Chapter 35

3015 Volturi X_Annex 1 Doomsday

[ Project failed *glitch* Return to District Prime Immediately ]

The visor on his suit glitched and it started to readjust on the greying sky and it blacked out magnifying again on the plummeting creatures with a line of smoke tracing them. The sound of explosions disoriented his hearing and balance for a second and he started to hear a ship whistle as it plummeted through the sky.

He pushed up and the extensions on his joints stretched, he could hear his breathing, at the line of his vision were silver, ringed mechanical buildings with thin apexes and ships crashing into them, sliding down it was built on of a big platform with the base like a top floating over a conical concave notch that was pushing up the city.

It was easier to say the sky was falling. They were under attack yet there seemed to be no visible enemy in sight. The next explosion was within his proximity and the force sent him hurling through the field, his suit buzzed at every shock and the next explosion shook the fields. It rained ash and smoking space shuttles.

ASL Space Militant [ Ryan Delaney ] was an Annex 1 guardian, his job was to protect the civilians and secure the perimeters of Volturi X until they got feedback from District Prime. But it wasn't stationed here on his world Earth.

He gave a strained groan pushing up from the charred dirt in his suit, the silver ring gleaming on his black fingered gloves and the metal attachment from the line of his knuckles up to his arms to the rest of his robotic suit.

"Delaney! Get up now!" His comrade who was in a matching suit urged, pulling him up by his arm, he was without a helmet, his face was filthy with smoke and blood dripping from his temple, and his red hair colour was browned with smoke. The fear in his glassy blue eyes was unmistakable.

Delaney felt like he had that look for years.

He got himself to totter up with Garth Angle's help and he held a heavy silver photon rifle. "Is that my name?" He adjusted his helmet and it seemed Garth was still aware of the reality, of space tech zooming down and pulling apart yet seemed to make the biggest impacts when they landed. Some flying fires ignited the grey sky, they seemed to burn off at the brink of entering the atmosphere as smoke. The other soldiers were blasting shuttles before they landed sparing the terrified civilians time to escape before another hit.

Garth understood that even the strongest could go down with Dementia or something as subtle and dangerous as Amnesia. But things could get easier. He passed him two microprocessors and an opalescent capsule called a Kronite. Gasping "This is the last one," He looked certain about his fate but he knew Delaney wouldn't fail.

"Delaney, beam yourself up to District Prime. These'll give the commander a debriefing of the situation here," He urged and aimed for the pile of debris hurtling toward them.

His hands shook at the capsule and then the rectangular slot on his wrist, he tapped it, the cover unclasped and flashed upright, he saw the notches in it and aligned it to the right one, a powerful beam zipped him up to District Prime.

It dropped him at the rear cabin of the spaceship, he glanced up at the faint lights and he breathed out cold air, the aluminium alloy was keeping it warm. He walked up a segmented bridge into the halls.

The ASL militants pulled their rifles up when he staggered into the room, the District was still standing in one piece and he made an effort to stand tall. His knees wobbled as the ship maintained gravity and he walked past them glaring at the metal doors and navy blue walls lined with minimal equipment. He saw the sign of a stork with a star spinning around it.

The Commander. He thought. What was I supposed to do again? Man, this really sucks. He groaned when his auditory sensors malfunctioned. They were blade-like extensions from the discs that covered his ears. He groaned and took it off revealing his choppy black hair, there was a scar across his face and a narrow crooked nose. He shuddered at the vision of explosions and a vision of his wife getting burned, her flesh corroded in the inferno as she ran stretching her hand to him as he sped off on a ship. He grit his teeth and huffed. The memories were not his but they did conjure up feelings that were better left buried.

He hit the slot for voice recognition "X6868 Red_Charlie Delta."

[ Access Denied. Please Repeat Service Code ]

"I said X6868 Red_Charlie_"

[ Error $&#%! Code Unidentified ]

"It's me," He slammed the door with both hands and paced about. "Who the hell am I?" He looked at his hand, he didn't remember being this big.

"Lieutenant Ryan Delaney," Who the fuck Is this?

He tested his arms again and he swore, testing the gear on his belt and he winced at the mega aerodynamic sword with gnarly red inscriptions, regardless of its intimidating size, it was light yet effective. He swung it around and paused holding it upside down in front of his forearm. His eyes skimmed the blade so hard he assumed he might cut himself. He touched his chest and his damaged suit.

The door gleamed a light blue from the four corners. He turned to the inner room with blue neon encompassing the raised area on the ceiling above a table, he stepped inside the room and turned grim. Both sides of the embankments were dark.

General Thorndike was a sharp-looking man with white hair in a red suit, the feeds of explosions behind him said he already received a signal, he stopped at the centre of the HQ and his hand motioned him to say no more.

"This is all your doing, Delaney," He announced and the councilmen from all 6 Annexes were seated. The ones especially from Volturi X, Jeltigan, Raydar, Drakkio, Kortze and Earth_the main territory.

[ Guy ] may as well play along.

"General sir," He addressed "Why wasn't I recognized?"

"Check again,"

His eyes moved to the flames exploding in the inner ring and strange beings hovering. The soldiers were tossing flames at the group coming.

"Sources reports that you ordered a widespread massacre,"

He remained in sobriety as he mentioned all his crimes_ That can't be right.

"The councilmen have long decided your verdict,"