|
Community Links |
Members List |
Search Forums |
Advanced Search |
Go to Page... |
|
Thread Tools |
02-26-2014, 10:18 AM | #21 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 327
|
Incursion Thirteen: Undercovered. The bleached white, bone mask burst through the library’s front door and out onto the concourse. Brad and Ken Chased after, staying hot on it’s tail as it tore across campus. The mask flit here and there; close but just out of arm’s reach, or way above their heads, past windows and over roof tops. Yet still the mask stayed in sight. If ever there was a monster that liked to taunt them, this mask was it. It flew straight out of the gates, hanging in the air for a moment, flashing it’s toothy grin, before taking off down the road at speeds such that the rangers couldn’t keep up. The others joined them from the opposite direction, panting and out of breath. “We lost ours too,” said Robert, clutching at his chest. “Where the hell did they come from?” gasped Brad. “You get one chance only to answer that.” Ken shook his head and smiled momentarily. “It’s bloody obvious.” “Well, sure,” Brad replied, “But why would the Black Water possess a couple of ancient masks. Just to lead us on a chase?” Maria sighed. “Why do they do anything they do…? Maybe there isn’t a point this time.” She’d not been keen to join the rangers in this fight, but her morals gave her no choice. “Besides antagonism and terrorism, you mean?” Allison pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed for Catherine. “Yeah. That,” Maria said, folding her arms. Allison told Catherine what she needed to know, and they took off in pursuit before they lost their lead. o0o The rangers tracked the two masks down to the Fort Lowsdale Natural History museum by pure chance. Catherine, upon getting the call from Allison, had set out on to generate her own leads on the matter. The masks were originally in a private collection. According to local shop owners, they’d found their way into the antiques market about two weeks ago. While the others were out canvassing the town for clues, she went to interrogate the private collector at his house in the north. He opened the door on the first knock. Catherine knew the CCTV cameras couldn’t have been just for show. “Who are you?” “I’m Lieutenant Moses, with the Agency.” What he didn’t know about the Agency’s inner politics seemed to work in her favour. This appeased him enough that he let her inside. She continued: “I’ve come to inquire about a pair of artifacts I believe are owned by you.” “The masks?” He gasped. A fever seemed to pass over him like the cold sweat on an addict’s brow. “You’ve found my masks?” He must have really liked his collection. “I’m sorry,” she said with a shake of her head. “That’s what I’ve come about.” “Oh, I see…” “When did you last see them?” “Ah well, that’s easy.” He pulled a cloth rag from his pocket and turned to polish the sculpture sitting not far behind him. “I struck a deal with the history museum… and the university, can’t forget them. I thought, you know what James? It’s such a shame no one can enjoy these these treasures you have. Well, the museum were over the moon to host my exhibit on the ancient peoples, you see. So I packed up my displays ready for the courier to come in the morning, and we loaded them into his van and… that’s last I saw of them. You’ll find them, won’t you?” “Of course we will, sir,” she replied. “It’s our job to protect the people of our great nation after all.” He frowned. “Protect? They’re just masks…” “Yes, uh, you see, we think you might be a target of a cat burglar. We’re not all about the Black Water,” she lied. The Black Water must have intercepted the courier in transit, that much was clear to her. Catherine made her leave as quickly as she could, not wanting the collector to get too suspicious of her motives. If he got too curious and decided to contact the Agency, the mission would be a bust, General Bryant would swoop in and that, as they say, would be that. o0o After relaying her findings to the others, she decided it would be best to pick up the trail at the museum after all. Surprisingly, it paid off. They found the masks at their rightfully intended places in the exhibit. A guard let them past the barriers to inspect the room, though he assured them no one had been in or out since the curator and the labourers were in to set up the displays. Robert shook his head. “Too easy…” he muttered. Maria spotted movement in the corner of the room and readied her morpher. They followed suit. “What was that?” whispered Brad. “Me.” The curator stepped out of the shadows between the two mannequin heads, upon which sat the masks. He lifted them up by the straps. “I assume you’re looking for these? Well, they’re in good… hands.” His skin turned black. His suit fell away as his body elongated. The masks merged with his hands, and grew eyes in place of the lack of them on his totally featureless face. “I guess they did get to the museum after all,” said Robert, shaking his head. The rangers formed a line and crossed their arms at their waists. “Cross Form!” In a multicoloured burst of magi power, their armour materialised. The mask monster jumped at them, spitting globs of black water from the toothy mouths of the bone white masks. The rangers rolled under the shots, blocking them from hitting the displays. If the Black Water could fuse the curator with an inanimate object that who’s to say it could do the same again with something else, or in fact bypass the need for a living element altogether. “Resonance advent!” Yellow Cross launched a pulse of supersonic sound at the monster. It sailed over the curators left shoulder and blew a chunk out of the wall. “Heh, whoops…” Red Cross clapped her on the back as he passed. “Hey, at least you didn’t get the masks.” With his fists clad in iron advent metal he laid into the mask monster, punching holes straight through his semi-liquid body. When that seemed to get him no where he switched out the metal of his Iron Advent for a far simpler, “Flame Advent!” The masks flew from the monster’s hands before the flames spread to them. Blue Cross tagged him out, and doused the monster in a Flood Advent before it could recover and reunite with its ‘hands’. The ichor peeled away from the curator’s unconscious body and leaped toward the masks circling overhead. Catherine dashed forward to get the man to safety. Without the curator as a guide, the monster reformed as a shapeless mass, the masks floating somewhere within. Occasionally one or both would surface to sneer at them before dipping back beneath the surface. The blue ranger lashed out in anger. “Storm advent!” He scored a direct hit with his lightning. Paralysed, the monster dropped limp to the floor. When the black water evaporated, and left behind the masks undamaged, White Cross sighed “You got lucky, Ken…” “Had to do something.” o0o The next morning, Robert got a call from the restaurant. Almost as soon as he picked it up, his face fell and he slipped off into the hall. The Powel siblings looked over from the couch. “What’s all that about?” said Ken. “How should I know...” Allison shrugged. She stood and went to the kitchen to wash her cereal bowl. Robert returned before the minute was up with, of all things, a smile on his face. Ken bit first. “So?” “So, I quit my job.” Allison appeared nearby with her hands on her hips. “Since when is that a good thing, Rob?” “I means I don’t have to bother with it anymore.” “You’re forgetting we’re undercover.” As if she couldn’t decide where was best for them, she crossed her arms over her chest then placed them back on her hips. “I’m totally not…” “If I know you like I think I do…” She sighed. “You just... Okay, you can’t be seen as a full time cross ranger. Guys our age have jobs and pay bills.” “And guys our age are sometimes fired and on the job market,” he countered. Ken had sidled over to the kitchen and dutifully buried himself in the wash-up his sister had left. “You don’t get it!” “How do you know I don’t get it?” “You’re so blase about everything,” she said with a stamp of her foot. “You know me by now Allison. You know this doesn’t mean I’m ignoring what matters most.” He placed the phone back in its cradle. “I’m a cross ranger first. My job is to protect people and save the world.” “You are going to search for a new job.” It wasn’t a question. “We can’t afford to be found out yet.” Robert shrugged. “Of course I’m going to get a job. Nothing to it… I didn’t like the restaurant anyway. I can cook, sure, but its so not for me.” She grunted in frustration and grabbed her coat from its peg by the door. “I’m going out for a bit.” “Oh, okay,” he replied with little interest. Allison rolled her eyes, and left, slamming the door behind her making Ken jump. He looked up to see if the coast was clear. “Is she gone?” “Yeah,” said Robert with chuckle. “You can come out of hiding now.” “I wish she wouldn’t get so serious about these things.” “It’s in her nature.” Ken grinned and shook his head. “Don’t worry, she doesn’t hate you.” “Could have fooled me.” Robert liked that she called him out on things. He liked a lot about her in fact, and her near constant anger at his apparently childish antics (according to her at least) didn’t detract from that. Her heart was in the right place even when she was being a bit of a bitch. A voice of reason and an idealist, that was Allison. Brad, the average young man. Ken, the stoic thinker. Catherine, the heart and the strategist. Maria, the warrior. Everyone else had their logic and strategy, while Robert felt he was more suited to action. And really, that’s what made the team work so well. Even when they found themselves at each other’s throats... He shook his head and joined Ken on the couch. “How long do you think it’ll take for the landlady to come find me?” “Why would Bryant keep her employed now?” Robert mused on this for a second. Ken had a point. With the Agency casting them out, they had no need of someone posing as their landlord. Unless... “To spy on us, perhaps?” “Maybe we should go check on that...” Ken said. o0o They rushed down the stairs to apartment one on the ground floor, and hesitated, before knocking. “What do you want?” came a voice from inside. Ken looked at Robert. He took the lead and spoke first. “We just want to talk.” The lock clunked over and a bedraggled face peered at them from the crack made when the door hit the limit on it’s security chain. The landlady’s eyes were bloodshot, her cheeks red, dark circles under her eyes. “We’ll make it quick,” said Robert. “Look, we know you’re with the Agency and all and you must have heard that-” “Was with them,” she slurred. She must have been drinking. Ken blinked. “I’m sorry, what?” “I doubt I need to tell you rangers but the general is cutting people loose. He’s replacing us all ith his sodding, so-called elite.” She unhooked the chain and opened the door further. “Don’t worry, I won’t chuck you out of the building. In fact, I want to get back at that arsehole, for ruining my career, as much as you lot do. So, practical upshot, I still don’t like you, but the enemy of my enemy and all that crap. Yeah?” Robert smiled, chuckling at an amusing image in his mind. “And here I thought you were going to shout at me for quitting my job.” “You quit? After what I did for you?” Rage built in her eyes. He held up his hand in surrender. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Truce, truce. I’m gonna to use the spare time to beat Bryant.” She shook her head, “I have a business to run now. All I care about is you three paying your rent. Do that and you can do whatever you damn well fancy. Goodnight.” She slammed the door in their faces. The chain lock jangled back into place, and the deadbolt clunked back over. The two shared a look. “So, Bryant is laying people off. Interesting…” Ken raised an eyebrow. “You thinking we could use that to our advantage?” said Robert. “You read my mind.” |
03-04-2014, 06:00 PM | #22 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 327
|
Bit longer than usual this time, but that's only because it's an important moment in the story...
Aaaaaand I feel bad for not posting this on Saturday like I was supposed to. Truth is I went away for the weekend and it totally slipped my mind. So here you go. Two whole days of newie newness. Starting with a double length Magi Short. Magi Short #3: Catherine's Story A six-year-old Catherine rubbed the tiredness from her eyes as she shuffled downstairs. She couldn’t sleep. A light was on in the study. “Daddy?” Her father was always working on something. He’d spend months away from home, and, when he finally did get back, he never seemed to have any time for her. He’d told her stories about it, fun stories involving really old wizards and monsters, good guys versus bad guys. She couldn't understand why he was always away working on things like that when her mother insisted wizards and monsters didn't exist. Catherine grabbed hold of the frame of the study door and blinked in the light of a single bright lamp. Her dad sat at the tall desk poring over something she couldn't see. “Dad?” she said once more. He put down what he was working on and turned to her, smiling. “What is it, darling? Can’t you sleep?” She sniffed and shook her head. “Oh, well,” he reached down and lifted her up onto his knee with a grunt of effort. “Phew, you’re getting big, aren’t you.” “Why aren’t you asleep, daddy?” “You see, your father has some important things to work on.” He pointed first to a scrap of old paper written in a strange language and then to a stone with pretty carvings on it. “Do you still remember the stories I told you? About the magi?” Catherine nodded. Her father continued: “This piece of paper is really old and it confirms daddy’s ideas about those stories. Except they’re not really stories any more, they’re real. The magi actually existed.” “Mummy says magic is just make believe.” He smiled. “Does she now? Well that’s because your mum hasn't seen what I have. A lot of people around the world think I’m telling lies, but that’s only because they find it hard to believe in things they can’t see.” “But the tooth fairy is real, and nobody sees her...” “Ah, but the tooth fairy leaves money under the pillows of good children like you, doesn’t she. That’s how we know she exists. In a similar way, the Magi have left daddy things too.” He picked up the carved stone and let Catherine hold it. “Be careful Katy, okay? That’s the only one of those in the world.” “W-what is it?” The stone was quite heavy, but Catherine was determined to keep hold of it. She didn’t want to disappoint her dad. “I told you once that the Magi got their special powers from a load of magical stones that the wisest of their leaders made for them. What you’re holding is one of those stones. We call them runes.” “If you and your friends have found the …” she frowned and turned the word over in her young mind, “rune then why don’t people believe you?” “I don’t know, sweetie. That’s one of the reasons why daddy has to go away for a little while longer.” “But… but you just got back…” she said with a whimper. “I know. I wish I could stay home with you, Katy, but it’s important for me to make those people believe. If I can prove that the Magi existed, then maybe I can find their descendents.” Catherine didn’t know what a descendent was but whatever it was she wanted them to stay hidden so her father could be around more. Why would he want the wizards to exist? Surely there would need to be bad guys for that to happen, right? That’s the way it was in cartoons. o0o Present day Catherine and Maria met at the apartment while the rangers were out dealing with a small infection of Black Water just outside of town. They’d gone over the plan to infiltrate Agency HQ a dozen times at least, and both agreed they needed more than just five Cross Rangers to pull this off. Catherine had never let up on her search for other new Magi. Only, she seemed to have hit a slump as of late. Perhaps then it was time to do things the old fashioned way. Time to put together a task force and tackle the problem like the trained military officers they were. Time to get some outside help. They stepped out of the apartment, went downstairs to flat one and knocked on the door. Only once Robert and Ken had confirmed the landlady was no longer working for the Agency did the plan really come together. She came to the door and stared them down. “Hello?” “We need to talk,” said Catherine. It pained her to ask for help from someone who’d once agreed to flat out spy on the rangers in hope of furthering her career, but she knew it had to be done. “I assume this is about a certain acquaintance we share.” Maria nodded, and folded her arms. “You’d be correct.” “You better come in then,” the landlady said. o0o The Past Catherine, now seventeen, sighed, stared once at the landline then sunk back into the sofa. Whatever happens, I’m not going to call him. I’m not. I don’t need his help. Why was it that whenever you actually needed their meddling, for once, your parents were no where to be seen? She expected as much from her father and his obsession, but her mother? She could have gone to her friends but they’d only laugh at her for thinking such uncool thoughts. It totally wasn’t normal for seventeen year old girls to be interested in joining the military, she knew that as well as the next person, but what if that was what she wanted? Catherine looked back at the phone, and yelled in frustration. Off went the television. She rolled trudged around the end of the sofa, picked up the phone and dialled her dad’s new number. It rang almost seven times before he picked up. “Hello?” “Dad. It’s me.” “Oh hi darling. Look I’m pretty busy right now, is this urgent?” “I didn’t know who else to talk to…” She heard him sigh. A great whump of papers flopping against a worktop told her she had his undivided attention.. “What is it, Katy?” “Remember when we were talking about what I wanted to do after high school.” “Yeah.” “Well I think I’ve decided.” She paused. It seemed impossible to gather enough courage to just come out and say it. “And…” “Whatever it is, you have my support. I know I’m not around much and I know you don’t exactly approve of my reasons why-” She scoffed. “Got that right.” “That’s enough, Catherine. Just listen for a moment.” “No one ever has anytime for me, though. Sometimes I want to be the one who everyone has to listen to!” “Think about what you’re doing here, Katy. Why call me while I’m working, ask for my advice, then complain when I give it to you?” “I don’t know, alright! Perhaps if you were around like a real dad, and not off chasing some weird old cult then-” “The Magi are not a cult. There are others in the world looking for them like I am.” “Sounds like a cult to me,” she mumbled. “Excuse me?” “You heard me.” “Okay, Catherine, maybe one day you’ll understand why I’m doing this, maybe one day someone in our family will turn out to be a magi as the science suggests is possible, but until then I need you to trust me. Understood?” “No.” “Don’t be so childish.” He snapped. “Now… What did you want to talk to me about?” “I... think I want to join the army...” For a while, silence reigned. Eventually her father spoke in measured tones. “How did you come to that conclusion?” “I know, I know. It’s a weird thing for a girl like me to be considering, isn’t it.” “Not at all. Plenty of women sign-up now days. It’s a profession like any other.” “What do you think I should do, daddy?” “I think that, now you’re seventeen, you’re big enough to make your own decisions. You know your mum and I will try and get you to see how dangerous such a job can be, but that’s only because we love you and want you to be safe. At the end of the day, it’s your life to live. I’d love it if you were as interested in my work as I am, but I know that’s not going to happen. All I can do is give you advice, provide you with the knowledge to make educated decisions. You have to be the one go for it.” “You know… That’s about the most honest reply I’ve gotten yet. Thanks, dad.” “Don’t worry about it.” “No, really, I mean it. I know I give you a hard time about your fairy tal- uh, research, but you’re still my daddy.” “I love you too, Katy.” o0o The Present Maria rushed back into the apartment and slapped a post-it note down in front of Catherine. “Looks like she came through for us after all.” Catherine scanned the note, then turned to Maria. “And her contact will definitely fly us up there?” “I trust her,” Maria said. “Good, well…” She bit her lip and went back to reading over the plan. “I sure hope this works.” “Eh, whether it does or not the main thing is we stood up to Bryant’s oppression, right?” “Yeah I suppose. I just can’t shake the thought that we’d both still be under his thumb if it wasn’t for Robert and the others.” The irony that it took Magi, people, as a teenager, she thought could never exist, wasn’t lost on her. Her dad, for all his quirks, had been right all along. She had come to understand why he spent all that time away from his family all those years ago. It was for the very same reason that her and Maria had ruined their careers and dropped their lives to fight for freedom with the Cross Rangers. There came a time in one’s life when all roads point to one conclusion, to one future, and if you didn’t seize such opportunities by the neck, then you’d forever be doubting yourself. Either they could sit back and let General Bryant run the country into the ground, or they could take back what’s theirs, and look to the future on their own terms. Catherine smiled to herself. You’d laugh if you were alive, dad. I’m fighting a real cultist this time. |
03-05-2014, 09:43 AM | #23 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 327
|
Incursion Fourteen: Genocidal. General Bryant slammed the door of his office. The base was getting too loud. Too much interior activity not enough exterior. Not enough defeating the damn Black Water. The Cross Rangers… the spanner in the works, the one reason he couldn’t focus solely on enforcing his quarantine. He coughed into a handkerchief and hacked up a wad of black ichor. The Cross Rangers insisted on petty squabbles and distractions, and wasting time he didn’t have. If the wall were to fall now no one would be prepared, but woe betide anyone who mentioned the wall to him. Bryant cleaned himself up and checked his new eye patch was in place. He took up his cane and pushed on towards the hanger. The troops would be waiting for him to give his verdict on the captured deserters. If he could have had his way, he’d execute them. How dare they forsake the cause and side with the betrayer, Captain Austin. Oh but he couldn’t have his way, could he. A decorated military general wasn’t allowed to kill people. Not anymore. His job, despite being trained in the art of death, along with countless others before and after him, was to keep peace, not disrupt it. General Bryant was too visible, but Black Cross was not... o0o The general arrived to reverent silence, just as he liked it. His elite guard—black body-suit wearing soldiers with their polished full visor helmets looking like something straight out of science fiction—stood in a one-deep line marking the boundary between the general and the riff-raff of the lower ranks. “We are at a crossroads, my friends. “Since the first fragments hit ground south of here, since the first mutant attacks on civilisation, we’ve been reacting. Refugees turn up on our doorstep. We build them temporary accommodation. One too many mutants break into the city. We build the quarantine wall. No more. From now on we’re done reacting. We will take more proactive, preventative steps in ending this conflict. This plague will not get the best of us. “But, ah, we have a problem. Don’t we?” A cheer went up in the assembled mass. “Yeah!” “The Cross Rangers. They purport to be heroes. They say they have the country’s best interests at heart. But what exactly are they doing? A few days ago they foiled an attack at a school. Commendable, yes, but insignificant. Before that, they attempted to defeat a giant mutant on a path toward the city… of course, we solved that problem for them. “They. Are. Amateurs. Picking away at the surface. Getting in our way.” He paced across the makeshift stage of hard-cases and paused to watched the soldiers before him. To him they represented this country’s last bastion of hope. “Ridiculous amateurs with ridiculous power. If they won’t stop using their abilities, then we will take it from them. I believe they’ll come for us. Their leader Lieutenant Catherine Moses, now she’s joined forces with Captain Maria Austin, has a vendetta against us. She believes we’ve kept her out of the loop, she believes we are keeping secret an arsenal she can use to effectively defeat Black Water. “They must not get in the way of real progress.” Before General Bryant could continue, the chug of helicopter blades sounded from beyond the open hangar doors. The privately registered helicopter, hovering just on the edge of the runway, twisted on its axis revealing its profile to those in hanger. Standing there in the open cabin doors were the morphed Cross Rangers and a combat ready Lt. Moses. The elite guard, the only permanently armed personnel on site, fanned out around the lower ranks. As they levelled their semi-automatics at the rangers, the general jumped forward to join them. He armed his morpher and pushed through the front lines. “See?” he called back to his troops. “I said they’d come for us, didn’t I. But are we ready for them?” A roar washed through the crowd. Bryant grinned, and turned back to the rangers. He raised his voice to be heard over the rotor blades. “What do you hope to accomplish, Moses? You’ve hardly picked a quiet spot to infiltrate the base, have you.” They leapt from the cabin doors and the helicopter peeled away in to the distance. Lt. Moses stood in front of the Cross Rangers. “I never wanted to infiltrate quietly, sir. Consider this a demonstration.” “A demonstration of your foolishness?” “No, a demonstration of yours.” She slipped a com unit onto her ear and settled the microphone into place, and called, “Now!” Almost half of the lower ranks turned on their fellow soldiers, pulling hand guns from their beneath their uniforms. More troops poured into the hanger; Maria’s squads freed by yet more dissenters within the general’s own ranks. The landlady had done more than get them a ride. “Cross Form!” Bryant growled, morphing into his black and white magi armour. “Guards. Seize the traitors.” The elite guard swung about face the troops, training their semi-automatics on those they’d once called colleagues. They may have been better equipped, with more experience and better training, but the lower ranks had numbers on their side. A standoff. “The thing is General, we’ve all seen what you’ve become the past month or so.” Lt Moses wagged her finger as she spoke. “Yet you refuse to admit to it.” “Why do you insist on destroying the effectiveness of the Agency you championed?” Yellow Cross stepped forward. “Betraying me or the soldiers beneath you is … nothing in the long run, but you’ve betrayed the people. How can you possibly enforce the quarantine if you’re running on a skeleton crew?” Black Cross sighed. “If you came here to fight. Let’s just do it.” It was hard to say who fired the first shot, but the elite opened fire not long after, cutting through men and woman loyal and rebel alike and the rangers leaped to their rescue. o0o The fire fight, along with the Rangers and Black Cross, soon spilled out into the hallways and the rest of the base. While the others dealt with Black Cross himself, Yellow Cross, now reunited with her squad mates, accompanied Catherine in fighting through great swaths of Black Cross’ men. They came upon the labs only to find them empty. “Damn it.” Catherine slammed her fist against the door. “He’s cleared it out.” They both knew what they had to do next, but neither wanted to be the one to order the soldiers under them into sure danger. Yellow Cross said it first, never one to mince words. “We’ll have to hit the armory.” o0o Somewhere along the line the rangers lost sight of Black Cross. They holed up, along with about ten or twelve regular soldiers who’d joined them from the other side, in a smaller secondary hanger. Red Cross activated his suits com line. “Maria, report.” A grumble came through first, followed by “The labs are empty. We’re going to hit the armory.” “We should regroup and hit it together. How far are you from my position?” “Too far no doubt.” “Have you even checked?” “I’ve got some good soldiers here, Robert. And it’s like you and Catherine are always telling me. In the field is no time to be arguing. My squad can hit the armoury in minutes flat. We’ll clear it out, rearm and contact you then.” “What if-“ She cut him off. “Yellow Cross out.” He turned to White Cross. “Maria and Catherine are going after the armoury without us.” “Bryant’s figured that out and is headed there already, I just know it!” “I tried, Allison, I tried.” Their next move passed unspoken between them, but before they could file out into the corridor, a single black-suited Elite soldier strode into the hanger, his boots thumping against the concrete floor. There he stood, silent, unmoving. “Well?” said Red Cross addressing the soldier. “Got anything witty to say?” The Elite unlocked the clasps on his helmet and lifted his visor. “There’s no one in that thing…” Blue Cross gasped. Beneath the Elite Guard soldier’s helmet was an empty space, pure pitch black. White Cross readied herself for a fight. “What the hell’s Bryant doing up here?” “Nothing good, I’d say” said Green Cross. The Elite guard strode forward. The soldiers ranked up in front of the rangers trained their handguns on the headless enemy, and opened fire. The bullets that struck home bit into the guard’s chest armour, knocking him back a step. He faltered only momentarily, before advancing once again. “Uh…” Blue Cross mind called back to the ranger’s last fight in the halls and hangers of Agency HQ. “Anyone remember those animated corpses we fought that first day?” Green Cross paused and made a sound not unlike dry-heaving disgust. “Animated co- you’re not saying that’s a zombie, are you?” The soldier’s let off another round in an attempt to pin the Elite guard down a while longer. “The last time we fought here, the uh, Black Water got in via some dead Agency troops... so …” Red Cross cringed beneath his helmet, and sucked air in through his teeth. “Let’s just go with zombies, shall we.” The guard crouched suddenly and sprung forward, bowling the soldiers over like pins. Shots fired wildly as they tried to get the situation under control. White Cross ducked and weaved through the melee and grabbed the ‘zombie’ by the neck. She twisted in an effort to pull him off his feet. The guard leaned the other direction and flipped White Cross onto her back. Red Cross and Blue Cross seized the guard by the arms. Green Cross gathered water around his fist and punched him in the gut. The Elite guard took the hit without flinching, spun and tossed the red and blue rangers into Green Cross like they were nothing. The three rangers tumbled across the room. “I hate this guy already,” said Red Cross, picking himself up. |
03-12-2014, 09:10 AM | #24 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 327
|
Incursion Fifteen: Genocidal Part 2. The four rangers regrouped. Their soldier comrades had since exhausted their ammunition reserves and took cover behind the hanger’s heavy machinery store. The Elite guard stopped suddenly and in one swift motion, reached up to his helmet and yanked it off. He discarded it like it was a burden. Black Water oozed from the stump of his neck. It coated his armour and hardened like a second skin. Green Cross shook his head. “That’s just wrong.” “It’s all wrong,” countered White Cross. Images of the refugee camps and the mutants paraded through her mind. “That’s why we have to win.” There was another question White Cross wanted answering though. If one of the elite guard was a Black Water construct, were they all? And what was General Byrant doing with enemy soldiers under his control. “All-advent, on my mark,” said Red Cross. The Elite continued to ooze pitch. More and more layers fell on the previous until a true monster stood before them, a huge immovable hulk of a creature, all torso, shoulders and arms and not a lot else. “Now! Before it gets moving!” “Flame Advent.” Red Cross threw out his hands and flame danced forward setting the Elite alight. “Torrent Advent.” Blue Cross summon a wave of water to knock the beast off its feet. “Landslide Advent.” Slamming his hands into the ground, Green Cross shook the piles of crates. All it took was one case to fall and the rest followed like an avalanche. Seeing this, White Cross called on the wind. “Tornado Advent.” Powerful gusts picked up the falling equipment. The Elite, pummelled from all sides by hundreds of flying objects ranging from small cases to entire pallets, found he had no way of escaping. “Again!” Red Cross ordered. The rangers pushed yet more energy in their attacks, this time training everything they had on the Elite. o0o Black Cross caught up with Lt. Moses’ squad at the armoury door and blocked their path. “You’re plan was truly transparent.” Yellow Cross put herself between him and the others. She felt within herself for a thread of her ancestral power and held on to it, not yet ready to let it fly. The tell-tale humming filled her mind. “And yet I got this far without an army on my side,” Catherine countered. “Doesn’t that prove how much you’ve hobbled this Agency? We were strong once. We could deal with any incursion thrown our way. Now look!” “It pains me to say, Lt. Moses, that it is you who are draining resources.” Black Cross stood his ground. “We don’t have the time, or money, to focus entire dev. teams on building stupid little toys for your team.” “Toys that could turn the tide against the enemy,” Yellow Cross scoffed. “And you,” Black Cross turned to the yellow ranger. “You’re far too eager to jump ship. I knew you’d be trouble from the moment you flew the first two in.” “You trained me well, sir,” she replied, sneering that last word. “I’m just following my instincts, taking things as they come, trying to wheedle out the winning strategy.” “Winning strat- listen to yourself!” “I’m sorry, general. There’s a far better way to beat the Black Water… and it’s not with the Agency.” Black Cross shook his head. “Then you and I will have to agree to disagree” He drew his shadow gun in a flash and unleashed a volley that blasted a ring around the Lt. Moses’ squad. The attack kicked dust and metal flakes into the air, shrouding all parties from sight. From the yellow ranger’s left came a strike to her abdomen. She crumpled but kept her head held high, waiting for any break in the veil, any momentary glimpse of the Black ranger that would allow her to hit back. One of the soldiers cried out, then another. A hand gun fired twice, one ricocheting off the ceiling, and the second hitting Yellow Cross in the shoulder in a shower of sparks. "Can’t you see?” Black Cross chuckled. "Don’t you understand? I want you to remember just how long I've been playing this game compared to you. Remember, I trained all of you." Yellow Cross gritted her teeth. She knew if she looked at her shoulder her armour would be torn, blood oozing from the gash. Looks like we have no protection against Bryant’s shadow bolts… She heard a whisper in her ear. “Keep him busy. He’s just getting lucky, trying to scare us.” She nodded and spoke once more. “What are you trying to prove, General? That you’re better than us? That we should fall in line because your ego says so?” “I see we’re going to have to go over this again.” Black Cross appeared in front of her all of a sudden and tackled her out of the magically-suspended shroud and into the open corridor beyond. He unclipped his helmet and threw it aside. “Come on then, come at me.” Yellow Cross grasped at the thread of power she’d dropped when the bullet bit into her skin. The low, powerful hum returned. “I’m sorry, sir. If someone has to put you down, I’d rather it be me… Resonance Advent!” A sonic wave launched from her in all directions, pummelling into Black Cross and knocking him to his knees, blowing away the shroud in the process. Lt. Moses stood by the armoury door, troops flanking her of both sides. Between them they carried two large, metal hard-cases. Yellow Cross laughed. She relaxed, the adrenalin flooding her system dispersed and the wound started to burn. “It’s over.” “How?” Black Cross stood, unsteady on his feet. “How is new gear going to help you out of a base packed full with soldiers loyal to me?” The yellow ranger shook her head. “Sir... This is the point where you’re supposed look behind you.” The rangers, fresh from their battle with the Black Water construct, stepped past the hobbled Black Cross and joined Lt. Moses. “To be completely honest, General,” the lieutenant said. “We’re not here to hurt you. We came for what’s ours and that’s it. “Our job is out there, protecting people who can’t protect themselves from creatures of the dark, from evil, from crazy mutant-alien diseases... That’s something I think, no, I know you live by.” She sighed. “The thing that’s pointless, sir, is your little vendetta against us.” “Little?” he growled. “You standing in the way of-” He close his eyes and took a deep breath, calming himself. “No, we’re done here. Go. Leave before I have you killed.” A dark, rolling cloud of shadow surrounded him and when it dispersed he was gone, along with his discarded helmet. “That was…” Red Cross started. “Easy?” finished Lt. Moses. “Yeah, but I kind of figured his mind wasn’t in it.” o0o Later that day, they sat around the kitchen island. Catherine unlocked and flipped open the two cases. Inside sat five weapons, each with their own colour scheme, First, a red and grey shafted spear with a large diamond-edge head. Runes of Magi origin ran along it’s length. Second, a set of swords, white for the most part with golden detailing. Third, a deep ocean blue blaster with jagged purple bolts along it’s length. The fourth were a pair of yellow and red tonfas, and, taking up the entirety of the second case, was the fifth, a large green hammer with with blue binding holding the head to the shaft. “So this is it, huh...” said Ken, picking up his blaster and weighing it in his hands. Allison scowled. “What do you mean it? We went through a lot to get these.” Maria winced when Robert finished tying off her bandages, then rolled her eyes. “I for one sure hope it’s worth it. You know, I don’t fancy getting shot at anymore.” “They are, trust me,” said Catherine. “My dad once said a magi’s power is limitless, but only when they have a way to focus that power. Got me thinking.” Robert took hold of his spear. The shaft was short, almost too short. He turned it over in his hand. “You saying we get more powers?” “Well, I can’t say for certain…” She shrugged. “but to be honest, I hope so. All I can do is follow dad’s theories as close as I can.” “We’ll know what to do when we need them…” said Allison. Ken placed the blaster gently back on the breakfast bar. “You sure?” “I can feel it, when I concentrate on my swords. A voice, it’s quite faint, but it’s telling me what to do.” Robert’s eye went wide. “Like when we first transformed and we knew just what to do and how to do it!” Catherine nodded. “Ancestral memory. Not too far fetch considering what we’ve been through.” Robert closed his eyes and focused. At first he felt nothing, no voices, no sudden knowledge like a fog had lifted from his brain. He tried harder, remembering exactly how he felt just before he first manifested. A feeling of duty, of justice. He grasped at that memory, held it tightly in his mind’s eye and knew what to do. He focused his power into the spear and shook it sharply downward once. The two ends of the spear shot away from him, the shaft doubling in length at least. Knowledge of his newest weapon wasn’t all he felt. “I think you’re right, Catherine. We will have more power. It’s there, waiting inside us somewhere.” |
03-19-2014, 07:01 AM | #25 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 327
|
Well, I have something a little different for you this week. Call it the mid-season break if you like, but you lovely lot are still getting some fiction to tide you over until the next "act" of Cross Ranger begins.
I was racking my brain trying to think of something awesome to do when I realized something. There are parts of the Fighting Spirit Saga that have yet to be touched, and others that need to be expanded on, and the mid-season break is the perfect time do that. So without a do being in any way furthered, here is Cross Ranger's "Episode Zero"* Five years ago The young woman dragged her fiance up the hill by the hand. “Come on, Walt. We’re going to miss it!” His foot sunk into a molehill causing him to stumble. He sighed and looked back at the car. “It’s cooold. Why ever would you want to stare at the sky for a few hours? What’s so important about a bunch of lights?” “It’s the actual Ziegler meteor shower,” she said, throwing his hand back at him. “It happens once every two centuries, and is getting more and more infrequent. It’s important.” “Its just a load of rocks, Jen. Why don’t we head into the city and catch that new film you said you wanted to see?” She stopped with her back toward him, and took in a hissing breath through her teeth. “I was trying to do something romantic. For once.” “Oh. Okay...” “Damn right, oh!” Jen looked up at the sky and shook her head. “What the hell is wrong with you?!” Walt threw his hands in the air. “Forget it, I’m going back to the car… This stargazing stuff just isn’t my thing, dude.” She looked at him aghast with eyes wide as he turned and trudged back down the hill. A shooting star sailed overhead, flaring a brilliant white in the Earth’s upper atmosphere. It didn’t matter what Walt wanted to do, she told herself, she wanted to watch the shower. Jen dashed the rest of the way to the crest of the hill. The longer she watched more and more meteors joined the procession of lights. Pfft. He wouldn’t recognise something amazing if it hit him in the face. He’s the one missing out here. Though she was acutely aware of a growing commotion behind her, Jen was so engrossed in the night’s sky she thought nothing of it. She heard footsteps on the ground behind her and smiled. Here it is. My apology. A man in a black t-shirt barrelled past her clutching a portable telescope. A second man carrying a tripod followed closely. “That’s not … what’s happening?!” the first screamed, nearly tumbling down the opposite slope. Jen frowned. “Wait... what?” She glanced over her shoulder. An overweight woman wearing thick lens glasses ran up to her, a pleading look in her eyes. Behind her was a trail of her belongings. “You have to run.” She saw Walt scrambling towards her. He’d left the car door wide open. A bright flash turned night into day. A split second later a thunderous explosion knocked them all off their feet. The last thing thing she remembered was Walt wrapping his arms around her and yelling, “I’m sorry. I do love-” She wanted to forgive him, she really did, but time had ran out. By the time the falling meteorite blew a chunk out of the hillside and tore a long, tapering scar across the land, Jen, Walt, and the three stargazers were no more. o0o A silver armoured ranger clad in flowing white robes stood at the edge of the crater. Below him smouldered the still white hot fragment of rock along with what remained of the poor unfortunate souls killed in its dramatic fall to Earth. He shook his head. “This world is not the one I expected.” His voice sounded jagged, broken and fuzzy, like a low quality audio recording. It almost seemed to have a polyphony to it. Though it pained him to look any longer, the ranger forced himself. He glazed over the eviscerated finger, the splinters of telescope, and the molten glass of a car windshield to peer deeper into the crater. “There.” His helmet HUD zoomed in on the rock, and more specifically the flow of black liquid that oozed from it. [You could help them now, if you had the balls. Change the future. Do it.] said a female voice over his helmets intercom “Too soon.” The ranger sighed. “This world will only be ready for me when the Spirit tries to take control.” He turned to walk back into the forest, back the way he came, but a ghastly wailing broke his stride. The bodies of the crash victims, red, raw, and fused together into one horrifying mass of flesh, pulled itself up over the lip of the crater and howled in pain. “I’m - wrong... car!” The ranger hung his head. “Sorry, s-sorry, ruuuun...” Each word, phrase and sentence fragment had a different tone to it, as though spoken by multiple separate people. [Now you want to help?] “Let me end your suffering.” The silver-armoured hero shrugged off his robes and crouched low. He leaped into the air, glowing much like a star, and rocketed straight through the mutant mass and out the other side. The monstrous form began to collapse in on itself. [You and I both know that’s not going to be enough to defeat it, sweetheart.] “No… you’re right…” Without hesitation, he reached up and pulled the glowing red jewel off the centre of his chest, with an audible shearing of exotic metal. A rainbow of light poured out from inside his suit. The voice on the other end of the comm line sighed. [This again? Are you really going to make me wait another decade or two...? I'm not the immortal here, I'm not getting any younger!] “I have to do this.” [So you said the last time you killed yourself… and the time before that. What you have to do is to find a way of ending your battles that doesn't involve suicide.] He stepped up to the screaming mutant, unafraid of what would surely happen next. He drove the jewel directly into the open wound with his clenched fist. The monster roared one final time. “What. Whaaat! Have to… I love y- y-.” The ranger shifted his gaze back to the fragment. “The rangers of this era will handle the evil.” He looked up at the mutant, and spoke as though talking to it directly. “Today I sacrifice myself for you, souls ripped too soon from the physical realm. This is not my time.” The energy in his suit built to overload, burning the two of them from the inside out. “One day, they will truly need my help. Then I shall return, don’t you worry. No one else will have to suffer the fate you have this night.” He bowed his head in respect for the lives lost, and in that moment, the fire ball blossomed to consume them both. o0o Three years ago Thankfully the messenger from his superiors left as quickly as he came. General Bryant grunted in frustration. He dropped his new orders into the waste paper basket beside his desk and took up his jacket and beret from the coat rack by the door. It had been two years ago, days after the initial mutant attacks, that he had first suggested the formation of an agency whose sole purpose would be to protect the populace and ensure the infection spread no further than that acursed forest. Two years on and the Black Water had wiped out no less than ten towns and villages in the south and had long since passed the forest boundaries, all because his superiors thought the combined might of the army and the pandemics squad would be enough. Had they listened perhaps the world would be 20,000 people stronger, he thought. Of course… of course they knew better. “...And only now they decide to agree,” he finished out loud. “Too little, too late!” His subordinates flinched away from him as he passed them in the corridor. They never had grown spines. Then again, they were no long his subordinates at all. They were General Hartford’s. Effective immediately, he was needed at some top secret mountain base just outside of Steele City. With apparently no time for an official hand over, Bryant hoped Hartford was less of the fool he’d been lead to believe all these years. As long as I get my pick of personnel I might be able to turn this whole mess around. ------------- Stay tuned in the next few days for more announcements and sneak peaks. I'm not done yet! ------------- *in true anime and manga style, chapter or episode zero always seems to come after the fact... don't ask me why.
Last edited by TheFightingSpirit; 03-19-2014 at 07:20 AM.. |
03-22-2014, 07:11 AM | #26 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 327
|
Time for the announcement I've been sitting on for quite a while.
Coming in only 10 Incursions' time, weighing in at over 7000 words it's... Magi Tribe: The Movie - "From Across The Ages." Sneak peek What am I missing here? Before Robert could do anything else, something tackled him from the direction of the oak tree. The shadow-clad figure tucked and rolled, then sprung into a sprint for the house. Out in the open and in full sunlight, there was certainly no mistaking it. A ranger. The ranger’s armour was black and nearly seamless with no additional colours or highlights. His belt was but a simple sash of black cloth and equally black leather pads sat upon his shoulders. The visor of his helmet was thin, utilitarian and tinted blood red. And sure enough upon his forehead was the darkness clan symbol. ------------------- Next week we return to the main story line. Here's a quick synopsis to keep you going: Incursion Sixteen: Sun Divers After their trying battle within the walls of Agency HQ, Robert and the team finally get some down time. Brad thinks they should make the most of it before things inevitably get worse. They decide to spend a day at the beach and miraculously Catherine agrees. Nevertheless, she doesn't join them in the sun straight away. Is there an ulterior motive here? |
03-26-2014, 09:24 AM | #27 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 327
|
Incursion Sixteen: Sun Divers. Robert stood at the very centre of the living room. Above his head he held his newly claimed spear. He didn’t know much about the art of making weapons, but he felt stronger holding it. He twirled it once, then twice, narrowly missing the lamp on the side table by the couch. Alison caught the shaft of spear as it swooshed through the air. “You probably shouldn’t be playing with that in doors.” “Oh lighten up, I’m just having a bit of fun.” He collapsed the spear down to almost half its length with a flick of his wrist and place it back in one of the metallic hard cases with the rest of the weapons; Alison’s swords, Ken’s blaster, and Brad’s hammer. The apartment door clicked open and in walked Catherine, a rare beaming smile brightening up her face. Maria followed her in. “Speaking of fun, I’m giving you the day off.” “Really?” Robert didn’t know what to think. Over in the kitchen, Ken chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, because evil takes days off. Everyone knows that.” “Well, whatever happens next, after the last mission I think we deserve it. Don’t you?” said Catherine. At this Brad perked up. He sat, largely ignored, amongst an ever-growing pile of course work. “That means we could go to the beach,” he said excitedly. Everyone turned to face him. “Eh?” “Why not? It’s pretty scorching out.” He shrugged. “What? You’ve never really asked me what I do for fun. Don’t look at me like that!” Robert nodded slowly and smiled. He leaped across the room and dragged Brad to his feet. “Sounds like a plan,” he declared. Maria shuddered to herself. She’d not gone to the beach since were a pre-teen. Too much personal training. Too many lofty goals. “I might sit this one out if you don’t mind. I’ve got some coordinating to do now since what remains of the old squad is scattered without a base.” Robert dove over the back of the couch and grabbed her around the shoulders. “Oh no you don’t. You’re coming too. Red’s orders.” Maria rolled her eyes. “Fine, but you won’t get me in a swimming costume.” o0o It may have started raining in land, with black skies over Fort Lowsdale not long after the rangers left, but at the coast the sun shone brightly. Robert stepped from the changing room Catherine had hired for them, and tied off the string on his shorts. He stretched out his weary muscles and bathed in the sun with a huge smile on his face. “This is simply the best, isn’t it?” Brad stepped out behind him with shorts, t-shirt and a hat on. “Yeah, just great, but I can feel myself burning already.” “You’re not helping your image much,” said Ken. “Besides, this was your idea. I thought you dug the beach?” “Oh, shut it. My skin is too fair for this kind of weather...” Ken chuckled. “Sure.” They waited together for girls. Ken and Robert stood soaking in the sun, while Brad slunk off to take shade under a nearby tree overhanging the changing rooms. After a short while, the door creaked open again revealing Allison. Almost immediately, Ken took Robert’s shoulders and spun him one hundred and eighty degrees to face away from his big sister. He threw his arm around his shoulder. “Say, how ‘bout we go for a swim? Yeah?” “Huh?” Robert glanced back and caught a glimpse of Allison in a tight black bikini and white sarong. Her fit, lightly muscled body glistening ever so slightly with what must have been a layer of protective sun cream. “Come on,” Ken said, steering him toward the water once more. “That’s all the free looks you’re getting, mate.” Brad looked between the guys and Allison. He shrugged, not really seeing the problem, and followed after Robert and Ken. Allison chuckled and called out into the changing, “You coming, Maria?” “I suppose…” An embarrassed Maria joined Allison outside with her shoulders hung forward and her hand’s crossed over her chest. “A hardened soldier like me, out here, in this.” Though she’d managed to insist on wearing a simple black one piece, it wasn’t hard to see all the years she’d spent training etched into the lines and curves of her body. Next to Maria, Allison looked positively unfit. “You’re talking a load of nonsense you know.” Allison took her newest friend’s hand. “You can be both girly and a soldier. Anyone ever tell you that?” Maria shot her a hard look. “Alright.” Allison threw up her hands. “I get it, but the least you could do is enjoy yourself. You deserve a vacation as much as any of us.” Especially after General Bryant’s betrayal, she thought to herself. o0o Later that day, Robert came back from the bar with drinks in hand for Allison and himself. The guys were off trying to get Maria to open up a little, before the day was up and she snapped back into military-mode. That left the two of them alone. He slid a beer across the table at Allison and sat down opposite her. “Thanks to your brother, I haven’t had a chance to say this. You look great.” Allison cringed at such blatant appreciation of her appearance and raised her drink. “Cheers, I guess?” “Yeah, cheers.” They clinked bottles. “I’ve got to admit,” she said. “I’ve been freaking out about this trip all day.” “This spur of the moment trip?” “Okay, okay.” She took a sip. “I’m no more okay with showing skin than Maria is and … well, I’m scared of what’s happening back in FL, and Steele City.” Robert’s face took a stern turn. He pointed the neck of his bottle at her. “Hey! You’re supposed to be forgetting about that. Maria is… finally.” Sure enough, outside and across the sand, Maria and the others had succumb to joining a game of volleyball with a couple of other beach dwellers. Her smile positively beamed, lighting up her usually stern features and making her seem for a moment like a normal young woman. “We shouldn’t be here, Rob. Not with a fight on two fronts. No-one’s been pretty silent, but what about Bryant? He’ll be wanting revenge for our raid. Surely.” “Stop it.” “I’m being serious-” “Stop! I’m sure you are being serious, Al. Thing is we’re here to have fun. When else will we get to enjoy the beach like this? Who knows how much longer this fight will go on? Maybe we’ll never get rid of the infection.” He turned to focus on the volley ball match lest she see the full force of his emotion. “Maybe we’ll be fighting for the rest of our lives and this is the last time we’ll get to kick back, you know? So perhaps it’s time for you to give me this one and just bloody enjoy yourself. Okay?” Allison fell into a stunned silence. She’d only seen him feel this strongly about two things now. The first being his instance on doing things his way. When Robert got serious, as little as that happened, it paid to listen. Eventually she nodded. “Okay. You win.” Something wasn’t right between them from then on however, as they joined their friends spectating on a second match that had broken out. Robert knew he’d said too much, in much too wrong words, but he meant it. He couldn’t see the future, no one could, so why the ruin the day? Why not take every chance you could to have fun? o0o While the rangers relaxed in the sun, on the sand, in the water (or in Brad’s case under an umbrella), Catherine drove a short way up the coast on her way to meet with one of her contacts. She’d wondered for a long time whether this counted as lying to her team mates, but she couldn’t give them false hope. If the lead she was here chasing ended up a dead end, she could drive back and join them on the beach. No questions asked. Catherine pulled off the road into a small car park among the dunes of a nature reserve, killed the engine and waited. After about half an hour, a group of men and women in simple brown robes appeared over the crest of the dunes. This group was who she was there to meet. They’d contacted her two weeks ago, saying nothing more than how they wanted to meet the new magi. Curious to say the least, Catherine took a chance and agreed a time and place. She wasn't expecting much. At the most, a bunch of guys with an obsession with ancient history rivaling her dad’s, perhaps even old friends of his. Nevertheless is paid to keep the rangers away from them until she knew they could be trusted. She hadn't expect to meet a bunch of monk look-a-likes. A tall man stepped forward looking to shake her hand. “Good to see you, Lieutenant Moses. I understand how much trust you are putting in us by being here.” “Damn right. You’re just lucky our enemies have been quiet for a few weeks now...” “I’m not asking you to believe us, all we’re asking is for the chance to talk to you,” said another more portly monk. “We owe you an explanation,” the tall one said. “My name is Brother Gray, and I’m the head of this chapter of the Order of the Trinity.” “Order of the Trinity? Father, son… holy ghost?” One of the female members of the group grinned. “Wrong trinity.” Brother Gray nodded and continued: “The Order of the Trinity was created in ancient times as the magi retinue of the tribal emperor. Together, the order, the emperor and his royal followers, they were known as the Trinity Clan and drew their power directly from the three most powerful clans under His rule. That is the trinity we serve. “Over the intervening millennia, we of the Order have lost our connection to the magi runes, but our duty remains unforgotten. We are the guardians of the emperor and the keeper of the knowledge.” A growl sprung up from atop one of the dunes, causing them all to pause. Forming from a mass Black Water was a large, bulky humanoid warrior. As his features consolidated themselves, armour formed around him and finally a hide of spikes reminiscent of a porcupine. “At last. We’ve found you,” it grunted. The Order stepped between the mutant and Lieutenant Moses. “You may have found us, but we can just as easily slip back into the shadows,” said Brother Gray. “Not if I murder you first.” It sneered and bared its teeth. It’s spikes and spines bristled with anticipation. “Master will be pleased to have the heads of the last ever Trinity chapter.” The mutant tore one of the largest spikes from its own back with sickening crunch and brandished it like weapon. He dove towards the Order. Brother Gray dodged each swipe of the spike with the practiced ease of a life-long martial artist. He slammed his palm into the mutant’s exposed neck. A burst of light shone in the seconds after the blow. Catherine felt a strong power radiating from the Order. It couldn’t have been the same power the magi wielded. Brother Gray said they’d lost that ability long ago. So what is it? If they aren’t magi, then ... how do they have this power? Not once did the Order strike in rage. Theirs was an art of defense. They only fought, it seemed, to protect her. She moved back toward her car and the Order moved with her, only serving to prove her point. Brother Gray broke off his attack and joined Catherine. “Lieutenant Moses, you must leave. Now.” “What? No. I have to help you fight.” “I've underestimated the gravity of the situation. I'm sorry. If the mutants are now being controlled by a central intelligence then they are further along than we previously thought.” With a wave of his hands a magical circle appeared on the ground behind her. He pushed her gently into it and waved his hand again. “You must return home with your magi. I fear our enemies may attack when you are at your weakest. Once we are free to do so, we’ll join you. There is much to discuss, far more than we can discuss here, at this time.” The bright white light within the circle snapped up in a column around her. There was a strange sensation of falling, before she collapsed into the driver’s seat of her car. Now she saw them from a distance, the Order were wielding a magic of some kind. As she shifted into gear and pulled away from the car park, she wondered if she would ever find out what that power was... Or for that matter, whether she could trust Brother Gray’s words. o0o Catherine pulled to a halt perhaps quicker than she should have, and tore off on foot down the beach towards the rangers. It proved tough going as her shoes sunk into the loose, fine sand with every step. “We've got to go,” she said as soon as she got within shouting distance. Maria was acutely aware of eyes turning toward her and the others, watching them, wondering why this loud, suited woman was disturbing the peace. “What’s wrong?” whispered Allison. “We’re causing a bit of scene.” “I wish I could explain in a way that made sense, but…” She bit her lip. “Look, grab your stuff and meet me in the car. Fort Lowsdale could be in danger.” “Could be in danger?” asked Brad. His question fell ignored as Catherine had already left, running back up the beach toward the car park. Robert, Allison and Ken were on their way back to the changing rooms. “Guys?” “Come on, Green,” said Maria, hanging back with him. “First lesson of the military: If your commanding officer says jump, what do you reply?” “I suppose... How high?” “You got it.” She chuckled. “If we have to go we have to go.” “D’you think the Black Water found us out here?” “Could be. Could be." |
03-30-2014, 07:24 AM | #28 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 327
|
Day late but I've been on courses... and it's Mother's day, so that is what is. Enjoy this short, back to Incursion 17 - "Earth Father" on Wednesday.
Magi Short #4: Maria's Story I think that was the day I realised I’d finally become a person and stopped being just another career officer. It still annoyed me that Robert thought of himself as the de facto leader of the Cross Rangers, especially considering I’d spent years teaching myself the ins-and-outs of command, strategy, advanced combat tactics, and flying aircraft. For once I can live with it, just so long as everyone realises that, once in a while, I know what I’m talking about. After all, I didn’t get promoted without reason. I made captain because I was willing to make the tough decisions to serve my country. Decisions like telling my squad to retreat back behind the quarantine wall sacrificing who knows how many innocent civilians. Their pleas for help still haunt my dreams, but if we hadn’t decided to regroup we would never have joined with 10 platoon and put down that mutant for good... At least that’s what I tell myself. At the time it seemed like the only option: countless millions in the north saved at the price of a few measly towns in the already overrun south. I don’t regret making decisions like that. In the real world, sometimes you have no choice. General Bryant knew that, but seeing just how far overboard he’d gone in the past few months had taught me a valuable lesson. I couldn’t rely on the obvious choices anymore. I think what Robert and the others have been trying to teach me, despite not knowing it themselves, is that often the ends don’t justify the means. In fact when you think about that’s what the beach trip was all about. I’d lost sight of myself as a human being, I’d lost sight of my personality, my feelings, my emotions and the guys wanted to change that. They wanted me to see what I was missing, what protecting the world actually meant. Well I’d taken it for granted that I’d die for my country if I had to. Every soldier says they’re willing, but I must have lied to myself. Like hell did I believe dying was worth it. But we rangers can never retreat. We can never surrender. We can never give up. Even if we have to die to beat the Black Water, I’m sure we’d all do it. Protecting the Earth is important, yet, but not more important than the lives of every individual on the planet. Robert, Ken, Allison, Catherine and even Brad would agree. Only now do I understand that. Somehow Robert realised this. In fact, I think he realised it a long time ago. He just doesn’t want to admit to anyone that he actually has a brain. If that’s the case, he could well be the best man for the job, both making the tough decisions and keeping up morale. I’m bound to hesitate, over-think, and spend too long planning the perfect attack. He just gets on with it. I envy that ability, I really do. He shoulders the burden well, better than Allison, better than any of us. Ken, Robert and Brad often talk about what they’d do once the battle is over. Brad wants to teach, Ken I think is just figuring things out, and Robert? Well, I don’t actually know, but they assume they’ll be able to slip straight back into the life they had before the Black Water landed. Thing is, neither Catherine nor I have the heart to tell them the real punch line. War changes people. I don’t think our job will ever be over. There will always be an enemy for us to defeat. The guys could always back down and leave the fighting to someone else, but then could they cope knowing that people are dying while they’re off living life? I for one certainly couldn’t, and I know Allison couldn’t cope. Catherine too. That’s the thing. Now that we have the power to combat real evil, we can never ignore it. How could we? Could you? I must admit though, the thought of being out of a job for once is pretty damn enticing. I mean, I probably wouldn’t spend it at the beach, wearing skimpy swimming costumes that’s for sure, but think of all the things I could achieve… Okay, I don’t know what I’d do. I’ve never had the chance to think about it. My life has always been about receiving and following orders selflessly. And when I think about it now, all that comes to mind is what would happen if a new enemy reared its ugly head while I was off trying to enjoy myself. I’m pretty broken, aren’t I? Maybe one day I’ll be able to fix myself. Maybe one day I’ll have the time. Until then all I can think of are the people I willingly sacrificed under General Bryant’s regime, all the evil I must have helped him achieve. Hell, I know I trained a few of his elite guard even if they refuse reveal their identities. I can‘t make up for that and I don’t think I should even try (that kind of thing can ruin people.) So for now all I can do is be a Cross Ranger. |
04-02-2014, 01:17 PM | #29 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 327
|
Incursion Seventeen: Earth Father In the car, Catherine explained to the rangers her dual reasoning for letting them have a day off. She did her best to explain to them what Brother Gray had told her, adding her own theories in the process. “So, what is this Order of the Trinity?” asked Ken. “They say they formed around the time of the magi tribes as the devoted followers and guardians of the magi emperor and the knowledge he held.” Maria crossed her arms. She was quite a bit more skeptical than the others. “And we can trust them, can we?” “I can’t say for sure,” replied Catherine, “but yeah, I think we can. I felt their power, and for some reason I know we can trust them. They weren’t far from Fort Lowsdale now, and quickly coming upon the refugee camps lining the road into town. “Alright. If you say so, Lieutenant.” Maria faced forward in her seat. “I’m going to reserve my judgement for later though.” “If they still exist, then what about the emperor? Do they still protect him?” Allison smiled at her friend’s unhindered reckoning. “I doubt it’s the same man, Rob.” “Of course not, I know that. I mean these guys are basically all that remains the Trinity clan, right? So why bother keeping the knowledge like they do if there’s no emperor to protect?” He frowned. Though it was easy to dismiss the Order, he did wonder why they chose now to reveal themselves. The Cross Rangers had been in the media for a while. “Lock the books away somewhere and get back to the modern world. I am right?” Brad added. Catherine found herself agreeing. “I suspect you’re not far wrong. So if there is an awakened modern emperor from the Trinity clan, then the Order must have decided the Earth is in enough danger to come out of hiding and fight alongside him.” “As far as I care, this is all just a story,” said Ken. As they passed the entrance to the camp, Allison shouted, “Stop the car.” Catherine screeched on to the bank and Allison burst out of the car. “What’s going on?” Ken called after her. “Don’t know. Something’s wrong.” A plume of smoke rose from behind the camp’s canteen tent. They piled out of the car and took off at a run, following her through the twists and turns of the camp that she seemed to be able to navigate like the freckles on the back of her hand. The tents gave away on either side to one of the main communal areas of the camp. Workers would often organise activities for this space, anything to keep moral up. That afternoon the space was deserted. At the centre of the clearing sat the smouldering wreck of the camp generator. The wreckage shuddered, creaked and groaned. Black Water bubbled up within its cauldron-like husk. Ken jabbed his sister in the arm. “Does that explain it for you?” The rapidly expanding mass of black ichor grew arms and legs, the remains of the generator covered its back like a turtle’s shell. It gathered in more and more of the blast debris until it was encased in a makeshift armour. “I’ll get the refugees to safety,” said Catherine. “You deal with that.” The monster’s arm extended, stretching like a rubber putty, to ensnare Lieutenant Moses and throwing her into a tent pole. She crumpled to the floor. Allison started. She broke from the group to kneel and check on Catherine’s unconscious body. “I can’t let anything happen to the refugees, guys. We’ll have to split up.” A warm flash of light burst into existence in the centre of the communal space. It died away just as quick as it had appeared, revealing the entire Order, hoods raised. “Don’t worry, young magi,” said Brother Gray, “We’ll shoulder that burden.” With speedy efficiency the Order spread out into the tent city of the refugee camp. Brother Gray hung back a second to ensure Catherine was well out of the line of fire, before joining his companions. Robert and the others regrouped before the generator mutant and called for their morphers. “Alright, let’s do it… Cross Form.” As they crossed their arms over their chests, the gems set into their morphers shone with runic magi clan energy and condensed into their hyper flexible two-toned armour. “Fire and Metal; Red Cross.” “Water and Lightning; Blue Cross.” “Air and Light; White Cross.” “Earth and Water; Green Cross.” “Sonic and Fire; Yellow Cross.” “Magi Tribe Cross Ranger,” they shouted in unison. If the mutant had proper eyes to roll it would have. Instead it charged for them. Each deadly swing of its arms were accompanied by the sting of sheared, white hot metal. Yellow Cross buffeted away the attacks meant for her with hasty walls of vibration, and next to her the blue and green rangers did much the same with jets of high pressure water. Calling upon his metal clan ancestry, Red Cross turned his arms themselves into shields. Not deterred by their attempts, the generator mutant let loose a huge gout of flame. The rangers dived out of the way. Torn between aiding her friends and helping the Order evacuate the camp, White Cross hesitated a moment too long. The pillar of fire ripped through the tent behind her setting it ablaze. In no time at all it begun to spread. She swore she could almost hear the cries of the refugees as they scattered to safety, mixed with the few and far between orders of a strong male voice; Brother Gray no doubt. Red Cross picked himself up off the ground. “Get your head in the game, Al.” “Alright, damn it!” she roared. With a magical wind at her back, White Cross sailed forward and punched the mutant in the gut. It caught her attack and twisted her arm. She spun out of the control, losing her touch with the wind that buoyed her along. The Cross Rangers toppled like pins. The generator mutant cackled maniacally. A ball of tri-coloured light streaked out of the sky and knocked the monster on its shell-like back. The light zipped over to the rangers and pulled them to their feet with little more than the power emanating from it. “What’s that?” said Red Cross, “to state the obvious...” The ball of light struck ground between the rangers and the mutant as though it were a comet. In the crater left in its wake was a man of polynesian birth. Wearing a simple white and gold robe in the same style as the order, he knelt on one knee, hand braced against the ground. Strapped to that arm was an ornate, black, rune-covered box with a free spinning disk on top, not unlike a compass but more akin to a game show roulette wheel. It’s three colours; red, blue and white. “It’s a shame to meet you all like this,” he said standing. “I’d hoped to introduce myself properly… no time now.” He thrust his free hand at the ground, still smouldering from his entrance, and the other to the sky. He snapped his forearm around so the wrist device faced forward. “Clan form roulette.” He brought his arms together in a wide arc, striking the wheel with a stamp of his foot. The very same tri-coloured light condensed into a black suit of armour not disimilar to that worn by cross rangers, with thin and intricate tribal designs around the visor and chest. They seemed to lack all colour, existing in a space somewhere beyond even grayscale. After a few seconds the wheel begun to spin slower and slower until finally it ticked audibly between it’s three colours. It was as though the morpher were taking it’s time in deciding. The morpher clicked over to the white segment and locked in place. “Air… Perfect.” The colourless tribal designs flared a brilliant white and a bladed gauntlet shimmered into being on his free arm. “The ancestral head of the nine magi tribes.” He struck the posture of a martial artist or a kabuki practitioner. “Lord of the Order. Magi Emperor… CrossTrinity!” The Magi Emperor leaped forward, a burst of air beneath his feet propelling him onward much like White Cross. He struck with such efficiency that each and every slash of his blade cleaved chunks of metallic debris from the mutant. In no time at all, all but the shell-husk remained. He took advantage of its weakened state and spun the clan spinner once more. This time it landed on the segment reserved for the fire clan. The suit’s white lines turned red and gauntlet shifted into a short staff. “Yes, that’ll do the trick.” CrossTrinity spun the staff creating a wheel of flame. He twirled it over his head and threw the entire thing at the generator mutant. The flame staff stuck deep in its chest. The Black Water within the creature ignited and it burst apart. He unlocked the spinner, armour dissolving, and turned to the awestruck Cross Rangers. “You must be the emperor,” said Yellow Cross. At least part of the story was true, but even though CrossTrinity had saved them from the Black Water this time, that didn’t make them allies. The Order could still have had tricks up their sleeves, and by playing the helpful stranger card might try to break the team apart from the inside. Time and proof of their goals were what the yellow ranger needed. “There is nothing here for me to rule over, you don’t need to call me that” He smiled. “My name is Manuarii.” o0o With the help of Manuarii and the Order, the rangers got the majority of refugees to safety. The camp was a wreck long before the emergency services arrived, but the fire brigade made light work of getting the fires under control. It took her a while but she eventually tracked down her boss to see if everyone had made it out in one piece. “I’m sorry, Powel. The rangers were a little too late.” He shook his head gravely. “And where were you? Look, I’ve got a lot to sort out.” “Is there nothing I can do?” He seemed to turn frosty. “I don’t think so. See you around.” It began to look like the most pertinent question was, where would they get the money to rebuild? Like all camps in the area, they were already at capacity. Where would everyone go? The camps near Steele City were far larger and better equipped to take the strain, yes, but even they had little space. Allison wouldn’t have wanted to be the one to break the news. After much arguing she managed to get an up-to-date camp roster. She knew there were casualties, but until she saw the names it didn’t hit her just how serious the attack had been. The family she met on her first day... their little girl hadn’t made it out alive. |
04-09-2014, 02:16 PM | #30 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 327
|
Two posts today, because you're all awesome!
... and I totally didn't forget to post the first one this Saturday Magi Short #5: Allison's Story Allison sat in silence in her room. She’d considered turning out the light. Or perhaps closing her eyes and waiting until either the Black Water destroyed existence or starvation set in, which ever came first. For a short while she’d chuckled at how stupid that sounded. Am I really that much of a baby? I’m not an angst-ridden teenager anymore! But then her mind swerved back toward all the memories she had of her work at the refugee camp and the world seemed devoid of hope once more. Despite all she’d done to help, all the meals she’d handed out, all the times she’d read bedtime stories to the kids, or all the games nights she’d run to keep up morale, it meant nothing. Nothing. Clearly, the well-intentioned actions of a good woman didn’t matter squat when it took just one single mutant attack to ruin the dream. The stupid thing was Allison had known it was pointless from the start. While the Black Water was at large, people could still be blown up, they could still get an easily treatable disease and have no money to buy the cure. And even if the cure was given as a gift on government aid, those people could still die in fire because no human could be in two places at once. People made mistakes, and mistakes inevitably cost lives. That poor little girl… Everyone expects the rangers to be heroes, but how can we do a damn if we’re still only human? A few pathetic magic tricks… it’s just not enough! o0o Robert pressed his ear against his bedroom wall and strained to hear. A knock on the door made him jump. He thrust his hands in the air and spun around to see Ken standing there with his arms folded. “Eavesdropping?“ He shook his head. “I don’t think she’d appreciate that. Especially when she wants to be left alone...” “Well what do you suggest we do?” “Leave her to it.” “You’re kidding me...” “Now who out of us has known Allison his whole life?” “Uh, you.” Robert replied, flopping down onto his bed. “But if you want to be technical about it though Ken, we’re both older than you and I knew her before you were born… I think.” Ken sighed. “Look, I know my own sister. If she says she wants some time alone, well then you better learn to appreciate that.” “But she’s upset. I just want to do something to cheer her up.” “Tell you what, Rob.” Ken grinned. “You go talk to her. See if you can come out with the same amount teeth you went in with.” Robert cringed. “You may have a point there.” “We just have to let her get over it. She’s way too stubborn to accept our help.” o0o Maria overheard the boys talking and decided to take matters into her own hands. She’d come to see if they want to join her for a little training. When no one answered, she’d let herself in with the spare key. Despite Robert and Ken’s worries, she ignored their advice and knocked on Allison’s bedroom door. However, before the bereft young woman could answer or even begin to complain, Maria went inside. “Alright. Moping time over.” She flung open the curtains bathing the room in natural sunlight. “Up, up, up! You have training to do.” “Maria...” Allison stood slowly. “I know we’ve only just met but there’s something you should know about me. If you don’t get out right now I’ll-” “You’ll what? You’ll cry, you’ll stop eating?” “No, I-” The captain dropped back into the role of a commander with readily apparent ease. “I really don’t care what you think, White. You can stay here for all I care, but know this. If you do, I can’t promise we’ll win very many battles.” “You’ve got Manuarii now, you’ll be fine…” “Will we? Look what happened the last time you dropped your guard. Do you really believe you couldn’t have save that kid you’re so fond of?” Fire burned in Allison’s eyes. She balled her fists. “Don’t. You. Dare!” “What? Did I hurt your feelings? Oh I’m so sorry.” “No, Maria,” she yelled. “You don’t get to make fun of me this time. A poor defenseless little girl lost her life because none of us could focus on what mattered the most. We’re the only people on Earth who don’t get to make mistakes like that!” “Quite right.” “What do you- I … huh?” “You’re right Allison. Until we don’t need any help from people like Brother Grey and the Emperor, I doubt we’ll be strong enough to defeat the Black Water.” Allison narrowed her eyes. “I know what you’re trying to do.” “I’m sure you do,” Maria said with a shrug. “You’re a clever girl.” She growled beneath her breath and began shoving things into a backpack she had nearby. “Don’t think you’re allowed to manipulate me like this.” “Then why are you packing for training?” “That is what you came to see us about right?” A smile crossed the Captain’s face. She chuckled. “Like I said, less moping, more training.” She turned to the wall shared with Robert’s room and raised her voice. “And you two can stop eavesdropping too. There’s no time to waste!” |
|
TokuNation News & Rumors |
Kakuranger: 30 Years After |
ToyRise RyuKenDo |
Alternative Cut of "Day Of The Dumpster" Released |
Shodo SUPER Kyoryuger Teaser |
Figuarts/Seihou GRIDMAN |
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:51 PM.
|