Mother 4

[Forte]

As many of you may know, I'm a Mother fan. A big one. And of course, the official word that there will be no Mother 4 is a tough blow to deal with for me. Even though Mother 3 had a great ending, it's not enough. At least for me. Before reading this, a little knowledge of the previous installments in this great series is required. Not much.

I must ask that all comments be held off until I complete this, which won't all be in one post, since I don't have much of an idea of the middle or ending, just a pretty long beginning. And so...


-WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF MOTHER 4-

No one really knows the year. People lost count of that long ago, after the "incident". The incident is something I'm not quite sure about. In fact no one really is. No teacher I've ever had in school can tell us about it, not even the eldest in our town can. We just know that it happened. This town is called Oet. We didn't name it, we found it with this name. We found this town completely built, roads paved, houses already here. We have borrowed the technology of the people who once lived here before us and we prosper with it. Life is good for all of us, life is good for people not just in this town, but for people in the next few towns over. Toso, Thee, and the largest city I know of, Fos. They all live the same prosperous lives as we do.

Mom: Len, wake up! You know, you shouldn't waste away in bed all day. It's noon. You should have been up by now. Robert's been wanting you for something. I'm not sure what though.
Len: *groan* Ok... ok... I'm up.

*Len gets dressed*

I've known Robert for a long time. Since before I can remember, but mom says since I was three. He's 19 now, and I'm 17. My 18th birthday is going to be this Tuesday, though I'm not sure if I should be happy or sad. On one hand, life is good, and that's definitely something to be happy about. On the other, it's another year going by that I have not lead a very exciting life. Only so much can happen in a small town like this. It's not very fun. Robert has big plans coming up. In 8 months He's going to turn 20. He and his girlfriend Lily, from the next town over, plan to get married. They share the same birthday, same age. A special couple indeed. Needless to say, I'm happy for him.

Robert: Hey Len, over here!
Len: Oh hey, Robert. How's it going?
Robert: Same old, same old. I was going over to Toso to meet up with Lilly. You know how we have to plan a lot. I just wanted to see if you would like to come with me.
Len: Sure. It'll give me something to do today.

Len and Robert take the short 10 minute walk through the woods to Toso. Then a thought came to Len's mind.

Len: Robert, have you ever heard voices in your head that aren't yours?
Robert: ...No. That's a really strange question. Why?
Len: Because sometimes I do. A raspy, old voice tries to tell me things. I never listen, but still... it bothers me.
Robert: I think you're probably imagining things.

Len and Robert arrive in Toso. Robert goes off to Lilly's house, while Len decides to look around town. Len has only been to Toso once or twice that he can remember. He has never met many people from here, aside from one girl that he considers strange. Her name is Maria. They have met many times throughout both of their lives. Though Len thinks she's strange, he still recognizes her as a good friend.

Maria, ever since about 3 years ago, has been trying to perfect a recipe she found digging around in the Oet library. It goes by only one name - Magic Cake. The recipe was missing one ingredient, which must have been the most important one, since every time a substitute for that ingredient fails, the cake strangely bursts into flames.

Len decides to do the friendly thing and visit Maria.

[Forte]

As Len walked to Maria's house, he suddenly stopped. Someone was following him. He turned around to find Maria behind him. She was holding a small paper bag.

Len: Maria! How do you do that?
Maria: It's my little secret. What brings you to town today?
Len: Robert asked me to come with him. You know his plans with Lily and all that.
Maria: Yeah. I think that's pretty romantic.
Len: I guess so... oh, by the way, what's in the bag?
Maria: Ah! Glad you reminded me. Seems like I always forget everything when I talk with you... It's my latest batch.
Len: Latest... batch?
Maria: Latest batch of Magic Cake! Here, I think I finally got it right. Try a piece.
Len: If you insist.

Len takes a square. The cake is moist and rich with a flavor that has no description. It begins to make Len think deep and meaningful thoughts. Suddenly Len's knees felt weak and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

Len got up in a completely different place than where he fell down. This wasn't Maria's house or even the streets of Toso. He had never seen this place before. Not in any book, not on any post card, not even in any description ever told to him. It appeared to be a city. The air smelled awful and the sky was a terrible color of dark gray. Many of the buildings turned out to be fake upon closer inspection, and those which were real were dwarfed, no matter their size, by a giant tower that extended into the sky above even the dark clouds that covered the land. That terrible raspy voice called to him. Len walked about the empty streets, looking for someone, yet no one could be found. The voice called his name once more, this time louder. It seemed to beckon him to the doors of that huge tower. Len could resist it no longer. He walked into the doors which slid open at his presence. Fos had doors like these. Could he possibly be there? He didn't recognize anything here from the pictures he had seen of that great city, though perhaps those were just highly glamorized versions of this. It didn't seem likely to him, however.

The air in the building was in high contrast to that outside. It smelled fresh and pure, as if a team of cleaners was on the job every second of every day. Len could feel the pink carpet through his shoes, it was soft as if he were walking on clouds. The story in the building was the same as outside. No one to be seen. The voice called out to him once more. "To the elevator..." it said. This was the clearest he had ever heard the voice. He walked into the door labeled "Elevator" and in that room found the elevator of which the voice told him. Upon stepping foot into the elevator, the air became cold and damp, no longer smelling like pine trees and brown sugar, but instead as if he were in a cave. He pressed the "100" button. To Len's shock, the elevator began to plummet downwards. He found himself in a cave illuminated by the rocks themselves. Before him he saw a form that he could not identify. It appeared to have no shape. From there the voice he had been hearing since he was a small child rang out clear and loud.

Voice: Len... you...
Len: Who are you? What are you?
Voice: Who and what I am is of no *cough* concern to you.  
Len: Then being here is of no concern to me. Tell me who you are and why you have spoken to me for so long.
Voice: You are the only one who can hear me. Do you even know of the power you possess?
Len: What power? The fact that you can talk to me? That's a power I could do without, thank you.
Voice: It is called PSI, and over my many years I have taught myself how to use it. Rare cases such as yourself... *cough* You are born with it...

As Len's eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, he could finally tell that the great mass in front of him indeed had a shape. It was a large sphere, somewhat gray in color; at least, he thought. The lighting in the cave changed color frequently from purple to red to blue and back to purple.

Len: PSI... I have never heard of anything like that. If I don't know of it, how would you know of me having that power?
Voice: A trait of PSI is telekinesis. It isn't common, even in PSI users, but it normally is a sign *hack**cough* of powerful psycho-kinetic powers.
Len: Even so... why am I the one you want to speak with so often?
Voice: Because. For hundreds and hundreds of years, I have spoken with no one. You don't know who I am, do you? They don't tell you children what happened so long ago, do they?
Len: No. Our history is based upon what we remember. It's been recorded for the last 230 years though.
Voice: My time dates back far before that. At least 400 years. That is when your "incident" occurred. I was king then. Of everything. I *cough* am Pokey Minch.

Len opened his eyes. He was in the guest room at Maria's house.

[Forte]

Len sat up in the bed and rubbed his head. Everything that just happened to him, was it a dream? Maria came into the room.

Maria: Oh! Len, you're awake. I'm sorry I made you eat that cake.
Len: It's ok. You didn't know what would happen. I think you have it right though...
Maria: Something is bothering you, isn't it? I can see it in your eyes.
Len: It's nothing... really.
Maria: It's something. Please tell me.
Len: ... I find it hard to refuse you. When I ate the cake, I found myself in a place I have never been before. I have never told you, but for most of my life, I have been hearing a voice, and after eating the cake, I met it.
Maria: You met a voice?
Len: No, no. I met where the voice was coming from. It was a huge city...
Maria: Fos?
Len: No, bigger. Much bigger. And filthy. The air smelled of rotten eggs and pig droppings. There was a single giant tower defining the skyline, and all the houses were fake. There were no people. It was just an empty town.
Maria: I've never heard of a place like that.
Len: The voice called me into the tower, so I went in. And that's where I met him. The king of the world.
Maria: The king of the world? There is no king of the world.
Len: I know... he said that 400 years ago, he was. He said that's when the "incident" happened. He told me his name is Pokey Minch, and told me all about PSI.
Maria: I've never heard his name, and I have no idea what PSI is.
Len: Neither do I. So what do you think? Was it just a dream?
Maria: It was too vivid to be a dream. I believe that your mind took you to that place after being stimulated by the Magic Cake. Perhaps that's what the recipe was for, not really a desert item, but for mental growth.
Len: That's an odd statement. It could be true though. I just know I never want that stuff again.

Life was relatively normal after that day. The voice stopped talking with Len. He enjoyed his 18th birthday in the company of his friends, but the thoughts of that "trip" he took were still on his mind. For months, he asked around town, looking for someone who knew anything of PSI. No one could help him. The library had nothing. No one could tell him anything. Len decided that perhaps he should forget about it. There were only two months until Robert's wedding. Maybe he should spend some time with him. Then Len remembered the one place not only had he not checked, but no one has ever checked. Just outside of town there are two houses. Both appear to have been maintained well for as long as they've stood, yet no one has lived in either for as long as people have lived in this town. Today is the day for a trip there.

Len began the short trip up to the mountains north of the town and within 15 minutes was where he wanted to be. He tried the house on the right first. The door was locked from the inside. Len backed up to ram the door, but something told him not to. He knocked as if someone was inside. There was no reply. What did he expect? Len kicked the door. The knob fell off, but the sturdy wooden door held fast and didn't even crack. Len stuck his finger into the hole where the knob once was and wiggled it around, trying to feel the locking mechanism. The door finally opened. The carpet was soft and pink, just like in the building in his dream. No one was inside. No one had been inside for hundreds of years, yet the house was perfect. There was no dust, no spiders, no snakes, nothing you would expect to find in a place uninhabited for so long. The furniture was in perfect condition, completely spotless, even the lights still worked. Len felt as if he belonged here. He explored it further. There was a second floor with three doors on it, two in the middle and one at the end. Something seemed to draw Len towards the end door. It opened without a fight, revealing a bedroom, carpeted in blue.
The room felt warm and inviting, and had a small bookshelf against the wall. Len checked it. There was a little diary there, he flipped through it, skimming the pages. PSI appeared quite a bit. This one would do.

[Forte]

-Chapter 1: The Revelation of PSI-

Len sat down on the bed in the room. It was soft and very comfortable. He opened the book and began to read. As he read he began to realize that this book was actually a diary. The first few pages were a dull description of somewhat everyday life, with a few quirks here and there, but then around page 5 it got interesting.

"
June 4, 1995

Last night a meteor fell into the mountains behind the house. I wanted to go check it out, but the police were all over it, so I couldn't get anywhere. I decided I would wait until the next day. Sometime around 3 that morning, someone was knocking on the door. Mom wouldn't answer it so of course let's put my life on the line if it's some alien or something. But no, it was even worse. That stupid fat neighbor kid Pokey. He gave mom an empty compliment and then began complaining about his brother Picky being lost and how he needed to find him before their parents got home. Are those people never home? It's 3 in the morning! So I went out with King to help him find Picky. King never likes to do anything, lazy dog. It didn't take long for him to run back home. So now I was all alone with Pokey. God, I hate him. We found his brother sleeping behind a bush near where the meteor fell, and then a strange bug who claimed he was from the future came from the meteor. He told me of a legend they have, about four kids, three boys and a girl, who save the world from the "Ultimate Cosmic Destroyer" - Giygas. I think this kinda freaked Pokey out, he's such a coward. Apparently what the bug said about Giygas was no lie. One of his dudes attacked us. We defeated him - no thanks to Pokey - and I returned the brothers home. They got it bad from their dad. That sea cow that their dad married killed Buzz Buzz... He told me to find Giant Step, and from there find the other 7 "Sanctuaries". It was morning when I returned home."

Len wondered if this was the same Pokey. It seemed like a pretty uncommon name, so he decided they probably were the same person, though it wouldn't seem that a coward would become king of the world. The next few pages were full of random heroic acts around town, then another two pages away, the story of Giant Step.

"June 10, 1995

I made it to Giant Step. As Buzz Buzz said, I learned a tune. That tune unlocked some strange power in me. To my understanding it's true name is something like "PK Yours". It is a strange PSI power that concentrates a good deal of energy into one attack. It can only be used by yelling what is most important to you. It's probably the only offensive PSI I will ever need. I need to travel over to Twoson, I feel like the next "Sanctuary" is there."

Len wondered about that town. Twoson? He had never heard of a town named that. He read further and further in the diary, learning of a town called Threed, and a great city called Fourside. Far beyond the shores of Fourside, a country called Winters, another called Summers, and a kingdom in mountains far above the clouds called Dalaam. Len had never heard any talk of these lands, he was convinced he had the most historical knowledge of anyone here. Len got up and walked out of the house, closing the door and reattaching the doorknob to the best of his abilities. It fell off again. Len decided to leave it that way.

He walked over to the house next door. To his understanding, this was Pokey's house. He tried to open the door. It too was locked. Unlike the other house, however, Len felt no hesitance against kicking the door down, so he did just that. After a few minutes of kicking, the door shot open. An unpleasant odor greeted Len. It smelled a bit like fried rice, if you let it sit for a few days. The carpet was blue and somewhat grimy. The overall build of this house was the same as its neighbor, yet there was something about this house that filled Len's heart with hate and fear. He went upstairs and searched the rooms. One room had two beds. He figured this must have been Pokey and Picky's room. Everywhere in the room there were large metal parts, screws, nuts, and bolts. Tools of all sorts littered the floor. Len wondered how anyone could stay in this room. Black spots where on the carpet everywhere and several places on the ceiling seemed to be burn. There was clearly nothing to be found here, so he left and returned home.

Len put the diary on his shelf in his room, telling no one of what he had learned. Two months went by and Len barely said a word to anyone. He ventured into the forest north of town quite often. He was looking for Giant Step. All the diary said was something about a cave. Finally one day, he found exactly what he was looking for. The opening to a cave was behind what remained of some small shack. The cave was well lit, oddly enough, though Len could not find any source of light. He traveled through it's many passages trying to find if there was an exit. Finally, after climbing many small ledges, he found an opening in the ceiling of the cave. He crawled out through it. He was on a ledge high up in the mountains north-west of town. Before him was the Giant Step. It was a large footprint shaped crater, what caused it was anyone's guess. Len felt at peace here. He felt a power inside of him he had never felt before. Could this be the power the diary talked about? Len held his arm out in front of him. Then he remembered. He would have to name it what was most important to him. Len had no idea what he held most important. He put his arm back down.

Len went back home. Tomorrow his best friend was getting married.

[Forte]

The next day, Len woke up, got into his best outfit, and headed down stairs. His mom had breakfast ready so he sat down with his dad.

Dad: Morning son. Where were you all last night?
Len: ... Nowhere in particular.
Dad: Hm... I'll let you slide with that. Sorry I can't go with you and your mother to Robert's funeral. I have to work today.
Mom: He's getting married.
Dad: Same thing.

Len laughs. His mom looks at his dad with very mean eyes. She apparently doesn't appreciate the same humor Len does.

Len and his mom leave a few minutes later for the wedding. Afterwards, while Robert's new wife goes out and socializes with everyone that came, Robert and Len stand together a small distance from the rest of the crowd.

Len: Congrats. So what are you planning now?
Robert: Well, Lily and I already have a house in Toso. A man living there decided he would build it just to see if he could. It's the newest house around here.
Len: Sounds nice. I'll have to come visit some time. Oh, I almost forgot. I want you to have this, I'm done with it anyway.

*Len pulls out the diary.*

Robert: What is this?
Len: It's a diary I found in the house up on the hill. It's from many years ago. 1995, I think is written in it.
Robert: How can it be from 1995? That year hasn't even passed yet.
Len: I believe it has. I don't know how long ago though. It's a pretty good read, much more interesting than any history lesson ever taught to us in school.

*Robert flips through the book, reading a few things*

Robert: Well... I'll make sure to read this first chance I get. Thanks for giving it to me.
Len: Yeah, I know you're a history fan.
Maria: Len, how about you take me up there?
Len: Wha...! When did you get here?
Maria: I've been here for a while. You just never noticed, I guess. I wish you would notice me more.
Len: ... I... But... *sigh* Ok. If you want to see the place, you can.
Robert: *laughs* You two are a cute couple.
Len: W...what?!

*He looks at Maria. She smiles and waves*

Len: ...*sigh* Come on. Let's go. It's getting late. Bye, Robert. Good luck.
Robert: *still laughing* Same to you. Come and see me some time.

Len and Maria made their way into the hills to the two houses there. Len stopped outside of the one on the right.

Len: So which one do you want to see?
Maria: Well... which one have you spent less time in?
Len: Pokey's house.
Maria: Who?
Len: Oh... Sorry. The left one.
Maria: Then let's go there.

Len hesitated, but couldn't bring himself to tell her no. He didn't like that house. Even though he had never met Pokey face to face, he hated him for a reason he couldn't tell why. They both walked through the doorway. To Len's surprise, Maria didn't ask why the door was on the floor. She looked around the house with fascination.

Maria: It's always fun to visit somewhere new. This place is pretty dingy though.
Len: Yeah... That's why I didn't really care to stay here too long.
Maria: Have you searched all over?
Len: No, just one room. It's a fairly dirty room on the second floor. I don't really like being in there.
Maria: Ok. Then let's try another room.

Maria went up the stairs and picked the door closest to the one Len had been in before. This room was a stark contrast to the first. The floors were clean and the walls and ceiling didn't appear to be burnt. There was a book on the bed next to a small machine. Len opened it.

"February 10, 1997

After hours of research with Ness and his friend Jeff, we have come to the conclusion that my brother has been using time travel. I haven't told my parents yet, nor do I plan on it, since chances are, they probably wouldn't care anyway. I wish he would stop back to at least speak with me. Jeff's father says that time travel has odd effects on people, yet I doubt Pokey is noticing it. If it hasn't killed him yet, perhaps it won't kill him and maybe Dr. Andonuts is wrong."

Len flipped to the end of the book.

"August 30, 2003

Dr. Andonuts is no where to be found. Ness and Jeff have been gone for about a week trying to find him, yet to no avail. I wish at least Ness would return, it would at least give me a chance to test my PSI powered time machine. I unfortunately don't have the time to learn PSI. The world is seeing quite a few problems that Jeff's father was supposed to try to solve, I hope they find him soon."

[Forte]

Len closed the book and looked at the little machine on the bed. He picked it up and pushed a few buttons on it. Nothing happened. He thought very deeply about what it could be, or at least what it used to be. Len sat it down on the bed again and opened the book, going to the very last page with any words on it. It was dated 2015, but there was nothing written on it aside from that. Then Len wondered something. In the few months he had known of PSI, he had taught himself PK Healing, which he had used quite a few times already to heal any wounds or sicknesses he may have, but does it work on machines?

Len held his hands over the machine and diverted his thoughts and energy completely on healing it. Maria stepped over to watch. Shortly after, Len finished. The machine still did nothing. Len looked out the window. It was well after dark. He turned away from the machine.

Len: Come on, it's late. Let's head back.
Maria: Alright. Sorry there was nothing here.
Len: Nah, there was something here. It was just useless.

Len and Maria walked out the door of the room. Suddenly the little machine kicked itself to life. It made odd whirring sounds as it started up. Len stopped and turned around. The house gradually lost all color, until finally it was completely black.

Len's mother, who had come to look for him saw the house glowing with a strange light from the outside. She stopped, looking on in awe. The light stopped glowing. Everything stood still for a moment. Inside the house color had returned. Suddenly, the house shook violently and crumbled before her eyes. There was no motion, no sound, nothing.

For the next few hours, a search team was sent into the wreckage to try and rescue anyone trapped inside. However, even after clearing away everything there, not even bodies were found. Len and Maria were not heard from or seen again.

[Forte]

- Chapter 2: Time Never Stands Still -

It had been two years now since Len and Maria's disappearance. Their families had become much closer since that misfortune struck them both, Len's parents left Oet and became next door neighbors with Maria's in Toso. Len's father and Maria's mother both wouldn't accept the fact that their children were dead, at least not without proof. This attitude kept their spouses somewhat hopeful, though after so long, most people had given up and decided to move along. Robert has since taught himself PSI as well, even telling others about it and showing them how to unlock the power inside of them, however, even with a teacher, some people can't do it, which puzzled him. Because of his importance to the community, and being able to heal people through the use of PSI, Robert had become head of the town of Toso, an easy job, considering the lack of real problems to deal with. Times were happy for Toso and the neighboring towns, but Robert, with a child of his own now, couldn't help but miss his old friend.

Robert sat as his desk in his office, looking over a few suggestions from the townspeople when his secretary came in.

Secretary: Sir, there are some men here to see you.
Robert: Send them in.

The men entered. There were four in all, each one with his own unique features aside from just his face. They were all dressed the same, combat boots with dark orange pants and apparently a dark gray dress shirt on under a very long black coat that went down each of their knees. Two of them wore dark glasses and one had cut the sleeve off of his coat on the left side, the reason was quite obvious. His arm was made from what looked to be a very heavy material, some sort of metal judging from it's shine. Robert suspected he was a very strong man. A small pink symbol that looked a bit like a pig's nose adorned their right arm close to the shoulder. The shortest in the group stepped up to Robert's desk.

Man: Hi. Name's Brio. Sorry if we look kind of rough, but it's official uniform, you know. We're here on behalf of our king, Pokey Minch. You might know him. Maybe not. Doesn't matter much, does it? Allow me to introduce you to my friends. The big guy here is Zahlzeit. The tall guy in the shades is Hauptstimme, the other one is Lento.

Robert felt as if Brio had stabbed him in the face as soon as he said Pokey's name. He looked at the men. None of them seemed like they were here to cause trouble, but he didn't trust their motives, no matter what.

Robert: Pleasure to meet you all. So, your "king" sends you on what business today?
Brio: He has sent us to take control of Twoson, for he feels that the acquisition of this and the surrounding towns is important to establishing control.
Robert: ... I'm sorry, This is the town of Toso. I've never heard of Twoson.
Brio: W...What? You mean... this isn... Dang it guys, we have the wrong town.
Lento: Bah. That's enough Brio. I agreed to let you do the talking because you said you wouldn't screw up. This is Twoson. Put two and two together you idiot. Toso is Twoson minus a few letters.
Robert: I assure this, this town is Toso. I'm sorry you gentlemen had to walk all this way from wherever you're from, but you simply have the wro...

Lento cut him off

Lento: I know we're in Twoson. There's no fooling me. I'm sorry the first person you had to deal with was Brio. He's an idiot. I'm in charge here. Name's Lento, in case you didn't get it the first time. I am current captain of the Neo Pig Mask Army, as well as ruler in vice of the new world. Out of the men you see before you, only I have personally spoken with King Pokey. He is, unfortunately, unable to rule in his current condition, thusly I am in charge of everything until he is able to, but let's not let that information get out of this circle of people, shall we?
Robert: You people don't give up, do you? I am going to have to ask you to leave or I will be forced to make you leave. I'm sorry, but you have the wrong town.
Lento: Your name is Robert and this is Twoson. You're married to a woman named Lily and you have one child. You've lived here for almost three years now. Tell me I'm wrong.

Robert couldn't say a word. He had never met this man before, yet he knew all of this about him. He sat down.

Robert: *sigh*... So, what does it mean for this town and the neighboring towns if your king takes it?
Lento: Prosperity beyond your wildest imagination. Just look what King Pokey has done for us already. My good friend Zahlzeit there lost his arm a while back, doing some work with logging. It has since been replaced and made seven times more efficient than the one he had before. Think, such technology, what could it do for people? Even I have had some modifications, ever since a tragic event of my own.

Lento rolled up both of his sleeves, revealing that both of his arms were metal as well.

Robert: You had your arms replaced with artificial ones? Wouldn't it be more of a hassle though? They must be extremely heavy.
Lento: No, actually they are very lightweight. King Porky spent many years of his life creating energy efficient technologies, making a lightweight alloy stronger than steel was just one of his inventions. Hauptstimme went blind a year back, his eyes were replaced.
Robert: All the same, you four are clearly very important in your king's army. How are we so sure he would do the same for us?

Lento took off his glasses and looked Robert in the eyes.

Lento: Because you have my word on it, and for right now, my word is the word that counts. If I can say that to you without shifting my vision from you, how could I be lying?
Robert: I suppose not. So how do we make this official, since there's clearly no way of getting you guys out of here without agreeing to your terms...
Lento: You act like we're the bad guys here. We're just trying to help the world. Nothing happens to your town. We simply request a few things. First, change the name to Twoson, like it should be. Second, allow occupation of the Neo Pig Mask Army, think of them as a well trained police force. Third, shift all town regulation to Zahlzeit. He's going to be the new leader around here. Trust me. You'll see no oppression, no hate, no mistreatment. Just expansion and fair play.

Robert stood up and shook hands with Lento. His white gloved hand was cold and hard, it felt strange to shake it. Lento smiled and beckoned to his men to follow him out.

Hauptstimme: I wanted this town, Lento. You said I could have it.
Lento: You can have Onett.
Hauptstimme: Well who's going to stop me from having this town if I wanted it?!
Lento: You act like I couldn't stop you single handedly. Even if I couldn't, Would you deny Zahlzeit anything?

Zahlzeit moved his huge metal arm into a position that seemed to imply Hauptstimme's injury. Hauptstimme gulped. All four men jumped onto the motorcycles they came on and as quickly as they came, they were gone.

Robert: For motorcycles, those don't make much noise.

Robert walked out of his office and went home. There was nothing more for him to do.

[Forte]

Lento and his group sped off to the far south side of Toso. There waiting for them was a large silver craft. They parked their bikes and got off of them, loading them into a cargo bay. They boarded the craft and it took off soon after. No one noticed its arrival, and no one noticed it leave.

Lento: That was easier than I expected. I think King Pokey's getting senile. He said this would be hard.
Hauptstimme: We still have Onett to go, as well as whole other countries. Do you really think we can pull this off?
Lento: You act like we're the only ones working on this. Adagio, Allegro, and Rallentando reported to me last night that they have Winters under their complete control. We're working really slow. Tomorrow I want Pig Masks occupying Threed, Fourside, and Twoson. Let's bring a whole squad with us to Onett, just to make sure we can pull off control there without a hitch.
Brio: I don't trust Rallentando. Sure she wasn't lying to you?
Lento: Did I say Rallentando told me anything? Allegro did all the talking. If he lied to me then we'll find out soon enough. I don't believe he did though.
Brio: Hmph... I guess I should trust my partners a bit more. Excuse me for that. Looks like we're coming up on the city now.

Lento looked out the window of the craft at the massive city they had begun work on. In the last two years it had grown from nothing to easily 5 times the size of Fourside, and still wasn't completed. Lento sat back and looked at his hands. He began to think about what had brought him here.



-Chapter 3: The history of the Mod 7 -


Two years ago, at the request of King Pokey, I, Lento, was charged with the assembly of a new army to do his bidding. Upon first meeting him, I found out many things, first and foremost that he was confined to spend eternity in a chamber that was his own creation. It happened accidentally, he told me. Betrayed by one of his subordinates who he trusted to create his weapons and defensive structures for him, he trapped himself in the capsule, doomed forever to have no contact with anyone. As time went on, he explained, sitting there by himself in the middle of an empty and barren island where once stood his great city, he taught himself PSI, which he now used to communicate with people outside of the capsule... That is, anyone who could hear him.  He told me that very near his location was a giant mechanical spider, which he once used to travel through time. He said it wouldn't be scratched at all, since the materials it was made out of were completely rust and wear resistant. He then gave me the instructions to use it to assemble an army, his army. 400 years back he said, I would find a large army of men already trained and willing to do his bidding. Just as he promised, I got them. My instructions were to create a time portal and come back using it, not the Spider-Mech. I did as he wished, disassembling the machine where it landed and traveling back through the void I had created.

From there, he asked me to find six people, from anywhere, anywhen. His only requirement was that the people I chose had to have had suffered some hardship in their life. At the time, I didn't understand, but I brought back a rather unfortunate bunch, myself included. From there, he made it clear to his top scientists that we were to be "repaired". The first part to the repair process was to assign us new names, to help us forget the person we once were. Hauptstimme, who was blind, was given the gift of sight once more, his human eyes being replaced with fine micro-cameras. Looking at him without his sunshades on is a bit unsettling, since his eyes constantly glow red. Brio was paralyzed in both legs, they were replaced with the same technology that replaced my weakened arms, yet I choose not to remember the misfortune that brought that upon me. Zahlzeit, a the strongest of us all lost his arm to a chainsaw, and despite the fact that his new arm gives him three times the power of his old one, it's hideously disproportionate to his body. Allegro and Adagio were twins, both of them had a weak heart, making it almost impossible for them to do anything productive. Their hearts were simply replaced with a mechanical blood pumping device. Rallentando was an especially odd case, she was the only one of us King Pokey saved from death itself. I brought her to him barely clinging to life, and from that he turned her into his greatest success. She's kept alive through means I'm not quite sure, but I know it took his scientists a great deal of work.

After all of these changes made to us, I was sure that Pokey was more than just some unfortunate person trapped in his own creation, he was a genius. The seven of us were nicknamed "The Mod 7" by the Pig Mask Chimera Division, after their term "Modified Humans". I owe King Pokey more than my life... but even so, even after seeing the great things he's done for us, I feel like it's an abomination to nature. I asked him about time travel, but he never gave me a response I could question no further. Finally he told me that it was dangerous to the human body, and it was part of the reason he was in that capsule. I decided to let it rest at that, which was probably the smartest thing for me to do. And that put us here, to King Pokey's ultimate plan, the joining of all cities and towns on the face of the planet in order to combine them into one great state - New Pork City.

[Forte]

New Pork City is, as King Pokey told me, his ultimate dream, and what he wants to see completed more than any other plan he has. The end result would be a world completely devoid of uncontrolled nature. That's not to say that he wishes all natural things destroyed, just tamed. The first step, he told me, was to establish military control over all the countries in the world. Next, we would begin the process of removing nature from that area, from things as obvious as trees and grass, down to the complete removal of insects. From there, we would assure the people that all of the nature they want to see will be available in special Nature Sanctuaries located throughout the world. King Pokey likened them to "Zoos" of his time, just with more than animals. With the removal of natural processes in the cities and towns across the world, the real construction could start. In order to make a perfect world that could be constantly monitored and controlled by him, the various countries would be connected to the main portion of New Pork City, called the capital sector, by mass transit highways which would be navigated by use of his special vehicles - The Pork and Beans. Everywhere would be webbed together as New Pork City, and divided into six sectors aside from the capital sector.

And those sectors come down to us again. Each one of us would oversee that sector. Sector 1, the capital, to me, and from there it was at my discretion who gets where. In a simple two years, we've 15% completed our plan, so far so good.

Our uniforms, as the 7 commanders, differ greatly from the regular Pig Mask Army uniforms. Officially, it consists of steel toed combat boots and orange denim pants, which are to be tucked into the boots so that they can be seen to the top. We were all given a belt with a buckle shaped like a pig's snout which is to be worn at all times we wear the pants. We are given a white, sleeveless, collared undershirt and a dark gray long sleeve shirt, which we can wear tucked in or not, our decision. I personally tuck mine in, Hauptstimme is the only one of us who doesn't, so far. To top off the uniform, we're required to wear a black coat, no hood, button front, on any diplomatic trip we take. King Pokey said that this was a new addition to the commander uniform, but made us more easily distinguished from the regular troops. Personally I think it's kinda stupid, since we're the only ones not dressed in light pink, green, blue or white.

We were told that in battle, we must wear a special helmet. It's silver all over and one eye is covered with a special device that shows us a variety of stats about our opponent, including levels of fatigue, and if they can use PSI, how much more their body can use without rest. Our signature weapon is a beam sword, about 2 feet in length when given power. They have been specially designed to be able to call forth lightning from the charges in the air, even if you're underground. Zahlzeit was not given a sword, instead his arm was created to be able to turn into a plasma cannon whenever he didn't need the function of his left hand. With King Pokey's permission, I have decided not to let Rallentando fight until I have personally assured that her systems are stable enough for combat, which I had planned to begin testing soon. I took her sword for the time being and have trained myself to use both at the same time, even being able to call forth the lightning with them both...

The craft landed on top of the Empire Porky Building. Lento shook his head and got up, walking out with his fellow commanders. The Empire Porky Building was the most massive thing in the New Pork City capital sector. The original design from years and years ago gave it 100 floors, but the new plans were more ambitious, and complete. 800 floors and 7 towers, the entire complex as large as the old New Pork City, with the new city surrounding its great walls. The main tower of the building was the only one with 800 floors, the two next tallest, towers 2 and 3 were 500 each. On down the line were towers 4, 5, and 6, each one only 300 floors. The 7th tower held 250 floors and served as the medical wing for the entire pig mask army. Being the closest to the ground, Tower 7 serves as the entrance to the building. From there you have the option of going into tower 4, 5, or 6. Towers 2 and 3 can only be accessed from towers 4 and 6 respectively. Tower 5 has no exit into another tower, although it sits right in front of tower 7's 300'th floor. Tower 1 can only be accessed from the 500th floor of tower 2 or 3. Lento threw in this extra maze like design as an added security measure, just in case one day there was someone who could threaten his rule as they had Pokey's. The roof elevator was the only other way into Tower 1, but aside from the Pig Mask Army's flying craft, no other aircraft could possibly be capable of landing at such altitudes, especially without a landing strip.

The architects of the towers were especially creative with the stability aspect of a tower that tall. The towers all serve as a support for each other, tower 7 being short enough to need no real supports aside from being well put together. Due to that fact, there is very little worry of the tower ever crumbling under it's own weight or height.

Lento, Hauptstimme, Zahlzeit and Brio entered Lento's room. The single room was as big as an average house, complete with a large TV, about half the size of one of the great walls. On the side opposite the door, the room's one huge window served as the wall. A clear view of the huge city and all of it's construction projects were easily visible from here. Beside the TV were bookcases packed from top to bottom with books on history, politics, war, art, science and just casual reading. A very ornate desk sat in front of the window with a large backed chair at it, facing the window. Though the desk looked as if it had been crafted many many years ago, it was full of technology. A small surveillance TV was available at the push of a button, in the thin drawer right under the top was a keyboard, used for telling the TV which camera to turn it's attention to. There was an intercom box, ready at the push of a button just like the TV which could broadcast a message out to each of the towers if Lento so chose. This one massive room served as the nerve center of the entire complex, but it wasn't the only one like this. The other six commanders got their own, smaller, but not by much. In the middle of the room resting on it's beautiful hardwood floors was a round meeting table with 7 chairs surrounding it. The room also had two very comfortable looking couches, for non-business purposes. 

Lento: Well, sit down guys. Make yourselves comfortable.
Brio: So the others are late?
Lento: Looks like it.
Zahlzeit: That always happens.
Lento: Don't worry about it. We weren't going to discuss anything important. They can come back when they want to.
Hauptstimme: If we were the late ones they would probably be mad at us.
Zahlzeit: That doesn't really matter now does it? The four of us are higher ranking than them.
Lento: Almost correct, except Rallentando and Allegro rank higher than you, Zahlzeit. You tend to forget that often.
Zahlzeit: Hmph. You won't even allow Rallentando to fight, how can you say she's more important than me?
Lento: Ranks aren't based on usefulness, they're based on skills. You're commander of unit 5 because that's the Pig Mask strength squadron. She's commander of unit 3 because that's the research department.
Brio: So what is the matter of the meeting tonight?
Lento: Nothing really. Just a small status meeting. They can report on what they did and they're free to go back to their towers if they want.

Lento took his coat off.

Lento: Go ahead guys, if you want, take the coat off. No need for us to be uncomfortable in our own house, now is there?

[Forte]

The others removed their coats as well, aside from Zahlzeit, who found it easier to keep his on constantly.

Lento: ... Oh! How rude of me. I didn't offer any of you anything to eat.

Lento pushes a button on his desk. A large refrigerator and a bar rose from the floor. Lento walks over to it and opens the door.

Lento: Let's see... We have plenty of snacks in here, if anyone wants anything. Some good sandwich material... turkey, roast beef... anything? Something to drink maybe?

Everyone shook their heads. Lento looked around, somewhat confused looking.

Lento: ...Eh. Suit yourselves. I would have something, but it's kinda rude to eat in front of people.
Brio: Go ahead, I don't mind.
Lento: But you don't speak for everyone, and you certainly don't speak for me.
Hauptstimme: You're clearly just trying to keep us entertained until the others get here. Don't worry about it. As far as we're concerned, we're still on duty.
Zahlzeit: You're too easy going, Lento.
Lento: Hm. Well fine. Would it make you fellows happier if I said "Make yourselves uncomfortable"?

At that time, Allegro, Adagio and Rallentando walked in.

Allegro: Sooooo sorry we're late, Lento. Ran into a few problems up in Winters... We took care of it though.
Lento: What kind of problems?
Adagio: Some people... they decided they would try to fight us off. Didn't take fondly to the idea of their country being taken by some army they'd never heard of.
Lento: And what did you do to take care of it?
Adagio: We did what anyone would do. We handled it by force. Easy enough.
Lento: I told you guys not to use any extreme force! We were supposed to make ourselves look appealing to the people.
Adagio: I went easy on them. I dunno about Allegro, though.
Allegro: I don't think I killed anyone. But still. You guys can't say YOU had it easy, now can you?
Lento: Actually, yes. We did. Perhaps people in the part of the world we covered are just easily persuaded.
Allegro: Or maybe it's because you had Zahlzeit with you. I doubt I would try to oppose us if I saw HIM walk through my door.
Lento: Believe as you will. We'll see about that tomorrow. I want you two to go to Onett with Zahlzeit and Brio. Rallentando, Hauptstimme and I will stay here. When you guys establish control of that last town, we'll have the entire Western Hemisphere under our control. That'll only leave a bit of the east... and we can begin the denaturalization process.
Allegro: And you'll be here doing what?
Lento: The same thing I'm about to begin doing. Testing Rallentando. She's the most unique of us all, I want to make sure she's able to go into combat.
Adagio: You just care about her more because you've known her longer than us.
Lento: ... We'll speak no further on that matter. I may be very easy on you guys, but show a little respect. Remember, if I feel like it, I could replace the both of you. Now then, this meeting is adjourned. You can stay here if you like, but I won't be here to entertain you all. Rallentando, let's go to the training room.

Lento walked out of the room with Rallentando close behind him. They headed down a very long hall into a set of large steel double doors. The training room was another of Lento's own ideas. All of the walls inside of it, as well as the two doors leading in and out of it, were layered with 1 foot thick titanium. In theory, there should be no attack that could pierce it, incoming or outgoing. The two walked in. No matter how many times Lento walked into this room, he felt he would never get used to its size. The entire first division of the Pig Mask Army could train in here together and not feel cramped. He looked at Rallentando. Her blank, emotionless stare was all he got in return. Lento felt as if he had to hold back tears.

Lento: I sometimes feel like what I did to you was a horrible thing... Perhaps you would have rather not been repaired...

Rallentando said nothing. She rarely speaks unless it's on official matters. Lento sighs and motions her to follow him. Their training session lasted for a good many hours. Lento sat up for the rest of the night going through his observations, calculating the strain on her systems, both emotionally and physically. Rallentando seemed to show no sign of slowing. Hauptstimme walked into Lento's office.

Hauptstimme: Well looks like you're working late.
Lento: What time is it, I lost count a while back.
Hauptstimme: Quarter after four.
Lento: Hm. it is late. What are you doing crawling around the first tower so early?
Hauptstimme: I get up this early every day. You would know that if you didn't sleep until 10.
Lento: Heh... guess so. I figured everyone got up that early. You know, it's really amazing.
Hauptstimme: What is?
Lento: Rallentando's physical ability. Even though I brought her in for repair with the most extensive physical damage, verging on death, she seems to feel no fatigue, no stress. It's almost like she's not even human, just a machine.
Hauptstimme: You worry about her well-being more than your own. I have never asked you this, but why is that? Is it because she's the only female commander?
Lento: Yeah. Let's go with that. I think it's time for a bit of rest now. I'll see you around 10. I guess.
Hauptstimme: Enjoy your six hours of rest.

Hauptstimme got up and began walking out of the room. Lento went over to the wall and entered a code on a keypad in the wall. A door opened leading to his bedroom. Lento fell on his bed. Hauptstimme laughed and walked out.

[Forte]

Lento awoke to loud bangs and beating noises. He had left the door to his bedchamber open. He looked a the digital clock he kept on one wall. 4:30. He hadn't been asleep for very long, but he felt rested, strangely enough. He sat up in his bed, remembering that he never had taken his uniform off. He shook his head when suddenly the doors to his office flew open with a force that couldn't have been someone pushing. He stood up. Two people walked in, men from their body structure, one a bit shorter than the other, his frame seemed much younger. Their faces were concealed behind Pig Mask Army masks, each dressed in pure white, with a matching white coat, the exact style of the Pig Mask Commander coats. Without saying a word, the short one pulled a gun from under his coat.

Lento: Who are you?
Man: We come to kill you, because you killed her.
Lento: Who? Who did I kill?
Man: You killed her. You know who.

The man pulled the trigger. Lento fell to the floor, watching as the small gun created a huge hole in the wall right behind him. He stood up again and slammed into the man with the gun, knocking him and his partner over. Lento ran out of his office, not even turning his head to see if they were following him. He had to find his fellow Commanders. He ran into the training room. No one was there. He turned around quickly and ran back into the hallway. His heart was racing. Who were these men? How did they get into the tower? Do they have more with them? He ran to the elevator. The doors slid open, no one was in it. At first, Lento wanted to get into it, but then he thought about his actions. What if he was unlucky enough to go to a floor where someone was already waiting for him? He couldn't chance this. He ran to the stairwell and ducked into it. He looked back down towards his office. The men weren't there. His best guess was that they were searching the rooms around to see if he had hid in them. He looked down the stairs, in between the rails around them as far down as he could see. No one was sharing this stairwell with him. He ran as fast as he could to tower 2. Hauptstimme should be there, he would have to alert him before something terrible happened.

Lento ran down the hall into Hauptstimme's office. At the desk was Hauptstimme, dead, lying in a pool of his own blood. Lento's eyes grew wide and he lost all the color in his face. He hesitated for a moment, not knowing what to do. His trusted co-commander was dead. Lento felt sick. He slammed the alarm button on the wall. Alarms everywhere went off, alerting everyone in the entire Empire Porky complex to this threat. He ran over to the window. He was on the 500th floor. The entire city was in flames, buildings everywhere devastated. He saw the reflection of the men in the window. He turned around.

Lento: Please... Tell me, who are you?
Man: We are fighters of justice and peace. Our cause seeks to give rebirth to the world as it was. You must be terminated. The price of murder is death.
Lento: Who have I murdered?
Man: I have said it before. You know who you killed.

Lento would take no more of it. He knew that PSI allowed teleportation. All he had to do was think of a place to go and move at super fast speed. He never had tried it or researched if the PSI would work when falling, only when running. Now was as good a time as ever to try. The short man pulled the gun again. Lento turned around and slammed the window with his fists. It wouldn't break. He had forgotten that the glass was so thick. He ducked again as the man pulled the trigger, shattering the window completely. Lento got up again and smiled.

Lento: Who have you guys gotten so far?
Man: Everyone. The other 6 commanders are dead, just as you will soon be.
Lento: That's what I thought. PK Teleport!

Lento jumped out of the window, falling towards the ground. He looked back at the men watching him fall. One of them took off his mask, but Lento couldn't see his face. He kept his concentration on Twoson. He wanted to go there. Perhaps he would be safe there. He went hurdling towards the ground. Closer and closer it came, still he was not in Twoson. He hit the ground.


Lento woke up on his floor. He had fallen out of his bed. He had broken out in a cold sweat, and upon rubbing his eyes found that he was actually crying. He looked at the clock. 10:12. Time to start the day.

[Forte]

Lento went through his morning routine as normal, yet he couldn't get that dream off his mind. Why would he dream such a thing? He sat down on the bench he had in his almost bedroom sized shower/sauna and thought deeply about it. Is he just scared something like that could happen? He had taken the utmost precautions to make sure that it never did, so how could he even have such a worry in the deepest parts of his mind? After getting dressed, he went down to the 250th floor of Tower 1. This floor housed the Commander Meeting Room, a room smaller than any of the private offices of the separate commanders, but made specifically for meeting. It was positioned on the 250th floor because that floor is the only one that all towers share. Lento was late to this meeting, just as he had been to the other 4 they had had since the completion of the tower. He took a seat.

Lento: I'm sorry I'm late. Rough night.
Zahlzeit: You look like it. Have a bad dream or something?
Lento: Actually, yes. I did. But let's not worry about that. Today's the day. We take what's left of the world that isn't ours. Adagio, Zahlzeit, Brio, you guys take 400 troops with you to Onett, then we can have that sector completely under our control. Hauptstimme and Allegro, you two will go out to the Dalaam area. It shouldn't be hard to complete the mission there, they're a pretty peaceful bunch. Funny how some things never change.
Allegro: And you and Rallentando?
Lento: Rallentando and I will be here developing weaponry for her. She's quite different from us, you know.

-Chapter 4: Everything and All Things, All Over Again -

That simple command from Lento set out the final step in the Pig Mask Army's project. With everywhere under the Pig Mask Army's control, the denaturalization could begin. It took 15 short years. The citizens of the world were both amazed and angered at the efficiency and speed of the Pig Mask Army's construction. Their animals were taken from them and sent to the capitol sector, to be kept until the Zoo Units could be built in each sector, and the same treatment given to fruit bearing plants. Patches of grass were dug up, as well as flowers and sent away as well. From there, nothing was left in every city except houses, dirt, and people. Even simple insects were taken away, fish caught from oceans and lakes, every one of them sent to the capitol. To prevent the population from starving, food was sent back during the construction process. For most, aside from anyone very attached to their pets, this process wasn't that bad. Any farmers who lost their job because of this were given new ones constructing the city, promised they would be in charge of Zoo Unit upkeep when it was completed. Anywhere that wasn't asphalt or sidewalk was covered with metal plating. The world no longer had nature. Going outdoors was the same as staying inside, aside from the fact that the ceiling was blue. Over time, even that changed, the sky was constantly cloudy. Occasionally, it would rain, but most of the time, it simply sat cloudy.

After 13 years, all the buildings were complete. People were relocated to towers while their houses were torn down and made "cooler" at the command of the new "King Pokey", a name everyone hated, yet were forced to love. The remaining 2 were spent building houses again for the people of the sectors. Everywhere on earth now looked like Fourside, except devoid of nature. In every sector, an amusement park was set up in King Pokey's honor. The buildings all had large monitors on them, neon lights, and were so tall it made people dizzy to look up at them. For the Pig Mask Army, life was perfect. For the people of Earth, living here was the exact opposite. There was no suffering and no real mistreatment from the newly established government, but there was also no reason to be happy anymore. While people were free to do as they chose, the psychological impact of having the Pig Mask Army patrolling the streets in organized ranks was sometimes too much to deal with. Some people decided to go with it, finding high paying jobs in the newly established world, others hated it and found themselves miserable. Others joined the Pig Mask Army, feeling that it would be safer in case these odd men leading the world decided to oppress the people. 

For one boy though, attached to the world his father had told him about and he vaguely remembered, life was one rebellion against the pink clad army after another. His name was Heron, son of Robert and Lily. To the Pig Mask Army, he was known as Rasch, the name he used in any letters he sent to them before he attacked. His attacks were very little more than annoyances and confusions set upon the Pig Mask Army and any of their establishments. False bomb threats, pulled fire alarms, prank calls, and occasional broken windows in the Unit 5 Tower. Robert and Lily were completely oblivious to his actions, thinking Rasch to be someone aside from him. His mother had been assigned a secretarial job in the Unit 5 Tower, 40th floor, his father was forced into service to the Pig Mask Army. At the young age of 15, Heron had to basically take care of himself, since his parents' new jobs were so demanding on them, and though he knew that his actions may be making their life a bit harder, he knew that what he was doing was right.

Today he was going to try his most daring action yet. The Commander of Unit 5 and leader of Sector 5, Zahlzeit was going to be staying here for a few days, since constant complaints about crimes committed in Sector 5 were beginning to annoy the Capitol Sector. Thanks to constant studies and a bit of unknowing help from his father, Heron knew the structure of the entire Unit 5 Tower, and exactly how to get to the Sector 5 weapons store. Today, he would take down Commander Zahlzeit, and liberate Sector 5. Maybe, just maybe, he thought, this would spark something with the rest of the world. Heron ran into his father's room and got his spare Pig Mask Army uniform and mask. For 15, he was pretty tall, so his Father's uniform fit nicely. He walked out of their house and towards the Unit 5 Tower.

He walked through the sliding doors of the Tower with no opposition whatsoever. The disguise worked nicely. Now his mission was to find the weapons storage room. According to his maps, it was on the 23rd floor, near the back of the tower. He went up to the elevator when a soldier stopped him.

Pig Soldier: Sorry sir, this elevator is currently out of commission.
Heron: Oh. Well then... I'll just take the stairs.
Pig Soldier: You don't sound very familiar. You new here? Or are you some undercover spy trying to overthrow the Pig Mask Army?
Heron: Uh... I'm new here. Why on earth would you think I'm a spy?
Pig Soldier: Just messing with you. I do that to all the new guys. It really kinda freaks them out.

Heron's heart was racing. He thought they had almost caught him. He made his way to the stairwell. There should be another Elevator somewhere on the 4th floor. He ran up the stairs. He found the elevator, just as he expected and used it to go up to the 23rd floor. There were very few people on this floor, strangely enough. He went down the hall towards the end where he guessed the weapons store was. He was a bit disoriented now that he had to take a different elevator. He looked at the door. No markings on it at all, no guards. Perhaps it was the wrong room. He thought about it for a second. He tried the handle. Locked. Must be the right room after all. He kicked the door in. A man was inside on the toilet reading the paper. He looked quite shocked.

Heron: Uh.. whoops. Wrong room. I'm sorry. Kicked in the wrong door. Silly me. Hahahaha...

He ran off down the hall. They really need to mark the doors around here for the bathrooms. He went to the other end of the hall. There was a door clearly marked "Men's Room" beside one for women. At first, Heron didn't think much about it, turning around and trying another hall. Soon though, something hit him. Why would two sets of bathrooms be on one hall? He went back to the door marked Men's. He tried the handle. It opened. He walked in. This room was no bathroom. It was the weapons storage room. The walls were lined with odd looking guns and the hilts to the energy swords the Pig Mask Commanders used. He took a sword and one of the guns, putting it into the holster on his belt. The sword's hilt had a clip on it, clearly for belts or shirts or wherever you want to put it. He put it on the other side of his pants, opposite from where the gun was. It bothered him though that this room was marked Men's. Is this their way of throwing off people from stealing the weapons? Or did someone know he was coming today? He had sent no letter about this attack. It didn't matter now. He walked out of the room and went back to the elevator. Time to go to the top floor.

[Forte]

Heron ran over to the Elevator. When the doors opened, there was another soldier in it. Heron went in, since it would look suspicious to run off.

Pig Mask Soldier: Heya. What floor you goin' to?
Heron: Top Floor.
Pig Mask Soldier: Hm. Guess you're going to see Commander Zahlzeit?
Heron: Yeah. He.. uh... summoned for me.
Pig Mask Soldier: Ah. That's rare. You're lucky. But I can't take you to the top floor, though.
Heron: What?
Pig Mask Soldier: Woah, take it easy. This elevator only goes to the 99th floor. You should know that.
Heron: Oh. I'm sorry. I've never been up in the tower this high, I'm normally stationed on the 5th floor.
Pig Mask Soldier: Don't worry about it. I'll be getting off on the 60th though, so I hope you won't need my help.
Heron: It's ok. I know where to go from here.

The pair rode up to the 60th floor, where as he said, the other soldier got off. Heron continued his ride up. The elevator stopped at the 99th floor. He got off. The 99th floor was strange and unlike any other floor he had been on so far. It was a thin hallway with only the elevator on it, along with 3 other doors and an elevator directly across from him. He went into that elevator. It only went between the 99th and 100th floors. He got in and went up the the top floor. The elevator opened onto a small ledge with a ladder. He climbed down the ladder for what seemed like forever. It was a tall ladder. The room was huge, as big as a whole floor of the tower and the ceiling was at least 30 feet high. It made him dizzy to look up. There was a large metal door on the featureless wall, which seemed to also be made of metal. The door had no handle on it, so he wondered if it was really a door. He walked into the middle of the room and looked around. No one was here. He heard the chime of the Elevator ring. Someone else had entered. A large figure appeared at the top of the ladder. He jumped off the ledge, not bothering to use the ladder and landed as if he had simply jumped a few feet. Heron saw why the man didn't bother to use the ladder, one of his arms was huge and bulky, and apparently made of metal. It was both fascinating and disgusting to look at. The man walked towards him. He was wearing a silver mask with only one eye uncovered, the other had a strange visor over it.

Heron: I suppose you're Commander Zahlzeit, leader of Unit 5 and master of Sector 5?
Zahlzeit: Yes I am. And who might you be?
Heron: *removing his Pig Mask helmet* I am Rasch, the one who has been causing so much commotion in this sector. Surprised?
Zahlzeit: I must say, I was expecting someone older. You're just a boy. I can't believe some kid could confuse my unit to the point of being able to break into the tower. I commend you. Now what is it that you have committed this final act for?
Heron: I've come to overthrow you. If it means killing you, I will.
Zahlzeit: There's no need for that, boy. The Pig Mask Army isn't about killing. What say we make a gentlemen's agreement? If it is indeed a fight you wish, then we shall fight until one of us cannot continue. If you win, then I will relinquish control of Sector 5 to you, to do as you please for whatever cause you have. If I win however, you will be sent to Sector 7 and never allowed back in Sector 5. Of course you know, that means leaving your family and friends. Do you accept?
Heron: And if sent to Sector 7, what will happen to my family and friends?
Zahlzeit: The knowledge that you're missing will hurt them more than anything the Pig Mask Army could do to them. Don't worry about their safety.
Heron: Alright then. For the justice of the world that once was, I accept your agreement.

Heron took his sword off of his belt and activated its blade. He had never fought with one of these, but he didn't let it show. Zahlzeit stood there.

Heron: Have you no weapon? I don't really want to use this sword if you can't retaliate.
Zahlzeit: That's a strange trait, to worry about your enemy. My arm is the only weapon I'll need. Come at me full force.

Heron nodded and ran at Zahlzeit. He tried for a frontal slash. It was blocked by Zahlzeit's massive arm. Zahlzeit drew his arm back and punched at Heron with devastating force. Heron blocked with his sword, but the force from the punch flung him back. Heron landed about a yard from where he stood. That one hurt quite a bit. He got back up. The leg he landed on was hurt. He tried to hide that fact. The strange lens on Zahlzeit's mask lit up red for a second.

Zahlzeit: Looks like you're hurt. Left leg. I imagine you'll be limping, if not now, for the next few days. Also a PSI user I see. able to use anything comparable to PK Fire at least 6 times before running out of energy.
Heron: How did you know all of that?
Zahlzeit: The body scan given by this mask can tell me things about you that you would probably rather me not know. Like that fact you're not at all skilled with that weapon. You don't even know the pattern to use lightning with it, do you?

Heron stared at him. He shook his head, half in anger and half in shame. He began to concentrate. He had hoped he wouldn't have to use this, but Zahlzeit was well stronger than he had imagined.

Heron: I'm sorry I have to use this...PK... Earth!

Zahlzeit had never heard of a PSI like this. PK Earth? He thought about it while Heron concentrated harder on it, making it stronger. It didn't matter what it was, PSI Magnet would stop it.

Zahlzeit: Hah. Cute trick, kid. But nothing I can't handle. PSI Magnet!

Heron launched the strange PSI he had been building up. PSI Magnet absorbed the bulk of it, but Zahlzeit took a sturdy hit from it. Zahlzeit nearly tripped. Heron stood there, panting. That one move had overworked him. Zahlzeit checked his stats again.

Zahlzeit: All out of energy, eh boy? Shame you didn't prepare for that. Learn to control that PSI of yours. Exactly what kind of PSI was that?
Heron: It's one that my father taught me. He said that only he and I know it, as well as a friend of my father's, who he says died two years before I was born. It's a PSI that gathers the energy of your desires, given the name of something most important to you. You can name it after a person, a thing, anything. It's very demanding on a person, though. Without enough training both mentally and physically, it can leave you unconscious for days. Lucky me... I've trained on it a bit...

Heron fell over. Zahlzeit laughed.

Zahlzeit: Guess you need more practice. Oh well. Deal's a deal. My training simulations are a harder fight than you.
Heron: ... Who said I was done... yet?
Zahlzeit: Look at you. You can barely move. Look kid, if it's that important to you, You can come back here and try to over take me when you're ready. But right now it's safest for you to just hold up your end of the deal. I'll get a transport to Sector 7 ready for you.

He helped Heron up and opened up the strange door in the wall. It was another elevator. They got into it. The elevator carried them to the first floor lobby, this elevator was the one that he was told was broken earlier. He looked at the soldier that had been standing guard outside of the elevator all day.

Zahlzeit: You. Get a Pork and Beans and take this kid to Sector 7.
Pig Mask Soldier: Yes, commander.

The soldier helped him out to the readied Pork and Beans and they set off for Sector 7.

[Forte]

They rode along for a good many miles in the Pork and Beans without saying a word. Heron sat there, wondering how he could have been so foolish as to let Zahlzeit see his face. He'll be an easy target now for anyone wanting to quell the resistance he wanted to spark. He looked at the stupid pink uniform he was wearing. How could anyone outfit an army in this?

Pig Soldier: Well, if you had told me you wanted to fight Commander Zahlzeit I would have stopped you for your own safety.
Heron: What do you care about my safety? The whole lot of you are just a huge corruption to the world.
Pig Soldier: Is that any way to talk to your father? *he takes off his mask. It's Robert*
Heron: ...dad?
Robert: Yep. Glad to see you can't recognize my voice. I guess it's kinda muffled by that mask.
Heron: How did you manage to get the job of carrying me to Sector 7?
Robert: When you came in I knew it was you. I could tell by how uneasy you were. That's why I gave you that spy line. I knew you were probably going to do something big like that, so I prepared for it by not letting anyone use the top level access elevator.
Heron: Thanks... I guess.
Robert: Even though I can't really say it was a smart move, I'm proud of you for being committed to what you believe in. That's why I'm not bringing this Pork and Beans back. I'm going to go with you and stay there in Sector 7. I'll help you whatever way I can.
Heron: Really? Thanks, dad. But what about mom? Won't she be worried?
Robert: She's fine. When you went up the stairs to the 4th floor, I took the elevator from the 2nd to the 50th so I could talk with her. I told her not to worry about either of us, we'd be fine.
Heron: Ok then. Exactly what is Sector 7, anyway, and who's in charge?
Robert: Sector 7 is a huge desert... Well, what can be considered a desert anyway. Everything there is covered in black metal sheets, pretty reflective. It's hard to walk there in the daytime. It's one of the few places on Earth the sun still shines, since apparently they don't want to waste the power of the weather machine on "that huge empty parking lot" as I've heard it called.
Heron: Wait... weather machine?
Robert: Yeah. The dark skies everywhere are the product of a weather machine positioned in every sector. The only sector without one is Sector 7.
Heron: So I'm being sentenced to the desert? What? So that my eyes will burn out?
Robert: No. There's a civilization there. It once was called Scarabia I believe. It's very hot, so I suppose we'll have to get some new clothes there.
Heron: Good. Because I hate these stupid clothes. Pink, for an army. Those guys are insane.

After a few hours of travel, they arrived. The huge Unit 7 Tower dominated the otherwise short skyline. Most buildings didn't even begin to rival Sector 5's. Robert opened the Pork and Beans' door. Instantly, heat rushed in. They stepped out. Robert put his helmet back on. Heron took a helmet from the back of the Pork and Beans and put it on. Robert walked over to a white clad Pig Mask soldier.

Robert: Howdy there. We've been transfered from Sector 5 to here. We need the Sector 7 uniforms.
Pig Mask Soldier: Hm... I don't remember anyone saying that Sector 5 soldiers would be transfered here.
Robert: Well, it's a rather quick thing. Zahlzeit just ordered it a few hours ago.
Pig Mask Soldier: Ah. I see. Well then. You'll find our uniforms over in that building over there. They're much more comfortable than yours. They're also lighter, so you won't be as hot here.
Robert: Thanks.

The pair set off toward the building. They got into their new uniforms. Heron was fond of the white. They went back out to the man.

Pig Mask Soldier: Ah. Good to see you like your new uniforms. They look good on you. Alright then... I guess I'll have to find a job for the two of you. Ah yes... I know exactly what you two can do...

[Forte]

Pig Mask Soldier: Lately we've been having problems with a mining machine out in the middle of the desert. As I'm sure you expect, it's unmanned, so you may have to put up a fight with it if it won't let you fix it.
Heron: Are you sure you want to assign such a dangerous task to two new recruits?
Pig Mask Soldier: It's orders directly from Commander Adagio. Apparently he knew about your arrival, so he already planned this job out for you.
Heron: Ah. I see. It's a bit late now though, isn't it?
Pig Mask Soldier: They never inform transfers about where they're going, do they? Don't you know anything about this place?
Heron: No... Would you mind explaining?
Pig Mask Soldier: I suppose I have no choice. Sector 7 used to be a large desert, from coast to coast. We replaced all that dirty sand with this nice clean metal, though. We kept a few spots open, however, for mining operations. In order to make mining easier on everyone though, we developed a way to make the sun shine constantly here. The sun you see up there is artificial. In fact, right now it's 22:45. With two suns here in the day, you can imagine how hot it gets.
Heron: That's... unnatural. However, even with infinite sunlight, you can't expect people to work when they're tired.
Pig Mask Soldier: I'm sure you two will be fine. Take a few of these energy packets out with you, they'll keep you perked up.

Heron took the energy packets from the soldier. He put them in the pockets of his new pants.

Heron: So which way is this mining machine?
Pig Mask Soldier: Take your Pork and Beans out to that tower over there. That's the mining machine. Good luck to the both of you.

Robert looked off in the distance. He saw what appeared to be a small cylinder out on the horizon.

Robert: How tall is this mining machine?
Pig Mask Soldier: Eh... I dunno. A good 800 feet maybe? It uses the bulk of it's body for storing any minerals it digs up. If you do have to engage it in battle, feel free to destroy it. Just watch out for its drills, they're pretty huge.
Robert: Ah... thanks... I guess.
Pig Mask Soldier: Oh yeah, you guys are properly armed, right?
Robert: I'm not, but he has a weapon.
Pig Mask Soldier: Ah. That won't do. Here.

The Pig Mask Soldier hands Robert his gun. Robert follows Heron, who had already begun walking off to the Pork and Beans. They got in and sped off towards the tower.

Heron: This is a trap.
Robert: What do you mean?
Heron: I've been thinking pretty hard about it. We're both tired and they know it, we just traveled 8 hours. When Zahlzeit sent me here, he must have warned Sector 7, which brought their commander here. He must not be quite as kind as Zahlzeit, since this is dangerous enough to get us both killed.
Robert: Well, what do you suggest? If we turn back and rush the tower, they'll know something is up.
Heron: Let's just go out to the mining outpost. I'm sure there's something there aside from that machine.


Lento's phone began to ring.

Lento: Hello?
Adagio: Hello, Lento.
Lento: Ah. Adagio. How goes that Rasch problem?
Adagio: He arrived in Sector 7, with another one... I don't recall Zahlzeit telling me about Rasch having companions. Perhaps he forgot to mention it though.
Lento: Ah yes. And I trust you've done something about Rasch by now?
Adagio: You must be expecting me to throw him in prison or something.
Lento: Actually, yeah, I kinda was.
Adagio: Ha. My brother is right. You don't know how to deal with enemies. I've sent him to one of our mining operations. The machine stopped functioning a while ago. The defense system is still on however, so it'll be a matter of time before they both die.
Lento: ...What? You plan on killing them?
Adagio: No one will notice, it'll look like an accident. Simple as that, they got maimed by mining equipment.
Lento: ....

Lento hung up the phone.