Ch. 2-3 Neighbors in Disguise
Mall ΩMega: Contest Crowd
Illan couldn't be more satisfied with how well this outing has been going. This mall was certainly everything Barb promised and more. Not only was she able to find the perfect bedroom set for herself, but one for Octus too. She was even able to find a decent living room, and kitchen set as well. Now she was partaking in a local charity to help a children's hospital. It was all so very exciting. The fact that the locals were so involved in their community was so inspiring, it reminded her of home in a more positive light. Perhaps once all the remodeling is done, she could visit this new hospital wing and read to all the children there.
"Ladies and Gentlemen we like to take a moment to thank you all for your participation in our raffle." A young male volunteer stated from his position on the stage, causing the crowd to gather closer. "Thanks to all your efforts we've raised enough money to help finish repairing the pediatrics wing at our local hospital!" The news was given an enthusiastic round of applause and cheers. "From all of us at Suites Allure tailoring, Apple of my Eye vision center, and Cerebral Cybernetics, Thank You!" Once again the crowd erupted into applauses at the welcomed news. The people were just glad to hear that something good was coming out of all the destruction they've recently suffered. "Now for the main event, get your tickets ready!"
"Ooo, here it comes." Barb whispered excitedly, clutching at her ticket. She always loved the anticipation of a potential win.
"Everyone sure is excited." Ilana noted, getting excited herself. The enthusiasm was certainly catching among the crowd. "I wonder what this mystery prize is."
Remembering that this was the girl's first experience with a raffle, Barb thought back to the some she had previously taken part in. "Probably a fancy new dishware set for the kitchen." That would certainly come in handy for them right now. At least until they receive their order from the store. "Maybe even a microwave or blender." Come to think of it, they should probably check out the appliance store before they leave just to make sure they had a quick way to make dinner tonight. "Or maybe some new home décor items not out in stores yet."
"Ladies and Gentlemen, it's time to unveil the mystery grand prize…" After a quick dramatic pause the curtain was pulled back and out stepped not a volunteer with any kind of appliance, but a young man dressed in a white collared shirt with the collar open and the long-sleeves rolled back in a casual manner. An indigo blue vest molded the shape of his chest, and black slacks that came down to brown dress shoes. His shoulder length black hair was tied back and was a stark contrast to his fair complexion, his dark eyes shown with awkward trepidation behind modest spectacles and his smile was anything but genuine as he was lead to the center of the stage by a rather large and burly looking man. "That's right, folks! The mystery grand prize is none other than the elusive Crowned Prince of Cerebral Cybernetics himself!"
Ilana could only gasp in horror. A person?! The grand prize was a person?! A living, breathing, thinking person?! She couldn't believe it as she watched the barbaric display unfold before her. She knew this planet was vastly different from her home but she never would've thought that slavery, of all things, would be an active practice here. The way all of these girls were just eyeing the poor boy onstage like predators was horrific! The way he was forced to just stand there and take it while his statistics were mentioned like a prized bull brought to market with a smile on his face… a fake smile that never reached his eyes… was just tragic! To think that she too had been so excited over the idea of winning a prize that she actually paid money for such an event.
No.
She couldn't do it. She just couldn't sit back and let this happen. She had to do something before he was sold off! Seeing that everybody was so distracted by the revolting display, Ilana carefully but surely snuck away to a more private corner of the food court. Even from the shadow of column she could see the poor boy. The expression on his face made his discomfort clear. He wanted to be anywhere but here. More than likely wanted to be home… with his family. Instead he had been spirited away to some hostile place far away from everything he knew and loved. The princess was so lost in her outraged thoughts that she didn't even hear the announcer explained terms of winning such a prize as she reached for her watch.
"And for one night, one lucky contestant will be spending a full all expense paid evening with the son of Cerebral Cybernetics!" That sent the female demographic into a wave of cheers and cries. A dinner date with a celebrity was a fantasy most tended to wish for. "And the moment you've all been waiting for! The winning ticket is…"
Suddenly there was a huge, bright flash of light, a loud heavy thud, and soon everyone's attention was turned to find a large golden robot had appeared in the middle of the mall. Taken completely off guard, the surrounding shoppers panicked and scattered in every direction in a flurry of screams. All of this was ignored as the mechanical being saw the burly handler dash towards the prince, took flight, and charged right for the stage. Realizing too late that he was the target, and having no time to react, the would-be trophy boy crossed his arms in front of him and braced for an impact, only to find himself scooped up and airborne.
Securing the victim in her arms, and seeing no readily available exit, the robotic abductor turned her attention to a vacant wall and unleashed shot out a laser from her forehead. With exact precision, she literally carved out a large arch, before blasting the center, causing the section to collapse and make a neatly cut hole to fly through. Where they were met with the military forces that have been patrolling the city streets. The ensuing panic alerted the soldiers and had them aiming for the perceived threat, even firing several rounds on instinct. Yet it was an exercise in futility for that ammunition never came close to their target due to a force field being brought up by the assailant.
"Stop!" A voice cried out from within the mall as a woman, formally dress and looking absolutely panic stricken as she waved her hands in a near desperate attempt at getting their attention. "You might hit the boy!" Dr. Genn shouted as she drew attention to the teenager that was struggling in the grip of his capture.
Seeing that there was a hostage involved, the soldiers held their fire, but kept their weapons trained on the threat. Meanwhile, Rudish had been trying to sneak up on the kidnapper from behind. A quick glance around allowed him to identify sturdy objects near where the mechaniod was hovering. Almost instantly he sprang forward, using an indoor above ground planter as a springboard, kicked off a column and lunged for the hovering pair. He hit his target as he latched onto their back but couldn't produce enough force to knocked them out the sky. The armored assailant struggled between staying steady, and holding onto their captive as the former soldier held on and tried to reach for his charge from under a metal arm. He plan was to grab a firm hold and drop, hoping that their combine weight would force the robot to let go. However, the golden bot noticed and spun around suddenly. Too suddenly to react to as Rudish lost his grip and was half flung towards the ground. Recovering quickly, the man rolled into the fall and saved himself from injury before springing back to his feet and dashing forward again.
Seeing the second attempt coming, the robot activated some form of booster and sped off with its prisoner. Without missing beat, Rudish gave chase, spotting a police motorcycle in the crowd, effectively stealing it from the distracted officer and began a high speed pursuit. "Alert, alert the package has been carried off by some kind of armored assailant." Rudish reported into the built in communicator in his watch, as he maneuvered the motorcycle around traffic "Package is air-born and heading East. I'm in pursuit." A sudden gridlock had him popping a wheelie in order to squeeze in between the bewildered drivers before using an empty transport truck as a ramp to fly over the worst of it before landing and continuing the chase. "They're moving too fast! I'm losing visual!" Rudish shouted as he did all he could to keep them in his sight.
Egypt
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, the massive multi-headed creature suddenly picked up a signal. A signal that did not resonated with the many alien signals it had been filtering through since it landed. Comparing it to the signal it had been given by its master, it quickly confirmed that it was indeed its target. The princess. Turning towards the direction of the source, the mechanical beast activated its built in jets and took off into the night. Leaving behind a city of confused, terrified, and worried citizens wondering: What was that thing? What did it want? Where was it going?
Sherman City
Lance didn't know what was happening, only that he had been grabbed. Almost instantly he had began struggling to free himself, however the firm grip was reinforced with robotics. He couldn't strike at the joints, neck, or head like he had been taught effectively enough to get his abductor to let him go. When Rudish suddenly grabbed his would be kidnapper from behind he had doubled his efforts only to become complete disoriented as the world began to spin. He tried grabbing for his body guard, but couldn't reach him in time before he was flung off and the wind picked up wildly, as well as what felt like G-forces pressing down on him before it all stopped. He opened his eye to find that he was still a prisoner and renewed his fight for freedom again.
"Please stop struggling." A calm and not at all threatening voice pleaded. "I don't what to drop you." The claim had the human freezing in her grasp and actually looking down to realize exactly how high they actually were. In a moment of panic, the young man began gripping at his abductor. Whom, in turn, simply cradled him gently for more support. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you, I promise."
The comforting tone confused the youth enough to look at his capture in the face and realize that the technology he was looking at was eerily familiar. Familiar in the sense that it wasn't a robot at all but a mechanical suite. "I don't believe this…" Was this some rival of their company pulling some stunt to grab attention? Whomever they were, he decided to subtly reach for his watch and activate the built in homing beacon. His father had always feared he would get lost or taken when he was younger and gifted the device to him, insisting that he'd never remove the band.
"Believe it." The person inside the armor stated in an odd tone of reassurance before he could question them on their intent. "You're free now."
That statement was most unexpected. "What? Free?" What in the world is this person talking about?
"Yes." Female. The voice was female. Disoriented, but female none the less. "I never thought that something as horrible as slavery would exist here." She stated in a tone that was both disappointed and disgusted at the same time as she continued her flight path. "Such practices were abolished on my planet long ago." She needed to figure out where might be a safe place to take him to.
The first word his mind latched onto was: "Planet?" As in, 'Not of Earth'. As in alien. As in the life beyond the stars his dad had always spoken of in the flesh and bone. Then his mind latched on to another. "Wait, slavery?" That one confused him more than anything else that has happened today and had him looking up at his captor more than a little bewildered. "Y-you thought I was being sold?"
This earned him a form of side glance from the technically sightless eyes. "They paraded you out in front of a large crowd and were offering you up as a prize after collecting what I can only assume was a large sum of money from everyone."
Oh.
Ooooh.
When put like that, the description really did seem like how a slave trade would be conducted. Which meant that from this being's perspective, he was a victim of trafficking. "Yeeaah, um, I think there's been a misunderstanding here."
"What do you mean?"
Oh boy, how was he supposed to explain this one? "Um, well, uh, yeah, I was a prize for the raffle." This was going to make for a very awkward situation, but it was better than having a full on fight break out in the middle of the city over a simple mistake. "But I, kinda, sort've, volunteered for it?"
"What?!" The rather shocking revaluation had her fumbling her hold for a moment, causing the boy to grab onto her all the more with a surprised yelp. "Sorry! Sorry." The mechanical female had him in a koala hold by the time she steadied herself once again. "Why would you ever volunteer for such a thing?" The very idea that one would willing be used and view as property was completely unbelievable to her.
"It's what we call a fundraiser. A charity. We're raising money for the children's wing at the local hospital by raffling off prizes." The raven haired boy explained, opting to look directly at her and completely forget about the fact that he was still flying through the air in the arms of what was undoubtably an alien. "The original prize was suppose to be a cruise, but after that fire monster attack… all ships were docked and restricted until the military is sure the water was safe." It wasn't long before they landed on a random rooftop while the golden robot continued to hold her new charge, not even realizing that there was no need to anymore. "The charity in charge had been planning this for weeks and had finally reached their goal, if they couldn't come up with something they'd have to refund the money and the hospital would have to wait even longer for more funds." Although he couldn't see it, the girl inside the mech had been studying him in abject wonder of his tale. It was clear that he held a soft spot for the injured and sickly. "People know me for my work in several industries, and everyone always wishes they could date a celebrity so… I volunteered to go on a blind date the winner."
"Blind date?"
Right, if raffles weren't a thing, why would random dates be? "Um… It's a type of social engagement only you do it with someone you haven't met before." Okay, even he has to admit that sounded suspicious when said out loud. Maybe he should elaborate a little more. "Normally, the goal is to get to know each other and see if you're compatible, but in this case I'm just suppose to show them a pleasant time."
A very strange concept indeed. It almost sounds like a diplomatic arrangement, only without the end goal of a political alliance or benefits. And yet… the very idea that this heir of Cerebral Cybernetics was willing to go so far for those is need… It was so selfless. "That's so… noble of you."
The unexpected compliment had him flushing. "N-noble?" He's been called a lot of things, but no one has ever used that term in reference to him before. "Uh, n-no, I wouldn't- I mean…"
"You care so much for your people that you'd willingly sell yourself for them." Such devotion she could most certainly understand for she too would do anything to save her own people if she could. "What a compassionate prince."
Not really used to such genuine admiration, the young man found himself rubbing at the back of his neck in some embarrassment. "Uh, actually, that's just a title I won in a pageant when I was younger." He explained while really hoping that he wasn't blushing right now. "I'm not really-"
"What's a pageant?"
Sherman City: Street Level
The roaring of a motorcycle engine filled the streets as Rudish weaved in an around traffic in a controlled rush. He even went as far as to use the siren to force a hole to be made for him to ride through. However, there was only so far he could go before forcing himself to stop and park.
"Hrrr, where did they go?" The former MP growled under his breath as he franticly scanned the now empty skies.
He had been driving straight on hoping to catch a glimpse of his charge and his assailant ever since he lost sight of them. Looking for anything he could to give him a clue as to where they had gone. Smoke trails, the sound of roaring jets, people freaking out and pointing; literally anything! All the while he mind was racing for anything information he knew about any other companies that were developing similar technology. There were none to his knowledge.
Whomever these people were, they went right for the boy and no one/nothing else. Terrorist threat? Unlikely. The tech was far too specific to not be recognized and there was no known sigil of any kind. Espionage? Maybe. Yet there had been no demands or ransom. Corporate sabotage? Probable. Just because they keep their best tech classified, doesn't mean it was one hundred percent secure.
"Hm?" A beeping sound caught his attention and had him looking at his communicator watch. The small screen sporting a blinking dot flashing among the city's layout. A dot that gradually became immobile roughly a few blocks away. "Good boy." The bodyguard praised under his breath before turning the motorbike and gunning it down the street.
Sherman City: Rooftops
Ilana, still in her armor, had long since placed Lance down on an air conditioning unit and had been leaning next to it as they chatted. Their little questionnaire had blossomed into a somewhat cultural exchange as they each explained how certain things worked within their respective societies. The princess had already known about the natives' placing such importance on social statuses and their uses of fashion to convey their standing, but she had no idea that they committed entire events around such things. Competition seemed to be highly brutal too from what Lance mentioned of his earlier years. She would almost compare it to a gala that had been made into a sporting event, honestly. Lance proved to be equally curious about her and her society, asking questions about atmospheric conditions, ecosystems, social structures, type of government, laws, wither or not her people were humanoid. He explained that although many have theorized that they weren't alone in the universe, the people of Earth have never actually had any real contact with anything beyond their own solar system.
"So there really are other worlds similar to Earth?" Lance asked excitedly, leaning into the conversation all the more.
"Yes. It's one of the reasons we chose to land on your planet." Ilana stated, delighted by his eagerness to learn. "Your atmosphere is almost identical to our home."
"Really?" A near identical atmosphere means that her species breathes oxygen just like humans do. "What's the difference?"
The questions had her shifting a little awkwardly. "Well… No offense… but ours is… cleaner..." She stated apologetically, clearly trying hard not to offend.
A beat passed between them. Then another. Then soon after Lance face palmed in understanding. "You know what? That's fair." Pollution has been a problem for generations at this point, but having an alien from another world point it out made it feel like having a guest come to your home when it's a mess.
"Sorry."
Just then the whole of the surrounding area shook violently and without warning. People and automobiles alike were shaken by the sudden impact of something slamming into the ground. The resulting tremor nearly had Lance toppling off the unit he was sitting on, if Ilana hadn't caught him in time. A roar broke out from behind them and soon they were met with a horrifying sight. The princess instantly recognized the multi-headed, cybernetic abomination that appeared in the city. A Mega Beast.
"Oh no! How did it find me?" She had known that engaging with the last one would have confirmed that she was planet side, but how could they have possibly known to send another monster to the near exactly location she was actively in?
"Find you? Wha-?" The next thing Lance knew, he was carried off into the air again.
Down below a motorcycle that had been speeding up the street only for the rider to look up at the sound of jets shooting off. The figure of a golden robot and someone being carried in its arms could barely be made out. Suddenly the rider made a sharp U-turn, leaving tire marks on the old asphalt, before chasing after the two.
Ilana didn't waste any time landing a good distance away before releasing her passenger. "Go!" The golden alien ordered with a half shove to get the Earthling to start running for cover. "Get to safety, I'll handle the beast!" She had to get to it before it caused any serious harm to the people.
"Wait!" Lance managed to quickly turn and grab a hold of her metal wrist before she could take off, prompting her to look back at him. Worry for her safety marred his rather handsome face. "W-will I see you again?" He asked almost hesitantly. "I-i…"
Toughed by this simple act of caring, the golden mech kneeled down and cupped his cheek. "I'd like that too, Sweet Prince."
There was a small pause where they simply looked into each other's eyes before the ground shook once again. The beast was getting closer. The extraterrestrial then stood back up and took off towards the sky, shooting the monster to get it attention before leading it away. The teenager stood partly stunned and partly awestruck as the ensuing battle. At least until the roaring of an engine tore through the air as his bodyguard came around the corner and braked hard right in front of him.
"Lance!" Rudish shouted, half leaping off the motorbike and rushing to his charge and quickly assessing him for damage. "Are you alright? Anything broken?" Eyes were clear, no swaying or imbalance, no obvious bruising from what he could see, not even a scratch.
"No, no, I'm fine." The teenager stated in response while placing his hand on the adult to ground him and prove that he was safe. "She didn't hurt me."
"She?" However, before the bodyguard could inquire further, another enraged roar commanded the attention of all whom were near. Sounds of weapons firing and detonating accompanied the inhuman sound as a battle grew among the panic. "You need to go." Rudish stated coldly and he watched the fight. "Now."
"But-"
"That was an order,Corporal!" The veteran commanded in authority, using the ranking he had given the boy long ago. "Go!" Lance blinked, and gave a determined nod of acknowledgment before running off out of sight. With that Rudish turned to glare at the threat. Analyzed the probability of the conflict escalating. Calculated the odds and time needed for help to arrive. And finally reached for his watch.
Meanwhile
Since Ilana had a proper escort watch over her, Octus had gotten quite a bit of work done. The attic was successfully converted into their personal command post so that they could monitor for any Rift activity. They're security and computing system was up and intergraded into the house and have fully synchronized. Now he was finishing setting up the last of the field dampeners that will shield their Galalunian energy signatures thus allowing them to avoid detection from the enemy. Good thing too, because he had received an alert of the Rift opening not too long ago, hence the need to set up the field dampeners.
Just then the sophisticated robot sensed a familiar energy signal and turned towards it. Magnifying his vision to the point of being telescopic, Octus was able to see into the city limits. He discovered his charge, along with the mysterious Magnus, engaged in a battle with a Mutraddi Mega Beast.
Sherman City
Ilana flew low through the now empty streets, trying to use the surrounding buildings to slow and restrict the mechanical creature's movements. The five-headed canine roared as it trailed behind, snapping its many jaws at its prey. Ilana weaved in, out, and around each and every maw, zapping it with her laser, but to no avail. The armor was too thick. At one point had the brilliant idea to jump just far enough to get in close enough that the princess found herself surrounded on all side by the heads. Yet before the heads could all attack, a multitude of rapid fired missiles shout out and struck each one. Ilana turned to find that her savior was none other than the Magnus as he attacked again with another unforgiving barrage. Yet all it did was create a smoke screen rather an actual damage.
"It won't be enough!" Ilana shouted towards the Earth guardian as she flew up to him. Even if his armor was designed for combat, that Mega Beast was too heavily armored for either of them to hurt it. "We need to meet up with Octus and form our robot."
"Octus? Wha-?" However, the Earth soldier's question was interrupted by a monstrous roar and the snapping of jaws.
Not giving the Magnus time to argue, she grabbed his hand and began pulling him along, out of the city and towards the suburb. The Mega Beast chased after its targets as fast as its heavy body would allow. Crushing anything unfortunate enough to be underfoot in its pursuit.
However, their frantic route was suddenly stopped by the appearance of her guardian robot. "Octus, you found us."
"Why are you in your armor?" The guardian asked them as the beast attempted to catch up at its lumbering pace. "The creature is tracking its signal."
"Wait, it's after you specifically?!" Magnus asked surprised that there was a more explicit reason that these monsters are targeting this particular city. "Then, that's a Mutraddi?" It didn't look anything like the creature that attacked before. If the entire species is as diverse as it is monumental in size, than they were going to need more serious counter attacks.
"Worse. It's a Mutraddi Mega Beast." The golden femme bot informed the soldier as they watched the creature slowly approach them. "One of the many dangerous creatures that roam on their planet."
"Only this one seems to have been augmented with cybernetic enhancements." Octus informed the Earth soldier as he scanned the creature on all available spectrums. The massive creature didn't have the speed to keep up with their thrusters, and wasn't nearly as destructive as the last one.
"Our only chance is to merge like before and form our robot." Ilana declared, determined to end this new threat. "We need to work together if were going to save these people."
"Can we do that again?" Magnus asked, remembering that the first time had been under extreme circumstances and an absolute Hail Mary of a save.
"The part of my programming that allowed the transformation is still active, and your armor is compatible technology." Octus informed the soldier simply.
The Mega Beast was getting closer. There was still so much that they didn't know about this feature they somehow share. Yet there was no doubt that this may be the best option they have at defeating this latest threat. "Alright. Lets do this."
"Engage-"
"Titan." The golden mech stated suddenly.
"Titan?" The purple mech questioned in some confusion.
"That's what your people call us." She explained simply.
"I like it." Octus stated, before activating the program. "Engage Symbionic Titan." In a flash of light the merging took place and soon that Titan was standing tall and ready.
The lumbering hydra-dog finally caught up to the signal, only to find an equally colossal mechanical being staring it down. It radiated with the Galalunian energy that it had been hunting down and so it knew it to be the enemy. With an enraged roar, the main head shot out an energy blast from its maw at its target. Titan quickly planted its stance, clapped its hands, unleashing a blue energy that soon stretched and spread into a protective dome as it open its arms wide. The blast hit its mark, but the impact was diverted along the curved surface, along and around until it hit the ground violently. Seeing that redirecting the blast would cause untold damage to the surrounding homes and buildings, Titan switched tactics and allowed the beast to get close. It then proceeded to engage in hand to head combat, landing a blow on one, only to realize too late that it had left an opening for another head to clamp down on it's left arm. It managed to block and strike again with its right hand, before another head captured it in the same manner. The heads tugged hard in an attempt to drag its prey closer; the strain of the manhandling could be felt in the mindscape of the pilots, before Titan countered with a savage kick to the underbelly.
This action angered the greatly, having it roar before the two heads that held the Titan shifted and pulled so suddenly that it was off the ground and flung off to the side. The enormous hard light body managed to turn in its decent and ungracefully tried to catch itself while doing all it could to not to hurt any of the civilians that were running for cover."Watch out!"Ilana warned as by some miracle, the only things that suffered were trees, sidewalks, the road, and a pool that hand its waters contaminated by an understandably frighten little boy who wasn't expecting to see a giant looming over him.
Titan looked behind itself and found that the Mega Beast was charging at them again. Crushing anything and everything underfoot without regard."No! No more!"Magnus declared and had their shared body charging the monster.
Titan tackled the beast low, latching onto its underbelly, and then immediate leapt into the air. The maneuver had enough force to propel both of them out of the city limits and into the dense wooded area, however the uneven ground caused the Titan to lose it's footing and land roughly. The amount of dirt that got kicked up from the impact was thick enough to temporarily blind the trio, thus allowing the beast to recover and get in back on its feet and close. As soon as the dust cleared enough, the monster was standing over the sitting robot and went for the head and arms, pinning its opponent to the ground.
The pressure was enough for the protective casing to protest."There's a volatile energy signature coming from inside the creature."Octus informed the other two as Magnus struggled and strained to free their shared body from the position they were trapped in."But its skin is too thick to penetrate."
Hearing this instantly gave the Magnus an idea."Then that's my target."If a direct assault wasn't going to cut it, then he'll have to get up close and personal. But first he needed to get free."Disengage the link!"
"Oh no, you are not going inside it."Ilana protested, realizing what the Earth soldier was planning to do.
"This thing is threatening my planet! My people!"The bold declaration instantly shut down any further protest."I won't stand by and let it get away with it!"The sheer conviction in his voice more or less commanded obedience as Octus disengaged their link and allowed them to separate.
The Hydra roared in anger at having its prey suddenly disappear. "Magnus, don't!" Ilana shouted out of concern for the soldier.
"I have to!" The Earth guardian proclaim as he took to the air. As he rapidly reached the needed altitude, the Earth warrior activated one of his weapon pods and had it unfurl into a huge lance and charged.
"Magnus!" Ilana shouted in alarm as she watched the warrior fly head first right into the mouth of the Mega Beast and down its throat. "Oh no!"
The Mega Beast paused, almost as if swallowing, undeterred by the fact that it ingested an armed assailant. Magnus flew down the corridor that made up the monster's esophagus until he saw it. A huge glowing core at the center of beast. The energy readings coming off of it were off the scale, it had to be the volatile source that the alien robot, the Octus, had informed him about. Although this could very well be the last thing he'd ever do, the Magnus charged forward without hesitation, piercing whatever protective layer the thing had and thrusting the whole lance up to the hilt. It went up almost instantly.
Outside the Hydra-dog suddenly acted like it was being boiled from the inside. A chain reaction of some kind started violently in the stomach region before spreading out all over. Before long each of the heads exploded one by one, then sections of each neck, before long the body followed. The explosion could be seen from miles. Ilana and Octus stood on baited breath for any signs of this hesitant ally.
The Magnus landed unharmed a way's away and soon stood victorious with the signs of battle all around him. As the smoke and dust settled and clear, it was revealed that the only things left of his target were the legs. It was a breathtaking sight that somehow had her feeling more relieved than she expected too. Seeing this Earth Magnus conviction, his dedication to his people, and the lengths he was willing to go to protect them. It was reminiscent of her father's loyal soldiers.
"I recommend retreating while he's distracted." Octus advised as it was clear that the purple mech was radioing his associates for clean up, and possibly backup.
"You go." The princess stated, watching the Magnus a bit longer before turning towards the city once again. "I have to catch up with Barb, otherwise she'll wonder what happened to me." With this she took off. Octus followed shortly after, leaving a stoic Magnus to catch their departure too late to stop them.
Sherman City: Omega Mall
Managing to land in an empty alley, Ilana quickly deactivated her armor and took a quick look around to see if anyone had noticed anything out of the ordinary. It would seem that the Earth's police and military forces were still sidetracked from the initial attack and haven't left any guards at the mall. All she had to do was sneak back inside and find her, more than likely frantic, escort.
"Okay, now where did-? Ooaf!" However, she collided with a solid body that certainly wasn't her escort.
The arms that lunged out, held and steadied her were strong, with lean muscle, and the torso was long, indicating that whom ever it is was quite tall. "I'm so sorry!" A male voice, laced with concern and embarrassment, spoke. As she looked up, she realized it was the kind prince from before. "I didn't see you." He stated apologetically as he continued to hold her steady about as much as she seemed to be doing to him without realizing it.
"No, no, I wasn't watching where I was going." Ilana stated honestly and just as nervous. Silently hoping that he hadn't noticed anything amiss when she walked out of the alley.
"Ilana!" Barb's near frantic voice caught her attention and she turned to find herself suddenly embraced by her neighbor. "Oh thank goodness you're alright!" The elder brunette pulled back without letting go of the girl's shoulders as she looked her up and down. "I was worried sick when I lost you in the crowd." The utter relief at seeing that she was unharmed almost had her sagging.
"I-I'm so sorry, Barb." The princess apologized as she tried to come up with a valid excuse for her disappearance. "I-I saw that thing and…"
However her express of regret was met with guilt written comfort. "No-no-no, sweetie, you have nothing to apologize for." The woman couldn't possibly even begin to blame the poor girl for running off after seeing something so terrifying.
"Lance!" Another female voice cried out and the male teen turned to find himself rushed by his doctor/tutor. "Thank goodness you're alright." Her critical eye for detail quickly assessing that he was unharmed. "Where's Rudish?"
"Over here!" A deep voice called out and Rudish could be seen jogging up to the group from a perplexed police officer. "Had to return something."
Dr. Gwen met him within a few feet and asked in a whisper. "What even was that thing?" Wither or not she meant the robot or the monster was anyone's guess, but considering everything that has happened it was safe to assume both.
"I don't know." He admitted as he glanced behind him towards the direction of the battle that had taken place not too long ago. He'd seen enough action in his lifetime but that was one for the books. "This is going to make for one long report." He had heard the rumors, seen the news, and read many reports, but to actually see such a thing up close… Their superior is going to want a full disclosure.
During this time Andrews began herding the boy pass them in a silent prompt for the others to follow. "C'mon kiddo. Let's get you back before something else happens."
"Come along, dearie, it getting late." Barb stated, as she lead her charge away in the opposite direction. "I think I see a taxi that's available. I don't think the buses will be running after all of that."
"Sorry again." Lance called over with a polite smile as he was whisked away by his guardians. "It was nice meeting you."
The statement was met with a soft and knowing smile. "Likewise."
Lunis Residence
It took some time and a lot of determination, but Barb managed to flag down a driver willing to take them out of the city and back to the suburbs. Thankfully the newly rebuilt highway had survived and made for a decently straight shot. Octus, in his Issac persona, greeted them at the curb. Barb had been so apologetic over the perceived scare that she quickly jogged to her house and brought out a plate full of freshly baked cookies she had left cooling in her kitchen earlier. Ilana thanked her for their day out and expressed interest in doing it again sometime. The older woman loved the idea and left with a promise to bring breakfast in the morning seeing as there would surely be a delay with their delivery.
Now safe and sound in their new home, the two enjoyed their humble meal on the floor. "These cookies are pretty good." Ilana complemented before helping herself to another.
"Hm." Octuse agreed, grateful that his charge had something to eat for the evening. He'll have to make sure that he had some readily available meals until their order came in.
The silence was comfortable between them, however eventually the princess had to voice her thoughts on the events of the day. "That Magnus… I've never met anyone quite like him before." Whomever he was beneath the armor, he were dedicated to his planet and people if somewhat gun-hoe about it. The way he just threw himself down the maw of that Mega Beast without hesitation had been both terrifying and awe-inspiring. "And I don't even know who he is…"
"He is rather intense." The disguised robot agreed as he ate another cookie, not so much for sustenance as it was for appearances in case someone passed by and looked in through the bare windows. Going as far as to go over the day's recordings.
"I just don't understand." The princess admitted as she recalled the fight from start to finish. "Who is he? He's obviously not one of my father's men and clearly not Galalunian." He didn't recognized her or her crown at all, didn't know about the invasion of her home, didn't know how to identify a Mutraddi, and yet he had undoubtedly had technology that was exclusively from her world. The compatibility of it with their ultimate form was far too seamless for it to be anything else. "How did he get a hold of the Magnus Armor? How does he even know how to work it?"
"A mystery best left for another day." The advanced robot declared as he stood and reach down to help her up to her feet. "Right now, its best that you rest." With that he lead her to the room she had chosen for herself. Octus had managed to create a temporary makeshift bed for the princess until their new furniture arrives. "By the way, Barb came by to drop this off." He added before handing over a snow globe from his inner workings. The same snow globe she saw back at the furniture store. A reminder of her trip, and how it led to meeting the kind prince from the mall.
"Who knows? Maybe you'll find a prince to your princess."
The time they had spent sharing a little about their home and culture had been so delightful. His patient, shy, and soft spoken demeanor was a welcome change from the poor attitude of her school peers. Chances were they weren't going to meet again any time soon, but she didn't see the harm in hoping for another encounter soon.
Sherman City: Omega Mall
Back in the city, a long black car drove up the empty street and right up to the Omega Mall. A cloaked figure silently made his was towards the entrance where a broad and burly figure stood waiting in the shadows. The tall fit frame stood at attention and saluted as none other than Solomon stepped out from the darkness.
"At ease." He stated and the agent obeyed instantly and went to open the doors for him to enter. "Report." He ordered as he passed by in a silent command to follow.
"Sir, Agent Magus was able to record this during the altercation." The agent stated while handing a tablet over to his superior.
On it played a rather intense battle from the point of view of the Magnus battle suite. Its purple appendages could be seen swinging and firing weapons at his opponent as well as two robots that match their special agent's description perfectly. The audio was on low, but it was clear that there was at least one female and one male voice pattern involved. However, just as they agreed to synchronize once again to deal with the threat, both audio and visual suddenly went dark.
"It would seem that merging with the two aliens either interferes or disengages his recording instruments just as much as it does his homing signal." The agent explained as his tried to fast-forward after realizing that there was actually more of the recording. "There a full ten solid minutes of static before coming back online and revealing the aftermath of the monster's destruction."
"Hm." So the aliens were somehow dominating the Magnus armor's entire system during this merging process. This was going to prove to be quite cumbersome in their investigation. Hopefully the mall security cameras will picked something up.
The mall has long since closed after the chaos that had happened earlier in the day. The only ones occupying the building were the mall security guards. One such guard was working monitor duty, only instead of watching the real time videos, he was instead entertaining himself with replaying a previous recording. More specifically a recording of a young girl hiding behind a pillar, her back to the camera, before suddenly jumping transforming into a large golden robot. The guard seemed very absorbed with playing the moment on loop, trying to figure out how it was even done, to the point that he had completely missed someone entering the room.
That is, until he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. Freezing at the random contact, the guard cautiously looked up to find a thin and pale man staring at the screen in front of them intensely. "I'm going to need all of these types."