The Team: Operation R.A.I.N.

[Thuro 116 Pendragon]

Epilogue: Way to fall

Crichton came this close to raising an eyebrow as the magic user descended on the scene. While he didn't much care about him prattling about Lucifer or whatever he was talking about, the fact that a magic user was being put on a squad and not, y'know, shot on sight per the Organization's mandate gave him a moments pause. He shrugged it off quickly enough though. It was the Overseer's world, and they just lived in it.

Looking to the side at the dragon, it's attempt at bargaining with him just left a bad taste in his mouth. He might have considered taking what was clearly a child on if he'd asked, but the man that had been his teacher had had one thing to say about men who's loyalty had to be bought.

"Spyro, if I can buy your loyalty, then anyone can. I don't work with sellouts." The words were harsh for someone with his usually more laid back play it casual style. But, if the dragon thought that Crichton was going to bend over backwards to retrieve to pick up a team member that already seemed not to play well with his squad, then the dragon was still quite naive.

"Cutie pie." He said, referring to the squat little round knight thing. "I like your attitude. You're with us. Now let's go-…." Crichton's words were cut off by a voice that boomed out from the phone that Crichton had pocketed prior to the fight with the Metal Gear. In fact, all of the members that had been there before the fight had begun had one, and the voice was booming out from all of them, creating a surround sound, voice of god type of effect.

The voice that issued out of the Box was low and raspy, like a snake, but Crichton recognized it despite. And, boy was he not glad to hear it. The legends that went around the Organization about this guy was the stuff of nightmares, and that was saying something considering what Crichton had been through.

"Prisoner Touma and Pr-..." The voice paused for a moment. "And Asset Ellison are to to stay on site until the departure of both the Box squad the Team and Operator squad Lost Souls. Am I clear John?"

"Yes Sir." Crichton replied promptly, playing the part of the good soldier for once. This was not a guy that you wanted to get on the bad side of.

"Good. There is a safe house a good hundred miles away from your location. You will procure transportation and wait there until the final member of your squad arrives. Once he arrives, I will leave the rest up to you Captain Crichton." There was a slight pause in which Crichton thought that he was free from the raspy, nightmareish voice, but then it continued on for one more sentence. "The Overseer graced you with a second chance. Betray us again, and I will make Lordan seem like the Fields of Elysium when I'm done with you."

John believed him.

Turning back to his team and the apparently departing Sloan, and with a voice that had forced levity in it, spoke, "Spyro, Lost Souls or the Team. I don't care which, but better make up your mind. We're leaving in five." Then, turning back to Lost Souls he said, "'Kay kids. Daddy will be back in five minutes, try not to burn the house down, and don't let Accelerator near the cookie jar."

He started to walk toward the edge of the town, leaning down the scoop up the bag of supplies that had helped them survive the fight. His destination was a payphone right outside of town, one that was far enough to be powered by the lines that had been untouched. However in between him and the payphones were the cops, and the children. The children just looked tired and scared, and the cops looked shell shocked. They had lost everything today, and though John knew that in the long run they wouldn't care, he reached out and gripped the shoulder of Lieutenant Murphy, and promised him: "I'll bring those who did this to justice."

Something sparked in the police officer's eyes, a fire pain and anger that John knew well, and replied in a hard voice, "I want to help."

John was silent for a moment, then nodded. "I think I can arrange that."

Then he brushed past the throng of people on to the payphones, and fished out a handful of change, laying it on the metal of the booth. One of the coins was larger than the others, appeared to be handmade and made out of gold, and had a man's face on either side. Crichton ignored that one however, and started putting the coins into the machine before dialing a number.

When the Operator on the other end answered, he broke into a wide grin and gave his passcode. "Hera is a bitch."

The voice on the other end fed him the answering code, and all he said was a mysterious phrase. "Phase II is a go." Let's hope they don't figure it out.

Then, dialing another number, he said into the phone. "You still with that piece of dren?" Then the voice on the other end said something back to him equally snide, and he smiled. It was an old practice between the friends, and proved that everything was alright on her end. "So, listen. You got room for another couple of recruits up in that esper city of yours?" When the voice on the other end confirmed it, he nodded and thanked her. Then asked, out of sudden curiosity, "Do you think the cops could turn out to be espers or magicians? The Organization has been pulling in powerful recruits for a while now. Hell they've even got a mage on the Team." The voice on the other end asked a question, and he answered quickly to clear up the confusion. "No, I'm not leading the Team. My people graduated the program and I'm back to being the loyal company man." The woman on the other end snorted derisively, then answered his question about the cops. Thanking her, then telling her to find a real man, he hung up and walked back towards the group of ex-prisoners.

On the way there he saw a white fed ex van, the tiny kind, but just large enough to squeeze Lost Souls into if the dragon flew alongside. Staring at it, he suddenly felt like it was the seventies again. Now this is my jam bro.

The door was unlocked and the keys were in the visor, so he pulled up slowly beside Lost Souls and said, in these exact words, "Get in losers, we're going shipping."

Once the squad piled in, some of them probably whining about being cramped and smelling like beer, he put the stick into forward and pulled forward. They had a bit of ground to cover before nightfall, and if these were the people that he was going be with for the next few years, he better get used to it. Cause they had worlds to save.

On sudden impulse, he turned the radio on, and a song that would seem hauntingly familiar to most of Lost Souls rolled over the van's speakers.

We are not your kind of people
You seem kind of phony
Everything's a lie

We are not your kind of people
Something in your makeup don't see eye to eye

We are not your kind of people
Don't want to be like you
Ever in our lives​

 

[Thuro 116 Pendragon]

Epilogue: Dark Skies

"Rise and shine Kresnik. Vengeance is waiting." Hera's beautiful but cold face was the first thing that Victor Kresnik would see as he rose from his bed. The wound where John's pulse blast had burned a hole into his forehead and the brain tissue beyond had been healed, or replaced rather. Beneath the human looking skin Kresnik would be able to feel something slightly off. Like metal was meeting brain tissue. It would have been unnerving to most men, but Kresnik was far from most men.

Looking away from Hera's bluer than blue eyes Victor could see a dark haired man staring back at him, the look in his eyes that of a predator. The expression on her face was almost as cold as the one on Hera's however. Glancing back towards the man Hera smiled her shark smile and said in a smug voice, "The Team's answer to Accelerator. The scales will be balanced the next time the two Teams come to blows."

With a bright twinkle in her eye she added, "And they will. And you'll be right in the middle of it, dueling Crichton again and again until you win."

"We're going to destroy everything that Crichton loves. I already started with that red bimbo, and the Team is going to finish the job, one Lost Soul at a time."

​

 

[Thuro 116 Pendragon]

Epilogue: The Man The World Forgot

Touma and Ellison had been picked up in a black unnmarked helicopter shortly after the departure of the two Teams. Ellison had been expecting another stomach churning trip with the dimensional equipment, but this helicopter didn't become enveloped in the shimmery light that he'd come to associate with the Organization. Instead it flew for several hours, though where neither Ellison nor the boy next to him had been able to tell.

Ellison didn't know where they were going, but he trusted in the lord to keep him safe, if he did his part in being diligent. Without anything to do to occupy him, and knowing that he may not get another chance to do so if he was on his way to an execution, he lowered his head and prayed, his lips moving unconsciously as he begged forgiveness for his part in the genocide that had taken place.

Touma, sitting in the chair opposite him, looked listlessly out the window at the blacks shapes rolling underneath them, lit by the occasional bright light as they passed a small town. When he'd been captured during a daring raid by the Organization into Pact territory and sent to the Living Weapon Project for analysis of his Imagine Breaker, he'd met Hera, who'd immediately taken a special interest in him. He still wasn't sure why, but he wasn't worried about it. She'd gotten him set up on the Team program, and that meant that he had a chance of escaping and going home. Now he'd been recalled to who the hell knows where, and he'd lost his chance. His hand curled into a fist at the thought, and he'd stewed most of the trip back.

Soon enough, both men were interrupted from their respective prayers and thoughts as the helicopter abruptly started lowering. They were next to a mountain and a surrounding forest, so Ellison suspected they were being brought here to be executed and left in the woods. However, the ground began to part below them, opening to either side to reveal a hangar with men and women scurrying to and fro. However, none of them were that noticeable next to the man that waited in front of them as the helicopter landed.

The man was wearing a ten gallon hat, tipped down to hide his face, and the duster that was perched on his slender frame whipped back and forth from the air of the blades.

He waited patiently for the helicopter to make its landing, then as Ellison and Touma dismounted he looked up and revealed his face to the man and the boy.

His face was a scarred mass of pale tissue, more like a skull than anything else. Yes, a skull face.

Taking off his hat respectfully, he said in a cultured voice, "Welcome to Albatross gentleman. We're going to change the world."​

 

[Melon]

Funny how one sliver of a second can lead to total annihilation.

That is if you're Lucifer of course.

*cue flashback*

Lucifer stood, hovering over the city, staring down his opponent. "Well, well, if it isn't Lord Satan. What an honor it is to see you here." Lucifer gave a mock bow, and raised his head back up revealing a devilish grin. "Though, I think you're going to be the one bowing down to me this time around."

Lucifer felt himself growing stronger, the fearful humans around him were feeding their negative energy into him. They all stood still, shocked at what they were seeing.

A small, teenage boy hovering above everyone. Not a terrifying sight at first glance, but the destruction he was starting to cause was filling the city with overwhelming panic.

"Now, enough talking, this farce has gone on for too long."

Lucifer rose up even higher, and his grin turned into one filled with malice.

"NOW WHO'S READY FOR A GOOD SHOW?!"

Lucifer sent purple energy-projectiles into the nearby crowd. Every time one of the magic bullets hit a target, it either went straight through it's target or it exploded. Body parts and blood were flung all over the scene. It was a bloodbath, and Lucifer was enjoying every moment of it.

Lucifer watched the gore with glee, but shook his head after a moment. He needed to focus.

Lucifer was going to end this once and for all, and he was going to end it by destroying King Satan. If that's even what he was anymore. Since when was the Prince of Lies so soft and...human-like? Lucifer curled his lip up in disgust.

Lucifer raised his hands up in the air, letting all his magic flow through to the tips of his fingers. His hands were beginning to grow hot, oh this was gonna be a big one.

"YOU ARE DONE FOR SATAN!"

He released all the power he had onto his target. He watched as a large, flashing ball of purple sped towards Satan.

He licked his lips in anticipation.

There was a sudden flash of light and a loud boom as the projectile hit the ground. Lucifer grinned, expecting to seeing an obliterated and/or mangled body.

Nothing was there but a giant hole in the ground.

"GOD FUCKING DAMMIT" He shouted, and began screaming a long line of obscenities.

Lucifer blinked and realized he had still been there in front of those people, the ones he had met only a couple minutes ago.

All of this was a....flashback?

And did he just say all that stuff out loud?

"Fucking hell.." He muttered


​

 

[FireDrake150]

*IZANA'S EPILOGUE*

Izana Listens to Chrighton's harsh, yet all-too-realistic retort to his wavering, and nods. "Please, Chrighton, Don't refer to me as Spyro. As much of an honor as that thought is, I'm not yet worthy of the hero's name." The Dragon smiles weakly, before looking back at Sloan. "Many Apologies, Sloan, But I will not side with someone who thinks of me as nothing more than a tool for their own goals and aspirations. Crighton, If you'll have me, I'm with you." he spreads his wings, and flies over to Crightons group, landing not too far away from Kirito, but with enough distance to be able to observe the others, determining that, unless spoken to, his best options at present would be to keep quiet, and reflect on everything that had happened so quickly. Closing his eyes, he let his mind start to drift back.


***FLASHBACK***

The Poor dragon had just woken up to the smell of smoke, but not the sort of smoke that a campfire or a bonfire would put out, but the sort of smoke that would be created by burning........flesh. Not a small amount of it, either, as the young one ran out, seeing nothing but destruction. Homes Burning, collapsing in upon themselves. Turning around, he started trying to head back into the Residence of his fellow royals, calling out for them, only to find his sisters dead already. Tears coming to his eyes, He ran for it before the building could collapse in upon them further, running through the turmoil, utilizing his affinity for fire to avoid injury, taking the path of the burning ground, the sky filling with smoke and ash. caughing, trying to wipe some of the soot from his eyes, the next thing he was consiously aware of was getting struck in the chest with some form of blunt instrument. Dazes, falling over, when he looked up, he could make out the faint outlines of his brother and father, both ordering him to leave, both in full armor, right before they both get cut down. Turning, He notices his mother, dying slowly, and runs to her, but fails to make it in time. Running through the rest of the kingdom, he saves as many eggs and children as he can, leaving them homeless, but alive nonetheless, before he himself started to run, covered in blood and ash, leaving the kingdom. For a number of days he traveled, trying to put the experience behind him, small channels in the ash under his eyes, where the red liquid had been rinsed away. not too long after, he was caught, resisting arrest, protesting vigorously. After the arrest, he was cleaned, and locked in a cell, until the events everyone is aware of came to pass, leaving him standing there, with two who no doubt hated his guts, and a few that had yet to make up their minds yet. Reopening his eyes, a few small tears having rolled down his cheeks, he looks around, as His title rang through. The Zero. Oddly, or perhaps more so ironically, that fits. I have Nothing. No one to lose. Nothing to lose. I must do what I can to make my life worth living, as the sole royal survivor. The. Zero.

*KRESNIK'S EPILOGUE*

Victor woke with a start, listening to those around him speak, almost as if he weren't there, and groans, Placing a Hand to his forehead, feeling manipulated, among other things. His head also felt........Different. He couldn't quite know why, but after listening to Hera tell him that he was meant to be an equal for the Crackhead with a collar, what was his name, Accelerator? Acceleration? Acorn? Something like that. After hearing that, He knew that something had been altered. Looking at himself in the mirror, he thought he could see some semblance of a scar on the blackened skin of his face, and his red eye shone bright and red as ever, though the infection seemed to have regressed, not covering quite as much of his face. Could this be part of what they did to him? He couldn't say for sure, But, picking his mask up off the end table beside his bed, he stared at it for a bit. One Eye closed, One open. Effective at concealing his scarred and blackened face, as well as concealing his red eye from view without impairing his vision. Looking down, he found he was wearing what looked to be a repaired version of his clothing. "Heh, Fighting Crighton, I can do. That Unstable Lunatic thinks he's so hot, I gotta, ARGH!" Clutching his head again, images of his past started coming to flash by rapidly.

***KRESNIK FLASHBACK***

As the images flash back, images of all of his former victims flashed by, and he got to see clearly his old brother, Julius, Rowen Ilbert, or as he was histroically known in Rieze Maxia as Ilbert the Conductor, Elize, Teepo, Jude Mathis, Leia Rolondo, His wife, CEO Beasley Bakur, His daughter Elle, and his fists Clenched. then, Images of Himself shooting Crighton in the leg, followed ever so closely by Crighton's Pulse blast to his face, snapped him out of the flash back.

***END KRESNIK FLASHBACK***

Victor Found himself on his back, staring at the ceiling from his place at the floor. Making fists with his hands, he pushes himself to his feet, Grabbing his blades, finding them much sharper then when he had started, sheathing them, finding his Pistols loaded and ready, and finding his hammer, just as he had left it. Next he grabbed the oh so Significant Pocketwatch, the source of his chromatis, but also the source of his own degredation, a power that caused the veryh illness he wears a mask and gloves to conceal. "CHRIGHTON!" Balling his fists again. "I'll kill him this time. Mark my words. I'm coming for you. You, and your band of misfits. You'll ALL PAY. And then I'll go pick up Elle and we'll get to Canaan, and we can FINALLY have some blasted Peace." Victor at this point walked up the man with a shockingly similar form of style to his own, sans the mash, weapons, and gloves. "Whomever you are, I Take it you're my Chauffeur then? YOU'LL Take me to Crighton?"

@Thuro 116 Pendragon
@Mighty Roman
@BarrenThin
@Melon
@Hospes
@The Silver Paladin
@WHomeverthefrellImissed.

 

[Thuro 116 Pendragon]

*IZANA'S EPILOGUE*

Izana Listens to Chrighton's harsh, yet all-too-realistic retort to his wavering, and nods. "Please, Chrighton, Don't refer to me as Spyro. As much of an honor as that thought is, I'm not yet worthy of the hero's name." The Dragon smiles weakly, before looking back at Sloan. "Many Apologies, Sloan, But I will not side with someone who thinks of me as nothing more than a tool for their own goals and aspirations. Crighton, If you'll have me, I'm with you." he spreads his wings, and flies over to Crightons group, landing not too far away from Kirito, but with enough distance to be able to observe the others, determining that, unless spoken to, his best options at present would be to keep quiet, and reflect on everything that had happened so quickly. Closing his eyes, he let his mind start to drift back.


***FLASHBACK***

The Poor dragon had just woken up to the smell of smoke, but not the sort of smoke that a campfire or a bonfire would put out, but the sort of smoke that would be created by burning........flesh. Not a small amount of it, either, as the young one ran out, seeing nothing but destruction. Homes Burning, collapsing in upon themselves. Turning around, he started trying to head back into the Residence of his fellow royals, calling out for them, only to find his sisters dead already. Tears coming to his eyes, He ran for it before the building could collapse in upon them further, running through the turmoil, utilizing his affinity for fire to avoid injury, taking the path of the burning ground, the sky filling with smoke and ash. caughing, trying to wipe some of the soot from his eyes, the next thing he was consiously aware of was getting struck in the chest with some form of blunt instrument. Dazes, falling over, when he looked up, he could make out the faint outlines of his brother and father, both ordering him to leave, both in full armor, right before they both get cut down. Turning, He notices his mother, dying slowly, and runs to her, but fails to make it in time. Running through the rest of the kingdom, he saves as many eggs and children as he can, leaving them homeless, but alive nonetheless, before he himself started to run, covered in blood and ash, leaving the kingdom. For a number of days he traveled, trying to put the experience behind him, small channels in the ash under his eyes, where the red liquid had been rinsed away. not too long after, he was caught, resisting arrest, protesting vigorously. After the arrest, he was cleaned, and locked in a cell, until the events everyone is aware of came to pass, leaving him standing there, with two who no doubt hated his guts, and a few that had yet to make up their minds yet. Reopening his eyes, a few small tears having rolled down his cheeks, he looks around, as His title rang through. The Zero. Oddly, or perhaps more so ironically, that fits. I have Nothing. No one to lose. Nothing to lose. I must do what I can to make my life worth living, as the sole royal survivor. The. Zero.

*KRESNIK'S EPILOGUE*

Victor woke with a start, listening to those around him speak, almost as if he weren't there, and groans, Placing a Hand to his forehead, feeling manipulated, among other things. His head also felt........Different. He couldn't quite know why, but after listening to Hera tell him that he was meant to be an equal for the Crackhead with a collar, what was his name, Accelerator? Acceleration? Acorn? Something like that. After hearing that, He knew that something had been altered. Looking at himself in the mirror, he thought he could see some semblance of a scar on the blackened skin of his face, and his red eye shone bright and red as ever, though the infection seemed to have regressed, not covering quite as much of his face. Could this be part of what they did to him? He couldn't say for sure, But, picking his mask up off the end table beside his bed, he stared at it for a bit. One Eye closed, One open. Effective at concealing his scarred and blackened face, as well as concealing his red eye from view without impairing his vision. Looking down, he found he was wearing what looked to be a repaired version of his clothing. "Heh, Fighting Crighton, I can do. That Unstable Lunatic thinks he's so hot, I gotta, ARGH!" Clutching his head again, images of his past started coming to flash by rapidly.

***KRESNIK FLASHBACK***

As the images flash back, images of all of his former victims flashed by, and he got to see clearly his old brother, Julius, Rowen Ilbert, or as he was histroically known in Rieze Maxia as Ilbert the Conductor, Elize, Teepo, Jude Mathis, Leia Rolondo, His wife, CEO Beasley Bakur, His daughter Elle, and his fists Clenched. then, Images of Himself shooting Crighton in the leg, followed ever so closely by Crighton's Pulse blast to his face, snapped him out of the flash back.

***END KRESNIK FLASHBACK***

Victor Found himself on his back, staring at the ceiling from his place at the floor. Making fists with his hands, he pushes himself to his feet, Grabbing his blades, finding them much sharper then when he had started, sheathing them, finding his Pistols loaded and ready, and finding his hammer, just as he had left it. Next he grabbed the oh so Significant Pocketwatch, the source of his chromatis, but also the source of his own degredation, a power that caused the veryh illness he wears a mask and gloves to conceal. "CHRIGHTON!" Balling his fists again. "I'll kill him this time. Mark my words. I'm coming for you. You, and your band of misfits. You'll ALL PAY. And then I'll go pick up Elle and we'll get to Canaan, and we can FINALLY have some blasted Peace." Victor at this point walked up the man with a shockingly similar form of style to his own, sans the mash, weapons, and gloves. "Whomever you are, I Take it you're my Chauffeur then? YOU'LL Take me to Crighton?"

@Thuro 116 Pendragon
@Mighty Roman
@BarrenThin
@Melon
@Hospes
@The Silver Paladin
@WHomeverthefrellImissed.

"In time." He replied simply. As he led Kresnik away to where the other madmen and killers were, he idly remarked. "That's a beautiful watch."

And then they were gone.​

 

[Chewy Rabbits]

Ah, Tokyo was one of the most beautiful cities in the world. With the glistening Tokyo Tower standing proudly as a symbol of Japan's hopes and dreams, and the hustle and bustle of every average Japanese citizen taking advantage of Japan's nightlife. But there was an opposite side to everything and Tokyo was no exception to this certainty. It had an ugly side that the government tried it's best to stamp out/keep under the radar. But no matter how hard Japan's government tried to blot out the truth, there was a group dedicated to upholding it and a renowned member of this group was out on the prowl after picking up a hot tip on where his next mission/target was taking place at.

This member went by many aliases. Li Shengshun/BK-201/The Black Reaper.

But tonight he was known simply as Hei and he was a man on a mission. Running from rooftop to rooftop, the masked contractor leaped through the air with such nimble precision, one could have mistaken him for an acrobat and not a member of a shadowy organization who'd kill at the drop of an order. Coming to a stop atop a rooftop that overlooked a beaten down looking factory, the masked man tilted his head to the side and began to speak in a hushed tone.

"Huang? Any ideas on what I might be up against going in this factory?"

Huang was the leader of the cell of the Syndicate that Hei belonged to. Which meant that although Huang was just a mere human, he had direct supervision over one of the strongest Contractors. Back at the Syndicate's base of operations, Huang took a drag on his cigarette as he readjusted his earbud and responded to Hei's query.

"Shouldn't be anything too difficult for you. Might be some normal folk lingering around. Try not to harm them if you can. They're just doing their job after all and you're just doin yours, Hei. Other than that? Just keep your eyes on the prize. Akido Momotaro is one of the newer players in town and he's helping back the MI-6's operations here. You take him out and there goes half of their budget. Means it'll be a lot quicker when they get out of our hair. He might have contractor bodyguards. You know the ones. The chick who can conjure up storms and-"

"The one who can freeze. Understood. I'll be in and out, Huang. Keep human casualties to a minimum."

"Right. Catch you later, Hei."

From there the transmission went silent and Hei was left on his own until the mission was done. Didn't want MI-6 agents tapping in on their conversations after all. Besides, Hei didn't need someone watching over his shoulder even if it was someone like Huang. He'd been doing this long enough that all a 'second pair of eyes' would have done is take him off his game and distract him. Best he just worked on his own for the most part. Swinging his knife outwards, the wire attached to it wrapped itself around one of the towers blowing smoke out of the factory like a grappling hook. Lowering himself down onto the rooftop, Hei unwrapped his knife and glanced down.

The lights were still on but otherwise the place seemed to be deserted. He supposed that made his job easier than it had to be. But if this place was one of the factories owned by a guy who was bankrolling the funds for MI-6 to stay afloat in Tokyo, then Hei assumed they would have beefed up their security. Perhaps this was just a test to lure in people like him.

Well even if it was. He wasn't going to get anything done standing on this rooftop. Grabbing his knife, Hei swung it around before carving out a chunk of the window and tossing it aside, so he had room to leap down. As the Contractor's feet touched upon the ground, the lights went even brighter and soon Hei had a spotlight cast on him.

Well his hunch was correct. They had been expecting him. Glancing up at the command booth where the machines were operated/overseen, Hei could spot what seemed to be an elderly Japanese gentleman in a fine suit with two bodyguards standing beside him. The man smirked down at Hei and quietly pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Ah, so you're the fabled BK-201 I keep hearing about! You've been quite the thorn in the side for the agents I hear. Yes, you left quite the nasty gash on November 11's arm with that knife of yours. It's a shame that your electricity didn't quite do the job however. Now, as you likely know I've been expecting a visit from you. You don't seem the type to sit down and hold a civil discussion, shame really. You have so much power and you use it so barbarically! But I'm afraid this is as close as you'll be getting to me, friend. I've seen what happens to those who let you get too close, nasty, nasty business. But all the same you'll be officially plucked from our side! Ta-ta!"

Before Hei could react, men in black suits armed with what appeared to be assault rifles walked out onto the factory floor. As they prepared to fire, Hei's body gained a familiar blue outline and the darkness of his mask's eyeholes was illuminated with a blood red glow. This old man thought it was just as easy as waving it off and letting his men do the dirty work? He must not have been in this city for very long. As the bullets let loose, Hei sprinted behind cover and lashed his knife out. The wire found itself around the neck of one of Momotaro's men and within a few seconds, the poor soul was left convulsing and screaming before collapsing to the ground.

"Bastard! That freak's hiding behind one of the boxes! Walk behind it and blast him!" Another one of the men barked as his cohort turned and let loose another barrage of gunfire. Only Hei was through playing the defensive. Pulling himself onto the box, he sprinted forward with knife in hand. As the man quickly tried to re-align his gun, by the time he got it settled it was too late. Hei had lashed out with his knife, knocking the gun's aim off ever so slightly. The bullets still managed to clip the side of his jacket. But not enough to the point where it rattled the contractor. Leaping off the box, Hei smashed his knee into the man's chest and knocked him to the floor as he gripped his forehead.

"Die."

The man convulsed after a hefty dose of electricity and his body soon went limp. Another corpse on the ground. But something about this just didn't sit right with Hei. The fact that it was a 'trap' hadn't really bothered him as he was confident that he could take on whatever these fools deigned to throw his way. But sending regular men against him instead of Contractors? MI-6 had plenty to spare so the thought of not seeing them put to use here confused Hei. But he supposed he shouldn't have questioned it too much. It made his job a whole lot easier. Glancing over at the remaining two grunts, Hei watched as one of them raised their assault rifle to fire. Not even showing a shred of sympathy for the fact that Hei had just murdered another of their own. Gripping the deceased guard by the collar, Hei held him up and began to run alongside the boxes with the guard's body soaking up most of the bullets.

Once he had reached the end of the boxes, Hei flung the corpse into the air. As the shaky guard stumbled back in trying to avoid it, Hei took note of his weakness and swung his knife out once more. The wire wound itself tightly around the forearm of the guard and within seconds he met the same fate as his compatriots.

"Then there was one.."

As the last guard stared Hei down, in his immediate state of terror he failed to realize that he had a perfect chance to light Hei up. But Hei didn't miss this and flinging his knife, the blade clashed against the gun and sent it sky-rocketing out of the guard's hands. As he quickly fumbled for his pistol, Hei was already on him. Shoving him roughly to the ground, Hei placed his hand to the man's forehead and the glow returned.

"W-Wait! Please don't kill me! I can tell you what he's planning! He's been down here the whole time!"

What? Who had been down there the whole time? Momotaro? But he hadn't left the booth as far as Hei could tell. But then Hei heard the subtle click of a shotgun being loaded and barely managed to roll out of the way to avoid getting blasted in the back. The same couldn't have been said for the poor guard's face as it was turned into hamburger with buckshot here and there.

As smoke hissed from the barrel of the shotgun, the man wielding it smirked. He had been adorned in the same outfit as the guards. In fact he stood right where one of the previous guards had been killed. But in actuality that 'guard' hadn't died at all. This contractor's codename was August 7 and his ability was to use 'magic' and so he had made Hei believe that he had killed the guard only for there to have been no guard in the first place but a dummy that August had used his ability to make Hei believe was another flesh and blood guard. Hei had been fooled by magic.

"Now, why did you have to go and move? The best part of a magic show is always the flashy conclusion! Not to mention that now I'll have to reveal how another magic trick works. Honestly, if you had just gone and died we wouldn't be having this discussion now.."

August bemoaned before going on to explain how the sword in the box trick was done as Hei glanced up at the booth. So that had been Momo's plan all along. Lure Hei into a false sense of security with the human guards only to spring the contractor on them. But contractor or no, Hei had a mission and he was going to see it through to the end. This fool wasn't going to stand in his way. Redrawing his knife to him, Hei swung it from the side to try and knock the shotgun out of August's hand. But August was two steps ahead of Hei and leaned back to avoid the knife as it came in.

"Close, but no cigar I'm afraid, BK-201."

Pulling the trigger on the shotgun, Hei was sent flying back across the room. Crashing into a box of nearby crates. He'd been shot before but that? That felt like getting hit by a truck. As blood seeped out from under Hei's mask, August approached him and gave the 'OK' sign to Momotaro, indicating that he had neutralized BK-201 and that it was okay for him to leave. Tapping the shotgun's barrel on the ground, the British agent approached and smiled down at the prone contractor.

"Shame. I was hoping for more of a-"

"Fight?"

Stammering at the fact that the blast hadn't done Hei in or at least incapacitated him, Hei's jacket was flung over August's head. Leaping forward, Hei smashed the palm of his hand against August's nose. Likely busting it but that'd be the least of the Magician's problems in a few seconds.

BZZZZZZZ

"AARRRRGGHHH!!!"

As August's body writhed and his screams filled the factory, his body eventually went limp as the others had. Letting out a series of ragged breaths, Hei slowly rose to his feet. Even with his bulletproof jacket, that shotgun blast had left him with a few busted ribs at the very least. But he still felt well enough to take care of Momotaro's body guards and the old man himself. Looking over his shoulder at the old man in question, Hei staggered towards him. As the two bodyguards trained their pistols on Hei, Momotaro who seemed surprisingly calm given the fact that Hei was still alive motioned for them to stand back as he reached into his pocket.

Pulling out what appeared to be a mini remote control of some kind, Momotaro pressed down on the button as one of the nearby crates began to rattle back and forth. Glancing over in the direction of the shaking crate, Hei's eyes narrowed. Was it some kind of weapon? If so could he manage to destroy it with his ability? Before Hei could ponder any further, the crate exploded in a mess of splinters and Hei was suddenly standing before a seven foot machine who glanced down at him with an expression that would rival Hei's own stoic look.

"Ah, confused BK-201? I figured that even an esteemed contractor like August wouldn't be able to stand up to you. Not after the fight you put up against two of our best agents at the same time. So pooling my resources with the British government, I managed to construct a protoype in what may be a budding line of Anti-Contractors. I'm so grateful you've decided to let yourself be the guinea pig."

Momotaro chided as the machine's eyes opened up glowing bright blue as it glanced down at Hei who quickly primed his knife. A machine built solely to take down Contractors? He supposed the idea wasn't too implausible but the fact that what stood before him was only meant to be a prototype was a bit harder for Hei to choke down. Much to Hei's surprise however, the Anti-Contractor spoke to him.

"Please. Do not fight me. I don't wish to cause you harm."

Was this some kind of morbid joke that'd been put into this thing's programming? Or did it sincerely mean what it said? Hei couldn't pretend to understand. This thing before him was apparently made to take down people like him and yet it had no desire to harm him? He'd be a fool to turn his back to it so Hei thrust his hand forward, pressing it to the machine's chest. Maybe fry the circuits and then go after Momotaro. But as his hand made contact with the robot's chest, nothing seemed to happen.

"But how.."

The Anti-Contractor seemed conflicted by the fact that Hei had attacked it. But it now had a prerogative to follow.

*WHAM*


What must have felt like a solid rod of steel smashed straight into Hei's chest. If ribs weren't broken before, they certainly were now. The blow was enough to pull the contractor off his feet and send him flying back into the wall. Smashing through crates and ending up lying in a heap on the ground. Pushing up his mask slightly so he could shakily rise back to his feet, Hei coughed up a wad of blood onto the ground and glanced across at the machine. It had all been so fast that Hei hadn't even seen the fist until it impacted. The way his ribs were aching, some of them were seriously fractured. This wasn't a fight Hei could win. That much was obvious. Least of all after getting blasted with a shotgun and then getting punched by a giant metal man.

As Hei's eyes scanned around for any potential exits, the machine was upon him yet again. It may not have wanted to hurt Hei but the contractor had made the mistake of engaging and now the machine wouldn't stop until Hei was dead. Not having much choice, Hei whipped out his knife and held it up in a futile gesture to try and impede the Anti Contractor's blow. But this would prove to be Hei's undoing as events would soon show.

Watching as the knife was drawn, the machine reared back and launched his fist at Hei. The closed fist smashed through Hei's knife and socked him right in the face. Splintering his mask and sending him off his feet yet again. Only this time as Hei flew through the air, the Anti Contractor raced off in hot pursuit. Retrieving his arm, he attached it before smashing his hands into Hei's stomach causing the contractor to spit up another wad of blood as he crashed into the ground with a thud. Hei's breaths were growing more and more ragged with each passing moment as blood stained the corners of his mouth and his vision was beginning to blur.

But Hei rose to his feet once more. Although it was clear at this point that the contractor was running on fumes. Barely capable of seeing straight let alone fighting, he'd glare at the Anti Contractor.

"Damn you.."


Collapsing forward with a thud, Hei's eyes closed as Huang's voice could have been heard coming into his ear.

"Hei? Hei, I was picking up some serious disturbance on your end! Hei? Hei, pick up! HEI!"

Standing over the broken and battered Contractor, the machine frowned. It really had no desire to harm Hei. But the murderous contractor had forced it's hand and it regretted every second of it. But as it threw Hei over it's shoulder, it glanced over at where the two halves of his mask had ended up. Making his way over to it, he'd pick both of them up. The AntiContractor had been given a designation on where to take Hei by Momotaro after it had defeated him. But that didn't mean it couldn't do something for the defeated fighter. So as Hei would wake up, he'd find himself within The Box but also with a newly repaired mask.

The little things in life he supposed.

----
That was then and this was now. Hei had ended up with a group he knew very little about. Surrounded by people he didn't really care about. He agreed with Vader and the teen who seemed to have quite the mouth on him for the most part. So he supposed that was something. But working together in a big group operation when he usually did most of his work solo while being a member of the Syndicate? This change didn't quite sit well with Hei.

But it's just one he would have to adjust to if he wanted to get anywhere. Like finding out Momotaro's secrets and running into that Anti Contractor and making it pay!

@Thuro 116 Pendragon
@Mighty Roman
@BarrenThin
@Melon
@Hospes
@The Silver Paladin
@Kaykay
@Dec


​

 

[Mighty Roman]

Epilogue: Sloan Warfare
Terry Sloan smiled. The battle lines were drawn. The control panel on his left gauntlet beeped. He pressed the button. It was the voice of an older man, a voice familiar to Sloan. "Pickup ready Sloan, return to Overwatch One." A gold portal opened up in the sky. "Proceed. The Weapon is ready. Gather your men and head on over."
Sloan nodded. "Step right this way, gentlemen. See you on the other side."

As the Team stepped through the portal, they would hear a sound that resembled crackling electricity. And on the other side, they would step into a dark control room. The walls were black, and coated with tangled cables all leading towards a bronze chair at one end of the room. Perhaps 'chair' would be an inaccurate word. It was a throne, pure and simple. Its occupant was a man in his thirties, the light from the computer screens behind him lighting up the lenses of his glasses.
The Sentry had always had delusions of grandeur. "Team." He did not look at them, but instead through them. "We are….glad that you have returned. Despite failing to fulfil your mission parameters, we have received extra intelligence on the 'Lost Souls' capabilities."

"I wouldn't call that a failure, Sentry." Retorted Sloan. "Our hands were tied. They had Hera's approval."
"The commands of the Organization are not yours to question Mr Sloan." Said the Sentry, plainly. But Sloan could hear something else in his voice. Was that….nervousness? Fear? Nor are they yours, thought Sloan. The Sentry was more of a puppet than anything else, despite all of the spooky lighting and atmosphere. He was a representation of the Organization. Not a representative, a collective.
"They have acquired new members. More resources. We can see them. The Line. The Code. There will be others." Most of these code words were meaningless to Sloan. "Inform them."
Sloan turned on his heel to face The Team. "The Organization has chosen us for a very important mission. In exchange for lowering your sentences, we do what they say. Espionage missions, sabotage, anything. Previous Teams have relied on random chance, a series of Wildcards with no direction…but you were chosen especially. Tactically."
Sloan scratched the back of his head, then smiled. "We're heroes. We just work behind the scenes." 'Heroes'. That line always worked.
The Sentry's gaze was blank, but Sloan knew that he disagreed. The Sentry turned his head, to reveal what looked like a tiny circuit board on the side of his neck, with 2 cables trailing from it and into the mess of cables entangled above him. He flicked 2 switches on top of the circuit board, and threw the wires loose. It was as if he'd been in a trance-he was breathing very carefully.
"I see." He muttered. "Your next mission won't begin 'till at least tomorrow, but we…I'll inform you anyway-"but Sloan raised a hand to silence him.
"I think that I'd like to have a word with The Team first."
All of The Sentry's menace had completely vanished. He nodded, meekly. "Ah yes, of course, of course." He stepped back, letting Sloan take centre stage.
Sloan smiled. They were The Team. The once and future Team. They operated from the shadows, changing things to the way that the Organisation willed them to be. They changed the world, saved lives. Forever anonymous. Monsters and madmen who sought redemption-or perhaps, mere freedom. All men had their uses. All men could be heroes, he thought. If history was written by the victors, the future could be written by the actions of the men before him.
Vaas Montenegro-A lunatic drug dealer and slaver-A loose cannon-albeit a powerful one, especially when fired in the right direction.
Cromartie-A Terminator T-888-unstoppable, unyielding, yet a good soldier with a mind strong enough to match its metal frame. Loyal to the cause.
Victor Kresnik-A 'family man just trying to make it home'. Lived by the sword, follows his impulses. A true warrior.
Kimijo Touma-A human weapon. Stronger than Sloan had thought imaginable, with the added boon of his infamous 'Imagine Breaker' which could negate magic.
Yes, this motley crew would do quite nicely. Sloan laughed. He threw off the chest plate of his armour, letting it hit the floor, revealing a crisp grey suit.
"We didn't lose back there. We'll change the world. We'll save the people of this world, and if you're a good boy, you'll be free to go, criminal record wiped, our obligation to me done. It's the dawn of a new age, Boys, really is.
And don't you worry. We'll find those Lost Souls," he said, sitting down in the Sentry's chair. "Whether this world remembers us as it's saviours or as it's monsters, we'll find them. And we'll strike them right at their hearts."

@Cromartie Sarkissian @FireDrake150 @Forrest
@Thuro 116 Pendragon @EveryoneElse