Prelude to Rebellion

Dr. Eins and other professors helped move Chirus and Shyrin's brothers into different residences. Thanks to all Chirus did for them; the professors were willing to help him and his friends. Tynan was given a crutch to help him walk as Dr. Eins updated the boys on Valiesha's current siege on Dessix.

Valiesh is looking for me? Chirus thought in tears. She hasn't forgotten about me? I can finally tell her I'm sorry for being dumb. I hope we can be happy together again.

Endromen across the homes became extremely hostile, turning against the professors and setting homes on fire.

"Damn it!" Dr. Eins pushed the group into a deserted home. "We can't keep running from them!"

"So sorry about everything, Dr. Decivel," Chirus huffed.

"No, no. Anything for good boys like you three."

Dr. Eins peeked through the window to see the Endromen demolishing the residences.

"What else can we do besides run?" Calyx sat a tired, one-legged Tynan on the couch.

"I don't know. I honestly didn't think too far when I saved you three."

Chirus then remembered the fate that awaited the boys who graduated. They would be fed to Jezebel and become recycled parts for Arkanis.

"It's not fair for all the other students who worked hard to graduate," Chirus sat with Calyx and Tynan. "There are classmates who worked to become the better men Senri promised us. Maybe there's something we can do to help our classmates. They deserve to know the truth."

"But what can we do?" Dr. Eins asked. "Senri has students in lockdown during Valiesha's siege."

"Maybe we break them out," Tynan suggested. "I can tell them and prepare everyone to fight back!"

"With what smarty pants, your pen?" Calyx asked. "I don't think your throwing is as good as Shyrin."

Dr. Eins unloaded her backpack. "Sunder left me some gear."

The group geared up with pistols and knives as Dr. Eins advised them. "Remember, the Endromen aren't completely droids. Their carotid neck arteries are weak. Slicing their throats is the most efficient way to kill them."

"Ty, I'm not sure how we're going to explain everything to our classmates."

"One thing I learned from creative writing is to be concise. Don't worry, I know how to tell them. Trust me."

"We could all help the Enaga girls fight," Chirus clenched a fist. "While the Skelengels are busy with the outside, we can sabotage the structure inside so the rebels can break in!"

Tynan remembered the engineering room that generated the holographic paradise over Dessix. "I'm sure there's something in that computer room we can smash into bits."

As the group loaded their pistols and buckled knives onto their belts, she gave the boys hand mirrors.

"What's this for? We're not putting makeup on," Calyx stared at his reflection in a mirror.

"Those sapphire statues are out there," The doctor warned. "The Makyuran guard."

"That blue woman we saw earlier? I thought you killed it already," Calyx shuddered. "You mean there's another? Where?"

"More than a few wandering about. A Makyuran guard can only be killed if they see their reflection shatter. It's the easiest to whack the mirror in its face, to be sure. Make sure the boys know when I free them."

"We'll take the weapons from the guards we shoot down," Calyx advised.

"What about those students in the Viers Center?" Chirus felt bad for the disabled boys within. "We can't just leave them!"

"I'll sneak in there to free them," Dr. Eins offered. "I'm also enraged that the Skelengels use disabled boys to power up their android boyfriends. I'll make sure the Viers Center is destroyed as well!"

Suddenly, Chirus' watch blinked red. It was a specialized watch that alerted Chirus when one of his assigned patients was experiencing a medical emergency. This includes anaphylactic shock and code blues. The watch gave him the location of the emergency patient.

"Shoot! Dr. Decivel got cardiac arrest!" Chirus panicked, running outside. "You all go ahead! I'll catch up!"

"Wait, Chirus! Don't!" Dr. Eins wailed, but it was too late.

***

As Calyx escorted Tynan back to the student dorms, he shot the unsuspecting Skelengel guards while Tynan concisely told them the truth about Dessix Academy. Calyx collected weapons from the guards, ensuring the students had something to fight with when they were free. Bat drones sounded sirens and fired their mouth machine guns, but the boys used the Skelengel weapons to shoot the annoying bats down.

While Dr. Eins carefully snuck into Senri's mansion for the Viers Center, Chirus found the house where Dr. Decivel lived.

"Dr. Decivel? Are you there?" Chirus jumped into the house with a broken door. "You'll be okay!"

The light switch wasn't operational. Chirus turned on his flashlight to look for the professor and the crash cart. Each professor's residence was required to have a crash cart in case of a medical emergency. Chirus rolled the crash cart with drawers that contained a defibrillator and emergency drugs and supplies. Chirus walked into the bedroom to find a figure lying in bed under a blanket.

"Oh, no. She must've had a heart attack while she slept! Dr. Decivel!"

Chirus frantically yanked the blanket off, revealing a dead body. However, something was wrong.

"Wait, you're not Dr. Decivel!" Chirus gasped at the anonymous corpse.

IV line tentacles penetrated his arms and abdomen. Chirus squealed as more IV lines pierced him, sucking his blood. His scream faded with his eyes rolling as Edgemoth sucked enough blood that knocked him unconscious.

"Good work! I told you it would be as easy as stealing candy from a baby!" Senri laughed. "Jezebel will be most pleased, and Arkanis will be mine!"