Zoalords
Chapter 14
Clues
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate was as much a city as a government office, with a massive library, shops, private quarters for soldier's families and even a theater. Kenji and Ishi sat in that theater eating entirely too much candy and watching Gojira trample his way across Tokyo. "We could build that." Kenji whispered rather loudly. "What would we need it for?" "I don't know, but we could build a kaiju. Dr. Barcus did. Did you know that Khan could turn into a giant dragon?" Ishi turned in surprise, "What, that shrimp?" "He could add Zoanoids to his mass, like Aptom. If he absorbed enough Zoanoids, he could have turned into a giant monster, bigger than Gojira." Ishi felt a cold chill run down his spine. So that's why Khan was trying to call us to him. "Khan didn't need to absorb Zoanoids to become a monster, Kenji." Ishi's voice was suddenly cold, "He was already a monster on the inside."
Tokyo, Chiba Prefecture
Lord Czyvek knelt beside the large pool of dried blood. He was in full Zoaform, so as to take advantage of his remarkable abilities. His antennae picked up several different substances; human blood, Zoanoid blood, acid consistent with that of Enzyme V, smoke, burnt flesh. "This is where he came down. Losing this much blood, any other man would have died. But not him." There was a hint of bitterness in his voice. He followed the blood trail to the end of the alley. He had been picked up by someone.
Tracking in a city was nothing like tracking in a jungle like Silha. So much to cloud the senses. On Silha he could almost feel Fenris' heart beating from several feet away, here he had to strain to pick up faint scents amidst car exhaust and garbage. He missed Fenris and the others. Silha had truly been Paradise.
A familiar scent pulled him back to Earth.
Wait, that scent . . . It isn't possible! He strained his sensory organs to the max. He was not mistaken.
How was he going to tell Mirabilis?
Mirabilis looked up and down the street. It was so strange, to see the streets of Tokyo nearly empty. Curfew was in affect, and only Zoanoid patrols were permitted on the streets. Czyvek had argued against this, but he was powerless now that Vorsted controlled the CCI.
"Have your Zoanoid trackers found anything, yet?"
"Not yet. Even with the curfew, the scent of automobiles and petrol is overpowering. They are making progress, though. They still have the scent. It appears to be leading toward the warehouse district. Tokyo Bay." He paused, "We have a problem. There is another scent. I can't be certain. I hope I'm wrong . . . But I believe Guyot was here."
"WHAT!?" Mirabilis was stunned. He had heard rumors that he was alive, but found it almost impossible to believe.
"I spent a great deal of time in the subbasement of the old Relic's Point base. I know Guyot's stench." Czyvek replied. His insectoid features betrayed no emotion, "I'm sorry, dredging up the memories of that scum. But I believe he was here."
Richard Guyot, the monster who had kidnapped his child. Taken Kenji from him, transformed him into a Proto-Zoalord, stolen his child's body, his very childhood itself. If Guyot lived, he would soon regret it.
"But it makes no sense," Czyvek said, "Why would Guyot help Guyver III? Certainly not out of mercy." He shrugged, "'The enemy of my enemy is my friend', perhaps?"
"Kenji. Guyot knows about Kenji. If he tells Agito . . . !" Mirabilis sent out an urgent mental call to Doctor Barcus to call a Pod and take Kenji to The Ark at once.
As much as I hate to ascribe any good qualities to Makashima, I don't believe him capable of deliberately harming a child. Czyvek spoke telepathically, his insectoid vocal structure made it impossible to speak in a comforting tone.
"If he were your son, would you trust Agito not to harm him?"
Guyot's base
"No. Kidnapping is a coward's way. I want Imakarum Mirabilis, but I still have some humanity left." There was a rising anger in Agito's voice, and he began to wonder what had possessed him to deal with this corrupt shell of a Zoalord in the first place.
Guyot shook his head, "You unfortunate creature. It appears I misjudged you. You are still afflicted with a conscience. You must lose that, if you are to rule the world. Think, when that old fool Barcus and I took Fukamachi's father, we were able to lure him into a trap and almost destroy him."
"I know," Something burned in Agito's dark eyes, "I was there. You forced Sho and Fumio to fight. Forced Sho to kill his own father. If not for that, CHRONOS would have probably been able to convince him the previous attacks were a mistake. They would have a Guyver now, if not for that."
Guyot laughed, "Then you should thank me! I helped drive Sho . . ."
Agito's hand clenched around Guyot's throat and he lifted the gasping man into the air. "I have spared your life because you hid me from CHRONOS and treated my wounds. But let us make one thing perfectly clear. I no longer need you. If you brag to me again about Murakami Kenji or Fukamachi Fumio, I will kill you. Do you understand?"
Agito threw Guyot against the wall and walked out. The former Zoalord got to his feet, uninjured. You will pay for that, Makashima.
Agito sat stone-faced, trying to calculate his next move. He could use this despicable creature, but how? What was he to do next? He found that, to his dismay, his normally cold and analytical mind was focusing on something he very much did not want to think about.
His parents.
His uncle, Genzo, had been supervisor of CHRONOS Japan while Czyvek was still following Purgstall around like a puppy and Archanfel was comatose on Silha. Genzo had used his resources and connections in CHRONOS to drive his father to bankruptcy and ruin, press upon them until both his father and mother committed suicide. Then he'd taken Agito as his prize, trained him, tormented him, until there was nothing left but hatred and ambition.
He smiled as he remembered seeing Genzo's terrified face as Guyot had him dragged away and forcibly processed in the very first of the Guyver-Killer Zoanoids. Enzyme I. He had watched him die in battle as Guyot made him literally explode.
He realized that he was in debt to Guyot.
He would kill him quickly, when the time came.
To be continued . . .