Neonade Champion Stadium, Luminata City - November 16, 2035
🎵: Lost Years - Pump
The sounds of cycles revving and speeding past like a heat shot echoes in Sol's mind. This would be natural during a trip to Champion Stadium, but at this time of night. The stadium towers over its large parking lot that Luminata could probably call its own district... maybe not, but it certainly has its own zip code. The recognizable flat roof surrounds a large dome, containing the sheer intensity from one of the best sports to watch, Motoleague.It would bring Sol and his friends nothing but excitement to come here. For now, however, the place is locked down tight by the Sunrise Gardens Police. It's a HUGE crime scene with the perps and a mech cornered inside."Just got word from Delfino... Looks like we have to keep an eye out fo-""Captain! I'm here to help!" Sol interjected.All the officers present are taken aback by this sudden appearance. The captain takes a good look at the intruder and waves his hand to keep everyone at ease. He walks over with a smile on his face."Young kid... Blue jacket... Glowing lights... You must be the one Sgt. Carlo just told me about.", he calmly assumed."That is correct. We just took down the Canelli at the beach.""Oh, did you... and you also got involved in gang activity at the Quartz?"Master Solar chimes in, "Sol, I don't like the sou-""A weird way to put it, but yes... I fought the NYTEMARE gang"The Captain nods accordingly, "and you resisted arrest at the Stardust... correct?"Sol is suspicious of what he's exactly trying to imply. His silence only makes the captain's face glow, it has guilt written all over it according to him."Sol Calientos, was it?" The Captain cheekily asked as officers came from behind and cuffed Sol, much to his confusion."WAIT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Didn't the sergeant te-""He said enough, but as far as I'm concerned, you're an unhinged vigilante at the scene of multiple crimes. That may fly with weak idiots like Carlo, but I will not tolerate any of this nonsense in my district." He orders his men, "Get him out of here."Sol drags his feet, making it harder for the arresting officers to take him. He angrily looks back up at the Captain, "WHAT'S YOUR NAME, YOU JERK?!""Captain Marko Diez... never forget it."Sol matches Diez's smile, "That fits... cause you have about diez seconds to let me go or I'm putting your boys here in cuffs instead."All the officers laugh at the kid's tenacity. A faint sound of metal breaking apart eludes them all as they allow the ten seconds to pass. Sol gives them a shrugging look of consequence before taking a pair of cuffs from one of the arresting officers and doing just as he promised. He backflips, grabbing the cuffs in midair and slamming both men to the ground.It takes a moment for Diez and the other officers to realize he wasn't bluffing. This allows the young hero to run towards the barricade. The shocked captain instantly orders to stun him before he gets away. Sol rapidly sees a black goo-like substance flooding the lot just inside the perimeter. Whatever it is, it doesn't look healthy to touch."DOUBLE... JUMP!!!" Sol yelled as he leapt onto the barricade and immediately leapt to the nearest car from there.Thankfully, there are several vehicles still present in the lot at this time of night. He's able to free-run across each like platforms over the black lava.Master Solar is furious after the incident with Diez and his squad. It shouldn't have played out this way, but maybe Carlo was an exception. He opts to go speak to him using the decrypted channel obtained earlier. He leaves Sol with the express order to not trust any police at this moment.The young hero follows this order as he's already busy dodging stun shots. He throws up a Solar Field to protect himself from a few on target. In a shocking turn of events, the electricity engulfs the pink dome and like a mini quake on glass, shatters it instantly. Sol never even knew of this vulnerability. He reaches a small group of food trucks and it's immediately evident that the reason all these vehicles are still here in the lot."Rain, the Canelli have hostages trapped in the sta- AH! -dium!" Sol called out, still avoiding the shots. "Can you ge- WOAH! Eyes on- eeeeeee! The inside?""On it!" Rain warns, "Also be careful, the jacket is highly conductive to electricity! Even with your superhuman durability, those shots will snuff you out.""GREAT, NOW YOU TELL ME- WOAHH!!"Sol is hanging off the side of a food truck when he hears the calls from those trapped inside. Two workers open the door, expecting a rescue team only to see a boy perched on the roof. He tries to explain that he's here to help while avoiding stun shots. Considering the circumstances, he thinks it best to teleport them outside the perimeter... a risky move for sure.Sol forms his hand sign, "Take each other's hands, I'm getting you guys ou-"A stray stun shot hits one of the workers, but their interlocked hands create a chain that causes the other to be stunned as well. A mortified Sol apologizes and continues towards the stadium. Staring through binoculars, Cpt. Diez grits his teeth at the collateral damage. That one is not going to reflect well."Sergeant!" He called his sniper. "Calientos... just used two civvies as human shields. We've given him enough chances. Take him out."Sol is just a few vehicles away from the leviathan structure when he notices the stun shots have stopped. He keeps moving, using a camper as a ramp, until a speeding hot projectile strikes his arm and throws him off balance. His other arm instinctively breaks his fall by catching one of the camper's railings. The black goo is just inches away from his feet, his right arm stings like it was hit by a flying brick, and a small red stream of blood drops out of his sleeve."Okay, they're trying to kill me now..." He moves his injured arm around, still in well enough shape, "That just makes this more interesting. Heh Heh"Sol knows he's a sitting duck without being able to telegraph the shots. He unveils the scope procured from the Negative Zone the night before. He pulls himself up, the strain is quite evident on the injured arm. A quick glance through the scope nears draws another painful hit. His bright eyes dart around and catch a mirror at just the right angle... a light user's greatest environmental weapon."Let's see where you are, buddy boy.", he remarked as he stared down his scope. He fires a light bolt, bouncing off the mirror, "That's it, just follow the glowy blue ball."A flash emerges from a tower located a short distance away from the rest of the officers. The mirror is struck with a heat shot in just seconds. It confirms how little protection there is, so he'll need to time his Solar Fields effectively.Tally Ho... again! He continues his rush leaping from vehicle to vehicle. The sniper fires and he immediately stops, putting up a field to block the shot before he keeps going. His eyes and ears are trained and focused on the sniper as he moves, blocking every hit and further cracking the field.Champion Stadium's ticket booth is a sight for sore eyes unlike how it usually is. Sol feels a little more tired out after spamming so many fields in a short time while also free-running. There's no telling how he can continue the night after this. Though he is now safe from the police, he runs headfirst into a brick wall... The stairway to the main entrance square is barred from entry."Looks like they didn't want any punks without a ticket getting in.", Sol joked to himself. "Rain, I made it to the entrance. Any word on the hostage situation?""Almoost got it... This place has high end security, like nearly SlaterSec level stuff. It's noooooott easy, especially from my computerrr.", Rain responded, heavily focused."I'm locked out and I'm not sure I can punch through this thing. Any ideas?""An air vent?"Sol scans all around the gigantic door until he finds one... all the way at the top... far up... without any means to climb up to it.His eyes widened at this discovery, "Oh."Solar Dojo Lighthouse - October 21, 2035 [Flashback]"I've been inside the lighthouse a million times already. What exactly am I supposed to do here?" Sol asked his master."You've spent so much time perfecting your free-running skills, not to mention that rigorous leg work is part of your training.", Master Solar recalled. "Speed and strength will be natural advantages for you, but it's also your ability to use them in creative ways that will... allow you to reach new heights.""Is that wise 'old master speak' for 'You need to get up to the top without using the stairs'?""As a matter of fact, it's- Actually, yes! That's exactly what I would like you to do..." Solar activates a light in both hands, "Just as you do when you concentrate the light and control it in your hands, you will do so in your feet." The lights travel down to his feet, showing the utmost control.Sol is astonished by this ability. It was something that he had previously unearthed during an intense leg workout, allowing him to increase his strength. Little did he know how important this would be."So the light does increase my strength...""Not necessarily. You're simply redirecting your mass at your feet, so your strength is centered and fortified there.""Incredible. So I can use it to jump super high?"Solar nods in agreement, "There are just two things you need to know when using this technique in your arsenal: Avoid using this in direct combat. You will punch or kick someone into oblivion.""Right... Don't want to do that.", Sol agreed, imagining the horrifying prospect."And for you, This will take a lot out of you. Don't be surprised if you feel out of breath when using it.""Marvelous! Another thing that will drain me dry.""Okay, smartass. Now give it a try... take a giant leap for mankind"[Present Day]"Reach new heights...", Sol whispered to himself.He places the soles of his Genesis gray shoes firmly on the ground. With a bend of the knees, he concentrates his light power through his body to his feet. With a leap, he launched off the ground like a rocket bound for space. The sniper searching for him can only see a bright blue angel soaring upwards. Sol dims out just at the level of the air vent, grasping onto its edges. As his master had said, it was a giant leap for mankind... a Shooting Star Leap.As he crawled through the ventilation shaft, it was no surprise that he was exhausted. Still, like his trips to the Negative Zone, he had to keep moving. Rain had finally broken through the stadium's security and caught Sol's heat signature moving through the shaft."Okay, they do have a good amount of hostages still inside. There's a big group held in their seats at the food court and another up in the suites."Sol interjects, "Best seats in the house."Rain chuckles, "And a larger crowd in the main entrance square being held by a larger group of Canelli goons.""That checks out why the door was blocked off." Sol takes into account how full his hands are here, "I'm not sure I can babysit so many hostages while kicking mafioso ass. Any options?"Well, you have two, looks like. There's a lot more heat signatures concentrated in two areas. I checked both out and many were able to evacuate to two safe zones, the home team's garage and the offices near the fan mall. You should be able to divert them there.""Word, where am I headed? I might need to catch my breath real quick before I do that.""The men's bathroom.""Aha, perfect! Just like Goldeneye."Rain sighs, "Everything's a video game to you, isn't it?""Don't be silly, Rain. Some things are comic books and some are anime too."Sol stops at the vent in the bathroom. Directly below, he can hear a scared voice frantically speaking to himself. He lightly opens the vent, to not spook the person. To his surprise, it's not a person's face that he is immediately met with... but a true superstar."Neo?... The Neonade Energy mascot?" Sol thought to himself.The mascot sits huddled in the stall directly below, muttering to himself. He is draped from neck to toe in a dark black suit with yellow outlines. His head is shaped like a star as yellow as his clothes with cool sunglasses on. A far cry from the poor sod cowering on a toilet."Man, they're gonna find me. They're gonna fi-" The mascot quiets down and looks up to find a young boy hanging upside down, smiling and saying hello to him. "Oh goodness! Don't tell me it's my chapter now."Sol stares at him confused, his smile still etched on his face, "Wh-what?""So you're the only one they sent in to clean this up? This damn city. We're so doomed!"Sol explains that he isn't directly involved with the city personally, sneaking in the fact that they were trying to kill him outside. The mascot explains that as the fan event ended, he fled into the bathroom when the mafiosos began rounding up hostages along with that giant spider machine they brought in. Sol asks why he didn't join the others hiding out in the stadium. The latter finds it peculiar as well, thinking that he only did because the story deemed it so.Unsure of what this story nonsense means, Sol looks at the positives, "Well... since you're here, you can help me get the others out.""No, no! NUH UH!""What do you mean 'NUH UH'?""Means I'm not gonna be your sidekick in this chapter. Find another sucker!""There you go with this 'chapter' stuff again... What are you talking about?"The mascot refuses to answer and simply sits away from him with his arms crossed. Sol just peeks out of the stall to make sure it's all clear and then walks out towards the front door. He informs Rain that he's heading towards the main entrance square first."Wait!" The mascot stops Sol in his tracks, "Your face... you look tired. How about a pick-me-up?""An energy drink? It's a little late for that, don't you-"The Neonade mascot opens his coat, revealing rows of canned drinks. Sol is baffled at the fact that he walks around with these and that they're somehow ice cold. He is handed two cans from Neonade's Champion series, hydration drinks... in Starfruit Serenade & Sugarfree Stellar.The sour fruity drink was something that Sol frequently enjoyed in the past. Neonade was solely an energy drink brand for most of its life and such drinks made for a great pre-workout, but they were TOO good and TOO effective for him. It made absolute sense after Sol began learning about his powers. Starfruit glows rich with light energy and consuming it as a Light Superhuman replenishes power. Sol chugs both cans consecutively and almost instantly he feels empowered."Thanks, uhh-""Just call me Neo. I'd rather stay incognito if you catch my drift.""You got it, man. Listen, you don't have to come along, but if you do, you could seriously make a difference. Think about all Neonade sales that could come from this.", Sol said slyly.Neo sighs, "I don't own the company, man. I'm just a minimum wage worker with some weird affinity for the fourth wall. I'm not exactly much of an asset out there...""Hey, I said that earlier.", Rain interjected in the background."... but he deems it so that I assist to fit this little theme he has going on, so I will."Sol and Rain both do a double take, "Who is HE?!?"Neo heads towards the door, peeking out. The two plan their work using their collective knowledge of the stadium. Together, they decide to liberate the food court first by way of Sol taking down the Canelli while Neo creates diversions. The latter makes sure to put the former on the hook for keeping him safe. Just outside, Neo runs into two goons guarding the perimeter with his hands up."HELP!! Some guy in a blue jacket is after me, shooting blue balls!!" He mutters to himself, "Jeez, Ed. Come up with cleaner dialogue than that."The two goons approach him with intrigue, knowing that the "guy in a blue jacket" is indeed a person of interest. Holding the mascot at gunpoint, one of the mafiosos asks if this guy chasing him happens to be someone by the name of Sol Calientos. Sol's eyes widen with a smile while Rain nearly falls out of his seat. How in the world did they learn his name?"I don't know his name... All I know is that he's weird and can shoot light out of his hands.", Neo answered honestly."Whatever then, you're gonna lead him right to us." He touches his earpiece, "Hey boss, we got Neo the Neonade guy. He's got Calientos on his tail. We're bringing him in.""Sol, they know your name. That's not good.", Rain urged."What do you mean? They know exactly who's handing them their ass whoopings on a bright blue platter.", Sol responded excitedly while making his hand glow. "They're afraid of the light.""They didn't sound afraid. You know what could happen if they find any information on you. Master Solar would be scolding the shit out of you right now. We have to figure out how they learned this.""Rain, chill out. It's nothing. It might just be from when I gave my name out earlier at the Quartz. Let's not worry about that right now, I have to rescue these people in the food court."The stadium's food court has quite the chic look in its large square area. Six restaurants line the interior side with a large window on the opposite side, both separated by the various tables occupied by the hostages. The canelli are spread around keeping guard of them.Neo slyly points out two by the window, "Huh, those two must be quite the sightseers. You know, standing guard is hard work. Mama always said hard work was best topped off with refreshing drink!""Yeah, we've seen your commercial. Now, shut up and keep it moving."Sol immediately follows the cue and swoops down on the two as the others' are turned away. He knocks them out by pushing into each other and then both into the window. The glass cracks slightly in both places.The hostages take notice of their rescuer, but seeing him in action keeps them in line from making any noise. Neo continues to point out targets for Sol in a subtle fashion which results in a bunch of sleeping goons in the food court.Neo is brought into the pizza kitchen where the group leader resides and his mafiosos help themselves to the leftover pizza. They sit him down and contact Canelli, promising to bait Sol. However, they fail to notice the young hero stealthily taking them out through the kitchens until they're in his grasp."Looking for me?""Y-you're S-s""S-S-Sol Calientos, Knight of Light... but you already knew that." He aims a light bolt at his head to terrify, "Not so confident now, huh? I want you to do something for me, buddy... Call for reinforcements.""What?!" Both Neo and the group leader asked in confusion."Do it." Sol turns to Neo, "Get the hostages to the team garage.""And what about you?""Remember the plan, bud. See you at point B."Neo nods with his bulky mascot head and rushes over, yelling at the hostages that they heard the protagonist. Sol tightens his grip on the group leader's collar. He's urged to call, yelling that Calientos is there. With a thank you, Sol knocks him out with a swift punch.A second group arrives a short time later, scouting the now empty food court only to find their unconscious buddies scattered about. The lights of the pizza restaurant flash on against its dimmed-out neighbors."Mmmm, pepperoni and hot honey... my favorite!" Sol said, munching a delicious slice of pizza. "Beating up bad guys really builds up an appetite. Don't worry though, I can eat this whole pizza. You guys can have THE PINEAPPLE!!"Sol lobs a box of pizza like a frisbee at the mafiosos, nailing one and ricocheting onto another. He vaults over the counter and fights off the rest of the group. Laying down a UV Bomb, he leaps onto a table, tipping it over and holding it up to meet the flying body of the last goon. He lays down the table nicely and gives a cheeky salute before moving to the next hostage spot."So, how's the load looking at the main entrance square?"Rain responds, checking the cameras, "Kinda heavy still, but manageable if you're taking this on by yourself.""I'll see what Neo and I come up with.""Sol, you're putting this guy in harm's way. If they weren't using him to bait yo-""He's safe with me... you know it. I promised him I would keep him safe."The Main Entrance Square is quite the stimulating concourse. It contains a mini soccer pitch, an arcade, and a large bar, all surrounding a shrine of a metallic pair of blue and pink dragons... The Luminata City Laser Dragons."Ayo! You think Marty'll let us take those bikes for a spin?", said one goon to a buddy while trying on some jerseys in the merch booth."Nah, he's too focused on that me-"Sol smacked both their heads together to knock them out. "You have to pay for those, boneheads!" he whispered.Neo appears at the entry to the hallway, quickly catching up to the young hero as he looks over the hostages' position. They were all placed around the dragon shrine in the center like flowers in a garden. Although, there stood a dozen scarecrows uglifying the whole sight."The hostages safe?"Neo replies, "Yeah, it's crazy I went over there and I was like 'Why aren't there any goons roaming around here?' It's weird, like that area was part of the level originally. I guess the book adaptation didn't have time for that." He notices Sol looking at him with an eyebrow raised. "What?"Sol points out the two playing soccer in the mini pitch as well as the four playing across the way in the arcade. Neo simply tells him that he has a plan before running off directly to the front of the entryway.The mascot unveils a microphone and blasts some pop music through the stadium speakers at the click of a button. The entire place, even the cops outside, are startled by the famous jingle of the Starfruit Serenade drink:"When the sun sets low, and the night comes alive,Grab a Neonade, unlock your drive!Starfruit Serenade, a taste so bright,You'll dance till dawn with everlasting light"The mafiosos are all stunned by the sight of the mascot singing and dancing. The bound and gagged hostages move back and forth to vibe with the performance:"Lost your energy? Lost your power?Starfruit Serenade, sensation so sour.Refresh your soul, let the good times roll,A liquid melody to make you whole!"Neo dances to the pop jingle as the mascot in the commercials, losing himself to the music and forgetting the perilousness of the situation."Neo!", Sol called out, stopping the mascot in his tracks. "You did it... guys are taken care of."Neo stares from behind his darkened shades to find Sol standing with the cheering hostages. All of the goons around the statue are laid out... the ones in the mini-pitch are piled up inside the goal... the ones in the arcade now call their respective games home as most were sent through the screens."I really hate messing up perfectly good arcade machines.", Sol commented about his work."That worked out better than I had originally planned... There was like an 80/20 chance they'd shoot me.", Neo replied relieved."Glad they didn't. Had to take care of them quickly before they could."The two quickly free the hostages from their bindings, opting for the same plan. Sol's eyes pass over the statue as he does so and he double takes when he notices something peculiar about it. The dragon shrine subtly contains a Yin Yang symbol within as though the dragons protect it. He unties the last hostage before approaching it and using the Specteract to attempt activation.The eyes of the dragons begin to glow with rage as steam emerges from its mouth ajar. A set of blue and pink lasers strike the colossal Jumbotron behind it, opening the portal. It's a sight to behold for everyone else there, but for Sol and Rain by extension, it's fascinating that the stadium has a Zone gate built into it like this."Oh man, is it side quest time?" Neo asked."I'm afraid so. This is important, stick to the plan. I won't be long." Sol turns back before he rushes over, "Lemme bump two more cans of Neonade, please.""Sure, I'll see you in a bit... Don't take too long." Neo mutters to himself, "That means limit the pages, Ed."Sol climbs up to the Jumbotron, wary of what awaits on the other side. If this gate is as huge as it is, it's safe to say that it probably is just as "subtle" in the Negative Zone. Regardless, it's what he needs to do. He walks through the portal back into the dark world and seemingly trips on the other way through.————————————— Continued in Negative Chapter 10 ————————————Neonade Champion Stadium, Luminata City - November 16, 2035Gracefully, Sol flips out of the portal, landing feet first on the counter of the large bar. He rises up to find Neo waiting for him at the dragon shrine, ready to move on to the next group of hostages. This eager anticipation is interrupted by the sight of a large man appearing behind the young hero where he landed."WOMP WOMP, ya little svoloch!" said the man startling his target.Incredibly easily, he clutches both legs and sweeps Sol down to the counter. He then drags him through the leftover glasses and napkin dispensers before tossing him into the glass liquor shelf behind the bar like a ragdoll. The much smaller hero lies on the floor completely winded by this sudden attack. Before he could make any moves, he's raised to his feet against his will, met with a punch to the face, and once again thrown like he was a training dummy at the dojo.He crashes through multiple tables and lands near Neo who walked up closer to the bar area. "Oh hey, watch out... for the... guy. Behind y-"Sol, still stunned, yells out, "WHAT. THE. F-""WOAH! WOAH!! Ed said he wanted to keep this one 'T' rated."The two get a good look at the attacker now as he walks up. They find a large hulking man around seven feet tall, dressed sharply much like the other mafiosos. However, he clearly sports a different accent. The brute charges at both, causing the mascot to flee behind the shrine. He grabs Sol by the jacket and slams him against it. A punch to the face barely sways the attacker."That the best you got?" taunted the brute."Trust me, you really don't want the best I have."Sol pulls the brute's vest towards him and cheekily drops a UV Bomb inside. The big doofus is distracted by the shiny ball and tries to grab it. The smaller hero kicks off of him seconds before the bomb explodes, sending the brute falling backwards. He angrily gets back up and tries to hammer the kid on the floor, but Sol kicks him hard on the knee. He follows up with a kick to the jaw, kicks up to his feet, then finishes him with a three piece combo of punches."That still wasn't the best I could do, but take that... comrade!" Sol mockingly quipped.The hulking brute falls hard to the ground, bloodied and unconscious. Neo emerges from behind the shrine with a '10' sign, but takes it back and pulls out an '8', citing the fact that he got beat up. Having lost time from this little scuffle and Sol's Negative side quest, the two focus on calling a play for the final area of hostages.The suites are located directly opposite to the Jumbotron. They're about five floors of hotel overlooking the grand pitch while arranged like steps. Neo pushes a cart of ice cold Neonade throughout the third floor, hoping to work his latest distraction. This particular floor housed all of the hostages, according to Rain. Just one story below, Sol stands on the balcony, sipping a Sugarfree Stellar. It's been a while since he's laid eyes on that Sokar pitch... but never from this grand view. His eyes pan to a familiar seating area."This is our view?"Neonade Champion Stadium - June 11, 2034 [Flashback]"Yeah... It's not much." Sol's eyes pan over to the luxurious suites. "Best I could scrounge up.""Not much? I think it's brilliant!" Luna assured her friend.Sol and Luna both walk down to their seats in the 300 section. They're both each carrying an extra large bucket of popcorn."So, this is the championship game? Like the very final game?" asked Luna."The big one.", laughed Sol. "The Laser Dragons haven't been here since long before we were born. We're witnessing history!""Well, then! How do I look? Dressed for the occasion, I hope" Luna hits a pose wearing her pink AWAY jacket."Pretty good, but I like the HOME one better." Sol follows suit with his blue HOME jacket."Sure, sure. I fill this one in nicely though." She stops to scratch at her neck. "Aren't you glad you invited your best friend instead of... eugh, Asia Beatrix?""We live together... Plus, she likes Moto, so I thought it would be a nice date.""I don't understand what you see in her. She's awful.""She's hot... like Sydney Sweeney hot.""Sol, I will smack the shite out of you if you insult Sydney like that again."Fireworks go off all around the pitch to signify the game's incoming start. A shield activates around the pitch to protect the audience from the extremities that come with Motoleague. The announcer hypes the audience for the emergence of both competitors.Out of the AWAY garage, the Santa Rubí Fiery Phoenixes ride out in their bright red-orange cycles. A section full of Red & Orange jackets and jerseys go wild along with their fanfare. Out of the hot colors burst the cool-ish colors of the Laser Dragons through the HOME tunnel. Their cycles are a beautiful pearlescent blue with pink accents. Interestingly enough, both squads had their vehicles fitted with gold rims for their participation in the Sokar League Final series."YEAHHHHHHH!!!!" Sol and Luna both cheered in excitement along with the local crowd.Game Seven begins with the game ball shooting out of center field, surrounded by golden fireworks.[Present Day]Sol stares at the 2034 championship banner with prideful eyes... a moment he will never forget. The Laser Dragons would repeat this year too, but he can only look at the 2035 banner with wanting eyes. It happened only a week after Luna's kidnapping. She would've loved it."Sol!" Neo called, snapping him back to reality. "The Canelli aren't here. They left all the hostages by themselves. Something's not right about this."The AWAY team garage opens up practically on cue. It isn't a competitor coming out for a game of Motoleague, however, but the mech he's been looking for. This one happens to be in the shape of a spider, its eight legs like sharp spears stabbing at the ground. Sol crouches down to remain subtle and quickly orders Neo to rush the hostages out. He observes the remaining crowd of mafiosos riding cycles along behind it."SO, BOYS... I HEAR IT'S TIME FOR SOME TARGET PRACTICE!" A voice called out from inside the spider. "NOW, WHERE'S MY TARGET?"Sol is well aware of the fact that they want him, but he's got the high ground on them. "Just you wait, I-"A spotlight shines directly on him, Not from below, but from up higher. It's quite an intense beam of light, but Sol naturally has no problem with that. His problem stems from who shined it in the first place."Unfreakingbelievable...", Sol let out in shock."Sol? What's happening? What do you see?" Rain asked in worry."It-it's them... the shadowy hooded figure that I watched carry Luna away."Beyond the opposing light, the familiar hooded individual stands looking down at him. It's no surprise that they're working with the Canelli again just like Steel Fist, but there was no telling when this encounter was going to occur. Sol can only meet their stare and stand directly in the spotlight.The group of mafiosos point his position out for the mech pilot. He turns the mech to face the suites and the young hero they were all looking for "WELL, WELL... LOOK WHAT THE CAT DRAGGED IN!"One of the spider's legs rises off the ground and contorts to aim directly at its target. The metallic end fires with incredible speed. Sol has minimal time to react, but he narrowly manages to put up a Solar Field. The impact cracked the shield, but as if that wasn't bad enough, the missile contained the black goo that surrounded the stadium. It seemed to be incredibly toxic, causing the field to erode."STILL BREATHIN', HUH?! I CAN FIIIXX THAT!!" yelled the pilot before launching multiple missiles."Shit, I can't block all of those. I can only put a field around myself.", Sol thought as the missiles race towards the suites. "Neo! I hope you and those hostages are-"The missiles struck him and multiple points on the structure, causing a partial collapse. Sol managed to protect himself again but was slightly hurt from the fall. He tries to get up again, but suddenly, he feels nauseous. It isn't too extreme, but still, it causes a struggle. Some of the black goo ended up on his person, and immediately, it becomes evident what it does to a person.🎵: Absolute Valentine - Bad NewsSol stumbles further onto the field, wiping off some of the goo. The hooded figure shifts the spotlight down to point at his new position. He looks up angrily at his true adversary as the cycle goons drive at him. Turning towards them, he smiles before taking every one of them down with ease. The goo hadn't made him lose his step. After he knocks out the last one, he looks back at the hooded figure with another look of defiance. They, in turn, are hit with a spotlight, blinding them where they stand.Neo stands behind the spotlight on the western stands, "HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT, YOU WANNABE ANTAGONIST?!"Sol smiles at his mascot friend, glad that he got the hostages away when he did. He turns his attention towards the spider mech whose pilot grew angrier and desperate. He fires another missile at Sol, despite his men being directly in the blast zone. The latter blocks the blast yet again, causing the goo to splash everyone."AH, HELL! IT'S THE GOO... Noo-ughhh!" yelled one of the mafiosos as they all began to convulse and vomit.Sol considers this toxic effect as well as its source and decides it would be appropriate to call, Venom. The spider pilot refuses to fire any more missiles, instead, it spits the venom out like a dragon breathes fire. The young hero charges ahead to close the distance, dodging the outpour.Rain warns, "Sol, remember the heavy armor plating. I'm certain this one is no different.""Yeah, which means I gotta find a vulnerability." He notices the glowing pattern on the belly and gauges it with the size of the entire thing. "Hmm, this guy has to enter and exit the cockpit, right?""Uh, yeah... It's not like he was born in- Ohhhh! Yeah, there's your vulnerability."Sol laughs as he continues to dodge the spewing venom. Once he's too close, the spider tries to impale him with each of its blade-like feet. The pilot clearly gets frustrated at this as the mech starts sporadically swinging its blades at him.With a quick opening, Sol lands just below his target and crouches. Like a shooting star, he leaps and makes a direct impact with the door to the cockpit."AHHH, YA LITTLE BASTARD... WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" yelled the spider pilot. "TAKE... THIS!" He tries to flatten him with the body.Sol somersaults out of the way, "DAMN, that wasn't enough to disable it... or him for that matter." The spider legs stab at him with relentless speed while the body remains glued to the ground. "He's not going to let that happen again... with me, but the pitch might as well be a brick wall!" he thought with a spark in his colorful eyes.A spider leg flies just short of his head just before he clutches the hilt of its blade. As he expected, the leg pulled him back towards its body, but he didn't expect to be cut up in the process. The stabbing blades slice up his legs, leaving nasty cuts. Still, he succeeds in getting into the right spot on top of the mech's body."Argh, my legs. This better work, I don't have much in me for another Shooting Star Leap after this.", he thought before charging up his leap.He soars through the air, narrowly dodging more cuts. He summits high above the spider mech, letting out an exhaustive exhale."Game. Set. Match!!" he called out as he turned downward, cocking back a punch. With a thunderous drop, Sol smashes the mech against the ground with a Hammer Slam.The pilot almost immediately yells out, "ARGH, YA LITTLE SHIT... HELP, I'M STUCK IN HERE!!"Sol catches his breath and surveys his injuries. He points out how pathetic it was that they knew he was coming, prepared for it, and still couldn't defeat him. He does give him the acclaim for scratching him up, however. The pilot just wants to be free of his predicament.Sol hops off the top and immediately readies himself for a penalty kick, "He lines up his shot... Calientos has just one more shot to win it all!" Taking a running start, Sol battles the pain to cleanly kick the Spider's head across the pitch and into the opposing goal. "CALIENTOOOOOOOOSS... GOOOOOOOOOOOOOALLL!!"The explosive fanfare around the goal zone goes off as he pulls out a familiar looking mafioso out of the wrecked cockpit."Let me guess... Canelli? Wait... wait... don't tell me! I heard the name earlier. It's uh- MARTY!! Marty Canelli, I presume.""Don't try to get all fancy there, ya yuck", replied Marty. "Soon as my uncle gets word of who you are. You and yours are dead.""Buddy, YOU and yours couldn't take me. Your brother and his couldn't take me... When will you morons learn? I mean A FRIGGIN MASCOT got the better of you, PATHETIC!" He takes a knee near Marty and gives him a light slap to his head, "Speaking of your uncle, let's talk about him."Outside the perimeter, Captain Diez waits impatiently for any updates along with his squad. The tech specialist finally managed to get into the surveillance system, although it felt like it was just relinquished to her. She motions Diez over to take a look and the two bear witness to the sight of every Canelli goon out cold.The watch party is interrupted by a blinding light followed by Marty Canelli flopping onto the ground. Sol stands over him, sipping one more drink. Immediately, Diez's squad surrounds the two with weapons drawn only on the young hero."Mmm, nothing beats the Starfruit! So good." He looks around to the hostile coppers, "You guys aren't tired? It's pretty late now." His eyes turn to Diez, "It's been a pretty long night. Took care of all your buddies in there.""Very funny... but don't worry, your night concludes here." The captain orders his squad, "Arrest him! And I want more hands-on him this time.""Not going to happen.", called a wise, gruff voice interrupting the arresting group.All turn to see Master Solar standing alone a few feet away. Whereas the majority are intimidated by this man's sudden presence, Captain Diez is challenged and approaches him assertively."I suppose you have a badge on you to be overruling my arrest.""Oh, I have much more on me, Diez... Plenty of dirty laundry from you."Diez nervously chuckles, "W-what could you-"Solar cleverly but sternly continues, "I think my son was already onto something there. He knows... I know... Unless you want the world to know that you are in the Canelli's pocket, we walk out of here without incident.""Blackmail, Mr... Calientos? That's the best you can do?""Orouku, sir. I'd rather keep things civil, but seeing as you're all criminals not officers of the law, proceed with your arrest and see what happens."Sol chimes in, "You saw what I did to these guys?" He points to Master Solar, "This is the man that trained me."Diez stands there frozen and just as intimidated as the rest of his men. He looks down, meeting the eyes of Marty Canelli who stares back with warning. He then turns back to Solar, the leg injury doing nothing to give him an ounce of confidence.Southbound on the I-59, Luminata CityMaster Solar drives Sol and himself home inside his gold Arctic pickup. They ride in silence for a short while before the two look at each other briefly and break into laughter. It was the briefest time when Papa Sake emerged from the soul of Master Solar in months."Crazy that we agreed to let a crooked cop like Diez off like that... We really could've taken them all down.", Sol claimed.Master Solar responds, "Maybe, but that isn't our fight... That situation just proved why you shouldn't engage with the police unless you're sure they're with you... But, we can trust Sgt. Carlo. He vouched for you and so, I passed him the evidence against Diez. We'll let Internal Affairs deal with that.""Sweet!""Moving on, what else did you get out of Canelli?""He didn't know anything about the nature of their business with the Noirata Empire, BUT he was aware that the battle mechs are being assembled somewhere in the city.""Of course! I thought there wasn't a chance they were shipping them through any of the gates unnoticed... Another lead to work with, well done.""Thanks, but that's not all. Turns out he's a bigger rat than his brother... Tomorr- Tonight, his uncle is meeting with the heads of the other mafia families involved to discuss something. I'm guessing their recent activities?""That information checks out. While you were dealing with the Canelli, Masters Lang and Suzuki were busy with the Samedi family at the Sea Haven Marina. Master Forge handled the Montenegros in Link-Stown. It was highly likely that all the families were in on the occasion." Solar thinks for a moment before simply asking, "Where?""The Casino Royale."Solar chuckles, "I'm willing to wager that it's going on during one of the owner's extravagant... festivities. I'll look into any information on the event. That'll be our next stop.""Next stop? What about the mech factory?""We don't even know where that is yet. Plus, just look at you... Your night is over, Sol." He pats the boy on the shoulder, "Trust me, you need the rest. You have a party to crash tonight."————————————— Negative Chapter 10 ————————————