*****
ZealPropht wasn’t tiring yet. The Earth had needed her help in Its time of need, and It was giving Its all to her through the Lifestream. Slashing a trooper with a scytherang, she powered up a cure spell and directed it towards another Legion member. Her attention drawn for but a second, she threw her twin blades out again, letting them seek their next victim. Thus free to use her hands, she summoned up more of her magic, but there was a strange feeling to it this time. Never having experienced this before, she dismissed it and threw a Shadow Bomb, narrowly missing the Soul Knight that was busy at work as well. Taran leapt backward as the dark explosion came towards him, but was safe at his distance. He nodded to Zeal, then brought out his Holy Sword and fought again. It was when she heard a horrendous scream from the crowd, from one of her protected.
The axe had been buried between them, literally, as Repike pulled it free
and let its poison go to work on his former student. Gasper was struggling
to contain and put pressure on the wound as the Master of the Flash stomped
down on the Dragoon’s left leg, crushing the bone.
“I told you never to fight me boy. It’s too bad, you would have ascended beyond Boomerang very easily.” There was no response, only a torturous cry from his opponent. The poison had sunk in now. Laughing over his victory, and the agonizing death Gasper was to face, he turned and walked away. “Give my regards to your pretty little girl. I know she’ll love my present to her and you.” The younger man was oblivious to the comment, as the venom was racing towards his heart.
“NO!” Zeal cried out, letting lose a force wave of magic as she
felt Gasper’s pain in her mind. Her enemies fell to the ground, burned
to death from the miniature Ultima spell that she’d loosed. Summoning
the twin scytherangs to her once more, she hacked and slashed her way through
whatever was in her path. Time was of the essence, as the link her and her
beloved shared was sending out the venoms affects. LorenLeah, in her Sailor
Parma form, stood by him when she arrived, tending to the wounds as best
as possible but getting nowhere.
“He’s in toxic shock. Breathing is erratic and his flesh is burning. It’s as if he has a fever.” Zeal felt the magic flowing through him waning fast, the venom soaking into his tissue.
“Fight it dammit! You’re not dying on me now!” She took out a small vial from his belt, and a syringe. She’d thought it hokey at the time to have an all-purpose anti-venom, but he had an unusual knack for being right sometimes, one she’d been hating for a while. The proverbial gears in her mind were spinning and becoming unhinged as she thought of what to do to save him. It came to her suddenly as Taran was at her side.
“He’s not doing well. What happened?” Zeal glared at him, then pushed the syringe towards him.
“Stick this in me and draw whatever liquid comes out.” Taran hesitated.
“Wha-?” Huffing, she stabbed herself with the needle and drew out her vital fluids herself. There was no pain. Her mind didn’t allow it to register. Pulling it out, she dipped the needle into the vial and drew forth its contents as well, then shook the syringe and raised it over Gasper’s heart. “ZEAL! What are you doing?” Taran exclaimed.
“Saving him.” Came the curt reply. She plunged it through the breastbone that covered his core. His body jerked up as the antidote started pumping through his heart. He let out another pierced yell.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going?”
Repike looked back at Icy Brian and summoned up the blades on his axe again. “Where I wish. You’d be a fool to stop me.”
“I stopped that idiot in the mask. Your vaunted apprentice is laying on the ground, hopefully dead.” Brian brought up his staff.
“He’ll die for that transgression. But so will you. Or would you rather fight without weapons?” Letting the axe go, the blades disapated and the large baton hit the ground at the same time as Icy’s bo staff. Repike slowly circled his prey, ready to strike, but it was Icy first with a grappling move that was meant to immobilize an arm and break a bone. Swinging around, Repike broke free and struck with his foot, hitting Icy’s leg and bringing the man down.
Icy rolled and was back up when Repike came at him again. Blocking a few punches, Brian brought his palms against the man’s temples, letting each one smack at the same time. Disoriented, Repike staggered back and gathered his wits as the paladin grabbed hold and threw him to the ground, landing him on his rear. Roaring, the veteran warrior was back up and the two traded blows. The force of each hit staggered them both after a mere minute. Panting, Icy pulled back and waited, watching his foe like a hawk. It was when he heard a roar and saw an orange beast jump out at Repike that he got a reprieve for only a moment.
Nanaki was slashing at the man while doing his best to balance on two legs. Swiping him with oversized paws, his claws scratched deep into Repike’s face, and the large cat was ready to rip out the man’s throat when he was thrown back by a wave of force. Tumbling to the ground Icy came up beside him, staff in hand.
“Won’t work, he’s too powerful.” Nanaki surged with anger, and let his transformation take hold again. Brian was unfazed, but impressed with the power he felt radiating from the techno-organic beast. It was a living metal that Icy had seen before, and yet it was different.
“Maybe I can lend a hand.” Came the voice from behind. The three looked at the newest fighter to enter the battle. He was a tall man, lean but strong, dressed in a crystalline armor that was spotted with various white points. In ones mind, you could make out the various shapes of constellations that surrounded the Earth. His black hair ruffled, but far from matted with blood like Icy’s clothing, Saul unsheathed his sword and held it out at Repike. “We just got back. Gasper called us in. How are things?”
“Not looking up. The man who summoned you is down, fighting poison and taking up the time of two of our magic users.” Nanaki replied, his voice clearer then it had been in the years the paladin and the knight had known him.
“I pray he is okay?”
“He will be, Zeal and Taran are working on him.” Saul gave Icy a look that almost made their leader chuckle under different circumstances.
“Brian, Taran was…killed, wasn’t he?”
“I don’t know how he came back. Right now, we have a little more to worry about.” Repike cleared his throat, bringing up his axe that he had reclaimed. His wounds had stopped bleeding, but would not close for a while until he was back on his ship.
“Now that you all have caught up, I’d like to kill you and get on with my conquest.” Nanaki, Icy Brian, and Saul looked at their target with rapt attention. The three were going into a battle trance, their awareness focused solely on the Master of the Flash.
Icy’s words were spoken in a soft, threatening voice. “Let’s finish this.”
“GYAHH!” Gasper screamed as the magical elixir ran through his
veins, clearing the toxins from his body at a painful speed. It was less
then a half minute later when he groaned, and finally felt his strength
returning. Looking at his saviors, he was helped up, and grabbed his spear.
“Not even a thank you?”
Zeal looked Gasper in the eye as he spoke. “Where is he?”
“Well you’re welcome, but you need to wait a few minutes.”
“Not-” he stumbled forward a bit, putting a hand to his head, “Fine…two minutes.” Zeal grabbed hold of him, making sure he was steady.
“Something’s wrong.” She looked at him with a little concern.
“You’re tellin’ me. Rest is over. I’m okay now.”
Taran burst in, searching Gasper’s soul for any poison. “I’d listen-”
“Shut up.” Taran was taken aback as Gasper stalked forward slowly, energy starting to crackle around him. Channeling what he could into the spear, he disappeared with the lightning leaving a wake in the trail he took.
“This is bad Taran.” Zeal shook her head. Looking across the battlefield she saw the slumped bodies of dead soldiers. Only a few of them remained, and from the feel in the magical fields, there were more to come. “There is no way to win.” The Soul Knight looked at LorenLeah then back to the prophet.
“I’m feeling the black wind again.” Leah said, her head slumping.
Gasper reappeared, or rather, teleported himself to where the main fight
was. His fighter’s aura was flared to its highest limit. Dodging a misfired
blast of energy, he stayed the course, watching and waiting for an opening.
He passed Krazy Sam, who noticed his fury. Running to catch up, she kept
pace by his side barely.
“Wait up!” Another blast came from the battle with Repike, and nearly hit Sam save for the ki shield Gasper put up quickly. Dissipating the energy around them, he continued forward, pulling the spear up in a guard position. “Damn! What’s got you so pissed off?”
“Repike.”
“Granted,” she replied, “but the fact remains that if you keep up that aura, you’re gonna burn out your power.”
“I really don’t care.” He stopped and turned to her. Sam’s face went slack as she looked at him. His eyes blazed with a fire she’d never seen, one that scared the crazy one. She stepped in front of him, her skin tingling from the heat of his aura.
“Don’t do it Mr. Pinstripe Suit, Zeal will kill you if you die. Granted you won’t have much to worry about if you’re already dead.” Sam smiled her widest, trying to stop him.
“You have three seconds to get out of my way.”
“But-”
He pushed her out of the way. “Three.” Pulling up his spear he flared his ki higher, letting his weapon absorb the excess energy. Both ends shattered as two beams formed on each side of the main handhold. Running, he leapt into the air and prepared to kill Repike.
Kaeru woke up slowly at first. Feeling his head, he touched the bump that
was the result of his current situation and winced in pain. Looking around,
he found himself on the tarmac. The battle was still in full swing, but he
was well over a fifth of a mile away from the conflict.
“Finally awake darling? You were out for so long.” He turned to find a woman with purple-black hair with a leathery armor that was as crimson as the blood that stained the ground on the battlefield.
“Zeal? What’d you do to your hair?” her voice was husky, yet silky, as she laughed at the comment.
“It’s a side affect of those tests The Flash ran on me.” He nodded, than noticed her proximity to him. He could literally see down her armor, into her cleavage. She took a hand and put it to his cheek. “Those awful people.” She laid her head to his shoulder. He noticed her but he didn’t notice them moving away from the battle towards the woods.
The battle was going from bad to worse for Repike. Upon the beast’s
arrival and transformation, he was beginning to doubt the complete victory
he would be holding. He had fought the three of them and held them at bay
for a while now.
“You’re gonna pay!” Nanaki’s mouth opened, sparks forming around his maw, and shot a beam from his mouth. Narrowly dodging it, Repike spun around and clashed weapons with Brian, kicking him away and swinging his downward. Hitting the stone runway, he dissipated the blade from his weapon to free it, but it was too late. He heard the scream in the air and leapt out of the way of a meteorite summoned by Saul. The three regrouped, surrounding Repike like a herd of lions surrounding an injured zebra.
“Give it up Repike.”
“NEVER!” The reply was clear to the three. They’d done their best, and it would soon be over. It was Saul who first noticed the energy radiating from their enemy. But it was Nanaki who sensed the next attack.
With a scream from the bowels of Hell, Gasper landed in front of Repike, laying upon him a flurry of stabs from a weapon the four had never seen. The axe ignited again, clashing.
“Ki weapons.” Nanaki said. Saul nodded, watching the two men fight out their tremendous fury for each other. Gasper spun the double bladed spear around him, blocking slash after slash from his mentor. Repike was bashing in a rage unlike anyone had seen.
Locking a blade under a grove in the energy blade, Gasper stared Repike in the eyes and growled, his eyes glowing red with the pent up energy that he was unable to release. Energy surged and both were thrown back, their weapons deactivated from the loss of concentration. Now only five yards apart, Nanaki could distinguish the ki of the two, but what he found scared him.
“Saul, if we don’t stop these two, they’ll rip the island apart, killing us all!” Saul nodded slowly, and thought as quickly as he could, adding up the equations that would be fatal enough to them all.
Turning to Brian, he nodded. “He’s right. They need to be broken up or we all suffer.”
“What do you two propose, because I’m fresh out of ideas?” Icy Brian ran a hand through his hair, knowing they were right. A white flash caught their attention again, as Gasper’s magic came into view.
Strains of lightning were shooting up from the ground, as the others joined the three veterans. Zeal’s look was horrified as she witnessed the rage that flowed from her beloved. Taran could feel the evil flowing in Gasper’s soul, ruining his concentration on curing his friends. Samantha stood next to Zeal, drawing her sword, waiting for the right time. Pulling out a small bag, she dumped three gemstones into her palm. JWolf and DK both knew what she was considering, but neither was going to stop here. LorenLeah and Minmei stood by the two, both weary and silent but handing out whatever potions and ethers they had left.
“We could knock Gasp out, but we’d have to worry about losing some man power.” Nanaki’s new form brought its hands together, summoning an attack when JWolf stopped him.
“I’m sick of this shit. The suffering this man has brought is too much to bear!” Running to Gasper’s side, JWolf stopped and brought his gun. “I hope you know what you’re doing Dragoon.” Brining the barrel up to his shoulder, he looked forward at Repike and pulled the trigger once. The tap released a bullet, searing through the mercenary like liquid fire. Roaring in pain, much like his friend, his unconscious powers took over, and Wolf was instantly 180° across from where Gasper was slamming Repike with a lightning spell. Water streamed from the mercenary JWolf’s body, hitting the Master of the Flash and causing him further pain. Water let the electricity surge around Repike, bringing forth unimaginable power.
Zeal looked on and then at Nanaki, who was powering up his attack on Gasper
again. “NO! Aim at Repike! Saul and Nanaki, go ninety degrees from Wolf
and Gasper respectively, and let loose any beam energy or spell you can
muster!” The two threw themselves into the fray, adding to the damage
their companions were doling out. “It’ll work! Brian, Sam, antipode
between Gasper and Saul. Taran, you and I between the beast and
gunslinger!”
“Move people!” Brian exclaimed, throwing a hand out as Sam released a wave of fire from the hand previously holding her transformation gems. Each Legion member alive caught on to the plan, and with a fury unknown to any enemy, combined to form a single fighting force to destroy the evil that inhabited their home. Minmei was next to Krazy Sam, screaming like a banshee through her microphone weapon, amplifying the sound waves and letting them fiercely slam into the man responsible for killing Jerm and the Wandering Prophet. LorenLeah was next to Taran, summoning a cyclone of wind and blasting it along a horizontal plane parallel to the tarmac.
Zeal shot a dark wave of energy, strong enough to cause suffering to this
vile creature, but at the same time, able to concentrate on each of the Legion
Members without having to immerse herself in the magical fields of the Earth.
But it was Gasper who worried her. She was seeing the darkness in his soul
now. Something that wasn’t there a short while ago, worse yet was the
amount of magic he was expending to keep up the attack. Already the ultimate
lightning spell had formed the dome, bringing the magic to a close, but
strengthened by the powers of shadow and holy, Ultima, the Kazehameha, wind,
fire, water, earth, sound. Everything was pouring into this battle. But she
felt her beloved slipping away.
“GASPER!” He had exhausted his energy source, and started running off his own life force now, furthering his lust for revenge upon Repike. It was then that the force of their attack exploded outward, throwing the attackers to the ground.
Rubble was strewn about as she looked up at the victim of the worst attack
known to her or the Earth. Repike was breathing heavily, bruised and bloodied.
His armor hadn’t held up, and that was to Zeal the deciding factor.
Icy forced himself up, and staggered to the growing group of survivors of
the explosion. Nanaki had returned to the metallic beast, showing gashes
in the steel armor that covered his body. Saul was covered with soot from
the explosion, blackening even the bright diamonds that made up the stars
of the constellations on his armor.
“Did we get him?” LorenLeah said, holding up an injured JWolf. The gunslinger was worse for wear, but was looking on at the meeting.
“Not yet.” Nanaki huffed, crouching down, nursing a large slash in his front paw that was slowly healing. They looked around at each other, nodding to one another then making their ways toward Repike. The older man was crouched on a knee; blood escaping from various cuts and burns.
“Give it up.” Icy pulled him up by what was left of the man’s collar. “LEAVE!” Throwing him to the ground, he watched the General of the Flash rise slowly, backing away and staring straight at the Legion.
“This is far from over you whelps! Mark my words!”
“Yadda yadda yadda, SHUT UP!” Sam cried back. Repike sneered. “Get out of here and leave Earth alone you goat!” He looked at her oddly, not comprehending the insult. Others did, but no sniggers or guffaws were heard.
“Very well.” Turning, he vanished in a flash of light. All around them, bodies of the dead that belonged to the Flash ignited, destroying whatever remained of the enemy.
“That was too easy.” Wolf said shakily. The battlefield was empty. Bodies that had once surrounded them were gone, but the ground was still charred with the disintegration of the troopers and drenched in their blood.
Saul gazed at the massacre and shook his head. “All of them…gone, what of our allies?”
“I sent them with NeoKefka before we took down Repike.” Minmei replied, nursing one of Taran’s wounds from the shrapnel and debris that had hit them to one degree of severity or another. Looking around, she took note of all present.
Icy took note as well, and wondered aloud. “And Kaeru?”
“I lost track of him on our escape from the command center.” Nodding, Icy saw his hearty troops.
“We’ve won the battle, I just wonder if the war is over.” It was then that he noticed there was no ZealPropht or Gasper to speak of. “Maybe not.”
Gasper found himself in the middle of the tropical forests on Isla Agrua,
shaking his head and clearing the stars and imaginary birds from his
consciousness. Slumping to his knees, he felt his heart and lungs burn as
he tried to move and gather enough strength to get up. His anger flared at
the weakness, but it was no use. Lying there in the jungle, he felt the cool
ground beneath him. His weapon was gone, destroyed (he assumed) in the explosion
that had deposited him here. Gasper heard the laughing, what sounded strangely
familiar to his addled mind, but it was bringing back a memory from his days
as part of Repike’s forces. Slowly getting to his feet, Gasper walked
through the tropical thicket and came upon a woman nearly molesting Kaeru
with her hands. The young warrior struggled free of the woman, and then saw
the Dragoon.
“Shit! Dude, she’s gone whack! I swear, Zeal’s crazy!” Backing away from the lady and the pilot, Kaeru tripped and fell back on his rear. The female turned, looking straight into Gasper’s eyes. A flash of recognition crossed them, and all the pieces came together.
“You were on the boat in Greece.”
“Yes I was, and it was such a lovely party. You and your lady friend looked delicious. I wish the three of us could have had some fun together.”
Gasper looked grim, and if he’d had a weapon, it would be brought to bear. “It’s been a while Maggie. What are you doing here?”
“I had to get away from the smog in California. This tropical resort is as nice a place as any. And please, Maggie has been dead for quite some time. You may call me Red Mist.” Kaeru watching the two, scared out of his mind. “Your little friend was keeping me company.”
“Why’s she look like ZealPropht?”
“It’s an illusion. Maggie-”
“Ah ah, what’s my name now?”
“Maggie,” He emphasized her former name, “is an illusionist and a red mage. You’re being duped. Focus your eyes and it’ll come to you.”
“Oh please darling, I’m far beyond what you knew me as. I’ve become more then just a little mage. I’m the Mistress of the Flash now, and I’m hot for you still Gasper.”
Shaking his head, Gasper closed his eyes in disgust. “Did you hop into his bed after I left Mags?”
“No, I swore off men for a bit, and had some fun.” Kaeru was flabbergasted for a moment. “Come now little froggy,” she said to the younger man, “don’t you ever wonder what it’d be like with three hot…w-”
“Kaeru, run and catch up with the main group. I’ll handle this.”
Red Mist cooed as a wicked thought came about. “Want me to handle you Gaspy?”
“Shut up. Go kid!” They were alone now as the trainee retreated. “You’ve changed Maggie. Can’t say I like it either. It’s just too bad that your boss is just a smudge mark on the tarmac now.”
“You’re bluffing.”
“Maybe.” She circled around him, caressing him lightly with her lithe fingers. She touched his cheek, rubbing the gloved fingers along his face.
“I think you are. And I bet I can prove it.” Gasper chuckled and grinned.
“I doubt it.” It was then he heard the rustling behind them. Turning, he saw a bear of a man walk out, Kaeru in tow but then thrown to the ground in front of them.
Repike smiled with glee at the surprise on Gasper’s face. “Really, did you think you had a chance of stopping me?”
“There was a hope. Ready to die?” The Dragoon set up, various forms and routines going through his head. Repike only nodded, then grabbed Kaeru by the hair as Red Mist pinched a nerve in his shoulder, holding him in place with but a small movement.
“No, not yet. Actually, I was thinking of bringing out another of our friends from the old days my boy. Someone your little wyrm of a leader knows about. When you think about it, it’s really four friends from the old days.” Gasper’s jaw dropped as he saw Red Mist walk over towards Kaeru, what looked like a ceremonial knife in her hand. She poised the tip at the younger man’s throat, and smiled at him.
“Little one, do not worry much. Our king will be honored by your low class blood.”
“Don’t Repike. Don’t do this. We surrender. I promise. It’s not worth destroying the Earth over.”
“Oh, but I think it is. Nuerrga zenga ebudau, trade this world for….” Red Mist stabbed through the flesh and cartilage of Kaeru, pushing through and kissing the poor man microseconds before he felt his spinal cord cut from his brain.
“NO! DON’T DO THIS!”
“Trade this world for TIAMAT!”
Zeal cried out in pain as the Earth shook around her. She could feel its
magical essence being drawn up for evil, and all the stories Gasper had told
her about the organization they were fighting became true instantly.
“She’s over here!” Taran hollered, then ran over to her prone form with Icy and LorenLeah in tow. Leah was the first there, checking her vital signs, and asking her questions on what might be broken or where she might have been wounded by debris.
“The Earth! It’s crying! The pain!” She cried again, the world’s agony apparent on her face.
Leah comforted the prophet. “It’s okay Zeal, Repike is gone-”
“He’s not! He’s summoning. It’s shaking the moorings of the Earth, trying to draw on the Lifestream! Can’t you hear it screaming?”
“She’s in shock?” Icy looked at the two women. Zeal glared back.
“We can’t stop Repike. He’s played his trump card.” Taran heard a rustling from the outskirts of the woods, and saw a large man walk out, grasping his side as if it were wounded. The Dragoon stumbled past the rocky ground, than saw the tableau in front of him. Running to Zeal’s side, he noticed her pained expression.
“I tried.”
“I know.” She said, while he took hold of one of her hands. Glancing up at Brian, he nodded his head.
“We have to leave this planet. And we don’t have much time to do it.”
“Would you both care to explain why?” Icy replied.
“Fine, quick and abbreviated. Bahamut is lord of the Dragoons. It’s whose name I fight for, along with good and all that shit. Well, while Bahamut is the King of Summoned Monsters as well as the foundation for many beliefs of God in this world, Tiamat is the anti-thesis of all that Bahamut is. Legends say that this beast is something that brings about any kind of apocalypse you want to believe in. Norse, Greek, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, let’s just say that he’s worse then our thoughts on Satan in all those religions combined.
“Repike just summoned him, using a blood sacrifice. I tried to stop them from killing Kaeru, but I couldn’t. Short and too the point, the world is about to be destroyed. Or rather, all life on this planet is about to be erased. In about twenty minutes, anything organic will be destroyed.”
Taran cut in. “But the massive death, how will we save it?”
“We worry about it when the time comes. There’s always a way. Can the Lifestream survive, Zeal?” Icy said.
“Maybe. I really don’t know.” She said shakily.
“Look, I’m all for discussing this, but if we do, we’d better get the hell outta here.”
Taran held his stand against leaving. “What about the planet?”
“You can stay and die on it Taran, we gotta move though!” Gasper took hold of Zeal’s hand and dragged her off, followed by the others including Taran. Catching up to the Dragoon, Icy tapped the ball attached to his ear lobe. The comm opened itself up, and activated the other units for each of the Legion members comm.
“Saul, Sam, get any starship we have in stock ready for lift off in five minutes, this is not a drill!”
“DK, you still with us?” Gasper added.
“Yeah, hey Gasp, we’re getting some strange readings here. Please tell me it’s all a joke.”
“It ain’t. Tiamat’s comin’! Get the Storm ready to go.”
“What about everyone else?”
“We’ll take care of it later DK!” Gasper yelled. The hanger was in view of them now.
“Gasp, do you know anywhere we can go once we hit space?” Icy said, keeping his pace.
“The station on Pluto was destroyed. All I can tell you is that once we get out of the Earth’s gravity well, we jump for Alpha Prime in the Straggis Nebula. It’s about the only place I know that will work.”
“We can meet up there and plan from that station?”
”I didn’t say anything about a station. It’s a habitable planet that’ll support life.
You put down there, and we’ll have to stay put till we come up with something. Hold up.” Gasper stopped, along with Brian. Pulling out a small crystal, he handed it to Icy. “Make sure NO ONE gets their hands on this. If I’m right, this is one of the only things that could revive the earth.”
“Right. You’ve got the other piece.”
“Yes.” They were off again.
“Move the armada to Mars.” Repike said, striding into the massive
bridge of his flagship. “Fire control, anything that comes off that
planet, track and report to me.”
“As you wish your lordship.” Both the helmsman and the tactical officer replied. Already he could feel his summoned master come forth the Earth’s atmosphere. Tiamat, the spirit that had imparted it’s own force upon Repike, was close to finishing what the man had wanted for years. The vortex continued swirling, and already the four-headed dragon could be seen, though faintly at first. Red Mist was by his side, and Boomerang to his left. The Apprentice was dishonored, with little merit left to keep him alive, save that he was the only other general that had a chance of decimating Earth’s warriors.
“How glorious is our master, is he not my dear Mist?”
“Quite milord.” She replied.
Gasper ran up the ramp that went into his ship, followed by Zeal, JWolf and
Nanaki. Flying through the corridors to the cockpit, he almost ran into to
DK.
“Preflight done?” He said, dropping into the captain’s chair. DK slapped some buttons above Gasper and nodded.
“Close, repulsors are still in need of repair.”
“We’ll do that later. Brian, you hear me?”
“Yeah,” said the speaker in the cockpit. “Saul, Leah, Minmei and Taran are with me. Sam retrieved the some Materia for your squad and just got on your ship. We should have everyone. Alpha in Straggis?”
“Yeah. I’ll take point. Stay behind and we’ll cover your way out.”
“Roger One.” Brian replied, letting the leadership fall on the Dragoon unknowingly. Better to lead in one’s on environment, Icy would admit that his handling of space combat was far from perfect. Gasper knew what to do and when to do it. Saul chuckled at the ploy by their leader.
“This probably isn’t the time to be doing that.”
“When is a good time? I always did prefer live fire scenarios. Strap in everyone.”
Back on the Stormrunner, Gasper was busy barking orders to the group. “Nanaki, monitor all communications in the back. Wolf and Zeal in the turrets. DK, co-pilot’s chair, now! LET’S MOVE PEOPLE!” Flipping a switch, he transmitted to his leader. “Frostbite, you ready to move?”
“Ready to roll.” Taran replied. DK was sitting next to him now, checking instruments as Gasper lifted his vessel into the air. Floating on its repulsors-lift cushions, Brian’s ship followed suit, tailing the other ship out of the massive hanger area. The two ships glided slowly until hitting open air, then, with a pull of the throttle Gasper kicked the sub-light engines into gear and blasted away into the stratosphere, Frostbite following suit.