'False Fairies' or that's what Aliathra could see it when she saw Kesserheim's neon advertisement lights on one of their many Commercial Districts. 'Lesser' Men walked proudly in the streets displaying their augmented bodies of lifeless but super enhanced selves while their hands held gizmos the likes of which the Gliesians had never seen before. Not only visuals but also the smells too. There were street vendors who peddled food marketed to those of classical appetites like pizza, hot dogs and French fries that whetted their tongues to the more exotic sensations like Chinese soup noodles, Korean bean pancakes and Eastern European kidney stew. Her overwhelming experience in such a different world made her hungry and she can sense it from the Vampire Witch who strode aside her too. Yet Vincent insisted that the girls 'meet and old friend of his' before they go out for dinner.
"His shop is right over there. If you want to blend in with us you have to look the part." Diaz said.
"Is that a Tailor Shop?" Kayin asked as the group found themselves in the store front of said craft.
The big sign on top of the front window where to dresses, one a dapper suit for a male and the other a beautiful gown 'Maximillien's Woven Artisanship', the store front is humble in width but extravagant in projection.
For Aliathra who had her fair share of primped up dresses and impossibly long party gowns, she likes the ambiance of the place, whilst for Iris, it reminded her of the dream she had of walking on the strange Earth Human cities during her time of first meeting them several months ago. The dress on the window drew her eyes to most from the deeper workings of the Tailor Shop as she lost herself in its intricate designs leaning her hands and body to the window to marvel at its elegance, benumbing her to the outside world surrounding her.
"Hey, don't lean on that! I just had that window replaced." Exclaimed a bald tanned man in an effeminate long-sleeved polo with a purple vest on his torso and a matching pair of silken pants towards Iris, snapping her back into reality.
"Max!" Diaz smiled.
"Vinny! Mon dieu c'est toi! It is you! Get in, come in! Bring your two lovely women friends and Black friend in here. My door is always welcome." The man's sour mood turned over to a warm and accommodating smile.
He held the door open allowing them entry into his shop. It was a fanciful establishment with wooden furnishings that make up the shelves, counters, tables and chairs of the place. All of which were in contrast from mahogany shades with the vibrant rainbow of colors that make up Maximillien's products. From professionally black formal wear to flamboyant purple gold Americana's.
For Aliathra, such craftsmanship was up to par with the Tailors back home.
For Iris, her inner Fashionista was having the most pleasurable visual diversion of her life. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief in such chic accouterment. The Vampire Witch fondled every fabric and dress of the Women's Section of the store as she thought over which of Maximillien's creations would she look the most trendy in. For the Gliesian, she was like a child in a candy store.
"Your dames amis are quite feisty ones if I say so myself." Maximillien said.
"Yeah, you won't believe where I found them." Diaz said.
"I second that." Kayin added.
"Oh try me. I have met thousands of Female Clients and I am confident I have seen it all. Rich Heiresses. Prom Girls, Socialites, fat opera singers and even a former Prime Minister." Maximillien boasted.
"Oh you ain't seen nothing yet 'Baguettes'." Diaz said as he called forth Aliathra to his side.
"You do remember I maintained this body through a strict Paleo-diet, right?" Maximillien corrected him.
But his haughty demeanor was replaced yet again when his brown eyes made contact with Aliathra's azure ones. Her face as he could mentally measure it from his face to face distance most certainly fulfill the Golden Ratio of a person's perfectly sculpted face. And the hair, he was already internally singing serenades to her with such enthralling beauty.
"Max, this is Aliathra my… uhm… Date for the day." Diaz explained.
"Such a magnificent specimen. Are you an up and coming supermodel? Only the finest clothes of my collection is worthy of you." Maximillien ogled.
"No, what I am about to show you is something only you and I should keep a secret for now. Until well maybe when its more public and accepted into… Mainstream Society." Diaz awkwardly answered.
"You are speaking in tongues Vinny. I do not know where your coming from." Max's brows twitched in befuddlement.
"Vincent, are you sure its okay if he knows?" Aliathra protested.
"It's okay. Because Maxy here knows the value of 'Omerta'. Right?" Diaz nodded to her before his gaze was casted towards the tailor in a subtly threatening tone.
To Aliathra and Iris, they have never heard of a word called 'Omerta' before. In their hands they speculate into theories ranging from a sort of mental contract of obedience to a very subtle way of throwing out a Death Threat. But to Diaz and Kayin, it was all very familiar in their historical knowledge stock of how Organized Criminals operate. (Especially for Diaz.)
"Fine! I give up. What makes this girl of yours so special to you and potentially speaking, to me?" Max folded.
Diaz delicately removed Aliathra's hood which hid more of her long golden hair and also her elven ears that peaked out of her side bangs like a mountain whose height was greater than the clouds of the sky.
"Their… their… real?" Maximillien asked as he looked at the Elf's leaf shaped but pointy ended ears.
"Yes." Diaz said.
"So, you're like those Tolkien Elves?" Maximillian asked as he carefully fondled Aliathra's ears.
"Tolkien? Who is this Tolkien you speak of?" Aliathra asked. When her ears were being fondled by the tailor, she couldn't help but feel ticklish. Her ears were very sensitive to touch alongside its superior sound detection capabilities. She would remember the times during her child hood that her elder sister and brother would tickle her in the ears when they played together, a time where they were more innocent but oh how the decades had changed them over the years.
"An author who writes about Elves." Max answered.
"There are people like me who live with you Earth Humans?" Aliathra jumped into a question.
"Oh no, what he wrote was fiction I am afraid. A figment of his imagination that grew very popular. His books about Fantasy Worlds is still very influential to this day." The Tailor explained.
"What does he think about us Elves?"
"You want the polite response or the rude but better and accurate response." Maximillien asked with snark.
"I want to know the most prevalent image of elves that you Earth Humans possess." Aliathra daringly answered.
"Rude response it is." Diaz said.
"Oh, this is going to suck and be good." Kayin facepalmed to hide his grin.
"Elves are arrogant pieces of shit who look down on anyone who aren't as good as them in practically everything. And love to sit down on there ivory towers all day away from everybody." Maximillien blurted out with no signs of him mincing his words.
To say Aliathra was shocked to hear that would only show the limitations of verbal communication of negative emotions (as I write in this chapter). To hear such a subversion of Elves being high on their superior horses was insulting to her.
The Elves were the most dominant cultural and economic power in Gliesia with only their rivals from the west the Black Tree Pact and their cross oceanic neighbors the Slaegian Empire (and Vassal states). Many of their inventions and cultural concepts were adopted by the less developed nations of her world and her family throughout their entire bloodline were the most socially outgoing elves in all of Alf-El Nora. Opening up embassies, consulates, trade agreements and all sorts of diplomatic missions all through out the Gliesian world. She was beyond insulted by the Tailor's stereotype that she almost impulsively wanted to slap his glasses of so she can hear the sweet-sounding crack of his spectacles. But she had to suppress such adversarial impulses due to her being a guest in this new world and its was in the Elf's best interest that she behaves 'like a proper Lady' as her mother's disciplined instructions would say.
She silently left the counter, ignoring the tailor as she continued browsing the shop's wares which were the only redeeming factor in this diversion.
"You know, I would have actually love to see you hit him." Iris whispered.
"How did you know that I would attempt to do such a barbaric act?" Aliathra asked back to the Vampire Witch.
"Oh, I can see it in your face when the fellow there with the funny accent called your people 'arrogant pieces of shit'." She snickered.
"You know for a Vampire, I actually agree with you." The Elf smiled as she caressed a silky blue dress from one of the shelves.
"Do you think I would look great in this dress?" Aliathra asked as she pressed the apparel on her lithe body whilst staring at a nearby mirror as she imagined herself wearing it.
"You do. Tell me Elf, what about this one?" Iris shared her compliments before reforming it into another question with a Purple Jacket that she scooted over Aliathra to have her figure seen by the mirror.
As the women played around with Maximillien's merchandise, the men sat down on a lowly circular cushioned chair that was meant for only one person to sit on. They uncomfortably tried to make do with the meager space that their tired bottoms can try to accommodate.
"I don't know if you know. But I know this, you got your eye on her." Diaz whispered to Kayin.
"What?" he turned to Diaz who was smiling like an excited child.
"The way you look at Iris, you always walking up close to her and the change of voice you make when you talk to her. You got the cahoots for her amirite?" Diaz smiled.
"Uhm… No… yes… No… I mean… yes…" Kayin confessed in a defeated sigh. "But its unethical for me to think like that…" Kayin said.
"It doesn't have to be that way. It's only 'reprehensive behavior' if you talk about it." Diaz said in a propositional manner.
"What are you saying to me Mafioso?" Kayin pushed himself deeper into Diaz's sly tongued of a mouth.
"You noticed the prices on the store correct?"
"Yeah, the cheapest item in this place costs more than I can make in a Month!" Kayin complained.
"Well, being a 'Mafioso' or my preferred term 'Corpo'. I can easily buy such… extortionate items with out burning my bank account. I still have my assets and savings from my runner days in Kesserheim and I am gonna withdraw them all out anyway for the new bank that will be set up back in New Alban." Diaz said.
"Says the man who steals for a living. But in all honesty what are you proposing to me?" Kayin snarked.
"I give you money that you can use to pay for whatever Iris wants to have for herself in the store under plus some extra… 'Hush-Hush' on one condition. You will have to do some extra… mechanical work for the Aparo." Diaz said.
"Define these 'mechanical works'. If it involves violence then count me out." He threw out a small fit.
"Oh, no not involving violence unless… it involves crash test dummies… then yeah its violent. Basically I need someone like you to help out in some Prototype Weapons that my master has been developing on."
"Why can't he just do it here?" Kayin asked. He was still reluctant in going into this sort of agreement with Diaz.
"Spies everywhere from all the Big Weapons Corpos. Patent stealing is a very popular excursion that we Runners do normally, I have done some myself." Diaz said.
"So, you want me to test out some Prototype Weapons in Dr. Mahelona's place? What if he questions about it?" Kayin asked.
"As an old friend who quoted… or more like paraphrase it for a modern setting would say… 'Dinero o Fuego' for the good doctor. Not that I would explicitly try to threaten him. I just tell him that he can either keep quiet with a few extra credits on his pocket for a little 'Space Rental'. Besides, its essentially free money. No sane person wants to fight a Megacorpo correct? Like you?" Diaz attempted to persuade.
The way Diaz said his words were indeed persuasive, the proposition of some passive income was always something the hardworking Negro had wanted to try to obtain some for himself. He had previously tried to get such a passive income in bonds and stock markets but he decimated his post college savings after several screw ups and poor calls. He also thought of Iris. He indeed had a budding formation of affection and thoughtfulness to the Vampire and wanted to show his affections for her in anyway he could that would be guaranteed to be under the noses of his superiors who were very restrictive in any 'beyond professional' relationship between their subordinates. Seeing her desiring to have herself wear the purple dress made his heart skipped several beats.
"How much money are we talking about?" Kayin asked.
"10,000 Credits per hour inside that Firing Range. And also 50,000 right now." Diaz said.
"Deal. Don't make me regret this." Kayin said as he stood up from the chair and walked towards Iris who was being mesmerized by the dress she was quasi-trying on.
"Would you like that Iris?" He asked her.
"I do." She nodded.
"For that one. I will pay for it just for you. But keep it a secret." Kayin placed his index finger on his lips.
"Oh, you are such a dear aren't you." Iris smiled as she tossed the dress over Kayin's wide shoulder as she walked towards the counter to check-out her newly acquired piece of 'Exotic' apparel.
Aliathra looked on as she held on to the several number of modern articles on her hand and turned to Diaz.
"Buy as much as you would like. You look beautiful in all of them." Vincent winked with a flirtatious tone.
-------------------------------(Meanwhile back in Cambervale Valley) ------------------------
Ser Petur the Faithful Reikdorf's horse bucked as it trotted the slanted grounds of the south eastern hills regions near the Tyr Rian border. He alongside Carliah, Findrum and Mita. There job was to create a secondary entry point through the mountain ranges that naturally guarded the Tyr Rian Principality from her north east. Emperor Uldin's Generals all agreed that the narrowed down and heavily fortified mountain passes that connected the vassal state to its liege lords would be a ground in favor of the defenders who could easily dig in from the upcoming Slaegian Onslaught. They are too go to an abandoned tunnel network that according to the historians can permit room for a large movement of soldiers to pass through, once the engineers attached to the Grey Order's party can clear up the rubble and reinforce the Tunnel's structural integrity. Carliah Silverdane was assigned to be the one who would do much of the heavy lifting needed for the large boulders that they might encounter once they start the excavation. They all hope that they can finish the job with their 300 strong workforce of military engineers borrowed from the Slaegian Legionnaires and levied laborers by next week.
Protecting them would be up to the task of Ser Petur and Findrum from any threats. Petur had prepared several Holy Spells and coated his silver weapons in Holy Water in case the demons try to stop them in the off chance that they might find out whilst Findrum readied to fight off any of the underground or mountain dwelling monstrosities that might hinder the workers from their assignment.
Mita's reports thanks to her network of spies and the additional fact that, much to everyone's shock that Aliathra, the Elven Princess sent to assist them have managed to infiltrate the ranks of the Demon's apparent stronghold of 'New Albany' which reported to have been built within a few weeks yet its impressive range and size would have taken the Slaegian Empire and even the Elves about five years or more of non-stop construction work. Additionally, the reports from their Elven insider also reported that the Demon's sported arms and skins made of metal that shined like the reflection of the sun from a mirror in a more impressive resolution compared the likes of which of any Gliesian Blacksmith. Not even the Dwarves in all of their ingenuity nor the Elves in their monopoly over the unobtanium 'Star-Metal' could match the craftsmanship and design of these strange foreigners.
"We have arrived." Petur gestured his hand upwards as his horse lulled her feet. His nose could smell the emerald grass of the Valley's pastures that made the expedition's horses become excited with lustful salivation. He knew that this hidden natural gem had a edacious effect on grazing animals. There horses are going to feat well today.
"Set up a camping ground and a foraging party at once everyone. Carliah get ready to get to work on the ruins once we have all settled." Petur commanded and everyone obeyed.
He was given the Expedition's supreme authority by Emperor Uldin himself and was given the responsibilities to see to the task's success. If anyone can lead a Crusade it would be him, as chosen by all the Elders that judged him. And the Magical Knight swore not to fail them or his nation.
"Oh finally! I thought we would never get here! I was starting to get bored." Findrum smiled as he dropped down from the carriage he sat down on throughout the entire trip.
Carliah wiped out the sweat from her forehead as she embraced her weary body of the cool mountain breeze that the nearby Dorham Range which was the natural north western barrier between the Slaegian Empire and the Principality of Tyr Rian. She was not much of an outdoors person, preferring the shelter of shade more than anything else. Her magical staff, imbued with some of the highest quality Mana Crystals money and effort can obtain. She flicked her wrist of her feathery fan to cool herself off as she looked out on the midday sun.
"Let us hurry on with this quest now." Carliah said as she stepped down from the carriage and place her hood on top to protect her shining silvery blonde hair from the de-moisturizing rays of the sun.
The expedition promptly began to set up their camp on the feet of the valley's hills as the workers picked up their camp construction tools and materials whilst also preparing their excavation equipment for the task ahead.
Whilst the camp is being built, Mita alongside several of her best Crows were assigned to scout the Abandoned Tunnels to asses how much work they will have to do. The Expedition was authorized by the Empire to be able to requisite a set number of additional manpower and material if needed be.
Her party moved swiftly through the pasture lands as they observed their environment. From their south east the emerald Dorham Mountain Range towered protectively preventing unrestricted access to the Principality of Tyr Rian. Behind them were the Myos Timberlands a source of wood that the Empire greatly values in their strategic resource inventories and also the township of Vercourt were a stockpile of the Slaegian Legions weapons and supplies are kept which the town procures materials for. If the Demons were to breakthrough from their mountainous confines inside the Principality, then Vercourt and Myos are the likeliest of targets.
The underground tunnels of the old Cyclopean Civilization that died out before humanity rose up from their ashes had a capacity when measuring upon the average humanoid size of fitting about 80 soldiers can march inside the tunnel comfortably, about 150 of them if they decide to pack them in tightly in case, they need to rush troop movements into Tyr Rian.
As the scouts made their way up the steps that would lead them to the entrance, they encountered a group of twelve simply dressed individuals in long but thick flowing outer robes and carrying huge wooden walking sticks as tall as they were.
"Greetings and may the Gods be with you." One of them saluted.
"You don't look like shepherds. What brings you here to Cambervale?" one of Mita's Crows asked.
"We are pilgrims who are here to admire the… natural beauty of this pasture. We are devout followers of the God of the Soil." The stranger answered rather haphazardly in Mita's experience. His tone was exposed nervousness and hints of ignorance.
She didn't take down the possibility that these pilgrims were just obtuse minded simpletons but she prepared herself in case the worst happens. She and her Crows were trained to be efficient in singular hand to hand combat but it wasn't as much as a priority to say Scouting, Espionage and Assassinating their targets when they were their most vulnerable.
"God of the Soil? Never heard of him before. Are you sure it isn't Uaris the God of Farming you speak of?" the Crow probed.
"It's a preference sir. We are just humble shepherds who have take upon the pilgrimage to kneel down and worship him here." the stranger answered.
The Crow reexamine the Pilgrims. Their bulky forms were physically blocking any view the Scouts could have to investigate the entrance of the tunnels.
"What brings you to this spot. Do you know that behind you is an old underground tunnel?" Mita asked them.
"Yes madam. We are using the tunnel as a shelter for our little camp. Nothing much other than rubble and our fire we have been cooking up for supper." The stranger responded.
"Well we are Land Surveyors from Slaegia and we want to go into the Tunnels to see if they can be used for the Empire's use." Mita's Crow underling lied in an attempt to persuade them to budge. He tried to push through the crowd only to be blocked in the last possible inch before his eyes could move inside the hidden Tunnel entrance.
"Oh no I don't think its necessary. The Tunnels are sealed up so badly no magic in the world can fix it." The Stranger said with his sweat nervously dropping from his forehead.
"Move over, I wish to see it myself." The Crow insisted as he pushed him aside as he peeked over the foilage.
To his surprise, what laid beyond the emerald blankets, he saw dozens of men in strange green fatigues working with a variety of gizmos attached to wires that blinked red in light upon a small speck on their sinister looking exterior. The Crow could feel an overwhelming sense of abeyant power within those devices that was being attached to the Tunnel's walls and support structures.
"What in the Gods name are you ----" the Crow had barely enough time to react when a loud bang from his left temple pierced through his skull killing him instantly.
"Go loud!" the Stranger said as he drew a hand-held metal wand hidden from his cloak. He quickly pointed the wand at the crows and opened fire an invisible magic that when correctly aligned to its target, the person dies instantly.
Mita, knowing that she has no advantage fighting these peculiarly well-armed 'Pilgrims' dropped a smoke bomb down on to the ground and then casted invisibility as she fled. Some of her fellow Crows however were not as quick on their feet as she was. They were shot down by the strangers with their Metal Wands and Staffs mercilessly before they could have a chance to draw their arms.
"Such treachery! This must be the Demons from the old legends. I must warn everyone." Mita's thoughts raced in her mind as she ran back to the Expedition camp.
As rest of the Crows fled with her or were gunned down out of their wounded misery. Inspector Reid took off his disguise and with a disturbed mask, walked back inside the Tunnel, taking caution not to trip over the Crow that he had to kill in point blank range, where the Engineers and King Martainn were.
"Our cover is blown. We need to blow this tunnel up now." He ordered.
"Fuck! I knew this won't be easy." The Leader of the UFE Combat Engineer Demolitions team cursed. "Skeleton King or whatever your name is! Summon up some hands here, we still got about a less than a click of land to work with." He ordered the Lich.
"Rise my undead servants!" King Martainn called forth, his hands conjure necromantic energies as the awakened dead rose up from the Earth.
They were given demolition charges and had Engineers attached to them for instructional supervision so that the Demolition team can cover more ground quicker. The Charges, despite their unfamiliar nature to the Gliesians, were designed to be easily set up and armed. It's the wiring and proper emplacement in strategically important support structures which cost the engineers the most time consumed.
As the combined undead and UFE Engineers applied the explosives with redoubled fury, a detachment of Combat Engineers and Marines, armed with Grenade Launchers, Anti-Personnel Mines and hi-caliber Squad Automatic Weapons ran outside as they prepared defensive formations. Readying themselves for their fight against any attempt of a siege. Their objective was clear:
Buy time.
--------------------(In a heavily populated Kesserheim Commercial District) ---------------
"Ah… Fairpark… home of some the best shopping and pig-outs known to man. It's like New York… oh wait I forgot… you…" Diaz at first enthusiastically introduced before sulking down in his own erroneousness.
After a small splurge of several thousand credits in Maximilliens Boutique. He had continued the unofficial guided tour of Kesserheim through the Ecumenopolis' many shopping streets. They saw many more sights from the Kesserheim Fashions, Food Stalls and Technology Stores. To Iris, such a display of power with no trace of Magic astonished her positively to the various benefits of being a UFE citizen. She is now even considering applying to be the first Gliesian to immigrate to UFE space when she gets the chance.
For Aliathra however, her new clothes and artificially beautiful lights aside. Her view was in a more scrutinizing point of view. With so much raw power at the UFE's disposal. The Aliens would make short work of all the nations of Gliesia. To see her home Ethuilen burn to the ground by UFE firepower chilled her to the bone. But she must press on with fortitude if she wants to get out of here alive and safely. From what she can analyze with her fast with and photographic memory, she tried to comprehend the many machinations and sophistications these strange breeds of Humans have compared to the contemporary Ysanigrad ones. Some of her own interpretations of the advanced technology was so astoundingly outlandish that there's a significant chance that the readers of her reports might think she was raving mad or worse, under some sort of 'Eldritch Mental Deterioration of Sanity' from the UFE's 'Corruption'. (And she has yet to feel any sort of hidden corruption that is trying to taint her soul away from the righteous path. Were the 'Demons' bidding their time and tempting her with luxurious amenities?)
"Oh, cheer up Metal Man, I actually like you that way." Iris smiled.
"Yes, I got to admit. If it weren't you coming along, I would probably be chewing the technical manuals to not go insane all over." Kayin added.
"The fuck? You do that?" Diaz raised his eyebrow.
"Being smart can do that to you. It gets lonely as time passes." Kayin said.
"Well you got Iris with you so if I were you. Don't fuck it up. So, once we finish eating out let's get back to the Garden District before the Late-Night rush hour kicks in, shall we? Come we can get to my favorite by crossing down this street." Diaz pointed to a wide and crowded pathway filled with Neon Lights and Holographic displays.
A rainbow of lights bombarded the Gliesians with their sophisticated patterns and visual images. Food Items, Beauty products and all sorts of Modern amenities that the average UFE Human would take for granted enthralled the Aliens. They never seen such wonders in the entirety of their fantastical existence.
For Aliathra, such sights couldn't be the work of destructive 'Demons' out to devour worlds in Chaos. In the midst of this storm of so many incongruous at best, 'Eldritch' at worst concepts of the Modern World. She can see some semblance of a new breed of Harmony that she didn't know could be possible to anyone.
Steel in the UFE world were as plentiful as the trees in the forest but for the various myriad pre-industrial age cities of Gliesia, steel was only used for the building of weapons and armor. In her tongue, Steel is called 'Belth-tinc' or the Destroyer Metal. For all of its hardy and stainless properties, Steel was only used in times of war. Most buildings back at her home were either made from carved stone to make the graceful and delicate geometric shapes that were the envy of their entire world. But to be there in Kesserheim, to see Steel stacked as high as the highest mountains be such a common sight for the UFE Natives displayed the superfluous differences in power between the Gliesians (even her own fellow esteemed Ethuilen Elves) and the UFE Humans was humbling at the glance of a simple commoner but for a Princess and as a Spy for her nation, it was terrifying in a cosmogonic sense. To put two and two together, the vast technological advantage the UFE has over them would be also directly relative to the amount of experience the civilization has with dealing with varieties of problems as she remembered one of her court's philosophers in Sociology would comment. Yet, these 'Demons' to her surprise were reasonable, pragmatic in a inhibited sense in terms of the military power but still reasonable. The Elf's mind mentally recorded all the most important insights she could collect. From their strange weapons, their metallic citadels and 'False Fairies'. Her world must know of this, but would people see these 'Demons' as their destroyers or as bringers of a New World Order? The Elf still had doubts over the UFE's true intentions with Gliesia. Power over an inferior foe is intoxicating as she has learned from the many stories, mythological or recorded accounts, that the strong will always devour the weak. Yet her mind was conflicted yet again by another strange contrast, that the 'Stronger Demons' were helping Aria, the Princess who has born lame to be able to walk again with no other material gain but friendship between Tyr Rian people and the UFE.
"Were the Prophecies of the Demonic apocalypse perhaps?" Aliathra thought.
But her mind was dragged out of the clouds as she accidentally bumped into the rosy colored jacket of Diaz who suddenly stopped.
"Ouch! Why did you stop?" Aliathra questioned but as she turned to look at the Roguish albeit charming in his own way Filipino's eyes. She saw through his orbs were of a concealed dread in contrast to his riveting charisma that she has seen him sport through out the party's unofficial tour of the world he calls his home.
"Well, well… Dare Runner it's good to see you again." A naked headed man in a white suit greeted.
He was accompanied by a dozen of thuggish men whose bodies were augmented with all sorts of varieties of cybernetics and their eyes were hidden in eye shaped fitting sunglasses that to the Gliesians looked like their eyes were as pitch black as night which they find their ominous blanks in a disturbing display of their inhumanity.
"Shit…" Diaz cursed softly as he raised his hands in surrender.
"You know... Vinny. The moment we all hear at Heckler Union of you going away. We all thought you were gone for good." The bald man said.
"I didn't leave voluntarily you know." Diaz corrected.
"Which made it all looked oh the more… in the formal way… indefinite. With you gone Heckler Union began to muscle in as much ground from Aparo since you weren't there to force us to play defense." The Heckler Union man proudly declared.
"Oh stop being such a cocky fuck Fuchs. You wanna fuck someone Fuchs you got to be a bit more charming about it. The way you say its pathetic! Low Energy I would call it." Diaz teased.
"My name is Fauchard!" the Heckler Union leader said. He then reached into his pockets and pulled out a large revolver from his coat so he can cock it. He kept the gun bellow his waist with its barrel downwards as he imposingly pointed to Diaz in a fit of challenge.
"I give you a deal here Vinny. Give me the Elf Witch Iris on your right and I'll give you a ten-minute head start before I blow your head off with this piece of point forty-four." Fauchard pointed to Aliathra.
"But I am Iris." Iris corrected him as he stepped forward from Kayin's back.
"Damnit Iris you're not helping!" Kayin panickily informed her. The Engineer was unarmed and tactically naked whilst he is pointed by about a dozen or more sights on him and his companions by the Heckler Union Megacorp Thugs who quickly redirected their gun's aim at her.
Realising her mistake, she hissed at their sight bearing her carnivorous fangs.
"I am surprised she doesn't sparkle." Fauchard said. "So, is my little mole in Aparo off? That you went into some sort of Exile to a God Damn fantasy book. With dragons, elves like the blondie here and knights? Make you go do a bunch of quests. Rub money all over your face while wenches rubbed your cyborg six pack with oil and call you 'their Hero'?"
"What do you really want Fuch? Me or Iris… you can have both because I am gonna make you fight for for it… Fuchs. Let's end it all right here, right now.." Diaz challenged Fauchard.
"You think I came here for a fight? I want to Gangbang." Fauchard readied his revolver as his men took aim at Diaz and Kayin, taking care not to risk hitting the VIP's Aliathra and Iris who they planned to kidnap after they take care of their escorts.
"Come get a taste." Diaz said as he bent his knees down and assumed a gunslinger's stance.
Under normal circumstances, if Diaz was just an ordinary human being, the Heckler Union thugs would have just gunned him down the moment they see the whites of his eyes. But thanks to the Corpo Agent's years of throwing wrenches down as many rival Megacorps plans, Fauchard and his posse of gunmen knew that underestimating him is a fatal error. His Cybernetic Augmentations were some of the best technology money can buy and what the Human Mind can physically conceived. He knew that he was worth more to them with his parts intact than riddled with bullets to a ruinously unsalvageable state. And the implications of what God knows what plans Fauchard and Heckler Union would do to Iris and Aliathra is just equally apprehensive. He needs to protect them and Kayin. His old Criminal Life catching up to him made Vincent regret some of his life choices.
He looked back at Kayin who was bravely putting himself in front of harm's way with Aliathra and Iris hiding on his taller back. In all honesty for the Nigerian, he was the most Normal Person in this standoff with no cybernetic augmentations nor any magical talents to put next to his Curriculum Vitae. Yet the very notion of a Cyfreddin a 'Normal Person' in Iris' Old Tyr Riannic dialect and Baw gúl meaning 'Magicless' in a derogatory sense in Aliathra's Elven, that he 'the Nightman', 'Dur Riv', this G.I. Private First Class of admittedly more clever than normal Combat Engineer is protecting a Vampiress Witch who can hold her own in a fight but is often ostracized for her rather peculiar appetite for crimson fluids and an Elven Princess who had feared that these strange variety or amalgamation based on her newly expanded view of them humans to see Kayin as someone not of what they expected. For a brutish man, he was smart and clever in addition to his valor of protecting those he considers his friends or those he is sworn to defend. Like an ironic twist of a Knight in Shining Armor and straight forward Good Samaritan he shielded the two Magic users.
"Alright, let---"
"Not so fast your ingrates!" a loud voice interrupted Fauchard's. More armed goons but in distinct green engineering uniforms complete with yellow hardhats entered the fray and made themselves known to the two hostile parties. Their appearance in contrast to the Heckler Union's Thugs were sporting more crude weapons and barely any cybernetic augmentations in their bodies or none at all.
"Maximov Engineering here and that Elf Girl Iris is mine!" a man in a thick Russian accent said.
"Your dirt bags have been in third place since forever. And no, the Elf isn't Iris." Diaz shouted.
"Well doesn't matter. When I am done with you and the Hecklers, your going to be in… DEAD place." The Russian said.
"Ni Hao Bitches!" a nasally Asian voice interrupted them yet again.
With their skin creamed skin surgically modified faces but still distinctively Asian features, flashy suits and gold and dragon engraved guns, another dozen of so more well dressed but still lethally armed gun men entered into the fray. Their entrance added more fuel to the potential firestorm that so many antagonistic groups gathered in one space and all armed to the teeth that can potentially exploded into nasty firefight Mêlée à Trois … or Mêlée Quatre for this case.
"Zhuming Entertainment presents… Kesserheim's streets run red… with Dare Runner's blood." The man in a sharply dressed red silken polo whose collar was arrogantly unfolded boastfully announced.
With his posse of pretty boys in their outstanding wear they raced down youthfully to the circular gathering of rival Megacorps.
"Well… looks like we got ourselves a Pan-Industrial slash multi-cultural melee-quatre plus one black dude on my back. Where's our brownie points for diversity?" Diaz snarked which got a few chuckles from some of the armed thugs and even Kayin.
"You all know why we are here. You and Iris." Fauchard reminded him.
"You know, now that you said that…" the Maximov Leader said as he self-actualized his current situation. He drew and dual wield two pistols and aimed one at Diaz and the other at Fauchard. Both of the pistol's under grip laser red dot laser sights dangled brightly between both of their eyes.
Some of Fauchard's men reacted by redirecting their aim at Maximov and his crew of armed Industrial Workers.
"You know, now that Heckler said it…" the leader of Zhuming Entertainment whistled to his goons and began to aim their guns at equivalently at all the three other parties. "Killing also you two would be just as good as getting Diaz and the Magic Girls." He smiled coyly of bringing home for his organization some 'bonus scores'.
"The fun prospect of seeing my girls Aliathra and Iris in a cheesy VR Porn video ala… 'Exotic Girls from Far Far Away Fantasy Land' or whatever shitty title you give it aside, you probably don't want to mess with the latter more." Diaz warned him.
He turned to Iris with a confident but also anxious glance at the Vampire Witch.
"What's a VR Porn video?" she asked.
"Eh… uhm… they make you a… how do I say it…" the Zhuming leader tried to construct a tactful answer to Iris' question.
"They'll make you work in a shitty brothel." Diaz said in a provocative manner to get the Vampire to stand up for herself and be able to balance up the odds on this uneven encounter. Although his statement wasn't wholly accurate in terms of the difference between the sex trade of a medieval era red light district to the modern ones of the world's oldest profession, it was accurate enough for Vincent to get the disgusting implications across to Iris to sour her reserved demeanor.
"Such vulgarity! That's no way to treat a Lady." Iris growled as she pushed Kayin and Aliathra away and conjured fire and ice on her hands. She bared her fangs like a territorial hound at the Megacorp who dared to see her as an object. Such a terrifying display of the monster hidden beneath that feminine exterior caused them to step back and cower in horror of the unnatural. To see a classical horror movie monster in their own eyes was honestly frightening to them compared to the existential safety of seeing one behind a screen in a comfy chair in a cinema (public or home).
"See? Wanna kiss from her now??" Diaz taunted.
"What is this 'blowjob' you speak of another Vulgar act to degrade a Cadohagan woman?" Iris snarled. Her eyes filled with angered disgust pierced daggers at some of the less courageous folks of their ambushers.
"Well at least the Intel that we got makes her worth around Billion Credits." Fauchard smiled.
"Oh, you are all the same!" Diaz spat as he discharged his pistol while quickly covering as much of his vulnerable head with his left arm.
The shot fired through out the park went across the circle's diameter intending to shoot down the Fauchard's head off. But the Swiss, in an act of sordid but effective self-preservation instinct dragged one of his goons on his side and had the hapless thug (unwillingly) take the bullet for him. As soon the first shot was fired, everyone gathered in the park open fired. Some missed, others were gunned down and the rest were wounded. It was absolute bullet hell and Stryder Group are dead in the middle of all of it.
Diaz strafed to his right while maintaining his makeshift arm shield protecting his squishy head. He blindly fired back with his laser pistol 'Ruiner'. He could feel a bullet or two land violently at his arm shield but it didn't pierce through. He couldn't tell from his self-inflicted sightless condition if either it ricochet of his arm or was simply stopped dead in its penetration path. Either way he could easily shrug several bullets all over his body before his lightly armored frame gets ruptured to expose his more vulnerable vital organs and cybernetic structures. He needed to find something solid to hide from quick.
The same logic above could be also said for Aliathra and Kayin. Both of who were unarmed and mana exhausted respectively.
Iris blasted an infernal gale of fire towards the Chinese Entertainment corporation and manage to incinerate 3 ill-positioned Zhuming gun men. Her experience observing the UFE soldiers gave her some insights on how they do combat with one another. In her own primitive observations, she concluded that most UFE's prefer to fight in range while discharging as much firepower they can humanly carry and output. She remembered that in one demonstration that the UFE would use to countermeasure such a combat strategy is through Smoke. They contained some smoke inside a small canister and in similar vein to their hand thrown grenades (and not the ones she had used in the MGL previously as Kayin told her that there is a difference between them.) and mechanism.
The Vampiress improvised by replicating the said smoke by unleashing a wind of blizzard from her left hands only to quickly evaporate the frozen water with another gale of her fire blast. She channeled the mana from her Pure Crystal necklace causing the entire battlefield to be covered in a befuddling fog.
Their assailants tone done their fire and tried to regroup their men who were all scattered throughout the park blindingly trying to get away from its effect.
"Come on!" Diaz yelled to Iris as the two doved down to a nearby hotdog stand for cover.
"Who are these people?" Iris asked, her voice hinting with disgust on their attackers who dared tried to sleaze their way to her.
"Badguys… friends of mine…" Diaz hoarsely informed as he reloaded 'Ruiner'.
"Well your 'Friends' think I am some cheap whore." Iris haughtily dismissed. "Where's Kayin and the Elf?"
Diaz peeked over the hotdog stand and frantically tried to spot them. He saw, despite a blurry haze from his bullet suppressed eyes a tall Negro male who is hurriedly pulling the arm of a blonde woman in the same colored jacket that Aliathra was wearing when she was given a new set of clothes courtesy of the Manila. The figures made a mad dash for a crowded shopping street north west from where the Cyborg and Vampiress were holding up.
"You can cast those spells and all right?" Diaz asked.
"Yes, yes I can." Iris nodded as she recharged her hands with more magic that gave a faint sky-blue light.
"Follow me and don't stop running." Diaz told her as he made a dash out of the cart towards his other two friends' direction with Iris promptly jumping into her feet with him.
They flew through the parks grassy floor, weaving through the greenery, trees, bushes, holographic ad stands and dead bodies. They could hear the gun fire continue to roar behind them as they sensed bullets caress them mere inches pass the two.
Iris let loose several Magical Missiles behind her, all of each enchanted to hit the mark of any would be kidnapper.
"Don't shoot like that! She's worth Fifty-Billion credits alive!" one of their assailants scolded.
"I am not anyone's toy! I AM FREE!" Iris angrily replied to the callous Corpos and unleashed an azure barrage of Magic Missiles.
Six darts flew out of her hand and charged towards their pursuers striking them down with an unexpecting and deceptive force staggering and piercing 4 of them.
Their feet dashed out of the park's jade grounds and into the asphalt street separating them from the shopping street across. The two not bothering to look both ways, weaved through precariously of the on coming traffic that sped through. Iris barely stopped mere inches away from a speeding truck but Diaz managed to catch her on time before she was running over by several tons of steel.
"Keep your head down and move come on!" Diaz warned her.
After the truck passed by them, they made their way safely across where they kept their heads low while continuing to gain some distance from their pursuers.
The shopping street, from a busy albeit normal business day was erupted into chaos as Gun fire and armed goons flooded the commercial area. Screams and the sound of merchandise crashing or falling apart can be heard as they barraged Aliathra's ears.
"Where's Vince?" She asked Kayin.
"I don't know. I haven't seen Iris either. We need to---" Kayin gasped for breath before a dreadful 'Click' noise interrupted his sentence.
To the two's horror they were held in gun point by the treacherous addition of four more thugs, all armed to claim their prize. Compared to the Heckler Union, Maximov Engineering and Zhuming Entertainment, these thugs were more anarchistic in terms of their choice of clothing. Leather jackets with spikes and a rainbow of colors littering their clothes like a flour scattered in a cooking counter.
"Elfie is gonna make us rich! Buh-Bye!" A man in a purple spiky mohawk pointed his gun at Kayin's head.
Aliathra closed her eyes, not wanting to see Kayin's head explode in front of her.
Four loud shots coming from point blank range thundered at the Elf's sensitive ears making her scream. She knelt down and covered her ears and began to crack under the combative pressures. Her inexperience in the field plus the sheer stress one such as herself is enduring of being light years away from home. She shed tears and began to whisper to Neneth for salvation from her nightmare that she feels all too real.
"Hey, Hey, Hey!" a familiar voice broke her silence as she felt someone's hand pull her left arm away from her ear. It was Diaz.
"Thanks." Kayin gratified.
Aliathra saw the four hold-uppers and would be murderers of Kayin and kidnapper of the Elven Princess turned spy lying dead on the floor. She saw Diaz's laser pistol exhaust a red yet also refractive gas from his gun's chamber. Once again this 'Abomination' saved her life.
"What now? There everywhere!" Iris asked.
Diaz turned his head around the group's vicinity. The pressure of his friend's survival now resting upon the Penal Soldier's long history of Kesserheim's neon streets.
"Over there!" Diaz pointed with Ruiner. It's barrel pointing to an abandoned and darkly lit Convenience store whose door was conveniently opened as if recently abandoned. A perfect place to hide until the heat dies down.
Grasping Aliathra's hand tightly but with a guardian's firmness, he led his friends inside the Convenience store and quickly closed the door. The door's normal greeting ring was luckily turned off which gave them hope that they might be able to hide it out.
It was dark inside with only the cartoon merchandise with their dead simplified black dots of an anthromorphic's irises to keep them company. The four knelt down quietly as they could hear the faint footsteps of their pursuers.
"How do we get out of here?" Kayin asked.
"There's a back door. I think we can escape through it." Iris pointed to the metal door behind the store's cash register counter.
"I'm sure that's just a supply door." Kayin cynically informed.
"Hang on let me confirm." Diaz paused as he pulled out his phone. He covered his devices bright light with his jacket as he checked his map.
"There's a back alley we can sneak off to straight for the Rainbow Bridge. It'll lead us to the Orchard District." Diaz told them.
"We'll be safe there right?" Aliathra asked.
"Yeah, it's Aparo territory. Got to call my boss though. Tell him we are coming in hot." Diaz assured.
"I'll get it open now." Kayin said as he stealthily crawled to the door and tried to open it.
At first, he tried to push it open but it wouldn't budge. Then after a couple of attempts of pushing he tried pulling the door but it was locked in place.
"It's locked. And its one of those security doors." Kayin sadly informed them. If he had is tools with him he could easily bypass the door's metal locks that kept it firmly enclosed.
"That's made of metal, right?" Iris asked.
"Yes. Why? Can you actually unlock it?" Diaz asked.
"In my career of enchanting weapons and armor of Mirrien. Metal shifting is a vital skill in my day job." Iris said.
"Okay ya try that. But do it quietly." Diaz whispered.
He took point near the door entrance as he observes the outside. Most of the stores in the shopping streets were now devoid of civilians and light (except for their pursuer's tactical flashlights attached to their guns) leaving the once vibrant commercial area abandoned except for the Mercenaries, Thugs and armed goons of virtually every Rival Megacorp, Crime Syndicate or person Diaz has ever known to try and climb their way to the top of Kesserheim's dynamically Darwinian Food Chain.
From a self-actualizing point of view for the ex-Corpo agent, being away from Kesserheim for a few months gave him a new perspective in life. He never knew there was more to the whole world than just the cybernetic neon lights of Kesserheim which is filled with excessive materialism, anarcho-capitalist ventures and simple greed. To see the green grass and natural calling of nature in an unexplored and untapped land far away made him reflect on those years stealing and killing for a living. But if it weren't for the raw and unadulterated thrill of adventure, and the rush of stealing high value items from people in addition to the reputable perks of his successful exploits he had acquired throughout his previous career. He would have emigrated out of the planet to some lonely Agri-world when he got the money to make the transit.
"Let me check here and then we'll move out!" one of the mercenaries told his comrades as he walked straight into their hiding spots direction.
Everyone in Diaz's party hid behind the safety of the shadows not daring to expose an inch of their bodies to the mercenary's tactical light.
"Nothing here. Let's moo---" the mercenary was about to turn away when he heard an object fall down from the store's interior.
"No." Aliathra whispered in hopeless tribulation as she clumsily let a can of food fall down from the shelf she hidden herself behind.
She naively tried to reach out for the can before the gaze of the tac-light reached for it. But she underestimated the mercenary's reflexes.
"They're here!" the mercenary yelled when his light shone at Aliathra's ivory lithe hands exposed on the cold marble floor midway between the fallen can.
"Shit!" Diaz cursed as he emerged out of his cover and blasted the gunman who found them with a swift shot in the head resulting in his immediate death.
Gunfire erupted in a hail of lead on the storefront as the party's pursuers descended upon their position.
Kayin struggled to keep his head down as he crawled to the dead mercenary's corpse and grabbed his rifle and ammo. Using his corpse to rest his gun on. Kayin returned fire.
"Iris! Get that door open now!" He yelled.
"I am trying but the metal of this door is unlike anything I have handled before." Iris complained.
The obstructive bars hidden beneath the door's facade that separated them from freedom are made from a composition of various materials with only one object being the familiar Iron-purified Steel that Iris is used to Metal-shift. The rest were made out of alien non-metals that made her powers dampen in terms of effect. The aluminum, glass and gypsum compound made it limited how far Iris can manipulate the locks. That and the fact she is under pressure from suppressive gun fire also didn't help her concentration.
"I need Mana!" Aliathra yelled.
"Iris… your necklace." Kayin called out.
The Witch unhooked her neckwear quickly and tossed it to Kayin over the counter. She continued to struggle with the unusually made locks of the door whilst the other 3 members of her party were on defense.
Kayin passed the Mana Crystal to the Elf whom promptly siphoned the mana out of the high-quality crystal. After a time of 'Mana Starvation' the Princess could feel her Elven Physiology and Magical Affinities return to her like when one was wondering a desert and found a watering hole (that is not a Mirage). With her reserves back up to more preferable count, Aliathra began to cast some Conjuration magic that she knew from her Elven Ranger training. By default, one of the Elven Ranger spells that all of them know by heart is the Conjuration spell called 'Summon Bow'. This is taught to them in the very first days of training in the belief statement that 'All Rangers must be at the ready.' She created a brilliantly bright blue bow from her hands that when ever she pulls the weapon's thinly glass-like bow string it creates a similarly colored magical arrow which as time goes on, it become as powerful and comparable in terms of sheer penetration power, it is comparable to a high-powered bullet. Normally however the spell is used for emergencies only when a Ranger is found without a weapon since it is more Magically Efficient to just enchant the arrows which in all existential importance was the essential item in the Bow and Arrow combo that makes Elven Rangers comparable to a contemporary Rifleman.
She pulled the bowstring and emerged from her cover, now with reinvigorated hope. She took aim and the first hostile fell down from her bow. His chest was pierced by the magic arrow that after it a moment was dissipated into nothingness, its particles fading away with the cold night wind. It left the man bleeding out profusely. Again, she pulled the bow and took fire, every shot, the arrow landed on a gunman who tried to approach the convenience store.
But for every one man they take down, two more takes his place. Their numbers and firepower seemed to be unending.
"Beam Rifle! Duck!" Diaz warned Aliathra. He dived down to Aliathra who was unaware that she overlooked a man who was carrying an unusually blocky but extremely destructive Energy Weapon.
A verdant green beam of light slashed sideward from across the store's walls burning everything anything that it touched. Vincent managed to push Aliathra and himself out of the beam's way before it struck either of them. Yet from where Aliathra was standing she was unknowingly laying down fire while there's an entire shelf of Motor Oil.
The beam's high energy atom movement combine with the Oil's flammable properties caused the shelf to ignite brilliantly setting the place ablaze.
"Damnation! I thought they wanted us alive?" Iris screamed.
"Well that's Kesserheim for you. Some want you alive, others… Dead." Diaz answered. He looked on at the fire and he saw the blaze began to engulf the entire store. The building felt like it was about to collapse on top of them any second now.
"You better hurry it up or WE are gonna be dinner." Diaz yelled.
"I need a few more moments…" Iris struggled. Sweat ash and tar fell down here flawless skin tainting her face.
"Hurry!" Kayin turned his neck briefly to her as he continued to open fire his gun.
The 3 continued on to defend Iris but now their make shift fortifications were now being slowly sapped away by the Oil Fire. Not even the store's water sprinklers could do anything to stop the blaze but only cause it to erupt further. Eventually, the party began to run out of ammo (or Mana in the case for the Elf), places to hide and are starting to gasp for air.
"Ydw!" Iris cheered as she finally unlocked the door. She pushed it open and gestured everyone to get out.
The party, wasting no time, regrouped with her as the store finally was fully engulfed in flames. Now in the back alleys of Kesserheim where they can slip away unseen. Diaz led them through the alleys, dodging trash, patrols and the occasional pest and stray animal. To the Gliesians, the Back Alleys were like a softened version of the stories of the Southern Wastelands of Ysanigrad where it's all volcanic rock and savage predatorial animals who hunt each other for their next meal. But still they find the smell of bio and non-biodegradeable trash disposed indiscriminately in the plastic bins that littered the alleys.
Before long (and much gagging later) Diaz halted the party as he gestured his eyes to wards a shining bright light with the noises of car sounds following it.
"There's a bridge that will take us to the Garden District. Hang on let me make a call." Diaz said as he picked up his phone.
Only to be greeted by dozens of unread messages and missed calls from his Aparo Corporation associates. The unread messages were brief but alarmingly clear…
'You have been exposed.'
'They are ALL hunting for you.'
'Get to safety. NOW!!!'
He always found texts and missed calls annoying but a necessary evil. He went to his contacts list and called up his boss Don Aparo. After a few brief moments of tensed silence in between the phone's dial up and ringing, he heard a voice.
"Diaz! My boy. I… thought you were dead." Don Aparo's voice came out of the speaker.
"Sorry Boss. I was busy with them. I am okay for now." Diaz reassured.
"Where are you? I will send some men to get you and those Gliesian Girls and that Black friend of yours out of here." Aparo asked.
"I am just near the Rainbow Bridge, near the Orchard District. Get anyone there now. We will be on foot." Diaz said.
"Got it. I will call in everything I can. Cops on our roll, Mercenaries and some Rent-A-Hoods. Stay safe all of you." Aparo said before he dropped the call.
With the hope of safety just a bridge away. The party forged onwards to the bright light as they exit the back alleys. Welcoming them were the hustle and bustle of Kesserheim's Rush Hour. Cars moving left, right, up and down through the busy streets. Commuters walked passed them like fishes moving upstream, ignorant to the 4 battle weary companions.
"Everyone links up your hands and keep following me." Diaz told him. He grabbed Aliathra's hand where she held Kayin's which is then followed by Iris'. They navigated the dynamic jungle of human bodies as they approached the Rainbow Bridge.
It is a colorful piece of architecture of the suspending wires varieties of bridges. It was held together by titanium suspensions that had omni-lucent lights that shine every spectrum of the Rainbow hence the bridges colorful name. The bridge can accommodate a road for cars and buses, tracks for the Monorail and two walking paths for those who wish to cross it by foot. Upon average the bridge can service an estimated average of 30,000 vehicles a day making it one of the UFE's busiest mound of asphalt in their entire Interstellar Nation rivalling Old Tokyo and Mars.
Aliathra and Iris couldn't help but lose focus for a moment as they saw the bridge's lights shine in all the 7 colors of the rainbow whose spectral light contrasted with the dark violet nightfall of Kesserheim. If it weren't for the boisterous noise of that the traffic stuck cars made with their horns in addition to the passing by Monorail and the heavy foot movement of people walking in a rhythm similar to a heavy downpour, the Bridge would have been a very nice place to relax and see the sun set and rise every day.
But half way through the bridge, Diaz stopped as he urged the party to duck down on the siderails.
"What?" Kayin whispered.
"They.Are.Here." he fearfully mentioned upwards.
Kayin peaked outside and saw that there were more of the armed men who just exited their pitch-black tinted SUV's and they were all not acting like a Security Detail of Corporate VIP's. No, they were actively searching for them. Examining every car, interviewing drivers and passersby, slowly but surely the bridge was getting into a Pseudo Lockdown.
"I have to say. I am touched by how much they miss me." Diaz snided.
"What do we do now?" Iris asked.
"No where to go but forward I am afraid… we need… uhm… a distraction. So uhm, by any chance you got any ideas?" Diaz asked his companions.
"I can throw in this giant ball of light. It's an Illussion spell that should blind them for a moment allowing us to run away." Aliathra suggested.
"Seem's good enough." Kayin nodded.
"I can agree to that. Let's go with that." Diaz said as he peaked over the side rails and strategized.
He was no stranger to tactics and military thinking like Samantha. But compared to her, their mode of thinking was radically different. Diaz advocate for situational control in tandem with twistingly brilliant maneuvers above all else while Samantha focused on aggression and shock and awe.
"You see those seven over there chatting with each other?" Diaz pointed to the thugs who were having a brief discussion about what they needed to do.
Silently nodding, Aliathra casted a bright ball on her hand and then threw at the target. It erupted brilliantly blinding and disorienting the soldiers.
"Go!" Diaz yelled as he emerged from his cover and open fire. He shot a few bolts of lasers from Ruiner managing to take down two of the soldiers before they managed to pick themselves back up and gained their bearings. They saw their fleeing targets and began to open fire.
"Get him get him!" one of the mercenaries ordered.
Suppressive bullets flew through all over the intrepid companions' figures but luckily as if through divine intervention or sheer wit, they did not get hit by the bullets.
"Vinny! Over here!" the familiar voice of Bobby buzzed like a light in a dark room.
"Chef!" Diaz smiled as he and the rest of his party met up with his old colleague.
"There was a mole back in HQ. Ratted you and Iris out. Come on. Let's get you out of here." Bobby said.
Before the party could be safely escorted back to the Garden district. Aliathra could hear a tearful goodbye.
"My Baby!" a young mother tried to reach out back into the fray of bullets and riddled automobiles but she was being forcibly stopped by Policemen (who were under the Aparo payroll).
Aliathra could feel that woman's sorrow strike chords in her heart as she turned around to see a crying child who was tearfully covering his ears and was carrying a gashing wound on his right leg. The young boy looked no older than 4 years old in a Human's life span by the Elf's deduction.
In her years of studying under the Clerics and Nuns of Neneth, she was taught selflessness, self-sacrifice in benevolence to all who needs it. In that very moment, all of her prejudices, all of her fears and all of her subtlety were all thrown out to the drain as she hurriedly dashed towards the child.
"Hey!" Diaz yelled trying to grab the Elf but his reaction was found wanting.
Aliathra weaved and dodged the bullets, the debris and occasional hazard as she made her way to the child. Diaz, after urging Kayin and Iris to get out of the bridge, quickly followed her.
After she reached at the crying child, Aliathra hugged the poor boy close to her chest.
"It's okay little one. I will protect you." Aliathra comforted the boy.
"The bad men are… are many…everywhere…" the boy stuttered before crying again. Indeed, dozens of automatic fire began to besiege the car that the two were hiding from now that the Mercenaries who were targeting the Magic Users spotted the Elf rather foolhardily come towards them. Ignoring the distractions behind her. Aliathra gently grabbed the boy's leg and pulled it outwards to better assess the damage. It was a fairly standard fall wound on his knees that was contaminated with asphalt.
"Alie! Shit. I cover you!" Diaz ordered as he opened fire his gun at their attackers.
The bridge they were all on had become a warzone and a field day for journalists looking for the next big story. The various news companies of UFE aimed their cameras at the Elf whose hoodie was down exposing her pointy Elven ears and graceful braids that looked so out of place in a contemporary city but not where Aliathra came from where a woman's hair is considered the epitome of Elven beauty standards.
Newscasters and reporters began to erupt in a wildfire of sensationalistic journalism as they began to discuss in a flurry of debates in similar veins to Internet Forums catering to fandom nerds like Spacebattles, Sufficient Velocity, MyAnimeList and certain devoted demographics of Reddit. In all of the confusion, the message was clear.
Who is this mysterious Elf woman? Is that Magic she is doing right now?
Back at the ground, Aliathra was about to wrap up the finishing touches of the boys wound.
"There we go. You're a strong little one, right?" Aliathra smiled. Despite the high level of on the field stress right now she is facing. The satisfaction of helping a child in need made her ignore her mental pain albeit for a brief moment.
"Done! Let's get out of… Watchout!" Diaz screamed as Aliathra turned her head around to see that one of the Mercenaries managed to sneak around Diaz's protective gaze and aimed a Taser at point blank range.
"Mommy!" the boy began to shed tears as he saw his angelic savior about to get struck down.
The Elf Princess quickly conjured a shield to protect her body from the Taser just as the man was about to fire. Her shield barely had enough time to construct itself as the Taser made contact with it.
The electrical currents from the Taser's probes made contact with the Magical energies of the shield causing a surge of electrical energy to explode knocking back Aliathra off her feet and her attacker next to the boy (who was miraculously unharmed).
"Alie!" Diaz cried as he ran towards the Elf who lay motionless on the ground.
He checked her pulse and realized that it was failing. The Elf maiden's eyes were bloodshot in a sinister contrast to Aliathra's azure irises.
"No… No… No… not on me…No… No…" Diaz tried to grasp Aliathra as he grabbed her hand. She could feel the Elf's lithe hands gripped tightly on his. He didn't know it was a product of the electrical dispersion causing her muscles to contract or was it a sign of the Elf's struggle to survive.
For Aliathra… she was in Death's Door about to touch its knob. She could feel her heart slowing down as not all of the Elven's superior physiological properties nor her self-inflicting Restoration magic was enough to keep her from succumbing. The electricity in her body contracted as she felt defenseless. But the sight of Diaz who was always being nice to her despite several misconducts of manners attending to her made her give a sliver but decisive will of perseverance.
"Vinny! Dammnit the Kid… and the Girl!" Bobby ran towards him.
His old and overweight build daringly entered the inferno of gun fire as the Mercenaries close in after seeing a.) an Elven Girl that they can capture for a hefty pay day whether brought in dead or alive, b.) a Rival Corporate Agent who has cause so much grief and wasted money with his back turned in a very opportune manner, c.) a senior figure of the said Rival Corporation who was hurriedly trying to rescue his friend and the Elven girl.
"We need to get you out of here! I will never forgive myself if even either of the three of you die on me!" Bobby said as he picked up Aliathra in a bridal carry. He then urged the straggling child who Aliathra freed to follow him to safety.
"There's too many of them Bobby, we're cornered!" Diaz clamored.
"You need to do it." Bobby told him. With the last two words that gave Diaz a mental projection of what he needs to do if any of them are going to make it out alive.
"But…" Diaz tried to protest.
"Don't worry… In Aparo… Siamo tutti una famiglia… We are all family." Bobby impelled him.
In his years of being one Diaz's closest friends and working colleague… he knew why Diaz is so reluctant to do the one thing that he wanted him to do. To Overclock his Augmentations to the limit.
It was deemed 'a Dangerous and downright forbidden technique'. A power at a terrible price. The benefits of superhuman enhanced performance at the tremendous risk of overheating his internal organs, rapid degradation of Cybernetic Augementation's structural integrity, potential permanent Nervous System damage and in severe cases, Death by self-inflicted heat stroke.
"Rapid Movement Boosters… activate Overclock Protocol… password… Devil Trigger." Diaz mentally whispered to himself. It wasn't the way to actually make his cybernetics do Overclock but if he's going to die. He might as well say something nice for his gravestone so that his colleagues and new Stryder group friends have something to remember him by after his supposed funeral.
He then mentally activated the systems and remove all the self-imposed safety limits that he created that separates him from casually abusing Overclock for it was like a drug to those who abuse it… one way or the other… you will have 'a Lethal Overdose'. The post pain of it all almost made him hesitated. But for the first time ever… after about three other previous incidents beforehand where he did Overclocked it wasn't for selfish survival and self-preservation needs… but now it is used to protect the people he cared and should care about.
In that moment… Vincente Diaz began his brief detour on a redemption mission. To give back to the sins he had done in the past. In that moment… he was fighting something beyond himself.
His body began to overflow with energy as all of his Cybernetics began fire up his systems. He bended his knees down and draw Ruiner.
"Come get me boys." Diaz confidently smirked as he ejected himself to face his decadent past.
------------------------------- (An unknown time later in a Saint Lukes) --------------
"My God… that… was… Glorious…" Diaz smiled as Dry Ice packs and repair droids were tending to his body. His cybernetic limbs had signs of melting but were thankfully prevented from causing harm to the user or any of his surroundings thanks to the timely efforts of a nearby fire crew who sprayed Diaz with a shower of non-toxic chemical coolants after the effects of his Overclock died down.
"I can't believe you actually did that!" Samantha said.
"I can't actually believe you weren't their to fucking see me… or actually smile to me like that. So NOW you like me?" Diaz snarked.
"Compared from earlier… I still don't trust you that much. But what you did earlier was something I honestly never expected you to do. In all of my years studying Psychology and then enrolling for West Point. What you did was Heroic." Samantha positively smiled.
"Thanks Sam… so I can now call you Sam now?" Diaz asked.
"No, it's still Lieutenant Private." Samantha shot him down.
"Where's Aliathra? Is she… okay? And that kid too? What happened to him?" Diaz concerningly asked.
"The boy got reunited with his mother and is very happy you and the Elf rescued him. As for Aliathra, the good news is that she's lucky she's alive… the bad news… the doctor wants to personally inform me about it."
"Hey I deserved to know too." Diaz said as he climbed onto a wheel chair, the Ice Packs still strapped onto his exhausted body… there was a slight chilling pain but it was rather safe for Diaz to be able to move around in Wheel Chair whilst allowing for limited movement of his arms and legs.
"Fine… the rest of Stryder and also the guests want to greet her in her bed too. I will push." Samantha said as she went behind Diaz's Wheel chair.
Exiting his room and crossing to the other side of the hallway that they were residing in Saint Lukes.
"Princess Aria can walk again but right now she's currently stuck using a pair of crutches for now whilst the Stem Cells do a bunch blah blah medical jargon on her spine. According to the Doctor, it will take time but by the time we return to New Albany… I am going make sure that Aria Run to her brother for a great big hug." Samantha informed Diaz as she pushed him.
"Stu-fucking-pendous." Vinny raised his heart to an upbeat attitude.
"Quiet! This is a peaceful and clean Hospital." One of the Medical Staff reprimanded him.
"Yeah whatever Nursie." Diaz passed it off as his wheelchair passed by the medical scrub.
They then entered Aliathra's room where a doctor who was assigned for her well being and recovery was in attendance. He was staring at a bundle of documents in an very astonished but also very insightful smile combined with shock. Aliathra could be seen sleeping quietly on a Hospital bed where her pulse was attached to a monitor and her hand had IV fluids pumped inside her.
"Doctor Hunjan?" Samantha asked.
"Lieutenant Rose. It is good to see you. The subject is expected to make a full recovery. In all honesty, this… Alie—aatttra? Woman is quite the… I don't want to be offensive about it but I was about to say Specimen… but I just simply can't ignore this." The Doctor tried to tactfully explain to Samantha with a forced smile on his Indian face.
"Just cut to the chase Doctor. What are you hiding from the UFE State?" Samantha pushed.
"Well this 'Elf' as you call it is quite similar to our Physiology Miss Rose. Same amount of body parts albeit with rather minor differences, more tense muscles, no signs of any metabolic lost and even aging. This woman is at peak physical health and its uncanny. As if like… she's a Designer Human or something like that beyond those lines. If only I can say the say the same for her heart… I would have love to at least scan it if it didn't look like… well uhm… I think you should see it yourself." Dr. Hujan said as he presented to them to their shock. Aliathra's charcoal heart.
"It looked like it was left too long on an oven." Samantha commented with disgust.
"More like a piece of poo to me… yuck!" Diaz reacted with even more visual disgust than his superior officer. "Wait… does that mean…" Diaz then caught himself when he soon realizes that since he is looking at Aliathra's burnt Cardia then that means the heart beat that was coming from the monitor was…
"I replaced the Elf's heart with a Synthetic." Dr. Hanjun said.
"You what?" Samantha snapped.
"Should… I don't know, tell her?" Diaz asked.
"No, I don't want to risk her amplifying her stress to the point her body rejects the organ. I mean we don't even have any natural donors who are 'Elves' you know. Besides the Artificial heart is working perfectly right now and if it persists then it should be able to fully integrate itself into her body with her not even noticing the difference." Dr. Hanjun explained.
"That was a very risky move you know." She reprimanded.
"By my honor as both as Doctor of Saint Luke's and by the Hippocratic Oath I simply didn't have much options. It was either she gets a new heart or she dies. Please you have to understand where I am coming from here. I am the Cardiologist here." Dr. Hujan pleaded.
"If this Elf, Woman alien, whatever you damn doctors call her dies… or gets any kind of complications with her heart I am holding YOU responsible." Samantha asserted herself. She fiercely tapped her finger on Dr. Hujan's chest antagonistically. There was a disdain in her language on the Doctors terminiologies of classifying Aliathra which for Samantha she found disdainful in a philosophically existential point of view.
"I will answer to the state if it does." He cracked.
"Ahh… ohh… was it all… a dream?" Aliathra's voice interrupted them.
Knowing he was still carrying Aliathra's previous heart. Dr. Hanjun, awkwardly gnashed his teeth before discreetly running out of the door. Diaz and Samantha both approached the now reawaken Elf and they smiled to her albeit forced… still trying to hide the fact of their shock on what the Doctor's had to do to ensure she could open her eyes again.
"What happened?" Aliathra asked.
"Oh you got Tazed… Like a stun as you can…eh… say?" Diaz gagged.
"Your in the hospital now for… minor injuries. You will be just out and about the day after tomorrow." Samantha said.
"I remembered. A light and my body failing and then there was you. I saw you run up to me and held my hand. I grasped it as hard as I could. I… I didn't want to die." Aliathra said.
"That's what I like to hear. Some good old will to live. You got some HEART you know that?" Diaz said as he openly smiled at Samantha.
"Indeed, you do. Say… Miss Sylran? That's the name your last name, right?" Samantha asked.
"Sylran yes… of Ethuilen." Aliathra maintained her cover.
"So Aliathra, while we are all here… would you like to cheer up? I got something you might like and the rest of my friends would love to see it too right here in your room on the TV." Samantha said.
"The Magic Mirror on top of me?"
Samantha and Vincente couldn't help but react in laughter on her answer. Clarke's must be rolling in his grave again even more now then compared to last time.
"It's the Lord of the Rings Complete series in Blu Ray. A movie about Fantasy Worlds filled with monsters, elves and epic quests." She explained while trying to maintain a straight face.
"Oh, it's about your history? And you got to record it? I would love to see it." Aliathra eagerly nodded.
"Yeah… uhm… okay whatever. So, wait… the rest of Stryder group?" Diaz questioned.
"Surprise kiddo!" Obediah cheers erupted.
He was followed by Kayin, Iris, Crocker and Clay. They were carrying a whole assortment of snacks alongside thoughtful 'Get well soon' cards for both Diaz and Aliathra.
"We got Popcorn, Ice Cream, Chips and Chicken! With of course some gravy." Obediah smiled.
"Lord of the Rings Marathon! WWWHHOOO!!!!!" Clay howled.
"Quiet now! We barely got these through Security. Hey El-Tee, does that include the Hobbit?" Crocker asked.
"Yep." Samantha smiled.
"What is this Lord of the Rings you talk about Kayin?" Iris asked Kayin who was now firmly holding his hand.
"It's a film based on a book about a Fantasy World kind of like yours. It's one of the best written books the UFE ever created from J.R.R. Tokien. You will love it I assure you. You can sit next to me and we can share the blanket." Kayin said. He had a flustered look on his face as he guided Samantha who was carrying the Ice Cream containers to the table.
After a long day of high-pressure action and a time of separation. Everyone in Stryder Group were back together again and now have a moment for themselves as Samantha placed the DVD on the machine as the Lord of the Rings Cinematic Series began to play.
In that moment, everyone could rest for a fleeting moment of felicity as the SOG team sat down, grabbed their snacks and watched at the 40-inch TV Screen.
As for both Iris and Aliathra… the visual colors of Tolkien's adapted into film book captured their imaginations as they fell into a lucid state of deep immersion…