Chapter Six: Sharksong, Part Two

Colin walked forward, he heard something behind him; a tiny tap every few seconds and it was slowly following them. Every few seconds he turned around, but he saw no auras; only Ronan, Dustin, the soldiers; Octavian and a dull aura near them. He wondered who the dull aura was, but he couldn’t figure it out.

Ronan walked forward, behind Colin and followed him, sometimes he swore that behind him he was seeing something, a tiny glimmer of light reflecting behind them. Every few seconds, he would see Colin and each time he became slightly more worried, he wasn’t getting instructions but it was obvious they were being stalked.

Ronan tried to walk forward and lead them with his visual knowledge, but when he did Colin extended his hand out and blocked him from moving forward. Ronan didn’t argue, he knew he couldn’t; Colin would beat him for the sheer fact that he was the only person who could commutate with him.

He still attempted to overtake Ronan, but the glimmering behind him distracted him as he attempted to figure out what was causing it. He needed to know what it was, and he needed to know what was causing it, he needed to lead, he needed to get away from his mind, from his guilt, he needed to distract himself.

And when Colin looked back the last time, he instead extended his hand out and held Colin in his position and they all waited; listening, hearing and feeling all trying to figure out what was happening. They watched as the glimpse appeared, listened as the thumping because closer.

And then Colin signed to him.

“Whatever this is it isn’t alive.” Colin said, at least in his mind as if he could only hear an imaginary friend. That worried him and comforted him a bit, he knew they could probably handle themselves. At worse they seemed to be able to keep a moderate walking pace ahead of it.

They kept still as the glimmer finally walked into the light, while Colin couldn’t see it he certainly could feel it, or at least that’s he thought. Perhaps the strange beast was alive and know Colin could see a dull aura, a reflection of life from the beast and could react. Either way they all took a step back as they looked at the beast.

Its skin boiled and was completely black, which might have been a problem for it had it not been a complete pile of goop against the floor. It had two floating eyes balls, sometimes spinning around but dead and pupil less. It moved forward, a piece of metal against the floor bouncing down and creating the ting they heard.

Its skin bubbled and released air, causing a stench to enter the air as it slowly approached. Floating pieces of multicolored bits appeared on its skin and disappeared as goo engulfed it again. They stood still in fear and disgust as the beast approached them and wondered what it would attempt to do.   

Colin stood still and instead pulled him and Ronan back as he let the soldiers take the siege. They fired at the mutant, Colin having the shots to go off of and Ronan having to see the flashes of light as the mutant was chopped up into pieces and turned into mush against the ground.

“What was that, I could sense so much life potential but only a dull fade?” Colin signed to him as he they started to walk forward again. Ronan continued forward through the hallway, as they made a turn however a faint glow engulfed them all.

They looked at it, it was a hole in the center of the floor. As they walked towards it, Ronan held Colin back as they viewed the hole. Under it lava swarmed and it bubbled, Ronan knew this was the mantle finding its way through the base and showing up and perhaps they were more doomed.

“I can see more, their swimming through the mantle; their all down their; I can see millions of them all swimming and trying to find a bigger hole than this; that’s how they came in.” Colin signed to him and said as he looked down, the glow of the mantle reflecting on his pupil less eyes.

Ronan walked forward, feeling himself shiver as he walked forward and attempted to handle such information. He ignored it and walked forward, trying to figure out how long they would have until the base was punctured and more of the mutants would find their way into the crust of the Earth. 

…

“So then one should expect a Kagen to escape.” Octavian said as he backed up keeping him and Dustin at a safe distance while the Kagen looked at them. Dustin shivered, the strange shark just expanded his body around the bars like they were nothing and was standing there.

“And one should expect humans to underestimate, but do not fear me; I can sense a strong gathering of multiple powers would you care to alert me to the source?” Bright the Kagen said as he seemingly pledged his loyalty to them or at least a promise that he wouldn’t attack, which in Dustin’s book was good.

“Good, one less problem without wanting to escape, not that you could do it here. His teleportation powers don’t work due to a shield that only allows electronic teleportation through, his organic blend won’t work on us.” Octavian explained to Dustin as they watched the Kagen and made sure he wasn’t doing anything shady.

“Well then mutants, I’ve dealt with them before different universe, different time period; it was so nice to see King Author fight the mutants; the best part is that the chain metal armor in that universe was really tight meaning you could see everything, oh and I did love that regeneration, the second one is always the honeymoon period.” Bright suddenly rattled off as if he was actually some sort of multidimensional and mutliuniversal traveler.  “And I mean that most sincerely.”

“If you haven’t figured out by know this is Bright, he is a space traveler and a teleporter and he is the guardian of Earth, but he, the Kagen, can better explain the mythos.” Octavian said as he turned towards Bright, they had time and since mutants weren’t attacking them they had time.

“Well it’s hard to imagine this but your universe is more of a dimension, and there are multiple dimensions; all of these dimensions come together to from a universe. Now there is a multiverse, and in this case some universes have no different just different mixes of dimensions; others are variations or twists created by a dimensional incarnation of my brother Twilight and his idiotic boyfriend Koji.” Bright said as he slowly talked to Dustin.

“Now then in our beginning we were dimensional, while you may hear more complicated accounts, we had originally started in a dimension opposite Earth and this this universe we quickly took over; variations on twists. So then we started to connect multiple universes, becoming gods in Kagen-less universes and overlooking on our less evolved bothers.” Bright said as he tried to explain in best way.

“Now then we ruled over a portion and we happened to come over your universe, now my idiotic brother, Twilight, a different one than the one with the boyfriend saw it fit to send me down as your Universe’s guardian, ironic for him since I was known in a few other universes as Bright, the Dragon Master, who transformed and enslaved a few or so Earths.” Bright said cringing as he remembered ideas from the time. 

“How many?” Dustin asked as he wished to figure out about what this Dragon Master crap was about.

“Oh you know about 42.” Bright said cringing even more.

“Either way, I’m here to guard over your planet and when I started to show up through time; these idiots decided to capture me and then they killed me, and I regenerated in to my third body; like I said, I did so like my second body.” Bright said looking at Octavian as he felt the scar on his chest.

“So basically just remember dimensions are in the universe are in the multiverse of timelines, and we the Kagens control a good portion of the multiverse; I protect the Earth and don’t worry about the Riftwalkers.” Bright said as he smiled again and stood up, he seemed a bit taller than Dustin.

“Riftwalkers?” Dustin asked as he looked at Bright with a confused look on his face.

“Oh nothing, they’re just the boogeymen that travel the universe and control their own little slice of the universe.” Bright said smiling as he decided his little explanation was over and they should have continued moving. “Now then Mr. Octavian, lead us forward into battle.”

“Thank you I appreciate the mocking, at least for you he didn’t bring out the flow chart, god I hated that couldn’t have thrown that stupid piece of paper into the mantle quick enough.” Octavian said as he walked out of the brig area looking like he had dodged a bullet.

As Octavian walked forward suddenly the floor gave out from underneath him, Bright and Dustin were knocked down with him falling through the base and landing on somewhere below. As the dust settled they realized where they were, on top of the crust.

Standing up Octavian and Dustin looked down on the rocky surface they were standing on. Looking up they saw the base hung from the rocky ceiling, something felt different and the ground was hotter. Feeling around and they looked around.

“Were floating on top of the last piece of rock in-between us and a sea of molten lava below us; be very, very careful.” Bright said as he stood up and felt around, they needed to get back to the base and quickly. “This entire area is very dangerous, if there is so much as one geological event on the other side of the Earth, the mantle could splash up through here.”

“Once again planning issues, seriously who every designed and or decided to place this base right on the mantle, needs to have a talk with my two friends; Logic and Reason.” Dustin said as he pulled up his fists and showed them to Octavian.

“Yeah I don’t think logic and reason will be much use here, however we can still get to the cooling pipes; and probably shoot back up through the tubes and the vents back into the base.” Bright said as he looked through a hole in the cavern and looked at the large scaling pipes that led up to the end of the base.

“I do think that a hurrying pace should be applied, I don’t think that we are along here.” Octavian said as he turned towards a hole in the crust, a tiny pool of lava forming behind them and in it every few seconds spurts of the black appeared in the pool. It became clear to them that mutants were in the mantle.

Dustin started to walk going towards the pipes as Bright and Octavian followed him. Behind them the mantle started to bubble over and instead of hot lava pouring out; as Dustin and his group disappeared into the background, a black bubbling beast floated up and onto the crust.

…

“So then what’s with the gravity, on the base I was getting a definite 9.8 but down here I’m only feeling a soild 7.3. I always thought your gravity felt unnatural, and I assumed you compensated with a gravity generator but what I’m feeling is confusing me.” Bright asked sarcastically jumping around as he felt the gravity in the air, seemingly able to pin point a different. Dustin felt it as well but he couldn’t pin point why it felt stranger.

“Oh well as Pong would tell you, the gravity inside the Earth is a bit more messed up, since most of the dense materials are above us gravity balances itself out around here.” Octavian said as he tested out the gravity as well, it wasn’t moon like but it was a noticeable amount weaker.

They were passing through a rocky valley, blasts of steam sometimes blasting out from the side and alerting them.

“So then we use a gravity generator to balance it all out. You know everyone stays on the ground and no one starts to float, so it works out pretty well; I do remember that when we drilled down here we didn’t know how gravity would react and as we approached this point we very nearly crashed when a drill kept moving, in fact…” Looking forward as they exited the valley, a blocked in hole appeared in the distance and a large lava pool in the center shined light along the center of the cavern.

…

“So any idea on how close we are?” Colin asked and signed two the silent soldiers in front of them; the lights of the hallway above them were slowly starting to fade in and out; but luckily it seemed that they still had oxygen. Colin enjoyed that fact as he breathed in and out.

“No clue, we haven’t taken this path, there was a straight forward way but as it seemed it was filled with mutants; this path was only discovered the last the minute right before we shut down the other paths and called you three in.” Pong said as he held up his gun and they made another turn.

Meanwhile, Ronan was forced to wither in his own silence as he followed Colin and couldn’t hear anything but his voice in his head. He kept his head down in shame; he tried to tell himself that he wasn’t that bad for being a complete dick to Dustin.

Yet even he couldn’t convince himself that, finally he encountered a lie to big. Still he tried to wonder why he did threat Dustin like he did, he tried to figure out why he did and what the point of it was. He sighed and searched his memory, surely there must have been some sort of clue that made him act like he did.     

Perhaps he just threated Dustin like he did because he thought that Dustin did need to have some confidence in himself, he just wanted to push the shark; see how far he could have Dustin go and push him to be a true shark and then he remembered what Nightshifter said to Dustin.

“There is no such thing as a true shark, there isn’t a false shark either only good sharks, now be a good shark and make the right choice, I believe that you can do that.” Nightshifter said his speech as he appeared next to him, or at least that’s how he remembered it.

Ronan tried to tell himself that there was a true shark and that his normal self was right but he couldn’t. He admitted to himself that he was a complete dick to Dustin to everyone, and he perhaps needed to ignore that. And that’s when he did realize that his normal self was flawed, but so was his supered side.

Perhaps he did threat Riptide as an equal because he did have powers, he knew Riptide could handle himself and even though both sides of Dustin acted the same; the simple addition of super powers to one made them unequal. And he stereotyped both of Dustin’s forms.  

He saw Riptide as some sort of equal yet Dustin himself was lesser, and when he figured out that they were on in the same he was freaked and he continued to argue over whether or not he was right. He couldn’t come to a conclusion on what to do, and if he saw himself as super even when he was supposed to act as a normal.  

The group stopped, they were taking a break; Ronan stood still and leaned against the wall. It felt warm, which was good on his sour shoulder muscles. He rarely got time to relax but he saw it nice that for once he got to enjoy one. Still suddenly the wall warped in and he grabbed his headphone as he fell into the collapsed wall.

Above him the vent collapsed and he braced for impact as he landed against a grader. He passed through that and with one final stump he landed in a strange glass capsule. He was standing on a piece of glass that was acting on a floor and connected to a few structural pieces but otherwise he was on glass.   

Below him he saw the last of the crust, and underneath it a large amphitheater shaped basin. A pool of lava and a few large mining drills stood around the hole, he presumed this was where they exited out and started to build the base. As he looked down through the cupola window, he saw a group of three.

It was Dustin, it had to be; and so he knocked on the window. He needed to get to Dustin and he needed to apologize to the shark, he needed forgiveness. He thought that he could perhaps attempt to phase through the window and land in the basin but as he tried to activate his powers, they failed.

He knew he couldn’t survive a fall that large without being in his invisible mode, so he was trapped in the cupola watching Dustin as they walked towards the lava pool.

…

“So then the electrical systems are located next to the water generator and the cooling vent, I really don’t have to tell you how badly planned this place was right.” Dustin said as he walked with Octavian and Bright over to the lava pool, their faces glowed as they approached it, even with Ronan in the background trying to get their attention.

…

Instead then Ronan decided to enjoy his view of the area below, he looked at the brownness and the more brownness and decided it was time to be rescued. He looked up at the vent, it had most definitely collapsed so Colin couldn’t follow him through their but there was another door.

Deciding it was the best bet he took one more look down and saw a spec of black on the cupola window, he bent down and tried to rub it off but he failed at even completing that objective. When he realized it wasn’t a marker mark and he noticed it moving as well, he decided to take a closer look.

Very nearly putting his eye ball against the cupola window, he looked down and as he tried to figure out what the black blob was he realized that it was a black blob. And too his surprise, more of these blobs appeared. They were mutants and as more and more of them appeared he realized they were surrounding the group below.

He needed to help them and he needed to do it quick or else they were going to be seriously hurt. He walked towards the door and as he opened it he suddenly came face to blob with another mutant in fact there was a whole room filed with them.

He backed off trying not to get noticed and closed the door, he leaned against the door trying to make sure that they wouldn’t try to hurt him but as he didn’t feel any pushing; the wolf was sure that he was safe for now. So he took a breath, mutants were surrounding Dustin and his group and he was trapped by mutants, he was beginning to feel that there was a bit of a mutant problem at this base.

He looked forward and there was a black screen against the wall, it looked to be a status board ore some sort of television. He looked at it and suddenly static filled it as it turned on. Colin’s face appeared along with Ping and Pong’s in the background. Colin started to sign at him.

“We think you are in the cupola module, nod if we are correct.”  Colin signed, Ronan knew that was right and responded with a nod to Colin.

“Ok, good; we are sending Pong down to get you, all you need to do is navigate through a mutant infested room, they won’t identify you as a target because of your werewolf side, so long as you stay peaceful so will they.” Colin signed before the television turned off, the light above him faded; suggesting that electricity was running out for them.

“And so I go.” Ronan said to himself as he turned around and faced against the door. He took a deep breath and walked forward, he opened the door and the mutants reacted peacefully to him. They slid past him and into the cupola as they walked forward.

Ignoring how strange and horrible they felt, Ronan walked forward through the slime. He saw the door he had to walk to and knew that he was only meters away from it. He saw a glowing hole in the wall, the mantle gooped up against it and splashed some contents in. 

Ronan realized that the mutants weren’t after Dustin and his gang, or perhaps they were; they were after the mantle connection, a transportation hole to send more mutants in through the mantle. Rona saw the mutants could survive the mantle’s heat and he knew they were smart enough to figure it out.

The mutants they had seen all day weren’t the fighting mutants, they were scouts; traversing the area and finding ways in. And right below him in the basil was the quickest way in. Ronan wished he could contact Dustin and let him know but as he walked to the other door he opened it and passed through.

It seemed to meet a stairway, the way down to where he was probably only a few yards away from the melted vent he fell into. He waited for Ping to come down or was it Pong, who he was waiting for; he forgot.

He saw as the solider walked down the stairs, and suddenly as Ping or Pong walked down the stairs and turned towards him the door was broken open. Before Ronan could react, the solider was engulfed in mutant matter. Ronan couldn’t even move the black matter engulfed the solider.

Pong screamed out as he was engulfed in matter, the mutants swallowing him Whole and taking him away as they seemingly content with what they had just done. Ronan looked shocked at the soldiers’ death before him, he didn’t know how to react, and to that and he felt horrified.  

He walked forward and looked seemingly as Pong was digested into the mass of the mutant and disappeared. Ronan knew he couldn’t do anything, he had seen Pong die and he should have found another way, but instead it was a waste such a horrible waste.

He breathed as he walked up to the stairs and looked at them with a guilt on his face. Even without hearing the screams of Pong, he knew how they sounded and they scared his mind. He figured that none of the mutants were chasing him as he followed the path up the stairs.

He looked sourfaced and surfaced at the top of the stairs. Colin and Ping were there, they looked behind him as for a moment a spot of hope appeared and then it disappeared as their faces became equally sour. Ronan walked forward and looked at Colin.

“I couldn’t spot them, they swarmed the area and they absorbed him.” Ronan said, defeated as he said it. He sighed and looked behind him, Ping walked over and placed his hand against the doorpad. A steel gate slid out from the wall and closed against the hallway, sealing the stairway.

“It’s okay, Pong knew the risks and he accepted them, this was the life we chose and we know we are cannon fodder.” Ping said saddened at the loss of his partner but they would have to move on. “It was only a nickname, his real name was Aaron, don’t forget him, don’t let him become a story.”

“We won’t, we’ll move on now, best not to hang around here; there be mutants in here.” Colin said knowing how painful it would be to be around or that mutants could be just beyond the door waiting to ambush them again and they didn’t want to lose someone again.

Walking off with one less member they realized that they were losing, they had made no progress in getting out. They stood still and wondered if going on was worth it, they had no idea if the cooling cores would be ready in time and more so they didn’t even know if they could teleport out of the base.

They still walked forward and continued, because the chance of doing so was still large enough that they hope for teleporting out of the base and escaping. They continued forward, pushing themselves and knowing that while there was little chance of making it they still had to try and complete their mission.

…

“So then this is the mantle, I always imaged it more, I don’t know chaotic or something, I don’t know who makes these things up.” Dustin said as he knelled over the pit of hellish lava that was the pit into the mantle of the Earth. He looked down on the lava and saw black spots moving through the lava.

Dustin stood up, shaking as he realized the mutant’s ability to survive anything, even lava. He backed up and stood up as he felt the power in the mantle and suddenly it surrounded him as he felt the power of the mutants. He looked behind him and around and a mass of blackness had surrounded them.

They looked down on the mantle and saw the blobs in the mantle collect under the pool and start to rise.

“Somethings happening, back up everyone stay back.” Bright said as he pulled Octavian and Dustin back, looking in front and behind him and placing him arm out. He shaped his right hand out and shaped it into a metallic blade. He held it up and light reflected off of it.

Mutants were lit up and they saw the complete extent of their problem. A layer of mutants at least going thirty yards back in every direction; Dustin was understandably frightened. He looked at his two water bottles and wondered if that was enough for him to even survive against twenty.

“Now then you mutants, anything you want to say you idiots.” Bright said as he pulled down his blade and made his left arm the same as well. “So you have nothing to say, I’d think that a thousand or so mutants would have something to say wouldn’t they. Come on then, where’s your leader?”

“I believe you would be talking about me then.” They all turned towards the lava pit as the mutant swarm inside the mantle started to rise and on the top was a fully fleshed human body. Covered in the gooey blackness, it dripped off his hands and a line connected his ears and shoulder. His face was familiar and his voice as well.

He opened his mouth and goo dripped out as he spoke, he was some sort of avatar; the mutants spokesperson standing before them. It was only then that Dustin realized it was pong standing before him, his gun sticking out of his side and covered in goo as well.

“So then here we are, call me Mutant Pong if you will, now you have something we need and we are willing to give you something you need as well.” Mutant Pong said as he looked at Bright, Octavian and Dustin.

“What did you do to Pong, bring him back now, I am not very reasonable when my soldiers are being killed by idiots.” Octavian said growling as he tried to threaten Pong and the mutants.

“Oh you should have seen his face and heard his screams, he stupidly walked down our trap towards the cupola only five minutes ago; he screamed out for you, you know. And as he was engulfed with mutant he died.” Pong said smiling as he pointed up at the now blackened cupola module filled with mutant matter.

“The world is a small place when I am angry; don’t dare to make it smaller.” Dustin said as he prepared to fight, holding his hands and injecting some kinetic energy into the water. With just a simple twisting motion up he could release the water and spread it out into the crowds of mutants.

“Ha you think we are afraid of you, or the three of you. One normal, an outsider and a Kagen; you think that threatening us will work, we’re already invisible we can travel through the mantle. All we need to do is find your teleporter and transfer to the surface world.” Mutant Pong said laughing as he, allowed the emotion to spread to the other mutants a howling laugher heard throughout the basin.

“Enough then, what do you want then; an island nation, world domination, some high political power, your own planet? Name and then maybe we can work somethings out, it’s as simple as that.” Bright said as he tried to bargain with the mutants, at least they didn’t seem as random. Now the mutants seemed to be controlled by Pong and that made them weaker in the long run.

“No we want to know where your teleporter is, as simple as that; lead us to the room and you can go up first, trust us we will be fully capable of powering the teleporter on our own, and from their you can have an equal chance on the surface to save yourselves.” Mutant Pong said as he delivered his ultimatum to the group of three.

“I don’t think we can do that, so sorry you might be in the base but we know where the teleporter is and if you kill us you will never get there and you will never escape.” Bright said as he decided to take a stand and smiled at Dustin. Dustin realized that Bright had made up a plan and they were going to escape, they had something now.

“Now then we are here, twenty one or so kilometers under the ground and we are trapped surrounded by mutants; and somehow the good guys will still win. We might be trapped and surrounded by more evolved or more power enemies, and still we will find a way out.” Bright said to the basin filled with mutants all slowly advancing.

“Now then as you know, when I escape; I go by teleportation or I run away and leave a trap; but now as it seems you have trapped me and I have been bamboozled and I can’t teleport away and I can survive the mantle and swim away.” Bright said to the mutants, spreading his arms out and turning them back into normal hands. He looked at Dustin and smiled again, he then turned at Pong and frowned.

“I don’t need my weapons, your all far too dumb to be stabbed to death; instead I hope we don’t short out any systems with all this sweat we’re making, It sure be a shame if we didn’t have a way out or left, or right, or up.” Bright said as the mutants took in his speech.

“What you think we should be frightened about this, shall I mourn myself, should I feel afraid for myself, and why do you think that I should beware you, I have ten thousand mutants just waiting to tear into your skin, should I be afraid?” Mutant Pong said as he spread his arms out and looked at his army.

“No but I think you should be afraid, I know where and where you’ll die.” Bright boasted to Pong as both of them smiled.

“Oh really, how could that be?” Mutant Pong said laughing again, spreading it to the mutant gathering around him.

“I’m a time traveler, I dug you up.” Bright said smiling as Mutant Pong backed up.

“No, but we have superpowers and I’d say we’re pretty crafty, so I’d be afraid; when you see the signal, jump. Bye dear, see you in four hundred years.” Bright said as he turned towards Dustin. Dustin quickly released the water and instead of strike it down, he quickly threw it over the mutants.

“Ha you missed; I was five feet in front of you.” Mutant Pong said causing him and the mutant parade to laugh at Dustin. Still the shark smiled for a few seconds as behind Mutant Pong, a large explosion suddenly rang out. Suddenly the lights went out and they were in the dark, they jumped. 

…

“Stay back, I can handle the mantle. They won’t attack.” Ronan said as he stepped in front of the group, Colin didn’t stop him so he assumed that he was doing good so far. He knelled in front of the hole of lava and looked into it. He peered into the lava and saw the mutants swimming through, they could have easily come through and killed them, but they were staying back they were waiting.

And then a black hand shot through and pulled against Ronan, screaming Ronan was pulled into the mantle as his headphone were pulled off his head. And as the headphones landed on the floor, Ronan was pushed back out of the mantle. With a few crashes and bangs around the base, that would sure give his werewolf side enough.

“Now then fools, you’ve held me back so long, now then its finally time to kill you all.” Ronan said, his voice becoming deeper as he walked towards Colin. A dark glow engulfed his body and his eyes shined red.