Return of the Orichalcos (Finishing/PG-13/IC)

[Merci]

"H- huh?"

Having finished their duel, Arta and Brenin turned confusedly as one of the motionless corpses of the resistance - that of the Egyptian girl from earlier - suddenly had an aura of darkness spinning around it, a darkness that was only growing. The Titans immediately recognized this power, and tried to warn their owner just what exactly was happening, but Arta couldn't hear them, and then-

[b][i]
torture
darkness
death
despair
destruction
misery
hopelessness
desolation
[b]end[/b]
look
seek
die
live[/i][/b]

The large figure of a dragon made of shadows erupted out of Pener's body, and crunched on Arta's face, and his blood splattered onto Brenin's own. Not quite understanding what had just happened, the ordinary human panickedly ran away, preparing to escape in the helicopter he had come here in. It wasn't he that the shadows wanted. All they wanted, all they [i]needed[/i] was the power that resided within the Titan card, the divine monsters strong enough to break the barrier of the Seal of Orichalcos. And then before the gods could manifest into a form that would allow them to teleport away, they were all consumed.

Crunch.

Crunch.

Down went the bloody corpse that had once been Arta's body, and as the shadows consumed him, they began to gain colors of their own. The same colors of the Egyptian girl's motionless body. The gods were crunched down, their divine essence being corrupted by primordial darkness that conquered any other, a darkness so powerful that even their combined might could not throw it off, a darkness so ancient that it must have been the origin of the universe. Blood splattered everywhere as the shadows tore apart the now-dead wielder of the Titans, but still showed no mercy. Heartless was the shadows, the darkness, that original darkness at the beginning of every universe. It was only natural the Titans could not win against it.

Then, when the corpse had been fully enshrouded into darkness, it transformed into the appearance of Pener. She was now revived.

[color=brown]"...Ugh....ugh...."[/color] She murmured, fatigued by the gruesome revival.

The truth was that the soul of Pener was far away, locked deep within the Shadow Realm, and what Lucas had collected had actually been the 'connection' that linked the soul to the body, a connection so complicated that it was only natural it itself could be mistaken for a soul. However, it would be completely useless if anyone were to try and use it with the other souls to pull in Faust.

Even so, with her connection severed, that is more than fatal enough for the entity called 'Pener'. The only way for her to live again would be by transforming into a Dark Signer. Due to her unique set of circumstances, she requires a living body to consume so she can transform into a 'Dark Signer', and that living body had been Arta. However, the reason why she no longer looks like a Dark Signer is because she had already fulfilled the condition that would allow her to regain her ordinary immortal self; raw power.

In the distant future, Protheus Maximus would go through the same thing. After his defeat at the hands of Rey Rasvateil, who accidentally brought them both into an inescapable Denial of Nothingness realm, he had to be temporarily revived as a Dark Signer. And then, when the two all-powerful Chaos Signers Saizen and Zarkus clashed with their Earthbound and Skybound Immortals, so much power had been released that he used it to regain his full power. Of course, later on in time, he made the strange decision to retrieve his soul and put it into his own body in the form of a box, and also combined himself with a past version of himself to gain supreme power...though those are stories for another time.

In any case, Pener had consumed the power of the Titans to restore herself. So, she's now normal again. Hip hip hooray-

All of a sudden, a dart made of darkness erupted from her body and pierced Brenin as he made his escape. A discharge from her very recent revival. Ouch.

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

Natsu fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she watched Itsu...the real Itsu...destroy her with a massive combination of monsters. She couldn't have won. Why did she think she was so foolish to have gone up against the true Itsu Fudo? She was nothing more than a shadow. A mistake. Some science project Protheus created, and subsequently forgot. She was never supposed to have even woken up. She just stayed there, unable to do anything in her worthlessness.

Atsuko watched with equal helplessness from her crystal as the woman who had tried to be her mother was soundly defeated by the golem created from her mother's body. She tried to cry out for Natsu, to encourage her to keep going, but nothing left the confines of the crystal. The supposed "true" Itsu transported her back into the claws of her original captor, who was now ready to do something awful to the girl...

[Kingdom Xathers]

... Gabriel was the first to awaken from his dream, the first thing his eyes saw being Yuri, still cradled within his arms. In spite of the pain he could still feel throughout his body, he couldn't help but curl his lips into a small smile. The smile quickly vanished as soon as his intuition told him that something was wrong. Being careful not to disturb Yuri, Gabriel gingerly slipped off of the Duelhog's turret platform and started limping around a bit, his eyes scanning the scene around him: corpses lying everywhere, factory machinery damaged, the tour buses smashed against green crystals--

Immediately, Gabriel's concern was for his fellow wrestlers. [color=#b22222]"Guys?!"[/color] he called out. [color=#b22222]"Anyone! Can you hear--MMRRRPH?!!"[/color] Gabriel's shouting was ceased by a hand slapping itself over his mouth.

"Shh!!!" Tom Seda hissed in the luchador's ear. "You want any more creepies to hear you? C'mon...." Seda began backing up into a nearby hallway where CJ Brat and Slade Thorton were hiding, dragging Gabriel with him.

[color=#b22222][i]"Como qué, "creepies"?"[/i][/color] whispered a confused Gabriel. [color=#b22222]"What the hell happened?"[/color]

CJ took a quick glance at Seda and Thorton then, in an over-the-top "Valley Girl" accent, said, "Like, oh em gee, Gabby, you, like, totally missed everything! (=D) So, like, there were these zombies, right? And they were all like, "BRAIIIIINNZZ!!" and they were, like, totally chasing everyone around and noshing on some people, y'know~, like what zombies usually do. And there was, like, this old man who was going around using the Seal of Ori-Tic-Tac-Toe-cos and stealing souls. Oh, and this teal-haired girl was with him. Yeah, they were, like, seriously going to town on us. And then this [i]chulita[/i]-looking Egyptian chick who was, like, going around claiming she was going to, like, take over the world, like, totally. Oh, and she may or may not have, like, killed Arta and some other dude just now and, like--"

At this point, Carla, who was also nearby, smacked CJ upside the back of the head. [color=#ff0000]"Dude, like, seriously! (=D)"[/color] She told him in a mock Valley Girl accent before going back to her normal way of speaking. [color=#ff0000]"Anyone uses that accent again, I'm ripping out their sphincter. Got it, hun?"[/color]

CJ scoffed a bit at Carla before resuming, in his normal voice, "So yeah, a lot of people just got killed or soul-sucked, and all of that happened while you were cuddling with your "girlfriend" in the back of that vehicle. Seriously, dude, where the f**k were you?"

Gabriel swallowed hard at this question.[color=#b22222] "... that's... a bit hard to explain--"[/color]

"Well, hold it a sec!" Seda spoke up, motioning to CJ to stop whatever verbal attack he was about to throw at Gabriel. "Right now's not the time to be placing blame on anyone!"

"I'd say that Protheus guy's a good scapegoat...," CJ muttered under his breath.

"Doesn't matter," Thorton said calmly. "The fact of the matter is, all of this happened because we were sorely unprepared, and what have we to show for it? A little over a third of our forces were taken out, and most of our resources have been damaged."

[i][color=#ff0000]"Way to go, Lucas...,"[/color][/i] Carla thought to herself, somewhat peeved at the old man for causing this destruction without her and forcing her to enact her own plan in haste. Meanwhile, Gabriel's face went solemn as the weight of the situation was beginning to be felt.

[color=#b22222]"... wait,"[/color] Gabriel uttered, looking around. [color=#b22222]"Where's Russell?"[/color]

[color=#ff0000]"He ran off toward the nearby park,"[/color] Carla replied. [color=#ff0000]"Said something about "rescuing that child"...."[/color]

[color=#b22222]"... we'll have to go get him, then,"[/color] Gabriel said as he started to stumble off. Seda, however, stopped him once more.

"Whoa-whoa-whoa! You're not going anywhere in this state!" Seda said to Gabe, trying to reason with him.

Gabriel turned to look Seda dead-center in the eyes. [color=#b22222]"Do you really think... it's a good idea to stop me...?"[/color] he replied firmly, his eyes expressing determination.

Heaving a sigh, Seda relented to Gabriel stare. "Okay... okay... but you're not getting there on foot." he added, pointing off toward an undamaged Duel Runner.

[TotalObelisk]

A sense of relief washed over Idris as her attack connected, finally ending the duel that felt like it had been going on for days, despite it only being her second turn. She looked down at the blades materliazing in front of them, giving Victoria a puzzled glance before taking hers. Soon afterwards she felt herself falling back into unconsciousness again, or back into consciousness, things could get confusing pretty quickly if you thought about it, Victoria's last words echoing in her head.

It took a moment or two for Idris to regain consciousness, her body aching from sleeping at an akward angle in the duel hog, she looked around to see Yuri still unconscious and no one else in sight. She got to her feet and hopped out of the duel hog to survey the scene around her, her jaw dropping as she examined the aftermath of the recent invasion.

[b]"The hell happened here?"[/b] She muttered aloud [b]"Great, I get knocked out by some inter-dimensional sorcoress and the next thing I know I wake up and the entire place has been destroyed, where the hell is Protheus when you...Oh yeah, he turned into a chick. Okay, so where the hell is she?"[/b]

She wandered about for a while before sensing a surge of dark energy nearby, never a good sign, and quickly made to follow it. After a moment of running she came upon a scene of utter carnage with Pener standing in the middle of it.

[b]"Okay, what the bloody hell happened here?"[/b] She asked, walking right up to the powerful egyptian girl without a care in the world [b]"Please tell me you didn't do all this."[/b]

[Admiral_Stalfos19]

[color=#000000]It wasn't until Gabriel had took off after Atsuko and Idris went up to approach Pener that Yuri [i]finally[/i] started to show signs of consciousness. But she still felt... [i]weak[/i], oddly enough. Having slammed into the back of the Duelhog didn't help. Eventually, Yuri got up and off, but the minute she landed on solid ground...[/color]

[color=#000000][b]CRACK!![/b][/color]

[color=#000000]The sound of an entire kneecap disintegrating, followed by bone piercing [i]straight through[/i] the skin of her leg. Yuri's eyes widened once she acknowledged the excruciating pain that she had suffered, but instead of a full-out scream like one would expect from her.[/color]

[color="#4b0082"]"Meep..."[/color][color=#000000] squeaked Yuri, that being all she could manage before she fell onto her knees.[/color]

[Merci]

[color=brown][i]"Uh. Well...!"[/i][/color] Pener began in Ancient Egyptian. She looked around, confused. She remembered being defeated by Lucas, and then there was this darkness, and suddenly she was here, surrounded by blood. She didn't know what had happened. Shaking her head a bit, she switched back to using English. [color=brown]"I- I do not know. What happened to me?...It must have been that sage who did this."[/color] She then concluded, referring to the old man from earlier with amazing superstrength and powers.

-------------

A few painkillers had been administrated, but nothing could fully dull out the pain Atsuko was feeling now. Mindless Orichalcos servants who appeared to have been doctors while they were still sentient used their medical knowledge to operate upon and cut open her very chest. The leader of the Orichalcos cult had intentionally left out sedating her, just so she could fully comprehend what was about to happen to her. With a grin, she held in her hand a large piece of Orichalcum in the shape of...a heart?

[color=darkgreen]"Relax, Atsuko Fudo."[/color] She comforted, but in a sadistic tone devoid of any true compassion. [color=darkgreen]"This will only take several hours. The painkillers will only last one or two hours, so you may want to hope that everything is done quickly, yes?"[/color]

Strapped onto the operating table with shackles themselves made from Orichalcum, there was absolutely no way for the poor litttle seven-year-old to do anything. She couldn't resist. There was no hope.

[color=darkgreen]"This is a neutral desire of mine that I've had ever since adolescence. It might be the desire of a 'daughter', or perhaps of a 'successor'. I won't concern myself with the details."[/color] She began to explain. [color=darkgreen]"One day in the future, I may disappear. It may be within the next few weeks or may be within an eon. But I would like to be ready before that happens. You are about to undergo a transformation that will not only shield you from Faust's radiation, but give you some form of immortality even I cannot comprehend. It will take time, but you will be complete within the next decade."[/color]

She sighed.

An hour and a half later, a section of Atsuko's chest had been fully cut open, the section where her heart resided, showing its pained, accelerating beating in plain sight. She should've died by now, but some sort of mysterious power was keeping her alive.

[color=darkgreen]"I too, had to undergo such a transformation and in the end, it saved me from the corruption of the Orichalcos and destruction of Atlantis."[/color] Archetype Earth went on. [color=darkgreen]"Now, accept my gift."[/color]

Then she [i]ripped out the very girl's heart[/i], showing the bloody organ to an absolutely horrified Atsuko. Bits of blood dripped down and landed on her face. Then, without mercy, she shoved in the heart-shaped piece of Orichalcum into the spot where a real heart should've been, effectively replacing it. Multiple green tubes came out of the piece of Orichalcum and attached themselves to the veins and arteries, its parasitic properties replacing the damage caused by ripping out her true heart.

The heart of Orichalcum began beating in Atsuko's chest. Now, it was what kept her alive. There was no turning back, at all.

The Orichalcos-controlled doctors then began to stitch her chest back together, covering it back up. There was still half an hour before the painkillers wore off, but once they did, her body would begin to react viciously against the foreign object. It would take her about a day for her to get used to the constant rocky pain, the harsh beating that kept her alive, and around another day or so for her to regain control of her limbs. The hard straps were taken off; she was powerless. Right now, she was in a paralyzed position, unable to do anything but move her eyes, breathe, and perhaps eeven talk if she struggled enough.

Screaming was also possible, but she would soon find out that if she didn't calm down, the accelerated beating of her heart would torture her, painkiller or not. By keeping it at a steady pace, she should feel okay. This was convenient for Archetype Earth.

With that done, Atsuko was wheeled out of the operation room and brought into a kind of chamber. It had a rather lavish bed, as well as a table, a notebook for any sort of use, and a pen. It also had a clock, and a lamp with the switch switched on. But other than that...it was rather empty, being made of bricks without any attempt made to try and paint the walls. Besides, she couldn't even get off the table yet without forcing her body to move with sheer willpower, and none of the mindcontrolled servants seemed interested in carrying her to the bed.

Her voice at the moment meant nothing to them, but in about twelve hours, she should have the ability to give them commands, though Archetype Earth's own commands will always override them.

All seemed [s]well[/s] hopeless.

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

[font=courier new,courier,monospace]October 14, 2032
Detroit, Michigan
7:08 AM Local[/font]

Atsuko woke up after mercifully falling unconscious once she had been wheeled into her room, the magic keeping her awake to witness her own transformation, but the sound that awoke her was not her normal heartbeat, a steady, healthy thump-thump-thumping, but a malicious grinding within her stitched-up chest, only loud enough for her to hear, or anyone holding their ear to her body. She winced in agony as she felt the crystalline heart she now possessed throb beneath her skin, which now had a green glowing patch where her heart used to be. The heart, being made from Orichalcos stone, did not have the same flexibility of an organic heart, and was therefore forced to violently expand and contract within her chest in order to pump blood. This unnatural creation simultaneously hurt her from its beating and healed her with some of Arche's powers. But the most insidious aspect of this heart was that it was also a seed. Arche planned on the little girl gradually undergoing the same transformation she suffered through, the crystalline heart spreading the power of Orichalcos throughout Atsuko's body like a cancer. As she cried out in pain from the actions of the Orichalcos-carved heart keeping her alive, minute crystalline shards would attach themselves to her red blood cells. Slowly, but surely, the crystal would spread throughout her entire body, and make her into something...more...

Pandora surveyed over all of the damage to the hideout. The fires from the lasers were extinguished, and most of the rubble had been utilized to bolster their defenses, but it had been a hard night. Atsuko was gone, the Three Swordsmen had trashed the place, and everyone was exhausted. But the day had only just started, unfortunately for them. She had found a stash of medical equipment, including a military-grade stimulant called Provigil-C. The drug, commonly nicknamed 'Wake-The-Dead" in the realities it was created in due to its potency, had been administered to anyone who could take it. The Provigil-C was a combination of Provigil, a human antinarcolepsy drug, and a powerful alien stimulant. The little pills Pandora had passed around therefore prevented the brain from wanting sleep and kept the body going for anywhere between 10 and 12 additional hours without feeling tired. Unfortunately, the drug was known to have a steep drop-off point once it wore off, and repeated use led to some nasty side-effects, such as memory loss, paranoia, dementia, the formation of new, irrational phobias, and even the chance of falling into a coma. She had also managed to locate Natsu, who was rather unresponsive and had been placed in a chair off to the side after she had been brought back to the factory. The only question was, what to do now?
As if to answer her question, Ringmistress piped up over the PA. [color=#FF69B4]"Alright, boys and girls, time to saddle up. We're moving to Canada. Get the supplies and wounded in the Pelicans outside. We're going to be taking a few trips."[/color] As if on cue, one of the Pelicans touched down, carrying a red and black-armored figure in the cargo bay.

Castle angrily stormed into Arche's chambers, a pair of guards flanking him. [color=#0000ff]"How DARE you!"[/color] He angrily exclaimed. [color=#0000ff]"Your Swordsmen engaged with those blasted dragon-users, and you didn't even tell me?!? Where are they?!? We need to take them out and finish them off, once and for all!"[/color]

[Merci]

Pener turned confusedly. [color=brown]"Wha...Canada?"[/color] Needless to say, she had no idea what Canada was.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Archetype Earth yawned a bit, sitting comfortably and complacantly on her throne of Orichalcum. If any mere human being were to ever dare sit on it, they would most assuredly be corrupted beyond reason. But perhaps even more powerful was the archetype herself, champion of Earth, herald of Faust. But whether she was a Mephistophiles or a Gretchen, this question remained to be answered another time.

[color=darkgreen]"Why so serious, my dear Castle?"[/color] She asked, a rather bored look on her face. [color=darkgreen]"Whatever is there to worry about? It is true that the three Legendary Dragons have returned, but they have nothing to return to. My three Swordsmen did an excellent job, tracking down their base and crushing its foundation on the very same day I had appointed them. I expect nothing less from them. Lucas, with his cynical outlook. Cynthia, with her sadistic tendencies. Syria, the curious alien who balances out the other two. Flawless. This 'threat' you keep on screaming like a little girl about has already been crushed."[/color]

She glanced at Castle again to see his facial expression, which was still one of anger. She watched him expressionlessly.

[color=darkgreen]"This matter is irrelevant. I advise you, instead of trying to burn ants with a magnifying glass when the anthill has already been crushed, try to simply focus on the final preparations."[/color]

[Kingdom Xathers]

In one of the abandoned rooms of the factory, Russell had kept himself busy with a makeshift punching bag (which was actually a random duffle bag filled with dirt). Carla stood by in the entryway, watching as Russell furiously punched away at the bag, sweat cascading down his bare torso, his grunting forceful with every strike. Little did Carla know (she had been [s]fantasizing[/s] watching for fifteen minutes), Russell had been at this for roughly three hours, hammering away even before taking the pill that Pandora had given to him and the others; the pill simply kept him from feeling tired. As he continued, the seams of the bag started coming undone....

Meanwhile, in the room adjacent to that one, Gabriel had also been training using his newly-acquired sword, guided by Hermos as he performed various slashing, piercing, and parrying motions while incorporating a bit of his own lucha libre flare. Still, Gabriel's mind was not entirely on his task at hand, as he repeatedly went over what happened last night in his head....

~~~
[i][color=#b22222]"Russell!!"[/color] Gabriel called out to his friend, having reached the park in question on the Duel Runner. As quickly as his sprained ankle would allow him, Gabriel hobbled over to Russell, who was cradling the now catatonic Natsu in his arms. [color=#b22222]"Russell, what happened here?"[/color][/i]

[i]Russell looked up into Gabriel's face, his face weary and stained from tears. [color=#000080]"Atsuko... Atsuko was kidnapped,"[/color] he answered in a dry, cracked voice. [color=#000080]"We... tried to get her back, but... we... ... they got away."[/color][/i]

[i]Gabriel's stomach sank as he heard this; Their base was assaulted, friends and allies were killed... and now an innocent child had been stolen. [color=#b22222]If only I had been there[/color], Gabe thought to himself. [color=#b22222]If I hadn't been away when this had happened....[/color] [/i]

[i]It was then that the sound of another vehicle approaching could be heard. Gabriel turned to the source, to see Pandora arrive in a Duel Hog, having followed Gabriel by tracking the Duel Runner. Gabriel gave an acknowledging nod to Pandora before turning to face Russell again. [color=#b22222]"We have to get going,"[/color] Gabriel said calmly, knowing well that there was not much left to return to. Russell nodded without another word, and proceeded to carry Natsu over to the Duel Hog, strapping her into the passenger seat.[/i]

[i][color=#000080]"... I'll take over driving for you, Gabe,"[/color] Russell muttered, taking a look at his injured friend as he made the offer. Gabriel nodded in reply as the two returned to the bike....[/i]
~~~

[color=#ff3333]"Gabriel!!" [/color]

Hermos' voice of urgency, as well as the sound of steel piercing concrete, snapped the luchador out of his flashback. Gabriel looked around to see that his sword had flown out of his hand mid-swing and embedded itself into the wall behind him. [color=#b22222]"[i]Ay, ¿qué mierda?[/i]"[/color] Gabriel blurted out.

[color=#ff0000]"What the hell was that about?!"[/color] asked a bewildered Carla as she entered the room, followed by Russell, who was holding what was left of the "punching bag".

[color=#000080]"Gabby, are you alright?"[/color] asked a concerned Russell.

[color=#b22222]"Uh... yeah,"[/color] Gabriel replied, feeling a bit embarrassed. [color=#b22222] "What about you?"[/color] he then asked, taking a look at the utterly demolished duffle bag in Russell's hand.

[color=#000080]"Well, I wanna say "yes", too,"[/color] said Russell with a slight shrug, [color=#000080]"but I'd just feel like I'd be lying to myself. Still can't help thinking 'bout last night...."[/color]

[color=#b22222]"You too, huh?"[/color] uttered Gabriel.

[color=#ff0000]"Seems everyone's a bit on edge since last night,"[/color] Carla spoke up. [color=#ff0000]"Or is that just from the pills?"[/color] Unlike the two wrestlers before her, Carla herself was relatively calm, if only because she herself knew the truth behind most of the events of last night. Russell and Gabriel, however, didn't seem to take notice of Carla's behavior.

It was at this point that Ringmistress made her announcement over the PA system. [color=#b22222]"We're moving again?"[/color] Gabriel asked, confused.

[color=#000080]"Well, there's nothing left here, Gabby. Whatdya expect?"[/color] Russell replied.


~~~~~~


[color=#2f4f4f]"Is it possible for you to stay calm, Mr. Castle...?"[/color] Sayer asked, appearing out of nowhere between the Brigadier General's two guards. [color=#2f4f4f]"Keeping the noise level down would also be quite lovely, if you ask me."[/color] Sayer then turned to face Archetype Earth. [color=#2f4f4f]"Madame Archetype, would you like for me to summon our Champions, or do you have other plans for them at the moment?"[/color]

[Love of Ghibli]

It was at Sayer's words that Lucas made his entrance looking like his usual self. He had a very long nap which apparently led into a much needed sleep. Luckily his alarm went off just as it was supposed to and that would be the only reason he would be up at all. Lucas was old and old people need their rest he clearly over exerted his body with that last attempt but like he said you should never go at anything half hearted...even if you're over 50 and you want to lay siege to an enemy base. Though his face didn't show it he was somewhat happy as he did have perfect recall of his efforts. He defeated the overwhelming forces of darkness (or so he thought) and he did make things hurt. But seeing as he forgot to actually give the soul of Lady Penelope to Arche (he never fully understood that once a soul is taken it would automatically appear on the giant stone wall) he thought it was best to do it first thing in the morning and so with his typical scotch, he is here to deliver his bounty.

Of Lucas even walking down the halls he could hear a familiar voice of anger, oh it had to be Castle. [color=#ff8c00]Hmmm must be complaining about his private stash that I raided. Sucks to be him, doesn't he know sharing is caring?[/color] Lucas chuckled at his slight monologue and there everyone was. It wasn't long before he figured out that the preemptive assault on enemy HQ was what actually had Castle upset.[color=#ff8c00] Wait what how is what we did a bad thing? I mean outside the obvious that we are bad guys and bad things are what we do. The only reason we stopped was that Carla decided to position herself with one of their members. I would assume its a sexual thing because of her profession but you never know. If we can track Carla then we can track them. [/color]Lucas said as he took a sip of his drink. Normally he would not drink in front of Arche but today was somewhat celebratory. [color=#ff8c00]Second the only reason this happened was due to the trail of breadcrumbs....I'm sorry military grade helicopter parts...that lead to the enemy. How were your people not there? Don't helicopters radio people...or something...tech-like I don't know I don't care anymore? Finally I beat their super weapon.[/color] He said holding up his card that was supposed to be a representation of Pener's Soul. [color=#ff8c00]I must say I was at Death's Door but I pulled through so I'm happy.[/color] He tossed the card at Arche assuming she could do something with it.

[Kingdom Xathers]

[color=#2f4f4f]"Ah, Lucas, how wonderful it is to finally meet you face-to-face,"[/color] Sayer said in his usual mesmeric, late-night-soft-rock-radio voice, turning his bandaged face to "look" at Lucas. [color=#2f4f4f]"I've heard so much about you from Carla the other day. I can't possibly see why she would ever have the urge to tear out your jugular with her bare hands,"[/color] he added with a sarcasm that was nigh-indistinguishable.

[color=#2f4f4f]"Speaking of whom,"[/color] Sayer continued, [color=#2f4f4f]"Carla's primary goal for "mingling" with the rebels seems to be for the sole--"[/color] Sayer suddenly halted mid-sentence, giving a soft hum as if he were thinking.


~~~~~A few minutes earlier, back at the destroyed factory~~~~~


[color=#ff0000]"... why do I have the sudden urge to rip out someone's jugular...?"[/color] Carla muttered under her breath, despite her intuition telling her that there was only one person, a certain aging archaeologist, who was responsible for said urge.

[color=#000080]"You say something, Carla?"[/color] Russell called over to her as he swept up the dirt from his makeshift punching bag.

[color=#ff0000]"Oh, nothing, Russell sweetie! Just thinking out loud to myself!"[/color] Carla replied back with an overly cutesy giggle. [color=#ff0000]"If you two will excuse me, I need to go use the little girl's room... or whatever's left of it."[/color] With that, Carla scurried off without another word.

[color=#b22222]"... hey, "sweetie","[/color] Gabriel said as soon as Carla was out of the room, trying to break his sword/Duel Disk out of the wall, [color=#b22222]"you do remember that this place is beyond repair and that we're leaving it soon, so there's no reason to be cleaning up, right?"[/color]

Russell blinked a few times in silence before dropping his broom, then taking out a spare Deck of cards and rummaging through it before pulling out [url="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20070423003233/yugioh/images/3/33/RagingEarth-STON-EN-C-1E.jpg"]a card[/url] and showing it to Gabriel.

[color=#b22222]"Love you too, Rusty,"[/color] Gabriel replied with a chuckle, before getting a random [i]chancla[/i] thrown at his face.


Once Carla had made sure that no one was in the bathroom stalls, she immediately ducked into one of them, where she began concentrating. [color=#ff0000][i]"Sayer, did that old fart just--?"[/i][/color]

[color=#2f4f4f][i]"Yes, yes he did,"[/i][/color] Sayer replied mentally. [i][color=#2f4f4f]"Would you like me to relay your violence unto him?"[/color][/i]

[color=#ff0000][i]"You would do that...?"[/i][/color] Carla actually considered this for a moment before dismissing it. [color=#ff0000]"Nevermind, I'll have a word with him myself later. So, what else is going on over there?"[/color]

[color=#2f4f4f][i]"Castle's throwing a hissy-fit over our little "after party" last night, for starters,"[/i][/color] said Sayer. [i][color=#2f4f4f]"Oh~, and Archetype Earth played a very special game of "Operation" last night... with Atsuko as the game board."[/color][/i]

[color=#ff0000][i]"... wait... she did... what...?"[/i][/color] This was one of the few times since joining the cult that Carla sounded genuinely disgusted and horrified.

[color=#2f4f4f][i]"No need to fret; little Atsuko is still alive and well,"[/i][/color] Sayer continued, speaking simply to be informative rather than to be reassuring. [color=#2f4f4f][i]"She was merely scheduled for an emergency... "transplant" of sorts. This was done merely for the grander scheme of things, nothing personal. Speaking of schemes,"[/i][/color] Sayer added, [color=#2f4f4f][i]"What of your own little scheme? Why associate yourself with the rebel wrestlers?"[/i][/color]

Carla pushed aside her uneasiness for the moment to answer Sayer: [color=#ff0000][i]"Well, if you really must know... I figured I'd have a bit of fun, spreading a bit of chaos within the rebellion. Not to mention, one of the rebels here is a close friend of one of these "Chosen Ones"; I'd like to try and... play with him personally, see if I can't cause a bit of a rift amongst the Chosen Ones through him. Wouldn't you agree?"[/i][/color]

[color=#2f4f4f][i]"And here we were thinking that you had some other "ulterior motive", Miss Bellerose,"[/i][/color] Sayer said with a teasing tone.

[i][color=#ff0000]"And here I'm thinking that I should break my foot off in all of your @$$#0<3$. Just don't do anything to derail my fun, and we can all get what we want. Understood?"[/color][/i]

[i][color=#2f4f4f]"But of course, Miss Bellerose,"[/color][/i] Sayer replied. [color=#2f4f4f][i]"Just remember: we'll be keeping a close [b]eye[/b] on you."[/i][/color] Just as Sayer said this, Carla turned around just in time to see one of Sayer's eyeball-things staring right in her face. It vanished from her sight just as she tumbled out of the bathroom stall with a shriek.

Back at the Orichalcos Base, Sayer drifted back out of his trance and resumed speaking, [color=#2f4f4f]"Carla is currently traveling with the rebels in the hopes of sowing the seeds of deceit and chaos amongst their numbers, and to especially create a rift amongst the three Chosen Ones. She also wishes to advice us to keep our distance, and not to interrupt unless it is absolutely necessary. We may send out a few of our drones to keep them on their toes, but we are to save our more "important" encounters for special occasions.[/color]

[color=#2f4f4f]"Of course, you don't have to take my word for it,"[/color] Sayer added. [color=#2f4f4f]"We're all grown adults here[/color] ([color=#2f4f4f]I would hope[/color] *turns his head briefly toward Castle*), [color=#2f4f4f]so you are free to do what you wish, even if it is against Miss Bellerose's demands."[/color]

[Love of Ghibli]

[color=#ff8c00]Hmmm Bellarose, sounds like burlesque name if I ever heard one.[/color] Lucas commented not really caring about Sayer's earlier sarcasm. I[color=#ff8c00] never understood her problem she's always mad about something.[/color] Lucas is completely oblivious to the things he says about her. Actually he regards them as facts and doesn't add the connotation like he would do with the stripper. Who is mysteriously absent though not like it mattered. [color=#ff8c00]Sleeping with the enemy is her strategy like I said.[/color] He shrugs as he is somewhat confused by this spite Carla may have for him. [color=#ff8c00]She's like Yoko Ono she's just going to go in cause some calamity...with her breast. I guess we all have our skill sets though some more practical than others. Like you bandaged man I never would have guessed you could bring forth the zombie apocalypse.[/color] Then the thought hit him, he seemed to have real time knowledge of Carla's plans what else could the man mummy be capable of. [color=#ff8c00]By any chance are you Carla's pimp?[/color] Lucas asked Sayer quite candidly, thought of telepathy didn't really occur to him so the next logical reason why he would know Carla's plans would be that this mysterious Sayer is Carla's pimp and she simply tells him everything and give him money of course. Most likely why he has been able to go unnoticed for such a long time.

[TotalObelisk]

[b]"Sage?"[/b] Idris has absolutely no idea what Pener was talking about, then again she never understood half the things she said so that was nothing unusual [b]"Nevermind, just forget it then."[/b]

By the time the remaining people had managed to reassemble, notably looking quite a bit fewer than the last time Idris had seen them, it seemed like they were already preparing to leave again.

[b]"Canada?"[/b] Idris repeated [b]"why Canada of all plaxces?"[/b]

****

Syria had spent the entire night in Lucas' library, when she'd first entered she'd been simultaneously impressed with the vast number of volumes in the room and somewhat dissapointed that humans chose such a tedious method of storing and retrieving information. Nevertheless she'd spent the entire night just picking random books off the shelves and scanning through them, managing to pick up odd bits of information here and there, humans were such odd creatures she thought to herself.

She didn't notice that it was morning until she spotted the light coming through one of the windows and paused from her reading. Archetype would no doubt want an in depth report on the events of the previous night. Putting the book back on the shelf Syria left to library and proceeded to the Orichalcos headquarters. Admitedly it took her a good few minutes, even with her anti-gravity generator allowing her to bypass most of the rubble covered streets. By the time she arrived it seemed like everyone else was already there, along with a man she didn't know with bandages over his eyes, how curious.

[b]"Good morning,"[/b] she said politely to the room at large, having observed this as the regular greeting custom during the early hours of the day.

[Merci]

[color=darkgreen]"I do not know what a pimp is, but Sayer reports directly to me, and me alone."[/color] Archetype Earth said, speaking at last after a short silence to let other people pour into the throne room. She didn't seem to mind it at all. [color=darkgreen]"For now, I have no need for the three Sworsdmen. They have their own power, they can choose what they wish to choose. But I trust in their ability to cause chaos and spread the influence of the Orichalcos far more than I possibly can, alone."[/color]

A pause.

[color=darkgreen]"In other news, if everyone present here is still alive within the next three or four days, you'll have the courtesy of getting to meet my...'successor.'"[/color]

Afterwards, she turned to the newly entered Syria. For now, she didn't seem to care about the card that Lucas had collected.

[color=darkgreen]"My dear Syria, the full report, please."[/color] she said in an emotionless tone. When it came to the alien, there was hardly any need for her to act like she herself was 'human'.

[Admiral_Stalfos19]

[color=#008080]"You [i]should[/i] really get that leg [i]looked[/i] at, Yuri,"[/color][color=#000000] Critias stated out of the blue, [/color][color=#008080]"We can't exactly save the world in the state it's in,"[/color]

[color=#4b0082][i]'I know, Critias, I [b]know[/b]!'[/i][/color][color=#000000] Yuri responded angrily, [/color][color=#4b0082][i]'Still, at least it was better to have broken this leg than to have just [b]stood[/b][/i][/color][color=#4b0082][i] there!"[/i][/color]

[color=#000000]Critias said nothing more, and instead disappeared from Yuri's mind. All she was thinking was how to get from [i]here[/i] to... a [i]hospital[/i], she guessed. She didn't have anything she could use to fix the leg herself. Unaware that Ringmistress already had plans for the next destination, Yuri began hopping her way to the nearest hospital. Hopefully from there, the doctors would take a broken leg with [i]bone[/i] sticking out of it as a hint to take her to the ER.[/color]

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

Pandora fortunately managed to catch Yuri before she got too far from the compound, the posthuman psychic making sure no one was going to get left behind in the move. "Don't worry." She told Yuri as she started to empathically ease the pain. "I can get you fixed."

Ringmistress hovered above a partially-damaged holographic projector, the pink and black AI still appearing to look like her namesake. On either side of her are two additional AIs, one with light-blue and white colors and a pixie-like bob in a form-fitting catsuit with a translucent, ethereal skirt around her waist, the other green and brown and possessing long, flowing chocolate-colored hair and tan skin, and clad in khaki explorer's clothes, including a helmet, shorts, boots, and gloves.
[color=#FF69B4]"Good morning."[/color] The administrative artificial intelligence-turned-covert operations arm of the resistance announced. [color=#FF69B4]"For those refugees among us, I am Ringmistress, and these are my little sisters, Trapeze Artist and Lion Tamer. I handle the data mining, research, strategy, and coordination of the three of us."[/color] The acrobatic-looking AI piped up in a soft, subdued voice. [color=#40e0d0]"I am in charge of satellite and information monitoring and, as of now, communications. You will be hearing my voice from now on over our comms."[/color] And lastly, the third member of the family grinned and told them in a more rowdy tone. [color=#006400]"And my field is logistics and command. I'm your co-pilot with these Pelicans, Warthogs, and any other vehicles we come across, which is why we're doing what we're doing."[/color]
Ringmistress, Trapeze Artist, and Lion Tamer all pulled back to one end of the table as a holographic three-dimensional representation of downtown Detroit crackled to life, the city gold with the Detroit River in blue and various red symbols scattered about the city, with two green symbols on top of a pair of buildings. The map zoomed out and panned to the north before zooming back in to a facility with a bunch of green symbols within. [color=#FF69B4]"This, the old Hellcat facility, is our current location."[/color] She zoomed out one more and the map moved south towards downtown, but went past downtown and west towards what was a relatively small airport. [color=#FF69B4]"And this is Windsor International Airport."[/color] She zoomed on the airport and indicated to a single green dot. [color=#FF69B4]"This was initially going to be our base of operations, but I was worried of creating an international incident, so this location was next on the list. However, circumstances have drastically changed. Not only is our location compromised, and the military presence in this area increasing, but we no longer have to worry about any potential international incidences. I have managed to establish contact with some of Itsu's key personnel that did not make it off-world and were on vacation, including Itsu's treasurer, Klobb."[/color] Ringmistress pulled up a profile of a short humanoid with brown skin, very pronounced ears, a lobed forehead, a large, ribbed nose, and a shifty look as he stands in a pinstripe suit. [color=#FF69B4]"While Klobb was quite reluctant to part with Itsu's funds, he is willing to pay off the Canadians for allowing us to Itsu's hangars at the airport and air clearance in conjunction with their military's relief operations in the Windsor area. He will be meeting us to assist in our reacquisition of some of Mrs. Fudo's property. Any questions so far?"[/color]

[Love of Ghibli]

Lucas was actually glad to hear that he wasn't needed.Sure, Arche didn't even seem to notice the card containing the soul of the super powered dark one that Lucas had givien to her but that didn't matter. He was free to leave and do whatever he saw fit. Excellent he waved good bye and made his way out of the room not really bothering to deal with the successor idea till later. As he was in his car driving around it seemed that later had arrived. What was this successor? For all Lucas knew Arche was immortal. Does this mean she/it can die, or will there be death in the future like the comet? Speaking of the comet how much longer till it was due to arrive? Not like it mattered the opposition was seemingly crushed and while he didn't stay to deliver the finishing blow to the forces he did have slight enjoyment in watching the calamity ensue. But a successor, what an odd thing for Arche to want.

Due to the ever so lovely combination of drinking and driving the car was mainly on auto-pilot and it got Lucas home safely. He went into his library and he could see the vast collection of books Syria had read. [color=#ff8c00]Well isn't she something[/color] Lucas spoke out loud. But now was not the time to marvel at Syria, well it could have been the time but who really cares it was time he pulled out all of his archaeological toys that he raided from his temple trial. There he began to delve into the mysteries of Atlantis. This would be one of the happiest moments in his life. He let out a slight chuckle as he quoted a line from Faust [color=#ff8c00]"Through the power of truth I while living have conquered the universe."[/color]

[Merci]

-One day later-

Just as the serpentine woman foretold, three days went by and passed. The day had finally come, Faust having passed by the moon. Of course, if it wasn’t stopped, it would crash straight into Earth, and the planet depended upon its champion alone to stop that from happening. Unfortunately, its champion also happened to be the champion of the comet.

At 7 AM, the morning sky suddenly turned into a greener color, and the lake by Detroit began to shake. A miniature tsunami crashed into the shores, killing any close by, but the death toll here was much lower than the earlier earthquake, luckily enough. However, this tsunami was merely a side-effect of something far greater. Light gathered around the lake, all the Seal of the Orichalcos cards glowing, reacting in response to something particularly spectacular. The ancient city of Atlantis rose up, as if it had been within the lake’s depths this whole time. Numerous news helicopters appeared above the sky to film it, but green lightning from the sky shot them all down.

All of this happened over the space of but half an hour. The cult was wide awake, all having been awoken personally by the champion herself, flying outside their windows. All stood by, and on her signal, they all marched into the golden city. There were various sections that were still in ruins, but a majority of things were being renewed, false Orichalcum giving it the appearance of the mighty city it had once been ten thousand years ago.

The superbeing herself however, didn’t appear the slightest bit interested in it, instead choosing to stare up at the sky where a green light almost as big as a moon was. That was Faust.

”Everyone.” Archetype Earth began, wearing a smile on her face as she floated to the ground in front of them. Standing beside her was Yuuto, who had a distant look on his face.

”Today is a glorious day. Finally, our Faust has retuned…and under the light of the Great Leviathan, there shall be WORLD PEACE!!!"

The crowd of drones cheered and clapped in excitement, as Atlantis continued to rise, floating up from the lake until it was somewhat high in the air.

”But not just yet,” she continued, raising a hand, and the cheering stopped instantly. ”We still have one long hour left while I stabilize Faust’s orbit around the Earth, and within that time…well. I expect guests to appear.”

By now, it should’ve been visible to anyone present that the drones had begun turning into something…wrong. Something more monstrous, more fishlike. Their skin had begun to go green, their minds now too lost for any free will at all. Some of the more mentally-willed ones were hesitant, finally realizing the monstrousness of it all, but they were too frightened to do anything.

An unnatural, pure smile formed on the Archetype’s human face, distorting her muscles past their limits as it only grew and grew. It was a smile that was somehow pure in nature, but unnatural. Evil beyond comprehension, lacking any concept of 'good' whatsoever. No. Only pure evil, in its rawest form, an infinitesimal possibility that just happened. Though she wouldn’t normally reveal this side of hers under any circumstance, as it really gave away what she was, there was no need to pretend anymore. It was obvious from the beginning, so there was no need to hide it in the first place. She never cared about them, ever, for her only concerns were of the protection of the Earth and awakening of the Great Leviathan.

”At this point, we cannot fail. My three Swordsmen, you must battle the three Legendary Dragons that threaten my plan. I need to concentrate here, so I cannot simply vaporize them.” She stated to the trio. ”Just use your newfound power to rain havoc upon Detroit, and they should appear. You may find your strength more powerful under the light of this comet.”

Clicking her fingers, triple bridges of false Orichalcum built themselves automatically, and connected with triple wide panels of the same material floating in the air over Detroit. Apparently, the three Swordsmen were meant to walk over the bridges onto each of their respective panels. Presumably the three Chosen Ones would use their dragons to fly onto the panels, and face each of their respective Swordsmen.

Whether they won or lost, it didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was that they were distracted long enough for the Archetype to establish Faust as a moon, at which point not even the Knight of Destiny himself could stop her.

”Now go; Syria, Lucas, Carla.”

High above Atlantis, a gigantic Seal of Orichalcos had formed, and she planned on going all the way up there. But before then…

”Sayer, dispose of anyone who attempts to board our precious city of Atlantis.” She commanded him, using an impatient time, before turning to the golem. ”Golem, jump down and exterminate all hostile weapons. The last thing we need is an atomic bomb or kinetic strike ruining everything.”

Then she turned to Yuuto. ”My dear Yuuto, connect with the Spirit World as per my instructions. You are to help me in stabilizing the comet.” He only nodded. ”And finally, Castle-“ She looked around, scouring the grounds of Atlantis.

”Where the hell is Castle?” The Archetype asked, annoyed.


-------------


"Alright, just follow Natsu's plan..." Pener murmured to herself, still slightly confused over the past day.

Things weren't quite what she expected, but she had to do her best. Problem was, she had forgotten the plan the moment she managed to arrive on her Duel Runner that appeared like an Earthbound Immortal motorcycle. But at she looked up at the floating city, she could tell maybe their plan was to destroy it. A huge green light was in the sky, which must be the comet Faust thing that robot mentioned. She had no doubt that on the platform, the sage who had managed to best her stood. Triple bridges suddenly sprouted out from the city, going over her head and towards locations above the city of...Detwoyd?

It didn't matter. She was taking down that city, without card games. Closing her eyes, she began to concentrate, channeling her power into the palm of her hands, gathering together a huge mass of shadow energy. Electricity began to run through her arms as she continued to materialize all this power, her arms pointed at the magnificent structure above. She was going to vaporize it right there and then, that should stop this stupid cult. Maybe she should've joined it, since they seem so close to succeeding, but according to the 'resistance' they were all maniacs, so...

Of course, unbeknowst to her, if nobody did stop her and she succeeded in blowing it out of the sky, she would end up allowing Faust to crash into the planet.

Then, just as she fired it, it was counteracted by a green energy beam of remarkably equal force, canceling out Pener's blast. And straight afterwards, a greenish golem slammed into the ground, resembling Natsu to some extent.

"You're that golem Natsu mentioned..." She murmured, hesitating for a moment.

"Protheus Maximus. I should have gotten rid of you a long time ago." The golem replied, in a remarkably human tone. It stood up from the large crater it had formed from its jump, unscathed. Pener frowned.

"I don't know what you're talking about..." She looked around, and noted a Seal of Orichalcos materializing around the two of them, trapping them both within it. "...but you're no match for me, ridiculous shabti."

[Love of Ghibli]

During the day of silence it was quite clear what Lucas was doing. Playing with his new toys. He deeply engrossed in figuring out all of the random artifacts that he had acquired. Minutes turned to hours as he just kept grabbing book after book and kept jotting down notes. Writing these random objects reactions to his own piece of special orichalcum stone. This was the big pay off he got for working so hard to becoming one of the three swordsmen and look it was paying off. He was so busy going back and forth it literally disturbed him we he did something uncharacteristic...he yawned he got up and stretched a little bit trying to straighten out his muscles and limbs. He went into the living to get one look at what remained of the Detroit City skyline only to realize its night. He blinked a couple of times in disbelief wondering how did the day escape from him. Time must surely fly when you're having fun. He had a music playlist on in his study the entire time, and he ate small snacks throughout the day, and of course there was alcohol which miraculously didn't impair his ability to function and gather data. One thing that did bother him though after this new found revelation.

[color=#ff8c00]Did I say anything all day? Well I guess I just said that...and that...and that...and that...wow...a whole day without talking this...is weird. Hmmm well I guess tomorrow is the big day. Time to end the world. [/color]He said as he whistled the tune from Pinky and the Brain going to sleep.

The next day Lucas was awake bright and early with a bag full of goodies he was going to exploit. He had listened in to the great leader's speech and was ready to put foot to purpose. Of course this all became a little shaky when he finally noticed that a majority of the followers were turning into fish people. Sure one of the artifacts referenced a change but that is not what he had in mind. Nevertheless he was not one to care about the people, well he cared it just didn't seem like the time to do so. He walked across his bridge looking at the ruined city of Detroit. [color=#ff8c00]Cause chaos she says. I wonder how we are going to do that. I guess breaking things that have already been broken can't possibly be the worst thing imaginable. Pity I'm being used to stall some knight like character. Interesting I wonder what they're like. [/color]He made his way to the end of his bridge and there it was the panel that would take him somewhere to reek havoc on the city. [color=#ff8c00]Very interesting[/color]. As he stepped on this panel he was encased in surge of green light and with that he found himself inside a basketball stadium.

The stadium somehow doubled as some temporary relief station for the injured and those who suffered from the destruction of the earlier earthquake. He looked around and noticed all the people who were sick and in need of medical attention. He quickly put two and two together and he realized this is what the whole purpose of his panel. [color=#ff8c00][i]Well isn't that cruel?[/i][/color] he thought to himself. Its not like he really cared for the people its just that he thought this was a tad excessive. He reached into his inner coat pocket to grab his flask when he made another realization. It was gone! He must have gotten caught up in all of the excitement and actually left it somewhere, maybe his car or his house. Either way this was bad. How was he to do this without liquor. His eyes twitched in dismay as he looked around frantically (well as frantic as one like him can look) and then he saw the answers.

Several minutes later, down on the stadium floor people were in beds moaning about how they were, families were being called, everyone was worried etc. No one even noticed Lucas as he came from one of the team entrances pushing a small cart and whistling quite jovially. One of the more younger and distraught refugees took particular offense to this and charged at Lucas seeking to correct his attitude. [color=#8b4513]YOU THINK THIS IS HAPPY YOU SON OF A...[/color]he was at Lucas' body ready to throw a punch when Lucas took a rather different yet familiar to the young boy's stance. [color=#ff8c00]Eight trigrams...2 palms...4 palms...8 palms...16 palms...what's next?...I don't know....I don't care...waaaaiiiittt foooor iiitt 128 PALMS![/color] Lucas performed the famous Hyuuga taijutsu he saw in a videogame one time and thought it would be an excellent thing to try out. Of course thanks to his super human strength the boy was coughing up blood at 4 everything after that was just flair. Clearly the young one was dead. On the plus side the boy didn't get blood on Lucas' suit.

This blatant murder made everyone alert of Lucas' presence and caused quite a panic. This meant that everyone started to run. Lucas rolled his eyes and pulled out his note pad and wrote Enochian letters in the air and mysteriously everyone froze in place. Time didn't stop just everyone else did. He went into his bag and pulled out a weird, now glowing jar and sat it on his cart. He then snapped his fingers everyone obediently went back to their seats and beds quietly. He then pulled a small stone thorn from his bag and placed it on the floor but trying keep it upright. Lastly he took a hammer from his bag and hammered the thorn into the ground and with that the Enochian words flowed from the ground and and proceeded to take over the ground but they didn't stop at the stadium they made their way outside of the stadium and into the streets of Detroit. Soon they would find their way to all of the safe shelters and possess those people as well. Lucas sat comfortably in a chair and hit the cart open revealing all types of refreshments, alcohol, and a remote. He used the remote to turn on the big screen which was set to regular T.V. stations and commenced the waiting procedures.

To explain what happened, its actually rather simple. Lucas in his panic saw the one thing that all stadiums have,box seats. That's right the special elite sections that companies and rich people sit in. While he never partook of such delicacies he knew that these places would have to have some type of alcohol on stand-by. So he proceed to punch down doors until he found some alcohol. He even checked above the big screen monitor, where he stole the remote and loose figured out how to set it to regular T.V., well the Oricalchos did anyway. Unfortunately, they didn't store alcohol in the rooms themselves. His eye twitched in annoyance as he now figures out that he has to go search an entire stadium for this stuff. Luckily he just made his way to the first floor and found the back area where all the cakes and stuffed are prepped and there he saw the Holy Grail of liquid vices the whole liquor pantry. Of course he grabbed one of the serving carts, loaded up and considered mission accomplished.

As for the chaos he caused Lucas discovered the use of a couple of his artifacts. It was a form of mind control but not in the forceful oppressive sense more like a hive mind similar to bees. It would sure explain how Arche and three swordsman have such blatant thought control over the grunts and minions. The jar he used could synch his will with others not related to the Oricalchos at all if they were inside the effective radius. The thorn was more fun. It can spread the will of the owner like an airborne virus though it doesn't do much you can't make anyone do anything but it was an effective way to silence all bystanders. Now the only people in Detroit who were conscious about what's going on are the active participants. During his research Lucas subtly figured out that Faust would kill everyone instead of revive Atlantis but this fact did not really deter him from his cause.

[color=#ff8c00]Well I'm sure Arche will try something and what are good guys for if not for this exact situation right here?[/color] He said as he proceeded to sit back relax and enjoy giant television.

[TotalObelisk]

Syria had no need for sleep and so had spent the previous day and night wandering the streets in silence, occasionally pausing to observe the relief efforts or to watch stragglers wander aimlessely. She could practically feel the comet getting closer and even with her emotionless mind she felt something akin to excitement as the fulfillment of her mission grew closer, she would finally be able to observe the comet's purpose and record it.

Morning soon came and to Syria's surprise, rather than a soft orange glow over the horizen eventually giving way to a blue sky, a green glow enveloped the sky above them. As this happened Syria felt her own Seal of Orichalcos card, as well as the Orichalcium stone still imbedded in her forehead, react to the approaching comet, she knew where she needed to be and made her way there as fast as she could, implimenting her coat's anti-gravity field to quicken her pace. She arrived at the lake to find a city beginning to emerge, drones flocking around it and crossing into the ruins like a swarm of ants. Syria followed them, finally spotting Archetype-Earth as the last of the cult arrived.

She stood quietly as the cult leader adressed those gathered and paid little attention to anything else, barely even blinking as news helicoptors were shot down overhead or when those around her began to mutate, she thought nothing of it. Archetype-Earth finally gave her and the other swordsmen their instructions, creating three bridges that she concluded they were meant to cross. She paused for a moment, watching Lucas as he crossed one of the bridges, before she set along the second, eventually arriving at the platform she would meet her opponent at.

[b]"I'm so close,"[/b] she muttered to herself, her red eyes staring up at the sky [b]"I cannot fail now, and I won't."[/b]

****

[i]Idris![/i]

The voice awoke her with a start and she sat bolt upright, staring around the room. The previous day had mostly been spent clearing up the destruction and moving on and by the end of it Idris had been completely worn out.

[i]Idris, it has begun,[/i] The voice of Timeaus penetrated Idris' thoughts [i]we cannot delay any longer[/i]

Idris was still clearing sleep out of her eyes however and turned to look out of the nearest window, the sight of the pale green sky did wonders to wake her up.

[b]"That...Isn't good,"[/b] she responded.

[i]An understatement,[/i] Timeaus replied [i]Time is short, find the other two and return to Detroit, that is the center of this chaos, but be careful of what you find there.[/i]

[b]"Yeah, way ahead of you,"[/b] Idris said, grabbing her jacket and her deck before bolting out of the door, calling for Russel and Yuri.

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

October 15, 2032
Detroit, Michigan
7:13 AM Local

There was a very good reason Castle hadn't reported in to Archetype. He was back in the office he had liberated from the mayor of Detroit, and rather preoccupied with Foster. Unfortunately, Castle was incapable of doing anything, as he had been duct-taped to his office chair by some of his former aides while a pair of ACS troops looked on, standing behind Colonel Foster, now Lieutenant General Foster.
"You can't do this!" Castle protested as he struggled. "Foster, you idiot, you're dooming the country! America can be powerful again with the power of Orichalcos!"
"By the power invested in me, our Commander-in-Chief, I am placing you, Brigadier General Dwight Castle, under arrest on the charge of high treason and conspiracy against these United States."
"Foster...I thought I could trust you...How could you stab me in the back?"
"Stab you in the back, sir? You illegally invaded private property without a warrant, caused a massive disturbance, then attempted to cover it up by taking control of a disaster area! You haven't protected the citizens of this fine city as much as lord over them while your friends enact the end of the world! You're the one stabbing this country, these people, this PLANET in the back! We've rounded up all of your Task Force that won't stand down, and most have accepted our conditions. We are evacuating Detroit."
Outside, the same troops who patrolled the city helped to load refugees into trucks and give them blankets and warm food to help them endure the cold of the October morning and to prepare them for the long ride away from the ruined city.
"Then why did you tie me to this chair instead of putting me in handcuffs?"
"Because we're leaving you behind. This area is about to become a war zone, and we're giving you a front row seat to the destruction. Destruction you helped to cause. Officially, you are about to become missing in action."
"You can't do this to me! I have rights!"
"Rights you yourself suspended in this city."
As Foster and his comrades turned to leave the building, Castle declared loudly and passionately. "You were my friend!"
Foster stopped, turned around to look him in the eyes with a grim, serious expression on his face, and replied calmly. "Yes. We were."
Foster left with the others, and the power shut down to City Hall, leaving Castle in the dark and the cold, screaming at the top of his lungs. "Foster?!? Foster!!! FOSTER!!!!!"

October 15, 2032
Washington City, Columbia
7:22 AM Local

"Alright. Faust is here. Can we confirm that what the damn thing's been producing are plasma vents?" President Miragros Montenegro was not in a good mood as she watched a holographic representation of the Earth with a glowing green marble hover closer and closer to the West Coast of her country.
"Indeed. We had suspected this strange behavior to be some sort of outgassing that was reacting to form superheated plasma, but it isn't entirely the case. Somehow, Faust is...drawing hydrogen from somewhere and fusing it into helium, then ejecting it, like a ramscoop." A scientist attached to the President's staff told her.
"A what?" One of the Joint Chiefs of Staff asked.
"A type of interplanetary spaceship that uses a special scoop to suck up hydrogen to use as fuel in a fusion engine. Science fiction, and impossible for Faust. It has no such apparatus, and your spectrometry shows it to be too solid to have such reserves."
Next to the globe materialized a pink and black feminine figure wearing what appeared to be the attire of a ringmaster, complete with a top hat slightly cocked on her head. "The name's Ringmistress. I'm the one who leaked the information on Orichalcos to the world. And I speak for the people of Detroit."
The President and her staff looked rather surprised to see the holographic figure next to the planet. "And what the hell do you want?!?" President Montenegro exclaimed, as she was not used to having her secure War Room be invaded by something out of a video game.
"To help. To make a long story short, Faust has the power to do that. It's been using this power source like you described, as a set of thrusters. It boosted its way here, turned the thrusters around to slow itself down, and is now using them to maneuver itself into orbit."
The holographic representation of Faust in relation to Earth had a golden line through it that curved around the planet, looped around a few times in an increasingly larger spiral, then launched itself away from Earth. But Ringmistress created a new red line that diverged slightly from the golden line to create a ring around the Earth.
"You have 36 minutes before Faust begins this stable orbit over Detroit, and then the real fun begins. We all know of the debris cloud around Faust that has started to slowly impact Earth, but things are about to get bad."
"How bad?" Another JCS member inquired, looking a bit nervously.
"Michael Bay bad. And don't tell me you're not tracking those trajectories of the larger chunks. They are poised to hit every major population center."
Red dots were already popping up on the Earth, with many more blue dots scattered across the green sphere. A red dot with a circle was positioned at an intersection of two of the Great Lakes to indicate Detroit.
"That's...true...we have reports from Jakarta, Seoul, Tokyo, Manila, Tokyo and three other Japanese cities, and about 20 Chinese cities, including Beijing and Shanghai. The People's Army has mobilized to set of up perimeters around the cities to protect civilians."
"Heh. More like the Chinese are quarantining their cities." The third member of JCS chimed in gruffly.
"That would actually be correct, and the right, although morally questionable, countermeasure to what is about to happen." Ringmistress piped in, displaying records of the mysterious substance. "As you should know, especially since you were the ones covering up this secret, Orichalcum exposure, especially in these quantities, will serve as a powerful mutagen, causing rapid cellular expansion and metamorphosis. And we have the problem of what Faust is going to do to our planet as long as its debris field can rain down on us. Its proximity is going to radically alter our ecosystem due to Orichalcum particles entering our atmosphere and mixing with the air. Think the fallout of a nuclear blast, but much worse." The simulation of Earth progressed past October 15th to other dates, Faust spinning around the planet and more red areas popping up, as an indicator displayed the amount of Orichalcos in the atmosphere. "Everyone on the surface will be afflicted by the end of the year if Faust is allowed to remain in its current orbit."

"Cover up?!?" The second member of JCS stood up to accuse the AI. "We weren't sure Faust and Orichalcos were correlated until YOU gave us the data! The only Orichalcos we have is the material we recovered 30 years ago and placed in a secure facility! And even then, we've had top men working on it to try and crack its secrets, all of which have been fruitless! And, to make matters worse, we had this little insurrection Castle set up against us! This is a PR nightmare, and an unmitigated embarrassment to our own nation! And now you expect us to deal with a rock we previously thought was relatively harmless?!?"

"Of course. You are the government of one of the most powerful nation-states on this world." Ringmistress keeps her cool and locked eyes with her adversary. "You had it in your ability to protect your citizens, yet you chose to do nothing and silence anyone who might expose the secret of Orichalcum. And now, you are about to lose the most crucial battle in the history of your civilization. I should-"
"ENOUGH!!!" A booming female voice from President Montenegro silence her cabinet, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and their visitor, were silent, until the President asked in a voice with a tinge of worry and a hint of frustration, yet still carrying a commanding tone. "What can we do?"
Ringminstress smirked and replied simply. "I'm glad you asked."

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

October 15, 2032
Detroit, Michigan
7:28 AM Local

Shortly after Foster took charge directing the evacuation, he started receiving reports of refugees attacking soldiers, though these former civilians were now changing, morphing into various monstrous forms. Already, patrol teams were taking heavy casualties from the sheer numbers, and Foster quickly started to organize a defensive perimeter around the center of the city, away from the Ford Field, which seemed to be the event's epicenter, though Joe Louis Arena and the Cobo Center also seemed to be affected. Unfortunately, within minutes, his perimeter was assaulted viciously, and the positions fell, some of the soldiers changing and even joining the tide of monsters. He grabbed his sidearm and readied himself as Condor VTOL transports swooped in to pick up the fleeing soldiers. Some of the VTOLs readied their onboard weaponry and fired into the approaching horde of former civilians, while others allowed for soldiers to board, heading across the river to Windsor. Foster cried out over his comms. "Anyone who can't make it to a Condor, get to the Tunnel!" He flagged down a Humvee, which happily accepted their commanding officer inside, and directed it towards the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, one of two crossings between Detroit and its Canadian counterpart. The Ambassador Bridge came down during the earthquake, but miraculously, the Tunnel, which was closer, sustained little damage. Castle had established barricades across the entrance, which were now being removed to let the US Army retreat into Canadian arms, thanks to an agreement between the Canadian Prime Minister and the American President made moments before. As Foster ducked into the tunnel, which was being rigged to blow, he knew that this day was not over, even though the formerly-occupied city was one of the many points of Orichalcos infestation springing up around the globe.
Detroit was lost.

 

All around the world, air force bases prepared their fighters and bombers. The Canadians and Americans coordinated quickly and efficiently to mobilize their paratroopers to secure the Detroit International Airport and the relatively unaffected neighbor of Detroit across the river, Windsor. The planet's entire compliment of F-40 Lightning IIIs, sixth-generation jet fighters designed to go hypersonic and sub-atmospheric for combat roles on any part of the planet, geared up, while the Michigan National Guard, previously excluded from Castle's elite soldiers, set up the beginnings of a defensive line in the style of the ones the Chinese were implementing. Foster had new orders to regroup in Windsor with the "rebels" who had previously hindered Castle, and who now possessed an arsenal of advanced weaponry capable of turning the tide.
As Faust loomed in the sky as a green sun, the Battle of Detroit would begin shortly.

 

October 15, 2032
Windsor, Ontario
7:44 AM Local

Pandora began the final checks on her mother's final gift to her, the ultimate secret that her accountant had given her. Her mother had more than just the Pelicans in her corporation's aerial workforce. While the four dropships were simply aerospace packmules, she had something even more special hiding out in the Mojave Desert, under the care of some friends at Scaled Composites. She was sitting in a cockpit originally built for two, but retrofitted to be able to be used by a posthuman such as herself, though she would need to interface with the AI. The cockpit was at the end of a short neck with several turret slots, but extending into a broad, sweeping body of tan plating with red stripes. Attached to the wings were various cannons and other turret emplacements, while a stout belly allowed the huge craft to rest on the ground. Powerful engines on the wings would provide the thrust needed, while gravity manipulators within the ship allowed it to do maneuvers a plane would kill to execute. But the interior was not as expected. The top half of the main compartment was luscious and rich, with a minibar, a large couch, a table, a retractable bed, and plating that covered a reinforced skylight. The bottom compartment was a spacious cargo hold capable of holding a few battle tanks, or a large group of humans. This was Itsu's yacht, a heavily-armed and armored pleasure cruiser, capable of taking her friends and family to see wondrous sights in the universe.

Pandora sat back in the special pilot's seat, grimacing as needles extend into her spinal column to provide the interface needed for her to drive this behemoth. As holographic screens popped up around her, a voice entered her head. "Biolink established. Meta Encapsulated Granule Awareness System: ONLINE." She complied, feeling her sense of self extend throughout this warship, the cannons, the engines, the armor all a part of her now. She was no longer just Pandora. She was also the name emblazoned along the sides of this graceful ship. In another universe, a grim, dark future where there is only war, this ship, before it had been practically rebuilt by a rather eccentric time traveler, would have originally been designated a "Manta-class Missile Destroyer", a sleek and efficient interplanetary gunboat capable of performing a wide variety of roles, but in atmosphere and out. But this particular iteration of the Manta was given a new name. With the insignia of a glowing white hand reaching out to grasp a brilliant yellow sun with a smaller red sun in the distance, Itsu's pride and joy had been christened the TASV-001 Inch of Will, the most advanced piece of machinery this parallel Earth currently had at its disposal. She chuckled, and muttered to herself. "Of course Mom would know the true worth of a pound of years." She then activated the external communications. "Alright, people. This is it. All aboard who's coming aboard."

[Admiral_Stalfos19]

Legaia 2: Duel Saga OST: God of the Evil Ones

 

Despite still having a busted leg, Yuri was the first to arrive. Then again, most of this was thanks entirely to Critias, who had been flying up into the sky for some time. However, he had roosted on the piece of land that had been just hovering there. By the looks of things, no-one else was around for miles.

 

"We've gone far enough ahead," Critias informed, "We must wait the others now,"

 

"But... that unholy rock!" Yuri stated in a worried manner, "It grows as we speak!"

 

"I'm waiting for my brothers Yuri, and if you value your life, I suggest you do the same!" exclaimed a stubborn Critias, "I admire your courage; I truly do, but this isn't the time to be careless. Besides, it appears as though the stage has been set."

 

"Set? Uh... what do you mean?" asked Yuri.

 

"You should know that the Great Leviathan has selected his own champions to defend him," Critias explained, "I sense you're wondering why this final battle isn't outright airborne, but I imagine his champions are incapable of so much as levitation, and thus require solid ground beneath their feet."

 

"Hmm... I guess that explains why this rock's here in the sky..." Yuri said in a wondering tone, "But... how's that even passable?"

 

Critias didn't answer. Instead, he remained silent, continuing to wait for Idris and Gabriel to arrive.

[TotalObelisk]

Idris hung back in her room for a moment, leaning against a wall with Timeaus' card clutched in one hand. She stood there in silence, hearing faint noises from beyond her room as everybody else seemed to be preparing for the trip back to detroit.

"Never imagined it'd come to this," she said, a not of ironic humour in her voice "I only tagged along because I've lost every argument I've ever had with my grandfather, figured I could use the holiday while he did all the work." She heaved a sigh and shook her head "Now I'm the only one left and everything's gone way out of control."

Timaeus' voice was soft spoken and understanding: People cannot choose their own destiny, he said It is as much a curse as it is a blessing, but one that you must bear for the sake of all others.

"Yeah, I know," Idris replied.

She placed the card back into her deck, drawing a random card from her other pocket which still contained her Tarot Deck. "The Tower," she muttered "Couldn't be anything else, could it."

She put the card away and made her way out of the room to join the others, gawking in awe at the ship as she approached before finding Yuri had already arrived, the rest seemed to still be getting ready.

****

Syria began to wonder if she could get bored, she wasn't entirely familiar with the concept, having only hear a few people off-hand mention that they were bored, but she understood more or less the general idea, that a human with nothing to do and no way to occupy themselves would regress into a state of boredom, she would have to find some time to study this further once this was all over. From her platform high above the city she had a very good view of the events on the ground below and was watching them with interest, wondering perhaps if she'd be able to risk leaving her spot for a closer look for a few minutes before the chosen ones arrived. She decided against it, she'd been given a task and she would follow it out, that was all.

[Kingdom Xathers]

Thanks to the quick thinking of the Legendary Dragons and their Chosen Ones, a barrier had been erected around the Rebels' current base of operations ((... can they even be referred to as "rebels" at this point?)).  This barrier, similarly to the effects of Lucas' artifacts, were crafted by an ancient Enochian magic that repelled the mutagenic properties of Faust's falling debris.  In other words, not only were the Chosen Ones unaffected, but so were the remainder of the wrestlers and other bystanders from the Fair.

 

"Good," Gabriel sighed in relief after looking over a text message from his foster parents.

 

"So, everyone's in the bomb shelter, then?" Russell asked.

 

Gabriel nodded.  "Yes.  Even your mother is with them.  It's almost funny," he added, in spite of the situation; "Now Papito finally got to use that bomb shelter."

 

At this point, Carla hurried into the room they were in.  "You two need to come see this," she said in an urgent tone before running back out, with Gabe and Russ following after her.  She lead them to the break room, where they saw some of the other wrestlers huddled around Triple A, who was cringing in pain.  Green crystals were starting to sprout from the wound he had suffered from the night before, and his left eye had begun to glow Orichalcum green.

 

"Archer?! Shannon, what's going on here?" Russell asked the frantic wife of Triple A.

 

"I-I don't know!" Shannon replied, appearing to be close to tears.  Archer just doubled over all of a sudden, and--!"
 

"Babe... babe, calm down," Archer spoke up in-between grunts of pain. "I'll be fine, really."

 

"This looks "fine" to you?!" CJ Brat chimed in as he nonchalantly pulled one of the crystals coming out of Archer's wound, causing everyone in the room to gasp out in shock. "...oops?"

 

"... no, actually, that didn't hurt," Archer replied, somewhat surprised that it didn't.

 

"Hermos," Gabriel said turning around to where he, and only he, could see the Legendary Knight.  "What's happening to Archer?"

 

"Nothing good, obviously," Hermos answered, his silhouette slowly appearing to everyone else in the room.  "Those shards coming out of Archer's wounds are a synthetic form of Orichalcum.  Though weaker and far more brittle than the real thing, those crystals share some of the same properties.  Apparently, when the tour buses were struck by those crystals last night, a few fragments of that crystal became lodged into Archer's wound."  Hermos heaved a sigh before continuing, ever somberly, "If something isn't done soon, whatever that "something" is, those crystals will turn Archer into something... something that's no longer human...."

 

Upon hearing this, Shannon suddenly broke down in tears, clutching onto Archer's hand as she rocked back and forth in the chair.  Archer now concerned more so for his wife than himself, asked, amidst gasps, "Then... all we have to do... is destroy that comet... right?"

 

"It's not just the comet," Hermos answered rather bluntly, seeing no point in trying to sugarcoat the details. "We have to stop what's inside the comet as well, the entity known as the Great Leviathan... which is far easier said than done, even with the combined powers of my brothers and I...."

 

"Well, we can't have any doubts," Gabriel said to Hermos, paraphrasing their personal credo.  "Idris, Yuri, myself... we will find a way."

 

Hermos nodded, seeing Gabriel's resolve as clear as day.  It was then that they heard Pandora's announcement over a loud speaker.  "Let's not keep her waiting," Hermos said as his silhouette faded from view.

 

"Gabby, wait up," Russell said as he and Carla followed Gabriel out of the room and toward the interdimensional airship... thingie.

 

"... now that is impressive," Carla blurted out.  "Are we seriously headed toward Atlantis on this thing?"

 

"Gabby, Russ!  Hang on!"  The two wrestlers (and Carla) turned back to see Tom Seda, CJ Brat, Slade Thorton, Shannon McKowen and Triple A following behind them.  "We're coming with you," declared Seda.

 

"Are you sure--?" Gabriel began to ask before getting cut off.

 

"It's better than staying here," CJ replied.  "Besides, do you guys honestly expect to get through to those Swordsmen on your own, especially with all the drones and zombies about?  Yeah, right."

 

Gabriel heaved a small sigh, contemplating whether they should really let their friends put their lives at risk.  "... ... ... okay.  Alright, you guys can come along.  As if you'd give us any other option," he added with a half-hearted smile.