Translator
-
Thousands of feet in the air.
-
Sky Chain Energy Ride. (Alt name: Rail Heaven)
-
Mission Start: Get to the end of the stage!
Conditions: Don't get hit more than 3 times.
(Sorry if you expected some haiku, brain is empty of em.)
Copen had it all planned out.
In three easy steps -because more than that just begs for failure- he would have rid the world of all adepts. Those steps consisted of 1) faking his death so his family will never again get in the fire-range of his fight. 2) Travel across the world to kill as many adepts as possible until they are extinct or he croaks. 3) Listen to the news and use his septima-radar to kill even more adepts for plan 2.
It was a rather simple plan, and give or take a time range between 5 and 50 years. He's certain he would be capable of fulfilling his family legacy, thus making the world a better place where he can worry about whether or not he needs to redo several classes in order to qualify for a real job later in his adulthood. If he even lives that far, because truth in it all? He doesn't like his current odds…
And by odds, he really means the fact that his current 24 hours consisted of barely surviving a self-destructing lair, surviving a crash-landing, having to face against an adept in a world made of his traumas, killing said adept the moment he awakes and now running away from an adept-filled city.
This he had not planned out. But he has noticed the high odds of things going wrong when possible.
"Are we perhaps cursed?" Copen mutters a bit too loudly while trying to keep his balance.
"Boss, how can you be gloomy in a situation like this?" Lola asks right behind him, her voice a bit muddled due to the strong winds at their altitude. "I mean look at the view! This is wonderful!" she exclaims with starry eyes, enthralled by the view of the golden city below, the red tinted sky above and most of all the way her boss is rail grinding on a bunch of chains so filled with energy, that the sheer contact of his shields (in the form of one hoverboard) against it create a trail of orange sparks.
"It won't be wonderful if we fall." Copen responds glumly as he jumps from one chain to another to avoid a few bumps, yet not doing the same against a loop that makes him flip around. "Besides, it's only a matter of time before something bad happens. There's no way nobody will not notice us."
"Yeah, duh!" Lola agrees, the odds of your average citizen looking up and seeing the two of them do what's essentially the most extreme sport yet to be invented is getting higher and higher the further they go as the chains themselves go lower and lower as they spread in different directions and will make their way to terminals to spread their energy across the city. "But that doesn't matter if they can't catch us! Let's ride this baby as far as we can and then uh, we'll improvise something!"
"Easy for you to say. Do you have any idea how hard this is to actually do?" Copen turns his position so he is now grinding backwards. Just to show her he's raised an eyebrow. An act that does not help his case at all if grinding is as difficult as he's about to say it is. "One mistake, one misstep and we'll be falling a distance too large to get away from unharmed. It makes me envy your flight."
"Puh-lease!" She scoffs back in engrish, japanish, the opposite of the language setting you chose. "You're going faster than lightning and still have the time to mope and complain. Boss, no offense here but you're clearly not the type to enjoy the 'finer' arts. Am I right girl? Or am I right girl?"
"Mm." The girl in the capture field lets out a tone neutral sound, her own view filled with the zooming landscape and the most adrenaline-filled experience she's ever had in her whole life.
Or one could be projecting by saying all that, as again there's nothing but a blank face on her.
Though she does look a bit grumpy due to the disposal of her headset and accessories on the suspicion that some of them could contain tracking devices and what do you know? They did.
"Yep, I'm always right." Lola turns up her nose in victory, always the light of the party.
"You're just in a good mood." He blurts, jumping once again to spin back around. "There's nothing wrong with that…" Lola waits for the unsaid but. "Even so, we're in enemy territory so keep some of your composure. We can't afford to be surprised the moment we're assaulted by rockets, lasers or even all of the remaining knights at once in the neat future. We are fast, yes, but still on rails."
"And that makes us predictable, if not begging to be intercepted." He growls as he lowers his body posture, the lessening wind against him in response increasing the speed at which they all go.
"Well, if that happens I'll shoot them down!" Lola blurts back, speeding right behind him with no issue. Plenty of safe-fails ready if she ends up too far behind. "There's no way we can let them be!"
"I'd love that...But there's no use wasting our energy." Copen says, his temper about to flare up at his own words but he quickly cools it down. "We'll take them down one day, just not today."
Lola glances at Layla, understanding without a word that its for her sake. They can't get her out and at the same time defeat all of the knights, heck even without her fighting all of them is total suicide.
The latter looks blank as ever. Yet the way she's holding onto her knees screams nervousness. It's a shame she has to feel this way. But it makes Lola only more determined to get the girl a normal life.
"Aye, aye boss." She responds more seriously, "Let's make like trees with jet boots and leaf!"
"Lola…"
"First of all, I want to apologize to all of you." ZedΩ starts, his back turned to the rest of his knights who are seated on their table in their usual ominous meeting room. His voice filled with a serious lack of smugness and dramatics instead replaced with true regret and grim will. "All of you have protested against me putting the Slayer in our midst yet in my overconfidence I did it anyway."
None of the knights respond to that, Grazie looks down with a hidden expression and her fists are clenched tight under the table. Prado looks at the ceiling with a troubled expression as she dramatically leans against her chair and Sistina looks at ZedΩ with sadness for the pain he feels.
"That was the wrong decision." ZedΩ continues, fully aware of how much of an understatement that is, but still choosing to speak the words that need to be said. "And because of it, Serpentine's life has been taken. If I only took a moment to truly take the situation seriously then that wouldn't have happened. Had I made a greater backup than 'jumping in to save the day' then again, it wouldn't have happened. But I didn't, I led my pride get to my head and here we are now."
"Never again." He clenches his right hand, which turns aflame with emotion. "I promise to you all from here on out that I will never again act as if things are destined to turn my way." A sincere gaze looks back to them all, his eyes burning with passion. "There are no words that I can give to you all or her to make what happened right. But I swear to you all that I won't let this tragedy occur again."
"You say that as if we can't protect ourselves." Prado finally speaks up, holding onto a rose made of ice as if she's disinterested in the talk but before Sistina or anyone else can interrupt she quickly stands up, smacks one of her palms against the table and melts away the rose with flames. "But don't you dare blame all of this on yourself. For I'm to blame as well!" her usual fanfare tinted with the expected regret, she continues her case. "I've been acting friendly with a scorpion, yet just like a buffoonish frog from the fables. I was held in surprise when they inevitably swung their stinger. Thus Snowflake's end is also mine to blame, an error that can only be corrected one way…"
"Give me the order to claim the Slayer's head, exalted! Let me make this right!" She demands, her tone so heated one could be forgiven for not noticing that she did not address him by his full title.
"What she said." Grazie interjects, her usual shy and meek self nowhere to be seen. "Just sitting here and doing nothing while that smhuck gets to scurry away just doesn't sit right with me." she responds with bitterness, everyone full aware of the ruckus that the slayer created with his copies and none of them too happy at how their current plan consists off 'Wait for the real one to appear'.
"As the others have stated so simply, dear prince." Sistina finally speaks up too. "I too feel the need to put down our opponent." Albeit not for Serpentine's sake, though that's left unsaid. "You have made a mistake and while your now gathered resolve is quite noble. I must say that the fact that we go where you go is one that shouldn't need to be said. One for all and all for one as they say."
"Everyone…" ZedΩ responds heartfelt. "I understand and I thank you." turning off the flame and putting on a more dignified stance, he gives them all a charismatic smile followed by an extravagant hand-gesture. "Now then, let's go! There's no time to waste if we are to take down the tiger!"
"Sistina tell all of the men in our vicinity to retreat and reinforce the entir-"
"Already done." She interrupts, pointing at the pink laptop at her side of the table. "Though I feel I must inform you of the fact that all camera recording of our target inside the building have been erased. This doesn't stop us from easily noticing any armed opponent roaming in the city in…."
*Ding!*
"And he's been located…qui-wait." a gasp of shock comes out of what was once an about to be smug expression on Sistina's face. She quickly shows the screen to everyone. "Prince, this is bad!"
On it is the sight of the Slayer grinding on golden chains like they're rails. Their pace such a mad speed that the few robots that can reliably shoot as such an altitude have their burst of projectiles simply ignored if not outright dodged and jumped over if they get too close. Occasionally he dashes into a bunch of them to cross over distances where the chains prove too treacherous. Only to end up back on the rails again, keeping his balance without breaking a sweat while his muse is behind him.
Oh and they have Layla.
"Ohhhhh, naw." Grazie puts her hands on her face, "You have to be kiddin me."
"Today is not our day." Prado responds glumly, one hand on her forehead with a dramatic sigh.
"Indeed it is not, but now isn't the time to chit-chat!" ZedΩ interjects, hurry all too apparent in his voice despite the lack of dramatic reaction. The absence of which not excluding surprise, "We must go save her at once! Quickly Sistina! Tell me the coordinates and let us be on our way!"
"He's starting to reach the outskirts of the city and at the speed at which he goes. It will only take five more minutes to reach the Canyons. Seeing how he hasn't disposed of Layla yet his intent is clearly to steal her from us. I recommend we simply ambush them there, what do you say?"
"Rejected." ZedΩ firmly states. "Any second in his proximity is a second where he can change his mind and kill her anyway. I will not lose two of my knights in one day. Give the coordinates."
"Fine, they're…" She gives the coordinates, "I must warn you though Prince. In the city our firepower will be severely handicapped since any stray shot could potentially kill a civilian."
"Then we'll be very careful. That said, ATEMS OUT!" With a flick of a finger, ZedΩ and his comrades grow a blinding light around them before a bunch of rainbows warp out the room.
The strongest warriors in the country deployed at once to save their comrade.
"Hmm, hey Boss, did you sleep well last night?" Lola asks after the latter's latest sarcastic reply and cynical remark. Wondering whether it's the strain of having so much g-force thrown at him for so long that's responsible for his slowly sinking mood. Or whether it's because of something else, like the many other reasons that could be put down on a list and still not be the right one this time.
"No." Copen admits, "But that's a conversation best left for later. Don't mind me Lola."
"Well, that's not easy to do." Lola muses, "It's my job to worry and protect you after all."
"As heart-touching as that is. Really don't mind me." He repeats, then sighs. "Look, I promise to answer any and all questions you have later. Just go talk to someone else in the meantime."
"Hmph, fine. I'll give you your space." she relents, a bit more reassured at the end of it.
"So, Layla was it?" her attention immediately shifts to their captureé, who in response makes a motion to look at anywhere but either of her kidnappers. "How's the ride going for you?"
"Are you seriously asking that?" Copen interjects with disbelief.
"Oh, hush you! You've asked for your space so don't just jump into girl talk." She scolds back.
"Fine." Copen scoffs, then tunes out the incoming talk. Talks to be precise, as he's sure that Lola will still comment on any noticeable change in their surroundings or even cheer for him the moment he pulls off some grand maneuver. She's a chatterbox after all, not that that is a thing per se.
Anyway...
The three of them have been cruising among the clouds and sky-scrapers for a while now, with no true direction and their only company being dozen of robots such as camouflaging bats, bomb-dropping eagle, differently-colored eagles that drop purple spike barriers on the chains that have to be avoided by side-stepping to nearby chains without any on them and finally a mini boss.
That being a golden-red mecha adorned with six crimson wings named the 'Phoenix MkII' who's attacks consisted of flying ahead of them, shooting a bunch of flaming feathers and lasers in a set pattern before swooping down at them in a flame-covered rush before doing the exact same thing again except now they're on the opposite side. I'm sure you can guess who it is inspired by.
Two shots of Broad Circuit easily destroyed whatever hard-ware it had and in an act very similar to a last stand. The thing went ahead and destroyed the rails ahead. Or at least part of it, as Lola and Copen only had to overcome such an obstacle by dashing against a few enemies in the air straight on like they're platforms before they once again found part of the chains to continue on surfing.
"I'm going to hate rails after this." Copen references how the chains sometimes criss-cross or loop about. "As much of an engineering feat this is, it feels like its defying all laws of physics and not knowing the trick to it infuriates me by the growing second." one of them swerved so sharp on one occasion that Team Copen was flung straight off and into another building. Where they had to fight against more groups of robots to get to the top just so they can jump off there to return to the chains.
"Want me to ask Layla if she knows?" Lola offers.
"No." Copen replies bluntly, then squints his eyes at the sight of something appearing in the distance. "There's no time for that, especially when things are about to turn for the worse."
"For the worse?" Lola asks, then turns her gaze at a point further ahead that he's looking at.
It's rainbows, several of them on a building in their trajectory. And by that, Copen really means far enough to be able to look imposing yet close enough that he can blatantly see the ATEMS knights appear on the top. None of them look willing to engage in banter this time as they instead jump down the building in unison to intercept and ambush the runaways some feet below them.
"As you can see, the real plan is about to begin." Copen frowns at their rather late appearance, but shakes away any thought about it. Instead focusing on finding a way to truly shake off anyone but a certain bird for a simple reason. It doesn't matter how far he goes as long as ZedΩ can teleport so naturally that's an ability that needs to be dealt with. Starting by making sure he's on his own and that he won't be able to go all out due to the circumstances. "Lola, this is all or nothing...ready?"
"Always!" such a simple answer she gives, yet it almost puts a hint of a smile on his face.
Almost still, because what's about to happen next can't be anything but painful.
It was far worse than painful.
As it turns out, being chased by high tier adepts in their own home terrain was not an easy thing to do. Especially when two of them can warp the terrain with sudden obstacles made of ice and sand while ZedΩ limit his movement with various swords and feathers shot like machine gun fire.
Copen went on regardless with a speed that no mere man could withstand. Having them chase him all around the city, from grinding the chains and dodging obstacles and projectiles by side-stepping and jumping at the last moment. To car-hopping on the highway located far below, using the opportunity that came with high-speed chases to create an accident that forced one of the knights to stay behind to survey and fix the damage. He lost yet another one when he went to ground level and forced them to follow right behind as he shifted and blitzed past various alleyways and managed to hit one dead on with a greed snatcher when they failed to notice him hide behind a illusionary wall.
That was two out of three pursuers taken care off. Still, that didn't mean he had it easy. The moment he managed to get to the market-place, or well what he assumed was a market place, he was immediately met with more reinforcements and took a hit when a golden arrow shot at the exact spot he went to dodge another attack. Had he not braced the pain and used the short burst of evasion to dash past more gunfire and get out. Then he would have taken yet another one and that'd the end.
Reflections on his performance aside, that didn't change the current reality. He had made it all the way to the outskirts of the city. Where only miles away lies nothing more than desert, wastelands and no roads whatsoever that led out of the city. Exception being the grand coursing river that continued to take along its water further ahead into the distance. He's only a few more steps or well dashes away from leaving the city which he can't, so in the end he found himself forced to end the chase at the edge of a cliff-side with rushing water on one side and all of his foes on the other.
"It's the end of the line." ZedΩ announces, his hand axes the air with a gesture to which all of the mechs behind him reveal their weapons and set their red laser sights on the surrounded Slayer.
"You've shown your true colors so now, I will finally put an end to you." he states with no humor or fanfare, if anything he looks fed up and annoyed and many other things, none of them good.
"I don't think so." Copen responds and with a fluid motion, grabs Layla, moves behind her and puts the back of his gun against her throat. "On the other hand, if you or anyone else makes the slightest movement. Then I'll kill your little pet project here and now, at least that way she goes with me."
"You're bluffing." ZedΩ states with confidence, perhaps faked as he doesn't move to attack and instead orders the bots to stand-down with yet another hand-gesture. "If you kill her you won't have any leverage." he points out with logic. His tone and gaze becoming colder by the second. "And once that happens, you'll just meet the same end. So let's not linger on cliche's here. State them."
"State what?" Copen plays dumb, and Lola silently watches the scene unfold. Already ready to activate plan C at the slightest suspicious movement or unexpected turnabout. "Enlighten me."
"Your demands, of course." The leader of ATEMS almost snarls, stops, and takes in a deep breath as he regains a fake smile and all of his usual charm. Ready to haggle. "Do you want to shoot me with that gun of yours? Some vehicle to allow yourself some daring escape? Say what you want for her."
"Tempting." Copen shrugs, then tightens his grip on Layla. "But, no thank. The moment I shoot you'll be sure to try something and any car you'll offer will be either traced, rigged and even if it's none of that. It'd still be useless if you can just warp back to us and finish the job anyway."
"Then how about a promise that I won't go after you?" ZedΩ offers then continues before Copen can call nonsense on that, as if it'd ever be a genuine offer. "I'm a man of my honour after all."
Lola loudly scoffs in Copen's stead, "Why would we trust the words of a man that has the galls to act like he's a victim when he's responsible for all the events that have happened today? In case you don't remember. You're the one who kidnapped us, so no, you don't have any honor whatsoever!"
"Semantics." ZedΩ refutes back, unaffected. "I did what was necessary and the only mistake I made was failing to realize how dangerous you truly are. But this isn't the time to be talking about that."
"I agree with the time part." Copen says, tone cold, calm and laced with a tint of smugness meant to infuriate the man in front of him during the entire conversation. "So, here's what I want…"
"Answer all of my questions." He demands. "If you want your precious muse to live."
"...And one of the questions concerns Layla doesn't it?" ZedΩ correctly guesses.
"Exactly." he tilts his head to indicate the artificial muse. "It's obvious to anyone with half a brain that you're planning to take over the world after this 'Primal Dragon' incident. But what I don't get is how you made a muse out of nothing. It's the only card left you still have to reveal."
"Well, that's quite the long story…" ZedΩ comments with an audible sigh, before he turns his back to his opponents so he can dramatically look at the sky with a serious expression. "But it all star-"
"Tell it in five sentences or less." Copen immediately interjects, not dumb enough to fall for an attempt to waste his time. For the more he spends, the less control he will have over the situation.
"She's an abandoned vessel given life once more. The remains of a certain girl who became one with her septima to save her beloved." ZedΩ narrates to the point. His tone turning nostalgic.
And if this were a movie then you'd see two gray-scaled images now. One of Joule dying in Gunvolt's arms and turning into light. The other of her lifeless husk being warped back into a pod meant to preserve it. "Seeing how the muse is an important adept, it's only natural for them to posses the same benefits as that of the Sumeragi Seven. I'm sure you know what I mean."
"Resurrection." Copen states, firmly reminded that the Gorgon Gaze of the adept once called Elise was not her primary ability. "That doesn't explain how she got into your hands, corpse or not."
"That's quite simple, what use does Sumeragi have for a dead body they cannot revive? If she still had her septisomes then they could be extracted. But her 'soul' took that away as well. So she was deemed useless, after that it only took some effort to retrieve her body and smuggle it back here."
"Hey, hold on! That still doesn't make sense!" Lola interrupts, her wings fluttering in outrage at the contradiction she perceives. "If she's a dead body without any septisomes, then how is she, she?"
"Lots of effort, tests and night-less days filled with cups of coffee." ZedΩ scoffs, then dusts a nonexistent tie to show casualness. "I'm something of a scientist myself and the files of Dr Kamizono were just the right kicks in the direction that I needed to go. It's thanks to him that I know that a body that once naturally manifested an septima, can do so again in the right circumstances. For a man that so loathes adepts, he sure devoted a lot of time on them."
"Why you…" Copen instinctively bites his cheek and keep his face stoic in an attempt to not reveal anything. Even so the edge in his voice and eyes remain transparent windows for his fury. How dare he read his father's files! And even worse than that, how dare he corrupt his works for such goals!
"Sure, there were some side-effects like albinism and 'social issues' but in the end I don't really care about that. Layla is her own person in my eyes, my comrade and fellow knight and to her eyes I am the one who gave her life alongside a purpose for living. Like brother and sister I guess."
"That's enough, stop." Copen warns again, his voice a shrill hiss and his face obscured in shadow. His fury threatens to overwhelm him again, for who in the hell does that bastard think he is? A brother and sister support each other because they're family! For him to compare his revival and subsequent grooming of an empty husk to turn into his own bio-weapon to it is madness, madness!
Worst part of it all? Layla doesn't even look surprised. So she knew this all along. If anything the only thing she's showing right now is nervousness at having a weapon pointed at her throat.
"Very well." ZedΩ relents, a hint of a smile to show he's slowly gaining ground. But still smart enough to not push it further than that. "Though, one more thing I feel I must share: Is it not a tad bizarre that every muse except yours is connected to the Kamizono bloodline? Now, why is that?"
"Your life for hers." Copen states, tone purely neutral and his face still dramatically obscured. He can't afford to look the adept in the eyes right now, lest his expression speaks out the truth for him.
"Excuse me?" ZedΩ did not mishear but demands he clarifies what he meant regardless.
"I'm telling you that if you wish for her to live then-"
"Oh, no. I heard that just fine. What I'm asking here is..." ZedΩ takes in a deep breath and his voice turns gentle, as if he's talking to an idiot. "What's stopping you from killing her afterwards? Don't be ridiculous, Slayer. You should know better than to make demands that require nonexistent trust."
"I see, in that case." Copen takes a step back, then another. Gradually dragging Layla with him closer to the edge. "I suppose death by drowning will be her fate then. Not that I mind."
"!" Layla on the other hand does very much mind, her whole body flinches in surprise at the announcement and immediately after she stares at ZedΩ with a look that screams 'Save me!'
"Wait no!" ZedΩ interrupts with genuine panic, his hand reaching out to her even though he's nowhere close enough to actually touch her. "I-I..." his other hand tightly grasps onto the one that moved, as if punishing it for showing his loss of composure. "Have you no honor Slayer?!"
"Your life or hers." Copen repeats as he takes yet another step, now fully on the edge.
"You can't be serious. Isn't there anything else you want? Why don't you just seal my septima or something? That way I can't chase after you once you run." ZedΩ offers with a desperation that he's genuinely starting to hate the Slayer for. Were they in any other situation he could have simply annihilated his opponent with a single SP skill, but to think he'd ever find himself this humiliated?
He won't be forgetting it any time soon. "Come now, Slayer. Surely we can all find a compromise."
But that's fine for now, he's only biding for time after all. He's got his mechs at the ready and Sistina positioned at some building nearby. Prepared to snipe the man the moment she sees an opportunity. No matter what happens, as long as he gets Layla away from him, it will be his win.
"You really don't understand me, do you?" Copen says with a tone so calm it's alarming.
"I couldn't care less about how an adept feels about something."
The flare of his boots is heard one more time, as ZedΩ sees him and his muse and Layla fall.
"NO!" ZedΩ shouts as he immediately goes after them. Adrenaline coursing through his veins and his wing of flame shining brighter than it ever has before, all to give him the speed he needs.
A purple bullet meets him and would have hit him had he moved a second slower. The sight of the Slayer aiming his gun at him with one hand, holding Layla in the other and still being capable of shooting projectiles at him in the middle of free-fall is one that's sure to burn forever in his memory.
But now's the present, and he finds his opportunity the moment the Slayer flashes red, having finally been sniped by Sistina which forces him to let go of Layla. Or to be more precise, has his eyes widen in surprise as Layla is no longer held by his temporarily made invulnerable body.
It takes ZedΩ every fiber of his willpower to stay calm during such an opportunity, as were he to be carried away then he wouldn't have been able to dodge the blitzes of electricity that the pod muse sent at him. But he does and within a moment, just a short moment, he finally gets ahold of Layla!
Not sure whether it's the adrenaline talking or not, but the moment she sees him and her eyes show pure relief is one where he can't help but remember how attached to her he's become. He wasn't lying when he said Layla is like a sister to him and right now, he's completely certain that he won't ever let anyone or anything make her ever feel sad again if he can help it. That's a promise.
His sentimental revelry is rudely shaken when he feels a sharp pain in his back and a sudden loss of the power flowing through him. A single glance to his left reveals that the cause was a Greed Snatcher bullet and that not satisfied with just that. The slayer is about to shred them both apart.
May Claws shatter chains.
Of those who traipse in my wake.
Even if he were to try and take the impact for Layla's sake, ZedΩ is certain that the p bits claws are sharp enough to cut the two into pieces. To have been forced into this kind of a situation truly takes an extreme amount of fighting prowess that he sadly cannot emulate. For once, it is his loss in that.
Begone you impure!
However, that doesn't mean he doesn't still have a trick up his sleeve either!
"Shred St-"
"Charging up!"
The effects of Greed Snatcher simply disrupt the septimal flow in his body. So an SP skill that forcibly returns it back to normal may as well make it useless! A vermilion aura surrounds ZedΩ as he does exactly that, then with his energy returned, he quickly flies towards the Slayer and slashes at him with a golden blade while they're still in their special attack pose surprised at the turnabout.
He swings the blade with all his speed, to end the Slayer here and now. And it hits! An invisible purple wall instead of his target who gains a glint of victory in their eye as ZedΩ is now in point-blank range of the vortex of crimson claws that promptly move to shred him apart as promised.
Even so, he won't stop now! If he can't avoid the attack then the best he can do is overpower it in the hopes that such a struggle will leave Layla unharmed. Immediately several more golden blades are summoned next to him and the clash of golden swords against crimson claws starts at once.
"Storm!"
"Rexcaliber!"
The flurry of blows creates a terrible cacophony as blades are cut apart, claws are turned to ashes. And both opponents just glare at each other as the speed of the clash increases in pace and the wounds they give become more and more worrisome. Every cut on ZedΩ's skin is returned by a burn on Copen yet the adept still has a disadvantage: Were Layla not right behind him then he could simply go all-out and narrowly dodge every blow. Instead he has to stay where he is and continue to engage until they're both forced to land on a sudden made ice-platform on the raging river as they both fall to their knees, clutch their shoulders and are out of it.
Their frantic clash ending in a draw.
"Haa...haa…" Copen's armor is covered in ashes, cracks and stained with his own blood. His own lungs are filled with pain as he's once again on the verge of exhaustion. "Why won't you just die.."
"I...could ask..ugh." ZedΩ was about to respond but his own condition is no better, his suit is ruined again, he's got various cut and one of his arms lies limp while the other is holding onto Layla for support now. "The same to you. You ar-agh...as rude it may sound, god, I hate your persistence."
"Well, not to be the bearer of bad news. Buuuut…" Lola interjects as she hovers over Copen, her main pod unharmed and the lesser ones in relatively okay conditions. "It's not over yet! Healing!"
A red light covers Copen as Lola cheers for him in her nurse form, most of the worst burns on his body vanish and his face regains some of it's vitality as he manages to stand up with some effort.
"You have to be kidding me." ZedΩ says with an expression closer to horror than humor. A grunt of effort and pain comes out of him as he regardless moves to stand up as well for yet another round.
"This is very real." Copen does not kid, instead pointing his gun at ZedΩ who's protectively standing in front of Layla. "And it's about to end, too. Lola, use Lazy Laser."
"Aye!" obeying the command, Lola creates several blue warp holes that all surround their opponent, a smaller one is in front of Copen so he can shoot one GS bullet and have several come out through the other ends. Now their opponent has a decision to make: if he uses his prevasion or a warp to dodge them, then the bullets will hit Layla instead. (Of course Lola wouldn't actually shoot her but as long as ZedΩ believes otherwise then the advantage is still theirs.) So what will he do?
"You're really pulling out all the tricks. Are you getting desperate?" ZedΩ inquires with a dramatic rub of the chin, his posture once more straightforward and without doubt, which is likely a bluff.
"Anything to overcome a monster like you." Copen comments with no-nonsense.
Layla on the other hand stands completely still behind him, holding onto part of his tattered coat while trembling in fright. The girl is terrified and Copen and Lola do their best to simply ignore it.
"Don't worry, Layla. I'll protect you." ZedΩ reassures her, moving his one good hand to give her a quick pat and a confident smile. "Just believe in my victory and you'll see it come true any second."
She just stares at him after he said that, but soon after she returns a firm nod. She can do that much.
"Good, I admire your bravery." ZedΩ gives another smile before turning back to his opponents with a serious look. "I-" he starts, clearly planning something. But before he can say even more...
"Don't care about what you have to say. Goodbye!" Copen presses the trigger.
The rain of purple bullets hit their mark as ZedΩ protects Layla with his body, it only takes three hits before he lets out a pained cry and collapses in front of her. Purple energy sparks around him.
"Mission accomplished." Copen says in mild victory, before moving over to finish the job.
Only for Layla to naturally stand in his way, hands outstretched to protect ZedΩ.
"Move." Copen states with a firm tone, calmly aiming his gun at her as well. He could already guess she would pull a move like that. So all he needs to do is intimidate her. "Or die with him."
She doesn't move, the words make her body shake in fear like the animal she's dressed as yet there's a glint of defiance in her usual emotionless eyes. 'I won't let you hurt him!' it loudly says.
"Hm." For once that's actually enough to give him pause. "You want him to live that badly?" he asks begrudgingly if not resentfully from the way his tone becomes laced with hot steel. He's been doing his best to deny any similarities he might see, but right now it's really getting to his nerves.
Of course she does, basic logic and the way she frantically moves her head up and down say so.
"Understood..." Copen looks thoughtful for a moment, as if he's considering it. Not because out of morality but more out of the potential scenario that has her awaken just to save ZedΩ's life.
*They already posses a close bond, so his 'death' alongside a desperate desire to save him could remove whatever limiter or seal that's preventing her from accessing it. The reasoning itself is almost cheesy but that's simply how the Muse septima seems to work. How inconvenient...*
As ridiculously dramatic as that sounds, having to face an Anthem empowered ZedΩ would be the worst case scenario. And Copen is fully aware of how often those scenarios tend to happen to him. Even so, that doesn't change the fact that ZedΩ is far too powerful to be left like that, because again, the guy could just teleport and have yet another fight with them to try and retrieve Layla.
In short, damn if he shoots and damned if he doesn't. Though in this situation, the former scenario would be an outright death-sentence. Still he has to make his decision before reinforcements come.
"Hey, boss. If I could offer a suggestion." Lola speaks up and he half-turns to show he's listening. "If we left the both of them be, wouldn't they spend more time licking their wounds instead of-"
"Too wishy-washy." Copen rejects it. No matter the decision they make, they'll still be hunted down until they find their way out of the country. That's an unchangeable fact. "Got anything else?"
"Oh, well…" She scratches her green hair in thought, then snaps her finger in realization. "Oh! Oh, what if we, like what if we make her swear fealty to us in exchange for sparing the weirdo's life?"
"It would be a lie at best, she'd run for him the moment the opportunity arises." Another rejection.
"Well then, what are we supposed to do then?" Lola asks back, mildly frustrated and uncharacteristically antsy about his future decision. Does she really like Layla that much?
It's odd, could it be an unconscious thing? Leaving the theories for later, Copen takes in a deep breath, puts his thoughts in order and then gathers his resolve again to banish away all doubt.
"I should kill you." He glares at Layla with fire in his eyes. "Your power will only be used for the sake of oppressing humanity. Not only that but you're an undead monstrosity as well. Every fiber of my being demands the end of your life." He points his gun at the girl, who flinches and looks like she could faint from the pressure but stays standing regardless. "But, I will make a deal with you."
Part of him wonders if his words feel hollow due to him sparing her earlier but even so he continues, and points at ZedΩ's prone body. "You will serve me in exchange for his life." he ends the statement there, because it makes the conditions clear and it's simplicity gives it more impact.
"That was my idea first…" Lola mutters in response, but Copen makes a point to ignore her.
"So what will it be?" Copen repeats, if only to fill the silence. "You don't have all day."
Layla looks Copen up and down, fear and mistrust all over her but even so, a single glance back at ZedΩ steels her resolve enough for her to respond with a firm nod of the head to say yes. Most likely enthralled by the idea that being obedient will be a self-sacrificing move to protect him.
"Good, then we're done here." Without missing a beat, Copen takes another step and before moving to grab Layla's arm, tells Lola to create yet another capture field. All the while only half-turning to keep the other adept in his vision in case the man tries any sudden movements or attacks.
"No!" A female voice shouts as his hand is repelled by a sudden shock-wave. A transparent blue barrier surrounds the muse to be as a figure looms behind her. "Keep your hands off her!" Her voice is demanding, mildly sultry and light shines above her from a full-moon like a stage-light.
"And none of our choices mattered because the worst outcome happens anyway!" Lola bitterly complains while Copen lets out an 'tsk', picks up his gun and points it at the newcomer.
"Does that anger you? If so, I'm glad! I'm about to make things much more frustrating!" An older woman resembling Layla says as she's floating above her with a bemused expression. Her light brown body covered in a stripperific purple and gold costume sensually moves around as if she's dancing in the air yet her red eyes have an edge in them that scream mama bear. "Behold m-wo!"
"Sorry, not sorry." Copen interrupts as he keeps shooting after she dodged once. "But kindly die."
She dodges the shots aimed at her, three after images behind her just to boast about her speed. "Rude! Don't you know how to sit still during a dramati-hey no! Stop!" then dodges another one, blocks a shot aimed for Layla by moving the full moon behind her like a semi-shield and finally gets fed up. "Enough! Two can play that way, take this!" with some hurry, her body lights up.
"As if we'd let you!" Lola shouts as she has her p-bits shoot bursts of electricity towards the avatar, but it's to no avail as a force-field surrounds her as she sings. One neither of the duo can pierce.
"Time for plan B." Copen lets out a groan, as he admits that the song won't be interrupted.
-Djin's Wish-
Blue stars fragments scatter around her body like snow as she sings an exotic song. Like a flower this makes the moon behind her bloom apart into a pair of golden wings. Flashes of a lunar aura burst thrice around the Muse's avatar as she intensifies her suggestive dance."Awaken, my master!"
Finally two pair of half moons surround ZedΩ and with a burst of light, he finds himself standing up straight again, all of his injuries gone and stronger than ever. "...This song…" he mutters, as if it woke him from a deep sleep. His eyes flash with realization when he sees a rainbow force field surrounding him, followed by a smile of victory. "So you've finally awakened. Good job, Layla!"
"It's Luxia, Zed-qui, uh, Zed-om? Let's just say Zed." The avatar of Layla responds, both it and the latter now floating behind the man. "But let's delay the introductions, don't you have a job to do?"
"Quite right." ZedΩ turns to his opponents. Standing so smug he may as well laugh in their face. "I suppose I should thank you Slayer, though you have given me grief. So have you given me joy."
With a flick of his hand, the sky is filled to the brim with golden swords and bows. The weapons three times their usual size and far more exquisitely detailed than before. He has now plenty of energy to fuel his greatest techniques and no need to restrain himself as no civilians are nearby.
"Allow me to repay you by wiping you from existence." A threat he can easily follow now, or so he believes. Then again why wouldn't he? Power is pouring into his body! "History shall recall the day you fell as the one where I rose. It shall be the start of my legend and the end of yours, how poetic."
"You tell yourself that, go ahead and get drunk on that power. Be sure to taste it vigorously." Copen starts as he rises to the challenge, no fear in his eyes. Only anger at letting this happen and the resolve to continue regardless, "Its your last supper before your 'friends' find your bloated corpse."
"That's right!" Lola joins in, her eyes brimming with determination as she throws some jabs in the air as taunts. "This day may be special to you, but to us, you're just another adept of the week!"
"Now that's just wrong!"
"Not only can he not lose!"
"But we're finally'ere as well."
With the worst timing in the world, Prado and two other girls who he doesn't know the names off jump onto the platform and position themselves next to ZedΩ's with power-ranger like poses.
"You've really caused us some trouble, Slayer. But alas, all stories end the same way. That of the valiant knights taking down the wicked beast together once and for all!" Prado starts, flaunting her hair before creating two blades of opposing elements, standing beside ZedΩ as the vanguard.
"For the crime of opposing our lord, you'll be frozen and burned, filled with holes and buried in sand! Let your swiz-cheesed corpse be a warning to all those who dare bare arms against ATEMS." The pink-haired woman says, wearing some bizarre full-body latex suit as she wields a sniper-rifle twice her size. Her position firmly at the back of the group establishing her as the ranged unit.
"That's aight…" Says the last member with no enthusiasm whatsoever. Though she looks relatively harmless with her chubby body, nerdy glasses and average blond hair. The blood-lust emanating from her is one only rivaled by those who saw a loved one die. "You'll pay for what you did…" she's standing right next to Prado and looks ready to rip and tear. "I'll avenge Serpentine f'sure!"
"Everyone, you're just in time..." ZedΩ lets out a sound between a snort and a huff as he turns his back to his opponent. Daring them to take the first move in his confidence. "Even so, I must ask you all to retreat at once. I'm not sure I'll be able to hold back this amount of power, let alone if there will be anything left for miles other than a burning crater once I'm done with the Slayer here."
"Master ZedΩ, surely you jest!" Prado replies, half-shocked and dissapointed. "We came all this way and we can't even watch by the sidelines? Come now! Let us assist, even a little!"
"Don't be a child, Prado." The pink one replies with a scolding tone while looking at ZedΩ with an adoration so thick, nobody would be surprised if hearts popped out of her eyes. "Let him have his moment, it's our role first and foremost to prioritize his ascension above our own mortal desires."
"Nah." The short one protests, "She's right." Oh, never mind. "Even so, I have a right to avenge my friend. I need that stoick look beaten out of his mug by me hands! So, lord Zeddy has to share!"
"Look at that, those are some unique girls you got there." Luxia comments as she looks over them, a grin on her face when it returns to look at ZedΩ. "Help or not, don't ask me to sing for more than one. That's just how these things work, bub. And right now, you better give me a good show for it."
"Okay, okay." ZedΩ agrees, if only to calm the ladies. "We'll take him down, together." As much of a disappointment it is to not go wild with it, he can still hold it back, as the Slayer's still has the-
He doesn't finish that thought as the moment he glances back at his opponent, he was gone. The platform is still there, there was no smoke or a quip. The slayer was just nowhere to be seen.
"What? Wh-where'd he go?" Prado asks in disbelief, then creates spikes of ice where he once stood to no noticeable result. "Did anyone see him dive for the water or hear a splash? What happened!?"
"I heard nothing. Also don't tell me all of you have lost eye-contact with him at the same time?" The pink one says, asking the right question and denying any responsibility in one sentence.
"He was right in front of us!" The short one snarls, stomping the ground with such force that it shakes a bit. "Even if we all blinked at the same time, that wouldn't have been enough to escape!"
"Three times." ZedΩ mutters as he tunes out the girl's questions. One hand on his forehead as he lets out a condescending sigh and smiles. "Three times he's tried this. When will he learn…"
To everyone but him, the scenery abruptly changes. Team ATEMS is now located at the top of the Golden Palace again, courtesy of him rainbow warping everyone so fast it felt almost instant.
"That no cheap trick will be enough to escape from my light." He finishes, looking back at the approximate location of where the fight happened. Before cracking his hands in anticipation.
"Oh? What are you about to do?" Luxia asks the question everyone has, though her carefree smile shows that she most likely already knows. "If it's what I think, then at least make it really flashy."
"Of course, if anything. I'll do it the way the people from the Slayer's country tend to do."
Refusing to elaborate, ZedΩ puts tension in his knees as he bends one leg while keeping the other straight like a pillar. Afterwards he puts his hands to his side as if they're holding a small ball.
With a smirk, he gathers the energy stored within his body, the energy from the song, everything Golden Trillion can give him and focuses them within his palm. "Ka...me...ha...me.."
Then he stops, remembers he doesn't want to cause a nuclear winter and draws some of the power back so that the blatant anime reference laser won't have any radiation behind it and will only blow up most of the outskirt without actually reaching the city itself with any larger damage than the shock waves causing a few windows to break once it passes by. That said, let's go! "HA!"
"I can't believe it was that easy!" Lola bobs in joy, back to her pod form and right behind Copen as the two of them walk next to the river at the bottom of the canyon. "We sure showed them!"
"I love it when you shout." Copen replies with bitter sarcasm, "Especially if it means someone might hear us, thus undoing the point of being invisible." His pace is frantic and he makes an effort to kick every small rock in his path with pure vitriol. His dashes as brutal as the fury inside him.
"Oh, sorry." Lola doesn't flinch at the snap, having half-expected it to happen. Copen always had an affinity to see the worst in things. And right now? His thoughts must be going wild with what-ifs on how he could have done better and trying to decide on what to do now that they ran like cowards.
He glances back at her response with a look too hostile for her to not react to, which instantly douses some of his anger when he realizes he just glared at her. "Sorry...just let me think."
"It's ok. You didn't actually mean it." She's quick to forgive, mostly because of the reason said and part of it because she doesn't believe anger aimed at himself is something she wants to see either.
He doesn't answer, too busy being angry while Lola gets rid of the footprints he leaves behind.
If this was a movie, then this would be the moment where the scene shifts back a few seconds ago up until the point where Luxia started to sing. Add in a grey filter if you fancy.
Then as the camera zooms in. You see the sight of a transparent Copen and Lola leaving while Copen and Lola stay in their place. A sight that's quickly clarified when you remember the clever use of the Phantasm Mirror ex-weapon (Alt name: Doppler 'put verb here' or Lust Doppler) when they were back at the tower. In this situation, they had simply summoned two doppelgangers right over themselves so Luxia wouldn't notice, turned invisible and left the battle field with a dramatic back-flip. One not heard over her music.
Still it came at the cost of one of the battle-pods, as they needed one to maintain the illusion and to respond appropriate grunts when the bastard would inevitably monologue. Once a far enough distance was crossed, it's connection to the main unit ended and it quietly self-destructed.
And that means it self-disintegrated itself with the remaining power it still had inside of it.
Back to the scene.
Anthem or not, they had to leave anyway. Because their radar indicated the approach of three more powerful adepts and those would have been odds that are just as unlikely to be able to win against.
In hindsight there's no shame in retreat. But the fact he had to retreat against an adept, that his very best wouldn't have been enough in this scenario. Wounds his pride a lot as the three, no four, most memorable losses he's had flash back to his mind. Today alone, it increased to a total of six.
*I should have killed her.* Copen thinks in frustration, *If I didn't let sentimentality overcome me then ZedΩ would have died right then and there. Never again, never again, must this happen.*
Part of him wants to blame Lola for blatantly letting such weakness catch up to him, but the majority of him just scoffs at that. In the end it was still his decision, so it is as usual his fault.
As his mind was about to wander into the no-good alleyway of perhaps making a device that would dispose of this 'inner weakness'. The ground shook as if hit by a massive force.
Followed by a light so bright that was his back not turned he would have been dazed by it.
With dread he turns around and sees a gigantic golden flower in the distance and a sea of vermilion flames heading their way, razing away everything in their path. A move so overkill tossing a grenade at a fly would not compare. In his estimate he's got about five seconds to react to it.
"Gah! He's actually nuking us!" Lola exclaims in disbelief, sure it happened before but they had no reason to believe he would dare do it again when the city can still be sighted in the horizon. "Man, this is bad, really, really, bad. Come on, tell me you've got a plan to get us out of this, boss!"
"Activate the Heart-blazer, now!" Copen shouts with urgency as he crouches on the spot, his two shields combined to create a greater one which he uses as cover. Before remembering that A) they'd be useless against an attack of this magnitude and B) he needs them anyway for the special attack.
"What!? But if use that and it fails, won't we be utterly helpless afterwards?"
"If that won't do it, then nothing will. Throw in your everything or we won't see tomorrow!"
"Ok! Lola immediately turns into her muse-form, red x, crimson energy, all that mumbo jumbo blaring about as it more importantly greatly increases her powers. Her remaining five pods swirl around her clockwise as Copen combines his gun with his shield to create a large white riffle.
"A.S Drive overloading! We're going critical!" Lola warns as she and Copen get bathed in more crimson energy, all of their energy, will and power channeling itself into the muzzle of his gun.
Copen points the gun at the oncoming onslaught. His hands turn sweaty from the pressure and his mind races a hundred thoughts, for a moment he almost falls prey to fear paralysis but his thoughts turn clearer when he remembers whose gun he's holding. "Father...I'm sorry for failing you again. I'm sorry for failing to avenge you, for failing to protect my sister and failing to beat this monster to save the earth." the apologies are rapidly mumbled, they take less than a second yet feel like an eternity as he fesses out his heart in front of his potential imminent demise and a confused Lola.
"Boss, what are you doing!? This isn't the time to panic!" she looks at him with fear, wondering if all the gathered stress has made him snap. Even so, then she's the one that has to shoot instead.
"I swear that if I survive today that I'll devote even more than my soul to the cause! I'll sacrifice my pride!" He continues, the word pride sounding perhaps vague but really meaning 'I'll do anything!' "But in the case I fall here, if today is where it ends. Then I hope you can forgive me for failing to apologize, wherever you are in heaven. If my voice won't reach you from the depths of hell!"
"Boss, come on! Snap out of it! I'm going to shoot now so at least stay steady!" Copen feels two hands positioned on top of his own, then sees his partner steadying his aim and looking straight ahead. For a moment he feels shame at his sudden panic, the next he puts a finger on the trigger.
She notices, of course she does and when their eyes meet. She sees the fierce, unbending eyes of a fighting machine and he sees the warm, ever-changing eyes of a diva too alive to be merely AI.
They both know what to do. They've done it before, they will do it again. This is no different.
"Split the flames apart! Heart blazer!" They both announce, an unnecessary gesture, sure. But one that only makes their bond stronger, sets their feelings in a perfect synchro and triggers the attack.
A crimson beam meets to face against the golden blast.
And the entire world quakes.
ZedΩ looks on with satisfaction and mild guilt when he sees the aftermath of his special attack. Everything within the blast zone has been heavily damaged:
The water in the river evaporated (not too much an issue since it's going downstream rather than up and the rain will make it heal and if it doesn't, it's ok. The environment adapter is here for that.).
The lava and glass staining the surroundings...not so easily taken care off. Even so, he's certain now that even if the Slayer survived the first blast within an edge of his life. That the surroundings would take care off him in time. Even so, one can't be too sure so he'll order some drones to survey the area regardless. A feeling of annoyance comes to mind at that as he realizes he's going to need to either lie or justify the mass act of destruction that he caused. Because even if it harmed nobody who didn't deserve it, it still would cause a massive fright to those who noticed: aka everyone.
Also he never got to dissect the Cyberdiva, that kind of sounds ominous but since saying that he didn't get to see her inside is no better. Let's just go with that and just say that he's dissapointed.
"That's what you get for wanting to toy around with newfound power." Luxia says from behind him, the only companion he couldn't tell not to follow him in the 'heat-immune unfriendly' environment that was once a sight worthy of being a natural world wonder.
He suppose he should feel some more guilt for the animals that died today and mentally notes that he'll have many things to do to make up for today. "What can I say..?" he finally responds, putting on hand against his forehead as if he's knocking against a door. "I'm one dastardly rogue."
"Tt." she makes an amused noise and his social expertise stops him from looking for a person who isn't besides her. Pretty sure he'd need to create an item so she could follow him at long-range, until now. "Smarmy bastard more like." She replies without heat, then moves part of her veil to analyze the surroundings some more. "Anyway, if you're done looking for the dead, we need to chit-chat."
"Chit-chat?" He parrots back, kind smile on his face to encourage her to continue.
"It's nothing special. Just the usual 'if you hurt Layla, I'll turn your life into a living hell'. I don't think you have a reason to do so. But I know that you could if you ever needed to." she blabs in a casual tone yet her gaze says she's anything but kidding. "Oh and don't try to lie to her either. My first song was a freebie but the next time you want or need one, you'll have to go and deserve it."
ZedΩ tilts his head at that, as if curious instead of offended. "And how would I do the latter?"
"We can have that conversation later. I'm sure you've got lots of things you want to try out."
"Oh, that I do." He agrees, the feeling of victory surging in him again. He's avenged Serpentine and gained a muse. Sure, the primal dragons are still a threat. But at least he's got one less variable to worry about. "We've got much to prepare for and still weeks before the main play starts out."
"Didn't think you were a theater fan, that said, can we go back now? I've got a whole city of fans to gain so be sure to schedule a concert soon." Luxia speaks again in a tone that feels a bit demanding.
But he can take it for now, nobody has ever said he's thick-skinned and for her cooperation he'll be sure it stays that way. "Yes, let's. Today has been very eventful and we all deserve our rest."
Without further words, a golden hue surrounds them before they rainbow warp away.
Though before they truly vanished. Luxia's gaze lingered towards the east horizon.
"Ugh. I feel like I've been glared at just now." Lola comments, squirming like a ball in Copen's hand as he keeps walking and jumping between the spots where the earth isn't flaming hot.
"Don't jinx us." He replies, his eyes sharply scanning the surroundings just in case. "There won't be any drones to worry about for a few minutes and even when they come, you'll have recovered enough for them to be unable to notice us." or at least he hopes so, but certainty, no matter how fake is more comforting than admitting that he's in control as much as a sealed whale for all it matters.
Still, having survived the super golden death laser that came their way was sadly not enough of a reason for them to get to have it easy now. With Lola's energy in a standby mode and Copen's armor temporarily turned off. They have no choice but to keep moving until they find a hiding spot in order to avoid the slightest chance of someone realizing they're not dead and then correcting it.
So Eastward they go! Because that direction does not follow the river (which would obviously be turned over nook and cranny for the sake of double checking) and because he can see green mountains in the further distance. Green means vegetation to nourish on, trees to hide from satellites and more importantly water so that the one human won't die from thirst anytime.
"I guess you're right…" Lola grows silent afterwards, a clear sign to him that she's thinking on what to say. "About everything. I'm uh, sorry boss. For stop-"
"It's fine." He replies, "You didn't know." he continues when it looks like she's about to protest.
"We all make mistakes, what's important is that we take the right lessons from them."
"Oh..ok, thanks." She responds with stiff politeness, a tone that makes him raise an eyebrow but he doesn't dig deeper than that, it's her choice to share or not. "So what now?" she finally asks.
He pauses his walk for a moment, then thinks about it. "Going back would be suicide, so there's really no other choice but to go to Japan." for a moment he was about to say 'go home' but he quickly reminds himself that 'Copen' doesn't have one. "We need to give S-fit a visit."
"The Sumeragi Future Institute of Technology." Lola correctly says the full-name with dread.
"The adept mentioned my father too many times for it to be simply ignored. Not only that but he allegedly possesses knowledge about research I've never seen in his files back home." Copen muses then his eyes widen as if he failed to realize something incredibly obvious. "Which means a simple thing: My father's more controversial research has been erased, falsified or even altered from the official records! That's such a Sumeragi move!" he pinces his nose in frustration, realizing this is something he should've inspected months ago. "Even so, I'm sure those pigs kept some sort of back-up of it hidden somewhere. He was a true genius after all, the Einstein of this era."
S-fit had been burned down once in a desperate yet successful attempt to kill his father. But even so, it's already been rebuilt a few years since then. If any answers that his father possesses about the past and future is contained somewhere. Then a clue has to be located within the depths of it.
Worst case scenario, he'll have to visit their new HQ to force one of Sumeragi's higher members to fess up. And if that doesn't work then he's not sure what to do, but having a clear objective still does wonders for his morale. He has a goal, he has a location and all the means to get into it.
"So, will you be calling Nori then?" Lola asks, this time with far more eagerness.
"I suppose I have to." it's not like he could disable the force-field surrounding Japan from the outside and even if that was possible, it'd catch way too much attention. It's far safer to get smuggled into the country after paying a hefty 'donation' so that one single ship or air-vehicle 'somehow' manages to pass through an 'unexplainable hole in the system that's to be patched'.
"You WILL let me speak to her right?" Lola asks in a way that's not a request as much as it's almost a demand. Not that it would make up for not getting to visit home or seeing 'Mytyl' again.
"You will." He responds, dully. And ends the conversation there as the rest of him tunes out, or to be more precise tunes back to the prayer he made just before. Glad that Lola did not mention it.
Pride he said...as if he's got anything to offer at all.
Still a promise is a promise and if his current self doesn't have what it takes to get to the end.
Then he does indeed, need to try things differently.
To be continued.
Author note: Man, I was having a hard case of writer block while writing this. Like I was struggling super hard on how to make an actual chase scene that turned out lame and contrived, then too 'like reading a grocery list of actions' so in the end I had to scrap it entirely. At least the rest worked.
Anyway, the worst has happened! The muse has awakened because of Copen's actions! But at least he's regained his status as a dead man and now has yet another motive to return to Japan. ZedΩ will be super busy with studying how the muse works and how his own damage control for a while so we'll have a small timeskip or just a quick perspective change to Gunvolt now, as the whole experience of smuggling oneself out of a country and back into Japan sounds like a snooooze.
Unless you actually want the latter, I mean I could write their phone call, that'd be pretty emotional, aw heck why not. You'll get the phone call and a sight of the players in Japan all in the next chap.