Chapter CCLXXX: “More than Usual–” ~Multehx

Scilas grit his teeth as he forced himself to run faster. If he was going to do what he planned to, he needed all the speed he could muster. As he gained ground on what he was after, he recollected the events that had lead him this far.

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He, D'Nel, and Redaz had returned to town after their initial find in the wastelands. They returned to their hotel room to relax and consider this new find, which Scilas had been turning over scrutinisingly in his cloth covered hand. He groaned in frustration as he closed his fingers around the flake.

The others looked over, knowing that the assassin probably was going to speak of whatever was on his mind at this point; you don't hang around Scilas long and live if you don't get him down in your mind somewhat.

Sure enough, as Scilas looked at the ceiling he spoke, "What could destroy a massive and very powerful Gundam? One that's a creation's weapon even!"

There was scilence, then Redaz chimed in. "A really massive utensil," he nodded.

Scilas shook his head. “That was a rhetorical question...”

Turning, the shadowy assassin walked over to the single grimy window and peered out at the town street below. "Where would they keep something so untimely powerful anyway? Something of such might? Something so...so..."

"Major bad-ass?" D'Nel stated.

Scilas nodded. "Quite my sentiments exactly. So, either of you have any ideas as to that?"

The young rogue scratched his head, straining to recall anything. Redaz glanced up. "How about the highly modern scientific weapons research and development building on the corner of town?"

Scilas blinked at the mage. "Just...how...how did you...know that, anyways?"

Redaz shrugged and pulled out a pamphlet that had been tucked in his belt. "This brochure. It tells all about what there is here in town. I picked a few things up while down in the lobby."

"Right," Scilas nodded, "That place sounds perfect to start at. Redaz, since you know the most about it, you lead the way."

The other two got off the bed and couch, where they had been sitting, following the assassin out the door. The three walked by the receptionist's counter, where the owner was grumbling to himself as he searched the compartments in the counter, "Where the codfam is it? Mumble mumble – durn registry, gonna get a chain one a these–"

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The trio soon stood looking up at the massive building that stood before them. They stood there for quite awhile, not saying anything, just looking at the building. Until D'Nel broke the silence in his usual fashion. "Sure is big, isn't it?"

For lack of anything better to do, the others just nodded in agreement. And so, back to standing and staring it was. Yet another long silence, followed by another interruption.

"So...shouldn't we do something now?"

Scilas thought a moment, before responding, "Yes, I think we should indeed."

More silence, and more standing.

Redaz frowned. "Okay, okay, I think I can take a hint."

Grumbling, he made his way over to the front doors of the building and knocked on one.

It slowly opened and someone spoke from just behind it, "Yes? What do you want?"

"Well, I was just wondering about potentially powerful and destructive devices that might have power to destroy a mobile suit in about a shot or two. I thought possibly it might be here."

The man on the other side of the door paused to consider this for a time. "Well," he finally answered, "I guess the electron fractal reverse atom smasher cannon could do just that, but it's just a prototype now, still loaded on its flatbed even! It's not been out in ag–"

Near instantly, there was the sound of a large vehicle being revved and flooring it. Tires screeching were heard just moments before the built-on garage-type building had its metal garage door pulled clean off and a large, red cabin of a truck burst through. As it tore off out of town, an attached carrier, covered in a tarp held down with strings, could be seen being pulled behind the cabin.

Redaz cocked a brow, beginning to sprint back to the other three. "Never mind," he called back, "I think it just went stir crazy and decided to go for a walk."

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And so, the three were running as fast as they could in pursuit of the truck. At first, it had just been Scilas, as he had the speed to keep up with an automobile, but shortly after he was joined by D'Nel. He nearly did a double take as he glanced over at the young man.

"How can you keep up with me??"

D'Nel frowned. "Hey, Ray and I haven't gotten nowhere with all the running we get!"

A moment or two later, Redaz joined them. They just stared blankly at him.

"What? You think I can't do anything just because I'm a mage??"

The assassin and the would-be pirate exchanged a glance, shrugged, and the three of them continued giving chase to the speeding truck. Though they were all quite fast, they steadily began to lose ground.

As the truck began to disappear from sight, the sky flashed with a gray-hued light. A freak bolt of lightning struck some point just out of view and the truck seemed to disappear from sight.

At about the area where the truck had disappeared from existence, they saw the cause of this strange phenomenon. There, not ten feet away, hovering just inches off the ground was a rift in existence, glowing the same silver hue that the sky had.

The other two came to an abrupt stop but the assassin kept running full force at the rift.

"Wait! What are you doing?!" D'Nel called.

Scilas shouted back, "Can't stop now, might lose truck!" as he dove through the rift and vanished into it.

Not hesitating, D'Nel took off after his companion. Redaz tried to get his attention, but before the words were out of his mouth, the pirate was diving into the rift.

Redaz walked up to the area only inches away from where existence was torn asunder by flashing silverness. He studied this for a time, but noticed it gradually grew smaller and smaller. Thinking back to all those magazines he read in his travels about heroes who always waited till the last minute to jump in the strange gateway that would take them to the next step in their quest, he muttered, "Screw it," and leapt in also.

* * * *

It was a quiet evening in the town. The sun was setting as evening was transforming into night. Two figures walked into town from the entrance that lead out to the moors; one a large knight in armor, hefting a massive battle axe on his shoulder, the other a strange looking pill-shaped robot with large sunglasses and an automatic.

Kenzo grinned and flashed a smile sans teeth. "Man, good thing I ran into you out there, or you'd have been snack-food the moment you ran out of ammunition!"

Ray Noh rolled his eyes and muttered, "Gee, don't be so modest, it isn't you."

But Kenzo didn't hear him and continued. "Sure is weird though, isn't it? How there's all these wild beasts and monsters just outside of town? It's like in one of those fantasy video games, but they seem generally mad and ticked off for some reason."

Kenzo would have continued his rambling thinking aloud if he had not come to a stop to watch the spectacle above. The sky seemed to grow extremely dark, a blindingly bright silverish-white hole seemed to be punched in thin air, and three non-identifiable forms were thrown from it and plummeted towards an area of town not explored yet by them.

Kenzo blinked at the entire light show faded from existence and the sky turned orange once again.

Ray Noh adjusted his shades and remarked to himself, "Yes, since I've met these guys, nothing takes me as strange any more."

"Strange weather we just had, isn't it?" someone chimed in.

Kenzo looked over and grinned as he saw the unmistakable Jaded Mercenary approaching them. He stopped directly in front of the two. "So, how were the moors?"

The knight shrugged. "Oh, they were nice indeed, if you count savage beasts attacking you for no reason whatsoever nice."

"Sounds like a video game," Jaded mused.

Kenzo nodded. "'At's what I say. But they seem rather calm. Didn't get to explore much, as I didn't want to be out there in the dark; oh, did I mention I found him?" Kenzo said, nodding hid head in the direction of Ray Noh.

"I sort of noticed," the mercenary responded as he turned to look off in the direction the three figures had fallen. "You know, I know when something's not right–" he glanced to Kenzo and Ray Noh, saying under his breath "–more than usual."

Pointing at the skyline he narrowed his eyes. "Now I say that was not usual. It merits some investigation. I say we go check it out. You take the robot and go look; I have a funny notion all that we're saying is not going unheard, and possibly some others saw that too."

And, having gotten this straight, the mercenary hurried into a shadowy alley between buildings as the other two started through town.