Years later...

Athea slipped down the hallway, her toy laser gun in hand.

Athea held the walkie-talkie to her mouth,

"Mullet, this is Blue, I repeat this is Blue, what's your status?"

The radio gave a weak hint of static before coming back to life.

"This is Mullet reporting in, signs of the North hall are clear, I repeat all clear. Why am I called Mullet again?"

Athea lifted the radio to her mouth again with a sigh, "Because I couldn't think of anything off the top of my head. And you have one, so... yea. Anyway, I am entering the main frame of the bridge, meet me down in the East sector ASAP."

"On my way."

"Give me two static clicks if you got eyes on the hostile, over."

"Roger."

Athea slipped the radio in one of the sacks on her belt, and kept the toy gun close to her face, finger ready on the trigger.

Athea tumbled across the floor, then stuck to the opposite wall, loading foam bullets into her gun.

Suddenly, a shuffling noise came down the hallway.

Athea quickly aimed her gun, but stopped when she heard the four clicks of her radio.

Kuro quickly jogged down the hallway, tumbling to the wall facing opposite of Athea.

"North and South halls are clear of any hostiles." Kuro whispered.

Athea nodded.

Using two of her fingers, she motioned move forward, and they both crept closer to the parting metal door, staying out of reach of the sensors.

Athea waved to get Kuro's attention.

"Climb through the air ducts to get to the bridge, we'll have a surprise ambush on my signal."

Kuro nodded before taking off the vent cover,

"Stay in contact." He said, retrieving his radio.

Athea nodded, and repositioned her gun, waiting for a response from the radio.

Their was a sort wave of static before Kuro's voice filled the space.

"I am positioned at the air duct opening, ready on your command."

"Wait five ticks before I give the signal."

"Roger."

Athea stuffed the radio back in the sack of her belt, and held firm on the toy gun.

She quietly stepped in reach of the sensors, making the metal doors part.

Athea quickly slipped in, sticking to the wall on her left.

Athea caught a glimpse of Kuro, hiding in the vent to her right, a bit high up on the wall.

She quietly pulled out her radio.

"No sign of anybody on the bridge. But their are footsteps, my six o'clock, sounds like a large male."

"Copy that. Preparing for ejection from vent on your signal."

Tightly clutching the gun, she held her breath when the metal doors parted, and someone walked through.

"Now! Move! Move! Move!"

Kuro kicked off the cover of the vent, and jumped down, tumbling before sticking to the wall, firing his foam bullets.

Athea tumbled behind the figure and shot three bullets to his head and back.

The figure whipped around, and grabbed Athea by her waist, holding her as if she weight nothing.

Athea pulled her radio to her mouth,

"I need back up! I repeat back up!"

Kuro sprinted over firing shots at the figures arm.

The figure whipped around, and grabbed Kuro by his waist as well.

They hung their for a moment or two, and Athea uselessly shot a foam bullet at the figures side.

Athea lazily lifted the radio to her mouth.

"Mission failure."

Kuro lifted the radio to his mouth as well,

"You can say that again."

The figure put each of them down, and Athea brushed off imaginary dust from her white shirt with blue sleeves.

Kuro dusted off his black and red shirt, but real dust came off him instead from the vent.

"Ya' know? It would be nice if you actually let us take you down, Uncle Shiro."

Shiro set his hands on his hips, looking down on both of them with a grin.

"Well, I will admit, you two are getting better."

Athea gave a cocky smile, latching her toy gun in one of the sacks in her belt pockets.

"Although, I do find it strange for eleven year olds to go through training drills, instead of doing countless other un-productive things."

Kuro shrugged.

"That's because were not normal." Athea replied winking at Shiro.

Shiro rolled his eyes, and continued walking through the bridge.

"I would call that an unfair fight actually. Because, you two have guns." Shiro called without turning around.

"But you have a mechanical arm!" Athea shouted throwing her arms in the air.

Shiro chuckled as he went through a different pair of metal doors.

"Let's see if theirs anything to eat in the kitchen."

Kuro said, motioning for her to follow.

They both continued chatting before arriving at the kitchen, Hunk making some sort of food in a large bowl.

"Hey Uncle Hunk." Kuro sat sitting on one of the bar stools near the counter.

Athea walked over to the food panel on the wall, retrieving two empty bowls, and filling them up with neon green goo.

After getting spoons, she gave a bowl to Kuro, and sat on the stool to the right of him.

"How was 'training'?" Hunk asked, stiring the light blue goo in the large bowl.

Kuro swallowed the food that was in his mouth.

"He counter attacked us five ticks into our ambush."

"Mmh Hmm." Athea replied, continuing eating her food.

"Bummer." Hunk replied taking a tray out of the oven.

Athea set down her empty bowl, overlapping her arms on the countertop.

"We know why Uncle Shiro is here, but why are you?" Athea asked, pointing her spoon at Hunk.

Hunk shrugged, "It was begining to get a little bored at the restaurant, and Lance said I was free to come here."

Athea glanced at Kuro, giving him the 'Do you believe him?' look, and Kuro just shrugged.

"Well, we are going to be outside planning a battle strategy for tomorrow." Athea hopped down from her bar stool, Kuro placing both empty bowls in the sink.

"Bye Uncle Hunk," Kuro said waving, then jogged to catch up with Athea.

As they made their way out the entrance doors, and continued talking as they walked through a Juniberey field.

"So, what are you doing tomorrow after our mission?" Kuro asked tucking his hands into his black jean pockets.

"I'm going to go see my Grandma and Grandpa McClain. We haven't visited in a while, so it will be nice to see them."

Kuro nodded as they made their way into the sun lit forest, arriving at a tall tree.

Kuro pulled out is gun, and shot a foam bullet at a high up placed target.

"Cool. Me and my family are going to visit the Balmera, because we need a new crystal for the Blade of Marmora base."

The target fell lower, attached to a rope, so it didn't fall.

A wooden later feel down, and Kuro and Athea began to climb up.

"But after, my Dad said we would go see a galaxy I've never seen before! He said their are more stars in the sky than anywhere here on Altea!"

"Wow..." Athea replied, lifting her head back, imagining all of the stars lighting up the sky.

When they both crawled inside their tree base, Athea pulled a few pieces of paper, and spread them across the floor.

"Well, let's get startled on battle plans."

Kuro nodded and pulled out a pencil from one of his belt sacks.

Neither of them noticed the sky slowly becoming darker, as they planned for tomorrow.