A New Weapon

by Daemon

 

Chapter Ten: Captured

 

“Yes?” she asked the shadow. “What does he want? I know you’re here for Force now what does he want?”

“How did you know?” Aracd asked appearing from the shadows.

“I’m not stupid. I can tell when you’re not here because you want to be. And you never talk to me so why now?”

“I get it.” Aracd said plainly. “Ok. Force wanted to know about where you came from. He wants to know how you’re so strong.”

“Tell him practise.” She said.

“That’s not a very straight answer.” Aracd looked at her confused.

“I know. And I know it’ll piss him off.” Skai looked into his chestnut-coloured eyes. “Now what are your questions?”

“Well…um…” she had caught him off guard.

“Let’s walk and talk.” She smiled and they headed outside.

“Why are you so against being here?” he asked.

“Because I don’t like it. The people here are so oblivious. They just don’t get it.” She said stopping and looking out the window.

Aracd took a place beside her. “Get what?” he asked confused.

“Everything.” She said flatly. She turned away and put her hands behind her head. “They just don’t understand this universe. How it works, why it’s here, they don’t understand how to defeat the victim and how to put up a better protection against them.” She walked on and Aracd followed walking to her left. “I wonder why they can’t state the obvious.”

“I don’t understand.” Aracd said looking at her. She was pretty.

“Of course you don’t. You’re one of them. From this end of the universe, oops!” she wasn’t supposed to say that!

“What-” Skai cut him off by pushing him out of the way. And enormous victim had come through the window! It swallowed Skai and carried her off.

 

Aracd looked up in time to see the victim carrying Skai away. They just sort of phased through the glass. Just then the alarms blared. Aracd watched the unconscious Skai hoping she might wake up but she wouldn’t. He ran to the hanger and bumped into one of the pilots. It was Gareas.

“Watch where you’re going!” said Gareas hurrying to the hanger.

“Wait! One of the victims just came and took Skai! She’s inside one of them!”

Gareas looked at the boy. He looked serious.

“You have to help her!” he yelled as Gareas ran to his goddess.

“Don’t worry we will! Go to the deck and tell Azuma! Go now!” Gareas yelled back to the boy and then disappeared into his goddess.

“Right.” Aracd said and started sprinting to the top deck.

As he was running he bumped into Force. “Did you talk to her?” he asked as he helped up his friend.

“Not now!” he said as he lunged past Force.

“He wait up!” but Aracd was already half way down the hall and to the stairs. Force ran after him.

 

Aracd ran up flight after flight of stairs. He finally got to the top deck and saw Azuma. He ran towards Azuma but one of the repairers yelled at him.

“You’re not supposed to be here!” she yelled at him over and over again.

“I don’t have time for this.” He said as some security tried to take him away. He lunged past them and ran to Azuma.

“AZUMA! SKAI’S BEEN TAKEN BY ONE OF THE VICTIM!!! SHE’S INSIDE IT RIGHT NOW!” He yelled at Azuma who was higher up in the deck.

Azuma looked at Aracd like he was crazy but Aracd was on the brink of crying. So Azuma nodded and let him come in. “What did you say boy?” he asked slowly.

“I told you! Skai’s in one of those victims. Turn the cameras over a bit. Now zoom in on that one right there. See! It’s her!” he pointed at the bluish green figure inside the victim.

Azuma told them to zoom in and sure enough it was Skai. Aracd was going to break down soon. “Calm down #04. We’ll get her back just calm down. Go down to the rec. room and rest ok?” Aracd nodded and headed to the elevator.

He walked in and didn’t even notice Force in the shadows.

 

“Alright. Teela! One of the candidates is inside a Victim. Apparently she was captured. Can you get her back?” Azuma asked the pilot.

“We’ll try. All right you heard him. Let’s go. And be careful. You don’t want to kill the girl.” Teela said calmly.

They went into formation and tried not to but, several times, almost killed Skai. They came back with no success. The victim had Skai.

“Some one bring me number 04. Aracd Narocke got it?” they all nodded and ran out to find him.

 

As he was told Aracd was in the Rec. room trying not to worry. He sat and got up and paced the room. His friends looked at him confused.

“Aracd? Are you alright?” asked Kyoko.

“DO I LOOK ALRIGHT!!!” he yelled and paced the room again.

Finally, Gare came in. “Is Aracd Narocke in here?” he asked. Everybody stepped away from Aracd.

Aracd looked at Gare and asked immediately. “Did you get her? Is she ok?”

Gare looked away.

Aracd looked at him with eyes ready to cry and then burst out of the room with nothing but fire in his eyes. He ran to the training room and started punching at the punching bag. With every hit he became even more angered. The angrier the got the sadder he got and the sadder he got the hotter the tear that came down got. It’s my entire fault! She saved me and got taken. I should be the one the victim took not her! He punched the bag hard. Why her? Why not me? Why did she save me? Why didn’t she just let them take me or tell me to move? Then we both would’ve gotten away.

 

Erts was outside watching Aracd beat the stuffing out of the punching bag. He’s in pain. Erts thought. He could feel Aracd’s pain and so could his brother. They felt it and it hurt a lot. “Poor Aracd.” Ernest said standing beside Erts.

“Do you think we can help?” Erts asked slowly.

“No. There’s nothing we can do.” They watched poor Aracd beating himself up on the inside and destroying the punching bag on the outside.

 

He collapsed onto the ground and pulled his knees to his chest. The tears came down staining his cheeks red. He was traumatized. He just sat there crying and rocking. Feeling grave pain and trying to comfort himself at the same time. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up. It was Kyoko. He looked away but couldn’t stop the tears that came down. Kyoko put his head on her shoulder and let him cry. Sometimes people just needed to cry.

“I should have stopped it.” Aracd cried.

“You couldn’t do anything.” Kyoko said trying to comfort him. She knew Aracd hated being responsible for things and if he were, then he’d beat himself up about it. I wish there was something I could do. Kyoko thought helplessly. But the only way to cheer him up would be if this Skai girl came back. I don’t even know her! Kyoko and Aracd just sort of sat there. Crying and comforting and that was all they could do.

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