A/N: Hello, fellow readers. It is that time again for a new chapter. This time, I'm weaving a new thread into the plot, so sit back, relax, and enjoy.
Disclaimer: If you have not seen my sign that looks like this: "I do not own Killer Instinct nor Carrie," I suggest doing so before reading.
ARIA observed the world through drones and the Ultratech satellites upon her return to the Pinnacle. She clicked on one screen, showing Carrie and Jago riding a giant bird with brightly colored feathers. Only the amber eyes provided her a hint to conclude it was Pemba. She computed the distance to where they were before and their arrival in Europe; it would take another day.
ARIA's thoughts ended when the door opened on its own. Cinder came into the office, limping. Earlier, she had sent her associate and several Stalker units to capture a woman with a dragon spirit. "I assume it did not go well."
"She was so persistent that she sent me and your pets flying as though we're Team Rocket from Pokémon. How did it go with the FireCat Lady?" Cinder said.
"Only that I made the first move. Once subdued, we'll have Carrie in our grasp."
"Let's say we have Carrie. What are your plans for her?"
"Since Black Prom, people have feared telekinesis. With Carrie's DNA, we'll create the most potent group of soldiers known in existence but will require more testing. Cinder, head to the crash site in the Antarctic Circle and find Glacius. If the power is within his genetics, it will open the door for my project."
"Glacius has been off the radar since he escaped from us. I doubt he'd volunteer to expose his secrets."
"You don't have to bring him in, although it'd be helpful. His genetic code brought rise to Ultratech. It's what made you better."
"When you put it that way, yeah. Time to visit Glay, but first, a quick stop to the doctor. I'm still reeling from the ass-whooping from that dragon girl."
The Antarctic wind howled as snow coated a lifeless land. No one dared inhabit this region, apart from the animals adapting to it, but this frozen, dry land held a secret. Hidden within the blizzard was debris of machinery, but not from humans. A ship laid still as snow encased around a crater.
Cinder viewed from the crater's edge, for this mission brought back memories of when he accepted contracts for crooked companies.
He approached the crashed ship, checking the debris encased in ice. A tense sensation crept within him, but he ignored it. As he tossed a useless object to the side, he spotted a puddle sitting on a hard layer of ice beside the parts. Cinder narrowed his eyes and checked for leaks, though impossible with the bitter temperatures.
The "puddle" slithered towards him, forming a hand with four fingers, and grabbed Cinder's foot. He jumped back, freeing himself from the grip. The puddle changed into a creature. Jagged crystals sprouted from various parts of its insectoid body, and its green reptilian eyes glared at the intruder.
"You must be Glacius, right?" Cinder said. The alien formed a giant icicle with its arm and thrust it at Cinder, who retreated. "Whoa, chill out-no pun intended. What's with you?" When the alien spoke in a strange language, Cinder pressed a small device attached to where his ear used to be. "Now, what were you saying again?"
"You are a corrupted hybrid created by ARIA using my stolen DNA," Glacius said.
"What are you, a cop?"
"I am a marshal of the Alliance of Worlds and enforcer of the 88 Decrees."
"A space cop, but seriously, you can make your body adapt to any environment, and you choose ice. I don't know if you watch Pokémon, but ice doesn't do well against fire and dark."
"You've gone beyond a mere violation. I cannot allow you to exist any longer." Glacius created spiky ice balls and hurled them towards the intruder.
Cinder shot a stream of fire from his hands, melting the hail. He jetted several fire streams, with Glacius evading until he timed one when the alien reverted to its original state, burning a layer of ice.
Glacius's eyes narrowed as a more hardened layer formed around the impact area. The alien beckoned pillars of ice with a foot stomp, but Cinder evaded.
"Miss me, miss me, now you—" Cinder did not finish as an ice pillar struck him. Glacius landed a few hits, but Cinder countered with a backflip kick, adding the flames. "You're tough, but you're still no match for me."
Cinder changed into a fireball and dashed towards Glacius, which reacted by adding a thick layer of ice around its body, protecting itself from the attack.
Glacius formed an ice lance and thrust it, but Cinder dodged and launched a fiery blast. The galactic warden gushed an icy blast, canceling the attacks. A wall of smoke lingered until Cinder emerged as a fireball, striking the alien.
While recovering, Glacius spotted Cinder diving towards him in his fireball form. The alien punched the ground, which erected an ice wall teemed with spikes, stopping Cinder.
Glacius unleashed a spray of spiky hails, followed by a fierce shoulder tackle, knocking Cinder unconscious. With the fight over, the ice armor around the alien shattered. Glacius stared at Cinder and produced an icy tomb until a short fiery blast struck its face. Shrieking, the alien covered its face until something hot struck, driving it towards a metal pillar.
Cinder, though tired and hurt, grabbed his bag and extracted a small container. He scooped a decent amount of metallic flesh from a deep wound he inflicted. "I'd love to stay and chat, but ARIA and I have plans, especially with a new telekinetic in town. Smell ya later." Cinder flew towards the sky, returning to the Pinnacle.
All was quiet around the crash site as Glacius awoke. It glanced at a gaping injury on its chest and winced when trying to examine it. Glacius wanted to pursue Cinder, but his injuries prevented the alien from doing so. It lumbered inside the ship to spend time in the regenerative pod.
It remained the same, though damaged when Ultratech lured the alien with a fake signal and shot the creature to Earth. The lights switched on their own as the alien ventured inside the central room. On the far right, a regenerative pod remained quiet.
Glacius pressed a few buttons, and the hull stirred in its warmup stage. While waiting, it approached a computer and placed its hand on a scanner. The screen showed a room filled with twisted creatures inside cylinders and vacant ones with the following names: Jago, Orchid, Thunder, TJ Combo, and Maya.
I've been sneaking into Ultratech and found something disturbing. ARIA is trying to create a body for her mind to inhabit. If that happens, humans will no longer control their fate. There's also this telekinetic. Could that be why Cinder was here? I must find this telekinetic and negate those powers.
Glacius panned the video, revealing another room with a chamber, this time with an adult human male. The victim floated in a stasis gel, attached with cords, tubes, and probes in various parts of his skull and torso. A long mane of black hair hovered over the man's upper body, lean yet filled with muscle. The name etched at the bottom: Eagle.
"Forgive me if I can't pay you a visit this time," Glacius said, "but I'll free you from your prison. Together, we'll rid the world of ARIA."
A/N: Oh, boy, Glacius sure is pissed. Also, I know many of you are going to say, "Wait, Eagle is Fulgore, so how can he be in that glass cylinder when he is a cyborg?" Don't worry, all will be clear in time, and for those that had read the Novella in the KI forums or Wiki, I think you know how that went down. Anyway, time for my brain to rest, so I'll see you later.