Humaru

Shu had finally woke up from his long nap. Rested he got dressed and figured he would go and see about the repairs and improvements on Raphael. He left his room and walked down the hall at a slow pace with his hands behind his head. Thoughts of the last skirmish still plagued his mind.    "Too many close calls. I need to be better...not for myself....but for them."   Shu finally arrived in the hangar to see Obsidian and Crimson standing together. They were looking at their KNIGHTs as some guy was inspecting them. Shu waved over to Obsidian and Crimson as he walked up to them. He inquired about the stranger looking at their KNIGHTs.   "Whose that guy? Is he an engineer or something? He looks pissed off."   "Said his name was Dante and that he is going to be taking over for Bear. I was wondering who they were going to get to replace him. This guy seems to be a hardass though," Obsidian explained.   "Yeah, I wouldn't get on his bad side. I'm sure he doesn't have one after the comment made on our KNIGHTs," Crimson added.   "What did he sa-...," Shu uttered but was interrupted.    Dante called out to the pilots as they were still conversing. He noticed that Shu had joined the other two pilots and began to make his way over to them. He walked over with a stern demeanor and stood before them.    "Hey. I'm Shu Kazumichi. I'm the pilot of the Blue KNIGHT. Nice to meet you," Shu said as he extended his hand for a handshake.   Dante looked at Shu as if he were a peasant and refused to shake his hand.   "Well I see they trusted another child to pilot a machine of war. Foolish. I take it that you must know something about close range weapon considering it being your KNIGHTs specialty. You must be the point man when Barons come attack?"   "Uhh...actually no. I try to help out my friends where they need and do my part. Nothing fancy."   "Your friends?!! These are your comrades not your friends. You should only be concerned with battle strategies and nothing more. Idle chit chat will get you killed out there. What good does knowing someone's likes and dislikes do on a battlefield....NOTHING. I've looked at your KNIGHTs and see so many weapons. More choices means less time for being ready. You should stick to one weapon...two at the most."   "What if my one weapon breaks. Then what?"   "It shouldn't break if you know what you're doing."   "I do know what I'm doing. My "friends" don't seem to have a problem with my variety of weapons and neither should you."   "I highly doubt one such as yourself would know much about fighting. So much potential in wasted on a boy. Your KNIGHTs is utterly repulsive. You should make sure it gets taken care of for optimum performance."   "You dont even know me. How could you know what I'm capable of?"   "I know who all of you are. Thats why your introduction was pointless. You will learn yet how to be a perfect soldier...even if it kills you."   "Trust me. I don't plan to get any closer to death then I was when we started this whole ordeal. And I suggest you stay out of my way. I wouldn't want to hurt you since I don't know what I'm doing apparently."   Shu turned to walk away towards his KNIGHT. Dante smiled and prodded Shu a bit further.   "Your sarcasm isn't funny and if you keep acting like this...you'll be the first to die on that battlefield. Leaving me to scrape up the remains."   Shu stopped in his tracks. An angry look came upon his face. He looked to his side as if he was going to say something to Dante again but decided not to and continued over to Raphael. The look on his face changed from anger to terror as he pondered on Dante's words. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Saph and Hunter come in. Shu wondered what Dante would say to them. Hopefully it wouldn't be nearly as rough as what was said to him. He sat down on the shoulder of Raphael to ponder some more. He could hear the arguing of Saph and Dante as they were getting into pretty badly.   "Who does this guy think he is? He can't just come in here and tell us what to do. We saved these people and we protected them the best way we could. How can he not see that? We're better then he gives us credit for."   "I agree young one."   "Oh Raphael. I figured you were listening. Say, did he touch anything while inspecting you? I wouldn't want something removed without my approval."    "No. He only checked the status of my weapons and armor. Are you worried?"   "Of course. This guy is talking about all of these changes and I thought we were doing just fine. Sure we had our problems with people getting hurt but thats what it took to defeat those Barons. Its 5 against a million...there are going to be some injuries."   "You're wrong. Its not 5 against a million. You are forgetting all of the people you are protecting and fighting for. They are behind you as well. Their spirit dwells within you and it helps you fight better. Without them, you wouldn't fair so well. Please remember that."   Shu looked over at the head of Raphael and smiled a bit.   "You know...you're right. I have to remember everything that has gotten me here thus far. Including you my friend. I'm not worried about dying because I know we will get through this. We have to. Now if you'll excuse me...I need to go train a bit so I don't look like an amateur to this guy if he ever wants to evaluate our personal training. I'll be back to check on the repairs they will make soon. And don't worry, I won't let them take away any of our weapons."   "Be safe young one."   Shu got down from his KNIGHT and headed out of the hangar as Dante was still arguing with Saph. He flashed a look of anger towards Dante as he walked out of the giant room towards a training area. He passed a worker on his way and there and asked for a favor. The worker agreed and went to carry out Shu's wish. Shu went on to the training area and began stretching. The worker had soon joined his with a piece of paper in his hand.   "Just tape it to one of the dummies over there. Thank you."   "No problem sir. Anything else?"   "No this is all I need for now."   The worker went and taped the paper to the head of one of the training dummies. It was a picture of the new "leader" Dante with a smug grin on his face. Shu's face grew angry and he began to attack the dummy furiously. This motivation proved to be quite effective.

Shu sat still in his KNIGHT's hand as he watched the front of the Rover over time. Things were a lot quieter. The air was still and you could only here the engine of the Rover and the sound of the wilderness that was passed by. Shu decided to head back inside with his KNIGHT to get some repairs done as well as get some food. He and Raphael got back into the hangar and he docked his KNIGHT in the appropiate place to get it toned up and repaired from the beating it took from those Barons.   "Those little pains did a number on you Raphael. But we managed to get by without any serious injuries like Saph and Crimson. Funny. It seems like the women of the group are doing the heavy lifting. I guess I need to step up my game some more."   "I wouldn't worry too much about Saph and Crimson. They are very strong pilots. And we just need to continue to do our part and get the mission done at any cost. Now...shouldn't you be off to rest. Your body is damaged as well Shu. Take time to recover your body and your mind."   "You're right. I need to take some time to work on some new moves as well. See ya soon."   Shu lowered himself to the floor on a lift nearby and headed to the mess hall to grab some food. He lowered his googles from his head to around his neck on the way. He passed by the medic ward where Saph was and decided to pop his head in to see if she was okay. He walked in and saw nurses going about their business. He stopped one and asked where Saph was. The nurse nodded in a direction for Shu to follow and he followed it to see Saph still sleeping away. He smiled as he looked at her sleeping away.   "Even in her sleep, she looks super busy."   Shu nodded to her and continued his track to the mess hall. He was soon there and grabbed a tray and loaded it with food. From fruits to veggies to meats, Shu had a fully load tray. He looked around for a place to sit and saw Obsidian enjoying some lunch as well. He headed his way and sat across from him.   "Got enough food there, Shu?"   "Haha I figured it would hold me over for now. You never know when you can get a peacful meal around here ya know"   The two enjoyed some peaceful conversation as they ate their meals. Obsidian admired how a guy so small could intake so much food. It was a borderline parlor trick. They soon finished and began to head out of the mess hall. On their way out they passed Hunter. They talked about a new mod Hunter had come up with before spliting to go their separate ways. The unity between all of them had slowly been gaining more and more momentum. Shu patted Obsidian on the back as he headed back towards his barack for a well deserved shower. He arrived and quickly began throwing his clothes everywhere heading into the shower. He turned the water on and could feel all of the stress and pain flow away as the water washed over him. His sat in the shower for a good while before finally getting out to rest on his bed. He laid his head back and began to ponder on recent events and different strategies for fighting these Barons.   "My new weapon upgrades have seriously paid off. Thank the stars for beifn able to control them without any casualties. I feel like I should use my spear more to keep the Barons a farther distance from me and the others. If those things get to close then it means serious trouble for each of us. No...no no no. I cant think like that. I have to believe that nothing will get pass my defense and I mean nothing. I have to act as a shield and a sword not just for my team but for those inside this Rover as well. I have to...."   Shu slowly fell asleep in his thoughts. The fatigue had finally gotten to him from watching over the Rover. He adn the others had to take advantage of his short peace that they had been blessed with.

OOC: Sorry I've been away for awhile. Haven't had much time to reply.   Shu exited his cockpit for a rest after Crimson's plan worked against the Barons. He went by to check on Saph to see if she was alright. He figured she would be. "A tough girl like that would need more than a small army to take her down," he thought to himself. After checking on her he lookin in on Crimson as well due tot he hard shot she took slamming into the back of the Rover. Everyone seemed to be okay for the most part which is good if you looked at the tight situation they were in. Things were getting harder as Bear said they would and Shu was started to wonder if everyone could not only make it though but make it through with their sanity. Some of the pilots have already tried crazy moves and have risked alot for the team and for the people inside the Rover. This caused Shu to ponder his thoughts as he drank some water to keep from dehydrating. He returned to his KNIGHT to and sat on its shoulder as he wanted to prepared if any attacks were to occur.    *To himself* This war is getting fierce. And the heroes that are suppose to stop it are getting banged up. How could they expect us to do so much. There's only 5 of us.   "Getting scared are we?"   "Raphael, please even you can't say that there are no doubts within you."   "I have to admit when you first approached me, I had my doubts about you as a pilot and whether you would survive. But as I've fought with you, you have shown me that you are indeed special. All of you are."   "Haha thanks for the confidence. I just keep wondering how much we will have to go through in order to get through these tough times."   "As you long as you believe in yourself and the cause you're fighting for then you shall succeed. Any doubt will lead to carelessness which could land you in your grave."   "Geez thanks for the grim look on things."   "I'm just trying to keep perspective, Shu."   "I understand. As long as I fight as hard as I can and help the others I think we can win this."   Shu laid his head back as the Rover continued to move forward. He noticed Crimson was watching the back of the Rover. He left it in her capable hands and went to get into his KNIGHT so he could watch the front of the Rover. As tight as things were at the time, there was no room for any slip ups. Everyone had to be on their guard. 

Walking Dead is one of the best shows I have ever watched. They filmed and edited it so well and the storyline is genius. Season 3 is looking great as well.

Shu got into his KNIGHT as it was time to move out. He began getting himself prepared as the his suit was placed on him inside of the KNIGHT. After a few moments of discomfort, the suit shaped to his body and made it easier to function within the KNIGHT. "I see its finally time to move out on the evacuation, Shu." "Yeah. We are positioned to watch the rear of the Rover. We need to keep a sharp lookout and be ready as we are the primary defense for the Rover. Think we can handle that Raphael." "I'm positive we will be more than enough. You are up to date on all new modifications and weapons?" "Of course. With the new halbert and double saber added on to our other saber and spear, we have enough blades to take down an army. We might even have to." Shu chuckled as he and the other pilots mobilized with the Rover. Bear was in a jeep in front of the Rover as he was part of the escort. Saph started to yell at him but he didn't give in to her words. An hour seem to past and everything was going smoothly, which was a nice change from the last battle where everything was moving so fast. The group decided to take a break to replenish some energy and rest. Shu sat on the shoulder of his KNIGHT looking at the nature surrounding them. It provided a nice calm for him to peacefully sit and enjoy the wind. Things were fine until Saph started shouted that the Rover has to begin to move again. She said that Barons were on their way. "Are you sure? How do you know?" Shu asked with a confused look on his face. She responded that she could smell the oil and metal of their suits. Everyone seemed to accept that and got back into their KNIGHTS. The Rover picked up its pace as well and they were set to move again but a loud blast seemed to halt the process. Shu turned around and saw a King Beast. His eyes lit up with concern as smaller drones lined the feet of the much larger King Beast. The sheer number of the little drones was staggering to see. More trouble aroused when a second King Beast came from the other side of the Rover with more of those drones at its feet. They looked to be in trouble as they were surrounded. Bear began to yell towards the Barons blocking the way. With that, the little drones attacked with a fury. They crushed Bear's jeep in their path towards the KNIGHTs and the Rover. All of it happened so fast. Saph then opened communication with everyone as she explained that they needed to stay close to the Rover and each other. Everyone agreed and readied for the charging drones. Shu scrolled through his weapon selections to make sure he could be as effective as he could. "The spear and the halbert could tear through those things but there isn't enough space for me to operate effectively without hurting someone else by mistake. And there are too many of them to have just one saber. I guess I gotta go with the double saber. Plus the heat factor with it will help if we're planning to take down those King Beats as well." "We'll do what we must, Little Tiger." "Time for me to live up to the name now." Shu drew his double saber. The heat from the blades was astounding as they flew very brightly. The small drones were coming in very fast. Shu unleashed a mighty swing that cut through a lot of the small drones. They were flying in from all sides but Shu seemed to be on top of things as he fought through many of them. As he cut through more and more of the drones, the heat from his blades seem to increase heavily. It made it easier to cut through the drones as they never seem to stop coming. It was getting to be overwhelming to everyone. But no matter how many came his way Shu would continue to cut them down...eventually their numbers would dwindle he thought as the the Kind Beasts' shadows still loomed over their battle site.

Shu headed back towards his room to shower up as the time was getting close to move out again on this mission. People were swiftly moving through the halls carrying their belongings with them. They were making their way towards the hangar to wait on the rover to arrive. Shu made it back to his room, showered quickly and got dressed. He began to pack up his things as well and put his small box in a backpack he had. He grabbed his stuff and headed out of his room, looking back into the room as he turned off the light. He was only in that room for a short time but he had a sense of wanting to stay within him. As he made his way to the hangar he noticed MPs guiding people to make sure everyone got out okay. One of the MPs stopped him and grabbed his things for him. Shu quickly took the backpack he had to make sure to keep it with him. Finally, he made it back into the hangar and saw most of the other pilots sitting on or near their KNIGHTS. He nodded or smiled at each one as he made his way past them to his KNIGHT. "[color=#b22222]Raphael, its good to see you again. You're looking a bit different?[/color]" "[color=#0000cd]Yes young master. I have been equipped with some upgrades that I feel that you may enjoy[/color]." "[color=#b22222]Ahh. I like the sound of that. I'm coming up to check them out right now.[/color]" Shu climbed onto a panel that took him up to the cockpit of his KNIGHT. He got inside and began checking all the schematics of Raphael. He noticed the new upgrades and his eyes began to light up the more he went through them. [color=#0000cd]"You seem to be enjoying the new upgrades. I hope you are able to wield them as well as you have before."[/color] "[color=#b22222]Yeah. I should be fine. A halbert opens up more opportunity to strike as it has multiple points of attack. It will also allow me to crack the hulls of those barons a lot easier so we can destroy more of them. The double blade will be a bit tricky as I am used to the sword but I'm sure I can make it work. Plus the heat index on those weapons doesn't seem to have a limit which will come in handy for when we encounter more Barons like we did earlier.[/color]" "[color=#0000cd]I have the upmost confidence in you Shu. I know you wont fail me or your team.[/color]" "[color=#b22222]Haha lets hope so. I'm still new at this you know.[/color]" "[color=#0000cd]As long as you fight with everything you have I'm sure you'll be fine...Little Tiger.[/color]" "[color=#b22222]Hmm...Little Tiger? Why did you call me that?[/color]" "[color=#0000cd]My last pilot was a very strong fighter. He called himself King Tiger because of his ferocity on the battlefield. You remind me of him but yet you have this calmness about yourself.[/color] " "[color=#b22222]Little Tiger...I kinda like it. Thanks for the encouragement Raphael. I hope to live up to name you have given me. I guess I should finish looking over these schematics and prepare my body for the journey we're about to go on.[/color]" "[color=#0000cd]I'll be here if you need me to explain anything."[/color] Shu continued to go over the schematics of his KNIGHT as he exited the cockpit to sit outside of the KNIGHT. There was only about 20 minutes left before the next mission would begin so everyone was making final preparations. Everyone seemed eager to move out. It was different from last time for the pilots. This time they knew what was in store enemy-wise and they knew where they stood in terms of ability. The trust was growing between them slowly but surely. Maybe they could beat this threat for good before the ZERO takes them.

After grabbing some food with his fellow pilots Shu decided to get some rest. He went into his new room where his stuff had been moved. He searched around the room to adjust to where things were as it was different from how he used to having his room. Things were neatly placed but he couldn't find this small box he kept. After frantically looking around everything his room he found the box in a drawer and pulled it out. He sat down on the bed and opened the box. Inside were 3 pictures, a crest, and a few notes. Shu smiled as he pulled the things out and looked at them to gain a sense of serenity in this hectic time. He looked at the pictures first. Each one telling its own story. The first was of Shu and his family(mom, dad, older brother). They seemed so happy in the photo. The 2nd picture was of Shu's friends and him all celebrating. The 3rd was of this girl. She had the prettiest curly hair and nicest smile ever. She was gorgeous. A smile came to Shu's face as well as tears came into his eyes as emotions seem to consume him as memories ran through his mind. He picked up one of the notes and began to read it. It was from the girl...her name was Hana. "Shu: You have always been the light of my eye. You never leave my thoughts as I think of you always protecting me. We have grown up together and things have changed much between us. I know you love me with all of your heart but my heart doesn't know what it desires. I thought I wanted to be with you forever but something tells me that isn't the right choice. I feel my heart belongs to another and you were meant to just protect me. I'm not sure what to feel now. Maybe if you become [b]something more[/b] than I will know for sure if we are meant to be. Until then, I'm afraid I have to say goodbye to you. Just remember that you'll always have a piece of my heart wherever you go and I hope I have a piece of yours. This crest is to always remind you of me so you never forget. Always be safe. -Hana" The tears began flow stronger from Shu's eyes and he laid back in his bed. The strain from the day's activities and the strong emotions he was feeling caused Shu to fall asleep. He slept for the longest time waking up every so often as he would get a shock from his dreams. After awhile he seemed to be fully rested. He checked the time and saw he still had a few hours before he had to report back to the hangar for the next mission. He decided to practice his swordsmanship a bit and looked to find a large enough empty room. He figured why not return to his old living quarters as that room should be cleared out now. After a short walk to the room, he drew his sword and began working on the skills he had learned. Time flew by as Shu got lost in his swordplay trying new techniques in order to maximize his usefulness on the battlefield. With a loud yell and a powerful slash, Shu stood in the room tired but mentally stronger. He knew it would take a lot to get through this process of dealing with the Barons and there was little room for error. Instead of fighting his feelings, he would use them to make him stronger. The things that held him back would now be the things that would propel him forward and then maybe he could finally be "something more."

Maybe an upgraded spear with the ability to heat up to high temperatures to cut through stronger Baron armor. I feel like it would allow more teamwork opportunities between the close range KNIGHTS and the long range KNIGHTS as well as give my KNIGHT the power to take down a stronger Baron by himself which Im sure will be needed as the story goes along.

Before he knew it, the battle was over thanks to the swift thinking of the KNIGHT pilots in the heat of the fight. Beaten and battered, the pilots headed back to base in need of some much deserved rest if you asked any of them. "Raphael...you were great in that battle. That spear of yours did some major damage." [color=#0000cd]"It was you who knew how to use the spear so well that allowed me to prosper Shu. And it seems that your swordsmanship isnt half bad either. You must have learned from a great teacher to know so much about both the sword and spear."[/color] "Ha thanks. Maybe we can see about upgrading your spear a bit. I feel it should have more of a halbert style look so we can do more damage and break through some of these tougher hulls." They had finally all gotten back to the base and everyone exited their KNIGHTS and gave each other smiles and nods to confirm a job well done between each of them. Shu pulled his goggles down around his neck as Bear soon entered the room with a stern look on his face. "That guy never smiles." Shu thought to himself. Bear had some medics come to look over everyone as they sort of huddled near each other in the hangar. Saph pushed away her medics as she explained she was a well accomplished medic herself. She backed up her comments with exact diagnoses of herself and the other pilots. Shu felt kind of awkward as Saph examined him, definitely invading his personal space. He would have to get used to that as they seem to grow more and more into a team. Bear finally spoke up and said the pilots had 24 hrs to rest up and get ready for an escort mission. All of them let out some kind of groan or moan before Saph began yelling about how 24 hours was nearly not enough time to heal from the injuries they had taken. Then it was revealed that Imera passed away a short time ago. Shu's heart dropped a bit as it was just less than a day ago that she looked healthy as ever except for that dark look in her eyes. Saph then got Bear to describe how she died and he revealed it was the Zero that did it to her. It aged her organs at 4 times their normal rate. Bear continued and revealed that there were these people known as "Pages," people who completely bonded with the KNIGHTS and were enhanced physically and mentally. They were essentially the KNIGHTS in a human form. But Bear had no way of telling us who the real pilots were, only the details of how one would know if they were a Page or not. He spoke of the communication between the pilot and the KNIGHT. Pages can hear the voice and know the name of the KNIGHT they belong to and can heal at an accelerated mark. Everyone seemed to look around at each other once they heard that wondering if the others could hear their KNIGHTS as well. Shu then looked back at Raphael and gave him a bit of a grin. Everyone had been ordered back to the pilots ward to get some rest and some food in them. Shu looked over himself and saw his minor cuts and bruises seem to go away. He felt a bit better though still tired from the piloting. "You guys wanna grab a bite to eat" Shu asked everyone as they were leaving the hangar. "I figured we could use the time to plan some strategy or just talk really." Hunter and Obsidian agreed while Saph stayed in the hangar and Crimson left to go to her room. They headed to a dining area where there was some pretty good food to choose from. They each grabbed some food, sat down, and began to converse. Shu started off. "Awesome job out there today guys. I have to admit, I was a bit worried when we were rushed into the fighting but once I got out there I felt determined to fight with everything I had. I guess we can get to know each other better if we're suppose to become a team of some sense. As you can see I trained in close combat weapons which I felt has given me the discipline to go on to be something in this life. Ha a girl told me she couldn't love me until I became something more...to this day I dont know what that means. Haha. But I fight for her, my 3 best friends, and my parents as they gave their lives to protect me as a child. Sorry if I'm sharing a lot to you guys. I just feel like I need to trust you in order for all of this to work out and letting you know just who I am is my way of extending my trust to you. So I'm sure you guys have your own stories. Mind sharing a bit?"

Shu stared over his KNIGHT as he was overtaken by the well constructed machine. There was sword on the KNIGHT's side in a sheath and it had compartments on it that probably held other weapons. He looked around, noticing everyone else getting accustomed to their KNIGHTS, and saw a woman walk into the hangar. There was something off about her to Shu. She was certainly pretty enough but it seemed as if something was taken from her. She introduced herself as Imera, the last pilot alive from the previous set of pilots. Shu was shocked by that fact and instantly realized just how grave a mission he is taking on. Saph was the first to speak to her as she asked the question everyone was dying to know..."Is there any advice you can give us?" Imera responded with what seemed like a slogan for the military but there was a sense of depth to her words. Everyone could see just how serious she was as she continued on telling us just how we were to watch out for each other even though we havent known each other that long. A loud siren interrupted any thoughts everyone was having as it was time to mobilize. Shu entered the cockpit of his KNIGHT and began to look around for anything that seemed familiar as he was eager to set out to the battlefield. Suddenly a strong voice began speaking to Shu. "Are you the pilot of the Blue KNIGHT?" the voice spoke. Shu paused for a moment to see where the voice was coming from and realized it was the KNIGHT actually speaking to him. "I am the new pilot of Blue KNIGHT Shu Kazumichi...do you have a name KNIGHT?" The KNIGHT responded by lowering a ring over SHu which embodied him in a pilot suit and brought up a display for options. "You may call me Raphel. I see that you werent trained on how to pilot me...are you sure you are capable of handling my power?" "I cannot say for sure but I can promise Im going to give you 100% as long as you will do the same for me." Shu told the KNIGHT. Shu heard what seemed like a chuckle to him as he explored more movements and features of the KNIGHT. The hangar began to open up as the time to move out came upon them. Shu could notice the others getting accustomed to their KNIGHTs just as he was. They all left the hangar and arrived where the Barons were reported to be. Shu could see the vast amount of Barons all over the place. Shu and the other pilots stood their ground as the silence was broken up when Saph drew her pistol and one of the Barons began to speak. The Baron gave them an ultimatum but none of them seemed to be shaken by his words. "Shu, are you ready?" "Yes I am Raphel...I am ready to fight for what my heart desires." "Good. Now draw your spear and fight with the fury of 10,000 men. You promised to give me 100% so I'll give you that and more." Shu drew the spear his KNIGHT had stored. It was well built and had very sharp blades. Suddenly a shot was fired by Saph inciting the battle. Shu charged forward along with Obsidian towards the group of Barons. Hunter unleashed a small storm of explosives that took care of a few Barons. Saph also began attacking with a light machine gun and Crimson disappeared, most likely to find a vantage point. Shu began cutting through the ranks of Barons. He tried to get into an area where he could effectively take out Barons without getting in anyone's way. The words of Imera rang through his head as he didnt want to stray too far from Obsidian in case he got in trouble. Shu's spear was powerful as the force of being struck with it either cut the Barons in half or caved in their hulls. He got an idea while fighting and rammed his spear through multiple Barons and pinned them to the ground. A few Barons saw that he was without his spear and began to charge him only to be slashed by the sword that Shu had drawn from his KNIGHT's side. The battle was going well for them despite their small number and they seemed to be working together just fine. Maybe becoming a team was easier than Shu thought.

The constant sensation of what felt like hellfire running through his veins was killing Shu. The pain was so unbearable, all he could do was yell for the hours of pain he was going through. As time passed through the night the yelling and screaming died down to just heavy breathing in the room. Most of the room was very quiet but Shu could hear panting every so often from parts of the large room he was in. "What did I do this for?" Shu thought to himself as he gazed at his left arm where a scar was made from where he was injected with ZERO. He looked around the room to see if anyone else made it through the nightmare and he saw four others: Saph, Crimson, Obsidian, and Hunter had signs of movement and life. Shu figured everyone else to be dead as their bodies laid there with not an inch of movement. He noticed as most of them were getting up to leave the room after a huge guy gave them orders of getting prepared for piloting. Shu was shocked at the lack of time given to them after going through such a drastic ordeal. But he figured there was no arguing to be made really so he gather himself off the cool floor and made his way towards his room. He got inside his room and found a uniform that was colored royal blue and gold. He walked past it and got into the shower where he sat for a good 15 minutes. The water was a relief on his skin as he didnt want to get out of the shower. But he figured he was running low on time so he got out and got dressed in the uniform left for him. He looked himself over in the mirror to make sure he looked okay. He grabbed his goggles and put them around his neck and walked back down the hall. He was greeted back the huge guy who introduced himself as Bear. Fitting name Shu thought as he walked on through to a hangar where he saw Hunter, Saph, and Crimson were standing in front of KNIGHTS. They each had small crews helping them get acquainted to the KNIGHT they were in front of. Shu was directed to a royal blue KNIGHT with some gold trim. It matched the uniform he was wearing and he saw that it had modifications that seemed to fit his style. The crew around the KNIGHT were all saluting him which boosted the ego of Shu a bit. He laughed as he was told that this was his KNIGHT and that it was time to move out soon. "Time to see if going through that hell was worth it."

[font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif]Name: Shu Kazumichi[/font] [font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif]Age: 23[/font] [font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif]Personality: A brash young man. Very eager to prove himself to others even if he fails from time to time. He is sociable as he is always looking to learn more about others. He holds a special place in his heart for those he cares about and thats what fuels him to be the best he can. That....and "her" as well.[/font] [font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif]Appearance: [/font][url="http://www.goodfon.ru/wallpaper/previews/93407-n.jpg"]http://www.goodfon.r...ws/93407-n.jpg"[/url] [font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif]Blood Type: O-[/font] [font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif]Special Training: Trained to be a weapons expert, specializing in sojutsu and fencing.[/font] [font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif]Combat Training: Basic arms training, nothing major. (pistols, small rifles,etc.) Prefers fighting with the spear and saber which allows him to use his fencing skills.[/font] [font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif]Reason for Fighting: The people in Shu's life have been a huge impact on the man he is today. He could never imagine growing up as well as he did with his best friends and parents. Their support was very valuable to him. There is also a girl he loves deeply. She told him a long time ago that she couldn't love him until he became something more. He spent year searching for what that was...maybe now he's finally found it.[/font] [font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif]KNIGHT: Blue KNIGHT[/font] [font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif]KNIGHT appearance: It has a royal blue colored armor with golden trim on the shoulders and feet. The armor is of medium strength: light enough to move at a quickened pace but sturdy to take a blow. Its not super strong or super light though. The face mask is also royal blue but has crimson stripes down the sides of it.[/font] [font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif]KNIGHT strengths: There are rocket boost system in the arms and legs to make for a stronger strikes with the spear or saber of the KNIGHT. The armor can take a shot or two but not too much. Great maneuverability to allow the body to flow better when fighting.[/font] [font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif]KNIGHT weakness: The armor will break if put under enough pressure and hard to adjust to as its meant for perfect human fluidity of movements.[/font]

The funeral was an awesome touch. I definitely can't wait to see that scene animated. I'm excited to see Sasakibe's bankai even though it may be wielded by some other guy. I'm also eager to see Grimmjow and his new look. I'm assuming he will be in some firm if his released state. Who knows...we may get to see Ukitake and Kyoraku fight some more but by themselves ....

I wouldn't say Sasakibe was completely useless. He filled that "featured character with no real lines" role. I think Kubo had him killed as it was a good way to dispose of a character he wasn't using anymore and can give motivation for the Head Captain Yamamoto to fight even more fiercely, not that it was a problem for him. Sasakibe's death also opens the door for replacement shinigami to fill the vice captain role like Yumichika or someone else. Another thing I saw was interesting was that the Vizards are just kind of roaming around town. Maybe they will get into some of the fray which would allow for more featured villains to surface. I had read about Kubo's statement of some of the characters returning, I was excited even more becuase I wanted to see what Grimmjoww went through after he was struck with Nnoitora's sword.

I really enjoy the Ultimate version of this game and I hope they continue to improve it. I would like to see more characters. I know people say that was the problem with MvC 2 but I thought having all those characters was fun. It prevented the sense of repetition of facing the same fighters over and over again. You can add more characters but not go overboard. Just bring on the fan favorites and maybe some unique other choices. I have a list: Marvel: Gambit, Cyclops, Green Goblin/Hobgoblin, Daredevil, Nightcrawler, Kingpin, Nick Fury, and Blade Capcom: Megaman X, Captain Commando, Ken, Batsu, Guy, Edward Falcon(Power Stone), Wang-Tang(Power Stone), Samanosuke(Onimusha) If not all, then some of these characters would great assets to the new game. They replace those characters no one ever plays with like Tron, Storm, etc.