Survivors, Monsters and Murderers

by jetangel02

Night Raid and the Jaegers are prepared to battle each other to the death. But are either of them ready to stand against one of the galaxy's deadliest species? Their best hope lies with a group of survivors from beyond the stars. War is inevitable and death is certain. Courage and trust are their best weapons against the Xenomorph plague. Rated M for language, violence and gore.

13. Chapter 12

To All Readers: Sorry for the long delay, I've been constantly hitting writer's block and had to do so much research. I didn't want to short change the contents and dialogue. It took so much time to figure out how to ensure everyone got to interact with each other, to ensure the quality of this fiction. Hence my need for as much feedback and reviews as I can get, for it helps guide my typography and thereby hasten my work on producing new chapters. Plus, I guess it was only fitting that I finish this chapter right after watching the new Predator movie. Go check it out, if you can. It really help me figure out how the Predator would fit within the story. To help meet demands, this chapter was cut in half, so that I may finish the rest at a later date. Please enjoy this new chapter.

Disclaimer : I do not own any of the Aliens and Akame ga Kill! Franchises. Those belong to their respective owners.

Chapter 12: Salvage of Damnation

U.S.S. Sulaco, Above the Empire's Atmosphere

Akame slipped off the one remaining piece of her attire, a pure white panty, and placed it through a receptacle to a bulky square machine. Once all her clothes were loaded in, she went over the washing machine's user instructions stamped above the controls, then selected the appropriate wash cycle. The washer spun and gargled, as it started its wash process alongside others handling the remaining Night Raid female members' clothing.

Donning a towel provided from a nearby dispenser, Akame lightly strode through a wide foyer leading into the Sulaco's communal bath, and along a tiled floor towards where her fellow women bathed themselves beneath rows of tall water spouts.

"Watch your step." Mine warned from beneath a shower spigot "The floor gets real slippery when wet." Suddenly, a pair of hands came up from behind, and groped her chest "They're about as slick and flat, as this kid's rack." Chelsea giggled, as she vigorously rubbed at Mine's bare top.

"What the Hell are you doing!?" Mine shrieked, as she struggled to break free of Chelsea's hold. "I heard this was a secret technique to get'em much larger in a short amount of time." Chelsea insisted "Don't you want to show a certain someone, how much of woman you can be?"

Mine blushed even redder, then with one great effort, tore herself free of Chelsea's grasp, and scurried to the far side of the bath.

"That's enough of your teasing, Chelsea." Akame scolded "I would never do something as lewd and perverted, back when I had my baths with Kurome. And she was only slightly more developed than Mine."

"You're not helping!" Mine cried out as she huddled over then crossed her arms protectively in front. Chelsea made a few more snorts of laughter, before applying some soap from a dispenser, and busily lathered her own bosom.

Removing the towel from her supple figure, Akame slowly approached the shower assembly. "Hop in." Leone invited "The water's fine."

The red eyed assassin held her bare foot over the wet tiles, and daintily tapped the water with her toes. "It's warm." she commented. Beside her, Najenda made a stern scowl "I wouldn't advise drinking it." The middle-aged woman's close Subordinates were perplexed. "Why's that?" Chelsea asked. It was Akame who caught on and answered "There are no streams or rivers in space. This Ship does not have any naturally replenishing water source."

After a moment, the redhead and blonde had both realized it. "They're recycling the water, with their technology?" Leone stifled a gag. Chelsea stuck her tongue out in disgust "Ewww! Gross!"

Over at the other end of the shower stall, Mine had her mouth wide open and taking in water straight from a spigot. She then made a large gulp, and turned to her fellow bathers "What are you all staring at?"

Out in the main corridor, Lubbock shifted beside the pipes and conduits lining the wall, making sure to step softly along the grated floor so as to not make any sound.

"Alright, so far so good." The green haired young man whispered, before continuing his stealthy trek towards the shower room. As he got closer, the sound of spouting water droned on out into the corridor. Certain that the noise would mask his approach, Lubbock upped his pace, and came beside the doorway leading into the washroom.

"Time to take a glimpse of the forbidden spectacle of Paradise." Lubbock declared "I can't allow such a golden opportunity to pass."

"Indeed…" A voice spoke into Lubbock's ear, causing him to yelp and very nearly launch himself into the ducts above him the same way which happened to Tatsumi when he was abruptly contacted by Bishop.

Lubbock turned around, and saw Hicks come up behind from out of the gloom within the dark corridor.

"Your timing couldn't have been more perfect." Hicks explained "We need you and Cross Tails, to help us take care something real quick. Outside of the Ship's hull." Lubbock cast a worried glance over at the shower entrance "Can it wait?"

Hicks shook his head "Afraid not." He then started tugging at the Night Raid member's shoulder "We need to address this quickly. So I need you to get with Hudson, suit up, and be ready to assist."

Lubbock stubbornly kept in place "Um, I don't think I'm qualified for helping you guys out. Can't you get someone else, like Su or Tatsumi?" Hicks shook his head once more "Su is in the simulator, working on his driving skills. And Tatsumi is in the armory, practicing on the gun range. That leaves you, the only one without anything to do at the moment."

The green haired defense operative began to tug away from The Corporal "It should be me in that simulator. I'm the one with the most dexterous hands…" Hicks sighed in annoyance "Su and Akame proved otherwise. They both have better reflexes." Lubbock angrily scoffed "That stupid knife game doesn't prove them better qualified than me."

"Nope." The Marine seized younger man's hand, and indicated the large band-aid around Lubbock's middle finger "But, this does." Hicks' hand began to clench tighter to the point where Lubbock's shoulder started to hurt "This can go two ways. Either you come help with the Ship's repairs, or I throw your peepin' ass straight into that lavatory amongst the five most lethal women I've ever known who's modesty you had planned on violating."

Lubbock considered his options for a brief moment. He then hung his head in submission as Hicks led him away.

Meanwhile, several levels above the Crew Quarters and Accommodation Facilities, up in the Operations deck is a small room lined with large blocky chambers, each were attached to a series of computer systems streaming real time environmental conditions typical of surface terrain found planet side. Inside one of them, Susanoo sat before a large video monitor and interface console configured to emulate the driver controls of a standard Daihotai Tractor.

The humanoid Imperial Arm concentrated, as he studied the small instruction prompter window located on the lower left corner of the main screen, then he worked the controls according to the information corresponding on how to operate the vehicle into various maneuvers. Whenever Susanoo would input a proper command, a light chime would sound out, and a new set of instructions would be displayed on the prompter.

After several more chimes sounded out, the whole system begins to power down, and Susanoo exited the simulator. He stepped over to the computers and stared at a digital readout, on it a group of words were displayed

EXERCISE COMPLETE. SCORE:100%

With a nod of satisfaction, Susanoo turned and made to leave the room, but was crowded back as Ripley entered with Bishop trailing behind.

"I don't want to hear about it Bishop." Ripley chided "Just do what I asked, and program one of the simulators for learning how to pilot the dropship." Bishop was calm as he tried to dissuade the Lieutenant "What makes you think you're qualified to pilot the Dropship anyhow?"

Ripley was thoroughly annoyed "Are you malfunctioning? As Executive Officer of this ship, you'd have to seen my profile dossier within ICC's database. I'm trained and licensed for Interstellar Commercial Flight." The synthetic android nodded thoughtfully "Yes. I've read the file, including the case which suspended your license."

"On the grounds of questionable judgement and decision making under suspicious circumstances." Ripley pointed out "The panel of inquiry didn't believe my recount of events following the time when the Nostromo came to LV-426, nor were they convinced of what Dallas and the others found there." She bit back hard against her growing anger and frustration "If they had seen what came back with them, what It had put inside Kane, and what that Thing did to him and the rest of the crew... I was there. I was the one who had to see what was left of them afterward. And what Ash tried to do…" The Lieutenant paused, as she tried keep her mind from picturing Her traumatic experience back on the Nostromo when her own crewmate nearly murdered her in order to safeguard the Xenomorph until Weyland-Yutani could get ahold of It. And what that same Alien left of Dallas, Brett, Parker, and Lambert, after It was done with them.

After Ripley reigned in her feelings, to keep from breaking down, she continued "I wasn't wrong and I wasn't lying about what had happened out there. You've seen it yourself back at Hadley's, before We all came here to this place. My story is every bit truth and fact. And that renders the suspension null and void, for all intents and purposes."

Bishop stood there for a moment to contemplate Ripley's argument. "Please try to see things on my end." he reasoned "So far, I've been more than concessive when it comes to your blatant disregard to military protocol and standard procedure. But at some point, you must submit to proper authority."

"Pass." Ripley asserted "You'd think I'm going to wait around for someone like Burke, or that sanctimonious prick Van Leuwen to tell me what's right and proper? Get real." The Lieutenant's face darkened "Or, perhaps you're in on it too." Bishop recognized the hostile tone she was taking, but remained passive so as not to escalate the tension.

"I'm not sure what you may be referring to." The Synthetic Android stated coyly. Ripley then pressed the issue "I'm referring to Special Order 937, the same orders that was given to Ash. The Company programmed him to infiltrate the Nostromo crew as a last minute replacement Science Officer. The Bastard then manipulated things, so that an Alien can be brought onboard and ensured that It would be taken back to Earth and into Company hands for study and exploitation. And as for Me and the Others, We were just disposable mouth-breathers meant to die in the event when We'd get in the way of that prerogative"

"You think, I'm serving Weyland-Yutani's interests." Bishop realized "You couldn't be any further from the truth. My purpose is to assist those aboard this vessel, whether in the a field of operations or menial tasks." In an attempt to express his contempt with Ripley's allegations, the Science Officer spoke slowly with a slight force of volume "The Company's ambitions holds little concern for me. What matters are my prime directives, which is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all Colonial Personnel, yourself included."

"Ash pretended he had similar priorities." Ripley argued "And so did MU/TH/UR. Then, they both tried to kill me in cold blood, at the drop of a hat. That's my problem with all artificial intelligence, deep down, you're nothing but bolts and batteries. Easy to turn into weapons by those that created you, no different than that ugly motherfucker who nearly made me into its chew toy."

Before Ripley can utter a retort, Susanoo walked up to the two, and chimed in "If it's anyway relevant, I'd give Bishop the benefit of the doubt." Both the Lieutenant and the Executive Officer then turned their attention to the inly other artificial person in the room.

Susanoo crossed his arms and spoke "Before you go into a tirade of random accusations, consider this. I too am an artificial being. As a lifeform that was fabricated by human hands for the sole purpose of being used as a weapon, I am bound by set directives and parameters by which to follow them. Still, let not my base function define me, but my actions instead. When I've laid dormant all these years, it was a soul as noble as Ms. Najenda which reactivated me. Does that not show that although I am created for the sole purpose to destroy, I may be only be capable of serving those with a righteous cause? And haven't I demonstrated my services need not exclude catering and stewardship to my master and her friends including you, instead of just killing the enemy? Yes, most of Us in Your company can very well be dangerous, but that doesn't mean some of Us don't carry a prerogative which insures no one comes to harm by Us."

Ripley held her chin in thought. "You need to have perspective, Ripley." Susanoo continued "Everyone aboard this vessel heeds you now, and We follow your instructions without doubt or hesitation. Because, We are convinced that you have Our survival in mind when pitted against overwhelming odds. We took your words at face value. Perhaps you should learn to do the same, or none of Us will make towards the end of Our struggles."

The humanoid Imperial Arm, then turned to his fellow Synthetic "And that goes the same for you, Bishop. Ms. Ripley has already proved her adequacy, as a military combatant. We may need to rely on her once more in future battles. At the very least, ensure she is fully qualified to carry out her prospective duties to the highest standard." Bishop quickly deliberated the proposal. "One condition." he insisted Ripley "You must complete the simulator's training exercise with a perfect score. Only then will I clear you to fly."

Ripley smirked and nodded with confidence. She then turned her attention over to Susanoo "Su, how'd it go in the simulator?"

The humanoid Imperial Arm indicated the score display while smiling. "I think I can handle it now." Susanoo assured. Ripley then gave a thumbs up "Good. Now, do you mind fetching Najenda and the other girls? Akame needs to get started with her training, and she could also use your assistance." Susanoo had already began making for the corridor "Right away."

Before getting to work on programming and reconfiguring the other simulator for dropship pilot training, Bishop began to reset the tractor simulator to startup point. "Don't you perhaps want to undertake the crawler exercise yourself? Your Class 2 rating would more than qualify you for operating one." Ripley motioned her hand dismissively "I've handled the APC well enough. I can manage a tractor easily."

The Science Officer made a condescending chuckle "If a blown transaxle is what you call 'handling it well enough'." The Lieutenant gave Bishop an assertive glance "Don't listen to Hicks. He exaggerates."

"I'm afraid, I must." Bishop replied "The Corporal is the only one among Us, who's formally rated for driving all terrain vehicles including Daihotai Tractors. After all, it was he who managed to assemble the convoy train, and drive it out into the forest surrounding the Valley, to hide and secure the Colony material salvage." Ripley wasn't going to be outdone "Hey, I could've helped load every tool, equipment, component, and workable scrap pulled out of that damned place. If I'd been there"

"But you didn't." the android countered "Tatsumi, Leone, and Susanoo handled that detail alone, because you had to remain on the ship and recover from your injuries. Wounds that were brought about by your recent bout of confronting some very dangerous people armed with equally dangerous weapons, with reckless abandon and disregard for appropriate use of hazardous equipment." Ripley crossed her arms disparagingly "What difference does that make? Be it Imperial Arms or a Cargo Loader, I still held my own." Bishop held up both hands to show he wasn't looking to argue "No one doubts your battle prowess or combat efficiency. I'm just pointing out your rather indelicate habits, when it comes to the collateral destruction of certain modes of conveyance under dire circumstances. You did blow up a CM-88B Bison M-class Starfreighter, irreparably damaged an M577 Armored Personnel Carrier, nearly obliterated a P-5000 Work Loader, and indirectly put a Conestoga-Class Starship's weapon's system out of commission."

"That's not fair, Bishop." Ripley complained "I had no choice. The Alien couldn't be allowed to make it to Earth aboard the Nostromo, Hicks and the Others needed to be rescued from out of the Hive, that Beast of Seryu's, Koro, I think it was called, had to be put down before it could devour Newt, and Seryu would have this Ship blown to Hell with all of Us in it, if her fucking bomb set off in the Hangar." She checked the many small bruises all over her body, that she got as a result of fighting alone against the biological Imperial Arm, and from when the Power Loader had fallen down after feeling the bomb's explosion impact the Sulaco's hull.

Once the Lieutenant felt up the last of her small injuries, she spoke again "If you could've come up with any better solutions to the many times We were in deep shit, then you can fault me. But We are still alive, thanks to the choices I've made when the chips were down. That remains an indisputable fact. Agreed?"

To show that he was still compliant to Ripley's leadership, Bishop stated calmly "You didn't hear Me, Hicks, or Najenda speak out against you, when you instructed Us to linger back at the Hadley Colony, long enough to strip out what might be needed, so that none of Us would be required to risk returning again." Not waiting for a prompt response, Bishop went back to his task while asking one last question "Do you think the remaining Jaegers or anyone else from the Empire are still going to attempt another foray into Hadley's Hope?"

Ripley could only shrug with uncertainty "Everyone took everything that wasn't nailed down. Picked it clean of anything We could use. That place is nothing to anyone who goes poking around there now."

Hadley's Hope, South of the Empire

Syura stepped out of the dense cover of the forest, and onto an open landscape. In front of him were his fellow members of Wild Hunt, standing still and gaping at a large conic shaped building ahead of them.

"What do we have here?" Enshin called out, expecting some sort of explanation. Dorothea moseyed on around him, and smirked "This was the ruin I was telling you all about." Without breaking, stride she trotted through the ashen colored grounds, and made to go around the structure "There should be more, on the far side of this construct."

Izou and Cosmina were about to follow, but Enshin remained where he stood.

"Not so fast." Enshin called out "First of all, let's hear it. Why exactly did you bring Us out to this dump?" Syura stepped out from behind, and agreed "You said you can give Us the World. How do you plan on accomplishing that?"

Dorothea anticipated her teammates would inquire more on what she had been scheming, but the Alchemist couldn't run the risk of the others learning about the Aliens. All information pertaining to the Xenomorph species is still privy to a select few, by order of the Prime Minister. As far as she's concerned, every other military roustabout only knows about the Colonial Marines, and not the Aliens the Jaegers encountered. Fortunately, that group of otherworldly militants pose such an apparent face of a threat, no one would be none the wiser in comprehending the true prize she and Honest sought after.

"I'm currently developing a weapon that can overpower Imperial Arms." Dorothea announced while resuming her walk around the giant ruin. The Others shot a look of dismay, before trailing after.

"Impossible!" Enshin deniably argued "There's no weapon in the world that can outdo an Imperial Arm, except others Imperial Arms of course."

"You're absolutely right." concurred Dorothea "But what I plan to make isn't of this world, but beyond it." That piqued some of her Comrades' interest.

"Go on…" Syura demanded

Once Wild Hunt began to round the large structure, they gave Dorothea their undivided attention again.

The Alchemist then explained "In those ruin, lie technologies akin to what the Colonial Marines had used to soundly defeat the Jaegers and the Imperial Army. I plan on using that technology to create a weapon that can rival the might of famously powerful Imperial Arms wielded by the likes such as the Great General Budo or General Esdeath."

As everyone pondered the idea while walking along, Dorothea kept explaining "Imagine a weapon that will annihilate Our enemies in an instant. Whole cities and nations vanished overnight or in the blink of an eye." She then held out her hand invitingly before clenching it tight "Now, think of the convenience of having this weapon produced exclusively for Us, using the right kind of equipment and support systems. We would have the entire world brought to heel, out of fear and dread of the destructive qualities by this instrument of death alone." She took a moment to let the others take further thought about such an appealing concept.

"A weapon to take over the World…" Cosmina mused.

"One that only We can use." Enshin remarked.

"I care not for a new sort of weapon" Izou said dismissively "Kousetsu is all that I am devoted to."

Wanting more details, Syura spoke up "So, what you're talking about is some sort of device? A machine of some kind?"

Dorothea made a devious smile, and pointed out in front of them "It'll be something that can do much more than this…"

Wild Hunt cleared the first ruin, and found themselves facing the remainder of the Colony and the battle-torn grounds surrounding it. No one spoke for a moment, as they took in the view of devastation. Bombed out craters, smoldering hunks of slag, and shrapnel still puffing up small wisps of smoke littered the place all around.

"It seems, the rumor was true about the Imperial Army's defeat." Syura mused "This must be where they fought the Battle of Hadley's Hope." The Prime Minister's Son knelt and lifted a broken spear head, then idly tossed it aside "An army numbering no less than 50,000 plus the Jaegers, a handful of Imperial Arms users, set an ambush on that notorious team of assassins Night Raid. And were swiftly beaten to the point of retreating all the way back to the Southern Outpost. Not one enemy assassin had been killed, all thanks to a unknown group who aided the rebels."

Cosmina raised a hand "What were these other people called again?" Izou answered for her "Colonial Marines." The swordsman then took another gander at the ominous scene.

"So much destructive power." Izou finally commented. Enshin nodded in agreement while thumbing the hilt of his Imperial Arm, Shamshir. "So tell Us more about them." the cutthroat demanded "Where exactly did these people come from?" This time, it was Syura who answered "A different World, believe it or not. At least, that's what the Jeagers have reported."

Enshin remained skeptical "Sounds farfetched to me. What made you so sure about that?" The leader of Wild Hunt shrugged as a matter of fact "Because, I've been to nearly every part of the globe, and I have never seen any civilization that can unleash devastation on this scale before."

Izou rubbed his chin, then addressed the shortest female of their group "And you claim, You can acquire a similar power to match these people's might?"

Dorothea made an excited nod "The battle here has provided Us with a unique window of opportunity. It's obvious that the Colonial Marines are deliberately ignoring the Empire, despite the recent hostilities which broke out between them. That's because they are currently occupied with the hunt for a way back to their original world. They may be planning to return here afterwards, so that they may invade this world, and either kill Us all or subjugate Us."

Enshin made a face of contempt "I'm not about to become someone's slave."

Disregarding the subject, Cosmina pointed at Colony complex looming ahead of the encroaching team of Imperial Arms users "So, how did this all end up here anyways?" Dorothea shrugged "I don't exactly know for sure. Reports from the Jaegers who investigated this site, showed evidence of something going awry with one of their facilities. Things began to grow unstable, and then suddenly an explosive blast of some kind, overtook the entire Colony, then sent it hurdling beyond the point of origin. The anomalous event could be the result of another one of their technology, maybe a device capable of teleportation like Syura's Shambhala, going haywire after receiving damage then warping everything around it, sending it all here on some arbitrary coordinates."

Enshin was the first to reach the Colony proper. He tapped the point of Shamshir against a steel wall, which a provided a low-toned Tink.

"So, your saying." Enshin indicated a large gaping ingress bay set above a causeway ramp "All that high-tech equipment is still in there, waiting for anyone to come by and claim it?" The rest of Wild Hunt followed and observed the opening to a dark interior of a building with the word GARAGE stamped on the side. Along the ground and leading away from the ramp, were deep set tracks running in parallels.

Izou knelt for a closer study of the trail, sniffed and winced at a bitter lingering odor. He then glared along the dirt, tracing the linear path heading straight south towards the tree line. "These tracks are recent" the swordsman declared "They were made soon after the battle had ended. And by something big and heavy."

"Some sort of conveyance of theirs." Dorothea surmised "A wagon of some kind. Most likely used to move anything salvageable from here." She gazed in the southern direction, with a good mind of knowing what the trails' intended course and destination. "If anything remained, that is still in working order, I doubt the Enemy would leave it behind." Dorothea then held her chin in contemplation "But if any of it was broken or damaged, they'd most likely abandon it, assuming nobody would be able to use it against them."

Syura was vexed "So, why would We want something that possibly may not work at all?" The Alchemist patted a small object inside her dress pocket, and smirked "Because, I have a means of repairing whatever damage a device may have. I can restore it to full functionality, with hardly any effort at all."

U.S.S. Sulaco, Above the Empire's Atmosphere

Lubbock shifted uncomfortably from within a thick bulky outfit, as Hudson stood before him busily securing a bulbous helmet into its coupling socket around Lubbock's neck. The whole ensemble felt heavy and cumbersome, but according to an earlier explanation from the ComTech, anyone who steps out of the Ship's airlock without an E.V.A suit would only end up the same way as those Imperials whom Ripley flushed out into space, sucked out and blown dry.

Hudson snapped several fasteners around the helmet's coupling bracket, and stepped back to examine his work. "How's the suit? Feel like anything hanging loose?" Lubbock lugged about within the sluggish getup and made a sour expression from behind the helmet's faceplate "Feels like I shouldn't be wasting my time on this dumb little chore."

The ComTech chuckled at the green haired assassin's wisecrack "Chill out, man. You're not gonna be doing much. We just need you to hang out here near the airlock hatch, while Hicks and I go check things out along the Sulaco's exterior. Once we're done out there, we're gonna need you to reel us back in safely with those strings of yours. You'll be saving Us some time, and We gotta knock this one out, before We get back down to the surface." As Hudson began donning his own E.V.A suit, an already cladded Hicks appeared through the hatch of an adjoining compartment.

"We all set?" the Corporal asked, as he hefted a large bundle of thick metallic poles alongside him. Lubbock took notice of Hick's burden, while he tried to fasten CrossTails over his mitted hands "What are those?" Hicks set down the metal spires and started to fasten his helmet on "They're called Rakes, telescopic magnets that are planted along a starship's outer hull. Once they are powered on, any metallic debris clustered around the Ship will be drawn in and clumped up along the stem of the device. This is how we clear the area around any parts that have come under heavy fire, to check for damages and make any necessary repairs. Once the vicinity is cleaned, we haul the scrap back inside as salvage. Nothing goes to waste, on this Bucket."

After securing his helmet on, Hudson reached over at a control panel set beside the outer door to the airlock the trio stood in. "Closing inner doors…" with a flick of a switch, the pair of doors leading back into the Ship rumbled closed.

"Vacuum stress conditioning, start." the ComTech announced. He then threw another switch, and the whole room emitted a sound of rushing air as it was progressively sucked through sealable vent ports. As the vacuum began to settle into the airlock, Hicks elbowed against Lubbock's shoulder to get his attention, and held up an arm which had a status monitor on the wrist. The Corporal pointed to a small digital readout displaying a measured bar with an O2 label beneath, it accompanied by a green lettered word reading SEALED.

["Keep an eye on that monitor, Lubbock."] Hudson's voice crackled over space suit's comms. ["If your air is low, or you see the word BREACH, let me and Hicks know right away."] Lubbock took a quick glance at his own readout, and threw the ComTech a thumbs-up. Several moments went by, and a sharp buzz sounded from the control panel.

["Opening outer door!"] Hudson called out, and then pressed the last switch that parted an exit from the Sulaco's interior amid a blaring chorus of klaxons and alarms. As the doors rolled back, Lubbock peered from behind his Helmet's faceplate, to the view beyond.

With just an E.V.A suit separating him and infinite space, Lubbock could see the entire starscape around like he never did within the confines of the Dropship. And for an instant, his entire being froze.

Brilliant gems of lights stretched as far as an eye can possibly see, ever burning with illumination against the dark of void never that never ceases to envelop all existence. The sight kept going on for eternity, and the green haired assassin had to shake his head to keep the absurdity from overtaking him like what happened to Akame. "Boss and the Others are really missing out on this." he mumbled to himself.

As Lubbock turned to speak with Hicks, he felt his legs come away from the floor "Wahh!" His arms flailed about, compulsively seeking any purchase of leverage to keep him steady. Hudson reached out and clutched the young man's left arm, and pulled him down ["Quit spacing out, man. It's only weightlessness."] The ComTech then took a line strapped to Lubbock's waist, and clipped the other end onto a safety railing ["Whenever you step outside of the Ship, the gravity field loses its effect, and you'll just float away if you don't keep yourself tethered.]

Hicks took his own lifeline, and handed it to Lubbock ["Take this and tie your Imperial Arm to the other end. Do the same for Hudson's. Once we're finished with what we need to do, I'll tug the line three times. That's when you'll reel us back here slowly."] Lubbock began tying off CrossTail's threads onto each clip of the Marines' safety tethers.

Once he was done, Lubbock made a hard tug at each knot to ensure they wouldn't come undone. Once he was certain the threads would remain taught, the clever assassin gave a thumbs-up. Hicks gathered up the Rake poles and steadily approached the gaping hatchway.

Reaching out with his leg, and latching onto the Sulaco's outer hull with the E.V.A. suit's magnetic boots, Hicks briskly stepped over the edge, and disappeared from view. Hudson casually did likewise, and followed. Lubbock could only look on in amazement, as he fed out his Imperial Arm's thread to keep the line slack an untangled."

In the Sulaco's mess hall, Mine sat down on a large table alone with a large cup in her hands. Taking out a spoon, the pink haired sharpshooter glanced around the entire mess hall to ensure she was by herself. After confirming the coast was clear, she licked her lips and eagerly drove her spoon into the cup, and began to scoop out its contents.

Suddenly, the hum sounded of sliding door sounded out behind Mine, which made her set down her snack, as she watched Tatsumi stepped into the mess hall and stood by as the door retracted close.

"Hey, Tatsumi." Greeted the Genius Sniper, as she slowly began to return to her cup. The young man eyed the item in Mine's hands, and spoke "What's that you got there?" Mine reflexively tucked the culinary object around her back, but relented after meeting her comrade's blank gaze.

"It's ice cream. Believe it or not." Mine declared excitedly "I figured out which of the kitchen's dispensers served it." She held up the large cup and ladled out the spoon covered in a thick frosty cream of a pale pinkish color. "It comes in three flavors, Strawberry, Chocolate, and Vanilla." The indulgent young woman set the spoon back the cup and gently stirred "The Chocolate tasted a little bland, and I never much cared for Vanilla. But, when I searched the nearby pantry, I came across a box of powdered fruit, and one of the packets had Strawberry on its label. So, put two and two together, and voila! A satisfactory confection for my prestigious palette."

Fighting the strong urge to chuckle, Tatsumi's face just simply grinned "That's rather neat. But I'm afraid you're treat's gonna have to wait." Mine grew perplexed as Tatsumi motioned her towards the exit door. "I was sent by Najenda, to tell you that she needed your help, down in the armory's firing range."

The shorter assassin's delight ebbed away, as she stared at Tatsumi's hand reaching for the ice cream. "I'll hold onto this, until you get back." Tatsumi offered "We can't have such a product of frozen decadence melt away now, can we?-"

Mine seized the hand by the wrist, and tugged her close. "Nice try." She hissed "But I can see through your deception." The other person made a surprised expression "I don't know what you're talking about-" Mine's grip tightened "You can drop the act already…Chelsea." In a puff of smoke and vapor, Tatsumi's visage dissolved away, and in place stood a mischievous redhead with a smirk on her face "What gave it away?"

Mine relinquished Chelsea, then jealously hoarded her dessert. "Your first mistake; you called the Boss by her name. Tatsumi never does that, not once. And secondly…" the Genius Sniper made an insidious grin "Tatsumi is my underling. I'm the one who tells him what to do, and he does it obediently and without question. Not the other way around."

Chelsea rubbed her wrist, and smoothed her shirt sleeve over it. "My, my. You certainly know a lot about Tatsumi." she then threw a sneer towards her fellow young woman "The both of you must have quite the intimate relationship." Mine blushed a deep magenta, before going into a frenzied rant "We're not like that, at all! How could you make that kind of assumption!?"

Wearing a coy expression, the doppelganger assassin feigned ignorance "But, why wouldn't you? Think about it." Chelsea scooted closer to Mine and spoke in a hushed tone "In this line of work, Our lives could come to an abrupt end at any given moment in the heat of battle. Would you not at least try to enjoy what little gratification that is so close and available to you?" She drew her pink haired comrade even closer, so as to murmur in Mine's ear "Don't think, you can neglect His bright personality, His helpful nature, His trimmed yet toned body, His soft hair with that silly cowlick on top, and let's not forget those bright jade eyes of His, always expressing His sincerity and eagerness to please others. And if I recall, He's saved your hide more than once, I believe."

Mine listened to every word that described Tatsumi, but strangely hadn't made a rebuttal. Instead, she stiffly placed her cup of ice cream on the table, then walked out the exit hatch and into the corridor.

Chelsea chuckled, as she picked up the now abandoned dessert and began to stir its spoon "That didn't take much to get her hot and bothered." She took a scoop and chomped down on the pink frost. Then after chewing and swallowing, the redhead sat at the table "Some people take themselves too seriously…"

Down near the bow of the Sulaco, both Corporal and ComTech reached the impact site of Seryu's bomb explosion. Scraps of torn metal littered the entire surrounding as the debris floated about lazily, obscuring Hicks' perception of ascertaining the scale of damage.

["Let's begin setting up the rakes."] The Corporal ordered. He and Hudson divided half the magnetic shafts between the two of them.

["I'll go this way."] the ComTech informed ["Keep a 5 meter spread. Make sure they're positioned in circumference."] Hicks placed a rake against the outer hull, then after pressing a small button, the pole's base adhered to the solid metal plating. Randomly passing debris would do likewise to the stem, once they strayed close enough.

["It's working."] Hicks announced ["Start another radius, once you've finished your arc. And try not to snag your line."] He checked his own tether, to ensure he had enough slack ["Keep feeding us CrossTail's thread, Lubbock. And let me know if it runs short."]

Lubbock quickly inspected his Imperial Arm's spool, then answered ["We're good for now, though I'd suggest you don't continue any further great distance."]

Hudson scanned the immediate area, in order to gauge the remaining span to cover ["We should be good. Not a whole lot of space left to clear…"]

Elsewhere, back in the Ship's Armory, Tatsumi stood behind a loading stall within the adjoining practice range. After loading his Tactical Shotgun to full magazine, he shouldered the weapon's stock "Line up the sights…place it over the target…" Once he followed the directions, the green eyed fighter pulled the trigger Ptoom! Downrange, hoisted by spring activated pennants, a target pane shattered.

"Bullseye." Tatsumi set his sights on the next target, but noticed Najenda entering the room, so he instead tilted his head to acknowledge his leader "Boss…"

The Commander of Night Raid studied the line of targets down the range, and took notice of the one her Subordinate had managed to hit. "Nice shot there, Tatsumi." she complimented "You seem to be getting used to handling firearms." Tatsumi swelled with pride and accomplishment, as he received the compliment graciously "Thanks. But, I wouldn't say I'm up to par to skills in marksmanship like those of Mine's." Najenda grinned while shaking her head "There's no need to compare yourself to her. Mine has her own strengths and shortcomings, as do you. That much was made clear during the Battle of Hadley's Hope. We've won that engagement, not just with Marine firepower, but because all of Our abilities had complimented each other."

The latest member of Night Raid, started to look uncertain "Then are you sure you want to break Us up? Do you really plan on sending Us to different parts of the continent, to look for the Derelict?" Najenda sighed, she anticipated some of her Subordinates would have misgivings about Night Raid's two pronged expeditions, especially coming from the green eyed fighter.

"I understand your concerns, Tatsumi." Najenda started "We've gone through several close scrapes I recent days, and most of which would have cost lives, if it wasn't for Ripley and Hicks helping Us out." She placed a hand on Tatsumi's shoulder "We owe Our Friends big time, for dealing with Esdeath. And We'll likely have to depend on them and their tech, in the days to come. That is why I've volunteered Our team to come through in this undertaking. We need the Colonial Marines and their Ship to aid in the rebellion. And to that end, We must locate and secure the Derelict, and perhaps curtail the risk of an Alien infestation." Taking a step away from the young man, Najenda raised her cybernetic arm, and used the ocular scope to mark a target down the range. Once she had the eyepiece laser centered, the gun barrel on the robotic arm adjusted its aim, then fired a shot Boom! The cannon round streaked towards the center of the flat target, and shattered the who pane on impact.

"If there's one thing I'm certain of, Tatsumi." Night Raid's leader set her targeting sights on another mark "Is that technology such as this, can definitely stand up to an Imperial Arm." Boom! The next target pane was smashed apart at a near instant.

Tatsumi smiled and was about to praise his Commander's accurate shooting, until the door behind them hummed open again, and both of them saw Mine enter.

"Hey, Mine." Tatsumi greeted "What's up?" Mine wore a vague frown, as she stared at him, while casting an uncertain glance at their leader "Do you have a moment, Tatsumi?" The male assassin was perplexed by Mine's cordial tone "Sure. What do you need?"

The Genius Sniper bit her lip as she cast one more wary glance at Najenda. "Never mind." She answered, then turned to leave the firing range "Just forget about it. Okay?" A puzzled Tatsumi scratched his head, while he watched Mine vacate the Armory "Well that was weird. Right, Boss?" The only response from Najenda, was a sigh of disappointment.

Hicks stood back, as he observed the hulking mess of warped and scorched metal that was once the Sulaco's ventral Railgun. One side of the Railgun was missing its protective panels, exposing the weapon assembly inside, whereas the other side had completely buckled inward and melded with its interior. Hudson stood next to his fellow Marine, and cocked an eyebrow from behind his helmet's faceplate.

The Corporal cautiously advanced towards the mangled turret, then beckoned for the ComTech to follow. They had to ascertain whether the damage was as severe as it had seemed.

Hudson placed his gloved hands on a panel ["Looks like the Weapon Housing took most of the blast impact."] With a heave, the ComTech lifted away the loose metal coverings, and checked underneath using headlights mounted on his helmet, plus the E.V.A. suit's very own shoulder lamp. ["Man, it's a total shit show in there, but I don't see anything wrong with the rotary base."] He then looked to the side ["The same can't be said about the barrels. See how they're bent out of alignment?"] Hicks came alongside, and assessed the damage conditions.

["It's not as bad as I would have thought."] the Corporal spoke optimistically ["Can You and Bishop be able to repair it, asap?"] Hudson was livid ["Asap!? Weren't you paying attention? The barrels alone could take weeks to repair or replace components, assuming that's how far the damage actually is. If there's any internal damage, then only if We drydock this creaking tub, can that problem be addressed. We might need a whole new Railgun altogether. And where the fuck do We find this kind of hardware? For all We know, Our coordinates could be an entire galaxy away from the nearest port! We don't have any place around here, where We can get what We need."]

["We already do…"] the Corporal pointed straight up towards the top of the Sulaco ["We'll just take the necessary parts from the other gun."] Hudson gawked in the direction of the Dorsal Railgun ["Are you out of your mind!? That's Our main defense against threats from higher orbit."] Hicks wouldn't hear such an excuse ["Then you'd best damned hope, We're the only ones floating around up here. What matters is getting back Our means of bombarding the Capitol, with precise devastation. I want to be able to flatten some Imperial asshole while he's on the shitter, right from above. And for that, I'd rather have the top gun be used to fix the bottom one. Cannibalize everything, if need be."]

Hicks grabbed his safety tether, and gave it three hard tugs. In a moment, Crosstail's thread line became taught, and both him and Hudson were yanked away from the Sulaco's hull, and were slowly reeled in towards the airlock ["We have maintenance drones onboard, that You're qualified to operate. I want You and Bishop to get started with the repairs, once We get everything else squared away."]

Hadley's Hope, South of the Empire

Syura stood by in front of a large building with its open front doors that had the words WEST LOCK stamped on in large letters. His Imperial Arm was drawn, and beside him, his teammates had done likewise. The way inside was near pitch black, and even the light of day had a hard time piercing through.

Only Dorothea continued forward, unaffected by the structure's intimidating gloom. "It's alright!" she called back "Whatever's been in here had been long gone. Nothing's been around to trouble the Jaegers before, nothing's gonna come out after Us now."

Enshin and Cosmina looked to Syura, to see what he would do, as the Prime Minister's son glance sidelong at Izou. "She speaks truly." stated the eastern swordsman who ventured secondly into the Colony's dark corridor, but he never took his hand off Kousetsu's hilt. Syura and the others quickly followed after.

Dorothea stopped near the edge of the shadows, just shy of where daylight penetrated. She then turned to the rest of Wild Hunt "Here…" she produce a flask from out of her dress, and removed its cap "Everyone take a swig of this."

"What is it?" Syura warily asked. The foreign Alchemist took a small draft of the flask's contents and answered "One of my own inventions. It's a potion that grants bioluminescence. Your body will glow bright enough to light up your surroundings for a while." Just as she explained, her body did indeed glow radiantly, enough to illuminate the corridor ahead for safely traversing.

With an affirmative nod, Syura took the flask from Dorothea, then imbibed the potion. Izou, Enshin, and Cosmina did the same, afterwards.

When every one of Wild Hunt present glowed brightly, they started down the now well lit corridor.

"Geez, what a mess." Enshin remarked, as he and his teammates took a gander at the hall's bare aesthetics. Syura was unimpressed "No account for taste, these people had. Even if this place wasn't in such a sorry state." Dorothea waved off the criticism, and began walking further down the grated path "I've never said that the architecture was visually refined. These people valued utility, they prefer function over finesse." She began to impatiently beckoned the Others to follow. With an aggravated expression, Syura led the rest.

As Wild Hunt steadily made their way through the Colony, Cosmina glanced around idly, and took notice of several portions of gaps in the floor grating ahead. "What are all these holes?" she asked Dorothea who made a shrug of indifference "Fuel rupture, most likely. They must've had pipes and conduit lines pumping and channeling chemicals with corrosive properties, used to somehow provide power throughout the entire complex."

They wound their way further on, rounding corners and stepping through clutters of damage and debris, as the signs of violent conflict became more apparent. Everyone kept close to the Western Alchemist, while she briskly paced on seemingly unaffected by such bleak surroundings. Until, a large copper stain shown up on a nearby wall. The whole group stopped to observe the crimson blotch. Most could recognize what is was right away.

"That's blood…" Enshin pointed out.

"Dried blood." Izou corrected "And judging by the coagulation, it's been here for quite a long time."

All eyes started to leer at Dorothea, questioningly. "You should already know, a battle took place at this Colony." she explained "The fighting could have spread within the corridors of these buildings." Izou went silent, and offered no opinion on the matter. Nobody else thought to argue that logic. Syura maintained his scowl, stamped his foot impatiently "C'mon, let's get this over with, so We can leave this place pronto."

"How much further, do We need to go Dorothea?" Enshin bemoaned "Do you even know what We're supposed to be looking for?"

"Yes!" Dorothea replied in annoyance "It's just up ahead, this way." The foreign Alchemist pointed to a stairwell down the end of the hallway, and made for the steps.

As the group of Imperial Arms users climbed the stairs, they came upon a jumbled pile of metal paneling and heavy-looking equipment, that had a large man-size gap in its center. "It's a barricade, to keep the Jaegers at bay." Dorothea informed. Enshin examined the breach under the light of his bioluminescent face "It didn't seem to slow them down much. This was easily smashed open."

"Isn't the Imperial Army one of the most powerful military in the world, and the Jaegers being the strongest group of Imperial Arms users?" Cosmina asked "If the Jaegers had gotten the upper hand, how is it that they've been beaten so easily?"

Before Dorothea could think up an explanation, Syura answered the Singer's question "I heard that their leader vanished, amidst a parlay." He took out Shambhala, and glanced at it in reminiscence "Without General Esdeath, The Empire's forces was without a head and without its strongest fighter. So, all those idiots could do was charge right in like lambs to the slaughter."

Izou thumbed the hilt of his Kousetsu, bemused at the thought of missing out on such carnage. "If these Colonial Marines managed to throw back a massive onslaught, why do they not remain entrenched here? Even in such a diluted state, this Colony could still serve as a foothold with no one able to harass them." Dorothea stubbornly insisted "I've told you before. They're stranded here, away from their homeworld. Finding a means of returning is their only concern, for right now. Which is why We must act fast, and discover the nature of their technology. We can still defeat them and any who oppose Us, if We hurry up and do what We came here to do!"

They reached a central nexus of multiple corridors leading off in opposite directions, on led to an elevator, one led to a stet of stairs going further up, and another went straight towards another barricade with a single door barely visible on the side.

"That's where we need to go." Dorothea declared, pointing at the lone door. She then gestured at the stairs "That probably leads to the roof. Izou. Enshin. I need you both to go topside, and be Our lookouts. Cover every direction leading to this building, but keep a low profile. We can't afford to have anyone notice Us being out here. If you see something coming, come back down, and tell us." Enshin mumbled something unintelligible, before rolling his eyes, and proceeded up the steps. Izou kept silent, and followed.

"The rest, follow me." the Alchemist led Syura and Cosmina towards the door. The trio stood there, and before anyone could ask how to open the way in, Dorothea simply slipped her fingers through the middle seam where there was a gapping notch, then parted the sliding doors.

The next room was as dark as the corridors outside, but the area lit up quickly by the three's bioluminescence after entering. Shura scanned the large place with scrutiny. "Looks like an infirmary." he surmised.

"It is." Dorothea affirmed "This was their medical facilities, for treating the sick and injured." She glanced at ransacked cabinets and empty desks ("Though, I wished they'd left anything worth salvaging from this dump.")

"What are those?" Comsina called out, as she pointed to a small compartment off to the side, where there sat small containers with strange little creatures displayed inside. A sweat drop formed on the back of Dorothea's head as she hastily replied "Umm…probably an experiment of theirs on some local vermin. Be sure to collect them for me, I'll want to study Them later."

"They look like severed hands." Syura commented, but took no action in retrieving the containers. "They're harmless, and possibly already dead." the Alchemist reasoned "If They wanted out of those tanks, They'd already have escaped."

"Alright you two." Dorothea instructed "Gather anything you can find that looks usable, I don't care how small or minute is can seem. Pile them right in the center of this room, for Syura to transport. And be very gentle with handling them." She started to walk on towards the opposite side of Medical. "Where are you going?" Syura asked her.

"I'll be checking the other rooms, to see if there's anything else We can bring back." Dorothea answered "I'll be fine on my own." she reassured. "Like I care." snorted the Prime Minister's Son, then he and Cosmina went about their task.

Over towards the far side of Medical, Dorothea stepped into a small square junction which adjoined a larger room. She stooped near a broken door laying across from a large vent opening, curious to know what happened here. ("No time to look into it. There are more important things to do.") She thought, and with a sigh, moved on and proceeded into Operations.

As the foreign Alchemist rounded a long rectangular partition, she laid her eyes on the ominous view of a devastated control room. Computer console and control boards were blown up, smashed, and burned beyond recognition. She wouldn't know what would be worth fixing or what could be used for her plans.

"There's just one thing I need from this place, and it shouldn't be kept just in here." Dorothea stepped softly towards another door that was shut. She examined the seam, and saw the weld, like how it was described in the Jaegers' report. The door had been effectively sealed tightly shut. "Until now." Dorothea fished into her pockets and pulled out a small vial of yellowish fluid. "Thought this would come in handy, but it was still such a pain to get the vial fully laminated with the Alien's shed skin."

Uncapping the top, the Alchemist covered her mouth and nose, then pour Alien blood all along the welded seam

Fffzzzsssshh! The acid-blood hissed voraciously as it rapidly dissolved composite metal. A short while had passed, when the acid completely fizzled out, leaving a gap on the door seam.

With no effort, Dorothea parted the sliding door, and exited into the corridor of a previously unexplored area.

U.S.S. Sulaco. Above the Empire's Atmosphere

"Is this everything, Akame?" Hicks asked while typing numbers into a datapad "The weight has to be precise, so that the Dropship can be loaded to maximum capacity without overloading." Akame wheeled a dolly full of hard crates in front of the Corporal, and set its brakes "15 cases, plus the 45 already on the ship, makes 60."

Hicks nodded with approval "Get them up the ramp, and have them stowed." The red eyed young woman nodded, and steadily continued wheeling the cargo up into the belly of the Dropship. The Corporal then turned to the sound of whirring servos and hydraulics "How many more you've got, Ripley?"

"Last one." Ripley proclaimed from within the Power Loader's safety cage and operating frame. "Good." Hicks remarked "Take her away." The heavy equipment driver worked the controls, and the Power Loader lifted a large missile from a service dolly, and dexterously held up the high-explosive munition to a receptacle located on one of the Dropship's weapon pods. The receptacle then spun its rotary track conveying the missile out of the Loader's claw, and into a vacant launch tube.

"Clear behind!" Ripley sounded out, as she operated Power Loader's legs, and stepped away from the Dropship.

Inside the vessel, Leone, Susanoo, and an Incursio armored Tatsumi were lifting the cases off the hand-truck, and placing them in neat even stacks within the ship's hold. Lubbock and Chelsea would then tie down and secure the stacks. In the weapons bay, Najenda and Mine were going over the list of supplies and equipment the Marines were planning to transfer to the Revolutionary Army. Mine would describe the details of a listed item, and Najenda would determine which would be allocated, to maximize effectiveness.

The Commander of Night Raid was engrossed in thought "Hicks explained, a typical fire team would comprise of a smartgunner, two riflemen, two incinerators, and a special weapon of either a sniper or a bombardier." Mine fidgeted "Could it be done?" Najenda just shrugs "No choice. We'll have to tell Command, that our forces will need to be reorganized to get the most use out of all this gear. Sometimes, a situation would require a platoon to divide into smaller squads, so as to gain a more responsive strategy or minimize losses."

Mine "Is that why, you've plan to split up Night Raid?" The question wasn't chaste, merely formal curiosity. Najenda looked up at her Subordinate "When Ripley and Hicks decided to take up arms for Our cause, they've changed the game of conducting warfare. The rebellion never had as good a chance as this, in succeeding. But, that won't come to pass, if they remain focused on their main objective, exterminating the Aliens." She took the arsenal manifest, and begun folding it away "There's time before Night Raid has to play its part in the upcoming war. This could be Our only opportunity to hunt down and wipe out the Xenomorph threat. We owe it to Ripley."

Najenda worked several switches and buttons on her cybernetic arm, and the rig decoupled itself off her shoulder "But, all the same, I'm not about to throw away all Our lives on a whim. The Aliens have a lethal track record. The Colonial Marines, the Imperial Army, and even the Jaegers couldn't put a stop to Them. Now it's Our turn. Night Raid must succeed were others had failed and died attempting. And Were gonna be smart about it. If engaging in force isn't going to work, then a light reconnaissance might do it." Najenda clench her fist with confidence "We're not going in blind. We know What to expect. And We'll be ready for it."

A shuffle of boots sounded off from behind the two female assassins, and they both shifted their attention to wearing his Imperial Arm. "Everything's been stowed and secured, Boss." the silver armored fighter announced. Najenda took a gander of the Dropship's other occupants. Susanoo and Leone had started towards Akame who standing by on the side. Lubbock and Chelsea were just finishing tying done the remaining cargo. Hudson was walking up the loading ramp, with a large dolly carrying parts and tools to building a transmitter the ComTech said would allow constant communication to the Sulaco from the surface. And last was Bishop and Ripley in the cockpit, going over preflight checks and inspections.

"Better go tell Hicks, We're ready to leave." Night Raid's leader ordered. Tatsumi deactivated Incursio, and made his way down the Dropship's loading ramp. "Mine, get the others to their seats- Mine?" Najenda looked around to see were the pink haired young woman went, only to spy Mine's pink twintails whisk down the loading ramp after Tatsumi.

"Tatsumi, wait up." Mine called down as she trotted to catch up to the diligent young man who craned his head deep in thought.

Mine was growing agitated by her Comrade's lack of attention "Tatsumi!" The green eyed fighter jolted at Mine's outburst "Huh!? What?" The pink haired gunner frowned "I was calling for you to hold up. Where is your head at, right now?"

Tatsumi softened his furrowed expression, and answered "Ever since meeting them, Ripley and Hicks have been fighting Our battles with the Empire. Thanks to them, the Rakshasa Demons have all been wiped out, the Jaegers are reduced to almost less than half their number, and much of the Imperial Army has been broken and scattered." He strapped Incursio and its sheath across his back, then sighted his Tactical Shotgun before having it slung on his shoulder "It's time We step it up and hold Our own, as assassins of Night Raid."

Elated at seeing Tatsumi's bravado, Mine still showed a look of concern "You know, the team will be separated and sent on different paths for a considerable amount of time." Her expression grew more pressing "You're not worried, who you might be grouped with?" Tatsumi considered her question very briefly "Doesn't matter to me, who I'm going with. No one's gonna die on my watch."

The Genius Sniper huffed with slight annoyance, but kept up her determination "Tatsumi, listen." The young man paid attention and listened closely, as Mine bit her lip in hesitation and near embarrassment. "There's something I need to tell you." she finally spoke "Once this assignment is over."

Tatsumi was perplexed "Can't you tell me right now? Why wait?" Mine had started to blush and breath unevenly "No! Now's not the time. So, please promise me, you'll make time to hear Me out, after everything important is put behind Us."

"Okay." Tatsumi responded "If that's what you want, I'll do as you ask. I promise." Mine exhaled in relief, hoping she wasn't apparent in how flustered she was with her request. Beside the couple, Hicks walked up to them, and stood.

"Hey, you two." the Corporal asked "What's going on?" Both members of Night Raid spoke in unison "We're ready go." Hicks grinned and set his datapad aside "Well then. Let's go down there, and Get Some. Last one out gets the lights."

All hands assembled aboard the Dropship. Night Raid took their seats, and Hudson set about securing them in safety harnesses. "It'll be a hard drop on this one." the ComTech explained "Don't want anybody jumping out of theirs seats and break a neck." Leon shifted against the restraining bar, as is pressed up against her breasts "What if some Us are fine with breaking a bone or two." Hicks took a seat, and began securing himself "Then I'm going to insist you remain seated, so you don't wind up poking someone's eye out or smother them for that matter."

In the passenger cabin, Hudson was securing Akame's harness when she asked "Is the ride back down, really going to be so turbulent?" The ComTech bolted the safety bar in place, then answered "Afraid so. Atmospheric reentry has always been rough. That's just the way the physics works." Chelsea started to grow nervous "Are there any dangers or risk?"

Hudson finished off securing the last seat, before sitting himself "Not to worry, these Cheyennes are a cutting edge design. We haven't yet seen a shitstorm they can't handle. Even if We're having Ripley piloting." Chelsea didn't feel sure about the ComTech's response. Beside her, Mine snickered "Try not to pass out. Hehehe." Before the redhead could return a snide remark to the pinkette, she felt a hand touch her on the shoulder.

Chelsea turned to see Tatsumi seated on her other side. "It's going to be okay." Tatsumi spoke confidently "Bishop and Ripley know what they're doing." Chelsea nodded, and settled down. Then she grabbed the sleeve of Tatsumi's jacket without him knowing, and held on tightly.

Once Hicks saw everybody seated and buckled in, he spoke into his headset ["Okay, Ripley. Let's go."]

["Roger."] Ripley sounded out from the Dropship's PA speakers. Wwrrrvvv! A loud whine sounded out, as the Dropship's loading ramp retracted close, then a higher, smoother pitched whine rose as the engine came to life Zzsssrrr!

Ripley began to announce the process of the drop procedures, just like how she remembered Ferro doing it, back when She and the Marines first set out on that fateful mission to LV-426 [Stand by. Cross-locking, now."] Suddenly, the ship's occupants felt everything shudder, as the docking crane came down and lifted the vessel off its landing platform.

Up in the cockpit, Ripley sat in the pilot seat, and was trying to familiarize herself with the controls and HUD screens. Behind her, Bishop sat in the co-pilot seat, going over the final checks for the drop sequence "DCS assimilation complete, Ripley." he announced "You're cleared for drop." The new pilot nodded without looking up, as she concentrated and threw several switches on the control panel, then she donned a headset ["Pre-launch cycle, engaged..."] The Dropship's landing struts retracted as well, and the landing platform underneath began to part open to reveal the drop bay.

["Primary Couplers released."] Ripley continued ["Hit the internals…"] The entire Dropship interior lurched, as the docking crane lowered The Cheyenne through the porthole, and down into the drop bay.

As the Dropship came to rest on the cross-locks, a sharp jolted shot up through the inside, and rocked the people within. "Shit!…" a voice cried out, though nobody could tell who blurted it. Everyone was caught up in the moment before the ship launches.

Ripley's voice sounded through the PA speakers once more ["Confirm, cross-locks and drop stations' secure."] Hicks checked again, to make sure that Everyone present was fastened securely, and there was nothing hanging loose anywhere. The Corporal then responded ["Affirmative, all drop stations secured."]

Above the Dropship, the docking crane receded, and the landing platform shuttered closed, sealing the Cheyenne from the Hangar. ["Stand by, Ten Seconds…"] At the bottom of the drop bay, a large hatch folded open to expose the compartment to vacuum.

Ripley placed her hand in the pilot controls ["Stand by, to initiate release sequencer…On my Mark…5…4…"] Back in the passenger cabin, all off Night Raid waited on Ripley's countdown, with mixed forms of anxiety. Najenda took a long deep breath. Lubbock covered his head, and braced. Susanoo quietly sat, and waited patiently. Leone took a long swig from a flask she had tucked away hidden in her tube top. Akame closed her eyes, and gripped the armrests of her seat. Tatsumi did the same, completely oblivious to Chelsea who had grabbed his arm and held on for dear life. Mine stifled a laugh, as she watched all her Comrade's get unsettled by the drop.

As for the other passengers, Hicks was starting to dose off, and Hudson was grinning and laughing "Ha! You all seem a bit tense." The ComTech reached over to a control panel, and pressed one of its buttons "Just chill, and enjoy the ride." What followed was an obnoxious tune blaring from the Dropship's PA speaker.

At the same time Ripley completed her countdown ["…2…1…Mark."] she then pressed a switch on one of her controls. The drop clamps released, sending the UD-4L Cheyenne plummeting below.

The hard rock tempo of guitar strokes and beating drums resounded throughout the passenger cabin, before giving way to harmonic vocalization [Revving' up your Engine. Listen to her Howling Roar. Metal under tension, Begging you to Touch and Go.]

Ripley worked the Controls, and the Dropship leveled off from freefall. She then throttled the jet turbines.

The music intensifies, as it erupted into the main chorus [Highway to the Danger Zone! Ride into the Danger Zone!]

Hadley's Hope, South of the Empire

Dorothea stood inside a large room which, judging by the filing cabinets and the small desk with its set of accompanying chairs, seems to be an office. There was a sign reading 'Colony Administrator' stamped outside next to the door. She calmly approached the desk, and observed the clutter of typical essentials. stacks of files and paperwork, pens and markers strewn about, and an empty coffee mug balancing on the desk's edge as if threatening to topple over the side at even the slightest motion. Laying on the floor in front of the desk, was a long plaque with black etched lettering which spelled 'A. Simpson.'

The last two Items caught Dorothea's wandering discern. The first one was a postcard sealed in laminate and framed by glass

SHE'S ALL YOURS NOW, AL

YOU GOT THE REIGNS

TRY NOT TO WRECK HER ON YOUR FIRST DAY

JUST KIDDING, YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO, THAT EVERYTHING HERE IS TAILOR MADE TO BE USER FRIENDLY

IF YOU NEED TO GET AHOLD OF ME, I'LL BE ON SEVASTOPOL STATION FOR A WEEK LAYOVER

THEN IT'S ON TO ARCTURIA FOR SOME MUCH NEEDED R AND R

DON'T BE A STRANGER,

CURT.

Aside from the memento, the only other item of interest was a rectangular metal case kept shut by metal clasps. Dorothea quickly recognized the Portable Terminal, as it fit the description provided by Run's report. Eager to interact with such an intriguing gadget, she reached for the device, and undid the clasps. The computer terminal folded open, to display a myriad of buttons, switches, dials, and a display monitor.

"As I recall, the Jaegers discovered one of these terminals could provide extremely valuable information and convenient interface with corresponding machinery." Dorothea reminisced about Run's submitted report "Given that the device is connected to the right piece of equipment."

On presumption that the Portable Terminal may operate in a similar fashion to the computers she operated in the past, including the ones in Dr. Stylish's laboratory, Dorothea first pressed the button she recognized as the 'On/Off' switch.

A dull electrical chime sounded from the Portable Terminal's small speakers, and the monitor display started to light up. Shortly afterward, a string of glowing letters appeared at the center of the screen 'PLEASE INPUT COMMAND'

With a grin, Dorothea eagerly obliged and typed in a set of words "GIVE ME ALL AVAILABLE DATA ON COLONY FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT." The request remained on screen for a short instant, before being replaced by the computer's response 'ERROR. REQUEST FOR CLASSIFIED INFORMATION DENIED. PLEASE SUBMIT AUTHORIZATION CLEARANCE OR CONTACT THE FOLLOWING PERSONNEL: COLONY ADMINISTRATOR AL SIMPSON, CHIEF SCIENCE OFFICER DR. BARTHOLOMEW REESE, COLONIAL MARINE COMMANDING OFFICER CAPT. DEMIAN BRACKETT.'

Dorothea nearly clenched a fist in frustration and disappointment. These colonist weren't foolish enough to leave anything critical for outsiders to meddle with. After a while, an idea formed in her mind, and she typed in a different command "WHAT INFORMATION CAN BE ACCESSED BY A PUBLIC GUEST USER?" A pause followed after the request was entered. Then the screen displayed an answer 'DAILY MAINTENANCE REPORT, COLONY PERSONNEL MANIFEST, AND SUPPLY INVENTORY AVAILABLE FOR ACCESS ON EXTERNAL DISK. SCHEMATIC LAYOUT OF COLONY INSTALLATION AND ATMOSPHERE PROCESSOR, AND PRIOR DATA INFORMATION LOGS AVAILABLE FOR ACCESS IN COLONY ARCHIVES.'

Feeling slightly relieved at some progress, Dorothea typed in one more command "CAN YOU SHOW ME ANY SIGNIFICANT DISCOVERIES MADE BY INSTALLATION PERSONNEL, ON LV-426?" An immediate response showed up 'ERROR. AVAILABLE DATA INSUFFICIENT. PLEASE REFER TO SCIENCE DEPARTMENT ARCHIVES. NOTICE: AUTHORIZATION CLEARANCE MAY BE REQUIRED TO ACCESS CLASSIFIED DATA. PLEASE CONSULT WITH CHIEF SCIENCE OFFICER DR. BARTHOLOMEW REESE FOR ALL OTHER INQUIRIES.'

"Strange." Dorothea thought "Why would they bother compartmentalizing scientific data and research form the Main Archives." She glared down at the display screen, to review the options left to her "Those people, both Corporal Hicks and Lieutenant Ripley, and Night Raid would've cleaned out any viable supplies. And a list of dead colonists wouldn't be of any use to me, either." Dorothea typed In another command "ACCESS DAILY MAINTENANCE REPORT."

Up on the roof of the Operations building, Enshin paced back and forth with growing irritation. "She's hiding something. I just know it." He muttered, then drew Shamshir and eyed its blade. The Pirate had been so eager and many times tempted, to march downstairs, hold Dorothea at swordpoint, and force a straight answer from all her cryptic nonsense.

On the side of the rooftop, Izou stood vigilant like he was instructed to do, trying very hard to ignore his Companion's constant stream of voicing his discontent. His gaze swept from the Southern direction to the West where the larger ruin sat. "Even as ruins, these buildings are quite the marvel of constructive planning." he admitted "The only other place that could even compare to that building's size, is the Royal Palace itself."

"Even the fortresses in Soukai and Tenrou couldn't compare." The eastern swordsman thought back on his time on the Wakoku continent across the sea "I wonder if it was wise, coming to the Empire on Syura's invitation. Tenrou was on the brink of war with the other nations." With a sigh of disappointment, Izou gripped his scabbard "Please be patient, Kousetsu. Soon, you will be drinking to your heart's content-" Suddenly, Izou stiffened as he felt a familiar presence nearby. He had once already sensed this before, back in the Jaegers' camp, upon Wild Hunt's arrival.

Izou then quickly snapped his view towards his flank, hand reaching for Kousetsu's hilt, but then he stopped, unsure whether his sight was playing tricks on him due to being high above ground or for being in a strange environment. Eyes blinking with uncertainty, the swordsman kept his gaze trained on an eerie phenomenon happening above the roof of the other building where Wild hunt had discovered the vehicle ramp with fresh tracks leading from it. The object seemed like some sort of heat haze standing in place. Izou could see a distorted image of the scenery behind the haze, and there appears to be an outline in the shape of a person.

"Who goes there?" Izou called out, his hand gripping Kousetsu tighter "Show yourself." The haze began to bob slightly, as it shrunk itself to a shorter size like it was crouching.

The eastern swordsman was about to draw Kousetsu, until a something grabbed his shoulder, causing him to rotate and nearly attack, but held back as he saw it was only Enshin trying to get his attention. "What wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost." the other man asked, while Izou quickly turned back to look across the causeway between Operation and the other building's roof where the mysterious haze was, only to find nothing there. The distorted image and all trace of anything seemingly irregular had disappeared.

"I thought I saw something." Izou explained. He then saw Enshin still had his on his shoulder, so he tugged himself free, and smoothed his haori "Death permeates this whole Colony. Who's to say the spirits of the dead don't still linger here."

After, straightening out his attire and properly sheathing Kousetsu's blade, Izou finally stated "But, I may have been mistaken. Which reminds me, I do recall hearing about a particular swordswoman from among the Jaegers. She apparently wields a katana Imperial Arm with an ability that can well in fact raise the dead to do her bidding." Enshin stuck his tongue out, and licked his lips ravenously "Oh yeah! I've heard about her too. And that She's a total cutie. I can't wait to get a taste of her." Izou held up his sword and scabbard in a challenging manner "Not, if my Kousetsu tastes her first."

Enshin's lustful anticipation quickly waned, and he once again brooded with vexation "Not gonna happen, for as long as we're away from the Capitol." He then drew Shamshir and idly inspected the blade's edge "Do you think it was a mistake, following Syura and Dorothea, and coming all the way out here to this dump?"

With a shrug of indifference, Izou took out a stalk of grass from the folds of his sleeve, and placed in his mouth to chew "As long as I can to feed Kousetsu as much as I want, I've got no complaints."

The Swordsman's response made Enshin even more perturbed "So, you're convinced of Dorothea's claim that some sort of superweapon lies within this place?" Izou cocked an eye toward the Pirate "She's not lying about that. I can assure you." He took one more glance at the spot where he had seen the strange haze, then at the large conic ruin beyond "Anything other that that, I can't say for certain."

Dorothea was in another office, busily rummaging through a large desk. Her eagerness to find access to the Science Archive spurred on by a recent discovery. Her head swam with fascination and awe, after gleaning the daily maintenance report on the Atmosphere Processor. "Power output of 1 tetrawatt…electromagnetic conductors...base catalytic fusion..." she can barely wrap her own intellect around the complex technical overview. The information had either confirmed, or in most cases, even expanded upon many forms of today's much debated quantum theories, such as nuclear energy, molecular recombination, and spectral resonance. So many technological advances spanning almost beyond the Alchemist's understanding.

"I need to find the root concept of it all!" Dorothea breathed frantically "There's got to be some sort of recorded plans or chart holding the actual math and equations, something that can tell me the actual science behind all of the systems and technologies." Her foot brushed something on the floor, and she looked down to see another Portable Terminal laying half folded on the floor.

"What?" Dorothea bent down to pick up the second computer, and set it properly on the desk in front of her. She studied the device, and noticed the screen was still lit. "Did this one get left on?" curiously about what was going on, Dorothea gently twitched a navigational stick above the keyboard, and the words 'SLEEP MODE OFF. RESUMING TASK: DECRYPTING RECEIVED TRANSMISSION'

DIRECTIVE 062379

DIRECTED BY : CLASSIFIED

RECIPIENT : DR. REESE, BARTHOLOMEW

…

NEW ORDERS FROM -

…

MAINTAIN COVER, AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED.

…

U.S.C.S.S. PATNA ON STATION NEAR MOTINEA, JUST BEYOND FIORINA 161

…

AWAIT EXTRACTION, AND REASSIGNMENT.

…

- HAS PERSONALLY REQUESTED YOUR EXPERTISE ON THE SUBJECT.

…

BG-386

Dorothea tried to make sense of the message, and as far she can read from it, there had been something at work behind the scenes of the Colony's circumstances. Above the message, was a small tab labeled 'ATTACHMENT' She scrolled over and highlighted the second docket, then pressed the selection button. A different message then appeared on screen.

SPECIAL ORDER 941

PRIORITY ONE – ENSURE RETURN OF ORGANISMS FOR ANALYSIS

PRIORITY TWO – DISABLE ALL COMMUNICATIONS TO ICC AND COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION

ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS RESCINDED

COLONISTS EXPENDABLE

Dorothea took a long look at the message instructions, her thoughts churning with intrigue. "So, somebody knew about the Aliens…" she glanced around her surroundings "And they elaborately conspired to acquire Them discreetly. Even at the cost of this whole Colony." The Western Alchemist spotted a company logo on a wall to her side, and pondered as she stared.

"This Colony must haven been infiltrated by someone who served this Company's interests." Dorothea surmised. Her eyes then glanced at the first Terminal she picked from the Administrator's office "What if they had a way of bypassing access to sensitive material?" She put away the first Terminal she found, and began typing "SHOW ME ALL RELEVANT TECHNICAL DATA ON INSTALLATION'S MOST ADVANCED DEVICES. AUTHORIZATION: SPECIAL ORDER 941."

Syura held out Shambhala, and activated its ability. In a sudden flash of light and smoke, the tall stack of equipment in front of him had vanished without a trace. "Hrnn…" he wiped the slight perspiration of sweat from his brow, and leered at his Imperial Arm "Can't do so much of these teleportations. Each time takes a lot out of me." He sighed with impatience for this errand to finish, so that he may return to the Capitol.

"Cosmina!" barked the Prime Minister's son "How many more are left?" his teammate came by his side, and answered "Just the jars, holding those creepy hand things in them." Syura glared over at the small lab compartment, where the strange Creatures were being contained and studied.

"Where exactly is all this stuff going?" Cosmina asked. "Dorothea's personal lab." explained Syura "Back at Our new headquarters." The young Singer nodded in understanding, but was still put off by the sight of the dead Creatures. "You've travelled all around the world." she stated "Have You seen anything like These?"

Syura sauntered over to where the dead Specimens were being held "No, I haven't." Cosmina began to follow him "So, what could They be, do you think?" her leader took out and readied Shambhala "Some kind of spider, perhaps. They're bodies do look similar, except for the tail." After activating his Imperial Arm and transporting the contents of the makeshift laboratory, Syura started to walk towards Operations "Maybe Dorothea can tell Us, after she's taken a close look at Them."

Dorothea sat back in a chair behind the desk, completely beside herself with excitement. In front of her, the Portable Terminal lit up its display screen automatically scrolling down a vast array of technical specifications. "Yes, I'm starting to see and understand all the marvelous engineering and innovations. This can- no! This Will change the face of the entire World." She quickly got up and stood facing the exit. She now knew what she has to do, and that's to return all her findings back to the Empire, without delay. And without anyone knowing what she knows and what she plans to take, but if there's was anything left that mattered to those who were here before, they wouldn't have left behind such a prize. Especially if they didn't think it would somehow become a major threat to them, in Imperial hands.

"I guess it was all a waste for them, both Colonial Marines and Weyland-Yutani." Dorothea folded the terminal closed, and walked out the door "What matters, is that I got what I needed." She strode down the corridor heading for Operations- Wwrrlrlrlrrkrkrk! And stood frozen in her steps, as an eerie warble of noise sounded off a ways behind her.

In mild surprise, Dorothea spun around and anxiously scanned the corridor behind her, only to find nothing there save for the crude barrier which closed off Operations from the rest of the Colony complex.

"Hello?" Dorothea spoke, wondering what made that sound. She kept her eyes peeled not wanting to overlook anything within range of her bioluminescence, but the only thing peculiar was that her sight seemed to get blurry whenever she looked straight down the other end of the corridor. "I guess my senses are getting dull." Dorothea remarked "I haven't fed in a while…" After a moment of stillness, she continued on heading back to her teammates.

"Maybe it was just the walls beginning to crumble from all the damage and neglect." the Alchemist reasoned, as she stepped through the door leading back into Operations. There, Syura and Cosmina stood waiting.

"All of the stuff's been sent back." Syura informed "Did you find what you're looking for?" Dorothea patted the device tucked under her arm "Sure did…", then she headed for Medical "Got all that I need, in here."

Syura threw an arm in front of her, to block the way "What the hell, Dorothea!? You've said We'd be retrieving something powerful enough to beat Imperial Arms" Dorothea paid his anger no mind, as she ducked under Syura's arm, to continue walking "And We will. We just need to go get it."

The Prime Minister's son chased with growing hostility "Well, where the hell is it!?" Dorothea stopped and contemplated whether she would have to defend herself from her teammate "You've already seen it. It's been outside, this whole time." She pointed out towards the window view from Operations, and past the gaping shutters

"I don't see anything. Just a blown out, oversized cone of a building-" the Foreign Alchemist reach out and grabbed Syura by his shirt, then with surprising strength, jerked him close so they'd see face to face. "Can you be able to transport the whole structure, base and all?" she spoke in a demanding tone that suggested refusal wasn't an option. The Prime Minister's son considered it, then patted Shambhala thoughtfully "It's gonna take no small effort, but I should be able to manage.

Suddenly, Enshin and Izou burst into the control room, from Med-Lab. "Heads Up!" Enshin yelled "We've got incoming!" From above, a distant roar grew as it descended from the skies above.

"It's them." said Dorothea "They've come back." Keeping her head down, she scooted over to the shattered window view, and gazed upward.

High above the Colony, the UD-4L Cheyenne dropped out of the clouds, and slowed its descent. Once it slowed to a halt, it hovered in place for a short moment. Then, in a rising whine of jet turbines, the Dropship sped off and darted for the direction to the South. The roar of flight engines droned away in the distance.

"It's gone." Dorothea announced, then she scooped up the Portable Terminal "But, they could be back. We mustn't be around, when they do." The Alchemist then made for Medical "We've gotten all We can gather. Now, We're out of time." She urgently gestured to her teammates, "Everyone follow me. Hurry!"

Nobody deigned to argue, and Wild Hunt quickly shuffled back into the corridor, down the stairs, and towards the exit.

Once the team was outside, Dorothea led them straight to the Atmosphere Processor. "How long will it take you to set up a portal?" she called out to Syura. "Not long." he answered, while starting to mark the ground "But, it would definitely shorten the length of time, if I had help." The foreign Alchemist threw a folded parchment over to the Prime Minister's son who opened and recognized the familiar yet heavily altered pattern.

"I've seen your formula, and made some improvements." Dorothea had already started to mark the ground with a similar pattern "Just make sure, you cover the whole structure. We'll meet on the opposite side, and complete the portal." She glared over at Enshin, Izou, and Cosmina "The rest of you stand back, but get ready to go, once we're done with this."

Three of Wild Hunt's members stood by, as the other two encircled the ground surrounding the Atmosphere Processor with Shambhala's modified portal marking.

As soon as Syura and Dorothea met on the other side, they immediately headed back to the front entrance, to join the others. "Be sure you set it to appear right behind headquarters." Dorothea commanded "If Champ hasn't been screwing around, he would have made the space ready by now." Syura toggled with the markings on Shambhala, until he got the reaction he was looking for. "There." He announced "It's all set."

Back at the front entrance to the processing station. The five members of Wild Hunt reconvened and stood ready.

"Here we go, Everyone!" Syura called out, as he held up his Imperial Arm, then concentrated. All around, the grounds lit up as the portal marking started to energize. Everybody looked away, when the light enveloped the building behind them. As all eyes looked forward, they all notice a strange blurry haze standing across from them.

"Does anyone see what I'm seeing?" Enshin pointed out to the distorted view. And before anyone could reply, a pair of yellow glowing orbs flashed from within the haze. Then, in the next instant, all of Wild Hunt and the building behind them vanished from where they stood, leaving a massively deep hole in the ground.

As silence returned to the barren valley the haze of distortion began to move in the direction towards the South. Wwrrlrlrlrrkrkrk! Was the only sound to break the overwhelming stillness, followed by a modulated voice "Night Raid, Move Out!"

Chapter 12: End

Thank you for reading. Please leave a review, and any feedback really helps me stay focused and dedicated. If you have any questions, let me know with PM. And if you like the story, please tell a friend. Next chapter, the Heroes split and take separate roads, in pursuit of ensuring the World's safety. Unaware of the sinister perils that await them at the end of each road, as more dark forces enclose from where they're least expected.