103 does not know what to say, yet again he is confronted with something he absolutely no training and little experience in. The one thing he does know, however, is that his words must be chosen very carefully.
"Misty...I'm a Spartan. We don't get to have that kind of life. Some have tried...I've tried. It's just not possible,"103 becomes acutely aware of Misty's reluctance to look at him directly. Her body seems rigid, uncomfortable, and her voice is frequently shaky.
"You can't have a life of nothing but death, let me help you; let Persephone help....let someone help you..."103 sighs.
"I don't need help. Death is just a part of life; I'm perfectly comfortable with it,"Misty's stubborn nature begins to shine through, a little bit of that fire in her eyes glints through her embarrassment.
"You're a liar and you know it. They've made you into a killer since you were a child! You don't have to do this alone!"She pleads with him.
"The last person...the only person I let...help me as you say...she ended up dead on an alien world....needles through her heart. I'm not going there again. There's more important things to do,"He says calmly and slowly.
"But...I'm..I'm sorry,"Misty stutters.
"I don't want to talk about this anymore,"103 says curtly, he turns and leaves her there. He didn't want to think about Daisy or the possibility of going anywhere near a relationship again. He was a Spartan, and Spartans just couldn't have some things.
Meanwhile...
Tobias-017 observes the area around him. Halsey had told him help, and since he was a child he had trusted her with everything. A part of him had always known Drew didn't burn up in Reach's atmosphere, there was simply no way. After 103 had disappeared he had taken command of Echo Team, something he wasn't entirely prepared to do.
"Sir, you're the operator of this vessel-correct?"Tobias says respectfully to The Doctor, drawing his attention away from Clock.
"Yeah, that's me. Who are you lot again?"He says, eying the unfamiliar Spartans behind him. One Spartan was annoying enough, what with the rocket launchers in wardrobes and shotguns under the floorboards.
"I'm Tobias-017. This big fellow here is Roger-099,"Roger, even by Spartan standards, is massive. He stands taller than all of them and seems to give off a considerably bulkier impression.
"Nice to meet you,"The Doctor replies cautiously, his eyes moving upward to look the Spartan in the face.
"Ah! That accent! Someone's from Britain!Roger's voice clearly indicates a British descent. He had been born on New Britannia, a colony almost exclusively settled by people of the United Kingdom. He grasps The Doctor's hand eagerly and pulls him into a mighty embrace.
"Good man, good man!"The Doctor readjusts his glasses. Rookie chuckles a bit.
"And I'm Kate-007. I specialize in computer tech and vehicle operations. There's not a vehicle I can't fly...or hack,"Kate nods her head ever so slightly.
"Emily-040,"A Spartan clad in blue armor says from behind Tobias.
"Clark-090, nice to meet you,"The Spartan next to her says, wearing the CQB armor variant that 103 originally came to Clock in.
"Shinji-077, Sir. Anyone mind telling me where the heck we are?"Says the final Spartan, dressed in Recon armor. His voice clearly indicates he is of Asian descent. His armor is humorously adorned with a small logo of a smiley face winking on the right shoulder.
Lily wasn't sure what to make of what Flagg had just said, but she felt her mother tense up even more than she was already. "Mother you are squeezing me too hard. . . what does all that even mean?"
Lexi loosened her grip on her daughter some, but it took a little bit before she was able to speak. "He's the son of a fallen archangel."
Flagg smiled and pulled out a handheld communicator of some sort. "What do we have?"
"Camera's confirm the sudden growth of some kind of tree," Everett's voice returned over the com. "It tore a door open in room six of block B of section 230."
"Alright seal section 230 and all sections connected directly to it. Begin pumping herbicides through the ventilation systems of each of those sections."
There was a short silence over the com. "Right," Everett began. "But we do still have some people down there."
"And this matters why?" Flagg said sounding a bit annoyed.
More silence before the com crackled again. "Sections sealed. Beginning the herbicide saturation."
Flagg smiled. "Out of curiosity do we have any identification of the intruders?" He had a pretty good idea of who it was but still needed confirmation.
"Three intruders," Everett replied after another long pause. "Mai Tokiha and Nao Yuuki Zang are confirmed, but the third girl does not have an image in the threat database."
Lily looked up to her mother's face and saw a great deal of concern there. "They will win mother," she said softly. Lexi looked down to her daughter and managed a weak smile with a quick squeeze of the girl before returning her gaze to Flagg.
"The unidentified girl is wearing a plaid skirt and waist coat and has long green hair," Everett added.
"Right," Flagg began. "Look up Yuuka Kazami and apply a still image of the unknown girl to that file." He wasn't quite sure how the herbicides would affect the flower spirit, but it should be strong enough to impede the growth of her plants. "Do we have any high level assets in section 230?"
"Tomoe as been placed in isolation in block D of that section," Everett returned.
"Good, release her," Flagg ordered. "Oh and make sure to place some squads at the doors of any place they might be exiting."
"Of course," Everett said. "But I'm not sure Tomoe will do any good against them."
"You underestimate her power I think," Flagg returned. "But even by time she is defeated there is a good chance she will have weakened them or at the very least delayed them." He glanced at the flowers on the table in the room and produced his blade. A lick of flame extended from the tip of the weapon and incinerated the plants as one of the new symbols on the sword glowed briefly. "Also cut the power to the lights in section 230," he said almost as an after thought.
A half dozen people were standing in block D of section 230 and they were concerned over the sudden lock down. Then the lights went out and after a short delay the emergency lighting kicked in. An ominous clicking sound was heard by those that were near the room that Tomoe had been placed in. At this point the herbicides weren't even noticeable.
"I can't get out that way either," a man dressed in a Cobra uniform said as he jogged into the area from the hallway. "My I D card won't even work." He noticed everyone looking at the door to the former Valkyrie's room with a bit of fear in their eyes. "What's going on?"
As if by cue the door to Tomoe's room creaked open and the faint silhouette of the girl could be seen in the darkness as she stood up from a crouched position. Her eyes flared red.
"Oh TRIBBLE," the man in the Cobra uniform said just before green blood from the Romulan male to his left sprayed on his face. The cobra soldier screamed briefly as an intense pain emanated from his chest before he dropped. The other four men in the area met similar fates.
A night widow from Archnos looked around unable to track just where the attacks were coming from as the men died. She decided to try and get away in an attempt to get help, but Tomoe appeared in front of the woman. The vampire had an almost feral look in her eyes. Splatters of green and red blood could be seen on her tattered clothing though not a single drop of it was the former Valkyrie's. Tomoe quickly sunk her fangs into the woman's neck. After the initial shock it was an almost blissful sensation for the Night Widow as her life drained away.
103 does not know what to say, yet again he is confronted with something he absolutely no training and little experience in. The one thing he does know, however, is that his words must be chosen very carefully.
"Misty...I'm a Spartan. We don't get to have that kind of life. Some have tried...I've tried. It's just not possible,"103 becomes acutely aware of Misty's reluctance to look at him directly. Her body seems rigid, uncomfortable, and her voice is frequently shaky.
"You can't have a life of nothing but death, let me help you; let Persephone help....let someone help you..."103 sighs.
"I don't need help. Death is just a part of life; I'm perfectly comfortable with it,"Misty's stubborn nature begins to shine through, a little bit of that fire in her eyes glints through her embarrassment.
"You're a liar and you know it. They've made you into a killer since you were a child! You don't have to do this alone!"She pleads with him.
"The last person...the only person I let...help me as you say...she ended up dead on an alien world....needles through her heart. I'm not going there again. There's more important things to do,"He says calmly and slowly.
"But...I'm..I'm sorry,"Misty stutters.
"I don't want to talk about this anymore,"103 says curtly, he turns and leaves her there. He didn't want to think about Daisy or the possibility of going anywhere near a relationship again. He was a Spartan, and Spartans just couldn't have some things.
Misty turns to Persephone, "I honestly don't know how you do it. He's so dramatic." She puts on her game face and heads back to the rest of the group. Sure, she's frustrated that she was turned down. Rejection wasn't something she was used to. In fact, it never happened anymore. Misty had her pick of anyone. Perhaps that's why she was drawn to this strange soldier. Golduck pops out of his Pokeball, a habit he's had since before he evolved. He knew Misty was upset, even though she was doing a pretty good job of hiding it. She doesn't know he's following her.
She rejoins the group of everyone and groans at the sight of the other Spartans. "And now there's six more of them," she says to no one in particular.
"Duck?"
"Golduck! What are you doing? Get back in your Pokeball!"
Yuuka sniffed the air. "Hmm, herbicides. This will reduce the effectiveness of my plants in the open air. Looks like I will have to rely on you girls' strength for help. I am so glad you became my guardian, Nao." Yuuka smiled a genuinely friendly smile.
A metal door was knocked down as what remained of a dead and battered Night Widow were fired into the hallway.
"Oh, this looks fun," Nao said.
Tomoe emerged. A slasher smile plastered across her face.
"And I was right. This will be fun," Nao said.
Tomoe's sanity...what little she had...was broken by recent 'incidents'. She recklessly lunged at Nao. Planting her streamers into the walls next to her, Nao received Tomoe's mad rush. The green haired girl pushed Nao back. Then Nao retracted her streamers, catapulting Tomoe across the hallway where she dexterously recovered. She crouched into a feral lunging position.
Once again Tomoe charged. Nao this time ducked low, knocking the Valkyrie off balance with a kick before sending her into the ceiling with a punch. The cement shattered and a cascade of dust fell. Tomoe was not badly hurt however and she sank her hand into the cement. Using the handhold, she battered Nao with a pair of kicks, sending her back.
Tomoe dropped from the ceiling, materializing her scythe. Nao did likewise with her claws and the two met in a shower of sparks.
"So we will be forever, big sister. Fighting. You and I shall battle each other until the end of days," Tomoe said.
"I would much rather not. Beating you up all the time would get boring," Nao taunted.
Nao suddenly broke the parry and swept low with her left claw, slashing into Tomoe's abdomen.
"If I remember, I won the last fight..." Tomoe said.
"Something wasn't right about that. I sliced you into pieces," Nao said, "What Schwartz technology have you used?"
"Not Schwartz, something else," Tomoe teased.
"Tell me!" Nao ordered.
"Make me. Make me scream it out for you!" Tomoe said.
"Happy to," Nao said. She feinted a kick that turned into a body slam, sending the Otome and Valkyrie into the wall with a large crack.
With Tomoe stunned, Nao slammed her two streamers into Tomoe's shoulders, slicing through bone and muscle. One claw slammed into Tomoe's stomach with the other went to her neck, but didn't quite cut it.
"Now scream it for me!" Nao ordered.
"Mmmm, I knew you had it in you to play rough," Tomoe said.
"Tell me! Or so help me GOD I will cut your head off!" Nao shouted.
"Wouldn't do you any good, big sister," Tomoe teased, baring her teeth.
Something was wrong. Those weren't human teeth. The Otome process would harden a girl's teeth but they would still look human. Those were...fangs. Animalistic, feral, and inhuman. What had happened here? Was this some kind of Schwartz technology at play here?
"Wait. I know what you are," Mai said, "Dhampire. You are some kind of Dhampire."
"Well the one who turned me into one had a different name for it, but I am like the Zunian Dhampires. You should have studied your early colonization history better, big sister," Tomoe said.
"So let's just throw her in a lake and be done with her!" Mai said.
"I said 'like'. Throwing me in a lake won't do anything but make me mad," Tomoe said.
"Fine! In that case, Nao and Yuuka, get out of here. I'll finish her off," Mai said. Mai's hand slammed into Tomoe's neck, crushing her windpipe and securing her against the wall. Mai burst into flames. The temperature began rising rapidly in the hallway.
"I'm a Valkrie, you dumb Princess. I can withstand temperatures of up to 1000 degrees!" Tomoe said.
"Well I can generate heat up to 3500," Mai countered.
Nao grabbed Yuuka and fled the hallway. She found the door leading out of the defense block and used her claws to rip out the lock. The temperature was rising rapidly.
"Alright Mai, we're out!" Nao shouted as she slammed the door.
In the hall, Nao and Yuuka watched as the steel door began warping and deforming. Within a couple minutes, the door was effortlessly broken down by Mai. A smell of burned flesh, bone, and cement followed her.
"Tomoe?" Nao asked.
"Even the dust burned away," Mai said.
Tech Viper Sergeant Hopkins looked at the data readouts. "Sir! Sir! The temperature of sector 230 has gone through the roof! The sensors stopped functioning at 1000 degrees Celsius!"
"Something tells me we have lost sector 230," Flagg said, "Well, how many other sectors do we have?"
The Tech Viper punched some buttons. "Twenty two until they get here," he said.
"So...we have some time then..." he said.
"Yeah, this rate, maybe a few hours," the Tech Viper said.
"Good! Keep pumping in those herbicides," Flagg ordered.
"Fuuka, can you try to find Alexandra Bowyer? She is a friend of mine," Kimiko asked.
"Well, uhh, I can try Kimiko-chan," Fuuka said. The blue haired girl looked confused. "Uhhh, who is Alexandra Bowyer?"
"I'll show you!" Kimiko said.
The Bowyer house still stood beside the damaged dorm. Kimiko, Fuuka, Mitsuru, Yukari, and Gal'leath ran past. Koromaru and Ken followed behind.
"What happened here? And why is our dorm here?" Fuuka asked.
"Don't know. But this is the place we need to be at," Kimiko said at the door to the Bowyer house. The door was locked. "Drat. Where are Nao and Lily..." Kimiko asked.
"You need inside?" Gal'leath asked.
"I need to see a picture of the person to find them at the very least. Preferably see some other things of theirs to get a feel for them," Fuuka said.
((I am glad you are interested. Couple of things, first post up a little bio in our discussion thread and please please use proper grammar, spelling, capitalization, or something closely approximating it for ease of understanding))
This is my first post here and if you would kindly tell me like where i should start of because i know how hard it is to tell some one the story up to now but if you could just tell me where i need to start i will try my best,
thank you.
Flagg moved purposely down the hallway with Lexi and Lily in tow. "We will be making a quick stop before we move on to properly greet our recent guests," He said as they approached a door, which slid open when they were near it. A female Romulan stood near the control panel of the transporter in the room.
"Running again," Lexi commented.
"Oh no," Flagg returned simply. "But I am sending Lilith to a different location."
"I will not go," Lily said as she shook her head.
"Now, now remember what I said about what would happen to your mother if you weren't a good girl," Flagg said with a wicked smile. Everett stepped into the room from another door. "There's your escort now."
Lily looked over to her mother. Lexi stepped up next to her and hugged her daughter. "I do not want to leave you mother. . . not again."
Lexi sighed and squeezed Lily. "It'll be alright," she said trying to sound reassuring. Flagg needed them both after all. "Go on now. We won't be separated for long. . . I promise." She kissed her daughter on the forehead and then looked at Everett before releasing the girl.
"Come on then," Everett said to Lilith. He almost sounded remorseful.
Lily looked at Lexi as she walked reluctantly to the transport pad led by her hand by Everett. The Romulan operator worked the controls on the console and the the occupants were transported away.
"Lock the controls down to level one access," Flagg ordered the operator.
"Yes sir," the Romulan returned as she tapped a few buttons on the panel. "Locked down," she said. "Only you'll be able to operate this transporter."
Flagg looked to Lexi. "Let's go my dear," he said as he headed back to the hall. Lexi followed him with a sadness in her eyes. "When we confront your former lover and her friends keep in mind that Everett has orders to destroy Lilith if I don't report back to him within a few real hours."
Lexi's eyes widened. She ran up next to Flagg and grabbed him angrily by the arm. "You're lying," she yelled as tears started to form in her eyes. "You need us both. . . you said you needed us both."
"Oh, no I didn't lie," Flagg returned with a grin. "But I can just have another model commissioned, after all she is just a lab experiment. It would just be bother though, because it would take time for a new Lilith to be grown."
Lexi looked down at the floor as tears ran down her cheeks. "Damn you," she muttered, "Damn you."
Flagg grinned. "I am long past being damned my dear Alexandria."
Nao led the way down the hall. Here and there a soldier or orderly would appear. For the most part they were quickly and unremarkably disabled. The base was largely empty, either through evacuation, limited manpower, or the forces had not yet been moved in.
"Unfortunately Mister Flagg seems to be onto my flower jumping and flower vision. Pity," Yuuka said.
"Was good for one surprise," Nao said, "A man like that would have caught on eventually."
"Probably, but I was hoping for one or two more surprise attacks before he caught on," Yuuka said.
A soldier walked into the hall. Surprised by the three girls, Nao slammed his head against the wall. Not enough to kill him...probably...but enough to knock him out for a while. It felt good to have her strength back, thanks to this strange flower girl. Strange, but nice. She was wondering why she had ever doubted Yuuka Kazami as being anything except a nice person...
Mai was silent. She was watching Nao and Yuuka very closely. The more she saw the less she liked Yuuka. She was devious, scheming, callous with lives, and clearly delighted in pain. All things that Mai disliked. As soon as this was over, Mai would see that Nao helped this girl plant a few flowers and be done with her.
Kimiko huffed at the door. It was still locked. She didn't want to break in; that would be extremely rude. But she had made a promise to Nao...and Lexi, even though Lexi wasn't there to make the promise to it should count, to save Lexi from Flagg as soon as possible. For that they needed to know where she was. Fuuka could find her easy...probably...but she needed something with Lexi's 'essence' on it. A picture would help too. And that was behind the door. Kimiko wished she could will the door down.
"Want me to get it open?" Gal'leath asked as he activated his pulse carbine.
"No, breaking down a friend's door isn't nice," Kimiko said.
"Ah," Gal'leath said, deactivating the weapon.
"If you would like I will disable the locking mechanism," Aigis offered.
"Oh...I guess that's better then shooting the door down," Kimiko asked.
Aigis examined the lock and placed her hand against it. A low rhythmic vibration quietly shook the handle and lock. A click was heard. Aigis opened the door. The whole process took a little over a minute.
"One minute, seven seconds. It was a different lock then what I am used to so it took longer then normal parameters," Aigis said in her monotone voice.
"Neat!" Kimiko said, walking inside. A thought hit her. "Uhhh, Aigis, where did you learn to do that?"
"Mechanical knowledge is part of my standard operating system to assist in emergency field repairs and maintenance," Aigis said. She left out the part of sneaking into Kimiko's room at night after she went to sleep to keep watch over her. Even though she was a robot, over the past eight months she had developed something close to a personality.
"Oh, okay!" Kimiko said.
Inside the group looked around. Fuuka started taking her shoes off. "Oh, uhh, this house is western style so you can leave your shoes on Fuuka," Kimiko said, "Alexandra Bowyer is an American."
"Oh," Fuuka said, "That explains the style."
Kimiko quickly found a picture on the wall of Lexi. "Here she is. And everything in this house belonged to her. So, let's see what you can do Fuuka."
"Okay!" Fuuka said optimistically, "Lucia!" Fuuka fired her Evoker and Lucia formed around her.
Lucia looked around. This whole world was so strange, so different. Her powers were...greater here. She could see everything it seemed. In Iwatodai at their peak she could sense perhaps 20 kilometers on a good night. Here she could see for at least a hundred!
But this wasn't what was needed. She was searching for one person in a world of people. Lucia counted 73,215 human or near human souls and 3,117 other interesting creatures. It would have taken some time to sift through all the souls to find one particular one without the help of the pictures and the essence Fuuka and Lucia detected in the house.
Lucia was being pulled southward. Not far from the river was a large complex, buried in the ground. From her experience in the military bunker, Fuuka detected the martial intent of the builders. This base was alive however, instead of the tomb-like silence of the bunker outside of Iwatodai. This could be a good thing or a bad thing. It was probably the latter, given Kimiko-chan's description of Alexandra's predicament.
But inside there were 108 people. Several unconscious. A few things...not entirely human were there too. As were two persona users. Fuuka sensed the foul aura's of Jin and Takaya. They stood out in the sea of souls in the base. And there she was. There was this Alexandra Bowyer.
Lucia, or Saint Lucy as she was better known, was an early Saint of the Christian Church known for her love and compassion towards others. Lucia touched the girl allowing Fuuka to sense what the girl was feeling. It made her feel sorry for her. She was sad, angry, and a little afraid. It spurred her to move quickly to save this person she had never met.
"Kimiko-chan asked me to find Alexandra Bowyer. I think I found her," Fuuka had Lucia broadcast to her friends and those still back at the TARDIS. Lucia created a Three Dimensional Map of Clock in everyone's minds, highlighting their current positions and the base Lexi was being held in. "She appears to be located here in this military installation. I count 107 other souls inside, 14 of which are unconscious. If you give me a few minutes I can provide you all with a layout of the base."
Lucia cautiously poked Lexi's mind. "Are you Alexandra Bowyer?" she asked.
Well better get going, before they start throwing more rocks. Xemion said sadly
*xemion thrusts out his hands, a rift in space opens and Xemion jumps though*
What the... WHAT IS THAT! said Xemion
*Xemions eyes open, he jumps out of the bed*
Where am i? All i remember is jumping in to the rift then a flash then i woke up in a bed with a..... SCHOOL UNIFORM HOW DID THIS GET ON ME?!?!? said Xemion frightened
Wait my-my powers they don't work here. said Xemion
*Xemion lays back down in the bed and falls back asleep thinking its a dream*
When i wake up ill be back where but here. said Xemion frightened
Lucia cautiously poked Lexi's mind. "Are you Alexandra Bowyer?" she asked.[/I]
Lexi stopped for a second without really realizing it. Flagg raised an eyebrow before she started moving again. It had been quite some time since she last heard a voice in her head besides her own. Alexandria, she thought back.
Flagg stopped suddenly and put his arm across Lexi's chest to make her stop as well. He quickly turned to face her and she took a step back as a sudden wave of intimidation struck. He narrowed his vision as he peered into the Valkyrie's eyes. He tracked the subtle disturbance to something, but the real source was a girl that that something was acting on the behalf of and he knew that person from a different life.
A voice popped into Fuuka's mind, which was somehow familiar, but yet different. Did you really think you could have Lucia poke around in the head of someone that belongs to me without me knowing, girl? Flagg's face appeared in her mind, though it was constantly shifting. Some visages were human, others not so much, and some were even downright horrifying even for someone that has been to Tartarus. Lucia faded away suddenly as Fuuka's eyes glazed over some. Now kill your friends for me. The sorcerer didn't actually expect her to be able to do that, Fuuka wasn't really a fighter after all, but it would at least send a message.
Flagg turned away and continued down the hall. Lexi snapped out of a daze and looked around briefly with a slight bit of confusion before following him, completely unaware of what just happened. She didn't even remember hearing that other voice in her head.
((I've got one more post before Flagg and Lexi meet up with Nao and the others, but I wanted to get this one out real quick first.))
"Coordinates received, thank you kindly!"The Monitor chimes, not minding the intrusion into his own inner thoughts. The Protoss had desensitized him to such matters quite quickly back in the old days.
"So I take it we need to bail her out again?""103 says aloud.
"Naturally! A warrior of The Council is never left behind. Offensive protocols initiated!"The Monitor says triumphantly in his whimsically enchanting voice. The ground begins to rumble momentarily, then 103 realizes that it isn't an earthquake of some sort; It's coming from the sky.
"What the hell is going on?"Rookie shouts as the rumbling grows louder. 103's motion tracker begins going wild with unidentified blips.
"They are Sentinels in their true form; behold the army left by my makers! The Great Destroyer will be punished for his crimes!"As he finishes his statement a swarm of metallic creatures fly overhead, buzzing like a mass of insects.
"Our fleet shall join your assault!"Azral says proudly. In the distance, a gleaming fleet of Protoss Void Rays moves out.
Meanwhile...
A balding man wearing a simple uniform runs through Flagg's complex. Alert sounds are blaring in his eays; red lights are pounding in his retinas. He barrels around corner after corner, his breath ragged and out of time. Eventually he reaches Flagg, to be honest the man scared the living hell out of him. But he had to be warned, the intercom systems were malfunctioning.
"Sir..."Flagg says nothing, but motions for him to go away.
"Sir....we've got a problem, a big problem,"Flagg turns around, agitated.
"Really, Lieutenant? What is it now?"The Lieutenant catches his breath. He hasn't had to double time it since basic; he was a logistics guy after all.
"The radar...it's blotted out. Something's coming....it's huge, it's like a giant mass moving across the sky!"Flagg quickly moves over to the nearest terminal.
Instantly he begins laughing, slowly at first, and then louder and more hysterically.
"I don't believe it...I really don't believe it. They're back. I''m surprised...I'm actually surprised!"Says Flagg. It had been a long time since things ever took him by surprise, in any form. It felt good not to know every aspect of everything. The building suddenly shakes' the bombardment has begun.
Lucia recoiled in rage and horror at the essence of Chairman Ikutsuki, shielding herself and her mistress from the compulsions of the vile man. "It's him!" Fuuka gasped, falling to the ground.
"Who?" Mitsuru asked.
"The Chairman! Ikutsuki!" Fuuka said in a panic, "He has Alexandria Bowyer with him. He was right next to her!"
"Gal, get the word out. Flagg is there as well. And he has Lexi with him," Kimiko said.
Gal'leath clicked on his radio, "Flagg is there as well. He has Lexi with him. The hunt is on!" Gal'leath clicked his radio off. "I am off to render what aid I can. We cannot allow any enemies to escape that base! For Tau!"
"For Tau?" Yukari asked.
"Yeah. Gal'leath is an alien," Kimiko said.
"WHAT!" Yukari exclaimed. She had never seen him take his helmet off.
"He is an alien. Pretty nice guy though," Kimiko said.
"He was an alien and you didn't tell us!" Yukari said, still surprised.
"Well...it didn't seem important," Kimiko said, "How are you Fuuka?"
"I think I broke my connection in time," the blue haired girl said, "He was trying to get me to kill you."
"A killer Fuuka? That seems threatening," Yukari said with a friendly smile.
"Miss Yamagishi has a threat level of 3, her greatest threat being her cooking," Aigis said.
"Aigis-chan, that wasn't very nice," Fuuka said.
"Yamagishi, can you still provide support?" Mitsuru asked.
"I think I can," Fuuka said.
"Good. Because we have a hard fight ahead of us. Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad, prepare for battle!" Mitsuru announced, "It feels good to say that again!"
Flagg continued down the hall as the base shook some. Truth be told if he and Lexi left the base Nao's own allies might kill her for him. He wanted to make certain though and he wanted Lexi to see her former love destroyed before her eyes. Preferably by the Valkyrie's own hand, but he honestly wasn't sure how things would go and it was rather exciting. Would dear Alexandria choose Nao or the daughter she barely knows. He grinned broadly.
Lexi had moved ahead of the sorcerer a few steps as she looked around cautiously, while in her Valkyrie robe. She needed to make sure he was safe for Lily's sake. She didn't know what she was going to do once they made it to Nao and the others. She smelled something. It was easy to pick out the scent in the nearly empty halls of the base. "They're close," she whispered with a bit of sadness.
"Indeed," Flagg returned. "Remember your daughter's safety is linked to my own well being," not that he was particularly concerned over his survival. "And if you betray me I will not check in with Everett to save your daughter."
"I know," Lexi said sounding frustrated. "You don't have to remind me."
"Good," the sorcerer returned simply.
Lexi and Flagg rounded a corner and saw Yuuka, Mai and Nao at the far end. The sorcerer stepped up behind the Valkyrie and wrapped his left arm around her waist as he called his blade to his right hand. He smiled at Nao. "The sooner you understand that dear Alexandria belongs to me now the easier it will be on everyone," he called. "Much like Tomoe belongs to me."
Mai laughed a bit. "You know she's completely gone now right?"
Flagg grinned wickedly, which was never a good sign. He released Lexi and she stepped aside some as she called her glaive. He held out his left hand and Tomoe reformed a few feet in front of him as one of the graphical pins on his robe glowed subtly. The pin had a black background with the blood red two-fold tomoe symbol on it.
Tomoe looked around confused for a moment before spotting Nao again. She had that same feral look in her eyes.
"Dear Alexandria did an excellent job of breaking the girl don't you think," Flagg said as he continued to grin. Lexi looked down and away from Nao and Mai.
Outside the Base. . .
The Zerg swarmed from the nearby forest. The attack groups included scourge and Mutalisk squadrons.
((I don't know enough about Starcraft to really write anything about the Zerg, but I know they were on Flagg's list of recruits. It would make sense for him to have hives of them stashed around here and there.
What I do know about them I just gleaned from the Wiki entries.))
"Lexi doesn't belong to anyone you creep!" Nao shouted back, "And the sooner you realize that, the sooner...well I just put you out of my misery and end you. But if you give up now, I promise to make your death only long painful. As opposed to drawn out and even more painful."
When Tomoe appeared Nao sighed. "How many times will we have to kill her? It's like a bad joke or something that you won't let stay dead."
Yuuka laughed and stepped forward. "Now, now Mister Flagg, your little game is over I think. Do you feel that rumbling? That is an alien warfleet entering the atmosphere and dropping a volley of bombs upon your base. The swarm of monsters you have facing them will destroy a few, but they are not destroying as many as you hoped."
"So that is what those shockwaves are..." Mai said.
"The time of your doom is fast approaching. They have weapons in their arsenal that can destroy you. And there are a few who have plans of their own for you. I don't think even your powers of resurrection will avail you," Yuuka said, "Your fate is sealed, regardless of what happens now...unless of course you would surrender to me...and my Guardian..."
Flagg laughed. "You mean you actually conned Nao into becoming your lackey?"
"Conned? I was completely honest.Unlike you, I have always been concerned with the well-being of others," Yuuka said, acting offended.
"Yeah, right. Concerned with their well-beings. Maybe concerned they are still well," Flagg said.
"Oh you say the cruelest things," Yuuka said, in a fake huff.
"Let's say I would surrender, what are your terms?" Flagg asked.
"The two girls," Yuuka said, "Oh and you leaving Clock for one full cycle." That should be enough to have Brown finish the moirograph and have the two gain entry to the tower. And then...well after that the upstart could do what he wanted and it wouldn't matter.
Flagg laughed, "No chance."
"Oh well. I tried. Nao, you have my permission to make his death as prolonged and painful as you want. Start with the prostate. That should make things interesting," Yuuka said cheerfully, satting down on a seemingly invisible chair, and placing her parasol between her lags. If Nao needs help, I'll just fill the hallway with flower petals and then burn everything here to a smoldering ruin with my Twin Master Spark. She still remembered the night she had developed that technique. Every night the Gensokyo moon reminded her with the crater that covered 1/4 of it's surface.
"Mai, you get Tomoe. Lexi can feed off fire, so you won't do any good against her," Nao said quietly.
"Right," Mai answered.
"Lexi, you're stronger then him. You don't have to do what he says," Nao said, walking towards the three.
A small radio sits on the floor of the massive bunker complex, looking ancient already. Flakes of concrete fall from the ceilings like a newborn snow, gently they dance their way down until they fall on the Lieutenant's head. He's been unconscious for quite some time now; he'd been hit by falling debris. The radio at his feet still shouts and echoes the cries of others in the base.
"They're everywhere! They're coming from all sides! Wipe the memory banks; hold them off as long as you can!"The small box shouts from the floor.
Meanwhile...
A small horde of flying creatures descends upon the base. They are truly putrid creatures, modified from once docile animals into disgusting monstrosities of war. Flagg had chosen not to deploy the bulk of them that had been festering deep within the forest, their forces would prove invaluable in the real battle to come.
"Captain, we have inbound contacts...Zerg,"Says a tall Protoss from his station within the flagship carrier; a vessel designed to spew forth robotic fighters.
"Burn them into oblivion; Phoenix squadrons to the forefront!"The Captain commands. Squadrons of golden Protoss fighters lunge into the heart of the horde, beginning the battle. The main fleet largely ignores the Zerg however, focusing instead upon ousting Flagg from his headquarters. The shimmering silver Void Rays, fire focused beams of blue energy onto the complex, growing more powerful with each passing second. The base itself springs into action, launching a variety of missiles into the fleet. As the Protoss attack with increased vigor Sentinels pour over the base like a wave of locusts, using concentrated energy to wipe out all resistance.
103 watches from a distance. He had to admit, it was nice to be on the winning side of a ship engagement.
"We should get over there, this fleet might be able to prevent his escape this time,"The Monitor listens intently.
"Very hands-on! Protocol dictates we recover the lost comrade immediately. I will begin teleportation procedures at once!"103 begins to ask, but finds himself enveloped in a golden light. As it washes over him he feels a strange tingling sensation all over, coursing through his limbs. When the light fades they are all standing within the base complex, alerts and red lights are flashing everywhere. It appears to 103 that they are in some manner of brig or holding area. He raises his rifle.
"You didn't mention you could teleport us!"The Monitor laughs.
"I do apologize for my sudden use of teleportation, however protocol dictates decisive action. Let it not be said that I did not do my share of battle!"He says proudly.
"You're a talking light-bulb; you don't look combat ready...no offense"Rookie says, still eying the area around him for hostiles. The Monitor laughs heartily.
"Do not discount him for his size, that has been the mistake of many a foolish being!"Azral says, brandishing a pair of brilliant green blades attached to his forearms.
"Observe!"The Monitor shouts suddenly, his blue optical unit suddenly turning a bright, ferocious red. In a heartbeat a red beam the width of 103's torso issues forth angrily. By the time it is done it is revealed that The Monitor used it to create a shortcut through the entire complex. At the very far end the blast has opened a hole up into the hallway where Nao and Flagg are about to face off.
"Surprised to see me?"The Monitor says teasingly to Flagg.
"I told you not to discount him,"Azral says to Rookie telepathically, who merely nods in assent. The Monitor brazenly approaches Flagg.
"Well...isn't today just a wonderful ol' family reunion! Nice to see you Shadow, and Azral. Now tell me, how much of your universes must I burn for you to get the message to go away?"Flagg says scathingly.
"This much,"The Monitor blasts Flagg into the far wall with the beam from his eye. For a floating ball of metal, he seemed quite at home in any scenario.
"Give up, Dark One...we will hunt you until the end of creation itself. You will pay for every world you have burned, every plague you have unleashed, every life you have torn asunder, every emotion you have manipulated and every future you have crushed,"Azral says, his blades seem to glow with an unearthly hunger; they seem to demand to slice into Flagg.
((Before anyone teleports into the base courtesy of the Monitor.))
Lexi still couldn't really look directly at Nao. Things were a little simpler when she thought her love was gone. Not that she would want that again. The truth is Lexi knew she would probably lose it completely if Nao was lost to her again. But what about her daughter? "Lily has been sent away," Lexi explained. "And she is being guarded by a man that can kill her with daggers that would consume her soul," she glanced at Nao. "He will do just that if Flagg doesn't report in after a few hours. So I can't let him be defeated here."
"Yes," Flagg remarked. "She has been a bit disobedient lately and I thought some added. . . incentive, would be called for at this point. Of course this likely would not even be an issue if you had stayed dead, Nao," he considered things for a moment. "How was it you came back anyhow? it certainly wasn't through the fountain. I would have known."
As Nao approached Lexi noticed something different about her scent. It was a bit more flowery. The Valkyrie had never known the Pillar to wear perfume, well except on some special occasions, but certainly not to battle. She also just really noticed Nao was back in her robe again, though there was something subtly different about that as well. "How are you using your robe again," she asked her love.
The transporter beamed Everett and Lilith in front of a small rustic looking cabin in the middle of a dense evergreen forest. It was cold there and a couple inches of snow covered the ground and clung to the tree branches. Lily looked around in amazement, temporarily forgetting her troubles. "What is this," she asked as she bent down to grab a handful of snow, which quickly melted in her hand. "It is so cold and it changes to water when I touch it." She noticed her breath as she spoke. "My words look like smoke," she said as a smile crossed her lips.
Everett looked at the girl with a bit of surprise on his face. How could she not know what it is, he wondered. "You've never heard of snow before?"
"Snow," Lily repeated. "Precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals," she said as if reading from a dictionary. "I did not know it could be so beautiful."
Everett shook his head some. "Come on," he said tugging on Lilith's hand. "We have to get inside."
"But I want to stay in the snow," Lily said with a bit of disappointment.
"We can't," Everett returned with a concerned tone. "There are. . . things in this forest that could kill us both and Flagg would be cross if I let that happen to you." At least until I know whether the girl will be allowed to live or not, anyhow.
Lily looked around with a bit of wonder in her eyes. "What kind of things?" She couldn't smell or sense anything in particular, though the evergreens had a rather potent, but pleasant scent, which might be blocking much of any other smells that could be out there. "And where is this place?"
"Vicious, merciless things," Everett returned. He truly didn't know how else to describe them. "We are far from the City of Clock and you don't need to know more than that. Now come before they notice us out here," he was sounding more urgent with each word.
Something told Lily she should listen to the man. Without any more trouble she followed him and felt the presence of a powerful magical field as she stepped in. What she saw inside was unexpected. It was much bigger on the inside than what the exterior would lead one to believe. It was a plush and luxuriously decorated. The large front room had two grand staircases that lead to a second floor that, by the exterior appearance, shouldn't be there.
"Surprising isn't it?" Everett remarked. "Flagg and I are the only one's who know of this place. It is something he brought with him when he came here from what I understand." He probably shouldn't even be telling the girl this, he sighed.
"So this is his real home," Lily asked.
"I honestly don't know, but then I'm only allowed to go certain places in here," Everett said. "Barriers block me from going where I'm not supposed to, but even with that I once wandered around for a few hours without seeing the same hall or even needing to back track. I finally gave up and headed back the way I came."
Lily wandered around the front room while she touched a few of the beautiful decorations here and there. "So it is really big?"
"Yes," Everett said. "A pocket dimension perhaps." The girl didn't seem to be surprised by that phrase, but yet she had never seen snow. "Flagg has told me that even if the cabin exterior were to be destroyed while anyone was inside the front door would just exit to somewhere else, but that way inside this place would be sealed forever."
Lily nodded as though she understood completely, which she did. "So if this place is so big why does he not bring his followers here?"
Everett considered that for a moment. "I suppose this place has some special meaning to him and he wouldn't want just anyone coming here." He laughed a bit. "I guess us even being allowed in here should be considered some sort of honor or something."
Lily nodded. "Perhaps you are right."
"He told me he would bring your mother here eventually," Everett said.
Lily looked down to the floor at the mention of her mother. She was bothered that she had actually forgot about her mother's troubles for a moment. She hoped she was alright.
"Technically it's not her robe," Yuuka said, "Just thought she looked cool in it. The green reminds me of a flower stem, the yellow the petals, and that cute mess of red hair the stamens. As for her coming back, I'm rather curious myself."
"I took a shortcut," Nao said, "You said this guy will kill Lily in a couple hours unless you beat me? I'm not worried. If we can take Flagg down, we can save Lily, we stay one happy family."
"Awww," Yuuka said from the sidelines.
"Quiet, this is personal," Nao said to Yuuka.
"Very well, but if you need anything, Guardian, I am here," Yuuka said.
Nao looked back at Lexi. "So what do you say, Lexi? How about you and me rescue our little girl?"
"You forget one thing, girl," Flagg said, "Alexandria is mine."
"She is stronger then you, you deplorable beast," Nao said, "And I know she will fight back and she will win."
Gal'leath looked at the alien warfleet overhead. Tyranids were assaulting them. They looked to be holding their own but with the Tyranids looks could be deceiving.
"We need to get inside," Kimiko said, "There, a door."
Dodging volleys of fire, the party reached the door. Unsurprisingly, it was locked.
"Take it down!" Kimiko directed.
Gal'leath fired his pulse carbine at the handle. The pulse weapons favored by the Tau would have been considered light anti-tank weapons by most others. The handle, most of the door, and a good part of the frame were vaporized.
"Impressive," Mitsuru complemented.
"Oh man, I have GOT to get me one of those!" Junpei cheered.
"This isn't Tartarus, but this is potentially just as bad. Stay together, stay alert, and don't get killed," Kimiko said.
"Good advice, Arisato," Mitsuru said, "Come on!"
Two guards were making a panicked run for the door. Aigis took them both down in a brief spray of bullets. "Let us proceed," she said.
"Fuuka, find where Alexandria is," Kimiko said.
"I will," she said, concentrating. "That way."
Kimiko took point. She wanted to finish this man, this monster, this tyrant, this whatever he was once and for all. He had hurt too many people. Destroyed too many lives. And she had just the method to do it...
It was the velvet room. The usual piano piece was playing. It was ever present, without beginning, without end, and without origin. Theodore called it the 'Subete no Hito no Tamashii no Shi', or the 'Poem for Everyone's Soul'. It was sad and beautiful, sang of love and loss, bravery and defeat, fear and wonder, infinite potential and boundless regret. It was the music of the soul of mankind. Kimiko wondered how she had not noticed that until now. Perhaps she had, but now that the Fall was near, it seemed so much closer. In a way, she had always known what the gentle refrain was.
The date was January 30, 2010. It was the night before humanity would vanish from the universe. She had spent most of the night at the dorm with her friends. They had planned to have a party to raise their spirits before the coming battle, but none of them were in a festive mood. It was a solemn occasion, more akin to a wake then a before-game party. A funeral for humanity.
And so Kimiko had found her way to the Velvet Room. Igor was watching her with his bloodshot, beady eyes. Theodore was behind him as usual. He had served tea for both Igor and Kimiko as was his custom. For several minutes the three sat in silence.
Then Igor broke the quiet. "Never before have I seen one such as yourself."
Kimiko didn't know what to say to that.
"Many have come into the Velvet Room, but none with your kind of power," Igor said.
"Too bad it won't be enough to save the world," she said.
"You give up?" Igor asked.
"No. I'm going to fight Nyx. But...I don't see how we can win," Kimiko said.
"You should not focus on winning. You should instead think of what comes after you win," Igor advised.
Kimiko smiled, "You're right. I need hope to win. Nyx is a being of despair. With hope and love I can stop him."
Igor smiled. "Personas draw strength from your soul. Your soul draws strength from hope, love, happiness, and friendship. Nyx herself is an odd being. She is an entity of mercy and compassion. Her love for creation is without bounds. However, being what she is, she can only bring death and destruction. By bringing the peace of death to the troubled, she is showing her mercy."
"I never knew that. About Nyx," Kimiko said.
"I think you did. None know her better then you," Igor said.
"She was within me for ten years," Kimiko said.
"She still is within you, at least part of her is. She is held in check by Orpheus and she slumbers, but she is there nonetheless," Igor said, "She is a part of you. And now you are a part of her. I think you will do fine against her, tomorrow. Meanwhile Theodore, read to Miss Arisato the last persona of the Compendium."
"Yes, Master," Theodore said, opening the Book to the last page. "Nyx, the primordial Goddess of Death and the Night, was born from the Chaos of Creation. She will return to Earth one day, bringing with her the peace of eternal sleep." Theodore closed the book. "She has but one power: Descend. Calling it forth with bring Death Eternal to those it strikes. Only the power of love and hope can contain it, should you call it forth."
..."Left! This hallway here!" Fuuka commanded, "This hallway should lead straight to her." Fuuka said.
"Faster!" Kimiko said, urging SEES onward. Hold on Lexi, I will help you.
Lexi's faith in many things had been shaken recently and she wasn't sure about anything anymore. How could Lexi hope that they would be able to find Lily in time when they didn't even know where the girl was located. She looked at Nao, who seemed so confident and determined. How could Lexi fight Nao or even stand by while the Pillar fought anyone.
Lexi closed her eyes before she turned to Flagg and quickly snatched the two-fold tomoe pin from his chest. "Tomoe," she called. The vampire stepped back some as she let a bit of fear show on her face at the sound of Lexi calling her name. "I have your object of binding," Lexi continued. "When this is over I'll see to it that you rest, but for now you will help my friends and I." Tomoe wouldn't really have a choice of course.
"So you choose Nao over your daughter then," Flagg said with a bit of surprise. "You won't find Lilith on time."
Lexi tucked the pin away and moved next to Nao with her glaive pointed towards Flagg. "We will," she said simply.
Flagg stood up and brushed some dust from his robe. He seemed unfazed. "Now what fun would there be if I just gave up without a fight."
((I wasn't sure where else to go here so I decided to post it. Keep in mind when writing a fight with Flagg that he does have Zin'Shou bound in his sword and as such can manipulate Fire, Wind, Water, and Earth in addition to his usual tricks. He won't be able to use them on the same scale as Zin'Shou though.))
Yuuka clapped, "Well done. The princess has been saved and now we defeat the villain!" She stood up and pointed at Flagg with her parasol as if it were a sword. "I want to hear him scream. Just once though. We have a child to save."
"What I want to know, Kazami, is what is your plan?" Flagg asked.
"I have no idea what you mean," Yuuka answered.
We'll deal with Yuuka's plans after this, Nao thought, whatever they are. For now, we need to break Flagg and break him fast. Defeat, but not quite kill. Otherwise he would just reform himself.
Nao ducked low and shot her wires over Flagg's shoulder, hitting the ceiling behind him. Flagg barely had to dodge.
"Getting lazy, Zhang?" he taunted.
"No. Lining up my hit," Nao said. She pulled her wires back to her, ripping a block of the ceiling loosened by the bombardment free and reeling it back to her. Flagg turned and blasted the block apart with his sword while Nao slammed into him, knocking him into a wall.
"Cunning trick," Flagg said.
"Thanks," Nao said as she landed a punch across Flagg's face. This close he couldn't get a good angle with his longsword to swing it.
Nao kept up her barrage of punches. Most Otome tried to strike a balance between range, melee, and close melee. Nao didn't. Few Otome could hope to even match Nao's skill at close melee fighting and brawling. Even as a student Pearl Otome she had been able to defeat her combat instructor Maria Graceburt. Nao had still failed the assessment because she had been supposed to use the Otome Staff. But Kruger had awarded Nao enough points to make up it because she had never seen a student take down Graceburt.
Even not at her peak powers, Nao was a force to be reckoned with. Punches, kicks, knees, and shoulders slammed into Flagg, keeping him off balance and focused on hitting the soft spots on the body, such was the 'official' fighting style of the streets of Artaia. While it had no official name, most simply called it the Artaian Brawl. It didn't have a formal style, no named moves or techniques. Instead it was more of a concept of fighting. Knock your opponent off balance, keep them that way, and then pummel them into submission. Simple, brutal, and efficient. Modified by an Otome's strength and speed it became a crippling attack.
Nao delivered a kick that slammed Flagg to the floor. She was panting.
"What? How could I be panting?" she said.
Flagg chuckled. "It seems that that fake Robe your master gave you isn't quite as strong as your Otome Robe." He got up, bruised and battered, but still able to fight. "And your punches were weaker then I expected too. My turn."
Flagg swung his sword around, slashing the cement walls of the bunker and carving chunks out of them. These shards hung in the air for a moment before being propelled into Nao. She had tried to dodge, but the recent physical exertion and the loss of the superior speed offered by her Otome Robe meant that some did hit. Those that did ripped through her like bullets.
"Now to finish this," Flagg said, "And this time, no shortcuts." He swung his sword...
Tomoe leaped in front of the blade. The hit almost sliced her in half. She fell on Nao, knocking her away from Flagg's sword.
"Tomoe..." Nao asked in confusion.
"Big sister...I'm...sorry...I...just wanted...to be...strong...like you. You left...without me. You left...our country. I hoped that if...I became strong enough...you would notice me...you would come back for our country..." Tomoe gasped, "But now...I see what kind of monsters Flagg and Nagi were...you were right...Artai was wrong to do what it did..."
"How touching," Flagg said, "Why is it my servants are always so treasonous? Isn't fear a powerful enough motivator anymore? Burn her to ash." He drove his sword into Tomoe. Tomoe burst into flames, screaming as she did so. Within moments she was reduced to ashes.
"Oh my goodness! That was even more impressive then I thought! It was like she was made of paper soaked in kerosine!" Flagg said.
"Oh shut up you horrible imp," Nao said, trying to stand.
"Now that that interruption is over, back to where I was. Now I finish this, and no shortcuts back, understand!" Flagg said as he swung his sword.
Comments
"Misty...I'm a Spartan. We don't get to have that kind of life. Some have tried...I've tried. It's just not possible,"103 becomes acutely aware of Misty's reluctance to look at him directly. Her body seems rigid, uncomfortable, and her voice is frequently shaky.
"You can't have a life of nothing but death, let me help you; let Persephone help....let someone help you..."103 sighs.
"I don't need help. Death is just a part of life; I'm perfectly comfortable with it,"Misty's stubborn nature begins to shine through, a little bit of that fire in her eyes glints through her embarrassment.
"You're a liar and you know it. They've made you into a killer since you were a child! You don't have to do this alone!"She pleads with him.
"The last person...the only person I let...help me as you say...she ended up dead on an alien world....needles through her heart. I'm not going there again. There's more important things to do,"He says calmly and slowly.
"But...I'm..I'm sorry,"Misty stutters.
"I don't want to talk about this anymore,"103 says curtly, he turns and leaves her there. He didn't want to think about Daisy or the possibility of going anywhere near a relationship again. He was a Spartan, and Spartans just couldn't have some things.
Meanwhile...
Tobias-017 observes the area around him. Halsey had told him help, and since he was a child he had trusted her with everything. A part of him had always known Drew didn't burn up in Reach's atmosphere, there was simply no way. After 103 had disappeared he had taken command of Echo Team, something he wasn't entirely prepared to do.
"Sir, you're the operator of this vessel-correct?"Tobias says respectfully to The Doctor, drawing his attention away from Clock.
"Yeah, that's me. Who are you lot again?"He says, eying the unfamiliar Spartans behind him. One Spartan was annoying enough, what with the rocket launchers in wardrobes and shotguns under the floorboards.
"I'm Tobias-017. This big fellow here is Roger-099,"Roger, even by Spartan standards, is massive. He stands taller than all of them and seems to give off a considerably bulkier impression.
"Nice to meet you,"The Doctor replies cautiously, his eyes moving upward to look the Spartan in the face.
"Ah! That accent! Someone's from Britain!Roger's voice clearly indicates a British descent. He had been born on New Britannia, a colony almost exclusively settled by people of the United Kingdom. He grasps The Doctor's hand eagerly and pulls him into a mighty embrace.
"Good man, good man!"The Doctor readjusts his glasses. Rookie chuckles a bit.
"And I'm Kate-007. I specialize in computer tech and vehicle operations. There's not a vehicle I can't fly...or hack,"Kate nods her head ever so slightly.
"Emily-040,"A Spartan clad in blue armor says from behind Tobias.
"Clark-090, nice to meet you,"The Spartan next to her says, wearing the CQB armor variant that 103 originally came to Clock in.
"Shinji-077, Sir. Anyone mind telling me where the heck we are?"Says the final Spartan, dressed in Recon armor. His voice clearly indicates he is of Asian descent. His armor is humorously adorned with a small logo of a smiley face winking on the right shoulder.
Flagg raised an eyebrow.
Lexi smiled some. "They've come for Lily and me."
Flagg smiled and pulled out a handheld communicator of some sort. "What do we have?"
"Camera's confirm the sudden growth of some kind of tree," Everett's voice returned over the com. "It tore a door open in room six of block B of section 230."
"Alright seal section 230 and all sections connected directly to it. Begin pumping herbicides through the ventilation systems of each of those sections."
There was a short silence over the com. "Right," Everett began. "But we do still have some people down there."
"And this matters why?" Flagg said sounding a bit annoyed.
More silence before the com crackled again. "Sections sealed. Beginning the herbicide saturation."
Flagg smiled. "Out of curiosity do we have any identification of the intruders?" He had a pretty good idea of who it was but still needed confirmation.
"Three intruders," Everett replied after another long pause. "Mai Tokiha and Nao Yuuki Zang are confirmed, but the third girl does not have an image in the threat database."
Lily looked up to her mother's face and saw a great deal of concern there. "They will win mother," she said softly. Lexi looked down to her daughter and managed a weak smile with a quick squeeze of the girl before returning her gaze to Flagg.
"The unidentified girl is wearing a plaid skirt and waist coat and has long green hair," Everett added.
"Right," Flagg began. "Look up Yuuka Kazami and apply a still image of the unknown girl to that file." He wasn't quite sure how the herbicides would affect the flower spirit, but it should be strong enough to impede the growth of her plants. "Do we have any high level assets in section 230?"
"Tomoe as been placed in isolation in block D of that section," Everett returned.
"Good, release her," Flagg ordered. "Oh and make sure to place some squads at the doors of any place they might be exiting."
"Of course," Everett said. "But I'm not sure Tomoe will do any good against them."
"You underestimate her power I think," Flagg returned. "But even by time she is defeated there is a good chance she will have weakened them or at the very least delayed them." He glanced at the flowers on the table in the room and produced his blade. A lick of flame extended from the tip of the weapon and incinerated the plants as one of the new symbols on the sword glowed briefly. "Also cut the power to the lights in section 230," he said almost as an after thought.
A half dozen people were standing in block D of section 230 and they were concerned over the sudden lock down. Then the lights went out and after a short delay the emergency lighting kicked in. An ominous clicking sound was heard by those that were near the room that Tomoe had been placed in. At this point the herbicides weren't even noticeable.
"I can't get out that way either," a man dressed in a Cobra uniform said as he jogged into the area from the hallway. "My I D card won't even work." He noticed everyone looking at the door to the former Valkyrie's room with a bit of fear in their eyes. "What's going on?"
As if by cue the door to Tomoe's room creaked open and the faint silhouette of the girl could be seen in the darkness as she stood up from a crouched position. Her eyes flared red.
"Oh TRIBBLE," the man in the Cobra uniform said just before green blood from the Romulan male to his left sprayed on his face. The cobra soldier screamed briefly as an intense pain emanated from his chest before he dropped. The other four men in the area met similar fates.
A night widow from Archnos looked around unable to track just where the attacks were coming from as the men died. She decided to try and get away in an attempt to get help, but Tomoe appeared in front of the woman. The vampire had an almost feral look in her eyes. Splatters of green and red blood could be seen on her tattered clothing though not a single drop of it was the former Valkyrie's. Tomoe quickly sunk her fangs into the woman's neck. After the initial shock it was an almost blissful sensation for the Night Widow as her life drained away.
Misty turns to Persephone, "I honestly don't know how you do it. He's so dramatic." She puts on her game face and heads back to the rest of the group. Sure, she's frustrated that she was turned down. Rejection wasn't something she was used to. In fact, it never happened anymore. Misty had her pick of anyone. Perhaps that's why she was drawn to this strange soldier. Golduck pops out of his Pokeball, a habit he's had since before he evolved. He knew Misty was upset, even though she was doing a pretty good job of hiding it. She doesn't know he's following her.
She rejoins the group of everyone and groans at the sight of the other Spartans. "And now there's six more of them," she says to no one in particular.
"Duck?"
"Golduck! What are you doing? Get back in your Pokeball!"
A metal door was knocked down as what remained of a dead and battered Night Widow were fired into the hallway.
"Oh, this looks fun," Nao said.
Tomoe emerged. A slasher smile plastered across her face.
"And I was right. This will be fun," Nao said.
Tomoe's sanity...what little she had...was broken by recent 'incidents'. She recklessly lunged at Nao. Planting her streamers into the walls next to her, Nao received Tomoe's mad rush. The green haired girl pushed Nao back. Then Nao retracted her streamers, catapulting Tomoe across the hallway where she dexterously recovered. She crouched into a feral lunging position.
Once again Tomoe charged. Nao this time ducked low, knocking the Valkyrie off balance with a kick before sending her into the ceiling with a punch. The cement shattered and a cascade of dust fell. Tomoe was not badly hurt however and she sank her hand into the cement. Using the handhold, she battered Nao with a pair of kicks, sending her back.
Tomoe dropped from the ceiling, materializing her scythe. Nao did likewise with her claws and the two met in a shower of sparks.
"So we will be forever, big sister. Fighting. You and I shall battle each other until the end of days," Tomoe said.
"I would much rather not. Beating you up all the time would get boring," Nao taunted.
Nao suddenly broke the parry and swept low with her left claw, slashing into Tomoe's abdomen.
"If I remember, I won the last fight..." Tomoe said.
"Something wasn't right about that. I sliced you into pieces," Nao said, "What Schwartz technology have you used?"
"Not Schwartz, something else," Tomoe teased.
"Tell me!" Nao ordered.
"Make me. Make me scream it out for you!" Tomoe said.
"Happy to," Nao said. She feinted a kick that turned into a body slam, sending the Otome and Valkyrie into the wall with a large crack.
With Tomoe stunned, Nao slammed her two streamers into Tomoe's shoulders, slicing through bone and muscle. One claw slammed into Tomoe's stomach with the other went to her neck, but didn't quite cut it.
"Now scream it for me!" Nao ordered.
"Mmmm, I knew you had it in you to play rough," Tomoe said.
"Tell me! Or so help me GOD I will cut your head off!" Nao shouted.
"Wouldn't do you any good, big sister," Tomoe teased, baring her teeth.
Something was wrong. Those weren't human teeth. The Otome process would harden a girl's teeth but they would still look human. Those were...fangs. Animalistic, feral, and inhuman. What had happened here? Was this some kind of Schwartz technology at play here?
"Wait. I know what you are," Mai said, "Dhampire. You are some kind of Dhampire."
"Well the one who turned me into one had a different name for it, but I am like the Zunian Dhampires. You should have studied your early colonization history better, big sister," Tomoe said.
"So let's just throw her in a lake and be done with her!" Mai said.
"I said 'like'. Throwing me in a lake won't do anything but make me mad," Tomoe said.
"Fine! In that case, Nao and Yuuka, get out of here. I'll finish her off," Mai said. Mai's hand slammed into Tomoe's neck, crushing her windpipe and securing her against the wall. Mai burst into flames. The temperature began rising rapidly in the hallway.
"I'm a Valkrie, you dumb Princess. I can withstand temperatures of up to 1000 degrees!" Tomoe said.
"Well I can generate heat up to 3500," Mai countered.
Nao grabbed Yuuka and fled the hallway. She found the door leading out of the defense block and used her claws to rip out the lock. The temperature was rising rapidly.
"Alright Mai, we're out!" Nao shouted as she slammed the door.
In the hall, Nao and Yuuka watched as the steel door began warping and deforming. Within a couple minutes, the door was effortlessly broken down by Mai. A smell of burned flesh, bone, and cement followed her.
"Tomoe?" Nao asked.
"Even the dust burned away," Mai said.
Tech Viper Sergeant Hopkins looked at the data readouts. "Sir! Sir! The temperature of sector 230 has gone through the roof! The sensors stopped functioning at 1000 degrees Celsius!"
"Something tells me we have lost sector 230," Flagg said, "Well, how many other sectors do we have?"
The Tech Viper punched some buttons. "Twenty two until they get here," he said.
"So...we have some time then..." he said.
"Yeah, this rate, maybe a few hours," the Tech Viper said.
"Good! Keep pumping in those herbicides," Flagg ordered.
"Well, uhh, I can try Kimiko-chan," Fuuka said. The blue haired girl looked confused. "Uhhh, who is Alexandra Bowyer?"
"I'll show you!" Kimiko said.
The Bowyer house still stood beside the damaged dorm. Kimiko, Fuuka, Mitsuru, Yukari, and Gal'leath ran past. Koromaru and Ken followed behind.
"What happened here? And why is our dorm here?" Fuuka asked.
"Don't know. But this is the place we need to be at," Kimiko said at the door to the Bowyer house. The door was locked. "Drat. Where are Nao and Lily..." Kimiko asked.
"You need inside?" Gal'leath asked.
"I need to see a picture of the person to find them at the very least. Preferably see some other things of theirs to get a feel for them," Fuuka said.
"Well that would be inside," Gal'leath said.
xemion1111= rp for life!
((I am glad you are interested. Couple of things, first post up a little bio in our discussion thread and please please use proper grammar, spelling, capitalization, or something closely approximating it for ease of understanding))
thank you.
"Running again," Lexi commented.
"Oh no," Flagg returned simply. "But I am sending Lilith to a different location."
"I will not go," Lily said as she shook her head.
"Now, now remember what I said about what would happen to your mother if you weren't a good girl," Flagg said with a wicked smile. Everett stepped into the room from another door. "There's your escort now."
Lily looked over to her mother. Lexi stepped up next to her and hugged her daughter. "I do not want to leave you mother. . . not again."
Lexi sighed and squeezed Lily. "It'll be alright," she said trying to sound reassuring. Flagg needed them both after all. "Go on now. We won't be separated for long. . . I promise." She kissed her daughter on the forehead and then looked at Everett before releasing the girl.
"Come on then," Everett said to Lilith. He almost sounded remorseful.
Lily looked at Lexi as she walked reluctantly to the transport pad led by her hand by Everett. The Romulan operator worked the controls on the console and the the occupants were transported away.
"Lock the controls down to level one access," Flagg ordered the operator.
"Yes sir," the Romulan returned as she tapped a few buttons on the panel. "Locked down," she said. "Only you'll be able to operate this transporter."
Flagg looked to Lexi. "Let's go my dear," he said as he headed back to the hall. Lexi followed him with a sadness in her eyes. "When we confront your former lover and her friends keep in mind that Everett has orders to destroy Lilith if I don't report back to him within a few real hours."
Lexi's eyes widened. She ran up next to Flagg and grabbed him angrily by the arm. "You're lying," she yelled as tears started to form in her eyes. "You need us both. . . you said you needed us both."
"Oh, no I didn't lie," Flagg returned with a grin. "But I can just have another model commissioned, after all she is just a lab experiment. It would just be bother though, because it would take time for a new Lilith to be grown."
Lexi looked down at the floor as tears ran down her cheeks. "Damn you," she muttered, "Damn you."
Flagg grinned. "I am long past being damned my dear Alexandria."
"Unfortunately Mister Flagg seems to be onto my flower jumping and flower vision. Pity," Yuuka said.
"Was good for one surprise," Nao said, "A man like that would have caught on eventually."
"Probably, but I was hoping for one or two more surprise attacks before he caught on," Yuuka said.
A soldier walked into the hall. Surprised by the three girls, Nao slammed his head against the wall. Not enough to kill him...probably...but enough to knock him out for a while. It felt good to have her strength back, thanks to this strange flower girl. Strange, but nice. She was wondering why she had ever doubted Yuuka Kazami as being anything except a nice person...
Mai was silent. She was watching Nao and Yuuka very closely. The more she saw the less she liked Yuuka. She was devious, scheming, callous with lives, and clearly delighted in pain. All things that Mai disliked. As soon as this was over, Mai would see that Nao helped this girl plant a few flowers and be done with her.
"Want me to get it open?" Gal'leath asked as he activated his pulse carbine.
"No, breaking down a friend's door isn't nice," Kimiko said.
"Ah," Gal'leath said, deactivating the weapon.
"If you would like I will disable the locking mechanism," Aigis offered.
"Oh...I guess that's better then shooting the door down," Kimiko asked.
Aigis examined the lock and placed her hand against it. A low rhythmic vibration quietly shook the handle and lock. A click was heard. Aigis opened the door. The whole process took a little over a minute.
"One minute, seven seconds. It was a different lock then what I am used to so it took longer then normal parameters," Aigis said in her monotone voice.
"Neat!" Kimiko said, walking inside. A thought hit her. "Uhhh, Aigis, where did you learn to do that?"
"Mechanical knowledge is part of my standard operating system to assist in emergency field repairs and maintenance," Aigis said. She left out the part of sneaking into Kimiko's room at night after she went to sleep to keep watch over her. Even though she was a robot, over the past eight months she had developed something close to a personality.
"Oh, okay!" Kimiko said.
Inside the group looked around. Fuuka started taking her shoes off. "Oh, uhh, this house is western style so you can leave your shoes on Fuuka," Kimiko said, "Alexandra Bowyer is an American."
"Oh," Fuuka said, "That explains the style."
Kimiko quickly found a picture on the wall of Lexi. "Here she is. And everything in this house belonged to her. So, let's see what you can do Fuuka."
"Okay!" Fuuka said optimistically, "Lucia!" Fuuka fired her Evoker and Lucia formed around her.
Lucia looked around. This whole world was so strange, so different. Her powers were...greater here. She could see everything it seemed. In Iwatodai at their peak she could sense perhaps 20 kilometers on a good night. Here she could see for at least a hundred!
But this wasn't what was needed. She was searching for one person in a world of people. Lucia counted 73,215 human or near human souls and 3,117 other interesting creatures. It would have taken some time to sift through all the souls to find one particular one without the help of the pictures and the essence Fuuka and Lucia detected in the house.
Lucia was being pulled southward. Not far from the river was a large complex, buried in the ground. From her experience in the military bunker, Fuuka detected the martial intent of the builders. This base was alive however, instead of the tomb-like silence of the bunker outside of Iwatodai. This could be a good thing or a bad thing. It was probably the latter, given Kimiko-chan's description of Alexandra's predicament.
But inside there were 108 people. Several unconscious. A few things...not entirely human were there too. As were two persona users. Fuuka sensed the foul aura's of Jin and Takaya. They stood out in the sea of souls in the base. And there she was. There was this Alexandra Bowyer.
Lucia, or Saint Lucy as she was better known, was an early Saint of the Christian Church known for her love and compassion towards others. Lucia touched the girl allowing Fuuka to sense what the girl was feeling. It made her feel sorry for her. She was sad, angry, and a little afraid. It spurred her to move quickly to save this person she had never met.
"Kimiko-chan asked me to find Alexandra Bowyer. I think I found her," Fuuka had Lucia broadcast to her friends and those still back at the TARDIS. Lucia created a Three Dimensional Map of Clock in everyone's minds, highlighting their current positions and the base Lexi was being held in. "She appears to be located here in this military installation. I count 107 other souls inside, 14 of which are unconscious. If you give me a few minutes I can provide you all with a layout of the base."
Lucia cautiously poked Lexi's mind. "Are you Alexandra Bowyer?" she asked.
*xemion thrusts out his hands, a rift in space opens and Xemion jumps though*
What the... WHAT IS THAT! said Xemion
*Xemions eyes open, he jumps out of the bed*
Where am i? All i remember is jumping in to the rift then a flash then i woke up in a bed with a..... SCHOOL UNIFORM HOW DID THIS GET ON ME?!?!? said Xemion frightened
Wait my-my powers they don't work here. said Xemion
*Xemion lays back down in the bed and falls back asleep thinking its a dream*
When i wake up ill be back where but here. said Xemion frightened
Tell me if i did it right thank you:)
Lexi stopped for a second without really realizing it. Flagg raised an eyebrow before she started moving again. It had been quite some time since she last heard a voice in her head besides her own. Alexandria, she thought back.
Flagg stopped suddenly and put his arm across Lexi's chest to make her stop as well. He quickly turned to face her and she took a step back as a sudden wave of intimidation struck. He narrowed his vision as he peered into the Valkyrie's eyes. He tracked the subtle disturbance to something, but the real source was a girl that that something was acting on the behalf of and he knew that person from a different life.
A voice popped into Fuuka's mind, which was somehow familiar, but yet different. Did you really think you could have Lucia poke around in the head of someone that belongs to me without me knowing, girl? Flagg's face appeared in her mind, though it was constantly shifting. Some visages were human, others not so much, and some were even downright horrifying even for someone that has been to Tartarus. Lucia faded away suddenly as Fuuka's eyes glazed over some. Now kill your friends for me. The sorcerer didn't actually expect her to be able to do that, Fuuka wasn't really a fighter after all, but it would at least send a message.
Flagg turned away and continued down the hall. Lexi snapped out of a daze and looked around briefly with a slight bit of confusion before following him, completely unaware of what just happened. She didn't even remember hearing that other voice in her head.
((I've got one more post before Flagg and Lexi meet up with Nao and the others, but I wanted to get this one out real quick first.))
"So I take it we need to bail her out again?""103 says aloud.
"Naturally! A warrior of The Council is never left behind. Offensive protocols initiated!"The Monitor says triumphantly in his whimsically enchanting voice. The ground begins to rumble momentarily, then 103 realizes that it isn't an earthquake of some sort; It's coming from the sky.
"What the hell is going on?"Rookie shouts as the rumbling grows louder. 103's motion tracker begins going wild with unidentified blips.
"They are Sentinels in their true form; behold the army left by my makers! The Great Destroyer will be punished for his crimes!"As he finishes his statement a swarm of metallic creatures fly overhead, buzzing like a mass of insects.
"Our fleet shall join your assault!"Azral says proudly. In the distance, a gleaming fleet of Protoss Void Rays moves out.
Meanwhile...
A balding man wearing a simple uniform runs through Flagg's complex. Alert sounds are blaring in his eays; red lights are pounding in his retinas. He barrels around corner after corner, his breath ragged and out of time. Eventually he reaches Flagg, to be honest the man scared the living hell out of him. But he had to be warned, the intercom systems were malfunctioning.
"Sir..."Flagg says nothing, but motions for him to go away.
"Sir....we've got a problem, a big problem,"Flagg turns around, agitated.
"Really, Lieutenant? What is it now?"The Lieutenant catches his breath. He hasn't had to double time it since basic; he was a logistics guy after all.
"The radar...it's blotted out. Something's coming....it's huge, it's like a giant mass moving across the sky!"Flagg quickly moves over to the nearest terminal.
Instantly he begins laughing, slowly at first, and then louder and more hysterically.
"I don't believe it...I really don't believe it. They're back. I''m surprised...I'm actually surprised!"Says Flagg. It had been a long time since things ever took him by surprise, in any form. It felt good not to know every aspect of everything. The building suddenly shakes' the bombardment has begun.
"Who?" Mitsuru asked.
"The Chairman! Ikutsuki!" Fuuka said in a panic, "He has Alexandria Bowyer with him. He was right next to her!"
"Gal, get the word out. Flagg is there as well. And he has Lexi with him," Kimiko said.
Gal'leath clicked on his radio, "Flagg is there as well. He has Lexi with him. The hunt is on!" Gal'leath clicked his radio off. "I am off to render what aid I can. We cannot allow any enemies to escape that base! For Tau!"
"For Tau?" Yukari asked.
"Yeah. Gal'leath is an alien," Kimiko said.
"WHAT!" Yukari exclaimed. She had never seen him take his helmet off.
"He is an alien. Pretty nice guy though," Kimiko said.
"He was an alien and you didn't tell us!" Yukari said, still surprised.
"Well...it didn't seem important," Kimiko said, "How are you Fuuka?"
"I think I broke my connection in time," the blue haired girl said, "He was trying to get me to kill you."
"A killer Fuuka? That seems threatening," Yukari said with a friendly smile.
"Miss Yamagishi has a threat level of 3, her greatest threat being her cooking," Aigis said.
"Aigis-chan, that wasn't very nice," Fuuka said.
"Yamagishi, can you still provide support?" Mitsuru asked.
"I think I can," Fuuka said.
"Good. Because we have a hard fight ahead of us. Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad, prepare for battle!" Mitsuru announced, "It feels good to say that again!"
Lexi had moved ahead of the sorcerer a few steps as she looked around cautiously, while in her Valkyrie robe. She needed to make sure he was safe for Lily's sake. She didn't know what she was going to do once they made it to Nao and the others. She smelled something. It was easy to pick out the scent in the nearly empty halls of the base. "They're close," she whispered with a bit of sadness.
"Indeed," Flagg returned. "Remember your daughter's safety is linked to my own well being," not that he was particularly concerned over his survival. "And if you betray me I will not check in with Everett to save your daughter."
"I know," Lexi said sounding frustrated. "You don't have to remind me."
"Good," the sorcerer returned simply.
Lexi and Flagg rounded a corner and saw Yuuka, Mai and Nao at the far end. The sorcerer stepped up behind the Valkyrie and wrapped his left arm around her waist as he called his blade to his right hand. He smiled at Nao. "The sooner you understand that dear Alexandria belongs to me now the easier it will be on everyone," he called. "Much like Tomoe belongs to me."
Mai laughed a bit. "You know she's completely gone now right?"
Flagg grinned wickedly, which was never a good sign. He released Lexi and she stepped aside some as she called her glaive. He held out his left hand and Tomoe reformed a few feet in front of him as one of the graphical pins on his robe glowed subtly. The pin had a black background with the blood red two-fold tomoe symbol on it.
Tomoe looked around confused for a moment before spotting Nao again. She had that same feral look in her eyes.
"Dear Alexandria did an excellent job of breaking the girl don't you think," Flagg said as he continued to grin. Lexi looked down and away from Nao and Mai.
Outside the Base. . .
The Zerg swarmed from the nearby forest. The attack groups included scourge and Mutalisk squadrons.
((I don't know enough about Starcraft to really write anything about the Zerg, but I know they were on Flagg's list of recruits. It would make sense for him to have hives of them stashed around here and there.
What I do know about them I just gleaned from the Wiki entries.))
When Tomoe appeared Nao sighed. "How many times will we have to kill her? It's like a bad joke or something that you won't let stay dead."
Yuuka laughed and stepped forward. "Now, now Mister Flagg, your little game is over I think. Do you feel that rumbling? That is an alien warfleet entering the atmosphere and dropping a volley of bombs upon your base. The swarm of monsters you have facing them will destroy a few, but they are not destroying as many as you hoped."
"So that is what those shockwaves are..." Mai said.
"The time of your doom is fast approaching. They have weapons in their arsenal that can destroy you. And there are a few who have plans of their own for you. I don't think even your powers of resurrection will avail you," Yuuka said, "Your fate is sealed, regardless of what happens now...unless of course you would surrender to me...and my Guardian..."
Flagg laughed. "You mean you actually conned Nao into becoming your lackey?"
"Conned? I was completely honest.Unlike you, I have always been concerned with the well-being of others," Yuuka said, acting offended.
"Yeah, right. Concerned with their well-beings. Maybe concerned they are still well," Flagg said.
"Oh you say the cruelest things," Yuuka said, in a fake huff.
"Let's say I would surrender, what are your terms?" Flagg asked.
"The two girls," Yuuka said, "Oh and you leaving Clock for one full cycle." That should be enough to have Brown finish the moirograph and have the two gain entry to the tower. And then...well after that the upstart could do what he wanted and it wouldn't matter.
Flagg laughed, "No chance."
"Oh well. I tried. Nao, you have my permission to make his death as prolonged and painful as you want. Start with the prostate. That should make things interesting," Yuuka said cheerfully, satting down on a seemingly invisible chair, and placing her parasol between her lags. If Nao needs help, I'll just fill the hallway with flower petals and then burn everything here to a smoldering ruin with my Twin Master Spark. She still remembered the night she had developed that technique. Every night the Gensokyo moon reminded her with the crater that covered 1/4 of it's surface.
"Mai, you get Tomoe. Lexi can feed off fire, so you won't do any good against her," Nao said quietly.
"Right," Mai answered.
"Lexi, you're stronger then him. You don't have to do what he says," Nao said, walking towards the three.
"They're everywhere! They're coming from all sides! Wipe the memory banks; hold them off as long as you can!"The small box shouts from the floor.
Meanwhile...
A small horde of flying creatures descends upon the base. They are truly putrid creatures, modified from once docile animals into disgusting monstrosities of war. Flagg had chosen not to deploy the bulk of them that had been festering deep within the forest, their forces would prove invaluable in the real battle to come.
"Captain, we have inbound contacts...Zerg,"Says a tall Protoss from his station within the flagship carrier; a vessel designed to spew forth robotic fighters.
"Burn them into oblivion; Phoenix squadrons to the forefront!"The Captain commands. Squadrons of golden Protoss fighters lunge into the heart of the horde, beginning the battle. The main fleet largely ignores the Zerg however, focusing instead upon ousting Flagg from his headquarters. The shimmering silver Void Rays, fire focused beams of blue energy onto the complex, growing more powerful with each passing second. The base itself springs into action, launching a variety of missiles into the fleet. As the Protoss attack with increased vigor Sentinels pour over the base like a wave of locusts, using concentrated energy to wipe out all resistance.
103 watches from a distance. He had to admit, it was nice to be on the winning side of a ship engagement.
"We should get over there, this fleet might be able to prevent his escape this time,"The Monitor listens intently.
"Very hands-on! Protocol dictates we recover the lost comrade immediately. I will begin teleportation procedures at once!"103 begins to ask, but finds himself enveloped in a golden light. As it washes over him he feels a strange tingling sensation all over, coursing through his limbs. When the light fades they are all standing within the base complex, alerts and red lights are flashing everywhere. It appears to 103 that they are in some manner of brig or holding area. He raises his rifle.
"You didn't mention you could teleport us!"The Monitor laughs.
"I do apologize for my sudden use of teleportation, however protocol dictates decisive action. Let it not be said that I did not do my share of battle!"He says proudly.
"You're a talking light-bulb; you don't look combat ready...no offense"Rookie says, still eying the area around him for hostiles. The Monitor laughs heartily.
"Do not discount him for his size, that has been the mistake of many a foolish being!"Azral says, brandishing a pair of brilliant green blades attached to his forearms.
"Observe!"The Monitor shouts suddenly, his blue optical unit suddenly turning a bright, ferocious red. In a heartbeat a red beam the width of 103's torso issues forth angrily. By the time it is done it is revealed that The Monitor used it to create a shortcut through the entire complex. At the very far end the blast has opened a hole up into the hallway where Nao and Flagg are about to face off.
"Surprised to see me?"The Monitor says teasingly to Flagg.
"I told you not to discount him,"Azral says to Rookie telepathically, who merely nods in assent. The Monitor brazenly approaches Flagg.
"Well...isn't today just a wonderful ol' family reunion! Nice to see you Shadow, and Azral. Now tell me, how much of your universes must I burn for you to get the message to go away?"Flagg says scathingly.
"This much,"The Monitor blasts Flagg into the far wall with the beam from his eye. For a floating ball of metal, he seemed quite at home in any scenario.
"Give up, Dark One...we will hunt you until the end of creation itself. You will pay for every world you have burned, every plague you have unleashed, every life you have torn asunder, every emotion you have manipulated and every future you have crushed,"Azral says, his blades seem to glow with an unearthly hunger; they seem to demand to slice into Flagg.
Hmm i wounder what if i? said xemion pondering
*xemion puts his hands on door*
Wierd its like this door is sold when i look at it but when i try and use my powers its like huh whats this? Ahhhhhh screamed Xemion
*he falls thourgh the door and lands face first right in front of Ravenstein*
Oh my nose and who are you? And why am i here? asked Xemion
Lexi still couldn't really look directly at Nao. Things were a little simpler when she thought her love was gone. Not that she would want that again. The truth is Lexi knew she would probably lose it completely if Nao was lost to her again. But what about her daughter? "Lily has been sent away," Lexi explained. "And she is being guarded by a man that can kill her with daggers that would consume her soul," she glanced at Nao. "He will do just that if Flagg doesn't report in after a few hours. So I can't let him be defeated here."
"Yes," Flagg remarked. "She has been a bit disobedient lately and I thought some added. . . incentive, would be called for at this point. Of course this likely would not even be an issue if you had stayed dead, Nao," he considered things for a moment. "How was it you came back anyhow? it certainly wasn't through the fountain. I would have known."
As Nao approached Lexi noticed something different about her scent. It was a bit more flowery. The Valkyrie had never known the Pillar to wear perfume, well except on some special occasions, but certainly not to battle. She also just really noticed Nao was back in her robe again, though there was something subtly different about that as well. "How are you using your robe again," she asked her love.
Everett looked at the girl with a bit of surprise on his face. How could she not know what it is, he wondered. "You've never heard of snow before?"
"Snow," Lily repeated. "Precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals," she said as if reading from a dictionary. "I did not know it could be so beautiful."
Everett shook his head some. "Come on," he said tugging on Lilith's hand. "We have to get inside."
"But I want to stay in the snow," Lily said with a bit of disappointment.
"We can't," Everett returned with a concerned tone. "There are. . . things in this forest that could kill us both and Flagg would be cross if I let that happen to you." At least until I know whether the girl will be allowed to live or not, anyhow.
Lily looked around with a bit of wonder in her eyes. "What kind of things?" She couldn't smell or sense anything in particular, though the evergreens had a rather potent, but pleasant scent, which might be blocking much of any other smells that could be out there. "And where is this place?"
"Vicious, merciless things," Everett returned. He truly didn't know how else to describe them. "We are far from the City of Clock and you don't need to know more than that. Now come before they notice us out here," he was sounding more urgent with each word.
Something told Lily she should listen to the man. Without any more trouble she followed him and felt the presence of a powerful magical field as she stepped in. What she saw inside was unexpected. It was much bigger on the inside than what the exterior would lead one to believe. It was a plush and luxuriously decorated. The large front room had two grand staircases that lead to a second floor that, by the exterior appearance, shouldn't be there.
"Surprising isn't it?" Everett remarked. "Flagg and I are the only one's who know of this place. It is something he brought with him when he came here from what I understand." He probably shouldn't even be telling the girl this, he sighed.
"So this is his real home," Lily asked.
"I honestly don't know, but then I'm only allowed to go certain places in here," Everett said. "Barriers block me from going where I'm not supposed to, but even with that I once wandered around for a few hours without seeing the same hall or even needing to back track. I finally gave up and headed back the way I came."
Lily wandered around the front room while she touched a few of the beautiful decorations here and there. "So it is really big?"
"Yes," Everett said. "A pocket dimension perhaps." The girl didn't seem to be surprised by that phrase, but yet she had never seen snow. "Flagg has told me that even if the cabin exterior were to be destroyed while anyone was inside the front door would just exit to somewhere else, but that way inside this place would be sealed forever."
Lily nodded as though she understood completely, which she did. "So if this place is so big why does he not bring his followers here?"
Everett considered that for a moment. "I suppose this place has some special meaning to him and he wouldn't want just anyone coming here." He laughed a bit. "I guess us even being allowed in here should be considered some sort of honor or something."
Lily nodded. "Perhaps you are right."
"He told me he would bring your mother here eventually," Everett said.
Lily looked down to the floor at the mention of her mother. She was bothered that she had actually forgot about her mother's troubles for a moment. She hoped she was alright.
"I took a shortcut," Nao said, "You said this guy will kill Lily in a couple hours unless you beat me? I'm not worried. If we can take Flagg down, we can save Lily, we stay one happy family."
"Awww," Yuuka said from the sidelines.
"Quiet, this is personal," Nao said to Yuuka.
"Very well, but if you need anything, Guardian, I am here," Yuuka said.
Nao looked back at Lexi. "So what do you say, Lexi? How about you and me rescue our little girl?"
"You forget one thing, girl," Flagg said, "Alexandria is mine."
"She is stronger then you, you deplorable beast," Nao said, "And I know she will fight back and she will win."
Gal'leath looked at the alien warfleet overhead. Tyranids were assaulting them. They looked to be holding their own but with the Tyranids looks could be deceiving.
"We need to get inside," Kimiko said, "There, a door."
Dodging volleys of fire, the party reached the door. Unsurprisingly, it was locked.
"Take it down!" Kimiko directed.
Gal'leath fired his pulse carbine at the handle. The pulse weapons favored by the Tau would have been considered light anti-tank weapons by most others. The handle, most of the door, and a good part of the frame were vaporized.
"Impressive," Mitsuru complemented.
"Oh man, I have GOT to get me one of those!" Junpei cheered.
"This isn't Tartarus, but this is potentially just as bad. Stay together, stay alert, and don't get killed," Kimiko said.
"Good advice, Arisato," Mitsuru said, "Come on!"
Two guards were making a panicked run for the door. Aigis took them both down in a brief spray of bullets. "Let us proceed," she said.
"Fuuka, find where Alexandria is," Kimiko said.
"I will," she said, concentrating. "That way."
Kimiko took point. She wanted to finish this man, this monster, this tyrant, this whatever he was once and for all. He had hurt too many people. Destroyed too many lives. And she had just the method to do it...
It was the velvet room. The usual piano piece was playing. It was ever present, without beginning, without end, and without origin. Theodore called it the 'Subete no Hito no Tamashii no Shi', or the 'Poem for Everyone's Soul'. It was sad and beautiful, sang of love and loss, bravery and defeat, fear and wonder, infinite potential and boundless regret. It was the music of the soul of mankind. Kimiko wondered how she had not noticed that until now. Perhaps she had, but now that the Fall was near, it seemed so much closer. In a way, she had always known what the gentle refrain was.
The date was January 30, 2010. It was the night before humanity would vanish from the universe. She had spent most of the night at the dorm with her friends. They had planned to have a party to raise their spirits before the coming battle, but none of them were in a festive mood. It was a solemn occasion, more akin to a wake then a before-game party. A funeral for humanity.
And so Kimiko had found her way to the Velvet Room. Igor was watching her with his bloodshot, beady eyes. Theodore was behind him as usual. He had served tea for both Igor and Kimiko as was his custom. For several minutes the three sat in silence.
Then Igor broke the quiet. "Never before have I seen one such as yourself."
Kimiko didn't know what to say to that.
"Many have come into the Velvet Room, but none with your kind of power," Igor said.
"Too bad it won't be enough to save the world," she said.
"You give up?" Igor asked.
"No. I'm going to fight Nyx. But...I don't see how we can win," Kimiko said.
"You should not focus on winning. You should instead think of what comes after you win," Igor advised.
Kimiko smiled, "You're right. I need hope to win. Nyx is a being of despair. With hope and love I can stop him."
Igor smiled. "Personas draw strength from your soul. Your soul draws strength from hope, love, happiness, and friendship. Nyx herself is an odd being. She is an entity of mercy and compassion. Her love for creation is without bounds. However, being what she is, she can only bring death and destruction. By bringing the peace of death to the troubled, she is showing her mercy."
"I never knew that. About Nyx," Kimiko said.
"I think you did. None know her better then you," Igor said.
"She was within me for ten years," Kimiko said.
"She still is within you, at least part of her is. She is held in check by Orpheus and she slumbers, but she is there nonetheless," Igor said, "She is a part of you. And now you are a part of her. I think you will do fine against her, tomorrow. Meanwhile Theodore, read to Miss Arisato the last persona of the Compendium."
"Yes, Master," Theodore said, opening the Book to the last page. "Nyx, the primordial Goddess of Death and the Night, was born from the Chaos of Creation. She will return to Earth one day, bringing with her the peace of eternal sleep." Theodore closed the book. "She has but one power: Descend. Calling it forth with bring Death Eternal to those it strikes. Only the power of love and hope can contain it, should you call it forth."
..."Left! This hallway here!" Fuuka commanded, "This hallway should lead straight to her." Fuuka said.
"Faster!" Kimiko said, urging SEES onward. Hold on Lexi, I will help you.
Oh god that door was a portal in it self and who are you? asked Xemion
* standing in front of rav*
((Which character?))
Lexi closed her eyes before she turned to Flagg and quickly snatched the two-fold tomoe pin from his chest. "Tomoe," she called. The vampire stepped back some as she let a bit of fear show on her face at the sound of Lexi calling her name. "I have your object of binding," Lexi continued. "When this is over I'll see to it that you rest, but for now you will help my friends and I." Tomoe wouldn't really have a choice of course.
"So you choose Nao over your daughter then," Flagg said with a bit of surprise. "You won't find Lilith on time."
Lexi tucked the pin away and moved next to Nao with her glaive pointed towards Flagg. "We will," she said simply.
Flagg stood up and brushed some dust from his robe. He seemed unfazed. "Now what fun would there be if I just gave up without a fight."
((I wasn't sure where else to go here so I decided to post it. Keep in mind when writing a fight with Flagg that he does have Zin'Shou bound in his sword and as such can manipulate Fire, Wind, Water, and Earth in addition to his usual tricks. He won't be able to use them on the same scale as Zin'Shou though.))
((She might've meant which of her charcters.))
"What I want to know, Kazami, is what is your plan?" Flagg asked.
"I have no idea what you mean," Yuuka answered.
We'll deal with Yuuka's plans after this, Nao thought, whatever they are. For now, we need to break Flagg and break him fast. Defeat, but not quite kill. Otherwise he would just reform himself.
Nao ducked low and shot her wires over Flagg's shoulder, hitting the ceiling behind him. Flagg barely had to dodge.
"Getting lazy, Zhang?" he taunted.
"No. Lining up my hit," Nao said. She pulled her wires back to her, ripping a block of the ceiling loosened by the bombardment free and reeling it back to her. Flagg turned and blasted the block apart with his sword while Nao slammed into him, knocking him into a wall.
"Cunning trick," Flagg said.
"Thanks," Nao said as she landed a punch across Flagg's face. This close he couldn't get a good angle with his longsword to swing it.
Nao kept up her barrage of punches. Most Otome tried to strike a balance between range, melee, and close melee. Nao didn't. Few Otome could hope to even match Nao's skill at close melee fighting and brawling. Even as a student Pearl Otome she had been able to defeat her combat instructor Maria Graceburt. Nao had still failed the assessment because she had been supposed to use the Otome Staff. But Kruger had awarded Nao enough points to make up it because she had never seen a student take down Graceburt.
Even not at her peak powers, Nao was a force to be reckoned with. Punches, kicks, knees, and shoulders slammed into Flagg, keeping him off balance and focused on hitting the soft spots on the body, such was the 'official' fighting style of the streets of Artaia. While it had no official name, most simply called it the Artaian Brawl. It didn't have a formal style, no named moves or techniques. Instead it was more of a concept of fighting. Knock your opponent off balance, keep them that way, and then pummel them into submission. Simple, brutal, and efficient. Modified by an Otome's strength and speed it became a crippling attack.
Nao delivered a kick that slammed Flagg to the floor. She was panting.
"What? How could I be panting?" she said.
Flagg chuckled. "It seems that that fake Robe your master gave you isn't quite as strong as your Otome Robe." He got up, bruised and battered, but still able to fight. "And your punches were weaker then I expected too. My turn."
Flagg swung his sword around, slashing the cement walls of the bunker and carving chunks out of them. These shards hung in the air for a moment before being propelled into Nao. She had tried to dodge, but the recent physical exertion and the loss of the superior speed offered by her Otome Robe meant that some did hit. Those that did ripped through her like bullets.
"Now to finish this," Flagg said, "And this time, no shortcuts." He swung his sword...
Tomoe leaped in front of the blade. The hit almost sliced her in half. She fell on Nao, knocking her away from Flagg's sword.
"Tomoe..." Nao asked in confusion.
"Big sister...I'm...sorry...I...just wanted...to be...strong...like you. You left...without me. You left...our country. I hoped that if...I became strong enough...you would notice me...you would come back for our country..." Tomoe gasped, "But now...I see what kind of monsters Flagg and Nagi were...you were right...Artai was wrong to do what it did..."
"How touching," Flagg said, "Why is it my servants are always so treasonous? Isn't fear a powerful enough motivator anymore? Burn her to ash." He drove his sword into Tomoe. Tomoe burst into flames, screaming as she did so. Within moments she was reduced to ashes.
"Oh my goodness! That was even more impressive then I thought! It was like she was made of paper soaked in kerosine!" Flagg said.
"Oh shut up you horrible imp," Nao said, trying to stand.
"Now that that interruption is over, back to where I was. Now I finish this, and no shortcuts back, understand!" Flagg said as he swung his sword.