Fiver trained Joe the past few days the best he could. Sprite decided to learn the technique verbally from Fiver too. Most breathing techniques in the universe lean towards certain energy types. Beast Arts focus on Metal, Earth, and Wind elements.
After three days of cultivating, watching the guards, and learning as much as possible from Fiver, Leo came up with a crazy idea.
"I don't know if it will work, but protocol dictates they will react that way," explained Fiver.
"Leo, if we go with that plan, then what do you propose we do to get past the beastmen on the other floors?" asked Joe.
"I don't know." Regrettably, Leo responded.
"We should take the 2nd elevator shaft," voiced Fiver. Joe and Leo looked at the beastman. "The 2nd elevator was damaged upon landing. If we stick to the left side of the wall, there should be a maintenance ladder."
Sprite calculated the plan and approved it could work. The only problem would be that once they got to the first floor, how would they get past the guards. Joe agreed with the AI but figured no plan was perfect and thought they could wing it.
Sprite spoke up after running an analysis. "After compiling the data, I believe the plan has a 23% chance of success. I don't think we should risk it, Sir."
Leo knew that they couldn't wait forever after talking to Fiver. Eventually, they would move them to another location, or worse. So Leo and the group decided they needed to leave sooner than later.
"Sprite, we have to take chances sometimes."
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Later that night, they put the plan into action. Leo stuffed his old bandages in the door slit.
"Fiver, you are up," said Leo.
Using Iron Reaper, Fiver attacked the metal doors. His claws transformed into iron, and sparks flew when they scratched the door. The few that landed on cloth began to smoke. The three men fanned the flame and smoke into the hallway.
All three of them yelled, "Fire! Fire! Fire!"
Guards down the hall came over coughing from the smoke. Leo and the other two covered their mouths and eyes to prevent the smoke from getting to them. The two guards started to open the iron door.
"Unit 9345 claw strike five steps forward. Sir, use Yang Step and Ascending Sun to the right."
The plan was for Fiver and Leo to be the vanguard guided by Sprite. The two warriors knocked both guards into the wall causing the two to go unconscious.
Joe ran over to the next room across the hall. Joe waved Fiver to come help with the door. Fiver drug the guard over and took out a metal key to unlock the cells.
When the door opened, a female draconian stared them down. The fierce warrior with orange scales stood up. From her glare, her crystal blue eyes glowed in the dark cell. Seeing a human and beastman at the doorway, the draconian knew they were not guards. She wasted no time and dashed through the door and down the hallway. They heard a "thanks" in English as she ran past them.
"I don't think we should stay any longer," said Leo as he picked up the guard's blaster.
"That won't do you any good," noted Fiver. "That weapon won't work without a beastman chip active." Fiver held up his wrist, showing a square chip similar to Leo's sphere on his wrist.
"Sir, he is correct. They tried to deactivate me the same way, but I placed myself on a timed shutdown. When they used their deactivation device, it failed. I can trick the device if you need me too."
"Please do that, Sprite."
Wasting no more time, the three ran after the draconian. When they reached the elevator shafts, many guards lay about dead. The draconian must have made quick work of the beastmen thought the trio.
"Stop right there," hollered two beastmen entering the area and seeing all the dead guards. They decided not to say anything else and began to open fire.
Joe pushed Fiver out of the way and got shot in the left arm. The blaster left a scorch mark on his left arm.
"Human Joe, you alright," asked the beastman.
"Don't worry about it, Fiver. Open that shaft, and let's get out of here." Even though Joe acted tough, he was hurt badly by the blast. It singed his arm badly.
Fiver wasted no time and used his full strength to open the elevator. The two beastmen continued to fire upon the trio. The other two leaned against the wall as shots whizzed by them. A loud explosion went off, engulfing the two beastmen.
Leo placed the blaster down. Using some clothing materials from the downed beastman, Leo wrapped up Joe's wound.
Fiver finally got the shaft open, and each one took a turn jumping to the ladder. Leo went first and barely made it. The blaster slung around his back almost flipped off.
"That could've been bad," remarked Leo looking down. "Joe is going to need help. Fiver, help him over."
Without missing a beat, the beastman grabbed the back of Joe and tossed him to Leo. The young man didn't expect it and used one arm to pull him into the ladder. Thankfully neither of them fell. Sadly the blaster fell down in catch.
"What the hell was that! I could've died," yelled Joe.
"No time to waste Human Joe. Hurry." The beastman motioned for the two to start climbing. The beastman began to follow after jumping to the ladder.
Soon guards arrived and saw the open elevator shaft. They saw the trio climbing and started shooting after looking up. "They're going up the shaft. Fire on them." They started blasting up the elevator shaft.
Fiver looked at the two humans, narrowly missed by the shots. The weakest of the three saved his life. He knew there was only one way to return the favor.
"Good luck, humans." He jumped off the ladder. "Taste Iron Reaper!" The mid-air attack knocked the guards backward into the corridor
Leo watched as the fearless beastman sacrificed his life to give them a chance to escape. Even though the two wanted to help, they continued to climb to avoid wasting this chance.
Down in the entryway for the elevators, Fiver fought the two beastmen and defeated them both. What surprised him was a tip from Sprite helped him to double the strength of his Iron Reaper.
Several more guards at the Peak Tempered Body level arrived only to be shredded by the mad man. Fiver could feel he was on the cusp of a breakthrough and relished in the feeling of his newfound power.
A strong foe walked towards the madman as Fiver ripped his arm out of another guard. "Unit 9..3..4..5"
Fiver looked up and growled, "Unit 737."
"How dare you side with fifthly humans!"
Mana surrounded Unit 737's claw as he charged the Tempered Body warrior. Fiver knew he couldn't escape, so he countered his Iron Reaper. In their first clash, Fiver's claw barely deflected the other's attack away. The beastman couldn't believe his Iron Reaper was more powerful but not sharper than Fiver's. He couldn't take this embarrassment.
"You'll die this time. Taste my Steel Reaper, traitor!" Pure metal energy engulfed Unit's 737's claw. He leaped at the weaker beastman again.
Fiver knew he couldn't win, but maybe he could take the stronger warrior with him. Using his Iron Reaper, he lunged forward. Fiver didn't realize that Steel Reaper makes the claws stronger and longer.
Unit 737's attack tore through Fiver's chest into his heart. He smiled cause he knew he couldn't escape but looked down to hopefully see his claw in his opponent. He glanced down to see his nails barely touching Unit 737 armor. Ripping his hand out, Unit 737 turned around to face the guards arriving late.
Fiver, also known as Unit 9345, fell backward with a bit of regret. He didn't become the mighty warrior he wanted to be, but the beastman let go of his shame and obtained something he didn't even know he wanted. A true purpose and a name. The beastman fell to the floor covered in blood.
A guard spoke up, breaking the silence. "Boss, the draconian also escaped."
"Damn it!" Unit 737 stabbed his claw into the wall. "Send all able beastmen to focus on the draconian. Once she is re-captured, we will focus on the human filth."
Leo and Joe made it to the first floor as the battle raged below.
After opening the doors, Leo pulled Joe through. "Now, what do we do?"
"Whatever it is, we need to hurry," responded Joe.
The first floor was mainly a massive hanger with multiple crafts placed in a line. Joe spotted a two-person ship close to the exit door. Once they jumped inside, Sprite scanned it and directed Joe to power it on.
At that moment, Sprite detected something below. "Sir, Fiver's has fallen."
Knowing they couldn't waste a second longer, Joe shouted, "Hold on tight, Leo." Joe fired the craft's blasters until the exit hatch blew open and flew out.
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Before the trio executed the escape, a draconian heard the plan being formed in the next cell over. The draconian's name was Itmen-Anon. The trained assassin was captured as she reported on beastmen's bases in North America. Similar to Leo, a large net from above pinned her down.
A beastman, Unit 737, walked up to her and said. "Looks like my fourth catch this week." The beastman punched her, and she woke up in the iron box.
On her first night, she awoke to the three men across from her talking. After using energy to gauge their strength, she was disappointed to know they were only tempered, body warriors. She decided not to bother with the weak trio.
When the trio executed their plan, smoke entered her cell and woke her from sleeping.
Then after a bit of noise, two men opened her compartment. Looking at them, a beastman and a human, she sped forward and thanked them.
On her way out, she saw a young human male in the Tempered Body realm, surprising her a bit, but she had no time to hang around.
She dashed down the hallway. Beastmen tried to slow her path, but she performed many hidden strikes, killing them all. She passed the elevators and ran to the end of the hall. There was a staircase at the end of the structure. Many beastmen came down the stairwell to face the draconian only to die by her hands.
Itmen killed her way to the first floor, and once there, she used her Fire Fist of the Dragon Arts to blast the door open. She leaped out of the breach and landed on the ground.
As Itmen glanced up, she saw a hovercraft head west in the corner of her eye. She wished them luck and disappeared without a trace.