Chapter 9: True Colors
Everything was surreal, everything was calm, and Miriallia felt at peace. Mostly. It wasn't the kind of peace that she felt around Kira, especially with the peace he had recently brought her; instead it was more like it had been forced over her eyes, like a blindfold. There weren't any thunderous noises as she slowly stood, taking her time as if her body had a purpose but forgot to inform her mind about it. No one took any notice; they were so absorbed into their tasks, whatever they were.
The Main Hall slowly disappeared behind her, melting into the darkness that no light could penetrate. The corridors and passageways were as silent as everyone in the Main Hall, which made her mind start to worry. Neither Commander Rau nor Doctor Ryan knew the exact numbers of the Forsaken, or even dared to venture a guess. The main source of protection for the amassed students and researchers lay in the hands of the eight Coordinator students who were currently off on their crusade-like mission to eradicate, if possible, the Forsaken.
Professor Cyril Ferguson had expressed his concerns to Milly about both Kira and Dearka and how they had radically changed since becoming trapped inside the temple. Mir had wanted to argue that Kira had merely stepped up to the plate to protect his friends from danger, but as the words formed in her mouth, she realized that the once-manageable rivalry between the tanned Coordinator and her Kira had quickly degraded into outright hatred as she and Kira were seen together more often.
And the more she and Kira were seen together, the more Dearka tried to get with her. The more Dearka tried, the more Kira was seen with her. It was a vicious circle of anger and jealously and at the rate it was going, it would end up with one of them dead, probably both of them.
All of this ran through her head again as her feet continued to lead her body. Her mind could no longer control her rebelling body, but that quickly became the least of her concerns. A shadow separated from the wall, barely visible in the darkness surrounding everything.
"Well I'll be damned, she told the truth." The figure said in a happy voice. It seemed like the reality blindfold shattered, and she was finally released and able to see the truth. A flashlight flicked on, which easily cut through the darkness and shining brightly in her face. Miriallia raised her arms to block the bright light from her eyes, so the operator turned the flashlight upwards and placed the light under his face, much like children do when telling ghost stories around the campfire.
The light inexplicably brightened the section of the corridor she was in, revealing two Forsaken Warriors standing behind her, silent but looking very anxious to do some damage. "Oh no …" she whispered, almost wishing for the false reality from a few minutes ago.
"Where's your precious Kira now? It's just you, me and them, so you'd better appreciate me babe." Miriallia was trapped, far away from the Main Hall or the rest of the teams on their hunt, between the two deadly Warriors and none other than Dearka Elsman.
Kira and the others raced past Kuzzey and came to a sudden halt again. Inside the room were at least fifty drones, former humans with the odd scales grafted onto their skin that somehow gave Icess complete control over them. "What the hell?" Rusty asked, surprised at the sheer number of students.
Yzak scanned the room. "Open fire! Kill them! Kill 'em all!" seven rifles raised and seven triggers were pulled, sending a horde of bullets spraying across the room, cutting down the slaves left and right quickly. Their screams of pain and surprise were nearly deafening, easily heard over the roar of seven rifles on automatic fire.
Within minutes the last body had dropped lifelessly to the floor, ending the slaughter. Seven empty clips were ejected and seven new ones loaded into place. "Where to now?" Olor asked.
Kira checked his wrist computer. "Uh, forward I guess. The hall should lead to the next major heat sources." No one else had a better plan, so the proceeded through the room, stepping over the dead bodies and exiting out the other side into a new corridor. Their boot steps echoed down the corridor.
"We should be nearing a t-junction in just a few meters." Kira informed them and just as they reached it, a sharp object zipped from down the adjoining corridor, narrowly missing Kira. "Son of a-" he started to curse. The weapon impacted on the wall a meter away and then was pulled back.
Stepping forward towards them was something they hadn't yet seen. It was much smaller than a Warrior, and nearly human-like, with two arms that had hands, two legs that had feet and a head. There was no pink-colored flesh, or even dull grey scales. Instead, the thing looked like it had been painted an olive green color. It had to be one of the Males because it was nowhere near the likeness of a slave.
"Zala, proceed on mission, I'll deal with our green friend here." Yzak ordered, blocking the way from the Male Forsaken. He grinned at his challenger as the rest of the team continued down the hallway. "So you're supposed to be smart and fast. It's been a while since I've had a decent fight."
The Male motioned Yzak forward with two fingers and the silver-haired Coordinator readily complied, taking two steps before starting into an all-out run. Less than ten feet away Yzak snapped his rifle up and fired the shotgun three times, and in less than three seconds, three slugs impacted with the Male, sending the green monster hurtling backwards with blood spraying everywhere.
When it became apparent that the Male was dead, Yzak scoffed. "That's it? I expected something harder." As if to answer his boastful challenge, two more Males stepped into view. A grin settled on Yzak's face. "That's more like it." With a loud yell, he charged again.
As quickly as the pressure started, it suddenly stopped, releasing Rau from its death grip. He steadied his breathing and then attended to the whimpering form of Lacus, her hands covering her ears as if the pressure had entered through there. Glancing around, everyone else seemed to be in the same state as Lacus, curled up on the stone floor, clutching their heads.
A static seemed to fill his mind, along with the occasional voice. "Commander Le Creuset, do you read? Commander Le Creuset, are you there? Come in!" it spoke. Slowly Rau's head turned to the comm unit sitting on a crate. "Commander Le Creuset, this is shuttle Siren's Song, we are inbound, e.t.a. of thirty minutes, repeat inbound e.t.a. of three zero minutes."
It was the rescue shuttle that Lacus had requested when the teams had first started their patrols. Thanks to her father's connections, him being the Supreme Chairman of the PLANTs, Lacus was able to easily call for a rescue shuttle large enough to carry all of the students, researchers and any injured to safety. The only unknown factor was time. The Forsaken could have attacked at any time, which left the civilians vulnerable, so Rau figured that the best defense was a good offense.
His remaining team members were to stall the Forsaken in any way possible, only they didn't truly know that that was their objective. By attacking, they kept the enemy occupied, but they also kept the attention on them, which could kill them all. It was a gamble, but Rau had little doubt that his team would sacrifice themselves in order to ensure the safety of everyone else.
"This is Commander Rau Le Creuset to shuttle Siren's Song. I read you loud and clear. We'll be waiting for you." He finally replied.
"Thank god you're still there Commander. There's a particularly nasty storm on top of your location but it seems to be abating. We'll send updates every ten minutes. Siren's Song out."
Thirty minutes could very well have been an eternity. "I want any able bodied person to start moving the injured near the entrance of the temple. We have a shuttle inbound to take us home, but the injured get priority." Rau called out.
To his relief, Professor Cyril stepped up to the plate. "You heard the man, move it! Keep a path clear to the entrance and be careful with the wounded." Despite the differences the two men had in the past, they could work together for a common goal.
"All teams listen up, we have a shuttle inbound for retrieval, I need two volunteers to return to the Main Hall." Rau informed his team. Not a minute later Athrun replied. "Roger that Commander, Olor and Matthew are on their way back now."
Now he just had to hope that the rest of them could hold out, after all time was expensive.
Icess sat back in throne, unconcerned about the loss of her drones and several Warriors. It was the same as the last time she had fought, a war of attrition, and one she could easily win. The humans were limited in their own warriors and would be extremely vulnerable once they were eliminated.
Therefore, it was a shock when the body of a Male landed limply on the floor with the hilt of a blade sticking out of his chest. She stood up immediately. Yzak strolled in cockily, unperturbed about the cut that ran diagonally across his face. "For all the hype surrounding your little green men, they sure don't live up to expectations." He said arrogantly. Several Warriors and Males placed themselves between Yzak and their Queen. "Maybe you bunch will be better."
As Yzak opened fire, Icess sent out a furious mental command. "Defend me! Return at once!"
One minute Dearka was deciding what he should do with Miriallia and the next minute he clutched his temples as someone decided to put a loudspeaker inside his brain. "Defend me! Return at once!" Icess ordered, putting so much of her power behind the command that Dearka nearly blacked out.
"I am not your pawn!" he yelled out loud, confusing an already frightened Miriallia. The two Warriors rushed off. "RETURN!" this time Dearka dropped to his knees in defeat. "Fine!"
It seemed to be the only chance Milly would get, Dearka was distracted and the two Warriors had run off. She managed no more than three steps when Dearka grabbed her wrist and started dragging her in the opposite direction. "Stop it, let go of me!" she pleaded, tugging futilely to get away. "I went through all that trouble to get you in the first place so I am not just going to let this go!" he yelled in return.
"Kira! Please, help me! I need you!" she screamed, hoping desperately that he was within earshot. Dearka turned, infuriated at the mention of Kira's name. He viciously backhanded her across the face. "Never speak his name if you want to live!" he warned, and once again, he started dragging her away.
No more than halfway to the Throne Room, his comm crackled to life again. "This is Yzak, requesting immediate backup! Throne Room!" Dearka's eyes widened in surprise, and he ungraciously swung Miriallia over his shoulder and took off in a run.
When Rau had called for two volunteers, the group had finally taken notice that Dearka was missing. The last thing they wanted to do was alarm their Commander, so while Olor and Matthew returned to the Main Hall, Rusty and Miguel went to search for their missing comrade. Then they had received Yzak's call for reinforcements, and left with little choice, Kira and Athrun took up the slack.
"We're on our way Yzak, just hold tight!" Athrun transmitted. "Wait; do we even know where the Throne Room is?" Kira tapped a few buttons on his wrist computer. "I think I know where it is." He replied.
"You think?" Kira interrupted. "Would you rather ask for directions?" Athrun paused to consider. "Good point. Lead the way."
Kira and Athrun arrived in the Throne Room at the same time as Dearka carrying Miriallia, but they entered through different entrances and thus neither group realized the other was there. Bodies were strewn about, mostly dead Warriors, but a few Males. "Holy shit." Kira breathed.
Yzak fired the last rounds from his rifle, dropping the last Male in the room before smoothly unbuckling and discarding the empty rifle. Two switchblades appeared in his hands with the blades extended. He was a perfectly timed ballet of death, the blades flicking out to slice off tentacles, gouging eyes and slitting throats of the few remaining Warriors. Jabbing one blade deep into the head of the last Warrior, Yzak spun to face Icess, simultaneously drawing his Sturm Faust.
Icess lashed out, knocking the RPG from Yzak's hand, sending it flying towards Dearka, still oblivious to Kira and Athrun. In response, Yzak grabbed his other blade from the dead Warrior and readied himself. The Queen of the Forsaken took a step back and smirked. "You've shown great skill, but you are no match for me."
It was their first unobstructed view of the Queen that had been the cause of so much trouble, responsible for so many deaths and sacrifices. Icess was dark blue all over with knotted joints and grisly features. Her knobby fingers ended in sharp nails, Kira knew from experience how easily they could slice through flesh. A serpent like tongue slide between sharp teeth seemingly permanently set in a grin.
But it was her eyes that stood out. Both orbs were swirls of flame red and orange, constantly shifting as if unable to contain the terrible essence that was Icess. They were mesmerizing, which probably made it easier for her to control her subjects. Perhaps the oddest thing was the gaping hole in her chest; it looked like it had been gouged out by a large blade.
Kira hazily remembered touching the edges of the wound and feeling the frozen organs inside. Perhaps that was her one weakness to balance out all of her powers. The Queen's skin was smooth in some places, but then rough and dry in others, as if it was slowly decaying. Everything about the monster seemed as though it was out of an old science fiction movie, reminding Kira of the ones that Miriallia liked to watch.
"We'll see." Yzak growled, drawing their attention back to the fight at hand. He lunged forward, one blade ready to stab and the other ready for blocking. In an instant the nails on Icess' hands elongated to nearly six inches and she thrust them forward.
Yzak came to a dead stop, his knife barely an inch away from his target. He looked down slowly to see a hand in his stomach, in so deep that he couldn't see the fingers. The cold feeling that numbed his body told him that he was going to die. "Damn." He muttered. Icess lifted the valiant warrior off the ground and using her immense strength, threw him off her knife-like claws and crashing into the wall with bone-crushing speed.
His body even made an impact crater in the wall before sliding lifelessly to the floor, his eyes still open. Icess turned her attention to Dearka who was still holding onto Miriallia. "You are slow to return and you bring her?" she demanded. "You will punished for your insolence, but first she will die by your hands, to prove your loyalty to me"
Athrun managed to keep Kira from revealing their presence; it would show him just how far Dearka had fallen since arriving on Earth. "You …" he started, his body just seething with anger. "You killed Yzak, got Nichol killed, and after everything I've sacrifice you want me to kill her!"
Icess merely stared, infuriating Dearka even more. "I am not your pawn!" he screamed, and letting go of Miriallia finally, he rushed forwards, his foot flicking up the fallen Sturm Faust. He flipped the safety off and released the trigger in a smooth and practiced motion and just as Icess sank her long claws into the side of his face, he pulled the trigger. "Go to hell!" he managed to spit out before the shaped charge exploded.
As Dearka rushed forward, Kira ran over to Miriallia, managing to safely tackle her to the floor as the shockwave hit, sending stone and bits of metal flying everywhere. The dust started to settle, so Kira started to push off of Miriallia. "Hi Hero." She said warmly before kissing him.
"Sorry I'm late. Are you okay?" he asked. She smiled. "I am now." They heard a groan from several feet away and feared that Dearka was somehow still alive or worse yet, Icess. "Everyone okay?" Athrun called out, standing up and dusting himself off. "So far I'm all in one piece." Kira answered, standing up and offering his hand to help Milly up.
She took up but as she tried to stand she let out a gasp of pain and her hands shot to her thigh, where a piece of metal had stabbed into her. "Oh god, Athrun help!" Kira yelled, dropping to his knees. The shockwave had dulled their senses, but there was nothing like pain to bring them back.
Athrun knelt down and took out some gauze and something that looked like a really shortened handgun. "Hold her down." He ordered and firmly grasped the shard of metal. "This will hurt." He warned and then pulled it out. Miriallia let out a scream of pain as the offending object left, clutching onto Kira for comfort.
The blue-haired Coordinator grabbed the pistol look-alike and paused. "I'm sorry." He said quietly. Despite the pain, Mir managed to look at Athrun. "For … what?" she gritted out. "For this." He said and pulled the trigger, sparking a hot flame to life. Not wasting a second he put the flame against the wound, cauterizing it to prevent her from bleeding to death. The beginnings of a scream left Mir's lips but then the pain became so great that she passed out.
When he was done, he started to wrap her leg in the gauze. "Christ Athrun! Why the hell did you do that?" Kira was frantic, checking to make sure Milly still had a pulse and was still breathing. "I didn't have any synthflesh and stitches would have been ineffective. Cauterizing the wound was simply the fastest way to ensure she lived." He answered.
Athrun stood. "We've got a shuttle to catch, let's go." Kira gently picked up Miriallia and handed Athrun his rifle. "Right, let's get out of this damned place." He agreed. The two Coordinators took off, missing the sounds of shifting rock and gravel.
Well that took a while, now didn't it. I was at PAX '05, and it was a blast. Check out my profile for some notes from PAX. In the meantime, I'll pray that you all Review, and then I'll continue my work.
Prayer