Author's Note: Holy crap I'm still alive! Yeah, it's your old pal Corona89. I'm back from the dead with a new chapter…the final chapter. Or is it? Read to find out. (P.S. Don't forget to read the note at the bottom for more details)

The Jackal's Gate

Endgame…Or Is It Just Halftime?

That sound. The buzzing of hornets…no that could not be. Another sound…what was it? It was like the clinking of rain drops against a tin roof. Yes that was it. Rain…steel rain.

Neutranurse's eyes snapped open. She expected to be lying, broken, in a pool of her own oil. But what she saw did not even come close to her expectations. Kantaroth stood heroically in front of her. Smoke wafted from his missile tubes and a multihued aura surrounded him. "You alright?" he asked.

"Fine" she replied.

Rintaro pumped his fist in celebration. "Nice job Kantaroth!"

The sallow medabot cocked his weapon. "Amateurs…" A round sat pensively in the chamber like a roller coaster poised at the top of a hill. A mere thought could send it hurtling over the edge and at the end of the track was a prime target. "…Say goodbye."

The crack of gun powder was no more than a precursor to the true danger. Hoh, hoh, hoh, that was the sound of flying death. But it was interrupted by another sound, a human voice. "Fire Gemini missiles!"

Shrapnel met flechettes in a plume of smoke and with a sound like that of a cat's claws on a tile floor. In a flash the bone white medabot burst through the dark shroud and locked hands with Kantaroth. "You're pretty good" he gritted.

The KBT did not respond. His servos ground and strained as he struggled to keep his stance. "Who are you?" he managed to ask.

"You can call me Ryker for now. But it really doesn't matter."

Another throaty click heralded a round ready to fire. Kantaroth began to pivot away but found himself held firm by Ryker's crushing grip.

A quiet chuckle escaped his processor. "I'm afraid you won't be going anywhere." Ryker leveled his arm, forcing Kantaroth to stare straight into the barrel. The KBT's medal pounded. Rich, dark oil rushed through his system faster than it ever had before. Every drop was colder than an arctic wind. Kantaroth refused to avert his optics; if this was the end he would see it without flinching. "…Bye bye little beetle" Ryker sneered. He was horrified when smoke and debris poured over him.

Kantaroth was dumbfounded. Miracles were not something he believed in but the continued possession of his life was very provocative evidence.

"I guess that makes us even" laughed Neutranurse, her arms outstretched and her pink parts bathed in a soothing luminescence.

"I guess it does" the KBT chuckled. Their whimsical demeanor was a flimsy rouse. If not for her shield he would be lying face up, listening to the fizzles and whines of his shredded internals.

"Watch your left!"

Zagan turned his wrist to block the incoming attack. Golden blade met azure as he and Mitsuyuki continued their deadly waltz through space. In all his battles the GDN had never faced an opponent quite like his pink clad counterpart. Every move was honed to perfection. Her body snaked in and out, always leaving a tantalizing opportunity to attack that inevitably slid away. A snake, that's what she was, a blue fanged cobra.

"I'm sick of this" Devon grumbled. He flicked his head in annoyance, clearing the long dreadlocks from his eyes. "Withdraw."

Cassandra laughed. "You can't be serious. Is the great medafighter out of ideas?" Devon did not abide the comment.

Zagan bounded away from Mitsuyuki and landed at Devon's side. "We need a new plan."

Devon smirked. "Can't take 'er huh?" he asked jokingly.

The black and gold medabot was not amused. "Ha, ha, we're running out of options. Now quit messing around."

The dark haired young man held up his hands apologetically. "Take it easy, I've got an idea. Don't ch'ou think you've been neglecting your cannon lately?" The sly look in Devon's eyes was enough to get the point across.

Mitsuyuki called out to them. "Are you boys ready to fight yet?" she inquired while brushing a few strands of green hair out of her eyes.

Zagan charged. "Sorry to keep you waiting!" His cannon spewed searing white bolts like fire from a dragon's mouth. Each shot was propelled by his insatiable desire to win.

The attack's ferocity caught the pink kunoichi off guard. She had thought him tired and frustrated but now found that was not the case. Only her reflexes saved her life. Bolts ricocheted and whistled off into space as the cerulean blades twirled wildly through the air. All the while Zagan drew closer, his sword gripped tightly in one hand. He held the other arm outstretched, pouring more and more energy into the bombardment.

Seeing the golden sword clenched in Zagan's hand made the pink medabot wonder. And at last Mitsuyuki caught on. Though the GDN seemed rejuvenated, he was merely trying to distract her with this last burst of vigor. If she could block the coming attack he would have nothing left to fight with. Her vision narrowed as she laughed at the black medabot rushing towards her. All the rumors and warnings about him, he was nothing more than a tired old warrior who was well past his prime. She deflected another bolt before readying an attack.

Zagan raised his weapon high overhead. One way or another, this would be the end of their battle. For a moment, the world was suspended. Everything slowed to a crawl and finally stopped. Was this a glitch in the circuitry? Or maybe his mind was acting up again. Zagan resolved to ask Devon just what he had done while he was unconscious. But that would have to wait. A command broke through the haze and set things back in motion.

"Activate air dash!"

Zagan had expected the usual rush of being propelled upward but nothing could have prepared him for the crushing explosion of force that sent him rocketing into the night sky. He was so caught off guard that he forgot to stop firing. Even as he tucked himself into a forward roll his cannon continued to rain death from above.

Mitsuyuki was taken completely by surprise. She had no other option but to shield herself from the unplanned aerial attack. In spite of Zagan's shock, blasts poured down with near pinpoint accuracy. Each one landed either directly on top of her or at her feet.

Cassandra's medawatch counted out the damage with mechanical precision. "Fifteen…twenty six…forty two percent damage to head."

Devon smirked, a smirk that quickly grew into a full fledged smile. He had been counting on surprise but the new strategy was proving itself far beyond his expectations. There was no need to give Zagan another command. He knew the GDN well enough to be sure that he would finish the job on his own.

And finish it he did. In form worthy of an acrobat Zagan landed behind the stunned kunoichi. Acting on instinct rather than cognitive thought he spun on his heel, the humming sword gripped in both hands and held far out in front of him. There was an indescribable sound, like that of a laser firing in an old science fiction movie. It was followed by a sizzle and the pop of a hatch. Out fell Mitsuyuki's medal. A golden hexagon emblazoned with a rope dart. It clinked on the dark concrete before settling in a pool of rain water.

Cassandra was in shock. Her mouth was open but a word never passed her coral pink lips. Her finger moved feebly to her medawatch. She floundered before finally tapping the flashing surface. Pulsing white light engulfed Mitsuyuki's limp body and transported it away, along with her damp medal. Still, the flame haired medafighter did not speak. She simply turned and began to walk away, her skirt swaying in the gentle wind. Her stunned gait soon turned into a dedicated run as she withdrew into the shadows.

Zagan slumped to his knees. His now deactivated sword clattering on the ground. His visor pulsed with red light, almost as if he were panting. Devon walked coolly to his side. His face was still plastered with a smile. "You alright?" he asked. His voice was calm and nonchalant.

The black GDN waved him off. "Fine. I just need a minute."

Devon patted his partner's shoulder. He would have to upgrade the generator output if Zagan was ever to fight at such intensity again. Then he cursed himself for not remembering to do it earlier. After all, it was standard procedure when one upgraded a medabot. But the caramel skinned medafighter quickly reduced it to no more than another item on his to do list. "You did good."

Commander Gonzo led his squad through the streets. They moved in no precise order, getting to the scene was far more important than how they looked doing it. For the sake of stealth they left their vehicles behind. Gonzo's feet were aching, a pain shared by the entire group, but he kept moving at a double swift pace. "Whatever's going on better be good" he grumbled.

Behind the burly officer a burgundy medabot jogged along. "Shut up and keep moving." Maverick had quickly grown fond of heckling Gonzo. His fatigue gave him a short temper and watching him explode was infinitely amusing.

Gonzo mumbled something under his breath and Maverick bit back a laugh. Maybe the Select Corps wasn't such a bad place to be. He'd have to pull a few strings to make sure he landed in Gonzo's unit. Storing the thought away he continued to run without any real thought as to where he was going. And then a plume of smoke rose on the horizon.

Gonzo's voice gained some vigor, along with his step. "Come on team move it!"

Metabee's fire raked the scenery as he tried to pin Saru down. But the MKY was even more agile than his fallen brother. Even with Brass' help, the nimble monkey was still moving freely. Sumilidon could do nothing but hang back and wait for the two sharp shooting medabots to corral their foe.

"Don't aim right at him Metabee! Shoot out in front!"

True to form, Metabee was indignant. "Don't tell me how ta shoot Ikki!"

Saru and Tashi both took note of this. Ikki and Metabee's constant tension made them reckless and inattentive. They spent more time arguing than concentrating.

But the young girl and her Sailor type medabot were different. They worked in nearly perfect synchronous, more than enough to offset their mediocre marksmanship. If there was to be any hope of victory they would have to be removed. But as long as the STG lurked nearby a direct attack was out of the question.

Tashi shut his eyes tight, as he always did when he needed to concentrate. His old teacher's words began to echo from the corridors of his mind and rang in his ears. "Focus, listen to your chi" he repeated to himself. "This is the foundation of your power." The old lessons penetrated his heart as if they were being learned for the first time.

Fresh strength poured forth from the boy's heart and surged through his soul. Thoroughly fortified Tashi's eyes snapped open. They radiated renewed strength. "Get him Saru! Get Metabee!"

Five words, words that were not worth a crust of bread to a casual listener on the street now meant everything Saru. With lightning speed he flicked his lengthy tail into striking position, the hand at its tip dangling just above his optics. This was a moment of reckoning; holding back would be nothing short of a sin. Even as Sumilidon launched himself on an intercept course Saru continued his clandestine charge toward Brass.

But in the span of a moment everything changed. There was a cry from a far off voice and a faint spot of light. After that the world went dark.

Isis had been contemplating what to say next when the very air exploded. Flashes of pink light flew by faster than her optics could follow. The air was on fire and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Soon everything was enveloped in rose tinted radiance. It was not until much later that she would realize she was witnessing a barrage of laser fire. At the moment all she could see was Brimstone.

The swift moving shafts penetrated his body, leaving perfectly round holes that offered a clear view of the sky on the other side. The SPX's mouth fell open. The reality of the situation struck her immediately. He was dead, Brimstone was dead and she still had so much left to say. If only she'd been more forthcoming with him…but the feeling of regret was quickly replaced by a very different sensation, mind searing pain.

"Cease fire! Cease fire!" came the order but it was far too late. Isis placed both hands over her abdomen to cover the gaping hole. Slowly, the world began to fade away. Her vision grew fuzzy and finally failed all together. She was falling but did not know it, by then her senses were almost gone.

As she tumbled to earth faint cries rang out. "Gonzo what've you done!" it was Dr. Aki.

"Were you aiming at all!" Maverick too.

There was one last voice before she slipped away completely. "Isis! Isis no!" …Mariah…

FIN

Wow, I can't even remember how long it's been. I kept promising myself I'd make time to write but never got around to it. Well, thanks for sticking with me for so long guys and don't worry, just because the story is over doesn't mean I'm gonna leave you out in the dark. Be sure to look for a sequel sometime soon. Until then, see ya!

The Inferno Burns White Hot! Corona89