The skies above Area C were cloudy and blue; the sun was shinning above the city with radiant beams of light. A tranquil day by all rights.
However, in those skies was a different story.
Prairie let out a deep sigh, the Guardian HQ was an odd assortment of individuals, and oddly enough, their would be newest member should the, well, the strangest. But, she wasn't.
It was everyone one else. The effort to keep them all in line was trying enough.
Speaking of which…
"Reroute the com system to her headset, try to get a connection through." Prairie said to her three loyal bridge officers.
"On it." One of them, Marguerite, confirmed.
"Connection established in three...two…one…" The link was established, and Prairie opened her mouth to speak. But…
"RULES OF NATURE!"
"Turn it off F!" Aile grunted as the Giga Aspis tired to slam it's tail against the chosen one, barely keeping it in place with the Zx Saber, Aile really did not need heavy rock music right now.
"Oh come on! It fits!" The Biometal know as Model F whined, "You're even holding the attack up and everything!"
"It's trying to crush me!" Aile yelled desperately, managing to slide the massive tail off her sword and into the ground, where it promptly decided to try to smack her in the stomach. Barely catching the blow, Aile had braced her sword against the attack.
"Throw it! Come on throw it!" Model F cheered, "Come on, be like Ra-"
"That's…enough!" Grunting, Aile, with all her strength enhanced by the Biometals, lifted the Mechaniloid into the air, and for lack of a better word, threw it.
It was an odd sight, seeing a snake robot fly through the air. This briefly stunned some tourists who were watching the birds from far away with binoculars. They were even more surprised when a red and white blur somehow jumped onto the flying machine and ran across it.
"WOOOO!" Model F yelled as Aile dashed right for the Giga Aspis head unit.
"Fernir, please." The calmer Model H said, coming as close to a sigh as it could.
"Well, they learned something, at least." Model Z said drly.
"Why did we let them play that again?" Model X asked wearily.
Aile, for her part, performed a mid air leap and armed the Zx saber. Time seemed to slow down as she approached the most vulnerable part of the machine, it's neck, her sword reached an overhead cut, and Aile swung.
"HYAAAH!" She screamed as the plasma sword cut the Giga Aspis' head in in twine. The Mechaniloid's insides white hot from the blow with now exposed wires and circuits. Somersaulting in the air, Aile landed on one knee and calmly deactivated the Zx saber.
Doing her best to ignore the resulting explosion that resulted from the Giga Aspis head blowing up, the transporter tapped her headset, turning down the volume on the heavy rock music that Model F had turned on. Really, they had just played the game when she was recovering from the battle with Serpent, she didn't think F would like it THAT much…then again, why wouldn't he?
"-Le? Aile!" Prairie's voice came in over the COM, causing the Chosen to flinch.
"Yes?" She asked tentatively.
"Ah, good. What was that?" Prairie asked from the bridge of the Guardian HQ, Aile could feel her eyebrow being raised at the choice of music.
"It was Model F…" She muttered, "Anyway, I'm just about wrapped up here. Heading back to the transerver now. "
"About that, there's been sighting of Mavericks close to Area E, and you're the closest." Prairie sounded apologetic, "Sorry, I know that it's been one attack after another, but it's been tough with Slither Ic going out of business."
"It's fine." Aile sighed, "Anyway, heading there now. Did the plant get restarted?"
"Without Serpent's backing, the city officials are scrambling to supply whatever they can." Prairie said, confirming Aile's suspicion, but she sounded downtrodden, "To be honest, Serpent was the one keeping the city alive. Without him, it won't be long before the civilians revolt."
"….." Aile didn't respond.
"Don't get the wrong idea," The commander continued, "What Serpent did was unforgivable. You and I both know that, but he was a symbol to everyone else. With his death, and Model W being released, it's practically anarchy. The Guardians are doing all we can, but it's not enough."
"It never is." Aile said, then shook her head, "Moving on to Area E. I'll let you know when the Mavericks are gone."
"Roger. Guardian HQ out."
Cancelling the connection, Prairie let out a tired sigh. Really. It was one thing after another. The rebellion, the fall of Neo Arcadia, and then finally Area Zero now know as Area C, the place of beginnings and endings, then a weary peace, if it could be called that.
Ciel, what would you do?
Shaking her head to clear out the thoughts of the missing scientist, Prairie observed the halcyon skies from the Grand Nuage's bridge. Really, it was so easy to be fooled by the clear sky and puffy clouds, to forget the unrest on the ground. But they had a duty, they were guardians after all, it's what they did.
Speaking of….
"How's the Area G restoration project coming along?" Prairie asked without even turning around as the doors slid open behind her.
Fleuve let out a chuckle, "You must tell me how you do that." He said.
Little did he know, Prairie had a mirror nicely set up just so she could see whoever was behind her without having to turn around, but Fleuve didn't need to know that.
"Anyway, Area G is still suffering heavy damage from Fistleo's rampage. Repairs are underway, but with the rising increase in Maverick attacks, there could be danger of shutting it down." Fleuve said, shaking his head in disdain, "Honestly, with Serpent gone and his flunkies disappearing, you think that raids would die down."
"He had a lot of factories built explicitly for making them. It wouldn't surprise me that they would be automated." Prairie said, "Still, the aftermath of a disaster is often worse then the disaster itself, we just need to hold on."
Fleuve opened his mouth to respond but a sharp chime from the communications console.
"Ma'am, Maquereau's brigade has touched down in Area I. Salvage operations are underway." Gardenia said.
"Good. Hopefully there'll be something we can use down there."
Another chime.
"Aile has entered Area I, should I open a COM link?"
"No. She'll be fine on her own." Prairie shook her head, "Tell Muguet to prep the med bay for injuries."
"Ma'am?" Marguerite turned to look at the Guardian commander.
Prairie sighed heavily, "When have you ever seen a Maverick raid without causalities?"
Aile braced herself as the door from the E-7 server opened up and walked away from the Transever room.
"Well, this brings back memories." Aile remarked as she observed the area where she and Hivolt dueled for possession of Model H, "He was rather chatty wasn't he?" She said, "Kind of a stuck up though."
"Well, he had Model H. So it's a given." Model Z calmly, letting Model H bristle at the comment.
"Grk! Zero, how-"
"Harpuia." Model X cut in calmly, "Now is not the time."
"M-my apologies Master X." Model H said sheepishly.
Model F coughed out something like "Kiss-ass." Choosing to ignore the voices inside her head, Aile pressed on through the Area.
Maneuvering through the absurdly spaced power plant with model Hx, Aile spent a few moments observing the giant, heart like structure in the background.
"….I swear that thing gets creepier every time I come here." Aile sighed, standing on top of a platform above a very large drop.
"Indeed. Though it supplies power to the plant, it never ceases to disturb me." A new voice said from behind her.
Turning around, Aile saw a silver haired man in a green vest and a cape that vaguely resembled the coat Serpent wore. He held a broadsword encased in a red sheath, with both hands resting on the pommel, "Forgive me, I am Aeolus. I have dedicated myself to the restoration of this plant. And you are either an advanced repiold here to aid me, or you are a very small pseudoroid here to exterminate us." He grabbed the hilt and slowly drew the metal blade from its sheath, "If so, then I'm afraid your path ends here."
Aile titled her head at the speech, and put her hands up in a placating gesture, "Uh. Hold on. My name's Aile, I'm here to help. I'm with the Guardians."
"Do no think you can-" Aile quickly unmerged in front of him, the wounds from the fight with Serpent showing with bandages on her face, Aeolus blinked, "Oh, forgive me. I was not expecting that."
Aile shrugged, "Not a lot of people would."
Aeolus nodded, "Well then, forgive me miss?"
"Aile."
"Very well Miss Aile, if you are here to help us as you say, I would greatly appreciate it."
Aile placed a hand on her hip, "No problem, just tell me where to go."
Aeolus moved to the side, "This way, just down the ladder and through the hallway." Nodding in thanks, Aile moved past silver haired man and went onwards, "By the way, I must ask, where did you get that armor? It looked rather appealing."
Aile raised an eyebrow and looked back at the man, there was no trance of malice on his face, only curiosity.
"Er, sorry, this isn't something anyone can use. You have to be a chosen one, whatever that is." Aile explained.
If it deterred the man, he did not show it.
"I see, thank you."
Without a word, the man leaped from platform to platform, leaving a bewildered Aile alone on the ledge.
"Huh."
"What is it Aile?" Model H asked.
"It's just, I don't think we'll be seeing the last of him." Aile said, shrugging.
"It's probably just nerves." H replied.
"Yeah, you're probably right." Aile agreed, shifting back into Model Zx.
