Chp 24: Rescue Mission

Standing amidst Emerson's room in awe of the situation and it's importance after seeing the symbol Leghorn showed him; Emerson's voice took on a persuasive tone, his words weaving a convincing argument.

Emerson: "We can't risk taking the jetpacks or Heelys. We'd be spotted in an instant, and once arriving at the destination to rescue Terrchel, who says we won't be walking into an ambush? The streets of Arcadia are abandoned at night which is perfect for us to get by with a vehicle".

Leghorn: "Yes but nobody uses vehicles anymore and we need to keep a low profile stay on land, and avoid tracking".

Emerson: "We'll take the vehicle, drive to the coordinates, and scope out the area on foot. It's the safest way to get to Terrchel without announcing our presence to whoever might be waiting but with jetpack's we'll be seen from far and wide".

Emerson strided out the room and took Leghorn to the lair where the pillagers kept all their collectables.

Leghorn was amazed to see the crisp state of the vehicles they captured and maintained on base.

Leghorn set his eyes on a Velox vehicle. He instantly ran to touch it, not a speck of dust was in sight he could eat off the roof of it he stated and Emerson laughed.

Leghorn's eyes gleamed with a mixture of longing and hesitation as he gazed at the Velox, his voice barely above a whisper "However, there remains one issue - gaining access. I still believe it may not be prudent, but I would be eager to try it out. How did your team of pillagers manage to acquire this?".

Emerson's expression turned thoughtful, "They have their ways" his mind racing with possibilities to gain access. "I have an idea," he said, a slow smile spreading across his face. "How about we take a few others with us and head out to the teleport station? From there, we can drop in first without expectancy thereof, and the rest can journey out with the Velox.

Leghorn's eyes grew big with excitement,"Excellent thinking, if we teleport straight into the building we won't have to worry about access. They won't see us coming at all".

Emerson continued; "That way, we won't all arrive at once, and we can avoid leaving the vehicle in The New Arcadia streets". His tone turned serious, his eyes locking onto Leghorn's. "It's not optional, Leghorn. If the Arcadian Patrol Robots or Arcadian Patrol spots the Velox, they'll stop at nothing to make it disappear - even if that means those in it disappear with it".

With a deep breath, Leghorn nodded in agreement, and as they planned to set out they were interupted.

Meraki stood nearby and overheard their conversation. In her mind, she's like, 'I really need to hop on this Terrchel rescue mission, especially since Meriella is off playing superhero alone!' to scout more information on The Oracle Map.

She chose to emerge from behind the curtain, exclaiming, "I CAN HELP!" with a bright and enthusiastic expression.

Leghorn and Emerson tilted their heads towards Meraki, both perplexed about her origin yet hesitantly in agreement, knowing they did agree prior to allow others to tag along.

Emerson: "One rule, you need to bring a friend".

Leghorn: "A useful being not baggage".

Meraki nodded with enthusiasm, ran towards the Velox and hopped in the passenger seat. Emerson took a cigarette out placed it behind his ear and got in the drivers seat whilst Leghorn took the backseat.

Leghorn: "I will certainly not be sitting backseat next trip. You ought to treat your elders with more respect".

Meraki: "Sure Leggie you can sit passenger next ride".

Emerson: [Jokingly] "Asking an elderly to drive would be even more disrespectful, so sit back and enjoy the ride".

Emerson reffed up the engen and reversed out the collectable area through a makeshift garage doorway that led straight out into the darkness of the Undergrid.

"Leggie" Emerson said mockingly, sheer annoyance could be seen on Leghorn's face in the rear view mirror.

Emerson: "Could you kindly do us the honour and connect the coordinates you've received to the Volex".

Leghorn hurried to do as instructed, uploading the coordinates that General Leghorn sent.

The desolate landscape loomed before them, a ghost town shrouded in shadows, its empty streets and crumbling buildings a haunting reminder of the dangers that lay ahead.

Meraki: "So where we heading".

Leghorn: "I assumed you eavesdropped at the details prior to volunteering to come along".

Meraki: "ahahha, you guys know me always ready to take on missions".

Leghorn: [sarcasm] "It is certain that this is unrelated to Terrchel".

Emerson: "Meraki and Terrchel? I'm afraid to inform you this but I believe he may not find you to be his type".

Meraki: "And you would know what Terrchel's type is?"

Emerson took his eyes off the road for a few seconds with a smoldering all knowing smug glance in Meraki's direction.

Emerson: "What exactly will you be contributing to the mission ahead?".

Meraki: "Well where are we going?".

Emerson: "Search Cygnus Industries × Echo Enterprises. Read up on them. We heading to a factory far out the Arcadian City it's a isolated area said to be very dangerous" .

Meraki pulled up her tech amd after some flicking of buttons a mini holographic version of Meraki appeared in the palm of her hand and she informed Meraki about the latest news in regards to her questions:

𝙸𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙰𝚛𝚌𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚊'𝚜 𝚐𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚔𝚢𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜, 𝙲𝚢𝚐𝚗𝚞𝚜 𝙸𝚗𝚍𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜, 𝚊 𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢, 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚊 𝚑𝚞𝚋 𝚘𝚏 𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚢, 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝙵𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚌 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚒𝚛𝚎, 𝙲𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚞𝚜 𝙱𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚔𝚠𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙰𝚛𝚌𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚊𝚗 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛 𝚜𝚌𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝙰𝚛𝚗𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝙼𝚊𝚡𝚒𝚖𝚞𝚜.

𝙲𝚢𝚐𝚗𝚞𝚜 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚙𝚞𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙰𝙸 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚑 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝, 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚊𝚋𝚞𝚣𝚣 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗. 𝙲𝚢𝚐𝚗𝚞𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚌𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝙴𝚌𝚑𝚘 𝙴𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚜, 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚜𝚞𝚙𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝙿𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝙻𝚊𝚠𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎, 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚍𝚞𝚌𝚎𝚍 𝚊 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚘𝚕𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚊𝚙𝚙 𝚝𝚘 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝙰𝚛𝚌𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚊𝚗'𝚜 , "𝙴𝚌𝚑𝚘". 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚟𝚒𝚛𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖 𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚜 𝙰𝚛𝚌𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚗𝚐𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚎, 𝚒𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝙰𝙸 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚜, 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚟𝚒𝚛𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚐𝚒𝚏𝚝𝚜, 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚕, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚗. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚋𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝙰𝚛𝚌𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚊 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚊𝚜𝚌𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚝. 𝙽𝚘𝚠, 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚠𝚘 𝚙𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚜 𝚓𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚌𝚎𝚜, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚠𝚊𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚋𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚞𝚗𝚟𝚎𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚓𝚎𝚌𝚝, 𝚛𝚞𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚍𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢. 𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚠𝚘 𝚐𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚋𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚞𝚙 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚕𝚊𝚋𝚜? 𝙾𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚕, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚌𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗 - 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝙰𝚛𝚌𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚊 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛.

Leghorn: [raised eyebrow] "Is that a new personalized feature in your tech gear, a mini version of yourself?"

Meraki: [happy] "yaa it's like only the BEST. I prefer keeping updated"

Emerson: [nonchalant] "Sometimes I wonder why you're in the Undergrid, instead of just living in the New City".

Meraki: "Just because I like the tech doesn't mean I stand by the way those people behave and all the rules. They take things too far".

Emerson: "You guys focus is misplaced don't get distracted! The nerve of this Cygnus claiming to be inspired by my fathers work. My father was a asshole he never took care of me but he cared about making innovations that helped improve things and people's lives in a inclusive way. This Echo campaign is doing the opposite. If anything it's encouraging division. If this continues the population with die out as nobody would want human partners".

Leghorn: "It appears that their objective is to bring this fantasy to fruition, and Cygnus Industries will assist them in achieving that".

Meraki: "But what does any of this have to do with Terrchel, why is he being held there? How do you even know he's being held there?"

Emerson:"I sent Terrchel to check out what's happening in Arcadia before his training starts, but it looks like he wandered off too far".

Leghorn: "I know he's being held because his Swatch location hasn't moved for almost 24 hours and a man with his speed doesn't stay put".

Emerson: "Meraki, Now that you know what we up against, do you have any friends that can be of assistance".

Meraki: "hmmmm well I do know one guy his name is Bucky. He usually stays at the Arcadian one stay hotel which is on route to our location. Just take a right up ahead but beware he usually reeks of stale pizza".

Emerson: [nonchalant] "oh great".

Meraki leans over and pushes play on the radio.

3:18 ━━━━⊚──── 4:00 ⇌ ♡ ≡ ◁ Ⅱ ▷ ⟲.

Leghorn: "What is this? Rock or pop I'm confused"

Emerson : "It's something that should be turned up louder".

They played the music loudly while driving beneath the night sky, with their hair flowing in the breeze as they made their way to the back entrance of the Arcadia One Stay Hotel.

As they pulled into the hotel's back alley, the music's volume dwindled, and Meraki sprang out of the Volex, disappearing into the hotel's rear entrance.

Leghorn raised an eyebrow, his voice low and curious. "What do you suppose this kid we're stopping to get will be of use to us?" Emerson's shoulders rose in a nonchalant shrug. "Who knows? Rather be prepared than not. If Meraki says he's of assistance, then I believe her.

She might be self-inclusive, but she's one of the best at the hideout. She knows what she's doing." Just then, Meraki reemerged through the back door, accompanied by a laid-back figure clad in a faded tie-dye shirt, ripped jeans, and scuffed-up sneakers.

His movements were deliberate and slow, as if he was navigating a reality that was constantly shifting and morphing around him. Leghorn's gaze followed the newcomer's approach, his tone laced with amusement. "Great, it's the slowest ninja turtle alive."

The newcomer's unruly mane of curly brown hair cascaded down his forehead in a tangled, wispy mess, framing a face adorned with a scruffy beard and mustache. Flecks of copper and blonde danced through his whiskers, lending him a rugged, outdoorsy air.

Emerson's voice cut through the air, his words laced with a sense of urgency. "Remember, the goal is to enter, get Terrchel, and leave. If you can gather any intel that will aid in deciphering the scrolls, do so discreetly."

Bucky's eyes sparkled with amusement, his chuckle low and rumbling. "Hahah, what's so important about this Terrchel dude, anyway?" Emerson's gaze flicked to Leghorn, his expression deadpan. "Apparently, he's the key to saving Arcadia."

Leghorn's eyes narrowed, his voice a warning. "Bucky, right? Don't screw this up with your slow-mo movements. We only have one chance to ace this thing."

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