Guilty Gear, its characters and settings are property of Sammy Studios, and are being used in this fanfiction without permission. This fic is rated R for violence and sexual content, and it contains yaoi material.
Culmination
Chapter 21
Their trip through the mountain pass was uneventful, to the relief and convenience of the four travelers. Ky stayed at the lead, Bridget just beside and behind him, followed by Baiken and then Testament bringing up the rear. They saw and encountered no one, though each could clearly see in the dusty path the imprint of a vehicle's markings. They were recent, and it put them on their guard.
"Do you think the Ninth will be there?" Bridget asked as they went, his eyes wide and bright as he scanned the area, as if expecting an attack at any moment. "He was just in Rome, we might be right behind him."
"It's possible," Ky conceded quietly. "Baiken did say she injured him—he might have returned here with Anji for treatment. Though if what Testament says is true, even a sizable wound wouldn't be enough to slow him down for long."
Bridget hummed thoughtfully, and cast a quick glance back over his shoulder. He lowered his voice. "Does Testament really know this guy?"
"Yes." Ky resisted the temptation to turn himself. "But he'll be all right."
Bridget frowned, but he didn't question. He gave his cloak a slight flap and continued on.
They stopped several hours in for a rest and to eat—each had packed themselves a simple lunch and fresh water, to keep their energy level high for when they finally encountered trouble. When they reached the factory it was just past six in the evening, and though the long hike had left them weary the sight of their destination was enough to keep their senses alert and weapons ready. The factory was larger than it had appeared in the news article; nestled against a flat rising of stone it looked almost like a fortress, with thick iron walls and tall smokestacks in rows along the top. A broad, solid metal fence surrounded the compound and was topped with barbed wire. The path leading up to it seemed to have been cut from rock, making it almost like a funnel channeling straight to the main gates. There was no way to approach from the front without being spotted, and unless they started scaling walls no way to move around toward the rear.
Ky led them off the path, up a small incline to a flat hill overlooking the factory and its surroundings. They were still far enough as to stay out of view as they rested and planned. As the others took sips of water Ky snuck a little higher, surveying the area and building with a sharp eye. He returned to the three with a quiet sigh. "It's not going to be easy getting in there unnoticed," he told them. "It looks like the gate is the only way in."
"Then we wait for dark," Baiken suggested with a slight shrug. "We have every advantage at night—robots aside, the people in that factory still need to sleep."
"The longer we wait, the higher the risk for them to start…working on Anji," Ky reminded her quietly. "Are you all right with that?"
Baiken snorted. "Of course not. But what other choice is there?" She leaned back against a slab of rock and waved vaguely at the factory. "Chances are right now the whole place is in full swing. We don't know how many robots they have, what kind of manned security—we don't know anything. There could be another of your robot-man friends running around in there for all we know. If we go at night we might at least have some element of surprise."
Ky smiled humorlessly at her. "You sound like you've laid siege to this kind of compound before," he remarked.
She sent him a bitter glare, then returned his grim expression. "Am I right or what?"
"I'm not sure if there's much point in stealth," Testament spoke up evenly. "As soon as we're discovered the entire factory will know, and those robots will be more adept to spotting us in the dark than we will to them." He tilted his chin up subtly. "But if nothing else, my magic will be more useful at night. Enough to get us up to the gate without being spotted."
"Really?" Ky frowned. "Though the next question is how to get through it."
"I can handle that, too, if you don't mind it being…flashy."
"I don't know if I like the sound of that."
"Well, shouldn't we decide exactly what we're going to do once we're in there?" Bridget asked, curling his arms around his knees. "There's a lot. We need to watch out for robots, and the Ninth, and Chipp, and maybe Anji, and…and more robots…." He clicked his feet together. "Are we just going to beat up everything we find?"
Ky shook his head, pausing to glance up again at the structure. "We need information, as well. Access…to a computer, maybe, that can tell us if there are more facilities like this. How many other Japanese have been captured. Anything about what was done to Chipp to make him act like that." He turned back to Bridget. "You must be pretty comfortable with computers, to have discovered everything that you did in Zepp."
Bridget nodded brightly. "That's right. I don't really know anything about breaking into them, but if we do find a computer, I should be ale to get some information from it."
"Good." Ky continued to stare at the factory, letting his thoughts arrange themselves into the beginnings of a plan. He had done things like this before; attacking entire cities overrun with Gears, infiltrating hideouts for criminals and smugglers. He was an officer, and leadership in this kind of situation should come easily for him.
"We have three objectives," Ky began seriously, snapping his attention back to his allies. "To gather information, to rescue Anji and Chipp, and to halt the operation of the robots. The equipment for building the robots is most likely in the lower levels, and we should expect that there will be plenty of the robots there. That you can leave to me. I know their fighting style better than anyone here, and now that I can use Thunderseal freely, unless they have several hundred waiting there I shouldn't have a problem."
"Several hundred?" Baiken echoed with an incredulous snort. "Even a few of those are deadly—there's got to be at least between fifty to a hundred of those things in there, and that's more than enough."
Bridget grinned as he rocked lightly. "You don't know how strong Ky is," he said. "He was able to kill fifty of them before—even without being able to use his magic."
"Fifty?" She glared at him. "I don't believe that."
Amused by their debate over his abilities, Ky smiled. "I'll be fine," he assured Baiken. "I can handle the robots, and they're not our biggest concern. Do you think you can handle Chipp?"
Baiken turned back to Ky, her expression hard. "Yeah, I can take Chipp," she grumbled. "The harder part is not dismembering him in the process." She patted her sword hilt. "But if you're going to tell me to look for Chipp and Anji and take care of that, I was going to do that anyway."
"Thank you." Ky then looked to Bridget. "Then it'll be up to you to gather the information we need," he told him. "You and Testament should stay together—wherever they store their records will probably be heavily guarded. Between the two of you, you should be able to manage."
Bridget nodded seriously, as did Testament. "You can count on me," the former declared.
"What about the Ninth?" Baiken interrupted roughly. "What do you plan to do if he's here?"
Ky couldn't help the flickering of his gaze to Testament, and the Gear stared back; they regarded each other steadily. Though Ky had his own ideas for how to handle their inhuman opponent, he would defer to Testament's judgment. This was his enemy more than any of theirs, and he deserved the last word.
Testament straightened subtly, recognizing that Ky was placing the matter in his hands. The muscles along his neck tightened. "Leave him to me," he said at last, his voice unwavering. "I'll take care of it."
"Are you sure?" Ky asked quietly. He knew well the effects memories could have in a battle as old and personal as this.
"Yes." Testament's eyes narrowed, gleaming determinedly. "If anyone else comes across the Ninth, they should lead him to me." He met Ky's sole gaze. "I can handle him. Trust me."
Ky's chest ached faintly, and he nodded, assuring himself that he could do just that. This was not his battle alone; he had his place, and even if that was not at the head of their assault, each of them had their given tasks. All he could do now was trust them to complete their objectives.
"Then it's settled," the officer declared, glancing at each of them. "We enter from the main gate. Any robots we encounter I should be able to fend off, allowing the rest of you to continue inside. Baiken will look for Chipp and Anji. Testament and Bridget will search for information regarding the Bureau and their plans, as well as the Ninth. I will continue to the factory itself and disable their equipment. Once you've done all you can we'll meet back here."
He took a deep breath. "Which leaves us left to decide only whether we wait until nightfall. The robots can see well enough in the dark, and our vision will suffer for it. But it will allow us some cover. What do you all think?"
"It doesn't bother me either way," Bridget answered easily. "I can see pretty well in the dark." He plucked at his outfit. "We'll blend in pretty well, too."
"I still say we wait," was Baiken's opinion. "It's a risk, but if we can catch any of them off guard it'll be worth it."
Testament nodded. "I agree. Especially if I'm to fight the Ninth, I would prefer it."
Ky licked his lips. "Then it's settled. We wait until nightfall." He tugged his cloak a little tighter around himself and settled in against the rock.
Time passed slowly as they waited up on the hill, checking their equipment time and again, casting glances at the factory as dusk stained its metal surfaces bronze. Ky watched it attentively; though he was unable to see over the thick wall surrounding it, he could almost sense the movement beyond iron and wire. There were robots guarding the entrance, he was sure of it. How many he had no idea, but even the thought of it made his fingers tingle against Thunderseal's hilt. It hadn't been long since his first engagement with the machines, and he was anxious to finish what had nearly ended in Genoa.
This was his chance to think, even if he was somewhat unwilling to do so. Every once in a while his gaze would slip to Testament, and a few times he caught the Gear watching him as well. He would smile, or offer a nod of acknowledgement, and was returned with the same each time. But with Baiken and Bridget present he could pass no words between them, offer nothing of encouragement or consolation. Could not even speak of what had passed between them not more than a full day ago, when the memories were still so clear in his mind. Everything had happened too fast, and he could feel his chance for closure slipping away with every passing minute.
Everyone looked to Testament just as the sun disappeared below the western ridge of mountains, darkening the carved valley into an array of mixing shadows. When the Gear deemed the hour late enough, he nodded and let his cloak flutter to the ground. The others followed suit and began down the incline, keeping close on his heels as he led the way toward the gate—the officer shaking off his reprieve in favor of strict attention to their approaching goal.
Ky took a deep breath as the iron rose above them. Though he couldn't yet imagine what the interior would be like, what they would come to face here at the end of their search, but there was a feeling of finality to the looming, dark form amidst stone. He looked ahead of him, past Bridget, to the figure of Testament's back leading them. The Gear lifted a hand, and from his palm leapt several of the thin crimson stalks Ky remembered. They twisted themselves into a seal of magic, and as Ky watched, the shadows around them appeared to swell. It only took a moment, like the sudden fall of thick fog, and then Testament's shape was swallowed in the growing dark. It was eerie, and the officer took in a sharp, quiet breath at the sight of him vanishing just before his eyes.
They reached the gate swiftly, cloaked in Testament's spell, and there waited a moment longer for him to prepare another. Ky's fingers ached faintly around Thunderseal's well-worn grip, and he could hear Bridget's breath hissing anxiously nearby. He whispered a short prayer. "Good luck, all of you."
Testament's magic expanded, blazing through his shadow spell into a broad, complex circle of twisting red light. Its aura was chilling, and Ky grimaced as from the burning shape burst a gleaming mass of energy. It almost seemed to bear a human countenance as it screamed toward the iron gates and impacted like waves on rock. For a moment Ky thought the spell had failed, as the magic was spreading up along the metal, echoing a gruesome bellow up and down the mountain path. But all at once there was a squeal of hinges, of scraping iron and stone, and the six-meter tall gates were stripped from the surrounding walls with a clamor. The resounding thud of the doors striking the ground made Ky's ears ring and the earth tremble faintly beneath him.
Testament lowered his hand and glanced back at the trio. "We're in."
"Fucking Gears," Baiken hissed as she stalked past him, clicking her sword from its sheath. "I thought we were supposed to be sneaking in, you stupid shit. Now everyone knows we're here."
"Um…"
They followed Bridget's indication, and Baiken jumped despite herself when she found herself watching the advance of several dozen armed and blazing-eyed robots. Bridget snapped both yo-yos into his hands as he edged closer to Testament's side.
"I think they would have spotted us anyway," he said sheepishly.
*****
Leona watched from the doorway. Even if she was sure her presence had been noted by now she offered no greeting, no admonishment for the behavior she was witnessing. She knew better than to think her wisdom would be heeded. She would only wait here, in case he needed her. She couldn't, however, help the narrowing of her eyes as the needle slipped into his pale forearm.
Finally growing annoyed with her vigilance, the Ninth raised his head with a scowl. "You came here to say it, didn't you? You might as well do so and be done with it."
"Then I will." Leona stepped forward, her heels clicking softly on the metal floor. She strode slowly and evenly to the bed her superior was seated on—again, knowing her words were wasted before she spoke them. "I don't think you should be giving yourself more."
"I have to," he growled in return, already injecting the dark red fluid into his vein. "I lost a lot of blood in Rome. I can't afford that."
"But still." She was interrupted when he lifted the syringe for her to take, which she obediently did. "Still," she tried again, "we're still working on creating better nanomachines than these for you—and the research with the Japanese is almost complete. With our two new samples, we should be able to test the Ritual soon. Then we'll have the rest of the data we need to create you a better—"
The Ninth shook his head harshly. "No. No, I don't have time for that! I'll be leaving here again, soon." He passed his thumb over his forearm, and the tiny wound left by the needle was erased from his flesh. He let his arm fall to his knee, and then with a sigh he dropped to the thin mattress. "I need to finish something."
"You mean…." Leona frowned severely. "That Gear you mentioned?"
"Yes. It's time I took care of him." His dark eyes thinned, his face bearing that same vague, distant look he always bore when reminiscing. Leona glanced away. "Such a miserable creature…I will end him. He should think it an act of mercy after this long of his pointless existence. I will prove to them I was not ineffective.
"Fifty years too late," Leona reminded him.
The Ninth glared at her; she could feel his piercing stare against her cheek, but she was too used to it to let his anger bother her. "It's true," she said, more quietly. "Those old men don't care anymore whether or not you can kill Gears—only if you're able to build the army they want."
"I know that," he snapped, rolling onto his side, away from her. "Now leave me."
Leona looked to him at last, her eyes dimming as she watched the man's turned back. He was still denying what she had seen all along; his magic was fading. The ritual performed so long ago was wearing thin—the tiny machines that filled his blood were too few, and even as his strength with ki and other magics had increased, his body was no longer keeping up. The Forbidden Magic had long since ebbed, and even the advanced science brought down from Zepp was not enough to replace all that he had already lost. He had been reduced to filling his body with supplements and imitations—his immortality was fading.
Leona took in a short breath. "Sir."
"I said go."
"Sir, I talked to Arthur a few hours ago," she continued anyway. "While you were resting. He told me that Sol Badguy was investigating Zepp."
The Ninth sat rigidly upright, his eyes widening on the far wall. "Sol Badguy…?" he echoed. His fingers knotted fitfully in the stiff sheets.
"Yes. He went to Potemkin, asking about our project—and Ky Kiske. They all seem to think we have him."
"Ky Kiske…." The Ninth was silent, and then his eyes sharpened, drawn abruptly into focus. He leveled his gaze at the woman. "What did he find out?"
"Arthur told them nothing," Leona answered quietly. "But if Sol Badguy is already on our trail, he will find this place." She folded her arms. "What will you do?"
"Defeat him as well. There is no other option." He scowled at her. "Now leave already. Have Mito Anji taken to the laboratory—prepare him for the Ritual."
"Yes, Sir."
Leona headed for the door, biting back any more remarks she might have had. She had only made it a few steps, however, when one of the guards came rushing down the corridor towards her. "Dr. Mariot!" he called, breathing hard. "Dr. Mariot—we're under attack! Several women just breeched the compound fence!"
"What?" Leona paled, and turned back to catch her superior's response; he was already brushing roughly past her, and she caught only a glimpse of the hardened gleam in his eyes as he strode quickly away from her and the startled officer.
*****
Ky dodged out of the way of another incoming sword attack—a straight lunge, an attack he'd used many times before. He had to admit, whoever had programmed his robot copies had done a nearly perfect job in studying his style and skill. On anyone else, the strike would have at least drawn blood on some of the greatest of fighters. But Ky knew nothing better than his own ability, and the inherent weaknesses in each move thrown at him. It took only a short step out of range, a spin, to cleave the machine's head from its body, and a moment later three more were joining it on the stony courtyard floor.
"Damn lot of them, aren't there?" Baiken grunted. On his left, she had just finished searing through the elbows of another robotic opponent. She flashed him a quick glare. "You'd better be as good as your mouth, Kiske."
Ky smiled humorlessly. He took to the air, kicking off one of the robot's shoulders for the boost he needed to get above the latest of the approaching crowd of robots. He could feel Thunderseal humming in his grip, and with a bit of satisfaction unleashed its energy in full. The robots writhed—one or two shattered—under the pressure of his magic, and most had collapsed in steaming heaps long before his feet touched earth once more.
Baiken rolled her eye. "Show off."
"Go on ahead," Ky told her, already taking up a new stance for when the rest arrived. Off to his right Testament was just finishing off the last of his own nuisances, along with Bridget's help, but another group of robots was heading toward them. He glanced through the swarms of metal, spotting a small, door-like entrance in the factory wall ahead. "That way," he indicated with a nod. His sword followed the gesture of his head in a sweeping arch, Thunderseal's magic striking a path through the robots and scattering debris in all directions.
Baiken shot him another glare, but without comment she turned and sprinted toward the doorway. Assured that she would pass unharmed, Ky then turned his attention again to his remaining comrades. "Testament!"
The Gear reeled, a burst of his own crimson magic engulfing a pair of robots as he took Bridget by the arm and started in Ky's direction. A bit of lightning kept their way clear. "There's a way in over there," Ky indicated toward Baiken's fleeing back.
"Will you be all right?" Bridget asked, a little breathless, as he started after her.
"Yes—go on. I'll cover you."
Bridget nodded and hurried on, clamoring over the pile of bodies that was beginning to develop. But when Testament started to continue past as well Ky felt something in his chest tighten, and without thinking he called out to him. "Testament!"
Testament stopped, looking as if he'd been planning to all along, and his eyes widened as he watched Ky. There they paused, regarding each other amidst the battlefield they'd briefly shared. Testament's lips parted. "Ky. Whatever happens—"
Ky surged forward before he could finish; his hand caught the leather choker around Testament's neck, pulling him down so he could press to his mouth a firm kiss. He held him there for a moment, tasting the sweat around his lips as Testament's breath hissed against his flushed cheeks. When he pulled back he offered only a slight grin. "Good luck," he breathed, and with that he turned suddenly, charging off after another group of approaching robots. He only heard Testament's departure, the dry chuckle that echoed back to him after he had joined Bridget and Baiken in their progress toward the factory's interior.
*****
Anji gasped quietly at the sudden, cold touch of metal against his forehead. It sharpened his senses into a semblance of clarity he'd been lacking lately. "Where…?" His lips felt numb, and forming words other than that simple question didn't seem to be an option at the moment.
"Just relax, Mr. Mito. The drugs are already wearing off."
Anji groaned softly, trying to squirm, but more of the cold metal bit into his wrists, ankles, and neck, keeping him still. A thin sheet was draped over the lower half of his otherwise naked body. He quickly gave up his struggles in favor of coaxing his eyelids to lift. They showed him very little, however—only flashes of bright light, and the shadowed outline of moving figures around and above him. "Are you…." He gulped. "Are you doing to me what you did to Chipp?"
Something pricked his finger, and he winced at the feeling of warm blood sliding down into his palm. "No, Mr. Mito, I'm not," came the woman's voice again. "I'm afraid it's worse than that."
A hand moved against him, collecting the blood from him. A moment later he felt dampened fingertips moving over his chest, just above his heart. It felt as a shape were being drawn upon his skin with a woman's fingernail, and it raised a feeling of dread in him. "What are you doing?" he demanded, trying again to squirm. "Stop it!"
The woman murmured something above him, indistinguishable, and then her heels tapped as she moved away. "Get those cameras ready," she instructed. "I want everything documented, in case something goes wrong and we have to change the procedure for when it's used on Mr. Zanuff."
"Let me go!" Anji cried, trying to struggle again without success. The metal was starting to cut into his wrists. "Damnit, what do you want from me? Stop this! Stop it!"
Her hand fell over him again, this time on his forehead; her fingertip was warm with his blood, and it sent through him an unnatural chill like ice in his veins. That was all he remembered before the room darkened again around him.
*****
Ky gasped softly as he lowered his sword at last—thirty robots later, the courtyard seemed to be finally cleared of them. He had been expecting worse, though he reasoned that if their creator were truly hunting his prey all over the globe, it would account for a lack of them here. He wasted no time in his apparent victory. Taking only a moment to glance over himself for injuries he ran for the entrance his companions had passed through earlier.
The doorway led to what must have been a security checkpoint of some kind, based on the sectioned off offices and automated doorways. The men who had stood guard there were long since immobilized; unconscious, all of them, sprawled up and down the corridor. Some had barely had the chance to draw weapons. Pleased that none of them had been killed—testimony to his comrades' restraint—he moved quickly but carefully through them toward a set of double doors at the end of the hall.
Ky almost hated to admit it, but he was enjoying himself. Since the war he had very few chances to unleash his power in full upon an opponent, and though he usually preferred it that way this was his chance to fight openly and without repercussions. His enemies were robots, without mind or feeling, and he felt nothing of their slaughter as he charged through fresh ranks of them.
He was being brought back—returned, to a seemingly ancient time in which he had no care other than the thoughtless beasts before him. To a time when his strength in battle was his ally, not his vice, and with lines between sides firmly drawn there was no need to question himself. He remembered, once, being unyielding and strong, before the world changed and he came to fear that drastic instinct buried in his sword arm. And now, in this moment, he could be that soldier again. He could trust himself as Testament had said.
Everything was so much simpler, like this. Not having to question his judgment before every strike.
At his breakneck pace Ky found the object of his search in little time. Nearly two-dozen more of the robots had lined at the wide entrance doors, creating a barricade to prevent his invasion. They launched their electricity at once in a broad attack that crackled and moved as if alive. Ky lifted Thunderseal before him. It hummed within his grasp, and though he had never done something quite like this before, with the help of his own manipulative talent he was able to collect their man-made electricity along his blade. It was only for an instant, a heartbeat of concentration, and then the energy was screaming back towards its creators. The robots were scattered, some shaking madly before falling still while others were splintered, and still others simply deactivated long before their collapse. Only a handful survived the blast, and they were swiftly dealt with by the length of Ky's steaming blade. Just punishment, he concluded with a slight nod, for the impersonation of an officer.
Ky stepped past the mess, into the broad factory setting that had been his goal all along. The room was rectangular and long; twenty by fifty meters, at least, though his measurements may have been swayed by the presence of so much machinery filling every available space. A wide conveyer belt stretched the length of the immense room, and the hum of its grinding gears echoed at ear-throbbing intensity among the metal walls.
Ky came forward slowly as his eyes swept over the apparatus. One end of the belt made a curve towards the wall, to a large, closed entrance that appeared to be a loading area of some kind. He assumed it was there that the raw materials were delivered, though there was nothing there now. The entire factory had been emptied of workers, though admittedly he didn't even know if it required manned assistance. As Ky worked his way forward he began to understand the function of the devices a bit better. The raw materials were tempered, and combined with the products of another conveyer belt he discovered further down the room—there were traces of delicate electronics littering its surface. Once frame and innards were combined, the robot was assembled into a body.
At the end of the process, Ky discovered a dozen recesses in the factory wall, each filled with a completed—though not yet clothed—robotic version of him. There were wires fed into the sides of their heads and into their limbs, and beside each partitioned chamber was a display of some sort listing complicated arrangements of numbers and letter markings that he found impossible to interpret. It seemed clear, however, that this was some kind of final stage to their creation.
"It's programming them," Ky murmured under his breath to himself, looking up and down the line. To his left, a wide mechanical arm was taking the completed robots off the conveyer belt and setting them aside; at least another dozen sat waiting. "They can make dozens, but they take time to program. That's why they have a shortage."
He turned back to the robots in front of him, wondering if there was some way to disable the mechanism before they, too, were ready to fight him. But he was unfamiliar with Zeppian technology, and there seemed to be no easy solution to what he was attempting. His only choice might be to destroy them.
"Admiring your handywork?"
Ky turned, just in time to see a whirling fireball strike towards him.
