[Resistance Camp]
"It isn't all that broken."
"Perhaps but can you even find the right materials for it?" Popola examined the object held by her twin. Undoubtedly it belonged to YoRHa, it's silver body slowly chipping away revealing it's dark inner steel lining. One of it's arms absent and ruined wires dangled freely off.
Devola inspected the broken Pod unit a little closer. "Hmmm...it's nothing I haven't delve into before. Of course I can." She dramatically clutched her chest. "Oh how you doubt me, dear sister. I feel so crushed."
Popola rolled her eyes at her antics. "Tell me D. Why do you insist on repairing it?" The fiery-haired twin gave her a deadpanned look.
"You've seen how YoRHa uses these little bots. They're tiny servants that will do anything without giving any sort of lip. Well, they don't have lips but you get what I mean."
Popola stared at her with a neutral expression. Devola groaned "YoRHa doesn't care about it enough to even bring it back to their headquarters. Soooo if I'm able to make this little guy float again, I'll see if I can reprogram it not to follow standard YoRHa procedures..." she purposely trailed off her sentence.
Seeing as she won't answer Popola sighed. "Therefore we can have our own personal assistant to help us around." Devola happily nodded, slinging an arm over Popola she pulled her into a sisterly embrace.
"Bingo. And you thought could play dumb to little ol' me."
The older girl rolled her eyes "I'm just making sure you know exactly what you're doing with YoRHa tech. The Resistance won't bat an eye, salvage is the norm for them but I can't say the same for this Pod. You know what this means right?"
The devious twin rolled her eyes. "Yeah yeah don't let the walking mannequin and little nerd boy find out blah blah." She freed her hand from her shoulder. Walking around the supply shop the redhead stashed it away from easy view. The shop owner gave her a look, clearly skeptical on her actions. "Relax I'll take it with me once we're done."
"You better. I don't want YoRHa breaking my what's left of my leg if they see it."
She dismissed the words. Devola rejoined her sister, her attention was directed off in the distance.
"Hello. Earth to Popola, you there?" A light slap to the wrist broke the twin out of her stupor.
"Sorry I was just..." Devola looked to where she was staring, the corner of where the jukebox laid. Her mind immediately took her back to an hour ago.
"Dante I didn't expect you to be here." Popola saw the man standing in front the jukebox, her twin right behind. Around this time of day the jukebox wasn't in use so the tent they resided in was closed shut. Now that she thinks about it, ideal for someone who's supposed to be hidden from the public.
"Dev and Pop how's it hanging?"
"Our day's been going well." Devola's gaze shifted to the jukebox and bobbed her head to the side. "See something you like?"
Dante smiled "Hell yeah. Whenever I'm on the job I'll be in the zone with some tunes but as of late I don't really have anything to jam on. Is it yours by any chance?"
"No but it's free for anyone to use. Though I suggest having it at a low volume. Wouldn't want anyone knowing your here." Devola proposed, her twin nodded in agreement. The ever-lively voice of the camp played in the background.
The red-clad man stroked his chin "A bit of a bummer but I see what you mean."
Devola brought a hand to her hip "If you don't mind me asking, did you sort things out with Anemone?" Popola gave her a light elbow to the side, indicating that's personal matters they shouldn't dive into.
Despite the inquiry the man answered "Yeah everything's crystal for now."
The devious twin continued "Will you be staying here any longer or will you go fulfill your duties?" Truthfully on the inside a part of them didn't want him to leave. Though they didn't want to admit the time they've spent with the human albeit short was the most elated they've ever been in a long time. Not once did he ever appeared disdained by their presence. The tension that usually followed them every step in the way momentarily dissipated whenever he addressed them with no hostility. It would be saddening for him to leave.
Dante paused a moment "I can't answer that until I come back."
The twins didn't like what that could entail. Is he gonna venture into the outside world? Who's gonna accompany him? Does the Council of Humanity ordered him to be in harm's way?
Popola cleared her throat "What will you be doing?"
Dante stretched his limbs "Never thought I'll say this but I'm actually gonna go get something I don't usually do. Exercise."
"Are you going alone? Can we come with?" The fiery-haired twin asked a little too fast.
The man sighed "Sorry I already have bookworm and the gothic cheerleader on my back. You two won't be needed."
Though they were dismayed at least he was looked after.
"I swear can't go five minutes without him barfing out words about anything and everything." He mumbled obviously referring to 9S.
Devola found herself chuckling and slung a hand over her twin's shoulder "Tell me about it. My poor sis was suffering from a phase of her own. For the better part of a month my dear Popola would invest a good amount of time in the old human practice of what you might recognize as pottery. It was cute watching her perfect her craft but like a parasite she would bug me to no end, trying to get me to join her but I prefer my nails clay-free."
"Hey." Devola giggled and softly ruffled her sister's hair which only made Popola a bit more annoyed. The innocent display brought a smile to the devil hunter's face.
"But even our hobbies can be bit stressful. One day I came into the room, so much clay covered the walls and I had to stop her from breaking our door."
The mentioned sister dropped her look and felt herself grow smaller.
"Please don't." she softly whispered.
To her dismay the devil hunter spoke "All because you messed up on a few tries? You need to take it easy P it's just mud."
Popola's cheeks became a light red at her twin's arising grin.
"I thought the same but the next thing I see was my precious bottles of hooch smashed against the floor. It took all of my might to stop her and through slurred speech it turned out that in fact the door was hitting on her boyfriend." Light red darkened.
"Your hooked up?" She looked at Dante embarrassingly.
"I-"
"Oh yeah I would let you meet him but unfortunately daffodils aren't really fans of alcohol." The devil hunter threw his head back in laughter. All the while Popola was trapped by her sister's grip, averting her eyes away in embarrassment. It didn't help Devola partook in laughing along side him.
Once the moment of humor finally subsided Popola separated herself from Devola. With a small pout she crossed her arms "So did you find out which song you would like to play?" She asked, changing the conversation at hand.
The red-clad man shrugged "Not really all these covers look like they went through hell and back. I can't decide if this used to be red or brown." He held said CD cover before sitting it back on the shelf.
"You can't get anywhere if all your gonna do is look. How about you take one out and listen to it?"
Listening to the Android's advice he grabbed a CD cover. It was in the very back of the last shelf above. The main color was in a midnight black. The focal point being an image illustrated by orange, scratched up lining. However it was too old to properly discern what it was, but he already knows it'll resonate with his tastes. Without trouble he inserted the disc in.
"As I stare into the eyes of the coming,
Apocalypse I see you reaching for my soul,
I cannot erupt,
I must control,
I cannot erupt,
I must explode."
A minute in and the devil hunter found himself tapping his foot to the beat. The song progressed with the riffs and tempo keeping on steady pace along with the growl of the vocalist. Dante found himself banging his head with rhythm, white hair whipping wildly in the air. In the first listen it already looked like he mesmerized the entire track. He would be messing with his most unconventional Devil Arm by now if the twins weren't here.
"He really...enjoys this type of music." Devola whispered. A bit unnerved by his choice in music. Popola understands why, Androids are hardwired for humanity's well being. They are vastly complex and ingenious, their actions having some sort of meaning. But given their lack of presence on Earth they've become more and more of an enigma. They have needs such as food and water to survive but they also take interest in other things. Interest that to an average human may seem completely normal but to an Android it seems confusing and maybe even damning.
Music is a tool humans used to celebrate and converse in gatherings. Something the Androids in this camp have copied to heart, they understand the appeal. Very pleasing to the ears, vocals of voices long ago serenading the listener with themes that are comprehensible for the mechanical listeners. The art form is very versatile and with it comes selections that won't be liked by all. The track currently playing is categorized as metal, a genre of music known for being aggressive with themes that aren't that touched upon in others. One category of music Androids frankly just can't resonate with, yet they kept it. Although they may not particularly enjoy it, it's still made by humans. Throwing it away is something they just couldn't do.
The twins sat down as the track continued, they too didn't enjoy it. Though it was for a different reason entirely. In order to stem away from the aggressive song the twins observed Dante, by now he's already been consumed by the music. His youthful face full of energy, his hair waving just as freely as he. His eyes, a lively blue that ensnares you in a trance. His jawline, chiseled and strong. The white shirt they've given him for a brief moment highlighted his pectorals perfectly as it heaved up and down with life.
The twins giggled, clearly amused by his silly movements. The heat of their cheeks went unnoticed.
*Click* The music stopped. Everyone in the room turned to look at the person responsible.
"Hey what gives? I was just getting started." Dante said with annoyance.
"And I don't like to wait. C'mon the rest are ready." Jackass huffed.
The man sighed "Well looks like I'm off. I'll be catching you two later." He departed before they could say their farewells.
Devola turned away from the jukebox. A teasing smirk present on her lips. The calmer twin noticed and inquired the matter.
"It's funny. I've never thought we ever meet a guy like him again. Not to mention how much of a hunk he is am I right?"
Popola's jaw slacked a bit. "What?! Don't say something so ridiculous Devola." She shut down the bogus question.
The fiery-haired redhead only smiled harder "Relax Sis. I'm just teasing you. Did you really think I was serious?" Popola didn't say answer, instead she crossed her arms and looked the other way, ignoring the heat on her cheeks. Deep down she felt a warmth rise within her.
The sound of her twin's laughter ringed in her ears.
Devola laughed at her sister's blush. As she did deep down she noticed a sudden warmth in her body. It's been occurring ever since meeting the man. It could've just been how their ancient programming has been responding to his kindness, but gratitude could only make you feel so much until it goes past the point of appreciation and onto a more personal level.
Their moment unfortunately ended when their chatter garnered the attention of someone in the crowd.
*Step*
*Step*
A deep voice bellowed out from an aged throat. The twins turned, the amount of gear on his person gave him the appearance of a clunky machine. His all brown apparel only contributed to the image. Goggles was strapped to his head, producing a blue hue. In his hand was a bottle stained by dust and oil, the distinct smell of alcohol dwelled.
"Shut the hell up the both of you. I thought the last of your models were finally disposed of." He led out a heavy chuckle.
The twins remained silent.
"Why are you two here anyway? Oh lemme guess the last town didn't want you? I'm not surprised, whores could never truly find a home. They always gotta skip one town and into another, rinse and repeat."
The twins held neutral faces although Devola slightly twitched at the description. The Android was clearly not satisfied by their lack of a reaction. He stumbled closer, each step a little wobbly due to being under the influence.
"Just because Anemone is willing to let y'all stay here doesn't mean jack shit. Nothing you will ever do is going to compensate for what you've done. The clock is ticking. One of my friends' had experience dealing with your kind. If I were in your shoes I would get my ass outta here before I even know it." Despite the drunkness he stated his message without skipping a beat and skidded off back to where he came.
Devola and Popola held their place until he was out of sight. Popola felt an inner wetness surging behind her eyes as she slouched slightly. Devola grabbed her wrist leading her out of public view. The moment they were in the shade no amount of hesitation was seen for the sisters enveloped one another in a needing hug. Their grim faces obscured by their red hair. The lively bustling of the camp faded into a numbing mute.
"They'll never stop will they?"
"No. They won't. That's just how things are."
There used to be a saying back in the old world: Until you heal the wounds of your past, you will continue to bleed.
Although you can learn from previous mistakes and let it mold you into a better person it wasn't the case for them. Those wounds will forever stay fresh. The everlasting degree of that one mistake is what led their models to be halted permanently. It's been so long since they've seen another Devola and Popola it won't be surprising if they are the last. Every waking moment, every step, every time a pair of eyes are glued to them. It hits them like a boomerang that get's sharper and sharper with every turn.
It's a part of their programming.
Their punishment.
They had yet to notice the change of the weather. Once was a soft innocent shade of blue became a violent dark grey. Near the entrance of the camp a certain female Android wearing a green cape was scrutinizing a certain scientist.
[City Ruins]
9S caught himself from stumbling onto the quaking ground. He narrowly avoided the humongous stump that was the Goliath's foot. The force inadvertently pushed him farther away from the enemy behemoth. Picking himself up quickly he forced his legs to pick up the pace. "Gah. Talk about a rainy day." He couldn't help but remark.
"Leave the chatter for later." 2B's distinct heels clicked loudly beside him. The wind current had gone up tremendously, scratching the scanner's body harshly. 9S visibly shown his discomfort, 2B on the other hand remained as expressionless as ever.
'How did Commander not take notice?' He questioned. A novice mistake for a newly-initiated operator to make, but for the leader of the faction to not state anything prior was a bit...idiotic in his opinion. Anemone and Jackass have retreated with Dante who was surprisingly non-compliant. He was amused by the Engel unit, stating something about how much of a ball it would be if it fought "Godzilla." The boy could only hope that he wasn't being serious and was just another human remark Dante loves to spew.
At the very least the man retreated with the Resistance androids. Now they can engage the enemy without any distractions.
Together 2B and 9S ran through the legs, burning debris fell from above. 2B slid, uncaring for her exposed thigh scrapping against the rough pavement as she retreated out of harm's way. A giant buzzsaw flew behind her, no doubt it being the Goliath's hand. Looking off to see how her partner fared she gasped, 9S was on the ground directly under the shadow of the foot.
Forcing herself up from her position she hastily scooped the boy up in a fireman's carry. Sprinting away the pair finally got inside one of the buildings albeit the scanner voiced his annoyance.
"Put me down 2B. Your shoulder's hurting me." He pulled at his wrist which is what 2B held onto. The battler tightened her hold whilst they ascended the many levels of stairs. Giving him more discomfort.
"Flight units have been deployed nearby 2B." 6O informed.
"Roger."
"Please be careful." The operator sounded worried. Understandable the last time they faced a Goliath they had to detonate their black boxes. 6O's poor connection during that operation must've put her on edge.
They made it to the roof, the flight units weren't far away. The battler finally freed the boy from her grasp.
"Geez are you trying to break my-HEY!" Only to find his other wrist in an iron-like clench. 2B sprinted across to the other rooftop connected to the one they're on. The Engel unit noticed their presence and brought down it's giant arm. The Androids were fast enough to evade it, jumping to the other building in time to escape it's grasp.
The flight units were now in their proximity. This time the woman released him for good. Subsiding his mild ire 9S wasted no time in getting inside his respective air carrier. The engine sparked to life and soon enough they were in the air ready to engage with the Goliath.
The Engel freed itself and swung, the battler evaded. Leaving auto-fire on 2B assaulted the upper leg. Each strike from the saber leaving a red hot streak on the metallic limb. She dealt as much damage as she could before backing off, a beam of energy scything through the sky. The Goliath reeled in it's hand, multiple gears and thousands newtons of force used to bring it up in a mighty uppercut.
2B dodged gracefully, twirling in the wind just missing the rapidly moving buzzsaw. Even in an bulky mech suit, her elegant dexterity can still be displayed.
"2B I'm detecting multiple hostiles incoming." 9S radioed to her.
"I'll deal with them. You hack into the machine. I rather not make a repeat from last time."
"You got it."
Machines surrounded her person, guns aimed at the ready. The battler remained calm and turned on her energy saber. Dashing into the closest one she hacked through the flyer rather easily. She dived back, a train of bullets littering her previous position. She aimed her guns at the opposing threat and unleashed hell on the fodder.
Hearing more coming behind from behind 2B changed elevation. Spinning around she turned herself into a twirling blade of death, her targets in an unfortunate position to be in. A wave of explosions followed suit, not one unit had a moment to even counter back.
*Brrr*
She knew that sound very well. Flipping downward the formidable death trap that was the Medium Flyer circled back around once it realized it missed. 2B brought back her arm. The flight unit copied her motion, yellow light slowly shined through her saber. With the enemy coming evermore closer 2B waited. She grunted, a crescent of energy hit the machine.
The contact resulted in a cloud of smoke but she wasn't satisfied. The battler homed in on her target, relentlessly slashing at the still-functioning Flyer. It started to short-circuit and she knew at that time the deed was done. She backflipped away, a trail of visages followed. The enemy's motors halted for good and descended downwards.
"That should do it." Didn't really seem to be that much, she lamented.
Her body moved on her own, evading the storm of bullets coming from behind. She didn't come out unscathed, burn marks were on her unit. Cursing at herself for her doubt she rushed in on the next group of machines.
9S fended off the Goliath. It's head right at the center of the body, it's red eyes fixated on him like a pesky fly. It fired off swarms of ammunition at a startling pace, the scanner had a bit of trouble but was able to fully dodge the onslaught.
"I knew we couldn't trust the machines. I bet they were waiting at this exact moment to catch us off guard." He blurted out. His Pod pinged an incoming transmission, a distinguishable face of a machine took over the screen.
"I promise you we weren't aware of this information. I realize the odds of you believing me are strikingly low. But I hope you will nonetheless." After completing an operation the YoRHa pair came across a peculiar scenario. It wasn't on his radar to encounter a machine village claiming to only wanting peace among the pacifist machines and Androids.
As if that would ever happen.
"We'll deal with you later Pascal." He ended the short intermission. Taking a moment to get out of harm's way 9S raised his right hand at the Goliath. A golden ring formed around his palm. A low hum became audible, his visual receptors highlighted the aforementioned behemoth. The effect of this procedure will forever feel strange to him.
Gone was the chaotic warzone that was the city ruins, the violent echoes of the Engel unit became mute. The wind hitting his face stopped entirely. 2B picking off the machines disappeared in an instant. His visor-sealed pupils gazed upon the white and grey environment. Cubes of all sizes and proportions laid dormant in the background. Akin to the vacuum of space it was vast and empty.
He smiled. Opposite from the scanner was a black sphere protected by a dome. It detected his presence and initiated it's defense systems. Smaller spheres circled around him firing off orange orbs. 9S fired back, his ammunition far more superior in speed. It broke through the enemy's fire and impacted one of the spheres. Data spilled from it before going out in a pixelated explosion.
He stayed on his toes, his speed surpassed every other sphere and swiftly eliminated the slow moving ovoids. The network activated another wave of anti-measures, triangular white shields formed. The scanner knew his ammo wouldn't cut through, this wasn't his first bout with a Goliath afterall. They were closing on him, faster than the spheres and he needed to act quick. Purple orbs shot were released, something that was invulnerable to his attacks. He shifted to his right then to his left, trying desperately to get out of the corner that he was slowly getting backed into.
"Crap!" He got hit. A distinguishable crack was heard, one of his two barriers broke. If he doesn't destroy the protected sphere soon he'll get kicked out or worst case scenario, infected.
Fortunately orange orbs took it's place. Capitalizing off the opportunity 9S shot his way out of the corner. He circled around the group of shapes until he saw thin black squares plastered on the back. The boy didn't hesitate to fire off. Soon enough they too went out in a blocky wave of code.
9S didn't stop moving, he knew too well what would happen next. The network released one last wave of anti-viruses against him. A group of spheres and triangles greeted him along with 4 cylinder-shaped totems sat in the corners. 4 white cubes sat near the center of it all.
"This might be tough." A tsunami of orange orbs encompassed the entire platform. 9S fired off and didn't stop, white met orange as the network went on the offensive. He remained calm, acting rash in this situation will just get him killed. Eventually there was enough space to slip through behind one of the cubes.
There he waited until a trio of spheres neared, he mounted himself in just the right angle into a blindspot. He shot once they were close enough.
Turning around quickly he backed off as purple orbs cascaded his previous position. He circled around the two triangular units and shot their weak spots.
He was able to rush behind another cube. Once he assured that he was in safe cover 9S waited again to repeat the pattern. Something he caught onto early on. The machine's networks are so simplistic yet so deadly if you don't act smart. It followed the same structure, the same defense, the same repeat of events every time he infiltrates through the network. Like it was some type of game of sorts. A game that he had to admit was a breath of fresh air from all the operations he undergoes.
9S barely managed to escape a glowing red arrow, instead of following the ongoing path an orb would usually follow it redirected it's sense of direction. It faced the scanner once again. The boy scowled, he forgot about those, it will not stop until it hits you or until you hit it. He eliminated it as soon as he can so it won't become a bigger threat.
"Gah!" He got hit in the back. His last barrier gave way. No turning back now.
'Time to end this.' 9S diligently maneuvered his way to one of the totems. It was stationary with no means of defense. He took it out swiftly, all the while eliminating three more triangular shapes. More spheres emerged from his peripherals, trying to cage him in another corner. The boy slipped through the gaps like a snake. He powered his shots through 5 more spheres until he reached another totem.
It spotted him, producing more of the same arrows from before. He briefly destroyed it, the arrows were on his tail. The scanner grunted, enemy fire was still in major issue so he was forced to continue his way to the 5 remaining spheres. Their rate of fire shifted between purple and orange so the scanner had to time it just right. Dancing his way around the mobile death traps 9S was able to put more distance between him and the arrows. Giving him more freedom to close in on the remaining orbs.
'Purple, purple, there orange.' Driven by will he shot the last remaining spheres, giving him the freedom to eliminate the arrows as well. The dome protecting the main sphere cracked until it shattered. A few seconds later the job was done. Everything around him was lost in an instant and soon enough he was brought back into the real world.
"That was close. Could've been a goner." 9S found himself back in the YoRHa flyer. The behemoth's motor functions malfunctioned thanks to the efforts of the scanner.
"2B can you make the shot?"
"Is that even a question?" The battler soared near the enemy. Her saber glowing brighter than ever before. A wide arc of energy sent to the body, it traveled through the metal like puddy in a deep cut.
It released an inhumane roar, enough move the terrain and even some buildings threatened to collapse. 9S had to actually turn off his audio receptors temporarily just because the scream was that great.
"Warning another Goliath incoming." 21O chimed.
"Are you serious?!" The scanner blurted out. From out of nowhere came another Engel unit making the already risky battle outright dangerous.
"2B you got a plan?"
"I'll take care of the other one you destroy this one."
"Okay that's just outright absurd."
"You got a better idea?"
"Let's deal with this one together before going for the other."
"Negative. We'll be open to enemy fire."
"Oh c'mon 2B."
"That's an order 9S. Your actions could cost us this battle."
9S wanted to argue further but something caught his eye. Halting his next point of reasoning and instead shifted downwards. A bit hard to see from altitude but enhancing his visual receptors took care of the issue.
The boy felt his entire body jolt with heaviness as he spotted something near one of the Goliaths. Sitting on top of a building was a man watching the entire ordeal with interest. One leg hung over the rooftop, his entire demeanor appearing as though he was watching a gladiator match. The only annoyance he showed was from dusty wind.
"DANTE?!" 9S screamed. 2B caught onto his shift in behavior and now was in the same boat as him.
Hearing his name from high above the man averted his gaze to the YoRHa units. He held up a hand.
"Ay there he is." Dante greeted. He acted as though he wasn't in any sort of danger.
"WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?! LEAVE NOW!" 2B uncharacteristically shouted over her metaphorical lungs.
The red-clad man got up to his feet and motioned all around him. "And miss out on all of this? Your kidding." By now the machine turned it's attention to Dante. It's crimson eyes spotted him and raised it's hand. The man was oblivious to the giant piece of machinery high above his head.
"NO!" 2B screamed as she rushed in to save him. The scanner immediately followed suit until they were stopped by an energy beam shot by the other Goliath. They littered it with missiles forcing it to back off. By the time it did however they were too late.
"DANTE!" They screamed in unison as the buzzsaw descended below. The building he stood on crumbled to ruins. The last thing they saw him do was look up and chuckle.
[Forest Kingdom]
She eyed him like a hawk. From high above she made sure to not make any unnecessary motions. The ancient gargoyle she sat upon held remarkable strength to her weight and she wouldn't be pleased if it suddenly gave out on her. Sunlight poured in from various openings from the roof. If the subject of interest were to gaze up, the blindingness from the sun would give her enough time to react.
When she first arrived here indeed she was pissed. She couldn't wait to see what the forest king had to offer and what does she find? Dead fucking machines all around. Not even one pathetic head was free of damage. Great fucking luck, her main objective has already been done, but by who? She found her answer rather quickly. Just by appearance alone she discerned him to be a special type of Android. An Android that was just too fucking weird for her to disregard.
Tall, like real tall. Taller than most Androids, even that bitch can't stack up to him even with heels. His choice in fashion also wasn't one she's ever come across before, the Resistance always wore scruffy, battered rags. Their scavengers so their clothes never really branched out from the rustic colors of orange, brown, yellow, and sometimes black.
YoRHa, her eyes narrowed. It wasn't a stretch, his hair and eyes matched the standard model. That bitch always made sure everyone went through that stupid cleaning station when returning to the Bunker. It's always neat and tidy from what she remembered. His attire reflected that, even though he lacked the traditional colors of white and black she was sure he also wasn't a fan of being sullied.
An odd observation you might say but his mannerisms just made the idea of a new YoRHa prototype all the more appealing. He kept his back straight at all times, he walked with his own version of a soldier's march. Not as stiff as a defender unit but a bit fast like a scanner. Even the little motions of him readjusting his ascot just reminded him of the blonde pulling out her mirror.
Her mental gears stopped and she quietly cursed. If her observations are accurate then why is he still here? He's already dealt with the threat that was the forest king, the small corpse she found was confirmation. What was his purpose for staying here then? Was he setting the place up as a recon base? Not really, he hasn't made any sort of contact with Command. He doesn't even have one of those...what were they called? Pods? Yeah Pods that every new YoRHa generation now has that instantly does the deed for them.
The only thing she can come up with is that he's an offduty bookworm. Half the time he's engrossed in that book of his. Howbeit, it didn't look like he was reading, he spent more time swiping back and forth between pages than actually going over the words. Like he was trying to find something to connect the dots but just couldn't find the starting point.
Today he wasn't doing any of that. She sat everso silent as he took the time to sit on his knees. She raised a brow and speculated on what other abnormal activity he'll partake in next.
The spiked-haired man inhaled a breath. Keeping his face forward he moved into a kneel and his katana was free from it's resting place. He spun around onto his feet, his coattails fluttering from his speed. The hilt transferred between hands, it followed him just as fluidly. He kept his stance steady and swung forward repeatedly. He changed positions and proceeded to perform a different set of swings.
...Dahlia your going to get yourself hurt...
...I can do it Number 2...I've seen you do it plenty of times...
...Your confusing me with 4...
...So it was Number 4 that took Rose's oil...
...How did yo...
...Surely Rose won't mind if I told her about it...unless someone teaches me how to use a katana...
...You little...alright brat this is how it goes...
She shook her head from her thoughts and continued to watch the man in silence. His katana graced the air with purpose, no signs of an amateur was present. With each swing a whoosh could be heard. He held the blade overhead with one hand and brought it down, he moved forward before spinning around once more. He found himself with one hand on the hilt, slowly the other gripped it together and dissected the air.
It appears he was nearing the end as he rotated his body for the last time and ended up where he started, a kneel. With one hand he spun around the katana while the other gripped the thin scabbard. His eyes remained forward, extensive practice is what led him to successfully insert the weapon back in it's case. A glimmer of light encased the top before it fully closed.
She watched as he got up from his position and walked to the end of the room. Suddenly he hunched over in an angle making only his back visible. Some muttering could be heard.
'The hell is he doing?' From all the time she's watched over him he's never done something more strange than this.
She enhanced her visual optics to try to get a better glimpse. A dull blue hue softly shimmered from the man. She raised a brow, the man in blue got back up and without as second thought threw a blue dagger of some kind in her direction. She leaped from her position. She landed opposite from him a few feet away. Her cheek hissed, brushing her long white hair aside she deciphered it as blood. Her blood.
Her dirty palm clenched itself as she straightened to full height. Her glassy, blue eyes met his own which looked a bit odd. Lively?
"My, you certainly aren't one for cleanliness." He spoke in a calm, well mannered voice. He eyed her body, his eyes lingered on a rather revealing part of her body. "Or modesty."
In a flash she summoned her weapon. Her eyes stayed on him "What's it matter to you shitstain?"
She garnered an enthralled look from the man "So you understand me? How droll." He gripped his weapons hilt stoically "You have quite the tongue. Perhaps I should educate you to be more proper. It could benefit you immensely."
Her jaw tightened "You think is some type of game?"
"To me, perhaps. To you? I'll save you the speech and say the odds aren't in your favor." Her grip on her blade tightened.
With a collective breath the man in blue readied himself. YoRHa unit or not he just written his death sentence. Her usual empty face now shot daggers at the man before her.
"Bring it on asshole."
[City Ruins]
The Engel unit stared down from where it's arm rested. The man in red was buried deep under it's gargantuan limb, no doubt his remains more than 6 feet under. This was what the managers informed it about? Pathetic. Though he proved to be a remarkable opponent for it's smaller brethren he can never match up to it's size. Just another bug to squash, and did oh so effortlessly.
Requesting assistance.
It shifted it's gaze towards the injured Goliath. The YoRHa units have been assaulting it mercilessly. An odd change in behavior, maybe it was due to the death of the one below that enacted it. It'll archive this "Dante" for the managers to study. The enemy has been affected in some way is always beneficial to them.
Lifting it's arm out of the destroyed rooftop the Goliath prepared to join it's fellow machine partner in terminating the YoRHa units.
"Look at that. You pissed them off. You even made Bee show some emotion."
It's optical receptors scanned for the source. No visuals confirmed.
"I gotta say I'm impressed. Not even I can make her pull off her mask." Something slung over it's eye. A humanoid leg.
"What the-oh c'mon I just got this fixed. Why does it always gotta be my coat?" It's arms were never designed to swing near it's face. They just weren't that malleable and it couldn't risk hitting itself of all things. Only one solution came to mind, an EMP shield. Yellow rings spread through it's body, Androids could upgrade their bodies all they want but they would have to be from another world to even move after experiencing a pulse that can shut down all functions.
A head popped into view. White hair dangled down by gravity, human-like eyes bore into it's artificial ones.
"You alright there? Or was becoming a giant glow stick your lifelong dream?" The Engel unit took time to comprehend that it was the same person that it just killed. Or at least it thought it did, aside from dirt stains the man was unscathed.
"Silent treatment huh. Suit yourself then." It felt his feet kick off it's head. A moment later the man landed on it's arm.
Dante dusted himself off as he saw 9S and 2B attack the other machine a good distance away. Their faces spoke of loss, the death of someone so close taken in a snap. They did see him get "smashed" by a giant buzzsaw, guess they probably think he's dead. Putting a hand on his chin, the man in red hummed in thought.
'How will I break the news to them? I'm Sorry cards might not do the trick, maybe I should I get them some pizza. Man it's already been a while since I had my last slice.' He grinned to himself at the thought. Pizza will always bring everyone together.
Dante had his game plan in complete motion as he avoided the storm of bullets targeted at his head. Rolling off the arm Dante flipped his way onto another rooftop. Turning back around he eyed the Goliath machine.
"For a second there I thought you blew your fuse. Show me what your made of then metalhead." Flicking his nose Dante spun around in a flashy style, bringing his hand in a circular motion and halting it near his chest. He shifted his legs in a relaxed squatting position as the Goliath reels in it's massive appendage.
It swung forward with all it's momentum. A flash of red encompassed the moment of contact. The Goliath thinking that would do it brought it's arm back to the side. Only for it to witness the impossible site of Dante in the same position, completely unmoved by the action. It brought back it's arm and tried again.
*Boom*
It's hand was in flames, leaving behind ugly scorch marks. The Goliath became utterly baffled at the sudden turn in events. What caused the sudden explosion? All it did was bring it's hand down onto-
"Don't slow down now. Things are just getting crazy." The man in red shouted from another rooftop. In his hands was a strange metallic weapon that inherited a bright pinkish glow. The Engel unit roared, smoke and flames soared from the chimneys on it's back. Signifying that it was indeed ready to bring ruin. It's face opened up and blasted away hundreds of bullets.
Dante escaped the oncoming danger by leaping off the roof. Landing on the ground the man raced off to the side escaping the relay of ammo. Fire followed behind but he kept up his speed. Artemis glowed with life in his hand, a signal to release. The half-cambion relented, jumping up he released his trigger finger. A bright pink orb zipped into the sky before dividing into multiple numbers. Pink met purple as the Goliath ceased it's range weapons.
Now on the ground Dante saw it's humongous foot rise from the ground. Everything around him melted in darkness. The machine didn't waste time to stomp on the annoying man in red. Nearby trees rumbled from the force, the ground cracked underneath.
Why is it detecting a sudden drop in temperature?
The Goliath found it's answer as ice shrouded the heel of it's foot. It immediately lifted the lower limb off, a spinning ball of ice stood in the middle. It cracked apart and inside was non other than the devil hunter himself. Before it could react the man dashed towards the semi-frozen appendage, without mercy he took out the Rebellion and performed a series of slashes known as Dance Macabre. His speed so great it resulted in many after images.
*Slice*
*Stab*
*Shing*
"Woohoo!" Planting the devil arm into the ground he gripped the handle of the blade and swung around as if it were a pole. Shards of ice-encased metal glided off the machine like dead skin. The machine lost it's footing, the imbalance caused by the attack forced it to kneel down. The red-clad man raced upwards it's shin, exchanging his signature sword for Lady's signature weapon.
He reached the knee and leaped into the air. He charged it up with demonic energy as missiles soared from the launcher, in a synergy of successful impacts the Goliath felt the bend of it's leg start to give way. Dante wasn't done yet, pulling out Agni and Rudra he propelled himself towards the machine, spinning himself into a fiery, windy cyclone of destruction. Sparks flew off, giving off a light show of wonders. The devil hunter drilled right through and landed back on the ground without trouble. The leg fully severed.
The Goliath knew it was in trouble, this man was something else. It had to get away, it needed to get away. Millions of gears screeched, engines fumed to full exhaust, smoke billowed from the chimneys to shift the possibility of making it's body airborne into the realms of reality. Like a force of nature the machine placed all of it's energy into it's only intact leg. It jumped off the ground, it's entire body traveled thousands of feet away.
Dante frowned. "So that's how it's going to be? For such a big guy you don't have any guts." His feet paced into a walk, which turned into a light jog, which turned into a full on sprint.
The Engel unit detected him on the run. It couldn't stand up anymore, so it was forced to a dig a hand below to keep itself upright. It activated it's own sets of homing missiles, all with Dante's name on it. The man wasn't affected by the site one bit, he slipped through the first set with ease, the ground behind him turning into small craters. He put on a ludicrous display of hopping onto an active missile and proceeded to treat them as if they were mere stones in a river. The insane daredevil outdid himself by pulling off an insane stunt.
"WOOHOO!" Dante hollered as he surfed the sky with a missile being his board. Miraculously he weaved through the others and reached proximity with the machine. The missiles he avoided changed their trajectory until the rocket-riding woohoo man was back on sight.
Dante neared the limb, the fleet of missiles not far behind. The machine's head opened up and a beam of energy reached the devil hunter. The laser ended it's course and the behemoth wasn't certain if it was successful.
*Boom*
*Boom*
*Boom*
Yet what was certain was it's exposed appendage getting attacked by it's own ammunition. It couldn't escape as it inadvertently trapped itself in a vulnerable state. Clouds of pitch black smoke obscured the damaged arm. One attack away from being utterly devastated.
*Bang*
A well-placed sniper round burrowed into the wrist. Wall-banging into each and every inner weak point the not-very ordinary bullet traveled through various beam structures and sensitive mechanical cores within. Electricity crackled from each point of impact, it finally ended it's journey by exiting out near the elbow, and just for some sick kicks it ricocheted into the Goliath's small cheek.
It swore it heard one of the managers laughing somewhere.
Dante savored in the satisfaction from behind the scope. Spiral fumed from the muzzle, getting up from the rock he laid on he slung the heavy rifle over his shoulder and eyed the damage dealt thus far.
Severed leg, check.
Broken arm, check.
Pissed off machine, omega check.
"3 birds killed, no stone needed." It's understandable why 2B and 9S wanted him gone, everything around him is utter shit. What they didn't understand was this wasn't so unusual for a guy like him. His day-to-day life had always been plagued with danger ever since he was born. It was a life he had to adapt to, to overcome so he won't fall amongst the creatures searching to kill him. A life he won't be revealing to his allies anytime soon, that is if he ever felt the need to.
The Engel unit turned at his voice, it's gaze settled onto his, unmoving and prolonging. Very uncharacteristic for the behemoth who was ravaging the land not so long ago. Did he finally break it? It would be a shame. Big guy was pretty fun to hang around, too bad he smashed all of it's buttons. Then again the manufacturers never would've suspected the Son of Sparda to ever grace this world, he himself never expected it too.
"What's wrong? All out of gas? Or your just aren't man enough to squish a harmless little bug like me?" He greeted with a shit-eating grin. The beaten-up artificial giant eyed him, certainly displaying some level of displeasure on it's skull-shaped face. Dante shifted his gaze away to the other Engel that the YoRHa units were taking care of.
"They aren't too shabby themselves." 2B could be seen dealing finishing blows. Whatever 9S was doing in the back it seemed to be working in their favor. The second Goliath malfunctioned before collapsing to the ground.
Looks like it's time to wrap things up. Dante turned back around to give his final words.
"You don't look like you have anything left in the tank, so how about w-"
*Slam* The massive appendage hit him square on. It took a lot of it's remaining power to even lift up it's only good arm. It was unsuccessful, for the hand never met the ground.
"As I was saying. How about we end this with a bang?" Under the steel buzzsaw, gripping the blades by his own bare hands Dante pushed the limb off of him. The Goliath fell to the side. Using his father's keepsake Dante cleaved off the hand. Although it had the size advantage the machine was still made of metal. Metal that could never hope to match up with the superior forgery of demonic steel.
The buzzsaw flew into the air and Dante ran across the arm. Reaching the highest point that was the elbow he leaped into the air and caught the amputated appendage on top of his shoulders. Now he was in the position to strike as the Goliath's head was just down below. It's red eyes shined, never leaving the man as it's body began to glow.
Last ditch effort it seems, no worries he only needs to swing at the right time. Something he could do in his sleep. He led gravity take him down. Blood flowed rapidly making his muscles tense as the devil hunter prepared himself for the evident final blow.
5
4
3
2
1
The devil hunter prepared to make a quip but something stopped his speech. Not just his tongue but in a blink of an eye the environment changed. Before he even knew it Dante was on the ground again. It wasn't dirt, grass, or even aged pavement but smooth chiseled stone. His hands were empty, the piece of machinery he wielded less than a moment ago was absent.
At a loss for words Dante looked around, he resided in a medieval-styled room fit for a lower class peasant. The space looked and felt like it was made of stone. Candles melted away in old chandeliers hanging from above, illuminating the room in soft ambient orange. Various vases and books filled the shelves adorning the walls. The flowers that sat on top of some old wooden boxes filled the atmosphere with a welcoming mix of roses, lilies, and jasmine.
The devil hunter grimaced. He wasn't in the slightest pleased to have the finale of his battle being interrupted by something he has no control over. He headed for the exit of the room, only to be blocked by an invisible force. Reminiscent of the barriers demons would apply to the exits of a room. His solution for this was of course to slay the entire party until there was no more. Except in this case there was nothing to kill and there wasn't anything that hinted at this being the occasional demonic puzzle. Another middle finger he'll give to whatever's responsible for this.
With nothing to do Dante laid his back near the wall and relaxed. The walls lacked any sort of window but did have square-shaped holes that led to the outside. The sounds of people going through their day-to-day lives were audible. The most distinct however was far in the distance, a female voice singing a tune of some sort. She wasn't as loud as the rest Dante heard her crystal clear.
Despite not being able to make out the lyrics, honestly it sounded like gibberish but a soothing type of gibberish. He listened for a bit and had to admit that it was pleasing to hear. Whoever it was clearly had a nice set of vocals yet they sound...familiar.
"I'm sorry." Dante quickly turned around at the meek, fragile young voice from behind. Where the hell did she-no they come from?
Laying in a child-sized bed was a young girl. Her fragile tone indicated she wasn't well. A young boy in what the half-cambion can only guess as medieval grey and white garments was on his knees, comforting the girl by holding her hand.
Dante squinted his eyes in suspicion. Aside from the goofy hairstyle and change in outfit he immediately recognized him as the same kid from his dream. He reached out a hand.
"You again. Look I don't mean to be rude and interrupt this little moment but can you tell me wh-" his hand reached for the kid's shoulder. Only to feel nothing but air, his hand drifted through him like an apparition. The devil hunter pulled back, quite confuse as to what just happened.
"It's okay Yonah. Your safe now." The boy said in a reassuring voice. Dante's presence was nonexistent to the residents. He connected the dots instantly. He was nothing but a mere spectator.
"It's dangerous out there. I don't wanna crush your hopes in finding a lunar tear but you have to stay in bed. Those shades in the shrine could've killed you."
The boy took in a deep breath "How did you even get up there in the first place?" The girl, Yonah looked away in shame.
"I...don't remember. When I got there I was at the bridge, but I got scared. I actually was going to come back but the next thing I know I woke up because you were calling to me." The girl whimpered. The boy recognized her emotional state and quickly embraced her in a hug.
"What you did was wrong but I don't hate you for it. I just want you to be safe. I'll rip and tear through every single shade that threatens to harm you. Whatever you need I'll try my hardest to achieve it, so please don't do anything dangerous. Your my only family left and I won't stop at anything until your well." Yonah fidgeted in his grasp but accepted it as she returned the gesture immediately.
Dante stretched his arms and gave out a yawn. He grew disinterested, it's nice to see family comfort each other but if this is all that there is then what really was the point being here? Though if there was one thing he had to give credit was the boy's selflessness. Now that he thought about it he hasn't seen any signs of parental figures, are they dead? Probably, from what he's hearing the boy fought tooth and nail for his sister. Heh, in a way he sort of saw his 8-year old self in the kid.
Sensing the girl's relief the brother released his hold. Yonah rubbed an eye, indicating growing tiredness. She melted into her sheets, her innocent blue pupils understanding and hopeful.
"Okay." The boy beamed at the response. "Brother can you tell me a bedtime story?"
"Of course." Getting up he grabbed a short stool and placed it on the side of the bed. Dante at this point was back to lying on the wall. His head hung over with a snot bubble growing from his nostril.
"What do you wanna hear?" He held a patient grin. The girl drifted upward in thought and made a delicate hum. A light bulb went off as she gasped.
"The one with the the monsters. I can't remember what it's called but Auntie P told me that she told you about it when you were young."
"Auntie P?"
"Yeah. I gave them nicknames and they didn't seem to mind."
The brother nodded. "Auntie P sure knows a lot of stories with that library of hers. Alright then." Taking a moment to clear his throat the boy put on a dramatic flair in his voice.
"Thousands of years ago before the shades even appeared there were these creatures. Unlike the shades they came in many different shapes and sizes. Some look scaly, others look like skeletons, some had claws and teeth sharper than steel. They were hungry for humans and many of us died by their hands."
Yonah clenched her sheets. "Oh no."
"We tried to fight back but they were stronger and faster than any of us could imagine. Some say if they still existed today we wouldn't be living like how we are right now." Yonah grew more scared.
"These creatures came from the underworld where the leader plotted their next move. Although no one has ever seen him in-person it was said he's big as a giant with a heart black as coal. The Prince of Darkness as he was called was the sole reason humanity was on the brink of extinction. He held a something even the mightiest of kingdoms could only dream of. He had the power to make his wish come true. To conquer the world and make us humans their slaves."
Yonah threw the sheets over her head. "No. He's so mean." She squealed. The brother smiled and patted her head. In the back the red-clad cambion raised his head.
"But one day it all changed. The leader had a right-hand man, a loyal knight who he treated like a brother. A master swordsman and with a huge reputation and respect among the creatures." Yonah peeked over the sheet.
Dante was now fully paying attention.
"Some say he realized what he was doing was wrong. Others say he had a change of heart after spending time with a human woman. What we do know is this, the Knight rejected what made him like the creatures. He garnered something only humans could feel, love and remorse. He didn't wanna see the end of humanity so he made a choice. He turned on his race, including the Prince. After a long and brutal battle the Knight bested the leader. The Knight took the chance and stopped the Prince's plans by destroying the portals connecting the worlds together. Knowing he would be wanted by every single one of his minions the Knight fleed to our world."
Yonah's eyes brightened. "So the knight saved us from his own kind?" The brother nodded.
"YEAH!" The girl celebrated. Showing more exuberance than before, the boy found himself smiling at the display.
"Alright calm down before you get into another coughing fit. At this point the Knight knew he wasn't welcomed back into his homeworld so he altered his appearance to look more like us. He lived side-by-side with us and ever since stopped any attempt of the creatures from coming back."
"Is he still with us?"
"No one knows."
The girl looked dismayed, shuffling on the bed she got on her knees. She held her hands together and closed her eyes.
"What are you doing Yonah?"
"Thanking him for saving us." He laughed.
"It's just an old fable Yonah. None of it really happened."
"Oh." Yonah blushed in embarrassment. Quickly she laid back onto her pillow. "Brother?"
"Yeah."
"What was his name?"
The grey-clad boy scratched his head. "I don't really know but supposedly he named his trademark weapon after him."
Yonah closed her eyes. "Well I hope he wasn't lonely. He deserves a happy life after that."
The brother looked at her in agreement. "Yeah. I hope so too."
Dante took all of this in. How and why did his father's legend exist in this world? Sure it wasn't clearly pointed out that any names were stated but everything else was on point. It's hard to believe any of it was a mere coincidence. Did Mundus figure out dimensional travel? Why did his father never mention it? Did his mother even knew?
The devil hunter became aggravated partly because he couldn't directly interrogate the boy and against his better judgement everything vanished in a blink of an eye.
He pressed a hand to his head, he felt it throbbing painfully. Next couple of minutes are gonna be a bitch. With a grunt he forced himself upward. His abs ached but he pushed through. Now sitting upright he scanned the environment with foggy vision. He was back in the city ruins but not in the same area he used to be.
'Did I get blown back?' He speculated just as two sets of hands carefully lifted him up.
"Can't believe it your actually alive." 9S breathed in a sigh of relief.
"Scan his vitals Pod." 2B ordered.
"Scanning...Subject Dante's suffering only minor injuries. First level burns are responsible from close contact with the Goliath's self destruct sequence."
Dante croaked. "It blew up?" Getting out of their grasp Dante held up a hand to gesture he's fine. His back gave a sickening crack while he stretched.
"Yes it did. And you aren't that injured as I anticipated." 2B crossed her arms, she looked very interrogating.
"You've got some explaining to do."