01-30-2017, 12:16 AM
Caira’s body began to shake almost as soon as Gary finished speaking. Zack thought, at first, that she was going into convulsions, but he quickly realized it was actually his own arms doing the trembling. He gently laid her down, while Gary joined him in hovering over her quickly. He looked over to the older man without hate or anger, but for the first time ready to learn something from him.
“How can we help her?” Zack asked. His basic first aid skills sounded wildly useless for an anatomy that bled silver. He was more likely to do harm than good.
“We need to…”
Gary was interrupted by the violent lurching of the ship. It rocked sideways and propelled the old secondary forwards, but he was caught and braced by Zack’s free hand, as the young super soldier continued to cradle his friend safely in his other arm.
Gary looked grateful, but did not speak as much. He remained focused on the business at hand. “Whatever attacked us is still out there. It dragged us to the surface.”
“Can you take care of her?” Zack asked genuinely, while his right hand instinctively reached up and gripped the hilt of the Buster Sword. It was so natural, at the onset of a battle, he wasn’t even aware he was doing it.
“I can try.” Gary made no promises, but it was enough for Zack.
“I’ll deal with our new friend, then,” Zack replied, without humor in his voice, even though one could consider his statement a joke. “Don’t leave out there me again.”
Gary’s tone remained stern and serious, but Zack spotted the momentary flicker of his facial expression when he spoke. “Don’t worry. I might need you after all.”
Gallows humor. Finally, they seemed to be reading off the same script. Zack flashed Gary a smile, before gently setting Caira down and leaving her to his care.
“I’ll be right back. Hang in there,” Zack promised his fallen friend, and wasted no more time.
While Gary got to work on the comatose prime, assisted by the pint-sized Charizard, Zack marched to the door. He pried the entrance to the hall open just long enough to step through and seal it behind himself once more. The water was gone from the doorway, as they now floated on the surface, but it wasn’t completely removed from the submarine, etiher. This didn’t matter to him as much. They would limp through the sea, but they could make it back to Cinnabar, to repair or replace this vessel. For now, all that mattered was getting there.
Zack marched through the hallway where only seconds before he had nearly drowned. Now he moved with determination, confidence, and most of all anger. He felt the same level of rage and heartbreak he’d felt in the Goron Village and on Death Mountain, and it was witnessing Caira’s suffering that had triggered it. This was a realm of infinite possibilities and second chances, and yet it had devolved into petty squabbles and politics like everything he knew before this place. At least Volvagia had the excuse of being a monster. How could the Imperials justify themselves?
He climbed the ladder, and shoved the hatch open. It didn’t take him long to once more find himself standing on the surface of the submarine, and just like his walk through the hallway, he didn’t appreciate the reversal of circumstances in such a short time. This time he wasn’t scrambling to enter the vessel. This time he was drawing a line in the metaphorical sand.
Answering his unspoken challenge, the water rippled and a terrifying monster emerged. The fanged beast wielded at least ten tentacles, each one deformed in some terrifying way. Clearly, another Imperial bioweapon. It had hurt, maybe even killed Caira. Its mistake.
The sunlight reflecting off the Buster Sword let off a large, yet temporary glare as Zack drew it and held it ready. The monster responded appropriately as it lashed two tentacles forward. With an air of eerie seriousness about him, Zack countered with two swift strikes that severed the appendages from the beast. He turned to see a third tentacle approaching him from his right side, and barely managed to duck the blow in time. Not wanting to give it the opportunity to sneak up on him once more, Zack let out a war cry capable of shaking the heavens as he charged down the wounded submarine at the beast.
Holding his massive sword high, Zack leaped at the monster ready to strike. Of course, with his line of thinking telegraphed so well, the bioweapon was predictably ready for the assault. Its tentacles lashed forward, and Zack sliced downwards with his sword to sever them as well, and clear a path to his target. The beast made a final, desperate effort to thwart Zack by striking at him with all its flailing limbs, but it was too late by then.
Zack drove the massive sword into the beast’s right eye, which generated the roar of pain and agony he had been hoping would confirm a quick defeat. As the monster thrashed wildly, Zack was grateful to feel his legs land on the metal surface of the submarine, as he’d admittedly lost track of his surrounding in his uncharacteristic bloodlust.
The monster tried to pull free, but Zack countered by twisting the Buster Sword within its eye socket, causing the specimen to go into complete shock. It was then that Zack violently ripped the sword from the creature and delivered a single slash across its face, turning his adversary into a mere carcass. The genetically modified creature exuded a final gasp as it sank into the ocean, freeing the submarine from its clutches for good.
Zack didn’t feel good about the win, despite how decisive it had been. There was more at stake. The Empire would be back. More importantly, though, Caira was still hurt. He dipped his sword briefly into the saltwater to wash the creature’s blood from it, pleased that he didn’t need to worry about the possible corrosion from the elements, now that he was in this strange realm.
Instead, he focused his fears appropriately as he made his way back inside. One thought rang in his mind now, just like it had the whole time he’d been outside.
Caira.
“How can we help her?” Zack asked. His basic first aid skills sounded wildly useless for an anatomy that bled silver. He was more likely to do harm than good.
“We need to…”
Gary was interrupted by the violent lurching of the ship. It rocked sideways and propelled the old secondary forwards, but he was caught and braced by Zack’s free hand, as the young super soldier continued to cradle his friend safely in his other arm.
Gary looked grateful, but did not speak as much. He remained focused on the business at hand. “Whatever attacked us is still out there. It dragged us to the surface.”
“Can you take care of her?” Zack asked genuinely, while his right hand instinctively reached up and gripped the hilt of the Buster Sword. It was so natural, at the onset of a battle, he wasn’t even aware he was doing it.
“I can try.” Gary made no promises, but it was enough for Zack.
“I’ll deal with our new friend, then,” Zack replied, without humor in his voice, even though one could consider his statement a joke. “Don’t leave out there me again.”
Gary’s tone remained stern and serious, but Zack spotted the momentary flicker of his facial expression when he spoke. “Don’t worry. I might need you after all.”
Gallows humor. Finally, they seemed to be reading off the same script. Zack flashed Gary a smile, before gently setting Caira down and leaving her to his care.
“I’ll be right back. Hang in there,” Zack promised his fallen friend, and wasted no more time.
While Gary got to work on the comatose prime, assisted by the pint-sized Charizard, Zack marched to the door. He pried the entrance to the hall open just long enough to step through and seal it behind himself once more. The water was gone from the doorway, as they now floated on the surface, but it wasn’t completely removed from the submarine, etiher. This didn’t matter to him as much. They would limp through the sea, but they could make it back to Cinnabar, to repair or replace this vessel. For now, all that mattered was getting there.
Zack marched through the hallway where only seconds before he had nearly drowned. Now he moved with determination, confidence, and most of all anger. He felt the same level of rage and heartbreak he’d felt in the Goron Village and on Death Mountain, and it was witnessing Caira’s suffering that had triggered it. This was a realm of infinite possibilities and second chances, and yet it had devolved into petty squabbles and politics like everything he knew before this place. At least Volvagia had the excuse of being a monster. How could the Imperials justify themselves?
He climbed the ladder, and shoved the hatch open. It didn’t take him long to once more find himself standing on the surface of the submarine, and just like his walk through the hallway, he didn’t appreciate the reversal of circumstances in such a short time. This time he wasn’t scrambling to enter the vessel. This time he was drawing a line in the metaphorical sand.
Answering his unspoken challenge, the water rippled and a terrifying monster emerged. The fanged beast wielded at least ten tentacles, each one deformed in some terrifying way. Clearly, another Imperial bioweapon. It had hurt, maybe even killed Caira. Its mistake.
The sunlight reflecting off the Buster Sword let off a large, yet temporary glare as Zack drew it and held it ready. The monster responded appropriately as it lashed two tentacles forward. With an air of eerie seriousness about him, Zack countered with two swift strikes that severed the appendages from the beast. He turned to see a third tentacle approaching him from his right side, and barely managed to duck the blow in time. Not wanting to give it the opportunity to sneak up on him once more, Zack let out a war cry capable of shaking the heavens as he charged down the wounded submarine at the beast.
Holding his massive sword high, Zack leaped at the monster ready to strike. Of course, with his line of thinking telegraphed so well, the bioweapon was predictably ready for the assault. Its tentacles lashed forward, and Zack sliced downwards with his sword to sever them as well, and clear a path to his target. The beast made a final, desperate effort to thwart Zack by striking at him with all its flailing limbs, but it was too late by then.
Zack drove the massive sword into the beast’s right eye, which generated the roar of pain and agony he had been hoping would confirm a quick defeat. As the monster thrashed wildly, Zack was grateful to feel his legs land on the metal surface of the submarine, as he’d admittedly lost track of his surrounding in his uncharacteristic bloodlust.
The monster tried to pull free, but Zack countered by twisting the Buster Sword within its eye socket, causing the specimen to go into complete shock. It was then that Zack violently ripped the sword from the creature and delivered a single slash across its face, turning his adversary into a mere carcass. The genetically modified creature exuded a final gasp as it sank into the ocean, freeing the submarine from its clutches for good.
Zack didn’t feel good about the win, despite how decisive it had been. There was more at stake. The Empire would be back. More importantly, though, Caira was still hurt. He dipped his sword briefly into the saltwater to wash the creature’s blood from it, pleased that he didn’t need to worry about the possible corrosion from the elements, now that he was in this strange realm.
Instead, he focused his fears appropriately as he made his way back inside. One thought rang in his mind now, just like it had the whole time he’d been outside.
Caira.