The serene environment took over the room which Kyro is in. After being held at gun point, he can finally breathe a sigh of relief that he is still alive. Questions after questions have been lurking in his mind. What is Raz's point of doing so? Who is Mr Grey? And what is that dream about? They all have their own answers, but it overall does not have a link. Which immediately frustrate Kyro. While thinking of the answer, he heard a knock from the door. The door then slides open and appears before him is no other than Claire.
"How is everything?"
"A lot worse than I thought. The Base Zero general held me at gunpoint forcing me to reveal you. But fortunately, I told him partially the truth."
"Hopefully you did not say it was me."
"I don't. I said the princess cooperated with me. She will testify of course. But then I have been meaning to ask, what does Mr Grey have to do with the operations, as if he knew what is going on. Tell me Claire. Who the hell is Mr Grey?"
Feeling a bit uncomfortable by the question, she immediately came up with a question that will surely distract him.
"Rather than that, my question right now is that, how did you manage to bring yourself to Barren Force? I saw you suddenly appearing out of nowhere. I wasn't expecting you."
Kyro's question is ignored, but he continues to give Claire the answer she wanted to respect her.
"I was trying to reach out to you, but they say you left. Fortunately I got a hold of Mr Grey which he mentioned Barren Force. Thus I executed a plan and deduced that the princess will arrive via Barren Force and the badly written letter is to lead us to somewhere far from Barren Force. If you look at the map, the airport and the Barren Force is far and someone perhaps you have created a signal to divert her to Barren Force."
As Kyro is explaining to Claire, the both of them realized something even worse will happen.
"They are here. They have been here since the letter arrived. No, perhaps, way past that."
"They knew the layout of our map. That means-"
Suddenly, both of them heard a loud footstep stomping the ground as if it is running. The running person bashed into Kyro's room all of the sudden.
"Kyro, I heard you went into a battlefield after the letter. Sorry I did not make it to discuss the plan. I was suddenly passed out. And now you are injured."
The statement given by Raz made it even worse. The confusing situation had created a severe tension.
"Raz, what are you talking about? We did discuss the plan.....You are not joking right? After what had happened? After the gun point thingy?"
"Whatever that is and whoever that was, I wasn't here the whole time. Someone made me passed out for whatever reason, and I just awoke from my fainting."
The situation suddenly had the tables turned. Kyro suddenly realized the situation and immediately took of any medical equipment strapped onto him.
"General, alert Base Zero. They have taken over the organisation."
"Who have done so???!!!!"
"We will discuss this soon. Right now contact them at once."
Raz took out his receiver and made contact to Base Zero after getting scolded by Kyro. Fortunately someone picked it up and answered from the other end.
"Hey, I need the base on red alert right at this moment. An enemy is within us."
"Raz. Your memories are absolutely wonderful. If you could kill a man, then you could kill that Dark Arts ally of yours for me right? Oh your memory said so. Don't worry, I had the base under control. But the blood stains are everywhere. Feel free to come and bring that Dark Arts ally of yours to settle the score."
The other end of the receiver becomes unresponsive and the receiver only has static noises.
"We are too late. The raid has been done."
"We need to head there, now! You too, I don't know who you are but you seem to have knowledge about this."
Thus the three of them made their way to Base Zero to regain control of the base.
_________________________________________________
#30 Minutes After Raz Left The Hospital#
Raz elegantly walk inside Base Zero headquarters guided by his memory. As he enters he is immediately greeted by the receptionist. But instead of his regular wave, he walks past her as if the receptionist did not exist. Moments later, he glared at the receptionist in a death stare which startled the receptionist. Guided by his memory, he walks into Raz's office to search for any documents regarding Base Zero. Until he finds the official directory. Fortunately for him, he found the place he needed to be. Raz went to the vault located at the basement and manages to bypass all the security which then the alarm blares indicating a breach.
"WARNING!!! SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN BREACHED!!! ISSUING RED ALERT!!!"
The red alert notification summons a swarm of troops surrounding the vault which contains classified information.
"HALT IT!!! PUT BOTH OF YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK!!!"
Raz using his own voice signals the troops to stop aiming the gun at him.
"Put your weapons down. Its me, Raz, your general."
Slowly the troops lowered their weapons as Raz turns around to show his face
"General?? Impossible, the alarm shouldn't trigger."
But one of the troops suddenly raised the gun towards Raz, defying the order at once.
"Private!!! Lower your weapon!!! That is the general."
The private hesitated for awhile. But then he decided to stand firm and not lower his weapon after realizing what is going on.
"No! He isn't. The sensor detects an unknown object within Raz. That's why it triggered the alarm. I am standing by, Captain."
Soon the rest of the troops followed the private and raised their weapons. Including the Captain who is pleased by the private's answer.
"You are not Raz! Who are you? What do you want?"
Raz then let out a huge laugh in a maniacal manner. He then slowly reveals himself to be a shadow.
"You know, its unfortunate that I got found out this way. But one of your soldiers actually abused a weapon and I am willing to find such type of weapon."
"OPEN FIRE!!!!!"
The barrage of bullets began to appear in front of Phoenix, to which he then summon a few shadow and stabbed all of the soldier at once killing them instantaneously.
"It's been awhile I have an alliance myself. Thus I am making my own. No one will stop me again."
Phoenix began reviving all the soldiers using his shadow possession which took control of the dead bodies, turning them into his own allies. Thus, the killing spree begins. Floor by floor, screams can be heard, blood gushing out and gun shots can be heard wildly. Most of them went into hiding, but the brave souls charges at Phoenix with all their will to stop his massacre at once, but to no avail as they are slowly massacred and possessed.
"My cult shall take over Azalea City. And there will be no one to stop me."
Fortunately one is brave enough to hold the fight longer than expected. Bunch of soldiers with specially crafted laser swords surround Phoenix and corners him.
"My, what is all of this. More powerful troops to possess I believe."
"Prototype weapon of charger class. Our finest invention for counter attacks as such."
From a distance emerges a figure with a red armor suit slowly walking up to Phoenix.
"James, I believe. At least from Raz's memory. You really got the guts to fight me despite your friends are dying at once."
"You and your cult shall not take over our base as we stand firm. Pass through me first"
The soldiers stand firmly with their swords aiming at Phoenix. James equips his helmet and visor.
"Then you won't see the night perhaps."
Phoenix charges at James with his sword and James managed to block it. The other soldiers charges at Phoenix's army killing the off at once with the prototype weapon. James repositioned himself and began counter attacking. The shadow sword manages to rival the laser sword with ease causing a tension to disarm among themselves. Seeing that there is no other path to disarm, Phoenix launches multiple shadow to stab James and James managed to deflect all the attack, but unfortunately an opening is seen and Phoenix took the advantage to stab James in the heart. But then the attempt is futile as the armor began to focus onto the heart area forming a thick barrier blocking the shadow blade at once.
"Your technology seems to amuse me in ways I cannot fathom. You are indeed a worthy opponent, but your wisdom needs to work a little."
In the blink of an eye, the soldier began falling onto the ground with stabbings in their heart.
"You go all out to protect yourself, but your teammates are dead the moment you do so."
James realized that the shadow attack he deflected is all a distraction to kill his soldier. James felt despair at that point but he is not going to let himself be consumed by guilt
"I swear, when I have the opportunity. I will DESTROY YOU!!!!!"
James charges blindly at Phoenix not knowing that his possessed allies managed to deflect his attack, protecting Phoenix at once.
"As I said, you are worthy. But.....you.....lack.....WISDOM!!!!"
As Phoenix said 'wisdom', he managed to use all his shadow piercing James all over his body. Leaving James extremely wounded.
"I won't kill you! But you have to remain alive to see your friends die. That is indeed an absolute torture specially for you!"
Phoenix left the wounded James and let out a maniacal laugh asserting dominance at once that he had won the fight. Along with his army, Phoenix continues his killing spree.
Phoenix enters the control room and summoned shadow shards to destroy and obliterate their control room making it totally non functioning. Most of the soldiers in the base fought back but their lives got taken before they could retreat.
#10 Minutes Later#
"The base looks fine. But the inside-"
"Look the lobby!"
Lights hanging from the ceiling. The lift couldn't close and the windows are all crashed.
"Kyro, inspect the lobby. Me and Claire will visit the basement. There seems to be a breach."
"Roger."
Raz and Claire then head towards the staircase to access the next floor. The first thing they saw upon exiting the staircase is indeed a view that couldn't be tolerated. Explosion marks can be seen and blood patterns are everywhere as if this place is a run down placed.
"What the hell happened here??!!"
"The control room. There must be a footage remaining on what is going on."
Upon arriving at the control room the same thing happened. Fortunately, someone came out of their hiding place in total fear.
"Intern? What happened here? Out of all the people why is the intern even surviving?"
"General...Th....th....the shadow. H....h....he--"
"SPEAK UP WILL YOU??? YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE INTO FEAR RIGHT!!!! CALM DOWN AND TELL US WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED HERE!!!!"
The intern took a deep breath and manage to calm down after a few breaths.
"The shadow. I don't know the name. Destroyed everything. He accessed the vault and took every document from there. Including....."
"Our weapons project. Project: Retaliator."
"Yes!! Unfortunately, there is no backup file whatsoever. The reason maybe that Kyro went out his way to retrieve the princess."
"So he wants vengeance by taking our weapons plan. What happened to the troops that are protecting the vault?"
The intern reviewed the footage at the vault area to show the general what happened. It is indeed gruesome.
"I have seen enough! If he had taken everything, then the main priority is-"
"The princess!! He is going after the princess."
Kyro suddenly barges in and mentions it to Raz that Phoenix's next target is the princess once again to attain the artifact.
"That shadow is Phoenix and his target is people like me and Claire. We are a descent of an ancient martial arts and he wants vengeance on us."
"But what the hell did he get from doing so? He drags everyone in because of this martial arts thing."
"He wants to conquer Azalea City. This city is one of the only city with Dark Arts user left. His planet was previously destroyed by people like us, thus he despise us and seeks vengeance by destroying our home."
"But you both are not at fault."
"General this requires a lot of in depth understanding, and I am not going to go down that path."
The silence filled the room at once. They had to reach the princess in time, but they had no strategy whatsoever. As they try to think of something, a beeping sound can be heard i. the control room. All of the sudden the sound of beeping multiplies.
"What the hell is that??"
Kyro then heads to one of the beeping sound to find out what is it. But what he found is rather horrific.
"Time Bomb!!! It is only a minute left."
"GET OUT EVERYONE!!!!!
____________________________________________________
*Somewhere Secret Near The Islands*
Near an island, unknown of it's name lies a cave which the inside is an enemy base. Phoenix who happens to be there is contacting someone which his face is pixelated by technology with a voice changer.
"Phoenix, I have to admire that you are indeed intelligent for this matter. Not only you secured the location of the artifact, but their central control center. Interesting."
"As well their prototype weapon, it manage to almost defeat me. I will make them pick a choice soon enough. Those are backups plans in case they pick the latter."
"But don't forget why I hired you. Azalea City is interesting enough for the three of us. Base Zero needs to be taken down and I don't want any personal grudge on some of them."
"Don't worry boss. I can destroy Earth with that artifact."
"DON'T FAIL ME!!!!"
The softly spoken stern voice is the last communication made with the person in the monitor. Phoenix eventually reached out to his storage space within his shadow and appears a remote detonator on his hand.
"Not only that boss, I have rigged the whole place with a bomb!'
As he said 'bomb' he pushed the red button on the detonator which starts the countdown timer on the bomb in Base Zero Headquarters