14True Colors
By Mardrena
The heavy metal grate scraped as it moved ever so slightly, strained grunts filtering in from above. It moved barely an inch with each tug until it covered roughly half of the opening. "Oh screw it..." A backpack squeezed through the opening and dangled from a strap before being tossed towards the wall where it landed beside the ladder. Armor-clad legs slipped in through the opening followed by the rest of the body as Emma Coburn wriggled her way inside. She hung by her hands from the lip of the opening before letting go and landing on the floor neatly. She stooped down and retrieved the backpack then took out a flashlight and slung the bag over her shoulder. She clicked the flashlight on then turned around to get her bearings and pulled a square of folded paper out of one of the backpack pockets.
"'Go straight past five tunnels until large intersection...take a right at the sixth one...'" she mumbled to herself as she walked. She shone the flashlight beam down each tunnel she passed, counting them off as she walked. When she reached the sixth tunnel she glanced down at her map then turned to the right. The beam of the flashlight fell against a figure standing in her path. Dark hair draped over lightly muscled shoulders. Worn clothing covered yellow-green skin and thick rubber boots covered the lower legs up to the knees. Emma looked up at the yellow eyes and her face lit up with a smile.
"Hey! I figured I'd run into you eventually!" she greeted and lowered the flashlight.
"I caught your scent as soon as you came in from the outside. I'm glad you came. I almost didn't think I'd see you again, but you really came back, all the way out here. I-" Adam began but recoiled when Emma leaned close all of a sudden. She sniffed deeply several times, cocking her head to and fro.
"You don't stink as bad as you used to," she remarked. Adam blinked, embarrassed.
"Uhhh…I did not realize I stank so much..." Adam replied.
"Sure you did! You smelled like moldy socks and sweaty locker rooms. Is that...vanilla peach?" Emma took another sniff. "Adaaaam, you've been up to the surface, haven't you?" Emma teased.
"No! It's just...well...you'd be surprised what kind of stuff people throw away that ends up down here..." Adam replied feebly as Emma leaned back and he straightened himself. "And I know where to find clean water, so..." He rubbed the back of his head. Emma noticed his hair didn't look matted or greasy like it had the first time they'd met. Even his clothes looked clean. An image came to mind of Adam standing under running water, thick heavy suds covering his lower body. She burst out giggling and covered her mouth and Adam fidgeted and blushed. "Here, let me show you," Adam turned and headed down a different tunnel. Emma followed behind, shrugging the backpack over her shoulder.
They arrived at a large chamber with a vaulted ceiling, much bigger than the antechamber Adam and his sister Sheila used as a dwelling. Thick vines snaked through the grate leading to the surface and muted sunlight filtered through. Other plants grew along the outer edge of the lower wall, roots twining into the moat of water surrounding the raised platform in the middle. Emma gazed up at the chamber in awe. It almost looked like a palace with ornate stonework.
"I've never seen another chamber like this. I'm guessing they don't make them this way anymore. Whenever there's heavy rain, the water comes down through there. The plants keep the rest of it clean so it's safe to drink, too. This is where we get water whenever we need to use it for cooking or laundry," Adam explained as he walked along the brick bridge leading to the central platform. Emma looked at him, amazed. Apparently meeting the Neo Ronin had encouraged the two mutant children to make some minor changes to their lifestyle.
"Oh! I almost forgot! Here, I brought some things for you and Sheila. Here's as good a place as any to show you," Emma shrugged off the backpack and set it down on the platform before seating herself on the edge. Adam sat down beside her and Emma moved the backpack between them and reached inside. "This says it's a 'roasted seaweed snack'. I guess they're really popular around these parts. They say 'lightly salted and seasoned' too, so you never know," Emma commented as she pulled out a cellophane-wrapped package and set it on the brick. "Now these, I wouldn't recommend eating more than one at a time. They're REALLY hot unless you got a good tolerance. Just tasting one the first time almost set my tongue on fire." Emma shook the sealed canister and set it aside.
Adam watched intrigued as she retrieved more items from her backpack. "I think these are something like a fruit snack. I've never tried one myself, but they come all sealed in these little cups and it comes with this super cute little backpack. I bet Sheila can make good use of it."
"I imagine she will," Adam commented and reached for the canister and studied it. He peeled the lid up and reached inside and pinched out a single pea-shaped object. He closed the canister and studied the object, sniffing at it briefly before popping it into his mouth. Emma rummaged around her backpack but looked up when she heard Adam gurgle and saw his cheeks turn dark green.
"Oh, I know that look. Told you they were hot. Here, try this. It's some sort of flower tea," Emma pulled loose a small carton from a package of six and removed the straw and inserted it in the top before handing it to Adam. He gratefully took it and croaked a thanks before taking a long sip to soothe his throat. Emma set the remainder of the six pack to the side then took out some glass bottles. "These are little sodas. I don't know how you two handle sugar. I think one of them is berry and the other is fruit punch? I could be wrong I can't really read these labels well..."
"These are little noodle packets. You're supposed to put them in boiling water for 3 minutes but not sure if you have any way to heat water down here...These are 'shrimp chips'…I have no idea how you make chips out of shrimp but apparently it's a thing here…Here are some rice bowls. They're ready to eat but taste better when heated up, but you don't got a microwave I take it… Okay, that's all I got. Most of this is stuff I cleaned out from our cupboards at our old home before we had to evacuate. I meant to bring it to you sooner but there's been a lot going on..."
"You mean the Great Shaking?" Adam said suddenly. Emma glanced at him sharply.
"You two didn't get hurt did you?" she asked, eyes wide in dread. Adam pushed himself to his feet.
"Here...it's best I show you..." Emma hastily gathered up all of the items and replaced them in her backpack before jumping to her feet and following after Adam. He led her towards the large antechamber and pulled back the curtain. Emma gasped in shock when she saw the scorched walls and blackened floor. The dwelling looked bereft of all the trappings she'd remembered from the first time. The entrance curtain looked like newer fabric and nothing remained of the divider curtain that once separated the chamber but charred scraps clinging to metal wire.
"We felt it before we heard it and took refuge in the cistern. The fire didn't make it that far down the passage, but we had to throw away all of our old stuff as you can see," Adam walked further into the chamber. The blankets, the sleeping pads, the piles of odds and ends, all gone… Emma clamped a hand over her mouth. "It's not as bad as it looks. We'll be able to replace everything in time, but it's a lot harder lately. I guess because all of the surface-dwell-uh, people are gone..."
"Yeah...the entire city is a mess, and all the suburbs had to evacuate. Has...has anyone tried coming down here? Anyone you don't know?" Emma asked cautiously.
"We haven't seen them, and they don't come close to home, but sometimes when I'm out foraging I can hear them. They sound like animals but walk like people. We've kept our distance. They don't sound too friendly…."
"They're not! Believe me! They're enemies! They're vicious! They've taken over the city ruins. They even killed some of the Ronin Warriors' allies..." Emma averted her gaze. She'd never personally met Ki Ki Crol, Rona, but she'd heard nothing but marvelous things about the Thangien people.
"Sounds like alot's been going on on your end," Adam commented and walked over to a crude table made from a discarded industrial-sized spool and a pair of upended plastic buckets. Emma walked over and upended her backpack on the top and organized the snacks.
"You have no idea...when the Cataclysm hit-the Great Shaking- we thought we lost Sage. He's one of the Ronin Warriors, see? Everyone thought he'd died, but a few days ago he came back out of the blue. Everyone's real excited about it, and now Ryo's got a big plan going to free the city. I don't know if we're going to be joining the big battle. I heard Rowen say they needed all hands on deck, but Ryo didn't want us fighting the first time, so not sure what he has planned for us."
"It sounds dangerous...like with-with that monster...You could get hurt like last time..."
"It's part of being a Ronin Warrior...even a Neo Ronin. We fight so our friends don't get hurt...I don't know when or if we'll end up getting called to fight, that's why I came to see you, just-just in case…" Emma trailed off and rubbed her shoulder idly. Adam unexpectedly reached over and took her other hand and squeezed it tight.
"You're strong. You have to be to fight monsters. I'm sure everything will go well," he comforted. Emma looked at him and smiled. She sometimes wondered what Adam might've looked like if he'd grown up like a normal boy. Without his green skin and yellow eyes he almost looked like a very young heavy metal rocker. Adam released her hand and stood up. "You should get going. Sheila is due back soon from her trip. She's still kind of upset over what happened last time, even though you all were just protecting yourselves." Emma nodded understandingly and shouldered her now-empty backpack. "If there were a way for me to visit the surface, I would, but too much sunlight is bad for my eyes."
"Maybe I can bring you some sunglasses next time!"
"'Sunglasses'?" Adam raised an eyebrow and reached out for the curtain and pulled it to the side.
"Happy Birthday to you, you belong in a zoo," Harlann Wallhanger sang as he danced a merry jig. "You look like a monkey, aaaaaaaand, you smell like one too!" he grinned and pointed at Adam. Adam and Emma broke out chuckling and clapped at the display. "And many mooooooore," Harlann finished before taking a steep performer's bow.
"Heh heh, thanks! But...I don't really know my birthday…" Adam rubbed the back of his head.
"Then it could be a very merry Un-Birthday," Harry Holmes commented as he entered behind his kid brother. Both he and Harlann carried laden backpacks.
"Harry!? What-what are you doing here?" Emma asked, startled.
"To help spruce up the place, why else?" Harry shrugged and sauntered into the antechamber.
"Don't mind us. We come bearing gifts," Edward Connolly and Conan Bauer came next.
"Whoa, wait, how'd you know I was here?" Emma demanded. Conan looked over his shoulder and tapped his wrist-com.
"ArmSig," he simply replied. All of the Neo Ronin now had one. Emma clamped a hand over hers and let out an exasperated snort. She'd wanted this to be a private visit… Adam stepped to the side when he heard additional visitors arrive and saw Archibald Archer, Davie Osmond, Pauline Yama, and Colby Taylor. Snow came in last with several bundles strapped to her back.
"Yeesh, ol' place has seen better days, that's for sure..." Harry commented as he assessed the condition of the chamber. "Lucky for you we brought along some of this specialized cleaner." He pulled a spray bottle out from his backpack. "This is heavy duty stuff the Thunthen use to clean the Argonauth. It'll get this pace spic n' span in no time." Each of the other newly-arrived Neo Ronin also took out spray bottles and cloth towels and set to cleaning a specific section of the antechamber walls. Sure enough, a few spritzes of the cleaner and a wipe of the cloth exposed the original stonework. Adam and Emma watched them work. Harlann scrubbed with gusto.
"I don't see that other girl...the one with the beads in her hair."
"Crystal had to leave the country with her dad. She said she'd come back and visit if things calmed down, but they haven't, and we haven't heard anything from her yet," Emma explained.
"Hey, ya'll s'pose we'd get in trouble if we used our powers for chores n' stuff?" Pauline asked.
"I don't see why. The Neo Ronin operate autonomously from the other Ronin Warriors. I don't think we would've been chosen to wear our Armors if we weren't capable of good judgment and able to use our powers at our discretion," Edward explained.
"Kay. Ya'll spray down your walls real thick n'all, then scoot back some. I'm gonna try something," Pauline laid down a thick layer of suds on the section she'd been working on. The other Neo Ronin followed her example and took a step back away from the wall. Pauline held one palm out to the wall and the other at the floor. Adam blinked when he heard the sound of rushing water and glanced down at the small grates that lined the floor along the wall as clear water welled up and moved towards Pauline.
Pauline smiled giddily as the water rushed into her palm and actually lifted her off the floor slightly. Water sprayed out of her other palm and onto the wall, scouring it clean. She began moving along the edge of the floor, giggling gleefully as she rushed alongside the wall, the blasts of water stripping away the soapy cleaner along with accompanying grime. Adam watched amazed.
"Whoa ho! Way to go Polly!" Archie crowed and clapped. "That's the power of elemental domain for ya!" Pauline had made a full round of the wall and came to a stop. Sudsy water covered the floor. She began waving her hands as if herding a flock of chickens and much to Adam's surprise, puddles of water seemed to stand up and moved like slinkies towards the exit. Pauline directed the dirty water into the drain out in the tunnel, leaving not a drop behind. Now the walls and floor looked virtually pristine.
"Well that certainly saves us some time. Now we can get down to business," Harry stated and pulled out additional items from his pack. "Some nice plush throws for when it gets cold."
"And some pillows!" Harlann added and set down some cushions.
"And no self-respecting pad should go without a bean-bag chair," Conan plopped the large sack onto the floor. "It's double-stuffed for extra support!"
"This is Campfire-in-a-Can! You can use it to heat up food n'stuff," Archie set down several small green cylinders. "And some MREs for emergencies," he set down bags of sealed packets.
"These are storage cubes. You can rearrange them however you want." Davie laid out squares of metal and clipped them together to create shelves and drawers.
"Here's a wireless radio. Not sure what your reception is like down here, but it's also got a clock too, and I brought enough batteries to last you for months." Edward set the radio on the spool table.
"I bought these for Snow to use but she insists on not using them, so I figured they'd be better than anything you had previously," Colby laid down a pair of large pet pillows with raised sides.
"Here's a ol' poker table Grandpap don't use anymore. Still holds up well," Pauline unfolded the table and straightened out the legs before setting it upright. "And some camping chairs." She pulled what looked like two cylinders out of her duffel bag before giving them solid shakes and unfurling two chairs made of metal rods and thick canvas before setting them on the floor. Adam gazed about the room, stunned by the transformation and new furnishings.
"I-I-I don't know what to say..." he stammered.
"It's what friends do," Emma smiled and clasped her hands behind her back. She gazed about the room and blinked when she noticed a door she hadn't seen before. Pauline's antics had stripped away the likely years of grime and soot that had virtually hidden it from view. It looked like an old maintenance control hatch. She walked over and studied what looked like letters scratched deep into the metal and reached up with a hand, tracing the letters with a fingertip. "Who's 'NANA'?"
"IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!" Adam roared and suddenly slammed his palm against the door, his arm coming within inches of Emma's face. Emma stared back at him wide-eyed in shock upon seeing his fangs bared and his pupils contracted into slits. Adam blinked, realizing what he'd done and withdrew his arm, moving back a step. "I-I-I'm sorry...it...it's just personal, is all," he muttered and walked away from her. Emma watched him leave the room, still shaken by the outburst.
"...awkward..." She heard Harlann mumble under his breath.
"I guess that's our cue to leave. It's time we head on back home anywho," Harry commented. "You wanna stay a bit longer, Emma? See if he needs some talking to?"
"Huh? Oh, no I'll be right behind you," Emma said and glanced once more at the heavy metal door with the word NANA carved into its surface. The door hadn't been opened in so long, even after Pauline cleaned the walls, rust and dirt still remained in the seams. Emma pushed aside the curtain and left the antechamber. She could hear Davie and Conan talking about a tabletop game up ahead. The Neo Ronin reached the exit shaft and one by one clambered up the ladder.
"Emma!" She looked over her shoulder and saw Adam jogging towards her. He came to a stop and raked his fingers through his hair. "Listen, I'm terribly sorry about that back there. I shouldn't have-"
Emma pressed her fingertips against his mouth, frowning sympathetically before withdrawing her hand. "It's okay. You'll tell me whenever you're ready...Until next time..." she said before turning around and climbing up the ladder. Adam stared up at the cover and watched as the other Neo Ronin helped drag it shut, cutting off the meager sunlight. Adam sighed and hung his shoulders, shoving his hands into his pockets as he turned to walk back home. He took the same route he'd used before.
As he passed by the second intersection, light erupted from down the side tunnel, nearly blinding him. He hissed and raised a hand to shield his eyes. "A-1? Is that really you?" a voice asked.
"Who's there?" Adam demanded, unable to see anything other than blinding light and a few shadows. He could see a figure moving through the beam of light.
"My goodness, how you've grown! I hadn't thought you'd survived, and yet here you are after all these years! It took us quite some time to track you down. We were only able to do as thorough a search without attracting attention after the disaster that claimed the city. I don't see S-19 with you. Is she doing well?" Adam could barely make out a slim figure with a bald head and reddish sideburns protruding from the cheeks extending up to the temples. A gold-rimmed monocle gleamed over one eye. The strange man wore a neat white lab coat.
"Listen, I don't know who you are, but you're not welcome here!" Adam snarled angrily.
"If course you don't recognize me, you were so young when Nanaki ran off with the two of you. Just come along with me, and all will be made clear."
"Not a chance!" Adam splayed his claws and his eyes flashed yellow.
"Oh dear. Well if you're going to be difficult, you leave me with no choice." The spindly man shook his head and made a clucking sound with his tongue before snapping his fingers. Two large men charged forward and seized Adam by his upper arms, trying to pin him to the ground. Adam growled and easily flung the men-nearly twice his size-against the wall. "Outstanding! You still retain some of your neo-natal combat programming! Please stop resisting. You are far too fine a specimen to lose at this stage." Two pairs of spikes attached to cables shot out from the blinding light and struck Adam in the upper chest. Electricity coursed along the cables and sent a powerful jolt through his body.
"AAAAHHHHHHGHH!" Adam roared, faltering briefly before reaching up shakily and yanking the prongs from his skin.
"What stamina! What durability! Despite you and S-19 being branded failures, you, my boy, have exceeded all expectations!" Two canisters landed on the floor beneath Adam and spewed out noxious green gas. Adam covered his mouth to no avail as the fumes made him feel weak. He coughed several times before faltering and collapsing onto his stomach. The gas dispersed and the lights dimmed. The spindly man had clamped a gas mask over his face. More men moved forward, two of them picking the unconscious Adam off the floor and the others tending to the men he'd thrown against the wall.
"No need to worry, A-1. We're just taking you home where you belong," The spindly man removed the gas mask and grinned. "You've got so much untapped potential..."
"Okay I'm back! I didn't get much, as usual, but I did manage to find some..." Sheila pushed aside the curtain and recoiled a step when she saw the newly remodeled antechamber. She took a cautious step forward and studied the new furnishings, brow wrinkled in confusion. She closed her eyes and sniffed the air a few times before scowling and baring her teeth. "Surface-dwellers!" she hissed. She remembered that scent. The girl in the red armor. What was her name? Emma… Sheila stormed out of the antechamber and towards the exit to the surface. She pulled the hood of her worn coat down over her eyes and scaled the ladder, reaching up with one palm and shoving aside the cover with ease.
Commander Yoshiba stood on the bridge and gazed out the window. Moonlight fell against the waves that lapped incessantly at the hull. "Sir, while I am honored this vessel was chosen to participate in this covert mission...I'm not entirely sure what purpose is served by us being out in the middle of nowhere," the ship's captain gave a brief salute.
"That will be revealed in due time, captain. At ease," Yoshiba stated.
"Uhh….sir? We...we got a bogey approaching…and it's big…really big..." a helmsman looked over his shoulder. A large blocky shape took up nearly half the screen on his console.
"That's our contact. Get the flight deck ready," Yoshiba barked. An attendant out on the deck heard the roaring whine of an approaching craft and waved his light batons to signal it. He let his arms hang at his sides upon seeing the colossal hull of the craft that descended from the air and slipped effortlessly into the water alongside the refitted carrier. The carrier rocked slightly from the water displacement before stabilizing. The hull of the newly-arrived craft loomed like an enormous black cliff.
"Special delivery! Ten-thousand civilians in stasis, courtesy of the Ronin Warriors," a man wearing blue and silver armor greeted cheerfully from where he hovered in the air over the deck.
"….WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?!" the attendant squawked.
"It's an air platform. What'd you think it was?" Rowen blinked and wrinkled his nose.
"NO IT'S NOT! THAT'S THE FREAKING SDF-1!" Rowen frowned and glanced from the deck to the Argonauth then back again several times.
"You're gonna need a bigger boat," Rowen commented.
"Wow! I can't believe they let you set up all your ant farms in here!" Conan remarked as he toured Davie's chamber in the residential hall.
"Where else could I put them? Our apartment got totaled in the city, and Mom is out of town staying with friends. Bugs need homes too, you know," Davie explained.
"How come these ants got such big butts?" Harlann asked.
"I had to pull a lot of strings to get just a queen. They're African Honeypot ants. The workers store liquid in their abdomens and whenever other ants need refreshment they just flag them down and take a sip."
"...you mean they drink from their butts...gross..."
"These guys seem busy," Conan brought his face close to a farm where workers carried what looked like green fragments in and out of tunnels.
"Those are Leafcutter ants. They actually grow their own food. Check it out." Davie snipped off a leaf from a potted plant then carefully opened the lid to the ant farm and dropped it in then sealed it shut. Workers swarmed out and began carving up the leaf with their mandibles. "They bring plants inside their nest and use it to grow a special kind of mold that they eat."
"Those guys look super scary..." Harlann gazed wide-eyed at a large terrarium where large red ants with menacing protruding mandibles watched over smaller workers.
"Looks can be deceiving. They're Brazilian Army ants. They can't actually bite you with those. They're more for show, kind of like a buck. If you want to know my personal favorite, check these guys out..." Davie led the two to another table. "Viking ants! Here, watch this." Davie picked up a smaller farm filled with tiny black ants. He moved it to the side of the larger farm then carefully screwed a tunnel segment in place, connecting the two farms. He thumbed a switch and the tunnel opened. Conan and Harlann watched intrigued as the larger ants paused in their work and flooded into the smaller farm. "They conduct raids on nearby ant colonies for food and steal workers and eggs to use as slaves!" The smaller ants scrambled to no avail as the raiders snatched up helpless workers and eggs and carried them back through the tunnel. Davie sealed off the tunnel on both sides when all of the Viking ants had left the small farm and removed the tunnel segment.
"Do they sail longships and sing really badly too?" Harlann asked.
"What?" Davie blinked and raised an eyebrow. Conan snickered off to the side.
Outside in the hallway, Emma, Edward, Harry, and Pauline stood in a row along the wall. Each of them held a stick. Colby patted Snow on her shoulders and waved another stick infront of her nose. Her ears perked up and she padded over towards the other Neo Ronin. She came to a stop infront of Edward and laid down on the ground at his feet.
"Three times in a row! I don't believe it! Even when we switched sticks!" Brainpan remarked.
"Told you. She's gotten very good at rescue training. There's professionally bred service dogs that fail that their first try, too. She passed with flying colors," Colby rubbed Snow between the ears.
Outside the exit tunnel, a figure crept close to the opening, ducking behind the bushes when two strange reptilian-looking creatures walked past. The figure watched the door slide open to grant them entry before dashing inside behind them, sticking to the shadows without alerting either of them. The two creatures chatted as they passed through successive doors, finally arriving in a colossal cavern.
Sheila pushed her hood back and gazed up in awe at the massive chamber. The floor looked perfectly polished and smooth and the sheer walls offered no concealing shadows save for a lone protruding boulder resting against the wall. She hunkered down and crept along the wall, peeking out from around the boulder. The red girl's scent led her here, but she couldn't see her immediately.
"Hey, I haven't seen you before. Are you a friend of one of the Neo Ronin?" a cheerful voice queried. Sheila whirled around and sprang towards the man in light blue and silver armor and tackled him to the ground swiftly. She growled angrily and brandished her claws.
"Whoa! Whoa! Sheila! Cool it, will ya?" Harry shouted as he and the other Neo Ronin heard the commotion and ran out into the main cavern to investigate.
"That's Cye! He's one of the Ronin Warriors!" Edward explained.
"Yeah! He's, like, one of our commanding officers!" Conan added. Sheila blinked and glanced back down at the man, lowering her arm and stepping away from him.
"Oh. Sorry about that. You startled me and I kind of got carried away," Sheila offered. Cye stammered and babbled before falling forward to land back on the floor in a faint.
"What are you doing way out here? I thought you didn't like going to the surface," Conan asked.
"Why do you think? I came here to find Adam. He wasn't home when I returned, and I smelled your scent, so I knew he had to be here with you," Sheila growled at Emma.
"Well he isn't. He was underground when we left. Are you sure he didn't go out scavenging and you just missed him?" Emma argued.
"He wouldn't leave without telling me. Rules are one stays, one goes. If he's not here with you then maybe those other surface-dwellers know."
"What 'other' surface dwellers?" Harry raised an eyebrow. Sheila shook her head.
"I've never smelled them before. They smelled different...old. Not like this one either." She looked down at the still-unconscious Cye. "I don't know where they've gone. I lost track of their scent and Adam's. The trail ends near one of the intersections, but something mixed up all the smells..."
"Maybe Snow can find him! She remembers his scent," Colby offered.
"Yeah, can't be too hard to track down a wet dog," Conan snorted. Sheila snarled and curled her claws. Emma rubbed her chin thoughtfully then tilted her head up.
"Wait! Sheila, empty out your bag!" Sheila didn't know what to make of that request and unslung her pack before kneeling on the floor and upending the contents. Emma knelt down opposite of her and pawed through the odds and ends. She found a single tube of shampoo and turned it about in her fingers. It said "vanilla-peach". She unscrewed the cap and sniffed it before nodding slowly. "This is it..." Sheila, you stay here. Harry, call Archie and the others. We'll take Snow back to the sewers and get her to track this scent." Harry nodded before dashing off towards the residential hall.
"No way! I'm coming with you! He's my brother!" Sheila protested.
"He might be in danger! He might've been kidnapped by members of the Menagerie or worse! You're strong but not strong enough to handle something like that. Remember what happened with that demon?" Sheila flinched, remembering the monster they'd befriended only for it to go berserk and attack Adam before targeting the Neo Ronin. "The Ronin Warriors are good people. You'll be safe here, but let us handle this. We might be Neo Ronin, but we're still Ronin Warriors too, and this is what we do: we help those in need, especially friends," Emma consoled. Sheila pouted but relented and nodded.
"Archie's on his way. He'll meet up with us at the tunnel entrance," Harry announced with Davie, Conan, and Harlann following close behind.
"Alright. Let's go!" Emma barked and took off running down the exit tunnel. Colby held on tight to Snow's harness as she bounded ahead of him. Sheila watched them leave anxiously, drawing her knees up to her chin.
Additional naval vessels had arrived to assist in offloading civilians. The Apprentices had set up lifts along the edge of Argonauth's deck and lifted individual civilians onto stretchers before lowering them to medical crews waiting below on the carrier deck. Physicians transferred the still-unconscious civilians to gurneys, making brief assessments of their conditions before wheeling them away. The Thunthen stayed well out of view of the humans below, not wanting to reveal themselves needlessly.
Commander Yoshiba stood on an external walkway outside the bridge and surveyed the effort. "This is a monumental achievement, General...securing a working relationship with the Ronin Warriors."
"How's things coming along?" Rowen asked from the air slightly above Yoshiba.
"A few of them have started to regain consciousness. No life-threatening side-effects near as we can tell. The other ships will ferry them to the mainland where they can be identified and sent on their way. You have the thanks of a grateful nation," Yoshiba smiled.
"All in a day's work for us," Rowen shrugged and glanced back at the Argonauth's hull. He blinked and looked back down at Yoshiba when he noticed the commander looking up at him. "Uhh...something the matter?" Yoshiba squinted and cocked his head to one side.
"It's strange...you remind me of someone...he did grant research for us a few years back. Kind of an eccentric fellow. Genchiro was his name..." Rowen raised his shoulders slightly to hide a blush.
"Err...I'm sure it's purely coincidental..." Rowen muttered and averted his gaze.
Adam came to in a dimly lit room. He glanced about frantically at his surroundings and struggled to move. He'd been strapped face-down onto a padded table with his face sticking through a hole. Thick heavy straps bound his arms from his wrists all the way to his shoulder, denying him range of movement to break free. He heard a click and the room brightened, but he could only see the floor and the bolts securing the base of the table.
"Oh good, you're awake. If you ended up sleeping through the entire procedure, then I'd start to have doubts about your reflexes and pain threshold," the voice from before chuckled.
"Where am I? What are you doing?"
"You have nothing to worry about A-1. Once we're done here, you won't have to worry about a single." Adam grimaced when he felt something sharp pierce his back. "Thing..." Adam squirmed futilely as the straps held him fast. "Hold still, my boy...can't go about installing the implant lopsided, now can I?" Tears welled up in Adam's eyes when he felt something slice him down the back from the neck to his waist. "Good. Now that's over with..." Adam's heart raced in his chest, still unable to see anything besides the floor. His mouth opened wide and he gulped in air when he felt something snaking down his spine. Finally a scream tore from his throat, again and again. His screams echoed through the operating theater and nearby rooms.
"This is where Sheila said she lost the scent..." Emma peered down the second intersection.
"Hey, check it out." Harry stooped down and picked up a pair of broken sunglasses. "Someone was definitely here. What would they want with Adam, though?"
"That's what we're here to find out. You're up, Snow." Colby unbuckled the leash from her harness and gave her an encouraging pat. Emma unscrewed the small shampoo tube and held it out for Snow. The tigress sniffed at it a few times before raising her head and flicking her ears. She took off bounding down the tunnel with the other Neo Ronin close behind. The twists and turns seemed without end. Snow came to a stop at a ladder leading to the surface and paced in a circle.
"I got this! It's not as heavy as the other one!" Conan climbed the ladder and punched the manhole cover off, sending it flying and landing on the ground several feet away with a clang. The Neo Ronin exited the tunnel and looked at their surroundings. "Whoa, we're all the way at the docks?"
"The entire harbor had to be evacuated after the Cataclysm. There shouldn't be anyone here," Edward stated. "Which makes it the perfect place for bad guys to hide..." Snow bounded towards a dilapidated warehouse and sprang in through a broken-out window. The Neo Ronin followed but saw only a wide empty floor. Snow kneaded the floor with her paws, curling her tail.
"She thinks he's here...but I don't get it, there's nothing here!" Colby frowned. Snow had never failed in her training before.
"Adam...where are you..." Emma hissed under her breath.
"Maybe we're missing something? Like a hidden door or a hidden-" Archie began. All of a sudden the floor beneath them slid away, exposing a deep shaft. "FLOOOOOOOOOOR!"
"RAZOR CAGE!"
"BLEEDING SILK!" Harlann and Davie thought fast and used their powers to create chains and web for the others to catch onto. Emma missed grabbing ahold and plummeted screaming into the darkness. "EMMA!" Davie tried firing a web strand at her but it fell just short.
"We have to find her!" Edward shouted.
"Not yet!" Harry argued. Edward glanced at him sharply. "Think about it! Someone either expected us or doesn't want visitors period. We need to find another way inside. There's got to be an air vent or something that leads down below," Harry reasoned.
"Sure, but first things first: Colby, please get your cat's butt off of my face," Conan croaked from where he fended off Snow's rear from his cheek. Snow clutched onto the wall with her claws but the chains and web didn't support her full weight and she sagged down against Conan.
"Why find a way inside..." Archie balanced himself on the chain lengths and raised his arms. "When we can make our own! CELESTIAL CONCUSSION!" he shot an air burst bolt at the wall of the pit and punched a hole clean through, exposing pipes and cables. Through the dangling mess they could see part of an air duct. "Bingo! Let's hurry. Emma can put up a solid fight, but we still don't know what we're up against!"
"Uhhh…" Emma had landed on her side and rolled out of the shallow crater she'd created with her impact. Her Armor had cushioned most of the blow, but her entire left side smarted. She staggered to her feet and took in her surroundings. Spotlights snapped on from all sides and Emma shielded her eyes with her arm. She could see walls coated with white metal tiles. Far above her, the shaft opening had sealed shut, leaving her alone in the large room.
"Well now, this is an unexpected turn of events. That crest you bear identifies you Wildfire, but you most certainly are not the current Ronin Leader. Still, even a pseudo-Ronin Warrior can serve as the perfect test for A-1's combat skills." Emma could see a windowed booth high above the floor and spotted a spindly-looking man with a balding head and reddish sideburns. A short goatee protruded from his chin and a gold-rimmed monocle covered one eye. Emma looked to the side when another set of spotlights fell upon a single figure on the opposite side of the room.
Her face lit up with joy when she recognized Adam, but she frowned when she saw him staring at her impassively. His normally yellow eyes appeared red. "You see, many years ago my research team strove to create perfectly-engineered soldiers and assassins. Unfortunately we hit something of a snag concerning the subjects' unusual pigmentation and physical features. Out of the first and only batch of embryos, only A-1 and S-19 proved viable..."
"'A-1'? 'S-19'? Adam! Sheila!" Emma gasped in realization.
"'Adam'? You must mean A-1! Oh, how daaaarling, Nanaki named them. Our superiors were not pleased with the results and ordered the project terminated, but Nanaki absconded with the newborns. She can't possibly still be alive, what with the injury she sustained in her escape..."
"'Nanaki'...Nana!"
"While I would have preferred to retrieve both A-1 and S-19, we had to settle for just one for the time being. Let's see how well he performs against a Ronin Warrior such as yourself." Adam took a step towards Emma, never taking his gaze off her.
"You want me to fight him? No way! That's sick! I'll have nothing to do with any of this!" Emma shouted and crouched before springing towards the wall. She wall-jumped higher and higher towards the ceiling, aiming to grab hold of one of the spotlight rigs.
She saw movement out the corner of her eye and turned her head slowly to the side. Her eyes widened in dawning horror when she saw Adam right beside her, reaching the same height in a single leap. He glared at her with his reddened eyes then lashed out with a kick, sending her crashing back onto the floor. She grunted in pain and bounced off the floor before rolling to a stop. "My dear child, what makes you think you have any say in the matter? You have no choice but to fight him, fight him or die. Either way, it will prove most interesting." Emma glanced from the observation booth to Adam as he landed on the floor neatly and strode towards her slowly. She conjured a fire sword in her hand as Adam approached. "Pyrokinesis? Very interesting..."
Just as quickly, she dismissed it and squared her shoulders. "I'm not going to fight you, Adam! Listen to me, I know the real you. You're not a puppet! You don't have to listen to him!"
"Yeeessss heeeee dooooooeeees!" the spindly man sang over the speakers. Emma glanced at the booth. She normally tried to resolve situations without fighting, but this man's grating voice made her want to literally punch his face in. "The neural implant in his spine makes him obey my every command. He and his sister were programmed in the embryonic stage to be perfect fighting machines. The boy you once knew no longer exists, but please, continue being a hopeless romantic."
"Adam, I know you're still in there. I know you can hear me! Please, try to fight it!" Emma begged and backed away from Adam as he stalked closer. "You're more than what you are on the outside or in the mind! Your spirit lives in the soul. Listen to me!"
"Heeee caaaaaan't heeaaaar yooouuuu!" The spindly man cackled with mad glee as Emma's back hit the wall.
"The spirit lives in the soul! ADAM! PLEASE!" Emma cried. Adam raised his arm and reached out for her, closing his fingers around her neck, his face showing no sign of emotion; remorse or recollection. "Adam..." Emma felt his grip tighten, and knew he could easily snap her neck in an instant. She closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks as she resigned herself to death.
"What are you doing? Kill her! Kill her and be done with it!" the spindly man squawked. Emma opened her eyes a crack and saw Adam staring at her with his reddened eyes. He hadn't loosened his grip, but he hadn't tightened it further either. She saw movement and blinked in amazement when she saw him raising his other hand, trying to reach behind his neck. "NO! STOP! STOP! I COMMAND YOU!" Emma said nothing, worried that if she tried to shout encouragement it would disrupt his concentration. She could see it in his eyes as he fought against himself with literally every fiber of his being. His other hand closed about something on the back of his neck. "NO! NO! NOOO!"
Adam grit his teeth and tugged mightily. You can do it...you can do it, I believe in you! Your spirit lives in your soul! Adam let out a grunting scream as he wrenched loose something from his neck. Emma felt his grip relax and she smiled with joy. Hope quickly turned into horror as she watched Adam pull what looked like a two-foot long length of barbed wire with clear globules on the tips of curved needles from his spine. Her eyes widened in shock and she opened her mouth to scream. "ADAM!" He let out a fluttering sigh and collapsed toward the floor limply. Emma lunged forward and caught him in her arms. Drops of blood clung to the insidious implant.
"INCONCEIVABLE!" the spindly man bellowed. "Eliminate them both!" Emma glanced up when she saw men carrying rifles closing in on her and Adam. She glared at them and wrapped her arms around Adam's back. "'Friendship'...bah! Fluffy rainbows and pixie dust!"
"Sir, we need to get you out of here," a guard argued gently.
"Fine! Very well then! At least there's Project Hellgirl to fall back on..." A quartet of guards escorted the spindly man towards the exit of the observation booth.
"DARKNESS DEVOUR!"
"EARTH ENGULF!"
The armed guards targeting Emma and Adam gasped as they found their guns swallowed up by shadow or encased in solid rock. More guards rushed into the room.
"TSUNAMI SLAYER!" Pauline Yama shot off high-pressure water bursts that sliced through the muzzles of the guards' weapons.
"THUNDER ANVIL!" Edward Connolly smote the floor and sent electricity arcing from guard to guard. The spindly man didn't seem to care about the rest his personnel as he approached the door.
A ventilation grate popped loose and landed infront of him with a clatter. Harlann Wallhanger landed on the floor between two guards and lashed out with his arms, knocking them into the corners of the booth. "RAZOR CAGE!" Spikes shot out from the chain links, pinning the guards in place. "Don't move!" Harlann ordered and smirked confidently. He blinked when he felt something grab him by the back of his neck and lift him off the floor. He hadn't targeted the evil scientist guy at first because he judged him less of a threat. The spindly man turned him around to face him and clamped both hands around Harlann's neck just above the armor collar.
"You...meddling little...brat...die...die! DIE!" The man squeezed tighter and tighter, and as Harlann struggled to breathe it slowly dawned on him that this man fully intended on killing him. The man smacked Harlann's back against one of the windows overlooking the room.
"H-H-HARRY!" Harlann managed to croak. Harry Holmes looked up over his shoulder and saw his brother kicking and squirming in the grip of the madman.
"HARLANN! LET GO OF MY BABY BRO! SPIRIT CORROSION!" Harry pointed two fingers at the man and shot off a stream of acid that punched through the window and struck the man's arm.
"What? What is this? What?! No! What have you done! NO! NO! NOOOOO!" The man shrieked and dropped Harlann as the acid ate straight through the man's left arm, all the way through cloth, flesh, and bone. Harlann tumbled out of the broken window and yelped in alarm.
Something caught him as he fell. He blinked and looked up to see thin braids festooned with bright pink pony beads. "Crystal! You came back!" Harlann beamed as she swung from a thick lighting cable back towards the booth.
"You know I had to come back an' check up on ya's!" Crystal Hacker smirked and the two landed back inside the observation booth. The spindly man lay crumpled on his side, his left forearm reduced to two protruding bony spikes. Crystal removed FLEA from her backpack and plugged in the USB cable to a nearby console. Harlann held his hands out at the madman, ready to shoot razor chains if he tried attacking again. The spindly man tilted his head up and saw Crystal poring through directories and folders as she tapped into the facility's network.
"...n-n-no...I-I won't...let you...ruin my life's work!" The man reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a detonation switch. Crystal heard his croaking and saw him move his thumb over the trigger. Her eyes widened and she hastily unplugged FLEA and stuffed it back into her backpack.
"C'mon, boo! We gots to get outta here!" Crystal grabbed Harlann by his armor collar and yanked him off his feet. Harlann yelped in protest as Crystal sprang out the broken window, dragging him behind her. The spindly man pressed the switch and the observation booth exploded violently. The other Neo Ronin watched in shock as debris rained from the ceiling, along with Crystal and Harlann. Crystal held onto Harlann with one hand and splayed her fingers towards the floor with the other. "HOWLING TWISTER!" a blast of wind erupted from her palm and slowed their descent. Crystal landed on her feet while Harlann decided to be more stylish and land on his palms before flipping himself forward onto his heels.
"DARKNESS DEVOUR!" Colby opened a shadow portal that swallowed up any debris that threatened to land on Crystal and Harlann.
"Oooh rah! That guy blew himself up...just to protect his secrets?!" Conan whispered in shock. Harry blinked and looked over his shoulder at the wall.
"Hey, how's Prince Charming?"
"He's in really bad shape! He needs medical attention!" Emma cried as she cradled Adam in her arms. Harry stared at them both. The fact that Adam had nearly killed Emma didn't escape him.
Ryo Sanada turned around to face Tar Uhnin as he entered the comm. room. "So what are we looking at here?" Ryo asked as Tar approached. The elderly Nobeyl looked troubled.
"These are quite the strange friends young Emma and the Neo Ronin have..." he began. Sheila had perched herself atop the wall boulder and stared off into space as she await word on her brother's condition. "...The way the boy removed the device on his own...he should in any other circumstance be rendered paralyzed for life...and yet...Ryo, I have no other way of describing this: his nerves are regenerating! Slowly, mind you. He can sit but not walk just yet. Aside from his injury, his body operates at peak performance, conserving and distributing energy perfectly and producing endorphins at an alarming rate. This boy and his sister present a very disturbing puzzle..."
"We've had our own run-ins with mad scientists before. How's Emma?"
"She only sustained minor bruising around her neck, but she is otherwise fine. She's in the conference room for the time being..."
Emma sat on the table surface and rocked back and forth with her hands clasped over her knees. She looked up and saw Ryo enter the room and hopped off the table. "Is he-?" she fretted.
"Your friend is fine. Tar says he'll be fully recovered in a few days. They both can stay here until they're ready to return home. Emma, look: we've been over this before! We gave you all wrist-coms so you could call in backup if you ran into trouble!" Ryo scolded.
"I know! I know! It's just...I...I don't know...It just...I just felt like...like everything would turn out alright in the end..." Emma offered feebly. She expected another earful from Ryo but he remained silent, his gaze roving about almost contemplatively. Ryo's expression softened.
"Don't beat yourself up over it too much. The bad guy's gone. You should go visit your friend. He'll need your company," Ryo encouraged and gave Emma a pat on the arm. Emma nodded shakily and exited the conference room and headed toward the infirmary.
"Emma!" She looked up and to the side and saw Crystal jog over to her. "Listen, I wasn't able to get much before I had to disconnect, but I did get this..." she turned FLEA about in her arm to show her.
Adam sat in one of the beds wearing white pants and shirt. He kept his hands folded in his lap and his gaze down at the sheets covering his legs. Emma leaned into the doorway and approached slowly. "You shouldn't be near me," Adam said abruptly without looking up at her. "I'm a killer, after all."
"Don't be silly. You're too sweet to be a killer," Emma argued softly.
"How can you be so sure?" Adam grumbled bitterly. "Maybe I like being a killer." Emma frowned and walked over to his bed before pulling up a chair and leaning close to him. Adam blinked in surprise when Emma gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He looked at her, startled.
"You're not a killer," Emma insisted. Adam relaxed and fingered the folds of his sheets. Emma frowned and fidgeted in the chair before running her tongue over her lips. "Adam, listen...Crystal wasn't able to recover any information about you and Sheila...but she did find a name: Nanaki. Apparently she was one of that creep's research assistants. He said you two were 'programmed' before you were born. We think she might've been your mother-"
"She wasn't our mother," Adam snapped abruptly, and Emma flinched. Adam clenched the sheets in his fists. "She took care of us...taught us words...but she always seemed to be in a great deal of pain. I could always smell blood. Sick blood. One day she stopped moving. Her eyes closed and never opened again...so we left her in her room and shut the door forever."
"Can...do you remember anything else?" Emma prodded. Adam's face contorted in anguish.
"One of the first memories I have...was of Nana arguing with a man. He had a square face and a rough voice...he looked old too, and he had all of these colored ribbons on his chest." Adam scratched the front of his shirt with a fingertip. "He said we were 'failures' and he wanted Nana to 'dispose' of us..." Adam squeezed his eyes shut as he remembered clinging to the armrest of a chair.
"I need agents capable of passing for normal in public, not freaks!"
"They're children, for Heaven's sake!"
"They're failures, both of them! As of now the project is to be considered terminated and your funding pulled. Dispose of them, NOW!"
"Nana took both of us and tried to run away. I heard a sound, like a snapping crack, and I could smell something burning. Nana looked hurt, but she kept running, carrying both of us. She hid us far under ground in the sewers...and we lived there since...she always told us 'stay away from the surface'...I never knew why until now...Emma? Who am I? What am I?" Adam croaked and turned to face her, tears in his eyes. Emma gazed back at him compassionately.
"You're my friend...that's all I care about!" she leaned forward and hugged him tight. Adam cried into her shoulder and Emma rest her cheek against his hair. He smelled so clean, and the yellowish light from the nearby lamp made his skin look pinkish. She saw him as a normal human boy.
Emma exited the infirmary to give Adam a chance to get some rest. She wandered out into the main cavern but heard a voice she'd never heard before coming from the comm. room. She walked over to the doorway and peered inside, seeing Rowen standing at the console. "So far over seventy percent of the recovered civilians have been identified and returned to their closest relatives. It's an incredible thing you all have accomplished. We are forever in your debt." Emma could see a man on the main screen. He looked elderly-old but not old-old- with an imposing squarish jaw and the markings of a general on his uniform. The man cocked his head to the side, apparently spotting her. "You start them pretty young over there, eh?" Rowen glanced at Emma before looking back at the screen and nodding a farewell to the general before closing the connection.
"Rowen...who's that guy?" Emma asked cautiously.
"That's General Toshido with the national defense forces. We've been coordinating with him over the past few days to get the civilians off the Argonauth. Thanks to him and the strings he pulled we got it done in record time. Everything's coming together now for the final big push. Hey, how's your friend? I heard he was in pretty bad shape."
"Oh! Adam? He's fine. He just needs rest..." Emma replied and glanced past Rowen at the now-empty screen. For some reason, something about that man made her feel very uneasy.
"What kind of crazy guy blows himself up like that? 'Oh I'm a brilliant scientist, I'm gonna blow myself up'," Conan scoffed.
"Sometimes there's worse evil in people than even the Dynasty. At least his twisted dreams died with him," Archie muttered. Colby and Snow followed behind them on the way to the residential hall.
"It's not their combat prowess I'm concerned about, Tar. What I'm worried about is that one of these days the Rising Effect is going to end up getting one of them killed." Colby's gaze snapped towards the conference room when his acute hearing picked up Ryo's voice.
Author's Notes
In its original inception, Age of Defiance had more of an episodic, 'villain of the week' beat. Over the years it's evolved into an arc-based format with mega-arcs to tie in to past and upcoming events such as the Three Wars and End Tide. Inspiration for Cataclysm War came from the Unseelie War arc from Gargoyles Saga and the classic ID4 movie. I think the original idea for this chapter revolved around Bautan mind-controlling Adam using magic, but I'd never fully written it out before. I went with the "mad scientist" angle to flesh out Adam's backstory. There is this old movie I remember seeing when I was little, and it took me years to find it: Pinocchio and the Emperor of Night. There is a particular scene I remember-I won't describe, but readers are invited to look it up-that gave me the idea for what happens to Adam. Another source of inspiration is the Talia Winters arc from Babylon 5. I swear Bester has the most punchable face in existence...
I had one reader reference the "Initiative" arc from B:TVS. I have to admit I never saw that particular plot line, having only seen up to "Graduation" before I left the nest. Trying to catch episodes on local tv was like pulling teeth back in the day… When it comes to the dark secrets the Neo Ronin uncover...think more along the lines of "Cadmus". Seriously, a guy gets brainwashed one time by an arch-enemy and all of a sudden people form a clandestine government organization hell-bent on his destruction, targets his colleagues, and creates a bitchy clone of his cousin.
