Fanfiction Deep Darkness Rescue

Jeremi

Well-Known Member
The Convergence Series GM
Prologue


So the dream would repeat. Kairi found herself standing on top of a massive stained glass window. In the middle was Kairi herself holding her keyblade while being flanked by two other figures in shadow. One was fitted in armor flying in the air with a large city looming behind her and the other held a thin sword in her hand standing in the middle of an arid desert.

While she didn’t recognize these two Kairi could feel the warm light the dark silhouettes were emitting. This had been the fifth time in as many nights she had dreamt this same dream. The difference this time was the door in front of her. All other nights it had remained firmly locked but this night it was wide open. Darkness was the only thing inside. It was almost overbearing making Kairi take a step back when suddenly dark tendrils shot out from the open door and wrapped themselves tightly around her. “Get back!” She tried to summon her keyblade but it was too late she was pulled inside.

That’s when she woke up. Kairi found herself lying on the floor of her room. What did this dream mean? That foreboding ending…Kairi knew something ominous was taking shape but she wasn’t quite sure what to do. Everyone had been so busy and Sora… “I can’t wait for anyone else.” Firmly she got up from the floor to get dressed. Her training wasn’t done yet, but this couldn’t wait. Even if Master Aqua had said to her that she was making progress Kairi knew she was far from done. Yet this final time felt like a compulsion like she was being led on this journey. However, that was the most burning question. Where was she even going? It wasn’t like the dream had been very clear or given instructions. Suddenly a faint image in her mind’s eye. The city…Chicago. That’s where she needed to go.

Now she just needs some form of transportation and Kairi knew exactly where to find that. Sora’s Gummi ship was just where they had left it. If he had been able to pilot it that meant she could as well, right? Opening the cockpit Kairi went inside to take a look at the controls. It was still very late at night so no one was going to see that she was gon-

click

The lights to the area lit up as Aqua was standing in the doorway. “Master Aqua!” Kairi exclaimed in surprise almost falling out of the cockpit.

“What are you doing Kairi?” Arms crossed Aqua was waiting for an answer. She didn’t look mad but Kairi could tell she was disappointed.

Kairi had told her about the dream the first time it happened already but she repeated the dream and the ending. “I have to do something,” Kairi replied finishing her story. “It has to mean something, doesn’t it? Whatever or whoever is telling me this means it’s on me, right?”

Aqua had been quiet for a moment as she listened to Kairi. “You think it’s Sora don’t you?” She asked and the silence that came as the reply said more than any words. Aqua sighed and walked up to the Gummi ship. “Can you even fly this thing?” She finally asked.

“I’m a quick learner, I would’ve figured it out,” Kairi replied sheepishly.

Aqua chuckled. “I’m sure you would.” Aqua sat down next to her apprentice before continuing. “I’ll tell Master Yen Sid and the others about this in the morning. Your right something is going on but we’re too spread thin to focus on this right now.” She looked over with Kairi. “You sure you’re going to be okay on your own?”

Kairi nodded. “Yes, I might not be a true master yet but I can take care of myself. I promise I’ll keep in touch and check in whenever I get a chance.”

Aqua finally relented. “Alright. You better keep to your promise or else I’m coming after you myself. Now before you go one final lesson. How to control a Gummi ship.” With a quick lesson in controls soon enough the Gummi ship was off. The name Chicago echoed in her mind but how was she going to get there? Seemed like she was going to let her heart lead the way.​
 
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Chapter 1 – The Big Apple Rush-down

It had been a bumpy first ride on the Gummi ship but somehow Kairi had survived. The ship almost felt like it had been driving itself to its destination. Chicago hadn’t been much to go by but Kairi knew she had come to the right place as the ship looked down on an unknown planet. From there it wasn’t hard to find the city she was looking for.

Stepping out of a dark alley she was almost overwhelmed by the sound and people walking past her. Kairi had never seen so many people gathered at one place. “Okay I’m here, now what?” Finding the city had been one thing. Finding the reason as to why she was here was another thing entirely. She knew that armored figure in the stain glass window must have something to do with it but that was pretty much all she had to go by. Was it wise of her to go alone out like this? Even when Sora had started he’d had Donald and Goofy by his side every step of the way traveling to one world to the next. Maybe she should’ve waited and told the rest of them about their dreams. Even with Riku out searching for Sora that would have left the others to help. But what if they hadn’t believed her she would have just wasted even more time. Before Kairi’s mind wandered too far into what ifs and maybes an explosion rocked the street as smoke started to rise a few blocks away. Others started to panic or take out their phones but Kairi instead went into a spurt towards the smoke. Even if it didn’t have anything to do with her she still felt it was her duty to help.

Meanwhile a few blocks away. The young hero Ironheart landed next to a smoldering building. Riri Williams hadn’t been active for as long as some of the heroes in the city but the stroke of the luck had a few blocks away when the reports started to trickle in about a break in to a Stark building making her quickly change to her armor and burst into action.

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“What’s the situation, N.A.T.A.L.I.E.?” The A.I. inside her helmet quickly responded.

“Well reports say about a break in of some kind. Perps unknown but most of them say it’s just one.”

“Wait! My sensors are picking something up.” Riri’s helmet focused on what seemed like blotches of ink emerging from the shadows before taking shape into hunched over shadow creatures with ant like heads.

“Not just one,” The A.I. of Riri’s best friend quipped. “Be careful Riri. I don’t think this is just a break in.”

“Your ghost in the machine is very perceptive.” Riri could hear some heavy footsteps coming from the entrance of the burning building. “And yes, these are with me.” Stepping through the smoke Ironheart noticed a larger figure emerge the reverb in his voice told her it wasn’t a human.

“You…” As he was fully revealed Riri wasn’t quite sure of if she believed it.

“Oh you’ve heard of me? I’m honored. I do just love when you humans say my name.”

“Ultron.”

The android chuckled.

350


“Got it in one go too. Amazing.”

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“N.A.T.A.L.I.E., this is bad. What do we have on him? And I thought he had half of Hank Pym’s face?”

“Last known chatter is him being locked in a chest or whatever. I’m trying to find something else but,”

“I’m not him,” The Ultron on the steps cut their conversation in half.

“What did you say?” Riri asked.

“I’m not this universes Ultron. I’m what you could say an improved version.”

Alternative Universes? Another on the first of super heroics bingo. “One Ultron or another I’m not going to let you destroy any more property. Besides Hank Pym’s already dead. This is a Stark building. What’s your game?”

“Why would I care about a has been like Pym? Oh are you implying he was my creator in this universe?” The robot chuckled. “That is rich. Well some story time then. In my world I was created by a one Tony Stark. He left me…wanting. So I decided to kill him. Now I have a mission to kill every single Tony Stark in existence. ”

“Yeah? And how’s that working out for you?” Riri asked already over the villains motive rant.

“Well I was hoping for this worlds Stark but instead I got you. The little league version with the hand me down suit.”

“I created this all on my own you rust bucket, and I’ve never needed Mr Stark to help me with anything.” She should cut this short and just attack, but those shadow things had Riri weary to act. “Besides you’re a couple of hundred miles off. If you wanted Mr. Stark maybe you should’ve hit New York?”

Perhaps he should have. Ultron thought to himself. He hadn’t wanted no other heroes stepping in though which he had picked this Stark building. “Of course. How presumptuous of me. Well, what’s your moniker? Ironlass? Ironette?”

“Ironheart.”

“Ironheart? Ironic.” Ultron’s hand went over his chest plate. “Ironheart come to stop a man of iron with no heart,” He motioned to the shadow creatures. “And the Heartless. Well this had been riveting.” Ultron raised his hand and readied to fire. “But it’s time to leave you for your master to find.”

Bad choice of words.

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Riri fired off a blast of her own enveloping Ultron and sending him flying back into the burning building. That put him out of commission for a little while, but if his schematics were anything like on her world that wouldn’t keep him down for long. Not to mention these Heartless creatures who quickly started to swarm her as the battle began.

The repulsors however seemed to be able to hold them at bay but there didn’t seem to be an end to them as more and more emerged from the shadows. Before Riri could manage a proper counter attack she’d be engulfed by the Heartless and find herself in pitch blackness. “My sensors are dead, N.A.T.A.L.I.E. tell me you have something good for me.”

“Sorry Riri we’re dead in the water.” Riri attempted to blast her way through but the repulsor blast seemed to vanish into the darkness. She didn’t want to go out like this, vanishing into the cold harsh darkness. She had to fights. She had to! Suddenly she saw a crack and a slimmer of light emerge.

“Take my hand!” She heard a muffled shout coming from beyond the crack. “Quickly!” Riri weakly grasped out and quickly she was pulled back into the light. She was met by a smile from a girl holding a giant key in her hand. Admittedly not one of the strangest things she had seen but it felt definitely out of place.

“Thank goodness I reached you. Are you okay? What’s your name?” Riri looked silently around noticing that those Heartless had been taken care of.

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“Yeah no I’m fine,” She finally managed to say. “I’m Ironheart.” Just codenames for now. Just because this girl seemed friendly didn’t mean she was. “But where did Ultron g-? Look out!”

Riri barely managed to push the girl away before she was hit by a blast coming from inside the building. “Well isn’t that touching,” Ultron stepped down to the street no worse for wear. “You made a friend.”

Noticing the weapon Kairi was wielding made Ultron cock an optic receptor. “A keyblade? I was warned to look out for someone like you.” More Heartless emerged from around him. “They didn’t mention being wielded by children though. Disciplining the youth feels a little beneath me, don’t you think?”

Kairi grasped Destiny’s Embrace firmly in her hands showing she was ready for a fight. “I’m not afraid of.”

“You should be.” Ultron motioned the Heartless to attack as Riri emerged from some rubble.

“Suit’s still fine right?” Riri asked N.A.T.A.L.I.E.

“Yeah just as long as you don’t get hit with any more of those. Come on let’s go and help that gal out.” With that Riri herself joined the fray blasting one of the Heartless into goop as she headed to the sky.

Kairi did her best to dispatch the Heartless with a combination of keyblade tricks as well as a well placed magic attack allowing to get close to Ultron and hit him in the side. To the androids surprise the keyblade somehow managed to hurt him if ever so slightly. Yet he was quick enough to grab her weapon before she managed to pull it back.

Ultron quickly saw his prize vanish from his hands as Kairi let go of the blade before it materialized back in her hand as she took another swing at him. The problems continued to rise for Ultron as Riri joined in and fired a repulsor beam knocking him into another blow from Kairi. These were just children. There was no way they could best him.

Yet the facts where there. After his return. His body was far weaker than what it had been originally. Shows what shoddy craftsmanship can do. He swung at Kairi who barely managed to block the punch making her slide across the ground and fired a blast at Riri who barely managed to avoid it. “Enough,” Ultron snarled at his two opponents. “I came here to kill an Iron Man, but as it looks.” His second shot hit Riri causing her to fall to the ground. “I will have to settle for the kiddie version.”

Riri’s armor was still alive but that last blast almost caused the entire system to crash but it was slowly rebooting. Riri’s thoughts went to her mother first and for most. No way was she going to leave her mother alone by this pretender robot. Rerouting all the energy to the gauntlets Riri was about to deliever her hail Mary pass. “Think again!” The massive repulsor beam swallowed up Ultron’s beam and the android himself. Fighting against the energy Ultron managed to get free and fell like a heap to the ground. Badly damages he was still not done before he finally saw a giant key through his torso.

“N-not like this.” Ultron’s voice was filled with static as he reached for his arm pushing a button that caused his body to vanish and the few Heartless still left to vanish.

With a groan Riri got up from the ground looking at the destruction before stopping on Kairi and her keyblade. “Mind telling me what the hell is going on? What was all that?”

“Oh uh…” Kairi looked around too before staying on Riri. “I’ll do my best. Thanks, Ironheart.” She was about to start when Riri stopped her.

“On second thought let’s not do it here. Come on. I’ll take you to my place. It's Riri btw. Riri Williams.”

Kairi hadn’t flown by being carried before so that was another neat experience to have. It didn’t take them long before they arrived at Riri’s secret research building. “I have some orange pop in the fridge if you’re thirsty,” The young heroine remarked as her armor seemed to peel right off her.

“Oh, thank you.” Kairi took Riri up on her offer heading to the fridge to get herself a drink. After half of the bottle was gone Riri spoke again.

“Now tell me what’s going on.” Kairi did as best as she could in telling Riri the important parts at least. About the Heartless and she was quite open to the concept of other worlds. She cocked her eyebrow at the mention of Kairi’s dream but Riri seemed to be with her every step of the way.

“That’s some heavy stuff,” N.A.T.A.L.I.E. had exited the armor and interfaced herself with the lab showing her holographic form.

“I say, and that dream of yours.” Riri looked at Kairi. “You think I’m one of those people on the glass do you?”

“It’s very possible,” Kairi admitted. “I mean it felt like I was called here and if I hadn’t been who knows what would have happened to you?”

“Fair enough, I suppose. But again what does that mean. Where does that leave us? I’m grateful for the save don’t get me wrong but was that all?”

“I honestly can’t tell you. I’ve never had one of those dreams before, but I think I’m done here and I need to move on. There was another figure on the glass and I think they’re in trouble too.”

Riri nodded slowly to her words before finally saying. “I’m coming with you then.”

“Riri!” The A.I. exclaimed. “You can’t just leave everything you’re working on. What about your mom! Your friends!”

“You’re going to stay behind and look after the work and I’ll call mom. Tell her I have to go on a superhero retreat or something. I’ll call Kam- Ms Marvel too.”

Kairi realized she had stepped into something. “If you can’t come I won’t force you. I don’t want to drag you into this.”

“No one’s dragging me into anything. I’m choosing to do this.” Riri pulled out her phone. “I’ll be right back. Don’t touch anything.”

After a couple of minutes Riri was back fully suited up. “Okay ready to go.”

“Still don’t like this,” The A.I. quipped.

“You can get me back here, right?” Riri asked Kairi.

“Yeah now that I have it in the database I can bring you home whenever you want.”

“See? I'm more scared about what you will pull unshackled with out my guidance.”

The A.I. raised her holographic hands in defeat. There was no point in trying to talk Riri out of this.

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“So how are we going to get to these other worlds?”

“I have a ship!”

“What kind of ship?”

They traveled to where Kairi had left the ship and revealed it triumphantly. “Ta-dah!”

“It looks like it was made of Legos,” Riri didn’t look impressed. “You sure you’re not trying to trick me?”

“No way! Come inside and I’ll show you how it works!”

“Girl, I’m an engineer. I can figure this out.” To her surprise as Kairi started to push some buttons and pulled a switch the machine would take to the skies and vanish into a warp onward to their next destination. Wherever that was. Riri had hoped that they could’ve flown in style, but this would have to do.​
 
Chapter 2 – Darkness in the sun


It had been a week now since Rey had laid to rest her master’s lightsabers on Tatooine, yet for some reason, she was still here on this desolate desert planet. Perhaps it reminded her of Jakku some sense of home. Even so after the death of Palpatine and his army the young Jedi had felt like she had been drifting. There were still a lot of things to do in stabilizing the universe but right now she just needed to try and figure things out, where was she needed the most? What were the next steps in the life of Rey Skywalker?

That was why she was sitting in one of the cantinas sipping on a drink in a corner stall away from prying eyes. It seemed to be a slow day so far with not many patrons, which was why Rey was shocked from her daydreaming when someone spoke to her. “Is this seat taken?”

Rey looked up in shock to see an older friendly-looking woman staring down at her. “Oh, no please,” Despite saying that she was a bit weary. Considering all the free seats why chose to sit next to her?

“Much obliged dearie.” The woman smiled and sat down. There was an awkward silence for a moment before she addressed Rey again. “I haven’t seen you around here before. I should know, such a friendly face like yours is not one I’d forget.”

Rey awkwardly smiled at the compliment. “No, I’m, I’m just visiting. Some family business. You understand.”

“All too well dearie. All too well.” Again that uncomfortable feeling came over Rey as the silence swept over them for a second time, and that stale smile frozen on the old woman’s face.

“I’m sorry,” Rey finally remarked. “But did you want something?”

“Oh no, no dearie. Well of course there are things I want. I just felt a sudden urge to come here. You understand.”

No. Rey did in fact not know what she meant. At least not in the way that this woman probably meant. “Well. Then if you’ll excuse me.” Rey downed her drink in one go. “But I believe I’ve sat around long enough so I will be on my wa-”

“Sit.” The shadows inside the cantina suddenly felt darker and more palpable. “Down.” One of the lights mysteriously cracked and exploded.

That serene smile on the old woman’s face was gone now replaced by a scowl. Rey hesitated for a moment before sitting back down in her chair.

“I ask again. What do you want,” The Jedi warrior realized that she had very quickly gotten in danger.

“Like I said,” The friendly tone was now one of regal disdain as she spoke. “There is a lot of things I want, and right now it’s something you have inside of you, Jedi.” The shock on Rey’s face made the old woman let out a chuckle. “Of course I know what you are, child. I’ve dealt with your ilk before. Well…not exactly like you but…darker.”

Sith? Was the woman sitting in front of her a Sith? The shadows seemed to have grown even darker. The few patrons inside the cantina seemed to have realized something weird was going on and were starting to make a hasty retreat only for the entrance to be covered with concentrated darkness. “If you wish to gain something from me, Sith,” Rey replied defiantly. “I assure you, you won’t get it without a fight.

The woman’s laugh seemed to shake the entire cantina. “You think me one of the servants of darkness. Child, I am the darkness!”

“Then I suppose I only need to cut through it.”

PSSSSHHEW

A dim yellow light emitted from bellow the table before it was suddenly cut in half as Rey grasped unto her lightsaber. The woman laughed as she vanished and reappeared a few feet away. “You are but one warrior, Jedi!” Suddenly small dark humanoid figure started to emerge from the floor their yellow glowing eyes focusing on Rey. “Get her.”

Whatever these creatures were they fell to the lightsaber like any other foe, but the screaming of the other patrons had her distracted. Unlike some of the other establishments of this planet, this one didn’t seem to harbor any shady figures hiding from the law. These were just normal people caught in a bad situation. Going on the defensive Rey tried to steer her way towards the blocked door as she defended herself against the Heartless. “Get behind me!” She tried controlling the people still inside to follow her but one of them vanished into the darkness and didn’t emerge. She made the patrons hide behind the bar as she made her stand against what seemed to be an endless supply of these creatures all along the woman cackled in glee in the scene in front of her.

Even if she managed to cut down one of the creatures two more seemed to emerge from the darkness to fill out the ranks. She gave the darkness-covered exit one final look. How was she going to get through? Wait what was that so-?

BOOM

Where there once had been a wall was no a giant hole. Rey had used her Force powers to direct the debris towards the creatures that splotched onto the wall. What had done that? “I think we’re in the right place, Kairi!” From the smoke emerged an armored figure who aimed its hand towards one of the creatures firing a beam at it that caused it to disappear. Behind her emerged a girl with a…was that a giant key in her hand?
“NO!” Her attention turned towards the old woman again who seemed furious to have been interrupted. “You’re not welcome here, keyblade wielder!”

The girl with the key looked confused at the woman. “Wait, I know you don’t I? You’re-”

The old woman cut her off. “I can introduce myself! Howl in fear!” She was enveloped in green flames and from inside emerged a tall menacing figure with green skin dressed in black. “Maleficent! Mistress of all Evil! How dare you interrupt me in the harvesting of hearts of light?”

Wait? Hearts of light? Rey was very confused about what kind of situation she had found herself in. As this was going on the armored figure had managed to get the patrons away before she fired off a repulsor ray towards Maleficent who slapped it away with her staff. “Your technology is useless here! Ugh!” She was suddenly showed backward cracking into the wall with Rey using the Force on the dark fairy.

“Then let me!” She charged towards Maleficent her lightsaber ready but she was blocked by some sort of mystical barrier that emerged around the woman. “You think you have the power to destroy me?”

Kairi meanwhile was still taking care of the Heartless emerging around them but she managed to fire off a lightning spell at Maleficent that cause the ground to crack. “Maybe not alone, but together!” Kairi remarked as Ironheart flew over her firing off a high-frequency sound that caused Maleficent to falter and made her lose her focus.

“Hngh, enough!” A shockwave made Rey step back from Maleficent who seemed to have conjured up some sort of portal. “I don’t know how you knew I was here but you will not ruin my grand plan!” With that Maleficent vanished into her portal. Defeated. The final Heartless were quickly taken care of by the trio and as they were done Rey placed the lightsaber back on her hip.

“Thank you for the save you two,” She remarked towards Kairi and Ironheart. “If you hadn’t shown up I don’t know what would have happened.”

“Hey,” Riri remarked as her helmet peeled off as she pointed towards Kairi. “Thank her. She felt that something was off and we ended up here.”

“Is that true?” Rey asked.

Kairi nodded. “Yes, I just suddenly felt a sudden premonition. I just didn’t realize it was Maleficient.”

“Yes, perhaps we start there,” Rey remarked. “What is going on?”

Kairi with some added commentary from Riri tried their best to explain the situation, but as they finished Rey didn’t seem to fully understand the situation. The part of multiple worlds and universes she took well, having been part with something similar to what felt like a lifetime ago. But all of this about princess of hearts and Kingdom Hearts, she at least got the gist of it. “Do you believe I am one of the people in your dream?” Rey finally asked.

“I think so yeah. The person in the stain glass window looked like a knight of sorts, and you did have that sword of yours.”

“Lightsaber,” Rey corrected her. “What does that actually mean then? Were you supposed to only rescue me? Or do you need me on your journey?”

Kairi shook her head. “I dunno, even then I can’t ask you to come with us. You have your own life to live, but I won’t say no if you want to come with us.”

“I might,” Riri had given Rey a critical look when they had been talking. The Jedi wasn’t quite sure if the girl liked her or not.

Even so, it was a lot to ask, but at the same time isn’t this something that Rey had waited for? The universe was at peace, or as well as it could be. If there was more to this than saving other universes? How could she as a Jedi say no? “Very well,” She finally said. “I’ve decided to join you. If the threat is as bad as you say then we need to do everything to stop it.”

Kairi smiled and nodded and Riri just nodded. “So,” Rey asked looking around. “How are we getting out of here?”

“You’re kidding right?” Rey wasn’t impressed when she was introduced to the Gummi ship. It looked like something a child would come up with. Then again how old were the other two girls? Had she somehow ended up becoming a babysitter to the other two girls? Though as they had shown they were perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. “You know I am a pilot,” She finally remarked as they entered the cockpit. “I’m sure I could teach you a few things.”

“Yeah and I’m an engineer who made her own suit of armor,” Riri remarked. “We’re all special.”

“I’d love that, but let’s do it once we get into space okay?” Kairi replied taking the driving chair.

Rey didn’t really know what to think as they vanished into the wormhole and Tatooine and her universe were left behind. If nothing else this should be very interesting flying inside what the Jedi presumed was a children's toy.​
 
Chapter 3 – Silent screams​
The space station was deathly silent. Like a dark grave floating in space. The opening of one of the port doors echoed down the corridor as Kairi, Riri and Rey emerged inside of the station. “Are you sure we’re at the right place?” Riri’s armor was looking through the systems in an attempt to find any life signs but so far no luck.​
Rey as well as using her powers over the Force to sense something. “There is something,” The Jedi said coolly. “Like something nagging in the back of my head.”​
“I get that feeling too,” Kairi admitted as she took point. Her intuition had brought them here to this place. If something had happened here it was surprisingly clean looking. Everything seemed to be in working order. As Kairi walked further in Riri went into a control panel to try and see if she could access it through her suit.​
“Okay. Okay, we’re getting something.” Information started to flood on the screen as Rey came to read over the shoulder.​
“Is there anything that armor of yours can’t do?” Rey had chalked it up as just some sort of protective harness but during their talk on the Gummi ship, she realized that it was much more than that. Like a little ship formed around a person.​
“Nope,” Riri said confidently going through the information. “Going through the crew member list and out of the 130 people supposed to be here there’s…damn.” She looked over to Rey. “Ten.”​
“Ten?” Rey asked shocked. “There’s only ten left? What happened to them?”​
Riri’s focus shifted back to the screen. “It’s not like I can ask it. I’ll have to dig a bit further. I’ll put the information into the suit so I can work while we wa- nine.”​
“What?”​
“There’s only nine left now. Kairi you need to see th-” To their surprise as Riri and Rey looked around Kairi was nowhere to be seen. “Kairi? Kairi!”​
Kairi had walked further into the ship down one of the corridors and she soon found herself at the mess hall. Food was scattered on the tables. Most of it untouched or fallen to the floor. Whatever had happened here it had been sudden and without warning. She got a chill down her spine as she walked further in. She should’ve waited for the others but…she gasped. There was a red dried-up pool on the floor. Kairi didn’t want to make any guess as to what that was but she had a sinking feeling she knew. Then she saw the claw marks on the wall.​
THUD
Something fell to the ground and Kairi yelped as her keyblade instinctively appeared in her hand. “H-Hello?” The young keyblade wielder took uneasy steps towards where she had heard the noise. As she got closer she sighed in relief. It was only a can that had fallen from the counter and rolled to the ground.​
“There you are!” Again Kairi yelped in surprise only to see it was Rey and Riri who had followed after her. “Don’t run off on your own when we have no idea what we’re dealing with,” Riri admonished her.​
“What were you thinking?” Rey added who seemed to look more uneasy by the minute.
“I’m sorry it’s just,” Kairi looked around. “Something really terrible happened here.”​
“Girl you don’t know the half of it. Nearly the entire crew is gone, and all the escape pods are still accounted for. So…”​
“Is it some sort of beast?” Rey had spotted the red spot on the floor and the claw marks on the wall. “But how was is it possible?”​
“Looking through the station's manifest hidden behind a few firewalls I found something interesting. There was a ship that left off some cargo that’s classified. And hey if you want to know the name of this station it’s Svarog, not that it will help us much. Anyway, a few days after that cargo arrived the station's crew members started to rapidly drop.”​
“How long ago was that?” Kairi asked anxiously.​
“Two weeks.”​
“Two weeks…” Rey repeated to herself. She didn’t like this. “We need to investigate this station. We can’t leave any survivors to their fate.”​
“You’re right so,” A light shone out from the wrist of Riri’s armor that turned into a holographic map of the entire station. “We’re here right now in the mess hall. Luckily the power’s still on for most of the ship so I suggest we head here,” The holograph zoomed in further to what was the control room. “I couldn’t get everything from the panel but if we manage to get to the control room we should be able to find out the rest of this place.”​
“Wait, zoom back.” Rey pointed to a darkened area of the map as Riri obliged. “What’s this?”​
“According to database nothing, but adding my own scans I managed to pick this up. Seems like some sort of sealed-off area of the station that we don’t have clearance to.”​
Kairi listened silently to what the other two were talking about. They seemed so sure about them themselves but, a lot of people had died and right now Kairi didn’t really feel like she could contribute much. She looked down at the floor shamefully. What were they going to do? As she sighed Kairi noticed something as she looked at the floor. Some sort of clear viscous liquid. Kairi knelt down for a closer look. Where had this come from? Then she felt something hit her neck. Kairi almost froze as she slowly had her free hand reach back. It was the same liquid.​
She was shaking now. White knuckled as she held unto her keyblade and looked up to the ceiling. A massive dark monster snarled down at her and pounced as Kairi screamed barely managing to block its claws with her keyblade as it laid on top of her.​
“Kairi!”Riri and Rey quickly went into action as Riri fired off a repulsor blast towards the monster and Rey used the Force to push the monster off Kairi. It hissed at the three before making a hasty escape on all fours inside one of the vents. All three stood silent for quite some time hearing the banging as the monster made its escape before Rey went and helped Kairi back to her feet.​
“Are you okay?”​
Kairi nodded sheepishly. “I’m okay. What was that thing?”​
“If I had to guess, the cause of Svarog stations current predicament.”​
“Your blast looked like it barely caused it any pain.”​
“My guess it has some sort of exoskeleton,” Riri mused aloud to Rey. “We need to be on our A-game here. No screwing around or splitting up. Next time we’ll be ready. Right?” She looked to Kairi specifically when she said that.​
“Y-yes. Yes! No more running off I promise.” She still held the keyblade in her hand. If something like that was running around… “So, we’re sticking to the plan, right?” Kairi finally asked.​
Riri nodded. “Yeah. Big creepy crawly like that hasn’t changed anything. We still need more information about the station and that mystery cargo, which I don’t think you need to be a genius to figure out that that monster has something to do with it. Come on. I’ll take point. Got the quickest way to how we’ll get to the control room”​
Riri pointed them forward down one of the darker corridors. Of course, it wouldn’t be easy. The energy system of this place didn’t seem to have any rhyme or reason. While some of the doors wouldn’t open due to lacking powers some others in the same block worked just fine. The energy was being re-routed somewhere but Riri couldn’t pinpoint it with what she had, but it didn’t take a wild guess that most of it was probably going to that darkened out the area they couldn’t access on the map.​
The emergency lights cast a dim red light over the corridor they were walking down right now. No more creepy monsters or anything else living was in their way. They had however seen more signs of struggle the further they had traveled into the station. Claw marks, blood, and weird spots on the floor where spots on the station had melted as something had splashed on the floors and walls.​
Suddenly they heard a clang coming from the intersection up ahead. Instinctively all three readied their weapons but they quickly saw a human silhouette emerging from one of the corridors. Finally! Maybe this would clear some things up. “Excuse me!” Kairi shouted as the other two followed up behind her. “Can you hear us? Are you alright?”​
The figure stopped in its tracks and turned towards the voices. The trio heard a soft whirring as the figure stepped into the light. “Hello and welcome to Svarog Station property of the Seegson Corporation.​
To their surprise, it wasn’t a man at all, but a robot. It had rubber-like skin, LED eyes, and a lack of any facial movement as it spoke. It was dressed in industrial overalls implying that a majority of the workforce was built up by these things. Kairi felt very unsettled as it stepped closer. There was something off by this thing, almost living but clearly not. “You are not part of the station's crew. State your names for registry into the database.”​
While they hesitantly looked at each other it was Rey who first stepped forward. “Rey Skywalker.”​
“Ironheart.”​
“Kairi.” The other two followed. The robot was quiet for a moment its LED eyes flickered for a moment.​
“You are now registered into the database.”​
“What should we call you then?” Kairi asked.​
“I am a Working Joe. Property of the Seegson Corporation.”​
“Do you know what’s happened here?” Riri asked.​
“I do not understand the question.”​
“What has happened to the crew? What was that large monster that attacked us? You must know something.” Rey would be disappointed to find that this robot wasn’t as high-tech as the droids she was familiar with.​
“The crew is resting,” It finally replied. “Working Joe’s have been charged to continue work as usual.”​
“If that’s the case could you show us the way to the control room?” Riri asked it.​
“You are not part of the workforce. Allow me to escort you to the waiting room where we will take care of your issue.”​
“No that’s okay,” Kairi assured the Working Joe as she started to continue on. “We really need to get to that control room.”​
“You are not part of the workforce. Allow me to escort you to the waiting room where we will take care of your issue,” It repeated itself its full focus now on Kairi.​
“Yeah you said that but we have to find out what’s been going on here and if you’re not going to help us we need to be going.”​
Suddenly the Working Joe had a wrench in its arm. “You are not part of the workforce. Allow me to escort you to the waiting room where we will take care of your issue,” It raised it to swing down on Kairi but was intercepted by its arm falling to the floor having been severed by Rey’s lightsaber.​
That didn’t seem to stop it though as it just raised its other arm to try and hit Kairi. Before it could however its head was sent flying by Rey and the body fell with a thud to the floor. “Thank you,” Kairi sighed in relief. “We better keep a scorecard so I can treat you all to something for saving me all the time.”​
“Never mind that,” Riri knelt down next to the robot. “That thing didn’t seem smart enough to tie its shoelaces unless someone told it to. Someone or something programmed it to do that.” She got back up. “Next time we see one of these we blast it to bits before it gets too close, alright?”​
The other two nodded. As if tempting fate however they could see two more coming down the corridor repeating the same questions that the one at their feet. This time Kairi was the one that sprang into action quickly using her keyblade to make short work of both of them. Kairi had started to think the other two might believe she needed protection and she had to show them that she could take of herself. After both Joe’s were taken care of Kairi had a pleased look on her face. “So where are we heading?”​
Riri took point again as Rey and Kairi walked behind her. “You know you don’t have to prove anything,” Rey finally told Kairi.​
“W-What do you mean?”​
“That you don’t have to prove yourself. Everyone stumbles and falls from time to time.” She smiled and looked over to the young keyblade wielder. “That’s why you got people like us to help you back up, much that I imagine you will do the same to us.”​
“Yes!” Kairi replied enthusiastically. “Of course! We’re friends right?”​
“I wouldn’t go that far just yet,” Riri replied offhandedly to the other two. “We’ve known each other a total of maybe a day tops. You’ll need a bit more than that to be upgraded to friend status.”​
“Perhaps once in my life, I would have thought that as well,” Rey remarked. “But I believe we are close. We have been exposed to things many others can’t possibly imagine and we seem to be working pretty well in unison.”​
“Rey’s right! We’re definitely friends, Riri!”​
“Hey what did I tell you about real names and codenames! When I’m in the armor it’s Ironheart.” Seriously these two. Like a secret identity was a foreign concept to them.​
Kairi snickered. “Okay, Ironheart.” She skipped up next to Riri. “Are we there yet?”​
The armored heroine sighed. “Just about. We turn right at this corridor and it should be the first big sliding doors to the left.” True enough the giant doors were soon in front of them. There however seemed to be a problem. “Someone’s locked these tight.” Riri leaned into the door panel to see if she could crack it.​
“Didn’t you say that this particular area had power?” Rey asked. “If you can’t get it open I have a way but it might be best used as a last resort.”​
Even before Rey even managed to finish her sentence the doors slid open and Riri opened her visor revealing the smug smirk on her face. “Don’t bother, Ironheart has you covered.” As they stepped in a shot echoed in the air and hit Riri square in the chest plate.​
“Nobody move!” An unknown voice shouted. Next to the massive control panel was a woman dressed in a lab coat and clutching a rifle. She was shaking and was clearly distressed. “Who are you? How did you get here?!”​
Where would they even start?​
 
“I’m sorry but that sounds like a load of bull!” The woman was still holding the rifle aimed at the trio. Riri as well held her arm up aimed at her.​
“Lady if you don’t lower that gun I’m going to make you lower it.” The threatening didn’t seem to help as she still stood defiantly with it aimed.​
Rey meanwhile had sheeted her lightsaber and Kairi’s Keyblade vanished from her hand. “Please, we’re telling the truth. I had a vision that we were needed so we ended up here. I-I know it sounds weird but you just have to trust us. “​
Riri looked at Kairi and let out a sigh before she lowered her arm and took off her helmet. “There. No weapons pointed at you. Now can we talk about this like adults?”​
The scientist hesitated for a moment before she with shaky hands lowered the gun. “It’s not even loaded…I just…how did you get this far with those monsters running outside?”​
The trio gave the scientist a quick rundown about what they had discovered and what had happened when they stepped onto the space station. “You actually survived an encounter with one of them?” She sounded surprised.​
“Whatever it was it was hardy,” Riri remarked. “But next time we see one of them I’m sure we’ll manage to take it down.”​
“If there only was one to contend with,” The scientist mused before turning back to them. “S-sorry I should probably introduce myself. This entire situation is just very stressful and I’ve seen so many of my colleagues…anyway I’m Evelyn Bridge. Head of the science division on the Svarog station. At this point probably the last one…”​
“How did this all happen?” Kairi asked. “Where did those creatures come from?”​
Evelyn was quiet for a moment before she replied. “You have to understand I had no idea what was going on here. I signed on for medical research not…this.”​
“Wouldn’t you as the head of the science department,” Rey asked incredulously. “Know what the mission statement was?”​
Evelyn let out a gloomy chuckle. “You would think that, wouldn’t you? No, I found out after the outbreak that the head of security was the one with any real authority on the station from the top to the bottom of the rung. I was only meant as a scapegoat if something…like this happened. A miscalculation of catastrophic proportions.”​
“We found the shipping manifest,” Riri replied crossing her arms. “So they were doing…what exactly under your nose?”​
“Weapons development, what else? The company I work for isn’t, as renowned or high up the corporate ladder, but they thought these…xenomorphs would tip the balance in their favor.”​
“Didn’t go exactly as planned did it?” Rey remarked.​
“No…” Evelyn looked somberly to the floor. “It didn’t. Just because I didn’t have better control of the situation. There was a breach and…that’s when the horrors started to happen. They only had two of them on and a few eggs but that was enough for the entire station to get overrun and put on lockdown.”​
“Is there anything we can do?” Rey asked. The hopelessness of the situation didn’t sit right with her. If only to point her lightsaber at the situation.​
“The station is more or less lost,” Evelyn replied grimly. “The only real thing we can do is try to escape.”​
“But we can’t let this thing just float around until someone else stumbles on it and gets themselves killed. We have to rescue everyone still alive and destroy this place.”​
“Riri’s right!” Kairi nodded. “We can’t leave you and anyone else behind!”​
“I admire your bravery…” Evelyn sighed before she went over the computer to pull up the schematics of the station. “Now I finally understand why the destruct sequence could only be set off from the engine room.” A route formed from where they stood to the engine room. “If you’re serious about destroying the station then that’s the quickest route. I-I don’t know what you’ll face outside those doors. I’ll stay here,” She handed Kairi a radio. “Call me on this frequency when you’re done. I’ll meet you at the docking area so we can escape.”​
Kairi nodded. “Alright, are you sure you’ll be fine alone?”​
“I’ve been alone for a week,” She replied mournfully. “A few more hours shouldn’t be too hard.”​
“Then what are we waiting for?” Riri’s helmet formed back over her head. “Let’s do this.”​
 
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