Storm’s Eye

The Nevermoore

A new day dawns upon the American continent. Those who have survived the night wake up to either greet or curse the morning sun.

Fuchsann doesn't exactly enjoy a sharp sun, but staggers to the bathroom.

Falcon slowly gets out of bed. Not because he really wants to, but his empty stomach makes the breakfast-buffet seem irresistible.

Snowen sees Fuchsann do her business in infrared, and thinks that he shouldn't disturb her.

Falcon puts on his gear, maybe illegal to carry a gun like that, but it holds his pants on at least... He stretches his arms out to his sides. That's when he notices the curtains are extremely attracted by his hand. He doesn't understand why he couldn't do that yesterday, but stops at that.

Snowen notices something inside the 20-13, and tries to make it drop it. The unit refuses to let go of what seems to be a vial of blood.

Fuchsann exits the bathroom and sees Falcon juggle his gun without touching it. “This is weird,” Falcon smiles “Yesterday I had to charge up to do this, now I just do it...” Fuchsann stares with an ounce of amazement at the flying pistol.

Snowen comes out right behind Fuchsann, picking at the 20-13. “I see you've advanced quicker than expected...” He says. Falcon holsters his gun “I advance? Quicker than expected?” He asks. Snowen gives up with the unit and directs his attention to Falcon. “Due to some sort of power-surge to my unit I got the full monty on the Storm-project. One of Sky-Tech's earliest dreams,”

“This promises to be boring...” Fuchsann thinks and snuggles up against Falcon.

“The founder of Sky-Tech, and all Sky-related branches to follow for that matter, was fascinated by two things,” “Girls 'n beer?” Fuchsann laughs.

Snowen cracks a smile “Alright, 4 things... But he put millions on the development of machines and psionics. The first Storm-unit went insane because his brain couldn't handle the power, and so he managed to make his head explode. You should have seen the tape! Nasty...”

Fuchsann puts her muzzle to Falcon's ear, and whispers “This is boring...” “You know Fuchsann, I CAN hear you,” Snowen says “If you want something more “interesting” to do, you can “do” Falcon,”

Fuchsann looks at Snowen in a puzzled way. Snowen gives 20-13 a command, “Simulate 0.1” and gives it to Fuchsann.

“Now, lie down and press it against your head,”

She does as told, and becomes covered from top to toe in metal.

Snowen checks that all is well, and turns to Falcon again. “I think she'll enjoy the simulation of you… But anyway, the Storm-project killed hundreds of people. The chems they were given made them either too strong for their own body, or made them feeble and useless. And to make things even more complicated, they managed to produce a robot with the ability to learn,” “Wasn't that just a good thing?” Falcon interrupts.

“Wrong,” Snowen continues “The once small and weak robot learned to interlock with other machines, and turned himself into an ultimate weapon of destruction. He gained control of the entire Sky-Tech facility, and all it's weapons and equipment. He thought humans were useless and started wrecking the entire city. The Smartass, as they called it, was programmed to think like humans, only faster. So he smashed everything in sight, but after the power-plant was destroyed, he just stopped...” “Why did he stop?” Falcon asks.

“Well...” Snowen chuckles “The Smartass pulled the plug on himself. Like humans, he got carried away and lost his head. But this was catastrophic to the Storm-project. All current research was destroyed and it's continuation was delayed. So you are one of the first big Storm-projects for nearly a century. Only one other person has survived the chems, besides you, and he too “evolved” his powers,”

“Hmm...” Falcon thinks “I don't know if it's just the chems that give me strength...” “What else can alter your body more than chemicals or implants?” “I don't know... But I was thinking in the direction of divine intervention...” Snowen just laughs “Surely, you must be kidding?! Religion was abolished AGES ago!” “Yeah... Hehe...” Falcon fakes a laugh.

“Mmmmffff!” Fuchsann sounds through the fur-tight metal-wrapping.

“What was that?” Falcon asks. Snowen looks at her, as she wriggles a bit. “It might be an orgasm...” “An orgasm?! What the hell is she doing in there?!” “I set her in a simulation with you,”

Falcon takes a step closer Fuchsann and touches the metallic forehead. He feels pain... Pain, fear, and anger...

“Get her out of it, now!” He commands. “20-13, cease action!” Snowen commands. The metal quickly assumes it's original ball-shape, and Fuchsann lies there panting with her eyes wide open. “He raped me...” She manages to whisper all choked up. The white sheets by her crotch start to go red. “How the hell could that happen?!” Snowen says shocked “The only thing the unit could ever do was send stimulating currents!”

Falcon feels awkwardly misplaced, but tries to calm down Fuchsann. “I think you answered your own question, Snowen...” He says with a taste for vengeance at the tip of his tongue. “What? Electric currents?!” “No... Hell...”

Snowen tries to grab the sphere, but as he touches it, it starts an infernal bleeping and shaking. Before Snowen manages to swear, the 20-13 opens a rift that sucks them all in. The hotel-room looks like a twister just passed through...

The three are flung onto a new landscape. Grass-plains as far the eye can see. A pitch black sky, but still the plains are well-lit. Snowen gets his feet on the tall grass. The others have passed out. Snowen does as well as the 20-13 unit collides with his head.

And so, there they lie... So peaceful...

The wind blows a cool breeze across the soft and warm moor.

An ice-cold touch from the laughing specter, Ezekiel, wakes the trio.

They can't move their bodies, as if something was restraining them.

Fuchsann can only feel her belly swelling, and something painful crawling inside.

“You can get up now,” Star says.

They all get up, Snowen draws his twin 69's at her.

“I don't care who you are...” Snowen says enraged “...but I don't like gravity-fields!” Star kind of chuckles at Snowen's foolishness. “Please, Zaz. Take a shot at me. I dare ya!” Snowen fires a bullet at her hand. It just passes through, as if nothing was there.

“You can only harm me when I want you to, cutie” She smiles.

“Falcon...” Fuchsann whispers. He turns his attention to her while Snowen gets a lecture in “demons and angels”. “I don't feel so good...” She says and points to her swollen abdomen. Falcon's face tells Fuchsann this is serious. “Why do you look at me that way?” “I hate too tell you this, Fuchsann...” Falcon shakes his head “But you're pregnant, and it's gonna be your death...”

“No... Like Wekka?” She asks with a quivering voice. Falcon just nods, making her cry upon his shoulder. He feels so helpless with her in his arms. Snowen feels betrayed as to how uninformed he is, he was prepared to disarm any opposing force, but never a celestial being. Star can't help notice Fuchsann's misery, and breaks off her current conversation. “What's wrong with Xeni?”

Falcon steps aside, he and Fuchsann look to Star for answers. Star takes a small notebook out of a fold in her sky-blue dress. It flips open. Star takes a quick look at the notes “Xeni... It seems my demonic son has set you with child, or whatever it is...”

Falcon gets angry and says “That son of a b...” “Joon!” Star interrupts. He thinks for a while. “What did you say about me and fighting evil?” The notebook flips up another page. “What I last told you was that the shapeshift-stone corrupted your other stones, so all your powers are relatively neutral... You may choose sides, either join my side or hell's minions. Either way, you'll gain special abilities and special weaknesses.”

Falcon's thoughts swirl around vendetta.

“But I wouldn't recommend you taking any side yet, you are simply too young... I'd hate to see you waste your youth in this circle of vengeance,”

“So this is it...?” Fuchsann says choked up “I'm gonna die...?” Star nods. Snowen looks at Fuchsann's belly. “How long until this demon is fully grown?” “Approximately 45 minutes or so...” Star answers.

A deadly silence falls upon them all. Only the light breeze and the pregnant vixen's tears are in motion. Falcon starts praying. Snowen consults his 20-13. Star must run an errand. And Fuchsann doesn't want to die...

The gray arms around her doesn't help, nor does the fact that she WILL die... “I don't wanna die...”