Mai-X-Project Act II: Redemption of the Gods Part 1 [RP in session]

What the hell are you doing?
Why did you agree?
Where will this lead?

The incessant voice in her head echoed the same questions over and over again. How had she managed to end up in the palm of this woman’s hand again? So much time and effort spent running, hiding, dissolving from the world yet here she was, right back at the start.

“Get through this, and then kill her.”

She repeated the words a second time before leaping from a stealthy perch, landing twenty or so feet below with the silence of a feline. Ducking low, the white haired warrior navigated the twisting confines of the dilapidated cityscape. As calculated it took only three minutes to reach the backside of the target building.

With ease she scaled the concrete, bits of plaster collecting underneath her short fingernails as she climbed the wall. Once over the rooftop ledge she dropped to a knee and pulled a backpack from her shoulder. From inside she pulled two signature Berettas and clamped them underneath her waist length, hunter green army jacket.

“Here we go.”

She murmured.

--

Uncomfortably Canaan moved on her belly much like a serpent through the ceiling ducts of the building. She grimaced as her pant leg caught on a rusted screw. An annoyed groan passed her lips and she continued forward until she met a junction. With one firm push a grate popped open and she leapt silently to the floor below.

Her usually serene and somewhat dead eyes glimmered brilliant crimson. With the aid of Synesthesia Canaan scanned the immediate vicinity, noting quickly there was no one nearby to obstruct her goal… Which are far as she knew was simply to collect Intel and “spy” on this particular group of individuals.

Quickly, but quietly, she scampered off.

--

Canaan stood, looking down two different hallways. This place was a lot bigger than she had thought upon first inspection. Her brow suddenly twitched. From one of the hallways a door creaked open and then closed. The sound of footsteps followed.

“Damn.” She whispered while sinking off into a darkened corridor across from where the door had opened.

The footsteps grew steadily closer and Canaan pressed her lithe body impossibly flat against the cool wood of a door. Silent as a mouse she reached behind and fumbled for the knob. It twisted with a sharp click only she could hear and she slipped inside the foreign room. Relieved she laid her forehead against the door.

“Too close.” She grumbled.

“Losing your touch?”

Canaan’s eyes narrowed at the sound of Alphard and she spun around, leaning with her back against the door. She pressed a finger to her right ear to initiate coms.

“Shut up.” She eyed the room, finding nothing of real use. “I haven’t seen anyone. The place seems relatively quiet.”

Canaan turned back to the door and popped it open a sliver, peering out into the hallway.

“Well you aren’t supposed to run into anyone, Canaan. That’s the point.”

Alphard’s sarcasm didn’t help to ease any of Canaan’s woes about this whole situation. Her jaw clenched and she pressed the com button again, whispering harshly.

“Just tell me where to go, damn it!”

Alphard grinned with glee, though the white haired warrior couldn’t see that.

“They are scattered. If you continue down the hallway to your right you’ll come to a staircase leading to the first bathing area. Two of them went that way a while ago. See what they’re discussing, if anything.”

Canaan rolled her eyes and exited the room.

--

From the darkness two crimson orbs peered out, surveying the immediate area which was seemingly empty. It was quiet here, too quiet for her liking and that fact alone made her even more uneasy. Though it was a bit too late to back out of it now…

Waiting a tick, Canaan darted across the small open area and took refuge behind a pillar. She could hear people talking but couldn’t decipher which direction just yet.

“What are they saying?” Alphard questioned over the com.

Canaan narrowed her eyes.

“They’re saying you’re a bitch.” She replied with a toothy, satisfied grin. “Nothing important, just chatter.”

Falling silent Canaan slipped around to the opposite side of the pillar and went onward down another area of the building.

Rezetta Whiteshroud couldn't tell you how blessed she was to finally cleanse her body of the nauseating grime and dirt that plagued her body since arriving in this new world.

She slipped one gold coin into the other slot and watched with amazement as the tub began to bubble for a good minute before rendering back to its flat surface. Steam was visible through the water and the blue haired girl didn't waste any time entering into it.

Before that though, she tied her two braids together and formed them into a bun.

Rezetta sat down next to Elsa, sighing with content. This was the perfect time to relax for the reminder of the day. She wasn't sure what her group's next move was but she was sure the planning time could wait.

During her bath, Rez noticed that the bathhouse inside looked quite fancy for its time. Blue tiles and gold accents blending in with porcelain material gracing the floor, walls, and celling. It had been a while since the tall woman seen such a clean and highly detailed interior.

If only her other lady friends could see such a place. They probably would've had the time of their lives inside, despite everything.

Johanna exited her bath chamber and room, walking down the hallway. She saw that the others were having the time of their lives. Smirking to themselves she made her way to the front of the building, the woman in charge seemed different to her. Something about her didn't seem right and Johanna was going to get to the bottom of it.

She heard talking in the lobby, it was a familiar voice but she couldn't make out what or who it was. She listened close, putting her ear close enough to get every word of it. "Hey, what are you doing out here for"

"Jesus fuck" Johanna turned her head around to see Rocket's face. "What the hell? You trying to get me in trouble....." Johanna began to say before hearing the voice again.

"Hello? Is someone there?" The old lady voice entered their ears, becoming suspicious. The lady shifted her eyes around before walking over to the wall. Johanna stepped to the side, revealing herself and placing her hand on the hilt of her axe.

"Who are you?" Johanna grumbled taking her axe out and pointing it at the old lady. Rocket soon followed her, standing next to her and making it seem like it was Johanna's clone.

"Me? I'm nothing more than an old lady. Serving as the bathhouse attendant." The old woman said, lifting her hand up in the air making herself seem like an innocent victim. "Yeah right, my ass. Alphard....stop playing this game. We know it's you, come out now"

Johanna was becoming irritated, knowing full well who it was. "Haha, you figured it out. Aren't we clever. It took you long enough, you and all of the heroes really couldn't detect me. This is going to bring me sweet pleasure in destroying all of you. " Alphard ripped the mask off, throwing it to the side allowing her face to be revealed.

Johanna threw her axe, missing Alphard's face by and inch and slamming into the wall behind her. "ALERT! EVERYONE GET UP NOW! ALPHARD IS HERE"

Before Rocket could escape to exist the room and tell the group that Alphard was there, she was shot in the back. She fell to the ground, doubling over in pain. Johanna looked down, seeing the blonde clone groan and squirm around on the floor. She knelt down, seeing blood all over the place. "Hey, hang on. We'll get you help."

"I knew she couldn't be trusted, I had a feeling all along." Alphard walked over and sat on top of the counter, cleaning her gun off as she stared at Rocket in Johanna's arms.

Back at the weapons training facility, three hours have passed. The handsome soldier of France didn't waste a single moment in her tutorial practice, though by this time, she had but one finishing touch.

Oscar is then seen mounting up several rifles, including small arms fire and oddly shaped grenades. Her battle with the Dark HiME not only made her resistant to fall damage, but she noticed she was able to carry at least 953 lbs of weaponry. Oscar could normally lift 250 lbs at best. Going back to the explosives, she recalled witnessing these metallic shaped in previous battles.

"This type of grenade has a non-metallic body loaded with a high explosive filler. It employs a delay detonating fuze. Some metal fragments from the fuze may be projected," commented the machine bot.

Oscar shook her head. "We've been here for a few hours now. The Queen and my comrades must be worried sick; I believe we can skip the lessons on these for today."

"Do reconsider," replied the machine bot, "hand explosives proficiency guarantees an increase in defensive tactics."

Oscar's rotated the cylinder-shaped grenade with her pristine fingers in contemplation, "I'm aware of that...I just need to study their functions with great haste."

Before the android could light up it's LED lips, the Frenchwoman placed her left hand on it's shoulder.

"You've taught me so much, my friend. If you understand human emotion, and I pray that you do, please accept my gratitude."

The android stood for a few moments. Was it able to comprehend Oscar's kind gesture? No android built by the hands of Alphard, nor Rocket suggested otherwise. Their mission is clear: eliminate the enemy. Without conscience, or questioning morality. Who was Oscar kidding? She could be having an intellectual conversation about Mozart with a marble statue, and the result would very much be the same.

"...We androids built by Cy-Shade understand the concepts of appreciation and kindness between humans."

Oscar's face lit up with great joy.

"...according to data files lost in the great war, we were meant to have our "dreams" come true. Given human emotion. A "soul". I regret to inform you, however, that once Alphard rewired our circuits and corrupted our programming, it is a gesture I am unable to return."

Disappointed, Oscar hung her head low. She couldn't fathom the thought of anyone who would play God, just to take away the most vital essence of what it takes to be human. Leaving these created beings as nothing but empty shells with implanted objectives.

"I'm sorry."

"This one stuns enemies with an electrical discharge."

"What?"

"I repeat. This one stuns enemies with an electrical discharge. The one to it's right releases a mist of a special prototype acid that is three times more powerful than Flouroantimonic. This last one releases a sound wave onto a group of enemies. The  sound wave will vibrate the target's body violently until they explode. Works on humans and other androids, but I recommend Alphard's heavier artillery. Just one of these can shatter Rocket's giant bot you encountered earlier."

"...Oh, right," Oscar said, her eyes hard and calculating. "Will it kill Alphard?"

"If she allows it to set off near her. Yes."

"You're a real confidence builder, Monsieur."

Current BGM: Ziggurat Combat Soundtrack - Tomb Raider (2013)


Suddenly, an alarm sets off! The entire facility goes dark, leaving only distracting flashing red lights to paint it's hallowed halls.

"What is going on?!"

"Breach in the mansion."

"Are you certain? Rocket said-ROCKET! She betrayed us, THIS WAS ALL A TRAP!"

"Negative. Alphard and Canaan have broken through the barrier somehow. You must leave."

"Who's Canaan?"

EXPLOSION!

"Go, ID# 61,338: Oscar François de Jarjayes."

"RIGHT!"

Oscar kicks the door open, rushing down the echoed hallway towards the bathhouse. In an instant, she is knocked back against a wall. Several android soldiers are seen entering the area, sporting rocket launchers. As they made their way into the hallway, one immediately spots Oscar.

"We got one of them! Tear them apart, and don't leave any survivors!"

Oscar draws her custom magnum and fires at the skull of the android. It quickly goes down, due to the powerful explosive bullets provided earlier. Three more go down, before the fourth manages to deflect Oscar's shots with a metallic shield. Oscar reaches to her side to grab a "Claymore". The android soldier with his wall of a shield progresses slowly as Oscar continues to shoot, providing a bit of distraction. She then drops the Claymore on the ground and kicks it over to the android.

"Within a few feet..." she whispered to herself. Once the well armored android reached firing range, he drew his plasma rifle. He then hears a beeping sound come from below, which causes a massive explosion destroying 12 others with him. Oscar picks herself up and take an alternate path through the flaming hole made by the android soldiers, shooting down a few more androids with great precision.

Oscar was one room away from reaching the bathroom. "It was here...on the other side of this dining room!"

She searched desperately for a way in, including any trapped doors that might be present. "Surprisingly, nothing at the fireplace. You've got to stop reading so many books, Oscar..."

INCOMING! One of the android soldiers crashes down the glass ceiling of this once extravagant dining room. He lunges at Oscar with an electrical baton, missing with each powerful swing. Oscar's graceful movement couldn't last much longer; she had to outsmart this aggressive enemy and fast. Running towards the north side of the wall, she somersaulted over the android; grabbed him by the throat and proceeding to slam him on the table. Sliding down it's entire length before pressing all of her body weight against him. Once pinned down, Oscar reaches behind her for the "shotgun". The android throws a nasty right hook which makes Oscar's mouth bleed. With the Frenchwoman off him, the android adjusted it's body and lunged at his prey-only to be met with a nasty end. Oscar had shook off her injury and nailed the attacker with a direct blast to the chest. Rocket had pointed out that their power cells were located in the chest area.

"So, they have a beating heart, too" chuckled Oscar before noticing the fireplace again. "Let's see if you were right, Monsieur. Only 20 of these at my disposal, but it must be done. Her Majesty and the others must still be alive!"

Pressing the glowing blue button on this triangle shaped grenade; causing it to go red. "ANYONE WHO CAN HEAR ME ON THE OTHER SIDE! I NEED YOU TO GET DOWN RIGHT NOW!"

Oscar tosses the grenade, and immediately exits back out into the hallway. The grenade sets off an enormous sound wave that almost slices through the wall and into the bathhouse. The sound it made resembled the roar of God and his Angels. No, a bellowing of Hell's entire army! Oscar shakes off the vibration still felt in the room and makes a giant leap into the bathhouse. Bloodied; motionless bodies greeted her.

"YOU MAJESTY!!! REZETTA! JOHANNA! ROCKET! WHERE THE DEVIL ARE YOU?!"

In that moment, Oscar felt cold. She was not alone in this room. Reaching for her combat knife, she quickly turned around and gets the drop on a unidentified female with blond hair and hazel eyes. Oscar uses all of her newfound weight to pin this mystery woman down. Her sparkling long hair showering the evil woman's beautiful face.

“Gah!” Canaan grimaced, suddenly ambushed and slammed violently to the marbled flooring.

As her eyes open they fix upward and lock onto an unfamiliar pair. They didn’t seem happy. For a split second Canaan thought about instigating a full on fight, but Alphard would probably disapprove at this particular moment.

So how to play this?

She cleared her throat, the delicate skin bobbing against the sharp edge of this unidentified woman’s blade.

“I’d love to help you find your friends, but you have me at a disadvantage.” Veering completely away from the fact she was a stranger, and inside of this establishment uninvited, Canaan went with an aloof approach.

The snicker from the other woman caused Canaan to chuckle.

“You laugh when someone holds a knife at your throat? Stupid-“ Oscar paused momentarily. “Or brave. I’m not sure which, yet.” She pressed the blade a bit firmer against the stranger’s flesh.

“Look - I don’t know anything about your friends, or anyone called Her Royal Majesty.”

“Then why are you here, sneaking around?”

Canaan’s mouth opened and then closed a second later.

Oscar’s wrist twitched and Canaan’s jaw clenched.

“All right, all right, look… I didn’t say anything before because honestly, it sounds insane to me, so I figured it would sound the same to anyone else.”

“Go on.”

“I have no idea where I am. A few days ago I woke up in this land, no idea how I got here, or why. It’s been a couple of days. I was wandering the outer lands when I finally found this. Being that I have no connection to this land, I don’t know what type of people frequent this place. I didn’t want to be walking into some sort of trap…” Canaan peered up into the woman’s eyes. Half of the story was true.

After an hour of bathing in the blissful steamy waters, Rezetta dried off with a large towel. She wondered if there were any clothing stores nearby.

She didn't want to wear her torn up, bloodied, messy jumpsuit again. Luckily, she didn't have to go far. There was another room with new clothes for anybody who needed them. It was next to the bathhouse, conveniently.

The room had a nice, welcoming atmosphere to it, just like the bathouse. The lighting was well lit. There was a small table with a china teacup set and a couple of old paintings scattered throughout.

Rezetta approached the closet like dresser and seen a various collection of attire. They ranged from plain, cute, and beautiful all in order. As she looked through the clothing, Rezetta wondered about this place even more. It seemed so perfect and too good to be true. She couldn't afford to let her guard down completely, least she becomes easy bait for Alphard and her goons. Then, again, it wouldn't be too healthy to suspect everything and everyone of foul play.

After a moment of browsing around the closet, Rezetta found something worth trying on.

The attire consisted of black leather pants, a white short tank top that exposes the stomach, a small black jacket, and black combat boots. Inside the dresser contained a black lace bra with matching lace panties.

Good, Rezetta thought to herself. She didn't have to worry about her chest bouncing everywhere.

Granted, the new outfit wasn't anything eye popping or amazing. But, it would have to do nonetheless. Dropping the towel, Rezetta slipped into her new gear with ease.

Just then, an alarm went off, startling the tall blue haired woman. But that wasn't the only thing that alerted her...

"ANYONE WHO CAN HEAR ME ON THE OTHER SIDE! I NEED YOU TO GET DOWN RIGHT NOW!"

Rezetta's heart was racing with panic. What in the hell is going on?! Didn't they just escape one disaster already?! They barely even survived that chaotic onslaught.

"Damn this world..."

The tall blue haired woman wasted no time in taking a beeline out of the room she was in and into the hallways. She picked a random route and began to sprint to where her comrades might be until she spotted shadows coming from the left side.

Thinking quickly, Rezetta went back the other way to the bathhouse. However, before she could make her way inside, android soldiers came bursting out of the windows.

"Hey, we found someone!"

"Don't let her get away!"

Rezetta backed away and used her sniper rifle to shoot one of them in the face. The droid instantly collapsed on the floor, but that didn't deter the others from pursuing the blue haired woman.

She fired four more shots at the persistent enemies, taking down a couple more before fleeing.

Rezetta bursts into the bathhouse to find her other friends.

"Elsa, Oscar, Jo!" Rezetta shouted, almost desperately. "Where are you all?! We've got trouble coming our way!"

"This land?" questioned Oscar. "You could be like the rest of us..."

Taken from home against our will.

"Long story. I think you're smarter than that, Mademoiselle. This could be you speaking on Alphard's behalf."

Oscar pulled her combat knife; not once letting go of the vicious gaze locked onto Canaan. "Then again, maybe not. There's no time to figure you out. Just know that I have powerful friends nearby, and I will not hesitate to have you shot."

Reaching down, Oscar pulls Canaan up to her feet. She then reaches to her side vest pocket for the .45 Plutonium. Known on this planet as the  "Death-beam handgun."

The Frenchwoman then points the Plutonium towards Canaan, keeping at a good decent to avoid a cheat disarmament.

"Move. You're going to show us where the safest route to the "Siam Facility". According to the lost souls Rocket has working here; it's 80 kilometers north of here."

BOOM!


An eruption of gunfire and loud crashes catches Oscar's attention, though followed by an unexpected blast wave caused by a wandering seismic charge. This causes both Oscar and Canaan to get knocked back into the rubble of this once lavish sanctuary.

"Rezetta!" cried out Oscar, before tugging Canaan to position ahead of her. "Get moving!" demanded the rushed handsome soldier.

There was an opening that connected to the next hallway. It was caused by the seismic charge blast that caught the women off guard. Canaan beautifully dove through the opening, with Oscar following slowly behind. Before the Frenchwoman could even get to her feet,  Canaan had already eliminated two unsuspecting android soldiers with a quick gun draw and a vicious neck-breaker. Oscar witnessed the actions of this masterly woman, her arms cinching up on this mechanical man with great ease...her suspicion only grew.

"Now I know you're not just anyone" quipped Oscar before spotting Rezetta on the opposite side of the main hall. There she was, lifting one of the androids over her head; splitting it's body in two.

"That one of your friends?" questioned Canaan.

Oscar gave a slow nod. "This is her in a weakened state. That's what scares me on occasion."

Oscar signals for Canaan to move ahead of her, with the muscular mercenary respectfully doing so.

"Mademoiselle Rezetta! I'm right here! It's good to see you're safe, but I'm afraid Johanna, Queen Elsa and Rocket are still missing. We must regroup at once! No time to explain, but we must head north of this mansion. Alphard is there."

Oscar then clamps Cannan's strong shoulders, keeping her in place for Rezetta to get a good long look at.

"And this woman...is going to help us. Watch her closely, my friend. We've been surprised enough on this trip."

Rezetta cracked her neck, "She can start with a name."

Without hesitation, the mercenary smirked and gave them the information they hungered. Alphard ran her course long enough. The seeds have been planted.

"Canaan," she spoke.

FLASHBACK

"Today, these androids are faster, stronger and more precise in combat. Canaan's crowing achievement. Rocket dabbled in Canaan's research and made sure Alphard had access to all it's secrets. This facility and all that's left of the resistance group is at great risk as long as Alphard is alive."

---

"We can access Alphard's "Siam" facility from the North sector of the Advanced Research Complex, about 80 kilometers away. It's the only way we'll nail that bitch hard. Don't expect me to go soft. Canaan on the other hand...has her own plan in mind. Rocket out."

FLASHBACK END

Rezetta looked behind her and seen Oscar's figure at a distance. However, she was not alone. There was another woman at her side,  though the Frenchwoman had her restrained in a way.

The gunner sighed with relief and ran to her friend with a steady pace. She was still weak and couldn't draw out too much attention to herself.

"Thank goodness I found you, Oscar. I thought the worst had happened to you."

She glanced at the other woman with a strange and worried expression. She was clearly not of their own. Another annoyance in this world; not knowing who should be trusted.

"I take it she's a part of Alphard's flock..."

Oscar quickly explained the situation and advised Rezetta to watch over the woman named Canaan.

The tall woman couldn't help but sigh with aggravation. Just when everyone was finally getting adjusting to their surroundings, more trouble brews. Without a doubt, this was  the norm of the world they have set foot in.

"Alright, Canaan. I don't know what you are capable of. But, just know, I'll be watching you. Closely."

After her warning, another explosion hit. It came from the opposite side of the main hall as more androids burst out of the thick smoke with heavy armor and bigger guns.

"Let's get out of here!" Rezetta shouted, "Even I am no match for these guys!"

Bluholic711 wrote:
"Let's get out of here!" Rezetta shouted, "Even I am no match for these guys!"

"Wait."



Down went the sneaky android soldier, landing by Rezetta's feet. His open hand exposed a toxic combat knife.

Oscar sighed a bit of relief. "You're right. Where there's one..."

It was too late. Four squadrons crashed through all four possible exits in the main hallway.

The soldier, the mercenary and the demigod were surrounded with little options left. Heavy duty pulse rifles pointed at them, with enough piercing rounds to turn flesh into nothingness. Not that they cared...much. Oscar and Rezetta had promised Mai that they'd go all the way. Even in death. Oscar reached for the magical rapier just before hearing extra clicking noises.

"YOU!" shouted one of the android soldiers on the left flank, "DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT USING ANY OF YOUR ALIEN WEAPONS. AND AS FOR YOU, LIEUTENANT CANAAN, YOU ARE RELIEVED OF YOUR DUTIES! BY THE ORDER OF THE SIAM HIGH COMMAND! MADAM ALSHUA'S WORDS. NOW, DROP THE SHIT! NOW!!!! YOU STUPID BITCHES HAVE BEEN GETTING ON OUR LAST NERVE! Heh...and now, it's time to pull the fucking plug."

As Oscar and Rezetta prepared to make their first move, Canaan sets herself free from Oscar's vice-like grip. Canaan struts confidently towards the center of the main hall; smirking as she goes along.

“Yeah, I made them…” Canaan echoed, a smirk curving her lips.

“And I intend to destroy them, too.”

The others watched on as the white haired warrior strode undeterred into the fray, the repeated commands of the androids falling on unconcerned ears.

“Last chance, STOP where you are or –“

Like lightening, Canaan darted across the main hall. As she did, the androids opened fire. Pulse charges exploded from all angles, eviscerating the surrounding area. Drywall and chunks of concrete rained down like fiery brimstone, causing the others to seek cover behind and underneath whatever they could find.

Canaan dodged each charge, ducking and gliding through blasts of energy that seemed to almost slow down as they neared her. It was like watching a dancer - each attack precise, fluid and done with ease.

“Disable her, NOW!”

The main android continued to lob shots as the other mechanical beings advanced on Canaan, forgoing their pulse rifles and opting for hand to hand combat.

It was a fruitless effort really. One was quickly disarmed and used as a shield as Canaan closed the gap on the main android. She shoved the now lifeless robot into two others, distracting them long enough to pull her concealed Beretta. Four bullets burst from the barrel, two into the skull of each advancing android. They toppled on top of one another in a heap, and Canaan used them to catapult into the air. Skillfully, she rolled upon impact and sprang up behind the main android. That cocky little smirk was still on her lips.

“If Alphard is watching through you, I got a message…”

The Android jerked around to face her, and that was when Canaan noticed the blinking red light inside its left eye.

“Shit…”

She grimaced and leapt out of the way just as the mechanical being burst into a ball of fire! Pieces of wiring, computer bits, and limbs became like projectiles, ripping through the immediate vicinity. In the smoldering aftermath of the self-detonation, Canaan was motionless underneath a pile of debris.

Before the others could make a move the remaining android soldiers advanced on their position. With pulse rifles at the ready, they prepared to massacre them all. Just as they took aim, fingers on the trigger, there was a loud echo from across the room.

“No!”

Canaan stood, bleeding profusely from a gash in her forehead and clutching one side. Those once calm hazel eyes glowed haunting crimson as she outstretched her right arm toward the Android horde.

Focusing her Synesthesia, she traced the computer programming running the bastards and honed in on the chip responsible for keeping them functional. With the clench of her fist, each chip was overrun with a surge of electricity. One by one the androids short-circuited and crashed noisily to the concrete.

“Woah…”

The white haired warrior murmured as the room began to spin. Staggering, Canaan tried to catch herself, but ended up collapsing, unconscious.

Johanna screamed, clasping her newly dyed red hair and looked up at Alphard. Clasping her clone in her arms, she helped Rocket out of the room, glaring at Alphard the whole time. She finally got her to a safe spot and leaned her against the wall. “One second.”

The district 7 native charged back in, seeing Alphard pick at her nails calmly. Taking a pipe that was on the floor next to her, she picked it up, running forward and pinning her against the wall, hoping to get some answers this way. She held the pipe against her throat, the eyes that stared back at her not showing any fear.

Alphard chuckled, feeling the strength of the woman her bound her “You think…you can get answers out of me THAT easily? Think again. Oh….look. You have another friend with you.” Alphard eyed the small frame. The lightly colored hair and skin almost matched the color of the walls in the lobby.

Johanna turned around, seeing Elsa standing there. “ELSA, USE YOUR ICE OR GO GET SOMEONE!” she yelled but this only gave Alphard an ability, she shoved Johanna off of her, making her hit the ground hard before taking out her gun. She pinned Johanna to the ground, holding the face of the gun against her forehead.

The initial explosion sent Elsa slipping underwater, only to come up again quickly as the massive pool suddenly drained. Whatever had been powering the artificial lighting had apparently been knocked out, as the room was now bathed in darkness with only flashing red lights that couldn’t possibly mean anything good.

She quickly re-formed her ice dress and sent a thin layer of ice racing outward to help light up the area. The beautiful bath she had been relaxing in now had a massive crack cutting it in half—undoubtedly what had caused it to drain so quickly—and more cracks scaled the wall and cut across the ceiling.

She knew she needed to regroup with her allies, but had no way of knowing where they were….or what enemies might be in her way.

She stretched her magic out—focusing on the aspect of Cold—and sent a chill racing through the air. A chill she could use to “see” an area, even from a great distance.

She located all of her allies—noting another woman standing with Oscar and Rezetta—and set to mapping out the fastest and safest route to them. She immediately set out towards where Johanna and Rocket were—as they were the closest—and arrived in time to see Johanna deposit a clearly injured Rocket against a wall and charge back into a room containing a woman who could only be Alphard.

Johanna wrote:Johanna turned around, seeing Elsa standing there. “ELSA, USE YOUR ICE OR GO GET SOMEONE!” she yelled but this only gave Alphard an ability, she shoved Johanna off of her, making her hit the ground hard before taking out her gun. She pinned Johanna to the ground, holding the face of the gun against her forehead.  

The young Queen cringed at the yelling, knowing full well she’d just lost any advantage regarding her abilities that she might have had. Though, really, she’d be surprised if Alphard hadn’t done her research by now.

Even so, she swiftly sent out her magic and kicked up a strong, snowy wind. She focused the flurry at Alphard—keeping her magic out of it, in case Alphard tried to use Johanna as a shield—in the hopes of knocking the woman down….or at least away from Johanna.

Rezetta was more than happy to guard the rear in the group. Her scythe was useless and the blue haired woman didn't have her mighty strength to wield it. Thankfully, she could use her sniper gun mode to shake off any robotic enemies close by.

When one of the pesky bots managed to jump from into a window to stab Oscar, Rezetta acted fast. She loaded her gun, aim with accuracy, and shot a bullet through the head of the cyborg.

"Sneak attacks are such a pain," Rezetta quipped with annoyance.

Smirking to herself, Alphard watched as the magic made it's way to her. Shifting her eyes to the side, she focused them on Johanna who was piercing her vision into her. Taking her hands, Alphard spun Johanna around, facing her towards the magic and making her take the brunt of the force.

The gunslinger, ducked out of the way and rolled to the ground, bracing herself on her left knee. Frost began to form on her metal arm and right leg, making the shooter grimace and hiss from the pain.

The wing and ice blew around the whole area, causing chairs, tables and all sorts of debris to stir around the room. Johanna's bare shoulders became bit with frostbite, hair frozen as she stepped away from the blast.

Holding herself up, she looked at Elsa, smirking at her and giving her a thumbs up. "Queenie, nice job but I would prefer to not be an icicle." Johanna's teeth chattered as she looked over at the Alphard.

Alphard stood up, holding the frozen arm and breaking the ice from her foot. "FUCK YOU" She yelled, biting her lip. She took out her gun, breaking free from the rest of the ice and then aimed the gun at all of them.

"MEET ME AT MY COMPOUND! WE WILL SETTLE THIS THERE!!" Alphard yelled, her voice echoed through the room.

Johanna looked at the firearm and then back at Elsa. Before the district 7 native could react, Alphard took the opportunity to distract everyone with firing bullets into the tile walls. The ceramic tile shattered, breaking open pipes and showering the group before making her escape.

Rezetta wrote:Rezetta was more than happy to guard the rear in the group. Her scythe was useless and the blue haired woman didn't have her mighty strength to wield it. Thankfully, she could use her sniper gun mode to shake off any robotic enemies close by.

When one of the pesky bots managed to jump from into a window to stab Oscar, Rezetta acted fast. She loaded her gun, aim with accuracy, and shot a bullet through the head of the cyborg.

"Sneak attacks are such a pain," Rezetta quipped with annoyance.

Canaan wrote:
The white haired warrior murmured as the room began to spin. Staggering, Canaan tried to catch herself, but ended up collapsing, unconscious.

"Aren't they?" chimed in Oscar before reaching down to hoist Canaan to her feet. "Forgive me, Mademoiselle, but you are rash, insane and crude in your combat action. I'm thankful you're on our side."

The Frenchwoman gave Canaan some light slap taps on the left cheek, causing her to wake up slowly. "Can you walk? We must move."

As Rezetta reloaded, Oscar peered into a gap (of about 16 inches in width) where a flash of light emitted. Once the brightness had died down, Oscar spotted Alphard turning her back to someone...The Queen! Johanna! Rocket!

As Alphard finished firing rounds (which Oscar hoped had missed her allies), Oscar saw her reaching for some strange device. It appearance similar to the remote explosive she had taken with her from the training room. With furious haste, Oscar dragged Canaan towards the hole and yelled, "YOUR MAJESTY! RUNNNN!!!!!"

It was too late, as Alphard gently squeezed the trigger, setting off a chain reaction that encircled the entire area. Rezetta with her great speed (that was available to her) rushed Oscar and Canaan far from the collapsing hole. Rocket and Johanna were nimble enough to jump to the edge of the crevice; barely. The Queen, however, fell into the unknown.

"YOUR MAJESTY!!!!!" cried out Oscar before Rocket got a hold of her.


"There's no time, Oscar," insisted the mercenary woman. "If your friend is alive, we can recover her. Down below is an underground prison where enemies of the old war were kept. For now, we have to get that bitch while her trail is still hot."

Rocket looks over to see Canaan being supported by Rezetta (using one arm...). "And you. We'll need your help to get us deep into the Siam. If we get our asses blasted in 80 kilometers or less, I'm holding YOU responsible."

Oscar nods, reaching behind her to grab the weapon called "Hydra".

"Three barrels...people of the future sure have imagination. Let us advance!"

Elsa started at Oscar’s sudden shout, letting her magic drop as she turned slightly to try and see what the yelling was about. Instead, though, she promptly lost her footing as an explosion collapsed the floor beneath her.

She let out a string of curses that would have turned Anna redder than her hair as she fell, but was able to twist mid-air and shoot a bolt of magic to the rapidly-approaching ground. She landed softly on a small mountain of snow.

The queen brushed some snow from her shoulders as she stood, trying her best to peer into the utter blackness surrounding her.


Within the shadows a figure crouched, luminescent green eyes watching the young Queen carefully as she spread a thin layer of ice along the floor and walls to light up the large cell.

Magic. The figure mentally complained. Actual fucking magic. I didn’t sign up for this shit. At least she doesn’t know I’m here…and she doesn’t look experienced at all. Green eyes narrowed in thought. I thought this was supposed to be difficult…

The figure stood, silent as the night, and took a step forward onto the thin ice.

A mistake.

Elsa whirled around, facing the figure still mostly in the shadows, and immediately began building up her magic.

“Nice of you to notice me,” a feminine voice drawled, as the figure fully stepped into the glow of Elsa’s ice.

She was pale—unusually so—with unnaturally vivid green eyes and thick, luxurious inky black hair that fell in waves past her waist. She wore a skin-tight suite—that appeared to be leather—with an alternating black-and-green harlequin pattern, with a little green pouch perched on her left ankle. Her brow was drawn down and her black-painted lips were pulled into a scowl, giving her an unhappy-yet-unyielding demeanor.

“Perhaps if you’d made more noise I’d have known to give you courtesy,” Elsa replied in rejoinder. Icy blue eyes narrowed in focus on the green-themed newcomer, but she hesitated to strike.

If Rocket turned out to be an ally, then perhaps she is as well. Elsa considered as she took the woman in. She is nothing like the enemies we’ve encountered so far…she stands out, where they are all the same.

“Who are you,” Elsa continued, “and what are you doing here?”

“Call me Shego,” the woman answered, humoring the young Queen. “Though it’s not like you’ll get to for long.”

“Come to kill me, then.” Elsa stated, sounding more annoyed than anything.

“You and anyone else I find.” Shego shrugged. “Not my favorite thing in the world, but I love a good fight.”

Shego slipped into a fighting stance as her black lips curled into a wicked smirk.

“So why don’t you make this shit worth my time and at least try to put up a decent fight.” Shego stated as she lit up and launched at Elsa.

Elsa slid to the side, propelling herself with a gust of icy wind. Shego landed on her other side and spun around—hands lit up with roiling green energy—and shot a blast at Elsa in one smooth motion.

The Queen raised a block of ice to shield herself, but her eyes widened when Shego’s attack melted through it.

“Plasma melts ice, Queenie,” Shego taunted. “You’ll have to do better than that.” She lunged at Elsa, but slipped on the rapidly thickening ice beneath her feet before she could swipe at the Queen.

“It’s useless if you can’t stand,” the Queen retorted, sending a blast of frigid air at Shego as she rose—causing her to slip again. “And how much ice can you melt, anyway?”

Elsa spread her arms out, before sweeping them upward and back down. Her magic leapt from her hands, hitting the walls and coating them in a thick layer of ice that rapidly spread across the ceiling.

Shego scowled, righting herself as the Queen turned the crumbling prison cell into an icy cavern…complete with sharp ice stalactites hanging from the ceiling. She launched herself at the Queen again, this time getting much closer to her target. Before she could be evaded, however, she launched a point-blank blast of mostly concussive energy at her.

Elsa went sliding backwards, loosing a stalactite just in front of Shego as she began to pursue. Shego dodged, cursing eloquently as she jumped on top of the massive cone of ice.

She crouched there for a moment, watching Elsa rise gracefully again and fix her with an unyielding look. For all her plasma and martial prowess, she was at a disadvantage surrounded by this much ice; no matter how much of it she melted, the Queen would only create more. And Elsa clearly knew better than to let Shego get close to her, making full use of her ice to keep the battle ranged.

“So tell me,” Shego opened, still crouching on what had once been the stalactite’s base. “Why would Alphy want you dead? You’ve got actual fucking magic. That’s useful.”

“She’s taking orders from a demon-child named Arika,” Elsa explained, sensing her opportunity. “If you’re not from this world, then Arika is likely the reason you’re here.”

“Nope, try again.” Shego said, inspecting the claws on her gloves. “I already know what brought me here: my boss fucked an experiment up. Again.”

“And it brought you to another world?” Elsa questioned, clearly skeptical as one fine blonde brow craned upward.

“Yah.” Shego answered, giving Elsa a look one might give to a particularly slow child. “There’s this thing called technology, maybe you’ve heard of it?”

Elsa rolled her eyes in response, not bothering to acknowledge the barb. She recalled how she had arrived, and how the others had said they’d arrived. They all had one thing in common:

“Was there a swirling black mist?”

Shego blinked. “How did you know that?”

“Everyone who has been displaced has the same story of falling into a portal of swirling black mist.” Elsa replied, smirking slightly as Shego appeared pensive. “Black mist that also formed into tendrils, to grab you and pull you in.”

Green eyes narrowed at Elsa in thought. Doing this shit to kill time while her boss (let’s be honest…while Kimmie) works to retrieve her is one thing, but being someone else’s pawn?

Shego’s lips curled into a snarl at the thought.

“Let’s pretend you’re telling the truth—and I’m not saying you are,” Shego proposed. “Why would this kid-bitch want to do all this?”

Elsa shook her head. “She seems to have some sort of personal vendetta against a woman named Mai Tokiha. I won’t pretend to know the origins of it, but she’s been unhealthily focused on Mai—and on tormenting her—in all of our interactions with her.”

Shego glanced off to the side, realizing that she probably shouldn’t have given the woman before her a chance to start talking. If she really was royalty, like her dossier claimed, then she’d have been trained to negotiate from a very early age.

“Of course,” Elsa said, her voice taking on an almost sly tone. “You’re never going to learn the truth as a willing pawn.”

Case-in-point. Shego thought grumpily.

She stood finally, flexing her legs as she somersaulted off of the stalactite. Elsa watched her with perfect composure, hands clasped in front of her and head lifted proudly.

“Fine.” Shego growled as she got right in Elsa’s face. “I’ll bite. You take me back with you to whoever this Mai chick is, and my skills and abilities are at your disposal.”

Elsa remained perfectly stoic as Shego snarled in her face.

“And if what you said really is true…” Shego scowled even harder and rolled her eyes upwards. “I can’t believe I’m even saying this. But if kid-bitch really is behind all this, then I’ll do whatever I can to help put her down. I am no one’s pawn!”

Elsa nodded magnanimously. “Then the first thing we should do is find the rest of our allies. If I locate them, can you get us there unmolested?”

“Of course,” Shego smirked. “Sneaking around is my specialty.”

“Duly noted.” Elsa intoned dryly, to which Shego just shrugged.

Shego fiddled with a small, pale violet metallic object as she led the young Queen through the catacombs of Alphard's city. Periodically they would run into some of the army of robots, but Shego either convinced them she was bringing in a captive, or touched a faint button on the side of her cat-suit's collar. Every time she did this, the robots would simply collapse.

"Always good to have your own personal off-switch." She had explained at Elsa's raised brow. "It's basically just a tiny silicon phase disrupter...shuts off all unshielded electronics within an area dependent on the power of the disrupter. Small size, small area, but it works for now."

"And Alphard just....forgot to shield her robots?" Elsa inquired disbelievingly.

"Of course not, but she didn't build every single one, either." Shego replied. "The ones down here I helped build...and I just happened to forget their shielding."

Elsa snorted as she watched Shego continue to frown at and fiddle with the thin, but wide pale violet loop that rather resembled a bracelet. She knew nothing of the strange technology surrounding them, and was grateful to have (hopefully) found an ally that could help her around it.

"What is that thing you keep fiddling with?" Elsa finally inquired, curiosity having become too much.

"A piece of utterly unnecessary technology from my world." Shego replied, flipping it over and messing with the inside of the loop. "My old arch-enemy, Kimmie, managed to accidentally get her hands on one of these, and her Nerdlinger eventually turned it into Supersuit that put her on par with me at full power."

"With luck," Shego continued, "I won't need it. But then, I got hit in the face by a comet as a kid, so luck isn't really my thing unless I'm making it myself."

"Wait, you were hit by a COMET?!" Elsa exclaimed, momentarily stopping in her tracks.

"What, you didn't think I was born with these lovely solar powers, did you?" Shego snarked, lighting up a hand and wriggling her fingers at the stately Queen.

"I was born with my magic, I see no reason why you couldn't have been born with yours."

"You were-- huh." The bracelet sparked and glowed briefly, before settling back down.

"Perfect." Shego said as she slipped it on over her gloved right hand. "Now I just need to monitor my biometric pressure."

"....I'm not even going to ask."

Shego only smirked as she led them down yet another shadowy corridor, leaving Elsa well and truly lost.

"Bitch Patrol's place is up ahead." Shego said, slowing down. "If your buddies are gonna come after her, this is where they'll end up. Best to wait until after they've got her attention before we charge in."

Shego leaned up against the wall, crossing her right ankle over her left as she pulled out a nail file and tended to her clawed gloves.

"And so we wait." Elsa sighed under her breath, leaning against the wall opposite Shego. "Wait. Why are you filing your gloves?"

"The claws are made of diamond-reinforced carbon fiber." Shego responded, holding up a clawed hand for examination. "Not the most rigid material in the world, but it's sharp, flexible, and doesn't melt when I light up. In order to keep that sharpness, though, I have to file them regularly with a diamond-plated file."

"I'm working on a new schematic for the gloves, though." Shego added, almost as an afterthought. "Maybe if I combine the base schematics for the bracelet with my own schematics for my cat-suit, I might actually be able to come up with something that won't vaporize if I flare up too hot."

Elsa didn't comment on that, not knowing what to say. Here, in front of her, was a woman who appeared to have powers that were the exact opposite of her own. Suddenly she pushed upright, an idea flirting within her mind.

"How do you control your abilities?" Elsa inquired, energy apparent in her voice.

"...why?" Shego asked, one brow craned high.

"Although we come from different worlds, and acquired them through different means, our powers appear to be very nearly opposite of each other." Elsa explained. "Perhaps there are things I could learn from you, and vice-versa."

"Yeah, no." Shego said bluntly. "I'm not giving anything about my abilities away to some random stranger from another world. I don't care what your rank is."

Elsa shrugged, unperturbed. "Arika won't be defeated in a day; you have time to get over it."

Shego scowled at her.