Le Debut
Chapter 3- Distractions Come Easily
"Block, for god's sake, BLOCK! It's no fun if you don't even try!" He caught him swiftly in the shin, sweeping the ninja clear off of his feet. Fafnir grinned triumphantly, standing up straight with his hands on his hips. "How's the weather down there, bro?"
Phantom stayed on the floor, resting on his elbows looking deeply aggravated. Smug bastard. "You don't need to tell me how to fight, Fafnir!" He spat, getting to his feet, "I've just had other things on my mind." The reploid flashed him a scowl, "Something you would never to experience since you rarely think about anything." Like lightening he darted behind him and struck him hard across the back. He may have been smaller and less muscular but he was fast.
The other only hesitated briefly to catch his breath before turning and knocking his lighter opposition out of his way. He hopped back with surprising agility and stood ready, "That all you got? I thought ninjas were meant to be fast?" He sneered, "You're dragging down the statistics, Phantom!"
"You take that back, you arrogant little bastard! I'll-"
"You're both so childish!"
Both boys turned as Leviathan entered flopped down on the floor by the two sparring siblings. She crossed her legs and raised an eyebrow like a mother to a naughty toddler.
Fafnir pouted, "He was being a stuck up git, Levi!"
"He was being infantile! Mocking me! Would you believe!" Phantom threw his hands in the air.
The female reploid giggled and shook her head, "God, Phantom, I thought you were meant to be the 'patient, aloof one'?"
Fafnir sat down next to her, folding his arms across his chest, "He was being moody 'cause I was beating him. He's such a sore loser."
Phantom grunted, trying not to look as sulky as he felt. He was shorter than his younger brother, therefore touchy about being beaten. With a reputation like his he needed to reinforce it. "I only lost because I was at a disadvantage. I told you. I was distracted by something…" Before they could answer he shook his head, "And no I won't tell you."
Leviathan caught his eye; own blue ones glinting, "Something… or someone?" She teased, smirking.
The elder reploid was caught unawares by this and it took him a few seconds to react, "No. Don't be ridiculous, Leviathan. It's nothing." Yeah. A blonde, errand boy shaped nothing.
--
"Sir, you had better have a look at this…"
Harpuia frowned, staring at the monitor, "What on…"
"They appear to be having some trouble, sir…" Replied the reploid at the desk, "The door locked itself. We can't seem to get back in…"
Tech Kraken and Hannumachine seemed to be charging at the door leading into the library, ramming into it as hard as they could, dodging round the destroyed mechanaloid lying on the floor next to them. The monkey reploid turned to his associate, shaking his head. "What're they doing?" The guardian picked up a headset, "Hannumachine, Tech Kraken, come in." The two jumped on the monitor, "Come in, this is Harpuia."
"Sir!" Tech Kraken replied, looking shocked.
"What're you doing? Where's the errand boy, had he got the file yet?"
He hesitated, "He… he went through the door and when we looked up it was locked! Maybe he accidentally shut the door in on himself or set off an alarm system…?"
Harpuia's green eyes narrowed. There weren't many things that could set off such an alarm and he could think of the main ones. There were also many things in that library that he knew were alarmed… He didn't want a mere errand boy seeing them. He turned to another reploid and tore off the headset, "You there! Get me a helicopter!"
--
Hannumachine jammed in the code again, repeating the numbers as he hit them on the keypad just to be sure. "562-7881? Or was it 562-7921" He mumbled, confusing himself. There was a low bleep and the bar above the door flickered for a few moments, then, frustratingly, returned to its red glow. "Damn it!" He cocked his weapon, "That's it, no more mister nice monkey!"
Tech Kraken caught his shoulder just as he was about to give the door another blast of his gun. "Calm down… Master Harpuia will be here soon. He'll know what to do…" Letting out a sigh of annoyance, the reploid sat down. "We've let down Master Phantom." He said after a while, "He'll never trust us again."
"Oh come on." His companion tried to smile, "It's the errand boy's fault for running off like that in the first place."
"You really think so?" He laughed, shaking his head at him, "No. Master Phantom could never bring himself to find fault in that kid!" He folded his arms, "We'll have to get back on his good side on our own."
There was a silence, in which neither of the two were both lost in their thoughts. They both knew Tech Kraken was right.
The door at the other end of the room clicked and slid open, three underlings ran in, guns at the ready, followed by Harpuia. "Tech Kraken, Hannumachine! Report!" He said simply, approaching them.
The two soldiers stood up and saluted. The monkey reploid looked back at the door, "The door's locked itself. We suspect the defense system reacted to something the errand boy did."
"Have you tried to shoot the door open?" Stupid question. The door was riddled with bullet holes and dents. "… Hmm. Stand back." He drew out his blades, the pink-purple blades glowing somewhat maliciously. "We'll see…" Flying forward, the young guardian slashed at the door twice, once with each blade. The door creaked, then fell back, splitting and cracking into four clean-cut pieces. The reploid stepped into the room.
It was a mess. The bodies of the mavericks looked pretty dead to him but there was blood on the floor. Mavericks didn't bleed as far as he knew. That meant either the errand boy had crawled off somewhere, or had crawled off somewhere and was dead. Immediately his thoughts went to the data. He needed that file…!
Hannumachine entered quickly behind him, "Sir, all the doors are locked except for…"
Harpuia held his breath, turning to the soldiers. "Stay here. That's an order." He commanded. They couldn't see what was in there. He had recognized the room number immediately. It was even forbidden for Guardians to enter, let alone a subordinate! That was unthinkable! The knowledge within certain areas was taboo. Master X had been very clear on the subject.
"Yes, sir!" The two other reploids saluted, and then turned to look at each other as their leader entered the door.
"He's in for it…"
--
The file switched off.
TK-31 fell to his knees, trembling. The alarm was still flashing brightly above the door. There… There was… what? What was he thinking about? All the information had just blasted right at him, leaving him confused and scared. The Mother Elf, the Elpis Project, the Maverick Wars… He hadn't understood it… But he could see why Neo Arcadia was hiding it. That was some pretty heavy stuff locked in there… He was so bewildered that he didn't even notice the crimson light of the alarm flicker off and the presence of another.
"TK-31!"
He jumped, turning around. "S-Sir!" He stuttered, heart pounding. Master Harpuia… He didn't look too pleased to see him. Not pleased at all.
The green guardian marched forward, boots beating hard against the metal floor, the boom loud and threatening. He meant business. "What do you think you're doing!"
"I-I…I…"
"Did I not say there were to be no distractions?" He was stood right in front of him now.
The errand boy kept his gaze at his master's feet, "Forgive me, master… I… I couldn't help… I was…"
"Curious?" He finished his sentence coldly, narrowing his eyes. "Your inquisitiveness is an asset not appreciated within Neo Arcadian society. Therefore you are obsolete in our eyes. As such, you should technically be retired here and now."
TK-31 threw himself to his feet, shaking even more, "Please! I beg you…! I… shall resist temptation from now on! I swear it!"
Harpuia crossed his arms and nudged him away with his foot. "Very well. Then you shall seal this promise by forgetting whatever you have just witnessed." He hesitated, then added, "… Whatever it was it was all the work of a corrupt file, mixed data… none of it true."
"Yes, master Harpuia." And he "forgot". Well… He locked the information away for a while. But four words were beating round his mind his mind.
Baby Elves. Area 7.