Thread:FleetCaptainT/@comment-27324808-20170522044954

Part 8: Resolutions

Forty-seven

  Intrepid landed, gasping and wheezing, on grass that was green and soft under a dark gray overcast sky, the same as before.  He rolled onto his back and watched the clouds swirl until the pressure on his brain subsided and his eyes reoriented themselves.  Avant Gardens.  He was back where he was supposed to be gone.

  He scrunched his eyelids shut and pictured Tiberius again, a twenty-years younger version of the old man in the Future Dimension, probably black haired like Uncle Killian was and Abe had been.  He replayed the sound of his voice, but to no avail.  He did not feel himself moving any closer to Elistra.  He wasn’t moving at all.

  Just as well, his feelings hadn’t left either.  The rain wasn’t enough to cool the heat in his florid face.  Someone needed to pay for killing Evelyne.

  A coil in his Unverse Manipulator emitted a high-pitched whine until it popped and an acrid stench made Intrepid cough.  He sat up and eyed the imploded black box.  Blue and purple smoke emanated from its edges.  Blue.  Like Imagination.  And purple.  Like Maelstrom.  Like Tiberius’s Maelstrom ore.  Intrepid’s fingers tightened until a vacuum formed in his fists, then he assessed his surroundings.  He was over a hill from Ben and… Evelyne.  Some obsidian-armored Maelstrom forces remained on the battlefield around him, effectively abandoned by Spakybob and Janitor Dimension’s Cyclone, but they were the mindless type who would fight to the death.  Rover, Luke, and Mara were behind a ridge to the north and firing over it but the mechs had them pinned.

  Intrepid’s hands found his Elite Longsword and he charged the Mechs from behind.  Each swing of the blade cut a mech in half, their dysfunctional pieces clattering to the ground.  A laser blast coming from behind Intrepid stunned a Mech farther ahead, as Ben assisted from his position, and the rush of air characteristic of a Bat Lord’s speed boost followed by several Mechs getting knocked on their sides indicated Future Intrepid’s involvement.

  In no time the Stromling Mechs were eradicated and Rover, Luke, and Mara were able to join in smashing the rest of the Stromlings, including the ones necroed by Janitor Cyclone.  Suddenly the hills were filled with minifigures, like an entire small army, and Intrepid did a double take when he saw a flash of blond hair with highlights around a familiar triangular face run past him.

  He chased after Shira and stumbled when she spun around, as she noticed him as well.

  “You’re alive!” she yelped.

  “Barely!” Intrepid shot back.  “What happened with you?”

  “I got to the Launch Area in the middle of a ground attack,” Shira reported, “this was five hours ago.  There were Stromlings and infected people popping out of thin air the whole way to the Base Camp!  Then we were joined by Space Maelstrom which dropped Spiderlings on us.”

  Intrepid looked about at the throng of Faction grunts and Nexus Forcers chasing down what Stromlings remained in squads, surrounding them and smashing them with ease.  He was relieved to see some of their MIA teammates, Jonna, Skilled Honored Ninja, and Strange Odd Shadow in a in a bunch together, wearing their Faction gear.  They looked battle worn and harried, but they were alive and that’s what mattered.  Unlike Evelyne, Intrepid thought.

  “Something's wrong with your eyes.” Shira noticed.

  Intrepid knew they were glossy.  “Who else is here?”

  “We all made it.” Shira said, taking into account those who Intrepid already saw.  “Cailan and Crimson.  Ray and Tornado showed up.  Some old friends joined us too.  How about you?”

  “We lost some people.” Intrepid said numbly.  “We screwed up attacking the Maelstrom Mine with the Future people.  At least Future me is here, somewhere.  Cyclone, Edgar, and Allison are MIA.  Stromling Cyclone got turned, so Kate killed him.  Red’s missing too...” or is her name Rowana, he thought.  The accuracy of either name was now questionable, but he'd keep calling her Red.  “And Evelyne.”

  “Oh.” Shira dipped her head.  “I’m sorry.”

  “She’s dead.” Intrepid blurted out.

  Shira said a word that wouldn’t make her mother proud.

  “We should bury her.” Intrepid said.  Again.

  Shira looked about aimlessly and motioned for him to lead the way.  “Right.” she agreed.  “Let’s do that.  Then we need to get our team back together, see who’s alive and dead, and figure out just how we can fix this.”

  “Can we?” Intrepid asked, although the Unverse Hole on Crux Prime and his inability to land on Elistra may be the source of some answers.

  “If I know you, which I do, I bet you’re on it right now.”

  “You’re damn right.” Intrepid muttered.  His cousin knew him well.  He already had a plan forming…<ac_metadata title="Song of the Swans"> </ac_metadata>