Mr. Kitty is the first to battle Grizzbolt. He doesn't fare well against another wild beast. He probably used most of his energy getting Sam and Jessica. I send in Sam next.
They dance around the room for a bit. Sam and Grizzbolt seem pretty evenly matched. If he can't do it then all I have is Sally and Indigo? I thought I left her sphere at the base. Maybe it swapped out when I lost Moon's sphere.
Grizzbolt slams down a massive lightning bolt on Sam. He absorbs it in his sword and deflects it back at Grizzbolt. Grizzbolt yells banging on its chest. Lightning attacks must make it stronger.
"Sambushi, don't fight to defend, go on the assault," I yell.
"But Morado, Grizzbolt have a high defense," Sam replies.
"They can take hits, but they stagger easily due to their timid nature, you can do this Sambushi," I yell.
Sam lays in with a bunch of heavy sword strikes. Grizzbolt staggers and falls back. Sam's strong attacks stagger so he can move in with lighter and quicker attacks. This is a perfect strategy. Atleast it seems that way.
"Glizziebear, they're going to hurt me, they're going to hurt your little Zoey," Zoey says tearing up.
Grizzbolt looks over at Zoey and takes a deep breath.
"Boltclaw!" Grizzbolt yells.
"Mierda," Sam says as bolts of lighting run up and down Grizzbolt's claws.
Grizzbolt swings at Sambushi and he blocks. The lightning in Grizzbolts claws runs up and down Sambushi's sword before sending him flying.
Damnit, all my strongest pals are down. I feel Indigo's sphere vibrate. I pull it from my belt and toss it on the ground.
Indigo steps out in a cute kimono and raises a wooden staff that I'm sure she doesn't need. She's holding a glowing book in her other hand.
"Dragon Meteor!" Indigo yells with enthusiasm.
Large meteors appear in the sky above Grizzbolt and Zoey. Grizzbolt shields Zoey from them. She takes a beating though. Indigo lowers her stick and steps back. Her attack didn't do as much as she was expecting.
"Grizzbolt, let's show daddy what we got," Zoey says climbing ontop of her.
Grizzbolt pulls a mini gun out of its ass. I can't see anywhere else it would have come from. Zoey smiles holding onto Grizzbolt as it readies itself to become a one woman firing squad.
Grizzbolt looks different holding that gun. Like she's the goddess of death. And maybe she is death for me. I grab Indigo in time to save her life. The mini gun doesn't make a bang when it fires, it's more of a buzzing sound. Like a saw cutting things apart.
"NOOO, MORADO, Please, HELP ME," Indigo screams. She screams so loud it makes my ears ring.
I hold on to her as thousands of rounds pound against my shield. It'll wear down soon and we'll both be shredded like meat.
"Excellent, slaughter him and I might be able to say I'm proud of my daughter," the man above us says smiling.
I hold Indigo close trying to comfort her as my shield starts to flicker. I guess this is the end for us.
"I'm sorry Morado, I was hungry and ate all the chips," Indigo says crying into my chest.
"It's ok Indigo, I got those chips for you and Zoey anyway," I say petting her head.
Lead pounds against my shield as it struggles. I grip Indigo tight waiting for the inevitable.
...
Grizzbolt's mini gun slows to a stop. I can feel the entire tower vibrating. Maybe it's an earthquake? A strange rift opens above pulling the top of the tower in. I can see daylight, and I can see. Moon?
Moon descends upon us. She places herself in between me and Zoey.
"I knew you meant him harm," Moon says in a strange voice.
"I'm part of the Syndicate, what did you think would happen?" Zoey yells.
"You can't have him, he's mine!" Moon yells.
"Grizzbolt, you know what to do," Zoey says.
"Grizzly- shredder," Grizzbolt says and the mini gun spins up.
"That's nothing to me," Moon says floating higher.
The minigun fires and Moon stops all the bullets mid air. They clank as they hit the ground. Moon raises her right arm.
Moon used master dark flame blade strike.
Grizzbolt falls back as a large black blade slices into her. She struggles to shove her guts back into her belly. Moon's blade cut through everything and hit Grizzbolt directly.
"Die Syndicate," Moon says holding up another blade.
The blade hits Zoey depleting her shield and forcing her to the ground. She's holding her head as I run over to her.
"Pathetic, you're no daughter of mine," Zoey's supposed father says and exits the ruined tower.
Moon starts to absorb the energy around her forming a massive glowing sphere. I wrap myself around Zoey. She might be my enemy in this battle, but I still see her as a friend.
"Moon, stop!" I yell.
It's too late. She fires the sphere and I close my eyes. The attack never connects and I look up at Dr. PAL shielding us with some strange technology. He tosses me Moon's sphere.
"This is the last time we meet as friends, good-luck kid, you'll need it," he says floating up to the platform.
What technology does he have? And what did he do to Moon?
Morado I'm falling. Morado, help me. Morado.
I turn and run towards Moon as she falls from the air. I dive onto the ground catching her. She looks over and smiles petting my head.
"Home, I want, home," Moon says losing consciousness.
Dr. PAL fixes everyone up before his lab disappears. I wouldn't let him touch Moon though. He's done enough to her. I don't want him near her until I know what happened.
"Zoey is just down the hall, I'll be leaving soon so make it quick," Dr. PAL says.
I push the door open and Zoey is sitting up eating some Chikipi eggs. I'm taken aback by her condition. Her left eye is pale like it's blind, and her hair is patchy. I shut the door slowly behind me as I enter the room.
"Hey Zoey, I was just coming to check on you," I say nervously.
She sets down her plate and moves the trey off her.
"It's ok, everyone reacts like that when they see it, the symptoms of my disease," Zoey says hanging her head.
I sit on the edge of the bed and grab her hand.
"It's too late to push me away Zoey, I am your friend, now tell me what's going on," I say.
"I have Palsyndrome, it's a degenerative disease, spores from the world tree Gaia help to suppress the symptoms or so I'm told, the disease causes your body to intake less and less nutrients, your hair begins to fall out, you're teeth rot, and your bones become brittle, eventually your body can't uptake any nutrients and you starve to death," Zoey says looking away.
"I still think you have a beautiful smile," I say grabbing her hand.
"Thank you," she replies sniffling.
"I'm so sorry about your eyebrows though," I cough.
"I'm not dying tomorrow jackass, I will live long enough to murder you," she yells throwing a cup of ice at me.
I swat it away and stare down at the floor. I'm not sure how I should feel about Zoey. She already betrayed me once. It's not that there is anything wrong with her eyebrows, but I don't trust them.
"Zoey, I have a friend, could I ask you a favor?" I ask.
"Nope, I don't owe anyone a damn thing," she replies.
"Could you and your stupid eyebrows watch over Indigo for a bit?" I ask.
"You know what, I'll do it, and when you come back I'm going to have sold all your shit and all the girls will have the same eyebrows that I do," Zoey replies angrily.
"As long as you keep Indigo safe," I say.
Let's be honest. Zoey doesn't have anywhere to go now that Moon destroyed her tower and her unnamed father disowned her. So she can't really reject my proposal to stay at my base and watch over Indigo.
Torches flicker at my base as I step into the darkness. I shouldn't be running around at night, but it's easier to see the syndicate bases. I grab onto Jessica's reigns and she rips limbs from trees as she shoots into the air.
"Are you sure this is what you want?" Sam asks.
"They're holding pals in cages, am I wrong to free them?" I reply.
"Once you walk a path of violence, it's hard to leave that path," Sam says.
"What do you want me to do then Sam, if you don't fight in this world you die, that's not an option for me, there are too many people depending on me," I say angrily.
"Fine, but take this, you have a gun, but that's not the same, this dagger will show you what killing is really like," Sam says handing me a large dagger.
We reach the first base. Me and Sam step off Jessica and see a Depresso in a cage. The Sundicate are teasing it with their rifles.
Sam moves in cutting most of them down. It's a grim scene, but not uncommon. It's far less disturbing than my victim.
I shove my dagger into the thigh of a Syndicate thug. He falls to the ground grabbing his leg. Pulling his hood he proceeds to beg for his life.
"Shit, it hurts, please, I have a wife and daughter, don't kill me," he says grabbing at his leg.
"What are their names?" I ask raising my dagger.
"Charlotte and Lily," he replies.
"I'll remember that," I say shoving my dagger into his chest.
His hand grabs my bicept as he begins to slip away. How was he different from any other person? What makes an enemy? Is it someone who hates you, or is it just someone who is in your way?
"Don't hurt my girl, she's going to save all the pals," he says coughing blood.
I let his body hit the ground and step over to the cage in the middle of the fort. The lock to the door clicks and the pal steps out.
"Depresso," he says.
"Why don't you come with me?" I ask.
"Depresso?" It asks.
"I have a Cattiva, but she's running a smaller base," I reply.
"Depresso, de, presso," he says stepping towards me.
I take Depresso to my lucky Cattiva. All the other ones I have are males, and they're all cowards. Depresso runs to Cattiva and collapses infront of her. Looks like his caffeine ran out. I step over and pick Depresso up holding him in my lap. Cattiva curls up beside me.
It seems my pals have saved me from another lonely night. I wonder how my bases are fairing. At this point I should try to upgrade them. Perhaps some materials from the desert would help me improve my bases and equipment.