Author's Note:
I'M NOT DEAD! Hahaha, seriously though, I'm so incredibly sorry for the ridiculously long wait. My life has been very busy over the past several months with a new relationship (now eight months in, and so incredibly happy! I was blessed with a truly amazing man :D), my business being incredibly busy, and moving my grandparents 1,500 miles back to my home state so that they can be close to family in their old age; as well as getting more involved in my church. I haven't had any time for creative writing lately, so my stories have suffered for it…and consequently, so have you, my beloved readers. I can only offer my sincerest apologies, and hope that this update goes some way to making it up to you. I hope you all enjoy chapter 7, and I'll see what I can do to get you chapter 8 before the spring of 2024, lol.
I do not own Sym-Bionic Titan. All credit goes to Genndy Tartakovsky.
It was chaos. Hours had passed. Both enemy and ally lay lifeless on the ground, scattered throughout the landscape; their blood making rivers along the dips and ridges of the terrain. Houses lay in rubble. Where there were once beautiful gardens and elegant statues, there now resided craters created by exploding shells.
Lance couldn't remember the last time he'd seen destruction on this scale, except for when Modula had made his initial attack on Galaluna several years ago.
So far, the battle had been harder and more savage than even he had expected.
Titan had led the initial charge, taking out every Mutraddi mega-beast that was summoned to attack the Galalunian and Duranian forces before they could even reach the army.
As the battle progressed, Titan had also done a fair amount of damage to Modula's ground forces; taking out tanks, aircraft, and numerous Mutraddi foot soldiers.
After a few hours, however, there size had begun to become more of a hindrance than a help. With their own men now interspersed all along the ground plane, the risk of crushing their own became too great. At that point, the trio had decided to deactivate Titan, and take up their secondary positions.
Ilana and Lance had shared one final kiss and a brief hug before he disappeared into the cloud of dust and enemy fire, while Octus saw to it that Ilana was brought back to the mountain base safely.
Once she was back at the base in the medical bay to help assist with treating the wounded as they came in, Octus had taken up his primary role as the military operations coordinator. Linking up to all of the cameras and drones he had set up and dispersed over the past several months, he was able to get a clear view of every single angle on the battlefield, and position the men accordingly.
After a couple of hours of fighting alongside his men after saying goodbye to his lover and cybernetic friend, Lance finally made it behind enemy lines, and was able to make his way into the heart of the once-pristine royal palace; having successfully gotten by the Mutraddi guards undetected. His nerves were starting to kick in, and every sense was heightened. He twitched at the slightest noise.
During his search for Modula, he managed to find his way to the underground prison beneath the palace, and was able to free the soldiers that the Mutraddi had taken captive when they rescued the king; reuniting with his former friend Arthur, who was one of three of the five soldiers still alive in the cold, dark, and filthy cell that held them. The red-head was no longer round and pudgy like Lance remembered, but almost skin and bone; having clearly been deprived of significant food and water during his imprisonment. His eyes were hollow, and they bore the shadows of suffering most men should never have to live through…however, Lance could also see hope and joy behind the veil of torture, and that gave him hope that Arthur would eventually recover from everything he'd had to endure.
Lance had enjoyed getting to see his old friend and comrade again, and Arthur was overjoyed to see the young corporal once more; thanking him for rescuing them, and apologizing for abandoning Lance all those years ago after Baron's targeted bullying.
While it was true that Lance had been hurt by his only friend walking away from him during their academy years, he quickly forgave the red-head for what had transpired between them in the past. Both men shared a heartwarming embrace, and Lance proceeded to lead the three survivors safely out of the palace before bidding them farewell; giving his friend one more smile and nod before making his way back into the palace to track down his target.
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After an hour of careful navigation, he finally reached Modula's chamber; having found the palace eerily quiet and suspiciously empty the entire way there. 'Something's wrong here. This place should be heavily guarded…unless Modula's just that confident' Lance thought as he braced himself, and took a deep breath. The person waiting behind this door could very well be his last fight. He knew the odds of him making it out of this mission alive were slim, but he was prepared to sacrifice everything in order to finish the mission…and to keep everyone safe, especially Ilana.
Exhaling out the remainder of his nerves, Lance silently opened the door, and took up a defensive position; his sword in hand and ready for battle as he looked all around the room cautiously, only to find Modula wasn't there. He paused, and sheathed his sword as he walked to the far side of the room, perplexed. 'What the –?'
Before he could finish his thought, he heard a low chuckle come from behind him.
He knew that voice all too well. It was the same voice that haunted his dreams, and filled his nightmares.
Lance quickly whirled around as he unsheathed his sword once more, ready for the fight he knew could cost him his life.
On the other side of the room, Modula stood calmly in the doorway. Lance knew the former general was studying him; looking for any weak points in his form, or any sign of fear that he could exploit. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the medal of excellence winner. It's been quite a long time, boy. You've grown." the white-haired man said; a sadistic smirk on his face that would make even the strongest man shiver in terror.
Lance narrowed his eyes, and tightened his grip on the hilt of his weapon. "It has been a long time, but you haven't changed at all, you traitor." he replied; voice even and biting, and dark eyes flashing with defiance.
Modula's smirk grew, "Well, that's good to know. I'd hate to hear I'm getting old."
Lance barely had time to react as Modula moved in, suddenly appearing in front of him; moving like lightning with sword drawn, and swinging at Lance with killing intent. Lance managed to dodge, and block with his own sword before he could take a direct hit to the ribcage.
"Hmm...it would seem your reflexes have improved with age, Lance. They haven't improved enough, though." Modula said, quickly retracting his sword, and taking a side-swipe at the young corporal's head.
Lance jumped out of the way just in time to avoid a direct strike, but he felt a slight sting on his cheek as soon as he landed; feeling a small trickle of blood slowly slide down his face. 'He's even faster than I remember. This isn't good' he thought frustratedly as he held his weapon aloft, ready and waiting for his opponent to make another move.
In front of him, Modula chuckled amusedly. "You're still just a cub learning how to be a lion, boy. You have a lot of natural talent, but you're still too young and inexperienced to properly harness it. Don't waste your life like this; you have potential, and I could use it. You could even be my successor if you proved yourself worthy. What do you say, Lance? If you join me, I'll take you under my wing; teach you everything you need to know to rule this kingdom after I'm gone. I'll even spare her life." he said, his smirk growing as he saw his young opponent's body tense.
Taking a deep breath, Lance tried to calm the rage that was building inside him. "What are you talking about, you snake?" he replied in a defensive tone; the anger barely suppressed in his voice, but evident from his slightly shaking hands.
Modula chuckled once more; letting his long fur-lined cape drape over him, and cover his body completely. "I'm well aware that you were the one sent with the princess to protect her; the king would have been a fool to commission anyone else with the task. You two must have grown very close during your time away from Galaluna…perhaps a little too close?" he said in a teasing tone, taking note of the fury reflecting in Lance's eyes before he continued, "If you join me as my second-in-command, I'll give her to you as your bride; a future that won't be possible if you succeed in deposing me, and putting her father back on the throne. Face it, Lance: you'll never be allowed to advance beyond anything other than another cog in the machine under the king's rule. With this offer, you could have the woman of your dreams, and be next in line to rule Galaluna. If you agree, I will guarantee princess Ilana's safety…but if you don't, I will make sure neither she nor her father live to see the sunrise tomorrow."
With that, something inside Lance snapped. All at once, everything else – his fear, anxiety, nervousness, doubt, and even care for his own life – completely disappeared, and his mind zeroed in on one thing: eliminate Modula, the man who just threatened his princess.
All at once, it was as if his body was moving separate from his mind as he charged at Modula with a newfound speed, agility, and strength he didn't know he possessed; striking the visibly surprised general's sword with his own, and pushing him across the hallway until he lost his balance, and fell over. Lance's eyes were hard and unreadable as he walked towards the stunned traitor who was now laying on the floor, and trying to process what had just happened; the tip of the young corporal's sword dragging lightly on the ground as he took step after step forward. "You just made a big mistake, Modula. What you say may be true, but I would rather die today as a Galalunian soldier than live the rest of my life as a traitor. There's no way I would ever join you…and no one threatens Ilana without paying the price. The only way you're getting to her is through my cold, dead body." he said; his voice now eerily calm and even as he raised his sword towards his opponent. "Get up and fight. Even if it kills me, I promise you this: your life ends tonight."
Getting quickly back on his feet, Modula let out a genuinely excited laugh as he looked Lance up and down; analyzing the extreme and sudden change in the youth. "My, my, it seems I struck a nerve. Perhaps there's more lion than cub in you after all. I'm looking forward to seeing what you're made of, boy." the general said as he raised his sword up to match Lance's.
Both men watched each other in silence for a moment before moving in unison, and charging at each other; the sound of metal clashing against metal reverberating throughout the empty palace.
They both knew that only one of them would be walking away alive, and neither of them knew who would emerge victorious.
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Ilana was getting worried. It had been hours since she'd said goodbye to Lance, and no one had heard anything from him since. 'He's okay…he has to be okay' she thought to herself as she and Octus led the combined army in their charge forward. The Galalunians and Duranians had gained a lot of ground, and managed to push the Mutraddi back to their defensive positions surrounding the palace; a feat that many would have thought impossible were it not for the assistance of Titan early on in the battle.
Once the rate of injured soldiers being brought back to the mountain base had subsided slightly, Ilana had rejoined the battle much to the chagrin of her father and Hobbs, who tried to convince her to remain where it was safe. The stubborn princess had listened to their arguments with an irritated frown before swiftly proceeding to ignore them as she activated her Corus armor, and charged into battle; hearing loud voices expressing their disapproval as she left her father and old guardian behind to begin pressing forward toward their ultimate goal: the palace…the place that housed Modula.
Octus had joined her shortly afterwards, and together they helped the other Manus armor-clad soldiers push the Mutraddi further and further back; eventually gaining the upper hand, and managing to reduce the still-large number of Mutraddi soldiers by a third.
The battle had been long and extremely bloody thus far, but they could finally see their end goal, and that alone re-lit the hunger for victory in the tired and wounded men. Everyone else desired to reach the palace in order to capture or kill Modula, and finally end the war; but Ilana had another motive for reaching the target: finding Lance, and helping him however she could. Not knowing whether or not he was still alive, or if he was wounded and still engaged in battle with Modula was agonizing for her. She needed to find out if he was okay.
'Hang on, Lance; I'm coming' she thought as she and Octus took out seven more Mutraddi soldiers before shielding some of their own from laser fire.
The after-effects from guns, bombs, grenades, and missiles littered the scarred landscape; smoke and dust intermingling in the air as the cries of the injured could be heard for miles over the clashing of metal on metal from opposing forces engaged in combat.
In and amongst all the activity, no one thought that anything could possibly disrupt the chaos of the battlefield…until a massive explosion went off inside the palace, causing both armies to duck and run for cover as large chunks of debris flew in every direction, the ceiling of the building collapsed, and two figures were thrown through the air; leaving plumes of smoke in their wake. They both slammed into the ground several hundred feet away from the advancing combined armies, and those closest to the scene stopped for a moment to process what had just happened.
Several heads, both enemy and ally, snapped to attention as they watched from a distance while a Manus armor-clad Lance crawled out of the newly formed crater beneath him, with Modula crawling out of the other crater opposite the young corporal.
Ilana felt her breath catch as Lance's armor deactivated, and in its place stood the raven-haired young man; sword drawn, determination in his eyes, his hair disheveled, his uniform in tatters, his skin marred with cuts…and his side and arm soaked in blood. He looked pale and exhausted, but as he charged once more at the equally-as-injured traitor, there was a sharpness and ferocity in his movements that Ilana had never seen before.
The two exchanged several more blows at near-blinding speed while the battle between their armies raged on in the background. Every strike was filled with killing intent, and both their eyes flashed with hatred and determination with every clash of metal against metal.
After several minutes of the two enemies being on equal ground, Modula managed to throw Lance off-balance, and disarm him; getting in close, grabbing the young corporal by the throat, and stabbing him in the side with a knife he had concealed beneath his cape; all within a few short seconds.
The raven-haired man gritted his teeth in pain as Modula smirked down at him; the general tightening his grip on Lance's neck with his free hand as he twisted the knife deeper into the corporal's side. "Good try, boy, but I told you that you were still just a cub. You should have accepted my offer when you had the chance. Then, at least, you could have lived."
Lance gasped for air as he battled through the intense burning sensation in his stomach, and shot the general a strained smirk of his own. "If I die today, you die with me. You just broke the first rule of basic combat." he replied in a raspy voice; pulling a concealed dagger from inside his shirt, and swiftly plunging it into the traitor's chest before Modula could react.
The former general let out a loud cry as he released Lance, reeled back, and dropped to the ground; feeling the long weapon slide out of his chest, and blood quickly soak his clothes. His eyes started to gloss over as his vision grew blurry, and his strength left his body entirely; feeling the pool of his own blood grow larger and larger beneath him.
Standing unsteadily above him, Lance looked down at the former general with the smirk still on his face; holding his newest bleeding wound with his free hand as his other hand held the crimson-stained dagger. "Never let your guard down, remember? That was the first thing you taught us in the academy." The raven-haired young man said as he watched the former general snarl at him and try to rise back onto his feet, only to collapse a moment later.
It took only a few minutes, but to Lance it felt like an eternity as Modula's breathing gradually became increasingly labored. Finally, it ceased all together, and his body stilled completely; his hand that had been clutching his wound dropping to the ground with a thud.
Behind him, Lance could hear the cheers from his comrades, and all at once the tension that had wracked his body for the last several hours subsided. 'I did it…it's over' he thought as his mind switched out of survival mode, and it finally sunk in that the war was finished. They had won, and he had killed Modula.
A wave of relief rushed over him, and as soon as he relaxed the extent of his injuries hit him like a sledgehammer. He felt all his strength leave his body, and his head grew light as he staggered one step backward and passed out; barely hearing Ilana shout his name in panicked distress, and only just registering Octus's big robot arms catch him before everything went black.
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"LANCE!" Ilana cried in horror as she saw her guardian and lover take an unsteady step backward, and begin to fall to the ground. Instinctively, she started running towards him only to feel a swift breeze pass by her; thanking Edward over and over again in her mind for reactivating Octus back on earth as the robot knelt down, and caught Lance in his arms.
Ilana reached them a moment later, and her heart sank at the look on her father figure's face. Octus was staring at her with so much sorrow that it terrified her. In his arms, Lance was unconscious, beaten, battered, covered in crimson red stains, and still bleeding profusely. His once flawless skin was littered with lacerations, and his left arm was clearly either severely sprained or broken. It was a sight she prayed she'd never have to see, and yet here they were.
Taking a deep breath, Ilana tried to steady herself. "How bad is it, Octus? Is…is he dying?" she asked; her voice shaky, and cracking with emotion as tears welled up in her eyes.
Grief-stricken, Octus nodded his head as he swiftly rose to his feet; cradling the young corporal gently in his arms. "Yes, I'm afraid he is. His blood loss is critical, and the knife Modula stabbed him with reached some vital organs. I also think it may have been laced with poison. I need to get him back to the mountain base, and operate on him now. He doesn't have much time, but I'm going to do everything I can to try and save him."
Feeling the tears flow freely down her cheeks and her whole body suddenly grow weak, Ilana nodded her head as Octus quickly disappeared with the love of her life; collapsing to the ground a moment later, and shaking with sobs as the reality that she might lose Lance hit her full force. Her father ran over to her from the congregation of concerned soldiers in the background, and pulled her into a protective hug to try and calm her down. While she appreciated the attempt, it didn't really help much.
She didn't remain in his embrace for long; rising up on trembling legs only a minute later, activating her Corus armor, and heading off at full speed back to the base; determined to be there at Lance's side, no matter what happened.
The king watched her go with a grief-filled expression, his heart sinking further into his stomach with every passing second. "Please Lance, don't leave us. You've always been a fighter, so fight right now with everything you have." he pleaded quietly to himself as he briefly looked toward the mountain base before turning his attention back to his and Simon's armies, and focusing on what he needed to do next: capture the now-surrendering Mutraddi army. With the fall of their leader, they had no more reason to fight; so why waste anymore lives when their fate was already determined.
Taking a deep breath to organize his thoughts and calm his nerves, the king went to work dividing up the remaining enemy army, securing what remained of the palace, freeing any other prisoners of war that Modula had kept in the cells in the underground jail attached to the palace, and taking Modula's body into custody. After everything Lance had just sacrificed for this victory, he owed it to the young corporal to finish what Lance himself could not: erasing the last physical traces of the former general from the face of the planet.
Looking around at all of the carnage and mass destruction, the king's heart was filled with gratitude and sympathy; both for all of their fallen comrades in arms, and for the kingdom as a whole. It would take years to rebuild and restore Galaluna to its former glory, but the king knew deep in his heart that the kingdom's best days were still yet to come. 'Out of tragedy comes greatness' he thought as he focused his mind, and began preparing a mental checklist of things to accomplish in the coming days, weeks, and months. There was a long, hard road to recovery ahead of them, but they would traverse it with as much commitment and perseverance as they'd showed throughout the past several years of conflict.
Watching as his men created a funeral pyre from wood and straw refuse scattered around the palace on top of a simple stone base, the king laid Modula's body on top of it, grabbed a torch from what remained of a nearby wall, and lit the pyre on fire; everyone watching as the flames engulfed the structure, and Modula's body with it. 'Even though we were enemies at the end, I still wish you a peaceful rest, old friend. May you find more happiness in the next life than you did here' he thought as he watched the fire grow in intensity; the flames radiating heat for quite a while before finally starting to diminish back down, leaving only soot and ashes in their wake.
The king mourned the loss of his former friend, and gave thanks for the long-awaited and hard-won victory before seeking out Simon, and tasking him with post-battle action items; leaving the young king in charge of the battlefield, and heading back to the mountain base as fast as he could to find out if the young boy whom he now considered something of a son was even still alive.
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When the king arrived back at the base, the first thing he saw was the newly-fashioned medical tent that had been set up for the battle; completely outfitted with custom-made technology courtesy of Octus. Heading straight for the tent opening, he took a deep breath before quietly pulling back the curtains with shaking hands; revealing his beloved daughter in tears, sitting on the edge of a low cot in the center of the space, and holding the hand of a sleeping, heavily-bandaged, and clearly heavily-medicated Lance. The young corporal's skin was ghostly white, and there were dark circles under his eyes. His face looked eerily hollow, and it seemed that Octus had hooked him up to some sort of oxygen machine, as he had a breathing mask on as well as heart and vital monitors, and an IV with a blood bag. Over half of his body was wrapped in cotton strips, and he looked frailer and more fragile than the king had ever seen.
'This can't be Lance…he looks like a human shell' he thought in both shock and disbelief; barely even recognizing the once-headstrong, stubborn, and argumentative youth he knew so well. He could hardly believe that, laying on that medical cot, was the same man who went toe-to-toe with Modula just a few hours ago and won. The person he'd seen out on the battlefield was strong, determined, nearly invincible despite his visible injuries…this person who was laying here before him now in a medically-induced coma was broken, battered, and fighting for his life.
'Well, he's still alive; that's something, at least. Where there's life, there's hope' he told himself over and over again in his head; taking only minor comfort from the thought as he watched his daughter gently reach up, and tenderly caress the young corporal's cheek with her fingers. She let her fingertips brush ever so slightly over the bandages that adorned his face before running her hand gently through his silky raven locks; watching his labored breathing through liquid-filled eyes.
While the king wanted to go sit with Ilana, and comfort her while they watched over Lance, something told him that he shouldn't make his presence known just yet. He had a gut sense that his daughter wished to be alone right now, so he quietly removed himself from the tent; instead making his way over to Octus's cabin, where he hoped the robot would be. Knocking on the door, he was greeted by the somber face of 'Newton' who was holding fresh bandages and antiseptic in his hands.
The king gave him a small nod, and Octus let him into his cabin; closing the door behind them, and gesturing for the king to take a seat. Obliging, the king watched the robot take the seat opposite him as he asked the question that was most pressing in his mind. "Will he live, Octus? Please, tell me the absolute truth…even if it's the worst I could imagine." the older man said, his eyes begging for answers.
Octus sighed, and looked at his sovereign with a serious expression. "The absolute truth, your majesty, is that I don't know. He's sustained heavy injuries, and his body has suffered a lot of trauma…trauma I'm not sure it will be able to recover from. As of right now, he's stable, and his vitals are decent…however, that could change quickly if anything goes wrong. The next week will decide it, one way or the other. Until then, I'll give him the best possible care that I can, and Kimmy has agreed to be his nurse whenever I'm not able to be with him."
Nodding in reply, the king's somber expression grew more pronounced as he folded his hands together, and rested his elbows on his knees; his eyes thoughtful. "I wish there was a way we could get a message to Edward; he should, and would want to be here for his son. Octus, is there any way you could transmit something to him?" he asked, his expression hopeful.
The robot thought for a moment before an idea occurred to him, and he nodded. "There may be a way, yes; I would just need to recalibrate one of the computers in the ops tent, and build a special satellite. Can you come back to me tomorrow to relay the message?" he replied, and the king nodded; a relieved smile on his face. "Thank you, Octus…for everything."
Octus nodded in reply before a hesitant expression came over his holographic face. The king looked at him quizzically for a few moments before the robot decided to speak; slight nervousness in his voice. "Your highness…given Lance's current condition, would you allow princess Ilana to remain with him until he either passes, or is out of danger? She's stated to me that she wishes to stay by Lance's side until she knows whether or not he'll live. She doesn't want him to be alone. I know you wished for her to dedicate her time and energy to helping you begin the process of repairing the kingdom, as well as rekindle a solid friendship with king Simon once the conflict was over, but being at Lance's side is where she feels she's most needed right now. As you know, they have a very strong bond, and have grown close over the years. Their relationship is unique, and I'm sure that having her with him will help Lance fight his way back to us." he finished; his holographic face portraying nervousness, but also possessing a pleading look.
The king looked at Octus long and hard for several seconds, thinking carefully about what the robot had just said to him. He was not stupid; he could tell there was far more to this request than Octus was saying. As he observed the cybernetic being, he ran through in his mind everything that Octus had just said to him; endeavoring to read between the lines as best he could.
Finally, the implication occurred to him, and he took a deep inhale. 'The nervousness, the desperation in his face…and the hesitancy to request this at all…I think I see' he thought as he adopted a serious expression, and he looked Octus in the eyes; his facial features tense, and his gaze steady. "What do you mean by 'unique'? I can see that there's something you're not telling me, and I have an idea of what it is; but I'd like confirmation from you before I consider the situation further, as well as my response to it."
Giving a defeated sigh, Octus merely shook his head. "I've said all I'm at liberty to say, your highness. It's not for me to confirm or deny your suspicions…you need to approach your daughter, and ask her yourself. In the meantime, though, will you give your permission for her to remain with me, Lance, and Kimmy at Lance's bedside? I promise you this: if you don't, she'll be far too worried about him to perform her required duties well. I believe it would be more of a hindrance than a help to have her with you, and taking her away from Lance." the robot replied; his facial features set in a determined and serious look.
Taking another few moments, the king finally nodded in agreement, and rose to leave. "Very well. If that is your sincere assessment of the situation, then Ilana has my permission to stay with the corporal. I would only ask that you have her give me regular reports on his condition, whether better or worse." he said before turning, and walking towards the door; stopping halfway through the threshold, turning, and looking over his shoulder at the robot; his expression noticeably softer. "Don't be afraid, Octus; Lance is like a son to me. I would never do anything to harm him…no matter what rules or laws he may have broken." the king finished as he began walking again, the cabin door closing behind him with a small thud.
As soon as the king was gone, Octus felt himself relax; hoping beyond hope that he hadn't just made a huge mistake. Given Lance's condition, he knew it was only a matter of time before the king figured out what Lance and Ilana really were to each other; and he hoped that the king would be more merciful if he was told, instead of figuring it out for himself. Octus knew that it would be best if the information came directly from Ilana, as she held by far the most sway over the king's decisions than anyone else did. He was desperately hoping that if anyone could save Lance from being stripped of his rank and exiled for his attachment to the princess, it was Ilana herself. 'I'm sorry you two…I just hope I did the right thing' he thought somberly as he got up, grabbed the things he needed, and exited the cabin; making his way back to the medical tent where one of his best friends was currently fighting for his life.