenty-four hours."
"Well damn," Varen sighed. "This will be nearly impossible to pull off… they will have surely noticed we've escaped before the recharge is done."
"Then our only choice is to kill everything that comes our way," Yamato stated.
Varen eyed him warily. "And I thought Ryei was into murder."
"But we lack our weapons," Zari pointed out. "Yamato can't move, so we only have Zarek and Gaignun to fight off any enemies here. They would kill several, but probably would not be able to hold up long enough. We need a different idea."
"Maybe we could make a temporary blockade?" Daine suggested.
"That would work," Hope agreed.
"But wait. We still need to retrieve our weapons, decks, Duel Disks, and other items," Ryei said. "Therefore, I suggest that a few of us go to try to find them. When we come across the supplies, we can come back and put up the blockade then."
"Alright, we can do that," Zari replied. "But who should go and who should stay?"
"I'll go," Daine volunteered. "I've been through more of the base than anyone else, and I still have my deck. You never know when we might need to have one for a duel."
Yamato tossed him the keys. "Then you had best take those."
"Thanks."
"I would like to go as well," Ryei seconded. "I think having one more should be enough. Since we're traveling through areas that could still be populated by soldiers, it would probably be wise to bring someone who is armed. How about it, Zarek?"
"Sure. That means you should remain here, Gaignun," Zarek told the wolf. "You'll be their only source of protection at the moment."
Gaignun nodded.
"Wait, I want to come as well," Varen said.
"You?" Daine asked, a bit surprised. "Why?"
"I'll tell you later. Please, just let me come too."
"If you want to," Daine shrugged. "That means Hope, Yamato, Karen, Zari, Valor, Ark, and Gaignun are staying, right?"
"Right," Zari confirmed. "Be careful you four."
"Don't worry about us. We'll be back so quickly you'll never know we were gone," Varen assured as they left.
Hope broke the silence that had fallen upon the group. "We should get some sleep now. We don't know when our next chance to will be. Gaignun will warn us if anyone approaches, so it should be alright."
Yamato closed his eyes, leaning against the wall, but Karen stayed in her upright position, even when she shut her eyes too. Assuming it was because she was still recharging, Hope lay down next to Gaignun. Ark lowered himself slowly, and was almost instantly unconscious. Valor fell asleep quickly as well, as did Zari. But Hope remained awake. Although she knew she should rest, she wanted to remain awake in case Ryei tried to contact her.
-----
"What are the results?" the woman asked as the man stepped back into the room.
"He's still not back," the man snarled. "I'm beginning to have many suspicions about this. What is he playing at, going out and not responding?"
"I'm not sure, but this one isn't replying either," the woman sighed.
"Well, he's not usually in, so that is understandable. But the other…" He suddenly broke off. "Did the man I send to check on the prisoners come back yet?"
"Now that you mention it, no. What could be keeping him?"
The man was already walking to the door. "I'm going to check. If I'm not back in an hour, send soldiers to look."
"Of course." The woman then began typing on the keyboard in front of her as the man left.
-----
The four of them walked through another one of the rooms with three doors. Daine stopped short of the door, and listened.
"I can't be sure if anyone is there or not," he told the others. "Be on guard." Then he flung open the door.
A hall of cells that was empty of life greeted them. They went through it, stopping at a cell nearby the middle.
Varen raised an eyebrow at the sight of Hope's pack, Karen's, everyone's weapons, and the Duel Disks inside the cell. "That's an interesting place to keep them."
"A secure one as well," Daine stated, taking out the keys. "But it shouldn't be a problem…"
Then the door opposite of them opened, and the black cloaked man stepped inside. They froze at the sight of each other.
Ryei instantly contacted Hope. Hope, we have just encountered the man that captured us.
Will you be alright?
I believe so. But listen, I have something I want you to do…
"So… you are still alive," the cloaked man said, removing his hood to reveal that he looked to be about forty, with grey hair and hard brown eyes. "That would explain how you all escaped."
"Yes, it would," Zarek said, getting in front of the others and bringing out his switchblade. "This time, we aren't about to be caught off guard."
"You can put that away," was the man's response. "I prefer not to fight, even though I could easily defeat all of you. Remember, I have powers that far surpass yours."
"Like the ability to read our minds?"
They looked at Ryei in surprise.
"What do you mean?" the man asked, a bit nervously.
"You read our minds to find out what we could do, and restrained us accordingly. Is that correct?" Ryei inquired.
"You think I can read minds? That isn't even close to the truth!"
I think it is, Ryei thought to him.
"What was that?!" the man exclaimed.
You just gave yourself away, Ryei told him.
He's pretty bad at lying, or so it seems, Hope commented to both of them.
Yes, he is. Too bad, isn't it? You would think he would be good at this kind of thing after reading so many people's minds.
I guess appearances can be deceiving, huh?
Indeed.
"CUT IT OUT!" the man snarled, grasping his head. "Get out of my head!"
"That's what you get for reading our minds," Ryei smirked.
"Quiet!" The man brought out his Duel Disk. "Alright, so I can read minds. That means I can also know right when you will attempt to attack me. If you try, I will instantly order my second-in-command to send soldiers to deal with your other companions."
"So you want to duel? I'm game," Daine told him.
"Hang on a second! If you can read minds, that means you'll know everything that Daine is doing!" Varen protested.
"He won't dare to try it," Ryei assured. "I'll make sure of that."
Actually, we will make sure of that he doesn't attempt to cheat, right? he said for Hope's benefit.
Yep. I'm just waiting for him to try.
"Alright, I won't!" the man growled.
Daine gave him an odd look, but turned on his Duel Disk anyway. "You probably already know our names, but what is yours?"
"Regis. If you are ready?"
"Whenever you are!" Daine said. "As for Deck Masters, I choose Retrained Elven Swordsman. What about you?"
"Mine will be Metamol Pot," Regis announced. A blue jar appeared beside him, floating in midair. The jar was filled with darkness, except for a large, orange eye and a devilish grin with sickening green teeth.
"And the loser will die?" Daine assumed.
"Yes." Regis went to his Shield command and turned it off. Daine followed suit.
Daine: 8000
Regis: 8000
"Shall we use the normal method of deciding who will go first by flipping a coin?" Regis suggested.
"Sure, call it," Daine agreed, taking out his and tossing it.
"Alright, heads."
"Wrong. It's tails. I'll start by summoning my Goblin Strike Team. (2300/0) That's all I have to do."
"I will begin by activating my Metamol Pot's effect," Regis stated.
"Already?" Daine said in disbelief.
"Yes. By paying 1000 Life Points, I am allowed to draw a card. So I pay 7000 Life Points to draw seven cards."
Varen stared at him. "You must be mad!"
"Say what?!" Daine exclaimed. "7000?! But that means you're nearly out of Life Points!"
"Why are you showing concern for me? I am your opponent, after all," Regis smirked. He was weary from losing so many Life Points, but did not show it.
Daine: 8000
Regis: 1000
"It isn't concern; it's caution," Daine said.
"You are right to be cautious, but it will do you no good," Regis replied. "I lay three cards face down, and end my turn. Since I have over six cards in my hand, I will have to discard four. I choose to dispose of Thunder Sage, Tutor of the Abyss, Declaration of God, and Sealing Wall of Light."
What is he playing at? Daine wondered as he drew. "I summon Chaos Rider Gustav. (1400/1500) And I'll have Goblin Strike Team attack!"
"I activate Emissary of Harmony, causing your monster's attack to do no harm to me."
"Drat… I should have attacked with Gustav first. Since my Goblins attacked, they're forced to go into defense mode. I can't switch them back to attack mode until the turn after my next one…"
"Also, I activate Result of Kozakkii's Research. This trap allows me to look at the top three cards in my deck and rearrange them as I wish to."
"Ok then… I end my turn."
"And that means it is game over for you," Regis declared. "For now, I play The Reverse Quiz!"
"What is that?" Daine asked.
"It is a magic card that destroys all cards on my side of the field, and forces me to discard all the cards in my hand. So my face down Air Shruiken is destroyed, and I am forced to discard Jar of Greed, Cyclone, Hand Obliteration, Seal of Time, Destruction Ring, and another Emissary of Harmony. Then I call monster, magic, or trap, and look at the top card of my deck. Of course, I already know what it is. So I call magic, because my next card is Hellfire." He drew the card, revealing it to Daine. "Since I guessed correctly, that means our Life Points switch."
"What?! No!" Daine protested.
Daine: 1000
Regis: 8000
"But that isn't all," Regis smirked. "Because now my Air Shruiken's effect activates. Since it was destroyed while on the field, it does 700 damage to your Life Points."
The shruiken suddenly came flying out of nowhere, piercing into Daine.
Daine: 300
Regis: 8000
As the shruiken vanished, leaving behind a shallow wound that bled freely, Daine looked at his Life Point counter. "Not good…"
"Damn it!" Varen swore. "Next turn, Daine's dead! Hellfire does 500 damage to yourself, but it also does 1000 damage to your opponent!"
"Exactly," Regis said. "So take your final turn."
Daine felt dizzy from the amount of Life Points he had lost. He shook his head fiercely, to try and clear his mind, and then drew. He looked at his card, and sighed in relief. "Saved… I lay one card down, and sacrifice Goblin Strike Team to summon Magical Giga Cyber! (2200/1200) Then I attack directly with both of my monsters!"
Daine: 300
Regis: 4400
"A futile effort," Regis told him. "You can't hope to win."
"We'll see, won't we? I end my turn," Daine told him.
"I draw, and activate Hellfire!"
"And I activate Magic Drain," Daine responded. "This counter trap leaves you with two options. You can discard a magic card to have your original magic card work, or your magic card is negated and destroyed."
"But I have no magic cards in my hand! Curse you!" Regis growled. "But I have other options. I will use my Metamol Pot's Deck Master ability to draw another card."
Daine: 300
Regis: 3400
"Then I lay one card down and end my turn."
"I'll summon Executioner Makyura! (1600/1200)"
"In response to your summoning, I activate Tidal Wave," Regis said. "Now all of the monsters on the field are destroyed."
"Dang it…" Daine looked over his hand. "I lay one card down, and end my turn."
"It ends now," Regis stated. "I summon Fiber Pod! (500/500)"
"…You have got to be kidding," Daine said as the weak monster appeared.
"I'm afraid I am not. Fiber Pod attacks!"
"I activate my Reactive Armor! This trap destroys your attacking monster."
"Gr… I use my Metamol's effect once more."
Daine: 300
Regis: 2400
"Then I once more lay one card face down and end my turn."
"Alright…" Daine drew.
"Now I activate my trap, Sealing Wall of Light. By paying 2000 Life Points, no monster of yours that is 2000 or below in attack power can attack."
Daine: 300
Regis: 400
Daine looked at his hand. "Normally, you would have had me there. With my Goblin Strike Team gone, I don't have any other level four monsters that have more than 2000 attack." Then he grinned. "But that's only when it comes to level fours. I lay down three cards, and then summon Dark Knight Gaia of the Gale! (2300/2100)"
"Impossible!" Regis protested as the knight appeared on his purple steed. "That can't be a level four or lower monster! Its values are too high!"
"It's a level seven, to be precise," Daine informed him. "But he also has an effect. If he is the only card in my hand, I can summon him without sacrifices. Now, he attacks!"
The horse ran right through the Wall of Light. With one swift thrust, Gaia's joust put an end to Regis' life.
Daine: 300
Regis: 0
"Ugh," Varen winced as he saw the bloody corpse. "What a way to go."
"A short but triumphant duel," Zarek stated. "Good work."
"Thanks…" Daine suddenly fell to his knees.
"Are you alright?" Ryei asked, kneeling next to him.
"Yeah… I'm just exhausted…"
"You have full right to be. Losing that many Life Points definitely won't have positive effects, and the wound from the Air Shruiken won't help matters." He thought for a minute before continuing. "Let's get the items and go back to the others. We'll look over you then."
"Alright…" Daine brought out the keys to the cell and handed them to Ryei. "I don't think I'll be able to support myself for a while…"
Zarek unlocked the door, and handed Daine his sword first. "I hope your sheath is undamaged."
"You brought it?! Great! I thought it was lost." He looked over it, and satisfied that it was unharmed, managed to get up long enough to sheath it before sitting down again.
"We were going to keep it as a memento," Varen explained as he found his Duel Disk and attached it, and took his katars.
Zarek opened a small wooden box, and then closed it and handed it to Ryei with a Duel Disk. "I believe these are yours."
Ryei looked inside it. "Yes, they are." Then he took out the kunai and hid them once more inside his sleeves, and put his Duel Disk back on. Zarek had retrieved his as well.
"We're never going to be able to carry the rest of this," Varen groaned as he saw all of the other weapons and Duel Disks.
"I'll take Daine back and tell them to come and get their appropriate items," Ryei volunteered.
"Sure. We'll wait here," Zarek said.
Ryei helped Daine up, putting his arm around his shoulder. "Then let's get going. Can you at least walk?"
"Yeah, thanks…"
They left the hallway, leaving Varen and Zarek. Varen seemed preoccupied though, and looked towards the other door.
"Listen… I need to check something. I'll come right back, ok?"
"What are you going to do?" Zarek inquired.
"I'll explain later. I have to hurry, before any soldiers come."
"Alright. Be careful," Zarek warned.
"Sure thing," Varen nodded before running out of the other door.
-----
Gaignun looked up, letting out a soft growl. Yamato woke up instantly, as did Zari and Valor. Hope and Karen were already awake, so Hope sat up as the two group members entered.
"Are you two alright?" Hope asked worriedly as she stood.
"Yeah. Daine got injured in a duel, but he won. We found the weapons; they are two rooms over, in another of those areas with cells. Varen and Zarek are waiting there. Hope, Zari, you should come to retrieve your things; we can't carry all of it. I'll get your items Yamato and Karen, so don't worry."
"Thanks," Karen said in a weary tone. She was still somewhat out of it, but she tried to focus on the words being said.
Ryei helped Daine sit down again, in the corner at the back of the cell, opposite of Yamato and Karen. Then he looked over at Ark, the only one who had not come around. "How is he?"
"He's been sleeping this whole time," Hope replied as they left, Zari and Valor following. Gaignun remained there to watch over
-----
Varen finished circling the outside of the base, and nodded. "Alright, I think I have it down." Then he went back to the entrance.
But as he went to the door, it opened, revealing two soldiers.
The soldiers stopped, shocked. But Varen reacted instantly, diving his katars into each soldier. They collapsed, and he leapt over them, running towards where Zarek was waiting.
"At least they didn't cry out…" Varen muttered. He was still concerned about being discovered though, so he did not slacken his pace.
-----
"We're here," Ryei announced as they went over to Zarek. "Where did Varen go?"
"He said he had to do something, and that he would be back shortly."
"He didn't say why?" Hope asked as she picked up her bow and quiver of arrows, and her Duel Disk.
"No."
"We can't stay here too long," Zari stated as she strapped on her two katanas and took her Duel Disk. Valor retrieved his dagger, and Hope took her pack.
"Then he had better get back here quickly," Ryei said as he tried to pick up Yamato's sword. "How does he use this thing? I can barely lift it…"
"Take the rest of their things," Zarek told him as he took the large sword. "I'll carry this."
As Ryei finished collecting Karen's pack and the two remaining Duel Disks, Varen burst in, shutting the door swiftly behind him.
"The soldiers… they'll be coming shortly!" Varen exclaimed. "One saw me, but fled before I could kill him."
"You apparently got a few though," Hope commented as she saw the blood dripping off of his katars.
"Yeah, two others ran into me. But let's hurry and get back to the others!"
-----
Gaignun looked up, sniffing the air. Daine and Yamato followed his gaze, and the other group members came running in.
"What happened?" Daine asked.
"It's the soldiers. They know we're here," Hope explained.
"We have to blockade them somehow," Ryei said, putting the pack and Duel Disks next to Yamato and Karen. Zarek set the sword there as well.
"But how?" Varen asked. "We have no way to stop them from entering! They'll overrun us eventually!"
Suddenly, Gaignun snarled, looking towards the door they had just entered from. It was closed, but Gaignun continued to growl at it.
"They must be coming," Hope groaned. "We're out of options."
"I'm not going down without a fight!" Varen declared.
"…Wait. I have an idea," Zarek said. Before they could respond, he ran over to the door that Gaignun was looking at.
His hand began to glow blue as he put it to the doorway. Then, a sudden flash of light blinded everyone. After a few moments, it cleared, and they could see what Zarek had done.
The metal door was fused with the wall. It was firmly stuck in place. Just looking at it, they could tell it would be impossible to open.
"Great idea!" Ryei approved.
"But what about when we need to leave?" Zari inquired.
"I can always knock it down if necessary," Zarek shrugged before repeating the process with the other door.
"Um… I guess so," Varen blinked.
Zarek sat down in a different cell. "But after that, I'll need some time to recharge. It uses up a lot of my energy to generate so much electricity."
"Be my guest then," Zari said. "We aren't about to be going anywhere."
After Zarek was unconscious, Hope went over to Daine, and got out some items from her pack. "I can help you with you wound, if you want."
"Oh, thanks…" He got up shakily, and followed her into another cell.
Zari looked through Hope's pack and pulled something out. "Valor, come with me please."
"Alright." He went with her to yet another one.
"So, I guess we're going to be waiting here for a long time," Varen sighed.
"Correct. I'm going to get some sleep," Ryei told him. "I advise you do as well."
"Alright, but I need to clean off my katars…" Varen looked at their condition. "But I doubt we have any spare cloth."
Zari came back in and handed him what had once been Valor's shirt. "You can use that. Sorry I don't have better to offer."
"It beats nothing," Varen said, wiping away the blood. "But why doesn't he need it anymore?"
Valor stepped back inside, looking slightly embarrassed as Varen lifted an eyebrow.
"New clothes, huh? You look better in black," Varen commented.
"Good call," Ryei nodded. "That'll help when we're trying to conceal ourselves. Well, good night guys." Then he went to a different cell to sleep in.
"At least there are several areas to choose from," Varen said, going to another one as well.
"See you shortly," Zari said to Yamato and Karen before she and Valor left as well.
When they were gone, Karen fell asleep immediately. Yamato soon did too, leaving only three awake. Gaignun went to the center of the hall, listening to Daine and Hope's whispers.
"Is that better?"
"Yeah, the flow of blood has pretty much stopped. Thanks."
"Your welcome. You should get some sleep too. You look exhausted."
"I'm just weary from the duel. I'll be fine soon."
"Well, resting will still help. I'm going to sleep as well. See you in a while." She came out, and looked over at Gaignun. "Would you please alert us if the soldiers try anything?"
Gaignun nodded.
"Thanks." Then she went into another cell.
Gaignun lay down, eyes closed. Yet he was fully alert for any sign of the soldiers.
-----
"He still isn't back…" the woman muttered.
Then a knock sounded at her door. With a sigh, she yelled, "Come in!"
The soldier came running inside. "The prisoners escaped!"
"What?" She got up. "Tell all the other soldiers to begin a search. Take them alive at all costs."
"Yes ma'am!" Then he ran off.
She looked over to see the screen at her computer flashing.
"Now he decides to show up…" she grumbled, going over to it.
-----
Gaignun listened as several soldiers approached, but did not do anything yet.
"What the… the door is stuck!" one exclaimed.
"That cyborg… didn't he have powers that came from electricity? That means he would be able to do something like that," another said.
"So they locked themselves in there? They'll die eventually!"
"True. As long as we remain outside of the door, they can't escape. Have the others circle to the door on the other side. We'll wait twenty-four hours for their surrender. If they refuse to, we'll let the boss take over."
"Right. You, tell the others to go to the other door…"
Gaignun ignored the rest of it, having heard what he needed to. Satisfied with their plans, he let himself drift into sleep.
-----
Karen woke up instantly as the cable in the back of her neck detached. She looked over to Yamato, who was waking up, and slowly stood up.
"Yamato? The charge is complete."
He opened his eyes, glancing at her. "How do you feel?"
She moved her arms, and was relieved to see that they worked. "Fine now, thanks." She shivered. "But it was just terrifying… I can't begin to describe…"
"It's over now," Yamato said, getting up. "I guess we'll have to wake up the rest of them."
But their movements had already alerted Gaignun. He got up, and went over to Hope, licking her.
"Gaignun!" she exclaimed, wiping away the saliva. "What have I told you about doing that?"
He simply went back to the center of the hall, not listening to her.
"He'll never stop waking me up that way…" Hope sighed, rising.
"What is the situation?" Zari asked, coming over to the hall as well, Valor following. Daine, Varen and Ryei had also woken up due to Hope's cry and came out too.
"The charging is done," Karen told them. "We can leave when everyone else is ready."
"The sooner the better. I'm starving!" Varen complained.
"How do you feel Daine?" Ryei inquired.
"A lot better now, thanks." His wound from the shruiken had been covered by a bandage, but other than that, he did appear fine. "I guess it depends on if Ark is ready or not."
Zarek came over to them. "If he isn't, I can assist. We need to go as quickly as we can."
"We might have to resort to that." Daine went over to Ark, and gently shook his shoulder. "Ark? Wake up. We need to leave."
Ark looked over at them. "I'm afraid I am in no condition to move. I will only slow you down…"
"I'll carry you, if that's alright," Zarek said.
"Very well," Ark replied.
"It might pain you, but I'll try not to," Zarek told him, lifting him.
Ark winced, but did not complain. "Don't worry about it. Speed is essential."
Gaignun was relaying what the soldiers had said to Hope. She went over to the doors, and then went back to the center. "Guys, we're trapped. There are too many soldiers; we'll never be able to get by them. In these narrow halls, we won't be able to fight them all off."
"We have to try though," Daine said. "It will only get worse later."
"But Zarek won't be able to fight, and you're injured," Zari pointed out. "Ark won't be able to assist, nor will Valor. Karen's weapon would kill them, but it would hit us as well. Hope's arrows won't do much in close quarters. That means the only fighters we'll have is Yamato, Varen, and me. We simply can't hold off so many soldiers. And if they somehow put us to sleep again, then we don't stand a chance."
Varen had been silent up to this point, but then he spoke. "I have a way that we can leave."
Everyone stared at him in surprise.
"How?" Zarek asked.
"Well… um… it'd be easier if I show you," Varen said awkwardly, not looking at them. "But please, trust me. I promise I can help. Just let me try it… are you all with me?"
"We have nothing to lose," Daine said. "Alright, I'm willing to try it. Does anyone disagree?"
Everyone else remained silent.
"Then… let me try this… ok, I have two things to warn you guys about. One is don't panic. Remain calm while I'm doing this. The second is that I don't know how well this will work. I've never tried it with this many people. But it's our only chance… so… are you all ready?"
"I believe so," Zari replied.
"Ok… then here we go."
They didn't even know what had happened. All they saw before vanishing was some sort of purple smoke, and the last noise they heard was something that seemed to sound like 'bamf'.
To be continued…
