Auria

Chapter 30 - Breaking Up Is Hard

The baby monkey, Loof, awoke on an island shore far from land.  A large, flying shadow swooshed down, scattering dust and sand into a cool breeze.  Loof shot up and ran, its sharp claws digging sand in gushing streams, leaving shallow pock-marks where it slept.

“Wait, wait.” yelled the winged creature.

Loof ran along the beach, spotting a tree close by and scurried up its trunk using screeching claws.  In the top of the tree, the winged creature once again swooped overhead in a gust of air.

“Wait.  I need to talk to you.”

The monkey jumped, wing-flaps filling the gaps between appendages.  It sailed to another tree, scampering around its thick trunk to hide.  Loof slowly dropped down in increments, toward the ground and into waiting arms.

“Hold on a minute.” said the winged creature.  “I'm cool.  Everything is...”

Loof clawed and screamed, held taut by long, bony fingers against its mid-section.  It suddenly stopped, peering into an ancient face.

“Say, you're cool?” asked Loof.  “I'm cool if you're cool.”
“Yes, I'm cool.  I was just wondering if you belong to the group who just arrived?”
“Yeah.” said Loof, pushing fingers from its thighs and standing up in the bird's hand.  “I'm a newbie here but, I've been in prison before...  So, don't get any ideas.”
“This is not a prison.” said the bird-man, raising an open beak to look around at the pale-blue skies and dark-blue sea.  Colorful fruit hung from the trees and several alien species crawled out of the sea, surrounding them with a plethora of life-forms, all waiting to get a glimpse of the monkey baby.  “This... is paradise.  Welcome, friend.”
“So, it's not a prison?” asked Loof, turning to admire the twenty or more different aliens standing and sitting, encircling the two.
“No, but your friends are... maybe, to put it lightly, in jail.”
“Okay.  Can you take me there?”

A huge set of doors opened.  Two, very-large creatures with tree-trunk legs stepped inside, as did tiny Loof and the bird-man.  As doors slid shut and the room lowered into the ground, Loof began to sniff the air.  “Squeeek.”  The doors opened again.  A baby monkey slowly walked out while the room's occupants held their noses.  The winged creature also departed, shaking its head.

Inside the interrogation room, Sot laughed a sick laugh.  His claws scratched against the metal bindings, his chest expanded and contracted making the guards very wary.

“When my Loof gets here,” yelled Sot, “you'll all be in trouble.  You really should let me go, now.  You don't know what you're messing with.  He's a fan of Gen's.  You are all going to die!”

The tiny, monkey sat on a desk in the office.  A huge, horned beast drank a sip from a steaming cup and laughed, spewing his drink across freshly-pressed pants.

“You're Loof?” he gasped.

Around the office, the hissing of weapon's-charging and intently-drawn sets of eyes beamed from every direction.  Loof slowly scanned the room, seeing enormous creatures of every variety staring straight back into its over-sized, blank gaze.  A furry tail rose into the air and rattled.  Just as quickly, a plasma bolt whizzed from one end of the room to the other, burning the hairs on the end of Loof's long tail.  The ensuing chase was recorded and later became documented as an epic failure.

Plasma bolts streaked throughout the room, bursting windows and scorching walls.  The horned beast took a hit, squinted and fell, it's side-horns piercing the top of a desk.  After entering the building with Loof, the flying creature spun around, hiding itself within drab-green wings.  Plasma bolts ricocheted from its thin, skin flaps and burned several holes, forcing the bird to attempt flight, masking the room in a blanket of burning skin and smoke.  Loof dug claws into floor tiles, ran alongside a wall and lept across a passerby as bolts struck the creature, the water-cooler, the open door, a rack of sophisticated equipment and a short, stocky alien standing up to shout - “What the hell is going on in my station?”  It too, fell.  Amid the falling debris sped a tiny Loof.

“Can anybody tell me what's going on?” yelled Gen, still stuck against a wall.
“It's my Loof attempting a jail-break.” yelled Sot.
“Oh.” yelled Gen.  “Know any good jokes?”

Loof sped past Gen's cell, heading left, along with a barrage of plasma bolts and a heat-seeking missile.  A guard to the left screamed.  So did Loof, who ran past again, heading right.  The missile slowed and turned directly in front of the silver, cell-bars, then changed again as Loof ran the other direction across the ceiling.  The missile turned again, heading left.  Two guards stopped in front of the cell, spun round and headed back to where they came, a bouncing Loof in pursuit and a missile.  Plasma fired, screams erupted, then Loof ran toward and grabbed Gen's cell-bars to chat.

“Are you doing alright, Master Gen?” asked Loof.
“Just hurry up.” yelled Gen.

Right behind the baby monkey, a missile exploded, dropping a big net atop Loof.  It wiggled and poked its head through the mesh, then slowly pulled itself free.

“That's it?  That's all you've got?”

Loof screamed and pounced to the left, taking off again.  A huge, silver droid echoed footfalls as it stepped from the right.  Gen lowered his head and sighed when the droid aimed weapons and fired a full barrage from both arms, destroying everything, including the left wall next to a hanging Gen.  He pulled his left hand, bringing the rest of the broken wall crashing down and began to free himself.

“It's about time.” huffed Gen, ripping the white gown from tensed arms.  He stepped into the hallway and witnessed parts of the ceiling collapsing.  “This place isn't very safe.”

Gen peeked into Auria's cell, seeing her asleep on a bed.  He noticed a control panel across the hall and swiped a hand, opening every cell on the floor.  After picking up a sleeping Auria and heaving her out of the cell, two guards turned the corner and began firing pistols.  He partially-dropped Auria, actually using her as a meat-shield and pushed her motionless body into the uniformed guards.  One officer whipped long tentacles to reach around and grab Gen, wrapping both hands together, then squeezed.

“You screwed up.” said Gen, eyes closed.

In the little time it took the two to lay Auria on the ground, Gen had already shifted into darkness, revealing black upon black pupils.  He moved, pulling the tentacles around the other guard's long neck and twisting.  They broke free.  He yanked one gunman's weapon loose and fired, double tapping each in the chest and once each to the chin.  Scooping Auria's limp body skyward and tossing her over a shoulder, they scooted halfway down the hall before the gift of death expired.

Feeling anxious and hearing noise, he dropped the girl on the ground and rolled her into the next corridor.  They fired, plasma bolts hitting and setting fire to Auria's gown as her body shook and glistened with solid electricity.  He closed eyes, slowing his heart-beat again and crossed over the intersecting hallway, dragging Auria by a bare foot as plasma-bolts ricocheted from her white gown.  Gen kicked in every door along the way while pulling her, knocking out several alien officers.  Still onset with the gift, one door slowly opened with a long, uniformed leg stepping out.  He looked to Auria, then scanned up and down the hall.  As the gift expired, a flying, red-headed girl rammed into the tall beast, knocking both into an open elevator.

Wide doors opened on the street-side surface.  Auria's body rolled, spinning three or four times before coming to a halt just outside the doors.  Gen peeked, then threw her over his shoulder again and carried the unconscious girl across the aisle and around a building.  He began pinching her cheeks, then smacked them.

“Wake up.” he said.  “Why do you always sleep?”
“Mmm Mmm, Mombajubi.  Mmm Mascawatee.” she mumbled before opening eyes.  “Did I get married?” she asked, looking at the burnt, white gown, arms still strapped behind the back.
“No.  This white dress is called a 'straight jacket'.  It means you're crazy.  That's all.”
“Good.