Retribution

[Thaelasan]

Edison nodded in acquiescence as she spoke.

"Oh yes. I know full well that it could make me into a completely different man. I've double checked and triple checked everything as much as possible. There's always a chance, however, that I will fail. Yet, man must fail in order to learn how to succeed." he shrugged.

"As for a true doll..." he looked to the ceiling a moment. "I suppose my definition of it would be vastly different to yours. Yours is probably that a true doll is a person who is born AS a doll, already made, a preset intelligence and sentience yet to learn anything except basic information and things of that nature. In essence, a new human. My definition of a true doll is a being which transcends humans AND dolls, a mixture of both... a doll very close in nature to this.. Walker."

He said the name with a bit of praise and idolization.

"You met him, I take it? That glorious robotic creation of man? Born a doll, yet with ideas such as anarchy and rebellion, ideas alien to dolls who wish to serve. All dolls imprint on a master. According to Dr. Alan Leonards report, a subject named Walker didn't-"

He suddenly went pale.

"What the hell am I reading." he looked back down at the ground, face changing to one that no one had seen yet. He looked furious.

"WHAT THE HELL AM I READING!?" he yelled to no one in particular. "These schematics. These machine details! These parts and base design ideas! There's no way these could exist! Who the hell wrote these!?"

He grabbed his head, clutching it tightly.

"Someone is trying to trick me." he turned to Rusty grunting angrily. "Rusty, please escort Miss Night out.. Something is coming up. Something unpleasant."

"Er... yes.. of course sir." Rusty complied, taking Renata's hand gingerly and starting to lead her to the door.

"Soul?" Edison whispered under his breath. "What have you created Erik!? What are you doing that I don't know about!?"

[Clown_of_God]

Before Rusty could get her through the door, Rena paused and looked at Edison with a sky grin on her face. So, he must have just gotten the note from her big brother. Erik... no... Phantom evidently knew how to get to this man in a way Rena only wished she could. Maybe it was the lack of knowing who exactly he was. She mentally shrugged.

 

"He's been doing exactly what he has been doing since he first built the prototype dolls, ADAM and EVE. Big Bro has been playing God. Also, those aren't schematics or anything of that matter. If you look more closely, that's an x-ray of a doll that exceeds even my capabilities. Still, I'm jealous. TINA gets to have his child and I'm here arguing with a machine man."

 

Sticking out her tongue, Rena gripped Rusty's hand a bit more tightly and teleported away with him. They stood atop the citadel's roof, overlooking the backyard and at the resting place of the Gaia. At least, that's what Rena could see. She wasn't sure what all Rusty could see due to this fog, but the models built here probably had sensors specifically for this hindrance.

 

"What do you honestly think of me, Rusty? Am I monster? I feel like I can't change who I was, but then there's this part of me that can't go back to those ways. Now, here I am trying to be helpful and all I've done is backslash the man who still accepts me into his home, though, I don't think he has a way to keep me out. What should I do, Rusty?"

[Thaelasan]

Edison's face finally was no longer the plastic visage of a noble.

He showed anger. Emotion. True fury.

"Erik... you goddamned..." he gritted his teeth. "I finally reach this first step and you're already on Apollo's Chariot with the Golden Apple?!"

He placed both of his hands on his face as Renata teleported away, trying desperately to regain his composure. Showing a face like that to anyone - especially this childish doll - was a weakness. He placed his hands on the table behind him and sighed.

He then proceeded to knock everything from the table with his arm, then grabbed a piece of paper and began to draw what he saw in his mind, recreating it down to the barest detail. His hand flashed across the page. Side view. Lateral view. 3-D.

When he was finally finished, two minutes later, a picture of the daughter of Erik lay before him, with added information according to the reports.

One name lay before him on the page - Soul.

They named her after the very essence of life. Then again, perhaps Anima would have been more fitting? He grinned. Then that's what he would name himself when he was done.

"You're not going to do this to me again, Erik Night." Edison chuckled. "Oh, you've managed to surprise me this time but I WILL catch up to you. What have you given to me?"

He mulled over the picture with interest, searching for an answer in the x-rays.

 

-----

 

Rusty was staring off into the distance, seeming not to hear her. When she finished, he waited a few minutes before speaking.

"When I was built, I remember that my Master was the one who first saw me. I do not remember much of him besides his facial hair and his glasses. His eye color is foggy. His hair is blurred. When I try to remember more, I find corrupted data. There is nothing there. I am not willingly starting over. I have been forced to do so."

He turned to her, smiling.

"But you have the option to forget your life of sin instead of doing it unwillingly and so you have. We all wish we could become better than we were. Perhaps it was better I start over? I have no idea what I did before I ended up below Master Vance but I do not regret serving him."

He then turned back to the backyard.

"As for how I feel, I had no intention of lying to you. It was illogical, in the words of a famous Star Trek character I believe, that I do such a thing. Forgive me for being what a layman would term sappy but when I look at you, I do not see a monster. I see a woman similar to Madame Martha and her daughter, a normal looking girl who appears lost. She is walking around each day with no home to go to and no one who accepts her. These feelings merge themselves within her, making her act like a child for attention but inside she is not having fun. She wishes she could be accepted as who she is. The only one who ever did that was her previous master, Damien. Regardless of the morality of his choices, he was the only one who ever took her in. Now, I would be glad to do that as well."

He grinned.

"Do not fret, Miss Night. So long as you continue to walk alongside us, as Master Vance has said, I will never betray you."

[Clown_of_God]

"Exactly what you wanted, King. A being unlike any other, neither human nor doll. Soul is the beginning of a new race, one that trumps everything we're even capable of. Ah! Forgive my intrusion. I'm just watching after my little sister and I see she has taken too kindly to you either."

 

Phantom leaned forward from the shadows, his face covered by a unique mask, no longer doning the gas mask he wore in America. No, this mask seemed to be made of metal with two slits where the eyes would be. Within those slits were dark lenses and the mask itself had been painted black. Overall, the mask looked like one solid piece of material.

 

"What do you plan to do with the x-rays I provided? I don't expect much, considering not even I know what she's made of or what she's truly capable of. All I did was impregnate my wife and she popped out, no construction required. Simply, not even I could build something of her caliber, outside of the method I've already provided you."

[Thaelasan]

(( You never answer my messages. I spent a long time on those characters. Oh well, I understand.

Perhaps Damien's theme as well? At least it's Edison's. ))

Edison turned around, slightly disgusted.

"What a strange way of describing birth, Erik, as something so distant and unemotional. You would think a father would say something more along the lines of 'my wife and I fell in love, and she was the miracle we produced.' However, I shouldn't have expected it, considering your own childhood horrors." Edison frowned, turning back to the paper. "So she's your child, eh? That would mean her hair color is likely close to yours, while her eyes belong to her mother. Quite fascinating, really. Truly, I'm proud of you. But like MINA, you seem to believe that I'm another scientist with dreams of grandeur. Who do you think I really am, Erik? Calling me a King. That nickname is for fools who were BORN into power. I am claiming it for my own. Therefore, I think maybe Dictator or Lord is more precise."

He smiled pleasantly.

"It's strange, seeing you now. I remember how young you looked, how intelligent, how understanding. You knew the bare facts of the world before you even left your mother's breast in search of other sources of food. In fact, I don't doubt that you 'popped out' knowing the basic functions of life."

He turned back to the X-rays, rubbing his chin.

"Then again, your brother shared that same look. In fact, it was a little stronger than how you look at me now. The look of a man who knows exactly what he's going to do when he's older. That he would become something so disgusting and ferocious makes me a little depressed. He had so much promise. Still, his failure paves the way for my success. Now, it's all about how you and I are going to act towards each other in the near future."

He turned back around, leaning against the table.

"You say that she was simply your child. Alright, let's say I'm not skeptical and I believe that fully. Then that means that MINA - who is stronger than TINA - could plausibly have a child of even more might and focus? Then what would happen if Rusty - a rare male doll model - had a child with her? I'm actually intrigued to see how their relationship develops. Would it be a normal child? Would it be a doll? Or... would it actually become something unimaginably powerful?"

He leaned closer, grinning suggestively.

"It would be the prime candidate to be a husband to Soul as well. THEN we would reach the ultimate pinnacle of doll technology. The generation VI! The merging of two Series V dolls such as Soul... The Infected would be consumed by a tide of death unimaginable, a culling upon a scale so grand that humanity would rise from the ashes as a phoenix, as I will."

He grinned even more fiercely.

"So it is in our best interest, Erik, to work together again and try to amend for past mistakes. You may not trust me, and I don't blame you. Yet, bickering like children will get either of us nowhere." he said. "But, if you decide you won't, I'll still move on with my research in either case. Oh, but I do have a piece of information you may find interesting."

He stepped forward, pulling yet another usb from his pocket.

"Upon this usb drive is all of the familial files referring to Winston Vance, the sixth great mind of this current world. Don't even pretend they don't exist. There are men and women upon the earth right now with the power to move it in either direction. Damien alone caused enough destruction to warrant the dropping of a nuclear bomb on sector five, if I recall. The rest of those six are Dr. Leonards, you, me, Dr. Stone, and then the deceased pair of Damien... and Winston's father."

He replaced the stick in his pocket.

"Dr. Richard Vance, the one who Dr. Leonards was forced to kill during the apocalypse. I have yet to tell Winston of his father's death because he has no time to mourn. However, Winston is highly intelligent, more than he knows. No ordinary man could fix a doll regardless of how much information he was given. No. It's in his blood to be a scientist. One reason why I trust HIM with my brain surgery."

[Clown_of_God]

((Wasn't ignoring it or anything. Just didn't have time this morning to respond. They're all great character layouts. I'm interested in seeing how they layout in your story.))

 

Phantom reclined in his seat, propping his legs up and crossing them, much like how a cowboy would in Western themed culture. Sighing, his right eye flashed red in the darkness for a brief moment before he leaned forward again.

 

"It's not that I dislike you, but I don't appreciate my work being stolen. Dr. Lander's not only stole my work, but he claimed it as his own and now mass produces his variants like the newest model of a ford focus. Another reason I'm here today is your method of altering yourself into this grand nephalim being. When did you lose those organs of yours and what monster stole them from you? None of them, right? You purposely removed your own internals to try and better yourself, while I went through immense pain and torment to attain mine. Stabbed in the face as a child, crushed by an I beam during the Onega's attack, and suffered numerous ruptures and organ failures. Also, I never claimed any glory or power, I merely seemed a way to end everyone else's suffering."

 

Phantom stood from his seat and rolled up his left sleeve, revealing the biomechanical ligament that took domination of his left arm. Placing it on the table, Phantom took a hammer from his pack and began smashing his arm until dents appeared in the plating and exposed wires and tubes were severed. Replacing his hammer, Phantom allowed Edison to witness the material mend itself back to its original state.

 

"This is my greatest achievement. A self-mending material that's both flexible and durable. My legs are the same and both of my precious dolls. My daughter's material makes this look two generations old."

Edited February 27, 2014 by zakku_uchiha

[Thaelasan]

As the metal regenerated, Edison's eyes gave a flicker of amazement but no more than that.

"I should have expected no less. Yet, have you not become a pinnacle of scientific achievement? Have you not learned much from your rebirth?" he asked, gesturing with his right hand. "Not only have you proven yourself superior to Damien in every way, you have also earned the hand of a doll of extreme potential, from what I understand. I admire your ability to survive adversity, which is why I idolize you in a way."

He took his own seat in the workshop, pleased.

"However, yet again you use the word "steal." I have no intention of claiming credit for your work nor will I produce it without your consent. What I am doing is researching it and improving it in a different method. Your path focused on dolls. Mine focuses on fusion of man and machine to an extreme level. Should you wish me to do so, I will gladly share with you how I did it, in case you didn't already figure out all the procedures I did in the span of this time."

He leaned forward again.

"However, Dr. Leonards didn't steal your work. Alan Leonards was a man of benevolence who helped you defeat Damien, if I recall, based on reports. Or, were they lies?" he said, leaning back in his seat. "Regardless, I'm not going to steal '' from you."

He sighed.

"The very fact that you don't trust me makes me slightly depressed. Even though you didn't know me well, I'd think you'd have known enough to know that I wouldn't dare do something so trite and pathetic as steal something, especially from someone of your caliber. However.."

He clasped his fingers together, in the method of negotiation.

"Your wife is currently also nearby. My sensors indicate she is in a close vicinity. She is using her scanners to disrupt mine and make it impossible to actually find her exact coordinates. I'm guessing you told her to stand by unless necessary? Therefore, you believe me a threat, if you're going to such extremes. I'm deeply hurt, Erik. If I was going to attack you, I wouldn't waste time talking to you. Besides, what would I gain from killing you? A great mind such as yours, removed from the field of play. A child, without a father. Also, a child capable of destroying continents. She would be hounding me for vengeance. I wouldn't doubt she would be there the millisecond you died, ready to eviscerate me in the span of the next one. So I gain nothing from your murder. Yet you also gain nothing from killing me. I'm offering you my assistance. I actually am willing to give you every bit of my research and stop my experiments now, so long as the Gaias die. Once they die, I'll be vindicated."

[Clown_of_God]

"Helped? In what way? I haven't seen his face since he disappeared shortly after the initial outbreak. Then, the moment he was notified of my 'passing' he took my work and claimed it as his own, even having the gall to say, 'fear no more for I have created a being who will provide protection and support for all those in need.' Lander's is a belligerent, undermining thief. As for my trust, you're quite right. I don't trust you, but I also don't trust a lot of people. You haven't exactly given me the best of reasons to trust you."

 

As he spoke, Phantom rolled his sleeve back down. As he did so, he pulled up various files on Edison Jameson and any reports he could find. Not that it was hard to do, this man didn't seem the kind to hide anything. All of his research notes, theories, experiments, and tests he had conducted were on the network.

 

"You needn't explain the process you went through, I've already read everything I need to know. Also, if I saw you as a threat, I wouldn't have come here alone. No, I don't see you as a threat, but I don't see any man or doll as a threat. A man, I can kill before he has time to react, a doll I can shut down as easily as flipping a light switch, a variant of both just opens your weaknesses. You see, while we've been talking, I've gained accessed to each organ within your body. Do you know what it's like to have your kidneys, stomach, lungs, or even your heart shut off? If you want me to, I can give you a taste of what it's like to feel completely useless, unable to even move."

 

Opening up his left hand, palm facing up, Phantom activated a display hologram that had various numbers strewn about. Coding. Then, a list began to grow out of it, organs associating themselves with the appropriate number sequences.

 

"You see, I've always been a whizz at accessing these bits of data and since your technology is practically based off of mine, accessing these codes was rather... errr... easy. So, again, no, I don't see you as a threat. Not when I can access your very core without much hindrance.

 

Now, about this working together bit you mentioned. Honestly, I wouldn't typically have qualms with providing my assistance, but this is not my mission nor is it something I must interfere in. My sister is on a journey of self-discovery and repentance. She must make her own choices and act how she feels necessary. Course, I'll give her a nudge here and there, but that's what big brothers are for.

 

What I can do, however, is a little touch up on that RU57 model y'all call Rusty. Give me about fifteen minutes and he'll practically be a brand new Series IV, give me another ten minutes and I bet I could get that core of his to do what it's supposed to do vs what it was theorized to do. Lastly, don't call me Erik, that boy died in the dome a long time ago. Not even my wife calls me that anymore."

Edited February 27, 2014 by zakku_uchiha

[Thaelasan]

Username: Thaelasan

- Name: Dr. Alan Leonard

- Age: 28

- Gender: Male

- Appearance: Standing at roughly 5"11' and sporting a rugged beard, Alan is the very picture of the exhausted worker. He normally wears some sort of surgical clothing over a black shirt and pants. He is brown-haired and has green-blue eyes. His face is slightly regal, at least under all that dirt.

- Type: (human/doll) Human

- Series : (I-IV/ dolls only)

- Personality: Alan is a confident but rigorous man, completely dedicated to the refinement of his research. He enjoys conversation pertaining to his technology but currently isn't in much of a mood to speak to anyone. His failure has made him both depressed and anxious, worried that he may not have just ended most of civilization but perhaps the world as well.

- Weapon: Alan has developed a new sort of weapon, based upon the doll's transformation and adaptation technology. Many soldiers and researchers possess similar weaponry but Alan has perfected it (or so he likes to think. He has no idea.)

The weapon is normally a sort of shotgun which fires a blast of super-heated energy particles that are quite deadly to dolls and flesh at close range. However, when necessary, the end of the gun may be spun to fire a more focused blast until it can actually fire streams of this plasma at long-range, forming a sort of sniper rifle.

The greatest bit of this is that Alan has added a third form - a blade - to the already amazing invention. By removing the top half and screwing it onto the bottom half of the gun, the stream becomes constant, creating a sort of lightsaber.

However, like any form of energy, it is limited. To recharge his gun requires a special type of mineral known as Caldium, which is used to power dolls for a longer amount of time. Other elements can be used but Caldium lasts much longer.

Caldium is created from the refinement and difficult reaction of Uranium and a lot of alpha particles, reversing the alpha particle reaction.

This requires a lab. Alan will begin with a certain amount of Caldium (dictated by Zakku) when the roleplay begins.

- History: Alan was one of a team of six American-British collaborative scientists that were researching the element Caldium. This group made great strides in its research within a very short period of time and it was Alan who decided to finalize it and begin a control group with a medication formed by Caldium.

The rest of the story is well-known. It took several years but the Caldium began to deteriorate the brains of the subjects who imbibed it, one of which being one of the scientists himself. Worse, it was happening at a very quick pace.

By using the scientist, Dr. Richard Vance, Alan began researching a cure for Caldium while the world caved in around him, panic breaking out. Within his underground lab, he has spent a year using Richard's flesh and body fluids in order to try and obtain the source of Caldium's horrible manifestation.

The cause is something no one could have foreseen - Caldium is stable while in solid and liquid forms but something strange happens when it reaches the brain. It begins to turn into a gas, though its boiling point is far higher than that of any other chemical.

The gas begins to adhere to the veins and mass of the brain, causing blood flow to slow. As the pill is continually taken, the mass of Caldium gas that didn't leave the body finally swells a large tumor in the brain.

It gets worse. The radioactive Caldium actually begins to fuse with molecules in the brain and begin reactions that cause cancer, yet a cancer never seen before. Instead of slowly killing the person, it drives them to kill others, reducing them to carnivorous, territorial wretches.

Alan's cure was simple - to kill them. Yet though Richard's body was lost, perhaps his mind could be salvaged.

Alan performed a grotesque procedure, removing Richard's brain from his body after killing him as mercifully as possible.

Now he has come from his lab, bringing with him his most loyal doll, FIONA, and he searches for people to aid him in his culling of this menace. He still searches for a way to kill only the zombies without slaughtering all of mankind.

- Other: DON'T TOUCH THAT BRAIN.

 

(( Dr. Leonards is Alan, dude. Not the doctor that stole the research. The guy who stole it was Dr. Ivan Lander. Look at Page 3 of Infected for the names of the other ones and for proof.

:I ))

 

Edison groaned.

"Of course you can." he said, almost defeated. "You possess power over me unhindered. Whoop de doo. Very well, you win this round, Mr. Phantom, or whatever it is you call yourself. I suppose leaving such vital information as my research was a foolish gesture. I'll rectify that within the span of a minute."

He turned, frowning.

"Though, it is surprising the sheer amount you can do within a few minutes. I'll admit I underestimated your intelligence, Phantom, but it's not something that can't be amended."

He then spun back around, leaning his hands on the table to support himself, tapping his fingers upon the wood in a tempo.

"In any case, I'm quite intrigued by your love for your sister, after you treated your own daughter with such cold metaphors. To think that the boy I saw so long ago could have ended up so broken... Surprising, to say the least. Oh, I'm quite aware that I'm saying things that are offensive. Please, don't waste our time turning off my organs. We both know that there are failsafes for that, even if you override them. Even if you turned off everything, it would go into the defensive mechanism YOU created - with my own touches of course - protecting them and analyzing them for the cause of the problem. After about an hour, I'd just be back on my feet again, albeit a bit sore and angry for it."

He clicked his tongue softly.

"Still, I'm sort of irritated that you won't offer your help simply because of some sort of journey of self-fulfillment. Though I appreciate the sentiment, this isn't some sort of game, Phantom. This is the apocalypse. However, due to our previous engagements, I'll let you play your games until you endanger my family. After all, you're pretty knowledgeable when it comes to Miss Night's limits. Therefore, we'll see what happens after all of this is over."

He then coughed.

"But if you want to help Rusty, feel free. He's not my responsibility. He's somewhere on a citadel nearby, though you already knew that. That's all I know. As for who you should talk to about getting permission, I'd suggest the son of Richard Vance, a man you should keep an eye on in the near future. Winston has absolutely no idea what he's capable of. In fact, Mr. Phantom, I recommend you make special care to get him on your side. Call it a hunch but I think he's going to be VERY important in the far future, especially concerning your precious child."

He grinned.

"Don't worry. It won't be me that causes anything. After all, you said yourself that I'm not a threat." he smiled cruelly. "What do you have to worry about, Mr. Phantom?"

Edited February 27, 2014 by Thaelasan

[Clown_of_God]

((Fixed both of them. Sorry, you confused me with their last names. Also, I'll get a post in later.))

[Thaelasan]

(( Not to be rude, but you didn't really fix it. You made it sound like Edison said Lander helped you when he said Alan did.

...However, since you don't normally have much time on your hands, I'll attempt to rectify it personally later, if necessary. In any case, at some point, you gotta give me your phone number. I have a habit of taking pictures of my work before their finished, sending them to people for feedback. As a fellow purveyor of anime, your critique would be most appreciated. However, some stuff I draw isn't in anime style but rather my realistic one. Still, it's far more fun to draw in such a style, since you can exaggerate emotions and facial features. It's great.

I've already gotten Emihana Kazuki, Osamu Kenji, Sashu Hayato, and Kagesenshi Mizuki drawn up in a mass photo, reminiscent of the mass photos from the show which triggered memories.

However, I'm going to add tearing to the picture, to show that there were more members of the group. I may add more characters later as a result.

The hair of the women was fun to do. I like drawing men's hair as well, but Kazuki and Mizuki have such diverse personalities and they both have long hair due to them that they were fun to do. ))

 

[Clown_of_God]

((It could be implied that there was false information. Could've been someone who hacked into the network and altered the report to try and credit Lander's vs Leonard's. Maybe someone we could use in a RP focusing on your characters, perhaps? *shrugs*))

 

"Cold metaphors? You mean how my sentences seem to imply that I see my daughter as merely a great scientific achievement and an object to boast about? If that's how you see it, then you are misinterpreting the meaning behind my words. Yes, I boast about her because she is my daughter and she is the best thing that has ever happened to me. It saddens me that you seem to think I'm some cold-hearted parent that... Yes?"

 

Phantom stopped short and nodded his head, as if complying to something. This continued on for another two minutes before he stood from his seat and motioned for someone to come over to him. From behind Edison, another figure walked out of the shadows and over to Phantom, wrapping their arm around his waist as he put his on their shoulder.

 

"Have a good day, Mr. Edison. Pardon the interruption, but we have some other business to attend to. Would you like to..."

 

"There's another reason I've been watching after my sister. You see, my brother might have made something a little more menacing than I had originally anticipated and it's imprinted on my sister. Best way I can explain it, imagine a Series IV doll with the power level of an Omega. It seems I fixed a trap set by Damien, who had spliced his own DNA during his construction of this unique model. We've come here to destroy it."

[Thaelasan]

(( True. That actually hit me. We haven't even discussed the brain Alan had yet. Tbh, another 1v1 about that would probably be fine, in which Alan uses the brain to try and rebuild Dr. Vance, once Winston comes to America (which is the current plan) after the following events involving dolls changes his life forever.

The son of a doctor, trying hard to live a normal life in a broken world, and suddenly it turns out he has a natural knack for repairing them.

Now all we need is girls in sailor uniforms and you got yerself a mediocre anime setting.

Or you could do the RIGHT thing and turn Martha into that sort of thing. I've been considering drawing you Phantom, MINA, TINA, and Damien in a sort of four person epic movie poster thing, with the various Doctors running around doing their business.

It would take a lot of work and description from you but I imagine MINA as looking much younger than TINA, Erik/Phantom (he would have a half-half face, half masked half not) looking older than TINA but not as torn up and broken as Damien, and I always imagined Damien having one eye like Saddler from Resident Evil 4. It just.. fit for me. That and the fangs. ))

 

Edison furrowed his brow thoughtfully.

"Alright, I admit. You've stumped me here. What's imprinted on MINA? And what do you mean Damien made a trap? If Damien made it, it's probably apocalyptic when it comes to the danger level. That does explain why you would have taken the trouble to come all the way out here. After all, isn't it your job to clean up the rest of your older brother's various messes?"

He smiled jovially.

"In any case, if you need my help, I'll offer it freely - AFTER the Gaia has been suitably destroyed to my expectations. Whether you do it or not matters not to me. I'm leaving to destroy it tomorrow, at ten in the morning. Should you have anything to say to me before then, you know how to get me, I'm sure."

He removed himself from the table, cracking his bones slightly as he readjusted his weight. He then moved towards the back door, unlocking it with a click.

"If you would like to come in, though.. I wouldn't object." Edison turned slightly. "Then again, how would I stop you?"

He then stepped into the doorway.

[Clown_of_God]

Phantom tilted his head and shrugged his shoulders, his interpretation of a smile while he wore the mask. Of course, if you didn't know Phantom, it would have just looked like a normal shrug. For a brief moment, he looked at TINA, who nodded, and he walked to the doorway Edison had just opened up.

 

"If I can breach the doorway into the Presidential bunker like it was a mere Rubix cube, I'm pretty sure I can get into that room whenever I wanted to. So, I'm assuming you wish to talk about something? For instance, this Omega doll I just mentioned? Well, let's see where I should start..."

 

Phantom reflected on the event that happened just a little over a year ago, four years after he had defeated Damien and began rebuilding the Eastern seaboard. Two years ago is when MINA had disappeared, only for rumors and speculation from the network that she had come to Europe.

 

"Let's see, I was going through some of the facilities in Damien's lab in Sector Zero when I came across this intriguing doll. It wasn't like the standard dolls that Lander's has been building, but some sort of project that Damien had to have been working on. So, after a few touch ups and some modifications, I powered the thing on and... Well... It went wild. It's energy readings spiked, very similar to how MINA displayed her energy capabilities to you earlier. Wave upon wave of energy shots exploded from its body until it literally began to steam. Then, it vanished, not through teleportation, but sheer speed took it into the outside world."

 

At this point, Phantom began twirling his thumbs together, as if he was bored with explaining this story. The following yawn that caused him to pause for a moment further implied this boredom.

 

"After some scavenging around, I found a few research notes left by Damien. It's energy core used a spliced segment of Damien's own heart and the nanite blood had also been, well, infected as well. Simply, this unique model is what I stated earlier, an infected doll. It's fast, it's durable, and it's smart. As for why it imprinted on my sister, that could be some sort of programming done by Damien, probably to try and manifest more of those monsters. So, I intend to destroy it before it gets that opportunity."

[Thaelasan]

Edison couldn't help it. After all the information registered - he burst out laughing. He laughed for a few moments until he regained his composure.

"Phantom, I gave you FAR more credit for caution and intelligence! You're saying you randomly found a doll lying around in an area you knew to be unsafe and didn't even do the preliminary checks to see if it held any infected cells or not? What the hell were you thinking? 'Hey this thing is probably safe even though I didn't build it or know anything about it.' I mean, at least Winston had an excuse, but... you Phantom,... Wow.. I'm just... shocked."

He leaned back, still chuckling.

"Ah well, we all make mistakes, even though this one was just utterly ridiculous. Still, I'm going to go ahead and ask - Why can't MINA sense it?.. It does explain the energy spikes that have been becoming more frequent and strong in the surrounding area recently."

He frowned, thoughtful. "If that's the case, considering we don't think it has teleportation properties, the best case of action is to lock MINA up safely inside of one of the upper rooms of the castle and keep all of the doors inside closed. Then, we simply wait for it to make a move. Mind you, it would probably take.. quite a while, Mr. Phantom." Edison shrugged. "Then again, we're men with all the time in the world to do whatever we want."

He turned around to face Phantom, his arms behind his back, in the pose of a man of nobility.

"So, I propose we use this time to make sure this 'rare' specimen goes extinct within a suitable timeframe, and then we use the rest of this very important resource of time to slaughter that Gaia. That's what I propose, though I'm sure you have a far better idea."

[Clown_of_God]

"Listen to your own words for a moment, Edison. Why couldn't MINA sense it? We shared the same sensory units until I came here. I always perform checks on equipment, to make sure it functions correctly and so it doesn't blow up in my face when I'm done. So, what I've determined the cause was, the cells were in a dormant state, inactive and unable to register on any kind of sensory unit, until I powered it up. Activating the core must have triggered some sort of catalyst that caused the cells to expand and multiply at an insanely high rate."

 

Phantom paused for a moment, thinking of other possibilities and then something sparked. Two pieces of a puzzle began to connect as he played the scenario out in his mind. Something like that could happen and MINA had probably been his test subject.

 

"A Caldium core. Damien invented a Caldium core for MINA to use so her teleportation unit would function appropriately. When I powered the doll up, the Caldium must have sparked the process and the cells went rampant. Hence the steam coming off the model's body. Since the cells were splitting at such a high rate, it caused a significant amount of heat that a dolls systems aren't usually used to. In other words, it was sweating."

 

As he pondered on these theories, he sent the information to TINA and Alan to get a broader range of possibilities or to narrow a possible conclusion down. Phantom also sent his report to Edison so he could decipher a possible theory of his own.

 

"Now, for the last bit of discussion, using MINA as bait might sound like a good plan, but you haven't dealt with an Omega-class before. They have... Oh, god. Damien's plan. Alright, I'll send you the data as I explain. An Omega has such tremendous amounts of energy that it is able to form a shield around itself. Damien, still retaining human sentiment and emotions, couldn't effectively use his abilities, but a doll... Damn it, damn it all to hell, what have I done?! This situation is far worse than I had anticipated."

 

Rubbing the top of his head, Phantom felt like he had just went back in time when he had first started his journey with Alan, TINA, Randall, and the others. Damien had been a challenge and since then, Phantom had undergone numerous augmentations and enhancements, as had TINA, but they were based off what Damien had been capable of. Not what this Omega doll.

 

"Get Vance, Rusty, and anyone else who's combat capable in here. I'll get TINA. We're gonna take care of this Gaia tonight."

[Thaelasan]

"As you wish..." Edison said while he read the data Phantom sent him. If he was afraid, he didn't show it.

He went upstairs to go get Winston and the others and then sent a message to Rusty telling him, bluntly, to "get the hell down here."

 

----

 

Alan sat in his favorite laboratory. Randall and Fiona were currently off searching and scavenging the nearby areas for more materials so that they could rebuild the Dome more efficiently than before.

However, suddenly something beeped on his communications device. Curious, he pressed the button to see who it was from.

He wasn't surprised but he wasn't not surprised either. He frowned, confused.

"Phantom? Sending me things from where?" Alan scratched his head as he read the report. His eyes widened a little bit and he moved backward, coughing to clear his thoughts.

"Well now this is just brilliant." he muttered, tapping a few keys to send a message back.

 

I'll make an attempt to craft some sort of theory, as well as a device capable of removing this demon doll's shield. Keep me updated. I'll see what I can do but I won't make any promises, Phantom.

 

----

 

Soon, Rusty, Edison, and Winston were standing in the room, as well as Jeffrey and his brother.

"Well, we're here." Edison rubbed his forehead. "What do you need us to do, Phantom?"

Edited February 28, 2014 by Thaelasan

[Clown_of_God]

"Gather up weapons and whatever ammunition you can carry. This Gaia, as I'm sure you're already aware of, isn't going to be left unprotected. Honestly, most of you are gonna be there to draw of the Gaia's guardians while us big boys take it out."

 

Just as he stood, TINA walked into the room and shortly after MINA appeared with Rusty. When she saw Phantom, her face seemed to brighten as her expression grew into a surprised look. Of course, she was aware that he was in Europe, but to be here.

 

"Big Bro? What's going on?"

 

"We came to help with the Gaia."

 

TINA smiled as Rena looked over at her, but it was a wavering smile. Last TINA had actually encountered Rena was when they killed Damien. A tense atmosphere seemed to linger around TINA, but she didn't let it show, especially with Phantom nearby.

 

"Have you gotten any better at using Excalibur?"

 

"Wha?! How... I mean, I guess so. Most of the infected I've run into, though, I can usually handle by hand. So, I'll get a little practice in every once in a while, but how do you know about..."

 

"Damien wasn't as good at hiding his research like me, plus we had designed various blueprints for it before our research on Type X took precedence of our time. Still, it's probably one of greatest works I've seen and no one but you can use it."

 

Rena took the cylinder out of her pack and stared at it. It was no bigger than her forearm in this state, but it was truly a powerful weapon indeed. Fully extended, it had been able to slice through an Alpha in one swipe. Unfortunately, Rena couldn't teleport while using it due to the large amounts of power required to use it. In shorter variants, teleportation was possible, but was quite limited.

 

"Mind extending it out?"

 

Rena looked around the room for a moment and sighed. Holding the cylinder out, sparks began to dance on her hand from one end while the other extended out until it was slightly longer than she was tall. From the 'hilt' two sections separated and formed a 'hand guard' and at the tip of the extended cylinder portion, similar extensions spread out until they matched the length of the hand guards. Invisible to the naked eye, a beam connected each tip of the extensions, which formed the 'blade' of the weapon. Noticeably, distortion in the air had manifested from the heat given off by the beams. Excalibur's true form had been revealed.

 

"We'll use this to get to the vital points of the Gaia. I'm assuming..."

 

"I haven't been able to fully extend it since the Alpha, but I can make it twice as big as it is now. That should be enough to create an opening."

 

"It will."

 

((Alright, this picture will give a general idea of the shape this blade takes.

 

Excalibur

 

Something kind of like that.))

[Thaelasan]

Winston whistled and his eyes grew wide as Renata drew the sword. Rusty seemed just as surprised, standing still in disbelief.

Edison coughed and shrugged.

"Yet again, Damien builds something based on medieval technology rather than something that could be better used with a teleporting doll." he scoffed. "I'm guessing you can't teleport well when using it? Well then why not make a goddamn gun which could be used after teleporting? You know, let you teleport up to a nearby cliff or recon point and then let the enemy have it? I know guns are repetitive but there's a reason for it - they get the job done. Still, far be it from me to neglect to admire the nobility of a weapon such as a blade."

Winston seemed to have heard nothing of what had transpired, walking towards the blade with his hand extended.

"A sword formed purely of electrical-plasma energy directed through three conduits allowing for three phases of connection thereby making it efficient for energy discharge.. you know.." he said in awe, his voice sounding far more intellectual than usual. "Probably based on Caldium too.. making it more of a conductor so that it doesn't burn out. Jeez... This thing is ridiculous... Probably wasn't simple to make either, you know."

Rusty had his arms crossed.

"Well, in any case, I was told that there were parts and repairs that you people had as well? Not to be rude but I wish to be at my prime before we engage in combat."

[Clown_of_God]

"That's where I come in."

 

Phantom didn't exactly have his attention on Rusty, but that was hard to determine with his mask on. So, this was Winston Vance. Was he even aware of what he just said? Rena must have thought the same thing, as her face was slightly contorted with confusion as he spoke.

 

"Unit RU57, perform protocol Alpha 019-01-172.3 Unit Specifications and Maintenance then provide a list of each part that was not originally a piece of your serialization. After that, enter into a hibernation state so that I may properly equip you. Understood?"

 

Glancing at TINA, she nodded and went to retrieve Phantom's bags, which contained parts he could potentially use on this doll. In the mean time, Phantom performed a system scan to determine exactly what needed to be done and how he would handle the replacements.

[Thaelasan]

Rusty's eyes immediately turned to Winston, who frowned.

"Go ahead. I trust him." Winston said, waving his hand.

Nodding. Rusty turned back to Phantom, then closed his eyes. When they opened back up, they were blank - no pupil, no iris, just sheer white.

"Creator 1: Erik Night, known now as Phantom. Replacing name in memory banks for future reference." Rusty said in a pure monotone. "Protocol dictates that all unnecessary life functions be shut down and reset. Proceeding."

He sat down in a chair nearby with a loud noise, all of his weight no longer supported by muscle and bone. He was now a bunch of almost literal "dead-weight."

"Performing system maintenance scans. 10%. 30%. 50%. 70%. 85.5%. 100%. Scan complete. Apologies for the delay, Creator 1: Phantom. Current processor is lower grade." Rusty said. "Current parts that do not match highest available support systems: Left eye, left arm, upper torso, lower torso, vertebrae, lower spinal column, right kidney, lower colon, stomach, ribcage, right hand, right leg, left tibia, left foot, heart. Current robotics systems which do not match highest available support systems: Memory banks, processor, energy units, energy conduits, reflux capacitor, cooling systems, energy calculator, database analysis and retrieval units, transmission unit, recording unit, and offensive and defensive weaponry."

Rusty then looked slightly puzzled, as though his computer was confused.

"Apologies, Creator 1: Phantom. It appears that there is an anomaly that cannot be defined by any terms located in the database. Searching for definition in English dictionary... ... ... Closest description comes to Plasma Generator, as far as can be ascertained. Cannot currently be activated."

 

(( In case you're wondering, whereas MINA had her upgrades in the fields of reconnaissance and stealth, and TINA was more in pure offensive capability, RU57 was the third of many of these special rising units, though not as good because he wasn't built by the original creator. He was built - in case you haven't been able to tell - by Richard Vance, father of Winston Vance, based on Lander's notes and his own abilities. Richard was actually even better than Alan. It's said that the man was the most intelligent of the RAIDER project. This is one reason why Alan saved his brain.

RU57, or RUST, was based on defensive capability. To be honest, this rogue doll you made actually makes sense. I'm considering that this rogue doll found Rusty a month ago. Rusty, as one of the dolls that this doll would target, was its goal. The doll presumably beat the out of Rusty. The only reason Rusty wasn't completely destroyed was his sheer defensive capability, and his ability to use Caldium conductors to create a large and stable plasma field, as well as direct his own inner plasma to create protective auras around his allies. Basically, he can coat MINA in plasma that's as tough as her own body, if not tougher. The only drawback that forced him to retreat into his own mind and almost die was that it drains energy based on the amount of force the enemy applies. ))

[Clown_of_God]

((Hmm, I like it. A hyperdense plasma barrier that has the potential to block even the strongest of TINA's/MINA's attacks.))

 

Phantom was intrigued by this plasma generator. Who built that? It wasn't Damien's work, even though he had specialized in plasma and graviton technology. It certainly wasn't his work, but a few scans and some light tinkering would suffice in finding out how to build one of his own. Alan, as brilliant as he was, didn't seem the character to construct such a device, especially considering he was more of a Caldium specialist. Only other possibility that Phantom could think of was that man. In Edison's reports and the vague memories he had actually worked with the man, Phantom could only think of one other person. Richard Vance.

 

"Oh boy, seems like I got my work cut out for me, huh? Well, luckily for you, Christmas is coming early."

 

As if on cue, TINA walked in with a rather large crate slung over her shoulder. Dropping it down, she looked at Phantom and smiled.

 

"Sacrificing your research subject and the difficulty we had to find one outside of the Western Wall."

 

"Eh, got plenty of time to find another one, but this doll could use it more than my research needs."

 

Opening the crate, Phantom hefted a frame onto a table and scanned it over right quick. With the exception of a missing head, the body was perfectly intact. Something had ripped this units head right off and left the body to rust over in the sands of the Wastes. One of Lander's Series VI models with an Aegithium frame and a durable exterior nano-casing, or the skin for dolls.

 

Looking Rusty over, Phantom patted the dolls shoulder with one hand while the other had lifted his mask to reveal a smile. After that, Phantom shut Rusty's systems off and waited for just a few moments before getting to work.

 

No more than ten minutes had passed by the time Phantom rubbed the back of his head and finished with the minor adjustments. Everything of importance from his old frame, Phantom had transferred over, including the unique core the doll had and the plasma generator. Of course, Phantom transferred Rusty's head as well and had made a few adjustments to ensure the two systems cooperated. One last adjustment was made before Phantom activated Rusty's new body and waited for him to reactive his systems.

 

"When you're finished with your system registrations, perform a basic systems check and responsive procedures. If anything moves any slower than a 0.00001 timeframe, inform me and I'll make the necessary adjustments. Also..."

 

Phantom pulled another item from the crate, a shield that could cover roughly 2/3s of this body. It was definitely more than just an average shield.

 

"I present Aegis. It's dense, it's durable, and it has an energy distribution agent that can practically negate most physical attacks. In other words, you won't have to spend near as much energy that that plasma generator requires to do whatever it is that it does. Anyway, I provided you with my old sensory units, which were better than the ones you had and I adjusted them to compensate for this fog. Your memory banks have been expanded and I've cleared most of the corrupted files that couldn't be restored. So... Anyway, I'll need you to perform another systems check and produce a list of any faulty equipment within this unit."

 

((So, while typing this up, I read it over and realized... this reminds me of Captain America. I imagined Rusty's old body being, well, rusty and frail in appearance, while this one was bigger and obviously very durable.))

[Thaelasan]

(( That's actually pretty close. Just throw in a pitchfork unit for his left arm. In fact, I believe he was shorter than MINA, due to one of his legs being shorter than the other.

Also, the plasma field was originally meant to be used to protect humans in danger, covering them with the force field so that the casualities would be minimal.

But Richard realized the sheer amount of energy required to power his new device was so exponential that attempting to give it to anything less than a Series IV would be catastrophic.))

 

Winston watched in awe as Phantom worked. Much as he wished he could be so nimble, he knew it was also thanks to Phantom's own augmentations.

"I'm very thankful, you know." Winston said, bowing. "He has become almost like.. a brother to me. Seein' him workin' again would be brilliant!"

Of course, even HE had to look away when Phantom moved Rusty's genitalia devices and other organs to the new body. It wasn't that he was squeamish - he actually felt like he was invading his new friend's privacy. Then again, he had pretty much already seen Rusty's insides down to the very last bit.

 

----

 

Rusty awoke as soon as Phantom said the last words, his eyes back to normal, but his body readjusting.

"This is extraordinary...." he flexed his fingers, the reaction being smooth and quick. "I feel like a new doll! I never expected that the repairs would be this perfect... then again, they were done by none other than Creator 1: Phantom."

He grinned, bowing his head to the masked man.

"Everything is in working order, sir, but one would expect no less from your handiwork. It is a great honor to have been repaired by your hands, even though I do not deny that Master Vance's handiwork was sufficient. I hope you are not insulted, Master Vance?"

"Of course not. I know I couldn't have done somethin' that succinct and elaborate." Winston shrugged. "I mean, I haven't been doin' this since I was young."

"Thank you." Rusty said, turning back to Phantom as the man presented the shield.

"An Aegis.. fashioned in the shape of the shields of the Greek warriors. Quite like the shield of Perceus, correct? Are we going to fight a Medusa?" he chuckled, taking it with admiration. "This is just... just brilliant, Sir Phantom. I have never seen such handiwork."

With Phantom's final remark, Rusty looked down at his body with interest.

"It does not appear to have any noticeable problems or urgent repair needs. What Series did you say it was from?" he asked, looking up. "Series IV, correct? So this is what the full body of a Series IV looks like. Sadly, I cannot remember if my original, whole body resembled it. It may have. I do not know. But it is not important. I am now able to protect and serve at my greatest efficiency, as was my original directive. THAT, I remember, because it was one of the most important rules integrated into my system. I do remember one thing I had forgotten - I was originally a security-class doll that protected Winston's father."

He turned, smiling.

"But I cannot remember any other things I may have done past that. All I remember is standing outside of his door when he worked. One sliver of a memory. But I know it was him. His name was on the doormark." Rusty assured, nodding.

He then took the shield firmly in his left hand, using it as a charger. His right hand extended, he fired a blast of energy at Winston, who flinched.

The energy expanded and wrapped around him, creating a bubble around him which warped the air. It was almost invisible, save for a slight disturbance. Winston blinked and then clapped his hands together. The sound was muffled by the bubble.

"Bloody brilliant!!" Winston yelled, his voice a little bit lower due to the field. "This is simply bloody brilliant!"

 

[Clown_of_God]

"What? No, no. This is a Series VI, a variant Dr. Landers built within the Western Wall. Your frame is made from Aegithium, a metal alloy that surpasses titanium in durability. It's lighter too."

 

Rena admired Phantom's work with an expression of awe, walking up to Rusty and placing her hand on his shoulder, the other still holding the cylanoid of Excalibur. Smiling up at him, she nicked him in the shoulder just hard enough to form a reasonably sized dent in the material.

 

"There, now you're the Rusty I remember. Maybe we should give you a new name, huh? Since you're no longer a rust bucket. How about Shiny?"

 

Sticking out her tongue, Rena backed away and sheathed the cylanoid in its appropriate pouch. Phantom shook his head and scanned Rusty over once more before he stood and stretched. Nothing felt better than building and fixing a doll. Nor could anything match the thrill of achieving the creation of something new.

 

((Blegh... short post.))

[Thaelasan]

Rusty smiled.

"Much as it does not match my current form, Rusty was the name I was always called. However, should you wish to call me by something different, you may call me Percy, considering the shield I now use." Percy grinned. "Yes, I think I shall enjoy it."

He turned to Phantom, bowing.

"A Series VI.... I feel so honored." he stood back to his full height. The mark Renata had made was, as to be expected, gone, the alloy healing itself by using Percy's own energy. Of course, it was a minimal amount.

Edison was actually surprised, yet again.

"Series VI? I'm going to have to start running more tests.." he placed his hands behind his back. "I had only recently started making myself more like a Series V cyborg class. How technology moves..."

He turned back to the door, sighing.

"Gilligan, Martha, you can come in now. The surgery is over."

Gilligan emerged from the doorway, slightly sheepish. Behind him, Martha was walking with a regal posture.

"I declare..." she began as she moved to stand beside Winston. "'Percy' looks quite brand-new now doesn't he?"

"Indeed." Winston placed a hand on Percy's shoulder in disbelief. "I'm just as impressed as you are. Now it's just gonna be about seein' him in action, you know."

"Of course." Martha turned to Phantom, eyes curious. "So you're the man who did the work?... Thank you kindly. Our poor Percy had been quite ill-at-ease due to his ...inability, as he put it, to perform his duties."

"Very much so." Percy said. "But now it is just a matter of putting it to action. Sir Phantom, when you are prepared, I would like to put my new body to the test in the field as soon as possible."