Path of the Hunters [PART 3]

"We'll keep the hornets cloaked and the ODSTs' weapons down." She stated with a nod. "The pelican and hornets will be there shortly. I'll have the pelican land and unload and the hornets stay cloaked and on patrol. close by."

She eased Dart back, adjusted her dress and got to her feet. The blade appeared in her hand. "'Ere," she murmured, holding it out.

"Okay. So, do I need one of those projector units?"

*

Nova took a deep breath, grasped the blade firmly. For a short moment, there was nothing. Then, all at once, he felt the surge of energy. It was incredible, ungodly, unlike anything he felt before. Not even the violent power within him already could come close!

...And then it hit him. He saw the great figure of Tuefel. He looked so young, so powerful. He seemed so pleased to see it, based on that silly grin on his face. It felt so right when he grasped the handle, like it belonged in his hand. And their first taste of blood... It was ecstasy...

"...Ugh!" Nova fell down to one knee, panting heavily. The strange golden gleam in his eyes left, becoming their normal amber. "...Holy shit!" he finally breathed. "What a rush!"

"No, the camera in front of you will do." She blinked, "And right on time. They've arrived at the coordinates you gave."

-----------------------------------------------------------------

The stealth variant pelican uncloaked and landed, back hatch opening and several heavily armed ODSTs walked out of it, their weapons holstered or stuck on the magnetic clamps on their backs. One of them tossed out the holo-projector which immediately activated and showed Cross standing there. It was rather realistic and highly detailed...

"Addicting, non?" Aurélie had felt the power even where she'd been.

"That doesn't cover it," Nova said, getting to his feet. "Whatever twisted spirit is in this thing, that first time must've been bliss to it. I guess, after that, it was just more repetition than anything."

*

"Okay, tell me when you see him. By the way, what does it look like, there?"

She nodded. "Oui. It is one of the reasons why it makes the user go insane with bloodlust. It wants something new while, at the same time, wants it all to stop."

"Considering how many lives it's destroyed, including the lives of the users, even though that first time must be so intoxicating... So, any idea how to get the elders together to pull this off?"

"Hang on, let me get the cameras on the projector going..." A few moments later, he was surrounded by a 360 degree view of the area, to an extent, seeing as he was still in the landing bay. "There." He could see the pelican behind him, and the ODSTs around him. "Looks like some old airfield by the coast. Can't see the kid, though, he must still be in that tunnel."

"The Laroche elders are never in the same room. They would never be so foolish to be together on their own..." She shrugged. "We could take them individually, get them together."

"Well, like Amile of old, The Baudoin elder has only a small number of confides, two to be exact, his top commanders, and his personal concubines. We take out his commanders, we take him."

"Um, pardon..." Kane had suddenly blushed. "If it's all the same, could we not kill one of his confides...?

Both Nova and Crescent turned to Kane, disgusted looks on both of their faces. "Dude..."

*

"Most likely. It opens at twenty-minute intervals, and closes after five, where the cycle resets."

Aurélie shrugged. "It is a natural enough question. Why not kill some of them? But the point of this mission is peace, non? Kill if necessary; temporarily incapacitate if not."

"Then we'll have to wait for it to open then, huh?"

"But still..." Nova pressed. "We're talking about the bedwarmer of a sixty-odd old man! If that ain't the wrongest...!"

"A little secret. I--"

"Don't say it! I know where you're going; do not say it!"

Crescent shuddered. "...Anyway, it seems you and Aurélie will be talking tactics for the time."

"So it would seem..." Kane said, eyes closed in embarrassment. He shouldn't have mentioned it...

*

"Yeah. Guess so. Hopefully, it won't take too long."

She nodded, "Yeah."

Very close by, the ceiling of the tunnel opened and Trip looked up. He wanted to go out and get out of the dark, but it would be safer to stay...

*

The dog sighed. "We will worry about this later," she murmured and took Tuefel's blade back from Nova. It was quickly gone. "There is a lot to consider and we are all tired."

One of the ODSTs noticed it, and pointed towards it, not wanting to let the kid know they were there.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Ah, there he is..."

Cross looked over to the hole, smiled. "Is it within my range? Or I can't move from this spot?"

*

"That is putting it lightly," Crescent said, stretching.

"I'd say," Nova started. "as far as Star goes, we have about three days, including today, before they decide to do away with her. That gives us tomorrow for planning and recovery, and the next to make our move. Of course, if we could get moving a little sooner, especially since they seem a bit lustful..."

"So long as you don't walk beyond the platform, the probe will follow you path and the hologram will mimic your movements." The holographic area expanded to the whole of the pad. "I'll make sure you don't walk off the edge." She said with a small smile.

"Thanks," he said rather deadpan. He wasn't all too keen of his right or wrong step being in control of a computer, but he'd cope for now.

"Okay, here I go." He started to walk toward the hole, carefully, but quickly. He only had but so much time.

Aurélie nodded. "Oui. We will try and move as quickly as possible. What of Sunny?"

*

Trip shrank back against the wall, hearing footsteps, to hide in the shadows.

"She's tough. She's made StarShine a dead-man's zone. If they're smart, they won't even look in that direction. She can handle herself for long enough."

"Maybe we can get her, once Trip is safe," Crescent suggested.

*

Cross reached the hole, looked down into it. "Trip? Are you in there?"

"C-cross?" he whispered, looking up. He didn't move from his place in the shadows. "How... The phone shut off..."

He chuckled. "I have other ways of finding out where you are. How else am I going to make sure you're okay?"

The dog nodded. "Bonne. We should at least try."

*

He shuffled carefully into view. "I thought you were going somewhere safe."