Chapter 6 - Message 

 

A few hours before midnight. A blue and pink butterfly sits on the silt of a window, looking inside Kai's room lit by the lamp on his dresser next to his bed. Talin, who's standing on a small stack of books, also on the dresser, coaches Kai who sits on his bed with his lower arm raised.

 

Talin: Okay, now let the energy flow through your body, focus it to your hand.

 

Kai's hand twitches heavily, clearly struggling.

 

Talin: Don't force it out, but don't lose focus. It's sorta like focusing your thoughts in one direction while letting the others roam wild.

 

Kai: You know that's contradictory, right!?

 

While Kai's main focus switches from his hand to Talin, subconsciously, an energy ball forms from his hand.

 

Kai: Woah! I did it!

 

Talin: See? Passively letting your thoughts of releasing energy run wild so you could bark at me was what you needed!

 

Kai pats Talin's head with his finger.

 

Kai: Don't get cocky just cause you could give me an "I told you so". Haha.

 

Placing both of his hands on the floor, Kai then proceeds to do his pushups from his workout routine.

 

Kai: I've noticed using this ability drains my stamina, so it's all the more important I keep my training up! It's a really good thing I got into this when I was younger. 

 

Talin: push-ups work better for you. Sit ups were starting to hurt your stomach to a worrying degree.

 

Kai: Yeah, I'm pretty happy I switched what I did for my routine! …Wait, how did you-

 

A door jiggle interrupts Kai's line of thinking. Saiko is the one who opens the door.

 

Kai: Oh, Saiko. What's up?

Saiko: Team meeting, 5 minutes. Get your brother.

Kai: Sure.

 

Kai finishes his routine, picks up and wears his emblem, grabs Talin and walks over to Ano's bedroom. He opens the room and stands in the doorway, causing Ano's attention from his phone to drift to the figure in his doorway.

 

Kai: Team meeting, 5 minutes, don't be late punk.

Ano: Okay, shit-breath.

 

5 minutes pass, and everyone sits in the living room.

 

Ano: Lemme guess, Captain John's on a mission?

Saiko: Actually, it's the reason I called this meeting in the first place. We got a message sent to everyone else in the school. And Captain John told me to play it to you guys before he left.

 

Saiko places her phone onto the living room table, and presses the play button of the video. The video turns on, showing a young woman who looks similar to the girl who just turned the video on.

Kai: Woah, is that your sister, Saiko?

Saiko: Yep, she only comes here when the Elite Guardian Squad is called for by District Leader Lucas.

Zeke: Wow, something cool must be happening!

 

Sarah: Good evening, to everyone who's watching this. We're recording and sending this video to inform you all that we've possibly found the hideout for the group "Shadow Sun".

 

A map appears next to Sarah in the video, showing a wide block of the city.

 

Sarah: We're shutting down, as well as restricting any access and activity around 712 Burker Street. For your safety, please stay home and await further instructions from your Captain…

 

The camera focuses back on Sarah, as she takes a second and untenses her voice.

 

Sarah: Now, this is where the recording is supposed to end… but I want to make this part specifically for you, Saiko. Your Captain will be joining us on this mission… So even with no supervision, I expect you to stay put!

 

Saiko's face tenses up, knowing she'd hear this.

 

Sarah: I know you'll want to try and do this with your team. That, even though it's breaking the rules, if you and your team can pull It off, it'd be the best victory any rookie Guardian could ever make, and your credit and respect would rise fast. I know this because I raised you… but this is not a situation where "surprising everybody" and "proving yourself" is just gonna fly by.

 

Ano expresses a concerned look as Saiko continues to face the floor, letting these sentences circle in her head.

 

Sarah: If you try anything, your defect and your team will not be an excuse to avoid punishment. So… Be good, ok?

 

The video message ends, followed by deafening silence.

 

Saiko: …I think we should-

Ano: No!

Saiko: Wait! Here me out!

Ano: Saiko, think about this. We can barely handle 1 of those Shadow Sun guys as a team, how can we fight the whole group?

Saiko: But, if we come up with a plan -

Ano: We're staying out of this, and that's that.

Saiko: Guys, think about it. This could be our only chance to do something this grand! If we pull it off, we could get the highest recognition from our superiors, proving we have a reason to bear these robes. Come on! 

Ano: Or, it could just get us in trouble, or worse.

Saiko: We're the only ones who've been dealing with these guys! We know how they fight! 

Ano: Even if we knew thaf, how could we deal with possibly 10 or more of them?

Saiko: …Guys, what do you think?

Zeke: …It could be exciting! Besides, we started this fight with them, we should be the ones to finish it!

Ano: Zeke, it's not that simple. I'm the oldest here right now, guys. I'm putting my foot down.

Saiko: …Kai?

Kai: ...I think Ano has a point… I mean- 

 

Before he can finish saying his thoughts, the memory of his mother calling him "nothing more than an offspring of his curse" flashes in his mind.

 

Kai: …But, then again, Saiko has a point!

Ano: Kai-

Kai: Imagine it! If we pull it off, we'd get to prove ourselves, even as rookies! 

Ano: …I can't stop you idiots, can I?

 

Silence answers his question.

 

Ano: …I'm coming with, but only to make sure things go as safely as they can. 

Zeke: Alright! 

Saiko: Okay, let's come up with a plan.

On the first floor of the parking garage where Shadow Sun hides. Slain and Rico sit on their own wooden boxes, with Slain laying on his back, in the middle of a story.

 

Slain: And then I had to bail Michael out while he repaired the bikes!

Rico: *laughs* Sounds like the perfect way to end a robbery.

Slain: Heh, yeah. You should've seen Carlos' face when he found out Micheal left the gas running.

Rico: Still, holding off a bunch of guards like that. You sound like a reliable guy.

Slain: I wanna be. After all, someone had to look after those 2.

Rico: It'd had to be you?

Slain: Yeah. They got kicked out of their houses, and I wanted to live on my own. We've been friends since we met back in highschool…

 

Slain sits up, turning serious.

 

Slain: I'm not gonna rest until I break em out.

You are reading story World Of Sync at novel35.com

 

Team Aura stops their roof hopping at a parking garage. They hop down to the ground, and dash over to the back of the garage. Where a door to a room is.

 

Kai: You feel anything, Zeke?

Zeke: I sense Slain and the ice girl in there.  And I also sense a couple of people under here!

Saiko: Okay, it's time for the plan. Everyone ready?

 

Saiko, Ano and Kai step back from Zeke, who's charging electricity in his Sync Bolt Boots. After just a few seconds, he immediately blasts through the door, hopping around the place and attacking Slain and Rico to distract them. The 2 express their confusion before bringing out their Syncs and engaging in combat. Saiko And Ano join the fight as Kai stands back in the hole-wale of the wall, keeping his arm pointed forward. His eyes closed, and mind focused. Ano forms an ice wall to block Rico's ice-covered punch, but she immediately breaks through it and shoots ice shards at him. He quickly gets out of the way, not without some of them landing damage, as she Saiko threads the ice chunk from the wall on the floor, and tosses one of them at Rico and the other at Slain. Slain slashes it, taking his attention from Zeke who lands a kick in his stomach, but gets blasted by a wave of fire that Slain slashes at him as he jumps away. His attention turns to Kai, and charges at him before Zeke zaps back over and dropkicks Slain.

 

As the brawl continues on, Kai suddenly shoots open his eyes and shouts that he's ready. Ano freezes Rico's legs to the ground as Saiko forms a great amount of thread around Slain's waist and Zeke kicks him in Rico's direction. The 2 slam into each other, still on their feet. But the rookies get out of Kai's line of sight, and a giant blue blast of energy rockets out of Kai's hand,

 blowing him back in the process.

Rico quickly breaks the ice and expands her ice arm to block her and Slain, but the impact of the blast knocks them out cold. Saiko ties them up with their thread, laying them against the wall.

 

The rest of Aura runs over to Kai, congratulating him on his work, before Ano has to hold him up from the ground.

 

Kai: That, *huff* took a lot out of me… I'm sorry, but, *huff* you guys are gonna have to pick up my slack.

Ano: It's okay, just catch your breath.

 

Ano holds Kai up as Zeke zaps over to one of the lights on the ceiling in the room with Ano building an ice platform for him to stand on. 

 

Saiko (in thought): After we take down any guards around the hideout, we'll use Zeke to cause a black out, causing confusion for Shadow Sun off, giving us the chance to capture them.

 

Zeke unscrews the lightbulb, and sends a flurry of Electric Aura from his finger into the socket. The overload of electricity causes the building's power to short out. With this, the 4 head downstairs into the underground making their way to where Zeke can sense the rest of Shadow Sun.

 

Fanz: What are we gonna do!? Those Elite Guardians are gonna come down here and kick our ass before we can even-

 

The cloaked girl he's panicking too raises a finger to her mouth, signaling him to be quiet. The hallway they're in becomes much more silent 

 

Naria: Hush up, okay? My dad laid this plan out perfectly with Sui, it's up to us to actually pull it off. 

 

The silence of the hallway disappears as footsteps start getting louder.

 

Naria: *gasp* They're coming! Get ready!

 

Aura continues running down the hallway before Zeke instructs them to take a left, they see a man keeping a portal open with a cloaked figure standing next to him. He looks surprised at them and opens a portal as a cloaked figure jumps in.

 

Fanz: E-escape, Leader! We can't let you get captured!

Saiko: We can't let them get away!

 

Saiko threads the guy's legs to keep him from moving as everyone dashes quickly through the portal. After Kai, the last one, gets through, they get their bearings in the dark room just to realize the cloaked figure was hiding next to the portal, immediately hopping back through. The portal disappears with Saiko shouting no in desperation, before a familiar voice starts speaking.

 

Wallus: Huh, I was told the Elite Guardian Squad would be the ones ambushing our hideout. And I'd have to damage them as much as possible before our next phase… instead, it's you kids. 

 

The kids get into their battle position as Wallus talks, standing up from the table he was sitting on. He lifts it up from its edge.

 

Wallus: Nonetheless… I'll act accordingly.

 

He chucks the table through the roof as he manages to quickly hop up through the hole. Saiko, Kai and Zeke hold onto Ano as he raises an ice platform to give chase. Once they reach the roof of the parking garage Ano's ice platform fills the hole of the roof as Team Aura stands ready to fight Wallus.

 

The battle quickly starts as Zeke zaps over to his side and kicks him across the face, landing on his opposite side before running behind him dodging a fist. Ano throws an icicle at Wallus with him catching it before groaning in his mind as it quickly explodes. Kai jumps at Wallus and punches him across the face, immediately being punched back in the gut and onto the floor. Saiko swings her thread through the air and chucks broken ice chucks Ano gave her, forcing Wallus to block. He turns around to Zeke, noticing his Aura was building. Zeke shouts "clap!" causing the rest of his team to close their eyes. He claps his hands causing a flash of lightning to shine from them. Disorienting Wallus, Zeke leaps into the air and performs a downward kick. Wallus gets his bearings and sees Zeke just before he lands the kick, his last thought before initiating the next phase-

 

Wallus (in mind): …Perfect.

 

The kick lands, with a strike of lightning unleashing from the hit. Wallus falls on his back, seemingly unconscious. 

 

Kai: …Yes!! 

 

Saiko falls to her knees in disbelief. Zeke walks over to the others, tackling Kai with a hug. 

Saiko quickly ties Wallus' arms to his side with thread, making sure one of Shadow Sun's elite fighters is unable to move.

 

Saiko: We… Really did it.

Ano: I can't believe we pulled off something this reckless. We should be dead.

Zeke: We're just that awesome, I guess!

Kai: Alright! Let's hurry back down and-

???: Your skills are impressive.

 

The 4 stand still in fear, hearing this chilling voice. Wallus suddenly sinks in a portal summoned underneath him with Saiko's shocked shouting to stop doing nothing. 

A figure leaps from the same portal, landing on the edge of the roof.

Xalyan: But, they will not save you.

 

The team huddles closer, unsure and afraid of the circumstances that just sprung in front of them

 

Xalyan: Feeling Wallus suddenly suppress his Aura, I expected to come face to face with those Elite Guardians. But this… is much more appreciated.

Talin: Kai, take your friends and get out of here!

Kai: Wait, you know him!?

Talin: I- I think I did! I feel… an incredible amount of malice from him!!

 

Xalyan hops from the ledge and slowly walks towards them.

 

Xalyan: There is a fascinating story, of how my closest friend somehow became a Sync. And now resides in the hands of a child. And no matter how much hatred I have for what he did, I still will not part from him again. 

 

He points at Kai, with no care for anyone else.

Xalyan: You, blue haired child, please, hand me your Sync.

 

Ano, Zeke and Saiko stand in front of Kai, ready to fight.

 

Xalyan: I do not wish to hurt any of you, but I'm not leaving without him.

Zeke: If you want him, you're gonna have to fight first!

 

Zeke zaps over to Xalyan and swings a kick, but not only does Xalyan block it with no effort, dark purplish Aura swirls around his hand, absorbing Zeke's Electric Aura and swirling back into his hand.

 

Xalyan: …So be it.

 

The brutal fight begins as Xalyan quickly overpowers Zeke, grabbing his ankle with the hand he blocked with and slamming him into the ground twice, before tossing him into the air and kicking him into the nearby door that leads to the roof. Ano immediately tries to attack next, but Xalyan dodges the attempts of ice waves before they even get close to reaching him. He uses his dark aura swirl around his arm to absorb big chunks of the Ice as he dashes towards Ano, and nails him right in the face, causing him to fly a little before hitting the floor. Saiko tries to thread his waist before he moves to Kai, but Xalyan grabs the line of thread she's holding onto to hold him and yanks her over, kicking her in the face, as she rolls back on the floor she stands back up and threads a big piece of debree from the ground where Zeke was smashed into and chucks it at Xalyan who's already broken the ice Ano tried putting on his legs and dashing towards her. He swats the debree but is intercepted by Kai and Ano who leap in front of him. Ano builds an ice wall that's immediately broken, followed by Kai shooting an energy ball that's dodged. Saiko goes to check on Zeke while the 2 keep Xalyan busy,  who gets back up after he gets his bearings. 

 

The brothers desperately struggle to land a hit on the leader of Shadow Sun, but constantly get thrown to the ground. He dropkicks Ano, landing on his hand, then spin kicks him in the face as he tries to get back up. He dashes over to Kai and as soon as he prepares a strike, Zeke ambushes him, unleashing a flurry of lightning fast attacks, pushing him back, Xalyan consistently blocks all of them, absorbing aura bit by bit before he throws a punch that lands on Zeke's face. Saiko threads his arm suspended in air, as Zeke quickly uses both feet charged with electricity to kick Xalyan back. Despite blocking and absorbing, he still goes back and Saiko yanks the arm back, causing massive arm pain. He rips the thread off and crosses both of them, charging his dark aura before swinging them out, sending a massive wave of dark aura that pushes everyone back to each other.

 

He stands tall, staring at the kids as they regroup. His attention slowly dawn's over to Kai, and looking at the blue marking on his face reminiscent of his old friend. Anger builds up inside him before shouting it out, dashing over to the team who dash back in response. all of them launch into the air and attempt a full team strike but are all taken down 1 by 1 in blinding speed. With Kai getting pinned by his neck against the roof's ledge.

 

Xalyan: Look at you,Talin! Bound to a child that can't fight! Why couldn't you have just listened to me!?

 

Kai, struggling for air, inconspicuously aims his hands downwards to the ground. He shoots a blast through the ground, causing Xalyan to fall through. And for safe measure, Kai, while holding onto the ledge, does another blast at the expense of his already brutally bruised and tired body, sending a slightly weakened Xalyan through another floor. Kai weakly runs around the wall before collapsing near the others who get up and get each other out of there. While on Ano's back as he rides an ice wave, a half awake Kai notices

Fanz with an open portal down In the alley where the first fight of the night happened. Slain, Rico, and Wallus hop through it.

 

The team spend a bit getting away before resting on a roof. A portal spawns close to them on another roof before someone steps through and sees them, the person goes back in the portal, and it disappears, with a new one spawning in front of the bruised kids. And fear showers over them when they recognize who walked through.

 

Captain John: You kids aren't supposed to be here!