The Ones Against Us

CHAPTER 7

"We're going to crash!!" Young Zire yelled in fear as he clutched through the helm,

"We're not going to crash unless you keep your eyes ahead!" Droid had shouted back as he grasped on his chair.

The aircraft was speeding and was about to land, while Zire pulled the heavy helm back. A plume of smoke billowed from the rear end of the ship, as they heard a beeping instantly, warning them that the aircraft was on fire. As the capsule smashed into the lake, causing a massive splash into the woods.

Whilst the ship continued to move forward, crashing after colliding with one of the trees, the two covered their heads.

Droid then took his seatbelt off as he glanced on the boy who's looking nervous and scared at the same time.

"Atleast we landed... you alright?" Droid questioned,

Zire was about to speak when the airbag had smacked into his face, giving the man a thumbs up in response.

The three stood addressing each other within the training facility. While Zire's Captain stood in front of him, with Droid on his side.

"You can't handle a firearm properly and you can't even fly a ship?! How can you be a member in our crew if you don't know how to manage any of them?!" His Captain had scolded him, the boy stood there as he started tearing up.

"We have an upcoming mission within the next four days!...tell me you can do martial arts atleast?" the Captain asked, falling his gaze at Zire,

"That's due tomorrow, but I can rearrange the schedule if you would like" Droid had replied,

"No, no, we have to follow the rules..." the Captain had said,

"What's the hassle?" The Matriarch had asked while walking towards them.

She then had caught Zire's attention who's tears were rolling down his cheeks, she glanced at the boy and told him.

"Zire sweetheart, come on wipe you're tears, I thought big boys don't cry?" their superior had said in a melodious voice,

"Captain Wyrick, if the child is still experiencing difficulties with his training, he should probably stay to avoid causing any disruption to your crew." The Matriarch had followed.

"Noted, your Excellency" Wyrick saluted before he departed,

"Droid, come with me... why don't you go over there and spend some time with your little sister, hm?" Nazarath knelt down on the boy as she gazed at him.

The two watched him walked away, heading towards Furia outside the training facility. Whilst Nazarath handed him with something, a badge labeled "subordinate", Droid's eyes were wide open.

She smiled and remarked, "For being an honest and obedient person", "However, promise me that no matter what happens, you will never betray me" she added.

"I promise", the man had said while raising his right hand to salute her.

With the blue holographic panels in front of him, Droid sat peacefully in his office chair, replaying the inestimable memory.

He removed his badge off his dark brown coat and set it on his desk.

"I promise",

He knew he'd made an oath, but the problem was that he couldn't fulfill it. The more he thought about it, the more deceitful he felt.

Simultaneously, Inside the monument, their superior walked back and forth in the chamber, overthinking on what if her soldiers hadn't retrieved the energy, Nikolai stood within a mile away from her.

"I can't wait any longer, Nikolai, what if my men haven't captured the energy yet?" she questioned nervously.

"Patience your Excellency, we don't know what's bound to happen, and we should stay calm before jumping to any conclusions...",

"However... if none of them have returned here within the next two days, we'll initiate an attack on Gaia and we'll seize those feeble mortals ourselves, how about that?",

"And, I know you have put a lot of work into Vasti, but we'll deploy her in a different way so we can use her at greater events." Nikolai declared, forming a grin on his face.

The Matriarch sighed then faced him, saying,

"I'm so glad that I met you... Nikolai, if not, I would have gone insane by now... though you might sometimes be domineering while also being submissive and, I love your enthusiasm... a fallback it is." The Matriarch stated while giving him an amused look, as Nikolai chuckles.

"...I admit that, all of your soldiers are part-time human and an android, they're useless anyway compared to your cyborgs, say... should we eliminate them when the energy is in our hands?" As he spoke triumphantly, Nikolai said.

Nazarath looked at him with a shocked expression on her face and replied,

"Should we? I agree, I'd love to see them begging for their lives...oh Nikolai, your ideas are so brilliant that none have occurred to me."

"Oh please, your Excellency, I'm flattered." Nikolai responded with a chuckle,

Droid stood by the chamber's doors, listening, his heart was pounding as he realized his trainees' lives were all in risk. He stayed motionless for a moment.

He then knocked on the door, thrice, which drew the two's attention, and Nikolai stepped towards it as he opened it, his smile turning upside down the minute he saw the man's face.

"Duvrion," he muttered in a frantic tone.

"Hasstler." Droid had answered back.

The two men kept their daring gazes on each other, as The Matriarch interrupted them with her words,

"Droid, sweetheart, perfect timing!",

"Nikolai has come up with some outstanding suggestions, I can share them to you if you would like, oh! And also, why all of a sudden?" She inquired.

Droid then returned his glance at her while responding,

"No thankyou, your Excellency, and I was just checking if everything is alright",

"Everything is absolutely fine, there's nothing to worry about" their superior remarked.

The man then looked at the two of them one last time before leaving and heading back to his office. He accessed the blue panel and sent the message to Cassius. With the numbers changing on the screen, he gazed and waited.

He forcibly closed the screen as he heard footsteps approaching, and when he turned around, he saw Nikolai standing beside the door, looking suspicious.

"Do you need anything?" Droid had asked,

"No, nothing at all. Why closing the screen so suddenly, you're not hiding anything, are you?" the man questioned.

"What makes you think I'd keep something so general a secret?" Droid had sighed while responded,

Nikolai stared at him while preventing his rage, as Droid moved past by him.

"I'll figure out what your secret is, Duvrion", The man had muttered to himself while keeping his sight on where the man had left.

~

The sound of water splashing on each of the plates I washed. As I looked over from the window in front of me where I could see the boy sleeping on the couch.

I stopped for a moment and grabbed my black coat that was hanging on the chair.

From behind, I observed Cydney, who was fast sleeping on the sofa with her little brother's baby blue blanket.

"Looks like he gave his blanket to his sister",

I murmured, while I walked through him and wrapped my coat around his body. I sighed and went back from what I was doing.

Furia whispered as she walked past me and leaned on the kitchen door, watching her siblings sleep, "Looks like you're being soft with the kid."

"Soft? I'm never soft" I responded,

"Then why did you have to put your coat on him?" she inquired, her glance falling on me.

I glared back, "I only did that because he's freezing to death."

"And yet you also did that because you cared," she responded. And because I didn't know what else to say, I went mute for a while, assuming she was correct. As I finished doing the dishes and wiped both of my hands on a towel hanging above one of the kitchen drawers.

"Get some sleep." Before leaving, I remarked.

After a long night of sleep, the sun has risen, and everyone is awake while having breakfast at their dining table.

"It feels weird today, or am I just the only one?" Cydee had asked while he stuffed some cereals into his mouth.

"Nope, just you", Furia said as she slammed the cabinets shut.

"What day is it today?" the youngster questioned as he drank a glass of milk,

"Monday", Cydney had replied.

As the liquid splashed out of his mouth, the boy gasped in shock and had yelled.

"Monday?!",

"What time is it?!" he asked.

"8:45", Zire responded.

"I'm late!!" Cydee had shouted as he raced out of the table and he accidentally slipped and fallen flat on his face. The boy had groaned as he held his left leg,

"Ow.." he whispered while standing up.

"You can stay if you wish, after all, you're still vulnerable, and your leg isn't completely healed." Cydney said with her concerns,

"No, it's okay, I'll be fine!" The junior replied. He then hurried upstairs to get ready for school, putting on his typical football gear and soccer shoes before grabbing his backpack and heading downstairs.

The moment he gazed on the clock, he sighed then glanced at his siblings and had said,

"Seriously?"

"It's friggin 7:00 in the morning" Cydee said frustratingly.

"We're well aware that you're always late for school." Furia responded,

"Off you go, and don't forget to bring your jacket to cover the crate up" she follows.

They were given a tired expression by the junior. The boy then slipped his jacket off from the back of their front door and grabbed the doorknob before exiting and closing it.

"I should be still sleeping by now" Cydee grumbled irritatedly, while walking down the street.

Someone immediately grabbed his shoulder as he walked towards his school. The boy was on the verge of having a heart attack, and it was all because of his friends.

"Hey pal! What's up? You're not trying to avoid us, are you?" Jayz had inquired.

"By the way! Did you finished your homework? Cuz I didn't finished mine," Cope asked,

"Wait, what homework? And no, I'm not avoiding y'all... just been really busy lately" the junior replied.

"Yeah, and you weren't online two days ago. No worries you can copy mine" Gal responded.

"How come you're wearing quite a silly jacket in such hot weather?" Gal follows,

"Woah... what happened to you're leg?" Cope asked.

Cydee paused for moment, and replied,

"...Sweat? And it's a long story",

As the four entered the campus and made their way to their classroom, they passed through the corridors and up the stairs. Everyone in the room was chatting with their seatmates.

When their teacher walked in and slid his books down the desk, causing a loud thud to resonate throughout the room, drawing his students' attention.

"Well? Everyone, please return to your original seats!" The teacher had ordered. He then looked around the room to see if all of his students were present, and his eyes fell on Cydee, and a grin had appeared on his face.

"Lodense, you're early" Mr. Brooks says,

Everybody in room let a quiet laugh out, as the boy grabbed his hoodie and covered it with his head. As everyone took their books out and the teacher began writing on the chalkboard.

~

A big gap between the tall dark skinny trees surrounded by the aircraft in a forest, on a vast space.

"What do we do now?" Baron inquired,

"They're not dead yet... aren't they?" Cassius responded.

For a little while, everything was silent, and the two of them stared blankly at each other. As their second-in-command stood next to the ship's massive doors,

"...Garrett?" Cassius muttered.

"...They're alive obviously, and I'm certain Castelo spared them... but why?" Garrett murmured attentively.

"Split up, locate the energy nonstop, and report anything or whatever you encounter to me." Garrett had commanded,

"Understood." the two captains responded as they did what their told.