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[abadlex]

A lot of blasts were hitting the console he had hid behind... It appeared the troops had gone after him... But was that all of them? And who was Vega going after? One of the beams that the figure had shot nearly hit him and, he wasn't sure which one did it, a hole was punched into the wall.

Although Haizea also barely dodged the beam aimed for her, Fale couldn't help but be concerned. She would most likely have trouble if Vega targeted her. Hoping that she would be alright if she was the figure's target, the Cyber-Elf steeled himself for the counter-attack and dodging he was about to do.

3...

2...

1...

"Now" Fale thought as he darted upwards from behind the console, quickly firing a shot at the face of one of the mechaniloids a little more in the group. He continued up a bit more as he attempted to dodge the attacks aimed at him. Then he attempted to get behind another console nearby, one that had another in between it and the mechaniloids, without getting at least shot up too badly if at all.

[Hackenfall Backslash]

The mechaniloid that Fale aimed at took a shot to its face. It ceased to function instantly, but its metallic brethren still walked towards Fale and shooting as if nothing had happened. He dodged, but they kept at it. Being small and fast, and these mechaniloids designed for perimeter security, it seemed Fale would do well until Vega turned its attention in his direction.

Meanwhile, the death match between Haizea and Vega raged on. The Reploid had managed an impressive surprise pre-emptive attack, her V-Hanger cutting a few of Vega's on the same hand with which it attempted to grab and disarm her -- a counter-attack. If successful, the move would look pretty sophisticated, as if Vega were into the martial arts. "Ow! T'was more surprising than painful. But still!"

. . . Uh, wait a minute. PAUSE! Vega appears to be a machine. Since when do machines feel pain? Actual, physical, nerve-receptor pain. This really wasn't your everyday machine.

With Haizea so close to Vega, it had time to inspect her carefully. "Ah", it began. "I get it now. Your armour arrangement. Your weapons. Your political government affiliation. You're a Reploid. My my. And here I thought I had seen the last of you during the Fall. To call this revenge, or 'poetic justice' is simply an understatement!" As it surveyed the Lieutenant's foreign-yet-familiar shell, Vega noticed some minor damages in her arm. "Oh! What do we have here?" Vega inquired as its grip, strangely, softened on the Reploid's arm. Completely. This meant that it set her down at the same time. A few moments after doing so, Vega sat on the ground, its gunmetal black legs crossed Indian style.

"Strange Reploid. You have an injury. This . . . is unacceptable!"

[Aether Engine]

Haizea didn't have long to be satisfied with her strike, her V-Hanger being torn from her as she was disarmed. She struggled in Vega's grip, trying to loosen herself, and reach her holstered buster, but in her damaged, arrested state it was proving difficult.

In any case, her opponent was proving more capable than herself at the moment. Thankfully the machine seemed to like talking instead of outright terminating her. And it seemed capable of feeling pain, oddly enough... Haizea knew reploids could simulate a response to damaging stimuli as though they were feeling pain, but this fellow seemed to be repressing any sort of painful response, despite the damage she had inflicted.

As Haizea was dropped to ground, she took a brief moment to run herself through a diagnostic. Still capable of fighting, but she was no better than before of course. The thing had correctly identified her as a reploid, going on about poetic justice, and noticed her incapacitated arm.

Looking over in Fale's direction, Haizea could see the cyber-elf managing to hold his own, but those numbers still worried her. Her less damaged arm could fire, though accuracy was a problem. The reploid deliberated whether to take a chance at aiding Fale and missing, or going for a point-blank shot at Vega...

Haizea tried to get back on her feet, leering at Vega. How arrogant it was to have a sit in the middle of combat.

"I am still functional," she simply stated as she drew her buster at last and tried to fire a few shots.

[abadlex]

Fale's attack didn't do what the Cyber-Elf was thinking it would do... Instead it did something better. The attack had shut down the mechaniloid completely, lessen the number of foes by one. Although having a foe blindly firing and potentially hitting its allies would prove helpful, taking out a foe completely was helpful as well.

And since he had a relatively easy time dodging, Fale stopped his attempt to get behind the console. Thinking about it, it would be for the best as he could potentially dart up into an attack as he couldn't see through the console. If he was just focusing on dodging while he waited for his ability to fire again rather than hiding... Then he should be fine?

As he dodged, Fale got into a position where he could see Haizea and Vega while keeping an eye on the troops firing at him. It appear Vega got a hold of his partner but was... Putting her down? Confused but still under fire, the Cyber-Elf returned its full attention to the troops. He'll let Haizea handle Vega alone with a little while longer til he thought of a way to help with the troops firing on him.

For now, he readied his next shot, aiming for another mechaniloid in the group. Dodging til he he was able to get a good shot off, he fired at the targeted foe's face.

[Hackenfall Backslash]

The shot Fale aimed at another mechaniloid grazed the head of it and one behind. The two machines must've been significantly affected by the seemingly-minor damage because they began to stand still and shoot . . . at a much slower rate of fire than those that were walking while firing. Soon, their aim would falter, and even become detrimental to their brethren, as shots went all over the place. A few of them downed a handful of other machines. There were still plenty to go, but thanks to Fale's lucky shot, the work was being done for him.

"You may still function, Reploid," Vega began as her V-Hanger plopped to the floor with a plunk. The shots from Haziea's weapon were met with no resistance. They made a hiss sound as they impacted Vega's metal. It winced, but such an action would only be noticeable if one were staring right at it intently. It then got up and knelt down in front of her. "At this point, you no doubt have plenty of questions." Its tone as if it and Haizea were the only two in the room. A thick, purple fluid dripped from its cut finger, appearing to be blood. So we have a machine that feels pain, and bleeds? This would be quite a day for the Lieutenant and her winged friend. Vega took Haizea's damaged arm and surveyed the damage. Moments later, it began to mess with the wires. It wasn't simply molesting the damage or trying to exacerbate it; trying to repair it, actually.

Vega glanced at the pool of blood, and then it let out a sigh. "I suppose now is an appropriate time. Lieutenant, you know of Humans, Reploids, and Cyber-Elves. What if I told you that those three races are not the only ones that exist?"

[abadlex]

"Shoot..." Fale thought to himself as he only grazed not only the foe he was aiming for but the one behind it. Well, the Cyber-Elf couldn't expect his shots to always hit bang-on... Though the amount of mechaniloids he was facing kind of asked for quick dispatching. He'll just have to aim a bit more carefully next time...

"Wait a minute..." Fale continued to make dodge attempts as he paid a bit more attention to the ones he grazed. They were standing still and firing at a slower rate. Had he actually damaged something? "If I get the chance, I'll ask Haizea about it. Maybe she'll know what happened or someone who knows..."

Thankful for the slight change in the bombardment, that sort of left two less foes to deal with. There was still a large amount though... This would take some time... If the two malfunctioning mechaniloids didn't suddenly have aiming problems, began to fire over the place, and downing a good amount of their allies. "Yup... Definitely asking Haizea about this when i get the chance..."

Although there was still a lot more to deal with, Fale now had two allies. Technically... He'll just leave those two alone to hinder their allies while firing at the ones least affected. Picking one such foe out, Fale stayed dodgy, ready to shoot the foe in the face once he was capable of firing again. Hopefully with more careful aim this time...

[Aether Engine]

Haizea stared at Vega as her shots landed. They appeared to have little effect though, all she could see was the slightest hint of movement. She grew especially concerned as Vega started to reach in and physically take hold of her arm, messing with the wiring. Nothing to damage her though, which left the reploid puzzled, esepcially on top of what it was divulging to her. It had been trying to shoot not a moment before, had its minions attacking Fale, and now it was just talking...

Haizea glanced over at some the mechaniloid troops still remaining and tried to fire off some shots in their direction, though with how comprtomised her aim was at this point, she did not think she'd hit anything. Hopefully it'd make Fale's time easier though.

Quickly holstering the weapon, Haizea reached her still functioning arm up to try and grab at where Vega was messing with her arm, trying to remove the bleeding machines hand by physical force. It was not damaging her, but Haizea did not like the idea of her parts being handled by this thing.

And there was things it was trying to tell her...

"That is extremely unlikely," Haizea replied as she tried to push Vega away, "There is no reason to produce another form of sapient being. And no evidence..."

Haizea glanced at the finger bleeding purple. It did remind her of blood, but that couldn't really be it, could it? Maybe it was some sort hydraulic fluid--though the raised the question why place such a system in fingers.

[Hackenfall Backslash]

I've been shot by that particular weapon hundreds of times, and the pain still gets to me! Vega fought Haizea's grip. "I'm trying to help you, Reploid! You have damage that I'm trying to repair!" It cried. Vega seemed uninterested in the fight concerning Fale and the mechaniloids. A couple more fell, leaving the remaining number Fale had to deal with a low threat.

"Pardon me? No reason to produce a sapient being? That is why I dislike you boorish neo military types. You take the soul out of what it is to live. The military archetype of old was one of passion, love, and life! A living version of the legend of the Militarian. But that's for another time." Flicking some more purple blood from its cut fingers, Vega sighed as it looked at the ceiling as if searching for a cue card telling it what to say next.

"Reploid, I highly encourage you take what I'm about to tell you and probe your government for more information. Heavens know they have it." Another sigh.

"Long ago, before your government colonised this world, an indigenous species already existed. We called ourselves Furies, beings of the world known as Furia. We were a very diverse species. Three main groups: Biological, Mechanical, and Biomechanical -- which is what I am. It's particularly interesting to note that each major 'race' had its own subgroups. You have Bersekers, advanced mechs, droids, the Colours -- my, how the list goes on. Blah blah blah, until you show up!" The emphasis of the word 'you' was couple with a finger pointed at Haziea. "T'wasn't until you showed up that our peaceful society was turned onto its belly, and our way of life was utterly, utterly destroyed! Have your precious government show you the material concerning Fury and its fall." After Vega finished, it quickly finished repairing Haizea's damage, then returned her V-Hangar to her.

"I'm allowing you to leave", it began, as it destroyed the rest of the machines shooting at Fale, "so that you and your foul may send a message to your government, acquire the specifics to the rudimentary history lesson I just gave you, and decide for yourself what to believe." It paused for a moment while it produced a small chip. "This chip, once put into a playback system, will decode and play a voice clip while a hologram of the speaker appears." A metallic, bloody finger tapped the chip slightly. Moments later, some crackle and buzz sounds would emit from it, and a blue hologram of Vega would appear.

Greetings, Legion. I am the Variant-class military civil defence model EGA. I'm colloquially known as Vega. I am a being of Furia, a world which you know as the "wastelands". A world which was turned into a wasteland because you made it that way. Before you imperialist dogs came into our realm, we were a peaceful species living in harmony. Operation: Enduring Patience and Zero Hour were high crimes that you will atone for. You called us many things during the Fall: Terrorists, rebels, insurrectionists, but make no mistake -- you will know know what true terrorism is. From the second you finish with this recording will a new era in your bloody history be dawned. Out with the old, and in with the new. New Furia, the Underground, and the Age of the Insurgency. I will bring conventional and unconventional warfare to your doorstep, the likes of which you have yet to even fathom. You will bend, break and suffer before you are eradicated! You may be Legion, but it is we who will not forgive or forget.

After the recording finished, Vega had more to add. As it put its arms behind its back and walked towards the dark hallway from whence it came, it began to address Haziea and, again, ignore Fale.

"Remember, Reploid, ask about Furies, the Fall of Fury, Operation: Enduring Patience, the Fury Combat Initiative, and Zero Hour. That is, if you have clearance for that material. I'll bet anything that it's 'confidential'. If memory serves, that is the highest clearance one could have working for Legion. Haha. I can see it now, "you don't have the required clearance to access that material." Enjoy your journey back. We'll be meeting again very, very soon!"

And with that, the Fury disappeared into the darkness that was the main hallway. It would appear that a few bombs have been dropped on Haizea and Fale. The question is: What came next? After the message was delivered, the Insurgency Period would begin. This was the beginning of a new age. No more games, no more trifles. It's now time to pick a side, draw the line in the sand, and prepare for total war. As mysterious as Vega is, one thing is certain: That it won't relent until it brings Legion to its knees. Look out, world. Here comes a new type of enemy that has never been encountered before!

Strap in! You're in for a wild ride!

[abadlex]

All the foes were defeated... As grateful as he was for that to be over... Fale was rather confused by what had happened.

A couple more had gone down, making them a rather low threat. He had continued his dodging as the two damaged ones continued to make things worse. The Cyber-Elf never had the chance to look towards Haizea and Vega, busy with the remaining mechaniloids. As little as they were, Fale wasn't about to let his guard down.

But then the surprising thing happened. Vega destroyed the remaining foes, including the two damaged ones, that he was fighting. Shocked, Fale stayed where he was, hovering in the air speechless. Vega completely ignored him afterwards, choosing to activate some chip for playback, revealing a message. As it played, Fale wasn't sure what to think.

After the message was over, Vega requested that Haizea ask about certain things, if she had the clearance to do so. It then left the room, disappearing into the darkness and pretty much prevent them from really following.

After a brief moment, Fale slowly flew over to Haizea and, without thinking, landed on her shoulder. "Yeah... I'm not going to pretend to know what's going on" he said, having a blank look that suggested he wasn't focused on what was going on around him at the moment. "But it is concerning..."