Catching Hell Part One: Journey

by Marc Watson

  Crystal was on the move already, heading for what appeared to be a hatchway to the lower decks. Most of the robotic soldiers stationed up top had been lost as the base listed and tossed them into the sea. Others were badly damaged and could do nothing to stop the two. The few working models that were left didn’t seem interested in interfering as they clearly had their own orders of putting out fires, fixing broken comrades and generally doing anything they could to solve the problems created by Aryu and his friends.

  He didn’t see what had happened to Nixon and Sho. He feared their confidence was wrong and now Sho was at the bottom of the ocean. How he’d ever get out of his armor so quickly without the Power was something Aryu couldn’t figure out, and after Crystal told him for the tenth time to stop worrying about it and follow her, he figured there was no help for it now. They had to keep going and assume the other party was fine.

  Once inside, Aryu figured if ever he wondered what the hallways of his own personal hell would be, it wasn’t too far off from where he was now. False, buzzing lights flickered annoyingly as the white/gray walls lit up with red lights on button-filled panels. A warning alarm shrilled into the air and the smell of smoke was everywhere. They clearly had succeeded in catching the enemy by surprise.

  Aryu still had a deep and unwavering fear of the technology of the Old, and this place was almost a shrine to it. Nothing was natural. Everything was a harsh reminder that this was not the beautiful Valley of Smoke.

  Their part of the plan was both simple and complicated at the same time: find a cure for the loss of Crystal and Sho’s Power. They knew there had to be one somewhere, and here seemed like the most obvious answer. Izuku, being an Embracer of the Power himself, never would have allowed it to be around him if he didn’t have some way to reverse its terrifying effects. He prized his power too much to let something happen to it.

  Crystal seemed unfazed by such a small thing as the reality of their current situation. She ran ahead, rushing past alternate hallways and other paths without a glance, leading Aryu to believe that she had some kind of crude plan.

  Soon, the illuminated non-eyes of the soldiers around them began looking in their direction as they passed and Aryu surged forward, taking the lead from Crystal and pulling the Shi Kaze out. Their fleeting moment of relative invisibility was about to come to an end. They came to another ‘T’ intersection, though it hadn’t always been that way. The hall in front of them had collapsed in the impact and now there was only left and right to go. Crystal told him “Left!” and Aryu went, readying himself for the first sign of confrontation.

  What he got was something he never expected.

  They pushed through a large, circular door into a dome-shaped room. Tables lined the area, chairs tossed about as if many people had left in a great rush. To their right, the perfect dome shape was caved in, the exposed main hangar bay and the remains of the plane that had brought them here lay beyond, fires still raging in places and debris made up of huge pillars and metal columns scattered around like twigs.

  Do robots need tables and chairs? Suddenly his face went white. There were people on this ship, and he may have just helped kill many of them.

  The reason behind their being here didn’t matter. He had no desire to kill anyone, despite having done it already.

  Crystal saw his face as the truth struck him. It was more than just a few odd low lives that got their hands on an old Ark 1. There were people, apparently hundreds of them, which were helping the Army, either by their own choice or by (a shudder through his body before he thought the words) being forced into it somehow. He may have just killed untold numbers of innocent people.

  Crystal came to him, guiding his eyes to hers as tears filled his vision. “I doubt he tricked them or enslaved them somehow, Aryu,” she said, though he knew she couldn’t know that for certain. “This is war, and war has two sides. You can’t dwell on the choices of others. You’re a good man, Aryu. Not many others I’ve met can claim the same. You feel the pain of your enemy. I hope that’s a characteristic you never lose. These people are your enemy now. War has its casualties, and like it or not, they will be suffered by both sides.

  Her eyes, strange as they were, became soft. Comforting. “I know what you did on the plane. I know how much it scares you. Don’t be afraid. Not many people can tap the Power so easily. You can use the Power as you see fit, either to destroy your enemy or save them. Let that choice guide you the next time the situation calls for it.”

  He wiped the tears away from his eyes, half hearing what she was saying. He was still lost in the horror of what he may have done. She was right, though. It was easier to believe these people were here of their own free will.

  As they crossed the room, past the tables and toppled chairs, the first of the enemy forces appeared in the doorway. It was a combination of robotic soldiers in the lead and some humans behind them, with large rifles similar in looks to Ark 1s. They weren’t glassy-eyed or sad to be there. They were angry, with scratches on their faces and blood on their hands. They were the enemy.

  Crystal fell back, taking cover behind Aryu as she left him to do what he must. The men behind began screaming as the rifles came up and many took aim. The first sound of the shots they fired rang out into the domed room as the leading mechanical soldiers rushed at him, iron hands grasping wildly.

  There was no more time to worry about the consequences of his actions. These soldiers, both real and artificial, were here to kill them. Nixon’s words came to him.

  I don’t punish what they could do, I punish what they have done.

  If you chose to side with the enemy, you were no better than they were. Crystal was right. This was war. War has casualties.

  With that thought and the bloodcurdling scream of “For Tan Torna Qu-ay!” that was so fierce it made the human enemies stutter, the Shi Kaze flashed like lightning. One by one the enemies, both living and autonomous, fell before its power and the thirst for revenge from the user that drove it. With every stroke, the bond between weapon and wielder grew stronger.

  -----------------------

  There wasn’t time to explain to Aryu the joyous wonder that was Makashi armor. Hopefully Sho would get the chance to tell him about it. As it was, he would just have to wait for that opportunity; because right now there were much larger and nastier fish to fry. A giant fish named Izuku was here somewhere, and it was Nixon and Sho’s job to find him.

  They reached the base on the lower decks, finding a way into the belly of the beast through a hole that had been torn open during the crash. The hole was taking on water, but there were enough precautions in place to keep the ship afloat and continue on without much incident.

  Once they reached the main deck, the chaos was astonishing. Everywhere they looked mechanical soldiers partnered with human lackeys to extinguish fires and try to contain the damage from the plane crash.

  Sho watched dumbfounded as humans shouted orders and went to great trouble to try to save the giant ship and its crew.

  Nixon wasn’t surprised at all. After Aryu had told him about the incident with his friend back in the mountain village and the subsequent meeting with Boroha, finding people on board was precisely what he’d expected. Society’s dregs were often found in places like this, feeding off the sludge handed down to them by someone such as Izuku. It was and shall always be the way of things. Better a pet than a prisoner, at least in the eyes of the weak.

  Raging sword in hand and the hum of the bladed shield beside him, Nixon stepped to the first crowd of robotic drones and cleaved the whole lot of them with one swipe. The sudden felling of their comrades made the rest of the forces in the large hallway take notice. They attacked these new threats, but none possessed weapons in this time of turmoil. They were easy prey for the two skilled warriors. The living members of this riot squad were a little more hesitant to confront these newcomers and held back behind the first wave of soldiers, trying to organize themselves and plan what to do next.

  O
nce the last of the robots was cleaved into bits and tossed aside, Nixon (careful to keep Sho behind him and protected from unseen threats) stepped towards the remaining figures.

  “Gentlemen,” he began, careful not to smile, knowing full well that his grin was made to set someone at ease, “as I am in a terrible rush, I was hoping tha’ one of ye could guide me t’ the man named Izuku? Perhaps tell me where t’ find him?”

  No answer, just a crowd of scared faces. Nixon and Sho could both see them trying to decide whom they feared more. “I’ll make this simple,” Nixon added, knowing their inner conflict for what it was, “Izuku likely would kill ya all for helpin’ us; 'owever, he’s not 'ere right now, and I am. I assure ya, I'll do the exact same as he will. Ya may not suffer as much, but in the end, you’ll be jus' as dead. You either 'elp us now and live, riskin' the chance t’ stay alive later, or ya die now by my 'and and tha' of my friend.”

  “He’s upstairs, on the top level!” shouted a man from the back. “He was trying to put out the fires and get the last transports ready to leave.”

  Nixon singled him out and called him forward. He was short and dirty. He looked like one who hadn’t worked a real job in his life. A drifter from place to place, looking for opportunities with high reward and minimal effort. “There’s a helpful fella. Tell me, how might we make it up there from here?”

  He pointed down an adjoining hallway and stammered, “Through…through there. Emergency stairs lead all the way up, unless the fire has gotten in and blocked the way.”

  These fires were nothing to him. “I’ll worry about tha’. Thank ya for yer help.”

  Nixon turned, careful to keep at least one eye on the group, when Sho stepped towards them. “Why worry about the last transport? He has a million troops on the ground. What’s one more ship?” A good question Nixon hadn’t considered. Surely Izuku must have more than enough support from the troops that had landed and the fighting machines and ships that were everywhere.

  No answer from the little man, or any other. The bladed shield whirred to life, coming closer and closer to the one who had chosen to speak. The look of malaise was gone from Sho’s face. What remained was an icy stare and his infamous battle high.

  “I’d answer. He’s no more forgiving than I am,” Nixon added, curious about the answer.

  “Team Yosuru. The last transport is entirely Team Yosuru,” he spat out, the fire around them growing stronger now that no one was trying to douse it.

  “Team Hug?” Sho asked, clearly incensed now thinking the stocky man had said something funny. Even without Power, Nixon marveled at how quickly Sho could change moods and aura. Then it dawned on Sho what he was saying.

  “Embracers!” the man cried out, rushing to get the words to his lips. “A force of twenty Embracers of the Power! Everyone he could find to join his cause!”

  Sho’s eyes widened at the revelation. Twenty! That many was a number too terrible to consider in his weakened state, even with Nixon and a wielder of the Shi Kaze on his side. He should have known. To come so far and risk so much was one thing for Izuku, but all it would have taken was one strong-willed Embracer to wipe out some or all of his forces with the essence of the Power at their command. Izuku was strong but often didn’t like getting his hands dirty if possible. What better way to ensure victory in case such a situation was encountered? How long had it taken to arrange this whole attack? How many decades, or even centuries, had his brother been planning this foray? Patience was always Izuku’s weak point. It would seem he was over that particular foible.

  Nixon could handle his fair share of rogue Embracers, but more than five was enough to get the better of him, depending on the Powers each had chosen to specialize in. This put yet another crimp into the plans.

  Huh, the phoenix thought to himself. All I wanted was answers. The job he had been ordained by God Himself to do was skirted to the back burner in the hubbub. Now he was a leading force in the battle to save the world from a powerful enemy. And where did Izuku’s loyalties lay? With the men, or with the machines?

  “Come Sho, leave these cowards t’ their fate.” With that, he hurried off down the hallway, Sho following behind.

  He followed Nixon into the stairwell, the man of fire in the lead taking four steps at a time in his rush to get up. Now, knowing that he was rushing towards a lethal force of Embracers and his already over-powerful brother, the spring wasn’t quite in Sho’s step anymore.

  -----------------------

  The part of the plan no one counted on (truthfully, they were somewhat busy at the time to cover every angle) was that HOME would be divided into two separate wings with the massive launching bay in the center. The plane crash had essentially split the base in two, and Izuku, shouting orders and planning his escape, was first encountered by Crystal and Aryu.

  They had left one man alive during the assault in the dining room and from him had learned the whereabouts of the most likely location of the lab and its precious contents. It was while running there that they came across Izuku as he was trying to get things in order.

  When they came around a corner into a wide corridor that had once led to the main launch hangar in the middle of the ship (and now was filled on the far end by crumbling debris and milling mechanical men), it took Aryu a moment to realize what he was seeing.

  There at the far end was a man smaller than him, covered in dark, plain clothes, with gleaming metal wings protruding from his back. Wings so like his in design and size it was astonishing.

  It was Crystal that cried out, knowing the enemy for who he was. “IZUKU!”

  The winged man turned, exposing the mechanical conglomeration that was his body, sheathed sword at his side. Bald, gleaming scalp reflecting the light of the fires around him. A grin like death, even in his anger. The rage in his eyes, even before he knew who had called him, was horrifying. Aryu had never seen a look so full of hate. He was no longer sure why he was running to this man. That one gaze told him it was a terrible idea.

  The anger Izuku had felt after the initial attack was melting. Within arm’s reach was one of the two he had wanted all along. Dare he say, the one he had wanted most of all?

  “Aryu O’Lung’Singh,” he said, smiling at the words as they left his mouth. “And Crystal Kokuou. What a moment this is!”

  Crystal didn’t stop charging him, which to Aryu seemed like a foolish thing to do in her current state. Izuku kept smiling, welcoming this futile attack. When she was almost in striking distance, he stepped back into a defensive position, and with a flick of his wrist, pulled the non-existent blade out just a touch.

  The movement caused Crystal to instantly stop her charge and fall back, gripping her head in obvious pain, for reasons Aryu couldn’t see. He caught up with her as she went to a knee, humming to herself quietly like she was trying to block out something imperceptible. Izuku didn’t move. He only watched Aryu with interest.

  “Stop it!” Aryu shouted at the terrifying blend of man and machine in front of him. “Whatever you’re doing, stop it! You know she can’t hurt you like this!”

  “That is true,” he replied in a voice Aryu knew to fear immediately. “But she is a danger to me even without command of the Power, so I’ll keep her where she is. You, though. How do you feel?”

  Aryu was angered and confused by the question. “I feel like cutting you to pieces!”

  Izuku laughed at the idea. “Really now, Aryu, you are a guest here. I guess common courtesy is too much to expect from someone who just flew a plane into my home.”

  “Stop it!” Crystal suddenly yelled, breaking her humming like glass. “Put it away!” Tears were in her eyes, but still Aryu couldn’t see why.

  Aryu was up, face to face with this thing called Izuku. No matter what, he couldn’t let Crystal hurt like this if he could stop it. He was taller than Izuku, but Izuku was nothing but machine and the Power. He knew he didn’t stand much of a chance, but he had to try. His wings extended out, trying in vain to block out whatev
er it was that Izuku was doing, but to no avail.

  “Ah, yes, the wings!” Izuku said with a hint of pride. He finally had the man he wanted. “I admit I had my doubts. You were a challenge to find, but I’d say I did fantastically!”

  “What do you mean?” Aryu asked. His voice was threatening, but his eyes were curious. Izuku knew something.

  “I don’t have time to indulge you in stories, Aryu. I have places to go and things to do. For now, I’ll take my leave and give you over to the care of my entourage. Gentlemen…”

  Izuku stepped back and summoned his waiting robotic forces to his side. It was a safe bet that most if not all of HOME was a loss, which was a shame. He’d emptied most of the base, and except for the loss of the collection of High-Yield bombs, this was not a crippling defeat. Once his troops took Aryu, Izuku was satisfied that it would be a good day.

  Aryu held his ground. “Let her go, Izuku!”

  Izuku simply waved and turned away, sending his minions after Aryu and the fallen Crystal.

  The Shi Kaze was out in an instant, and with only a few powerful strokes the attacking soldiers were torn to shreds. Rage and revenge drove Aryu forward, desperate to get to Izuku before he could escape.

  The last soldier fell and Aryu charged Izuku while bringing the Shi Kaze around, ready to cut his most hated enemy down.

  Izuku didn’t move. He didn’t need to. He could feel the movement Aryu was making. He knew that whatever weak weapon it was he was swinging would slice through the sheathed blade of the Est Vacuus. He felt confident he had nothing to fear from this futile attack, and the boy would quickly learn a lesson in the Power and the things it can do.

  That is, until Aryu hit him.

  As if fired from a cannon, Izuku was tossed into a far wall by the force of the sword strike. He hit it unprepared for the impact and winded himself as he did so.

  Aryu stood across from him, surprised at what his actions had done but more surprised it hadn’t cut him entirely in two. By this point Aryu was confident there was nothing the Shi Kaze could not get through. He felt the repulsive force as the two blades met, but he could still hold his ground and was unmoved by the action.