great chapter. as expected.
You can see a chapter.
Pink was on the chat as I wrote it so she got to see the rough unedited version through private message.
Oh and the story’s edited now so go and read.
Good comrade. :moogle: :biggrin: 
:toast:
Not good, horribly slow 
but my creative fix seems to be just about over now that my school cabaret is done with so I should be able to write, but I need to stay focused. Hey smiles… yeah see, so uh yell at me and stuff and maybe I’ll get motivated. But I’m going to be now, Oh almost forgot. Justp osted to say I’ve finally started writing Chapter 4, I have the uhh first paragraph done and the chapter events list made. But that list means nothing to you people.
Yell at you? Fine.
YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO THE MOTHERLAND! IF YOU CONTINUE IN THIS WAY I WILL INTRODUCE YOU TO THE HEAD OF THE NKVD!!
In fear of discovering what the NKVD is I have finished the chapter, but you have to wait until my editer is done chewing swallowing and digesting it before you can read it.
The NKVD was the Soviet Union’s secret police. It later was renamed the KGB.
People are walking down the street going about their daily routines, men in suits drudging on emotionless. Suddenly a loud humming is heard, a few people stop and look around. The humming grows louder and louder and the air and ground start to vibrate with the humming as it reaches a deafening pitch before a massive bang cracks through the air and a black tear is ripped in the air. Black lightning shoots out of it disintegrating those who stopped to watch, all electrical systems short out and overload causing tiny electrical fires to burst out in a 2-mile radius as the black tear closes revealing a short woman. Her arms and legs are abnormally straight and rather long in comparison to her torso. She wears a strange grey and white uniform, and her silver hair is thrown wildly about from the massive gusts of wind swirling around her. She rises to her feat brushing her hair out of her face and dusting herself off and then looks around and snorts dissatisfied, “Why would he ever want to come to a place like this?”
<center>***</center>
Seth looks at the blue haired woman as she leads him down the hall with Seishero and Cory on either side of him and sighs. The woman glances back, "Is something the matter?"
Seth snorts and glares at the woman annoyed, "Of course something's the matter, I'd call being kidnapped and dragged away to some secret organisation a problem."
The woman laughs, "I wouldn't call this kidnapping so much as I would temporarily relocating. If you choose to leave you'll be free to go; not that anyone's ever wanted to. Feel free to ask any questions you must have."
Cory looks at the many blank doors in the long white hall they are walking along, "Who are in all these rooms?"
The woman looks at Cory and shrugs sighing, "Those rooms are used to hold the prisoners. All criminals we've captured that wouldn't be confined by a normal prison cell."
Seth snorts, "Criminals, I'm sure. What are they really, people like me who decided they didn't like this little organisation? Or is it where you lock up all your-"
Seishero cuts Seth off mid sentence and get right in the woman's face with a very disgruntled look and grumbles, "Chibi Miloe wants to know your name."
The woman backs away from Seishero quickly and looks at her confused and disoriented almost falling over, "Chibi Miloe... wha." She locks her eyes on the small cat plushie that Seishero is holding and stares at it dumbfounded, "You mean that plushie? Could it be..." The woman tries to grab the cat but Seishero jumps back screeching and hides behind Seth.
The woman sighs again, "Ah, why do they always make me escort the children, can't they find ANYONE else to do the job, I am known as Celestia Divine, but you can call me Celest."
Cory lifts his head and asks calmly, "Who exactly are the Solars?"
Celest regains a straight posture and smiles. "Now that's a good question. This answer is really simplified but we are an international organisation that devotes ourselves to keeping the world safe by tracking down those with potentially threatening powers," She looks directly at Cory and Seishero, "and protecting those with dangerous powers from the rest of the world."
Seth laughs sarcastically, "Aren't you all just a bunch of saints. I suppose you're going to wow us with some stories of all the people you've saved now."
Celest snorts at Seth and a look of anger flashes across her face. "I don't like your attitude, if you don't trust us that's your business, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't treat us like the scum of the universe. Especially considering the situation you're in."
Cory gets a concerned look on his face, "What do you mean by that?"
Celest smiles, "You don't know? HA! You really don't know? I have to say I'm amazed you lasted as long as you did in the open. Dimenstra-Tek Corporation is not to be taken lightly; their forces rival even ours. It is a horribly secretive organisation appearing to be a perfectly friendly research corporation developing new treatments for diseases, new fuel sources, and other "environmentally friendly means to enhance people's lives" when really, all they do is steal ideas from others. They spend most of their resources developing a super army, and they are dead set on capturing all three of you."
The group goes quiet for several seconds as they walk down the hall when finally Celest stops and opens a door. The strong fragrance of incense wafts from the room, as the air is thick with its smoke as they enter. An old woman is sitting behind a table meditating. Her wrinkly grey skin seemed to be an extension of the room's smoke making her hard to spot at first. Her colourful clothing, some chaotic designers descent into insanity, cling tightly to her skin seeming to be most. Without opening her eyes she speaks, "Close the door behind you, It takes 12 minutes to fill this room with incense and your letting it waft out."
Celest quickly closes the door and the woman nods her head and asks with a slight chuckle, "Celest what brings you here?"
Celest bows to the ancient woman, "I have brought 3 possible initiates."
The ancient woman laughs again, "No need to explain, I foresaw your arrival a few hours ago. Please have a seat." 4 chairs seem to appear out of nowhere and they all sit down, "Now, our guests are very interesting indeed. I can tell that they will be very important. Seishero Nanami, Cory Davis, and Seth Davis. You are all confused and unsure of the path you should choose in life. Cory, you have been contaminated by a very small amount of Gregin X, but it is growing and slowly destroying your body, do you really think you can survive without the help of this organisation?" Cory tries to speak but Celest motions for silence, "Seishero, your father is being held prisoner by Demenstra-Tek, do you want to rescue him, we can help. And finally Seth, oh Seth you are the most interesting soul I've seen in a long time, Forever cursed to spend eternity being dragged into other people's problems. A shame, you have no inherited abilities that will ever allow you to be more than average. You may leave now."
Celest pushes Seth, Cory, and Seishero out of the room. The ancient woman waits for the door to close and pulls a cell phone out of her pocket, "Two will not join of their own will."
Celest leads them around the building showing them various facilities including a training room, a massive library and computer users paradise before finally stopping in a waiting room. The three sit on an expensive couch while Celest sits in a comfortable chair and looks at them all, "So, I've taken you for the tour, and now it's time to ask, will you join us?" Cory and Seishero both look hesitantly at Seth.
Seth shakes his head, “As interesting as this place is, It’s almost as bad as the Demenstra-Tek Corporation you’re trying to protect us from. You all kidnapped us, you’re a secret organisation, and you may try and justify why but you are building a super army as well. I don’t see why you’re any better than they are and would rather take my chances without your help. So if the offer to leave is still present, I think I’ll take it, where is the door.”
Celest frowns, "I see, and you two are going with him?" Seishero nods, standing and clinging to Seth, and Cory looks from Celest to Seth, and then nods his head after Seth gives him an angry glare.
Celest stands and sighs, "If you live long enough you'll be back. I'll send someone out to escort you away from here."
Celest leaves the room and Cory looks at Seth angrily, "I think you're being very inconsiderate here Seth. Just because you're a conspiracy nut doesn't mean you should treat all organisations like they are evil. You did say we needed to make allies."
Seth snaps his head at Cory, "If you want to join them go ahead, I'm not stopping you, but just know that you'll be on your own, Right Seishero?"
Seishero nods afraid, "Yes, Um Dubby Dub, Chibi Miloe is telling me we should run now. He says that they won't be very happy that we're not joining them."
Seth looks at Cory, "You don't think they'll...-"
Cory laughs annoyed, "After the way you treated them, I wouldn't be surprised. You have a horrid method of making friends."
Seth walks up to the door and attempts to open it and finds it locked, "Why would they lock the door without telling us if they were going to escort us out of here?"
Cory starts to pace about the room, "We need to get out of here now. Seishero, I don't suppose you can blow the door down with that mind blast of yours."
Seishero crawls into a ball in response to Cory's comment and Seth sighs, "Seishero, I know you're scared, but we really need your help on this. Can you control your... powers?"
Seishero whimpers and shakes her head. Cory puts his hand on his head, "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking, don't worry about it. There must be another way out of this room."
Seth glances around the room slowly, just the one door, no windows, really dull artless walls, a bookcase on one wall full of dusty books, a large vent with a couch beneath it, a clear glass table and a lazy boy chair. Seth walks up to the vent and looks at it. "It's really screwed on tightly but I think we could crawl through it if we got it open."
Cory jumps on the couch and looks at the vent smiling, says, “It doesn’t look too sturdy though,” before ramming his fist through the vent cutting it up pretty badly but it quickly heals. He then rips the vent wide open and crawls in, “Hurry up you two, we need to leave now.” Seth helps Seishero into the vent and then follows after her.
<center>***</center>
Celest walks into an office, "Sir, I'm sorry to announce that they've decided to refuse membership. We should send someone to escort them home immediately."
A man in a black suit with a cigar in his mouth smiles, "We are already aware of their refusal and they are being escorted from the building as we speak. Don't worry about them, our organisation will keep and eye on them and make sure they stay safe, now you've been out of action for a few days, I think you should head to training and make sure your skills are up to date. I heard you had a several second casting delay over your usual time in the fight before you came here."
Celest nods and walks away, "Understood sir. I'll get right on it." Celest walks out of the room and starts down the hall when she sees several men in black suits run past and almost knock her over. Celest dodges into a room and realises she's in the master security room.
A guard sees her and looks up as the monitor he's looking at is flashing red, "Hey Celest, what brings you here?"
Celest looks at the monitor, "What's going on there."
The guard shrugs, "Some prisoners are trying to escape through the ventilation system, the boss ordered me to send some guards to cut them off."
Celest looks at the monitors, "What do they look like?"
The guard hits a button on one of the monitors and Seth and the others are shown climbing through the vent. Celest shakes her head and screams, "That lying scumbag. He never intended to let them go." Celest runs out of the room and storming down the hall.
<center>***</center>
Cory quickly crawls through the vents with Seishero and Seth scrambling to keep up. Cory keeps on going looking around randomly with no idea where to turn, "It would help if we knew where we were going."
Seishero speaks really quietly, "Chibi-Miloe can find the way out."
Seth looks at Seishero and starts to say something stops and then speaks, "Well, I suppose it's better than scrambling around blindly, Cory, let her lead the way."
Seishero nods and passes Cory and starts leading the way. Cory looks at Seth and sighs, "I hope you're right about this."
The 4 of them continue on for a while before Seishero finally stops before a grating, and quickly starts pushing on it, "We have to go now. Chibi-Miloe says the guards will be here soon." Cory and Seth both start pushing with Seishero and the grate pops off onto the ground taking them with it just as a group of guards runs up.
The guards raise strange grey rifles and point them at the group and Seishero screams and visible ripples smash into the men sending them flying about like bowling pins. Cory looks behind them and sees light coming in from a door at the end of the hall and picks the others up and runs towards it with them as the guards resume their chase. Cory looks back and then stops, "Seth, take Seishero and run as far away from here as possible."
Seth looks at Cory, "You'll meet up with us later right?"
Cory shakes his head, "I'm not going back Seth." And turns to face the guards and gets ready to charge them.
Seth tries to run towards him but Seishero shrieks and starts tugging on his arm. He nods to her and runs towards the door and out into a hospital lobby and through the front doors into the street as Cory stares at the guards, "If you stay exactly where you are things won't get difficult."
One of the guards laughs, "We have explicit orders to capture you and your friends alive, surrender now."
Cory shakes his head, "I think you'll find capturing me difficult, and I won't let you capture the others."
<center>***</center>
The Sun is low in the sky as Seishero looks back at the building now fading in the distance as they finally slow down panting out of breath, "What's going to happen to Cory Dubby Dub? Where are we going to go next?"
Seth shakes his head, "I just don't know Seishero, but WE need to get as far away from this town as possible! My mother should still be at work so we should be able to grab a few supplies from my house and take off without anyone knowing. It's only about 12 blocks from here but we should hurry. Luckily they didn't take us to a facility out of town."
Seth quickly leads Seishero through the strangely deserted streets, all houselights are out and windows are covered as they finally come in sight of Seth’s house. Everything is perfectly normal, except for the black car sitting in front of it and the two cars patrolling the road behind and in front of them. Seth quickly ducks into some bushes with Seishero and looks around panic setting in. “Damn it, they already found out where I live.” Shouts can be heard as men in suits suddenly come running towards him from around a building, drawing pistols as they do. Seishero jumps up and starts running in the opposite direction, towards Seth’s house.
Seth chases after Seishero and catches up to her as Agent Thomson steps around the corner and quickly grabs Seishero's arm. Seishero screams really loudly glows blue for a second and then a massive force sucks Seth and several fence pegs towards her before exploding outwards sending Seth flying towards his house and through the massive crack in the wall formed by the blast. Thomson holds tightly onto Seishero and seems unaffected and he quickly slaps her over the back of the head knocking her out and drops her to the ground. He then looks inside at Seth and steps through the hole in the wall as dust starts falling from many sections of the roof. Seth is lying on the kitchen floor with his head propped against a wall bleeding from the back and him moaning. Suddenly a piece of floor collapses under Thomson and he jumps back. He notices the collapsing structure and steps out of the crack laughing as a beam slams into the gas stove causing the gas to flow rapidly. The scraping metal creates a spark causing a small explosion, which is the final blow for the house, and it starts creaking violently as the explosion sets fire to the wall opposite Seth. Seth regains consciousness and slowly notices the wall of fire quickly spreading up the wall and then sees a beam crack loose from the ceiling to plummet towards him and closes his eyes expecting the worst.
He feels nothing and is wrenched to his feet a moment later to see Hiro Moto holding his hand in the air, his stones recharging and two cracked beams on either side of him. Hiro drags Seth out the back door jumping over weak sections of the floor and throws him to the ground as he watches the house collapse into itself burning the whole time.
Hiro looks down at Seth and shakes his head, "Pathetic, I can't believe I owed someone like you a life debt, well my debt is repaid. Whatever you do now, I'm going to stay as far away from it as possible. I'd suggest you get as far away from here as well unless you have some powerful friends." Hiro waits a few seconds for a reply and then storms off angrily as Seth just sits and watches the house burn and doesn't rise until darkness has fallen and the faint sound of fire sirens can be heard in the distance.
Seth walks around the house slowly and notices a small card laying on the ground, The Gregovich's school for gifted children logo shining in the moonlight. Seth picks the card up and a tear comes to his eye as he sees Seishero's picture on the opposite side. Seth puts the card in his pocket and walks down the street face stooped towards the ground and eyes barely open for several minutes not noticing the destruction around him, cars are upturned, windows are smashed, street lamps are bent around bodies. He finally stops when it starts pouring rain and turns to his left. He sees a bar with an open door and slowly walks in sighing. A voice meets his ears as he walks in, "So you've finally come, I was starting to worry you wouldn't."
Seth looks up to see a very strange silver haired woman wearing a grey and white uniform. He then notices the many corpses lying around the bar and attempts to back away. The woman looks towards him with a strange look on her face and then changes to an expression of shock as she sees him. "What the, you're not him, but you're the one I sensed."
Seth looks around to see if he can find a weapon to defend himself with but an unknown force grips him as the woman raises her hand is dragged towards her. She laughs, "I'm not letting you get away. Apparently, my dear friend Aren Comet's soul has been recycled after all this time and I want to get a better look at you. Look at you, nothing but a useless shell. If only your soul was not confined by such a useless body I might be able to finish the duel we started oh so long ago."
Seth looks at the woman extremely scared, "What are you talking about?"
The woman smiles. "I have a devilish idea." and passes her hand over Seth's face and a white light passes into him. Seth head suddenly fills with an intense pain as if someone had detonated a nuke inside of it and he instantly passes out.
The woman looks down at him as he rolls to the floor, "Oh dear, I guess it was a little too much for him to handle. I hope I didn't accidentally kill him." Seth's eyes slowly open and he looks up, "Ah. At least he's alive."
Seth looks at the woman, "Who are you?"
The woman attempts to speak as a strange orb hits her in the chest and explodes wrapping a net made of a strange plastic around her as a smoke bomb goes off in the centre of the room. A strong commanding voice rings out, "Evil doer beware, Science man is here." A strange, glasses wearing figure with an orange suit with a green test tube emblem on the chest and a belt full of hundreds of compartments around his waist.
The Woman bursts out laughing as soon as she lays eyes on him and she closes her eyes for a split second and the net around her melts, "My name is Orion Starshade, remember it well because I'll be back." Orion disappears as another orb flies past her.
Science Man runs over to Seth who is coughing on the smoke and looks at him, "Are you alright."
Seth looks around, "I'm not sure, where am I... in fact who am I?"WOW thats really good! thumbs up GO Science Man!
hi
dude kant wait till next chapter…
kant is spelt can’t. Take this lesson and go forth young grasshopper.
<center>Chapter 5</center>
After a four and a half hour drive Seth arrives somewhere and has a blindfold removed. Seth looks around the strange laboratory of this newly encountered stranger and, in Seth’s personal opinion, total nut case - Science Man. It’s a strange underground massive facility, which appears to be the basement of an abandoned warehouse. There are tables upon tables of vials, tools, and small gadgets and in the very center lies a massive keyboard with an even larger screen above it.
Science Man approaches the screen and hits a few buttons on the keyboard and the screen comes to life showing a strange desktop like no operating system Seth had ever seen. Science Man quickly sifts through several files until an image bank comes up with a picture of every single student in the local schools. He finally stops on an image of Seth and then brings up some information. Seth looks it over, "This is some piece of work, did you design this OS yourself? And the speed of this, I seem to be oddly attracted to this machine. Oh, well isn't that a strange name? Seth Davis. I'd of taken myself as more of a Joey."
Science Man laughs at this comment and brings up some more files. "Let's see if we can dig up some more information on you, shall we?" Science Man examines a file that pops up showing an online news article that had just been submitted. Science Man quickly looks it over, backs away and brings his hand up to his face, pinching his nose and thinking. "This is very interesting. Apparently everyone thinks you're dead, but what concerns me more is that your mother is the secretary of Damian Drake."
Seth glances at the article and sees a picture of his mother crying with Damian Drake holding a comforting arm around her shoulder. Seth reads the caption out loud, "CEO of Demenstra-Tek Damian Drake comforting his secretary, and mother of the deceased, Linda Davis." Seth looks at Science Man as a strange woman with curly black hair and blue eyes wearing a grey dress shirt and black skirt walks down the stairs. "What's so special about Damian Drake?"
The woman looks at Seth, then glances at Science Man. "Bringing in complete strangers again Steven?"
Science Man quickly spins around and looks at the woman. "Carmen, don't just go around calling me by my real name in costume, this boy may just be important. I believe Demenstra-Tek wants him dead, but he has a really strong case of memory loss. Perfect timing on your part though, I was just going to call you. I need you to look after the kid while I investigate this incident.
Carmen smiles. "Glad to see you're as dedicated as ever. I have no problem keeping an eye on him."
Seth grumbles, "Hello, I'm standing right here. You don't have to talk about me in the third person. I have a name, and unless that report I saw was mistaken it's Seth."
Carmen shakes her head. "You better get going. I can already tell the less time I have to spend babysitting him the better."
Science Man nods and leaves the workshop through a back door while Carmen walks up to Seth. Seth looks at her. "So, Carmen, who exactly is this Science Man?"
Carmen shakes her head. "Just someone who has a serious problem with Demenstra-Tek and who looks out for the good of everyone. He reminds me so much of his father. so what exactly do you plan on doing now?"
Seth sighs and shakes his head. "I have no idea what do next. If the fact I have no memory wasn't confusing enough I've been taken to this place and told my life is in danger because the company my mother works for wants me dead. What would you do next if you were in my position?"
Carmen shrugs. "Heh, let's just say if I was in your position I wouldn't be too happy and certainly wouldn't want to be cooped up in this boring old lab."
Seth looks around the lab. "You're right, this place is a real drag. Although I wouldn't mind checking that computer out."
Carmen laughs and looks around the lab. "You're right. What would you say about getting out of here and waiting for news in my apartment?"
Seth stands up and looks at Carmen, "I'd say: what are we waiting for?"
<center>***</center>
Carmen's apartment is in the suburbs of the city and is one of 6 apartments in a cheap building. The inside is poorly furnished but one thing stands out and Seth quickly walks up to it. "That's a nice computer, a real Pentium IV. That must be an antique by now."
Carmen laughs, "Not as real as an antique dealer would like. I've been upgrading that case since I was a child. It doesn't have any games on it though, so no you cannot use it, as I'm sure you were about to ask. Oh, I just remembered I need to grab something from the store. I'm sure you can handle yourself here until I'm back."
Carmen leaves; Seth sits on the computer chair, spins around the room and comes to a stop facing the door Carmen just walked out and starts muttering to himself, "She probably won't mind if I just go out for a little walk. Nobody will be the wiser. What's the worst thing that could happen?" and with that slowly gets up and opens the door, notices the hallway is open and quickly walks down a set of stairs and steps outside.
Seth looks around and notices a small store across the street and immediately sticks his hand into his left pocket and pulls out a card. He smiles as he realizes what it is. "A credit card, alright."
Seth crosses the street, enters the store and looks around before stepping into a snack section and going over everything there, "If only I could remember which of these is my favorite."
Suddenly a gunshot goes off and Seth kneels to take cover behind the shelf as he hears a gruff voice speak, "Everyone in the store on the ground. This is a stick up. You at the register, get the key to the safe. If anyone tries anything funny, this broad gets it right between the eyes."
Seth looks over the shelf and sees a man in a ski mask holding a teenager by the neck with a gun to her head and a panicked clerk staring at the man from behind a cash register fumbling with a door, trying to get it open. The man growls, "Hurry up you stupid fucker. Don't you see I have a gun?" The man starts to move the gun to face the clerk but is suddenly hit in the back of the head with a fast moving object and falls to the ground unconscious. The clerk faints as the girl he was holding quickly runs towards the door screaming.
Seth walks up to the unconscious man and sees that the back of his head is bleeding from a point with a small lead ball in the center of the wound. Seth picks up the ball and looks towards the door where a figure about 4 and a half feet tall stands wearing a body suit and opera style mask. The suit is orange and has a big, grey circle in the middle of it, seemingly poorly drawn by some sort of crayon. Around his wrists are strange rings with holes in them that each have a small ball in them. One of these rings is empty. The man speaks in an emphatically rough voice, "I believe that ball belongs to me, I'd like it back ... Seth?"
Seth looks at this caped vigilante and bursts out laughing and stops when the sound of police sirens can be heard. The caped sphere user starts to run and Seth follows after him. Seth is lead a few blocks away and into an alley before the man turns to him panting out of breath and looks Seth up and down. Seth quickly speaks, "You know who I am?"
The man nods his head. "Indeed I do, but aren't you supposed to be dead? The news has been going chaotic all day. The whole city’s gone into chaos or something. First some mass murderer strikes the downtown area causing some real chaos and then a report comes in of how you somehow blew yourself up. It was fluffed up even more than the murderer. I guess my disguise is pretty good though, since you don't recognize me."
Seth shakes his head. "I wouldn't give the disguise much credit; I probably wouldn't recognize you without it. I'm currently having serious memory issues."
The man looks at him. "That is unfreakingbelievable. Do you have any idea why everyone thinks you're dead?"
Seth sighs, "The only idea I have is the one some freak calling himself Science Man put in my head."
The man suddenly looks at Seth. "Did you say Science Man? He is my idol. You've seriously met him? Is he as cool as the web sites make him out to be... oh yeah, memory loss."
Seth looks at him and squints his face and shakes his head. "Who are you, anyway?"
The man smiles, "Well, I'd thought about calling myself SPHERE MASTER! what do you think?"
Seth sticks the credit card into his right pocket and feels another card inside it as he does and pulls this card out and looks at it while speaking, "No I want to know what your real-" Seth finally sees the picture on the back of the card and freezes instantly and slaps his hand to his forehead as an intense pain fills his head, "Ah, my head feels like it's being stomped on by an elephant from every direction at once."
Seth faints, opens his eyes a few seconds later and looks up at Sphere Master as the card flutters to the ground. "I think I'm starting to remember some things... Edward Gregorio?"
Sphere Master suddenly stares at Seth and contorts his face into a grimace. "I guess the disguise definitely wasn't as good as it could of been. But why did the card jog your memory? It's just some useless student card."
Seth looks at the card and picks it up. "Not just some card. Seishero... Damn it I couldn't save her."
Suddenly the card glows blue and a hologram pops up revealing the face of Dr. Nanami. The face looks at Seth and contorts into a look of confusion, "Who are you? How did you activate this card?"
Seth looks at the face. "I'm Seth Davis. Are you Seishero's father?"
Dr. Nanami gets a sudden glimmer of hope on his face. "Did you say Seth? The same Seth that helped my daughter out? Please tell me, is she alright?"
Seth shakes his head, tears now flowing freely from his sad face. "I'm sorry sir; I couldn't protect her. Mr. Thomson captured her while we were getting supplies to make a run for it."
The man's face contorts into an extremely frustrated position. "Damn it, Seishero! What are we going to do now?"
Edward looks at the little hologram and smiles. "Well simple, we'll launch a rescue mission."
The hologram swivels to face Edward. "And who are you?"
Edward smiles and laughs. "I am the great SPHERE MASTER! Sexy Titanic warrior of justice."
Seth sighs. "More like short stupid idiot who can shoot balls. But is there really any chance of a rescue?"
Dr. Nanami looks back to Seth. "It's probably hopeless, but if you really think you stand a chance there just may be a way. I have some blue prints in the basement of my house. It's probably been looted clean by now, but if you want to take the risk… I have to go now, someone's coming." The hologram fizzes out and Seth looks to Edward.
Edward smiles. "It looks like I'm going to get a lot of fieldwork after all."
Seth shakes his head and looks around. "I am so not taking you with me. Now where are we? My memory's still not that great and I'm definitely lost."
Edward laughs, "Of course you're going to be lost, We're not even in the same county as Demstar anymore. I decided to get a good distance from home before I field tested my powers. This is Gamebridge, we're a few hours from Demstar. Now we should hurry, I have a ride waiting a few blocks from here."
Seth starts to speak but Edward grabs him and starts dragging him along the back allies and eventually they find a strange vehicle hidden behind some dumpsters. The vehicle is in the shape of a Giant Ball and as soon as Edward approaches it a section opens and a green haired girl wearing a dirty work suit and a smudge of black grease on the tip of her nose hops out and looks at Edward. "Agent Tech reporting for duty, awaiting debriefing. Seth Davis is that you?"
Seth looks from the green-haired girl to Edwards blushing face than back to the green haired girl and drops to the ground laughing, stops for a moment, breathes, looks at the girl again and resumes laughing.
Edward growls, "Yes, laugh at me. Go ahead. You think you'd have a more serious attitude considering the situation we're in."
Seth stands up and replies through stifled laughs, "I'm sorry it's just that, looking at the two of you I couldn't imagine a more peculiar match and well no offence Danna, but frankly you're both the biggest loners in the school."
The girl shakes her head. "No offence taken. I suppose you're right, all the better for disguise. Aren't you supposed to be dead, and how did the field test go?"
Edward smacks Seth over the head and shrugs. "Well, as far as tests go that wasn't so bad, but the disguise is a no go. Seth here recognized me the moment he got his memory back."
Danna looks at them oddly. "Got his memory back?"
Seth slaps his hand to his forehead. "Listen, I'll explain to you on the way back to Demstar. Now where's the car?"
Edward looks from Danna to the Giant Ball, "Well you see, about that. Since neither of us can legally drive, and couldn't afford a car, Danna decided to build a vehicle on her own."
Seth looks at the Giant Ball, "You don't mean th-"
Danna walks up to the ball and puts her hand on it. "Isn't it a beauty? I call it the Roller. It's incredible. No fuel needed, either; it's set to run on the electricity generated by the ball spinning the generator on the inside. It's not the most roomy vehicle, though. Hurry up and hop inside."
Edward and Danna crawl into the monstrosity that is the Roller and Seth crawls in after them. On the inside are four chairs tightly crammed together inside a small ball completely covered in blue insulation. A single monitor stands in front of them which lights up, revealing four windows showing a general view of all directions from the ball. Seth takes a seat in one of the back seats as Edward takes the seat directly behind the monitor and buckles himself up with about eight clips as Danna does the same thing on the seat beside him. Seth quickly does the same himself. "Is this Roller... safe?"
Danna laughs and double checks Seth's buckles, "It passed five out of seven test runs, so you tell me."
Seth looks at Edward extremely pale. "She's joking, right?" Edward doesn't say anything and Seth sighs, "What a strange couple. The basketball team’s mascot, and the biggest computer freak ever to touch the earth. Say, you didn't use these sphere moving powers of yours to help the basketball team out, did you? I always thought it was odd how such horrible players could become league champions. How exactly did you two meet in the-"
Seth is cut off as the Roller jumps to action, quickly spinning out of the alley and onto the road turning and rolling forward down the road going about 80 mph The rapid acceleration and sudden spinning motion dizzy Seth and he starts moaning from stomach aches as the Roller slows down a little with Edward saying matter-of-factly, "We are not a couple, just two united heroes."
Seth groans, "You've been watching way too many anime shows. Although the way every Tom, Dick and Harry on this planet seems to be developing super powers, why not? So tell me, how did you develop this strange power?"
Edward smiles. "Well this is going to be a long trip, so I don't see why not. When I was really young my father took me into the factory where he worked one day. I don't remember exactly why he brought me but he did.While we were there a crate of ball bearings burst open and one of them cracked me right in the head putting a hole in my skull and lodging itself in contact with my brain. When the doctors examined me they were amazed that I was even alive and felt that removing the ball had too high a risk of causing brain damage and seeing as the ball was firmly locked into place they decided to leave it there. Well, after I got older I found that my head tingled a little every time I thought about balls and one day I was just able to move them around. What do you think?"
Seth shakes his head. "I think your explanation's even more confusing than the impossibility of your powers. You really have a ball bearing stuck in your head?"
Edward sighs, "YES, I really have a ball bearing stuck in my head. Now is there anything else you'd like to know, Mr. Forgetful?"
Seth laughs and shrugs, "Well I'd like to know a lot of things, like what exactly made you and Danna decide to join together to form your little crime fighting team."
Danna sighs. "Now that is a long story. I guess I'd better start from the beginning."
End of Chapter 5
im going 2 smack you one Video. and I MEAN IT!
<center>Chapter 6</center>
“Well it all started about two weeks ago, The school basketball team was playing off against the Daryl Gregor team, you know, that private school down by the factory district? Anyway, our team was having a lot of trouble even with Edward’s help, the problem wasn’t Edward’s ball handling skills, though. The other team were just monsters. The ball rarely had a chance to move before one of them would jump up and grab it out of thin air, storm across the field, and dunk it into the hoop before your eyes could catch up to the ball. It went on like this for two periods and the opposing team seemed to be getting agitated. Finally, getting seriously angry at the complete domination, the team captain, Jerry Mathews I believe, punched one of the other team’s players right in the face and the player went berserk. He snapped Jerry’s right arm in half and slammed his face into the linoleum before slamming his hands to his chest ape style and foaming from the mouth. As soon as the rest of the team charged at him all hell broke lose. It wasn’t long before our whole team was injured and the Daryl Gregor team was pinned down by four men each. The game got canceled and the police were called in to investigate.”
Edward sighs as the story goes on, “The worst part was our team had to withdraw from the rest of the season; there was no way we could compete with our entire team hospitalized. Anyway, I was heading back from the changing rooms to go home when I remembered that I left my Science binder in the second floor computer labs. I had a master key to the school because the coach always let me lock up after the games for him, so I headed up there quickly to grab it before I went home. Wasn’t I surprised when I walked into the lab to find Danna here walking out of a monitor.”
Seth’s face twists into a look of confusion and he gasps, “Walking out of a monitor, that doesn’t make any sense.”
Danna laughs and suddenly sticks her hand on one of the video screens in the roller. Her hand presses in slightly, a small portion of it seeming to transform into light, “Don’t ask me to explain how. Let’s just suffice it to say it’s my way of escaping reality. Now for a few moments I was hoping he hadn’t seen anything, but with my left foot still inside things were a bit difficult to explain. The fact that he wouldn’t stop nagging me about it didn’t help matters, so I explained it to him. I thought it would be fun to try intimidating him with threats of jumping out of his computer late at night. You should of seen the look on his face when I mentioned that.”
Edward grins. “Don’t pay any attention to her, Seth. I wasn’t scared for one minute. Naturally, I couldn’t let Danna go around thinking she was the only freak in school, and so I put her in place with my awesome sphere controlling skills.”
Danna laughs evilly, “As far as super powers are concerned, I give it a four out of ten at most.”
Edward gets an angry look on his face and growls, “Yeah, well I give your computer hopping a zero, so there.”
Seth holds his hands up, sighing, “Okay okay, back to how you two became the fantastic duo.”
Edward grins. “Relax, we’re getting to that part. A few days after the game, Daryl Gregor gave out an official apology for what happened blaming the incident on a rogue teacher who’d given the basketball team steroids to boost their performance, and that measures were being taken to prosecute him.”
Danna laughs, “Can you believe that? Steroids. Hah! I’d done my fair share of research and that was not steroids. Naturally, I jumped into the police mainframe to learn out what they’d discovered only to find that the records had been deleted. Being the natural snoop that I am, I did manage to discover the name of the teacher who’d been blamed for the incident. Apparently he used to work for a company called Dimenstra-Tek and that Dimenstra-Tek was one of the official sponsors of their school’s team. Naturally, I decided that investigating Dimenstra-Tek was the next logical course of action, but I had no way of getting into their mainframe from the outside, so I coaxed sphere master over there into giving me a hand.”
Edward smiles. “You should of seen the way I made her beg. I’d already decided to go after hearing her out, but there’s just something about a girl on her knees that made me grin and bear it.”
Danna screams, “You little shit! I was practically dying trying to convince you, and in the end the best I could get you to agree upon was a test run of your powers to see if we stood a chance. I guess that brings us to the point where we met up with you, Seth.”
Seth stares off into space. “I see. So you two are after Dimenstra-Tek as well. They’re the ones responsible for Seishero’s kidnapping and all this fuss about me being dead.”
Edward nods his head slowly and whistles before speaking, “Well then, I guess this test run was a complete success. If I can find out information about my target without even trying, imagine how well I’ll do when I am. Don’t worry Seth, I’ve got nothing better to do than help you out. What are friends for? But what are we going to do with you while we plan our attack? We can’t exactly have a dead man walking around town.”
Danna giggles, “Why doesn’t he stay at your place, Edward? Your parents never watch the news, so I doubt they’ve heard anything. You might want to assume a fake name just to make sure. If they have heard about you they’re horrible with faces.”
Seth grins and jokes, “Whatever you call me, don’t make it Dubby Dub,” before suddenly remembering Seishero again and becoming lost in thought.
Edward slaps Seth on the forehead. “Wake up. I have developed the perfect name for you. You shall be Will Smith.”
Seth looks at Edward. “Will Smith? Why would you choose a name like that?”
Danna sighs, “You still watch those old pre-plague movies? Those must be 30 years old by now.”
Seth looks back and forth between the two, “Uh, you guys lost me. I may be a collector of pre-plague games and such, but I don’t really know anything about the movies. Wait a minute… GOD DAMNIT! My entire collection was in the house when it burned down. AUGHH! Can this day get any worse?”
Suddenly, the sounds of police sirens can be heard and a cruiser appears on the view screen behind the roller.
<center>Chapter 7: 2 teenagers and a man in a bear suit</center>
Danna quickly fiddled with the rollers radio and a broadcast came in from the cruiser.
“I’d like to put out an APB on a giant ball.”
“Come again Larry.”
“There’s a giant iron ball speeding down the road.”
Edward suddenly makes the ball roll into a field and hide behind the corn stalks that rise up as the cruiser storms past.
“You know, when a man starts to see giant balls on patrol, it’s time to think about early retirement.”
“I’m telling you, it’s right in front of me… wait, where’d it go. I swear it was there just a minute ago.”
“I’m putting in an application to book you some vacation time. You definitely need a break.”
Danna turns off the radio as Seth and Edward descend into fits of laughter, “This isn’t funny you two, imagine what would of happened if he’d caught us?”
Edward snickers again and takes a deep breath before saying, “Alright, we’ll be more careful next time,” and then the roller lurches back into motion.
<center>***</center>
The rest of the trip back to town goes rather uneventfully. The roller storms through the underbrush, killing small plants and horribly mangling the larger ones until it finally comes across and entrance to a tunnel.
Edward guides it in carefully to reveal a poorly lit, old, unstable-looking subway tunnel.
Seth looks around confused, “I thought my memory was back, I don’t remember there being a subway in Demstar.”
Danna laughs giddily, brushing the sweat off of her forehead as the roller begins shooting down the tunnel like a bullet. “Don’t worry about it, this subway was started way back before the plague, and everyone forgot to finish it once the war started. It only has 3 exit points, not including the one Eddy and I made.”
Edward yells at Danna without turning around, “Call me sphere master when I’m in costume please, and you’re the one who made that exit, I just supplied the explosives and work area. I still can’t believe no one noticed that you blew 5 tons of rock up in the middle of town.”
Danna laughed, lifting her chin snobbishly, and stated matter of factly, “Of course no one noticed, that website I visited provided all the details I needed to direct the rubble into the subway. I didn’t doubt it’s credibility for an instant.”
Seth glanced down the tunnel on the monitor and saw light shining in from the area ahead, “So where does this entrance you made come out?”
Edward sighed, “Right square in the middle of my basement.”
<center>***</center>
Seth, Edward, and Diana all stepped into the cold, damp, dust-filled basement and looked around as Danna slid a panel over the tunnel leading to the small area where they stored the roller. Edward had removed his ridiculous costume and now wore a brown dress shirt, plaid vest, and black pair of pants.
Seth finally took in what Edward was wearing and giggled, “I don’t know what’s geekier, the sphere master get up, or what you’re wearing right now.”
Edward suddenly turned around smiling devilishly and lunged at Seth, knocking him to the ground shouting, “I’ll show you who’s the geek.”
Danna watched in Amusement as Seth and Edward rolled around the basement, making a mess of things, Knocking over tables, and making a lot of noise.
After a minute of this a light turns on and a bushy-gray haired maid dressed in a traditional maid’s uniform looks down at them, Edward standing triumphantly over a dazzled Seth before crying, “Master Edward, whatever’s going on down here?”
Edward smiles and responds smugly as Seth rises to his feet and dusts himself off. “Nothing big, my friends and I were just playing around. Oh, and on that note inform the others that my friend Seth will be staying with us while his parents are out of town. Are my parents here?”
The maid sighs and gives them a stern look, speaking reproachfully, “They have already left for their trip to Hawaii, they will be gone for the next two weeks. Please try to keep further rough play outside.” She then grabs hold of her black and white dress and scurries up into the lobby.
Seth shakes his head and looks toward Danna saying slyly, “I’ll say one thing for the dwarf. He may be short but he’s certainly tough.” before jumping out of the way of Edwards charge causing Edward to trip over a toppled table and slide across the floor.
Edward Rises smiling and shaking his fist at Seth in mock Anger. “One of these days Seth Davis, I’ll get you for that. I’m not short damn you!”
Danna laughs and holds up her hand in a motion to stop before finally getting enough air to speak, “As amusing as it is watching you two fight like little kids, I really think we need to start thinking about how we’re going to get Seth around town to show us where Mr. Nanami’s house is without someone recognizing him.”
<center>***</center>
“I’m not coming out.”
“Come on Seth, Edward’s taste in clothes isn’t that bad.”
“I resent that comment.”
“I’m not coming out.”
“Can we at least see what you look like, I promise I won’t laugh.”
“I look like a middle aged hobo who skinned a bear for clothes and is being molested by squirrels.”
Edward rips open the door to the bathroom and looks at Seth saying excited, “Really? I was going more for the hilly billy down from the country look myself.”
Seth is covered from head to toe in fur. A golden furry coat, A pair of wolf’s fur trousers. A raccoon cap, a white furry scarf, and one expensive pair of brown boots.
Danna snickers, “You’re both wrong, he looks more like big foot than anything else.”
Edward laughs, “He doesn’t need the clothes to pull off that look.”
Seth growls, “Yeah I’m a real animal, but seriously, where did you get all this fur?”
Edward sighs, “It’s from my mothers collection, but don’t sweat it. No one will ever recognize you in this get up.”
Seth frowns and speaks grimly, “Yeah just like no one could ever recognize you in that sphere master get up.”
Edward replies in an irritated voice, “Touche, but your opinion doesn’t matter. We’re going now whether you like it or not.”
<center>***</center>
After almost half an hour of walking, and many, many stares from people they passed on the way there, the trio finally arrives at the Nanami Residence.
The front door was left open a creak and Seth stared at it suspiciously before speaking poorly through the bulky scarf, “I think someones inside, and can I take off these clothes already, it’s an inferno in here?”
Edward draws 3 lead balls from his pocket and holds them in his right hand as he opens the door slowly with his left. Seeing no one in the house he steps inside and Danna and Seth follow him, Seth somewhat clumsily.
Danna glances around suspiciously, “I can’t help but feel someone’s watching us.”
Edward nods, “I know what you mean, stay close to me Seth… um, Seth?”
Seth walks up to the room he saw Seishero open just a few days ago on their search for Gregin X. The room is empty except for the computer which is in pretty bad shape. The display case that held the artifacts has been cleaned out, but some glass shards still litter the floor.
Danna immediately walks up to the computer turns it on and crawls inside the broken monitor without a second thought disappearing into a white staticy portal as she does. Seth looks inside the damaged interior of the broken screen, “Are you sure it’s safe for her to do that?”
“If I was you, I’d be worried about my own safety.”
Seth spins around lost in thought. “What are you talking about Edw- Hiro!”
Seth notices Hiro Moto, who is once again standing between Seth and the exit of this small hidden room.
Hiro looks at Seth for a few moments before saying, “Who are you, and why the hell does everyone know my name? I haven’t even been in this stupid country a whole week!”
Seth smiles weekly and his right hand unconsciously drifts to the back of his head before he rips off the hat and scarf, “It’s me, Seth. Remember, we met here the other day, you pulled me from my house before it exploded-”
Hiro retorts quickly and angrily, “I know who you are why in hell’s name are you wearing such a ridiculous get up? No Matter, tell me what you know about the artifacts that were kept here.”
Edward smiles, “I wouldn’t call him ridiculous if I was you. This isn’t some Anime Convention Mr. Egyptian Wizard.”" Edward let’s go of the lead balls and they fly through the air toward Hiro who’s circlet glows and the balls are deflected into the walls, wedging in half a centimeter. The stones glow again and Hiro fires an orb of concentrated force that barely leaves his hands before flying backward and sending him flying into a wooden chair in the room above.
Edward laughs confidently as he draws the lead balls out of the wall and back into his hand, “Don’t sphere the sphere master!”
Hiro roars as he rises to his feet, climbing out from under the wooden remains of a once strong chair. “You are going to burn for that!”
As Hiro points his hand at Edward and the stones on his jewelry begin to glow a powerful voice shouts, “Halt, in the name of Science!” and before Hiro can react a small orb hits him in the back firing out ropes that tie him up and knock him to the ground.
Edward drops the balls thudding to the floor and stares speechless as Science man looks down at him from the top of the stairs. “Oh my God, you, you’re really Science Man. In the flesh. This is a ream come true. Can I have your autograph? Just let me find some paper and, I know; you can sign my shirt!”
Science Man looks at Edward slightly disturbed, “Are you alright? You might want to remember to breath and, hey Seth what are you doing here, I thought I left you with Carmen. What is that!”
Science man suddenly points to the broken monitor as Danna sticks her head out of it. “Did I come at a bad time?”
Science man looks around frustrated and finally says, “Okay that’s it, all of you are coming with me. Quickly now, the neighbors called the cops reporting 2 teenagers and a man in a bear suit sneaking in here.”
Edward screeches, “It’s not a bear suit- oh forget it. How are we getting out of here Science Man?”
Science man smiles, “Quickly everyone, to the Science-mobile!”
End of Chapter 7
So inspiration is long hard and full of love?
<center>Chapter 8</center>
The science-mobile was right out of a cheesy comic book. An orange base with an almost nose-like front combined with jet engine at the back. A Large test-tube-like transparent tank filled with various different coloured liquids sits on the top and the side view mirrors were in the shape of the standard molecular compound diagram.
Seth and Danna carry Hiro to the car while Edward hovers around Science-Man. As soon as all 5 are inside, seat-belts slide down automatically and buckle them in and the engine on the back literally bursts into action, propelling the car down the road at break neck speeds, yet somehow managing to follow the road and avoid crashing.
Hiro struggles pointlessly with the ropes, trying to get free and roars, “When I get out of this, I’m going to kill you all!”
Science-man laughs, a really deep bass laugh and says, “All the more reason to keep you in it. Now, why were you all in that house?”
Hiro snorts angrily and replies in an irritated voice, “I was looking for the missing piece of an artifact that I took from there. I doubt you’d know anything about, so if you wouldn’t mind taking a second out of your pointless musings and letting me out of this death machine I might forgive you.”
Seth and Danna look at each other, toward Edward who seems to be lost in a daydream, back to each other, than toward Science-man before saying in Unison, “We’d heard there were blue prints of a Dimenstra-Tek facility held there.”
Science man suddenly brings the car to a screeching halt, the massive deceleration causing Hiro to turn green and if it wasn’t for the seat-belts they’d off all flown forward. Now that the cars stopped their eyes can finally make sense of the images outside the windows. The group is no longer inside the city and are on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere.
Science-man looks intently at Seth, “What do you have to do with Dimenstra- Tek?”
Seth grunts annoyed, sick of explaining himself and not entirely sure of why he was doing anything before saying confidently, “You really need to calm down. Dimenstra-Tek is responsible for completely ruining my life. They had a friend of mine’s father kidnapped and were forcing him to make some freak drug called Gregin X. My cousin got a small dose of this and now he’s gone of to join some elitist organization because the drug is probably killing him. I helped my friend escape from them because they needed her as a hostage to force her dad to work on the drug. When I stopped by my house to grab some supplies and get the hell away from here they ambushed us. She was captured and if the nut in the ropes over there hadn’t pulled me out of my house at the last minute they’d of killed me too! So I am the last person who would be helping those bastards!”
Hiro twisted his face into a look of mock sadness and cried in a whiny voice, “Oh boo hoo, little Seth can’t stay the hell out of trouble. Can we get back to my problem?”
Danna looks at Hiro, contemplating something, and then says, “This artifact wouldn’t happen to be called the key of Cortex would it? I was reading up on the Doctors research files while downloading the blue prints and it said something about having potential applications to project Gate or something. Anyway, they sent a piece of it to the lab he’s being held at. It’s probably still there.”
Science-Man has been quietly contemplating everything he’s heard when his eyes suddenly burst open and he cries out, “Wait, you better not be planning to try and rescue them. You wouldn’t stand a chance. I’m not going to let you get yourselves killed.”
Seth yells back, suddenly clenching his fists in anger, “You just expect me to sit back and let them use Seishero! I’d try and save her even if my only option was kicking down the front door and taking her back by force! I can hardly go to the police for assistance, what do you think I’d say: Hey there, ex dead boy here needs your help to rescue a damsel in distress. The police are probably in their pocket anyway. I thought you hated Dimenstra-Tek, you of all people should understand how I feel.”
Science-Man looks into Seth’s eyes and Stares intently looking for some sign of doubt or faltering and then sighs, “If you’re really serious about this, there’s no way I could stop you if I tried. I’ll help you, but only if you have a plan.”
Hiro sighs and shakes his head, slightly unsettled by Seth’s words before saying, “I suppose I might consider helping you all if you’d kindly remove this restraining device, I’m beginning to get a cramp.”
Seth began fidgeting with Seishero’s student card, “Someone release him please, he’s beginning to get on my nerves. How does this card work again, he wanted us to contact him as soon as we got the blue prints.”
Danna takes the card from Seth and fidgets with it like a new toy, “Let me see! Hmm, where’d you get this, the design is absolutely amazing. It appears that there’s no response from the other end. Maybe something happened to his card.”
Seth sighs, “I just hope there isn’t any other bad news.”
<center>***</center>
“Okay everyone, here’s the plan. Hiro and I will sneak around the building planting radio jammers in key locations for remote activation. This will be possible thanks to his ever so useful invisibility spell, You think you could teach me how to do that. Anyways after we plant the devices we’ll make our way to the Master Security room where I’ll take control of the computers and activate the radio jammers. This will prevent them from communicating and gives us free control of all the doors. I’ll locate Seishero and her dad and send you a specially marked map on the personal organizers each of you has. That’s where Seth and Edward come in. Hiro will make his way to the research lab to get the Cortex sphere while you two sneak into the holding area wearing guard uniforms courtesy of Science-Man. These should allow you to go wherever you want in the midst of all the madness I’ll be causing. Once you’ve got Seishero and her dad, make your way to the roof where Science-Man will arrive with our get away ride. Hiro’s elected to escape on his own so don’t worry about him.” Danna takes a deep breath and looks at the others who are gathered around her in a circle taking notes, “Are there any questions?”
Edward holds up a blue device with a small monitor, keypad, and digital pen, “What’s this doo-hicky called again?”
Danna’s head sinks and she sighs before saying, “For the sixth time, that’s a personal organizer, and take good care of it because it’s the only way we can stay in contact once we’re inside. Now, we’re doing this at nine o’clock tonight so get some sleep now.”
<center>***</center>
Celest looked over the four squad members she’d been assigned. Cory was standing ready, even a little excited about his first mission. He’d been given the name Eternal for Solar missions. The others she wasn’t as familiar with.
The first was known as ghost, he possessed the ability to project himself up to one hundred meters and specialized in reconnaissance and support.
The second went by the name Wizard, which might be considered misleading since he didn’t have an ounce of magical talent. Instead, he specialized in all manners of electronic devices, from remote control attack drones, to top notch security systems.
Firedancer was the third member of the groups codename. Just like Cory, this was her first mission as a Solar. Unlike Cory, she’d had months of preparation and training, but still no experience.
All in all Celest was satisfied with the group, they could definitely handle the task. “Alright everyone, you’ve been briefed. The operation will commence at twenty-two-hundred hours tonight. Don’t be late.”
End of Chapter 8
I wouldn’t mind a reader comment or two, you don’t have to liek my story, I just liek to know that you’re still reading it and I’m not wasting my time posting it here.
<center> Chapter 9: The rebirth of a spirit </center>
Seth and Edward walked through the doors of the Dimenstra-Tek “Medical and rehabilitation” research facility. So far, the operation had gone off without any problems. The security system was down and the guards were running around like chickens with their heads cut off.
Edward and Seth hurried down the hall wearing standard Dimenstra-Tek security uniforms consisting of blast resistant personal armor and gas mask and night-vision equipped helmets. A slight problem in their original plan had arisen now. In their haste to rescue both Seishero and her father they had assumed they’d be stored in the same general area. Therefore it was a bit of a shock when Danna messaged them on the p. o.'s telling them they were on opposite sides of the building.
Still, it wasn’t a terrible disaster. Dr. Nanami was currently assigned to a research lab, the same lab Hiro was heading toward. Hiro had sent them a terribly irritated message agreeing to get Dr. Nanami away from any Security forces but stated firmly that he would have to get to the roof on his own.
That left the only matter in Seth’s hands freeing Seishero, and Edward and he were on their way to her now. Following the course set out by Danna they were able to move quickly and encounter on a handful of guards who had more important things to do than interrogate their “fellow” guards.
Finally they reached the prison area, and Seishero’s cell, only to encounter a familiar face. Standing guard, still dressed as corporate agent like as usual. Agent Thomson was not however carrying the usual pistol he’d had in their previous encounters, maybe they’d run out of stock after the others were destroyed. He was still as intimidating as ever despite this.
Seth froze in his tracks desperately thinking of a way around this and then realized Edward had already walked up to Thomson.
Edward went casually as he’d done with the previous normal guards they’d encountered and said just as casually, “Sir, there are intruders in the base, the forces near the master security room are requesting assistance, they’ve been overcome.”
Agent Thomson look at Edward analyzing him for a moment before saying, “I don’t recognize you. Take off your helmet.”
Seth quickly runs up to Edward and starts pulling him away, “I’m sorry Mr. Thomson, he’s new here, we’ll go get someone else.”
As soon as Seth speaks Agent Thomson’s eyes lock onto him and his face twists into an unnatural smile. “Stop Right there. I have orders to kill you where you stand Seth Davis, and I’ll capture your little friend when I’m done.”
Edward Rips the uniforms gloves from his hands and 6 lead balls fall out and immediately storm toward Thomson at almost 50 miles an hour as he shouts, “You shouldn’t of called me little!”
Thomson doesn’t even look at Edward, much less reply as he quickly moves his hands, grabbing all 6 balls out of mid flight. He then crushes them into dust and charges down the hall, lead dust particles fluttering toward the ground in his wake as Edward stares speechless muttering to himself.
Seth jumps away from Edward as Thomson punches Ed in the chest, sending him flying 6 feet down the hall landing delirious on his back. Seth tries to remove the pistol stored in the uniform holster, but Thomson’s too fast sending it flying down the hall in the opposite direction of Edward with a simple flick of his wrist.
Seth stares at Thomson who seems more terrifying than ever as he prepares for the kill. Seth’s emotions go out of control, thoughts racing through his head, memories bursting to the surface of his mind, some of things he’d done, and others of two strangers he’d never met, and then Thomson struck.
There was a brief moment of intense pain as Thomson’s fist cracked open Seth’s visor and rammed into his face followed immediately by another feeling of intense … life as every molecule in Seth’s body fills with energy. Thomson’s fist passes through Seth as if his body were made of air as Seth lights up like a blue star and bursts into a cloud of blue energy and flies all around the hall.
Thomson looks around confused as Edward rises to his feat clutching his gut and shouts, “What the hell did you do to Seth?”
Thomson stares at Edward who has now removed 2 more balls from his pockets and is holding them in the air in front of him, trying to ignore the pain in his stomach and focus.
Seth watches everything around him trying to comprehend what is going on and what’s happened to him. One moment he had been a perfectly solid normal human being, and the next he was… well he wasn’t quite sure what he was now. He is somehow able to see and hear everything around him even though he has no eyes or ears, but everything is strange. Some odd sounds he’s never heard before are constantly being made by everything, and his vision seemed to be seeing two images at once, overlapping them into a difficult to comprehend mess. There is the standard full color image he was used to, and then there is an eerie ghostly vision where nothing looked solid and the only thing that stands out clearly is Edward, There is absolutely no sign of Thompson on this vision.
Seth tries to move his hand to slap himself but finds his hand no longer exists. This was no time for him to be admiring the view, he has to find a way to help Edward. Seth knows that his entire body was part of him, but it is different and he has no idea how to control it. So he tries everything. It’s rather difficult to explain how one learns to move when their nervous system is replaced by a strange system of mental impulses but suffice it to say, Seth finds he is able to will his body to take form.
Now while Seth had been busy determining the difference between up and down, Edward had been fighting furiously trying to stop Thomson from, well, doing whatever it was Thomson was trying to do. Needless to say, Thomson didn’t take kindly to Edward interfering. Edward was smart about his attacks this time around. Instead of firing his last balls right at Thomson’s chest where he could easily crush them, he circles one around behind Him and strikes at him hard while the other dances around in front of Thomson keeping him occupied, constantly avoiding his grasp. As the ball strikes over and over again Thomson’s skin begins to peel away revealing his mechanical structure beneath it. This surprises Edward slightly but he continues his attack regardless.
Thomson was beginning to grow irritated. These balls were doing minimal damage to his mechanical frame, but they were doing damage none the less. A lucky shot and he might actually be defeated. Trying to stop the balls themselves was proving to be more pointless by the minute. He’d have to pause his search for Seth and take care of the pesty balls source. A young fool who could barely fit into the security uniform he falsely wore.
Thomson charges toward Edward once again as a misty form suddenly starts to materialize between him and Edward. The form has purple eyes on a flat featureless face with no mouth or nose. The hair is arranged in around 12 large strands combed to the back leaving its forehead bare. A strange blue mist constantly swirled around it, concentrated into large ring around the wrists. It’s body simply ended at it’s waste, the mist trailing off in a tail like shape for a little farther. The form was also almost completely transparent.
Thomson continues forward ignoring this new figure as if it were nothing. He suddenly stops in his tracks as he comes in contact with the two rings, a massive stream of electricity lurches between them lighting him up like a light bulb before Thomson falls face first into the ground, Edward having driven a sphere through the back of his head.
The new misty figure suddenly glows white and reforms into Seth, still fully garbed in the security uniform, broken visor and all. The wound to his face from Thomson’s fist is gone, but his skin is now extremely pale and sweaty.
Seth looks down at himself, kneeling before the now sparking and unresponsive Thomson, and sighs, “What’s wrong with me?”
Edward laughs and pats Seth on the back before pulling him to his feet. “Well Seth, Welcome to the freak club.”
Seth looks over at Edward sadly, “This is no time to be joking. We need to figure out what the hell just happened to me.”
Edward sighs and walks toward Seishero’s cell saying, “Can we worry about your mid-teenage crisis after we rescue Seishero and get out of here alive?”
Seth lowers his head sulking and then raises it up in an oddly depressed to happy voice, “Is there really a freak club, with meetings and T-shirts and stuff?”
Edward laughs and says, “Don’t be stupid,” as he opens the door to Seishero’s cell.
Seishero turns to look at them as she sits on the floor holding Chibi-Miloe in a tight embrace. Her face lights up as she notices Seth’s face and she leaps toward him hugging his legs and cries out in joy, “Dubby Dub! You came to rescue me!”
Edward snorts and looks toward Seth questioningly and says, “Dubby dub?”
Seth sighs and puts his one hand on Seishero’s shoulder comfortingly and the other to his forehead cutting it on the broken visor and then putting it in his mouth before removing his helmet and saying, “Edward, just shut up. Seishero, we really need to get out of here as fast as possible,” before looking toward his personal organizer and then saying in a pondering tone, “I wonder how the others are doing.”
End of Chapter 9
<center>Chapter 10: Cyber Battle</center>
Getting inside had been too easy, a quick spell from Hiro and the entire security crew fled the room screaming in illusionary pain. It just went to show how dangerous Hiro was, but he isn’t important now. Now Danna is in her world. As far as security systems go, the defenses on this system are impressive. Luckily for her, most conventional security measures are run off of an operating system, and this one is no exception. Danna simply accesses the data directly and replaces the system with her own personal creation.
Needles to say, the technicians who were franticly trying to regain control of the system have no idea what to think when their operating system is suddenly replaced by something called Danna++.
It isn’t long at all before Danna has full control of everything, Cameras, doors, wall mounted anti intruder missles. Isn’t interconnectivity a lovely thing?
The first twenty minutes are spent keeping the security forces busy, leading them out of the paths of Hiro and Seth, but then things get a lot more interesting.
At first, Danna takes the van for what it was pretending to be, a Dimenstra-Tek security van, requesting permission to enter the grounds. This is good Danna thinks, it means the outside hasn’t realized the facility is under attack, and she wants to keep it that way. So in they come, moving rather slowly until suddenly a fireball flies forth from the passenger side window and melts the camera she’d been using to monitor their progress.
Almost no time passes before she detects the log in. Someone actually bypassed her security wall and is attempting to take control of the network, that definatly isn’t something Danna can allow.
<center>***</center>
Celestia rushes through the facility, her map constantly displayed on a wrist mounted holographic projector. She orders ghost to locate an out of the way computer terminal and watches as he and wizard quickly make their way there.
Wizard is excited. It isn’t everyday he gets the chance to take on a Dimenstra-Tek system. Once he gets jacked in, there will be nothing they can do to stop him from completing his mission, or so he thought. As far as he is concerned, the other members of this team will be useless. Wizard looks down at the three tank-like machines moving down the hall beside him. They are all the assistance he’d ever needed.
Ghost is a jumpy, paranoid person, which is kind of odd considering he is probably more frightening than anything he’ll ever encounter, of course, he scares himself sometimes as well. Ghost is just under 35 and already has a pure slate of gray hair without a trace of color left. His left eye is almost twice the size of his right, and he walks with a large hunch, which only surves to emphasize the large hump on his back. His skin is as pale as his name, and is slimey, with a very faint tint of green.
Ghost really couldn’t care less for Wizard. Wizard is older than any other solar agent, and he barely looks it. Of course, there isn’t any particular age category he does look like. The entire left half of his body is pure machine. From the robotic eye, various ports, recievers, and transmitters on his head, to his robotic arm and leg, he’s everything technophobes had feared for the last hundred years.
Still, a job is a job, and ghost had worked with less desireable partners in the past.
Wizard walks up to the closest terminal as soon as he enters the dimly lit office and orders two of his drones to stand guard in the hall as the third converts into a tool box filled with a wide variety of tools and adapters.
The system loaded up, skipping the usual startup screens and goes right to a pink screen that has the word Danna++ in chrome silver displayed diagnolly across the screen and nothing else. No log in screen, no response to input from the keyboard, the mouse pointer didn’t even show up on the screen.
Wizard has to admit he wasn’t expecting this, but he doesn’t have time to find a way in. He’ll have to take a risk and hook himself up to the network directly, just as he’s done countless times before.
Wizard unplugs the fiber optic cable that connects the computer to the rest of the network and plugs it into a port on his own skull.
What he finds once he’s hooked up is a bigger surprise than anything else he’d ever encountered. Every terminal on the network has been locked out, but are still running hundreds of background programs. All of them being controlled by some sort of translation matrix that is moving all over the network. There is actually something inside the system giving orders. Wizard heads straight for this source, attempting to take control away from it and make use of it’s own functions.
Danna is impressed, and extremely irritated. This hacker not only knew how to access a network and bypass it’s security, but he is also able to locate her and is trying to use her own programs against her.
Danna is good too though. She’s already zeroed in on the terminal he is accessing the network from and is about to overload a gas pipe and knock out his connection when a devilish idea comes to her. Since this hacker is so good, he must have a real “thing” for machines, it seems only fitting that he have a chance to see what it’s like on the inside.
Wizard is begging to grow extremely annoyed. The matrix had suddenly callapsed leaving him with nothing but a huge some of incomprehensible data to sift through for the systems security controls.
Suddenly his attention is drawn back to the real world. A second terminal suddenly lights up and security footage starts playing on the monitor.
Wizard quickly unplugs himself and rushes over.
As soon as he touches the mouse the word Gotcha takes over the screen and two hands reach out of a white portal and pull him inside.
Danna smiles triumphantly at the confused face of Wizard, staring at the voidlike realm dumbfounded. Data flows in every direction like currents in a lake. Danna sais calmy, “It’s beutiful isn’t it?,” and then pushes Wizard into one of the streams, his body flowing away rapidly like the rest of the data.
<center>***</center>
Ghost stares stunned at the terminal. One minue Wizard had been standing there, the next he was gone. Ghost immediatly projects himself around the base until he locates Celest, his astral form taking the appearence of what he’d look like if he wasn’t horribly disfigured that he loved so much.
Celest looks at him angrily, “What’s taking so long Ghost, you should of reported five minutes ago. How’s wizard doing?”
Ghost squeels, a high pitched squeeky excuse for a voice, “Wizard is gone, he just dissapeared. I think the computer’s security did something to him.”
Celest pulls on her hair in frustration for a moment before regaining her composure and calmy replying, “Don’t worry about it. Get out of the facility and head to the van, get it ready to leave as soon as we’re done here. We’ll just have to do this the hard way.”