28: Everlastings Part 1

[ELSEWHERE IN THE UNIVERSE]

***

"The bloodline of the 10th and 3rd collided. Do we need to get involved?" The second asked.

"We do not need to," the eighth argued, "but if they destroy the world as we know it then yes, we must stop them both. The third has a vendetta--"

"But the 10th does not." The King replied. "Let him discover what he needs to. If Refed is starting to create chaos in the other world, he knows he can be stopped. Well, should know."

The King looked to the other leaders as they nodded their heads in agreement. "But the 10th..." the eighth protested again, "Your Majesty, he is going to become a problem-"

"If we don't befriend him. Maria." He cut her off - ticked off by her incessant protest.

The 8th leader looked annoyed. Eyebrows furrowed, lips pursed, she was annoyed to her core. She was terribly annoyed and she turned to the 5th leader who didn't argue. "Is anyone going to argue?" Maria asked rather angrily, wondering why no one was able to see her viewpoint in regard to this situation. Seeing the second leader stand up - Shale - she gulped. "Maria, the first seat is our king and he has the safety of all Eternals as priority. We can track Refed and the 10th's spiritual pressure."

"It's not--"

"Maria." The King warned. Her behaviour was getting too much.

***

Machi woke to shaking and noticed that the others were awake already. "What's going on?" He asked and watched as they all looked across the edge and saw the distortion releasing pulses. "There was no report about the distortion releasing pulses like this," Mira said, "I-I don't know what's happening. The radius is large so we won't be able to escape it without your powers. Or Rocco's." Machi looked down and noticed it began to glow and the pulses were destroying the debris around them. "Any suggestions?" Karma urged.

"Cushion your fall," Machi answered as the area they were in broke beneath their feet. Falling into the glowing distortion of Hendge Collapse, Machi wondered where they'd be thrown to, and if he was going to have to fight immediately after arriving.

Landing on top of debris, the quartet stood up and looked around. It had an eerie, creepy feel, as though a spider was crawling up your leg. Surrounding them was dead trees, covered in what looked like black ash, but they couldn't be sure. In front of them was a massive wall, larger than the wall that surrounds Academy City and the other nations, engraved in a style none of them knew.

It confirmed they were on another planet and before a settlement. "Where the hell are we...?" Karma asked as she stood up. Machi noticed the purple tint to the world and Rocco felt sick. Adjusting to the planet they were on seemed to take a toll on him after the long fall that landed them here. "Go. Hide." Machi warned and they all did. Wondering why he said that but remained, they all heard footsteps and saw a legion of humanoid-like creatures arrive.

Somehow Machi couldn't feel his friend's energies but sensed their ki. And the same for the figures that arrived at their location. Machi was shot with something and everyone remained silent as he was dragged away. Mira and Karma kept Rocco down, preventing him from following his best friend, and watched as they dragged the unconscious Machi away.

"What the hell?" No one knew what to do. Their brains of operations were taken, and they didn't even know where he was taken to, or where they were at all. All they knew was Machi was being taken and that they were very doomed without any sort of guidance. It wasn't like they were idiots, but this was a version of unknowns Machi was skilled in, facing it himself a few weeks ago anyway. "We're leaving." Rocco grabbed their shoulders and teleported, teleported as far and fast as his limits could take him, and one of the ones who arrived where Machi landed noticed them. No one else did, so they remained silent.

'3 others huh?' Xox asked and walked back. He didn't believe they posed a threat. He sensed nothing from them but life. No sort of spiritual energy they did. He deemed them useless and continued to follow the unconscious human back inside.

Teleporting six times, Rocco stopped when they felt they were a safe distance away from the settlement they arrived at. Rocco kept watch as Karma and Mira set up in a cave, wells away from the location they arrived at.

"Did you sense that?" Karma asked. "My hairs are still sticking up." Mira nodded and wondered where they were. She could only recall the events beforehand - climbing the mountain. Their fight, flight, freeze or fawn response kicked in.

And their bodies screamed flight. Run as far and fast as possible.

"'Where we are and who they are' are the questions we need to answer," Mira said. Karma agreed and Rocco entered when he could feel his body's senses returning from the intense fear they sensed previously. He sighed and looked at the things they had. "Everything of Machi's is in here." He said and the girls watched as everything Machi carried was dropped on the floor.

*

Waking up, cuffed, Machi looked at his arms as they were held up by chains and noticed the limiters remained. His arms seemed bloodied, and he could feel the claws deeper into his arm. Looking around, he noticed the black brick walls, the railings in front of him, and two silhouettes.

"He's woken."

"Call Captain Shale then. Or Xox."

Machi looked around and noticed he was chained up. In jail. Found it fitting since he was sure this would happen one day. Maybe not this early though. Noticing the red light, he looked up as a glow encapsulated the cell and saw a blonde man with striking red eyes.

Almost vampiric.

"Captain Shale." Everyone bowed and he dismissed them. "I'll speak to the kokai alone."

"Captain--" no one moved and the blondie reasserted himself.

"I said alone."

Machi then felt it. The pressure, crushing and heavy. It forced them all to submit and run along - leaving him alone at the hands of this man.

"You're a kid."

"I'm 22," Machi answered back, unbothered, and Shale chuckled. "You're a baby then. 22 is nothing compared to the age of us here."

Machi found this intriguing. 22 was considered an adult on Earth, so he wondered how their lifespans were on this planet. How long they were able to live for. "And where is here exactly?" Machi asked.

Shale didn't answer. Machi stood up, pulled back and leaned against the wall. He didn't like the prisoner's look and didn't want to even be here. Noticing someone else arriving, Machi watched their interaction. He had to figure out the hierarchy here and how strong they were on this planet. They weren't humans, that was for sure. From what could be determined from bloodlines that fled Earth 10,000 years ago, humanity was in the last stage of its evolution. A few changes depending on where they settled, but not enough to form a new species. But these figures… entities… that evolved from humans over 10,000 years ago. From before the appearance of abilities.

"Captain Shale," Machi turned to the new voice, "you know our King said no meeting the kokai without backup," Xox argued and Shale smiled.

"Come on Xox, I'm fine." Shale chuckled and Xox didn't care. They began arguing - reminding Machi of his mother and Zac.

"Don't have a marriage spat in front of me." Machi yawned and the pair just turned to him. "You're not answering me. I'm not answering you. We both know torture ain't gonna come since I just got knocked out and still a little delirious so how about you come back once your drug leaves my system?" He suggested. "I get silence, and you don't have to be in this horrible… filthy dungeon."

Xox found it annoying but Shale raised an eyebrow. "You're funny kid."

"I'm not a kid." Machi sighed. He wondered how old this guy was anyway.

"You're a kid compared to me being 591." Shale smiled and Machi looked up and was wide-eyed. "A kokai indeed. He doesn't know of our kind." Xox shook his head. "He's right though Xox," Shale said, "he's not going to be able to answer us once Maria's drug leaves him."

"Well." Machi just noticed how the other looked. White hair and dark skin, glowy and shiny. Green eyes and a cloak like Shale next to him.

"You came here with others," Xox said and that caught the Machi's attention. "Three to be precise. Unlike them, you can be sensed. So we know they won't pose a problem. Those who can't be sensed aren't strong."

Seeing the smirk appear on Machi's face, the two on the other side of the jail cell felt like they were wrong in that moment. Seeing Machi's blue eyes and the dropping temperature of the cell made their hairs stand up.

"Now I don't know who you are or why you're keeping me in a cell but to assume weakness is completely ignorant. These metal centipedes on my arms aren't for show." Machi warned. "They won't be removed unless I remove them. It keeps my power at a minimum, at its lowest level." He stressed. Now, he didn't want his vulnerabilities to be revealed but he also didn't want them assuming they could just have their way with him without some sort of consequences. Barely being able to reach his arm, Machi forced one claw off and Shale and Xox watched as the walls and the cell began to shake as energy began to leave his body at an uncontrolled rate.

"Now," seeing their frozen faces, "how does one get freedom from a world they fell into?"