Triple Threat Alien Fighter Alpha Chapter 3 Master Mehtou assumed that the machine was quite dead. Of course, he had assumed that the alien he had so recently let die was dead long ago. So, he observed the metallic monstrosity for a minute before deciding that yes, it was quite finished. Since those that still lived were safe for the moment, he decided to take a tally of just who was still alive. "Are you alive, boy?" "Uhhnnn..." replied Roger, intelligently. "Ah, good. We have had one casualty. I do not wish more." "...ow..." Roger responded. "Not now, boy. I'm about to do some exposition. Listen well." Mehtou placed Roger in a convenient chair, and then took one himself. "I have studied this alien and its technology ever since it was trapped here by...the incident. I have learned much in that time. What do you notice about the creature, boy?" "..." "No, no. Not that. What else?" "..." "Yes! The tri-symmetry! You see, our furry friends greatest power comes from tri-symmetry. Usually that of its limbs, but sometimes, that of its people. When a great force of will is required, such as would be needed to control this attack drone, three of its kind can unite their minds to form the Triumvirate." "...flower of life..." "Stop babbling, boy! This is important! You see, the fact that the drone was unable to function without the help of the alien here proves that they could not do it alone. Which means that there are only two beings on that ship, for they would surely not have risked taxing this one's reserves if they could have avoided it." Roger was now semi-conscious. "'Zat mean we won?" "Hardly, boy! They have other weapons than this. The very ones you were trained to fight, in fact." *SMACK!* "We have precious little time to recover! You need to wake up now!" "I know you mean well, master," Conrad contributed, while cradling his head, "but I don't think blows to the head will help him come around." "Ung..." concurred Chuck. "Nonsense. This always works." *SMACK!* "C'mon, boy! Wake up!" "Ow! Quit hitting me, Master!" "See? Now, we have to get to the master's! Only Roger is there to protect him, and I cannot stand to lose another student!" "No," said a somewhat electronic voice. "You have business here." The three Earth warriors turned back towards the ship to see three almost human fighters, dressed in armor made of a plastic looking material, and wearing some sort of breathing apparatuses over their mouths. "N-nani?" replied Master Tatou, sagely. Well, maybe not so sagely. "Are you the aliens?" asked Chuck, intelligently. Well, maybe not so intelligently. "No. They're from Toledo." added Conrad, sarcastically. He really was being sarcastic. The middle creature, which I've arbitrarily proclaimed the leader, also had an answer. "We are the Tsukurimono. I am Ichiban." "I am Niban," added the one to the left. "I am Sanban," concluded the one on the right. Ichiban picked up his speech. "Our task is to protect and serve our masters. Your presence hinders our masters. Prepare to die." "At least they're not blenders from hell," Conrad offered. "The what?" Roger was now fully awake and following Master Mehtou to yet another recess of his secret, underground lab. "The Tsukurimono. Vicious, artificial beings bio-engineered by our alien friends to do battle for them. However, they are no longer the only race that posses this technology." Roger's jaw dropped. Not so much because of what he heard, but rather because of what he saw. The human fighters were good. Perhaps the best on Earth. But the Tsukurimono had so far been just a little better. The three jumped away from combat to regroup. "Damn, they're good!" observed Conrad. "They're what we've been training to fight..." realized Chuck. "Quite correct," answered Pou. "The master somehow foresaw such a challenge, and that is why you have been brought up as you were. It is our duty to defeat these alien fighters." "Then we're just gonna have to give them all we've got!" Chuck began to charge up. "And teach them not to mess with Earth!" Conrad assumed a practiced stance. Master Tatou merely nodded and pulled back his hands. The aliens practiced looking tough and unconcerned. "Tenmei No Fukakouryoku!" "Fushoukaze!" "Feel the power of Yasai-ryu! Imo-ha!" When the dust and debris kicked up by the triple assault of ki blasts settled, the aliens were still practicing looking tough and unconcerned. "Is that it? Shall we show you real power now?" "Shall I?" Six pairs of eyes looked toward the source of the voice, a young girl with a long braid of red hair down her back. Pretty though she was, mostly the observers noticed the large ball of energy she was forming in her right hand. "Panzer...Crash!" This caused a bit more dust and debris. When they cleared, the aliens were looking a bit singed and not so unconcerned. " We have decided to give you a bit longer to live," stated Ichiban before scrambling into the spaceship with his two underlings. "We shall return!" He added as the hatch slid shut and the ship retreated to a safe altitude. The girl leaped gracefully from the roof she had been occupying to a spot on the ground near Earth's exhausted warriors, joined by Roger. "Hey guys," he said. "Meet our new team member, Cherry. I guess you could say she's Master Mehtou's daughter." We won't be lacking a female lead while I'm a writer on this story! Now, try to pick out all the jokes! 'Til next I'm called upon, this is Dan Mastriani signing off.