Between the Black and Grey (Starlight Brigade AU)

25 - Hopeless Crusade

"Bullseye!"

Sung flashed Widget a congratulatory smile as his shot pierced the middle of the target for the tenth time in a row. He was getting good with his aim.

"Let's see if you can get to twenty," teased Meouch beside him, shooting along with him.

"Try to keep up, furball."

Sung rolled his eyes; the two never stopped bickering like this. Everything was a competition with them. He hoped they'd be serious when the real battle started.

On his other side Phobos was also practicing. Phobos wasn't a bad shot by any stretch, but his nerves often got the better of him in battle. With what little experience he had he had to rely on the others too much, or at least he thought so. So here he was, joining the group for training to try and put himself on par with the rest of them. Sung tried to assure him he didn't need to be their equal, but Phobos had a pride about him. In his mind, he needed to earn his place in the brigade.

Brian was also there, testing out a batch of shurikens and throwing blades that Nad had made for him. Once Sung would have been wary of giving the mute weapons of any kind, but he had well and truly proved himself trustworthy at this point. Sung owed Brian his life; if it wasn't for his stabbing Yzus, he probably wouldn't be alive to have his revenge right now. Though they seldom communicated beyond blank stares, Sung considered him a friend and crew mate.

The only people not present were Nad, the pilot, and Havve, who would not be at all improved by training.

Sung flinched as a shuriken came flying past him, spiralling into the centre of the target he was currently practicing with.

"Careful!" he exclaimed, but paused when he caught Brian's cold eye. "Oh, it was on purpose? In that case, nice shot."

Brian gave Sung an enthusiastic thumb's up before coming over and retrieving his shuriken. Sung lined up another shot on the target as the mute was out of range again, and once he was satisfied with his aim, he fired.

Sung's shot hit the target with such force, spraying the ebony substance outward in an unfurling flower of black. The ripples quickly took in the orange blast, absorbing it like a rock in water. And just like that, everything changed.

The tranquil blue walls were overtaken by angry, panicked red. Widget screeched a feminine screech that, under any other circumstances, Sung would have found humorous.

"What's goin' on?!" the cowardly mechanic cried.

"I don't know," was Sung's only reply.

The walls started to blare an unnatural buzz from every direction. Sung's focused determination was instantly overwhelmed by panic as his crew mates looked to him expectantly.

"Doctor, what should we do?" asked Phobos seriously, having to raise his voice over the buzz of the ship.

"Um, I-- uh... Meouch?"

"Me? Why should I know what to do?" the lion protested.

Sung opened his mouth to point out that Meouch was technically the sole founder of their entire organisation and was the most qualified, but he was cut off by Brian frantically running out of the room.

"Where does he think he's going?" scoffed Widget in an attempt to be sarcastic through his blatantly obvious fright.

Sung didn't spare him a reply; he knew the alarm in Brian's movements anywhere.

"Nad," he breathed, taking off after the mute.

A chorus of footsteps followed him out of the training room, brandishing their guns at the ready as they all seemed to suspect what was happening.