Across the threshold: Into the fire 08

Three years ago...

Playing her violin, Flaron in her Null Unit form sat on the desk within their ram shackled home as Tameron passed her by. "Morning Flare." He said with a warm smile, "Have a nice rest?" {YEAH,} Flaron or Flare as she was known at the time answered as she stopped playing, {THANKS FOR GETTING ME OUT OF THAT POD LAST WEEK.} "It was my pleasure." Tameron said as he slung a bag over his shoulder, "I'm going to be heading into town today, so if you need anything just call." and he tapped his head {ALRIGHT,} Flaron said, before looking to the magazines that Tameron gave her yesterday. Immediately she asked {DO I NEED TO PICK MY FORM FROM HERE?} "You don't have to. It's just to help you get ideas for what you want to look like in the future." {I SEE,} Flaron stated before turning to the Homunculus, smiling {HAVE A GOOD TIME THEN.} "Got it!" Tameron said smiling, "I'll see you this evening." 

Walking into the small town, Tameron, at the time known as Tame due to his calm disposition, passed through the streets with a bag on his shoulder and a grin on his face. Approaching one of the shop keeps, he called out, "Hey Marcus!" "Oh Tame!" Marcus, a rotund catira with a massive beard, said upon seeing the homunculus, "How's the Lady Flame?" "It's Flare, and she's fine." Tameron answered, setting his bag on the table, "She has not chosen a form though." "Yeah, I remember when you first arrived." The catira chuckled, "Before you became a goat, you seemed to be well a robot." "Errr..." Tameron winced "Can you not divulge this out loud? It's private information you know." "Oh sorry!" Marcus whispered, "Forgot you were under cover." Changing the subject, he then asked, "Say have you heard the news, they say that the demon pirates have arrived in town." "Not really," Tameron answered, "what are they like?" Looking around, Marcus answered, "Well, you see those fellas over there." Noticing several suspicious looking men walking by Tameron grew serious and asked, "How long are they going to be here?" "Not sure," Marcus answered, "I guess two or three days at most. Maybe you should get the lady and move to Louis' as soon as possible." "Alright," Tameron answered, unpacking his back, "I'll get back to her." After doing some trade, Tameron walked further into town as a hooded figure had begun to follow the humonculus. 

Now...

"FLARE!" Tameron screamed after he watched Flaron go in one of Cerberus's mouths, "NO!" Immediately, he unloaded a full payload at the head holding his comrade screaming, "YOU LOUSY JERK! SPIT HER OUT!" Seeing this, Cerberus lowered his middle head and moved to snap at him. Before it could chomp on the knight, a blast from Omnidec's blaster knocked it back. "Don't lose your head man!" Omnidec called out "We can still get her back!" 

Laying frozen next to the shattered wall, Voidmond began to draw power from the F.U.Z.O.R. Quickly the frost vanished as the Fake Garuda began to shift. Getting up, Voidmond looked looked to Kuriuno who was attacking the agents from both sides and grimaced, saying, "Not today!" Raising his hand, Voidmond was about to do something when the sound of a motorcycle reached his ear hole. Turning, Voidmond turned to see Verdtrus riding up to him. "What on-?" Voimond asked, as Verdtrus reached him, "Verdtrus?" "Voidmond," Verdtrus said, "What on Gaia is going on?" "I'm not sure, to be honest." Voidmond answered, "But I think that the those agents want the creature dead as we do." "That thing you did to that blue creature before," Verdtrus asked, "can you do it again?" "I'll have to get close." Voidmond answered, "Overloading a blueblood's brain works in proximity and the thing that size is going to take a lot of power." Verdtrus looked at the fake garuda curiously for a moment before something flew over their head. Looking up, the two watched as Blueacon dropped in from the vechicle as it moved to land nearby. "Come on!" Verdtrus said to Voidmond, "We got to help Omni and the others." "Yes sir." Voidmond said as the two mounted the construct to ride to the aide the knights. 

"Chromdraco, is it?" Eithine asked after the draken had returned outside, "What is it about these knights that had Verdtrus." Briefly looking to the opening who looked back, Chromdraco answered, "Maybe because it's that he feels a certain obligation to them." "Obligation?" Eithine asked, before looking out to the battle, "Does he view them as children?" "Honestly, yeah and so do I." Chromdraco answered, before going out, "That aside, if you excuse me, I need to go and save his rear before he gets himself killed." "Wait." Eithine called out, "There might be something of use that could be of help." 

"You must be that blue monster Raidos spoke of!" Kuriuno growled, as she shoot several icicles at Blueacon, "Your reputation proceeds you." "(Cut the flattery invader!)" the garuda exclaimed, smacking the shards away, "(You're not going to get away with this!)" Immediately Kuriuno began to charge at the group but a blast from the side, causing her to drop one of the swords. Turning to the source, the deer warrior found Chipp aiming a cannon at her. Suddenly, Scott appeared from behind and shot her in the back with a spike, causing the battle maiden to freeze the wound and turn to the sirian. Quickly, she shot several icicles at the sirian as Blueacon grouw . Turning to Chipp, she tried to do the same when Blueacon quickly wrapped his whip blades around her upper body. Seeing this, Chipp readied his cannon when the other agents ran up to him. "Chippy!" Katie called out after they reached him, "We took care of the fire chick and-" "Alright alright!" Chipp interupted, "Bad guy now, talk later!" 

Soon surrounding the Deer woman the agents soon prepared each of their solo bursts and got ready to fire. Seeing this, Rick hopped back and pressed the pump on his X injector causing it to call out "X-INJECT! KILL!" Running towards the battle ground with Wisey, Raidos saw the agents getting ready to fire and called out "WAIT!" Noticing to her sister the group were momentarily distracted long enough to allow Kuriuno to quickly produce and fire at Chipp, nailing him in the shoulder and misfire. The blast from his cannon struck Cerberus in the side, causing on of it's heads to turn to the group as they looked up. "Ahhh (censored!)" Mark said, before the group began to run back. 

Seeing the monster shift towards the group on the ground, Omnidec cursed and got ready to open fire when a thought crossed his head. 'Wait.' He thought, 'They tried to kill us, maybe...'  "NO!" Tameron exclaimed, breaking the homunculus' train of thought, "GET BACK HERE!" Shaking his head, Omnidec muttered, "Shoot! What was I thinking!? Flaron in trouble!" Following Tameron, Omnidec shot at Cerberus causing on of it's heads to turn to his direction and swipe their hand towards the two. Jumping over of the arm, Tameron shot another silo as Omnidec frantically leaped out of the way with a "YEOW!" to boot. Meanwhile in the air, Twin Drake readied a one of his spitfires and aimed at Cerberus. "INCOMING!" He screamed before shooting a massive burst of energy at the creature, nailing it in the back. Not fazed by this, Cerberus marched on until suddenly a loud boom was heard within it's body, causing the creature to keel over in pain. Noticing this, Twin Drake muttered, "What on Gaia was that?" Hearing the noise, Tameron exclaimed, "Flare!" before Omnidec fired upon the same spot that Twin Drake shot at. "Hey!" Tameron called out, "what are you doing!?" "That thing has your girlfriend!" Omnidec pointed out, "Do you want her to be digested!?" Groaning, Tameron then said, "If I hadn't wasted my EVO! Flare wouldn't be-" Suddenly another loud noise rang inside the beast causing it to keel over in pain. "Flare seems to be killing it from within," Omnidec deduced, "let's help her by drawing it's attention from the outside!" Omnidec then ran off after the creature as Tameron stood for a moment muttering "Flare!"

Stopping to see Cerberus keel over in pain, Chipp called out to the others, "Guys! Something's up!" Seeing the downed creature, Kuriuno cursed and began to run away as Blueacon took notice. "(Hey! Come back here you witch!)" Blueacon exclaimed as the deer woman broke away from the transformed Garuda's blade whips, "(censored)!" Quickly, Kuriuno grabbed Raidos and galloped away as Blueacon ran after the battle maiden. Seeing this Katie turned to Chipp and said, "We'll make sure centaur chick doesn't interfere, you guys deal with the monster!" "Got it!" Chipp said before Katie followed the transformed garuda with Scott and Wisey right behind her. Turning to Chase and Matt, Chipp asked, "Guys, any ideas?" "Did You bring any more of those belts?" Chase asked. "Scott brought only one." Chipp answered with a sigh, "Besides I saw that thing tank several fire balls, so tanking it head on with plasma fire is probably not a good idea." Suddenly an idea crossed Matt's mind as he said, "Say, remember when that dragon tried to kill us? There's still one more drill cannon!" "Really?" Chipp questioned, "How far were you in hot wiring it?" "You didn't give me the chance." Matt answered jokingly, "But give me about five minutes and I can get it moving!" "Alright! You and Chase will get that cannon running. I'll try to give you some time until you're ready!" "Count me in!" Rick called out, Approaching the three and gaining their attention, "If we want to make change within the Red Dragon Army, we got to walk the walk!" "What are you-?" Matt asked before Rick then leaped up the mountain side saying, "I'll get my comrades to help you guys distract that thing! Just do what you need to do!" Starring at the cliffs Matt said, "Okay, seriously who is that guy?"

Walking down the corridors of the Grendel, Eithine and Chromdraco passed through the small corridors and doorways as the battle raged on outside. "Where are we going?" Chromdraco asked confused with what's going on. "Remember when we gave Bakore that X injector?" "What are you planning?" Chromdraco asked, "He already had that surgery, what else do you want with him?" "Remember when Voidmond had, procured that small orb?" Eithine asked pulling out the orb that Voidmond aquired, "I may have an idea on how to fasten Bakore's recovery." "Hey!" Chromdraco exclaimed, pointing to the orb, "Don't you realize what that thing is?" 

"What happened to your chest?" Lugh asked noticing the scar on Beo's chest. "Some bird (censored) using a F.U.Z.O.R. tore it open" Beo answered covering it up, "What about it?" "F.U.Z.O.R.?" Rox asked, perking up, "What are you talking about?" "Apparently Verdian had somehow developed a second FUZOR from the original prototype or something." Worried by this, the two Jewels looked to each other with worried glances and soon Rox stepped out. "Beowulf," Lugh asked, "who is using this F.U.Z.O.R.?" "Some guy named Voidmond, why?" Beo answered. Hearing this, Lugh eyes widened as Rox returned with Richant and Jerry. "What is it that you-?" Richant started before he noticed the look on Lugh's face, "What is it?" Turning to her comrade, Lugh ordered, "Check Beowulf, Now!" Looking to the Draken, Richant then began walk to Beo who stammered, "Hey- hey! What are you-!?" before the Jewel placed a hand on his chest. "Don't move!" Richant ordered and soon his eyes flashed briefly before retracting his arm. "I only see one of the Zero cores in there." He said turning to Lugh, "The other is gone." "Which one?" Lugh asked.

"The Zero core Rho." Eithine said eyeing the core in her hand, "The source of this Beowulf's heaviness ability, and our key to Bakore's recovery." "Are you nuts!?" Chromdraco exclaimed "Even if that thing could work with him, He's still a kid, not a weapon!" "I understand of your concern for him." Eithine said, "But we need all the help we can get! Besides, the way this situation is going, I'm certain that sooner or later we'll get attacked again and we just lost 4 men already!" Entering the pod room where Bulker and Flipp are in, Eithine walked up to the weapon specailist and gave him the Rho core saying "Bulker can you get this core into Bakore's chest?" Taking the Zero core Bulker, looking surprised asked, "Wait me? Ma'am I'm a engineer, not a doct-" "You can get the Stasis pod to do it like before." Eitine interrupted, "We need all available hands for this!"  "But he's already had the surgery!" Bulker pointed out, "There's no telling what could-" "Hey! What about me?" a voice called out causing the group to turn to Tavo who just woke up from his pod, "I heard something about a giant dog, is that right?" 

TO BE CONTINUED.....