Cauda 16 - We Are Many

"I haven't had a good trolling in a while."

Movements for Cauda 16 [https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GOgWQUJXsAAkxcn?format=jpg&name=large]

Now Playing...

Artist: Litüus

Song: Coembody

"That's right IRIS Agent. Where is he? Where is Agent Blueballs? I know there is one in this world."

Displo gulped. This was way out of his league.

The monster's eyes each contained a tiny pupil, barely caught by the camera's lens. Soulless and psychopathic it starred, head vibrating.

Aside from the monster standing in the camera Displo could see all signals vanishing, fading as all connections were gradually lost. Tess too, could see it in her mind.

"Displo what's going on?"

Displo took a step back. Alone now, he needed to think of a plan.

"Blueballs isn't with you is he? That's good. I warm up with you all first." The being said into the camera. Tess could hear it now, terror starting to creep up.

"Why-how did you-"

"Well your own 'friend', TV-head gave your signal. Psychic ordered it and your own girl put the command in."

333. Nikku. Damnit! Displo thought. I should have realized sooner.

With several of the cameras offline the camera showing Legion replicated, all screens now showing his face.

The others congregated around the screens, a mix of fear and confusion as to what was starring at them. Solazar didn't react, instead messing with the console in an attempt to re-establish connection.

"Carol. Call BF. Tell him 333." Displo said. He recalled what he knew about Case 333. Not of this planet. Fought Agent Blueballs, aka Boyfriend at one point. Reads minds. Undefeated. Possibly the first trollge.

"Uh, I got no signal."

"Crap."

"How about I give you one minute before I get in there?" Legion on the camera didn't move, Whitty realizing it was a still image. The building shook. "60 seconds." The monster said aloud.

"I am coming." The cameras all shut off as the lights flickered. He was destroying the wiring.

Displo took a deep breath, clearing his cache. "Botan. Build a perimeter. Annie help her." He began unbuttoning his sleeve, reading the LOIC. "Solazar. Tess. Start reconfiguring the system. We have backup methods. We need to reach either BF or the rest of the team."

"We'll take it down." Whitty said, raising a fist. Carol nodded. "Pft. We got this."

"Do what you can. But be careful." Displo concluded. He didn't have time to determine if Whitty and Carol could take him. The two ran out.

"Displo how difficult will this fight be?" Solazar asked plainly.

"So long as we maintain a strategy...I cannot determine percentages."

"What about statistics of us 'saving' it?"

"Unlikely. I have one way that might work though I'm not sure. If I remember correctly Legion wasn't even defeated in the Fall of TCF. He just sort of vanished. I don't know what Blueballs-er-Boyfriend did."

"I see."

Flipping tables, moving the hospital beds and desks, Botan and Annie began to build a perimeter. Botan understood it as cover for a shootout while Annie determined it a barricade to protect the COs.

"What's going on?" Annie finally asked.

"We are dealing with a trollge, possibly the strongest out there, p-potentially-just get ready for a fight. Case 333, codenamed Legion."

"WiMAX activated." Tess said. "Re-establishing connection on a fallback meshnet." Solazar added as they typed away on the consoles. "Looks like the backup generators are coming online."

Displo's logs were open, Tess being able to see some of his thoughts. As Displo wasn't describing it, the restaurateur trying not to buckle under stress she repeated it.

"That sucks." Botan said. "I'll try to keep a clear mind." She paged Whitty and Carol, informing them of said characteristic.

The hallways retained the same clinical appearance, white walls, blue-tinted floors that reflected if cleaned and no furniture along the walls sans the occasional houseplant.

While normally bustling with people it remained barren, not a soul in sight. Carol and Whitty looked down each hallway, realizing they forgotten the way out. It didn't matter as, with a flicker of the lights, the two knew Legion arrived.

As the hallway flashed black, the two saw him standing there at the end, still grinning.

Standing tall he easily reached the ceiling, his head crooked so as to not hit it. His face was the only distinguished thing on him.

A greyish-white skin over what might have once been a regular head. His smile grew impossibly large, showing off a full set of teeth down to the gums, which dyed black. His eyes, no longer human were white with heavy black rings around them. One contained a tiny iris while the other was burst, a black circle sitting in its eye's centre instead.

Not much of a body to speak of. Vaguely humanoid, its body was an inky black figure that appeared more as a silhouette against the white walls. It's 'legs' were just two long black sticks they grew narrower as they reached the floor. Its arms, long and almost reached the floor too. They contained two long, thin hands, long fingers appearing more as spider-legs than digits.

The being Displo referred to as Legion, or Case 333 in the TCF files.

While its uncanny appearance may have frightened most, Carol and Whitty weren't the least bit scared. They had nothing to fear, knowing as long as they were with each other they could not lose. Side-by-side they both readied their fists. Whitty's lit up, fire around them as Carol's did holy magic.

"Oh? The first insects are going to step up? Very well. A girl and a bomb-headed freak. I remember you from the other world. when I got there you were already gone hahaaha!" With a hunch Legion sauntered towards them, expecting the first move.

The Carnival Vs. Legion, Lord of the Trollges

Vs. Legion [https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GOgWLqOWoAA0z2z?format=jpg&name=large]

The two acted in unison, charging Legion. However, thanks to weeks of planning they knew when to stop the act, even without thinking. As they reached Legion he fully expected them to both jump up, allowing for him to catch them. But, as they reached Carol stayed down and Whitty jumped up.

"Now!"

Eyes focusing on Carol he failed to see Whitty from above, interlock his hands and smash his flaming fist into Legion's head. Stunned, Carol hit with an uppercut, glowing white fist right into where Legion's stomach should be.

He recoiled back, in actual surprise. He shook himself off, ash dusting off his head.

"Cute. But does little." It dashed forward, closing the space between it and Whitty in mere milliseconds. With a slash upward its claws cut through the fabric of his hoodie vertically. In the same motion he swiped with his other hand, knocking Carol to the wall. Despite his fragile appearance Legion was very mobile, continuing his assault as he grabbed Whitty's head and slammed him into the ground repeatedly.

Carol got up. Though the wind was knocked out of her, she acted quickly, casting her magic on Whitty. He lit up in a glow of electricity and though Whitty felt no pain from it, Legion did, the volts coursing through him. He let go, shaking violently from the surge.

It caused him to step back.

"Magic. What a stupid world-" Carol wasn't going to let Legion regain any ground, immediately firing another shot of electricity. Kicking himself back up, Whitty nodded to Carol who casted another spell on him, giving some strength.

Whitty jumped upon Legion, slamming his fists into the monster's core. Slamming into it he found it harder than it looked, feeling more like he was smashing the ground.

"ENOUGH." A pulse of energy emitted from Legion, launching both back. The volts dissipated.

On the ground again, Whitty nary had a second to get up before Legion was on him, grabbing him by the head and holding him. His abnormally long fingers enclosed around Whitty's head, pushing the wick out of the way.

"Let's see how you fare with a little trolling."

As Whitty struggled in his grasp, his vision went black, some kind of black mist obscuring his view. It clouded around his head, but while it felt prickly and suffocating it did not hurt.

If Whitty could have seen, he would have saw Legion's expression perplexed. "Don't you have a brain?"

He dropped Whitty. "Then you should." Reaching for Carol he grabbed her by the head, fingers reaching through her hair.

Legion's grin returned as the same black cloud covered Carol. Though while it may not have worked on Whitty it worked on Carol. For a brief second she lost vision and feeling. See saw a face of madness and felt sanity slipping. For a brief second anyways, an unconscious spell, a purifying one Carol always kept handy activated, cutting off the evil visions. It turned the mist white, evaporating. Her senses returned.

"This is why I hate magic. So many deus ex bullshit." He mused.

Before he could crush Carol's skull, Whitty jumped up and grabbed the thin arm, slamming his elbow into it. Hitting the exact joint, Legion let go, dropping Carol. Still moving fast, Whitty grabbed her and made space between them and the monster.

"You alright?" He asked.

"Fine babe." Carol wiped her face, a light glow cleaning the ink off.

"I'll just have to tear your piece by piece instead." Legion threatened, his smile returning. "I don't need fancy tricks to troll."

"Can you do it any faster?" Botan asked. For the past few minutes she'd been watching Solazar and Tess fix the system. Solazar was inside one of the computers, the panel discarded on the ground nearby. Sleeves rolled-up he was messing with wires.

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

"Considering I am not an electrical engineer, no I cannot."

Between glancing at the COs and looking at the door for Legion she was getting restless. Annie too, just stood behind the barricade of tables and desks, waiting for the 'trollge'.

Displo hadn't moved from his spot, instead invisibly porting into the machines to restore access. He kept an eye on the remaining cameras, trying to see how Whitty and Carol were faring.

"Carol and Whitty aren't winning. They're holding back." Displo said.

"Huh, why would that do that?" Botan asked.

"Because they are already weakened. They are trying not to push themselves too hard. If Whitty really wanted too he could blow up this whole building. He's clearly trying to avoid that." Displo shook his head. "They aren't going to win. Botan. Annie. Get ready." Tess said.

They nodded and took post. Annie stood in front of the table fists ready while Botan laid her sniper rifle on top of a desk, aimed directly at the door.

Displo raised an arm up, ready for a shot. Solazar, seeing this got an idea. Getting up he went to Displo. "You have a solar core, correct?"

"Yes, why?"

"Allow me." Solazar held a hand out, as Displo understood. "You sure this won't kill you?" Solazar asked.

"It will be very hot but I believe I can handle it."

Solazar took Displo's arm and popped open a panel under it. While Displo kept his arm raised and aimed, Solazar put his hand just under the arm, adding to the charge. "Are you sure he cannot be killed be conventional means?"

"I don't think so."

"Then let us test that." Solazar said.

"Get ready on my cu-"

A battered Whitty and Carol were thrown into the room, hitting the barricade, Annie quickly pulling them behind it. From behind them came Legion, ducking in past the doorway. With the ceiling taller in here, he had no issue standing upright. His presence caused lights to flicker around him, making him appear invisible when the light vanished.

Up close, the first thing Displo saw came out. "N-no collar?"

"Nope." Legion started. His voice was hoarse but still retained the same psychopathic streak as the other trollges. "You see that Family? They've been very courteous to me. All they needed was some energy in exchange. Been doing lots of trolling since Blueballs ruined my foundation."

Legion stepped forward.

"Annie get them out of the way." Tess whispered into the comlink. She understood and leaping over the barricade, grabbed the bomb-guy and angel, bringing them back over.

Legion did not react, allowing Annie to rescue her teammates.

"Arthur. Don't do this." Displo said.

"Don't say that name. That child is gone."

"If you want another go at Blueballs he isn't here."

"Nononono that's fine. I haven't had a good trolling in a while. And those two losers were nothing. You 4 however, look far more enticing. Catgirl number 448821, a teenage robot ripoff, yet-another TV-head, gosh get some originality. And a firecracker in a bowtie."

Legion laughed. "You know that purple guy could never read me? I was able to troll him plenty. Let's see if the rest of you can."

Now Playing...

Artist: The Bread Scientists

Song: Exosphere

Legion crept closer. Displo knew how fast those creatures could move and decided it had stepped close enough. Nudging Solazar, they let the LOIC go, a cylinder of white light completely enveloping the half of the room.

Boosted by Solazar's cosmic energy, the light grew brighter than any had seen, the cylinder exploding, blinding everyone in the vicinity. Even Displo had to look away for fear of frying his lenses. Hot too, for the brief seconds it fired boosted the room's temperature to a hot 40 degrees celsius.

The data centre shook, no doubt the explosion visible from several blocks over. Loud too, everyone could hear the beam melting anything in its path. Displo stopped the LOIC, fearing he would melt his hand right off. Not worried about his energy levels, Solazar's power instantly recharged his core.

And as it subsided, the room grew darker, the beam having wiped out half the data centre, leaving nothing but scrap metal, dirt and exposed wires.

Displo pushed Solazar out of the way, now feeling the effects on himself. His hand glowed a bright pink, Solazar's boost sending it's temperature into the hundreds. It wasn't melting but Displo could feel it was way too hot.

The lights flickered again, several of the backup generators failing from the blast.

"We can't reach the others." Tess shouted. Solazar nodded and went to her, the blast giving him an idea.

From up the ash a figure rose. It didn't twitch as fast, nor did it look as gangly as before. Legion. And he'd sustained a lot of damage.

"That...hurt." Legion said slowly. It cracked its shoulder, twitching all along its body.

He lunged for Displo, slow enough for the others to react. Annie went first, blocking Legion's palm with her arm. With a right hook she landed into Legion's midsection, causing the monster to stumble back. His fingers wrapped around Annie's arm as he squeezed hard and lifted her up. "What about you?"

Just then, Annie felt something prick her arm, as if something itself was working into her bloodstream. The pain was immeasurable, though lasted nearly a second. She heard a gunshot, a loud bang from next to her, then Legion shouting.

A bullet fired out of Botan's rifle, hitting Legion square in the right eye. "AAAAH! Y-You!" He reeled his arm back and threw Annie backwards, landing somewhere in the blast radius, her arm now a dark black.

".308, hollow-point ammunition." Botan said calmly as she loaded another on the in the chamber.

Legion rubbed his eye as he blinked. A black liquid started to ooze out of it but the eye remained intact.

"You excuse for an anthro...mangy cat!"

Botan didn't react, instead stepping back and starring down the scope.

"Nothing to say? Shouldn't be surprised."

Botan fired off another bullet though Legion ducked. His mass of black form changed as he morphed into a little girl. His face remained the same though took the silhouette of a girl wearing a shark outfit.

"Gawr." Botan muttered.

"How about I get this Gar then? I'll find her. Make her scream! Cut her up!"

"..." Botan remained focused as she loaded another in the chamber. As if warping, the shark-legion lunged at Botan, immediately going for her midsection, claws out.

"We don't have time for this. Tess. Could you perhaps power the system yourself?" Solazar asked.

"What? I don't have that kind of charge!"

"You won't be doing that." Legion shouted from behind.

Another gunshot echoed in the room, Botan hitting the morphed Legion square in the chest. The bullet impacted, though did nothing to change his demeanour or assault. It slashed Botan's legs, 3 gashes going across each.

"You're gonna die over and over again." Legion calmly said in his screechy voice. He swiped again at Botan, Displo intervening to help her. He took the brunt, claw slashes hitting his chest. Metallic, the swipe did not do much.

"I've got it!" Tess declared. "Sol! Give me your arm!"

Another force of energy emitted from Legion, knocking Botan and Displo back. In the bounce back he grabbed a desk and threw it at them, hoping to keep them grounded, at least for a few seconds.

"You know what? How about I finish with your other friend? Fatty."

Legion took on another appearance. The silhouette of a man wearing a trench coat and smoking a cigarette emerged. He walked to Annie who was just getting up. Her arm had turned in colour to black, as if the skin were dyed by ink.

"Y-you!"

"Mad?"

"Very."

"He's never coming back you know."

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Annie screamed. Though, while Legion expected her to charge him she didn't instead, grabbing what he thought a can of soda and chugged it.

It changed her instantly, skin turning a blue hue, enlarging her muscles and giving her a crazed look. Blue liquid dripped from her sharp teeth as she became animalistic. She charged Legion, a tank boiling in pure hatred.

Displo helped Botan up as Legion wrestled with Annie. He had slashed her with his claws, his 'inky' energy again getting into her bloodstream. Whitty and Carol were back up and running to go help Annie.

"Can we even kill him?" Botan asked as she adjusted her rifle. She wobbled slightly, ignoring the pain and black inkage seeping into it.

"Trollge's cannot die conventionally."

"I disagree." Solazar said. He currently has his hands full of wires that were disconnected from Tess. Tess just had a blank look on her face, internally trying to handle all the electricity surging. Her other hand held onto the wires, slowly powering them back up. "Pompom proved earlier they can be killed."

"I will try to tame him. Just stay calm Botan." Displo said as she nodded.

Elsewhere, Annie was on top, punching Legion repeatedly, the trollge still smiling ever the same. His hand was embedded in Annie's arm slowly turning it black as it drew blood. It spread slowly, the mixture of Legion's power conflicting with the liquid.

Whitty and Carol resumed their assault, Carol using her own magic to heal Annie and Whitty holding Legion's arm back, trying to burn it.

"I remember you Arthur." Displo shouted.

In that instant that other arm came to life, not just slashing at Whitty but stabbing through him directly, impaling through his hoodie. Whitty froze, letting go and stumbling back as Legion let go. Carol seeing it, stopped helping Annie and screamed, running to Whitty.

Legion let go of Annie and threw her upwards, a thud indicating she landed on a roof nearby. Twitching faster now, he got up and practically warped to Displo, returning to his original form.

"You liar. Don't lie to me agent." Legion moved in closer.

"Arthur."

"You aren't Blueballs. Don't even pretend to be him."

Botan stood by Displo, rifle aimed down she kept her finger on the trigger.

"There was a child once named Arthur." Displo began. "He wished to make people happy."

"Continue."

"And he did. He made me happy."

"..."

"He made me-"

In the instant, Whitty was already back upon Legion grabbed his back and hugging him tightly. Carol was right on top of him, using her magic to heal him.

"I'll show you a laugh!" Whitty screamed. Legion got up and tried to reach around, grabbing Whitty's hoodie. They stumbled about as Whitty's wick lit up, triangles appearing in his eyes.

"NO YOU FOOL!" Displo shouted. Just as Legion turned around a surge of lightning hit Whitty. It coursed through him, lighting him and Carol up. Whitty and Carol didn't move, just falling onto the ground, unconscious.

"YOU MORONS!" Solazar screamed, his hands aimed at the two. "WE ARE NOT TRYING TO DESTROY THIS PLACE FURTHER."

The lights from the computers went out, Solazar breaking his current.

Now Playing...

Artist: Kurogokegumo

Song: Dark Delight

"I am sorry Displo but this is not working. Help Tess. I shall deal with this creature." Solazar cracked his knuckles. "Botan. Get the others and get them to safety. Find Annie as well."

She did so, making a mental note to bandage her shins. Blood flowed out of them, Botan doing best to ignore the pain.

They all acted as Solazar walked up to Legion.

"I shall handle this."

"Oh. You're not blueballs but you are blue. What can you do?"

He grabbed Solazar, wrapping his fingers around him as he lifted the solarisapien up. Solazar didn't react, just shaking his head. A bright light emitted from him as for the first time Legion felt true heat. It singed his hands, causing him to drop the Andromeda's father.

"Enough." Solazar commanded.

"U mad?"

"Very. You've wasted far too much of my time."

"I don't care."

"I will prove that you beings of trollge can be killed."

Solazar raised his fists. "I am older than you can possibly imagine. You aren't new under this sun."

"You have no idea what I am capable of. What I did on that last world. There was no Earth after I was done with it."

"I do not care what you have done in the past. You are an amateur. I've seen worlds crumble, seen empires fall. I traversed the stars and saw the real end."

"What're you, gonna kill me with bad storytelling and metaphors?"

Solazar punched forth hitting Legion's legs with a combo of left and right hooks. Legion didn't react, not even finding the jabs hot or anything.

More surprised than anything, Legion just stood there and took it. Solazar finished with a jab and jumped up, round housing Legion in the face. He landed back down, Solazar smirking.

"T-that was it?"

"Partially."

With both hands again he grabbed Solazar and slammed him into the ground. "THIS IS YOUR BEST?" He grew closer to Solazar starring right at him.

"Are you not damaged?"

"D-damaged? YOU'VE DONE NOTHING. NOTHING COMPARED TO THAT BOMB OR-" Legion leaned even closer, now centimetres between his and Solazar's glasses. "-FATTY OR THAT ANGEL. YOU. ARE. NOTHING."

"Are you angry?" Sol asked.

With Legion so close to his body, Solazar let off energy. The temperature rose instantly into the thousands, burning the very ground they lay on. It blinded Legion, both burning his face and overwhelming his vision. Black smoke could be seen emitting from them.

Displo and Tess, though busy looking at the console saw everything light up too, as if the sun itself were sitting right there.

Legion let go and reeled back, screaming in agony. The light subsided and Solazar got up, adjusting his tie. He took a deep breath.

"You two. I will only be a few minutes. Continue help and make way to Rosie's team. I believe it optimal if we all flee now."

"Understood." Displo said.

Solazar rose off the ground and grabbed Legion's neck. With a glimmer in Solazar's eyes he flew upwards, taking Legion with him. From atop the data centre Botan saw a blurry Solazar volt upwards continuing into the sky and past the clouds, disappearing as a star above, somewhere into space.

Botan had found Annie already. She landed on a nearby building. After rustling Carol up with some water she used her magic to bring Annie. Something was seriously wrong with her, the black ink spreading. She coughed, sounding in pain but the smile forming indicated otherwise. Botan too felt woozy, and though he legs bandaged, felt sick.

With Legion gone the four of them made back to what was left of the computer room, Whitty still unconscious.

"Did we win-" Annie weakly said before throwing up black ink.

"Teams are you audible!?" Displo shouted into the microphone.

With a lot of static they heard Rosie. "We can hear you. W-was that Solazar just now?"

"Doesn't matter. Where are your positions?"

"Engaged in a shootout with the demons. Got no time to deal with it. We're heading towards the data centre now."

Displo concluded the link. After fighting with Legion something within him clicked. He shook and darted to the computer, some of Solazar's energy powering it's backup generator. He started looking things up, typing as faster than usual. Done being used as a switch, Tess came back to life.

"Displo? What are you doing?"

"Nonononono. Itcantbetheywouldnt..." He trailed off, lost in thought.

Tess watched in anxiety as Displo stepped back and shook slightly. She could tell his servos twitched in fear.

Usually she could see his mind, though this time it was all clouded. Tess could hear hum from Displo. He was intensely thinking as he typed away. "D-Displo are you okay? You're scaring me."

"QUIET!"

Displo continued typing away, looking into IRIS and TGG's inventories. Items taken, recently deposed, received, sunsetted and incoming. Nothing that rung a bell. No the Family had spies. They had to have been more covert. Certainly know that TCF didn't have objects of that could handle that energy level. Tess watched, her concern growing.

He seemed to have found something, as something popped up on screen, making Displo tremble. He took a step back, nearly tripping.

"Displo! Hello?!" Tess asked again.

"I-I am here." Displo stammered. "Grab everyone and get in a vehicle. We need to meet the others as soon as possible." Displo logged off and ran to the adjacent parking lot.

"I-if I am correct in my assessment, then we have little time. I've figured out what the Laughing Plan is. And If I am correct, then we're all dead."

The next chapter will be called Fool's Gold.