-INFECTION-
22 years ago, the Second Outbreak put the world into ruins...
Now factions and companies fight over control of the Outbreak's origin planet and the ruins the war left behind.
It is Zane's dream to bring peace to this war thorn world and...
"Come on, Zero!" Carol waved at him and the others with her PDI in hand.
Clearly visible on her PDI was Sora, who was following the festivities via a private livestream from Zero.
"Don't run so far ahead!" Scolded Zero.
"Let her." Chuckled Aki.
"I'll be the one to look for her afterwards...", sighed Zero.
"We'll help you look then." Zane patted him on the shoulder.
"Maybe a leash would be an idea...", Zero imagined how he could just pull Carol back. But he dismissed the thought again.
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The festival was in full swing. It was only ten o'clock, but the streets were already crowded. Throughout New Comound and the surrounding towns, booths had opened, and people were celebrating. Security had been significantly increased, but this was hardly noticeable in the crowds of revelers. There were a few main sites where the celebration was held; the government district, which held a parade; the military base, which made it an open house of sorts; and the largest celebration at the Guardian, which was organized by the Architect Church.
"Wow!" Carol stared at the white spire in the distance as they slowly approached the cordoned off area around the Guardian.
The Guardian, was an ancient but high-tech building that stood near New Comound. It was, like most architectural and engineering wonders on Nykara, attributed to the so-called Architect, around which a church had formed. The building itself was comparable to a skyscraper, but at over 4.000 meters it towered over most other buildings on Nykara. It was completely white with some areas where one could see the presumed inner workings of the building. Various energies seemed to pulse through the building, giving the impression that the building had been recently constructed. The Guardian itself was not just the tower, however. Beneath it stretched another facility that seemed to fit seamlessly into its surroundings. A small city had formed around the Guardian itself, composed of research, religious, and even military buildings. There, too, was a happy hustle and bustle: Elves, humans, Mytics and other races ran about in the crowd, while thousands of luminous Spirits, both small and large, floated through the air, shrouding everything in their light.
After a few minutes, Zane and his friends approached the first wall surrounding the facility, which also served as a checkpoint for access. People knelt in front of the wall and began to pray, touching the metallic ground and some even began to cry. It was a sacred place for Architect Church members.
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"Where are Zero and Carol?" Zane asked when everyone was in the fairgrounds.
"They were behind me." Said Asagi, turning around to the entrance. Hundreds of people were coming into the square through the several entrance controls. But Carol and Zero were nowhere to be spotted.
"They'll be here, let's wait a bit." Said Nathan.
Zane looked around, everyone was boisterous and happy. Although some seemed a little too boisterous. In the distance, Zane saw three men, who must have been on the edge already, molesting a girl.
"Where are you going?" Nathan asked as Zane suddenly walked away.
"Be right back." Zane waved it off.
"Don't push it..." Nathan looked in Zane's direction.
"Are you here alone?" Asked one of the three men. He was a rather lanky fellow with sharp eyes.
"Come on kid, we just want to have a drink with you." Said the second of the bunch, a muscularly built man with a prosthetic arm.
But the girl did not move.
"I guess the girl is ignoring us?!" Said the third, who was an even beefier guy than the second. He was about to reach for the girl when Zane's voice rang out behind them.
"Everything okay here?"
The group of men turned to Zane. Wondering what the latter wanted from them.
"Get out of here boy!" Hissed the third, who must have been starting to resent the girl's attitude.
"Are you okay?" Zane looked past the muscleman to the girl.
The black-haired girl looked indifferently in the Guardian's direction, as if she didn't even notice the three guys harassing her. She was wearing an expensive-looking black dress, but it was covered by a black hoodie. Only the skirt of the dress peeked out from under the sweater. She also wore black stockings, and her hands were hidden in the pockets of the sweater.
"Now listen kid." Spoke the lanky one to Zane. "You better get the hell out of here if you don't want trouble." He said in a threatening tone.
"You better get out of here now before you get in trouble." Said Zane to them, putting himself between them and the girl.
"Who do you think you are!" The bullish man lashed out with his fist.
A loud bang could be heard and the next moment he was on the floor.
"What the...?!" Shuddered the lanky man.
Zane had intercepted his arm and knocked him to the ground.
"Get out of here!" Admonished Zane the remaining two, who ran away but not without threatening Zane still in the run.
Immediately security guards came running, attracted by the commotion, and took the bullish man who had been knocked out by Zane's counterattack into custody. They asked what had happened. That's when the girl who Zane had saved intervened.
"Oh, those men were harassing me, and the gentleman here came to rescue me." She explained. "He didn't do anything wrong."
"I see." Reflecting, the guard eyed Zane and the girl, barely looking at the girl, or not seeming to dare to look at her. "In that case, I would like to apologize for our negligence and thank you my boy." The security leader bowed to Zane.
"Don't mention it. My pleasure." Scratching his head before the guards disappeared again.
"Step up security!" Zane could hear the leader say as he turned to the girl. She seemed barely older than him.
