OSTANOVKA ODNE
(Intermission 1)




Crak.

"……Daddy…."

The young girl mumbled in her sleep as Resin quietly dragged her through the woods upon his shoulder. He could feel her chest heaving near his cheek, almost ticking him. It reminded him of another young lady….

No. Again he pushed away. She is dead, they are all dead.

Another sound of voices came to his ears. Marching shouts.

"One, two, three, four!"

Resin quickly ducked as a scout group of the Dark Legion, current rulers of the planet Deowainsta, marched through the marshes, their lasers cocked, their voices shouting as to scare any potential attackers who might defy the Grandmaster.

Resin wasn't fazed by them. In his heyday, he alone could take ten scout groups twice the size of this one that passed before him; indeed, even now, he could take them out easily.

……This girl…

Resin could only wince as the troop passed. Something about the young girl was preventing him from taking any action. And so he waited until they were gone.

I must give her safe journey… Resin's thoughts echoed into his memories. If I am to see the truth…

----------------------------

The woman, watching the fun of the echidna's fall, gave a sigh.

Pathetic, she thought. I'd have expected better from the so-called Guardian Savior….

She felt her neck. It was time to change.

With a sign, a breath of exhilaration, she walked from the main gathering room. It was an old Deowainstan church, a place marked with images of the planets pagan gods. Though large for its pagan religion, it was partially underground. All the better for the woman, as she was well hidden in the trees without sacrificing much needed space.

Going up the stairs, she passed by the so-called "Room of Nirvana", a room used by older priests to lure men into the religion using, nubile, seductive women to coerce them to it. She gave a dark smile; unlike the Dark Legion, led by the Grandmaster who called himself "Asastynax", she gave some recessions to allow the planetary faith to be somewhat existent with her troops.

My troops….

They are his, she thought as she opened a door near the third floor. It was a bathroom, a dark, somewhat filthy place, its walls lined with face mask that was the color of her skin. They were always his. From the day he signed his name to them…that which I commanded are truly his.

Her finger going to her neck, she gave a tug at the skin, and the skin complied. The metal shell underneath she was careful not to damage. More, more skin off as she pulled, and with a toss of her head the somewhat fro-like striped hair fell, so that she could talk off more of the skin.

When all was said and done, she glared at herself in the mirror, her heart and mind hating what it saw. The entire right side of her face, and her neck, nothing but metal and wire, and there were till some burnt pieces of skin which clung onto her metal cheekbone. Old burnt skin also clung to her cranium, which was a thick shell of titanium alloy. She was, on top, a cyborg. There were other parts of her body as well, but it was on her face that made her most angry.

…This wasn't his fault…. Slowly, as she had so many time before, the woman, Death Natron, touched her metal face. The robotic white eye twitched at her finger. It was the fault of he who lies dead now. But even with him dead, my wrath against those responsible….it is far from over.

Without another word, the woman went to work with the mask goo on the wall. Quickly, deftly – it was a routine she had to undergo for years – she reconstructed her face. She did not ind that this time, her robotic eye had no red contact – she had been seen without the mask before, and her gimp eye bothered no one in her camp.

I am not satisfied… Natron looked into the mirror. Not until she is dead, she with the blue eyes that fool revered with such blindness. Then……..I shall finally begin my real work………

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"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!"

There was a moment of solo celebration in Washu's room.

"YESSSSS!!" Washu rubbed her hands excitedly. "I haven't been this exuberant in a long time! Time to show the kiddies what's going on!!!"

-------------------------------

"You're…..positive?"
"Absolutely." Mars looked towards the queen. "I really believe the creature that is calling itself the 'Grandmaster' is related to the Acorn family."
"Incredible." Uranus shook her head. "A Legionnaire that is a part of the Freedom Fighters."
"I wouldn't think so, Uranus." Mercury replied. "He seems unaware of who he is, and he kept mentioning Lien-Da when I talked to him."
"To have a wormhole in Tokyo…." The queen looked down. "How could he…? Is it possible he…."
"He must have brought some friends with him to the Delta when the Legion attacked Tokyo all that time ago." Mercury looked onto her computer. "Its really the most logical theory. If he somehow joined the Legionnaire when it was still on Mobius, then wandered around with Lien-Da, and attacked with the Legion and Tokyo and fell into a wormhole, it makes sense."
"Not really. What's a wormhole doing in Tokyo?"
"You're forgetting we have one in Egypt. Its possible."
"Yes…" The queen rubbed her head. "But I thought the wormhole was closed when we fought the Death Busters."
"Maybe there were more."
"But how?"
"I know how."

The group turned to see Washu behind them, a beam on her face.

"Oh, great."
"Nice to see you too." Washu held her hand up. "I have figured out how Locke and Tomoe could have possibly known each other, giving the factors which would prove otherwise."
"What? How?"


Washu gave a smile.

"Let me regale you in the tale…..…."

----------------------------

Deep within the forest, the Spectre watched quietly as the shadowed figure finally dropped the dead body onto the ground.

Is this wise?
We have little choice. The shadowed figure looked down as it knelt next to the corpse. This is the only recourse. If he is ever to understand……….this is how it must be.
But your life…..his power….it might not-
I am not afraid. The shadowed figure smiled. There are other people who feel the same. If this is how it must be…..then this is how it must be.

Without any other words, the figure closed its eyes, holding its hands to its chest. For a moment, nothing happened. All that moved were the trees around them, the wind, the leaves. That, and the figure's breathing.

Let me bring him back
Knuckles I can sense you
This power of mine
Glaiveless Hands



Suddenly, a light came from its chest.

What cause the light was suddenly in the figure's hand, illuminating the grove the Spectre and the figure were in. The face of the figure, that of a young woman's was in full view as the light floated towards Knuckles, while it made the Spectre disappear even more.

Hotaru…!!

The light flashed once more, and before the Spectre could protest again, his form dissipated into the light. When the mist of the spirit was no more, the light descended upon Knuckles, disappearing as it touched his cold skin.

"It is done."

Carefully, the young woman, her black hair in her face, her tiara upon her forehead, and her purple soldier uniform torn and worn from years of combat, carefully held up the Guardian's head.

"Now….I can only wait. And hope."