TFFA: The Great X-Mas Caper

[Zephyrus]

Coliseum, The Slums, Underneath TFFA City, Day 4, 21st December, 10:25 AM

Zeph landed in the middle of the Arena with a dull thud, a small cloud of dust rising beneath his feet.

The action was fast dwindling, with the TFF group fast wiping out what little clots of resistance remained.

ôDamn!ö He muttered irritably. Having finesse and a sense of style was one thing, but sometimes it came back to bite Zephyrus in the ass. He was growing fast annoyed with himself and the situation in general. Another good opportunity for a boss fight had been wasted, purely because he had been too focused on maintaining his cultured persona.

If he had not been so otherwise occupied with the Order back in the states, he might have been here that much sooner.

He shrugged nonchalantly, tossing a ball of blue fire in the midst of group of hoodlums intent on sneaking up behind him. The screams did little to assuage his bad mood.

Scanning the grounds, there really was little left for him to do. What was the use of being a near immortal being with damn near godlike powers if you couldnÆt use them?

ZephÆs eyes alighted on the back of a catatonic Zeni and his mood lifted a bit. There was still the girl, of course, so there was no sense in crying over dead catgirls, as his beloved father used to say. She could help him. She had to.

A wave of power raised the fine hairs on the back of ZephÆs neck and he glanced over ZeniÆs head to see a most curious looking being striding towards her with a triumphant sneer on its face. It looked like a court jester from his time spent in King PhilipÆs court in Spain. Waità.was that a wing sticking out of the JesterÆs back!? Where the heck was the other one?

It was shouting something, but the battle cry of a bat wielding young man was drowning out the JesterÆs words. Irritated once again, I sidestepped the boyÆs rather pathetic swing, caught the next one in my left hand, and reached out with my right to crush his throat. I dropped him to the ground, where he lay writhing in the mud, clutching his throat and wheezing in a panic. It was his own fault for being so rude.

The exchange had taken no more than a minute or so, but somehow, when I turned back to observe and crush the Jester if need be, I saw him crumbling to pieces and being absorbed by a glowingàwhat was his name again? Ah, yesàXaosite.

But a being so powerful and strange as the Jester could not so easily be defeated. IÆm not sure if any of the others, or even Xaosite himself noticed, but just before the JesterÆs death rattle, a small sphere of what felt like the JesterÆs essence shot from the JesterÆs hand and into the wing, instantly winking out of existence as it somehow phased itself into another dimension.

That did not bode well at all. Zeph smiled his small, mysterious smile.

Good. Just because heÆd missed out here didnÆt mean that he would miss any of the upcoming attractions.

The small band of adventurers gathered around Xao, their back to Zephyrus, laughing and generally welcoming their friend back.

A pang of loneliness, something altogether foreign to Zephyrus, throbbed in his chest. They looked so happy together, even the ones with homicidal tendencies.

He began to walk towards them slowly. Perhapsàperhaps a small experiment wouldnÆt hurt. HeÆd existed for so long without the benefit or need of companionship that heÆd forgotten what it felt like. Maybe this group of crazy, chaotic, powerful, and playful people could help him decide if it was worth the trouble or not.

HeÆd almost reached the group, when he caught glimpse of a scantily clad Zeni throw her arms around a panicking Xaosite.

He smirked.

Oh, this experiment would be fun indeed.

He reached the group and tapped the shoulder of Epsilon who turned around warily, a cup of coffee in one hand, the other, a large claw, tensed in readiness. He relaxed when he saw Zeph standing there.

With a grin on his face, he reached out and patted the slender boy on the back with that large claw of his. Zeph winced, his smile a little strained. That damn claw hurt! ôI remember you! YouÆre the guy who helped me back at HQ.ö He grinned. ôI was wondering when you were going to show back up.ö

ôYes well, I was otherwiseàoccupied.ö Zephyrus muttered, rolling his shoulders slightly.

Epsilon sipped the coffee, still grinning. ôYep. Those garbage pits are a real pain in the ass, arenÆt they?ö

The other scowled. Was he ever going to live that one down?

Epsilon turned back to the group, pushing me forward a bit with that claw of his. ôWelcome back, Master Splinter.ö He snickered at his own joke.

Zeph folded his arms across his chest in irritation. The experiment was already failing. Badly.

 

[Unknown-common-827]

"Slum Colliseum", Day ?? ?? Time

"Pathetic little lack of spine punks," I state as the bodies strewn about the floor. Many were just parts, most were shown as places of charred earth.

"MASTER!" I heard Zen exclaim. Turning slowly, I saw her glomping Xaositelike there was no tomorrow.

"This makes absolutely no sense... not even TFF can explain this phenomenon," I state as I walked towards the group.

"Ah, Unknown... didn't really do much, eh?" Said David. How I wanted to level his ass and send him to hell with the rest of them.

"More shit than you did with your pea shooter sniper rifle. How many kills did you get?" I ask as I grew tired of the cocky piece of shit bastard in front of me.

"About 13, I suppose" said David as he gripped his rifle and seemed to gaze at it longingly.

"Try 22, no weaponry either. Then we can talk," I state before walking away from his body and head for the other groups.

"What was that about?" asked Rin as I stood alongside her.

"I used to know that guy way back when things first went haywire around here. However, ever since he became a punked version of himself, we haven't seen eye-to-eye," I say before turning to gaze into her turquoise eyes.

"Nothing more is needed here, Rin. I'm leaving... there's a place that I know that things are calm for the time being. If you wish to join me, then you are welcomed to. If not, then good luck," I say as I turn away and begin to walk.

Not going 10 steps away, I felt her hand grab mine as we exited the arena.

 

[sidhereelmotion]

Frank Castle's Inn, The Slums, Underneath TFFA City, Day 4, 21st December, 2:35 PM. NB EXP: 2

After Mick's display, the peace shattered and the mood turned downright ugly.

"I'll take this nuke ..."

"When I'm done with him..."

ôTheyÆll fall into Hueco Mundo!"

As the argument went on, many of the girls were getting more and more afraid - both of Mick and coming retaliation against him. But Sidhe stared blankly at her plate. Where had her precious Onii-chan gone? Where was the shy, sweet boy she used to know - the one who had been born closer to her heart than any other.

She suddenly stood up. Sidhe knew. She knew in her heart that something must be terribly wrong with him. With a slow and tremulous step, Sidhe left the table behind and climbed the stairs.

Upstairs, Sidhe saw Locke arguing in whispered tones with a black-haired girl. As she was about to pass them, Locke stepped to block her path.

"Would you please move?" asked Sidhe. "I need to see Michael."

Locke gave her a piercing glance that looked to weigh her every motive twice over, and then he slowly shook his head as he sighed.

"Please! There's something wrong with him. He would never act like this! Michael is a good boy!"

Locke's brow furrowed in thought as he shook is head again. "There are some things a person should never know. You shouldn't be..."

Whatever words Locke was going to say were cut off when a muffled cry sounded farther down the hallway.

"You two, get her out of here!" barked out Locke, and in a softer voice he added, "You too, Rei."

Sidhe found herself spun around and pulled back towards the stairs by her friends, Marudashi and Morodashi. Rei followed close behind. Down in the lounge, they met many of the other girls. Keiko complained bitterly that her Uncle Xerxezz had sent her too. They sat Sidhe in a big, comfy chair.

Sidhe stared down at her hands. "What happened? Why, Michael... Why?"

Maru and Moro looked nodded at each other, then climbed in the chair with Sidhe.

"There are knives that cut sharper,ö explained Marudashi.

"And wounds that go deeper," echoed Morodashi.

They finished together, "Than unspeakable horrors."

Sidhe wept.

 

[Vexarian]

Day 4, The Slums: Frank's Castle Inn, 2:36 PM

"Don't let him get me!" Elidea cried again as she tried to make herself disappear... Very successfully I might add, considering her ability to actually do so. Although one could still hear her. And of course since she was laying in Vex's arms due to her wounds, several small wet spots formed seemingly from nowhere on his chest.

Vex looked up towards the others, "Okay, who did it to Mick, how did they do it and how do we reverse it?" He growled out, and after a moment or two of silence he continued, "Should we just go in there and beat him until he regains his senses?"

 

[Zenithos]

Frank Castle's Inn, The Slums, Underneath TFFA City, Day 4, 21st December, 2:40 PM. NB EXP: 2

Unbeknown to the TFFers, their party hadn't only increased by one after the battle, that one being Xaosite....it had increased by THREE.

But it had mostly gone unnoticed during the trip home, partly due to exhaustion, also partly due to the fact that....well....they practically passed for certain other members of the group. Thankfully, nobody paid that much attention...

...until now, that is, when everyone's minds were focused on the two members of the group they managed to pass themselves off as....

"Seriously, what on earth got into Mick...and maybe even Zen and Ei-chan..." Vex murmured looking around at the girl behind him. "Don't you agree....Zen? Ei-chan?" His eyes widened on finding the two girls he was just speaking of standing right behind him, as if nothing was wrong with the world.

Something WAS terribly wrong with the world...

"Errr...hi..." One of the girls replied, with a rather nervous grin.

"Hmm, I thought those two were..." Xerxezz began, looking around at the twins standing by Vex. "....hmmm...how'd you manage to escape?"

"Well, we, uuhh..." The other twin murmured, smiling what she thought would be disarming smile.

"....How'd you get the headband, collar, and shackles off?" Janus asked. "I thought they were indestructible?"

"...sigh...couldn't you people pause to pay better attention for once? Those two aren't Zen and Ei-chan." Morrigan sighed. "....men...and they claim they knew their women..."

"...hmm, yes, they no smell like Zen and Ei-chan...." Shampoo nodded, taking a quick sniff. "...IMPOSTORS!" She cried, lifting two bonboris up to the twins' necks.

Clinking, clanging and snapping sounds filled the room as a variety of weapons, both mellee and projectile, all trained on the twins. At least a dozen laser-pointer dots suddenly adorned their faces, making it look as if they had a case of mobile measles.

"...Oh Shi~ We're busted..." One girl muttered, eyeing the bonbori held up to her neck while scanning the room for any means of escape.

"You and your bright ideas...." The other girl muttered back, staring down the muzzle of Xerxezz's bazooka.

One of the girls finally coughed and cleared her throat while lowering the threatening bazooka out of her face. "We come in peace, honest." She said...

The bazooka was shoved even further into her face. Obviously, saying 'honest' had the reverse effect on these people.

"Look, I know we tried to capture you before, we are CMPS officers after all, and we were only doing our job." The girl continued, noticing the glint of the warhead at the end of the tube and gulping imperceptibly. "...but, we saw the Armacham information given in by some guy named Xerxezz...is that you?" She asked, leaning out from behind the muzzle to look at the man holding it, who grunted an affirmative in reply.

"...well, it raised questions...and there are people in the CMPS who wants answers. But the higher-ups want you all dead, and so do Armacham. We think something fishy's going on here and we want to get to the bottom of it. If Armacham wants you dead because you know...too much, then there are people within the CMPS who will try and help you. Us included." The girl said, with a serious face. "...so...can you please put down the nuke-launcher?" She half-pleaded.

The TFFers looked at one another, shrugged, and, as if they never existed in the first place, the weapons disappeared behind their backs, nearby convenient potted plants, and other hiding places.

"Why didn't you say so sooner?! I almost wasted ammo on ya." Xerxezz grinned, patting the two on their backs and pulling them towards the dining table. As if they had always been part of the group, everyone burst out into an aura of friendliness.

"Go on, have a bite." Legacy said, gesturing at the food provided. "Go on, don't be bashful." He grinned encouragingly at the nervous twins.

"Then we can talk." LL nodded in agreement. "Of crazy evil organizations, dark monsters from beyond the beyond, and perhaps of cherry custard."

"Dammit...how can they integrate themselves so quickly into a group?" Zephyrus muttered.

"...they're girls, Zeph." Epsilon pointed out the obvious.

"...damned sexists..." Zeph muttered under his breath.

 

[locke69]

Frank Castle's Inn, The Slums, Underneath TFFA City, Day 4, 21st December, 2:50 PM. NB EXP: 2

Locke growled as he heard the various pitches of screams coming from the room that Mick currently inhabited. Currently inhabited with his twoà slaves. Punching the wall, not caring about the level of strength he put into it, Locke continued to stand watch and preventing anyone from getting too close to that door. Another batch of screams produced another punch to the wall from Locke, only this time he noticed how much strength he put into his punch.

Falling to the ground, knees first, holding his bleeding and broken fist, Locke let loose a string of curses in the various languages that he knew bits and pieces of. Sitting there, Locke tried desperately to kill his emotions, but the pain from his hand and the adrenaline pumping through out his system negated his best efforts.

As yet more screams echoed out from the room, Locke got up, and walked downstairs. As he descended, a couple of people noticed him. Not caring that person that was forced to stop anyone from doing anything rash up there, was coming down, they went back to what they were doing.

For the most part, Locke really didnÆt care about their action around the table with the Zeni and Eterna clones; he had already noticed that the CMPS officers were among the group when they came back to this forsaken inn. He knew that they would either join them or die. And the fact that they were dining with the rest, meant that they joined the group.

Walking towards were most of the women were at, he located the only real catgirl in the group and the only priestess. Approaching her, Locke asked her without preamble, ôDo you have any healing spells left?ö

Regardless of intents, he earned a few frowns from that as well as murderous stares. Also, Xaosite approached Locke with a frown on his face, ôWhat happened up there that you want to use one of my priests for healing?ö

Frowning himself, as he realized that some people were thinking that Mick went too farà which is the truth regardless of point of view. He raised his broken and bleeding fist to be seen by the god and his priestess. The god merely nodded his head and motioned for Tohno to heal him. One quick spell later and some bandages, Locke was back to normal conditions.

Thanking the reborn god of dice and Tohno, Locke started scanning the room, looking for the next person to take watch. Finding one such person that seemed level headed and not really caring about what was going on, Locke grabbed the man by the back of his neck and lifted him up. ôListen, IÆm in a really bad mood. YouÆre going to take my spot upstairs, making sure that no one younger then 17 gets near that door, and no one over that tried to break it down. Do you understand me, Rattrap?ö

Getting a nod in return or what would be a nod had Locke not had his good hand on his throat; Zephyrus ran up the stairs and took LockeÆs place.

Feeling the stares of most of the group, Locke simply said, ôWould anyone of you like to do what I just endured?ö Looking around, no one nodded their heads. ôGood. Now go back to your eating, drinking, plans to kill Mick, and talking with those twin clones.ö

With that, Locke grabbed a plate of some safe looking food, and found a chair in at an empty table in a corner.

 

[Xerxezz]

Frank Castle's Inn, The Slums, Underneath TFFA City, Day 4, 21st December, 3:00 PM.

ôWhat are they doing now?ö Tsuroko muttered and walked up to the table where some of the guys were sitting.

ôFifty bucks on possession by Evil Spirit.ö Vex said and fished out the money from one of his pockets. He threw it into a small pile of money on the table.

ôFifty on insanity caused by our trip to the hospital.ö Xerxezz threw the money on the table as well.

ôI bet itÆs caused by a demon of somekind.ö Janus said and threw his money into the pile as well.

ôStress due to his breakup with Motoko.ö Legacy said and the pile of money grew even more.

ôNo one has taken Armcham, have they? Then my bet is on them.ö LL said.

ôXerxezz, my bet is that itÆs XerxezzÆs fault.ö

ôWhat are you idiots doing?ö Tsuroko said with a sigh and rubbed her forehead.

ôBetting on why Mick has gone crazy.ö Vex answered.

ôDonÆt you find that to be in poor taste?ö Tsuroko said after a moments thought. She stopped and took a good look at the group.

ôNevermind, forgot who I was talking to.ö She said with another sigh.

The rest of the group shrugged, as far as insults went it was pretty tame.

ôOh, and Xerxezz, no gambling!ö

Xerxezz gave her a cold look. Vex leaned towards Xerxezz.

ôCould you please tell your wife to leave, if she stays sheÆll just attract all the other girls.ö Vex whispered and Xerxezz nodded.

The redhead turned towards Tsuroko.

ôBitch, as your husband I order you to get the fuck out of here and leave me alone!ö Xerxezz yelled and pointed a finger at Tsuroko.

ôWell, it wouldnÆt have been how I would have said it.ö Vex said and whimpered as Tsuroko repeatedly slammed XerxezzÆs head into the table.

When he looked properly beaten up and unconscious she stormed off. Once Tsuroko stepped out of the room Xerxezz raised his head and looked at the other guys.

ôYou have to be firm with them, otherwise they will do as they please. Where were we?ö Xerxezz said sagely.

ôWe finished up our bets, and now its time for poker!ö Janus said and pulled out a deck of cards from somewhere.

Xerxezz rubbed his head and wiped away some blood from his face. He turned towards Xaosite. The redhead looked thoughtful and bit his lip in concentration.

ôBy the way, its good to have you backà but, what was your name again?ö The redhead asked.

ôXaosite, you know, the God of Dice?ö The God in question said with a sigh. Those hits to the head must have loosened some screws in his head.

ôOh yeah! Now I rememberà Did you get the hentai I sacrificed to you?ö Xerxezz wobbled in his chair.

Xaosite rummaged around in one of his pockets and pulled out a thick book.

ôYou mean this?"

ôYeah... Uh, could I have that back?"

Xaosite sighed and handed it over.

 

[Zephyrus]

Frank Castle's Inn, The Slums, Underneath TFFA City, Day 4, 21st December, 7:30 PM. NB EXP: 1

Zephyrus was leaning against the wall next to the door that Locke had previously been guarding.

His arms were folded across his chest and he was frowning mightily.

He reached up to finger his throat which was sore from the mistreatment it had suffered at LockeÆs hand. Not only had Locke manhandled him like a common thug, he had insulted him to boot. While Zephyrus did take great pains to be a gentleman to his friends and comrades, he did not take kindly to being on the receiving end of a childish temper tantrum. He had very nearly been unable to stop his natural reaction to such treatment, which would have been to attempt to rip the man in twain. Fortunately for both of them, Zephyrus did have a notion as to why Locke was behaving so irrationally and managed to restrain himself.

Humans were such strange creatures. The smallest of things seemed to set them off. He would steer clear of Locke, at least until the man had calmed down some. Zephyrus felt he was owed an apology and perhaps Locke would benefit from having someone listen to his troubles. Just observing his newfound friend Epsilon had revealed much to the odd boy about how this ôfriendshipö thing worked.

A green glow suffused ZephÆs fingertips and he absentmindedly stroked his throat until the soreness and blooms of bruises began to fade. He realized with a start that he hadnÆt been thinking of himself as human. Was he or wasnÆt he? He had a memory that stretched back almost five thousand years, give or take a century. He could recall his parents fondly, but he couldnÆt recall ever being young or having a childhood. It was as if he had sprung into existence like Athena, fully formed and more powerful than any mortal had ever dared to dream.

He had long treated humans like his playthings. Well, he corrected himself, only the ones that really deserved it. He could be cruel and to be perfectly honest, he was indeed a callous individual. But wouldnÆt you be too if you appeared to be the only one of your kind on Earth? The repertoire of skills and knowledge that he had wasnÆt learned, he just knew. Could he even be called human? He didnÆt know. Did he empathize with the enough to become one? Perhaps. Perhaps not.

Silence.

He raised his head, throat healed and thoughts forgotten. There was silence. The screams had stopped.

The quiet murmur of conversation drifted up the stair from below. No one was interested in coming up any time soon.

He cocked his head and then grinned. Now was as good a time as any to have that conversation with the twins.

He pushed himself off of the wall and stood in front of the door for a moment. After a slight hesitation, Zephyrus stepped forward through the thick wooden door, leaving behind liquid-like ripples in his wake.

T-T-T-T-T-T

As he entered the small room, he glanced immediately to the bed and was glad to see the man named Mick was deep asleep.

However, just to be safeà

He waved his had slightly and muttered under his breath. He nodded in satisfaction although there was no visible reaction from Mick.

A whimper sounded from the corner and Zeph strolled over to a kennel large enough to barely hold two people and squatted down in front of the cage. There in front of him were Zeni and Eterna, both bloody, dirty, and obviously in pain from both their earlier ministrations and the confined space. They cringed away from the sight of his face, whether in disgust or fear, he didnÆt know.

Zephyrus had seen much cruelty in his lifetime. He had borne witness to King HerodÆs slaughter of innocents, observed first hand the Rape of Nanking, and he himself had a hand in Pompeii. A little human torture was nothing to these momentous events. And truth be told, he had seen much worse during the Spanish Inquisistion.

But there was something about the sight of these two young, beautiful girls that had been so wronged and violated that stirred a sense of anger in his chest. He pushed the emotion deep inside of himself as he had often done in the past.

ôW-whoÆs there?ö Came a weak voice.

Zephyrus sat down and crossed his legs Indian style.

ôAh, thatÆs right. I didnÆt get to talk to you at HQ as I had planned.ö Zeph leaned forwards, giving the two a kind smile. ôMy full name is Zephyrus ZeÆulius Zokander, but I find that to be quite a mouthful. You can call me, Zeph or Zephyrus if you prefer.ö

A pause.

ôDid your mother hate you to give you such a silly sounding name, Z?ö

Zeph winced at the below the belt hit to his name. ôI doubt it. But my mother was a strange creature. Who knows? Perhaps.ö He decided to not to mention the fact that Zeni had shortened his grand sounding name to a mere consonant.

Eterna shifted slightly, wincing in pain. ôYou really shouldnÆt be here.ö She whispered softly. ôMaster would be very angry if he were to wake up."

Zephyrus glances over at the sound sleeping Mick. ôDonÆt you girls worry about him.ö He paused, seeming to debate with himself. He nodded. ôBoth of you resonate a power, something that called to me on the other side of the earth. Nothing has resonated with me so strongly nor has anything been able to draw my attention like this mysterious power of yours.ö

Zeni and Eterna looked at Zeph with wide eyes. ôAàpower?ö Zeni queried.

ôWhat kind of power?ö Eterna seemed skeptical, as well she should be. These things were the norm for TFF and this wasnÆt even a new plotline!

Zeph grinned another one of those odd little grins of his. ôThatÆs the wonderful thing! I have no idea!ö

The twins shared a glance.

Zeph leaned forward once again. ôTell me, do the words æRed AviaryÆ mean anything to you?ö

T-T-T-T-T-T

A short time later, Zephyrus was back at his post outside the door. His head was bowed, his arms crossed against his chest, and his eyes were closed.

A simple mind wipe had taken care of the moreàinteresting portions of his and the twinÆs conversation, but he left the rest as it was. A small desire to know them better told him to do so and he hoped it wouldnÆt backfire on him.

Red Aviary.

He chuckled.

His life had taken a turn. For the worse or for the better, he knew not. Only time would tell.

 

[Zenithos]

OOC: Before Zeph's post.

Frank Castle's Inn, The Slums, Underneath TFFA City, Day 4, 21st December, 4:12 PM. NB EXP: 3

ôSo, what do we do now?ö Janus asked the TFFers gathered around the table as he shoved the cards aside and sat back. Playing the same game for a good 2 hours could get dead boring

ôIÆve done some research. ThereÆs substantial material, is there not, Grave?ö Nikolaus said aside to his Regenerate who merely grunted a reply. ôProblem is, theyÆre all back at the ShrineÆs lab. Is it safee, Moka?ö

ôVery safe, sir. WeÆve made sure of that.ö The young girl said, nodding in the affirmative.

ôI had Joy send all her data there too, just in case. If we analyze all the data weÆve gathered so far, I think we can get something on Armacham and these trollz.ö Nikolaus mused.

ôYou think itÆs worth going all the way back to the shrine for that?ö Ray asked.

ôHmm, yes....ö Nikolaus shrugged. ô...perhaps. It depends, how much do you value your lives?ö

"There's no chance of that. The CMPS already have every road in the city blocked off in search for you." Nez sighed. "The TFF Military has been thrown in too. Not to mention Armacham's personal army, the CMPS FENRIRS, have been dispatched. Even if you do make it through the city, you wont' make it through the blockade in front of the shrine. They've got a big enough force stationed there to fight the Halloween battle 2 years ago seven times over."

"Wow...I didn't know we were that popular." LL mused with a grin.

"...a rat can get through, no doubt." Janus suggested, sniggering lightly.

"Shut up." Zeph muttered under his breath.

ô...we need some firepower.ö Xerxezz murmured under his breath. ôlots and lots of KABOOM factor...ö

ôForget that. We need lots of cannon fodder.ö Zeph mused. ôToo bad about the coliseum spectators. If only...ö

ôThat can be arranged.ö Nikolaus said calmly. ôYou want those dead coliseum spectators be our mobile sandbags....very possible.ö

ôLeave it to the necromancer.ö Xaosite grinned. ôThe other slummers? You told me of some great plan to win over these so-called slummers?ö

"What are we going to do about that though...?" Ray asked. "I mean, we went to all that trouble to make sure they accept Zen as a card-holder...but now she's too whacked out to do anything."

"...should we ask Mick if we can borrow his little slave for a bit? Maybe ask him to command her to be...err...'normal'?" Parker suggested. This earned him the collective glares of everyone present. "...I'll shut up..." He said, looking down at his beer glass.

"So, from what I understand...Zen's...gone a little...loopy?" Xaosite asked, cocking his head to one side as he tried to grapple with the concept.

"Well, yes, and no. We think Mick might have something to do with it." Xerxezz speculated, topping up his beer. "I need more beer than this to get my head around this one."

"Well...." The trickster priest suddenly spoke up. "You don't need Zen perse. You just need somebody who looks like her, right?"

Everyone stared at him for a few moments, as if he was mad, but at the same time their minds worked on overclock before coming to a similar conclusion...

They all turned to Nez who was happily chugging down a glass of milk. They waited patiently for her to finish, all the while staring at her.

Feeling the uncomfortable gazes, she slowly looked around as she placed her glass down. "Ummm..." She began, wiping the white whiskers off her mouth. "...can I help you?"

"She looks about right." Xerxezz suddenly began.

"She's got green eyes." Vex nodded in agreement.

"The hair's the right length and colour." Janus said, looking her over.

"Same nose, same ears, same face...." Zephyrus said on close scrutiny.

"Same everything." Marudashi and Morudashi chorused.

"They even sound the same...what are the chances of that?" David asked.

"...you mean that Zen girl?" Nez asked. "Why? Umm...does it matter if I look like her?"

Everyone sweatdropped collectively at her choice of words. 'look like' was an utter understatement. 'Clone' was more likely.

"Simple. We need you to fill in for Zen for a bit. Can you do that?" Xaosite asked. "Look, the probability of you passing yourself off successfully as her is..." He said, pulling out a d20 and letting it spin around while it floated above his palm. It stopped at 20. "...is 100%." He said...somewhat in awe.

"....if it helps." Nez shrugged. "But what do I have to do? And what do I need to know?"

"Simple...when Frank Castle comes knocking, you...."

Whisper...whisper....whisper...

 

[knight_of_ni]

Frank Castle's Inn, TFFA slums, 7:45 PM

"Well, looks like they are done," Nikolaus stated plainly staring upward, before smiling slightly, "Heh, seems like Mick really didn't want to go through with that marriage. Though, this time he seems to have skipped all the formalities. Ah, well."

At this strange commentary, Nikolaus rose from his chair, and started walking toward the exit, before Moka asked politely, "where are you off to?"

Nikolaus turned slightly, staring at her slightly, his mind focused solely on one thing, 'gah, pink hair, evil! EVIL! I must see if there is a way to alter the effects of the rosary to get rid of the evil.'

"Um...." she seemed to quailing under his gaze, though her little outburst seemed to have snapped him out of the pink induced trance.

"Huh?! Oh, I am just going out to gather the bodies. No need to worry about that," he said, before laughing.

"Then why where you staring at her like that," Nez asked her face betraying her suspicion.

"Oh....no reason, no reason at all," Nikolaus said before looking rather thoughtful for a moment and saying, "maybe I'll get some chicken while I am out. Anyone else want anything?"

This brought on the stares of those in the room, after all, most people don't like to think of food and dead bodies, of a similar species, in the same thought process, except as food to more beast like creatures. And so acting as a god should, as the voice of his people, Xaosite proclaimed a loud, "No!"

"You didn't have to yell," Nikolaus said, before walking out the door, shutting it behind him.

 

[Zenithos]

Living Room, Frank Castle's Inn, The Slums, Underneath TFFA City, Day 4, 21st December, 5:03 PM.

"Hello Frank, err, come in, do take a seat!" Parker said nervously, gesturing at the available seats as Frank Castle strode into the inn.

"Nope, in a hurry here, Parker, my good man." He smiled brightly. "Lots of bets to collect, you see. Big winnings today, no joke there. Now, where's Zen? I really must meet my lucky bunny."

"She's getting changed." Vex said nervously. "If you'd just wait a second..."

"No, it goes this way, no stop that! Baka!" Tsuruko's voice carried over from the lounge, causing Frank's eyebrows to raise and the TFFers behind him to start panicking.

"This part's too tight! And I can't get this thing tied properly!"

"No let me...hey, stop hopping! No! Get back! NO!"

"How the heck do those shrine maidens manage to...ö There was a brief scuffle from behind the veil to the lounge before...

...a rather hastily-dressed shrine maiden fell out onto the floor at FrankÆs feet.

ôOh...umm...hi...ö Nez murmured, smiling a bright smile. ô...sorry, new hakama and gi, you see.ö

ôWell, after that last getup you wore, I can see why youÆd need a new one.ö Frank muttered. ôAnyway, congratulations, youÆre now the holder of the King of Spades.ö

Nez coughed lightly as she picked herself up before, ôOh, well, thanks. But...howÆre the slummers taking it?ö She asked, hopping about on one foot as she tried to pull her hakama up...with little success...

Tsuruko facepalmed behind the veil and sighed. ItÆll take a miracle to pass off this girl as Zen...

ôOh, that? TheyÆre taking it very well, very well indeed. After all, it was only the ignorant idiots who betted against you went off to try and fight you. The wiser ones...that is, the ones who really know you, decided to stay at home...in their basements...while counting how much theyÆd make from betting on you.ö He grinned. ôNow theyÆre alive and rich and very grateful. Plus, youÆve settled the gang war, by killing off most of the argumentative gang leads.ö

ôAh, good that they didnÆt die. I might still have a use for them.ö Nez murmured, straining as she hopped on one foot while trying to pull on her gi properly. ôUgh...ö

ôNice use of the phrase.ö Unknown nodded with approval.

ô...it felt a little forced...ö Locke muttered.

ôAre you ok, Zen? You put that thing on everyday...ö Frank asked.

ôItÆs a new model...it's what all the shrine maidens are wearing these days.ö Nez gasped before she fell over. ôOUCHIES!ö

ô....I canÆt watch...ö Keiko mumbled, turning away.

ôWell....ö Nez said, clearing her throat as she got up straight, crossing her arms to pull the sides of her gi together, her gi a little off on one side, and her hakama hanging off slightly. ô....now, I need to ask for help.ö

ôAsk away, Zen. Anything for the King of Spades.ö He said. ôThe slums would be happy to do anything for you. And I won half the slums anyway with your victory, so theyÆll do whatever I command them.ö

ôI need...ö Nez said, her hakama slowly sliding down. She grasped it just in time and pulled it up nervously. ôUuuhh....a large escort to help me get back to the shrine.ö On the other hand, it meant her grasp on her gi was loosening.

ôAnd youÆre up against the CMPS, no?ö Frank asked.

ôYes.ö Nez nodded, doing a slightly simplified version of the macarena as she tried to pull her clothes together.

ôVery well. Your escort will be ready tomorrow. It takes time to get geared up for a full-blown war.ö He chuckled. ôSo feel free to use my accomodations for the night. Rest well. YouÆre going to need everything for tomorrowÆs æhikeÆ.ö

ôThanks.ö Nez said, smiling.

ô...and get a better tailor. I think...ö Frank began.

Suddenly, outside, someone shouted ôTHIEF! HE STOLE MY PANTIESö

NezÆs eyes twitched as she glanced over at the window. A perverted looking grandpa hopped across the window with a huge bag filled to bursting with panties from the exotic to the obscene.

ôOh, donÆt mind them, it happens all the time he...ö Frank began, before...

ôCMPS! YouÆre under arrest!ö Nez yelled as she ran for the window, tripped over her hakama as it fell off, before falling head over heels out of the window and resuming her chase in a pair of cotton pants.

ô...CMPS?ö Frank murmured.

Behind him, Locke, Xaosite, and Zeph all facepalmed bad.

ôItÆs her natural instincts from the academy...sorry...ö Incarna whispered aside to them.

ôShe just took a few more hits to the head than normal.ö Janus explained quickly.

ôWe think she had a rather deprived childhood and....ö Parker tried to explain, but failed to continue.

ô...her shock trauma from the battle sort of got her weird in the head. You know, all childish and stuff...ö Legacy said, shrugging.

ô...so weÆve been playing cops and robbers...and she took it a little seriously...ö Sidhe explained with a nervous smile.

ô....ah....ö Frank murmured. ôWell...the poor girl really should get some rest. No, seriously...ö

The TFFers couldnÆt help but agree...

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Living Room, Frank Castle's Inn, The Slums, Underneath TFFA City, Day 4, 21st December, 12.00 PM.

There were a pair of small, blanket-covered lumps curled up on the sofas in the darkness, stirring gently. The light sound of breathing was the only thing that filled the silence.

And then one of the blanketed figures rose up...followed by the other.

A pair of eyes blazed a bright red. ô...Protect the innocent....ö A voice murmured.

ô...Uphold the Creed...ö Another pair of eyes blazed a bright red in the gloaming darkness.

...upstairs, in the spare room, inside the small kennel...

A pair of eyes opened to reveal burning red Irises.ô....Protect the Innocent...ö

Another pair of eyes raised up beside it and burned a similar fiery red. ô...Uphold the Creed...ö

A dark, robed figure suddenly swept up in front of the kennel.

ô....You are no.00a, confirm.ö A pair of red eyes peered down from the top of the robes at the pair of eyes staring from behind the bars of the kennel. The pair of eyes in the kennel stared back up in turn up the barrel of a sleek, black revolver.

ôConfirm Identity, no.00a.ö Zen replied, her red eyes looking up the muzzle of the gun.

ôYou have been deemed unable to carry out your mission directives. Do you comply?ö The figure outside the kennel asked, her red eyes staring blankly at Zen, her hand holding her gun steadily in ZenÆs face.

ôNo.00a complies.ö Zen replied, as if programmed.

ôTherefore your pair has been deemed similar. Do you comply?ö The figure asked in a flat, monotonous voice.

ôNo.00a complies.ö Zen repeated once more.

ôTransfer of authority to next available unit has been authorized via protocol 030. No. 77a shall carry out protocol and accept authority transfer. You will be retired immediately, as per protocol 046.ö The figure said, kneeling down and reaching out towards Zen. ôNow, rest well, 00a.ö

ôH-hey! What are you...!ö A voice shouted from the direction of the bed.

The figure whirled around as the lights came on, just in time to leap out of the way as a bolt of lightning struck the place it had been standing on. Another bolt of lightning followed, barely missing the figure and smashing the window behind the figure as it leapt on top of the kennel.

It landed in a crouch on top of the kennel, itÆs black robe flowing in the wind that blew in through the damaged window. ôYou are deemed an interference in our directives.ö The figure said, its face hidden by the high collars of the robe, to Mick who had only managed to whip on a robe on himself as he leapt out of the bed to confront the figure. ôYou have lost æInnocentÆ status. You shall be removed.ö The figure said, raising the gun in its hand towards Mick.

ôHah! As if!ö Mick shouted, throwing another lightning bolt at the figure. With a nimble dodge, it managed to move its body out of the way of the assault. The figureÆs robe, however, wasnÆt as lucky. The lightning ripped through the dark material and slashed off the collar section, revealing the figureÆs face.

ô....Zen?! No...Zeni?!ö Mick gasped, seeing the familiar old blazing red eyes stare straight into him.

ô....ö The girlÆs eyes flashed a bright blue as a bluish-white aura started to emanate from her, before...

...she vanished...

Appearing an instant later in front of Mick, in the cliche lightning-speed move. Her pupils seemed to flicker for a moment, before she opened her mouth, ôDirective Confirmed. Executing....ö

Before he knew it, Mick was sent flying through at least a dozen walls before he spun around in midair into the cold outside air.

Before he had the chance to start falling, a light blue shadow had shot up to his face before delivering a killer roundhouse kick that ploughed him into the slums, blasting a number of ghettos out of the way, raising a wall of dust and debris 40m into the air in his wake.

ôHeh...I donÆt know if youÆre Zeni or not...but IÆve got to protect my slaves...ö Mick gritted his teeth as he got up out of his crater and charged up a number of spells. ôMaybe I might even make you one!ö He roared, sending a barrage of lightning beams arching at the light blue silhoutte that was now skimming across the flattened ground towards him.

The ground exploded into clouds of dust and smoke as the spells made contact but the light blue silhouette merely flashed even brighter as it flash-stepped around the attacks before finally reappearing in front of a surprised Mick once more.

She delivered a series of punches and kicks at lightning speed, most of which Mick managed to dodge or counter, before he finally caught one leg mid-roundhouse kick. ôHeh...see how you like THIS!ö He shouted, raising a palm and creating a small summoning circle, out of which flew out a slimy tentacle which gripped the girl around the neck.

ôUgh...ö She gasped, raising a hand and creating a pulse of darkness that blasted Mick backwards into the dust, pulling the tentacle away with him. She coughed as she massaged her throat...only to find a collar on it. ô....ö

ôNow, call me MASTER!ö Mick laughed as he tugged on the leash connected to the collar. And yet...the girl didnÆt budge even an inch.

ô...ö The girl glared back at Mick, grasped the taut leash, and tugged backwards with Herculean strength, pulling Mick towards her, before giving him a headbash of epic proportions.

She then proceeded to swing him around herself, bashing him through the surrounding ghettos in a wide arch, before pulling him in again, grabbing the leash out of his hand while delivering a knee to the gut, before following through with a neat roundhouse kick that sent him flying straight through the slums, blasting a number of buildings out of his way, before crashing into the coliseum in the distance, causing an entire side of it to crumble into a huge cloud of dust and smoke.

ôWhat the hell?!ö Unknown gasped, looking out of the gaping hole in his bedroom wall left by MickÆs hurried depature and seeing part of the coliseum collapse in the distance.

He looked backwards to see the others, all in their nightgowns and PJs, peering through the holes in their respective rooms at him...or rather, past him, and at the cloud of dust and smoke that was the crumbling coliseum.

ô....ö They looked back at the first hole and saw MickÆs room....and a figure in a black robe holding a gun up to Zen and Ei-chan.

ôNo. 77b now executing directive.ö The robed figure murmured in even tones. ôDo you comply?ö

ô...STOP HER!ö Xerxezz shouted, pointing at the figure.

The figure looked around, its eyes flashing red. ô...77a is distress.ö It murmured before leaping through the holes, past everyoneÆs gaping faces, before leaping off across the city towards the coliseum.

ôHmm...Sothinez and Incarna arenÆt in the living room...ö Sidhe pointed out. ôDo you think...ö

ôWell, itÆs gotta be.ö Xaosite nodded.

ô....I think we should make use of this great opportunity...ö Janus murmured. ôSave the twins!ö

ô...SAVE THE TWINS!ö The others chorused, before charging through the holes towards MickÆs room.

ô...hey, but then we miss the action...ö Vex pointed out.

Everyone looked around at him. Another part of the coliseum collapsed in the distance.

ô...DONÆT MISS THE ACTION!ö Everyone shouted and ran off, leaving the girls, LL, Locke, Xaosite, and Janus behind.

ô.....someone hand me a crowbar?ö Locke suggested, gesturing at the kennel.

ô...magically sealed onto the floor.ö Xaosite shrugged. ôPlus the bars are Godmodded to be indestructible.ö

ô...Figures...ö Janus sighed.

ô...shall we Godmod ourselves?ö LL suggested, a little bit of crack-fic energy swirling up in his outstretched palm.

ôLetÆs shall.ö Locke, Xaosite and Janus agreed. And thus they got to work.

 

[Mick]

The Slums, Underneath TFFA City, Day 4, 21st December, 12.10 PM.

"That... that... bitch!" I yelled summoning up my recent increased stores of mana destroying the wreckage around me.

Bad enough she knocked me down here... but to go after the girls! Speaking of which..what the hell's been wrong with me these past two days?!

Damn it doesn't mattter... had to keep her from getting to Zen and Eterna.

With that I ran as fast as I could running around and jumping over wreckage in the arena and rammed a knee into Nez's face.

She skidded backwards and slammed her left hand into the arena floor trying to slow her momentum. It took slamming her right into the floor to stop her forward motion.

Nez pulled out her HADES handgun and fired off a rather large sized burst of mana my way.

I quickly jumped to the right but she had all ready prepared and fired another shot towards where I landed which I barely dodged.

The third shot grazed my side and sent me flying as I slammed into the wall of another slum building.

I stood up as Nez charged rapidly in my direction. I back flipped in the air causing my foot to slam into her chin sending her up into the air.

While her head was rocked back I flew up until I was able to grab Nez from behind. Before she could react I flew the two of us head first back to the ground below. Let Nez go causing her to fall face first to the ground below. As she slammed into the arena floor I stopped myself from hitting the ground and flew higher into the air.

While Nez was staggering upwards I gathered mana in between my two hands as I prepared another spell.

"Blast Bomb!" I scream out launching a large series of high powered bright balls of mazoku magic where she landed.

There was nothing but lots of smoke and sounds of explosions from where the attacks landed.

Once the smoke cleared I noticed the arena floor was even more wrecked. In the center of the arena there was a large crater that went farther down then what I could see. Other then that there was a mass of smoke covering the center of the crater.

After the smoke cleared a pillar of some sort was in the middle of the crater.

That's when I noticed Nez was standing on the pillar and had her blood fortress activated warding off the attack.

"Damn it..and I was thinking Zen was Zeni's reincarnation..what the hell is going on here?" I mutter aloud wondering what next to do.

With that Nez launched a concentrated bolt of black magic in the air at my direction.

I flew slightly out of the way barely managing to dodge her attack.

Nez was above me though sword over her head about to swing down at me.

I barely managed to block the sword with my mana powered large single scythe.

Strained against the effort as she started forcing me downwards.

I charged my mana and unleashed it through my scythe causing a explosion to knock us both backwards in different directions.

With that we shook our heads to clear it before charging back at each other in midair.

I created a storm of small scythe's out of thin air and launch them all in her direction. To which she deflects once again with her Blood Fortress spell.

Each scythe that hit caused massive explosions wherever they landed causing mass damage destroying what was left of the arena..

With that I powered up my scythe to a high degree before slicing down at Nez where she stood on the ground outside the arena.

She dodged and my attack sliced into the ground creating a long, nasty, and deep crescent shaped hole for which you couldn't see the bottom.

Nez soon launched herself in my direction and I flew forward to meet her. We began exchanging rapid fire kicks and punches as we spun around in a circle striking at each other but gaining no momentum.

With that I place the palms of my hands together causing myself to blur and disappear.

Nez looked around left and right trying to find me, but I launched out behind her in a flying dropkick aimed at her spine.

She blurred out of the way dodging my kick and reappearing above me trying to slam a right hook into my skull.

I blurred out of the way of the attack and tried to stomp her from above to which she blurred again.

Me and Nez increased our speed and blurred towards each other. The citizens below could see a red and black blur repeatedly clash into each other at different points in the air before separating each and every time.

Xerxezz, Zeph, and the others all looked for a shot to join in but weren't quite sure which target to strike first. Though I was sure they probably didn't care which of us they hit...

I pumped my entire body with mana as my fingers curled into claws and began trying to strike her face and stomach alternatively.

Nez however managed to deflect each claw attack by shifting my palms to deflect my blows to the sides.

My next swipe caused me to over extend and she took advantage of that by ducking under the punch and ramming a knee hard enough in my gut to cause me to stagger and hold the blow.

She then raised her fists over her head and prepared to slam them into me before I rose up and quickly smashed into her face with the top of my head.

Charging as much mana as I could I then spun around in a roundhouse kick and slammed a leg hard as I could into Nez's right arm.

When Nez was about to get up I grabbed them by their skull and lifted them into the air. Ran several feet more before lifting the arm carrying Nez by her skull behind me and slamming her face first into the ground creating a large crater.

With barely any pause in reaction Nez reached her arm up and grabbed me by the neck. She then lifted me up and slammed me down creating another large crater near the one I created with hert.

I dashed back away after throwing dust into Nez' eye.

Began throwing several balls of dark mazoku energy all around Nez making sure not a single one hit her yet.

With that I brought both my hands together causing them to converge on Nez all at once.

Each of the balls exploded as they blasted into Nez from all directions at once.

Waited for the dust to clear before once again noticing Nez had protected herself with the blood fortress spell.

As Nez charged forward I panicked and was only able to cast one of the most basic of spells.

"LIGHT!" I yell aiming my right hand into her face and creating a large bright light filling the night sky and blinding most in the area other then myself.

While she staggered I prepared another spell.

"Laphas Seed!" I yell casting a spell creating magic ropes binding Nez and forcing her to fall back towards the ground..

Advanced on Nez ready to ask her just why she was attacking me. However that was when I had to dodge a rapid burst of gunfire from ahead and dodged backwards.

Standing ahead of me was Incarna, her eyes were red as well.

"Damn it! can't I get any luck?" I cursed in fury.

I ran towards the right side ducking and weaving through arena wreckage as I dodge her gunbursts. Circled around and around Incarna but she was able to keep up with me and didn't seen like she would ever be running out of ammo!

With that I casted my collar spell and sent it forward causing it to latch on Incarna's neck. With that I grabbed Incarna's leash and pulled it in a way that would send her upwards.

Before she could properly aim her gun at me I pulled again forcing Incarna to ram back into the arena wreckage below.

Incarna however grabbed her end of the leash and pulled me forward straight into her waiting fist. I staggered once more before leaping away from Incarna.

"Laphas Seed!' I yell casting a spell and trapping Incarna in much the same way I trapped Nez.

Unfortunately I knew those two spells would not hold the two long. Was desperately trying to form a plan before the three of us heard a rather odd sound.

Was that..some kind of bell? Before I could make sense of it I see Nez and Incarna's eyes turn back to normal.

 

[Xaosite]

The Slums, Underneath TFFA City, Day 4, 21st December, 12:11 PM, NB EXP: 2

"Well, that should be a start, I guess." Epsilon muttered.

"Is that a mocha?" Xaosite asked.

"Yeah. I've just been on this caffine binge lately. I don't know why." Epsilon said as he took a sip.

"Anyways, can I ask you a question? Just what the hell has been going on here? I'm still having trouble making heads or tails of the situation."

"Well, the big things started to happen right after we escaped from the first prison..."

------- Some Time Later -------

"Ah shit. I knew they were up to something, but I didn't imagine that they'd go that far, or be so blatent. They must have been really confident." Xaosite said, shaking his head.

"Who's this 'they' you keep on talking about? Tohno and your other girls kept mentioning you had a bad feeling, but you vanished and The Jester showed up right after. Just what the hell is going on?"

"To put a long story short, think about how Cthulhu represents the ultimate madness that would end all life by accident. These guys are the exact opposite, and they want to end all life. To them, a perfect universe is just a bunch of rocks floating around balls of gas." Xaosite said.

Epsilon let out a low whistle. "Damn."

"I think it might be a good idea to gather more people together, so everyone can have a warning." Xaosite said.

"You're damn right about that!" Soifon said, appearing behind him and grabbing him by an ear.

"Ow. Ow. Ow."

"You'd better be ready to grovel, you bastard! Tohno, Mihoshi, and I have some very choice words to share with you later!" With that, she released his ear, and stormed off.

"Huh, I wonder if she forgot about Konoka?" Epsilon said.

"Wait, what's that?" Xaosite said, jerking his head back.

"Well, see, one of the things I skimmed over was when we found a bunch of Mary-Sue type girls. Well, The Jester found one, and it didn't work out so well for her."

"I wouldn't doubt it. Wait a sec, are you saying-"

"I dunno. Just, well, consider yourself warned, I guess."

"Oy vey." Xaosite muttered, holding his head in his hands. Then he looked up. "Say, don't you think we should be doing something?"

"In a minute." He said taking another sip. "I want to finish this first."

 

[locke69]

Edit: Mick is fixing his post which should allow us all to continue on.

 

[zerohour]

"Damn it!" Nel yelled. "WHERE IS EVERYONE?!!?"

"I don't know. I just met you guys today." Runa replied.

"Geez... they're not at the shrine or the academy... we heard they got arrested, but the CMPS building exploded... could it get any worse?!"

"You could go loli."

POOF

The newly chibified Nel sniffled, the stress of the day about to cause an emotional breakdown.

Runa also changed to her younger form, "There there... I'm sure we'll find them soon..."

"WAH!!!!!"

 

[knight_of_ni]

Bar a bit away from the coliseum, TFFA Slums; Day 4; 12:13 AM
Post/EXP 2/2

A warm murmur of conversation settled following the explosions and yells. Though, the patrons seemed to be reacting rather calmly to what happened. All in all, things were too calm, Ni felt mildly disturbed by this. Living things should never get used to death to the point they don't fear it, even he feared death to a degree, and he died several times before. 'Wait, that's a contradiction. I am alive but I died, which by definition is the end of life. The only way for a creature to do that would mean that they became unalive....'

A small clanking noise interrupted his thoughts; the bartender was mixing a drink for one of the more wealthy patrons. Ni stared darkly at the form of the man, 'Someone that wealthy here? For the illicit businesses, then. Likely a lieutenant, given the fact he is here,' Ni looked over at the man's comrades, seeing several women being fondled, and looking rather resigned about it, 'mafia henchmen? Interesting.'

"Hey there," a woman sauntered over to his side at the bar, looking as sultry as she sounded. All tones and inflictions. She smiled, again sultry, and leaned against him slightly, "you wouldn't mind doing me a favor now would you? I saw you in the arena, you aren't bad, but you could bring in some of those guys of yours and help us finish off the other gangs. You would be well rewarded."

"So?" Ni queried, looking down at her, "Why would I help you? Your body has so little muscle it would be little use in my experiments, or even for food."

"Wha-"

"Oh, were do think all the bodies went? Heh, to some grave yard?" Ni grinned down at her, his yellow eyes boring into her. 'Heh, it is so fun to mess with those who think that they can control everyone else with a few simple tricks.'

"You...you...monster!" she screamed out as she fled from the bar. Though, this seemed to have gathered the attention of the rest of the patrons, though Ni just smiled warmly, even at the man who he believed may have connections to some illicit businesses.

"It was nothing more than a miss understanding. An old story, I admit it wasn't exactly the best, since I did some rather gruesome things. I don't think anyone would want to hear that," several heads shook, "ah of course, but let the drinks come, they are on me."

Ni bowed slightly with his last statement, making sure to pass his hand right over the drink of the believed mafia member, a small drop of something fall into the drink. He took an exaggerated look at his watch before placing a wad of bills on the counter, using the distraction to place several somethings in the drinks of the men he had spotted earlier, "I believe this should cover the costs, and well, gentlemen I must bid you adieu."

"That guy was a fucking loon"

 

[Unknown-common-827]

Frank Castle's Inn, Day 4, ?? time

"Well, as much as I'd like to chat with the rest of you, time for a little privacy" I say before placing a circle n the wall and sealing the hole that was made. I then repeated the motions for the other man-made window.

"Exactly WHAT in the hell is this place?" Rin asked me as I finished the repairs on the walls in our room.

"This is a place where sanity and order are nonexistent. It used to be such a peaceful place, until the scrouge came those years ago," I said as I shed my coat and hat.

"What happened?" asked the brown haired lady as I finished hanging up my jacket.

"About six to seven years ago, I was working within the TFF facility on Christmas Eve. I was putting in overtime and desperately trying to maintain my job as a mid-level writer. That night changed me. The details are still hazy, due to how long it has been. However, there was a lot of damage done to the facility that night. Swarms of undead seemed to come through walls at me and a few of my cohorts. Shortly after we averted them and stopped their relentless pursuit to stop the infection from growing, I became very depressed. Nothing I did seemed to help me, in fact my own depression led me to transport to a place known as Endsville. There, I met a wise cracking cowboy named Stark. He constantly put me down and made me feel lower than dirt. There was nothing I could do. Every week he'd fight me and every week I would lose. That's when I found my answers. I saw a text between fights and read it every night. Eventually we would fight to a draw on the occasion, but he still had me if he really wanted to. I finished reading that text and in front of me the book transformed into a symbol, the very symbol you see on my upper arm. I took the sign and held it close to my chest, allowing it to fully encompass me. That's when I became what I am today. The following night, Stark and I raged war with each other. I ended up with my right arm being ripped from my body. However, as soon as I grabbed it back, it reattached and I was able to defeat him and send him on his death ride to hell." I began as the night strolled on.

As soon as I finished that statement, I told her that I would explain more as we progressed until this war was finished. We chatted more and more idly as we both prepared for bed. Obviously, we still kept our manners as we changed from our fighting clothes to a very well fitted set of pajamas for the both of us. We climbed into bed and for the first night in many, I was able to sleep soundly as my arm draped around her body. A person to fight alongside and to protect... maybe this will be what I was hoping for since that fateful night over two years ago.

 

[GhostElder]

The Slums, Underneath TFFA City, Day 4, 21st December, 12.10 AM.

Tracking down his target had been boring, being diverted from his search for Tetsuo had been or rather still was, irritating. It had resulted in a most unpleasant combination for a particular brood of Yaoi fangirls. It seemed they had become rather aggressive in attempting to recruit the clientÆs daughter in an attempt to place a mole, there had been a few foiled kidnapping attempts already. His client wouldnÆt have to worry about that anymore, at least not from that particular cell.

Stopping by the contact point there was a quick meeting with his clientÆs representative, who even at this late hour had been happy to hear that the job had been completed, and had initiated the transfer of funds into the correct accounts.

Now Nobuo was walking out of an all night convenience store, where he had been buyingà er perusing, yes, he had been perusing their selection of Pocky, he certainly hadnÆt bought all of it, nope not at all.

Nobuo stuck the over stuffed bags containing his favorite treat into his Pocky space. He was about to continue back to the clan compound when the sound of an explosion echoed faintly to his location. Looking towards where the sound had come from, the slums near the arena.

Curious Nobuo was swiftly flying towards what looked like a fight that had spilled out of one of the buildings and taken to the sky. One of the fighters was knocked to the ground and extricated themselves from the rubble with a burst of familiar mana. It wasnÆt an exact match but it was far to close to be anyone but, ôTetsuoö Or Mick as he was supposedly called.

Floating a little closer Nobuo observed the fight closely, eager to know how his little brother had progressed while he was away. It seemed Tetsuo had caught up to him some power wise, but tactics and experience still seemed to be lacking. Tetsuo was beginning to panic, Nobuo flew closer, ready to interfere if it seemed that the two girls were going to kill or maim him. He certainly couldnÆt bring him back to lead the clan if he was killed.

 

[Zenithos]

OOC: This is the first part of my rather long post which I'm currently writing. Hopefully the post-in-progress, as a whole, will clear up all the weirdness that's been happening...which I don't fully understand myself, to be honest ^^;; As well as give the story a sense of plot again.

The whole cannot be changed.
We have already lost that chance.
Because the time left to us was short,
We were mistaken in our path.
But now do we realize,
We should change not the whole,
But the partsà

-Excerpt from the Necronomnicon, on the Purpose of the æLightÆ-

Day 5: ItÆs Not A-OK! ItÆs Not Any Sort of OK!

Living Room of FrankÆs Inn, Lower Slums, 2.43 AM

ôYou have mail...ö

ôHmmm?ö Locke murmured, looking up at his laptop, his face aglow from the monitorÆs pale blue light. ô....mail? Harald Hoerwick?ö

Subject: Find the Truth
From: <UNKNOWN>
Date: <UNKNOWN>
To: #%!#!@#!$!%%#@!%#$$
Priority: URGENT

From a Friend.

-Forwarded Message-

>Subject: IÆm sorry
>From: Harald Hoerwick <H.Hoerwick@Armacham.com>
>Date: <UNKNOWN>
>To: <DELETED>
>Priority: URGENT

#$!!%$@#%!#@$!%%!@#$#@%!@^$#^*%&^*$(%&*@^#$^!*%*

....must know the truth....a long story...activation of the Necronomnicon during....Holy Grail Wars...started 9 years ago...the ONE fanfic...crossoverium and crack-force unleashed....Yaoists and Trollz using it to cross...Armacham....opened the gates....created trollz....

...We created...Aura....Fragment...Black box and Morganna Mode Gone....crack-force evolution...turned into AIDA....using crossoverium, control.......crack force created Gigabyte....his sister....Data Thought Integration Entity...Nagato Yuki spoke....programmed the index....hid it...Azure Knights...Tri-Edge...Must apologize...to Lycoris...so sorry...

...Zeni....Eterna tried to stop me....quite stubborn....I was stupid..connection with Armacham wasnÆt found....they knew....crossoverium will allow....spreading into the Infinitum...2 years ago....they died....Armacham knows...they suspect Zeni....has a key....Crimson Moon...still alive....crossoverium and crack-force...destroy...Zeni threatened....

....the Index...Mendicant Bias...a Reclaimer...Legacy....Armacham knows...recovered the Ark...the yaoists....to summon...Crimson Moon....most powerful weapon...to cross Infinitum...

...Xaosite....divines....acquired yaoi-force...halloween invasion...powers....crack-force found an avatar....priest LL....malignancy shows their involvement....the auditors...working together with...how? PhilosopherÆs stone...Michael is....searching for....bioroid? ...cure....but stone....project....Armacham....

....trying to remake....Executioner....Crimson Matrix...Project Crimson...Armacham Crimson Moon....I left the project....Project Innocence...Project Trollz...Project Jester...Central Hospital....underground....halloween incident...destroyed...Project Innocence recovered....but the Jester was lost....trollz....took him...they broke out...

....other choices....Rokudaime....contact....a man named Locke...Vesvius? ...central to plan...Armacham....Gravemind...Grave...Nikolaus...research....Washu tried...left the project after....will she be threatened? ....danger...keep research secret...Black Blizzard theory....hypothesized system....can create crack-force instability....crossoverium...

....project Innocence...must save...especially Sidhe...Armacham doesnÆt understand...the whole infinitum...the Knights of the....return....prophecy...Hawk understands....CMPS watching....canÆt do anything....

...thereÆs nothing we can do....

.....................

ItÆs....my fault...all my fault...

I am sorry....We are sorry...

Harald Hoerwick

ô....what the?ö Locke muttered under his breath. ôThe message is too corrupted to read...ö

ôWhatÆs that?ö Nikolaus asked.

ôI got an e-mail from someone who claims to be a...friend...ö Locke said, scrolling back up and showing Nikolaus the entire message. ôWhoever this Harald guy is, he seems to know a lot about everything.ö

ôFrom the looks of it, he actually had a hand in everything. We might have to pay him a visit.ö Nikolaus said. ô....thereÆs an attachment.ö He added, pointing out the attachment icon.

ôOh?ö Locke clicked on the attachment which opened up a scan of a newspaper article from 1 year ago.

ôTech-Wiz Takes the Jumpö The headline read, followed by a picture of a broken office window through which someone has obviously jumped.

ôCyber-Connect Division of Armacham Corporations, Harald Hoerwick, commited suicide....ö Locke read. ô...so much for visiting him, Nick.ö He sighed.

ô....He mentioned a lot of people in his e-mail. He seems to know a few of the people here....ö Nikolaus reasoned. ô...he knew me....ö

ô...donÆt you think itÆs strange?ö Locke suddenly asked.

ôWhat?ö Nikolaus asked.

ô....there seems to be some sort of ægrand schemeÆ thing going on here, right? It sort of suggests something more than just an invasion is going on, am I right?ö Locke mused.

ôYes....ö Nikolaus said, while asking for further elaboration.

ôThen how come all the people involved in this ægrand schemeÆ are all either here together in our group or dead?ö

ô....ö

ô.....thereÆs something at work here....and I doubt itÆs human manipulation...ö

 

[Zenithos]

OOC: Another part of my rather long post. I was hoping to add more battle scenes for everyone...but I figured I've spent too much time as it is XD. Anyway, more to come after this post.

Damage done to the evil shaped one,
too massive to compare.
Balmung of the Azure Sky,
Orca of the Azure Sea,
Kite of the Azure Flame,
together they gallop at full speed.
In the depth of my bosom,
your names shall remain.
You are none other than
the descendants of Fianna.

-W.B. Yeats, on the original Azure Knights-

Central urban district, TFF Academy City, 12:21 PM...

Columns of smoke rose up from the city into the fire-filled sky. Entire fleets of airships filled the smoke-filled azure skies.

Intermittent explosions filled the silence the entire city had fallen into.

Suddenly, a tall wave of dust and debris carved its way across a part of the central highrise district before crashing to a stop at the base of a skyscraper.

As the dust cleared and settled a pair of fiery red orbs blazed as the dispersing smoke revealed a gaunt metallic form, its chrome surface shining brightly under the afternoon sun.

And then it spokeà.

ôCoughà.that wasnÆt goodàWHY THE HECK AM I A FUNNEL AGAIN?!ö

The metal funnel sat harmlessly in the middle of its crater, slowly gathering dust, as two dark figures, bathed in azure flames, landed before it.

ôTri-Edgeà.so Aura has finally decidedàö The metallic form smirked. ôà.butà.WHATÆS WITH AURAÆS BLOODY SPAWN AND THEIR LOVE FOR METAL FUNNELS?!ö

Something smashed into upper parts of the sky-scraper behind him.

ôShiakou!ö The metallic form shouted up at the smoke billowing from the newly formed hole.

ôYouÆre not getting Zefie!ö ShiakouÆs voice echoed from above as the small doll shot out from the smoking hole in the building, straight towards an azure-flame-bathed figure floating in the sky.

àonly to get promptly beaten down towards the ground, right beside the metallic form, raising dust and debris in a ground-shaking explosion.

ôShiakou!ö The metallic form turned towards the crater formed beside him.

ôIÆm fine, Epsilon.ö Shiakou muttered, heaving himself up onto his feet while leaning on the Arc-Edge II. ôThese people are persistent, arenÆt they?ö

ôYou can say that again...ö Funnel!Epsilon muttered bitterly as the azure-flame-bathed figure in the sky slowly descended before its two compatriots before, as one, they advanced upon Epsilon and Shiakou.

ôDo you think I pissed off Aura that badly?ö Epsilon asked. ôFor her to send her Tri-Edge against me?ö

ôAzure Kite, Azure Balmung, and Azure Orca...ö Shiakou murmured as he raised his Arc-Edge. ô...this will not be easy.ö

ôYou got that right...ö Epsilon muttered back.

ô....by the way, Epsilon....ö Shiakou began. ô....what is it with you and funnels?ö

ô...I donÆt know. LetÆs ask them, shall we?ö Epsilon suggested, referring to the Azure Knights.

ô...ö Shiakou shrugged as he raised his Arc-Edge II once more and grinned. ôLetÆs do that.ö

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Skies above the central urban district, TFF Academy City, 12:23 PM...

Another explosion shook the skies above the city as a gigantic absolute-zero-probability orb blotted out a part of the sky, sending sparks of negative energy everywhere.

ôYeS! YoU HaVE IT! YoU HaVe IT!ö A gaunt dark figure laughed maniacally with one palm outstretched towards the absolute-zero orb.

ô....and I thought I disposed of you already...ö Xaosite sighed as he floated gently in the air, his divine robes flapping in the violent wind. The negative-energy bolts stopped short of him, as if grounded in an invisible forcefield. But each time the bolts grounded themselves, a slight after-image of a d20 dice could be seen for a fraction of a second before it spun away. ôWell, I guess itÆs true what they say about killing cockroaches. They die hard.ö He said with a serene smile.

ôLiFE WaS A ProDuCT of PurE ChanCE! BuT I CaN RedUcE ChaNcES To ZERO! I aM ThE AbSoLuTE CeRtaiNTY! I aM ThE EnD of AlL HOPE! I Am...ö The dark figure cackled, his body burning with a dark negative energy light.

ôThatÆs all you are, Jester. You are a complete zero.ö Xaosite said, raising both arms to either side, causing 2 gigantic d100s to appear.

ô....ExACtLY!ö The new dark Jester cackled, as the dark orb above him compressed itself into a giant dice. ôBeHOLd! My D-ZERO!ö

ô....ö Xaosite couldnÆt help but shake his head and sigh.

ôXaosite-sama!ö A voice shouted from below.

ô...Tohno?! Mihoshi?!ö Xaosite gasped, looking down at the two figures standing atop a high rooftop. ôWhat on earth....I told you take Konoka to safety!ö

ôNo, itÆs Soifon, she...!ö Tohno began.

ôEaSy PrEy!ö Dark Jester laughed, aiming his D-ZERO down at the two.

ô...think again...ö A voice said from behind. ôSting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi!ö A voice cried.

ôNo, Soifon!ö Xaosite shouted at the small lithe figure descending upon the Jester from above.

ô....YoU WaNt To gO FiRSt?!ö The Jester asked, swinging his D-ZERO around in a flash-like movement towards the incoming Soifon. ô...I DonT MinD!ö

ôNO!ö Xaosite rushed forwards with his D100s held forwards.

What happened next was a mere blur...

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

A street in the central urban district, TFF Academy City, 12:24 PM...

ôThese people are quite persistent...ö Xerxezz snickered through gritted teeth as he pulled the pins out of 4 grenades in one hand simultaneously and threw them over the upturned tank he was hiding behind. ôDamn it....I hope Sidhe-chan got the girls away safely....ö He got up and cocked his assault rifle as the grenades exploded, taking with it god-knows how many unlucky CMPS sods.

ô...if one gun doesnÆt solve the problem.ö He said, hefting another assault rifle from his duffel bag. ô...use more guns...ö He started to whistle as he casually walked out from behind the tank.

ôThere he is! Get him! Get him!ö The CMPS commander screamed at his subordinates from atop the armoured APC. On queue, the assorted CMPS soldiers and the tanks and APCs aimed their assortment of anti-personnel weaponry at Xerxezz and opened fire.

ôIs he a monster?! How come heÆs not DYING?!ö One of the soldiers screamed over the fury of the guns as Xerxezz calmly strode towards them, assault rifles at the ready, as if passing through the bullets seamlessly.

ôYou people obviously donÆt know the cliche!ö Xerxezz laughed as he casually strode amidst the maelstrom of bullets that peppered every bit of the street around him, weathering away entire buildings within a matter of minutes. But Xerxezz? He merely continued striding forwards. ôYou see, when an ass-load of uber-high-tech soldiers fire on one man, wearing little to no armour, armed with two big-ass manly guns....the bullets wonÆt touch him!ö Xerxezz laughed as he squeezed the triggers on his own pea-shooters. ôEAT.HOT.LEAD.ö

ôZAN GAN KEN!ö Two of the tanks suddenly exploded and flew off 20 meters into the air before crashing into nearby buildings.

ôTsuruko!ö Xerxezz shouted as he ripped through yet another line of CMPS soldiers. ôI was starting to miss you!ö

ôI was held up.ö Tsuruko replied, casually deflecting barrage after barrage of bullets as she strolled up to Xerxezz. ô...donÆt tell me theyÆre giving you trouble...ö She said, nodding at the line of CMPS soldiers who were giving it their all on Xerxezz.

ôThem?ö Xerxezz asked. He pressed a second trigger on his assault rifles, causing the two grenade launchers underneath the muzzles to spit out two red canisters towards the CMPS line....

....which promptly disintegrated in two mini-vortex explosions.

ô...not at all.ö Xerxezz shrugged as more bullets rained death upon them from the other lines around them.

With one deft whirl Tsuruko ducked down and picked up an assault rifle from XerxezzÆs duffle bag, unclipped the safety in one smooth motion as she lifted it up at armÆs length, before opening fire.

ôDamn..woman, I thought you were all about honour and such!ö Xerxezz shouted as he pressed his back up to hers and began firing at the converging CMPS soldiers.

ôAllÆs fair in Love and War!ö Tsuruko shouted back as the two slowly revolved with their backs up against the otherÆs as they decimated line after line of CMPS soldiers.

Suddenly, a few gunships rounded the corners of the streets and bore down on them while a set of heavier tanks advanced down the streets.

ô...how sharp is that kitchen knife of yours?ö Xerxezz asked.

ô....it can still sting....ö Tsuruko said with a bitter smile.

ô....really? Well, I ainÆt doinÆ any famous last stands yet.ö Xerxezz said...and began to sing one of his songs as together they wove a dance of death and destruction.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Deep Tunnels under the commercial district, TFF Academy City, 12:21 PM...

ôThis way!ö Marudashi cried.

ôAnd that way!ö Morodashi added.

ôDonÆt look back!ö They both shouted to the group behind them.

ôKeep up, everyone! WeÆre almost at the Shrine!ö Sidhe cried to the group of girls panting behind her.

ôAre you sure weÆre going the right way?ö Elidea asked as the group rounded another corner and found themselves in yet another dauntingly long tunnel.

ôI promised everyone IÆd get you all to safety.ö Sidhe said. ôSo trust me. ...And trust Moro and Maru too.ö

ôWe donÆt want to be caught.ö Moro pointed out.

ôNo, no, no!ö Maru cried, shaking her head frantically.

ôNo, we really donÆt want to be caught!ö They both cried.

ôWhich is why we must keep running.ö Sidhe said.

Suddenly, a wall on one side of the tunnel exploded inwards to reveal...

ôWeÆre on a mission from the Goddess, ainÆt that right, Elwood?ö A man in a black suit and 50s mobster hat said as he dusted his shoulders from the dust and debris. A horde of frogs leapt out from the hole behind him and formed up behind him, effectively blocking off their path.

ôEEEEEEEEEEP!ö The girls skid to a stop.

ôItÆs one of them!ö Moro shouted.

ôOne of them...and frogs! Run!ö Maru added.

ôThe other way, everyone, move!ö Sidhe ordered as the group turned 180...

...only to have their way blocked by another wall exploding inwards to reveal...

ôThatÆs right, Jake. The Goddess wants the Orphans back.ö Another man in black said as he walked out of the billowing smoke while fixing his shades. Another cascade of frogs poured out and formed a croaking barrier, blocking off their retreat.

ôLooks like weÆll have to take them on...ö Morrigan muttered.

ô....is it just me or are they ripping off....ö Eclair began.

ôThe Blues Brothers?ö Zefie asked, curious.

ôNO!ö The two men shouted. ôWe didnÆt rip them off! We were inspired by them!ö

ô....so you DID rip them off...ö Suzuka said with a dark grin.

ôAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGHHH!ö

ôTheyÆre coming! Be careful, everyone!ö Sidhe cried.

ôThe frogs!ö Moru shouted.

ôThe slime!ö Maru added.

ôDonÆt worry, cause weÆve got plenty of BEER!ö Eva and Rin shouted triumphantly.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

ôHey, thereÆs Mick!ö Love shouted, pointing down a deserted alleyway.

ôMick! MICK!ö Twin Blade shouted as he ran down a deserted alleyway towards a dazed-looking Mick.

ôWhat are you doing, Mick?!ö Love shouted as the two reached Mick. ôYou should be making your way towards the shrine!ö

ôI-I can do nothing...ö Mick mumbled.

ôHey man, wake up!ö TB shouted, shaking Mick violently by the shoulders. ôYou should....hey! are you listening to me?!ö

ôShe said to wait...ö Mick sighed, looking up at the 4 figures silhoutted against the magical explosions high up in the sky. ô...for now, I can only entrust Zen and Ei-chan to those two...ö He murmured as the four figures whirled around one another, firing death and destruction on one another.


Shunning her body broken by darkness,
The shadowed girl whispers,
ôSurely, I will return.ö
Alas, the truth unbeknownst.
Awaiting her at journeyÆs end;
Eternal mourning for her land.

-Excerpt from the Necronomnicon, On the Last Executioner-

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

ô...what just happened?ö

ôYeah, why was the city suddenly burning?ö

ôAnd why am I a frickinÆ funnel?! Again?!ö

ôWe interrupt this regular broadcast for a flashback.ö

ôFlashback? No....not another one...ö

ôAh! A flashback! Goody!ö

ôHopefully something that might explain all the weirdness?ö

ôHope so.ö

ôHey, thatÆs my seat!ö

ôNo, itÆs mine. CanÆt you see I left an apple there?ö

ôRoll tape!ö

ôA long long time ago....in a galaxy far far away....ö

ôOh wow, cliche!ö

ôShut up!ö

ôIn the beginning, there was only popcorn....and from it came the first signs of life - bacteria....ö

ôWhat? I started out as popcorn bacteria?ö

ô...that explains a lot...ö

WHOMP

ôOUCH! What was that for, you popcorn-bacteria-derived-yaoi/yuri-fangirl?!ö

ôI think we went back too far.ö

ôFast forwards. Let the popcorn evolve.ö

ôThatÆs popcorn bacteria.ö

ôCanÆt you all shut up about the popcorn bacteria?!ö

ôAh, here we are, that looks about right.ö

ôSettle down, children. Eat your popcorn and watch.ö

ôCannibals!ö

ô....ö

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

A dark alleyway in the slums, 3 years ago, about half a year before the Halloween Havoc invasion...

ôCome on, weÆve got to run!ö The brown-haired young girl shouted to her twin as she pulled her shackled hand down a dark, twisted alleyway. Their bare shackled feet pittered and pattered through the puddles and coarse concrete as they frantically ran for their lives.

ôBut, sis....ö Her twin sobbed, her tears streaming down her cheeks from her chestnut brown eyes. ôM-M-Master will be angry...heÆll b-be so angry...if

ôHeÆs not our Master! Our Master has diedd!ö The young girl shouted defiantly. ôWe only serve one Master, remember?ö

ôBut...but...heÆs the new M-Master. And if w-we donÆt do what he t-tells us to....ö Her twin cried in fear. ôH-HeÆll hurt y-you again, sis. I donÆt want h-him to h-hurt you!ö

ôI donÆt want him to hurt you either. He wants to sell you off and separate us. ThatÆs why we have to run.ö The young girl said, smiling back at her twin. ôWeÆll find a new Master, a good Master, a Master whoÆll always be nice to us like the old Master, and weÆll always be together.ö

ô...R-really?ö Her twin sniffled.

ôReally.ö She smiled, ripping the name-tag off her twinÆs collar and throwing it away into the darkness. ôTrust me.ö

Suddenly, a pair of gigantic black dogs appeared in front of them from around a corner and barked in their faces, causing them both to fall backwards.

Fortunately, their advance was halted by the chains on their leashes.

Unfortunately, said leashes were in the hands of a pair of heavily-set men in black overalls.

ôLookee what we have here...ö One man grinned as he shone his torch down on the twins. ôTwo girls, about the right age too.ö

ôYeah, and all collared too. The labs will be quite happy with these two.ö The other man nodded, grinning a gold-toothed grin.

The twins cowered on the floor of the alleyway, petrified with fear, as the two men advanced on them. Neither could even scream, gripped by pure fright.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Project Crimson Laboratories, Laboratory Block, Armacham Central Hospital, a few days after the Halloween Havoc invasion...

What...have I done to deserve this?

The pain was gone when she woke up. It had been eternities of pain before. Now it was all....gone...

She felt light...almost floating...

She tried to open her heavy eyelids. A flurry of bubbles suddenly rushed up before her face, causing her to gasp into the gas mask strapped onto her face.

Finally finding the courage to open her eyes once more, she opened them to find herself...floating in a strange transparent red liquid?

Beyond the liquid was what looked like a sheet of glass. There were...people outside?

Please...please...let me out...

The two men outside, both dressed in white labcoats, seemed to ignore her alltogether. Their voices, however, rang clear in her ears, as if the glass and liquid werenÆt in the way at all.

ôDamn it, delayed again.ö One man muttered. ôAnd Harald Hoerwick has started to make a lot of noise again.ö

ôDonÆt worry, CyberConnect doesnÆt have much jurisdiction down here. Besides, the way things are going, it wonÆt be long until Armacham silences him.ö The other man shrugged.

ôStill these delays bother me. Project Trollz and Project Innocence are advancing at a faster rate...ö

ôWe canÆt help it. The Crimson Matrix is just too unstable. Every single subject weÆve implanted it in so far has died from incompatibility.ö The other sighed.

What...what have you done to me? Why am I here?

Two men wheeled a gourney past. On it was a snow-blond-haired young girl, her eyes and mouth open wide, as if frozen in a silent scream.

ô...thatÆs the 65th subject, dead...ö One of the men in labcoats shook his head.

ôThey canÆt last more than 2 months.ö The other said. ô...what about this one?ö He asked, pointing at her.

I...I donÆt want to become like that...please...I donÆt want to become like that...

ôSubject number 66? Well...sheÆs quite interesting. She actually survived way longer than the others, for one thing. 6 months to be exact.ö

ôReally? So thereÆs promise with this one?ö

ô....who knows?ö

ôBut if she fails...itÆs the dissection room for her as well.ö The other man said, staring up at her coldly.

Suddenly, the entire laboratory shook violently as something exploded in the distance. Glass vials and bottles smashed to the floor as the lights flickered ominously.

ôWhat the...ö One of the men cursed sharply under his breath.

ôAll non-combat personnel, please evacuate through the nearest emergency exit. This is not a drill. A breach has been reported at the second Project Trollz containment chamber. Containment is compromised. Repeat, all Personnel, please evacuate through the nearest emergency exit...ö The PA blarred urgently.

ôDamn it!ö The two men dissappeared from her view.

I-IÆm scared...Please...I donÆt want to die...I donÆt want my sister to die...

ôYou donÆt want to die?ö A voice echoed from outside, crystal clear and sharp.

She opened her eyes in frantic panic as she looked around for the source of the voice in search of help. There, outside, beyond the glass, stood a young girl. Her long white hair flowed eerily despite the lack of wind in the closed room outside. Her emerald green eyes shone ominously through the clear fluid. She was smiling...perhaps the warmest smile she had ever seen.

No, I donÆt want to die. Please, help me...IÆm so scared...

ôI can save you.ö The girl said, smiling. ôBut in return...I need you to do something for me.ö

Anything! IÆll do anything!

ôThen....entrust your life, your soul, and your body unto me.ö The girl said. ôThat is all I ask.ö

....I...But...

ôIs it time to hesitate?ö The girl asked, cocking her head to one side as another violent explosion shook the lab. ôYou wouldnÆt want your sister to die while you hesitate, right?ö

Please! Save us! And IÆll give you anything I have! Anything!

ôThen it is a pact.ö The white-haired girl nodded, her smile widening as she stepped forwards towards her, reaching a hand out slowly towards her. ôThis wonÆt take long...ö She said reassuringly as, to her horror, the girlÆs eyes turned a bright bloody red. ôNot long at all...ö

And everything faded into darkness as she was sucked down into an oblivion darker than the recesses of the night.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Project Crimson Laboratories, Laboratory Block, Armacham Central Hospital, shortly after...

ôIÆm scared...please, I donÆt want to do this...ö She shrieked to herself as yet another body fell into a bloody heap at her feet. She looked down at her shaking palms. They were drenched in fresh, dripping blood. Her eyes widened in horror as her palms began moving on their own once more.

ôYouÆre doing fine, Zen!ö The voice said in her head, driving her on, moving her body forwards towards the next humanoid creature that was rushing towards her down the burning corridor.

ôPlease! IÆm so scared! DonÆt let them hurt me!ö She cried as her arms moved of their own accord and fired off a dark shockwave which slashed the creature, half the corridor, and many other creatures further down the corridor at the same time.

ôThey canÆt harm you. As long as you keep fighting.ö The voice in her head encouraged her. ôYou must fight to defend yourself and those you care for! You canÆt expect others to protect you!ö

ôPlease...stop...IÆd rather die...I donÆt want to do this. I donÆt want to fight...or kill...ö She sobbed. ô...Stop making me do this...ö

ôThese things arenÆt even human, Zen. They are trollz, monsters! If you donÆt kill them, they will kill you!ö The voice in her head snapped at her as she finally found herself standing before a metal door.

ôBut...but...I canÆt...why canÆt I even remember who I am?ö She cried as a gigantic double-ended blade materialized in one hand. With one deft slash she blasted apart the metal blast doors to yet another laboratory.

ôDonÆt worry. Everything will be fine. You are Zen. You are now looking for your sister, Ei-chan.ö The voice in her head said.

ôI am looking for...Ei-chan...ö Zen murmured to herself, as the doors fell with a resounding crash on the floor of the laboratory, revealing the burning laboratory beyond. The violent draft lifted her heavy black cloak and her snow-blond hair.

...more bodies were strewn across the floor. Blood splattered the floor, walls, and ceiling. Bloody handprints marked every other available space.

ZenÆs mouth fell open in a silent scream as she fell to her knees amongst the fallen and mangled bodies of CMPS operatives and scientists.

ôPull yourself together Zen!ö The voice in her head snapped. ôWhatever did this might still be....there it is!ö

Zen slowly, painfully turned her head around to look at the figure standing amidst the flames in the middle of the room. The figure was silhouetted against the flames, dark, looking up at the ceiling, as if deep in contemplation.

And then, sensing her presence, it slowly turned its head around to look at her.

And then...with a flicker of a tongue of flame, the figure had dissappeared....

ôZen, itÆs moving! Above you!ö The voice in her head shouted. ZenÆs eyes shot up and found the figure leaping off the ceiling towards a lab table...it leapt from table to table, then ran across one wall on all fours, before leaping towards her.

ôZen! Fight back!ö The voice ordered. As if by reflex, Zen whipped out her double-edged blade and swung it up at her enemy.

ôAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!ö The creature let out an ear-splitting scream as it fell backwards onto the floor and shook violently as blood splattered onto the floor before it.

ôIÆm...IÆm scared...ö Zen mumbled, her blade shuddering violently in her hesitant grasp. ôPlease...please....no...ö

The creature slowly straightened itself up into a standing position as it recovered. The draft from the flame whipped at the creatureÆs black cloak and snow-blond hair.

ôShe....ö Zen gasped. ôSheÆs....sheÆs me...ö

The girl standing before her lowered the hand she was holding up to her face to nurse the wound from ZenÆs sword to reveal a shallow gash that had managed to blind her right eye.

ôUlp...ö ZenÆs hand flew up to her hand as she fought to choke back her sick.

ôNo, Zen, thatÆs a trollz. They take on the shape of whatever they think is fitting of them. This one is a powerful trollz...which is why she took on our shape.ö The voice in her head said. ôNow...prepare...ö

The trollz materialized her Cerberus tri-barrelled gun in one hand and with a deft slashing motion fired off seven consecutive shots at Zen. As if by reflex, ZenÆs body leapt forwards while deflecting the bullets with her double-ended blade.

The trollz countered with her own double-ended blade and fought back fiercely. The two danced backwards and forwards across the flames before....

...Zen found a manna-charged palm grasp her face before....

...a manna-discharge shockwave threw her backwards across the room into the wall behind her. As if on queue, the ceiling collapsed above the trollz from the shock of the attack.

The trollz gave Zen one last cold stare before turning and walking away into the flames as the ceiling collapsed behind it.

ô....run, Zen!ö The voice in her head cried, snapping her to her senses, pulling her to her feet and into a mad dash for the exit as the laboratory collapsed behind her, disrespectfully burying the dead behind her.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Zen and Ei-chanÆs room, Futakoihana Shrine, 1 year later....

ZenÆs eyes flashed open as she shot up into a sitting position. Her chest heaved as she gasped for breath. She felt hot, confused, and nauseous.

ô....what is it, Sis? Nightmares again?ö Ei-chan asked, stirring in her futon beside her.

ô.....itÆs the....laboratory one....ö Zen said, as she slowly regained her breath. ôS-sorry for waking you, Ei-chan....ö

ôDonÆt worry.ö Ei-chan smiled as she brought her sister a glass of water. ôI dreamt of the colliseum again myself...and our first battle.ö

ôAh...yes, that...ö Zen nodded. ôOur first victory.ö

ô....was it any clearer? Did you find out who that girl was?ö Ei-chan asked.

ô....no...ö Zen sighed, shaking her head. ôI only know that she looked a lot like me.ö

ô...do you still get visits in your dreams?ö Ei-chan asked.

ô....you mean the strange girl in the black cloak? The one who looks like...us? Umm...not recently...ö Zen said. ôShe...doesnÆt say much now.ö

ôHmm....she doesnÆt say much in my dreams either.ö Ei-chan said, shrugging. ôOh well, no matter. Beddy-bye time! We have to take the children to school tomorrow!ö Ei-chan said cheerfully. ôNot to mention Epsilon said heÆs busy tomorrow so we have to pick up Len-chan and Kirakishou-chan as well.ö

ôUmm...yes, true.ö Zen nodded as she laid back on her futon. Her dreams later that night werenÆt plagued by flames anymore....rather, they were filled with the horrors of her waking life û namely, popcorn.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ


Der Mann mit Schatten ist auf
der Such' nach dem Karmesin Mond verreist und kommt noch nicht zur³ck.
Zenithias von dunkelheit, K÷nigin von Schatten stellt schlie?lich das Heer auf.
Der Unschuld, G÷ttin von Licht bewinkt.
Die verfluchte Gei?el ist gemeinsam zu bekõmpfen.

The Shadowed One is gone on
The quest for the Crimson Moon and is yet to return.
Zenithias of the darkness, Queen of the Dark, has raised finally her army.
The Innocence, Goddess of Light, beckon.
Against the abominable scourge, together they fight.

-Emma Wielant, Epitaph of the Infinitum-

OOC: More flashbacks towards the beginning of day 5 to come. Hopefully the flashback of Zen and Ei-chan's past provided a plausible explanation for the recent...err...events. I'm still trying to get my head around the whole collar and leash thing myself, so sorry if it doesn't make much sense XD. I'll elaborate more in the next installment.

 

[Zenithos]

Spare room, FrankÆs inn, Lower slums, 10.34 AM

ôHmmm.....asleep again....ö Mick sighed as she deposited the twins in their kennel once more after a long and thorough morning. ôOh well, we got a lot done this morning anyway. They deserve a quick rest before we move out.ö He said with a smile.

Down in the living room....

ôThere! ItÆs off!ö Nez declared triumphantly as she ripped the collar from her scratched and bruised neck. After an entire morning of trying every single method in the book, including POPCORN, she finally got the wretched thing off.

Click...

ôI got mine off.ö Incarna said brightly, dangling her still intact collar in one hand.

ô...H-howÆd you do that?!ö Nez gasped. ôI tried everything...EVERYTHING! HowÆd you get it off so easily?!ö

ô....easy. I just picked the lock.ö Incarna smiled.

Nez facefaulted, bigtime.

ôOk, Nez, Incarna, youÆve got to get into your shrine maiden costume, quick!ö Tsuruko said, ushering the frustrated Nez and the gleeful Incarna off to change.

ôWe have to get moving soon.ö Locke said impatiently. ôThe slummers have already gathered at the north entrance to the slums and theyÆre ready to move out on our command.ö

ôBut....what about Mick?ö Twin Blade asked.

ôMick?! MICK?!ö Locke suddenly flared up as he stomped towards the stairs. ôJust a minute, let me give him his morning call...ö He growled deeply as he stomped up the stairs....

....only to have the stairs suddenly dissapear under him...

ôHuh...?ö He gasped as everything rocked violently while a bright flash blinded his vision. ôNo! Must get them to safety.....ö

...........

ôGood Morning.ö

The TFFers all lay in an assorted jumble in a deep crevice that had cut through most of the inn, leaving only a small bit of the stairs and the spare room Mick was in intact. Most of the slums around them had been decimated and reduced to pure ruin. It was amazing any of them were still alive.

ô....Ugh....ö Zeph muttered as the TFFers gingerly picked themselves up. ôWho just said ægood morningÆ? I swear IÆll pop them one....UGH!ö He gasped as a hand grasped him around the collar and raised him up into the air.

ôWhen the Mistress speaks, you listen.ö Alucard said to the straining Zeph. All around them portals opened, through which an assortment of people, including Spike Spiegel, Washu, Motoko, Naruto, Sakura, and Akashi-sensei, stepped through.

ôMistress...?ö Xaosite muttered, slowly standing up. ôNo.....YOU!ö

ô....shouldnÆt you all be a little more excited, seeing an old friend?ö A girl in a black cloak said as she descended down before them.

ôOld friends blast away the front door?ö Unknown asked with a bitter chuckle. ôSure...yeah. YÆknow...IÆm getting really tired of seeing more and more copies of Zeni...ö

ô....itÆs sort of a season thing, is it, to parade around as Zeni?ö Janus muttered as his scythe materialized in one hand.

ô...hey...ö Nez muttered aside. ôYou people dressed me up in this...ö

ôAnd whyÆs the boss showing up personally? ShouldnÆt you send your minnions? Or are you low on manpower?ö LL grinned his usual Xellos grin. ôThough...looking around, I can see thereÆs really no shortage of manpower...oh, hello Inverse-san, youÆre mighty bright today.ö He smiled to Lina Inverse who had just stepped out of a portal. ôIs the pay better with them?ö

ôDamn....the working conditions must be waaaay better with you people for this many people to defect...ö Legacy nodded in agreement as he saw more and more familiar faces amongst the crowd until he saw... ôHell no....the Flaming Cs betrayed me TOO?!ö

ôOh well, no matter. IÆm not here on a social call anyway.ö Dark Zeni sighed, shaking her head. ôI came to make sure I acquire them personally. IÆm here for Project Innocence. Hand them over, and IÆll let you live.ö

ôOh, Gods....ö Xaosite sighed. ôYouÆre worse than the Grand Master Fangirl...canÆt you think up something more original than æhand them over and IÆll let you liveÆ?ö

ôI donÆt need to.ö Dark Zeni said. ôYou got my message. Hand them over.ö

ôHah! Never!ö Epsilon began to laugh....only to find a three-pronged dagger appear under his neck within a flash. ô....Kite...ö He muttered, looking into the glowing red orb of Azure KiteÆs eye.

ôSo, where are they?ö Dark Zeni asked, looking around.

ôSore...ö LL began, raising an arm. ô...Wa...ö Crack-fic energy began to charge up at his finger tips. ô...Himitsu....ö He grinned as many orbs materialized in the air above them.

ô...DESU!ö He finished, bringing his outstretched hand down heavily, causing dozens of steamrollers to fall out of the dark orbs straight at the assorted attackers.

ô....you wonÆt cooperate? Very well then...ö Dark Zeni sighed as she caught one of the steamrollers. ôWRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!ö

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

????????, ??????????, ????????????, ???????

There was only numbness. Every limb felt solid, dead, lost to life. Her thoughts came in short, painful flickers, as if her brain was water-logged to the core. Wind howled around her, but even that was slowly dimming away, as if her ears were slowly shutting down.

ô....looks like you need help again.ö A voice said. ôDonÆt worry, all you need is a little manna boost...ö

A warmth suddenly spread through her, warming her from the heart outwards. Life flooded back into her mind and limbs as she slowly woke up from her icy slumber. She stretched, rather painfully, as her muscles slowly got used to the warmth again.

She forced her heavy eyelids open as she slowly got up and found herself....amidst the icy tundra once more...

ôWelcome back, Zen.ö She jumped upon heraing the voice behind her.

In sudden panic, she scrabbled up, fell, before turning around to face the source of the voice.

ôDonÆt worry, Zen.ö Said the source of the voice, who, apparently, was the girl in the black cloak from her dreams. She was sitting with her back to her against an ornate vertical metal bar buried deep into the ice.

Was she dreaming again?

ôYes, youÆre dreaming, Zen.ö The girl said in a cheerful voice. ôBut donÆt worry, I wonÆt bite. I canÆt really bite from where I am anyway...ö

Zen slowly traced the metal bar up...and up...before she almost twisted her neck painfully as she found that the metal bar extended up into the desolate overcast sky above. Then she found that there were other metal bars on either side of it, lined up one after another, extending away into the horizon as far as the eye can see, forming a gigantic metal cage.

...a metal cage separating her and the girl...

ôCozy, isnÆt it?ö The girl chuckled, her pale white hair flowing gently in the icy wind. ôI made it myself.ö

ôAnyway, now that youÆre awake, shall we have a little chat?ö The girl asked, standing up slowly. A cacophony of clinks and chinks accompanied her standing up. Zen looked around and found that the source of the clanking was the many heavy black chains extending up under the girlÆs black cloak, all of which trailed along the ground away into the distance.

ôSo, Zen,ö The girl smiled a warm smile. ôHow are things in the waking world? Still fighting to protect the city?ö

ô....ö Zen, slowly, almost unconsciously, reached up to her collar and grasped it in search of comfort.

ô....ö The girl watched silently, before sighing. ôI...canÆt say IÆm pleased, Zen...but I suppose itÆs mostly my fault.ö She said, giving Zen a rather apologetic look. ôI know you only wish for a normal life...a life with a new Master who would love and care for you and your sister. You were born a slave, and you can only be happy as one...with a good Master.ö The girl shook her head gently. ôI knew that, but it was in the way of my plans. So I erased your memories, and replaced them with fragments and hints of my own, hoping that you would follow in my footsteps and complete my mission for me.ö

Zen opened her mouth to speak...but shut it again quickly, sensing a heavy tension settling over them.

ôBut I guess thereÆs no helping it, is there? You really do like your collar...ö The girl chuckled, before sighing once more. ôIÆm sorry, Zen. IÆm really sorry. But I really had no other choice.ö She said, taking one heavy step forwards towards Zen.

Zen scrabbled backwards as a sudden fear took hold of her. What were this girlÆs intentions?

ôI knew your body wouldnÆt be able to contain my soul...so I sealed myself away as deep in your mind as I can to reduce the damage to your body. But now I have no choice...ö

ôYou see, Zen, there are things at stake that is worth more than the lives of you or me. There are innocents dying out there from the scourge in the infinitum at this very moment. I canÆt stand by while that happens.ö The girl said as she took another heavy step towards the metal bars. ôWeÆve made a pact. Until I complete my mission, you are bound to me. So I will use you.ö The girl looked up at Zen, her eyes blazing a bloody red.

Zen froze as pure, mortal fear gripped her entire body. The crimson eyes bore deep into her, as if violating her very soul.

ôI will use you, to within an inch of your life if I must. For I will NOT FAIL!ö The girl roared as her chains snapped free and her cloak billowed from the force of the dark aura that flowed out from under it. The pitch-black aura surged out between the bars and enveloped ZenÆs body, choking her.

ôI AM ZENI, EXECUTIONER OF THE CRIMSON MOON! I WILL COMPLETE MY MISSION WITHOUT FAIL!ö Zen heard the girl cry before she fell deep into a dark oblivion.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

The spare room in whatÆs left of the second floor of the inn exploded in a brilliant flash of crimson, spewing out wood, metal kennel pieces, and a rather surprised Mick. Almost simultaneously, two flashes of bright blue light shot out into the sky, twirled around one another, before stopping in mid-air.

ôI am Zeni, Mistress of all Mistresses of the Night! Look upon my darkness, ye mighty, and DESPAIR!ö A voice shouted.

ôI am Eterna, Mistress of the Mistress of all Mistresses of the Night! Look upon my popcorn ye skeptical, and FEAR!ö Another voice announced.

ô....whatÆs with your intro?ö

ôHey, I had to fit in popcorn somewhere...ö

ô....ö

 

[Vexarian]

Day 5, The Slums; Frank's Inn; Vex's Room, 10:05 AM

/Interface Network <Dead-Net>

Searching...
...
Connection Found <Class D Serial Number 4237>

Establishing Connection...
...
...
...
Link established

/Load Program <Net=Comm Beta 1.7>

Channel? <ABD-0000>

Loading...
...
Loaded

[Vex] Has Joined Channel <ABD-0000>

[Xero]: Your late Vex.

[Vex]: The alarm clock wasn't durable enough to wake me.

[Xero]: Excuses, excuses.

[Vex]: Meh...

[Ryo]: We should get on subject, what was it that you needed?

[Vex]: Right, well, I didn't expect this particular world to be quite so bizarrely chaotic. Case in point, I've encountered several entities of interest, some of which have been extremely hostile. While fun, it is clearly only the beginning of things.

[Xero]: Snore...

[Vex]: You shut up!

[Xero]: Make me!

[Vex]: I will once I fucking find you!

[Ryo]: Settle down the both of you!

[Vex]: Right. Anyway, Ryo, I don't think my Soldier Pod and the Class D Respawn Satellite I brought will be sufficient. Can you launch a Skirmisher and several of your Modified Satellites on a course for this world?

[Ryo]: ...

[Xero]: Great, he's not going to do it is he?

[Ryo]: Do your best to return it all in one piece, and I'll make sure to stock the skirmisher before launch. They'll be ready for send off in about two hours, and opening a slip window should reduce the travel time by a massive amount, it should arrive at your location within a day or so.

[Vex]: Awesome, I owe you one Ryo.

[Ryo]: I'll hold you to that.

[Ryo] Has Exited Channel <ABD-0000>

[Xero]: So... About those directions?

[Vex]: Sigh... I'll get the Global Positioning System running off the satellite. How the hell did you even manage to get into the Dead-Net on a Datapad anyway?

[Xero]: I started trying around Seven...

[Vex]: Damn, three hours?

[Xero]: PM...

[Vex]: ...I'm gonna turn on the GPS. Remember, the command is "/GPS Ping Vex", then just follow the directions.

/Load Program <Global Positioning System Omni>

Loading...
...
...
...
Loaded

/Exit Program <Net=Comm Beta 1.7>

/Activate Standby Mode

Vex sighed as he tucked his data pad into his trenchcoat once more, and muttered, "Hopeless..."

 

[Eternity-Incarnate]

OOC: Story by Zeni, written by Eterna-chan!

What's Left, Lower slums, 10.40 AM

"Mistress, we found them!" Akashi-sensei reported to Dark-Zeni.

"Where are they?!" Dark-Zeni asked, her eyes suddenly blazing.

"In a tunnel leading away from here, moving at an insanely fast pace!" Akashi replied. "We believe the tunnel entrance is right under...."

KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM....

"....not anymore, it isn't." Locke said with a small smile as what remained of the inn was vapourized in one brilliant explosion as he snapped his laptop shut.

"....GET THEM!" Dark Zeni roared. "And KILL anything that gets in your way! Nobody defies ME!" She screamed as hundreds more portals opened simultaneously behind her and spewed out more shadow-trollz of assorted size and shapes.

"....wanna bet...?" LL asked with his Xellos grin still in place as the trollz ranks thundered past him towards what's left of the tunnel entrance behind Locke.

"...don't...IGNORE US!" Zeph shouted as, with a solid rotating kick, trench coat flying in the wind, he sent one trollz flying high up into the air before, with a little telekinesis, he slammed it down meteor-style into its comrades.

With one quick, low swing of his Xellos staff, LL knocked the feet out from under one giant trollz before, with a follow-up swing, blasted it into the trollz ranks behind it where its genormous body made quite an impact.

"Lina-saaaan!" LL called out, a mad Xellos-grin still in place.

"Ai-ren! You no cheat on Shampoo!" Shampoo cried with a dissaproving look.

"Off course not, my dear Shampoo-chan." LL said. "Lina is just an old fri...." He leaned out of the way as a fireball whizzed by his head, missing him just by mere inches.

"I finally found you, XELLOS!" Lina roared. Shampoo watched as the fireball made contact with one of the pillars holding up the slums in the distance....before it erupted in a gigantic supernova. The draft whipped her hair and LL's as she squinted to observe the damage.

"....You seriously no cheat on Shampoo. That girl will kill you." Shampoo said grimly.

"...." LL sighed. "There are times when I wish Xellos-sama wasn't THIS popular with the girls...." He lifted his Xellos staff up as crack-fic energy swarmed up around him. "...watch me, Xellos-sama...."

"Sigh...looks like I'm the only one who won't be getting a proper opponent..." Nikolaus sighed. "Oh well, more random corpses to..." He paused as he heard a dark, cold, low breathing behind him. He considered his choices, weighed out the cliches, sighed and shrugged, before turning around.

He groaned. "Kel 'Thuzad...why do I get some random plotless character-type-matching opponent....?" He shook his head as the portal through which the rotting bony lich lord appeared slowly crackled out.

"Come now, is that how you greet an old friend...?" Kel 'Thuzad intoned in his sleazy, oily low voice.

"....old friend? I thought friendship ends at the grave." Nikolaus grinned. "As far as I'm concerned, you're just another rotting corpse....waiting for just another experiment..."

Kel 'Thuzad chuckled. "Well, you say that..." He suddenly burst out laughing, causing Nikolaus to blink. "....well...never mind that. You have the necronomnicon, don't you...?"

"...." Nikolaus remained silent as the wind whipped at his brown coat.

"....We worked together on the necrolyzation dead regeneration technique research at Armacham...." Kel 'Thuzad said. "I still remember...you were always much further than me, always, always....and I could never figure out why." He sniffed, with what little nose he had left. "....And then you escaped with Washu...just like that, leaving me and Dr. Tokioka with next to nothing." He spat. "I knew what Armacham was doing. I knew what they were trying to do with the necrolyzation dead regeneration technique. And I didn't care. ....while you...you didn't have the guts to finish what you started...."

"....guts...?" Nikolaus suddenly laughed out loud. "You think it's that?" He shook his head as his laughter subsided into chuckles. "No....I just thought it was Armacham who didn't have guts...to use my research for such shallow ends. Crimson Matrix?" Nikolaus shrugged. "That...was sad and pathetic. No, I pursue an art, Kel, something you will never understand."

"....never mind, enough with the soliloquy, hand over the frickin' book." Kel 'Thuzad breathed.

".....you were monologuing yourself...." Nikolaus muttered. "What book? I don't have any books on me."

"...."

"...."

"For the Lich King! Arise, Arthas, and my burning legion!" Kel 'Thuzad roared as more portals opened up behind him.

"....Suzuka! Grave! On me!" Nikolaus shouted.

A rig truck suddenly seen bouncing across the battlefield at breakneck-speed towards them with a screaming Mika at its wheel.

Nikolaus' eyes widened slightly as he took one small step backwards as the truck bounced off a small slope, flew up into the air, before rolling across the battlefield, knocking away a number of small-time zombies Kel 'Thuzad had summoned, before coming to rest a small distance away from the two necromancers.

"...."

"...."

"....fu..." Kel 'Thuzad suddenly gave out a small, amused breath.

"....you just laughed, didn't you...?" Nikolaus asked darkly.

"...." Kel 'Thuzad gave him a bony shrug as Arthas materialized beside him.

"...."

"...Gigabyte...." A soft voice called out within Epsilon's mind. "....don't lose hope...."

"....!" Epsilon's digital virus eyes suddenly blazed as a sudden fury took hold of him, much like when he first saw Zefie. But...there was something sinister about this particular rage...and when his eyes locked with Azure-Kite's, the fury exploded. "RAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" He screamed as a shockwave of azure-coloured energy exploded from within him, sending Azure-Kite skidding back in the dust.

In a sudden mad dash, Epsilon leapt forwards, metal claws blazing, as Azure-Kite whipped out his 'Empty-Skies' twin-tri-pronged-daggers. Azure sparks exploded as their blades clashed. Small multi-coloured numbers appeared above their heads when each strike landed.

"Yare yare...what are we in for this time?" Eterna-chan asked with a sigh as the twins flew down towards the battefield. "....ooh, collar!" She added with a grin as she poked the collar around her neck.

"We mustn't tarry. Every minute counts on these bodies." Zeni said with a grim look. "Stop them from getting Project Innocence. That's what matters." She said, ripping off her own collar as the trollz stampeded towards them.

"Gotcha." Eterna said with a grin as she offered her hand to Zeni.

Zeni grasped it tightly and together they raised their voice, "Blood Fortress ZERO!"

Dark veins of energy exploded forth from the twins and meshed themselves into a spherical net which grew and spread outwards towards the oncoming stampede. Each and every trollz caught by the sphere were either thrown back with varying degrees of severe injury or disintegrated altogether by the force of field.

"Ooooh, your mini-me's coming this way!" Eterna-chan observed as Dark Zeni blasted a hole straight through the barrier and sped towards them. "....ok by yourself?"

"...I'll show this vampire-wannabe what it means to be an Executioner..." Zeni said.

"Then I'll go make sure those PI girls are A-OK..and find some popcorn...I haven't eaten popcorn in 2 years..." Eterna-chan said as she took off.

Zeni sighed. "....I haven't used the loo in 2 years..." She realized. "...I can't believe this is enough to make me miss school...."

 

[David Alan Abramczyk]

What's Left, Lower slums, 10.40 AM

David gaped in a sort of shocked inevitability at the carnage that was surrounding him. He shook his head, and loaded his revolver as he spotted a handful of trolls approach.

"Hey, buddy! Have a Lead Sandwich!" he called, sending a .455 straight through the nearest troll. Behind him, a series of dull ringing thuds rang out as Kasumi bashed Trolls over the head with a saucepan; and above them, Belldandy flapped her wings as she used her wind magic to pepper the troll ranks with attacks.

 

[Unknown-common-827]

What's left, Lower Slums, 10:41AM

"Blood Fortress ZERO!"

I heard those words and immediately I could recognize the voices. Zeni and Eterna have been reborn.

As I dashed directly behind the group leading to the melee, I could feel a renewed sense of urgency.

Looking up and into the fight below I saw countless sparks, energy bolts and other points of issue flying before a troll tried to land on me.

"Obviously, El El has had a little fun" I state before punching the now dead troll back to the battlefield in whence it came.

"Who in the world?" was a question in a voice I hadn't heard before.

However, idling by was no longer enough for me. With a look of determination and my eyes rolled back into my head, I floated out of the hole and into the battle.

"Who wishes to be sent to hell on the express train?" I ask before grabbing a troll and hurling him toward his cronies.