POV Rio
After agreeing to the deal, I was led out of the room where Loona and Quiet were looking at me with worry. I explain the situation to them, and they are appalled by the idea. Or at least I think they were acting, as I couldn't blatantly tell them I could escape whenever I wanted. Well, Loona might not actually realise I can escape, but I was decently sure Quiet knew I could.
'Okay, maybe this is a bad idea.'
I didn't get much time to second-guess my plan as I was led to the box. If, and I didn't think this was the case, it backfired, or they didn't keep their word, I could load a save and try things a different way. I had plenty of options to deal with this enemy. The main reason I chose this option was that it would lead to the least losses on our side.
When I reached the box, I saw most of my friends. They looked confused and a bit alarmed by my presence. Before I could say anything, Theodora explained what was going to happen. They were shocked by what she said, but most looked to me for confirmation, and I nodded.
"Damn it, Rio, leave us behind for once in yer godamn life!" Cait complains quite audibly.
"Sorry, I can't do that," I reply.
"Yer a damn fool," Cait says before she looks away.
"Sorry, General," Preston says.
"You're fine," I reply.
"If you are done saying goodbye its time to go," the colonel says while gesturing to the box.
"We are in no rush, Colonel Winter. The least we can do is let them say their goodbyes," Theodora responds.
I give a slight nod to Theodora in thanks, and I say goodbye to the others. Most are very unhappy about this entire situation, but know that nothing can be done at this point. Once I am done, I walk to the edge of the box.
I can feel a heavy tension in the air as everyone seems nervous about what will happen next. I look to my friends and give them a nod with a smile, then I look to Quiet and give a small two-finger salute. Then I spread my arms out and make a leap of faith. The air rushes past me as I reach the bottom of the cell fairly quickly. I spread my wings out and reduce my speed before landing. I look up to see the massive metal gates they made for this box close.
CLUNK HISSSSSS
As the door shuts, an airtight seal is formed, and then I see our enemy dump massive amounts of concrete over the door. I had to admit this box was really well designed. The inside was completely empty as they seemed to have realized I don't need food or water. As for sleep, the ground can be used for that. Though there wasn't anything to keep me entertained, so they likely didn't care if I went mad. Not that I was that upset about that. I had everything I could need in my inventory.
'Well, I guess I can try some things to see what they prepared for.'
I tested a few of my abilities. The first was incorporeality. It failed. Not the ability, but I couldn't phase through any of the walls. It also meant I couldn't slip through any gaps via my shadow or water forms. The metal was made of heat reistant material mixed with what I believed was silver and perhaps some rare metals. The silver had an unfortunate side effect of messing with most forms of magic. So, teleportation was not usable. Shadow Step wasn't useful either, as its max range is 30 meters, and the top of this cage is being filled with more than enough materials to out-range me.
'I might be able to break through with brute force, but that would defeat the purpose of agreeing to this.'
I also doubted I could do that with just my Hulk Form. I might be able to technically escape this prison by traveling through the Dream Realm, but that wouldn't help my physical body, just my spirit. I could summon a Tsunami and/or Blizzard, but that doesn't really help; if anything, it would make things worse. I couldn't build or scrap anything, as I didn't own the land here. I tried Slick Escape, but it just moved me a distance away and created a puff of smoke. Most other abilities could theoretically work, but would be too noticeable or loud.
'This metal is too heat-resistant for a Lightsaber to be that effective.'
I could cut through it. Without a doubt, but the issue is that it's 10 meters thick with solid stone on the other side. Which means I wouldn't be cutting the metal, I would be melting it. Which would take an insane amount of time. And possibly be noticeable depending on the type of sensors they have installed near the box. I knew for a fact that they wouldn't just lock me in here and call it a day. No, they would monitor me. Make sure I didn't disappear. They didn't install anything inside the cell, but there were several devices I can think of that could give an idea as to what was happening inside, despite not seeing inside visually.
As for why, I was certain I could escape whenever I wanted. The answer was incredibly simple. I can turn into anything as long as I know about the being. While I don't get all the powers, I just have to use the daily transformation a few times, and eventually, I will get lucky and get the needed powers. If I wanted to just break out, then I could turn into a Viltrumite or Superman and blast my way out. Or if I want to escape silently, then I just need a form that has non-magical intangibility. Or one with non-magical teleportation. Or one that can burrow through the metal and stone the box is made of. With enough time, there is practically nothing that can contain me.
'I hope the others know I'm not in danger.'
POV Quiet
The trip home was... silent. Only broken up by the sounds of the helicopter and the constant tapping of Loona's claws. She was back in her normal form rather than her human disguise and seemed to be very unhappy. She tried to look unbothered, but the constant tapping of her foot against the floor made it clear she was anxious. Not to say I was much better. I felt... useless. Like a failure. We were caught completely unaware. Now, Rio was trapped in a dark pit with no escape. I know Rio is strong and full of surprises, which is the only reason I wasn't in a complete panic. I had to have faith that Rio had a plan. What that plan was, I had no idea. But I figured when he got out, we would need to know where this enemy came from.
"Grrrrr, how can you be so composed?!" Loona says while glaring at me.
"I choose to have faith in Rio. He must have a plan," I say calmly.
"Bullsh*t! We just got f*cked in the ass by this secret organization, and Rio sacrificed himself! And for what?! It's not like we would die! The f*cking bastard! Always looking out for those around him! Why can't he be selfish for once in his godamn life? It's not that hard," Loona complains.
"That's just how Rio is. He will never leave a friend behind. Is it dumb at times? Yes. But that's what makes him a good friend. If that means he makes bad decisions as a leader sometimes, then that is unfortunate. But I won't have you insulting him. Rio's a good man, and I have the faith he has a plan," I reply with a frown.
"I... I'm not insulting him. Sigh. I'm just angry... That I couldn't do anything but sit there and watch. As for a plan? How can you be certain? That prison is way too tough even for me, and that isn't even including the leverage the Alliance has over Rio," Loona responds.
"How would you?" I start to ask, but then I realize something.
"My disguise is just that, a disguise. I still have all my other abilities and senses. I could hear their whole conversation. They knew a lot about Rio. And I mean A LOT. Even his biggest power. Not to mention, don't you find it odd that they are keeping Rio in that box for a month before releasing anyone? That chick who leads them isn't some government stooge. She's dangerous. She probably has contingency plans for her contingency plans," Loona says with an almost worried tone.
"I won't say that I know what Rio has planned. Nor that I know everything he can do. But what I can say is that he is full of strange and powerful abilities. He is also not one to go into something without a plan. We have to have faith that he knows what he is doing," I reply.
"Sigh. Fine, I guess I can have faith. He better not screw this up, as I will mock him about it for centuries to come. So what do I need to do?" Loona asks with a smirk.
"We need to figure out where they came from, how many they have, where the nukes are, or if they have them at all, and how to counter them. When Rio gets out, we'll need targets. But we can't do anything that would breach the truce, as we need the prep time. They know so much about us, but we know next to nothing about them," I reply.
"Sounds like the perfect job for me. Hellhounds can track anyone by the scent of their soul. And with the lack of magical knowledge, they will have no idea how to counter it. Hmm, but it won't work on the Grand Admiral. She was just a machine puppet or something. No soul to track," Loona offers.
"Why didn't you mention this ability before?" I ask.
"Nobody asked. I'm pretty sure Rio's books mention that ability. Not my fault, you guys didn't ask for help. Though it wouldn't have been much help, as I need to smell the soul first, and that usually requires me to be within a certain range to get a hold of the scent. But I got that a**hole with the fancy suits scent memorized," Loona says with a toothy grin.
"And do you need a trail? Does flight mess with it?" I ask.
"Nope. It's not a trail as much as it is a beacon of sorts. If I focus, I can tell which direction he is in. My nose will at least help us get around any obstacles that might interfere with pursuing them. If they are underground, then I would be led to the elevator or tunnel that leads underground. Being in space might make things a bit odd, as I can't fly. But I should be able to know the general location of them. I guess a flying airship could bring similar issues, but we got those spaceships to deal with that," Loona responds.
"Then I'll be counting on you," I reply.
"No problem, just let me tear that b*tch to pieces," Loona says with a feral grin.
"Once Rio is free and if we get the chance, then sure," I reply.
With the agreement made, we start making plans as to what to do and how to go about it. I also let Guto and the others know about what happened and what we needed to do next.