Sidekick was an incredible creature -- unique in all the world.
The fact that he was unique went without saying, though. He was a creation of the Superbian sect of the Final Church, the only organization in the galaxy that dared to breach the taboo against genetic engineering that had persisted since the Thousand Revolutions. It was said that even their youthful Apexbishop was genetically enhanced.
The circumstances of Sidekick's creation weren't the impressive part, though.
As Scout plugged Sidekick into his spinal cord, their minds connecting, dormant parts of the grey creature's brain began to activate. Those sections were designed to perfectly imitate parts of Scout's brain, the parts that held his desire to protect his own -- his Aether core. Scout felt that with a small part of his being, but in this moment that was Sidekick's entire being.
Sidekick was only conscious enough to do two things: to keep itself alive, and to generate Aether for its counterpart. An Aether battery.
The combined output of Scout and Sidekick was immense. In a supernova of flashy pink Aether, Scout ducked down, grabbed his cousin Chloe under one arm, and leapt towards the rafters -- perfectly dodging the three bullseye targets Alana Pheasant had sent flying his way.
Scout had heard of a concept called 'the zone' that athletes often described -- a temporary sensation of omnipotence, where conscious thinking faded and skill took over. He wondered if this was anything like it -- his own power coursing through his body, every hair standing on end, the world seeming to move in super slow motion.
In what had barely been one second but seemed more like five, Scout landed in the jungle of rafters, a pink haze of Aether still billowing around him. Even with his great speed, however, his opponents weren't incompetent. The clawed man in the red-and-white sweater was already up there, too, slashing his long needles of bone at Scout the moment he landed.
The glass sculptures that had decorated this foyer had been destroyed in the initial battle, spreading shards of glass everywhere. Without missing a beat, Scout plucked a long, thin chunk of glass that had landed up there between two fingers, infused it with Aether, and parried the incoming claws.
With the assistance Sidekick was providing, the level of infusion Scout was capable of was incredible. It looked more like he was holding a sliver of pink light between his fingers than an actual physical object. With each swipe of the shard he used to deflect those cruel claws, sparks rained down on the room below.
There's nothing manlier than keeping calm, his Pa had once told him. You gotta be able to think clearly, so don't get distracted!
Whirr.
The cannon. Scout let himself and Chloe drop from the rafters just as the energized blow hit, smashing into the ceiling. The shot utterly annihilated the clawed man's body, reducing him to a fine red mist.
At least, that's what Scout had assumed.
From within the cloud of blood, a thin and spindly creature leapt out at Scout. It was covered in a white exoskeleton, with bare red flesh peeking out from between the joints -- and bloodshot eyes glaring at Scout from within deeply recessed pits. Some kind of Scurrant, one that had been wearing the red-and-white man's body like a costume, poking it's fingers out like claws to attack.
Before the Scurrant could reach Scout, however, he was struck out of the air by what looked like a bolt of pale-green electricity -- landing in a twitching heap on the floor. From behind Chloe's back, still held under Scout's arm, the tendril of one of her jellyfish companions was pointing at the felled Scurrant.
Judging from the obvious pain the Scurrant was in and the lack of actual physical damage, Chloe must have used Bad Day's Parade for that attack. Good to know she had the presence of mind to keep him covered.
As Scout leapt backwards to avoid another shot from the cannon, he found himself surrounded by the bullseye targets that had been pursuing him. Two of them were smashed out of the air by devastating kicks, but the third of them flanked him, slamming into his back and firmly attaching itself there.
These targets were obviously some kind of Aether ability, so he couldn't just let it be. He reached back to pull it away, but from this angle it was impossible. He'd need some help. They had seconds before the next cannon strike -- they'd need to be quick.
As gently as he could, he put Chloe back down on the ground, glancing at her, and called out: "Chlo! Get that thing off me!"
"Too late," grinned Alana, still on the other side of the room, her revolvers pointed in their direction.
Twin barrels spat fire, and two bullets zoomed in their direction -- sparking with so much Aether that Scout was sure they'd get through his defenses. As they flew, however, their trajectory warped bizarrely, curving as if they were trying to sneak past Scout and attack him from behind. No matter how much he whirled around, they simply continued to circle him, growing closer and closer…
Bad Day's Parade fired off a bolt of pain at one of the bullets, but the attack simply phased through the projectile. Behind Scout, Chloe futilely tugged at the target attached to his back, but it didn't so much as budge.
This attack had already succeeded, Scout realized. All these efforts to dodge or block were futile. Once the target was attached, the bullet would hit without fail.
The bullets drew closer.
Scout hadn't wanted to use this -- especially here -- but in this situation he didn't have much of a choice… he pulled Chloe close again, eyes fixed straight on Alana.
Four words passed his lips, inaudible through the rush of pink Aether that exploded around him -- erupting into bright light that consumed the entire room. When the light cleared, the only ones still in the room were the cannon woman and the bodyhopper Scurrant.
Scout, Chloe, Alana and even one of the bullets were well and truly gone -- like they'd never been there at all. The one remaining bullet slammed harmlessly into the wall.
----------------------------------------
"Cottian del Sed," the woman in the black kimono whispered. "What exactly… does that name mean to you?"
Serena blinked. In a situation like this, no thoughts of deceit crossed her mind. When it came to Cott, she was more than happy just to tell the truth.
"I hate him," she replied. "More than anything."
The woman blinked. "What a coincidence," she said, hands clasped in front of her. "I happen to feel exactly the same."
This woman was telling the truth. Serena wasn't the best judge of character, but when it came to Cott she didn't miss a trick. This woman and herself had the same look in their eyes -- it was unmistakable.
"Who was it for you?" Serena asked.
The woman's body stiffened, the centipede coiled around her tightening slightly. "My sister," she replied quietly. "And me. What about you?"
Serena's grip tightened on the bedsheets again, fingers making their way into the holes she'd already dug in there. Everything seemed to become so very fragile when Serena del Sed was pissed off.
"My friends," she whispered, that old burning anger already reigniting. "And me."
"Do you want a chance to kill him?"
The woman's gaze was unbreaking, unflinching, her one good eye staring steadily at Serena. Her hatred was a cold thing, calm and patient compared to Serena's inferno. She'd wait here forever if that was what it took to get the answer she desired.
Well, the answer was obvious from the beginning. "Yes," Serena said.
The woman extended her open hand. "My name is Keiko. I can give you that chance if you come with me."
Serena stared down at the woman's -- at Keiko's -- offered hand.
Mr. Dragan had said that he'd be back with Mr. Skipper and Miss Ruth soon, but who knew what they'd say when they got here? It would probably be something about waiting for a lucky opportunity, and letting Bruno suffer until that opportunity came. Even now, she could feel him, twitching at the back of her consciousness.
They didn't understand this whole thing the way Serena did. They hadn't been there. They hadn't seen the bodies. They hadn't felt their minds be scraped away.
Serena loved her friends dearly. But she hated Cott just as much.
She reached out.
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
----------------------------------------
When the light cleared, Chloe Oliphant-Escoffier found that she was no longer in the foyer of her father's building. In fact, she was somewhere entirely different.
It seemed like some kind of living room, perfectly square, with two armchairs facing a roaring fireplace. Soft carpet was spread out underneath her feet, and paintings of rustic landscapes were laid out over the walls. Sets of wooden stairs were on either side of the room, leading both up and down.
She stepped gingerly over to the other side of the room, where a counter held a simple collection of herbs and spices. Through the small glass window above the counter, she could see nothing but massive, indistinct shapes moving in the distance.
Where was she?
They'd been attacked by Alana Pheasant, there'd been some kind of bright light, and then she'd ended up here. It was definitely some kind of Aether ability, but that didn't narrow down just what was going on any. Scout had been right next to her before the light, but he was nowhere to be seen here.
In the haze of confusion that surrounded her, Chloe fell back onto the training she'd first received in Aether. Her father had hired the finest tutors available, so she'd managed to develop quite a few tricks to deal with unclear situations like this.
First course of action: an Aether ping, to determine her position compared to others. Maybe she could even meet back up with Scout using it, if he was still nearby.
A pulse of pale-blue Aether burst out from her body --
-- and the sheer feedback of the ping sent Chloe to her knees, face contorted in pain. A yelp of shock escaped her mouth before she clapped a hand over it to silence herself.
There was Aether everywhere. The fireplace, the chairs, the counter, even the damn walls -- everything around her was absolutely flooded with Aether to such a degree that her ping was overwhelming. It was impossible to determine anything about her environment in such conditions.
Only one thing, apart from the pain, was notable from that investigation. The Aether surrounding her, the Aether she felt like she was drowning in -- it belonged to her cousin Scout.
She heard the voice of the man himself a moment later, coming from up the stairs.
"Chloe?" he called out. "Chlo? Is that you?! Say something if it's you!"
Chloe didn't need to be told twice. "It's me!" she cried out, hands cupped around her mouth. "What's going on?"
"No time! Just get up here!"
Chloe took a step forward, but hesitated, caution pulling her back slightly. There was no guarantee that this was actually Scout she was speaking to. Any Umbrant could imitate voices, or it could be someone with an Aether ability that allowed disguises. She'd need to be careful.
"Midnight Disobedience," Chloe muttered, her own pale-blue Aether flaring around her.
The jellyfish companion she'd designated flowed out of her back, floating in the air behind her after it fully emerged. It was around twice her size, the transparent globe that formed its body full of dark liquid, the patterns on its skin making it look like a starry night was sloshing around inside.
With its tendrils, it gently grabbed Chloe under her arms and pulled her into itself, leaving her to float freely within its being. The liquid was no obstacle to breathing.
"Go up the stairs," Chloe commanded. "Go towards the person with Scout's voice. If the person with Scout's voice doesn't have Scout's face, attack."
With it's orders received, Midnight Disobedience began to move, floating towards the staircase.
Chloe had many jellyfish companions she could summon to assist her, but Midnight Disobedience was the best when it came to defense. As long as she was inside its buoyant body, there was very little anyone could do to hurt her -- and it would follow her commands unflinchingly until it disappeared.
As one, they passed up onto the next floor of this strange building. The cozy living room was replaced with the sterile white walls of what seemed to be some kind of gym. Workout equipment of all shapes and sizes was littered across the floor, with a row of treadmills taking up one entire side of the room. Motivational posters had been plastered liberally across the walls, some peeling off in places.
She glanced at one of the posters: a cartoon axolotl being sucked into a whirlpool, holding onto a rock for its life. Hang in there! read the caption. Easier said than done.
In the middle of the gym room, right in the center of the mass of equipment, Scout sat cross-legged -- an expression of utmost concentration on his face, his eyes squeezed shut. That Sidekick thing was still clinging on to the back of his neck, pink Aether flowing between the two of them.
Scout opened one eye, nodded to Chloe, then snapped it shut again. Whatever he was doing -- whatever this was -- it was taking everything he had.
"Where are we?" Chloe asked, swimming out of Midnight Disobedience and dismissing the creature.
"Perfect Palace," Scout grunted. "Palisade Princedom."
Was that meant to explain anything? Chloe cocked her head. "Huh?"
"Perfect Palace: Palisade Princedom," Scout repeated, as if she just hadn't heard him the first time. "It's my Aether ability, only… it takes a lot out of me to use. Even with Sidekick, ugh…" He winced, obviously in discomfort, like he'd been stung by some kind of insect. "Shit."
"What is it?" Chloe asked, placing a curious hand on his shoulder. His whole body was as tense as a body could get.
"Alana," Scout tapped the floor with one hand. "She's… she's moving around a lot, and the bullet she fired too… I have to concentrate if I want to keep them quarantined, Chlo."
Chloe furrowed her brow, looking around as if the answers would be written on the wall somewhere. "Quarantined? What do you mean -- she's here too?"
Scout nodded, wincing again as he began to explain.
"Perfect Palace: Palisade Princedom is a place I've created using my Aether. That's why Aether pings are pretty much useless here, and that's why it's taking so much out of me."
Chloe widened her eyes. "What, you mean you created a different dimension or something? Using your Aether?"
"Uh, sure," Scout replied after a second. "Anyway, this place is… agh!" He waved off her concern at the sudden exclamation. "It's basically an eight-story building floating in the air. When I used the ability, you, Alana and the bullet were the closest things to me -- so you got brought in too."
Chloe frowned, looking around at her relatively mundane surroundings. "What does this place do, then? You haven't just invited her to your Aether hotel or something, right?"
"Eight floors," Scout continued. "Right now, this gym we're in is Floor 8 -- right at the top. Alana is trapped in Floors 3 and 4, and the bullet following me is stuck in Floors 1 and 2."
"What, like you locked the doors or something?"
Scout shook his head. "I can swap the places of any two floors inside Perfect Palace: Palisade Princedom whenever I want to, like shuffling a deck of cards. When I heard you calling for me, I moved your floor right below mine so you could come up." His eyes glanced warily down at the ground. "The bullet starts at Floor 1, tries to follow me up here, and reaches Floor 2. Then, I swap the positions of Floor 1 and Floor 2, so it goes up again. Basically, it's an infinite loop. I'm doing something similar with Alana."
Chloe sighed in relief. "So we've won, then, right?"
"Huh?"
"I mean, they're stuck in your Perfect Kingdom, so we can just leave them here and --"
"Perfect Palace: Palisade Princedom," Scout said insistently. "And no, we really haven't won. I can only leave this place by deactivating my ability, which would release all of us right back where we were -- with the bullet about to hit me. Even as it is, I can keep this going for maybe nine minutes, maybe less if Alana starts messing with me."
Chloe gulped, her skin turning pale. Even with all this, then, they were only delaying the inevitable? What the hell were they supposed to do?
The question must have shown up on her face, because Scout answered promptly.
"We take her out before my ability fades. You take her out with your abilities."
She took a step back, hands already fidgeting together. This whole day had just been insane, unbearably so, and the descent just seemed to never stop. She was expected to take on a trained Aether fighter all by herself?
"I can move around the floor you're on," Scout pushed on. "Give you better angles of attack. You don't need to go and punch her -- use Midnight Disobedience or one of the other jellyfish you've got. We just need to make sure her Aether ability is released before mine is, otherwise that bullet is hitting me the second we get free."
Chloe hesitated -- and in response, Scout reached forward, grabbing her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. He opened his eyes, looking at her beseechingly.
"Please, Chlo," he whispered. "There's nobody else here."
The descent never stopped -- and yet, right as panic threatened to overwhelm her, Chloe Oliphant-Escoffier found one last nugget of resolve at the bottom of her soul. She seized it tight.
Still shaking, she slowly nodded.
"I'll do it," she said.
----------------------------------------
"She's been acting off ever since she woke up," Dragan explained, marching down the hallway, Skipper and Ruth on either side of him. They were on their way back to the room Serena was recovering in.
"Off?" Ruth frowned. "Off how?"
"Talking about Cott, said he was the one who'd attacked her and Bruno. She wanted me to help her kill him."
"That's it?" Ruth asked. "Well, sure we can kill him. Where is he? We can do it right now."
Dragan sighed. Was he really the one here with a number of brain cells past the single digits? Every day brought him closer to despair.
"Guessing there's more to it than her being angry, yeah?" Skipper said, hands plunged into the pockets of his coat.
"Yeah," Dragan nodded as they turned a corner. "I said I was up to help, but that we'd need a plan. If anything, that just pissed her off more. Like… seriously pissed off. Never seen her like that. That's when I went to grab you two."
"Well," Skipper cracked his neck. "I can understand being ticked off, but we've gotta be careful about this -- especially with this whole Hunter Game business."
Dragan glanced up at the older man, raising one eyebrow. "Speaking of being careful," he ventured, an accusatory sliver to his voice. "You still haven't told us where you disappeared to before. If you hadn't been off doing whatever, we might not be in this situation."
Skipper grimaced as they paused outside Serena's door. Even though it was exaggerated, there was more than a hint of genuine regret on his face.
"Doing whatever?" he said. "Oh, Mr. Hadrien, ye of little faith… I was doing what we in the business call snooping."
"Snooping for what?" Ruth leaned forward to look at Skipper past Dragan, her head cocked quizzically.
Skipper tapped his nose. "The walls have ears in this kinda place. But it's some nice juicy info. I'm thinking that when we get Serena calmed down and hash out a plan with this, things are gonna start going our way again!"
With a victorious grin on his face, he pushed the door open with far more flare than was necessary. His jacket even seemed to billow behind him from the movement. If Dragan didn't know what an idiot the man was, he could almost be impressed. Those thoughts faded as the door fully opened.
The room was empty.
Skipper blinked. "Oh shit."