Elemorts

Chapter XXIX - Impasse

"Why hasn't White Tiger reported yet? Black Tiger, ask him what he is doing," Phoenix commanded in vexation.

Black Tiger, the guard behind Phoenix, fished out a holophone from his cloak and tapped at it. A few seconds later, he said hesitantly, "He's not responding."

Phoenix let out an annoyed snort and gestured with her hand. A holographic display appeared above her desk.

"Security cam! Ablation Chamber!" she barked.

The display switched to the live feed from an enormous lab of some sort from various angles. In the middle of the stark-white lab was a massive contraption with batteries, coils, probes, and arms along with an operating table with handcuffs. Three cloaked figures were busy at work on the mammoth machine.

Behind them, a showcase lay smashed, shards scattered across the floor. Zablaron almost gasped as he noticed the Nova Conduit lying on it. He exchanged a look with Florinok.

"Is that White Tiger?" the guard with the feminine voice asked, trying to maintain her composure. She pointed at a cloaked figure lying slumped in one corner of the lab, a gun still grasped in lifeless hands.

"It is!" Black Tiger exclaimed.

"But who are these three?" Phoenix seethed. "Scan coins!"

The display beeped for a while before three names appeared above the heads of the figures — Warrior, Nightmare, and Phantom.

"Wraith! Which group is that?" Phoenix asked furiously.

"The Trio of Terrors," Wraith, the other guard with the gruff voice, replied. "But what are they doing here?"

"They are Wystals!" Florinok exclaimed. Everyone's heads turned toward her. "Look at the entrance!" she added.

One of the angles showed the doorway to the lab. The doors were still slid open, but a neon-red crystalline barrier had been erected to block the way.

Phoenix inhaled loudly. "Venom, summon security," she said calmly. "Have them eliminated before they destroy the Ablator."

Venom, the guard with the melodious voice, produced a holophone. "Guards, head over to the Ablation Chamber. Wystals have infiltrated," she urgently spoke into it. "Exterminate with extreme prejudice."

A couple of voices responded on the other end.

"The units closest to the chamber are not responding," Venom said worriedly.

Realization dawned on Zablaron as he figured out what had happened. To his surprise, Phoenix got up from her seat, marched around her desk, and seized his throat. He groaned in pain as she released a burst of amaranth energy crackles. "You lied to me," she whispered menacingly, her hand still on Zablaron's throat. "You let those snakes sneak inside!"

"We didn't, you fool!" Zablaron croaked as he wrestled her hand away.

"How did they enter, then?" Phoenix growled. "Speak!"

He caught his breath and continued, "We accidentally knocked out more of your buffoons than we needed — for the masks and cloaks. We took what we needed from four members, but there were still an extra three. The Wystals must have been following us and took the cloaks from those other three members."

"If you're telling the truth, why weren't they discovered during the ritual?" Phoenix demanded.

"Beats me." Zablaron shrugged.

"Seems pretty obvious, if you ask me. They headed straight for the tunnels," Glacia spoke up.

"Right. They weren't present during the ritual," Florinok deduced.