[City Ruins]
"Why did you follow me?" Anemone demanded. Pressing the pistol right up to his chest.
"I'm a little lost and thought you could help me out." Her eyes narrowed further and took the time to really examine the stalker. Messy ivory hair hung freely over his head, partially covering blue irises. His cheeks had a level of protrusion. The structure of his nose was distinct. Androids while they looked like humans only had a certain degree of facial characteristics. Comparing herself to him, his face is more detailed by a long shot. Not really important overall but it was something worth noticing. Howbeit there are some glaring issues appearance wise, starting with the hair color.
Was he a YoRHa unit? Unlikely, the YoRHa duo never mentioned an additional party, he also would've identified himself by now. His choice of attire didn't coincide with YoRHa's strict guidelines.
Given the situation of war Anemone's faction has conformed to the age old tactic of camouflaging with the environment. The main colors of the Resistance never strayed far from nature's palette. From his waist down there's nothing remarkable until you look up and see the distinct red coat. A rare color to be seen nowadays. Even if it was more common she had no need to wear it. It was impractical to be used in stealth so really the only reason to keep it around was for fashion sense and that didn't take priority on the average soldier's mind. Though there were exceptions; one of her younger fighters have recently became attached to a red cloak. There's also the twins but that's an entirely different case.
She felt a bit of eeriness from the skull guard attached to the base of his sword. The Resistance primary means of defense were firearms and while some did dabble in blades guns suited them better. Androids like Anemone have been on Earth for centuries. Their bodies have been worn down by endless combat. Some of her men can't even fight anymore. Resources for their models have become scarcer and thus became shop vendors as their way of contribution. The only faction to use primarily close range weapons are the newly created YoRHa.
'It's like he chose to mix and match in the worst way possible.' If there was a way to attract attention from all sides this was it.
"If that's the case why didn't you reveal yourself sooner?"
Not too long ago Anemone made a brief departure from her base. The destination wasn't far and barren of something present throughout the city. Since their assigned sector date she hasn't seen a single machine lifeform roaming across this part of the plains. Thus she made it her place of solitude. Her exact point of interest lied in the appearance of two buildings. Further ahead into the alleyway lied a garden. A variety of flora with 4 stones at the corners of the dirt bed.
The responsibilities of being a leader, the dangers of machines, and the whole war faded away everytime she visited.
The array of colorful flowers always put the Resistance leader at ease. Drifting her off into the depths of her mind as she laments over the long life she's had. It's usually how she would spend her time here, alone and in peace. What was supposed to be another moment to herself was ruined when she spotted him moving in the shadows. It didn't take her long to brandish her handgun and threatened him into the sunlight.
"I've got my suspicions. I'm not from around here and the only things I've come across so far are giant toys wanting to kill me for no reason."
"Toys? You mean the machine lifeforms?"
"Like I said the toys."
Anemone thought about his words. He didn't seem to be lying, at the same time it sounded like he didn't have a slightest clue in general. A red flag for her. Unless an android had a problem in their programming they should know who the enemy is.
"What else?"
"You're an android right? Gotta say didn't think you'd be so easy on the eyes."
She ignored the strange compliment.
"What do you think?"
"I'm betting I'm on the money."
"Is that all?"
"Do you know a shortcut to Redgrave City?"
"I've never heard of that place."
"Really? I know it's not the town of celebrities but didn't you see the tower on the news?" Anemone was fed up. Was he getting a kick out of messing with her?
"I've had enough of this. State your identification number and model type?"
"My…what?"
"Everything you've told me is either nonsense or basic common knowledge. Which leads me to believe you're either defective or lying. So identify yourself right now!"
"And if I don't?"
Anemone's eyes furrowed and a twitch to her finger activated her gun. Green eyes opened to an unnatural length, smoke puffed out of the pistol. Nothing was wrong with her firearm, the bullet shot out of the barrel without any drawbacks. The thing was she had it pressed against his chest, it was impossible to dodge up close. Yet…
"Fast. I like that in a woman."
Anemone's arm which held her smoking gun was pushed to the side. His outstretched arm gripped hers, she quickly recomposed herself. Gritting her teeth she tried to get out of his grasp, he fought her off. Keeping the gun away from him she involuntarily blasted more shots, all of which went in random directions. Her efforts didn't prevail, since he wouldn't let go she lifted herself up and attempted a dropkick his face. The man in red threw her and she landed. Quickly she aimed for his head, the echo of her gunfire erupted throughout the area. His head cradled back from the blast. Slowly it titled forward with something glimmering in his teeth.
'No way.' The bullet was spat out from his mouth.
Feeling the unknown danger she was facing Anemone unloaded her rounds, not wanting him to get another chance like that. He stepped to the side, the first bullet passed him by. Second and third shots he simply jumped over their paths. The rest he flipped into the air, his coat swishing around making it difficult to spot his vital areas. Unease creeped in for the stalker displayed high agility that allowed him to escape her trajectory. He landed nearby, back facing her. Now was her chance. Anemone pressed the trigger. Empty clicks filled her ears and she muttered a curse. The man in red gripped a coat flap showing fresh bullet holes sizzling next to old ones.
"Hey watch it! This coat wasn't exactly cheap."
Disgruntlement poured over Anemone's face. She emptied her old magazine and was in the process of replacing it until her stalker intervened and smacked the entire thing out of her hands. Pistol landing far out of her grasp. The Resistance leader grabbed the rifle hanging around her shoulders. She swung the butt of her gun. He slid back far enough to ready her AK-47. In response he brandished a pair of 1911's. Anemone almost laughed. If this guy's cocky enough to stand off against an AR with those then it just made things easier.
Gunshots rang out from the alleyway, shadows appeared alongside the light of gunfire. A swarm of bullets collided, the impact so great they bounced off and hit the ground. Ammunition piled into a small mound of metal. Anemone gritted her teeth as she pressed hard against the trigger. The man in red smirked, flipping the pistols and shot them sideways. The longer the standoff lasted the larger her eyes became. Each second that passed by was another second the he kept standing. Shock came in the form of clicks from of Ak-47.
Did she really just lose to a pair of pistols?
Anemone scrambled to reload, keeping her eyes on him as he slowly closed the distance. She got a new mag and went to aim. His pistols trapped the end of her muzzle in an X-formation, she fired but her end was shoved to the side. She tried to use the strong recoil to shake him off but he still managed to keep it away. Redirecting it around his person added more bullets to the pile.
"Almost got me there."
Anemone made an audible suck of the teeth. He released her and shuffled away, making her miss yet again.
"Woooh!" He smacked the hot muzzle away with his gun. She spun around, aiming for the left cheek.
"Ha!" He bonked it to the side just as she fired. Nicking the wall instead. This moment left her vulnerable but wasn't capitalized. Anemone recovered and couldn't not believe that he wasted the opportunity. She shot him a glance and…he's inspecting his gun as if he wasn't in combat. Those blue orbs shifted her way and gave her a look that conveyed…
"You done yet?"
"You find this amusing?" He gave her a shrug and caught the rifle muzzle exactly like last time but Anemone activated a switch. Her blade popped out in a flicking motion. Just as it was about cut him the man in red pushed her off. Losing balance she fired on mistake and the recoil further threw her back. A tree root caused her to fall and the rifle dropped from her hands. Just as she was about hit the floor she was stopped. Anemone craned her head up, it was him.
The man in red pulled her back on her feet but Anemone stepped away. Her guard remained, a little act of courtesy wasn't gonna change her. The Resistance leader was disarmed and worse her opponent still had his. She tried to conjure up a plan that would get her out of this alive. He reached out, making her freeze.
"Better watch it."
"What?"
"Don't those look important to you?"
Anemone looked down and suppressed a gasp. The bottom of her foot grazed the petals of a rose. Throughout the entire gun fight not one single bullet touched the garden. Even the 4 stones in the corners of the patch remained unmoved. Why should he be concerned about something that held no significance to him? The Resistance leader looked back at him with questioning eyes.
"Does it matter? I won't be alive in the next minute. Just get it over with." Anemone closed her eyes for the impending bullet to pierce her head. Waiting to become another statistic added to the war. Seconds flew by and she grew anxious. The leader heard something and unsealed her vision.
"Cheer up princess. If I did we wouldn't be chatting now would we?" In an act to utterly baffle Anemone's core he offered back her weapons. She alternated between him and her guns unsure of what to think. He chuckled and flipped the guns to where the muzzles now faced him. He wiggled the handles at her face playfully. After a brief moment of contemplation she reached out and accepted.
"I guess not." The ground littered in bronze metal ammunition invaded her peripheral. "Why did you go along if you didn't mean any harm?"
"Cuz it was fun."
Observing an enemy until they decide how to take them out? Yes. Testing out the efficiency of equipment with a high ranking officer such as herself? Reckless but understandable to a degree. Engaging in a gun fight for the sole purpose of entertainment? That wasn't just a horrible reason, it's the pinnacle of stupid. A certain grey-hooded woman came to mind that shared this guy's taste for adrenaline. For that she really had to take a breather and find her words.
"If you were one of my men I wouldn't hesitate to punish you. I doubt YoRHa would have someone pull such a stunt on their behalf. However, as much as I wanna detain and throw you in the ditch I was the one who initiated the entire thing. Sorry for acting so
rash." One thing her former sergeant had shown her was to always be fair and admit to making mistakes. Her honesty is what made her stand out and Anemone abided by this code into her programming.
The man in red brushed it off. "No big deal."
"…but you did stalk me to an extent. Enough reason for me to make an arrest yet there's another option that could benefit us greatly." Digging through her pouch Anemone brought out a list. The base has been suffering a decline regarding materials, and her men need time to recover. She was gonna go out of her way in collecting some resources but she witnessed this man's uniqueness first hand. He was fast and keeps himself in one piece.
"Get me these materials, nothing too complicated only the basic necessities. Every machine has them. I would offer reinforcements but you can handle yourself just fine." She eyed the sword on his back and wondered of his melee skills.
The man in red didn't bother reading the list and scoffed. "No thanks. I'm no errand boy."
Anemone expected him to say no and she wouldn't force an outsider to do her bidding. He still wanted something from her and she needed something in return so it's fair.
"Do this for me and I'll have my dispatch locate this Redgrave City for you."
…
"Fine."
He reached for the paper but she jerked it away last second.
"Thank you. My name's Anemone, the leader of this territory belonging to the Resistance."
"Resistance? From the toys." Anemone's mouth straightened.
"Yes. The toys."
"…Dante."
'Dante?'
Androids were manufactured with a serial number and that was their identification label, kind of like YoRHa. After being on the surface for so long androids started to go by nicknames. It was initially a practice used by the more fanatical androids. Data suggested humans went by another name for various reasons. Whatever the case this practice had spread throughout the surface, many androids took a liking to it including her. Problem was they didn't really know what to name themselves and its disrespectful to go by a human name. Not like the Resistance knew any human names anyway. So they would name themselves after organisms, Anemone was a good example. You'll tend to get the occasional person who will name themselves differently from the rest, mainly Jackass. The name Dante didn't ring a bell in her repertoire.
Dante snatched the paper, not sparing it a peek. "By the way where's the nearest human town? Could really go for a bite to eat."
Anemone paused.
Did this android seriously ask him that question?
"Dante, humans have fled to the moon thousands of years ago. They haven't been back since." In an instant his cool demeanor vanished, replaced by a neutral look.
"You're serious?"
Anemone pondered on his obscurity. Dante spoke as if humans should still be roaming around. She thought back to the way he referred to the machine lifeforms. He didn't seem to be familiar with the enemy at all. Could it be that he's an android from another time period? Recently reactivated and wandering the plains in search of anything familiar? That would explain everything that seemed off about this man. From his dress code to his lack of knowledge. Guilt flowed through her circuits. Anemone always had a soft spot for the veterans. Waking up to a reality so unfamiliar to their own is a devastating position to be in. She really started to regret her previous actions now.
"Yes. Are you ok? I could have someone provide a maintenance check." Dante shook his head and made for his exit.
"Don't need it. I'll come to your hideout when I'm done."
"I haven't told you where it is."
"Those fences aren't exactly hard to find."
Anemone looked away in thought. Maybe it wasn't best to send him out for this. He doesn't have the full context of anything that's going on. Not to mention his knowledge of humanity before they fled to the moon. She should stop him right now.
"Wait Dante…"
…
"Dante?"
Anemone looked ahead puzzled. Getting out of the alleyway she couldn't find a single trace of the man in red.
[Desert]
"Are you sure?"
Jackass waved 9S off. "Yeah go do your thing. I need to fix this truck or Anemone will have my ass. Literally." Popping open her toolbox she pulled out a socket wrench and went into repairing the damaged vehicle.
"Ok. We'll contact you when we're done."
9S spotted 2B sliding off a dune a good distance away. He hurried up not wanting to be left behind. After informing the madwoman about their situation Jackass took them across the desert. Following the directions 6H had given before her last breath. Unfortunately the truck broke down. Leaving Jackass pissed for she had just repaired it. Talk about karma, if she didn't crash into every machine in existence maybe it wouldn't have happened. The truck was designed for transport and it's a miracle it took as much punishment as it did. The scanner hoped this would put an end to her dangerous antics. Shadows of the rocky desert walls shrouded him completely. He found 2B kneeling over close by.
"Found a lead?" The battler rose up to her feet, a gritty layer of grain clung to her leather stockings.
"The anomaly has left a trail." A set of footprints lead up the rocks. Time took out the finer details but they could make it out at the very least. It disappeared underneath a set of boulders, where a prominent gap resided.
"Awesome, that should make our job easier." 9S exclaimed. 2B raced up the rocks, using her momentum to propel herself upwards. She flipped and landed on top with grace. The scanner followed, springing up into a leap that should've flew him past the rock. Instead he barely reached the edge, hastily he gripped the top by his fingers. He tried getting up using his boots to climb but kept slipping off.
"Do you need assistance?" 2B's head poked out from above.
"No I got it. Darn sand messing with my groove." He respectfully declined. The scanner pressed his toes against the boulder. He pushed up but given the lack of texture made him slip. 9S scrambled to save his grip.
"Proposal: Use this pod unit to assist you climbing the terrain." Pod 153 offered.
"Don't sweat it. I got this." 9S refused. He took a moment to collect his thoughts placing his entire foot this time on the rock. He pushed up until he was able to swing his leg over the edge. The scanner led out a sigh of relief and climbed.
9S felt triumphant, he shot a look to his Pod basically saying it was no big deal. The black and red support unit didn't respond and hovered over him. Next boulder was larger even with the great agility he possessed he didn't know if his small frame could reach the top. 9S jumped, he was surprisingly able to make it past halfway. He reached for the edge but to his dismay it wasn't enough. Gravity started to take ahold of him. 2B grabbed his hand before that could happen. The boy was left dangling on her whim.
"Do you need assistance?"
"Please."
Lifting him up to her level they proceeded to reach the gap. 2B took the lead hopping onto a pipe at the center and he followed. The tracks were heading to the other side of another cliff. From there the YoRHa duo saw something similar to the city. Decrepit concrete buildings in mass. The only thing different about them were the inclusion of balconies.
"What's that?" 2B asked to which her pod answered.
"Analysis: It is the ruins of a former human residential area. Large numbers of humans resided in such concrete and metal structures. The structures were referred to by names such as "apartment complex."
9S brought a hand to his chin. "Doesn't look exactly comfy. Why would humans live in such tight and cramp spaces?"
"It was a method used to solve problems of overpopulation. Prior to the aliens, human civilizations grew at a rapid pace. Land is necessary to farm resources essential for survival thus created designated areas for housing in order to prevent the rise of excessive landscaping."
"Gotcha." The pair jumped off the edge and glided down via their Pods.
Once they landed desert machines emerged from the sands. A unique characteristic these units have adopted in this environment. The duo noticed they had weapons. Swords to be exact. Unlike the elegant craftsmanship that went into YoRHa weaponry the machines were clunky in design. Sharp pieces of metal hung from metal scraps that looked haphazardly welded together. Making it look like a poor design of a large dagger.
"Android…"
"Scared…"
"Pleaseeee….don't."
The machines have adopted speech as of late, first sighting was reported shortly before their previous descent mission. They don't know the cause of why but their intentions remain the same. When they become hostile they speak only of wanting to kill androids, however these desert machines are using new words that envoke fear. Why is this? 9S saw his partner hesitating at the machine's words.
"2B it's fine. Their speech doesn't mean anything. They're just emitting words at random. If they wanted help why are they attacking us?"
She mellowed at his reasoning. "Yeah." The battler proceeded to dive in for battle.
9S stayed back. Kneeling down with his palms open. He focused his attention on the units 2B wasn't directly engaging with. Golden halos appeared around his hands, within his visual optics he selected one unit. A scan of it was highlighted as he felt his own code transcend from his body and into the unit. While 2B did a swift motion of her blade 9S had already destroyed the enemy's internal defense systems. The scanner did the same procedure for the rest. With their combined efforts the machine numbers narrowed down to one. They watched in wonder as the unit began to act hysterical, running around in circles chanting the same word over and over.
"Help! Help! Help! Help!"
2B waved Contract in front of her and approached it. Her heels stopped as 9S placed his arm in front of the battler.
"Let me get this one."
The white samurai blade rematerialized at her back "Be quick."
"Yeah, yeah. Hacking in."
9S performed the usual hacking procedure. Closing his eyes his code infiltrated the machine. No longer did his optical field recognize the physical world. Numbers or more specifically code created an ever-descending well. The scanner's data rematerialized into an imitation of his physical form. A force pulled him down the passage, he couldn't control it but he didn't worry for it was all part of the process. 9S would fall into the white, digital world. Going through the usual procedures he would take down the unit's self-defense and set the systems to self-destroy. Prepping to return back to his own body something unorthodox digitalized.
"A door? That's weird." 9S wondered why an imitation of a physical object would end up here of all places. Prompted by his curiosity he reached for the handle, entering through the door dissolved into cubes. Leaving him in an environment that got him questioning. He was now standing in a desert. The scanner looked above to the gleaming sun. Temperatures felt just like the real thing and the sky looked as blue as ever. He didn't encounter anything like this before.
"What the-what kind of data is this?" Something alerted his ears. He didn't realize he was on a vantage point, he got a full overview of a thriving civilization down below. The architecture was different than the apartment complex. In contrast the buildings were made out of literal stone and sand. 9S examined the architecture in awe, these were made in a time where humans still roamed around. It was nice to see actual buildings in use instead of the empty husks left on Earth. The more he saw the more he picked out some oddities in the design. There was an abundance of stairs that lead to nowhere. A partial amount of buildings were unreachable simply because there was no way to reach. It kind of bugged him that such a flaw in design either went unnoticed or they saw the mistake and still rolled with it.
There was a river of sand that ran through all parts of the village. He wondered how such a design was possible. Sand was coarse and rough as opposed to the formless property of water. How were they able to make it flow like liquid? A boat traveled through the river and the scanner stared at the occupants. They were covered head to toe in a brand of clothing unfamiliar to him. Was it to hide from the intense heat of the sun? Desert animals are known to mask in the shades. They were sensitive to heat and an abundance of exposure can lead to harmful effects. Did humans operate the same way? The occupants made it to their destination and ran up the tallest set of stairs in the village.
Colorful confetti and fireballs covered the atmosphere. The majority of the village was at the palace, cheering in a language he couldn't understand. They part took in what 9S has come to learn as dancing with celebratory music blaring from instruments. Up at the front of the palace were two individuals holding hands. According to his calculations this must be a ceremony of some kind and so far everyone is having a fun time.
"Wow didn't know there was data this old." 9S made sure to log this moment for YoRHa's databanks. He took another look at the happy crowd and noticed something common among them. They all wore wooden masks with the same design of white markings and red eyes. The same as the desert machines.
"Hold on a second. Are the machines…copying human data?"
9S felt a sudden pull, taking him off his feet and into the sky. The environment effectively lost it's color, returning back into the familiar white color of the digital world. In the midst of his investigation 9S forgot about the self-destruct procedure and figured his time was up. Feeling the pull getting harder 9S braced himself as his data left the desert unit.
9S opened up his eyes as the machine exploded.
"9S are you alright?" 9S looked to his side. He's back in the real world, he didn't even notice. The scanner could tell 2B was a bit concerned. He got up from his knees.
"You were in there longer than usual. What happened?"
He looked at her. "The machine's defense systems were a bit tougher to crack. It's nothing really." Her eyes lingered on him but accepted his word. Silently she made her way towards the apartments, he didn't fall too far behind.
"2B who do you think we're chasing after?"
"The anomaly."
"I-I know that. What I mean is who exactly are we in pursuit for? 6H suffered injuries that no machine is capable of doing."
9S had a point, the machines were too basic and simple in the art of combat. Riddling a YoRHa unit with an array of stab wounds would require a level of weapon expertise the machine lifeforms simply lacked. "Maybe it's a rogue android."
"Rogue android?"
"The trail we're following appear to be an android's." 9S thought about it for a second and she was right. Judging by glance the footprints were bigger than 2B's but weren't flat and dull like a machine.
"If it was an android why would they go out of their way of attacking their own?"
"Infection of the logic virus?"
A plausible theory, it's been a new method the machines have conjured up in the past years. Once an android is infected they lose all sense of control, unable to decipher friend from foe, attacking anything that moves. The only method of prevention was a vaccine YoRHa had manufactured and supplied the Resistance with. However it must be applied prior to infection. Any sooner they'll pass the point of no return. Despite being the most technologically advanced out of the factions YoRHa wasn't safe either. Infected black box data would lead to a mass infection if it ever reached the Bunker. The countless hours scanners and operators have spent in the R & D department trying to make a 100% effective cure lead to the same failing result.
Once an android undergoes a full infection, it would be known for their eyes illuminate the same red light as the machines. The only way to stop the infected is by killing them. In a short amount of time the virus has become infamous worldwide. Nowadays none would dare be seen with red pupils fearing they'll be mistaken as infected. Which would lead to an inevitable execution.
"Hmm 6H didn't mention any form of infection and wouldn't we have found her with the same condition?" The chances of surviving a viscous encounter with the infected was slim. Even if they did it wouldn't take long for them to become infected as well.
"You think they have a grudge against humanity?"
2B was silent for a moment.
"What do you think?"
It was a scary thought for 9S. Long before YoRHa's conception there were quite a few numbers of androids who gave up their allegiance with the Army of Humanity. This group was rumored to have abandon their desire to fight for humans. Instead fighting for themselves, their own independence. 9S was a proud member of the YoRHa militia and couldn't imagine betraying the cause. Due to the abandonment they've garnered a negative reputation among the AoH and YoRHa. However they've went quiet ever since the announcement of…
The pods chimed and lit up a virtual screen, the pair stopped momentarily.
"The Council of Humanity has a message for all our brave androids fighting on the surface. Currently our struggle against the enemy is at a stalemate. This battle has raged on for far too long. I am sure all of you find the effort grueling. But now is not the time to give up, now more than ever we must forge on. 700,000 humans on the moon want nothing more than to return to Earth. Glory to Mankind."
The message was straight forward and to the point, afterwards the representative hanged up.
"Let's go."
"Right." The pair followed the trail into the complex. 9S saw the remnants of a manmade attraction. He could make out the vague shape of a horse on a large metal spring. There was also a slide as tall as him that stretched a short distance. Steel beams welded together to make a structure of some kind where decrepit swings hung from. A part of him wanted to take the time exploring the meaning behind it but given their situation it wasn't optional. The best he did was having 153 take a picture and ask about it later.
"The trail disappeared." The battler announced. 9S would've been disappointed because from here on out their target could be anywhere. Ahead of them were many passageways that looked akin to a labyrinth. Going in blind at this point wouldn't do them any good. This might've posed a problem if he didn't spot a whole bunch of machine bodies laying in front of one of the paths. He ran with 2B in tow, skidding to a halt he made a quick examination. Multiple small holes spread across their metal shells, they shared the same injuries as 6H. Meaning their assailant wasn't far ahead. 2B looked ahead and found more machine bodies, they knew exactly where to go now.
"Analysis: The machines have been recently slained." Pod 042 chirped. "Proposal: Follow the dead enemy units in order to find the target."
2B gave it a quick glance. "Thank you Pod for pointing that out." Her deadpan voice made it hard to distinguish the sarcasm. She didn't fret on for long and they followed the deathly path, making a good amount of progress within. It was until they reached heaps of sand and car wreckage did they stop.
"Did the…anomaly do that?" 9S was speechless. A dead goliath biped had an arm severed and penetrated through the torso. 2B walked closer. She caught a glimpse of fresh smoke rising up from the carcass. If it could take out big units what else could they do?
In the distance the YoRHa duo could make out the distinct sound of explosions.
[Earlier]
The rocking horse swayed, Vergil let go and watched it go still. His thoughts taking him to a time long since past. Walking past the old playground he saw many breaking paths within the complex. His amulet was close and he wasn't keen on getting lost in these forsaken ruins. Luckily for him that wouldn't be an issue. Like critters of the night desert machines rose from the ground.
"Hello. How are you?"
"Nice. Weather. Today."
Vergil marched forward, the masked units brandished their self-made weapons. He disappeared, the machine's couldn't find him anywhere on their visuals. Sounds of footsteps showed the darkslayer on the other side, continuing his walk without minor concern. Despite this the content remained the same.
"Android." One of their voice boxes screeched to an ear-grating volume. A ring of mystical blue swords surrounded each unit. Vergil commanded the blades to close in, each machine receiving fatal stabs. They all fell dead in unison.
The darkslayer resumed his pace. If the machines are trying to stop him from going this route most likely there was significance they wanted to be kept hidden. Meaning they're gathering all the help they can, including the unit in possession of his heirloom. He could care less of whatever they're hiding. The path lead him to an open area where the sunshine baked the scenery. Vergil had to keep a hand over his eyes as to not be blinded. This aura of abandonment this place gave off made him think back on his interrogation of the…android.
Vergil had yet to truly believe the thing's words. Did Mundus truly sent him to a future so far from his time that the underworld ceased to exist? He didn't wanna believe it. The realms have existed since the beginning of time, it can't just simply be erased. The human world has been taken over by these inferior contraptions and the Dark Prince didn't do anything to stop it? He tried to draw conclusions but it was either too convoluted or contradicted with what he's learned. No matter his intelligence he couldn't find a logical viewpoint of the timeline. Vergil never felt so lost.
He reached an area filled with sandy mounds. Old bus skeletons decorated the scenery. Stepping foot across the jutting broken roads he felt vibrations close by. Flying out from behind the biggest machine he's seen yet. It too was dressed in it's own assortment of rags and mask. Vergil looked at it with mild interest.
"Android. No. You. Are. False."
The oldest son of Sparda noted the numerous heads facing him in sync. It's bulky arms stabbed deep into the ground. Sand flew everywhere, rings of energy spawned, increasing in size and range. Vergil viewed the rings as they approached him, he automatically knew it wasn't strong enough to faze him. Scoffing he vanished on top of the arm, driving the Force Edge in a downwards motion. Severing the joints connecting to the body the machine faltered back.
It used it's other arm to reach out and grab him but it was far too slow to catch him. Vergil had already hopped onto a nearby bus and did a quick snap of his fingers. Mirage blades shot out from his sides all targeting the sprouted heads. The machine scrambled to figure out a way to deal with the nimble darkslayer, it rested the remaining arm on the ground and angled itself like a cannon. It buzzed to a loud degree as a beam blasted Vergil's position. The attack left a smoldering chunk behind. A shadow rubbed its gaze prompting the biped to look up.
The severed arm stabbed through the core, pinning the gigantic unit over. Vergil landed in front of the dead machine, as confirmed by it's lifeless eyes.
"Worthless scum."
Didn't take long for Vergil to reach the next area over. Coming close to a tunnel covered by steel beams bent and hunched over almost in an inviting manner for him. He entered without taking a look to the dead android corpses hanging off metal spikes. The tunnel itself was uneventful and didn't take him long to reach a clearing. In the center of it all lied an…he didn't know what to describe the amalgamation.
Vergil scanned the bodies of machines contorted into a disgusting white mass. Was this what they were preventing him from reaching? Not wanting to continue viewing the imagery he swiftly brought it down via the Force Edge. It crumbled into pieces, basking the floor in white sludge. Some of it stuck to him and he mindlessly wiped it off. Vergil took a deeper look but his amulet was nowhere to be found. This had upset him greatly, he was certain this was where his precious heirloom was kept. Sand shifted through his feet and before he knew it the entire ground caved in, taking him along for the ride.
Vergil fell to the bottom of a pit. Machine bodies were clustered together, forming webs in and around the depth. Such a sight wasn't enough to weird him out. It reminded him of the nests some reptilian demons would make out of meat and bones. Although what he wasn't prepared for was what lied at the base floor. Vergil landed without much trouble, the moment he lifted his head up he was in sheer disgust.
Machines were grinding-no humping each other in a sexually explicit manner. Vergil looked away only to find more machines doing the same thing. He was met with the sight all around him. Each were in various positions but they lacked reproductive organs. Making the very act in of itself inefficient, however his ears were invaded with grunts and moans. His mind suggested the desert heat may have gotten to him. However he shut that thought down for he knew it was wishful thinking. Nothing was wrong with him, the Son of Sparda's journey has brought him to a machine orgy.
"Harder."
"Take it."
"Make me your one and only."
Vergil who made it his life's mission to be the strongest has been forced to go through a humiliating act of a scavenger hunt. His amulet, his precious gift from his mother had been taken from him by oversized children toys. This was worse than humiliation, this was mockery not only to him but for his father's legacy. Does this world think the Son of Sparda's a joke, venturing all the way across the wretched desert only to find this?
No.
No. This world couldn't be the same his father saved.
It had to be a different world.
He'll show them.
He'll show this world the consequences of messing with the Son of Sparda.
Vergil's fists clenched so hard the fabric of his gloves squeaked. His muscles tensed, veins protruding along his arms. Teeth clenched so tight they felt grating. The very ground he stood on trembled as his power engulfed within him. Akin to reactive underground magma chambers the vibrations reverberated to a large distance. So much so the horny machines stopped their attempts at mating and all turned to Vergil. The darkslayer's body glowed with aura, his scowling eyes produced a threatening blue.
"No." His voice had altered.
"No more." Sharing a tone unlike anything the machine's had ever heard.
"AAAAAAAAHHHH!"
The darkslayer released a roar that shook very walls of the pit. Such vibrations activated the desert units' hostile programming. They surrounded him like moths to a flame. Vergil's aura shined greatly with power. The moment he finished his war cry he punched the nearest unit. Body shattered under his overwhelming might. His boot hit the side of another, bending it from his weight before crashing into the wall unmoving.
In a viscous act of brutality Vergil grabbed one's roundish head and tore it from it's body, masking him in black oil as he threw it to the brethren. The units surrounded him, intent on overpowering him with numbers. Vergil had faced far stronger enemies so this strategy quickly fell apart. In his act of rage anything that resembled a machine met a horrible end. Explosions rumbled the pit, dismembered machines raining throughout. More units spawned from the clusters, adding to the numbers. However with how fast he was taking them out it didn't matter.
"Scary."
"Android."
"Scary."
"Android."
"Scary."
"Android."
"This."
"Cannot."
"Continue."
A machine dropped onto the ground far away, Vergil in his rage didn't see it at first but after ripping off another head his peripheral picked up on a glistening pendant. His act of rage vanished, eyes shifted to the machine adorned with a golden necklace.
"For my tribe. For my people. I'll get you for this." The machine proclaimed and ran to join the numbers. Vergil blazed through multiple units. Dented bodies flew from his path until he eventually reached the designated one. He snatched the amulet out from the machine's neck before very violently kicking it into a wall. Making a crater that webbed across the hard rock. A fist plunged into the head, bludgeoning it to an instant fatality.
Relief washed over Vergil, the search had came to an end.
He inspected the amulet for any imperfections. Luckily for him there wasn't, the golden material remained unscathed. The jewel itself maintained the pristine sheen. Flipping it over the darkslayer recognized the handwriting engraved into the back. His mother's spelling hasn't deteriorated one bit.
Vergil and Dante.
"Dante." This entire time he hasn't even pondered the idea of his brother dwelling somewhere on this alternate Earth. Vergil recalled his memory of Mundus and he remembered seeing Dante alongside him before everything went white. The chance of him being in the same situation isn't confirmed but if he was…
…The Sparda can be awakened once again.
"This cannot continue."
Vergil was so crept up in his mind he almost forgot about his rampage. Placing the necklace over his neck he turned and faced the army of units. Only for him to see the machines have now stopped their attempt at swarming him. They paced around in circles, claws scratching their heads, looking around desperately for an answer. The odd behavior escalated and they've begun to roll on the floor, knocking each other over, and walking over their dead comrades mindlessly. Vergil watched, too enraptured by the sudden change.
"This cannot continue."
"This cannot continue."
"This cannot continue."
"This cannot continue."
"This cannot continue."
The machines began climbing the clusters, overlapping each other at the center point. Like ants they dogpiled over another, growing their mass into a sphere. The light shining through told him it was hollow but not empty. Vergil didn't know what to expect from these mindless contraptions so he didn't let his guard down.
The darkslayer cringed in disgust as the ball opened up like an egg. An unknown substance leaked through and with it came a naked humanoid. It fell to ground with a thud.
"How revolting!" Vergil looked away not wanting to view it's bare cheeks. It rose up, it's long flowing hair that matched with his color covered the majority of it's face. It shared the physique of a human male athlete but like the machines lacked any form of crotch.
Through the hair Vergil made out one single red pupil. He kept his distance, summoning the Yamato in his grip. The humanoid didn't attempt to attack him. Vergil who was in the middle of internally revolting over having the misfortune of experiencing this thing's "birth" pondered as to whether he should slay it right now.
"An…droid?"
It spoke, it sounded more human than the machine.
"No. I am not."
The humanoid dipped it's head, seemingly confused at to what he said.
"Not…android?"
Vergil reached for the Yamato, not wanting to deal with the thing anymore.
"HEY 2B! I'M DETECTING A STRONG MACHINE SIGNAL FROM THIS HOLE!" A voice from above caught the attention of both parties. Vergil scoffed at the timing of whoever this person was, their intentions were unknown to him.
A thought struck Vergil's mind. Back in the Temen-Ni-Gru he browsed the libraries containing information on Sparda. There was a book regarding the ability to open realms. In order to do so you will need a powerful blade with unyielding precision. He wasn't sure if Sparda based Yamato off this tale but either way he gave it a try. Given his haste to claim the Force Edge he hadn't perfected the technique. However if it meant on finding his dear brother than it was worth a shot. He'll leave this thing to the arriving guests.
Vergil unsheathed his signature weapon, directing the katana into two wide arcs. A visible trail was left from the blade's tip where in the next moment reality itself was split open. A mystical dark void awaited him, he's able to perform the technique of opening a rift successfully. However the destination in mind isn't exactly clear cut. Meaning he had no idea what lied on the other side. For the sake of power he would gladly take those chances, not heeding the humanoid any more of his attention Vergil left. Once his image disappeared the rift glued itself back together, effectively restoring reality back to its natural state.
The humanoid watched everything in silence until something landed behind it.
"Is that an android?"
"Report: Machine lifeform signal confirmed."
"That's a machine? Why does it look like us?"
"Let's kill it 9S."
"Right on. Contact the Bunker Pod."
[City Ruins]
"Humans fled to the moon thousands of years ago."
In Dante's mind that statement kept on repeating itself. His figure dashed across the empty city streets, bypassing multiple machine lifeforms. It caught the attention of the docile units, watching the retreating man in red run up the side a building and hopping to the rooftop. He fixed his gaze to the old skyscraper in the middle of the city. A sense of determination took ahold of him, his fist clenched and he heard crinkling paper. Dante momentarily forgot about his deal with the chick and stored it away for the time being. There he continued to transition from one rooftop to the next.
Going back to her words the devil hunter was conflicted. By Nevan's words there weren't any humans nearby but he just figured it was because the location's abandoned. Humans did tend to leave their footprints behind in the biggest case of laziness possible. Admittedly he tends to do that also, his brokers usually cut most if not all of his contract money to fix his battle damages. Still, Dante would never fucking think the population can pack their bags and dip out to the rock in the sky. She could've been lying to him, they got off on a bad start and maybe she was holding a grudge. An important factor he's noticed upon awakening begged to differ.
Dante looked at the sky where the giant ball of fire sat. 'Still hasn't moved. I'm no genius but even if I'm on the other side of the world the sun doesn't stay forever.'
There should be no reason for unlimited daylight. Did Mundus send him to another human realm? He wasn't entirely sure and he ran out of time delving on the matter. He skidded to a halt, finally reaching the base of the skyscraper. Dante had sensed vitality spawning at the very top, it was strong and most importantly recognizable. He knows better than anyone who this person was to stop his chat with Anemone. As he prepared to meet this familiar person his amulet dangled over his neck.
Grasping it Dante took it under consideration.
On the top floor dead stubbies littered the ground, the room was blown apart in two sections from a past event. Leaving a giant gap in the back and a smaller one at the front. A man was standing in front of the latter, silently watching the nature-ridden scenery of the Ruins. Planting his sheathed katana at his front. The temperature was cooler than the desert, enough for a blue coat and black ascot to be worn again. Shortly after his arrival he sensed a familiar power, one that he knows very well. He took the option to standby for he knew he was coming.
Someone has arrived. He turned around, the sunlight from the hole brightened his swept-back hair.
"Dante."
"Vergil."