The labs looked quite different from the breathtaking architecture of the rest of the asteroid. Stainless steel covered the entire place in a sense of sterility but the scientists and technicians (mutant and human) all seemed quite comfortable. There was a computer terminal every few feet when the floor didn't give way to devices or experiments. It was sort of like a giant warehouse where multitudes of people worked tirelessly to better their future
asteroid-m labs1
asteroid-m labs2
"Yes you can break stuff."
Waya told Liz then told Jeremy "Show us the way."
Jeremy pointed a hand towards a wall "That direction..."
Eliza didn't waste time, she charged like bull elephant towards the wall; her body weight was balanced towards the very end of her shoulder, trying to put as much energy towards one angle. The wall dented as if a car had pounded into it, Eliza's body shape practically visable in the wall. "Ow..." she mumbled, standing up slowly and rubbing her eyes "Damn... alright lets go again." Taking a few steps back she prepared for another blow.
The twins lifted and tossed away debris from the group as Eliza charged through. "NOW we are making progress."
"Maybe..."
The doors to the lab suddenly slid open, a slight grinding noise issued from them as they did so. As they opened, a body fell through, collapsing in exhaustion,
Rhydian did a face plant.
Maribel, being in the back of the group, saw Rhydian first. She reached forward and shook Waya and Jeremy's shoulders roughly to get their attention.
Waya turned and asked Maribelle "<Are you ok?>" The girl looked a little haggered, worried but seeming to hold it together.
Maribel pointed to the fallen Rhydian in front of the doorway. At the same time, she pulled Waya in that direction.
Waya's eyes widened and she pushed past the twins to get to him. "Rhydian!" She shouted, gently turning him over. "What did they do to you?"
Rhydian was thankful that the blood was still on his face from earlier, it made it more believable that he was still the same. He coughed and looked at her weakly. "Too many...I told them...tried to tell them...Rakkus.
.." He wasn't lying, so there'd be no way she could pick that up on her telepathy, even if she knew how to use it. He did tell them if Rakkus was there, they were fucked, and he had been right.
"I think you're gonna be ok." Waya said listening to his heartbeat and lungs, when he coughed they sounded fine. "Can you walk? Where are Junior and Phinagin?"
"He's got them...no telling what he's gonna do to them..." Rhydian said slowly. He got to his feet and stumbled slightly to emphasize his condition. He knew they knew he was getting weak after overusing his powers, he had only been able to hide that for a little while, but they had no idea of the extent of the damage.
"Well let's get going." the twins said together after signaling Eliza to stop destroying the place. "We shouldn't waste any more time talking about it."
Rhydian knew what he had to do, but the main problem in the group was Waya. If he did what he did with the others, she would simply shadow-port away. No, he had to do something else for her...something he'd really rather not. The entire time he was thinking this, his mind was downloading information from the intelchip in his brain. He figured that the download should interfere with telepathic scans, but hadn't had any chance previously to test it
Waya hadn't even bothered trying to scan Rhydian's mind, she had no reason not to trust him after all. "Where are they Rhydian? Let's go smash and grab, it's what we do best."
"You are right about that." Rhydian's voice was suddenly different as he said those words. He stood a little taller as well as the wall fist shot out and smashed into the back of Waya's head. He didn't have time. He whirled around and enveloped the twins in bubbles of flooring materials, sealing it tightly to cut off their air supply and make them unconscious. Without a second thought, a fist smashed into the back of Eliza's head as well. He knew a simple bubble wouldn't be enough to hold her, she'd have to be unconscious first, just like Waya.
The twins were completely caught off guard by the sudden bubble that engulfed them. "RHYDIAN!" they shouted at once. They tried forcing gravity outward with all their might, but it was no use, especially when they were separated.
Maribel gasped and stumbled back towards Jeremy. What was happening?! Had Rhydian gone mad?! "<What are you doing?>" she signed frantically, her fingers shaking. Maribel felt another surge of tenseness in her throat and started to cough again.
Waya went down like a rock, having not expected Rhydian to turn on them. He needed to act fast though, she would only be dazed for a few moments and then she was going to be pissed.
Rhydian knew he had to act fast. Jeremy and Maribel he didn't have to worry about immediately, he could take them any day. He quickly made a bubble of mixed alloys around Eliza, keeping them moving so that even if she woke without air, she couldn't squeeze through anywhere. He turned on Waya's unconscious body, already fully aware that he had mere seconds before she woke back up. He quickly pulled all the lighting fixtures in the room, thanking the heavens that laboratories were kept well lit; and formed a bubble around her, lights facing inward. It took more of his strength than he thought to keep the lights actually on for this trap.
Eliza hit the floor... she had been a moment away from kissing Rhydian. Not passion, not love, if anything it would be best described as pure happiness... which is why she fell so easily to his betrayal.
Jeremy stared at Rhydian in horror, his large red eyes shining as he watched him betray his friends. "Why?" he said, taking a heavy step forward and clenching his fist tightly, the thin arm shaking hard "Why are you doing this Rhydian?" He didn't worry about Rhydian either... the only stuff that would stop him wasn't able to be affected by powers. He could hound the boy forever... but he needed to know why.
With the others secured, Rhydian turned to face the remaining two in the room. "Why, Jeremy?" He asked him coldly, the pain was clear in his eyes. He hated having to do this to his friends, his family. "Because I must..." He enveloped Jeremy's body in the same materials he used for everyone else. He knew it wouldn't stop his powers from working, but he didn't have much choice. He needed to bring all of them to Cortez. He looked at Maribel sadly. She couldn't even fight, he couldn't believe he had to bring her just because she tagged along with them. He knew she could hear, but so could anyone else if he said it, but who would think to read handsigns if they weren't mute? "I'm sorry about this. I don't want to hurt any of you...but I have no choice anymore." His hands shook as he signed those words, it was clear that it pained him to do all of this, "Please forgive me..." He begged her as he formed the bubble up around her. He had no need for her to be unconscious, so he didn't seal hers entirely, letting air still travel so she could breathe. He'd return the airflow to the others as soon as he was assured they were unconscious.
The twins were already running out of oxygen and slowing down. Falling down in sync, they laid there in their separate bubbles. Then at once, their eyes rolled back and they were out.
Maribel was too exhausted to cry anymore. Falling onto bum in the sphere, she kicked and smacked at the walls like a child throwing a tantrum. She had been close to death too many times today and Maribel was starting to crack. Then, all at once, she lunged forward and coughed violently almost to the point of choking. Something was definitely not right with her body.
Waya's eyes burned when she tried to open them. The heat from the lights burned her skin and she woke to the scent of her skin sizzling. Her healing factor worked constantly to overcome it but the burns persisted. Her hair singed to the scalp and her eyelashes and brows integrated. The pain was intense but her anger at Rhydian was more prevision. She couldn't call any of her shadow abilities and he had effectively found a way to trap her.
Sounds of choking came from Eliza's own prison, her body shrinking immediately as she found herself wrapped in something... something moving. She panicked, her hands pounding against the metal; she had a little more air than the others because her prison had been larger, and now her size had returned to normal. It was obvious she was panicking, something unnatural for her, but this tight, moving, dark place... it reminded her of the time black pearl had attacked, how she'd been taken in by the goop and sealed away from the others...
Jeremy didn't even pause, he drifted through immediately the metal and left his body to die. He moved closer to Rhydian, holding out his hands as if about to strangle him for what he was doing. He knew he could kill now, he knew that he could rip Rhydian's soul right out his body.
Rhydian knew Jeremy wasn't in the bubble anymore. He knew he wouldn't waste any time escaping it. Though the simple fact that he couldn't see the spiritual form of his friend, he knew he could be heard and seen by him. Again, he resorted to the sign language they had learned so they could speak with Maribel. His hands flew quickly, "I know this looks bad, but please...you don't understand, none of you do. But you will, just let me do what I must. Please."
Instead of ripping Rhydian's soul out of his body, Jeremy twitched his hands... then entered Rhydian's mind. Perhaps it wasn't as gentle as Rhydian might like, having someone force their way inside you, but Rhydian was still alive. "Explain... NOW!" Jeremy said loudly, this was the one place they could be alone, and the one place Rhydian would be able to feel the power Jeremy concealed.
Maribel, on her knees, gasped for air between coughing attacks. This- whatever it was, was progressively getting worse. Her entire back and forehead was sweating now and she remained still, hoping it would subside.
(OOC: What is the power Jeremy concealed? - SoD)
Rhydian was very adamant when Jeremy invaded his mind. "Get out of my mind!" He roared, shaking the entire realm of his mind. He turned and looked at the boy. "What gives you the right?!" His eyes blazed as he demanded his answer
(OOC:basically the entire "go into your mind and rip your head to pieces", cause he's never done that to a friend)
"YOU'RE BETRAYING YOUR FRIENDS AND THE MEMORIES OF THOSE WHO DIED TRYING TO PROTECT US YOU BASTARD!" Jeremy's finger pointed at Rhydian, his eye twitching slightly as they both watered up and blazed at the same time. In all other circumstances bringing up the memory of their friends deaths by the Black Pearl would have been a cheap shot but Jeremy was trying to flood Rhydian with guilt and anguish "YOU ASK ME WHAT RIGHT I HAVE!? I HAVE THE RIGHT TO DROP YOU DEAD IF I WANT TO! BUT I'M NOT! I'M GIVING YOU A CHANCE! SO START TALKING!"
"I was there remember?! You can't flood my mind with images that are already there." Rhydian told him, trying to keep his cool. "Jeremy cut it out. I have to do this...trust me, I know it looks bad, but I have to..." He looked away and then back, sending images into Jeremy's mind. It was his turn to share. He showed him what happened after just about every time he used his powers in a battle. The blood from his nose, the coughing fits, the regurgitation, "I had to get help, Jeremy...Cortez is the only one who could...but his payment is you guys. You have to trust me though, I'm not about to hand you guys over. I...I just had to make it believable. Please..."
Jeremy was still glaring at Rhydian, but the rage had gone from his eyes. He just stared at him before letting out a short "Fine. But I'm going to have to explain this to Waya or she's going to tear you a new one." He was obviously still angry, and the fact he was losing his cool let a few of his thoughts drift through, almost an undertone of "eliza, nick, anyone, he turns to this monster now?" following after him as he moved to leave Rhydian's mind.
Rhydian knew they wouldn't understand, that's the entire reason he couldn't go to them. All their powers worked fine, sure there were backlashes every once in a while, but nothing like what his were doing to him.
One last burning glance back to Rhydian and Jeremy left his mind, drifting there for a moment before looking over at Waya. There was a sense of hostility in the air as he moved, moving over to Waya so he would be able to enter her mind and calm her down.
Rhydian gathered the orbs to him quickly, satisfied that enough time had past, he allowed some air to enter the orbs. He wasn't about to let his friends die of suffocation. He wasted no time in transporting the entire group to the elevator that would take them up to the asteroid m throne room
Stumble!