Shintaion Resistance

*La Verde's Restaraunt*

The president herself sighed as she said, "Forgive her..That's just the way she is. That heirloom meant a lot to her. She just is so restless without it, she was supposed to inherit it one day. Her father is out fighting aganist the dark beast as we speak and her mother went to a military clinic to work. It's something truly sacred to her and the dark beasts violated that. I wish we knew more so I could have told her exactly what they were truly after..."

"So that's her story. She's a difficult person but not a bad one by any means. I just wish she hadn't insisted on fighting me so much. But she really refuses to quit, she's got quite a spirit."Shi had his say on the matter.

Heather then said simply, "Yes she does. I hope she'll join the Resistance unit. She might even strike fear into the dark beasts. And don't worry about her, she'll be back in here soon. She just needs fresh air and to be able to think to herself."

Shi contemplated to himself for a moment about joining the Resistance. He really didn't have much to lose though at this point, he had virtually no money to his name and nothing to really hold him back from going. "I'd be doing a lot more good if I joined up and fought those dark beasts. They've gone too far attacking us like this.I wonder what is Edmund up to? I don't think he'd be pleased with the way things are going. But reasoning with the dark beasts at this point is impossible. They'd rather just kill us all than negotiate seeing as they're winning the war..'

He looked over at Heather and told her with a serious look on his face,"Sign me up for that Resistance please, Heather. I'm a hundred percent sure! There will be no peace if the dark beasts succeed. I think I have enough power to help stop them and I'm willing to use it!"

Heather was rather surprised Shi would sign up so fast but happy about at the same time. "Shi..Thank you. I'll handle the paperwork after this. Glad to have you aboard." She looked over at Cecilia then.

"You don't have to follow his example. Please give it more time than that. This Resistance unit isn't going to ship out in the morning, the afternoon is most likely. So you can talk with your family if need be. I don't want anyone to join unless they're sure they will be willing to do this. It's no easy task." Heather said to Cecilia, trying to help her out in her decision.

"Yeah..She's got a point. It's easy for me since I don't really have a place to call home anymore..You might not believe it but I was involved in a fight a few years back... During that fight, me and Killard caused some rifts to appear and the tower began to explode...Instead of dying though, I was sent five years into the future by some of these rifts apparently. I missed a lot. Now I know everything that's going on. I'm not going to do anyone any good by just hanging out in this city and trying to live a normal life. That's why this choice was so easy for me, it's the right thing. In your case, the right choice might not be as clear." Shi explained to Heather and Cecilia.

The waiters then walked in and said, "Pardon my intrusion, your food will be here shortly, President Halberd. We apologize for making you wait." Heather smilied and said, "It's ok. We're certainly not in a hurry." The waiter then left.
 
Melissa leaned on the railing outside, exhaling deeply as she gave herself a chance to be by herself for a moment's peace.

"Goddamned brutes...taking what isn't theirs to begin with..." She took another deep breath and exhaled again. bringing a fist down on the railing.

"It's more than a frickin' trinket, something they couldn't begin to understand..."

She brought both fists down on the railing now, letting a low metallic noise as her fists met metal.

"He's gotten himself into something he's going to WISH he hadn't even thought about...And he's not going to escape this punishment..."

She sighed, and walked back to the door, opening it calmly, though she didn't sit at the table quite yet.

"Look, I'll join the damn team, but don't expect me to play goody-goody for you, even if you are a friend. And I won't guarantee the safety of the asshole who did this, so spare me the lecture."
 
*La Verde's Restaraunt*

"Welcome to the team then, Melissa. And don't worry, I've no intention of protecting an enemy combatant." Heather said simply, happy that she now had one more person in the Resistance.

"Well Ms.President Halberd, I need to talk this over with my family. It's really short notice. I'd be happy to do it but I know it's a big decision to make."Cecilia said honestly, knowing that jumping into such a decision would be a mistake.

"That's fine with me, Cecilia. Just make sure to tell me as soon as you make your decision. The unit won't be shipping out in the early morning..There will be time. For now, let's all just enjoy this fine meal." Heather responded, looking optimistic that she would still join.

*The next day,12:00 PM*

Cecilia had decided to join the Resistance. She informed Heather of her decision. The unit was now complete! Heather sent out the calls to everyone to let them to gather at the Abscus Airport and said goodbye to their loved ones/close friends for now.

*Abscus Airport*

Monsoon and Ramia took this time to say their goodbyes.. Ramia's father, Roland Flint was there in person as was her mother, Mariya Flint. They were rather wealthy and stuck-up and well dressed for the occasion.

Monsoon on the other hand, his foster parents already had said goodbye to him, but they were rather saddened his decision. They didn't want to see him go but Miles Decatur, a water beast whom was the son of Monsoon's adopted family did decide to walk with him. They were good friends whom were like brothers having grown up together. He wasn't wearing anything particularity fancy.

"Damn dude, don't go dying on me here. The family appreciates all you're doing for us. Just make those dark beasts thugs crawl back to that glorified wasteland they call they call home. I know you can do it, man. You always were good at fighting, just like your old man." Miles earnestly said to Monsoon.

"Heh. Thanks Miles. I just hope war isn't as horrific as they say it is. You can watch movies or read books but it's nothing compared to actually going out to fight in it." Monsoon said, looking a bit down.

"Nah, don't say that. Besides you got Ramia, heh-heh-heh. She'll keep you company. Did finally ask her out? Or are you still thinking she might like humans more than beasts? Her father looks more like a penguin in that outfit than a human." Miles said somewhat loudly. "SSSSSSSSSSH!" Monsoon said as he urged Miles to be quiet. Monsoon sighed as he could tell Ramia did not hear it.

"Watch your mouth! For the record, no. Just being raised by humans probably is the reason she's not in touch with our culture as much. I'll ask her when the time is right. Simple as that. I've no intention of dying so I've got all the time in the world to do so. Other beasts are intimidated by either me or her family so they know not to ask her out." Monsoon said quietly, whispering to Miles.

Suddenly, Ramia's father walked over to Monsoon. He glared disapprovingly of Mile's prescience. Miles stepped away to give Monsoon and Roland room.

Roland Flint spoke, "Ahem, Mr.Griffith, now that that unsavory character is out of ear-range. I must tell you..Take care of my daughter for me. You must promise me you will. For I can no longer protect her once she's on enemy territory. I heard of that close call you had with that devil Amon Ra. You cannot be a part of this family if you're not able to protect her." Monsoon nodded and said, "Mr.Flint, she won't die on my watch! She matters a lot to me too. I promise. And it's one I can easily keep." Roland then nodded, "Good. That's all I wanted. You're a good man, Monsoon. My wife doesn't quite care for you yet but perhaps in due time that will change. Don't fail to meet our expectations, I will hold you responsible if anything happens. Farewell!"

With that, Roland walked away and Miles walked back over to Monsoon. "That man's outfit may be silly looking to me but he has got one hell of an evil eye. Figures, his company deals in all sorts of dangerous stuff. I don't like him one bit. It's just a good thing he's with us aganist the dark beasts, it's their problem to worry about what sort of twisted weapons they're working on. Man, I still remember that incident the company was involved in all those years ago...All those people died because of the testing went wrong. I can't believe he can sleep at night with that weighing on him. All it would have taken was more safety regulations. He only got away with it because of his mountains of cash. Money is power in this world."

Monsoon commented simply,"I don't like him that much either...But he's her father. I have to deal with him. My chances with Ramia are gone if I speak out aganist him... But don't worry, karma will get him one day if he keeps acting like that. It's not my job to be the judge or the jury here. I'm shipping out anyhow, I got to worry about the dark beasts, they've killed more people than he or his company's weapons have."

Ramia's parents left as Ramia called out to Monsoon,"Hey let's get going here, the President is going to brief us on the mission! Let's not keep her waiting any longer!"

"Gotta go huh? I don't think they'd let a guy like me into a room with the President anyhow.. Well later Monsoon. I wish you good luck. I'm looking forward to the day Shintaion is ours again! Keep up the good fight! Bye Monsoon! We're all rooting for you and Ramia, hell and everyone in the Resistance and the Army! Send the dark beasts back to the Underworld where they belong!" He shook Monsoon's hand. "Yeah, I'll see you later Miles. Much later. Take good care of the family for me." "Sure thing, your money certainly is gonna help. It might be a dangerous job but it'll pay handsomely at least! Take care, man!" Miles said as he left and waved goodbye.

Monsoon then caught up to Ramia. "Are you ready for this, Monsoon? There's no turning back now." "Yeah, of course I am. My father could handle this and so can I! Those dark beasts are going to regret starting this war!" Ramia smilied as Monsoon looked very resolute now, perhaps to impress her.

They reached the secure area in which the President was located at. They made it through security and entered the room, seeing Heather was there along with the others in the unit.

"Phew. Doesn't look like we're that late..Ah well. Staying longer with Miles and the family would just make it harder to say goodbye anyhow. But I'm ready to go. Got everything packed I needed..Even the booze."Monsoon grinned as he said to Ramia rather quietly. She shrugged.
 
Everyone seemed to be saying good bye to their family and friends as if they were being shipped out on some sort of suicide mission. Although it was sort of a suicide mission even though they haven’t been briefed on it yet. Attacking these dark beasts in any fashion was bound to have its list of casualties. Shi did not feel all too left out in the end. He still had his only childhood friend from before still with him, Heather Halberd. They did talk over lunch a bit but he knew she still had a few things to mention to him.

Once good byes were out of the way everyone filtered into a reserved terminal of the airport. Numerous uniformed and well armed men patrolled this airport inside and out. Originally designed for civilians, the airport had been commandeered by the military in order to function central dispatch units over long distances in large numbers. Once we were all inside the President directed everyone to sit as a nearby television screen was operated by a small remote in her hand.
”Alright everyone here is the situation. As most of you know the dark beasts have taken over all of Shintaion, claimed Lavion, and then finally took Teros after many years of fighting. Now both Abscus and Shrivisk are pitted against these intruders in a group effort to send them back to the Underworld. I want all of you to forget everything you heard on the news, between friends, and war buddies on the battlefield. Our current situation is nearing a critical point.” Heather clicked a switch and a new picture showed up.

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”This is the Central Data Core of the entire continent of Teros. Myths and rumors about its actual size have circulated the general public for awhile now but the truth of it is; that core was crafted out of the original land mass that Teros was. It holds vast amounts of military data everything from a simple spy gadget to the most advanced deadly technology. The self destruct codes were entered in before Teros was completely lost, however, the crucial Data Core remained. The information, although mostly damaged, is still readily available for dark beast use. If they get a hold of this information they will end this war even faster than you can say Magi.” Heather’s stern attitude about the situation reminded Shi about the past. Their revolution was directed mostly in the same manner, the vital importance of the mission. ”Your job as a team will be to take out this core and if at all possible retrieve data on the dark beasts from the core before destroying it.” Shi’s overly protective X38 program saw a problem with the plan.
”I have delved back into old files about Teros and there is a problem with your plan Ms. Halberd. If this Data Core is destroyed wouldn’t the power to the servos also shut down?”

”What servos are you talking about?” Shi asked hoping to get a better understanding of what this meant.
”The servos control the pneumatics on the mechanical docks to protect them from high tides, ruff waters, and disastrous weather. In essence if these servos are shut down seventy six percent of Teros could risk anywhere from minimal structural damage to catastrophic structural failure.”

”True, the risk of sinking most of Teros into the water has come to our attention. Everyone agrees that taking out the servo system will also take out a good portion of the dark beasts. The system has already been heavily damaged and the emergency systems are down. The only thing keeping that place together is the central core. Even though we would practically destroy an entire continent, taking back Teros would alleviate a lot of tension on the Shrivisk front and western Abscus will not have to put up with anymore bombardment.”
”So how do you plan to make that place fail with them still on it and make sure we carry out our mission safely?” Shi asked.
”We will be using a diversion technique. For it to work you need to complete a second and maybe even third mission first before you can take on Teros. Several air raids have left the middle of Shrivisk torn. There are two distinct lines the dark beasts hold and slowly they are merging together. We are trying our best to get supplies to the front line but we are waging a war on land, air, and sea. Our resources are dwindling and if anything scrapping Teros will give us an entire new life to this war. The dark beasts have taken control on both lines anti air guns of several types. There is no shipping anything through the air anymore. That is why you will be dropped off at the closest base to the front line, Alameda. From there you will be given more specifics as to what the situation is and what will cripple them. I cannot go the whole way with you but at least I can send you all off. So who’s still in?”
 
Before the informational meeting others who had signed up for the resistance were biding their farewells to loved ones. Black Crow on the other hand only had themselves, they were family. Just as Annabell still was, even though at least to the government she was still missing in action.

Black Crow sat through the informational presentation and were actually excited to get the operation underway. They had been searching for a way to get back to Teros and this was it. There hope had been restored. As the President asked the vital question on who was still willing to commit to this possible suicide mission Black Crow without a doubt in their minds knew this was the best shot they were going to get, and were getting paid to boot.
They didn't have any questions and they rarely did they worked best as a team and could always jimmy up a solution in a dire situation. It was Annabell who always had so many questions it could last days.

For only a moment they looked at each other and stood up simultaneously and enthusiastically said "We're in!" hoping to give the rest of the room the confidence to continue on with them, after all it was fight or surrender and everyone knew surrendering would be a fruitless endeavor.
 
Monsoon thought to himself"Allright! The Black Crow folks made it! Cool. But this is a difficult decision to make..But there's no reason to back out now! Those dark beasts laid waste to my hometown! There's no way in hell I'm going to just sit on my ass and let them do as they please with this world! That and maybe, just maybe I'll get to settle the score with that Amon Ra jackass! With the lovely Ramia by my side, this will work out just fine something tells me."

Ramia had a similar reaction as she also pondered the mission,"Hm they're here..Good. I know they're skilled can handle this! Certainly are good to have as teammates. The choice is a simple one. This job will pay handsomely and I will finally be able to find out about who my real parents are if all goes well...I'll finally know my heritage! This is an opportunity I cannot let slip on by. Stopping those monstrous dark beasts in process is a bonus. They have to be taught a lesson, whatever their reasons or motives for waging this war may be, they delight too much in destruction and death."

Ramia looked at Monsoon who nodded, communicating he was ready for this. She then said, "We'd be honored to take part in this. Both Monsoon and myself are in still!"

Cecilia thought to herself"I'm glad I can be of some help to fighting the dark beasts. I can't just stay here in this city..This is the right thing to do. I know dad didn't want to see me go too but I can do so much more good by being a part of this Resistance than I would just staying here where it's safe."

Speaking resolutely, Cecilia responded to Heather after paying close attention to the details,"Yes I am still going to take part in this. This is no time to be giving up. It will be dangerous but I know it's our best shot! I know we can do this!"She was prepared as well. She had said her goodbyes as well. But she knew she made the right choice, like her brothers before her whom were fighting the dark beasts as she spoke.

"Heh she's certainly got some spunk. That's the spirit! We can't go into this mission with low morale, we have to believe we can do it and that we'll make it out alive! I'm getting good vibes from these people. We can all pull this thing off!"Monsoon thought.
 
Melissa waited impatiently for everyone to board the ship, tapping her foot every so often. Finally, everyone began to move, and she followed suit, taking a seat inside. As Heather gave her speech, Melissa put her elbow on her knee, holding her head up with her hand as she let loose a blatant show of boredom, and began to stare at Shi with a narrow gaze for moments on end, before turning away, lost in her own thoughts about her precious heirloom.

"...It's not just an heirloom.....It's....


"....So who's still in?"

Melissa lazily waved her hand once, still sitting in that bored position.

"You know, you really have a tendency to drone on, Heather. But then, you've always been like that, haven't you?"

Melissa sighed lightly, being one of the nicest things she'd done the entire day.

"Just wake me up when it's time."
 
It was clear they were all resolute in their decision to stay with the Resistance and to partake in a mission that was far beyond dangerous. It was then everyone began to board the airship that would take them to Alameda.

Monsoon and Ramia were ready as they grabbed their suitcases, after all they couldn't bring too much with them. There would be little if any off-time..

Ramia was bothered by something. She thought to herself,"That person who informed us about Amon Ra when he called me..He wasn't here.. Did his attackers get him...Or is he just someone who couldn't get in here due to his issues with the government? I just wish he would have told us more. I don't like being in the dark and if he knows more, he should tell us everything..."

Monsoon also thought to himself,"Man. This is it. Goodbye to peaceful times. But at least this way I can do good for the country. Even if I don't break out of my father's shadow or surpass his so called legend, least I know I'm doing what's right."

They both seemed to be rather impressed with the ship as they looked around it. It wasn't everyday one was able to board a military airship after all.

"Wow. I wonder who designed this exactly. Hmm maybe a rival of my father's company? They did good either way, this ship could definitely hold out if we got attacked.."Ramia said to Monsoon.

"Yeah. I'm not big on technology, I rather just fly myself, it'd be good exercise but for safety purposes, the amount of people you can take on em, and all the cargo they can hold, airships can't be beat. Now let's get us a nice seat by a window."He lead Ramia two seats he liked. He let Ramia sit by the window while he took the seat next to her. Seeing the world from high up wasn't a very big deal to Monsoon being a wind beast.

He muttered to himself quietly,"Damn! Forgot my booze. Should have taken that out of the case so I could sample it a bit on here..Well at least the clothes are giving it padding so it won't break in there or anything..."

Hearing Monsoon's muttering Ramia scolded him,"Monsoon!!! Did I really just hear that? You're going to make us look bad! Just save it for when this war is over...That'll be something worth celebrating."

Monsoon laughed it off but did not entirely disregard Ramia's concerns,"I wasn't going to have that much of it.. They'd never notice a difference in my behavior, it takes a lot to make me act up. You have to lighten up, broaden your horizons anyhow Ramia. I know, it's a thin line between making the most of life and making a fool of yourself. But I know I can remain in the middle of it at least. I'll just save it like you want me to so don't worry."

Ramia let out a sigh of relief, although still frustrated by Monsoon's antics. She was glad at least he listened to her. Their partnership may not have been flawless but they truly did work well together and balanced out each others weaknesses or shortcomings.
 
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C e c i l i a Skye /x\ Little sister extraordinaire

Cecilia lugged her single suitcase up the ramp into the airship. Everyone seemed to be hesitant in boarding, but she was hoping to take off already. The longer she stayed here, the more she wanted to-- The pink haired girl stopped to stare outside. She could imagine her father in his lab right now; he had said something about working on unlimited technomancers - something totally unheard of. Cecilia smiled at the thought. She felt a strange sense of pride in her father's involvement in the research. The same pride she felt when that magic flowed from her fingertips. She held up her free hand, staring at her palm, her eyes watering slightly. She was doing exactly what she had dreamed of doing. She'd never thought she'd get the chance, but she'd always prayed for it. Now, here she was, boarding the ship to Alameda, to the life she'd chosen. She let out a breath and closed her eyes, feeling a sense of calm from the thought.

Her brothers, all three macho men that they were, had been totally against the idea. Last night, she tried her best to convince them that she was strong enough to go off on her own. They were going to lock her up in the house if she spoke of it again. She laughed to herself quietly. She loved them so. But she could see how much they worked for their ideals. Each of her brothers, starting with the eldest had become her father's guinea pigs when the lab needed people to test the first technomancer discoveries. They were not afraid to face something as risky as that, and yet, in their brotherly protectiveness, they were stopping her from doing what she wanted. She couldn't blame them. If she had not been just a baby, she would have been against their father putting their lives in danger with the experimenting, too. But now, she too, was a technomancer, although now it was rather common and safe.

She was thankful for the warmth of her family. She really was. But she wanted to do something on her own. Not her father's research or brothers' heroics. She wanted to achieve something as Cecilia Skye. That's all there was to it. That was why, she sneaked out of her room at dawn and tried to escape past her brothers. Her father had caught her, of course. And after a short chat, he had accepted her ideals and wished her the best. He would speak to her brothers, he promised. Cecilia smirked. They were probably on their way here to take her home. She knew it was too late, though. She wasn't going to turn back.

She loved her family. She was doing this because she wanted everyone to be able to enjoy the warmth and happiness of a family, too.

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Melissa glanced at the last passenger, Cecilia, lazily, muttering just loud enough for her to hear.

"So they let the baby bird fly the coop, huh? Just don't go and die out there.'

She returned to resting the side of her face against the wall, drawing light from her free hand, forming a little ball with a tiny thread of light, allowing it to rest in the palm of her hand, spinning slowly. She stared at it, almost entranced by the simple form she held. She waved her palm, and the ball disappeared into the armlet quickly. She noticed the sun was beginning to set, meaning she had to conserve the remaining light she could catch. She returned to staring at the wall lazily, waiting to take off.
 
Black Crow boarded the massive airship and took their seats. "How long do you think it'll take to get there?" Estelle asked Jericho. "Depending on the route we take to get there it could be from a couple hours to a day or two. It all depends if we need to avoid any dark beast spots. So you might as well get comfortable."
Estelle slouched at this response she wasn't a huge fan of possibly having to wait a few days but there was nothing she could do about it.
"Don't worry about it Stelle" Cyrus said to her with a smile "I'll entertain you!" "Yeah because I need an idiot like you to entertain me! I could do better things with my time" she retorted.
"Fine if you don't want a private tour of the ship feel free to just sit there. I happen to have a friend who works on here and well he knows where all the fun places are but by all means enjoy yourself." Cyrus said as he relaxed with his arms behind his head.
"Wha..What?" Estelle said stammering "Anything to get my out of sitting here in boredom let's go!" She leapt up and grabbed Cyrus's arm dragging him through out the ship. "Hold up!" Cyrus said trying to slow down "You don't even know where you're going!"
 
After a long flight they arrived at the base. It was bustling with activity and well secured and fortified. They were troops patrolling outside, inside and guarding the entrances to all vital areas. It was in very good condition since it wasn't on the front line of the war, just close to it. Thus one could not feel as much despair or low morale, the troops were in rather high spirits here it seemed.

A group of soldiers greeted the Resistance and the president, "We are honored by your prescience, President Halberd. We also welcome this newly formed Resistance unit as well. Welcome to Alameda. We wish you luck and great success in your missions to come."

"That's nice of em to welcome us like that.. But guess they kinda have to, the President is here after all." Monsoon thought.

One of the troops, a lower ranking one stated, "Follow me to the briefing room. Your commanding officer will give you all the details and the strategies you will need..You will have to wait outside for a bit however, it's not quite ready yet. Just wait here until it is. This way you will be better prepared for what is to come."

"Meh.. This wait is dull.. Sure I'm not eager to go to war but not too much to do right now.."Monsoon pondered, looking rather bored.

Shi decided to introduce himself to the others seeing this as an opportunity, "Since we've got the time.. Might as well make introductions. I am Shi, it's good to meet you all..."

"Shi? That name is..familiar somehow..."Ramia speculated in her mind, recognizing it yet having some difficulty.

"The Name's Monsoon, Monsoon Griffith. I'm a mercenary and the lovely Ramia right here is my partner, heh. Mercenary partner."Ramia did not react to Monsoon's odd choice of words but instead introduced herself, "Yes...I am Ramia, Ramia Flint. Monsoon's partner."

Feeling the need to elaborate Monsoon added,"Yeah, you may have heard of us. I dunno, we were pretty big time, taking down dangerous criminals, fugitives even a few terrorists in our time. But this one is different. This is personal, the dark beasts destroyed my home town..Money is good but making those dark beast's pay for what they've done is more important to us."

"I am sorry to hear that...But at least you're here now, you can do something about it. Definitely does make you feel less powerless this way than just staying a mercenary where it's safe, away from the dark beasts."Shi responded.

Ramia finally concluded, "I know who you are now. You're that Shi from Nostria, one of the people responsible for all the big changes those years ago. I read about you in my senior class history! But this is crazy...They said you died in those towers...But how come you're not any older than us?"

Shocking everyone who didn't know about it yet, X-23 spoke"That is negative. Shi did not die that day due to a temporal rift propelling him five years into the future. Thus time went on without him and he was thought to have perished long ago."

Caught off guard Monsoon exclaimed"Whoa! That thing talks? Does it have any good games on there? Or does it just talk technobabble?"Monsoon wasn't serious about it having games, but joked anyhow.

"It's X-23, portable all purpose information storage and retrieval device.. It's name is long so I just call it X-23. It's much simpler that way. So yeah, it's ruled by logic and it doesn't have any sort of games I'm afraid. It's not your average machine. But now you know everything, Ramia. It's good to see things went rather well without me, excluding this war of course..."

"It's amazing you're here, that certainly was quite close from the sound of it, there's no telling where else it could have sent you. I don't think anyone could have prevented this war though..The dark beasts have a grudge aganist us and now they're acting upon it.....Least that's what I believe..Too much of history was lost to really know for sure their motivations for this.."Ramia explained.

"I'm glad no one's recognized me yet...I don't want to have to tell stories about my father again...I hate when that happens, it just overshadows what I've done and that I'm trying to make a name for myself.." He dwelt upon the past in his thoughts.

Talking to no one in particular,"Yeah..Eh talking about the past talk isn't for me though.. It doesn't get us out of what's going on in the present. Still,that is pretty cool to know you did all that, Shi...Now...What about the rest of you? Who are you? Err, we already know some of you but...Let's hear it."

This was a good diversion and a good idea at the same time.. Getting to know each other would help them. After all, they'd have to get along as a group and a team to survive. No sense being strangers to one another.
 
The sound of introductions woke Melissa up in a less-than-pleasant mood.

"Gee, thanks for waking me up, really...It's not polite to keep a young lady waiting, you know..."
"My name's Melissa, I'm here to get something of mine back. You get in my way, you pay the same price that bastard beast is going to pay. Other than that, we'll be perfectly happy friends."

The last bit was more than sarcastic than anything. She stared back at Shi again, blocking out the droning sound of the one speaking at the moment. What a bore...
 
After the rather intense flight for Cyrus being dragged around the ship by Estelle it had finally ended and he could take a rest. Except now they had to stand again as everyone was milling around the base and it seemed the recruits were making introductions, well Monsoon was anyway. "AUGH I'm pooped" Cyrus droned as he sat and then laid back on the ground. "Oh c'mon Cyrus! Don't you want to look around?" Estelle said nudging him with her foot in a teasing fashion. "Not when you had me run a personal marathon on an airship!" he retorted. "Oh stop it you two, introductions are commencing and we should pay attention." Jericho stated and the two kids straightened up and listened to his orders.

After Melissa spoke they figured it was their turn. Jericho spoke for them "We are Black Crow. I'm Jericho and I head the unit, the boy with the rifle is Cyrus and the girl in the armour suit is Estelle. We hope to fight along side you valiantly." It may have been somewhat of a stuffy and polite introduction but Jericho couldn't help it, he reverted back to his days of his military training.
 
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C e c i l i a Skye /x\ Little sister extraordinaire

Cecilia jumped into the conversation by throwing her arm around Shi's shoulders and lowering her head to grin at his watch,

"Hey X-23, wanna play tic-tac-toe? You can go first! If I win, I get to reprogram you with some games!"

She giggled, flicking up her finger to Monsoon and Ramia cheerfully.

"Monsoon, Ramia, Melissa, Jericho, Cyrus, and Estelle,"

she double-checked if she knew their names and then pulled her arm and away and put her hands on her hips,


"I'm Cecilia." she told them brightly.

"Black Crow, huh? We should have a cool name like that, too!" she said, "Since we're working together, after all.."



[/BG][/DASH]
 
Monsoon reacted to Melissa as he thought to himself,"She's not a friendly one, and just what did that beast steal from her? Ah well.. none of my business I suppose..Doubt she'd tell me even if I asked out loud."

Ramia speculated to herself,"She'd attack us if we got in the way of getting back whatever that beast stole? Are they sure she was a good choice for this Resistance? Perhaps her combat skills make up for her lack of social ones."

Shi already knew Melissa and what she was about. Thus he didn't seem caught off guard by her demeanor or anything she said. He was interested in the Black Crow members however. "Hmm, they must be experienced. Being polite like that is a plus as well. I'm glad they won't be difficult to work with. This is quite a good group we've got.".

Cecilia was well received as well by both Monsoon and Ramia. Being friendly was a good thing after all, seeing as how they'd be fighting alongside each other for a long while.

Upon hearing Cecillia's suggestion for a name of the group Ramia responded,"You know that's not a bad idea... Being called the Resistance might be simple but it is sort of plain..."

Pondering the concept Monsoon added,"Yeah but what could the name be? I mean it's hard to come up with a name that defines us all. Certainly is something to think about though hmm.."

Before they could have a longer conversation about a different name, a officer announced, "The briefing room is now open! Enter now as your commanding officer is ready to explain the mission."

*Alameda, Primary command*

The room was rather large, consisting of several computers, a projector like device, and bulletin boards set up with large maps of the strategic locations and a large table. A man was sitting down at a table in this room, in the center of it at the end nearest. ""Welcome members of the 91st Brigade, Resistance. You all may be seated, we have a lot to cover."

The man then introduced himself, "I am General Svosk and I will be your commander. It is a pleasure to be working with you all. Now you must know of the current situation here.."

The General then stood up and turned on a projector. It displayed a map of the region.
"You see, there are two lines the dark beasts have under their control. This first one is quite an issue, it is well fortified and even has trenches set up. The biggest problem it presents is the anti-air guns. Because of those we cannot get our supplies via air and nor can we supply air support."

"So you will enter a near-by cave that is not too far from this base. It will lead you to dark beast territory. From then on you will destroy all the anti-air guns as you push through the first line. Yes, you will have to contend with dark beasts in their territory but it's not as bad as mounting a full out assault and they will not be expecting you. We've made sure of that. Once you succeed, the second line will be easier to push through as you will approach it from behind."

"But it will generally be the same except easier, destroy the anti air guns there as well. After that we can then focus on taking the coastal base which we can use to attack Teros. Now...To quickly give you an idea of what you will be up aganist."

The general gave them a bit more advice as he changed the projector image to show an image of a dark beast.
"The dark beasts are not going to be easy to kill but you must not give up. Their weaknesses lie in light based energy or light based Technomancer abilities, two of you have such abilities so you will have an edge. Armor weaponry is also effective aganist them. There will be many of them you will fight, but luckily these are not their elite soldiers, they will not be easy but we believe you can overcome them. I would not deploy you on a futile mission."

He then concluded,"I cannot join you directly on the battlefield but I will stay in touch with you all. Now you all must prepare for this mission and then you will be off, time is of the essence. With that, you are dismissed. Good luck and godspeed, brave men and women of the Resistance."He gave them a salute as he sent them off.

A soldier then lead the members of the Resistance to an equipment room, where they could suit up and prepare their weapons/Armors and they were presented with some basic supplies, including some light water canteens and communication devices so they could easily contact the General or be contacted if the need arose.

Monsoon and Ramia were some of the first to finish. After all, they had to travel rather light and didn't use weapons. "It's finally happening. Our first mission..."Ramia said aloud to Monsoon. "Yeah...But the general gave us all the information we need...At first I thought this would be bleak but I'm getting the feeling we can do this!"

Shi also finished preparing as he did not need much either. Sure his orb was risky to use but he'd have no reason to hold back on the dark beasts.

This was it. The beginning of the Resistance's first mission, soon they would be leaving and it would be a while until they'd have a chance for any sort of break. There was definitely no turning back now, while this first mission would not be easy by any means. This was their time to prove themselves and even out the odds.
 
Black Crow entered the equipment room in which they all suited and readied for the battle ahead of them. Cyrus took a part and clean his sniper rifle thoroughly as he was the support of the team and protected them from any back attacks as well as being a forward observer. Estelle popped into Gomorrah and began the start up for her armour. She began flipping switches and the like checking all of her systems making sure they were ready to go and everything was in tip top shape. Lastly, Jericho began his stretching routine after all he needed to be limber if he was going to dodge dark beast attacks and rip them a new one.

Once Black Crow finished their personal rituals they were ready for the battle ahead, it was bound to be tough but they were ready for a challenge.
 
A soldier entered the room and told them all, "It is time..You all appear to be ready now but before you go...The President wishes to personally send you off..." He then opened the door for the President to enter.

"Svosk has given you all the information you need. I am confident you will succeed and am expecting great things from you all. This is unfortunately, as far as I can go with you all. I cannot neglect my own duties and I do not wish to make this base a target for the dark beasts with my prolonged prescience. To each and every one of you, I do not wish you good luck for luck does not win wars, it is the effort of all the men and women putting their lives on the line, including your own! I wish for your success and return when all is said and done! Farewell, 91st Brigade, Resistance!" With these parting words, she saluted the Resistance members and departed the area.

A higher ranking officer then told them all, "Your devices have been marked with the location of the cave in which you are to enter to reach dark beast territory. It's to the west of this base. It will be safe to use it as a passage and you will not find any dark beasts in it. Further orders or important information will be relayed to you if need be...That is all, the general has told you the rest of the details..."

"Well then. No sense staying here, let's get going!"Shi exclaimed, not exactly looking forward it to it yet but being rather optimistic about it knowing they clearly had a chance in such a mission, they were not up aganist the cream of the crop dark beasts, just the basic soldiers. Taking out the anti-air guns was more of the main focus than defeating every single last dark beast.

The Resistance unit then marched out of the base and to the cave. As they approached it, they could hear an unusual gust of wind. Monsoon was shocked as he recognized the sound."The hell??? There's no strong winds going on...That's not nature beyond that gust!"

"Another wind beast or a dark beast trap of some sort? This was not part of what were told! Let's move in carefully here. I don't like this one bit."Ramia said simply.

The Resistance moved slowly into the cave, moving deeper and deeper until they saw four dead dark beasts lying on the ground. There was little blood or other signs of injury on them, they were killed in a rather clean manner. Before any of them could react, a wind beast obstructed their path and spoke.

He clearly much older than Monsoon and much tougher looking. He wore light weight armor and a blue cloak with an odd insignia on it. He also had a sheath that fit a rapier like blade. He had about had a regal aura about him. One that also gave off the sense of his strength."Well met, Resistance. It seems our paths have crossed sooner than I anticipated. These dark beasts were scouts, perhaps they were onto the fact this cave leads into our territory as well. Never the less, they got in my way and had to perish by my hands for my sake and yours. They aren't much different from us, merely carrying out their own mission. But such is war. No negotiations means there is no other way but this primitive bloodshed that is war."He explained, with a small bit of sympathy.

Speaking loudly and angrily Monsoon called out,"What the hell, Father? Is that really you? You bastard! Where were you? I don't believe this! Just what are you even doing here?" "Ahem, mind your tongue my Son! You have changed quite a bit from whence last you, far more foul mouthed but much stronger and grown up. You've made me proud joining the Resistance. But yes, even I am surprised to still be here. It was quite an ordeal but it must wait. You've not the time for it and nor do I.

"My mission is one of grave consequence in this war. It will chance everything, depending on my success or my failure. I cannot stay here with you even if I desired to. In due time I will tell you what my purpose was here and my greater goal. Just let it be known this old soldier is not here to take your glory from your battle. We will meet again, Monsoon. I know you and your comrades will achieve victory here! You are free to press onward, Resistance!"
With that, Gale Griffith departed from the cave, walking out of it and then flying off to an unclear destination.

"Just what is going on here? So busy he can't even just tell his own son about everything right now? The General didn't mention this at all, maybe he didn't even know. There's no way this was part of any sort of a typical military operation, a covert one....Perhaps but still...he must have been alive all these years.."Monsoon was clearly upset as he said all of that out loud.

"Monsoon...Don't stress over it..He has to have his reasons for it all....But we can't worry about it all now...We've got a mission!"Ramia tried to comfort Monsoon about it. It worked to an extent, as Monsoon decided to put his anger and confusion aside. He however, was still angry and began to charge up his energy, knowing he'd have a chance to release his anger soon.

"So that is your father. How he's alive though, I could not say or even guess since I don't know the circumstances of it all.. But stranger things have happened like in my own situation.Alright, enough diversions here, I know it's shocking to you Monsoon but we've no time to waste. They might get worried about those dead scouts soon.."Shi commented simply. The others agreed as it was clear they had to get on with the mission.

They were finally there.. They saw it all and took in their surroundings, the trenches, the structures devastated by past battles. It was a true war zone here.

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The air reeked of smoke from the anti-air guns, some of them having fired recently. Dark beasts were currently manning the anti-air guns, prepared to shoot down any enemy aircraft on sight. It wouldn't be long now before they would be seen. There was no chance of much stealth but at least they could get the drop on these first few dark beasts.

Shi quickly grabbed hold of his orb as he whispered to the others, "Spread out and take out those anti air guns! We must start moving and keep moving until we've got them all! Don't get overwhelmed! Now..Let's get at least one sneak attack on them!" He changed into his other form.

Monsoon nodded he was done charging."Got it!I can give us an opening easily!"He created a large tornado and let it loose on the dark beasts, it caught off guard and scattered their forces in the general. Some of the less fortunate were even killed when they collided with structures at such a fast speed, but most dark beasts survived it. It also destroyed many anti-air guns as they were smashed aganist the structures as well.

"They were lucky to catch off guard..It will give them a few more seconds to live! Kill them all and then seal the cave so no more get through!!!! It is only a small force, massacre them!!!!" A leading dark beast roared as the dark beasts were now on the offensive as well, as some hit by Monsoon's recovered and got back up, ready to fight despite it all.

Monsoon began to push forward as he shouted out,"Let's go, Ramia!!!The sooner we're done with this, the sooner I'll get make my dad talk! He wasted our time with bullshit philosophy about how he feels sorry for these poor little dark beasts and that they're like us! They launched the first attack, they started this war!They brought all this upon themselves! If they didn't want to die, they'd have left our world alone! We're just taking back what's ours!!" He was filled with new-found determination, eager to learn just what was going on with his father.

"That..Didn't kill them all?? The General was right...their endurance is far beyond ours...Now..I need to make sure Monsoon calms down..."Ramia thought as she marched into the fray, following Monsoon. Keeping a close eye on him to make sure he was not going to make any hasty mistakes in his current state.

Shi began fighting off many dark beasts that were in his way on as he pushed forward, even they seemed surprised by him and his power."This time..There's no holding back!"

The mission had begun. It was just they had been told, an difficult mission awaited them but it was now or never, sink or swim, live or die! They could not falter now despite the dread of the upcoming battles, it was the Resistance's moment of truth.
 
Melissa followed along with the group, a rather annoyed look on her face as they explored, coming across a few dead dark beasts.

"Well, someone's done our work for us." , she muttered sarcastically upon Gale arriving on the scene.

Family drama...She didn't need to hear any of this drama. She grunted in annoyance, zoning out the talk as best as she could, until finally, he made himself scarce, and flew away.

"About damn time, don't you think?"

And now they were within the mission range. Melissa smirked as she looked at the enemy's resistance, laughing smugly.

"Ha, this is it?"

The enemy had noticed their presence, extending Melissa's smirk even further.

"Like lambs to the slaughter, heh...It must be my lucky day..."

She took off away from the group, noticing a few dark beasts that seemed to have strayed away on their own. She struck a pose, and yelled at the targets in her view.

"Hey, asswipes! You let a little girl wander in, whatever will you do?~ Oh, you're out of time! Too bad for you!"

She cracked her knuckles and placed the bracelets next to each other, moving her hands as if she was gripping something. She then pulled them apart, revealing a small orb of light that had formed a rather large staff that she was now holding in her right hand. With no regard for readiness, she rushed forward and plunged it into the first beast's gut, knocking the wind out of him, before she leaped at him, using the staff to press against his neck sideways, leaving him with nearly choking. At this point, the second beast was on his way to her, and she split the staff in two. They rushed, and she ducked under the fist he threw, jamming her elbow into his face at an upward angle, drawing forth some blood and temporarily knocking him down. She didn't notice the third beast coming from behind until it was too late. She turned around, and was met with an oversized fist in her face, knocking her far away. It had managed to cut the skin under eye, bleeding quite a lot for the size.

As she brought herself up with a struggle, she narrowed her gaze angrily.

"Your ASS....IS MINE...You...SON...OF...A...BITCH!"

Each word was emphasized as she took a few steps forward, a death glare being the only possible word to describe how she was looking at him.
 
Shi took out three dark beasts in his path without too much effort. He then used his other form's strength to grab ahold of the anti air guns and then snap them in half! He smashed other anti air guns in his path as well."Dark Beasts..Is this the best they can do? These grunts are seriously lacking."

A more fearsome dark beast tried to attack Shi,"BURN TO ASHES YOU SURFACE SCUM!!!!" He launched a beam of dark energy right at Shi. It hit Shi just barley. Burning a bit of his skin but it soon regenerated.

"You're the first to hit me, maybe you're not that bad..Unfortunately for you, I am not average surface scum as you would put it." The dark beast was shocked but did not intend to back down. "I don't care what you are, it won't matter when you're dead!"

The dark beast used his dark energy to create a large butcher knife as he charged at Shi. Shi ran towards the dark beast as fast as he could. As the two collided, Shi's shoulder was pierced with the knife. However, Shi snapped the dark beast's neck once he was close enough."He was one of the tougher ones....If only there leaders would come out to face me instead, we could settle this far faster.."This time, his wounds were a bit more serious but they also began to heal slowly.

Some dark beasts began to gather around Shi as he tried to move forward. "KILL THIS ONE SO WE CAN TAKE THE CORPSE AND THE ORB! It's the biggest threat, it must be a demon of some sort!" One dark beast ordered. Shi grinned as he thought,"Heh, I don't think you beasts could ever hope to make use of my orb or kill me. But let me show you then. I don't mind getting your attention off protecting those anti air weapons!It'll just make things easier for my comrades!"

Elsewhere, further to the South from Shi's location.

Monsoon quickly flew towards a dark beast manning an anti-air gun and charged into him, knocking him down. "Welcome to the surface!!!It's not that great but sure as hell beats a glorified hole in the ground like the Underworld, huh?!"He then created a small javelin that he tossed right at the dark beast, impaling him. He was still angry about his father.

"I don't need to use my father's techniques, hell no. I'll use my own for this mission. I don't want him trying to take credit for this or get another goddamn medal!"Monsoon thought to himself. He wasn't paying too much attention to Ramia while in this state, only glancing briefly to see she was still following him. She was destroying the anti-air guns he was ignoring, melting them with superheated fire energy.

Hiding out in the ruins of a building near a window,a dark beast suddenly released a blast of dark energy at Ramia. Monsoon reacted quickly and pushed himself and Ramia out of the way. The blast missed both of them by mere seconds.

"Ramia, forgive me...I nearly lost sight of this mission and of our partnership. I don't what I'd do if anything happened to you. Now...To find that dark beast!"He was more concerned now and feeling a bit guilty. Luckily this wake up call had snapped him out of his fit of rage then and there.

Ramia replied simply,"Monsoon..Oh! Up there!"She pointed towards the building as the dark beast remained there, charging up another attack. Monsoon quickly flew towards the dark beast and grabbed her and resumed flight. He climbed high in the altitude.

"Heh, what good is chivalry towards my enemies? You just tried to kill my partner!"He then dropped her and released a gust of wind energy sending her hurling towards the ground below.

The dark beast fell to her doom seemingly, landing near where Ramia was. However, she seemed alive despite her heavy injuries and spoke, "You...fire beast. You are from the Underworld, you have that aura about you. Why do you fight for them? They stood there and did nothing as were cast into the abyss by the humans long ago. But because of the surface's dwellers evil and the sins they committed, dark beasts were born!

She coughed and wheezed but continued on, "You cannot deny your heritage forever. Your allies would surely not have one with dark beast blood on their side.They will turn aganist you once they discover it...Aahhaha. Maybe that's how you'll die, betrayed by your friends and even this wind beast whom you hold dear.. I can see it..."The dark beast then went silent and stopped breathing.

Ramia was startled as she thought,"H-h-how could she tell that?...No...There's no proof. A dying beast can't just know where I came from! But...Then why say all that? Why use your last words on something like that if it's all one big lie...To unsettle me or is that something they could perceive?"Monsoon flew back down and asked, "What's gotten into you, Ramia? Seen a ghost or something?"

"It's..Nothing. Let's just go on ahead....We've no time to waste!"Ramia said strongly, masking her troubles for now. The two of them pushed on.

They both destroyed many unguarded anti air guns. Ramia shredding them with Fire claws while Monsoon used wind energy to hurl and smash them. They continued to move forward until once again, they were confronted by dark beasts.

A group of five dark beasts attacked them, with dark energy beams coming at them from several angles. Monsoon was grazed by them as he flew faster. He then protected Ramia from a few of the beams that he assumed would have hit her. Ramia was troubled by this, while the attacks were minor it could still add up. Yet she took advantage of this opportunity as she charged her energy. She then released it, as she ran towards the dark beasts, the energy coated her and made the area around her superheated. Monsoon kept his distance recognizing this technique.

As she closed in on them, she began to spin. She was surrounded by fire and created fire claws on both her hands. She continued spinning violently and cutting the dark beasts with her claws. She then concluded the attack by slamming the ground and creating a small blast of fire energy around her and the dark beasts.As the smoke cleared, only two dark beasts remained alive. "They really can't be under estimated....Unbelievable...Even if fire energy isn't great to use on them...to survive that heat and my claws..."Ramia contemplated.

Monsoon created a gust blowing the dark beasts away. However they got up soon after. Monsoon began to charge up as he flew higher to avoid the dark beasts whom began to run towards him and Ramia.

She locked eyes with one of the dark beasts. She then jumped into the air and kicked one of the dark beasts with her left leg coming down with a good deal of force and thus cracking the dark beast's skull with the kick. Monsoon vanquished the other dark beast out by hurling a large javelin right into his chest. Ramia looked around and sighed in relief.

The two almost stopped for a breather but Monsoon insisted, "Heh...I admire your immensely epic brea...the taking martial arts but now We've got..To keep moving! Almost done here..."He destroyed the anti air guns in the area, using up more of his energy. He snickered to himself realizing what he almost said. He stopped himself before he made a foolish mistake.

She then looked over at Monsoon's wounds. "Thank you, Monsoon. Well nothing serious, good... You don't have to check my wounds as they didn't get me yet. Allright, we can go on..Seems we were lucky that someone lured the dark beasts away...They don't realize we're here to destroy the anti air guns, not to wipe our all their forces here...They don't seem to be prioritizing these anti air guns very much."

Ramia did a fine job hiding what happened and was not worried about it yet. It seemed now they were truly focused and the mission was going to go smoothly so far. Yet could it last? How long would Shi be able to retain his demonic form before it gave out or took some sort of toll upon him?