Chapter 7- Dance of the Gale Razor
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Everything was muted, save for the trees swaying in the wind. For a time, all the members of Team 4 looked around the area, taking in the sight. Ontario was the furthest ahead, and seemed to have noticed something worth the attention. She moved towards the direction, her medium length blue hair falling behind, lost to the gale that claimed many a soul.
"Torkall," Vasgard called out, "find out how far this has spread."
"As you request." With a bow, Torkall complied. Vasgard turned back towards Panrider, asking him to see if he could find some way to communicate back to Pioneer 2 or get some aid for any potential survivors. A nod later and Panrider had accepted, but wondered if Vasgard had any spare Resta Technique Disks on hand. Vasgard replied that he only had a Lv.1 Resta Disk on hand, which Panrider gladly accepted. He then departed, travelling out of the clearing and back towards where they had entered through the security doors.
Vasgard took in the scene. This whole clearing was a mess of blood and bodies, with no obvious pattern to their owners. It seemed as if beings of all sorts gave up the ghost in this very spot. But why here, and with no evidence up to this point... it was almost as if...
"V-Vasgard..."
It was Ontario, calling from a far side of the clearing. Still maintaining a firm grip on the metal weapon casing, he advanced towards her position.
"These... are people." Ontario made some, if not little, effort to hide her emotions at such a moment as this.
"People die like any other living thing. Although an end to life, it is a crucial part of it."
Ontario looked up to Vasgard, her face shaking and red, perhaps from anger, or frustration.
"Vasgard, this is DEATH! Women and children are in here! How can you be so passive?"
The human hunter bent towards her further, so that his face was a few inches away from hers. She pulled back a bit in surprise, but waited for what he would say.
"Unless you didn't notice, these people are already gone. We cannot save them, but we can prevent the deaths of those who can still be protected." A slight pause, then he continued, saying, "It's almost ironic. I'm sure that many a young animal has fallen at the hands of Pioneer. The only difference of importance is that this is their home." A few inches closer, "But, believe you me, I am all but passive towards death." He pulled his face away from hers, waiting for an end to this little conversation.
Ontario could not respond, with her emotions in such a state. She looked back at the piles of corpses, basking under the blazing sun. I'm sure the parents wanted the best for their children, she thought, but what did their efforts give them?
Vasgard was making his way back through the clearing when Torkall approached him from his right. He seemed somewhat out of breath.
"What do you have to tell me, Torkall?"
"There's some evidence of conflict further on the path leading here out of this clearing of sky, and recent. I'd wager a say that someone involved may yet not have completed what here they set out to do. Of course, these here potential survivors may yet be innocent in the matter, and hanging about these here parts."
"Understood. Any news from Panrider?"
"He has yet to return."
"It is quite a distance to the drop point... Oh, Torkall."
"Yes?"
"Be sure we check all these bodies for any signs of the previous teams. Ontario?"
As soon as Vasgard called out to the Force she picked herself up and headed over to his position. Upon her arrival Vasgard explained about how possible enemies may still be around and requested a Shifta and Deband combination.
It took little time for Torkall to return. Vasgard couldn't help but wonder about what he held, and just who they belonged to. Upon reaching Vasgard and Ontario, he revealed them to be just what Vasgard thought they would be. In his hands were numerous "Hunter" ID cards, imprinted with the Pioneer 2 Team insignia.
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NAME: EMKEI "M.K." DESHIA
DOB: AUW 3064
HAIR COLOR: BROWN
EYE COLOR: BROWN
SECTION ID: GREENNILL
CLASSIFICATION: FOMAR
COMMAND SECTION: TEAM 2
COMMAND PERSONNEL: C.C.
SUCCESSFUL MISSIONS: 18
MISSION CLASS: Cx224e
"Ever heard of him?"
"Never. But we know Team 2 was here."
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NAME: SEPHIROTH
"That's a common name... and no last name..."
"Can't identify him personally, then."
DOB: WITHHELD
HAIR COLOR: GREY
EYE COLOR: WITHHELD
SECTION ID: VIRIDIA
CLASSIFICATION: HUMAR
COMMAND SECTION: TEAM 3
COMMAND PERSONNEL: HYDRA
SUCCESSFUL MISSIONS: 32
MISSION CLASS: Cx589f
NAME: HYDRA
DOB: AUW 3053
HAIR COLOR: BLONDE
EYE COLOR: RED
SECTION ID: PURPLENUM
CLASSIFICATION: RANEWM
COMMAND SECTION: TEAM 3
COMMAND PERSONNEL: (LEADER)
SUCCESSFUL MISSIONS: 119
MISSION CLASS: Sx830n
Ontario shook her head in disbelief. "They even downed a leader with a mission rank of S? Who or what are we dealing with?"
"Well..."
CHZZZLING...
Vasgard reacted first. "EVERYONE DOWN!"
PISHPISHPISH!
Vasgard was quick to act, nearly falling to the ground in evasion, pulling Ontario to the ground with him. Torkall was slightly further away and unreachable by his arm, yet Vasgard was more confident in Torkall's abilities.
"Vasgard, Ontario! Injuries?"
Vasgard looked at Ontario, who shook her head. Vasgard turned back, replying in the negative, "No injuries, we are well here. Yourself?"
Minor breathing could be heard from Torkall, who had fallen behind a different pile for cover. It seemed very disrespectful to use piles of corpses for cover, but there was little other alternative available. Vasgard repeated himself in order to make sure of Torkall's condition. After a moment Torkall replied.
"Hit in the right arm. No critical points hit. Fine, but a little bloody. Nothing a little pressure can't fix."
From the sound of things, Torkall wasn't about to die from the wound anytime soon. However, their assailant was still out there, and packing some sort of mechgun, according to the sound registers and timings of the shots.
"They're packing MG-P, Torkall, I can't tell the subtype from the sound of it alone. Hate to seem morbid, but you mind giving me the color of the shot?"
A short delay, and then, "Yellow subtype, Vasgard. Gah, I always hate looking at these here wounds, yet even more so when here I'm the wounded one."
Vasgard quieted, talking almost to himself. "MG-P Y:SubT..."
Ontario, as nervous as she was, couldn't help but ask what exactly he was going on and on about, to which Vasgard replied, "It's a Vulcan of an unknown element."
"What's an...element?"
Vasgard didn't even bother to turn to face her. He seemed to become slightly more agitated with each passing moment.
"Listen," he said, "it's a Vulcan. It'll do bad, bad things to you if it hits you, so just don't get hit by it, and you won't have to worry about elements at all. Simple enough?"
Ontario frowned at this treatment. "Why did I even Shifta and Deband you guys?"
Vasgard leaned out, preparing to initiate the next move. Before setting out, he replied, "Because, we are a team. Team 4 to be exact."
He was gone, metal casing in hand.
Ontario sat there, against the bodies, unwilling to leave.
Vasgard ran among the piles of bodies, seeking a way out of the clearing so that he may obtain some sort of advantage on their attacker. He had the faintest idea who it was. He slowed to a halt, and called out into the forest.
"Panrider! Show yourself!"
"Am I really that predictable?"
Panrider's voice could be heard, but from which direction Vasgard could not tell.
"You had me for a time there, until I realized you've been playing us for a while."
"Mother always said I was never one for tricks and lies," was Panrider's reply.
"And which mainframe would 'Mother' be, Panrider?"
Silence. Then Panrider's reply.
"Your skills in deduction are excellent, Vasgard." The voice seemed to be changing places constantly, making it all the more difficult to track. "Now," Panrider continued, "Surely you wouldn't mind sharing what you've found with the rest of us?"
Vasgard's eyes moved back and forth as he walked, gleaning over his surroundings for any potential positions Panrider may be holding. He gave a shout out back to Ontario and Torkall as a warning that Panrider could strike at any moment.
"I may have omitted truths, Vasgard, but surely you can trust me to the fact that I wouldn't dare take a cheap shot at them when they're least expecting it. I could have easily made Torkall's wounds fatal."
"I won't deny that to an Android."
"So you knew after all. What was the tipoff, if you don't mind? I'll need to practice my lines for the next group of people we need to eliminate."
"You forget, Panrider, that every single member of the Teams are given a technique to help them on their way. In order to increase chances of success, the administration hands out none other than Resta Lv.3, to heal others. They only exception I was aware of was a member of Team 2, Twin Spine, an Android Hunter. Now, either the administration was out back smoking a little too much Antiparalysis, or they knew you couldn't learn techs. But they must've liked something about you. Maybe your power was what they wanted. So they accepted an Android with unknown programming from an unknown programmer, cause really, once we get to the surface, they don't give a rat's ass about us. Previous knowledge of Resta Lv.3 or above was out of the question, otherwise you wouldn't have needed to take that Resta Lv.1 when you left, which, if I may recall, I didn't exactly spot you using before you were out of sight."
When Vasgard had finished his lengthy explanation, there was a pause, probably because Panrider may have expected him to continue. Once he knew Vasgard was finished, his laughter could be heard throughout the clearing.
"Not one for brevity, are we?"
"Well, Panrider, since you asked so nicely and so often for my explanation, I figured I'd kill the suspense and get it all over with then and there. Speaking of brevity, this is dragging on long enough. Are you going to circle around all day looking for an opening, or do you just like listening to me talk?"
A clanking noise was heard as Vasgard dropped his unactivated weapon casing on the ground. He then reached down into his belt and produced a throwing blade, activated with photon. Reaching back he prepared to throw this weapon resembling a boomerang, and seemed to be aiming into nothingness.
"What do you plan on doing with a SCR-P? There's nothing to aim at over there!" Panrider's voice called out in laughter.
Vasgard feigned a response as he pulled his throwing arm back further, shifting his body position. Red and blue lights hovered around his body, signalling the Shifta and Deband that had been casted on him. He then flung his arm forward, but instead of letting go he let his entire body spin around, taking in the air as it flowed over his weapon. Faster and faster Vasgard spun with the throwing blade outstretched, almost to the point of creating a faint whistling sound. In under twenty rotations, the hunter suddenly released the blade, skidding to a stop. A indentation resembling a circular groove encircled Vasgard, the result of kicked up chunks of mud and dirt mixed with faint traces of blood.
The throwing blade itself continued straight forward for a few seconds as it seemed to be heading nowhere. Suddenly the throwing blade disappeared into thin air without a trace, photon or no photon.
Vasgard stood his ground for a second or two, then turned back and calmly walked towards where Ontario still hid, among the dead that provided life.
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Although she did not fight, Ontario watched from behind her sacrificial shield at what had occured. It made little sense to herself exactly what had happened, and she wondered why Vasgard was so calm now. He looked at ease as he approached her. He soon reached where she lay, and looked over at Torkall.
"How you holding up, Torkall?"
"I think I've slowed the bleeding here now. A hospital visit sounds welcome."
"I'll get you one." He then turned to Ontario. "At least Torkall had an excuse other than general incompetence. But don't worry about it. It seems you didn't have to do anything after all."
It did not occur to Ontario that Vasgard was disclaiming her abilities, as she was now only interested in what exactly was going on now.
"Panrider was destroyed," Vasgard explained, "At the end of this." he patted where his belt rested, right where a throwing blade was attached.
Ontario took some time to think, then asked, "That...is the same one? The same one that disappeared a moment ago?"
Vasgard nodded, "This is a custom made piece of weaponry, modified after the SCR-P series. Those are slicers, in case you were wondering. Anyways, this particular piece is one of a kind, the Gale Razor. I let it soar, and it gets the job done. Its speed cannot be matched by any other bladed weapon, and most Ranger weapons, for that matter. Gale Razor here," he said, giving another pat to the weapon attached to the belt, "makes rounds trips, unlike your more common slicers."
"Round trips?"
"Returns to its owner, in no time flat. Seeks its target, and gets the job done."
Ontario glanced down at the trowing blade at Vasgard's side. It looked plain enough, but that was most likely for looks, adding functionality as it could throw someone off guard, no pun intended. But, if she had been the target, she wouldn't have expected it. So how come Vasgard trusted her with the knowledge of what exactly it could do? She doubted Torkall knew, as he couldn't see the action and it was obvious Peztrader was not privy to its capabilities.
Vasgard left Ontario to her thoughts as he walked up to Torkall, who sat resting on the ground, recovering from his wound. He was able to apply proper pressure, Vasgard thought to himself.
"Torkall, can you stand?" he asked.
"Its only an arm injury."
"Regardless, the less you are on your feet the better. Ontario, we're leaving now."
Ontario picked herself up from where she had been hiding and joined Vasgard where Torkall sat. She wondered where they could possibly be heading next, in such a condition. Vasgard knelt down to lift Torkall, helping him to his feet. He supported him with his arm as he stood to his side, making sure Torkall would not fall faint from injuries.
"I'll lead him, Ontario, but we need you free to be ready to strike anything else that may threaten us. In this particular state, I would not be able to defend in time."
She nodded, "I understand."
"And Ontario..."
"Yes, Vasgard?"
"Your Shifta saved us."
