Episode II: Trials and Subterfuge
Chapter 2-6:
The Depths of One's Soul
As the elevator slowly descended, the walls turned to a thick yet translucent frame; the vast aquatic scape illuminated by the backlit facility. The rhythmic whirring of the descending and blue platform masked the labored and frustrated respiration from Zachery quite well…that is until the elevator stopped at the underwater laboratory. His rage had reached its limit and he was on the verge of breaking down. His left arm tensed and every muscle fiber tightened and expanded as his fist tore through the air and into the metallic brace that connected the elevator shaft to the main atrium. Haldane and Luntz shot a shocked expression towards the loud thud as Zachery's trembling limb cleft itself from the rather large indentation it left.
"Calm down Zachery. It isn't that big a deal" Luntz tried to reassure him with a tone of sarcasm.
"What?! How can you say that so casually?! I don't care if Calus wasn't a human being, I couldn't do anything! Just like I couldn't do anything to save Rico or the Graves, or any of those lost from Pioneer 1 from these damnable monsters!" Zachery screamed as he flailed his arms around in exasperation. Haldane continued to stare as Luntz looked slightly more remorseful from his normally emotionless expression.
"I…" Luntz tried to continue before Zachery butted in once more.
"I just want to save everyone damn it! Why is this so hard to do?! I get to save one person but then so many others die. I should have just been lost in the explosion along with everyone else. I don't deserve this life if I can't make up for it by saving others who are still coping with their losses…"
"Now that's just not true Zachery. You're only one person. You can only do so much…I know it must be awful to say and hear, but not everyone is capable of being saved…"
"Why? Why can't they?! Is it because I'm not strong enough?"
"Not everyone can be saved Zachery. It is as simple as that. As a person, you can only do so much, strength or not. We will have to do the best we can to make up for our limitations" Haldane added.
"Haldane is right. The lives of the many outweigh the lives of the few. That is how I see it. Now, enough moping. We can't mourn everything just yet, we still have a task at hand" Luntz finalized as he took his rod in hand and strode forward, soon followed by Haldane.
[…The lives of the many is more valuable than the few…How…I mean…]
As he sullenly followed his party into the next room, a cacophony of memories, emotions and sound rushed over Zachery. Visions of the ghosts of those he worked with in the past had walked into the room from the entryway and went about the room and equipment as if nothing had happened. In back was Dr. Grave, managing a few test tubes where his faithful wife came from behind with a tablet that was overloaded with flowing data. A wide smile beamed under Zachery's helmet as he lifted his hand to wave, moving forward when another assistant rushed in front of him; turning in surprise. Haldane fell to floor as Zachery tripped over her.
"What the hell Zachery?! Have you lost your mind?" she yelped, pushing his heavy frame off of her.
"I…Uh…Sorry" Zachery sat up, rubbing the back of his helmet with his right hand; embarrassed. It was all a hopeless illusion. The once marbled halls reflected Zachery's image back to him. He could have stopped all of this. Chattering of happy and diligent laboratory workers; replaced by the creaking of stannic floorboards and framework along with the pitter-patter of water leaking in from all around it. Circuitry; now fizzled and fried beyond any repairable use. The monsters they had once tested on were surely loose in the halls. They were the ones that were on the surface. As Zachery looked down into his reflection from the puddle he stood in, all he could see was the utter failure he has become in the task to stop the chaos and destruction that Dark Falz and its kin so easily wrought.
"…Hell-o…Ca…ear…Za…Zachery? Can you hear me?" a crackled voice burst out from nowhere, surprising all of them.
"Elly, is that you?" Zachery whispered as his eyes darted back and forth nervously, still half-thinking he is hallucinating.
"…Yes. Oh good, I finally have a clear signal. I guess you guys have made it into the Seabed Facility" Elly continued.
"…Are you going to be okay?"
"…Don't worry, I'll be fine. Let's just focus on the mission. The Photon levels down there are incredibly abnormal and alarmingly high, much like the levels down in the underground ruins. You guys better be careful. The Seabed facility is separated into two halves: the upper and lower level. You should be entering the upper levels right now. The Chief and the others have confirmed that the message that we received from Flowen has definitely originated from that facility so keep your wits about you and find our missing man. Radio contact will be hard and we haven't been able to get any terminal data in on there so it looks like you are on your own for a while. Good luck Zachery."
"Got it."
In the following room, a large glass orb with a metallic casing was pulsating with a large, cylindrical red light. Surprisingly, there was a flat and white computer desk attached to it with debris scattered across it with a still working computer on it. The screen had the words, "Warning! Automated defense system activated to security level 4 in Seabed Research facility and Central Control area. Warning! Automated defense system activated to security level 4 in Seabed Research facility and Central Control area" constantly flowing down it in a ceaseless and never-ending cycle.
"We are still currently in the main research area. If I remember correctly, the really secret stuff was done on the lower levels. We'll probably have better luck down there but it couldn't hurt to look around here as well" Zachery stated, looking through another desk on the other side of the room.
"Understood. Perhaps we can decipher more intel from any other working terminals around here and really find out what happened" Luntz tagged on.
"That's providing there are any left" Haldane jutted sharply.
"Optimism helps" Luntz snapped back.
"No arguing, let's go" Zachery finished. Something crashed in the following room. Zachery readied his blade anxiously as the other two looked up as well. The nightmarish experiments were fully aware of their presence now. They were on the hunt. Wading through the salt and rubble soup, they couldn't see anything distinguishable through it or around the room. A ripple dashed through the surface towards the end. Then another. And another. Four cephalopods leapt out from beneath the waves, each with two bladed tentacles that they rapidly brandished like battle-axes. Zachery ran forth over their high-pitched screams with his own battle cry as Haldane potshot at the squids. More popped up from behind which Luntz turned his attention to with a wall of fire. Each one was turned into sushi promptly before Haldane turned around to blow away the rest. "Everyone alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine" Haldane replied, holstering her weapon.
"What were those things?" Luntz probed, his mouth slightly agape as he gandered towards Zach.
"Those were some of the experiments they worked on down. That wasn't all of them. Those were most likely the easy ones. If I remember correctly, there are also security robots just like there were on the surface who are all most likely infected by D-Factor as well by now" Zachery reported, sheathing his sword as he stood upright and walked onwards through the corridor. Much like the one at the top of the control tower, a similarly giant terminal awaited them in the following room. Something odd was amidst the air; fouling it with the creeping fear of knowing the past and present have merged, both wanting you dead. Haldane moved up to the terminal and attempted to interact with it. As she began to fiddle with the instrument, Zachery turned around to witness another event from the past.
"Zachery, can you help me with these boxes? They are terribly heavy and fragile" Dr. Grave asked as the door opened behind them.
"Absolutely! Hold on just for a second, I'm coming right now!" Zachery shouted as he leapt out of the chair he was sleeping in, dashing down the ramp while clasping the containers that were just about ready to fall all over the floor. Easily strong enough to hold them, he hoisted the four boxes up the ramp without delay and out the doorway at the top of the ramp.
"Where would I be without you, Zachery? You know, it's a good thing I found you when I did" Dr. Grave scoffed lightly as he wheezed while pulling on the brim of his lab coat proudly once Zachery came back out of the room.
"Indeed. If you didn't come there, I would have probably been interrogated, or worse, imprisoned for no good reason."
"Ha! Well that is all in the past. Soon enough, you'll get to meet my daughter! The work we are doing here running at lightning's pace. I wouldn't doubt they will green-light a larger scale migration on a third ship even!"
"Hehehe…You know…Dr. Grave…"
"Eh? What is it son?"
"You don't have to do this work…What you are doing…you could be spending your genius on other things…"
"Oh nonsense, what would you know? It's great working alongside my wife and the other great people here like Dr. Osto. This is the work of the gods. The possibilities are endless. Now come, let's get that equipment unboxed and installed, yes?" Dr. Grave asserted as he placed his arm around Zachery's shoulder as they strolled into the room at the top of the ramp. The door he was looking at was now shattered and everything past the fragmented glass was evidently ruined; blood stains scattered across the beaker cabinets and tabletops. The only word that was left legible on the door was "Grave". The irony could not have been more apparent. "Grave". That described everything completely.
"Oh hey, I found something!" Haldane shouted, lulling Zachery out of his hallucinogenic state. "It's another file from Flowen. Maybe it will tell us more about what happened here."
"...There's something strange about the air flowing through the facility... It seems that Osto's test subject has escaped. Rumor has it that it's infiltrated the ducts in the tunnels. Once there, it injected the factor into native animals and vegetation, causing the mutations...The Island's control AI has also been infiltrated. In the tunnels...Not only are the creatures mutating, but the affected machinery is going out of control. It's only a matter of time until the Central Dome is affected. Yet, despite it all...Osto is preparing to begin the final stage of his experiment... "Escaped subject and artificial life-forms in the Seabed's cage"...They were all only part of the experimental phase. "Everything is going as planned. All this outrage will be forgotten when the experiment succeeds." They're planning to create the substance that makes the sub life-forms, with their own hands! There's one difference though... They're using a human core, in hopes of being able to control it. In other words, they're trying to make controllable "Bioweapons" based on "IT." What could the outcome possibly be, basing their experiment on something I know they cannot control, let alone even understand!? How could Dr. Osto even think of creating an experiment like this? ... No. He must have a good reason for trying this. He must..."
It wasn't like Zachery didn't already know all of this. It was obvious from the start. He didn't do anything. And this was the result. The monsters on the surface. The death of everyone on Pioneer 1, not to mention Rico. The deaths of those from Pioneer 2 that tried to solve this mystery.
[It surprises me that more people haven't died with my incompetency. I guess I should contribute it to sheer luck that others like Luntz or Haldane haven't died on my watch. I even nearly killed Kireek. I actually almost KILLED a guy. I took up this oath to stop Dark Falz's madness and all I have managed to do is witness its darkness writhe and unfold as it leisurely encapsulates everything around me…I'll never see my friends again…Kai…Ogi…Sarisa…]
"Hey, Zachery…You okay? You've been staring at that door the whole time" Luntz sputtered softly.
"Huh, what? Oh…It's nothing. We should get going…" he sullenly and monotonously reacted, somberly sauntering over to the door as he then forced it open with nothing more than his arms and his brute strength. He held the door open so that Luntz and Haldane could move through before jumping into the lab as well. The door closed and half collapsed as equipment and shelving caved it in even more so. Zachery rapidly climbed out of the debris and onto his feet where he swiftly shuffled around the lab and towards the door at the back.
"Hey…Haldane" Luntz whispered as he nudged her gently with his elbow.
"Yeah?" she muttered back.
"Does Zachery…I dunno, seem off to you?"
"Well…He's always been rather eccentric if you ask me. I can't really tell if he is acting out of the ordinary. To be honest, I've been too focused on the mission. Why do you ask?"
"It's just…Ever since we got past the Control Tower and ended up down here…He's been…distracted. Did he tell you anything that I should know about?"
"Well…When we first met, he did pull me aside to talk about a ludicrous story about how he was actually on this island before. I personally didn't buy it at first. But; I wasn't going to chance anything when he said that this island is dangerous and it could be harmful to the residents of Pioneer 2, however."
"I see…" Finally catching up to Zachery, he was busily punching away at a keypad next to a security door.
"What the hell…I've put in this password a million times before. Why won't it work now?! Accept the damned password! 0041! 0041! Aaarrgghhh!" He screamed as he stood back and took out the Master Raven and shot the keypad furiously; holstering the gun after no less than thirty shots were fired but not before he slashed the door into a million pieces with Agito. Turning his head, he noticed that Haldane and Luntz had saw the whole thing and were in complete awe. "What?! The door was annoying me. It wouldn't open with the same password that Dr. Grave had always put it in. I put it in myself numerous times before him. He never changed it. You understand right? Well?" They remained silent, still in shock. "Not going to say anything? Fine. Not only do you guys think I'm worthless, but now you two probably think I'm crazy as well. Let's just keep going." A large open room that was similar to the lobby of a hotel was waiting on the other side of the demolished door. The windows were clearly shattered as a large amount of sea water had poured into the room and metallic barricaded were in place where the windows were previously standing. Each of the barricades had a black and yellow stripe pattern trimming the edge of the bottom in warning. Upon entering, the door on the opposite side of the room locked and a large splash was heard from behind them. Suddenly, there was as second splash followed by a third. Then, there was a loud clunk at the corner of the room with no water. Then silence. Instinctively, they went for their weapons. Zachery listened carefully for any noise but heard nothing. Nothing that is, until he was struck across the face and into the shallow pool below. Before Luntz could cry out to see if Zachery was okay, he too, was sent flying into the brine. Haldane dashed to the side of the room without the water and began to fire wildly. Luntz pulled himself out of the water as he watched the bullet storm fumigate the room of everything but what was haunting it. His eyes trailed the water for Zachery but he noticed an odd reflection coming off of it. It was the security robots!
"Guys! Watch the water's reflection! Their optical camouflage doesn't work with the refraction of light!" he yelled as he shot a fireball at the direction of the first bot which struck home on its first try. Zachery's helmet poked out of the water and soon a blade and the rest of his body as he cleft the right arm off another bot. The first bot teleported away and reappeared in front of Luntz whom he knocked down once more as Zachery rushed over to finish it off as he plunged his blade through its scorched back. Another machination appeared on cue as it smashed down Zachery into the pool, continuously pounding him further and further into the ground. A single bullet whizzed through the air as it burrowed through its head, flying out of the other end in the next split second. An icy wind picked up until the frigid tendrils dug through the ground and around Haldane's feet; fastening her in her place. A fireball smacked against its head, revealing the robot as it was readying a horrid blow. Situation dire, he loosed a lightning bolt on it, frying it completely. The bolt circulated through the robot and into the water. Darting across each atom, the current made its way into Zachery and Luntz as they were both electrocuted in result. By complete coincidence, the third and final robot which was missing its arm was also in the water and was decommissioned in the process. Knocking off the ice that tightly grasped her feet, Haldane holstered her rifle as she searched for her comrades within the salty liquid. Zachery managed to lift himself out of the water, spastically falling back in a few times as his body involuntarily jerked about from muscle spasms.
"Zachery, I found Luntz, he isn't moving…" Haldane beckoned. Zachery rushed over, half tripping over some rubble that laid beneath the choppy and murky brine. "Should I perform mouth-to-mouth?"
"No need" Zachery chortled as he picked him up by the collar and slapped him across the face before dropping him again.
"Ow! What the hell was that for?!" Luntz yelled as he pulled his head out of water, rubbing his cheek.
"You were definitely trying to do something…" Zachery snickered, turning towards the exit.
"What? I did no such thing! Get your head out of your rear, you loon!"
"Oh…Sorry…Well you're awake now anyway. We should be more careful. The enemies here seem to be more keen on bait and catch tactics. We will need to keep out wits about us to be one step ahead."
Despite a few more security measures and collapsing pathways, the intricate maze of corridors and hallways were mainly silent; scape for the creaking of alloyed ingots and the screeching of the repugnant experiments far in the distance. Echoes from the past continued to reverberate through Zachery's mind. He couldn't escape them. This single fact that he failed what he so randomly accepted and attempted to accomplish ate away at his soul. He could have just said no and he would have been done with it. But was that really all he wanted? Just to be with his friends? Why would he be searching for more on that mountaintop? Clearly a purpose he still wants to fulfill has not yet been met. But still…these failures were incredibly difficult to overcome and cope with. Through the shattered memories inside the flickering lights of both the facility and his mind; he struggled to fight off fantasy from reality. Fact from fiction. Constant visions of Dr. Grave assaulted him. Each turn they made through the abysmal halls presented with even more phantasms. A dreadful premonition ran through him that the darkness that had awaited them was playing some role in all the madness. Everything was orchestrated, like a perfect waltz on an annual ballet except all the participants were dead and the observers weren't invited.
[Get out of my head! I can't lose my mind like this. Why is this happening?]
"Zachery…Where are you going? We got another terminal here. Wait up" Haldane jeered while glaring at him with a glazed look in her eyes; Luntz on-looking with a similar stare.
"Oh, right…Sorry. Find anything good?" he muttered, pivoting on his toes as he slouched over the terminal with them.
"Zachery, you feeling alright?" Luntz prodded openly.
"I'm fine" Zach reacted rather quickly with an alarming amount of angst in his voice.
"What's bothering you Zach? Tell us."
"No. Shut up." Dumbstruck, Luntz just blankly gawked at Zachery. "…I'm sorry. Let's…Let's just let Haldane work on the computer. So, did you find anything?"
"…Yes, it appears that it is indeed another log from Flowen. I'll play it now."
"... Pioneer 2, carrying the remaining refugees, is approaching Ragol... I have been betrayed by the government. One condition I asked in exchange for donating my body for the experiment was to send a message to the government on Coral, the home world. The message was... "Suspend the second migration to the planet Ragol." I should have known the message would never be sent. The people of Pioneer 2 will soon land without any knowledge of our current situation... I heard that there have been assassinations within the military. Probably the work of those blood-thirsty dogs... Deputy Commander... hah! My blindness led to the deaths of my men... I realized too late how deep the roots of the problem lay. The Pioneer Plan itself. That's where it all began. But it's all too late now... No one can stop this insanity...I will no longer be myself in a matter of time... I hear footsteps... Someone is coming to get me. I have no will left to fight... My body is weak...I'm fading away…"
"Wait, that's it?" Zachery suddenly roared. "That can't be it! Did…Did he die?"
"Well, let's not come to any conclusions just yet. We still have to investigate the lower levels" Luntz tried to assuage his hyper-active mind.
"…You're right…Speaking of which, there should be an elevator shaft nearby that will lead us down to the next level. Just up two rooms away even, in a conduit hall."
"Right. Let's head there next then."
A shoal of squids were masquerading about inside another paned hall of glass and debris. After the calamari was made and the next corner was rounded, they came to the elevator shaft. Of the three elevators, only one was open-able. Glancing over the edge of the shaft revealed a rather large drop into obscurity. Ledges were scattered through the broken and twisted metallurgic framework; an ample set to traverse downwards. Sheathing his blade, Zachery leapt downwards on to the first girder and then soon to the next as Haldane and finally Luntz followed suit. Landing in a puddle of water, they dusted themselves off and waded onwards. An oppressive aura was emanating off every partition of the facility from here on out. Malicious hatred and dark force. Large pillars of different sizes and shapes created a labyrinth that was filled with mechanical drones that spawned from boxes dissimilar from the normal packaging crates that were scattered about the complex. Adorable as they were, when they opened up, massive Photon-saw-blades that could easily cut through bone and metal alike revealed themselves at absurd speeds. After the reconnaissance drones were dispatched, a multi-level testing area presented itself. Unsurprisingly, the lower level was flooded with seawater. Something caught Zachery's eye on the opposite end, which was currently fenced off with a curved mesh-grating. Something white and flickering, ever-fading. Walking down the ramp, it steadily came into view.
[No…It can't be…]
But it was. There sitting on a crate, her shiny blue bucklers barely touching the ground as her legs kicked up and down playfully, was Sarisa. She was holding a book she was reading. It was the same book that Zachery took with him from the hut. He would know from the distinctive blue cover. The Four Heroes. Stepping into the water, she noticed him walk towards the vicinity. Haldane and Luntz warily walked far behind Zachery, both had already taken out their weapons. Completely oblivious of any danger, he continued forward. She looked up from her book as she closed it and smiled, giggling lightly; the warmth of her laughter swayed over Zachery, lulling him into a further sense of insecurity. She stood up and waved vigorously as Zachery returned her greeting. Shadows slowly crept from beneath her. They were getting larger. Larger still. Blue dissonance flashed from the sky and the visage of Sarisa fainted away. It was a security robot. Another mirage. His mind had screwed him once more. Reaching for his blade, he spun to gather the condition of his comrades. Purple lightning crashed through the wall into Zachery's chest. Afore he could grasp his situation, he was smashed into his surroundings as ruins were toppled upon him. The cries of his allies were drowned out and becoming distant. Then all was black.
Lightning. How he hated it. A bolt struck across the sky. His body was apparent, his gear was not. Nothing could be seen through this callous blackness. Suddenly another blue flash. A spotlight was shining to his left. Straining his eyes, a figure was standing center stage. It was Reve. He was just standing there, his chest puffed out wielding his double saber, all the while wearing that damnably menacing and completely infuriating smirk. The ground was shaky; it undulated with his artificial heartbeat. With each beat, Reve got closer, yet without moving a muscle. Suddenly, another crash. Another hazy light was cast down to Reve's right. Looming over him, remaining totally motionless; was an even taller figure. This time it was Kireek. His posture was slightly bent as he tight-fisted his wicked scythe with both hands; glaring Zachery down with those soulless, yet glowing and piercing yellow eyes. A third bolt. This time a figure that stood even taller than Kireek, lie ahead between them. Zachery didn't recognize this one, yet it was so familiar to him. It was prominent, strong, and intimidating. Like a living suit of armor. Nothing was discernable other than the faint hint of fierce determination that shone through its eyes beneath its helmet. Those eyes. Those ethereal eyes. The same shade of the blue as the quick-silver lightning that struck this vile field. Suddenly, it tensed and thundered as every part of its body began to fulminate as a fourth and final lightning bolt struck, disintegrating all of them until all was shadow once more…except there was still a presence. Fangs and claws…A wicked grin that cackled in sonic booms. They moved closer and closer…all-encompassing.
[What is this burning rage? These hallucinations? Am I actually experiencing this? Is this the feelings of guilt and shame physically manifesting themselves; all coming back to haunt me?]
[GIVE INTO DESPAIR]
[Am I really just as hopeless as I appear to be? How can I come so far in so little time and yet be so feeble in the end?]
[YES. I WILL MAKE YOU STRONGER]
[…No. This is all wrong. I was given this life for a reason. These aren't real. This is exactly what Dark Falz wants. I will not succumb to despair! I will not submit to your will! I will not be a part of this! I will become stronger! I will become a master of my own fate; I will eradicate you and your foul spawn Dark Falz!]
An inferno ignited around Zachery. Furious light, powered by his will; channeling his rage into vivid and fiery determination. The darkness was cornered. With a mighty roar, he dispelled the last of it as a white intensity flew in from all angles. His eyes opened. Luntz was struggling with a blue blur, batting it away with the Psycho Wand. Haldane, ducking and dodging the purple and black beast with a single blue eye; yellow lights streaming its side. Clearly, Dark Falz's kin. Kicking the rocks and steel off his body, he sprang to action. Leaping from the ground, he cleaved the bot in three pieces with Sange and Yasha. Luntz returned the act in kind by vaporizing the beast's leg with a concentrated light Technique; Grants. The beast emitted a laser from its single eye as it dropped to ground from its lack of a fourth leg, cutting into a confused bot that remained hidden in the hole that the beast created with its spectacular entrance. Another bot was fast approaching but was stopped in its tracks; Zachery foresaw its arrival through the reflection of the water. It fell hapless, riddled with bullet holes. Before the monster could get another foothold, the three triangulated their attack to its head, ending its disgusting existence.
"Thank you for your concern guys, I won't be hallucinating anymore. We need to end this as quickly as possible, lest this evil will get too strong a hold over the facility. I know what is waiting down here is Dark Falz. I don't know how, but it is definitely one and the same" Zachery uttered.
"I feel it too…That same foreboding presence as the ruins" Luntz whispered to himself as they got up and ran through to the next area. Inside the next room was a large sand bar that apprehended a loch of brackish waves in place; waiting on the other end were two black discs. Still holding their weapons, they steeled themselves for combat. Jet-black saw-blades scurried towards them, ever-shifting in appearance and shape until they reached their destination. Taking the form of what looked like psychokinetic ninjas, they danced, throwing Rabarta and Megid about left and right. Dashing through, Zachery hacked at the first as it intercepted each attack with the flick of its razor-edged and singular finger. Before he threw a final slash, he pulled out his gun, to its surprise, as he began firing alongside his fervent swipes. Finally, one blow rent its arm, and with the following shot, its face. Glancing over his shoulder revealed that Luntz and Haldane had dealt with the other. A massive amount of static noise emitted on a painfully high decibel over the facility's intercom system without warning. Something was strangely audible over the static until it became apparent who was talking.
" ...Explosion..."
"...Born from the abyss..."
"...Crew from Pioneer 1..."
"...I could see them being engulfed..."
[This…It's Flowen…]
"...I could see it all from here..." The monologue was interrupted by the overcoming static, as if he was struggling to think of what next to say.
"...I was already overpowered..."
"...Searching for..."
"...It saw my thoughts...Something to serve as a focus..."
"...It wanted to evolve..." As the intercom blared, Zachery waved his arm forward, indicating the time to move on. Galloping through the sea-soaked galleries inside the abysmal ballroom of the masters and lords of darkness with their hideous guests, the intercom system was all that was playing to dance to.
"...Why..."
"...Left only that..."
"...No...Not her..."
"...Not that girl..."
"...Please..."
"...Stop..." With more cacophonous white noise came more experimental demons. The cephalopods were back an in full force with a squad of eight inside this locked conduit hallway with two drone spewing boxes clinging to the ceiling above. While Zachery pitched himself in swordplay and Haldane shot down the drones and the boxes with Luntz's support, their endeavoring host continued.
"...No..."
"...Couldn't stop..."
"...For all things..." More static, shorter than before.
"...She...She'll..." And finally, one last burst of static until nothing else was heard.
[Something tells me when we find Flowen, we won't like what we see. I've got to stop this before it has to chance to spread and further. This nightmare has to end now!]
"With all that racket, I doubt our objective can be much further ahead, don't stop now!" Zachery rallied, raising his sword above his head and forward as they dodged chainsaw-based rotary turrets, most likely to mince any escaping experiments. As they rounded the bend at the next junction, yet another new foe was anticipating their advance at the opposing end. Sporting the look of a devilish and darkened butterfly, it fired a searing laser bolt from its crossbow-framed torso. From the distance it was fired from, it was easily evaded; but it would seem they weren't the target in the first place. The laser pierced the cracked metallic blast shield and seawater was now gushing in. Flooding at a startling rate, it must have ripped open the hole even more so. In all haste, they sprinted as hard as they could, Zachery faster than the others so that he could disable their foe before they reached the gate. Barely making it through, the door locked behind them after closing. Gathering their breath, the three had arrived in a vast display area with reactors on both ends which overlooked a completely flooded observatory that also doubled as another laboratory. This must have been where Dr. Osto did most of his work on that arthropod and other such monsters…Flowen as well. There were large containment tubes similar to those Zachery had saw in the mines that would have encased that mutated creature along with an operating table fit for the average human clearly visible from the beneath the rough waves. Made from cracked yellow stained-glass, the floor they were standing on was a worrying sight to think about. To their left was bedrock that caved in through the glass and metalwork, to their right a locked door. The cave-in appeared to shattered secondary conduit access to this same room; their only routes be taken underwater or to find entryway through their locked passage to the right. Steam perforated the divisions of the reactors to each end; figures were pushing through the mist. Security robots; a total of six. Two commanders must have been with them as red flashed in the reflection from the glass below amongst the blue. Rather their normal rush and evade tactics, their attacks were much more organized.
"Everyone, jump!" Luntz shouted from out of nowhere. On command Zachery and Haldane bounced from the ground as Luntz used Razonde; a web of electric tendrils rained out from the tip of the Psycho Wand that went straight towards the ground and into the robots, nullifying their optical camouflage and even completely destroying one of the automatons. Brandishing the J-Sword, Zachery reverted his strength into pure power as his muscles tightened, swinging precisely with gale-force control. With two slashes, he defunct two bots until one of the commanding overseers pummeled him from behind into the seething reactor belt which he kicked off from and laid on his back before he was melted. Haldane was busy rolling and ducking around a single bot until the other commander came and landed a wicked blow across her face. Seizing the opportunity, the machine she was just evading went in for the kill only to be blown into the water by Luntz's wind technique; subsequently shearing off its arms and legs that all splashed individually. Frigid shards of ice from Gibarta flew into Luntz, painfully locking him in place as the two commanders slowly approached him. Haldane pulled out a blue and cyan rifle and fired two shots of green Photonic energy, encasing both the commanders in a block of ice. Zachery had taken Zanba in hand and jumped through the air, cleaving the first with a single slash and using that as a springboard to fly into the second commander, impaling it to the ground, falling back onto his back in the process. Breaking free from the ice, Luntz used Resta on himself and then on Zachery as Haldane downed a Trimate. Their adversaries defeated, the door unlocked and the path was now open. Orange and dimmed, the hallway had a small trench of water lining the floor, a trend that was getting old and bothersome to Luntz and Haldane, not so much for the non-organic Zachery. Claw and sword marks scarred the walls and floor as far as the eye could see. Bursting over the intercom, more static shocked the trio almost out of their skins while they walked slowly and carefully through the incredibly long and twisting path.
"...I am..."
"...powerless, yet...I have...everything..."
"...In this dark abyss..."
"...I wait..."
"...for the savior of...the red captive child..."
"...My destruction..." A sudden pause filled with ambient, audible fuzz.
"...At the bottom of...the deep abyss..."
"...I wait...Wait..." The static and voice grew fainter and fainter.
"...thcliff..."
"...Flow..."
Coincidentally as the speech ended, they came across a massive doorway that was lined with massive and capitalized white letters reading: "EXPERIMENTAL DISPOSAL SHAFT".
"I heard of this place before" Zachery ruminated audibly so that maybe one of them would question further. With no reason, he continued anyway, "Dr. Grave said that this is where any failed or uncontainable experiments were both executed and stored for further analysis. He said he was enormous and multi-leveled. Maybe…Flowen is in here?" The door opened as Zachery put his hand on it. A large blue paneled walkway led to a tremendous circular and equally blue platform, easily the same size the town square back on Pioneer 2. With their feet securely on the platform, it rocked into motion. Slowly but surely, this gigantic elevator made its way down until it picked up speed to match the normal speed the bullet trams ran at. Various canisters and sections zipped passed them on the many levels as they continued their obscure descent. Then there was a thud. A very, very large thud. Recurrent echoes of an incredibly powerful and commanding force boomed down the shaft as it got came closer with vigorous velocity. A shadow cast itself over the platform. It had revived. Dark Falz was back. Its new form wielded a massive sword and for a right arm and a crossbow attachment for its left. With six disembodied dark blue and ripped flesh, spindly spider-like legs and a bladed tail, it stood nearly thirty feet in length. Its multi-frilled and human-like head undulated as it lurched its back with a thunderous roar as it floated and rotated about the platform, running the same speed as the elevator. Zachery took out the Master Raven as Haldane took out her high-powered rifle. As they opened fire, Zachery ran the side the elevator as it gyrated about it, pelting it with Foie in tandem with Luntz's concentrated and continuous ray of light from the Technique Ragrants. Floating upside down, it fired six orbs of energy unremittingly from its crossbow that passed through the platform, wholly ignoring physical boundaries. Sidestepping and cartwheeling, they didn't let up on their onslaught. It flew above them and righted itself in correspondence with the ground as it landed on the high-speed lift, dancing about with its pincer like feet in attempt to impale them. Removing Zanba, Zachery charged straight for the center, taking a few hits, only very narrowly deflecting them with the brunt of the blade. With cover-fire from Haldane's machine guns, he swiftly hacked at each leg that came his way, chipping parts off bit by bit. Taking to the air once more, noticeably hurt by their offensive, it aimed its crossbow towards the stage as it opened long and wide; the air seemingly drawing inwards. Finally, a humongous blade of pure and green-flavored energy burst forth, nearly blanketing the whole shaft and scraping into the opposing end. Not intending to even touch it, the three ran counter-clockwise around the platform with it to unless the wanted to be bifurcated. Running out of steam, the blade got shorter and shorter until it completely disappeared as it then took multiple stabs at them with his amber-edged sword arm. Jumping over the blade like it was a jump rope, afore the final slash, Zachery met its blade with his own. Immediately converting to power mode, the sheer sovereignty it had behind the deadlock was enough to break his arms at the socket joints. He nodded to Haldane and Luntz as his arms trembled greatly, his legs nearly giving way behind its awesome might. Summoning Grants and Haldane launching her rocket launcher, a combined assault blasted its face in an amazing explosion. Its blade flew upwards, knocking Zachery's helmet clear off his head, flipping him into the air and onto his stomach as the king of evil reeled into the side of the shaft. Spiraling out of control, it smashed back into the elevator, prying it loose from its invisible railings. Coming to an immediate and angled halt, the four of them dropped into the sightless pit below.
"…Ar-re…w-we still a-alive?" Zachery moaned, slipping on his kneecaps periodically. His legs felt like jelly and his back was aching something fierce.
"P-present…and in a l-lot of p-p-pain…" Luntz sarcastically yelped.
"I'm still here…" Haldane muttered as she removed herself from the rocks and then her gun as well, wiping the blood from her forehead. It would seem their foe has met its end. Overlooking its mangled corpse, it had created a crater in this vacant chamber's center. Debris and water lined the entirety of this pit as well, predictably. Zachery was the first to approach it. Faint and dim, an otherworldly orange glow sprang out of the corpse, pirouetting and skipping through the air towards the ground. It moved to Zachery, leisurely. The closer it got, the more human-like the orb became. Resting on the ground, it took the form of the man they were looking for: Heathcliff Flowen. His blue and white military suit was neat and tidy, with sharp faulds coming out the back in the same pattern and edge to his grey mustache. His stern look appeared empty and emotionless. Gazing at Zachery, he materialized a sword into his hands and lunged for him. Caught by surprise, Zachery moved his arms towards his chest to defend himself as Flowen went through him, disappearing as he hit him. Zachery looked for Flowen but found nothing. Then, everything shook. Rocks loosed themselves from the ceiling and a white light emitted from the crater. It was still alive. Shifting its body into another form, it took the shape similar to that of Flowen. Now standing equally as tall as its previous form, it was on two legs and it even had demonic Mags with discombobulated jaws that matched its dark and rotten looking flesh in tone and color. Its chest split open into five spear-tipped, tongue-like extensions as it shrieked with yet another unholy and guttural roar, revealing the grotesque and empty cavity where a heart should reside. Taunting them with its sword as it marked them all for death, it took a single and mighty swipe; a torrent of energy swathed over them, singeing their bodies and knocking them off their feet. Undaunted, they rose once more. Haldane continued to aim for its face with Luntz as her support while Zachery dashed to wail on its feet. Promenading about the battlefield, Zach competed to match its stride, jumping out the path of its feet that it tried to quash him with. One of the "Mags" dove for Zachery as he was leaping from another stomp while swinging his sword, grabbing him inside its maw, biting down hard. Blood began to gush out of the holes the as he squealed in pain while writhing to break free. Luntz noticed this and whacked it out of sky with a pillar of stone from Radiga. With his attention no longer covering Haldane, the second Mag took advantage and created small turret-like extensions that rose up from the floor as they shot Photonic blades at her. In a single bound, Dark Falz's newest incarnation made it back to the center of the stage as its arms raised above to the ceiling. Luntz rushed over to heal Zachery with Resta when he turned to notice what it was doing a second too late. Punishing rays of light bombarded the field, all striking them and paralyzing them onto the floor.
"…I-I…c-an b-barely m-m-move" Luntz cried out in horrible agony as Haldane was struggling to stay conscious from the blood loss.
"D-Don't give in-n. K-keep f-fighting! We can do this!" Zachery spurred them on, using his sword to get him to his feet. His feet wobbled and he was clearly stricken with utmost dolor. Death's door was waiting at the end of its blade which it was pointing straight for Zachery. He lifted his blade and raised back in reciprocation. "We become a master of our own fate! We shall not give into despair! Your end is nigh, Dark Falz! You will not claim another soul here!" Luntz and Haldane returned their balance and stature to an upright position, after consuming a Trimate each. Taking out Agito and the Master Raven, he subjugated each turret that popped up as he stormed straight towards his rival. Luntz fired off Grants once more while it was preoccupied with Zachery as Haldane shot at its face with the penetrative rifle. Sheathing and holstering his weapons, he took out the J-Sword and swung down like the executioner's axe on its ankle, clipping its connection to the rest of its body, forcing it to kneel in submission. Its submission was a fool-hearty one as it was met with the business end of Zachery's blade once more, leaving a large scar in its face. But it wasn't done. It had one more card up its sleeve. Placing his sword on Zachery, he pulled the same move it played last time. Its body became transparently orange as the Mags retreated to the monsters shoulders as it gallanted around the field with Zachery's soul wrested from his body and laying in its chest cavity. Rather to not take any more chances, Luntz used the same ace-in-the-hole to end this. Powerful incandescence radiated off of the Psycho Wand and into Zachery. His blade took a different shape, enflamed with the same celeste-colored light. The connection was severed and Zachery's soul was returned to him. Bearing the full force of its swings, Zachery shrugged them off with his newfound strength bestowed to his blade. A few shots from the rocket launcher dislodged its focus as Zachery swiftly scaled the length of its body until he stood on its shoulders where he buried his blade numerous times into its face. Both of them unable to retain their balance, Zachery and Dark Falz fell to the earth. Upon landing Dark Falz dissipated and Zachery dislocated his left leg. Flowen's soul was seen ascending from the now fragmented corpse of Dark Falz and towards the top of the shaft where a twinkle of light released his blade, twirling until that struck the ground where Dark Falz once stood with a resounding pang. Using Agito to prop himself up, Zachery and the others watched as Flowen's sword began to evaporate.
"I guess that's it…" he remarked silently.
"It's dead?" Haldane questioned restlessly, coughing up more blood.
"…For now…Our job is done here, I shall return us to the surface, we should be able to use a Telepipe to get back from Pioneer 2 from there" Luntz said, motioning Haldane who had picked up Zach's helmet to come over to Zachery as a bright white purple light enveloped them.
Reaching the Lab, Luntz waved to Zachery as he disappeared amongst the crowd at its entrance. Haldane supported Zachery as they limped their way back to the Chief to report what had transpired. Looks of fear and concern were now being glared upon them from the previously emotionless and inattentive laboratory staff, much to Zachery's disdain. Heading up the staircase was met with a surprised Nol and Elly and a slightly less-than-caring Dan and Natasha.
"Oh my goodness; Zachery, Haldane are you going to be alright? Quick someone get a doctor!" Elly shrilly squeaked.
"I-It's fine Elly, I'll be okay for the moment, we came to give our report" Zachery assured, half-choking on bodily fluids. After a winded explanation, Natasha's eyes lit up.
"How interesting. Based on the reports you gave us, they must have planted the Olga AI core into Flowen to try to control the D-Factor. Astounding work. Did you find anything else?" she inquired most enthusiastically.
"Deputy Commander Flowen is dead, Chief Milrose. Have you no remorse?" Haldane barked.
"Of course I do. It is a sad ordeal for all of us. His warning wasn't even sent to fall on deaf ears. We can only learn from what has happened."
"No. I'm not listening to anymore of this. The danger has passed. I leave my employ here and I will continue my work with the Guild. Are you ready to leave Zachery?" He nodded as she limped them out without another word from either party. About halfway out of the Lab's district, Zachery spoke, "I appreciate all the help you have done for me, but can I ask you one last favor?"
"What is it?"
"Do you think you can take me to Matha Grave's estate? It's not that much further from here. I don't think I can properly help anyone or take any Guild requests in my current state until I get proper medical attention. I know who can help me, but it might take a while to get them to come."
"Absolutely." Within the hour, Haldane had become exhausted from carrying him; ending up on the same street as the Grave's estate. "Do you think you can make it from here to the door?"
"Yes, I will be fine…Thank you Haldane for listening to my plea…We couldn't have done it without you…"
"It's all part of the duty of being a Hunter. I'm going to go and get myself patched up. You take care of yourself Zachery, you hear?"
"…Will we see each other again?"
"We are in the same line of work. I wouldn't doubt it."
"Alright. Be safe Haldane. It was a pleasure working with you." Hopping on one foot, he watched as Haldane hobbled off into the distance. Knocking on the door to the mansion, Matha was heard calling to be at the door in a minute. As she opened she was completely terrified by Zachery's condition. "I know what you are thinking Matha, but I will be fine…I just need some rest, do you think you can do me a huge favor and get some of the other house workers to help me up the stairs? I doubt you can lift my heavy butt up yourself." Matha giggled slightly as some tears formed around her eyes while she nodded. A few minutes passed and two servants had appeared out of the kitchen franticly as they hauled Zachery upstairs with Matha carefully heaving his legs over her shoulders. For a good few hours, Zachery told Matha of his "brave" adventure down to Pioneer 2. Now lying on his bed and looking out the window, Matha had fell asleep on the luxurious armchair that she dragged into the room.
[Hopefully Dr. Montague will be able to repair the mess I did to myself. I'd hate to haul myself to the Landale to abuse its functions to repair myself…I wonder…Are Flowen and Rico in a better place now? …Did I grant them peace? …Hopefully…Just maybe…For once my actions might have secured a more promising future for everyone I know.]