15 Dark Universe II

"You still haven't told us the plan, boss," said Wutong as the team hiked through miles of desert.

Tie Ta stopped and turned around with a devious smile. "I'm going to stick to what I'm good at and change the entire plot. Chaotic, yes, but it's entirely for our benefit."

Team China then continued on towards Mosul when they heard the chatter of an airstrike on a small village about 30 miles east of them. Tie Ta quickly changed direction and began to run. The rest of the team kept up but were gasping for air when Tie Ta stopped on the ridge overlooking the village.

"Relax. Catch your breath and drink some water."

Team China reached for their water, and Tie Ta was happy to see they all packed appropriately. He was even surprised to see Lingyue with gear. It meant the team pitched in to make sure she was ready for the mission after she spent everything she had on Intermediate Qi.

'You know you're the reason they think sharing is caring.' Reika spoke into Tie Ta's mind. 'You gave them so many gifts that they didn't think twice about offering help to Lingyue.'

'Please, it's human nature to connect. I'm usually the rebellious type, but I need this team to be close-knit. So if I have to dish out some points to make it happen, so be it."

Reika asked, 'So it's all a tactic?'

'But it doesn't mean that I can't care.' Tie Ta replied. He then ended the connection and faced his team.

"We all know the plot, but let me tell it again so I can assign your missions." Said Tie Ta, "The MC and his partner are here looking for antiquities to sell on the black market. Our Unit is here for the same thing, except we are an official Japanese unit tasked by the UN to preserve human history and keep treasures out of the hands of terrorists."

"Why Japanese? We're all Chinese," said Di

"Because Americans think we all look the same. And Japan and America are allies. Anywho, our Unit is codenamed: Grimms...

When the airstrike hits the village, Ahmanet's prison will be revealed. We will incapacitate the fleeing terrorist. Secure the site and wait for the Americans. When they do arrive, we will incapacitate them as well. I will take some people down the hole with me, and then I will free Ahmanet and have a feast ready for her. While I am down in the hole, Reika will be in charge. Position yourselves near the helicopter and be ready for our quick departure. Any questions?"

The entire team raised their hands, and Tie Ta sighed.

"What about the main cast?" asked Lingyue.

"The soldiers will be left behind. The Doctor will come with us."

"What about the plane crash?" asked Tengyi.

"There won't be one. Ahmanet is going to walk onto the plane with us. And we are going to jump out of it willingly. That's why we packed parachutes," said Yinkong.

"Wouldn't waking her up make you her target?" asked Di.

"Yes. And that also means I control the mission, and it's our key to Jykel and Hyde, and their library," said Tie Ta.

In the distance, the sound of fighter jets was incoming. The moment they passed the village, the jets dropped hellfire missiles that nearly destroyed the entire village. Team China watched as the ISIS militants scrambled and tried to scurry away in their direction.

"Yinkong, kill the cars!" Shouted Tie Ta. "Reika, put 'em down."

Safety switches clicked and weapons were loaded followed by the sound of gunfire and the explosions of their getaway vehicles.

"Push through!" said Tie Ta.

Team China swept everything and collected prisoners as they went.

"Sweep the village and find the American Soldiers." Reika projected her thoughts.

Team China went through the village as quietly as possible. It was Wutong and Yinkong who found the American soldiers and arrested them.

"Why are you arresting them?" Reika projected Tengyi's thoughts.

"They're here illegally, right?" asked Yinkong.

"Good point," said Tie Ta. He then thought on his toes and looked to Nick Morton and his partner Corporal Vail.

Speaking aloud in Japanese, Tie Ta said, "American soldiers, you are under arrest by International law that prohibits the pillaging of villages taken by force in armed conflict and the attempt of antiquities removal by unauthorized personnel."

Team China was all sharing their thoughts as Tie Ta spoke. Many of them thought Tie Ta was making things up until Tengyi explained the international laws to them.

'Archaeological artifacts are internationally protected by the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. Their circulation is prohibited by the UNESCO Convention (1970) on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.' Tengyi telepathically explained to his team.

"Huh?" the soldier asked in confusion as they couldn't understand Japanese.

Tie Ta then repeated himself in English.

"What?!" Sergeant Morton exclaimed. "No! No way! We would never! We received intel of a hostage situation and came to investigate when..."

"Enough with your lies. Yinkong, watch the prisoners. Everyone else secures the site." ordered Tie Ta. He then pulled out his computer and mobile satellite.

Tie Ta opened a document and began to fill in specific information to fill any holes in their mission order. Once it was uploaded, Yinkong asked Tie Ta in Chinese, "Where did you learn to do all of that?"

"Self-taught and school. Before I came here, I used to hack governments and companies for a living. For the most part, every movie is based on real-world information. All have to do is play by this world's rules, and anything is possible."

"This worlds' rules?" asked Yinkong

"Like the right forms and the right signatures, and every document being put in the proper system to make it legit."

"What if people start to ask questions and realize we only exist in the system."

"We don't let it get that far," said Tie Ta.

"So what did you just do?"

"I sent a document to the UN requesting further orders about a 100 million pounds sterling antiquities find." Tie Ta put on a minx look then walked over to the massive hole in the middle of the village. Along the walls of the hole was an Egyptian sculpture of a massive face.

Tie Ta craked a few glow sticks then dropped them in the hole. Then he began to calculate one glow stick after the other. When the fourth glow stick hit the bottom, Tie Ta pulled a 500 feet rope for a hole almost 250 feet deep out of his storage ring.

He took his time tying off one and getting himself ready to repel when the Americans began to arrive. "Damn they got here fast. They must have been close."

'Change of plans! Leave the Americans be. When the sarcophagus is pulled out of the hole, Reika will then incapacitate the soldiers. Then everyone needs to be ready for insurgents.'

Team China and the Americans then had a nice little standoff until their commanding officer arrived. An African American man in his late middle ages named Colonel Greenway. He had stepped out of his helicopter and jogged over to ask what the hell was going on.

"Your men were caught in an attempt to loot antiquities from this village held by enemy forces after you dropped hellfire missiles on them." Tie Ta explained.

Colonel Greenway followed Tie Ta's specific sequence of words and could not help but sigh. He looked at his two soldiers and said, "You two know that you're in deep shit. You're supposed to be 100 miles from here. And now we have an incident on our hands."

Tie Ta signaled for Yinkong to release the soldiers.

"How about this Colonel. I release your men and let you handle it. But if I ever run into them again. I'm taking them International Court." said Tie Ta. He then waved to his team to put their weapons down.

"And who are you again?" asked the Colonel.

"First Lieutenant Tie Ta, JGSDF. On a mission from the UN. This site is ours." Tie Ta rambled bullshit.

Before the Colonel could reply, Dr. Jennifer Halsey appeared with a purpose as she slapped the newly freed Sergeant Morton. Lingyue, Reika, and Yinkong laughed. They thought the slap was a better experience in person than watching it on TV.

"Where is it?" she asked.

As it played out in the movie, Morton acted oblivious to her accusation and plead ignorant though everyone present just shook their head at the shameful man. Dr. Halsey wanted him to return the map that he had stolen from her. The very map that led Morton to Ahmanet's prison.

As Morton continued to babble bullshit, Dr. Halsey walked on until she saw the great hole in the middle of the village with Egyptian statues in the middle of Iraq.

"Oh my god." she gasped. "It's Egyptian."

"That it is. May I ask who you are?" asked Tie Ta.

"Dr. Jennifer Halsey. And you are?"

"The Lieutenant in charge of this sight. May I see your credentials, Dr. Halsey?"

Dr.Halsey scoffed and turned away from Tie Ta. She then moved to her bags and spoke to the Colonel. "Colonel, this is a significant find. I need your men to secure the sight."

The Colonel looked at Dr.Halsey then turned to Tie Ta.

"My people have the village secure, but you are more than welcome to help out." said Tie Ta, "We are waiting for the UN, Dr. Halsey. But if you want to go down that hole, my team is going with you."

"Sergeant Morton and Corporal Vail will be joining you." the Colonel interjected.

"Fine. Morton and Vail, Tengyi and I. Doctor, would you like another teammate?" asked Tie Ta.

"No, I would like to go down the hole," she replied.

"Then let's get to it, shall we." Tie Ta put on a charming smile as the doctor walked past to set up her climbing gear.

Tie Ta then stopped the American soldiers. " If you take anything from down there, I will personally bury you. You will look, but you will not touch. If you fall, do not reach out to grab anything. I want to hear your bodies hit the ground. Then I will help you up."

The Morton and Vail nodded their heads, then went to set up their gear as well.

'Reika." thought Tie Ta.

'yes,' she replied.

"Project my message... Tengyi and I are about to enter the hole. If any militants arrive, put them down with extreme prejudice.'

----------------------------------

It wasn't long after Tie Ta and Tengyi repelled into the hole. Tengyi immediately turned into a fangirl as he walked with Dr.Halsey, and together they spoke about the wonders of the mysterious tomb.

Suddenly, the echoes of dripping liquid could be heard. Shining lights on the cave ceiling, the group noticed the mercury enriched ceiling dripping into a canal system that led to a lower level with a massive mercury pool.

The pool was surrounded by large Anubis statues facing inward. Large pullies encircled the outer rim with a centuries-old rope still holding strong. Near the large pullies were skeletons of Egyptian Priests.

The place was momentous. Tengyi and Dr. Halsey described the place from top to bottom, along with their occupational expertise on camera. But Tie Ta was completed focused on the three ropes stretching from the mercury pool's center to the ceiling.

Tie Ta then smirked when a subtle fear crept into Dr.Halsey's voice as she realized that the tomb was actually a prison. And whatever was being held down by the ropes was so feared that it was sent miles away from Egypt, unmarked, and intentionally forgotten.

"This is not a tomb. This is a prison," she whispered.

"Yes, a prison for the most powerful woman during the age of antiquities..." Tengyi suddenly put his hand to his mouth when GOD deducted points from him.

Before Dr. Halsey could question him, gunfire resounded from the surface, and the colonel's voice came over the radio, calling for the group to return to the surface.

"Tell Greenway, we have to notify DTRA," said Halsey.

"For what?" asked Vail. The punk had pocketed gold jewelry and was ready to split before Tie Ta checked them. But Tie Ta had been watching them even when his back was turned.

"I need a specialist from Cairo," she said

"Cairo?!" Vail exclaimed.

While Vail and Dr.Halsey were bickering, Sergeant Morton was already following the rope that held Ahmanet's coffin beneath the mercury.

Tie Ta suddenly stepped in front and with a Katana that appeared from thin air. "I'll take it from here," he said.

Morton couldn't even see Tie Ta's strike. Morton and the group were only startled by the sound of the massive tension that was released when Tie Ta cleaved through the rope.

When Morton looked back at Tie Ta, his Asauchi was already hidden away in his storage pendant. The pullies were now turning, and the old cranks were wailing. Large rock pillars descended from the ceiling, and a horrid, nightmarish sarcophagus was pulled from the pool of mercury.

The low, almost chirping-like sound of swarming camel spiders filled the ancient prison. As everyone began to twist, turn, skip, and pat themselves to avoid and rid themselves of the intruding Arachne, Tie Ta used his Qi to keep them away.

However, he soon became oblivious to them all when an ethereal grip latched on to his mind, and the world changed like a mirage around him...

avataravatar
Next chapter