Chapter 14

We were walking through the overly complex maze system when a shot of fire was heard.

"An Ether Rifle?" mused Sharla, before her eyes flared up in realization. "Gadolt!" She ran ahead, leaving us males to run after her.

By now, the four of us entered a large room. There were a few Mechon and... a man.

"Otharon!" exclaimed Sharla, gun in hand, leaping down to assist the older person.

"That voice..." He dipped his head up from his cover as Sharla shot using her rifle. "Medic, is that you?!" He grunted, forced back into his cover by the Mechon.

"Sharla!" grunted Reyn, leaping after her. "Wait!" He uses his Driver to force a Mechon back. "SHULK!"

"I know!" He used Enchant, and I leap down as he does. "Shadow Eye!" he declared, before using an Air Slash attack.

I drew my sword, using Defensive Reversal as a Mechon rushed at me. Now... "Hah!" With a shout and Slide Edge I swung around the Mechon, though the initial Art destroyed it. "Useful." I leapt off to evade a laser beam.

"The... Monado?!" exclaimed Otharon. "What are you doing with that sword?"

"Destroying Mechon with it!" shouted Reyn, using his Sword Drive to take down a Mechon.

"Ah..." I saw Shulk's eyes glow blue for a moment, and in that moment, he was totally vulnerable.

Which was when, of course, all the Mechon decided to focus on him. Because it can never not happen that way.

They all just turned. Shulk gave a gasp as he was shot relentlessly by about half a dozen lasers. "UGH!" He slid along the floor, the Monado dropping out of his grip.

"Hey!" Reyn used his Mad Taunt Talent Art. "Come on! Pay attention to me!" As he spoke all the Mechon did, so he guarded with his Driver. "Sharla! Check up on Shulk! Andrew, let's go!"

I grunted as Enchant wore off on our weapons. "Crap...!" I let out a roar, using my Soul Trigger state, using Whip Slash to tear through all the Mechon in an instant. "Ugh!" I reverted back to normal.

"Ow..." Shulk managed to sit upright. "Half those lasers hit my googles. Aw, now it's cracked," he complained.

"Stop whining," spoke Sharla with a sigh of relief. "It saved you, but you're still badly hurt." She shot a rifle round into him, and his wounds faded away.

"Thanks, Sharla," he responded, standing again. "Whoa." He staggered for a moment, before retrieving the Monado.

"Medic," spoke Otharon, back to us. "Why are you here?"

The sharpshooter ignored his question. "Sir... isn't Gadolt with you?" She spoke with a bit of hope in her voice.

The old man stepped forward a bit, and he cleared his throat. "We have much to talk about," he stated.

Even though I won't care enough to listen to you ramble! I thought.

Otharon turned to look over us. "You'd better come with me."

Sharla responded with something short that I didn't catch, and then the five of us made it to a small room. Shulk, Reyn and Sharla told the Defense Force man our tale so far.

"Hm... so Juju has been taken by a Mechon," he mused.

"Sir," spoke Sharla,impatience emerging in her voice. "What about Gadolt?"

Authors gave a soft sigh before turning to face Sharla. "Gadolt... is gone."

"Gone?!" she echoed. "What do you mean?!" As she spoke I couldn't resist thinking about Justin Bieber's song - STOP. STOP, PLOT THINGS ARE HAPPENING THAT YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT, BUT ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN A STUPID SONG.

Otharon then explained what had happened, and pretty much why Colony 6 had gone to hell.

"Only his rifle remained," he admitted, turning towards a rifle. It looked much like Sharla's, but sharper and with distinct markings.

"But he is alive," added Otharon to Sharla's hopeless face. "I can feel it."

Yeah, he's alive, but not in the way you think! I thought. MUST... RESIST... URGE... TO... GIVE SPOILERS...

"We may not be joined by blood, but Gadolt is like a son to me," breathed Otharon. "I'd know if he were dead."

Sharla let out a gasp, closing her eyes. Then she was quiet.

Reyn had a face of seriousness as he glanced at Sharla. "In Colony 9... some of the people got eaten..."

As he spoke dreadfully strong emotions went through the eyes of himself and Shulk. Fear was first, then horror, and finally... regret.

Shulk turned towards his best friend, glaring at him. "Reyn!" Raw emotion flared strongly in his eyes.

Reyn turned to acknowledge Shulk before turning back. "Um... sorry, forget I said that," he spoke quickly, a hint of sheepishness in his voice.

For a moment I didn't get it. Then I did.

"They don't kill Homs right away," spoke Otharon as Sharla looked at him. It was clear who "they" were.

"If that bronze-faced Mechon took him, we still have a chance," he continued.

"Are you sure?" asked Shulk, leaning towards the older man as he spoke.

Otharon looked at Shulk. "Boy, Dunban once wielded that blade. I don't know why you have it, but... forget why I asked earlier. We will need all the powers it can grant us."

"You can count on me to do that," spoke Shulk, clear eyes focussed and ready.

I feel lied to... he can't use Monado Purge yet... I thought.

"And you." Otharon looked at me. "I saw you take out all those Mechon earlier with one swing. How did you do that?"

"Yeah, especially when Monado Enchant wasn't active," spoke Reyn.

"Through the power of trying!" I declared. "And powers you people can't use."

"Hmph. Well, it's useful," he told me. Then he turned to face the four of us all at once.

"We are heading for the Central Pit," he declared. "That is where they take all the Homs they capture. If Juju is alive, he will be there.

"Gather what you need, then we will move out." He moved away as we nodded.

Shulk looked at the ground for a moment, and I could see his eyes flare intensely. "Ah... what?" He looked at Otharon as the man moved away. A vision, I thought.

"Did ya say somethin', Shulk?" asked Reyn, looking at him.

"Nuh... no," he responded hurriedly. "It... it's nothing. Forget it. Let's go."

Sharla gripped Gadolt's Rifle, leaving her own in the place she took his. "Yes," she spoke. "Let's."

With that, we walked off, following Otharon.

Thanks for reading!