The air smelled of smoke and melted steel. The ground in front of the hanger was scorched and after running two of his fingers over the cold surface he sighed as he turned around to look over at the others.
Sara was glaring into the hanger as if a demon had appeared from within while Uni was going through some information on the data slate they'd been given.
Some idiot had decided it was a good idea to steal one of Planeptunes new Stargazer fighters. He glanced at the schematics from his HUD and went over every detail of the blue wireframe. It's swept forward wings gave it an arrowhead like shape and the three vertical engines stood out. One on each wing and one in the center. A pair of larger thrusters were built into the back giving the craft it's supersonic speed. All in all it was a rather sleek craft.
He preferred Lastations Raptors. They had more guns.
He wandered over to Sara and her frozen form before tapping her on the shoulder.
"You okay?"
"Magic. In the hanger."
He let out a hum and stared into the hanger as he talked.
"So it was a Mage? Perfect… why do we never get easy assignments?"
"Best. We are."
He rolled his eyes and looked at her.
"You know. Just once. I'd like to have something simple. Attack this place. Shoot this person."
He shook his head again.
"Uni. What you got?"
She turned around and walked over to him.
"Whoever stole the fighter fell from the sky… they had to be a mage. That or a mech."
He watched the night vision footage of a black figure dropping out of the sky. They hovered for a second before falling through the roof. A few more seconds went by before an explosion of light burst open the door and the Skygazer roared out of the hanger. The vertical thrusters ignited near where the black spots on the ground were and the vehicle shot upwards in a shallow curve.
He saw Uni narrow her eyes.
"They had to have had previous experience with a fighter… no. They had to have been an ace to even get close to having the entire thing booted up and spooled that quickly."
He stared and let out another hum. This was impossible. Not even fighter aces could get their entire plane ready in seconds. Even if he excluded the preflight checks, it usually took at least thirty seconds to get the engines fully powered.
His brow furrowed and he let out a sigh before feeling a hint of hope center in his chest. He instinctively looked up and saw the floating figure who moved down towards them.
A black body suit with it's purple accents, the wings flanking her sides, her signature purple katana.
He saw all of those as she landed lightly and looked over at them. Her smile was confident and energetic. He felt one on the edge of his lips and he let it show as he went down onto one of his knees. Sara followed while Uni merely waved over at her.
"Ah. Uni! How is the search progressing?"
Her voice held the same confidence as her smile and after a lazy wave from her hand the two humans stood up. He took a respectful step back that was mirrored by Sara. Uni answered with as much frustration as she could expel.
"The thief is impossible!"
Lady Purple Heart rose an eyebrow.
"Impossible?"
Uni shook her head as she sighed.
"He fully activated the jet in twenty seconds. Then flew it out of Planeptunes airspace completely undetected."
The goddess nodded before looking over at him. Her momentary frown was replaced with a bright smile as she walked over to him.
"I don't believe we've met?"
He smiled as he kneeled once again.
"Miles Decard. Lastation special operations. Lady Purple Heart. It is an honor to meet you."
"The honor is mine. A phantom huh? Why would a phantom be investigating something like this?"
Phantom was the name that Lastation gave it's special forces… he had no idea why but he guessed it was something to do with their black armor and the cloaking tech that came standard with it.
He pulled a data slate from behind his back as he stood up and tapped on it a few times before handing it to the goddess.
"A similar incident occurred over at one of Lastations air bases as well. We lost two Vultures though. One was a Striker Pattern while the other was a Lifter. We believe this is connected so I was sent."
"I see… Something to think about. How's Uni?"
He looked at her for a moment and focused on how to phrase his thoughts.
"She's one of my better students… though I've had better."
"Wait… what?"
He noticed the perplexed expression and nodded his head to reaffirm his point.
"I've told her many times that she relies too heavily on her goddess attributes. Her faster reaction time or better eyesight. Don't misinterpret what I say. It's good… she's just a little too reliant on it… that and her magic. Controlling a bullets location is good but it does nothing if your hit with a seal of sorts."
He may have exagerated the flaws a little but she was in all truth scarily good. She held a Shatter rifle as it was called. Named for its ability to sometimes make armor literally shatter like glass. It was a long barreled sniper with a caliber a little over 50… she could fire the thing one handed and control the recoil almost perfectly. It was semiautomatic too… she basically turned one of the deadliest rifles in Lastations current inventory into a DMR.
He believed terrifying was decent word to describe her.
He smiled mentally at the effect her little demonstration at the shooting range had done… she'd hit a nail at 500 meters with a red dot sight… it had definitely left an impression on the redshirts that was for sure.
He nodded as the goddess spoke of a few measures she was putting in place. They seemed appropriate.
"Any news on ASIC?"
He swiped a couple times on his data slate and passed it to her.
"Somethings happening. They're running drills over at Lastations stronghold."
"It seems they're preparing."
"The question is what for?"
"Indeed… if I may suggest an extra precaution…?"
"Of course."
"I'd recommend that your guard be doubled Lady goddess. Our enemy is about to do something. It's possible that it's aimed at you or Lady Black heart."
He could see her thinking it over and he bowed before leaving. His work was done for now and the only clue he'd gotten was that this person was good. Very good.
The smell of blood greeted him in his sleep. The walls and floor were painted red as was the being in front of him. The juggernaut in silver armor was back and once again painted scarlet. It wielded a sword this time. A blinding white with a line of red down the center.
It was a strange feeling he got. They both seemed surprised to be here. The juggernaut looked at him before sheathing it's sword on it's back. It stared silently at him.
He had his rifle pointed at the knight and after a moment he relaxed while placing the gun across his back onto the armour's magnetic holster.
The two beings stared at each other before a deep almost mechanical laugh echoed from the knight. It spoke and the world shook slightly.
"I do wonder why you've caught my interest. "
He stared at the knight and shook his head as he tried to find a place to lean that wasn't covered in blood.
"Did you do this?"
The knight shook it's head.
"Sadly this seems to be the work of a third party. I doubt Lastation has much interest in rooms such as this."
"Agreed."
A mechanical hum came from the knight as the space around them changed.
"Oh? Your mindscape changed? Not by your own doing?"
He shook his head as he moved for his rifle. The knight reached for its greatsword.
A flash of light changed the space into a white expanse and Miles saw the figure of Noire walking towards them. Her dress fluttered in the nonexistent wind as her shortsword glowed with power.
"Lady Noire? Why are you here?"
The knight let out a grunt of disapproval as it looked at the goddess.
"I'm afraid that isn't your goddess soldier. Her eyes are the key."
He looked at the knight for a second then looked at the goddess… her eyes shone in a deep gold hue, not their crimson glow. His rifle was in his hand with one quick motion and he'd fired a shot as soon as it was steady.
The round was cut in half with barely a movement. Faster then he could blink she appeared. Her sword inches from his chest. The only saving grace was the knights sword. The flat blade deflected the strike away and with a deep roar the knight pushed her away.
"I recommend you stay at range. Let me deal with her… no not her. It."
He gave a nod and carefully moved back. He kept his gun aimed at her and noted her lack of movement. She didn't even blink.
A chill ran down his spine and he whirled around. Her sword drove straight for him but wedged itself into his rifle instead of his chest. In an instant the knight appeared and shoulder checked the goddess away.
"It seems as though it's after you."
He reached for his pistol and took the knights back.
"You know what it is?"
The knight let out a hum.
"Not what it is in this world. But from mine it was called a Mimic. It takes the form of the strongest being in one's mind and attacks them. If they're defeated they lose their mind and either die or go crazy."
He could feel the sigh already.
"Just what I needed. First someone steals transports from Lastation and now I've got some lunatic attempting to kill my mind."
He missed the way the knight went rigid after his venting.
A laugh came from the knight that was deep and as tremendous as it's armour.
"You've certainly been busy. Though I suggest less lamenting and more shooting."
The Illusion of Noire darted towards him and he ducked on instinct. He watched as the knights blade soared over his head milliseconds after he ducked and knocked the shortsword from the goddesses hands.
He didn't waste the precious opportunity and emptied the entire magazine of his pistol into the illusion. It stumbled backwards and slowly rose only to be driven through by the knights sword.
The illusions eyes never left his as it slowly faded.
He found his rifle back in his hands and that he'd pointed it at the knight whose figure slowly shifted.
The armour disappeared and seemed to melt into a flowing black cloak that concealed it's body. A white mask as plain as a marble wall appeared. It had no holes for eyes or even any breathing holes. It was just a single piece of smooth marble.
"Ah. I'm back in my original form. Finally."
He half depressed the trigger and the safety clicked off. The sound of the rifle winding up reverberated through the space and the white plate of the Knight faced him.
"I want a name."
"oh? Mine I take It?"
"Who else is here?"
The Knight shrugged and he could sense a smirk behind it's mask.
"You may call me Lance. I come with a warning. That was my original purpose… I'm what you call a… prophet I suppose. I mean no harm so please drop the gun. It'll only make you disregard the warning."
"How many of your prophecies have been right?"
The mechanical laugh sounded again and he could feel a strange pressure fill the space.
"I've divined a hundred prophecies. Every single one was accurate down to the ripple in the lake a hundred years after."
He glared at Lance and after a moment lowered his rifle slightly. Lance coughed.
"One of the goddesses shall be attacked. One in a high tower. Their city shall be lit ablaze. Their defenses shall crumble. Their castle shall be stormed."
He waited for more and when none came he glared at Lance.
"Not very clear is it? Anything else?"
"That is all. I suggest you prepare. Your involvement and decisions may be pivotal in saving that goddess. I have a piece of advice if you want it"
He stared and nodded his head as he carefully thought of the implications. A high tower? That had to be either Lastation or Planeptune… Lowee was a castle while Leanbox was more of a cathedral…
"My advice stands as this. A risk must be taken. You must choose whether to trust they who appear from the shadows or to not."
"Not much advice when it's as cryptic as your prophecy."
Lance laughed.
"Its the best I can do. Until next Miles Decard."