KIRO: (Glancing back as they ran) "Who was that guy? He looked strong... but why help us?"
RAIJI: "No time to think! Just run!"
Veyra was already falling behind, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. Kiro noticed, skidded to a halt, and without a word, scooped her onto his back.
VEYRA: (Surprised) "Kiro! What are you"
KIRO: (Adjusting his grip and breaking back into a sprint) "You seemed like you couldn't keep up! Now stop squawking and hold on!"
VEYRA: (Clutching his shoulders, a mix of annoyance and gratitude in her voice) "Just you wait until I start using my new suit. Then we'll see who's carrying who."
They burst into the Green Clan's airfield, the scent of fuel and ozone filling the air. A figure waved them over urgently.
GREEN: "This way! Hurry!"
They rounded the corner of the hangar, and the ship loomed into view.
It was a colossal vessel, a true leviathan of the skies: 800 feet in height, 500 feet in length, with a 600-foot wingspan. Its massive wings were painted in bold stripes of red and black, a stark and intimidating declaration of its power.
KIRO: (Eyes wide, looking up) "This ship... it looks cool. Too cool."
RAIJI: (Arms crossed, a rare look of approval on his face) "You can say that again."
VEYRA: (Trying and failing to hide her awe) "I've... seen better."
Standing at the base of the ship's ramp was Vesper, looking sharp in her black outfit and green cap.
VESPER: "Long time no see, Ex-Champ. Got a promotion and a demotion all at once, I hear." She gestured to the ship behind her. "Here's my gift to you. A ticket out of here."
KIRO: (A genuine, relieved smile) "My greatest thanks. I owe you big time."
VESPER: "No problem. Consider us even."
Just then, Sosiego and Neo appeared, their clothes torn and dirty, bearing the clear signs of a hard-fought battle. Sosiego was in particularly bad shape.
SOSIEGO: (Leaning on Neo) "And we're even, too. While you're out there making a name for yourself, and calling in a favor or two... you owe me."
KIRO: "Sure. I won't forget it." He turned back to Vesper, his expression turning serious. "Vesper, there was a random guy who saved us. Who was he? He had a sword... with a dragon biting the hilt. A long, red dragon, its tail curving in a cycle all the way down the blade. The whole thing was a curved, red cycle."
Vesper and Green exchanged a sharp, knowing look.
VESPER: "How interesting. It can't be... them. For them to take an interest in you..."
GREEN: "Could be. They were rumored to be in the area."
KIRO: "Who's 'they'?"
GREEN: "The Rebels. As for who they are... no one truly knows. Their members are all undercover, mostly."
VESPER: (Her voice dropping) "It could be that Cube. The Green Clan is trying to recreate a certain person's powers. Perhaps the Rebels are tryig get this cube, or hunting for the original."
kiro - looks like i got new goal find out what is my cube and what are cubes really where they come from there history
VESPER: "As for your biggest questions... and the illegal things tied to them..." A knowing, almost mischievous smile played on her lips. "I won't spoil anything. Some truths you have to find for yourself. So go on. Start your journey."
RAIJI: (Looking up at the ship's massive hull) "Seems like we're finally going over the walls."
VEYRA: (A mix of awe and determination in her eyes) "My lifetime goal... it's actually happening."
Kiro took a deep breath, then stepped across the threshold into the ship. Without hesitation, Veyra and Raiji followed, their footsteps echoing in the cavernous hangar bay.
With a resonant hiss-thump, the shuttle doors sealed shut, separating them from their old lives.
On the landing pad, Sosiego watched the ship power up, a rare look of peace on his face.
SOSIEGO: "Seems like things might be a bit more peaceful around here with them gone. And with most of the scum... like Midas... cleared out."
NEO: (Cracking her knuckles) "Time to clean up."
With a deep, rising hum that vibrated through the very air, the colossal ship lifted off. It rose through the hangar's atmospheric shield and pierced the clouds, a red-and-black streak shooting for the stars, carrying its crew toward the vast, waiting cosmos.
Veyra took the pilot's seat, her hands snapping across the controls. "Alright, let's see what this thing can really do!" She activated the secondary jets, and the ship surged forward with a new, violent burst of speed.
They soared over the top of the Great Wall. It was monstrously wide, patrolled by army soldiers who pointed and shouted as they passed.
Below, six anti-aircraft guns swiveled, their energy shields flickering to life.
SOLDIER CAPTAIN: "Illegal flying object! Open fire!"
BANG! BANG!
The first shots screamed past the cockpit. A third shot connected, rocking the ship.
VEYRA: "Okay, hi, this is new" A console alert popped up: SHIELD INTEGRITY COMPROMISED. ACTIVATE DEFLECTOR? [Y/N]
"OH, YES!" She slammed the 'Y' button. Then, her eyes caught another option: AGILE JET MODE.
"Even better." She clicked it.
With a series of mechanical whirs and clunks, the ship transformed. It became sleeker, more compact, its main jets retracting in favor of smaller, omnidirectional thrusters across its hull.
The next anti-air blast came, and Veyra threw the controls. The ship jinked left with impossible grace, the shot passing harmlessly by. She pulled up, acquiring a lock.
VEYRA: "Eat this!" She fired a rocket. BOOM! One gun emplacement vanished in a fireball.
Two more shots came. An EMP blast fizzled against their newly raised shields. A physical projectile was met with a rocket barrage of its own, shattering it mid-air.
RAIJI: (A fierce grin on his face) "You're on fire! And was that the captain we just blew up?"
KIRO: "Sounded like someone was having a bad day."
Veyra switched back to fast mode, gaining altitude before tilting the ship into a steep dive.
VEYRA: "No one messes with my new toy!" she declared, unleashing a full barrage of rockets from above. The remaining anti-air defenses were erased in a chain reaction of explosions, clearing their path to the open sky.
Veyra pushed the thrusters, the ship screaming through the clouds. In a display of sheer audacity and control, she rolled the entire vessel into a perfect, graceful 360 before leveling out.
Suddenly, two black airships dropped from the clouds above, blocking their path.
SHIP 1 CAPTAIN: (Over the comms) "Unidentified vessel! Stand down and prepare to be boarded!"
The captain of Ship 2 opened his mouth to speak, but a single, hyper-velocity round a sniper rocket lanced out from Veyra's ship. It pierced straight through the core of Ship 1, which shuddered and began a spiraling descent.
VEYRA: (Coolly) "Long-range sniper round. Quick and clean." She acquired the next target. "You're next."
She launched a standard rocket at Ship 2. It impacted harmlessly against a shimmering energy shield.
SHIP 2 CAPTAIN: "How dare you!" His ship flickered and vanished from sight. A moment later, an invisible barrage slammed into their shields, dropping their integrity to 80%.
VEYRA: "Okay, playtime's over. Activating War Mode."
The ship reconfigured with a series of heavy, mechanical locks. It became bulkier, adorned with multiple rocket pods and a prominent laser cannon.
VEYRA: "Let's see your shields handle this. Thermal vision on." The invisible ship now glowed brightly on her display. "Firing laser to disrupt shields. And... full rocket barrage!"
A continuous beam of energy shot out, striking the invisible ship and causing its shields to flare visible under the stress. A split second later, a storm of rockets followed, hammering the compromised defenses. The combined assault was too much; Ship 2 decloaked as it erupted into flames, joining its partner in a fall to the earth below.
In the sudden quiet, Kiro let out a low whistle.
KIRO: "So... you're pretty good in the air."
With the threats neutralized, Veyra transformed the ship back into its sleek jet mode. They punched through the cloud layer, leaving the city and its dangers far below. As they accelerated, the raindrops outside seemed to hang suspended in the air, frozen in time by their incredible speed.
They had done it. They had escaped.
A soft chime echoed through the cockpit as Veyra engaged the autopilot. She let out a long, exhausted breath, slumping back in her chair.
VEYRA: "Phew... Boys, that thing is a beast to drive. I need a break." She stretched her arms and looked over at Kiro with a tired but genuine smile. "So, my hero... where to next?"
KIRO: (Leaning against the doorway, looking out at the endless sky) "Who, me? I don't know. Just... away. Somewhere that isn't a desert."
RAIJI: (A rare, almost imperceptible smirk on his face) "Your nickname has changed three times already."
VEYRA: (Her smile softening as she looked at Kiro) "It does. But this one fits." There was a weight of unspoken gratitude in her words for saving her from Midas's clutches, for the arena, for healing her brother. "Come on," she said, pushing herself out of the seat. "Let's go look around our new home."
The trio spent the next hour exploring the confines of their new home.
VEYRA: (Leading the tour) "Here are the boys' quarters. Four beds two bunk beds. It's a bit cramped and... very black." She moved on. "Next, the girls' room. Same deal, so let's skip it. Keep following."
They entered a combined kitchen and dining area. "This is all we need. Desks, an oven, and a stove." She tapped the stovetop. "Eco-plasma fueled. Efficient." The dining area had one long table with eight stools. "Nice, right? The restroom is next to the bathroom. And the bathroom is big, just for the luxury of it." She nudged Kiro. "You should use it. You stink."
KIRO: "Hey!"
VEYRA: "And that's it. There's an engine room, but we'll need a real engineer for that. Lastly..." She opened a heavy door to reveal an armory. "The weapons room. Where we store swords, guns, anything we find. It's... generously sized."
With the tour over, the trio split up to settle in.
"Let's get you patched up, Kiro," Veyra said, producing a roll of bandages. "You do heal fast, but it looks like that EMP shot really slowed it down."
Later, in the quiet of the weapons room, Raiji looked at his new sword, its blade catching the low light. His mind drifted back to the city they'd left behind.
Flashback - Veyra's Shop
RAIJI: "Veyra. I need a new blade."
VEYRA: (With a shrewd smile) "Just for you? That'll be 1,000 credits extra. Let's see... total is 22k."
RAIJI: "Steep price. Why the extra?"
VEYRA: "You owe me for saving you. And besides... it's kinda OP. It can redirect any attack after you absorb the impact. Energy-based attacks only, though."
RAIJI: (A glint in his eye) "Cool. I'll take it."
End Flashback
Back in the present, Raiji carefully stored the powerful blade in its rack.
In another room, Veyra was finalizing her suit's configuration. "Nice. Okay, speed and accuracy parameters locked... and done." The Cube that stored the suit glowed blue, and energy swarmed over her, materializing into form-fitting plates of plastic-steel alloy and reinforced leather.
VEYRA: "Nice."
Meanwhile, in the boys' quarters, Kiro finished his routine, sweat dripping onto the floor.
KIRO: "...98, 99, 100." He collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily. "Pushups... done."
BEEEP! BEEEP! BEEEP!
Without warning, the ship was bathed in a pulsing, emergency red light. A harsh, automated alarm blared through the corridors.