Geneforce, the Next Generation Episode 4: Gates of Heaven, Depths of Hell

Raem: *he walks over to Zora and begins healing her with phoenix fire* You got hit by an arrow from one of the enemy. But you should be fine now. *he glances over at Beowolf* It should be, why? *then he notices Alethia and draws Ashbringer* Stop right there. We've had our fill of surprises and I really don't need an ambush right now nor am I in the mood for it.

Saber: *he stands in front of Steam protectively* If you so much as touch him, I'll kill you where you stand you Fear-obsessed freak!

Mataer: Simple. *he deactivates his Chaos form and shows his real form. He looks practically identical to Raem except his hair is gone and his mask and flames on his body are a deeper, almost red orange. His coat is lined on the collar and inside lining with black fur and he is shirtless underneath the coat. Ashbringer's katana form is strapped to his side.* I propose an alliance. You get me what I want, I will help you get what you want. What I want is a way into the afterlife without dying. *he glances at Chimera* And I take it you want to restore him to full power? While in the afterlife, my group and I will help you on the condition that during our team up we work together to destroy the gods. Once in the afterlife, we can go directly to Darris Karlan, the realm of the gods, by going through the Underworld. And judging by the aura coming off your friend, his power would probably reside in the underworld. So then, miss Necromancer, do we have a deal?

Neir: *he and Gashka aim at Bonesaw and fire energy blasts. However, the eye on Bonesaw's tongue locks on to the blast and forces it to curve upwards, avoiding Bonesaw completely* How did he do that?!
Gashka: He deflected our attacks without even moving...this is not good.
Neir: Then we get up close and personal! *he and Gashka fly at Bonesaw. Neir performs a downwards haymaker and Gashka thrusts with his naginata. Bonesaw's eye tongue locked onto Gashka's Naginata and forces it to block Neir's punch* What?!
Gashka: hmmmmm....
Bonesaw: CORONER'S SHOCK! *he flings Neir and Gashka back with the force wave*
Gashka: Penny, Neir.....I noticed something about his attack pattern....
Neir: what did you see?
Gashka: He bent the energy blast and my naginata, but he made no move to bend your punch even though the punch had more force behind it....I think whatever he uses to bend things can only bend weapons and attacks, but not people!

Helios: So am I.

Zora: Thanks. I needed the heal. *she sighs and looks to Alethia* Hello~
Beowulf: Why are you so friendly...?
Zora: Cuz I am. :3

Alethia: Oh! Iodes! And Raem, too? *She lowers her weapon.* Thank goodness... if anyone could make it through this insanity, it would be you two... *She glances over at Zora and Beowulf.* Hello... My name is Alethia, acting commander of the Iciauran Ailuro Clan until Iodes is of age.
Iodes: Alethia... It's good to see a friendly face...

Xenon: ... *She has very little reason to help these people. After all, they could not assist in defeating Justicia, and it was doubtful that they would know where this universe's counterpart of her mother was. Nevertheless... she would take them to the underworld, but would do no more. She spun her scythe contemplatively, trying to buy more time. The prospect of destroying the gods was amusing... but Xenon knew her mission would gain nothing from it.* I... shall take you there... but no more.

Kulen: *His grin widens, exposing his vampiric fangs completely.* Try it. *Yua's mutiple blades slash through the air, aiming directly at Saber and Steam. Even so... one of the blades flew past the duo and further into the network of hallways. That sword landed bladefirst into the ground in front of Sven, as if it wanted him to wield it...*

Pennatus: Then we have our methods to defeating him. But be careful... I doubt our friend here is a pushover in close-quarters combat.

Ashura: As am I.

Master Quin: Now then... Kyra, I want you to take a few Hunters with you back to Phantasia and capture more of those... SABERs, was it?
Kyra: So... everyone who didn't go on the last mission, I suppose.
Master Quin: Exactly. And be more... incognito this time. We don't want to cause anymore unwanted panic on Phantasia...

Zora: Pleasure to meet you.
Beowulf: Likewise!
Zora: So... What do we do first? I mean, it seems things are getting a little out of hand here...

Sven: *he jumps back as the sword lands in front of him* WHA?! *slowly, he moves forward and picks up the sword* Huh. Thought something awesome would happen, like in those movies. Guess not.

"I don't think they are." the doctor admitted. "While we're waiting, I can show you around the complex. It's large, though, so we can only see a certain part of it."

Kiko: Thats fine with me. Maybe there is information here that we can use!

Iodes: Would it be possible for us to do both at the same time? We would get these monsters out of here faster, but we'd also be more exposed to danger...
Alethia: I can easily call up the Clan whenever they're needed... *She adds under her breath.* If there are any left...
Iodes: Then we clear out the citizens. Keep an eye out for thunderdead and other suspicious individuals. It's very likely that the demon Daitengu has become anxious with the bloodshed here... From what I remember, demons tend to get more savage when around blood. Even I'm feeling kinda strange right now, even though I've lost my eye... Raem, I believe you mentioned a rogue double of you causing chaos? Can it be considered a major threat?

*The Blade Sven holds begins to levitate upwards, lifting the boy into the air. And then, with a rush of whipping winds, the blade flies towards the other Hunters with Sven still holding on...*

Ashura: The more we know, the better, I suppose.

Raem: From what I've seen and what I know that he wants, yes. However, we can deal with him later. Right now, the safety of the people is my major concern. Lets move out and get these people to safety.

Mataer: Very well. I thank you for your assistance.
Chimera: Things just got a whole lot more interesting...

Saber: *he turns and sees Sven coming* Great....more enemies! That's just what we needed! *he keeps Chillrend in guard position and turns back to Kulen* I might not be as strong as most of the other members of Geneforce or Geneforce X, but I will do everything in my power to protect Steam and get us out of here! And I'm not gonna let some fear-obsessed batbrain get in the way of that! So put the butter knives away and let us go now! *Chillrend glows blue and ice and souls begin to swirl around the blade*

Bonesaw: So then....my deflection is no good anymore?! FINE! IF YOUR ATTACKS WON'T COME TO ME.... *he crouches and readies to charge* THEN I'LL COME TO YOU! *two eyes open on his feet and the force from them launches him at breakneck speeds right at Neir and Gashka*
Neir: *he and Gashka both step forward and lay their fists into Bonesaw's face, flinging the Necral back a few feet. However, Bonesaw lands and points his tongue and his arms at Neir and Gashka. Two eyes open on his palms*
Bonesaw: CORONER'S REQUIEM! *three giant blasts of force fly out at Neir and Gashka. Suddenly, a large vortex appears in front of the blasts and consumes them.* What the hell?!
*Kleptomania, Heake, Liola, Fai Zheng, and Zeke all run out and stand around Bonesaw*
Zeke: That energy signature.....he's with those freaks that took Saber and Steam!
Bonesaw: Crud....now I'm outnumbered and outgunned.....
Kleptomania: Where did you take our comrades, swine?!
Bonesaw: How about I not tell you and I give you a little present! *he raises his hand and flips Kleptomania off*
Kleptomania: Not very polite, is he?
Bonesaw: *he deactivates his Necras Dulgas form and jumps back* Screw this! I'm out of here!
Zeke: HEY! GET BACK HERE YOU BASTARD!
Bonesaw: *a portal to the Hunter Base opens and he jumps through it, closing it as soon as he enters.*
Zeke: Damn it...*he punches the ground* He got away...

Liola: It just when it seemed to be getting to the good part... *she tips her cowboy hat forward a bit and rests a hand on her belt*

Sven: WHAAAAAA!!! *still being dragged by the sword with one hand, and clutching his staff with the other*

Beowulf: *He cracks his neck and paws at the ground* Alright! Lets do this!!!

"Very well then, come with me." the doctor agreed, leading them back through the cafeteria doors.

Tapping on a PDA, a hologram of a map appeared. The center was large, so he tapped a few labs, turning them yellow. "Which ones would you like to see?" he asked.

The labs in question were the Saber's Edge labs, the Matter Encoding Labs, and the Space Exploration labs.

Kiko: o3o The Saber's Edge lab is peaking my interest... What about you Ashura?

Ashura: I'm more interested in the Matter Encoding Labs, but we can go to the Saber's Edge Labs first.

Iodes: *She takes off, despite the throbbing pain that racks her body. As she flips over a large pile of fallen building debris, she sees several children huddled together. Judging from their clothing, they attended the nearby academy for the upper class. Iodes began to push at the rubble, but without her Madness, she found it difficult to move it at all. After a few moments, she finally managed to shift the uppermost rubble enough for the children to escape. Now that she had freed them, she had to take them somewhere safe...*
Alethia: *In another part of the city, Alethia had forced herself past a group of thunderdead and was now running around the castle. King Blastion was last spotted here. Maybe if she could find him...*

Xenon: *She takes a breath, pulling at the reserves of Madness Divine had stored into her notepad. Xenon then lashes out with her scythe, and a large slash-shaped hole tore through the air. The interior of the hole was a deep crimson, and something could even be seen inside it. Xenon, now absolutely sure that this would lead to the Underworld, walked through it with Ruari, Divine, Zacharias and Emra in tow.*

Kulen: ... *He takes note of Sven, but his focus remains on the two in front of him.* Honestly, neither your little dagger nor your so-called wit frightens me in the least. Because you are what you are... there is no escape. Yua, it's time for the trump card! *Yua's sleek blade shimmers, and becomes a light blue. Strange red swirls adorn the hilt, and Yua's blade copies undergo similar transformations.* It's over for you... Surely you know that a certain sceptre was able to subdue and seal away Daitengu, no? Well... Yua has attained similar sealing properties. It certainly wasn't easy... *He grins, remembering how he had had to fight the mighty Skelebeest long ago to reach Daitengu's sceptre.* Hahahahaha!! Say good-bye to your fangs!! *He whips around, giving Yua a mighty horizontal slash directed right at Saber's chest.*

Pennatus: Hm... *She lands, scratching her head.* Strange person, eh? Anyway... where were we...? *She looks around, not seeing Ivankov anywhere nearby.* I guess he had escaped...

"Huh. That's almost insulting." the doctor joked, his ID flashing "Matter Encoding Project". "Oh well, this way please."

He strode away, beckoning for them to follow, and turned left down a hallway.

Mataer: Excellent....Ouranos, Daitengu, Vein, let us follow our allies...*he walks into the portal after Xenon.*

Raem: *he had already cut his way through a good number of thunderdead. He finally arrived at a destroyed church. Using Ashbringer, he cuts apart the rubble and finds the people trapped inside. He calls upon his phoenix fire and heals the wounded.* Everybody, get out of the city now! *the people all run out of the city in terror. Raem looks around, unsure of what to do next. The Daedra had already left, all that was left were the thunderdead.* I have to stop these undead before any more people are killed. *he runs off to locate more survivors and kill more thunderdead.*

Saber: *he attempts to block, leaving himself in a deadlock with Kulen. However, he is unable to hold and is sliced.* GAH! *a rush of energy flies out as he feel Fenrir being ripped from his body* Fenrir...Steam...I'm...so......sorry. *he collapses*

Zeke: He can't have gotten far.
Kleptomania: He didn't. *he walks over to a crate and smashes it. Ivankov is cowering in the crate* Hello, Ivan.
Ivankov: *he looks up, scared witless* A-A-A-Alphonse!
Kleptomania: *He picks Ivankov off the ground with one hand and walks back over to Pennatus and the others.* I've been waiting a long time to deal with you, coward.
Ivankov: BRRRRRAWK! What do you heroes want?!

Beowulf: *he lets loose a savage growl and his form slowly shifts. His tail elongates into a dragon's tail covered in spikes* ROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!! *demonic wings sprout from his back and his teeth sharpen by 4 inches along with his claws. He begins clawing through rubble, making sure people are not under there*

Sven: Ohai Kulen!

Iodes: *She leads the children to the outskirts of the city, where a large flock of denizens had gathered. They were lost, confused, and needed guidance. Guidance that Iodes could not give. The catwolf sighed as she ignored their pleas for her to lead them, and ran back into the chaos that ensnared Iciaura once more.*

Alethia: *Despite the Thunderdead destroying most of the castle, Alethia was still having trouble locating King Blastion. Surely he wasn't idly sitting by to watch the madness unfold. Wouldn't he be fighting alongside the others?* King Blastion??? Where are you!?!

Xenon: *The portal opens up into a land of black grass, with sky blue pillars of flame rocketing forth sporadically into a starry violet sky. As Xenon steps on the grass, she mentally notes the heated temperature of the strange land. Yet, despite the heat that could make even deserts uncomfortable, there was a chill of death and despair that could pierce down to the very bone. Xenon bent down to inspect a blade of grass, only for it to disintegrate at her touch into dust in the wind. Xenon turned to Mataer's group, her undead friends and companions at her side.* And... this is where... we part... Good luck on your... *She pauses to find the right word.* ...Quest. Now then...*She returns her attention to her group and their mission.* ...let us go onward. *Xenon's greek styled armor fades to her regular clothing as the Girl with Death's Lightning walked onward to where her heart urged her.*

Pennatus: *She sighs and pats Neir on the back as she walks past.* I'll let you handle him... *Her short stroll's destination was Kleptomania and Heake, who she raised an eyebrow to.* I'm not too sure why you all came. We were doing just fine on our own...

Ashura: *He scratches his head, not quite understanding the doctor's humor. Then again, Ashura didn't find many things "funny."*

Kulen: Erm... hello, Sven... ~And now that this boy is out of commission...~ *Kulen looks over to see Steam collapse completely in a pool of his own blood and spit. Kulen lifted Yua's sealing blade over Steam's body, readying for the strike that would most likely end Steam's existence. Steam forced himself up, silently praying for a deus ex machina to get both him and Saber out of this situation. Steam's vision began to swim as blood loss took over. No defenses could help him now. A song he had heard once from a dear friend began to play in his head and he silently began to hum the tune to himself. No matter what, even though it was his darkest hour... he refused to lose hope. He would die a hero for his cause.*
*As Steam mentally whispers out a his final prayer, the Shinigami accompanying the other Demon Hunters finally makes visual movement. Namely, streaking down the hallway so fast that all he left was an afterimage. Kyra was about to head out with the other Hunters who did not have SABERs when the Shinigami knocked her over in its wake.*
Kyra: Ow... That stings... *She stands slowly, looking in the Shinigami's direction.* Wonder what set him off... *The two angels merely shrugged and Master Quin raised an eyebrow as he spoke.*
Master Quin: And where has Sivica gone...? *It was true, the chinchilla had disappeared entirely. Master Quin narrowed his eyes. There was a storm brewing, and he didn't like it.*
*The Shinigami's feet never touched the ground and it looked as though it flew through the hallways, coming to a landing in front of Kulen. The Shinigami quickly lifted an arm, blocking the attack with his own body. Steam, though his vision blurry, could faintly make out the figure before him.*
Steam: W-who...?
Shinigami: I suppose this isn't the first time I've saved your life, is it?
Steam: Huh?
Shinigami: *He turns to Steam slightly, with only cobalt eyes peering out from under his hood.* Even though death may part us... our unity never dies. Is that not the way of the Geneforce? *The Shinigami lowers his hood, to reveal a golden mane, black stripes, and a midnight blue tunic with black striping.*
Steam: X-Xanthos?
Shinigami: The one and only... And it seems I'd have to fight my old master. *He returns his attention to Kulen.* Never thought we'd meet again. Much less on terms like this.
Kulen: I would say it's good to see you again, but your current behavior makes me quite ill...
Shinigami: Heh, I had suspected for a few minutes that Steam was here, but to find you too, Old Man Kulen? That's just too surreal.
Kulen: I'M NOT EVEN THAT OLD!!!! *He growls and Yua speaks to the bat in his mind.*
Yua: This is bad. Really bad! Can we really beat Xanthos Ailuro?
Kulen: *To Yua, under his breath.* It won't be hard to beat him, I promise that. If Hyperion couldn't kill him, I can easily make sure he'll stay six feet under.
Shinigami: *Hearing Kulen.* On the contrary, I'm actually quite dead. It's just that this place... *Gesturing to the castle.* ...doesn't exist in either the land of the living or the dead. It's more of in-between, which allows me to have physical form while retaining my ethereal body. How else could the Demon Hunters communicate with the Angels?
Kulen: It matters not! Sven, let's take him down!! *His fear energy begins to leak from his eyes as he grits his teeth.*
???: Wait. *Kulen turns to see Sivica slowly striding towards them, his ghostly fire curling around his body.* He's mine...
Shinigami: Hold on, ladies!~ There's enough Xan for you all to share... *With a confident smirk, his fists explode with lightning and majestic wings streak out from his back.*

Sven: *he eyes Xanthos with wide eyes. The 7 year old gripped his staff with trembling hands; this could mean life or death for him. And he didn't want to die at such a young age! Swallowing hard, he steps up next to Kulen.* You sure we can take him...? *his voice is cracking with fear, and his staff head glows "Luna" blue.*

OOC: I'm gonna assume Ashura and Kiko are following the doctor.

On the way to the Saber's Edge labs, Dr. Cherubim spoke quietly into a cell phone. When they got there, he knocked on the door, and a voice replied, "Come in!"

The doctor opened the door; the Saber's Edge labs were merely a bunch of computers around a larger one. "Welcome to the Saber's Edge labs." a man sitting at the computer closest to the larger one, clearly a supercomputer, greeted, turning in his chair. "How can I help you?"

"Hey there, Shintsuki." the doctor replied, shaking his hand. "These are Ashura and Kiko, the visitors."

"Greetings!" Shintsuki said, getting up and shaking their hands. "I'm the creator of Saber's Edge. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Kiko: Likewise. *she looks around at all of the equipment* This is amazing! *she looks back to Shinsuki* So... what exactly is Saber's Edge? I've heard the name going around, and its been peaking my interest.

"Well, Saber's Edge is... or rather, was, a videogame that I helped to create." Shintsuki explained. "The supercomputer you see here now produces new SABERs and patches, though we haven't had much to do."

Kiko: So this is the SABER's main data base, for the most part?

"Well, post-Day of Saber's Edge, this supercomputer's only seen use for noise research and SABER medical research." Shintsuki admitted. "It was, pre-Day of Saber's Edge."

Dr. Cherubim sat down. "And I still wonder today if I was an idiot for borrowing a game developer's supercomputer."

Shintsuki gave a contemptuous glare to Cherubim.

Saber: *he lays still, unresponsive to anything around him*

Mataer: Very well. Thank you, young miss. Vein, Ouranos, Daitengu, lets go. We must make it to the Black Palace of Pluto before we are noticed. Once there, we can find the portal to Hell, and through that Darris Karlan....

Raem: *he finishes evacuating the last of the people from the district he was in. However, he looks up into the sky and sees a few comet-like objects streaking towards the city* That energy can only be one thing.....Morians.....

Bonesaw: *he walks through the portal back into the Hunter's base* I'm baaaack!

Neir: Right. *he walks up to Ivankov and picks him up by the neck.* Gashka, come help me with this.
Gashka: I'd be delighted. *Neir and Gashka drag Ivankov into the shed that was used to execute weak mortals and close the door. From inside, various sounds that sound like Gashka and Neir punching and kicking Ivankov ring out*
Kleptomania: Actually, we came here looking for you and your group. Saber and Steam have been captured by the same hunters as the group that the man you were fighting. We wanted to make sure that you are safe. We also came here to get your help in saving them and because Zeke here who is the Avatar of Peaceful Chaos said Peaceful Chaos gave him a vision. We are going to find an unlikely ally here that can lead us to the Hunters and help us in stopping the Daedra.

A body stood feet away from a fight. This body was of a female. Standing alone. Waiting for the moment. Waiting for the time. Her silvery white hair stood still. Her soft blue eyes looking up at the sky. Her body seemed relaxed but at the same time excited. She was waiting, for them.

The air was still and full of foul play. Meteor like objects coming down towards the surface. The smell was evil and sinister. Something that needed to be corrected and dealt with properly. Her lips moved softly in tune. The sound and rhythm were sweet yet dangerous as well. The sound rang through the disturbed air but yet, brought a sense of ease with it. As it ended, a glow began. Her right hand raise to about her waist line. A large scythe like weapon materialized. "Lets go, Symphogear."

The figure moved. First at a walking pace then to a slow running. As she approached the area, she noticed a small fight. Well, it was small to her but could have been large to others that don't fight. The fight seemed like something that interested her. It made her want to fight, but either side could double against her. She could probably handle herself, but not against unknown forces.

Kulen: I taught that boy everything he knows... I've studied every technique he used in the news reports on his fights. And... I know his fears. Coupled with Sivica's overwhelming power and your memory manipulation, we can easily bend him to our will.
Sivica: Too much talking. *He runs forward, throwing a blazing fist at Xanthos, whose own glowing hands smack Sivica's fist away. Xanthos then flips forward, his feet glowing with lightning as he struck Sivica on the skull. The chinchilla cursed before igniting his whole arms on fire. The two launched themselves at each other in midair and an explosion of flame and lightning rocketed across the air.*
Xanthos: *His fists begin to glow with golden sparks as he lands several feet away from Sivica. His eyes land on Steam and Saber, realizing he had to get the two out of danger. But he already knew this chinchilla wouldn't make it easy for him...*
Kulen: Sivica! He's charging his Electrakon energy attack!
Sivica: *The flames on his arms expand into small spheres of pure flame. With a smirk, he launches them at Xanthos, who has to halt charging the Electrakon to dodge. The cat backflips several yards before taking a fighting stance. This would be more fun than expected...*

Ashura: *He stifles a chuckle before looking around, shuffling around Kiko to get a better look at the room.* This is... some pretty high-tech stuff...

Xenon: *She begins to focus, trying to find energy signatures similar to her mother's... There was one, and it seemed to flow all around her. In the air, and the very earth.*
Ruari: There's something odd about this place...
Xenon: Keep going... *She senses where the energy is at its strongest and begins to trudge towards it.*

Kyra: ... *She looks down as Bonesaw passes her. She couldn't help but think about what Crook had said to her...*
Master Quin: And your mission...?

Iodes: *She climbs on top of a roof, not seeing any other people around. The destruction had seemed to stop. For now, at least. That's when she felt a shudder of dread trickle down her spine. Looking skyward, she saw a multitude of flaming objects raining down from seemingly nowhere. Though she no longer had her powers, Iodes knew that this wasn't good at all.*

Pennatus: *She flinches as she hears the sounds from the shed, but she manages to get a basic gist of what Kleptomania had said.* So, who's this ally? I doubt it's Ivankov...