Leonardo carried his Baby Brother back into the transport pod and placed him on the chaise lounge, his eyes full of worry.
He had barely been able to catch Slate as he slumped into unconsciousness, almost falling off the skywalk.
It had taken everything Slate had just to walk half way across the skywalk. Leonardo had no doubt that it was due to Candace's voice, encouraging him on.
"Set a course for the nearest starship hospital." He called out to the transport pod's computer.
Immediately the pod took off for the hospital that had just arrived immediately above Leonardo's transport pod location.
"Leo! Answer me you Bastard!" A voice called out from within Leonardo's transport pod.
"I don't have time for this Dante!"
"I saw everything from up here, Leo!"
"Go save Candace!" Leonardo yelled as he began stripping the bag off Slate's head and pulling his gag off so he could breathe. Then he stripped Slate of all his clothing and began checking his vitals.
"You don't even have to remind me. I'm almost there! How's Slate?"
"Not good. He's fading in and out of consciousness. It's a miracle that he didn't faint in the middle of his walk and fall off the skywalk. I'm taking him to my hospital starship."
Dante cursed up and down.
"You take care of our Baby Brother. I will go bring Candace home!"
Leonardo did not respond. He was too busy healing Slate.
Within minutes, Leonardo's transport pod landed itself into the hospital entry pad. As soon as the hatch closed, several doctors ran out with a levitating gurney.
They rushed the Seventh Prince of Erenveil into the medical suite and began working on him with feverish speed.
Meanwhile, warships with Dante's famous blue green circle logo began appearing out of the skies. There were so many that they began clogging the skyways and space ways of Emporia.
Flying as a single unit, they descended on Emporia and encircled the planet until there was no space around Emporia that did not have Dante's warships.
Half a dozen transport pods flew down to the ground and landed. From the pods streamed dozens of men in warrior bodysuits, carrying various weapons in their hands.
They all ran towards the half-demolished glass dome and entered through the various openings.
On a large coral reef, within the Royal Palace, King Mortimer Cordera's face was a livid purple.
"What the hell is Erenveil merchant guard ships doing in our airspace???" He growled at his Royal Advisor.
"Your Majesty, Prince Dante is calling. I would advise you to talk to him."
Mortimer Cordera shook with rage.
He was already furious about his daughter's broken back brought on by the Avgo event, and then the sudden icy embargo of all business transactions with Erenveil.
But to clog up Emporia with thousands of private militia guard ships??? That was an act of war!
"Put him on!" King Mortimer Cordera shouted, his spit flying everywhere.
Dante's furious visage came on the visual monitors displayed within Mortimer's throne room.
"What in hell do you think you're doing, Mortimer???" He shouted at the King of Erenveil.
"You're asking me? Why is Erenveil suddenly turning on me?"
"Are you unaware that your planet abducted one of my brothers?"
"WHAT???" King Mortimer Cordera roared.
In answer, Dante released a copy of the ransom note to the Advisor who read it quickly to the King of Emporia.
"Who would dare do something so preposterous???"
Dante stood up from his seat and pointed at the visual of King Mortimer.
"You merfolk, that's who!!! Take a look at what is happening at this very moment!"
Dante switched over to a live shot of a tiny female who was standing across from a bound, gagged Prince of Erenveil with a bag over his head. He looked drugged and was staggering and unsteady on his feet.
At the distance in space that the visual was being gathered, they could not hear the female's voice, but it was obvious that she was guiding him across the stretch of sky walk.
As they reached the center of the glass walkway, she reached out and held his head in her hands. On ballet pointe toes that looked as if she was dancing, she planted a kiss on his covered face and then walked past him.
From the direction she had left, they saw another Prince of Erenveil fly towards the Prince who was still standing on the walkway and hauled off his brother.
Suddenly, they saw the girl charging full speed towards the platform. In one swift move, they saw her kick both men in the head.
Both went down and two seconds later, they had both fallen off the platform, plunging to their deaths to the ground far below.
"Oh my Lord!" King Mortimer gasped.
If this was the caliber of Avgo women who were in the Event, no wonder his daughter had returned a broken mermaid.
This girl was no joke!
Immediately after that, a group of men charged at her. One pulled a gun and shot her in the chest.
She dispersed his bullet with a pink puff of air.
"Wow, did you see that?" His Royal Advisor called out in excited tones, pointing to the visuals. "She just neutralized that weapon like it was nothing!"
The girl stood there for a moment. Then she vaulted over their heads and ran off the platform, towards the partially destroyed glass dome.
Dante pulled the visual back to his angry face. "That is my future wife you people just shot at!"
"Your future wife. You mean the one who just kissed that Prince with the bag over his head?" King Mortimer scoffed.
Dante roared with rage.
"Get your men off her. NOW!!!"
King Mortimer waved a hand.
"I did not have anything to do with this, but I will have my people find out who is behind all this."
"I'm going down on the surface to escort my woman back. Call your henchmen to back off or there will be hell to pay!"
He waved his hand cutting off visuals between himself and King Mortimer.
The King scowled and scratched his head.
"Your Majesty, there is another call from Erenveil. This one is from the Emperor himself."
King Mortimer sighed with despair. It looked like there would be more shit raining down from above.