Charm 2023 - Post 4

I continued through halls and to an upper-level promenade, where I was immediately struck by the advanced technology and futuristic amenities that abounded. It was a veritable stronghold of scientific progress and innovation. As I walked through its halls, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and wonder at the incredible sights and sounds that surrounded me. Like outside, purple glowing balls of light continued to pulse and shimmer, casting an ethereal radiance over everything. And like outside, my energy drained with each step.

To be caught here with my powers diminished would mean major trouble. With that in mind, I picked up the pace. Clanking and humming grew louder, until finally I was a set of double doors, the sound loud enough to assure me it was coming from the other side of those doors.

Voices came through, muffled, but I used my comms device to adjust for translation. By the time it adjusted for the language, all I managed to pick up was, “Let them believe what they want. Won’t matter when we move in and obliterate them all.”

Pressing up to the door, I considered moving in with a breath of charm and seeing what else I could get out of them. That would raise alarms, though, and until I was ready to come back with the rest of my team, or the “Breaker’s Berserkers,” starting a war wasn’t smart.

Instead I waited until they were gone, then pressed in slowly. Others were visible off the left along the walkway in their cloaks, but I was cloaked as well so entered. Past the walkway was a room with a dull green glow, loud and without a doubt the source of the noise.

Stepping up next to the ledge, I stared, mouth dry at the sight of robot limbs, claws, heads… and tails. On a long line of factory chains in front of me the enemy was compiling an entire army of metallic Kitsunes! At the end of the line, many of them were having cannisters of purple liquid inserted into slots on their forearms and backs.

My mind turned with questions, trying to put the pieces of this puzzle together. More than anything I kept coming back to curiosity over why these people were so obsessed with my kind—what possessed them to want to build an army that represented the Kitsunes?

Moving along the catwalk, I found a hint of an answer in the form of a room with a several hovering planets, one figure there swiping between them. My guess was as good as any, but judging by the array of ships displayed as projections on one side and the planets that looked very familiar, I had a feeling that whoever this enemy was meant to make a move on all nearby allies of the Kitsune Planet and, eventually, take over my birthplace as well.

Not on my watch.

Racing back through hallways to find Destiny, my heart was thudding. Sliding doors moved out of my way to reveal a line of robot kitsune warriors. Claws ready, I prepared for a fight. Except, I was still wearing the robe. Making my eyes purple and holding back on my instinct to fight, I strolled forward and right past them. They watched me, but then continued down the hall to wherever they had been headed.

My chest was pounding, tails tucked in around me so that the robe wouldn’t move and reveal my true nature. A clanking sounded behind me and my fists clenched, claws digging into flesh. Picking up my pace, I ducked down a side hall. White walls had their perfection interrupted by cables that carried a purple liquid. I followed those into room full of those cables, and then leaned over to a sunken section where the cables led into lines of metal boxes. Getting a good look at the closest, I saw a resemblance to a sarcophagus. Worse, a resemblance to a type of box where my team and I had rescued a super from getting her powers drained. Shit, did they have people in there right now?

“This way,” my translator picked up, and I realized my cover would be blown if I tried to find an answer right that moment.

To avoid being discovered, I burst through the only other door there into a room of darkness. Hissing sounded and even my glow didn’t give me vision. I stumbled out of there, finding a door and slamming it open with all of my strength. It went flying off and then I was out, wobbly and unable to get my bearings. A rumbling sounded and the walls seemed to shake. Something was off, but I pushed on.

I rounded a corner to see Breaker in front of me, a black outfit on but unzipped down to just below his naval, abs glistening with sweat and ripped as hell. He grinned, one of his hands moving to slide off the top and show his broad shoulders.

How was he here?

My mind reeled as I searched for an answer. It was entirely possible he had realized I was gone and came after me, but that didn’t seem right. Plus, I hadn’t seen him wear anything like this since the time we had first met on that damn prison ship so long ago. As he started to undress, it became even more clear that this couldn’t be real as my surroundings transformed into  not only that exact ship, but a shower where the two of us had enjoyed one of our first encounters.

As much as I would have loved to relive that moment, this wasn’t the right time or place. I breathed in and out rapidly, a flurry of colors coming over me and then a white light that glowed bright. Only then was I able to see it—purple mist hovered near my eyeline and then vanished, but I could smell something off in the air, like sweet yams.

“Sorry, Breaker,” I said as he lowered his pants, and yes, I lingered a moment to bite my lower lip and wish he was there and that he would be able to press that gorgeous body against me.

A tingle ran through my body and my hand even moved down to my inner thigh, but I breathed out a deep charm of control. Then it was over, my powers allowing me to see clearly and push past this foreign substance.

Maybe I should have left right then to go back and find Drew and the rest of my team. That would have been the sensible thing to do. But I was too cocky at the time, too full of myself to think I would need help. But I had to warn her, to start the chain that would get her people out of this situation so they could rise up and fight while spreading word so that others would be prepared as well.

I saw the opening that I’d come through, leaped, and came out the other side ready for anything. To my surprise, nothing stopped me. Considering the level of tech within, I’d half expected to emerge and find that they had picked up my signal and would be ready to trap me.

Instead, I landed on the ground in a sprint, darting between trees and up the small hill to where I had left Destiny, and then finally paused to catch my breath.

She looked at me with wide, sorrow-filled eyes. Before I could ask what was going on in that pretty head of hers, a click sounded, then a hiss as purple gas shot up around us.

My head went woozy, my body losing all strength. The next thing I knew, I was sideways, cheek touching a cold rock. Then… darkness.