Chapter 16 - Final Sparks

Final Sparks
Ilse got into the backseat of KITT, who was floating on the water next to the side door of the Thunder Child. Once she closed the door, KITT powered up his engine and activated rear mounted undercarriage rocket motors and began to hydroplane, effectively driving on the water back onto the beach of Barbados. The Thunder Child sank back under the water and made its way towards Canada.

"You had the DeLorean on Doomsday?" questioned Santiago, with curiosity.

"I had no idea," answered Rin, sitting down by the wall, "Canada was Teto's territory but any confiscation would be reported to Gumi."

"What happened with Teto and Gumi?" asked Sora.

"Everyone got caught," mumbled Rin, solemnly, "Our information network was used against us. Only Gumi and I escaped. I because of," Rin gulped, "Len... Gumi, being the Minister of War and hence research leader, was the first to have technological upgrades added to her including the Append Project. We agreed to split up and cease contact with each other so if one of us got caught the other would be uncompromised."

"With the Thunder Child's hyperdrive, we should be there in no time," commented Solace, "And then we can reverse all this damage. But I have a question. If we're going to time travel, what time should we go back to? The further back we go the greater the risk we take with the future."

"Umm," began Cirno, timidly, "I think it would be easiest to go back and stop..." She looked at Rin and Ritsu who were staring at her with interest, "... t-the... umm... you know what." It was obvious she was talking about her use of the Death Note but neither Rin nor Ritsu were prepared to be left in the dark.

Ritsu struggled to sit up, "Stop what?" Cirno just bowed her head down. Ritsu and Rin looked at the others for an explanation.

"Well," began Santiago, "She-" Suddenly the entire vessel rocked violently before rising, causing both Santiago and Solace to topple, everyone else already sitting down. "Sora! What's happening?"

"We're being pulled up by something," stated Sora urgently, "Not by anything physical either." The Thunder Child continued to rise above sea level but didn't stop, pulled up out of the water entirely.

Rin, also connected the Thunder Child's systems, recognised the culprit, "It's a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, a flying aircraft carrier, directly above us. It's pulling us up with some kind of tractor beam."

"Don't helicarriers have four turbines by each corner?" asked Solace, "Can't you shoot the helicarrier down?"

Rin stood up, went up to the window and looked above, "It's too close, it'd fall on us."

Naluri got to her feet and also made it to the window, "Whoa..." The Thunder Child was floating a considerable distance above sea level but above the ship was an enormous flying vessel, far larger than the Thunder Child. The only two turbines visible were emitting blue light, illuminating the front area of the helicarrier.

"So what are we going to do now?" asked Sasaki, clearly worried.

"Well, we'll need to either take out the helicarrier or get it to shut down the tractor beam," answered Naluri, making her way to the exit.

"Wait, Naluri," commented Solace, stopping her at the door, "We can't take everyone, can we? We-"

"Everyone?" replied Naluri, raising an eyebrow, "I'm going alone."

Rin turned around the window, "S.H.I.E.L.D. is like an army. You won't be able to do anything against such a force."

"I'm an expert in infiltration," countered Naluri, "I can get the beam down with no problem. Anyone else could ruin the operation."

"... But don't you think they'd be expecting us?"

"... I've heard of the Anti-Humour Society..." sighed Black, knelt in the middle of a reinforced metallic room. She was securely tied up chains, her bonds securely connected to all six walls by more chains, most likely to be ironic. "You've been a member since the start?"

White was stood directly in front of Black, blocking Black's view of the door out. She nodded, "Ever since Doomsday."

Black smirked, "Maybe I should have joined too."

"Maybe so," agreed White, "Yamaha made plenty of security compromises to allow for a top level human security unit. Doom had no problem making best use of them."

"So... What's your mission now?"

"To find your friend, Sora."

"... Why? And why did you drag her into this?"

"No doubt you know, we want access to the Arctic. Sora has the Vocaloid access permissions we need." Black just bowed her head down and said nothing.

Suddenly, the ship-wide intercom system came to life, "White," reported a rough male voice over the speakers, "We've got the Thunder Child in tow."

White paused before putting a finger to her earpiece, "Already?" She looked genuinely concerned.

"Yeah, the HMS Thunder Child's right below us."

"I see. What's their personnel number?"

"Eight."

"Only eight? I thought all of the Anti-Nine were on board?"

"Three of them disembarked earlier and they were joined by Rin and Ritsu."

White frowned, "Rin? Kagamine Rin?"

"Yeah," chuckled the voice, "The very one. Being handed to us on a silver platter."

"... Alright, the three of us should meet up at the underbelly hangar. Don't do anything until I get there. Black and Marisa won't be going anywhere."

"Got it."

White lowered her hand, clearly annoyed, "Well, Black, I guess now's the time." She drew her scythe from her back and raised it up.

Black looked up at her, with fear, "Wha-" Before she could finish, White swung the scythe down.

Naluri glanced at Sora and Rin, with a finger on her own earpiece, "... Did you hear that?" Sora nodded, getting up from the bridge chair.

Santiago looked between the two, "A secure transmission?"

"It's not so secure if Vocaloids can hear it," commented Naluri, lowering her hand, "Good news is that only appears to be three crew on board."

"Only three? For something that huge?" Naluri just shrugged in response.

Sora walked up to her, "I'm going too. To get Black."

Naluri paused but as soon as Rin took a step forward she spoke up, "No, Rin," shaking her head, "They directly mentioned you. At least don't serve the platter."

"Black's one of the three crew?" asked Ritsu, finally managing to sit back up again.

"No, she's a prisoner, I think. Marisa's seems to one too."

"I'll go with you," offered a determined Cirno, stepping forward.

She was stopped by Solace putting a hand on her shoulder, who stepped forward instead, "I'll go instead. If they're managing to keep both Black and Marisa under control and are attempting to capture us, these aren't rookies."

Naluri took a moment to think, "... If there's only three crew, a small team... should be okay. Can you fight?"

"I can push back RAY with pure force."

"So a brute force fighter... Fine, the three of us are enough." Santiago, still sat on the floor, did not say anything. Despite being an expert of infiltration back in his own universe, his failed entry into the Scarlet Devil Mansion proved he had little chance of using his physical skills in this new world.

Sora opened the side door, the ocean surface hundreds of metres below. She took hold of both Naluri and Solace and flew out and up using her rocket boots, "Naluri, where should we go?"

"Any window we can fit through will be fine." Naluri summoned a brass coloured ring on her left middle fingers. Sora flew up to one of the side windows. None of the triple-glazed windows were very big but was more than enough to a normal person to climb through. Naluri turned the ring on her finger and quickly place her left hand on the window. It made a high pitched whirl and the window instantly shattered from the sound waves. "Thick, bulletproof, reinforced, whatever," explained Naluri, "If it's glass, it's breakable. Barring The Convenience Theory, of course." She spun the ring another time, placed her hand on the second layer and shattered it.

As Naluri prepared to work on the third layer, Solace spoke up, "You don't purpose anyone inside will hear this?"

Naluri broke the third window and scrambled inside into a corridor, "We're working against time. It might be quieter to get through a door but generally on a military vehicle, breaking through a door would take too long. And it's not guaranteed to be quiet." Solace and Sora followed in. "Okay, I've going to find the controls, Sora, Solace, you find the prisoner ward and get Black and Marisa out."

"It's a bit late to mention this," noted Solace, "But I'm pretty sure Marvel helicarriers don't usually have tractor beams. So you might not find the beam controls among the ship's normal controls." Naluri looked away in panicked thought, realising that Solace had a point.

"We'll figure it out on the way," interjected an impatient Sora, "We need to get moving."

Naluri nodded, "Right. The main hall is a good place to start for directions."

The three of them ran down the corridor, making their way towards the centre of the vessel. Suddenly, Solace sensed something behind her and quickly swung a high kick backwards. Her foot made contact with someone's head which smashed into the side wall with a crash. Naluri and Sora stopped and turned to see Superman getting back to his feet.

"Go!" urged Solace, waving her arm back, "Just go!"

"But-" began Sora. Solace patted the chestplate of the Super Driver. Reluctantly, Sora nodded and ran off, Naluri following.

Solace turned back to Superman and walked up to him apologetically, "I'm sorry, Superman. I thought someone was going to hurt us."

Superman stood up without a scratch, "It's alright," he responded, politely, "Are you one of the Anti-Nine?"

"... The what?"

"The Anti-Nine," explained Superman, "The nine people who rebelled against The Three Kingdoms. Sora, Solace, Lynette, Alice, Cirno, Ilse, Naluri, Santiago, Sasaki."

"... Yeah?"

"The nine of you are considered heroes in our liberated world. We were about to rescue you from Rin and Ritsu from the Thunder Child."

"... Rescue?"

"I hope they didn't hurt the six of you. Where are the other three? Still on the ship?"

"Wait," began Solace, shaking her head, "Aren't you working for Doom? You think he's trustworthy?"

"We're working with Doom," corrected Superman, "We're rebuilding all the damage done by The Three Kingdoms. Doom gave up all his power for the planet. We realise that he could have an ulterior motive so we are keeping an eye on him."

"Did you know Doom wanted to open the Arctic? Do you know what's in it?"

"The Vocaloids imprisoned many of our friends and family in the Arctic. We need it opened to free them. We can talk later, we need to get Rin and Ritsu into custody."

"No," Solace was shaking her head even more, "No." She had little else to say, everything just seemed too good to be true but she wanted to find a reason to continue pursuing the DeLorean. "Just... leave them alone..."

Naluri and Sora made it into the long multi-floored central, all doorways having plaques with the names of the wings they led to.

"Containment," spotted Sora to the left.

"Right, you head there. I'll head to the bridge," nodded Naluri, pointing in the opposite direction to the bridge doorway.

The two split up and Sora headed to the left. She headed down the corridor to the Containment ward. There was no sound, no movement, heat from the walls clouding her infrared sensors. She passed door after door, each with a small window yet with nobody inside each room. Then she came to a room with an open door. Looking inside, Sora saw chains covering the floor. She was thinking when her throat was grabbed strongly from behind. Before she could react, the aggressor flew through the corridors at light speed and thrust her into an upright cabinet. Hundreds of small mechanical arms and cables came out of the cabinet walls, taking strong hold of her limbs. The cables attached themselves to ports on her back, front and hands. Sora blacked out as her systems were completely overridden.

Rin looked up in horror at the Thunder Child's ceiling in the helicarrier's direction, "No!" she screamed, surprising everyone on the bridge.

"Rin!" shouted back Ritsu, "What's the matter?"

The Vocaloid fell to her knees, in dismay, "The helicarrier's transmitting Sora's files..."

"She's been caught?!" inquired an alarmed Sasaki.

Rin looked at Sasaki, "It's transmitting... everything..."

"Sora was caught," reported KC, "They're planning to use the DeLorean to time travel back to save Haruhi. She didn't have any Vocaloid access permissions though." She looked at Ælious who was looking out the helicopter window in the passenger seat. KC was sat in the pilot's seat next to him, in control of the vehicle. They were on their way to pick up Alice.

"That's a bold plan," replied Ælious, with a sigh, "Doom, Magneto, Ganondorf, they won't like any of that."

"What about Palpatine?"

"Huh," smirked Ælious, "He might be one of the big four of the Anti-Humour Society but I don't consider him as an equal. He was thrown off over a railing by a one handed Vader. Pass the news to the other three of them." He looked at KC, "As secure as possible."

KC nodded, "Done."

The intercom and Naluri's earpiece began hissing and buzzing loudly. Taken by surprise, she turned the volume of her earpiece down. "What the heck is this?" she murmured to herself, the noise deafening her. She was making her way down the central corridor. Upon reaching the next corner, someone ran into her from the opposite direction. Naluri toppled onto her back. She opened her eyes to see White pulling her back onto her feet.

"Who-" began Naluri.

"White," White answered with urgency, "Black is disabling the tractor beam as we speak. Get back to the Thunder Child and hurry!"

"Wha-" Naluri noticed White had Marisa over a shoulder. Naluri was confused but nodded regardless and ran back the way she came, White following beside her.

"Who did you bring with you?" shouted White over the intercom's racket.

"... Solace and Sora."

"... It's good you didn't bring Rin..."

"What's happening?"

"Sora got caught. The helicarrier is transmitting everything she has including any future plans you have."

"What!" Naluri cried, "We need to get her out!"

"It's too late!" countered White, "Get back onto your ship and take Solace and Marisa with you. I'll try to follow with Black and Sora."

Superman punched Solace in the abdomen. With his super-hearing, he was finding it terribly hard to concentrate but his punches were still incredibly heavy. Solace took the punch, the Super Driver spreading the force across her body, dampening the overall impact and allowing her to stand her ground. Seeing this, Superman followed punch after punch with extreme speed, determined to floor her before she could retaliate. Solace could not match Superman's power, speed nor his invulnerability. She felt as though she was being crushed, even with the Super Driver her endurance waned and she fell to her knees, unconscious. At this point Naluri and White ran past, Naluri grabbing onto Solace's arm. Superman was scrambling around, his hands over his ears, eyes closed.

Naluri and White made it to the window, just as the buzzing stopped, and Naluri jumped out, hanging onto the edge, she put Solace over one shoulder. The Thunder Child was falling back to the ocean, the beam successfully deactivated. White pushed Marisa, who also appeared to be unconscious, to Naluri when a voice shouted over the intercom.

"The plan of the Thunder Child crew is fatal to the universe," called Doom, "You have permission to break The Unwritten Law."

White shook her head, "We won't be following," she smiled with sorrow.

Naluri pulled Marisa onto her other shoulder, "What? Why?"

"We have a supervillian on board, Superboy-Prime," White sighed, "I'm his superior but he won't care. We won't make it. Bad things about high-security military vehicles is that it takes a long time to get out even if Superman helped."

"How could they- Come with us! Hurry!" urged Naluri.

White shook her head, stroking her wings, "I can't fit. Just go..."

Naluri gulped before letting go. White watched her fall and summon what looked like a skydiving board. She turned and back towards the central room where Superman and a glowing red Superboy-Prime were locked in combat, gradually destroying the room in the process.

"Prime!" shouted a concerned Superman, "Don't go too far!"

"Explosions are quick and efficient," retorted a grinning Superboy-Prime.

White ignored them and ran towards Containment, past the cells and into an android assimilation room. Black was in it punching at the only occupied cabinet, its thick glass door closed. Sora was not visible from the outside, all the arms and cables blocking the view. The glass was cracked but not giving way to Black's attempts to break it. As White walked up, she saw a pistol and spent cartridges on the floor from Black trying to shoot it open.

"... I'm sorry, Black..." apologised White, standing behind Black, "I'm sorry..."

Black fell to her knees, placing her head on the glass, tears running down her cheeks, "... No, I understand... Sora, I'm so sorry for dragging you into this." Her right glove was ripped, blood flowing from her cut knuckles onto the floor. "What hope does the world have without The Unwritten Law...?"

White wrapped her arms round Black's neck. "Hahaha," smiled White calmly, tears also beginning to form.

Black smirked in response, "Hahaha, indeed," she replied as fire erupted throughout the helicarrier, into the room and engulfing everything on board.

Naluri used the hoverboard to slow her fall back down to the Thunder Child. Once she was level with the still open side door she span to temporarily stop her fall and leaped into the ship. "Rin," she shouted towards the bridge, "Get us out of here!" She unsummoned the board and shut the door as the vessel's hyperdrive engaged. Naluri staggered into the bridge, fell to her knees and placed both Solace and Marisa down, before falling onto all fours herself. She shut her eyes and began to sob loudly.

"Where's Sora? And Black?" asked Santiago, cautiously.

"... Not here..." was all Naluri said when the helicarrier above exploded in a massive fireball. Everyone caught onto the situation. When the noise outside died down, Naluri continued, trying to rub away her unstoppable tears dripping onto the floor, "... But," she hiccuped, "... But what's even worse *hic* is that... is that... I could have saved them..." She slammed her head on the metal ground, her helmet rolling away towards the bridge chair. Her forehead began to bleed, her wails continuing to echo throughout the Thunder Child.

"... I could have saved them..."

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