Chapter 4 - Conflicts of The Past

*14 kilometres left*

"This is Team B, truck is secured"

"This is Team C, truck is secured"

"This is Team D, truck is secured"

"This is Team E, truck is secured"

Situation has been taken care of. But not for long as we saw unknown flying objects entering our vicinity. So now we have two huge problems. Hoping someone in the other teams are able to understand what is going on, or hoping that no trucks are destroyed. An answer was found as we saw a bunch of rockets raining in the sky.

"This is Team B, we are under heavy fire!"

"This is Team C, the truck is threatened!"

"This is Team D, the truck is destroyed!"

"This is Team E, the truck is threatened!"

At this point, everyone should get a hint. But, at this point, not even the General is aware of it.

"All teams exercise caution. Engage at any point. Teams D, return to rendezvous."

We secretly changed the route which is actually closer by 6 kilometres. As we prepared to engage, a bunch of rockets exploded on impact on the highway which resulted in the bridge catching on fire.

"Time Defy. Stop the time!"

I immediately threw daggers forming a path with the truck's width in order to prevent the flames from setting our trail ablaze. I retracted my ability and we sailed through, but the attack did not stop there. Two drones caught up on us and began firing lasers like a machine gun. Kyro goes all out on his deflection skill which he is able to do, but the reflected bullets hit every part of the highway making it entirely a war zone. Civilians immediately halt their vehicles amid the attacks. Kyro then throws his machetes which grazes both the drones slightly, halting their attacks for a short while. While the drones recovered themselves, Kyro took out his blasters and shot the drones into pieces. That should stop any attacks at the moment, at least for now...

"12 kilometres left"

Our truck immediately turned left to exit the highway. Immediately we went off course from our original pathway. Threats did not stop there but then Kyro had a great idea.

" I know this sounds stupid. We are going to need to have other ways of movement. The sewage system should be our answer."

" How do we know we are reaching our destination? We are going to go off radar."

Following logic, our travelling path shall not appear if we decided to ditch any trackers we have. Only prediction and experience can help us at this point. But what Kyro said next should make sense, at least a little.

"Research centres should have chemical waste. We would then know we have arrived if we sense those chemical waste."

"That should make sense. But the question is how are we going to travel into the sewers undetected."

"First we save this driver. Then you use your ability to bring this driver to a safer place. Then you use your ability again and bring me into the sewer. All of this requires precision and the exact timing."

It sounds difficult. Activating my ability twice is going to be difficult, because I have never done that. Even so, six seconds per session should suffice.

"Agree."

We then commenced our plan, to which we found the sewer we wanted. Without wasting any time, I activated my ability.

"Time Defy! Stop the time."

Immediately I head over to the driver's side, drag the driver out from the window and place him carefully among the pedestrians on the sidewalk. I then retracted my ability and went onto the same spot as before. As I expected, the truck is still going, but gradually losing its speed. I then activate my ability once more.

"Time Defy! Stop the time."

I immediately bring Kyro near and pry the lid of the sewer with one of my daggers. Two seconds left and we went into the sewer and covered the lid. All left is a truck and a time of 0.5 seconds.

Another drone came by and shot a barrage of rockets at the truck and exploded it. The explosion shocked the nearby pedestrians, hopefully they will think it is some sort of a movie scene in the making. All and all, thankfully we made it out. But that feeling of forgetting something surrounds my body and sends shivers down my spine.

"Shit we forgot the package."

"Here! You'd think I would forget?"

Kyro manages to save it secretly but it appears to be only a small packet. It's best to just leave it, but unfortunately it is for the sake of the mission. All that effort for a small packet.

"The mission should have failed by then because almost every truck is gone."

Or are we? Theoretically speaking we failed the mission because the truck has been destroyed. Technically speaking we are still delivering the parcel but at a slower rate. We then proceed to make our way through the sewers. Of course the biggest question of all time requires some answer.

"How did you know my ability could benefit your idea? No one is that intelligent to guess my ability correctly. Was it that revealing?"

"So far no Metavoid could summon an armour of yours. Plus, your odd movements should give some glimpse of what your ability is about. You have a teleporting Metavoid, right?"

Damn, close call. If my ability is exposed, then surely I am the target for mass destruction. For the sake of the security of my family and Base Zero, I shall protect my true identity.

"Yes. Are you perhaps a being that could sense someone else's Metavoid?"

Asking such a question will ease some tension and distract him from reading my intention to conceal my ability.

"No. It's only just observation and logical deduction, and I suppose you know that well. To be very honest, I aspire to become a detective after my high school graduation. But my science subjects aren't all that good. I got haunted by it. But then I realised, being a police officer isn't all that bad."

Maybe I am just too rude to this guy. Well, I can't feel this guy because my science subjects are way too good. But surprisingly, this guy doesn't look like the type to beg for sympathy. The look on his eyes indicates that Kyro has been through a lot.

"Say Rilles. Do you still have contact with your family?"

"No. I've lost them all in my twenties.".

That is sudden. I am not begging for sympathy. But why such a question while we make our way to deliver a package.

"Since 12? That is way too young. How?

"Some sort of a malfunction occurred. At one point, one of the rockets launched by I don't know who, accidentally malfunctioned and crashed into our house."

Kyro glanced at me. I think he knows the story about that war. Maybe something worse happened to him if he were to ask as such.

"The rocket is a modified rocket with some radiation in it. I can still remember the time both my parents crawled to me with blood on their chest and head. The last words still resonate in me. Something cadia is within the war and I should be the one to destroy it. My parents' work has something to do with this cadia. "

For context purposes, my parents are both involved with a certain tech company responsible for the rocket that fell on our house. Not sure at this point it is a malfunction or an intentional attack.

I asked Kyro in return what happened to his parents, but no answer came out. He smirks.

"Rilles, what is past is past. I am certain that the scientist you mentioned has already been taken care of."

"I suppose."

But I am still not satisfied about everything. I need to know something.

"Kyro, are you hiding something from me. Perhaps something you know about what I just said-"

"No. I don't have any idea. But the scientist you mentioned is already dead. And that is certain."

Yes, he is hiding something from me, but I am not sure what is it.

*100 meters left*

"Yo Kyro, don't you think it is a fucking torture walking all the way?"

"Relax, just smile and walk, will you?"

"Relax my ass!"

*Rendezvous point*

"So allow me to get this straight. After hours of waiting, there is still no sight of Team C?"

"Teams C, report in. Teams C, report in."

-static-

"Still no answer, sir!"

"No choice. Call in the Destroyer Air Unit. Head all out and search for them."