Surviving Humanity: Outsider

The Prince Calls

Azeri glared at the hologram.

"Hello little brother, standing by idly as usual I see." Azeri said pacing towards the hologram.

"So how long have you been peeping."

"I'm always watching Azeri, there were reports that you seen in this area. I figured you'd use this opportunity to attack." Perian responded.

"Little Perian,  I see you still haven't changed that same blind arrogance still permeates through your body. I'm curious how you expect to save your council, are we sending off sacrificial lambs now?" Azeri said with a laugh.

"My members are prepared for death if the dust wills it but I don't think you're here for that. Azeri...end this madness, let them bring you in. I'm in a position of power now, I can grant you leniency. You can still be a part of something bigger. There's still much work we can do, I can use you!" Perian pleaded.

"Who can use me little Perian you?
The Council?.... or The Board?" Azeri's voice projected with anger.

The Board was the only assembly held above the council. Although the council was able to operate autonomously after the collapse. The board still voted on major decisions  and held the highest seat of Hyylion academy. Since the end of The Last War,  The Board had gone dormant and the chairman had not been seen for some time.

"Your naïveté is astounding, and in the end it will be your downfall." Azeri said with a look of disgust.

"You pretend as if you fight for a righteous cause but what have you done to ease the suffering across the lands." Azeri continued.

"What..can I do brother? My plight is for the survival of our race. Sacrifices will need to be made." Perian retorted.

"You will witness first hand the sacrifices that have yet to made little Perian." Azeri said as he placed his hand on Manic's head.

Azeri glanced at the hologram one last time and said "You have so much to protect now Little Perian, do you think you can stop me?" Then fired a blast from his palm engine through Manic's head cutting the transmission.

Manic's face partially crumbled exposing his exoskeleton's brain housing. His left eye was left shattered and fluids began to seep trickle down Manic's face.

Azeri looked at Iona's unconscious body laying behind Manic, Azeri's hands were covered with fluid which was promptly wiped on Manic's suit before proceeding towards Iona.

"Well child...guess it's time for your curtain call as well."  Azeri whispered raising the rail gun to finish off Iona.

Before Azeri could squeeze the trigger Halcie dashed in slicing through his rifle with her heated blade.

Azeri jumped back before she continued her attack and pointed a palm blaster towards Halcie.

"Still as fierce as ever Halcie." Azeri mocked.

Halcie ignored Azeri's mocking and knelt beside Manic. "My son!" Halcie wailed as she embraced Manic's pulverized body.

"I'm sorry my boy, I hadn't properly prepared you for a threat of this magnitude. I'll take you home soon, let me take care of this."

Manic's system was completely offline. He lied there an empty shell and it infuriated Halcie. Halcie turned and glared at Azeri. She narrowed her eyes and a deep rage took over.

"I'm...going...to...KILL YOU!" She screamed as she lunges at Azeri.

As Azeri continued to evade, Halcie pressed a button on her wristpad but nothing appeared to immediately happened and so she continued to press on the offensive. Azeri began to take shots while retreating. Halcie deflected the shots and continued the offensive.

"This is beginning to bore me." Azeri whispered.

"System access activate spacial distortion field"

Halcie began to slow down the closer she got to Azeri.

"What's the matter child, you seem to be having trouble." Azeri said then fired a shot at her leg."

The pain seared through Halcie's at the bullet slowed as it entered her leg. She screamed from the excruciating pain as the bullet slowly ripped through the flesh of her leg.

Keonu was attending to Iona but noticed Halcie was in trouble. He layed her head down on his jacket.

"System access activate vanguard" On activation of Keonu's skill Halcie was ported back to Keonu. The same blue glow formed around them as when they were about to depart.

"So it appears someone's been tinkering with space/time as well." Azeri stated.

"It has to be the work of Thezad, only he has the intellect to think of something like this."

Halcie ripped a piece of sleeve to wrap around the wound of her leg. She was a warrior and had endured much worst during The Last War.

Halcie thought about Azeri's stasis field and tried to devise a way around it.

She glanced at Manic and thought he might be the only way to break through such a thing but wasn't sure he could in his current state. "If only we'd been here to defend Iona, he could have fought freely." She thought.

Manic stumbled to his feet that seemed to somehow be restored. He analyzed his surroundings but didn't understand where he was.

The air was cold and he seemed to be lost in an endless darkness.

"Is this death" he thought.

He wandered through the darkness looking for signs of anything.

He noticed a faint glow in the dark barely visible in the distance. As he began to head towards it he began to gain a feeling as if it was drawing him in.

He began to hear voices whispering from the darkness.

"Yes, yes this way."

"Keep going"

"An outsider"

"What does he want?"

"An audience with the Prince."

As he came closer to the light it was as if area around him had suddenly become illuminated. He could see huge towers of crystal towering around him dimly glowing in the darkness. They formed a corridor and at the end of the corridor was a light that was blinding in the darkness.

Manic continued through the corridor the voices continued this time more clear and loud.

"Almost there"

"Will the prince awaken."

"Can he be trusted."

Manic continued forward and tried to initiate an eye lens to block the light but his systems were still offline. His eyes eventually began to naturally adjust to the light until he could make out a gigantic throne. Atop it sat a huge crystalline figure.

The figure had no face and his head appeared to be a large lump with no detailed features and the body seemed to be iced over almost merging with the chair. I'm the glow beneath the Shell was unlike anything he had seen before. The radiance emitted was blinding. Manic pondered if this was the prince the whisperings were speaking of, it was definitely a throne but the contents on top showed no signs of life.

A rumble began to quake below his feet.

"The Prince"

"He's actually coming."

"Prostrate yourself before the Prince boy."

Crystals began to break off and crash down at the foot of the throne. As the face of the statue molted it revealed a distinguished face and a crown upon his head. A robe began to be carved out from the shedding of the shell encapsulating the body. A multitude of colors and brilliance shined through and even Manic was a little surprised.

"Boy, what is it you seek." The figure bellowed.

Manic stared up a speck standing in front of a titan. He could feel the power radiating from the massive being.

"I wish to save my master." Manic responded.