Your hopes have become my burden. I will find my own liberation.


Blake Belladonna sits on rock outcropping watching red leaves drift down in the Forever Fall forest.

Adam Taurus walks up to her." Blake, it's time."

She slowly turns to him, giving Adam a look of concern." Okay."

In a different part of the forest, Riku is asleep in the bushes of a nearby tree. He holds his weapon close to him, tightening his grip, as a train comes running by on some tracks nearby. Riku gets up and keeps his balance, as he jumps on the moving train.

Blake and Adam sprint quickly through the forest, leaving behind a trail of falling leaves in their path. The two reach a Cliffside, as they watch the train come moving by down below. Both leap and slide down the hill, and jumps onto the top of the train. Upon boarding it, Adam swiftly cuts open a hatch and they drop into one of the cars.

Upon entering, they are confronted by a small army of activating Atlesian Knight-130s.

"Looks like we're gonna be doing this the hard way." Adam said.

The Androids activate and circle the duo.

"Don't be so dramatic." Blake said, as the prepared to fight.

An Android activates the guns on its arms." Intruder, identify yourself."

Adam pulls the trigger on Blush, shooting Wilt out of the sheath into the head of the robot. He then dashes forward, catching the sword mid-air before slashing the robot, cutting it clean from neck to under its left shoulder as Adam resheaths Wilt.

The remaining robots switch their arms to blade mode and begin charging at Adam and Blake. Two come up behind Blake, but she jumps backwards and uses Gambol Shroud to split them both at the chest. She leaps forward to cover Adam's back as he slices at several advancing robots. Adam uses Blush to fire at the robots as Blake backflips to evade another robot.

They cut down several more robots before one switches its arms into a minigun mode. It fires rapidly at Adam and Blake, but Adam is able to deflect the bullets that get too close. After Adam sheaths Wilt, Blake charges towards the robot and it resumes firing. She is able to deflect the bullets and gets close enough to decapitate the robot. She immediately slice down another robot and cuts another's legs. Blake rapidly unsheathes Gambol Shroud to begin dual wielding the sheath and the katana before striking another robot, then leaps into the air and slams it into the floor.

Blake charges towards the remaining robots and begins cutting them down rapidly, slicing off one's arm and shoving her sword through another. She reaches the last robot in the train car, knocks it into the, then proceeds to slice it several times before landing on the floor. The robot is still in the air when Adam leaps up and kicks the robot out the door of the train car and onto the flatcar ahead. A number of other robots run towards them from from the other end of the flatcar.

"Let's do this." Adam said.

Adam hits a couple of robots up into the air, Blake leaps up towards them to slice them up, and Adam partly unsheathes Wilt to knock them away with the hilt. Blake switches Gambol Shroud to its kusarigama-pistol form, throws the sickle part past one of the robots, and pulls on the ribbon while using the pistol shot to launch the blade back towards her, cutting the robot in half.

Adam jumps forward and kicks the upper half of the robot away while it's falling as Blake swings her sickle around to cut down another robot. Blake jumps in the air and swings the sickle blade around in a spherical motion several times using gunfire, cutting down three more robots and getting the sickle wrapped around the neck of a fourth. Adam leaps forward and slices the fourth robot as Blake fires off the pistol, pulling the robot's upper half into the air.

Rushing forward, Adam slices up six more robots, causing five of them to explode. Blake charges up from behind, cuts off the sixth robot's head, and then knocks another robot up into the air using Gambol Shroud's katana form. She lunges forward as Adam takes down another robot, using the kusarigama form of Gambol Shroud to perform a continuous pinwheel attack that launches two other robots into the air. Adam then fires a shot from Blush to send one of the robots flying.

Adam jumps up and slices the other robot further up into the air as two robots approaching from behind are kicked into the air by Blake. The three robots are then sliced repeatedly by Wilt, keeping them in the air until Blake jumps up and slices through all three, with one going furthur up into the air with her. Blake kicks the robot down, while Adam slices another as it's falling then shoots it with Blush as it falls behind him. He sheathes Wilt and then he and Blake head into the next train car.


The next cart is filled with crates of Schnee Dust Company Dust. Adam opens a box and examines the contents inside.

"Perfect. Move up to the next car." He closes the trunk." I'll set the charges."

"What about the crew members?" Blake asked.

"What about them?"

Riku:" Don't worry about the crew of this train..."

Both got on the offensive. Riku then jumps down in front of the two.

"I already escorted them to safety." Riku said.

"R-Riku!?" Blake said, in shock and surprise.

"Hello Blake, Adam. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Riku, where have you-" Blake tries to walk over to him, but Adam holds out his hand, stopping her.

"Why are you here, traitor?" Adam asked him.

"Part of my little job here. I'm supposed to guard the cargo from any type of intruders or thieves." Riku said, glaring at Adam.

"We're intruders. So, I guess that means you have to fight us." Adam pulled out Wilt." Which, I'm fine with, knowing the fact that I get to end your life, traitor."

Riku pulled out Shingi-To-Giri." Let's just get this over with."

Blake grabbed Adam by his arm"Adam, stop! We don't have to-"

Riku then notices something above them, a Spider Droid climbing down from the ceiling of the car. The three jump back and see the droid fully. Adam charges forward to attack it.

Riku moves to fight it, until Blake grabs his wrist.

"Riku." Blake said, anxiously. Riku looks back at her for a brief second, before looking back at the Droid.

The Spider Droid swiftly attacks, using its quartet of cannons to shoot at Adam, who either deflects or dodges every shot, using Wilt and Blush. Blake then lunges forward, launching her own attack only to be head-butted by the massive robot.

As the Spider Droid advances upon her, Riku suddenly unleashes a flurry of blows, each only momentarily stunning his enemy. When he finishes his attack, he takes a moment to glance over his shoulder at Blake. the Droid then kicks Riku away, distracts him with a barrage of cannon fire before moving to crush Blake beneath one of its massive feet. However, Riku quickly moves in, grabbing Blake and fleeing to the other end of the car. After he sets her down, the Droid quickly combines its cannons to unleash a massive energy barrage. Adam jumps in to shield the two, but the three are sent crashing through a metal bulkhead, and out onto a flatbed car.

The Droid begins to move closer to the three.

Riku and Adam look at each other for a brief moment, and nod to one another.

"Riku, Adam!" Blake called out to the two." It's coming closer!"

"Can you get on the other side of that thing?" Adam asked Riku."

"Of course I can."

"Then do it. Unless it's too much for you." Adam said, smirking.

"Hmph. I'll show you too much." Riku said, smirking back." Let's go Blake!" He rushes at the Droid. Blake nodded while smiling a bit, and followed Riku.

As Riku rushes the Spider, it continuously launches barrages of energy at him, which he swiftly dodges. Blake then uses Gambol Shroud to divert one cannon, while embedding the blade into the thick armor, allowing her to launch herself far into the air, before swiftly coming back down with two furious slashes from her weapon. Riku then slides underneath the Droid, attacking two of its leg joints in rapid succession, forcing the Spider Droid to stumble, as Riku gets behind it. This gives Blake an opportunity to slam her katana into and through the base of the Droid's skull and rapidly open fire, causing no effects other than slight disorientation.

As Blake regroups with Adam, the Droid combines its cannons again.

"Riku!" Adam yells out.

"Yeah, I'm ready too!" Riku yelled back." Blake! Get back, now!"

The Droid launches its barrage at Adam, who absorbs all of the energy fired at him using his weapon's blade. Riku closes his eyes and concentrates. Adam laughs, as his body's red colorings glow intensely. Riku stands up, as his katana begins to glow blue. The Droid leaps at Adam, as Riku jumps in behind it.

"Now!" Adam yelled.

Riku/Adam:" Beast Fang!"

The two simultaneously unleash all of their energy in one blow, going through the Droid, causing the Spider to slowly recoil and disintegrate.

Riku lands next to Blake, as Adam calmly walks to the two.

"Nice work you two." Blake said, smiling.

"Yeah..." Riku said, putting his katana away.

"Just like old times, huh?" Adam said, smiling a bit.

"Yeah, but we were fighting wild animals back then, instead of...Droids."

"Yeah, but it was me always saving your butt."

"Haha..." Riku smiled, while chuckling a bit.

Blake smiles, watching to two get along a bit.

"Now then..."

Adam pulls out Blush, and shoots Riku in the left shoulder, catching both Riku and Blake off guard.

"Argh!" Riku clutches his shoulder.

"Adam! What are you doing!?" Blake said, in shock.

"Taking care of the traitor." Adam said, coldly.

Riku slowly backs away, until he reaches the edge of the flatcar. He then looks over and sees that the train is now over tracks, which is over a river. Riku looks back at Adam.

"Adam... Jus-"

Adam shoots again, this time hitting Riku in the chest. Riku falls off the train, and into the river.

"Riku!" Blake called out to him." Adam! Why did you shoot him!?"

Adam puts Blush away." He was a traitor, I had to take care of him eventually."

"That's no excuse for shooting him!" Blake said in outrage." We have to go back for him!"

"Remember why we're here, Blake." He walks to her." Move to the next car, I'm gonna look around to see if we missed anything."

"But Adam-"

"Now, Blake." Adam said, almost in a demanding tone.

Blake glared at him for a few seconds, before storming off.

Adam looks around, making sure no reinforcements were coming there way.

As Adam walks back towards Blake, he finds her on a separate train car standing near the connector between the cars. As he reaches out to her...

"Goodbye." Blake said, looking back at him.

She severs the connection and lets the released carts slow down as she lets the rest of the train continue enroute.


Riku washes up ashore, along with his katana. Leaves fall down, as he lays there, unconscious and bleeding from his two bullet wounds.


HIRO

Chapter: Black


And that's another chapter! The Black trailer was one I really needed to do. It was one I also had a lot of fun making.

Riku, Adam, and Blake's relationship will be put looked into further more in the future of HIRO.

Now then, Beast Fang. Yes, this is the Tag team attack of Riku and Adam, and yes, you can also see it as the pairing name for the two.

Anyway, comment and let me know what you all think of chapter. Until then...Keep moving forward!