Two Days Later-
-In Wei Yenwu's Parlor:
---
Bright lights illuminated the room around them. Wei Yenwu, Kal'tsit, Amiya and Ch'en all stood around a table with cautious eyes. Wei was smoking on his pipe with his gaze directed outside his office window. When his eyes returned to his visitors, Ch'en had a frown laced across her face. Rhodes Island had already discussed their plans for the slums, acting independently in light of the capture of the slums, but Wei wasn't going to let a pharmaceutical company take over the rescue operation.
"Dr. Kal'tsit, Miss Amiya, as you clarified many times, the Reunion is a force to be reckoned with," He stated as he blew out a ring of smoke. "Their invasion came as a surprise to us as we thought that they'd send their lesser troops; who knew that they would send their highest caliber? What we need is time and resources to combat them; Lungmen has an abundance of both."
"Lungmen is slowly being drained of its time," Kal'tsit stated. "You don't have much left before the Reunion tries to conquer your entire city. The slums have poor infrastructure, meaning it can crumble at any time, but it has major strategic value as it is the buffer between Lungmen and Chernobog. We need to stall them from further advances."
"I understand that the destruction of the slums poses a threat, not only to us, but the whole world. Rest assured as I have already given Madam Ch'en permission to handle the return of the slums. Isn't that correct Senior Inspector?"
Ch'en had a stern but respectful expression. She confirmed Wei Yenwu's order before she turned to the leaders of Rhodes Island.
"Dr. Kal'tsit, Amiya, what do you suppose we should do?" The female Lung asked.
"At the moment, we concentrated our efforts to search for any weaknesses within the slums," Amiya answered. "We need to stall the Reunion as long as possible. After that we plan to rescue one of our operators before we make any moves. That operator will be Kaiser Rye of course."
A wave of curiosity filled Wei Yenwu's ears. Lungmen Inspector Ch'en looked at the rabbit inquisitively. It was a grueling two days for everyone. Fatigue grasped Lungmen by the throat; recovery wasn't able to free it. The movement of the city remains stagnant, caught in an endless limbo of wait.
"We need Kaiser Rye in order to combat the Reunion. He was their Second in Command before, making him the apt candidate to help us," Amiya continued.
"During our last battle, Kaiser Rye has left us many times. We don't know how many separate encounters he had with the Reunion. He could quite possibly be helping them," Ch'en replied.
"Madam Ch'en. You know very well that Kaiser Rye attached to the Reunion leaders. We are bound to run into conflict whenever he meets them. What matters now is getting him back on our side. We can use what he knows to our advantage to create new plans to stop the Reunion."
The female Lung was convinced by Amiya's answer, but she still had her qualms. Amiya stood firm with her head held high. The entire room reeked of smoke and sweat; everyone was exhausted. A ring of smoke flew out of Wei Yenwu's mouth.
"So who is going to rescue Kaiser Rye?" Lungmen's ruler asked with a wide grin.
"We have sent one of our elite operators to rescue him. It was an arbitrary decision, but it was for the better. Sending an entire team into enemy territory without proper backup is a suicide mission," This time, Kal'tsit answered.
"But what are the odds of finding Kaiser Rye? The slums are full of intricate webs of tunnels and alleys; much of it has been destroyed by mortar fire. The Reunion has control of Sectors 22 through 29, and it will be difficult to find him."
"Kaiser Rye is one of our newest elite operators. During the little time we've known him, he has demonstrated that he is capable of cheating of death. We don't know what causes this phenomenon, but we can affirm that he'll return alive."
Kal'tsit's response piqued the ruler of Lungmen's interest. Outside his office window, a ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds. He fiddled with his pipe in his hand and directed everyone's attention to Ch'en.
"Madam Ch'en, I leave the rest to you. You have the Guard Department at your disposal. Have a wonderful day Dr. Kal'tsit and Miss Amiya. I will see you all soon," Wei Yenwu quietly left the room.
When the Lung left, Amiya looked at Ch'en in the eyes. Ch'en wasn't at all enthused about Wei's departure. Two days have been spent on concentrating efforts to reclaim the slums; two days, and no progress has been made.
"Madam Ch'en. We need to ask you something," Amiya asked with curious eyes.
"Please. Ask." Ch'en replied.
"Dr. Kal'tsit and I know that Kaiser Rye was not with Rhodes Island during the Reunion invasion. We know that he was mostly with you, until he disappeared all of a sudden. Do you know where you last saw him?"
"He was with us when the two young Reunion leaders spoke to him. When Kaiser Rye defeated their soldiers, he was with me until we were separated during a Reunion ambush. I remember seeing him take on a Reunion leader all by himself. After that, I didn't see him again."
"Thank you Madam Ch'en, but that is going to help us. Where do you think he went?"
"I believe that he's still in the slums. Possibly at the border of Sectors 22 and 23. That is a few kilometers away from where my unit was before we were separated."
Ch'en curled her hands into a fist by her side. Kal'tsit watched patiently as countless voices could be heard from outside the room. The Feline exchanged a few words openly, before Amiya took a deep breath and looked at Ch'en again.
"Madam Ch'en, we need your help in order to find Kaiser Rye. After that, we will assist you in every possible way to reclaim your city back," Amiya stated.
"Thank you Amiya," Ch'en replied.
"So where do we start off?"
"We need numbers..."
---
Drifting through the Slums:
---
The smell of rain persisted despite the storm's pass; the air remained damp and humid. Rubble was scattered across the land in a complex display of the aftermath of battle. Reunion flags were stabbed into the ground showing its striking display of black and orange. Countless soldiers crawled throughout the slums afflicted by the horrid aftermath of battle.
"Calculating estimations for success... 95.3% including variables... Kaiser Rye's injuries, number of Reunion troops, protect Kaiser Rye.... estimating time of return without harm... 48.32%"
A Rhodes Island Elite Operator with gray hair, glasses and a weaponized cane passed through alleys and tunnels avoiding the eyes of the Reunion. The operator swiftly and quickly evaded the gazes of scouts before he slipped into a dark alley. From there he skillfully climbed up the sides of two buildings via the fire escape ladders before he landed on a roof.
"I'm demanding Amiya to spoil me with chocolate when I get back to the land-ship," He sighed as he surveyed the area.
A Reunion outpost was right under the building. Multiple soldiers were posted below, but some began to disappear. Their bodies were dragged beneath slabs of rock. This caught the attention of the Rhodes Island operator.
"So you did this huh?" He muttered. "Neat!"
---
A phantom ran amuck inside the slums. One that lacks the elegance of a ghost, but possesses the terror of specter. An outpost constructed in a day, destroyed in mere minutes. Bodies started falling one by one. The snap of a neck muffled a scream.
A lone Reunion soldier searched frantically around the area.
"Guys? Hello? We're under attack by an unknown killer!"
The soldier immediately shut his mouth as the aforementioned "unknown killer" appeared before him. Black hair, golden eyes. It was none other than Kaiser Rye.
"No! Stand back-" But the soldier was unable to finish his sentence. A chunk of raw iron slammed into his face, breaking his jaw and teeth. A loud clang echoed throughout the area. All of the soldiers in the outpost have been killed.
- Moments Later:
"Hmm... that isn't normal. An outpost falling by itself? This isn't their handiwork."
The Rhodes Island Operator, Moonlight, watched intently as the "battle" unfolded. He waited patiently on a roof for the action to end before he caught a glimpse of the killer. A Draco with no horns and no tail dug through the mound of corpses until he pulled out a mangled machete tarnished by rust.
"Time to go!"
Moonlight jumped off the roof he was standing on, grabbed onto a ladder, slid all he way down to the ground, and ran for the outpost. Upon reaching it, he stopped to look at the Draco from top to bottom. Dust covered his clothes; hands were blackened by rust and metal. A shiny ring flashed around the Draco's finger. When he saw the Rhodes Island Operator, he stopped in his tracks and glared.
"Married, looks like an utter mess, gives off a vibe of terrible fashion and practically looks like a kid entering puberty defying authority," Moonlight whispered his thoughts aloud before he said: "You must be Kaiser Rye right?"
The Draco looked at him with a frown; hewiped the grime off his hands. An air of suspicion surrounded him.
"How do you know who I am?" Kaiser Rye asked.
"I thought it was obvious Kaiser Rye!" Moonlight replied. "Mom -I mean- Dr. Kal'tsit sent me, and I quote: 'Fetch the patient back so she could strap him down and force him to take a medical examination.'"
The operator was joking, but he feared that Kaiser Rye will rely those same words back to his superior. Kaiser Rye shook his head in dismay and gripped the broken machete in his hand.
"But jokes aside, my name is Moonlight! Elite Operator of Rhodes Island and its strongest Annihilation Specialist!" Moonlight proclaimed as he tapped his cane on the ground. The mask on his face had a crudely drawn smile on it. Kaiser Rye wasn't amused by the operator's flamboyant show, but he did admire his bubbliness.
"Why did Kal'tsit send you here?" The Draco questioned; his voice was laced with dust.
"We need to go back to Rhodes island and make a plan to stop Reunion from overtaking Lungemen,, and to get you treated," Moonlight answered.
The shouts of multiple voices echoed from around them. Kaiser Rye and Moonlight looked around them and found Reunion soldiers clamoring for battle. Moonlight tilted his head and asked the Draco:
"Should I carry you on my back?"
"No," Kaiser Rye responded as he followed Moonlight out of the slums...
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(A/N): Thank you for reading this chapter!
NOTE: ALL DIALOGUE FROM CHARACTER "MOONLIGHT" WAS CREATED AND APPROVED BY Energeia_Aiegrene - I shortened and changed it for clarity reasons
NOTE: The character "Moonlight" will now be part of my story (I just have to rewrite some chapters now, but don't worry, Kaiser Rye still plays a huge role in my story (It's my story duh!)) - and updates with "Moonlight" will take longer because approval and changes, etc....
- I can't wait to write Chapter 49!!! 😁 so now is a good time to say:
WARNING: GRAPHIC NUDITY WARNING IN CHAPTER 49!
I REPEAT!
WARNING: GRAPHIC NUDITY WARNING IN CHAPTER 49!
- This story has the [MATURE] label for a reason -
- Don't blame me for lost innocence!
- And now, I say! Toodaloo!