R.D. took up the job of maintaining the shield. It was almost as if he could feel every strike on the barrier, feeling them to be rather insignificant, yet each one lowered the power of the barrier.

===At Tokyo===

"Hmph," Re-Tuul snorted, "How do you know, Za-Fuzen? Just because you and I can't stand one another doesn't mean we're not allies."

Re-Tuul started to grin. "After all, I can see you're not the one in charge here. You're just the right-hand man."

The ship veered and weaved through the fighters, their lasers pounding on the created shield.

"The docking bay doors are closed," Riho said as they neared the fortress at great speed. "We'll have to find another way in."

"No, we don't!" Matt raised his hands. The next thing he was going to was difficult, but it was their besy way of getting in without too much hassle. "Let's ghost the ship!"

"Can you do that?" Helena asked, glancing back at the fighters that pursued them.

"We're about to find out!"

(OOC: Ouch, RD! You hurt Shujou's feelings! XP)

"In a fashion, he's right." Meta said. "Two do not have to like one another to share a cause." She turned to Namonai and Virus. "So, I have the idea you two have interest in seeking allegiance with us, as well?"

(OOC: Re-Tuul's specialty is hurt feelings and angering Junos. XP)

"Just don't kill us in the process!" R.D. growled, struggling to maintain the barrier. While the pounding of the lasers didn't help things, it was the fact that he was completely unused to the Omega Core's unstable energy--and it was fighting his control every moment.

"Just hurry it up! He can't hold onto this much longer!" Alasea said worriedly, looking at the concentrating look on R.D.'s face.

Edited by RisingDragon on December 29, 2006 at 1:46:34.

"Ghostform!"

The entire ship suddenly became transparent. Everything about the ship, as well as those within, all became clear, and the full scope of the space was revealed about them without visual interference such as walls.

"Nobody fuckin' talk," Matt muttered, trying to keep his cool as the ship began to pass through the docking bay doors.

R.D. was too busy keeping the shield up to talk, as the other fighters were doubling their efforts in trying to pierce the barrier. Alasea remained silent until the ship passed through the doors completely despite the strange sensation of becoming incorporeal.

The minute the ship was completely inside, Matt stumbled, and the ship became corporeal once again. He managed to land on his seat, drained from the effort.

"This is where I leave you," Riho said. "I must return to Flora." He pressed a button to activate the doors to the ship, and looked at them all. "I pray for your success."

Ristar unbuckled his seatbelt and hit the floor soundly. "Thank you, Riho."

Hugo raised his pickaxe. "Let's do it!"

***

"Kaiser!" The same minion ran back into the throne room. "We don't know how, but somehow Ristar's ship passed through the docking bay doors!"

"I figured as much." His eyes narrowed. "The other boy's on board...

Release Adahan."

"Take a breather, Matt," R.D. said as he watched Matt sit. "I'll go secure the area."

R.D. hopped out of the ship, drawing on of his Phase Blades as he landed. He looked about the docking bay, searching out for the threats. He was getting a bad feeling.

"C'mon... if you're there, show yourself..." he muttered under his breath.

"Find out how to open the bay doors!" Matt shouted after R.D..

So far, no surprise enemies made themselves known, but, if Greedy was as crafty as they said, he would have already prepared for the group's arrival.

R.D. nodded as he heard Matt's order. He quickly scoured over the room, looking for a control panel. He found one, and after a moment of study, quickly started punching in key combinations, none of which worked.

"Okay, let's try something new," R.D. growled, narrowing his eyes.

R.D. raised a hand and pointed his palm at the panel. A tine of lightning lanced out and struck the panel. The sound of a certain combination sounded, and the bay doors slowly opened up.

"Done!" R.D. shouted towards the ship. The amnesiac teen then looked around, his bad feeling resurfacing.

"Let's GO!" Matt shouted, barrelling out of the ship, with Hugo, Helena, and Ristar right behind. "This thing's gonna depressurize so we need to get out NOW!"

"Good luck!" Riho called after them.

Alasea leapt out of the spaceship as well, and R.D. and her ran for one of the doors. R.D. quickly opened it and ushered everyone inside before closing it.

"Alright, now what?" Alasea asked, looking around.

"Now we kick ass and take names!" Matt shouted, clenching his fists. "And we're all outta BUBBLE GUM!"

"...what?" Helena asked, throughly confused.

"...never mind." Matt looked about, noticing they were in a long, wide hallway painted a shiny black. "All right, we need to find out where Greedy is..."

"Let's see if they've got a map of the fortress on their computers," Hugo suggested.

R.D. nodded. "I think we should split up," he suggested, "Either Matt or I should take Ristar and go after Greedy, while the other takes Hugo, finds the power source, and figure out how to destroy it, while Alasea and Helena finds the Star Goddess and rescue her."

He looked over at Matt, waiting for his opinion on the plan he gave.

"Nah," Matt said. "I ain't gonna leave Helena. And I ain't gonna run around lookin' for y'all."

"We gotta do all that anyway, Matt," Hugo said, as Helena anxiously looked around the corridor.

Matt held up his hands. "I know, I know, lemme figure something out."

"Let's find Greedy and find out where he hid the Star Goddess from him!" Ristar offered, leaping up a little bit.

Matt nodded. "That's what I was thinking. And then when we leave, maybe I can charge up a big bomb and blow up the fortress or something."

Edited by The Helldragon on December 26, 2006 at 21:04:31.

"Alright," R.D. said, "Let's find Greedy and make him talk."

The door at the end of the hallway suddenly burst open, and in the midst of this great commotion, an armored creature bounded through:



Matt seemed unfazed by the entrance. He slowly turned toward the newcomer. "Well, hey there. Who might you be?"

"I'm Adahan!" the creature growled, smashing his claws together. "And I'm gonna take you out!"

"All right!" Furrowing his brow, Hugo pointed his pickaxe at Adahan. "I could use a warmup!"

"Let's find out how tough your armor is, shall we?" R.D. said, raising a hand and letting ignite in the azure light of Godhand.

Alasea drew her short swords and readied herself for combat, thinking of some new attacks to use.

"Let's go!" R.D. roared, thrusting his hand forward and attacked with the Shotgun Cannon, sending a multitude of plasma bursts at the foe.

The bursts impacted Adahan's armor soundly, and bounced right off. "HA!" he laughed deeply. "You'll have to do better than that!"

"Megaton CANNON!"

The blue beam slammed into Adahan, and though his armor was strong, the force of the beam was enough to send him skidding backwards, though he kept his balance. As soon as the beam faded, Matt rushed in, fist drawn back. "I'm gonna rock your sock off, robot!"

As Adahan stomped at his enemy, Matt managed to land a vicious hook across the creature's armored face, but amazingly, Adahan's head swung right back.

Matt blinked. "...that's new."

A backhand from Adahan sent Matt flying back.

"Come on, Hugo!" Ristar shouted, running toward the armored mole.

"I'm comin'!" the Mettaur snapped, taking his place at Ristar's side as the two tiny warriors rushed foward. Adahan smashed the earth trying to strike them with his claw, but Ristar and Hugo, far quicker than the slower Adahan, leapt up before the claw could hit home. With a shout, the Mettaur's pickaxe smashed into the side of Adahan's face, giving Ristar the opening he needed to grab the mole's head and slam his body into it as hard as he could.

"Crap," Alasea muttered. She rushed forward, and soon found R.D. running alongside her with one of his swords drawn. They attacked at the same time. Alasea went low, spinning in a circle and slashing with both swords in a circle as she shouted "Shippuuga!" R.D. struck high, slashing while jumping upwards, his blade shining with electrical energy as he roared "Denjin!"

Adahan was too slow to make any sort of artful dodge, but he didn't have to-despite the power of the blades, they only managed to scratch the mole's thick armor. With a roar, Adahan slashed at R.D. and Alasea-his claws seemed to float of their own free will in relation to the mole's body and they freely shot at their intended target.

Helena bent down to help up Matt, still reeling from the blow he was dealt. "Are you okay, Matt?"

"...yeah. Bitch hits hard."

She took his shoulders. "Matt, please...let me help you."

But Matt dismissed the matter with a wave of his hand, standing up. "No, I got it!" Frowning, he looked back toward the battle. We gotta get past that armor somehow...but how?

Alasea cried out and R.D. bellowed as the claws struck their arms. They both fell back, but R.D. shrugged off the pain and attacked again. His blade energized as he slashed downward through the air as he shouted "Kougenjin! and fired a blade beam at the monster.

===At Tokyo===

"I am hardly the standard Khaglessi, Shojou," Re-Tuul replied, then kept silent for Namonai to ask his question.

"Yes, I'm sorry, I don't know where my manners have gone." Meta replied, chuckling lightly. "My name is Meta. I am, so to speak, Xastra's daughter."
She smirked. "And with your help, I may soon to be the one who rules the Earth."

Re-Tuul's grin returned. "Xastra, huh?" he said, "Rather interesting. Rather interesting indeed. Just what made you his daughter, Meta?"

Adahan crossed his claws and shrugged off the beam. "Give it up!" he bellowed, swinging at R.D. again. "You can't beat me!"

Hugo's pickaxe smacked into Adahan's face again, causing the mole to stumble. "Don't count us out yet!" the Mettaur shouted. "Ristar!"

With a battle cry, Ristar attacked, slamming once more into Adahan's head, but this time, it sent him reeling even more.

Blazen nodded, looking forward again. He saw the darkness forming. He could sense powerful being of both darkness and light either fighting or forming ranks. He had a terrible churn in his stomach from the second one.

Meta grinned, and laughed lightly at Namonai's sudden outburst. "Oh, you don't have to be so hotheaded, big boy. A woman doesn't like to see that in a man." She said, as if it all was very humorous.
"But yes, I am Xastra's daughter. However, my family isn't really of the kind who sits around the Christmass tree and has diner happily. We're more of the kind who keeps a dagger underneath their pillows at night and try to seek something behind every word a brother or a mother says."