#11

-Nethians-

Antorix's POV

I dragged myself out of the scanning room thinking about the predicament that has happened. Netar wont be happy. But this is important news and not telling the rest of the members will cost me an even higher punishment than failing my duty. I had one job and my ignorance and stupidity has gotten the best of me. It is one of my greatest flaws. The fact that Netar and the others gave me the job to eliminate the last Tri-Hybrid is a tremendous honor but failing the task is putting my life on the line.

I continued down the hallway and made my way through the entrance where everyone else was standing by. Kaze, our scout, was sitting on the cerise mahogany; cotton sofa, he broke the ice, "So…we just wait then?"

"Yes for the hundredth time, yes. We are still waiting for one of the transmissions that we are 'supposed' to get one hour earlier. If you want to go outside and kill something be my guest." Netar was already angered about the delay of our next orders but alas, things were about to get hectic soon. "Fine fine. I'll just chill here." I looked over to Mia who was still sitting by the window looking at the fiery depths below. She was always silent. Never spoke. Only sighs, body language, face expressions, and action described her. But after a while you tend to understand her feelings, some of it at least. Even from a young age when she joined in she never let out a single word.

We tried to make her talk by trying to initiate a conversation with her or give her an insult or two but in the end we either get shunned from her or get another sucker punch to the face. We even tried to torture her, it didn't go to well. She would moan as if she likes to be getting held up against her will. At times on mission briefing it is hard to concentrate because she grab a dab of molten lava and play with it like a stress squeezer. Though she is an excellent fighter, using her modified Nethian spear, she could kill someone of something in a blink of an eye and far away.

I carefully took a step into a room. I looked around and saw that no one noticed but when my eyes took a shift look around the room I had a double take. I looked back at Mia, her face was still towards the window but her red pupils were looking directly at me. A split second she whipped out her spear and jabbed it at me. The spear was centimeters from making contact with my nose. The black and orange blade was extremely sharp; a small poke would make you bleed. I grabbed the edge of the orange handle and pushed the spear away. Kaze chuckled and Nectar looked at Mia. She acknowledges and retracted her spear. I and she never really got along but when we are in combat, we hardly make acquaintances. "What do you want" Nectar said walking to me. I hesitated, im really in for it now." I've picked up a familiar energy signature"

"Its Pixel's, the tri-hybrid energy" I looked up in surprised, how did he know?

"Y-yes it is. How did you know this?"

"I knew" He turned his back on me "I knew because you are too much of an idiot to even know how to do it"

"I dont follow"

"You severely injured him, but that is what I wanted actually. You see, luckily you were able to knock his head enough to give him to forget many things"

"Like...?"

"Ugh idiot, you know how to use his powers, his fighting style, everything!"

He walked over to the middle of the room. I followed.

"So know that he is weak, vulnerable, we can finally end his life"

"So are we?" I realized the question I had asked. I really am an idiot.

"What do you think?"

He looked over to Mia "Hey get up, your on"

Kaze got up from the couch, "What? Your sending her? Let me take him on!"

"Shut it Kaze, your skills are not for this type of mission. You'll get your moment"

"You would probably get your ass kicked anyway" I insulted

He threw a quick punch at me but I dodged just in time. In the meantime, Netar jabbed both of us in the gut. We both fell to the ground gasping for air.

"You ignorant simple minded idiots" Netar muttered. "Mia go get ready" She kicked both me and Kaze on the ground and stormed out of the room. While gasping for air I slowly got up and went to the main entrance. I pushed the door and waled down the steps. As I continued walking one of my close comrades joined my stroll. We casually walked past the main gate and continued walking through the city. The city of Rakol is always patrolled by our forces. In a way its not really much of a city, its like a giant military base that the Higher command wanted to have. Our cities on Citron looked vaguely similar to our Aetherian counter parts, just lava instead of water. Charred dirt instead of healthy green grass, and instead white and all holy stuff our soldier's armor and weapons are ebony color with a hint of purple, red, or orange. A bit more badass. Us Nethians look like the humans on that one planet, Earth. We just have reddish skin and Red, orange, or black colored eyes. This is all because of our planets climate and atmosphere. There was a debate if we were humans just augmented by our planet. But the argument between our egg heads was soon but to rest because humans don't have our dark art essence and power like we do. Which is highly understand able because those primitive humans are to frail to use any power. But we ended up secretly establishing a base on Earth, but it was only accessed through a nether portal.

"Heard that Pixel was spotted on Earth" Dan said.

"It is true, Netar is sending Mia to finish him off"

"But didn't Pixel and Mia had something going on when they where little?"

"Yes they did, disgusting if you ask me. But I don't think her former relationship with him would get in the way."

When Pixel was still with us he was one of the most cold heartened fighter I knew. But his melee and sword fighting skills excel even the greatest fighters in Nethia and Aetheria. Not to mention his dark art power is off the charts. He once created a small black hole which obliterated an entire Aetherian village effortlessly with a single snap of his fingers. No one really knew where Pixel came from, some say he was doused with a mixture with Dark matter and Red matter tied together with Netherian essence. Which cause his Dark art power to be unmatched. But again, its just a myth.

Pixel joined Netheria just months after Mia entered, both same age. they were cared by an Nethian war veteran who died when they were around eight years old. The weird thing is is that it hardly effected them at all when he past. He made perfect fighters, Mia and Pixel, just kids, could handle anything that our Nethian soldiers (Nicknamed as Demons) cant handle.

"Yeah or else it would be just like last time"

What Dan said was true. One time Mia was ordered not to go on a mission that Pixel alone had to do. She disobeyed,which caused her to be punished and demoted. And ever since Pixel was captured and got purified by the Aetherians, she changed. Most people didnt see her change but I knew that in a way that the Mia we all once knew was gone. She was handed down to Netar to be disciplined and trained.

"Seeing that Netar chose her to kill Pixel must be a test to prove her will"

"You think shes going to do it?"

"Seeing how she is, im not sure. Her personality is unpredictable, we dont know whats going on in that mind of hers"

We continued walking down the main road. The citizens would always make way for us when we walk by. They notice our Black and orange coats, these coats were only give to higher class soldiers. "Disrespecting" a demon can be punishable by death or worse. Sometimes down here death is the easy way out.

When we reached a few blocks down we turned down the left road. We both know where we are going, when we always meet up we would go to the popular high class restaurant to eat and talk. On the way we saw Mounted soldiers, which are demons riding on Yuru. A Yuru is like Iguana just giant, just dark brown with red armor and could exhale roaring fire. We pet them a little and told the soldiers that they could resume their patrol. We walked silently to the restaurant. Once we were there we headed to our favorite spot which is on the very top floor. The top floor has glass walls, you could over see the whole city and beyond. We would watch the seas of lava spit fire up like fireworks. When me and Dan was teens we would count how much Ghasts would fly by. Once the Aetherians attacked the city with their massive ships armed with quasar guns and light bombs. In a normal civilization people would run and evacuate or hide. But me and Dan along with everyone else in the city just watched like it was a firework show. Our surface anti-air cannons whipped out the Aetherian armada in only an hour. The survivors of the Aetherian armada was publicly executed. The more bigger the blood splatter the louder the crowed gets, a true even that was worthy of my attention. But its better to crush an Aetherian's head through his helmet yourself that having someone else do it, I would know, and I do know.

When we got to our favorite table there was a couple already sitting there. We just walked up to them and stood there and wait. "Excuse me but were trying to ha-" The man noticed who I was."U-Uh my bad, lets go honey." the couple got off of the chairs and walked away. We sat down and I looked through the menu for a decent meal.

"Oh, looking through the menu? Wanting something different, Antorix?"

"Yes, we always get the same food at this place since we were kids, lets try something else"

"Agreed"

Dan looked out the window, looking at the red steaming rocks and the sea of lava that stretches as far past the horizon.

"The view is still breath taking. as many of the things that have changed Im happy that this place and the view haven't changed."

Maybe ill just have my usual instead of something different. I noticed Dan was looking outside, gazing upon the hell we live in

"Its still there" Dan mentioned

"What is?"

"Over there, the Aetherian Star Ship carrier. Its still there, slowing being drowned by the scoria"

I looked to the distance and saw the aft of the ship. The Aetherian's carriers are massive. But like all of the Aetherian ships they have a central Ion power source powering the ship. I remember the fall of that ship, the carrier was extremely slow because our ground cannons targeted the main engines in the back. The ships speed was cut by half, slow enough for our demon soldiers to use their boot accelerators to reach. They swarmed the carrier. I remember the stobes of yellow blasts firing everywhere trying to shoot down the demons. But in the end their efforts have failed. The engine died out and the carrier flowed down into the flaming depths.

"Amazing its still there" I commented

"When will this war end, Antorix" Dan said sighing

"When we win"

"It wasn't meant to be answered, but even if we win what is there left. We know the legend, the myth, the balance in the galaxy would be thrown out of balance and if that were to happen catastrophic things were to appear"

"Yes ive heard the stories. More bad than good or vise versa. Your not the only one getting these what if's, Dan. But I realize that getting caught up in all this mythical crap is ust going to leave you in a dead end. I'm already in deep hot water with Netar and im not planing to go any deeper.

Dan nodded and continued staring outside. We had a quiet dinner and were about to part ways. "What if the myths and legends were right" Dan said right when we were about to separate. I looked at him, he had a face of pity and remorse. I shrugged and walked back down the main road. The myths and legends came from ancient times, back when Aetherians and Nethians were not at war with each other. Many people started to believe that its just your average fairy tale. A few years back I did major researching and studying of the old times. I did not believe but as I read book after book, the evidence, findings, etc. etc. were nearly convincing me. I looking at the old books for a while now.

It was one of those moments. The moments where you just think where are we in the world, in this realm, this galaxy. Where was our origin, how were me created. Our makers? Creators? I sat down on the barriers of the the border walls playing with my Dark gloves. The gloves enhances dark art power to do things that normal demon cant do. I looked up at the lavender sky, just thinking. I came to my senses 'Snap out of it!" I muttered to myself. I hopped off the border and slidded down the wall. I made my way back when I heard talking coming from the back.

I carefully sneaked around and noticed the one talking was Netar. He was talking to Mia! Secretly...

"Listen now Mia. Dont kill Pixel unless its a last resort. Word from the council is to capture him alive." Netar muttered

Capturing Pixel alive? I thought to myself

"*sigh* the council says that now that we have located Pixels exact location, we can capture him and turn him back to his Nethian form. They are planning to use the Red Matter again. Your job is the utmost importance. Now go."

What is this? This all seems fishy. I followed Mia to the Star Ship docks. She went in one of the transport ships which was piloted by a soldier. Moments later when they left I hopped into my ship and set a course for Earth.