"Naomi, I trust you will my life, but this is..." a high-command guard in the Control Tower said. He shook his head in defiance.
He possessed a head of neatly trimmed salt-and-pepper hair which accentuated his air of authority. Deep lines etched across his weathered face, a testament to the years of dedication and responsibility. His uniform, adorned with gleaming brass buttons and precise creases, spoke of his position of power.
"Diego, please," Naomi whispered with insistence. "I wouldn't ask you something like this just because. It's important!"
He chuckled as he stared deeply into her eyes. "Damn, I'm gonna get the sack for this."
He opened the door to the control room, at the top of the building.
"Thank you!" Naomi replied with a wide, confident smile. "You won't regret it, Diego."
Sky smiled at his aunt as she gestured for him to go for it.
He rushed to a huge control panel which supervised a room full of computers at a lower level. Holographic screens hovered over the desks, but there was a huge one hovering over all of them, near the wall in front of him. On either side of it and right behind him, there were enormous windows overlooking the entire city.
The evening glow of the setting sun entered through the windows, but it was the neon glow of the screens and some desk lamps which illuminated the control room.
"This is the master control panel," Diego said as he came to stand beside him.
It had got a sleek surface adorned with rows of buttons and illuminated indicators, which caught Sky's attention. He focused on the holographic screen in front of him, suspended in mid-air, as he started typing. It displayed vital data and real-time feeds, enhancing the atmosphere of efficiency.
"Be careful, kid," Diego added. "You might be the Hovering Hive's brand new hero, but–"
"I know. Thank you for letting me use it," Sky replied with seriousness, his eyes glued to the holographic screen. "I promise you won't regret it."
"I hope so. My job and livelihood are on the line," Diego whispered with mild regret.
Sky swallowed at the responsibility that involved, but his fingers didn't stop typing commands into the system.
As Sky stood before the extensive keyboard and worked, the coding lines appeared on a new holographic screen hovering over the master control panel with neon blue lines, numbers, and letters.
On the computer screen, lines of code scrolled rapidly, forming a mesmerising dance of symbols and characters. The text appeared in a crisp, monospaced font, its black letters contrasting against the soft glow of the holographic screen. Syntax highlighting brought key elements to life, with colourful keywords and function names standing out amidst the sea of text.
As Sky deftly typed, the cursor moved with precision, navigating through the code like a nimble dancer. Some occasional debug messages and error notifications flashed momentarily as he tried to break through a firewall, demanding attention and swift action.
He furrowed his brow. Damn. I expected to find trouble along the way, but I hope that what I've done doesn't call their attention.
Naomi's eyes sparkled with pride as she fixed her gaze on Sky, who was fully immersed in coding. A small smile played on her lips, reflecting her admiration for his skills and dedication. As she observed his fluid movements and confident keystrokes, a warm glow of pride enveloped her, filling her heart with a sense of accomplishment and joy.
Then, a shrill alarm sound startled all guards, Sky, and Naomi. A flashing red emergency window popped up.
Crap. I did call their attention, didn't I?
"What's happening?!" Naomi exclaimed with a furrowed brow.
Her question got lost in the air.
Panic gripped the guards in the control room as the shrill sound of the alarm blared through the air, instantly setting their hearts racing. Beads of sweat formed on their foreheads as they frantically typed on their keyboards with urgency. Their eyes darted across the multiple screens. Tension filled the room, evident in their furrowed brows, clenched jaws, and the occasional exchanged glances filled with worry.
"Müller! Answer your former Head of the Elite, damn it!" Diego yelled in anger at his second in command, a female guard.
"A big swarm is coming to us, sir!" Müller, the female guard exclaimed and gulped. "Bigger than the last time."
This is my fault. I need to finish what I've started asap.
"Impossible!" Diego replied with clenched fists. "Rodríguez! Provide an assessment of the situation, stat!"
"A swarm of over a hundred phoenixes is headed to the city. The blue Sonic Echo Ranger is coming straight for us to strike the protective dome, sir," said Rodríguez, a thirty-something man with dark brown hair and glasses. "Its flying speed is faster than ever registered. Imminent contact in ten seconds. The swarm will be inbound in our airspace in a couple of minutes."
Those ten seconds flew by as Sky typed faster than ever, sweat coating his forehead.
The blue Sonic Echo Ranger relentlessly started hammering against the protective dome, its sonic blows growing fiercer with each strike. The hexagons that comprised the dome glowed brighter with each impact, trembling under the force.
Sky, Naomi, and the soldiers stood in the control room, their faces etched with worry and panic as they watched the dome's integrity being tested. The resounding thuds echoed through the air, creating an atmosphere of tension and uncertainty.
Two minutes came and went. The swarm flew in circles over the protective dome, waiting for the blue Ranger to finish the job.
The protective dome quivered under the relentless assault of the blue Sonic Echo Ranger, its hexagonal shields bearing the brunt of the blows. The once impenetrable barrier started to crack, fractures spreading like spiderwebs across its surface. With each passing moment, the hexagons shattered and disappeared, fading away like disintegrating pixels.
As the dome gave way, the swarm of menacing beasts poured into the city with a ferocious hunger. Chaos ensued as they preyed upon unsuspecting citizens and Elite soldiers, their relentless attacks leaving destruction and despair in their wake. The air filled with the cries of terror, the clash of weapons, and the anguished screams of the wounded.
Amidst the turmoil, the blue Sonic Echo Ranger glided towards the Control Tower, its deadly gaze fixed upon its target. With precision and malevolence, it unleashed a powerful sonic blast towards the tower. The ground shook violently, as if struck by an earthquake, and the tower trembled under the impact.
Shattered glass rained down upon the control room, its sharp fragments adding to the cacophony of destruction. People screamed in fear, their voices mingling with the sounds of crumbling infrastructure. The acrid smell of smoke and burning materials filled the air.
Diego and Naomi struggled to maintain their balance behind Sky. The force of the blast caused glasses to shatter and objects to topple.
Sky's fingers missed the right keys on the keyboard and he fell on his palms and knees. With a groan, he stood up once more. His dishevelled fringe kept getting in the way, but he didn't care.
I have to get the job done before the blue Sonic Echo Ranger causes more damage to either the structure of the building or the computer system. Its sonic blast could mess with both, critically. I only need to do what I did to Haywire, but remotely and with no sonic gun involved. I need to hurry!
Gritting his teeth, he typed as fast as he could.
Through the shattered remnants of a large window, the blue Sonic Echo Ranger caught sight of Sky. Its gaze locked onto him with an intensity that sent a shiver down his spine. A shrill cry escaped from its beak and pierced the chaos.
Great. It's spotted me. I do remember there's a killing order issued with my name. So, I guess that now the Control Tower is twice as important to you, nasty beast, huh?
Then, the deadly, neon-red glare of the Ranger fixated on Sky's eyes, as if an invisible thread connected them in a twisted dance of fate.
With ferocious determination, it launched a relentless assault on the control tower. Its attacks shook the structure to its core. Metal groaned and cried out in agony, while the sound of breaking glass echoed through the chaos. As the holographic screens glitched and flickered, Sky's task became increasingly challenging, beads of sweat forming on his brow as he fought against the overwhelming pressure.
Meanwhile, the Ranger's gigantic claws tore through the control room, effortlessly rending metal beams as if they were nothing more than flimsy barriers.
Then, Diego unsheathed his gun and aimed at the beast.
"I know a simple gun won't stop you!" he yelled with pride, his voice cracking due to panic. "But I'm not gonna die without a fight!"
"Sky!" Naomi shouted. "How much longer?!"
The final click of the return key on the master keyboard could not be heard due to the mayhem, but Sky enjoyed the action.
"Done!" he screamed with a satisfied smirk on his face and a sweaty brow.
Naomi, Diego, and all the guards in the control tower fell silent and stared from Sky at the blue Ranger with anguish and expectation.
The blue Ranger stopped moving. The red glint in the beast's eyes was no more. A dark blue hue replaced it. A low growl escaped from its beak, which slowly became a painless whine that fell an octave until it faded away.
Eventually, it let go of the metal beams and flew away. The same went for the rest of the swarm.
"Look!" Naomi exclaimed in awe as she got close to where a large window used to be, now an open balcony to the sky with broken bits of glass everywhere she put her feet on. "They stopped attacking! They're all flying away! It worked!"
"Wow," Diego whispered with wide eyes as he stood next to Naomi. "I never thought I'd live long enough to see this."
Like a thundercloud after a storm, the ominous presence of the swarm flew away and disappeared on the horizon. All the guards cried with joy and celebrated the achievement.
The sun had already set. The sky slowly transformed into a canvas of deep indigo and velvety black. The stars emerged one by one, twinkling with a distant allure.
Sky came to stand right next to his aunt. I did it!
"How does it feel to be right?" Naomi asked with a warm smile, putting a hand over his shoulder.
"Now, the phoenixes are free," he replied. "Endurance can't control them anymore. That's what matters."
"Excuse me, young Mr Falcon," a male guard said, approaching Sky sheepishly. "A call for you from Mrs Evergreen."
As I expected. She will demand to know what happened and why.
The guard handed Sky a cordless landline phone.
"Do you want me to deal with her first?" Naomi suggested.
"No, thank you. Let me try something." He caught the phone and put it in his ear. "This is Sky Falcon." His voice was coated with a cold dryness that made Naomi raise a curious eyebrow.
"I knew it had to be you, young man." Mrs Evergreen's voice merrily echoed through the waves. "I got a powerful signal from the Control Tower. No one in it has ever managed such a feat."
"Petting my ego won't work on me, Mrs Evergreen."
She chuckled. "Then, you're making this conversation easier for me. We can skip all that stupid, verbal confetti and proceed with the important stuff."
"Yes, we really need to talk―really talk," he insisted with a harsher voice.
"I couldn't agree more!" she exclaimed with joy, oblivious to what his tone meant. "The media loves you again, by the way. Your reputation as the Hovering Hive's hero is officially restored! Anyway, I want to know every single detail about what you've done to make them fly away all at once, even the blue Sonic Echo Ranger."
He sighed in a low tone. "We'll see about that, Mrs Evergreen," he replied firmly.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Her tone went from jovial to serious.
He gritted his teeth. I have to be strong and stand my ground, consequences be damned. "I have many objections to your leadership."
"You what?!" She chuckled. "You don't wish to share with me what you've done?"
"No. But we need to talk."
A burst of laughter erupted from her mouth. It was so loud that even Naomi and Diego heard it and stared with bewilderment at Sky.
"If you're serious, I expect you in my office in less than five minutes, young man," she said in a hoarse and ice-cold, venomous whisper. "You'd be nobody without me. I can't wait to give you the reasons you'll need to consider so as not to defy me ever again like that."
He gulped.
Hello, my sugar cubes!
I've got ants in my pants to let you know how this conversation will unfold. Are you nervous about Sky? Will he remain unscathed?
Stay tuned!
XOXO
Mar