RPG Maverick Hunters: Personification

[Chaos]

[i]Demos was silent all the way down the way. Whoever this Duke was, he'd already made it on Demos' 'Hate with Prejudice' list. This fool didn't know with what he was messing with. Demos had not even tried with that buster round. He merely assumed that fool was as weak as his head was bald--

Demos shook hid head hastily. That was his problem. Demos was strong, very strong, but he always seemed to underestimate his enemies. That sometimes got his fellow Hunters hurt, or sometimes killed. Guilt suddenly twitched in his mind, just the slightest doubt that he often feared...

'What if I could have been there? Could I have saved Flash? Shouldn't it have been me, and not him? Am I to blame? Am I the reason Flash is dead?'

Emotions suddenly roared through Demos' heart, as he slammed the 'Stop' button on the Elevator, and pried the doors open. He ran out, leaving a seriously confused Iota with a skeptical Havoc. After a few seconds of standing there on the Eleventh floor, Havoc absentmindedly hit the Third Floor button, and the doors closed with a slight 'ding'...[/i]

[Flash]

[B]Iota:[/B] Where's he off to?

[B]Havoc:[/B] I, uh, guess he has some to think about..

[I]Iota nodded. The elevator hit the third floor, and Havoc stepped out, turning around to face Iota.[/I]

[B]Havoc:[/B] I guess I'll see you later.

[I]Iota smiled and waved to Havoc, pressing the button to sub-level one--The training sim room. 'Might as well get back in the swing of things', the told herself, as the lift slid smoothly down the elevator shaft.

With that same monotonous 'ding', the elevator doors opened, and Iota walked out into the training room. The place was pretty empty at this time of night. It was 11:00 pm. She walked up to the door of a Holographic battle sim, and entered.

There were eleven other battle simulators. Twelve in total. They were the simplistic ones--Battle with upto ten Holographic opponents. There were aslo four mission simulators. They were more advanced, and could simulate missions with multiple objectives, for those who wanted to do some strategic training. Finally, there were two 'Display' Simulators, which featured viewing areas where people on the floor above could watch. They were the most advanced of the Simulators.

But Iota was fine in this one. The door slid closed behind her. The room was about ten metres long by ten metres wide, and seven high. The walls were made up of many one by one metre panels. A holographic console appeared in front of her, and many options were available, ranging from battle location, time of day to background music. She set the options, and began the sim.[/I]

[B]Computer: Commencing Simulation. Location: Abandoned Factory. Time of Day: Dusk. Background Music: None. Enemy count: One. Enemy ID: Sim-Maverick. Difficulty Level: Five.[/B]

[I]Iota watched as the environment loaded around her. In under thirty seconds, it was ready. Her opponent faded into view. He was a Generic Maverick, faceless, armed with a Buster-like weapon. She drew her guns, and launched herself towards the Maverick.[/I]

[James]

[color=#507AAC][i]Proteus woke for the first time in several hours. And immediately, he saw Dr. Karman and her various assistants standing over him.[/i]

[b]Proteus:[/b] W-why...

[b]Dr. Karman:[/b] Sssh. Save your strength, Proteus.

[i]Dr. Karman motioned for the medical crew to follow her. She exited the room and began walking down the massive hallway. Behind her, several nurses were pushing Proteus' stretcher. He was starting to come to, but already he had noticed that his weapons systems had been completely disabled. Dr. Karman was no fool; she knew what to expect.[/i]

[b]Proteus:[/b] What's going on?

[i]Dr. Karman did not look back, she continued walking.[/i]

[b]Dr. Karman:[/b] I find it amazing that you can go through so much pain and yet still remain so analytical. Hasn't your experience taught you anything?

[i]Proteus had no idea what the doctor was talking about.[/i]

[b]Proteus:[/b] I don't understand...

[b]Dr. Karman:[/b] That much is obvious.

[i]Proteus looked around weakly. He saw no indications of where they were taking him -- the walls were barren and bare.[/i]

[b]Proteus:[/b] Where are we going?

[b]Dr. Karman:[/b] I am personally taking you to isolation. You're not to be trusted.

[b]Proteus:[/b] Why didn't you kill me when you had the chance?

[b]Dr. Karman:[/b] I'm surprised that you even ask that question, Proteus. And I'm even more surprised that you managed to destroy the missile. You set my plans back quite significantly. But perhaps it's not [i]all[/i] bad...

[b]Proteus:[/b] What do you mean...?

[b]Dr. Karman:[/b] Imagine if the missile [i]had[/i] hit Maverick Hunter HQ. The Hunters would become martyrs in the eyes of the public. Dying whilst doing their duty. And how would that help my cause? If anything, it would probably make my task more difficult. No...what you did...what you did was far more damaging.

[i]Proteus started to feel the sting of guilt...[/i]

[b]Dr. Karman:[/b] You destroyed that missile, leaving them alive. And now what are we seeing on CNN every night? Simply that the Hunters' security systems were hacked and that they were left utterly defenseless. An entire [i]army[/i] of highly trained reploids were unable to stop a missile attack. What's more, that idiot Signas didn't even order an evacuation! The sheer incompetancy of the organization is now evident to all. And what's more, people are starting to question whether or not the Hunters are even relevant anymore...

[b]Proteus:[/b] The public will [i]always[/i] need the Hunters!!

[b]Dr. Karman:[/b] Oh, really? Even if they are too foolish to save themselves? I don't think so. Why would the UN continue to prop up a failing, irrelevant organization? It's an embarassment to every Government who hosts a Hunters outpost.

[i]Proteus was somewhat surprised. He had no idea about Karman's intentions until now. It seemed to be a little clearer in his mind.[/i]

[b]Proteus:[/b] So you want to get rid of the Hunters, is that it?

[b]Dr. Karman:[/b] By the time I'm finished with them, I won't [i]need[/i] to get rid of them.

[i]Proteus did not have time to continue questioning the doctor. He arrived at the isolation wing and was swept away into a solitary cell. Dr. Karman grinned and walked away. He could hear her footsteps echoing through the halls...[/i][/color]

[Talon]

[color=teal][i]Xion woke up as his reactor installment finished, his mind blank as he just awakened. He shook his head, found himself in the Infirmary, and noticed his reactor was the newest model, putting out more energy while not depleting itself or endangering anyone around. Xion stood up and found himself without his armor, his longsleeve shirt draped across a chair. He looked down and found himself in black jeans, wondering who'd gone to such precautions as to leave him without defenses. He shook his head, feeling extremely paranoid, and put on his shirt. He walked towards a hook on the wall, where he found his armor in a hanging minilocker. As he opened the locker, he heard something move across his window. He grabbed his swords, ran to thwe window, and threw it open, looking down. He saw a shadow rapidly climbing down the building, into the lower levels. Xios shook his head as it disappeared from view, returning to his equipment.

Thrity minutes later, Xion was discharged from the infirmary at the same time Zero, who had several cracks in his helmet and a black eye, was. Xion knew immediately that it was because of Demos. As he walked down the hall to Signas' office, Zero began to annoy him.[/i]

[b]Zero:[/b]What's the matter, rookie? Couldn't handle a mission without getting hurt?

[b]Xion:[/b]And what;s wrong with you, Zero? Had to go to the infirmary over a single punch? Are you that delicate? Maybe you need eight inch thick armor when you go into training.

[b]Zero:[/b]Why you little.... I'm sick of this. Come on, runt, I'll take you on, here and now.

[b]Xion:[/b]No, I don't think so. I have an appointment to keep. I can't waste time on arrogant bastards.

[i]With that, Zero grew extremely pissed off and charged at Xion, pulling out his Z-sabre and slashing at Xion's back. Xion turned just in time to avoid losing his arm. As he dodged, he drew out his own blades, arcing them in the air, flipping his arm, and locking arms with Zero, keeping himself and Zero from killing each other. Zero threw Xion to the ground, drew up his Z-sabre, and thrust it threw Xion's arm, pinning it to the ground. Xion grabbed his sword with his free arm, struck Zero across his face, and charged his Vulcan Jab as Zero stumbled within range. As Zero hit the wall, Signas walked out of his office and saw what had transpired. He picked Zero up, writing him a pass to the infirmary for his broken nose, and pulled the sabre out of Xion's arm.[/i]

[b]Signas:[/b]Kid, get into my office, now. You don't need to go to the infirmary, no vital circuits were hit.

[i]Xion walked into Signas' office as his head fell. Xion knew what was coming.[/i]

[b]Signas:[/b]You cause trouble on the mission, you started a brawl in the collective mess hall, and now you seriously injure one of our best Hunters. You're incorrigible, boy, and I can't have you with the Hunters anymore. I'm discharging you from Maverick Hunter Headquarters and exhiling you from this city. Gather your things and be gone by nineteen hundred hours.

[i]Xion could take it no longer. Just as Signas was about to PA a new message through the base about Xion's discharging, he snapped and punched the commander in the face. he pulled back, charged up his Vulcan Jab, and gave Signas a very painful punch in the stomach. He walked out, just as Signas recovered his composure and PAed the base.[/i]

[b]Signas:[/b]Attention, Hunters. Say your final goodbyes to Xion, AlarisX unit 01. Exhiled at eighteen hundred hours for unmeritorious conduct, he shall no longer have anything to do with you.

[i]Xion walked into what used to be his rooms, collected his things, and walked out into the hangar thirty minutes later to grab the Alaris. He met Fenir, Warlock, and Demos, all having an argument about Signas' stupidity.[/i]

[b]Xion:[/b]What are you three doing here? Came to see a failure leave his dream?

[b]Fenir:[/b]No. I tracked these two down when I heard the PA and dragged them down here. Signas was loud enough to actually wake me up. I'm recovered, now, though. We came to say goodbye, man. I'm gonna miss you.

[b]Xion:[/b]Hey, man. Don't worry. Signas just lost a hunter, but the world hasn't. I guess I'm the second Warlock.

[b]Warlock:[/b]Don't say that, kid. I don't like the thought of you out alone in the desert, trying to survive like I did.

[b]Demos:[/b]I heard you punched Signas and Zero, putting them both out of commission for a while. How'd it feel beating those bastards?

[b]Xion:[/b]Felt better than I thought. See you guys later. I'll keep an eye on the city for you. I don't care what Signas says, at least I can still come back every now and then to the city to see Satina....

[i]Xion revved his engine, driving off as Demos and Warlock returned to do what they'd been doing before Fenir rushed in and grabbed them. Xion soared into the district where Satina lived...[/color][/i]

[Domon]

[i]"Damn Signas!! He is an incompatant bastard! He is dishcharging Hunters left and right! I can't beleive him! There should be a restructure in the chain of command!" Before Fenir knew it he was storming down towards the infimary and then he was right in Zero's face.[/i]

Fenir: What the hell!!

Zero: Who are you and what are you doing?

Fenir: I am Fenir, model number 00XX1254 Prototype Alpha! I am a recreation of you and X combined and from all the data i was taught about you was that you were more of a humaine reploid! Not some cocky smart-*** jerk who thinks he can piss off people who put their lives on the line to save innoccent lives while you're sitting here looking like a pretty boy! Hell you can't even take a single punch! My god, and to think i looked up to you. Now i see that you're nothing. You just made one very serious enemy Zero Maverick.

Zero: And what's a rookie like you going to do?

Fenir:.....

Zero: Well?

Fenir: I've already given you the pleasure of seeing me angry. I now realized another difference between you and i. I was made to be more human, you...You're nothing but a cold-hearted atomiton.

[i]And with that Fenir stormed out of the infirmiary and was heading down the hall when he saw Signas walking down the hall towards him, before he knew it Signas grabbed Fenir and slammed him into the wall.[/i]

Signas: Listen here you little cretin! I know that you just went off at Zero, if you ever disrespect another one of your supieriors like that then i'll see that you are exiled for life. I...

Demos: SIGNAS! LEAVE HIM ALONE! This kid has more guts then you'll ever have so i sugguest you leave him alone.

[i]Signas stepped away from Fenir and with that stalked down the hallway while Fenir gave him a look and stormed down towards his quarters. As soon as he hit his quarters tears were streaming down his eyes, he couldn't believe his friend had been exiled.[/i]
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Sorry about the language, i guess i got over zealous i was trying to feel what my character would feel if his friend had just been exiled, because some jerk made him mad enough that he would lose his temper. I hope i didn't offend anyone.

[Flash]

What is this, everyone beat on Signas hour? And did no-one read my latest post? Duke? Ya know? -.-

[Chaos]

Not to mention that Demos was off on his one story arc. Plus, what makes you think he gives a **** about people he doesn't know? -_-;;; Newbies these days. Total cheesewizzers..o.-

[Domon]

Okay i just want to clairify two things. One i never had my character attack Signas. He spoke to me in the hallway. Two i was just following Etarahra's Maverick's post.

[Warlock]

[I]Standing in the garage of Iota's apartment, having already locked up and given a brief stare at the door where he, *cough*, first met Iota in some 'interesting' circumstances, Warlock was wondering how he'd get back to his home... [/I]

[I]He was now much more cautious at teleporting, due to the above incident with Iota, since, afterall, he didn't want to bump into any more females who were just getting out of the shower, fearing their wrath, he was deciding upon using the much more classic approach.[/I]

[I]He knew what Iota had said about not taking her car... But, well, it was the only real option at the moment.[/I]

[I]Minutes later, you can be assured, him and Iota's car were gone... With a quick 'sorry' note from Warlock...[/I]
_________________

Yeah, incredibly small, but I'm planning on having a very large post for when Warlock gets back to his little home... *manical laughter*

[Talon]

[color=teal]OOC:There is NOTHING wrong with my post (except that I had/still-have one helluva fever). I wrote that Fenir grabbed Warlock and Demos from wherever they were, so back off. And as for Duke, I avoided using him because I have NO clue what you want him to do, Flash. If you want, you can have him track me down and blow me to hell for breaking Zero's nose. As for "beat on Signas hour", no. I just had to beat the crap outta Zero. After X6, he just really began to annoy me and I wrote that post RIGHT after beating X6....that game just......*punches a wall, breaking four knuckles and cracking the wall* ANTI-CLIMACTIC PIECE OF CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!![/color]

[Warlock]

OOC: Heh, well, lucky you, X6 didn't happen in this universe... Really got to finish off that timeline...

Now, could people [i]please[/i] stop arguing?! I'm going to get harsh if this continues... If you have any real complaints, take it to PMs and IMs! Oh, and just so y'know, Warlock was in a carkpark, and would've left by then, so he couldn't of been in your post... But that was my fault, not yours, for not posting him leaving earlier. But everyone, let's just get back to [B]RP!!![/B]

Oh, and I'll edit this with a real RP post aswell soon...

[9mm Avenger]

hey, I came back...wondering where we are, and if I can fit in..?

[Flash]

Wel, we got back from the latest mission (at the comm. tower), and now everyone's off doing their thing. Iota's training, Reverb's recharging, Warlock's taken Iota's car and headed back to the Desert, Demos is Pissed, this Duke guy is making a name for himself, Xion got discharged, and some other stuff is happening.

Just read through it. I'll edit this with a post shortly; And I actually /mean/ it, unlike Warlock. :P

[9mm Avenger]

okay, thnx, Flash...I'll try to fit my char. in..

[COLOR=firebrick][i]Akira slowly crept across the roof-top, stalking the small robot who held Akira's saber in it's grasp.

The droid, although scencing Akira, began running, knocking people and karts over. It light up Akira's saber, and hacked down a old reploid who wasn't fast enough.

Akira lept down from the building, landing on the robot's curved dome, smashing it flat. Akira neatly fielded his spinning saber, and was about to walk away, when..[/i]

[b]Robot:[/b] *beep--frizzt!* Agression inhibator broken....*frrzpt!* Beginning phase two...Initiate...

[i]Suddenly, the robot began to shift and morph, until it was twice as tall as Akira. The giant robot pointed it's huge chain-gun at Akira, and a red light sprang to life on his chest.[/i]

[b]Akira:[/b]Not good!

[i]The robot fired, missed Akira, but blasted away a chunck of the Badlands building...[/i][/color]

[Flash]

[I]Iota kick-jumped off a wall, bringing her sabre down on another Sim-Maverick. The Kill count was at 15 now. Taking them on one at a time, as they got progressively harder. A bead of sweat slid down her forehead as the Maverick disintergrated. She wiped her brow, and got ready, as a Level-20 Sim-Maverick faded into vision.

In the upper levels of the base, Signas walked through a corridoor, Duke at his side, hands behind his back.[/I]

[B]Signas:[/B] So, Duke, what other business do you have here at Head Quarters?

[B]Duke:[/B] I have merely come as an observer, Signas. Of course, there are certain things I must attend to.

[B]Signas:[/B] Such as?

[B]Duke:[/B] Nothing you need know about, Signas.

[B]Signas:[/B] Now see here! I am the Commander here, and I demand--

[I]Duke's eyes glowed a frightening shade of green, as he grabbed Signas by the throat, holding him up against a wall. He sneered at the Commander, and tightened his grip.[/I]

[B]Duke:[/B] Do not meddle in my affairs. Your command is overridden. This Base of Operations is now under my juristiction.

[I]Duke turned around, still holding Signas, and slammed him into another wall. His grip grew tighter still, piercing Signas' skin. A green gel flowed from Duke's fingertips, and infected all of Signas' fuel streams. Small green veins could be seen beneath his skin. His eyes changed to a hue of green, not unlike Duke's. Signas entered a trance-like state, under Duke's control. Duke grinned sadistically.[/I]

[B]Duke:[/B] Come.

[B]Signas:[/B] Yes, Sir Duke.

[I]Signas followed Duke like a pet follows it's owner back to his office. From the outside, it just looks like Signas needed a good cup of coffee. But his zombie-like state was much more sinister than that. The pair entered the lift, and headed for the nineteenth floor..[/I]

[Talon]

[color=ocean teal]OOC: Yeah Flash, you /mean/ it, unlike Warlock. At least I include posts with my OOCs, /unlike/ you BOTH.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[i]Xion kickstopped at Satina's neighnorhood. He went up, knocked on her door, and found nobody home. He swore silently to himself as he got out some notepaper and hastily scribbled a note, slipping it under her door.[/i]

[b]Note:[/b]Satina,
Heh, I've been discharged. I was discharged for punching Zero, and those sons of b*tches let him beat up on everybody else. Well, Signas also exiled me from the city. I'm putting a map-disk with a tracker with the note. That way, you can find me wherever I am if you need. See you soon.

[i]Xion dropped back onto the Alaris and gunned for the docks. He had a boat to take him to an islet base he'd built a long while ago. He sighed, deciding forever to become a vigilante. He hoped life wouldn't get s bad he'd pull his own plug, but he'd already lost his dream. His drive carried him past Maverick Hunter HQ, and as he looked upon the walls of the base, something stirred within him. Within his own system, he was harboring a deep hatred of the Hunters, with few exceptions. He reached into his chestplate and pulled out the Mavrick Virus firewall chip. He smiled evilly as he drove past the edifice he now hated...[/color][/i]

[Flash]

[I]A shrill tone boomed over HQ's emergency PA system. It echoed down every hall, every empty corridoor. The entire base stood still as they waited for the message. But Signas did not speak; Rather, it was Duke who delivered the announcement.[/I]

[B]Duke:[/B] Maverick Hunters... It seems we have a problem. A Power Facility in the Industrial sector has been attacked by a group of powerful Cyborg-Mavericks, disguising themselves as ALED officers. It seems that even the Facility staff themselves are double-agents. The Facility is now a threat to us. Hunter Squadrons Zero through Five, as well as the Elites, head to the Transportation Hub. There is no time to spare. All other Hunters, be on alert. You may be required to head into battle. As for those leaving now--Leave none alive.

[I]There was an Uproar amongst the base as many hunters ran to the Transport hub. Red pulsing lights around HQ flashed on and off gradually.

Iota was out the door of the Holographic Training room before the Sim had even ended. She ran down the corridoor, heading for the Transportation Hub. On the way, she bumped into Reverb.[/I]

[B]Iota:[/B] Hey, I know you.. Reverb! You're one of the Elites, right?

[B]Reverb:[/B] Yeah, Iota, was it? Come on, let's get going.

[I]Together, the pair of Hunters sprinted towards the elevator that would take them to their destination.

Up on the Nineteenth floor, Duke sat at Signas' desk, talking to someone privately over a Phone.[/I]

[B]Duke:[/B] Yes, I know. Don't worry, he won't interfere. Everything is under control.

[I]Duke pressed a button on the control panel for the Phone, and was put through to another person. He spoke sharply to whoever was on the other end.[/I]

[B]Duke:[/B] Take care of Warlock immediately. He will not disrupt our plans.

[B]????:[/B] Alright. But it'll cost you--[I]Double[/I].

[B]Duke:[/B] I have the finest fighters in the world under my control. You are in no position to negotiate., expecially after I've already done so much for you.

[B]????:[/B] Grr... Just you wait, Duke. I'll bring you his head.

[B]Duke:[/B] Good. As you were.

[I]With that, Duke hung up the phone, and turned on the main screen, monitoring the situation. Everything was running like clockwork.[/I]

[James]

[color=#507AAC][i]Proteus opened his eyes and stared at the cold white ceiling above. It was devoid of markings or form, though Proteus was used to such sights by now.

He wondered what the future could possibly hold. This strange Japanese island was the most alien place he'd ever visited; it seemed that the local authorities hated reploids. Either that, or they'd been ordered to kill Proteus as soon as he landed. Proteus suspected the latter, primarily because of Dr. Karman. Why was she here? Proteus guessed that this was her base of operations, though he had no idea how she'd been able to set up such a system under the very noses of Hunter HQ.

Nonetheless, Proteus was infamous for thinking too much. Given the circumstances, this was understandable. But right now, Proteus knew that his primary goal was to escape the facility. He turned his head to one side and noticed a string of advanced computer equipment next to his bed. There was a white shelf jutting out from the right-hand side wall of the room and it was littered with various monitoring devices. To his surprise, Proteus found that he was able to adjust his zoom and view the distant computer monitor with ease. Had his sytems been somehow repaired?

Proteus looked over the monitor carefully. Indeed, it was true; the monitor included a diagram of Proteus' exoskeleton with various technical overlays criss-crossing it. On the bottom right of the panel, Proteus saw the words "100% Regenerated". Why would they repair him?

Proteus tried to lift his head and look around. He noticed that the room was actually more pleasant than he had first thought. The far side of the room contained a large window, through which Proteus could see the ocean in the distance. And to his left, Proteus saw a small docking bay (for body repairs) and a table and chair. At the end of his bed, he saw a small dresser with various armor parts inside (he used his basic scanners to detect the form of the parts within the dresser).

To his surprise, once again, Proteus noticed that he wasn't tied down to the bed. Yet his limbs felt unusually heavy. He sat up slowly and ran his fingers through his fibre optic hair.[/i]

[b]Proteus:[/b] So here I am...what now?

[i]Suddenly, the door opened with a high-pitched "swoosh". In stepped another reploid. Proteus had to do a double-take; the reploid looked remarkably similar to himself. The only major difference was that instead of blue eyes, the reploid had a green tinge to his eyes. The reploid stood in front of Proteus and bowed gracefully. It sat down on a nearby chair and smiled, as if waiting for discussion to begin.[/i]

[b]Proteus:[/b] Uhh...who are you?

[i]The reploid cocked its head slightly, as though it didn't understand the question. Its eyes were fixed on Proteus.[/i]

[b]Protogen:[/b] My name is Protogen. I already know who you are.

[i]Proteus faked an awkward smile. This odd reploid made him feel very uncomfortable. Everything seemed so alien. He was in some sort of prison, yet it wasn't exactly a prison. It was almost as though he was a guest here.[/i]

[b]Proteus:[/b] I...I don't know why I'm here. Why did they repair me earlier?

[i]Protogen blinked. Proteus could hear the soft whirring coming from his in-built ventilation system. He must have been a slightly older model; newer model reploids contained sound proof skins.[/i]

[b]Protogen:[/b] It is common practice to serve guests well.

[i]Proteus stood up slowly. He didn't feel weak or damaged at all. In fact, his internal diagnostic program was telling him that everything was okay.[/i]

[b]Proteus:[/b] I still don't understand. What is this place?'

[b]Protogen:[/b] This place is Red Alert 05. It is the most recent installation for our crusade.

[b]Proteus:[/b] Crusade?

[i]Protogen nodded slowly.[/i]

[b]Protogen:[/b] Yes. Our crusade against the oppressors.

[i]Proteus was, for the first time in his life, frightened. He realized this immediately, as the emotion was strange to him. He was not afraid of death but apparently he was afraid of the unknown.[/i]

[b]Proteus:[/b] Crusade against [i]who?[/i]

[i]Protogen paused and stared straight forward, as if he had been frozen in time. Proteus heard a "click" coming from somewhere in Protogen's upper body, which prompted him back into life.[/i]

[b]Protogen:[/b] The Maverick Hunters.

[i]Proteus sat down on the bed once more. [/i]

[b]Proteus:[/b] I don't understand, Protogen. Why do you want to hurt the Maverick Hunters?

[i]Protogen started blankly at Proteus.[/i]

[b]Protogen:[/b] The Maverick Hunters are our enemy. They cast a dark shadow over Mother...and now we will defeat them in a way that they can't possibly prepare for.

[i]Proteus stood up once more and walked over to the window. Protogen approached him and pointed down toward the beach, which was situated several miles away (the building Proteus was in was on the side of a mountain amongst a dense forest). Proteus looked toward the beach and saw hundreds of small dots. He zoomed in rapidly and gasped to himself.

There they were, hundreds of Protogen units standing in alignment.[/i]

[b]Proteus:[/b] But, they don't have any busters...what are they for?

[b]Protogen:[/b] They are our saviors. They are the bringers of death.

[i]Proteus looked over the units on the beach once more. They indeed had no busters and they all featured the same blank expression that Protogen posessed.[/i]

[b]Proteus:[/b] ...

[b]Protogen:[/b] They are each bringers of fire and pain. They do not need busters for attack. They only need their own bodies, laden with E-107.

[i]Proteus put his hand to his mouth. His eyes were wide. E-107 was a powerful explosive that the Hunters had experimented with in the past. These units were not designed to fight. They were designed to suicide...[/i][/color]

[Talon]

[color=ocean teal][i]Xion stared at his com-screen. He gasped in disbelief. Someone had sent dozens of Hunters to a Power Facility in the industrial sector for some reason. He clenched his ist, grabbed his longswords and rode off into the darkness for the industrial sector...

Within moments, he arrived. The Hunters had yet to get there, and Xion went to work. He studied his documented coopy of the orders to attack the Power Facility and played it for every officer there. As a final bastion of proof the employees were not Mavericks, he displayed his Maverick Hunters insignia: He remained alive. He tossed the badge away, having it was unnessecary. He stood on the front lines, the workers having grabbed various weapons, others having welders, busters, and handguns. Xion charged his blade and buster together into readiness for the Vulcan Slash. He wanted to kill the first Hunter to come near the facility. He hoped it wasn't Fenir.[/i][/color]

[James]

[color=#507AAC][i]Half an hour after Protogen left the room, Proteus was still sitting there by the window. He watched the units on the beach carefully. And within minutes, the walls of his room began to shake. He could hear the engines of several transport craft humming in unison. The vehicles were hovering over the building he was in and were slowly making their way down the side of the mountainside complex toward the beach. Proteus had no doubt that Red Alert would be conducting its operation soon.

But before he had time to ponder the issue more carefully, the door to his room slid open once more. A small Service Droid rolled in and began cleaning the floor by itself. But it wasn't alone; it was followed by a mid-sized replimaster! Proteus' eyes widened and he instinctively armed his buster and aimed it at the approaching replimaster.

The replimaster held its hands up infront of it and gestured for Proteus to lower his weapon.[/i]

[b]???:[/b] Hey hey...it's okay. I'm not here to hurt you Proteus...please don't aim that at me.

[i]Proteus glared at the replimaster and slowly lowered his buster. He prudently kept it armed.[/i]

[b]Proteus:[/b] Who the hell are you?

[i]The replimaster sat down on Proteus' bed and looked around, as if to make sure that nobody was listening.[/i]

[b]Echo:[/b] My name is Echo. I wish we could meet under more pleasant circumstances...

[i]Echo lowered his head and sighed. Proteus disarmed his buster and took a breath. This was so confusing. A replimaster here? Not wanting to hurt Proteus? Proteus was compelled to find the truth.[/i]

[b]Proteus:[/b] Okay, look...I have no idea what's going on here. I need some answers!

[i]Echo nodded, knowingly.[/i]

[b]Echo:[/b] I know, I know. You [i]must[/i] have a great deal of questions. What do you want to know?

[i]Proteus ran a hand through his fibre optic hair and sighed.[/i]

[b]Proteus:[/b] I want to know...why I'm here...and why I was spared.

[i]Echo nodded again and sat a little further back on the bed.[/i]

[b]Echo:[/b] Well, you're here because Dr. Karman wants you to be here. She originally implanted you at Hunter HQ for infiltration purposes...but when she discovered that she was unable to control you remotely, she took up a permanent position there under cover. And, well...you pretty much saw what happened at the Communication Tower. She's not what she seems.

[b]Proteus:[/b] Hah! That's for sure...

[b]Echo:[/b] Yes, well...I'm not sure why you're here exactly. But she must still feel as though she owns you.

[b]Proteus:[/b] So why are [i]you[/i] here?

[b]Echo:[/b] I'm like you, Proteus. I am one of her creations...and I was independent enough not to do her bidding. So she keeps me here. I can move around this place freely but I can't ever leave. Both you and I have been implanted with location sensors. If we try to leave...well...we wouldn't last long.

[b]Proteus:[/b] So we [i]are[/i] prisoners here?

[i]Echo nodded and sighed again.[/i]

[b]Echo:[/b] Yes. It's unfortunate...and I wish things were different.

[b]Proteus:[/b] Protogen was in here earlier...he was telling me about those suicide units out there. Doesn't Dr. Karman realize that they won't even cause a dent on the HQ?

[i]Echo nodded.[/i]

[b]Echo:[/b] Of course. That's not why she's deploying them.

[b]Proteus:[/b] ...Oh?

[b]Echo:[/b] She has access to Maverick Hunter HQ mission information. So, she knows that the elite squads and several other battlegroups are about to embark on a new mission within the city. That is when she'll strike. By causing [i]some[/i] damage and panic, she's aiming to discredit the Maverick Hunters.

[b]Proteus:[/b] But why would she do that? I still don't understand her intentions.

[b]Echo:[/b] Years ago, the Hunters conducted an airstrike on an area within the city. Dr. Karman's central research laboritory was located there. The airstrike destroyed much of her key research. The strike also killed her little boy...

[b]Proteus:[/b] ...

[b]Echo:[/b] She's been able to build the Red Alert underground network...and here we are today. She wants nothing less than the removal of the Hunters. But she knows that it can't be done through sheer force; nobody in the world can defeat the Hunters in a frontal attack.

[b]Proteus:[/b] Yeah...so she uses terrorism and subversive tactics to defeat the enemy. I see.

[i]Echo nodded. His face looked very worn, as though he'd been through many battles.[/i]

[b]Proteus:[/b] What next?

[i]Echo smiled softly.[/i]

[b]Echo:[/b] Next...you and I are going to figure out how to get out of here. We need to let the Hunters know what's going on here. If they knew the location of this base, they could [i]easily[/i] destroy the Red Alert organization.

[i]Proteus felt reinvigorated. Now he had a specific goal and purpose.[/i]

[b]Proteus:[/b] Right. When do you want to take action?

[b]Echo:[/b] I'll come back here at midnight. It won't be easy though; I'll have to dodge the security guards...and if they find me, who knows what they'll do.

[i]Proteus smiled.[/i]

[b]Proteus:[/b] You'll be okay. We [i]must[/i] do this.

[i]Echo stood up and walked over to Proteus. He shook Proteus' hand and nodded in agreement. Proteus felt nervous for the rest of the evening, as zero hour approached...[/i][/color]

[Warlock]

[I]As Warlock raced across the desert, unaware of all the events currently unfolding around him, he was[/i] also[i] unaware of the several eyes fixed on his position.[/I]

[I]On a nearby hill, beside the 'road' Warlock was travelling upon, several figures lied in wait, watching and judging their opponent... One very large and bulky figure, close to thirteen foot tall. Another figure lay in it's slight shadow, about six foot tall, a mask upon it's face and a cannon of sorts on it's right shoulder. [/I]

[I]By the looks of it, these two were the head of the pack. Surrounding them were a bunch of generic, humanform reploids, each with varying designs. For instance, one was an avain, and another was a penguin. While not all had four limbs, they all had the basic human shape?[/I]

[I]As Warlock's borrowed hovercar continued to speed along the desert floor, the avian turned to the smaller figure, his face revealed?[/I]

[B]Storm Eagle:[/B] "...Sir, we are ready to attack. Give the word, and we shall engage.?

[I]The smaller figure moved to the edge of the hill, looking down? Warlock would be passing right by this rocky mountain, almost directly underneath. The figure with the cannon turned around, his mask revealed as a unique one, one that only covers one Maverick?[/I]

[B]Vile:[/B] ??You may all go into your prearranged positions. But [I]I[/I] shall finish him off, understood??

[I]And, in unison, the eight others nodded. But these weren?t any other eight? No, they were from the first true Maverick conflict. They were all once Hunter, Hunters that turned against their faction and were destroyed by Warlock?s brother?[/I]

[I]But here they were, all rebuilt, along with Vile, who had already fell against X twice. All standing near two edges of the hill, with Vile and his machine at the very diagonal edge, the others lined up behind him.[/I]

[I] One, was [URL=http://dynamic4.gamespy.com/~mmm/spritesinc/sprites/x/mmm-mmxchillpenguin.GIF]Chill Penguin.[/URL] [/I]

[I] Another was [URL=http://dynamic4.gamespy.com/~mmm/spritesinc/sprites/x/mmm-mmxflamemammoth.GIF]Flame Mammoth.[/URL] [/I]

(OOC: And for ease, I?ll just list the sprite links for the rest of the MMX1 Mavericks below, just to say having to write ?another was? or ?one was? over and over. Just imagine they?re behind the link. ;)

[URL=http://dynamic4.gamespy.com/~mmm/spritesinc/sprites/x/octopussheet.gif]Launch Octopus[/URL]

[URL=http://dynamic4.gamespy.com/~mmm/spritesinc/sprites/x/armadillosheet.gif]Armored Armadillo[/URL]

[URL=http://dynamic4.gamespy.com/~mmm/spritesinc/sprites/x/eaglesheet.gif]Storm Eagle[/URL]

[URL=http://dynamic4.gamespy.com/~mmm/spritesinc/sprites/x/chameleonsheet.gif]Sting Chameleon[/URL]

[URL=http://dynamic4.gamespy.com/~mmm/spritesinc/sprites/x/mmm-mmxsparkmandrill.GIF]Spark Mandrill[/URL]

[URL=http://dynamic4.gamespy.com/~mmm/spritesinc/sprites/x/kuwangersheet.gif]Boomer Kuwanger[/URL]

[I] And of course, the large figure? Was Vile?s Ride Armor, the Goliath.[/I]

[I] As Warlock neared, they obviously began to move into positions. Sting jumped off the side, before beginning to scale down. Spark merely jumped seconds after Launch did, the tall falling. Storm rose up into the air, his wings creating the lift necessary to keep him up, while Vile took one step forward, looked down, and began to charge up his cannon. The others just waited behind him?[/I]


[IMG]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?postid=345171[/IMG]

________________________


[I] Hand on the steering wheel (not a thing reploids really needed to use, since they could just hook up into the car system), Warlock sat in the comfy driver?s seat of Iota?s car, driving it down something of a road.[/I]

[I] The path passed beside a rocky hill, which seemed to have several outcroppings of rock at the very top?[/I]

[I] Idly switching through several menus on his visor, the ex-Hunter double checked the location of his hoverbike, something he?d be getting later after he?d recovered from the previous battle back at home. Or he could just get one of his drones to get it? [/I]

[I] His mind only now slightly focused on the road ahead, Warlock just continued to head towards the hill of sorts, now getting closer and closer? ?As the calm night air splashed across him, he didn?t realise the up above, a cannon was just beginning to charge? [/I]

[James]

[color=#507AAC]Proteus was unable to get any rest that evening. He had spent most of the day wandering back and forth in his room, occasionally glancing through the window at the beach below.

Throughout the afternoon and early evening, as the sun drifted lazily over the horizon, the sound of heavy transport vehicles periodically broke the otherwise silent atmosphere. In one instance, a transport came so close to Proteus' room that the heat from its sizeable thrusters created a film of steam on the window. Proteus had watched the transport vehicles descending from somewhere high above to the beach far below. They came every fifteen minutes or so and each one settled on the sand directly behind the previous vehicle. And so it continued for several hours. More and more transport vehicles, until at around eleven o'clock, nearly the entire coastline was dotted with black transports and accompanying security and maintenance vehicles. The utterly obedient Protogen Units knew their mission and did not hesitate to assemble themselves in neat groups within each transport vehicle. Proteus guessed that each vehicle was loaded with anywhere from ten to sixteen Protogen Units.

In the time he had left, Proteus continued to ponder the future. He didn't consider his own fate so much; it was more a question of the Hunters and how they would handle this new onslaught. Proteus also knew that even though most of these transports would probably be shot down well before hitting their mark, the fact remained that many parts of the Maverick Hunter HQ complex was made up of scientists and their families. Proteus felt that perhaps the other Hunters would understand such an attack; they were military units. They had been designed for battle from the ground up and none of them were afraid of death itself. However, the scientists and their families were merely doing the bidding of the United Nations, under the direct supervision of the Hunter HQ Administration. How would they react? And how would the public of Novus Concordia react? That city had faced hard times, perhaps even [i]more[/i] hard times had befallen that place since the apocalypse. It was a city created for peace and stability, but already it had seen air-strikes and street battles of various kinds, terrorist attacks and now even further and more unpredictable violence. Proteus remembered what Echo had told him earlier, about why Dr. Karman felt such hatred for the Maverick Hunters. He remembered hearing of her little boy and the infamous air-strike that had killed him and all but destroyed her life's work. Proteus was not certain that the Hunters even [i]knew[/i] about Dr. Karman's research and family at that point. Or at least, that they were in the area at the time. Furthermore, Proteus wondered if Dr. Karman was considering the children of the scientists at Hunter HQ. If they died, would she take the responsibility that the Hunters had never taken?

Proteus couldn't answer any of these questions, but for once he did not attempt to try. His goal now was very clear; escape Red Alert 05 and return to Hunter HQ. Of course, this was easier said that done. For one thing, it would be necessary to find the GPS chip that had been installed within his nervous system. And removing it might be quite a difficult (if not impossible) task.

The clock on the wall (as well as Proteus' internal clock) indicated that it was now midnight. No more transport vehicles were descending the mountainside, though Proteus could clearly hear the distant whirring and humming of their plasma engines.

Just as Proteus was wondering where he could possibly be, the door opened and Echo slowly entered the room. He smiled at Proteus briefly and then peered around the doorway from where he'd entered the room; a last minute check for security droids, no doubt. But all seemed to be clear, as evidenced by Echo's vibrant "thumbs up" gesture. He turned around and opened his large chest plate with a "click". Inside, Proteus saw a small array of basic repair tools and monitoring devices. Echo had come prepared.

"What's the first step?" asked Proteus, as he sat on the edge of the bed.

Echo busily removed the tools from his chest and lay them neatly on the counter nearby. "First thing's first," he replied. "We need to remove these GPS sensors".

"How are you going to do that? You don't even know where they are!" Proteus crossed his arms and looked over the tools on the counter. None of them seemed to be of any real use.

Echo grabbed a small wrench-like tool, which was glowing at one end. He waved it in the air as he spoke, "Well, I [i]know[/i] where the GPS units are. They are situated in the back of your neck...right next to your spinal column. I'll need to remove a small piece of metal from there and cut the membranes that attach the GPS unit to your nervous system."

Proteus nodded slowly. It made sense. But something suddenly occurred to him. "Won't some sort of alarm go off if the wires are cut?"

Echo paused for a moment before answering, as if it was necessary to choose his words wisely. "Uhh, no...I don't think so. I mean, I've never really done this before. So I'm not sure."

Proteus faked a smile. [i]Never really done this before?[/i] He sighed. It didn't matter now anyway. Dr. Karman's attack was about to commence and he didn't have time to argue or discuss the finer points of the procedure.

Proteus stood up and took the nearby chair in his hand. He sat it in front of Echo and sat down on it, with his back to the ex-Maverick. Proteus prudently deactivated his sensory program; having your spinal column operated on without anaesthesia would hardly be a walk in the park. But just as he deactivated the program, he felt a firm pressure on the back of his neck. Echo was attaching the skin back in place with a special welding unit. "All done," he said.

Proteus stood up and nodded. "Do you want me to remove yours?" he asked.

"No, I made sure to remove it before I got here. If I hadn't, they'd know I was here by now," whispered Echo.

Echo hastily bundled the tools back inside his chest cavity and closed the opening. He approached the doorway and peered out into the hall once more. Proteus noticed him looking back and smiling a moment later, indicating that the coast was clear.

But it wasn't clear for very long. The pair heard a high-pitched whirring sound coming from the eastern end of the corridor. It was a service droid. And by the sound of it, the little droid was rapidly approaching Proteus' room. Echo quickly pulled his head from the doorway and in his haste, stumbled backwards on his own feet. The resulting thud of his enormous body hitting the wooden floor sent reverberations throughout the entire hallway. Proteus cringed; he had a good idea of what was coming next. And sure enough, he was right. An air-raid-like alarm was instantly audible (to just about everyone on the mountain, Proteus thought to himself).

Echo looked up at Proteus and frowned awkwardly. "Uhh, P-Proteus...what do we do?!"

Proteus rolled his eyes and grabbed Echo's hand, helping him to his feet. He stared Echo in the eye and spoke carefully. "We don't have time. We've got to go [i]now![/i]" He quickly jumped over to the other side of the bed and pushed it in front of the door, blocking at least one security droid who had been the first to respond to the alarm. Proteus desperately dashed over to the window and looked out over the beach once more. He hastily activated his zoom lenses and night vision program, scanning the beach for a way out. And there it was! Proteus spotted an empty transport vehicle near a small bunker. The other vehicles (which contained the Protogen Units) were almost full and ready for take off. They had very little time left. Proteus guessed that it might be possible to fly amongst the outgoing vehicles in order to disguise their escape.

Proteus turned to face Echo, who was pushing the bed against the doorway with all his might; at least three security droids were now trying to force their way in. Thankfully, Echo was much larger and stronger than all three combined. But both Echo and Proteus could hear the footsteps and hydraulic hisses of more droids in the distance. It wouldn't be long before the pair were confronted with overwhelming opposition.

"We're going to need to go through the window!" shouted Proteus. He needed to shout just to be heard; the alarm was deafening and the clank of heavy robotics in the corridors of the building was growing louder. Proteus grabbed Echo's arm and dragged him toward the window. Almost immediately, the bed began grinding its way across the floor as several security droids forced it out of the way. Proteus held Echo's arm tight and threw himself at the window. His body easily penetrated the window with a deafening smash of broken glass.

Echo closed his eyes and held Proteus tight. At first, he felt like they were falling very quickly. But then the sensation changed; he felt a lot lighter. It was almost like the rapid change one experience in a fast moving elevator. A quick rush in one direction and then a sudden equilization of one's equilibrium. Echo slowly opened his eyes and saw a vast canopy of leaves and branches disappearing below.

"I'm flying!" he exclaimed excitedly.

Proteus rolled his eyes. "We're hovering, Echo," he said calmly. And so they were. Echo looked over Proteus' shoulder (which he was clutching tightly). He noticed that the blue wedge-shaped trips on Proteus' feet were glowing a vivid blue.

"Anti-gravity. How amazing!"

"Yeah, it's great. But it's limited. And with the added weight, it won't last long. We're getting close to the beach now though...so it should be okay," said Proteus.

Initially, the pair had heard frequent bursts of gunfire as they first leapt from the window. But now they heard no such noise. They were fast approaching the base of the mountain, which was significantly darker than their previous location. Perhaps they'd evaded the Red Alert 05 forces?

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity in the air (and far too much excited rambling on the part of Echo), Proteus' feet touched the sand. He was glad to disengage the anti-gravity program, because the glow from his feet may have attracted unwanted attention had they continued any further. The pair trapsed across the sand for a few minutes and finally saw the lone transport vehicle.

"Finally!" exclaimed Proteus. He ran over to the vehicle and scanned it carefully, so as to ensure that nobody was inside. It was clean. He motioned for Echo to take up the driver's seat.

"You pilot. I'm going to sit in the back and arm myself. You never know what resistance we might face out there," said Proteus as he pulled the rear door open and stepped inside the cavernous loading platform.

Echo donned a pilot's headset and quickly found his way around the vehicle's control display. He seemed to know what he was doing, which encouraged Proteus greatly.

"Let's go!" cried Echo, as the transport's engines rumbled to life.[/color]

[Talon]

[color=ocean teal][i]Xion stood, waiting. His estimate was that the Hunters would be there in about ten minutes. The glow of his burning blade pulsed, bringing something into his mind[/i]

[b]???:[/b][i]Lies.....your memories are lies......the hologram was a lie....[/i]

[b]Xion:[/b]What? Who....?

[b]???:[/b][i]I am you.....everything is a lie.....nothing makes sense. Dr. Light had no child.....your are the son of someone else...[/i]

[b]Xion:[/b]Who am I? Whose son am I?

[b]???:[/b][i]You are the son of a man named Flare Reisheld. He worked hard to advance reploid kind in secret........his wife and son were killed in an attack by Vile. You are the remains of his son. He tried his best to save his wife, but failed.[/i]

[b]Xion:[/b]So it's Vile. Vile is the reason I cannot love, cannot be loved. He is the reason I am an abomination. But why were my memories false? Who tampered with them?

[b]???:[/b][i]I did. For your safety. You needed time alone, time to make friends. I failed. You were discharged, and thus exhiled. You now have only one hope. The upgrade capsule that your father built you, the one that gave you the armor, blades, and busters. Defeat and destroy Vile, then eliminate Sigma. Then we shall take our revenge on the Hunters, though it isn't their fault you are discharged. Another evil lies in secret at the Hunter Headquarters.[/i]

[b]Xion:[/b]It still doesn't make sense, but let's do this. The Hunters are almost here. I have to defend the innocents first![/color]

[Domon]

[COLOR=green][i]Fenir was sitting on a bench in one of the transports, its engines humming their low soft mechanical tune as it sped off towards the facility. Fenir just sat there rolling the past 12 hour events in his head. It started to seem strange..HQ seemed to be falling apart, the commander had become a tired old worthless man. He just sat there, his hair falling over his face and casting shadows on his face, the transport landed, which was announced with a dull mechanical [b]thud[/b], Fenir opened his eyes and stood up, he accessed his elemental chip port and set his saber to its nova setting, the saber shot out and activated, its blade gleaming a brilliant white, he stepped out and off the transport and looked around.[/i][/COLOR]

[Flash]

[I]Alpha set down just outside the perimeter of the Facility, following two other APCs. Reverb clutched his right wrist, flexing his hand. They'd arrived. Demos was nowhere to be found, so instead, he found himself leading the charge. Although he had never commandeered a Squadron before now, Reverb knew what he was doing. The training Sims had paid off, so it seemed. The main door on the back of the APC opened, and Hunters poured out of it, Reverb in the front. He looked to his left and right; The other APCs had already unloaded. Hunters armed with heavy weaponary were opening fire on the facility, and were met by a volley of gunfire. Reverb ducked for cover as an explosive shell landed nearby, shaking the entire area. Thankfully, the new-type Reploid was unscathed.

He looked over his shoulder, and saw that Iota and a few other Hunters were all with him. The Hunters had their Busters ready, and Iota had her Guns drawn. Nodding, Reverb formed his own Tr9 Flash Buster, and headed for the main door of the complex, Iota and the others following. Rocket Propelled Grenades from the Hunter's Artillery batallion slammed into the front wall of the Facility, tearing large gashes in the steel. That was their que. All the Hunters rushed foward, drawing their close range weapons, and storming into the Power Complex. Reverb was the first in, followed by Iota. They stood shoulder to shoulder, unloading their respective weapons at the enemy ahead. Every shot was dead-on, Mavericks falling left, right and centre. Reverb held his forearm upwards, and his Progressive Sabre flipped out of it, right into his palm. He grasped it tightly. One of Iota's ESMs opened, revealing a long Gold handle. She drew it, and a long beam-whip appeared. It made a loud metallic noise when it was cracked. Together, Reverb and Iota ran foward, Hunters spreading throughout the long maze of corridoors within the facility.

After a few minutes of running, the pair of Hunters came to a locked door. With a swift crack of her Synth whip, the door shattered into several large chunks of metal, and Reverb barged through. Several Mavericks stood behind it at the ready, but weren't quick enough to react when Reverb burst into the room. He swung his Sabre around, decapitating one, and slicing another clean in half. Another two opened fire on him from a Catwalk above, but with one well aimed Buster shot, both of them were reduced to dust. He turned around, nodding to Iota, giving her the all clear. The two Reploids ran through the Storage area, and into another corridoor. At the end of it, there was a huge room. It was, no doubt, the main Power core.

On their side of the room was a small fortified area, occupied with Hunters. They were having a fire fight with heavily armed Mavericks on the other side of the massive area. Iota and Reverb ducked and ran to the Hunter's makeshift bunker, filled to the brim with Trigger-happy Reploids. Ahead of them, Reverb noticed Demos. He ran foward, to meet up with the Elite Squadron's commander.[/I]

[B]Demos:[/B] Good to see you made it this far, Reverb.

[B]Reverb:[/B] What's going on, Sir?

[B]Demos:[/B] The Mavericks have barricaded themselves on the other side of the Power Core. They've got Cyborgs with them as well.

[B]Reverb:[/B] Why fight them from here?

[B]Demos:[/B] They're armed heavily--[i]Very[/i] heavily.

[B]Iota:[/B] We need a Sniper. I'm up for it.

[I]Demos pondered for a second. She was new to the squad, but he'd read her case file. She'd been a Squad Leader before, she knew what she was doing. Demos nodded.[/I]

[B]Demos:[/B] Alright. Be careful, they have sensors all over the place. Last Sniper we set out was shot. I hope you'll have more luck.

[I]Iota grinned, and loaded the rifle. Taking her position, she lined up one of the Cyborgs in her scope. On closer inspection, the Cyborg had the ALED logo emblazoned on his chest. Iota blinked, but didn't let it phase her. She quickly went back to lining up the Shot.

As she did, a massive voice boomed across the Facility's PA system. It was a Cyborg.[/I]

[B]Cyborg:[/B] Maverick Hunters! This is Sergeant 2338 of the Armed Law Enforcement Division! Cease fire now!

[I]The Hunters didn't stop. The barrage of fire continued.[/I]

[B]Cyborg:[/B] What the hell is wrong with you?! Why are you attacking innocen--

[I]The Sergeant's words were cut off. A single bullet from Iota's rifle had hit the Cyborg in the head, through his Cybernetic left eye, and out the other side. He landed with a loud thud, blood trickling from the hole in his head. More Cyborgs and Reploids fell around him as Iota fired multiple shots at the barricaded Mavericks.

Demos ordered the charge then and there. Hunters poured out of the Trench, and towards the other side of the Power Core. Firing as they charged, the Hunters easily overpowered the diminishing Maverick forces. The few that did survive the initial rush were quickly slain by the Sabres of the Maverick Hunters. At that moment, a large chunk of the roof collapsed, and more Hunters poured in, all using their dash systems to break their fall. More Hunters, it seemed. Their uniform was different, they were obviously from a different platoon. Their armour was all green, and they wore green berets. There were easily twice as many Green Hunters as there were Regular ones. One of these Green Hunters landed near Demos, saluting. He looked like their commander. Reverb decided to go over and see who they were. As he did, Reverb noticed a Reploid laying on the ground, spluttering. Crimson Coolant was leaking from several wounds on his chest. The Hunter approached, and crouched down over him.[/I]

[B]Reverb:[/B] Who's in charge of this operation?

[B]Reploid:[/B] ...Why...

[B]Reverb:[/B] Why what?

[B]Reploid:[/B] Why... did you... attack us?

[B]Reverb:[/B] As a Hunter, I don't need to justify myself to a [i]Maverick[/i].

[B]Reploid:[/B] Me? M-Maver.. ick?

[I]And with that, the figure stopped breathing, and their eyes closed. Reverb's eyes widened. He ripped the Reploid's shirt open, and was horrified at what he saw. This was no Reploid. This was a human. This was blood, not coolant. Reverb picked up an ID tag from the shirt of the dead body. It was an ID tag for the Power facility. His name was John Unwin. He was 28 years old. Reverb stood up, disoriented and shakey. He was confused, and most of all, he was scared. Had they just slaughtered hundreds of innocent factory workers?

A Hunter ran out from a corridoor, and motioned for the Hunters to move in. They'd found the 'Mavericks' stronghold. Regular Hunters and Green Hunters alike stormed down the corridoor. Demos walked over to Reverb, who was still standing over the dead body of John Unwin.[/I]

[B]Demos:[/B] It seems we've got Reinforcements... Those Green Hunters are from Division Eleven. I've never heard of it. But they say they've been ordered by Duke to help us out. Not that we need it though, Heh heh.

[B]Reverb:[/B] ....

[B]Demos:[/B] What's wrong?

[B]Reverb:[/B] Demos, Sir... These aren't Mavericks.

[B]Demos:[/B] What are you talking about?

[I]Reverb motioned to the body in front of him. Demos crouched down, and checked it. Sure enough, it was a human. Demos stood back up, covering his mouth and chin with his hand. He cussed, and went over to check the Cyborg that Iota had shot. Demos scanned him, and he checked out. He was no impostor. He was a real ALED officer. Demos shook his head despairingly.[/I]

[B]Demos:[/B] Christ... It doesn't make any sense..

[B]Reverb:[/B] Why? Why would Duke order us to attack a Civilian facility?

[I]Iota walked up to them, still holding her rifle.[/I]

[B]Iota:[/B] What's going on?

[B]Demos:[/B] These aren't Mavericks. And these Cyborgs are ALED.

[I]Iota was stunned, and dropped the rifle. She had killed at least seven from her nest. At once, she began to run for the corridoor where the other Hunters had left to destroy the rest of the Facility Staff. Before she could, Demos grabbed her upper-arm.[/I]

[B]Iota:[/B] Let me go! If we don't tell the others, the rest of the workers will be slaughtered! They don't know any better!

[B]Demos:[/B] I have feeling that Duke's squadron knows [i]exactly[/i] what they're doing. If we alert the Hunters to this, we'll be killed.

[B]Reverb:[/B] So Duke wanted us to kill everyone here. And if we found out what's going on, his Green Hunters would destroy us.

[B]Demos:[/B] Exactly. That's why so many of them were dispatched.

[I]Demos sat down, swearing again. Even with his experience and leadership skills, he had no idea what to do next. They couldn't alert the Hunters to the situation without being killed. Duke was back at Maverick Hunter HQ, so escaping back there was a no go. Reverb leaned against a wall, glancing at the hole in the roof. Iota looked down, and held the Communications device on her ear. She was getting something, and judging by her level of concentration, it was a scrambled signal. She looked around, trying to locate the source of the Signal. It was somewhere in the same room as them.[/I]

[B]Iota:[/B] ...We're not alone..

[I]Demos readied his buster, and Reverb did the same. They stood back to back, and surveyed the area. They saw nothing out of the ordinary for now. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, it appeared. Dressed in all white, face covered in a mask, stood the same figure who had met Reverb in the Communications tower, Phi. He stood on a ledge four or five metres above the group. He spoke, with a distorted voice, that sounded neither natural nor synthetic, robotic nor human.[/I]

[B]Phi:[/B] We meet again, Reverb. Demos, Iota, we haven't met before, but I know you.

[B]Demos:[/B] Who the hell are you?

[B]Phi:[/B] The answers to your questions lay not in the skies above, but in the depths of the earth before you. That which is closest to you is not what it seems.

[B]Demos:[/B] Answer me! Who are you?

[B]Phi:[/B] I am Phi.

[I]The figure dressed in white turned from the group, and disappeared into the darkness. Alone again, Demos, Reverb and Iota stood in silence momentarily. Demos turned to Reverb.[/I]

[B]Demos:[/B] You've met 'Phi' before?

[B]Reverb:[/B] Yes... It was during our last mission, in the Comm tower. He gave me this..

[I]Reverb reached over his shoulder, and pulled out the High-Compression rifle. Demos nodded. He remembered that weapon alright. Reverb had used it against the Replimasters that had been encountered during the mission.[/I]

[B]Demos:[/B] [i]The answers to your questions lay not in the skies above, but in the depths of the earth before you...[/i] That makes no sense.

[I]Iota pondered. 'In the depths of the earth before you... That which is closest to you is not what it seems.'. She remembered what she had seen in the lowest levels of Maverick Hunter HQ. The canyon, the shadow, the ocean of dead bodies... Could that be what Phi was talking about?

They heard shots in the distance. Obviously Duke's Hunter faction had encountered the remaining Facility staff, and ALED officers.[/I]

[B]Demos:[/B] For now... We'll head back to HQ--The long way. Via the City. We can't take any of the APCs. For the meantime... Hell, I suppose we should enjoy ourselves. This stroll through Downtown could be our last.

[I]Reverb and Iota gulped, and nodded. Demos was right. Who knew what was in store for them back at MHHQ, now that they knew of Duke's agenda. Racked with Anxiety, the Hunters left the Facility, retreating in secret out into the open streets of Novus Concordia.[/I]