He Who Calls
Chapter 37
"I feel like I'm being flushed down the toilet," Milo said as he, Odd, and Aelita were spun around and around in a vortex between three worlds. Odd was sticking his hands in the air and whooping. Aelita was covering her mouth and moaning. The vehicles had vanished the second they flew into the Rabbit Hole. "Hey, I think we're close to the end, don't—" He was cut short as they dropped through into a strange area. It looked a lot like Sector Five, but everything was purple. Two figures stood straight across from them in the room.
"Milo," said Bella. "And you brought your girlfriend and your pet cat. Are you moving in?"
"How nice to see you, Milo," said another voice. A boy shorter then Bella with no hair at all stepped forward. His skintight suit was relatively standard, but his right hand ended in a strange cannon-like shape. He wore a small crown on his bald head. "Remember me? From Portugal?"
"Hi, King," said Milo. "I'm glad to see you too. You owe me money."
"I'm a Xanadore now. What do I need with money?"
"Is that an excuse for never paying me back?"
"Just shut up, Milo. You aren't in control anymore," said King coldly.
"Who's the baldy?" asked Odd as he aimed his arrows surreptitiously.
"King," said Milo. "A thief from the streets of Portugal. You're never glad to see him unless he owes you money. I shaved his head with William's knife after I learned he was trying to help William any way he could. His hair never grew back."
"All thanks to you, Milo," said King. "William is dead, but Xana is assembling an army."
"Do you have to say my name every time you talk? It's really weird," said Milo.
"Shut up, Milo!" he roared. He pointed his right hand at him and seemed to vanish with a bang, just as some projectile flew at Milo. He rolled out of the way. When the bomb hit the ground, it unfolded and stood up. It was King. "Milo, do you like my powers?" King asked, seething.
"You do realize you're still saying my name every time, right?" said Milo interestedly. "Or is it subconscious?"
"Don't let him rile you," Bella said quietly. Her arms were folded. "We just have to stop Odd getting by and 1Base is safe." Odd chose that minute to fire an arrow into Bella's Eye of Xana. She turned into the liquid and flowed straight up through the Rabbit Hole. Her Eye of Xana was prominently displayed on each shoulder pad. Milo was still searching for one on King. Then he saw it on the side of the cannon-hand. Just as King shot himself at Odd, Aelita threw an energy field. He dodged. Odd fired three laser arrows at him. Each one hit as he turned to liquid.
"They lost," said Milo. "They lost and we can take 1Base down."
"Not yet," said Aelita. Two Tarantulas, a Creeper, and a Black Manta were dropping out of the vortex. Odd shot at them as they fell. Milo threw his hat up and it destroyed the Creeper and a Tarantula before one shot it. It clattered to the floor.
"My hat!" Milo exclaimed. Aelita and Odd finished off the last two monsters, only getting shot once in the process. "Odd, go!" said Milo. They ran down a long hallway, security guns shooting at them as they ran. Milo scooped up his hat. He flipped it around multiple times and blocked various shots at Odd. When a mass cloud of shots fell toward Odd, Aelita jumped in the way.
"Destroy 1Base. Destroy a Fragment of Xana," she said as she vanished. The end of the hall was near. One final shot hit Milo as Odd opened the door.
"Go," said Milo as he returned to Earth. Odd ran in and shut the door. As he walked into the room, a light followed him. He walked up to the back of the room. There was a small pedestal. On it there was a yellow Eye of Xana with a spot in the middle, shaped just like one of Odd's arrows.
"The Fragment," Odd breathed. He lowered his arm toward it and shot. The arrow landed perfectly in the notch. The Fragment turned the same shade of purple as the walls. Then it blew into a million pieces, which then vanished. The walls started to vanish. The floor was going faster. Everything turned into a matrix of lines then flaked away. Including Odd, as he returned to Earth.
Everyone had gotten up and was watching when Odd stepped out of the tube.
"Did you do it?" asked Ulrich. "Is 1Base gone?"
"Yes," said Odd. "Xana is one sixth dead." Everyone clapped and cheered.