Since Simone3191 has a computer problem, I may have to continue it without checking. I apologize about the late notice and update. I'm not sure if this story is good to all of you, but it is satisfying to your interest, is it?
Chapter 3: Two Years Later: The Escape and The Resistance
Screams and cries were heard in the lower dungeons of the palace. It was unknown to the surface or the basement because the deepest dungeon were somehow soundproof. The dungeons were dark and cold like a cave. There were some elves behind the bars. Very few were children were crying because of the pain, but the pain was nothing to compare with the other experiments. The rest were elves and she-elves that were either captured from their original homeland or punished. The pain was so intense that many were lost into unconsciousness or dead. However, one she-elf was still conscious by the long torturous experiment that was in her body.
Keira Hagai, the talented mechanic of Haven City, daughter of Samos Hagai, and the beautiful and envious girlfriend of the famous Jak Mar, was enduring the painful "Angelus Creation Project." Her hair was now down to her mid-back, and her body was developed into a woman. She screamed as she survived through the injection of Dark and Light Eco all together, even in her underwear. The project started to lose power as well as losing Eco.
"Dammit! Hold out a little longer! We need some kind of results from Kayt Hagai!" The black winged elf pounded his two fists on the keyboard. However, the machine stopped and showed the results to the elf. He glared and growled. This was not the different results.
"Again... this has been the same thing over and over again. No results!" From the shadows, the same white and black winged elf stepped out and rose an eyebrow at his comrade.
"It seems that Kayt is still resisting our project, Ragis. It has been the same thing over the two years. No physical change, no energy changes, and no signs of Light or Dark Eco inside her." The black winged elf took a deep breath, trying to control his anger from destroying the computer in front of him.
"Where's Gan, Zenif?" The white and black winged elf sighed.
"Gan is out, saying about taking a short walk." Ragis growled and started to walk out of the door.
"He better get back, or I'll have to kill this... woman." Zenif sighed and shook his head. He too walked away from the she-elf and out the door. Keira was groaning in pain and felt cold around her bare body. Her resistances were getting stronger and stronger as her body was getting used to the pain. Her mind was so focused that her fives senses were clearer and sharper. She blinked her emerald eyes and scan around. Since her eyes could adjust the darkness and brightness, the blue-and-green haired she-elf knew where she was. She was kept in a dungeon... under the palace. The lab around her had similar machines like the one she was being used, but they were less painful and dangerous.
The project didn't change Keira's body one bit, but it changed her judgment, mind, and likeness. Her hatred was toward the three winged so-called Angels the most. The lesser hatred were toward the soldiers serving under the three rulers. Yes, rulers. The government has three winged governors: Ragis, the Victor, Zenif, the Judge, and Gan, the Strategist. Her experience in the dungeons were horrible. Her hearings were sharp and gave her new information. These winged elves were actually Angels. She also heard from the soldiers that they were used to test the Dark and Light Eco to become like the Angels to help the war. Right now, she could hear the Trinity Guards', the angelic soldiers, conversation outside the lab.
"I feel sorry for the girl."
"I know. She's not really Kayt." Keira snorted.
At least somebody knows I am not my sister.
"I wonder why would the governors wanted to experiment on the land people."
Probably, those damn bastards wanted us, land people, to fight for them, so they could live in luxury as we die here.
"I don't know. I really wanted to save all of them from this project. All of us, soldiers, know that this experiment is wrong beyond all things." Keira rose an eyebrow.
They want to save us? So, why aren't they doing anything?
"I know, but those three are so powerful that they would kill thousands of us. Hell, I hope they are not equal to the Precursors in power." Keira blinked in confusion.
They are that powerful? THEY could do THAT? THOSE same ASSHOLES? They-
Her thoughts stopped abruptly by two loud thuds. Her ears perked up to hear two feminine voices. One was familiar... very familiar, and the other was unfamiliar.
"That was close." The familiar voice said.
"Put in the code." The unfamiliar voice spoke. She heard buttons pressed and stopped three times like the password was taking in the three codes. Then, she heard a beep from outside and a click from the door. The doors slide open to the brighter light that Keira couldn't adjust. She shut her eyes from the blinding light and heard the doors closed.
Keira slowly opened her eyes and saw two fuzzy ears... wait... those are ottsel ears.
"Keira!" She winced at the loudness. She smiled softly because she was tired of the endurance, not to mention screaming and crying.
"Tess..." She whispered softly. The female precursor turned her head to the figure who was working on the computer and jumped from the floating platform.
"Kayt! Hurry up!" Tess exclaimed. Keira's head shot up but didn't make her voice loud enough. She looked at the woman who had her scarf wrapped around her neck and mouth and sunglasses on her eyes to hid from recognition.
"Kayt?"
"I'm trying! Finding to damn codes for many of the doors and organizing the Resistance is already stressful enough. It took us two freaking damn years to eliminate all the unnecessary codes and get the other secret codes from other places." Keira was now fully awake and found her voice.
"Two years? I was in here for two years?" Tess turned her head to the she-elf who was struggling from her bonds.
"Keira. Calm down. They'll hear you." However, Keira continued to struggle and didn't hear them but her repeating mind.
I'm gonna kill them. I'm gonna kill them. I'm gonna kill them...
The three girls heard rapid footsteps coming toward the lab. Commotions were heard outside.
"Shit!" Kayt rapidly put in the codes in the computer to release her sister. The two didn't notice the blue-and-green haired she-elf changing.
At the same time, the door opened to reveal a group of angelic soldiers and Kayt pressing "Enter" and the words in the screen blinking "Access Approved." Before she turned around and the Angels readied their guns, a blur of blue, black, and white passed beside Kayt and went straight for the soldiers.
Kayt and Tess couldn't move in anyway. Just by three seconds, the whole angelic soldiers were slaughtered, slashed, and dropped dead at once. Standing in front of the dead soldiers, Keira growled as her two bloody wings flapped slowly. She turned around and made the two girls gasped. Her eyes were crimson red, and her teeth were canine teeth. Blood from the angelic soldiers were dripping down from her black lengthen sharp claws. Her left wing was black while the other was white. Her wings were bloody because they sprouted from her back instantly. Two small curved horns were sticking from her head like they were going to curved down to touch her cheeks.
Keira growled like a predator hunting for her prey as she started to walk toward the two slowly. Her claws cracked to make the sound loud enough to hear. Kayt's eyes widened and blocked Keira's and Tess's view.
"Kayt! What the hell-"
"Shut up, Tess! She's going to do something dangerous." After the words left from her mouth, Keira roared and charged at the older she-elf. Her left claw gleamed in the darkness and brought up to slash the face. However, Kayt quickly grabbed Keira's wrist an inch away from the cheek. The young she-elf growled as she used her other claw, but it was also grabbed by the older she-elf.
"Tess! Get on my shoulder! You need to snap her back from this!" Kayt yelled at the ottsel. Tess didn't argue back and jumped on Kayt's shoulder. Tess yelled.
"Keira! It's me! Tess! Calm down!" Keira stopped struggling and froze as she looked at the ottsel.
"Keira..." The young winged she-elf looked at the older woman. The woman seem to smile under the scarf.
"For the love of- wake up, squirt." Keira's crimson eyes widened and felt herself slowly changing back to normal. Her horns shrunk back into her hair; her claws retracted into her normal nails; the wings on her back start to disintegrate into nothingness while some of the feathers flutter down to the ground; her blood eyes faded to a natural emerald color.
"Oh my god. Tess? Kayt?" She felt her wrists being released from the grip. Keira's eyes watered as she brought her hands to her mouth. Was this real? Tess jumped from Kayt's shoulder to Keira's.
"Yep! We're here to save you!" Tess smiled. Keira felt her lips forming a smile that wasn't there in her face for a long time. Her eyes looked toward the masked Kayt.
"Kayt? Is... is that you?" The woman nodded.
"Could you... remove the sunglasses and the scarf from your face?" The woman pulled her scarf down to her neck and placed her sunglasses on her head. Keira gasped as she saw the image of her older sister. Kayt Hagai... had an image from their mother's face as her eyes gleamed emerald and front hairstyle like Keira's. Keira couldn't talk because Kayt was standing there in front of her with a smile like the picture in her locket. She tackled hugged her sister and cried in happiness. Tess smiled to see the elder sister hugging back and patted her back for comfort.
"Oh god! Kayt! Big sister! I can't believe your here!" She let her tears poured down on her shoulder.
"It's okay, squirt. It's okay. Tess and I are here." For a few minutes, Keira seemed to be in control of her emotions but didn't let the smile disappear from her face. She reluctantly let go of Kayt, but she was happy. She then frowned and asked.
"Kayt? Tess? How did you get here?" The two looked at each other and back at the young she-elf.
"As much as Kayt and I would love to tell the whole story, we have to get out of here before the winged bastards do." Tess whispered. The two she-elves nodded. Kayt grabbed something from the floating platform where Tess was standing and shoved them to Keira's arms.
"I got some clothes for you before we came to save you. It's actually my... ahem... old clothes before. Try it on." Keira looked at her sister and then Tess who nodded in agreement. Keira sighed as she went to the other side and changed. Once she changed, she walked toward the girls with her new look.
The clothes were just right for a girl like her. She wore a light blue tube top that was covered with a black sleeved vest with light blue linings. She wore a black tight skirt with light blue edges and a slit on both sides that were above her knee by an inch above. She wore black fingerless gloves on her hands and black three strapped combat boots. She wore a light blue chocker and her new but same goggles. They started to run to the door on the opposite of the entrance, but before they reached to the doors, Kayt stopped, slapped her forehead, and cursed. The two halted their run and looked at the older she-elf in confusion. Kayt smiled sheepishly.
"Sorry, girls. I forgot to bring my morph gun because I was anxious to save Keira at that time. Looks like Keira and I have to fight hand in hand combat." The two girls yelled.
"WHAT!"
"B-but I don't know how to fight hand in hand!" Keira whined. Kayt looked at her little sister for a few seconds and sighed. She placed her sunglasses over her eyes and pulled the scarf up back to her mouth.
"Well... looks like I have to teach you."
0000
"Finally! I thought we never get out of that hellhole!" Kayt exclaimed as they slid out of the large air vent outside of the palace with a five other escapees that had clothes later on. Keira sighed in relief as Tess released her grip from the she-elf's shoulder. Keira looked at her sister with a strange look.
"Kayt-" However, Kayt cut her off.
"Not right now, squirt. We have to get back to the Resistance base before the Trinity Guards get all of us." The escapees murmured in a little panic behind the three girls. Tess rose an eyebrow and asked.
"Didn't we get rid of them before they could set the alarm?" Kayt shook her head.
"Tess, this is a different place. In Haven City, Baron Praxis was an asshole. He never cared about his own people. Not to mention exiling me." Keira rose an eyebrow.
"You've been exiled?" Kayt shrugged her shoulders.
"Yeah. I was exiled for treason with other people." Tess and Keira glanced at each other and then back to Kayt. The group followed the mysterious she-elf and stayed little farther apart to not cause suspicion. Keira observed the city they were in. It was kinda like Haven except the city was cleaner and brighter. There was no trash or pollution in the city like it was pure from evil. The walls on the buildings didn't have any markings or posters. The street or sky didn't have a single car or zoomer in sight. The elves populating on the streets were like them. However, Keira growled when she looked up. There were Angels above that were flying like predators looking for a meal... or in the Angels' case, looking for any causes of trouble. She felt a surge flowing through her veins and felt a tingle on her eyes.
"Keira?" Keira snapped her attention back to the ottsel on her shoulder. Tess gave her a concerned look. Keira shook her head and smiled.
"It's nothing."
For a few minutes, Kayt entered an alleyway where no Angels or other elves entered due to fear. The alleyway was dark and kind of dirty. Kayt opened the door close to her and signaled the group to come in quickly. The escapees nodded and went inside. Keira looked at her sister who look at gave her a 'Don't argue and follow' glare. The young she-elf sighed and ran through the doors before Kayt entered inside and shut the door quickly.
0000
Keira observed the inside of the base. Unlike the Underground, this place was kinda more spacious. There were papers on a desk in the far right corner, a map table in the middle, and weapons on the far left corner. There were two doors on the right and left side and two other elves who were working around the map table. Keira guessed that those two are part of the Resistance group. There were no windows, but there was an air conditioner.
Now, Keira heard about the Resistance before she was rescued by her best friend and older sister. The Resistance was named way before Keira was held in the dungeons. It was like the Underground, but they were slier, cunning, hidden, and stealthier. They were infamous for the people who lives closer to the palace, but they were famous for the people who were walking without wings, for the people who were used for experiments, and for many of the Angels who are against the "Angelus Creation Project".
The "Angelus Creation Project" was stated that it will help them fight off enemies as well as having reinforcements. The project was so infamous because it was using against the wills of the land people who were captured from their homeland. Many of the land people and Angels who lived in Celesin protested to stop the project. The government seized their work and told them that it has been eliminated, but it was a lie. They secretly continued their work under the palace. Some of the soldiers were disgusted by their governors' lies that they quit with a false reason. The naive governors accepted the reason and dismissed them to let them have their own choice. The ex-Trinity Guards left with the secret and organized the Resistance. Thus, the Resistance was born.
"Well... Kayt, you managed to get the others without your gun. I thought I had to get over there and save your sorry ass." The ponytailed brown-blond hair she-elf spoke as she turned around to meet the elder she-elf who was walking through the group and stood next to her sister. She wore a dark green cargo pants with zippers on her knee lengths and assorted small chains in her pockets that was on her thighs and was tucked in by her brown combat boots. Her white tank top was covered by a sleeveless black vest with pocket pouches on the front. She had tan skin that made her looked like Ashelin's skin color.
"Shut it, Dawn! That was one time." Kayt scowled at the violet-eyed she-elf. Keira and Tess laughed and looked around the place. The other elf coughed quietly as he stared at the map.
"If that was a cough to hide the laughter, I'm gonna kick your ass, Syke." Kayt glared at the spiky black haired elf. His face was muscular with some muscles in his body. His clothes were light as well as his light green eyes and sky blue tattoo that looked like he was slashed by a tiger from both cheeks. He wore a tight red shirt that showed some muscles and white biker gloves. His silver belt gleamed from his baggy orange jeans that had rips on his right knee. His brown combat boots were hidden under the jeans that made him look like and ordinary teenager. Contrasting from the light clothes, his skin was slightly pale.
"Anyways, are they the ones who need to get an Eco Remover shot before they are sent back to where they live?" Syke asked. Kayt nodded and grabbed the clipboard that was close to the entrance.
"Okay... I need the five people's names before you get the injections out of your system. Don't worry. The Eco Removers are just small two shots, and they won't affect your body like the project did." The people huddled around her and spoke their names. Kayt nodded and circled the names. While she did that, Keira noticed a small holographic figure near the computer. The figure disappeared, but it was very familiar.
Who was that? He seems familiar... where did I meet him?
"Alright. It seems that you, five, weren't inside the dungeons too long. So... once you get the Eco Removers out of your system, you are all clean and must go immediately to the portal where Syke, the black haired dude," said Kayt as Syke glared behind her back, " will lead you. Tell him where you live, and you will be immediately sent back to your homeland. Understand?" The five escapees nodded.
"Good. Syke!" Kayt called out to the elf as he shot his head up from focusing on the map.
"You know the drill." Syke nodded and led the five to left door. Once he got all of the escapees inside, Syke closed the door shut.
"Hmm? Hey, Kayt! What about this one?" Keira and Tess snapped their attention to the brown-blond haired she-elf who was pointed at them. Kayt sighed and shook her head.
"She was in the dungeon for two years, Dawn. I can't let her go because the injections from the project are now permanent. The five I just rescued only stayed in the dungeon for two to four months. Keira, here, has been in a different dungeon that needs twenty codes to get in and ten codes to get her free."
"Tight security on another place, eh? Looks like we have a new place to explore." Dawn smiled evilly. Kayt groaned and shook her head.
"I would never understand you and your love of navigation, kid. I am not going back there without my damn gun. I already have to deal what was back there. Getting chased by Trinity Guards, put in simple codes to get them out, put major hard codes to get Keira out, hide in shadows to wait for the Trinity Guards to pass-by, and dodging gun shots. Yeah, it was real peachy." Kayt sarcastically spoke on the last sentence. Dawn nodded and chuckled at the sarcasm. The brown-blond she-elf then walked toward the other she-elf with the ottsel on her shoulder. Keira couldn't say a word as she kept her eyes glued on her while walking around her. Let's just say that Keira was surprised that this woman was a little taller than her but not as tall as her sister.
"You look... familiar. Are you related to Kayt?" The brown-blond asked. Before Keira could utter a word, Kayt cut in.
"She is, but that doesn't mean we could go easier on her." Dawn rose an eyebrow at the older she-elf as Keira and Tess gapped at her sudden change.
"Are you serious?" The brown-blond she-elf asked in disbelief.
"Do you think I'm joking?" There was silence after the question was asked. Dawn sighed and turned back to the young she-elf in front of her.
"Well, since you are going to be part of the Resistance group, I'm just gonna assign a mission for you." Keira was about to protest, but Tess whispered in her ear a little harshly.
"Just do it. I'll explain later." Keira sighed and nodded in defeat, but she was half glaring at her sister's smirk, half tired to argue against the woman in front of her.
"What's the mission?"