Last Stand of Monsters and Men
Flames licked the battlefield (thanks to Ultor), lightning rained upon it (yes, I'm looking at you, Zedus), and arrows fell in volleys (courtesy of miss Andaria, of course).
Aurelia stared at the remnants of the proud glory of Athensphere. Gazia stood quietly behind his mechanical army, his mechanical eyes cold and calculating.
"This one has a feeling known as "sorrow", Gazia." Zenia's voice was mechanical as always, yet strangely soft and tender.
"Brother…how could you do this?" Hadaron said to his former friend.
He had used his technology, intellect and power, all for this. The destruction of Athensphere had always been his greatest wish. But the only thing Zedus could not understand was why.
"What do you even want, Mad Heretic?" Zedus asked calmly. The last of Athensphere's forces were together for one last stand versus a tinkerer who had an army of mecha monsters.
"Evolution. Cleansing. This is the only way, Zedus. The world must rise from the ashes to rebirth, to the future! And it begins here!" Gazia emphasised the last word, blasting the sky with Light Energy.
Zedus shook his head. "I'm sorry, Gazia. Really. But your insanity, this devastation, cannot go on any longer."
"And to think they call me insane…" Gazia spoke calmly.
"Defence Sequence 1, activate. Trigger: Aigis IX: Photonic Collapse." The insane tinkerer said, executing a series of fast-paced attacks.
"Get behind this one! Zenia insists she will fight him alone!" The Obsidian Seraph said. "Locking onto target. Execute Attack Mode 1: Shadow Sequence: Shadow Dance."
"Gah, (Program: Remove uncouth language execute. Terminating sentence.)!" A slew of…uh…colourful curse words spewed from Gazia's mouth.
"This one's body has been augmented by you, Former Master. This one can break all your barriers! Offense Mode 2, activate. Nether Sequence: Nether Annihilation!" Zenia disappeared and reappeared in front of Gazia, unleashing such quick moves, the other Athensphere citizens thought they were seeing double.
He didn't feel pain, seeing as he was already robotic.
"This can't be your worst. Attack Sequence initiated. Origin: Atomize!"
Mitigation again. Halving her damage.
Well, it seemed that at least he was taking it.
"Sorry, Zenia. Genesis: Universal Collide!"
"Master…this one apologizes. Void Trigger: Stygian Cipher!"
Zenia shut her eyes as the light came towards her.
When suddenly, a hand gripped hers tightly.
Gazia stared down at her.
"I just want you to know this…you were the only one I ever loved."
Zenia reaches for him, but she's too late.
The light covers her and blazes away her Darkness aspect, just as his own Light aspect is quenched by the darkness.
Zedus looks at their last stand.
"This…it's the end. Not just for either of them, but all of us."
Aurelia smiles tenderly and holds on to him, Andaria readies her final arrow, not to attack, but to defend.
Ultor and Tridon step away from the explosion; it radiates so much power it cannot be contained.
"Farewell, and may we see you again someday."
Hadaron is the only one who speaks that underneath his breath as the light and darkness, maybe even holding the souls of their enemy and their friend, swallows all of them.
Life is a strange thing; does it not become snatched away from you at your triumph?
Well, now you know, I guess. And I never talked about myself. I'm Zenia, last of the cyborgs. He was my master. And from him I truly understood. We were all monsters, the mother who protects her child will kill anyone, the son or husband off fighting wars will land a fatality or be one, the innocent girl will learn to hate someday. Maybe whoever finds this will understand…why we did what we did. We didn't make a last stand of monsters versus men. We were all inhumane to begin with.
How will the humans remember us? Me, as a saviour of Athensphere or the one that condemned it? Will they see him as someone who simply did this all because he'd gone insane? Or as a souless monster who craved destruction? Only time will tell.
And that said, I'm sorry for everything. Really.