Enemy Unknown: Conclusion

[voidtreckermods]

The third night is as long and creepy as the others...

It might be that they found the engine room, solved the puzzles and found themselves in the hangar bay with no way out. It might be that they were still in the station hiding from the invisible monsters. Or it might be that they had been plucked from the mission and were waiting in their holding room.

Either way morning dawns on the fourth day...

---

ENEMY: UNKNOWN

---

DAY FOUR

the trapped. THOSE WHO SOLVED THE ENGINE ROOM SPENT THE NIGHT IN A LARGE HANGAR THAT DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE ANY DOORS. Their SCA's are working, so they can still communicate with those in the station, perhaps talk them through the engine room puzzles or tell them to stay clear. As morning comes all the lights in the hangar come on. Brighter than any lights so far in the station, harsh white light after the eerie red of the rest of the mission.

Everyone still in the station wakes where they fell asleep - if they slept at all. It's not long after most people are up and about that they will hear a high-pitched beep from their SCA, and then a blue light will envelop them and those around them. It might be they spot their friends vanishing before they too disappear.

They arrive in the hangar, reunited with those who spent the night there. All their gear is with them at least, but that doesn't solve the problem of being in a hangar with no obvious way out. Nor are any of those who vanished during the last three days here, their SCA's still go unanswered.

---

the vanished. FOR THOSE IN THE HOLDING ROOM, THEIR NIGHT HAS PROCEEDED MUCH LIKE THE NIGHTS BEFORE. One of the screens showed the hangar, and those that had succeeded in completing the engine room task. The lights had dimmed for sleeping and turned on again bright in the morning. For those watching the screens they will see those in the station vanish in blue light and turn up in the hangar.

Around half an hour later a voice sounds in the room. "Please gather your belongings and prepare for release."

It's another ten minutes, allowing them to make sure they have all their things before their SCA's beep. They are then surrounded by a blue light, taking them from the room they had spent the last few days in.

REUNITED

reunion. AN HOUR PASSES AFTER FIRST ARRIVALS PASS IN THE HANGAR. Suddenly, there is another flash of blue light, and the missing eighteen Voidtreckers appear with the rest of their crew. They will find they had all their gear as well, including their missing weapons.

They are left to their own devices for a small while, a time for reuniting with friends, but not long enough to exchange stories before a voice rings out in the hangar:

"THANK YOU CREW OF THE VOIDTRECKER EXPRESS FOR YOUR COMPLIANCE. YOU MAY RETURN TO YOUR CRAFT."
There is a loud mass of beeping as everyone's SCA's flashes at the same time, holographic messages popping up too fast to be able to read them in their entirety.

Voidtreckers come in.

All Voidtreckers return to the Voidtrecker Express

Voidtreckers evacuate now

Voidtreckers do you read?

Layers of holographic messages pile on top of each other but a moment later everyone's SCA's glow gold and everyone vanishes from the hangar...

LUGGAGE CARRIAGE

return. EVERYONE ARRIVES INSIDE THE LUGGAGE CARRIAGE, PACKED LIKE SARDINES BETWEEN SUITCASES AND TRUNKS. There is no announcement, no warning of returning to the void; just a lurch that is likely to throw anyone on the train unaware of what has just happened off their feet, no matter the carriage they're in.

They return to the void at what feels like breakneck speed. Colours fly past the windows, and it is a good few hours before they seem to slow to their normal travel speed.

---

Comments

[miseris_socios]

He shivers reflexively and bites his lip. “… If I could have contacted you, I would have.” His voice is soft and he takes a few steps towards Vexen and hugs him lightly. “… Sorry.”

[thawed_pride]

He wraps his arms around Ken's shoulders and pulls him close. The chill is even more noticeable right next to him, but the hug is gentle.

"I am not angry with you, my boy. I am angry with those arrogant dregs that believe they have the right to scare us so."

[miseris_socios]

He can bear the cold as long as he’s holding on to his dad. It feels warm and comforting and peaceful.

“I know. I’m mad, too. But right now we need to regroup and figure out what our next move is.”

[thawed_pride]

"I am sorely tempted to suggest our 'next move' should be to make our interrogators aware of how poor a decision they have made..."

He huffs, before his shoulders droop slightly. As angry as he is...he's tired, he's sore. Now isn't the time to pick a fight.

"But for now...I am just glad you are safe."

[miseris_socios]

“How? None of us know where they are. All we can do is be ready for the next time.” He gives Vexen another squeeze before stepping back.

“… I’m glad to be back.”

[thawed_pride]

He slowly stands up, wincing as his stiff and sore body objects to the movement.

"And I suppose...we ought to take some time to recuperate, regardless. It seems this was an exhausting ordeal for all of us."

[miseris_socios]

“Yeah. We had some camp beds and chairs but not much else to do… I’m kinda sore, too. … And I know that you were too busy worrying about other people to take care of yourself.”

No bullshitting him, Dad.

[thawed_pride]

"One can hardly blame me under the circumstances. I had every reason to believe that you were in grave danger."

[miseris_socios]

"I know, I just... I worry about you." He huffs and presses his face into Vexen's torso gently.

[thawed_pride]

"You worry..." He rolls his eyes and pats Ken on the head. "As though you haven't done your best to give a Nobody a heart attack on occasion."

[miseris_socios]

"... Yeah, but you know I care about you." He leans into the Nobody's hand, letting out a long sigh.

[thawed_pride]

"Well, at least this time, my worries turned out to be for naught." A sigh, and a slight ruffle of Ken's hair. "And I am quite ready to get some rest and tend to these bruises. I had forgotten how fragile I am as a human."

[miseris_socios]

"Do you need me to heal you? I've got my Evoker back..." He's well aware that Vexen can just use Cure, but he might as well ask.

[thawed_pride]

"No, I can tend to my injuries well enough. I was simply did not find a few uncomfortable bruises to be worth the magical recovery period while I believed us to be in danger."

He flicks his fingers, and green energy swirls around him. It doesn't help with the way his dry skin itches and pulls, but he can deal with that later.

[miseris_socios]

"Okay." He feels the energy and looks up at Vexen, finally letting go and stepping away. "... Just be careful." He's afraid to lose more family, especially in a place where their powers could disappear at any point.

[thawed_pride]

"I will. Though, this does rather emphasize the point that I need to learn to use some sort of mundane weapon. I cannot effectively wield Frozen Pride offensively with only my natural strength to rely upon."

As a normal shield, sure. Even effectively human, he has solid upper body strength. But the way he uses the shield's blades is far too unwieldy for his normal level of athleticism.

[miseris_socios]

"I mean, I could show you how to use a spear... but your reach is long enough already." He taps his chin and thinks. "Nothing too heavy... throwing daggers, maybe? Or a sword, but that's kind of..." Cliche and overdone.

[thawed_pride]

The suggestion of throwing daggers, for some reason, brings a look of offended disgust to his face. He shakes his head vehemently, as if the idea is absurd.

"I could likely handle a sword with some practice. Spears are not solely for those with short reach, but I have a compatriot back home who I am certain would insist upon critiquing my form..."

[miseris_socios]

"... Is something wrong with knives?" Look, he can tackle the rest of the stuff in a minute, but that was a weird reaction.

[thawed_pride]

"They are the chosen weapon of a fellow Nobody, one I have loathed since nearly the moment we met."

Which is saying something, considering how dull his emotions were back then.

"Larxene is a witch of a woman, and noted among an Organization of ruthless monsters for being particularly cruel."

[miseris_socios]

Knives and violence... oh! His eyes light up in recognition. "Lea mentioned her. Larxene? Was she that bad?"

[thawed_pride]

"It rarely mattered, but we each had a title by which we were known, in addition to our names and numbers. Larxene was dubbed the Savage Nymph for her brutality."

His lips thin to an angry line as the most glaring example of her sadism comes to mind.

"You recall the Riku Replica, yes?"

[miseris_socios]

"A little bit... you mentioned him before." He hasn't gotten a chance to meet the other 'son' that Vexen's talked about.

[thawed_pride]

"When I created him, we were assigned to the same location, where we had discovered a young woman with the power to manipulate the memories of others. She had no desire to do harm, but was rather easily intimidated, and thus coerced into doing what others wished of her."

The fact that he'd been complicit in her suffering makes his stomach turn. He can only hope that the Replica he'd sent Demyx to collect was in appropriate condition and that Namine had been transferred into it safely. It may be later than it should have been, but he owes it to her to give her her freedom.

"Larxene did not care for the Riku Replica's behavior, so she forced the young woman to rewrite his entire memory, so that he believed himself to be the boy his form and abilities were based upon."

[miseris_socios]

"... That's awful." Awful doesn't even cut it, but he frowns. "If I didn't think she'd be immune to it I'd give her a taste of her own element."

There is no flaw whatsoever with this plan.