Chapter 10
10 months later…
They both sprinted, Storme covering the rear and Sairo taking out anyone getting in their way between the destroyed homes. After a while there was silence. Storme crouched down waiting for something to happen. Sairo went to the end of their current alleyway, checking for enemies. Suddenly a man jumped in front of him wearing a baseball mask. Sairo ducked under and head-butted the man's stomach, then kicked him away with great force into the river that flooded through the city. Suddenly a person jumped Sairo from the back with a machete, whom Storme shot with her lightning fast reactions. Sairo looked back and sighed with a crooked smile.
"Wow, you might be a lot stronger than me, but you're still made of flesh; you could still die from simple methods." Sairo emphasised the fact she said 'simple' before they continued their path. Sairo suddenly detected a strong power level in one of the buildings, which he informed Storme about. She nodded and they entered a large building and found who they were looking for. Hurecan.
"It's about time we met again Hurecan!" Said Sairo in a menacing tone. "Although this time you'll be at the receiving end of the pain!" Hurecan laughed.
"And how have you two been?" asked Hurecan in a calm voice. "Arrange your wedding yet?" Storme scowled, but Sairo laughed.
"Oh you're just asking for it now!" He exclaimed. Hurecan changed to an expression of seriousness,
"If you're so strong then I shouldn't be able to beat you up as easily as last time, but I'm pretty sure you will still fall against my power!" Sairo and Hurecan charged at each other, the fight had begun…
9 months earlier…
Sairo was training. Hard. He wore weighted clothing underneath his uniform every time he was at the base or in the wasteland and he was either eating, meditating or training when he wasn't given any missions. Storme started to suspect Sairo was going to do something rash, so she confronted him about it when he was taking his break.
"Sairo, are you going to join the Cell games?" Sairo took a sip from his Glucozade.
"Maybe." Was his response. Storme recoiled a little. She wasn't sure whether or not she liked him as a friend, but she DID know he was a person she could rely on.
"But Sairo, you know you don't have a chance right?" Sairo took another sip.
"I know." He stated. Storme put on a look of confusion.
"So if you know you're going to die, why are you considering joining?" She asked. Sairo took yet another sip. He said,
"If I have too many sips this Glucozade is going to finish soon. But for some reason I always need it, like I need more energy than anyone else. I mean-"
"SAIRO! Seriously, answer my question!" Sairo took another sip and said,
"Well I want to at least try; I'll hate myself if I never try and what if I help to stop some catastrophe. If I don't kill Cell I'll at least tire him out." Storme didn't say anything. She just nodded and left. Sairo watched her walk away. He took another sip. Or at least tried to but found he couldn't do so as the bottle was empty. He went over to the vending machine to see he couldn't get any more as he had finished all the Glucozade in all flavours. Damnit, he thought to himself. He would have to stop training for a while. He looked outside to see its still midday, so he had to go out and find other ways to train, aside from meditation. He left to do some arms training, totally useless he knew but still passes the time, and who knows when he might need gun skills? When he got to the shooting range no one was there. Surprising, he told himself. He picked up one of the pellet guns and started firing away until he was bored. For some reason no one came to the range, except the caretaker. Sairo left not knowing where everyone was. He decided to head back to his quarters and keep reading Naruto; it was actually getting interesting, with the protagonist fighting his best friend. When he got back no one was there. Sairo was now seriously confused. Where the heck was everyone? He decided he would find out later; first he would meditate for a long time, seeing as he had nothing better to do, except go out and train in the wasteland. Actually he should go there now, he thought to himself. Sairo got up after channeling his Ki and left to go outside. On his way he heard techno music coming out of a room to his right. The door read 'Hallway'. He decided to open the door and found where everyone was. They were all having a party without telling him. Sairo felt a little miserable, but then he closed the door and left without letting anyone know. He ventured out into the wasteland with his scouter, remembering to keep his Ki levels low so he wouldn't be detected. He went into the wasteland to see five people wearing battle armour. Suddenly, one of their heads were lobbed off by a clean slice, then two more were speared with tentacles. Sairo ran to see what was going on but by the time he was there they were all dead. And a large beast was there. The beast had a grotesque mass of tentacles and a mouth seemingly larger than its head. The mouth was lined with cruel, blade sharp teeth. The monster let out a deafening roar before lunging at Sairo, who was startled by the roar. It knocked Sairo off his feet before juggling him in the air and slamming him down. Sairo rolled back and squared up to tee monster. He had to quickly power up. He would try something he learnt from Hurecan. He clenched his fists and assumed a half crouch position. He screamed out as his Ki levels shot up. A black aura surrounded him, representing the fire that fueled his rage. He was mad, for a reason he didn't quite understand. He didn't anticipate the monster's move so he was slightly damaged and couldn't fight at his full potential. Shortly after Sairo was done charging he launched forward at the beast, then made a sharp turn upwards. Sairo had learnt how to fly, and he had the bigger advantage. He shot multiple Ki blasts at the beast, which created a smokescreen. The blasts were tiring out Sairo as he hadn't properly learnt how to control his Ki. He lunged at the beast to smash its head into its body, but he was anticipated by the monster and was grabbed by one of the tentacles and tossed aside. Then the monster charged up a ball of energy in its mouth. Sairo saw an opportunity to strike. He jumped up and got ready to strike, but the monster let loose a stream of energy, which Sairo barely dodged. Sairo was slightly shocked. Sairo quickly checked the monster's power level. It was roughly the same as Sairo's. Not good. He flew up to one of the tentacles and kicked it down. He did it with such force that the entire tentacle came off. The monster screamed in agony, which made Sairo smile. He knew how to beat it. He quickly decapitated all the other tentacles which made the creature fall to the floor in pain. Sairo flew in front of the creature and landed. He quickly placed one hand on the floor and vaulted himself into the creature's head. The head was smashed as it entered the body. The creature was dead, and Sairo was proud of his handiwork. This was also good training. But what really caught his attention was how the creature could make Ki power waves. Another move that he might learn? Then Sairo focused on how to get rid of the body; it gets in the way of the moon. He lifted it and threw it after charging an energy blast in his hand to propel it. He did the same with the tentacles (one of which disintegrated) and landed. He turned to see Storme standing there with a look of surprise.
"Honestly, how many times are you going to sneak up on me like this?" He said with a smile. Storme gave a short laugh before saying,
"Honestly, I don't know. But I do know that you've gotten really strong. A month ago you would've most likely died." Sairo acknowledged the compliment then asked what Storme was doing here anyway. She explained that she saw him walk through the door and was going to call him back to the party, but then he got into the fight. "And you know the rest." She added. "You know we have an assignment tomorrow. We have to raid a smaller camp of Hurecan's. He has been sending threats and we may find info about when and where, so tomorrow we're going to go hunting." Sairo thought for a while before nodding. Hunting. A peculiar word for a time like this. Maybe Storme's bloodlust had returned? Who knew. Suddenly he took a punch to his arm from Storme. It actually kind of stung. "Hey dreamer boy!" She exclaimed in a somewhat jolly yet angry tone, "You going to come?" Sairo said he would catch up soon. "That means I'll stay then." Sairo nodded and stared into the sunset, and Storme did the same. "So Sairo," Storme began, "I've told you about my parents, you don't mind telling me about yours?" Sairo waited for a while before saying, "I don't know about them. I did have this vision twice where a woman and a man were dying. They were killed by this man who gave a wide grin. Do you remember when I somehow charged up against Hurecan? That vision came into my head, and his grin resembled the man who killed them. I think the people who died were my parents." Storme nodded and looked back.
"I'm sorry to hear that, and I'm even sorrier that you have no pleasant memories of them." Sairo dismissed the apologies, saying she didn't need to apologize. Storme replied with, "Alright then, it's only courteous!" Sairo smirked. Sairo thought that comment a little insensitive, but he didn't care, he shared a nearly common background, and her company was enough to keep him here. After a while they returned to base, to see Luut and friends waiting for them.
"Ok children." He said with a large grin. "I can see what you two are up two, so admit it! You two like each other!" Sairo and Storme were taken back by this. Sairo spoke up,
"And what proof do you have?"
"Well," Luut began, "You two are always sneaking out to hang out with each other; Storme even ditched the party to hang out with you. Admit it guys!" Storme drew her machete, placed the blade near Luut's neck and said in a malicious voice,
"If you really think that, then maybe I should take your brain out to be washed with some bleach and your own blood!" Luut laughed nervously and asked what they did in their spare time. Sairo hastily said,
"I've been training, and need a training partner. Seeing as none of you are any good, I decided to pick Storme." Luut then turned to Storme and asked why she'd do it. She said with a master actor's guise,
"I figured it would be good training for both of us; I become faster and stronger, and I'll kill him if he doesn't fight at the level I need him to, so it keeps him on his toes." Luut nodded, accepting her reason, somewhat shook by what he heard; a soldier willing to kill a fellow companion for the sake of keeping up with her. After some hanging out outside the facility they all went in, Sairo wondering how his assignment will turn out.
