RMA

  Red Moon Advocate

  Chapter 5

  An Echo of Sight pt2

  Lloyd and the assassin stood face to face glaring each other down, waiting and watching. A spark from some damaged equipment flickered in the distance, then they both lunged locking swords with each other. Their strength was nearly matched but Lloyd had only a slight edge with his superior enhanced strength. Their clashes sent shockwaves throughout the lab rattling equipment, shaking support beams cracking the concrete below their feet. The tunnels below shook, dust falling into Naomi and Aiden’s face.

  “Where are we going? Shouldn’t we be helping Shadow?”

  Aiden spoke never looking back. He knew he’d just be in the way and keeping Naomi alive was far more important.

  “Lloyd can handle himself. The information you just gave us painted an even bigger target on each of our backs. We now have Clay’s forces and The Advocate after us. I can imagine Jensu is furious right now.”

  Jensu continues running across the rooftops of Dark City using only memory of the last ping of his device for the labs location. Military began mobilizing down below, armed soldiers moved faster than normal and armored trucks came speeding through the streets. Something was happening somewhere but that wasn’t his concern. In the tunnels Aiden and Naomi ran frantically until Naomi stopped.

  “Where are you taking me?”

  Aiden stopped running and threw his arms to his side clearly annoyed.

  “Somewhere safe. I can take you back to Lloyd if you want. You think he can fight and keep you safe at the same time?”

  Naomi looked down at the ground breaking eye contact with Aiden.

  “I…..”

  “For all we know the entirety of the military is after us and eventually hiding won’t work anymore.”

  Naomi continued looking down speaking with self pity.

  “I never meant for any of this”

  They both continued running until there was a faint light and cold draft. Aiden pushes a slot on the concrete wall and it slides over revealing a wine cellar. The aroma was sweet like perfume, but it was quickly interrupted by a cold breeze that seemed to intertwine itself between Aiden and Naomi. On the other side it also doubled as a backstage area, and there sat Kira in front of a mirror, and Lita standing behind her fixing her hair. Kira was dressed beautifully in a form fitting dress and her hair styled by Lita with a red flower in it.

  Before Aiden and Naomi could even continue running Kira looks up at Lita as if she senses something.

  “Hey Lita somebodies back there…wait two people are back there”

  Lita tilted her head then realized

  “The tunnel!”

  Just as Lita turned around and Kira stood up, a heavily winded Aiden and Naomi stood there franticly trying to catch their breath. Both Lita and Kira were shocked to see them.

  “Aiden where’s Lloyd?”

  Lita asked instantly knew something was off. This passage was only used if the labs location had been compromised. Without missing a beat Kira looked at Naomi confused.

  “And who is she?”

  Aiden completely disregarded the question since there was a more pressing matter.

  “The lab has been compromised. Clay’s forces closed in quick and Lloyd bought us time to leave.”

  “The hell? It was practically invisible! We have to go back!”

  Lita spoke loudly and panicked wanting to go back for Lloyd’s sake.

  “Can’t do that, and especially not with her.”

  Aiden said as Kira looked at her suspiciously

  “Yeah…who is she?”

  Naomi stepped forward.

  “My name is Naomi Rains. I got myself into some trouble okay”

  Lita frowned and scoffed at the thought.

  “And just like typical Lloyd fashion he thought he could protect you. I’m going to the lab, Kira take over the bar for me.”

  Kira cocked her head to the side and frowned.

  “Ah Ah there is a performance scheduled tonight. If we cancel it’ll look suspicious, you know the soldiers lurk around here too. They watch patterns.”

  Lita bit down on her thumbnail.

  “….He can handle himself”

  She said reluctantly as her stomach sank and a loud ring echoed through her ears.

  “Lita there is an Advocate here on the planet in Dark City right now. We need his help. Please keep Naomi here and I’m going to find him.”

  Aiden pulled out a holopad from his back pocket that he used for tracking and information purposes.

  “No I’m coming with you”

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Naomi said grabbing his arm.

  “If there is ever a time I need you to listen it is now. Jensu will likely kill you if he sees you again and that will ruin all trust.”

  Naomi’s eyes sank and her shoulders dropped. There was never a moment more where she felt this useless.

  “I get it.”

  Back at the lab Lloyd and the assassin continued to fight just being nothing but blurs of light as they quickly dashed at each other clashing steel against steel. Lloyd sidestepped evading a sword strike, then generated pure light in his hand, shaping it into a sharp point then jabbed it into the assassins side; the nanosuit shattering from the impact. The impact sent him stumbling back and he kneeled in pain as the nano suit began repairing itself covering up his exposed ribs.

  “I’m sure they made it to the bar by now.”

  Lloyd sheathe his blade then kneeled down with his hands up showing he surrendered.

  “I don’t know who you are, but I don’t think this fight will end in my victory. If my father wants me I give myself up freely.”

  The assassin being completely full himself laughed and signaled for the rest of the hidden soldiers to enter and cuff him.

  “Finally someone with some sense. He would’ve never stopped coming after you anyway. Cuff the target and get him ready for extraction. The Admiral will be giving us all a raise tonight.”

  Back at the Silver Eclipse Kira gets ready to go on stage and Aiden makes it outside just to ironically see Jensu leaping across the rooftops. He yells out to him

  “Adv-JENSU!!”

  Jensu stopped in his tracks almost immediately to look down seeing Aiden waving frantically to him. He leaped down landing softly with a grin on his face.

  “Funny I was actually just looking for you.”

  “We need your help”

  Jensu perked an eyebrow.

  “Now that’s a change of pace. Why should I trust you?”

  “We have Naomi inside and the information she has is bad...it’s real bad.”

  Jensu took a moment to study him. He observed his every breath, his every hand motion and how his eyes never shifted from him once. This wasn’t a man lying this was a man desperate.

  “I was always curious about this place.”

  Aiden raised both eyebrows.

  “What? That easy?”

  “You’re not lying to me. Call it an Advocate’s intuition.”

  Jensu said with a menacing grin and murderous aura that surrounded him, as he opened the door to the Silver Eclipse. The atmosphere was smoke filled, but it was a pleasant scent unlike the bars he had visited on previous missions. The people were dead silent and staring toward the stage area. The air was heavy but it felt alive almost as if it was running it’s fingers through his hair and along his body.

  Spotlights hit the stage and out from behind the curtains emerged a brown skinned woman clad in a form fitting green dress, and a red flower in her hair elegantly approached the mic. Her green hair flowed freely to about shoulder length, and her emerald colored eyes flashed gently. In the background the piano began to play a tune familiar to humans but unknown to Jensu.

  Kira began to sing Frank Sinatra’s Moon River a melody completely reimagined to her liking with a jazzy twist. Jensu was frozen in place as he watched her caught in a trance. To him everyone in the room had disappeared even the ground beneath him. Only he and Kira occupied this space. As her song came to an end she couldn’t help but glance at him through soft eyes before she turned away exiting the stage. Three minutes seemed to have passed in mere seconds, as he watched her form and hips sway as she disappeared behind the curtain.

  The thumping of his heartbeat was heavy and loud, but the sound was drowned out by the eventual chatter of the bar and the clanking of glass after Kira finished her song. A loud ‘HEY’ echoed across the room that snapped him out of his trance.

  “Hey newcomer these are the rules of my bar. No killing NO fighting. You break these rules I bre-“

  Aiden rushed through the door

  “Lita it’s him”

  Lita clicked her teeth then cocked her head in the direction to the back of the bar.

  “Come to the back.”

  She gritted her teeth and said reluctantly as she was still unsure what to make of an Advocate. Jensu walked around the back of the bar into a room that resembled a dining room of some sort. In a chair sat Naomi until she saw him walk through. She stood franticly backing away remembering the words he spoke if she probed his mind again. Jensu narrowed his eyes as he began walking toward her slowly.

  “Do you remember the last words I spoke to you before you probed my mind?”

  “Uhh no the memory seems to escape me heh heh.”

  She said nervously while backing into a corner and Jensu walking towards her still.

  “I said if you go poking around in my head again I’ll kill you. Yet here you stand alive and that makes me look like a liar.”

  “Please Jensu! I was just trying to protect everyone and myself.”

  Jensu watched her completely unbothered, but amused she remembered his name instead of calling him Advocate. Just as he began to walk towards her another person walked through the door.

  “I’ll advise you to leave that woman alone.”

  The voice sounded familiar forcing him to turn only to see Kira standing at the door with her arms crossed. That strange feeling of the wind hissed around him again feeling almost as if it was alive. His eyes had softened and the murderous aura around him disappeared. Kira wasn’t in the dress anymore, she completely changed her hair style back to it’s original style the small fro with a headband around the base. She wore a green sports bra that stopped just under her breast, and some legging type gym shorts that stopped right at the mid thigh. That feeling of his heart skipping a beat happened again. He couldn’t help but soften his smile.

  “I guess I’ll be a liar today huh.”

  Lita and Aiden walk in behind her wondering what the tension was all about. Jensu grabs a chair and sits, staring down the four of them as they also grabbed seats and sat down.

  “Aiden don’t waste my time.”

  Aiden clears his throat trying to gather his thoughts properly.

  “Naomi here uncovered a very serious matter that I feel goes beyond our capabilities.”

  Aiden looks to Lita before speaking again.

  “There is a plot to overthrow General Altone, and a full take over of light city. Any and all non superiors will be killed including General Altone”.

  The air had suddenly grew rugged and cold to a point everyone could see their breath. The tip of Jensu’s hair froze. Lita frowned and sat up straight.

  “Who is plotting to kill my father?”

  Jensu perked an eyebrow listening intently after learning Lita a Superior is the daughter of General Altone leader of Light City. Things were not adding up but he was more concerned about this sudden shift in temperature.

  “Admiral Clay is planning the uprising.”

  Lita slammed her ice cold fist on the table. Naomi flinched from the impact. Jensu growing more concerned spoke up.

  “Hey why don’t we calm down just a little. I don’t need you turning into a monster in this small room.”

  “I can’t turn into a monster. I’m not like them.”

  Jensu tilted his head.

  “Excuse me?”

  “First Generation Superior’s do not possess the gene mutation to turn into monsters when our emotions are unstable. We are in all sense of the word Superior to the second generation Superior’s. More power, more strength.”

  “And exactly how many first generations are there?”

  Lita’s fist stayed frozen to the table as she spoke.

  “Brandon, Lloyd, and myself, and I assume Clay as well.”

  Aiden nodded.

  “Yes he is a superior.”

  Kira waved her hands in the air trying to grasp the situation.

  “Hold up, wait, pause for a moment. How do we know if this information is even credible?”

  Aiden clasped his hands together.

  “Naomi has the power of echo sight. She can invade a beings mind and see their memories for a short time and tether to them for a time as well seeing their actions in real time. She saw all of this from Clay. He is going to use this uprising to stage an attack on the Galactic Empire.”

  Jensu quickly interrupted.

  “You failed to mention she can also alter memories or create false images. So Kira is right, how do we know it’s real because this is a bold claim. I may be able to act on own above jurisdiction but even I have to answer for inciting a full blown war without proper reason.”

  “I-I can show you directly if you let me link with your mind.”

  Naomi’s voice was shaky and light. The slightest would have drowned her out. Jensu frowned.

  “You’re not coming anywhere near my mind.”

  “Then Kira?”

  Lita said staring at her. Kira waved her hands shaking her head.

  “Nah.”

  Lita abruptly answered.

  “Show me.”

  “This may get intense.”

  Naomi locked eyes with her and probed her mind. The same images flooded her mind and images of Lloyd being used as a battery to power Skybase and Clay assassinating her father. When Naomi released her she fell back out of her chair breathing heavily eyes widened full of shock. The air grew still then began to freeze before she calmed down.

  “THAT BASTARD!!!”

  Kira’s eyes widened at the shaken Lita.

  “Lita what did you see?”

  Lita completely ignored Kira.

  “Aiden pack up, we’re going back to Lloyd.”

  Aiden stood up with a smile on his face.

  “Alright Captain. I want to get back to my equipment anyway.”

  “Lita what did you see?”

  Kira’s voice was no longer soft spoken. Lita noticing the seriousness in her voice stopped and took a breath.

  “He’s trying to wage a war with the Galactic Empire. Anything that’s not superior is dying....and what the hell is Skybase?”

  “A weapon I presume. Jensu do you believe us?”

  Aiden said as he looked to Jensu

  “You all seem serious enough. Paying him a visit will probably be pointless. I doubt he’s in the same location.”

  “He’s likely already changed locations, he could probably be at this “Skybase.” Help us secure Lloyd first please. He can’t use him as a battery if we got him first. Once we get Lloyd everything will become more clear, and then that idiot Brandon I knew he was dumb but not that damn dumb. Naomi have you probed him too?”

  Lita asked as she glared at Naomi.

  “Uhhh yeah but I got nothing out of him....he umm spends most his time having sex and when I’m tethered like that I can...ah how can I say this? Feel what the other is feeling. I had to break that link.”

  “Typical.”

  Aiden scoffed

  “Funny he definitely seemed like that type of guy. Well let’s move no point in sitting here I don’t have all night.”

  Jensu jokingly said as he stood up. Lita frowned.

  “What part of this is funny to you? Our people are at risk and you’re joking. My man...er friend is in danger.”

  “If we’re all panicked we won’t get anything done.”

  Kira looked at Jensu intrigued with his logic but she knew he was right.

  “Lita you’re not going anywhere. You’re too emotional and I don’t want you making mistakes.”

  Kira said softly

  “Kira no I’m going!”

  “Sit down! You have a bar to run and people to distract from this bullshit out here. Let me get my hands dirty. I got you girl. Just relax we’re getting Lloyd.

  Lita calmed down and took a breath.

  Lita: Okay I trust you

  She walked up to Kira and pressed her head against hers then turned and walked away signaling for Naomi to follow. Jensu impressed stood and followed Aiden back to the tunnel he used to escape.

  “Clever.”

  Jensu said with a smirk while they entered the tunnels. Jensu suddenly stopped and began listening.

  “You hear that? Sounds like a lot of footsteps and armored trucks. They’re on the move.”

  Kira watched impressed by his attention to detail and continued to run until they made it to the lab. It was eerily quiet, aside from the sounds of sparks and the creaking of broken metal swaying back and forth.

  “His sword.”

  Aiden said as he ran to the middle of the floor to grab it. Kira shook her head.

  “That means those trucks-“

  Jensu shrugged his shoulders and interrupted.

  “Exactly....you humans love making things difficult.”