Chapter Seven

Part One: The Fateful Meeting 

 

 They arrived at the Federation airship. It’s sleek design of its metal exterior reflected the light of the 3 moons. It had the grand symbol of the Evangelists plastered on its side. It’s landing gear pierced the ground below. Duo pulled out her Slate and tapped the screen. With a beep the double doors of the airship opened, allowing a metal ramp to extend down. 

“I can’t believe it… after 7 long years. We’re actually leaving our Enclosure.” Sighed Fives as he gripped his armband. 

Duo made sure that the Airship was ready for flight. The engine blasted to life and blew Quill’s luscious hair directly into Fives’ face. 

“Phwah! I-I can’t see!” He cried out as he frantically tried to get her hair out of his eyes. 

Not long after, Duo came back down the ramp. “Hey you three, hop on. We have to get to the Southern Enclosure.” She ordered while beckoning Dart, Quill and Fives to get onto the aircraft. 

They didn’t hesitate and they walked up the ramp into the hangar of the Airship. As the double doors slowly closed, Dart peeked through the crack to look out at the ruins of the Frontline Enclosure one last time. The doors closed behind them and the engine purred. 

“This is so exciting!” Cheered Quill as the airship began to lift off. She immediately went over to sit in a seat by a window.

The aircraft retracted its landing gear and flew off from the Enclosure and into the open night sky. Dart sighed as she watched her home disappear into the distance. This was new, and it scared her. Quill had her face pressed up against the window as she looked down at the land below. She stared in absolute awe, she could see for miles. Dart glanced out the window, for once her sight of the horizon wasn’t blocked by the walls of the Evangelist Federation, but now they were flying over it. She faintly smiled. Her fear for the future soon turned to hope. These past few days have been nothing but turmoil, but at the end of it all, here she was. Miles above in the sky, flying in an airship with her team. An experience some units will never have. She looked over at Quill who was still glued to the windows, each breath she took fogged up the glass. Fives on the other hand, looked like he was having a hard time. His eyes were almost going cross.

“Guys…I think I’m going to be sick-“ he cried out. Fives gagged and quickly covered his mouth. 

“We’re so high up! You’re really missing out on the sights! Too bad you're afraid of heights.” Snickered Quill mischievously. 

Duo walked in from the cockpit of the airship into the cargo hold, which is where everyone was. For once she wasn’t armed with her two hook claws, nor was she wearing her military hat, allowing her ashen-brown hair to flow freely. 

“Hello you three, I never exactly introduced myself. I am Captain 492-Z…or well, you can also call me Duo.” She Claimed, she decided to ease up on the formalities. Maybe Arsyle was finally getting to her. 

“Nice to meet you ma’am! At first I thought you were a little scary but…You seem nice enough!” Blurted out Fives without thinking. 

Dart stepped forward and grabbed Fives and put him into a headlock. “I am sorry about him. Forgive him for he’s…yeah he’s an idiot sometimes.” She chuckled as she ruffled his hair. 

Fives snatched himself out of her grasp and folded his arms like an angry little kid. Dart winked at him.

Duo lightly chuckled. “Oh…well don’t worry. I don’t bite.” Then she seemed to genuinely ponder if she did. 

“…I think.” 

Dart gave Duo a side eye. She knew they briefly got into it before they got onto the airship earlier, but Dart didn’t want to antagonize her whatsoever. She was just having a hard time. 

“So, who are you three? Why are you so important to these Intrinsic?” Asked Duo curiously. She knew they were anything too special, and yet.

Quill briefly took her face off of the window. Dart exchanged looks with her teammates. 

“My name is Dart, and that girl over there, looking out the window, is Quill.” She Introduced. 

“I’m Fives! Also known as the, Ahem- best member of Batch:26A.” He declared, all full of himself. Quill scoffed at his comment; returning to looking out of the window. 

“We aren’t sure why that one Intrinsic is so interested in our Batch yet, but I can definitely say that I’m curious.” Responded Dart. She knew deep down that this Soleria Illow person must've had a pretty interesting reason to want the lowest performing units.

However, before Duo could say another word the pilot of the airship called for her. Duo paused and looked back at the cockpit with a sigh. 

“Oh well, duty calls…” Duo awkwardly rolls her shoulders back. “Uhm, it was nice to meet you all. I have to return to my post.” Ended Duo as she turned to leave towards the front of the ship.

As Duo walked away from them, the trio all looked at each other. Then in the corner of their eyes they saw it. It was the time when the day chased away the cloak of night. The sunrise shined the warmest hues of the rainbow, the colors that brought tranquility to their soul. It was the calling of something great, a new day. Dart’s faint smile faded, and Quill turned around to look at her team. She noticed Fives was looking a little pale.

“Are you feeling alright? Is the altitude getting to you again?” She asked, actually sounding concerned this time around.

Fives rapidly shook his head no as he covered his mouth. “N-no! I’m not afraid of heights! It’s the air- it’s a little stuffy.” He lied. He was extremely nauseous; he was going to puke up everything he’s ever eaten if they didn’t land soon. 

Soleria stood in front of a giant doorway. She was impatiently tapping her foot on the brick pathway below her. It was sunrise, and the morning wind brought with it a chill. She reached into her pocket and looked at her Slate’s screen, and sighed. 

“Still no message from Arsyle…ugh I hope everything is going well.” She mumbled as she put her Slate back into her pocket. She woke up bright and early so she would be able to be the first to meet her new units, but there was no sign of them. 

She was standing in front of the doors of a building called The Beacon, a large tower located in the Southern Enclosure. This monolith of a facility seemed to touch the sky; it was the tallest building for miles in any direction. Soleria felt awkward just standing there, this was the first time she’s ever been outside of the 5th core, and now she was standing a mile away from an Enclosure. She felt out of her element.

She waited for a few moments and then checked her Slate again, expecting a different result. 

“I'm sorry to tell you this, Illow, but Arsyle doesn’t exactly use technology to communicate like that.” said a soft voice from behind her. 

Soleria quickly turned to see Millue Constance standing there with a smile. She sighed a sigh of relief when she saw it was just her. 

“Arsyle has always been opposed to using new age technology like Slates, and flying in aircrafts! You’d be better off waiting for a letter from him!” Said Millue jokingly with a little giggle. 

“Oh! Millue Constance! You’re here!” Smiled Soleria as she looked over at her fellow Intrinsic. “Thank you again for allowing me to borrow this building from you!” 

Millue grinned as she looked up at The Beacon behind them. “Of course! I didn’t use this tower for anything anyways. It was hardly a hassle to hand it over!” 

Soleria looked over at Millue Constance, her small stature didn’t reflect her presence. Soleria couldn’t help but notice how thrilled she seemed that everything was working out for her, and for some reason it was disturbing to her. 

“Millue, you’ve never liked me. Yet you’ve been nothing but supportive of my plan to save humanity. How come?” She asked curiously. Soleria was in fact grateful for her help; if it wasn’t for Millue she surely wouldn’t have made it this far.

“I want to help out anyway I can, since you are doing the impossible after all.” Millue put her hands to her cheeks and gave Soleria a smile. “And when you fail, you’ll know that you were given every opportunity! There will be no one else to blame but yourself!”

“To be quite frank...That’s the real tragedy here!”

Soleria froze. Her eyes were glued to Millue’s dark blue gaze, and shallow smile. That response shocked her but, could she even be mad at Millue? 

“I…appreciate the help.” Mumbled Soleria while looking down at the ground. She suspected there was a reason she was being so helpful, but to think that was it. “I’m…sorry to disappoint you though, Constance. I won’t fail. I will prove to you, Cephyr and everyone on the 5th Core council that the Humans are worth the trouble.” Declared Soleria while looking up at Millue. 

She smiled once more, unfazed by Soleria’s words. “Okay!” She began to walk away. “I hope you can back those words up, Illow! For your sake!”

She turned to give Soleria a tiny little wave. Her smile seemed brighter but her eyes had no signs of kindness behind them. “I’ll be gone now! Please don’t wait out here all morning, Okay?”

Millue had an airship waiting for her at the nearby landing port.

Soleria watched as she waltzed away to return to her home within the 5th Core, leaving her standing alone in front of the building. Her eyes trailed the airship as it acensended and flew away into the distant sky. Then out of the blue, her Slate vibrated. Soleria quickly pulled out her screen and read what it said. Her golden eyes went from distressed to thrilled within seconds. 

“Finally! Here they come!” She exclaimed.

  Meanwhile the airship Dart and her team were in, arrived in the airspace of the Northern Enclosure. It  descended onto the landing pad of the Enclosure. It made several loud clunking noises as the airship's landing gear deployed. The airship they arrived in was just one of many that were lined about the landing zone. There were also large airships, metallic, zeppelin-like vehicles, parked on the dock. That was far larger than the airship the trio arrived in. The ramp to their aircraft extended from the exit doors. The clank of the ramp touching the ground echoed. Dart looked out the airship and there in the distance was The Beacon. A tall facility that casted its shadow over everyone and the dock. It’s sleek design had a regal look to it. Like a sci- fi medieval tower. That tower loomed over it all.

“I can’t believe we’re here…in the Southern Enclosure.” Said Fives, staring at every bit of the landing port in absolute awe. 

It was a landing pad with a few huge containers scattered about. A complex surrounded by living quarters that resembled more like small apartments than barracks. The roads, instead of being dirt, were paved and lined with grey bricks. 

“It’s so beautiful here…” Marvelled Quill at the architecture of the South Enclosure. It was nothing like the Enclosure they were from; it was like a small town here.

There was a scoff that rang out from behind the trio. It was Duo. “Don’t let that fool you…” She muttered. 

Duo, now wearing her hat once again, walked off of the airship and joined Batch:26A. “Welcome to the Southern Enclosure within the walls of the Evangelist Federation.” She introduced, as if she was presenting a project.

Dart looked around the new location, and then at Duo. She looked like she didn’t want to be here. Then, Duo’s Slate beeped, and her face eased up slightly. She was receiving a notification. The brunette soldier pulled out the device and read it. It was a message from one of the Abyssus units accompanying Arsyle Cosme. Since he doesn’t use Slates he usually has those around him send important messages.

“Hmm. I see” muttered Duo to herself as she adjusted the hat on her head. She turned to Dart, after reading the Slate. She was given a very specific order by Arsyle, and she planned on carrying it out flawlessly.

“You, 773A, do you consider yourself the team leader for the Batch?” Asked the Captain. Duo’s stern silver eyes stared down Dart.

Dart paused for a moment. “No I don’t…we all work together as a unit.” She stated.

Duo lifted an eyebrow. She personally thought otherwise, it was obvious to her that Dart had the drive and passion enough for both of her teammates. The brief argument they had previously was proof of that, at least to Duo. The way Dart snapped at her, proves she’s not afraid of confrontation. Fives turned to Dart with a confused face. Dart was always like the older sister to the Batch, at the very least that’s how he viewed her. 

“Whaat??? You’re totally the team leader Dart!” Exclaimed Fives without hesitation. 

“We wouldn’t be able to survive a day without you…”mumbled Quill in a hopeless tone. “You’re like an anchor for us!”

“Heh, well now Quill I wouldn’t say all that! But Dart is definitely the most dependable out of us three!” Added Fives happily, but his smile faded when he realized what he just labeled himself as. 

“N-not that I’m not reliable-“ He sputtered awkwardly.

Dart fell silent. She didn’t feel like the team leader, however, if she had been, what was she leading them to? Was she leading them to failure? 

Duo looked upon Dart, and she could see it on her face that being called the team leader was bothering her.

“Well, 773A-Ahem, Dart I mean. If you weren't a team leader before, I think it’s time to step up as one now.” Ordered Duo as she began to walk. 

But she didn’t make it far. Duo froze in her tracks when she saw who was coming their way. 

  In the distance a girl with dark flowing golden hair approached the landing pad. Duo warily looked over at her and pointed. “And that is the very Intrinsic that has summoned you here. It seems she came here to greet you in person.”

Soleria walked up to the group, everyone’s eyes turned to her. Soleria could feel her heart begin to race, as her breath began to get shaky. Soleria exhaled, she didn’t want her first meeting to be ruined by her nervousness. She fixed her composure and smiled at the trio. Fives and Quill stared at her in awe, to them her aura was nothing like any of the Intrinsic they’ve met before. Soleria has the gold eyes and hair of a citizen of the Evangelist, and she wore the same regal outfit Arsyle had on, but she carried herself like a saint. 

Dart looked over at Soleria. They immediately locked eyes. They were almost like two opposites; unaware they were destined to collide. Dart could see the gentleness in her charmingly golden eyes, but she also could see there was something else behind them. It was faint, but to her it looked like her kindness was only skin deep. Soleria stared back into the eyes of Dart, she was greeted with the intense glare of her cobalt colored pupils. She’s never seen anyone with a hair color like Dart’s; her shaggy dark blue hair and bangs blew in the morning breeze. They couldn’t quite place it but they both almost immediately found each other intriguing, for better or worse. 

  No one said a word, which only was for a brief moment, it felt like an eternity. To be quite honest, Soleria wasn’t sure what to say. This was the first time she’s even laid eyes on a human from the Restoration project, and now she was their Observer. 

“So, you’re the Intrinsic that called for us. We’ve…been hearing a lot about you.” Said Dart, being the first one to break the silence.

Soleria reached out her hand. She gave Dart a warm smile, but Dart didn’t return the hospitality. “Yes, I am. I’ve heard quite a bit about you all as well.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you Batch:26A”