"Dear citizens of Neo-Arcadia," Leviathan's voice boomed throughout the streets and public buildings of Neo-Arcadia, "we are in a crisis, four reploids calling themselves the executioners have caused us to lose many good reploids, as well as our entire air force. These are troubled times, at first we believed we were capable of handling this threat, acting covertly so to not worry you citizens, but I am afraid that we could not cope with them. They are extremely powerful reploids bent on destroying Neo-Arcadia. Our newest guardian Zero is the only one who has managed to successfully ward off the executioners, but he has sustained heavy damage and will not be active for a long time. Any volunteers to join Neo-Arcadia in its struggle to protect its citizens are welcome. And please, if you posses any information what-so-ever about the executioners, report to your nearest police station." Leviathan's voice faded, and as soon as it did a great scream of humans and reploids alike was heard throughout the streets of Neo-Arcadia.
Neo-Arcadia's core…"Well, I've informed the citizens and already we have received dozens of volunteers." Leviathan said to Harpuia, "Fenrir is training them and briefing them. Falcon and Hubershnicdt went out to the police stations to question witnesses and I'm going to help renovate the mission room. I want to know what data that Daemon took before torching it."
Harpuia nodded, he was repaired and about to leave for an aerial scouting of the area around Neo-Arcadia, since the air fleet was destroyed.
Zero was still lying unconscious in the infirmary and was being taken care of by the maintenance reploids.
"I'm off, I know they're somewhere nearby and I have to find them!" Harpuia said, ever since Daemon beat him he insisted that the executioners were nearby but he didn't explain why to Leviathan or any of the others.
A police station in downtown Neo-Arcadia…"If death had a name it would be Vulture." Said the hooded reploid to Falcon.
"He killed more than you can ever imagine, hundreds maybe even thousands. He never gives up on his prey. He will hunt you even past death, and he would rather die trying than give up. He left me alive after killing my friends, said I was pitiful that I shouldn't die because I'm too weak. I spat in his face and he drew his terrible double-bladed menace but I was saved by a reploid of amazing strength, he beat Vulture and sent him away and thus I survived. But now he's back, he is back for all of us." The reploid said.
Falcon looked grim, this man could only describe Vulture as a non-stopping killing machine and that wasn't good.
Hubershnicdt was in another room with another eyewitness but the witness had nothing cheerful to say either.
"The executioners are invincible, I saw it with my own eyes. There were two of them, a red one and a blue one, they killed my captain and the rest of our platoon. An entire Pantheon force couldn't stop them. And we joined the Pantheons we shot them and fought them with all we had but they were too strong and fast.
The red one just killed my commander and the blue one was about to kill me, the blue one was a female and then out of nowhere this reploid came and beat both of them. They exchanged words after the battle and the two disappeared." Fenrir listened carefully to the witness's version of what happened, desperate to hear anything useful but nothing came to his ears.
And later in another police station on the other side of Neo Arcadia Hubershnicdt was questioning another witness.
"Tell me vat you know about the executioners." He said quickly and erected his ears, to better hear the story.
"A golden reploid wandering the desert, he walked right past me without even looking at me. When he returned he stared straight into my eyes and I was petrified. He told me he was looking for a reploid called Demon no… no… Daemon he said. He asked me if I have seen him and I said no. He mumbled something about his master not being pleased and then said something about another executioner. Vulture I think he said." The witness said.
"And he didn't attack you?" Hub asked.
"No, he seemed worried and he just told me to scram and forget I ever saw him. I was out camping in the twilight desert…" And then Hubershnicdt asked,
"Where specifically?"
"I don't really know, I think the western part there were some ruins there so I camped in the shade of them and then I saw him." Hubershnicdt mentally noted to tell Harpuia or Leviathan immediately when he returns to base.
"Thank you very much. You may leave now." Hub said and stood up, he appointed Falcon to question the others and left towards the Neo-Arcadian core.
At the Neo-Arcadian core…"Right recruits. First thing you all should know, one guardian is out of commission and the other is dead." Fenrir said to the volunteers and loud gasps and murmurs spread through the hall quickly.
"Shut up." The room became silent, "The executioners are probably the strongest reploids you will ever encounter. The only reason we are all still standing here is because of Zero. That's right, Zero." At that another wave of murmurs swept through the room like storm.
"We are facing our worst enemy yet, these are monsters. They will kill you, pummel your body and burn your parts without hesitating. They do not take nor need prisoners of war and this is a war. Most of you will probably be retired so I ask of those of you who haven't the courage to fight them to leave this hall immediately, just bear in mind that each and every one of you is needed." No one moved and they all looked at him.
"Good, we have limited time for training so I want everyone who have been through military training or any kind of combat training to step forwards." Fenrir said and approximately a quarter of the reploids present moved forwards. "You," he said to them, "will help me train the others. The others will divide into groups and each will be guided by one of us is that clear?" Fenrir asked, as all nodded or muttered in agreement. "Let's get to work then."
Neo-Arcadia's ruined mission room…"Anything?" Leviathan asked the other operators after rummaging through the data files of one of the computer.
"Not here." Came a reply.
"Not here either."
"Or here."
"Look for information that was either moved or copied recently." Leviathan said.
"That's what we've been doing but there seems to be nothing at all… hold for a sec." Said an operator, a frown on his face.
"What if the executioner used one of the terminals to hack into one of the others around the base?" He asked.
Leviathan rubbed her chin with her hand slowly, deep in thought.
"Can you check what high-priority information was inserted to computers around the base?" Leviathan asked.
"Just a second." Said the operator and took out his portable terminal. He looked around and plugged it into the computer network.
He started typing quickly and soon later he said,
"Three topics, one: F-chip two: Executioners pictures three: dark elf." The operator said.
"Okay now check if any of the data was copied recently." Leviathan said, standing with her arms crossed on her chest.
"Yes, topic number one: F-Chip." The operator said.
"F-chip? Daemon took the information about Zero's…" Leviathan muttered and suddenly realized she was in a room full of people, she walked quickly and exited the room.
"Harpuia." She said into her comm.
"What is it Leviathan?" Harpuia asked as he flew.
"Daemon took the information about Zero's frenzy chip!" She said.
Harpuia turned and headed back to the base,
"No! If they will realize how to create one for themselves they'll be invincible!" He yelled to his comm.
"I know that and you know that but there is nothing to do about it!" Leviathan said.
"Call Hub and see if he has any information about the whereabouts of the executioners." Harpuia said as he sped to the base.
Meanwhile at Neo-Arcadia's streets…Hubershnicdt ran as fast as he could, bumping at pushing civilians out of his way. Running through speeding highways and jumping over cars, he had to deliver the news he had quickly.
He ran and saw a group of humans talking in the middle of the street, he ran up to them and jumped on the wall of the building near them and then jumped off the building on the other side of the group.
He ran across a highway and was almost run over by a large truck, which screeched into a halt near him. He didn't stop; he had to get back to the core as soon as he could.
It took him about ten minutes but he reached the base, the doors opened and he rushed inside, to see Harpuia and Leviathan talking.
"Master Harpuia!" He panted, "I know where the executioners are… They're in twilight desert, the eastern part where the ancient ruins are… I got back as soon as I could." Hub said, breathing heavily.
"Organize all of the military." Harpuia said to Leviathan, "As soon as they're all ready we're going to attack the executioners."
Suddenly, an eerie voice sounded throughout the base the voice of Bullion.
"Harpuia and Leviathan, we have one of your friends." At that point the guardians heard muffled cries, they knew instantly who they belonged to. "Come to the same pyramid in which Zero killed Camazotz, at midnight tonight, alone." The voice ended.
Harpuia looked at his comm. unit, it was barely seven. P.M.
"It's a trap, they might be bluffing." Said Leviathan to Harpuia.
"But if they're not, I don't want to take that risk. Will you come with me?" He asked.
"Oh of course I will, but I hope you know what you're doing."
To be continued…Author notes: This chapter was to emphasize how much trouble Neo-Arcadia is in, that's why it mostly concerned how they are dealing with this problem. I'm sorry it took me so long to updater, but I was just being lazy near the end.
Merry Christmas and Hanukah to all.