A day passes in the forest facility, fraught with the stench of death and fire as Ray and Bebe dispose of the numerous bodies. Apparently anyone Zoë didn't kill had run away through a secret exit under the building. They wouldn't say where it is, though. I suppose it's not that big a deal. Though it is a tad annoying when the lingering smoke distracts me during my practice sparring with Marc.
As the sun peaks in the lavender sky the morning after, I gather everyone together. "The base Travis went to is a ways east from Minoaoa Village. I double-checked last night," I tell them.
"We should leave this place soon," Rurin says. "The other AEs or Qinn himself might get suspicious."
"Don't worry about that," Bebe states. "You just keep doing whatever. Leave the backlining to us."
"But if he finds out…"
Ray nonchalantly shrugs. "He won't care as long as we don't do anything that sets off our flare sigils."
Marc's eyes widen. "You have–?! Why would you risk your necks like this?"
"Really, it's not as bad as you think," Ray replies. "We know our limits, what lines not to cross. You'd be surprised at how much we can get away with. Especially as AEs, heh heh."
"We'll use our cruiser up on the roof," Bebe says. "At the very least, the mooks won't suspect anything. And by the time they realize what hit 'em, it'll be too late."
"That reminds me, we should get the firemen in on this too," I say, tapping on my gauntlet. "I'll call 'em up."
"You know firemen?" Ray sounds surprised.
"Aquanauts too." My comm beeps. "Hal! You there? We could use your help."
"What am I, chopped liver?" Jetta sounds annoyed.
"Did you know we're still technically out on a mission? Mathis just called us for an update," Hal replies.
"Really? They don't suspect you at all?" I wonder.
"Why would they?" Jetta sounds smug. "We're still at A-Tech where we're supposed to be, after all. Investigating, retrieving, cleaning up. Most missions like this can take upwards of a month, so we're good on time too."
"Speaking of A-Tech, Mathis was miffed about something that happened with Pex," Hal adds.
I feel a chill run down my back. "They… caught her?"
"Yeah. Mathis vented to me about it during our chat. Apparently this is the first time the integration has failed on any biotool."
"Th-that's a good thing for us, right?"
"Maybe? He was making a big deal of it, so probably. The procedure was stable and everything, and they even tested it on a comrade to make sure it worked right. Poor old Faris. He was going to integrate White Knight too, but the bossman himself stepped in and personally vetoed the proposal. An unprecedented move, if you ask me. And frankly, it smells of favoritism on the boss's part. So Pex ended up getting reassigned to… Torblan, right? Same as White Knight and that other aeronaut. I guess she's their problem now."
"Weird," I mutter. "But if it failed, that means she's okay, right?"
"Probably? I dunno. Whoops, Master Lee is calling us. Send us the coordinates later," Hal says, then disconnects.
I cross my arms. If they got Pex, that means they got the protoforms… does that mean they're in Metacorp? Or maybe somewhere else? At the very least, it doesn't seem like those creatures are in any danger.
"Hey Kit. Wanna use me as a battering ram?" Vernicia raises her hand.
I blink once. "What?"
"We did some experimenting earlier," Rurin clarifies. "Turns out Angie was right about Verni's durability."
"You could use me as a shield. Or a cannonball! Or you could like, stoop and then drop me into something at top speed," Verni excitedly suggests. "Hee hee, a world of possibilities awaits!"
"You won't feel a thing?" I twirl a ponytail. "Seems unwieldy, though."
"But fun!"
"Um…?"
"Alright, enough dillying." Bebe stands up. "Anyone who's coming, head to our cruiser."
"Oh. Right now?"
"An AE cruiser just left the place," she replies, pointing at her tablet. "If we move now, that's fewer powerhouses you'll be dealing with."
"Aw. No time to do my training with Marc," I mutter. "Whatever. Let's do this, guys."
My comrades and I follow the Gunn twins to the roof, where their cruiser is waiting.
Marc slowly exhales. "How can they be so cool about this? I'm quaking in my boots," he mutters. "And I'm the one with the armor, too… I feel pathetic."
Zoë looks at him. "We're all broken in different ways."
"Huh?"
"Um… the best thing to do is look your fear in the eye," Zoë says, placing a hand on his shoulder. Is that the right one?
Marc stifles a laugh, suddenly feeling much better. "Thanks, Mom."
"Yes." Zoë stoically pumps a fist. "I mean, morale is important in times like these."
Marc nods, a confident grin on his face. "Darn straight. Let's crack this joint wide open."
The cruiser flies over the forest, with me and my aeronaut comrades up front with the Gunn twins. After a short while, we slow to a stop over a city surrounded by forest on all sides. I stare down at it. "Hey, do people live there?" I ask.
"Yep. Case in point, us," Ray replies.
"You?" I look back at the city. "The trees are so tall and dense, and I don't see any roads."
"The national rail, yeah?" Vernicia joins me at the window. "That's Soanbry. We passed through there on the way to Minoaoa Village."
"Huh, really?" Honestly, I only remember the trees blocking everything.
"We're gonna drop in if you'd like to join," Bebe says, opening the side door. "Just some quick errands." They aren't seriously going to jump out from this height, are they? Or maybe they'll be fine 'cause they're mages? They don't seem worried, at least.
Ping, ping! Something on the interface suddenly goes off.
"Whoops, too late." She slides the door shut. "Ray, ID."
The cruiser starts accelerating again. "Torblan cruiser, new gen. Probs another AE," Ray reports. "We'll have to make our pickups later."
I don't see anything suspicious in the sky, or in the trees near that city down below. Not that I really know what I'm looking for. If it's a cruiser, I could spot it from—
We suddenly slow back to a stop. A large-ish aircraft has appeared in front of ours. Honestly, I'm a bit annoyed with myself. Of course cloaking is a thing!
Our cruiser's intercom activates. "Open up, Gunn twins," a vaguely familiar voice says. "You've been acting suspicious lately."
"Hi, Benson Burns," Ray says. The other armored exec from Metacorp? "I know you never trusted us, so nothing new here. Just make it quick."
"This isn't about trust, it's about the truth," Benson replies as his cruiser draws closer. "I want to know why Qinn's been tracking the whereabouts of our deployed firemen."
"What makes you think he'd tell us?" Bebe shrugs.
I thought that was reasonable, but Benson still sounds doubtful. "We also received word that another aeronaut died by your earthmovers' hand," he continues.
"Elaborate," Ray says after a second's pause.
"Don't play dumb with me!" Benson's anger flares. "Their Minoaoa mission ended with an explosive discharge of magic energy, which Atticus confirmed was the result of an aeronaut getting killed!"
I look at Rurin in mild confusion, but he crosses his arms, appearing to think about something.
"Is that so? The offending earthmovers failed to report this to us," Ray cooly replies. "Rest assured; we'll launch a proper investigation once we return to HQ. And just for you, we'll make it top-priority."
"Hmph. Told you they wouldn't budge," a new voice cuts in. I recognize this one instantly – Crano Mathis. "Now, shall we do this my way?"
"Mathis…" Benson sounds like he wants to object, but ultimately remains silent.
"Between the numerous false alarms and your curiously high number of unscheduled departures and unreported destination changes, I have reason to believe you've been hiding the biometal sample from us," Crano states. "Additionally, the last reported location of the sample was in the hands of an escaped aeronaut. Perhaps you know where they are as well, hmm?"
"Just like you to raise such conjecture out of the blue," Bebe sighs. "Yes, we've been eyeing the sample's potential whereabouts based on the false alarm readings. The Delta's sensors are so sensitive, after all. It could very easily have been trackable traces. But not even we're dumb enough to try and hide an aeronaut from the top brass."
"And yet, has my "conjecture" ever been completely wrong?" Crano presses. "It's just a matter of putting the right pieces together, after all. So, Gunns… will you call my bluff, or shall I call yours?"
Rurin snaps his fingers. "I exploded, but didn't die. Roy died, but didn't explode," he tells us. "And of course they never found Roy, heh. You know what this means? They've been grasping at straws just as much as we have, searching through just as many haystacks!"
"Difference is, they've got the resources to find their needles eventually," Vernicia wryly says. "Even so, the fact that they don't even know we're on the cruiser is telling…"
"At a loss, Gunn twins? I promise our interrogation won't take long," Crano says. "Then you can die in shame."
"Yeah, I think we've heard enough," I decide, sliding open the side door. Then I jump out, my comrades following close behind.
"Hey, Mathis and Burns," Ray suddenly says.
"What now? You're making this more difficult than it needs to be," Benson growls. Neither of them notice the five small figures drop into the trees below.
"You're the only ones who are suspicious of us, yeah?"
"Don't you dare try anything funny! You know the consequences of AE infighting," Benson angrily warns.
"Oh, we would never," Bebe replies.
Now both of them are glowering, fully focused on the twins. "What are you playing at now, you effierms?" Crano seethes. "One wrong move, one wrong word, and your days of toeing the line are over!"
"It's just…" Ray clears his throat. "We left our armor at home. It wouldn't be fair."
"Toying with us, even now?!" Crano slams something.
"However! You haven't denied any of our claims," Benson declares. A second later, his cruiser's cannons activate. "Ray Gunn and Bebe Gunn, you stand accused of insubordination and treachery. As Armored Executors, we reserve the right to exercise lethal force if you do not subject yourself to a THOROUGH investigation."
"Invoking our true role over something so trivial? Boring." Bebe flashes a thumbs-down.
"I can and will kill you on the spot," Benson spits. "You've been skulking about under the radar for long enough! I'll get the truth from you, even if it means prying it from your charred corpses." His grip tightens on the cannons' control stick, taking careful aim.
"And that's a wrap," Ray says, leaning back. "Rip 'em a new one, gang."
"Wha–?!" Benson quickly looks around.
Crano realizes it first– "Above!"
SHABOOM!
When the smoke clears, all five of us are standing in the enemy cruiser's somewhat spacious cabin, a smoking hole in the roof. Crano and Benson stumble in, confusedly assessing the situation. The moment they lay eyes on us, though, their gazes shift back to anger.
"I knew it." Benson's weapon appears in his hand – a long, silver staff with a ring floating around its jewelled head. "How long have you been in cahoots with them?"
"Um, a couple days?" I shrug. "I guess this means they're good for it, though."
"Drivel," Mathis retorts, summoning his familiar crescent-bladed polearm. "You blannips all take us for fools, is that it? Don't forget, you're a result of the combined efforts of four organizations. We made you!"
"Says the folks who don't even know how we work," I shoot back. "Like sure, you designed us or whatever, but you're clueless when it comes down to our… our, um…"
"Intricacies," Diantha suggests.
"Yeah, that sounds right," I nod. Then I raise my vibroblades. "Actually, can we just beat you guys up? I was never very good at this pre-battle banter."
Crano rolls his eyes, then his hand flashes.
I remember this spell of his! I quickly jump as the icy trap shoots up from the floor, but the rest of my comrades aren't so fortunate.
Then Benson raises his staff, and its head glows red–
I quickly dive down to him, raising my gauntlets defensively as a red-hot beam of burning energy shoots out, but I manage to stop it from hitting my comrades.
"What – a barrier?!" Benson jumps back as I swipe at him with my vibroblades.
"Did I not mention this earlier?" Mathis raises a barrier of his own as Rurin charges at him with a flaming tackle. "Oof! Instinctive spellcasting. Perhaps due to their chimeric properties–" Crano blasts Ru and I back with a burst of icy wind– "They're better at it than was initially projected."
"Tch! Another Nikos situation," Benson mutters.
"Not quite." Before Ru and I can free our comrades, a wall of ice separates us, then a fireball blasts through it, forcing us to back off. I can see that Angelina's frostbind is on the verge of breaking, though.
"I see," Benson nods. "This is 2v5, and they're still novices. We can nip this in the bud."
"A pity, but still within our terms with White Knight," Crano agrees, raising both hands as his weapon disappears. Then his forearms begin to glow.
"He's trying something," I yell, dashing forward. But before I can do anything else–
SHEEEN! A wave of biting-cold energy freezes me solid. But I'm not actually frozen in ice… just unable to move, and really cold.
Gah, no… I'm gonna lose to this man, again! Dammit! I try to struggle, but my muscles
don't respond. It's like I'm paralyzed, but with ice instead of nerbo.
Crano's arms are still glowing. "What a pain," he grumbles. "Is the Gunn cruiser still there?"
"Looks like the aeronauts were their trump card. They haven't moved," Benson replies. "Looks like they underestimated an Armored Executor's capabilities."
"As if they'd know, ignoring the armor the way they do," Crano sneers, turning away from us. "Now, then…"
At this moment, Rurin shifts. He isn't paralyzed!
He quickly takes a stance, and his feet start glowing blazing orange. Then, FWOOSH! He disappears out of the still-smoking hole above.
"Hm?!" The two AEs spin around.
"Tch! Seems like that one progressed the most," Benson observes as Ru descends into the trees below.
"Hmm… Burns, hang on." Crano appears to be thinking hard. "Did that aeronaut… not have wings? Or was I seeing things?"
"Were you seeing things? I highly doubt an aeronaut can survive if it loses a major limb," Benson replies, checking an interface. "The magic inside them is as integral as their blood, you know."
"Yes, yes," Crano mutters, still staring at where Rurin descended. "One heart for blood, one heart for magic energy… I proposed we give them tails too, but apparently they tried that already with one of the protonauts."
Benson raises an eyebrow. "What do you know about the protonauts?"
"I pick stuff up here and there." He says this casually, but there's a weird weight behind those words.
Benson's about to ask something else, but stops when he notices something on the interface. "Hmm? The Gunn cruiser," he mutters.
"What about it?" Crano starts moving the remaining four of us towards the back with his still-active spell.
"I'm picking up a surge of magic energy from it," he says.
"I guess they are dumb enough to attack us," Crano shrugs. "Or maybe if they're smart, they're preparing to warp away."
"Either way, they'll have–"
BWOMMM!
I'd recognize that noise anywhere! Sure enough, Marc's hyper beam tears through Benson's cruiser, causing a massive explosion and freeing us from Crano's icy paralysis.
As the aircraft falls apart, the two AEs jump out and approach us, Benson riding a fiery whirlwind and Crano hopping on tall, thin pillars of ice that form under his feet and shatter just as quickly.
We have the advantage in the air, though. So I confidently dive towards Crano, vibroblades flashing.
He stops my first strike and counters, forcing me to dodge. "That attack was void magic. And neither of the Gunn twins are cosmokinetic," he says. "Who else is with you?"
Aha! They didn't see him! "Sucks to suck," I taunt, firing off a crosswave slash at his ice stilts. They immediately break apart as Crano jumps and lands on new ones.
"Fine. We'll be commandeering that cruiser anyway," he sneers.
KABANG! Angie's chargebolt rifle blasts Crano away, but he quickly recovers, looking more annoyed than injured. Then she flies up to me. "Long range falloff, fifty meters," she mutters, charging up another shot.
"Nice supporting fire. It looks like he can't cast his trappy spells while he's up high," I tell her, "so it's now or never."
"Right." KABANG!
Crano is ready this time, his barrier deflecting the bolt into the trees below. Then he swings his polearm, launching a wave of frozen blades at us.
I zoom upwards, and Angie dives down. With a quick scan, I see Diantha and Vernicia keeping Benson busy closer to the Gunns' cruiser. And Rurin is… on top of the cruiser, hiding next to Marc.
As another ice blade shoots past me, I notice that Crano's stilt things have hit their height limit.
"Here we go," I snicker, flying higher. Then Angie, likely noticing what I'm doing, starts distracting him with renewed attacks. It seems like his armor can't tank too many hits from a chargebolt rifle, because now he's exclusively using his barrier to repel her attacks. Which means he won't notice my stoop until it's too late—!
WHAM! My kick shatters his barrier and launches him into the trees, sending up a puff of smoke and leaves as he smashes through the canopy.
"Ohh!" Angie applauds.
"I doubt it killed him, but he'll be feeling it for ages to come," I grin.
"Even earthmovers, he's way tougher," Angie remarks.
"Right? I honestly don't think he even needs the armor," I shrug.
Meanwhile, Benson has been holding Verni and Dia at staff's length, wearing them down while conserving his own energy.
When he sees Crano get launched into the forest, he suddenly backs off from the duo. "I don't have time for this," he grumbles, receding into his burning whirlwind. "Reports, damages, new players, firemen… Mathis, let's warp back."
Crano grumbles something through the comm. "You should've known it would drain your energy," Benson chides, then Crano says something else. "True… we'll just make a note of that for now."
Dia and Verni try to strike at him, but his whirlwind is now as tough as a barrier, repelling their assault.
"Fine. Heh, for once you'll owe me," Benson says, ignoring them. Then he descends into the trees where Crano had fallen.
"Grrr! The nerve of that man!" Diantha shakes in anger. "Was he toying with us the whole time?!"
"We still can't take 'em on, huh," Vernicia muses, sheathing her swords. "Maybe we should've gotten Marc in on the action after all."
"I got in a solid strike on Crano, so I'm good," I say as we regroup.
"Weakened a bit, I think he was," Angelina figures. "The cold snap."
"Good thing Marc clutched it out, yeah?" We land on the cruiser next to him and Rurin.
"I need an attack that won't knock me out after," Marc mutters.
"No, keep it, you'll be fine," I tell him. "It can be like a trump card or something."
"Meh… maybe the same thing but weaker?" He flexes his fingers. "It's pretty hard for me to control my power right now. And with no time to practice…"
"Hey, you know what they say about… experience." I struggle to recall the quote I heard somewhere, and come up blank. "Well, anyway. Don't stress too much. We're almost there, after all."