Open House Day One
Chapter 11: Open House Day One
Author's note: Unfortunately, I'm running a bit dry on spells for the characters. Suggest new spells for any of the characters. I have several planned for twin element spells (two elements working as one). New spell though for now:
Antimatter blast (Lacyus and Mira can perform this): Works on the same principal as the radiation surge, using antimatter instead of gamma rays to take the enemy apart on an atomic level. For Lacyus, if the target is not totally obliterated, it creates an anchor point for him to possess the target's soul.
*********
(Sunset)
Fwop!
My wing hit the panda in the back of the head.
"What the?"
"'Scuse me."
Fwop!
Another strike. This time to a fox square in the muzzle.
"Watch it!
"Sorry."
Fwop!
Grizzly bear this time. Guy looked like he wanted to murder me.
"What the hell!"
"Pardon me."
Lacyus laughed in the back of my mind.
*You are mean! Clubbing innocents with your new wings!*
My wings had grown to an impressive seven meters from tip to tip. About four and a half for each wing. And what's more, the tips were now long enough to touch my ankles when I was standing straight up. In all literalities, they were massive. But I absolutely loved my new Heavendragon body. I was a lot stronger and a lot more graceful. Lacyus had completely fallen in love with me again. But in public, we were two sides of the spectrum. A shadow creature engaged with a light creature. We didn't mind though.
*Am I heading in the right direction?*
*Yeah. Just turn left and you'll hit the armor hangar. The other test pilots and I are having lunch outside.*
I was at the Bounty Hunter Guild's Open House. It turned out Rykuu was a Freehunter, a bounty hunter bound by only loose regulations. The only thing bad about it was he cannot pick up contracts off of the board, as Mira would put it. He had to be contacted and offered a contract. Nephilla and him went off to check his records Lacyus was a registered Protohunter, a bounty hunter using the latest in technology and tactics that often worked in a hunting pack of five to cover possible failures and shortcomings of equipment. However, his pack, the Kusari Slayers were short one member. I read the team roster. Lieutenant Commander Mira Akival, Tactics and Sniper Expert. Master Sergant Vash Kyram, Heavy weapons operator. Master Sergant Jackeyr Lycu, Close range weapons operator. And of course, Private Lacyus Akival, Special Tactical Weapons operator.
Following Lacyus' directions, I turned left and exited the Headquarter's Tactics Co-ordination center and found myself in a vast field. Bounty Hunters and the general public dotted it. A sign board pointed out directions to several key places. It said that the test hangar was in the southwest division. I headed off in that direction.
It wasn't too long before I spotted Lacyus sitting on a picnic blanket on the grass in front of the test hangars. He seemed to have several female Bounty Hunters hitting on him. A fox, a pair of panthers and a leopard. Despite being engaged with me, I could tell he still liked the attention. I did too when males hit on me. I tuned our link so I could see and hear what he said.
"So, you're serious. You're just gonna stay tied to that dragoness Sunset?" The fox asked.
"Of course. I love her."
"But she looks so weak and frail? Don't you want something stronger like one of us?" The leopard offered.
Lacyus laughed. "Believe me, she can kick my ass if she barely sets her mind to it."
The panther spoke next. "I'm sure I could show you a good time. How about me?"
"No, I'm fine. I love Sunset and that's it."
The other leopard didn't look impressed. "You know she's a Shapeshifter right? One of those dirty, rotten, no good, thieving-"
She never had the chance to finish. Lacyus' mind immediately lit up with anger as he seized the leopard by the collar, cocking his free arm back and extending his claws.
"Never. Never say that about her." He hissed threateningly. "Understood?"
All the leopard could do was make a terrified squeak and nod. As soon as he released her, the group ran for their life. Snapping my mind back into my body, I shook my head briskly to clear the cobwebs in my consciousness. Lacyus sat on the picnic blanket growling under his breath. I sat down and kissed him on the cheek. Instantly he relaxed and became calm again.
"Why did you do that?" I asked taking hold of his hand.
"Because. They insulted you."
Mira and another dragon walked up and sat down. Mira carried a small bag which I could easily smell food in.
"Hey Sunset. You decided to show up sleeping beauty?" Mira said, nudging me playfully.
"Is she mate?" The new dragon asked in a Russian accent.
"Yeah Vash." Lacyus answered. "This is Sunset. Sunset, this is Vash."
"Pleasure to meet." Vash extended a hand to me and I shook it.
Mira emptied the contents of the bag on the ground. Plastic wrapped sandwiches were mixed in with little containers of salads, some of which I recognized as Lacyus' handiwork. "Sandwiches for everyone. And a salad."
Lacyus instantly picked up a tuna salad sandwich and a Greek Salad, his favorites. I snagged myself a ham and cheese sandwich with potato salad. Mira got a peanut butter jelly sandwich with macaroni salad. Vash took a chicken salad sandwich with another potato salad.
When you're a dragon, it's hard to eat civilized under human standards. Our muzzles are big enough to literally eat a sandwich in one bite, so all of us were done within five minutes. After that, Mira and Vash headed off to the Tactics Center to look the contract board over. Lacyus took me to the armor testing hangar, giving me a firsthand tour of the unrestricted areas.
"And so, this is where we test armor strength." Lacyus explained as we entered another room. This one was a massive warehouse with machines and devices littering the floor.
"Hmmm." I looked all the devices over. As surprising as this may seem, I was actually finding this interesting. "How do you test armor."
"Usual stuff. We shoot bullets of several different calibers at plates of armor. We then test it against blades of varying sharpness and materials."
"Can you tell me what is your strongest stuff so far?"
"Welllll...." Lacyus thought for a moment.
"Don't tell me just because I'm your mate and you trust me. If it's classified, it's secret."
"The problem is I don't even know what it is myself. R and D have been working on it a lot. All we have that's made of the stuff are vambraces and arm shields for our armor. All the other armor is standard Starscream Model 5.67 with an impulse shield generation."
"Huh. Oh well. How strong is it?"
"We did our own 'tests' on it and it's incredible. It survived even an antimatter blast."
"Wow." I witnessed the power of Mira's Antimatter blast when she got pissed off at this door that wouldn't open. Not only did it vaporize the door, it completely destroyed a circular section of wall about ten meters in diameter. Simply put, there was nothing left.
"Yeah." Lacyus chuckled a bit. "It's that-"
"Private Lacyus Akival, please report to Tactical Command Center immediately." Mira's voice filtered over the PA.
"Crap. Immediately to her means in the next ten seconds. Sorry." Lacyus took off sprinting.
Suddenly, a panther girl stopped next to me, panting.
"Jeez, why are the Helldragons so hard to catch. LORD AKIVAL! PLEASE SLOW DOWN!" She took off running again, waving at Lacyus.
***
(Lacyus)
"Okay, what is it?" I said, gasping and trying to catch my breath.
The Tactical Command Center was the heart and soul of the BHG HQ. Here, every aspect of the guild was controlled. Contracts were sent and received and communications from hunters all over Amorphis filter in. Computers and operators lined the walls and the lights were kept low to accommodate a holographic map projector in the center of the room. Mira stood, leaning over the projector, a scowl on her face.
"You're late." Mira hissed angrily. "We've finished our analysis of the human's portal."
"And?"
"It was completely artificial. Not natural like we create to crossover. This one was a crude hole ripped in the space-time continuum created by a machine. This machine though would require all the power on Earth to power it though. The only reason why we're able to open it is because we subconsciously draw on the ambient energies in the area around us."
"I already know that. What was the dark energy?"
"Up until now, we thought the only possible way to produce dark energy was inside the Paladin Mobile Assault System's Unnihexium based cold fusion/fission combo reactors. One molecule would split into two atoms of Uranium-1893, an almost non-existent isotope. That would split into five atoms of Uranium-235 and re-fuse into a single atom of Paladium. The neutrons lost dissolve into dark energy. What we're looking at is the possibility that one of these reactors have been stolen from here or captured on Earth."
Suddenly, the door opened and a panting Ennica stepped in. She bent over to catch her breath and compose herself. Then she spoke.
"No. What you are looking at is PKL-2056 portal generator, code named "Damocles." They were first engineered by the United States Military in the year 2000."