Chapter 72: Race

Adora looks around, "I presume some problems are happening here too since the barrier expanded,"

The third woman looks in relief that she can finally hear them. She thought she had gone deaf for a second.

Tahara nods, "Yes, ever since the marks came to be, some people living here didn't have them, or if they do, I read that they would be in areas not visible to the eye, like your daughter. Her mark is on her heart, like yours. However, I read that the only people that know of this so far are Dara, Sharara, and a few other pilots. I wanted to read more but took a short break, the experience in that space can be . . . overwhelming,

She clasps her hands together, "I'll head back in there soon enough, since the door is still there, which means there are more things I need to learn,"

Adora notices three doors, "What are the other two for?"

"I do not know, that is still to be found out,"

Adora shifts her attention to the woman with the typewriter sitting with Tahara.

"Ah, I presume you know who this is by now,"

Adora smiles, "Indeed,"

She walks up to the woman, "You must be Ivy, a pleasure to meet you,"

"Oh! A pleasure to meet you, Madam Adora," says Ivy, a smile on her face.

"Well, what's the next move? Any ideas?"

"Well–"

A large shadow hovers over the garden.

Honk! Honk!

A loud honking passes through the garden for a moment.

"Oh my, your ride is here,"

Adora takes a few steps back, looking up and seeing a large ship floating in the sky with hoverboards floating by its side like backup boats.

Four figures jump from the ship, riding on top of their boards. They launch downwards, freefalling in a stylistic manner to the garden.

They land smoothly around the sitting area, hovering around with their customized hoverboards. One of them is holding an extra board under his arm.

"Madam Tahara, we are here as per your orders,"

Adora raises an eyebrow, "You called them here?"

"Well, I read that whatever it is we seek, is far below the bottom of the Rope Island, and that is quite far from here. They were returning from a mission and are now heading there anyway, so I had them pass by,"

"Did you also read that I did go down there?" asks Adora, smiling.

Tahara simply smiles back at her.

"Number 22, are the two letters I asked you to ready here?"

"Yes, Madam Tahara!"

"Good, file the first one to all the agents in the Castle so that they can meet up with Dara in their hideout,"

Tahara looks at Adora, "The other tracking device is there, right?"

"Oh, crap. I forgot to give mine to him. But yes, there is a second one there, along with the main computer,"

"Good. Fax it, dear. And give the second one to Adora,"

Ivy takes out a second letter and holds it to Adora.

"Who do I give this to? What is it?"

"As for what it is, I do not know. And for who? You will know when you meet him. Just give him the letter once you meet, and I do know that it should suffice,"

Adora takes the letter. The material it is made from is not paper, however. It seems far sturdier and harder.

"Cryptic much?" she chuckles, "Then, as for the mission, any idea what I am searching for?"

"For now, it is numbers 1 to 5. They should be there and one of them should have more information for you, I read. Here," Tahara hands over a piece of folded paper to Adora.

"You sent that team already?"

Tahara nods, "Why, of course. I had been conducting investigations and operations here as well,"

"I see," Adora walks over to the crib and bends, giving her daughter a kiss on her forehead.

"Well, let's get a move on. Give me my board and gravity ring already!"

The man holding the extra board in his arm smirks, "You sure you remember how to do this?"

He throws the customized hoverboard and a ring towards her.

Adora scoffs, "Even rusty me can beat all of you in a race any time," she equips the ring and her armor smoothly slides back to her nape.

"Cool armor," he remarks as he pulls a device to his mouth.

"Captain, we are all ready,"

The captain receives the message next to him on a device and he presses a button.

A loud bell rings through the ship, echoing into the garden.

"All aboard!" he shouts as his crew quickly and efficiently gets to work around the ship.

The ship's rear parts begin to move, revealing thrust rockets and a weird looking device.

"Send my regards to Chad if you see him," requests Tahara.

"Will do!"

The ship's engines ready up.

The four men hover in front of Adora as she walks in the path of the garden, and then slowly starts to run.

She throws the board under her and jumps on it as they all ride in a straight line in unison.

They tilt their hoverboards up, like a motorcycle doing a back-wheel, and then snap their fingers with the ring on them.

The hoverboards launch them up high.

The ship's engines fire.

"Full speed!" the captain orders, pushing the lever forward to full thrust.

The ship launches forwards, accelerating quickly and leaving behind a curvy wave of wind so densely concentrated that it's visible to the eye.

The hoverboard riders express stylistic personal moves as they land on the wave, their boards treating it like solid ground, and they ride the wave produced by the ship before it fades behind them as they follow the ship.

Aw man! How many centuries has it been since I've done this?

Adora launches off the edges of the wave, making moves in the air and building up speed.

Truly taking a break was the right move. I had become too addicted to this, this rush! This speed! Oh, how I missed it!

She grows faster and faster along with the ship as they head to the bottom half of Rope Island.

. . .

The Captain looks around him, people below are like ants growing in numbers and moving towards the upper part. They are running, trying to enter the Sphere of Peace.

He sets his sight ahead into the distance far, far away, where people who live in the lower part of the island, governed by Chad, are running. Running towards the border, just to enter the other side where it is safe within the sphere.

Amongst whom is but a mere young abandoned boy.

Just . . . just a bit more. Almost there!

Molotov's made from anything flammable they can get their hands on fly over his head, setting fire up ahead. He stops, coming to screeching halt and looks behind him.

He sees the violent legion of angry no-mark people ravaging things in protest, but what scares him most is what he sees flying in the distance behind them . . . giant machines.