Chapter 13: High-Flying Fun

Paradox jogged through the dark forest, trying to listen to Kira's voice as she guided him towards Quantum Collapse's location. The plan was thus: Paradox would go and try to keep Quantum Collapse in place for as long as possible while Kira worked to modify the containment tube that Paradox had provided with an enhanced forcefield projector. A similar method had worked to contain the mini-collapse they made in the lab; maybe all they had to do was increase the power. Anyway, that wasn't the part of the plan Paradox was worried about. He was more concerned with the part where he was supposed to distract Quantum Collapse for a solid couple of minutes while the folks back in the city did the modifications.
Nevertheless, Paradox was running at high speed towards his doom. Maybe if he survived this he could finally convince himself to stop acting like a hero; It was becoming increasingly hazardous to his health.
Strangely, as Paradox came closer to his destination, the tree cover became more and more sparse. He began to notice shattered stumps and pieces of canopy that were still regrowing. Then, he began to see small bits of debris that began to float away of their own accord. Then the tree line cleared enough that he was able to see ahead to his destination.
A cone of stone, maybe an inactive volcano, was about a mile away from the tree line. Above it was a familiar black sphere, pulsating with energy, and for miles around chunks of dirt, sticks, rocks and boulders were making their way towards him.
"What is going on?" Paradox said.
"I've kept one eye on him for the past couple of minutes." Kira said. "I think he's absorbing matter to increase his power. Our drones have observed spikes in EM radiation, as well as an increase in the creature's size."
"He can do that?" Paradox asked.
"Apparently." Kira said. "So now your mission is twofold. Keep Quantum Collapse in the area and keep him from absorbing anything more than he's got. You got that?"
"Y- uh... Yeah..." Paradox said, a little dumbfounded.
"Good, because I don't have any more time to chat with you." Kira said. "My tube is here."
The line went dead and Paradox was left to his own devices.
"Oh boy." Paradox said to himself. He gradually accelerated towards the mountain, which was beginning to look more and more flat-tipped from Quantum Collapse wearing it down. Paradox began climbing the slope up, which was became increasingly vertical as he ascended.
Then, the ledge above Paradox's hand disconnected from the wall and floated upward toward Quantum Collapse. Paradox had reached the top, or the top had reached him. Paradox pulled himself up and over just in time to see Quantum Collapse open his mouth wide and swallow a boulder whole. An uprooted tree was next, followed by an assortments of dirt, twigs, and branches. Each time he ate something, The black orb grew ever so slightly larger and the air around him crackled with sparks.
Paradox took a deep breath. As much as he hated to, Paradox needed to begin the fight as soon as possible or Quantum Collapse might grow too big and too powerful for the modified canister to hold him. Paradox looked around and found a suitable boulder lazily floating through the air. Paradox grabbed it with his powers and threw it at the black orb with all his might.
Wham!
The boulder shattered into a million tiny pieces on Quantum Collapse's backside, causing him to cough up the last of a tree he was eating.
"What the- Who the-" Quantum Collapse turned around, and when his eyes fell on Paradox, his glowing features spread into a grin. "Oh ho ho! What have we here?" he said. "Little mind wizard is back for a rematch!"
The ground shook Beneath Paradox's feet, and when he looked down, he found with some confusion that the grassy glade below was becoming farther and farther away. Quantum Collapse Had ripped the top of the mountain off and was raising it into the sky!
"Oh, don't mind the view." Quantum Collapse said wickedly. "I'm just making sure nobody interrupts our little sparring session like last time."
Large boulders began assembling around the perimeter of the platform, ready for catapulting into Paradox's face. Paradox gulped. this situation was looking less and less ideal.
"So, mister bunny." The black, grinning orb said. "you feeling lucky today?"
Paradox heard a crackle of energy and a whoosh behind his back. He registered it just in time to flatten himself to the ground and allow a boulder to sail over his head. It bounced off of the platform in front of him and sailed down into the sky below. Another boulder sailed at Paradox from the left and he found himself log-rolling under it just before it pounded him into paste. Before Collapse could fling another boulder Paradox was on his feet once again and his hands were in his defensive position. From Paradox's right, another boulder catapulted towards him, but instead of dodging Paradox grabbed another boulder from the lineup and intercepted it, fusing the two into a pile of rubble.
"Oh ho! Look who's been practicing!" Quantum Collapse said, which very nearly distracted Paradox from dodging another rocky impact from above. More rocks came then, one after the other, and Paradox took cover behind the mounting pile of shattered stones for protection.
"Oh, Playing hide and seek, are we?" Quantum Collapse said, amused. Paradox took a breath and began concentrating on the space in front of him.
"Ready or noooooooot! heeeeere I coooooome!" Said the melodious metallic voice. Paradox instead tried to concentrate on the thousands of tiny particles he was collecting.
"Gotcha!" Collapse said as he rounded the corner. Paradox put forth his hands, released his grip, and closed his eyes.
Paradox could see the light burst even through his eyelids.
Quantum Collapse shrieked in surprise, blinking incessantly and shaking back and forth. Paradox, not wanting to let a good opening go to waste, began throwing boulders and bits of debris as fast as he could, particularly at Quantum Collapse's eyes.
Paradox was able to keep up the stream of projectiles for a solid couple of seconds, during which time Quantum Collapse backed away under the pressure. Paradox finally felt like there was a chance that he could win this, and... hold on a second, was Quantum Collapse shrinking?
Paradox only had a split second to process the thought before a hefty rock blindsided him and sprawled him out on the floor. Paradox's stream of rocks ceased and Quantum Collapse was able to regain his composure.
"Well, buddy." He said casually. "I do believe that was the best game I've had in a very, very long time."
suddenly, the island of rock dropped a couple of feet before regaining it's buoyancy. Paradox's progress in getting himself off the ground was reset.
"However, I think I'm just gonna have to end the game now." Quantum Collapse continued. "I'm sure you understand."
The platform dropped another few feet. Paradox held on for dear life until it was stable again.
Quantum Collapse's grin widened grimly. "Smell you later, chump! Game Over."
The platform jerked again, but it didn't fall. Collapse's expression changed from smug to confused.
What was that deep thumping Paradox heard?
All at once, a score of Paradox-sized KiCorp drones emerged from under the sides of the island, each tethered to it with a grappling claw and a taut steel cable. Quantum Collapse rolled his eyes.
"Really? just... really?" the black orb said.
Then the low thumping Paradox heard got louder. A fifty-foot triangle-shaped aircraft with rotors embedded into it's wings rose to where Paradox could see it.
"I see we got here just in time." Said Kira's voice over Paradox's earpiece.
Quantum Collapse was able to say "What in the world-" before the largest drone fired a familliar-looking capsule from a cannon on it's belly. There was a Foomp and the canister bounced to a stop near the edge of the island, Quantum Collapse trapped inside.
"Oh man!" Quantum Collapse said while he struggled, apparently more surprised than frustrated. "You are just one lucky bunny!" Two drones came over and grappled each side of the canister, lifting it into the air.
Paradox leaned on his knees and breathed a bit. "What are you... ahem! What are you going to do with him?" Paradox said to the large drone, pointing towards Quantum Collapse's canister.
after a moment of silence, Kira's voice came over the intercom again. "Hmm... I think I'll keep him."
uh, what?
Kira continued: "Who knows? Maybe he'll be useful as a power source, or as a weapon. The possibilities at this point are endless!"
"What? really?" Paradox said. She wasn't thinking of keeping that thing alive, was she?
"And maybe if we research that machine in the dark village, we'll be able to make more." Kira said.
Paradox couldn't believe what he was hearing, but he also couldn't let Quantum Collapse get away in the canister until Kira promised to destroy it. He looked over at the drones holding it; one good psionic yank could-
Booom! an explosion rocked the ground near Paradox's feet. Paradox flew through the air and landed, prone, a few feet away. Paradox was able to open his eyes just in time to see the hidden missile launcher meld back into it's slot on the aircraft.
"And another thing." Kira said, this time over a loudspeaker aboard the aircraft. "I don't think I trust you."
Paradox climbed up and took a defensive position. If he was going to go down, he was going to go down fighting.
"Oh, please." Kira said. "I really think you've forgotten the gravity of the situation."
A good number of drones released their grip on the platform, causing it to tip perilously sideways. Paradox stumbled and caught a ledge to keep himself from falling.
"I almost never trusted you, from the moment I saw you." Kira continued. "And I suppose the fact that our ancestors were mortal enemies didn't help things out, either."
More drones released their grips, causing the platform to go completely vertical. Paradox was barely able to keep his grip on the ledge.
"So, I suppose, now would be a great time to make sure I never come to regret trusting you. Like I said, dying can be good for anyone; it just depends on what you're dying for."
It was then that paradox realized that, over the course of the battle with Quantum Collapse, the spit of land Paradox had been clinging to had drifted southward over the dark forest.
the missile launcher that had fired at paradox before emerged again, reloaded; along with several equally destructive-looking implements.
Paradox looked down, took a deep breath, and let go.
Explosives and incendiary rounds obliterated the space where Paradox had just been. Rock-turned-shrapnel flew in all directions, Some flying past Paradox and then slowly steadying to the same breakneck pace that he was taking towards the treetops below. Kira soon realized what had happened to Paradox, and the aircraft took a nosedive after him, spinning up the gatling cannons as it did. Paradox thought quickly and assembled the shrapnel around him into a shield with his powers. Firey hail rained down on Paradox from the drone's guns, but splashed harmlessly off of the shield or spilled over into the forest below, setting the canopy ablaze. With his other hand, Paradox pointed downward towards the ground, hoping to slow his own fall.
two missiles blazed downward from the drone ship, the first one shattering the shield and turning it into shrapnel again. Paradox grabbed the next one with his powers and held it back until another volley of incendiary rounds triggered the warhead and sent Paradox spinning sideways through the sky.
By the time Paradox regained his balance, there was no time for more defensive measures; He would have to slow his fall before he hit the treetops. Paradox could only hope that the drone ship would have to pull up soon to avoid hitting the trees.
Paradox thrust all the power he could muster downwards, hoping he could slow himself fast enough. He wondered if it'd be best if he landed on his legs hoping they'd absorb most of the impact, or whether he should try to distribute the impact equally throughout his body. Of course it was a moot point because Paradox was having trouble orienting himself at all. A couple more incendiary rounds flew past Paradox's ear, but they stopped as he was just a couple-hundred feet from the canopy. Paradox closed his eyes; he was still going far faster than he would like to be, and he didn't want to see if he was gonna turn into a smear on the ground.
Crack! the branches of the canopy snapped as Paradox fell through them. Then came a muffled thud as Paradox hit the outreaching grass below face-first.
Paradox woozily peeled his face off the ground. Thanks to the grass, his skull hadn't split open, but he was still pretty sure hitting the ground hadn't done his brain any favors. Paradox's vision blurred for a second as he got his bearings, then he heard the now unmistakable dakadakadaka of a rapid-fire strafing run. The canopy above Paradox's head burst into flames, stirring him into action.
Paradox got up, shook his head, and began running in the first direction he saw. It wasn't long, though, before the canopy above him exploded from a missile blast. Not wanting to run past open air, Paradox chose another direction, but another missile blast followed by an incendiary volley sent him diving for cover behind a large, old-looking tree trunk. The grass Where Paradox had been standing erupted into flames.
How did the drone ship even know where to shoot? How could it see Paradox through the canopy? The answer came to Paradox almost as soon as he asked the question. His earpiece. Kira had said it contained a positioning device. Paradox ripped it off, but before he threw it away he had a better idea. Paradox levitated it in the top of the tree he was hiding behind and then made a break for it. A few seconds later, the tree was utterly destroyed by a missile strike followed by a run of incendiary rounds.
Paradox kept running. Hopefully the destruction of his earpiece would convince Kira he was dead. If not, then at least Paradox could get as far as possible from his last known location.
No more gunfire broke the silence of the forest. After a few seconds of running the moon-fruit lit up again. Paradox didn't follow them, though. if they led him back to the dark village that might be the first place Kira would look for him. Maybe Paradox could go back to his shack in the desert? Nope; Kira knew he lived in the desert. He let her know as much the first time he'd met her. Granted, the desert was a big place, but from the air it wouldn't take too long to spot a lonely garden shack. It might take even less time to blow it up afterward. Paradox flinched; it hurt to think of his trees and berry bushes going up in flames.
The trees were quiet. Paradox stifled a yawn. The day was nearing it's end, and Paradox thought he probably shouldn't run much longer. To be safe, he decided to climp up into the upper branches of a tree, and once he was situated semi-comfortably, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep.