Chapter Seven: Goliath of the Skies
Leos looked up to the sky above him. He began to feel a warmth around him
like nothing he had felt recently. Again he thought back to his struggles
against Sephiroth. Then, like all good things, his rest was disturbed. A
car speeds up from behind him, nearly running into him. "Leos, no time for
tender moments, its an emergency!" The person in the care was Rachel. She
yelled at him to get in the car yet, she would not explain why.
"Leos, its Rapture, its fallen under attack by the Frighteners in a joint operation with the Pluto/Jupiter Colonial Army. They've declared themselves a separate nation and are issuing a coup deita attempt. They've planted explosives on Rapture, and are threatening to crash the elevator into Mars. Obviously, the government has hired us to stop them. Leos, we trust you."
Leos looked up at the ceiling of the elevator from the cockpit of his AC. He had come so far, and now it was all about to end. He felt a sudden freedom as the door of the elevator, and he stepped into the hallways of Rapture. A slight beep was heard as a transmission came over his comm. "Raven, Leos, Nemesis. Which ever you prefer now is the time. We of the New Age Frighteners extend our hand to you in friendship. Join us, and let the Ravens free." The dark voice over the comm. was that of Sephiroth, his cold, calm chill with him even here.
"Your sick." Leos' voice was filled with disgust at the monster that is Sephiroth, every fiber of his body tingling with hate for the essence that is the Frighteners. "Then so be it. If you are not one of us, you are against us." Sephiroth closed the comm. channel to Leos, as a panel above the Arch-Nemesis swung open and a squadron of flying Muscle Tracers burst in. The door in front of Leos opened up as three armored core dashed in at full throttle.
"This is Maria; I'll provide cover from a distance. Doewny, Alucard, you attack up front!" A smaller hover type AC pilot sent her message to her allies, as an AC fell through a gate behind her. In a flash, a blade was sticking out the other side of her. As her armored core was lifted into the air, everyone caught a glimpse of the man who had done this. The AC had heavy red armor. On its back laid a grenade launcher and the napalm missiles. In its grip was the hydra bazooka, and strapped to it left arms was the moonlight blade.
Its name was Nightingale. "This is Evion, buddies. Leos, don't think I'm here to save your ass, I got a score to settle." The pilot smirked as the women's AC burst into flames. He lifted the hydra bazooka into the air and fired off a shot which destroyed the Muscle Tracers above Leos.
"You, you killed Maria!" An AC thrust towards the Nightingale, as if in a poetic motion. Evion slowly closed his eyes as he lifts his blade. In a blur of motion, the poorly made AC found its torso on the ground and the legs falling over. "Humph, looks like you guys are good. My buddies weren't more than-eh!" The pilot was startled as the Arch-Nemesis knelled down; the chain gun on its shoulder was armed. "Sorry buddy, but its no fun till somebody draws a gun." Leos spoke to the cocky pilot, drilling shot after shot into the stunned Soul Reaver, as the Nightingale slowly approached.
The Soul Reaver's booster charged up as the pilot attempted to dodge Leos' chain gun shots, taking flight, but it was to late as the Nightingale jumped into the air, its blade dealing damage along the side of the AC. As Alucard fell back to the ground, he fired off a fin-boo missile towards the Arch-Nemesis. Leos quickly reacted to this, dashing across the ground arming his IMI missiles. He jumped over the Soul Reaver, guiding the missiles into its own user. "No!" Alucard screamed as his AC began to fall apart.
"Seems like that's the last of them." Leos began to relax, rubbing his neck. "No, there is still one more coming." Evion commented to his ally as the door once again opened up, an armored core stepping in through the light. "Hello comrades." The armored core stepped into the dimmed light as the door behind it slowly slide closed, its lock spinning and sealing the door. "Diablo is here for you." The armored core stepped into the light, reveal the armored core, and the pilots identify. It was piloted by a member of Jupiter Alliance. The pilot had become famous through his battles, destroying thousands of enemies with his simple but effective armored core.
Its right hand gripped a night sniper rifle, and strapped to his left was an energy blade. Attached to its right shoulder was a grenade launcher. The armored core name was Diablo, the Fire Demon. This pilot rested in the cockpit of his diabolical weapon, his name known to thousand of the dead and widowed his name was Charlie Deth, the Grim Beast. The pilot was calm and relaxed as his mech stepped out to the stunned Nightingale, Evion still in shock as to how the Grim Beast could be here. "Now are you prepared to die?"
The Diablo thrust across from the room, quickly spinning around. Its FCS gained a lock onto the Nightingale, as the heavy weight struggles to get out of its range. A beam shot across the room, a piece of armor flying off of the Nightingale, disintegrating in the air. Leos turned to the Red Demon, his Karasawa rising to core level, firing of a pair of shots. In a blur of motion, the Deth had dodged the shot and had his night to the Arch- Nemesis backs. "You've underestimated me."
As the beam of energy charged up, Leos closed his eyes, expecting that final shot to come. But it was not to happen here. Evion overboost directly into the Grim Beast, knocking the rifles aim upwards, a shot piercing the steel of the roof. As the air was sucked through the hole into space, the remains of the fallen armored cores became caught in the hole. "On contra, seems you have underestimated us." The Nightingale's bazooka rose up to the Diablo's head. Firing off a shot, the Red Devil was knocked backed into the wall.
"I won't go down like, this, I can't allow it!" Charlie's armored core kneeled to the ground, the grenade rifle arming itself. As Leos regained control of himself, he thrust towards the unholy armored core. As the flame of the grenade burst from the pipe of the cannon, the Arch-Nemesis rose into the air, its blade coming unsheathed. As the armored core came back to the ground, the grenade exploded on the other side of the room, Diablo's own blade reacting as if with a mind of its own. The Nightingale stood to the side watching the fight, an explosion of energy blinding Evion view as the blades collided. "You fight well raven." Charlie admired Leos fighting skills as they dashed apart, both arming their main weapons, as they run along next to each other.
They thrust away from each other, bothering firing of a beam of energy which hit each other midway. They both stopped at opposite side of the room, their overboost engines charging up. As they came towards each other, they both armed their blades once again. In a blinding light, they crossed each other. They both stood still for a second as the smoke cleared, their blades sinking back into their arms. "You fought well, raven." Charlie closed his eyes as his armored core fell over in flames, an explosion erupting from its generator. "Rest in Peace."
As Leos' armored core stood over the charred shell of Diablo. "What an excellent show you two put on! To bad it could only happen once." Evion joked as Leos stood up, the door unlocking itself. There laid at the base of the door the burning shell of the AC Kraze Gun Man. A pair of armored core burst in through the door. There they stood, Leon and Matthais. "You've come far enough Leos, my friend." Matthais' armored core Funeral Mask stepped forwards, as Leon's Conquistador rouse into the air.
"You, you deserve to die now!" Evion screamed as he rushed towards Leon, his hydra firing off shot after shot. "I'll kill you, monster!" Evion became filled with anger as his armored core burst up in front of Leon, sliding his moonlight across Conquistador's chest. Dropping to the ground, Conquistador's laser machine gun raised up, locking on around the Nightingale. The armored core circled around firing onto Nightingale, Matthais and Leos watching the two with interest. Evion dropped to the ground, breaking out of the circle.
"You're the man who killed Collider!" Evion screamed as he rammed Leon into a wall, his fit of anger dying down. "So what, he fought me, I did what I had to." Leon grinned, as he burst off the ground landing behind the Nightingale, striking the heavyweight with his moonlight. "There is something different about you Frightener, something evil." Evion's anger was gone know, and he was fighting on instinct, his held still filled with thoughts. "Now you can tell." Leon laughed to himself as his armored core popped up from beneath the Nightingale again, firing off a dozen shots into the armored core's chest. A shock hit Evion as he realized what was going on. Leon, he had heard rumors about this man. They said he could see things before they happen. He knew what his enemies where doing, and why. Then Leon stopped. He looked around confused as the Nightingale hung over head.
Now Evion mind was clear, and his action lead his way. His grenade launcher was armed as a blob of fire shot down towards the ground. Suddenly noticing his mistake, Leon burst towards the sky, barely missing the grenade. As he appeared next to Evion's core, his moonlight sheathing out. But he was not to notice the turn boosters on the Nightingale. There he stood, looking down the barrel of a grenade launcher. "Leon go boom." Evion casually joked, as he fired a shot into Leon's face. Both armored core drop to the ground, Leon's armor quickly melting away. But as they fell, Leon's moonlight pulled out and caught across Evion's armor. From the shadows, there came a shot of energy as Vagrant Savior stepped from the elevator door. "I couldn't miss all the fun, now could I?" Leos and Matthais braced their Armored Cores against a wall, preventing themselves from getting sucked out, but Leon and Evion failed at this.
"Leon seems we may have similar fates." Evion nodded his head as he looked to Mars. "Or maybe, I'll just come back." Evion laughed as his armored core was pulled faster into Mars' atmosphere. Then he heard Leon laugh. "Heh, as you said we may have similar fates." Leon continued to laugh as his armored core was pulled away from Evion, sending a final transmission. "Raven, perhaps, again in another life we can meet each other and finish this fight!" Leon's' speech was filled with static, but the pilot seemed as if he knew something the other didn't. "Perhaps, Frightener, we just might." Evion smirked as his armored core began to fall ever faster.
"Ah so, this is how it ends." Matthais spoke to Leos as the window was sealed by a metal wall. "So Leos, shall our battle begin?" Matthais turned to the Arch-Nemesis, backing away from it. Leos was calm, knowing it was now time for his battle. He breathed in slowly, his armored core kneeling to the ground. Matthais' grenade launcher was armed on his shoulder, neglecting his karasawa, just as his enemy. "Leos, my friend. You cannot imagine how long I have waited for this." Matthais circled the Arch- Nemesis, breaking the silence.
"Matthais, buddy, as you have no idea how much I have craved revenge." Leos smiled once again, as he switched to his multimissile. He thrust into the air as Matthais passed his blade under him. As Leos armored core stared down to the four legged behemoth, Leos counted to four, as Matthais rouse into the air, placing his grenade to the Arch-Nemesis' lip. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, please proceed to place you heads between your legs and KISS YOUR ASS GOOD-BYE!"
Matthais screamed as he pulled the trigger to his grenade launcher, as Leos dodged to the left, the fire ball hitting the ceiling of the battle room, knocking the Broken Mask to the ground. As the Arch-Nemesis let loose his missiles, his chain gun flinging up on his shoulder. He began to fire early as his armored core was sent back into the wall from the recoil. As Matthais was pelted with shots, he knew he couldn't beat Leos on his own. "Moron, you can never defeat me! But to even the odds, I'll give you a chance, follow me!"
The door from which they came again opened, Leos standing there in front of the path to which could decide his destiny. He knew this was only a bluff on Matthais part, and he was being lead into a trap, but there was something about the door at the end of the hall that was like a magnet to him. He stepped into the lit hall walking towards the door slowly. Leos walked down the hall, his mind clear of all thoughts. As he stepped into the dim, candle lit room, his armored core shimmered in the light. Leos sat in awe of the candles, thousands, millions of them. And there, at the other end of the room stood Sephiroth in his armored core, in all his glory. "Raven, you have come to far now. Many have died through your actions. And still you only have a mission of revenge. Can't you tell my goals are righteous? Raven, I can't let you hurt anymore people!" Sephiroth dashed towards Leos, as in a cinematic way, the battle began.
As the Arch-Nemesis swung to the left, sparks blazing from the ground as the armored core's feet dragged along the ground, KTWGB's blade cut through the air at which Arch-Nemesis was standing. The Arch-Nemesis thrust around a pillar, as KTWGB turned around, thrusting around another pillar, its hover legs allowing it to fly above the ground. As Leos' sat still behind the pillar, he prepared for Sephiroth to launch his attack, a green lock-on signal around where Sephiroth stood to Leos' eyes.
Sephiroth's breath turned cold as he thrust from behind the pillar of metal and wires, his armored core's karasawa gathering energy, as the beam spun through the air, striking the cylinder which Leos hid behind. The Arch- Nemesis ran to the side, firing its own karasawa beams. As the shots skimmed by KTWGB's body, Sephiroth stayed calm. He bit down on his lip, trying to focus on the battle at hand, and then something took over. His hands gripped the controls tightly, as he let loose an insane scream.
The KTWGB thrust back to the wall, his grenade launcher preparing. His armored core fired of a blast of fire as it over boost towards the AC at the other end of the room. The blast of fire shored slowly through the air, as Leos stood stunned at Sephiroth's abnormal actions. As the explosive drew ever closer, Leos came back to reality, dodging to the left, as the grenade hit the wall behind him, the explosion burning the wall black. Leos turned around, kneeling down as his chain gun was prepared.
Sephiroth was erratic, spinning around the stationary Leos', firing off dozens of shots. The Arch-Nemesis could take no more, as a final shot hit the back of the core. Then, like a shadow, Matthais appeared from the darkness. In a blur of energy, the Funeral Mask's moonlight was poking out the other end of Kiss the World Good-Bye.
Leos looked on confused as Matthais' blade retracted back into the arm, Sephiroth turning around to Matthais. "Why did you do that?" Matthais thrust back up to a ledge, where he prepared his grenade launcher. "Because, I am tired of you. Everywhere I go, people talk about Sephiroth. Sephiroth this, Sephiroth that. Now, its my time to shine!" Sephiroth was tired of listening to Matthais' babbling. He began to thrust around in a circle, Matthais leaping into the center of Sephiroth's cycle. He began to move in the opposite direction of Sephiroth's movements, Leos looking on confused of the bizarre fighting style.
As Sephiroth and Matthais came closer together, they both fired off their grenades. At the same time, they began to rise into the air. As their grenade collided under each other, they both swung their moonlights as they passed next to each other. As KTWGB's hover legs skimmed over the ground, moving into a large curve, Matthais slowly turned around, arming his karasawa. The hover type came dangerously closer.
"Heh, eat this." Matthais smirked as he fired of his karasawa, the blast just passing by KTWGB, as Sephiroth began to dodge in a zigzag pattern. "What the hell?" Matthais was startled as a shot came from KTWGB's back, an orbital weapon being dropped out. As Matthais back out of the cannons firing range, he bumped into a pointed object behind him. Sephiroth stood behind him, his karasawa held up. The Funeral Mask thrust into the air, the shot just barely going under the legs, as KTWGB rouse into the air as well, and its moonlight crossing the back of Matthais' core.
As the Funeral Mask was sent forward, it turned around, gaining a lock onto KTWGB, firing of a pair of shots. Sephiroth moved as the first shot moved by him, but the second hit his core, knocking it back into the wall as Matthais came closer again. The Kiss the World Good-Bye was hovering to the ground as the Funeral Mask, jumped up into the air, its blade stabbing into the core. Matthais thrust back as KTWGB burst into flames, Sephiroth sending out a message to Leos.
"Raven... My time has come, and I'm sorry. I was a fool to cause such pain to the world. Raven, grant me this wish. Kill him. Kill the man who made me do this to you. Now that I am gone, it won't be long before he finds more evil. And then he will come to you. The hustler.... Arg! Damn him!" Sephiroth screamed as his armored core fell over, a piece a shrapnel shooting through his chest.
"Humph, seems perhaps he wasn't that evil after all, now Leos?" Matthais taunted the pilot of the Arch-Nemesis, startled as Leos burst into a laughter. "Ha-ha, hoo-hah, ha-ha!" Leos laugh was confused filled with rage as he began to speak. "Ha-ha, it, ha-ha, doesn't, ha-ha, matter, ha-ha, to me, ahahahaha, anymore now! I'll just kill everyone!" Leos screamed as he thrust towards Matthais, his blade slicing past the Funeral Mask as the quad leg moved to the side.
"Your mad!" Matthais screamed as he fired his karasawa down at the Arch- Nemesis, the heavy weight moving to the right, the beams trailing behind it, electricity sparkling off the floor as sparks flashed from the armored core's legs grinding along the ground. The Arch-Nemesis chain gun released it lock and it aimed up towards Funeral Mask, the chamber spinning rapidly as the shots were fired out, the AC slamming back into a wall from the recoil. "I couldn't even kill Sephiroth with my own hands, I've failed everyone!" Leos screamed as his AC placed its knee to the ground, Matthais falling to the ground.
The Funeral Mask moved rapidly behind pillars trying to take cover, but they exploded and crumbled as Leos drilled shot after shot into them. Then Leos' chain gun gave out a burst of smoke and stopped spin. Leos' finger pulled the trigger once, twice, three times. Then he looked up at the screen and found he had wasted all his ammo. Matthais spun from his hiding place as he lifted his grenade launcher up, a ball of fire sending out its cannon, Leos lifting his armored core into the air as he sliced his blade across Matthais' core. The Funeral Mask took flight again as Matthais noticed he exhausted his ammo as well.
"Leos, you may have won now, but our mission is complete. Neither of us shall leave this place alive." Matthais placed his AC against a glass wall, as he lifted up a small device in his cockpit. Leos thrust towards him, his blade sliding out, and its purple energy slicing into the torso of the Funeral Mask. Matthais screamed as his armored core burst into flames. During his final breathes his flipped a safety, and hit a red glowing button. An explosion rocket from the other side of the room, following up as hundred explosion burnt through the rest of the room. The glass shattered as the Arch-Nemesis used the Funeral Mask as a ramming shield to smash the glass. Leos looked on from space at Rapture, the room he was in collapsing. Then a message appeared on his screen from Matthais.
"The only honorable death is one that leaves a burning crater and thousands dead." Matthais coughed up blood as he spoke, his head lumping over, dead. Leos listened to him in silence as the Jiontradi approached his location from a distance off. His head slumped over, as he passed out.
"Leos, its Rapture, its fallen under attack by the Frighteners in a joint operation with the Pluto/Jupiter Colonial Army. They've declared themselves a separate nation and are issuing a coup deita attempt. They've planted explosives on Rapture, and are threatening to crash the elevator into Mars. Obviously, the government has hired us to stop them. Leos, we trust you."
Leos looked up at the ceiling of the elevator from the cockpit of his AC. He had come so far, and now it was all about to end. He felt a sudden freedom as the door of the elevator, and he stepped into the hallways of Rapture. A slight beep was heard as a transmission came over his comm. "Raven, Leos, Nemesis. Which ever you prefer now is the time. We of the New Age Frighteners extend our hand to you in friendship. Join us, and let the Ravens free." The dark voice over the comm. was that of Sephiroth, his cold, calm chill with him even here.
"Your sick." Leos' voice was filled with disgust at the monster that is Sephiroth, every fiber of his body tingling with hate for the essence that is the Frighteners. "Then so be it. If you are not one of us, you are against us." Sephiroth closed the comm. channel to Leos, as a panel above the Arch-Nemesis swung open and a squadron of flying Muscle Tracers burst in. The door in front of Leos opened up as three armored core dashed in at full throttle.
"This is Maria; I'll provide cover from a distance. Doewny, Alucard, you attack up front!" A smaller hover type AC pilot sent her message to her allies, as an AC fell through a gate behind her. In a flash, a blade was sticking out the other side of her. As her armored core was lifted into the air, everyone caught a glimpse of the man who had done this. The AC had heavy red armor. On its back laid a grenade launcher and the napalm missiles. In its grip was the hydra bazooka, and strapped to it left arms was the moonlight blade.
Its name was Nightingale. "This is Evion, buddies. Leos, don't think I'm here to save your ass, I got a score to settle." The pilot smirked as the women's AC burst into flames. He lifted the hydra bazooka into the air and fired off a shot which destroyed the Muscle Tracers above Leos.
"You, you killed Maria!" An AC thrust towards the Nightingale, as if in a poetic motion. Evion slowly closed his eyes as he lifts his blade. In a blur of motion, the poorly made AC found its torso on the ground and the legs falling over. "Humph, looks like you guys are good. My buddies weren't more than-eh!" The pilot was startled as the Arch-Nemesis knelled down; the chain gun on its shoulder was armed. "Sorry buddy, but its no fun till somebody draws a gun." Leos spoke to the cocky pilot, drilling shot after shot into the stunned Soul Reaver, as the Nightingale slowly approached.
The Soul Reaver's booster charged up as the pilot attempted to dodge Leos' chain gun shots, taking flight, but it was to late as the Nightingale jumped into the air, its blade dealing damage along the side of the AC. As Alucard fell back to the ground, he fired off a fin-boo missile towards the Arch-Nemesis. Leos quickly reacted to this, dashing across the ground arming his IMI missiles. He jumped over the Soul Reaver, guiding the missiles into its own user. "No!" Alucard screamed as his AC began to fall apart.
"Seems like that's the last of them." Leos began to relax, rubbing his neck. "No, there is still one more coming." Evion commented to his ally as the door once again opened up, an armored core stepping in through the light. "Hello comrades." The armored core stepped into the dimmed light as the door behind it slowly slide closed, its lock spinning and sealing the door. "Diablo is here for you." The armored core stepped into the light, reveal the armored core, and the pilots identify. It was piloted by a member of Jupiter Alliance. The pilot had become famous through his battles, destroying thousands of enemies with his simple but effective armored core.
Its right hand gripped a night sniper rifle, and strapped to his left was an energy blade. Attached to its right shoulder was a grenade launcher. The armored core name was Diablo, the Fire Demon. This pilot rested in the cockpit of his diabolical weapon, his name known to thousand of the dead and widowed his name was Charlie Deth, the Grim Beast. The pilot was calm and relaxed as his mech stepped out to the stunned Nightingale, Evion still in shock as to how the Grim Beast could be here. "Now are you prepared to die?"
The Diablo thrust across from the room, quickly spinning around. Its FCS gained a lock onto the Nightingale, as the heavy weight struggles to get out of its range. A beam shot across the room, a piece of armor flying off of the Nightingale, disintegrating in the air. Leos turned to the Red Demon, his Karasawa rising to core level, firing of a pair of shots. In a blur of motion, the Deth had dodged the shot and had his night to the Arch- Nemesis backs. "You've underestimated me."
As the beam of energy charged up, Leos closed his eyes, expecting that final shot to come. But it was not to happen here. Evion overboost directly into the Grim Beast, knocking the rifles aim upwards, a shot piercing the steel of the roof. As the air was sucked through the hole into space, the remains of the fallen armored cores became caught in the hole. "On contra, seems you have underestimated us." The Nightingale's bazooka rose up to the Diablo's head. Firing off a shot, the Red Devil was knocked backed into the wall.
"I won't go down like, this, I can't allow it!" Charlie's armored core kneeled to the ground, the grenade rifle arming itself. As Leos regained control of himself, he thrust towards the unholy armored core. As the flame of the grenade burst from the pipe of the cannon, the Arch-Nemesis rose into the air, its blade coming unsheathed. As the armored core came back to the ground, the grenade exploded on the other side of the room, Diablo's own blade reacting as if with a mind of its own. The Nightingale stood to the side watching the fight, an explosion of energy blinding Evion view as the blades collided. "You fight well raven." Charlie admired Leos fighting skills as they dashed apart, both arming their main weapons, as they run along next to each other.
They thrust away from each other, bothering firing of a beam of energy which hit each other midway. They both stopped at opposite side of the room, their overboost engines charging up. As they came towards each other, they both armed their blades once again. In a blinding light, they crossed each other. They both stood still for a second as the smoke cleared, their blades sinking back into their arms. "You fought well, raven." Charlie closed his eyes as his armored core fell over in flames, an explosion erupting from its generator. "Rest in Peace."
As Leos' armored core stood over the charred shell of Diablo. "What an excellent show you two put on! To bad it could only happen once." Evion joked as Leos stood up, the door unlocking itself. There laid at the base of the door the burning shell of the AC Kraze Gun Man. A pair of armored core burst in through the door. There they stood, Leon and Matthais. "You've come far enough Leos, my friend." Matthais' armored core Funeral Mask stepped forwards, as Leon's Conquistador rouse into the air.
"You, you deserve to die now!" Evion screamed as he rushed towards Leon, his hydra firing off shot after shot. "I'll kill you, monster!" Evion became filled with anger as his armored core burst up in front of Leon, sliding his moonlight across Conquistador's chest. Dropping to the ground, Conquistador's laser machine gun raised up, locking on around the Nightingale. The armored core circled around firing onto Nightingale, Matthais and Leos watching the two with interest. Evion dropped to the ground, breaking out of the circle.
"You're the man who killed Collider!" Evion screamed as he rammed Leon into a wall, his fit of anger dying down. "So what, he fought me, I did what I had to." Leon grinned, as he burst off the ground landing behind the Nightingale, striking the heavyweight with his moonlight. "There is something different about you Frightener, something evil." Evion's anger was gone know, and he was fighting on instinct, his held still filled with thoughts. "Now you can tell." Leon laughed to himself as his armored core popped up from beneath the Nightingale again, firing off a dozen shots into the armored core's chest. A shock hit Evion as he realized what was going on. Leon, he had heard rumors about this man. They said he could see things before they happen. He knew what his enemies where doing, and why. Then Leon stopped. He looked around confused as the Nightingale hung over head.
Now Evion mind was clear, and his action lead his way. His grenade launcher was armed as a blob of fire shot down towards the ground. Suddenly noticing his mistake, Leon burst towards the sky, barely missing the grenade. As he appeared next to Evion's core, his moonlight sheathing out. But he was not to notice the turn boosters on the Nightingale. There he stood, looking down the barrel of a grenade launcher. "Leon go boom." Evion casually joked, as he fired a shot into Leon's face. Both armored core drop to the ground, Leon's armor quickly melting away. But as they fell, Leon's moonlight pulled out and caught across Evion's armor. From the shadows, there came a shot of energy as Vagrant Savior stepped from the elevator door. "I couldn't miss all the fun, now could I?" Leos and Matthais braced their Armored Cores against a wall, preventing themselves from getting sucked out, but Leon and Evion failed at this.
"Leon seems we may have similar fates." Evion nodded his head as he looked to Mars. "Or maybe, I'll just come back." Evion laughed as his armored core was pulled faster into Mars' atmosphere. Then he heard Leon laugh. "Heh, as you said we may have similar fates." Leon continued to laugh as his armored core was pulled away from Evion, sending a final transmission. "Raven, perhaps, again in another life we can meet each other and finish this fight!" Leon's' speech was filled with static, but the pilot seemed as if he knew something the other didn't. "Perhaps, Frightener, we just might." Evion smirked as his armored core began to fall ever faster.
"Ah so, this is how it ends." Matthais spoke to Leos as the window was sealed by a metal wall. "So Leos, shall our battle begin?" Matthais turned to the Arch-Nemesis, backing away from it. Leos was calm, knowing it was now time for his battle. He breathed in slowly, his armored core kneeling to the ground. Matthais' grenade launcher was armed on his shoulder, neglecting his karasawa, just as his enemy. "Leos, my friend. You cannot imagine how long I have waited for this." Matthais circled the Arch- Nemesis, breaking the silence.
"Matthais, buddy, as you have no idea how much I have craved revenge." Leos smiled once again, as he switched to his multimissile. He thrust into the air as Matthais passed his blade under him. As Leos armored core stared down to the four legged behemoth, Leos counted to four, as Matthais rouse into the air, placing his grenade to the Arch-Nemesis' lip. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, please proceed to place you heads between your legs and KISS YOUR ASS GOOD-BYE!"
Matthais screamed as he pulled the trigger to his grenade launcher, as Leos dodged to the left, the fire ball hitting the ceiling of the battle room, knocking the Broken Mask to the ground. As the Arch-Nemesis let loose his missiles, his chain gun flinging up on his shoulder. He began to fire early as his armored core was sent back into the wall from the recoil. As Matthais was pelted with shots, he knew he couldn't beat Leos on his own. "Moron, you can never defeat me! But to even the odds, I'll give you a chance, follow me!"
The door from which they came again opened, Leos standing there in front of the path to which could decide his destiny. He knew this was only a bluff on Matthais part, and he was being lead into a trap, but there was something about the door at the end of the hall that was like a magnet to him. He stepped into the lit hall walking towards the door slowly. Leos walked down the hall, his mind clear of all thoughts. As he stepped into the dim, candle lit room, his armored core shimmered in the light. Leos sat in awe of the candles, thousands, millions of them. And there, at the other end of the room stood Sephiroth in his armored core, in all his glory. "Raven, you have come to far now. Many have died through your actions. And still you only have a mission of revenge. Can't you tell my goals are righteous? Raven, I can't let you hurt anymore people!" Sephiroth dashed towards Leos, as in a cinematic way, the battle began.
As the Arch-Nemesis swung to the left, sparks blazing from the ground as the armored core's feet dragged along the ground, KTWGB's blade cut through the air at which Arch-Nemesis was standing. The Arch-Nemesis thrust around a pillar, as KTWGB turned around, thrusting around another pillar, its hover legs allowing it to fly above the ground. As Leos' sat still behind the pillar, he prepared for Sephiroth to launch his attack, a green lock-on signal around where Sephiroth stood to Leos' eyes.
Sephiroth's breath turned cold as he thrust from behind the pillar of metal and wires, his armored core's karasawa gathering energy, as the beam spun through the air, striking the cylinder which Leos hid behind. The Arch- Nemesis ran to the side, firing its own karasawa beams. As the shots skimmed by KTWGB's body, Sephiroth stayed calm. He bit down on his lip, trying to focus on the battle at hand, and then something took over. His hands gripped the controls tightly, as he let loose an insane scream.
The KTWGB thrust back to the wall, his grenade launcher preparing. His armored core fired of a blast of fire as it over boost towards the AC at the other end of the room. The blast of fire shored slowly through the air, as Leos stood stunned at Sephiroth's abnormal actions. As the explosive drew ever closer, Leos came back to reality, dodging to the left, as the grenade hit the wall behind him, the explosion burning the wall black. Leos turned around, kneeling down as his chain gun was prepared.
Sephiroth was erratic, spinning around the stationary Leos', firing off dozens of shots. The Arch-Nemesis could take no more, as a final shot hit the back of the core. Then, like a shadow, Matthais appeared from the darkness. In a blur of energy, the Funeral Mask's moonlight was poking out the other end of Kiss the World Good-Bye.
Leos looked on confused as Matthais' blade retracted back into the arm, Sephiroth turning around to Matthais. "Why did you do that?" Matthais thrust back up to a ledge, where he prepared his grenade launcher. "Because, I am tired of you. Everywhere I go, people talk about Sephiroth. Sephiroth this, Sephiroth that. Now, its my time to shine!" Sephiroth was tired of listening to Matthais' babbling. He began to thrust around in a circle, Matthais leaping into the center of Sephiroth's cycle. He began to move in the opposite direction of Sephiroth's movements, Leos looking on confused of the bizarre fighting style.
As Sephiroth and Matthais came closer together, they both fired off their grenades. At the same time, they began to rise into the air. As their grenade collided under each other, they both swung their moonlights as they passed next to each other. As KTWGB's hover legs skimmed over the ground, moving into a large curve, Matthais slowly turned around, arming his karasawa. The hover type came dangerously closer.
"Heh, eat this." Matthais smirked as he fired of his karasawa, the blast just passing by KTWGB, as Sephiroth began to dodge in a zigzag pattern. "What the hell?" Matthais was startled as a shot came from KTWGB's back, an orbital weapon being dropped out. As Matthais back out of the cannons firing range, he bumped into a pointed object behind him. Sephiroth stood behind him, his karasawa held up. The Funeral Mask thrust into the air, the shot just barely going under the legs, as KTWGB rouse into the air as well, and its moonlight crossing the back of Matthais' core.
As the Funeral Mask was sent forward, it turned around, gaining a lock onto KTWGB, firing of a pair of shots. Sephiroth moved as the first shot moved by him, but the second hit his core, knocking it back into the wall as Matthais came closer again. The Kiss the World Good-Bye was hovering to the ground as the Funeral Mask, jumped up into the air, its blade stabbing into the core. Matthais thrust back as KTWGB burst into flames, Sephiroth sending out a message to Leos.
"Raven... My time has come, and I'm sorry. I was a fool to cause such pain to the world. Raven, grant me this wish. Kill him. Kill the man who made me do this to you. Now that I am gone, it won't be long before he finds more evil. And then he will come to you. The hustler.... Arg! Damn him!" Sephiroth screamed as his armored core fell over, a piece a shrapnel shooting through his chest.
"Humph, seems perhaps he wasn't that evil after all, now Leos?" Matthais taunted the pilot of the Arch-Nemesis, startled as Leos burst into a laughter. "Ha-ha, hoo-hah, ha-ha!" Leos laugh was confused filled with rage as he began to speak. "Ha-ha, it, ha-ha, doesn't, ha-ha, matter, ha-ha, to me, ahahahaha, anymore now! I'll just kill everyone!" Leos screamed as he thrust towards Matthais, his blade slicing past the Funeral Mask as the quad leg moved to the side.
"Your mad!" Matthais screamed as he fired his karasawa down at the Arch- Nemesis, the heavy weight moving to the right, the beams trailing behind it, electricity sparkling off the floor as sparks flashed from the armored core's legs grinding along the ground. The Arch-Nemesis chain gun released it lock and it aimed up towards Funeral Mask, the chamber spinning rapidly as the shots were fired out, the AC slamming back into a wall from the recoil. "I couldn't even kill Sephiroth with my own hands, I've failed everyone!" Leos screamed as his AC placed its knee to the ground, Matthais falling to the ground.
The Funeral Mask moved rapidly behind pillars trying to take cover, but they exploded and crumbled as Leos drilled shot after shot into them. Then Leos' chain gun gave out a burst of smoke and stopped spin. Leos' finger pulled the trigger once, twice, three times. Then he looked up at the screen and found he had wasted all his ammo. Matthais spun from his hiding place as he lifted his grenade launcher up, a ball of fire sending out its cannon, Leos lifting his armored core into the air as he sliced his blade across Matthais' core. The Funeral Mask took flight again as Matthais noticed he exhausted his ammo as well.
"Leos, you may have won now, but our mission is complete. Neither of us shall leave this place alive." Matthais placed his AC against a glass wall, as he lifted up a small device in his cockpit. Leos thrust towards him, his blade sliding out, and its purple energy slicing into the torso of the Funeral Mask. Matthais screamed as his armored core burst into flames. During his final breathes his flipped a safety, and hit a red glowing button. An explosion rocket from the other side of the room, following up as hundred explosion burnt through the rest of the room. The glass shattered as the Arch-Nemesis used the Funeral Mask as a ramming shield to smash the glass. Leos looked on from space at Rapture, the room he was in collapsing. Then a message appeared on his screen from Matthais.
"The only honorable death is one that leaves a burning crater and thousands dead." Matthais coughed up blood as he spoke, his head lumping over, dead. Leos listened to him in silence as the Jiontradi approached his location from a distance off. His head slumped over, as he passed out.