A rapid succession of blasts erupted from atop the wall from his fists. The sulfuric smell of burnt black powder filled the air and great puffs of thick smoke poured from the hands of Raj. Staring at his hands and palms with amazement at what he had just unconsciously done. Beyond the cages and walls obscuring their view of Raj a smashing clang of metal on metal echoed off the room. As the smoke cleared Axel was down and getting up.
Ken and Chris leading the guards had been completely obliterated to the point where one could tell what made them turn into beasts to use their Zodiac. The two attacked Raj together into one jumble of intermingling pieces of blast. Raj and Axel clashed and exchanged fists "Do not interfere with me!" Axel exclaimed. His subordinates almost unleashed a crossfire "Let me handle this and wait for your turn."
Both fired their fist from their position with a sonic boom. They thrashed, then fell their faces on the floor. Quickly they stood up and fired their blasters on hitting everyone in the room with no exception. Uncontrollable. Raj pulled back for another strike, but Axel caught him first and blew him up with his fist and knees, striking his back "Did you tell me to practice self-defense? So, I prepared."
"What do you do with all of that body? Have you been murdering all these people?" Raj was down and walking unbalanced, in a flash he recalled what happened in their province. He realized that the beam of light did not come from the stranger who killed her grandma, but it was him.
It was the same light he visualized "Axel tell me! All of you!" trying to blast another shot. He screamed. Firing a huge blast of power towards the guards and to Axel "I know I should have told you earlier. But it is too late now. They have demanded change of request" Axel said. "Is this the things happening underground? Among all those beautiful sceneries that separate this place from the downtown. It seems like the whole city is a wretched place," he acted as if the move while hunting wild animals in their forest. "This is how the world works Raj. Certain things must be controlled. Certain things that must be done!" Axel while down bent with one knee protects himself "If you only joined me earlier and accepted the offer the first time, I showed it to you the circumstances might be different," creating a barrier shield that barricaded Raj's blast. Axel reveals his metal-like cyborg arms.
"This place survived and flourished because of all of these things that we are doing right now. After the great depression had hit for several years people were starving and dying but because of the remnants, the energies that we can acquire from these Zodiac can fuel energy to the factories and power plants" Axel aired aiming for Raj at a distance "It was this organization Raj," Axel tries to deceive him with the little information he knew thinking he might bite "that blew from years ago, the things that are embedded in you, and among these scattered bodies you can see here. These are all ours, we are just trying to regain back what is ours."
Raj throws a blast as if he were having a tantrum, there he manages to create a deep hole that breaks through outside "Still what you are doing is wrong!" Raj raced towards the damaged holes in the room for the basement "So, tell me Raj, what is right, tell me!" A tingling of metal rang in his ears as Axel threw himself and ricocheted off into the distance before Raj was about to reach the hole. "We are just using them because in the end they will just die and turn into one of those cannibalistic beings that are of no use. The energy of those beings was already depleted. We are just thinking of the best way to utilize our resources."
Raj flipped his hands from the quiver on his hip, aimed his legs, and fired back. Axel sailing high, with his speed was brought down by his kick "Even you, aren't you exploiting all the resources that you have right now? Is not that the best way?" Raj found his escape with his limited time swiftly running for his way out.
Outside he hid behind the building stairs holding his hands hoping that the guards and the others would not spot nor find him. Silence passed by after a few moments maximizing his time to successfully move out of the building.
It was not so long until he successfully escaped and found his way back to the city streets.
SOCRATES THE FATHER
Raj had to follow the crowd of men in the city carrying bags and suitcases, wearing quivers. Some would carry bags across their backs. Raj stands out among the crowd. His ripped shirt and coat separate him from them. He rushed to reach the store earlier because he had anticipated Regulus to find him there. He reached his bodega and Mr. Mario met him upon his arrival. He was sweating and cold. His breathing was so intense that it matched his racing heartbeat.
Raj packed away all his stuff. Mr. Mario noticed his wounds and followed him upstairs "Where are you going, boy?!" The store owner asked "You still have your job" he wanted to ask about his wounds, but his expression was clearly in a hurry.
He wipes his wounds and changes his clothes immediately "Sorry I have to take a leave for now sir" he looks at Mr. Mario with hope in his eyes "What happened to your face?" he continues to pack walking back and forth "Hey!!!! Are you going to ignore me?" he plans not to stop him, but he also thinks that he should rest "you are bleeding!" Raj cut the conversation short and went on his way."
He smiled and looked at Mr. Mario, hugged him "Thanks for now, I'll be back later soon. If I continue to stay here, they might also take interest in you. I have created my problems…Aw, ouch" as his wounded arms touch the man. "But do you have anywhere to go at this moment? Aren't you having a hard time looking for places to stay when you just arrived in the city?"
"I know Mr. Mario, but this is serious," their intent to kill scared him "I'll find my way out of here and into the city" his hands were feeling too much tremor that he could not control. Behind his mind, he also thought "Maybe because they are using electricity"
"I have a lot of questions to ask you mister, but this is not the right moment. About glowing arms and humans."
Mr. Mario helped him pack and included some medicine and bandages that he found in his first aid kit. There was not much but it can surely help. Raj went on his way hiding in the outskirts of the city.
PARDUS
Raj was covering his wounds using some of the bandages and medicine that Mr. Mario packed with him. He thought his wounds would get infected because of the dirty surroundings where he situated himself. He passed his time on the corner of the streets in Pardus, he knew that he was not safe in the streets. He searches himself a proper place where he can hide and he can rest, but in the meantime, he sleeps on the street behaving like a beggar.
Raj awoke early the next morning. He was unwell rested because of his bruising wounds and his upset stomach. Halfway he stood up. Halfway crawled up the steep curb from the hull and stumbled out onto the polished planks of the streets.
His plans involved returning to his homeland but with his current situation terminals are not a good place to stroll over and with a little amount of money it would not be enough for him to get home "Man, my stomach," it continues to rumble as he continues to walk by the street.
As he passed in front of the bakery, a lady threw him a wink as he banged in front of the bakery's door, sending the store owner to him to give him some quarrels. He stepped in through the bakery store the owner had left him some mouthful of words "Close the doors behind you," the hinges on the heavy wooden door creaked with every inch until the door finally clasped shut.
He stroked for his pocket bringing out its empty insides with pieces of coins. He counted them just enough to buy one bread and feed him for the day before the day even passed.
Raj in a wide city spotted some of the Regulus guards with their black and white uniforms. He immediately crouched and hid himself in the bakery's corner stall "Are those their disguise? But they stand out?" The last moments of twilight hung over the docks of Cube, trailed by a blanket of fog roiling in from the city.
As the last trace of light dissipated over a gigantic compound in the distance. The city plunged deep, almost completely submerging itself into darkness before the city lights were turned on. The Regulus guards scattered everywhere in the city.
Raj knew he needed to be more cautious during the night and be quicker with his hide-and-seek play with Regulus. The sirens started wailing.
Leaving the bakery behind. He spent his night searching for 'Socrates' without any clear lead to find him in the huge city. Raj as planned went back and waited for days in the vacant lot where the collector said to him and told him to do so.
The collector noticed him for a while, and he ended up stalking him as he waited, Raj slept and waited for a week then came him "Don't you have any home?" he approached casually as if they were close.
"Oh, sir finally you found me!" he looks at Raj. Staring at him deeply for a while "Follow me. I know what you came here for," both walk as Raj follows him from behind "You see that tall wall there," he points out the wall that overlooks the left of them "behind here is the dump site area, we are going around…I mean behind…I mean around…oh yes at the back of this towards the end."
Raj introduced himself and began to share stories "I am living somewhere in the city in an old store somewhere. Before I came here," the collector looked at him like he was saying "I do not care," he continued to walk as he looks at him "I am Pierce I work for Socrates, why do you come up after him?" Pierce was struck fallen "I should have not said that."
Raj's face radiated and there was a sign of relief that was visible upon him "Thank goodness, I just have a few questions sir regarding this logo or badge or what this is," Raj showing off his case chest logo," Pierce paused, and examined it for a while "are you working for the government? From what I know the organization or group that bears that logo has an affiliation with the government and that was the same organization that destroyed the city, which also resulted in a long great depression. The longest in history so far, well, since this is a country with a huge land mass."
"By the way just call me Pierce. I have a proper name you see. You never asked," Pierce. Green hair, a tall and handsome guy with visible jaw lines. His masculinity was expressed fully with his looks.
"Oh, I apologize" Raj shies away for a bit "No sir, I am only working in a small store in the city. I am just new here. I came from the province of A Hundred-Acre Wood, I do not know if you are familiar. I came here to know about my father. Maybe a sort of information about him. I do not expect to see him or anything, none of those" his face changed to a sorrowful state upon speaking "That is why, maybe, at least…maybe I will also know what I want to be when I find out who he is" Pierce nodded listlessly "I have only heard about him through stories. Since I was a kid, I was always told that he was a great man. But I don't buy those things because I haven't seen any evidence myself that supports those claims."
"You said you wanted to talk to him, right? He was probably resting. I should have not brought you here, but you are already with me. Just talk to my master."
There was a wide horizon of open space at the back of the dump site. Surprisingly, the smell is not that foul from the area. The winds help blow the odor away from the air "It is spacious here. It is said that this place was a mall before it underwent devastation."
With a shock drawn on his face, Raj looks at Pierce "Master huh?" there was a creek nearby where water flows. They head underground "As I told you this was a mall before, we just utilized some of its underground spaces to be our resting place. It's not that bad."
Darkness covered his vision as he took his steps to the stairs. When he reached underground salty air and fumes of leaking oil met him. He entered an underground square building with four intersecting hallways. They then went in.
"I've already informed him the last time though when you came looking for him. That someone was looking for you…" reenacting the past event," There was a small room with a couch, it was not so tight, just enough for circulation and for at least four people to move freely "master this boy came looking for you. The I told you before."
There a man with a strange beard sits. He strokes his goatee as he closes his eyes. His shoes were dashing as he crossed his legs waiting for them. After Socrates heard the words of Pierce he immediately replied "I have nothing to tell you, boy, if you are going to ask about something…" Socrates Papa said in chorus. Socrates is a well-dressed man he is already aged, but his look does not match his age. With his looks, he is not a senior but an adult ranging from a man's fourth to fifties. His scar near his jaw suits him well with his goatee.
Socrates was feeling uneasy as he was sensing a radiating energy that he did not know where it came from "If you happen to ask about an organization something that relates to a symbol. Then I don't know…" he sighed and continued to rest "how'd did you know sir?" Pierce asked and Socrates peeked while closing his eyes.
Raj immediately stepped in "But sir do you know anything about this organization? Sir, anything?" Socrates saw how unpleasing he was looking. He sat properly and stared at Raj for a while, he noticed that he was bringing with him a chest of some kind "But how did you get one of those chests?" he felt an energy radiating from the chest. But it seems like he was the only one who noticed it because Raj and Pierce are not minding it at all "Where in the world did you find that?" With a look of surprise on Socrates' face, he scanned and gazed at the chest that Raj was holding.