The bushes rustle quietly, the tranquil lake continues to know no movement as Sprei Uok meditates, waiting patiently, the small little glow in his eye holes dimmed down to signify them being ‘closed’ as the rustling continues. Soon, a mechanical hand reached out, and then a different one from another direction, and more kept coming out from his front, back, and left side. Machines slowly make themselves know, all of them seem to be sparkling a strange blue energy as they began to walk on top of the lake, beginning to surround Sprei Uok, and as the first of 9 began its attack, it suddenly finds its chest penetrated by a tree that bended and grew unnaturally at it with strong force, its organic eyes swindled around before losing its light, slowly sinking and decaying into the lake as 3 more begin their attacks.
Another finds the very waters to rise and swallow it down into the lake as it sparks and drowns just like that, while the others were able to land two hits, before receiving sudden damage to their own bodies, bouncing both back as they get back to their feet, right as two water plants grew and rise above water, grabbing both and, after a little struggle, dragging them right into the lake.
5 more remain, 4 decide to attack together as another spot in the water comes up to swallow one whole and forcing it deeper into the lake, the other 3 land, the same thing happens as their chests rupture a bit at the same time as the sound of breaking glass and tree branches was heard, an invisible forcefield around Sprei Uok becomes visible as it cracks and falls apart. The Living Machines bounced back right into 3 waiting bending trees, growing with immense force the moment they touched the very tips, both the main tree and its branches puncturing them with plenty of new holes into them until the light in all their eyes went out. Like many before, they sink and decay in the lake.
Leaving the biggest one yet. It was bigger than the others, more disgusting too, Sprei Uok could see bits of teeth and flesh into its ‘man’-made mouth as he got up properly, not needing any sort of magic or device to hold himself up on the lake. Just Knowledge.
The big Living Machines takes a swing at him, he dodges out of the way with help of the water as he puts his hand into the lake, pulling out a sword made of water that kept itself intact as he swung at the disgusting mass of junk, landing a strike that burnt and electrocuted a part of it as it backs away, not yet backing down so easily, putting one of its hands up as a metal stake fires out of it. It was faster than he could react as it hit his shoulder, burrowing itself into it. The Living Machine expected the acid to take care of Sprei Uok as it sprays out of the very tip, leaking out from smaller holes around the base of it. And yet no reaction from Sprei Uok as he drives both the stake, after pulling it out, and his water sword into the robot’s chest. And like that. Even its 5 eyes lost their light as it slowly sank into the lake like the rest. Nothing but scrap.
The wound it left on him slowly regrows as he goes back into a meditative state in the middle of the lake. Like nothing had happened.
The small, distanced group had watched the whole thing go down as Alexander whistled a little in amazement, slinking back down to sit on the ground. “Thought we’d have to do a little intervening, you weren’t kidding that he’s got it handled for now” he comments as Lisa nods, letting the bending trees and bushes return to their normal state as she sighed. “But for how long…second time something shattered that barrier, and who knows when that big one will just be a normal unit rather than the small ones…god forbid if a Living Angel appears now, he’ll have no way to survive that, and honestly…I fear we may not either” she sighs, sitting back down onto a small chair-like structure she’s just constructed for herself. The rest of the commanders were mostly talking among each other, checking on soldiers and their networks every hour, accounting for every soldier at their disposal.
Scared, it’s not a word used often for something like this, but everyone had the same thing in mind. Will 3 days be enough time for Kade? Had Lisa overestimated the amount of potential time Sprei Uok, and Lake Town in general, have until a Living Angel could be sent? God knows when, but they are all, ever deeply…
Anxious.
-
It was quiet, Kade thought to himself, and yet there was a strange little miss who followed him in physical form. Pippy. She was in the backseat of his car as he drove to Pouring Lead Avenue, looking out the window, her appearance as deep as space, as it ever has been, but this was the first time for him that she ‘seemed’ separated from Silvia, to follow Kade.
“So…didn’t know I was going to have a Kade & Pippy Detective Journey this time” he spoke up, he can see her head turn to look over at him from the rearview mirror. Kade would see her just poof out of existence, and then reappearing in the passenger seat next to him. “Wanted to…follow…”
“And here I thought you were stuck with the little miss, what’s with the sudden change in behavior, hm?” Kade asks as she looks away from him. He could sorta see the bright yellow stars for eyes from the back of her head, although clouded by the stars and miniature planets that hid in her.
“She is not alone. Do not worry…” she answered, surprisingly speaking much…better now? She’d continue on as they get closer to their destination.
“They looked at the surface of the lake again…and deemed my request acceptable…they have opened my eyes, and my tongue. You will need it now. Your human ways will soon fall short.”
“Sorry, Pippy, who is They?” Kade intervenes to ask, ignoring the last part (he was too determined to just throw away what he always knew) as she finally looks back.
“The ones who’ve been watching over you. That group of stars. We need to move out as well now. Our own plans need to see the light now…but we are small. Connections to the other Starry People have proven non-existent…until you came along. I haven’t spoken with Them for so long when Silvia came to be…until she touched you, and I never was able to be with you properly…until she blessed you…” she spoke…nonsense to him, at least for a bit. But as Kade slowly pieces it together, he sort of sees what she is trying to communicate with him.
“And why do you think that is, Pippy?”
“Because I know already. We all do. And we are all waiting, whispering, and planning. Even now, the rest of us are waiting for someone, the one to shepherd the stars…always at the right time, the right place…The Wrong Man…do you know why they call you that?” Pippy said it seriously, there was no more sass in her voice, no more it sounded like a child. She asked him a question. A serious question that she knows the answer to.
“No. I’ve always wondered but never questioned, how I am the wrong man to be here, yet I find myself in the right time, the right place…may I know why?”
They finally reach Raiden’s Police Station as she slowly dissipates, her voice echoing in his head, not giving out fully what he asked, but enough for him to know.
“You are the Wrong Man. For someone else” and then she disappears. He could feel her in his mind, passively watching and listening as he nodded.
“Hm. Makes enough sense to me I suppose” he gets out of his car, locking it behind him as he begins to step inside the waiting doors of the police station. It’s about time to tell everything.
-
Silvia sat behind Kade’s desk as Olivia sat on the other side, although Silvia was quite small for the desk and its chair as she looked up to the taller android. “Um…miss?” she finally speaks up after a while of just looking at each other after small, although unnecessary, introductions.
“Yes, Ms. Silvia?” she answered, her usual tone had been adjusted a bit to better warm up to the little girl as Silvia continues. “What’s an android? Are all androids Living Angels?” she asked curiously, only calm after Celeste’s word of honor that Olivia was here for her safety.
“I assure you that no androids made by Vincent or otherwise except for the Timeless Man are disgusting machines in disguise of us. Androids are synthetic life, conceived in [BLEEP] by Vincent Lonceheart, later improved on by the first android, creator of the original Clock Tower and many machines you might have seen abandoned or reused, Timeless%Code%Everywhere~Project#TrueFreedom, or ‘Jessie’.” The android explained in long detail as Silvia tries her best to keep up with her. She could hear multiple whispers in her head, discussing among each other, mostly to keep Silvia’s attention on the topic.
She remembers when Pippy suddenly told her that she and the other Starry People needed to switch, that ‘The Wrong Man’ needs her. So, in exchange, she’s left with…The Good Men, discussing endlessly in her head, much to her annoyance of how constant they were. Is this what Kade dealt with forever now?
“Androids have been fitted to be capable of developing souls, which are called Null Androids, and-”
“Please, n-no more, head is full-” Silvia almost begged as she clutched her head a little. How much everyone was talking with each other, she again wonders how on EARTH Kade had handled all that quiet, unnecessary whispering as she sighs. They stopped, hearing her as well, thinking she could well handle them…but clearly, Pippy’s child approach, with her being a mirror of whoever she follows as well, was the best option for Silvia as she could feel someone, no, all of them manifest behind her, casting no shadows at the desk but light as they scatter among themselves into the room. Yes, she could see them more clearly now then the amalgamation of a ‘person’ in her head as Olivia watches as well, before looking right back at Silvia like this was normal.
“Forgive me if my well detailed explanation proves to be too much for your developing brain” as Silvia sighs. She looks at the 5 Starry People that were scattered in the room, doing their own things now so as to not constantly whisper among themselves again.
There were two near each other, all of them looked the same, a young adult physique similar to Kade’s, with only their eyes being different. The two close ones had yellow star eyes, similar to Pippy, and green star eyes. Another in the corner gently folding the dirty laundry for cleaning had red star eyes.
Stolen novel; please report.
One more leaned against the wall near the door, looking down. He had blue star eyes, and the last one was looking out the window, with orange star eyes, staring thoughtlessly, as far as she could tell, and all of them had a noticeable difference to Pippy when she manifested. They all appeared foggier and with so much less stars, all of them…except the one with yellow eyes.
Olivia would continue to talk in the background in simpler terms, unbeknownst to Silvia having walked away and going over to the one with yellow eyes. He and the one with green eyes were whispering quietly before he looked down at her, tilting his head slightly. “What is it, kid?” he asked. He seemed much different from the one with blue eyes she’s seen and met before on that night before the day Kade went out to Lake Town, and so was his voice, sounding more feminine.
“Why are you clearer?” she asks as he shrugs. “Beats me, kid, I’m just a part of the bigger picture, or however Prince describes it again.” he said.
“Prince?” Silvia asks as he sighs. “Forgot, no one but us know our names. Uh, okay, let’s see…you see, we never really actually showed ourselves like this, but seeing how overwhelming we might be for your head, decided to give you space to think in there” He would do a gentle poke at her forehead before continuing. “All of us have our own names, Good Man is too confusing to be referring to all of us.” He points at the one with blue eyes looking down at the ground. “That’s Prince. The one next to me is Daughter, the one folding the clothes neatly is Ash, aaaand the one at the window is Sulphur. Got it? I don’t want to explain again. Oh! And I’m Squeak” he explained, his more enthusiastic voice contrasted the more ominous and mysterious voice of Prince, the one she often sees at the forefront, which was only ever two times.
“Hm…” she kept track of the names in her head. Maybe that’s what she should ask, for a notebook or something to write and draw in. Keeping that idea in mind, she was going to ask more questions, but when a knock was heard at the door, all of The Good Men disappeared from their positions as Castle opens the door. “Hello, I’ve got your addiction juice. I think that’s how kids talk nowadays…” Castle said, the last part mostly fading to mumbles as Silvia went over to the door in a speedier manner, grabbing ahold of not one but TWO big cartons of chocolate milk, the very essence of the stars were in her eyes as Castle chuckled a little. “It makes me happy to see you growing used to this place already, Ms. Silvia. And how is your…guest?” Castle notices Olivia, who was…still going on about the creation of androids and the process of Null Singularity as they look back down to Silvia. “Androids are ever the icon of pride over their purpose and creations. Never changed. That’s good to know at least, it’s been a while since I’ve seen a creation of Vincent. She always means well, I assure you…even with the endless explanation” they chuckle once more as Silvia grabs their hand. The stars in her eyes were replaced with slight desperation, the cartons were already placed in a shoulder bag she’s also gotten from shopping.
“Please let me h-hang out with you, she’s too loud and lengthy with talking for me already…” she said as Castle shrugged. “If she needs saving, I cannot deny” They whispered to her as they would lead her out of the room, closing the door behind her and continuing on to their office, letting Silvia in first before getting inside themselves.
Silvia misses the colors and messiness of Kade’s room already, but at the very least, Kade talks to her with a kinder and friendlier tone unlike Olivia. She would sit down at one of the few chairs available, grabbing one of the cartons out, opening up the cap as she drank directly from it. Castle, meanwhile, returns to their desk, typing right away on the strange device Silvia couldn’t determine yet.
Castle notices her watching as they begin to speak. “This is a typewriter, little miss. It’s a simple writing device. Outdated compared to modern devices, but I…simply like the way it sounds. The quiet tip taps as the words are stamped onto the paper. A simple mistake could ruin the whole paper, but I like that. It asks for perfection from me, and I like to give it. It’s why my office is not as decorated. Need that mood to be presented in the room too, or I’ll find myself making a typo if I looked too much around” they explained, their eyes not moving away as they continue to type. Silvia nods in interest, she never sees much ‘technology’ as she supposes it all is, besides Living Machines, whatever goes on in the Clock Tower, and…
The memory of a Living Angel continues to haunt her, but not in tension or fear, but in anxiety. She can remember all 3 of them. Tailor, Romance, Gorge. But there is another, and she always found her memories of it, similar to inside the Clock Tower, to just be…absent. She KNOWS there is a fourth one. She KNOWS the insides of the Clock Tower, she’s planned the escape route for years inside with Pippy, but it is as if she was just…denied access to REMEMBER them specifically.
She continued to take sippies from the carton. Castle, meanwhile, not wanting to mention, does notice something different with her now. Not the new clothes, maybe a little more confident attitude…but what should feel like 3 people in the room feels like 7 people now, almost choking on the air, in a metaphorical sense for Castle.
“What was it like?” Silvia suddenly asks as Castle stops. “Excuse me?” they ask.
“What was it like…living in the city?” she asks again as Castle thinks. “Well…it was nice. Like any other city. We had our wonder engineers making miracles every week or so. We had businesses, kind people, Knowledge and knowledge, and beauty. It was like any other city in The World Below, but it begged respect in its greatest invention. The Clock Tower…it was a symbol of greatness, and now it is our enemy, and for some, our shame. It was…supposed to protect us, from raiders and the unknowns, and yet nothing stopped that train arriving with its nightmare package” Castle explains to her.
Silvia simply nods, thinking to herself about that tower. It was a nightmare, as far as she could remember. Do anything wrong and she found herself missing a limb. Do anything incorrect and she was punished, trapped with monsters, left to break. She had gotten no kindness or respect inside, that much she remembers, in how she FEELS about it in her heart and body. Disrespected, a tool.
“But I was never there for it. I was up here, because she begged me to” Castle continued. “She had no one else, at least she thought to herself as such. I was the only one ‘willing’ to help, supposedly. She had lost her heart that day, that train ride…a simple meeting between her husband and 18 Seconds. About the use of his time-altering technology…” this…was new to her. Husband? Like Kade’s dad? Train ride? Meeting?
Castle realizes as they could only give a pitiful giggle. “Sorry. I…get nostalgic sometimes.” was all they had to give as Silvia nodded.
18 Seconds…that was the big group of Knowledge wielders, if she remembers correctly from Kade. One of them was who they were going to meet in the center of the city: New Alex Ring.
Another sip of her chocolate milk as she thinks to herself…if that’s what Pippy was talking about making him remember.
-
“And you are telling me, in death find peace for you if you lie, that you are telling the whole truth?” Imamu said, completely in disbelief, doing his best to suspend his belief in general, but this…was completely in a separate layer of belief he can’t find himself to suspend ever. He felt as if there were no words to describe this.
“The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, my friend. I had contemplated whether to tell you the truth of this deeper-than-life investigation, but I thought of it only fair. I find it quite unpleasant to not be credited in the end, hm? A little detective like me has gotta find himself a name in the mouth of the city! Dramatically speaking, of course…this was not an easy decision but I need only 1 proof that might…shatter your sense of reality. Do you dare take a peek behind those curtains? Metaphorically, I hadn’t hidden anything behind your actual curtains, last I checked, which I never did. This is my first time in your office, has mother ever hidden anything behind them? Never mind that, I’m staying on the train of thoughts, the station isn’t here yet”
“Show me.” Imamu said, clear and commanding, although maybe holding in a small chuckle at Kade’s thoughts running awry as he nodded, thinking to himself, finding his consciousness next to Pippy. ‘Come on out now. Imamu’s command and force will prove helpful if anything goes wrong.’
He can feel that mental nod from her as dust begins to gather from around the room into the center, compressing and changing, her deep space blue begins to manifest, her eyes come forth with that bright yellow gleam. Although she took a different appearance, appearing more similar in shape and size to Kade, which surprised him a little, but nonetheless, she has now appeared in front of Imamu, the most damning evidence of all, and he is speechless. Who wouldn’t be? A starry figure just manifested into being in FRONT of him, anything Kade has said went from belief suspending to belief shattering as he began to walk towards the windows, opening the curtains and looking out.
“Kade…”
“Yes, sir?”
“Anything else you might be hiding from me to keep me in line with believing? Because I think my mind is all open to ideas now…”
“But of course”
And he spills it all this time to Imamu. The Starry People, Knowledge, allies and enemies, everything that could help Imamu put it all together in his head. Once it was all out, and Kade’s plan to go up to the New Alex Ring, Imamu nods, turning back, an expression of awe and wonder you wouldn’t normally see on a veteran’s face. “New Alex Ring, was it? To see a vampire who potentially runs with or runs the big hospital herself, who has access to blueprints that’s been kept away, to probably keep away from prying eyes, to…find any potential entrance not yet found to seal it up make sure this…Lake Town is safe, correct?”
“Yes, sir” Kade said and nodded, confirming his words as Imamu walked up to him, he was…so much taller as he planted one of his hands on Kade’s shoulder. “Let me give a word of warning, because if you are anything like your mother, my attempts to stop you mean nothing to you, but…those people, holed up in that claustrophobic part of this city, don’t play nice. I’m sure this…Ria Allthoughts, whoever she is, is much nicer, but they are like dogs waiting to bite something, wolves even…so how about I come up there with you, son. Let me tell you, I might seem like some boring peacekeeper, but I was quite an influence in my more youthful days, I’m sure I can…keep those muzzles shut so long as I’m around” he suggests as Kade nods.
“Sounds good to me, sir, like a…guard dog! Get it? I think you do, but that would certainly be helpful. I’ve heard my fair share of rumors of the going ons in that part of the city, from the streets and, of course, mother”
“I expect no less. '' Imamu puts his hand down as he sits back behind his desk, boots up onto the table, old-fashioned, as he looks towards Pippy, who was exploring the room curiously while they talked.
“Like consciousness made into living matter…” he comments as she looks at him after his comment. “That is an accurate statement, Pippy comments” she said. The change of appearance and voice pattern certainly got him curious of her, but he holds back questions.
“Tomorrow, me and Silvia will see you there, then?”
“I know my way around, Kade, don’t worry about how I’ll be getting in. Is that all for today, I’ve gotta start writing all this down, I can command a force but for the most part, I’ll be working alone for this, won’t have…this fine Starry Person around the whole time to show off, and I don’t want to set off any panic or leaks. This is all between us until it calls for it. Go on now, Kade. Do whatever else you need to do, I’ll see you in there, and I’ll make sure you leave with Ria or those blueprints, whichever works best.”
“Thank you, Imamu, I’m grateful for you. Come on now, Pippy, let’s get back to the office” the girl nods as she dissipates into scattering star dust as each speck disappears in the air.
“Don’t think I’ll get too used to that. See you later, don’t let anything drag you down, you hear me!” Imamu said as Kade leaves, he nods back, waving goodbye as he leaves the police station, getting back into his car as he slumps back into his seat. “I…feel all out of energy talking to an important figure about this almost impossible story of discoveries but MAN I feel good!” he shouts in the car, turning it on and beginning to drive away back to the office, excitement is pulsing through him like he had 10 shots of espresso as he drives through the streets. All that is left now is waiting for time to pass, he thinks to himself, nothing else to do but wait for tomorrow.