Translator
[No Haiku because this ain't a level, sorry.]
Dust and wasteland yet again. Copen stared at the barren landscape across the horizon, a desert whose sepia and copper tones crackle and drag no matter how far he goes. The earth so parched and in need of a good rain that it will be at least another two weeks before anything in this part of the world gets to be of any color that isn't dead yellow or a grimy green. The so-called green valleys looking alive from a distance turned out to be just as dead under the gaze of the infernal sun.
Not only that, but the further he goes, the more manners of strangeness fill the land. The earth heaves and twists like an affliction of boils, the broken plateau creating alien geographies without reason or warning. In simpler terms, the land itself is dead. Having taken damage so severe that no trace of the life-wave can be detected in the surroundings. A dust-choked village can be seen after hours of non-stop walking. Huddled at the edge of a great dry hole – a lake, or possible a crater. The lake bed is fissured and caught in the jaw of perpetual dusk. The sun going from overbearing to laying half-exposed to the horizon like a discolored egg-yolk the moment the slayer closes in.
"What happened in here?" Lola, his loyal companion asks while comfortably seated in the palm of his right hand. The rest of the orbs flying behind them in a lazy flight. "What do you think, boss?"
"I think it doesn't matter." Copen replies stoically, with a hint of irritation. Even though he forced both of his shields to float above him like a makeshift sun parasol. His skin still ended up mildly red and glistening from the constant UV rays exposure. "What does matter is, if we could find something here that might be of use to us. Then again, this place is so trashed I doubt any fugitives have even been here," Copen turned his attention forward, towards the center of what was once some humble town. Not big enough to be called a city, but not too small to be a village either. If luck shines on them, then they could create a semi-vehicle out of the scraps that remained here.
"Boss, wait! Look inside the crater!" Lola's shout immediately puts Copen on edge, swiftly drawing out his gun. He prepares to dodge an attack and ambush that never comes, "Ah, sorry! I didn't mean to make it sound like we're in danger. It's just there's something odd inside the middle of it."
Copen withholds his displeasure, instead giving his companion a flat look, before he turns his view towards where she pointed it out. Then his look changes into mild surprise at the unnerving sight.
Skeletons, a whole mountain of bones lie stacked at the middle of the crater. Their origin clearly human by the sight of iconic man skulls around the lot. The cause of such a phenomenon is unknown to Copen and true to his own priorities. He dismisses the sight as unimportant after.
"My guess is that various people over different time-spans died in this desert either by or during terrible weather, and that lake is just where some bodies ended up after repeated pushes of the wind." He guesses, if only to reassure his companion. "Now let's keep moving."
"Hm, I guess that makes sense?" Lola replies, then lets out an out loud 'hmmm' of concentration before she continues. "But what if something or someone killed these people? Like a monster?"
Copen snorts in disbelief at that. "How awfully childish of you to say such a thing. What? Do you think some Tasmanian devil or Moth-man went ahead and massacred this innocent neighborhood?"
"Or perhaps...a primal dragon?" Copen continues, sarcasm thick in his voice. And yes, he means sarcasm, because other than some silly prophecy... why should he believe any of it?
"Hey! Don't make fun of me!" She protests back, then stops, flinching for a moment as if she registered something. "Bad news, boss. My radars just skimmed over the place and I keep seeing low traces of electricity and other energies. Perhaps some malfunctioning drones could be roaming the streets. Not like we can't handle anything like that, of course."
"Have you recovered enough energy to fight with me?" Copen asks.
"No, I mean kinda but still no." Lola says, "I can let out an ex-weapon or two, but using the Shred Storm, Healing and Flashfield are out of the question at the moment. Sorry about that."
"Don't apologize, and also that's fine. I'll just be extra careful." Copen replies, then moves on.
"Oh, ok. In that case, go ahead and look for some place we can use as shelter then."
"Noted." and with that conversation over...Copen heads further into the town.
Said town is dead, in more ways than one. The hot, desert wind blows eerily through empty, ruined streets. Beyond that subtle breeze, there wasn't a single sound to be heard. Most buildings had collapsed and some were covered under a dune of sand. The main street has more holes and debris on it than asphalt and Copen had to take short detours numerous times as entire buildings had crumbled, blocking his route. Copen preferred to save the spare energy that his armor regained to use the jet boots for real emergencies. As such, he wasn't about to use them just to hop over some wreckage. No matter how tempting the thought came to be in his head.
It didn't take long for Copen to start wondering if he was truly alone in this place. He attributed it to paranoia, but the sound of bits of glass, brick or iron dropping to the ground from above would make anyone jumpy. More than likely, they had finally been wedged free by the persistent wind, but the thought remained. Every time he heard something behind him, the Slayer had to suppress the urge to turn around, hoping to be fast enough to counter an attack from an unseen assailant.
Eventually, the duo reached the center square of the town. And just from his imagination and building sense alone, Copen could see that this place was once a beauty. A huge, circular opening in the townscape, with its enter occupied by a massive, marble fountain basin. Back then, it had probably been filled to the brim with clear, cool water and kept clean by purification devices installed along the base of the giant statue that had been erected in the middle of the basin. It had been shaped in the image of a young man; one looking very similar to ZedΩ himself, though it clearly wasn't him...so perhaps instead one of his ancestors? The man stood tall and proud, holding one hand to the sky while the other held a magnificent blade that dug into the skull of a reptile-like monster's corpse that he's using as a stepping stone. A fine display of culture.
The sight remaining, however, was very different. The statue had broken off around the waist, with large chunks of marble missing from the center block. The water had dried up some time ago and instead the entire monument was covered in dirt, sand and some debris over the ages of time. It was almost cruelly symbolic about how everything will be forgotten one day….Copen watched the scene for a brief moment longer, followed by Lola asking the inevitable question off the day.
"You know, I never thought Zed-who to be the kind of guy to disrespect his ancestors. He totally looks like the kind of guy to have a massive museum about how awesome his bloodline is." Lola muses, taking screenshots of the environment all the while, in case it could prove useful later.
Copen just shrugs, "Perhaps he does. That or he wants to focus on his golden city above everything else. To think he's so confident in it or...perhaps too afraid to lose it to act in any drastic way?"
"What do you mean?"
"What has he been doing during our past events? Both Sumeragi and Eden were once oh so close to complete dominion and we've seen absolutely no trace of him or ATEMS until just recently. I'm pretty sure that Layla wasn't even walking amongst the living during that time-frame so why didn't he act at all against those who threaten his 'paradise to come'? Is he that confident in his strength?"
"Like I'd possibly know," Lola shrugs back, albeit without lungs. "All we know is that he's definitely going to do something now that he's got his own diva to sing sweet songs for him."
"Yeah, there's no point throwing random theories for now. Until we figure out what lies within S-fit, the best we can do is keep moving and use the time he's wasting on research to gain any sort of advantage once he inevitably attacks Japan. Speaking of time, how is the new ex-weapon coming along? Have you figured out her septisomes yet?" Copen asks and changes the subject.
"Oh, you mean Serpentine's? Eh, that's still a few hours away, boss. But come on, enough chit-chat. Let's find some scraps to make something good and get out of this sandy sea of sandiness!"
"Right."
Copen literally took two more steps before a relatively intact home appeared around the corner of a barely upright structure.
"Two story house, flat roof, mostly metal plate...looks like we know where to sleep tonight." Even so, Copen felt it was prudent to double-check if the house could collapse from just entering it.
"Ayup, there seems to be some damage to the second floor. But it probably won't collapse." Lola agrees.
"Probably?" Copen asks with no amusement in his voice.
"Yeah, probably. Now go on, get in." Lola confidently pushes him forward with her words, to which he responds by beginning to make his way to the front door. The ordinarily automatic, sliding barrier was either malfunctioning, locked, or its power feed had been cut off. Either way, Copen had to force it open. Fortunately, it didn't offer a whole lot of resistance as the Slayer made the door part enough for him to fit through it. He moved very cautiously. For all he knew, some scavengers – or anyone potentially not eager to be robbed – had set various traps to surprise trespassers. It would be reasonable to assume some of those might still be active….except for the not eager to be robbed part, because somehow, for just a second, he forgot this is an abandoned ruin. How very clever.
The house's interior was fairly intact, all things considered. The main corridor held doorways into the kitchen, the living room and the basement. The staircase up to the first floor looked a little shaky, with some of its steps having collapsed. Copen decided to check the ground floor first and began walking through the various rooms. The kitchen was messy and before the water had receded, it must've been inundated by numerous leaks from broken appliances. Several cabinets and decorative items had plummeted to the ground after having been shook loose by the intense impact that had happened nearby. The Slayer hadn't expected to find anything in the kitchen, but he was going to do his job thoroughly. He would rather not have to rest in a house that would collapse on him, if he could help it. Moving on, he found nothing but broken furniture and belongings in the other rooms of the ground floor.
Using his jet boots, Copen managed to avoid having to use the precarious staircase to get to the first floor. He had hoped not to make so much noise, but it was preferable to potentially falling through the steps and down into the basement.
The first floor wasn't much to look at. Most of the windows were shattered, the bedrooms had been ravaged, but there was one room that appeared to be relatively intact. It was a study of some kind, with several bookcases and a portable computer that rested on a wooden desk. The Slayer found it a bit odd that some townie had need of such an advanced machine. Although perhaps it's main use had to communicate with humans that live far away? Some people buy these kind of devices just so they can have long distance relationships. Then again, all humans are a fan of technology, so it'd be even stranger if this town didn't have anything like a tv or other device for miles to see.
"I've found a computer in his study. Analyze it for me," Copen told Lola with a shrug as he investigates a book-case a few feet away from it.
"Analyze it?" Lola asks back.
Copen sighed softly as he hated wasting time on clarifications. "Check it for anything suspicious. Last thing I want is for the blasted thing to blow up in my face the first button I press," the slayer's aggravation and acute lack of patience were beyond obvious.
Lola couldn't help but stammer a bit at what was a tone Copen only reserved for his enemies. But, at the same time, she found herself fighting back remarks in her own defense. She was just making sure! Jeez...if he's so bothered by something, then don't hold it in and tell her about it already!
Copen's hand reached for one of the books on the nearest shelf while he waited. He glanced over the cover and noticed it was the same topic as many of the other books kept on the dark brown wooden shelves. They were all works on research into the biology of Adepts; into how to further improve how Adepts control their Septima and their independent development of strength rising with time.
"This is complicated stuff for a town in the middle of nowhere...this kind of info is definitely the type that Sumeragi would hide and monopolize." Copen whispered to himself as he flipped through a few pages. He quickly found a page of interest within the easy to read (NOT) material.
"Did you say something?" Lola only receives a mumbled 'no' in response. "Well, either way, according to my readings and scans, the computer is safe to use."
"Good, but before that. Have a look here." Copen speaks up, then shows off a page.
Some unreadable text is accompanied by an image of people bowing to a pharaoh wielding golden light with one hand. Looming behind him is a giant wearing an owl-like mask. Said giant also has a golden mirror on top of their head that looks similar to the golden ball of light the pharaoh holds. Both lights create rays that aim at the ground surrounding the people, blessing the earth with plant-life where it touches. It's obvious to anyone that this book is one depicting the history and religion of ZedΩ's land. From a glance, Copen can tell this means the wielders of Golden Trillion are most likely part of some royal family that inherit and guard their own land from generation to generation.
"Hey, isn't that the god Ra?" Lola recognizes the figure from her history archives. "Oooh, I think I get it then! In this land, Septima is considered the gifts of the gods...or something like that, right?"
"I suppose so," Copen notes, his gaze burning down the book if he could. His hands twitching in disgust at holding such an obvious piece of heresy. But still reading the info within it. "I guess every country has their own view on Septima. China despises them even more than Japan to the point having one will have you mobbed on sight. Japan sees them as a useful evil thanks to Sumeragi, so any adept can either join them or be experimented on. America tried and failed to militarize them since without the know how on how to make glaives why would any super-powered teenager listen to them? Europe is surprisingly indifferent, though the populace will still view you as a potential terrorist and finally, here in Africa. I guess it's seen as a proof of divinity in some way."
"Well, yeah. I KNOW that already. No need to remind me." Lola responds with some cheek.
"Oh? In that case, why don't you explain the next page?" Copen 'asks' as he turns her way.
"Sure!"
The next page, depicts the god of the sun and his chosen warrior facing off against a serpent-like creature that's so large it's mouth looks like it's about to swallow the sun. Several golden arrows have pierced it's hide yet the ferocity within it's white eyes are no less focused. Surrounding the battlefield are masked figures wearing the same scales as the giant snake. But instead of defending their master, they attack and massacre nearby villages as is seen by figures of houses on fire.
"So, what does this mean?" Copen asks Lola, a hint of challenge behind his tone.
Likewise flared up by this hint of a competition, Lola stares down the page, occasionally moving about as if doing so would let her see a secret something from a certain angle before answering.
"Well, I guess the g-"
"You guess?" Copen interrupts, one eyebrow tauntingly raised.
"I know." Lola speaks up, wings fluttering in mild annoyance. "That this giant snake can only be the Sun God's nemesis. Also known as the demon of chaos, Apopis! From what the image tells, every uh….some time the two forces clash against each other to determine the fate of the world!"
"Mhm." Copen nods, then urges her to continue. "So, do you believe what it says is true then?"
"I guess that depends on what religion you believe in?" Copen's blank look indicates this doesn't satisfy, so Lola continues. "Uh, then, maybe the Primal Dragon stuff has root within history?"
"I find that very unlikely. You can't exactly hide away the fact that dragons existed." Copen notes with some disbelief. "Then again, it seems ZedΩ fully believes something like this will happen anyway. So I've got no basis to accept or reject this as truth or fiction yet. How irritating…"
"I guess the truth itself lies within the depths in this country. Like how the Azure Striker originates from South American Jungles." Lola notes, then suddenly becomes more energetic. "Oh, yeah, remember the thunder ruins back there? Like how a bunch of secret passages opened the moment you struck certain statues with thunder? Maybe there's a temple like that somewhere close by!"
"Don't be ridi-" Copen stops his refutation mid-sentence. Memories of ancient ruins depicting man being struck by a beast of thunder and then controlling lighting coming back to mind. "Oh, great…"
"Oh, did you figure something out? You've got your eureka look on, boss!"
"This is most likely just a warning set in stone from the first adept culture in this country." Copen starts his theory, his eyes slightly more wide in focus. "This of course, doesn't mean that whatever it says is the truth per se. As much as it gives us a viewpoint on how they thought of things."
"So, what are they trying to say boss?"
"Most likely they are trying to say that, adepts that don't follow their path slash work for false idols have the potential to turn into dangerous enemies that must be hunted down before they can reach the apex of their powers. This apex being, unlike what the Jungle ruins say, not beings of pure energy but more something along the likes of where one's septima takes over mind and body and transforms their host into what we call a primal dragon. That is, if we ignore all the god stuff...but even then, all of this could still be nothing more than religious nonsense. It's not like the world ended at 2012 like the Mayan scholars once predicted, now did it? Then again, this only brings even more questions, since the first Azure Striker discovered can't possibly be the only adept out there if ruins like these exist in the first place. Which begs the question: Why are they appearing in this age?"
"Guess we won't know the truth until we actually see it happen, huh?" Lola shrugs, perfectly resonating with what Copen beliefs are at the moment. "Want me to like, store that book?"
"Please do." Copen didn't even bother thinking about putting the book he had taken back to where it belonged, instead just dropping it on front of Lola. Who was going to care? Certainly not the owner. He walked over to the desk and reached for a fallen over office chair. After propping it back up, he sat down in front of the portable device. Pressing on the power button once Lola deems it safe for use, to his pleasant surprise the auxiliary power source that was hooked up to it still had some juice left to give. How much, though, was anyone's guess, so speed is off the essence.
After about half an hour, Copen grumbled in frustration as the computer didn't contain any information he could use. There wasn't even anything that could answer the question of what kind of incident happened in this town. Most of the content the user of the device had sent over the course of years were nothing more than family photos, stupid trivia and some legal documents that were of no use to Copen at all. All of it is stored neat and organized so it's hard to believe that there could be anything truly hidden within this. So with a grumble, Copen turns off the useluss device.
"The only thing I'm learning here is that this place used to be a spot of commerce. The lake that's now a hole used to be a tourist spot and also a place for an annual water sport festival. But there's no info on what has wiped them all out." Copen let out a sigh as he suppressed the urge to throw the computer at the nearest wall. Giving to anger like that wouldn't help anyone. "This doesn't answer our questions at all. I don't think there are any secrets on this device, so we just wasted half an hour for nothing." despite his complaints, Copen still started uploading some of the data to Lola, so she could take a look at it later.
"Yeah, it's a dead end, boss." Lola agrees, "In that case let's focus on the repairs now! After all, the sooner I'm back to top condition, the sooner we'll become an unstopp-suspicouis energy detected!"
"What now?" the slayer was already getting up from the chair. No sooner was he on his feet when he heard something in the distance, through the window in the office. It wasn't just his usual paranoia again either, as he could have sworn it had been the distinctive sound of a large, high-power energy weapon activating, and arming. As Copen jerked to the right to look out the broken window, he spotted a bright, dark blue flash of intense light from the rooftop of the building across the street from him. The slayer wasn't going to sit around and wait to find out what exactly was taking a shot at him and immediately tilted his gun to the ceiling. A single photon blast was enough to open an escape route out of the shoddy structure. He flared his bullit boots to propel himself up and through the roof with Lola in tow. They barely made it out in time to avoid suffering the same fate as the entire building. A massive spiral of crackling energy collided with the study, reducing the house to rubble.
"A railgun!" Copen announced as he landed on the ground just in front of the ruined structure. The shockwave from the explosion almost pushed him over, and he was forced to sway back to avoid a large piece of debris from crashing down on top of him. "No, it's a particle projector!"
A weapon normally reserved for battleships. One shot of this over sized canon can destroy an entire navy lacking the proper defense. To be using it on land, against humans of all things, is clearly overkill. The handler of this weapon stood about fifty feet away, clad in a strange light indicative of a primitive stealth core hiding everything but it's body outlines. The massive enemy began approaching Copen, using one last leap to get into a proper combat pose before turning down it's stealth core and letting itself be seen in all of it's glory. Copen does not seem impressed by it.
The creature's frame is massive. Thick, armored plating covered their body in layers, while the shoulder pads were broad. The metallic crab like spike-feet had been reinforced to handle he force exerted by a set of jets installed under the stomach. Those had to be able to lift the heavy creature off the ground, or at least propel it in a forward in a dash similar to what Copen and Gunvolt often resorted to. The head was the only unprotected part of the body, or so one would assume- were it not for the fact that the strange skull-shaped mask held the hardest material of the entire body. Two over sized claw arms were attached to it's sides. Allowing it to use them as either whips or grab and crush whatever it caught onto. Finally it's gigantic scorpion tail held the titular particle projector. Were it not for the unknown insignia on it's shoulder pads, one could mistake it for a Sumeragi creation. Finally, Copen noticed the stealth core humming softly inside it's abdomen. That was definitely a weak point, as it seemed part of the body had been adapted to accommodate the device.
Copen just looked indifferently at it, before glancing at Lola, "So, is this what slaughtered this poor town or is it some security bot protecting a death town against the intruders that are us?"
"I don't know, but I bet it's parts could be useful once we trash it!" Lola replies, eager to fight.
It seemed the large machine felt the same way, as it took aim and pulled the trigger.
Starting the fight once and for all.
"Welp, that was easy." Lola notes with disappointment.
"No, it wasn't." Copen disagrees, focused on work. "Don't be a brat now." He adds in, as his companion has been pouting for several minutes now even though he's in the middle of slowly and ever so surely forming a plan alongside a device that will help him enact it, once the work is done.
"I'm not a brat." Lola protests with a childish tone, then floats over to where he is to annoyingly float in front of the console that Copen is pressing various buttons on. "You're the one playing real life lego's between the two of us, so clearly you're the child here, hmph."
"I'm doing far more than that, I'm making our next ride." Copen protests as he continues his work to the best of his ability, occasional the rail gun sputters to life because of it. After several seconds, the destroyed scorpion mech turned into scrap-like ship rocked slightly but did little more than that.
Much to Copen's disappointment. Making a flying ship out of a destroyed mech and several scraps is a hard thing to do regardless of how much of a genius one is. The burning sun has already been replaced by a cold star filled night sky as he continues his work non-stop for the sooner they're out of this country, the better.
"Come on you useless pile of junk! The least you can do is fly right?!" Lola helps occasionally by lifting things that Copen can't on his own, or like in this case, shouting out the frustrations that her partner is too stoic to let out himself. Because that's what most of the work is, slow and tedious, patching holes in the unstable hull. Linking Lola's AS Drive in such a way it's potential infinite energy won't blow up the ship and more importantly, making sure the damn thing can even fly.
"Come on, come on!" More and more time passed, followed by the occasional break where the iconic duo looted the dead town for anything that could be eaten and drunken. Luckily for them, Lola found a few abandoned bottles of water hidden under closet. So at least, if the ship were to crash down in the middle of nowhere. Dying from thirst won't be one of their problems anymore.
Food however was tough luck, as whatever was there had either been already looted or rotten away. Either way Copen's dedication was finally rewarded as the ship tilted before rising of the ground after one last operation, as if it was shaking itself awake.
"Yes!" Lola cheers, moving to Copen's side as he looks proudly at his own creation. "The Sky Scorpion is finally ready for lift-off! Goodbye sand, goodbye savanna! Hello, Japan!"
"There's several things wrong with that statement." Copen cuts in mid-cheer, "First off, who said this ship is called the Sky Scorpion?" he cringes a bit at the very name, then continues. "And secondly, we can't just fly there, lest the barrier surrounding it will shoot us down, remember?"
"It's a great name, and I've already decided on it." is Lola's smug reply, followed by, "Well, I'm sure you can figure that out boss, after all, just land to some nearby land, give Nori a call and voila, we've got a way to smuggle ourselves into Japan. That's the plan, right? I didn't forget it!"
"We'll be heading to China, yes. Or at least somewhere in the east if my math is right." Copen notes, looking at the stars up above before correcting the direction the ship is facing eastward. With his controls finally having an effect, the spacecraft started to rise upward slowly at first, but quickly gains more speed. Punching in more commands on the console, the rail-gun behind Copen started to hum softly as it begin to gather all the remaining power it held.
"Works for me. How long until we got there boss? Do you want some music for the road?"
"That won't be necessary, Lola." Copen shakes his head, then attaches his own seat-belt. Now breaking through the clouds, the ship rose and higher into the blue sky. However, keeping the ship straight proves to be difficult. The harsh wind rattled against the spacecraft forcing Copen to compensate accordingly so he doesn't spin out of the sky. The loud sound of the ship rocking was only matched by the rail gun as the hum of energy it gathered grew more and more intense. "After all, if everything goes right, we'll end up there in about...10 minutes."
"Ah, that's not long- hold on did you say 10 minutes?!" Lola shouts as Copen inspects his ejector seat one last time, just to make sure. "What do you mean in 10 minutes? How fast is the ship?!"
"Fast enough that I leave the rest of the driving to you, once the pressure knocks me out." Copen answers calmly, then taps the back of his head so his scanner turns into a semi-helmet with air-breathers installed. "The fastest way to China is by temporarily leaving the atmosphere."
"Wha-I, that's…" Lola needs a second to compose herself. "That sounds insane, y'know?"
"To normal people, yes." Copen tiredly admits, "However, they ain't us. Are they, Lola?"
The shaking of the ship worsens as it scratches the surface of Earth's atmosphere. Even so, Copen continues to calmly look Lola's way, as if he paused some leisurely activity to hear her answer.
"Ugh." She lets out a sigh, "Ok, maybe we are crazy. Do your thing, boss, I'll handle the rest."
"Good, because honestly stopping now wouldn't be possible anyway." Copen notes to the screen, showing that the ship has finally stopped its ascent and is now on the cusp of the Earth's pull. The stars of the universe hang just above the two. The fact Copen takes the time to properly line up his shot does not Lola's nerves at all, but it has to be done. For doing the impossible is their job.
"Hey, Lola." Copen speaks up one more time. "Thanks for always being there for me."
"Ok?" She returns, "Suddenly sappy much? Nah, I kid, you better repay me later though!"
"Sure, first we save the day. And afterwards, we'll have a well deserved vacation."
"Ayup, we'll go to the zoo, the cinema's, you'll even have to install taste-buds onto me so I can taste every new ice cream and delicacy that has been invented too! Promise me you will, boss!"
"That's a tall order. But sure, sure I will. Anyway, we go on 3."
"1"
"2"
"3!"
Smashing his fist over the accelerate button had the spacecraft launch itself back at Earth's surface. Breaking through the multiple levels of the atmosphere the outside of the ship started burn upon reentry. Wind and fire whipped itself against the bulk of the craft the shaking growing even more insane than before. Inside the ship, Copen's breathing had spiraled fully out of his control as multiple warnings and sirens he had installed blared in the background. Sweat started to pour out of him as the intense heat had broken through the ship's skin boiling the innards of the technology. With only his adrenaline and Lola guiding him, Copen's iron-set focus flickered in and out as black spots started dancing in his sight. The clouds split open as the young man's warpath blazed on. Simply breathing became a full problem as Copen's throat tightened from the lack of breathable oxygen as Earth's surface suddenly came into view again. Pressing a command into the console to start his ejection Copen's strength started to fade and he suddenly was unable to even lift his hand. Slumping forward Copen closed his eyes and grew deaf to his situation as his consciousness left completely. Leaving the rest of the landing to Lola.
"Hey, look, it's a falling star."
Ignoring the pathetic attempt at distracting him, Sumeragi grunt A continued focusing on the table of poker held in front of him. Technically occupied with guarding the border of what was once called the Garden, aka the now abandoned fortress stronghold that belonged to EDEN. Sumeragi was more than eager to create a new base there in order to regain a stronger grip on China after Zonda's fall. Hence a sudden influx of employees ended up deported there, which is in hindsight the ideal place to send people to end their careers. Not that a lowly guardsman cared about that, nay, the only thing he focused on, was trying to form a possible plan to obtain all the money bidded on the table. Though those thoughts vanished as soon as a sudden light took over the blue sky above. What appeared to be a meteor blasting a mix heavy metal and j-pop descended from the heavens onto their way.
Or well, it looked like it went their way but didn't, lest they'd be crushed to death. Still the thing hits the fortress dead-on, not before two tiny figures jump out of it yes, but the ship hits the fortress dead-on. The impact crunches against the fortress walls that it instantly collapses deeper into the fortress until it solid soil. On which it explodes with a boom that blows apart a large chunk of the ground leaving a gigantic crater. The collision also engaged the rail gun inside the to discharge the remaining power it held, creating a chain reaction that formed a dome of deadly energy spiraling out of control. The power erupted out of the bits and pieces of the ship covering the Fortress in pure destruction. Just as Copen had planned, the gust the crash created tossed Lola and Copen out of thei air, the small orb doing her best to hold onto her friend. Landing hard on a nearby roof, Lola tore Copen out of his secured seat and laid him down to get a better look at the young man.
"Boss! Boss, can you hear me?"
Slowly, the maniac genius started to come round, his eyes fluttering open.
"Oh...hey Lola."
"I changed my mind! Your plans are the worst and we'll never do them again!"
"Sure, whatever," The boy coughed trying and failing to find his feet.
"Oh, don't bother." Lola interrupts as she surrounds Copen with a capture field. "You're clearly winded, so leave the rest to me! First to get out of the crash zone, then to find a phone! That's the plan, right? If so, leave things to the new party leader." She gets no answer, realizing the moment she looks that Copen has fallen unconscious yet again. "Ah, well. I'll take that as a yes…"
Either way Lola immediately moves away with Copen in tow, flying down the roof to enter some dark alleyways and make her further way into the dark dimension that is Tashkent, the starry night-sky capital of Uzbekistan. Will she find a phone in this foreign land? Find out next time in…
Azure Striker Chronicles: Dragon Slayer!
AN: And there we have another update. Though it's kind of just filler in a way. I've been thinking a while about how to handle the fact that Copen has to find a home way without making it truly anti-climatic as just saying "After some time, he's back in japan" sounded a bit anticlimactic. Hence the 'Copen speedruns his way back home' instead as I though that'd be funnier. Either way next update will have his Nori phonecall and his return to Japan. So until then, my lovely readers.
Oh and I didn't include the scorpion mech fight because he wouldn't lose to it and well, I just didn't feel like writing about it since I didn't anything extra other than just fighting fluff.