29: Everlastings Part 2

'A world they fell into?' Shale questioned as he returned to the meeting room with Xox and the captains all were seated already. Xox relayed the information they managed to gain from their prisoner and murmurs erupted in the room, wondering how they arrived on their planet, and in conjunction, their intentions right now.

Maria looked to Shale and Xox as everyone else came up with their own theories and potential plans. "That's impossible!" Slamming her hands down on the round table, everyone looked at her and wondered why she had such a negative reaction to information their prisoner had no reason to lie about. And said the prisoner was present. Machi was behind them with about as many chains as they could fit on him. Even his mouth was chained and Machi didn't look interested. Annoyed actually.

***

"Oi. No." Machi protested their idea of being present in the meeting. He really didn't want to get involved in the talks about his own potential punishment and treatment.

"Kid look, we need to keep an eye on you. Not because you're a danger you are." Xox chained his mouth shut and Machi was trying to curse them out but was muffled by the chain on his mouth. "But also because we can't let the other captains near you alone."

Machi sighed and nodded as they headed up into the council room.

*

Maria seemed to be annoyed and Machi just watched the room, noting the 7 people not including the King. He knew Shale and Xox were 2 and 4 respectively. The third seat was empty and 8 was an annoying woman called Maria - who heavily protested against the current decisions being made. 1 seemed to be the King and 10 was also empty.

"Maria, what is actually your issue?" Luis asked. That was Captain 7. "Recently, everything we do is causing you to react like this. You seem to be ticked off recently." Honestly, it was a fact everyone agreed with. Maria was being the most uncooperative leader even in the most simple situations.

"I- well of course. This kid, baby, drops into Everlastings and he doesn't even bat an eye. And no one seems to be taking this presence of an unknown, a kokai, as seriously as it should be. It's borderline psychotic!"

'Everlastings?'

Machi smirked beneath the chains, finding the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. He was going to find out a lot.

"Look. He says he fell," Shale argued, pushing his blonde locks back in annoyance, "we can't disagree with that, can we? Gate Ice is the strongest we have. He was there when we found him. Makes no sense--"

"Shale, we don't know that." Astra - number 6 - stated. Her hair was a vibrant purple and possessed red eyes like Shale. Her skin was white - vampiric white like Shale too.

"My dear cousin I'm not an idiot," Shale chuckled at Astra, confirming Machi's suspicions that they were family, "but I also know that if I have to, I could easily kill him." Everyone just gulped, forgetting that the reason Shale was the leader of the second squad in Everlastings wasn't just due to blood. But his strength was unrivalled by everyone except their king.

'Not the first time I've been one foot in the grave.' Machi thought and looked around. His eyes were attached to the seat opposite him - 10. Though it had no one, however, there was someone behind the stone chair. "Carson, anything to say?" King Yuma asked. "Though you're not the Captain, you still are the voice for the ones in your district."

Machi took note of the King. His calmness and regality, and the commanding presence he had, dominated the room with just his voice alone. "Nothing your Majesty," Carson said, Machi watched as the King's yellow eyes diverted to him, "after all, you all are better at dealing with the kokai than me." Machi met his eyes and saw the years of power in them. Something his mother had, but his, those eyes, he had his power for much longer.

"Unchain him." The King said and Machi noticed how no one deified his command and the chains were taken off by Xox and Shale - as they were the very ones who put them on. "Your Majesty, can I ask why?" Willow - the 9th Captain asked.

"Why?" The King asked, sitting up straighter and looking at Machi, "Well, his eyes don't show he plans to run away and kill us. Do you boy?" Machi cracked his neck and felt his body was still off, his ki not channelling through his body in the normal way. "What the hell was I drugged with?" Machi asked. "I swear without these limiters I'd be losing control of everything." Shale and Xox didn't like that idea considering the power they felt while he was still in prison, so they turned to Maria and expected answers.

"Nothing you wouldn't use." She justified, looking away in annoyance. Machi rolled his eyes and looked out of the window. He didn't answer the King, honestly, forgetting he asked the question and was escorted out with Shale and Machi just admired the architecture. "So, do you plan on finding your friends?" Shale asked.

"Impossible." Machi sung. "They have all of my tech AND when they saw me being taken I'm certain they ran as far and fast as they could." Shale took him back to the 2nd Quarters and Machi wondered what it would take to become a Captain. How strong were they?

"You're a scientist?" Machi asked the elder and Shale nodded. "I do keep it hidden from everyone else though." He didn't realise they entered the private areas of the compound but Machi was too entranced. He was curious as to what technology and research they had present here.

"Look, kid, by the grace of our King you're allowed here. But do something to mess it up and you're dead." Shale warned.

"Hey. I wanna..."

He went silent.

"Do what?" Shale could tell in that moment, that a small realisation that came about him had caused his mission to change, his aim was different than before. "Can't help you if you stay silent kid." Shale reminded and Machi nodded and looked at him. 'Maybe not yet.' Machi needed more answers before he could confirm his answer.

***

As the next day arrived, Machi woke to yells and screams and as he headed down, he was met with people shocked by the destruction their leader caused. Ash covered the walls and the metal door was blown off its hinges. The castle itself was fine, but the cleanup to clear the ash off the stone - returning to its ash-toned blue colour - would take a long time. Well, that's what Machi thought.

"Master Shale, please don't do that again." Seeing the black and red streaked hair guy walk down, Machi peeked out and saw him quickly clean the bombed area and reform the door before heading inside and reforming the room and what it contained, then walking out and looking to his Captain. "It's ok Damaris. I'm alive." Shale chuckled and a woman with striking white and silver eyes was shaking her head over in the corner.

"Damaris, Silver, you both don't have to keep a watch on me. I'm fine."

"Yeah, tell that to the kokai you're keeping. Kokai's are dangerous."

Shale sighed and looked to the staircase and saw Machi just looking at the cleaned area where the destruction had just occurred. "I think I'll be fine." Shale chuckled. "Now shoo. Back to work." Urging them off, Silver looked to Machi before carrying out her duties. As the corridor emptied, Machi followed Shale into his room and noticed what he was doing. The tech here wasn't able to achieve what he wanted because its functionality was different.

"You overloaded the systems," Machi said like it was the most obvious thing. Shale looked at the kid and noticed his eyes walk around the room. "You need a more efficient processor to translate the information you're feeding into the server."

"Well, this is the best I have."

Machi hummed. "Then you can take the long route." But that's exactly what Shale didn't want and Machi knew that.

'Shale, King Yuma is calling for us.' Xox said. 'He said bring the kokai.'

The pair were able to contact through telepathy which was useful. Its radius expanded across all of Everlastings.

*

Arriving at a room darker and silent, Machi noticed the only light came from the ball of light Shale had to see everything. Xox also arrived with his Vice, Emery and Codex as well as Shale's, Damaris and Silver. Seeing how the vice captains reacted to the kokai, Machi decided to keep silent and stand a bit back.

What Machi heard shocked him.