“We’re doomed, I tell you. Without reasonable doubt we are...” Sueki began.

“Oh, be quiet. Sector Four needs reinforcements.” Beth said, throwing a laser rifle at Sueki, knocking the wind out of him.

“What!?! I’m not a warrior!”

“If you had any chance of survival in here I would listen to you. But we’re all doomed anyway! MARCH!” She said, kicking him down the corridor.

“Time Noise. Don’t even think about teleporting out of here. You’re going down with the ship.”

“Beth. Things will be fine. Calm down already.”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN FINE!! WE’RE SURROUNDED, OUTNUMBERED THREE-TO-ONE, AND YOU’RE TELLING ME THINGS ARE GOING TO BE FINE?” She raged.

“Not for too long. Although you can continue raving if you like. It’s part of the timeline. Trust me. If I knew this battle was going to go poorly I would have bailed out long ago.”

“By the stars, that’s reassuring. You wouldn’t lie to me, would you.”

“I have no reason to.”

“Vague.” She remarked. “Get to work, we’ve got a base to save.”

OUTSIDE

The air was acid with smoke. Moo seemed to have pulled out all the stops to deal with them. They were just one base, for gods sake.

She ducked as another shot blasted overhead. Why were they firing at her?! She was a stretcher carrier, a doctor for the love of…

Whoa. Close one.

She gritted her teeth and continued bandaging the monster in front of her.

The monster twitched, hissed and tried to pull away.

The Janne grabbed the Monster by the shoulders. “Hey. Don’t move. You’re hurt.”

The Night Flyer just stared at her, the harsh sun glinting off her moo emblem.

Then the air around them exploded throwing her back about 20 feet. The Night Flyer remained only as a lost disk.

“They don’t even care about their own men.” Speedcircut said, sounding sad. “Come on! We’ve got to get back to work. This one needs to be taken to the med bay, ASAP!”

SECTOR FOUR

If there was a contest to see if it was possible to recreate hell on earth, this was probably in the running.

Sueki hopped madly, trying to escape the blasts. Practically an entire squadron of Nagas were on his tail.

Suddenly he heard the slight buzzing sound of three laser blasts. Three Nagas fell down dead.

“Fools.” A voice rang out. The shooter revealed herself, wearing the uniform of one of Moo’s snipers, but no insignia.

I think you know who it was.

“Eurydice???”

She raised the rifle to her shoulder and quickly dispatched the rest of the Nagas.

“Yeah. It’s me.”

“Why’d you come back?”

She shrugged. “Heh. Rebels have to stick together. And besides…not that many places employ defeated baddies. This should even the odds a little.”

Before he could get an explanation, she had vanished.

“PLANTS!! Get up on the ridge and nail them with your seed shooters!” A voice yelled. “JELLS, Get down on the ground and form spikes, stop them from advancing on foot.”

Eurydice flew overhead and yelled. “Where’s Ice Rock.”

The owner of the voice stared up and yelled, “Eurydice, this is no time for loveplay.” Garuda said, in an exasperated tone.

“Oh, knock it off. We make a good team.” She said, blushing a unique shade of red that matched her wings.

“Oh, I’m so sure that’s all it is. You’re a speeder, keep your…”

The Durahan/Phoenix sweatdropped as she flew towards the centre of the battle. “distance…”

INSIDE KAWREA

“I don’t believe this. What is this, every nonaligned monster within 50 miles? What are they doing here?”

“If I told you this was the reason I told you not to worry, would I get busted for withholding information?”

Beth began to laugh, relieved.

Then she reached over and gave him a peck on the cheek.

“I owe you a drink.”

MEDICAL BAY

Back in her element, she took a short moment to breathe.

“Scalpel. Hopper, Skipper breed, multiple lacerations and possible internal injuries.”

A really short moment. The battle may have been winding down, but to her and the few other doctors and nurses (and anyone versed in first aid as well) all that meant was that Monsters and humans with injures could finally be brought in off the battlefield.

The medical bay was filled to capacity, Monsters protesting, humans staring at bloody wounds, baddies trying to escape (sometimes on broken limbs) frazzled doctors and nurses who had been working on the triage system all day, surviving on the stimulating powers of caffeine alone.

She sighed and got back to work.

ELSEWHERE: KAWREA.

“Hey. Ice Rock.” Eurydice yelled.

“Hmm.” He said as she perched lightly on his shoulder.

“Look. We’ve been partners for...How long? Years, anyway. The only reason I came back to Moo was to see if you’d come with me and…”

She took a deep breath. “Thanks for...for everything.”

“What for?”

“Who else would put up with me for so long.” She jumped off his shoulder giving him a little kiss.

Looking at the shock and happiness in his eyes, her only thoughts were: What the $*@! was I waiting for???

ANOTHER ELSEWHERE: KAWREA BASE

It was nearly midnight by the time the baddies had retreated and the wounded tended to.

That didn’t stop the party nor did it seem to quiet it down at all.

The Skipper was busy counting out money with his good arm. “Ah, so what was the odds on that eventuality? 200:1?

“It was 250 to 1 and you know it. Fork it over. I know these things.” Said a smallish Queen Plant with one of her stalks bandaged.

“What’s this all about.” Eurydice asked, hands on her hips.

“Uh, nothing, just the weekly betting pool that’s all, yeah.”

“What’s this weeks topic?”

“Uhhhh…nothing important.”

“It was on what it would take for you and Ice Rock to get together.”

The skipper sweatdropped as he watched the veins appear on Eurydice’s and Ice Rock’s foreheads.

“And since Queen Plant here,” The Fly eye gestured toward a small, cowering plant. “Caught you two in the…” The Fly eye coughed and tried to edge away.

Scalpel wasn’t going to be happy about the new influx of patients into her sickbay.

“What happened next? Holly asked, leaning forward.

“Well…” Time Noise began.

“Strange to see you again, isn’t it? But the final battle is drawing near. I suppose you have some things you need to get done?”

“Garuda.”

The Durahan stepped out from behind one of the thick trees.

The ancient General took two strides, his eyes never leaving Genki’s. “You have clear eyes. Utter clarity.”

“Yeah. The Centaurs told me that, but…I don’t have the slightest clue what it’s supposed to mean.” Genki said, shrugging.

“The Centaur? Brave, honorable, just…but I would rather be pulled to pieces by the Salamanders than serve Moo.” Garuda said, looking away.

“Yeah. That’s what I thought.” Genki said. “They said I had a quest I must fulfil. How do you know them?”

“I know nearly every monster that opposes Moo, in secret or openly. That’s how I was able to raise a small army to save Kawrea, once upon a time. And the quest: That’s truth Genki. The Phoenix is older than the body the ancients created. They chose that form because it was represented in their legends as a protector.”

“Older than the Ancients?” Holly asked in disbelief.

“Older.” He said chuckling. “How could I have held the soul of the Phoenix before the Anceints were young if it were not older?”

“You hold the Phoenix’s mind? Hare asked, shocked.

“What?” Tiger asked, suddenly awake.

“Held. Past tense.” He said, shaking his head. “I gave up the honor long ago. Though whoever holds a Phoenix wears it’s influence forever. The fact that I exist now as a ghost in my armor, as a monster proves that.” He turned toward Time Noise. “Are you going to continue with your story?”

“Yes…”

KAWREA BASE

She tucked her hair behind her ear and continued to work. Her project was almost finished. How long had she been fiddling with it...a waste of time of course.

What had he said? That it would be of the utmost importance.

Yeah right.

A biosignature tracker? Smaller, compact enough to be worn around the neck, running off the energy of the person using it, with a range of half the planet. Defiantly a huge improvement over the old, but nothing that would be remembered. Just putting Nanotech to good use.

On the other hand- had he ever lied to her? She let her mind run over him for a couple of seconds.

No. He had never truly lied. He had withheld information, but never out and out lied. To the best of her knowledge. She trusted him…

Trust? Hadn’t she learned anything? She thought, shaking her head. Speaking of Time Noise, she still owed him a drink.

She quickly clasped the stone around her neck and ran through the hallway. She was too preoccupied to notice that it glowed.

Eurydice strolled down the hallway. There was no need to hurry. She felt the smiles on her-news traveled fast. Not that she cared.

Cared. Who’d have thought she could, he could, they would- Nevermind. scout Duty today. Pay attention to the world around you. Her eyes focused on the monster ahead of her.

“Hey.”

“Good morning Eurydice. Sleep well.”

“Heh. Nope.”

“Did you want something? I’m expecting Beth any minute.”

“Any minute?” She asked, almost laughing.

“Forty-four seconds. You wanted to ask me something?”

“Anything we should watch out for? It’s just that...”

He knew what she meant. So easy to see how what he would say would set history in motion. “You’ll be together forever. You have nothing to worry about. I think Gaurda and the other rebels set the baddies on the run.”

“Yeah. I think we did. I don’t expect any real problems either. See ya.” She waved as she left.

He stared after her a tear ran down his cheek.

“Hey. Remember when she first came here?” Beth said standing behind him.

He nodded. “And you threatened to shoot her?”

“I still think you were instrumental in her escaping.”

“I was.”

She laughed. “I know you too well.”

“You don’t know me and too soon you wont want to. Please Beth, Don’t ask me anything. Not even why.”

She stared at him, trying to understand. She wrapped her arms around him, and she was startled to read genuine surprise on his face. It looked alien on his features. “You didn’t see this one coming?” She said laughing before planting a little kiss on his lips.

“No…Beth, for you I would do anything.”

Suddenly she yelled out loud and nearly collapsed as a bright light surrounded her body and an image formed surrounding them. Her eyes went wide as she saw the base from the air-and the baddies approaching.

“Wha???”

“The stone channels YOUR power, Beth, and will channel the power of your family. Like everything here, it is more than it appears.” He said, holding her gently, but looking slightly away.

“You...Eurydice and Ice Rock are out there! You told her...Oh my god!” She shoved him away, appaled, running to try and avert disaster.

“It’s too late.” He said after she left, speaking in nearly a whisper.

A second later the klaxons started to howl.

“I’m so sorry...and I’ll miss you.” He said, bowing his head as other monsters ran by, running to join the battle. Within a minute he had joined them.

OUTSIDE

Could have been worse. She said, firing off a shot. Not to many-must have been counting on surprise.

She quickly fell back, the shot whizzing over her head.

Maybe it wasn’t to bad. They were holding out well, winning actually. She turned and stared at where Scalpel was helping SpeedCircut to her feet. She smiled slightly.

Probably just one of those things that had to happen...

Suddenly the breath was knocked out of her as Time Noise pushed her out of the path of a stray bullet.

He brushed a stay strand of hair out of her face…why did he look so sad?

“Goodbye.” He said. “I didn’t want it to end like this…”

“Why would it end…” Beth was practically knocked off her feet by a sudden blast of blue light. The baddies were gone, replaced by lost disks. She looked up, blinking, to see Eurydice standing there…

He wouldn’t have…

Alone...

Please...

Covered in blood. “Eurydice?”

“You bastard…How could you do this to us? How could you???”

Sueki stepped out of the background. “Are you alright? What bastard? What happened? Where’s Ice Rock?”

“No, never again. Time Noise, that lying bastard. Naga ambushed us. Ice Rock’s dead.”

“What did Time Noise say?” Sueki asked, staring at Beth.

“Told them that nothing would happened today. That they’d be together forever…” Beth said, her voice one of quiet rage. “All it would have taken was a warning…you knew this would happen, Didn’t you?” Her voice grew in intensity, if not in volume. The pendant around her neck grew a little brighter with each word.

“I told you he was bad news.” Sueki mumbled.

Time Noise only nodded.

“How could you!!!” Beth screamed, throwing a quick punch. If he had seen it coming, Time Noise could have dodged it. He hadn’t, and his head snapped back from the impact.

“I know I can’t kill you.” Eurydice said, her voice holding a note of sadness, mute exept for that one emotion. “But I want you to remember us for the rest of your immortal life.” She walked away, looking shattered.

“Eurydice…”

“Let her be, Beth. What would you say?” Time Noise turned, starting to leave. “They will be together again. On this plane too.”

“HOW? When? What could possibly make up for letting them walk to their deaths? Could change it?”

“Yeah!!” Sueki yelled.

“Sueki, if I told you that they would be together again, and happy thousands of years from now, would that be enough?”

“No, it wouldn’t be. You betrayed them.” He answered.

“He’s right.” Beth said, crying.

“You’re both wrong. It will.”

He left the monster and the human standing outside the base, lost in their grief for life and loves lost.

“So you honestly did that to them, you let him walk to his death?” Tiger growled.

“That’s probably the scumiest thing I’ve ever heard of.”

“That’s even scummier than anything Hare would do.” Suezo remarked.

“That’s right, that’s even…HEY!!”

“They’re here now, aren’t they? Besides, I don’t need you to trust me. I already know what you’ll do.”

“And that makes us easy to manipulate, is that right?” Genki said, putting up his fists.

“Chi!!!”

Time Noise sighed and said. “If I were you, I’d duck. Your demise would destroy the timeline.”

“Huh??” Genki, said spinning around as Grey Wolf, alert and watchful, launched his attack. He and Mocchi jumped out of the way. Grey Wolf landed off balance, on an as-yet-unhealed limb. He howled in pain.

“Whoa, take it easy…” Holly began. Grey Wolf snarled at her and she jumped back.

“What do you want from me!” He yelled.

“Brother...” Tiger stepped forward.

Grey Wolf stared at the group surrounding him, his expression not changing at the sound of his brother’s voice.

“You violate the rules of the hunt, plan to hold me here against my will? Don’t consider yourselves my friends or my family.”

“You fool...” Pixie began.

“So this is where the traitors and fools end up.” He said, casting a glare at Pixie, Big Blue, Janne, and Metalgirl.

“You’re in no condition to fight.” Janne said gently. “They put some good wounds on you. I’d say that you might be able to get away, but the wounds would definitely become infected. Gangrene, etc, maybe.”

“I’m willing to bet…” Gaurda started.

“I know what you’re going to say.” Time Noise said. “And you’re right.”

“That upon your absence scouts were sent out. Knowing that this Naga is probably not that different than his former self, he’s sent out scouts that are loyal to him, not to you.”

Suddenly there was laughter in the trees. It seemed to move outward as more and more eyes appeared in the trees.

“Well, well, well. Another traitor. This group just seems to attract them like flies, no?”

“What!? I’m no traitor! Defeated or not, I still serve Moo.” Grey Wolf said.

“As far as Naga- and Moo- are concerned, you are a traitor. It doesn’t matter if you are or if you aren’t.” The Hopper on the high branch said, laughing. “You’re still done for. ATTACK”

There were a lot of them, and they were fast. One of them, a Skipper that was small and thin even for a Hopper, jumped out of the way, and ran. “How would you feel about dealing with someone a little more powerful? I’ll be back.” He ran, jumping through the branches.

“OH SHIT!” Pixie yelled, taking after him. She quickly lost him, he could lose himself in the thick branches that would tear her wings if she tried to follow.

The group turned their efforts to deferring the attacks of the Hoppers, but most of them ran back into the trees. They were scouts, after all. They had been told to find them, then report back.

“Well, ah, I think we need a plan.” Hare said.

“If more powerful troops are coming it would be in our general best interests to leave. But I’ve explored this area for years. There’s nowhere to hide, especially if they bring out airborne squadrons to search for us.” Garuda said, weighing their options. “We should keep moving, no matter what.”

The group nodded, and began to walk.

They traveled in silence. No one wanted to tip the enemy off- or to be precise, no one knew what to say.

Older than the ancients? How could that be-is it one of the ancient gods? Will we ever find it again? And who is Time Noise, truly. I doubt he’s as bad as Sueki said he is, but still...

“You look like Beth when you do that.” Sueki said, hopping up beside Holly.

“Do what?”

“Brood.”

“Beth told me that there were lines of power crossing the earth. The stone- when she made it, she configured it to draw off the power of the user.”

“You mentioned that. So…”

“I don’t think it’s just a sensor anymore…”

Holly pulled the stone out and held it up, watching it catch the moonlight. “It’s a focus.”

A focus? Holly turned her head forward

He doesn’t deserve this. I don’t want him to die for me. He’s blind. . Suddenly the forest seemed to explode in flames.

“Wha! DRAGONS!!” Grey Wolf snarled.

“We’re in trouble! CHI!” Mocchi said, jumping on to Genki’s back.

“Ha! We’re not afraid, are we?” Genki yelled.

“Beg to differ, chi.”

“Lightning!” Pixie yelled, lashing out with several bolts of lightning. They merely bounced of the dragons’ hide.

“What the?” She yelled, dodging a blast flame.

“You think your weak attacks will harm us?” One of them yelled before knocking her out of the sky.

Big Blue caught her with little effort. “Heh...thanks.” She said, a slight blush coloring her cheeks.

Holly seemed terrified. “What do you want!” One of them dived at her, but Holly grabbed her father’s knife and brought it up in a single swipe. He howled in pain and pulled away.

Drops of blood remained on her hands. That was the second time she had stained her hands.

Like Father Like daughter.

The first in the battle with Allure and now.

Like father…Like daughter.

~Flashback~

“I can’t put my finger on it but there is something about that girl. Mark my words, she’ll be trouble.” The woman said to her husband, inspecting fruit at the market. “Spending all her time with monsters or alone on the bluffs. Her entire family’s always’ been strange.”

Holly listened closely to the woman’s words.

“Well, like father, like daughter, I suppose.”

~Present~

“Holly!!” Genki grabbed her, saving her from being fricasseed by a particularly angry dragon.

“You have to pay attention Holly. You could have been killed.”

They were outnumbered, outclassed-Metalgirl was the first to bolt.

“Metalgirl!” Janne yelled.

“Our chances of success are statistically negligible.” She said, not slowing for a second.

It seemed as though she was right. Pretty soon, they were all running, the dragons nearly unaffected by their attacks, always seeming a little stronger than could be possible.

“Just keep moving.” Genki said.

Time Noise seemed eerily calm. “5-“

Some of the faster dragons flew ahead to cut them off. “4”

Genki was nearly knocked off his feet by another attack, but he caught himself, Holly still in his arms. “3”

Sueki looked at him- then smiled as he caught on. “2”

“ONE!!! TELEPORT!!!”

The group hit the ground, landed, tripped and generally slammed into the ground with degrees of grace running generally from none to “are you sure that isn’t broken”

“I did it! I teleported us! YES! See Hare, I told you it wasn’t a one-hit…” Suezo began.

“Ahem. That was me.” Sueki said.

Suezo sweatdropped.

“So you were saying?” Hare said, laughing.

“Where are we?” Holly said.

“Welcome.” Time Noise said, staring at a ruin in the distance. “To Kawrea.”

“This is Kawrea?” Suezo asked.

Pixie looked over the ruins with a critical eye. “No-one’s been here for years.”

“The last people to come through her were on a expedition more than twenty years ago. They took a lot of the remaining mystery disks AND, we’ve about two days before the baddies catch up with us.” Time Noise said, dusting himself off.

“Does that mean 48 hours exactly or something else? You know but you just wont tell us.” Hare said.

“He’s enough to make you want to tear your fur out.” Tiger said.

“Once again we agree, Tiger.” Hare said, scratching his head. “He is the most aggravating individual I have ever met.”

“You’re telling me. God knows how many years and I still have to deal with him.” Sueki continued.

“You’ll meet worse.” Time Noise said. “Come on. There’s some buildings over here that are in alright shape, considering it’s been a few thousand years.”

“All right.”

“Wow, look at all this…” Suezo paused while entering the building. “Junk”

“This is not junk.” Metalgirl said. “Just look at it all.” Janne rolled her eyes. With this much electronic stuff lying around, the futurity looked like a kid in a candy store.

“I know I’m in trouble when I take backseat to some electronic debris…” Janne began.

“Jan-chan, I don’t complain when you’re patching up some vagabond.” Janne flushed deeply as Metalgirl gave her a playful punch in the arm.

“So what happened next?” Holly asked.

“Things began to end…Everything does…”

KAWREA BASE

“Eurydice.”

“What.” She said, not slowing or moving her eyes.

“Are you alright?”

“No. Look, Sueki.”

“Yeah. What is it.”

“Things are…well things are being wound up. The project’s almost ready. The team at Kairus is ready, they radioed us last week.”

“Yep, everything’s just about done.”

“Then it’s over. Kawrea ends. What will keep these places together now? The world is ending, Sueki. Can’t you see it?”

“So what do you think is going to happen?”

“I think that things are going to end up just like they are those places the refugees come from. There’s going to be another war Sueki. And everyone’s going to lose.”

“Come on, ‘Dice, where are you going…Eurydice?!”

“What’s the matter?” Beth said.

“She’s been acting like this for weeks now. She doesn’t eat, she doesn’t sleep, but she fights harder than ever. She’s fainted twice. Scalpel’s really worried about her.” He glanced over at Beth. “So the two of you broke up?”

Beth nodded sadly.

“Looks like you finally got some taste-wait!! I didn’t mean it like that!! Come back here.”

“If I were you, Sueki, I’d shut up before you say something even MORE boneheaded…”

“You’re probably right.”

LATER…

Beth pounded the console in pure frustration. So close to being finished, and this one amino acid was throwing everything off.

“Gene 6, section 27. About halfway through.”

“You. And what do you have to say for yourself?”

“The problem you’re looking for is on…” Time Noise continued.

“Gene 6, yadda yadda. What do you have to say for yourself. Have you seen her? She looks about ready to kill herself and you don’t even care!”

Suddenly the klaxons started to sound.

“The baddies have finally caught on, Beth, this is an important battle.”

“I’ve given up on trying to get an answer out of you…”

“You are mortal, Beth, and the world is ending.”

“Why aren’t you even trying to stop it then?” She asked coldly, turned, and went to join the battle.

Chapter Eight Entropy.

“Shields are down, Beth-sama, so uh, what do we do.”

“We’re Kawrean, Reno. We fight. Status.”

“Worms and some other troops have burrowed underground to get around our shields, so it doesn’t really matter that shields are down-they’re inside anyway.” The man buried his face in his hands. “Why couldn’t they have given us another week?”

“Scalpel?” Beth asked as the Pixie/Durahan hybrid entered the room.

“They’re in the lower levels. Garuda has sent Eurydice and some other rebels to get them…Beth, I can’t find ‘Circuit anywhere ...”

“Scalpel. I know how you feel about her.” Beth grabbed a rifle and headed for the door. “I’ve had enough of this. Keep them away from the labs, I’m going out there.”

“Wha... Beth, you won’t last a minute.”

“Try me.”

Underground…. Speedcircut prayed. She’d eat her vitamins, she’d give up chocolate, she’d take better care of herself, she’d actually sleep at night…if only she lived long enough to see Scalpel again.

The Futuritiy carefully worked her way down the tunnel. The entire relay had been blown out, leaving about half the weapons and shields powerless. Scalpel-chan, my Janne…Let me live to see you.

Underground…. “Eurydice!!” Where are you going?

“That bastard took the only thing that made my life worth living. I’m going to tear him limb from reptilian limb.”

Garuda grabbed her by the arm. “Eurydice-chan.”

“Let GO of me, fool.”

“I’m not going to pretend, Eurydice. Be CAREFUL. He hated to see you hurt, Eury-chan.”

She suddenly turned white. “That’s what he used to call me when we were alone.” She wrenched her arm out of his grasp. “Don’t you DARE call me that.”

“Be careful…”

Outside…. Chaos beyond words. That was the only way to say it. There were disks everywhere.

Is this it then? The people of Kawrea are not shedders of blood. But the world is ending…Why can’t we save it…The nanotech around my neck is glowing…

The best die young and the ones that survive are the serpents. “I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!”

Why are they staring at me. I’ve dropped my gun.

There is a power in this place. This is a place of light…

Why am I moving toward them? Why haven’t I been mowed down by enemy fire yet? Focus…

Underground…. Naga. The scum…he had ordered the attack. Killing him wouldn’t heal the pain, revenge never did. But it would be so satisfying...He had hurt her in so many ways.

“Naga, It’s the beginning of the end.”

He turned and the battle began, fast and furious.

Sickbay…. Scalpel looked over the patients coming into the sick bay…they’re weren’t that many.

Moo’s troops were more deadly this time. They were trying to keep them from bringing in the wounded, shooting at the medics. How could those Monsters bring themselves to be corrupted like this? Where is she?

Underground… Whole damn relay’s busted. Look at this...It’s extremely dangerous. Speedcirucut began to cry as she evaluated the extent of the damage. One spark and the entire relay will bl….

OH SHIT.

Outside… I want it to end now…Kawrea shouldn’t have to exist.

But there’s a power in this place...or is it in me…focus.

Underground…. Eurydice barely registered the movement as the Futurity bolted. The girl wanted to stay out of it, fine. This was her ending. Enough was enough…she knew what she was doing…

“Naga, do you regret what you’ve done?”

“No.”

“Good.” She lifted her gun and pulled the trigger. The shot went right though him.

“You fool.”

Outside… “ENOUGH’S ENOUGH!! Stop this now!” She screamed at the top of her lungs...Maybe this battle was important.

The power arched out of the stone and from her body…enough was enough. It was Kawrea’s last major battle before the Phoenix rose. The estimate was that 30 percent of Kawrea’s population died that day.

Medical Bay...

“Mmmth. Were am I?”

The janne dashed over to Beth’s bedside. “What was that? You completely drained yourself out. It’s like something leached the power from your body. WHAT did you do?”

“Hey, we’ve got another one.”

“SpeedCircuit. What happened?” Scalpel literally jumped over Beth’s cot to tend to her friend.

“Some goddamn idiot fired a rifle when half the relays were ripped open…whoever it was nearly brought the roof down. As it is, the bloody building’s off limits…”

“She’ll be okay?” Time Noise asked, having appeared apparently from thin air.

“You tell me.” Scaplel said, leaning over the Monster who had been her constant companion for as long as anyone had known. “Oh shit. Prep an OR STAT!!”

As the chaos burned itself out, Beth whispered a question.

“Who did it? Speedcircuit wouldn’t have shot anything down there...she has too much respect for the technology. So who did it?”

“She wanted what she got. And in the long run…”

“WHO WAS IT DAMN YOU.”

“Eurydice. But the explosion killed her. And Naga. She knew what she was doing.”

“Where’re Garuda and the others?”

“He’s fine. The other scientists are talking to the teams at Kairus. The Monsters are outside, in here…” He said, gesturing to the sickbay. Or dead.“

“Damn you. God Damn you.”

“So that’s what happened.” Suezo said. None of the Searchers seemed to know quite what to say.

Pixie didn’t say anything. She just bolted…