Chapter 19: Confrontation at Pleroma.

Snake: Damn! We got disconnected. They could be in trouble.

Jr: Damn it! I can't believe this is happening!

Ziggy: Control yourself. All we can do is hope they'll be fine and try to escape.

Jr: Arrgghh!

Albedo: Well, Rubedo? Are you ready?

Jr: Hold your horses! I'm coming!

Jr starts moving towards the center of the large room when Snake stops him by putting his hand on his shoulder.

Jr: What!

Snake: Clear you head, kid. You've already lost if you go in with that temper.

Jr: …Yeah. You're right, thanks…

Snake: Good luck, kid.

Snake removes his hand and Jr proceeds. He meets Albedo in the middle of the area.

Albedo: Ready to have some fun, brother?

Jr: I already told you, I'm not your brother. Besides, you don't sound half as cool as Liquid when he says it.

Liquid: Damn straight!

He somehow managed to hear what he said even though it was a large room and everyone else was near the walls.

Albedo: Fine then, Rubedo. But that will not change the outcome of this fight.

Jr: Errghh…

Albedo starts emitting his dark energy.

Jr: This again… Take this!

Jr emits a blast of his flame energy. It goes through Albedo's dark energy and strikes him down to the ground a few feet back. Albedo sits up and is shocked, but somewhat pleased.

Albedo: Whoa! Ha haaa! I see. You strength has grown with your resolve. You're back to your old self. You've regained your old power and you seem to have even more control over it than before. Good for you, Rubedo. This will be a more interesting fight!

Jr begins looking around.

Jr: Mmm…

He begins thinking to himself.

Jr: This is my chance. It's not gonna get any better than this.

Jr starts making a wall of flames around him again.

Jr: Try to break through this!

Albedo: You make it all too easy!

Albedo throws his palms forward, releasing a strong wave of black energy. Jr had stopped producing his flame wall and had started running towards Albedo as soon as he started producing his attack. When he is about to hit the wave of dark energy, he jumps over it and Albedo, and releases a similar attack of fire on the soldiers behind Albedo, scorching them all. Albedo's dark attack continues on. It was heading towards a large group of soldiers that were holding Shion's team captive. They try getting out of the way, but they aren't fast enough and are all killed. Jr spins in the air and lands on his feet, facing his team.

Jr: Now!

Snake takes out his SOCOM and starts picking off soldiers around him. Ziggy does the same with his arm blade. They were just too quick for the soldiers, which were shocked at the sudden occurrences. The few that remained ran up to the team and raised their weapons. Chaos unleashed a wave of energy before they could fire that took them all out.

Jr: To the Murian, now!

He started running towards the exit, with the team close behind him. Albedo didn't do anything to stop them. He just started calmly walking after them with Margulis and Liquid behind him. The team runs out of the large room and head towards the Murian, but are stopped by a dark figure that comes down from the sky. The person was wearing a purple cloak, with a mask shaped like a birds face, beak and all.

Shion: You again! Who are you!

: Who?

Ziggy: Not that speech again…

: Oh, right…

Shion: At least show us your face!

Albedo: Trust me, he ain't pretty. Hahahahaa!

He says, as he walks into the area with Margulis and Liquid beside him.

: Must you really know?

Snake: I want to know who's in my way before I remove him.

: Heh. So be it.

The man's mask becomes translucent, revealing his face.

Shion: Virgil! But… it can't be!

Snake: Damn he's ugly! You know this guy!

Ziggy: Is he the one you said was killed by KOS-MOS when we told our stories to Snake?

Shion: Yes… but how is it that he's here…? You died… I saw you die…!

Virgil: Life and death are meaningless.

Snake: Good for you. Now get the hell out of our way!

He says, as he points his SOCOM at him.

Virgil: Such aggression. Perhaps you are all talk and no power.

He spreads oven his hands and puts his hands to his side. He was preparing himself to fight them.

Albedo: Don't get carried away. One of them is an element.

Virgil: Yes, the toy. I know.

Albedo: No. I'm talking about the 'righteous' one.

Virgil: Really! I see… Interesting. I guess this will be easier than I though.

He says, as he looks at Shion. Everyone forms a protective barrier in front of her while they get into a battle stance.

Albedo: I really look forward to this! Haa ha ahaa!

Virgil starts levitating in the air and begins producing energy in his hands.

Snake: Spread out! Now!

Everyone spreads out just as Virgil releases a blast in the area they were all standing in. Snake began firing his SOCOM pistol at him as he ran around him, but the bullets just bounce off of the cloak.

Snake: Is that bulletproof?

Jr fires his guns at him too, but those bullets also bounce off.

Jr: Damn! Apparently so!

Virgil: Put your toys away and show me your true power, if any.

He seemed to just be toying with them. He was enjoying himself. He begins flying down to MOMO, but he is tackled by Ziggy as he comes down near the ground. Ziggy gets on top of him and is about to start punching him when he is blasted away by a pulse of energy from Virgil's body.

Ziggy: Arrggghhh!

Virgil gets up and begins levitating again.

MOMO runs up to Ziggy to help him as he lays on the ground.

MOMO: Mystic powers, grant me a miracle!

She heals him and he sits back up.

Ziggy: Thanks. Keep healing us. This won't be easy…

MOMO: Sure thing!

Jr: Take this! Arghh!

He launches a burst of flames at Virgil, which he catches and sends back to Jr.

Jr: What!

The blast hits the ground under Jr's feet and sends him flying a few feet back. But he quickly manages to get up.

Jr: Damn you!

Shion: Rain Blade!

Hundreds of energy beams come down and begin hitting Virgil.

Virgil: Like I haven't been hit by this before.

He catches one of the last beams with his left hand and clenches it into a fist, dispersing the energy into the air.

Shion: No! Can't be…!

Jin suddenly comes out of nowhere and jumps up to Virgil. He slashes him across the chest with his sword, knocking him to the ground. He quickly recovers and gets up, standing on the ground.

Virgil: Not bad.

He says, looking at Jin.

Virgil: But let me see you dodge this.

He stretches out his hands and moves over to Jin, so fast that it leaves an image of him trailing behind him. It is as if he was teleporting towards Jin. Jin spins to his side just as Virgil passes by, and slashes him in the back, making him stagger forward. He quickly recovers and begins levitating again.

Virgil: Quite impressive! I wasn't expecting that.

Jin: And I wasn't expecting you to be fine…

Virgil: First thing I've felt so far, though. Heh.

Margulis: He was my student, after all.

His voice came from all the way near the entrance to their base.

Virgil: He was? So that's why.

Margulis: Take it easy on him. I still want a duel with him.

Virgil: I will.

Jin: I don't need to be taken easy on! I'll show you my strength!

Jin slashes Virgil upwards, sending him a few feet up and then continues slashing him in the air. A downward slash one after the other, each unleashing blue shockwaves from Vigil's body as Jin's blade strikes him. He is thrown to the ground by the final slash and hits it hard. He begins getting up when he is hit by a large beam of blue energy that blasts him a few yards away. He rolls around on the ground several times before stopping.

Snake: I'm sorry, was it not my turn? I'm just not used to it. Heh.

Virgil stands up and begins levitating again. He seemed fine.

Snake: Damn! What is he? Immortal?

Virgil: I already died once. I can't die twice.

Snake: That was Vamp's line. He said it to the kid…

Shion: KOS-MOS, Chaos, get in there!

KOS-MOS remained motionless. Chaos seemed reluctant, but he braced himself.

Virgil: Heh, you too, boss? There's no need. I've kept you guys busy enough.

Snake: What? Busy!

Margulis: Now it's my turn.

Margulis says, walking up to them.

Margulis: You and me Jin. Let's go!

He says, as he un-sheaths his sword.