Part Three: Chaos [POV Detected: Zavier Hunter, Darknight]

[POV Detected: Zavier Hunter, Darknight]

Darkling is freaking out. I sort of know how he feels since I thought Eagle was dead for a while, but I’m not sure what to do at the moment. Jay is laying on the floor, with electricity crackling across her. She’s probably fried some wires since she’s a cyborg. Dove, White Ninja, and Pyra have come in, but they all just look as confused and scared as I am. Confused because I don’t know what to do, and scared because I don’t want this to happen to anyone else. Also scared because WHO could’ve done this, and HOW did they get in?

“What happened in here?” Dove wonders.

“I don’t know,” I reply. Crescent, Bullutt, and the Dirthawkers come in. Peri’s eyes narrow as her gaze falls on the floor.

“How could this have happened?” she muses, stroking her chin distinctively. “How can we help her?”

“She needs a technopath,” Cresce tells us. “I’m not one... and I don’t wanna mess with stuff too much. In this scenario, my powers would be more harm than help.”

“I’m just a speedster/pyrokinetic,” Bullutt says. “I’ll fetch you anything you need, but I probably won't know what it is.”

“Darkling is a little bit of a technopath,” Dove suggests.

“Do you see him doing anything productive right now?” I ask. Dove shakes his head.

“Where’s Gena?” Crescent asks. “I haven’t seen her since the ant battle.”

“I’m sure she’ll turn up,” Pyra assures.

“No, I mean that she might be able to help,” Crescent is not placated.

“You know what would help?” Bullutt asks. “Pizza and ice cream will help us. I’ll go grab some.” He zooms off. Peri and 12 glance at each other, and I can tell that they are talking telepathically. Spar and Wilson join, and they continue the conversation in a chatter that must be in falcon. As for the others...the chatter continues, and voices rise over each other as people keep adding on to the conversation, talking over each other. Darkling stays silent for a minute, then stands up.

“QUIET!!” He shouts. “If no one knows how to fix this then… just… just leave,” He sighs. “I’m scared, alright? And I don’t know what to do. But none of this is helping.” I can understand how he feels. I get everyone out of the room for the moment.

“Where are we going?” Dove asks, confused.

“Darkling needs a minute to think,” I say cryptically.

“Oh, right,” Dove says, understanding. He’s lost someone too. He knows how it feels.

“We need ideas. Where can we find a technopath?” Pyra wonders, the question directed at Cresce.

“That’s a good idea,” White Ninja agrees. “I think there’s a technopath at B.A.S.E that I can convince to help us.”

“Anything helps at this point,” I say gratefully. “Can you contact them?”

“Yeah, I’ll be right back,” White Ninja runs off and leaves through the clearing entrance. Pyra follows him.

“Pizza’s here,” Dove says as Bullutt walks into the hallway. “Activate table.” Since half the stuff here is voice-automated, we’ve been a little spoiled. A table pops up out of the floor, big enough for all of us to sit at. Bullutt sets the pizzas on the table and we all take a seat. Darkling still hasn’t come out. It may take a while for White Ninja to come back, so I take a slice of pizza. The Dirthawkers, except Wilson, all take a piece and go off into a corner, still obviously talking. Dove takes two slices of pizza, then puts one back when I glare at him. We all eat in silence for a few minutes.

White Ninja, Pyra, and a twenty-some man with spiky blonde hair and brown eyes walk into the room. White Ninja seems a little surprised to see us eating pizza, but Pyra hides a laugh before introducing their companion.

“This is Nate, he’s a highly skilled technopath,” she introduces. “Nate, these are the Dirthawkers, REBELs, and…”

“It’s fine,” Nate says jokingly. “I’ll forget all their names anyway.” The Dirthawkers turn his way and gesture a welcome, but continue their conversation.

“Do you know why you’re here?” I ask him.

“Um… yeah, Pyra told me pretty much what you know. Jay got electrocuted. And I’m not a very good fighter, so I’m not going to take my chances against you all. Just so you know.”

“That would be appreciated,” Darkling says dryly. We all turn to see him standing in the hallway entrance. “She’s this way. I managed to reboot her system (she’ll probably kill me later for fiddling with her wiring), but I don’t know how to wake her up.”

“With true love’s kiss,” Dove suggests. Darkling glares at him. 12 snorts in amusement, which is the only sound I’ve heard from him today. Nate chuckles and follows Darkling into Jay’s room. Darkling had set her on her bed, so she isn’t just laying on the floor anymore. There’s no more electricity crackling everywhere, but she’s unconscious, which could mean a multitude of bad or good things. Nate waves us all out of the room, except Darkling, then closes the door. Which sounds entirely wrong, but isn’t.

[time skip]

Hours later, Darkling and Nate come out into the main room, where we’ve consumed no less than five boxes of pizza between us. Jay walks out behind them, looking a little shaky but otherwise fine. Darkling is grinning, and Nate looks tired but satisfied.

“I fixed her,” Nate announces.

“I helped,” Darkling says.

“Umm...” Cresce looks at them weird. “Why don’t you want her having babies?!!”

“That’s not what he means,” Jay snaps. “I got electrocuted, I was broken. Literally and figuratively…”

“I once had strings, but now am free,” Cresce mumbles.

“What?” I ask, very confused.

“Nothing,” Cresce replies. Suddenly, the clearing entrance shudders. What the flakon mute?? It shudders again.

“Are we under attack?” Jay wonders.

“I don’t know,” Darkling says. I look up at the ceiling, which is shuddering.

“We oughta let them in,” Jay says offhandedly. She presses a button on the wall, and the clearing-entrance lowers. Two figures are standing on it.

“WHAT?!!” Darkling asks. “Are you crazy?!!”

“Hi there, welcome to the REBEL base,” Jay says politely, ignoring Darkling.

“You are in so much trouble, young lady,” one of the figures, a man in his late forties, says.

“Oh crud,” Jay whispers.

“Who are they?” Darkling asks.

“My parents.”

[POV End]