Unity/Chapter 4: Teenagers Vs The Apocalypse

==Before you read==
This was written by Skyblade743 with a little help from Nitrogen218.
For those in the know, this happens about 2 weeks after ADKON. Expect spoilers for the Skyblade Continuity within literally the first paragraph. Do not pass go. Do not collect £200. *Dissolves into random babbling*
==Chapter 4:Teenagers Vs The Apocalypse==
Natalie thought that this would be the end of Kabletech. The kidnapping of nearly 600 people (by Carl’s calculations) would be exposed, the media would have a field day, and the corporation who had, among other things, kidnapped her future girlfriend and turned her grandfather into a cyborg would be brought to justice. Instead, nothing happened.
Kable had pulled strings in G.U.N and the major media outlets to cover up the kidnapping of Power Gene carriers for experimentation and the 600 people who were freed were branded as 600 conspiracy theorists.
“It’s not your fault, Natalie,” Angel said as they walked towards the Crater, a modernised area of Westopolis where the Black Comet had been, and the regular meeting point of the Powers Club. “You couldn’t have done anything to stop Kable manipulating everyone.”
“Maybe if we had some kind of physical evidence,” Natalie said “Maybe if we could prove something…”
“It wouldn’t make any difference. Kable would pass it off as false.”
“Maybe we could...verify it somehow. Maybe if-”
“Natalie, stop. You saved those people and that’s good enough. Heck, you saved me. Most people cannot say their girlfriend saved them from an evil businessman.”
“Kable will just kidnap them again. And maybe kidnap some more people as well. And maybe even kidnap us.”
“He won’t. People will start to get suspicious after the second time.”
They walked on in silence for a few moments.
“How’s your anxiety?” Natalie asked. Angel suffered from anxiety attacks and, after their escape from Kabletech, they were starting to becoming more frequent. Natalie had been determined to help Angel get over it. After all, if you want to solve a mental illness, who better than a psychic, and one who was head over heels in love with you to boot?
“Fine,” Angel said hurriedly “It’s fine.”
“Angel, even before we started going out, you couldn’t lie to me.”
“I...don’t want to talk about it right now.”
“That’s ok. I’m not going to force my way into your head or anything. But I’m here for you, and so are the others. Remember that.”
Natalie put her arm over Angel’s shoulder and kissed her on the cheek as they reached the Crater. They walked into the youth centre, but went straight on instead of going to the right like they had before Wraith the Cyberhog had attacked them. John had changed the room they met in seeing the side room they had used before hadn’t been completely fixed yet, with the walls still bearing scorch marks from both Wraith’s lasers and Rugal’s fists. The other people in the youth centre still ignored them, though. It’s not like they knew what had happened.
Although neither of them could see it, on that same wall, one of the marks was glowing a reddish color, fading in and fading out like the rhythm of a heartbeat. The light wasn't any brighter than the lights in the gym. It was less than that. Not only that the glow caused the wall to start turning a a oranges red, and indication that somethings getting very hot. The wall started swelling too as if it was full of hot air. The marks also started to emit black smoke, another sign that something was burning.
Natalie and Angel walked into the new room John had booked. The room they were now in was larger than before, but still not massive. There was nowhere to sit, and it was way to large for just 5 people meeting for an hour or so, but it would do until the other room was repaired.
It wasn’t just the room that had changed. Carl as Rugal had buried the hatchet after they both saved each other’s lives. Carl was a lot more confident, and although Rugal still had an ego the size of Shamar he was a lot kinder. John was practically the same, but since his fight with Ice and his insistence to kill him, Natalie had become a little more weary of him.
Rugal opened his mouth to say something.
“Shut up,” Natalie said before he could even get a syllable out of his mouth.
“But I haven’t-“
“I know what you’re going to say.”
Rugal sighed, smirking. He’d teased Natalie and Angel ever since they started going out, but he still wished them the best, and had even resolved to help Angel and Natalie out whenever he could, although his knowledge of relationships was disputable.
“Got any new tricks you want to show us?” John asked. Natalie had been practicing certain tricks with her powers, feeling that she’s been a little useless fighting Kable Enforcement when breaking out of Kabletech Tower despite Angel’s insistence otherwise. Primarily, she’d focused on expanding her illusion based powers, and although she had tried using her powers on multiple people at once it hadn’t worked. However, she had been looking through her mum, Sasha's, mind for basic swordfighting techniques, and had been able to train herself a bit with her own illusions.
“Yeah,” Natalie said “Check this out.”
A katana appeared in Natalie’s hand, with a grey blade and red hilt, although only she and John could see it. Natalie changed who could change the illusion quickly between the other members of the club.
“Do you really need a sword?” Rugal asked Natalie.
“I figured an actual weapon of some kind would be useful.”
“It’s not an actual weapon, though. It’s an illusion. It can’t hurt you.”
“Do you want to test that theory?”
“Nah, i’m good!” Rugal said quickly, shaking his head.
Natalie smiled and let the katana disappear, and for a moment she sensed another mind coming close to where they were. One she’d trawled through 2 weeks ago.
“Guys, Kable’s here.” Natalie said.
Right on cue, several Kable Enforcement members barged their way into the hall, their bodies covered in the standard issue black armour that turned them into faceless soldiers. Following them was Kable the Fox; owner of the greatest tech company on the planet, humanitarian, and evil egomaniac. Unexpectedly, he looked completely shocked when he saw Natalie and her friends.
“Oh, hell,” he said “Why does it have to be you five?”
Soon the katana was back in Natalie’s hand, Rugal’s fists were on fire and Angel was in a fighting stance.
“What do you want?” John asked. He hadn’t got into a fighting stance, and a quick glance into his mind showed his powers were currently unusable, kept behind the wall of the drugs John took daily to stop his personas taking over him.
“I don’t want any of you, for a start,” Kable said “That’s for later. I’m looking for something else.”
“Another child to kidnap?” Angel asked “Another test subject?”
“Lady, in case you hadn't got the memo before, I don’t give a damn about your genes right now.” The fox replied. He pulled out a small electronic tablet out of his suit pocket and held it up for all to see what’s on it.
“I don’t believe for a second you could understand it,” Kable said “So I’ll spell it out for you in plain English.”
“Dimensional anomaly,” Carl replied before Kable could get another word out. Kable looked momentarily surprised.
The sound of creaking can be heard. It sounded like someone inflating a rubber balloon. However, the sound of creaking metal and breaking concrete and the smell of melting metal and burning rubber eventually turned into a sudden loud bang that shook the whole complex. Some people ran out in fear thinking some people just got shot and others simply froze in shock, too startled to move or even say anything. Afterward, the smell of burning material became much more prominent and undeniable.
Kable turned round, startled by the sudden explosion.
”What the heck?” he said “I thought we were on top of the anomaly! And why are there people still here?” he continued, looking at one of the Kable Enforcement members “I thought you evacuated them.”
”The evacuation is ongoing, sir.” The soldier replied.
Kable sighed. He had already shot one commander in the past 2 weeks, the last thing he needed was to shoot another one. Meanwhile, Natalie and the other members of the Powers Club dashed past Kable.
”Get after her!” Kable shouted “We need to get there first!”
Natalie heard the sound of footsteps behind her as the guards tried to catch up to her, her friends dodging around the people who were yet to be evacuated. The guards couldn’t fire yet: they couldn’t risk shooting anyone else and causing a ruckus. Natalie dived into the room where the burning was coming from, following her nose as best as possible.
She continued to follow her nose until the tip of it touched some red hot metal and began to get a nasty smell of burning metal, an indication she was very close to the source of the explosion. Natalie looked around the room as the rest of the Club filed in. John was the last in and slammed the door behind them. Kable and the guards could clearly be heard behind them, barging through the people still in the building.
"Well?" Rugal asked "What now?"
The footsteps got louder and louder, and the smell of the thick smoke from the burning wall became all the more evident. They heard Natalie shout as if she had been hit by something. She did in a way, by the sound of something bouncing off her nose and making a loud noise upon hitting the ground. Natalie staggered back and the rest of the club scours the room for what it was.
Natalie soon grabs the item that bounced off her nose and tried to look at it , but heard the door being kicked open, loud enough to startle anyone nearby. Rugal and Angel leap into action, assuming the people who kicked down the door are Kabletech as Natalie examines the item.
However, the door wasn't kicked open by Kabletech, but a group of one eyed robots with their arms out and hands open. Yet, they didn't fire their harpoon weapons yet, as the thick smoke from the flames made it hard to see.
The vectors receive a translated message from Vultra.
"Attention Vectors: I'm getting several life signatures in your area. The gem is also resonating a sound frequency. It is getting becoming very frequent. You are in its immediate area. Find it, and bring it on board the station. I'm keeping your auditory and visual feed open. After multiple instances of speculation as to its whereabouts, I need visual confirmation. Do not engage the threat for now."
"Acknowledged, Lady Vultra." Replied one of the vectors. With that, they made their way in the room.
The Powers Club stood away from the robots, still in fighting stances.
"Who are you?" Natalie asked.
The vectors still have their harpoons aimed. "We are Vector Drones. He harvest data for our Lady. We are searching for a gem. Red in color. Tell us, now." The leading vector, possibly a commander, demanded.
"Tell you what, exactly?" Angel asked "Why are you asking us?"
"Because we have it," Natalie said, getting out the item she caught earlier and holding it up, although keeping it closer to her than the Vectors. "Is this it?"
Carl. Natalie said to her comrade using her telepathy. Get inside these thing's minds. Find out what they want.
To the Vectors, Carl now merely has his hands behind his back. However, none of the robots notice his right hand glowing blue has he dives into the Vector's mainframe, almost undetectable to anyone who didn't know what they were looking for. Meanwhile, a few Kabletech guards and Kable himself enter the room behind the Vectors, guns raised. However, Kable holds his hand up and the guards lower their weapons.
"Let's see what happens," he muttered to the other guards "This could get interesting..."
A couple Vectors walked over to Natalie with the red object in her hands. One of the vectors scanned it from top to bottom. Afterward one nodded to the other and took the gem from her. Vultra soon spoke through the Vectors' audio feed, ordering the taller vector to turn around, facing the guards and Kable. She had heard them through the audio feed. "Who are you?" Vultra said through the feed.
"I'm Kable," the fox replied "Kable the Fox. Judging by the fact you haven't heard of me, I'm guessing you're not from around here?"
Kable looked over at Natalie and the Vector holding the stone.
"What is that thing, anyway?" He asked.
"Hmm...Judging by the fact you haven't opened fire yet does warrant an explanation. I am Vultra, Leader of the Comet Battalion and commander aboard LOKI Station. The gem in question isn't related to your world or dimension. It is one of four Raggadak Gems. These gems bear the knowledge of Xi Paxxam Roksha, one of the leaders of Terabytes. They often utilize that knowledge in the form of power. Limitless power. Yet, the red gem here is a fragment of that knowledge." Vultra explained while introducing herself.
"Intriguing," Kable replied. Slowly, the fox begins to consider his options. "So what can the red gem do on it's own?"
Anyone got a plan? Natalie asked her friends telepathically. Most of them replied with nos, but Carl seemed to have an idea.
Vultra responds to Kable. "The red gem focuses on storing large quantities of power. Unlike the others, it fuses on augmenting offensive capabilities. It goes so far as to overcharge major defensive and offensive weapons. Minor weapons will simply explode. If it stores too much of its own power, it triggers a discharge that usually results in explosions. It is quite an effective power supply. "
Kable nods. At that moment, Carl's plan is put into motion. With his technopathy, Carl deactivates the robot holding the stone and Angel swipes it up. Rugal then punches the wall, releasing a shockwave that creates a hole in it. The teenagers dash out of the room and into the outdoors, gem in hand.
Kable smiles to himself "Right on cue," he mutters.
Vultra sounded confused by Kable’s muttering. "On cue? What do you mean?" Vultra also turned the commander to the hole in the wall.
"The enemy of my enemy if my friend, as they say," Kable replied "Well, not friend, but unsuspecting ally. Now I think about it, even that's not accurate...oh, and also, I am extremely good at distractions."
As this is happening, the remaining Kabletech guards rush out of the youth centre from the main entrance, surrounding the Powers Club. The two groups are soon fighting in close range, with the sound of bullets and fire echoing around the area. The guards in the room with the Vectors raise their weapons and Kable draws his own pistols.
"Thank you for the information, by the way," Kable said "We appreciate it."
Kable and his guards open fire on the Vectors.
Taken by surprise, two of the vectors take the hailstorm of bullets and soon fall to the ground. "Two down!" Shouts the commander as it tries to run. Some of the bullets manage to penetrate the armor for the right leg and the commander stumbles to the ground. Vultra mutes the feed to prevent Kable from listening in. "Commander, stand down and scan the guards. I need to know the strength of their armor. " The commander obliges by using an invisible optical scanner and runs a full body scan on them. Just as they completed, the robot shut down.
Vultra, a little annoyed that they were destroyed, is still satisfied with what she got. She got a scan of their physical armor and their weapons. Vultra looked at the scans with a smirk as the objects were addressed in detail, going so far as to explain their material composition, ballistic type, whether they resist energy weapons or not, and even the durability of the armor.
"Hmmm...quite the surprise." Vultra said through a smirk. She brought her hands up in front of her chest with her fingertips pressed against one another. "Savor the small victory, Kable." Vultra said as she was turning to her left and bring her hands back down to her sides. She then walks over to a wall mounted panel with a small silver button next to speaker. A quick "beep" emanates from the panel as she presses her left forefinger onto the button. "Xunoka. Are they ready?" Vultra asks.
"Yes, My lady. They have been fine tuned and are ready to fight."
"Good." Send them down, and send these schematics to the Research division. I need to know where they are coming from, especially the armor and weapons. When we do, I'll see if he's willing to reconsider his actions."
Vultra walks back over to the screen after taking her forefinger off of was viewing the scans from and interfaces with the touchscreen. A list of options appear on the bottom left corner of the screen. Options were stack up on one another in a top to bottom style. They were written in the same type of characters and illegible text and it seemed that Vultra was able to understand . Vultra picked the second to first option as the options disappeared, as well as the scans.
Kable and his guards fight their way through the Vectors, wearing them down pretty easily. Once they're all gone, the fox looks out at the battle with the Powers Club.
"C'mon," Kable said "That can't be all that woman has up her sleeve, and by the time she shows her cards I want that gem."
Meanwhile, the Powers Club were slowly wittingly away at Kable's guards. Even though they lacked Ice and John was unable to change persona, they still fought the members of Kable Enforcement as well as they did back in Kabletech Tower, especially now Natalie had a better grip on her powers. Bullets cut through the air, fire danced in the air and weapons randomly turned off thanks to Carl. All the while, Natalie kept a hold of the gem, using the methods she had used before to trick the guards: sudden impulses forcing the guards to change direction, or occasionally removing the use of their hands altogether. The Powers Club creates a circle with Carl and Natalie, the only one not useful in a straight fight and the one with the gem of unlimited power respectively, in the middle, and were slowly coming out on top.
As they do, a loud roaring noise is heard in the air as an alien warship approaches the Powers Club. In the undercarriage of the ship, a large metallic panel opens up, and drops more robots onto to the battlefield. However, these robots didn't look like vectors at all. If anything, some of them were a little smaller, others a little taller. Some of them had bulkier armor (to the point that their one eye actually gains eyelids to act as a temporary shield). In fact, these robots were actually armed, holding onto weapons consistent with swords, energy blasters and energy rifles. Those with bulkier armor or smaller than a vector started sprinting full speed. Some of the bots eyes had claw like attachments on their fingertips. Then, someone came on the speaker from onboard them ship.
"Kable! You won't deny me what is mine! "
This voice was all too familiar as she and Kable had talked earlier. But then, a second voice came in, except it was on a closed channel and starting to affect Natalie's telepathy.
"Hello? Can anyone hear me? This is Savannah Myers of Safehouse Orion sending a message to anyone able to respond. I am not your enemy nor are you to me. I believe an artifact may be here. Please respond."
"What the hell?" Natalie replied with her telepathy "Who are you?"
Kable looked up at the warship and sighed.
"Did she have to return that soon?" He asked himself. "Ignore the robots, focus on getting that gem."
Savannah responds to Natalie by saying, "My name is Savannah Myers. I am trying to locate an object that is red and known to explode. Do you have it?"
With that, the robots are charging at the Powers Club, and the Kabletech soldiers. Soon, the battle devolves into a free for all with very few of the Kabletech guards aiming for the gem other than Kable himself And the soldiers in his immediate vicinity
"Firstly, why should we trust you?" Natalie replied "Secondly, it explodes?!"
Savannah sighs at the questions, but proceeds with "We believe that your dimension may be under siege the Combat Battalion's Vectors. Judging by your tone, it's quite clear they touched down. But anyway, I can help you because I've--We've done this before. Myself and a couple others. We also know what the gem is, and can deliver it somewhere that it won't be gained."
Savannah continues with "The gem is a Raggadak Gem, one of four that contains the knowledge of a fallen leader named Xi Paxxam Roksha. That gem I mentioned has the ability to charge energy and release it in massive bursts unless the energy has a place to go. The gem can act as a literal time bomb. If you can trust me, I can help get you and anyone else you have to safety, lest you want to become the objects of target practice."
The vectors and Kabletech guards were attacking one another, with some Kabletech guards being impaled between Vector's harpoons, and having their minds be invaded as the Vectors search through their memories for useful information. Some of the more bulkier robots actually got close enough to where some Kabletech guards have their arms/legs broken, their guts being ripped open, getting shocks from live wires to the point of paralysis, or get their ribs squashed by a Juggernaut's foot.
"Well, you're not trying to kill us right now, so I guess I can trust you," Natalie replied "Get us out of here."
Kable looked round at the Vectors.
"Gotta say, not bad," Kable said "I didn't expect this level of resistance." This was supposed to be a quick operation, dammit. The fox thought. And the Cyborg Squadron are away dealing with Poisonmaster, so they're not a get out of jail free card...that said, I still have a few tricks up my sleeve...
"KABLE ENFORCEMENT," Kable continued, shouting to his troops "SURRENDER IMMEDIATELY!"
Vultra commanded her robots at the same time. "Cease aggression. But keep an eye on him. " The robots respond accordingly and stare blankly at Kable. "So, are we ready to talk?"
Back with Natalie, Savannah replied to her. " I'm trying, but the signal is too weak. Can you get a larger energy concentration?"
Kable sighed “No, I want to beat your entire army to a pulp on my own without weapons while I’m holding my hands in the air.”
Vultra caught wind of his sarcasm. "Now, Now, don't you get rude with me, I am offering you an opportunity. An opportunity to walk away with something. Other than your life, of course."
Kable cocked his head to the side and smiles "Tell me more."
“We may be able to use the Ragnarok Gem to give you enough power,” Natalie told Savannah “But how do we power the thing up? We have a telepath, a pyrokinetic and a technopath, for your information.”
"Get your technopath to the nearest pylon. The Gem will need to gain massive amounts of energy. The gem needs to release a large amount of energy in order to do anything. The pylon I'm asking you to get to is near your city's power plant. Have your telepath near the power plant to act as a receiver. The telepath would help in close proximity to the power plant to levitate it to the tallest point of the energy pylon. I will try to have someone assist you if I can spare them.
In the meantime, when you get to the pylon, defend it as much as possible in order for it to charge. See if you can create any defenses while you're there." Savannah said before cutting the message off.
"But I can't make things..." Natalie said before the message cut off. Can telepaths even do that? She wondered to herself. She then looked at Carl "We have a way out," She told him. "We need to get to the city's power plant. Can you buy us time?"
"Sure." Carl says. His hand glowed blue as the Vector's suddenly find their weapons disabled.
"EVERYBODY RUN!" Natalie said. The powers club then dashed away from Vultra and Kable as fast ast they could, making a break for the road.
The robots take note of this but told the Vectors to ignore it for the time being, returning their focus to Kable. "My proposal is that you may want of a slice of the pie when it comes to trade, yes? Well, what if I gave the opportunity to amass money across dimensions?"
“Tell me more,” Kable replied.
"If you assist me with your transports, ground troops and resources, I could give you the opportunity to expand your commercial influence. An empire within an empire. I will have some of my troops assist yours as a bonus, promising to secure everything down to the electron in resources. What do you say?" Vultra said to Kable. As an offer, one of the Brawlers was commanded to extend a hand as an opportunity to cement the truce.
"I like it, I like it a lot, but there are a few significant flaws in your logic," Kable said. "Firstly, why would I need an army to win elections? Secondly, why would I even need elections if I had a full blown army? Thirdly, why are you letting the people with the gem you seem to care so much about get away?"
A sinister tone of voice came from the robot. "There really wouldn't be any need for electoral leadership. You would elect who you saw fit, and charge what you want. I will ensure you get your payment through a special "collection unit" alongside your Kabletech guards. In regards to the gem, it emits a energy signature unique enough that my Seekers will track it. They use a special Photorefraction technology that negates the light and use this to make them blend in with their surroundings. They should be on their way shortly." Vultra said.
"That's what I thought," Kable replied. "So, when do I start?"
"That will be at your discretion. Though, if you'd be a dear and follow them, I could have a bonus pay ready for you, along with my robots to assist you."
"Sure, I'll get someone to follow them," Kable replied, putting his hands in his pockets and walking away, although not in the direction that the Powers Club had left in "I have a few drones lying about."
Vultra then said. "Ok. Before I leave you to your work, take this." The robot hurriedly gives Kable a small circular device with a large cyan button. " This is in the event that you request an escort or backup. I will be sure to send bots to your location.
"Got it," Kable said, walking away. "See you later."
----
“Are you sure about this?”
“Absolutely. You trusted me with flying a helicopter.”
“Yes, but there wasn’t anyone you could hurt up there. It’s not like you’d accidentally fly into a plane.”
“I mean, the possibility was always there…”
“To be fair on him, Rugal, I think what happens if those robots get their hand on the thing Natalie has will be worse.”
“Yeah, but still-”
Rugal’s sentence was cut short as the armoured van rounded a corner, the tires screeching as Carl tried to keep the thing under control. Carl and John were in the seats at the front while Rugal, Natalie and Angel sat on the benches in the windowless back of the van, talking through the small hatch in the vehicle’s front. It had been used to transport Kable Enforcement to the youth centre, and Carl thought they weren’t going to be needing it any time soon. Plus, the site of a black, heavily armoured vehicle was more than enough to make the many drivers in Westopolis’ rush hour make way for them.
The power plant was on the other end of the city, according to John. Natalie had moved to the city so recently she never knew where it was, even if she knew it existed. The power plant used nuclear power as it was built in the 60s or 70s where the stuff seemed like the future. Since then, upgrades have been made to modernise it and the rest of the city but it still looked like a dark grey brick.
“How long till we get there?” Angel asked.
“10 minutes, maybe a bit more?” John replied, although he sounded equally as unsure as Angel “Honestly, this thing is damn slow for a-”
John’s sentence was cut short as an explosion rocked the van. Carl only just managed to keep it under control. Angel stood up.
“What was that?” She asked “Are they following us?”
“I don’t know,” Natalie replied “I can’t sense any minds.”
She walked over to the back door and opened it up. It was only then she knew where the vehicle was: driving along the long road on Westopolis’ eastern seafront that Natalie had completely forgot existed. Cars were scattered around the road, all noticing the van and swerving to avoid it. It was astonishing no one had crashed yet.
Then Natalie looked up and saw what they were facing. 3 drones hovered behind the van, each armed with what looked like a small energy weapon. One of the drone’s weapons was currently charging with blue energy, and then suddenly a blue laser beam fired at the back of the van. Before it could hit, Angel dashed over to the door and slammed it shut, as the laser blast hit the door and was reduced to sound and a burn in the back of the door.
“What the hell was that?” John shouted from the front.
“Drones,” Rugal said “We could only see 3, might Ben more.”
As they talked, Natalie and Angel searched the room for anything they could shoot back with. There wasn’t much in the room, just benches and clips on the walls for spare guns. The soldiers probably took them when they went to the youth centre. There was however, something strapped to the ceiling that could be of use to them.
“Hey, Rugal,” Angel asked “Could you help us with this?”
Rugal walked over, seeing a tripod with a long tube on the top strapped to the ceiling next to several missiles.
“Wait…” Rugal said “are those anti-tank missiles?”
“I think so,” Natalie said “Honestly not sure. Still, they’re things we can shoot.”
The three pulled down the tripod and carefully loaded up a missile just as another laser blast rocked the van. The group tried their best to keep the heavy metal rocket launcher steady, placing it so it would be aiming out of the back of the van once the door was open. Angel decided to man the gun, considering she was the most excited to do it and could pull the trigger quicker. Rugal and Natalie held one door each, ready to push it open.
“Ready?” Natalie asked. Angel nodded and the doors were thrown open.
One of the drones saw it’s chance and floated directly in front of the door to be met with an anti-tank missile to the face. Natalie and Rugal cheered as the drone exploded and hit the road with a thud, still on fire. The two slammed the door shut as they went to reload the launcher, narrowly missing another laser blast which scorched the back of the door and jumped the van forward a bit.
Natalie and Rugal waited for a moment before swinging the doors open again. Angel was about to open fire before she realised that there was no drone there. Suddenly, a drone flew across the back of the van, firing a laser blast before flying out of view again. The laser blast threw the tripod back, but Angel dodged just in time to grab the anti-tank missile and threw it away before it exploded inside the van. The drones were becoming more co-ordinated; as soon as the missile landed on the road, another one flew past and fired another laser blast. Rugal and Natalie closed the door just in time to stop it.
“You ok?” Natalie asked Angel
“Yeah, sure,” She replied “It will take more than that to-“
Before she could finish, the trio heard John and Carl shout something from the front, but had no time to react before the van jolted upwards as a laser blast hit it’s front bumper. The back doors were thrown open, and although Rugal and Angel gripped onto the seats, Natalie was thrown out, clinging onto the handle she’d been using to open the door. As she did so, the gem fell out of her pocket, and the last of the anti-tank missiles fell out as well, hitting the gem. Natalie swung the door closed before anything else happened.
The gem takes the hit, going airborne and flying like a projectile. It was seemed like it was gonna hit the drones but misses and begins its descent down to the ground, but the gem itself was turning a bright white color and letting out a massive blast of energy that came out in the form energy waves and a cloud of dust. In this dust, the gem teleports away, outside of this dimension.
”Damn it,” John said as he saw the thing vanish looking at the wing mirror “It’s vanished. Kable doesn’t have it either, but it’s gone.”
”So what now?“ Angel replied “We’re supposed to get to the people Natalie told us about, right? If we don’t have the gem, what’s the point?”
”We need to run from those robots,” Natalie said “We still need to get to...wherever we’re going to go if we hope to survive. Maybe...one of John’s forms can use lightning, right? Maybe we can wait for his drugs to wear off and then use that to charge up the pylon?”
”We’d have to lay low for a while,” John said “But, yeah, we can try.”
The drones stopped moving, looking at the dust where the gem used to be. The van continued on towards the power plant.
”We‘ve lost the gem,” Natalie thought, hoping Savannah would pick up “But Kable doesn’t have it either. We think we still have a method to get to you...if you’re still even listening.” 
"Its fine. I can still retrieve you from the power plant, but it'll take longer without. Regardless, you did well keeping it out her hands. I will have to gain control of the power plant itself. It will require a majority of power from it, though it poses the risk of a blackout after or before transport. I still have a lock in your position, but its just enough to send you what you need. " 
Five disc-shaped objects warped through abd landed at Natalie's feet. These discs were actually a little heavy and rather thick, giving the impression of looking like hockey pucks. On the top of them was a large opening that housed a white light that grew bright and then dim. The opening made the top of the hockey puck look like a ring. "Take three of these to the central command computer, if it does have any, and put the last two on the electric generator. When that happens, run to the nearest pylon and stand your ground. " Savannah explained.
"Roger," Natalie replied before standing up. Rugal and Angel had been momentarily surprised by the objects, but Natalie's lack of reaction had made them feel a little safer. Natalie explained the plan to them.
"I can take the central command one," Carl said "I should be able to get a map of the facility as well."
"I'll go with you," Rugal said "Make sure you don't have any trouble."
"I'll take the generator," Angel said. "Natalie and John are with me."
Neither of them objected.
Savannah responded. "Excellent. You may want to hurry. Vultra's forces aren't at the power plant yet, but given the current situation, I'd imagine it will be rectified very soon. Report when you have completed the objective and are under a pylon. "
----
The group had managed to get to the power plant without any more trouble. Natalie had managed to convince the guard at the entrance that the van was being driven by Kabletech people with associated IDs and had got them past the electric fence that surronded the facility. There were a variety of pylons nearby, and it felt like there was one new one for each time the power plant was updated. Carl and Rugal and gone towards the control room, with Carl using his powers to access any doors, while Natalie, Angel and John went towards one of the facility's many power generators, easily passing by thr guard thanks to Natalie's illusion powers. They hadn't run into any problems by the time Carl and Rugal went into the currently empty control room.
There, they were surrounded by various panels, built in power meters and measuring paraphernalia all related to electrical power. There was a panel in front of them that had a fuse box bolted to the wall, as well as several dials, buttons, and switches. On the left of the panel looked to be a breaker switch with a red light. On the right looked to be a computer keyboard to interact with the panel.
"Guessing this is the central command computer " Rugal said as he slammed down the machine Savannah had sent them. Carl, meanwhile, was manipulating the security cameras, wiping all traces of Natalie and her group off the video: they didn't want something Kabletech or their new enemy could use against them.
The machines planted on top of the command panel started up, showing a bright white light as they interfaced with the terminal. An odd thud was heard from the devices depite not hitting the ground. But rather, it was ripping open the paneling, hooking itself up to the terminal, the buttons started acting up, pushing into the terminal and back out as of they were being pushed in. The breaker switch and wasnt movinng unlike the buttons.
Savannah could be heard from the devices. "Connection to terminal received, and stable. Control test complete. All we is the generator to get you out. You may go to Natalie, or wait under the nearest pylon. The choice is yours. "
"Don't worry," Rugal replied "Natalie can handle herself."
"What's your name, anyway?" Carl asked "We just know you've been talking to Natalie via her telepathy."
"My name is Savannah Alexis Myers. Leader of the Green Ridge Colony, now leader in Orion Station. " she replied. Carl and Rugal looked at each other and shruged.
"Just one of those days," Rugal said as the two left the control room.
Meanwhile Angel, Natalie and John had arrived at the generator room: a big room that had very little space due to the generator taking up most of it. The group started attaching the devices. Much like with Rugal and Carl, the devices pierced and integrated themselves into generator. A loud humming noise could be heard as the generator slowly activated, generating sparks of electricity and some nearby meters were registering how much electricity was being generated. As the it did. Loud noises of mechanical paraphernalia and systems activating rang out. A loud electric bang could be heard from above, as arcs of electric energy pierced the air, the heat from which could be felt from the group below.
Savannah could be heard. "All systems optimal. Energy output is more than sufficient. Good work. Powering up the pylons in your immediate area........done!" 
"Alright, let's get out of here." Natalie said. The group left, meeting up with Rugal and Carl under the pylon. 
"We're all done," Rugal said upon the second group's arrival. "As said by the person we can't see who's inside our head. What now?" 
"We stand under the pylon and probably get out of here," Natalie replied, looking at the increased electricity jumping between the pylons "At least mum will know I'm out for the night." 
The sound of electrity could be heard as it moves throughout the area. "Alright, there is a pylon near the main power transformer in the back. I'm charging it now." Savannah said as her voice echoed throughout the room. 
"We're already there," Natalie replied, looking up at the pylon she was standing under. 
"Oh. Well, standby then." The pylon was charging above them, the sound of electric energy surging above as it went up and down the pylon, taking it in like a lightning rod. The electricity started turning an amber color as reached the ground, as well some of the nearby cables and pylons were taking in the energy, either shaking violently or just receiving the electricity . Amber pixels began appearing around the group, signalling the teleportation phase. "All systems optimal. Coordinates received." Savannah said. 
"Just get us out of here," Rugal said. 
A series of electrical sparks and bolts pierced the air as the transport continued. Soon, they were completely covered in amber pixels and quickly whisked away from the powerplant after a thundering boom finished off the action, though the tower was burned to the point it collapsed in on itself, becoming a pile of burning and even melting metal. 
The group are then transported to the receiving deck of Orion Station. Savannah was there to greet them. "Ah, you guys are alive. Good. I saw the pylon collapse and got a little worried." 
The group weren't really listening: they were looking at the technologically advanced space station around them. Carl had the place figured out in around 30 seconds at looked back at Savannah while the others kept looking around. 
"We're here now, anyway," He said "I'm Carl." 
"I am Savannah. Which one of you had the ability to telepathically communicate?" 
The group stop looking at their surrondings and looked at Savannah. 
"That would be me," Natalie replied "Natalie Walker. Pleasure to meet you." 
"A pleasure to meet you too, ma'am.. I must say we are lucky to have you here, the telepathy helped in communicating with you. I did send some signals across the mutliverse, but I only got static. Something jammed my transmissions." Savannah said. 
"Wait, the multiverse? Like other dimensions?" 
"Yep. Ever since Vultra learned sbout the gems, she has proceeded to send fleets across dimensions, universes, anywhere. So, I've been sending these messages to round up as many people as possible, wanting to prepare them." Savannah explained. 
”Um...” Natalie put a hand on the back of her head and looked worried “Gotta admit, we’re kinda not cut out for this kind of thing? Like, we stopped Kable...once...temporarily...put simply, dimension spanning threats may be a little out of our league.” 
" I wouldn't say that. You managed to survive an attack in your area and you made it here. My cohorts and I will help with that. In the meantime, I want you to meet a couple of people down at the barracks. They will help you get ready." Savannah said. 
"Could you show us there?" Natalie asked. 
Savannah nodded. 
"Of course. Right this way." Savannah said as she left the control panel. 
She directed them to a teleporter module in the far end of the room, they were then warped away with the amber pixels from earlier. They then found themselves in the barracks. 
”Huh,” Angel said “I expected something a bit more...I don’t know, regimental?” 
”You need us to do anything?” Natalie asked. “Or should we just stay here for now?” 
"Well, you can rest up or train up considering the long road ahead." Savannah said. 
Two more voices were heard in the room. 
"We concur. You four are essential to this fight and its in all logical reason that you best be ready." A male voice said. 
A younger female also spoke up. "Indeed, but try not to overexert yourselves." 
The sounds come from a male hedgehog in his late teens to young adult years, and a pink late teenage three-tailed fox. The red one his arms folded and leaning against a wall. The pink fox was preforming a curtsey in front of them. 
Rugal raised an eyebrow “Who are you and why are you in our bedroom?” 
The hedgehog laughed at that statement. Afterward, he spoke. "Cute paranoia, but this is everyone's bedroom. This place was stripped clean a while ago by nosy natives and natural decay." 
The fox spoke next, "Affirmative. We are also the two you are to meet. I am Nicole the CyberFox, I maintain the place and ensure everyone is secure in the facility." Exiting her curtsy, she then makes a hand gesture toward the hedgehog. "This is Raven the Cyberhog, my close, and arguably best friend. He is a mercenary as well as a guardian. " 
”How many people do we have?” Angel asked. 
"At the least, over 10. Almost 20. The others are currently resting in their pods or proceeding with their training. "Nicole said." By the way, we had received some interference on our comms. When we scanned around the planet, we came across something called "Kabletech" what is it?" Nicole asked. 
"Company run by a manipulative jerk that steals kids," Natalie replied "Kept under wraps by good publicity and money laundering." 
Carl was going to mention Kabletech's beginnings run by Walter Kable before it went bust due to mismanagement and dug out of bankruptcy by Walter's son Maxwell, but he quickly shuts up considering Natalie's description was pretty accurate. 
Nicole's eyes went wide. "Yeesh. That's really terrible. Was he arrested?" Nicole asked. 
"Nope. He just made us look like conspiracy theorists." 
"Well, that's just lovely. I'll have to keep Raven under control. He hates corporations. Same goes for some others." Nicole said, sweatdrips appearing on her forehead. Wiping them off with her hands, "well, study the tech, and be sure to use the training area to fight these guys. We'll need all the assistance we can get." Nicole said as she left the room. Natalie nodded and turned back to the others. 
"Looks like we've found our crowd," She said. Angel sat down on an empty bed she was now claiming as hers. 
"Honestly..." She said, not looking at the rest of the group "I agree with Natalie here. We're in over our heads." 
"Never thought you'd be the first one to back down from a fight," Rugal replied. 
"It is when we can't win. You saw what they threw at us. Imagine that on an interdimensional scale. I...I don't think I can." 
Natalie sat down next to Angel and put an arm round her. 
"I know you're scared," Natalie told her "Everyone here is, whether they like it or not. Kable is our responsibility, and I've been waiting for a rematch with the son of a bitch anyway." 
"You can't use your powers on robots, Natalie," Rugal reminded her "You're gonna need a replacement." 
Natalie nodded. 
"Guess it's time to find the armoury." She said. 
"The armor is right this way." Nicole said she began to walk out of the room. 
"Stay strong, everyone. We will succeed in this. Just stay positive." Nicole added. Natalie follows Nicole while the others stay in the room. 
The room was packed with a whole assortment of weapons and explosives. The weapons on display were familiar in terms of class, but were designed and created in different ways. The weapons that were able fire energy based weapons and attachments were mounted to a large gray board mounted on the sides of the room, and on the wall on the other side of the room. These trays were connected to rounded joints that are anchored to either side of each tray. Said joints were attached a long, slender beam . 
On the ground, it was composed of rounded equilateral triangles; except for the center of the room, which was a moderately big square. Inside were 9 bl cylindrical containers that lined the center of the room. Lights were scattered about the ceiling. 
"Well, this is quite an armoury," Natalie said. "It'd beat Kable's stuff any day. So...what do you have round here?" 
"We carry an assortment of Electron Shock Charges , Proton Beam Emitters , Muon Cannon rounds, and Delta Wave Blast rounds." Nicole said as she smiled happily. 
We also have a copious amount of Xokkin bullets that are made for most weapons here. Those cylinders are armor kiosks that contain the schematics for 4 sets of armor. Vanguard, Titan, Chaser, and Pathfinder." 
"So what do these armours do exactly?" Natalie asked. 
"Vanguards are for those who prefer an evenly balanced fighting and defensive style. It comes standard with Kinetic Emission Module in each gauntlet. Vanguards are also offered cybrexium longsword and a a shield. Built in defenses include a small wrist-mounted Nuon blasters, and Gravity locks in the boots." Nicole explained 
"Titans are specifically designed to be tough, heavy, and relentless. Made completely out of a the condensed molecular matter of Cyberspace's most unstable or collapsed stars. This is then molecularly altered to become a strong and durable set of armor sandwiched between 4-inch thick Cybrexium layers. The Armor is often recommended foe those who wish to take their time relishing in the carnage they create, or as a last line of defense. Groups of people wearing this armor were strong enough to execute entire groups of enemy combatants. 
Weapon choices range from the fast fire but horribly inaccurate X-59 ScrapMaker heavy machine blaster, to the toxic Rust Bomb Cannons, or a Gamma beam Gatling gun, named AX-115 Sweeper. The armor also comes with a "S.M.A.R.T" Repair system for both the armor and the wearer. But take caution on the damage you receive. It only target 2 Heavily damaged areas, 7 minor damage areas, and only one critical repair area. " Nicole said 
Nicole continues. "Chaser in particular is for those who like to act, think, and react fast. Not just that, you can also increase your weapon's damage output or the armor's damage output. Essentially, if the chaser is in a tight spot. They can fire guided plasma shots remotely or lock on to a specific target. The kick is when you actually chase the enemy. The longer you pursue the target, the stronger the armor gets and the faster the wearer is. It contains the kinetic energy you put into chasing your target. Should you not have any firearms or melee weapons, the kinetic energy stored can be emitted as a radial blast or a directed force emission. The armor is very frail though, so be careful." 
"Lastly, the Pathfinder Armor is for tacticians and strategists. This is especially useful when mapping out an area unfamiliar to the inhabitant. Built into the helmet is a pair of Geological Terrain Analyzers, Auxillary Radar System, Topographic Measurement Computer, and Climate Data Collector. 
The suit also comes with a "Overlord" Supercomputer that acts as the decision creation Unit, crestes a list of options that the wearer can select thanks to a holographic screen located in front of the visor of the helmet. " 
Natalie nodded slowly, although in truth was not listening to half of what Nicole is saying. She checked the other girl's mind when a name or term she doesn't understand or recognise came up, and this soon stacks up to be a lot. It's a few moments before Natalie has caught up and she smiles. 
"Huh," She said "You know, I thought I was going to be the only one needing one of these, but this would work extremely well with the other's powers too." 
Natalie walked over to the suit she now recognised as the Vanguard suit. "How well can the Titan suit handle being heated up from the inside?" Natalie asked. 
"It can tolerate heat that generated from a solar flare." Nicole said. Natalie never thought that that answer would be what she wouldn’t want to hear. 
”Could you go get the others?” She asked “I think they may want to see this.” 
Nicole nodded happily. She then flew off to get the others, trying to find them. The rest of the group were in the barracks where she left them, getting to grips with the fact they're now in space. 
Nicole hurried into the room. "Your friend Natalie wants you all in the armory." She said. Rugal stood up off the bed. 
”Huh,” He said “I wasn’t expecting that.“ 
”She must have found something that could work with our powers,” Angel said “...What do you have in that armoury?” 
"I will show you. " Nicole said "just follow me." 
Eventually, Nicole brought them to Natalie, showing all the armor and weapon types on full display. 
"Welcome to the armoury!" Natalie said, triumphently "There's something for everyone here!" 
She gestured over to the armours and the rest of the club walked over to them. 
"These armours each have their own strengths that fit us pretty well," She continued "That one's fast, that one's good up close, that one has tactical stuff and this one has a cool sword. I think we can work something out here." 
"I'd prefer not to be wearing powered armour," John said "The last thing we need is to make my unpredictable personas stronger. But...these do sound useful." 
"We're going to have to edit your's, though," Natalie continued, turning to Rugal "It's a little too heat resistant as it stands. If we can change this thing so it can make use of your Overheat, it's going to be nigh unstoppable." 
"I can get to work provided I know what I'm looking at," Carl said. 
Nicole showed him to the Titan Armor. "Did you mean this?" She asked. Carl nodded. 
”Rugal can heat up his attacks to make them stronger,” He explained. “If we can remove some of the heat protection on this thing, maybe we can make it’s punched stronger too. I just need to understand how it works.” 
“Some of the plating can shift and rearrange itself in accordance to the wearers desires. You'll have to preprogram it." Nicole said. Carl shrugged “I can do that if I have to.” 
Nicole opens up a panel in the chest plate of the suit to activate the Modification System for him to interact with. Carl's hand glowed blue as he started to change the suit's coding. There were several piston noises and electrical hums as cracks appeared in the suit's fists. 
"That should work," Carl said tentatively "If it doesn't, we're going have to change the suit's systems directly." 
The armor around the gauntlets shifted and slid toward and against one another, turning into the desired style and format. The gloves were now laced with heat-friendly exhaust ports and even red-hot knuckles that Rugal can use when using his overheat ability. 
"So," Rugal said "Where can we test these things?" 
"There is a diagnostic and testing room on deck three. Take the hexagonal platform just outside the room on your right. It will teleport you directly to the Holo-Room." Nicole said happily, closing her eyes as she did. 
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