Tag Archives: Master Insula Fu

Sons of Sword: Tales of Glory – Lost and Found #029

Still sprinting, Metcalf had accepted her failure a few city blocks ago.  She would have to try to retrieve the microchip another day once things cooled down.  Infiltration would be more far difficult.  Master Fu loved to make her tests very realistic.

Metcalf would worry about getting back into the factory later.  Now it was time to rest and catch her breath.  She was far enough away to avoid problems.  The training-bots would probably have reset to their original positions by now.  She stopped running and settled for a good slow walk back to the extraction point.

Somewhere in this part of town, Master Fu waited in their techno-van.  Once Metcalf reached the point, Master Fu would probably drill her on focus and concentration techniques, again.  The review would continue until Metcalf finally got it right, then she would try to infiltrate the factory again.

The morning sky started to brighten slowly.  The Moss Hill business district looked rather nice in the morning hues.  In this smaller but well established city, there were fewer attention grabbing neon signs and more brick walls, painted concrete walls, and simple wooden banners.  The city looked rather plain on its own.  However, the slight reflection of the purple clouds and blue shaded sky had a simple charm as she looked down the street.

But, where was the van?

It had to be around here somewhere.  Metcalf had followed the main road the same road she used to get to the factory from the drop off point.  She was careful to check down all the streets since she was unfamiliar with this city.  As with most cities, the factory district streets were empty this time of day.  If there was a van down any of the streets, it was most likely Master Fu.

Finally having enough of searching, Metcalf looked up the van’s location on her handheld.  A hologram of the city appeared in the air above the metallic circle in her hand.  It was a bit harder to see outside, but she was certain that the van’s location was moving and was currently near the park.  Her escape vehicle was at the other side of town!

Pressing a few buttons on her handheld, Metcalf angrily called Master Fu, “Why are you by the park.”  Her voice was as calm as she could keep it.  However, she struggled to keep from yelling angrily.  Not only would that give away her position, it would be an outrageous breach of protocol and rank to speak that way to a Founder.

“Excuse me?  You never called for extraction,” was Master Fu’s response, “I’m not psychic.”

“Well I need it,” Metcalf turned her ear towards the factory’s commotion, “As fast as the bird dives.”

“I should get to you in a few minutes.”

She had already sprinted for a few minutes.  By now, Metcalf was a good distance away from the factory but could still see it through the buildings around her.  In her monocle, she magnified the sight of the factory to gather what had happened there within the last few minutes.

The factory security had become quite active.  Training-bots were leaving the warehouse in small attack squads with blasters and various melee weapons.  Other training-bots flew around searching the area in air bike patrols.  Apparently, they had already searched the factory’s immediate area.  They had fanned out and begun sweeping larger areas.  Master Fu must have really put a lot of thought into this test.

One of the sky patrols was dangerously close to Metcalf.  With a deep sigh she said, “I may not have that long.”

#1 – Lost and Found #28 – Lost and Found #30

Sons of Sword: Tales of Glory – Lost and Found #028

Moss Hills, Oakwood Factory:

“Focus.  Be ready for anything,” Insula Fu instructed from Metcalf’s earpiece.

Metcalf had no choice but to remain silent.  She was already doing what Master Fu had said.  She had so much to focus on simultaneously and keeping her shaky position on the wall was hard enough.  She preferred not to be reminded of the obvious.

After only two months of intense training, Metcalf’s abilities had greatly improved.  Her friends turned out to be wonderful teachers.  Their crunch-time classes combined with Master Fu’s early morning sessions taught Metcalf far more than she thought possible.  Though painstakingly well-constructed and realistic, Master Fu’s lessons were also unorthodox and challenging.  She never knew what she would have to do next.

This time, Metcalf found herself just outside an open fifteenth story window of a factory guarded by training-bots; the androids that trained with and sometimes defeated the highest level of students.  Her task required that she retrieve a secret microchip from a room in the factory.  Metcalf knew she was good at combat, but she didn’t consider herself good enough to take on a factory full of highly skilled fighting machines.  Instead, she used stealth and her motion energy skills to find and hopefully remove the chip without combat.

Metcalf found that the stealthiest body positions were rarely the most comfortable.  Currently, she was upside down looking into a large open window avoiding the nose shattering window sill and the annoying breeze an open window creates.  The only thing keeping her body pressed against the brick wall was her motion abilities.  It took a lot of concentration to pull off this trick especially with the wind outside.  Of course, the trick was impossible a few short months ago.  She was excited about her improvement but knew full well the safety risks.

Metcalf was masked and dressed completely in an indigo cloth outfit.  With a night seeing magnifying monocle over her right eye and a set of small mirrors, she searched the room hoping not to make too much noise.  She had to examine every inch of this room for something useful.  There had to be something in the room with information about the layout of the building or the location of the chip.  If she was really lucky, she could find microchip itself but that was pushing it.

These crucial moments of her sessions were the ones she dreaded the most.  Master Fu’s training methods were as bizarre as they were intense.

“What’s the square root of half of eighteen,” Master Fu shouted quickly into her microphone.  Master Fu could afford to yell; she was safe in a van half a town away.

“Ni… Uhh three,” Metcalf replied.

The answer was correct, but the sudden change in brain function broke Metcalf’s concentration just enough.  The distraction was all it took to end the mission.  She cursed as she slipped down the wall.  The mirrors she held so steady seconds ago fell to the floor.  She could climb back up to look into the window again but she needed her mirrors to search properly.  She would have to enter the room herself and find the mirrors before she started searching again.

Not willing to take the risk being caught and beaten while searching, she preferred to abort everything and come back another day.  Mirrors were cheap and could be found anywhere.  If that was all they had to go on, she was in the clear for now.

Metcalf continued sliding down the wall but started to control and slow her decent.  Finding a ledge on the wall, she leapt off the wall and used her crisho wings to guide herself and land on a roof across the street.  She heard the sirens in the factory start to sound.  By now she was far enough away to evade capture.  Still she kept running.

She wouldn’t be caught, but she would also have more problems when she tried again.  Next time, the guards would take more precautions to secure anything of value.  That’s what real people would do anyway.

#1 – Lost and Found #27 – Lost and Found #29

Sons of Sword: Tales of Glory – Lost and Found #25

Metcalf awoke from the perfect rest.  She roused, completely refreshed from the couch.  If she didn’t know better, she could have sworn the cushions were massaging her while she slept.  She opened her eyes and took in the room, a completely new room.

Where am I?

It took a while to remember the events of the early morning.  The room was completely remodeled; again.  But the windows and the walls themselves didn’t lie.  She was still in Master Fu’s large apartment.  She had slept soundly well into the day.

Nope.  I was right. She thought as the cushions started to massage her again tempting her to fall back to sleep.  She jumped up to resist them and turned to see a humanoid robot very familiar to those that the higher level students fought for training.  Instead of the standard brown, this one was polished silver and unscratched.

To her great surprise it spoke, “Greetings Student Luo.  I am Tile,” it said pointing to itself, “I have been given instructions by Master Fu on what to do after you wake up.  Have you awoken?”

“Yeah,” Metcalf said not sure of what to make of this machine.  Was it here this whole time?  That’s a little eerie.

“Most excellent,” it continued with the most emotion that its mechanical voice could muster, “It is currently thirty seven minutes past hour thirteen.  Your friends are most likely looking to train with you.  However, there are some videos the mistress has asked me to show you before you left.  She has classes and preparations and apologizes for her absence.”

Tile walked her over to an empty space in the apartment.  It seemed the whole room may have been remodeled to make this space.  It was quite large and everything else was slightly packed closer.

As they reached the center of the area, the room went dark as a holographic image showed a gruesome scene.  With all the blood, it took a while for Metcalf to realize what the image was.  She backed away in horror as she noted that it was a bloody box of chopped Chisho body parts.

At her horror, Tile began speaking, “Master Fu noted your interest in stealth combat and wanted you to see this,” it pointed at the recording.  Once Metcalf found the strength to look at it again, Tile continued, “This was Blaze Chiu.  He was assigned in Romneya to bring us information concerning their possible disloyalty to the Heir of Sword.

“Though technically our ally, they took him as a spy and therefore an enemy.  After he was caught, Glory City denied all knowledge of his existence.  He was also brave enough not to say anything about his affiliation with our nation during his questioning.”

Questioning?  That’s what you call that?

The image shifted to tall grass and a pair of boots with.  Blood coming from inside the boots suggested that there were still feet inside of them.

Once the image was clear, Tile began again, “This agent was caught infiltrating the data base in Pine Hills.  They learned that he worked for us and attempted to barter for his safe return.  After receiving no offer, they dropped him off and left him for the wild life,” Tile pointed to the image, “This is how we found him.”

After a few more images, Tile got to the point, “These were great agents with years on the field.  This is what happened when they failed their missions.  There are hundreds of agents still on the field that remain active each with very delicate assignments.

“We won’t be able to teach you all of their techniques.  However, after the way you met Master Fu this morning, she thought it necessary to encourage you to train with utmost sincerity.  You are quite the capable student.  However, there is a limit to what you can learn in six months.  As you train, please remember to train with all you heart and review what you learn often.  It could save you from fates such as these.”

“Thank you Tile,” Metcalf looked at the image.  Those were fates she hoped to avoid.

“Have a good day Student Luo,” Tile said with a bow.

Metcalf bowed back and politely left the apartment.

#1 – Lost and Found #24 – Lost and Found #26