XXIV - Missing In Action

Darkness came just as she had fallen from the bridge in the extinction of the factory. Meaning that she went to slumber for hours.

The first things she hears are the waving ocean and the howling wind. Strands of hair tickle her face. Her hand senses the coarse white sand. A small crab crawls its feet on her hand. Surprised by the sudden tickle, she opens her eyes. Poor crab quickly gets off her hand and crawls away.

"Kaizo?" She calls for him, "Where... are you?"

She tries to catch her breath while still lying down. Gathering all her thoughts and memories of what had happened. It was still vague. Until the moment she remembered when Kaizo fell into the depth of the factory.

"KAIZO!"

She quickly gets up from her slumber. Notices herself on a beach. The horizon is getting dark, with a howling wind caressing her skin. The clear waves ripple gently and dash the sand. She could see clumps of seaweed got washed up. She scans her surroundings and sees lots of metal pieces. This beach is like a total junkyard.

Nerissa slowly raises her body and head, feeling a bit dizzy. How would she have been absent, to be exact?

"My lady! Thank the gods, you have awake!" Grandia speaks through her earring in a high-pitched sound, meaning she's relieved.

Her master feels lots of relief, too. Knowing that she is still functional.

"Update me on the situation." Nerissa queries.

"Yes, my lady. In regards to the high-pitched sound caused by the unknown clone that shook the entire factory, it was confirmed that place to be collapsed nine hours ago."

"Nine hours?! That long?!"

How the hell could it be that long?! Nerissa slowly raises her head and body, feeling dizzy due to the long slumber. She would stagger a little, but not enough to impair her walking. And as Nerissa looked behind her and saw a giant concrete pipe. With oil dripping from it, she could see its colorful reflections.

She then queries, "Why am I here? That fall could've killed me back then."

"You fell to the drainage deep underneath the factory. It has a lot of metal junk, and your body got one of it. That's why you went unconscious. Also, your body got cuts because you hit the metal edges. So, I healed them for you. Lastly, you got out from that giant pipe."

"And Kaizo?" Nerissa's voice shook as she asked that.

Grandia hesitated for a moment.

"I detected a slight signal from his mask. It comes from your right, my lady."

Right when Nerissa is about to strut, her shoe hits an obstacle. It made her fall facedown. She grunts to know what she hit. Turns out she stumbled on a hardball.

"Weapon...bot?"

Grandia then speaks, "It was already there when you're unconscious. The mission has been completed."

"Good." She says, "I need... to find Kaizo."

She slowly struts to the east side of the beach. Feeling numb pain in her body, yet ignored all of that. What matters now is to find Kaizo. He fell. Indeed he's still here. Grandia said she detected a slight signal somewhere here.

A few minutes later, she found it. Kaizos mask is on the sand. However, Kaizo is not there. His body is not there. She was very sure about her speculations. She couldn't even resist her tears from falling. She felt her legs weaken as she approaches the mask. Yet, she still tries to make her way. Nerissa gently touches his show, and tears are dripping from it. Felt the agony inside her.

"KAIZO!" She shouts, "WHERE ARE YOU?!"

She pours all her screams, tears, and agony of losing her love. She fears one thing, Fang. How would she explain all of this? There is no possibility of him forgiving her for losing his brother. His ONLY brother. Yet, she knows that she won't ever forgive herself for being unable to save him.

Her forehead touches his mask like a skull. Tears fell down her cheeks in grief. She never wanted this to happen. Not accepting his death. She knows there's something wrong in here. Why is his body not here?

Her ears suddenly hear a slight faint beep sound inside the mask. She turned it around and saw a red beeping dot. Should see just access it? She carefully attaches it to her, and it suddenly activates.

It starts to load something. It's almost finished. Done. Then, it shows... some kind of footage. Nerissa saw herself at the bridge, nearly collapsing. Perhaps this footage is from Kaizo's point of view. He saw her tears falling on his mask.

"Please, Kaizo! Don't do this..."

"Take care of Fang for me..."

"No... Please!"

"I love you, Nerry..."

He fell to the depths of the factory. Hearing Nerissa's screams of agony. It's so dark down there. In midair, he suddenly got a snatch on his collar. A man stops Kaizo from falling. The camera couldn't record who it was. But, there's a familiar voice speaking to him.

"yOu... aRE gOIng... To bE... mY sUB...JEcT."

"W-Wha..."

But, his mask fell from his head. Dropping into the drainage. Not knowing what happened to Kaizo right after that.

"END OF FOOTAGE"

Nerissa went silent for a while. Then she releases his mask from her head. Tears are falling from her eyes. Lots of thoughts were going on in her mind.

She made sure of one thing. Kaizo is still alive. That unknown voice she was just listening to was Alexander. She's sure of it. He must have taken Kaizo somewhere. That's why his body is nowhere on the beach.

There is still hope for her. That's what she expected inside her heart.

"My lady. Incoming call from Tempur-A Headquarter." Grandia informs.

"Proceed."

Nerissa pulls out her earring and places it on the sand. Then she shows a hologram call from Commander Koko Ci and Admiral Tarung.

"Vice-Captain Nerissa. We hope for good news from you. Report for the mission." He demands.

Her voice is about to stutter. She swallows her saliva first before speaking.

"Kaizo and I had information about the unknown power sphere named Weaponbot. And the retrieval is successful." She reports.

"Hmm... I don't see Captain Kaizo with you." Admiral Tarung says in suspicion, "Where is he?"

"He's gone."

The three went silent for a while. Hard to consume what they just heard. Their best captain among them was gone.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY, VICE-CAPTAIN?!" Koko Ci asks in disbelief.

"HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!" Admiral Tarung slams his fist against his table.

She could feel her body flinches at the sudden rise of voice from her seniors. She braces herself to tell them the truth. Of course, it is hard to believe.

"A humanoid machine named Alexander. He had Weaponbot under his possession. He sent his clone to fight us, and we killed it. All of a sudden, the place was on the brink of collapse. We both fell to the depths of the factory. But, when I woke up from nine hours of unconsciousness, his body was nowhere around. What I found... is this."

She then proceeds to show them his mask.

"Captain Kaizo's mask..." Commander Koko Ci.

"I've accessed it." She speaks, "It showed up the footage before his disappearance. I have a feeling that he is still alive."

"How?"

"Somehow, Alexander stops him from falling. Saying that Kaizo will be subject." She informs.

The three went silent for a while. Swallowing all the words they heard from the Vice-Captain. And Nerissa? She requests something.

"With this, I request a search for Captain Kaizo."

"Vice-Captain. I had a feeling that you would request that. But we need you to retreat now. We understand your sorrow-"

Retreat? That's how it's going to be?

"If you understand, Commander Koko Ci, please grant me the permission." She couldn't hold herself.

"We need to secure Weaponbot, first, Vice-Captain. Then, we will have a proper search and rescue plan-" The commander's words are cut off.

"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO EXPLAIN THIS TO FANG?!" She shouts as she denies his explanation.

"VICE-CAPTAIN NERISSA!"

Her eardrums were suddenly hurt by Admiral Tarung's mighty shout. Signaling her to stop. She's unable to speak a word of it.

"That! You must tell him the truth YOURSELF! We WILL have a proper plan to search for him! You must retreat for now and recover yourself first! UNDERSTOOD?!"

She grits her teeth, and her hands form a fist. She didn't accept it at first. But, orders are still orders. Whether she will like it or not, she must obey it.

"Understood..."

"Very well. As of this event, I now declare Captain Kaizo's status as Missing In Action (MIA)." Commander Koko Ci declares with a heavy heart.

* * *

The spaceship arrives at the Tempur-A Headquarters. Right on the hangar. The tip bottom shoots a laser, and Lahap and Nerissa arrive on the metallic floor.

There are a lot of people in the hangar. They all heard the news of Captain Kaizo's disappearance. They all look down upon her. Staring at Nerissa like a piece of failure. The one who failed to save him.

A few miles in front of her, there's Boboiboy and his friends. She could see Fang from where she stood. She fears him. Knowing that he had just lost his brother.

His face is facing down, tears dripping from his face. Hands forming a fist. Nerissa already thought he won't forgive that.

"Fang..." She calls for him.

His teeth were gritting when he heard that voice.

"Fang, I'm so sorry..."

He raises his face and stares at her in anger and fury. He saw her tears running down her face.

"SHADOW ATTACK!"

He starts to attack her with his shadow manipulation power. She didn't resist because she thought that she deserved it. It was her fault, after all. Fang has every right to be furious at her.

She let him hurt her to his heart's content. Boboiboy did try to stop him, yet he shrugs him off.

"WHY?!" Fang shouts.

"I failed, Fang... I'm sorry." She cries.

Fang cries and releases his shadow grip from her. His knees were weak, and he fell. Boboiboy and his friends quickly comfort him while he let out all of his sadness.

"How could you," He sobs, "...let him die, Nerissa?"

"I, too, never wanted him to die!" Nerissa cries.

Fang sobs and speaks, "It's not fair! My only brother! I TRUSTED YOU, NERISSA!"

Nerissa grips her fist in anger and sadness. She must repair her mistakes.

"I'll save Kaizo, Fang." She swore, "I promise you. "