WAR PLANET: The Phantom

Chapter 3

Ronan ran faster than he ever knew he could, desperately pushing to keep up with Red's abnormal pace. The band of bat monsters were close behind, holding their human appearance and riding the tailwind of the two boys, gradually picking up speed.

Groups of people leapt out of the way as they tore down the sidewalk. The acreage was in sight, but exhaustion took over Ronan as he gasped for air and slowed his pace. He stole a quick glance over his shoulder at the billowing cloaks of their guests, they were closing in fast. Ronan yelped, doubling his speed and whipping past Red into the grassy field.

The two boys vaulted the gate without even checking the lock, and dashed into the house. Ronan immediately snapped down every lock he could find on the door, bracing the doorknob with a chair he collapsed on to regain his breath. "What the f—"

"Chirops," Red cut in, giving the window a quizzical stare. "They're not supposed to be here."

"Chirops?" Ronan gave Red an exaggerated nod as he smiled at the understanding, barely catching the sarcasm lacing Ronan's voice. "Right, yeah okay... You don't seem particularly surprised that Dracula and his boy-band just attacked us, might I ask why?!"

Red removed his overcoat and obviously pulled his book out of some secret pocket. "Nice house." The door rattled and creaked, the shrill screeches of the chirops muffled by the sturdy barrier. Red peeked through the small window in the door. "One... Two... Five... Six..."

Ronan grabbed a wooden bat out of a tin full of umbrellas, his voice still shaking with fear and aggravation. "Why are we being chased by bat monsters?"

"I don't know," Red said, pulling a small metal capsule out of his shirt, and flicking it out into a long baton. He looked over at Ronan who was poised to smack in any direction with his bat, "Maybe you?"

Ronan was even more confused now, slowly raising his eyebrows without a shred of amusement. "I didn't do anything."

One of the windows in the kitchen shattered and two of the chirops crawled in, eyeing their targets with spitting gargles that barely passed for words. Red swung his baton at one of the chirops as it leaped at him, crackling with electricity as soon as it touched the creature's skin, and producing a shriek as it retreated back a couple feet to hiss at its enemy.

Ronan's opponent circled him on all fours, trying to startle him with swipes and hisses as he turned-tail and booked it up a flight of stairs. With a couple cries of surprise at his thudding and clambering foe, he made it to the top, taking advantage of the high ground as he slammed the wooden bat across the chirops face, sending it tumbling back down with a cry of pain.

He tried to shake the jitters from his hands, turning with the prospect of barricading himself in his room, when a cacophony of thumps came back up the stairs. A different, or perhaps the same chirop leapt up onto the landing, pursuing Ronan as he screamed bloody murder and ran into his room. He hadn't gained enough distance to slam the door, instead leaping onto his bed and jumping to the other side of it as the creature fitted its massive wings through the frame and gave him a scolding hiss.

"Kafi-iknan!" it spat, slowly stepping towards him and dropping to all fours like a lurking cat. "Munda'irai Caspiaraak."

Ronan looked at the creature with a whimpering grimace, holding up the bat as his entire body shook with fear. The creature took a left at the bed, forcing him to take a right as he stared at it in bewilderment, and tightened his grip until the flesh of his knuckles went pure white.

The creature backtracked to take a right around the bed, scoffing in irritation as Ronan respectively went left. "Kafi-iknan!" it repeated, growing indignant as Káel didn't budge and leaping onto his bed.

With a girlish yelp Ronan drew back, jumping as it hissed, and repeatedly screaming no as he fled the room with the chirop in hot pursuit. Thinking back on Red short display of fighting skills, Ronan went barreling back down the steps in an attempt to dump the monster on him with the rest of the group, but he realised his mistake as he counted the five extra pairs of black eyes drawn to him, all respectively pinning down a part of Red as he continued to struggle.

Ronan gave the stairs a double-take, tossing the bat in his hands at the chirop thumping down them, then turning back to the tin as he fixed his gaze on the five remaining spectators, and drawing a long black umbrella with growing worry.

One of the chirops got off of Red, prowling towards Ronan with a light footed step as it stared at him in a curious fashion. "Caspiaraak?" They'd been repeating that word quite a bit, but Ronan hadn't a single clue in deciphering their gibberish.

"Caspia get the hell away from me!" he retorted, drawing a look of pure offense from the chirops as the one prowling towards him rose to its feet, moving to grab him. He popped open the umbrella in a surge of panic, causing every chirop in the room to jump back in terror, and in the process release Red. His only ludicrous hope in surviving.

Red didn't spare a second to jump to his feet, socking one of the chirops in the head, while ducking under the grabbing arms of the rest to reach Ronan. Ronan quickly retracted the umbrella, fighting with hopeless swipes. They were positively done for, unless Red had a grenade in his sock.

Suddenly, a bulky mass slammed into the creatures, toppling them like perfectly aligned dominoes. This was the last thing Ronan thought he'd ever see. Rick was bare-handedly pinning down each chirop like a pack of squealing pigs.

Ronan didn't understand. Rick, however emotionless he was, should have shown even the slightest bit of shock at being attacked by half a dozen human sized bats, but he impassively broke them down like they were any old cat burglar.

One of the chirops attempted to flank Rick, but his leg shot up and he gave it a roundhouse kick to the face. It fell to the ground and twitched a little, before going motionless, allowing Rick to turn to his next victim. Ronan backed away, this all had to be a dream, and he'd wake up any second now... Any second.

Taking one step too many, he bumped into something. But he knew his house, Rick and Red were fighting in the dining room, he was in the kitchen by now, and the island was to his left. There wasn't supposed to be anything behind him. Especially not something so warm... and fuzzy.

Hot breath swept across the back of his neck, and a thick rotting stench choked his nostrils. He froze as his heart began to beat faster and faster, tightening his grip on the umbrella, he looked back.

The silver haired chirop glared at Ronan with savage eyes, a smug grin of success painted on its face, despite the traces of blood clotting at the side of its head. Ronan tried striking him with the umbrella, but he caught the object mid swing, crushing it like an empty pop can. He didn't spare a second to gape at the remnants of his weapon and turned to run, but the massive chirop had anticipated his actions, grabbing his collar and throwing him against the counter.

Red stole the chirop's attention by throwing his overcoat over the creature's face, and whacking it a couple times with the electric baton, but it didn't affect this one as much as the other chirops.

There was a throbbing pain in Ronan's head where he'd hit the counter, and from what he could see, the chirop was winning the fight with Red. He scanned the kitchen for a worthy weapon, and his eyes locked onto the sink.

The cast iron pan he used that very morning was still in there. He grabbed it vengefully, walking over to the creature's turned back. The chirop was oblivious to Ronan as he raised the pan high over its head, slamming it down with a resounding Ftang. It stood rigid, stumbling back in a woozy manner and giving Ronan the chance to give it another good whack, watching the chirop fall to the floor limply.

The remaining chirops fighting Rick stopped and looked at Ronan's handiwork, not even making a single attempt to rescue their companions, as they fled the house. The pain in Ronan's head had reached an unbearable intensity, and his vision blurred. A heavy coat of fatigue swept over him as he dropped to the floor and blacked out.

****

Warmth enveloped him in a soft fluffy blanket when he awoke, the crimson rays of sunset dancing around his room, and the softest hum sang through the dead air. Jeremy was perched over his face grooming his nose while Ronan regained his foggy memories. As soon as Red's face crawled into his head, Ronan shot out of his covers and ran to the kitchen. Brick stood there, vacuuming the floor impassively. The window and back door were in perfect condition.

A glimmer of hope crossed Ronan's mind, could it have been a horrible dream? He thought, looking around for any evidence that said otherwise, but there was nothing; everything was in its proper place.

The more he pondered his theory, the more he believed it, until he walked into the living room and almost had a heart attack. Red was sitting on the couch, trying to master the intricate art of sewing. Ronan punched the air in disappointment and stroked the back of his head, a tender lump had formed that spiked with pain at the slightest touch.

Red greeted Ronan, and stabbed at his uniform, sewing one of the sleeves shut with neon pink thread and getting more irritated by the second.

"Why are you still here?" Ronan growled, grabbing a pack of frozen peas from the freezer to place on his head.

Red accidentally stabbed his thumb with the needle, cursing under his breath. He threw the overcoat on the floor, whipping a long remote looking object out of his pocket. He pointed it at the bundle of cloth yelling svaika, like it was some disobedient puppy. After the twentieth relentless command, a blue spark zapped the bundle, bursting it into a thick cloud of pink smoke.

Red waved away the smoke revealing the overcoat, it was sitting on the couch in perfect condition. He put it back on, adjusting it until it was comfortably rested on his broad shoulders.

He looked at Ronan, suddenly remembering his question. "I'm here to keep you company." He bowed courteously. There was still some pink smoke streaming off his coat as he walked over to Ronan, blasting him with the stench of burning polyester.

Ronan didn't find his company very comforting, especially since his first encounter with Red was them almost getting killed by monstrous bats.

He picked up the T.V. remote, pressing all the random buttons on it. "And... I'm waiting for ride." Eventually it turned on, and Red stared at the screen like a deer in headlights.

Ronan stroked the smooth metal surface of his cellphone, he could call the cops and Red would be out of his hair for good. But there was a barrier, Ronan didn't know what it was, curiosity, fear, he just couldn't do it.

"Ride? Someone's coming to pick you up?" It was hard enough dealing with Red, let alone any acquaintances he had.

"No... Not only me. You too."

Ronan chuckled nervously. "Oh no, I'm good with staying here. I'd hate to be a burden to you."

"Not safe." Red said, pausing as he fished through the couch cushions for his book. He flipped through its pages, stopping halfway. "If you stay, white flowers... more monsters will come."

More monsters? Ronan didn't like the sound of that, but he didn't like the thought of going with Red either. Suddenly, Ronan remembered his uncle, he knew everything about the weird and crazy, he could call him.

Something furry brushed against Ronan's leg. Jeremy was sitting there, along with a friend. The familiar brown tabby watched Red with its lemony gold eyes, while Ronan tried to piece together how the feline had gotten into his house.

"Ragdoll!" Red exclaimed, his eyes lighting up as he whistled to the cat. The feline trotted up to him, its feather duster of a tail swishing happily as he removed a large silver ball from its collar.

"What's that?" Ronan caught the ball as Red lobbed it at him, rolling the flawless orb in his palm. It had the trickling feeling of cold water, and was as light as a feather, but its function was a complete mystery to Ronan, since, in his eyes, it was a giant marble.

Red said another word in his strange language and the ball softly whirred, lifting into the air. Ronan backed away, watching the metal ball float motionlessly in the air as if it had been photo shopped.

"It's a Telly," Red replied, moving his hand around the empty space the ball was floating in. "No strings."

"That's a telephone?"

Red looked at Ronan like he was a complete idiot. "No... Telly, te-le-port." He sighed at Ronan's blank expression. "Rrghh! Hate English! Messy trash!"

Without any warning, Red grabbed Ronan's arm, stabbing a small syringe into it that he'd flicked out of his sleeve. The sudden jolt of pain made Ronan drawback and punch Red in the face, rubbing the tiny swell mark on his arm with a new wave of panic.

"The heck was that for?!" Ronan snapped, holding his phone at the ready.

Red smiled, and swiped the Telly out of the air. "That, was a translator. Now I don't have to use that infuriating book to brush up on my English skills." He smiled, his choppy accent had eerily vanished, along with the anger on Ronan's face, leaving an exhausted look of fear. "You can now understand most of Lumi's languages, not including non-humanoids, and Novans."

Ronan grew silent, walking over to the door and lacing up his shoes.

"Where are you going?"

"My psychiatrist." It wouldn't have surprised him if he'd finally gone loopy from practically living alone for four years.

Red stepped in front of the door. "Unfortunately, I can't let you do that. Ragdoll, please activate the Telly."

The brown cat meowed and Red dropped the Telly in Ronan's hands. He glanced at the ball, confusion filling his face, and then, as far as he was concerned, made the biggest mistake of his uneventful life. There was the softest click that came from the orb, and he rolled it over, looking down at the little circular button he'd accidentally pressed.