The Martian Inquisition Arc (Part 3)

Scene 37

Narrator: The next day.

*Sasha, Ralay, and Liana are gathered at their base*

Sasha: Ever since Zeth woke up, he hasn’t been his normal self. To say he is down is an understatement.

*Zeth is in the room next to the one they are in. He is sitting in a chair and just looks down at the floor in depression*

Sasha: Ralay, Don is your brother. I think you have the right to be the most upset. Please say something to him.

Ralay: I will try. But I think he has a right to be this upset. They became great friends.

*The three of them go into the room Zeth is sitting in*

Ralay: Zeth… I want to talk to you about what happened.

*Zeth still just looks down at the floor*

Ralay: I know exactly how you feel. But please focus on the positive. You saved him from being doomed to be a puppet.

*Zeth still just looks at the floor as he responds*

Zeth: If I had been with Don on that scout mission instead of taking that night to get some rest, he never would have become a puppet in the first place.

Ralay: You can’t be expected to always be working. You and Sasha earned the rest. Regardless of what happened, you should not feel responsible.

*Zeth still looks at the floor as he starts mumbling*

Zeth: 100,000 years. 100,000 years. 100,000 years. 100,000 years.

Liana: Is he mumbling the amount of time it takes to go through the Divine Restoration process?

Ralay: I think so.

Sasha: Zeth, please…

Liana: I don’t know what we can say to help at this point.

*Suddenly, they hear the voice of the cloroid in a different room*

Cloroid: Hey, can I get some water in here at least?

*Hearing the voice makes Zeth look up but his right eye is now wide open. His head twitches*

Zeth: Take me to him.

Liana: You mean the cloroid?

Zeth: Yes.

Ralay: Why do you want to see the cloroid?

Zeth: He knows…

*Sasha, Ralay, and Liana look at each other*

Scene 38

*In the room where the cloroid is strapped to a chair (the human is also strapped to a chair in this room), Zeth has his eyes wide open as he talks to the cloroid*

Zeth: You… You know more than you previously let on.

Cloroid: I told you everything I know.

Zeth: Bullshit! You knew that your leader is divine and not a mortal this whole time! I’m holding you responsible for Don’s death in addition to myself!

*The cloroid starts mocking Zeth*

Cloroid: Boo hoo. You divine beings have had your way with mortals whenever you want and then you get all surprised and pissed when a mortal fights back. To be taken out so easily by a mortal, that bastard must have been super weak.

*Zeth becomes angered*

Cloroid: Both you and he are nothing more than chumps who think you can do anything you want. I only wish I could have been there to see him meet his hilarious end.

*Zeth is becoming more and more angry*

Cloroid: Maybe you should just off yourself and join him if it bothers you that much. You are a failure just like him.

*Zeth’s anger explodes and he punches the cloroid in the face as hard as he can. This punch shocks Sasha, Ralay, and Liana*

*The punch results in the cloroid disintegrating and all that’s left is a needle. This shocks Zeth, Sasha, Ralay, and Liana*

Sasha: A needle!?

Ralay: Then that means…!

Liana: He was just a magic-disguised needle this whole time!

*Zeth becomes extremely pissed off and starts thinking of the hooded man*

Zeth: That hooded bastard!!!

*Zeth starts running out of the room*

Sasha: Where are you going!!? Wait!!

*Sasha runs out after him*

Scene 39

*Zeth is running out on the sidewalks of Marshonia*

Zeth: (Thinking) That hooded bastard!! Did he set us up!!? I’m going to that building that I saw him walk out of!!

*Sasha is running after Zeth*

Sasha: Damn it, Zeth!! Don’t go on your own!! Don’t be so rash!!

Scene 40

*Zeth reaches the building that the hooded man came out of the previous night. He kicks the front door which causes it to break off of its hinges and go flying back against a wall where it breaks into pieces*

Zeth: Where is he!!? Where is that hooded bastard!!?

*Zeth sees a scared human man*

*Zeth goes up to him and grabs him by the collar of his shirt*

Zeth: A hooded bastard came out of here last night! Where is he!? What is your relation to him!!?

*The man is absolutely terrified*

Man: I don’t know what you are talking about!

*Suddenly, part of the floor in the room breaks as the beast bird comes flying out from below and pierces Zeth’s body with a physical red string coming from the abyss on its neck (Author’s Note: It’s important to note that this red string is physical whereas the one attached to Don was magic). Zeth is shocked*

Zeth: (Thinking) I can’t move! It feels like I’m being pulled into the abyss both physically and magically! I don’t know what to do!

*Suddenly, Sasha comes in and turns her hands into Hellhound claws. She slashes the string. The string is cut and Zeth is freed (Sasha immediately after turns her hands back to normal). With the bird beast’s plan failed, it tries to retreat back into the hole*

Zeth: You won’t get away!

*Zeth releases a Star Shine Blast down at the bird beast. However, it creates and enters a portal. The portal closes before the Star Shine Blast reaches it*

*Zeth pounds the floor in frustration*

Zeth: Damn it!!

*Zeth stands back up and Sasha slaps him hard on the face. She looks absolutely upset with him*

Sasha: You damn reckless fool! How dare you put your life in danger like that! Do you understand how badly this would affect everyone that cares about you, including me!? Do you want everyone to have to mourn you just like we have to mourn Don!?

*Zeth just looks at her. He has a slap mark on his face*

Sasha: If you can’t keep yourself safe for your own sake, then do it for my sake!

*Zeth finally comes back to his senses*

Zeth: I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Sasha. I’m sorry for completely losing my cool. I’m sorry for everything that I have done that has left a negative impact on your emotions.

*Sasha looks like she feels better after his apology*

*Zeth looks at the scared man*

Zeth: I’m sorry for what I did to you too. I will repay the cost of the door to you.

Scene 41

*Back at the base, Zeth, Sasha, Ralay, and Liana have gathered again*

Zeth: I’m sorry. I’m sorry for the poor way I acted and let my emotions get the better of me. I have calmed down now.

Ralay: It’s okay. It’s good to have emotions.

Liana: And it shows you are a caring person.

Zeth: I guess we should get back to the problem at hand. This boss guy, he’s a divine being.

Ralay: You mentioned something about that when you were yelling at the cloroid.

Zeth: Yes. We initially believed that we were going up against a mortal after investigating the nightclub. But that’s not the case. This organization is a bigger threat than we initially believed. We need to talk to the human we still have captive.

*They go into the room where the human man is still tied to a chair*

Zeth: We have more questions for you.

Man: …What do you want to know?

Zeth: Well, first things first. You better not be a needle like that cloroid was.

Man: I promise I’m not. My name is Klay Mercer. You can search any directory. I am a real person.

*Zeth sits on a chair backward (as in his frontside is facing the back of the chair)*

Zeth: Tell me everything you know about the top dealers. Don’t hold anything back. You are not getting out of captivity until the threat is taken care of.

*Klay looks down at the floor for a moment*

Klay: …All right.

Zeth: What exactly do they deal?

*Klay looks up from the floor and directly at Zeth*

Klay: They deal many things such as drugs, weapons, etc.

*Zeth looks like he is contemplating something*

Zeth: Mars is a new planet with life on it and yet its mortals already have these kinds of problems and flaws.

Ralay: When mortal life is created on worlds, the Divine World often uses repeated blueprints from other worlds. And that’s not only with personal traits, that goes with how advanced they are too. Usually, they start mortals off as primitive but that’s not always the case and varies by planet. Sometimes they start them off as immediately advanced. Mars was made to start off on the same advancement level as Earth currently is. Other planets are made so that their mortals stay primitive or others that are super advanced even beyond Earth’s.

Zeth: Interesting. I didn’t know that.

*Zeth looks back toward Klay*

Zeth: I want you to tell us where their base of operations is since the ones the fake cloroid gave us were lies.

Klay: Very few actually know where it is. Their higher-ups only meet with other high-level people of the other dealers and they are very good at making them not spread word of their business.

Zeth: Why is that?

Klay: Anyone that has ever said anything to others, even privately, soon ended up dead and what was left after the kill was always a needle. Somehow, they always seem to know. That’s why I did not want to say anything before about it.

*Zeth looks at Ralay*

Zeth: Have your assistants analyze the needles we have in Heaven.

Ralay: Good idea. I will take the three needles we have to Heaven and have them analyzed.

*Zeth looks at Klay again*

Zeth: Since you know all of this, I imagine you must be pretty high up the dealer food chain.

*Klay looks nervous*

Klay: …Yes, but I haven’t done any deals with their tops yet.

Zeth: I need you to get me into a deal meeting involving their higher-ups.

Klay: I’m not sure if it’s possible…

Zeth: I will come as your bodyguard. Look, if you do this for us, your illegal activity up to this point will be pardoned.

*Klay still looks nervous but answers*

Klay: Okay… I accept that.

Sasha: I’m going with you.

*Zeth looks at Sasha*

Zeth: I’m not sure if you should. I’m worried that your Dark Divine Eyes might stick out.

Liana: There is a way. She can go if she wears tinted glasses.

*Liana looks at Sasha*

Liana: But if anyone does ask about your eyes, try to come up with a good excuse.

Klay: If anyone there asks any questions, try to give bare minimum answers or you risk arising suspicion.

Zeth: Agreed. Our goal will be to find out where the base is, not to fight everyone.

Klay: I need to take some time to get a deal meeting set up.

Ralay: That’s good. It will give us a chance to find out what we can about the needles.

Scene 42

Narrator: 5 days later.

*At the base*

Ralay: The analysis of the needles is done. The needles have a magic tracking effect. Whoever made them has the ability to know where they are at all times. We also confirmed that the needles have the ability to create fake mortals.

Sasha: That probably explains why people get killed when talking about the organization. They have sleeper agents planted everywhere.

Zeth: It would also explain how the hooded man has been able to stay one step ahead of us constantly. We should have never kept the needles.

Ralay: I disposed of the needles immediately afterward.

Klay: I was able to set up a deal meeting. We only have one shot at this. It will happen in 3 days.

Zeth: Then we need to prepare for then.

Scene 43

Narrator: 3 days later.

*It’s night. Zeth and Klay have entered a nightclub. It’s different from the last one. Zeth is by Klay’s side. Zeth is once again dressed in a trench coat and fedora. Klay is carrying a briefcase. Meanwhile, Sasha is sitting in the main room of the nightclub. She has her hair up in a bun. She is wearing a diamond necklace and light brown tinted glasses. She is also wearing a sparkling red dress and high heels*

*A rich-looking woman sits on a chair across from the one Sasha is sitting on*

Woman: Why hello there, darling. I’ve never seen you around here before.

*Sasha tries to do her best rich woman voice*

Sasha: Why yes. I’ve come along for my husband’s first deal.

Woman: Is that so, darling? I hope you enjoy yourself. These underground dealings are unfortunate but also very necessary, darling. There aren’t many ways to make a lot of money on Mars, darling.

Sasha: Yes. We hope to come out with a lot.

*Crawling inside the walls of the nightclub are Sasha’s Hell Rats. The Hell Rats have communication devices connected to their ears. The conversation between Sasha and the rich woman is ending*

Sasha: (Thinking) I had my Hell Rats smell the needles before we handed them over to Ralay so they should be able to smell out anyone that is a needle. When I give the order, they will attack all of the needle people.

*Sasha uses the communication device connected to her ear to contact Zeth*

Sasha: What’s your status?

*Zeth is walking with Klay through a hallway*

Zeth: We’re on our way to meet with Klay’s business partners. Once we meet with them, I can no longer respond to you.

Sasha: Okay. My Hell Rats are nearly ready.

Zeth: Gotcha.

*Ralay and Liana are listening in on this communication from their base*

*Zeth and Sasha end their communication*

*A group of people then enter the nightclub. A guy that is tall and skinny and has a pretty narrow head with short brown hair starts sniffing*

Man: I smell… rotting.

*Sasha is shocked*

Sasha: (Thinking) He smells my Hell Rats!

*Sasha quickly recontacts Zeth*

Sasha: I have an update. A bunch of people just entered the nightclub and one of them started sniffing and is able to smell my Hell Rats.

Zeth: Really?

Ralay: If so, that’s not good.

Liana: You have to do something about it or it will jeopardize our objective.

Sasha: I will pursue him.

*They end their communication*

*Sasha stands up and starts walking away*

Woman: Where are you going, darling?

Sasha: (In a rich woman voice) Sorry, I’m just going to the restroom.

Woman: That’s fine, darling.

Scene 44

*Zeth and Klay reach the room where Klay’s business partners are waiting. They enter the room. The main guy in the room is a human that is fat and smokes a cigar. There is one other guy there with him*

Fat Guy: All right, Klay, you better have brought a lot of dough if you want to deal with “them”.

*Klay opens up his briefcase and there is a lot of money in it*

Klay: I got the money right here, Croy.

*Croy looks pleased*

Croy: Good.

***

*Meanwhile, Sasha grabs the sniffing man from behind and covers his mouth with her hand. She quickly brings him into a storage room and then quickly punches and elbows the person to daze him*

Sasha: That probably killed him— Wait, he is only dazed.

*She looks closer at him*

Sasha: He’s a demon.

*She smiles sadistically at him*

Sasha: Maybe there is something you can do for me.

Scene 45

*Zeth, Klay, and Klay’s two business partners start heading to a different room*

*Sasha communicates with Zeth*

Sasha: I took care of the problem.

Zeth: (Thinking) That’s good to hear. Now I just need to keep up on my end.

*When they go into the room they were heading to, they meet a cloroid with two guards by him (One to his left, and one to his right)*

Cloroid: Show me the money.

*Klay opens up his briefcase and there is a lot of money inside*

Cloroid: Excellent. So you are serious about this deal.

Croy: He was very intent on getting this deal done.

Cloroid: And that’s all good. But there is something I want from you as well.

*Both Klay and Zeth look nervous*

Klay: (Thinking) What!?

Zeth: (Thinking) He wants something from us!?

Klay: And what would that be?

Cloroid: What I want is a certain guy with blonde hair and green eyes.

*Both Klay and Zeth are in shock*

*Croy blows out a puff of smoke from his cigar*

Croy: You know, you could have specified this sooner. It’s not like we bring people like that to our meetings.

Cloroid: Well, you see, I will pay a lot of money for information on the guy’s location.

*Sasha, Ralay, and Liana are able to hear this through Zeth’s communication device and are shocked*

Sasha: (Thinking) It’s time! I have to have the Hell Rats attack now!

*Sasha uses her communication device to order the rats to attack*

Sasha: Attack the needles now.

*Throughout the whole nightclub, the Hell Rats come out of hiding and start attacking the people that are actually needles. That includes the cloroid’s two guards*

Zeth: (Thinking) So this guy’s guards are needles… The gist is up, we have to capture him right now.

*With the cloroid’s two guards taken out by the Hell Rats. He gets scared. Suddenly, a hole in the floor opens where he is standing and he falls in. It immediately closes*

Zeth: No! He can’t get away!

Klay: I’m positive that it did not take him out of the building. We can still get him.

*They both run out of the room*

Croy: Hey! Wait! What’s going on!?

*They do soon find the cloroid again in a hallway. He starts running with Zeth and Klay going after him. He turns a corner, and when Zeth turns the corner, he doesn’t see him*

Zeth: Where did he go now!?

Klay: It must be another secret escape route! Keep searching!

*Zeth and Klay keep searching*

*Zeth uses his communication device to speak to Sasha*

Zeth: Listen, Sasha, the target cloroid is trying to escape! If you find him, capture him!

Sasha: Got it.

*Zeth and Klay eventually get down to the main floor and encounter Sasha*

Zeth: Have you seen him?

Sasha: No, not even a hint.

*A hole in the wall by the exit doors then opens and the cloroid comes out of it and he runs out of the building*

Zeth: There he is!

*Zeth, Sasha, and Klay run out of the building too but they find him and a few others, including the demon that Sasha attacked, are flying away on the bird beast*

Cloroid: Hahahahaha! So long!!

Zeth: Noooo!!

*Zeth grabs the fedora on his head and slams it on the ground in frustration*

Zeth: I can’t believe he was able to get away!!

*Sasha gives her husband a “Is that what you think?” kind of smile*

Zeth: Why are you smiling?

Sasha: Honey, don’t forget that you have a very resourceful wife. You see, I am able to track where they are going. And it’s a better plan than chasing after them on my Hell Vultures.

Zeth: What? How?

*Sasha has a flashback as she explains what happened. The flashback goes back to when she dazed the demon. She looks at him with a sadistic smile*

Sasha: Maybe there is something you can do for me.

*She summons a few Hell Leeches in her right hand. She then starts shoving the leeches in his mouth and then down his esophagus. It looks painful for the demon even though he is dazed. The flashback ends*

Sasha: With the leeches in the demon’s body, I can sense where they are and therefore find the enemy base.

*Zeth looks super happy now*

Zeth: You’re the best, Sasha!

*Zeth kisses her on the lips*

Zeth: I couldn’t ask for a better wife!

*Sasha looks happy and satisfied*

***

Chapter 604: Explosive Anger

Chapter 605: Rashness

Chapter 606: The Dealings of Mars

Chapter 607: The Night Club Deal

Chapter 608: The Chase