Connection Terminated: Vertigo
All Cards in his Hand
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5:23, Inside Zeus, Above China
Ivan, clothed in a tight-fitting black military uniform, stared out through the large-paned window of his gigantic airship, as his army proceeded to their destination. He was hell bent on getting revenge on the rebels and now they had a computer program capable of such a massive energy spike. He kills and he gets a prize too. God, he was enjoying this game right now. "I don't even know why I hired those twins to help me. I'm perfectly capable of mass destruction all by myself." Ivan thought aloud as Jex walked up to him, a sliding door closing behind the fringes of his dark green cloak with a metallic thud. Ivan whirled around haughtily, his imperial and imposing figure, which had grown a little, standing beside Jex's slightly smaller form. He raised an eyebrow, silently asking Jex "What the hell are you doing here?" Jex coughed slightly and reached into his pocket for something, fiddling around with its insides before extracting a notepad. "Ice and Blaze have a lead on the location of Cypher." The blonde soldier said calmly and recited a few dozen coordinates and possible sources of weaponry and information for the enigmatic mercenary, coughing again, before looking up at his employer. Ivan smiled thinly and pulled out his shiny black pistol from its holster at his hip. "After this mission, send half of the Vire troops to kill those two. I will have no further need for them." Ivan said, his lips folding into a cunning grin. After all, he had all the power in his grasp now. What use did he have for two insignificant little assassins?
5:23, Kiev, Ukraine
Dressed in the same armor they used to battle Cypher, Ice and Blaze sloshed through the cold snow of the Ukrainian plains as they searched for the supposed safe house of whomever they were hunting down. Blaze, his helmet tucked underneath his arm, scanned the surroundings of the silent snowfields carefully, searching for any sign of the building Cypher was supposed to be hiding in. His mouth twisted into an angry frown, visibly frustrated by their mission. "We travel so many miles from Russia after some idiot tells us the hideout is in Ukraine and we get THIS?" Blaze roared heatedly, shaking the snow off the tips of the trees in the area. His hand moved faster than the blink of an eye, grabbing the hilt of the blade the rested at his back and slashing through a nearby shrub as to vent his frustration. Ice shook her head and turned around to face her furious elder brother, who was now taking deep breaths to calm himself down. "Save it. I think I see something moving over there." She said in a dry tone, holding out a hand to stop her brother.
Perched on top of an icy cliff, another man, clothed entirely in heat- insulating black material except for the slit that allowed his eyes to observe the actions of the two mercenaries below him, watched intently as his fingers caressed the unique weapons he held at his side for self- defense. Throwing knives the size of a human hand with two blades coming from either side of the hilt were positioned in groups of three at his waist, ready to come flying out like shurikens at the most unsuspecting of prey. The man reached for a mobile phone inside the pocket on his thigh and pressed a speed-dial button, opening a communications line with his superior inside their safe house. "This is Black Eagle. I have the targets in range. Shall I attack or wait for back up?"
Ice's hand reached for the Famas gun at her hip and lashed back out, firing at the location of the unidentified observer. The repeating pistol's bullets peppered the snow of the cliff, spraying the watcher with cold white powder as he evaded the attack with a well-practiced back flip. Blaze's frown immediately curved back into a blood-thirsty grin as he sprinted across the snow-covered ground, dashing through the trees that were dotted here and there as he set his sights for the unknown man above him. "Maybe that kid was right after all." Blaze said excitedly as he raised his blade to block a throwing knife that flew at his face, ducking right after that to avoid another one that came for his stomach. Ice latched the Famas back onto its spot on her hip and removed her own silver katana from its sheath before rushing straight at the now-attacking man. "Hey you! Identify yourself and surrender or else!" Ice shouted as she crouched, a throwing knife slicing through the air above her, and rolled to avoid another batch of the lethal blades the embedded themselves into the snow behind her. The man jumped into the air, twirling two of his weapons in his hands as he prepared to fire them at the twins once more. "I am Black Eagle of the non-rebel army aligned Artemis militant organization! Stand down at once!" The man shouted before throwing his deadly knives down at the two mercenaries with the average speed of a bullet.
6:24, Infirmary Wing, SEA rebel base, somewhere in the middle of sea
A sweat-covered Max promptly shook Mariah awake and she turned over in the white cot of the Infirmary wing as explosions and gunfire sounded across the base. "Huh? What's happening? Where's Ray?" She asked dazedly, noticing the submachine gun slung across Max's chest as he glanced around nervously. "Uh, well, um . . ." He said in a panicky tone as a soldier from the other end of the corridor shouted before being blown away by a grenade. "They tracked the energy wave given out by Alec and now they are swamping us with soldiers, Vire, Frames, anti-Frames and their diabolically good agents. Ray's inside Osiris along with Tyson as Kenny is trying to make it go again. Kai and Emily are out there in the firefight. Well, I'm here to get you out of this infirmary and at least attempt to make it all the way to Osiris, which is HALFWAY across the base, WITHOUT DYING! Cut me some slack, I only had 4 hours of sleep today." Max said rapidly before tossing Mariah a semi-bulletproof jacket and a rifle. Mariah stared at him in slight shock before rubbing her eyes and getting up from the bed. She holstered her rifle and gestured for Max to follow her out of the room. "C'mon, we have half of the base to get through!" Mariah uttered hastily before glancing around the corridor to see if any government soldiers were still there. Max slapped his hand to his forehead before running after her. "Why the hell did I join this? Why?" Max asked himself and followed Mariah down the hallway.
Soldiers made way for him as Ivan passed through the hall that ended in the sliding door, which so purposefully separated him from global domination of the entire Internet. They stomped on the floor once, before folding their rifles under their arms and saluting him. He dismissed the eggshell-white armored soldiers with a wave of his hand; he was far too focused on reaching the program that lay behind the door for that mere formality. Beside him was Moritsune, the Vire's 7-foot tall body casting a shadow on the mastermind behind this plot. His single red eye, located at the center of his completely black face, whirred mechanically as it sensed the vast power located behind the steel door. "Moritsune, is Hotsuma ready with his Vire?" Ivan Elmdor inquired in a dry tone as the young yet calculating boy aimed his pistol at the obstacle that lay before him. The oddly erect Vire, who should be a bit more slouched for a better and more efficient killing position, nodded briefly before extending the scythe-like blades that were hidden in his elongated fingers. "Yes, my lord. My subordinate has his troops ready for immediate action." Moritsune droned as a few dozen more Vire slowly and eerily appeared from the shadows that made up the corridor, their red eyes glowing in a bloodthirsty, vicious hunger. The soldiers all around them shivered as the Vire moved up to the front, gathering behind their leader. Ivan mouth twisted into a maniacal grin before firing a single shot into the wall, fruitlessly bouncing off it. He raised his unused left hand, snapping his fingers. The soldiers poured past him, entering the same, almost wall-like position their comrades used to combat Wesley earlier. "Get to work." Ivan muttered and armor-piercing bullets streamed out from the veritable fortress of rifles and into the door, turning it into a smoking pile of metal. Ivan raised up his other hand, dropped his pistol and a soldier tossed a heavy rifle to him. Return fire from the rebels almost immediately followed and the government soldiers huddled for safety in the adjacent corridors of the labyrinth called the SEA rebel base. Ivan smiled to himself before cocking his rifle. To him, this was only the beginning.
A few minutes earlier, Emily had somehow found her way through the bloodstained hallways of the gigantic base and was inside the large chamber where they had Alec attached to the core power grid of the entire oilrig. It was theoretically impossible to remove Alec from the pillar-like structure known as the core without an access code from Raul, Wesley or one of his most trusted comrades, Joseph, who happened to be missing somewhere. On Raul's dying breath, she managed to learn he had destroyed his code to keep it safe from the government and gave her a fragment of it that would be able to more or less restrain Alec's full capabilities. If she figured out the all so complex code yet low-tech security system Raul had installed into the pillar. For all her life she had played with them yet, like so many others, never solved one. The most ingenious puzzle ever devised by man, the most unsolvable of riddles, the most eternal of problems that plague a person's mind, the evil of the... "Stupid Rubik's Cube!" She cried out before flipping the cube onto its side twisting another line back into place, completing the red side but leaving both the white and blue unfinished. Another twist and the blue fell into place, messing up both the green and yellow in its stead. Emily breathed out her frustration and diligently tried to rectify her mistake. Again, she finished the green and yellow, trying another tack to get the blue into place but slotted in a black piece into the white space. Emily gritted her teeth and stopped herself from smashing the cube into little pieces, her finger muscles tightening in agitation. "Argh!" She shouted angrily before practically ripping the puzzle apart, wringing it like a towel. A click echoed throughout the circular power room and every rebel's eyes fell on Emily, whose hands were grasping a completed Rubik's cube. She looked down at the cube that lay on her hands, staring at its completed glory like the Holy Grail. Unable to say anything out of shock, Emily merely slotted the cube back into its space, opening up a small break in the power grid pillar where she can put in the disc containing the fragment of data. Just at that moment, a bullet clanged against the reinforced steel wall of the chamber, shifting the rebels' disposition to one of fear and agitation. "Damn!" Emily said and frantically tried to jam the disc into the pillar, probably getting closer to snapping it in half rather than putting it in. She did after a while, and in one short second, the disc had transferred all the fragmented data into the computer's database. "Okay, I'm done. Alec's overall system output has dropped a few dozen percentages... And I've disabled most of its Internet capabilities... " Emily mumbled just as the disc popped out from the gigantic cylindrical pillar, simultaneously signaling the start of a bloodbath as ammunition pierced the steel gates of the spacious room. Hundreds of rebels located inside the chamber turned to face the ruins of the door, opening fire on it with submachine guns, rifles and cheap, antiquated pistols.
"Go." Ivan whispered and like one black flood, the Vire poured past him in seamless, lightning fast movements that were barely noticeable even in the cramped space they were darting through. Vire were lethal killing machines without conscience and emotion integrated into their minds, the most efficient of mass murderers that walked on this earth. They swarmed through the gates of the doorway, black devils from the very depths of hell, diving into a bloody frenzy with abandon like dozens of starved wolves. The Vire descended into the mass of rebels, claws extended, slashing, ripping and gouging flesh and bone as it rained blood. "Emily! Here!" The orange-haired American looked up to see Max and Mariah rappel down a cable from the ceiling, sliding down to her. Max, who was first, hooked his legs around the silver cable and bent down, grabbing her by the shoulders and hoisting her up just as a Vire slashed apart a portion of her leg with a deft swipe of its elongated claws. She let out a scream of pain as she held on to the rope, almost getting finished off as the Vire pounced upwards to cut her throat. Max kicked the Vire in the stomach, sending it flying right at a shocked rebel. With inhuman speed, the Vire twisted its body in midair and pinned the rebel to the ground, slicing off the unfortunate person's throat. But the three former beybladers had no time to think of the other's misfortune as Mariah, acting like the cat she resembled, leaped upwards and landed inside the weirdly spacious ventilation shaft. She grabbed Max's hand, pulled him up, and then Mariah lifted Emily into the unlit shaft as fresh screams abound around them. "There are more of those Vire things! Let's get out of here!" Mariah yelled after a quick glance at the massacre happening below them.
The rebels' only hope lay in the narrow corridors behind them, a sanctuary where it would be far easier to shoot down the Vire. But acting on a signal transmitted by Moritsune, Hotsuma's troops broke through the gates that were once thought to be a safe haven for the bloodied rebels. His portion of the Vire swarmed like massive cockroaches, shredding bodies into mutilated corpses with their claws. It was like an entire school of piranha ravaging their hapless victims, spilling warm blood everywhere. Once Hotsuma's troops entered the one-sided butchering, it was over. Within seconds, every rebel that wasn't able to escape (Although the ones that did were killed by the hungry Vire that waited outside) was dead. No exceptions were made as torn, ragged corpses were kicked aside by the entering soldiers and Ivan stared at his blood-covered Vire. Moritsune's entire face was splashed in the same color of his lone eye as the Vire crushed the lifeless bodies of their victims with his powerful, frog-like legs as he walked over to his master in the same drunken way every one of the Vire did. Ivan smiled at his emotionless masterpiece and walked over to the blood-soaked pillar, twiddling the data chip he had "received" from the now deceased Joseph, Wesley's aide, in his hands.
"And so, I have won."
"Max! Hurry up!" Kai shouted from the ramp of the rising Osiris as the blonde American tossed Emily up to a waiting rebel, who guided her to the clinic area of the huge airship for some medical attention. "Wait! I've gotta activate the hangar gate!" Max yelled back, raising his voice to be heard over the roar of Osiris' powerful turbojets that were accelerating the rise of the airship. Kai cursed under his breath and slid a finger across his throat in warning just as finger-blades of a Vire burst through the door of the hangar. Max jammed a glowing red button on the side, only to find it stuck. "Hurry up!" Kai shouted once more as Osiris slowly but surely flew upwards, the top tail fins grazing the still closed roof before stabbing through. More Vire claws punched through the door, slicing downwards and making a gaping entrance for their death-dealing flood attacks. Max glanced around him as a Vire's head peered through the hole, surveying the scene before latching one red eye on the frantic American. Max shouted an expletive before punching in the hangar gate button, practically breaking the accursed thing, as the Vire made a warning "Yip Yip Yip!" to its comrades, signaling them to attack the unarmed rebel. The Vire broke through like a bursting dam, their claws glinting ferociously in the dim light of the rebel hangar as Max scrambled for the already far too high Osiris ramp. "Kai! I won't reach it!" Max shouted just as Mariah pushed aside the visibly agitated Bladebreaker, clutching a rope in her hands. The pink-haired Chinese girl flashed her fangs to the now confused rebel branch leader and tied the rope tightly around a protrusion on the side of Osiris while the immense hangar gates above them creaked open once more, letting light flood into the expansive room. Max, a few meters from being chopped into pieces, ran even faster as he hoped to just barely catch the edge of the ramp with a desperation jump. "Some help would be appreciated right NOW!" Max screamed in pure panic as the Vire, running wildly like a pack of ravenous dogs, revealed a new weapon, firing spike- like projectiles from their shoulders at high speeds that streaked past their intended target, Max, embedding themselves into the hull of Osiris. "Hiwatari, this is how you do it." Mariah said, turning to face her leader before walking backwards and sprinting across the ramp; hands clasped onto the rope she brought with her. "You psychopathic bitch! What the hell are you doing?" Kai shouted in alarm as one of his most skilled and fiercely brave soldiers flung herself under the ramp and towards Max. Mariah merely grinned in reply and scooped up the terrified Max, just as a Vire slashed the air where he was standing a few moments earlier. "You are one dangerous person!" Max commented as they flew across the air, swinging back onto the ramp in front of a stammering Kai. Mariah let go of Max and raised an eyebrow as Kai gaped at her in disbelief, tossing her hair behind her as she passed the two men. "No thanks?" She asked as she disappeared into Osiris and Kai grumbled something before shouting back a response, "You twisted little girl! I swear I'll kill you the next time you do that!" She rounded the corner as Max sprinted down the hall as well, both out of earshot of anything Kai might say. A thin smile crossed his face and he twirled his pistol in his right hand.
"Not bad. Considering who it came from."
7:24, Kiev, Ukraine
Black Eagle burst into the hideout of he and his fellow militant organization associates, clutching the gaping katana wound on his belly. He collapsed into a heap in front of his other comrade, another young man dressed in a black, heavily padded bodysuit. "I betrayed us, I went back... I should've died but I came back... They'll follow me for sure... Get out of here..." Black Eagle said through ragged breaths before being carried up by his ally, who handed him over to another. "No. Dean, get Carlo to the hover copter." The Artemis militant commanded and the other man rushed out a back door that led to their camouflaged transportation. The warrior removed a strand of long dark brown hair that fell across his face and unsheathed the nodachi that lay at his waist, bringing it up to a fighting position. Cypher, hidden in the shadows of their dimly lit base, walked out of his secretive location and removed his own blade from its container, readying for combat as well. "Aquila says these two are worth every slash and I certainly agree. Let's finish this quickly." Cypher muttered through his helmet and the other soldier nodded, flinching as the door was cut through by Blaze's katana, while Ice stayed behind him. "Go Blade Eagle!" Cypher shouted through his mask and the two charged at their enemies, stunning them with their superior speed. Cypher's blade met Blaze's in the air, and the mysterious soldier twisted around, bringing his own to the mercenary's throat. "Freeze!" Ice yelled, bringing out her Famas with lightning reflexes, only to find it cut in half by Blade Eagle's elongated nodachi sword. In a split second, the nodachi was also threatening to cut off her throat and the twins soon found themselves being forced to enter the small building in the middle of nowhere.
The two were soon sitting cross-legged on the floor, weaponless, staring up at the icy gaze of Blade Eagle, whose sword was still unsheathed. Cypher walked into the room, quietly approaching both of the silent and calm assassins, who he figured would be a bit more enraged than this. "So, when are you going to kill us?" Ice asked politely, looking intently at the tall figure of Cypher. A laugh escaped the enigmatic soldier's mouth and for a while Ice wondered what was different. Oh yeah, he sounded human. "No. Our leader has a particular interest in you two." Cypher said blandly before walking out of the room, leaving Blade Eagle with the two captives. Blaze stood up abruptly and shook off some dust. "So, who are you guys anyway?" He asked blandly, leaning against the wall and Blade Eagle lowered his nodachi for a few seconds before resting it on his shoulder in an arrogant pose. "The best in our given fields, working together to achieve our leader's vision!" He said proudly, and for a while, Ice and Blaze swore he was giving off some light. But the back door had opened up and the other man had entered, swiftly disproving that notion. Ice also stood up and raised an eyebrow as she surveyed the other boy's clothes. A military jacket placed over a stained forest green shirt and snow-covered jeans. The boy removed the goggles covering his eyes and slung it over his shoulder, grinning widely. "Blade was the former most wanted mercenary in the land, just like our boss." The young, brown-haired man said and a slight sneer crossed the mouth of Blade Eagle. "Both of you two were numbers 2 and 3 to me, remember? I dropped out to join Artemis after that." He explained and Blaze's lip twitched responsively. Ice held him back with a subtle punch behind their backs as the second boy rubbed his gloved hands together. "I developed the Frame system of the government, along with providing help in the Vire project... I'm here to destroy what I have crafted." He said almost dejectedly as Cypher burst through the door with the leader behind him, causing all four of the people inside to face the enigmatic simply known to Ice and Blaze as the boss. Ice stared at the tall, lanky, brown-haired man, struggling to figure out his connection with something she has seen a long time ago. "Remember me?" Dark green sleeveless jersey, even in the freezing weather, mud brown military pants tucked into combat boots, red cloth tied around forehead like that "Rambo" guy... Ice's eyes snapped open and she instinctively tightened her muscles, entering a fighting position. Blade Eagle held out his nodachi warningly and the leader clapped a hand on his shoulder, grinning.
"Matt Aquila! You slick little bastard!" Ice shouted and the leader laughed, his hands on his waist. Blaze blinked, looked at his twin sister then looked at the militant Artemis Organization leader, Matt Aquila. Blaze laughed and walked over to Matt, grinning at the acquaintance. "I guess seeing you reminded my sister of when you betrayed her those 2 years ago." The black-haired Chinese assassin said cheerfully, standing but one step away from Matt. His mouth curled into a sinister grin and he forcefully snatched the pistol that lay on Matt's hip and pointed it at the brown- haired man's chin. "But you happen to have the armor we've been searching for. Hand it over and I might not kill you." Blaze threatened and Matt grinned before poking a recorded tape at Blaze's own chin in response. "Listen to this."
"After this mission, send half of the Vire troops to kill those two. I will have no further need for them."
Ice and Blaze both narrowed their eyes in response and walked away from the group of individuals, shocked by hearing Ivan's voice proclaim their death at the hands of his Vire. "I suggest you join. You'd get a free code name." Matt said cheerily and Blaze made a derisive snort before looking up at his old friend and rival, taking a quick glance at Blade Eagle's wide smile and noticing the sword was still resting in his hands. "Do we even have a choice?" He said and turned to his nodding twin. Ice sighed and threw her arms up in recognition of defeat. "Fine. What are our codenames?" Ice asked in admission of surrender and Matt shrugged casually. "You can keep your old ones actually." Blaze scratched his head and shrugged as well. "Well then, what's yours, hot shot?" He asked and Matt pulled the red cloth covering his eyes down, covering his eyes completely.
"I kept my old one. I don't want them to forget the legacy of me, the dead Blind Eagle."
8:10, Inside Zeus, Somewhere above Russia
Ivan slammed Wesley's back onto the wall, tightening his guillotine- like grip on the captured rebel's throat. The rebel leader's fingers clawed desperately at Ivan's left hand that was wrapped around his neck; his breaths already worn out and frantic from the prolonged torture. Following the standard measures of "investigative" torture in the government special service, Jex had quickly and efficiently brought lasting memories of deep pain and agony to the resilient little rebel. They had forced him to drink liters of water until he had nearly drowned, eventually pushing him to vomit out all of the excess liquids in his body, which dehydrated him to the point of death. They had applied to live electrical cables to his genitals, which, nobody doubted, would bring him a hell lot of throbbing for quite a while. They hung him upside down and beat him like a punching bag, only the people jabbing and hitting him where armed with metal sticks and rods. But he didn't give up yet and he was not going to give in to some little kid who was choking him.
"Tell us where we can get a code to disable that hindrance one of your associates uploaded into Alec." Ivan Elmdor said coldly, drawing blood from the neck of Wesley as his fingers dug in even farther into the sides of his throat. Wesley shook his head slowly and presently received a punch in the stomach from the irritated dictator. Pain exploded throughout his body again but he ignored it as he focused on keeping the information safe within him. There was only one other person who was part of the SEA rebel base that knew who to receive it from but he trusted that person and knew that he would destroy it, as to stop Ivan's plans for world domination. "Tell me, you son of a bitch!" Ivan shouted in rage before delivering another powerful hit to Wesley's heavily wounded stomach area. The defiant leader grinned weakly and Ivan looked like he was about to punch him another time when Sarah walked into the room, calm and prepared as usual. "Sir, may I suggest conversion? It is entirely possible to allow the rebel to keep some of his memories when we convert him." Sarah commented quietly and Ivan dropped the panting Wesley like a sack of potatoes. He raised an eyebrow, thought for a few moments, and turned around to face one of his most deadly agents, if she wasn't the most deadly already. "You are quite smart for a girl. Sarah, pass the order to prepare the vats." Sarah nodded in reply and left the room quietly, leaving a happy-looking Ivan with the convulsing Wesley. Ivan whirled around again and flashed his smile, pointing to the confused and tired rebel below him. "Very soon, you're going to become a killer of your old allies, Rodriguez." Ivan said blandly and Wesley gasped for air before replying in sheer obstinacy. "You can't make me... " Ivan ran a hand through his own black hair and grinned malevolently at the soldier that lay in a heap under him. "Oh, yes we can. I'll have total control over you when you are converted to one of my loyal and lethal Vire." He replied quietly, bending down to grab Wesley's chin so they could see eye to eye.
"Total control, my friend. Total control.
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End of Chapter
Review or I'll sick the Vire on you. Nasty little demons they are. Bwahahahahahaha
All Cards in his Hand
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5:23, Inside Zeus, Above China
Ivan, clothed in a tight-fitting black military uniform, stared out through the large-paned window of his gigantic airship, as his army proceeded to their destination. He was hell bent on getting revenge on the rebels and now they had a computer program capable of such a massive energy spike. He kills and he gets a prize too. God, he was enjoying this game right now. "I don't even know why I hired those twins to help me. I'm perfectly capable of mass destruction all by myself." Ivan thought aloud as Jex walked up to him, a sliding door closing behind the fringes of his dark green cloak with a metallic thud. Ivan whirled around haughtily, his imperial and imposing figure, which had grown a little, standing beside Jex's slightly smaller form. He raised an eyebrow, silently asking Jex "What the hell are you doing here?" Jex coughed slightly and reached into his pocket for something, fiddling around with its insides before extracting a notepad. "Ice and Blaze have a lead on the location of Cypher." The blonde soldier said calmly and recited a few dozen coordinates and possible sources of weaponry and information for the enigmatic mercenary, coughing again, before looking up at his employer. Ivan smiled thinly and pulled out his shiny black pistol from its holster at his hip. "After this mission, send half of the Vire troops to kill those two. I will have no further need for them." Ivan said, his lips folding into a cunning grin. After all, he had all the power in his grasp now. What use did he have for two insignificant little assassins?
5:23, Kiev, Ukraine
Dressed in the same armor they used to battle Cypher, Ice and Blaze sloshed through the cold snow of the Ukrainian plains as they searched for the supposed safe house of whomever they were hunting down. Blaze, his helmet tucked underneath his arm, scanned the surroundings of the silent snowfields carefully, searching for any sign of the building Cypher was supposed to be hiding in. His mouth twisted into an angry frown, visibly frustrated by their mission. "We travel so many miles from Russia after some idiot tells us the hideout is in Ukraine and we get THIS?" Blaze roared heatedly, shaking the snow off the tips of the trees in the area. His hand moved faster than the blink of an eye, grabbing the hilt of the blade the rested at his back and slashing through a nearby shrub as to vent his frustration. Ice shook her head and turned around to face her furious elder brother, who was now taking deep breaths to calm himself down. "Save it. I think I see something moving over there." She said in a dry tone, holding out a hand to stop her brother.
Perched on top of an icy cliff, another man, clothed entirely in heat- insulating black material except for the slit that allowed his eyes to observe the actions of the two mercenaries below him, watched intently as his fingers caressed the unique weapons he held at his side for self- defense. Throwing knives the size of a human hand with two blades coming from either side of the hilt were positioned in groups of three at his waist, ready to come flying out like shurikens at the most unsuspecting of prey. The man reached for a mobile phone inside the pocket on his thigh and pressed a speed-dial button, opening a communications line with his superior inside their safe house. "This is Black Eagle. I have the targets in range. Shall I attack or wait for back up?"
Ice's hand reached for the Famas gun at her hip and lashed back out, firing at the location of the unidentified observer. The repeating pistol's bullets peppered the snow of the cliff, spraying the watcher with cold white powder as he evaded the attack with a well-practiced back flip. Blaze's frown immediately curved back into a blood-thirsty grin as he sprinted across the snow-covered ground, dashing through the trees that were dotted here and there as he set his sights for the unknown man above him. "Maybe that kid was right after all." Blaze said excitedly as he raised his blade to block a throwing knife that flew at his face, ducking right after that to avoid another one that came for his stomach. Ice latched the Famas back onto its spot on her hip and removed her own silver katana from its sheath before rushing straight at the now-attacking man. "Hey you! Identify yourself and surrender or else!" Ice shouted as she crouched, a throwing knife slicing through the air above her, and rolled to avoid another batch of the lethal blades the embedded themselves into the snow behind her. The man jumped into the air, twirling two of his weapons in his hands as he prepared to fire them at the twins once more. "I am Black Eagle of the non-rebel army aligned Artemis militant organization! Stand down at once!" The man shouted before throwing his deadly knives down at the two mercenaries with the average speed of a bullet.
6:24, Infirmary Wing, SEA rebel base, somewhere in the middle of sea
A sweat-covered Max promptly shook Mariah awake and she turned over in the white cot of the Infirmary wing as explosions and gunfire sounded across the base. "Huh? What's happening? Where's Ray?" She asked dazedly, noticing the submachine gun slung across Max's chest as he glanced around nervously. "Uh, well, um . . ." He said in a panicky tone as a soldier from the other end of the corridor shouted before being blown away by a grenade. "They tracked the energy wave given out by Alec and now they are swamping us with soldiers, Vire, Frames, anti-Frames and their diabolically good agents. Ray's inside Osiris along with Tyson as Kenny is trying to make it go again. Kai and Emily are out there in the firefight. Well, I'm here to get you out of this infirmary and at least attempt to make it all the way to Osiris, which is HALFWAY across the base, WITHOUT DYING! Cut me some slack, I only had 4 hours of sleep today." Max said rapidly before tossing Mariah a semi-bulletproof jacket and a rifle. Mariah stared at him in slight shock before rubbing her eyes and getting up from the bed. She holstered her rifle and gestured for Max to follow her out of the room. "C'mon, we have half of the base to get through!" Mariah uttered hastily before glancing around the corridor to see if any government soldiers were still there. Max slapped his hand to his forehead before running after her. "Why the hell did I join this? Why?" Max asked himself and followed Mariah down the hallway.
Soldiers made way for him as Ivan passed through the hall that ended in the sliding door, which so purposefully separated him from global domination of the entire Internet. They stomped on the floor once, before folding their rifles under their arms and saluting him. He dismissed the eggshell-white armored soldiers with a wave of his hand; he was far too focused on reaching the program that lay behind the door for that mere formality. Beside him was Moritsune, the Vire's 7-foot tall body casting a shadow on the mastermind behind this plot. His single red eye, located at the center of his completely black face, whirred mechanically as it sensed the vast power located behind the steel door. "Moritsune, is Hotsuma ready with his Vire?" Ivan Elmdor inquired in a dry tone as the young yet calculating boy aimed his pistol at the obstacle that lay before him. The oddly erect Vire, who should be a bit more slouched for a better and more efficient killing position, nodded briefly before extending the scythe-like blades that were hidden in his elongated fingers. "Yes, my lord. My subordinate has his troops ready for immediate action." Moritsune droned as a few dozen more Vire slowly and eerily appeared from the shadows that made up the corridor, their red eyes glowing in a bloodthirsty, vicious hunger. The soldiers all around them shivered as the Vire moved up to the front, gathering behind their leader. Ivan mouth twisted into a maniacal grin before firing a single shot into the wall, fruitlessly bouncing off it. He raised his unused left hand, snapping his fingers. The soldiers poured past him, entering the same, almost wall-like position their comrades used to combat Wesley earlier. "Get to work." Ivan muttered and armor-piercing bullets streamed out from the veritable fortress of rifles and into the door, turning it into a smoking pile of metal. Ivan raised up his other hand, dropped his pistol and a soldier tossed a heavy rifle to him. Return fire from the rebels almost immediately followed and the government soldiers huddled for safety in the adjacent corridors of the labyrinth called the SEA rebel base. Ivan smiled to himself before cocking his rifle. To him, this was only the beginning.
A few minutes earlier, Emily had somehow found her way through the bloodstained hallways of the gigantic base and was inside the large chamber where they had Alec attached to the core power grid of the entire oilrig. It was theoretically impossible to remove Alec from the pillar-like structure known as the core without an access code from Raul, Wesley or one of his most trusted comrades, Joseph, who happened to be missing somewhere. On Raul's dying breath, she managed to learn he had destroyed his code to keep it safe from the government and gave her a fragment of it that would be able to more or less restrain Alec's full capabilities. If she figured out the all so complex code yet low-tech security system Raul had installed into the pillar. For all her life she had played with them yet, like so many others, never solved one. The most ingenious puzzle ever devised by man, the most unsolvable of riddles, the most eternal of problems that plague a person's mind, the evil of the... "Stupid Rubik's Cube!" She cried out before flipping the cube onto its side twisting another line back into place, completing the red side but leaving both the white and blue unfinished. Another twist and the blue fell into place, messing up both the green and yellow in its stead. Emily breathed out her frustration and diligently tried to rectify her mistake. Again, she finished the green and yellow, trying another tack to get the blue into place but slotted in a black piece into the white space. Emily gritted her teeth and stopped herself from smashing the cube into little pieces, her finger muscles tightening in agitation. "Argh!" She shouted angrily before practically ripping the puzzle apart, wringing it like a towel. A click echoed throughout the circular power room and every rebel's eyes fell on Emily, whose hands were grasping a completed Rubik's cube. She looked down at the cube that lay on her hands, staring at its completed glory like the Holy Grail. Unable to say anything out of shock, Emily merely slotted the cube back into its space, opening up a small break in the power grid pillar where she can put in the disc containing the fragment of data. Just at that moment, a bullet clanged against the reinforced steel wall of the chamber, shifting the rebels' disposition to one of fear and agitation. "Damn!" Emily said and frantically tried to jam the disc into the pillar, probably getting closer to snapping it in half rather than putting it in. She did after a while, and in one short second, the disc had transferred all the fragmented data into the computer's database. "Okay, I'm done. Alec's overall system output has dropped a few dozen percentages... And I've disabled most of its Internet capabilities... " Emily mumbled just as the disc popped out from the gigantic cylindrical pillar, simultaneously signaling the start of a bloodbath as ammunition pierced the steel gates of the spacious room. Hundreds of rebels located inside the chamber turned to face the ruins of the door, opening fire on it with submachine guns, rifles and cheap, antiquated pistols.
"Go." Ivan whispered and like one black flood, the Vire poured past him in seamless, lightning fast movements that were barely noticeable even in the cramped space they were darting through. Vire were lethal killing machines without conscience and emotion integrated into their minds, the most efficient of mass murderers that walked on this earth. They swarmed through the gates of the doorway, black devils from the very depths of hell, diving into a bloody frenzy with abandon like dozens of starved wolves. The Vire descended into the mass of rebels, claws extended, slashing, ripping and gouging flesh and bone as it rained blood. "Emily! Here!" The orange-haired American looked up to see Max and Mariah rappel down a cable from the ceiling, sliding down to her. Max, who was first, hooked his legs around the silver cable and bent down, grabbing her by the shoulders and hoisting her up just as a Vire slashed apart a portion of her leg with a deft swipe of its elongated claws. She let out a scream of pain as she held on to the rope, almost getting finished off as the Vire pounced upwards to cut her throat. Max kicked the Vire in the stomach, sending it flying right at a shocked rebel. With inhuman speed, the Vire twisted its body in midair and pinned the rebel to the ground, slicing off the unfortunate person's throat. But the three former beybladers had no time to think of the other's misfortune as Mariah, acting like the cat she resembled, leaped upwards and landed inside the weirdly spacious ventilation shaft. She grabbed Max's hand, pulled him up, and then Mariah lifted Emily into the unlit shaft as fresh screams abound around them. "There are more of those Vire things! Let's get out of here!" Mariah yelled after a quick glance at the massacre happening below them.
The rebels' only hope lay in the narrow corridors behind them, a sanctuary where it would be far easier to shoot down the Vire. But acting on a signal transmitted by Moritsune, Hotsuma's troops broke through the gates that were once thought to be a safe haven for the bloodied rebels. His portion of the Vire swarmed like massive cockroaches, shredding bodies into mutilated corpses with their claws. It was like an entire school of piranha ravaging their hapless victims, spilling warm blood everywhere. Once Hotsuma's troops entered the one-sided butchering, it was over. Within seconds, every rebel that wasn't able to escape (Although the ones that did were killed by the hungry Vire that waited outside) was dead. No exceptions were made as torn, ragged corpses were kicked aside by the entering soldiers and Ivan stared at his blood-covered Vire. Moritsune's entire face was splashed in the same color of his lone eye as the Vire crushed the lifeless bodies of their victims with his powerful, frog-like legs as he walked over to his master in the same drunken way every one of the Vire did. Ivan smiled at his emotionless masterpiece and walked over to the blood-soaked pillar, twiddling the data chip he had "received" from the now deceased Joseph, Wesley's aide, in his hands.
"And so, I have won."
"Max! Hurry up!" Kai shouted from the ramp of the rising Osiris as the blonde American tossed Emily up to a waiting rebel, who guided her to the clinic area of the huge airship for some medical attention. "Wait! I've gotta activate the hangar gate!" Max yelled back, raising his voice to be heard over the roar of Osiris' powerful turbojets that were accelerating the rise of the airship. Kai cursed under his breath and slid a finger across his throat in warning just as finger-blades of a Vire burst through the door of the hangar. Max jammed a glowing red button on the side, only to find it stuck. "Hurry up!" Kai shouted once more as Osiris slowly but surely flew upwards, the top tail fins grazing the still closed roof before stabbing through. More Vire claws punched through the door, slicing downwards and making a gaping entrance for their death-dealing flood attacks. Max glanced around him as a Vire's head peered through the hole, surveying the scene before latching one red eye on the frantic American. Max shouted an expletive before punching in the hangar gate button, practically breaking the accursed thing, as the Vire made a warning "Yip Yip Yip!" to its comrades, signaling them to attack the unarmed rebel. The Vire broke through like a bursting dam, their claws glinting ferociously in the dim light of the rebel hangar as Max scrambled for the already far too high Osiris ramp. "Kai! I won't reach it!" Max shouted just as Mariah pushed aside the visibly agitated Bladebreaker, clutching a rope in her hands. The pink-haired Chinese girl flashed her fangs to the now confused rebel branch leader and tied the rope tightly around a protrusion on the side of Osiris while the immense hangar gates above them creaked open once more, letting light flood into the expansive room. Max, a few meters from being chopped into pieces, ran even faster as he hoped to just barely catch the edge of the ramp with a desperation jump. "Some help would be appreciated right NOW!" Max screamed in pure panic as the Vire, running wildly like a pack of ravenous dogs, revealed a new weapon, firing spike- like projectiles from their shoulders at high speeds that streaked past their intended target, Max, embedding themselves into the hull of Osiris. "Hiwatari, this is how you do it." Mariah said, turning to face her leader before walking backwards and sprinting across the ramp; hands clasped onto the rope she brought with her. "You psychopathic bitch! What the hell are you doing?" Kai shouted in alarm as one of his most skilled and fiercely brave soldiers flung herself under the ramp and towards Max. Mariah merely grinned in reply and scooped up the terrified Max, just as a Vire slashed the air where he was standing a few moments earlier. "You are one dangerous person!" Max commented as they flew across the air, swinging back onto the ramp in front of a stammering Kai. Mariah let go of Max and raised an eyebrow as Kai gaped at her in disbelief, tossing her hair behind her as she passed the two men. "No thanks?" She asked as she disappeared into Osiris and Kai grumbled something before shouting back a response, "You twisted little girl! I swear I'll kill you the next time you do that!" She rounded the corner as Max sprinted down the hall as well, both out of earshot of anything Kai might say. A thin smile crossed his face and he twirled his pistol in his right hand.
"Not bad. Considering who it came from."
7:24, Kiev, Ukraine
Black Eagle burst into the hideout of he and his fellow militant organization associates, clutching the gaping katana wound on his belly. He collapsed into a heap in front of his other comrade, another young man dressed in a black, heavily padded bodysuit. "I betrayed us, I went back... I should've died but I came back... They'll follow me for sure... Get out of here..." Black Eagle said through ragged breaths before being carried up by his ally, who handed him over to another. "No. Dean, get Carlo to the hover copter." The Artemis militant commanded and the other man rushed out a back door that led to their camouflaged transportation. The warrior removed a strand of long dark brown hair that fell across his face and unsheathed the nodachi that lay at his waist, bringing it up to a fighting position. Cypher, hidden in the shadows of their dimly lit base, walked out of his secretive location and removed his own blade from its container, readying for combat as well. "Aquila says these two are worth every slash and I certainly agree. Let's finish this quickly." Cypher muttered through his helmet and the other soldier nodded, flinching as the door was cut through by Blaze's katana, while Ice stayed behind him. "Go Blade Eagle!" Cypher shouted through his mask and the two charged at their enemies, stunning them with their superior speed. Cypher's blade met Blaze's in the air, and the mysterious soldier twisted around, bringing his own to the mercenary's throat. "Freeze!" Ice yelled, bringing out her Famas with lightning reflexes, only to find it cut in half by Blade Eagle's elongated nodachi sword. In a split second, the nodachi was also threatening to cut off her throat and the twins soon found themselves being forced to enter the small building in the middle of nowhere.
The two were soon sitting cross-legged on the floor, weaponless, staring up at the icy gaze of Blade Eagle, whose sword was still unsheathed. Cypher walked into the room, quietly approaching both of the silent and calm assassins, who he figured would be a bit more enraged than this. "So, when are you going to kill us?" Ice asked politely, looking intently at the tall figure of Cypher. A laugh escaped the enigmatic soldier's mouth and for a while Ice wondered what was different. Oh yeah, he sounded human. "No. Our leader has a particular interest in you two." Cypher said blandly before walking out of the room, leaving Blade Eagle with the two captives. Blaze stood up abruptly and shook off some dust. "So, who are you guys anyway?" He asked blandly, leaning against the wall and Blade Eagle lowered his nodachi for a few seconds before resting it on his shoulder in an arrogant pose. "The best in our given fields, working together to achieve our leader's vision!" He said proudly, and for a while, Ice and Blaze swore he was giving off some light. But the back door had opened up and the other man had entered, swiftly disproving that notion. Ice also stood up and raised an eyebrow as she surveyed the other boy's clothes. A military jacket placed over a stained forest green shirt and snow-covered jeans. The boy removed the goggles covering his eyes and slung it over his shoulder, grinning widely. "Blade was the former most wanted mercenary in the land, just like our boss." The young, brown-haired man said and a slight sneer crossed the mouth of Blade Eagle. "Both of you two were numbers 2 and 3 to me, remember? I dropped out to join Artemis after that." He explained and Blaze's lip twitched responsively. Ice held him back with a subtle punch behind their backs as the second boy rubbed his gloved hands together. "I developed the Frame system of the government, along with providing help in the Vire project... I'm here to destroy what I have crafted." He said almost dejectedly as Cypher burst through the door with the leader behind him, causing all four of the people inside to face the enigmatic simply known to Ice and Blaze as the boss. Ice stared at the tall, lanky, brown-haired man, struggling to figure out his connection with something she has seen a long time ago. "Remember me?" Dark green sleeveless jersey, even in the freezing weather, mud brown military pants tucked into combat boots, red cloth tied around forehead like that "Rambo" guy... Ice's eyes snapped open and she instinctively tightened her muscles, entering a fighting position. Blade Eagle held out his nodachi warningly and the leader clapped a hand on his shoulder, grinning.
"Matt Aquila! You slick little bastard!" Ice shouted and the leader laughed, his hands on his waist. Blaze blinked, looked at his twin sister then looked at the militant Artemis Organization leader, Matt Aquila. Blaze laughed and walked over to Matt, grinning at the acquaintance. "I guess seeing you reminded my sister of when you betrayed her those 2 years ago." The black-haired Chinese assassin said cheerfully, standing but one step away from Matt. His mouth curled into a sinister grin and he forcefully snatched the pistol that lay on Matt's hip and pointed it at the brown- haired man's chin. "But you happen to have the armor we've been searching for. Hand it over and I might not kill you." Blaze threatened and Matt grinned before poking a recorded tape at Blaze's own chin in response. "Listen to this."
"After this mission, send half of the Vire troops to kill those two. I will have no further need for them."
Ice and Blaze both narrowed their eyes in response and walked away from the group of individuals, shocked by hearing Ivan's voice proclaim their death at the hands of his Vire. "I suggest you join. You'd get a free code name." Matt said cheerily and Blaze made a derisive snort before looking up at his old friend and rival, taking a quick glance at Blade Eagle's wide smile and noticing the sword was still resting in his hands. "Do we even have a choice?" He said and turned to his nodding twin. Ice sighed and threw her arms up in recognition of defeat. "Fine. What are our codenames?" Ice asked in admission of surrender and Matt shrugged casually. "You can keep your old ones actually." Blaze scratched his head and shrugged as well. "Well then, what's yours, hot shot?" He asked and Matt pulled the red cloth covering his eyes down, covering his eyes completely.
"I kept my old one. I don't want them to forget the legacy of me, the dead Blind Eagle."
8:10, Inside Zeus, Somewhere above Russia
Ivan slammed Wesley's back onto the wall, tightening his guillotine- like grip on the captured rebel's throat. The rebel leader's fingers clawed desperately at Ivan's left hand that was wrapped around his neck; his breaths already worn out and frantic from the prolonged torture. Following the standard measures of "investigative" torture in the government special service, Jex had quickly and efficiently brought lasting memories of deep pain and agony to the resilient little rebel. They had forced him to drink liters of water until he had nearly drowned, eventually pushing him to vomit out all of the excess liquids in his body, which dehydrated him to the point of death. They had applied to live electrical cables to his genitals, which, nobody doubted, would bring him a hell lot of throbbing for quite a while. They hung him upside down and beat him like a punching bag, only the people jabbing and hitting him where armed with metal sticks and rods. But he didn't give up yet and he was not going to give in to some little kid who was choking him.
"Tell us where we can get a code to disable that hindrance one of your associates uploaded into Alec." Ivan Elmdor said coldly, drawing blood from the neck of Wesley as his fingers dug in even farther into the sides of his throat. Wesley shook his head slowly and presently received a punch in the stomach from the irritated dictator. Pain exploded throughout his body again but he ignored it as he focused on keeping the information safe within him. There was only one other person who was part of the SEA rebel base that knew who to receive it from but he trusted that person and knew that he would destroy it, as to stop Ivan's plans for world domination. "Tell me, you son of a bitch!" Ivan shouted in rage before delivering another powerful hit to Wesley's heavily wounded stomach area. The defiant leader grinned weakly and Ivan looked like he was about to punch him another time when Sarah walked into the room, calm and prepared as usual. "Sir, may I suggest conversion? It is entirely possible to allow the rebel to keep some of his memories when we convert him." Sarah commented quietly and Ivan dropped the panting Wesley like a sack of potatoes. He raised an eyebrow, thought for a few moments, and turned around to face one of his most deadly agents, if she wasn't the most deadly already. "You are quite smart for a girl. Sarah, pass the order to prepare the vats." Sarah nodded in reply and left the room quietly, leaving a happy-looking Ivan with the convulsing Wesley. Ivan whirled around again and flashed his smile, pointing to the confused and tired rebel below him. "Very soon, you're going to become a killer of your old allies, Rodriguez." Ivan said blandly and Wesley gasped for air before replying in sheer obstinacy. "You can't make me... " Ivan ran a hand through his own black hair and grinned malevolently at the soldier that lay in a heap under him. "Oh, yes we can. I'll have total control over you when you are converted to one of my loyal and lethal Vire." He replied quietly, bending down to grab Wesley's chin so they could see eye to eye.
"Total control, my friend. Total control.
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End of Chapter
Review or I'll sick the Vire on you. Nasty little demons they are. Bwahahahahahaha