=Chishio's Camp=

Zane then activated his chainsaw, sliding out of his arm near the top of his wrist. The blade was made of what looks like what lightsabres are made of. The blade however, was pitch black with a few bolts of lightning zapping about.

His other hand then collaborated into a cannon. He shoved it into the earth below him, and the surrounding spiders were sent flying backwards from the blast below. After he did so, he cut through the web with his energized chainsaw.

When he got free, he picked up some strands from the web and analyzed its energy signature, copying its data into the Cyrexian database.

"That was a neat trick... It may come in handy later on."



Edited by Zane Truesdale on December 1, 2012 at 1:47:03

Lament leaned backward to avoid the first strike, and then flowed right into a back flip to dodge the next attack. He landed gracefully about fourteen feet away, his hands in his pockets.

"Come on now, Meta. We don't have time for warm-ups...well, I do, but you don't." Still grinning, the Supreme Dark Balance started pushing Meta's buttons. Just how much could he taunt her before she blew up? "Show me something real."

==Kattelox Island==

"Thank you. I will see what can be done about them. Gouki's forces might be needed if this creature you speak of does make an appearance." Donovan said lowly, and then began flapping his giant wings. "Until we meet again, Rising Dragon."

The Beast flew off with surprising speed, heading for Asia. All the while he was communicating with his forces, and sending them to aid Gouki and guard "Xastra's" palace.

"Do you believe him, R.D.?" Val finally spoke up. "He's one of The Seven. Do you honestly think he can be trusted?" This guardian may have been new to the situation, but he knew enough to understand that The Seven were seriously bad news. "Or is this one of those 'keep your enemies closer' moments?"

==Chishio's Camp==

Much to Wolf's surprise many of the spiders who had cast webs were blasted away, and then the stranger cut through the web with an odd device, the likes of which he had not seen before. He promptly formed a barrier out of diamond hard web for himself and Trevla, guarding them against the blast.

"This technology he possesses...I have never seen it before." Col. Wolf stated.
"Neither have I, Colonel." Trevla said, unshaken by the fight. "He is not of this realm. Nevertheless..." His head turned to Wolf, his stare colder than ice. "He must die."
"Understood, sir." Col. Wolf responded, and then the barrier became spikes that launched toward Zane, mainly as a distraction while Trevla darted off to find Chishio, and Wolf vanished to round up more soldiers.

In the mean time, more demon spiders shot webs at the stranger's weapons and arms, hoping to immobilize him a bit. As that went on, one spider after another would race past at speeds beyond Mach 3 and try to slash him or bash him anywhere they could.

=Chishio's Encampment=

Phyrzan quickly processed the situation... If anything, the one that ran off is going for help or escaping, which will prove futile in the future in the grand scheme of things. So its safe to let him go.

As for the spikes about to fly at him and the spiders shooting their webs to most likely restrain him, what could they really do to hurt him? The spikes might push him back a bit...

The spikes hit, and Zane did get pushed back, but not by much. The spikes landed on the ground with a small "clink."

Shortly afterwards, more of these demonic spiders shot their webbing at his arms to restrain him, as more came rushing at him from different angles to smack him about at rapid speeds.

His armor-like exterior prevented him from getting damaged but it was still a bit annoying to have his head jerk in the directions it did whenever they landed a blow... so he decided to send a stream of black lightning throughout the strands of webbing to the spiders who had their grip on it. After they've been shocked enough, he decided to swing them around by their own web and launched them through the air.

Then, as another one of those speed demons was about to smack him again, Zane matched the speed by grabbing one of its arms and throwing it in the direction of their General, landing a few feet away from Trevla.

"You honestly think you can damage the strongest material out of this entire multiverse?" Phyrzan questioned the General. "You are one of authority, no? Surely you must have more than what your... forces can offer."

Edited by Zane Truesdale on December 1, 2012 at 3:43:25

Edited by Zane Truesdale on December 1, 2012 at 3:45:32

Val was worried. He didn't trust Donovan, and he wasn't extremely confident in R.D.'s judgement, and things were already getting very heated on Kattelox since he took over. Then on top of that, one of the girls was arguing with the Rising Dragon; it seemed like a bit of a lover's quarrel, so Val stayed out of it. However, once all was said and done he spoke up.

"If any of you need anything, anything at all, just come to me--I'll be in the Main Gate's control room doing some research." On that note he turned to enter the gate, but paused and turned back around--he had to speak his mind. "R.D., the Master Key has put a lot of stock in you..." He said, staring at R.D. with a pleading expression on his face. "Forgive me if this is out of line, but... Don't be foolish." He hoped he had been clear enough with those few words. He didn't mean them as an insult, but rather as words of warning. Heroes have a tendency to take chances when they shouldn't and fall before their time comes...Val did not want this to happen to the Rising Dragon.

The Ancient walked into the Main Gate, leaving the small group to go about their business.

~Chishio's Camp~

The battle was not going as Wolf had hoped. But, with the forces he'd readied, hopefully they could change that. Trevla, however, was far too focused on getting to Chishio to even worry about the body that was thrown his way.

"Lieutenants! Begin battle strategy Fifteen Gamma!" Col. Wolf ordered a small group of demon spiders, all decked out in bronze colored armor very similar to his own.
"Roger!" They said in unison.

Two of the eight Lieutenants raised their front six legs, and then slammed them down, making it seem as though the earth had become some kind of huge spiked beast that was racing toward Zane, and rising higher with each spike that appeared. Once it was a few yards away it shot up in 2 different different spots, but then quickly became one giant maw that snapped shut with the intent to bite Zane in half.

Meanwhile, the other lieutenants vanished along with Wolf.

=Chishio's Encampment=

Zane braced for impact as the wall of earth and spikes that the spiders sent barrelling at him crashed down ontop of him. Leaving the area covered by a fairly large pile of rubble with Zane at the bottom.

At first there was no movement, but shortly after, the rubble on top of Zane started to float around him as his black aura thickened and expanded. Zane was annoyed almost to the point of anger, and with that anger the suffocating feeling of being around him made the air grow heavier... you can even feel it in your chest.

"I suggest you run. It may just prolong your lives a little longer..."

Val had been doing research, mainly on the information that had been unlocked by R.D., ever since he left the group earlier that day. The data Juno had managed to gather before vanishing was amazingly vast. ~The rumors of his genius are certainly well deserved. How he managed to find these files is beyond me.~ He thought to himself.

He had brushed up on Azaleas and his nemesis, Ryu, and even started digging deeper into who Ryu was. Of course, this was a very difficult task, as The System's files were mostly limited to this dimension. There were, however, two books that chronicled events outside of the Beta Dimension. Most members of The System thought they were mere fairy tales, but when Val ran across a story about a "master swordsman who walked the righteous path" he couldn't help but wonder if this was the alternate R.D..

Upon reading the short story he concluded that this book was not merely filled with fairy tales, but rather folklore rooted in truth. The Righteous Swordsman was Ryu Draconios, as was the Tenderhearted Warrior who was mentioned later in the book. "So, he had a lover... Very interesting. But it never mentions what happened to her."

Just then Val heard the doors slide open, and when he turned around he saw two comely young women standing there with grave expressions. "My, my... It isn't often that I'm visited by two young ladies in the middle of the night, especially wearing so much clothing; in my dreams they have on armor bikinis." He said in an attempt to lighten the mood a bit, but the air was still thick with tension. "Sorry, just trying to wipe those grim looks off your faces. What's going on?" He said in a much more serious tone.

The 2 lieutenants only smirked, and then out of nowhere black almost metallic web shot at Zane to bind him where he stood. Then, in an instant, the remaining lieutenants were gone. Next thing Zane would notice was a great rumble as eight more Ground Maws raced toward Zane, but this time the attack was blacker than night, and gave off a strange sort of smokey aura. This earth that the lieutenants were striking with was not normal, but exclusive to their kind, and was ten times more durable than diamonds.

Val was a little taken aback. This was all most irregular. ~Since when do people just waltz into the Main Gate and ask to use The System's network of computers?~ He asked himself. "Things sure have changed." He said under his breath. "I, uh..." The guardian hesitated. "I'm just a temp, ladies. I don't really...that is... I'm not sure I'm comfortable with people who are outside The System using its computers." He said in a rather nervous voice. ~Then again, I did say I'd help them with anything.~ He reminded himself as his gaze wandered away from the girls. "But..."

Val sighed. He knew he should help them, but at the same time he didn't want to get reprimanded by Mother Sera for this later. Allowing outsiders to access System files and/or equipment was a serious offence, and unless he could justify it he would be in big trouble.

~No! They're Juno's allies. I'm sure he would do the same.~ Finally, the Guardian Unit came to a decision. "I promised to aid you in any way I could, so I'll do exactly that. If it's all the same to you though, I'd be more comfortable if you let me operate the computers. At least then I can say I didn't let you touch anything." He added the last part half-joking, and smiled the whole time he spoke. The Ancient then moved forward a few steps and held out his hand, hoping one of the girls would give him the sample.

"O...kay." Val said as he took the blood sample. He had no idea what was happening here. Why were these girls so fascinated with this boy's body? Well, sure, he was attractive, but come on, this was taking things a bit too far.

The Guardian Unit moved over to the controls, and slipped the blood sample into a little slot designated for such activity. "Making sure your boyfriend is good and healthy before you, uh...?" Val finished by clearing his throat and giving Alasea a half-smile. Again, this was mostly a joke to lighten the mood, but he rather doubted it would succeed so he gave it little time to sink in. "But seriously, what exactly am I looking for?" Val asked as his fingers moved like lightning across the controls, activating the tests Alasea had requested.

In Europe, at the throne of Donovan, the massive shadow-creature sat with one of his General’s before him. He was only 5’6”, and appeared basically human aside from his clawed fingertips and demonic feet. His attire, which in fact was a part of him, was like that of a ninja. His feet were covered with tabi boots that rose up to his knees, where they flared toward the outside and back of his body and made razor sharp blades. Along the outside of his thighs there were 6 Japanese throwing knives (or shuriken). On his forearm and hands he wore lightweight guards with 3-inch spikes, which stuck out on an upward angle while his arms were down at his sides. Around his neck was a tattered black scarf of sorts that hung down to about the middle of his back, and over his face he had a fairly traditional ninja mask aside from the metallic plate on the forehead that seemed to resemble a rising sun, but was of course, black. His eyes, like many shadow-creatures, were a glowing purple.

“General Kazama, what is your assessment of the situation in Japan?” Donovan asked lowly, but still his voice shook the ground ever so slightly.
“My unit and I have completed the task, sire, and I believe our plan will be a success.” The General replied in a raspy baritone.
“How sure are you, General? We must not fail.” He said firmly, but not because he doubted Kazama’s abilities, he was merely being extra careful.
“I am ninety-eight percent certain, Your Majesty. With the aid of the battalions I specified the operation should take no more than three minutes once we have arrived in Japan.”
“Make it two.” The Beast said frigidly.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You are dismissed.” Donovan stated, and then Kazama bowed, and then vanished like a breeze of black smoke.

As Val read the scans along with the girls he found himself greatly confused. ~What in the world is this? I thought this was supposed to be R.D. we were looking at... So why does this look more like the readouts for an Ancient rather than a human?~ "What is that kid eating?" He half-joked once more. "I don't think it's Wheaties." He added in a slightly sing-song manner.

"That can't be right!" Tomoko's shout drew Val's attention back to the scans and more specifically to the part where they found the Dark-link.
"Wha...?" He muttered. "No, no, nononononono." The Ancient turned and looked at the girls, trying to seem reassuring. "I've done my research on the Dark-link; it was part of the required reading for taking this position. Only beings of absolute evil can harness it. If you're not evil you don't get to use it. I mean, there's just..." He paused, and then looked at the scans again. "Computer, side-by-side comparison with same scans from life form alpha-003-N-S." He said in a rather grave tone that had a hint of worry.

Off to the left of R.D.'s scans appeared the scans of a truly vile being, and one known to have the ability to use the Dark-link. Val glanced back and forth, again and again, and tried to deny the similarities but he couldn't...not logically. "Overlay the scans of both life forms." The computer obeyed, and then it all became too real. The only difference in the scans, as far as the link was concerned, was the size and development. "He's really..." Suddenly, Val got very serious and turned his head to the girls. "How did this happen? Was he seeded?"

Val's mind was reeling from this back and forth conversation the girls were having. They were discussing events he had no idea about for the most part, but then they started talking about Balances. This was ridiculous. R.D. couldn't be a Dark Balance; he was a light warrior. Plus, Val had no idea where they got this idea that only a Dark Balance could use the Dark-link.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Let's not get ahead of ourselves, ladies." The Ancient said as he waved his hands in front of him, trying to stop the two females for a moment. "The Dark-link can be refined and accessed by any being of darkness with the proper level of power and intelligence. Life form alpha-003-N-S was not a Dark Balance but had refined and accessed the Dark-link."

"Come on, Ancient, just tell it like it is." A gravelly voice said from above. "Or his name still forbidden?"
Val let out a shout of surprise as he looked up to see the late Dark Balance slowly descending toward him.
"Hm. You would think people would be used to this by now." He thought aloud as he landed behind the two girls and Val, his eyes fixed on the scans. ~So that's what he meant...~ He thought in regard to the entity he had heard in Heaven. "Good evening ladies. Brushing up on your chronicles of darkness?" He asked with a cockeyed grin.

"Do not presume to know the inner workings of a mind as advanced as mine, little girl." Kuro said coldly but calmly. "Perhaps I merely want to see my impostor brought down off of a throne that should have been mine. Or maybe I'm just bored and thought I would have a bit of fun with you mortals. Then again, maybe I have far more devious plans in mind; more complex than your simple brain could even begin to comprehend." The late Balance's eyes shined like the sun at dawn as he spoke, showing a vague resemblance of the great villain he once was. But, the glow soon died down, and Kuro calmed himself.

"I'm sorry, that was kind of mean." He said with a crooked grin. "But, to answer your question: No. I did not know about this mutation. It's actually a bit startling. It is rather similar to what happened with an Ancient... In fact, the very Ancient this Guardian is showing us." The late Balance turned and looked Val in the eyes. "That is why you brought up his scans, isn't it?"

Val tried to look away, but Kuro's gaze was gripping. "Yes." He finally replied.
"As I suspected." Kuro muttered, mostly to himself.

"Contrary to popular belief? I am Kuro, the most feared creature in this dimension, and the first in the Beta dimension to use the Dark-link. I know what the Dark-link is and is not. You read the cover of a book and believe you know its content, and then you go even further to try and teach on the last chapter, all the while your so-called student is the author." Kuro said, sounding a bit upset and rather offended.

He hated to admit it, but these girls were partially right. They were not, however, correct about the Dark-link not being a tool of darkness. Beings of light had used it, yes, but only after being infected by evil in one way or another. Even so, this did not make up for the way they had insulted his intelligence.

The late Balance turned back to the readouts and addressed everyone in the room. "The Dark-link at its base level is just a universal telepathic link between beings of evil or darkness. It even has a universal language. But if you can develop it, strengthen it, it becomes a Dark Balance's ultimate tool, and in some cases a nearly impossible weapon to defeat." Kuro replied, his own arms now crossed. "If you travel to some of the other Eight Known Dimensions you'll find that the current Balances of Darkness were chosen to be students of the past Balance because they possessed the potential to use the Dark-link in such a way that they could manipulate beings of darkness--a power that is usually exclusive to Dark Balances."

"So, in a nutshell, R.D. has the potential to become a Balance?" Val asked as he looked up at Kuro.
"No." He said frigidly. "R.D. is at a crossroads. I do not know how he obtained this ability, but if he uses it rashly, abuses it, he may very well open the door to his innermost evil. He could end up like the Ancient before us...another NightShade."
Val trembled at the name. NightShade was one of the most feared beings of the Ancients' history; some even kept with the old tradition of not speaking his name.

Kuro turned to his side, and stared harshly at Alasea. "Watch him like a hawk." He said firmly. "I have seen this, Alasea. Do not take it lightly. Do not be foolish and think of it as a gift from above to be used against your enemies. It is a gateway. Abuse it and R.D. is gone..." Kuro gave a moment to let his words sink in, and then moved closer to Alasea and Tomoko. "Now I don't know where you get your information, or what you think you know about the Dark-link, but if R.D. is able to use it then there is something evil within that boy that is itching to get out. The Galmon dimension saw the same thing with Hayden Cross; he used to be a champion of light, but something dark inside him took hold and he soon became known as Crucifix on account of the fact that he nailed up his most challenging opponents on crosses or trees. The Ancients saw it happen with NightShade, and in another dimension with Azaleas." Again the spirit paused, giving the girls a little time to think about what he had said. "So, at the risk of sounding like a broken record: Don't screw around with it. Figure out how it got there and get it under control."

Kuro just shrugged as the verbal knives shot at him, as if to say "that's true". He knew full well what kind of legacy he had left behind, and knew it was only because of his title and final act that God allowed him into Heaven.

"I'm not too worried that you'll want to use it, I am, however, concerned that R.D. will think this new-found power of his is something to play with, or hone. You're the sane one in the relationship, Alasea...the safe one. So I'm putting it on you to make sure your lover doesn't act a fool." The spirit said almost gingerly, his demeanor now much softer than before.

"What we need to figure out now is why he has the access without having the problems that come with it. Why he's developing an access while lacking the evil influence that comes with such tainting from Shayol Ghul."
~Shayol Ghul? That place Ziatoch rules?~ Kuro thought to himself.

He continued to listen to what the girls had to say, and tried to make sense of the situation in his head. "No." He answered. "Never. At least, not in our dimension. You might try getting a hold of the E.D.C. and asking them, but their very existence is practically a mystery, so contacting them isn't going to be easy." Suddenly, a light bulb turned on in Kuro's head. "Wait a minute. You've secured a way into Ventre, haven't you?"

(OOC: Muahahahah! It's all part of my evil plan! ... JK.
Also, Morphy, if my teeny auto-hit is not okay just tell me and I'll change it.)

Lament just kept backing away from each attack, just barely enough to dodge the strikes. Finally, when the girl made a most unexpected and unorthodox attack he jumped and did something of a barrel roll over the girl, landed on the other side of her in a crouched position and smacked her on the behind.

With an impish grin on his face he jumped a good seven yards away, and gracefully sat down in a rocking chair that materialized out of nowhere. He had his right foot up on his left knee, and his arms on the rests. "Sorry...just couldn't resist." The Balance gave the girl a wink as he sat comfortably in his chair awaiting her next attack.

"Yes, the Five could be a major problem for the Daughters if one of you were to go missing..." Kuro muttered to himself. "Alasea, do you think you can convince R.D. to not go straight to Ventre? It is important for many reasons that he doesn't go there alone, and has this condition examined."

"Try to make him understand that this weapon could be the end of his sanity." Kuro turned away, and sighed. He took a few steps away from the group, and then looked back over his shoulder. "I'll get things set up for his arrival... R.D. must travel to the bottom of The Nexus. I'm counting on you, Alasea." Without another word, and without warning, the spirit of the Dark Balance vanished.