CHAPTER XV
CUNNING INTREPIDS PART II

SOUNDTRACK- Blockade Battle
        The Thunder Serpent was taking extreme damage. In the cockpit, Fox Sage’s orange fur was drenched with his sweat. He swallowed hard, dodging the swarm of GALL-Battletanks and Delta-Fighters, while trying to take a few of the Mensan craft down. Mandell was covering his new friend’s back as Fox would do the same for the young pilot. They both knew that this battle was not going to be in favor of Antilia...
        There were no more canisters for the Serpent’s shield generator. The ship lurched from impact, Fox’s eyes racing. He spotted four GALL-Battletanks trying to sink his beloved ship. Huge beams of ion slammed into the water, making a deep ‘dug’ sound that boomed into the ears of everyone on the battlefield of water.
        Taking evasive action, Fox forced the Serpent to swoop left and right, dodging a hail of thick ion beams. Audrey was back in the cockpit, shouting for him to turn this way or that, being the classic backseat driver which greatly annoyed Fox.
        Just when Fox thought he was free from the GALL-Battletanks, a massive ion beam slammed through the plasma shields and into the hull of the Thunder Serpent. The jolt of this impact threw Fox and Audrey off their seats. Fox’s headset was knocked off his head, but even so, he could still hear Mandell screaming through the intercom, “...is down!!! Somebody help them!!! I repeat the Thunder Serpent is down!!!”

SOUNDTRACK- None
        Cevo’s giant metal fingers crunched into the concrete walls of the elevator shaft. Canen was holding onto Cevo’s metal back, as they were one hundred and five stories up. If Cevo would loose his grip, they would most certainly fall to their death. But the age-old robot was almost there, the elevator just a few floors above them.
        A tiny crumbling noise filled the dead silence and echoed into forever. Bits and pieces no larger than grains of sand crumbled from where Cevo’s balky fingers clenched so tightly into the concrete wall. The clever robot made grips for himself. Cevo paused, watching the bits and pieces fall...and fall...and fall down the shaft. Suddenly a huge chunk of concrete burst from Cevo’s grip, sending the two plunging to their doom...

SOUNDTRACK- Crimson
        Abant rushed at Sa’gaht with his glowing blade. The Risotto was only extended at a length as tall as Sa’gaht himself. The six-foot long blade was still flung out at the end along with several of the knives. Abant’s blood surged through his body, almost making him dizzy. He was swinging his Onyx-Blade at Sa’gaht so fast that it almost felt as if it had no weight. The two warriors slid around on the ice- Abant fumbled occasionally, but never did Sa’gaht. He moved with such swift fluidity, it was incredibly remarkable.
        Sa’gaht began to combine hand to hand combat with the slashing Risotto. When he found Abant off his guard (mostly in between swings of his Onyx-Blade), Sa’gaht would smash his metal-covered fist into Abant’s face. Blood stained his white-fur. This only made the old hybrid more enraged...
        Abant managed to chop into the metal armor of Sa’gaht a few times, spreading cold throughout the alloy during each successful attack. Sa’gaht shivered with frostbite under his metal skin as he spun the Risotto swiftly at his opponent. After dodging by a close call, Abant leaped up in the air and kicked Sa’gaht in the face. The dark mage jerked back from the kick, but quickly came around with another attack. Like a massive sledge-hammer, the Risotto swung over Sa’gaht’s head and down onto the ice-covered floor. A thousand clear, chunks of frozen water flew up in the air from the impact of the sharp Risotto blade in a duel of destiny...

SOUNDTRACK- None
        Canen used his Gravity magic to skillfully save them from their doomed fall. Cevo resumed his climb up the shaft, until he reached the elevator. Using his mighty strength, the robot shoved the elevator upward, but gravity would soon reclaim it, bringing it back down to the floor it was set at.
        During this interval of time, Canen leaped up to the open doors of the 163rd floor. Just as the elevator box began rushing back down from the robot’s mighty shove upward, Cevo jumped up to the doors. However, it wasn’t in good timing, for the heavy-metal slammed into Cevo’s head. But the robot’s outstanding stamina allowed him to climb onto the 163rd floor, just before the elevator cables snapped and it plummeted to the lobby in a giant explosion of concrete and metal.
        They made their way through the halls of the 163rd floor. When they came to the end of a corridor, they found Jonnan with a rusty-metal doors on both sides of the hall. The corridor ended with a huge window, overlooking Intarma Island. Canen’s mouth dropped as he saw Janus, bloody and bruised, on his knees. Jonnan stood behind his son, and in his right hand, he held a small ion blaster at Canen. In his left hand, he held another one to the back of his Janus’s neck .
        Cevo’s plasma cannons lifted from under his armor, “Try it.”
        Jonnan remained silent, frowning at Cevo’s threat. The young mage kept his wide-eyes locked on Canen and Cevo, remaining perfectly still as Jonnan’s grip on both of his blaster’s triggers tightened.
        “You’re going to kill your own son?” Canen said, deactivating his Onyx-Blade.
 Cevo turned his head, “What are you doing, Canen?” Canen put his weapon back in the holder, strapped to his back.
        “I…” Jonnan choked. He looked down at his own son, his flesh and blood. Janus was awfully hurt. Jonnan’s eyes followed drops of blood (falling from Janus’s mouth and nose) that accumulated in a dark crimson puddle on the floor. “You’re right, brother. Look what I’m doing?”
        Janus blinked, then swallowed hard. His body quickly convulsed, then stopped. He felt the most powerful surge of coldness run down his spine. A change in fate... one that would effect him dearly- but for better or for worse? Janus could not yet tell. Jonnan looked back up, “I’m about to kill my own son. How awful. I can’t do that...”
        Canen smiled, relieved his brother was finally seeing things rationally.
        “It isn’t Janus I want to kill...” Jonnan stopped pressing the cold metal of his ion blaster against the back of Janus’s neck; then he dropped it.
        “It isn’t?” Canen said, expecting the answer would be something like Intarma or Sa’gaht, or Doan...
        “No...” Jonnan smiled, his eyes twinkling behind his blue sunglasses. “It’s you, brother!!!” A explosive blast of white energy shot from the ion blaster in his right hand, piercing the heart of Janus’s uncle.
        Just as Canen’s mouth exploded with blood, Cevo fired four great plasma bolts at once. They slammed into Jonnan’s chest, throwing him back. He crashed out of the huge window and fell into the water. When the debris settled, Cevo found Janus holding Canen in his arms.
        “Master...” Janus looked down at his mentor, terribly worried. The young mage had begun trying to heal his leader with his magic.
        Canen smiled as Janus noticed his white eyes began to grow darker. “It’s too late for that.” He coughed on some blood. “Jonnan is my brother...you are my nephew...” he coughed again. “...Winston is my father...” Janus wiped Canen’s mouth with his sleeve, blood smearing onto his Intarman prison uniform.  “And...”
        “Yes, master?” Janus said, cradling his dying friend.
        “...and you are the Chosen One....Never give up....never...give...”
        “CANEN!!!” Janus shouted. Canen’s gaze fell infinite as he choked on blood that collected in his throat. He convulsed for awhile, then silenced.

SOUNDTRACK- None
        Sa’gaht belched a deep roar of laughter that echoed in the vast room, “I see, Mage Winston, that the curse I cast upon you has kept your misery running for a long time...”
        “I, too, thought being turned into a bunny was a rather harsh way to loose one’s dignity!” Abant darted at Sa’gaht, but the Risotto defended. Abant flew back, landing on the ice. Shards of broken ice dug into his back.
        “Do the others know?” Sa’gaht asked, slowly approaching Abant as he laid on the ice-covered floor.
        Abant picked himself up, “I’ve told no one. I can accept who I am.” He intensely attacked at the dark mage with his glowing sword. Sa’gaht blocked the attack, the Risotto hooking with Abant’s Onyx-Blade. Sa’gaht lifted the Risotto, flinging his opponent clear across the room.
        Abant crashed onto the three-foot-thick ice, shattering a foot deep into it. The evil mage’s Shadow magic melted the ice by quickly mimicking fire. The ice on the walls and ceiling rushed down to the floor as water, adding to the liquid already on the floor. Abant sunk into several more feet of ice-cold water. The metallic fist of Sa’gaht plunged deep into the water that covered all of the old, vast hanger. He pulled on Abant’s two rabbit ears, lifting his head above the chilling liquid.
        Sa’gaht put Abant into a headlock as he was crouched down by the old, beat-up hybrid. The dark mage tugged on Abant’s head, forcing him to look in a specific direction. Two bright lights flickered on in the silence. The engine to what sounded like a hoverdrive activated shortly after headlights blasted bright light into Abant’s hazel pupils, nearly blinding him.