Bad Omen
The screen was black as Aja panted, her voice echoing in a desperate tone. "Mama, Papa?" She asked before an object came into view. A blue detailed stone floated in a dark abyss, her father's disembodied voice narrating through the dark room.
"For an Akiridion, as long as your core remains intact, then you can survive almost anything." The view panned down from the core, revealing the father standing beside a tall hologram, family nearby. "It is our very soul, and you must nourish it. Like a spark, it can be extinguished, or it can be fanned until it burns bright. With the strength of his core, the Great Gaylen created Akiridion-5 and–"
"Okay, that sounds more awesome than we got. Anything will kill us. We can't revive, it is a lot harder to revive us if you aren't so lucky. Brain damage, bleeding out, let's not talk about how a simple cold could kill us if it wanted to!"
"It sounds hard to be a human, especially when you don't have much time."
"Ah, we are a superior species as well," Blinky stated, causing Aja and Krel to look at him.
His voice drew into a pause when the mother chuckled, eyes moving past him and toward the floor where their children had been curled up beside one another, passed out. "Sleeping? You're sleeping?" He asked before clapping his hands, instantly waking Aja, Luug, and Krel.
Blinky turned to Jim with a knowing look, crossing his arms as he remembered dealing with a familiar moment. Jim noticed his mentor's eyes and chuckled nervously. "I don't remember any of that."
"You also fell asleep during a boring lecture?" Krel asked.
"Yeah, the history of Trolls. I mean, I was also cramming for some big Spanish exam, and handling two lives was exhausting."
"He slammed a book closed in Jim's face," Toby said, chuckling.
"A much more rude awakening."
"Lively!" Aja breathed out, "I mean, listening."
"I had a nightmare that you were telling a boring story," Krel said with a chuckle. However, as the father glared with an irritated growl, Aja elbowed her brother. "Uh, carry on."
"You know, one day you might miss my boring stories."
Krel and Aja smiled sadly, they did. He was right. However, they couldn't fully blame themselves, you never knew how much time you had with someone before it could be taken away. Even though taking that time for granted was not a good thing, people couldn't help but do it in the first place.
"What your father is trying to say is that we won't be here forever," the mother stated, leaning down to her children's height." And thus, my remarkable children, you must be beacons for the future, lighting the way for Akiridion-5."
The kids gasped as their chests lightened up, eyes growing wide as everything faded, leaving the two humans on the concrete, saddened as they looked up at their ship. "Mama, Papa?" Aja asked again.
Alpha chuckled as he held the blade toward Krel and Aja, keeping them from moving. On the ship, Luug barked, running through the darkened hallways, a now controlled Lucy had been stalking around, eyes lit up a fiery red as she whipped her head in Luug's direction.
"I freaking hate those bots! Stop making me feel like I am going to crap myself! If I wanted to watch a horror movie, I would!"
"It is kind of funny. I find it more hilarious than scary."
"Something is wrong with you."
"Uh, we watched Jim's life with some creepy assassins and trolls threatening to eat everyone. We went through the Eternal Night! I mean, come on, once you see a horror movie, you roll your eyes."
"Not with ghosts, those guys are scary!"
Thankfully, the dog had ducked behind a corner, silencing himself as Mother spoke. "Perimeter alert, stable." Lucy turned and continued down her path, giving Luug the chance to make a break across the hallway and run toward a certain destination.
He pressed his paws against the wall, and a screen appeared and he took the chance to howl into it. As he called, down back on Earth, Varvatos stared down at the water, groaning as he looked at his reflection. That was until the ship had shown up in the reflection, catching his attention.
"Seklos and Gaylen, already?" He asked until the comms opened on his arm, Luug barking frantically. "Luug? Where are Aja and Krel?" Luug growled and barked as two pairs of feet stepped into view.
Lucy picked Luug from the ground, her red eyes staring down into the screen as Ricky joined her, stuck in the same state. "This transmission is unauthorized." Ricky's fist slammed into the screen, cutting off all contact.
"Luug!" Varvatos cried.
Aja and Krel sighed, not fully aware that Luug had alerted Varvatos. Despite the stripping him of his honor, he still worked to make things right, to save the ship and their family. While they still were unsure, they were leaning more toward forgiving him.
Perhaps they could find out what happened to him when he went down, after all, hearing the news that the ship and Varvatos were gone, they figured that he had just left them after his close call to death.
Krel knew they still had yet to see the future, and if his timing was correct, they were so close to seeing it. He knew his bitter feelings for Varvatos were coming, that they were going to be told he left, but maybe seeing how protective Varvatos was when he found out, it could change how Krel felt.
Maybe it wasn't what they thought it was. He could see why Varvatos left them fully, or how he left.
Back with Aja and Krel, Alpha spoke, staring up at the fleeing ship. "With the royal cores, nothing will stop Morando."
"I wouldn't bet on it," Aja hissed, throwing punches rapidly as Alpha dodged each one, shoving her to the ground with a chuckle.
"Omen has your ship, and I have your life." He aimed his weapon, the gun ready to fire as Aja glared. "You've become so very human, little girl." While Aja was stuck in her predicament, back in Akiridion, the resistance had set up a small display, honoring the royal family.
"Being human is not an insult, to me, I have spent time around them, to know that humans are comforting and caring creatures. They have big hearts if you are lucky enough to find those who possess them." Blinky started.
"We don't find it as one, everyone else does," Aja answered.
"They are unaware of what a human is like," Blinky responded.
"Please come home for us."
As the kid closed her eyes, folding her hands, a large foot stomped onto the worshipping pile, startling the crowd. "The Royals are dead, public worship of royals is forbidden by order of King Morando, code 12-8D. Kneeling before authority is obligatory." a robot guard said, pointing to the screen where Morando waited, however, the kid backed away nervously instead of following orders.
"Do not disobey, citizen." The robot spoke, pointing his weapon. The crowd gasped at the sight, but the kid fought for her own.
While Aja was proud of the Akridions standing up for themselves, showing their loyalty to the royal family, she wished they would comply, just until things were set right again. She wanted no one to be injured, especially a child.
Seeing how the child stood up for what she believed in, Aja knew her people were strong and courageous, which she loved, but the worry that built rapidly was something she wouldn't want to feel, especially when she was not able to help.
"He is not my King." She ran up to the large robot, smacking him with her fists, but it did nothing.
"Disobedience is an infraction, one-one K." An older adult quickly pulled the kid away, holding her close as they stared down the weapon.
"She does not mean it, she's just a child." At that, the robot placed his weapon away, a red cone of light shining over the pair as the man held the kid closer.
"Scanning for infringement. First warning, there will be no second warning. Disperse." The robot spoke with a bitter tone, tossing the small figurine of the royal family before stepping off, leaving the young girl to stare down the discarded figures.
"I can't believe they would try and kill a child," Claire stated. "But every enemy seems to not care for the lives they risk, only the power they get."
"Agreed, they are so selfish."
"Please be alive," she whispered before being pulled away by the man, leaving the four family members.
On the camera, Morando stared down the figures, clicking his fingers. "All it takes is a spark. Just one foolish Akiridion to trigger a rebellion. Squash it! As long as they think the royals are alive, they will have hope." He turned to Loth who jumped in a frightened manner. "From now on, prior record or no record, every infraction will be punished by law."
Footsteps caught his attention, and he turned to face the screen where Omen had placed its hand on the containment of the cores. "Yes, at last. The royal cores, the resistance will be dead, once and for all."
Back on Earth, Alpha still laughed as he sucked in his victory, staring down at the kids. That was until Stuart, who began to shout strange gibberish caught his attention, doing a funky dance.
"Screaming won't help you now."
"On the contrary, sir," Stuart responded. "You may not listen to me, but there's someone that does." Large galloping echoed through the trees as a much larger Buster appeared from the forest line. "Sic 'em, Buster!" At the command, the massive pet let out an ear-piercing roar.
Alpha tried to fire at the beast, but the blast did nothing. With one big toss of his head, Buster caught Alpha, throwing the hunter back and over the line of houses. Aja and Krel came to a stand once free and the young girl couldn't help herself.
"Not going to lie, I like how the neighborhoods aren't ransacked with Gumm-Gumms right now. You got lucky with that one and tried to explain who everyone was. Oof."
"Well, we're all used to it by now, seeing different alien species, come on, what are we supposed to do? Scream in terror?"
"You know, I understand that humans do not take well to creatures they don't understand, but you guys are handling these new things very well. Should we be concerned?" Aja asked.
"Yes."
"No."
She ran toward the beast and cheerfully held his snout. "Buster! Oh, good boy!" Krel moved to the animal's side, and with a soft jerk of Buster's nose, Krel was instantly free.
"Thanks."
"We have to find a way to get up there," Aja stated, looking at the ship that was luckily still in view.
"Who is this Omen?" Krel asked as he and Stuart helped Zadra to a stand.
"A Blank, reprogrammed by Morando to kill the resistance. It's designed to be the ultimate weapon. Even serrators can't penetrate it."
"Like the Zerons, but indestructible? Wonderful," Krel said dryly.
"I see no wonder in this," Zadra answered as they joined Aja, looking up at the ship. "Omen is unstoppable. I fear there is nothing we can do."
"There is always something we can do," Aja breathed out.
"Aja's right. Now, where's your ship?" Krel asked. Speaking of the ship, it flew overhead the group, shocking Zadra.
"That's my ship!" She cried. Within the ship, Varvatos was the one who was driving, a deep glare on his face as her voice spoke into the intercom. "Stryker 274, identify yourself. I repeat, identify."
A small hologram of Varvatos was seen as he spoke up, shocking the group that was stuck on the ground. "This is Varvatos Vex."
"Hello, Vexy. How have you been?" Stuart asked, completely unaware.
"You traitor!" Aja yelled out. "I spared your life, and your thanks is to hijack the first ship you see?"
Stuart nodded lightly, "See, now that makes more sense. I was wondering why you guys were fully angry, seeing as what he has done…."
"I do not forgive him, unlike the children who decided to feel bad and search for him." Zadra hissed, turning to Varvatos who simply hid in his chair, trying to ignore the harsh glare.
The kids didn't speak, nor look at Varvatos, trying to process their feelings. While Aja was angered by his actions, she felt the space in her core open for forgiveness. Krel, on the other hand, was much more tense, yet, that soft nagging in his head had told him to give the mentor a chance, to see how much the kids meant to Varvatos and if his sacrifice was just an act.
While Varvatos looked disturbed and hurt, he focused on the task at hand. "When Varvatos saw Mother launch without you, he had to do something. Varvatos must ground the mothership before it exits the atmosphere."
"Vex, your ship lacks any weapon. The blasters are damaged," Zadra stated.
"Varvatos knows," he said before focusing on what he had to do, swerving around the mothership before latching onto it. The simple action shook the entire mothership, throwing Omen around.
Down on the ground, the group watched as Krel finally understood. "His ship is the weapon. Your ship cannot withstand a collision like that. You won't survive." The ship continued to shake against the side as Varvatos remembered the tactic he was taught in chess.
"To protect the King, sometimes you have to make a sacrifice," Vex stated as Omen grew angry. The ship broke off from the mothership and began to twirl down, however, Varvatos was calm. "Lose a pawn to win the battle. The geezers taught me that, Varvatos knows what he did was wrong, and that he–" Krel grew saddened at the sight as he looked at Aja. "That I am the pawn. I shall make amends, for House Tarron, for you."
Krel and Aja were silent, watching the numerous emotions run through Varvatos on the scream, knowing what to think about it was much harder, however, an enemy who felt no guilt for their actions, would not share the same look Varvatos had.
The siblings wished for the answer to come faster, to fully understand, and to know what happened.
"Varvatos, don't do this," Aja whimpered as Krel couldn't hold back the tears.
"Aja, Krel, together, you are unstoppable. Varvatos Vex is proud of you both, tell your parents Varvatos was sorry, and that he had a glorious death." The comms shut off, leaving the kids to desperately reach for the hologram, looking up at the ships.
"No!" They said in unison. Up above, the sad look that Varvatos wore was no more as he readied himself.
"Glorious!" He cackled as he flew right into the vast window of the mothership, Omen not able to do anything. At the contact, a burst of blue electricity shot out, exploding in the air, right before the two ships fell.
Everyone turned to the kid who constantly cried out Jim's very embarrassed response with a knowing look.
"What? He's a traitor, maybe….I'm conflicted… do I dare?"
"One more time, just for good ol' memories."
"GLORY!"
"I can't even be mad at it," Jim mumbled, crossing his arms and trying to hide his smile.
The kids gasped as they watched, unaware that inside, Omen was struggling to regain his footing, trying to hold onto the platform as it spun wildly, the woods getting closer each second.
The group watched as the ship flew over their heads, right into the forest where massive amounts of dirt and other nature pieces flew everywhere. The ship landed on its side as the house glitched on the side, titled.
"He actually did it," Krel said, just above a whisper as the comms were shown again, Varvatos trying to stay awake.
"Vex?" Aja said, catching his attention. He reached his arm out, shaking as he called her name, right before he went unconscious. "Thank you," she rubbed the hologram before turning to Stuart. "Stuart, can you–"
"Yeah, say no more. I'll try and find Vex, you go save your parents." Stuart said as Buster placed the man on his back, roaring and taking off.
Varvatos sighed, hanging his head as he wondered. They were so mad at him, but refused to let him die, even sending out Stuart to search for him when he probably didn't deserve it. Yet, he was glad he had done what he had. He couldn't wait to see what chances he gave those children into winning their battle, even if it was finished without him.
So busy, trapped in his thoughts, he was unaware of those who began to forgive him, even if the traitours act hadn't affected him. He would begin to realize, that the humans he was surrounded by, would soon care greatly for the royals.
The Akiridions would be proud.
"Let's get Mama and Papa," Aja commanded, hopping on her hoverboard, Krel joining her as Zadra took off running.
Back in Akridion, Morando had been well aware of what had happened, staring at the fallen ship while Loth spoke about the recent failure. "According to the Omen's readings, it appears the mothership was downed in a midair collision. Would you like the Omen to initiate self-destruct protocols?"
"Not yet," Morando answered. Back on Earth, while the Eternal Night was still at hand, everyone running and screaming away from the snarling Gumm-Gumms, Steve appeared from behind a trash can, panting as he watched enemies roam the town.
"Advanced Battle Tactics 101…" He grunted, rolling behind cars, "Always have the element of surp–" as he spoke, his back collided with Eli who was also unaware of the other's presence.
"Steve, listen. I saw something weird!" Eli was pulled down as Gumm-Gumms charged through the street.
Mary turned to face Eli, raising an eyebrow as he threw his head back, "I should have figured. Yes, my wording was bad, but come on!"
"I'm sorry, something weird is such a bad term for all of that. We all saw something weird."
Toby snorted, looking toward Jim and Claire, "At least he doesn't think about the trolls being weird."
"Something weird? You think, Eli?! Da-doi! There are evil creepers everywhere and a crazy death beam shooting into the sky. Everything's weird."
"No! Not just that, I saw a spaceship, and Aja and Krel's house is gone! I knew it! They're aliens, Steve."
"Don't call them–?"
"Aliens?"
"That!" Steve cried out. "It's mean. This isn't the season finale of Earth Invaders, Pepperjack, we're at war, hold it together, man!"
"But, Steve," Eli said before tons of Gumm-Gumms swarmed, growling.
"Pics or it didn't happen."
Eli understood why Steve hadn't told him the truth, after witnessing Steve make a serious promise to his new girlfriend, something like that was rare to see, to begin with, he kind of figured if Aja meant anything to Steve, the blonde would protect that secret with his life.
It was conflicting, someone who fought beside him in battle with strange creatures in the night should know and Eli would keep that secret, possibly, after all, he had a big mouth. However, Steve also had the right to promise Aja out of respect and love.
Eli couldn't be mad that Steve was stuck in a hard choice and had to choose one over the other. Especially if the actions that followed could change by just telling one and not the other.
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
Steve exhaled as he turned away, mumbling. "The secret is safe. Wait, not fine!" He said, turning to find Eli already gone. "It's not fine! Not fine! Come back!" He chased after his buddy as the said secret was focused on balancing.
"I like how they are running freely through the apocalypse, worried about something completely different."
"You know, I once had a dream that I was trapped in an apocalypse," Steve started. "Instead, it was with zombies, and I had a butt-kicking wife." He grinned in satisfaction as everyone gave him weird looks.
The three managed to get onto the hoverboard, slowly making it toward the ship where the house continued to glitch and fade. It wasn't long before Aja stuck her head into the leaning house.
She climbed in, drawing her weapon as she looked around, trying to balance on the strange tilt. Krel followed in after, calling for the ship and receiving no response.
"Mother? Mother?" Zadra was close by, following the kids in, right as something fell. Their attention drifted toward the moving objects and Luug appeared from beneath the rubble, looking excited to see his family.
"Luug!" Aja said excitedly, receiving happy barks and frantic tail wags. However, he began to bark in warning, causing Aja to turn to the kitchen where Lucy was straightening out, back facing them. "Lucy?"
"Welcome home, kids." Her head turned 360, completely facing the wrong way as her eyes still bore red. "You're just–you're just in time, time, time for supper." She grabbed a stack of plates, throwing them at the group. "And just in time to die. Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!"
Toby's eyes grew wide and he looked at Jim and Claire who looked equally bothered by the sight. "I am so glad we dealt with flesh-eating trolls and not scary robots."
"Uh, they both are questionable."
"Isn't it crazy, we have two teams, the Trollhunters and the Creepslayers and they talk about this like it's nothing?! Why can I never get used to that fact?"
"Because it is weird!"
"Do not repeat that you believe robots are appalling compared to trolls, you might hurt one's feelings," Blinky responded.
Her tone continued to change from angry to sweet as she rapidly tossed the numerous dishes at the group, Zadra spinning her weapon as fast as she could to make a shield. Ricky joined the fight, armed with two golf clubs and he swung them.
"Don't worry, honey. I'll get the job done. And the job is to kill," the voice glitches ruined the toughness that Ricky held, but the group didn't falter.
"Stay back, I have this," Zadra commanded.
"No! Omen must have corrupted their programming! They're our friends, Zadra. Don't kill them." Krel stated, just as Lucy continued to chant, tossing more at them.
"Die! Die! Die!"
Despite the urgency of the situation, the crowd couldn't help but laugh at how contradicting the situation was. One was willing to kill when the other wasn't and the nicely timed response was priceless.
"Fine," Zadra said, blocking the blows. "I'll distract your friends, you find the cores." Aja and Krel moved to the gaping hole that was filled with electricity. Sucking up the courage, the two leaped in without a second thought, missing the glass that shattered.
In the woods, a phone appeared behind the leaves Eli smiled, jumping from his cover. "Steve needs pics? I'll get him pics, I'll get so many pics." A loud crash echoed, startling the boy as he held up his phone.
Bessy the cow had returned, running behind him as Eli watched with confusion. That was until Buster leaped from his cover, roaring. Eli squeezed his eyes shut, the camera shuttering, and the flashes were constant as he screamed.
"That cow is everywhere and I am genuinely concerned about how it is still alive."
"Do not attack Bessy!" Steve cried.
Once Buster left, Eli opened his eyes, looking at the blurry photo of Buster. "Aha! Got it!" Only to find his phone screen shattered. "Awe, man!"
Aja and Krel continued their trudge through the ship, changing into their Akiridion forms as they made it to the cores, only to find them missing.
"Mama, Papa? They're gone!"
"No! We can't lose them, not again. Omen moved them," Krel stated, right before Mother caught their attention, different.
"Intruder alert. Tarrons detected."
"It sounds like Omen got to Mother, too."
"More reason to find Mama and Papa's cores and get out of the ship," Aja said as they began to crawl to the entrance.
"Oh, you won't be getting out of here."
"Krel, you override Mother's system so we can escape, and I'll get Mama and Papa back from Omen."
"Just be careful, okay?" Aja didn't look back at her brother as she moved forward, finally making it to the room where Omen had hidden, the bot frantically typing away on the control panels, unaware that Aja was sneaking up on him until she spoke.
"I am Queen-in-waiting. Aja Tarron of AKiridion-5, and I order you to kneel." She held her weapon and readied herself as the bot scanned her, speaking up.
"Aja, hun… REALLY!?"
"What? It is a nicely fitting threat."
"No, one thing you will learn around humans, is that someone who does not care, will not listen, especially if they think they hold more power over you."
"Your title does not matter on Earth?" Aja asked.
"No, that's how scary it can be, and Morando understands that aspect. Once they fill their head on having more things over you than just a title, that means nothing anymore, only the strength you have."
"Oh, I know who you are," the voice that came from the robot, shook Aja.
"General Morando?"
The ship glitched, the vast window changing into a massive screen, showing Morando grinning as he spoke. "King Morando." The door behind her was sealed up, trapping her inside.
"King? The throne belongs to my Mama and Papa, never you."
"Not anymore. Now, where is your gallant protector, Varvatos Vex? Don't tell me he's left the royal heirs defenseless again."
Varvatos growled, knowing that their enemy was hinting at what Varvatos had done, using it against them. He wished he never listened to the enemy, the kids would never have to defend themselves, especially without him.
Aja growled and glared, preparing her weapon. "Who said anything about defenseless?" Morando disappeared from view as the robot charged, firing its weapon and causing her to don her shield.
Aja didn't hesitate to bring the offensive side, flipping and striking blows with every chance she got. That was until Omen's hand fired off, gripping her by the head and throwing her back to Omen when the arm reattached.
"Crush her!" Aja freed herself, right when the blade was close. The weapon stabbed Omen's hand as she ran a distance away, unfortunately, the hands regained themselves, and a large blast shot from Omen's chest.
She held her ground, blocking the blast while the force barely pushed her back. Once given the chance, she fired her weapon, hitting the bot dead in the center and causing him to stumble back.
"Tell me, where are Mama and Papa's cores?"
"Omen is keeping them safe, harm Omen and you harm Mama and Papa." The small stomach turned transparent, revealing the two cores inside.
"No!" Aja reached for the cores, however, she wasn't quick enough as the doors slid shut. Omen's hand reached out to grab her as Morando spoke.
"I see Varvatos has trained you, but like your teacher, you rush into battle, you do not think things through." She struggled in the tough grip but didn't show any signs of fear.
"I'm not afraid of your machine, and I won't let it take my parents."
"Oh, there's been a change of plans, princess."
"Self-destruct sequence initiated, five mekrons."
"Self-destruct?" Aja repeated. "Mother, no!"
"Now that I have the entirety of House Tarron, why fly you back when I can kill you right here in front of all Akiridion-5?" Morando asked as Aja's face appeared on a big screen, the entire planet watching with gasps and filled with worry.
The crowd looked in shock as they watched the screen, unaware of the battle and what had happened to the family. Obviously, it was clear that they survived the fight, but at what costs, what had they gone through while Arcadia was fighting for its own?
"Is that?" One asked.
"Princess Aja!" Another responded. "The royals are alive."
"Say goodbye to your pretty royals," Morando spoke to the crowd as Aja struggled. "And bow to your true king!" He hovered Aja over the side, donning a blade as she stared it down.
"Huh, weird, they are doing what we are, watching the action on a screen."
"Kleb!" She took all her might to flip in Omen's hand, completely dodging the blade and freeing herself as she dropped below the platform. She used her long weapon to catch the side, hanging as she called her brother. "Krel, we're all about to become flexel, here!"
With Krel he was working on not falling as he peered down in the hole where a glowing blue ball of energy waited. "I heard, still trying to disable Mother."
"Four mekrons until mass nuclearization."
"Are you making any progress?" Aja asked, avoiding the blade the was stabbed through the platform.
"No, I was just thinking of taking a nap," Krel replied sarcastically as he stared down the numerous controls.
"Oh, that's never going to work," Mother replied as she noticed him digging through the power box.
"Oh, maybe this one," Krel muttered, only to pull his hand back when it shocked. "Oh, no."
The crowd laughed at Krel's small comments and the ship's sass. They enjoyed Krel's humor. In the back, Varvatos smiled sadly, watching as his family worked to fix the mistake he made, also glad that everyone was beginning to warm up to Krel and what he had to offer.
He was glad things were turning around for them.
"Oh, that just tickles."
Krel pulled a small device out, "Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah–oh!" He yelped lightly when a small shock moved through it.
"You've deprogrammed the ice-maker."
"Don't mother me, Mother." He reached for another object, "just hang in there, Aja."
"Oh, I am." She replied as she dodged another jab of the weapon. She swung herself back on the platform, watching as Omen threw more blades her way, thankfully she dodged them.
She shouted right as she charged at the robot, the crowd on Akiridion watching with cheers as Aja pulled off moves she wasn't able to before.
"That's our princess!" A woman cheered. Aja kicked at the robot, landing a couple of blows as she blocked the shots that were fired. It was clear that Morando was not getting the reaction he wanted as he turned to Loth.
"Stop the transmission!"
"Yeah, she's kicking your butt, get embarrassed!" Steve cried out happily, clapping as his girlfriend blushed beside him.
"I love seeing enemies realize their plan isn't working, sends a good feeling through me."
"I'm trying, my liege." He spoke nervously, tapping at every control while Aja continued to hold her own. She tried to attack Omen as the robot split into pieces, only to rejoin when he had the chance.
She covered herself in a shield as she was thrown back, and once she hit the ground, she regained herself, dodging the blasts with her shield and riding on the chair as it moved her around the room.
"I need a plan," she mumbled, continuing to receive numerous blasts.
Out in the living room, Ricky was struggling to pry Luug off his face, his shouts muffled by the growling pet. Up above, Lucy was laughing madly as Zadra kept her weapon spinning, avoiding the rumors of things the robot mother threw at her.
That was until Lucy's laugh died down as she felt the empty box, "Oh. Spoon?" Zadra took her chance to land a blow, and the collision smacked Lucy in the head, which caused it to fly back violently. However, when Lucy lifted her head, the sight startled Zadra.
The eyes had been ripped from the bot, revealing the angered look from the blank. "It's 10 PM. Do you know where your children are?" Lucy asked in a much deeper voice, right as she laughed, pulling out numerous knives.
"Uh, holy crap!"
"I don't like this, not one bit."
"This is what a crazy person looks like. If anyone were to see this and have no context, they would be madly concerned."
"Look at me, heading home freshly scarred."
She leaped onto the walls like a possessed woman, her voice echoing as she spoke, making it so much more creepy while Zadra defended herself from the attacks. "Party pooper! Party pooper! Pooper! Pooper! Pooper!"
Zadra kept Lucy at a distance while Luug was still latched onto Ricky's face. However, the robot got free, targeting Zadra once he threw Luug off.
"Uh-oh. Now you've done it, missy!" As Zadra still kept a laughing Lucy back, she couldn't help but exclaim at the two robots.
"What in great Gaylen?"
"Feel you on that one," Toby responded dryly as Zadra tilted her head.
"Stop questioning it, every time we question it, the robots shock us even more. How on earth can they be so weird and chaotic?"
Back at the crash sight where Varvatos went down. The trees had been destroyed as the engine hissed. Varvatos crawled from the downed ship, mumbling the royals' names, just as a large figure jumped in front of him, growling.
"Varvatos Vex," Alpha stated and the guardian gasped at the sight, right before Alpha's hand swung down, everything growing black.
Varvatos stared at the screen, unaware that both Aja and Krel sat up instantly at the sight of Varvatos being knocked unconscious. He never left on his own, it was Alpha who had located him first and took the opportunity.
"Well, that answers that," Stuart answered as he glanced at Varvatos.
"He was taken, he didn't leave us. Here, this whole time, we thought he took off once he sacrificed himself."
"Well, you did remove him from the family, leaving him to suffer on Earth. If he did regain himself before Alpha and decided to leave to make it easier for his grieving, he had every option too. I understand getting mad at the fact because you might have given him a second chance and seemed worried, but he also could have done what you asked."
Aja glanced at Krel as everything they once thought, changed. Varvatos was trying to do the right thing, admitting to his wrongdoings in hopes of pleasing the children as they were the ones to send him off.
Everything they thought began to change.
Aja continued to fight, managing to land a hit, but not damaging the robot as they tangled, both spinning rapidly around the room.
"When will the prodigal princess stop running away?"
"Oh, this time, you're coming with me." She stated, right before firing and throwing both of them back. She crashed into the door as the robot fell into numerous pieces, only to rejoin once again.
She quickly moved out the door, only for the robot to grab her ankle and continue to fire. She thought, pulling her foot free once she blasted the door controls, shutting the door and sealing the robot's halves away from one another.
The crowd gasped as they watched their princess run, the young girl who had stood up for herself earlier, cheered for Aja.
"Run, Princess Aja!" Omen shot at the door, managing to free himself as Morando spoke desperately through Omen.
Aja smiled at the crowd that cheered for her. She was glad to have the support on her side and give them hope on the situation.
"Activate the reserve Blanks." The blanks beeped and activated on command, the bots slowly moving from their hold as Mother spoke.
"Blanks activated, three mekrons to self-destruct." Krel was still struggling to shut off Mother, mumbling to himself in annoyance as he threw back random pieces he had taken apart, Mother's sassy tone still very much evident. "And they called you a genius on Akiridion-5. This dump heap of humans must be rubbing off on you."
"Actually," Krel stated, perking up from his annoyed tone once he thought of the human tech. "I've found that human tech is not so bad." He quickly pulled out his phone as his other two hands brought up the hologram screen of Mother.
"Heck yeah, we were complimented, we aren't as much of an embarrassment as we thought!"
"No, we still are, shut up."
As Aja moved through the dark ship, a loud thud echoed in front of her as a figure landed in a hunched form, not visible in the dark. "Krel?" She asked, only for the light to flicker on and reveal an angered blank. "Wait, you're not Krel."
"How may I assist you?" The blank asked. That was until numerous blanks dropped from the ceiling, repeating the question.
"Uh-oh!"
"How may I assist you?" They asked before charging at Aja. As she worked to pry them off of her, ducking from blows, they continued to ask the annoying question. Aja gasped when they pulled her to the ground, piling on top of her right as she activated her shield.
The bots were thrown off of her and left discarded on the ground, only two left charged at her from each end. Thinking quickly, Aja blasted a small vent open, crawling through it in a hurry. The bots bent to the level, grabbing her legs and pulling her back.
"How may I assist you?" Aja yelped and grabbed her nearby serrator, blasting them back and taking the moment to crawl forward, away from the numerous bots she had bested.
"Not killing me would be nice!" She responded. As she crawled away, Omen appeared in the vent system instantly, watching as she fled, unaware. The much larger bot let its body break apart, fitting through the vent.
The crowd jumped in surprise, shocked to see Omen appear so fast into view, just like a horror movie.
"Alright, I'm over it, these jump scares suck. Let's just be done."
Aja heard the whirring as Omen cut the distance, screaming in terror as she reached for the vent as her enemy closed up on her. She managed to leap out right before Omen reached her, the bot flying over her head and sticking the landing.
Trying to take the offensive side, Aja let out a battle cry, swinging her blade at the bot. However, her attacks were futile as the bot split apart, spinning around her in a rapid motion. She couldn't land a hit on the enemy and unfortunately, once Omen put himself back together, he smacked her across the room.
She landed on the floor that was a distance down, Mother reminding them of the impending doom. "Two mekcrons to self-destruct."
"Princesses aren't fighters. Then again, you're not even a princess anymore."
"You're right, Morando," Aja said as she came to a stand. "I'm not a princess. I'm a warrior, and now I'm going to kick your—" Her threat was cut off by upbeat music playing. Their heads whipped toward the direction of the sound where Krel had been dropping down on the numerous tubes and wires that stuck out.
"I'm DJ Kleb! Taking control of our mothership!" Omen zoomed onto Krel where the phone had a display of Mother.
"You finally hack Mother, and you're playing music?" Aja asked in disbelief. "Priorities, Krel."
"Oh, right," Krel said as Omen charged at him. "On your knees," he stated before touching his phone, Omen instantly dropping and landing in a heap on the floor. Krel landed in a nice pose on the floor in front of Omen, smiling. "You want to see it blow up?"
The crowd busted into a fit of laughter, "Krel is too funny! I inspire to be like him in the midst of battle!"
"That was a perfect entrance."
"Okay, Aja, that was a priority, please, Krel is our comedic relief. Proud of our boy!"
"No, no! Mama and Papa's cores are inside." While Aja and Krel dealt with their issue, Zadra was still holding the two blanks back, Ricky managing to shove her against the wall.
"Blank, Ricky Blank! Ricky, Ricky, Ricky Blank!" As Lucy and Ricky moved closer to the downed Zadra, Luug jumped into view, butt aimed at them and blowing out a blast of blue, however, it only stalled the two for a second. "Ricky Blank, Ricky Blank, Ricky Blank."
As they walked with evil intentions, suddenly, their bodies jerked and tensed before they had shut down, their threats no longer.
"He did it, DJ Kleb is in the house," Zadra mentioned, turning to Luug who barked in response.
"Literally," Krel said with a grin.
Aja moved to Omen's stomach, reaching in for her parents as Morando stood in shock, trying to piece together what had happened. "This isn't possible, what have they done?"
"Won, that's what! Suck it, you big loser!"
"WHOA!"
"Mama, Papa. I have you, you're safe." Aja mumbled as she held the cores close.
"Self-destruct sequence suspended. Re-routing audio-video feed." As Krel moved beside her, placing his hand on her shoulder, he pulled out his phone.
"Krel, what are you doing?"
"Bringing back hope." He stated, staring at the loading screen of his phone. Once it fully loaded, they were seen in the camera, smiling as they held their parents. On their home planet, all the screens began to load the image of the two siblings, Krel's voice echoing all over the city.
"Hello, Akiridion-5." Krel started, and every image finally loaded, crowds gathering around the vast screens. "Akiridions, if you can hear me, you are always in our cores. I learned something here on Earth, in a place called history class. A great man once said we shall not flag or fall, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets. We shall never, never surrender! Do not give up hope, by Seklos and Gaylen, we promise we will fight for you on every planet, and we will return to you."
"Serious question, do you guys know what a beach is?"
"What?"
"How is that a serious question? Dude just made everyone happy, it is a good moment and you ask if they know what a beach is?"
"Yep."
While the crowd was tearing up and smiling at the sight of them, Morando was glaring, teeth clenched as he growled at the sight. However, Loth was feeling overjoyed, listening to his prince.
"He's so eloquent."
"Enough games! This ends now!" Morando hissed. At that, the battery on Krel's phone powered down, ending the feed.
"What's the problem?" Aja asked.
"My battery is dying."
"Are you kidding me!" Aja cried out as the crowd on Akiridion cheered, gasping as the feed died. However, their hope was high as they burst into a happy chant.
"Long live House Tarron!"
Speaking of House Tarron, Krel looked at his cell phone with a sigh. "And it's dead." Omen powered up instantly behind him, Morando speaking once again to the kids.
"Your battery may be dead, but mine isn't." Omen smacked Krel, causing the boy to go flying and hit the door behind him. Reacting instantly, Aja called for her brother, pulling out her blade and ready to strike. Omen didn't hesitate, shooting his arm at her and pinning her to the door that Krel had hit.
"Aja," her brother yelled, trying to pry the robot's arm off of his sister. Sadly, Mother spoke up again, stating the news that was dreaded to hear.
"Thirty sectons until self-destruct." The kids looked in shock as Omen raised its arm, firing the red blade at the two, but thankfully, Aja blocked it.
"Okay, I understand how this is very tense, but every time, somehow, just left with barely a second, you guys manage to defeat the big bad guy. Proud of you, don't get me wrong, but it's like every cliche movie… I'm not worried."
"For sure worried, just don't want to admit it, because, what the heck was that."
"I HAVE FAITH!"
"If we destroy Omen, we can stop the self-destruct sequence," Aja said, swiping her blade at every blow that was delivered, blocking the blades from doing any harm to them.
"And how do we destroy Omen?"
"I've been trying to figure that out! A little help here!"
"Oh, right!" Krel replied, grabbing his serrator and blasting it at Omen. The bot attacked back, and two streams of lasers cut their way to the siblings, but they blocked it with their shield, causing it to bounce off and hit a part of the ship.
The pieces flew from the explosion, falling into the large gaping hole, that swallowed and destroyed whatever fell into it. Aja gasped as she watched, staring up at the piece above that slowly began to fall from its hold.
She protected herself with the shield as she began to gain the idea of defeating Omen. "I got a plan," she said to her brother. "It's dangerous!"
"How dangerous?"
"Just follow my lead," Aja mentioned.
"Ten sectons to self-destruct." Aja and Krel move forward, keeping their shields up as Omen fired, the blast being deterred by another support of the ship, turning it into crumbles.
"If we don't get crushed, we'll be pulverized," Krel stated, staring at the damage.
"And we could die if we don't," Aja answered as they stood their ground with their shields raised.
"Same thing, I cannot comprehend any of that right now."
"Crushed, pulverized, death if not…. WHAT?"
"There'll be no escape now," Omen hissed as he fired the laser once again.
"Now, Krel!" Aja yelled, the two raising their shields at the right time to cause the blast to bounce back at Omen. Fortunately, Omen had dodged the blast, letting it hit the support that held the massive circle.
The piece dropped from its hold, crashing where Omen once stood and taking down part of the floor. Omen leaped up into the air, missing it entirely as Aja handed the cores of their parents to Krel.
"Take them!" She yelled before charging into the mess.
"Aja!" She ran toward Omen who was making his way to safety near them. She pulled the classic move that Varvatos had taught her, kicking the bot just as the entire platform gave out, Omen falling with it.
Aja dangled on the side of the remaining platform where Krel had been safely tucked with his parents as Mother began to count down. "Two,"
"No, no, no, no, no!" Krel yelled, jumping and diving after his sister who began to slip and fall from the platform. He managed to grip her arms as everything began to explode once it made contact with the pulverizing machine.
Varvatos was surprised at how silent he stayed, both proud and worried for their safety, and he wanted to cry out for them, but he dared not to. He wasn't sure how they felt and the issues that he would cause if he spoke, he couldn't press his luck.
"One," Mother said as Krel finally managed to pull his sister up, flinching as pieces flew everywhere. The tucked themselves on the platform, just as the harsh blast filled the room.
"Not like every cliche movie, everything just exploded…."
"How bad do you feel, huh?"
Zadra had been trying to dig her blade into the door of the mothership, gasping when her body was nearly thrown back by the blinding blast that poured through. The ship rumbled right before the fierce light died down, leaving nothing but smoke.
"My lieges!" Zadra cried right before she made it through the door, gasping at the darkened ship, smoke cascading around it as Mother spoke.
"Self-destruct sequence, suspended." Mother mentioned just as Zadra inspected the damage. She stared at the broken platforms, peering down at the bottom just as the smoke cleared. The two siblings had been sprawled out, lying on the lower platform, seeming unconscious.
Steve's hand gripped Aja's hand in a worried manner. She was strong, she won, and they managed to pull something off that seemed so impossible, but the worry he felt when he saw what state she was left in, was something he hated to see.
Aja smiled, a blush crossing her face as she squeezed his hand back, turning to face him. "I am okay, thank you, Steve."
"I'm glad, you did wonderful," Steve mumbled and caressed her knuckles, causing a giggle to escape her.
"Oh no," Zadra breathed out and leaped down toward them. "Krel, Aja, my lieges!" Zadra yelled, shaking them in desperation. Aja's face scrunched up before her eyes opened. She gasped and quickly came to a sitting position.
"Krel," she started just as her brother began to move. He panted as he pushed himself up, barely getting the chance to fully sit up as his sister pulled him into a hug, chuckling. "You're okay! I love you, little brother," She quickly pulled away when her eyes ripped open. "Mama, papa."
She stared down at Krel's hands that cradled the cores. "We did it, Krel!"
"Your parents would be proud of you both," Zadra mentioned.
"Thanks for the assist, little brother," Aja said as they pressed their foreheads together. Behind them, the door opened, Zadra quickly put up her defense to see what was coming.
It had only been Luug as he barked excitedly, running toward the two as Zadra let her weapon disappear. "Luug!" Aja cried. "Come here, boy!"
"Luug!" Krel said excitedly, the two laughing as their pet fiercely licked them. While they had their happy moment and feeling of victory, Stuart was still in search of Varvatos, combing the woods as he called out for the mentor.
"Vex! Vex! Vex?" Stuart was perched on Buster's back as they eyed each direction. "I see smoke," Stuart commented and Buster didn't hesitate to move toward the crash site. Once they made it where the trees had been severed, dirt kicked up and craters created, Stuart leaped off of Buster and began to investigate, following the trail.
"Where did you go?" Stuart asked as he found the massive hole where the ship once lay. Speaking of the ship, Alpha was currently piloting it while Vex sat unconscious, hands placed in cuffs as they disappeared from view.
Aja and Krel sighed as the crowd remained quiet, watching the defeat and kidnapping of Varvatos. He risked everything and still lost in the end and seeing him so still and losing to Alpha, made something in them feel sick.
That was a sight they were not used to and wished not to be.
Aja and Krel moved quickly, placing their parents back into the contaminants, which had instantly activated, starting where they had left off. Their parents' bodies reformed as Mother spoke.
"Core regeneration reinitiated. I apologize for my behavior, my royals. My code is not myself. There is no I in AI."
"I know, Mother," Krel answered. "Don't worry, you'll feel better when I reboot you." The two siblings ran from the room before the view outside was seen, the dark cloud of the Eternal Night had turned into a bright green, clearing up the darkened sky as Aja watched, perched on the roof.
"That lunar anomaly appears to have subsided," Krel stated, joining his sister. Luug barked as he dropped in front of the siblings, laying down and finally relaxing.
Merlin smiled at the win of the Eternal Night, remembering that day and turning to look at Jim who seemed intrigued at the screen. He found his champion and that day will always make him proud.
But, yet, Merlin knew of the future, staring at the boy, fully aware of what was to happen. Jim would be next and he needed to make sure that the boy remained as his happy champion, even if there were a few losses.
"The blue sky always reminds me of Akiridion-5," Aja said as they stared at the dark clouds, the center having a clear beautiful blue.
Krel sighed. "Me too." He wiped a tear that was instantly noticed by his sister when he turned away.
"Krel?"
"Aja, I– I don't know if I can fix the ship. Mother may never fly again. We may be stuck here, forever."
Aja chuckled, smiling. "It'll be okay, little brother. We've done the impossible before. We'll do it again, together."
"But what if–" Whatever Krel was thinking must have been heartbreaking as it brought more tears to his eyes. "We never get home?" He finally voiced, shocking his sister.
"Have you ever heard the human saying, home is where the heart is?"
"I think I saw that on a doormat somewhere. The humans wipe their shoes on this saying."
"Okay, to be fair, he's right, now that we think about how bad that is."
Aja couldn't help but laugh. "It means our hearts, our cores, are here." She began to pet Luug right before their resting parents were shown. "And so are Mama and Papa's. For now, Earth is our home. At least until we can return to Akiridion-5…. One Delson."
They glanced at the beautiful sunset as Krel responded. "Then, I can't imagine a better home."
"Earth is not such a bad place after all."
In the woods, Eli had been pointing a Polaroid camera at the unsuspecting two, taking a couple of photos.
"Whoa, pics! And it did happen," he stated before gasping and covering his mouth, leaving the scene.
Back on Akiridion, ships cut through the air as a mothership spoke, "Sector 0129 secure."
In the large castle, Loth spoke to Morando, "My liege, shall I raise the bounty?"
"No, next time, I will crush the cores of the royal children, myself. Gather my troops and all of our vessels. I am going to Earth." His wicked grin ended the episode.
"WELL GAWD DAMN! CAN WE JUST HAVE A GOOD MOMENT?"
"Eli got a photo of us…. Boy is going to find death one day."