Island troubles

Apollo and Blake finally reach the inside outpost. Blake heals the wounded man inside. Medals cling off a slim green uniform, his emerald eyes resting under half combed black hair. Wiping black smoke off his pale skin, Apollo grabs the man’s shoulder.

“How long has this been going on?”

“They just got here two hours ago. I’m the Captain, Timberland Slim, of this outpost. Who are you?"

"It’s Apollo, he's with me. Vanula sent us to finally clean this shit up for good. It's time to change our course, Captain.”

“Sir Juzu, it’s good to have you with us.”

“How many men have we lost?”

“I don’t wanna die, I wanna see her again….. I’m sorry, honey.” Lifting his hand out. Blake tries healing the gusting deep wound. Leaking through across the ground, eventually the man's hand falls to the ground. Blake’s essence fades, only his guts steam remains.

Dammit, he’s dead. This isn’t even my real essence, when the fuck is it really gonna kick in…Because I can’t help everyone with just this. Little lightning sparks over Blake’s bloody fingers.

“That’ll be ten now, sir,” sniveled the captain. Juzu stretches his suit collar. “Apollo, you’re with me. Blake continue helping the wounded. Captain, gather everyone in ten minutes. I and Apollo will clear a path for our counterattack, prepare to be escorted as we delay,” ordered Juzu.

Gripping Apollo's shoulder tight. “Prepare yourself, this is the real deal.” Juzu covers the dead troop with his jacket. “Come to me in two minutes, I’m getting a head start.” Ice breaks past the windows, while laser blasters erupt.

“Blake, don't worry, you did everything you could,” says Apollo.

“Yeah, but it wasn’t enough to save him…Doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying my best. Give them hell, Apollo.”

Apollo heads for the door. “Yeah, I will.” The power cuts off inside. “Dammit, they destroyed all of our circuits.” Liquid bounces up, and a blood portal shines inside the room. Blue essence reflects off everyone. “I think this will do.”

“So, you can be sweet sometimes.”

“Shut up, Blake. I’m heading out, I’ll leave some arrows with you keeping guard. Later.” Walking through the front doors the whole building is frozen solid.

Going inland, Juzu flings over androids, smashing them out. Juzu extends his arm; fog shoots out wrapping around one android nearby.

Juzu spins, freezing the android whole. Tapping the android, its body crumbling down.

“Glad you could join, Apollo. Let's hit their main objective, the reason you wanted to come here. To find the power ore, right?” Snowflakes melt atop frail grass, cooling the battling.

Apollo walks the halls of Vader corps, sending out teensy microscope-level arrows. some scan through files. Apollo uses his arrows to take out the cams. Okay, something interesting is coming from this room. Apollo makes his way into a large storage room.

Crates lay across the room, yet one peculiar crate wants to draw you in. Covering his nose, a pungent cheesy smell proliferates the room. What’s this sinister feeling? Apollo creaks off the lock, opening the crate, green essence flows over twenty rocks.

“AHHH! Murder!” Apollo jumps back almost out of his shoes. Why is so much coming from this damn little rock? Apollo sees the crate’s shipped from Kowo island. “I know where that’s at. I gotta look into this. What is the Vader corps hiding?

Jetting out the room, summoning an arrow, extending out, Apollo rides off. “What the hell are you doing Apollo?” Blake screams. Apollo falls off neck first.

Apollo and Juzu race along the forest floor. “So that's the name.”

“So what do you plan on doing, Apollo? What will you do when you encounter something worse?”

“Simple, I’ll just solve it.”

“I won’t stop you, because I agree with you. Vanula does as well. Understand this Apollo, don't go around acting like you know more than us…You don’t. If you did your hands would be as bloody. It's for the long game, and everyone plays dirty just to get ahead. It's time for our era to shift.”

“So the Vader corps are a bunch of scumbags also, that’s good to know. I just hope my universe isn’t made of any rats.” Jetting past Juzu into the sky. Juzu smiles, following behind fading into the distance for south of the island.

Pai and Sola walk into the newly fresh built training room. Vanula stands before them both. “I’ll cut right to it, because there’s a new release coming out at four pm.”

“It’s six twenty-three right now,” says Sola.

“No.”

“Yeah!”

“Fuck! Mary, can you please download that right away…Thank you so very much, and hurry back home,” says Vanula, almost breaking his earpiece.

“Anyway, Pai and Sola, try to gather your prime sought essence.”

“Prime sought, what’s that?”

“Pai, you remember when you grew that armor over your forearm. Try doing that again.”

“Alright, I’ll give it a shot. Danika, come.”

Danika appears from his chest floating above. “Yes, My King.”

“Let's make that armor around my arm again.”

“Alright, My King,” says Danika. Her eyes glow braces in orange. The holy ring flares red armor fleeing to Pai's forearm, essence roaming after it. Completely covering him, reflecting off the maintenance robots.

“Now, see how long you can hold this form. You can too. Go ahead.”

“No problem, easy peasy,” says Pai. Golden essence pulls to Sola presenting her golden crown. Two-star guardians stand over her. A heat mirage flows from Pai’s mouth.

“Damn it’s getting hot in here,” says a Vader troop.

Sweat runs down Pai’s face, as Danika grows smaller. “What’s happening to you, Danika?”

“While we compress the two powers for too long, the expansion realm and sun push amongst each other, fighting for control. It’ll become a strain for us both sooner or later. King, with that sun in you. One day you’ll form storage, saving initial energy. Sadly this is reality. First, you gotta train for it,” says Danika.

His armor cracks all over. “Already, but I was holding this form longer earlier?”

“Adrenaline was helping you in the practice match,” says Vanula.

You call that a practice match, more like a full-on battle. The crown on Sola's head slowly fades away. Sweat hits her shoelace.

“Damn, you guys haven't even passed three minutes yet. How do you expect to find Nova at this current level?” “We’re not done!” Sola’s crown grows in more, and Pai’s sought marking forms around his eyes.

Vanula smirks, and purple lightning from above strikes them. Hitting the ground on their knees, however, they both manage to hold their prime sought together, without losing it. Still, essence slowly depletes.

“Now, that’s surprising. What’s making you both hold on for so long? Give up if you want to. I won't blame you.”

Pai smiles. “We have nothing better to do, we’re not just gonna roll over easily.” Sola’s two-star spirits fade away although their essence is absorbed inside the crown. Forming together again.

“Okay, Sola, I didn’t see that coming, but how long can you last after this?” says Vanula. Three lightning strikes back-to-back hitting Sola, heating the marble floor. Vanula glances over, heat mirages flow from Pai’s mouth.

“Hey, I think you should stop.”

“No, Pai, he's testing us.” Sola spits blood. “Keep going, I know our enemy won't stop if we ask the same thing.”

“Don’t you remember what I said…I like to be harder on my own kind, why half ass it if we already have our tickets ready to be punched in for Nova?”Pai teleports standing before Vanula. “This isn’t how you help a friend while they're giving it the best they can.”

Tiny red armor pieces form on Pai’s cheek. Could this be related to the arts…Interesting.”

“Thanks, Pai, but I can speak for myself. I’m doing this because it’s all about my greed,” says Sola.

“Greed?”

“Yeah, my greed for their doom. My enemies took everything from me. So I wanna repay them, but tenfold over. I want them to be overflowed with my greed, letting them know theirs is shit compared to mine. They can choke to death from it all.”

“Whatever keeps you driving.”

“I actually hate driving.”

“Yeah, I know. I still have nightmares about all that damn throw up.”

“Listen, I’m only being hard on you both cause this is the first time in known history there are three Seekers in one Vader corps system. I can relate to that greed, Sola. We all lost something dear to us,” says Vanula, gripping his game device.

Kel walks into the room dirty with oil and dirt. “Hey, guys, what’s up?”

“You know there’s black smoke all over your body,” laughs Pai.

Wind lifts Pai into the air, dropping him down. “Dammit, Kel, I'm just messing with you. My back. Jesus, I think it snapped.”

Kel wipes the smoke off with her winds, but smears along her forehead.

“How did that happen, Kel?”

“Well, I was helping Zack Zack with the ship, however soon learned I’m not good with ships and she told me to go away. Now here I am.”

“Ladies, every Vader corps facility holds the most premium spas, it’s open twenty-four/seven.”

“Now that’s needed, let’s go, Sola!” The girls race out of the room, flying down the hall. Pai’s mouth starts to drool.

"Everything alright, Pai?” says Vanula.

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine. I wanna go to the spa also.”

“You know what? That sounds charming.”

“Oh god, please don’t zap the water."

“No promises.”

“Alright, finally it looks brand new. You’re one damn beautiful ship. I’m not even gonna lie,” says Zack Zack rubbing the ship's nose.

“Well, now all we need is a hyperdrive, however from where?” says Mr. Z.

“This is more important, Z.”

“And what’s that?”

“A name!" Zack Zack's eyes sparkle.

“Yeah, I actually never remember naming the ship. Why don’t you give it a name, since you worked so hard on the repairs? I haven’t been the best pilot to her. Hopefully, she’ll forgive me for leaving her alone.”

Zack Zack flicks her nose. “Taleen, that's the name. Taleen.”

“You already had one ready. Why that name?”

“No reason really, but it’s really a beauty now.”

“I like how Taleen rolls off the tongue.”

Yeah, whatever, we still need a hyperdrive for Taleen, she isn’t star travel-ready yet.”

“Only if there was some way we could get one quickly,” says Mr. Z.

A man rushes into the hangar. “Where’s Vanula, we have a problem!"

“Problem,” they both reply.

Murky steaming water levels over, bubbles follow down the drain. Ahhhhh, I needed this,” said Kel. They sit in the heated pool. “I never knew something could be amazing, just an amazing existence,” moaned Sola.

“Check this out.” Kel winds spin making a whirlpool upon the spa, twisting the girls around. “Ahhhh, Kel, I don’t know about this one.”

Bubbles erupt from the speed. “This is fun,” laughs Kel. Shit, I’m throwing up.

Pai and Vanula sit in the next room, across from each other, Pai’s nervous eyes pace back and forward. Dainty purple lightning appears on Vanula’s index finger. “Dammit, don’t do it, can we just enjoy the bath,” cried Pai.

“I’m just messing with you, but no promises,” said Vanula. Danika appears from Pai’s chest. “Don’t you think by now our enemies found out about us beating Bombast? Why are we still sitting around?”

“Wasn’t it both of your faults that happened? Even if they know we did beat Bombast, they are hundreds of thousands of light-years away, plus we have closer problems right now. No one’s gonna throw war easily. Those idiots are playing right in our hands, don't underestimate Vader corps. You all agreed to join, so this is your best shot at defeating them.”

“He’s right, Danika, we’re gonna need all the help we can get. Without them, Bombast would’ve killed us all, probably. Trust me, I hate to admit it myself, although we still need to get stronger. This is all still new to me as well.”

“Hmph, you’re the only person I believe in, so I’ll listen to you, King.

“I’m curious, Danika, why do you always refer to Pai as a king?”

“It's obvious because he’ll rule over you all one day,” says Danika.

“Well, I wouldn’t mind that. More free time for me to play my games.” Vanula laughs. A man rushes in, falling into the water. “Boss, we have a problem. Those androids are attacking our outpost.”

Bubbles drip down his abs. “Thanks, but don't worry, it’s all under control, four of my best guys are over there right now.”

Essence cuts over waves. A broad essence-cutting sword swipes under Juzu’s feet. He jumps, denting the android’s head inward. “Push through, Apollo!” Summoning hundreds of arrows from blood portals tearing them to nothing.

“Gotta make it to the beach before reinforcements come,” says Juzu.

“Who cares about reinforcements? These guys are pushovers." Green essence fires upon Apollo. Rolling kicking up sand. Seashells lay by the shore, and large artillery blasters are stationed on the coast. Two figures target Apollo, moving at rapid speed.

On his knees, blood runs down Apollo’s lip. “Don’t get ahead of yourselves, I can’t die yet,” says Apollo.

Two skinny androids hold rifles with rusted bloody blades sticking out on the end. The androids close in on Apollo, stabbing him in the chest.

“Apollo!” Juzu yells.

“As I said, I’m not dying. I got shit to do.” Their rifles are stuck in Apollo's chest, struggling to pull the blades out. Apollo's essence covers the blades stabbing himself, which cause no harm. "Sorry, that doesn't work.”

Blood drips off his sweaty chest. Blood portal appears under, erupting arrows from the sand. Obliterates them to bolts, explosions ripping out on Apollo. The android artillery blows multiple rounds up the coast.

Smashing explosions ignite among the artillery. Pieces fly everywhere.

“This kid.” Juzu smiles. Apollo stands where the artillery was, Pointing to the sky. An enormous aircraft hovers to the island.

“So it all ends soon,” says Juzu. Orange flashes among the mothership. Afterward Juzu flies before Apollo. Fog fades from the brass knuckles. Plug smashes into Juzu, and an essence filled explosion rips out from the fog. Plug swings for Juzu’s head. The brass knuckles throw back his sword.

“Whoo, I’m glad I got here, you're pretty strong, Juzu.”

“How do you know my name?”

“Apollo, head down that path and you’ll find out the truth. Go, this guy is too strong.”

“Oh no, you don’t.” Plug disappears in front of Juzu, dashing quickly at Apollo. This fucking guy is on me already, I won’t be able to summon my arrows in time. Plug’s sword sparks for Apollo. “Die!”

Apollo’s pushed out of the way by Juzu. “Flee, Apollo!” Colorful explosions storm Juzu and Plug. Apollo rolls all over the sand, darting through the forest riding on the arrow. “Damn, I’m just in the way. So we're all here for the same thing.”

Apollo jets down the path, and green lasers blast past the cheek. Half replaced flesh android guards surround a cave, scanning throughout the grass. “Move, assholes!” Apollo summons an arrow above him; over fifty feet long, ejecting them away.

Breaking into the cave, moonlight grows inside. Apollo floats down, slipping in blood. What the fuck is this? Cut up hands reach from cages. Some pile with power ore to the top. People cough next to bug-riddled decaying corpses.

“Help us, please," cries a child. Looking through gluey bloody bars, Apollo destroys every rock to nothing. “Follow me, don't worry, you're safe,” says Apollo.

Androids slide before Apollo, the frigid wind whispers under silver metal coating with green essence. The frantic people rush back inside the cages. “I got your back, those metal souls won’t hurt you anymore. Not when I’m here.”

Apollo sees one cage with people's limbs and organs stacked inside. The androids are destroyed without Apollo looking at them. “Let’s go, everyone, it’s time to get you guys out of here, don’t fall behind!”

What the hell are you hiding, Vanula? What the fuck is the Vader corps all about? Is this something you so-called heroes do?