Buoyed by repetitive turns and gusts, the hooded stranger climbed to his goal as his distracted enemies pursued to destroy each other's existence.

Reaching the top felt like no problem; his velocity told him so. He permeated the cyclonic winds that emulated a wall, thereby dulling visions and sounds of the relentless attacks against Zartzs. Majority of his physical makeup was now inside the twister. Only the fragment that was the vehicle lights peeked out. The feeble stem that held one of nature's most potent bringers of destruction somehow pronounced itself with an unappealing dark green.

The copper in his eyes met a figure staring at him. He didn’t know the name of said being. And Ees preferred it that way. He stood where the shadows hid him from view. White arch windows exposed a general frame, but too far to make distinctions.

He noticed the stranger in his safe space. This prompted the windows to swiftly vanish to dirty green and the thorns that shot from the stem pulled back from the base to reveal a fearsome set of Eight Barrel Capacity Rod Runners. Just before they charted predetermined paths, the rods were into sections as they left each barrel. No one could marvel at the paper-thin cutters that sliced every rod to perfection.

Almost copying a seamstress, the hooded stranger weaved in and out constantly. His ride neared its stop. The dual-sided sign said:

GRAND STATION,
THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE PLANETARY DEFENSE FORCE

He overshot Grand Station by one cycle. Despite this, the letters were sinking to his destination.

Grand Station was a location privy to heavy security. A camera picked up the stranger in his rapid descent.

"What that be boi?" A video specialist noticed a screen that glowed red at the perimeter.

"Merge the screens," DooDao’s purple form began to feel tension. It was like depressions had sunk into him.

They remained seated to witness this event. Weaponry was available at the opposite end for use if the worst comes. Some were on the wall, others were in chests and containers.

He touched down and all letters shattered at landing and returned to the space they always occupied above the hooded stranger. The soldiers at the entrance were startled. More came out to accompany them for the total defence of Grand Station.

The stranger’s prowess over him to hastened the Ees’ efforts to make a video call.

This being looked problematic. The War Troupe was enough trouble. For him, the Defence Force was being overwhelmed. He needed Ippe to respond as soon as possible.

* * *

A guard slammed his broken board game piece against the playing area. His harshness may have been the reason it was broken in the first place. In this game, which was a galactic race to the finish with obstacles, power-ups, and locations strewn across it, the level of competitiveness it brought out was often unhealthy.

"Nah dawg. You can't be moving so..."
The rowdy guards in the well-lit prison facility had Durin's left eye peeking. On the cell floor were his colleagues.

Despite not seeing their paltry condition in full, he could see a bruise on Teinova's cheek and small, impressionable holes throughout Zazavin's body. They were burning his insides little by little.

A force field deterred escape. He was famished, therefore food was required.

"Guards, can I have some food please?" He opened both of his eyes.

"Like you have manners. I go ask the chef to bubble up something nice for you."

"Thanks." Durin wondered if he should've awoken Zazavin and Teinova for lunch, but their state indicated otherwise.

La, the female being with the power of sleep, and Mezamica Um entered. They made their way through the straight, narrow corridor lined with force-field retained cells to the special containment area at the rear.

She peered through the barrier and was direct in stating this: "Tell me nah, where did you all get the uniform you wearing now?"

"Sorry, not going to answer."

"You serious?"

"Yes."

"Like we have to use the torture terminal in the corner there. Mezamica Um, turn it on." He imparted his thoughts into a panel for two robot arms to appear through the walls at Veil's left and right. They were menacing, bulky and had a multi-torture tool compartment that accompanied them. A small stub could grab various tools and switch easily using magnetism to effect pain and suffering.

Under Durin’s current condition, he wasn't sure if he could endure ones like the Guts Mixer and the Suffocator. He took a long, hard look at the shelf of gadgets and realised he had to concede, not solely for himself, but also for his colleagues' safety.

"A small village in the countryside gave us these uniforms." He had cracked. Info started to flow, however little.

"What is the name of the village?" La began to take control of the arms. She had a knack for things like torture.

"I can't remember."

"Come on nah, you can tell us. We giving you food and thing."

Can't be as good as Yoskoe's.

She didn’t like how long he took to answer. He wasted time with his inability to respond appropriately. Over a minute passed before he said he would rather talk to their leader in person.

"Your request denied.” She felt disrespected by his unwillingness to talk to her. “I don't see how you can't talk to me. I not high enough in rank for you? I'm an elite soldier in the Defence Force."

"Well... as the leader of this group, I would like to meet a lifeform of my stature."

"Our general not going to talk to weaklings like you. You really don't want to say more? It must be a rebel encampment you working with or something."

He paused at that moment. Durin had to not reveal their location. He would put them in danger if he did.

* * *

Cassadon, Nem, and Wixin clashed in the background of Ippe exuding great power.

Wixin grabbed a balloon from the black criss-cross straps lining his abdomen. They held them how professional mercenary straps held grenades. He blew up a balloon and it rapidly stretched out to tackle Cassadon.

Nem sprained her leg from the fall. However, Cassadon stuck a ball of dough below her right leg to ease every step she took. Her movements were restricted but she threw her whip with harsh accuracy. She no longer required her visualisation shield, so she put it away.

She popped the balloon in one crack. Helium rushed out and mixed with the atmosphere.

Cassadon gathered herself and came at him again. Flinging dough in the air, it sailed over the head of Wixin.
The powerful winds caught the small strand of dough and stuck itself on Wixin's back. It quickly grew in size, forcing him to drop the empty balloon. He was enveloped in the soft, fleshy substance.

"Like you catch me there, man." He struggled to escape.

The onslaught on Zartzs lengthened. Each explosion juggled her carriages.
Uncaring of the battle below, something slipped through the grey sky: a large wooden talisman with the face of a beast, pronounced outgrowths from its outline and whatever written on it was long faded.

It caused a splash that made saltwater exceed the coastline, sweeping away everyone in a great flood. Leaflet, of course, remained firm, despite waves mixed with weapons, dead and wounded bodies, dirt and roses.

Cassadon and Nem were carried away by the rushing wall of water.

Cascachu tightly held onto Deeli. He made sure she was okay even with him being too weak to participate in battle and limping from a charging Hahbou with Deeli in his hands.

"Good thing I never tie myself up with that confusion in over there." The driver was at a safe distance from the action; his tired face barely visible to the combatants from where he stood. Before he could determine the thing coming towards him, his bald head pulled to the side to allow a blaster round to pass.

"Who that be boi?" He removed his pistol from its holster and turned towards the shooter.

"A nurse." Her matted blue hair and light brown skin were what he saw.

"Nurses does be meant for the sideline to heal wounds for the real soldiers. I don't know where you come out with your flare pistol from."

"To put a Defence Force soldier in his place." A red energy pulsed from the mouth of the barrel.

"You have talk!" The driver's flare pistol pulsed in tune with hers.

Two shots crossed each other. One missed. The other struck the driver, dropping him to the ground.

"I win? I really win!!!" She was ecstatic and shocked. The nurse did multiple swift poses with her firearm as she said, "Ohhhhhhh yeah. I'm a badass."

Her excitement was short. Saltwater came to sweep her away—and it quickly did. The driver fared no better.

The armaments at Leaflet paused their juggle barrage against Zartzs for other threats that deserved misery. This permitted an unpleasant splash where her exterior morphed into a splendid tapestry laid out by the tumultuous flood. Many colours were a part of the elaborate designs that dotted her. Unfortunately, Ippe, with help, had torn off a part of her existence.

THANK YOU FOR READING IF YOU REACHED THIS FAR. IF YOU LIKE THIS AND OTHER CHAPTERS, FOLLOW, LIKE, SHARE, COMMENT, AND ADD THIS BOOK TO YOUR LIBRARY FOR MORE BATTLES BEYOND. MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY OTHER STORIES AS WELL.