Chapter 4: Operation: Ambush
Amadeus quickly walked over to Rodney, respectfully kneeling to him with his special medal that he was given near the end of the first part of Operation: C.E.A.R.A.T. showing, which signaled to Rodney that this was an important problem of the highest order and was one that needed his full attention. Amadeus remained kneeling while giving his news to Rodney.
Amadeus: Prince Rodney, there has been a sighting of a highly technologically advanced ship sailing underneath Angel Island. We do not think that it is part of Eggman's fleet, but if Eggman does have it there or manages to capture it, the rest of the MKND believes that it would mean that Eggman would win and kill or robotize the entire planet. What are our orders, my prince?
Rodney: Rise my Brother. Do we have any images of the ship, and any available agents to intercept it if it is part of Eggman's fleet?
They continue to talk formally, and Kurama looks at Hermione with a questioning look.
Arteza: The f**k is goin' on here?
Kurama: Aw crap. Okay, since when did it suddenly become all friggin' formal here? And why was Amadeus kneeling to Rodney, like, aren't they both on the same level?
Hermione: Actually, Amadeus is an honorary brother to the entire population of kids here as well as being an honorary member of the MKND. We actually had a ceremony for this not too long ago. It is traditional for honorary members to do that when they are delivering highly important information to the Supreme Leader or their successor. He does not do this for Number 7 because he is her blood brother, and for the fact that she will not allow him to do this, as she sees him as her equal. If it was Melody, he would have used her codename, as he never uses it unless it is an extremely important matter at hand.
Arteza: Honey, this is….both weird and highly intriguing….
Kurama: Huh. That makes sense. To be honest, it is intriguing about your traditions here. Melody told me about another ceremony you guys did, but have to repeat again last night. Can you tell me more about MKND culture and history? Cause it's really different from special forces culture on my planet.
Hermione: Sure. Though to be fair, the MKND culture is a mixture of all sorts of others from around this planet.
Kurama: Ah. That's very very different. Black ops units like mine have a culture separate from their national culture, but it's extremely similar across the board. It transcends nationalities and species. Doesn't matter where you're from.
Kurama and her then got to talking about their cultures, not really paying any attention to Barrett, as they still had their weapons ready. Seeing as how they weren't paying any attention to him now, he pulled out another device. He had tricked another skilled kid into building it for him from the designs he had stolen from Rodney. He pressed a button on the device and was suddenly near MKND HQ, as that was where he wanted to go. He heard the surprised exclamations of the ones he just got away from, and knew that he did not have long before they found him again. He especially didn't want Kurama getting ahold of him again. He then managed to make it all the way down to the secret room in the MKND HQ that housed the most precious artifact that the MKND treasured, having gotten through all the security measures that were in place. It was "The Journal of the MKND,", the same artifact that Sector S recovered in their formative mission, and Barrett picked it up with pride, knowing that with it, he could finally take over and get everything that was originally promised to him back when he was Number 7's successor. He then used the teleporting device again to get inside Care-A-Lot, as there was something else there that he wanted to take, just to hurt Sector S more. He broke into Skadi and Fist's cottage and kidnapped Shard, knowing just how special the baby truly was. Knowing that he could not use the teleporter again, as it was only intended for only one person to use, he pulled out his Extreme Gear and used that to somewhat fly away. Barrett had gagged Shard, as he knew that the baby's screams would alert everyone to his location. As he was flying away, Amadeus spotted him and used his own Extreme Gear to give chase. Barrett noticed this and just shot him with one of his guns, making the boy fall down to the ground. Rodney, just fed up with everything that was going on, decided to take drastic action, and got a wicked smile across his face. It was the same kind of smile that Kurama got when he was beyond angry.
Rodney (In a low growl): That's it! I have had it with this traitor's ways. He is going to suffer the consequences of his actions!
And with that, Rodney took off his shirt and vest, taking the pin and pinning it to his pants. He then spread his wings and took off with a running leap, letting out a loud savage roar, much to the surprise of everyone around him. He managed to catch up to Barrett in midflight, and Rodney saw that the traitor had also stolen the Journal. This made him extremely mad, but he did not show it. He knew that if he did, both the journal and Shard would be annihilated, not to mention a great deal of the MKND. Barrett was just surprised that Rodney had caught up to him, and Rodney landed right on his board. Seizing his chance, while Barrett was stunned from surprise, he took back Shard and the journal, tossing Barrett off and into the waiting custody of Sector S. Melody had never made it to the Extreme Zone because she heard the commotion about Barrett getting away. Rodney then flew the board back to the ground and handed Kurama both the Journal and Shard, ungagged of course. Once the exchange was complete, Rodney took off again, flying to some isolated place where he could get the anger out of his system and to hide from the others. He did not know that the only ones who saw him actually use his wings, and reveal the fact that he had them in the first place, were the members of Gamma 13. Hermione and Amadeus did not see him because they were busy rallying their team and searching for Barrett on the ground.
Shard meanwhile just looked up at Kurama in curiosity. He had heard Skadi and Fists describe him and what he looked like, but meeting him in person was another story. Kurama seemed like a hedgehog, but Shard was fascinated by his dog-like features and especially the big ridge on his face And somehow Shard knew he was good and felt safe in Kurama's arms, and he reached up to try and touch Kurama's face, as Kurama was busy looking at both Shard and the "Journal of the MKND" with a questioning look, and he had to resist fawning over Shard, as did Arteza.
Arteza: Honey, he's so precious! Oh, I wish we could have a baby together!
Kurama: (in thought) I know, Tezzie, and so do I, but, regardless of how cute of a kid he is, we gotta focus.
Arteza: Oh yeah….I wonder if this book might help us get an idea of where the hell we ended up, like, we know it's Mobius, but is this really the exact same area where Mel and Wolfgang ook you back when they were little and talked about placing their village? I mean, is this the exact same MKND you were told about when Mel and Wolfgang talked to us about it?
Arteza was referring to the incident from when Melody and Wolfgang went off and he covered for them, the time that Melody and Wolfgang met with Freki. A lot of stuff was coming back to Kurama and everyone, but in disjointed ways.
Thinking that the journal might shed some light into the once but now unfamiliar world they were interacting with, Kurama and Arteza decided to take a look inside. He handed Shard off to Folsom, who was the closest to him, and the blue echidna was not expecting it. He'd already handed Barrett off, so it wasn't a problem.
Kurama: Folsom, can you hold the kid? I need to look at this book….
Folsom: Dude, wha-
Shard, becoming even more curious about the new people he was currently around, reached up and grabbed one of Folsom's dreadlocks and would not let go. It did not help that Shard began to start yanking on Folsom's dreads, much to the displeasure of said echidna.
Folsom: Oww! Kiddo, please, stop! AH! CRAP!
While all this was going on, Kurama opened the Journal to a random page, and the selection just so happened to be Melody's entry, summing up her tale of how she created the MKND with her twin and the rest of Sector S.
Kurama: (in thought) Now what do we have here? Interesting. This seems to be the same special forces organization our babies told us about….
Kurama and Arteza read through it, getting a better understanding of this Melody, and who she was as a person, he and Arteza correlating it with what they knew so that they could have absolute surety of it being their baby. He tagged the book in his 'Important Items' section of his Battlefield Encyclopedia System, bookmarking Melody's entry. Amadeus then came across the small group, and immediately went and pried Shard off of Folsom and his dreadlocks, lightly scolding the baby about how it was rude to do that to anybody. He then noticed that Kurama was reading the Journal.
Amadeus: Kurama, that book you have is very important to us kids here. Please be careful with it. My big sister would flip out knowing that it was destroyed or was damaged in any perceivable way. That Journal is a source of hope for all of us here, as it gives us the will to keep up the good fight.
Kurama: Huh. We don't have something like this…except for my ancestor's books on military strategy and alchemy. Well, then I guess I'm wrong, cause we especially value his last one.
Hermione: So, what's your book called?
Kurama: Our book is "The Alchemist's Dream". It was written, like, 500 years ago by my ancestor Wraith Avro. It's kinda crazy, but when it comes to military stuff, my clan is a big deal. So, our book is like this ultimate field manual. I actually keep a digital copy of it with me. The original is in a vault underneath my family's mansion.
Hermione(curious): Should you be telling us this?
Kurama: It's cool. you guys are allies. Plus, you guys are basically our counterparts. If I can't trust you, who can I trust? But seriously, you guys are cool, and I know you won't screw us over.
With Sector S;
The group had just taken all of the devices that Barrett had on him and Horus was busy holding the traitor in an arm and headlock. Even at their mercy, Barrett began laughing like a crazed maniac.
Barrett: You may have caught me, but you should catch your successor, my "Queen." He has the Journal and he kidnapped Shard, and is probably long gone by now. I guess you failed and he turned out to be just like me!
Melody became shocked at those words, and was frozen in place, as her heart just stopped completely. Those words were the last straw that broke the camel's back as her emotional state was pushed beyond its limit already. She had no idea how to react or feel, and Kurama felt it as he made his way to the group of kids with his team, Shard, Amadeus, and the Journal in tow. He had heard what Barrett had just said, but ignored him, focusing mainly on Melody. Kurama was absolutely pissed now, and it showed. He'd refused to ever let anyone s**ttalk his friends and allies, especially after years of having so many of his friends and colleagues tormented about being gay or bisexual, and this wasn't any better than if Barrett had made a comment about that, cause he was s**ttalking about someone Kurama and Arteza cared for as if they were their own child, and Kurama and Arteza didn't appreciate anyone who put their kids down any more than someone who spouted crap against their friends over their sexuality. Both were equally offensive to Kurama and Arteza.
Kurama: (to Barrett, snarling)Oh, shut the heck up, you lying little jerkface piece of crap! Rodney's trillion friggin' times better than you! (to Melody) Rodney just handed both Shard and your journal to us. Your traitor was the real thief and kidnapper. I think Rodney ran off to release his anger safely where nobody could get hurt.
Barrett: Ha! Like she's gonna believe you! Rodney's your worthless failure, Melody! Just. Like. ME!
Kurama tightened his grip on Slavic Dragon, and his tail flame began to burn blood red and crackle again. Kurama walked over to Barrett and got in his face, doing his 'Death Stare' that his team recognized as being part of his 'Pissed off: Level Five' mood. He grabbed Barrett by his shirt and pulled him close, so that they were inches from each other's faces. Horus had seen Kurama coming over, and immediately released Barrett and ran for cover. He hadn't seen his Kurama in a long time, and he wasn't fully sure that this was his Kurama, cause he remembered getting lectured by Melody and Wolfgang's cousin/dad about the robot moths that attacked Kurama and his clones, but he knew that one thing was for sure, this Kurama was beyond mad, angry, and pissed all at once. Hours was determined not to get in the blast zone that Barrett had created from the tripwire nuke he had set off. Barret could feel Kurama's hot breath on his face, and he could see Kurama's fangs clearly. Barrett actually began to wonder if Kurama would eat him, with how mad he was.
Kurama(snarling, his voice rising with each word): Look, you piece of crap, you pissed me off! You wanna go ten rounds with me, fine! But hear this, you lay a hand on Rodney, I promise you that you won't see that bullet coming! And you wanna talk junk about my friends, you better be ready to say it to my face! Melody is as good of a teacher to Rodney as my old squad leader and dad Carbide was to me! Now you shut the star-damned f**king hell up, you worthless Jian clone!
Kurama dropped Barrett, and Barrett shrank down and stopped laughing. Kurama sharply turned and walked over to Skadi while taking out his lighter and playing with it. He was limping slightly still, pressing on his right hip with his right hand. Skadi just sighed with relief, thanking her lucky stars that Rodney did not turn out to be a traitor and seeing her son in Amadeus's arms.
Skadi: Thank you Kurama. If you see Rodney before I do, tell him thank you for me.
Kurama: I will.
Skadi: Kurama; are you ok?
She'd seen the pained look on his face, and was worried about him again. She was sure that if this was her Kurama, his sciatica was acting up.
Kurama: Skadi, right now I'm pissed and in pain. Can you give me something for my hip? it's killing me.
Skadi: Did you get hurt in the battle? Or is this sciatica? I knew a nice man just like you who suffered from that. You're acting like him.
Kurama: Yeah, kinda. All the running and s**t got me messed up, and I can't find my medicine, and without Mira, I'm sunk. I knew doing something like that considering my powers are wonky right now would hurt me. But, honestly, I was far more concerned about Rodney than my own safety. but listen, no narcotics, please. one, I can't risk being addicted; two, I need to be clear-headed for the next fight; three, this partly connected to an old injury. And four, I take Meloxicam.
Skadi: I can do that. But how old of an injury and what kind? And partly?
Kurama: I got shot when I was 15. There are pieces of a five-inch-long, half inch diameter steel slug lodged in my right hip and third right rib. Sometimes it hurts, sometimes it doesn't. But I also have a predisposition to sciatica in my family. My mom has it.
Amadeus handed her Shard, and went over to Melody and Wolfgang.
Skadi: Alright, come with me.
Kurama growled.
Kurama: Don't skimp on strength. Gimme the best non-narcotic painkiller you've got. Fast acting and long lasting too. please. Something as good as the Meloxicam.
After handing Shard to Fists, Skadi led Kurama back to the hospital.
At the hospital…
Kurama was laying on the exam table, Skadi looking at the scar on his hip. Kurama felt awkward having to take his pants off, and he had them laying over himself. Arteza was awkward too, but there was no other way to let Skadi see the scar.
Kurama: So, you see the jagged scar on my hip?
Skadi: That had to hurt. Do you have any other injuries like that?
Kurama sat up, pulling his waistband back up and he took his hoodie, shirt, and body armor off. He lifted his right arm, exposing the jagged scar over where his third right rib was.
Kurama: This is from the same incident. When I deflected the slug with my sword, it split in two and hit my hip and rib.
Skadi: Who did this stitching? It's good, but it looks awful.
Kurama: Our medic, Mira. she patched me up immediately after it happened. Like, she dragged me behind a burned-out truck and stitched me up while we were in a firefight. I got five kills while I was being patched up. When I started shooting, she laid me on my side and kept going. We didn't have a choice. Getting me out of there was too risky.
Skadi walked over to the medicine cabinet and pulled out a bottle. she walked back over to Kurama as he was putting his gear back on.
Skadi: That's crazy. But Mira's a good medic. She did really good. Here, this will do exactly what you want. no pain, clear head, fast-acting, and long-lasting. All you need is one with water everyday. And trust me, it's better than Meloxicam.
Kurama took the bottle and opened it. He shook out a capsule and put it in his mouth. He then took a drink from his canteen and swallowed it.
Kurama: Thanks. Now, I gotta see about Rodney and give this book back to Melody. while I'm at it, I'm gonna go up on the roof and see if I left anything during the insanity.
Skadi: Ok. By the way, you must have some impressive reflexes to split a bullet with a sword.
Kurama: You'd be amazed what weapons I can master.
Arteza: She oughta see you handle Ulv, my love. You've eclipsed Saami.
Kurama motioned to Skadi covertly to come with him. He nodded toward her medical bag, and she grabbed the bag and they went up to the roof and looked around to see if anyone was around. sensing no one was around, Kurama looked at Skadi.
Kurama: Skadi, do you have some examination gloves and a small baggy? I'll need some tweezers too.
Skadi: Sure, but why?
Skadi handed him the extra-large exam gloves that were reserved for the larger Mobian animal doctors, like elephant kid doctors. He removed his tactical gloves and stuffed them in his pocket. He took the tweezers from her. He then activated his EVS and scanned the rooftop.
Kurama: A little crime-scene investigation. Keep this to yourself for now, but Rodney got shot in the back last night. when I was patching him up, I thought I saw something on the roof… Here!
He took the tweezers and picked up a small round pellet out of the snow. He held it so that Skadi could see it. It was covered in blood.
Skadi: What is that? Is that what hit Rodney?
Kurama: I think so. It's a six millimeter diameter steel BB. Nasty. Had to come from a suppressed air rifle. I didn't hear a gunshot, and I didn't see a muzzle flash.
Kurama put the BB in the baggy that Skadi held. He took it from her.
Kurama: I'll keep it with me. Maybe, I can find the weapon it goes with. Whoever pulled the trigger is a dang good shot. Something tells me Barrett might know about this; that is, if he's not the shooter, which I'm pretty sure of But foremost in my mind on this case, is finding the gun. The shooter had to stash it somewhere.
Skadi: And you think Barrett's the shooter?
Kurama: Yeah. Just a hunch, but like I always say: Trust your guts.
Skadi: You sound more like a detective than a soldier.
Kurama: Well, my cousin Casey is a police detective. When I was a kid, she would let me ride along with her and her husband Vance. I used to help her solve weird murder cases. I still help her when I can.
Skadi: Yeah. I think I know the gun that it came from. From seeing that BB, I think it came from the custom sniper rifle that I gave to Barrett before he turned bad. He was my best sniper student that I ever taught. Rodney is approaching Barrett's level, but he isn't there yet. There are several records that Barrett set years ago, that nobody has ever broken. Not even me.
Kurama: How can you identify the gun just by looking at this BB pellet?
Skadi: If you hand me that bag, I can show you.
Kurama did so, and Skadi pointed out that the BB pellet was in the shape of a bullet rather than a BB pellet.
Skadi: See, this pellet is in the shape of a bullet, not a ball. I custom made the pellets to be like that and I taught Barrett how to make the pellets, so that these BBs could be used against Eggman's bots and Legionnaires better, although with the Legionnaires, I teach my students to not kill as we are all kids, and I want to preserve their innocence as long as I can. And I don't wanna risk turning a kid into a serial killer as they would enjoy the thrill of the kill.
Kurama: Ah…Reminds me of the rounds I use in my Gamo SilentCat air rifle. But, yeah, I completely understand. You don't wanna be the one responsible for a mass murderer being created from a kid that was too young to really understand the difference between becoming a cold blooded murderer, and a soldier, killing because it needs to be done, not because they want to kill.
Skadi (turning away from Kurama, hugging herself): Exactly! To be honest, the way you're talking, I think you'd be a great teacher at the MKND cadet Academy. I used to be a full-time teacher there in addition to running this hospital and being an MKND agent, but now I am a substitute teacher there. Now all I need is to finish training a cheetah kid I know, whose name is Speedster, and Amadeus, and set them up to take over this hospital so that I can focus on being Shard's mother and an MKND agent. I am spreading myself out too thin, but there's nobody else that can do what I can do yet. Amadeus and Speedster are quickly approaching my level, but they aren't there yet. That means I have to keep it up until somebody else can. And I hate having to spread myself out so thin like this. I don't think that I am being a good mother to my son by being away from him so much, and that breaks my heart. I want Shard to know what a loving family is, and I know for a fact Fists wants the same for Shard. Fists has a similar problem, but he managed to reduce his work load, so he's home with Shard more, but we both still spend a lot of time away from Shard. We always have to leave Shard with a babysitter more often than not, and it breaks our hearts to have to do that.
Kurama walked over to Skadi and he put his hand on her shoulder, and he noticed the tears in her eyes, seeing how upset and mad she was with herself for not being there for Shard as much as she thought she rightfully should have been. Kurama knelt down and pulled Skadi into a hug, to which Skadi hugged him back, breaking down crying.
Arteza: Poor kitten….
Kurama (comforting Skadi, letting her get her tears out): Skadi, you are a good mother and a good person, and Fists is a good father. I could see how much Shard loves both of you just by your interactions with him alone. Shard loves you two more than life itself, and I am sure he understands why you and Fists have to leave him with babysitters frequently. You two are fighting for him to have a good future when he grows up. He understands that. I know you hate leaving him by himself because of your work, but it will get better with time, and you will be able to spend more time with your son. I know it. And as soon as my teammate and sister, Mira, finds her way here, I am sure she'd be able to take over for you here at the hospital more so that you have more time with your baby. And Skadi, I want to help you and Fists out with Shard as much as I can.
Skadi: Thank you Kurama. Thank you so much. I appreciate what help you can give me and Fists with Shard.
Kurama: You're welcome, Skadi. Anything for a friend. Especially a friend as good to me as you are right now. (in thought with Arteza) Cause you're my baby kitten, Skadi. I know it's you. It just has to be.
Skadi: You've been a good friend to me too. Wanna get a few drinks at the Lucky Seven's bar after everything settles down here?
Kurama: I'd like that. I need a better drinking buddy than Farid. You have no idea how bad of a drinking buddy Farid is.
Skadi: Yeah, and I need a better drinking buddy than Melody. She's a good person, but she tends to overdo it when intoxicated with her special non-alcoholic drink she makes for herself, and it never turns out good because when she's in a celebratory mood, she goes flying off the handle. You have no idea how many straightjackets she breaks when she's celebratory drunk and how much damage she causes. And when she's depressed and drinks it, well, everyone in the bar gets depressed too.
Kurama: Okay.(in thought with Arteza) Oh….our baby….Mel….
Skadi: And Kurama, could you show me your air rifle sometime?
Kurama smiled.
Kurama: Sure.
The two then broke the hug, and Skadi noticed something else on the hospital roof. Skadi pulled out another baggie and took the tweezers from Kurama.
Kurama: What is it, Skadi?
Skadi: I think I see something else here. Hold on, the thing that I found is being a stubborn a**hole and making itself hard to pick up.
Kurama stepped closer to see what Skadi was talking about, and accidentally stepped on her tail, except he heard a metallic clank underneath his boot as he stepped on her tail. Kurama looked down and saw he was standing on Skadi's tail.
Kurama: Oh, I'm so sorry for stepping on your tail.
Skadi turned to look at her tail and she shrugged.
Skadi: Oh. It's okay. I can't feel anything in that part of my tail anyways.
Kurama: What the heck do you mean?
Skadi (turning back to try and pick up the stubborn thing on the roof): I am sure you heard a metallic clank when you stepped on my tail?
Kurama: Yes. What's up with your tail?
Skadi: Part of my tail is a prosthetic. Got it lopped off when I was younger during a raid by Eggman. I was lucky I wasn't killed that day. My tail was too far gone to save, so I had to live with my tail stump. But I decided that I wasn't going to do that. When I got the news about my tail, it just confirmed something for me that day.
Kurama: What was it?
Skadi: It made me want to become a doctor/medic and explore a medical career, just so I could prevent other kids from having to experience the pain of having their body parts amputated.
Kurama: Okay. Who made your tail anyways?
Skadi: Horus. He's the one who makes the majority of equipment that I use here in the hospital and we work together to make exoskeletons for patients who need to use them to heal or just walk around normally, as well as prosthetics for those who need them.
Kurama: Okay. That's new.(With Arteza) That's our Horus, alright.
Skadi then managed to grab what she wanted with the tweezers, and discovered it was a warp ring.
Skadi: Okay, this isn't right.
Kurama: What is that?
Skadi: A warp ring.
Kurama: A what?
Areza: The f**k is a warp ring?
Skadi: Warp ring. We use these here to travel great distances in a short amount of time. For example, if you were to use one of these on your homeworld, you can travel from one part of your planet to another part that would be thousands of miles away in just a few seconds.
Kurama:...like I can do naturally…..
Skadi(remembering that her Kurama, Melody and Wolfgang's cousin could do that): Like you can do? Kurama….do you…slip-jump?
Kurama wasn't sure whether to answer, but Arteza told him to tell her.
Arteza: Honey, just tell her. It has to be our Skadi. She'll keep proving it, I know she will.
Kurama: Yes ... .I move faster than light…..
Skadi nodded slowly, staying silent for a moment before speaking.
Skadi(in thought): It's him….it's our Kurama….
Skadi shook herself from the reverie, coming back to the real world.
Skadi Anyways, this isn't right because this shouldn't be here. Somebody must have wanted something here, and it could be related to you or Rodney. We need Horus to trace this back to its point of origin and figure out at what time. But I am guessing that whoever did, didn't want you or Rodney knowing about it, since these things are loud and very noisy. You two would have heard it as soon as the portal was open.
Kurama: (with Arteza) Us three, but clearly we weren't seen. (aloud) Okay. Anything else I should know about these things?
Skadi: We have so much info on these things that it's better for me to give you the files we have on warp rings, as we have been doing extensive research on them, as there is only one a**hole we know who can use these things as weapons in addition to transport. And I am sure Melody would give you the green light to kill that a**hole.
Arteza: I can work with that…..You up to take a soul, honey?
Kurama: Okay. Put that thing in the bag and hand it to me, and let's get back to the others. I don't trust Barrett to not pull any s**t.
Skadi nodded and the two headed back, with Kurama putting both bags into his pocket. As they were walking…
Skadi: Kurama, just so you know, Rodney's birthday is two days away. I'm throwing him his first birthday party, and I was wondering if you and your team would want to be there.
Kurama: Sure. But are you sure it's his FIRST birthday party?
Arteza: Seriously? This kid's never had a birthday party? Oh, that's depressing as f**k…..
Skadi: Dead sure. He was just going to blow it off and not take a day for himself, but he DESERVES a good birthday, and I am determined to give him one. Although I think that I am going to postpone the party for a few days just so that everyone can get used to you and your team arriving and life gets back to a somewhat normal state.
Kurama: That's understandable. I'll tell Rodney the news about postponing his birthday celebration myself. Okay?
Skadi: That's perfect. With the party postponed, I can set up an even better party than what I already had planned!
Arteza: Oh, hell yes! We're gonna ramp it up!
Kurama: Okay. Me and my team will help out as much as we can, because even though I don't really know Rodney that well, I know that he deserves a great birthday. Can you get me a list of what Rodney likes, so that me and my team have an idea of what to get Rodney for presents?
Skadi: Of course. I'll get the list to you as soon as I can.
Kurama nodded and the two began talking about party plans as they returned to the others. Kurama made sure to take lots of notes on it, so that way he wouldn't forget.
Back with the Chaos Hunters…
The two male hedgehogs then got themselves busy trying to get a reaction out of Melody, not knowing that her heart had stopped.
Amadeus: Um, Braveheart. I don't think Noteheart is breathing, and I can't feel her pulse at all.
Wolfgang: Crud. Susan, I need a defibrillator for Noteheart, STAT!
Susan, hearing her cue, began quickly rubbing her hands together, charging up, and they all saw electricity flickering between her hands and arms. She then placed her hands in the proper spots on Melody's body and gave her one good shock. That was all that was needed to bring Noteheart back to the land of the living.
Melody: WOAH!
Wolfgang: Are you okay, Noteheart?
Melody: Yeah. I am. So, Rodney is not a traitor?
Wolfgang: That's right. He probably went away to have some alone time and unwind. You need to do so as well. Why don't you take a vacation? You have more than earned it. And don't worry about the MKND and HQ. I am sure that me and the rest of the team can handle it while you take some time off. And you should have heard what Kurama said to Barrett. Man, Kurama is pissed.
Melody: Okay, I will take some time off, but do not expect it to be long. I think I might take a day or two, three days at the maximum. so, what did Kurama say to him?
Wolfgang: He threatened to kill him if he laid a hand on Rodney, plus he really took up for you. and he called Barrett a "worthless Jian clone'.
Melody: "Jian clone"?
That was highly disconcerting to Melody, as she only remembered Jian being sweet and nice. Thing was, she and Wolfgang didn't know how bad things truly were when they left for Earth.
Wolfgang: I don't know. ask Kurama.
She then sees Kurama walk up, holding the Journal, having flipped back through it again, and thought that it would be better for Gamma 13 to understand the MKND as a whole if they read through it, especially if this was her Kurama.
Melody: Kurama, you can read through that Journal. You might understand us better if you read it. Just make sure you return it when you finish reading. By the way, did you still want to take Barrett? I think that it might be beneficial for all of us if he is under constant supervision by your team, in case he tries to do anything else.
Kurama: Sure. He is going to be fun to train. Folsom, Farid, Kai, and Jenny, take the new recruit back to the base, and keep an eye on him. Do not let him out of your sight at all, and you have permission to use force if he gets out of line when necessary. Folsom, I'm putting you in charge. Melody, here; this is our equivalent to your Journal.
He handed Melody a small device covered in strange lettering. Thing was, it was Kitseili and Melody very well knew what it said.
Kurama: This is a copy of "The Alchemist's Dream". My ancestor wrote it and it's still being written by my team. It's the ultimate field manual. Just stay away from the chapter on alchemy. It's trippy as heck if you don't have powers. Unless you got powers. Then it's cool.
Melody: Thank you, I'll read it. Hey, I have a question.
Kurama: Alright. Shoot.
Melody: Who's "Jian"?
This one thing would tell her what she needed to know, a piece of the puzzle about the gap in the years.
Kurama: My piece of crap former best friend. He betrayed me, and I shot him. But he didn't die, and I've been fighting him ever since. Melody, you did the right thing asking me to train Rodney. Thank you.
Melody(in thought): No….no no no….s**t. S**t, s**t s**t! Oh Chaos no….he has to be wrong…..
Before Melody can answer, Horus returns to Kurama.
Horus, as he is releasing Barrett into the custody of Gamma 13: What are you going to do Kurama?
Kurama continued playing with his lighter, changing the color of the flame from red to olive green to fuchsia and back.
Kurama: I am going to see where Rodney went and to see if he is okay.
A different kid, a blue tongued lizard, comes over to the group. He has a hat that has the number 1749 on it.
Number 1749: If you are looking for the prince, you should check his old secret lab in Downunda.
Arteza: There we go, a good lead right out the starting gate.
Folsom: How in the world did you know that?
Number 1749: Actually, I used to know the prince before joining the MKND. I know that whenever he used to be really stressed out, he used to go to his lab and start playing his music at a high volume.
Kurama: (in thought to Arteza) Sounds like me when I used to go up to the bell tower of the old monastery.
Arteza: Or when me and you go hide when we're miserable as hell.
He then handed Kurama a piece of paper that had the exact location of Rodney's old secret lab.
Number 1749: All you have to do is to go to Downunda and use this map to find Number 0.
Kurama: Not to be rude, but I have no idea where Downunda even is, or even where to begin looking for Rodney.
Horus: Don't worry. I'll take you there. If you let me take a look at that map, I'll land you relatively close to his location.
Kurama (handing the map to Horus): Okay. But I think it might be beneficial for Rodney if it is just me who talks to him for now.
Horus: That's fair. I can work on a side project of mine while you two are talking. Just let me get our transportation.
Horus then went off to get their transportation as Kurama put the Journal of the MKND safely into his gear, as well as going back to get Rodney's shirt and vest. By the time he was finished packing, Hours was already back with the S-Hurricane waiting for Kurama.
Horus: Hey. You ready to go?
Kurama: Yeah; Hey, what kind of camo you think I need for Downunda?
Horus: Well, where you're going, I'd say desert.
Kurama: Ok. Thanks.
Kurama taps his right bracelet. a holographic screen appeared. He selected a camo pattern and suddenly, his hoodie, pants, and boots changed pattern. He took a matching scarf out of his bag and put it on. Arteza would equip his same outfit when they got a chance.
Horus: Cool. I thought those were just jewelry. (in thought) It's you…my other dad, Kurama….i just know it…
Kurama: Well, yes and no. Yes, they are jewelry. I made them myself when I was 10. But they can do a lot more than just this. What I just did, that's called AutoCamo. gives me camo patterns for any environment. So, are the colors right?
Horus: Do you have red desert?
Kurama: Oh. Yeah.
Kurama changed camo again.
Kurama: Alright, Horus; let's go.
They then took off into the early morning sunrise. Melody watched, experiencing a flashback to Barrett's Trial and when he got banished….
Barrett is walking towards the MKND throne room, expecting that Melody was going to step down and crown him the new leader of the MKND. He thought that nobody would have found the evidence that he was the one who orchestrated the MKND war of 3390 behind the scenes. Not only that, Melody withheld her judgment, as she saw that there was not enough evidence to give a clear verdict. However, he was surprised that the throne room was filled with scowling disappointing faces of nearly all the agents in the MKND, including the sad and scowling faces of Sector S. Except for Melody, whose facial expression showed that she was mad. All eyes turned on Barrett as he entered and approached the throne.
Melody: MKND Agent Number 13, I have called you here because new evidence has arisen regarding your trial. And you asked me for my judgment. I reserved it for now, but Number 7.1, please show everyone the evidence that has risen!
Wolfgang showed everyone the evidence that showed that Barrett was guilty of the crimes he was accused of. After he was finished, Melody shouted her judgment for all to hear.
Melody: YOU ASKED ME FOR JUDGMENT AND I GIVE IT NOW! BARRETT, YOU ARE HENCEFORTH STRIPPED OF YOUR MKND STATUS, CODENAME, AND EVERYTHING YOU HAVE EARNED IN THE MKND! FOR ALL OF YOUR CRIMES AGAINST THE MKND; MY JUDGMENT IS EXILE! YOU ARE NO LONGER WELCOME IN THE MKND AND THE CHILD VILLAGES! NOW GET OUT!
Barrett, deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, immediately ran away, packed his things, and got out of there as fast as he could. Melody sadly watched from her office window as Barrett went off into the night. She closed the blinds after Barrett was out of sight, and flopped down into her chair. She put her hands on her face, and she started crying. After a while, she grabbed a bottle of Chaotic Stars from a drawer in her desk. She took a big swig before tossing it at the wall near the door to her office.
Melody: WHY?! WHY DID HE DO THAT?! WHERE DID I GO WRONG WITH HIM?!
Back in the present, Melody watched as Barrett was led away, and Horus and Kurama took off for who knows where. Melody looks down to the ground and she starts crying, clenching her fists tight. Jenny saw this and went over to her. Jenny hugged Melody in a comforting, and somewhat motherly, manner, and Melody just let her emotions go, and started crying uncontrollably into Jenny's shirt.
Jenny: There, there. It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay.
Melody just kept crying, and Jenny decided to bring her back to the Gamma 13 base. She did so, and she let Melody fall asleep in her arms, and she just sat down in a recliner in the living room of the base, and let Melody sleep the sorrow away. Jenny thought that Melody looked kinda cute while she slept, as she was not around children often. Melody meanwhile, cuddled close to Jenny and hugged her tightly.
With Kurama on the ship, he was making sure he was ready, going over his current equipment to make sure he could deal with whatever was in Downunda. He didn't know really anything about Downunda, but he suspected it was like Lemuria or Australia, and the only desert on Mobius he knew about was Sandopolis.
Kurama: Downunda…..Horus, is there a central desert in Downunda?
Horus: Yeah, but there's forests too. Those are closer to the coast. The desert makes up most of Downunda. You don't know about Australia, do you?
Kurama: No, but this sounds like a country on my world called Lemuria.
Not too long after they left, the ship then landed temporarily, and Kurama disembarked from it. Hours then flew the craft back into the air, activating the cloaking device on it so that they had a safe way to escape if they were ambushed.
Kurama looked around, then found some cover and got behind it, letting Arteza out.
Kurama: Feel better honey?
Arteza: Yeah, sweetie. Much warmer here. Y'know, i swear to the stars i'm glad we didn't change into a thong the other night, cause holy s**t, we'd get all f**ked up!
Kurama: Oh gah, i know, and worse if we got sand there!
Both Kurama and Arteza shuddered at that, having had enough trouble with sand anywhere else but near their junk. Once the guys got past that, they kissed and wrapped their scarves over their faces, covering their mouths and noses. The wind whipped up a cloud of dust that blew around kurama. he took out his HP-59 Hedgehog pistol, Chaotic Flame. Just as well, he gave Arteza Slavic Dragon, to give them some heavy firepower. With his guns drawn and ready, they headed off to find Rodney. As they moved through the desert, Kurama and Arteza kept a lookout for a faction Jenny had warned them about called the "Dark Egg Legion". From what information Jenny had given him, they were pretty distinctive and they wouldn't have trouble recognizing them. Then they saw them for the first time in real life: They came up on a Legion mining camp in a small crater. They laid down at the edge, Kurama switching to Sandopolis Leopard. They carefully swept the area, marking all of the DEL soldiers.
Kurama(Telepathically to Arteza): Ok, twenty is simple. We just gotta do this quick and quiet.
Arteza: Right. We've got this.
Kurama screwed the suppressor on to his pistol and to his assault rifle, giving the pistol to Arteza. He slung the rifle over his shoulder and slid down into the crater, Arteza quickly took cover behind a tent at the entrance to the camp, waiting for a pair of DEL soldiers to pass by. As they did, Kurama and Arteza grabbed them, slamming their heads together hard enough to knock them out. They then shot them both in the head. By ones and twos, they quickly assassinated them and freed the they did this, and they took the time to see what they were mining. Kurama ducked into a structure that they guessed was a storage area for the ore. Once in, Arteza watching his back, he noticed that background radiation levels were spiking, as did Arteza. By the radiation signature, they knew that they were mining Uranium.
Kurama: Tezzie, this is a uranium mine….s**t, Eggman's got nukes….
Arteza: Dammit…..just what we need….
Kurama pried a container open to be sure. And he was. The container was packed with pitchblende. Immediately, he tagged the containers so that he could send someone for them at some he came out, he nodded silently to Arteza, who sighed and nodded back. By the time they reached commander of the camp, they were the only ones left in the camp. The commander was sleeping. Kurama and Arteza crept in, quietly, and grabbed the commander.
Kurama: Stop squirming dumbf**k!
Arteza almost got hit between his legs, and he had moved back, grabbing the commander's fist, and he used his own leg to push the commander's leg away, giving him a good shot. Arteza punched the guy hard in the balls, completely knocking the wind out of him. Kurama and him then dragged the commander away and tied him up. They quickly interrogated the commander and then snapped his neck. Afterwards, they quickly deconned themselves in the camp's showers, changing into his spare outfit. They then marked the location of the camp and continued onward. Nearing the location on the map, Kurama and Arteza activated his Enhanced Vision System. Outlines suddenly showed up around them, picking out objects with contrasting color. A large structure appeared in the clouds of dust, highlighted around its edges. The glow cut through the red dust, lighting the way for the couple.
Kurama: I hope this is it. I've only got 4 spare mags each. Crap; 40 rounds of .50 Jackal. 100 rounds of .338LR. At least they pack a real punch.
Author/editor's note: .338LR is the standard .338 Lemurian Rifle cartridge, used in the L36 rifle family, of which Sandopolis Leopard is an example. It's similar to .338 Spectre and .338 Whisper, but usually uses 232 or 250 grain bullets, and makes use of a much higher-velocity propellant for supersonic loads. .50 Jackal, also called .50 CA(Charybdan Alliance), is 12.7x41, and is used in the HP-59 Hedgehog heavy pistol and some SMGs and in the M70 revolver.
Areza: I know honey. Wish we had our M-08 Tiger machinegun and all. A little forty-five caliber firepower would be an equalizer out here. And Saami.
Kurama: Yeah, Samantha's always had my back in situations like this. Or Sheila. She would know what to do.
Arteza: Yeah, cause them it'd be all three of us. Saami still doesn't know about me, or that we're Bi.
Kurama: One day, sweetie…..one day.
Kurama and Arteza approached Rodney's old base, hearing classical and show tunes music playing as they walked forward. They carefully scanned the area, praying that nobody would ambush them. When they entered, they found Rodney with his back to a wall, just listening to the music. The room looked like Rodney had gone ballistic and destroyed everything in sight using all of his dragon abilities. Kurama put his pistol back in the holster and his rifle on his back, and Arteza put Slavic Dragon on his back, and pulled their scarves down, deactivating theirEVS.
Kurama: Rodney, are you okay?
Arteza: Rodney, sweetie, it's us, Kurama and Arteza.
Rodney didn't turn around, still so upset.
Rodney: No, I'm not. I just got really angry, and nearly hurt everyone that I care about, revealed the fact that I have wings to the entire organization, and nearly killed Shard. Now I can't go back at all! If I do, I will probably get ridiculed by everyone and nobody will want me to lead them at all! Maybe Number 7 will kick me out and find somebody new to be her successor!
Kurama and Arteza sat down with Rodney in the middle and put his arms around the boy, pulling him in close. They made sure to take a peek at where he patched Rodney's back to see if they did not need to put fresh bandages and medicine on it. Thankfully, they did not have to do so. For a while the three just sat there, taking in all of the destruction that was around them.
Kurama: Y'know, nobody other than our team saw you reveal and use your wings, right? And besides, Melody would never kick anybody out without a really good reason. Barrett showed why she had an exceptionally good reason to kick him out of being her successor and the MKND just from his actions last night.
Arteza: Yeah. From what I heard, he was the only one she did that to. In the short amount of time we have known you, you have proved to be, beyond any doubts, the absolute best choice Melody could have made to become her successor. and look, we want you to think about this; don't be ashamed of your aggression.
Kurama: That's right. I have as much as you do; for that reason, my husband here calls me 'Aggro'. only he can call me that. I have more aggression than anyone else in my entire unit, even all put together. Look, me, you, and Tezzie aren't like most everyone else. We're a different breed. If you want, I'll teach you how to harness it. See, aggression when properly harnessed into righteous fury isn't a sin. Now, if you flipped out at everyone, yeah, that'd be wrong. But you didn't. You used it rightfully.
Rodney: Thanks, Kurama, Arteza. I needed to hear that. I feel better now, and, yeah, I would like that. Would you teach me how to fight like you guys?
Kurama and Arteza smiled at Rodney.
Kurama: Rodney, stick with us, and you'll be fine. I promise you that.
Arteza: That's right.
Rodney: Ok! So, you two….
Kurama: Yes Rodney, we're married, and yes, basically, we're gay.
Arteza: But there's a little more to this on that. Though, we can tell you something special - I actually am Kurama.
Rodney: Huh?
Kurama: Ok, so, back when I was 21….
Kurama and Arteza told him the safe version of the story, minus the sex stuff, and elaborated more on the love they shared, and Rodney thought it was really sweet seeing their wedding pictures.
Rodney: Oh wow….so you got married way out in the field after a mission?
Kurama: That's right. Oh, it was so lovely, and sweetheart, they gave us the biggest party and, oh my word, everything about it was wonderful!
Arteza: Would you believe that this is the same village that we rescued from a mine where they were held captive?
Rodney: Really?
Kurama: Yep, and it was a huge mine, a uranium mine actually. We're lucky that the mission parameters made us perfect for it so we could go alone. I mean, we hated having to sneak off all the time.
Rodney: I can understand that. But I'm glad you guys love each other so much.
Arteza: We very much do, Rodney, and we have four sweet babies, our sons Aiden and Gojira and our daughters Chern and Peach. And we very much love you, Rodney.
Kurama: That we do. Yo, Rodney, you know what's funny?
Rodney: What, Kurama?
Kurama: The fact that me and Tezzie actually like this music.
Arteza: Uh-huh! We really, really like it! It reminds us of the good things from my childhood.
Kurama: Like, me and Tezzie are familiar with stuff like Phantom of the Opera, and musicals, and stuff like that, and when i was a kid, there were a bunch of soldiers who would do plays and musicals to raise money for the Camp Nightshade hospital where my Uncle Leonardo worked, and i went to every show. It was always fun, and it was one of the most unique things about the Camp Nightshade community.
Arteza: If you don't mind, can we upload this stuff to me and Tezzie's music players? We really like it.
Right then, Arteza and Kurama realized they been saying that repeatedly and well, they started overthink and Rodney, well, he didn't really pay attention, as well, Rodney was prone to that as well, and he had Aspergers just like Kurama and Arteza, something relatively common in Kurama's line, so really, Rodney calmed them before they even started apologizing.
Rodney: Ok!
Kurama and Arteza handed Rodney their music player. He and Arteza were smiling and humming along to the music..Rodney smiled wryly at them as he uploaded the music.
Rodney: Huh. I thought you two only liked that loud rock music.
Kurama: Well, we do like that. It's called post-grunge. We listen to that when we work.
Arteza: When I want to relax, I listen to softer rock music or traditional Miyaran or Kitseili music. But there's lots of other stuff we listen to as well, from all different genres.
Rodney: Oh. ok. So, you said that show tunes and classical music reminds you of the good parts of your childhood. So, what were the bad parts?
Kurama: Well, my parents are divorced. It was really hard on me and my mom. Look, I'll tell you more later, ok.
Arteza: We don't really like to talk about it.
Rodney: Ok. And y'know, I kinda like what you were listening to when we were up on the roof, like that song Folsom was singing. I don't know why, but I like it. How did it go again…? When the lights go out on you…
Kurama and Arteza smiled, joining in.
Kurama and Arteza: After your worthless life is through…
Kurama, Areza, and Rodney: I will remember how you scream, I can't afford to care…
Rodney: I like that song. What's it called?
Kurama: "Lights out". It's by Breaking Benjamin. If you like that, we can listen to some more of my music sometime.
Arteza: Just gotta keep me outta sight, y'know?
Rodney: Ok. I'd like that.
Kurama: You know what. before we go, if this helps reinforce what we said, good.
Kurama and Areza took off their glasses, t-shirts, and tail rings. They fanned out his tails as well.
Kurama: Rodney, this is what we are. Chimeras.
Arteza: We have nine tails. and we have these markings. We have this one in our right eye, and…
The two of them turned so Rodney could see the back of their right shoulder.
Rodney: (in thought) I have a mark just like that…
Kurama: And this on our shoulder. The mark in our eye is called the empathic spiral or Kyofugan, the Fear Eye. It's a powerful Dojutsu.
Arteza: The mark on our shoulder is called the Void Star mark. And to be specific, we're a combination of Kitseili, hedgehog, wolf, echidna, unicorn, and lemur. That's why we don't have spines on our back like hedgehogs, plus we have these wicked fangs and claws.
Arteza: The lemur side is the stripes on our tails and the fact that they're prehensile, and if you're wondering about our unicorn side, it's my ears and muzzle. Look, Rodney, that's what you are too. you're a chimera. not a halfling. And being a chimera means you're stronger. Hybrids can withstand more. You wouldn't believe what it would take to put me and Aggro down.
Kurama nodded, and then they put their shirts, glasses, and tail rings back on and knelt down in front of Rodney.
Kurama: Just remember that, ok. remember the word, 'Chimera'.
Arteza: No more of this "halfling" crap, alright, sweetie?
Rodney: Yeah, I'll remember it. 'Chimera'.
Rodney suddenly hugged Kurama and Arteza.
Rodney: Thank you, for everything.
The two elder chimeras hugged Rodney tightly, nuzzling him.
Kurama and Arteza: Rodney, we'd do anything for our best friend. (In thought together) Wait a minute, does Rodney have some sort of marking in his right eye? Oh my word…it looks like the Kyofugan…
After breaking the hug, Kurama then reached into his gear and handed Rodney his vest and shirt back. After Rodney put on both the vest, pinning the pin that Kurama gave him over his heart on it, and pulling his shirt back on, they heard loud gunfire outside. Kurama, Arteza, and Rodney looked at each other, nodding, and rushed outside. Rodney, Arteza, and Kurama saw Hours in the S-Hurricane, dodging and returning fire to one of Eggman's large aircraft in a serious dogfight.
Rodney: (in thought) *aakaatxra! (to Kurama and Arteza) I always knew that this would happen one of these days. Kurama, Arteza, I need your help.
Translation - F**k!, Arfadic Kitseili
Kurama: Sure.
Arteza: What do you need us to do?
Rodney: Follow me! I need help getting my anti-Eggman cannon out from it's hiding place. It is really big, and really heavy for me to roll out by myself! Not to mention loading the ammo! If I tried, it would be too late and Horus would be captured!
Kurama: Awesome.
Arteza: Heh, let's send this psycho down in flames.
The three then rushed over and wheeled out the cannon that Rodney had. Kurama and Arteza then loaded the ammo into the cannon, and Rodney just used only one shot, and took down Eggman's aircraft.
Kurama: Impressive. Are you sure you haven't used this cannon for this purpose before?
Rodney just looked at them, shaking his head.
Rodney: Nope!
Kurama and Arteza smiled and Arteza went back in Kurama's head, as after the enemy craft blew up, Horus landed the S-Hurricane and both Kurama and Rodney got on quickly and they all flew back to Care-A-Lot as fast as they could.
while on the plane…
Kurama: Hey, Rodney.
Rodney: Yeah?
Kurama: You remember what I said to Barrett because he hurt you?
Rodney: Yeah. You really scared him. thanks.
Kurama: You're welcome. Plus, he mouthed off to me after we caught him. trust me, he wasn't truly scared the first time. But I know he's scared of me now. and of you, by extension. So, don't worry. He won't ever try to mess with you again. and y'know, at some point, let's get your cannon and bring it back to Care-A-Lot. plus, anything at your lab.
Rodney: ok. that sounds good.
Kurama: Hey, Rodney, remember how I said I had it pretty tough. Well, my life didn't really start getting better until I met my twin sister Samantha.
Rodney: Wait, I thought you only had three sisters.
Kurama: Well, I think now is a good time to tell you about her. The reason I didn't say anything was because I felt the time wasn't right; it usually takes a while for me to open up to someone, but I think me and you are such good friends that I can tell you the story. It's a really hard story.
Rodney: So how did you meet her? Did you not know about her before?
Kurama: Well, we met when i was in the military academy in our hometown. I noticed her and wondered why she seemed so much like me. at that time, we brushed it off as coincidence and talked to her. We became friends and started hanging out. but then all of us got blindsided. So, one day, We went to my house to hang out and play videogames. So, we came in and my mom asked us who our friend was and then she freaked. That was when we found out that Samantha was my twin sister. According to my mom, she got separated from us when we were one year old. It was during a really bad storm when we went hiking. Neither me nor Samantha ever believed the story. Only thing we believed was that we were twins. The whole story sounded like total crap. So we ended up saying, and we said this at the same time mind you, "That's crap. We don't care how it happened, cause all that matters now is that we're back together. So, frak that noise." All mom did was smile, shake her head, and laugh. It was weird. not finding out that Samantha is my twin; the weird part was how my mom acted. Since then, me and Samantha have been the ultimate team. (whispering) Well, until I met my sweet husband.
Kurama winked at Rodney, who for a second saw Arteza's reflection in Kurama's eyes, making Rodney smile.
Rodney: I wish I could meet her.
Kurama: I wish you could too. She's really nice. and you'd definitely like her, since she's just like me. Right now, she's back at our mansion with her husband Sasuke, who goes by Exile. She's pregnant; that's why she wasn't with us on the mission when we got transported here. Even with all the stuff happening here, I'm worried about her and the baby.
Rodney: Well, if she's just like you, then you shouldn't worry.
Kurama smiled and put his arm around Rodney.
Kurama: You're absolutely right. Her and the baby are just fine. They've got Exile, and mom and dad, with them. And I'll bet we'll find my teammate Sheila. If anything, I know she'll survive here. and when she gets here Rodney, the three of us can hang out together. (whispering) Rodney, there's a massive secret that i wanna tell you, but Sheila needs to be here for it, and moreover, don't say anything if someone says she's my wife, ok? We'll reveal everything when she gets here.
Rodney(inordinately curious, but nodding): I would like that. I would like that a lot. I want to meet Sheila soon.
Kurama put his arm around Rodney.
Kurama: And she'll love to meet you.
Horus: Hey, Rodney. For what it's worth, being around you has been helping Melody more than you could ever know. In fact, you managed to help all of us in Sector S out by being there. After the war of 3390 we all changed. Probably for the worse. None of us are the same, but when I see you and Melody together, it seems like you are rebuilding her broken heart and she is slowly going back to being her old self. The self I knew when we first met. Keep up the good work, boss. I will follow you into battle and into hell itself if you need me to, and just about all of us in Sector S would do the same.
Rodney: I doubt it. Wolfgang's a bit of a dick.
Horus: I noticed that too. Something is wrong with him. I suggest you stay away from him and only interact with Wolfgang when necessary.
Kurama (in thought to Arteza): So, we have to fix Wolfgang too?! Does explain why he was so much of a dick with that f**king dog whistle!
Arteza: Dammit….our babies are all screwed up….
Horus: To emphasize my point….
He then turned on the autopilot temporarily, and got up to face Rodney. Kurama and Arteza noticed the somewhat familiar marking in Horus's right eye, and noticed the dojutsu was in the second to third stage. Kurama managed to quickly take a picture of Horus's unique eye for later information for Sophie when she did her psych evaluations on all of Sector S when they found her, as he was now unsure if this was his baby Horus, cause he didn't know that Horus was part Kitseili. Kurama knew all the major and minor dojutsus, and if he was right, this was the Crystal Clan's dojutsu. Horus performed a Kitseili gesture that was meant to be the most solemn oath that no Kitseili in their right mind would break. This surprised Kurama and Arteza, as they wondered where Horus had learned the gesture.
Horus: Prince Rodney, I pledge my LIFE to you. You are honorable, kind, strong, hopeful, brave, joyous, silly, loyal, smart, true, and you try your best to make others' wishes come true. I will gladly follow you anywhere. You have proven yourself a true successor already, and I hope that I will continue to live and see you grow as a person and leader. I swear all this on my word of honor.
Kurama and Arteza got themselves together, not wanting to show surprise at that.
Kurama: Alright. With that, Horus, I need you to open a channel directly to HQ. And feel free to listen in.
Horus did so.
Kurama: Alpha-1 to MKND HQ
Hermione: Go ahead, Alpha-1.
Kurama: I had a run-in with the "Dark Egg Legion'' while I was away. I do have Rodney with me, but I need to tell you what happened: On the way to find him, I found a forced labor camp. It was pretty small, but they were mining uranium. I liberated the prisoners and killed the guards.
Hermione: I'll send a team right away Alpha-1. Anything else?
Kurama: Besides being on the lookout for more of these small mines, nothing else. Though I have a request.
Hermione: And that is?
Kurama: If you can secure the ore, i'd like a portion of it for my wife Sheila to refine when she gets here, to produce armor-piercing ammo and super-dense arrowheads.
Hermione: Understood. I'll speak to Number 7 about that. MKND HQ out.
After the call was cut, Kurama saw something on the back of Horus's right shoulder, as he temporarily removed his bandolier to get something out of it. Kurama used his EVS to covertly take a picture of what he saw, which happened to be the mark of the Crystal clan on Horus's shoulder, which was bright white. Horus pulled out three full lunchboxes he had made up. Each lunchbox was filled with a full lunch for Horus, and Kurama was wondering how in the world Horus managed to fit all three lunchboxes into his bandolier. Horus handed two of the lunchboxes to Kurama and Rodney.
Horus: Eat up you two. It's a long flight back to Care-A-Lot, and you two need all your energy when we get back.
Kurama and Rodney took the lunchboxes and began to eat while Horus began to eat while flying the plane, an act he had done countless times before.
Kurama (while eating): How did you manage to fit these lunchboxes in your bandolier, Horus?
Horus: Modified warp ring technology. I managed to use the same technology that I discovered from warp rings, using Dr. Finitevus's research, and found a way to make the inside of containers bigger than the outside, and make it practically weightless. Think of it this way; I essentially found a way to incorporate how the Tardis works into small containers, like the pockets on my bandolier. I am still working out how to incorporate the same tech I use on my bandolier to larger objects, like this plane.
Kurama: Can you give me a copy of your research on this. I am intrigued and I want to incorporate the tech into my stuff. I mean, I already use pocket dimension tech, but I wanna improve it.
Horus: Will do. I'll bring it to your base as soon as I go back to my workshop and find the research.
Kurama: Thanks Horus.
Horus: You're welcome. I'll also give you some of my other research that I think you would like as well.
Rodney: And I wanna know what you put into this lunchbox! It's delicious!
Horus: Sure. I'll even teach you how to make it yourself, if you want.
Rodney: Thank you!
Horus: You're welcome. And you two can keep the lunchboxes, I got more at my place.
Kurama: Thanks buddy. I appreciate it. Never had really had a lunchbox like this one before.
Horus: You're welcome.
Kurama: By the way, Rodney, Skadi is going to postpone your birthday party so that life can get to a somewhat normal status quo for all of us.
Rodney: That's okay. At least it gives Skadi more time to plan the party.
Kurama: That it does buddy. That it does.
Horus: So, Kurama, what was that about making super-dese arrowheads about?
Kurama: Uranium-tungsten alloy arrowheads, like, i have a nice bow my little cousin gave me, and i make my own arrows, including super-dense ones that can punch through metal and body armor, although they have a shorter range, so I use carbon fiber arrows, to focus the weight into the head. I only use those if I'm above my target, to let gravity help me.
Horus: Huh. Only other person I know who uses a bow is Wolfgang.