"Is something wrong Young master?" Apollus asked the next morning as Falcon sat staring out of the room's window up towards the clouds in the sky. The old butler already had his suit and top hat on with his umbrella tucked under one arm. Julia had claimed that first thing in the morning she would take them to the owner of the new Power Stone. Unfortunately persuading the owner to part with the stone was up to them.
"It's nothing." The Englishman replied and then sighed, standing up. His thoughts were still cast back to last night, to Valgas' words.
They had left him a good deal of food for thought and he was having trouble digesting it. If the Power Stones, when combined, were indeed powerful enough to change the entire world; then why had the Ancient Atlanteans who had once owned the stones scattered them?
Surely they would not have turned such an opportunity down?
Falcon found himself wondering, if he ever had all nine stones; what would he use them for? Valgas claimed they would make any dream come true, make any desire real. What desire of his would he make real?
"Apollus, if you could wish for anything…what would it be?" He asked looking over towards the old butler. Apollus looked a little surprised by the question.
"Well… young master as you know I'm not an ambitious man." The butler replied taking his top hat off. "But I'm not as young as I used to be. I suppose, if given the chance, I would wish for more time on this Earth." He paused and a grim smile passed his lips. "But I suppose that's the wish of every person on Earth older than sixty."
"Why wish for more time when you could wish for immortality?" Falcon asked, speaking out load his own thoughts.
"Immortality?" Apollus repeated. "No I don't think I would like that."
"Why not?" The out butler hesitated as if unsure of how to respond to that question.
"Young Master, I'm not an avid believer in the almighty, but I think if we were meant to live forever we already would." Falcon pondered the logic of that statement for a moment. "Living longer is one thing, but to prolong your life on Earth indefinitely is perhaps not so wise.
I would not like to live on while my friends and family withered and died all around me."
"Yeah I guess so." Falcon replied looking down at his feet. Sure, people like themselves might have problems with that; but people like Kraken for example; people who had no friends or family would be more than happy with the mere prospect of immortality.
"I make it seven thirty." Apollus announce changing the subject and looking at his wristwatch. "We should join Miss Julia in the lobby." Falcon shuddered at the mere mention of her name. "Come now young master, don't be like that. We do have business with the young lady and if I may inject my personal opinion, you're letting paranoia get in the way of your rational thinking."
"Fine, say that now." Falcon replied with a sigh walking over towards the door. "But you just wait until the 'wedding day'." His tone was ironic.
"Wedding day?" A voice outside the corridor repeated. The door flung itself open and Julia hurled into the room, grappling the Englishman her arms; her forceful hug knocking him over his feet and onto the floor. "Oh Edward, y'all finally gonna propose to little ol' me!" Her check was pressed up against his as she hugged him for all he was worth.
"Good morning miss Julia." Apollus began, raising his hat above his head and bowing politely as if in ignorance of Falcon's dismay. "We were just about to meet you in the lobby."
"Yes, that's right; we have work to do today don't we Apollus?" Falcon added quickly his look pleading with the old man for aid. Julia feigned a disappointed expression.
The others were already waiting for them at the hotel's front entrance by the time they got down there. Ryoma stood as silent as ever with his back to them and arms crossed inside his robes.
Ayame and Wang-Tang were at the entrance.
"Rough night?" Falcon asked, seeing the way Wang-Tang winced when he glanced up to greet them.
"Just a little sore." He replied, stretching the muscles in his shoulders. He stilled ached from the brief struggle with that large man last night but wasn't prepared to injure his pride by admitting it. Ayame remained silent as if sensing his preference.
"What's the matter with you?" Falcon asked the samurai, who so far this morning had said nothing; a scowl on his face.
"Something doesn't seem right." The Japanese man replied without looking up.
"Like what?" Falcon asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm not sure. I can just sense something is wrong. The flow of energy isn't right here." Anticipating this was one of those things that only meant something to a samurai, Falcon decided not to pursue the matter.
Gourmand, the 'mad-chef' as the entire Falcon family had dubbed him, was still working within the galley of the Royal Heaven Turbine ship. Julia had told him to have a banquette prepared for the anticipated retrieval of the Power Stone.
"You did what?" The Englishman asked when she causally mentioned it as they were climbing into the cars waiting for them. Valgas and his two aids were already in the front car.
"I asked him to make it a feast for us all to remember." Julia replied confidently, not quite comprehending exactly what she had done. Apolus and Falcon glanced at each other, before groaning simultaneously and putting their heads in their hands.
"I suppose now you can tell us who the owner of this Power Stone is?" Ryoma asked being the last into the car. Wang-Tang and Ayame had gone in the front car.
"He works up in the smelting plant and mines." Miss WhitePearl replied, nestled comfortably next to Falcon with her head on his shoulder. "He tries very well to hide his ownership of the little ol' jewel but I was able to bribe a drinking friend of his into revealing that, during his work, he used something fitting the description of a Power Stone to sort the ore from the rocks."
"Earth." Ryoma began slowly. "The element of Earth."
"Well, five down; four to go." Falcon added with a grin.
"We don't have it yet Englishman." The samurai put in without lifting his eyes to look at Falcon. "I do not imagine the owner will be inclined to simply hand it over."
"We can simply buy it from him." Julia muttered, holding Falcon's arm closer to herself.
"A Power Stone is priceless." Ryoma said shaking his head. "And if your information is to be believed, he knows of its powers. It is unlikely he will part with the stone, for any price."
"What is this gentlemen's name?" Apollus asked as the cars began to pull out of the hotel grounds.
"I didn't get his real name." Julia replied. "But the locals just call him: Gunrock."
-
Throughout the ages, there had been many champions who bore the name Accel; the very title meaning 'the-fast-one'. When one died, his title was passed onto another; the legacy bound to whomever held the seal. It compelled them, through some means not yet understood, to don the alias.
The present Accel was not sure how long the tradition had gone on, but the earliest Accel he was aware of had been a Priest of Osiris in the days of ancient Egypt. There were more before him but Accel wasn't prepared to delve that deep into history.
Besides which the gunslinger had long ago decided that it did not matter. Whoever his predecessors were was of little importance. The burden was his now. Even more so now that Valgas had re-emerged.
From the rooftops of a building, Accel watched the cars disappear down the street. Those people had no idea just what they were getting themselves into, or the depth of the conspiracy that was engulfing the Power Stones like claws of darkness. The gunslinger felt sorry for them.
The seal strapped above his heart hummed; an intense constant warning. Their presence was thick in this city, but that was to be expect; at least with Valgas himself here. They were watching these people closely, waiting for the word from their master for the order to strike.
"It had to be me…" Accel muttered to himself as the cars disappeared around a corner. "But why me?" Why not his predecessor? Or the first Accel? Why during his own time on Earth? What was so special about now that they would thousands of years for it?
Whatever the reason there was little point in worrying about it at this point in the game. Those people would just have to be wary of deception on their own. He had warned them and that was all he was entitled to do, at least here and now.
Word of this had to be sent to the shaman at once.
Sliding down the roof and into the alley at the back, Accel landed effortless on the seat of his bike.
"Good luck to you all." He muttered, dragging his drape off his chin to expose the lower half of his face. "You're going to need it." The engine revved loudly before he flew off into the shadows of the city, vanishing towards the north.
-
The smelting plant was a large complex that stood next to the entrance to the mine. Ore and other minerals that needed to be refined or removed from the rock itself were shipped up into the building on carts from the mine. By the time they arrived, several large well built men were pushing the cars up to the depot where they were checked over before proceeding into the smelting plant itself.
The mine entrance was guarded by several look out posts and barbed wire fences. Men going in and out had to speak to two guards at the entrance if they wanted passage. A rail-line for the carts led out of the mine and up towards the towering metallic spires of the plant.
The facility itself was built into the side of a cliff face and like the mines, its entrance was protected by watch towers and guards armed with rifles. The entire area was fenced off and barricaded as if it was expecting a major siege.
Ryoma was at once suspicious. If this was just a simple ore mine then why did it need such security measures?
"Mr. Gunrock works in the smelting plant in the ore refinery levels." Julia explained, gesturing up to the structure getting out of the care
"It seems most impolite to bother a man while he's working." Apollus began, removing his glasses to clean the lens with a hankie in his pocket. "Couldn't we inquire about his item while he's at home?"
"Why wait?" Falcon asked, anxious for an excuse to be away from Miss WhitePearl for five minutes. "Let's just talk to him, get the stone and go!" He yanked his arm out of Julia's grasp. "Ryoma, come on let's…" He turned to face the samurai only to find him gone. "Ryoma?" The Englishman glanced around. There was no sign of him. "Odd, I was sure he was here a minute ago."
"Falcon, come on!" Wang-Tang called over. The Englishman looked back to see the group already moving up towards the plant entrance. Falcon took one last look around, before shrugging and running after them.
Ryoma watched them go from his hiding place. Something here was very wrong. He had sensed it from the moment he arrived in Dawnvolta. An oppressing feeling that the others missed because they had not received the same training he had, although the uneasy expression on Ayame's face showed that she too was unnerved by all of this.
The samurai had been prepared to let it slid as nothing more than his own feelings, but when he saw the mine and the plant itself his suspicions began to deepen.
Something was wrong here, he could see, feel it; even taste it. The Ki lines were all out of order. A distribution had occurred
Once out of sight of the others he paused to watch the men coming in and out of the mine; the ones pushing the carts.
They looked frightened and passed the guards without looking them in the face, even when the guards stopping the occasional one to ask a question.
There was something going on in those mines other than mining, and Ryoma was determined to find out what it was.
While stealth was not requisite of Samurai training Ryoma was skilled enough in the art of silent movement to slide past the guards unnoticed and enter through the large tunnel door into the underground system. The darkness within only played to his advanced and quietly he made his way along, following the tracks on the floor.
Occasionally a miner or guard would pass by with an oil lamp but a quick hiding place amongst the rocks or behind an abandoned mining cart.
"The works' going too slow." The samurai heard someone speak and he stopped in a dark corner to listen. "We should get the other shift in to clear the rubble along the southern area."
"Not with those outsiders here, idiot." Another replied. "Besides that amount of men going in but not coming out is going to attract the town's attention, never mind them!"
"I'm sick of hiding altogether. All this pussyfooting around, it makes me feel like a coward."
"Ah, I hear you. But we have to watch ourselves, at least for now. Those are the orders and I ain't questioning Valgas' judgement. Are you?"
"Of course not. I like wearing my skin."
"Well that's that then." Hearing footsteps coming his way, Ryoma hugged the wall and did his best to remain utterly silent as a single guard with a rifle strapped across his back passed by. The samurai held his breath as the man past him, not noticing his presence. Once he rounded a corner Ryoma slid forward, staying to the shadows as he swerved around the second guard without being seen.
The tracks lead him deeper and deeper into the mine and eventually Ryoma began to notice that this mine itself was all wrong. The walls weren't being examined for deposits even he could see in the rock. There were no men working within sight.
If this was a legitimate mine then it was very bad one. It also begged the question, if the ores weren't extracted here then where were those men working?
The feeling of disturbance and dread intensified the further he descended into the mine. Now there was no question. Something was happening here, something sinister.
-
The interior of the smelting plant was hot. Here the ores were heated up to super high temperatures to remove them from the rock and then refined into useable metals. Sparks from the metallic catwalks high above would fall down towards the first floor, bright orange stars that faded away harmlessly.
Valgas led them through the twisting maze of the tower, leading them through working men and complex metallic structures before they came to the area where the ore was examined before being dropped into a large iron pot below to melt into the shimmering liquid. Once the pot was full it would tip over and pour its contents out into pipes that would carry it away. A large man was there, overlooking the thin trail of rock and stone along a conveyer belt.
He was tall with a muscular built that exceeded even that of Valgas, with tanned brown skin and a pencil thin black moustache and triangular beard. A blue bandana was wrapped around his head, tied back.
Wang-Tang hesitated. He recognised this man.
"Excuse me." Valgas began and the man shuddered, reaching up to the top of his head.
"Ah, not so loud I have a hangover." He began turning around. Ayame and Wang-Tang exchanged a startled glance. It was Gunrock, the drunken man from last night. When he laid eyes on them his expression change from mild annoyance to outright anger. "You again!" He snarled, his face twisting into an anger glare as he raised both massive hands and clenched them into fists.
"Wang-Tang, do you know this man?" Falcon asked calmly looking back at the boy.
"Mr. Gunrock; that will do." Valgas said calmly, but with an edge to his voice. Gunrock hesitated, finally recognising who was speaking.
"Sorry sir." He added very quickly. Wang-Tang looked confused as to why a man so rugged around the edges as Gunrock would give anyone that kind of respect.
Valgas looked from Gunrock, to Wang-Tang for a moment; then he smiled.
"Gunrock, I believe you have something that my associates here want." Gunrock looked a little confused for a moment, before he read Valgas' expression and reached into his pocket.
"A Power Stone." Falcon breathed. It was exactly like their own; a cute jewel the size of a fist. It was completely gold.
"No way, they can't have it!" Gunrock snapped, suddenly figuring out the intention of the visit. "This stone is mine. I need it in my work."
"Look, we just want to keep it safe…" Wang-Tang began, but was forced backwards when the large man slapped a hand into his chest.
"Forget it half-pint, this stones mine. I ain't handin' it over to anyone." His angry face returned. "If you want my stone, your gonna half to earn it!"
"Wha…" Wang-Tang began but before he knew what was happening he found himself pinned down to a fighting match.
The chosen arena was a pit where the molten metal and rock could be drained away by long pipes directly into the centre where a large metal grate covered a long descending shaft where the molten materials gathered, waiting to be used elsewhere. Walls encircled the pit, the only holes in them being the holes through which the pipes moved.
"Come on Gunrock, give us a good show!" The gathering crowd around cheered, calling out the Mexican's name repeatedly. "Tear the runt's arms off!" Gunrock remained utterly silent, his gaze fixed completely on Wang-Tang.
The boy was beginning to wonder exactly what he had done in a past life to deserve this. Gunrock was clearly much stronger than he was and now that he wasn't drunk he looked even more dangerous than ever.
Gunrock's eyes darted up towards the top of the arena. Standing there watching them were Falcon and the others, but the Mexican's gaze was locked on the form of Valgas.
The blonde haired man nodded once and Gunrock turned his attention back to Wang-Tang.
"They'all gonna fight?" Julia asked finally catching onto what was going on. "Alright, this outta be a show an' a half!" Apollus looked horrified than a young lady from to such a noble family could find something such as spectator wrestling. Falcon just shrugged with a grim smile despite Miss Whitepearl's grip on his arm.
Ayame leaned over the edge, a worried look on her face.
Worry turned to horror as Gunrock reached over and tore out one of the pipes, swimming it up into the air; liquid metal flying from the top.
Wielding it like a club he brought it down hard towards Wang-Tang, who had to summersault backwards to avoid being it by both the pipe and the hot metal spilling from it.
Spiralling backward, Wang-Tang rebounded off the side of a wall to come back with a flying kick. Gunrock grabbed him by the leg, lifted him up into the air before tossing him hardly against the floor. The crowd cheered out load while Ayame held her hands to her mouth.
Pain shot through Wang-Tang's body and his limbs went numb for a moment.
Gunrock lifted a massive foot and prepared to smash the boy into the ground with it. Wang-Tang rolled to the side, avoiding it as it came crashing down.
Flipping himself off the floor, the Chinese boy spiralled up into the air to smash a punch directly into Gunrock's face.
The Mexican growled and staggered backwards. Taking advantage of the situation, Wang-Tang dived in with a blur of punches across the stomach before one final kick to the wide chest. Gunrock toppled backwards and fell hard against some of the pipes, breaking some of them open. The liquid metal spraying out and eating away through the metal crate on the floor, huge holes opening up.
"You just lucky that hot stuff missed me!" Gunrock snapped, hoisting himself backup and correcting the bandana onto of his head. "'Cause if it hadn't, I'd be in an even worse mood!"
He ran forward and swung at the boy with a punch. His bulky muscles, while making him unquestionably strong slowed him down significantly. Wang-Tang was able to dodge the swings Gunrock was tossing at him, sliding past them so quick the Mexican seemed as if he was moving in slow motion.
Loosing patience, Gunrock slammed his fingers down into the metal grate before him and ripped it out of the floor with brick dust and metal shards flying with it.
"Look, I don't want the stone this badly and I keep trying to apologise for last night but you're just not listening." Wang-Tang ventured, before lodging to avoid the grates as Gunrock tore them one by one out of the floor and tossed them at his opponent.
Ducking under one of them, Wang-Tang ran in to try and fight at close range. Gunrock tied to slam the large piece of metal he was holding down on him but missed and Wang-Tang darted in for a punch.
The Mexican seized his hand and clenched a fist finger around it, his strength threatening to break the arm clean off. Wang-Tang stopped in his tracks and died desperately to wrench himself out of Gunrock's grip.
"He's hurting him, make them stop!" Ayame called out, but Valgas simply stood there with his arms crossed.
His gaze locked on the two combatants with a short smirk over his lips. It was then the Japanese girl saw that the man's eyes were blood red.
Seeing an opportunity, Wang-Tang drew his leg back and then jabbed it forward with as much force as he could muster.
The kick met with Gunrock's groin and the large man cried out in agony, letting go of Wang-Tang hand and staggering back. The crowd around them began shouting, clearly not impressed with that display.
Gunrock was hunched over, tears forming on the edge of his eyes with his legs partly crossed.
Wang-Tang flexed his arm. It was sore but nothing was broken. But now it seemed he had other problems.
Gunrock was now angry.
"That does it." The large man snarled, reaching under his poncho and pulling an object out. It was a cut diamond shaped rock the size of the average fist but between Gunrock's fingers it looked a lost smaller. Its surface was a clear gold. "The kid gloves are coming off!" Wang-Tang had only a brief moment to recognise what it was before Gunrock clasped it firmly between his fingers and activated the elemental energy within.
Falcon, Apollus, Julia and Ayame had to duck as pieces of ore and rock from the carts behind them and even the molten ore being channelled below began to fly around them, swirling around through the air as if caught in the grasp of a twister.
They surged around Gunrock, becoming an impenetrable barrier through which none of them could see. Pieces of rock began to connect across his body, forming armour around him; clasping together like a jigsaw puzzle.
"A Power Fusion…" Falcon breathed when the transformation finished itself as Gunrock stood there, a towering colossus of rock. He appeared to be nearly made completely out of stone, as if his entire body was comprised of nothing but it. Embedded his left arm embedded in the rock was the fossil of some long extinct sea life. A pair of pure white eyes stared down at Wang-Tang through the gaps in the rock that made up the head.
The workers cheered out load, egging their co-worker on.
The Chinese boy swallowed hard.
"Rock and Roll!" The transformed man declared, lifting his arms high into the air. With a sudden surge his overall mass increased dramatically, casting a gigantic shadow over the grated metal floor. Once he had increased to a sufficient enough size, he arched his body over to form a circle and started spinning on the spot. Enough speed was gathered near instantly and then he rolled forward, threatening to crush Wang-Tang under his large bulk.
The boy swore in Chinese before making a break for it, a giant rolling ball of living rock following him no matter where he ran to in the arena.
"An impressive technique." Valgas ventured his opinion, his forefinger and thumb held to his chin. "Use of both the elemental stone and physical power he already possess'."
"Don't stop running!" Ayame called out as Wang-Tang frantically darted through obstacles to see if they would slow the rolling boulder down. They didn't.
"What made you think I saw going to?" Wang-Tang called out. Gunrock was pouring down him. Any minute now the attack was going to flatten him.
The only way he was even going to escape without serious injury was to outthink and outmanoeuvre his strong but sluggish opponent.
He ran towards a wall and Gunrock followed, rolling down threatening to crush him. Reaching the vertical surface, Wang-Tang threw his weight upwards and ran up it. Gunrock however simply crashed into the wall coming to a stop, the crash shaking the entire plant down to its foundations.
Wang-Tang somersaulted off the wall, back flipping through the air before landing on his feet behind the rock warrior.
"Ah, agility and intelligence triumphs once more over brute strength." Valgas announced, clapping lightly. "Very nicely done young man." Wang-Tang relaxed his shoulder and let out the breath he was holding. "Oh, I wouldn't celebrate just yet if were you." Valgas added quickly.
With a sudden surge Gunrock hoisted himself out of the hole he had made, stomping around to face Wang-Tang. Each footstep shaking the ground beneath them, the metal grates under Wang-Tang's feet rattling.
Slowly and deliberately, Gunrock raised a massive foot in the air and left it aloft for a single moment before bringing it down sharply on the floor. A massive shockwave from the impact coursed through the ground, tearing the tiles and metal grates up in a succession. Unable to keep his balance Wang-Tang fell backwards and left himself wide open to another attack.
"Gun Gun Rock!" Holding out his hand towards the piles of ore around them, Gunrock called some of it to him. It swirled through the air above his palm and formed itself into a ball the size of car engine. Only created, Gunrock tossed his projectile through the air and Wang-Tang wasn't able to dodge it.
The ground shook and Ryoma glanced up, seeing small amounts of dust falling from the tunnel ceiling. Eventually the rumbling subsided and silence returned.
Had that been dynamite exploding somewhere else in the mine? No, it felt as if it had come from above. Whatever the cause it wasn't important.
These mines were proving far more interesting.
The tracks had led him to a large metallic door hidden deep beneath the surface, concealed within the twisting turns of the mine itself. Several barrels had been stacked either side of it, with a simple candle lamp illuminating the location. The ground just before the door had been disturbed with wheel tracks and footprints. He put his ear against it and listened. He couldn't hear anyone beyond it and the disturbing feeling he had experienced was especially strong now.
The samurai knew he was close to the source of what disturbed the Ki lines here. His hand hesitated above the surface of the door. Was he prepared for what might lay beyond here? What he was sensing was dread, fear and anger; entrapped anger and rage. Culminating negative emotions, compounded over the years to become strong enough to disturb the natural flow of energy.
Its presence was near overwhelming.
Taking a deep breath, Ryoma pushed the door open and slid inside making as little sound as possible.
"What in that name of…" The samurai began in a grasping mix of awe and utter astonishment. Before him was a massive cave pit that seemed to span for at least a mile. The darkness being illuminated by oil lamps every few feet and the ceiling above was being propped up by massive timbers that Ryoma could not even see the end of.
Working down on the cave floor below were hundreds, perhaps thousands of men. Some were daggering in rows with large picks and shovels while others were shovelling the rocks with the ores required for the smelting plant they unearthed into the carts which were lead away on the tracks towards other exits.
But this activity was not what grabbed the samurai's immediate attention. The workers were excavating something, a set of ancient ruins long since buried in the earth. But these weren't like any ruins Ryoma had ever seen before. They were tall and straight and made out of metal, but unlike any metal he had seen before. Despite being buried in the ground for so long, it looked; even from this distance, completely free of rust.
The nearest set Ryoma could make out distinctly. A tall rectangular pillar of gleaming metal, engraved with runes. These Ryoma squinted at to try and get a better look and recognised them. He had seen them on the parchments Doctor Erode had brought Falcon. They were Atlantean markings.
"Oh dear, this is an awkward situation." A voice began behind him. Ryoma shot around katana in hand to face the speaker. Standing was one of Valgas' aids, standing behind him in the tunnel entrance blocking his escape route.
He was one of the men in suits the samurai had seen following Valgas himself everywhere he went. He was a short man with tied back red hair and eyes partly hidden behind a pair of sunglasses. A wry smile was spread over his lips. "It seems you've stumbled across something you really shouldn't have seen."
"Just what is all this?" Ryoma demanded; keeping his sword raised high. The aid slowly reached up and pulled his sunglasses off his face but keeping his eyes closed.
"Nothing you need to concern yourself with." His eyes snapped open and Ryoma staggered back in horror, seeing they were completely blood red. No pupil or iris, just completely red and glazed like the eyes of a china doll. In the stunned confusion, the samurai didn't even notice the aid's hands tracing the image of a rune through the air before it was too late.
The effect of the spell caught him full on and before he knew what was happening, Ryoma lost himself in a flash of white light.
-
Gunrock lifted his clenched fist in victory.
Wang-Tang was gone, buried underneath a pile of rubble. There wasn't any sign of him.
The plant workers around cheered out load, chanting Gunrock's name over and over again. Ayame just stood there staring at the rubble with a horrified expression on her face, its intensity increasing every moment.
"Wang-Tang…" Falcon began just as stunned. "Wang-Tang!"
"Your friend is just fine." Valgas stated. The Englishman glanced back. "Just look." Valgas pointed towards the rubble. Falcon looked back.
Suddenly beams of green light began lanced out through the gaps in the rubble, a steady glow spreading out from it. Gunrock snapped back around just in time to see the pile break open at the top and a golden oriental dragon arch up into the air. The workers all went deadly silent at the sight of it.
"Power Fusion!" A muffled voice declared from within the pile of rocks and the dragon about faced in mid air before channelling itself back into the rubble. In a spray of shards the rubble broke open completely and Wang-Tang stood there, armoured from head to toe in his Power Fusion form; his skin changed to the scales of a golden dragon. His clothes moulded to the jade, bronze and silver armour of the martial arts masters who had invented the technique he practised.
"Let's just end it here and now." Wang-Tang announced.
"Fine!" Gunrock replied charging with a fist drawn back.
"That's not what I meant!" Wang-Tang slid to the side with heightened speed, cupped his hands at his side before throwing them forward. "Dragon Fang Bomb!" A bolt of golden energy rushed around his arms before slamming with intense force in Gunrock's side.
Despite his size and weight, the transformed Mexican was hurled across the arena to crash into the side of the wall.
Growling he pulled himself back up and charged again, swinging punches in Wang-Tang's direction. With his speed at his maximum Wang-Tang was completely untouchable.
"Dragon Typhoon!" Spinning his entire body around in a circle, the boy focused the wind and began spinning hurricane; a cyclone of pure elemental air that lashed relentlessly at Gunrock. The man sank his fingers into the ground and used that as anchorage, defying the attempt to tear him off the ground.
Seizing his opportunity, he reached up into the cyclone and grabbed. By timing it just right, he tore Wang-Tang out of his own attack, slammed him three times against the ground before tossing him sharply against the wall.
"You're mine China boy!" Gunrock declared and rushed in for the final blow. Wang-Tang saw the savage onslaught coming and despite the pain in his back, he gathered up what strength he had into one last attack.
"Dragon Dance!" One moment Wang-Tang was there, the next he was gone. In that spilt second, he reappeared behind Gunrock with a flying kick that struck him hard. The next he was at his side, attacking with a swipe on his arm and then again, moving to a different position before striking hard. All this happened so damn fast it appeared as if Gunrock was being smashed into repeatedly by a brief flash of gold.
With one final effort, Wang-Tang came out of nowhere with a kick that sent Gunrock flying across the arena to slam into the floor. His Power Fusion dissipated on contact, coming dangerously close to the centre where the grate had been removed; the only safety between the fall into a pit of bubbling liquid metal.
Wang-Tang rushed forward and grabbed the large man by his belt, mere inches from the plummet to certain boom.
"Bravo. We have ourselves a winner." Valgas announced and the workers around began cheering, now chanting Wang-Tang's name.
Gunrock hoisted himself up into a sitting position, looking dazed.
"Wha… what happened?" He asked, rubbing the back of his head. Wang-Tang dismissed his Power Fusion form and his Power Stone dropped into his pocket. A moment later he was tackled by Ayame as she threw her arms around him and hugged him.
"An excellent display of talent by two very skilled fighters." Valgas commented as the ramp into the arena was lowered and people allowed down inside. "Wouldn't you agree Mr. Falcon?" He shot the Englishman a glance. "That's how to fight Edward. Giving it your all, mind body and soul." Falcon stared off after him.
"I guess I lost?" Gunrock asked and then with a sigh opened his fist revealing his Power Stone. It was exactly like theirs, only it was gold in colour. "'Suppose that means you won the stone fair and square?"
"That's right so hand it over." Ayame replied sticking her tongue out. Wang-Tang held up his hand.
"No, I won't take it."
"What?" Gunrock and Ayame asked in unison looking up at him with confused expressions on their faces.
"That's your stone Gunrock. It chose you. It's as safe with you as it with anyone."
"We can't just leave it here." Falcon commented. "What if Kraken comes a calling?" Julia clicked her fingers with a sunny smile on her lips.
"I got the little ol' solution you want." She declared loud enough for them all to hear.
Julia's proposal met with some fierce resistance, especially from Falcon. She was impressed by Gunrock's raw strength and wondered if he would be interested in being assigned as part of her paid bodyguards onboard the Royal Haven Turbine ship.
"Guard?" Gunrock repeated looking a little in awe at the offer. "Well… I dunno. No I can't. I have little ones to look after."
"You're married?" Apollus asked.
"No, not exactly." Gunrock replied standing up and brushing the thick layer of dust off his clothes. "My wife died giving birth to our last child. I look after them all now."
"Why not bring 'em along?" Julia ventured. "They'll be safe onboard the ship while your working for us. Especially under the protective wings of my loving Falcon."
"Sure whatever." The Englishman muttered in reply, trying not to meet her starry eyes.
Gunrock shot Valgas a brief side-glance. None of them saw the blonde haired man spread a grim smile across his face. Gunrock pressed his lips together and swallowed hard.
"Well, thank you for the offer. I accept." He quickly replied. Apparently satisfied, Valgas turned to leave with his aid following close behind.
Eventually Falcon supposed that as long as the stone was travelling with them it could be marginally safer than simply leaving it. Besides, he had to admit Gunrock was defiantly someone he wanted on his side in a fight.
The Englishman and Apollus went back to the Turbine ship right away as Julia told them they would be leaving soon to pick up the second Power Stone she knew the location of.
While the old butler pulled their bags back up the gang-plank, Falcon noticed something blue lying on the grass at the edge of the vessels landing pad. Walking over, he saw it was part of a robe. Ryoma was lying there amongst the long grass; a loud snoring resonating away from him.
"You came here for a nap?" The Englishman asked looking slightly confused, before leaning down and nudging the samurai. "Hey rise and shine sleepy head." Ryoma pushed his eyes open, groaning at the intrusion of the sudden intrusion of the day light.
The samurai hoisted himself back up very quickly all of a sudden, tensing as if he expected a physical blow to connect with him. Then he relaxed and looked around in a daze.
"Where… where am I?" He asked as Falcon helped him back to his feet.
"You alright mate?" Falcon asked, putting his hand on the samurai's shoulder. Ryoma held a hand to his head.
"I… I don't know. I remember arriving at the mines, but…" He shook his head. "I remember getting out of the car, but everything else after that is a complete blank."
"Jet lag." Falcon said with a brief smile. "Get's even the best of us sometimes. You chose a strange place to go to sleep through. Come on, let's get going."
It was not long before a car arrived. Gunrock pulled his large form out of it and he was quickly followed by six smaller versions of himself.
"Good lord." Falcon commented seeing the children. Unlike their father they had some hair left and each of them looked almost exactly the same each other. "That's one short falling apple." The children looked up towards the Turbine ship, clearly holding the Royal Heaven in awe.
"Now kids, remember we're invited guests onboard this ship so no misbehavin'." Gunrock told them and as if ignoring him they shot off towards the ramp, knocking Apollus over in the process. "In one ear and out the other." Their feather groaned.
Wang-Tang stepped out the car with Ayame in tow. "Look, about just how and last night." Gunrock began, not looking either of them in the eyes. "I… I want to say I'm sorry. The drink was still affecting my in the morning and last night, well; I can't control my temper when I drink that much."
"That's alright." Wang-Tang replied with a smile. "Accel was right, you're a good man but you drink too much." Gunrock grimaced at the sound of the name.
"Damn gunslinger and is good two-shoes-act." He leant aside and whispered to Wang-Tang. "Don't tell Mr. Valgas I know that wanderer. Accel ain't popular with him and it could cost me more than my job." There was something in the man's voice that told him there more to his statement that what was obvious.
"Accel?" Julia asked as they all made their way up the gangplank. "Just who is this Accel?"
"Oh just someone we met last night." Ayame replied. Once they were all on deck and their baggage taken below, orders were given to begin the ascent.
"Warned you about Valgas?" Apollus asked with raised eyebrows once Wang-Tang and the girl had related their strange story to them. "I can't see why. Mr. Valgas struck me as a perfect gentlemen, in fact; there he is now come to wave us off." They all followed the old mans gaze to see Valgas himself and his two aids standing by their car. The turbines on the underside of the ship began to turn in preparation for take off.
Ryoma shuddered suddenly and put a hand to his head.
"Something wrong?" Falcon asked.
"It's nothing." The samurai replied but didn't sound too convinced himself.
"I don't like that man." Ayame muttered. "I saw his eyes turn blood red. He scares me."
"Me neither." Wang-Tang added folding his arms. "And Accel doesn't seem to as well."
"He's creepy enough without the warning to remind us to watch him." Ayame muttered almost as a side note.
"I won't have that said about Valgas." Falcon replied swiftly. The girl looked a little taken aback.
"The man told me to beware of him." Wang-Tang carried on. "He told me Valgas was an actor, a man with many faces."
"I respect Valgas." The Englishman replied with fierce resistance. "I understand the man. I won't have slander said against him like that." His tone refused to be argued with and both of them backed off.
As the ship rose up into the air with a blast of compressed, Valgas and his two aids watched it slowly move through the air towards the north.
Everything had gone according to plan. Miss Whitepearl's romantic intentions for the young Falcon played their part flawlessly and now everything was set.
Still, their cover had come close to being blown when the samurai blundered into the excavation. Killing him would have been the easy solution, but his absence would be noted and unwanted questions would quickly be raised. The memory glamour placed upon him would repress the recall of the events so the samurai would go on thinking he had simply fallen asleep.
"Was it wise to send Gunrock, General?" One of his aids asked in a whisper, both of them undergoing a slight transformation. His eyes changed from olive green to blood red behind his sunglasses and their ears gained a pointed edge. "Out of all our agents he is most unreliable."
"But he dose have the Power Stone I gave him and has been trained how to use it. That makes him the perfect agent for this task." Valgas stated without as much as a glimmer of emotion on his face. "And if he even thinks about betraying us, his kids pay the penalty."
"We've also not been able to find Rouge."
"Whether she recovered the Power Stone of fire or not is still unknown." The other added.
"Rouge is nothing more than a mere annoyance." Valgas replied. "So long as we have her precious Guild-master under lock and key she can do nothing." He watched the ship fade away into the distance, his large arms folded in front of himself. Slowly a smile spread over his face and his lips parted showing a row of sharp teeth. The location of a single renegade agent was of secondary importance at the moment. Right now everything they would ever need was on that ship.
This time, everything was going according to the master's plan.
"Go, observe them." He began without looking back. "Once they have the stones, give Gunrock his final instructions. If he breaths a word about our operations to them; then kill him." The aid to his left bowed very low and suddenly his body disappeared completely; dissipating into a cloud of black smoke. The clothes collapsed to the ground into a pile. The smoke itself contracted and forged itself into the shape of a bird. A crow came into being, a pair of red eyes glaring up at the Turbine Ship. It cawed loudly, before taking to the air flying off after the ship as it passed into the clouds.