The Journey Home

by NewLegend1

Settings may change, but conflict doesn't. Young Spyro finds himself in a world once inhabited by Humans, now left abandoned to dragons. Destroyed long ago in a war, only Humanity's ruins remain. His once peaceful city is shattered when a new creature arrives-a human. Alternate universe, M for violence. Now with new chapters!

21. Citadel

Chapter 21: Citadel

November 16, 1:39 AM

Spyro took in a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. He wanted to sleep, really he did, but… he just couldn't bring himself to. Hunter suggested he take a short nap, or at least eat something but truth be told Spyro was far more nervous than he could admit. He had been pacing all afternoon in the back of the troop bay, occasionally taking a peek out of the single window located in the bay, right on the rear mounted door. There, he watched as the landscape sailed below them onto the horizon. It was dusk now, and soon it would be the dead of night.

It had been several hours since they had dropped Robert off at [name]'s radio tower. It took some convincing, but Robert eventually decided to remain there as events unfolded. With the Sentinels increasing their numbers around his depot, it was no longer safe there. Spyro hated to think of losing another friend…

Now, they were bound for the Sentinel Citadel… a very tongue twisting name for a place that was likely going to be their greatest challenge thus far. Hunter described it as a secluded Forger prison nestled between a large hill and a field. It was located right on the major highway the Sentinels used to funnel troops and supplies to the east. They used to send them south from there to Baltimore, but from what Hunter had said they were no longer welcome there. Now, it was their primary base. It would likely be heavily defended by hundreds… possibly thousands of soldiers. How they were going to infiltrate that base was beyond Spyro. But… he had to do it if he wanted to find Cynder. There was no other way, so it had to be done.

"Spyro?" Hunter called to the young dragon, the voice coming from the cockpit. Spyro stopped and turned before trotting over to the cockpit itself. Hunter was still seated in Jericho's co-pilot chair, manning the controls for the nose canon. The cheetah smiled at Spyro who only frowned in return.

"Sorry Hunter… I was just…"

"Nervous?"

"Well… yes."

"Don't worry young one. The Citadel is heavily defended, yes but my order has managed to locate several old entrances to it. We've never been able to explore it ourselves but the old maps we stole years ago should still prove of value."

"I hope so. I just… I just wouldn't even know where to start looking for Cynder… or for even stopping this imminent invasion."

"If it hasn't already begun…" Jericho said, his head pressed against his palm.

"How are we going to stop them anyway? What can the three of us do to an army?"

"An army survives by its supply lines, and its ability to organize itself. If we can find a way to disable the Citadel, or at least damage it, it can prove invaluable to crippling the Sentinels long term." Hunter said, balling his paw into a fist for emphasis.

Jericho sighed as he sat up in his seat, trying to look over the nose of the craft. It was just… black outside. There was little to nothing that he could see, and it frustrated him greatly. Beside him, in the co-pilot's chair, Hunter began taking account of the arrows he had left. A few glimpses from Jericho's seat and he spotted something unusual about some of the cheetah's arrows. Some had gemstone tipped heads. Their purple edges reflected brilliantly from the lights in the cockpit, giving off quite a sight.

"What's with those arrows of yours?" Jericho asked, turning to him. Hunter didn't turn, instead he pulled out one of the arrows in question and began rubbing its head softly.

"I'm sure you noticed how little your bullets did to that shock trooper, how they just bounced off of his armor, yes?"

"Yeah… maybe just a little… Usually after a sustained burst, their armor will fail. I'm… guessing these guys've gotten an upgrade, right?"

"An upgrade indeed. Their crystaline armor has been energized and enchanted to dispel both elemental attacks as well as any ballistic ones. It would take quite a volley to make that armor crack. My arrowheads have a special enchantment of their own to counter that."

"Don't suppose I could… borrow a couple of those arrows right? My bullets don't seem to be as effective apparently."

"I'd let you borrow them if you had a bow. I hardly think you'll get very far… throwing the arrows at them."

"I was imagining stabbing. Though to be frank… I'm sure our friend Donnelly gave me something to fight Sentinels back there and I haven't even had a chance to look. I… probably should have taken him up on his offer to upgrade my weapon…" Jericho sighed with frustration and sat back in his seat, staring out into the darkness. Spyro smirked as he sat behind them in the troop bay.

"We'll be there in a few minutes… I'll have to find a nice secluded spot to put down. We'll want to sneak our way in…" Jericho leaned forward in his chair, trying to keep an eye on how things were outside the aircraft as the pitch black of night made it that much harder to tell where they were. He had to keep glancing down at his instrument panel to even see what altitude, heading and level they were at.

"It would also allow us a moment to gather ourselves and prepare our attack." Hunter said with a nod.

They continued flying for a few more minutes before the craft passed over a small chain of mountains. There, in the distance Spyro could see a sea of yellow lights in an otherwise black landscape. A walled compound laid nestled at the foot of a trio of large hills, with several buildings residing in the compound. All the buildings within looked interconnected, and a vast number of them looked Forger in origin. The Sentinels had added their own touches, however. On the far side of the compound rested several large Sentinel style buildings, similar to what they had seen in Baltimore. There were two more that were even under construction. It was obvious they were making this to be an invasion staging ground.

"Well, I guess it would have been… awesome to come here in the day when I could have spotted a place to land. Because… well I can't see shit down there." Jericho said with a grimace.

"Leave it to me Jericho! I'll find you a spot!" Spyro raced to the back of the craft, waiting for Jericho to open the ramp. Jericho looked back for a moment before sighing and opening the hatch. Spyro disappeared into the black night and flew behind the craft, but lower to the ground. Jericho put the drop ship into a circling pattern, keeping at least two miles out from the compound so they wouldn't get spotted. Spyro continued looking around the tree line until he finally found a clearing large and flat enough for them to put the drop ship down.

It took… more then a few moments for Spyro to get Jericho's attention but eventually they managed to organize themselves long enough to bring their craft down gently and safely amongst the trees. The engines spooled down and cut out, leaving only the silence of the night. If it wasn't for the stealth mode Jericho had discovered only an hour or so ago, the thunder of the ship's engines might have… well it might have alerted the entire base by now. The "stealth" mode also did some things that diminished its radar signature. Spyro didn't have any clue what that meant, but Jericho said that it made them much harder to pick up by the Sentinels.

Finally, the door opened and Jericho, Hunter and Sparx exited the craft to join Spyro in the field.

"Gather up what supplies you need, we'll need to travel light if we want to stay undetected." Hunter instructed. Jericho nodded as he pulled a crate down from the cargo hold located right above the troop bay. He popped open the box and looked through some of the ammo located inside.

"God damn it. I knew it. I'm stupid…"

Spyro lifted his head up, hearing Jericho mutter to himself. He walked over to the open troop bay, peering inside.

"What's wrong Jericho?"

"Look, Donnelly GAVE me better ammo. I didn't even check! This could have helped in that fight!" Jericho held up a magazine filled with bullets. These weren't regular bullets, as they all had what looked like a gemstone tipped bullet.

"Those look like Hunter's arrows!"

"Energy Dispersant/Negation Gem Head. Jericho, you'll find this ammo to be far more effective against Sentinels. Since you're going up against them, I figured you could use a few clips." Jericho was reading off of a paper Donnelly had packed with the ammo. After he read it he threw the paper into the air with disgust. Spyro chuckled as the human took several magazines of the new ammo type to replace his old ammo. He also grabbed a cylindrical piece of equipment from the same box and started fastening it to the end of his old rifle's barrel. Spyro tilted his head inquisitively as he finished placing it on.

"What? It's a sound suppressor. I'd hate to alert all the guards when I pull the trigger."

"Right…"

"Well you ready? I'm ready…" Jericho said, pulling back on the charging handle of his rifle. Spyro nodded back at him.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Spyro said in response. They both disembarked and walked to join Sparx and Hunter who were waiting by the edge of the clearing. With that, they headed out into the thick trees.

They walked through the dark forest for a few minutes, wading through the bitter cold of the dark winter's night. Spyro had to fight to keep his teeth from clacking in the cold, and he could tell both Jericho and Hunter were feeling its affects too.

Finally, they reached the edge of a cliff that gave a great vantage point over the Citadel. Spyro could see over the walls and into the compound. He could see several Sentinels patrolling the outside parameter of the fence, as well in the courtyards beyond it.

Hunter reached into his pack and retrieved a folded up paper. He opened it up and Sparx was kind enough to fly over and illuminate it for them.

"These are old plans of the Citadel that we've managed to acquire… They date to before the Great War, so we don't know how accurate they still are."

"It's better than nothing…" Jericho said, leaning over for a look.

"Does it help us get inside?" Spyro asked, looking up at them.

"Yes, actually. The map says that there was an old tunnel that had been found in a small shack near one of the walls. A prisoner had used it to escape, and they had yet to fill the tunnel in. Instead, they sealed up the shack and its exit point. However… I think we can use that tunnel to get under those walls."

"Do you think that tunnel is even still there? You said that map's from before the Great War. There's still a whole lotta time in-between where the prison staff could have filled that thing in. I'm sure the Sentinels might have found it too…" Jericho leaned back, rubbing his chin slightly.

"It's better than trying to scale those fences. We'll be spotted for certain." Hunter said as he turned to the uncertain human. Spyro turned to both of them.

"It's worth a try Jericho…"

"Alright, well lead the way," Jericho grunted as he relented. Hunter nodded and folded the map back up. They began their slow descent down the cliff face, going down into the forest around the facility itself.

As they crept through the dark tree line, activity spurred them to look up into the night sky. Several aircraft flew overhead, and they could hear the distinct sounds of spinning rotors.

"Ospreys…?" Jericho asked, squinting to get a better look at the black aircraft.

"Humans? Do they know about this place?" Spyro asked, confused.

"Unlikely. They probably belong to the Sentinels. For as much as they despise humanity they have been quick to retrofit captured human equipment."

"I don't even think that qualifies as being ironic. I think it's just sad." Jericho shook his head, continuing on as more Ospreys flew overhead. Spyro counted at least fifteen of them. They flew over to the Citadel and looked like they were landing somewhere inside.

After a few more minutes of walking they finally arrived at the edge of the trees. A few yards of open field separated them from the fifteen foot barbed wire fence. A duo of Sentinels were walking alongside it, slowly trundling along. They didn't look like they were in any particular hurry…

"The exit point of the tunnel is around the tree line. It should be near an old storm drain." Hunter pointed them further down the trees, to their right. Jericho went first, slowly snaking his way through the brush. The others followed, careful to not alert the guards on the other side of the fence. It took a few moments but they could finally see some pieces of concrete jutting out from the ground, along with a very rusted pipe coming from them.

"There's your storm drain… now where's this tunnel?" Jericho asked, walking over to it. Dirt and shrubbery had covered most of the storm drain, but some of it was still visible. Spyro poked around, trying to see if there were any obvious entry ways.

"Here, this may be it…" Hunter said as he walked a few feet down from the rusted pipe to a pile of broken concrete slabs. Even as they were covered with dirt, it was obvious the concrete was covering something. Hunter and Jericho both leaned down to grab at the concrete and pry it from the ground.

"Careful… careful…" Jericho warned, trying to pull hard but not too hard. They didn't want to make too much noise now…

"There is goes!" With the both of them, they removed one of the larger chunks of concrete. It almost sent Jericho flying onto his ass as they pulled it out, but he managed to maintain his balance long enough for the two of them to set it down nearby.

"Sparx? We need your light…" Jericho said, calling the dragonfly over. Sparx happily flew over, illuminating the… dirt that resided beneath.

"What? More dirt? God damn it…" Jericho grumbled, kicking at it. As he kicked it, the ground seemed to separate, as if not much was supporting it underneath. Jericho caught this and brought his foot down to try his luck again. He struck gold, and split the dirt in two. His foot went right through and he was caught off guard as it swallowed up his entire leg.

"Shit!" Jericho said, trying to keep his voice down. Hunter and Spyro both had to grab him to help him out of the hole.

"I think we found it…" Spyro said with a chuckle. Jericho rolled his eyes as he stood back up.

"Great work Jericho. Stand back…" Hunter said before striking at the dirt with his own foot, being careful to not fall in like his human counterpart. Eventually enough of the ground gave way to reveal a fairly large hole that descended into a tunnel below.

Sparx flew down first, giving some light to the tunnel. It looked to go down several feet before breaking off to go to the fence. Jericho jumped in after Sparx and both Hunter and Spyro followed. They slowly made their way through, having to almost crawl through the tight space.

"I'm surprised the Sentinels never found this…" Jericho whispered.

"Well we still haven't seen the other end. They might have for all we know…" Spyro muttered, moving behind the human. Sparx reached the end, ascending up to the exit. They reached it too and soon were climbing up and out of the dirty and moist tunnel.

They found themselves in a small concrete room, almost reminding Spyro of the toll booth tunnel they had used in Baltimore. Cobwebs covered a few old wooden desks shoved against the walls, and there were large pieces of machinery installed along one of the walls. The metal was all rusted and looked unusable. The only window to the outside world had been boarded up, leaving no light inside the room. There was a door, but a chain kept it closed.

"So now what Hunter? We're in… but I don't think that's the hard part…"

"There's a utility system under the prison, it runs under most of the larger buildings and I think it might contain vital power and heating elements to the prison. I can access it from the first cell block, which should be just outside."

"You thinking of some sabotage?"

"Exactly."

"Ok, well then what about us? Where do Spyro and myself go?"

"If you can get onto the roof, you should be able to move largely undetected. From there you can scout out the different buildings through their skylights. You can more easily find both Cynder and Vivex's command center."

"Well then let's get to it! I'll get the door." Spyro said, turning and walking to the chained up exit. He took a deep breath and unleashed a wave of fire onto it. The metal started to turn a bright red before Spyro stopped and struck it with his claws. The brittle metal shattered and fell to the floor. It didn't take much effort now to turn the handle and push it open. It gave way easily, slowly creaking open to reveal the nighttime air. Spyro poked his head out slowly, scouting things out.

There was nobody outside the room, and with a quick glance to the left and right, he could see no patrolling guards. They had a clear and open route right up to the first cell block's walls. Spyro gave a silent nod before exiting. The others followed. Hunter gave his own look left and right before sprinting forward to the walls of the cell block. He waved his arm, ushering the rest to follow.

"Right… let's get going Spyro…" Jericho whispered to his friend before following the cheetah. Spyro nodded, and both he and Sparx grouped up with the others at the base of the wall.

"There's an access way over there, I can get into the utility tunnels from there. Jericho, take this. You can take it to scale the walls." Hunter handed Jericho a grappling hook from his pack, and Jericho quickly took it. They both nodded to one another before Hunter broke off and ran over to a small rusted metal hatch laying in the ground. He tugged on it softly, getting it open. Hunter promptly disappeared into the opening, leaving only the three of them there.

"Let's hope I get it my first time… would be pretty embarrassing if I missed." Jericho began twirling the rope with the hook on its end. Once it reached a good speed, Jericho gave a low grunt before chucking it high into the air. It sailed upwards, before a soft clink alerted them to it landing. Jericho gave it a soft tug, confirming he had nailed it.

"Hah, how about that! Alright…" He started climbing up, and Spyro flapped his wings to ascend on his own.

The roof was largely devoid of any Sentinels, much to Spyro's relief. Large metal air conditioning units lay scattered around, but from their state of repair, Spyro could tell none of them were in use. Metal pipes and air ducts made the roof a maze of machine and metal. Perfect for sneaking around in…

"Come on Jericho!" Spyro said, quickly darting forward.

"Hey, wait up!" Jericho called back, pulling the rope back up. He had to pull the grapple off the wall and tie it up on the move as he didn't want to let Spyro get away from him.

He found Spyro stopped by a skylight, the dragon peering down into the cell block. Jericho knelt down by it, and took a look down for himself.

Down below they could see the Sentinels had turned the cell blocks into large barracks, capable of housing maybe a thousand soldiers. Bunks and beds lay in the center of the hall, and each of the old prison cells had their doors removed, making them regular bunk rooms. The beds were largely occupied by resting Sentinels, but there was something amiss…

"I thought they were keeping an invading army here… There's a lot of empty bunks down there…" Jericho remarked, spotting it before Spyro could.

"You're right… Where do you think they all are?"

"Probably already invading… we don't have a lot of time then…" Jericho stood up and started walking away.

"Wait, I have to see if Cynder's down there…"

"Spyro, she's probably not being kept with the rest of them. I'd wager there's a special area for actual prisoners. We might want to start looking there for her."

"Yeah… you're probably right…" Spyro sighed and turned away from the skylight, going to follow Jericho as he snaked his way through the AC units. Spyro followed behind him, but Sparx started to buzz pretty aggressively, calling Spyro's attention. Spyro turned, wanting to see what was wrong.

There was a Sentinel guard, walking along the rooftop heading in their general direction. The guard had his gaze out over the forest, and hadn't noticed them. Spyro quickly moved and pushed on Jericho to move as well. The trio moved before the Sentinel caught sight of them, and moved off the first cell block, and onto the next. Thanks to the interconnected buildings, they could move from one to the other with relative ease.

As they moved from building to building, checking each one, more Ospreys had flown in from the west, and were landing in a field on the western side of the compound. Spyro had caught glimpses of it as they were investigating each cell block, and each time he did he saw more of it. It looked like the Sentinels had built a large railway station that came right to the prison. It made sense, that they would build a railway coming to the east to deposit troops and supplies here at their base. Next to the railway itself there was a large series of open walled plazas where the Ospreys had landed. There were more vehicles there too, but they were too far to tell what they were.

They had reached the last main cell block, and a quick look down through the skylight only confirmed that it was yet another barracks. Even as Spyro looked harder, he didn't see any sign of Cynder down there.

"Hey Spyro! There's a train coming in…" Jericho said, getting his attention. Spyro turned, and saw that there was indeed a train coming in from the west on the railway. It came to a slow stop at the depot, and the doors on the cars opened to reveal Sentinel reinforcements. Several hundred of them poured out of the cars, quickly filling up all the space at the depot.

They moved slowly around the station, as if organizing themselves. Eventually whoever was in charge organized their ranks and started filing the soldiers towards the cell blocks. It was hard to make out all the details since it was so dark out. As the train platform emptied out, other Sentinels began to gather around one of the train cars. Spyro craned his head up, trying to see what they were doing.

The car they were surrounding was a simple flat bed, but on its surface there was a massive crystal chained down. The crystal must have been almost eighty feet tall and thirty feet in diameter. It was laying down on its size, and it was truly a marvel to see. It reminded Spyro heavily of the massive crystals they saw in the Northern Heart fields. Like them, it had a powerful purple glow to it.

The crystal pulsated a deep purple, and each time it did, Spyro swore he felt his head throb in response to it. It was easily several hundred feet away, but he could feel its affects. It made him somewhat dizzy.

"Would you look at that thing…?" Jericho asked, seeing it for himself.

"I wonder what they're going to use that for…" Spyro whispered, curious.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it can't be good. Judging from how they used their tech at Northern Hearts, it must be some sort of mobile power source or something. Maybe they'll use it to corrupt some things?"

Spyro nodded simply, his eyes still trained to where the crystal was. Jericho reached into his jacket and retrieved a small cylindrical device. He put it up to his left eye and began scanning the depot with it. Donnelly had described it as a video recorder, something that they should use to get information on this place. This seemed like the best way to do that, though the dragon wondered how in the hell they were going to get this back to New York too.

One of the Ospreys took off from its landing spot and hovered over the train car that housed the crystal. A team of Sentinels stood around it, guiding the craft down as they began fastening ropes to it. After a few minutes, the Osprey started to ascend with its cargo secured beneath it. It towed the crystal only a few hundred feet to a structure on the northern end of the complex. It descended and disappeared from view.

"I bet that crystal is pretty damn important to them. I say we break that thing…" Jericho said. Spyro nodded in agreement, and the both of them moved in its general direction.

/Transitioning…/

[Done]

"I do hope your arm is healing, does it hurt?"

"Uh… no Master, it is fine. I can deal with it."

"Mmm if you say so."

Asimov sighed, giving an internal grimace as he was actually in a fair amount of pain. A bandage was covering his arm where he had been shot back in Baltimore. The Sentinel recruit was among many injured as the Baltimore Guard violently ejected the Sentinels from their base in Baltimore following a… incident outside the walls. They had to fight their way out of the city, and even blew a decently sized hole in the western walls. They had made it though, and Asimov was just happy to make it out with a single bullet wound to his right arm. It hurt, yes, but he could manage for the time being. If he was going to be a Sentinel, he was going to have to suffer through a great deal more…

In front of the young recruit walked none other than Vivex himself. The Sentinel commander had lead him and a company of other Sentinels out of the walls, and found Asimov to be adaptable and talented, if not still only slightly rusty. He had asked Asimov to help him here in the Citadel, and even told him great things were ahead of him if he was successful. He might even be able to replace Cynder's spot…

Oh Cynder… when he had heard of her treachery, it was devastating to him. He had always looked up to her, found her to be an idol. They had come from the same ilk, trained in the same classes until she was hand-picked to join Vivex's elite trainees. Asimov wanted to be just like her, and he trained to be the best. It was… disappointing to say the least when he heard she betrayed Vivex and allowed not only a purple dragon to escape, but a human who was carrying stolen property of their Master. He just… couldn't believe it! For all her anti-human talk, she… allowed a human to escape? Not only that, but she had apparently been traveling along the entire east coast following him? What the hell? Was nothing sacred anymore?

While he doubted he was nearly as skilled as she was, he would like to think that he was still capable, and very adaptable. He strived to be the best, and he would. If Cynder had betrayed them, then he wanted to be better than her. Still… he couldn't believe she would do such a thing. He… could sense that something was amiss back in Baltimore, but he didn't think she had really gone over the edge. What… what could make her do such a thing? Surely, it would have been something that-

No. No, Asimov wouldn't allow himself to even think about what it might have been. He didn't want to justify it, not at all. Yet, even as he tried not to, he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of curiosity as to what it might have been.

"Asimov, I'm certain that you are wondering why I asked you to accompany me here. Why I asked you to stay here at the Citadel rather than joining the others on the front." Vivex talked to Asimov, but didn't stop walking down the hallway.

"Yes sir, I uh… I have been. May I ask what task you require from me?"

"There are a special set of tasks left for us to do here at the Citadel. One relates to our final preparations, and another is of our dear friend Cynder."

"Cynder… what use do we have of a traitor, Master?"

"A few things actually. I almost hate to admit it, but we still need… individuals such as herself… For one she is still gifted, and can help us in the long run. I am hoping with the right… coaxing… we can make her see the light again. I am hoping that you can help her along with that. We're almost ready to depart, and I would like for your help in escorting Cynder from here to the front. Can I trust you with this task?"

"Yes Master, you can…"

"Good, because I would hate to be disappointed, yet again. No more traitors."

"You have nothing to worry about sir. I will not yet you down." Asimov gave a soft puff of smoke from his nostrils, certain of himself and his abilities. His master had tasked him with this, and he would see it through.

"Good, good."

A large dragon adorned in battle armor rounded a corner ahead of them, and stopped beside Vivex. He said something into the black dragon's ears which made him grin ear to ear.

"So it appears it has arrived. Come with me Asimov, I believe you should be able to witness this for yourself…"

"Yes Master."

Vivex and his guard continued on their path, with Asimov following right behind. They were heading towards the northern end of the complex, to the main foyer. Vivex had mentioned that something important was coming from the west, all the way from their Master's compound itself. It was to be the centerpiece of their plan, and he could see the excitement in Vivex that it was here. Asimov still didn't know what it was, or how it would help them…

One thing still baffled Asimov, and that was why Cynder would be so… important to this part of the plan. Whatever was coming from the west, certainly Cynder had nothing to do with it?

What use did they have for a traitor, even here? Asimov racked his mind, trying to even think why Vivex would even continue bothering with her. Locking her up was one thing, but continuing to use her? Vivex talked about bringing her back into the fold, convincing her to come back to them… it was enough to make Asimov scoff. Even now, as Cynder had betrayed them he couldn't help but feel as though she was still his favorite. It kind of bit at him… She was still overshadowing him even in her treachery.

They continued on, walking down the halls through the complex, Asimov lost in his lonely thoughts.

/Transitioning…/

[Done]

She was here… somewhere here. It was dark, and lonely in this part of the complex. A soft wind blew in from the open windows, giving a chill that ran down the dragon's spine. The wound he had sustained on his arm burned, making the drake reach over to rub it softly.

Why was he doing this? Why even bother? He had heard she was being kept here, and somehow he had found his way over here without a second thought. Why bother? Why even care?

For some reason, he did.

Asimov sighed to himself as he continued onwards, walking down the dark hallways. Cynder, she was being kept in what used to be the solitary confinement area of the prison. It was nestled away near the back of one of the central buildings. He walked into the hallway containing her cell, seeing it located second to last of a row of ten. She was the only prisoner here in this area. It was… rare to have a defect. Usually once a Sentinel became a Sentinel… their loyalties were not in question.

He walked up to her cell, seeing a faint outline in the darkness. She was laying down at the other end of her cell, her head down in her arms, her wings draped over her form. The cold moonlight coming from outside, as well as the lights in the hallway gave a soft sheen to her body. She sensed somebody was there, and lifted her head for only a moment to see who it was. When she saw him, she only looked for a moment before laying her head back down. She didn't utter a word.

"Why?" Asimov only said one, simple word. He… truly wanted to know why. It's all he could think to say.

She didn't respond. She kept her head pinned against her forelegs.

"Why'd you do it? Why'd you betray us?"

Again, she didn't utter a word. Asimov frowned more.

"Not going to tell me?"

No response.

"I used to look up to you, we all did. You were the best… better than most proper Sentinels. You were hand-picked… Why did you do it…?"

"There are so many things… that we don't understand." Cynder finally spoke, and her voice sounded choked up with tears. Her words made no sense, and Asimov couldn't help but give a look of confusion.

"What's there to understand? We're finally here, uniting all species under one flag! We're finally going to unite this continent, and bring this world what it's deserved for long! We'll surely give it more then those humans EVER dreamed of doing! I knew something was wrong with you in Baltimore but I never would have DREAMED that you would… betray us… betray yourself! "

"You still talk like you're fresh from the west… There… there's a lot more to our world then our simple flag… or even our Master…"

"Our Master is here to bring us out all of the shadow of humanity…"

"And at what cost?"

"Cost? There's no cost to progress."

"There is always a cost… You pay for it in the people you send to their deaths… you pay for it in the blood you spill. We believed everything our… Master… told us… It never occurred to any of us how much of it was… wrong…"

"How could you say such things Cynder? How could you just… sit there and disregard everything our Master has done for us? Have you forgotten? How could that human make you, Cynder of ALL people, forget it all?"

"I was shown first hand… this price. I was shown that these creatures we've been taught to hate… taught to want to kill because THEY were the problem…. I was shown they were more capable of compassion then someone who I thought I could trust…"

"Compassion? I can't believe you… I can't believe any of them are capable of anything but greed and selfishness!"

"Do you want to know why I didn't return from my mission in Savannah Asimov? It's because Vivex bartered with me… he SOLD me to those PIGS! I was going to be used like a sex slave! I was going to be abused and forgotten! All so he could… barter some pact with those animals. He tried to make it up to me when I finally returned, make it seem like he was doing the right thing… I didn't believe it for a second… Not when I had real friends and comrades who saved me and brought me all this way…"

"Vivex would never do such a thing…"

"Well he did! He left me there! My own people abandoned me, and who else but a human was there to help me… He could have left me for dead many times, but he didn't. Why? Because they're not the animals we're taught they are… They're people, just like all of us. I finally saw we had just been blindly following The Master and his wishes, and what we were doing to this world… I didn't want any part of it. That's why I did it… That's why I betrayed you and Vivex… and everyone… I couldn't do it anymore… I just couldn't…"

"I can't believe it…"

"You don't have to Asimov. You don't have to believe anything… You're a good dragon Asimov… They never tell us what really happens when you become a Sentinel… how it changes you… how it corrupts you… I fear for you Asimov…"

"Me? Why fear for me? You should be fearful for yourself…"

"I fear what will become of you Asimov. I know you… you're good deep down inside. If you become a Sentinel, I know that good will vanish forever…"

Asimov grit his teeth and shook his head.

"How would you know?! How would you know anything about it?! The Master gives us power when we become Sentinels! He gives us his strength so we can go forth and serve him! I don't know what Vivex sees in you! You're so far gone… I can't believe he's wasting this cell on you!"

Cynder just sniffed, tears falling down her eyes. Asimov was shaking, he couldn't control himself. His heart pounded and his breath was short… he could feel rage flowing through every fiber of his being. How could she just sit there… and spout this nonsense?!

"Don't be like them Asimov. Be better than them…" She looked up at him, looking right into his eyes. He stopped in that moment, and saw the fear in her eyes. It was fear… genuine fear… It wasn't like someone fearful of their own fate… it was like a fear of… everything. It was enough to make him stop in his tracks. He took in a deep breath and looked away, unable to look into her eyes anymore. He turned around, and instead looked out of the window to the outside.

"I'm going to be the best Cynder… I'm going to not just be better than them, I'm going to be better then everyone… I'm sorry Cynder." He clenched his eyes and swallowed a lump that had swelled in the back of his throat. He started walking away, leaving Cynder alone in her dark cell.

A single tear fell down from his eye. Did he actually believe all that? Did he believe her? Who in the hell did he believe? He certainly couldn't really believe himself… He stood there, shouting like a record player set on repeat. Just… spouting ideology… Was any of it even true anymore?

He left the cell block, and stood silently in a hallway in another nearby building. He stared at the floor, deep in thought. He still couldn't believe that Cynder… had been so easily broken. It was ironic how it all worked. Asimov… was the one who doubted everything… Cynder was always the one so sure of herself, sure of their purpose… It was what got him so riled up, it was what inspired HIM to be the best. Now, there she was… this sad pathetic form locked away in a cell, and he was now the one sounding like the ideologue. Funny… how things change like that…

He closed his eyes as he walked, trying to think more clearly. It was… hard, since so many different thoughts fired off in his mind, casting a dim light to any possibility of a straight, coherent thought. Why couldn't he just focus? Why couldn't he just get the job done?

"Asimov?"

"Hmm, what?"

"Asimov…?" A more disappointed tone answered the dragon, making him snap out of his thoughts.

Asimov shook his head, and realized he had been lost in his head again. He was walking behind Vivex and his guard, Vivex having turned his head to look at the dragon. Clearly, Vivex had asked him a question, and the young dragon had completely missed it, lost in his recollection!

"I'm… I'm sorry Master, I was lost in my head. There's… just been so much going on."

"Understandable young one, but do not forget to keep your focus. If you lose your focus, you can lose yourself…"

"I understand Master, I am sorry."

"Well we have arrived, behold…" Vivex turned back, towards the open doorway before them. Beyond it sat a massive and spacious foyer, one they called the Great Hall. It might have once been a cafeteria, or an entrance to the prison, but it was no longer. This room was now used as the primary command center for the base, and there was an object residing near the heart of the room.

A massive purple crystal had been brought in from the train yard, brought in by massive rollers mounted on a slab to move it from the large open doors at the other end of the room. A converted Osprey sat just outside, having just delivered the precious cargo from the trains. The crystal was massive, larger than most Asimov had ever seen. Most never really grew larger than a few yards at best. Some few to a few dozen feet, but this one was at least eighty feet tall! It dwarfed anything Asimov was familiar with.

"Here it is… the center piece to our plan. Do you know what this is Asimov?"

"No… no I don't…"

"It is a life crystal, conjured by none other than our Master himself. This will be the center piece of our glorious plan, just as He had hoped."

"What… what shall we do with this Master Vivex?"

"It is almost ready to perform its duty, but one last thing remains before it can go north to join the others. It requires… a spark of life to… wake it up. We originally wanted to perform this vital step up north, but events are starting to move faster than we had anticipated…" Vivex grinned at that, turning to Asimov who was staring deeply into the flowing light of the crystal. Even now, in an apparent inactive state, he could feel the influence of the crystal upon him. It wasn't unlike the crystals they fielded to deny and control areas in the field. Their power was so great only Sentinels could approach them. This was… was so much more than that. He could… he could feel his Master's influence coming off of it. Even if his Master was so many thousand miles away, it was almost as if he was standing here, before him. It… it was glorious.

"What… what spark were you… were you hoping to use Master?"

"I believe our dear Cynder can help us with that. She may have lost us our greatest prize, but she will more then make up for it, I do believe that. I hadn't originally thought of using her, but… well I think now it is only appropriate we do so. Perhaps this will be what she needs to bring her back into the fold with us."

"I see Master, but how do I fit into all this?"

"It is a simple task, admittedly. You simply need to guard her during this process for the time being. It is a simple, yet very important task. Can I trust you with it?"

"Yes, yes you can Master. I will not fail you…" Asimov bowed, but something was still gnawing at the back of his head. Some questions lingered, and it made him a bit hesitant. Vivex picked up on this.

"Is something troubling you?"
"I… I had a question Master."

"You may ask your question, Asimov."

"I… I was wondering what did become of Cynder, on your mission to Savannah. I had never heard of what happened, and I was… curious as to what might have happened to turn such a loyal servant of our Master."

"A valid concern. Sadly the events in Savannah evolved in a way that made me have to sacrifice her for the cause. The gangs who controlled Savannah's bountiful trade network and dormant nuclear reactor insisted on appeasing some internal strife… and young Cynder made for a perfect gift to do such a thing."

"You… sold her?"

"I prefer sacrifice. We must all find it within ourselves to sacrifice things we care for, so that our march onwards may not be impeded. She found it as a betrayal, and got it into her head to befriend a human. She marched north with this human and even found a friend in a valuable target- a purple dragon. When it came time for her to make up for her sins and secure this purple dragon and human for our cause, she decided her 'friendship' with these beings was more important to her then our Master. She does not know what it means to give of yourself to our Master…"

"I understand Master… If I may, you still… want for her to help wake up the crystal? How… might that be done?"

"To awaken the crystal requires a spark of life, to use the life within you to awaken the great power inside the crystal. I only hope that such an… honor can help her to rekindle her spirit. That… remains to be seen…"

"I understand Master. Forgive me for being so… inquisitive…"

"Not at all Asimov. Curious minds that lack valid answers can cause them to drift… We cannot have that…"

"If... I am Master, another question?" Asimov stopped and turned to Vivex who looked slightly annoyed at another question but he still smiled, inviting his question on.

"What will become of Cynder? After she gives the spark, that is."

"As I have said, she will be bonded to the Master. After that, well… I'm not so sure. This is a process that hasn't been done in… a long time. She may be completely absorbed, or she will instead grow more powerful from contact with the Master. It will be exciting to see what happens." A final, almost… sinister smile punctuated the end of the statement. Asimov saw the smile, but didn't dial in on the more ominous aspects of it. Vivex turned back to the crystal, and waved his claw as if to dismiss Asimov. Not wanting to waste any more time, the young dragon bowed again and trotted off back into the halls.

/Transitioning…/

[Done]

"I'm not so sure this was a good idea…" Spyro whispered as he walked through the dark hallways of the prison. He and Jericho had split up just a short while ago in an attempt to track the crystal. The rooftops going north became too crowded and hot for them to keep following it that way, so they had to get creative. Jericho had spotted a series of pipes that carried water around the compound that used some utility tunnels just below the roof of some buildings. It made for some nice cover, and Jericho hoped to use those to get through the facility undetected. To try and stay stealthy, as well as possibly locate other information, Spyro decided to go down into the buildings themselves and do some of his own investigating.

He picked a hatch and descended down. He now regretted it as he had NO idea where in the hell he even was. The building was packed with several old offices, with only a few of which Spyro thought might even still be in use. Most were dark and empty, with cobwebs and dust coating every inch of the room. Some still had their electric lighting, which meant Sentinels were reusing them.

Spyro had to move office to office, keeping an eye out for guards who might be passing by. Honestly, the empty and abandoned offices made for perfect cover as the dragon slowly made his way through. He poked his head into the offices still in use, seeing that nobody was around. He paced around a few of them, taking a look at different documents and papers scattered around. He was hoping to find information related to this place… He'd take anything really, plans, information, maps… Most of the offices had little of anything worth value. Most just had old Forger maps with the usual bit of information… Avalar, the dragons, the eastern kingdom and Baltimore… Maps denoted points of interest or different details about the East Coast. Nothing really stood out to Spyro.

With a defeated sigh, he poked his head out of his current office, taking a glance down the hall. He saw another office down at the end of the hall, with a large sign above the door that read "Warden's Office."

"Warden huh…?" Spyro whispered curiously. He heard footsteps coming down from around a corner, and he immediately ducked his head back into the office.

A large feral dragon walked into the hallway, flanked by a guard.

"Set it down inside, below the main desk."

Spyro recognized the voice. It was none other than Vivex…

"Careful with that you fool! It's worth is more valuable then you are…" Vivex pointed a talon at the chest of his guard, who was hefting a rather large crate. The guard nodded nervously before going inside and putting it down. He exited the office, done with his task.

"You may leave. That is all." The guard saluted before walking away. Vivex watched him for a moment before pushing the door open with his paw and slipped inside.

Once the guard had passed Spyro's door, the dragon poked his head back out. Vivex's door was only slightly ajar, and the dragon was inside. Spyro turned, seeing the guard disappear around another corner. The hallway was once again empty.

He had to do it, this might be his only chance…

He slowly moved his way out of the office and trotted over to Vivex's door. He pressed himself against the wall and poked his head only slightly through the crack in the door.

The room was spacious, larger than any of the other offices. A large desk was shoved against the wall and was flooded with different papers and maps. One map rested against the back wall, as well as what looked like a small brass ornament on the desk. The ornament held in its grasp a small purple crystal that pulsated softly. Vivex was turned around, and was facing this crystal. He seemed to be listening to it…

"Yes… yes I understand… No, I have done what you ask but I… I'm afraid I don't understand why you want me to… Yes, yes I understand. It will get done…"

He was talking to the crystal! Who was he even talking to? Spyro felt his heart jump and his head begin to throb. There was something about that crystal… If Spyro had to put his claw on it he'd say that Vivex was speaking directly to the Dark Master. There couldn't be any other alternative!

"Master, if I may… express a concern." Spyro leaned in, very interested in what Vivex had to say now.

"Master, we had originally planned for the ceremony at the front, at the site itself. If we perform it here, there is no guarantee that… Yes Master, no I do not doubt you. If you believe it shall come to pass then I cannot question it. No, I do not believe they know, but it won't matter for long. They will soon all be yours. Victory shall be yours Master." Vivex turned, facing towards the door. As soon as Spyro caught his head turning he immediately darted his head behind the door. There was a long pause before Vivex turned back around. Vivex waved his paw over the crystal, and its pulses died down until the crystal seemed to be dormant. Vivex turned, as if to leave.

Spyro immediately moved away from the door and darted into the nearest office just in time for Vivex to exit his office. The dragon gave a look to his left and right suspiciously before turning to walk away from the office. He walked back down the hallway he had come from and disappeared from view.

Spyro slowly pulled his head out of the office, seeing the hallway was empty. With slow anticipation the drake moved out of his hiding spot and returned to the doorway for the Warden's Office. The door was still somewhat ajar, allowing Spyro access. He pushed his way through the door before slowly closing it behind him. He turned, facing the desk and the back wall.

The crystal Vivex had been speaking to was dim and lifeless. He felt nothing from the crystal now, and believed it was dead. With a soft, relieved sigh he walked over to the desk and started looking over the papers spread across it.

It was the same as in the other offices. Scrolls and papers detailing some scouting reports and different information about all the different factions. He spotted a book hidden under a pile of papers that caught Spyro's attention, mainly because it was a Forger book. He pushed the papers off and saw it was indeed a Forger book.

"Modern Tactics of the US Army," read the cover. Another book lay under it, that one about the special forces of the old American army. More and more he was spotting these books, all about the old contemporary military forces. They covered wide topics of battle tactics, troop deployments, warfare theories and insight into the different wars that had been waged. He had definitely been studying the old world militaries… Why did he have such a great interest in them?

Spyro glanced up at the map posted on the wall above the desk, seeing that it was very much like all the other maps in the other offices, labeling all the major factions along the east coast. However... Spyro's eyes immediately caught a major difference between his map and the other maps. All the other maps listed the Forbidden Zone as… just that, an uninhabited and unused forbidden zone. His map… instead listed it as US North. He even had US South indicated in the southern part of the old United States. He had points listed like FOB Raven and many other FOBs that dotted the outer parameter of the wall. How did he even know about all them…?

His eyes drifted towards the European continent, seeing he even had labels for them as well. The main continent was divvied up into many different kingdoms and nation states, but on the Isle of Great Britain, Vivex had labeled it as "The New European Commonwealth."

Vivex knew about humanity, all of it. He knew where they were, and he even had estimates written around the different zones depicting how many inhabitants it had, as well as surmised military strength. He turned back to the North American continent, and saw that along the east coast, near US North, he had been meticulously tracking a fleet of human vessels. They were part of the "US 3rd North Fleet." Different icons denoted the different classes of ships, which ranged from what Spyro could see labeled as… Frigates, Cruisers, Battleships, Carriers and Intercept Carriers. The fleet totaled at least fifty vessels and it looked like Vivex had tracked its every movement. Time stamps told the dragon where the fleet was, and he could watch as the fleet had steamed south from New York and followed the coastline about one hundred miles out, holding there for the past month and a half. Suddenly the fleet began moving again, this time seemingly out to sea. They were currently two hundred miles off the coast, and Vivex seemed to project that within the coming days they would go farther and farther away, towards Europe, and away from North America.

Could this be what he was counting on? Was Vivex planning to have an invasion coincide with the Americans leaving? Why would they be important? Unless…

His eyes darted across the map, and he began seeing the notes posted for Sentinel troop movements. They were posted along a wide perimeter inside the Forbidden Zone. Thousands… maybe tens of thousands of troops had been amassed along this frontal line, heading… not south, but north. They were heading north, towards US North. Were they… were they going to attack it?

Surely they wouldn't! That'd be suicide! Tens of thousands of soldiers would NEVER survive an attack against what Donnelly made out to be possibly millions of humans. What was Vivex thinking?

Spyro's gaze drifted down and away from the map, back down to the desk. He caught something nearby, and realized that the crate the guard had been hefting had been set down beside the desk. Spyro backed up, giving it a look over. It was a large purple crate, looking to house documents possibly. The latch to open it was sealed with a lock baring an emblem with a blue flame on it. There were no keyholes however, which perplexed Spyro. What might be inside…?

He charged up a blast of electricity and arced it at the lock. It struck the lock but the mysterious padlock absorbed the energy and gave no answer back to Spyro.

"What the…?" Spyro raised an eyebrow, deciding to change tactics. He grunted and now conjured up fire. Surely, fire would melt the lock, right?

A jet of white hot fire came forth from Spyro's muzzle and coated the lock. The lock began to glow red from the fire and heat, but did not buckle under the intense pressure. It still sat in place, guarding the mysterious cargo. Fire and electricity had failed, but it did make Spyro think. The emblem on the padlock was a blue fire with a ring around it. Blue fire… blue fire… He couldn't breathe blue fire but... but maybe…

Spyro sighed and closed his eyes. He let his body relax as he began to focus. He let his senses drain away and his inner senses begin to take over. The same energy he had conjured deep within the labs of New York began to flow through his body again, and he could feel its power beginning to rise. He didn't want a repeat of New York, but he just wanted a spark of it… just enough to break the lock.

He reached out with a talon while his eyes were closed, and felt a jolt of the energy flow through his forearm to his talon. It leapt from his talon and connected with the padlock, and Spyro was rewarded with the sounds of the padlock snapping open.

Spyro's eyes shot wide open at the sound, and he looked down to see the padlock's seal broken. He had done it! The Inner Light, that was the key!

Ecstatic, the dragon reached over to the latches and swung them open. The chest opened slowly but surely, revealing hordes of papers and documents. A quick glance over some of them made them out to be a goldmine for Spyro. Some were detailed reports of long range Sentinel recon teams. They depicted how they were able to gleam information from the humans and watch their every move, at least at the border facilities. It even talked about how they were using some of these life crystals as ways to "see through the world." The more and more he dug down, the more he saw of Vivex's plans. He could see how Vivex planned a massive land invasion to the north to attack US North, while also at the same time driving a wedge south to isolate and capture Baltimore. From there, it would just be a large move south, capturing every city and group left in their wake.

How was he hoping to accomplish this? How did he even think he was going to challenge the humans? Another document spoke about the troop movements in and out of the base, at first ranging in the thousands, and then tens of thousands in the recent weeks. They were headed to this place only referred to as "the front." They were the first wave, and would march a day or two ahead of the main force behind them. Together they'd meet up at the gates of US North, and would cripple their defenses, while another large group went straight east, to the coast line. Vivex labeled them as an intercept group. Intercept group? For what? Spyro kept digging in until he found another paper with an attached photo. The photo was of Jericho, which immediately caught Spyro's attention. He picked this paper out and set it down on the desk, letting his eyes comb over it.

They were notes on Jericho, only referred to as the "carrier." They talked about his village, where had come from and notes on his precious cargo, the flash drive. Several pages rested behind the first, all speaking about the flash drive! It spoke about Aurora, about the great and immense power that had been taken from the Master and what they surmised what still lay on the device. For years, apparently, the Dark Master had tried to reverse engineer the old ruins and recreate Aurora, but the humans had done so much damage during their raid that it was impossible. The Dark Master was very concerned about it, and had already killed several high ranking lieutenants who failed to retrieve the device. The previous commander of the eastern seaboard forces was one of those commanders. Vivex was the latest to assume this position, and this responsibility. From these notes, it almost seemed likely that the capture and return of the Aurora data was more important then the entire eastern coast!

Then suddenly it made sense to Spyro. Now it all made sense why they were doing what they were doing. This wasn't about the east coast anymore. This wasn't about territory or armies. Everything pointed to New York, which meant that they were going to find them and the flash drive at all costs. Did they even know that they had safely delivered it to them? Surely it only made sense now, that they had been gone so long in the wilderness that they might have stumbled into the humans at some point! Vivex knew about humanity, and likely the Dark Master did too. Perhaps the idea of humanity rebuilding and owning their own Aurora device scared him that much. It might be even scarier if they had their own purple dragon, powering it.

It all made sense to him now. This invasion… everything. This was the Dark Master's last desperate attempt to get the flash drive, and recapture Aurora at all costs. He would stop at nothing it seemed. What was to happen when he got it? What would happen if he was able to harness that much raw power again…?

The thought scared the dragon.

It wouldn't happen, they would keep the device safe in New York. Here before the dragon lay more than enough information that could be used to thwart this invasion. Donnelly would have his intel.

He kept wanting to read more and more but he could… he could sense something. He lifted his head, feeling something prickling at the back of his neck. There was still some… residual Inner Light coming off of his form, and he could still somewhat feel in-tune with the environment. He felt… a presence drawing near. He could sense it, yes! It was down the hall, and it was approaching. If Spyro's guess was right, he had less than a minute before it would be at the door.

Frantically, Spyro began looking around, wanting to take some of this stuff with him. This information was invaluable!

Spyro spotted a set of dragon rucksacks nearby and immediately grabbed them. He began filling the sacks with as many of the important documents as he could, putting in things like the purple dragon journal, information on the life crystal and other intel that Vivex had gathered over the years. He filled the sacks with as much as they could carry and placed them onto his back. He yanked hard on the strap with his teeth to ensure it was secure and checked his senses again. The figure, whoever it may be, was approaching and was only a few feet away.

Quickly, Spyro ran over to the chest and closed it. He sealed the lock and dashed over to a single window that rested nearby. He tugged on its latch and it opened outwards. He leapt out, feeling the frigid night air slap against his form. As soon as he was clear of the window, he closed it behind him and flew off.

He had just made it! He flew upwards to the roof, landing with a soft thud as the bags were heavier then he thought they might be. There were skylights that went down into the hallways, and the young dragon gave a peek to see who might have been at the door. It was a dragon about his own age and size. His scales were black with white and yellow accents. He stood in front of the door to Vivex's office and gave it a tap with his talons. The dragon didn't hear a response so he waited for a few more moments. No response came back so the dragon looked as though he had given up and began walking away.

He wasn't like the other Sentinels, who were all anthros. He was still feral, which told Spyro he might be a trainee, like Cynder had been. Spyro almost felt bad for him. He still kind of had a chance, but Spyro was sure that… well that he might never get a chance to escape what might be coming for him.

/Transitioning…/

[Done]

He didn't answer. He wasn't known for answering but Asimov had hoped. He had hoped that he would be able to talk to Vivex before the ceremonies began. He knew Vivex had returned to his office, and had hoped to catch him before he left but it appeared as though he had already departed for the Great Hall. The time was almost here, and soon Asimov would join them in the ceremony to wake the crystal up.

With a sigh he made his way back to the Great Hall, hoping to get there before everything began. As he walked through the halls, he couldn't help but feel a certain… sense of foreboding. He would stop, every so often to look up and around him. It felt… strange. He felt like somebody was here with him, but he couldn't quite place it. Every time he stopped to check, he was alone in the hallway. Nobody there but himself. Yet, he couldn't claim that with one hundred percent certainty.

As he stood there looking at the silent walls, a Sentinel guard rounded the corner.

"Asimov, Vivex sent me to fetch you. It's time to begin." The Sentinel spoke in a gruff voice, the tall fox anthro was hard to tell apart from the thick crystal armor he wore.

"Yes… yes. We're going to the Great Hall, right?"

"No, not yet. We have to fetch the other one first…"

"Right…"

The Sentinel guard lead him away from the Great Hall, and instead back to the solitary confinement section of the prison. There, like before, it was quiet and desolate. The only occupant sat right where he had left her earlier that day, still sitting against the wall and looking away from the door. Asimov stopped in front of her cell, looking at her with a pathetic gaze. The Guard merely offered a huff as he walked over to unlock the prison door. Cynder looked up as she heard the door slowly opening to greet her.

Asimov stood at her cell, looking down at her before letting his gaze fall to the floor. He felt a short moment of hesitation. What was he doing…? He swallowed hard before speaking.

"Vivex seems to still think there's something you can do to help him." Asimov said lowly, not really breaking his gaze from the ground where she had been laying moments before. Cynder frowned and looked away.

"I don't want any part of it…"

"I'm sorry Cynder… but… there isn't a choice…" Asimov bit his tongue at that, feeling a little bit of regret using that tone against her. The guard had no qualms, and instead sneered as he walked into the cell and grabbed her by the foreleg. She snarled and tried to kick him away, but the guard pulled her free of the cell and began pulling her into the hall. Asimov never once looked at her, rather staring at the floor as they began the precession down the hallway.

Cynder continued to struggle, hoping to break free but the guard just kept his firm grip on her. Tears rolled down her face as she so desperately tried to fight it, but it was to not avail.

"Asimov… please! You can't do this!"

"I'm sorry Cynder… You should look at this as a… positive. You'll get to meet our Master… You'll get to bond with him, unlike any of us will ever get to do…" Asimov had at first been elated at the idea, at once envious of her. Now that he was here, doing it? Now that he was dragging Cynder to her fate…?

The idea didn't sound so appealing…

It almost sounded like he was damning her. Was it true? Was any of this true?

"Asimov… you can't… you don't know what it does! You don't know what it'll do… to me… to you! It's a trick Asimov!"

"Shut your mouth!" The guard struck Cynder across the face, eliciting a whimper from the dragoness. She fell limp to the ground, small sniffs coming from her pathetic form. The guard pulled on her arm harder, willing to drag her there if need be.

"You're right Cynder… I don't know what it'll do…" That was all Asimov was able to stomach as he walked forward in front of the guard. The guard gave a low snicker as he pulled Cynder behind him.

She was right… What would happen when she bonded with The Master? Would she even become as he once thought, a pure Sentinel? Or… perhaps would something else happen to her…? Would her essence be lost forever? Was he truly ok with doing this…? What was Vivex trying to do with this? When he was with Vivex, the idea sounded so plain, so simple and he was willing to do it. Now that Vivex wasn't here, the doubt was starting to sink into the dragon's mind.

"Heh Asimov I bet you wish it was you gettin' yourself bonded to the Master eh? Truly an honor!" The guard gave a low chuckle, almost strutting as he pulled Cynder behind him. Asimov didn't answer, instead staring straight forward.

A blast of hot energy suddenly broke the concrete beside them, and threw both Asimov and the guard to the ground. Asimov groaned in pain as he hit the floor hard, and snapped his head immediately to see what was going on.

A lone dragon stood at the end of the hallway behind them, smoke rising from his muzzle.

"What in the…? Who's this?!" The guard got back up, and reached for his weapon. The dragon standing in the hallway opened his muzzle, and an arc of lightning shot forth to strike the Sentinel. The guard yelled out in pain as the discharge sent his weapon flying into the air, crashing several feet away.

"Unhand her!" The dragon cried out, stepping forward into the light to reveal his purple scales.

"A purple dragon…" Asimov muttered, seeing his form now.

"Spyro…?" Cynder looked up, her eyes wide as tears flowed down from them.

"Cynder! Stay down!" Spyro cried, running forward. Asimov grit his teeth and fired off his own attack, a bolt of black lightning. The blast struck near Spyro, splitting the concrete floor in two and forcing the dragon to a stop.

The guard had gotten back up, and immediately got in front of the two of them.

"No! Get her to the hall! The ceremony will begin soon, I'll stop him!" Asimov yelled, getting to his feet. The guard looked at him for a moment before turning and grabbing Cynder by the arm, forcing her up.

"On your feet! We're leaving!" He yelled.

"No! Spyro, please!" Cynder cried out, reaching out.

"Cynder!" Spyro shot forth, but was struck with Asimov fired a blast of dark lightning at him.

"Not so fast there purple boy! I have unfinished business with you!"

Spyro grit his teeth as his scales were singed from the direct hit. He flapped his wings, hovering in the middle of the hallway.

"I didn't come all this way… to get stopped by you!"

"I didn't come this far, for you to ruin all of this!" Asimov cried back. Who was he now? The dragon standing here, Asimov, was he even the same one that was doubtful of Vivex's plans only a few moments before? So much doubt, so much worry had clouded his mind. Yet, now, he stood defiantly before this purple dragon, as if inspired to follow his Master's bidding.

Spyro tried to shoot beyond him but Asimov tackled and brought the dragon down to the floor.

"You were the one, weren't you?! Cynder was supposed to apprehend and bring you to our Master! You defied and changed her!" Asimov held the dragon down on the ground, pinning him with his powerful grip. The dragon looked back up with him with defiance, even as Asimov pinned his head to the ground.

"I didn't do anything! You guys attacked me! You killed my friend! Your damn right I resisted… and I only helped Cynder know the truth! Your Master is evil!" A charge of energy started to form over the purple dragon's body, one that went far beyond anything Asimov had felt. Asimov's eyes went wide as the dragon discharged the energy and sent Asimov flying into the ceiling. He hit hard and let out a yelp of pain as he was sent back down onto the ground.

Spyro got back up, and was panting as smoke rose from his body.

"You can't stop him… you can't stop our Master… You'll see…" Asimov got up slowly, looking at the dragon as he stood near the doorway to the Great Hall.

"No. You'll see what your Master is really like. The way he poisons and corrupts… You're going to lose yourself to him…"

"We'll find out!" Asimov leapt forward, charging past Spyro into the doorway. The dragon snapped his head around and tried to race forward to greet him, but Asimov fired an arc of dark lightning that struck the top part of the doorway, causing a section of lose concrete to give way. The broken pieces of rock and concrete fell downwards, blocking the entryway. Spyro leapt forward to beat the concrete, but was defeated as the stone and rock slammed hard into the ground before him. Dust sent him back onto the ground, and he stood back up to see the entrance blocked.

Asimov panted as he sat on the other side, feeling the drain that the attack had taken on him.

"Don't follow! You'd be best… to stay away!" Asimov yelled out as he got to his feet. Spyro pounded on the debris, able to see through a small hole in it as Asimov bolted towards the Great Hall.

"Damn it!" Spyro cried out.

Asimov stopped, panting as he looked back at the collapsed doorway, seeing the purple dragon struggling to clear the debris from the portal. He frowned and turned slowly, muttering to himself.

"You can't save her… I don't even think I can save her…"

Back in the collapsed doorway, Spyro grit his teeth. He fired blast after blast of Earth onto the collapsed debris, causing as much of it to break as he could. He continued to focus his energy, able to manipulate the lifeless concrete to move from his way, but it was much harder then trying to animate natural Earth. He could get some of it to move and shift but it was going to take some time to clear the entryway to get past.

"Down here! I heard it coming from down this way!"

Voices bombarded the dragon's senses, causing him to turn around. He saw shadows coming from around the corner, and was met with a duo of armor clad Sentinels.

"Intruder! It's the purple dragon! He's here!"

"Stop him! Don't let him near the Great Hall!"

The two of them rushed Spyro, trying to apprehend him. Spyro dashed backwards and unleashed a jet of fire onto them, consuming one of them in the process. The other leapt to the side and almost smashed into the wall as the other fire consumed Sentinel staggered backwards.

"I'll get you for that!" Yelled the second Sentinel as he reached for his weapon. Spyro reacted quickly, firing a bolt of ice that struck the Sentinel's arm as it reached for the weapon. The Sentinel's arm was frozen solid, bonding it to his chest place. The Sentinel yelled out in an attempt to free his arm, but Spyro leapt in to deliver a blow to his chest before he could react. The Sentinel went flying and struck the wall again, knocking him unconscious.

The two Sentinels now lay on the ground, unmoving. He had to move fast before more guards came down and blew his cover! When that dragon who was with Cynder reached Vivex… well his entire cover would be gone. It would almost be impossible to reach this 'Great Hall' now.

He charged up a powerful blast of Earth and unleashed it forward, clearing the debris in a huge wash of energy. The broken concrete was sent flying around the hallway, smashing nearby windows and light fixtures. Spyro didn't even wait for the smoke to clear before he charged forwards.

He had regretted not regrouping with Jericho before he decided to tail that dragon… He still had the intel packed away in the packs resting on his flanks, and pondered real hard about whether or not he'd take it with him into this fight or stash it away. He decided he should press on, and not let this opportunity to find and rescue Cynder slip away. He wouldn't lose her… not again.

He charged down the hallways, rounding corner after corner, trying to locate this so called Great Hall. He wasn't going to be stopped! Not now!

/Transitioning…/

[Done]

Asimov panted as he finally reached the Great Hall. Two guards flanked the door as he passed through the entryway, once again finding himself in the massive atrium. Sentinel guards lined the walls as all the tables and chairs had been pushed aside for this special ceremony.

The crystal rested at the end of the Great Hall, with Vivex standing beside it. Cynder stood beside him, looking at the floor. Vivex saw Asimov enter and smiled at the dragon.

"Asimov, I thought you might have been held up…"

"Vivex, sir… There is an intruder in the Citadel… it's the-"

"I know Asimov. The Sentinel escort already informed me. It matters not, this ceremony must go forward without any distractions. If the purple dragon comes… let him."

"As… as you wish Master Vivex…" Asimov bowed, deciding that his decision was best for the moment. He sighed softly, collecting himself as he stood back and away from Vivex and Cynder. Vivex smiled and turned to the crystal while placing a wing on Cynder, ushering her forward.

"Well Cynder? What're you waiting for…? Are you not excited to become bonded with our Master? Think about how it would feel… to become one with Him…"

Cynder snarled at him.

"I wouldn't dare do it… "

"Well that is unfortunate my dear… what would The Master say? What would your father say…?"

Cynder glared at him. Vivex just gave a smirk to her before pushing her more with his wing, shoving her a few feet closer to the crystal. Cynder panted, looking at the crystal with a twinge of fear. She could feel it… even Asimov could feel it from where he was standing… They could all feel it. The essence of The Master… it was so pure, so powerful. It pulsated like a gigantic heart, sending soft waves across each of their bodies.

She turned back to Vivex, who ushered her on with his sneering gaze. She knew exactly what was going to happen. She knew she didn't have a choice, and that it was only a matter of time before Vivex shoved her to the crystal himself. She gulped and turned back to the glowing gemstone. She took one step towards it, feeling the energy around the crystal slowly envelop itself around her claws. It was so strong… so powerful… She could feel Him. She could feel Him flowing into her body, into her mind… She fought back hard, trying to resist every moment she could…

Her Sentinel collar began to hum softly as the gemstone embedded in the center of it reacted to the massive life crystal nearby. Sparks of purple lightning connected between the crystal and her gemstone, acting as a portal for His energy to flow into her. She gasped, feeling it starting to channel in her collar. She stepped back, wanting to break the connection, but Vivex's powerful claws landed behind her, keeping her where she was. He wouldn't want her to escape now…

"Cynder!"

Cynder snapped her head back, just in time to see an explosion rock the Great Hall. The doors leading inside were blown clean off their hinges, and the two guards who were standing right outside were sent flying several feet into the air before slamming into the ground nearby.

Spyro shot forth from the smoke, using his powerful wings to propel his way into the air. The Sentinels in the room sprung into action immediately, bringing their weapons to bare on him and firing.

Bullets whizzed through the atrium, slamming into the glass and concrete as Spyro dodged each of the shots.

"Enough!" Vivex called out, silencing their gunfire. The Sentinels stopped, and looked to their commander in confusion. Vivex stared coldly at Spyro, holding up one arm to keep their weapons silenced. Slowly but surely they all lowered their weapons, obeying his command.

Spyro panted as he hovered, now the center of everyone's undivided attention.

"Let her go Vivex!" Spyro called down to the Sentinel commander, who chuckled in response.

"Now why would I do that? Little Cynder here is about to perform her greatest contribution to the liberation of the east! Why would I keep her from performing her destiny my dear dragon?"

"You keep lying, talking about liberating… All you're doing is destroying!"

"Destroying? All we're doing is restoring this world to its former glory. You talk to me, saying I am lying… Do not call me a liar when you, yourself lack the truth."

"I can call you a liar because I know what the truth is!"

"Well then tell me young one, what is the truth?"

"I know that you and your Sentinels have been lying! You all say humanity destroyed themselves, that they whipped themselves off the face of this Earth! I know that's wrong, that your Master was the one who did it! The Dark Master was the one who lead the genocide, not humanity…"

Vivex started to smile, then he went into a full laugh. Cynder and Asimov both looked at Vivex as he continued to laugh uncontrollably.

"Oh my dear dragon… you are so young and naive… So yes, it's true. Our Master did wipe out humanity, but there isn't a lie when we say they destroyed themselves… Our Master gave humanity what they gave themselves."

"What bullshit…" Spyro growled, unwilling to accept that philosophical answer. Vivex frowned at that, unamused at his language.

"Allow me to give you a history lesson my dear dragon. Before My Master invaded and destroyed humanity, they had just finished waging a world war against themselves. What was it over…? Land? Recourses? Economic dominance? Such… petty squabbles that escalated and even went nuclear as it were… What stopped the war was when the nations of this old world launched their most terrifying weapons against each other. When they realized what they had done, they quickly stopped, just coming short of whipping the Earth clean of all life. It terrified them so much that they all came to the peace tables… brought by fear of their own doing. Mankind's greed and destructive nature meant that they were no longer worthy of their title as Bearers of the Earth. My Master saw fit to strip them of that title, especially when they had stolen it in the first place…"

"Stolen? How could humanity have stolen it?"

"Again you show you naive nature young one. Humanity took that title away, destroying the old world that once was, building on top of it their own 'civilization.' Thousands of years of dominance finally came to an end when Our Master liberated this world. Tell me dragon, do you know who was it that the humans took it from? Who ruled this world originally?"

"No… I don't."

"I thought not. When you find out the truth, then you can come and call me a liar. When you sit there and spout your own lies don't you dare accuse me of doing so."

Spyro didn't have an answer for him. Instead all he could do was glare at the larger dragon.

"Now then, I do believe we were in the middle of something… Ah yes, dear Cynder's initiation… You know, I couldn't help but feel as though you and her have had a special… bonding experience throughout your travels. Isn't it fitting that you would be here to witness her bonding to The Master?"

"To hell with you!" Cynder screamed, yanking herself away from Vivex's grasp. Vivex growled and struck her across the face, causing both Spyro and Asimov to jolt.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Spyro leapt forward, but was quickly knocked back by a wave of darkness that Vivex had launched from his paw. Spyro slammed hard on the ground and slid for a few moments before slowly getting up. He felt the weight and hindrance that the backpack he was wearing was putting on him so he set it aside for the moment.

"Not so fast dragon! You want to rescue her, well then come and do it! Save your girl…" Vivex quickly grabbed her and tossed Cynder towards the giant crystal. She screamed out when the crystal tethered her with a single arc of purple energy. It suspended her in front of the mighty gemstone, and her collar began to hum to life, glowing the same purple as the gemstone did.

"Nooo!" Spyro raced forward, shoving past Asimov who tried in vain to halt the purple dragon. The energy field around Spyro grew so strong that by merely passing by Asimov, it sent him flying onto his back. Vivex stood between him and Cynder, and Spyro looked up to see the hate and anticipation in the black dragon's face. He sneered down at Spyro, readying himself. Spyro continued to channel energy around him, preparing to smash through him like a sledgehammer to a wooden wall.

Closer and closer he got until…

Nothing, absolutely nothing.

Vivex had moved, dodged out of the way at the very last moment. Barely catching this, Spyro saw as the dragon gave him a look of victory. Confused, Spyro tried to stop himself, but he was going too fast now. It didn't matter, he was going to continue on to Cynder anyway! He'd get her down, then fight Vivex! He leapt up, going right for Cynder. He'd use his energy to shield himself as he'd pull her free of the field, he'd be able to do it!

Unfortunately for Spyro, it didn't happen as he'd imagined.

Again, at the last second, the crystal released its hold on Cynder and allowed her to fall to the floor. The purple arc instead swung itself onto Spyro, grabbing ahold of him and clashing with the field of energy he had conjured around him. For a moment, the two fields battled one another, sending wild sparks across the room and creating a brilliant flash that momentarily blinded those standing nearby.

Soon though, the overwhelming strength of the crystal won out, and shattered Spyro's protective field. The arc burst forth, and ensnared the young dragon. It wrapped around his whole body, and soon he was suspended in the same spot that Cynder had been only moments before.

"Sp-Spyro!" Cynder cried, looking up to see this.

Vivex began to laugh, almost uncontrollably.

"You stupid fool! My Master knew you'd come here! He knew you'd try to come and free her… Cynder did play her final part, serving as perfect bait for you young one. You are the true prize…" Vivex knocked Cynder back to the ground as she tried to stand back up, causing her to whimper. He walked up to the crystal, craning his large neck over so he was eye to eye with Spyro. Spyro fought against his restraints, trying with all his might to break free from the crystal's grasp. It was useless… The energy had immobilized him, and had rendered all his abilities useless!

"Look at you now, you're so pathetic. You might have evaded us in Baltimore, and might not align yourself with our cause, but I do believe that our Master will take from you what he will need. You are going to give us so much…" Vivex brought his claws up, rubbing them along the underside of Spyro's jaw. Spyro grit his teeth, wanting so badly to bite his paw in defiance. He couldn't even do that…

"I won't… give you anything!" Spyro cried out defiantly. Vivex only gave him an amused smile.

"Oh, you don't have a choice. We're going to take it."

Suddenly, Spyro felt the mighty and cold tendrils of the Dark Master reaching out from the crystal, and snaking their way into his mind. Spyro screamed out in agony as the black energy convulsed around his form. He felt him, he felt every bit of him as the energy raced through his body, and into his mind.

Images and flashes began scrolling through his conscious, all from his past. Flashes from their time in Savannah, the encounters with the Sentinels, his meeting with Jericho and escape… they were all here. He watched as their weeks of adventures zipped by in fleeting moments. The Dark Master was reading his mind, reading his thoughts. What was he looking for…? Spyro fought back as hard as he could, but the images kept flashing, and the darkness kept washing over his mind.

The images moved on to when they finally met the humans, and when they arrived at New York. The images began to slow, as if he was finally honing in on his target.

There, the images stopped. He was staring at the Aurora prototype, and the moment when Jericho handed over the flash drive to Dr. Harper. A feeling of satisfaction washed over Spyro, yet it was not his own. He felt emotions and thoughts that were foreign to him. They were being implanted onto him, by the Dark Master. He was trying to take over his mind! Spyro fought back again, trying to remember who he was, what he was. HE wouldn't surrender to this!

The images stopped, and Spyro was brought back to reality as the Dark Master seemed to have gotten what he had wanted. He knew where the flash drive was now. He knew where they were keeping the prototype and the data deep under New York's surface. The Dark Master had watched intently as they had entered New York, and watched the exact route they had taken through the city and through the underground facility to reach there. Spyro had been used to tell them exactly where the device was. Now he could still feel the Dark Master in his mind… He could feel him entering parts of his mind again. He wouldn't give in!

Down in front of the crystal, Cynder watched in horror as the purple arc zapped itself onto Spyro. He roared out in agony as the black tendrils raced over his head, and Vivex only stood nearby, smiling to himself. For the brief time Cynder was in contact with it, she could feel The Master. She could feel him… The feeling left her feeling so vulnerable, so terrified… She could only imagine what Spyro was going through right now. Soon even he'd be claimed by it. She had to stop it! But.. how?

She inched back from the crystal, watching as everyone's eyes were placed intently on Spyro. Not even Vivex was paying attention to her…

In and instant she reacted and propelled herself forward. She moved past Vivex and slammed hard into the energy field surrounding Spyro. It blocked her, but she held herself to it with all her might. The gemstone in her collar began to light up again from such close proximity to their Master, and she could again feel the tendrils of his power flowing into her. She didn't care. She needed to free Spyro.

"What?!" Vivex yelled, seeing this. He reached out to pull her down, but elected not to. He lowered his claw, instead humored by what he saw.

"Try all you want traitor, but he is in our Master's claws now. You can't break the seal."

"No, but I know he can! Spyro! Can you hear me? You can do it, you can break his hold! You can break his grip!"

Vivex scowled and now decided to reach out and pull her free from the energy field. He grasped her by both of his claws and pulled, but she clutched onto Spyro.

"Let… go!" Vivex yelled, unable to pull her free.

"NO! Spyro, free yourself! You can do it!"

"Silence you rat!" Vivex backed up and struck her with his tail. She cried out in agony, but held on.

"Let GO!" He again struck her, this time with his claws, tearing some of her back scales away. Tears fell from her eyes as she continued to hold on. Again, Vivex brought his claws down, but this time he was stopped.

"No! Stop!" Asimov placed himself between Vivex and Cynder, much to the larger dragon's surprise.

"Out of the way Asimov… NOW! That is an order!" Rage boiled in his eyes, but tears fell down Asimov's face. He had watched as Vivex had struck Cynder over and over, and he couldn't bare to watch it any longer. He had stood by and allowed Vivex to use her, abuse her and he couldn't stand by any longer and watch him do this. This was WRONG.

"I can't… I can't let you Vivex… She's endured enough…" Asimov turned to Cynder, who only clutched her eyes tight, embracing the field around Spyro as blood began to trickle down from her injuries.

"Cynder… it's alright. You can let go now…" Asimov said, hoping to use calmer tactics. She opened an eye to Asimov, and sniffed lightly as he looked at her with genuine concern. She looked back at him with worry and fear, and her grasp seemed to weaken as the pain was getting to her. She continued to hold on for as long as she could before her will gave out and she fell down into Asimov's arms. He grunted as her weight fell onto him, but he managed to carry her away. Vivex still scowled at Asimov, his claws still ready to strike.

"I won't forget this Asimov. You should be wise to not cross me again…" Vivex said. Asimov didn't respond. He set Cynder down on the floor nearby, placing a comforting paw on her side.

"Well?! What do you have to say for yourself?!"

"You got what you wanted, didn't you? So what's it matter…" Asimov shot back his response, barely even looking towards Vivex as he said it. This only enraged Vivex more.

"You ungrateful little… I ought to strike you down, right now! However… you are right. We HAVE gotten what we've wanted. Only that will spare your life, and maybe even her own. I'll deal with you later." Vivex gave one last growl before turning to the young purple dragon who was still suspended in the air, and who was still in a grave battle with the Dark Master.

Deep within the dragon's mind he was in a struggle, fighting for who he was, and who he was fighting for. All around he felt his emotions and thoughts being altered, changed. He fought back, using his own memories to restore the corrupted ones the Dark Master was inserting. He wasn't going to lose himself, he would remember with every fiber of his being who he was.

Cynder's cries had gotten through to him, and he had heard every single one of them. They empowered him and kept him fighting. Even as the Dark Master moved to every part of his mind and consciousness, he wasn't going to surrender so easily. If he did, then all would be truly lost.

/Transitioning…/

[Done]

Jericho calmly stepped over the corpse of a dead Sentinel whom he had just finished shooting in the head. Two dead Sentinels lay on the catwalk, both victims of the human. He didn't really see any other way to bypass them, and thought this might be an excellent way to… test out his new ammunition. Better to try it now then it live combat, right?

The ammunition surpassed all his expectations. Under normal circumstances, the ammo might crack and shatter their armor under sustained gunfire. These bullets? The second they struck the armor, they gave off a brilliant blue spark and sliced right through. It was like the armor wasn't even there. It only took one bullet to the back of their heads to put these two large brutes down.

"Thanks for the test buddy, I hope you don't mind but these bullets get an A plus!"

Sparx grimaced at Jericho, making the human roll his eyes.

"Oh whatever, he's too dead to care if my jokes suck." Jericho pushed their bodies as best he could ito the shadows, then moved on. He needed to keep mobile if he wanted to catch up to Hunter.

Jericho grunted as he leapt down from a catwalk and onto the bare concrete floor. He had been following the rooftops for some time but had decided to descend down into the bowels of the prison in an attempt to link up with Hunter. He had yet to hear back from Spyro, which was worrying him. The drake had gone in himself to try and find intel on his own, and he hadn't seen a peep from him since. He had hoped to find and link up with Hunter, and the two of them could then find and regroup with Spyro. Hunter had said he was venturing in the utility tunnels beneath the prison… so… maybe he could find him in there?

The utility tunnels ran under the prison, and apparently ran many of the heating units and even some power generators. He had to find a way down into the basement, somewhere…

The tight hallway he had found himself in was sandwiched between one of the cell blocks and another section of prison. He was walking in-between the buildings essentially, with several pipes and electrical lines running the walls. After walking for a few moments, he spotted a metal hatch on the floor. He walked over to it and pulled it open, revealing a ladder leading down below.

Sparx buzzed by his head, seemingly nervous. Spyro had left his dragonfly companion with him, though Jericho was regretting that decision since he had no way to understand what he was saying! Sparx seemed concerned about something, but without Spyro around, he had no clue what it would be.

"Sorry dude, can't speak dragonfly. We have to find Hunter." Jericho said before descending into the tunnels below. Sparx gave a low whine before zipping in after him. Jericho landed on a metal catwalk, feeling awfully claustrophobic as the walls were suddenly inches away from him. There must have only been a foot of space for him to maneuver in. Large pipes ran the length of this tunnel, supported by large metal braces that restricted his movement area even more. Thankfully the tunnel wasn't short… so he at least didn't have to crouch. With a sigh, Jericho pulled his rifle up and slowly walked down the dimly lit hallway.

"Now if I were Hunter… where would I be…?" Jericho whispered to himself, slowly making his way through the tunnel. Up ahead he saw branches that lead every which way. Once he reached the crossroads, he took a peek, much to his dismay… The tunnels spread out in every direction, creating a maze that almost seemed endless… He kept walking forward, hoping that these tunnels didn't send him back to New York.

He must have walked in those tunnels for a good few minutes, passing many different corridors and even ascending and descending to different levels. Rooms were spread out all around the tunnels, each containing possibly heating machinery or power generators. A quick glance at them revealed that… well someone had placed some charges behind them. It looked like none other than Hunter's handiwork. It was at least good to know he was on the right track…

The human walked passed where the charges where and entered another room. The human was almost taken aback when he saw what looked like a foot sticking out of one of the nearby doorways leading out. Jericho stepped over to it, and saw that a dead Sentinel had been propped into a corner, with what looked like a clean entry wound on the back of his armor, right where his spine was. One hit, one kill. Well, it surely seemed like Hunter had come this way, after all!

Jericho stepped over the body and walked down the hall at a more rapid pace. He was moving quicker, and less stealthy as he was getting frustrated and honestly a little claustrophobic down here. More and more tunnels greeted the human and he gave a groan of defeat. Eventually he shouldered his weapon and started casually walking down the tunnels as no more threats arose to greet him. It almost took him by complete surprise when he rounded the corner and was met with the sight of an arrow pointed right at his temple.

"Jericho." The arrow of course belonged to Hunter, the skillful cheetah blending in perfectly with the shadows cast by the metal struts housing the massive pipes that ran along the wall.

"Hunter… " A single bead of sweat fell down the human's face as Hunter slowly withdrew his bow.

"Where is Spyro?"

"We split up earlier, he went down into the buildings to find more intel and I broke off to track down this crystal the Sentinels brought in on a train."

"Crystal? What kind of crystal, did you see it?"

"Only a glimpse, but it was huge. At least eighty feet and some change. They had to hoist it off the train with a modified Osprey. They brought it to another part of the prison, somewhere in the northern part. I was trying to find it but the rooftops got a little hot… I was hoping to meet back up with you and find Spyro."

"You said they brought it in on a train, which means it came from the Dark Master's Domain. It might be a life crystal."

"A life crystal? You mean like all the ones growing up from the ground?"

"No, they're similar but this crystal has the Dark Master's pure essence. It's been grown and powered by the Dark Master's life force. We're not entirely sure how they use them… We've never seen them bring one to the east. It must be what they're basing their invasion off of."

"That's exactly what Spyro and me thought too. You got your little sabotaging done down here?"

"I've got twenty different enchanted charges spread out around here, placed on support beams, power generators and pipelines. It should throw them into disarray."

"Also makes for a good distraction, in case we need one…"

"Indeed. Now, where did you say the crystal was taken?"

"To the northern part of the prison. Uh… we'll have to get back to the surface to figure out which way north is though…"

"No need, I brought a compass." Hunter reached into his sack and brandished a small compass strapped to what looked like a whistle. It was something Jericho recognized, it was Forger in design. It was like the ones his father had, which used to be used by people who went camping before the war.

"North is this way, come on. These tunnels can take you almost anywhere in the prison."
"Yeah… I noticed…"

The three of them walked down the tunnels, traveling for at least a few minutes before Hunter brought Jericho to a metal ladder that went back up to the surface.

"This should bring us close enough…" Hunter said, offering for Jericho to go first. Jericho nodded and ascended up, reaching the metal cover and pressing on it softly to life it. Sparx came up behind him, and Jericho waved him over.

"Hey buddy, check to see if its clear?"

Sparx nodded and went through the gap before returning and chirping something at him.

"I have no idea if that means yes or no…"

Sparx pouted for a moment before just simply nodding. Jericho chuckled a bit, pushing the cover open and climbing up and out of the hole. Hunter followed and soon, the two of them were back up in the prison. They had come out in what might have been a cellar, or just an empty utility room. Jericho walked over to the door and creaked it open, slowly taking a look outside. It lead into one of the cell blocks, but it was empty.

"It's all clear Hunter. We should get moving, try and get back to the roof." Hunter nodded back to the human and together they left the utility room and went into the cell block. It took them a while to find a ladder going to the roof but they quickly managed to ascend up and above the prison blocks. They returned to the catwalks where Jericho had been earlier, hanging just under the ceilings on the larger rooms, giving them a good concealed pathway through the prison. With Hunter's compass in hand, they were making their way to the northern end of the prison. A massive sign below them told them they were heading for a "Great Hall." Clearly they were headed in the right direction.

"Notice anything Jericho?" Hunter looked back at the human who followed close behind with his rifle pointed out.

"Yeah, this place is abandoned now. It was empty before but at least there was a patrol or two… Where in the hell are they all now?"

A soft rumble answered Jericho, and the entire prison building shook somewhat. Dust fell from the ceiling, and they could feel vibrations running through the metal they were standing on.

"I believe that may have something to do with it…" Hunter muttered, looking down at the catwalk.

"Come on, Spyro might be in trouble!" Jericho shot ahead of Hunter, leaping over pipes that lay in his path and quickly reaching a metal utility door that passed into this so called 'Great Hall.'

Jericho burst forth through the door, and saw that they were inside a large foyer that had been changed to be some kind of large meeting place for the Sentinels. The Dark Master's soldiers lined the walls, and there against the other side was the massive crystal they had seen on the train. In front of it stood Vivex himself, along with three dragons, of whom one they recognized…

"It's Spyro!" Jericho said, though trying to keep his voice down. He knelt down and ran up to the edge of the railing, looking down. Hunter and Sparx joined him, and together they peered down and whitened as Spyro had been ensnared by the massive crystal. The entire room glowed purple as the crystal seemed to sap the dragon of his strength.

"By the ancestors, Jericho that is a life crystal! Vivex is using it to drain his life force!"

"What the hell's he doing that for?!"

"It's to awaken the crystal! These crystals, they contain the Dark Master's life force, yes, but they exist in a dormant state. The Dark Master's energy is corrupted, so it needs a pure spark to live. He's using Spyro's life force to do that! It might also corrupt the young dragons mind."

"Well we can't just sit here and let him take our friend! We have to do something!"

"Calm yourself Jericho there are too many of them! We give away our position and we're sitting ducks up here!"

Jericho grit his teeth as Hunter pushed down on his rifle, denying him the chance to strike. Down below, Cynder raced up Spyro as he sat suspended above the ground. She was telling him something but Vivex began to strike her viciously. Jericho grit his teeth as he couldn't bare to watch it any longer.

"You still got that detonator for those charges?"

"Yes but I-"

"We're going to need one HELL of a distraction! You blow those charges, and I'm going to put a magazine into that bastard's skull! Maybe a couple of grenades will shatter that precious life crystal down there…"

"Jericho I hope you know what you're doing…"

"Trust me Hunter. They haven't killed me yet, and I don't plan on letting them."

/Transitioning…/

[Done]

"Yes you can feel it, can't you young one? Our Master will take what he needs, and use it to conquer your friends. Then we will use you young one to make sure it all happens… There is no fighting it, you only need to submit. It will be far easier…" Vivex walked over and grabbed onto Spyro's cheek, squishing his face. The young dragon barely managed to look back up at him, struggling to remain conscious.

"Let… let him go…" Cynder managed to say, tears falling from her face. Vivex simply ignored her as Asimov continued to rest his paw on her side, gently keeping her down.

"Y-you… you won't win Vivex… I w-won't… give in!" Spyro groaned, struggling against his restraints. Vivex let go of his face and gave a low chuckle.

"Well at least you're a fighter. I can admire that… respect it."

"Go to hell…"

"Now, now, mind your language. There's no need for-" Vivex jolted as massive explosions rocked the entire building. He had to brace himself as the entire room shook, causing the windows to all shatter and pieces of lose concrete to fall from the ceiling. Everyone in the room suddenly came to life as the all moved around in an attempt to find out what the hell just happened.

"What in the?!" Vivex spun around angrily, his eyes darting across the room. One of his senior Sentinel commanders sprinted up to him.

"Sir, massive explosions have rocked the building! Some of the cell blocks have collapsed into themselves!"

"Find out who in the hell has done this! Find out if we are under attack, and coordinate a defense! I will have the heads of whoever has interrupted out-" At that moment, clouds of dust and blood shot forth from Vivex's chest, and they began to slowly trail up to his neck, one after the other. The Sentinel commander stood back in shock as Vivex took at least fifteen bullet hits before the dragon's eyes rolled up and he collapsed to the floor. Before the commander could react, an arrow pierced the back of his helmet and killed him instantly.

"What the?!" Asimov quickly placed himself on top of Cynder as explosions began to rock the Great Hall. Grenades, seemingly appearing out of thin air detonated near the other Sentinels, blowing them apart. Those who had been spared by the grenades ran around in chaos as their seemingly invisible attackers continued to strike. One after another fell as bullets or arrows struck each of them, killing them. There were no gun shots, there were no signs to where their sources were.

"There, up there!" Finally a Sentinel spotted a pair of assassins on one of the upper catwalks, firing down at them with suppressed weapons. Asimov could only see two black figures silhouetted by the lights. Puffs of smoke came from one of their weapons, and the Sentinel who had spotted them was quickly silenced by a trio of bullets to his head.

The ones who were left began to fire up at them, and the two assassins were forced to retreat as bullets began to impact around them. They dashed madly around the catwalks, returning fire down onto the surviving Sentinels. Cynder saw this and used all her might to stand up and fight, but Asimov pushed back down on her.

"Stay down Cynder! Stay down, you're hurt!" She fought him, but tears fell down as her back was still bleeding.

Sparks of purple energy caught Asimov's attention, and he turned his head to see the purple dragon above him. The dragon was aware of what was happening, and Asimov could see the anger and determination in his eyes. He watched as the surviving Sentinels fired up at his friends on the catwalk, and fought with all his might to break free from the crystal's grasp. He pulled his arms up slowly, fighting back against the intense energy of the crystal. With one defiant roar, Spyro was able to break his arms free, sending a shockwave that slapped against Asimov's body. A bright wave of pure blue-white energy shot from the dragon, and it burned away at the purple bonds that still ensnared his legs.

The purple dragon flapped his wings and sailed up, wasting no time in charging a bolt of lightning that arced its way to the other Sentinels. They turned, having heard the loud CRACK that resonated through the room, but were too late to react as the bolt struck them. It immobilized them and sent them flying several feet into the air. As they tried to get up, bullets and arrows fired by the two assassins nailed each of the now vulnerable Sentinels. Soon, the entire room was silent.

Amazed, all Asimov could do was watch the purple dragon in amazement as he landed nearby, exhausted. He almost collapsed the moment he hit the ground, and was panting. Clearly, his time exposed to the Dark Master had taken their toll on his mind and body.

"Spyro! Spyro over here!" Up above, Jericho called down to their friend who now sat on the floor of the Great Hall. From above they watched in amazement as Spyro had freed himself and assisted in killing those final Sentinels. Spyro acknowledged them with a wave of his head, but it was clear he needed some help.

"Jericho, over here!" Hunter called out, ushering Jericho over. He had located a ladder leading down, and they wasted no time in descending down to the floor. They sprinted over to Spyro, helping him up. Sparx gave a cheerful smile as he returned to Spyro, who managed to chuckle and nod to him.

"There is still one more…" Hunter said, his bow at the ready. Jericho looked up at what he was talking about, and raised his weapon as he saw what the cheetah was talking about. One final Sentinel remained, and he was standing over their other friend.

Spyro turned, and glared somewhat as he spotted Asimov, who still stood over Cynder. He had some unfinished business with him.

"You! Get off our friend or I'll give your brain a crash course in ballistics!" Jericho walked towards Asimov, his weapon trained right to him. In fear, Asimov slowly got off of Cynder, allowing her to get up. Still bleeding cuts were visible on her back, and tears fell down her face from the ordeal.

"Cynder…" Spyro said, so happy to see her safe. She smiled at him, happy to see that he too, was now safe. Spyro turned to Asimov again, and his gaze was not so friendly. Cynder saw this, as well as Jericho's rifle barrel, and knew that at any moment, Jericho could pull the trigger to execute him, much like he had almost done to her, so long ago…

She stood in front of Asimov, blocking their view.

"Cynder? What're you doing?" Jericho asked, lowering his weapon slightly.

"He's… he's not like them…"

"Cynder, he gave you up so willingly to Vivex! He fought me to keep me from saving you!"

She looked down at the floor for a moment before looking up at Spyro.

"Only because he was ordered to… He did what I would have done. What… any of us would have done if we all bought into… the lies that Vivex had fed us…"

"Cynder… you don't have to do this. I know what I did…" Asimov spoke up, his own gaze averted to the floor. He couldn't even look her in the eyes.

"But you saved me… from him…" Cynder turned to Vivex, who lay motionless on the floor.

"Only because… because I couldn't stand to let him do that to you! The crystal… sacrificing you to it… I didn't even know what was happening, what would… happen. When I saw him doing that to you… it… it wasn't right. I couldn't let him do that."

"I told you Asimov… you aren't like them… there's still hope for you…" Cynder smiled up at Asimov, who looked up at her.

"I… I don't know Cynder… I…"

"Asimov, it's not too late, you can stop here and help us. You don't have to listen to them anymore…"

"Standing against Vivex is one thing but… to defy our Master? To… go against everything we were taught…? Cynder, I don't know if I can do that." Asimov shook his head, but she raised her paw out to him. Asimov looked at her for a moment confused, but realized she was offering her paw out for him to take. It was an invitation to come out and help them. He… he was so unsure what to do. He hesitated for a moment, swallowing hard before reaching out towards her paw. Maybe… maybe things could be different…

At the last moment he withdrew it, and looked away sharply. He turned, facing away from her while looking down at the floor.

"I… I don't know Cynder… You've aligned yourself with a human, and a member of the Avalalonian Order. I just… I don't know. I don't know if I can do that too…"

"Hey, you're welcome! Asshole…" Jericho waved his hand off, dismissing Asimov as he overhead his comments. Cynder shot Jericho a dismissive look before sighing and turning back to Asimov. She reached over to him and placed a paw on his back.

"I know it would be hard to accept. It… was hard for me too. You can do so much better Asimov, I know you can."

"Our mission is still noble. I can't turn my back on it. What Vivex was trying to do was… wrong… but I can't turn my back on all of them. I can't just walk away from everything, not after all we've been through. I just… I just can't Cynder…"

"You have to Asimov. There's… there's so much more, and I fear losing someone like you to the darkness. Once you become a Sentinel, you lose the only part of yourself that can say no." Asimov turned to her as she said this, his eyes a mix of both fear and concern. She could see it in his eyes. She knew, that he knew. Asimov knew the truth, he really did.

He just couldn't admit it yet.

He took in a deep breath and took a step away from Cynder, wanting to collect his thoughts. Cynder let him go, for the moment. Spyro walked up soon after and set a paw on her shoulder.

"What about you Cynder? Are you ok? Those gashes on your back…"

"It's alright, they'll heal Spyro…" She reached up, rubbing the still tender wounds. She grimaced at it, but managed to dismiss the pain. Spyro sighed softly.

"He… didn't do that to you, did he?" Jericho walked over, pointing to Asimov. Cynder quickly shook her head and pointed to Vivex.

"No, that monster did this. It just shows what he'll do to win…"

"Well, glad I pumped half a magazine into him for you. It sure felt good to do it!" Jericho smiled, turning to Vivex to admire his handiwork. At least twelve rounds had hit Vivex, puncturing his chest and going up along his neck. Blood still seeped from the wounds, and his body shifted and moved slightly. Vivex was still very much alive, but it appeared as though he was bleeding out.

"Thanks for that Jericho… If you guys wouldn't have arrived… or if Spyro hadn't broken free from the crystal…"

"No prob! We weren't going to abandon you here, and I wasn't going to let THIS one over here take on big bad Vivex on his own." Jericho smiled and nudged Spyro who managed a smirk but appeared to be somewhat drained from his experience with the crystal.

"Spyro? Are you alright? You were under the crystal's control for a while…"

"Yeah… yeah I'm fine…" Spyro reached up to rub his head, feeling a jolt of fear as he thought back to what he had to endure while the crystal had him in its thrall.

"What the hell was it doing to you anyway? Hunter called it a… life crystal. That it powers some of the Sentinel's creations or something like that."

"I could feel… him. I could feel the Dark Master. He was searching my mind, trying to corrupt it. This… this was all a trap, set up for me."

"Do what now? A trap?" Jericho crossed his arms, confused.

"Vivex lured me here with Cynder… They wanted me for the crystal, they wanted to search my mind, and then suck my energy dry."

"I get the energy part, but why'd they want your mind, or your memories?"

"They're still after the flash drive. This… this invasion, its not meant for the eastern coast, its meant for US North. They lured me here so the Dark Master could extract the location of the flash drive from my memory."

"So that way they'd know where it was… and could plan their attack accordingly…" Hunter walked up, rubbing his chin as he heard this.

"Hold on, hold on! You're telling me Vivex is planning to hit US North. THE US North? Does he even KNOW what's up there? I think they're in for a round of whoop ass honestly. Let them go north!"

"No, no, Jericho, Vivex knows about the Americans. He's studied them for a long time… something about his plan, about this… crystal. It's supposed to guarantee them a victory. I don't know how, but its central to their plan."

"Wait, everyone stop! You mean there's more humans? That there's still a US North?" Cynder chimed in, hearing everyone talk around her matter-of-factly. Even Asimov walked over, curious to what they were talking about.

"Oh yeah, we forgot to mention that." Jericho rubbed his chin, forgetting that not everyone knew about US North.

"Forgot to mention it? That's… really important!"

"Sorry! Well now you know, ok?"

"If the crystal is truly central to their plan, then it is a blessing that we have secured it before it went north. Only the ancestors would know what could happen if the crystal reached its destined target. A crystal this size… it could truly power an army. I don't know what Vivex had in store for it, but it would not be good." Hunter turned towards the crystal, looking it over.

"Well that's an understatement." Jericho said with a huff.

"We've got to find a way to break this crystal… or destroy it before the remnants of the Sentinels go through with Vivex's plan anyway." Spyro stood up, shaking off his fatigue. The others nodded around him.

"You guys want to destroy the crystal?" Asimov spoke up, causing all of them to turn and face him.

"That won't be a problem, will it Sentinel boy?" Jericho said, crossing his arms. Asimov gave him a glare before turning to Cynder and Spyro. Asimov could tell from their expressions that they shared the human's question, even if in a more… polite look.

"Asimov, you may still be torn with your allegiance… but we have to destroy this crystal or millions of lives might be lost. Your idea of this… liberation, many terrible things are going to happen. We have to do this." Spyro gave Asimov a look of determination. Asimov looked back at the purple dragon for some time before relenting and stepping away.

"I hope you're right Cynder… Because that crystal… it's tied to the Master. He would never forgive such a…"

"I'm sorry Asimov… but I'm not concerned with the Master anymore…" She bit her lip as she said it, and both Spyro and Asimov recognized that it took a lot within her to make that statement. Asimov nodded, realizing the gravity of her decision. It also really told him where she stood.

"Well then let's get cracking! Maybe a nice grenade or two will do the trick…" Jericho pulled out a few fragmentation grenades from his pack, and readied their pins. He turned to the mighty crystal resting about a dozen feet away, and saw that it pulsated a deep purple in response, as if recognizing what he was about to do. Jericho looked at it for a moment before seeing a wave of energy come forth from the crystal and strike him along his chest, sending him flying.

"Holy craaaaap!" Jericho yelled as he flew across the room.

"The crystal, the Dark Master is channeling himself through it!" Hunter declared as he readied his bow and backed away from the crystal. Spyro, Cynder and Asimov responded too, backing away as the crystal's energy seemed to glow more. A wall of purple haze began to surround the crystal, shielding it from any of their attacks.

It didn't take long for this to be confirmed, as Jericho quickly fired off a few bullets from his rifle as he still lay nearby. The bullets were eaten up by the wall of energy, almost vaporizing as they made contact with the energy field.

"Great! How're we supposed to destroy it now?!" Jericho yelled out.

"The Master… he's here…" Asimov said, staring straight at the crystal. Cynder turned to him, seeing the torn dragon as he backed away from it. Fear and anticipation gripped the black dragon, and he was torn between the feeling of wanting to flee, or wanting to run forward to embrace him…

"Don't give in Asimov! Don't do it!" Cynder yelled, seeing the pain in his gaze. The dragon grit his teeth and clenched his eyes, backing away again. She could feel the pull too. It was a feeling of temptation unlike anything she had ever experienced, and it was only thanks to her decision to not look directly at the crystal that kept her mind in control. She hated to admit she was just as vulnerable as Asimov was.

"They're in there, with the crystal! Stop them!"

Voices began coming from the doorway leading into the Great Hall, causing them all to snap their heads in that direction. Down the hall, a dozen heavily armed Sentinels raced towards them.

"Took them long enough! Get down!" Jericho, while still laying on the ground, rolled over so he was on his stomach, and aimed his rifle down the hall. Bursts from his rifle erupted, and nailed a pair of Sentinels in the chest, causing them to fall over. Blue sparks resonated from both Jericho's weapon, and their armor, telling Spyro the human was still using the special ammunition Donnelly provided.

In response to the first pair falling, the others scattered and planted themselves against the sides of the hallway, returning fire. Jericho continued to fire down the hall, but found it more difficult to hit them as they made themselves less of a target.

Hunter joined in too, racing back and forth as he launched arrow after arrow at them, hitting a few of the Sentinels dead on. The exchange lasted for a few moments as Spyro herded both Cynder and Asimov away from the center of the room and to the side. The crystal's strength was growing, and it even began to levitate as its energy pulsed through the room. Each time they felt it wash over them, and both Cynder and Asimov staggered as they felt the claws of the Dark Master reaching into their minds. Spyro felt it too, but out of the three he could fight back.

More Sentinels began gathering in the hallway, but thanks to the singular entrance they were bottlenecked there by Jericho's well placed gunshots. Any Sentinel that tried to rush them met a quick end, but that didn't mean that bullets weren't flying back at them. Jericho had to move on plenty of occasions to dodge return fire, and almost caught one on his arm at one point.

"Hunter I'm running low!" Jericho yelled as he slammed another magazine into his rifle. Hunter grit his teeth while sneaking two quick arrows down the hall. Spyro watched as two dark forms fell over, in response to his two arrows.

"Keep them back, or we'll get overwhelmed!"

"We need an exit! Quick!"

"We still need to destroy the crystal!" Spyro chimed in, taking quick glances as the crystal continued to gather strength behind them.

"Spyro you have to do it! We have to hold them off!"

Spyro grit his teeth and turned towards the crystal. They had to somehow breach that shield, get to the crystal itself! He conjured up a powerful blast of his own Inner Light and expelled it towards the crystal. It slammed into the shield, and seemed to pierce through it. The bolt passed through and struck the crystal, but was quickly dissipated by the crystal itself. The bolt was far too weak as it passed through the shield, he needed a more powerful attack!

He tried again, and again, getting the same results. The shield was just too powerful!

"Hav… having trouble there… young one…?" A rough, almost sad voice caught Spyro's attention, making him turn towards Vivex as he lay on the ground. Blood still seeped from his wounds, and he had to clench one eye as blood dribbled down from his mouth.

"You're still alive?!" Cynder declared, astounded at this.

"Don't… look so surprised… Cynder… Your friend did his best to k-kill me… and it might have worked too…"

"Save your breath! You'll soon bleed out anyway. Save us the time…" She glared at him, readying herself for combat but she took a sharp gasp as her wounds on her back were still fresh. This only made Vivex laugh.

"Oh how… how adorable… you think you've won, don't you? You think these… these mortal wounds… will k-keep the… the Master's plan down… You… you don't know the Master. You don't know what his g-gifts can do for us…" Using all the strength he could muster, Vivex flexed one of his mighty claws, and dragged himself to the crystal. Whatever energy the almost dead drake had left was expelled, and he roared out as he used his back legs to kick himself forward, almost clutching the crystal. The others could only watch in amazement.

"Oh Master… give me the strength! The strength to vanquish our enemies!" He grabbed onto the crystal, holding onto it tightly. Jericho and Hunter turned just in time to catch it, and all the Sentinels in the hallway held their fire as they could do nothing else but look on as well.

As Vivex held onto the crystal, the same tendrils of energy that had ensnared both Cynder and Spyro lurched forwards and enveloped his body. They wrapped around him and surrounded his form, as if he were under a flowing waterfall.

His fore arms and legs flexed out, as if being pumped with new energy. He spun around, showing them his chest. They watched as all twelve of the bullet wounds he had sustained suddenly and rapidly began to heal. The flesh sealed the punctured holes, and all the blood disappeared. His muscles gained new strength, bulging out more then what they had been previously. His horns and accents grew, as well as his overall size. As the corrupted energy flowed into him it began to change and morph his body. Unlike the transformation into an anthro Sentinel, Vivex remained feral, but the magic of the Dark Master was plain to see as his wings grew much larger, and deadly spines began to sprout from his back.

"Yes! Yes! YES! Feel the power, of the MASTER!" Vivex opened his eyes, revealing two tainted and glowing yellow pupils. They pulsated with hate, and he brought them to bare on them.

"No…. no! You're supposed to be dead! How?!" Jericho yelled, standing up somewhat. His eyes were agape as he could hardly believe it.

"Yes… oh yes… I can feel it, I can feel your energy Master, I can feel it flowing through me!" He turned to Jericho, giving him a wicked smile.

"Oh pitiful human, did you think your simple bullets could vanquish me…? Maybe my mortal form… but now the Master has given me his all-powerful kiss… Nothing can stop me now." His voice was distorted, carrying the same level of corruption as his body. He was now, truly a Sentinel.

He raised one of his paws, and out from it came a blast of energy. Spyro raced forwards, putting himself between the blast and the others. He called upon what reserves of energy he could to conjure a shield, and he extended his arms out to project his will. A field of blue rose up around them, and intercepted the blast of hot purple energy coming from Vivex. The forces struck and exploded on contact, filling the room with smoke.

Vivex let out a throaty chuckle as the smoke began to clear, leaving an eerie calm as he floated above them.

"Oh, I would so enjoy this fight young one… but my Master has many bigger plans in store. They will not be interrupted." Vivex raised his paw again, but instead it was pointed to the roof. A singular bolt of energy ascended from his forearm and flew straight up to the roof. The force of the bolt blew a section of the roof clean off, sending large chunks of concrete flying almost half a mile into the sky from the force of the impact. The others had to shield themselves as the shockwave flowed over them. As they opened their eyes, they saw as the morning sky greeted them. Cold wind from outside flowed into the room, and whipped across their bodies, causing them to shiver.

The massive crystal began to float up, and Vivex flew up with it. One of the Ospreys from earlier flew over to it, and the crew of dragons flew out from the troop bay to fasten the crystal to the underbelly of the craft. They could do nothing but watch as they firmly secured it to the belly, and the Osprey began to tow the crystal away. Vivex remained in place, hovering where the hole in the roof was as he looked down onto them.

"Now, where were we? Ah yes, the mighty hero was going to confront me. Go ahead, hero. Do your worst."

Spyro grit his teeth and flew into the air to meet him.

"Spyro! Wait, no!" Cynder yelled, reaching up for him. She moved to follow, but Asimov quickly grabbed onto her.

"No Cynder! You're still hurt!"

Spyro raced forward, charging his body with his Inner Light. Vivex just sat suspended in the air before raising a paw up. He smiled as Spyro felt his body suddenly halt. Surprised, Spyro saw a field of purple surrounding him. Vivex flicked his wrist, and Spyro felt his body get flung several feet to the side, right into one of the walls. Vivex laughed as he did this again, ensnaring Spyro's body and sending him flying off again. This time, before colliding into the floor Spyro regained control of himself and flapped his wings furiously to brake his fall.

"Ah, ah, ah! I'm having fun here…" Vivex raised his talons again, and once more Spyro felt his body ensnared.

"No!" Spyro cried, channeling a field of energy to break his hold. The energy surrounding his body collapsed, and he was free. Panting, Spyro hovered a few feet off the ground, looking up defiantly at Vivex. In return, the dark dragon only offered a smug grin.

"The Master has bestowed upon me powers that you cannot comprehend… It would be so… fun and easy to crush you, but my Master has sadly forbade it. I think he's still holding out hope for you Spyro. Sadly, I must obey. Do not follow me dragon. Go off and ponder the REAL power in the world… We will make you see. We will make you see the truth. When you see it… you'll come back to the Master with open arms…"

"I'd rather die!"

"Hmm, so you say now."

Vivex turned his gaze down to Asimov and Cynder, frowning as he saw them.

"Oh Cynder, I cannot express how disappointed I am in you. And Asimov, I would expect far more from you. Have you too now, joined their ranks? Have you turned your back on the Master?"

Asimov backed up, feeling his heart jump from his chest. His eyes looked around, unsure of what to do, unsure of what to say.

"Don't listen to him Asimov! You don't have to fight for them anymore! You saw what the Master's magic does to people! Don't go with them!" Cynder pleaded with Asimov, seeing the hesitance in his eyes.

"I… I…" Asimov began, but didn't finish his sentence. Vivex gave a low smirk.

"Allow me to help you decide Asimov. I'll save you from their lies." Vivex raised his claw, and a band of black energy cascaded down to Asimov. Spyro gasped out as he flew to try and intercept it, but Vivex shot a bolt of energy that slammed right into the purple dragon.

Asimov's eyes went wide, and the dragon flapped his wings to try and escape, but Vivex's bolt found its target. He was ensnared, and the energy surrounded him, much like it had done with Vivex. His body locked up, and his eyes froze in place. Corrupted energy flowed through his body, and his pupils began to shrink.

"Noooooooo!" Cynder cried, racing to him. Vivex saw this, and raised another claw, preparing a similar attack on her. Jericho saw this and fired a burst from his rifle. The bullets struck Vivex, and sparked a brilliant blue as they made contact. Vivex roared out in pain, dispelling both beams. He glared down at Jericho, but it faded back to a smile as he looked down to Asimov.

He had been released by the beam, and hovered in place with his wings. His eyes and body began to move again, and he looked back at Cynder, who rested on the ground, panting in fear. Their gazes met for a moment before Asimov frowned at her.

"I'm sorry Cynder. I've felt it… the Master still needs me. I can't turn my back to him." Asimov flapped his wings, and ascended up to join Vivex.

"No! Don't do it Asimov! Don't become one of them!"

"What did you do to him?!" Spyro said, flying back up to Vivex.

"I did little young one. I only helped him make the choice. He was indecisive, lost and without focus. I reminded him of his duties, and now he has followed."

Asimov flew up to Vivex, and turned to Spyro. His pupils were smaller, more slit like in appearance. They looked just like a Sentinel's.

"You lying bastard…" Spyro said with a hateful growl.

"Spyro, you should go. You can't stop what's going to happen. You wouldn't want to stop what's going to happen…" Asimov said, his voice calm yet deliberate.

"Be a good dragon and listen Spyro. I'd hate to have to defy my Master and kill you. Or would I…?"

Spyro didn't respond, only glaring in return.

"Kill them, save only Cynder and Spyro." Vivex ordered, flapping his mighty wings to propel himself up and out of the Great Hall. Asimov gave Spyro one last look before following right behind. That last look that he gave, it puzzled Spyro. It was half genuine, and half not. It was as if there was a great battle happening in his mind, and his actions were… possibly forced, and maybe not forced at all. Spyro had felt what it was like, when the Dark Master was in your mind. There was no telling what was happening in Asimov's mind…

"Spyro!" Cynder yelled, calling his attention. Snapping back to, Spyro looked down to see the gun battle had resumed between the Sentinels and Jericho. The dragon grunted and descended down as the Sentinels began pouring from the hallway. Jericho was forced to abandon his old position and take cover behind one of the pillars mounted along the right side of the wall. He'd attempt to take the occasional shot, but with the Sentinels coming out of the hallway, they had much better shots at him.

"I could use some help here!" Jericho yelled, pressing himself hard against the column as Sentinel fire blasted away at the concrete.

"I'm on it!" Spyro swooped in from above and bombarded the exposed Sentinels with a harsh barrage of ice. The first trio of Sentinels froze up instantly, with the others forced to dodge out of the way. One of them was a shock trooper, and his armor repelled Spyro's attack. The trooper gave a lowly chuckle before raising his rifle to fire up at Spyro with impunity. Jericho caught this and swung his rifle around the corner, putting a burst of his own rounds into the chest of the shock trooper. His armor sparked blue as the rounds hit, and clouds of blood shot out from the small holes his rounds had carved into his chest place. The Sentinel made a gurgling sound before he collapsed backwards.

"We need to seal that entrance!" Hunter cried out, firing an arrow before taking cover himself.

"That's our only exit!" Jericho responded, standing at the pillar in front of Hunter's.

"As well as their only entrance!"

Cynder roared out and sprung forward. Spyro and Jericho watched as she sailed high into the air and charged an attack in her muzzle. In one swoop, she came down and unleashed a blast of hot black fire that scorched the concrete above the entryway. Spyro saw what she was doing and fired off a powerful volley of electricity that struck the now weakened concrete, causing it to buckle and collapse. All at once, the ceiling began to collapse down onto the Sentinels in the hallway.

The bombs Hunter had planted seemed to have taken their toll on this aging structure, as the entire massive room lurched a little. A massive part of the structure above the hallway gave in, and the entire area caved onto itself. Smoke billowed out from the collapsing hallway, and washed over the group. As the smoke cleared, they saw that they had completely demolished the section of building in front of them.

"Well… that certainly saved on ammo…" Jericho said with a deep breath. He pressed himself against the wall and inhaled deep. Spyro too, could feel anxiety and fatigue taking their toll. He wanted so badly to just lay down on the concrete and rest, but he knew that he shouldn't even dare think about that. As the dragon came to land on the ground, he saw a discarded rucksack nearby. It was the one he had discarded in the fight with Vivex. It contained all the valuable information and files he had stolen from the Sentinel leader.

"Here, Jericho! Take this…" Spyro lifted it up for the human. Jericho walked over and took it, looking at Spyro inquisitively.

"I managed to yank as many files as I could from Vivex. This should… fulfill Donnelly's intel requirement." Spyro said, trying to conjure a smile on his tired face.

"Thanks, though I think news of the attack alone would suffice… I'll make sure he sees all this." Jericho managed to somehow pile the rucksack onto his back, where his usual huge backpack went. Spyro smiled and looked around, taking account of the room.

Looking up, he saw as the morning sun began to illuminate the world, casting a bright white light throughout the room. The cloudy, overcast morning was cold, bitterly so. Just as the night was previously, the bitter teeth of winter were here. Looking at the opened exposed sky gave Spyro an idea, however.

"This way, we can go this way!" Spyro yelled out, flying over to the hole in the roof.

"Yeah for you maybe. We can't fly." Jericho said with a grunt.

"No but we can climb. Come Jericho!" Hunter raced over to the shattered wall below the hole. Vivex's attack had also cleared half of the wall, leaving a reasonable section left for them to scale. Fallen debris proved easy to move, and within moments both Hunter and Jericho had constructed a makeshift ladder. They scaled it quickly, and arrived on to top of the shattered wall.

Outside, the Sentinel base was in a state of total chaos. From here, they could see Hunter's bombs had indeed taken a toll, and had rocked the entire prison. Some buildings had outright collapsed, or caught fire. Smoke billowed from the cell blocks, and broken waterlines were pouring freezing water onto vehicles and other structures. The frigid air was turning it into slush, and it was making it hard for the Sentinels to put out the fires.

What Sentinels remained on the base were trying to contain the fire, and the rest were in the process of trying to break into the Great Hall to fight them.

Immediately outside the Great Hall was a large open courtyard, which the Sentinels had converted into a series of motor pools. Dozens of vehicles were parked here, ranging from captured and converted Forger jeeps and trucks to massive metal behemoths that Spyro could only describe as the Sentinel equivalent of a tank. Did Spyro mention equivalent? He used 'equivalent' because the massive vehicles were almost double the size of the Abrams tank, in almost every regard. It's canon must fire a shell the size of a garbage can. The barrel was so long that it could have easily been the length of another Abrams tank. It lacked a turret, and instead the massive gun was mounted directly into the hull of the vehicle. Spikes and battering rams had been attached to the front of the tank, and it was likely that the Sentinels intended to smash through entire city blocks with these things. There were at least fifteen of them here, and there was enough spare room in the now empty courtyards and train depot to handle a hundred or more.

Sentinels that had been scrambling to intercept them spotted the group standing on top of the shattered wall.

"There they are! Get them!" Yelled one of the Sentinel commandos.

"Shit, we gotta get out here! We need to get back to the dropship and tail Vivex before he gets away!" Jericho yelled. He leapt off of the wall just in time as the Sentinels in the motor pool unloaded on where they were. Hunter jumped down too, and both Spyro and Cynder began engaging the Sentinels. Together, they flew straight over the Sentinels, forcing them to shift their attention up and above them. Using this opportunity, Hunter and Jericho fired into their exposed backs. The courtyard fell silent as the last Sentinel, a coyote, screamed out in pain from an arrow to his gut and flailed his arms in a last attempt at defiance.

"Shit… where do we go now…?" Spyro asked, panting.

"We have to get out of here somehow… Scale a wall, something!"

"It would take far too long, we have to steal one of these trucks. If we stall any longer, Vivex will get away." Hunter said as he walked over. Jericho spotted something in the far distance and gave a low squint at it.

"I think I can still see them, off out there. We still have time, come on!" He ran over with Hunter to one of the nearby captured Forger jeeps. He threw his equipment into the back and immediately climbed into the driver's seat. He looked around furiously for keys but there was nothing to start the vehicle.

"Crap, crap!" Jericho yelled in frustration.

"Don't tell me you can't start this thing…" Cynder said, a little annoyed. Jericho shot her back an annoyed look.

"Hey, we saved your butt, now we… just gotta figure this out together!"

"Uh huh…"

"Sentinel vehicles do not use petrol, or have traditional starters. They've all been converted." Hunter explained, climbing into the passenger seat.

"Converted to use what? Don't tell me they converted it to use their black crystals or something…"

"Exactly, we need a Sentinel life crystal to start this vehicle. This vehicle is empty."

"Life crystal…?" Spyro thought about it for a moment before his eyes went wide. He climbed over them and lifted up the hood of the vehicle.

"Spyro, what in the hell are you doing?" Jericho asked, alarmed. Spyro didn't respond, instead looking at the insides of the vehicle. It was far different from the insides he had seen before, with a new engine installed and new parts servicing it. What he did recognize was a gemstone sitting in a small slot near the side of the engine. It was the power source, and it was empty. He… knew how to fix that. He reached over and pressed his talon against the gemstone. He closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment. Soon, he felt the energy of his Inner Light flow into the gemstone, and it began to give a bright blue glow.

"Spyro, whatever it is you're doing, hurry!"

"There they are!"

"Crap! They're here!" Jericho spun around, seeing as a group of Sentinels blasted their way over one of the nearby trucks, scrambling to get at them. Hunter spun around and fired as many arrows as his hands could cycle through, but there were too many for him.

"Here, don't just sit there, shoot back!" Cynder kicked Jericho's rifle over to him, and he immediately picked it up and began firing.

"Well you could help too! Use your Sentinel magic or something!" He yelled back to her.

They continued to exchange fire, and Spyro tried to tune them out as he concentrated. The crystal finally began to give a signature hum that he had come to know from the life crystals he had seen before, both in the Great Hall and in the Northern Heart Fields. Quickly, he reached up and shut the hood. The vehicle pulsed with life, and it gave a roar as the engine began to churn. The lights on the dashboard flickered on, and the entire jeep hummed with life.

"What the- you did it? You did it! How'd you-"

"Shut up and drive!" Cynder shut Jericho up and took to the air. Jericho growled back at her but wasted no time in shifting the vehicle into drive and slammed his foot onto the accelerator. The jeep shot out from the motor pool and screamed down the narrow passageways.

"Hey! Wait up!" Spyro yelled, quickly flapping his wings to catch up with them. The Sentinels in the motor pool cursed at them and continued to fire, their red hot bullets shooting past them and nailing nearby vehicles and buildings.

Together, the jeep charged forward, plowing through smaller checkpoints in the depot and blowing passed confused and startled Sentinels who had been trying to track them down. Above the jeep, Cynder and Spyro flew, raining down elemental attacks to keep the Sentinels away from them. Hunter fired arrow after arrow, trying as well to defend the vehicle. From courtyard to courtyard they went, plowing through old chain linked fences and metal gates, exiting the motor pool and blasting their way through the old prison yards surrounding the cell blocks.

Finally they could see the main exit, a large metal gate with three Sentinel guards. They had managed to positon an armored vehicle nearby, with its heavy gun trained towards the prison. Word had gotten out, and the Sentinels were ready for them.

"Shit! Look out guys!" Spyro yelled, spotting the threat.

"Craaaaaaaaaaap!" Jericho yelled, putting the jeep into a quick right turn just as the canon of the armored car opened up. Heavy shells impacted the area around them, blasting dirt and debris into the air. The armored car continued to track Jericho's jeep as he bobbed and weaved in a desperate attempt to throw their fire off. He was running out of maneuvering space, and soon they'd have to make a break for the gate.

Above, Spyro and Cynder reacted, with the young dragon putting his sights onto the armored car. The machine gunner sat exposed on the top of the armor plated vehicle, manning the canon mounted on the roof. Spyro unleashed a wave of fire, which engulfed the Sentinel upon contact. The Sentinel didn't relent, instead shielding his head and chest with his arm while moving the canon up to shoot at Spyro. Spyro flapped his wings to quickly avoid, and gritted his teeth as the Sentinel continued the barrage. Spyro changed his attack, now summoning an explosive ball of fire that he hurled down towards the Sentinel gunner. It sailed down and erupted below the Sentinel, down inside the armored car. It ignited the inside of the vehicle, and the Sentinel screamed in agony as the heat and pressure caused the roof to blow out of the vehicle, sending him flying.

As the gunner was distracted with Spyro, Cynder aided Jericho in his attempts to escape. Hunter placed arrows in the two guards, and Cynder sailed up into the sky before descending back down, a charged orb of dark fire ready and waiting. She projected her sphere of dark power towards the closed metal gate. It struck it hard, blowing the gate wide open. Through the smoke Jericho plowed forward, slamming his foot onto the accelerator. The jeep erupted from the confines of the Citadel's walls and roared onto the dirt road that continued on into the forest. Behind him flew both Spyro and Cynder, and together they proceeded down the road to where Jericho had stashed the drop ship.

They had to ditch the jeep along the road, and they found themselves sprinting through the forest. Spyro flew high above the tree lines, and had spotted their drop ship. He guided Jericho and Hunter in, while both he and Cynder swooped in to secure the landing site. The drop ship was quiet and empty, having not been discovered by the Sentinels.

"Go, go!" Jericho yelled, waving his arms. Spyro nodded and dashed into the open troop bay, followed by Cynder. Hunter sprinted in, followed by Sparx and finally Jericho. Jericho slammed his hand on the ramp's sealing mechanism, causing the deployment ramp to start rising up.

"Alright, take your seats ladies and gentlemen, we're out of here!" Jericho yelled again, moving to the cock pit. Hunter wasted no time in taking his seat in the co-pilot's seat, and the two dragons in the back managed to awkwardly strap themselves into the jump seats. Jericho leapt into the pilot's seat and without even strapping himself in began furiously flipping at the switches to begin starting the craft up. Spyro could hear as the massive engines began spooling to life and lights began to flicker on inside the cabin. The craft began to lift itself up, even as Jericho seemed to still be bringing all the systems back to life.

"Uuuuh, Jericho? I think they aren't done with us yet!" Cynder yelled, managing to see two aircraft approaching from the Citadel. Hunter turned and saw them too, and immediately began bringing the chin gun online.

"Jericho, she's right! They've sent two armed Ospreys after us!" Hunter said, looking up at him. Jericho grit his teeth and slammed hard on the control column, spinning them around rapidly even as they were still ascending. The jolt was so hard, that Spyro had to press his neck against the cabin wall so it wouldn't get hurt from the g-forces.

"Well, what're you waiting for? Light them up!" Jericho yelled back. Hunter needed no other commands. He immediately brought the dropship's canon to life, and all throughout the aircraft they could feel it firing. The chin mounted grenade launcher propelled several forty millimeter shells at the oncoming Ospreys, even as they belched forth their own retaliatory fire. Beams of purple energy and machine gun fire erupted from the Ospreys, forcing Jericho to take evasive maneuvers. Even so, the grenades were finding their mark. The grenades caught one of the engines on the closest Osprey, detonating furiously and blowing the engine clean off. Destabilized, the Osprey began to jolt and go into a spin, exposing its side to more grenade fire. The grenades cut themselves into the body of the craft, and split it open like an aluminum can. Fire and smoke erupted from the craft as it sank down to the ground.

The bullets and beams started to strike their dropship, and alarms began to blare in the cockpit as Spyro could feel the bullets slicing into the armor. One heavy round even managed to fully penetrate, slicing through the body of the craft and going through the troop bay. It flew right by Spyro's head, making him press his entire body against the wall of the cabin.

"Anytime now guys! We're kind of sitting ducks back here!" Cynder said, unsettled by the gunfire entering the cabin.

"Keep your damn wings on, we're doing it! Hunter?!" Jericho yelled, throttling the engines up so they entered a strafing fight with the hostile Osprey.

"Consider him gone!" Hunter called back, slamming his fingers onto the triggers.

The two craft entered a circle of death, using their engines in hover mode to dance around one another as their gunners exchanged fire. Around and round they circled, getting closer and closer to one another. They drew in from around five hundred yards to around a hundred, their gunfire becoming far more accurate as their distance was closed.

"Come on, come on!" Hunter yelled, trying to keep the gun aligned in the tight maneuver. Eventually, the battle between heavy machinegun fire and grenades was decided, as Hunter's grenades impacted the nose of the Osprey, causing it to jolt downwards. As it did, more of Hunter's grenades struck, all along the nose and spine of the aircraft. The grenades sliced inside, then struck the fuel canisters and the housing for what was probably the life crystal embedded within. The Osprey exploded in a brilliant orange and purple fireball, sending the two engines and tail flying away like a child would toss his old and boring toys.

"Yeah! Get some, assholes!" Jericho screamed, fist pumping the air. Hunter gave a sigh of relief as he sat back in his chair. In the cabin, the two dragons let out their own collected sigh of relief, happy that the fight was over. Jericho wasted no time in rotating the engines to cruising position and sending their dropship sailing to the northeast. They had lost such precious time in the fight, and Spyro wondered if they'd be able to track Vivex and his airborne convoy.

Taking a last peek out of the window mounted in the back of the troop bay, Spyro could see the black columns of smoke rising from the Citadel. Hunter's bombs had definitely done the trick, and had engulfed the old prison into a fury of chaos and fire. Spyro hoped that whatever else happened, a victory here would still be crippling to the Sentinels. Now, they had to snub this invasion before it truly started.

What got Spyro was what they intended to use the life crystal for. HE knew they used it to power various things, but what on Earth would they use something of that size and… power for? The Dark Master was pulling the strings directly, channeling himself through the crystal. Whatever plans they had for it… it was not good…

They had to reach them, and stop them before they imitated their attack on US North. Even for all their military buildup and defenses, Spyro feared a repeat of history. They had survived one war, would they survive this one, too?

End of Chapter 21