On our way

On our way

Darkness.

Outside the Fort.

409 AF.

Ivan stood still as though he was paralyzed. His body was stiff, his skin was pale. His hair stood on end. His eyes didn't close- he didn't even blink- for minutes. Though, he was still in his armour his head and face was completely exposed.

'Why didn't I build a helmet too?'

The light had dimmed over time. It had been more than a few hours since he had contacted Jupiter. The batteries of the torch had nearly died. However, no amount of light could eradicate the real darkness.

And that darkness was closing in on them. Small slimy bits of shadowy stuff crawled it's way closer to duo. It was difficult to differentiate it from actual shadows, but it was- to some extent- distinguishable.

Nearly invisible, yet completely silent. It continued to advance, slowly. It seemed to be moving without direction, but Ivan was sure it would eventually reach them. With each moment, Ivan became more and more uneasy. There were so many of them. So much so that it was incredibly easy to believe that every small patch of shadows before him was a bit of darkness.

He swallowed hard.

Ivan saw Tara standing in front of him, tapping her feet impatiently. Her wound was completely gone, and she looked better than she did in the Fort. She was...happy somehow, in a way she just wasn't back there. Also, for some reason she didn't seem bothered about their impending doom at all.

"What's taking your friend so long? We'll go without him."

"No, Tara..." Ivan took in air for the first time in several minutes. He couldn't believe he forgot to breathe. He shook his head. "We need him."

'My voice is too loud.' His eyes were still glued to the shadows. It could have been an illusion but he was sure they all moved a bit faster towards him. He shivered slightly.

"No. You need him."

"We need all the help we can get. Esper or no, we can't do it all ourselves. You can't. I can't." Ivan whispered. Then he put a finger over his lips.

"What's that?"

"Be quiet. They can hear us."

Tara shook her head.

"Fuck them."

'No, no, no! She's making way too much noise!'

Ding!

You have received a message from {Jupiter}!

Do you want to open it?

It was a female robotic voice only he could hear. A very... seductive voice was whispering right into his ear. He was used to it, but it still threw him off guard for a moment.

"Yes." Ivan blurted out.

Tara smiled.

Audio message from {Jupiter} >>> Hey! Your communicator ain't working so I thought it best to send a message to your G.E.N whatever system. So this is it. I've hit a bit of a snag. My bad luck again. Now, I've managed to get branded as a terrorist.

The thing is, It would be a lot easier to get to you if you would bring that

chick of yours over here. Her powers might be useful; You know; if you don't

want me killed. You know what? Bring Dorothy along too. I know you've got her with you. Oh and by the way; I've managed to wipe out 90% of the bulwarks. Just hoped you would've wanted to know that. Save my life, and maybe we can worryabout the money later. Don't save my life and I swear to god and whatever you hold sacred , I will hunt you down as a fucking ghost and I will...

Bleep! You have ended the message!

Ivan took a deep breath, filling his lungs with precious air, and exhaled.

Then he shook his head once more.

"Tara, we have to go."

Tara nodded. She had been sitting still, waiting for Ivan to finish whatever he was doing. She got up, with a mischievous smile across her lips.

"Whenever you're ready."

"Alright..." Ivan gave the shadows one more quick glance, then he nodded gis head. "Now."

Tara's body suddenly started to glow. Her hair rose above her head, and some kind of blue energy emerged from within her. Her feet sunk an inch into the ground. The sudden burst of energy caused a crack in the earth, and the wind went crazy all over her. It was as sudden and as forceful as a lightning bolt striking the earth.

The force emerging from her was enough to make Ivan tremble.

From the edge of his vision, he could see the shadows creeping away, slowly. Apparently, even it was afraid.

"What are you doing?" Ivan screamed, sweat dripping from his forehead.

Tara cancelled her transformation, causing her body to return to normal. She had disappointment written all over her face. Her eyes were crestfallen as well.

"I was about to kill it."

"What?"

"The shadows you keep crying about."

'I'm not crying.. I was never crying.'

Ivan shook his head once more. Then without saying anything, he grabbed her hand and dragged her away. In a matter of moments, they left the light emitter behind.

Tara was quiet too. She just stared back at him blankly as he whisked her away. He was almost sure she would retaliate later, in a very annoying way. The thing was, they had only known each other for a few hours.

Ivan sealed his eyes shut as she dragged her to the gate. It was pitch black darkness anyways, and the GPS hologram displayed on his G.E.N.I.U.S system was enough to guide him there. Tara didn't let go of him either; she was aware of his... technology.

The duo arrived at the gate. He didn't need the system to let him know for sure. Dorothy – the horse from earlier – was more than enough. She neighed loudly, letting them know that she was still there. Still waiting at the gate.

A smile found it's way to Ivan's face.

'G.E.N.I.U.S, open communications with Jupiter.'

Ding!

Command confirmed.

What means of communication suits your situation?

'Audio'

Synching with DAMOCLES...

Synching with DAMOCLES...

Synchronization complete!

Ivan held the key in his hand. A small metal card with a complicated network of electric lines running all over it. There was a very small, barely visible button at one corner. He pressed it with one of his fingers.

The card shone a light blue hue.

Sounds of creaking metal filled the air. Mechanical noises, of gears shifting and motors turning. It was assaulting to the ears, but it was worth it.

Satellite connection established!

Linking to remote transmitter CCXX4B789 >>>{Jupiter}...

A small line of light emerged from the gates direction. The light filtering it's way out only increased in intensity as the gates opened up. The brightness filled the area, and made the blink for a few seconds to allow their eyes accommodate the sudden flood of light.

'Alright. The door's open.'

Linking to remote transmitter CCXX4B789 >>> {Jupiter}...

Now linked to {Jupiter}!

"Hang in there, man. We're on our way."

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