Author's note: Reviews would be welcome, and would definitely feed the
flame. A little spoiler: I'm planning to add pairings in the novelization.
A little Levithan and Zero, and some Ciel and Zero. It'll of course stick
to the story line so Levithan and Zero are not going to like go out to the
mall together. Rather it's more like how they fight, and what happens. Read
to find out but that's far into the future. But enjoy this part, and please
please make some reviews. I'll like to know what people think of what I'm
doing.
Chapter 1: Legend Reborn "Part 4"
Robert slogged through the ankle high sewage at top speed, with about two dozen drones hot on his trail. His partner, Andre, had been run through by a laser shot, and was now being dragged unceremoniously through the muck. Flinging Andre limply against the wall, Robert brought his pistol to bear. Low on ammo, he quickly snapped off several precision shots that did little in ceasing the wave of robot killers. Sticking his weapon back into his pants, he fished out a grenade and lopped it into the oncoming wave. Debris showered the occupants of the tunnel. Wiping the back of his hand against his forehead, Andre watched a ball of raging fire swallow the drones, meters before they reached him. Behind the inferno, faint shadows of marching drones applauded him. Ciel and the Captain had just disappeared behind an opening in the wall. Robert will hold the enemies off here.
Milan stumbled in the uneven ground. Behind him, the faint hum of lasers meant that the X drones had not gotten all his men yet. That was fine with him, he still needed to get Ciel safely away. Without warning, an explosion rocked the ground, throwing both Milan and Ciel onto the jagged debris. Their landing site grunted at the extra weight, bending dangerously to the limit. A second explosion mirrored the first one, and the flimsy ground finally broke with a shatter of unsupported concrete. Darkness welcomed the pair into the abyss below.
Andre stirred to find Robert standing over him, watching his partner swing the broken arm of a drone as though it was a club. "Rob?" Robert did not turn but kicked the smoking carcass of a drone towards Andre. "Grab an arm." That was all he said but Andre got the hint. It took Andre three tries before he yanked a sparking arm out of the deactivated drone, due to often doubling over in pain at the hole in his mid section. But he struggled to his feet anyway, and did his share of defending the position. It'll probably be his last but if he must die, he might as well die in glory.
*
"Ciel." The voice was rather harsh, and no doubt disturbing to the sleeper who felt the voice tugging at her consciousness.
Ciel stirred with her head throbbing terribly. A voice was calling her but all she wanted to do was lie on her side and preserve herself in this comforting slumber.
"Ciel, wake up."
This time the voice was female, and gentler. A sweet musical sound that vibrated through her ear drum and Ciel was coaxed to see the owner of the voice. Her eyes flickered slightly then opened. It took a moment for her eyes to focus on the palm sized figure drifting weightlessly before her face. "Passy.?"
"Ciel, you're ok. Captain Milan is here too." The Cyber Elf swirled in mid air, peppering Ciel's face with emerald sparks that dissolved harmlessly on her skin.
Milan was steadying himself against an upturned pole. "We should go, the drones might follow."
Ciel nodded to hide her embarrassment. Milan may sound harsh but his voice certainly did not portray his inner feelings. Maybe all military reploids are made like that to scare their opponent, Ciel added as an undertone.
Milan gave her a "I know what you are thinking," look, and said. "Well, who do you think carried you all this way, and to have you land on my back."
Grinning mischievously, Ciel remarked, "Well, you most certainly aren't the tooth fairy."
"Oh Lord, free me." Milan sighed.
*
Robert pulled Andre to his feet. It was the second time the damaged reploid had fallen to his injuries. Again and again, he would insist of standing back up to do his share of the fighting. Robert couldn't help but feel impressed at his partner's determination. The drones seemed to have backed off a little way to the far end of the tunnel. Even two soldiers fighting King Kong style seemed to have decimated their forces a bit. But it was too soon to say they were victorious. Beyond the bend, a deep rumbling from jet propelling systems announced the coming of six mechanical behemoths. The menacing robots were a dull yellow, at least fifteen feet tall and ten meters in width. It was appropriate that they were christened with the name, Golem.
The golems were first designed by Neo Arcadia as their primary labor source but their structure was too heavy to be an efficient transport, and the fact that their production fee was at least twenty times greater than that of the X drones, the golem project was abandoned. Two years later, the project was reinstated due to the invention of the X2 aerial engines. By equipping the golems with the X2, their speed increased by over eighty percent, and their maneuverability earned them the motto, we're large but quick on our feet. The heavy mechanoids were later adapted for military use, mostly as siege weapons. The fact that they're reinforced with armor over one foot thick, and had enough power to mount heavy artilleries, made them a valuable asset in military campaigns. And this mission was no exception.
Perceiving the approaching danger, Robert had Andre lean on his shoulder, and the pair made their way through the opening that Milan and Ciel had gone through. That was a said mistake. Due to their size, it would have been impossible for the golems to enter the network of tunnels underground. By coming out, Robert and Andre had left themselves much more vulnerable to the Golems. That theory was proven when the two soldiers were draped in the shadow of the mechanoid, and stared into the grim face of death. "What kind of monster is that," was all Andre said before his partner and he were trampled by the behemoth. Their reploids' brains didn't even have time to register the pain before the rest of their systems shut down.
*
"Ciel, where do you think we are?" It was almost impossible to see anything in the omniscient darkness.
"Passy.a little light please."
"My pleasure." The Cyber Elf dusted her wings twice, and its flurry of colourful lights drifted out into the air, producing just enough light to illuminate a small area around Ciel.
Ciel studied the environment. "It seems that we've fallen into an ancient civilization in which the city above is built on."
"So you saying that we're in a city even older than the one we fell down from."
"Precisely, judging from my calculations, this place must have been built at least a hundred years ago, around the time when legendary reploids like Zero fought to defend the world."
"Do you think Zero is in here somewhere?" Milan was being precise, taking account of all the factors before deciding on a course of action.
"Possibly." The human girl replied lazily, more concerned about the bruises that dotted her body. Had she not landed on Milan when she fell, she most likely would not have escaped with such superficial injuries.
Milan ignored her mild behaviour. "We should get going. There's no saying that those drones won't follow us."
Ciel nodded absently. Finding Zero was the last of their problems now. Getting out alive was more important. She hold out her palm for Passy to land on, and tucked the Cyber Elf gently into her breast pocket. Passy didn't seem to mind riding so near to her human.
Milan felt his back circuits jolt slightly as he pulled himself into a relatively straight standing position. His rotary blade in his back was most likely damaged when he fell. After what he's been through, it came as no surprise to him. He said nothing about it to Ciel though.
*
It was not until half an hour later that Ciel and Milan stumbled into what appeared to have been a fairly intact research facility with a sturdy gate. They've passed numerous ruins but, with their foundation barely standing, it was near impossible to identify the structure's purpose. Standing like a lighthouse in a sea of bleakness, the facility appeared to have been the only place decent enough to house anything important. Obviously, this building was meant to keep someone outside, or perhaps inside.
Ciel had decided to approach this building because of its seemingly advance structure. She hoped to find weapons inside and hopefully some sort of transportation. If nothing else, the building could at least shield them from the X drones better than any of the crumbled buildings outside.
An emblem featuring two halves of a circle and a small triangle in between was built into the gate. Ciel walked closer to the gate, and ran her hand over the triangle.
"What is it Ciel?" Passy poked her head out of Ciel's breast pocket, and glanced at Ciel who appeared to be admiring the craftsmanship of the design.
Ciel gave a small hush, and kneaded the triangle that protruded slightly from the rest of the emblem. The two halves of the circle were smooth but the triangle was rough and felt more like some sort of handle. Gasping, she pointed out a remark to herself. "This isn't just a design.it's a security lock."
Milan walked to beside Ciel and also studied the unique lock. "If only we could force it open."
Ciel shook her head. "Impossible, with a door this size leading to a structure that survived for over a hundred years, there's bound to be some sort of reinforcements on the inside. Most likely, the gate is controlled electronically from the inside or else there'll probably be an operation board here for authorized personnel to access."
"So, you're saying that this door can only be opened from the inside?"
"Precisely. And the people who last departed from this building probably never went back inside again."
"Then how do we open it?" Milan felt ready to grab a broken poke on the ground to force his way in, despite what Ciel said.
"I.err."
"Ciel, I can do it." Passy shot out of Ciel's breast pocket like a miniature rocket with wings.
"Passy?" Ciel observed as her Cyber Elf drifted towards the gate. Passy's face was almost touching the triangle emblem now.
"Ciel, I'm a Cyber Elf, made entirely of data. If this door is controlled electronically from the mainframe as you say then there must be some sort of connection between the control device and the gate. So all I have to do is blend my data into the data stream of the gate and find my way into the controls. If not, I can probably rewrite its programming."
"But Passy, it could be fairly dangerous. We don't know what security lies in network, and whether your data is compatible with the technology here." Ciel almost felt an urge to grab Passy and pull her back into the safety of her pocket.
"Ciel, I know you're concerned but we have to be willing to risk a little. And to do so, you must first let me go." And without waiting for further consent from her human partner, Passy threw herself into the gate. The triangle began glowing a faint emerald then the light slowly subsided.
It isn't working, Ciel thought to herself. Passy is going to be deleted.
The moment before gave up all hope, the triangle glowed a bright emerald this time, and the two halves of the circle moved away from each other. The triangle turned a half quarter to its side then extended forward to meet Ciel's hand. Realizing its purpose, Ciel pushed the triangle back into its base. Slowly and evenly, the gate began to slide open.
Ciel and Milan walked past the gate and into a dimly lit hallway. The emergency lights were still functioning, probably drawing power from a subterranean emergency reservoir. But it still too dark to see anything substantial. As if sensing her human's need, Passy drifted out from some circuitry in the wall and back into the safety of Ciel's arms.
"Passy, never do that again."
Passy only smiled.
*
Had there been more light, Ciel would probably noticed the small sign at the very edge of the massive gate. It read, "Zero"
Chapter 1: Legend Reborn "Part 4"
Robert slogged through the ankle high sewage at top speed, with about two dozen drones hot on his trail. His partner, Andre, had been run through by a laser shot, and was now being dragged unceremoniously through the muck. Flinging Andre limply against the wall, Robert brought his pistol to bear. Low on ammo, he quickly snapped off several precision shots that did little in ceasing the wave of robot killers. Sticking his weapon back into his pants, he fished out a grenade and lopped it into the oncoming wave. Debris showered the occupants of the tunnel. Wiping the back of his hand against his forehead, Andre watched a ball of raging fire swallow the drones, meters before they reached him. Behind the inferno, faint shadows of marching drones applauded him. Ciel and the Captain had just disappeared behind an opening in the wall. Robert will hold the enemies off here.
Milan stumbled in the uneven ground. Behind him, the faint hum of lasers meant that the X drones had not gotten all his men yet. That was fine with him, he still needed to get Ciel safely away. Without warning, an explosion rocked the ground, throwing both Milan and Ciel onto the jagged debris. Their landing site grunted at the extra weight, bending dangerously to the limit. A second explosion mirrored the first one, and the flimsy ground finally broke with a shatter of unsupported concrete. Darkness welcomed the pair into the abyss below.
Andre stirred to find Robert standing over him, watching his partner swing the broken arm of a drone as though it was a club. "Rob?" Robert did not turn but kicked the smoking carcass of a drone towards Andre. "Grab an arm." That was all he said but Andre got the hint. It took Andre three tries before he yanked a sparking arm out of the deactivated drone, due to often doubling over in pain at the hole in his mid section. But he struggled to his feet anyway, and did his share of defending the position. It'll probably be his last but if he must die, he might as well die in glory.
*
"Ciel." The voice was rather harsh, and no doubt disturbing to the sleeper who felt the voice tugging at her consciousness.
Ciel stirred with her head throbbing terribly. A voice was calling her but all she wanted to do was lie on her side and preserve herself in this comforting slumber.
"Ciel, wake up."
This time the voice was female, and gentler. A sweet musical sound that vibrated through her ear drum and Ciel was coaxed to see the owner of the voice. Her eyes flickered slightly then opened. It took a moment for her eyes to focus on the palm sized figure drifting weightlessly before her face. "Passy.?"
"Ciel, you're ok. Captain Milan is here too." The Cyber Elf swirled in mid air, peppering Ciel's face with emerald sparks that dissolved harmlessly on her skin.
Milan was steadying himself against an upturned pole. "We should go, the drones might follow."
Ciel nodded to hide her embarrassment. Milan may sound harsh but his voice certainly did not portray his inner feelings. Maybe all military reploids are made like that to scare their opponent, Ciel added as an undertone.
Milan gave her a "I know what you are thinking," look, and said. "Well, who do you think carried you all this way, and to have you land on my back."
Grinning mischievously, Ciel remarked, "Well, you most certainly aren't the tooth fairy."
"Oh Lord, free me." Milan sighed.
*
Robert pulled Andre to his feet. It was the second time the damaged reploid had fallen to his injuries. Again and again, he would insist of standing back up to do his share of the fighting. Robert couldn't help but feel impressed at his partner's determination. The drones seemed to have backed off a little way to the far end of the tunnel. Even two soldiers fighting King Kong style seemed to have decimated their forces a bit. But it was too soon to say they were victorious. Beyond the bend, a deep rumbling from jet propelling systems announced the coming of six mechanical behemoths. The menacing robots were a dull yellow, at least fifteen feet tall and ten meters in width. It was appropriate that they were christened with the name, Golem.
The golems were first designed by Neo Arcadia as their primary labor source but their structure was too heavy to be an efficient transport, and the fact that their production fee was at least twenty times greater than that of the X drones, the golem project was abandoned. Two years later, the project was reinstated due to the invention of the X2 aerial engines. By equipping the golems with the X2, their speed increased by over eighty percent, and their maneuverability earned them the motto, we're large but quick on our feet. The heavy mechanoids were later adapted for military use, mostly as siege weapons. The fact that they're reinforced with armor over one foot thick, and had enough power to mount heavy artilleries, made them a valuable asset in military campaigns. And this mission was no exception.
Perceiving the approaching danger, Robert had Andre lean on his shoulder, and the pair made their way through the opening that Milan and Ciel had gone through. That was a said mistake. Due to their size, it would have been impossible for the golems to enter the network of tunnels underground. By coming out, Robert and Andre had left themselves much more vulnerable to the Golems. That theory was proven when the two soldiers were draped in the shadow of the mechanoid, and stared into the grim face of death. "What kind of monster is that," was all Andre said before his partner and he were trampled by the behemoth. Their reploids' brains didn't even have time to register the pain before the rest of their systems shut down.
*
"Ciel, where do you think we are?" It was almost impossible to see anything in the omniscient darkness.
"Passy.a little light please."
"My pleasure." The Cyber Elf dusted her wings twice, and its flurry of colourful lights drifted out into the air, producing just enough light to illuminate a small area around Ciel.
Ciel studied the environment. "It seems that we've fallen into an ancient civilization in which the city above is built on."
"So you saying that we're in a city even older than the one we fell down from."
"Precisely, judging from my calculations, this place must have been built at least a hundred years ago, around the time when legendary reploids like Zero fought to defend the world."
"Do you think Zero is in here somewhere?" Milan was being precise, taking account of all the factors before deciding on a course of action.
"Possibly." The human girl replied lazily, more concerned about the bruises that dotted her body. Had she not landed on Milan when she fell, she most likely would not have escaped with such superficial injuries.
Milan ignored her mild behaviour. "We should get going. There's no saying that those drones won't follow us."
Ciel nodded absently. Finding Zero was the last of their problems now. Getting out alive was more important. She hold out her palm for Passy to land on, and tucked the Cyber Elf gently into her breast pocket. Passy didn't seem to mind riding so near to her human.
Milan felt his back circuits jolt slightly as he pulled himself into a relatively straight standing position. His rotary blade in his back was most likely damaged when he fell. After what he's been through, it came as no surprise to him. He said nothing about it to Ciel though.
*
It was not until half an hour later that Ciel and Milan stumbled into what appeared to have been a fairly intact research facility with a sturdy gate. They've passed numerous ruins but, with their foundation barely standing, it was near impossible to identify the structure's purpose. Standing like a lighthouse in a sea of bleakness, the facility appeared to have been the only place decent enough to house anything important. Obviously, this building was meant to keep someone outside, or perhaps inside.
Ciel had decided to approach this building because of its seemingly advance structure. She hoped to find weapons inside and hopefully some sort of transportation. If nothing else, the building could at least shield them from the X drones better than any of the crumbled buildings outside.
An emblem featuring two halves of a circle and a small triangle in between was built into the gate. Ciel walked closer to the gate, and ran her hand over the triangle.
"What is it Ciel?" Passy poked her head out of Ciel's breast pocket, and glanced at Ciel who appeared to be admiring the craftsmanship of the design.
Ciel gave a small hush, and kneaded the triangle that protruded slightly from the rest of the emblem. The two halves of the circle were smooth but the triangle was rough and felt more like some sort of handle. Gasping, she pointed out a remark to herself. "This isn't just a design.it's a security lock."
Milan walked to beside Ciel and also studied the unique lock. "If only we could force it open."
Ciel shook her head. "Impossible, with a door this size leading to a structure that survived for over a hundred years, there's bound to be some sort of reinforcements on the inside. Most likely, the gate is controlled electronically from the inside or else there'll probably be an operation board here for authorized personnel to access."
"So, you're saying that this door can only be opened from the inside?"
"Precisely. And the people who last departed from this building probably never went back inside again."
"Then how do we open it?" Milan felt ready to grab a broken poke on the ground to force his way in, despite what Ciel said.
"I.err."
"Ciel, I can do it." Passy shot out of Ciel's breast pocket like a miniature rocket with wings.
"Passy?" Ciel observed as her Cyber Elf drifted towards the gate. Passy's face was almost touching the triangle emblem now.
"Ciel, I'm a Cyber Elf, made entirely of data. If this door is controlled electronically from the mainframe as you say then there must be some sort of connection between the control device and the gate. So all I have to do is blend my data into the data stream of the gate and find my way into the controls. If not, I can probably rewrite its programming."
"But Passy, it could be fairly dangerous. We don't know what security lies in network, and whether your data is compatible with the technology here." Ciel almost felt an urge to grab Passy and pull her back into the safety of her pocket.
"Ciel, I know you're concerned but we have to be willing to risk a little. And to do so, you must first let me go." And without waiting for further consent from her human partner, Passy threw herself into the gate. The triangle began glowing a faint emerald then the light slowly subsided.
It isn't working, Ciel thought to herself. Passy is going to be deleted.
The moment before gave up all hope, the triangle glowed a bright emerald this time, and the two halves of the circle moved away from each other. The triangle turned a half quarter to its side then extended forward to meet Ciel's hand. Realizing its purpose, Ciel pushed the triangle back into its base. Slowly and evenly, the gate began to slide open.
Ciel and Milan walked past the gate and into a dimly lit hallway. The emergency lights were still functioning, probably drawing power from a subterranean emergency reservoir. But it still too dark to see anything substantial. As if sensing her human's need, Passy drifted out from some circuitry in the wall and back into the safety of Ciel's arms.
"Passy, never do that again."
Passy only smiled.
*
Had there been more light, Ciel would probably noticed the small sign at the very edge of the massive gate. It read, "Zero"