Lanterns

I really want to know too! >__< You're such a tease Wolfie!

Loving these updates. You're writing is fantastic, detailed, but not too detailed so it bogs down the mind. And you capture the members personalities nicely. Seriously, if Ghetto was gonna toss anything it'd be a tape. xD

Looking forward to the next update.

 

I've finally caught up. The suspense of what things are and the situations of the characters spread about KHV is very luring. Chop, chop. Moar chapters.

I'm also interested to see how the bots work in this story. Whether they are a mass of murderous drones or just the ones we've seen are simply the standard drone and that there are more and crazier types of droids.

 

Ah yeah, sorry about that. xD
Thank you. :]

That part is 100% true, I am absolutely terrified of needles and I did once try to escape from the doctor's office when I had to get shots. >>
Thank you, and I hope you're feeling better :c

ALL IN DUE TIME.

Ah good, I was trying to think of what he could possibly use as a weapon and that was the first thing that came to mind. xD
But thanks~

update your game first before you make demands :|
Also that is yet to be seen too. :'D


Anyway, sorry for the long wait on this. Moving and getting adjusted to college was a bit rough, so hopefully this retains the quality of the previous chapters.

The blackbird calls, it sings the chorus
While the gathering swells
The flames grow tall right before us
As drums keep pounding

Chapter IV. Calm Before the Storm​

Brown eyes opened, blinking slowly to adjust to the brightness. The ceiling was white, reflecting the light from the fluorescent fixtures above right into her vision.
“Where the hell am I?” Wolfie thought, mind still sluggish from waking up. “And why is it so bright?”
She stopped for a moment, memory coming back to her. White ceiling. Bright lights. She was in the med bay.
Wolfie tried sitting up only to find her torso was restrained. She had to hand it to the workers here, they didn’t take second chances. It didn’t stop a low growl from her though as she thought of ways to escape without sedation, hands balling into fists from mild rage.
“Seems like you’ve finally woken up,” a male voice to her right said. She was about to lash out verbally when she felt a warm hand on hers, gently uncurling her fingers. “Calm down, you know it was for your own good,” he said.
“…You’re back early,” Wolfie said, turning to look at the other Supermod. It hurt doing so, which she thought was strange. “Could’ve sworn it was my leg that got hit…”
“RvR called me back. Said there was something strange going on, but then you ended up needing medical attention. I was…worried.”
“Don’t worry too much, Fayt. Might cloud your judgment on the battlefield.”
“We’re not on the battlefield right now,” Fayt said, moving the small stool he’d been sitting on closer to her bedside and interlacing his fingers with hers.
She smiled softly. “I guess you’re right,” she said, “and because I promise I won’t go postal on anyone this time, can you undo these restraints?”
Fayt laughed but nodded. In a few minutes, Wolfie was able to sit up again, despite the slight shocks of pain. She was glad she was out of her armor and in the basic undersuit they all wore – had she still been armored, moving would probably be much more painful. But why it was hurting so much didn’t make sense. It was as if the pain from her leg had spread all through her body. She moved so she was sitting on the edge of the bed, facing Fayt.
“Did they tell you what happened to put me in here?” she asked.
“Sort of. They said once you were up they’d explain the full thing. But the basic idea is that whatever that bot shot you with wasn’t a normal round. There was something else in it, something much more serious,” he said. He looked down, then met her eyes. “I’m glad you’re okay now,” he said, gently pulling her to him in a hug. She realized he wasn’t wearing armor either as she returned the embrace.
But even without the enhanced hearing of her helmet, Wolfie heard the squeak from the door. Glancing over, she saw Stardust trying to contain herself. Shaking her head, she returned to sitting on her bed and said with a grin, “Get a hold of yourself, Star. Can’t deal with you melting on me all the time.”
Stardust smiled back. “I can’t make any promises so I hope that’s not an order. But I was just in to check and see if you were awake…and to bring you food,” she said, handing Fayt a small tray of food. He thanked her but put it aside.
“Anyway,” she continued, “Almost all of Staff is currently in this Forum, Evilman’s the only Coder here since the other three are now at Gaming, just temporarily. Sec Mods are all back. Seems like there’s something weird going on and RvR wants to talk to all of us. Can you walk?”
Wolfie shrugged. “No idea.”
“Let’s see if you can then, RvR wants us there as soon as possible,” Stardust said.
Wolfie managed to get off the bed, but stumbled slightly when she walked. “Star. How long was I out for?”
“…About a week.”
“A week? Hell, get me out of here,” she growled, trying to move faster. Her leg nearly giving out made her slow down. Fayt was at her side, supporting her weight.
“Calm down, will you? It’ll do no good if you just injure yourself again,” he said, helping her walk.
She shot him a glare but couldn’t hide the small smile that went with it.“Fine, fine. Let’s get moving.”

The three Supermods arrived in the Staff’s meeting room. The rest were already present and as per tradition none wore their helmets. The newcomers each took a seat and waited for RvR to speak. Silently, he stood and addressed the room.
“I have…disturbing news. Concerning the bots, as always, but it is not something we had ever expected to happen. Early on there was talk of the possibility of the bots evolving on their own and quite possibly becoming harder to detect – thankfully that has not happened. But they have somehow evolved in another way, one as equally dangerous,” he said. He made eye contact with and then nodded at Wolfie.
“Their weaponry. Whether it is natural evolution – and I use that term loosely – or some other force, they have a new kind of weapon that we never imagined they would gain.”
RvR opened a pouch on his belt and tossed the small disk he’d removed on to the table. Within seconds, it flickered to life and produced several holographic images. The others stared at the images, not sure if what they were seeing was correct.

“Nanobots,” RvR said, “Microscopic bots that can be deployed by some means. In this case it was in a special round that was fired from a standard bot. They can infiltrate through the skin, enter the bloodstream, get into bone marrow…all sorts of nasty things. Had we not gotten to Wolfie when we did, it probably would’ve been too late. And tests are showing that they can eat through our armor, and while it is a slow process it can be incredibly dangerous.”
Misty stood as well. “As such, we are making it mandatory that all Staff armor is surrendered for testing and eventual treatment to resist these nanobots. If for whatever reason you object, you will immediately be removed from Staff. Any that do object are asked to leave the room now.”
No one moved. The tension in the room was thick and the older Staff could feel the uneasiness of the newer soldiers. Misty nodded. “Good.”
“So far, that’s the only real information we have,” RvR spoke again. He pressed a button on his gauntlet and the hologram switched to a video feed – the same video that mixt had given to him documenting the bots’ activity. He let the tape run.
“As you can see…they’re retreating for some reason. We don’t know why. So keep your eyes and ears open, at the sight of anything slightly suspicious report it and then pursue. Any questions?” he asked, surveying the room. Again, none moved. The Sec Mods barely seemed to be breathing. “Alright then. Supermods, your armor will be the first to undergo modification. Star, Chev, report to the med bay and drop your kit there. You four are dismissed for the night,” RvR said, giving a short nod to dismiss them. The Supermods stood and gave a brief salute then left.
Looking at the remaining Staff, he said, “Sec Mods…some of you will get ready for your first hunt tonight. Plums, Sab, Claw – you three are with Misty. Forsaken, Jayn, Ienzo – you’re with me. Reporters, you’ll monitor the Forum from HQ. We’re only doing a sweep tonight, but expect resistance. Kill them even if they’re trying to get out because it’s one less to deal with later. Grab your necessary gear and rendezvous at HQ in half an hour. Dismissed.”


“No way man, are you crazy?”
NarutoSuperKubii and Iwantedtoexplode stood around Luxord. He laughed, the sound echoing in the otherwise empty Staff building in Gaming.
“Crazy? No. I’m not. This is what’s good for KHV. Can’t you see the others were just using us?”
“But if we hadn’t set up the shield all of us would be dead,” Iwantedtoexplode said. “We’re just doing what’s best for KHV, right?”
Luxord shook his head. “I don’t believe it. You’re all so damn blind! But it doesn’t matter. I’ll show them not to mess with a Coder.”
With that, he moved toward the control panel of the signal generator. The other two Coders immediately moved forward, trying to jump him, but Luxord knew they’d try that. He simply sidestepped and watched as they crashed to the floor.
“Oh, come on now. You can still join me.”
“Never,” NarutoSuperKubii growled, “You’ve lost your mind and your honor. I’d rather die than help you now.”
A cruel smirk appeared on Luxord’s face. “That can be arranged,” he said, pulling out his stungun, examining it for a moment before he spoke again. “I wonder,” he said, “how long the human body can last being tortured with electricity?”
In a split second, the gun was charged, and volts of electricity were shooting through NarutoSuperKubii’s body. He roared in pain. Pleased with his work Luxord turned to Iwantedtoexplode.
“Ready to join your other heroic Coder?” Luxord asked, charging the gun once more.
Iwantedtoexplode gave a defiant smirk. “Doesn’t matter what you do to me. I just sent out a distress signal to Staff HQ. They know what you’ve done. You’re not going to get away with this.”
As if on cue to his words, an emergency siren blared across the Gaming forum. Misty’s voice was heard shortly after. “There has been an incident in the Gaming Staff building. The area is deemed no longer safe. Your lives may be endangered. Evacuation is strongly recommended. This is not a drill. I repeat – this is not a drill.”
Luxord swore under his breath. “You’ll pay for this you bastard.”
“Yeah. I’ll see you in Hell,” Iwantedtoexplode said, challenging Luxord one last time before he fired the gun. The only thing left for Luxord to do was to take out the signal, but he wasn’t going to waste his time manually deactivating it. Besides, his former allies were still crying out in pain. It would be a headache.
Luxord walked towards the door, removing three of the EMP grenades Coders carried as he went. He pressed the activation button on all three, tossing them over his shoulder as he exited the room. As he descended the stairs of the building he heard the sound of shattering glass; once he found himself outside he saw people in panic moving towards the path to the main Forum. Glass from above rained down, impaling and killing members around him. He walked forward, hands clasped casually behind his back.
He wasn’t concerned if the people around him were hurt or killed. His armor protected him, all others were potential pawns. If they were too weak then he was better off without them. The true test would come when night fell once more. He knew the bots would come. But he would be there, watching. The survivors, if any, would be his to command.


It was on the move again. Its power had grown exponentially, drawing more bots toward it. Now and life in the land it crossed withered as it moved across. The headache that had been the Gaming signal was gone, and it knew what that meant. Some bots were reluctant to come to it – they wanted to go and hunt. It allowed them to. It did not care about minor things like the Gaming Forum. Its goal was the main Forum. Thousands of lives. Nutrition to grow more. Victory.
Yes, it would have its victory in the end. It was sure of that.

 

I must have gotten confused, then, haha!

*cheers and applause*

This looks like another change was done.

From one chapter being high energy to the next being in more of a calm manner, and now this one's got more action in it.

The paragraphs are nice and detailed, with no parts left out.

My favorites parts were the poem at the beginning and the ending.
Victory FTW!

Please keep up the great work.

10/10.

 

Misty's leading us?
oh gog xiu xiu singalongs will probably occur ;___;

Anyway, this was really tense. ._.
With the admins and Sec. Mods going out with the current armor, they're really vulnerable now. ;_;

story!Lux's betrayal was really surprising.
And poor explode and Naruto. ;_;

I'm really curious as to what the S. Mods are gonna do when they catch wind (expecting either Star/Chev/Fayt to run off with one staying behind with temp. crippled!Wolfie).
AND WHAT IS THIS BLOB
I am so curious. @_@

Another great chapter as usual, Wolfie. :'D

 

I'm nervous to see how you portray me ...

Anyways, I'm still rather intrigued with this story ... not sure what's going to happen, though I'd hazard a guess at character death. Evil!Lux was a surprise ... I think he might be in cahoots with the blob ...

Next chapter soon please and keep up the good work :).

 

Omg Wolfie the beginning of this chapter was so perfecto

I was all baww

and then story!me was all baww

and then we were both all *melts*

and it was awesome.

*Cough* Okay but seriously though, this chapter was amazing as usual! 8D The tension was so thick, and so natural too, it was wonderful. And of course your spelling and grammar are impeccable =]. Awesome update, can't wait for the next one!

 

Wow Another great chapter :D Luxord is evil... I'm shocked...
I-I never Lux would be evil. I-Wow Just wow. I really can't wait to see how this turns out! Keep going Wolfie!

 

Not a new chapter, but a bit of an update – I’m in end of the term hell right now, meaning projects and finals all over the place, but the next chapter is being written. It’s about a third done now, so I’ll probably get it done by Thanksgiving.

The lines of text at the beginning are actually from this song, which I suppose is the inspiration for the story.
Thank you though.

Nah that can be avoided by turning Misty’s audio channel out of the Staff helmet link IT’S ALL GOOD
...unless you want that

You shall see soon. Probably.
But thanks~

The next chapter or two will probably focus more on the Sec Mods. At least…that’s what it’s looking like now as I write it. xD

Thank you, I will try.

IT’S CANON
But thank you, and I will try to update sometime soon. :]

I have another twist (or more) in mind, so yeah, it is kind of fun to write. xD
Thanks!

 

And the mass is now effusing
Bodies pressed and tangled
Yes, we revel in confusion
Our inhibitions thrown into the fire

Chapter V. Resolute Strength​

Several weeks passed since Luxord’s betrayal. The news shocked the entire community and whispers of instability in Staff blew through the main Forum. Now equipped with the new armor, Staff worked around the clock in shifts with hardly any breaks, despite it being eerily calm. Chevalier and Stardust were the main patrolling Supermods, while Wolfie stayed on base with Fayt nearby. She had recovered somewhat and was itching for a fight but all of Staff thought she wasn’t fit for combat – not at the moment at least. Even so, she was able to teach, and that’s what she had been doing. The newer Sec Mods remained at the main headquarters, none of them were permitted to leave until they completed their advanced training.
The small group of Sec Mods had gathered outside the living quarters. Forsaken and Sabby were gearing up to leave, but saw that the younger Sec Mods were acting skittish. The pair walked over to the others, and as Forsaken threw his arms around Plums’s and Clawtooth’s shoulders, he said, “Yikes, what’s got you guys all freaked out?”
Of course, he knew why they were nervous, and he couldn’t blame them. But it was still fun to shake them up.
“W-We start our second to last advanced training class today,” Clawtooth said, trying to shrug out of Forsaken’s semi-bro hug, “But Wolfie’s the instructor.”
“And?”
“Well…she’s kind of terrifying,” Jayn said, glancing over to Sabby.
Forsaken laughed. “She sure is, I’ve known her since both of us were new to KHV. She’d have no problem ripping anyone’s throat ou-“
A well placed smack to the back of the head by Sabby cut Forsaken off. She sighed, then looked up at the younger mods and smiled. “Wolfie’s really not that bad. She might seem tough on the outside, but really, she won’t try to hurt any of you. These courses are supposed to help you fight bots so you can get back out there, and Wolfie is the best hand-to-hand combat instructor we have. You might get some bruises, but it’s she’s nothing to be afraid of.”
“Yeah,” Forsaken added, “and if you do get the shit kicked out of you, at least your next course will be taught by the medic!”
“Fork,” Sabby glared at the boy. “Though he is right, if you do get a bit more beat up, Chev will help you out next class. Good luck guys!”
The two older Sec Mods began to leave, helmets under their arms, reminiscing about when they had to go through advanced training. The exchange did relieve the younger ones though, and calming themselves as best as they could, went off to the training area of the headquarters.

“Hm. Not bad, verd’ika. You’ve all made excellent progress within such a short amount of time, but keep practicing. As with all the other courses, you’ll be required to take a test in two weeks’ time to prove your stuff. Dismissed.”
Four exhausted Sec Mods dragged themselves out of the training area. It hadn’t been nearly as bad as they thought in terms of being mauled, but it had been physically exhausting – they had spent the entire day there, and as night fell they all began heading back towards their living quarters.
“Verd’ika? What does that mean?” Ienzo asked the rest of the group. Jayn and Clawtooth shrugged, but Plums said, “It’s ‘little soldier’ in Mandalorian. It’s a term of endearment, apparently.”
The other three gave him a strange look. “Why would you know that?” Jayn asked.
“Er…” Plums looked down shyly. “Well, uh, I’m kind of writing a story. Based on us. But it’s written differently, I’m trying to write it in second person…it’s going well so far, but I’ve had to do some background research on us. To make it accurate and all.”
Clawtooth laughed and shook his head. “How you could ever have time to do all this is beyond me. I’ve barely got time to sleep these days, what with all these courses.”
“It’s our jobs though,” Jayn said, “I guess giving up free time and having fun is the exchange for being a soldier.”
“Everything’s equivalent exchange in this world…” Mixt said as he walked by the four of them.
“What?”
“Oh, nothing, sorry. Just remembered a quote from something,” Mixt said, adjusting the collar of his armor.
Ienzo gave him a quizzical look. “What are you doing down here though? I thought all veteran Staff was supposed to be on patrol.”
“Yep, we were, but Star and Chev found something on the night watch. RvR called me and the others back to HQ to review something. Catch you kids later,” he said, turning and continuing on his way.
“That was strange,” Clawtooth said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in such a hurry before.”
“Yeah, but you know we won’t find out about it until later,” Plums said, “As it stands we’re still at the bottom of the food chain.”
Ienzo chuckled and said, “C’mon guys, don’t get so down. All that means is that we’ll have to ace our course exams and work our way up the food chain!”
The others grinned and nodded in agreement, then went their separate ways to their rooms. Each showered, changed, and were out cold in their bunks within the hour.

We are bringing you an official message. We control what you call the “Lost Section” now. We have no fear of the bots. Any members left behind are ours. Do not expect us to be civil. Do not expect us to be quiet. If we do not like something you do, you will hear from us. In time, you will respect us. And then…you will fear us. Our mission is clear. Our voices will be heard.
We are Voxli.

RvR slammed his fist against his desk. “Just what the hell is this?” he shouted at the holographic image of Chevalier and Stardust on his desk as they reported the results of their night patrol.
“We don’t know, sir,” Chevalier said, “Stardust intercepted the transmission because it was coming from Gaming, but it looks like that’s exactly what they wanted us to do.”
Misty stood at RvR’s side. “Are you absolutely sure it came from there?” she asked. “For all we know it could be upstarts in here using a proxy signal.”
Stardust nodded. “I checked and rechecked, it’s definitely coming from Gaming.”
“I called in the Reporters and Evilman…just to confirm on our end as well,” RvR said. They should be here very soon.”
“Alright sir, I’ll send you the rest of the signal data now,” Stardust said.

TRANSMISSION RECEIVED

“It’s without a doubt from Gaming, sir,” Evilman said. “The Reporters and I have reviewed it and every security camera and system we have in the main Forum, there’s absolutely no way it came from in here.”
“There’s also something else we found, sir,” Mike said, nodding at Evilman.
“Yes…within the frequency of the signal was a signature, so to speak. It’s Luxord’s, sir. I’d recognize it anywhere.”
“Dammit!” RvR roared, “First he abandons us, kills two of our men, and now puts together some kind of rouge gang to threaten us?” He turned to Misty. “Give me one good reason why we shouldn’t just decimate them now.”
“Because of this, sir,” Mixt said, taking out a holodisk and placing it in front of the Admins. He flicked it on, and images of members not fortunate enough to escape capture were shown being dragged along the ground.
“He wasn’t lying about the captive members. And I don’t think, at this point, he’s afraid to kill them or use them to bargain for what he wants. We don’t know how many people agree with him, but it’s enough to take over a small Section.”
RvR and Misty were silent for a few moments. Misty exhaled, then said quietly, “Compile a list of options for us, please. If you can get back to us before the end of the night, that’s all the better. Dismissed for now.”
The Coder and Reporters saluted briefly then disappeared back down the corridor from which they came.

Darkness. She’d awoken from yet another nightmare, only to be greeted by darkness. But then she felt the warmth next to her, subtly reminding her that she was not alone anymore. She wanted to curl closer to it, but the thoughts in her head were racing far too fast now to let sleep take her again. She quietly got up from the bed and tried walking around the room, willing her thoughts to leave her alone. A voice jarred her from her concentration.
“What are you doing?”
“I can’t do this anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
“Staying still. Staying…inactive.”
“We’ve all got to sleep, stop pacing and come back to bed. It’s not good for your leg.”
“You know that’s not what I mean, Fayt!”
The man sat up, scratching the back of his head. “Yeah, I know. Sorry. But at least sit down, will you? I’m serious about your leg.”
Wolfie sighed but listened to him and sat on the edge of their bed. She looked down at the black undersuit of her armor she wore even to sleep, aching to once again be out on the field. “I don’t mind training and helping out the Sec Mods. But I can’t just be idle the rest of the day. I’ve been recovering for weeks, I had no trouble teaching them today and you saw that. Even when Ienzo somehow managed to sweep me my leg held up to hitting the floor.”
“That was quite impressive,” Fayt remarked.
“Yeah. But I need to be back out there, fighting with them. Them and the others.” Wolfie looked back at him and gave a halfhearted smile. “You know how I am.”
“Indeed I do, but you’re not going to go back out alone. I’m not leaving you behind this time,” Fayt said, taking her hand. Her smile turned into a real one.
“I know. Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“So do you want to go talk to the Admins in the morning?” he asked.
“No, I’m going right now,” she said, pulling on her armored boots. She wouldn’t bother with the rest of the armor for now, and with that done she began going out the door.
“H-hey!” Fayt swore as he untangled himself from the sheets and struggled to find the shirt of his undersuit. He caught up with Wolfie a few minutes later, and watching her walk, had to admit that she barely was limping at all now.

“RvR. Misty. I’m requesting to be put back on full duty. I do believe I am fit for combat and am willing to prove it if necessary.”
“Won’t be necessary, Wolfie,” Misty said. “After tomorrow, you and the Supermods will be deployed on a black ops mission. Pack your gear and be ready, you’ll be briefed and will leave after the Sec Mods finish their last training course tomorrow.”
She and Fayt nodded.
“We’ll be standing by on base then,” Fayt said.
“Excellent,” RvR said. “And Wolfie?”
“Yes, sir?”
“It’s good to have you back.”
She nodded with a grin, then went back with Fayt to their room to get their armor ready. She had not yet had a chance to test out the new armor, and she was more than ready to trash bots to test the capabilities.
The stakes were getting higher by the day, but so was the Staff’s morale. They certainly would not go down without a fight.

 

I almost forgot about this XD Happy you updated Wolfie <3

O_O Who the heck did Luxord capture?!?

Man... Things are getting crazy... Can't wait for more <3

 

Spoiler

OMG that was so great

But seriously this whole chapter was also so great. I loved the Mandalorian bit 8D And you and Fayt. ~ I thought the dialogue in particular stood out this chapter. The narrative flowed well with it and it was a lot of fun to read. Loving the end there too, sets the stage for the next chapter well and ends the chapter on an inspiring note. Looking forward to the next update!

ALSO

LOOK AT WHAT A TECHNOLOGICAL BOSS I AM IN THIS CHAPTER

AWW YISS.

 

Oh Wow I just realized the Voxli thing now XD

And I can not stop laughing xD Voxli isn't evil.. It's awesome xD