Disclaimer: I do not own Maplestory in anyway.
A/N: I'm not dead, thank goodness. My brain is a little dead though. The creative juices aren't flowing like I would like them to be so I really apologize for the chapter being as short as it is. Thank you to those who reviewed. They are greatly appreciated and inspire me to continue through the mud that is my brain to whip this chapter out.
Chapter Nineteen: Infiltration
The two pirates stifled their gasps as darkness surrounded them. They glanced nervously at the one leading them and his partner. The four of them quietly went toward the first group of rabbits and bots. Umbra disappeared into the shadows to spy while the group quickly and quietly disposed of the guards. After removing of all the guards, the two pirates gave the signal to the rest of the waiting group. The pirates met up quietly as possible all considering at the front gates. Hawkeye strode over to Eckhart and his two men.
"You made quick work of those guards, Eckhart." Hawkeye whispered and turned to look at his men. "Great job men. Now we have our fun. Don't you think?" His men all quietly nodded. "What should we be expecting once we get inside?"
"They're still unaware of our presence, but from what I could see there is at least one whole squad of soldiers in there. I couldn't see anyone of extremely high rank but caution is advisable." Umbra replied quietly. "I should also mention that they're testing a new prototype robot. Not exactly sure what it does but my guess would be to kill and destroy things."
"Then the best thing to do really is to proceed with caution. I hope your men are careful? I don't want anyone of ours dying." Eckhart stated with mild concern.
Hawkeye smirked and pulled out his knuckles. "They're careful enough. Time to roll, boys." The entire pirate crew entered the base and started pillaging. "See you when we're done." Hawkeye disappeared through the base entrance. Umbra rolled his eyes and stared at Eckhart with a leveled glare.
"You sure he and his crew are going to be okay?" Umbra questioned with a hint of concern. Eckhart shrugged before disappearing into the darkness of the base. Eckhart and Umbra quietly stalked the hallways while intently listening to the sounds that the others were making. Eckhart opened a door after making sure no movement was coming from the other side. Eckhart and Umbra glanced at the room.
"We hit the jackpot. It's the file room." Eckhart whispered quietly. The two of them quickly scanned through the files looking for things of importance. Umbra froze and glanced over his shoulder. The shadow moved in the distance. Umbra nudged Eckhart in the shoulder and motioned toward the general location of the shadow. "Hmm... interesting." Eckhart disappeared quickly and stabbed the shadow with his dagger. The shadow emitted a low sound before they heard a blood chilling scream. The shadow slowly dispersed. Eckhart removed his dagger once it was gone. "We better find what we're looking for and leave soon. I think Captain Alb might be up to something again." Umbra nodded and continued to scan through the files. Eckhart stared at the spot where the shadow disappeared before sheathing his dagger and returning to the files in front of him.
"Eckhart, you might want to see this." Umbra stated calmly. Eckhart came over and read the pages in his hands.
"The Dark Crystals? The Dark Lord mentioned it once a long time ago..." Eckhart continued reading the file. His expression turned serious. "Dream Stones?" Eckhart shook his head and pulled out a strange device. The device quickly scanned and copied the papers. The two of them searched for a few more minutes while scanning and copying before returning everything to their places.
"Should we burn it?" Umbra questioned as they left the room. The base was much quieter than when the group split. Eckhart frowned at the lack of noise. Umbra studied the area around him with keen eyes.
"After we make sure everyone is going to be fine, we'll burn this place to the ground." Eckhart stated calmly. "Might as well, promote that here we are come get me."
"Then we should regroup with the others." Umbra stated quietly. Eckhart saw a strange light emitting from the other end of the tunnel. Eckhart walked stealthily toward the light. Eckhart peeked around the corner and clenched his jaw in frustration. One of the pirates was stuck in a prison cell. "..." Eckhart moved away from the light and almost ran into a black wing member. Eckhart smirked as he neutralized the enemy quietly. Eckhart's smile widened. Umbra followed him with confusion.
Elsewhere, Hawkeye was staring at the same scene with a frown. His fists clenched and unclenched as he studied the interior of the room. The cage was situated in the left corner farthest from either of the two entrances. A command console sat at the center of the room. Black wing members were running about with their duties. In the other corner opposite of the cage was a strange set up with wires and components lying about. Hawkeye sighed softly to himself and moved closer into the shadows as black wing members walked past. Once they were out of sight, Hawkeye poked his head around the corner again. Hawkeye blinked in surprise at one of the black wing members. His short black hair and hazel eyes were different from the other members. Hawkeye felt his mouth curve into a smirk. In the shadows behind that member was a strange purple light flickering. Hawkeye felt his own eyes get drawn toward the mysterious hazel eyes.
"So that is what he looks like underneath the mask." Hawkeye whispered quietly to himself while tilting his head. "That's sad if they can be infiltrated so easily by him. Shouldn't they know what their other members look like?" Hawkeye watched as Eckhart quietly walked over to the console and disappeared from sight. "What the..." Within the next few minutes nothing happened to what his eyes could see. Then all of a sudden, the room fell into darkness and the click of the cage door opening was heard. Next second his crew mate was next to him with Umbra. "Where is Eckhart?"
"He's waiting for my signal to burn the place. Have you finished what you came for?" Umbra questioned with an interesting tilt of his ephemeral purple head.
"We should be in a bit." Hawkeye stated calmly. "Are we running out of time?" Umbra handed his crew mate over to him before straightening his back. "Umbra?"
"In ways, yes we are definitely running out of time. I would suggest you hurry it up, Captain." Umbra replied quietly. His purple eyes were glowing with an unknown power. Hawkeye pulled out his headset, after sending the crew mate back to the ship. "Do hurry Captain."
"Code red. I repeat code red. Once all members are on board, you have permission to take off." Hawkeye stated calmly. His gray eyes shown strength and determination.
"Sir? How about you?" His first mate's voice echoed through the headset.
"You heard my orders, mate. Don't worry, we'll escape and meet up with the rest of you guys." Hawkeye stated sternly before his tone changed at the end. The crew could hear the smile in his voice. "Now get going boys!" Hawkeye listened to the confirmations before he turned over to glance at Umbra. "I'm not leaving without the two of you." Umbra blinked in surprise.
"We can take care of ourselves, Captain." Umbra replied coldly. Hawkeye smiled predatory.
"Oh I'm absolutely sure that the two of you could take care of yourselves. However, my problem is that I signed up for this. My job was to get you in and out of the base safely. Therefore, I will make sure that you both make it out alive even if it is the last thing I do." Hawkeye stated calmly and with a fierce determination. Umbra stared at him with a calculating stare.
"Are you not afraid of death?" Umbra whispered as he started walking quietly through the hall. Hawkeye followed him with a small smile.
"We're all afraid of death to some certain degree. It is merely a matter of how we seem to value the concept of death. For example, I live everyday knowing that I might not see tomorrow. I know that at anytime, I could just merely fade out of existence leaving only a memory of what I once was. I'm not afraid of death, I merely hope that I don't have to say hello to death anytime soon." Hawkeye stated softly, his gray eyes scanning his surroundings with a critical eye. Umbra tilted his head before turning to his right. Hawkeye followed the direction and saw Eckhart with his mask back on. He was still dressed in the Black Wing uniform.
"Umbra, Hawkeye." Eckhart stated with a cold tone. Umbra's attention snapped to Eckhart quickly. "There is something else here. Something powerful. We have two options."
"What are they?" Hawkeye questioned seriously. His gray eyes were slightly closed in concentration.
"We leave now with the building burning. Or we go and take out whatever that powerful something is and then burn the building down.." Eckhart stated calmly. His tone biting. Umbra glanced at the two before floating back toward the wall. Hawkeye brought a hand to his chin thinking.
"Do you think we can defeat whatever that powerful something is?" Hawkeye asked after a moment to think about the situation. Eckhart shrugged at the question.
"I personally think it depends on what we're fighting against." Eckhart stated calmly. "Are you planning to fight it?" Hawkeye smirked and punched his hands together.
"I would prefer if we got rid of that powerful something all together." Hawkeye stated calmly. Eckhart pulled out his throwing stars.
"Agreed. Lets move." Eckhart replied calmly and begun to move toward the source. Hawkeye watched their surroundings change as they walked deeper into the base. "Just a warning, I'm sure they know we've infiltrated the place by now. We'll try to keep the element of surprise but there is no guarantee of that happening." Hawkeye nodded quietly. Umbra turned toward the wall in one of the hallways. Hawkeye watched in mild interest. Umbra closed his eyes and extended his hand. The wall started to glow the same strange purple as Umbra. Eckhart unconsciously flinched before pushing Hawkeye out of the way of a dagger that embedded itself in the wall.
"I should have known it would have been you, Eckhart." All three of them quickly glanced over to the shadows where the voice came from. "You have been a thorn in my side. I know you'll become a thorn in our operations. You must be removed immediately." Hawkeye frowned when he could barely make out the owner of the voice.
"Come out here!" Hawkeye stated with a intense stare. The owner of the voice merely laughed at the command.
"I don't answer to you, pirate. It is best if you leave with your crew while I might spare you." The voice answered with a smirk.
"Hahahaha..." Hawkeye was laughing with a strange smile plastered on his child-like face. "Spare me? You'll actually spare me when I've seen the inside of your base and who knows what else?" Hawkeye gave a puff of air. "I may be young, but I'm not stupid. You'll pretend to let me leave then shoot me out of the sky."
"Hawkeye..." Eckhart hissed quietly. "I wouldn't provoke him."
"Oh I agree Eckhart. But I really do need you to die." The voice replied, smirk still ever present on his face and tone.
"I think I know who you are now. Captain Alb, correct?" Eckhart uttered with venom. Hawkeye flinched at the tone. "I hope you haven't been hurting the Empress since the last time we fought, because I am no saint that will be able to hold back. You hurt her and I will kill you." His gray eyes widened by a fraction at Eckhart's outburst.
"I wouldn't tell you even if I did hurt her. I refuse to be like the other villains you see in the storybooks." Captain Alb retorted with a sneer. Hawkeye glanced between the two feeling overwhelmed at the intensity of their hate. Umbra's eyes went back and forth between the two before enveloping Hawkeye in darkness and reappearing on a hill overlooking the base.
"What did you do that for? We can't just leave him there by yourself." Hawkeye exclaimed with worry. Umbra glanced over at him with cold eyes.
"It's safer for you to be here than in there." Umbra replied coldly.
"Umbra, you can't just decide that for me. I get to chose when I decide to leave that place. Take me back." Hawkeye stated seriously. His eyes were burning with determination. Umbra frowned slightly before looking away. "Umbra!"
"I won't take you back. Not to what is going to happen there." Umbra replied sharply. His purple eyes cold and sharp.
"Why won't you? He could die in there." Hawkeye stated calmly. Umbra twitched suddenly. Hawkeye glared at him. "What is going on in that base? Umbra!" Umbra closed his eyes for a while. "Umbra!"
"No, Hawkeye." Umbra returned sternly. "I will not bring you into harms way anymore than we already have. This mission was already out of your range. We should have never asked you to come along on this."
"I told you before and I'll continue to tell you. I'm not backing out of this, Umbra." Hawkeye stated sternly in return.
"Fine, I understand your stubbornness and your willingness to die." Umbra stated sarcastically. "Anything that happens to you from now on is going to be your own fault."
"Understood. Just get me back in there." Hawkeye retorted calmly. Umbra rolled his eyes before enveloping them in darkness once more. When the darkness faded, they were once more inside the base. Umbra glanced around the room and found blood splattered all over the room. Hawkeye stood back in shock. "What happened here?"
"Eckhart? Where are you?" Umbra whispered under his breath. Hawkeye glanced around the room once more.
"My you came back. I was expecting you to just disappear when you had the chance." Captain Alb stated calmly.
"Where is Eckhart?" Hawkeye questioned angrily. "Where is he?" Umbra closed his eyes tiredly. He clasped a hand onto Hawkeye's shoulder.
"Calm down, Hawkeye. Getting worked up will just cloud your judgment." Umbra stated calmly. Captain Alb laughed softly as he moved out of the shadows. There was blood stains all over his clothing. His eyes were dark and lifeless.
"He did say to watch out for Eckhart. That stupid brat knew that Eckhart would become a menace." Captain Alb whispered under his breath. Hawkeye watched as the nightmare embraced him strongly. "We will always be two sides of the same darkness, Eckhart." A knife came flying out just as Captain Alb disappeared completely. Hawkeye turned towards the location where the knife came out. Eckhart walked out with his mask gone and blood dripping down the side of his face. There was a dark haunted look in his hazel eyes.
"Eckhart! Are you alright?" Hawkeye came over worried. "Are you injured anywhere else?" Eckhart gave one stern look at Umbra before the three of them where embraced in darkness and removed from the base. Back on the hill, they watched as the base slowly burned to the ground. Hawkeye turned his head slightly to glance at Eckhart's face as the colors from the fire illuminated it. Hawkeye had the image of Eckhart standing there burned into his mind. Eckhart's cape blowing in the harsh winds as he stood there solemnly and with a tense stance.
A/N: Again thank you for supporting me after such a long hiatus and writer's block. Review and tell me what you think. Hopefully, I can continue to get out chapters on a more regular basis. No promises! See you all next time!