by G L Rathweg
“Um… doesn’t that mean island of death?” Cayden chimed in. “Right Vanessa? My Spanish is right isn’t it?”
“Yes Cayden, but more it’s more like death island.” She replied.
“That is correct, I didn’t know you knew Spanish Master Cross, well done. Once again though, try not to get bogged down in the details. This is the only option if you want to get strong enough to fight back against the Neo Rus Empire, and have any chance of freeing your countries, friends, and families.” Robyn explained.
“I’ve heard enough.” Anna stated loudly, standing up and looking around the room. “I’m on board with this plan. I’m going to get my revenge against that M. Bison looking jerk face. Now, all I want to know is who’s coming with me?”
A chorus of, ‘hell yeah!’ and ‘I’m in!’ and other variations there of sounded out. Anna turned to me and nodded once, then looked around the room again.
“You had me at jerk face.” Blake joked, winking and nodding at his sister.
“Ok, let’s load up the ships and get a move on. Time’s a wasting.” Anna said.
Orders were given and we all burst into action. Everything of use was taken from the tower and split between the two ships. The wonderful thing about WA, RKP, and SNES Affinity Technology was that it was all standard for the three nations. You could interchange parts from any WA ship with any of the other power’s ships, very convenient for war and such, at least, that was Robyn’s take on it.
Twenty minutes later we on our way and Tower 12 was just a speck in the distance behind us. We left just in time because I could see NRE ships and ABBAs coming to our recently vacated rest stop. Anna had split us up into two groups, one per ship, keeping us in our teams of three. Due to the LDS being smaller than the NRE-FAAG more students were on the latter.
“So, tell me about your crappy island qupie.” Justin said from my side.
I sighed and shook my head. Anna split up the groups, putting the RKP, SNES, Justin’s, and my teams on the LDS, and everyone else on the NRE ship, including the still incapacitated teachers. This was mostly due to the NRE ship being larger, but I also thought she was getting back at me for not telling her about Robyn earlier, so she stuck me with her douche of a little brother. Payback is a biznatch my Sensei always said. The first place we were going was to my friend Rick’s home and it was a long trip, so I decided to get it over with and answered Justin.
“It’s where I was taught, my Sensei always told me to come back if I needed to, that the island would always be there for me in my time of need.” I explained quietly. “Before he passed, that is.”
“My teacher died when I was young as well.” Justin replied.
Both of us just leaned on the railing and stared out as Tower 12 disappeared from our view and we started entering the snow-covered mountains.
“Anyway, I got over that a long time ago qupie, your plan better work, or it’s our ass. I promise you’ll answer for things if my sister or brother gets hurt.” Justin growled, pushing away from the railing and walking off.
Commander hissed at Tuki and my sprite blew a raspberry at the floating snake. Lancelot walked up and gave me a raised eyebrow as he watched Justin leave. I shook my head in the negative.
“You two getting along as usual?” He joked.
“I think we just bonded.” I answered, grinning at the young RKP student knight.
“Damn, I just lost a bet.” He laughed.
I joined in and we chuckled together for a moment, then his face turned serious.
“What can you tell me about this Island of Death or Death Island, or whatever it’s called?” He asked.
“Yes, I would also like to know as well.” Kagero said, walking up to us.
She was followed by everyone else on the ship, except for Bron who was at the helm. Although, I could see that he had his head cocked toward the conversation.
“Actually, Hiro I may be best able to explain this to everyone, you included.” Robyn said.
“Oh yeah?” I asked, skeptically. “What do you know that I don’t?”
“There is so much you don’t know young man.” The AI replied, then was silent for a moment as if he was thinking about how to answer my question. “I guess I should start at the beginning. You see, I was created by the famous Inventor Cid and not only am I an Affinity Intelligence, I am the original Affinity Intelligence for Warrior Academy.”
“What does that even mean?” Ivanka scoffed.
“It means Mistress Freeze.” Robyn said, somehow infusing sarcasm and exasperation into his tone when he said her name. The smarmy girl had the grace to look chagrined, Robyn continued. “That I am basically a living history of the creation of Warrior Academy and all the has transpired before in my records and since in living memory.”
“Wait a minute, you know about my Master and Sensei, more importantly…” I paused for a second taking a deep breath and then asked. “…you know about my parents?”
“Yes Hiro, and it’s time you did as well, it’s time you all learned about the past so we can protect the present and the future.” Robyn intoned.
“What about the GEAS?” I asked.
“I created it, so I have removed it.” The AI answered.
“What about the students on the other ship?” I asked.
“They are seeing and hearing this conversation as we speak.”
Everyone’s AR-2’s pinged.
“I’ve just sent everyone a memory, similar to an Affinity Memory Cube, that should start to explain everything. All of you should enter the sleeping pods if you are to watch the memory. Please access the memory when you are situated and all ready.” Robyn instructed.
I did as he said, along with everyone else judging by the number of us practically running down to the sleeping area. Once there I entered a pod and lost myself in the AI’s memory.
Tuki and I were back in the movie theatre, but this time we weren’t alone, every single one of the students and their sprites from both ships were here as well. Maggie was seated next to me and we shared a grin and held hands as the show started. Fresh buttery popcorn and ice-cold fizzing soda appeared. The sounds of munching and slurping sounded out around the room. The blank screen changed, and an image began to resolve itself as the memory slash movie, started.
The view started in the sky and I felt like I was watching the introduction to Flight of the Navigator. It zoomed through the clouds as if we were flying and the screen was so large it felt as if we were actually there. We flew down through the sky descending until a small dot began to resolve itself growing larger and eventually becoming an island. As we closed in, I started to recognize it as the island we were heading to, Isla de la Muerta, Death Island.
TRACK 7 – 5 YEARS TIME – NOAH AND THE WHALE
The island grew larger and larger as we approached. It looked like we were heading to the top of the tallest mountain on the island and subsequently, the area where my home was located. Tiny antlike figures were moving around on the mountaintop’s open area where I did a lot of my training with my Sensei. The difference though between when I was training there then and what we were seeing now, was night and day.
There were about a dozen of them and they were all sparring in some sort of battle royal in a big fighting circle. We were close enough now that I could tell they were all young, younger than us even, I was guessing about eleven or twelve. Although, I could tell they were all extremely skilled, even given their youth. Gasps sounded out around the room again as we got close enough to see who the figures jumping around were.
Not only that, but AR-2’s pinged all around me and names formed above each person’s head as I accessed mine. All of them wore versions of monk garb, orange in color and baggy in style, it reminded me of Goku or Krillan from Dragonball, I mused before refocusing on the battle.
ROSHI SERENITY
A younger version of my teacher was trading blows with his mirror image.
YOSHI SERENITY
My other teacher was g
rinning maniacally, a look I never saw on his somber face in the later years, as he fought with his twin and other companions.
ARIANNA RHYS
“You two better pay attention!” Arianna, the petite fiery redhead said.
She flipped in between the twins and struck out, kicking with both legs in a jumping spinning split. Roshi and Yoshi flipped backwards in unison out of harm’s way, landing five feet away as Arianna came down from her kick in a high fighting stance.
CECIL SMITH
“Now cousin, you should head your own advice.” Cecil said.
The massive boy came in with a powerful haymaker to the girl’s blindside. Arianna’s eyes widened in surprise as the huge fist rocketed in, but to her credit she reacted immediately. She jumped back while raising her arms in a cross guard blocking the blow. She reacted in time, but unfortunately for the small girl Cecil’s punch was so strong the force of the attack launched Arianna backwards.
Arianna flew through the sky with a look of surprise on her face, and her mouth in a small ‘O,’ but acted and she turned her body in midair as she sailed backwards. Her expression turned from surprise to a wicked grin as her flight became a crossbody tackle taking her into the twins. Both Roshi and Yoshi grunted in pain and surprise, mostly surprise, when she hit them.
“Gotcha boys!” Arianna cried gleefully, as she took the brothers with her on her way out of the circle.
“Sorry about that guys!” Cecil called, wincing as the three of them tumbled across the ground in heap of adolescent limbs and bodies.
ICHIGO MIYAMOTO
“Ha, ha! That’s what you get for not paying…” Ichigo started, pointing and laughing at the trio on the ground.
Another huge boy streaked in and slammed into the back of Ichigo, cutting him off mid jeer and sending him careening into the trio. Which had just started to rise but with the addition of Ichigo was sent back sprawling to the ground, there pile now one person larger. That was four more limbs to add to the mess.
SIEGFRIED DRACONIS
“You should follow your own advice little ninja.” The giant barbarian looking boy said, stoically.
Ichigo glared at the bigger boy from his spot in the pile but quickly his expression changed to glee. Siegfried raised a quizzical eye at his rival who was already out of the game but acting completely opposite of the way he should have been at getting eliminated. The little ninja boy extricated a limb from the pile and pointed behind his future best friend. Siegfried’s eyes widened in understanding and he turned raising his guard just in time to see, not guard against just see, a pair of legs coming his way from different directions.
LITITH SHIINA
A pale raven-haired girl with piercing red eyes and a face already beautiful at her young age, attacked the boy almost twice her size with a leaping roundhouse from his right.
YOENE WHITELIGHT
An equally beautiful girl, but with bright white hair and ebony colored skin, attacked with the same maneuver from the left. Both girls connected with the bigger boy’s chest and launched him out of the circle to land just a few feet from the pile of the other losers.
The two girls shared a grin and a wink but kept their guards up facing out against the remaining combatants. Which was good because they were immediately attacked on both sides by two other girls, who were just as beautiful as the first two. The first one was the proverbial ice queen, with long blonde hair and icy blue eyes, while the other was the girl next door, radiant with a healthy, full of life type of beauty.
TANYA ROMANOV
“I could’ve taken the big oaf out with one kick.” The ice queen teased, dropping down from her high kick and facing off against Lilith.
“Yeah, well you always did work harder and not smarter.” Lilith teased back, lashing out with a flurry of blows sending the other girl back a few paces.
Yoene made as if to go help her friend but the other girl launched a leaping heel kick that forced the ebony girl to give her full attention to the new threat.
STACY AL MACROSS
“Sorry Yoene, it’s you and me.” The girl next door joked, following her comment up with a series of punches and kicks.
Each punch and kick were blocked, each attack riposted, the two girls fought back and forth looking to be evenly matched. As a matter of fact, both pairs fought with equally high skill, they flipped, twirled, jumped, punched, and kicked. In seconds they had battled each other to a standstill. With one final series of blows the combatants separated and faced off again, all wearing grins from ear to ear while breathing heavy with exertion.
RYO CELESTIAN
“All for one!” Ryo shouted
ZOD ROMANOV
DAMON BELMONT
“And one for all!” Damon and Zod yelled in reply.
The three boys called out from their attack position, high above and behind the girls, then hit the top of their leap and came streaking down towards the four surprised fighters.
“Sister you’re mine!” Zod cried gleefully, coming down and smashing into Tanya with both feet.
The girl raised her arms in time to block the force of the blow, but it still rocketed her out of the circle. Lilith had only a moment to look surprised as Damon came down striking her in the back with a spinning tornado kick
“Bye Lil!” Damon joked, as the object of his mirth crashed to the ground and rolled out of bounds.
The girl popped up as soon as she got disqualified and glared daggers at her attacker.
“Damnit Damon! I’ll get you next time!” Lilith growled, shaking her little fist at the young future Princeps Belmont.
Stacy and Yoene took in all this in seconds and sharing a quick nod decided to team up against the last attacker, which was a good idea. Unfortunately for them, it didn’t make a difference. Just as the two girls began to turn out and face the three boys Ryo landed right in between the two of them. Reaching out lightning fast, he grabbed an arm from each girl and yanked them hard towards him. At the last second, he moved out of the way, swaying slightly back, and the girls slammed into each other with a loud crunch.
Quickly letting go and reversing his grip, Ryo pushed out, sending both girls tumbling away in opposite directions, dazed and disoriented. Which, on their own, they could have recovered from, but Ryo not only pushed them, he pushed them right into his two waiting compatriots.
Damon and Zod accepted the two gifts sent their way by their friend and grabbed the incoming girls. Then, whipping them around like a lariat, launched them out of the ring and into the group of students that had just gotten up from the ground.
Now, only three combatants were left in the ring. Ryo, Zod, and Damon fanned out, creating an equidistant triangle each of them ten feet apart. They dropped into fighting stances with grins stretched across their faces. The combatants who already lost fanned out around the fighting circle jeering the three fighters, while watching with interest to see which of the three friends would win.
This was the second to last test before the final and who won, or depending on what position you lost, determined your spot in the last exam. The grins faded from the fighters faces and the rest of the students quieted down as the three combatants prepared themselves for the final fight. Normally, when three combatants are left two of them would gang up on the third. These three boys were such good friends, almost equally matched in fighting power, each wanted to best the others fairly.
“Hurry up, we don’t have all day!” Tanya yelled out playfully.
Her sentiment was echoed by the other kids and the three boys tensed even more and readied themselves.
“You heard my sis…” Zod said, or tried to, because as soon as he spoke Ryo flashed forward striking out with his right fist.
His punch was pulled short though as Zod leaped back and Damon attacked Ryo from the side with a flying scissor kick.
“Tch!” Ryo growled, blocking the kick and using the attacks momentum to flip backwards and out of range.
As Damon attacked, Zod used the ti
me to recover and then launch his own furious rebuttal. The white haired and pale white skinned boy stepped back and crouched. Then leaped high up into the air in a triple somersault going high above Damon and Ryo. His jump took him in front of the sun and his shadow covered his two friends who looked up in time to see Zod flying down at them.
Ryo jumped to the side and rolled away while Damon, the biggest and strongest of the three, stood his ground and opened his mouth in a wicked grin. Zod realized his error as he saw his friends face and tried to change direction at the last second, but it was too late, Damon was already moving.
He reached out both hands as fast as a snake striking and grabbed Zod’s lead foot, not stopping he continued moving in a whirling spin. Using the smaller boy’s momentum to help him turn, he moved faster and faster, turning like a centrifuge with Zod as the impetus. Damon let go and Zod flew towards Ryo screaming the whole way, not in fear but in glee. His face locked onto Ryo’s as he closed in.
“I’m not going out alone!” Zod called.
The topknot wearing Samurai looking boy, Ryo, was not caught unawares and as Zod tried to grab him on his way out of the ring he instead got nothing but air. Ryo ducked his friend’s outstretched hands, and instead latched onto Zod’s legs while leaping up and spinning in the air in a front somersault, carrying the helpless airborne boy with him. The two flipped, end over end, in a ridiculous parody of a circus act but this ended in a much different way.
Ryo let go at the precise moment to send Zod back the way he had come and careening into a dumbfounded looking Damon. Neither had time to react and with a loud smash and a couple of swearing rants, they tumbled out of the ring.
