Nighttime excitement pulsed through Noruma. Lanterns danced on poles, weaving soft circles of light across the dock, and half the village had gathered to celebrate Roy's "grand demonstration" of nuclear fire. Some were passing around wooden cups of tangy fish broth, while others hovered near a makeshift table heaped with fresh bread, grilled shrimp, and salted seaweed strips.
Auntie Hana, at the heart of it all, teased the younger folk about the day's events, reminding them to stay humble. A gentle breeze carried the tang of smoked fish to the edge of the cove, where Eryndra leaned against a post, arms crossed.
She listened to villagers retelling Roy's broadcast moment in hushed, reverent tones. They believed wholeheartedly that no one would dare challenge Noruma ever again. Eryndra wished that were true. Her gaze kept drifting in the moonlight, searching for anything unusual.
Then it happened. An alarm began wailing, a shrill cry slicing through the pleasant chatter. Eryndra stiffened, hair prickling at the back of her neck. In the distance, the battleship's floodlights flickered from white to pulsing red. Some villagers raised their cups mid-sip, freezing in confusion.
Eryndra pushed off the post, scanning the horizon. A faint glimmer rose above the Nightshatter, disappearing into the darkness like a ripple of heat haze. Adrenaline spiked in her veins. She did not wait to puzzle it out. She spun on her heel and sprinted straight for Roy, who had been in deep conversation with Maelara near the shore.
"Captain," she barked, voice tight with urgency. Before he could respond, she scooped him into her arms like he weighed nothing. "The ship's alarm. Something is off."
Roy's eyes flew wide. "Wait, hold on," he managed, but Eryndra did not slow. She bounded along the sandy edge, ignoring the scattered torches and confused shouts from onlookers. Warrex, who had been quietly standing with Takara and Lutrian a short distance away, sprang into motion. In one fluid move, he grabbed both Takara and Lutrian by their arms, shooting Eryndra a quick nod of understanding. They took off after her in a dead run.
Villagers parted in surprise, some calling out questions, but Eryndra and Warrex paid them no mind. They bolted onto the worn wooden pier, the planks rattling under their combined weight, and in an enormous leap they landed on the Nightshatter's deck. Roy let out a startled yelp when Eryndra's boots thumped down on the steel plating.
"Serenity, talk to me," Roy said the moment Eryndra set him down inside the corridor. His pulse hammered. The wailing alarm stung his ears, echoing along the metal walls.
Inside the bridge, lights blazed red. Rows of monitors scrolled with alert messages. Serenity's voice, normally so calm, held a muted tension. "We have an intruder alert, Captain. At least one infiltration team. They stole six items from the Compartment of Requests. Two of our Elite Presidroids, James Madison and Grover Cleveland model one, encountered them... neither survived. I am sorry."
Roy's heart sank. The battleship's corridors seldom felt claustrophobic, but at that instant, they seemed to press in on him. "Show me the feed," he forced out.
A video window flickered to life on the largest monitor in the bridge. It displayed a dim corridor deep in the Nightshatter's belly, where crates of leftover requests had been haphazardly stored. The footage stuttered, full of static as though jammed. Then, for only a split second, a human face flashed in the corner.
Serenity froze the frame and enhanced it. A half-blurred visage, twisted in a moment of aggression. A second later, the feed cut to black as James Madison's model fell out of view, some unseen blade or power cutting him down.
Roy's breath caught. "Greg Smith…" he muttered, pressing a hand to the console. "He's from my class, what's going on...."
Takara leaned in, eyes tracing the blurred features. "You can tell from that short glimpse?"
Roy gave a brittle laugh. "He always had that smug look. He'd pretend to stomp on me when Caliban's group ganged up on me, not wanting to dirty his pristine shoes. Called it mercy."
Warrex's posture tensed. He had come to respect Roy's quiet power, so the thought of people who once tormented him physically made Warrex's lip curl in disgust. "They killed our Presidroids... our friends," he growled.
Eryndra's fists clenched at her sides. "And they stole six items? That compartment is full of dangerous gear. If they got away with all that, it could be a real threat."
Roy exhaled, shoulders trembling slightly. "We see one face: Greg Smith. But, if Gregs dorky ass was here, Caliban certainly was as well, or new allies maybe. If they can jam our security, we're dealing with advanced methods. Possibly magic? The stealth suit only fits one."
"Roy," Serenity chimed in, "I'm currently speaking to Alejandro through a Presidroid we left in Otherrealm. He says Caliban and his crew, including Greg haven't been back for at least a week."
Roy's fear began affecting his vision but he quickly shook it off. "I see the stealth suit's case is missing. That armor-absorbing armor is also gone." He shook his head. "The Mini Auto Buffing Jewelry Station is as well."
At that, Lutrian frowned deeply. "What a mouthful."
Roy zoomed in on a couple of boxes and his heart sank. "The World's Sharpest Sword request... gone. Why live?"
Takara placed a hand on her bandaged arm. "They must have known exactly where to look. That means they studied the Nightshatter's layout, or else they had inside info from someone who's been on board."
Serenity's monitors flickered, rotating through angles of the corridor. "Doubtful, after carefully going over the footage, I can see crumbs for Roy's messy eating habits being disturbed all over the ship," Serenity said.
Roy turn over another box and sighed. "Don't blame me, Lincoln toasts the hell out of them so often I had to ban him from sandwich duty. I'd bite and stuff always flew around."
Serenity ignored him and continued on. "The intruders vanished from the deck after they got their prizes as if evaporating. All in all, they jammed multiple cameras. They overcame James Madison and Grover Cleveland with minimal noise. Then they escaped into the open sea."
Roy's jaw tightened. The death of James Madison and Grover Cleveland stung more than it should. They were droids, sure, but Roy had handpicked the names, and their personalities had almost fully formed. They were loyal guardians, and better friends. Another blow from his old classmates, some twisted cosmic joke.
Warrex inspected the feed, gaze dark. "I promise, next time they show themselves, it won't end quietly."
"Temper," Roy murmured, though part of him was grateful for Warrex's anger. "They're like an annoying mosquito you can't locate right now. Nothing we can do until we see it."
Eryndra glanced at Roy. "We can't let them roam free, especially not with dangerous gear."
Roy tapped the console. "Thankfully, it seems three of them only took the copy of their own request. Then, one took the sword, one took the Portable Super-Camp Site and the last took Analyze Everything Goggles. Damn."
Lutrian placed his hand on Roy's should to comfort him. "I swear to you, I will get your property back!"
Roy chuckled loudly. "You just want the sword."
Lutrian turned his head away in shame. "Well, yes, but that doesn't change anything!"
Roy dusted off his hand and started to exit the room. "Serenity, lock down the entire Compartment of Requests. No one enters without a Super Elite present. Not even me. We lost two droids. I don't want any more death." He paused. "Also, scan for any submersibles or suspicious craft near the ship."
From behind them, Maelara stepped forward. She wore a worried expression, arms folded protectively. "Roy, are you okay? What's going on?"
Roy forced a tight smile. "We had thieves on board. Classmates from my old world. They are gone now, but took items. Possibly they intend to come back. And they murdered two of my best droids. Wait... who said you could get on my boat!" He swallowed hard, turning to her.
"Teddy let me on," Maelara responded as she flexed her enormous pecs, "he said Roy needs his mom."
"That bastard!" Roy yelled.
"Anyway, he also mentioned that you were looking for me earlier, something about a Noruma District, what's up?" Maelara said.
Roy gave her insane physique a look over and cleared his throat. "Ah, well, we were thinking earlier, maybe we should relocate Noruma to Otherrealm. This whole Umbral nonsense just proves how easily someone might target you all, if they want to get to me. I… can't protect you properly here."
Her gaze flicked to Eryndra, Warrex, and Lutrian, each bristling with tension. "You want us to move to Otherrealm?"
Roy nodded, shoulders slumping. "I hate to displace you all, but I'd be sick if something happened to Noruma. With these scumbags running around, they might threaten you to force me into giving up more items or the battleship itself."
"Would we have full fishing rights?" Maelara asked, tone calm but laced with sorrow. "We rely on the sea."
Roy gave an earnest nod. "I'll set up transport lines so anyone wanting to fish can commute or come back for the seasons. Or we can build new fish farms or fishing areas in the lagoon near Otherrealm. We'll figure it out."
After flexing her biceps, Maelara let out a long sigh. "I will speak to everyone. Many have families, homes that they love. They might not want to uproot."
Roy's nodded quickly. "I understand. Just let them know the risk." He turned back to the console, pulling up the paused image of Greg's face. "One of them is a ghost from my old life. He might see your village as an easy target to hurt me. Wouldn't be the first time they did something like that."
Warrex clenched a fist, eyes flicking to Eryndra. "What do we do if they show up again? We did not even see them enter."
"We double patrols, and keep the Super Elite Presidroids in rotating shifts," Roy said, pressing fingers to his temple. "We have to be ready for intangible or invisible infiltration. I want motion sensors in every corridor."
Takara nodded. "I can help with the scanning arrays."
Roy gave her a grateful smile. "Yes, please. And Warrex, you and Lutrian can help Eryndra with physical sweeps. We'll pair you all with a Super Elite at all times."
Outside, the alarm subsided, replaced by a dull hush. Roy let out a shaky breath. The short but intense crisis hammered home how fragile their safety could be, even with nuclear warheads and unstoppable weapons. An old bully had slipped in and out, leaving dead droids behind, stealing from Roy's stash.