Chapter 8: The New Threats
Traverse Town…
"So, Gummi Ships are this way?" Sakuzy asked as the three followed Joyex.
"Yep, place used to be a real rathole, apparently. Guess Emo, Brickhouse, One-Leg, and Nutcase chased 'em out." Joyex answered as he led them through the Second District.
"It does seem a bit cleaner than the other place." Becca said.
"Just need a way outta here." Joyex said as he led them into a building filled with Gummi Ship ports and a small cafe area, "We need the right ship…"
"How about those guys there?" Sakuzy asked, pointing to a man with a black vest and a large, hairy monster thing.
"Nah, they look busy." Joyex said, leading Sakuzy away.
Lucy turned her head at all the Gummi Ships with an impressed look.
"This is some really impressive tech!" She said.
"I agree, they look amazing!" Becca said.
"Hey, think I found one." Joyex called.
"That was fast." Sakuzy said.
"No one else wanted it and had the 'bargain' sign over it. Fifteen munny or best offer. Turns out that meant 'please take it'." Joyex said.
"Why doesn't that fill me with confidence?" Sakuzy asked.
Lucy ran over and looked up at the ship that, like Joyex said, had an orange bargain sign hanging from it.
"I don't know about this one. It kinda looks like it's gonna fall apart at any second." She said. "And last time I checked we can't breathe in space."
It did look rather run-down and colored various shades of white and pale blue. It had two blasters, two long wings, and a dome on it.
"We can fix it up." Joyex said, "Unless you guys happen to have a better idea…and, by that, I mean the money to GET a better ship."
"I think it'd be neat to fix it up. Maybe we can add some of our own personal touches." Becca said.
"She gets it." Joyex said.
"Pushing REAL hard for this one." Sakuzy said.
"We need to get out, get out now, and it's our best option." Joyex said. Sakuzy sighed. Though he didn't want to get into that flying junk pot,
POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH
On a rooftop not far from Yozora, a figure in a blue robe stood and watched.
"Hmm…not quite who we were sent to abduct. But he could be useful." He said in a low, accented voice, "Emerald. Amber."
"Sup boss man?" asked a feminine figure wearing an orange robe. She walked over, holding a spear behind her head with a mischievous smile.
And…across on another rooftop, lazily stretched out, lay a figure clad in deep, vivid green robes, snoring in blissful content.
"Emerald." the man in blue robes snapped.
"Five more minutes, pops…" Emerald groaned, shaking his head, "I thought we were done with recon…"
"It's not recon, Emerald." the man in blue robes said, "I've found a target. And you and Amber are best suited for this. So, get off of your back and get to it."
"Okie-doke, Sapphy!" The girl said. Emerald just groaned.
"You're sending the wrong guy for this, I hope you know." He grumbled, reluctantly rolling over, pushing himself back to his feet.
"He has great potential, but he won't be a match for you. And, if this goes well, it might lead to your advancement in the ranking." Sapphire said, "Turquoise will send a transport for you shortly. Don't disappoint."
With a small screeching noise, Sapphire vanished.
"C'mon, Emmy don't be a lazy bones! This could be fun!" Amber said to Emerald, "Plus we could get a rank up! Win-win!"
"What if that 'great potential' suddenly pops up in a BIG WAY and we have to come back with no…whoever we're meant to take, in tow, huh?" Emerald protested with a whine, "I am NOT gonna get my butt kicked in by Topaz AGAIN!"
"Come on, don't be a scaredy cat." Amber said.
"Just do your job." Sapphire's voice said, "You're allowed to call your Drones if you see fit."
"You heard the guy, let's go!" Amber said.
POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH
Yozora's gaze flickered up to the dark, night sky of Traverse Town, taking in the quiet atmosphere, savoring the cozy warmth of Traverse Town.
"You know, maybe being a total blank isn't so bad." He mused, "Just means I can be anything I want to be…I could be a…a…a football player…or an astronaut!"
The street was empty, most of the people apparently having run at the sight of that Heartless storm. The only sound that rang out was a lone bird who was pecking at some dropped peanuts that someone had spilled. Yozora suddenly felt quite awkward in his sudden exclamation.
…
"SWORD BRO!" Crescent exclaimed as he popped up next to Yozora, "Hey! Been SO LONG, hasn't it, dude?"
The bird's eyes shot open in total surprise and it flew away as if the ground was on fire!
"It's been, like, fifteen minutes." Yozora slowly remarked, blinking twice.
"Time's relative, my man." Crescent said, dismissively, "So, what's the plan? Hey, how about we try swiping Blader's leg and hide it? Yeah, bit of a low-blow, but still, have you seen him shouting death-threats while hopping after ya? It's HILARIOUS!"
Distantly, there was something that sounded like an enraged "Ya Lunar Lunatic!"
"Annnnnd he found where I stashed the other leg." Crescent snickered, mischievously.
"I think I'll give that side activity a PASS, thanks." Yozora sheepishly responded, wincing at the sheer fury in the distant shout. "I may be able to warp ,but I'm not sure if I can out-warp THAT."
"C'mon, what's a little fun gonna-"
THUD!
Something flew from the sky, landing right on top of Crescent.
"Oh, hey, plot. How's it hangin'?" the moon-themed ninja asked, dazedly.
It was immediately followed by more thuds, forming a circle around Yozora. The source was a large, semi-transparent, pale blue crystal about the size of a man...
Which began to shift and alter.
The form they took on were short and stout with no distinct heads, small, glowing red eyes, and a gun barrel for a right arm.
"Plot?" Yozora had about two seconds to process that, before he hastily turned and, with a flash, conjured his katana. He gave it a twirl and entered a ready stance. "Cres, tell me…whiiiich one of your little gang is the overly-enthusiastic rock collector?"
Crescent rolled out from under and, after a few bone mending/realigning cracks, stood next to Yozora, sword drawn before pointing out, "Sword Bro, I've got a one-legged computer nerd, a brickhouse with a rhino fetish, and gun-toting Stupid Sexy Blum. That's the extent of my team. That in mind, who'd have these Super Battle Droid wannabes?"
Suddenly, the sound of cracking glass rang as…SOMETHING swooped Crescent up by his shoulders, ascending higher and higher. It was a mechanical, emerald-green creature, composed of precious rock just as the others were, with a glowing red visor and a set of limbs that looked like a pair of avian wings. Twin spikes jutted out to stab into Crescent's shoulder.
"Sorry Luna-tic! But, y'know, can't have you getting in the way!"
"Luna-tic? You seriously proud of that one?" Yozora asked quizzically, raising a brow.
Beat.
"Look, I'm on a limited time frame! I've gotta WARM UP for my best snappy repartee! I really was the wrong guy for this…"
"GAH!" Crescent yelled as he was suddenly bowled over, impaled by the two spikes. He was then tossed aside into a heap of trash, "Peter…don't tell Harry…until the third movie, then go nuts."
The ninja hoisted himself out, his wounds quickly mending as he did so.
"O-kay, that's just freaky." The man in green commented.
"Get in line, Green Bean." Crescent said.
A roar was heard as another creature lunged out, followed by three others. These ones, though, were made of orange crystals and looked like animals on four legs and covered in spikes. But what was disturbing were four, glowing red eyes and razor-sharp mouths of teeth. When they came into view, they growled at Yozora, circling him like wolves.
"And now, there's THESE things." Crescent murmured, reaching to his belt.
"SO…"
Yozora looked up to see more of the strange, emerald creatures—about three in total—circling overhead. And, on the rooftop, stood a figure clad in a flowing robe the same vivid shade of emerald as the creatures, hood concealing most of his facial features aside from his lower jawline, giving it an almost inhuman appearance.
"Why don't you just make this easy and come with us, nice and peacefully, yeah?" he asked.
"RIIIIGHT. Because I'm totally gonna go with the guys in the creepy hoods commanding monsters." Yozora remarked, dryly.
With a roar, one beast leaped at Crescent…only for the ninja to cleave through it with his sword.
"Generally a wise policy. Didn't listen to my mom when she said that and, well, things didn't end well for me." Crescent commented, tossing a moon-shaped razor disk at another beast. It dodged as another figure came in, this one wearing orange robes and resting a spear over her shoulders.
"Well, took you long enough." Crescent said, readying his sword, "Wanna get personal or just happy to let your Poison Ivy routine take care of the dirty work?"
"See I WOULD…but I like my babies to have some fun and looks like they found a new chew toy!" The girl said, playfully. She then looked at the bifurcated beast and then back to Crescent, who was twirling his sword in his hand, innocently.
"Sorry, kiddo, the dog was rabid and we had to put it down." Crescent said, tossing the katana up before charging at the hooded girl, "FOR SWORD BROOOOOO!"
"Alright…you asked for it, however." With a flick of his wrist, a trail of pale-green, crystalline lights flickered from the hooded man's fingertips. A large, bladed boomerang with a gleaming edge, made from the same, bright green stones as his underlings, appeared with a gust of wind before he slashed it through the air. A small, swirling cyclone had formed from the air slash, racing straight towards Yozora, whose eyes widened…
"Oh boy!" He hastily leapt to the side, before he raced forward, blade pulled back and ready to slash.
The blue crystal soldiers marched around, surrounding Yozora and keeping their gun arms pointing at him.
The girl dodged before sending her spear into Crescent's arm Her hit went right through Crescent's arm, sending it flopping away. The moon-themed ninja yelled at this sudden development.
"GAH! Dude, that is JUST not cool!" Crescent shouted.
"Well, looks like YOU'RE out of the running." The girl said as her beasts went to the arm, licking their fangs.
"'TIS BUT A SCRATCH!" Crescent shouted, kicking away the Beasts, "And I'm not your hambone, doggo!"
"A scratch?! I just took off your arm off!?" The girl shouted in disbelief.
Crescent looked back at his severed arm before pulling his sword out. Awkwardly, he answered, "I've had worse."
Some of the beast were chewing on the arm much like a hyena would a bone. Crescent slashed at them with his sword.
"AND YOU!" Crescent shouted, slashing at them with his sword. Before it could make contact, though, the girl's spear ran through his other arm, sending it flying away with his sword.
"Do NOT touch my babies!" She snarled.
"THEN DON'T EAT MY ARMS! YA KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YA EAT THEM?! …Grows back like everything else, BUT IT TAKES FOREVER!" Crescent shouted, running over to kick at the girl…only for her to dodge as she summoned vines.
"Hope you're able to curve those bullets!" Yozora challenged, watching out the corner of his eye as the green hooded man pulled his arm back, boomerang aimed forward, "'Cuz if you miss? I WON'T."
Yozora conjured the fishing pole in his other hand…but was interrupted by the loud-mouthed, now-armless ninja hopping around.
"CHICKEN!" Crescent shouted, nimbly evading. He made another series of kicks at the girl…who slashed with her spear to cut off one of his legs, leaving the ninja awkwardly balancing on one leg and quite irate, "RIGHT, I'LL GET YOU FOR THAT!"
"Dude…" Yozora murmured, staring blankly at the sight. "Maybe stop charging her head on?"
"Yeah, dude. You've only got ONE leg left!" She said.
"Ha, your guard's down!" the green hood exclaimed, throwing his boomerang. It span wildly, the winds picking up in speed and intensity as it accelerated towards Yozora... who suddenly threw his fishing pole straight towards him. "GUH-?"
In a flash of blue light, he disappeared, just as the boomerang swept past where he stood.
THWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!
And he was promptly greeted by a boot. Square to the face.
"WE'RE INVINCIBLE!" Crescent shouted, while hopping into his hooded foe, nudging into his foe…which was about all he could do at this point. The figure in orange, for her part, looked like she was just DONE with him.
"How'd I get this nutjob? " She muttered, stabbing at Crescent's last leg.
Crescent's de-limbed torso hit the ground as he looked at his empty stumps, leaving him completely immobilized.
"Uh oh." was all Yozora could blankly say, staring at the de-limbed torso and head.
"…I could still bite their legs off." Crescent commented.
"Agh! Man! You don't…DO THAT!" the emerald man complained, standing up, rubbing his face under the hood, "Ow…oww…owowow…okay! Enough being NICE about it!"
The girl summoned more plants to wrap around Crescent's torso, thoroughly fed up with this, "Dude! Just accept defeat already!"
"NOT FOR SWORD BRO!" Crescent shouted…but couldn't do anything.
"What even ARE you people?!" Yozora asked with frustration.
"Well, some people call me Space Cowboy, some call me the Gangster of Love, and some people call me Maurice." Crescent answered.
"Not you." Yozora exclaimed.
And then the winds picked up in intensity. Twofold. Then TENfold.
"You want to tell him or should I?" the female figure said
"Who are we? WHO ARE WE, he asks?!" the green figure laughed, lifting himself off the roof; floating higher and higher in the air. His hood flew off with the intensity of the wind, revealing thick, fluffy, dark-green hair, tufting up at the top, with vivid, bright emerald eyes and pale skin. His sleeve pulled back, Yozora could now notice, embedded on the back of his left hand, an emerald stone; stabbing into his form via small spikes…the veins glowing a soft, pale green, as the winds flared and intensified.
"We're the new big kahunas round here! The name's Emerald!"
The girl removed her own hood showing a dark-skinned young woman with a mischievous smile. She had orange eyes, long black hair that tumbled down her shoulders, and on her shoulder with an orange amber which glowed with faintly orange veins coming through her.
"And I'm Amber! Glad to you meet you!" She smiled.
"Dun-dun-duuuuun…" Crescent said, ominously.
"Right…" Yozora said, "Pleasure's all mine…"
WHOOSH!
The fishing rod went sailing across the rooftops.
"Except-" he paused, dropping down and grabbing Crescent's torso, tucking it, with a grunt, under his arm, "No, not really."
And, in a flash of blue, he disappeared.
…
…
"Oh, C'MON!" Emerald comically groaned, "I did that cool, epic intro with the windswept hood removal and everything!"
"It's okay, Emmy. I thought it was cool." Amber said, patting his back.
"Thanks, Amber. That means a lot." Emerald said, still dejected.
A familiar, but also annoyed voice then said…
"I suppose I'll have to deal with this, then." The two looked behind them…and caught sight of the man in blue. He immediately vanished with a loud SCREECH.
"We're shattered aren't we?" Amber asked.
"Meep." Emerald merely squeaked, eyes shrinking.
POHPOHPOHPOHPOHPOH
Elsewhere…
"You came, you saw, you warped outta there!" Crescent shouted in triumph, "Oh hey, is this the third district? HEY, YOU CAN SEE MY BASE FROM HERE! So, Sword Bro, what's the plan…besides getting my limbs and avoiding those color-coordinated crapheads?"
Indeed, he was still very much a de-limbed torso.
"Working on it as I go." Yozora admitted sheepishly, still carrying the de-limbed torso. "I can only warp as far as I can throw my weapons!"
"Hey, I could see this turning out to be a beautiful-"
WHAM!
A figure in blue robes came out of nowhere to kick Yozora, sending Crescent tumbling away.
"Ow. Oof. Gah! AH! THOSE TAKE A WHILE TO HEAL!" Crescent yelped.
The figure in blue stood tall as he landed gracefully. In contrast, Yozora flew across the alleyway before he finally crashed down and landed amidst a pile of trash from an upturned can. Spluttering and heaving, he lifted himself back to his feet, knees quaking.
"Much more trouble than necessary." The man in blue said, taking out a metal rod before belting Yozora over the head with it.
THWACK!
Yozora crashed down to the floor once more with a loud 'THUD'.
And yet, still…he tried to push himself back up, shaking his head. Once he was, albeit wobbly, on his feet, he conjured his katana and entered a weak stance.
"I can do this all day…" he said, shaking his head, trying to blink the stars out of his line of vision.
"…You have spirit." The man in blue said, "Try to get stronger. For me. Please."
He used the metal bar to knock the katana aside before taking another one and smashing it into Yozora's face. That one did it. Yozora rolled and tumbled back, hitting the ground with a CRASH, eyes fogging over as the entire world span uncontrollably. The man in blue grabbed him and dragged him away.
"HEY! YOU'RE NOT LEAVING WITH SWORD BRO!" Crescent shouted, "NOT UNTIL YOU FIGHT ME, BLUE-Y!"
The blue man looked down at Crescent before shrugged, "Fine. Call it a draw."
He walked away. All Crescent could do was shout, "HEY! GET BACK HERE! I'LL BITE YOUR LEGS OFF!"
The man in blue returned to Emerald and Amber. He then deposited Yozora's semi-conscious form in front of them, "You can handle him like THIS, can't you?"
"Yes, sir…" Amber said meekly
"Yes, Saph! Of course, Saph! We got this!" squeaked Emerald, shrinking back.
"Good." The man in blue said before vanishing with another screech noise.