Dioxide

'How does it feel to be different?' [Dioxide x Caits]

I think there might be some protocol for Maria's relocation, but she might just refuse it, right? hahahah

Let's say that the flight time to Cambodia would take 45 minutes. I'll have Viccar fill them in.

'How does it feel to be different?' [Dioxide x Caits]

There was a screech in the audio feed that signaled the end of the transmission. However, the silence that they had gotten accustomed to in their brief reprieve was violated by the shaking earth - earthquakes that threatened to bring their whole bunker down into deep earth. Soon, the walls cracked and soil would seep in.

'So we're going to save the world, that's fine and all,' Gershwin had to scream through the shaking, 'but how are we going to travel from Russia-' a piece of the south wall broken and soil was now funneling in, forcing the three back to the staircase

'How are we going to get from Russia to Cambodia?!'

---

Viccar had rushed to his computer, eager but mostly desperate to send some final bits of help before he feared communications with the three would be halted or terminated for a very long time. He scrambled to get some final code into the programme before internet connection was severed between the fault lines in the depths of the ocean - deep-rooted cables that once connected the world into one whole global village, now blind to one another. There were alternatives, of course, but those took time. They didn't have time.

---

The three rushed out to the outside world, the forest they had only so briefly appreciated before having to go into hiding. Trees everywhere were felling, animals running to find safe ground, crevices that travel far down spread wide and fast. They wanted to run, but where were they to go? They had no direction nor transportation - like that would have helped at all - to get to their destination.

All doubt and fear was stifled when a loud sound cut through the sky and a black plane materialized out of nowhere. A futuristic, frightening jet - yet one that seemed like the former Agent Caits would be no stranger to - disappeared from their sights before returning again, hovering and slowly landing on a flat piece of land, blowing snow outwards as its back door opened to welcome the three. Inside there was no pilot, but the AI knew well how to operate. 'Let's go!' The three rushed inside.

No sooner than they leaped for the plane and the door closed, the ground beneath them tore open, and everything poured in. Agent Caits punched controls in, and they were off to the skies.

---

Caits' hands still in control, it was a miracle seeing that she was functioning as if she weren't at all close to dying just an hour ago. Gershwin wanted to say something, see if she really was okay. But she was afraid that would be distracting, insulting, and she was still shaken by the gravity of their situation.

They had barely gotten up to the air but they were safe from the devastation down below. The plane had no windows and no outside sound permeated inwards. They could not see what was going on, but they could not be numb to it. They had to know more.

As if by command, static sounded and a voice spoke. It was the other man on Maria's end.

'Hello, Agent Caits, Subjects 29 and 30.' his voice was shaken but for the time being he seemed to have found some quiet.

'I am Viccar, Miss Maria Jordan's assistant. This jet was a parting gift to you three to take you to Cambodia. I've already marked the exact location of your landing on the map. Agent.' a ping sounded on the dashboard, indicating the mark.

'To get you up to speed on what is going on: the earthquakes have ceased for the time-being. We're looking at an incredible amount of damage done around the land and seas. The earthquakes were caused by twins in Cambodia - Anomalies just like yourselves. We don't know yet which twin has which supernatural capability because they are always together, but we do know that they possess an incredible amount of control of the earth. They also possess psionic powers - which means they can target people mentally and from afar. No person or thing are capable of getting near them. We would have tried long-range weaponry, but we were too late, and they had struck faster than we could.

Counting on your abilities, you should be able to make a stand against them. They are using their psionic powers and an army of stone creatures to obliterate everything. We will be helping with evacuation.

Are there any questions?'

'How does it feel to be different?' [Dioxide x Caits]

The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa was one of the most epic natural events in the natural history of the world. The eruption led to the destruction of over 70% of the island and its surrounding archipelago. Seismic activity was incessant and continuous for an entire year. Over 40,000 deaths were attributed to the deaths and the tsunamis have submerged many towns and cities under its 50m high apex. The explosion is to considered to be the loudest sound ever heard, being heard over 4,800 km from its point of origin, as far as Sri Lanka and Perth, Australia. The Sun was blacked out for three days as it spewed 11 cubic miles of ash that clogged the seas as it fell, and cooled the temperature of the globe. No other natural event could compare to the sheer effect of this geographical moment.

Until now.

---

Dust fogged the destroyed main roads, the arteries that connected Siem Reap to the rest of Cambodia as the Stone Soldiers and Stone Golems continued their unstoppable rampage. Defensive lines kept getting pushed back as the remaining few Cambodian fighters tried to save as many lives as they could - some losing their own in the process.

Soon, monstrous stone creations, animal-like in so many ways, spawned from the birthing earth as the roads were pocked with holes, and buildings felling. None of the infrastructure was left standing. Practically everything in the world had an earthen origin, which meant it was all under Thy's supernatural touch.

Many foreign armies now were joining the fray as they try to stop the onslaught. The Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, China, the US, Australia - the Cambodian royal family and government pleaded for help as the Stone Soldiers swarmed everything.

One Stone Golem, the original one, stood tall as it searched the crumbled horizon, and it saw Cambodia's most priced possession.



The world's largest religious monument in the world, 1,626,000m^2 in size, is what represented the height of the power of the glorious Khmer Empire before its fall to colonial powers. It still remains as the most representative of Cambodian ideals. Thy burrowed the twins into the ground, and tunneled themselves at mach speeds to the pinnacle of the temple complex. At this highest point, you could see the flat plains of the entire nation. The condition of Angkor Wat was miserable, past beyond its prime as the prime exemplar of might and control.

Dara placed her hand to Thy's temple, and reached with her powers to seek out Thy's.

"តើអ្វីដែលឪពុកម្តាយរបស់យើងនឹងនិយាយអំពីយើងទេ? | What would our parents say about us?" asked Dara telephatically.

"ខ្ញុំមិនដឹងទេ។ តើពួកគេមានមោទនឬភ័យខ្លាច? | I don't know. Would they be proud or scared?"

"ពួកគេបានយកពួកវាពីពួកយើង។ យើងនឹកពួកគេ។ សត្វចម្លែកសមនឹងទទួលបានការយកទៅសម្លាប់។ | They took them from us. Monsters deserve to be slain."

They screamed in anguished pain for their parents, and Thy began the largest terraforming in existence.

---

Soon, every person in the world could feel earthquakes so powerful it felt like the epicenters were right next to them. Huge tsunamis and volcanic eruptions spouted from nearby islands and geographic formations as Cambodia shook and crumbled, then grew and spread. It was a slow process, but the effects could be felt from around the world. Metals, rocks, minerals, literally everything nearby was being drawn to Angkor Wat like a blackhole had emerged, consuming everything. All earthen materials were being molded into something fantastic and yet gruesome. They shall feel the wrath of the twins yet.

---

Viccar rushed to Miss Jordan's office, barely able to stand on his feet as the floor shook beneath him. Over the line, Cody, Gershwin, and Caits could hear as they too felt the ground shake violently.

"MISS JORDAN! I-" Viccar had fell to the ground, and struggled to get back up. "Earthquake epicentre is in Cambodia, Angkor Wat! The twins were located at the top shrine of the temple complex. They're terraforming the entire monument, pulling earth from below us. All Internet and communication lines are down to Cambodia."

Gershwin gasped in shock and turned to Cody Caits, in disbelief. She voiced out loud to Maria in outrage: "I assume this is another one of your doings?! Another one of your experiments gone wrong? How dare you come to us to try and fix your mistake?!"

'How does it feel to be different?' [Dioxide x Caits]

Why is that? What's up?

'How does it feel to be different?' [Dioxide x Caits]

Gershwin's eyes grew wide open. She did not recognize that voice yet it was loud and clear in the deafening silence. Added to the fact that the safe-house was isolated with only the three being there - and the only ones that so far knew about this place's existence - with hunters looking out for them, Gershwin grew cold and tensed up. The voice seemed ever-present and the sound bounced so perfectly around the room that they were not sure where it came from.

But the voice knew them - at least by the names they were given by the heathens back in that evil organization. The very people they were running away from had found them, and were now speaking to them as if talking to them. The gut reaction should have been to stay quiet and not respond, but if they already had an assumption they were there, and that they were on to them, Gershwin could at least buy them some time as Cody gets Caits off the sofa and to another location, ready on the run.

"It's Gershwin May and Cody O'Niel. Who am I speaking to?" She gestured to Cody to start moving.

'How does it feel to be different?' [Dioxide x Caits]

I'm writing up a post now!

I don't have to remind you, but you should decide what happens to Caits after Cody tried his light on her. :) If anything, you should have her involved in the chat the two are about to have with Maria.

I'm trying to figure out what Andjela should do as well. :p

'How does it feel to be different?' [Dioxide x Caits]

"Yes," Viccar said, with the slightest hint of deviance and hope in his tone.

"Whatever we like it or not, nothing in our arsenal has the capacity to confront the Anomalies. The twins have some form of psionic power that prevents... us normal beings... from approaching them.

With the targets in Russia on our side, we may have a fighting chance, Miss Jordon. The Maria Gerda Jordon. I'm sure you'll find a way." He turned to leave the room, but quickly turned to speak his mind.

"Asking for help is not weakness. The Anomalies are all-powerful, but we're stronger in will." He nodded, and left the room.

'How does it feel to be different?' [Dioxide x Caits]

Hey Caits! I'l post soon, but for now Happy New Year!

'How does it feel to be different?' [Dioxide x Caits]

:)

'How does it feel to be different?' [Dioxide x Caits]

Gershwin looked up at Cody, and for the first time she truly observed his admirable features and the closure he emanated. Such a gentle yet dependable person, yet literally blind still so strong and capable - such a shame that his life was being sought after, and not to be shared to the world.

She let him go to walk over to Caits' side, and her heart sunk at the sight of her own doing to the former Agent. She was hanging in there, tough - or calloused - depending on how you looked at it - as she was to be. She knew they were being hunted down, so Caits' being weak is such a disadvantage to them. If only she could heal like they could.

"Cody," she softly spoke, "you don't think... your light could help her, do you?"

"I can only do harm, but you can do great things with your gifts."

---

Viccar braved through the slew of rage and humiliation, and knew he had to speak up his point - if not for the world, at least for himself.

'As I said,' he cleared his throat, speaking louder, and moving over to her side to her computer.

'There is an internet connection within their bunker that we can hack and access. We don't have to get close. We can just talk to them right here and now.'

He typed a few more lines of code before leaving the enter button to Ms. Jordan to initiate the computer, and camera, establishing a connection between them.