Retribution

[Clown_of_God]

((I hope you're not misinterpreting this Series VI as something more advanced than Phantom's Series V models.

 

Dr. Landers: Series I (mass produced), II, III (FIONA), IV (Rusty, Walker (?)), V, VI (Percy)

 

Phantom: Series I (ADAM & EVE), V (TINA & MINA), VI (Soul)

 

Damien: Series IV (Omegabot)

 

So, if you were to actually place them in a true line-up, this is kind of how it would look.

 

Series I: ADAM & EVE, FIONA, Walker, Rusty, Walker (?) - Standard frames with varying durability.

Series II: Percy, Walker (?), Omegabot - Aegithium (Omega cell) framework and advanced combat abilities.

Series III: TINA & MINA - A self-repairing alloy that can both withstand and dish out heavy attacks.

Series IV: Soul - A true fusion between nano machines and organic cells and is capable of fusing with infected cells (as demonstrated in my last post in Rebellion).

 

That would be the true line-up had Erik remained as the true creator of the dolls over Dr. Landers, but since Landers stole Phantom's work and began mass producing the dolls, the line-up got skewed and the ranking is misplaced.

 

So, Phantom's Series V models are still more advanced than Landers' Series VI, just as Damien's Series IV is more advanced than the given Series IV also developed by Landers.

 

An example:

 

In your most recent post, Edison said (unless I'm mistaken) he was modeling himself off a Series V. If he was implying that he was modeling himself off of Phantom's Series V models, then he wouldn't want to switch to Landers' Series VI variant, which is still underclassed by Phantom's Series V.

 

Another line-up:

 

Phantom/Landers Series I (same model, Landers just mass produced it) --> Landers Series II --> Landers Series III --> Landers Series IV --> Landers Series V --> Landers Series VI --> Damien's Series IV --> Phantom's Series V --> Phantom's Series VI (IE Soul).

 

Damien's Series IV is built off a Landers Series IV model, but it was spliced with Omega tissue making it grow far superior to any of the Landers Series bots. However, because it was built off a Series IV bots frame, it doesn't outclass Phantom's Series V except for in power capability.

 

I hope I'm making sense, cause I'm actually confusing myself with all this, but one of the things I'm trying to imply is... how did Rusty/Percy mend when the Series VI bots that Landers built didn't have the self-repairing alloy developed by Phantom? Of course it was just a dent, but that part had been meant to imply tomboyish affection from Rena. She's in that stage where she likes him, but doesn't quite like him yet.

 

It seems I'm able to make larger posts when trying to explain something than when I'm actually posting. Gosh... Anyway, sorry for the long, roundabout way of getting to my point, but I felt like I had to explain the actual ranking system of the dolls.))

Edited March 2, 2014 by zakku_uchiha

[Thaelasan]

(( Oh no I understood. You just forgot about Rusty's defensive mechanisms.

Rusty wasn't built by Landers. He's a fourth series, built by Vance and based off of Landers work. In short, Phantom and Vance would have been the greatest team of intelligent minds ever created, due to Vance's sheer mental capabilities. The man was a prodigy, as I explained before - one reason why I didn't want to roleplay him in the first place.

He was actually based on a Gary Stu character I created a LONG time ago in another zombie roleplay, where I got booted thanks to my overpowered roleplaying. Then again, I was like.. twelve or thirteen at the time..

Vance suspected Lander wasn't the real creator of the dolls. He and Alan had been friends since childhood, just like Randall. He also knew Landers and knew the man was incapable of such feats of intelligence. In fact, he tested Landers on the dolls several times and the man always avoided his questions.

Edison is based on Phantom's version of the dolls, and was attempting to model himself on a series V, something stronger than Soul before he even knew Soul existed. However, he realized it was impossible - you'd have to be born that way. So, he's been settling for what he has now, biding his time until he figures something out.

Vance built RU57 as the first male model doll in the newest series. He thought he was building an advanced series III. What he didn't know is that, based on your current scale, he was building a series IV on Phantom's scale, not Landers, because of his own creativity and ingenuity. Unlike Landers, Vance didn't just STEAL work, he changed it, molded it, and transformed it.

Sadly, when he got infected, Alan was forced to take his brain, and Rusty was no where to be found. Rusty's model was the one on the computer Alan found in Richard's lab. Remember that? That's why he wondered about the name Walker when he found Landers' computer later on.

In short, Percy is basically of the same combat capability as TINA and MINA, but is far less advanced than Soul. However, because he was made for defense rather than offense, Vance had actually researched regenerative alloys - something Phantom had also created during this time, if you recall. Is it not possible that he could have actually had the epiphany to form such alloys, based on Caldium and Aegithium's various properties?

It's probably not as good or efficient as Phantom's but it would make sense for Vance's masterpiece of defensive strength, correct?

Keep in mind that Rusty can't punch down a Behemoth or Omega like TINA and MINA, but instead can use his shields and regenerative tissue to keep it distracted.

If it was a raid, he'd be a tank, TINA and MINA would be DPS, and Soul would be a healer? If that's an easier way to think about it.

That was his whole reason for existence. Sadly, he can't integrate infected tissue. One reason Winston had to remove so much from Rusty is because whatever killed him was infected - which was my original idea.

AND WHAT WAS YOUR SPECIAL DOLL? INFECTED.

SO IT ALLLLLLLL STITCHED TOGETHER. DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW HAPPY I WAS WHEN YOU MADE THAT THING NOW?

IT MAKES IT ALL MAKE SENSE AND THE TIMELINE STILL FITS. Also, the reason Rusty wasn't there when Vance was slain is for a simple reason - Damien got there first. Rusty was sent by Vance to try and stop Damien but he was unable to do so. If you recall, I believe you said MINA said "other dolls have tried but they just can't do it. No fun at all."

So what if Rusty was one of these other dolls, who attempted to fight Damien but had no support, and was knocked away. In this weakened state, four years later, with no master, and his memories already distorted, a new doll appearing could beat the out of him rather easily.

Poor Percy.

 

Also does Soul look like the red chick from that gif you have in your signature? If so, I'm betting money that it'd be pretty easy for her to seduce the child of MINA and Rusty. :3

Also, she killed a bird with decapitation. Again, wish it was a male protagonist with a female one, or maybe two male, two female, and they had their own relationships as well as kicked major ass.

But again, that's just me. ))

Edited March 2, 2014 by Thaelasan

[Clown_of_God]

((So, would these regenerative properties be based more on that plasma generator over actually being integrated into the framework? Cause, if it was frame-based, Rusty's original body should've been able to restore itself, but with the transfer into a new frame, one built by Landers, those properties wouldn't exactly fit. Hence why I'd assume it's an external piece of equipment that Phantom would've transferred over.

 

Maybe, Vance developed a device that could repair any known alloy (including Aegithium), while Phantom took it to the next level and developed an actual self-mending alloy. *shrugs* I'm liking this, but I had intended for that dent to be symbolic, you know? Like, say they got into this huge fight or it had been drawn down to just Rena and Percy going against the Omegadoll and Rena had been rendered temporarily unconscious.... I should stop, I'm already starting to formulate a conclusion when we haven't even faced against the first Gaia yet.

 

Also, I just came up with an image of what our menace could look like. Imagine, a male doll figure that stands roughly 6'4". Long black hair (like Ichigo had for a bit in one of his epic battles) that floated in the air (like Super Saiyan 3 Goku style) due to the sheer amount of energy given off by the combined effects of the Caldium/Omega tissue core. Also, it'd have a sort of skeletal appearance since it disposed its unneeded organs. It'd wear a long black trench coat, baggy black pants, black combat boots. Gauze is wrapped around its feet, hands, chest, neck, and mouth. Orange eyes with slits, sorta like Phantom's left eye (except he doesn't have the slit). Steam would constantly be streaming off its body. Ah! Claws on its hands, but not very long same with the feet. I also imagine it being able to float, just as the Omega did in its true form.

 

As for Soul, yeah, I based her off of Ruby a bit. Idk how far you got into the series, but there are some really cool fight scenes (personal preference) and the episode she decapitates the bird is one of the coolest, besides when Penny becomes a total badass. Err... XP ))

[Thaelasan]

(( I didn't start the series, but I found it funny that it's so popular that I saw a DVD case of the first season of the series at Wal-mart. That means a lot. Wal-mart doesn't even sell anime much unless it's completely finished or American. That means it's popular.

So.. I can't watch it because of what I told you before. I'm strictly against female protagonists without either a male model that is also equally shown, just like I'm against shows with male protagonists without equal female representation.

I'm all about equality when it comes to my series. Thankfully, the Japanese seem to have finally understood this. Series like SAO, Dangan Ronpa, D-Frag, Chuunibyou, Kyoukai no Kanata... The good, epic animation of them, especially SAO, Chuunibyou, and Kyoukai.

I'm guessing you've seen Kyoukai's animation style before. It means a lot to me when the characters blink, even when talking. It shows them being more lifelike. Also, I've noticed the studios that did those series actually show characters' legs more often.

Legs are the most difficult thing to draw, let alone animate. Some people say its hands. That's not true. Animating movement is hard. Some studios try to avoid showing legs. Try to remember the last time you saw a normal scene where the main character or side characters were walking. Yeah, didn't notice, did you?

Being an artist, I notice this stuff often, which is why it's also easier for me to imagine the omega doll. I may even draw him. I like this outline of him. But instead of the clichéd coat, can we go with a research coat, like the one from a doctor's office? You know, when you're on the lab table? That way it shows he was an experiment gone wrong. Also, he probably wouldn't have gloves or boots - the claws would be so messed up that'd they'd ruin anything like that.

Maybe mutated tissue up and down his arms and legs, and on the right side of his face, like cancer.

Sicknasty, bro.

And, yeah, that's what I was going for - an external apparatus which moves Caldium and other resources to damaged areas, rather than a regenerative alloy.

I just didn't know if you'd agree to that.

 

ALSO, if you recommend any series to me, I really love action/romance . Yeah, I know it's unoriginal, but I don't even care how sappy it becomes, especially if they already have an established romance between the protagonist and the woman he loves. That way, they fight together, protecting each other against all odds in an epic battle

Zakku, you'd probably like Nobunaga the Fool. Take medieval japan and Europe. Throw in magic and giant robots. It's so goddamn great. I mean it's unnecessarily hardcore. But it gets so saaaad because the people who died in history have to die.

BUT DA VINCI HELPS NOBUNAGA AND SO DOES JOAN OF ARC.

IT'S SO SICKNASTY.

AAAAAH I HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER WEEK FOR THE NEXT EPISODE

Also, I'm probably gonna try Code Geass. I also like Golden Time and Log Horizon. I'm gonna watch Berserk as well. Mirai Nikki was good, especially the OVA.

God maaaaan.))

Edited March 2, 2014 by Thaelasan

[Clown_of_God]

((Hmm... did you get my message with my number in it? Shoot me a text and we'll discuss anime/manga there.

 

As for the Omega doll, grotesque deformities weren't on my high end list. Even the claws are pushing it, I also imagined serrated teeth. My image for the Omega doll is more demonic than deformed, you know? Anyway, since dolls don't have actual tissue, deformities would be difficult. Idk... it was just an idea.))

[Thaelasan]

(( I dunno. Maybe the doll can't regenerate and mend the tissue because it's infected at such a high rate? That'd make sense.

In any case, whenever you're ready to fight Mr. Gaia, you're up. We can timeskip to standing outside of the Gaia's fortress/hive. ))

[Clown_of_God]

Rena heaved a deep breath, Edison must have spurred a greater defense force from his previous attempts at defeating the Gaia alone. Still, even with the amount of people they had, the amount of A-class infected was baffling. Were there really that many of them? In America, there were only ten recorded Alphas and twice the amount of Behemoths and that was spread throughout the entire country. Here, there were at least five Terra and eleven Artemis. Had Edison really managed to get to the Gaia with these things swarming about like bees protecting their hive?

 

Grunting, she gripped tighter onto Excalibur's hilt and dashed forward, cleaving through a group of B-class infected. Workers, drones, protectors, warriors. These things were organized. Something else had to be at play here, more than just the protection of a single Gaia when there were more strewn about the country.

 

------

 

Phantom had paired himself with TINA, no surprise there, and was doing what he could to obliterate these monstrous things. Of course, his expertise resided with precision and strategy over brute strength and power. Well... in a sense. His right arm was equipped with some sort of launcher and small sphere shaped devices were the ammunition. As for his other arm, a blade ran the length of his forearm, starting at the elbow, and continued on for another two feet.

 

Taking a breath to steady himself, Phantom launched one of the spheres and watched as it clattered to the ground and stomped on by an Artemis. Underneath the mask, Phantom smiled at what happened next. From the sphere, that was no bigger in diameter than a dime, an explosion of great magnitude sealed the creatures fate. Of course, he couldn't take all the credit, Alan had assisted him in developing these grand explosives.

 

Several other infected had been caught in the blast radius of the explosion and Phantom had managed to piss off a Terra. Of course, he wasn't terribly worried about the Terra. TINA came down from above the creature, her heel driving into the creatures head until they both landed hard on the ground below. To finish it off, she hopped back, spun and launched another kick that resonated through the creatures entire body until the already crumbling building behind it exploded into a cloud of debris and loose rubble. Chuck Norris could only wish to have a roundhouse kick of such magnitude. Unfortunately, such a method put a huge toll on TINA's body and she had to rest for a moment, huffing and puffing like she had just ran around the world.

 

"Take it easy, that device wasn't meant for consistent usage. If you use it too much, you just might explode."

 

TINA wasn't too pleased with Phantom's joke, but knew he was just watching after her. Still, her entire body felt like it was vibrating and rumbling and she had only used it twice. In the test runs, she was able to use it five times consecutively before she would need to rest. Maybe she was putting too much energy into it?

 

------

 

Spain had been quiet for several months, but a figure in the dark had the song of suffering spilling into the skies. It's clawed hands dug into the flesh of a man who had wandered too close and his cries of agony was spurring confusion, curiosity, and panic. Authoritative figures had gallantly attempted to rescue the hostage, but when one of them was skewered by the very arm of the man in need they scattered. This creature watched the skewered man stare at the arm that had pierced through his gut with a look of anguish, confusion, and disbelief. Suddenly, a shadow loomed over him and he watched in horror as the menace tore than man in half with little effort and then used the two halves to completely crush his skull. Tossing the halves aside, the creature looked into the sky, it's orange eyes filled with crazed enjoyment. Soon, it would find what it was searching for and soon it would multiply.

Edited March 2, 2014 by zakku_uchiha

[Thaelasan]

Percy was already enjoying himself immensely with his newfound abilities. By condensing his plasma shield to a point, he could surround his aegis with a sharp, bladed edge of energy. He had already decapitated a few smaller infected by hurling it at them.

"Extraordinary!" Winston grinned, kicking one of them in the face. "But, er, I'm a little low on ammunition, you understand?"

"Oh, of course, Master Vance." Percy said, tossing Winston some ammunition from his bag. "Please, make full use of it."

"Thank you kindly." Winston shot a few more in the face, grinning.

Percy noticed TINA's exhaustion and immediately fired an energy blast at her, shrouding her in a shield.

"Please, take cover for now until you get your breath back. I will hold them off for now!" Percy called out, getting their attention. He had full faith in Phantom's device - and he wasn't disappointed. One of the Artemis class infected punched the shield without so much as a dent, due to the energy condensed in it. Percy smiled broadly.

"Thank you, Creator 1!" he called. "This thing is magnificent!"

 

----

 

The Thompson brothers were currently standing on a cliff face away from the conflict, prepping the mortars and sniper rifles they had brought, according to Winston's orders.

"Brother, this seems... really bad." Jeffrey turned, frowning. "Are they gonna be ok?"

"Of course." Bentley responded, smiling. "Nothing bad is gonna happen to 'em."

Edited March 2, 2014 by Thaelasan

[Clown_of_God]

After a long minute, things seemed to be slowing down and the infected's number showed signs it was indeed dwindling. Rena faced the creature they had come to destroy, it's body motionless and showing no signs of changing its position anytime soon. Why, even with all this chaos, had it not budged an inch or even retaliated? Surely it had the power to toss everyone here aside like skipping rocks across a lake. Yet... Rena grimaced and extended Excalibur to the max length she could maintain. Charging forward with a yell, she launched herself into the air, blade over her head, and used the momentum in an attempt to break the creatures shield that was surely protecting it.

 

That hadn't been the case, not even in the slightest. Not only was there no resistance, but Excalibur cleaved through the thing in one clean motion, like a professional chef had just split a tomato in half. However, what made even less sense to her and to Phantom, who was standing nearby, was there wasn't anything inside this outer casing, this shell, this... husk!

 

Phantom began to chuckle and fell to the ground in a sitting position. Rena looked back at him like he had gone crazy and TINA stared at him with a bit of concern.

 

"Hahah, to imagine they've come this far. A mere husk was all that was left. When did you say the last time you challenged this thing in an attempt to slay it yourself? A day ago? A week? Month? A year even? Well, doesn't matter, it seems we've been had by a creature with the intelligence of your average chimpanzee. No, that's an understatement. It definitely has human intelligence, but to leave a husk behind... they surely are evolving, huh?"

[Thaelasan]

Edison growled, frowning. He stepped towards the body without hesitation and rammed his fist into its body.

It cracked and crumbled like a forgotten chrysalis, forming dust that hung densely in the air. He grimaced, tightening his fist as he turned back to the group.

"I don't know what you may think of me but I certainly didn't lose to a husk last week." Edison stated firmly, his voice even. "It was a battle that forced me to spend three days recuperating from the external and internal trauma. This beast was vicious and cruel."

He moved back to the group, crossing his arms gruffly. He pondered for a moment, sighing.

"I don't think it was intentional that it left this red herring, of sorts." Edison pointed back at the husk with a sideways, emotionless gesture. "It probably did it just as a butterfly would - molting and leaving behind its body without care for what would happen to its shell. Though I doubt anything could come out of that resembling a papillon."

He coughed, the dust from the body mingling with the air.

"There are three theories. Let us assume that you are correct and that it has mild intelligence. Alright. It left this behind in order to fool us. For what purpose? A Gaia has no need of tricks to destroy places. It's a cruel, powerful creature with no mercy for those it subjugates. I don't think it would need to leave behind false clues in order to kill us. It would come at us with the might of its followers, unabashed.

Theory two is more plausible. This thing didn't evolve, it molted, discarding its shell without reason or care because it was no longer useful.

Or, the third theory is something utterly ridiculous and admittedly frightening - that, like a butterfly, the Gaias do INDEED evolve, perhaps even to having the capability of aviation? But how do you, in layman's terms, hide a giant, flying zombie? It's almost impossible, unless perception is twisted. Perhaps we have seen the giant, flying zombie, we just didn't know how to perceive it. What if its current form is something completely different from infected in appearance? What if what came out of this great shell was something very small and humanoid?"

He let it sink in a moment. Percy turned to Winston, his face anxious. Winston, however, was reluctant to show fear, if indeed he had any. Winston was never a man to be afraid of things he wasn't sure existed. In fact, as a small child, he had never had the slightest bit of fear or belief for any monsters that were in his wardrobe. He was absolutely sure that no evidence supported it, so he didn't act afraid of something nonexistent. It's foolish.

"Are you saying that a person could have come out of that thing?" Winston asked, after a moment.

"Oh, no, definitely not a person. An abomination masquerading as a man is more precise. A very large wolf in sheep's clothing, to put it bluntly." Edison pulled a napkin from his coat pocket, wiping his hand clean of the filth.

"And... it could be walking around at this moment, maybe even as part of this group?" Winston turned, looking at each person in turn.

"Before you start making false accusations, know now that it's not me." Edison said flatly. "Oh, perhaps going on the defensive makes me more suspicious. Yet, before you begin prosecuting me, allow me to suggest that it wouldn't take the form of someone we know. For one, the only human - and I'm sure of this - the Gaia has really been in contact with is myself. How would it know what each of you look like, if it were to become you? None of your pictures are on any databases, especially not Phantom and TINA. Therefore, how would it be able to take your forms to such a degree? Besides, we don't even know if that theory is correct."

"Very true, you know." Winston admitted. "However, it is something to consider. Anything could have emerged from that cocoon."

"Cocoon? That means you're going under the assumption that it evolved or molted." Edison shrugged. "Though these theories have merit, I still don't like to think that such a beast could become even stronger. I know I'm one to talk." he said sternly to Phantom. "But my strength is something I did to myself in order to ensure that I could protect and serve my family name - not just for cheap bloodsport, playing with food."

He sighed.

"Regardless. We know it's not here now, so the best thing we can do is try to discover in which direction it went, or where it is now. I suggest all dolls here use their trackers and see what they can pick up. In the meantime, Winston and Phantom should use their analysis abilities to see what they can find out about the Gaia from its discarded body. Anything could be of use, so it's better we find out as much as we can, correct?"

He turned and looked at the ground.

"It does worry me that there's not much showing that the Gaia moved around in here. Take a look-" he said, pointing at the ground. "It rained three days ago, right after I beat the Gaia. During the battle, I noticed it had a hard time gaining its footing in the water. It left huge footprints everywhere during our struggle. However, if you look at the floor now, it's almost clear of those huge pits where the Gaia stepped, meaning that it hadn't moved much land-wise since the storm, considering the fact that it'd be hard for the ground to dry up in here. The sun's heat doesn't really penetrate well."

He put a finger to his chin, pondering.

"Well, Mr. Phantom, I'll leave it to your expertise. I don't know much about Infected, to be honest, other than what they want and what they do. Anatomically, I know close to nothing about them."

"Then why do you assume I do?" Winston asked, confused.

"Winston, you know far more than you believe." Edison whispered sternly. He stared at Winston with an appraising gaze, smiling.

"Quite talented." he finally stated, turning back to Phantom.

"Let's see what we may discover in this lair of the giant." Edison said, grinning as he turned to begin his investigation.

[Clown_of_God]

"That's just it. Gaia's were formed due to the faults of the Omega. There being only one Omega in America, when we defeated it, the infected had no sense of leadership, organization, or strategy. They literally became mindless lumps of flesh that roamed the Wastes, with the exception of those who had retained their own various forms of intelligence, such as Reapers and Hunters. So, with that in mind, it could be very true that this thing formed a smaller container to condense its abilities into, much like..."

 

Phantom paused for a moment, thinking back on how he discovered his own brother was the vessel of such a monstrosity. It wasn't that he couldn't remember what such condensed variables were capable of, it's that he didn't want to remember that his own flesh and blood was the center of the chaos in his world.

 

"Imagine a fire hydrant and the difference between water spewing from a busted cap vs launching out from the nozzle on a hose. A similar effect happened when Master took on his human form. Capable of razing a city simply by passing through it when in his true form, even I haven't witnessed his true capabilities when everything is compressed. Needless to say, were it not for his human emotion and sentiment to his own brother, Phantom wouldn't be here and neither would I."

 

Looking at Rena, Phantom smiled under his mask. Her tone showed she was proud to be here, to be the person she had changed into. Still, she felt remorse for Damien as well. Phantom pondered if she ever wished things were back to before the conflict between them. Just her and Damien, wandering the Wastes and strategically demolishing Safe Zones and bunkers.

 

"Have you considered that it might have burrowed underground? Aside from the damage we caused ourselves to the husk, there aren't many signs that it broke free of its former shell. Actually, there's no sign that it did anything since it fell to this point. Unless..."

 

Phantom surveyed the area for a moment, taking into account the exact positions this thing had previously been in. Suddenly, something dawned on him that he hadn't thought of before, something that sparked up during his survey. This was a crater and the center is where the Gaia resided. Directly in the center. Rena's and TINA's eyes widened in unison as their sensors began blaring an alarm, as did Phantom's own sensory units and presumably anybody else who had such technology. This is exactly what Phantom had hoped wasn't the case. An idle infected species and countless other bodies now residing in this area, a lure to draw in a large group.

 

Again, Phantom began to chuckle. This entire thing had been a ruse and they fell right into the trap. A dormant infected won't ping on sensory technology simply because it wasn't a threat. A case Phantom had experienced was an encounter he had with a Reaper. Even with Phantom in plain view, the Reaper simply passed him by and continued aimlessly throughout the Wastes. Phantom used the term 'sleepwalk' in his reports.

 

"We were just lured in like flies to a Venus Fly Trap."

[Thaelasan]

"I don't appreciate that analogy. I'm certainly not a fly." Edison said, slightly insulted. "Besides, we expected all outcomes when we came here. If it believes it has the ability to bait us into some form of trap, I'm actually interested to see just what kind of trap it is. After all, maybe it's going to come to US, believing it has the upper hand."

He smirked, crossing his arms and taking a stance of overconfidence and strength.

"Then let it do as it will. I'm not running away this time." he stated firmly, his eyes narrowed.

Winston pondered for a moment.

"It's an antlion?" he turned to Phantom, confused. "Did the Gaia turn into some sort of antlion larva beast?"

[Clown_of_God]

((So, I kindly lost track with how I wanted this to go. Umm... it's been a week since their battle with the Gaia. It was defeated, but left everyone in a critical state. Phantom took the worst of it, currently in acoma after protecting Rena from what would've been a fatal blow. TINA has vowed to watch over him and says he'll be fine. Rena, however, has become mentally unstable and is currently teetering on the scale (you'll see what I mean in my post). Yeah... that's pretty much my standing thus far.))

 

Rena sat atop a tower far from the home of Edison, separating herself from everything as best she could. Were she able to cloak her very existence, she wouldn't give it a second thought at this point. With a sigh, she looked out into the distance, at the crater the Gaia had been in and the destruction it had caused during their battle.

Nothing had made her feel so powerless. Why wasn't she able to react fast enough? Before, when she was under Damien's wing, there wouldn't have been such an issue. A Gaia was just a fake of the Omega and didn't even come close to sharing the same power levels. Yet, she had not only been overwhelmed, but she had almost been killed. Now, Phantom, the last living member of the family in her memories was in a state that could turn South at any moment.

This is all my fault. If I hadn't hesitated, the Gaia... No, it's his fault. Getting in the way to protect a mere child. Wait, no, it's his fault for luring me into the group in the first place. I should've just done my trade and went on. No... It's his fault. HE wanted to kill the damn thing. HE blackmailed me and HE is the reason my brother is possibly gonna die!

As she stood, Rena began to release energy from her core. So much energy poured from her systems that the very section of the tower she had been standing on began to deteriorate, turning to ash. Settling back down, Rena grabbed the cylinder from its pouch and extended the blade to match her height.

"I'll kill him. I'll make him wish he had failed at turning himself into such a monster. I'll rip out ever last entrail, every last bone in his body and revel in his blood. Heh... I'll watch as the life drains from his eyes as my blade gouges deep into his skull. Just you wait, Edison, I'll make you suffer for what you've done to my brother."

The look in Rena's eyes and the expression on her face held no signs of anger or resentment, but a sadistic pleasure and joy at the thought of being able to tear something apart with no remorse. Rena was losing herself to what she had once been. Phantom's state was the potential catalyst that was driving her off the edge and the reason she was using to back her own condition up.

[Thaelasan]

"Rena?"

Rusty stepped behind the woman, having climbed the entire tower as it was being turned to ash. To tell the truth, such an endeavor had almost made him fall several times. He leapt up to land next to her, his face concerned.

"You are saying things which I am certain shall lead to unfortunate events." he stated, frowning. "There is no reason for you to be so aggravated. Though, should you wish to confront or destroy Edison, I will not stand in your way. It is your decision. I will stand with it and assist you as you wish."

[Clown_of_God]

Tilting her head back at an awkward angle, Rena looked at Rusty with a crooked smile on her face. For a moment, her demeanor seemed to shift back to how it had been, but a wicked grin spread even further across her face.

"Assist? You wish to assist me, eh? Even though it might mean turning against your own Master? I doubt he'll take too kindly to my actions and you're really the only one capable of backing him up effectively. So, what then? Would you still help?"

Turning to face the other doll, Rena disengaged the energy running through the blade, allowing her to safely shoulder the weapon. Briefly, she contemplated on what her next step of action would be and shrugged as she came to a mental conclusion. Grabbing Rusty's shoulder, she teleported them back to the mansion, back into Edison's quarters where she had the blade extended and active, the tip barely an inch from the man's nose.

"I should start with your face, so I never have to see that smug look of yours again, but then I won't be able to see the horror as I tear your entrails out. You knew I'd come, so I'm gonna give you a choice: we can play rough or we can play easy. It doesn't matter to me, frankly, either way will be fun. Besides, I think you owe me for my assistance in exterminating that beast that was in your backyard."

Her last sentence had come out as a hiss, teeth clenched and a wild look in her eyes. It was like she had grown confused. Who was she? What was her purpose in this world? No Master to give her direction and no family to support her, she felt lost and alone. Maybe going back to her old ways would help alleviate this emptiness within her? Possibly give her some sense of purpose. Yes, a purpose that actually had some sort of meaning to her. Damien had her kill a countless number of people. For what? All so he could bring his family together.

Family. Yeah, maybe by killing everyone she had met, Rena could bring back her family. It had worked before. Phantom had come, just like Damien had said.

Wait a moment. Last time, Damien had tormented Phantom, tossing him around like a stuffed animal. Phantom also didn't appreciate her methods of bringing them together. With this thought, she had lowered Excalibur for a moment, confusion sweeping across her face. Who was she to blame? Edison was clearly the culprit, wasn't he? Rena raised the blade back up. Yet, how could he request Phantom's assistance if Phantom had been avoiding him? She lowered the blade. Still, wasn't it his idea to try and take it out with so few people and so little equipment? Blade raised up. Even so, Phantom wouldn't blindly charge without some sort of idea how to handle the situation. Blade lowered.

"If he dies, I will cut your head off so slow, you'll beg me to just go through with it. Then, I will burn everything, destroy everything you worked so hard for, and make sure your family suffers for it. I've already lost one brother, I don't want to lose another."

To emphasize her point, Rena shrank the blade down to the size of a dagger and and jabbed forward, leaving a deep cut in Edison's cheek. A scar was inevitable, with the blade being a plasmoid, and it would serve as a reminder for the man. Until Phantom was better, Rena would be sure this man knew she was serious. For, in each fiber of her body, she believed he had been responsible for Phantom's critical state.

"That scar will be your reminder. If he lives, it will be your mark saying you survived an encounter with MINA. If he dies, I will keep my word and I will find you, hunt you down, and destroy you."

[Thaelasan]

Edison had stayed completely calm throughout the whole encounter, his face never changing an inch. However, should Rena find it to her satisfaction, he did wince ever-so-slightly when the blade entered his cheek. He sighed, rubbing the wound with a frown.

"Do you really think I desire for Phantom to perish for any reason?" he asked, slightly bored. "Oh yes. I created this entire scenario for the sheer purpose of causing one of the greatest minds of the current era to die an agonizing death for nothing more than my amusement. Oh well played, Renata Night. You solved everything. Brilliant deduction. Three golden awards for you and a nice puppy."

He grabbed the dagger from her and cut an equal mark into his other cheek.

"I prefer a bit of symmetry." he stated roughly, releasing the blade. "After all, if I'm going to remember this forever, I can at least remember that my face was still in order. My, it's not that large is it? But still big enough to note whenever I shave. A perfect size - nothing less to be expected of the famous MINA."

He turned, arms crossed, a smirk shrouding his normally nonchalant face.

"It's quite humorous that you're taking out all of your frustration on an elder. You're just like the teenage daughter you were built to represent. A mixture of hormones and hidden anger just waiting to be released in a volcanic eruption sure to damage anything around you. However, your fears are unfounded. Your precious Phantom will be fine. I have ensured that all of my power is spent saving his life."

[Clown_of_God]

((I wonder if it's possible to revive this, even after how long its been.

 

If so, I'm proposing yet another skip ahead, roughly a month. Rena, Rusty and the rest of the little caravan have made their way to Gloucester, a few encounters here and there, but nothing major since they left Edison's mansion. Phantom made a full recovery and returned to America, a call coming in from Alan in regards to some... interesting events occurring.

 

So, now... Well, now they're pulling up to the main entrance of Gloucester.))