Chapter 291 - Rubys Solution (1/2)
The drain was every bit as bad as Laz thought it would be. It was obviously used for bodily waste which seemed strange in a place inhabited by robots and automations. But that also indicated that they kept a large number of organic creatures as well. Laz had only seen the Lab, so he could only imagine what other places it was connected to.
Even with the smell and slippery floors, Ruby seemed unbothered by it. He wasn't sure if he should be impressed by her or scared. He was leaning towards impressed though since it was obviously a good skill to have.
He could bȧrėly stand the smell.
But it didn't last long.
As they emerged into the street from another drain cover, Laz couldn't help but take a big breath, his body cover in the filth from the sewer drain. When Ruby emerged, she was perfectly clean without a spec of dirt on her.
”How the hell?” Laz asked.
”It's a talent baby. Now what do we do? Any idea how we get out of here? That gate is still locked and if this place is going to be destroyed then we need to find the key quickly,” Ruby mentioned, looking around at where they were.
”If my guess is right, there is some sort of power station or something that is powering the force field like thing blocking the gate. If we can find it and power it down, we should be able to go back through…?” Laz pondered out loud.
Ruby nodded her head, but she was also looking in a certain direction. Laz ended up feeling the usage of power as well and turned his head, worried.
What worried him was he felt both the energy of an infected like them along with the energy of some of those conceited bastards. And it was close, very close. The natural atmosphere in this place seemed to restrict their senses so being able to sense the battle meant it couldn't be too far away. What they didn't understand was after their separate encounters with ancient blood relatives, they were stronger in ways that they didn't notice at first. Laz had gotten the golden eyes of his master while Ruby's enhancements were just as strong. Not to mention the actual blood that was still inside Laz's system, floating serenely above is now completed foundation.
'Maybe instead of infected, I should call us aliens instead?' Laz thought, thinking about how his blood ability came from the Asura while Ruby's seemed to be related to the rainbow colored snake.
'Either way, that could be addressed later. I don't recognize the actual energy being used, but that might just be because we are so far away.'
Laz turned to look at Ruby who was already looking back at him. With a sigh and a nod, they took off in the direction of the fight.
'This is going to be a pain in the ȧss,' they both thought at the same time.
A ways away, Dwayne, Jennia and several members of the Vodun were being confronted by several chosen. They were currently hiding within the first floor of a building they had entered to check out while various balls of fire, shards of ice, bolts of lightning and blades of air hit the door again and again.
”Remind me again why the hell you thought it would be a good idea to act like the voice of a security system and tell them that they needed to leave the area or they would be killed? They didn't even know we were in here until they heard your voice?” Jennia screamed at Dwayne over the sounds of the bombardment.
”How was I suppose to know they would realize that because we were speaking English that my voice wasn't actually from a security system?” Dwayne said, shrinking back. Jennia's fierceness always seemed to scare him.
”Had you actually said something to me before doing something stupid, I would have stopped you!” She shot back, intent of blaming him even if they were killed.
”Well, at least the sounds should draw others over. Besides, we've stopped the, from coming in the windows, didn't we?” Dwayne said back, point at the open area that was being covered by a barrier. One of their groups was sitting with his legs crossed while rocking back and forth with his hands folded on each other. He was somehow maintaining a barrier which blocked off the window, but the size of the door was too big for him to cover. This was the reason they had focused their attacks on the closed door. Besides, the door would allow them to come through as a group as opposed to trying to come in one at a time through the window.
”You're ȧssuming they would be drawing over our people? You think any of those useless losers from the council are going to stick their heads out for us? Or those sŀut bitches?” Jennia asked back with venom in her voice.
”Maybe they won't, but my bro wouldn't leave us to our fate. And don't forget he's got his girl with him as well. And even you said she scares you…”
Jennia wanted to say something back, but decided not to. He did have a point about them being the strongest in the team. Still, against these ten bastards, she wasn't so sure even Laz or Ruby would stand a chance.
Jennia couldn't help but look around for anything useful and wondered if they could go farther back into the building. If they dropped the barrier, the attackers wouldn't jump through the window right away, but they would notice soon enough that they had left and go after them. What's worse is that at least they were in a defensible position where they were at, but they would be picked off one by one if they were to try to leave.
Jennia knew that even though they had more people, not everyone in their group was a fighter. For example, the guy maintaining the barrier could only do that. If someone got in close, he would be dead before he could even try to dodge. Aaron had sent them with a diverse group in the hopes that it would be more beneficial than just fighters, but now that seemed to have been a bad choice. Even Dwayne was one of those types as far as she knew. He could be called a tank in that he could take a lot of damage, but he couldn't do much else. Except for using him as a meat shield, Jennia didn't think he had much else of a purpose.
Despite the lesson she had been taught, she still felt like she was the only one capable of leading and refused to listen to the suggestion of others. She also wouldn't expect that they were going to die here.
She was thinking of making a break for it herself and leaving the others here to buy her time.
'That's it. As long as I am alive, I can always regroup with the others and get out of here alive... or get revenge maybe....?'
Jennia's thoughts were starting to go different places as everyone was getting more nervious.
Before they had much more time to think the door cracked in half from the constant barrage and came flying into the entranceway. Although the members of Jennia's and Dwayne's team weren't all fighters, everyone was prepared to go out fighting. Those with combat abilities prepared themselves for close range while those that didn't gripped their guns tightly, hoping they would at least be useful.
Just as they were expecting to enter the fight for their lives, there didn't seem to be any sound, at least nothing loud. No one came in and there didn't seem to be any movement from outside.
Curious, Dwayne got up and went towards the window to peak out. Seeing as how the door had been broken, there was no reason to keep the barrier on it.
Dwayne popped his head out just in time to see a body fly past like a rubber ball. It ended up hitting the ground and rolling for several tens of feet before it stopped, no longer moving or breathing.
Dwayne took a deep breath before turning back the other way, only to almost get hit by a blast of fire. He quickly ducked back inside.
”What is it?” Jennia called over, seeing that Dwayne had checked.
”Something is fighting them out there,” Dwayne said while running for the broken door.
”Where the fuċk are you going?” Jennia yelled at him.
”I ain't sitting here, waiting to die. Since someone decided to come help, I am going to do my part,” Dwayne said reaching the door.
”You stay right here...”
”FUCK OFF,” with that, Dwayne ran outside, only to be amazed.
Out of the ten people he knew were attacking, three had already been killed. The other seven were doing their best to bombard the new comers with whatever attack they could muster, only to find it practically ineffective.
The new comers were of course Laz and Ruby, both quite a bit stronger than before. Laz had reached the late stage of the foundation realm while Ruby was now at the peak and ready to start building her Void Palace. Compared to these chosen who at most could be considered mid foundation realm, Laz and Ruby were on another level.