1998.
St. Ark.
Bismarck visits her brig again to see Folkvangr. Expecting her to still be asleep, she's sat on the bed, leaning forward and looking at the floor.
"You're awake earlier than I expected." The Battleship remarks. "How do you feel?"
"Cut the shit. You want intel, don't you?" The Submarine hisses as she glares at her.
Remaining stone-faced, Bismarck doesn't back down, "How do you feel? Do you need anything?"
Folkvangr leans back and crosses her arms, "What I want, you can't give me."
"Your sister, yes?" Bismarck guesses, using full English in case she doesn't understand her.
"Don't you speak of her." Folkvangr threatens, her eyes starting to glow.
Bismarck's eyes glow back, brighter, "This is my ship. I will talk about whatever the damn hell I want, and you will stop with your attitude. Be gracious in your defeat."
"You think you scare me? I welcome death. If I can't bring her back, then I'll join her in whatever afterlife Kansen have." The Sub spits.
"There isn't one. I've checked." The Battleship counters.
"You… what?" Folkvangr looks at her in surprise. "You…"
"I died, yes. I was full of rage, also. I gave it to he darkness, like you have. I paid dearly for it. I was killed. Sunk. There is nothing that awaits us in death. Nothing but a black, silent emptiness. A void you float in until someone brings you back." Bismarck explains. "Do you see what I'm saying?"
Folkvangr's pupils shrink, "You… you mean…?"
"I have knowledge of technology that can revive a Kansen from her Cube. I studied it extensively and I may be able to replicate it via Purifier's rigging." The Battleship elaborates.
"The Sirens… Lurker… could've brought her back… at any time…?"
"Yes. They could have. They never even hinted at their ability to to that, did they?"
"No… they… they didn't… I thought Lurker…" The Sub starts to tear up.
"The Sirens here are not to be trusted, except Compiler and perhaps Purifier. I've given her another chance, and if she can do this, I may consider putting some level of trust in her. Now where is your sister's Cube?" Bismarck asks.
Folkvangr's renewed hope dies down as she frowns, "They've got it…"
"Where? Where did they take it?"
"They took it to the only place the Rebels have left. It's where the rest of their top officers have run off to.
Fortress Intolerance."
"How defended is this fortress?" Bismarck asks, unaffected by the name.
Folkvangr explains, "…I don't know if you've heard, but there's a meteor the size of a small country hurtling its way here. If it hits, it'll likely wipe out all life on this rock. The humans have built numerous super-weapons in order to destroy it. Fortress Intolerance is one of them. It has cannons capable of launching projectiles high into the sky to destroy fragments of the thing once it breaks apart in the atmosphere. Imagine them being pointed at you. You'd be obliterated instantly. In addition to that, it's full of ballistic missile silos."
"I see." Bismarck nods, "Danke. Where is this place?"
"Give me a map and I'll show you." The Submarine replies.
Some time later, Bismarck talks to Keystone and he calls in Phoenix and Edge for a briefing.
Fortress Intolerance.
Two portals open and the Empress and the Observer both come through one. Out of the other, a red plane flies. It starts patrolling around. It's the only 'body' the ZOE has left.
The smaller Siren asks, "You said you spoke to that human about that thing?"
"Yes. He calls it the ADF-01 Falken. It's an unmanned version of the plane that 'Pixy' pilot flew over Avalon Dam. It has upgraded mobility and stability at the cost of some of its armour. The more angular shape provides improved stealth capability and a speed unachievable by most other aircraft." The Empress explains.
"Hmm… I don't see the laser."
"The entire front of the plane opens up to reveal that. Having it inside helps it maintain its shape and aerodynamics. Bolting it to the top hindered the Morgan too much and caused drag." The taller Siren replies. She looks over at the Observer to see that she's looking back at her and has been the entire time, leaning in her rigging and supporting her head with a seductive face. The Empress blushes and looks away.
"I love listening to you nerd out over aircraft, my love~" The smaller one teases.
The Empress grabs her and kisses her. After she pulls away, she asks, "Will you shut the fuck up now?"
"I might need some more persuasion~ hehehehe~" she giggles.
Before they can go any further, however, the see the ZOE suddenly change course and fly towards the direction of St. Ark.
"Ooh~ it looks like Scarface Squadron is here~" the Observer announces.
"Damn…" The Empress sighs, disappointed. "Oh, well. Time for Phoenix's last challenge, I suppose. Prepare the capture device. He either dies here or he joins the Demon Lord."
Another portal opens on the water close to the fortress and out step Bismarck, Deutschland and Purity.
"Our objective is to find Fensalir's Cube and bring it back. Leave the fortress itself to Scarface Squadron. They can handle it. Understood?"
"Jawohl!" The Cruiser salutes.
"Roger that!" The Siren gives a thumbs-up.
"Fortress Intolerance…" Keynote starts, "I thought it'd been demolished ages ago…"
"I can't believe they'd threaten people with a ballistic missile." Edge adds, "We have to stop them!"
"The Rebels are planning a terror attacking using an ICBM. We cannot allow this ruthless behaviour to continue! This is our final battle. Everything rests on you!"
After detecting ZOE on an intercept course, Keynote updates, "Here comes that red aircraft!"
Phoenix looks ahead and sees the IFF signature, and freezes a little.
ADF-01
ZOE
He head heard of an aircraft with a similar name. The one that almost took down the legendary Galm 1. He shakes his head. It's just the AI again. He can do this. He's done it multiple times at this point.
Before he can snap out of it, the Falken as already behind both him and Edge. Jolting his flight stick to the side, he manoeuvres behind the ZOE…
… but it's gone.
"Huh!? Where did—?" Nagase asks, looking around, before a laser just grazed the top of her aircraft from the left. She manages to dive before it cuts her airframe in half. "Damn it!"
Phoenix, now angry, gives chase, not letting the advanced fighter out of his sight. Keynote adds, "Just what is that red aircraft? There's nothing on it in our databases. There's no way the Rebels could've developed it on their own. Who the hell is behind it!?"
Scarface 1 doesn't care. It nearly killed his friend. All he knows is that it has to be destroyed once and for all. He gets behind the red plane and sees it's using the false targeting boxes again. Grunting, Phoenix switches to his gun and waits agin for it to mess up. This time, however, ZOE had learnt and its missile racks spin around to face backwards.
Seeing this, Phoenix disengages as the missiles fire backwards. As he gets some distance and pops flares, he sees a bright light and rolls away, just narrowly missing the laser that will instantly vaporise him if it gets a solid hit.
"Phoenix!" Nagase calls out, "When he fires his laser, his electronic warfare capability drops and the false targets vanish! I'll get his attention with the laser, then you hit him!"
Nodding, Phoenix allows his wingman to hit ZOE, making it switch target priority. When it does. It opens up to reveal the laser weapon, disabling the multi-target countermeasure and allowing Phoenix to put a couple of missiles up its backside.
Upon hitting it, ZOE slips off of radar and IFF for a moment.
Keynote reports, "Target hit! We see smoke coming from the aircraft. He's taking serious damage. Way to go, Phoenix."
Seeing the fight isn't over yet, Phoenix sees ZOE come back and it switches up its attack patterns. It starts to copy him again, chasing after Nagase.
Getting behind it again, he notices the ZOE point missile backwards again. He gains altitude so that if they fire, they'll miss. Knowing this, ZOE points its nose down, disengaging Nagase to get a good angle. Firing, the missiles detonate, dealing insignificant damage to Scarface 1 and leaving itself open to Scarface 2, who had spun around and fires missiles at the cockpit, causing a lot more damage.
"Hit! Finish him off, Phoenix!" Edge encourages.
Getting the final ZOE in his sight, Scarface 1 fires both his missiles and guns, tearing the ADF-01 to shreds and severing the pod from the plane, destroying it for good.
But not before it uploaded all its data to the main AI back home.
"Unidentified aircraft down! Well done! I doubt anyone else could've fought it like you just did!" Keynote praises. As Phoenix takes a breath, he continues, "Good, now with the guard dog out of the picture, it's time to destroy the fortress."
Scarface Squadron form up again and proceed the the final base. Taken aback by the sheer size and the enormous guns, they hear Keynote give them more details, "First, take out the power plants around the base. Destroy all targets."
Siren drones and Rebel aircraft join the fight. One of them yells, "Incoming enemy aircraft! It's the Phoenix!"
"That firebird's not getting out of this place alive!" Another proclaims.
Scarface 1 destroys the first power plant. The Sirens in the fortress feel a drop of power. "Hmm… clever~" The Observer coos.
The Empress demands, "Strength! Determination! Get those fucking defences firing!"
"Understood, Arbiter: The Empr—" Strength replies before she's cut off by the Empress switching off the radio.
"Why the hell does she talk like that?" The tall Siren asks.
"She's not one for emotion, I suppose. She doesn't know what she's missing." The Observer shrugs.
They feel another drop on power as the second and last power plant is destroyed.
"Well, shit. It seems our captive pilot may have company, after all." The Empress mutters.
"Power plants destroyed. Good, now attack the fortress!" Keynote orders.
Scarface Squadron turn towards Fortress Intolerance, making all the Siren AA defences to starts firing. Even the main guns of the fortress itself start taking aim.
"The ICBM is being held deep within the fortress and out of our reach. You must first focus your attack on the fortress itself and establish air dominance!" Keynote orders.
After effortlessly dispatching the enemy fighters both human and Siren, Scarface engages the air defences and the fortress itself. Now too close to be endangered by the colossal cannons that would put the biggest Battleships to shame, they take out every last SAM site and AA gun in addition to causing mass fires inside the facility.
"Look, Phoenix!" Keynote calls out as the front of the fortress opens up, "They've opened the front shutter to air put the smoke! Enter the fortress through there and destroy the ICBM! It's going to be tough, but you can handle it! This mission decided it all, Phoenix. We're all counting on you!"
"He's falling for it. Prepare the capture portal." The Empress orders upon seeing the ace line up with the front of the fortress.
"Yes, ma'am~" the Observer obeys with a hint of sass.
Phoenix braces himself and enters the narrow space. Any climb or loss of altitude will kill him. Remaining level, he targets the ICBM and sees the way out in the form of the open silo. He'll need to go at top speed to not get caught up in it all. Pushing his throttle forward, he selects his secondary weapons and fires. Before he can react, he sees a portal open right in front of him…
Explosions shoot out of the missile silo. Nagase watches for her flight lead and friend to fly out.
He never does. Did he not make it?
"Phoenix!? PHOENIX!?" Edge wails, "NO!"
Keynote sombrely reports, "Fortress Intolerance has been neutralised. ICBM destroyed. Scarface 1… lost…"
"No…" Nagase hits her flight controls. She forms up with the AWACS. "Keynote…"
"I know, Lt. Nagase… looks like he didn't make it out… but he saved us. He brought us victory. He'll be remembered for generations. Come on, let's go home and start his legend."
"…yes, sir…"
St. Ark.
After having infiltrated Fortress Intolerance, and captured the Lurker, Bismarck and her two comrades step back through their portal and the Battleship throws down the unconscious Sub and holds up the Cube. She orders, "Deutschland, take this Siren to my brig and bring Frau Folkvangr here."
"Jawohl, Lord Bismarck." She starts running to Bismarck's ship with the Lurker over her shoulder.
"And you…" She looks at Purity, "You want me to trust you, ja?"
"Yeah! I wanna help!" The Siren looks up at her with hopeful eyes.
"Then analyse this program the Complier used to bring back my Kansen on our world."
"Huh? What for?"
Bismarck answers, "You're going to revive Frau Fensalir."
?
Phoenix opens his eyes after a flash of light. He finds himself still in his F-22A. The open ocean below him a blood red and the sky around him filled with crimson clouds with a bright red horizon on all sides, as if every direction has a sunset.
His readouts display infinity symbols on all of his armaments and fuel.
He tries his radio, but gets no response. He sees his radar and sees one single contact appear directly in front of him. Looking ahead, his blood run cold and his skin turns pale, even more so than when he first faced off with ZOE, when he reads the IFF signature.
F-15C
Cipher
He's in Hell, and he's about to meet the Demon Lord.
2024.
Anzio is woken up by her dorm-mate, Bishop, sitting up suddenly with a yell. She asks, "You okay, sir?"
He looks over at the stunningly attractive Kansen in the bed on the other side of the room and says, "Yeah…. Sorry. It was that damn nightmare again…"
"The one about Akila?"
"No no… I got over that one… I meant… the new one…"
"New one?" Anzio walks over and sits on his bed, "Tell me about it. I didn't know you had another memory haunting you."
Blushing a little because of the beautiful, busty woman wearing nothing but a small loose tank top and short shorts sitting so close, he starts, "You weren't a Kansen at the time, but you know when I told you that you came form the same world I did?"
"Yeah?"
"It's probably time you knew the full story… at least if only to get it off my chest…" Warwolf 1 begins…