Curious crimson eyes stare up an around in wonder,

It’s the first time these eyes have been exposed to air,

They blink profusely, but adamantly remains in open stare.

Bumping up in down the small body belongings to eyes does,

Held tightly in broad arms, it bumps slightly with each strut,

The child, the baby who’s these eyes belong, remains silent throughout it all,

Not a tear or cry, just silent intrigue –

“–Kage!” Apollo shouts stumbling out the lab, baby in hand

“He was nowhere inside, he must’ve been taken!” Himari rushes out behind him

“What happened?

Is Kage missing?” the robot XPunk, waiting outside presses immediately

“He was behind us one second then gone” explains Apollo

“We have to find Kage,” grimaces Himari

“I will immediately search this entire compound,

As it stands right now, you two should return to the Velvet Underground with the child,

No use creating more potential risks” Xpunk suggests firmly

“Himari you go back alone then, I will join you XPunk” you’re still able to be hacked or disabled since you are a robot,

“You alone might not be a good idea,”

“Very well I cannot deny that,”

“No, if that’s the case I’ll go with Xpunk,” Himari interjects

“You? it’s more dangerous”

“Its more dangerous for me to travel back alone with a child, I would be practically defenseless

You however have the opposite problem Apollo, right now we need someone to protect, this ch–Emma…

XPunk and I will search for Kage, it’s more logical,”

“….

Aghh,

Just don’t do anything you don’t need to,” Apollo reluctantly concedes reluctantly

Since coming to this ring, the two had not been apart from each other…

“I’m leaving Emma with Sprite, and coming back here for you,

There’s no way I’ll, I’ll….”

“I get it” Himari squeezes his hand

“I will see you again safely and we’ll get back Kage,

Something-someone that important should not be left in the hands lf the wrong people,”

“……

I, I know, we will see each other again…” nods Apollo before turning and heading in the opposite direction

“You know the Velvet Underground would have been a safer location than in the forest,” Xpunk says

“Lets go,” Himari ignores the robot gazing across the field of buildings within the Pentagon of Xander labs

“Now of all these facilities,

Where would they keep Kage?”

…….

…….

*****

“Arghhh”

(What just happened?)

“Welcome back to consciousness, Amadeus, or is it Kage you go by?”

“Ackt” trying to turn I cut my nose on a sharp blade

(Where, what?)

All around me are divinely sharp blades, that would probably cut me if I looked at them too long

“Please do not try to move, Kage, well you can if you want but it would probably cause you pain,” the voice that speaks to me comes from below,

It appears I’m suspended in the air, in a round prison of blades

“I never thought I would see you again so soon,

Granted I’ve only seen you on videos…”

“Who are you?

The supreme leader?

What are you going to do with me?”

(How do I get out of this one?)

“The supreme leader?

Surely not, my name is doctor Frankenxtein,

It’s quite an unexpected honor to have you in here Kage,

We had originally prepared this for Brandon, but as circumstances would have it you got free on your own and came here all the way from Gaia,”

“….

What do you want from me?” I pretend to ask as a way to buy time…

“Nothing in particular, we already have you, now it’s only a matter of time,

I’m just using this an opportunity to pick your brain a little,”

“I don’t have anything to tell you that you probably don’t know already”

“That’s true…

But the last time you were here there was no Kage for me talk to, now there is,

I want to know the personality of Kage,

How did you enjoy your time on Gaia on Tellus?”

“…….”

(Maybe I can try to conjure something to break out)

“It was a mixed experience” I say out loud

“Hmm, interesting,

So, you are a quite deceptive…

Even now as I speak you are brainstorming ways of getting free”

(He was onto me)

“As long as you remain within the meat grinder, all your actions movements even the slightest bit of air you exhale is monitored and calculated,”

“Meat Grinder?”

“Yes, I suppose you should already be familiar with this type machine given it is where you spent a lot of time in”

“I think I would have remembered myself being trapped in prison by blades”

(Or at least feel some sense of familiarity)

“This isn’t a prison Kage, no,no,no, It’s art,

A beautiful creation meant to utilize your full potential Kage,

With Brandon we would have to wait a few more years for him to be of use to us,

But we can use you right now, as you’re already perfect.”

“Use me for what?”

(………)

“Instead of telling you, I’ll show you,”

…….

*Click!♪*

I can’t see what the doctor did from up here, but….

Churrrnn♪

The blades around me start humming, slowly beginning to turn towards me.

(Shit, I’m finished)

…..

…..

Slower slow, steady, fast faster–faster–faster–faster

Vwoom…♪

Vwoom….♪

Vwooom…..♪

Churrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrnnnnnn!

Churrrrr—

Eeeeeiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!♪

The machine spins so fast the sound itself becomes high pitched and distorted, and still, it gains speed

Kage who was inside the transparent orb of blades now sliced into millions of pieces

The speed growing even more.

“Amadeus?

Kage!?

Can you still hear me?” asks dr. Frankenxtein gleefully

“Right now your being grinded up, well past light speed,

Turning your body from mass into divine energy!”

Eeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyyyyyyy!!!!!!!♪

The sound frequency given off by the meat grinder is enough to burst the ear drums of anyone standing to close…

Then–

It stops abruptly, going completely silent

A burst of all colors now radiate all over from the machine however inside the orb there’s nothing,

It’s completely transparent now,

Yet color still spreads out

“Conversion complete,” smiles Frankenxtein

“Now to use you….

Kage?

Can you still hear me?

If you can, then you’re doing a great job for us right now,

A wonderful sight to behold,

How does it feel being back to your old state after all this time?

I haven’t thought of what to call this yet

But the beast of the null regions of Gaia do have a name they used to call you,

Perhaps I should use that since it isn’t bad,

They used to call you the Phantom Flame remember?”