The Butterflies And The Esoteric Group
| Section | : | The Red Thread of Fate |
| Chapter | : | 3 |
| Summary | : | The MTF Alpha-47 "Samsara" forces were on the move to chase Sperry and Vishnu. However they weren't the only one chasing the two souls. The Butterfly Initiative forces were also racing to obtain control of those two souls. |
"Vishnu and Sperry ran away," said Captain Chandra, the head of the Mobile Task Force Alpha-47 "Samsara", a part of the Department of Normalcy, Global Foundation of Esotericism, or GaFE.
"So, we will pretend to chase them?" asked Wang.
"Not just that, there are Butterfly Initiative forces interfering in this cycle," said Michael.
"So, what would we do?" said Haein.
"We will fight the butterflies first," said Sgt. Chandra.
Interruptions
A car disappeared, and a couple, who were passengers of the car, fell to the road, and Juan approached them. Michael ordered Bangkal to intercept, which then proceeded to transform into a giant tank-sized babirusa. He charged toward Juan, throwing him into the air, while Chen Yun Fei and Lee Ah Ping ran away from him.
Zarah can be seen floating with a lot of stones around her, and she rapidly disassembled one of the stones into high velocity projectiles. Before Michael could do anything about it, she fell along with her stones, but managed to slow down her fall. Michael knew it means Lee Ah Ping, a Vishnu soul, uses his ability to counter Zarah, a Fermion soul.
Michael turned the consistency of the paving stone Zarah stood on into that of a quicksand, and as her feet submerged on it, he returned it to concrete, trapping her. She destroyed the paving stone, and gazed around to find the source of that witchcraft. Stationed atop of a nearby campus building was Michael, Wang, and Sgt. Chandra, and they carefully observed Zarah.
Michael came up with an idea to enhance nine pairs of glasses to increase the wavelength of infrared to visible light, and turn them into makeshift lightweight night vision glasses, then distributed it to all human members. That means they can see in the night as if it was a broad daylight. Wang shot his grenade launcher at Zarah, and Zarah quickly deflected it toward Bangkal, whose explosion splattered him into a fleshy mess.
Zarah, agitated, looked at the origin point of the grenade, and formed a gun gesture with her palm, shooting an imaginary disruptor wave that rapidly disintegrated anything in its path, at the time aimed toward Chandra. Looking at the approaching destruction wave, Wang pushed Chandra away and took the blow. Disintegrated into dusts in front of Chandra's eyes, he screamed. Chandra tried to collect Wang's dust, as if he could reconstitute it back to Wang.
Michael stepped in, and put Chandra's head down, so as not to be seen by Zarah. Chandra sobs, hard, as Michael calmed him down, patting his back, and hugged him, while dragging him away from the roof. Chandra still sobs, but Michael knew Zarah would fly toward them, and get them, so he gathered everyone in that building, that are Ms. Go, Djun, Ket, and Macan. Michael asked everyone to physically touch Macan, then ordered Macan to initiate a teleportation jump to their designated safe location.
They could see the first building at a safe distance, and it collapsed into ashes, as Zarah crumbled it away. Chandra still sobs, and Michael hugged him, until he calmed down, where Michael said that the loss is inevitable, and he must remain calm and collected. They need to go to the next phase, and Chandra asks the status of their 3rd Fireteam, The Harem. Private Haein reported as the team leader, that they're still following Chen Yun Fei and Lee Ah Ping toward a manufacturing plant, where they seemingly collect a tank of gas. Michael, as the team leader of the 2nd Fireteam, The Wizards, asked Ket, how long would it take for Bangkal to return to this physical plane, and he said it would be another half an hour or so.
Split
Go, that was in charge of observation, reported that Zarah and Juan are on the move, supposedly toward the target (Chen Yun Fei and Lee Ah Ping). Chandra thought for a moment, and ordered The Wizards to catch up with the enemy units, currently chasing the target, because they're the only one capable of dealing with the Apex Souls (considering Michael is too, an Apex soul). Chandra and the remaining team Iron Fists: Go and Djun, would catch up with their rover. Djun expressed her dissatisfaction for not seeing the handsome men for the next move, and Michael said thank you, but she replied that he is not included.
Michael complied, and asked Ket for a ride, while Macan is in charge of leading them with the nonlocal jump points, as he's the one with clairvoyance. Michael jumped on Ket's back, and both Ket and Macan shifted into their beast forms. The Wizards initiated the first nonlocal jump, and The Iron Fists descended to the parking lot.
Michael, Ket, and Macan arrived right at the time a contact between the enemy units and the target occured. Macan was told to stand by, while Ket charged toward Juan to take him down, but instead got shot with one of Lee Ah Ping's normalcy arrows. Ket abruptly reverted to his human form, with an arrow penetrating his right shoulder from behind. Ket runs away from the battlefield in pain, as the BIs are shooting him.
Michael noticed he couldn't use his powers near Ket, and proceeded to give him first aids. As Macan came near them, he reverted back to human form unwillingly, and noticed that he could revert back to his beast form when he is at least three meters away from Ket. Michael realized that the arrow is the cause, as it is made with the same metal as the core circuitry of GaFE's Sperry-Vishnu Reality Anchor System.
Bangkal manifested near Macan, stating that he couldn't manifest near Ket. With a cue from Michael, Bangkal immediately transforms into a giant babirusa, charging toward one of the cars of the Butterfly Initiatives. Some cars fled off road, and some explosions occurred as Bangkal smashed their engines.
Macan screamed to Michael and Ket, that The Harem, that was following their target, had their car crushed by Zarah, and he immediately jumped there to save the team members. The full team of The Harem and The Wizards gathered, while Bangkal wrecked havoc on BI's fleet. Emma came by and inspected Ket's wound, and "checked" other signs.
Distracted
Haein and Watt advance to open fire for the BIs, distracting them, and allowing Bangkal to keep wrecking havoc to their fleet. Gears and Macan observed and scouted the battlefield to determine the best tactic. Bangkal told them that he was nearing his limits, and he requested Ket to come into battle.
Realizing that to kill Ket means he'd be unavailable for the next half an hour or so, Michael asked Emma to pull the arrow through, and just band up the wound, so Ket could quickly resume battle. Ket objects, but Emma kissed Ket immediately, and Michael pulled the arrow through, followed by Ket's scream. Banded tight, and the wounds cleaned, Ket transformed into his beast form, that, albeit substantially weaker and unable to properly use his right front feet, able to jump in and provide shielding against the open fire aimed toward Bangkal.
Gears reported that The Iron Fists are coming with a copter, and Zarah flew toward the copter. Macan quickly teleported to the cockpit of the copter and took The Iron Fists to reunite with Michael. The Iron Fists, with Michael, had to take a civilian car, under the pretense of emergency and the war ahead, and advanced to catch up with Haein and Watt, already far ahead with a sport bike. Gears was jumping from points to points with Macan to provide reconnaissance for the entire MTF. Ket and Bangkal duet keeps chasing and trashing BI fleets.
Narrow escape
Up ahead, the roads were destroyed and shattered, with the rubbles floated about. However, Lee Ah Ping shot the arrow to her leg, and she was unable to use her power, and the road was left with a narrow passage of normal path, while the rest were devastated. The Samsara MTF was stopped by the cars of BIs stopping as well due to the road blockages, and crossfire occured.
With Juan's power intact (as long as he's away from the arrows), he delivered an attack to Ket, and Ket's right arm was decapitated, as his right elbow is shrunk into nothing. In pain, Ket reverted to his human form, and Watt shot Juan to prevent his pursuit. Juan was shot, but managed to suck out Watt's upper body out of existence. Then, at last Emma threw the arrow that was in Ket's body to Gears, then stabbed it to Juan's thigh, which resulted in his loss of power again.
Seeing that the powers of the opponents Apex souls were disabled, Michael and Sgt. Chandra realized it is their chance to advance. They took two cars, one car for Sgt. Chandra, Ms. Go, and Djun, while the other are for Haein, Gears, Emma, and Ket. Bangkal and Macan would be in their beast form, clearing their path ahead, while Michael turned those two cars with his remaining capacity to their standard issue Operational Armored Electric Vehicles (OAEVs), and then rested in Sgt. Chandra's car.
Scouting the target
Michael ordered Macan to chase and tail the target in stealth, so they could keep an eye to the target. Michael told Sgt. Chandra that he's nearing his limit, that he could no longer perform wide scale or complex reality bending due to his mental fatigue, resulting in an intense headache. Sgt. Chandra said it would be okay, and they're hoping it wouldn't be necessary for the remaining of the day. Ms. Go is the one driving.
Ket said that his arm is so severely damaged, that he wouldn't grow it back unless he is to die and return to this plane. Haein said perhaps it should be done after they're back to the base, as they couldn't afford the wait time until he returned to this plane, and they might need Ket's ability anytime soon. Haein then discussed with Gears about their inventories, while Ket and Emma decided to have fun in the back seat.
Macan tailed the target until they entered a tunnel. On which Macan realized that Lee Ah Ping threw his arrows around the tunnel and along the tunnel, as he was forced to revert back to his human form due to their presence. Carefully he observed that they entered a maintenance shaft, and couldn't do much as they locked the entrance to the shaft.
Macan left the effective zone of the arrows, and jumped back to Sgt. Chandra's car. His sudden appearance to the car, naked, distracted Djun and Ms. Go for a split second that they almost went out of the road. Macan reported his findings to Michael, which then ordered him to return there and monitor, if anything weird happens, and try to identify and clear away the arrows for when they finally arrived there. Michael handed him spare clothing so he could operate there without attracting attention. Macan promptly obeyed it and jumped off the car.
Neutralized
Macan had just finished cleaning up the arrows, when two OAEVs and a giant babirusa came by the tunnel. Michael ordered Ket to guard the entrance of the tunnel, and Bangkal on the other end. Haein took his team with Ket, and Sgt. Chandra joined Bangkal, as Michael and Macan are to engage with the two Apex souls.
Michael transmuted the maintenance hatch into mercury, and then returned the composition as they melted away. Macan proceeded to enter first, and Michael followed. As they went through the maintenance tunnel, Macan told Michael to stop, and return to the surface, as he detected Argon gas, and that he's the only one able to pass through the gas unharmed, while Michael would suffocate.
Macan found three dead bodies in a confined room, full of argon gas. One is a maintenance officer, then Chen Yun Fei, and Lee Ah Ping. He teleported it back to the surface, on which they loaded the bodies to Haein's car.
Zarah appeared in the entrance, and was held back with Ket and Haein's team. Haein realized they're overwhelmed, and retreated back to their car, while Ket held them up with the shield. They informed Michael, who quickly entered Sgt. Chandra's car, and turn it on.
Macan went ahead to Sgt. Chandra to warn them, only to find that Juan Muerte is already facing Bangkal and Sgt. Chandra's team. Bangkal's body was annihilated, sucked into nothingness, followed by Ms. Go, and Djun. Sgt. Chandra was almost annihilated as well, but Macan came just in time and teleported him back to his car, where Michael is driving.
Macan took over the steering wheel in his human form, as Michael came to the back and calm Sgt. Chandra down, that was emotionally agitated when two more of his team members died in front of his eyes. Michael hugged him up, shook him up, and shouted to get him back to his senses. Michael reminded him, to keep calm now, mourn later. Loss is normal in a battle like this, and mourning is necessary for them to move on, but he must not mourn in the battlefield.
Macan told Michael that they lost Ket on the other end, so behind them, the tunnel collapsed due to Zarah's power, while at the other end the tunnel was disappearing into open space, due to Juan Muerte's power. Michael realized what it means, and he fixed his gaze to Sgt. Chandra.
Last line of defense
"Khobkhun mak nah Phi, thank you very much," said Michael.
"No, you can't do this," said Sgt. Chandra.
Sgt. Chandra's sight blurred with his forming tears. Michael's arms wrapped around Sgt. Chandra, whose arms wrapped around Michael in response. Michael's deep breath could be felt through their chest,
"P'Chan, I'm honored to work in your Section," he paused, "and let me do the honor to protect this Section."
"No, No, don't do this, Nong Mich. Please don't."
"Phom khothut, I am sorry, P'Chan. I must do this."
Tears started to form in Michael's eyes, but he didn't waver, and immediately turned to Macan.
"Macan, keep P'Chan safe."
"Affirmative."
Before Sgt. Chandra could react, Michael jumped over the hatch, and with all of his might, jumped toward Juan Muerte.
Juan Muerte extruded all of his strength to cause Michael to disappear, but with all of his remaining might, against all of his headache intensity, fought back with his power of creation. The power of Shiva the destroyer, and the power of Brahma the creator, tasted each other at the moment. The ground around them quivers.
One to create, another to destroy.
With no Vishnu's power to preserve, it was pure destruction and creation clashing with each other.
Macan and Haein navigated their cars away from Michael and Juan Muerte. Their body stood still, each with their own stance. Each and every vein of their body screamed, and boiled. Lights could be seen to extrude from their skin, which peeled off violently. That night, two screams could be heard.
Sgt. Chandra opened the hatch and looked back to his Nong Mich. He could see the lights from the two still bodies, he believed he could see the two bodies quiver. The next thing he saw was a rapidly growing pitch black orb, devouring the hill, and the tunnel. Then, the pitch black orb cracked and a second sun emerged from its inside.
Sgt. Chandra squinted his eyes so much, he didn't see any of those directly. But that night, everybody around the site, despite their orientation from the orb, disregarding the closure of their eyelids, saw a very sudden, very brief, high intensity blinding blue light, overwhelming their sights.
