Laying on the cold steel table within the large white room Deox moaned as his chest burned with pain. He was alone and his masks was left on his face. His large overcoat was taken off to better inspect his wound, His entire right side of his torso was heavily scarred and damaged, old wounds covered his body the newest a large cut from his left shoulder down to his right kidney stood out the most. Deox groaned and moaned a little, the pain was still like sharp knives running down his torso. Turning his head to the right Deox noticed the large one sided window. He knew were he was. Back at base. It was a large underground building that was specially made for the start of the war and was never going to be used for long term, that was the plan anyway. At the door next to the window was a black over coat hung up, Deox's overcoat. He pushed himself up of the steel bed and into a sitting position looking straight at the window.
“So what time is it?”
A woman’s voice replied it was Voice “Its ten am, Wednesday”
“Nice I have only been out for what more than twelve hours.”
“Yes a briefing will be happening soon,”
“What about Apprentice he was pretty cut up?”
“He's fine now it will take a while before all the pain goes away but Void did a good job patching him up.”
Deox stood up and slowly walked over to his coat while putting it on he continued to talk. “So when is this briefing and who attending?”
“Me, You, Amp, Rush, Void, Clanktrap and Baal. Apprentice will not be attending due to him being on the agenda.”
Deox just looked at the glass window as he did the buttons up on his coat. “When is it?”
“twenty minutes ill see you there.”
With that the conversation was ended. Voice was like that no good byes no am going she said what see needed and left. Deox always found it rude and annoying but she was good at her job so it was worth the rudeness. As he finished putting on his overcoat he left the room to enter a large long white hallway full of busy people running back and forth with documents and weapons. The body guards were easy to spot from the Intel group as their uniform was completely different. The Intel wore large lab coats with a symbol of the Scottish flower on there backs while the guards had almost full body blue riot gear on with 'T.H.R.U' written in white on every piece of plating. At the side they would hold a weapon usually a sword or a spear. Due to the war lasting over ten years and Scotland being cut of from the other countries supply's were low and only the high ranked were allowed guns. Deox walked slowly still a little weak from the attack and previous days fr-antic’s. It would take him at least another four hours before he was at one hundred percent. He knew the room he would need to get to it was right at the end of this huge white hallway he swerved and dodged all the running people anyone new would think they were in a state of panic but this was usual at the Anti-Exiled Ones and Tactical Heth Response Unit Base of Operations. After a couple of minutes of manoeuvre work he made it to a couple of large double doors. He pushed them both open to get a dramatic entrance. The room was large with lots of chairs all facing in a circle to the centre were a stand stood for speeches. In the middle was an old man with short hair and a large scar from his forehead to his chin. In almost a circle shape like a banana or so Deox thought. It was Rush a speed-star and not a common one a very very fast one. He stood with a frown staring at Deox he was not amused with his amazing entrance. At least Deox got one chuckle from the audience and it came from Amp. A man around the same height as Deox with blue sleek hair and a blue goatee. His face was young and his eyes burned blue that went through you. He wore a large blue overcoat same as Deox's and had a bandaged left hand. It was waving at Deox while he smirked with laughter from Deox's antics. Next to Amp was Voice a red haired woman she always wore dresses or something formal she hated the uniform so never wore it. Though it seemed all ten of the Anti-Exiled Ones didn’t wear their uniforms but Rush, His clothes were the same as the guards only it was a dark blue with no helmet that hid his face and with white writing with 'A.E.O' imprinted around the uniform it was bulky and hard to move around in but not for Rush he had speed on his side. The other eight did not. Walking over to the free chair next to Amp Deox sat down still being frowned at by Rush.
“Glad of you to join us Deox.”Rush snarled.
“Glad to be here Rush. Its a pleasure as always.” Deox replied
“Enough where is Void and Clanktrap?” The question directed towards Voice.
“Void and Clanktrap will be here soon, then the meeting will start.” Voice said
Deox drooped down sulking he hated waiting while Amp was patting his back. The scene witch two adults were doing looked like small children Amp and Deox together were a dangerous duo as when they met up they would revert from serious combatants to children only wanting to one up the other. Voice sat looking at them with a slight smile with her glowing red lipstick lips she always found Amp and Deox funny together but would rather eat mud than confess it. Rush just stood more and more annoyed at the both of them. Voice raised her hand to her temple.
“Ah OK, It looks like Void will be twenty minutes.”
“OK everyone is dismissed for now be back in twenty minutes.” Rush announced.
Everyone got up from their chairs and made their way to the door. Deox and Amp were laughing at something they whispered to each other. While Voice elegantly walked out as for Rush he sat down and just waited. In the hallway Voice had already disappeared among all the panic of the hallway. Amp and Deox were walking towards the other end a good five minutes away.
“So, jokes aside you were in a serious situation back their. Its unlike you”
laughing nervously Deox replied “Yea I know, it was unreal the amount of Heth that appeared. I lost so much energy doing all my fancy moves to”
“Just remember the fact that your ability is unique doesn’t make you unstoppable all power ability users like us have draw backs. Mine more obvious than other peoples.”Amp felt his face with a little sadness in his face.
“Yea Yea enough Talks who do you think you are anyway Baal?”
They both laughed and walked off into the narrow hallway of chaos.
Sitting in a rather small room a blue old couch in the corner with a rusty old TV and radio opposite it sat Apprentice. He was covered in bandages and had a pained bored expression on his face. His blue baggy jeans had a slight spatter of blood on them, black blood. His sword was in its scabbard only a arms length away from him. This was always the case as it made him feel at ease. A taping at the door before it opened. Apprentice spun round to see Deox standing at the open door, his coat buttoned up hiding all his injuries and the mask that hid his face.
“How ya feeling then Apprentice?
“OK I guess apart from the whole nearly dying thing that kinda sucks.”
“Happens to the best of us? Did I ever tell you the time I got these scars?” Rubbing his gloved black hand over the masks hiding his other eye.
“NO are you going to?”
“No”
“Then why mention it?”
“To get your hopes up and cheer you up”
“But it didn’t cheer me up”
“It did for the fraction of a second you were going to learn about my battle scars. No?”
“Yea I did but that’s not the same”
“Yes it is. Now go put a top on,a bandaged torso is something ugly to look at believe me I have put plenty of people in them.”
Apprentice grunted a little that Deox had told him what to do but then now was not the time to fight. Deox went over to the TV and looked at it.
“Dam its been along time since I just sat down and watched TV you know that.”
Putting on another unique purple hoodie with the words 'SMUG' in blue writing “No why don’t you sit with me and watch some.”
“Cant meeting soon.” Pulling up his black sleeve to release a old dirt watch on his right wrist.”Right now in fact, get ready we will more than likely have a mission to go on when I get back.”
“Already I just died. Can I rest?”
“You didn’t just die you nearly died, close but not dead. Hope you thanked Void for his skills at you know not letting you nearly die.”
“Yes I did.” Apprentice replied sharply.
“Good then am off ill be back soon.” Deox said while walking out the room.
Standing in the room again alone Apprentice went and sat back down and watched TV.
Back in the meeting room Deox walked in everyone was already there. Amp sitting in the corner with Voice. Rush sitting in the middle with Void next to him and Clanktrap behind them both. In the middle was a giant of a man he wore large suit black with a blue shirt with military medals all on the right side. He easily stood more than six foot three his large grey beard covered his entire throat with his buzz cut hair he almost looked like a finely dressed mountain man or so Deox thought.
His voice boomed around the room,“Deox you are late what is your excuse for this?
Deox went up in the air almost like a gun was being pointed at him “I was talking to Apprentice to make sure he was doing OK,”
“Of course he is” interrupted Void “I healed him didn’t I!”
Void a very smug man he was a little smaller than Deox and had an atmosphere of a very pissed of gentleman. He always wore a large lab coat over a shirt and black trousers and shoes. His greased back long black hair was always annoying and amazing to Deox someone who could revert or simple stop an event happening to someone or something allows themselves to live with greased back hair. It was madness.
“Don’t interrupt me Void!”boomed Baal.
Void almost sulked down. Everyone found it a little funny.
“Sit Deox we have much to talk about.”
walking down to a free seat next to Clanktrap Deox saw Clanktrap doing his usual. He was not paying attention what so ever. His trilby was down over his eyes and Deox could ear the music he was listening to. Clanktrap had a brown starting of a beard a shadow but thicker, Although it was always that length he either always shaved before beard or shaved down to keep his fluff Deox was never sure. He wore an attire much like Void but his overcoat was covered in old marks and his underclothing was a shirt plain white and big baggy jeans. He was a tall person but skinny and always looked unhealthy. As Deox sat Baal started to talk.
“OK thank you all for coming to this meeting even though only half of us came.” he wondered back and forth “We are here to discuss Apprentice and the event that happened in the village in sector twelve. So first things first we shall discuss Apprentice and how well he is doing with Deox as his mentor.”
Deox stood up, “As you all know it has been six months since we found Apprentice and six months since he became my student. In that time I have basically worked out his snapping point,”
“Oh what’s that?” Void asked.
“If he gets angry he seems to use more of his ability allowing the other him to start to fight for control, Or if he uses his ability too much the other half starts to conflict for control. I have found a few ways to counter this, First is the easiest I simple knock the boy out, and like we all know if the worst comes to worst....” a silence and dim looks on everyone’s face appeared before he finished. “I sent the boy into Oblivion using on of my vortex's”
“Yes yes that was one of the reasons you were picked to be his mentor. What of the child’s other skills?” Baal questioned
“Ah well his sword fighting is amazing who ever taught him was a genius and this child is too, he may only be sixteen but with some time, control and experience he could more or less take out a few of us,”
A large grin came across most of the people in the room all but Void. Amp liked the fact another could fight at his side, Rush liked they had another strong fighter in their ranks, Voice was happy Apprentice was getting so much praise. While Clanktrap and Baal were indifferent as Clanktrap could not hear and Baal was always serious.
“What of his incident in the last mission he almost completely turned?”
“Ah well I think that happened because he panicked, he was trying to fend of limitless Heth and protect people he had never done it before. It all got to much and he slipped up and as we all know nearly died.”
“Yes if it hadn’t been for Void he would be dead right now.” Baal responded.
Void just nodded down in honour.
“Now about the event that happened, do we know why so many Heth attacked and with a H-pod too seems like a lot of over kill.”
Deox sat down while Voice stood up. Her fiery red eyes matched the lipstick making every word enticing.
“WE believe the Exiled Ones have finally put the last action in their plan to take down this country. This isn’t the first village to fall its was sadly the only on that managed to get to their siren in time to notify us.”
“Oh. How many villages have we lost then?”
“Not villages” She looked down almost embarrassed “Sectors.”
“What!”
Everyone in the room looked at Voice with wide eyes surprised Sectors had been taken down. Once the war with The Exiled Ones started Scotland ended up getting split up into thirty sectors. Every small town and village lost its name and got a number only the cities remained named.
“How many” Rush asked
“twelve” A grim response nothing any of them could do.”
“Dam so what we only have sixteen sectors left after the ones Exiled Ones own, and have now just taken the new twelve” Deox remarked
“So it seems, this is indeed troubling” added Baal “Amp how was the fight when you showed up?”
Still sitting Amp responded “Grim I took out the H-pod flying in the sky with little effort but the real fight was the ground battle. There was so many Heth we lost ten men in the battle. And getting Deox here was also one of the problems,”
“How many men did you go in with?” asked Rush
“Twenty, we lost half our men in the rescue mission. And Deox and Apprentice only managed to save fourteen survivors in total.”
A sudden shout came from Clanktrap “WE ARE LOSING THIS WAR MAN ITS BEEN TEN YEARS AND THE FINAL MOVE IS HAPPENING!”
“Take out your ear phones before talking Clanktrap, and don’t be so grim we have fought this long we will keep fighting we will simply have to plan a way to recapture the sectors from the Exiled Ones.” noted Baal.
Deox chuckled he loved that Clanktrap never took out his earphones and only lip read. Only Deox was immune from this due to his mask so he could say whatever he wanted to Clanktrap and get away with it much to Amps displeasure, Amp once tried to confuse Clanktrap by moving his lips as fast as lighting, much to his surprise Clanktrap knew what he was saying.
“That’s not the only thing... We have reason to believe that Edinburgh is their next area of attack,”
“Voice if this is true we cant have another battle like nine years ago.”
“Yes I agree” added Rush and Void together.
“This is were Clanktraps ability comes in handy.”Baal added
“Yea I have nearly perfected the battle suits I only have two at the moment. I managed to make a duplicate of Amps and Azers powers but they will be no were near as powerful as the originals but I would say it is them at half strength.” Clanktrap said with a lower voice.
“that will come in handy if you can fit out the lower fighters with them.” Deox said
“Yes that’s the plan anyway,”
“OK for the time being I want Rush to get troops ready, Void to tent to the injured before making his way to the city, Amp get your personal squad to head for the city now. Voice and Deox I want you to stay here with me I have a mission for you two.”
Everyone got up and left ready to do their assigned missions leaving Deox and Voice with Baal.
“OK Voice I want you to contact the other members of The Anti-Exiled Ones, and to keep and ear out for more info on the attack, Deox I want you to head to the city and ask the one person who may know the most about this up coming attack.”
“You don’t mean Butch do you?” objected Voice “He’s branded a traitor for a reason!” anger plainly exposed on her fine face.
“Yes I do, This is an emergency I am well aware why we kicked him out I was their remember.”
Voice just looked away in a pout. Deox began to stand up to walk out.
“Wait Deox I want you to take Apprentice with you, I have a feeling that Butch will say more after seeing the child.”
“Sure that’s were I was going anyway.”
“And remember keep an eye out. We don’t know what other parties have heard of this news.”
Deox gave a salute to mock.”Aye Sir!”
Back in Apprentices room he was sitting were Deox had left him twenty minutes ago on the couch watching a small old TV, when the door opened and Deox walked in.
“were going on a mission you ready”
“Yea were he going?”
“ To see an old friend”
“You don’t have friends,”
“True, then were going to see an ex-friend”
“Where though?”
“Edinburgh”
Apprentices eyes grew big as-well as his smile, he always wanted to visit the capital and the area the fated Last Hope fight started and ended.
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This is the final version of Chapter 2, Please Read, comment and Vote thanks.