Joint Story

ONI JOINT STORY

(Last update 10/16/09)

Salvation

Leus

The rhythmic clip-clop of her shoes pounding the ground resonated throughout the hallways of the mountain compound as Konoko dashed for the exit. She had overridden some crucial executables in the programs used to maintain the activities of all the major atmospheric processors in this sector, and she knew this would cause the systems to overload. Assuming this could entail anything from a fading hum to a violent explosion, Konoko didn't care to stick around and witness the outcome firsthand.

She began to worry; this compound was huge.

Eventually she'd put what she considered to be a safe distance between her and the failing facility. She stopped to catch her breath, leaning on her knees and crouching slightly. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been breathing this heavily or rapidly. After a few minutes she checked her pulse and found that her heart rate was holding steady at this elevated pace. She also realized that, despite the physical signs, she was not in the least bit tired.

"Great," she said aloud to herself and realizing as she heard her own voice speak that she was finally acknowledging just how truly alone she now was. "The chrysalis..." she trailed off. Her body had been altered so severely that her heart now needed to pump harder and faster to support the new growth and strength. Undoubtedly her heart itself had grown and become stronger as well. She'd have to get used to breathing this way; at this thought she furrowed her brow, imagining the air she'd soon be gasping down once the failure of the atmospheric processors began to take effect. This also brought her back to the matter at hand. Sighing, she continued her expository monologue.

"What do I do now?" she asked the dying air. "Everyone I know with intimate information regarding this daodan project is dead. Kerr, Griffin, Muro, my father..." she paused, her eyes lighting up with a distant and fleeting hope. "My father..." she repeated. "Kerr said..." At this, she dropped her one-sided conversation and began dashing once more. She had to learn the truth and find out if there really was still hope.

paradox-01

(I hope it makes sense to you.)

Coming down from the mountains, Mai reached a lone dusty street and roamed along its side waiting for a car. Finally a truck stopped and a door was opening. She jumped in and thanked. The driver punched the dashboard. "Shut up." He quickly turned to Mai. "Err... Not you. He's just complaining again."

"That's wrong?"

The truck started to move again. "The board computer noticed my unplanned stop."

"Does that mean trouble?"

The man typed something on a data pad. "No, we are still in schedule. There's my usual 15 min buffer..."

"Sometimes I have the feeling my boss worries more about this machine than about me. But you can't do this job for long if you don't like it."

"I wonder... How's it in this can ?"

"A comfortable can. It looks worse than it is. With time you're getting used to it. -- These seats are extra-backbone-friendly. Right behind is the coffee machine."

"We are allowed to customize truck's habitation area for some degree so I brought my own."

"You're really a long time on tracks."

"Yes. In a few years we'll come replaced by fully autonomic board computers. Our kind is also dying species."

"I hope it won't happen too soon..."

"It can't be stopped. Only long-experienced drivers are still employed. I think we are the the last generation."

"Don't remind me. Better tell me more about your customized truck." A wry smile passed Mai's lips.

"There's not much left. I can listen to radio, and watch TV during wastelands routs. Thousands of kilometers are just a bit too boring. My bunk is also in the back zone."

"Do you really stop in the wasteland to sleep?"

"Hm... No, but don't tell everyone. Okay?"

"Do you actually drive?"

"Only when it is necessary .. or when I'm bored. Like I said before: the comp will drive in future. I guess I justify my payment with also doing maintaince of electronics, engine and other stuff in here."

Mai leant against her headrest pad.

"Tired?"

"Hm."

"You can rest in the bunk if you want. The next town is still 300 km away.

"I only need to reach next ACC's sphere of action. -- Thanks again."

---

Some shakes made her wake up again.

Mai was staggering into the driver's cabin, rubbed her eyes. "Ah, the city lights. We're almost there."

"Don't slept good or why you're up so soon again?"

"Yes, time lately was hard. I must some real rest."

"We are always forced to do things we would actually not do..."

"Yea, no way 'round."

"Well then, how about a coffee? The thermos bottle is at the right, just open the green fold-out compartment."

Mai took off the metallic head and poured in a good shot.

She looked out of the window. They were passing the mountains, last rain fall had washed off much soil and made it flow onto the street, thus the shakes.

"Yea... So what was you doing here outside? You know, the air is poison and stuff..."

Mai took another nip. "Good question."

"Can't tell me?"

Mai lowered her eyes. He hit the nail.

"Forget it, just tell me story."

"A story?"

"Seriously, I've a young daughter and at these rare days when I'm home she likes listening stories before sleep." He bent over to the right, took a photo.

"Here."

Mai saw at it for a moment. "Looks like a nice little girl."

"Yea, I hope she won't get into puberty too soon." He laughed again. Mai gave back the photo.

"Uhm, well, I could tell you one my uncle told me."

"Sure."

"In ancient time, there were powerful ghosts. They were fallen soldiers, punished to spend time between the worlds of human and dead. They had been actual good-minded people, had family, loved their children, lived usually in civil manner, but as soldiers they thought to have injure and kill others when been commanded to war. In their final judgment they were ordered to becomes hell's hunters and gate keepers. Their skin color changed between red and blue. Their tasks were eternal. Only remorse for their doings could free them. Some seemed to had lost their minds in endless hunting and guarding, and transformed into darker shadows of themselves. Those misused their power, terrorized and slaughtered innocent people. That marked them all as demon and devils."

"Hey, that's a quite short story."

"I'm sorry. I don't know how it continues. At that point my uncle became interrupted. -- But I guess they want regaining their old status. Because in our time there are still Oni leading parades to fight back misfortune, greater evils, you know."

They passed a sign saying "You entered ACC save zone".

"Well, okay, over there is a service station. I let you out there. -- Hopefully we meet again. Maybe you can get the second part and tell me."

"Oh, that could became difficult."

"You never know..."

He shut the door again and waved hand with a smiling. Then he drove down the street.

"No, I meant..." She sighed. "Oh well, let's go on."

Samoko

as she walked through this safe zone she realized that hope for humanity hasn't all gone yet ... people were walking around with their kids ... the street lights shone down on her face ... and since a long time she felt calm and peaceful ... she saw a little motel down the street ... and rented a little room with what money she had left ... she wasn't tired however she was still feeling energized ... in her mind she kept playing the fight with muro ... million thoughts rushed into her head ... shinitama, griffin ... but one big question remained : Now what ? ... what will become of her ... what will become of the world ...

she laid her head on the pillow and closed her eyes ... and surrendered to sleep ...

"she's in there" a loud voice said which woke her up suddenly ... the door was being unlocked ... immediately she stood up ready for battle ... the door opened ...it was still very dark outside ... 2 black ops came in followed by a man she left for dead hours ago ... she couldn't believe her eyes ... Griffin had survived !

"We need to talk" ... "U're .... U're alive !!! ... how ?! " "That is irrelevant at this moment ...we need to go somewhere else ...we are not safe here ... "

"I'm not going anywhere with u !! not before i get some answers !

" fine but make it quick we are in great danger "

"I think I can handle myself ... how did u survive ... the explosion ... the battle ..."

" I did what I had to do " he said looking down

"what ?" ... suddenly it hit her ... this man wasn't bruised, he didn't even have a scar ... "Oh my God ! u have implanted a crysallis in urself haven't u ! "

"You didn't think I'd go to fight muro unprepared ... I had to be prepared for failure ... it was the only way ... the TCTF scientist managed to create a crysallis ..."

now please Mai we have to move ! as he said that screams and bullets were heard outside ... one of TCTF officers said " sir sir they're her ... we have 2 agents down ... we need to move ! "now would u listen to me Mai ! is there another way out !" Griffin said

"Yes ... yes the window who are they !! the syndicate !? " she said as the were fleeing for the window and the sound of bullets was getting closer ...

"no ... much worse ... they're The BGI "

out of the window and into the back alley they ran ...

2 men in black intercepted their path .. they were carrying guns konoko have never seen before ! ... HIDE !! yelled Griffin ... as the man in black shot a rocket towards them ! griffin and konoko both jumped out of the way at the right time ... unfortunately the tctff officers weren't as lucky ! ... konoko ran towards the armed man jump flipped and knocked his weapon out as griffin took down the other with his pistol ...

follow me ... griffin said we have a tctf truck near ... they ran thru the night ... as the BGI chased them furiously ... finally they reached the well hid truck ... "Now what ?" konoko said ... " now we hide" he answered ...

they drove away ... no one was following them .... konoko sighed a sigh of relief ... as she looked at griffin ... now are u going to tell me what's GOING ON !!

these are the BGI they are responsible for everything ... they've forced me to implant the chrysallis in u ... I had no choice

"Oh please there's always a choice !" " No there wasn't ... not for me ... it was either u .... or ... him" "him ?" "Casey .... my son " "U have a son !" I never knew that ! no one did i was trying to keep him safe .. I failed they kidnapped him ... I was forced to ... I couldn't let them do that to my son ... I'm sorry that doesn't justify what I did to u ...but but ...he's my son !" he said with a chocked up voice and teary eyes ...

Konoko was startled by the sight of her foe this strong man being emotional a side of him she never realized existed ...

"where is he now" she said " I don't know ...they still have him ... they had him for years ... i was allowed to see him every once and a while to make sure he's still safe ... and they promised he would remain safe as long as I do their bidding ...

"poisoning the atmosphere ... did they have anything to do with it ?" "I'm not sure ... but they could benefit from it ... by selling chrysallis .. creating their own army of mutants ... so no one could stand in their way ... "

"so we are all doomed ..." konoko said

" not necessarily ... there is a way still ... a person who can help us ... u've met him actually"

"I've met him ? " yes ... u know him by the name ... MUKADE

konoko's jaw dropped "U must be kidding me ! he's a murderer !"

" he wasn't always ... mukade was a colleague of ur father and uncle ... while their research focused on using the chrysalis to be implanted in a host .. his research was to use the chrysalis as an absorbent ... the same way it is able to absorb damage and regenerate the host's cells ... he hoped to be able to absorb toxins from air or water by using the chrysalis ... "

"u lost me ! and how did he become the super bad ass ninja " "The BGI didn't like his work ... they kidnapped him and used him for early experiments of the chrysalis ... he changed ... he lost his family he lost himself and became a soulless slave for them ... " it will all come become clearer ... once we find him "

"mm ok one little problem though, I killed him !"

Griffin smiled and said "that's what u think ... funny thing about us chrysalis symbiotes ...we don't stay dead for long ...

Mukade

Mai lay on the cold stone floor. She couldn't sleep, the events of the past few weeks bore on her mind, now that she had lost her momentum in the aftermath. There were too many things crowding her mind. Griffen's son, her ex-boss with a chrysalis. The BGI. The disaster she had caused with the destruction of the atmosphere processers. Mukade alive, and the realization struck her that, if Mukade were alive then so must Barabas, after all, Mukade's chrysalis was an earlier prototype of Barabas'. And the biggest mystery of all... Kerr's words ringing in her head. (Sry Leus, don't know where your headed with this big_smile )

The conditions of their surrondings didn't help matters either. They had found a cave a fair distance out of the ACC zone, trusting their chrysali to keep them safe. Here, Mai and Griffen figured, they wouldbe safe from most any personel sent out after them, and any with equipment enough to survive the conditons would still have trouble tracking them, the cave was fairly remote.

Griffen lay about 5 yards away from her. Judging by his breathing, she figured that he was still awake. She assumed the same things on her mind weighed also on his. Yeta nother sign of his other side, the human side, and not the stiff official, disciplined side that would be able to control his thoughts and allow him sleep. Through the mouth of the cave, the sky had begun to turn a soft shade of grey. Dawn. They weren't going to accomplish much by lying there, especially rest. Anyways, a little activity might even take her mind off things.

 Rising, she picked up a grape sized pebble and toss it at Griffen's head. It found t's mark, but Griffen didn't even flinch.

"A tap on the shoulder would've sufficed"

He got up as well, Mai just smiled at him. As Griffen bent down to tie his shoes, Mai landed a precise kick that should have taken the older man off his feet. Instead, he used the momentum to propel him into a roll and came up facing her.

"You really want to do this?"

"I need to know that you won't slow me down"

Griffen merley grunted and sank into a ready stance. Mai didn't even wait for an opening to present itself, she charged in, intending to teach him a lesson or two with a couple of tricks she'd picked up along her way over the past couple weeks. None of the opponents she had faced, with the exception of chrysalis infused opponents had mereted thought on how to best them. Several pace away, Konoko lept into the air, an impossible jump for any normal human being. At the climax of her leap, she did a mid air flip, intending to come down feet first onto Griffen. At the last moment he side-stepped, wrapped an arm around her legs, and pulled. This unexpected move almost made Mais face best friend with the solid floor, but she brought her arms up at the last second and averted the impact, but it still jarred he body and scraped her palms up.

"You're faster then you look"

"You don't think i made it to director of the TCTF by being weak did you girl?"

"Well, those days of sitting behind a desk would tend to soften a man, when i saw you climb from that copter with armor on, I thought you were dead meat"

"I didn't start out as director, and now with this chrysalis inside me, i feel like a supercharged teenager"

He grinned, a cold, sarcastic grin, but a grin nonetheless. She hadn't seen him smile since... ever?

"Cmon, we've got to move, we may be in a remote place, but there are ways to track us."

"Agreed. I can't wait to find another cold stone floor to sleep on."

Griffen said nothing. Together they walked out of the cave and began to continue their treck. How long would they be on the run, Mai wondered.

Samoko

so Griffin do u have any idea where we might find Mukade ?

"yes ... just before we went to fight against muro ... our intelligence received info that he was seen alive again ... the thing is that data remained confidential in the TCTF head quarters ...

u mean the head quarters that is now some ruins -_-

the vault would have survived the explosion ... that's where i kept the data ...

the vault as in the vault where u used shinitama against me ?

yeah ...sorry about that ...

so we're going to the headquarters ... great !

except for the fact it will be crawling with BGI agents ...

come on old man ... I'll protect u wink

they're tougher than u think Mai ... we'll have to be very careful ...

ok how we're gonna get there ? we can't exactly drive the tctf truck nor just walk in !

we'll hitchhike of course "Griffin said with a smile ...

as they stood on the road close to the safe zone ...

a truck pulled over ! hey we meet again the driver said talking to Mia !

"OH hi ! it's u ... "it was the same driver who picked her up to the safe zone ... listen we need a lift ...

"Sure ... Sure ! come in I can use the company !" I'm just watching some Tv

"Do u know this guy ?" said Griffin

"kinda yeah he's sweet ... " said mai as she climbed to the front seat

how has ur daughter been she asked ...

Oh she's such a little devil tongue ! . I just wish I could be with her more ... instead of being useless on this stupid truck

hey u're not being useless u're being our driver tongue said mia jokingly ...

heh i guess so, is this ur uncle that u were telling me about ? asked the driver ...

mm no said mai with sadness as she remembered how kerr's death was caused by griffin ...

Griffin interrupted "No ... I'm just ... a"

"an old family friend ... said mia smiling gently to Griffin ... these few days she's spent with griffin have taught her to forgive or at least to start to ...

"so where r u going guys ? "

"do u know where the TCTF building used to be ? answered mia ...

"Oh no, u're kidding me that area is not safe anymore ! ... "

"It's absolutely necessary that we go there !! "

"I'm afraid that's impossible sweet heart :S I can get u close enough though "

ok that will have to do said griffin ...

an hour or so later ... they came close to a familiar street ... at least it would have been more familiar if it weren't for the fog the ruined buildings and the lack of liveliness .... that's as close as i get said the driver

It's ok smile thanks for everything ... said konoko ...

WE INTERRUPT THIS PROGRAM FOR AN URGENT NEWS FLASH said the reporter on the tv the driver was watching ...

OH I hate when they do that !! complained the driver .

konoko's picture showed up on the screen !

THIS WOMAN IS AN ARMED AND DANGEROUS MURDERER SHE AND HER ACCOMPLICE ARE VERY DANGEROUS THOSE WHO COME IN CONTACT WITH THEM MUST REPORT IMMEDIATELY !

what the he... !!! the driver said frightened ! u're "please please don't hurt me ... I have a family" (sounds familiar guys tongue ?)

"we are not going to hurt anyone" said konoko "look at me ... do i look like a murderer to u ? "

"mmm no no i guess not but they never do :\ "

look we are the good guys and if we don't go and do what we have to do .. ur little girl will be growing up in a poison atmosphere all her short lived life ... is that what u want ?

mm no no I don't know :S

"LOOK PAL WE ARE LEAVING THIS INSTANT" INTERRUPTED GRIFFIN

easy there "no need for violence" trembled the driver ... yes griffin there is no need for violence said konoko ... let's go ...thanks for the lift again ... and I'm trusting u to not report us ... just trust ur heart smile said mia as she came down from the truck followed by Griffin ...

"we could have taken him out " said Griffin ...

"that's ur answer to everything, isn't it "

" I just hope this won't come back to bite us" he said

" GUYS WAIT UP " the driver yelled ... I think u need to take this with u ... as he threw down some uniforms to them like his own

"Oh thank u !! Mia said ... this should come in handy ...

good luck the driver said as he drove away ...

they changed into the uniforms

ok the building or what's left of it is right there said griffin .. let's move

"u look cute by the way" said konoko mockingly tongue

uhuh -_- so if we run into agents we'll be saying " I'm just here to replace the equipment ?"

"that's the plan commander smile !"

I thought this place would be crawling with agents ... konoko wondered

"yes they try to avoid being in the toxic atmosphere as much as possible ... but it is strange that there aren't any agents" Griffin said "or maybe we're walking into a trap" he continued

"or maybe we are just being lucky ! let's get a move on said konoko ...

ok listen there is a secret passage that leads into the vault follow me ...

mm that building had more secrets than i knew, konoko said.

they walked thru a dark tunnel relying only on Grifin's memory ... ok we're here the vault should be behind the door ...

they pushed on a secret door and were into the vault just to the right of Griffin's desk ...

"OK THAT WAS EASY ! konoko exclaimed way easy !!! the vault was almost pitch dark except for the damaged electrical wires giving a spark every now and then ...

"I agree ... Oh no look ! "to the far corner there were 5 agents ... dead and brutally beaten up !!

Oh my God ! who could have done that ! said Mai

no no no ! i think i know who !! said Griffin I thought he would have perished by the explosion !

what are u talking about ! konoko yelled !

remember when the syndicate attacked our building and kidnapped shinitama

of course how could i forget ! i killed Barabus

"not exactly !! u weakened him greatly and he was starting to recover so we just kept him in a secure prison upstairs, but we didn't anticipate the explosion it might have ... "

"freed him ... u're kidding me ! "

"NO NO ... HE'S NOT" a familiar disturbing voice said from the dark ... "I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR U ! KONOKO ... U CAN'T DEFEAT ME I ONLY GROW ...STRONGER AND STRONGER !!"

"hello Barabas" ...

"LET'S GET IT ON !!"

Leus

"We don't have time for this," Mai said. "Just give it up. Your boss is dead."

"Ha. Unlikely," Barabas scoffed.

"I felt his spine shatter beneath my heel," Griffin chimed in, sharing a satisfied glance with his purple-haired partner. "A little move I picked up from a friend."

"I never got a chance to thank you for that, by the way," Mai said. Griffin responded only with a small nod, and a smile which Mai returned.

"Well," said Barabas, his tone slightly more agitated. "If this IS true, why shouldn't I be killing you both twice as hard?"

"Because his plan, although not fully executed, has been set in motion," Griffin explained. "The atmosphere is dying as we speak."

"Hahaha!" Barabas chortled. "Perfect!"

"Why?" Mai inquired.

Barabas paused. "What?" was the only word he could find.

"Why is that perfect? What do you gain from that?" Mai shot back.

"The poisoned air can't hurt me," Barabas began. "I'm all powerful. I'll live on while the others die." The expression on his face clearly indicated the doubt in his words.

"And what does that get you?" Mai prodded, saying what barely needed to be said.

"I mean, not EVERYONE will die. Some will buy the chrysalis--"

"And will be JUST as powerful as you!" Mai interrupted.

"But the money they'll pay..." Barabas trailed off.

"Will be useless as the world's economy collapses," Mai retorted. Barabas looked left and right. He clenched his eyes shut and clutched his head with both hands.

"I can't believe this blithering buffoon never even thought--" Griffin was interrupted.

"That's enough," Mai said. "What's past is past. You've got to realize that, both of you. All we can do now is fight for what's right for the future."

Barabas emitted a sudden roar. "My whole life!" he growled. His breathing was heavy and rapid.

"Barabas," Mai snapped sternly. "I realize how hard this must be. The further you've climbed up a certain ladder, the harder it is to let go. But you've got to let go now. The longer you hold on, the more time you waste."

Barabas let out a final sigh. "That bastard," he stated simply, angrily.

"Griffin. The computer," Mai ordered. Griffin nodded and headed to the monitor. He began to type rapidly. Mai and Barabas walked up behind him.

"Oh God," Barabas muttered. "If all I've ever fought for has been meaningless, then all those things I did..." he trailed off. Mai looked into his eyes and his gaze met hers. "All those people..."

Mai was wordless as she stared into Barabas. Tears began to roll slowly down his nearly shimmering-white cheeks. "Why?" he asked, looking at Mai but speaking to no one. "Why did you do this to me? Why did you put this pain in me? Why now?"

Mai held his gaze, remaining stoic. Barabas' lip quivvered, his weeping picking up.

"Oh, calm down, you big ba--"

"SHUT!" Mai interrupted Griffin. "Up. If anyone should be breaking down right now, it's YOU. YOU committed your vile acts under the guise of fighting for justice. Barabas only ever did what he BELIEVED was right."

"I ALWAYS fought for justice!" Griffin shot back. "But everything's not as cut and dry, black and white as people like YOU like to think. Corners must be cut, sacrifices must be made..."

"We don't have time for this," Mai cut him off. "Although I should have known you believed it too. Even in my line of work, it's impossible to wrap my head around how warped some perceptions can be. But people always do what they feel is right. Always."

"This is all happening so fast," Barabas spoke up.

"But we've got to be faster," Mai replied. "You can take the time to absorb this all once we've saved the world."

"Got it!" Griffin declared. Mai and Barabas turned to face the screen...

Mukade

(here im going to assume that Leus doesnt know what was on the screen, so im hoping im not going to take this into a completely different direction smile )

On the screen was displayed a map with one point flashing red. Konoko groaned.

"You're kidding me right?"

"If only i were"

The red dot was poised just above the warehouse where the whole thing had started.

"Are you sure? That seems to obvious for..."

Then she felt it.... faint, but definately there. A feeling, as if someone wre calling out to her in a dream, she couldn't describe it. She felt compelled to follow it, and it led to the warehouse. It's like he wants me to find him....

"Yes, he's there all right."

"Why the sudden change of mind? How can you be sure? He could have moved on by now. I'll be honest, I wasn't planning on finding him flat out, i WAS planning on going there to find a trail."

"I just know..."

"How?"

"I JUST DO!!"

Griffen frowned at her, but didn't say anything. The feeling still disturbed Mai, the same way it disturbed her on that rooftop chase. The way he'd goaded her, and the worst part is, every word he had said was true. Why was she connected to him and not Muro, Barabas or Griffen? She needed answers.

"Alright, I'll trust you on this one."

Mai thought of a snappy retort, but she bit it back. Griffen was no longer her boss, but her equal. He had clearly changed himself, and he had come to help her when she needed him. It was now time for her to start forgiving him. She turned to Barabas.

"Were these all of them?" She asked, gesturing to the mangled BGI agents.

"These are the ones that either froze in terror when they saw me or decided they were invincible. Some of the smarter ones turned tail to cry to their mommies and bring back some heavier guns."

At his mention of havy guns, his eyes glazed over for a second and she saw his fingers twitch, and Mai realized he missed his own heavy gun. She didn't sympathize. He was probably brooding over the factthat he couldn't shoot down the runaways. The world is a better place without him and that beast of a weapon together she concluded.

"In that case we'd better get moving."

"I'm staying." said Barabas "I may no longer want th world destroyed, but I'm still not going with you. (sorry Leus, i just can't see Barabas becoming good, maybe make him sorta a neutral party?) I have my own life to sort out, and I think I'm going to enjoy a little challenge when they get back."

"Suit yourself." Mai couldn't say she wasn't relieved he was going. She could never feel safe with him around.

Samoko

FREEZE ALL OF YOU !!! a voice said coming from the vault's entrance

"Heh they're back " Barabas laughed ...

"Mai Hasegawa isn't it ?" such an honor to finally meet u ... a lady from the dark said ... "Unfortunately our meeting is gonna be very very short ... Take them down " she ordered the dozen of heavy armed BGI ...

"I'll hold them down ! u go !" Barabas said

"No we're in this together " konoko said

"I can handle them u saw to that" Barabas said as he made one of his earthquakers knocking everyone down including konoko and griffin ...

"We have u surrounded" the lady who was still standing in the dark said ..u're not going anywhere !

"HEY you take this it doesn't have much energy left in it but it will get u far enough"Barbas said as he took off his jet pack and put it on konoko ... and this u'll need it in time as he gave her a little data disc

"Let's move ! Griffin said dodging the bullets that were shot at him ...

"ok Barabas ... good luck ... " konoko said as she and griffin ran back into the tunnel once they got out ... BGI agents were waiting outside with rocket launchers

"Hold on old man" konoko said as she grabbed Griffin and flew before anyone could move a muscle

the jet pack ran out of fuel soon enough and they found themselves on foot again

Mukade

The one hour walk it should have taken to get to the warehouse was doubled. They had to take back alleys and duck out of sight when someone came by. Mai was now a wanted criminel and they couldn't afford to compromise their position. When they finally reached the now vacant warehouse, darkness had fallen.

"I'm starting to hope we won't find Mukade here. In the dark around all these crates, he could be anywhere. This is his territory, he has the advantage."

They slipped carefully through the boarded up entrance and were swallowed by the growing darkness. They crept quietly through the maze of crates and corridors. Then suddenly, she realized someting very unsettling. Up to this point in time, she had been concentrating on her vision to find the black cyborg. When she finally realized to stay in tune with her feelings, she groaned. She turned around and spoke into the darkness.

"Let me guess. If you'd wanted us dead, you would've killed us the moment we entered the warehouse."

A metallic laugh sounded just a few feet into the inky blackness.

"And believe me, I could have."

He stepped into their field of vision. It looked to her like they had never had the brutal fight on the rooftops.

"I knew you'd be drawn here sooner or later. We need to talk."

Samoko

"I knew you'd be drawn here sooner or later. We need to talk."

"yes we do, mukade or shall i say dr. mukade ?"

"The little girl has done her research i see ... " said mukade in his metallic voice

"we know who u are mukade, we know what the BGI did to u" Griffin said

"HAHA what they did to me ... they freed me from all doubts and fears ... they've made me more powerful than i could ever dreamed of!"

"at what expense though mukade look at urself alone here in the darkness u've lost everything .. what's left to go back to ? the BGI ? "

"Even they want me dead, I've failed to stop u from knowing ur past and for that I must pay " mukade said still hysterical

"ok then just stop and help us fight them ... "

"does ur blood burn when u kill ? mine does" mukade said

"Ok this guy is giving me the creeps " Griffin said

"Stop it mukade STOP IT !" she said decisively this time

"Daddy's little girl scared of the darkness ... surrender to it ... join me ... kill him ... kill the old man ... "

"Don't u mention my father ! i should have known u're just too crazy to hep us !"

"It's not his fault Mai .. God knows what the BGi have put him thru all these years " Griffin whispered ...

"I liked ur father ... I was friends with ur father ... they spared him they gave me ... this !" they've made me this while ur arrogant sorry excuse for a scientist father was spared "

"DON'T U DARE !"

"no konoko no ! that's what he wants stay calm !" griffin interrupted

"HAHAHA ... u're mine " mukade said as he teleported behind them and kicked Griffin into some crates

"U can't see me ... u can't stop what u can't see " mukade said as he turned invisible into the darkness

"Stop I don't want to fight u ! we need ur help we need to reverse the poison only u can do it ! ... before she could say another word a punch sent her flying a few feet backwards ... "

"HAHAHA ... " his metallic laugh echoed thru the dark ...

"ok let's do this ur way then " she said

"u can't see me ... "

"I don't need to .. .I can feel u "

she said as she reached into the darkness and grabbed him by the neck !

he tried to free himself but he lost his mask in the process ...

"Oh my god mai said startled ! looking at the face of a man or actually half a face the other half was part cyborg and part mutated into white skin like that of Barabas .... it's u ! I remember u ! "

"dr Muk !" Konoko said happily

"dr Muk ???? said Griffin who was getting up ..."

"that's what i used to call him when i was a baby ! i remember now he was always around with my father ... " do u remember me mukade ? she said

"Shut up ! i know no one I care for no one I need no one ... ur mine !!"

in a blink he teleported right in front of her again knocking both her and griffin down with 2 swift kicks ...

he grabbed her by the neck and lifted her and with his other fist that glowed with electricity he prepared to punch her with all he had...

mai didn't fight she just smiled at him and closed her eyes peacefully waiting for the punch ...

seconds passed and she realized nothing happened ...

"I remember u too ..." he finally said as he put her down ...

"AGhhhhh " he moaned in pain !! "Stop it, stop the darkness he said as he grabbed his head in agony ... it's inside always inside taking control"

"then fight it !! konoko said fight it bec we need u !! the world needs u ! fight it for urself don't lose who u are !! u're not their slave anymore !! FIGHT IT MUKADE !

moments passed with him moaning and twitching in agony ...

until he finally stood still and said with a rather unfamiliar\familiar voice, unfamiliar bec he no longer had his mask with the metallic vocal box and familiar bec Mai could remember that voice from her childhood ... "what can i do ?"

Mai smiled and said : "Ur project to use the chrysallis to absorb the toxins from the atmosphere ... "

"It's not that easy ... they have the machine ... they have all my work "

"Then we need to retrieve it " Griffin said after he had been silent watching the conversation of mai and mukade ...

"the machine ... Kerr mentioned it ... " konoko said

Stevinlewis

"Kerr said the machine is an advanced technology which he had been working on for five years. He said it is still a prototype but its near to completion."."No i worked on that thing!" interrupted Mukade.

"Alright shut up, do you know where this machine is?"Asked Griffin."Yes its under this warehouse. Kerr used to work under this facility by himself before he got employed come follow me!"Konoko said.

They ran across the warehouse and finally found a door that says "restricted area". A computerised voice emitted from a hidden speaker and said "Self verification please" and a plate-like thing emerged from behind the pillar. She put her hand on it and it said "Human identified. Welcome back Konoko. How are you?" . "How come u can do that? Dosen't it only allow Kerr to enter?"Asked Mukade. "Wow i didn't think thatll work. Im not so sure but follow me." They ran down a spiralling staircase and finally reached the bottom floor. And right before them is a huge machine that is heavily rusted and very very dusty.

"That is the machine"Konoko said. "Kerr used to tell me stories about it. He said this will save you some day but it was up to me to find out how to use it. he couldn't tell me back then cause alot of "people" were paying attention to our conversation. Hidden microphones and video camera were all around us wherever we were. I didn't knew back then but the BGI was already listening to us. Kerr knew but he couldn't say it just there and then."

"Alright how do we work this thing?" Asked Griffin. "Well, just stand back ill do everything.". She taps on the keyboard as messages and messages appear on the screen. And then it sparkled to life! "But how come its here? I thought the BGI took them." Asked the confused Mukade. "Not all of them dumb head. He shifted this into his(kerr) lab by using ur "blink" technology here where he wired them all over his lab. The one u were doing only helped to return the toxin level to normal status. HIS machine was designed to kill all mutants and disintegrate the toxins." Explained Konoko.

She rushed past the two guys and stand in front of the door."Over here we have the weapons lab where one section is still in experiments while the other is already completed and ready for use. Follow me."Konoko said. She pushed past the door and said "This is it. Feel free to take any weapons. They hav infinite bullets so don't worry. Just make sure u polish and shine them before putting them back onto the shelves." Said Konoko jokingly. "Cool" Said one of them. "Im gonna go take a shower. There are suits which can hold 5 different weapons over here and there. That is for woman and here is for men got it?"."Yes Ma'am!".

She walked through the hall way and into the shower cabin where she took her suit along. Confused little Mukade was going to ask her how to use one of the weapon when he found her inside the bath cabin. "Um Konoko. How do i use this?". "Wait till i come out will ya? .". "Aliright".

He fiddled around with the camera like thing when he found a button and it was activated. "wow". He looked through it and then he realised this thing was suppose to look through walls. He looked and gazed at Konoko bathing in the pouring water and amazed at how beautiful she really it. His pants tightenend as he came down and looked at her butt. "Oh my god".

After a few minutes, Konoko came out in her suit and said what did he want to ask. But he replied while looking down at her chest where her nipples could be seen through the suit. "Nothing, i figured it out." Saying it with a smile. They both returned to the weapons lab when suddenly out of nowhere, a loud bang echoed through the lab and BGI troops stormed the lab. Konoko shouted "take some weapons lets blast these freaks out of this place!" Konoko took a sniper and she took aim on one BGI guy........

Samoko

Konoko took a sniper rifle and she took aim on one BGI guy........ and pulled the trigger ! to her surprise the bullet bounced of his chest ... he was wearing some strange type of armor ...

"Take them down all of them" the lady which they met in the vault before ordered

"They're invincible !" Griffin yelled

"Not really mukade said as he teleported to the back of an agent lifted him up and threw him on the head ... "

"Konoko yelled we are outnumbered" "retreat to the room now!

"we can take them mukade said still teleporting and kicking !

"Surrender Mai there's no point in prolonging this !" the lady said now coming into their vision she was a beautiful woman dressed in light armor and carrying a small strange looking gun .

"BACK INTO THE ROOM NOW !!" konoko yelled to her comrades !

Griffin was cornered an a BGI aimed a mercury bow which shot like a blackadder at him ... the instant the agent pulled the trigger mukade teleported held griffin and teleported him into the room just in the nick of time ...

Konoko ran into the room and closed the heavy door behind her ! This won't hold them for long she said ... as she ran to the computer ... there has to be something to help us here !

"Stress level increase ... unfamiliar weapon shots ... unauthorized attempts to enter " the computer said in a familiar tone !

"It can't be" Griffin said ! while konoko was too teary eyed and just whispered : "Shinitama is that u ? "

the computer answered "not quite" "Shinitama beta 2 actually, Kerr built me into this lab to protect his work, he said to help u Mai Hasegawa if u needed my help"

"We do need ur help... we're trapped !"

"Engaging advanced security mode" shinitama 2 said .. as a heavy barrier came down to support the door ... and laser beams thru wholes in the ground came up behind it ...

"Door bullet shield activated " "Door impact shield activated"

"they won't be coming in any time soon" shinitama 2 said

"Thank u !" konoko said

"so now we're locked in here for how long ?" mukade interrupted

"Shinitma is it possible to teleport the machine somewhere else ?"

"I'm afraid not ... the teleporter has been damaged ... I can only teleport smaller objects ... like u 3 "

"Let me figure this out" mukade said ... if I could copy the data files and the blue print and ... of this machine we could rebuild it or modify one of my own"

"damn it ... it requires a password !" he said

"come on hacking is supposed to be one of ur expertise isn't it ?" mai said

"i can't focus now ! killing those agent made me feel it ... that darkness taking over and I liked it"

"we don't have time for this mukade ... shinitama 2 what's the password ?? "

"that is unknown to me" it replied ...

"Konoko how do u know about this place ? how did u know where to find the machine how to operate the computer ??? all this !! " Griffin said

"I don't know ! I just did !"

Kerr told me about the machine before but it wasn't until recently that I knew this lab existed ... I don't understand either !"

"I can answer that wonder" Shinitama 2 said "Kerr had implanted this knowledge deep into ur memory to be triggered at the right time ... he used me and the neural link between u and ur shinitama ... those memories only to be triggered by me when i sense u in the proximity, first time u were in the warehouse long ago i collected all necessary data by monitoring u"

"people has been messing with my thoughts for a long time i see" "kerr did talk about the machine before ... his last words were ... "the machine can save the world ... u'll find it where it all began ... my darling "

"We are running out of time no matter how strong that door is there's a limit to how many rockets it can handle !" mukade said

"Is there anything else u remember mai ?" griffin asked

"no no ... WAIT .. of course he never called me that ... try "mydarling" as the password

"WORKED! I'm in" Mukade said

ok copy those files quick !

"WARNING ... WARNING collision shield down to 50 % bullet shield down to 40 % " shinitama 2 said ... "activating lasers on the outside

"I'm done" mukade said

"We can't just leave them with a machine that is able to kill mutants that is able to kill us ! " konoko said

"What do u suggest we do ?" Griffin said

"My Self destruction mechanism can destroy it and those in proximity " shinitama 2 said

"NO ! not again !" konoko yelled !

"It's the only way konoko ... I'll always be with u shinitama 2 said in her familiar voice as a photo of shinitama came on the screen ... "don't worry about me ... who knows maybe Kerr made backups ... "

"SELF DESTRUCTION SEQUENCE INITIATED ... take as many weapons as u can and head to the teleporter "

"Good bye shinitama" mai said as tears rolled on her cheeks ... "u heard her let's move it !"

the 3 of them went to the teleporter as shinitama 2 said 7 .. 6 .. shields are down to 5 %

where to ? griffin asked "I need to go to my old lab" mukade replied as he clicked some buttons

4 - 3 ... the voice faded away as the three of them were teleported to ...

Leus

...Nowhere. Mai and Griffin panicked, their heads darting left and right. Mukade was nowhere to be found.

2... 1...

"Stop! Shinitama!" Mai yelled, but before she could finish her sentence she heard the familiar voice speak once more.

"Self destruct sequence suspended." Mai and Griffin breathed a synchronized sigh of relief.

"What happened?" Griffin queried.

"I don't know," Mai replied. As she stopped talking, she noticed a deafening silence permeating the room. Mai and Griffin looked to each other.

"They've stopped shooting," Griffin unnecessarily stated.

"Shinitama, what's going on?" Mai inquired.

"I'm not sure, but--" Shinitama 2 cut herself off. "My systems have just been accessed by an unknown source. My security systems are being internally sieged... This assault is..." Shinitama 2 trailed off.

"Shinitama?" Mai checked, concerned.

"I must concentrate," Shinitama 2 declared bluntly. Griffin and Mai were silent.

Before long, a loud clang and the hissing sound of air being released resounded throughout the room. The large barricaded door slid pleasantly open revealing the BGI assault force. The attractive young woman stood at the forefront holding a laptop which she promptly swung shut and handed to an armored associate.

"Griffin. Mai," she said, taking a few steps forward. "How nice to see you two once more,"

"Samoko..." Griffin said, under his breath but audible. (Sorry, lol. I thought since you made her a character I'd name her after you.)

The woman smiled. "Glad to see the stress of the job I got you hasn't made you forget the good old times," she said with intentional exposition. Just as she'd hoped, Mai looked concernedly to Griffin at this statement.

"You and that job are both long in my past now," Griffin muttered coldly.

Samoko's smile only grew larger. She took in a deep breath through her nose, closing her eyes, then released it satisfyingly through her mouth. "Well, this has been fun," she said. "Boys, detain them." The BGI troops began marching towards Mai and Griffin. Griffin struck a fighting pose, but Mai put her hand gently on his chest, signaling him to stand down. A few BGI soldiers held Mai and Griffin and bound their hands behind their backs.

"This isn't over," Griffin said.

"Of course it isn't," Samoko said with a chuckle. She then shifted address. "You two. Let's escort our guests out to the vehicle. The rest of you, learn what you can about this machine. See if anything makes it unique from the others." Samoko turned on her heel and began to walk back out through the previously barricaded doorway, signaling with a small wave of her hand to be followed. Two BGI troops complied, forcing Mai and Griffin to walk ahead of them with guns to their backs.

Just as they were reaching the exit of the facility, Mai suddenly turned around. "Shinitama! Now!" she shouted.

In the distance, a voice could barely be made out. "Self destruct seq--" A massive explosion cut off the computer program's words. Everything went white.

When her vision cleared, Mai looked around. She was lying on the ground. Around her were Griffin, Samoko and the two BGI troops. Their uniforms and armor were all tattered and fractured. The BGI soldiers were clearly dead, limbs mangled and twisted every which way and blood pooling beneath them.

Mai jumped up and extended a hand to Griffin who painedly took it in his own. She helped him to his feet, and the two turned to Samoko who was struggling to get to her own. Mai grabbed her by the neck and lifted her above the ground. "Let me guess," she said, cutting right to the chase. "BGI wasn't monopolizing these machines for the good of all mankind."

Mai looked harshly into Samoko's eyes. Samoko choked and gagged, but gave no response. Mai sighed. "Where are they?" she demanded.

Samoko

Mai looked harshly into Samoko's eyes. Samoko choked and gagged, but gave no response. Mai sighed. "Where are they?" she demanded.

"they are in our headquarters ... somewhere u can never walk out of alive" Samoko said arrogantly

"and where is that exactly ?" Mai said tightening her grasp on Samoko's neck

Samoko gazed into Mai's eyes daringly ... then suddenly her eyes lit up ... she grabbed mai's hands and with a smile she forcefully loosened mai's grasp almost breaking her arm in the process ... "BIG MISTAKE" Samoko said as she now grabbed mai's arms ... winked at her and threw her like a feather towards griffin !

"AHH" Mai screamed in pain as she knocked down Griffin

"let me guess she has a chrysallis too ?"Griffin said trying to stand up

"Yup ... one powerful chrysallis" Mai answered ...

"You fool u think u can easily defeat me ?" Samoko said as she took her weird little gun out "It's over for u .. I'm afraid Mai ... we had big plans for u but obviously u're not going to cooperate ... I know a lost cause when i see one"

"Guns can't hurt me for long" Mai snaped back ...

"HAHA this special one will ... I present to u the chrysallis accelerator" she said as she quickly pulled the trigger ... a violet ray came out and mai had little time to dodge ... it hit her side ... "

"MAI !! ?? Griffin yelled

"Griffin ... I ... I don't feel well "... Mai said in a weak voice ... as her knees could no longer hold her ... she fell to the ground twitching ... "

"WHAT HAVE U DONE TO HER !!?" he yelled at Samoko as he rested Mai's head on his knee ...

"it won't last long the chrysallis will grow rapidly to replace her every cell .. it will consume her brain her body her soul ... soon she'll be nothing more than an orb of energy" Samoko said with a grin

"We need backup she said to her headphone a little cleanup in the warehouse" ... she continued addressing Griffin "We no longer have use for u my dear old man" she said as she aimed her gun at him "I'll tell Casey u said hi"

A flash shined behind her ... she turned only to receive a kick in the face that sent her flying

"U missed me ? " the teleported Mukade said

"we don't have time ... Mai is hurt we need to get out of here" griffin said

"Right on it" Mukade said ... as he put to strange devices on Griffin's and Mai's wrists

and clicked a button ... as the furious Samoko stood up and rushed towards them ...

a flash shone and suddenly the 3 of them were in a different place ... as Samoko found her self kicking the air ...

"Where are we ... what's happening to me" Mai said trembling

"In my old lab" Mukade answered .. I was teleported here, I wondered why u 2 didn't get teleported too ... and I thought u would need my assistance ... "

"The teleporter stopped before it teleported me & Mai ..." Griffin answered

"Good thing I found those old wrist band teleporters here then ... they are able to cover more distances than the one i usually use ... Now konoko ... stop twitching around like a baby ... I think I know what she did to u ... "

"I feel like I'm about to explode ..." Konoko who was now glowing said

"Did she shoot her for more than 5 seconds ??? answer me !" Mukade yelled at griffin

"No ... no less much less !" he replied

"then we can still save her ... she wasn't hit long to make a complete transformation ... that shot just pushed her to the Imago stage " Mukade said as he searched thru his drawers ...

"Here it is ! he said finally as he got a needle "

"What is that ???" Mai said glowing purple more than ever ...

"A tranquilizer enough to take out an elephant but in ur case it will just restore u temporarily to normal " ... "let's just hope i can get the needle thru ur skin ! the chrysallis is healing ur cells immediately !"

seconds passed and mai's glow started to fade ... "I feel better now" ... she said as she stood up and almost fell again

"Easy there Mai " Griffin said catching her ...

"We'll need to do this every once and a while so u remain normal" mukade said ...

"oh Great ! ... I never really liked needles" Mai said "but then again I don't like turning into a white mutant either "

"If I can modify one of my machines according to Kerr's blueprints I may be able to modify it from killing mutants as ur uncle planed to just suppressing the transformation " Mukade said

"Then we need to get one of those machines ... we're going to their head quarters !" Mai said

"and where is that ?" Mukade replied

"this little tracker will help us" she said smiling"I put the sensor on Samoko when I grabbed her"

"WHERE DID U GET THAT FROM ?? there were no trackers in ur uncles lab" Griffin asked

"Barabas gave it to me when we met at the vault smile ... So gang are u ready to go into the monster's lair ? "

Mukade

Among the weapons they found at the lab was an early prototype of the chrysalis enhancer used by Samoko. However, according to some information downloaded by Mukade, (he downloaded all the contents of Kerr's computer to sift through any additional information that could be of use.) "This weapon was designed not to be destructive, but for containment purposes. The weapon fires a charged net of energy that wraps the host, and causes the chrysalis to divert all it's energy to repairing cells damaged by the charge. The charge will render the victim weak or unconcious, and will be vulnerable to other attacks." "So, essentially, this weapon overloads the chrysalis, making any other attack on the victim as effective as it would be on someone who is not a host?" Mai said with disgust. "As repulsive as the prospect seems, this weapon may come in handy." Commented Griffin "It can be used to take down Samoko. I don't think any other weapon can do the job" " Are you sure about that?" Mai said, glancing sidelong at a BGI Rocket Laucher they had grabbed from the weapon locker. "I like how you think Mai, but we have to assume that she is stronger then any conventional weapon we have." "I guess..."

They packed their weapons and ammo quickly, and headed out the door. They found themselves in the remote part of the city. Mai and Griffin both looked at Mukade. He was the only one who knew where they were.

"This way" He said, turning left down the street. They walked for a good hour, not wanting to waste anymore energy on the already taxed teleporting system. Eventually, they came to a ramshackle structure, with boarded up windows, and a loose hanging door. Their postion very nearly matched Samoko's postion. But Mukade just kept on walking.

"Wait aren't we..." She was cut short but a sharp "Shh!" from Griffin "They're bound to have the place locked tight with security. We can't just walk up the front step, just keep walking." They walked for another minute, then darted between two houses. "Now," said Griffin, "Here's what we do..."

Leus

"Doctor, you to go around back and try to find an empty room to teleport into," Griffin instructed. "Once you're in, find an isolated and unprotected back door, window, or some way for us to get in unnoticed."

"Got it," said Mukade. "But the inside of my armor is coated with a gel for insolation, lubrication, who knows what else... Case in point, I'm completely naked in here. I'll have to teleport back to the lab for some civilian gear."

"Mukade," Mai interjected. "What happened to you?"

"What do you mean?" Mukade asked, cocking his armor-plated head.

"Well when I first met you, you were clearly off your rocker," she stated. "And even when we met again not too long ago you seemed pretty unstable. But now you sound like a completely regular guy... With an intimidating voice filter, of course."

"The truth is, I am definitely somewhat insane; I can feel it," said Mukade. "It's got to be a result of the chrysalis. If it grows inside you long enough, it not only consumes your body but your mind as well. However, at the core we are all still men. We may have intense and conflicting thoughts and emotions, but we are capable of rationalizing them and keeping them in check, if need be. For the longest time I lived as though I were a killer with no remorse, but I've recently been able to pull myself out of that. The guilt of my actions hasn't really started to set... And maybe that means I'm already crazier than most daodan hosts."

"No," Mai responded. "I feel it too, what you're referring to. The blinding intensity... It's definitely hard to separate what you believed from reality, even when the truth is right in front of your face. Give it time, though, and I'm sure the pain will come and cleanse your conscience."

Griffin stared at the two during their spontaneous and deep conversation. He gulped, a quiet panic beginning to build in the back of his mind. Would he feel the pain too? How far gone was he?

Mai turned to Griffin. "Sorry," she commented. "What was the rest of your plan?"

Griffin shook his head, snapping out of his thoughts. "Right. I've laid out your part, Doctor. Konoko--" he started, cutting himself off. Mai looked back, her expression unchanged and understanding. "Mai..." he corrected himself. "You--"

"I've got a better idea--" again Griffin was cut off.

"I hadn't even finished my..." Griffin trailed off as he turned his head to meet a familiar sight. An albino man sporting varicose veins and a small horn in his forehead stood before them in a jumpsuit.

"What are you doing here?" Mai prompted.

"I went back to Muro's den and read up on some things," Barabas explained. "Turns out the TCTF and the Syndicate were both funded by the BGI. I did some research on these guys and found out they have an imago experimentation program. They've kept dozens of daodan symbiotes prisoner after implanting them with various daodan prototype chrysalises. Most of them were orphans or drifters, people no one would miss. People like all of us once were." Barabas paused as the four of them reflected on their pasts. None of them argued Barabas' claim.

Griffin sighed. "Your point being?"

"I need you guys to hold off on your assault," he requested without precedent.

"Now hold on a second--" Griffin was cut off.

"You all would have died, anyway. You are nowhere near prepared to deal with this situation on your own," Barabas said with what almost sounded like a challenging tone.

Griffin pushed a violent sigh through his nose. "And what do you propose?"

"I'm going to infiltrate the imago testing prisons," Barabas claimed.

"And how will you becoming a prisoner help us?" Griffin inquired. "Or you for that matter."

"They've never seen a symbiote like me," replied Barabas. "They kill their subjects long before they can become this powerful. Once I'm in, I'm going to rally the other prisoners. With our combined strength, the facility won't stand a chance."

"So you'll be able to break out, then?" asked Mai.

"There's a good chance of it, anyway," said Barabas.

"So what the hell should WE do?" Griffin shot back, frustrated.

"It shouldn't take me more than one evening with these guys to get them to realize their full potential and what's really at stake here," Barabas declared with confidence. "At noon tomorrow I'll break them out. Be here for the party, if you want."

"I have to admit," Mai said. "It sounds rather brilliant."

"The first step on a long path to attonement, I hope," said Barabas. Mukade's heart sank a little, realizing his own desire to repent still lie dormant, if it was even there at all.

"Is everyone on the same page here?" Mai requested of the group. Griffin and Mukade nodded slowly. "Alright. Tomorrow at noon. Barabas, kill whoever you want, but we need the facility intact. The machinery we need to reverse the atmospheric damage is inside."

"I'm not doing this for the world," Barabas countered. "I'm doing it for the others like us, the ones who never had a chance, who will never be able to live a human life." Barabas began to walk towards the entrance.

"Barabas!" Mai called after him. He stopped and turned his head. "It's not humanity's fault this happened to you; only a few bad ones are to blame. We need to give the rest the same chance you want to give your bretheren in there." Barabas hesitated for a moment, then turned back and continued his gait. The three watched him as he shrunk into the distance.

"Mukade," Mai said suddenly. "You got binoculars on you?"

Mukade paused, then chuckled. "An odd question, but I do happen to have a small telescope," he said.

"Of course," Mai responded. "That'd be some shoddy suit craftsmanship otherwise."

"That Syndicate thinks of everything," Mukade said in a half-light hearted tone. He clicked something on his wrist and a small, horizontal cylinder popped out.

"Let me see," Mai said, taking Mukade's hand. She pulled it close to her face and gazed through. Barabas walked slowly in through the sliding glass front doors. Confusedly, he glanced side to side and half-stumbled through the lobby before he was noticed. There was some commotion, and soon a few guards tackled him. Barabas let them shackle his wrists and stand him up, walking with them out of sight.

Mai let go of Mukade's arm and sighed. "What do we do now?" she wondered aloud.

Samoko

Barabas let them shackle his wrists and stand him up, walking with them out of sight.

Mai let go of Mukade's arm and sighed. "What do we do now?" she wondered aloud.

"We wait I guess" Mukade replied ... "u're glowing again " he continued ... "it's time to give u another shot ... "

"Oh God I didn't even notice it this time ok ..." she said extending her arm .

"It won't be long now" Griffin said optimistically "Soon we'll get access to the machines, mukade will treat u we will save the world ! and I'll free my son !"

"Easy there ... I don't think it will be that easy " Muakde said bringing Griffin back to reality.

Meanwhile ... the shackled Barabas was under investigation ...

"So what brings u here my dear ?" Samoko said to Barabas caressing his face "I've decided to surrender ... It's not worth it anymore"

"mmm and a wise decision that is ... but why now ? something smells fishy she said walking circles around him " "U gave us quite a challenge back there in the vault ... we lost many good agents ... " "There's nothing good about them" he replied

" Says the mutant white monster " she laughed ... "Look dear ... let's make a little deal ... u're strong, I give u that ... but u're lost without ur master ... we an give u new hope new objective and all the killing u'd ever want "

"i think I'll pass ...I'm my own master now "

"Barabas ... Barabas ... I'm so disappointed in u ! ... when we gave muro that experimental chrysallis to implant in one of his men ... we told him to choose the most ruthless strong man he had ! not a coward !"

"maybe u just need a little motivation she said singling to 2 of her men ..."

the 2 carried a familiar object the made Barabas's eyes shine with eagerness ... "My gun" he yelled

"Yes, yes boys do need their toys ... all it takes is for u to tell me where they are .... and u can have so much weapons ... knock urself out ! we have a full arsenal "

"U are changing people into monsters ... they never have a chance "

"Barabas do u really care about some homeless ppl who would have died anyway ... sacrifices must be made for the future ... "

"Muro got me by that same kind of talk ... keep ur guns"

"Very well then dear ... take him to solitary confinement in the earthquake proof prison .. we wouldn't want u to affect other with those delusions now would we ?"

"No wait ... I'm not dangerous anymore ... "

"Why so eager dear ? take him .. NOW"

Barabas was led to a solitary prison cell .. by a dozen of agents

"Something doesn't feel right ..." she said talking to one of her henchmen

I want u to patrol the area outside ... I have a feeling she's here ...

"will do ... " he said as he walked away

"use the special force unit ..." she said stopping him ... "Guys ... I think we have unexpected company she said talking to her head set ... Prepare the Iron demon"

....

Back outside mai was getting anxious ... "What if they see right through him !" she said "he's not a great actor u know"

"Shhh ..." mukade said "did u hear that ? someone is getting near ...

"I don't see anyone ... "Griffin responded

"They're wearing invisibility cloaks" mukade whispered

"Guys we're not alone !!" Mai said pointing her finger to ...

Leus

...Thin air. Mukade roundhouse kicked in the direction Mai had indicated, and his foot connected jarringly with something. A loud clang rang out on impact, followed by a heavy thud shortly thereafter. Another clang rang out and Mukade was sent sailing back a couple of feet, gracefully turning his fall into a backwards arial and landing in a kneeling pose facing away from the action.

"How many are--" Griffin was cut off as something connected with his jaw. His arms windmilled out and he fell on his side, stunned.

"I can't tell," Mai shouted back mid-kick. Another clang and thud followed this attack, and Mai suddenly reached backward and grabbed something unseen. Her legs were quickly swept out from under her and she fell to the ground, losing her grip. Within milliseconds, though, Mukade had dived headfirst towards whatever Mai had been holding, and he wrestled the invisible assailant to the ground. He reached down, then ripped his arm back. A loud snap was heard and the figure of a man in a black coat quickly became apparent on the ground beneath Mukade. Mukade cast aside the cloaking device and activated his own, vanishing. Mai pounced on top of the fallen adversary.

The commotion stopped suddenly. No one moved a muscle, except Griffin who cautiously propped himself up on his elbow.

"Easy, now," came a voice from the air. "Just, let him go."

"I don't think you're in a position to be delegating," Mai responded snappily. "Come get him yourself."

Silence.

"Alright then," said Mai. She pulled a pistol from the man's coat and cocked it, holding it against his neck.

"Wait!" the man shouted. Mai obliged his request. After some hesitation, the man implored once more, "do something!"

"I hope you're talking to me," Mai said, "and I can't really think of too many options at this point." The sounds of slow footsteps began, speeding up and fading away simultaneously. Mai smiled. "Sounds like your men abandoned you."

"What do you want?" the man hissed between clenched teeth.

Mai cocked her head. "As I recall, you addressed us," she said in a faux-confused tone. "What do YOU want?"

The man sighed painedly, unresponsive.

"That's what I thought," said Mai. She reached into his coat and pulled out his ID badge, the gun still pressed firmly beneath the man's jaw.

"Leland Fort, Lab Tech," she read aloud. "Nice moves for a lab tech."

"Even our janitorial staff is highly trained in martial arts," Leland replied. "We know how to hold our own."

"Not exactly the type of work you signed up for, eh?" Mai prodded. "Being sent to fight super powerful radicals bent on the destruction of your employers?"

"I wasn't sent here to fight," he said, his eyes wandering away from her gaze.

"I just got lucky, then?" Mai said, this time with fake excitement. "Must be my day. So, Leland. How'd you know we were here?"

The man furrowed his brow and gulped. He opened his mouth and a strained squeak emitted. "Enough questions," Mai said, pulling the trigger.

---

"Alright," a man said as the large metal lock clunked open. "We've decided your story checks out."

Barabas stood up. He hadn't been in this cell for more than a few minutes. "What do you mean?" he asked in response.

"The powers-that-be around here cleared you for admission into the program," the man explained. "Come on."

Barabas stepped up to the doorway. As the heavy metal door swung open, Barabas saw two black-clad heavily armed and armoured guards accompanying this man, who himself wore a long, black coat.. "Come with us," one of the armoured guards said through a hissing filter in his helmet.

The four of them walked down a hallway and made a turn. They came to an unmarked door. The unarmoured man swiped a card through a slot in the keypad next to the door, and the four men walked through into a straight, long and narrow corridor with nothing but another door at the opposite end. They took a few steps down the hallway and the door at the other end opened. Through it emerged a young man in a long, black coat, and behind him he dragged a withered and stark-white body. "Idiot!" the man accompanying Barabas shouted. "We take those out the BACK door!"

Suddenly the man stiffened, and he quickly turned to meet Barabas gaze. Barabas narrowed his eyes, and he felt a heavy hand grab his left shoulder. Barabas let his elbow fly behind him, striking the armoured man in the head and cracking his faceplate. The other armoured guard grabbed Barabas' right arm with both hands and held firm. The struck guard recovered and quickly grasped Barabas left arm with both hands. Barabas flexed his muscles and slowly began to build the momentum to break free, but the guards were pulling in opposite directions and made it difficult, temporarily restraining him. The black-coated man swiftly withdrew a syringe from his coat and advanced on Barabas.

A loud snap resonated throughout the hallway and the man's body fell limply to the floor, his head twisted nearly upside down.

---

"Griffin, Mukade, come on!" Mai demanded, pocketing Leland's badge and tossing his pistol to Griffin's side. "We've got to get in there!"

"Hold on a second," Griffin said, getting to his feet and tucking the weapon into his waistband. "Barabas may have been right after all. With just the three of us--"

"Mukade?" Mai interrupted, inquiring of the still air around her. There was no response.

"Great," said Griffin. "Two of us. We won't be able--"

"I don't have time for negativity, Griffin," Mai said bluntly. "Barabas is in trouble."

"So what if he is?" Griffin said. "The crux of the matter is that he was right: We need a better plan."

"Mukade!" Mai shouted.

"What do you care, anyway?" Griffin continued. "Yesterday he was your mortal enemy, the kidnapper of your best friend and--"

"Don't you bring her up," Mai snapped, then sighed. "Griffin," she said earnestly. "This man has just begun his trek down a long path of redemption. I've got to show him that justice, heroicism and overall goodness are worth fighting for. I've got to show him the value of trust, and the mutual benefits of fighting this good fight. I can't just use him and abandon him like everyone else in his life has. How will he see this path as any different?"

Griffin stood wordlessly.

"I'm going," she said, beginning a jog towards the building. Griffin hesitated a second then followed suit.

The two walked through the front doors together and began strolling aimlessly. For the first few seconds they went unnoticed. Then a voice rang out, "Hey!" Without looking to the source, Mai and Griffin darted into a hallway. Rounding a corner, Mai ran straight into someone. They both fell to the floor, and Mai looked up to meet the familiar gaze of Barabas sitting across from her.

"What are you doing here?" they asked each other in unison. Mai noticed a black-armoured figure walk up to Barabas' side. She jumped to her feet and assumed a fighting stance, but quickly recognized the unique armoured form of Mukade. "What--"

Mai was cut off by the sounds of foot steps approaching down the hallway behind them. She extended a hand to Barabas, who took it in his own and was swiftly pulled to his feet. "Come on," Barabas said, turning back the way he'd came and beginning to jog. "This way." Mukade followed, trailed by Mai and Griffin.

Soon the four arrived at an unmarked door. Barabas kicked the door as hard as he could, but to no avail. Mukade gave it a sturdy kick as well, but with the same result. "We've got to get in here," said Barabas.

"Why? What is it?" Mai queried, reaching into her pocket.

"The execution chamber," Barabas responded simply. Mai withdrew Leland's ID badge and swiped it through the slot on the keypad next to the door. A small green light lit up and a loud click resounded. Barabas tried the door and it opened. The four of them jogged down the long hallway, carefully avoiding the bodies littering the floor. The door at the other end of the hallway was held open by a pale and lifeless body wedged inside. Barabas ripped the door back and charged inside, followed by the other three.

Inside were rows of stark and unaccomodating operating tables. Many had naked white bodies sprawled out on them, and some of these had men in black coats hovering above. Some of the subjects on the tables moaned, twitched or squirmed. Some lie still. Some had been opened wide, revealing their insides to the outside world.

No one moved. The black-coated men stared at the intruders, and the intruders returned the gesture. "Alright," Mai reasoned in a stern but calm voice. "Let's just--"

BANG! One of the coated men fell to the floor, a hole in his chest. Griffin lowered his smoking weapon and stepped forward to the table next to which the man he'd just shot had been standing. He stared down at the white figure on the table. "Casey..." Griffin murmured with horror.

Mukade

After seeing one of ther comrades fall, the rest of the black suited men, backed up and raised their hands. Clearly, they did not want to mess with Griffin. He leaned over Casey, tears forming in his grey, steely eyes.

"Casey..?"

The young man didn't respond. Griffin's hand flew to his neck. A look of horror began to form on his face, but disappeared as he felt the fleeting signs of a pulse. A pass of his hand over his mouth and Griffin felt the faintest whiff of a breath escape his lips.

"Alive..."

He couldn't contain it any longer, the man Mai had known all her years, broke down, sobbing. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Mai almost burst out laughing, although she was glad she didn't.

Mukade and Barabas were standing a few paces behind them. Barabas had an expression on his face that clearly showed that he didn't know what to feel. She guessed that Mukade must have a similar expression on his face.

Suddenly, an alarm piecred the sound of Griffin's sorrow. One of the men had managed to sneak to a panic button on the wall while the three of them had been abosrbed with Griffin's reaction. Mai had to keep from striking herself in anger. She shouldn't let this happen at all.

"Mukade we've got to go..."

"No can do Mai." He said,checking his wristband teleporter, "My energy is nearly all drained after all this teleporting around. It's not meant to be used as often as it has been these past couple days. I have nowhere near the power to teleport 4 people, let alone 5." He glanced at Casey.

"How many can you carry?"

"Two, and at that, not very far."

"Take Casey with you, we'll..."

"NO!" Interrupted Griffin "I won't let himout of my sight!"

Mai began to respond, but stopped herself. Griffin would be of no use in this situation, Mukade could be.

"Mukade, give your teleporter to Griffin."

Reluctantly, he slipped it off his wrist and tossed it to Griffin, who almost didn't catch it, which furthur reinforced Mai descision to get Griffin out of there. 10 seconds later, both he, and is son had vanished, and Mai, Barabas and Mukade were left to face whatever came their way.

As much as she wanted to shoot everyone in the room, she held back. She thought back to the scientist she had killed earlier. What came over me she thought with a growing knot in her stomach. They quickly and efficiently incapaciated the enemy. Then they quickly went from table to table, helping those they could get up and follow them. They all found various weapons around the room and stripped some the guards of their cloathes for their own use. They would all heal quickly, but she doubted they would be combat-ready just yet, guns would have to suit them for now. They had 14 total with them by the time they finished. There were many others alive, but as much as Mai wished, there was nothing they could do for them, they would have to find their own way later, if they could. She silently wished them all luck, then lead the party out the way they had come.

To their surprise, they encountered no resistece along the halls back towards the entrance. As they stepped outside, they came upon a site that nearly made them all freeze in place. A gargantuan metal robot loomed not 15 feet ahead of them. No sooner had they stepped out the door the robot had spotted them.

Mai, Barabas and Mukade had cleared the door and managed to dodge the initial volley of what Mai identified as an enhanced version of the Black Adder machine gun, built to accomodate heavier bullets. Two of the symbionts behind them werent so lucky, with their reduced reflexes they caught the bullets square in the chest and went down instantly, with gaping holes. They weren't going to get up again. The ones behind the two that went down quickly jumped to either side of the door, and fired weapons around the corner, which were virtually ineffective at the giant monstrosity. Then, to Mai's horror, a squad of well armored BGI troopers stormed out of the hallway were they had been a minute before, and took aim at the surprised escapees.

No no NO! It was all wrong! She couldn't give these men and women a glance at freedom onlyto have it torn from their dead fingers! Slowly, she began to glow again, her rage furthur speeding on her metamorphosis. But instead of the light purple and blue lights that usually danced around her, she was encircled in a deep green and red.

"GO! GET AWAY!" Someone shouted. It took Mai a second to realize that it was her voice! It was deeper and distorted. But she couldnt worry about that now. She didn't have to tell them twice. The remaining 12 symbionts raced by the iron demon. The three rescuers were drawing most of the fire, but 3 more were caught by plasma balls, and 1 by a mercury bow fired out the door. She turned her gaze now to Mukade and Barabas.

"YOU TOO!"

Barabas was too busy tearing at the Iron Demon, and doding bullets that he couldn't spare a glance

"I'm sorry Mai." said Mukade, as he drew the weapon they had discovered at the lab. Mai only had a second to realize what was going on, before she was hit by a net of searing energy. She dropped to one knee, her glow fading instantaneously as her chrysalis diverted it's energy to keep hr from dying. Mai looked up with pleading eyes at Mukade. He understood how she felt. He too had felt similar when he had first given in to the darkness. With a swift hand, he knocked her unconcious. Quickly, he attached a force field to himself and to Mai, and tossed a third to Barabas.

"Come on! Were getting out of here!"

With bullets ricocheting off their force fields, they retreated from the building. Mukade looked at Mai. He was glad Barabas couldn't see the look of dread in his eyes...

---

Back at the lab, Samoko frowned...

"This piece of metal needs an upgrade." A grin spread across her face.

"I know just the thing."

Leus

Mukade looked at Mai. He was glad Barabas couldn't see the look of dread in his eyes.

Mukade glanced back over his shoulder. In fact, Barabas couldn't see anything about Mukade at all; Barabas was nowhere to be found. Inside the building the firefight raged on. Mukade carried Mai a bit further, into an alley out back behind the building. A quiet drizzle had started up, and Mukade tripped in a shallow puddle and dropped Mai, her body smacking lifelessly against the pavement.

Quickly, Mukade scrambled on his hands and knees to her side. He looked at her through the faceplate of the fresh helmet he'd retrieved at his lab. Angrily, he ripped the helmet from his head. "Too long have I been contained in this vessel, devoid of face or voice, drifting through chaos like a lost soul," he said, his own voice resonating strangely in his ears. "The madness... It eats away at me..." Mukade spoke to no one. "I can't fight it back..."

"Hey," came Griffin's voice simply from the shadows. He stepped forward, his son limping along beside him, holding onto his shoulder for support. "Is she alright?"

"I don't know," Mukade snapped. He paused. "I... I had to--"

A loud crash interrupted Mukade. A door had swung open very near the group in the alley and slammed against the building wall with force. A figure stepped out. "We need to get out of here," the familiar voice of Barabas asserted. As he became visible, Mukade noticed that Barabas was holding the enfeebled body of an imago test subject in his arms. A few other subjects followed weakly behind Barabas.

Nobody in the alley was in the mental state to be taking decisive action. Barabas looked around frantically and saw a door in the building across the alley from the BGI facility. "In here," he said, kicking in the door. Mukade lifted Mai once more and carried her in through the door. He was followed by Griffin, Casey, and the straggling group of imago survivors. Barabas carefully pushed the broken door into a closed position. Shortly thereafter, several BGI pursuers rushed out into the alley.

The group stayed absolutely silent. Before long, the BGI split up into two search parties and departed in opposite directions down the alley. Barabas breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He looked Mukade up and down. "I like the new look," he commented.

Mukade ripped off his gloves and reached up to touch his pale cheek. His skin wasn't used to the elements of the world, and he felt a tingling possibly akin to mortal pain. "I was a faceless killer," he said, intending to continue but finding no words to follow.

"What?" said Mai without warning. Mukade's head snapped back to look at the girl. She began trying to stand up.

"Easy, now," Mukade said, but she got to her feet without too much trouble.

"What..." she began again. "What's going on? I feel... Weak... My limbs feel heavy..." she said, raising her arms without much effort. "My breath... Constricted..."

"You look normal to me," a voice suddenly came from behind her. She whirled around and tried to grab him, missing and nearly falling over with the motion.

"Who are you?" Mukade demanded, stepping forward and placing himself between Mai and the newcomer.

"Easy, now," the man said, raising both hands in the air, palms out and facing Mukade and the group. "No cause for concern. I'm a nice guy."

"Let me try a different approach," Mukade said, taking a few more steps forward. "Who. Are you?"

The man's expression remained unchanged save the single eyebrow that rose at this advance. "Well, given that you're the ones that just broke into my storage room, shouldn't I be asking you?" he queried.

Mukade's posture relaxed a bit. "Well--"

"Ah, forgive me," the man interrupted. "How rude of me, ignoring a perfectly honest question. The name's Frank. I own this place."

"Well, we--" Mukade was cut off once more.

"You guys alright?" Frank said, surveying the strange group before him. "Half y'all look like you just got back from an all expense paid seven-year vacation trapped in a cave somewhere." He snorted. "With complimentary all you can eat meals of spiders and roach... Ah... Forgive me, again. I tend to get goin'. No offense intended, I hope--" this time Frank was the one to be interrupted.

"It's fine, Frank," Mai spoke up. Mukade noticed her speech sounded normal enough. "I know we must not be the first sight you'd expect to see... Anywhere, really."

"You can say that again," Frank chimed in.

"Do you have any idea what's going on next door to you here?" Barabas interjected, pointing in the direction of the BGI facility.

"Oh, BGI?" Frank said nonchelantly. "Yeah, they got all kinds of crazy science stuff over there, I hear."

"Frank," Griffin spoke up this time. "I'm sure this is unsettling for you--"

"Not really," Frank interrupted again. "I'm pretty easy-going."

"That's great," Griffin continued, "but we've got pressing business to attend to."

"Not a problem," Frank said. "You seem like good guys, havin' a rough go of it and all. Any down-trodden rebels on the run from the man are alright in my book."

"Thanks," Griffin said awkwardly, then turned to the group. "What have we got here?"

"Including this guy here," Barabas said, indicating the man he cradled in his arms by lifting him up slightly, "I managed to get six out alive." Griffin surveyed the five previous test subjects that all stood timidly behind Barabas.

"What are your names, boys?" Griffin requested. He was met with nothing but sheepishly averted glances. Finally, one spoke. "We've never known ourselves by names."

Griffin furrowed his brow and turned towards Casey, who was already looking surprisingly healthy. "Son?" he said softly. Casey was unresponsive, his eyes seeming to be fearful. "Casey," he said. "You don't even remember your own name?"

As Griffin continued to search for his son in the eyes of this creature the resembled him, Mukade spoke up. "Mai," he said. "How do you feel?"

Mai ignored Mukade's inquiry. She was focussed on the interaction between Griffin and his son. Seeing this emotionally intense moment between a parent and child sparked something in her. "My father!" she suddenly exclaimed. Everyone turned to look at her. "Griffin, ever since you popped up again I've been in somewhat of a haze. Part of me was entranced by this new side I was seeing of people I once considered vile and heartless, and another part just felt like she was back in the TCTF, following her commander on a special mission. I'd forgotten what I'd set out to do: To find my father."

"Mai," Mukade began, uneasy. "Just... Take it slow." He hesitated, then changed the subject back. "How do you feel?" he repeated.

She paused, apparently considering the implications of this inquiry and letting them temporarily override her speech. "Strange," she replied. "I've never felt like this before." She reached down to pick up a stray piece of piping from the floor, but nearly fell over once more as she pulled on the heavy object.

"You're weak," Mukade said, stepping towards Mai and holding out a hand.

"You kiddin' me?" Frank chimed in. "Even I'd have a tough time pickin' up a hunk of metal like that. Give the girl a break."

Mukade glanced over to Frank, then back to Mai. He cocked his head, and his eyes widened a bit.

"She's normal," Griffin' spoke up before Mukade could collect his thoughts. "At least that's what it seems."

"The weapon," Mukade began. "It must have somehow reversed the effects of the chrysalis."

A million thoughts raced through Mai's head. She vocalized many. "What?" to start with. "How? Why? How will I defend myself? ...Will it be like this forever?" she paused. "Is this what 'normal' feels like?" She looked at her hands, raising them and letting them fall a few times. "Everything feels so... Cumbersome..."

"Maybe this isn't an affliction," Barabas said. "Maybe it's a blessing. Maybe you've been saved from your fate, free to finally lead a normal life once more."

There was a pause in the conversation. "Boy, you guys sure do like the drama, eh?" Frank commented after a moment. Nobody noticed Griffin sneaking closer and closer to Mukade.

"I bet my father could help us," Mai suggested, ignoring Frank's remark.

"Mai," Mukade began again. Griffin snatched something from a magnetic slot on the back of Mukade's armour. Mukade reacted, but Griffin was too quick and dodged the counter. "What are you doing with that?" Mukade demanded.

"If it made Konoko normal, maybe--" his thought stopped in its tracks as he turned to face the spot where his son had stood just a moment ago.

"Casey?" Griffin nearly whispered to the empty air. The group heard a loud clattering and turned towards the door through which they'd origially entered. It was off its hinges and lie flat on the floor now. Griffin swiftly dashed out into the rainy night in pursuit of his son. Mai tried to chase after him but stopped after a few slow steps.

"Great," Frank groaned exasperatedly, ignoring the chaos and surveying the ruined door.

Mukade

Mukade gave a low curse as Griffen flew out the door. The BGI were still roaming the area in search of them, and he wasn't about to let Griffin get gunned down.

"Barabas, stay here and guard the Mai and the rest of the group."

"Just get back here quickly. I hate babysitting. Unless theres killing involved."

"You never know." commented Mukade as he dashed out the door. as he stepped out into the light, he immediately snapped his eyes closed. It had been too long since he had seen the light of day with his own eyes. Still he couldn't let this stop him. He opened his eyes to a narrow slit and resumed his pursuit.

Griffin turned the second corner just in time to see the pale leg disappear into a nearby building. He followed behind, and entered the building. The room was illuminated only by the light passing through the doorway. It took Griffin a couple seconds to see the quivering, crouched shape on the far side of the room. Casey's head jerked up at the intrusion.

"No, stay away from me!!" he yelled desperatly, in a cracked, voice. It was as if he had not spoken in years, which was probably the case.

"Casey, what...?"

"Stay away!" he repeated

"I'm not going to hurt you Casey." Griffin's voice was that of a desperate father

"Who are you?!?"

These words pained Griffin more then any torture known to man. He sank tohis knee's in despair, speechless. At this point, Mukade passed the door, and saw Griffin framed in the entrance.

"Griffin, get your son and get out of here! It's not safe!"

The older man didn't respond.

"GRIFFIN!"

"He doesn't even know who I am..." he said. His voice was normal, but he was clearly in a lot of emotional pain.

"Be thankful he's even alive Griffin! He's your son whether he know's it or not! If you don't get him out of here soon, wre going to be target practive for a squad of BGI heavy troopers! And that includes Casey!"

The mention of harm coming to his son seemed to snap Griffin out his his semi-trance state. He got back to his feet and started towards his son.

"It doesn't matter who I am Casey, you need to come with me! Now!"

Casey fliched away from Griffin's hand as he reached out to help the boy to his feet.

"No..." he murmed, "No...No...It's not safe....Who are you...I don't want to go back.."

"casey if you don't come with us, you will be taken back to the men in black coats and...."

At the mention of the BGI scientists, his eyes widened and he got to his feet, still wary of Griffin and Mukade, standing in the doorway.

"Don't let them take me back..."

"I won't. Come on, we need to get back."

"I want Mai..."

Mukade's and Griffens brows both shot up simultaneously. Apparantly, Casey had developped an attachment to Mai in the few minutes he was with them, Griffin couldn't begin to imagine why. Unable to respond any other way, Griffin replied

"We'll get you to Mai."

Finally, Casey let Griffin take him gently by the arm. He winced at the contact, but didn't flich away from it. Slowly and with wary eyes, they made their way back to the storage room.

When they got back, Mai was standing, shakily, using the wall as support. As soon as they got through the door, Casey hurried to the group of Imago's which, had formed very near to Mai. They kept on whispering to one another, and looking at her with wide eyes. Griffin noticed, that despite the factthat all thes people were in a range from about 16 to 25 years of age, they all acted like a group of 1 year elementary school students. Casey took his place in the group, but he placed himself the closest he could to Mai. Mukade looked around the rest of the room at Barabas and Frank, who sat there, trying to contain their grins of amusement and failing miserably.

"They seem to have taken a liking to you." Said Mukade with a mix of confusion, and a degree of concern."

"I dunno, maybe they just feel safer around women." Suggested Mai.

"If they really knew you they wouldn't." Mukade commented, which elicited a chuckle from Barabas.

"We've got to get moving, it isn't safe here"

"I've got a truck that can probably fit you all in the back, would you mind a lift?" suggested Frank

"If it's not too much trouble..." said Mai

"Oh it really isn't. I like a little adventure in my life every one in awhile, and you folk seem to be where it's all happening right now. Just let me get my coat and keys, and we'll be on our way."

Samoko

"We've got to get moving, it isn't safe here"

"I've got a truck that can probably fit you all in the back, would you mind a lift?" suggested Frank

"If it's not too much trouble..." said Mai

"Oh it really isn't. I like a little adventure in my life every one in awhile, and you folk seem to be where it's all happening right now. Just let me get my coat and keys, and we'll be on our way."

"Where are we going guys ?"

"My father's lab ... " Mai responded "there has to be something we missed before ... some clue to his where abouts ...

"Mai ... u're presuming he's still ... "Mukade said and stopped himself when he saw mai's gaze .

"ok ... let's go " he continued ...

"unfortunately we didn't manage to get anywhere near ur machines" griffin said addressing mukade

"well at least u get ur son back " Mai responded as Casey looked timidly at her and smiled

"Come on Guys the truck is ready ... " Frank said as he climbed to his truck ...

"we'll all ride in the back ... we don't want to be spotted "

"Mai u sit beside frank to show him the way ... and stay low " Griffin said

"ok let's go"

frank drove them past the BGI agents unnoticed and soon the black coated men were out of sight ...

"So ... u're searching for ur father ? " Frank finally said to break the silence ....

"Yes ... I just have to find him ... he can't be dead ..."

"is he like an agent or something ? "

"no he was ... is a scientist ... he and mom tried to battle the government ... they tried to expose the truth of how the environment was ... "

"Oh tell me about now we can't even walk anywhere now ... I know what's it's like to lose some one u love ..." he said still in the same nasally tone ... I had family outside the safe areas ... they were dead few minutes after the atmospheric processors exploded ...

"I'm so sorry to hear that " Mai said s she patted the guy on the shoulder

"No it's ok ... I've learnt to deal with it " ... U just do what u have to do to prevent that form ever happening again ... "

"will do ... Frank our stop is near that exit "

"Oh ... u know that the atmosphere isn't really safe there ... right ? "

"That's ok my chrysallis will ....". mai said then interupted herself as she came to the realization she was the only one among her comrades without protection form the atmosphere anymore anymore ...

"GUYS A little problem here !" she said as she turned to the back

"What is it ... I'm ready, show me those agents  !" said Barabas preparing for battle

"No, No it isn't that ... I just realized I'm not protected like u guys anymore "

Griffin and mukade both startled ... "that didn't even occur to me" mukade said ...

"It's fine" except the lab is in an unsafe zone ...

"Ok look" mukade said ... "take my head plate and my armor they'll provide enough safety ... just try not to breath too much ?"

"I thought u were naked under there " Griffin said holding in a laugh

while casey just pointed at mukade and laughed "NAKED !" he said

"Oh shut up ... " "I'm trying to save a life here "

"I think i have some extra clothes back there ...Frank interrupted "I'll drop u off here I can't go any closer .. u know the whole breathing thing "

"are u done there Mai ?" ... Griffin asked ... "Yup we're ready" she said as mukade and she came out from behind some boxes ... she was wearing mukade's armor while mukade wear some civilian clothes ...

"I feel weird" she said ... "all ninja like and stuff"

"I feel human" mukade said as he dusted off his shoulder ... "who knew civilian clothes can be so comfy !"

"Mai ... pretty " Casey said

"hehe thanks ... thanks for the lift Frank let's move it gang ... " Mai said taking the lead as usual

"Mai ... "Griffin interrupted "I think it's best if I take the lead and u just try not to touch ... and stay close to mukade and I ... everything could be poisonous ... "

"ok .. I guess u're right" Mai replied uneasily still not used to this new weak normal state ...

they said goodbye to frank and walked thru the little path leading to the lab ...

"Yep I can definitely feel it even with a chrysalis ... the air is heavier"Griffin said " how are our little friends doing back there Barabas ? "

"normal ... well as normal as they can get anyway " .... "and u Mai ?"

"would everyone just stop treating me like a child ??" she snapped back unintentionally .. "I'm sorry ... I'm fine ... just a little difficulty walking with this thing "

"Guys ... there's something here ..." mukade said pulling everyone's attention ...

"what is it ? " Barabas inquired ... "I'm not sure ... but whatever it is it's huge ... "

A deafening roar interrupted everyone making them cover their ears ...

"what the hell is that !!" Mai said pointing to what looked like a mutated dog a really really big dog with tentacles coming out of it's back

"Nice doggy ..." Casey said while the other mutants hid behind Barabas

"Guys we are not strong enough to face this now ... " mukade said as they all came closer forming a circle around Mai and Casey ... and standing completely still

"Can we make it to the entrance ?" Mai whispered ?

"we can try" ... Griffin said ... " Barabas can u help me distract him ?... mukade, mai u take everyone else inside ... "

"u mean to say mukade take everyone else inside including Mai" Mai whispered

"Just do it !"

"The doggy is charging .. "Barabas said ... as he pushed everyone out of the way "Move now !!"

his punch connected with the monster's face as it launched at them ...

mukade mai and the mutants ran ... towards the door ....

as Griffin and Barabas tried to fight that thing off ...

it's tentacles however extended to grab the yet not so fast Mai and drag her ...

"MUKADE HELP !!" She yelled ...

"PROTECT MAI ! " Casey yelled as he hammered the beast with punches ... the other mutants did the same when they saw Mai in danger ... bringing the beast to it's knees ...

they all ran towards the entrance and made it in ... as the beast started to stand up again and launch towards them...

"one of them is missing !" Barabas yelled as he launched back towards the outside ...

"No don't u big bafoon !" mukade said closing his path ... what's done is done already u can't save him ..." we need u here

"Move out of my way !!" Barabas said carrying mukade

"he's right ... Barabas " Mai said we need u here ...

"we could have saved him" Barabas said surrendering ... with what looked to be a tear in his eye ...

"u can't save everyone ..." mai said resting her hand on his shoulder ... "I learnt that the hard way "

....

they walked thru the lab searching every computer node drawer and piece of paper they could find .... but came up with nothing ...

"we should just get out of here this is useless" Griffin said. as they walked up a little slope leading to a blocked door

"wait" mai said ... "I feel I've been here before like in a dream or something " follow me ... she said as she came down the slope and under it ...

the rest followed her

"What ?" mukade asked "there's nothing here !"

"the floor we're standing on ... there's something under it " (inspired by the dream lab level where the big shinitama was tongue)

"Barabas do me a favor a little earthquaker please ?"

"Barabas did just that as the floor broke under them and they all fell through it to a room under

as the dust cleared off ... Mai stood there shocked ... looking at a glass vessel with a body inside connected to machine ... and finally muttered "No ... no it can't be ! is that really u ?"

"We must protect him " a robotic voice said as a robot with what looked like Shinatama's head approached ready for a battle ...

Leus

"We must protect him," another identical voice came. "We must protect him. We must protect him."

A cluster of small robots emerged from the surrounding shadows, all sporting similar-looking heads of little girls. Some had pink hair, some purple, some brown, some black and some yellow. There were at least twenty robots in total.

"Ah, hell," Barabas sighed, surveying the room full of various hostile-looking robots. Some had humanoid bodies, some resembled spiders, some were on wheels. A few looked like robotic abominations thrown together by a madman, or incompleted projects. Suddenly a series of loud bangs were heard as a machinegun turret opened fire. The group dodged in different directions. Barabas lunged towards the gunning robot and kicked it onto its back. It was unable to right itself, it's wheels spinning fast and useless in the air.

A few of the other robots lunged at the group. Mukade dropped to the floor and swept his foot around, knocking one of the humanoid robots on its back. A surging electrical sound emitted as the robot hit the floor. "Ow," came a high-pitched and monotonous girl's voice. Griffin pulled his weapon out and popped a few shots off at one of the abomination bots, dropping it to the floor. Mai watched this and suddenly had a flurry of painful memories rush back to her. She pictured Griffin in the vault, gunning down what had been the only being she had ever trusted. For a second, she saw the monster in the man once more. She took a step towards them, but one of the spider bots pounced on her head. Mai fell onto her back and the spider bot ripped off her helmet.

Suddenly, all the robots simultaneously stopped attacking. "It is her," one said. "It is her. It is her." The robots all crowded around Mai. Mai struggled out from underneath the spider bot, holding her breath. She scrambled along the floor to her helmet, the robots following at a steady distance. Mai picked up her helmet and secured it in place, finally taking a breath. She choked on the air; she hadn't given the suit enough time to filter the contents of the helmet. Gasping, she choked again. She felt a sharp pain in her chest. Finally she was able to breathe a bit more normally, but her chest burned now and her stomach felt queasy.

A small whimper emitted from somewhere in the room. Barabas and Mai turned first to examine the source. One of the mutants had caught a bullet to the stomach. She didn't look to be too old, but it was very difficult to determine age from the looks of the imago test subjects. "I remember," she said.

Barabas and Mai made their way to her side and the rest of the people in the room turned to face the commotion. "It's going to be alright," Mai reassured from behind her opaque faceplate. The injured girl seemed to look right through into Mai's eyes, but she may have only been looking at her own reflection.

"Kyari," she said. "The name... I think it's mine."

"Kyari," Mai said, her comforting smile unseen. "You're going to be okay. Just hang in there."

"Father. Father. It is her." The robots had now turned towards the body suspended in the glass sarcophagus. For the first time Mai examined the spectacle. There were several pipes, wires and tubes connected to the chamber. Inside, floating in some sort of clear liquid, was the body of her father.

His eyes opened. Mai's opened wider in turn. The liquid began draining from the chamber. Every single person in the room stood still as stone as the vertical coffin emptied. When the chamber was clear, the front swung open with a hiss and a high-pitched whine, pivoting on a hinge at the top of the vessel. Out stepped her father, naked and with sticky gel-like liquid slowly dripping from his body. He grabbed a towel hanging from the side of the machine and wrapped it around his waist, not bothering to wipe the substance from his body.

"Father. Father," the robots repeated.

"Execute M. A. I. terminate," the words weakly escaped from his lips.

"Shutting down," the robots said simultaneously, then sat down and closed their eyes.

The room was silent. Everyone stared at the pale doctor. The doctor glanced around at each of them, a confused expression on his face.

"Where..." he began, then saw the frail and bleeding girl on the ground. He hurriedly hobbled to her side and dropped to his knee.

Samoko

"Where..." he began, then saw the frail and bleeding girl on the ground. He hurriedly hobbled to her side and dropped to his knee.

"Mai ? is that u " he said lifting the girl's chin ... as her wound healed within seconds

"Mai stood still hiding behind the metallic mask ... here was her father who has been gone for years ... a few feet away from her ...and she couldn't find anything to say ...

"Mai ..." mukade nudged her ...

"I'm right here ... dad ... " she finally said ...

he stood and faced her with a blank expression on his face ... let me see u

"I can't ... the air ... " she replied

"activate toxin remover ... " he said talking to the room which lit up and a loud suction voice was heard ...

"now ? ..." he continued

Mai hesitated a million thoughts rushing in her mind ... then finally took the helmet off ... revealing her big green eyes glittering with tears ...

"Finally !" he sighed as tears ran on his cheeks and came close to hug her ... "u have ur mother's eyes" he whispered to her ear

Mai who didn't return the hug ... just stood there baffled ... "where have u been ? all these years " she finally said

"I have been in hiding ... I ... there's so much to tell "

"there are a lot of things i already know" she said " I know that mom passed away when u went to the restricted zone, i found the data in the restricted files in the regional state building ... I know that you and Kerr worked on the chrysallis ... that the syndicate kidnapped u and muro ... while kerr took me to the tctf "

"then u already know more than me ... I never knew what happened to u or to Kerr after i was kidnapped ... where is ur uncle now?"

"he .. he's dead I'm afraid" Mai said avoiding eye contact

a minute or 2 passed before her father said : "he shouldn't have gone to them ... it would have been safer if ... " he cut himself off looking at one person in particular his expression rapidly changed to wrath ... "YOU !!" he yelled at Griffin ...

"no James ... wait !" Griffin said holding his arms up for protection as Dr. Hasegawa pounced on him ...

"no dad stop !!" mai said trying to separate the 2 men

"u know who that guy is ???" her dad said still trying to take a punch at Griffin ...

"explain .. dad" she replied giving a doubtful look at griffin

after the syndicate took me ... i was forced to continue developing the chrysallis ... and to be honest after Jamie's death ... my only focus was to develop the chysallis ... I knew they would misuse it somewhere along the way ... but I didn't care ... I knew developing it was the only way to save lives ... The BGI funded our research and provided me with all the technology i needed ... little did i know that they tried to mimic my prototype ... manufacturing 2 prototypes of their own ... they didn't perfect it though they planted one in one of the syndicate strikers ... the BGI was running out of patience ... they started being less friendly ... "

Barabus interrupted ... "one of the syndicate strikers ? ... what happened to him ? "

"I don't know got mutated or something ... " Mai's dad replied

"or something ... u're looking at him doctor" Barabus said angrily

"I'm sorry it wasn't my choice !" ...

"it wasn't ur choice ? I was a field rat ??" Barabus said punching the wall

"Barabus .. please !" mai said " what's done is done ... there's no point in pointing blame now ... people change u know that more than anyone "

"u said they manufactured 2 prototypes ... dr " mukade interrupted

"yes ... i don't know what happened to the second one .. do i know u ? u look rather familiar "

"look closer doc ... remember ur third colleague, the third wheel of ur little gang ? that u and kerr always mocked and said his research is no good ?? "

"mukade !" James said with his jaw opened wide

"hello there buddy ... " mukade replied sarcastically

"what happened to u ?"

"u know old story ... BGI didn't like my research it threatened their greater plan ... they kidnapped me ... planted the second prototype in me ... i went crazy and all serial killer .. u know same old same old ... while u slept comfortably in ur little vessel"

"Guys ... please stop " ... "let's just hear what he has to say ... continue dad " Mai said

"this is a lot to swallow ... the BGI wanted me to test my chrysallis ... i knew i may not be able to manufacture a new one ... and i had to keep muro safe ... so i planted it in him ... i was already sure it will work ... and it did ... physically at least ... but muro ... he started to change to become bitter and angry all the time ... he took great interest in the syndicate ... he was changing and I couldn't do anything to stop it .. all i could do was stay close to him and try to keep him safe .. from himself most of all ... "

"and then ? .. " mai said

"and then a point came when i could no longer stand and watch helplessly as my son turned into a cold hearted man ... i had to leave ... it was the hardest thing I've ever done .. to let go ... " he chocked up saying this and his eyes got teary .. "Mai what happened to ur brother ? .. he said looking directly at her eyes ... "

"he ... he ... " she couldn't bare herself telling him his son was dead ...

"can u continue the story doctor and ask about ur whole extended family later ? " ... mukade said interrupting and saving mai from the thorny question ...

"very well ... I fled the syndicate .. barley making it alive ... i wasn't even sure where to find u ... if u had survived the attack or not ... i came out looking for u .. but instead I found the government against me ... they accused me of murdering Jamie and fleeing trail ... they just wanted to cover up what really happened in the restricted zone ... I was wanted by the TCTF he said pointing at Griffin ...

"I was following higher orders ... The BGI had my son ... The government wanted to cover up I had to declare u wanted by the TCTF ! "

"U KNEW HE WAS ALIVE ? and pretended there's nothing !! " Mai yelled

"no mai .. no i thought the syndicate killed him already ... i thought it would make no difference if i declared him wanted because i thought he's already gone ... " Griffin replied with his eyes to the ground

"well i wasn't .. i was searching for my daughter ... but i couldn't stay ! being chased by the TCTF the BGI and the Syndicate i had no where to turn to ... instead i had to flee here and hide all these years keeping myself in a suspended life state hoping that one day she might find me ... "

"U're such a liar Griffin .. u're such a liar ... " she said as she hugged her dad crying ...

Mukade

"What happend to you all this time my darling?"

So mai told him the story, from when she was taken to the TCTF up to the present, at least all the importent points. Dr. Hasagawa drank it all in, like a man in the desert. When she had finished, her father looked thoughtful. He was contemplating Mai's present situation with the lossof hr chrysalis.

"It's not dead, but dormant, the chrysalis itself too much damage from the energy web. It needs time to go dormant and heal itself, before it can continue to be your symbionte. How long it will take, i do not know. If the Shinatama with the neural link with you wer still alive, I could calculate the strencth of your chryslais and how long it would take for it to regenerate. But i can't tell you now, it could be in an hour, a day, a week, maybe longer. Until then you are vulnerable. I would suggst now would be a good time to learn to depend on your skills alone. you have a chance many chrysalis hosts won't be able to experience. If you learn to rely on your own abilities, once the chrysalis awakens, you will be able to rely on the combined strength of you and your chrysalis."

Mai considered this for a moment, then nodded. There was logic in his words. For the next couple weeks, Mai trained hard in her fathers lab, using the ShinBots as practice. Her muscles were hard and thick because of years of hard work, but she was unused to having to use them withoutthe help of the chrysalis. After a few days, she could move like she did before, without staggering or awkward movements. After a week had past, she became more combat ready, although certain abilities she had had before still eluded her, such as jump flipping and her twister kick. After the second week, she was able to defeat most of the Imago hosts, but the more combat trained ones were still able to beat her.

The Imago hosts had also almost completed their recovery. They were now more independant, less afraid. Although they still held a sense of closeness between themselves, and a deep rooted affection for Mai. They also sparred between themselves and improved intheir own combat, taught by Mukade, Barabas, Griffen, and Mai herself sometimes. After the two weeks had passed, they had a small army of chrysalis hosts.

"We should leave now." Mukade suggested at the end of the week

"I agree." Dr. hasagawa turned to his shinbots. "I need you all to guard this place while I'm away."

"Goodbye father" they all said in unison. He smiled.

"I built you well." They giggled

Mai snapped her visor back on, and barabas picked up the wounded girl. The doctor grabbed a breath mask on his way out and slapped it on his face. They had just goten ready to leave. When the door bust open and a dozen heavy BGI troopers filed in and formed two lines, one behind the other, with their guns pointed at the band. Then, through the door, came Samoko, her Chrysalis Accelerator in hand. Mukade whipped out the gun he had used on Mai, and fired at Samoko before she knew what had happend. She dropped to one knee. The Bgi troopers tensed and prepared to fire, but Samoko held up her hand, a grimance on her face. After a few seconds, it faded and she drew herself up again. She laughed.

"That weapon was created decades ago." MY chrysalis is much more advanced then any of yours.

Mukade fired two more bursts. This time she managed to stay standing, and she only has distracted for a few seconds.

"Drop your weapons and surrender."

"Never"

She sighed.

"I was afraid of that"

She brought her weapon up and fired one long blast at Kyari, the one person from the group who ha started to remember. Before their eyes, she glowed brighter and brighter, and after about 12 seconds, she imploded, collapsing upon herself until she was simply a point of light, then winked out of existence. Mai gaped in horror at the spot that Myari had been standing.

Then the anger began to rise. And the people standing nearest to her gave an exclamation and retreated from her. She had begun to glow once more. She grew brighter, until she was covered with pure energy.

"You'll pay for that!"

Samoko laughed, but there was a note of uncertainty behind her words. She sprinted towards Samoko. The lines ofBGI troopers formed up in front of her and opened fire. The shots disappeared into the storm of light, but had no apparant effect on the entity. She wrapped her hands around the closest officers, lept off the ground, around and snapped his neck and those of 5 other around him with her flying feet. She quickly dispatched the remaining troops and turned her attention to Samoko, who had just sat there the entire time, stunned. Mai jumped, spinning into the air, both fists raised, and brought them both down, hard onto her skull. There was a dull crack and Samoko slumped to the ground.

Gradually, the light faded, and Mai stood there, triumphant.

"Come on, lets go before any more of them show up."

They agreed, and hurried to the entrence, all of them stood for a second where Kyari had fallen, then moved on.

After they had all gone out the door. Samoko, laboriously raised her head to her comm.

Initial raid a failure. Initiate plan Beta.

Leus

The group was ragtag to be sure; along with Mukade and Barabas, the imago symbiotes now numbered seven. The other five had been assigned names for practical purposes, although none of them had any true memories of their past before the BGI prison. Casey was the tallest and the only one who still retained any apparent hair pigment; a shaggy, pale red crop grew sparsely from his scalp. His eyes were a faded green. The rest consisted of a bald woman called Sam, a man called Ford with scraggly white hair stretching down past his shoulders and a sparse beard, and a woman with crudely-cut, short white hair in tight curls who went by the name Axel. The boy who Barabas had carried from the lab looked like he couldn't have been older than 17, though the look in his eyes suggested otherwise. He was the smallest of the group, bald and with a strange lump on his forehead. He went by the name of Edgar.

All of the imago symbiotes chose their names themselves. Some, not knowing anything else, named themselves after those who had experimented on and tortured them. They all had pink eyes and pale skin, although the one called Axel was clearly of African descent. Most of them had become strong and agile after spending two weaks healthy, well-fed and excercising. Their bodies recovered and adapted quickly to their training. Only Edgar remained somewhat weak.

With Griffin, whose chrysalis was still too young to reach the imago state, Mai, who for some reason remained yet to transform, and the recently awakened James Hasegawa, the group numbered ten in total. Mai had discarded Mukade's armor as her chrysalis grew capable of protecting her once more. Mukade had refused to don it ever again, favoring instead the outfit he'd been given by Frank. James wore a small aparatus over his mouth and nose to filter the air. The group marched for nearly a mile across a dusty barren field of dry dirt and rocks. Finally, Dr. Hasegawa stopped. He knelt down and brushed aside some seemingly arbitrary rocks revealing a small switch. He flipped it and the dirt promptly began to fall into a horizontal opening growing in the dust before them. After some surprisingly quiet humming as the doors slid, the opening ceased to spread after about ten feet had been cleared. A shallow ramp led down a short distance and the group could see a large vehicle parked at the bottom.

"What's this for?" Axel asked, her words hissing through her sharp and jagged teeth.

"An emergency," James replied simply.

The group crawled inside. It was a strange vehicle, heavily armoured and fitted with strange and foreign-looking gadgets.

"Is this thing equipped with any weapons?" Mai asked, turning to her father.

James sighed, glancing down. "I'm sorry you had to grow up in an environment thinking like that," he said. "I never wanted to hurt anyone. I never built anything intended to destroy..." Mai frowned. The thought of a violence-free paradigm sounded both amazing and impossible to her.

Before long the ten of them were on the interstate, Dr. Hasegawa behind the wheel. Griffin rode in the passenger seat and Mai in the middle. The rest were in the back in an open area with bench seating around the perimeter. They had chosen to move in the dead of night so there was barely another car on the road. "We should have brought that weapon," Griffin suddenly said, unprovoked.

Mai expressionlessly withdrew from her jacket the device Samoko had used to decimate Kyari. "Always one step ahead of you, boss," she said rather sarcastically. "This thing spooks me, though. Not many things can, but this thing does."

"I'm sure it's the same for us all," Griffin replied. "It could destroy any one of us in a moment. But it will come in handy."

"Assuming they even have any more chrysalis symbiotes at their disposal," Mai shot back. Griffin nodded without a word.

Edgar sighed meekly. Something was concerning him, but he was nervous about speaking up. "Where are we going?" he finally managed.

"Back to the BGI lab," Mai replied. "We have unfinished business." She looked back at Edgar with a smug grin. Edgar scrambled away at this, pressing himself against the back hatch of the vehicle in the vain attempt to distance himself.

"What's wrong, Edgar?" Mai asked, turning around. The rest of the former imago test subjects saw the look in her eyes and became fearful. "We're taking you back home." She smiled. They all followed suit with Edgar, scrambling to the back of the vehicle, huddled in fear. Barabas looked at them concernedly. They looked back into his eyes with pure terror at the monster he was.

"What's going on?" Griffin asked, glancing over at Mai. She looked back at him.

"This one's for you," she said, a sly and satisfied look in her eye. She pulled out a gun and pointed it into the back of the vehicle, snapping off a shot. It struck Casey in the skull. He slumped forward, his blood and brains spattered against the back windshield.

"NO!" Griffin shouted, grabbing Mai and wrestling her away. James looked over and saw Griffin throttling the life out of Mai. The two toppled over into James' lap, and James swirved the vehicle and crashed into the median on the freeway. Everyone was thrown forward and stunned by the impact.

Mukade sat up after a second, holding his head. He wasn't used to the fragility of his exposed humanoid form. He scratched the short brown hair that grew from the right side of his head and groaned. Everyone else in the car suddenly looked up at him. They had strange yet familiar faces. They were faces of people he had tortured and killed in his past. His heart began to race. "What are you doing here?" he said aloud as they all crawled towards him.

As he looked around though, he could also see the familiar forms of the people he knew sitting up slowly and rubbing their heads and aching appendages in similar fashions after the recent car wreck. He realized he was seeing two different realities simultaneously.

He logically separated the illusions from actual reality and scrambled to the front of the vehicle. He could still see the form of a bloody young woman reaching out at him desparately, but he also saw James Hasegawa unconscious against the steering wheel. He suddenly realized there was a loud and continuous sound ringing out in the night air. He pulled James from the steering wheel and the noise ceased; he must have been laying on the horn.

In actual reality, the people around him began to scream, yell, whimper or fight once more. "EVERYONE!" Mukade shouted. "STOP IT!" He was ignored. Someone punched him in the face and he fell towards the front of the car. Looking out the windshield, she caught a glimpse of a familiar giant robot in the middle of the street walking rapidly towards them and shaking the ground with its steps. Realizing he had no time to lose, Mukade pulled James into the back and jumped into the driver's seat himself. "Hope this thing still runs," he said to himself. Taking the wheel, he backed away from the median, put it in drive and burnt out on the pavement, speeding away from the metal monster.

Ignoring the chaos occurring in the car around him for as long as he could, his passengers gradually began to calm down. "What happened?" Mai finally asked, rubbing her temples as everyone else sighed and groaned.

"The big bad is back," Mukade said. "That machine we fought in the BGI facility. I think it's got some new tricks up its sleeve; messing with our minds and such." Griffin looked back to see Casey safely working out his own kinks from the ordeal.

"I saw some messed up stuff," Mai said.

"I think we all did," Griffin chimed in, looking into her eyes sorrowfully.

"How'd we get out of it?" Mai inquired.

"My body's not the only thing that's part machine," Mukade said, knocking on the metal plate that was the left side of his head. "I somehow saw reality alongside the projected images. Tough to distinguish, but I know what's real and what's not." He quickly realized that he had absolutely no confidence in that statement.

"So we're not really going back to the lab?" Edgar said.

Mai hesitated, looking back. She could tell he was scared; she understood. "Edgar, even I never want to see that place again and I was only there for about fifteen minutse," she said. "But the world is dying, Edgar. The only way we can save it is to go back there and do what has to be done."

"You can't make us go back to that place!" Axel hissed.

"You guys," Barabas spoke up. "This is our chance to truly get revenge on the people who did this to us--ALL of us. Screw saving the world; that's just an added bonus." The previous test subjects seemed dubiously content with this proposition.

"We've got to get there, and quick," Mai urged. "That steel behemoth is probably on its way back as we speak. We've got to beat it there. We've got the advantage while that thing's out of play."

Before long they neared the familiar building once more. "Mukade, pull off here," she said, indicating a driveway into a property adjacent to the BGI building. "Maybe Frank's here. He might be able to help us out." Mukade nodded, pulled in and parked the car. The group got out and walked towards the building. It was unmarked with painted aluminum siding and a plain wooden front door under a small lamp. The ten of them filed through the doorway.

Inside was dark and empty. Before long, though, a few dim lights flickered on and a Frank walked in from the back room. "Hey, glad to see you guys are alright!" he said.

"You don't know the half!" Barabas said. "The BGI attacked us, and we were assaulted by a giant mind-altering robot."

Frank raised his eyebrow, then gaped. "Oh, right. Wow," he said, pausing. "Mind-altering robot, eh? Lemme get a hit of that!" He winked, then chuckled at himself. Mai furrowed her brow.

"We need help," James butted in. "Do you know anything about the BGI facility next door?"

"What?" Frank said, flustered. "I don't know, I mean, what do you mean?"

"Anything," James replied. "Any knowledge of their projects, defenses, building layout..."

"Hmm," Frank said, rolling his eyes to the ceiling and tapping his foot, placing his hand under his chin. He looked very thoughtful. "Well, they probably don't have too many people on staff at the moment. I mean it's the middle of the night after all."

"Do you know that for a fact?" James asked.

"Well, no," Frank replied. "Just an educated guess, I guess." He smiled, then pointed to Mukade. "Nice shirt."

Mai glanced at Mukade. She narrowed her eyes, shifting them back towards Frank. He looked back at her suddenly and their eyes met and locked. She held his stare and he raised his eyebrow before averting his gaze. Mai suddenly lunged forward nearly twenty feet and, before anyone really realized what was happening, had Frank by the shirt collar. "You," she said hostilely to him.

"Take it easy, lady!" he said frantically. "What--"

"He's one of them," she said, addressing her comrades. "He's stalling us right now. He also is having us tracked. Mukade, your shirt."

Mukade donned a concerned expression and quickly tore off his shirt, inspecting it. It didn't take long to find a tiny embedded microchip in the collar. "Oh no," he said simply, dumbfounded. The dim light gleamed off the metal plates, piping and wiring on his arms and torso.

"What!" Frank yelled. "This is ridiculous!" Mai turned him around and punched him in the back of the head, knocking him out and letting him fall to the floor.

"But wait," Mukade said. "If they knew where we were the whole time, why did they take so long to take action against us?"

"Probably working on some big scheme," Mai posited. "The theatrics we saw tonight were likely just the opening act."

"We should get out of here!" Axel barked.

"No!" Barabas countered. "We can beat them, whatever they've got to throw at us! We've got a small army of super-powered and super pissed daodan hosts fighting for what's right! NOTHING can stand in our way."

On cue, a series of loud crashes were heard and the building shook. In through the door rushed dozens of large, pale figures. The former imago test subjects recognized the newcomers as their previous fellow prisoners. They were quicker and bulkier now, though, and they weren't slowing in their aggressive headlong charge towards Mai and her crew.

Mukade

Mukade drew his weapon and brought one of the Imago's down, twitching, but they recognized the threat and two of them quickly disarmed him and threw the gun out of reach. He crocuhed and spun his body forward into their legs and knocked them both to the ground. He flipped into the air and came down, one foot on each of their chests. That should have driven the air from their lungs and taken them out of the fight, but they both grabbed his legs and threw him into the wall. Hard. He crumpled the ground. Shakily he got back to his feet, he couldn't let them touch him, he was still too weak. The two Imago subjects recongnized his weakness and grinned evily. Suddenly, Sam, Ford, and Axel, jumped on top of the nearest assailant. The other one turned in surprised at the new comers. Mukade saw his chance, he shadow shifted through the stunned attacker. And before he could turn around, mukade punched him twice which sent him sailing into the wall. He then threw 4 more kicks consecutively into his back. The final kick sent him through the wall. He dropped to the ground outside, his spine had been shattered. He turned around to face his second attacker, only to see that the 3 had already taken him down and incapacitated him. But they didn't have time to recover. Immediately, 6 more took their place. Mukade took his place next to the 3 Imagos.

"I hope you three remember what I taught you."

They didn't reply, but matched his stance, and stood ready. He smiled.

---

Clearly, the main priority of the assault was Mai herself, 10 of the assailants ran directly at her. Casey and Edgar joined her side, they were still the two who held Mai in higher effection than the other 3, who had run off to help Mukade in his weakened state. As soon as the group was in striking distence. Mai executed a Devil Spin kick, which sent the nearest half of the group flying back the way they'd come, the 5 behind them, ducked their flying bodies, and kept coming. The fight raged on, for minutes. Three fo them were out of the fight, but the rest kept coming. They were loosing. They joined up with Griffin, who held another 5 at bay, and Mukade backed up into their group. Together they formed a circle of flying limbs but they couldnt keep it up forever. But..where was Barabas and her father? She had heard his voice att he start of the fight, yelling something att he test subjects, but they didn't listen She couldn't wory about that right now however. Itwouldn't matter if she didn't live. They had already downed over a dozen of them but there was another two dozen still fighting.

---

When James saw the Imago's running at them, he immediately understood what was happening. These subjects would never willingly turn against them. When they started fighting, it merely confirmed his suspisions. They were too...coordinated.

"Stop!" He yelled. "We aren't your enemies."

All he got was the attention of one of the attackers who came right at him. Then Barabas was there and crushed in his enemies skull.

"Barabas!" he yelled over the noise. "I need you to come with me!"

"I need to stay here and help them!"

"You won't be helping anyone if you stay, there are too many!"

"I'm not going to run away!"

"And you won't be! There is a way to stop them from attacking us!"

Barabas reluctantly agreed, and he follow the doctor out a side door. They went around to the front of the building. As they rounded the corner, they saw the Iron demon standing there. He was right, they were being controlled. Fortunately for them, the mind control required its attention and it was unable to defend itself. When Barabas set eyes on it, he immediately dodged behind the corner again, butthe doctor just stood there. Seeing that he wasn't immediately riddled with bullet holes, Barabas stood up, and peaked around the corner. he looked at James, with a look of understanding. He walked up to the behemoth, and searched around it. As he suspected, it HAD undergone some upgrades. In a small, very protected compartment, lay a deadly brain. He knew better then to simply destroy the brain with his bare hands, it's defense systems would activate if it felt any danger towards itself. Instead he looked around the compartment. He found a panel and wrenched it open. It was made of some very heavy metal, and was thus, probably very important. inside, he found a mess of wires. He grabbed a handful of them and pulled

---

The Imago subjects suddenly stopped fighting, they blinked and looked around. Confused. A minute later, Barbas and her father returned through the door, and she knew what had happened.

---

Samoko looked in disappointment at the cameras installed in the warehouse. That doctor was stating to become a real nuisence. Now she had lost much of her Imago army because of him. She pressed a button on teh console in front of her and walked way from the screen, she didn't need to see this.

---

In the warehouse, all of the former attackers shuddered, and collapsed to the ground convulsing. They all stood in shock at what had happend. It took all of Mai's control to keep her temper in check. She knew what had happend. Samoko hadn't let all these Imago subjescts to go into battle without some sort of Fail Safe. She had most likely implanted a chip into each of their brains, those chips which had just releases enough electricity to bring down 5 fully grown elephants. Enough to permanently destroy them.

"Lets go." said dr. Hasagawa solemnly. "This building isn't safe anymore."

As they exited the structure, Casey paused.

"wait."

He looked around and saw a burning barrel by the street. He grabbed a flaming board out of the fire, and tossed it into the warehouse they had just evacuated. The warehouse was very old, and was made primarily of wood, wearas the newer ones were made of metal. The warehouse blazed almost imediately. They stood for a minute in silence. Thenthey turned and headed back to Hasagawa's van. Mai put an arm around Casey.

"Thank you. Those people in their deserve a cremation, not to be left to the BGI to toss into a pit and left there."

Casey took comfort in her words, and in the arm around his shoulders.

Before Mukade boarded the van, he stripped his shirt, and hooked it onto a passing car.

"That should keep them off our trail for a time."

They all piled into the van. Mukade and James sat inthe front. Mai was on one side, with Edgar and casey on either side. Both of them fell asleep on her shoulder. She put an arm around both of them and drifted to sleep herself. Across from them. Barabas, Griffen, and the other 3 Imago's sat, tired but alert.

Leus

They'd been on the road for a little while now. There was desert stretching down either side of the narrow road, an unfamiliar sight for most of them as they'd grown up in an arcology of streets and skyscrapers, or in a stark and bright lab never even seeing sunlight. Mai shifted restlessly between the snoring Casey and Edgar.

"Hey. Get up," Axel said suddenly, looking at Mai. Mai cocked her head, confused. "Let me take your place; you look like you could use a stretch."

"Thanks," Mai said, smiling. Axel stood up and stepped to the other side of the bay, swiftly switching positions with Mai and letting Casey and Edgar rest their heads on her shoulders. Mai stretched as much as she could in the cramped space, then climbed up front and jumped over the bench seat, settling in between her father and Mukade.

"Hey, sweetie," James and Mukade said simultaneously, then glanced strangely at one another. Mai laughed.

Mukade cleared his throat. "That was uncharacteristic of me, I'll be honest," he said with good humour. "I guess you just bring out the best in people."

"Sometimes," Mai said. "Sometimes I bring out the worst." She sighed, then turned to James.

"What is it?" James asked, sensing the vibe from her before even looking to see the concern on his daughter's face.

"I've got to tell you something," she said. "I know you've been trying not to ask, and I know you probably don't want to hear it, but ultimately you deserve to know."

They were silent for a moment. "It's about Muro, isn't it?"

"Yes," she responded. James sighed, then nodded. "He's dead," she said, coming right out with it.

"I know," James said, unable to keep a tear from almost immediately sliding down his cheek regardless. "I could tell; could almost feel it..." He swallowed.

"I killed him," Mai continued.

"What?" James choked, turning to face her and swerving a little bit.

"Dad!" she said, and he quickly corrected his driving. "Dad, he's the one that's responsible for this. I left out the details about Muro because I didn't know how to tell you, but I realize I've just got to be upfront, lay it out and not leave out or build up to anything. He's the reason this world is dying."

"Mai, stop!" he nearly shouted. He paused, more tears streaming down his face. "I know, you're trying to be blunt and honest, just give me the facts... But this hurts, Mai. To know my son was a monster... It hurts more than I could have imagined." He hesitated once more. "It hurts more than when your mother died."

"Dad," she said, tears forming in her eyes as well. "I'm sorry..."

"I know," he said, putting his arm around her and pulling her close. Mai realized that for the first time, everything felt real. Her whole life she'd been in a dark fantasy world of superheros and crime fighting, completely without anyone she considered true family. Even Shinatama, whom she loved, was ultimately a machine and she'd always acknowledged this in the back of her mind. Now her father was back and the life and death of his child and her sibling were suddenly weighing heavily on her. This man beside her to whom she was truly connected and truly loved was in pain, and she was sharing it.

They sat there like that for a few moments, silently crying. Then they were quiet and still for a while longer. Finally, Mai fell asleep and breathed softly. James sighed.

"Where are we going?" Mukade finally asked after a bit.

"To the processor out in Stoneridge," James replied. "Since we can't seem to be able to breach the BGI facility, I figure we've got a shot at learning something useful here. We're running out of options and time."

"I know," Mukade said. "I just--" Mai suddenly breathed in sharply and sat up. Promptly, she leaned the other way and continued her nap against Mukade's shoulder, smacking her lips a few times. Mukade and James exchanged a smile, and Mukade began to gently pet her head as she slept.

"She's amazing," James said.

"I know," Mukade replied. "She really turned out to be quite an incredible young woman."

"Yes, and I can't believe I'm just now seeing it," James continued. "I can't believe I spent nearly her entire life's story without her." He closed his eyes tightly, but opened them before a dangerous amount of time had passed, keeping track of the road. "And now I join the script during what's probably the closing scene."

"Don't say that," Mukade assured him. "We'll overcome this. Mai will overcome this. Look at what she's overcome already. Half the people in this car would have killed her on sight last month. She swayed us all, with her reason but mostly with her heart and spirit."

There was a pause. "She's amazing," James reiterated.

---

"So what's your story?" Axel hissed, quietly but suddenly.

Barabas snapped out of his daze and looked back at her. "Who, me?" Barabas responded.

"Of course you, silly," she said. "You're the one who busted me out of that place and I've never even though to ask you about yourself."

Barabas smiled at her strange yet confident manner of speech. It was remarkable for her situation in life, he thought. "Well, I don't really know," he said. "Don't have much of one I guess. I don't remember my parents; I was with the Syndicate for as long as I can remember. My goals consisted of how much weight I could lift, how many cement blocks I could bust and later how many skulls I could bust. And believe me, I was a star achiever." He sighed.

"Hey," Axel said, noting his regretful tone. "You've left that behind you, just like we've left our life of submission behind us."

"It's still clear as day in the rear view," he countered. "A month ago I considered my life of pain to be the one I should lead."

"And two weeks ago I considered my life of fear the only one I ever would," she countered in turn. "Look to the future, man!"

"But you TOLD me to look to the PAST!" he snapped back, a bit aggressively. "I'm sorry," he said immediately.

"No sweat," Axel responded without missing a beat. "You're right. I dragged it up. I'M sorry."

Barabas smiled at her. "We're gonna be alright, aren't we?" he said, a strange and optimistic feeling rising in him.

Axel smiled back and nodded.

Leus

The sun was rising by the time they reached Stoneridge. It was a much smaller city than the one they came from; like a distant suburb. Normally a city this small wouldn't warrant an atmospheric processor, but this town was full of the elite class and their mansions. They'd paid to have a processor constructed in their town for the feeling of security. Of course, they were far from secure now and the town was all but deserted as the self-centered residents fled for air that was further away from its untimely degradation.

James drove up a short but windy road to the parking lot at the processor, parking the car haphazardly in the middle of the barren blacktop. "Mai," he said, gently grabbing her arm and shaking her slightly. She immediately woke with a gasp, her eyes shooting open. James instinctively drew back and shielded himself, half-expecting an unintentionally violent reaction. Mukade just smiled.

Mai looked back and forth at both of them. "How long was I out?"

"Don't know," James said. "Doesn't matter. We're here now." The former test subjects were much more difficult to wake. They were exhausted from a lifetime of anguish. Every night since Mai had known them they'd slept near twelve hours apiece, and slept heavily. Finally, though, all ten were once again assembled outside the vehicle. They walked up to the sliding glass front doors.

They didn't open.

Mai kicked through them, and the group strolled into the facility. "Let's split up," said Griffin.

"Because that always goes well," Barabas said sarcastically.

"This isn't a TV show," Griffin shot back. "We're just running out of time to find..." He paused. "Uhm. What exactly are we looking for, again?"

"Database. Computers, something along those lines," James said. "Information, basically."

"Casey, come with me," Griffin said.

"I'm with my dad," Mai chimed in.

"Edgar--" Barabas was cut off by Axel's simultaneous words.

"Barabas--" she stopped as well, then hesitated. "Good idea. You take Eddy. Me and Ford can get this together." Ford nodded in stoic agreement.

"Guess I'm with you, then," Mukade said, stepping to Sam's side.

"Now," Griffin said. "Let's get moving.

The five groups roamed around the building. It didn't take long before something of interest was spotted.

"There!" Edgar shouted, pointing ahead into the room he'd just entered. Barabas looked in the direction indicated and saw a large array of consoles and other undoubtedly complicated apparatuses.

"Great," Barabas said, pleased. "Now we've just gotta find someone who has any idea what to do."

---

"So, what's it like?" Mai asked suddenly.

Her father glanced over. "What's what like?"

"Being suspended in time like that," she clarified.

He reflected for a moment. "Very strange," he finally said. "In a way it's as if I wasn't suspended at all; I feel like I have memories of countless hours staring out at that unchanging room... On the other hand, it definitely doesn't seem like nearly two decades have passed since I entered that tomb."

They were quiet for a minute.

"What was it like for you?" he inquired. He looked to her, and she looked away, frowning.

"Hey!" a voice came from up ahead. The duo glanced up and saw Mukade and Sam approaching from the opposite direction.

"Any luck?" James called back.

"Nothin," said Mukade, getting closer. The two groups finally converged and halted their progress.

James sighed. Suddenly a huge crash rang out, shaking the building.

---

The glass ceiling above them shattered and glass shards rained down onto Axel and Ford. The Iron Demon landed with a jarring impact and the two former test subjects fell to the ground.

"Son of a--" Axel was cut off as the Iron Demon casually opened fire from the giant machine gun on its arm. Axel scrambled to her feet, pulling Ford along with her and ducking around a corner.

"What," Ford said uninquisitively. Axel looked down at him. He was bleeding from four places that she could see; two in his upper right shoulder, one on his left side, probably through his kidney, and a chunk taken out of the outside of his left thigh. She also noticed blood begin to trickle down his cheek and neck, quickly noticing that a good chunk of his right ear was missing too. "Oh," he said, his expression becoming more blank.

"Ford!" she yelled. "Stay with me!" No response. "Don't give up on me, damnit! Ford!"

"Sh-" he said. "No..." The sounds of helicopters became apparent.

"Ford!"

"Not... Ford..." he said. "I... Remember..."

"What--" Axel was cut off as a powerful hand grabbed her by the throat and slammed her down onto the floor. The wind was forced from her lungs and she choked. Over her knelt a slightly scarred Samoko wielding a syringe. Axel looked upwards towards the Iron Demon down the hall. It was now standing still and protected by several stationary armed and armoured guards that had repelled down from the choppers. She glanced over at Ford who was dragging himself slowly along the floor towards the nearby wire-bound railing. She felt a sudden sharp pain in her neck and jerked her head back towards the Iron Demon, and as she saw more beefed-up and mind-controlled imagos begin to repel down into the room her vision faded to black.

---

CRACK! A body landed next to them. Casey and Griffin both jumped back and yelled; they had been on their way to investigate the crash. The long-haired head lifted slightly and made eye contact with Griffin. It was Ford.

Without a word, Griffin and Casey quickly grabbed Ford and carried him into the nearest room. He was bleeding badly and seemed to be drifting in and out of consciousness.

"Ford!" Casey yelled, lightly slapping the man's face.

"My name..." he began, opening his eyes a bit more.

"That's right," Griffin said. "Stay with us."

"No!" Ford snapped weakly but suddenly. "Will... William"

"William?" Griffin repeated, confused.

"His name," said Casey. A stark look had taken over the boy. Griffin could see the look of longing in his son's eyes; Casey wanted desperately to remember.

"What happened?" Griffin asked William. William coughed and began to shake, unable to respond.

"William, it's okay," Casey said, dropping to his knee beside William. "We're here."

---

"What the hell's going on?" Barabas demanded in a harsh whisper, slinking up behind Mai, James, Mukade and Sam. Edgar followed him close behind.

"The big bad bot is back," said Mai, "and the imago army."

"Plus a bunch of well-equipped guards," Mukade added, almost as an afterthought.

They waited a moment. Mai quickly popped her head around the corner again, then drew it back. They were pretty far down the building from all the commotion, but the whole facility was being swept by the harnessed imago warriors.

"Did they see you?" asked James.

"What's going on?" inquired Barabas.

"I don't think so," Mai began, "and the imagos are hunting all over for us. The metal beast is being protected by a rather impressive swarm of soldiers." She stopped and, suddenly, smiled.

"What?" Mukade urged. "What's so funny?"

"They're throwing everything they've got at us," Mai said. "This means two things: One, that we really are making worthwhile moves..."

There was a pause. "And?" Mukade prodded.

Mai's smile grew wider. "They're getting desperate."

Samoko rounded the corner and came face to face with the group. Standing by her side was Axel, a content yet ultimately hollow look in her eyes. "Guess so," she said with a daring tilt of her head.

Samoko

Mai's smile grew wider. "They're getting desperate."

Samoko rounded the corner and came face to face with the group. Standing by her side was Axel, a content yet ultimately hollow look in her eyes. "Guess so," she said with a daring tilt of her head.

"Axel ?? " Barabas said in concern "What have u done to her "

"Tamed her a bit dear .. something we should have done to u " ... "Now let's talk about this rationally ... Mai, James if u would come with us peacefully .. I promise I'll make the others' death swift and as painless as possible" she said taking her gun out .

"over my dead body .. mai said as she started to glow ... "

"have it ur way then ... " samoko said as she aimed at konoko ... a loud bang interrupted her and she fell to the floor .

Griffin was standing behind with a gun and Casey carrying ford .

the group reunited ...

"Let's get out of here !" mukade said

" Mai must die ... " Axel said as she picked up Samoko's gun and shot at Mai ...

"NOOO !!" James screamed as he jumped in front of the shot and fell to the floor .

Mukade in return took the prototype gun out shooting at axel ... who fell in return

"Dad !!! no !!" Mai jumped catching his fall ... "Dad ! no no please dad !"

"Mai there are more mutants coming" ! Barabas said ...

while Mai glowed brighter and brighter !!

"NOOOOOOOOOO !!!" She screamed

as the light engulfed her whole body ... "it's happening" Griffin said "she's turning into the Imago stage ... "

"Mai ... " James whispered as he began to stand up.

"James ?? " mukade said shocked

"apparently the gun works on those who have a chrysallis .. I don't" James said .. "Mai !! resist the anger resist the pain ... let ur inner self shine ... u're so loved .. remember that he said ... " while covering his eyes from the blinding light.

seconds passed ... and the light finally fainted as the figure it engulfed fell to the ground.

" Mai ... " James and griffin inquired coming close to the body ...

suddenly gun fire opened at them as more agents and mutants came into the room ...

"U little b..." Samoko said standing up ..."U'll pay for this !" she said searching for her gun .

"looking for this ?" mukade said as he waved her gun at her ...

"Kill them now !!!" She yelled

they all took cover behind some crates Barabas carrying both ford and axel ... and griffin and james carrying mai

"There's no way out .. we have u surrounded !! " Samoko threatened

"Dad ... I ... what happened ?" Mai said "I feel so ... so Powerful !"

with a jump flip she came out from behind the crates ... dodging bullets and plasma rifles .. and running towards Samoko with a running leg throw she threw Samoko right into the ceiling and into the Iron demon ...

loud electrical noises were heard as the iron demon collapsed ... doing so the mutants stopped attacking ... while the agents didn't ...

"They are the enemy !!!" Casey yelled at the mutants pointing at the agents ...

the mutants no longer under control turned against the agents ... Mukade Barabas and the others joining the fight.

Mai looked up and saw the iron demon and Samoko out of sight they clearly retreated having their mission fail once more .

minutes passed on a brutal battle .. Mai's team ending up triumphant ...

after things calmed down .. finally Mai said ... "how do i look ? "

looking at her hands ... her skin was still the same ... "why ?" she said looking at her dad

"Whatever the final form of the transformation is, it's a reflection of one's true nature ... I guess u're inner nautre is same as ur outer ... beautiful " he responded " u still look the same " Barabas said "lucky u" as he tended to Ford and Axel who both have now recovered... "we found some counsels by the way" ...

"show us" James and mukade both said equally excited

that is very interesting ! James said ... according to this the machine can disintegrate all the toxins ... everywhere ! by connecting to the satellite system it can emit a ray of chrysallis origin this ray will cleanse the air and water wherever it hits ... I have to do some more research ... mukade u can help me by telling me everything about ur machine ... "

"No rush guys ... " Mai said smiling "we got their gun we nailed the iron demon ... we got a mutant army ... I'm stronger than ever ... we are ready for them .. the next time we go the BGI it will be the last ... their last !"

Leus

"Well, James, it's really quite fascinating actually," Mukade began to explain. The two of them began to stroll off down the hall to discuss things that only they would comprehend.

Mai frowned slightly. "They probably won't be too long," she said idly. There was a pause. "Who wants to play slapsies?"

---

James sat in front of the console quietly typing. After a bit, Mukade sighed. "I've done some bad things, James," Mukade confessed.

"I know," said James. "It's alright." He seemed preoccupied but genuine.

"It's not though," Mukade persisted. "I'm not alright. My mind, James... I feel like it's gone."

"It seems present enough to me," James replied.

"It takes everything I've got to suppress the wicked thoughts and urges," Mukade mourned. "It's one thing that my past is tarnished, full of sadism and immoral pursuits."

There was a pause. Jame said nothing.

"But it's like I still don't care," Mukade continued. "Like I could snap back to it at any second. I have no desire to change or repent."

"You obviously do, Toshio," James responded. Mukade choked on his breath; it had been so long since he'd been addressed by his first name. "Just look at you. If you didn't desire to do the right thing, why would you be doing what you are now?"

Mukade frowned. "It's not that simple," he protested.

"Things are a lot simpler than people like to imagine," said James.

"I just don't feel like I can make it right," Mukade despaired.

"You can never correct your past's mistakes," James said with authority. "Only your future's path."

Mukade chuckled. "Frank was right," he mused. "We do enjoy the drama."

SMASH! James and Mukade spun around as glass shattered and the metal door frame hit the floor, the jagged edges of the wall now stretching into the room. Behind the carnage stood Mai. She bore a look of stark fear. Mukade and James simultaneously jumped to their feet and followed her out of the room.

---

Barabas was on both knees cradling a body in his arms. It was Axel's. She and Barabas both were silent.

Carpeting the room around them were scores more carcasses of white, standing among them a few mortified and equally silent familiar daodan symbiotes.

"I guess," Mai began, a lump forming in her throat as she tried to speak. "Samoko made it back home." She stared at Barabas and Axel, her eyes growing wider until she had to turn away. Clumsily, she jogged into the nearest room and weeping could be heard quietly through the door.

Mukade stepped in behind her, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"It's just so terrible," she said, turning around and embracing the cyborg. "Everything I do ends in death, loss and pain."

Mukade stroked her hair once more and felt tears drip onto his skin as she half-buried her face in his shirt. "It's not you, darling," he assured her.

"No, it's not me," Mai said. "It's the whole damned world. It's all there is. It never stops."

"It's the systems," Mukade said, fumbling with his words. "The people grow into perpetuators of the torment because they don't know any better, because they would otherwise have to admit they've been wrong all along."

"And when one attempts to change, to abandon the pain and fight for an end to it," she said, leaning back and looking at Barabas through the window, "all they're rewarded with is more and more of it. How are we EVER supposed to end this cycle?"

Mukade also glanced out to the spectacle at which Barabas was the center, envying the moral conviction with which this man now acted. As a fellow former monster, Mukade stressed his mind; why did he not feel the same way? Why?

"It's not up to us to end it," Mukade said finally. "It is inevitable: One way or another, it will come to an end. All we can do is try and make sure it is a prosperous one." He kissed her forehead. As he pulled back, Mai glanced away from Barabas and into Mukade's eyes. She could see his ancient and desperate soul screaming silently from within. He gazed back into her eyes and saw in turn the purity and frustration of a girl like her in a world like this. Slowly, they leaned closer.

---

Suddenly Barabas cast Axel's body aside like a piece of scrap metal. He leapt to his feet, then stormed steadily towards the front door. "Wait!" James called. Barabas ignored him.

Sam, William, Edgar, Casey and Griffin all followed Barabas. Mukade and Mai poked their heads out to investigate the commotion. "He's going to finish it," James said when he saw them. "Come on." The three of them chased after Barabas and the rest, trailing behind but catching up quickly.

In the car, the nine of them were completely silent for a long while. Finally, Griffin spoke. "You know this car is probably bugged, right?" Griffin spoke up. "How else do you think they found us at the processor?"

There was no response.

Griffin sighed. "We're going to need some sort of plan," he insisted.

"Kill them all," Barabas said from behind the wheel. He was doing nearly 110 MPH. Nobody challenged his recklessness.

"If we can get to this fabled machine," James said. "I should be able to use it properly."

"Good," Griffin continued. "Mukade, Mai, Barabas and myself will accompany you--"

"No," Barabas said immediately rejecting the plan. "I'm going. To kill. Them all."

"Fine," Griffin said, seemingly almost blowing off Barabas' vengeful vendetta. "Willam, Edgar and--"

"Call me Ford," William interrupted.

"But," Griffin responded, confused. "I thought, your name--"

"William was a monster," said William. "I wish I'd never..." He didn't finish the thought. "Call me Ford."

"But that was the name of your torturer!" Griffin countered. "What could possibly be--"

"Dad," Casey said, shooting Griffin down. "Just drop it."

Griffin looked at his son. "What... Did you just call me?" Casey hesitated, looking away. Tears came to Griffin's eyes both from joy and desperation. He knew his son didn't remember; still, Casey was beginning to think of the old man as his father.

"You guys are with me," Barabas said, commandeering the instruction. "Sam, Ford, Edgar and Casey. You all deserve--"

"It's too dangerous!" Griffin butted in. "Casey, you can't..."

"Dad," he repeated the painfully elating word, "I have to." Griffin curled his lips inward, fighting off further protest. He hadn't been able to protect his son so far and was powerless to do so now. The helplessness tore at his spirit, but he remained strong.

They arrived uninhibited at the BGI installation in the middle of the day. The sun was high in the sky and the shadows of Mai and company were scarcely visible as they emptied from the vehicle. They marched towards the front doors, Barabas leading.

This time the doors did not open. Unaffected, Barabas bashed his body through them and continued his stride. The facility was sparsely populated. Of course, everyone immediately looked to the intruders. "Alright," Barabas said, a sickening calm in his tone. "Here we go."

---

Thickly armoured bodies scattered the lobby like rag dolls. The white stone floor was accented with a candy cane-like blood effect. Barabas and the previous imago test subjects stood victorious and nearly unscathed in the center of the room. "That takes care of that," Barbas said, clapping his hands together at alternating angles as if to dust them off. "Let's continue the hunt."

---

They searched countless rooms before they found what they were looking for. Mai, Mukade, Griffin and James stepped towards the machine. It looked duller than any of them had expected; rather an ordinary-seeming machine, actually. It had pipes, metal panels, bolts and wires. It had a monitor towering over a large key panel. James got to work.

Outside they heard the mayhem of Barabas and his team avenging themselves against those responsible. Although he seemed to be fighting for justice, Mai was burdened by his murderous spirit. She knew violence would never solve itself. She almost felt like Barabas had been lost to the agony once more.

"Oh, god," James said, a sudden terror in his voice. "No..."

"What is it?" Mai inquired concernedly, looking to her father.

"It says--" a gunshot reverberated throughout the room. James slumped forward onto the keyboard, blood spattering the screen before him.

Mai's mouth dropped and she rushed to his side. "DAD!" she cried.

"MAI!" James cried in return. Mukade watched them as they both dashed to where the other had been standing and knelt to the floor, crying over the empty air. Griffin was nowhere to be found. Mukade turned towards the door and saw Samoko. She was beaten, bruised and bloodied and bore in her hands a large jar. Within the jar, an oversized brain floated suspended in a strange substance.

Springing into action, Mukade stepped through the shadows and was immediately by Samoko's side. He executed a clean chop through the jar, the glass and bio matter within shattering and splitting simultaneously. Blood, brain, glass and gel covered the floor below Samoko's trembling knees.

"Mai!" Mukade called. Mai looked towards him, the brain's hold on her forever broken. Mai reached into her jacket and withdrew the weapon with which Samoko had destroyed Kyari in the lab. Aiming, she pulled the trigger...

Nothing.

Samoko laughed. "Looks like you're out of batteries, girlie," she said, pulling a nearly identical weapon out from her own coat. She pointed it at Mai, seemingly forgetting that Mukade was standing right next to her. The cyborg quickly disarmed the woman, but she punched him in the jaw. With the momentum of his fall, he hurled the weapon towards Mai. It skidded across the sleak floor and clattered to a halt near her feet. Quickly, she knelt and armed herself.

A ball of energy blasted from the barrel. Samoko dodged with an unnecessary cartwheel, taunting Mai. "Is that all you've got?"

Mukade rolled to his feet and sprang at their foe, wrapping his arms around her's and her chest. He locked his fingers tightly together as she struggled in his grasp. "Now!" Mukade demanded, hollering at Mai.

"But," Mai began, knowing there was nowhere to take the argument.

"NOW!" he repeated with increased urgency. Mai fired. Samoko and Mukade were engulfed in an incandescent energy field. They glowed brighter and brighter, beginning to levitate slightly above ground level. Finally, with a blindingly magnificent flash, the spectacle faded and shrunk into the air until it was seen no more.

Mai and James stood and stared at nothing, dumbfounded and alone.

After what seemed like an eternity, Mai finally spoke. "He did it," she said with strange satisfaction.

"Yeah," James confirmed, understanding. "He did." The two of them turned back to the computer screen.

There it was, stated simply on the monitor preceding the terminal blinking cursor. "Atmospheric damage irreversible."

Mukade

The small group just stood there, silent, and stared at the 3 words that had just condemned the world. What could someone say that would make it all better? All they had worked for, the lives that had been lost, had been for naught. Axel, Kyari, Mukade and many others. The ones who's lives they had saved, were now destined to live in a dying world. As they lingered, the same question formed in all of their heads.

What happens now?

Barabas was the first to shake himself out of it. He raised a fist and brought it down on the screen, which startled the rest of them back into life. They blinked and looked at Barabas.

"So what, now that the world is going to die, we're all just gonna sit here and wait for it to happen?"

"There's not much else we can do." stated Mai, softly.

"I'll tell you what we can do. We can go find the ones that are responsible and make them pay."

"I can go back into developping the chrysali," James said with a heavy heart. He would miss the company of Mukade.

"We can't save everyone, but we need to save as many as we can. Someday, maybe our children will learn to forgive the sins of their fathers, and to rebuild what was once humanity."

"I can help all the surviving chrysalis hosts. Help them to regain their identities."

"And I can help you." offered Griffin, looking pointedly at Casey.

The young man caught his eye, and gave a small smile.

"We should leave now." suggested James, "Theres nothing more to be done here. We may have won this battle, but this war has no foreseeable end. The BGI will never die out. Samoko may have perished, but more will rise to take her place. We will never be safe."

"No one is safe anymore." said Mai

No one said a word, but none needed to be said. That one statement had been building itself in each of their minds. No one is safe anymore.

Punishment

Leus

Barabas opened his eyes. He stretched, sharply drawing in a deep breath. The air burned his lungs a little and he quickly exhaled, returning to the quick and shallow breathing to which he was now adapted.

"Let's go!" he hollered. Ford, Sam and Edgar sat up simultaneously.

"Aww, man," Edgar complained, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "ANOTHER hunting day?"

"CI doesn't take days off," Barabas shot back. "Gear up." The small group at a quick breakfast and equipped themselves for the day ahead. They each wore a bulletproof suit that covered most of their bodies. Strapped to their hips were their sidearms, tucked away in their boots were combat knives and strapped to their chest were a few grenades each. In addition, every one of them bore a unique "heavy-assault" weapon in a back sling. Sam carried an assault rifle, Ford a shotgun, and Barabas a rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Edgar kept a backpack with a laptop and medical supplies; he was less of a fighter than the rest, and the least eager about the work he was doing. Still, he would follow Barabas to the end of the earth, which was likely exactly what he was doing.

The team marched outside and hopped on two ATVs; Ford and Sam on one, Barabas and Edgar on the other. Riding side by side, Ford called out to Barabas. "Where are we headed?"

"Satellite images show a small band of refugees trying to travel through this desert nearly due-east," Barabas shouted back over the engines' whines. Sam glanced over at Barabas.

"What?" Ford replied, "they'd never make it!"

"Look out!" Barabas hollered, and Sam narrowly swirved around a large stone. "Watch where you're going, Sam!" A conversational pause. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. They're going to make it now," he said, addressing Ford once more.

After nearly an hour, the band of travellers came into sight. The two ATVs pulled up and slowed to a halt, Ford and Edgar's arms up, fingers spread and palm out towards the refugees to indicate no hostile intentions. The travellers lowered the weapons they'd instinctively drawn. Barabas and Sam shut the motors down.

"What do you want?" one of the travellers asked, her voice distorted through the sealed mask she wore. There was a hiss as the vent in the front of her mask opened, let some air into the processing chamber, then belched the contaminants back out into the atmosphere before delivering the "clean" air to her lungs. The hissing continued regularly and rhythmically from everyone in her party.

"We're here to help you," said Barabas.

"You're one of them," she shot back. "Just look at you. All of you."

"Ma'am, I assure you, we're not with Conglomerate International. We have developed a--" Edgar was cut off.

"Not them. THEM," she clarified, accenting the word more heavily now as if to indicate something new. "Monsters."

Edgar frowned. "Ma'am," he began, "you do know that the only way to survive in this world is to become one of your so-called 'monsters,' right?"

"Ha," the woman scoffed. "There's still hope for this world, yet. We're on our way to Reco, the Oasis town. We're only a few miles off yet."

Barabas sighed. "First off, try a dozen miles at least, and in the wrong direction," Barabas chided her. "Reco is almost due north of here and you're travelling east. Ain't nothin' the way you're headed."

"We KNOW what we're doing," she snapped. "We have to take this route to avoid the CI search parties."

"Secondly," Barabas continued as if she'd never spoken, "the Oases are the pipe dreams of a few hippies futilely holding onto hope for a pure ecosystem. The earth and mankind cannot be salvaged. Believe me." He paused. "And why avoid CI? They don't force anyone to join them; they merely offer an alternative to certain death, which is what I am trying to do for you but WITHOUT the catch."

"The alternative IS the catch," she replied.

"You know what I mean," he said.

"And we both know CI has forced us just about as hard as anyone could have possibly imagined into their contracts," she continued. "Their child company destroyed the world so we would have no choice but to sign our lives over to daddy."

"Right," said Barabas, "but if the BGI's actions have failed to persuade you yet, nothing CI could say or do would either. If you don't want them, they don't want you. Only interested in the type of folk willing to sell their own souls, I guess; figure the rest'll die off with time." He let the dialogue rest a beat. "Like I said: Why avoid them?"

"Have you ever actually encountered one of their roving 'rescue' parties?" the woman shot back. "Their methods of persuasion are more than a simple pitch."

Barabas frowned. He had, of course, encountered CI representatives many times, but never in a very political setting. Maybe he was less familiar with their methods than he thought. He sighed, choking a bit. "Doesn't change the fact," he continued, "that the so-called 'Oasis towns' are a waste of time. You'd do yourselves and the world much better if you came with us."

"No doubt you're another marauding rebel group," she pegged them condescendingly.

"The original," Barabas muttered.

"Peace was never accomplished through violence," she insisted. "Non-violent resistance is the only feasible option."

"Peace was NEVER accomplished," Barabas consolidated her assertion. "We NEVER overcame our natural inclination to dominate, and now politics and justice are obsolete. The world has been dominated by a single force BEYOND the point of resistance. THEY call the shots now, and they have no reason not to eliminate anyone who even tries to stand in their way."

"So why are you still alive, Rambo?" she prodded back.

Barabas stopped to ponder this. "Don't really know, I guess," he said. "Probably just not a big enough threat." He paused. "Maybe what we do is, under their new world regime, considered as what once was freedom of speech."

The woman hesitated for a moment. "So," she said. "What DO you do?"

---

"WELCOME TO RECO!" the sign enthusiastically announced as the party passed by it and into the city. The woman, having by now been introduced as Keilah, glanced over her shoulder at Barabas. "You bastard," she said with a somewhat playful tone.

Barabas smiled slyly. "That speech about the hippy pipe dream is convincing, ain't it?" he said. "It's true, you know, of most Oases."

"It's how we stay under the radar of you-know-who," Edgar added. Barabas and Edgar walked with the masked travellers, Ford and Sam having taken the ATVs ahead a few hours back. Including Edgar and Barabas, the group numbered nine. They followed Barabas into a restaurant. The tables were empty but a woman stood behind the bar. She reached under the counter.

Click!

The liquor rack rotated to reveal a small corridor of stairs leading down. The newly arrived group quickly made their way through the passageway and the faux barkeep closed the hatch behind them.

After a short and noisy trot down the stairs, Barabas arrived at a door. He knocked.

"Come in!" a female voice rang out from the other side.

"THAT's your security system?" Keilah scoffed.

Barabas opened the door and strolled through. Inside was a room full of people, most of them visibly strapped with very large weapons.

"No, this is," Barabas stated simply. Many of the people were engaging in what seemed to be various martial arts training exercises. Several were sitting around, chatting. Dampened explosions and gunshots could be heard in the background. A woman with spiky purple hair dashed up to the newcomers.

"Welcome," she greeted them. "My name is Mai."

"Keilah," said Keilah, "and this is my crew." They each shook hands with Mai in turn, introducing themselves. Sam and Ford stepped up to the meeting.

"You guys know Ford and Sam, of course," said Barabas, "although you've never been formally introduced."

"Hey," said Keilah. "Dunno if you heard; I'm Keilah." She extended a hand to Ford, who took it and shook firmly.

"Ford," he said simply. Keilah smiled sternly, then extended her hand towards Sam. There was no reaction.

Keilah frowned. "What's her deal?"

"Never heard a word out of her," Mai explained. "She doesn't like attention, anyway. Let's just move on." Keilah expelled a disconcerted burst of air through her nose, but complied with the suggestion and followed as Mai began to walk deeper into the facility.

"This is our headquarters," Edgar chimed in. "And these are all the people we've saved!"

"We've got to be clear, though," Barabas added. "We're not saviors. We're warriors. You don't have to join us, but I can't hardly think of two people who've walked out of here."

"I thought you said there was no catch," Keilah countered.

"There isn't," Barabas replied. "Most people just choose to stay. Nowhere else to go, I guess."

Keilah sighed. "I can't believe I'm doing this," she mourned.

"It's the only way," Edgar reassured her. "This is just what humanity is now."

"It's not so bad," Ford added. "Could definitely be worse."

Mai pushed open a door and walked into a large laboratory. At nearly the opposite end of the room, a man sat in a chair before a giant monitor. He busily typed away, not even seeming to notice the intrusion. "Dad!" Mai called out.

The chair spun casually around, revealing a rather young and attractive man. His hair was beginning to grey, but his face didn't show the same signs of age. "Hey, sweetie," he said, standing up and walking towards the group. "Barabas. Long time no see."

"Not that long, doctor," the large man countered. "How have you been?"

"Same old, same old," Mai's father replied.

Keilah stepped forward. "Hey," she said, extending a hand. "I'm Keilah."

"James," the man said, taking her hand in his own and shaking. "A pleasure."

"I'm sure," said Keilah, a tinge of unprecedented sarcasm accenting her tone.

"So," James continued. "You want the procedure, then?"

Keilah sighed again. "Guess so," she conceded. "If it really is all it's cracked up to be, you know."

"I assume my associates have explained in sufficient detail?" James attempted to clarify.

"New chrysalis, no chip," Keilah condensed the description remarkably.

"That's right," James confirmed. "Your mind remains free, under the sole control of you and only you, just as the great spirit intended."

Keilah furrowed her brow. "You sure about that, doc?" she queried. "Seems to me like the natural order of things is suggesting heavily against that these days."

"As long as we're a part of the natural order," said James, "it's open to interpretation."

"Good enough for me," said Keilah. "So let's get this party started, eh?"

"All of you, sit on any of the tables," James said, sweeping his arm and indicating the dozens of operating tables that permeated the room. "I need to call in some more surgeons, technicians and the like to speed up the process for you all." The doctor left the room briefly.

"So," Keilah began after a few minutes. "Everyone in this place got one?"

"Chrysalis? Yeah," said Edgar.

"Even the good doctor?" Keilah inquired.

"Yep," Edgar replied. "It was quite the feat getting his in, though. By the time he realized he needed it, there was nobody but him that knew how to complete the procedure without also requirin' a chip be put in his noggin."

"So, what?" Keilah pressed. "He cut himself open and shoved it in?"

"He was conscious throughout the whole thing," Edgar replied. Keilah's eyes went wide. "He had to instruct us to do the bulk of the work, though. He was so far gone into subconscious mind-over-matter meditation--and a boat load of local anesthetics, of course--that he couldn't move a muscle save his lips. To be honest, I don't know how he did it. He's a pretty incredible man."

"I'll say," Keilah said. "Hope you guys are plannin' to knock ME the hell out!"

"Don't worry," Edgar assured her. "Plenty of drugs to go around."

---

Mai and Barabas waited on a cheap bench seat outside the lab. Edgar, Sam and Ford had wandered off to find something else to do for the time being.

"So what made you decide to play the liberator instead of the punisher today?" Mai asked after a long silence.

Barabas sighed. "Saw 'em on the satellite," he replied simply. "Look, I know you don't like what we do. Let's just let that be what it is and leave it at that." He killed the conversation before it started. "And anyway," he antagonized a bit, "day's not over yet."

More silence.

"So," Barabas began this time. "Heard from Griffin or Casey?"

"Not since the BGI," Mai lamented. "Not since..."

More silence.

Stevinlewis

"Taking heavy fire! Repeat! Taking heavy fire!" Shouted Rico over his mic at the same time trying to avoid any bullet flying overhead. "Rico,Amanda here, Grif and his team is coming your way. T-2minutes."Replied the gorgeous Amanda.

"How long more dad!" Shouted casey over the roaring engines of the helicopter."1minute! Get ready your gears men!"Screamed the already greyed hair griffin. The 4 men team, Griffin, Casey, Joe and Micheal, fastened their straps around their body and secured the weapons around the holsters covering their body.

With a fading roar, the helicopter steadily fell to the ground and the sounds of guns and mortars could be heared from a distance. "Go!go!go!" Shouted Griffin as his team squatted around the helicopter as it raised through the air and headed back for base.

"Move out team!"Shouted Griffin and they ran to Rico's position. Rico, trying very hard to return fire is stuck behind a twisted chunk of metal along with his 2 man team. Rico looked at his GPS strapped along his wrists and waved several hand signals to his buddy that Griffin's team is here. "Joe! Could u see any guy u can take out from your current position! We are taking heavy enemy fire from down here!" Shouted Rico. Joe fell to the ground, loaded his ammo into his sniper and scanned the area. "Wow Rico! SUre are lots of b!tches out there." Said Joe jokingly.

He squizzed the trigger and automatically, a bullet rush out of the chamber and met flesh, in between his victim's eyes. He countinued this while Griffin and his team ran towards Rico's position.

Back at command base, 10 ATB(All Terrain Buggies) halt to a stop and 2 men, from each buggie, got out and entered base. "Amanda! How's Griffin's team doing?" Asked the qurious Zack. "Griffin just reached Rico's position about 2 minutes ago. Im trying to reconnect with his mic but i just can't seem to." Replied Amanda. "I hope they are okay" Replied Zack.

Stevinlewis

Back on the battle field, Joe kept firing till he was breathless and out of ammo. "Sir, outta ammo. Coming to your position." radioed Joe through the helm-mic. "Roger! Squad 1! Defensive position!" Shouted Griffin over the mic, trying to make sure his team heard his orders.

Immediately, the 5 members(Including Rico's team) twisted their body out of cover from the twisted chunk of metal and started firing their AE-ChainGun(Adversity Equip) and the whole line of gunners fell to their knees and seem to the dance to the bullets as they fell to the ground. "Another mission completed. We have stopped the GPAs(Global President's Association) movement to Commandbase guys. Rico, try to contact Commandbase, my mic is out." Said Griffin. "This is Rico do you copy over?"Said Rico over the mic. "This is Amanda glad you're okay! Were sending 5 G-22s(Futuristic helicopter that is mostly available in base) to your current location over."Said Amanda."Alrightly make it quick!" Said Casey.

After 2 minutes, the G-22s touched down and picked them up from the ground. "Welcome aboard guys how was your fight?"Said Micchel jokingly. "Good. I tore off their heads after i killed em. Want some Micch?"Said Micheal. The G-22s reached Commandbase and the team took a much needed bath and rest.

"All units over, return back to Commandbase. Closing for the night." Said Amanda over the comm system. Command base is home to 40 raw souldiers whom had the crystallis implanted in them. Each of them have their crystallis for survival. They don't use it for combat. They get their weapons and ammunitions mostly from the dead victims . Food is gotten from the beaten outposts of GPAs.

Griffin found Command base- a building still in good shape with carparks and helipads surrounding it. There were many people in the Commandbase when Griffin arrived there. He was shocked by the amount of dying victims in there and he did as much as he could to save them. Implanting crystallis, which was very easilly available in the underground depot, into each and every living person there and then.However, his poor skills of surgury caused many casualties and the number was down to 40. Together, they fought in my battles over the few months, in the partial forested areas and desert areas. The closest town located was Reco. A still intact town which was considered dangerously contaminated-or thats what they thought.

The screamings of metals rubbing against each other was heard as the metal blasts doors closed. "Okay, ladies and gentlemen. Time to sleep." Said Amanda enthusiatically. Everyone slept in Commandbase. There is no proper bedding but there are cusioned mattresses which they got from the outposts.

As the last fading lights of the evening sun dissapeared, roars of engines from planes could be heard at a distant. Instantly, everyone in Commandbase opened their eyes and listened. It came closer, and closer, and closer until it was at its loudest. Right above them. Then nothing. Silence filled Commandbase. Everyone knew that was a recon plane. In search of Commandbase. Each breathed a sigh of relief before closing their eyes again.

"RRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Screamed the alarm clock as it hits 7 am. Everyone got off from their beds and brushed their teeths and washed their face. "Okay we need to do something quick. They are almost onto us." Said Griffin as he ushered in Amanda and the leaders of all 8 squadrons. "We need a plan. Send all our planes and bombard the GPA Headquaters? Or we run?" Said Griffin. "I think we should just run away from here. Maybe hide in the city. It might be safe after all these months." Said Jackie, leader of the 8th squadron. "No it might be too risky. I think dropping all our bombs on GPA would be a good idea." Said Ben, leader of 5th squadron. "Yea i think we should do it." Said Amanda. "Okay lets move out!" Said Griffin. 8th and 7th squadron are in charge of flying the hawks while the rest are for group are for ground battles. 8th squadron was first to load up and lift off. then 7th lifted and joined 8th in the air to GPAs.

8 Hawks flew past Reco at super sonic speed planning to make their mission a simple in and out. "All right boys this is Jackie leader of this mission lets make it quick. Follow me lead" Said Jackie over the radio. "T-1minute to targetted point. Closing in onto GPAHQ, they were met with anti air fire however it was no match to supersonic speeds. "DROP!" Jackie said. and bombs rained from the skies above. tearing GPAHQ apart. "Good job guys. look like weve got company."Said Jackie as his radar flashed 10 heavy missle bombers. "Looks like were in for the fight." Said Jackie

Leus

Hitoshi watched expressionlessly as a large battle was represented by simple blips and statistics on a radar/readout screen before her.

"Switch to field camera!" Omar commanded impatiently. Hitoshi was unresponsive; she did not comply. Omar raised his arms and gaze to the air in frustration and turned away, letting his hands slap his thighs.

After a moment, Hitoshi spoke. "This group is proving to be quite problematic."

"Honestly, they're the least of our problems," Omar countered. "The guerilla resistance groups are causing us much more trouble at the moment."

"They may be executing their little schemes more successfully against us," Hitoshi confirmed, "but we both know that none of them will ultimately do any significant damage to us. The problem with these out-and-out 'warrior armies' is that they make us look weak..."

"Like openly attacking us could actually be a feasible method," Omar finished her thought. "Right." He paused. "We'll, we've got to crush them now."

As per usual Hitoshi gave no reply, continuing to watch the battle play out in stats and representations. Omar furrowed his brow; Hitoshi gave him the willies. She was always so calm and collected, never displaying any irrationality or emotional behavior. Furthermore, she was much better at her job than Omar, though they were considered equals; partners, actually. And wasn't Hitoshi a man's name, anyway?

Omar sighed. If Hitoshi wasn't going to make the move to quash these meddlers, maybe he should take the initiative. It would certainly look good to the senior partners, and perhaps the promotion he'd been dreaming of would finally be in the cards for him.

He began to walk for the door, smiling slightly.

Leus

The last two of the bombers went down thanks to a well-placed mortar from Casey.

"Nice one, son!" Griffin shouted into his headset. He was across the field from Casey but watching his every move.

"Thanks, dad!" a voice came back. Griffin smiled. This had been quite the battle and so far they hadn't suffered a single casualty.

ZING! A bullet whizzed past Griffin's head. His eyes darted to the horizon and he spotted a small army of ground forces closing in.

"Jackie! You got anything left in those hawks?" Griffin barked.

"Negative, sir," Jackie responded.

Griffin cursed. "Fall back," he ordered.

BOOM! One of the planes burst into flames and fell to the desert surface. "GEORGE!" a desparate voice called across their frequency, along with some random cursing from some of the others. "George! Come in!"

"She's gone, Pete," another voice responded in Griffin's ear.

Radio silence.

"Pete?" the voice inquired. No response.

Griffin checked the horizon. The army was much bigger than he'd originally thought. He peered through his field 'nocs and gaped.

"Everyone! Fall back!" he yelled. "Retreat!" In near unison, the entire army began backing away rapidly, facing their foes. The planes had already flown away, but Griffin noticed one on its way back.

"Pete! Where are you going?" a voice came across the radio. No response.

"Pete! Fall BACK, soldier!" Griffin demanded. No response. The plane flew towards the approaching army, dropped into a dive and smashed into the ground at the forefront of the threat. A giant fireball consumed Griffin's view of the approaching assault and fire rained from the sky.

"Run!" Griffin screamed. "RUN!" The entire team turned tail and broke into a full-fledged dash towards Reco, the nearest town.

---

Keilah stretched her arms, then fingers. She glanced from hand to hand as if she were seeing them for the first time. "Wow," she said. "I don't feel any different.

"It'll come quick," Mai assured her. "Welcome to the team."

"Thanks," Keilah said reluctantly. "Hate to admit it, but I guess I'd just been putting off the inevitable." Mai smiled, placed a hand on Keilah's shoulder briefly, then removed it and turned away.

"Mai!" someone nearly shouted, jogging up to Mai as she walked down the hallway. "A combat rebel army is moving our way with CI military on their tail!"

"How close are they?" Mai asked, immediately ready to deal with the situation.

"They're almost here--" before the man could finish his sentence, Mai had dashed towards the exit. She ran up the stairs, out from behind the liquor cabinet and down the hallway towards the front door. She only slowed to a brisk stroll as she exited the front doors.

Almost immediately she saw the army walking through the city gates. There were probably about thirty of them. "We need shelter!" the man at the forefront called from a distance.

"You're going to get my whole city destroyed! Disperse your troops!" she commanded loudly, "NOW!" The man at the forefront executed some hand signals and said a few things, and his army split up, blended into the civilians of the town of entered various buildings.

"I'm going to walk past you," Mai said, getting closer and noticing that the man to whom she was speaking was none other than Griffin. "Don't go now, but meet me at the Spittoon later."

Griffin also saw that he was speaking to Mai. Both of them wanted to stop but knew they couldn't. The old acquaintances strolled past each other casually in the streets. They entered random buildings and disappeared into the city.

Before long the CI military force swept into Reco.

---

Griffin, Casey and Nona all hid silently in various places around some kind citizen's bedroom. Griffin was beginning to wonder if the search party would come to him.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! A loud pounding was heard from downstairs. A door opened, and voices were heard. Before long, various other intrusive sounds wafted upstairs to Griffin and his team, and heavy footsteps climbing stairs rang out.

The door to the room swung open and slammed against the wall. Griffin and Casey were hidden in a hole in the wall the owner of the room had graciously let them create, and in front of which Nona and the owner had slid a large dresser. Griffin did not know where Nona had chosen to hide. He feared for her; he knew that she'd made her choice knowing she'd likely be less safe than Griffin and his son. If they made it out of this alive there were good things in store for Nona, Griffin promised himself.

Shuffling. Rummaging. Things being turned over. "A-HA!" a raspy male voice shouted within seconds of entering the room. Griffin's heart sank.

"Wha-" Nona's voice.

BANG! A gunshot.

Thump. Griffin knew the sound of a body hitting the floor. He gulped.

"Liar!" the male voice shouted. "There was one hidden in here!" the voice trailed off as the man went back downstairs, Griffin supposed. Some indiscernable arguing could barely be heard.

"I didn't know!" Griffin made out, recognizing the voice of the owner of the house whom with he'd worked to 'build' this hiding spot. After a bit more arguing, there was silence. No more shots had been fired, so Griffin gratefully assumed that the owner of the house had been left unharmed.

He and Casey remained silent. They stayed still in their spot for what seemd like hours. Finally, the door to the room creaked back open.

"They're gone," the owner's voice came weakly. She began to drag the dresser aside, and Griffin and Casey pushed from behind to help. Before long there was enough space to step out into the room. Griffin and Casey did so and found the place trashed. Nona's body lie sprawled on the floor in a pool of her own blood. Casey groaned.

"They said they'd send someone to clean up the mess," the owner said. "We've got to get you out of that combat garb." She opened some dresser drawers, her hands shaking.

Griffin put his hand on her shoulder and caught her gaze. Wordlessly, he thanked her with the utmost sincerity.

---

A bit later, Mai made her way back to the Spittoon. She pushed open the ancient-west American tavern-style swinging wooden doors and walked down the somewhat long hallway into the main dining area. Griffin, Casey and a woman Mai didn't recognize were already there waiting for her. They all wore civilian clothes.

"We'll get the rest of your men here soon, but we've got to do it slowly and spread out," Mai explained.

"I understand," Griffin said. "But you don't need to put my boys and girls up here; we just need a safe passage back to base."

"Your base is gone," Mai replied. Griffin cocked his head. "CI knows who you are. Apparently you've been less than discrete." Griffin's gaze wandered towards the floor and he slowly nodded his head.

"Jackie..." Griffin muttered.

"Several of your men were also discovered here in town," Mai continued. "The body count has been put at 18, including civilian casualties for attempting to board your fugitive men."

Griffin cursed. "Dad," said Casey, putting a hand on the old man's shoulder.

"Having taken out a significant number of your men AND your base of operations," Mai began coldly, "I figure CI will just forget about you. You are likely now considered a neutralized threat. However, we still take on considerable risk bringing you in here. If CI somehow determines your men haven't skipped town and are still operating here, we face a full scourge of the city." She paused. "Basically, we'd be screwed. Just counting on that not to happen."

"Thank you?" Griffin said quizzically.

"Just saying," said Mai. She wasn't sure why she'd made the last comment; perhaps she just wanted to show Griffin her true authority. She doubted the image of him as her back-stabbing boss would ever fully leave her mind.

"Anyway," she continued, dismissing the thought, "let me show you what we've got going on here." She opened the secret passage and led them down the stairs.

"Mai, you know Casey, and this is Mipsy," Griffin said on their way down. "She's one of ours. Found her wandering the streets on our way here and brought her with us; hope that's alright."

"It's fine," Mai said, opening the door and taking a few steps inside before turning around. "Good to meet you Mips," she said. She didn't extend a hand.

Griffin and his team briefly surveyed the area. "Not bad," Griffin commented. "What is it?"

"We've got scores of imago status daodan symbiotes here with us and we've executed considerable things against CI all without ever having our organization identified, and while incurring minimal losses if I do say so myself," Mai bragged.

"So you're in charge, here?" Griffin queried.

"I'm one of the higher-ups, I guess, but I'm not the top dog or anything," Mai elaborated. "We've got many people with many different talents to offer us here." She walked a few steps deeper before turning again. "Right now, though, I want you to meet someone." Mai wasn't sure why she was so eager to introduce them; it wasn't as if Griffin were one of her close friends. Maybe she just figured that he was in a position to understand.

"Mai, it's been nearly three years," said Griffin. "Don't you want to, oh, I don't know, ask how things have been?"

"We'll have plenty of chances to get caught up in the time to come," Mai said. Without another word she led them down a hallway of doors and knocked on one, opening it and stepping in not a second later. "Kemi?" she called out.

"I'm here," a young girl's voice came, innocent yet strange. The group walked into the room. Before them stood a child, appearing to be either in her early teens or preteens; it was tough to tell. Though she shared a lot in common with the appearance of a typical imago status daodan symbiote, there were also marked differences. She bore rich brown hair and deep blue eyes. Though still pale, her skin retained more of its tone than most imago symbiotes. She also sported a few of the trademarked bulging veins.

Griffin took Mai aside by the arm. "How is she imago at such a young age?" he inquired in a whisper.

"She doesn't have a chrysalis," Mai replied openly. Griffin drew back and raised an eyebrow. "Akemi, this is my old friend, Griffin. This is his son, Casey, and this is their friend, Mipsy," Mai said, indicating each person in turn. "Guys, this is my daughter, Akemi."

Griffin gaped. "Wha, huh--" he stumbled over his words. Mai smiled. "How? Huh? You've been under my surveillance your entire life... You couldn't have--"

"She just turned two," Mai explained.

"Okay, what?" Griffin was dumbfounded.

"We figure it must be some sort of effect of being born to two imago symbiotes," Mai almost looked like she immediately wished she could take her words back. "She's nearly fully grown and still struggling with grasping the English language, although for a two-year-old she's obviously quite precocious."

"Who--" before Griffin could ask, Mai decided she might as well get the issue out into the open as soon as possible.

"Her father was Toshio Mukade."

Mukade

Griffen could only stand there, mouth agape. He could not have seen this coming, not a hint. Mukade had been protective of her, yes, but as a father, not as a boyfriend. It took him about a minute to get his jaw working again.

"W..when?"

"It doesn't matter"

She turned to looked at Casey and Mipsy. Mipsy looked confused, but Casey almost looked hurt. Why? Griffen's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"This means that she IS a chrysalis, technically. You two were both Imago, which means the chrysalis had intergrated itself completely into your systems which would include reproductive cells."

"And those cells merged, and multiplied."

She stated, finishing Griffen's thought.

"We are symbionts, two entities thriving off each other. But she is a single being. She is.... a new species."

"And her growth," Griffen wondered, "You two were both fully grown. Now her cells are regeneraing and replacing the "missing" ones."

"Speaking metaphorically, this is what comes out of the chrysallis. A butterfly."

Mai smiled at this, and turned to her daughter.

"My little butterfly"

Griffen turned to Mai.

"If the CI ever finds out about this..."

"I know," Mai said softly, "She is but the first, with all the new chrysali we're implanting, there will soon be more. And each one will be taken by the CI to be....experemented on." She said, her voice full of loathing. "They must be stopped. She is the key to the survival of this world. She is the future generation."

"I understand, I will place whats left of my troops, including myself, under your command."

"And I accept your help. But a man with leadership such as yours should not be wasted. I'm sure the high command will accept you among their ranks."

"High command?" inquired Griffin.

"The big-wigs of this operation, which includes myself, Barabas, and a few others."

"I didn't know you were so organized."

"That's a good thing, the less people that know, the better. As far as CI is concerened, we aren't even one organization, but groups of seperate guerilla fighters, rebels."

Just then, Mai's wrist-com bleeped.

"Mai" a deep voice. Barabas, Griffin guessed. "Theres an emergency council meeting in 15. You know the place."

"I'll be right there. And I'm bringing a couple friends."

"Mai..."

"I know I'm breaking protocal, but believe me, this will be a pleasent surprise."

She flipped off her Com.

Mipsy, would you mind staying here with Akemi?

She looked a little uncomfortable, but accepted.

"Shall we go?"

Leus

"So," said Griffin as he, Mai and Casey walked down the hall. "You're still workin' with Barabas, eh?"

"Hardly," Mai replied. "Sure, he associates himself with this organization, and he does good work from time to time, but he's way too wrapped up in the whole revenge scene." She paused. "It's no longer about doing what's right or making the world a better place... It's making those who prevented it from being so pay."

Griffin frowned. "I guess I'm not much better," he replied. "For the last couple of years I've just been launching a full frontal and futile assault against those bastards..."

"Where did you meet your men, anyway?" Mai inquired.

"Most of them actually were some of the first to get implanted by CI after the environmental collapse," Griffin explained. "I guess the mind-controlling chip technology they use was an earlier version, and a few of them failed to function before too long. One by one, the people who now are--or were," he paused, looking mournful, "--members of my crew somehow realized that CI's hold over them was broken. Of course CI quickly realized this and upgraded their technology, so I haven't met any new help in quite a while..."

"So how did you find them all?" Mai queried.

"Word spread," said Griffin. "I'm sure CI was aware, but now that they rule the world and all they don't seem to be very concerned by much of anything, really. I mean I expect that those chips would have been equipped with tracking devices, kill switches... But nothing has happened to my crew except in direct combat."

"I think CI cares more than they let on," Mai said. "Maybe they haven't come looking for you or fried your men's brains because the entire chip and all its functions completely ceased. And to me, that doesn't sound quite like a random system failure..."

"You think something triggered it?" Griffin pressed.

"Seem plausible," Mai said, "and if so, we could determine the trigger and save a lot more people."

"But if there's a way to deactivate the chip," Griffin began, "how come it hasn't been happening more recently?"

"Oh, I'm sure CI upgraded to prevent it, like you said," Mai stated, "but think about all the people still out there with obsolete chips nestled in their brains. If we figure out what caused your men to cut their strings and ditch the puppeteers, we could find more..."

Griffin sighed. "It sounds like a good theory, Mai," said Griffin, "but you don't really know what you're talking about."

"I know more than you might expect," Mai countered, pushing open the doors to the meeting all and strolling in. "And besides, speculation like this is crucial to the work we do here. We're David up against about a million Goliaths; we need to figure out anything and everything we could possibly use to gain ground on them."

"I like the sound of that," Barabas interjected. "And whatever you're talking about, it flows nicely into what I'm about to tell you." He turned and faced the small crowd; there were about twenty people in the room, Griffin determined after a quick scan. "Now that we're all here," Barabas continued, "Apparently the daodan process has been successfully discovered and adapted by a few medical professionals in India. They have been implanting wandering maskers and people from Oases with free chrysali." He paused, glancing from face to face. "Word has it that CI is actually starting to take notice; it's rumored that one of two of these practitioners have even been killed." Another pause. "We've got to get these guys with us. They could prove invaluable to our cause, of course, but aside from that... Simply because of the service they provide to the world, we owe it to them to do our best to protect and perpetuate them and their work."

"Well what are we waitin' for?" an enthusiastic and slightly twangy voice came from the crowd.

"We're not," Barabas said. "Mai, Marlowe, Denton, Cooker and Stone should all come with me to the plane immediately." Barabas glanced to Mai's side. "Hey, Griffin. Long time no see." He began walking for the door. "You can come, too."

"What?" said Griffin. "That's it?"

"I know you well enough to consider you a valuable addition to the team," Barabas replied.

Griffin raised an eyebrow. "I'm flattered, but," he fumbled over his words, "and shouldn't you be sending some of your crew to do this? Why send the higher-ups? The 'council?'" He made air quotes with his fingers.

"This ain't like your old cushy TCTF Commander job... The 'higher-ups' get their hands dirty around here," Barabas responded, mimicking the air quotes. "And anyway, it's not a combat situation; this mission is about diplomacy."

"Then why are YOU goin'?" a sarcastic voice arose from the crowd. Barabas growled slightly, apparently not amused.

Griffin hesitated. "Well, alright," he said. "I'll go. Gotta do somethin' to get back in action. Come on, Casey."

"The boy has no place on this mission," Barabas declared.

"What?" Griffin replied, caught off guard.

"He can stay here and get acquainted with the place," Barabas suggested.

"It's okay, dad," Casey said, speaking up for the first time in a while. "I can look for more of the crew around town while you're gone, too."

Griffin smiled. "Alright, son," he said in return. "You take care of yourself, then. I'll be back before you know it--" he paused, looking to Barabas, "--right?"

"Relax," Barabas assured him. "Either way, this trip won't be too long. I give it a max of two days."

Griffin gulped, but followed the large man out of the room and down the hallway along with the others. The seven strolled out of the base, through the restaurant, down the hall, out the swinging wooden doors and into the streets of Reco.

Barabas led them towards the city limits. "Where's this plane?" Griffin inquired.

"Just outside the city in our hangar," Barabas replied.

As they drew ever nearer to the edge of the Oasis, Griffin's lungs began to gradually feel more and more the familiar burning sensation. He sighed painfully. "Why does CI even allow places like this to exist?" Griffin wondered aloud. "It's not as if they have any political reason for it; it's well-known that they'll force their will upon anyone. Why not just stomp you out?"

"You know why," Barabas replied without looking over at the old man. "The only reason this organization has even made it this far is because CI is so powerful they just don't give a f--"

---

Casey hummed idly to himself. It had been hours since he'd heard the roar of the jet fade away into the distance carrying with it his father. Since they're reunited in the BGI lab a couple years ago, Casey and his father had really never been apart. Casey was not used to this; he had a nagging, almost sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Got any twos?" Edgar prodded.

"Damnit," Casey said, tossing down a card. Edgar chuckled maniacally and integrated the card into his own hand.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! A polite knock came from the front door near where the two were playing cards. Both looked up simultaneously. Edgar furrowed his brow. "Weird," he said, "it's always unlocked. Must be a newbie." Edgar got up and made his way over to the door. He opened it to reveal a petite young woman.

"Hello," Hitoshi said, a blank expression on her face.