Zayna would run up the stairs to start heading to Abkhazia, when suddenly she sensed something off, stopping as she looked around. Suddenly, a cyborg leaped in from out of nowhere as Zayna stepped back with ease to evade.
"The bastards are using stealth camo to ambush you." Boris cursed.
"Buuut they messed with the wrong girl today." Ace chuckled. "Rip 'n Tear, Zay!"
"Gladly," Zayna smirked as she rushed in, easily parrying a strike before slashing the cyborg attacker to bits, and proceeding to easily dismantle the other two with ease as she hummed and smiled, before getting a call.
"Had your fill?" the tan-skinned man, Kevin Washington, asked with a smile.
"Heh, with this suit, I could take these guys with both arms behind my back," Zayna remarked. "...Intel wasn't exaggerating on the cyborg count though."
"Well, in the last few years around here, the techs been spreading fast. That CNT Muscle Fiber packs the power of a jackhammer into every limb."
"Yeah, what enterprising soldier of fortune could resist?" Raiden chimed in. "And the cyborgs are still real, thinking humans at that. Much less collateral than a typical UAV Strike."
"Don't forget the PR angle." The blonde, Courtney Collins, chimed in. "Nations start playing Frankenstein with their troops, and the public goes nuts; PMCs, on the other hand are off the ethical radar." She finished, as she eyed Kevin moving her coffee again as he took his hand off while looking back at her.
"Yeah, they still don't even count PMCs in official death tolls," Kevin said from Maverick HQ.
"Well, with the SOP gone, they needed a new edge on the market." Raiden pointed out. "That's where we come in." Raiden chuckled, folding his arms and resting a bit on Boris' desk.
"In a way, cyborgs are just SOP troops by another name." Courtney added as Zayna intently listened in on the explanation. "Only all muscled up and less predictable."
"So they're like living war goons," Zayna remarked.
"Exactly." Kevin nodded from Maverick HQ.
"Just makes ya wonder somethin'..." Ace remarked from Loonatic HQ.
"What's-that-Ace?" Rev asked.
"Where'd Desperado find guys like that?" Ace asked.
"I'm not complaining. For me, they're walking vending machines." Raiden smirked from Maverick HQ.
"Yeah. Vending machines full of blood.." Kevin joked. "WAGH!" he jumped at the camera, hoping to scare anybody watching him.
"EYAGH!" Duck exclaimed as he got jumped by it.
To this, Kevin laughed, before looking at Raiden. "Easy there, Dracula. Like I said, they're still people." Kevin reminded him.
"Yeah, people who terrorize and take innocent lives for money. You really wanna leave them alive?" Zayna asked on codec.
"You get it, right?" Raiden asked, sounding a little more malicious. "They sowed their fate when they took this job. You and me?"
"We're just the reaper." As the perspective returned to Zayna, to which Raiden nodded on codec with a click of the tongue and a wink.
"Damn… that's a bit cold Raiden, even for you," Kevin said to Raiden.
"Whaddya expect from me at this point, Kev?" Raiden quipped, back to a bit more jovial tone.
"Right, uh…" Kevin remarked as it returned back to Zayna. "It's cool. Let's get to work. Time to increase the peace!" He optimistically said to Zayna.
"You got it." Zayna nodded, ending the transmission as she looked ahead. "Alright. Time to see how this new body of mine handles in real life."
Sure enough, it handled the same as it did in VR, as she hopped into the first building lickity split, as another call came in almost immediately from Boris.
"Zayna, this is Boris. Give me your status." the Maverick head called in.
"Looks clear. No one in sight." Zayna reported.
"Good. I will give you directive of the route you will take," Boris said. "The enemies HQ is in the refinery along the coastline. Dolzaev has been spotted there using satellite photography."
"News-Flash. Also on site? Mistral. A Desperado Captain." Tech added. "Including her, Desperado's got four of them. Like you, their cyborg bodies are custom-made. Collectively, they're known as the Winds of Destruction."
"So it sounds like I should go through the city, cross the bridge of the old town, then head down to the rear of the refinery." Zayna spoke.
"Did you already cover route options?" Boris asked Tech.
"Yeah, part of our debrief." Tech hummed.
"Regardless, I believe they anticipate us. They probably have a grand reception waiting for you at the old city. Do not let your guard down." Boris warned.
"Don't plan on it. Zayna out." Zayna assured as she ended the call and cut open a chest. "Ooh, Regenerative Nanopaste? That'll be handy."
"Don't forget Zayna, we can come running if things get a little too hot for you to handle." Lexi chimed in.
"I gotcha. I'll keep that in mind." Zayna remarked as she hopped up to a higher floor before walking through.
"Hey, hold up. Hostile on radar. Down below." Ace stated.
"Oooh, is it time for a good ol' fashioned sneak attack?" Duck spoke slightly sadistically.
"I think so." Zayna smirked as she approached the ledge, as she leapt up, driving her toe blade into the cyborg's neck, before pulling out and slashing only twice more, as his body fell into thirds.
"Excellent, Zayna!" Boris cheered.
Zayna then exited the building and out into the old city.
"Alright… the only way to the refinery is straight through that main thoroughfare," Zayna said to herself, using her radar to spot 4 cyborgs, two patrolling the buildings up top, and two more watching over a trapped civilian. "Looks like some civilians didn't make it out in time. I'm gonna have to do this quietly." Zayna said before smiling. "Luckily, my new and improved suit has exactly what I need. Time to find it…. Ah-ha, bingo." She smirked before she activated her optical camouflage combined with noise suppressors.
"What are you doing here? This area is off-limits!" The cyborg holding the civilian at gunpoint demanded.
"What!? I-I'm not doing anything!" The civilian begged before the cyborg was suddenly stabbed to death!
"What the hell!?" Another yelled before being beheaded.
"Eyes on target! Where's the fucking assassin!?" Another yelled before getting slashed up.
"Oh shit, oh shit, need ba-UAAAH!" The last one yelled as he was slashed in two, as suddenly, Zayna deactivated her camo to reach the civilian.
"Hey, you're fine now. Get out of here." Zayna told the man.
"O-oh, thank you thank you! I will not forget this!" The man spoke in glee as he ran off, as Zayna ran ahead.
As she was running, suddenly, a long-legged robot leaped over some buildings, landing in front of Zayna as she jumped back to evade getting crushed.
"Shit!" Zayna growled.
"Ah great. Gekkos. These pricks are tricky. You gotta make them think it's their idea to commit to the attack." Raiden groaned a bit.
"You sound like an expert," Zayna said, loosening her jacket.
"I've had my fair share of fights with these things. But don't worry, you can take em." Raiden said.
Zayna nodded and prepared to take on the Gekko and cyborgs with it, as she quickly parried a kick before proceeding to slash off the Gekkos leg before stabbing it in its CPU, killing it on the spot.
"Damn. Too easy." Zayna hummed as she parried the attacking cyborgs, dismantling them just as easily.
"Great work! Keep heading for the refinery, Zay!" Lexi cheered.
Zayna nodded, coming up on more Gekkos and soldiers, as she quickly cut through them with ease.
"This new body is amazing. I haven't even used my Magitech at all, since I'm cutting through these guys pretty easily. I haven't even broken a sweat." Zayna remarked, before running forward and running face-first into an electromagnetic barrier. "...Ouch."
"They've erected and electromagnetic barrier. Maybe expecting UG or cyborg attack, da?" Boris asked.
"Yeah I got that…" Zayna groaned, rubbing her head.
"Don't worry. There's a way through the building next to the barrier." Tech informed.
Zayna saw the door and took the route, gaining access inside and making her way through the building.
Zayna was walking through the building when she suddenly heard…
"Greetings, Vandelay."
"Wha-!?" Zayna would say before getting on guard. "Show yourself!"
Cue a chainsaw cutting through the wall behind her as she turned to it, eyes widened as she limbo'd underneath, the chainsaw just barely clearing her, before she backflipped from the limbo and jumped back to her original position.
"That was close!" Zayna said before seeing the chainsaw still moving throughout the concrete and through the floor. "Oh crap, its gonna bring the whole-!"
Before Zayna could finish, the building section she was in crumbled as she lost her balance, as things began to trend downwards, as she heard things from behind creaking, as she gasped when she saw shipping containers flying for her. She leaped down to the ground instead of opting for being bowled over, slashing some containers that would have fallen on her, and proceeded to slash through another…
When she was greeted by a canine-esque robot, a chainsaw pointed at her to kill as she quickly raised her blades to block it!
"Shhhhhit!" Zayna cursed as she evaded a paw stomp to kick the robot off her, getting back to her feet.
The canine robot flipped back away, showing its full appearance. Its body was chrome and streamlined, with four legs ending in sharp silver claws. Its head was oddly shaped, having a red top with no mouth, and a red dot in the center. The HF Chainsaw it was using was attached to a long prehensile tail, and throwing knives were attached to its hind legs.
"And you are?" Zayna asked, dusting herself off.
"I am IF Prototype LQ-84i."The dog robot spoke as it docked its chainsaw, surprising Zayna and the Loonatics, the latter listening in via their stream through her optics.
"IF Prototype…?" Zayna asked. "I thought those were failures. Most interface prototypes died out due to too many glitches in that sort of system…"
"All autonomous UGs feature high-level onboard artificial intelligence. An additional prototype interface enables verbal communication. I possess an intellect far beyond human reckoning." LQ-84i spoke.
"Amazing! I had no idea Metal Gear technology could be taken this far." Tech marveled.
"I doubt this thing is that smart. If you are, answer this: What's the meaning of life? Why are we here?" Zayna quipped.
To this question, the canine robot tossed a couple of its throwing knives at Zayna with its tail, as she deflected them all with her toe blade.
"I am here to kill you." LQ-84i spoke.
(Cue: I'm My Own Master Now - Cover by GO! Light Up!)
"That's it? Pretty simple thinking for a high intellect." Zayna scoffed.
"I may analyze orders but I may not disobey them. Should I disobey a direct order, my memory would be wiped. I must destroy you." LQ-84i spoke as it drug its Chainsaw along the ground to prove the point.
"What good is an intellect if you can't use it?" Zayna quipped.
"Your taunting is pointless," LQ-84i said. "Exterminate!" it declared before jumping to a higher vantage point. In response to this, Zayna grabbed her jacket and tossed it off in a stylish fashion, unsheathing her wrist blades as she took her battle stance, glaring up at the Blade Wolf, who as soon as he got the high ground, let out a piercing howl.
BOSS: LQ-84i
100.0%
"C'mon, pup!" Zayna shouted at him, and in response, Blade Wolf jumped down and slashed at her with his Chainsaw rapidly, which she parried easily, though it staggered her a bit.
"Combination complete," LQ-84i remarked.
"Urgh… this things HF Chainsaw hits like a truck… even while guarding!" Zayna remarked, before seeing the robot wolf wind up. "Oh sh-!"
She rolled out of the way of a massive whirling strike that missed, taking the opportunity to rapidly slash and kick Blade Wolf a bunch of times before sending it flying with a large kick, as the wolf recovered.
"You will die." LQ-84i snarled as it launched, swinging its chainsaw at Zayna as she parried it again, only this time Zayna decided it was time for Magitech usage.
"ELFIRE!" She yelled, blasting the wolf for hefty fire damage!
LQ-84i: 69.1%
"A savvy warrior uses all of his tools. Backup required!" The robot dog remarked as it leapt to high ground, howling once more as it called for aid, which ended up being a trio of cyborgs.
"Oh please, pooch." Zayna remarked. "THORON!" She yelled, blasting the cyborgs apart with a singular thunder blast. "Are you that dumb you need aid like that to beat me? Step it up."
"Perhaps your intellect is above human average…" LQ-84i remarked as it leaped down, before it proceeded to pounce towards Zayna, who parried it, and then parried another combination. "Combination atta-" It was about to say before howling at Zayna's merciless slashes and stabs, before it was kicked away, yelping more.
"How's that for ya!?" Zayna goaded.
"She shows no mercy. I must use all of my capabilities if I am to prevail." LQ-84i thought. He stepped up his game as he crouched a bit before bounding around the area at a speed even faster than before, being a blur as all Zayna saw when seeing the robot move were the impacts he made in the ground.
'Shit, I pissed him off!' Zayna thought to herself. 'Gotta focus… focus… fooocus…'
She soon stood still, waiting for the wolf to attack… as she felt it from behind her as her eyes opened.
"GOT YOU!" Zayna shouted, parrying the strike and then spiking the wolf down with an axe kick and then rapidly stabbing it!
LQ-84i: 32.3%
"Keep it up, Zayna! That dumb mutt cant possibly take much more than that!" Duck exclaimed.
"To continue alone would be foolish. Help me!" LQ-84i shouted as he howled to call in more aid again, this time in a singular Gekko.
"For real…" Zayna huffed as she slashed it in twain nearly immediately. "Come on, dog! You and me, mano y beast!"
"As you wish." LQ-84i said, ready for his final stand.
Time to leave them ALL BEHIIIIIIIIIND!
Zayna and Blade Wolf danced a wonderful dance of chainsaw against dual blades, their very blows creating shockwaves that shook the earth beneath them as they fought against one another in true man vs beast fashion.
"Zayna! Your fight with this LQ-84i thing is really pushing your Limit Gauge!" Lexi said, directing Zaynas attention to a meter on her Hud that said "LIMIT BREAK".
"Oooh yes, I forgot I had that in the original model. Time to finally use this!" Zayna smirked.
Limit Break: Storming Vandelay Crossout!
Zayna would soon begin her attack by stabbing her katana into Blade Wolf then proceeding to send him into the air, where she dashed through him several times at light speed, before she slashed him horizontally.
"S-stop!" LQ-84i pleaded before Zayna leapt over him.
"Sorry pooch. STORMING VANDELAY CROSSOUT!" Zayna roared as she slashed through him downwards…. Which set off all slashes at once, reducing LQ-84i literally to his, somehow intact, parts. Down to every bolt and nut.
"Cannot… Continue…" LQ-84i groaned.
(Song end)
Zayna then got a call on her codec from LQ-84i, able to do so with its last function.
"Directive... liberate Nation... ensure freedom... Obey directive... must obey directive... no freedom... freedom un-de-fined..."
Zanya then grabbed her jacket and slung it over shoulder, turning back to the disassembled LQ-84i. "What would an AI know about freedom…?"
Looking at the parts, Zayna hummed. "...Hey Tech. Want a present?"
"You want me to rebuild and reprogram this guy?" Tech guessed.
"Yup. Might even keep him if no one objects." Zayna chuckled.
"Didn't peg ya to be a pet person." Ace quipped.
"There's a lot of things you don't know about me." Zayna quipped back as the parts suddenly warped away as she ran towards the bridge to continue towards the refinery.
"Be careful, Zayna. We don't know what other defenses Desperado has employed to help Dolzaev." Tech said.
Just as he said this, suddenly, Zayna looked to see helicopters flying in, firing missiles!
"JUST FOUND SOME!" Zayna exclaimed as she tried making a run across the .
"Well-guess-they-know-your-here-now-think-that-fight-with-the-robo-dog-made-too-much-noise-not-that-it-was-loud-enough-to-send-helicopters-after-you-but-" Rev spoke.
"Yeah, Rev I get it!" Zayna exclaimed as she couldn't exactly understand Rev considering the amount of MISSILES heading her way! Hopping to a safer section of the bridge after the first section collapsed, Zayna suddenly got blown off by another missile as she was sent hurtling down toward the water! She tried to get a blade stuck in the wall, before she had another idea, before it dislodged, and she fell into the water below.
"Zayna!? Zayna, respond! Zayna!?" Boris exclaimed.
"Zayna, do you copy!? ZAYNA!?" Raiden exclaimed.
"Ace, give me vital status, is she alive!?" Kevin exclaimed.
"Don't worry, we got her." Ace said. "Getting her signal pulled up now… there!"
The visual signal was reinstated, as Zayna was walking along a rooftop, looking over the refinery ahead as she used her suit to pull up a screen which seemed to control tech binoculars which she used to zoom in on a scene. They could note she was rather wet, seeming to be finishing up with drying off.
"Thank God for waterproofing…" Zayna remarked dryly as she would soon see a figure through her optics. "... Red-haired chick in red camo… gotta be Mistral of Desperado."
"You already know who she is?" Duck asked.
"Looked up her files using my suit during the detour," Zayna explained. "Shes a Top member of Desperado, one of three Custom Cyborgs known as the Winds of Destruction."
"Okay, I gotta say it, that names kinda lame," Lexi said.
"Yeah well, naming schisms were never fully cool." Zayna hummed before she noticed another figure approach. "Hang on, I think I have eyes on our target…"
Talking to Mistral was a man wearing an ushanka along with a black leather coat over his black shirt and camouflage pants as he was seemingly yelling at Mistral, as Zayna's opticals soon displayed his name.
"Yep. Found Dolzaev." Zayna remarked.
Dolzaev seemed to be arguing with Mistral, even pulling a gun on her, but the woman seemed to calm him down, for the moment, as he holstered his pistol and stomped down a set of stairs, as Zayna refocused on the woman, who turned and looked directly at her.
"Wha…?" Zayna asked.
Suddenly, Mistral blew a kiss, which masked what she really did, fire a shot at Zayna as she gasped, quickly jumping back and slashing, as the bullet split in half.
"Zayna! Vat is happening!? Your heart rate just spiked!" Doktor called in as Zayna quickly deafened his call to find Mistral, who disappeared after the shot.
Doktor was right, as Zanyas heart was sent into overdrive, beating around 154 BPM, which was super high, as Zayna began calming down at last afterward.
"Yeah… I just deflected a shot." Zayna admitted. "Some might say… literally dodged a bullet," Zayna added.
"You gonna be all good to keep on the mission track?" Ace asked.
"Yeah. My heart's racing wild enough that it gave me extra reason to expend it somewhat. I'll get it calmed down." Zayna stated. "In any case, I'm heading into the refinery area now."
"Security will probably be tight. Best you keep a low profile down there." Tech warned.
"Heh. Just watch my smoke." Zayna smirked as she began to move through the area… and flawlessly slaughtered every guard there with relative ease as she rushed through the old city.
"Excellent, very well done!" Doktor complimented her work.
"I don't have 2000 hours logged in Splinter Cell for nothing." Zayna chuckled.
"You didn't just pick up these skills from Video games." Raiden piped in. "If I didn't know any better before you tried starting up your own Vandelay branch, you did PMC work of your own."
"Yeah… my dad basically tried to shut down most of my ideas like the massive jerk he freaking is. But I made earnings my own way. Course I had to go with an undercover name to avoid press conferences and Vandelay meetings but… it made ends meet." Zayna remarked.
"By that, you mean getting groundwork for your own company building, da?" Boris quipped.
"Nailed it dead on." Zayna nodded.
"You didn't do something cheesy like Jack the Ripper, did ya?" Raiden asked.
"No… …People often called me Lunar Deadline," Zayna admitted.
"That's… random," Tech admitted.
"It's a name that stuck. Considering most of my jobs were done in perfect stealth as if I came through as a Shadow of the night. Most other names regarding that were taken by popular media so… they just… came up with it for me. Not my personal choice if I'm honest." Zayna stated with slight embarrassment.
"Ah, I see," Boris said as Zayna approached the refinery, seeing it off a cliff face. "In any case Zayna, the cliff to the refinery is just ahead, at the end of the old city. Beyond that is the refinery's backyard."
"So wait a sec, it's just a sheer drop!? The refinery isn't part of the city?" Zayna asked in shock.
"Nope, turns out the whole thing was only built two years ago," Ace remarked. "There's a narrow path leading to the city, guarded by a fence… which I think you'll be cuttin' through, I'm sure."
"Probably." Zayna cockily responded.
"Be careful though. Once inside the refinery, you'll have to deal with Mistral herself." Tech said.
"Don't let her looks fool ya. I can tell just by looking at her… that is a dangerous woman." Duck said.
"Yeah, Duck. I got that impression already. Didn't you get the same thing with me when we first fought back at my property which you all invaded?" Zayna quipped.
"...You. Are. Despicable." Duck dryly remarked to that.
"Aww, stop~ You're flattering me." Zayna cheekily smiled. "That said, it's hard to ignore her records. She's a trained killer, and I have no idea how she fights. I'll have to make sure all my systems are at 100% before I face her…" Zayna thought to herself as she cut her way into the refinery before she suddenly found herself facing small, round balls with three appendages each. "Dwarf Gekkos! I hate these things!"
"Tell me about it, they're hard as hell to hit." Raiden groaned.
Zayna resorted to one method to deal with these nuisances. "Say hello to my little friend, you tiny little freaks! INFERNO!"
A massive explosion of fire incinerated the Dwarf Gekkos on the spot, taking them down as Zayna nodded. "Mmmhm! Serves them right!"
"Looks like all their Repair units are intact. You can use them to instantly recharge your suit. Or..even overcharge your suit so you can have that extra power for the fight ahead." Tech said.
"Sweet." Zayna smiled, taking them to overcharge her suit with them for now, as she entered the refinery.
"Dolzaev and his team must be inside. Find them!" Boris exclaimed.
"On it. " Zayna remarked as she rushed in, only to be halted by another call.
"Hold it Zayna! I'm picking up IR sensors in the area!" Tech exclaimed.
"Oh, great…" Zayna groaned.
"Part of factory security no doubt, but the enemy may be using them." Boris explained.
"Hey Zay, I equipped your suit with some enhanced vision in its visor. If you toggle it, you can find which cameras are active, and which aren't." Tech informed.
"Massive help. Thanks Tech." Zayna smiled. "Hmm. The enhanced optic vision should be focused through my eyes. should help me get through this area quickly."
Utilizing the advanced optics, Zayna was able to quickly slip by undetected, heading to the top of the refinery tower, she ran up the stairs to the top, reaching it quickly as she looked around the area, trying to find Dolzaev.
"I was wondering when you'd come, Lunar Deadline." Mistral's voice suddenly rang out, as Zayna locked eyes with the woman.
"No one calls me that anymore. I got out of the PMC business long ago. How'd you even know that moniker anyway?" Zayna asked with a raised brow of intrigue and suspicion. "Tch, never mind. Dolzaev, where is he." Zayna demanded, switching the subject quickly.
The woman chided. "And here I was hoping you would enjoy some girl time. I can show you a better time than that crusty old bear."
"You're in charge here?" Zayna quipped, even starting with a small "heh" at the quip.
"Don't act like you do not know who I am." the woman said. "I am Mistral. The Cold Wind of France."
"Let me guess. Somehow, my reputation precedes me. …Kale's daughter?" Zayna asked with a tongue full of bitterness at placing herself beneath that title.
"I'm not interested in your business side. I'm more interested in your… other pursuits." Mistral said. "From birth, you showed a natural talent for both economics and warfare."
"Heh… really diving into memory lane, eh? …I was raised to earn my way. My father only took backroads and shortcuts to get to the top, I earned my way. You don't know me like you think you know me, hun." Zayna spoke with a slight tone of agitation.
"That's the point I'm making." Mistral pointed out. "You, are only half of your father. You inherited his knowledge of business. The rest, you devoted to wartime and self-training. I was born in Algeria myself, only half French."
"...Your point?" Zayna asked, her tone returning to intrigue.
"We had a civil war in the 90s. So you see?" Mistral said. "We both lost our family to it. Your father to rebels within the Vandelay system. And I, to mere greed and power, the common drives of war."
"...As I said, you don't know me," Zayna remarked. "I'm not exactly sure why you're trying to act all friendly like with me… unless of course… You have no reason to be in Desperado, do you?"
Mistral chuckled. "Oh, but i do. There is one difference between you and I. You didn't butcher those fuckers."
"What?!..." Zayna asked.
"Our families' killers. And that's when I realized. I'm a killer too. And a real good one too." Mistral admitted. "...And yet, it was dull."
"...Heh…" Zayna chuckled.
"Hm? Something humorous?" Mistral asked.
"I got you all figured out," Zayna remarked as Dwarf Gekkos began to climb to the arena, which Zayna noticed, as Mistral tilted her head, reaching for a clip on her jacket.
"...Do tell," Mistral spoke with intrigue.
"You got bored with it all. Iraq, Afghanistan, all those places, easy targets for you to take down. Left and right they fell, you felt exhilarated… At first. Then, it got easy. Too easy. To the point you envied your victims, you envied them because they had a purpose to live for, to strive for… …And even if you claim to have met someone that gave you a so-called "purpose," let's face the facts… at the end of the day, you still feel you have no purpose in this world than to be used as a tool of war." Zayna quipped as she twirled her wrist blades, while Mistral took off her jacket to reveal the full scope of her cybernetic enhancements. She had a full black and gray latex body suit, and the enhancement came from a module on her back, which had slots for something on them…
"You're right. I did meet someone." Mistral said as a dwarf leaped at Zayna before she cut it down.
"Who?" Zayna asked.
"And I'd knew what id been missing." Mistral continued as she petted the downed Gekko. "His ideals gave my life meaning. Ideals, Zayna. What are yours?"
"...My ideals? …To make a world where everyone finds a purpose." Zayna stated, which caught Mistral completely off guard.
"Hm?" Mistral asked.
"War, politics, greed, power… all stupid, meaningless cycles of madness and stupidity that drive us to means of carnage and chaos. Why live in a world that thrives on all that idiocy, when we can spark a change for the better? My ideal is to create a world where everyone finds a purpose in life… And they can strive for it with their own goals." Zayna stated, before stomping on the Gekko. "And if I have to rip people apart to get to that dream..." Zayna stated, before ripping off two of the Gekko's arms seamlessly, tossing them down to Mistral. "Then so be it."
"Just like him…" Mistral said before grabbing the arms. "And yet, you could not be so different."
"Hm. I'm curious to hear what you mean." Zayna remarked.
"I think I'm done talking," Mistral said, crushing the downed Dwarf underfoot. "But I will say this: You have less in common with him than I care to admit. And even more between you and I."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Zayna smirked slyly.
"If you are willing to kill for your ideals, then surely you are ready to die for them." Mistral declared as she attached the two Dwarf Gekko arms to each other.
"A dance to the death so soon? But we just finished the first date." Zayna quipped comedically.
Suddenly, all the Dwarf Gekkos in the area swarmed Mistral, dog piling her. Mistral groaned and grunted in pain as the Gekkos began to detach and dismantle themselves for her, inserting their arms into the slots on the module on her back, which formed the full scope of her enhancements: Multiple arms on her back. By the time the geckos had finished, they were nothing but their spherical bodies, as Mistral's moans of pain turned to pleasure, as she rose back up and licked her chops, now having 8 extra arms, turning her into a cyborg spider of sorts.
(Cue: A Stranger I Remain (Maniac Agenda Mix) - Metal Gear Rising OST)
Pulling a couple of blades from her hip, Mistral passed them to her extra arms, which soon began passing a blade around, as one end of the polearm Mistral made from Gekko's arms took one blade, while the other end took another, forming a naginata of sorts.
"Come, dame guerrière! (Lady Warrior!)" Mistral declared, as Zayna took her stance and nodded.
"Don't make it boring." Zayna quipped.
AREA BOSS: Mistral
Zayna quickly dispatched the surrounding Gekkos, leaving her and Mistral to duke it out, dual ended spear to blade, as Zayna parried her blows efficiently and effectively, as she blocked once and slid down the polearm, catching Mistral off guard as she was gut checked, before Zayna slashed her spear in half!
"For a damn good killer, you're damn predictable! DRAGON CLAW!" Zayna yelled, as her blade caught blue fire as she slashed Mistral once across the chest for nasty damage!
Mistral: 85.3%
"Your suits magitech even lets you copy Pokemon moves?!" Duck exclaimed.
"Save the theatrics, Duck…" Zayna mumbled so Mistral didn't catch her speaking to someone, as Zayna had to quickly deflect flying Dwarf Gekkos Mistral was tossing at her as she did so effectively as well, noticing Mistral forming another Polearm. "So these bots willingly sacrifice themselves to you, huh? Simps." Zayna quipped.
"Ready to slice off some more?" Mistral asked rather unamusingly.
"Hey! Phrasing!" Zayna exclaimed. "Could be children watching!"
"Bahahaha! Funny one, aren't you?" Mistral chimed back as she humorously laughed.
"Bah, you're right. What kid watches two adults spilling guts and blood everywhere, right?" Zayna quipped again, destroying another Gekko army as she parried Mistral again with relative ease. "Change up your choreography, I've seen this section before." Zayna kept up the comedic remarks.
"Then why don't we try something new?" Mistral asked as she put more power into her extra limbs before they started rapidly punching Zayna while her guard was down, and the force of the impacts hit like an SUV and Zayna skidded back while gritting her teeth.
Zayna: 100.0% (39.8% Extra HP left)
"Rerouting power to your extra limbs for some added oomph? Smart. But that's not an issue." Zayna smirked. "DOUBLE TEAM!"
Suddenly, Zayna split apart Shadow Clone Jutsu style into 6 copies, all of which moved on their own with their own unique stances. "Let's play, Mistral. Let's see if you can find the real me before I gut you." Zayna smirked, as her copies all rushed in to attack Mistral at different intervals and different combinations of strikes, some moving in unison to keep Mistral's guard completely under pressure!
"I don't need to guess who the real you are." Mistral said as she spun her polearm rapidly, knocking into all 6 Zaynas, dispelling… all of them? "Huh…?"
"You STILL guessed wrong!" Zayna smirked, leaping from above as she slashed through Mistral's attempted guard again, her polearm once again in pieces. "Taste some of this: AETHER!" Zayna roared, knocking Mistral to the air before slamming her down, as a transfer of electric charge transferred from Mistral's enhancements to Zayna, once again overcharging her suit.
Mistral: 70.0%
Zayna: 100.0% (50.0% Extra HP)
Phase 1 Completed
Mistral was knocked back before clashing with Zayna again, who blocked an overhead strike the Wind of Destruction countered with another blow Mistral then smirked as she used her polearm to snag Zayna's leg and lift her high in the air. Zayna quickly sliced Mistral's weapon to pieces, before she could be flung through the air, and used the momentum to grab onto a pole, and swing around it flying back to Mistral!
"Reroute all power to legs!" Zayna commanded her suit as her legs were charged up with power. "FALCON KICK!"
Zayna landed her best attempt at recreating Captain Falcon's famous move, as while it may not have been as cool, it did the job of sending Mistral HURTLING through the air as she crash-landed on a pipe.
"And now for a super jump." Zayna casually remarked, crouching down before dashing forward, leaping through the air before landing a few feet from Mistral. "Ooh, nice little tightrope death dancing here." Zayna quipped, regarding the single platform the two were standing on.
"Shall we dance some more then?" Mistral quipped, getting back up.
Zayna then let her suit power revert to flowing through her entire body once again as she readied her blades, as she and Mistral proceeded to do their dance atop the metal pipe, as the two seemed to be getting something from one another as if the two were trading simple fists. Zayna could tell Mistral finally felt challenged by the battle, so much she was lowering her guard towards Zayna, perhaps warming up to her ideals more, while Mistral could tell Zayna meant her words with every strike, and while the convictions of the man she met were sound, she knew he had underlying convictions as well… but Zayna's conviction was pure and with no underlying tone of any kind. She wanted it genuinely, something that wavered Mistral's conviction to her job a bit…
As the two clashed once again, the shockwave suddenly caused their section of pipe to jolt and blow apart, causing the two to free fall, both screaming a bit in shock as both hit hard on the way down, bouncing off some structures before landing on solid ground, both groaning from the hard fall.
Mistral: 30.0%
Zayna: 30.0%
Phase 2 complete
All around them, the shockwave of the impact caused part of the refinery to combust. Now they were surrounded by the flaming wreckage as Mistral grabbed another polearm.
"This ends now!" Mistral declared, cracking her weapon like a whip, but staggered slightly upon getting up.
(Music Shift: A Stranger I Remain - Cover by GO! Light Up! (Beginning: Verse 2))
"I couldn't agree more…" Zayna groaned, as she would type in a command, summoning the Spear from her Overdrive mode as she grabbed it, and spun it around, as it also cracked like a whip on both ends, as her eyes locked with Mistral, and Mistral's with hers.
Immediately, the women engaged in a glorious spectacle of the deadly dance, trading blows and licks with one another in a glorious frenzy of sparks and some blood, with both having the intention of winning the fight, yet… Mistral's desire to win had faltered underneath Zayna's convincing strikes, despite the fact she still fought vigorously, as the two suddenly struck each other hard enough they each skidded back, slight pools of blood forming from each's trickling wounds.
Mistral: 5.0% [CRITICAL!]
Zayna: 7.5% [CRITICAL!]
"They're both on their last legs!" Tech reported, the Loonatics watching the fight with bated breath.
"Zayna, y'gotta close the deal!" Ace exclaimed.
Zayna glanced behind her. Her plan had come to fruition, as she was near some tanks filled with nitrogen compound, the kind meant to freeze things solid as she staggered to her feet, as Mistral raised her polearm weakly, intending a final strike, as she held a smile.
"You were magnifique… Unfortunately… As I said… this ends…" Mistral declared.
With all her strength, Zayna evaded Mistral's final blow, as it struck the tanks, causing ice to begin trickling across the polearm, threatening to freeze Mistral herself to it, as Zayna immediately slashed the polearm as it shattered, before kicking Mistral in her abdomen, then roundhouse kicking her down, before holding her at blade point.
Zangetsu: Bypassed
Mistral: 0.1%
Zayna pinned Mistral down, holding the blade to her neck for the final solution of the battle… With no Dwarf Gekkos left and no more polearms to grab… It was finished.
(end song)
Zayna huffed, at her limit with no energy left. "Ace… I need… …I need an Escort. Nearest LZ possible…"
"Consider it done, Zay. But Maverick's already on their way. Matter of fact…" Ace would say as a familiar set of footsteps dropped down.
"Not bad… not bad at all for a first-timer to the biz around here." Raiden's voice perked up as he dropped down, walking up to the group.
"Back off… she's not dying today." Zayna firmly spoke to Raiden, once again shocking Mistral.
"Quoi…?" Mistral gasped.
"What's she thinking…?" Raiden would wonder to himself as his codec suddenly got a call.
"Mistral, report! You're in critical condition!" it was Dolzaev.
Mistral clicked her tongue, not daring to answer that call as Zayna proceeded to do so, getting a burst of energy suddenly from adrenaline as she grabbed the communicator from Mistral's shoulder.
"She's dead, asshole. And you're the cause of it." Zayna stated, suddenly setting off a small EMP, making Mistral's vitals appear to have flatlined.
"You! You killed her!" Dolzaev concluded, the scene shifting to his perspective as he was going up some stairs.. "Yob tvoyu mat! Murderer!"
"Hah! That's rich, coming from you." Raiden chuckled as Dolzaev heard him over the call.
"It's over Dolzaev, surrender now." Zayna followed up.
Dolzaev laughed at Zaynas proposal. "Ah ty tupoi sukin syn."
"Translation?" Raiden asked.
Dolzaev continued to laugh as he ascended the stairs. "Why would I surrender? We are exactly where I want."
Zayna's eyes widened, as did Mistral's, both looking to Raiden.
"I've got him! Zayna, Raiden, on top of the refinery tower next to yours!" Tech said.
"Tch…" Zayna winced, unable to move that fast just yet, as Raiden nodded, rushing to find a way over to Dolzaev.
"Built with Russia money, to make Russia money. It is no plant for Abkhaz, it is their prison!" Dolzaev said before he was seen in view again, on top of a tower as he spread his arms out, discarding his jacket with a detonator in hand.
"Oh no…!" Tech said.
"He's not gonna…?!" Duck gasped.
"He is!" Ace exclaimed.
"But now… they will be FREE!" Dolzaev laughed, as Zayna and Mistral helplessly watched him hold the detonator, ready to use it…
Before a blade stabbed him through the chest, a hand caught the detonator, both belonging to Raiden, as he took his blade out of Dolzaev.
"Next time, pick a less obvious spot to be in." Raiden hummed, kicking Dolzaev down the refinery tower, as Raiden activated comms. "Boris, I got the detonator."
"Exellent work, Raiden." Boris said.
Lexi let out a sigh. "Too close… crazy guy was gonna blow himself up."
"And the refinery. Would have put that country far into debt…" Duck remarked.
"Yeah… but the day is saved, thanks to Raide-oooh, there goes my adrena…" Zayna trailed off before collapsing.
MISSION R-01 CLEAR
TOTAL RANK: S
Results:
Dolzaev Assassinated- Abkhazia Secured
Mistral taken into custody as P.O.W., Recruitment Questionable
LQ-84i rebuilt, refurbished, and recruited (New Alias: Blade Wolf)