NOVEL WEB A Brief Diversion
I really shouldn't be carrying him like this. Damn it Scott, you aren't five anymore and he's not a princess. Just because he's kinda cute doesn't mean you can pick him up. You are a man now, heck, he's a man and you're straight. Really straight! Remember Fi god damn it! Even thinking that he's cute would make him feel emasculated and he probably hates you for being a man or making him feel small.
Despite knowing that, I can't let go of being his knight in shining armour. I just don't have it in me to let go of that selfish garbage. At least this selfishness should ensure he's safe. He's not silly enough to run into danger.
"Let me get you out of here. I need you to know you're okay." I sound cheesy. His ears turn a bright red, likely embarrassed about my act. He's made it clear it's emasculating, but I can't just leave him. Not when I can get him out safely and be back in time to kick some rocky ass.
I am extremely aware of the way his arms are hooked around my neck. This can't get worse. I just need to set him down comfortably and if he's uncomfortable or embarrassed about me carrying him, if he's mad at me, I can deal with it later. As long as I know he's safe. Without looking back after dropping him off I run back into the center. I need to stop over thinking if I don't want to be scolded for recklessness by Fi.
The crowds scream as I dash and weave between them to get back to the door, the anemobots gathering around it get a fright as I bowl into the closest one, full speed, grappling it into a roll and tossing it across the room.
"Right on time, Scott." Summer says as she slams a bot's head against her knee. "Get my back." The beast's body hits the ground and collapses into dust. Without a word I take position. Across the room, the one I threw starts to get up and is promptly crushed by the heel of the teams fashion disaster.
"Was the showing off necessary?" Ziggy asks, with a stupid grin on their face.
"It was efficient." I argue as one tries to lunge for Summer and promptly gets kicked in the space where it's gut would be.
"Ryan safe?" Summer ignores Ziggy's bullshit. Thank the power for that.
"Yeah, I took him out to the evacuation site." Leaving him alone feels wrong. It shouldn't, he's a grown man. Still, I have the power to protect him and I have to be at least part of the reason he's in danger. Loch wouldn't be attacking the youth center if me and the others weren't here. He's the only one not on the team! I owe it to him to make sure he's safe.
"Anyone else left?" Leo shouts from across the open room. It seems like all that's left in bots making their weird wooping noises.
"No one I can see. I think it's safe. Everyone ready?" I ask. My morpher crackles with excitement, sparks of red come from it.
"Ready." Leo and Ziggy shout in unison as Summer nods.
"Alright, everybody power up!" I hold my morpher in the air and the sequence begins.
Red light envelops me, as power courses through my veins. The light solidifies piece by piece, starting with a spiked bracer and ending with my helmet. My body tightens up as unnecessary fats are tucked away and muscles compact to make maneuvering slightly easier. My eyes sharpen as the visor covers them. The Thorn sabre appears at my side.
Anemobots take small steps like they are sneaking away from a predator. They know what we are capable of. I draw my sabre and their small steps turn into wide gaits which turn into running. I'd feel bad for them if they weren't terrifying innocent people and ruining my day with my friends. At least Filia will be here soon...]
Gosh I'm pathetic.
"Why have they stopped attacking?" Leo asks
"I don't know." Knowing Loch he's up to something nefarious, and we are gonna need all the fire power we can get. I tap my communicator. "Put me through too--"
The air crackles around us. A raspy high pitched voice starts to talk. My white gloves start to dissolve into red light, my body starts to hover, and the world around me flashes red as my body is ripped from the youth centre. Whatever that menace was going to say is lost in the wind. Hopefully he's pissed.
The command center appears around me, the industrial sci-fi atmosphere is made more anxiety-inducing by the alarms ringing.
"Thank the power, you are alright!" Kepler squeaks. Their boots clang as the bot rushes around checking on all of us. The blinking lights and funky dials that make up the room flash red, the alarms quiet. Where's Fillia? Shouldn't she have been teleported with us?
"I was too late Kepler, they already took her morpher." Astrus says solemnly. What?
"Ay yi yi. What are we going to do?" The others look as confused as I feel. What do they mean they took her morpher?
"Where is Filia?" I sound panicked, and angry. More than I would have liked to. I'm not her boyfriend. I barely know her. But damn it, if they hurt her...
"In Loch's castle." Astrus' face disappears, replaced with an image of the youth centre that fades between itself and a medieval castle. At first there's one floor of the castle, and then two, and then a tower. "They are using the magic of a powerful wizard and their army to build a new stronghold on Earth. It's surrounded by an anti teleport field. I had to pull you out before it activated."
"Why didn't she get out with us?" Summer sounds as worried as I am.
"Her morpher was taken. Without the power of the morpher I can't teleport her."
"How did they take her morpher? Is she hurt?"
"I can't say, the inside of the building is beyond my view."
"They must have kidnapped her then."
"I'm afraid that is likely." Astrus says.
"You did it before we had our morphers. Why can't you now?" Summer asks.
"They summoned you here. I simply activated them." He explains.
"So it's a rescue mission then." We need to get her back.
"Please wait, storming the stronghold is dangerous, it's likely full of traps and bots." Kepler beeps. Does it matter? Our team mate is there.
"They are correct. They are using her as bait. We can't let you get captured as well." What's the alternative?
"Yeah, well I'm not comfortable with that. If she's not bait then she's in danger. Who's coming with me?"
"Of course I'm coming." Summer was a no brainer. She's actually gotten close with her. No, Scott this is no time to be jealous.
"Duh," Leo replies.
"Let's eggstract them." Summer punches Ziggy in the arm. I've missed something. Bleh. Who cares? I have a princess to rescue.
Astrus sends us to the front of a massive medieval styled stone castle. Rocky walls with bricks the size of small boulders mounted on top of each other. This has to be some kind of trick. Even with weird science, magic or a disposable army of monsters this kind of structure shouldn't be able to be erected this fast.
"I'll go first, if something happens look for another way in." I whisper.
Air rushes past my helmet. I hit the ground hard with every step. The sound of metal clanking against itself pierces my ears as I crossover into the castle. I definitely fell into a trap. Someone must have dropped the portcullis or something.
"Dude why do you look like a knight?" Leo shouts.