Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction / Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction / Digimon Fan Fiction / Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction / Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Sonic Series Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ Ultimatum 3: Trance Trauma ❯ Climb Up! And Get the Last Chance! ( Chapter 15 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

(A/N - NO AUTHOR NOTES!! OKAY!!! Let's get this over with.)









Chapter 16: Climb Up! And Get The Last Chance!








Glenn grumbled as he rolled over in his bed, causing the sheets to fall off of the bunk. The landed in a heap on the floor, leaving him lying in discomfort on his light mattress. His eyes began to fall shut again... before the thrum of the Chronoshifters caused him to collapse off his platform on onto the ground.

THUD

Glenn sat up, rubbing his head. "Ah, what the hell.." Glenn mumbled groggily. He crawled back over to his bed, reaching across to the small shelf embedded in the wall, and swiped a sports watch. "...4:56. Why the hell is he getting us up so early...?" Glenn stood to his feet, dragging himself over to the shelves at the far end of the bunk, and quickly got dressed. He slumped over to the turbolift, slapping a button. The elevator raised itself, and Glenn walked out over to the mess hall doors. "At the very least the guy could make breakfast..."

Glenn reached forward, shoving the double doors open. As expected, the expansive hall was completely bare, all the tables sitting in their normal positions, the floors mopped and buffed, and dishes/silverware piled neatly on a shelf in one corner ready for use. Minonim was visible through the kitchen window, wearing a large chef's hat as he fried bacon. Glenn raised an eyebrow as Minonim glanced over to him. "Glenn Fields! I don't believe wake-up call comes for another two hours! What brings you here?"

"The damn engines just kicked in. Are you sure Ultimanium isn't doing anything?"

"Oh, he's probably working up at the bridge. Ultimanium doesn't need very much sleep. He just told me to come down here and work on getting everyone fed for the morning, I think something important's happening."

"Why the hell would he be thinking of leaving Mute City at this time in the morning? I think something's up. I'm checking the bridge."


********


As was expected, Ultimanium was seated at his usual station on the main console, a bit more slouched than usual. Discussing around him were Fox, Falco, Reid, Tron, and Samus. "...er.." Glenn coughed. "What's going on here? We sure have a lot of early birds."

"Something's come up," Ultimanium groaned. "We have to leave Mute City as fast as we can."

"Wait, wait, wait... just tell me, what the hell is going on?"

Falco turned, muttering. "If it CONCERNS you, GI Joe, we'll have you know that Mute City suddenly sprouted into total exodus while we were looking the other way. Night life began to radically drop right at one in the morning, and every other dock at this port is completely empty. Some sort of weird phenomeona is going on, and I don't like it one bit."

"What the hell, you mean everybody just got up and LEFT?!"

The group opened up. Glenn forced his way through the crowd, and marched over to the bridge window. Through the crystal wall beyond the cockpit dome, it was easy to see that every single visible catwalk was utterly empty, and cluttered with trash and other discarded objects. A gust of wind carried several sheets of paper through the air.

"...the command was given by the Mute City bigwigs to evacuate," Fox finished. "right around that time, things were going absolutely crazy. Many of the satellite moons around Mute City had shifted slightly closer to the main planet, the water supplies of the city seemed to be moving on their own, and brownouts were running rampant, among other things. A transmission we intercepted sealed the deal... it was Antimagnus."

"Antimagnus?!" Glenn cried. "What business does he have with Mute City?"

"...these are the Craymels." Reid sighed. "That's all he said. The legend of the Craymels apparently stretches out this far from Eternia, because the population started getting rowdy when the realized these were the elements that were being tampered with, and it would be only a matter of time before more serious afflictions struck Mute City. There's something not right about this entire situation, and I would think that this is nowhere near the full extent of the Craymels' power, this is an SOS from the Van Eltia. We didn't need that much, I can tell you, when you're on the Van Eltia as much as we were you begin to grow a sort of 'channel' for the Craymels, I don't know, it sort of makes something go off in you when wide-scale elemental tampering such as this occurs."

"I wonder how Shaun's taking this," Fox groaned. "Hey, Samus, weren't you going to leave?"

Samus shook her head. "My ship got jacked," she grumbled. "there's not one vehicle that's left standing in Mute City. It's not the fact that I lost a good ship that concerns me, I'm just wondering where the hell everyone would've went to."

"What about Kirby and Scias?"

"Still sleepin'." Tron murmured.

"Figures," Ultimanium muttered. "Are you sure there's nothing left in Mute City we can evacuate them with? Hey, what about Eric or Shaun's shuttles? They haven't been touched since they got here."

"I checked them both," Minonim beeped. "They're both empty."


********


Shaun grunted, yanking the large siphon out of his shuttle's fuel. He emptied it into a large jimmy-can, and began to lug it around to the back of his craft. "..it's a good thing I had somewhere to hide when Minonim came down here... otherwise the rest of the crew would have my head." Shaun placed the large tank on the ground to the side of the rear exit of the shuttle, and struggled to pull a large clamp back. He hopped backwards as with a loud hiss, the hydraulics automatically kicked in, lowering the cargo door. Shaun waited calmly until the large panel hit the ground with a clunk before he shone a flashlight inwards. Sitting with very small space on all sides was Shaun's Aibird. Wasting no more time, Shaun hung the light on the wall, and poured the fuel into the small spacecraft. A bar next to the fuel hole slowly rose to the top, generating a soft ding as the bar reached its maximum.

Shaun grimaced, yanking a handle on the side of the cockpit upwards. With another wispy sound, the glass plating rose vertically, suspending itself in the air. Shaun reached in and started flicking switches, causing the cockpit to light up in a cascade of dull green displays.

"I think you're insane."

Shaun grit his teeth, sticking his head out of the shuttle. At the end of the crudely-furnished subhangar stood Farah, the double doors swinging shut behind her. "...you're not supposed to know about this."

"If it were easy enough to take the Van Eltia in a one-man operation it would have been done a long time ago."

"That's not what I'm trying to do here." Shaun ducked back into the shuttle, rolling a throttle forward that caused the Aibird to begin to levitate off the ground, remaining about a foot in the air. The compact craft floated backwards out of the shuttle, placing itself back down a good distance away. "The Craymels are going wacko. I heard everybody on the bridge talking, the Van Eltia's getting closer to us then we are to it. Antimagnus knows we're coming. No matter what impressive force Ultimanium amasses there's no way he's going to dream of taking the Van Eltia in a frontal assault."

"So what's your great intention?" Farah walked to the Aibird, studying the front panels as Shaun was doing. She blinked as a gigantic blip appeared on one of the screens.

Shaun stood up. "I thought I'd never dream of this. The Van Eltia is within three parsecs."

"You still haven't explained this all to me."

"Ultimanium's going to get whipped. Probably by the Van Eltia itself before the Trances even notice what's going on. I have to get to the Van Eltia, cause a distraction. So Ultimanium can get his party in there."

Chat walked up. "That's STILL insane! If I had half a brain every possible entrance would be barricaded!"

"I've been there for my entire childhood. I know the place like the back of my hand. There's got to be a way in that the Grapplers and the Trances know nothing about."

"Yeah, and the Grapplers and Trances have had SINCE your childhood," Farah shot back. "There's got to be some other way."

"I don't see anyone suggesting anything more intelligent," Shaun muttered. "Make sure Ultimanium doesn't find out about this. There's no telling what awaits on the Van Eltia."

Farah was speechless as the Aibird hovered briefly, before rocketing forward out of the open hangar. She watched the small craft as it slowly began to climb into orbit, until the speck was no longer visible in the cloudy sky. "...Shaun!"

"...well, I DO remember Shaun as an insane person... maybe he's right. Shaun's probably got some little trick up his sleeve like he usually does. I have a little device that'll allow us to keep track of his position, and I think I can rig it to communicate directly with the Aibird..."

"Do you have any IDEA what Meredy or Keele would say if they knew you were doing this?!"

"Keele would give some reason not to, and Meredy would say something totally off-topic to cancel it out," Chat sighed. "Is it just me, or are we currently lacking a heroic quality that Shaun has?"

Farah stared at the sky, finally drooping. "...we'll get there when we get there. I'm just hoping Shaun can take care of himself."


********


Meanwhile, at a watchtower nearby, a bloated figure could be seen whizzing around the main control center at the top behind protective glass, with the chair giving squeaks of pain accordingly.

"What in blazes?! I stay up until two in the morning and everything STILL happens right outside of my eye! I want reports, and I want them NOW!" Eggman stood up, pacing around the stuffy room. "You know EXACTLY what'll happen if my supervisors see what's happened here! Now tell me, where the hell did all the ships go?!"

"There have been five departures this morning, all of them have been recorded," the computer beeped. "They were all Cornerian battlecruisers headed towards Corneria from the end of a two-year tour of duty on the terran planet of Naboo. Other than that, I hate to say that any other ship has, in fact, disappeared into thin air."

Eggman was nearly pulling his hair out, what little he had. "ARE YOU MAD?! This can't be happening!! There has to be ONE logical explanation for all of this, you just need to LOOK harder, you trashbin!" Eggman stomped back over to his seat as the computer began to quickly scan through the ship registries stored nearby. "...I'm ruined..."


********


Ultimanium plodded down the hall, sticking his head into the male bunks and systematically waking them up - with the boombox on his shoulder. As he advanced on Glenn's bunk, most of the crewmen were slumping in the direction of the bridge, half-asleep. He was ready to kick open the door, when...

Swish.

Ultimanium slowly turned back down the hallway. The janitor was in plain sight this time, towing along a bucket of water as he swept.

"...excuse me." Ultimanium coughed. The janitor hopped back in surprise, lifting his darkened face to Ultimanium's. He began to turn away. "...don't leave. I'm not mad, I'm just sort of... curious as to why you're using water with a broom."

The custodian just stared at Ultimanium. He remained silent for a solid minute, during which Ultimanium never removed his gaze. The janitor took off his cap, revealing a head of extremely messy brown hair - it was safe to assume the man had not had a haircut for some time. He looked back up to Ultimanium with a plain gaze. "...you're Ultimanium, right?"

Ultimanium shook his head. "Yeah. It also sort of bugs me that the Argetlahm has a janitor in the first place, I didn't even call for one. Do you work with the Magnopolitian government?"

He shook his head. "...no. I'm more of a... stowaway than anything else."

Ultimanium tilted his head. "You've kept this place so clean I can't really complain. How long have you been here, anyways? I've been hearing complaints from my crewmembers about a shady janitor since the Argetlahm first took off from Magnopolis to take care of the Prospector."

"Oh, oh!" the man suddenly spat. "How did you do against him?"

"...it's a long story. We won. Sort of."

"Wow, I knew you'd do it. It's just like old times!"

Ultimanium shuddered. "Old times? Could you PLEASE tell me where you are from?"

The man suddenly stopped, gazing at Ultimanium. "Holy crap, your power level's sure gotten high. When I first saw you, I thought that you were some terrorist... but as when you saved New York from that other guy you brought with you, I knew better!... if you can't remember me, I wouldn't blame you... I was a reporter*, I was covering the Lincoln Center Theatre when they were having a presentation of The King And I, until.."

"...you know about the Ultimatum."

"I got front-row tickets."

"I'm more interested right now on exactly HOW you got here." Ultimanium raised a finger towards the man as it began to gather energy. "It must've had something to do with the J2. Tell me. Now."

"Okay, okay-" the man quickly spat out, watching as a burst of Ki began to grow on Ultimanium's outstretched finger. "I saw your J2 thingy backstage from where I was sitting when you and the spiky-hair dude first came onstage. I ran like hell and escaped. A day after the Ultimatum, I saw some armored man sitting in the park with this machine sitting on a bench. You don't see too many medieval-armored people in New York, right? So I get up the nerve to go up to him and ask if he knows this Ultimanium person. We struck up conversation. I knew he was planning on using that to regain contact with you, so I caught the riptide when he powered it up - he didn't know it, but I had caught a ride with him into the third dimension, where I soon figured out he was scheduled to start the Ultimatum there."

"...I thought all the Digidestined were killed in that dimension, except Ken." Ultimanium growled. "Continue."

"It was horrible. We were all ready to go with the main fight, and I had my front row seats like usual - that's when the Dark Ocean boiled over. A giant portal opened over Central Park, and the Digidestined were overwhelmed quickly by an army of Dagomon's minions while everyone else fled. The rest of the combatants were fighting a losing battle, but New York had already been evacuated in the meantime. I don't exactly know what happened then, but a boy came out of a portal just like the one Raul and I had showed up in. He looked like a Destined too, and I don't exactly know what happened at that point. It seemed like he completely destroyed the army just with a lift of his finger! He was completely obliterating them, with his bare hands! The army was driven back, but when crews rushed in to find the boy, he had already disappeared into thin air!"

"So the third dimension was where Raul decided to set up shop. I don't think he'd ever told me. That was undoubtedly some act with collaberation with Ultramagnus."

He turned back. "I went with him. We eventually got to know each other, and when I mentioned Ultimanium he agreed to take me along with him when he went to rendevous with you in the first dimension. I stayed aboard the Argetlahm, tidying up the place. In return, Raul offered me room and board in Sector A3 of the ship."

"Sector A3 is at the far end of the ship!" Ultimanium mumbled. "The Argetlahm was closed off starting at Sector A27 to keep people from getting lost! That's not what bugs me, though... why would Raul keep this from me?"

He nodded. "Anyways, that leads me up to date. During Ultramagnus' campaign, I resided in the bowels of the Argetlahm, keeping a distant eye on everything that was happening. I ate late at night, when I went around to clean up the mess hall. When Ultramagnus was defeated and the Argetlahm was put away, I fled into Magnopolis and tried to restart my life. But when I heard that the Argetlahm was being put back into service nine years later... I sensed something bigger was in the making. I came back into contact with Raul and we resumed our contract."

Ultimanium tried to open his mouth, but was cut off. "There's no need to explain. I've already heard everything from Lord Raul."

"...okay, then," Ultimanium continued. "I suppose you understand what we're getting into right now?"

"The Van Eltia is only a short distance away."

"Exactly. It would be in your best interest to leave the Argetlahm, and perhaps catch a shuttle back to Earth. We're getting into a battle that-" Ultimanium winced as the reporter's arm snapped up in a flash, grasping Ultimanium's.

"I know Regen," the man huffed. "I've spent the last decade training and strengthening as I travelled the dimensions, knowing that this would be possibly the last fight. A man came to me... he taught me these martial arts... I want to help fight the Magnusi. By the will of Narrin and I."

Ultimanium's eyes widened.


********


"WHY DOES NO ONE TELL ME THESE THINGS?!" Minonim's robotic arms flailed wildly in the air as, in front of him, stood a 100-man cobbled militia. People of various sizes, builds and weaponry stood plainly in the center of the bridge, staring dimly at the agitated probe. "You're supposed to be normal people, fleeing for your lives under the shadow of death that looms over the galaxy and you're all STOWAWAYS!!"

Eric's chair suddenly swivled to face the group. "You know the scary thing? I could probably name off half these people."

"It's a real pain to see around your head, ya?" a voice called out from the back. "I almost missed that entire shoopuf-lovin' match cause of yer big mug!"

"You're angry and drunk." a small black mage coughed, his steepled hat rising slightly.

Takato walked onto the bridge, carrying several cookies in his arms. "...whoa! What's going on he- Ryo?!"

Ryo stood at the back of the group. He turned, giving Takato a grin. "Well, I didn't expect YOU to wake up so quickly."

"...Ryo, what the hell is with the drunken mob?" Takato gestured towards where Wakka and Vivi were shoving each other.

"...he's always like that. I heard about your little mission you were headed on, and I found a LOT of Smashers that were out of a job since the season got cancelled, with Falco's little conflict up on Final Destination. They all agreed anonyomously to come along if they wanted to stop whatever caused this mishap. Don't worry, Ultimanium's already been informed."

Guilmon came up alongside Takato. "Ryyyooo! So you're with us again?"

Ryo crouched down to Guilmon. "I really wish I could stick around, but I have some other things that I need to take care of first. Best of luck, Takato - and your shoelace is undone."

Takato glanced down to his socked feet. "But I'm not wearing sho-" he looked back up. Ryo was nowhere to be seen. Takato began checking around, searching fervently for the disappearing boy. "...what the.. Guilmon, did you see where he went?"

"No, Takato," Guilmon sighed. "I was bending down to tie my shoelace back up... and I found out I didn't have shoes."

Takato slapped his forehead, muttering. "...ah, forget about it. Ryo likes to pull these tricks all the time. Let's see what everybody else is doin', huh?"

Guilmon cheered in agreement, and they both turned around and stepped back into the turbolift, it falling as the door closed. Behind them, where Ryo was standing, a short crackle of energy fizzed in the air.

Elsewheres, the J3 gave a soft beep.


********


Shaun opened his eyes. Subspace disappeared from around him, lifting the veil of bright blue light that surrounded his Aibird. Quickly the stars around him brightened into view, and the darkness of space was lightened slightly by the haze of a purple nebula lightyears away. Shaun looked up from the ships controls, peering out into the depths and eventually lying back in his seat. He sat watching the clouds as they shifted slowly, before smirking and chuckling softly. "I can see Eternia from here. I don't think I've ever looked at it from this distance, being too busy running the other way... it'll still take weeks to get there. But the readings were a bit closer, I thought..." Shaun suddenly lurched.

"Shaun!"

"...what the..." Shaun reached down, tapping various buttons on the panel. He was met with a sad bleep. "...no one's around..."

"SHAUN!! You MORON! Just listen to what I have to say!"

"..Chat?! No one had better know about-"

"No one knows. Silly me, I went through all this trouble of trying to make some sort of machine to break into your Aibird's wavelength to get a message to you, but it was right in front of me." an image washed over Shaun. It was Chat, tapping the Elara Stone on the far side of her forehead, hidden underneath a lock of hair. "You're part Celestian, we all got these telepathic communication thingys, I'm surprised Meredy didn't tell you."

Shaun reached up, feeling the same spot on his forehead. Nothing was there.

"...you're part Inferian, so... um... maybe it's a little ingrown. Well..." Chat paused. "Tell you what. You just poke around and try to find the Van Eltia, if you need help getting inside just concentrate and give me a shout, 'kay?"

"...I.. guess." Shaun mumbled to himself. As he spoke the image dulled out into nothingness. "..well, that was really helpful, now I'm out here in the middle of nowhere and there's no ship to be se-" Shaun was suddenly interrupted by a pulsating beep from a large screen in the center of the controls. "...what the hell?! That large reading just came out of nowhere, the same one I was trac-" Shaun yelled out as the Aibird began to flip violently, being pushed along by some sort of gravitational force. As the rumbling receded, the Aibird pivoted in the air. Shaun took a deep breath.


Off in the distance was an absolutely GIGANTIC spaceship, shaped similar to a Star Wars medical frieghter. Hundreds upon hundreds of small hangars dotted the starboard of the ship, tiny holes in the perfect white plating of the ship. Near the top a long, thick shaft connected the main vertical module of the ship to another shorter yet much more broad vertical section. All along the main shaft of the ship, there were too many offshoots to count, leading to probable subsystems of the ship. It was barely noticable, but below the very center of the rod a small, outdated brown carrier sat built into the high-tech infrastructure.


"...Van Eltia." Shaun gasped.


The brown craft stuck out like a sore thumb on the capital ship. Shaun knew it perfectly well, though - even from long ago...





--------


Large probes hung off from both sides of the dull ship, welding large metal girders together. On both sides of it, the planets Inferia and Celestia turned about. It was a rare occurance that the ship known as the Van Eltia was stuck in the process of transferring between the two planets, and the situation was taken advantage of. A multitude of smaller craft were parked at the base of the small carrier at the center of the construction, while one more Aibird hovered towards the site.

"Are we there yet?" a boy asked. The pilot, an azure-haired man in a bulky flight suit, just shook his head. He pulled the seat forward as far as he could, cramping himself against the control panel.

"...hang on, Shaun. We're almost there. I understand this isn't very comfortable, Aibirds weren't built for two."

"Mom says you're funny when you're cramped."

"...I imagine." Keele muttered. "We're going to be docking in a minute, so be ready."

Several minutes later, the hiss of the Van Eltia's single airlock sounded. Keele stepped out in his jumpsuit, trailed by Shaun. "Daddy's going to get dressed. Are you coming?"

"I like this suit." Shaun sung.

Keele rolled his eyes, mumbling to himself. He walked off into another adjacent chamber, taking a second to redress in his normal robes. "...are you ready?"




A group of people was gathered around the blackjack table on the Van Eltia's top inside floor. Shaun sat at the dealer's position, while everyone else save for Meredy and Chat sat in the players' slots, discussing with one another. Farah leant down on the table. "Is this our little munchkin?"

Shaun nodded.

"You look so much like Keele... and you're just as shy as Meredy. You've got the best of both worlds."

Reid and Keele were talking in the two seats to Farah's left. Keele gestured towards Shaun. "...this is Shaun. My.. son."

"Whoa, that was fast," Reid chuckled. "That's great. Say, what are you doing here? I didn't think you even knew what was going on with the Van Eltia and all.."

"Are you kidding? I got formal orders from the King himself to get up here. I even got access to one of the Aibirds."

"You got the Aibird?! I had to ride up here in one of the chintzy pieces of crap that Celestia started pouring out of factories! Lucky bastard... so, how's things with Meredy?"

"...you're supposed to ask 'hey, Keele, exactly what did the King order you up here for?'"

"That's too easy," Reid sighed, slapping Keele on the shoulder. "So, how exactly did you get some so fast? I'm sort of wondering your secret."

Long pause. Keele tugged at his collar. "...well.."

"It just sort of came to you." Reid droned.

"Well... you could say that."

Reid took a drink from a mug of water in front of him. "Yeah, I guess it must be pretty easy to accomplish when Meredy doesn't know what 'sex' means in Celestian until she's done the deed."

WHACK

Reid lied awkwardly on the ground, twitching. Keele and Shaun glanced over to Farah, who held up a very large mallet. "...not in front of the children. Anyways, I'm curious, what IS Shaun doing here, anyways?"

"When we first had Shaun, the offer was made by both the Inferian and Celestian governments to 'immortalize Shaun within the Van Eltia' for the job me and Meredy helped in banishing Nereid those years back. I didn't know what they meant until I visited Inferia City, where they took him in for an hour-long operation at the hospital. I was thinking something was wrong, but I was assured nothing was the matter. When they finally released him back to me, they told me that Shaun was given some sort of physical enhancement that would give him veto power over the actions of the upgraded Van Eltia that's being built right now. Supposedly they expect him to be one of the people running the ship when it's finally completed."

"That's great!" Farah chimed. "He's got a future career, unlike SOME people..."

"Shut up." Reid groaned from the ground.

"...I don't know why, but I feel uneasy about forcing Shaun into this. I can't pinpoint it, but there's got to be some other reason to slap Shaun with this kind of responsibility. Like he may be turned into some weapon, or something..."

As the discussion carried on in the background, Max sat on the other side of Farah. He had his armed folded, and his legs up on the blackjack table. He just stared at Shaun with an unimpressed look on his face. Shaun stared back.

"..and he has to stay aboard the Van Eltia.. for.. well.."

"Spit it out." Reid grumbled, climbing back to his chair.

"...they told me to leave him here for life."

Reid fell down again. "WHA? Isn't that a tiny bit HARSH?"

"If anyone gets a hold of him that we DON'T want, the Van Eltia is as good as stolen," Keele continued. "Meredy and I have made the decision to remain aboard the upgraded Van Eltia for that length of time. I, for one, have been waiting for the oppritunity to study the star formations around the Orbus Barrier and I'm willing to take the chance. We will both remain here and take care of Shaun."

"Even freaking astrology isn't going to keep someone like YOU busy for the rest of your mortal days," Reid muttered. "You have to be kidding."

"You're more likely to die of boredom than natural causes in a place like this." Farah droned.

Max looked up. "Then we'll keep the little bugger busy until then."

Everybody turned toward him. "What do you have planned?" Farah asked.

"If he's going to be caged up here for most of his life, and he's going to be a high-and-mighty diplomatic official, sort of a prince, you know? We should teach 'im what we know. Improve his public relations. Everyone loves a badass, handsome warrior fighting for the common good."

"I didn't go through the Dojo in a day." Farah growled.

"Hunting with a sword is a refined art." Reid complained.

"Craymel Artes need a trained discipline." Keele muttered.

"Like you said, we'll have a lifetime." Max shrugged.

Everybody looked at each other.

"...I'll see what I can do." Farah sighed.

"...don't expect me to make a Musketeer." Reid coughed.

"...I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Keele wheezed.

"The kid needs training in all types of weaponry. Martial arts. Espionage. We're gonna create a killing machine!" Max threw his head back, letting out a bellowing laugh.

"Inferian agents come aboard here all the time," Farah said. "I'll get some to help."

"Chat's mean with a hammer. I'll find her." Reid ran off.

"...Shaun, take this." Keele took his necklace off, which held a parasol and a Craymel Cage together. He placed it around Shaun's neck. "...this is the beginning of your mastery of Craymel Artes. This Craymel Cage only contains the forces of Efreet, the fire Craymel, but you may be able to harness the other elements-"

"Why do you only have Efreet's energy?" Farah questioned.

"All the other ones are working on powering the Van Eltia. Efreet felt something fishy about the entire situation, so he made a personal request that I conserve some of his energy, just in case."

Max turned to Shaun, a grin forming on his face. "Be a good little boy.. and you might get a present from me." Max grunted as he hoisted his massive hand cannon onto the table, letting it drop with a loud clunk.

Shaun just stared.


--------


Wasting no more time, the Aibird's engines suddenly thrusted forward, shooting the small craft towards the epic battlecruiser taking up most of the background.


********


The entire crew stood on the bridge of the Argetlahm, with the other hundred people seated on the ground a short distance away. Chat walked by in front, reading off a piece of paper.

"Alright, plan goes like this. There's a huge energy reading within two parsecs that we've identified as the Van Eltia, where the Trances are currently located. That would be the same group of people that disrupted the Smash tourney that was supposed to carry on throughout this week. As soon as we get there, we will devise a plan of action to get into the Van Eltia, then assassinate the Magnusi that awaits there, ending the operation."

Two androids sat near the front of the group. One was covered in simple blue armor, with a small red gem on the front of his helmet. The other was a more heavily armed robot in blood-red armor with a blond ponytail hanging out from behind his head.

"You understand anything these guys are saying?" the blue one asked.

"Not a word." the red robot replied.

Raynor stepped up. "We've received word that the Cornerian military is eager to sponsor us, as is their peacekeeping policy. They were recently involved in investigating a large Ki output on the terran planet Earth, and their agents have identified this ship as the base of the operations of the culprits - the Trances."

"We are currently planning our attack," Vegeta added. "Could we get Ki fighters, ranged and melee fighters in seperate groups?"

The mob split accordingly.

"As mentioned before, we'll be receiving supplies from Corneria," Slippy added. "We're just getting armor and weaponry in bulk, so just dig in when it gets here. Arm yourself properly, we're going up against VERY heavily-armed opponents."

Everybody stumbled slightly as the Argetlahm lurched underneath their feet. Everyone rushed over to the edge of the dome as the ship began to slide slowly out of the drydock locks. The floor shuddered again faintly as the Argetlahm began to rise extremely slowly.


********






Serge, Heero, Gohan, V2, Takeru and Vegeta all jogged down the male bunk corridor in single file. Serge began to slow down slightly. "Hey, what's the hold-up?" Takeru asked.

Serge paused, staring down at the ground. After a lengthly pause, Serge looked over his shoulder. "...we've all been told about the Magnusi, right?"

"Yeah," Heero sighed. "It still seems out of the blue to mention it while we're heading to grab our stuff."

Serge turned around. "...the Argetlahm just started to move. I want you to just sit and think - look at you, you three have been on this ship ever since the days of the Ultimatum," Serge chuckled. "It's really interesting to look and see how we've all grown up. And how far we've gotten. Already the fifth Magnusi has been defeated, and the sixth Magnusi is within reach. This will be the greatest hurdle we'll ever have to cross in the voyage of the Argetlahm. After that, the rest will be easy sailing. And we'll be interdimensional heroes."

"I imagine you'll never let that go to your head," Vegeta sneered.

"I've never let something like that take priority in my mind," Takeru said. "It's when that you think you're so important and you have one great objective to follow that..."

"That what?" Patamon squeaked.

"...I don't know.. that if you succeed, you have nowhere else to place yourself. I've never believed in destiny, no matter how much Raul forcefeeds me it. If you ever accomplish your destiny, what else is there to do?"

"Get drunk." V2 muttered.

Gohan stopped suddenly. "...you know... I've sort of wondered that. Most of the past decade all my fighting's been done through the Argetlahm.. and V2's been a major help in the off-years. What'll happen to the Argetlahm - when this is all done?"

"...I don't know," Serge sighed, breaking the silence. "...let's.. just get moving. We'll be heroes NOW."




--------

Mama they try and break me

--------


The male bunks remained silent as the group ducked into their rooms. As they prepared, the rest of the crew floated around the Argetlahm, lost spirits. What could be the final battle was coming up. And... unknown forces eventually drug them back to what used to be very familiar rooms...


--------

The window burns to light the way back home
A light that warms no matter where they go

--------


Cody wandered the halls of the male bunks, casually taking steps forward. It would only be a while before Armadillomon sniffed him out, so he decided to make the most of his solitude while it lasted. The rooms around him seemed to have a welcoming aura to them, a sudden warmth that made him smile.

"'ey, relax, little man!"

Cody quickly leapt forward, looking head-on into another room. It wasn't quite clear what he saw... but it was like.. Davis and himself... younger.


--------

They're off to find the hero of the day
But what if they should fall by someone's wicked way?

--------


"Davis... I'm concerned."

"What's the deal?" Davis lazily laid down on his bunk, his arms crossed behind his head.

"...about this.. entire thing. You heard what Ultimanium said about Epoch Rock..."

"What the hell is this?" Davis spat. "You heard what Tai went through in the rec room, this is our last battle, and this is our legacy! We're not givin' this up for no one! We're more than enough for Ultrafagnus down there! Just hang on, we'll be done here before you know it."


--------

Still the window burns
Time so slowly turns
And someone there is sighing

--------


Cody glanced toward the dresser in the corner. "...yeah, I guess you're right. Even if you have the biggest sword, I can still measure up as well as you or anyone else here."

"That's more lik- what did you say?"

Cody waited at the doorframe. Taking a deep breath, he slowly stepped in, the images in front of him wavering as he snaked across the floor. He slowly advanced on the dresser in the corner. He opened the top drawer. Lying in it, in perfect condition...

...were both Ragnaroks.


--------

Keepers of the flames
Do you feel your name?
Did you hear your babies crying?

--------


Cody slowly placed his hands in, drawing both Ragnaroks out. Cody's build at this age was similar to Davis', so the swords didn't feel as nearly as heavy as he thought. "...this is Davis' legacy."

Takato walked in. "Cody, what are you doing in my bu..."

Cody held out the massive swords. "...these are yours, Takato."

Takato blinked in confusion.


--------

Mama they try and break me
Still they try and break me

--------


Locke and Raynor both stood in the training room, side by side. What took up the arena in front of them was awe-inspiring. They were standing in some sort of open field, with bunkers off in the distance. It sounded like, however, a battlefield.

"...this holds some kind of significance..." Raynor drolled. "...I just don't know what."


--------

Excuse me while I tell them how I feel
These things return to me that still seem real

--------


Tai's Ultima Weapons clattered to the ground. Zidane took on a wicked grin as he marched him up against a hillside, chuckling. "This is getting really old. Stand still for a second and I'll make your skiddy existance disappear..."

A voice seemed to thunder out over the battlefield. "DON'T GIVE UP!"

Raynor bellowed out in pain. A purple sea formed around him... that seemed very much familiar to him. The skies turned to a pitch black, pierced by points of light. Off in the distance, heavily armed soldiers dashing across a catwalk in the distance, escaping to a series of small dropships. Raynor began to back up a ramp - he was able to figure out exactly what he was wading knee-deep in.

Zerglings. Small, little parasites. And they noticed the blood in the air.

Raynor held up his rifle and started firing.


--------

Now deservingly this easy chair
But the rocking starts the wheels of despair

--------


"I know.. this..." Raynor wheezed. "This is familiar! And I know... NOO!!"

Raynor nearly collapsed onto his back. Off in the distance, on the bare space platform admist burning building modules, was a human body thrashing upon the sea of beastly insects. It was a figure very familiar to him, a young woman, nearly torn to shreds by the ravenous creatures. He quickly glanced back over to the ridge. The marines that still remained took stray shots into the swarm, Raynor watching in horror as the blasts deflected around the area where he was looking. The corpse danced as bullets riddled the area around it.


--------

Don't want your hate
But the fist I make
For you can hold no fear

--------


Raynor seethed as the image around him faded. He was standing back in the gymnasium, growling in desperation. On the ground lied his gauss rifle, apparently thrown there. He didn't know what had happened, or even how his gun had gotten here in the first place, but he knew that it had some sort of vengeful aura about it.


--------

No not on me
So please excuse me while I tell them how I feel

--------


Locke tossed one of the Ultima Weapons up into the air. "You know, the strangest thing just happened... hey, is something wron-"

"Is this the sort of thing you need to strike me with?!"** Raynor screamed. "I'M COMING FOR YOU!!"


--------

But now the dreams end
And now the dreams end
They everlast the night

--------


Charmy ducked back into the male hall, checking around her before knocking lightly on Ultimanium's bunk door. "...are you almost done in there? People are running all over the Argetla-"

The door suddenly creaked open. Charmy stepped back in shock as a fully-armored Ultimanium stepped out, turning and heading straight down the hall in a quick-paced stride. He was draped head to toe in gleaming white plating, polished to perfection. Charmy watched breathlessly as Ultimanium simply walked away from her. Ultimanium stopped, glancing over his shoulder. Charmy winced as memories began to flood her mind.


--------

So build a wall
Behind it crawl
And hide until it's light
So can you hear your babies crying now?

--------


This armor was from the Ultimatum. It was used by Ultimanium during the battle. It was used during what had been thought to be the last fight by many. And now it would enter its possible last service.

"Ultimanium had switched out of his psuedo-mysteriuos black outfit and was fitted in a massive suit of white, gleaming battle armor. The massive shoulder blades on the arms threatened to lop anyone's head off that got too close. Inch thick diamond-titanium carbide compound sheeted his entire body. While Ultimanium was never too excited about fights, he sure knew how to prepare for them."

Charmy gasped.


--------

Still the window burns
Time so slowly turns
And someone there is sighing

--------


Rika waited in her doorframe, watching closely and delicately as Kari and Gatomon, both teasing each other about their supposed crushes. Rika sighed, shaking her head. "I don't know how they can have that much fun with a goggle-boy and his little freak pet."

Renamon stood across the hall. "Maybe you should try it some time. Not that it's a hint or anything." she chuckled lowly as she began to fade away.

Rika stood, watching the wall where her partner used to be. It was time to think.


--------

Keepers of the flames
Did you hear your name?
Did you hear your babies crying?

--------


Tron and Teisel both sat at one of the mess hall tables, their meals half-finished, as several seats away Izzy sat in the midst of the old Argetlahm crew, laughing along with them as old jokes were shared. His hand cannon was laid on the table, within Teisel's reach. Teisel reached for the large gun, but froze as he made eye contact with Izzy. They both laid stares upon each other, Izzy finally smiling and shoving the weapon towards Teisel. He accepted it with reluctance.


--------

But now the dreams end
And now the dreams end
They everlast the night

--------


Both Eric and Gohan seemed to be relieved somewhat by watching Goku's mishaps. They both gave each other regretful glances as he walked out of the bridge restroom, with a seemingly neverending trail of toilet paper attached to his boot. V2 simply shook his head.


--------

So build a wall
Behind it crawl
And hide until it's light
So can't you hear your babies crying now?

--------


The entire crew eventually gathered on the bridge. The bright blue skies of Mute City slowly began to degenerate into darkness, a shade more menacing then the Argetlahm's departure from Earth. Dante and Glenn stood ahead of the large militia behind them, in most cases surrounded by the rest of the crew.

"Welcome to the Starship Argetlahm," Ultimanium said finally. "To those who have come here from Mute City, I salute you. For those who have been aboard from the beginning... and from the beginning... you will be heroes. Perhaps heroes again for some of you, but still... heroes. You've stood at the crossroads of a great conflict that has spanned the dimensions - and you've still stood strong. We go up against the most powerful of the Magnusi, the ultimate threat to the Argetlahm and the Six Dimensions... or Seven, as we've recently discovered. I cannot guarantee all of you will make it back alive... but should you do you will go down in history as one of the fighters of this underground war, and the savior of reality. And receive a cushy pension plan brought to you by the Magnopolitian Senate."

Vegeta smirked. "Then what are we sitting here for?"

"We're on our way to the Van Eltia. There's no turning back." Minonim chirped. "We'll be there in mere days, deep within the heart of the Exodus system. When we get there it will probably be Hell on Earth, but that is a risk we're taking. Good luck, everyone."

A cloaked figure in the back nodded. "Let it be." he turned to the side, staring out the bridge dome as a cross-shaped fighter shot by.


--------

Mama they try and break me
Mama they try and break me
Mama they try and break me
Mama they try
Mama they try

--------


"...a B-Wing," Falco murmured. "...I doubt this is coincedence..."

"Could that be the ship that saved Shaun?" Farah asked.

"Let's not jump to conclusions." Dante muttered.


--------

Mama they try and break me
Mama they try and break me
Mama they try and break me
Mama they try
Mama they try

--------


The Argetlahm sped up underneath everyone's feet, as the large ship began to speed upwards rapidly into Mute City's atmosphere. It was only a short while before the capship rocketed into space, adjusting its trajectory towards the near-off system of Exodus.




********



Shaun's Aibird carried on soundlessly through the void of space. The Van Eltia in the background was steadily growing in size, at least from where Shaun was seated, and the turrets and sensors of the ship could already be heard whirring through oblivion. "...I don't think this is a good idea..." Shaun quickly looked around the sides of the Van Eltia evident to him. Thousands of small docks awaited him, but any one could be guarded. Shaun wouldn't know until he went in for a closer look, and he would probably be dead at that point. "Isn't there ANYTHING the Grapplers or the Trances wouldn't have access to?"

"You have a small cloaking device on your ship," Chat said. "A small one, but a powerful one. It'll shield you from any sort of radar, but the effect'll only last half an hour, so you might as well make the most of it. As for the locks, I don't know about most of the crap that Celestia grafted onto the place, but it's all relatively new, about twenty years at our current date. I imagine the Grapplers have had ample time to hack the security grid to pieces and rewire it to their own tastes."

"Did you guys HAVE to make everything digital?" Shaun growled.

"Yeah, pisses you off, huh? I mean, back in the day with Reid and the bunch, we didn't need all these newfangled nanotechs to keep our ships from being stolen. It was easy enough to easy enough to have an analog lock, ya know, stick the key in, and normal anti-theft systems took care of the rest."

Shaun paused. He slowly turned towards the old Van Eltia. "...really... tell me more about the upgrades..." he glanced back and forth between the two great tower-like sectors of the ship, noticing turrets totally covering the sides inbetween. "...like the turrets."

"New crud too," Chat pouted. "Of course, these ones were still upgraded from the crap ones I had on the old Van Eltia, they're long-distance chain-lightning/cryoblast turrets powered by the appropriate Craymels. They had some powerful AI sensoring, too, so they targeted any threats within a 60-degree cone that stretches fifty miles outwards.*** Some powerful stuff. Of course, it has its cons. A bunch'a engineers mentioned that from testing they noticed a blind spot on the ship. It was fairly minimal and didn't lead to any vital or even minimal ship subsystems so they never did anything about it... bastards..."

Shaun checked both his sides again. He was approaching the ship. Far, far off in the distance on both sides of him the great pillars of the Van Eltia were lined with hundreds of thousands of tiny blinking lights. That obviously weren't what they were.

Shaun looked forward. "...let's go." Shaun grimaced as he threw the yoke forward, causing the small craft to suddenly roar forward. As the ship rapidly sped up and began to approach the point between the pillars, with the Van Eltia suddenly emitting a giant siren honk. The image of Chat glanced around quickly as the nearest sides of both pillars lit up in a giant flash. That giant white light was actually made up of row upon of row of turrets on each pillar shooting at once toward the tiny Aibird between them.

"You broke the alarm!!" Chat screamed. "...wait.. you're... WHY THE HELL ARE YOU GOING BETWEEN THE WINGS?! Alright, you know what? The distance between the wings is a hundred miles! You'll be shot to hell!"

Shaun grunted, tilting the yoke backwards so the Aibird suddenly turned and made a near-vertical climb. A wave of elemental projectiles hurtled through the air on both sides of him, walls of death. The Aibird suddenly turned back forward, climbing at a milder angle. It sped up again, roaring towards the old Van Eltia hanging from the giant tube ahead. The blasts began to close in on the small fighter...

...and they simply disappeared. Every last one.

Chat slowly opened an eye, and quickly checked around the Aibird. "How.. what.. why.."

The Aibird began to slow down, Shaun chuckling and wiping his brow. "I was thinking that wouldn't work for a second. I know the turrets fired fifty miles, I just wasn't absolutely sure those measurements were taken in one direction so I asked you. Alright, think of a right angle triangle. Either flat side of the triangle is always less than the length of the hypotenuse. So if I climbed upwards before beginning my approach, the turrets would be firing 50 miles DIAGONALLY and the lateral and vertical distances would drop accordingly. Like you said, the elemental blasts would lose their charge after that length of time, and they hadn't even begun to approach me. If I DID fly through it normally, I would've been right at the 50-mile limit and I would've been creamed."

"...that wasn't the blind spot." Chat droned. "...but... why the hell CAN THEY NOT BUILD THIS THING RIGHT?!"


********


After some time of arguing, the Aibird docked on the bottom of the old Van Eltia. Shaun slowly climbed up a long ladder, eventually raising the lid off the top and clambering out. The Mega Launcher was strapped onto his back. It took Shaun a moment to recognize where he was exactly.

"...bottom floor of the old Van Eltia..." Chat murmured. True to description, the bottom room was cluttered with large crates and boxes, all with a thick, twenty-year-old layer of dust on them, obviously cargo and other smuggling wares of Chat's. Through the Elara Stone, Chat glared at the decade-past-due deliveries. "...aw, crap, that Tatooine shipment had a nice price tag on it, too! How do I let these things go to waste?..."

Slowly, Shaun and Chat began to make their way through the off-service Van Eltia, passing through a small drydock for several Aifish submarines, several compartments containing various nondescript machinery, and through another room with a large, piston-engine type apparatus with a large emblem on a plate near the top.

"I take it that's the Aifreid thingy you talk so much about." Shaun sighed.

"Prototype for the original Craymel Engine!" Chat boasted. "This one's more of a personal model. It only hosts a bunch of minor Craymel that it cycles through from time to time. The one they have in the Van Eltia above us is absolutely insane. It hosts the power of the Greater and Supreme Craymels, with the exception of Efreet. I think we're getting close to the top of the ship. Let's keep going."

Shaun climbed up another ladder, taking him onto the small bridge of the ship. Dozens of consoles scattered across the chamber were adorned with cobwebs, and a decorative wooden wheel near the front and center was slowly decaying. Another climb upwards took him onto the waiting room of the ship. Papers were scattered across the floor, and the blackjack table was overturned.

"Think anyone was here?" Shaun asked mentally.

"Still got that classic shield of dust," Chat muttered. "Looks like this place destroys itself. Alright, you should be able to get into the Hall of Aifreid from here. Move over a little..." Shaun watched Chat move, and repositioned himself in response. "...oh.. wait, get the table over there." Shaun rolled his eyes, and grunted as he began to drag the heavy oak podium over. "...hmm... not high enough... grab a chair." Shaun muttered to himself as he picked up a stool and placed it on top of the table. "...now..."

"What the hell am I trying to do here, anyways?" Shaun shouted.

"...I'm trying to get you into the Van Eltia, THAT'S what, just listen to what I tell you! The old Van Eltia is sticking out partially in the middle of the hall, it's a memorial. The celing's tile, you should be able to move it, get into the vents and come out in the Hall of Aifreid."

"Right in the middle?!" Shaun winced. "Isn't that a little obvious?"

Chat threw up her arms in disgust. "YOU'RE the one that wanted to come UP here! That's a little risk you'll have to take!"

Shaun watched the air, before muttering and hoisting himself up into the vent. He slid down the shaft, which fit him rather well, and came up to a grate. Shaun reached forward and punched the grate off, watching anxiously as the small metal plate fell against the polished floor of the Hall of Aifreid with a violent clash. Shaun stuck his head out of the vent, looking both ways before pulling himself out. Since he was coming out headfirst, however, he simply fell out into a bed of flowers with a painful thud.

Shaun raised his head, spitting out dirt. "...some memorial you have here."

"They have a nice aroma when they bloom." Chat said flatly, staring at the partially ruined planation. "Now that you're aboard the Van Eltia, perhaps you have some sort of plan of action? Shaun?"



Shaun stared blankly at the tubular hall around him. Its walls pulsed with deeply intricate circuitry, as most of the halls aboard the Van Eltia did. The confines of the corridor slowly changed colors now and then, leading from an aqua to a deep purple and back. The walls themselves were partially translucent, offering reinforced strength while allowing free vision of the space around. Winding tubes similar to lead all around in the distance, offering many other routes between the two epic spires that resided at both ends of the pipe, many miles away.

"Celestia to Shaun." Chat droned.

"...yeah. Sorry, it's just that I haven't... seen this place for a while."

"I'm surprised myself this place hasn't been ruined. Well, fearless hero, I assume you have some sort of plan on where to go?"

"I was thinking of heading for the bridge."

"ERGNT, wrong answer." Chat remarked. "You know yourself that the place'll probably be swarming with Trances, Grapplers at the very least. If I were you I'd start to pick away at the Van Eltia where no one would be expecting it."

"Alright, then," Shaun nodded. "Where do you insist we begin?"

"Head for Pillar 1, and head down to the bottom floor," Chat commanded. "The first thing we gotta do is stop this thing from heading wherever it's going. The main thrusters are on that side, and it has access to the Craymel Corridor. In English, the main power supplies for the ship."

"...wouldn't that be where they would EXPECT me?" Shaun sighed.

"That's why you PLAY it right, and make sure NO ONE knows you're here! It'll be a lot easier keeping yourself concealed down there than up in the command center! What happened to the little ninja we trained, huh? Anyways, you gotta head down there and get an audience with the Greater and Supreme Craymels, they should have some sort of idea how to disable the Van Eltia for the time being. Once you're done there, we'll probably have some method of shutting down the ship's automated defenses, and you're free to go crazy. At that point it'll be safe to move the Argetlahm up close. Understood?"

Shaun nodded.

"Alright, then. I'm not going to hover around you anymore, lest you blow your cover. If you need help, though, ask."

Shaun smiled. "Can do. I'll see you later." Shaun watched as Chat nodded back, and her image slowly began to disappear.


Shaun stood for a minute, looking down both directions of the Hall of Aifreid. He turned to head down towards Pillar 1... and looked straight into the barrel of a gauss rifle. He looked up to its user, a nondescript soldier in tight blue spandex covered up by various articles of lightweight body armor. He wore a heavy facemask, the only features visible through it a pair of dark green eyes.

"HAH! ...INTRUDER!!" the trooper laughed in a garbled voice.

Shaun muttered to himself, holding his arms up.

"I'm not taking you away - just play along." the soldier quickly whispered. Shaun blinked. The guard turned to a another pair of armed men that were walking by, keeping his rifle set on Shaun. "HEY! GOT ANOTHER ONE!!"

"...whatever." one soldier stopped, looking over Shaun. "How many more are they going to give us? God.. whatever, just get 'im down to the brig."

"Can do, sir!" Shaun's captor laughed.

"...if I'm not mistaken... you ARE ranked higher than me." the soldier responded slowly. "...guess I can't argue, though. See you around."

As the two armsmen walked off, the guard walked Shaun behind the Van Eltia monument.

"...could you mind explaining to me what's going on here?" Shaun grumbled, loosening up as the gauss rifle lowered to the floor. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

The guard took off his bulky helmet - revealing a she. The woman shook her head, bopping herself a few times. "...man, I HATE those things... you know how much of a pain having a comm receiver in your ear for two days straight is?" she had short, light brown hair, with aqua-shaded streaks here and there. "What are YOU doing here?"

"Well, for your in-"

"...do you happen to know a place where I could change..?" she held out a small backpack. Shaun gestured towards the open vent of the old Van Eltia. The woman quickly hopped in and began crawling down the shaft. Shaun buried the loose grate in the flower bed to hide his entrance, and slid down the shaft after her.


********


Both the woman and Shaun sat at the defiled blackjack table in the waiting room. She had since changed into a black shirt with a dark green tunic covering it, and suitable pants.

"...let's cut straight to it. I'm Yuri Omoiyari, but everyone just calls me Melanie. It's more personal than anything. You?"

"Shaun Garin," Shaun said. "This is my first time back to the Van Eltia since the past years. My family used to live here, until the Grappler pirate guilds invaded its drydock in the Eternia subsystem and hijacked it. We all escaped, but I made the vow to myself that I would reclaim it for my family and friends before my 21st birthday. Here I am."

"...you used to LIVE here? I was beginning to wonder exactly who would put together a contraption like this..."

"Some good friends of mine."

"Ah."

"I've said my peace," Shaun suddenly coughed. "Now, I think I would like to know what you're doing aboard the Van Eltia, if you don't mind."

"Eesh! I was getting to it. It was a couple days ago, when I was poking around on Mute City in the Lylat-Hybrid system. I was looking for business and I got drawn in by some of the leading Smash Bros. officials saying that they had received a threat from some kind of terrorist organization. I was bored and really short on cash, so I signed up for any future business with the organization. It was only two hours after I answered the call that the people responsible for the threat came out of nowhere, the transmissions sent from the ship Van Eltia. They said that they were going to "watch the destruction" and "wait for the challengers of our belief". I don't know what happened after that because I was sent out immediately in fake Grappler garb to spy within the Van Eltia, but I understand a lot of Smashers were upset by the news. Many of them were set to attempt to find a ride out to the Van Eltia to settle the score themselves, but I haven't heard anything since. Aw, hell, why did I even take this job in the first place..."

Shaun seemed to shrivel in his chair. "...it's a trap!!"

Chat suddenly appeared in Shaun's mind, draped in a way-too-large housecoat and sipping from a mug of coffee. "Something wrong?"

"Chat!!" Shaun yelled. "get a hold of Ultimanium, and tell him to stop approaching the Van Eltia! It's a trap!!"

"I'll try," Chat confirmed.

"Tell him not to approach the Van Eltia until I give him confirmation! I'm going to try to head down and get into the Craymel Corridor!"

"I can't guarantee a result," Chat sighed. "given this is all literally going to come right out of my mind. But I think he'll understand."

Shaun suddenly leapt up from the table, toppling his stool. "Yuri-"

"Could you PLEASE call me Melanie?"

"...Melanie... sorry... I need your help. This is a trap organized by the Grapplers and the force of the Trances designed to destroy the last hope we have of the Van Eltia being reclaimed. I was actually on hand in Mute City when the Trances attacked, and me and my traveling band helped drive them back. As we speak the destroyer-class cruiser Argetlahm is on the way to the Van Eltia, bringing along the Smashers from Mute City. My purpose here now is to weaken this ship enough to get the army of Ultimanium into the Van Eltia to liberate it. You're a Grappler guard, right?"

"Was," Melanie coughed. "That uniform reeks."

"How much security clearance do you have?"

Melanie paused, shuffling through a series of keycards. "Third level. I don't think that'll get you very far."

"Then we'll have to be a little more agressive. I know this ship like the back of my hand, and in order to prepare for Ultimanium's attack we have to get to the bottom of Pillar 1 so I can shut down the main power supply of the Van Eltia through the Craymel Corridor."

"Then I'm coming with you." Melanie stood, drawing a strange parasol from her waist. "You'll need more than one person if you're going an aggressive route around here."




********



"Then it's settled," Ultimanium looked about the bridge. "The Argetlahm will remain still for now. We currently have an agent aboard the Van Eltia that will soften up the target for us and allow us access to the main compartments of the ship. Until then, I ask that you be patient."

Sonic shrugged. "Yeah, I can cope with that and all, but do you think the rest of the group'll take it so easy?"

"They will," Eric stated firmly. "They're in our custody. I think they knew what they were getting themselves into when they were promised a free ride, and that's the promise that they won't raise hell until we get to where hellraising is needed."



********








A small bunk was shadowed in moonlight. Within the Van Eltia, the small, cramped dorm that housed a single bunk bed, a desk, a lamp and a small computer was a simple office chair with Antimagnus seated upon it.



"...oh, darn, it appears my little trap has been averted. It doesn't matter, because your mere presence aboard the Van Eltia and in my sight is a unforgivable trap in its own respects!! All is going according to its plans, and you will not stop the inevitable again!!" Antimagnus threw his head back, calling forth a hard, demonic laugh.

Elsewheres, Ultimanium was chilled to the bone. He didn't know how, or from what, but unease swept over him like a wave.

"...it?!"









< br>






With the Van Eltia in literal sight, the last battle against the 6D Magnusi draws immeasurably close... can Shaun and Melanie cripple the Van Eltia in time for the final assault? What fate resides for the legacy of Argetlahm? What sort of nightmarish Trances can exist aboard the VE? And what is bugging Ultimanium so much? Whatever it is, you're not going to want to find out... it's the beginning of the end of the Ultimatum Saga next time, on Ultimatum 3: Trance Trauma!












Son g Used: Metallica "Hero of the Day"

* - Ultimatum. Chapter 2. THAT reporter. ^_^
** - Starcraft. Terran Campaign. THAT Kerrigan. ^_^
*** - ...yes, you heard me. Fifty miles. ^_^

(A/N - I really need a new smiley. ^_^)