~Raze's Journey;Director's Cut Chapter 8~
~When the Wearied Awaken, Sinister Thoughts Linger~
Roarin: Great to see you're all back for another chapter and I hope you enjoy it.
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Kira sat waiting in front of the tanks. She had probably been there for over eight hours by this point. An unwavering patience not akin to how she had been yesterday. From the door, a curious Cloud could be seen hanging onto the edge of the window peering in. He had been so excited by the prospect of training that when trying to go to sleep, he'd ended up only sleeping just under four hours before waking up and deciding that returning to sleep would be impossible.
So, in trying to entertain himself for the last four hours. It inadvertently had brought Cloud here. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to open the door for some reason. Cloud felt unnerved by the girl that sat patiently awaiting her twin brother. Thus, this inconvenient posture Cloud found himself in at this moment.
'Should I?' Cloud found his mind wandering, 'Open the door?' Cloud questioned himself while teetering on the window's edge. His mind's distraction had made his eyes wander just a bit, but as he focused in on Kira once more. He found to his shock that she was staring straight at him which made Cloud immediately lose his hold and fall.
Lamenting his bad fortune, Cloud picked himself up. Just as he had gotten up though. The door opened before him. Standing just on the edge of where the door had previously been was Kira. She gave him a pensive look before closing her eyes and smiling.
"You Cloud!" She stated as Cloud could just nod.
The first response that came to Cloud's mind finally registered, "Yeah…" This was a surprising twist. He hadn't expected her to open the door. He felt a bit embarrassed at his position and decided to scratch his head to ease the tension.
"Then you must be Kira. Everyone talked about how you managed to escape." He said while it was her turn to nod.
"Yeah! Kiryu helped me. Then we found Raze, Brass, and my bro!" That sentence was complete, Cloud had heard that she could barely form a full sentence. This was a grand bit of progress, he thought.
Looking into the room just behind her. Cloud saw the tanks and felt compelled to go in because of a sharp bit of light emanating from the front. Kira noticed where he was heading and joined him. She wondered what the flashing light was signifying and was really hoping her brother was just okay.
Cloud looked at the panel and saw Ken beginning to open his eyes behind the panel. Kira felt that as her brother's ki encompassed them for a moment. The tank itself began to bubble up a little, but it started to lessen only after a few moments as Ken realized that he wasn't in danger. It didn't hurt to see his sister standing just outside the tank. His energy faded before dropping to normal levels.
Kiryu even began to stir just to the side from Ken's display. He realized right away that everything was fine. His ki was under control completely when compared to the sudden flare up just a moment ago from Ken.
"Wow! That was crazy!" Cloud exclaimed as Kira nodded.
"Yeah! Bro just let go…" Kira trailed off in awe while Cloud pressed the button that began to lower the water levels inside the tank. Ken and Kiryu both lowered until their feet touched the floor. Then the tank opened.
Ken remembered his last experience inside one of these just a day ago and took off the mask just like how he was shown before. Kiryu, not wanting to be outdone, decided to follow Ken's lead and was successful.
Ken hopped out the tank, landing next to Kira, "Wow! I do feel pretty good! Compared to last time anyway…" He trailed off as Kiryu landed right next to him.
Ken was overcome with joy at realizing that they had both made it out of that horrible situation, even bringing a few tears to his eyes, "K- Kiryu!" He shouted as he hugged Kiryu's arm, but Kiryu brushed it off.
Having been through so many horrible days had made Kiryu blind to such showing of emotions. So, he held off on that feeling, choosing to instead turn to Cloud. Ken still clung to him regardless, wailing away about the horrible experiences they'd all had while Kira tried to comfort her brother.
"Hey Cloud, is everyone else alright?" Kiryu was still concerned for the other children that had fought alongside them.
Cloud nodded, "Everyone is just kinda asleep right now. According to Raze and Brass up there, we'll be arriving on Ken and Kira's homeworld soon." Kiryu had nodded through all of that exposition.
He smiled, "That's great. A lot of those guys came from there…" Knowing that at least a few of them would get to go home made him feel at ease.
Kiryu finally turned to Ken, "Okay, you can let go." Ken tearfully nodded as Kiryu sighed.
Kira was already patting her brother on the back, "It fine bro! We go home!" She said as he smiled a bit.
Still, his memories were filled with the search over the course of a month and the last three horrible days of his life. Everything was turning for the better and maybe they'd see Lyra again. He couldn't wait to see her reaction to them making it home. He patted his sister on the head.
Ken was stronger than these tears, so he wiped them away, "So, you wanna hear what happened after he knocked you out, Kiryu?" Kiryu scoffed at that.
"He never knocked me out. I saved your butt!" He said indignantly as Ken frowned.
"You know that isn't how it happened except for the saving part. I could see myself in a reflection! I went all glowy!" He said while shaking his hands to simulate sparks.
Cloud was intrigued, "Glowy? What's that mean?" He asked as Ken jumped at the opportunity to talk about it.
"Well, it was like the normal white ki, but yellow! I kinda looked cool, but I felt so… angry." He said while looking to the side at Kira.
Kira wondered if he was angry at her, 'I didn do somethin bad?' She thought to herself as Ken began to try and elaborate.
Not sure how to fully explain it himself, Ken continued, "It was just so overwhelming." He was breaking down again, "I was like a monster, but then even with that… I still lost. I thought we were going to di-" Ken stopped himself as he got choked up again, 'No! You're stronger than these tears!' He thought defiantly.
Kiryu had to agree with Ken, but at the same time he couldn't agree with the way he was processing it, "Stop all that crying! We made it out. I'm sure from here on, it's nothing but smooth sailing." He still couldn't shake the feeling that it had been a bit too easy despite his words.
Cloud looked at their surroundings, "So, this is a hospital, right?" He asked as Kiryu nodded.
Compared to the other three in the room, Kiryu already knew what this was, "To be more exact, they're healing pods. It's not a standard thing that just anyone has either. These are too advanced for that. Probably military application." Ken, Kira, and Cloud were impressed by his words.
Ken spoke up, "Woah! That's why we feel so good!" Kiryu looked unsure.
"The thing about that though is these would be state of the art… If they weren't so old. It must be very rarely used to be in such good condition." Kiryu remembered a lot of the times when his father would tell him how things had been when the war had been going on. Being a medic on the front line was tough, at least Kiryu gathered that much.
Kira looked at the machines with a larger amount of respect. She bowed to the machine, "Thank-yous for making bro better." She said to the silent and unfeeling immobile object.
Cloud frowned, "Does she have something wrong with her?" He asked as Ken shook his head.
"She was learning to speak better before she was taken. Fortunately, we can continue those lessons now." Ken said as Cloud and Kiryu nodded.
Kiryu laughed a little, "That explains a lot."
Kira was frowning at this point, "Whas that mean?"
Cloud slapped Kira on the shoulder lightly, "Nothing mean. Don't even worry."
She gave him an eerie look that made him step back before Kira replied, "Okay." Cloud wondered what that was about and why it felt like earlier.
Ken recognized that, "Yeah, probably best not to poke too much." He said to Cloud who moved even further back at that.
"How'd she even get captured in the first place? She's kinda scary." Cloud said while Kiryu took that in pride.
"That just makes her more awesome! Every ally of mine is going to be strong!" Kiryu replied to Ken.
Kira blushed at the compliment and nodded in agreement. Ken sighed, just glad that everything was okay. Suddenly, they could hear a door opening from the side. They looked over to the entrance of the room to find Brass standing there with a rather pensive expression on his face. He walked in intent on checking up on the healing tanks only to find that the kids were just fine.
Brass looked at them, "If you're all good, then you should all head up to the kitchen." He said as he was putting the masks into the healing pods and shutting the doors that would hold the healing liquid.
Cloud spoke up in curiosity, "What did you want with Athena?" This surprised Brass who looked a bit frustrated at that.
"What? Why are you asking?" Brass asked the child who hated being put on the spot.
Kiryu arched an eye at that, "I mean, Cloud has a point. If you capture someone, the only thing you have to do is feed them." He pointed in an accusatory way at the albino namekian, "You've been down there since we were in the pod!" He accused Brass, but had no real knowledge of the timeframe.
Ken and Kira weren't sure what was going down, but were both on the same wavelength. That was to actually stay out of it. Brass's face showed a deep frustration etched upon it from being asked at all.
Brass shook his head before addressing Kiryu, "It's really none of your business, Kid or for that matter..." He motioned to Cloud, "You either." He then turned back to the pods, "The faster you all leave here is the faster you eat. If you don't go, you won't eat. Oh, by the way." He lifted a palm directed toward the entire group.
"Clothes Beam!" Suddenly Ken, Kira, Kiryu, and Cloud's clothing were completely restored. All four of them looked in awe over their appearance, "I did that for the rest of your group too. It's a handy move. Now go."
As cool as that was, it made things clear to Kiryu and Cloud. They weren't going to get a single answer about why that was going on. Ken was already taking Brass's words to heart because food was all he could think of at the moment and of course Kira was on that wavelength too. So, the two twins brushed off the words of their compatriots choosing to rush for the ladder to get as much food as they could.
Kiryu sighed with a bit of a twitch evident in his eye, "Traitors… That Brass guy is up to something!" He said as Cloud kind of looked to the side because of what Brass had promised him earlier on.
Cloud wanted to be a voice of reason as Brass kept glancing over at them, "I mean… He did help save us. Maybe we're looking too deep into this and he's still here you know." Cloud silently added in the back of his mind, 'I still wanna learn to fly…' But Kiryu was firm as he stamped his foot on the katchin floor.
"No! We gotta find out what's going on here!" Kiryu yelled, but then his stomach growled and even worse, Brass smacked him upside the head which caused him to hit the floor.
"Get out of here!" He shouted as Kiryu jumped up and shot for the door with tears in his eyes while holding the new bump on his head. Cloud followed behind, trying to do what he could to stay on the good side of the Namekian.
Even as Kiryu touched the door, he turned to look back at Brass, "This isn't over!" He then made sure that Cloud made it through before slamming the automatic door.
Brass was smoking out the ears by this point, 'Damn kids, they're going to destroy this ship…' He went back to his mission of making sure the healing pods were up to standard.
~At the ladder~
Kiryu's face was visibly in pain as Cloud tapped the bump on his head with his finger, "Stop that." He said as Cloud frowned.
"I'm glad it's you and not me." Cloud said as Kiryu smacked his hand away.
Kiryu let out a huff, "He wins for now, but this means war." He said plainly while Cloud frowned.
"Isn't that what you just said a moment ago?" He asked his friend who just shook his head.
"Nuh-uh! I'm going to totally get revenge! And maybe some food." Kiryu finished as his stomach growled which sounded like a protest to trying to implicate Brass for doing something even remotely shady, 'You're not being a traitor too!' He yelled at his stomach from within his mind.
Cloud rolled his eyes, "Well, I'm going to eat." He spun around and walked toward the ladder.
Cloud jumped onto the ladder, turning back to imply to Kiryu that he should come along much to his chagrin. Kiryu reluctantly agreed despite his stomach being a bigger fan of the movement. Kiryu was disappointed in himself as he climbed up the bars leading toward the kitchen.
~Meanwhile on a Planetary Outpost~
A man walked alongside two other people who looked to be speaking to him together. The man between them in particular looked to be heavily decorated. A true soldier whose only purpose was to push papers nowadays. His clothing is what appeared to be a gray gi with white boots being worn.
"Karmel! We need you to listen to this transmission!" One of the extras said as the other interjected.
"It says a highly illegal experiment was being performed on Kanaasa. We need to look into it!" The man said as Karmel stayed silent. His mind wasn't focused on them at all.
"Did you both happen to look at the report at the same time I did?" Karmel suddenly asked them both to which he got a stunned silence.
"We had no idea that you'd already…" One of them said as Karmel waved him down.
"Yes, I believe you're correct, Allium. I'll be putting together a team of highly specialized individuals with the goal of finding out just what exactly happened on that planet. I'll also request that you assist me in this operation, I'll have you lead the team personally." He turned his head to his other subordinate, "Straizo, I need you to file the report officially as soon as possible. We need to get all eyes on that planet, but leave Raze out of it." Karmel added the part with Raze for his own reasoning.
He shook his head, "I will speak with the King about that matter that was given to us in this transmission. It feels like a smoking gun has been opened up on an old bounty ticket courtesy of Raze himself." The two soldiers nodded with a gulp. They knew all about him.
Karmel saluted both Straizo and Allium, leaving to do what was surely about to make his office a bit more cramped than it already was, 'This is going to be a lot of paperwork and I'll bet the King's other kid will get involved.' That thought actually irritated him more than anything else. He'd heard many things about that one. How fierce a warrior he was. How he'd inherited the King's horrifying power, but that hot headed persona would surely be the stuff of legends if everything else was true. Perhaps he should hold his tongue for the time being about Raze?
Karmel already had an idea of what could come of this, 'Now that Raze has shown back up. He'll have his work cut out for him. This could be some kind of hell.' His mind was processing the very idea of something terrible happening as he entered the office that had practically been his home since he'd been pulled off the front lines all those years ago.
One thing a man can surely have time to think about when they have all the time in the world is how they will continue to affect the world around them once being done with the fight. The King had picked this position specifically for him. Saying things like, "I can't let someone as valuable as you die in some kind of accident. So, join my office division. It's cushy and will allow you to pass on your abilities to the next generation." The King was adamant about that. Yet, only two people had ever learned what he knew. That being Straizo and Allium.
They had truly put themselves to the test. Overcoming all the odds and walking away with the special abilities that Karmel had imbued them with. It was used to save many people during the Great War of the Ages. It was also used to kill plenty of people during that time. This ability was rare among any kind of race and was one predominantly used by Wizards, Witches, or even just Ki masters on earth.
A Saiyan with this ability was truly something to look at. Karmel had excelled in these abilities and was looked upon as a great success for this. It's what brought him gains in the political side of things. The King would have only acknowledged his fighting prowess at first glance, but that extra ability made him grow to far greater heights than most others. Though, he never bragged about it which made his subordinates look up to him. He was and is a great soldier and honored among them as a Hero.
'And hopefully we'll be able to get a higher budget for this year if we take action on this case.' Karmel could also be a very calculative tactician over battles of the mind. The King had denied his constant need for higher budgets to maintain all the platoons put under his command. With stars in his mind, Karmel would definitely get a higher budget this time.
Pulling his office chair back, Karmel sat down in it with a heavy sigh. Letting the stress of the work day finally pour out. He grabbed for the Holophone and tapped out a very well constructed passcode, "Cat Loves Food! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!". The King had his own joking way of handing out these weird phrases.
As the screen went completely green, Karmel prepared himself for the meeting. Then the King's projection faded in. He was short from within the hologram. He wore gilded gold and white armor that looked like a traditional warrior saiyans garb. The shorts beneath were nothing special, just colored black. His boots were a nice faded black with gold trim on the edges. He had wild hair that extended past his shoulders, but still listed to the right like his sons.
"Ah, Colonel Karmel. To what do I owe the pleasure?" The King asked his loyal
Karmel saluted his King, "King Vestal, I have a report." He responded as the King leaned in with interest.
"Oh? It's been a while since we've had anything truly interesting happening in that quadrant. Aside from budget constraints that is." The King scratched his beard while pondering the very idea, "What's in your report?" He finally asked.
Karmel smirked at the budget constraints mentioned and coughed into his hand, "Well, those are still in my reports, but besides the budget. A planet doing some illegal work in child trafficking and experimentation on said minors was sent to us through a coded message." He said while starting to really pique the interests of the king further.
He narrowed his eyes, "I see. This isn't exactly good news." Karmel nodded in agreement and the King continued, "I hope you'll be sending a platoon out there soon enough, Colonel."
Karmel nodded once again, "Of course I am. An injustice like that can't be allowed to continue and I was just as bewildered by this revelation." Karmel turned to a picture he kept of an old squadron he worked with nine years in the past, "To think this was happening in my quadrant makes me question how I'll handle this moving forward. We had always thought that Kanaasa was a dead world filled with only a desert and strange lifeforms. So, we'll end up doubling our patrol range in response which is why those budget concerns need to be met." He said as King Vestal gulped, visible sweat running down his forehead.
"Alas, I knew this day would come. The day when we'd finally be able to approve your budget." The King looked visibly shaken and yet he continued, "I will see to it that your budget is increased." He said which made Karmel's facial features relax a bit.
"That's great! I'll be able to do so much more now! The soldiers in my command will be so grateful!" King Vestal gave him a sharp glance through the hologram which made Karmel straighten up, "Erm, I mean thank-you so much, My Liege!" He saluted his King who merely waved it off.
"No need to contain yourself, Colonel. A small victory is indeed deserving to be celebrated." The King adopted a more pensive gaze, "Is that your whole report?" He asked the man.
Now it was Karmel's turn to gulp, 'So, should I even bother to mention Raze?' This would be his only chance and under the King's gaze, it was hard to resist adding to the report. Yeah, he would hold off on that. For now.
"Actually, no. This is the complete report. I'll let you know if anything comes from this expedition." Karmel finalized as the King nodded.
"Very well. I'll have my leave then. Keep up the great work, Colonel." Karmel saluted the King and the King returned the gesture in kind before disappearing into thin air.
Karmel sighed as he turned his office chair away from the holophone, 'I have to hope that was the correct action. Though, ignoring a smoking gun like that is sure to have consequences down the line.' He turned back to his desk and began relaying info to Allium and Straizo about how to handle this mission.
'It should be a simple mission. That's all I can expect.' Karmel thought while resting in the chair.
~With Allium~
After receiving the new updated report, he was told specifically to leave the name Raze Vestal out of the public consciousness and just to treat this mission as if it was a normal patrol. So, he would definitely do what his Colonel wanted. He was already gathering the soldiers and handing out the mission statement. Allium was everything and more by being so efficient.
Allium wasn't one to question things too often, but he still thought it was strange, 'He must have his reasons to have not let the King hear about Raze. Knowing that one's son is alive and living well should be a particularly good thing to hear.'
He sorted out several different bags of perishables they'd need for the mission at hand while his thoughts unraveled, 'Surely we're going to need a decent bit more rations. This planet is at least a two day journey to and then about a week to examine every hole on that rock.' He had heard of the three buildings standing in the middle and the labs inside of those places.
'They must've tortured many of the children sent there. Perhaps even killed a few hundred. There's no telling how long that operation was going.' He finished packing the food and set to head off from the kitchen once all of it was put inside a refrigerated capsule.
As he left, Allium couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Though, maybe it was just a gut feeling of his, 'A mission for the sake of Karmel and his King was not to be turned down on a feeling. No! He would persevere for their sake!' He was a true fighter and wouldn't be denied his glory!
~With Straizo~
He had just gotten the official report sent out right on schedule and was currently heading to give that to Karmel with his edits that was requested of him, 'Oh, Karmel's going to be so proud! I may even get a promotion!' Straizo could hardly control himself.
The walk was agonizing, but they weren't really allowed to fly on the premises unless they were heading out toward a ship. Which made sense, flying around could cause trouble for people just about to land. So, the rule was applauded by many other higher ups in the same echelon of Colonel Karmel.
'I'm so happy to be of ser-' His thoughts were interrupted as he collided with another person, "Ugh!" Straizo grunted as he landed on his backside.
Straizo looked up in frustration to see a familiar saiyan standing before him, "Oh, it's you. Watch where you're going. I've got important business with Colonel Karmel!" The saiyan shifted to look down at him and then got a grin on his face.
This saiyan in particular looked more like ruffian. He's much older than the other recruits and even has a nice goatee. This man wore a tank top and baggy pants. His belt had utility pouches and he wore cufflinks on his wrists. His hair was really long, which hung down all the way to his mid back. His muscular form was intimidating and he knew it from past experiences. So, he leaned closer to Straizo.
"Well, Straizo… You should be focused on looking forward rather than in the stars." The saiyan retorted as the man backed away from him.
Straizo decided to raise his voice, "G- Get going, Kronos!" Kronos smirked at that.
"Sure." He chuckled as he walked past the sitting Straizo, "I've got real business to take care of anyway." He added while throwing out a peace sign and leaving the man to stew. Straizo watched him leave and then remembered what he came here for. Speedily getting up, he ran to Karmel's office to catch him up on the current events.
~Joining Kronos~
Kronos smirked while looking down at a document he wasn't supposed to have, 'So, Raze has started making trouble again. I have an idea where he might end up…' He thought to himself as he headed toward the launchpad.
He was sure of it, no doubt that he wouldn't be correct, 'I'll meet him there. We'll have a drink to celebrate him finally deciding to make a splash again.' Kronos looked over the star map and clicked a familiar looking planet.
That planet's name is, 'Guerdon, a planet where the highest bounties are traded in. I was in a bit of trouble myself from some of those habits of mine, but this'll be really convenient if he shows up there. Maybe I can cash in…' Kronos's gut feelings usually led him in the right direction.
Finding his old ship standing tall and ready to move forward, Kronos smirked, "The hunt is on." He yelled while hopping onto the Capsule Ship's open platform door.
Closing said door, Kronos practically leapt into the captain's chair and popped in a few coordinates. Feeling the vibration of the boosters below, he held on as the ship began to move into the air. Kronos held out his hand and clicked a singular button. Suddenly the ship lurched up into the sky quickly passing through the stratosphere and blasting into space.
Kronos was eager to see his old friend again, that much was certain, "We're going to have a great time!" This planet in particular was a gathering spot for bounty hunters from all over the West Galaxy. It had scenic bars, an incredible prison, and an underground black market to boot. It was indeed a perfect location for dealing justice and for defying justice. Nobody who worked out there did a nice handout unless the right price was involved. That fact excited Kronos for sure.
'Oh yeah, better alert my platoon. They can gather there for me.' He quickly sent out notices to each member of his crew. Telling them to gather on Guerdon for alcohol and whatever might suit their fancy.
~Back on Kanaasa~
Walking through the launchbase, Xeno snooped around it. It hadn't been obvious before Raze and Brass had left, but something was going on. It was completely out of the ordinary. Many different kinds of drones had been moving through the area with newfound purpose.
Xeno's suspicions were growing, 'Whatever is happening here, Athena and Sebastian must have something more up their sleeves. But what?' He kept speed blitzing through the area, trying to see if he could find anything that could point to all the moving around currently going on.
The drones had a mind of their own, 'More than likely, she's controlling them.' His mind continued to replay how he hadn't tried to fight Raze who had stepped in his way to stop him from killing her. Lamenting that he hadn't fully succeeded in his plans was a truly horrendous experience.
Switching to a different ocular mode, Xeno noticed something. Energy was being rerouted to a different source from within the building itself, 'I was sure that Brass had killed the power in this place entirely, but it's still functioning as if he'd never done that.' That thought was unnerving for the cyborg.
He looked for a panel box just to see if his suspicions were correct. Finding one, he quickly opened it and confirmed them immediately, 'The wires are completely different. Not good.' The power from the escape ship that was never used was being siphoned.
'Shit. Athena, what machinations are you hatching now?' He questioned nobody, but still hoped to receive an answer regardless. He looked around and found the coast to be clear. Hopping out, Xeno stopped immediately upon the drone turning straight toward him. He thought the jig was up, but the drone hovered away instead which confused him.
Just to reiterate that sentiment, several more drones flew past his passively let him be, which frustrated Xeno just slightly. Did they not see him as a threat? He decided to follow them without bothering to hide instead. Xeno walked through them and the mechanized floating eggs merely split off from him. He was feeling more unnerved by the moment.
A strange situation to be in for sure, 'So, what do I do now? Surely this'll lead to where the power is going to?" He walked faster and faster into the place. Suddenly, Xeno felt like his back had eyes on it. It made him grow a bit more cautious.
"You're being a bit more curious than you have ever been before." The voice appeared out of nowhere causing Xeno to look around carefully. He didn't see anything that particularly stuck out.
Breathing in deeply before finally shouting, "Who's there?! Show yourself!" Yet, only more drones seem to lazily float past him. Was he losing his mind?
"Be patient, My Creation. The fun hasn't really started yet." Since Xeno had gotten to hear it a second time, he recognized it as Athena. She was speaking in his own mind! He gripped his head as a headache began to take hold.
'Why are you still able to do this much to me?' Xeno questioned the seemingly all knowing being.
'Because I'm a part of this very network. My mind inside my original body is still the original thoughts and memories, but I've always backed those up on the computer systems around here just in case I was ever found out.' Athena paused as she took what she considered to be amusement out of this situation.
'Besides, I can always play it off that my enemies won. Though, I have one last experiment to handle before this facility can rot away.' She added as Xeno's eyes widened.
She then continued, "You will help me achieve this finality." Athena finished.
'I'll help you? There's no possible way for that to happen. I've overcome the real you and some cheap AI clone of Athena won't take away my own thoughts and power anymore.' He retorted to the disembodied woman.
'True.' She returned as Xeno felt an abnormally large amount of menace and seething hatred being given off all around himself.
'Is this thing just a clone, or the real thing after all?' He thought to himself in panic as a real feeling of helplessness began to permeate the area.
'But that doesn't mean you won't be of use to me.' Xeno looked around as he saw that he was completely surrounded.
'When did this happen?" He questioned himself while already knowing that an answer would be provided.
'Because I know that within another day or so, a bunch of soldiers will be arriving here. We'll need to greet them a bit better than when we greeted that other sorry group.' Athena said in a pitch perfect, happier sounding voice, 'What better way than with the final experiment that this place will produce?' She questioned in a sickeningly sweet way.
With that, the drones began to zig zag and completely overwhelm Xeno, but he let out a ferocious roar. His energy blazed outward, sending the drones toppling away. Xeno looked out the way he came, finding yet more drones zipping toward him.
'You can't run, you can't hide, but most importantly… You can't defy me.' She almost melodically whispered into his mind.
He shook it off, then lifted his one arm. Charging sparking energy, he fired a blast straight at them, but they didn't avoid it. Suddenly, the energy disappeared entirely and the machines surrounded him completely. If Athena were here, she'd be manically dancing at the idea of this hopeless situation beginning to erupt out of Xeno's control.
Xeno looked around, he knew by now that ki may not work against these things all that well, 'How did they capture her? If she had these things the whole time… She could have killed us all. So, why?' He questioned as the voice answered again.
'Why? You asked? Haha… Well, it's simple really. Raze Vestal wasn't supposed to die. As for that namekian, Brass… He's the real wild card I hadn't fully considered. I was surprised to see him after all these years.' The voice seemed to be turning into a manic low laugh, 'Traveling around with that loathsome monkey scum.' Xeno could hardly believe it.
'Are you telling me that you already knew both of them?! I could understand Raze, but Brass as well?!' He received no answer this time, so he began to focus his chi on trying to fight the machines surrounding him, 'Was this all a matter of fate itself?' He questioned God or whoever looked out for the ones in the mortal coil.
'I was just wanting to hear what your thoughts were on all of this. That's why I stayed quiet. However, I think it's time we put you in the position that only my greatest experiment could help finish finally.' Out of the middle of the white floating drones, appeared a device that looked incredibly sinister.
Xeno launched himself, disappearing in a flurry. Just as he reappeared, he stopped in midair before landing on his knee. His body appeared to be weakening and he considered trying to escape, but the drones continued to seal off the exits. What appeared to be millions of red eyes just floating closer and closer to his unresponding body. Lightning sparked from two drones as they circled around him. Creating a forcefield of sorts that made Xeno's body contort into a T pose of sorts. He was slowly levitated into the air and forced to face forward by the forces at work on his body.
Athena's voice echoed in the chamber, this time playing in real time off the drones, "I will punish you for your misdeeds. Then you'll become a battery for me. Isn't that what a good experiment is supposed to do?" Xeno look was incredibly defiant.
"You may have this body, but you'll never control my mind." He yelled as she laughed at him and then his yell turned into a scream. Agony bursting from his body that he'd never felt before. Even when he fought Raze, this had never happened.
"Your pain receptors seem to be working very well after I re-enabled them! Give me more of your suffering!" She shouted into his mind and the surrounding area.
The drones watched as the torture truly began. Athena's ai seeing this and truly enjoying this horrible fate of Xeno. Never to escape her clutches and just as planned. He'd never had any free will. The last words he'd spoken to Raze and Brass had just been her making sure he never left.
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~End of Chapter~
Roarin: Please leave a review. Tell me what you thought and we'll see you in the next chapter.