Episode 3 Eye of the Paradox

[Haven, City of Smoke]

Several large industrial buildings spewing large clouds of smoke stand clustered together, enclosed by a barbed wire fence. Many clouds of excess pollution have turned the sky into a blood red color, filled with clouds thick with gaseous vapors.

Ryuu glances momentarily back at Kunai, Arai, and Ivy as he leaps over the fence, knocking down the guard as he does so. He unsheathes his sword and immediately stabs the downed guard in the back, killing him. He turns and opens the gate in the fence, allowing the other three to enter.

“Nice job, Ryuu,” Arai replies with a grin. “You deserve a cookie!” He holds up a cookie, then frowns slightly as Ryuu glares at him. “Or not…”

“Where are we?” Ivy asks tentatively, staring around at the blank, empty gray buildings surrounding them.

“This is Haven, the city-base the Myougun built here before they revealed their true colors. Even so, the move was highly controversial, as they basically cut down the entire northern portion of Ellinia forest to build this place,” Ryuu answers with a grunt.

“These buildings look like factories or something…what do they make here?” Ivy asks.

No one answers for a moment as the group continues walking forward in silence. Then, Ryuu answers, “Paradoxes.”

Kunai gasps out loud. “Paradoxes?! They make them here?”

“Yeah. You see, it was the Myougun who created them in the first place. Nobody ever protested the idea because the Myougun were working under the guise of attempting to create perfect robots. But when they started tampering with the powers hidden inside the locations where the Triplicates are located at, people started getting suspicious,” Ryuu replies.

“But by then it was too late,” Arai continues, “the Paradoxes had been born.”

The group suddenly stops in front of a large pair of sliding doors leading into a larger building. Next to the door is a small device lit up with many lights and buttons.

“The thing is,” Ryuu adds, “the strange thing about Paradoxes is that they don’t literally exist. They’re not alive; they’re like shadows brought to life.”

“But they’ve got the ability to transcend time and space. They can do things humans have never even dreamed of being able to do,” Arai says.

Ryuu rubs his chin slightly, staring at the sliding doors. “It looks like we need a password…”

Kunai stares at Arai, who is chewing on the cookie from earlier, then at Ryuu. “Can’t we just bust open the door?”

“Not that I don’t like the idea,” Ryuu replies, “but remember, we’re supposed to be laying low.” He bends over the panel with buttons, staring at it intently. He then slowly reaches out and presses a button on it.

Suddenly a bright red light glows overhead, and an alarm sounds. “Crap, they found us!” Kunai cries out loud.

“Relax. I just pressed the wrong button. I’m thinking if I blow my chances by pressing the wrong button again though, and we’re not so lucky anymore,” Ryuu replies nonchalantly.

Ivy stares around hesitantly. She suddenly gasps out loud as a shadow in the wall forms into a plasma-like material surrounding a large, yellow eye. “A Paradox!” She takes a step backwards, tripping over a red laser beam.

Another alarm suddenly sounds, followed by another flash of red light. Ryuu turns around abruptly. “****! Now we’re in trouble!”

The Paradox suddenly strikes, revealing a pair of fangs just under its eye. It lunges at Arai who bats it off with his Dark Ritual. Kunai suddenly draws a Steely, lodging it right in the Paradox’s back.

Ryuu then draws his sword as it erupts into flames, cutting down the Paradox as it gives a loud shriek of protest. He looks up suddenly, as several guards armed with guns approach on foot, running towards them.

Arai suddenly steps forward. “Hold on! I’ll take care of this!” He waves his staff. “Slow!” The guards suddenly slow down immensely, as if moving in slow motion.

Arai turns and waves to the others, and starts running. “This way!”

The others quickly follow, sprinting after Arai, who turns a corner and heads through an open door into a stairway leading down.

He turns as the others catch up to him. There is suddenly a soft thud, and the door behind them slams shut of its own accord.

“We’re locked in!” Ivy cries out loud.

“No matter,” Ryuu says breathlessly. He turns to look around at the small room. A large computer sits in the center of the room, built around a large round disk spinning slowly in place. “Where the hell are we?”

Arai turns and strides over to the computer in the center of the room, still eating his cookie. He bends over the computer and presses several buttons, leaving many crumbs over it. Suddenly a hologram appears over the disk, revealing a large 3D map.

“It would seem that this is some sort of control room,” Arai says, finishing his cookie. He stares up at the hologram hovering over the disk. “This must be a map of this complex.”

“Hm…does the computer reveal any information regarding the Triplicates, or at least of the Paradoxes?” Kunai asks, walking forward to stand next to Arai.

Arai presses several buttons on the computer again, and the hologram disappears. He pores over the computer for a few seconds, before shaking his head. “This computer’s too complex for me to understand. Besides, it’s only a control monitor. I don’t think it contains any valuable data.”

“Then does that mean we have to go look for the information we need?” Ivy asks, looking over Arai and Kunai’s shoulders.

“We’ve got no time to go strolling around this place looking for stuff. The guard’s been notified of our arrival by now, they’re gonna be looking for us. If we get lost, we’ll just be walking right into their laps,” Ryuu replies.

“Then what do you suggest we do?” Arai asks with a grin.

“Bring up the map again,” Ryuu orders.

Arai presses a button, revealing the 3D map of the complex once again. Ryuu strides up to the hologram, staring up at it for several moments. “All right, look at this. We’re right here…” He points up at a small cube in the center of the hologram.

He then traces his finger through a long hallway leading out of the cube and points at a large rectangular area on the map. “According to this hologram here, this should be the library. My guess is that’s where we get the info we need.”

“Let’s head to the library then,” Arai says with a smile, walking toward the real-life version of the hallway depicted in the map.

“Hold on,” Ryuu says suddenly. He shakes his head. “According to this map, motion sensors scattered all over that hallway. If we make one stupid move, we cause a huge explosion.”

He takes another glance at the hallway, studying it for a moment. “In addition, it seems like if we enter that hallway without a key, the door back to this room automatically shuts. At least one of us has got to stay here to make sure the doorway stays open.”

“Are you suggesting we split up?” Kunai asks.

“We’ve got no choice,” Ryuu replies.

“Okay then. I’ll go with Ivy to the library,” Arai says, “my ice magic will be able to freeze the sensors so we can get through undetected.”

“Then I’ll stay here with Kunai,” Ryuu growls, “and keep the door open for you guys.”

“Okay then!” Arai replies with a wink. He turns into the hallway and begins walking through it slowly, followed by Ivy. “Don’t worry yourself over us, Ryuu! We’ll be back in a flash!”

As Arai and Ivy stroll down the empty hallway, Arai casts several Ice Strikes, freezing the motion sensors as they pass them.

Ivy glances up at him as he does this. “Arai…these…Paradox things…they sound pretty scary. Can you tell me more about them? Is it true that I’ve been attacked by one?”

Arai glances over at her as she speaks. “Well, the tell-tale sign that you’ve been hit by one is if you’ve more than one pupil in your right eye…” He suddenly holds up her face by the chin, looking into her right eye. “Yes. You’ve got two pupils. Your soul’s been shattered.”

“And is it true…everything about me being attacked by one of the Triplicates?” Ivy continues.

“Yeah, it certainly seems so,” Arai replies. “Are you scared?”

“Yeah, a little…” Ivy whispers softly. “But don’t tell Kunai and the others.”

“Why?” Arai asks, looking over at her with slight interest.

“Well, it’s just that…I don’t want them to worry. I want them to stay happy,” Ivy answers.

Arai grins and laughs softly. “Ha, you know you’re a little cute, the way you want everybody to stay happy. I admire that from you.”

The two of them suddenly enter into a large high-ceilinged room. The walls are lined with giant shelves filled with hundreds and hundreds of books. In the center of the room is a large circular computer structure, glowing with a faint light from the monitors.

Arai immediately strides up to the computers, pressing several buttons on them. He narrows his eyes as he stares at the screen. A small pop-up suddenly appears and a diagram of a Paradox is shown.

“So…this is a Paradox,” Arai mutters to himself as Ivy stares at the screen over his shoulder. “Hm…interesting.”

“Does it say anything important?” Ivy asks.

“‘The above said Paradoxes are found to replicate many living life forms existing only as shadows. These said Paradoxes have been assigned fifteen distinctive levels in accordance with strength, type, and appearance. All mentioned Paradoxes have been found to share a common trait: a red pupil inscribed in a yellow eye. It is these eyes that act as the life breath of the said Paradox,’” Arai reads.

He turns to Ivy. “This is some pretty interesting information. We now know that the eyes are the weakness of the Paradoxes.”

He turns back to the computer, pressing several buttons. “I wonder if I can find some information on the Triplicates.” He remains silent for several moments, as he reads through the information on the screen.

“‘The 14th level of Paradox, hereby known as the Triplicates, exist in the form of dragons. Within each of the three created lies a key to the great world known as Rift. It has been found that all 14th level Paradox and higher are immune to hurt, but rather may only be struck down by those uninfected with the sting of a Paradox,’” Arai continues, reading off the screen.

“Uninfected with the sting of a Paradox?” Ivy asks, turning to Arai.

Arai turns to look at Ivy, with a smile on his face. “Looks like it means that only those that haven’t had their souls shattered may kill the Triplicates.” He sighs, widening his right eye and showing it to Ivy, revealing two pupils inside it. “So it looks like I can’t kill them myself.”

Arai suddenly stands up straight, stretching slightly. He sighs contentedly and claps his hands together. “Okay, now that we’ve found out some stuff about these Paradoxes, we should probably get back to the main room and tell Ryuu and Kunai what we’ve found out.”

Arai suddenly strides out of the room and back into the hallway. Ivy quickly follows behind, jogging slightly to keep up with him. Arai blinks suddenly as he sees a machine standing on the side of the hallway.

He narrows his eyes as he stares at the machine, then blinks to himself in pleasant surprise. “A vending machine?”

Ivy stares over Arai’s shoulder at the machine, blinking slightly herself as well. “What is a vending machine doing here in the middle of this hallway?”

Arai shrugs and suddenly inserts a meso into it, pressing a button as he does so. There is a soft clunk and suddenly a bottle comes out of the machine. Arai bends down and picks it up, reading the label: ‘Dekira Brand Juice.’

He shrugs again and pops open the bottle, taking a large gulp from it. As he finishes it, he looks into the bottom of the bottle and widens his eye. “Is that…?”

He drops the bottle suddenly as a Paradox pops out of the bottle and swells into a large spider-like creature. It shrieks hoarsely and leaps at Arai who takes a step backwards in surprise, knocking into the vending machine.

There is suddenly a loud bang, followed by an explosion as the hallway becomes engulfed in smoke and small bursts of fire. Ivy screams out loud.

Ryuu and Kunai both turn immediately inside the control room in surprise. They stare at each other worriedly. “I don’t like the sounds of that…what happened?!” Kunai cries out loud.

Ryuu runs into the doorway, looking outside. “They triggered one of the motion sensors, that’s what!”