CH 2

Jade was not happy that not only Kumiko was gone again, she'd taken off the collar that the Witch needed to track her. Thankfully, the audio spell Kumiko cast was still active, even though she wasn't answering. Jade did her spell and opened a portal to where the spell was. She had time to see the door with the magic circle on it just before it tipped off the end of the conveyor and dropped into the molten vat of liquid metal.

Watching this, Frank said, "This is new."

"She's going to have to make another one," Liz noted.

Jade frowned and dispelled the portal. "Call me in the morning after she does!"

.

With no audio portal, Kumiko had to scratch in a new one. She had to get these kids to that cathedral place and get everyone together. She made her portal and asked, "Frank? Liz?"

"Where were you?" Frank asked heavily.

"Jade came, even though it's late and we got to watch your portal on the door get destroyed. Jade went home, NOT happy," Liz added.

"Sorry! I found out there's baby thieves here, and everyone is coaxed to commit suicide when they turn 30! This place is really screwed up! I got some kids now, I was going to get them and some others who want to escape being fried, out of this city, but I have to hurry now," she explained in a long breath.

"Then go," Frank said. "Call us when you can."

"OK, bye." Kumiko said and dispelled the portal. Going back out to where the Sandmen were watching the children, she said, "We've got to get to the old cathedral, quickly."

Dan shrugged and said, "There is no fast way to do that from here. We need to go down to the travel tubes near the bottom of the building."

"Ohhh!" Kumiko whined. "All right then, I'll fly you a few at a time! Everybody, into this hallway to the outside, and lock the inner door!"

Luckily the Sandmen were able to lock and unlock doors. Frustrated, Kumiko kicked the outer door off it's hinges. It fell down the side of the building, bouncing all the way. "You and you, come out here!" Kumiko said to one of the Sandmen and an older teen.

"This is dangerous," the Sandman said. "What are we doing out here?"

Kumiko grabbed each around their lower chest and said, "Flying." She brought her wings out and jumped.

Both her passengers screamed she took to the air, flapping as fast as she could. Gripping her arms in fright, they clung onto her wide-eyed. Kumiko flew as fast as possible and dove down on the alley she'd come out of. She landed just inside the area where she'd taken off from.

"Guard her, I'll be back," she told the sand man, then jumped back on the air to fly back to bring two more kids with her.

Back and forth, Kumiko flew, bringing a couple each time. By the time she got all the kids to the cathedral, and only Dan was left, she was getting tired. Approaching the doorway, she saw a drone was there with another door.

"No, not again!" she growled and hit the drone with double lightning bolts. The drone and the new door bounced down the side of the building. She landed, wrapped her arms around Dan and said," Your turn."

"This isn't legal," he said as he held into her.

"Too bad," she replied and vaulted off the side of the building with him.

Kumiko had to do more gliding this time from the fatigue of making so many trips.

"How can you fly?" Dan asked, watching the ground a dizzying distance below them.

"I'm not human, I'm a Succubus. And I'm getting you out of this screwed up city," she told him.

"But ... you can't do that!"

"Watch me. Dan, there is so much you don't know about. So much you people don't even realize. After you are taught, if you want to go back, fine, but you must learn there is more to life than that city lets you live."

"If we are missing, we'll be identified as runners," he cried.

"You're flying, not running," Kumiko told him.

"Kumiko, I seriously doubt your sanity!" he cried.

"I don't, and that's what counts." Coming up on the Cathedral Kumiko saw the boys with their crude weapons. She dove fast. Dan screamed.

The boys saw her coming down holding a screaming man. They scattered.

It took all Kumiko had to get slowed down and turn into the entrance way to stop before she rammed into someone. She let Dan go and sagged in place. "I'm tired," she said in a huff. Worse, she knew she wasn't done yet. They still had to get outside. She saw the last dayers huddled in a corner, a sandman was holding his gun on them.

"Hokay, none of that!" Kumiko announced. She hit the Sandman's hand with a small lightning bolt, making him drop his gun as he yelped in pain. "Everyone is here because I brought you here. We are all leaving the city, I will lead, Dan, you follow and make sure no one gets lost or captured."

"I will do what you say, but you are crazy!" Dan cried.

"Like a fox!" Kumiko replied. She went over to the door in and pushed the sliding door aside. "Everyone, in!"

The last dayers ran in, the kids followed. she had the other Sandman stay mid pack to help whoever needed it. Once everyone was in, she slid the door shut. She then broke the automatic door opener, ripping the chain free.

"How can you do that?" Dan asked. "That door can only be opened with the proper ID."

Kumiko grinned and said, "I told you I'd show you impossible."

It was a long walk through a maze to gt back to the platform she came down on. Kumiko made sure everyone got there and got on. Once they were all on, filling the platform, she raised them up to the cold room. "Follow me quickly, it's cold up here!" she said and led them through the cave then outside and down the mountainside.

"You're taking us to Sanctuary?" a woman behind her asked.

"There is no sanctuary except for what you make for yourself," Kumiko told her.

Once they got to a more level place, she turned to her odd group. "I'm going to go look for a building or a town if I can find one. Wait here." She took off again.

Flying high, she searched the landscape of trees and forest. In the direction she came from, she noted the domes of the city. It was by the ocean. Seeing something sticking up in the woodland, she flew towards it. Getting closer, she saw it was a tall spire with a long square pond in front of it. She also saw dilapidated buildings. Flying over them, she heard yelling. It was coming from a building with a partially collapsed roof.

Diving down, Kumiko flew into the building to see a pair of sandmen fighting. One grabbed a flagpole , Landing in front of him she slashed the flagpole in half and yelled, "Stop it!"

Both back away, eyeing her in shock.

Snapping her head back and forth, she asked, "What's going on here?"

"What are you?" the lighter haired one on her right asked.

The darker haired one vacantly said, "He's a runner! He was my best friend, and now, he's a runner!"

"And I'm a flier, what's your point?" she asked.

He gaped at her. "He's gone crazy! Logan five is a Sandman! He wasn't even coming up on his last year, and he ran! He will not be renewed! He will die out here with that woman! How can he do this? He has to go back!"

Kumiko shook her head. "There is no going back, there is no sanctuary, and your carousel is a lie."she stated. She held up her palm to him to show him the green gem, and dispelled it. "You only chance is to live out here as is his and hers." Seeing the old man, Kumiko bowed to him. "Greetings, sir."

The old man eyed her with a wide grin. "My my, I've never seen one like you before."

"Francis, I was sent to find sanctuary, I was made to run so we could find the location," the lighter haired one said.

Kumiko turned to him. "You are this Logan?"

"I am," he said with a nod. "When you said carousel was a lie, what did you mean?"

"Just that. Your carousel doesn't renew people as you have been taught. It incinerates them. They die. I have been thinking about why the city kills people, why you are only allowed to live until you reach 30. The city is closed off from the rest of the world, so the population needs to be controlled..."

"You lie! carousel is real!" Francis stated.

"It is real, and it really kills people," Kumiko told him. "I have yet to see a soul in the city older than 29. If someone is resurrected, meaning they die and are born into a new body, their soul will be older. your carousel is not capable of that. It only kills. You have been taught since you were young that it renews life. It doesn't."

"How can we hope to live then?" Logan asked.

"By doing what you did, get out of the city and live in the rest of the world." Kumiko pointed to the old man. "He has. Not knowing his exact age, I'd say he's 90 if he's a day. Three times what you're allowed to be in the city. You have a chance to be older and wiser. Stop fighting about it and live! Is there any intact places around?"

Logan blinked. "We've only found this place."

"I have a group that I need to find shelter for," Kumiko said. "Can you help me look?"

"Runners?" Francis asked.

Kumiko looked at him. "I ran them. Yes, a few planned to run. I also got little kids, some teenagers and a couple sandmen. as soon as I can find them a place to stay, I'm going back in to bring more out."

"I was tasked to return and inform the computer where Sanctuary is." Logan said. "But it doesn't exist."

"Computers?" Kumiko asked. "Computers run the city?"

"I have seen them. They sent me to go find Sanctuary," Logan told her.

Kumiko frowned. "I'm going to need some help."

"What can we do?" a voice asked from behind her.

Kumiko turned to see the woman in ripped clothes had come down from the balcony above.

"I'm Jessica 6" the woman said.

"Kumiko Yeager," Kumiko replied. It looked like these two men were done fighting. "Right now, look for places people can stay, places where food is available. I have to call home."

Kumiko looked around a the scattering of desks. finding a good one, she sat down at it and wiped the top off. Both sandmen, Jessica and the old man all came over to watch her extent a fingernail to scratch a magic circle on the top.

"What are you doing?" Jessica asked.

"It's a magic circle so I can call home," Kumiko told her.

"By scratching up that desk?" Logan asked.

"And performing a spell," Kumiko told her. She waved her hand over the circle and spoke her spell. "Frank? Liz?"

A young voice answered, "Mommy! Where are you? Daddy, wake up! It's Mommy Kumiko!"

A groan sounded, then, "Kumiko?"

"Yes Frank, I got another audio portal made. There's people here who seriously need help."

"Figured. OK, what's the scoop?"

Kumiko told him about the city that take people's babies to raise them to be compliant citizens and kills people on the 30th birthday. "The can't even leave the city. If they try, they are hunted down and killed by Sandmen."

"How big is this city?"

Kumiko looked up at Logan and Francis. "What's the population?" she asked.

"We never thought about it," Logan said.

"Take a guess," Frank said firmly.

"By the size. a few hundred thousand," Kumiko offered.

"What skills do these people have?"

"I'm a cashier, and a waitress." Jessica offered.

"Francis and I are Sandmen," Logan offered.

"Survival skills. What can you build? Can you hunt or grow crops?" Frank asked.

"The city does that," Logan said.

"You're in trouble," Frank said in a huff. "Kumiko, when Jade comes back, I'll ask her to do a food drop right where you are. We'll get some people together to show the ones there how to survive. While we get things together, get as many city dwellers at risk of dying, out of that city as you can. Have them go to where you are now."

"Got it." Looking at the group around her, Kumiko asked, "Will one of you stay by this portal for me?"

The old man chuckled and pointed. "That's a telephone. My mother told me about the things you can talk to other people on who are far away."

"I'll do it," Jessica offered.

"Great! Logan, Francis, would you please start looking for houses, or any shelter for the people coming?"

Logan looked at Francis and smiled. "Shall we begin the search?"

"We can't go back?" Francis asked.

Logan held up his palm to show his clear gem. "We aren't part of the city any more."

Francis let out a frustrated huff. "Then we should begin looking. Come on."

"I'm going to bring the group I collected here. Be back in a day or so," Kumiko said. She got up and went to a clear spot on the floor and took off to fly up through the hole in the roof.

"Mommy, are you there?" the young voice asked.

"She left to bring people here," Jessica said. "You know your mother?"

The girl laughed. "Doesn't everyone? Mommies take care of us! If we didn't have Mommies and Daddies, what would we do? Who would read us stories, play games with us and make us cookies?"

Jessica smiled. Real families. "I was raised by the city, as all children here. None of us ever knew who our parents were."

The voice took on a firm tone. "That's not right! Mommy Liz needs to go there and show that city their place!" A retreating. call of, "Mommy Liz!" sounded.

.

Kumiko teleported herself back over the group she left to find them sitting around. She circled down, wondering if she could teleport others. It would be easier than flying them there. Upon seeing her, they all got up.

Kumiko landed and happily said, "I found a place! Food's coming and more shelter is being looked for!"

"I want to go back to my room," a small boy cried.

"Sorry, not possible," Kumiko told him. "Look it will be rough for a while, but in the end you will be much better off."

Dan raised his arms and flopped them down. "I still think you're crazy, and now we all are outside the city and have no where to go."

"You do have a place to go, but it will be a long walk so let's get started." So everyone would cooperate, she Charmed the whole group. "Follow me, I will not let you down."

Everyone got up and followed her when she started walking.

They walked until it was getting dark out. sensing someone, Kumiko looked up to see another succubus flying along holding large bag. Kumiko waved, the Succubus waved back and came down to them. It was Jessica Aono.

"Hi everybody!" the busty red head greeting them brightly. "I brought food!" Looking at Dan, she held the bag out. "Would you strong, handsome men mind passing it out for me?"

"Hey, Jessica, you came to help?" Kumiko asked.

"We did! Hearing the horrible story of what that city is doing, many are coning to help. Kaiyo's family is here, and even Lucy and Mariko arrived! Mariko is holding a portal open from Witch Hill. OH! Mariko's finally getting married! Your parents are also coming. Liz wants you back at that building where your audio portal is, she's got your collar and leash."

Kumiko looked at the group and tapped her index fingers together. "Ah, Jessica, I kinda had to charm them to come."

Jessica chuckled. "Then I'll fly back and show Tsukumoka where to make a portal right to that building!" She jumped in the air and few away.

Dan watched her fly away and asked Kumiko, "There are more like you?"

Kumiko grinned and said, "Lots!"

The little fairy God-monster appeared again floating in the air. "Congratulations my Sam! You have completed your mission!" she beamed. "Francis didn't die, and there are enough people outside the city to begin a new population!"

Kumiko eyed her. "So, I can go home now?"

"Nope!" the fairy cheered, "You got another job to do!" She waved her wand and she and Kumiko disappeared.

Screaming a she fell, Kimiko landed on a city sidewalk.