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The City of Lost Hope "Look at that..." Robert said. "I remember this place. The grass used to be green." Vince, Stephanie, Alice, and Robert were flying across the countryside in their hovercraft. Robert sat in the pilot seat, steering the Quantum Saviors' silver flyer. Alice, who sat in the front row passenger seat, looked out the window. "Oh, good Heavens!" she exclaimed. "It's all burned." Alice Zeng spoke true. Where before there was a lush grass, there was now only dark earth. Here and there, there were patches of remaining grass, but it was all yellow, dried, and dead. None of it retained its previous healthy green color. "The Demon Army must have come through here," Robert guessed, "bringing all their Hellfire with them." In the back seat, just behind his sister, Vince gazed at the ceiling above him. Stephanie, who sat right next to him, quickly noticed his behavior and spoke up. "Vince, are you all right?" she asked in a soft voice. Slowly, Vince turned to face her. "I'm just thinking," he said quietly. "That's all." "What are you thinking about?" Steph asked, still keeping her soft, sweet voice. "Lots of things." Vince paused. In the few seconds of silence, they could hear the hum of the hovercraft's engine. "I wonder if Mindy survived." "Mindy..." Stephanie said. "Vince, you care about her, don't you?" Vince made no reply. "It's all right," Steph continued. "I understand." For the next few minutes, no one said a word. It had been a couple of days since Persephone revealed her dark schemes at Gehenna. Since then, the world felt so dark and gloomy, more so than ever before. It was bad enough that the recent war between Alliatus and Shadow had forced them out of their homes. Now that they had seen the devastation the demons could cause, they felt even more insecure, even more lost. There wasn't much they could do to escape the destruction. The only place they felt safe was up in the air, and as such, for the last few days, they only landed to buy food and fuel. And thinking about buying food and fuel worried Stephanie. She reached over and popped open a compartment in the front row. Removing and opening a pouch, Stephanie quickly counted the coins and bills inside. "We're running out of money," she said simply. Vince turned to face her. Steph continued to explain, "Back when we were in Omicron, they gave us food, a place to live, and best of all, some cash. But then, ever since you pulled us out of Omicron, we stopped getting paid, and now, we're running out of money again." "Steph, you know I had to pull you out of Omicron," Vince replied. "I know, I know," Steph said, tears drifting down her face from frustration. "I know it was the right thing to do, but we still need money. Now, we only have enough to buy one meal for one person." "Steph, it's okay," Vince quickly spoke as he put his arm around her and held her close. "It's okay. We'll figure something out. You know we always do." "I know," Steph said, crying on Vince's shoulder. "But I'm still worried." Vince let Stephanie cry. By now, there wasn't much he could do. Ever since they left Gehenna, all four of them had suffered a bit of depression. Robert decided to interrupt. "Hey, I'm getting kinda bored," he said. "You guys have any place in mind we should go?" Vince thought about it for a few seconds. "Neo Aurora," he simply replied. "Neo Aurora? Are you crazy?" Robert shouted. "That place got nuked. It's completely irradiated." "No, not the city itself," Vince explained. "Land just outside of it. I think we should pay our respects to the people who died there. It's the least we can do." "All right," Robert agreed to it. "But if we get sick from radiation poisoning and die, it'll be your fault." "We won't die," Vincent replied. "What is this place?" Vince asked as he stepped off the hovercraft. Robert had managed to fly to Neo Aurora in just a day and a half. However, the place they landed, it didn't look like a ruined city. No, Robert had landed the hovercraft on a short but wide stony hill. Vince gazed at the surroundings. "It's completely barren," he said. "No plants, grass, or trees anywhere!" "According to the guidebook, it's always been like this," Robert said. He still sat inside the hovercraft, reading a small red book. "This is Lurias Plateau. Over there, there's a cliff overlooking the city. According to the guidebook, back in the olden days, commanders used Lurias Plateau as a command center when attacking Neo Aurora. But since the stone is so rocky here, no one was ever able to build a permanent outpost here." "Well, that's enough chit-chat," Alice energetically proclaimed. "Let's get this sight-seeing tour over with. I'm hungry!" "So am I," Steph replied as she, too, climbed out of the hovercraft, "but we're out of money. We can't buy any food." "Oh, why do we always run out of money when I'm hungry!" Alice complained. "Well, that's because we have no money to buy you food," Steph explained. "And then you get hungry." Vince was no longer listening to his girlfriend and his sister arguing. He wanted to see the city. He had already started walking toward the cliff. It was almost as though he were being drawn to it. From above, Lurias Plateau didn't seem that big, but now as he walked across it, it certainly seemed a lot bigger. In fact, as he walked, he estimated that the plateau was about twice as long as a football field. Finally, he arrived at the cliff-side. Neo Aurora didn't look so much destroyed as it looked abandoned. The lack of cars and people was what disturbed him the most. There were cracks on some of the buildings, and Vince could only see one fallen building, but for the most part, there was very little damage. Of course, this was only the view from the edge. At the city's center, where the nuke hit, there must have been heavy damage. "Neo Aurora," he heard a woman's voice say. "This... this was my hometown. I ran away from home when I was young, and I only came back once, but... but..." The voice broke into tears. "I can't believe it's gone!" "It's all right, my dear," came a man's voice. "It's just a city. When we get the money, I'll build you a new city, a better city, and we can call it New Neo Aurora!" Vince thought he recognized these voices. They seemed so familiar. The woman laughed. "You don't know what Neo Aurora means, do you?" "Apparently not," the man replied. "Or you wouldn't be laughing." The voices came from below. Vince moved closer to the edge and looked down. The cliff was serrated, as though it were staircase built for giants. At the step just below him, Jennie Saulliet and Gregor Tortoris sat against the cliff wall, gazing at the ruined city. For a second, Vince was paralyzed with panic. Then, he slowly took a few steps back. He didn't want to risk Jennie or Gregor seeing him. "Hey, Vince!" Alice shouted. "Wait for us!" Vince spun around to see his little sister running toward him, an unusually bright smile on her face. "Quiet!" he half-yelled, half-whispered. "Wait a minute..." came Jennie's voice. "I recognize those voices." Vince turned around just in time to see Jennie leaping onto the cliff-side. "You!" she yelled. "What are you doing here?" "Who is it?" came Gregor's voice. He, too, leapt up into view. "Oh. It's the Inferno Fiend. What did you come here for?" "I-I came to pay my respects to the dead," Vince explained. "I don't care," Jennie screamed, taking a few steps forward. "Go away!" "That's not what you're supposed to say," Gregor said as he placed his hand on Jennie's shoulder. Suddenly, from all directions, dust gathered and covered Gregor's body, hardening into a huge boulder. Then, the stone shattered, revealing the Dark Fiend of the Land, complete with his claws and turtle shell armor. "Last time, I made a promise to kill you," Gregor said. Lowering his body and assuming a fighting stance, he roared, "Today, I will!" Vince almost didn't have time to react. Magma poured forth from the pores of his skin and formed red armor, just as the Land Fiend's claws struck. The Dark Fiend of the Inferno then leapt back, throwing fireballs. In reaction, the Land Fiend blocked with his clawed gauntlets. The explosion was magnificent. Even Vince had to take a step back. However, before the dust settled, a shape of water shot through the smoke and caught Vince. Somehow, it managed to lift him off the ground. The mass of water held Vince steady, and suddenly, Vince could remember the pain again. Suddenly, a Holy shot sped by and slammed into the Dark Fiend of the Storm. Immediately, Vince dropped to the floor and rolled away. "Don't you dare try to kill Vince," came Stephanie's voice, angry but determined. Apparently, she had run over to the cliff-side when she had heard the commotion. "I'll help, too," Alice said, drawing her particle blaster. "No, it's too dangerous," Stephanie shouted back. Alice wanted to fight. "But--" "No, listen to Stephanie," Vince groaned. "Go back to the hovercraft." "Yeah," Robert agreed. "Those two can really fight. All we can do is shoot guns." With that, Robert grabbed Alice and dragged her back to the hovercraft. No sooner had Robert and Alice left than did the Storm Fiend begin her attack. A stream of water flew to Vince, but Stephanie stepped in and blocked with a Holy Shield. "Get out of my way!" Jennie screamed. "Of course not," Steph calmly replied. "We both know that Vince has a weakness to water, so if you fight him, you'll win too easily. That is why I can't let you get to him." "That is why I have to get him!" Jennie shouted back. Jennie dashed at Stephanie. Her legs wrapped in water, she glided across the rocky ground. However, Steph quickly leapt out of the way and slashed Jennie with the blade on the bottom of her staff. "No one hurts my Jennie!" Gregor roared as he leapt to attack Steph. However, something tackled him in mid-air. "No one hurts my Steph," Vince replied. Vince pinned Gregor to the floor, but the Land Fiend simply laughed. Suddenly, he fell right through the solid ground and came back up right behind Vince. "What the hell?" Vince asked. Gregor gave him a mighty punch, sending the Inferno Fiend rolling away. "I remember Lydia once told me about her skills as the Dark Fiend of the Sky," Gregor said. "She told me she could manipulate the air so that she could move through it faster than anyone else. Well, what if I did the same thing with the Earth? What if I manipulated dirt and stone so that I could move through it?" "Move through... the Earth?" Vince asked as he climbed to his feet. "That's right," Gregor answered. "I can make it so that the ground opens up just enough to let me through. Then, I can move through the Earth just as easily as Lydia moves through the air. It's all about control." Suddenly, Gregor sank into the ground again, only to resurface and grab behind Vince from behind. "Too bad for you," he said, "that there are no natural flames for you to swim through." Elsewhere, Stephanie noted that Vince was in trouble. "But I can't help him," she thought. "If the Storm Fiend gets to him, it'll be even worse. I have to focus all my energies in keeping her away from Vince." The Dark Fiend of the Storm raised her arms. Water magic flowed over them, forming long, sharp blades. Then, with a battle cry, she sped herself toward Stephanie. Again, she leapt out of the way and tried to slash Jennie with the blade end of her staff. This time, however, the Storm Fiend abruptly curled out of the way. In reflex, Stephanie hopped backwards, but something caught her the front side. Steph fell to the ground. Jennie had sliced through her blouse and cut a gash in her belly. It wasn't too deep--she had backed away in time--but it was bleeding badly. "Good effort, but I won't fall for that trick twice," the Storm Fiend taunted. Stephanie barely had a chance to stand up before the Storm Fiend charged at her again. Steph sprang off her legs and dove to the side. As she soared through the air, a swift hand motion left a cluster of feathers in the air. Unfortunately, Jennie twisted out of the way, and the feathers exploded uselessly on the ground. "No, this isn't like when I fought the Blitz Fiend," Stephanie thought, remembering. "No, the Storm Fiend can make sudden turns. I can't expect her to walk into any of my attacks. I'll have to think about this for a while." The Storm Fiend charged. "Damn! She's making me think on the run," Steph thought. "I'm no good at that." The Dark Fiend of the Land strangled the Inferno Fiend. Vince's feet dangled in the air as Gregor held him from behind, lifting him off the ground. Vince bashed with his elbow. His arm hit solid shell. Gregor didn't flinch. Vince kicked. His boot hit solid rock. Gregor didn't seem at all bothered. The Land Fiend tightened his grip on Vince, digging his claws deeper into the Inferno Fiend's armor. Struggling madly, Vince threw two fireballs into the dirt beneath him. The massive explosions opened a 3-foot deep crater. As they fell, Gregor's grip weakened, and when Vince hit the ground, he kicked, sending him upward and out of the arms of the Land Fiend. Then, he quickly jumped back in with a flaming kick to Gregor's head. Unfortunately, Gregor's stone skin meant that the kick was pretty much useless. Despite the blow to the head, Gregor simply smiled and struck back. Vince leapt out of the way, but the Land Fiend sank into the ground. Reappearing behind Vince, he gave him a quick upward slash, sending him flying several feet through the air. As Vince descended, Gregor smashed him with both forearms. Again, Vince was sent rolling across the rough stone hill. Gregor sank into the stone again, but this time, Vince rolled himself to his feet and prepared himself. Howling with the fires that drove him, Vince set his gauntlets aflame. Then, he jabbed his fingers into the ground and tore madly, digging out chunks of rock. Suddenly, Gregor's hand came up from the ground, right below him. It grabbed him and pulled him in. Then, all of Vince's body up to his neck was underground. Apparently, the Land Fiend had parted the Earth just for him and used it to bury him. Then, right in front of him, the Land Fiend emerged. He gave a quick kick, which connected to the Inferno Fiend's forehead, a blow that strained Vince's neck. "You should be glad I took the time to dig you a grave," Gregor taunted. He then bent over to stare at Vince face to face. "Of course, graves are usually for dead people, so I guess I should kill you then." Vince spat at him. "You know what? I was thinking of breaking your neck and killing you instantly, but I've decided, since you were being so... discourteous, I'll just crush you with the mountain and have you die slow and painful." At that moment, pressure came to Vince from all sides. It was simply unbearable. True, it hurt a lot when Jennie washed him with her water magic, but the feeling of being compressed by thousands of tons of rock was simply immense. Vince screamed in pain. Gregor laughed sadistically. Then, all the adrenaline rushed into his muscles. Vince's scream of pain became a primal warcry. With explosive fury, Vince tore his arms out of the ground. Then, with fiery savagery, he leapt into the air, freeing his legs from the stone. Landing, Vince then charged at the Land Fiend, ramming him with his shoulder. The attack didn't hurt Gregor, but the impact was enough to knock him back. Vince then followed up with flaming fists, pummeling the Land Fiend, punching him repeatedly. "What rage! What fury!" Gregor thought. "Well, I'll just have to be more furious!" Vince's final punch knocked Gregor to the ground--no, INTO the ground. The Land Fiend then resurfaced behind Vince and slashed him once, twice, three times with his claws, then finished off with a mighty punch and a battle cry rivaling that of Vince's. Then, he submerged again and reappeared in front of Vince. Screaming with madness, he bashed Vince with his clawed gauntlets. Then, one final attack slammed him to the ground. Still, Gregor wasn't finished. He sank into the ground, and again, he rose just beneath Vince's body, smashing him straight up in the air. It was a cheap juggle indeed. With Gregor's newfound mobility, Vince simply could not see where he would strike next. By the time Vince knew where the Land Fiend was going to hit him, the Land Fiend had already hit him. There was simply no time to react. The Inferno Fiend was going to have to rethink his strategy. |