12 The Conundrum

Issac held his arm, moving quickly from Sion's doorway to the hall connected to it. "(Okay, where would they be? I need to hurry.)" He thought, urgently.

some alarms sound, and out from many of the doors, came running soldiers and units. Issac noticing that his path ahead was blocked, so he decides to make his way through another door to a clear hall. He reaches a teleporter, that he stepped through, being transported down two floors. From there, he found his way to another hall in which some hovering units spot him. They begin to shoot at Issac, causing him to hide behind a corner avoiding the shots.

"Dammit... I must have really pissed her off..." He muttered, peeking slightly. "(If I can get to the guys, maybe we'll stand a chance of escaping here.)" He thought to himself, keeping his power glove at ready.

Sion's voice comes from overhead on a speaker. "Find that intruder, and bring him to justice!" She says, as the units begin to shoot different concentrated shots his direction. The shots were starting to eat away at the wall.

"Sion." He muttered, his expression becoming serious. "(You're as two faced as Brooke...)"

He let go of his arm, turning to another corridor, rushing from the units. The units follow after him quickly. However, Issac had ran through a door cutting off their sight. Issac found himself near the room that held the young girl, that Barret had seen before. Two doors open beside with soldiers waiting. They go to grab Issac who ducks from their grasp. He engages his power glove, activating the sword function. Issac then slashes the soldiers backward then looks to a nearby teleporter.

"(Look's like that's my only option from here.)" Issac thought, sliding passed the soldiers to it.

The soldiers start shooting off their guns, destroying it, but Issac had already gotten through. Sion contacts them, "THAT'S KAOS PROPERTY! WHAT ON TERRA ARE YOU DOING!?"

A guard grumbles, "S-Sorry mistress..."

Sion growls, shutting off communication. Sion was now thinking to herself, she looks to a picture of her and her family, Aiden was sitting with his hand on her shoulder. "Kaos... Is my family... Issac must become a unit, it's the only way for this to work. I was against the idea, but now more than ever, do I see what this really means..." Sion brings up her communicator. "Release the prototype dama units!"

Around Issac's location three elementally driven robot endoskeletons appear before him. They all turn to face him, with their aura's beginning to lighten up almost into a pure flowing flame around them. "Target spotted, awaiting commands." The three stated simultaneously.

Issac got chills up his spine, "Erh.... Crap. (That's pretty creepy...)"

Sion grumbles, and speaks to the units over the intercom, "Bring his body to me... Dead or alive."

Issac jumps form that, "(She's nuts. I may want to die sometimes, but SERIOUSLY? I gotta get the guys fast, this is getting too insane...)" He thought, keeping his sword active, as he took a defensive posture.

The units all rush Issac's direction, who then sways out of their path quickly. Issac trips and falls to the floor, his leg is then caught by a string of frozen energy. He's flipped off the floor into the air, as another unit takes this chance to shoot off fire at him. Issac gets hit flying from the combined attacks. He falls to the floor as dark dama was seen seeping from blood around his skin.

"(Why do you fear? Do you not see something you can control? We should take this chance to destroy these things... Who needs anything anymore?)" Dark whispers spoke in Issac's mind. He feels his muscles spasm a bit.

"Urgh... What?" Issac winced, with one eye shut.

The dark dama takes hold of Issac helping him off the floor. His wounds start to heal. "(Let us take it from here, Issac...)" The whispers spoke, engaging Issac's power glove. Issac's eyes become jet black as his glove forms a whip. With Issac's body , the DD makes him lash at the units, hitting them up in a very fast fashion. It then swings the whip cutting the units. Issac's expression turns mad with happiness, the dark dama was starting to run his mind. "(Do you see how well of a force we are?)" Says the whispering voices.

"(Go...Away... I don't want this...)" Issac begged in fear, within his mind. His mind was oozing up with darkness. He sat there, holding his head. He was trapped within, as the DD was left to control his body.

The voices laugh, "(So then you want to save your friends, is that correct? We could do great things, just the two of us...We can come back, and avenge them later. After we've taken, and gathered many others of our... caliber...)"

"(Go...away...)" Issac whimpered, his inner self holding his ears, trembling. His eyes were leaking tears, in fear.

"(Most humans fear death, yet you seek it? Normally we wouldn't mind putting you to an end. However, seeing that's what you want, you're going to live...)" The voices cackled.

"(Stop....)" Issac begged, in his subconscious.

Some doors open as more soldiers were falling in. "(Oh very well, fight all you want. You won't die as long as we're in control of things...)" The dark dama places Issac's mind back in place.

Issac shivered, regaining control of his body, with his eyes returning to normal "(Waaaaay too c-creepy for my liking....)" He shook his head, keeping his power glove at bay. He formed it back to the sword, looking to the soldiers.

Elsewhere in the base. Barret was in a holding chamber, with Cravic. They could hear the cries of people echoing from numerous rooms in the location. Barret was shaking. "(This can't be happening....This anti-eletech chamber... We're dead.)" He looks over to Cravic, who was laying on the ground. "...Cravic? Do you have any idea of how we can escape?"

Cravic didn't move, glancing over his shoulder with obvious pain. "You.. except me to help you? After that crap back there? Fuck you..."

"Urgh... That's right, why would I depend on a Necroden anyway? It's not as if you didn't prove enough to me that you're well worth standing up to things like this. You survived splitting a train in half! While I was scared... It got me to thinking, how great it would be if we all could come together... We might have stood a chance..." Barret states, crossing his arms. "Right now? We're stuck ,and there's nothing we can do about that..."

"Pfft. Don't even go there." Cravic looked off in annoyance, he didn't make any movement from his position. "I'd say something about your talents with tech, however being confined to this chamber... Power gloves, and any gadgets are useless, as well as all dama. Only way we're getting out is if someone opens it, and we knock them out. Thing is. I'm useless right now. Urgh..." Cravic winced, trying to move, squinting his eyes as he leaned to a nearby wall.

Barret seemed surprised, "Well thought, honestly that's not a bad idea. With the left over strength I have, we might be able to get out of this jam, We just need to act at the right moment when they come to get us. Though there is also the problem of them having working weapons. I'm honestly surprised you gave me such a detailed analysis, with how quiet you've been."

"Well, don't get used to it. I don't like talking, or getting chummy." Cravic scoffed.

"Oh, is that all?" Barret says, to Cravic sarcastically.

"What, you want a detailed bio now? Fuck you, Blondie." Cravic growled.

"No, of course not, my goodness just settle down. We will get out of this however. (I hope...)" Barret thought to himself.

Outside of the cell door, Barret hears a familiar voice. "Like Oh my gosh! Like let go, you brutes! GRODY TO THE MAX! EEK! STOP IT! LIKE RIGHT NOW!"

Cravic opened one of his eyes, glancing to the cell door in annoyance.

"SANDRA!?" Barret gasps, running to the door. "SANDRA!? CAN YOU HEAR ME!?" Barret yells to her, through the glass of the cell.

Sandra is placed into a cell across from Barret and Cravic. The guards shut the door and then look at Barret. One guard walks over, and hits the cell window. "Quiet down!" The guard shouts to Barret.

The guards soon walk off to attend to other prisoners. Barret was devastated seeing Sandra in such a position. "Sandra... How did they find you?" Barret spoke, his voice shaking.

Sandra was sulking in her cell, looking over to him. "B-Barry?" She placed her hands to the glass looking over. "Oh my gosh... You're okay... About like an hour ago... some guy like started attacking everyone back at the base... with how others reacted, he was a field worker or something. Like I don't know Barry... People died, and some of us were abducted... I don't know whose left, but it was terrifying, like... totally bad..."

Cravic kept silent, "(The base was attacked? Who betrayed mom?... Dammit... this isn't good...)"

"No, that... can't be. How did they? Is Xiao? You said they were all. Sandra, urgh..." Barret was horrified.

"...Barry... Like... I don't know..." Sandra pouted, looking to her brother.

Cravic leaned forward a bit, looking to Barret. "We need to get out. Now. (I doubt we can save Jin at the moment, but I need to make sure my mom's alright.)" Cravic spoke up.

Sandra glanced over, "Like oh my gosh. Who's your friend, Barry?" She seemed curious, and slightly less on edge.

Barret sighs, "Not now Sandra, we need to get out of here, this is Cravic by the way. However, you'll have to flirt later. As Cravic stated, there has to be someway out of this."

Elsewhere, Issac was now running around a corner, spotting more units on patrol. Thanks to the dark dama he was now healed, and his energy was back at it's peak. "(Why is all these scents so strong? Hm? Something smells familiar? Okay, weird heightened senses, please don't be misleading me.)" He made teary eyes, but snapped out of it, looking ahead.

Issac decides to follow the scents, but first engages his power glove forming a sword. He rushes out and slashes down a couple more units, making his way to some steps. He heads down them and noticed some security cameras, with lasers attached to them. He could instantly see where the invisible rays were pointed due to his sensing. He then moves carefully around the sensors, and reaches yet another teleporter. He enters it and finds himself back at the Kaos entrance hall. He makes his way forward slashing down more units. Issac then reaches a virtual map layout, that had different locations of Kaos' organization.

"Now that's the ticket." He grinned, looking it over. "(Experimentation chambers? Sounds like a likely spot to keep prisoners.)" He mentioned, making way to the chambers mentioned.

Issac heads to the teleporter, but is stopped by two strange units that appear to him. They both looked like floating dolls with brown torn capes.

Issac gawked uneasily at them, shivering. "Okay, creepy... (I remember these from Sion's tour... Freeze-terrors...)"

The floating dolls look to him, their cold dark blue eyes starring into his soul. They unleash a fury of ice driven elemental attacks his direction. Issac dodges one of them, but an attack catches his leg, freezing it over a little. The two units float closer, charging their powers for another onslaught. Issac hammers away the ice on his leg, pulling it out, and jumps away fast from another attack of ice. Issac then swings his hand forming his blade into a whip. The units look to each other, and then one flies off at Issac quickly. Issac swings his whip and catches the doll, which froze around his whip energy. Issac panics and swings it into the other unit, destroying them both instantly.

Issac sighed with relief, holding his chest. "Sticky note. Swinging Freeze-terror units together, smashes them like ice. Got it." Issac made a mental note, rushing off once more.

Issac finally reaches the teleporter, taking it down to the experimental chambers. Upon arriving he's met with many soldiers. He fights through them all using his sensory, and new found skills. He passes a cell noticing Jin. "Issac? So you ARE causing all the problems, you have the guards here pissing their pants."

Issac looks to Jin, "You're Cravic's pal. I need to get you out of here." Issac said, looking for a way to get the cell open.

"Don't worry about me. Get them out of here. I can't take down Kaos being gone... I want them to mess me over. Fuck, I hate it, but you have to make sacrifices... Not as if I have much to go back to worth it..." Jin says, folding his arms.

Issac looks to Jin seriously, "Dude, you can't be serious."

"Get a move on Issac, they're not far from here, a couple more rooms ahead. Check in the E sector. Don't screw this up, or I'll hunt you down when I become a unit." Jin warned to Issac.

Issac gritted his teeth, looking ahead. "We're gonna try and get everyone back. You and Cravic must have been pretty close, since you're more concerned about him, than yourself."

Jin sighs, "Do you really want to get into this right now? Yes, we're friends, but he won't have a future, or any of them, if you waste your time talking with me. I get it. But you can't save everyone right NOW, you need to go! (Fuck seeing Nala like that, I can't wait to end this...)"

"I heard you already, I'm going. I'm not sure how, but we're going to try and save everyone. if not now, next opportunity we get. Don't loose yourself, otherwise Cravic will be pissed." Issac smirked to Jin, before heading off.

"Loose myself? Pah, he better not get too tied up in wanting to save everyone...Sometimes, the cure lies in the destruction of things..." Jin says, laying back on a bed in his cell.

Issac heads down the corridors looking for sector E. He could hear screams of people and others currently in operation rooms. He grits his teeth, making his way further through. When he reaches sector E, he spots Kaos and Sion standing beside the cells he was to arrive at.

Kaos tips his top hat in Issac's direction. "Hello there boy, it seems you've made it all this way. Alone at that..." Kaos gestured.

Issac stared to them, biting his lip. His eyes panned, seeing the others behind the glass cells. His eyes focused back to Kaos and Sion. "What now? You obviously intended to make a physical appearance for a reason, mouthbrow." Issac looked seriously to Kaos, glancing briefly to Sion. "Sion."

Sion laughs, sarcastically. "Oh listen to him Kaos, he all the sudden has a sense of humor. Perhaps we should unveil our own little joke?"

Kaos sighs, "No Sion, it is not a joke, it's a proposition remember? You've talked me into this... In these cells are your dear friends. However there is a SLIGHT problem... They carry different genders. Quite ironic it's come to this, but I also need subjects. Projects..."

Sion steps forward to Issac, "What Kaos is trying to say is. You are allowed to open ONE cell and take whoever you want back with you...The other cell stays. This is my way of letting you have what you want Issac."

"What?" Issac was surprised, but keeping his guard up. He glanced to the others, for their opinions.

Barret grits his teeth, "WHY YOU! WE'RE NOT ANIMALS! WE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO GO TOGETHER! Sandra! Hang on, you hear me!?"

"Barry!" Sandra whimpered.

"..." Cravic stared out, with angry eyes.

Sion growls. "QUIET! He needs to make this choice by himself. It is what he wanted after all. So Issac? Who will it be? Your friends in the cell A, or the poor obnoxious girl in cell B?"

Issac seemed torn, unable to say anything looking to Barret. "(If I choose Barret and Cravic, Sandra will be left alone. Then Barret will hate me, but if I choose Sandra, they'll be left behind... What do I do?.. Some time for those voices to be silent... Crap...)"

Kaos taps his foot. "Come on my boy, surely it can't be that hard to decide. For all you know, we may make whoever is left behind into something memorable. We'll even give you a mention. Well, it's that, or you join them. You DO owe me in a lot of property damages."

"Issac..." Barret muttered to himself.

"(Barret would want me to...) Sandra." Issac said, hesitantly.

"Sandra?..." Barret says silently, he smiles a little. "You..You heard him. Let her go!" Barret shouts to Kaos and Sion.

Cravic looked pissed, "(Picking that annoying broad? Fucking Stykx.)"

"Huh? Like Issac?" Sandra was surprised, as she was teary eyed.

Kaos cleans his spectacle. "My,my I can feel the very heat from your choice lad. However, the choice was already made in advance. I must keep hold to the ladies, if you catch my drift."

Sion looks to Kaos with a disgusted look. "You perverted old fart."

Issac was taken by surprise. "(He rigged this!?)"

"WHAT!?" Barret says in surprise. "NO! YOU CAN'T TAKE SANDRA!!!"

Kaos looks to him sternly. "Then stay. You can come out however, young man. Cravic is your name correct?"

Cravic looked sharply to Kaos. "... (We need to take this opportunity. Even if it might be a trap.)" He thought getting to his feet, shakily. His eyes glanced to Barret. "Don't be stupid." He said.

"(Guys...)" Issac looked to them, glancing as well to Kaos and Sion. "(We'll strike them were it hurts... but right now... I don't think we can...)"

Barret was holding back tears, and looks to Kaos. "I'll walk out of here... But..." Barret walks out behind Cravic.

Sion steps aside smiling to Issac, and back to the others. "You are now free to leave."

Kaos adjusts his collar. "Take this as collateral damage payment. One girl for the soul of three others. It's quite a great feet. Good doing business with you, Issac." A door opens at the end of the hall. "You may all now see yourselves to the exit. Cheer up now, all things come around in the great blue. This is only one step to a grand future."

Barret swings at Kaos, and Sion holds him back quickly. Kaos shakes his head. "Control your dear pets, lad. He's quite a biter, that one." Barret is let off from Sion's mind hold.

"Stay away from my sister! You better not do anything to her!" Barret spat to Kaos.

"Ohhh the things I have in store for her. Ho ho ho ho!" Kaos gawked pervishly.

Sion sighs, "Well, if we are done. My part of the bargain is over. Stay out of trouble now, Issac. Though do remember this face. You might be seeing me again quite soon."

"B-B-B..BAAAARRRRRRY! Wah..." Sandra cried.

"Cheer up now, we have great things ready for you my dear." Kaos says, looking back to Sandra. He then turns his attention back to the other three boys. "Make haste now lads." Kaos insists, stepping back with Sion to allow them to passage.

Cravic kept his eyes on Kaos, shoving Barret to move over along over to Issac, then also shoving Issac as they reach him. He kept between them, murmuring softly. "There is no way this isn't a trap. Move." He spoke quietly, to the other two.

Issac nodded, listening in. "(I doubt hes wrong about this..)"

Barret couldn't take his focus off of Sandra. "Yeah...Keep...Smiling Sandra...Okay?" Barret says, walking ahead with them.

They finally get to the door, though it hadn't shut yet. Sion walks up behind them. "Oh yes, Issac, one thing I forgot to mention. When you decided not to allow yourself to become part of my family... Knowing that you would eventually die out there. I decided to speed along the process for you. With the very ones you will also bring down... Ironically speaking, you are doing what's best in Barret's favor by keeping his sister from such a fate. You are a good friend to the end."

"What? Issac gawked.

Barret gasps. "NO! YOU!!!" Barret rushes at Sion, who shuts the door in front of him. Sion could see them from outside through a window. She smiles.

Issac gritted his teeth. "Sion." He sneered to her.

Cravic crossed his arms, "As expected."

"This cell that you're in is testing for a more future project... Something to say, rewrite the city of New Tech, however it's still in very early stages. We'd have to be airborne for the full effects of such a device. Which you'll soon be able to witness first hand... I wonder what kind of life you may become? That, or if you'll be blown to pieces? I suppose I should stop talking, and just get on with it." Sion says, adding in a chuckle.

"You're a sadistic mad woman, you know that." Issac looked to her seriously. "I could have looked passed that, my fate doesn't matter, but you're trying to kill my friends."

"And yourself, my word, must it always be about your friends? You sound like a terrible record, but if you want to be a hero. By all means. BE A HERO AND DIE A HERO! That is what you want after all." Sion says, turning away from the door.

She starts the machine which begins to charge above them. Three huge bulbs filling with dark dama, and other elements start to channel above them.

"Broken record. Dumb broad." Cravic scoffed.

"We've got to get out of here!!!" Barret yelled, checking the walls.

Issac examined them as well, "No kidding, not after all that crap I had to deal with, to get to you guys... I'm sorry about Sandra, Barret. I tried." Issac looked over to Barret.

Cravic was ignoring them, on his cellphone.

"Actually Issac.... Sion had a good point. I'm really happy Sandra isn't here... I'd rather her not get fried to death this way... Thinking if I was still sitting in that cell... She'd be here... At least, at least she can live... For Joan only knows for how much longer....." Barret says, as tears start to stream down his face.

Issac looked to Barret with furrowed brows. From Cravic's position, there was a beep from his phone. "You're acting like it's the end of the world. You give up too easy." Cravic scoffed.

"Why are you so calm!? I'm surprised you're not using your power to warp out of here!" Barret spat to Cravic.

"You want me to let you two amateurs perish? You were trying to get me to return to base in the first place. But,If that's what you want, by all means." Cravic retorted, with slight sarcasm.

Issac seemed confused by him, "Hmm, you're hiding something."

"Connections." Cravic stated.

"I thought Jin was your connection, there's no way we can get out if you don't have him hack us out." Issac spoke up.

"Hacker and a friend, yes. However. Not my only one." Cravic smirked.

"What?" Issac was surprised.

A countdown starts as a woman's voice was starting to count down numbers leading to the release of the weapon. "10... 9...8...7...6..."

"Whoever it is, I hope they get here soon!" Barret says, looking up to the bulbs.

"5...4..." the count down continued.

Cravic placed away his phone, looking to the bulbs boredly. Issac stared at them, and around the room. There was an odd sound, as the power hiccuped with the machine. Causing the lights to flicker for a brief second.

"3...2..." counted down the voice above.

"W-What was that?" Issac held his ears from the sound.

"Great!" Barret yelled, not knowing what to expect.

"1...0" The beam was at it's brightest now.

Suddenly, There was odd data trails flowing around the room, as a virtual hole appeared from below the three. Without warning, they fell just as the beam let off, but the hole had sealed itself above them. The trio crash to the ground, left in complete darkness.

Issac coughed from the dust, that picked up. "Okay, what the heck way that?" Issac was shivering uneasily, from the dark surrounding them.

Barret was surprised as well, flabbergasted even. "Wa-wait was that your friend!?" Barret stands quickly, asking Cravic.

Cravic winced, getting to his feet. He looked around the darkness. "Honestly... I don't know. I assumed he was going to open the door." Cravic mentioned.

"That was quite an exit...Physical portals. Teleportation I knew about, but how in the world did that happen?" Barret states, as he pondered.

"Good question." Issac kept close to the guys, seemed unnerved.