Triton Prism - 6. Mark Fives

CHAPTER SEVEN: MARK FIVES

Cargo ships in the bay had been employing greater security in light of the rise in piracy. Titania's numbers had significantly grown under the leadership of newly Mark Five Reburn. It'd always been the most well-known gang in the city, but now it was more powerful than it'd ever been. More powerful than it ever will be again, of that fact Lysander was quite sure.

The guards had electric batons and tasers, but they were picked off by black throwing stars that were invisible in the night. Black knives and katanas cutting them down as the gangsters suddenly flew up the side of the ship. They'd arrived in small patrol boats, kept the lights off at approach, used black chains to scale up and help their comrades climb with them. The captain pulled the signal horn and called mayday. To the Titania raiders that was signing his death papers.

Lysander picked up the distress call and also heard the horn. Up in the night sky atop his dragon's back, blonde hair fluttering in the chill. Narrowing his different-coloured eyes at the lights by the bay as shadowy clouds drifted by. He didn't have to tell Lucifer, after all this time he and his dragon had bonded. Instead the man crouched and held on, his dragon soaring downward to the long cargo ship.

Hostages were fastened together in case they'd be needed later. Black ski-masked men strolled about, communicating with each other through walkie-talkies and checking the loot. Once Lucifer was close enough Lysander stepped off and fell, his dragon arching off into the night. He landed on a grey cargo crate, loud enough for the gangsters to spin around and stare. They aimed torches in his direction.

"Who is that!?"

"Get him!"

Several black throwing stars zipped through the air, Lysander ran and jumped, dodging them with ease. While dodging was unnecessary it was both good practice and a force of habit. Any injury he sustained would regenerate and probably even Reburn didn't have the power to break the orange crystal in his shoulder. These measly foot-soldiers, these common crooks couldn't break his crystal even if Lysander let them try.

Instead he spun through the air, disarming them with nothing but martial arts. Ducking back from a knife slash, moving in and breaking the forearm, kicking backwards into the chest so the guy flew and knocked two others down with him. Impassively he leapt between the crate pillars, kicking and stunning and striking. Lysander's breathing never raised, as if this was but a harmless training exercise.

Jumping and turning, catching a knife mid-air and hurling it into a mobster that was trying to drag up one of the struggling hostages. Lysander flew through the air, landing on a container crate to where three men had been climbing up to meet him. Surging electricity through his feet Lysander straightened as the three flew in different directions, sparks racing across their paralyzed bodies. Then he landed on concrete by the hostages where a single guard stood shaking, holding a black katana before him.

"Stay back now! I'm warning you!" his eyes were bloated and snot was running down his face. Body absolutely quaking. Lysander had no emotion. He flew forward and the sword snapped against his metal arm. The man screamed as he was thrown overboard.

"Thank you!" one of the hostages whose blindfold had slipped off was beaming with gratitude.

"Stay where you are and don't worry. The police will be here soon enough." Lysander instructed before looking up again. He closed his blue eye to focus vision through the red one.

Suddenly he could view the entire ship, see through walls and corridors as everything was outlined in red. There was a heat signature halfway down the ship, hiding. One of them. Lysander walked to the nearest crate and fired an electrical current through the metal, travelling between the column stacks until zapping out as a bolt of yellow lightning, another thug crying out as he was thrown overboard.

Once the cargo ship was rid of the Titania mobsters he sprang up several metres, pushing off a pillar of crates and flying over to stand atop the control cabin. Lysander stood and faced the bay, his hair blowing. The distant skyscrapers and city lights were reflected on the black water. Boats with red flashing lights knew to stay back, they didn't want to be collateral damage in an elemental's fight. With his red eye Lysander could see the shore. A line of standing heat signatures, the tallest one had purple light coming from its chest. It stood out from the reddish blurs and outlines of everything else.

Lysander's dragon's eye could also differentiate magic and energy. His brows knitted together "It's a good thing you weren't smart enough to stay away…"

Far across the bay Reburn was furious.

One of the men holding a walkie-talkie turned to him "That's the elemental out there, Lysander. What are we gonna do, boss?"

"I'll deal with him." The big man snapped, a black helmet enclosed his bald head.

Fully armored again he strolled to the wharf's edge, lowering his foot and spawning a panel of black metal. The flat surface spread itself across the water, it was wider than a boat and continued to grow, stretching further. Reburn dropped from the wharf and walked across the surface he'd created. Pillars and mechanisms of black metal sprouted and assembled beside him as he walked, the square structure was soon bigger than the cargo ship. An above-water, floor-plan building of some kind. It moved away from the shore and started travelling across the black water.

Lysander watched and waited before raising his arm. Lucifer whipped down from the sky, the man ran and jumped, latching to his dragon and carried up into the air.

"If we fight in the bay the city shouldn't be harmed!" he shouted to his dragon.

Pressing his hands together, when he separated them yellow lightning was crackling and sparking within. Much more concentrated and powerful than whatever he'd used before. The black dragon opened its maw, yellow lightning streaked from the sky and Lysander added his power. Like a proper thunderstorm bolt it ripped through the night, blazing through Reburn's mobile base. The boom could be heard from within the city, harsh winds and suddenly stormy waters. Waves were crashing up against the shore, the gangsters fled.

The bolt had flashed and was gone, Lysander peered down from the skies and could see Reburn's strange structure had been broken apart, though the man was unharmed. He looked up on all fours, then staggered to his feet. Ripples rocked across the ocean in sea-foam circles.

Lysander spoke to the dragon "Cordaco's Prism protected him. We need to conserve energy and try to catch him off-guard instead."

The ruined structure began rebuilding itself, beams connecting and filling the spaces with sheets of metal. The pillars straightened and continued sprouting upward, beams flowering out and connecting geometrically. It was building itself into a fortress. Lucifer swerved and the two of them fired their regular bolts of lightning, yellow zigzagging trails that burned through pillars and left person-sized holes in the flooring. The black knight ran between pillars, trying to keep his eyes on his airborne enemies. The lightning bolts slowed the building, but as if it was alive the fortress would only pause before repairing itself and continuing.

Reburn now stood in the center of the hexagonal structure and spread his arms. Cordaco's Prism glowed bright purple from all the energy exerted. Black cannons built themselves out of the pillars, twisting in sockets and taking aim. Cannon-fire exploded, spheres of black metal flew through the night air. Lucifer swerved, ducking beneath the hurtling projectiles. It only took a few seconds for the cannons to reload and refire, a continuous onslaught and due to all the near misses the aim was on point.

Lysander grit his teeth from atop the wildly spinning dragon's back "Get us closer and I'll deal with him personally!"

The black dragon ducked and turned, its metal claw grazed a flying cannonball. Beating its wings toward the fortress that by now had grown taller, three levels with the floors and walls only blueprint-outlined by metal beams. They swerved dramatically against the flinging projectiles that were even faster because of their opposing directions. Lucifer still dodged every one and then Lysander flew from his back, flew between the bordered walls of the fortress and collided with Reburn. They were both caught up by black chains that whipped from the corners, seizing and skidding. Both clutched each other's hands and struggled.

Reburn's breaths were loud and echoey beneath his helmet "So the elemental comes out, aye?" he spoke in his baritone.

The chains whipped them apart, Lysander swiped them with his metal arm. Links bounced against the ground and both men skidded, glaring at the other on one knee.

"It was stupid of you to try and fight me." Lysander spoke before being the first to stand. "I've been alive for over 3,000 years. There's a common pattern with fighters who come into power: they lack the experience of fighting someone on their level. You think you're invincible, don't you?"

"I'm no fool." Reburn chuckled before standing as well "I killed two of your crushers, I knew you'd come after me eventually. And for the record, I've always been strong. Even before Cordaco's Prism. I was a young prodigy not unlike your Douglas. It's a shame he didn't accept my offer of mentorship, but oh well."

Lysander's gaze narrowed before he flew forward. Reburn ducked under his strike and stepped away. Lysander followed and lashed after him, his attacks were swift and blinding like snake-strikes. Reburn grunted as he stepped back, blocking with his forearms. Then he spawned an arm-blade and swung forward. Lysander knocked the arm aside, his own whipping around and pulling it against his body. The black claws of his metal arm severed the blade like it was cardboard, then it whipped for Reburn's throat.

"That arm-!" Reburn choked, a blade of metal spawned beneath his purple crystal and stabbed Lysander's sternum. Reburn knocked the arm away and chopped off the blade, spinning out of reach. Lysander winced as he tugged out the metal and tossed it aside, the wound started healing from under his white robes. Reburn was massaging his neck "That metal arm… it's not…"

"It's not Triton metal, no." Lysander lifted his arm and clenched the pointed fingers. While the arm was both metallic and black, it was much darker than Reburn's armor and the water-bound fortress they were fighting on. "I created the Triton clan, your clan, less than a millennia ago. This metal is ancient. Avantium, it's impossible to melt or break. Even within the core of stars. Every piece that makes up my arm was the exact shape needed for the build, millions upon millions of pieces that formed naturally, I have the right-shaped ones to make up this arm."

As Reburn looked closer he could see the pitch-black metal barely shone, the fingers and arm parts were more scraggly. They'd not been melted down, smoothed, or spawned by a similar power to his own.

With a growl he lifted his hands and Reburn's trusty machine gun began to spawn. While it was still assembling in mid-air, Lysander darted forward, hand resting on Reburn's shoulder to swing his leg up and kick the weapon out to sea. He landed and continued to press his enemy with punches and strikes, Reburn growling even louder as he was forced back. Spawning his longsword behind his back then arcing it across, Lysander springing away. Further full-body swings that the elemental turned and retreated from. Salty air blew between them as the fortress swayed upon the water.

Suddenly Lysander flew back, landing overhead, atop the side-pillar of the second level. A pair of chains whipped at him and he severed them with ease. Pressing his hands together. Lucifer swerved at a distance, still evading cannon-fire. He shot bolts of lightning from his mouth, blazing sparks through the metal and causing Reburn to jump away.

"Time for a summoning…" A glowing glyph appeared, giant and centering around Lysander when he pressed his hands flat against the beam. From the magic circle a red dragon suddenly teleported behind him, unleashing a feral roar. This dragon was the typical size, almost as big as the fortress itself, long scaly tail curling between the pillars. It spread wide wings and gave a metal-tearing screech.

Reburn was crouching down and staring at the new threat. He sighed, purple crystal glowing brighter as he exerted more energy. Placing his palm against the smooth floor. The fortress lurched, then began to rise into the air.

Lysander flew back again, gripping a spike protruding from the dragon's head. Swinging up and crouching upon the beast. The fortress continued to rise and alter in shape, the pillars bending outward and the beams crisscrossing into new patterns. The dragon pushed away and flapped its huge wings, remaining level with the structure but getting some space. The mechanized fortress armed itself, spikes and turret guns building in preparation.

Lysander held on as the red dragon fired streams of electric energy from its mouth. His trusty black dragon was still twisting overhead and firing bolts from above. The aircraft shuddered each time lightning burned through it, repairing and continuing to grow. The city lights were beneath them now, the fortress and dragons turning as they ascended.

Lysander's hair was billowing as they gained altitude "Tried from a distance and tried up close. I may need to summon a proper cloud dragon if I can't end this fight soon…"

Bullets bounced harmlessly against dragon scales but it caused the red beast to roar with fury, flapping itself around and then moving in close, taloned feet gripping the flying structure and tilting it. Reburn fell forward, then slid and lashed out a chain to keep from falling off. He struggled to regain his footing.

Lysander activated another of his abilities, red eye burning as scales spread across his face and down his arm. Glinting like a mass of fingernails, the ones at his fingertips grew longer and hooked. This power was slow to spread, but unlike Kanra and those before him it was retractable and adaptable. Lysander tore the sleeve off his kimono, letting it flutter away in the wind. The scale coverage was far from perfect, but it was still an effective mode of close-range attack. Lysander sprang off the red dragon's head, back atop the lattice beams of the structure. Streams of lightning lit up the darkness, a blanket of clouds overhead blocked out the stars.

A chain whipped at Lysander and he leaned away. Reburn appeared, sprinting across the beam. They lashed and kicked atop the narrow walkway. The structure groaned and reverberated as it continued to grow in strange ways around them. Lysander was able to block Reburn's swords with both his bare arms now. His enemy spawned a mace, tried and tossed it. Attacked with a sickle, a scimitar, a staff, a battle-axe. Each new weapon fell to the ocean far below as Lysander dodged and disarmed him. Lysander managed to get in close, their arms bunching up before throwing each other apart. Staggering back on the beam, both of them swaying dangerously but keeping their balance. Now several feet apart, an arched beam rotated above their heads as if they were being spun about some crazy carnival ride.

Reburn sprouted a chain and lashed his arm. It moved like a snake, winding around the beam several times before striking out at Lysander's side. He deflected the blow against his scale-ridden arm, the black-armored foe suddenly close and lashing a kick that sent Lysander over the edge. Tangling and gripping onto the chain, swaying as several more flicked down, Reburn sliding loosely and extending his foot. His metal boot connected with Lysander's face, causing him to let go and spin off. Past the structure and down, down, down. Night air whipping by.

Lysander pressed his hands together, another glyph orbiting his body before a third blue dragon emerged. This one was colossal, the size of the city buildings. Much bigger than the airborne fortress, and as such the dragon broke the entire structure into pieces within seconds. The force of this dragon's appearance had buffeted air, allowing Lysander to turn and launch himself up the monster's back. Lysander didn't want to alarm the civilians more than necessary, potentially stopping traffic with the sight of this Godzilla. So he released the summoning, the sky-blue dragon vanished as soon as it appeared.

Reburn was wide-eyed as he fell amidst broken metal sheets and beams. Everything destroyed so quickly. Falling backwards now in the night. Lysander collided with him and the two began struggling in mid-air as bits of metal fell beside them. Reburn's helmet was partially scratched off, his expression alarmed when Lysander bound both his arms with his own. That dragon's eye burned red-hot, weird black lightning sparked against the purple crystal. It started glowing, as if reacting to whatever Lysander was doing. When Cordaco's Prism began to crack and chip Reburn struggled madly as they continued to fall.

And then it shattered. Reburn stopped struggling. Lysander let go and they separated. Reburn was astounded and unmoving as his metal armor came away in strips. Piece after piece peeling off until he was falling exposed, in nothing but his singlet, trousers and combat boots. In his chest, nothing but the scorched indent of where the stolen artefact had once resided. Lysander's black dragon swerved to catch him, but Reburn continued to fall with the ruins of his fortress. Falling into the choppy, freezing waters below.

Lysander was out of breath. He turned his head to the red dragon that flapped alongside them.

"Thank you, Nidhog…" Mentally he released the summoning, the beast dipped its head congenially before vanishing. Lysander patted the scales of his black dragon "Thank you, Lucifer." The dragon snapped its jaws in response. "My dragon's eye destroyed Cordaco's Prism. Jamie would kill me if he ever found out. But that's the end of Reburn's power…"