Orphan's Legacy

[Shark]

Part 3- Magnetism
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*THREE WEEKS AGO*

She slouched over, her arm hanging along the musty walls of the sewer, dragging her weighted legs through the dampen substances below. A short distance behind, there were pursuers. Strangers who had no apparent purpose; but from the looks of it they were either out to capture or to kill.

“Those guys... don't they know when to give up?” she sighed, accelerating her pace. It had been like this for almost a week, these unknowns were hunting her down and she'd practically become a wanted target. Juliet, as she often referred to herself by, supposed that they couldn't be subjects of her previous “employer” King Rex, who had been dead for a long while now.

However, she figured that it was at least possible that the next most powerful entities, Bishop and Rook, had taken responsibility for the once-titled Kingdom. By now, they'd most likely branded her as a traitor, and thus, a threat to them. That was probably the reason why they had been hunting her down like a dog for the past couple of days.

“Don't let her get away, she's almost at the next exit!” a voice commanded from behind. Juliet cocked her head around, but almost instantly regretted it. A narrow energy beam was fired with amazing precision, just barely grazing her left arm and fracturing the wall furthest from her. The shots came more frequently after that, and with injuries still all over her body, Juliet found it extremely difficult to evade each one.

Feeling weariness get the best of her, she slowed down her running considerably and turned around. This is the end of the line; I have no choice now but to fight, thought Juliet. She readied her bazooka, aiming intently as the bodies of her pursuers came closer. There were several of them there-- about four or five; hard to tell as they held flashlights in front of them, their combined light almost blinding.

She let loose a bazooka shell in her blindness, which seemed to hit something but not one of the pursuers. An instant later, a blast of searing heat swept over her, knocking her back. “End of the line, traitor,” one of them sneered. They gathered around in front of her fallen body, flashlights still hanging from their arms, illuminating their mocking faces and giving them an eerie appearance.

One of the pursuers held out a handgun at arms length. His voice was border-line menacing but cool as he spoke. “Just look away, and it'll all be over in a sec...”

Juliet did as she was told, deciding that it was futile to resist any further. She heard him pull the trigger, and the next moment she heard a loud splash, and something sounding like a bullet deflecting off a steel plate. Did... he miss...? But at this range.....

Slowly rotating to face the pursuers, Juliet did not see what she expected. Instead of them holding their weapons in front of her, ready to finish her off, there was a set of four legs standing in their way.

He was a massive gray quad with broad shoulders, and hydra launchers mounted on his back. His body was outfitted with several shields; two on either shoulder and one mounted on his left arm, which he' d presumably used to deflect the earlier bullet. And on the other hand was a grenade weapon.

“Hey now, this isn't really fair, is it? You know... a bunch of guys teaming up against a defenseless female?” the quad spoke in a fake, “polite” sounding voice.

“You... just who do you think you are, to intervene like this? Outta the way or you're dead meat too!”

“Umm, well that's the thing. I'd rather not get involved with these trivial affairs, but I have my orders. And they don't involve you harming this AC over here.”

“Moron...”

They all withdrew their weapons and fired, but the quad just stood his ground, unharmed. The bullets made direct contact with his armor yet they barely phased him. He shrugged them off as though they were harmless drops of rain.

“Sh*t.... just what the hell is this monster?” one of the pursuers spoke. They looked at each other with horror in their eyes as the quad came closer and closer.

“The name's Axel... got it memorized?” he uttered mockingly. One moment later, the latches of his hydra launchers opened up, and with a loud bang that seemed to shake the entire sewer system, the hydra were fired in large groups, taking out the entire group of enemies in one go.

Juliet simply stared on in awe as the pursuers fell to the ground-- not dead, but looking badly injured and unconscious. And all accomplished by a single assault.

She then turned to her savior, the mysterious quad with armor thicker than a mountain. His back was still turned from her, his demeanor calm and unwavering despite the recent carnage. “Hey, are you okay....?”

“......I didn't need your help back then. I suppose you want something from me in return now, huh?”

“Heh heh... a bit feisty, now aren't we? Well, that's a woman for ya.... you save their hides and they're all ungrateful and such....”

“Enough talking. Just.... what do you want for me? You could've left me here to die. But you didn't.”

“Oh, so we're getting right down to brass tacks, eh? Would you have rather died at the hands of those goons?”

Contemplating the question for a moment, Juliet felt herself rather unsure. All her life, she had spent her days drifting from employer to employer, being a “hired mercenary” of sorts, and without having any real purpose for her existence. No reason for living, except to hunt down those that she had been ordered to kill. She expected it to end somewhere along the line, and she was fully prepared for that moment. When fate would catch up to her. But apparently today wasn't that day.

“Well, I admit that I do have something in mind... but it's not exactly what you think. A higher up ordered me to give you a certain.... proposal...”

“Proposal?”

“Yes... you see, my boss has heard of your supposed “fighting prowess”, and has offered you a position under his command-- with good pay I might add. You see, our ranks have been reduced drastically by a certain group of troublesome cores, so of course the void needs to be filled--”

“Forget it,” Juliet interjected, turning away. “I can make it on my own...”

“Oh?” Axel spoke, sounding half amused. “I don't think you'd get very far with that damaged body of yours. Looks like it's beyond repair..”

He indicated the severe burn marks along her chest and arms, inflicted by a certain twosome of angry brothers. Even worse were the fresh puncture wounds that dotted her armor; the pursuers were responsible for that.

“If you join us we could give you an even better body; think of it as a fresh start to your hunting career. You know, it truly would be unbecoming for you to end it all like this...”

“......”

“Hmm. I take your silence as a no. Oh well... I guess we'll have to get some other guy to hunt those troublemakers. Who were they called? Oh yeah, Orphan, Drifter, Serpent, and Cobra... something like that.”

Juliet froze, half-surprised. Those four.... he knows where they are?

“Wait,” said Juliet, running after the quad. “Let me come with you. I accept your offer.”

Axel smirked. “Heh, you've made a good decision. But you can't expect that we give you all this for free, right? First you gotta prove yourself. The boss says he has a little job for ya back at the Fros Region. And these guys have to come too...”

He pointed to the unconscious ACs scattered along the sewer.

“And for what reason?”

“Simple. We plan on taking over the area for our purposes, but can't accomplish that because security at the castle has been tightened up... a lot. We need to breach it from the inside.”

*****

“So... you got her to surrender?” inquired Rook.

“Y-yes...” the Captain spoke, sounding a bit nervous. Juliet was by his side, bound by a rather weak looking rope. “She eventually wore down as we pursued her, and submitted to our chase. And there was this other quad too, we brought him in as well...”

“....Is that so?....” Rook muttered. “Very well then. Throw them in the dungeon. Anyone affiliated with that traitor should receive equal punishment...”

The captain nodded, bringing Juliet down the steps of the castle and back to front hall of the castle. There, Axel was waiting.

“You did your job well, Captain. As promised, we'll let you go free...”

“Oh, r-really?!” the Captain said, a bit in disbelief. “Oh, thank you, thank you....--”

“Well, actually... I was just kidding. See you later.”

“W-WHAT?!”

The Captain, now looking terrified, tried to run back to the throne room but it was too late. Axel boosted at him, grabbing him by the back of his neck, and using his hand to cover his mouth.

“Sorry, but we cant afford to take any risks.”

A minute later, a slight crack sound echoed throughout the hallways; and the Captain had been beheaded. Even Juliet was slightly appalled by Axel's deceptive nature... betraying him was one thing, but the deliberate method he used to kill was even worse.

“Hey, what? Why are you looking at me like that? Being a hunter, you should be used to these kinds of sights.”

“....Whatever. We're just going for the bigger picture, right?”

“Now you're starting to get the idea...”

They both walked up the steps again, heading back to the throne room. The doors were now closed, but there was no doubt that Bishop and Rook were still inside. Readying his hydra launchers again, Axel fired a salvo of missiles at the door, which quickly penetrated them. Screams of surprise were heard within the room, and a cloud of the debris began to appear.

Making their way into the room, Juliet and Axel examined the damage. The throne destroyed, chunks of stone cluttered everywhere, and the bodies of Bishop and Rook, unconscious.

“So... that was your plan. Pretend that I was a hostage and then get rid of the big fish.”

“Yep. Think of it as a game of chess. Once the pawns are out of the way, the other pieces are left wide open.”

“.....”

“Remember that as you fight alongside us....”

*PRESENT DAY*

Curiosity getting the better of him, Orphan strode over to the machine which looked like a holographic projector. It was a fairly large, elevated black device which was rectangular in shape. Flipping on the only switch he could find, at the back of the machine, he was surprised as a small blue ray emitted from the device, striking a small, metal circle on the ground. Immediately, a holographic image of the now-deceased Generic appeared before him. He was a pale green and looking almost ghostly in appearance.

“G-Generic?” Orphan whispered. “N-No. What am I thinking. It's only a holographic projection, nothing else.”

He was just about to turn, a bit disappointed, when he heard a voice speak behind him. “Greetings, Orphan. If you are hearing this message then sadly it must mean I am deceased...”

He froze, turning around suspiciously. The voice seemed to be coming from Generic's projection; but Orphan knew it was pointless to try and talk back.

“I anticipated that they would come after me, being an ally of yours, but I knew I couldn't resist.... but any way, that's not really the point.”

“At this point in your journey, I'm sure that you've come back for answers.... after all why else would you come back to me? By now, you know this concerns more than just your father... it concerns your entire family, both past and future.”

“If you were wondering, I did know that both you and your father were descendants of Omega, but I chose not to disclose that information to you when we first met. I was afraid that it would get in the way of your journey to revive your father, but now things have taken a turn for the worse.”

“Concerning the Organization, I was able to deduct their purpose after a little inside “research”. Not only were they after the revival of the legendary Firefly, and your own father Widower, but all of the most powerful ACs in the world. Listen closely Orphan. Firefly and Omega may have been the two prominent children of the armored core “Alpha”, but they were by no means the only ones. There were two others which are being targeted; who they are was lost at the hands of time but the Organization is trying to revive them too. Not only that, but they've targeted any AC that they deem a threat. ”

“That was why they got me to develop the MEM-01 series of chips for them to utilize. As well as accomplishing their goals of reviving the legendary children of Alpha, and destroying threats along the way, they also intend on absorbing their battle secrets as their own, so that no one will be able to pose a threat to them.”

So... that was it. David was just one of their lackeys, and my father and I are what they deemed as a threat.

“And about the Black Requiem, unfortunately that's still something that's clouded in mystery. I can't tell you anything about it, sorry.”

“But what I can tell you is that you can't face Firefly like... for example, an Organization member. Oh no; that would be a terrible mistake, as he alone is roughly ten times stronger and battle-versed than the average one.”

Ten times?! Orphan thought, shocked. He knew that one Organization member alone was nothing to scoff at; as almost every time he encountered one it ended in a near-death experience. To fight something that was exponentially greater than that power alone was practically.... suicide.

“So in other words, you've got to get stronger.... and you've got to do it considerably fast. Not counting your father, you're the only one of two descendants of Omega... and furthermore, you're the only direct descendant. That means you may have the potential to overpower Firefly, since it was your ancestor Omega who surpassed even his father.”

Wait, there's another descendant....? But he isn't direct... hmm, I would've figured. But who could it be?

“Any way, my time grows short; I think they will come to attack soon. With that, I give you one last piece of advice: go see the Spare Parts shop near my lab, I've put a map on the table if you need directions. I've got some friends up there that will be willing to give you upgrades, if you just tell them that Generic sent you. Then tell them what you are doing and they will give you advice on where you can go to get stronger. Ask for Junk Pile. ”

“Until then, Orphan. And I'm sorry I could not face you in person...”

The hologram faded, and Orphan stood in place, slightly overwhelmed by the huge amount of information that was given to him. He tried desperately to turn on the projector again, but it wouldn't work anymore.

So.... one time use only? I guess there's no choice then...

Looking over at the table, he saw the map that Generic mentioned. Rolling it up in his fist, he went outside to tell his friends of the news...
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Character Notes by Dark:
Axel Custom- Grey and blue quad created specifically for the fic, by karn-age.
*Pictures Below of upcoming Juliet and Axel Custom*

[shearx]

Orphan walked solemnly from the room, the map clenched in his fist. The others took one look at him and knew... Generic... was dead. Orphan stopped at the archway, and stared at the floor for a few moments.

"Orphan... are you alright?" Cobra interrupted the silence, attempting to comfort his friend.

Orphan failed to respond, his throat choked with the oncoming sorrow. He fought it back, and finally looked up from his trance.

"We've got to go." He had a desperate but angry look in his eye. The others were surprised, having never seen him in this state.

"Where to?" Serpent questioned.

"Junk Pile's."




PART 4
A RIVAL REVEALED

The craft landed gently on a small hill, outside the Spare Parts shop, run by Junk Pile. The building looked slightly run down, either from being left in disrepair or from extensive use. The hatch opened, and the four companions strode down the walkway. Orphan walked to the front door of the shop, followed closely by the others, and knocked not-so-gently. They heard some clattering from inside, as if someone were trying to clean up the place. A few moments later, the door creeped open,and a glaring eye peered out.

"Can I help you?" Came the gruff voice of the figure.

"Yes. My name is orphan, and these," Orphan said, indicating the others,"are my companions. We're here to see Junk Pile."

"What business do you have with him?" The voice returned.

"...Generic sent us. The matter is of a private nature." He rebuttled.

The figure paused, as if examining the four on his doorstep. The door suddenly swung wide open to reveal a tiel AC, hovering with a custom set of leg parts. He was equipped a rather nasty looking blade, rusted beyond recognition. "You must be the ones he talked about. I am Rusty Razor. Please come in and have a look around while I fetch Junk Pile."

Rusty glided to the side and motioned the four to enter. As the walked in the building, they were amazed at what they saw. Weapons lined the walls, as well as a vast selection of custom made parts, ranging from the Severed heads of ACs, to leg parts and even new targeting systems. They all felt like kids in a candy store.

"Great selection huh?" Rusty remarked. "Anyway, please wait a moment." He bowed slightly and disappeared through a door behind the counter.

After a few minutes of waiting and browsing, Rusty returned and bade the four to follow him. They complied, and went through the same doorway that Rusty had gone into before.

They entered a poorly lighted room, with a desk in the middle, a figure sitting behind. A single stream of light poored in through a window, ominously illuminating the entity, it's eye glowing in the darkness.

"Rusty, hit the lights! Geez!" A deep voice bellowed, and the lights quickly flickered to life to reveal a brightly colored Tank, hovering slightly above the ground. Spread bazookas and a large chaingun were it armament. An imposing figure for sure.

"Welcome, Orphan. As you may have already guessed, I am Junk Pile. Generic told me that you would come. By the way, how is Generic? Not still sitting at his computer I hope."

Orphan looked at his companions briefly, then decided to break the news. "Sir, Generic is dead."

"What?!" Junk Pile seemed genuinely surprised. "Well... this is sad news..."

Orphan broke in to the tank's thoughts. "If you don't mind, sir, I'd like to get down to why Generic sent me. He said that you could offer upgrades, as well as more informationon how we can get stronger."

"Heh. Generic aslways did get right to business. There is a tournament. Not the big International one, but a qualifier. You can go there for your training, but be warned, those there are merciless, and care only about the title. But hey, there are plenty of crowds to cheer you on if you happen to win a few. And as for upgrades..." Junk looked up and down the ragged group, sizing them up. "I can only help Orphan. Generic provided me with some suggestions for only him; I wasn't expecting any others. I can provide you with refitting and, but that's it."

Cobra and Serpent, once having high hopes for new weaponry, suddenly looked sullen, as if their hopes and dreams had been crushed. Drifter showed no emotion at the decision.

"Follow Rusty there to the back room. As for you Orphan, follow me, and we'll begin the procedure."

Rusty again motioned towards the door, and the three exited together. Orphan stayed behind, waiting for Junk Pile to move.

What kind of upgrades are you going to give me, I wonder... Orphan thought to himself....



*THE NEXT DAY*



Drifter, Serpent, and Cobra all waited outside of the shop, waiting for their other companion. The three were all feeling fairly excited, after having had their weapons reloaded or fixed as needed. They seemed ready for their next battle, almost eager.

When the door opened, they all perked up, all waiting to see what kind of changes were made to their friend. When Orphan walked out, with his fresh new parts and body, silence ensued. New legs, new arms, and a brand new weapon. He still held his fathers bazooka, scratches and marks and all.

Serpent whistled loudly, breaking the silence. "Dang, boy!"

"What?" Orphan asked, a little embarassed.

"Looks great." Cobra comforted. "Geez, Serpent, why do you always gotta do crap like that?"

"What did I do?" Serpent complained.

"Never mind..."

Orphan looked back to the doorway, to see Junkpile and Rusty standing, or rather, hovering, there.

"Remember what I told ya kid." Junk Pile yelled.

"I will. And thanks!" Orphan looked back one final time, then began walking towards their parked ship. "Guys, we're going to the tournament."

Cobra and Serpent were slightly puzzled. "Where's it at?" They both asked in concert. They looked at each other, and almost immediately, they both yelled "Jinx!" CObra, however, was slightly ahead of Serpent in the response.

Orphan chuckled a bit, then continued. "Yeri Block."

****************************************************

Drifter, Serpent, Cobra, and Orphan, in his new body, walked from their docked ship to a large desk, at which were seated several ACs, apparently taking applications for the tournament. The hangar was a large, open area, with walkways leading to and fro to many other ships docked. The entire area was crowded beyond it's limit. The four struggled to get in line for submissions. It wasn't long before they realized that most of the people were here to get in to spectate. Another line was being used for submissions. The quicly switched to the proper line, and waited their turn. While they were standing, amidst the hustle and bustle of the hangar, Orphan decided to take a walk.

"Hey guys, I'll be back. Make sure you sign me up if I'm not back in time."

"Orphan!" Cobra yelled, but it was too late; he was already gone.


Orphan pushed his way through the crowd, through the thicket of spectators and entrants. He made his way to a large arch, set in the wall, where he stopped to get his bearings. He begain looking out among the people, looking at their faces. At their ignorant, naive expressions; none of them knew what was about to befall the wrold.

"Firefly... I will stop you."

"And how do you plan on doing that, Orphan?" Came a voice from his side. Orphan jumped at the sond, not having noticed anyone come up. He looked at the voice's source, and saw the white AC that had attacked him earlier. "You can't beat him alone."

"Why do you keep following me?! And what do you ca-- wait... How do you know about Firefly?" Orphan was angry and startled all at the same time.

The white AC chuckled a bit. "I know more than you think. A lot more."

Orphan felt a tap on his shoulder and turned. Not seeing anyone there, he turned back, only to see that the white AC had vanished. He looked around frantically, trying to find his attacker, but the search proved fruitless. He decided to give up for now, and he returned to where his friends stood waiting, now at the front of the line.

"Sorry guys."

"You better be. We aren't able to fill out an applcation for anyone but ourselves." Serpent scoffed.

"I said I was sorry..." Orphan walked up to the desk. The receptionist began taking the application almost immediately.

"Name please?" The lady asked.

"Uhh... Orphan." The woman typed away for a moment, then paused.

"It appears that you have already applied and been accepted."

"What?"

"Yup... it says here that you have already been added to the tournament roster."

Orphan, perplexed at what he was hearing, decided to play along. "Oh.. uhh... Silly me, hehe. Does it say who my first battle is with?"

"Hmm..." The receptionist typed away for a few more moments. "It says here that your first opponent is... an AC by the name of Oppression."

"Oppression?" Orphan thought the name over.

"Your battle is tomorrow at noon. Don't be late! NEXT!" The woman called out, advancing the line.

"I wonder who he is? More importantly, who signed me up for this thing before I even knew about it?"

He walked with the others to their room, which had been assigned to them by the "nice" lady at the desk.

"Do you guys have any idea who did this?" Orphan was still preoccupied with the recent events.

"Not a clue," said Cobra.

"Hmm... well it's no use wondering about it now."

"Yeah, no kidding. You better get some sleep for your battle tomorrow."

"Yeah..."



*THE NEXT DAY*



"Orphan!" Serpent shook Orphan to consciousness.

"What?!" He yelled back at his attacker.

"Your match is about to begin!"

"Oops! I slept too late!" Orphan bolted out of bed, grabbed his weapons, and ran out the door. He followed the directions, which were posted in the forms of colored arrows, through the winding corridors of the complex.

He burst through the doors leading into the main battle arena, and what he saw was awe inspiring. Huge buildings scattered the area, many over fifteen sories in height. The center of the arena consisted of a large courtyard, with freshly destroyed buildings ringing the clearing.

Obviously from the previous battles Orphan thought to himself.

Before he could fully take the entire scene in, he heard a voice over the loudspeaker.

"Contestants ready!!!"

Orphan panicked. "No, no, no!" He yelled. But it was useless. They couldn't hear him. He then heard another voice... through a speaker in his head...

"Try to put up at least a little fight this time."

Orphan knew that voice...

"GO!!!!"

=================================
Notes by Laeq

Oppression -- League AC by Laeq
Junk Pile, Rusty Razor -- League ACs by BigJon

New Orphan design (pics only)

[Shark]

Part 5- To Contend
---------------------------------------
"GO!!!!"

Panic came over Orphan as he dove behind the building in closest proximity to him. He felt his pulse quickening with every going second—not by excitement but fear to learn the truth behind his opponent. Oppression... could it really be him?

Seconds passed, and then rifle shells began darting wildly around the arena; as if they were to be bait of some sort. Orphan gulped, daring a side glance around his cover-- and much to his surprise his suspicions were confirmed. It was the same white biped who appeared before the airship just a few days ago, and the same one who defeated him with relative ease. So, it really is him... but what does he want from me? What's the point of us having a second match now?

“Come on, I know you can fight better than this!” Oppression shouted.

The statement sounded absurd due to the fact that Orphan hadn't even begun, but nonetheless, it seemed to be the only motivation that he needed. Finally racking up a little nerve, Orphan dove out from behind the building and fired his gast rifle at Oppression's chest. The white biped merely dodged, then mirrored the move with his own two rifles.

Stunned by the quickness of the counter, the attacks hit Orphan hard as they pounded against his shoulders, scraping them badly. As if reacting to the danger, he opted to boost on top of the buildings, where he would have much more space to evade.

Oppression followed suit, and they ran along the buildings exchanging attacks once in a while, meeting head-to-head a couple of times in what would always end in explosive confrontations. Even though they appeared fairly evenly matched, one contender seemed to think otherwise.

“Really.... this is sort of pathetic,” Oppression spat. “It seems that you've only gotten worse since the last time we met.”

“...Heh....is that so?”

Orphan tried to act tough, but in reality the act was fooling no one; including himself. He felt that, while he was using his new body's capabilities freely at this point; the new parts seemed to be a lot different than what he was used to. Weight was focused on the lower body rather than the upper, speed had been adjusted with the absence of the over boost ability, and it was also difficult to utilize the EO potential of the new build. At this point he was already quite exhausted with the battle.

Little time could be spent pondering about the matter, however, as again Oppression swooped in while rapid-firing his weapons. Orphan boosted away just in time, but was quickly swatted back down as the aim of the shots were adjusted to his movements.

It became apparent that Oppression was starting to learn his opponent's 'handicap', but spared no expense in dishing out the heavy attacks. “Humph. It seems as though you've made an amateurish mistake; while your new body gives you enhanced capabilities, you didn't bother to test out it's limits before engaging in battle. That's what makes you weak: ignorance...”

Fury soon took hold of Orphan upon hearing the comment—and he felt a familiar sensation take over him. Suddenly, his details began to glow with an eerie, energetic blue that seemed to sparkle, which was contrary to the normal yellow. It felt as though an incredible power was surging through him, and despite the oddness of it all, it felt all too familiar.

“Actually, it's a bit of a letdown. I thought you would show me potential, but I guess I was wr--.....ong........”

Oppression slowed down mid sentence as he noticed the bizarre aura surrounding Orphan. He began to chortle in spite of himself, and held ground for the impending storm. “Well, well, well.... this may actually be worthwhile after all.”

Fed up with the constant mockery, Orphan sprinted hastily towards his opponent, boosters outputted to maximum power, and rapidly getting into close quarters. Oppression just scoffed at the predictability of the move, using his rifles to send Orphan crashing towards a nearby building.

Orphan stopped abruptly before the bullets could take him further, back boosting to hang to the side of the building, then using his enhanced leg weight to spring at Oppression, at nearly twice the speed. Feeling half-possessed, half-free of will, he lunged at the opponent with killer intent.

Genuinely surprised by the quick recovery, Oppression could not find an appropriate response as he was head butted in the chest, sending him flying a couple of meters. He coughed a bit, but then proceeded to circle strafe around Orphan and attacked with his signature quick fire shots.

Orphan leaped into the air to evade the shots, making a three-sixty turn and discharging several rifle attacks in ten different directions. Not used to seeing this type of attack before, Oppression almost could not dodge as a shower of bullets flew to his way; almost forcing him to dance around them.

“Enhanced speed....heightened reflexes to adapt to different battle situations, and a monster's strength. It almost seems as though he's gone.... hyper.... with this kind of unpredictable fighting style. There can only be one explanation, but I can tell he hasn't learned to control it yet.”

After the spread fire had ended, Oppression noticed that Orphan was no longer in sight. “Where did he--”

Just then, a bazooka shell burst out from the building behind him, exploding on his back. Oppression fell to his knees in surprise.

By now fed up with toying around, he gathered his wits gradually and jumped over the building to counterattack. Orphan tried to shoot back, but as he did he noticed that a hohshi ecm maker had been placed into the battleground. Seeing his body overcome with familiar sparks, and his targeting system going off line, the attacks missed their mark entirely. He felt his body growing weaker.

Oppression took this as a golden opportunity to carry out his assault. Ducking in front of the weakened Orphan and holding both rifles in one hand, he forcefully swung him arm forward, tripping the opponent. Then, splitting apart the rifles again, he repelled Orphan quite a ways back with dual bursts.

Orphan was sent sliding forcibly against the harsh ground; the sparkling blue glow in his eye fading and changing back to the normal yellow glow. He seemed to regain his regular consciousness as this happened.

Deadly sparks danced around the arena as a result of the damage caused. What.... just happened? I can't remember how I landed here, Orphan thought as Oppression walked closer.

They exchanged fierce glances as if in contempt of each other—although one contender was looking up while the other, down. “Tell me something, Orphan. Is this how a descendant of Omega should fight?” asked Oppression.

“....What do you mean? What-- or how, do you know about Omega? And how do you know that I'm a descendant of his?”

“........Heh heh. So you don't know. A little naive not to know your own heritage, eh? Regardless, I've had enough fun for today. I think it's time to end our battle, so until we meet again...!”

Reacting to the impending danger, Orphan grabbed his father's bazooka and tried to shoot one of Oppression's rifles out of his hands, but fail as it was knocked astray. Then, Oppression, combining his two rifles again, held his weapons a few meters above Orphan's chest.

“This is the end.”

The rifles were set off, six twin shots in total-- but the way Oppression fired so rapidly they appeared to be one large, lengthy bullet. The inevitable contact occurred, and Orphan was sent hurling across the arena; crashing through not one, two, or three buildings, but seven in all. The arena vibrated violently as a result of the loud impacts; and by the time it stopped the seven buildings had crumbled almost completely.

Then came the voice of the announcer.

“Grid 1, Orphan, out of bounds. Grid 2, Oppression, wins.”

Consciousness began to slip away from him, as he felt the sting of disappointment impale his generator. A few minutes later, Orphan, feeling faint, could barely retain his sight as Oppression walked away with his back turned, disappointed, while Serpent and Cobra ran up to him looking concerned.

“I've... lost....”

*****

He stirred a little in his sleep, feeling discomfort about the sharp wounds which covered his body. He felt startled upon fully regaining his memories, getting up from bed, and then realizing he was in the hospital wing of the central tournament building.

“Oh, so you've come to,” Drifter said in his usual tone. Nobody else but him was sitting in the room, on a chair beside the bed.

Orphan was silent, reminiscing on the crushing defeat that he suffered at the hands of Oppression—for the second time, no less. He felt that they they were on two completely different levels; and that since he suffered defeat here, in the tournament, there was little point in training further. If I can't stand a chance against a regular opponent now, then there's no way I'm beating Firefly...

What was even more troublesome to Orphan was what Oppression said during their rematch.

Tell me something, Orphan. Is this how a descendant of Omega should fight?

He couldn't exactly figure out why, but he felt that Oppression knew more about the history of the first ACs than he was letting on. And if he knew something about Alpha or Omega, than Orphan was just as curious to know what it was.

“So, I've lost in the first round,” Orphan said finally. “Pathetic, eh?”

Drifter was silent.

“But I wonder why these tournaments have hospital wings? I thought destroying the opponent would be acceptable.”

“Apparently not. The rules are that you may defeat your opponent by deducting his or her 'armor points' to zero, having the most armor points when the time limit is up, getting them to concede defeat, knocking them unconscious, or knocking them out of bounds. The host seems to encourage non-lethal methods of participation, and as such is the case, they are prepared to treat injuries after battles so that participants may be in top shape for their next matches.”

“Oh, I see. So, by the way....where are Serpent and Cobra now? I'm guessing you all won your matches?”

“.... I won my match. And Serpent won his. He's watching his brother's match right now, and we can watch it from here too. It's the last match of the round one.”

“Really? How?”

Grabbing a remote control from the counter, Drifter flipped on a nearby television suspended on the wall in front of Orphan's bed. Instantly, a program of the tournament live was made visible to them. There, in the middle of the Yeri Block Arena, Cobra was fighting for his life against a red hoverer with spread bazookas. The opponent was skilled, yet not fast enough to keep up with Cobra's speed. He skillfully flipped behind the opponent and finished it off with a grenade attack.

“Grid 1, Red X, lose. Grid 2, Cobra, win.”

“Ah.... it's already embarrassing enough as it is. I'm the only one who hasn't advanced to the next round.”

“....What are you talking about, Orphan?”

“Huh?”

“The tournament is double elimination. Didn't you know that? The losers still get to go on in a loser's bracket.”

“W-What? Why didn't you tell me this earlier?”

“Well, there are sixteen participants in total. You still get to advance, but to get to the final match, and win the tourney, you first have to clear the entire loser's bracket.”

Orphan looked thoughtful for a moment. He still had a chance to train, and if there were opponents anywhere near the level of Oppression than it would be a great way to gain more experience. The only thing he worried about is that if he did clear a loser's bracket. Then again he might have to face Oppression if he got to the final round. And that wouldn't be ideal.

“Hey, Drifter... is there any place to check out the current bracket?”

“Well, sure, there's an electronic chart just outside of this room. Why don't you come with me to see it? You should be fully recovered by now.”

Flexing his legs and arms a bit, Orphan noticed that Drifter was right. The rifle wounds all over his body had closed up by now; he figured the bed must have had some special healing properties to heal him in a relatively short span of time.

Nodding, he headed out of the room with Drifter and they strode over to an electronic chart in the hallway. A small beep was heard, and right before their eyes the chart was updated with a list of who made it to the second round, and who was in the loser's bracket. Orphan examined the incomplete chart with great interest:
**
15th ANNUAL YERI BLOCK YOUNG FIGHTERS TOURNAMENT
Hosted by: Axel
Format: Double Elimination
Prize: Tournament Champion Trophy and 200,000cd.


WINNER'S BRACKET


1 Orphan
--------------------------- 9 Oppression
1 Oppression |---------------------------
--------------------------- |
2 Juliet |---------------------------
--------------------------- 9 Juliet | |
2 Jinn |--------------------------- |
--------------------------- |
3 Drifter |
--------------------------- 10 Drifter |
3 Hell |--------------------------- |
--------------------------- | |
4 Yamato |---------------------------
--------------------------- 10 Yamato |
4 Immolation |---------------------------
---------------------------
5 Failed Launch
--------------------------- 11 Ballistica
5 Ballistica |---------------------------
--------------------------- |
6 Cobalt |---------------------------
--------------------------- 11 Cobalt | |
6 Stronghold |--------------------------- |
--------------------------- |
7 Serpent |
--------------------------- 12 Serpent |
7 Force Wing |--------------------------- |
--------------------------- | |
8 Red X |---------------------------
--------------------------- 12 Cobra |
8 Cobra |---------------------------
---------------------------


LOSER'S BRACKET

L9
L1 Orphan ---------------------------
--------------------------- |---------------------------
L1 Jinn |--------------------------- |
---------------------------L10 |
L2 Hell --------------------------- |
--------------------------- |---------------------------
L2 Immolation |---------------------------
---------------------------L11
L3 Failed Launch ---------------------------
--------------------------- |---------------------------
L3 Stronghold |--------------------------- |
---------------------------L12 |
L4 Force Wing --------------------------- |
--------------------------- |---------------------------
L4 Red X |---------------------------
---------------------------

“Well, talk about a cruel twist of fate. It seems that the brothers are up against each other in the next round, so one of them will have to join me in the loser's bracket.”

“Is that really all that you're worried about?”

“I don't know too much about Jinn, but I'm sure he won't be much compared to the first round winners. Hmm, and Oppression's up against Juliet. Where have I heard that name before?”

“I tend to agree. There appears to be some real threats in the tournament, so be on your guard.”

“....Sure, I'll keep that in mind.”

Orphan walked away from the tournament board, heading to the arena to greet the two brothers from their matches, while Drifter stood by it for a second longer to examine the names again. Something about the chart bothered him... deeply. It was on the top:

Hosted by: Axel

He remembered that name from the past. In his childhood, he would practice fencing with his brother, Wanderer, for a couple of hours every day. But as the years went by Drifter noticed that a certain bothersome gray quad would pop up once in a while to visit his brother.

*EIGHT YEARS AGO*

So.... do you accept our offer? Or do we have to take some more drastic measures?

..........Give me a few days. I need more time to spend with my brother. Also, I can't complete the deal without ensuring that he has a good place to live, first.

Well okay, then. You have five more days. Do whatever you deem is necessary and come with us when the time is up. If not, there will be.... dire consequences.

At the time, Drifter had overheard the conversation but wasn't too sure what it meant at the time. But during the next few days his brother started to pay more attention to him, even letting him do whatever he wanted and without complaints. It felt as though something wrong were about to happen.

Then came the fifth day.

Wanderer and Drifter boarded a aircraft, going on a seemingly innocent trip to Fros Region.

So, you excited about this, bro? We finally gained enough credits to go to Fros Region.

Yeah! It'll be fun, we can go skiing too! replied an enthusiastic Drifter.

Wanderer just smiled, and the aircraft slowly landed ontop of a golden tower. There, a black biped and a silver quad were waiting for them.

Hey, who are they?! Why are they looking at us like that?

Do it...

The black one moved forward, grabbing Drifter around the arms and bear-hugging him.

W-What are you doing?! Brother, help!

Wanderer stood with his back turned to his brother, ignorant to the plea. Yet Drifter could have sworn he had a tear in his eye as walked away.

....But then, a few inches from walking in, he seemed to have a change in heart. Please, forgive me brother. Something has come up, so I must leave you.

Drifter was choking back tears by now. But why?! I-I thought we were going to spend a great vacation at Fros Region!

Wanderer seemed about unaffected by the comment.

Y-You will come back to me, right? T-This is only temporary! When you come back, we can--

SHUT UP, BROTHER! Wanderer roared.

The two of them stood not face each other, but both felt equal sadness as the silence ensued. Drifter struggled to get out of the black bipeds arms, but the attempt was in vain against a fully grown adult. He could only watch distress as his brother walked deeper towards the craft.

Then another pause.

I am sorry, brother, but I will not be coming back. I am also sorry that all of this is happening so suddenly. I truly am sorry for many things, but just this last time, Drifter, I have to ask you to trust in me... let Bishop and Rook take care of you from now on, and everything will be okay.

B-But I don't understand why! Why are you leaving me with these scary cores, big bro....!

More sobs, then the tears started to flow from his eye. He simply couldn't hold them back any more.

....T-The only person that I want to with is my big brother! I want it to be... just like.... the ol' days.... we can live together for as long as we live!

.....Drifter......

.... I am truly sorry, but I can't turn back now, I've got many thing ahead of me. Maybe we will meet again someday, but at that time we may not even be proper brothers anymore. But until then, if that is what you really wish, then...

He tossed a blade behind him, and it landed at Drifter's feet. He looked at it half in interest, and half in sorrow. It was the special moonlight blade that his brother always cherished, given to him by their mother, and it was being passed down to him.

Carry this with you, always. Keep it close to your heart at all times, and with every strike... I'll always be in your blade....

With one last wave goodbye, Wanderer boarded the craft, flying off into the horizon without a glance back.

A few hours later, Drifter picked up the blade, his tears drying up. For some reason, his brother's final words had comforted him a bit.

*PRESENT TIME*

Ever since then, he had gotten enough skills to become the King's best scout, using it as an excuse to fly around different areas and look for any potential signs of his brother or his return. But, day after day, and year after year, he was met with continual disappointment because he was nowhere to be found. Only the day when Orphan arrived in Fros Region did he discover the truth.

“This Axel, he brings back bad memories,” Drifter murmured to himself. “Since he was hanging around my brother there's a high chance that he's related to the Organization. But what's he doing here, running a tournament? Doesn't he have better things to do?”

Drifter, suddenly realized he'd been lost in thought for a long time, ran away from the board to catch up with Orphan.

*****

“Ah, the fresh new scent of a new tourney.... isn't it, wonderful?!”

“Humph. I suppose I should be thanking you for leading me to those four. You are admittedly... quite resourceful.”

“Hey, it's no big deal. You just gotta learn to sit back and enjoy the show! Then we can... discover, who truly is the best of the best.”
---------------------------------------
Character Notes by Dark:
Jinn, Yamato, Ballistica, Stronghold, Red X- Newcomers. Are any of them important to the storyline? You'll just have to find out.
Hell- Nichirin build by Tailsnake, made in the first Game FAQs tourney and defeating Omega. This is the pre-form of Hellish.
Immolation, Cobalt- Flamethrower and energy builds by ninja-cobalt (bakabum), respectively.
Failed Launch- A league AC by bigjon.
Force Wing- An AC by nastradamatic, sharing the same name and about the same build as BT Wyvern's in-game AC.

**- The bracket got a bit messed up due to the way the board formats the text. To see a much better version, click below:

www.megaupload.com/?d=W62O8GRN

Updated-- Teaser Pics of Tourney ACs.

Yamato (by Dark)



Red X (by Dark)



Jinn (by Dark)



Ballistica (by Laeq)



*new* Stronghold (by Dark) *new*

[Shark]

Part 6- School of the Blade
---------------------------------------
“And now, commencing Round 2!!”

The announcer's voice blared over the megaphones, and Orphan suddenly felt his stomach curl as a respond to nervousness. The crowd was cheering on an assortment of ACs from the stands, and from what he could hear a good number of them were actually rooting him on; but for god knows what reason. He didn't remember putting on much of a show in his somewhat embarrassing first match.

Standing alongside the other competitors, some winners, some losers, he felt an incredibly fierce sense of competition amongst them. Turning over to Oppression, who just smirked and returned his glance, Orphan felt more unnerved by the prospect that there may be opponents just as cunning—or as strong as his first round opponent. And another loss was the last thing he needed right now.

The introduction soon ended. Walking off the stage to join the others on the competitor benches, he took a seat beside the two brothers and Drifter, who seemed tense about the upcoming match. Orphan could tell why.

“Hey, looks like Oppression's up next. And he's fighting some opponent named Juliet,” Serpent announced.

“Juliet, where have I heard that name before? It sounds so familiar...?”

In a matter of seconds, the lights turned off abruptly to continue the tournament. The crowd fell silent. Tension filled the dark atmosphere as they all waited for the first match of round two to be announced, and then...

The spotlight turned on to the left side of the arena, revealing a white biped. “Over in Grid 1, there's a competitor already favored to win the whole darn tournament! An amazingly skilled AC who defeats his opponents without mercy...! Oppression!!”

The crowd went wild with fan cheer, so much so that Orphan felt that his receivers could break at any moment. It was no wonder that the 'strong but silent types' typically received the most cheer, but the amount of noise that filled the stadium at that time seemed almost unprecedented. But then, that all seemed to change as the other spotlight was turned on, revealing the other opponent.

“And at Grid 2, a slender and graceful combatant who wowed the crowd with her stylin' moves in Round 1!! The one, the only, the beautiful Juliet!!”

The second spotlight turned on, revealing a slim, somewhat arrogant looking, pink AC with bright blue highlights. The (predominantly male) crowd shouted with applause, some even whistling and howling, and others inching closer to get a better look.

Her appearance was just enough for Serpent to correct his laid-back position, looking captivated; although it was no surprise to anyone given his wild, anything-goes personality. “Dang... that's one hot chick...”

Cobra bonked him over the head, ironically acting to be the more mature of the two, yet it was clear that he was, to some extent, captivated by her looks as well.

By appearance, she was a particularly feminine type; wielding two of the lesser known energy machine guns, or “silkies” in her arms. And although Orphan believed he had never seen her in his life, he felt something oddly... familiar about her.

There was a certain aura about her that reminded him of someone he had met in the past; but who and when he could not recall. Even more unsettling was that her back weapons, the hydra and harpy2, were a vaguely familiar sight. He remembered seeing that combination sometime in the past, briefly, and only particular to one specific AC.

Nevertheless, he soon dispelled the thought from his head as the lights turned off again and the announcer's voice sounded once more over the megaphones. The match was about to begin.

“Round 2, Match 1.”

“Oppression VS Juliet.”

“Competitors.... ready?!”

“...........GO!!!...........”

From that point on, everything happened so fast that Orphan's eyes could barely keep up. Juliet overboosted around the buildings, getting face-to-face with Oppression and slamming her energy weapons to his chest, then firing them away. Oppression stood his ground, his motions becoming a blur as he back boosted in a distinct, tight zig-zag pattern, dancing around energy beams here and there as if competing in a match of grace.

Soon, both of them lost sight of each other so it became a long ranged match. Oppression had little problem aiming around the arena with good accuracy, as his sirens allowed him to target Juliet with ease. She countered back by deploying her harpies first, then launching her hydra missiles shortly after. Things became extremely quick paced as lasers and shots were discharged like wildfire around Yeri Block, which was beginning to look like a fireworks show rather than a tournament fight.

“I wonder who will win.... at this rate,” muttered Drifter. Orphan noticed that it was an awkward comment seeing as Drifter rarely spoke more than what was necessary, so he figured it had to be a sign that the competitors were fighting on a pretty high level.

“Yeah, me too. Although I really shouldn't, I feel a bit embarrassed... she's doing much better than I was in the first round.”

“....Huh?” said Cobra, who seemed to give up on his hopeless brother. “What do you mean, Orphan? You had Oppression on the ropes for a good part of the match.”

“....Wait, you're joking right? All I remember is losing the entire time.”

“.....”

All three of them stared back at him in amazement, as if he had just made the most awkward comment in the history of the world. Orphan stared back, dumbfounded, and wondering why they were doing this to him. When he thought back to it, he really didn't remember too much of what happened in the battle; but after he was tossed into the ground he saw odd burn marks on Oppression's armor that didn't look like they were inflicted by him. Rather, he didn't think so, but supposed they had something to do with what Serpent, Cobra, and Drifter were talking about.

“Ohhh!! What a slam!”

The suddenly charismatic, talkative announcer interrupted Orphan's train of thought. Stunned that he had been thinking for so long, he looked up to check the progress of the match; and saw that Juliet had finally been knocked to the ground. Then, checking the large, electronic scoreboard at the top, he saw that she was down to her last one-hundredth of AP, while Oppression had more than seven thousand remaining. She was in a similar position that he was in the first round.

“...Don't tell me that's all you've got,” said Oppression, looking rather bored.

“Hah..... I'm not through with you yet. Your guard is down.”

“.......?”

Barely batting an eyelid, Oppression jumped out of the way as the harpy that was positioned behind him fired; in a last ditch attempt to take him out. The shot missed, this time hitting Juliet straight in the chest.

She looked stunned for a moment as her own attack backfired on her, causing her AP to drop to zero. But she did not faint. Instead, she merely watched, cursing under her breath as Oppression walked away relatively unscathed.

“And the winner by a mile... Oppression!!”

The audience half-cheered, half-booed, as it was obvious that Juliet was the more fan-favored of the two. However, their antics did not last long as the announcer spoke up once again. It was already about time to begin the second match.

“The last match opponents have cleared the arena, so it's time to begin our second match of round two. Would the combatants please take their respective grid positions?”

Drifter stood up from the bench nonchalantly, walking away from the other three of the group and to the arena with his back turned around in harsh silence.

“Drifter, make us proud, alright...? You gotta win this one so we can fight later on,” Serpent advised distractedly, looking over to the other side of the arena where Juliet was sitting.

“Good luck with your opponent. Yeah, I know this is cliché and all, but it doesn't matter if you win or lose. Just give it your all,” Cobra added.

“Drifter. Just be careful fighting out there, don't try to push yourself.”

Drifter paused, seeming to take heed of their advice, then resumed his pace. On the other side of Yeri Block, the opposing AC was approaching, making a flashy entrance with his pegasus boosters. The same type that Drifter used. And from what Orphan could tell, this opponent, “Yamato”, as he was called, was also a blader.

They met near the middle of the arena, staring each other down. Yamato looked especially cocky and prideful of his skills.

“So... another blader. This should be an interesting match.”

“.....”

“Hm...? How rude... you obviously don't talk much, but you should at least respond when someone addresses you, Drifter.”

“.........”

“You want a response, then I'll give you one. In our battle. I'll let my blades do the talking.”

“....Oh? Heh... interesting guy.....I think you might just have the skills to back all that talk up.”

They readied their stances, Drifter activating his moonlight while holding out his now-restored parrying blade. In response, two extremely long energy blades burst from the arm guards of Yamato's syura arms, turning out to be an imposing sight. They got into battle mode just in time to hear the announcer's screech, then the usual preamble.

“This ought to be an exciting match folks.... two pro bladers going at it, head to head.”

“Grid 1, the silent but deadly, fan favorite Drifter!”

“Grid 2, the famed Yamato with his awe-inspiring ranged blade style!!”

“Who will win, in this match of epic proportions? Only one way to find out!”

“Competitors.... ready?!”

“............GO!!!............”

With that one word, chaos erupted from within. Drifter and Yamato automatically turned on their pegasus boosters for a large rush of speed, heading at each other at a linear path and rate. They didn't care for any structures that got in their way, for their enhanced speed gave them the amazing ability to cut through them as they held their blades out.

In what seemed like less than a millisecond, they got up close and personal, their blades clashing against one another in a struggle match. Both exchanged fierce looks of rivalry to one another.

“Hmm, your style seems interesting enough. Tell me, who taught you? Do you have a master, or are you self-taught?”

“......That..... is none of your business!” Drifter roared. Forcefully pushing his blades further against his opponent's, the resulting impact forced both of them to fall back.

Drifter recovered in a flash, but by that time Yamato had recovered even faster. He charged forward at running speed, holding his syura blades out on either side of him as he glided straight while cutting through multiple buildings. The force of his impact was so great that blocks of the former buildings flew straight into the air, making for the perfect setup.

Leaping into the air with the increased speed of the pegasus, he kicked and slashed each of the building blocks towards a stunned Drifter.

Drifter, seeing that there was no time to evade, focused his energies to meet the attack dead on. Then, in what seemed like the speed of sound, he sliced through each of the blocks multiple times as they came, successful reducing them to less harmful cubes.

The crowd roared in astonishment, sounding like a chorus of wild lions. Orphan, Cobra, and even Serpent were equally stunned; their jaws almost dropping at the sight of such an impressive stunt. They hadn't realize Drifter had this much potential; whether he always did or accomplished it gradually was unknown, but incredible either way.

It was clear that the skill of the two was nothing to be denied; and even the other competitors, like Oppression, were taking great notice. However, it didn't end just there. Not by a long shot.

Drifter slammed his parrying blade at the blocks as they rained down, with enough force not to destroy them, but to send them back to where they came from. Yamato laughed in amusement, dodging each one that was sent flying at him.

“Very impressive. I don't think many ACs would survive an attack like that. Now I don't think you've told me... who was your master?”

Drifter, already done toying with the blocks, ignored the question and boosted himself straight at Yamato, energy blade raised. The attack was blocked, but then he followed up with a parry. That too was blocked with ease.

“You seem to have great potential, Drifter. So let me offer you a proposition.... my sensei is the greatest blades master in the world. You come with me.... and train under him... then we can fight a match when we're both better. Deal?”

Ignoring another question, Drifter continued slashing at his opponent but their blades kept meeting each other dead on, both equal in power and precision. The battle was kept in mid-air and Drifter continually pushed him back with unrelenting attacks. But that's when things took a turn for the worse.

Yamato, finally having enough, increased the current length of his already-long blades two-fold. Drifter stepped back as they were pointed at him: sharp, deadly, and grandiose in sight.

“It ends now.”

Yamato swung his right blade forth like a staff; but Drifter managed to stop it from cutting him in half with a block from his parrying blade. Yet, he almost couldn't react as Yamato boosted with the pegasus, nearly impaling him with the other blade; just barely catching it with his own moonlight.

“Heh. You may have blocked those attacks, but how long can you hold up multiple times? It won't be long 'til you're all sliced up...”

True enough to his words, he began to stab several times with the oversized syura blades, sometimes nicking an exhausted Drifter here and there. It was almost as though Yamato were commanding the blades to do the work for him, while he attacked at a safe distance.

Then, suddenly, he swooped his blades down to slice two buildings, then sent them flying at Drifter.

Drifter scoffed at the fact that the same attack was being used on him twice. He evaded the two flying buildings, and the several others that were sent out after that. Then, before Yamato could even react, Drifter was already behind him.

“Game over.”

Swinging his parrying blade at the back of his hapless foe, Yamato was sent flying towards the falling buildings, creating a small crater in one of them in the process. He was severely weakened, but not defeated.... yet.

“Heh, that's the problem with having two overly long blades. You gain an absolute range advantage, but your swing speed, and consequently your overall reaction speed, become two times slower than it would with normal blades. It's your loss.”

“....Thanks for the advice. I promise I won't make the same mistake twice.”

They both smirked, charging their boosters and leaping on top of the falling buildings exchanging slashes. Finally starting to get within the last inches of their AP, they both went for the fatal blow.

Their blades met dead center of each other, repelling the owners of them away from each other and falling back to the Earth.

Yamato deactivated his blades, transforming them into shuriken-like beams and flinging them to Drifter in midair, combined with his so-far unused EO ability.

Drifter barely avoided the mass of energy, with the help of his pegasus. Then, just as Yamato landed safely on the ground, Drifter levitated in the air with his blade impaled into the stone below.

“It was nice having an opponent like you. I may consider your offer to join that school of yours, for just a while....”

“......”

“But don't count on it.”

With his final words spoken, Drifter dashed at his foe with pegasus outputted to maximum velocity. As he did so, his energy blade drove deeper and deeper into the ground, until, almost at close range...

“SWIISH!”

He lifted the blade from out of the ground, swinging it forward with all his might. At the current speed, it quickly became a razor thin shock wave, and combined with a large amount of debris, it was a powerful force to be reckoned with. Then, to take it one step even further, just as the attack landed Drifter parried Yamato in the chest simultaneously, sending him flying straight out of the arena. The end result was a enormous, precise cut on the opposing end wall....

The audience was left speechless after the dramatic finish. Then came the announcer's chirpy voice.

“Grid 1, Drifter, is the winner!! And what a heck of a battle that was!! I think they deserve a round of applause!!”

The crowd shouted in approval, chanting “Drifter!” or “Yamato!” here and there as if they had already seen the final match. Surrounded with such glory, Drifter himself barely noticed as Orphan, Serpent, and Cobra ran up to him.

Orphan looked like he was about to speak, but before he did...

Everything blacked out.

*****

“So.... you failed to take out a threat. A bit disappointing... after all the trouble of giving you an enhanced body...”

“.......I just underestimated the opponent that time. It won't happen again.”

“It'd better not, because your next chance is the last one. Fail, and you'll realize that your precious revenge is pointless... if you don't even have enough skill to take out that which you lash revenge upon.”

“I will not fail.”

“Whatever. It doesn't matter if you complete your part or not.... as long as I get the last word in the final matches, then everything will go according to plan.”

*****

“......Uhnn.....”

“........”

“Up already, sleepy head? You've been out for a while. I think you fainted on us, back there. And after I told you not to overexert yourself..”

“I really didn't have much of a choice. We're all in this for the training, right?”

Drifter slowly lifted himself from the hospital bed, feeling renewed with strength. He looked around the room, noticing that all three of them; Orphan, Serpent, and Cobra, were sitting by his bedside.

“Hnn... I must've been out for a long time. Second round is already done, I take it?”

“Yup. You should have seen brother fight me, he didn't pull any punches,” Cobra stated, looking slightly annoyed. “In the end... I lost....”

“...And Orphan?”

“Heh, the guy actually won his match. The opponent was nearly twice the size of him but kind of... dense. The battle was great, he really pulled through,” said Serpent, half-teasingly.

“Then... what about the other matches? Anything noteworthy?”

“Most of them weren't anything too exciting. There was a battle between two nichirin users, that was kind of cool. Oh, and there was this other missiler who finished off her opponent really quick... I think her name was Ballistica. Probably a name to look out for in the winner's bracket.”

“Yeah, and a real looker too. Just as good lookin' as that Juliet, I reckon,” Serpent murmured under his breath.

“Interesting. Well I feel a lot better now, so I'm going to check out the updated bracket. It should be done by now.”

Hopping out of bed, Drifter walked out of the room, closely followed by the other three. They crowded over the updated bracket eagerly, looking for the next match-ups:

**
Graphical version of tournament brackets:



15th ANNUAL YERI BLOCK YOUNG FIGHTERS TOURNAMENT
Hosted by: Axel
Format: Double Elimination
Prize: Tournament Champion Trophy and 200,000cd.


WINNER'S BRACKET (updated as of Round 2)


9 Oppression
--------------------------- 13 Oppression
9 Juliet |---------------------------
--------------------------- |
10 Drifter |---------------------------
--------------------------- 13 Drifter | |
10 Yamato |--------------------------- |
--------------------------- |
11 Ballistica |
--------------------------- 14 Ballistica |
11 Cobalt |--------------------------- |
--------------------------- | |
12 Serpent |---------------------------
--------------------------- 14 Serpent |
12 Cobra |---------------------------
---------------------------


LOSER'S BRACKET (updated as of Round 2)

L 13
L9 Juliet ---------------------------
--------------------------- |
Orphan |--------------------------- |
--------------------------- | |
L10 Yamato |---------------------------
--------------------------- |
Hell |---------------------------
--------------------------- L 14
L11 Cobalt ---------------------------
--------------------------- |
Failed Launch |--------------------------- |
--------------------------- | |
L12 Cobra |---------------------------
--------------------------- |
Force Wing |---------------------------
---------------------------

“Ah, it seems as though Orphan and I are either extreme lucky or extremely unlucky. We're both fightin' chicks. Might be interesting.”

“Well I'm just glad I'm not fighting that annoying Red X again. At any rate, it seems Drifter will be needing the most luck this round. He's got Oppression this time,” said Cobra.

“......”

They stood in front of the bracket board, feeling thoughtful while at the same time frightened at how the match would go. Drifter was skilled, certainly, but up until this point Oppression was obviously only toying with his opponents.

“So you'll be my opponent next round. Serpent, is it not?”

All four of them whipped around, frightened by the sudden presence of a newcomer, the orange and brown, feminine biped named Ballistica. Drifter looked especially surprised that he hadn't detected anything earlier. It was clear that this newcomer had excellent stealth skills, contrary to her somewhat hefty equipment.

Serpent looked as though his dreams had come true, eying her elatedly. “So... you've been dazzled by my charm, have you?!”

“Not likely. I came here to give you a small warning.... all of you. Especially you....”

She pointed a finger straight at Orphan.
---------------------------------------
**- Here is the better formatted bracket (again!)
www.megaupload.com/?d=M70SDE29

[shearx]

Part 7 – A Different Side
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Orphan looked at the woman with total surprise, along with a bit of intrigue.

“What kind of warning?” He asked, curious to hear more.

The slender figure lowered her arm. “A warning about this tournament."

"What about it? Is it rigged or something?" Orphan said, with a hint of sarcasm.

"Not rigged. That would entail a guaranteed winner, preselected. The more proper term would be loaded. The host of the tournament, Axel, is planning something..."

Cobra looked a bit amused. "How do you know that?" He questioned.

The missiler turned her gaze to Cobra. "That's not important. What is important, however," she looked back to Orphan, "Is that you withdraw from the competition. Axel is not one to be trifled with, and you can bet he's got more than a few henchmen to back him up."

Orphan was taken aback by the female's comment. "How can you expect me to 'withdraw'? I came here for training, NOT to run away from the opposition."

Ballistica looked at Orphan with penetrating eyes. Orphan felt something deep inside of him spark, for just a moment... then she began to speak again. "Look. You have potential, I'll give you that. But my sources say you're hot on Axel's list. I'm not sure why... but I suggest that you stay away from the dog tethered with a weak chain."

What is she getting at I wonder... Orphan thought to himself.

Drifter jumped in this time. "Look lady. No matter the threat, we have to continue with the tournament. The real reason we're here demands that we have experience."

"Oh? And what is the 'real reason' you're here?" She scoffed.

"That's personal."

"Fine," she shrugged. "Suit yourself. Just don't expect any mercy in your next match."

Ballistica then turned and walked from the room, hips swinging back and forth, as if to entice those behind her. The four watched intently, though Serpent did so with slightly more concentration than the others.

After the door closed, Drifter looked at the captivated Serpent, and laughed to himself. "Quit drooling and get some rest."

Serpent came out of his trance, looking around as if he had no idea what had just happened.

"You okay bro?" Cobra asked.

"Uh... yeah..." Serpent took one last look towards the closed door, then turned and headed towards his sleeping quarters.

***************************
Next Morning
***************************

"Ladies and gents! Welcome to the third round of the Young Fighter's Tournament, hosted by the gracious Axel! Now, shall we begin the first match?!"

Drifter listened absentmindedly to the announcer. He had left early that morning to the training room to brush up on his skills against a gunner. His previous battle with Yamato had drained him both physically and mentally; this next battle would be tough.

"In grid 1 we have Oppression, the quick and deadly rifler that shows no mercy!"

Drifter tried to envision the coming match; he thought back to the previous battles he had seen of Oppression. The one with Orphan, and the match against Juliet.

He thought he had seen enough to have Oppression's style down.

"In grid 2, we have Drifter, the talented Blader, showing skills beyond those of any we have seen before!"

He stood silently, erect and calm. He regulated his breathing, tried to control his heart rate. But the fact of the matter was one he could not avoid...

He was terrified of Oppression.

"Ready?! GO!!!"

At the sound of the announcer's voice, Drifter boosted around the side of a building that blocked his view of the central clearing. He expected to see Oppression coming straight across, but nothing was there. Just the empty courtyard.

Where could he be?

Drifter began searching, avoiding the clearing and taking a path to the side, behind some other structures.

If I want to even stand a chance against this guy, I have to remove his advantage. Range is his asset..

He stopped at the edge of a building and peeked around the corner, back into the courtyard. Again nothing.

"What’re ya looking for?" The voice came suddenly. Drifter jumped, then turned to see Oppression. He had come seemingly from nowhere.

Oppression hardly gave Drifter time to react. He lifted both rifles and began blasting away. Drifter crouched, though not in time to avoid the first few shell. He ignited his Moonlight and slashed upward, hoping for a hit. Oppression boosted back with incredible speed and continued to fire, pelting his prey with a spray of bullets.

Drifter kept thinking gotta take away his range in his head. He activated his Pegasus boosters and bolted forward, smashing into his attacker. The two flew backward, both slightly stunned. Apparently, Oppression hadn't expected a body check. Drifter recovered and continued the assault. He again got in the white ACs face and began slashing wildly. Oppression had also recovered by this time, and deftly dodged each attack like as if it were the wind. With each slash, however, Oppression became more and more agitated. He was backed up into a corner, with no effective means of close range attacks.

Drifter continued the onslaught, changing the direction of each slash with every strike. Somehow, his opponent had been able to dodge each attack... and only then did he realize why Oppression was so adept at avoiding attacks. The sirens on his back... They give him increased tracking skills, but that same effect also seemed to increase his reaction times. No sooner had he realized this than he received a firm foot to the chest, knocking him back. He looked up in time to see his quarry boost straight into the air. In quick pursuit, he boosted upwards, Pegasus boosters outputted to max.

Oppression, now a safe distance from the blader, began his signature attack volley. A seemingly endless stream of rifle shells poured down on Drifter. Who quickly overheated and fell back to the ground, forced into charging.

"Come on, Drifter! I know you can do better than this!" Oppression ceased his relentless attacks and waited for a response. He then settled down on top of a high-rise.

"I'm at a disadvantage, you know. You have those rifles. All I have are these blades." He replied, having taken shelter behind a building.

"Is that what you're complaining about? Spare me your whining." Oppression replied mockingly.

Drifter took the blow, not bothering to respond. He checked his energy, waiting for it to finish recharging.

"Tell ya what. I'll throw away my rifles here if you drop your parrying blade and give me your brother's saber."

Drifter thought it was a trap, then he realized what Oppression had said... how does he know about that?

"Don't worry," Oppression continued, "I won't keep it. It's just to even up the playing field."

"I don't need your sympathy." Drifter's energy was now fully charged. "But I will take you up on one part of your offer..."

Oppression watched as a parrying blade flew out from behind Drifter's hiding spot; he watched as it soared through the air and landed at his feet. He stared at it for a moment, then bent over to pick it up. When he looked back to where his opponent should have been, he saw Drifter flying towards him. He lifted his rifles in reaction, but failed to fire a single shot.

Drifter immediately had penetrated his enemy's personal space. He slashed straight across Oppression's chest, tearing a huge gouge in his armor. He then kneed the white biped in the open would sending him flying backwards off of his perch on top of the building, and also causing him to drop one of his weapons. Oppression hit the ground with a crash, forming an indentation of his body in the shattered concrete. This had a two-fold effect, as the sirens on his back were destroyed in the impact.

Drifter smashed both of Oppression's fallen rifle under his feet, then softly glided to the ground below. Oppression was just lifting himself from the rubble.

"Look who's in a tight spot now. No radar, one weapon. I think this could be the end for you." Drifter, feeling triumphant, walked forward slowly, preparing for the final strike to finish off his foe.

Drifter ignited his blade, then pulled it back, ready to swing and finish off Oppression.

*cough* "You should pay more attention, Drifter." Oppression had equipped the parrying blade to his arm, and was ready to strike. Drifter could only look in amazement; his enemy had once again proven to be unpredictable.

Oppression struck forth with the parrying blade, sending Drifter soaring backwards. He smashed into a nearby building, which subsequently collapsed, toppling down onto him.

"Grid 2 AP depleted! Grid 1 wins!" came the voice of the announcer. The crowd was silent, in awe at the sudden turn around of the battle.

Oppression promptly got up from his crater and left the arena, wasting no time with congratulations. He passed Orphan, Serpent and Cobra, who were all running to Drifter's aid.

**************************

Drifter awoke on one of the beds, Orphan by his side. Orphan seemed relieved to see him awake. He tried to get up, but immediately fell back in pain.

"Don't bother getting up. You're pretty badly hurt, you know." said Orphan.

"Heh, looks like the tables have turned, huh?"

"I guess. Anyway, it's almost time for Serpent’s match. I think he’s gonna have a hard time, fighting a a chick like her."

"Hehe. Don't you fall prey to the same mistake against that Juliet."

"Don’t count on it. Speaking of Juliet... where have we heard that name before..." Orphan wondered.

"Well..." Drifter delved into his memory... "There was that Juliet character that Rex had hired, but she didn't look anything like that. Perhaps it's just a coincidence."

"Perhaps..."

"You better get going, or you'll miss Serpent’s match.

"You're right. Be sure to watch over the vid."

"I will. Now go." Drifter seemed to be pushing Orphan out the door.

Orphan got up and headed for the door. Before he left, he turned and took one final look at his friend. He turned again and headed for the arena, leaving Drifter to think in isolation.

*********************

Serpent stood in his position, awaiting the start of the match. He looked forward to it for one particular reason: to see Ballistica again. He didn’t know what it was, but something about her was tantalizing… perhaps it was the way she walked out of the room after warning them of Axel’s supposed plans, or maybe it was her character… either way, he only knew what he was looking for. Or did he?

The announcer started the match, and Serpent boosted out into the center of the arena. As he expected, he saw the brown and orange female AC enter the area as well. For some reason however, she did not have the same look on her face as she did before in the room… this face was one of determination. Determination to win. At that moment, he realized that she meant business, and he was here to ogle.

All the time Serpent spent thinking, which was in reality only a few seconds, Ballistica was acquiring her target, which seemingly stood there for no reason. She thought only that it would be an easy target, and subsequently fired off her first volley or missiles. Two mid-sized missiles launched from her back, on a slight vertical trajectory, while one pod from each shoulder popped out and glided along the ground towards the oblivious Serpent. And finally, she launched one more missile from the launcher on her left arm.

Serpent was surprised at the quickness with which his opponent had began the attack. He looked at the five projectiles momentarily, expecting it to be an easy affair of dodging them. The he remembered back to the previous fights he had seen of this woman. Those were not the actual attacks.

Serpent barely had time to react. The missiles got closer, then suddenly exploded into four projectiles each. He looked in horror, not realizing what a sight it was to see 17 missiles headed in your direction. He boosted backwards. He swerved this way and that, dodging what he could, but much to his dismay, he was hit over and over by missiles. He never expected how difficult it would be to slip past missiles as the were coming in from four different directions. From each side. From the top. From the front.

Serpent continued to back pedal. He vaguely noticed that the woman had launched another volley of deadly missiles. He lifted his bazookas and aimed at the nearest missiles, picking them off one by one. He managed to get one of the multi-missiles before it exploded into its four individual missiles. He backed up into a building, now cornered like a stray dog about to be captured. Te three remaining pods all split. Serpent waited for the impending strike, to be torn to shreds by the full force of the attack. But much to his surprise, every incoming missile impacted not on him, but on the building behind him.

He opened his squinting eyes, and realized that he was not destroyed, though his savior, the structure, was. Serpent was now filled with new confidence. He blasted forward towards Ballistica, launching bazooka shells in her general direction. Ballistica responded with yet another lock of missiles, but with her target moving towards her, most of the missiles missed and hit the ground or circled around, self destructing after not hitting anything. She began using her arm-mounted launcher furiously, launching missiles and quick intervals. Serpent just slid left and right, avoiding each with little effort.

Serpent closed the distance between them quickly, reversing the roles of attacker and defender. Now Ballistica was backing away, and he was on the offensive. He got to within punching range, and he slowly pushed her back into a building, pinning her. Again, the roles were reversed.

“Well, well, well, isn’t this a surprise,” Serpent said, pressing his face closer to the trapped Ballistica’s. “About time we got this close.”

“Don’t make me sick.” she said as she was pressed closer and closer to the face of the building. She eventually had to start sitting down, Serpent towering over her, blocking off any avenue of retreat.

“Oh, come on. You know you can’t resist this,” Serpent indicated himself, slightly bowing.

“The only thing I can’t resist,” Ballistica paused for a moment, switching her weapons to the Karura missile launcher, “is you up in my grill.”

She fired the launcher, sending nine missiles straight into the belly of the encroaching Serpent. At that range, Serpent had absolutely no hope of avoiding them. Ballistica stood up promptly, having repelled Serpent for a moment. She boosted forward, shoving the slumping Serpent and sending him sprawling. She lifted her rifle and arm launcher and blasted away at the hapless soul.

Serpent screamed as he was pounded by a barrage of missiles and rifle bullets. He kept thinking of a way to get out… then Ballistica began reloading her rifle.

This is my chance he thought to himself. He kicked Ballistica in the gut, then he got to his feet and backed up slightly, giving him the room he needed to begin blasting away with his bazookas. Ballistica was hit left and right with shells, having little means of dodging them. She decided that she needed more speed, and she abruptly dropped her back weapons to provide the needed boost. She fired up her boosters and zoomed off to the side, causing Serpent to halt his attacks momentarily to regain his target.

He turned his aim towards the now airborne post-missiler, and was met with a familiar stream of missiles and rifle fire. Serpent, too, fired up his boosters and took to the skies. The two danced in the air, firing and dodging and dipping and swooping. They occasionally touched the tops of the buildings to regain some much need energy. Serpent managed to land one perfect shot, straight to the chest of Ballistica. This attack pushed her heat into emergency levels, which depleted her energy. She fell to the ground with a thud, the shock of the impact stunning her for a moment.

Serpent settled down atop a mid sized structure, and looked down at Ballistica.

“You’re beautiful, I’ll give you that.” He talked sincerely enough. “But tha-”

Ballistica blushed slightly, then interrupted Serpent’s speech. “Stop hitting on me. I’m not interested.”

Serpent looked hurt slightly. “Fine. I WAS gonna show a bit of mercy, but that broke my heart.” He clutched his chest. “You understand though. Sorry babe.”

Ballistica watched as Serpent fired off several shells, which all hit, reducing her AP to zero. She had lost.

Serpent jumped down from his perch, walking slowly up to Ballistica. He stopped in front of her, and held out his hand to help her up.

She looked at the hand, hesitating. She looked up at his face, seeing compassion in his eyes.
-----------------------------------------------------
This is the rankings as of the previous fights:

[shearx]

Part 8 - Disappointment Abounds
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Ballistica stared deeply into the eye of Serpent. He, standing above her, appeared to be the "knight in shining armor" that most girls dream for. As she kept looking, she felt emotions stir inside her the likes of which she never thought she could feel... She reached up, and delicately took Serpent's outstretched hand. He helped her to her feet, drawing her close. They stood together amidst the wreckage...

Ballistica began thinking, thoughts running here and there, so quickly she could barely make sense of them. Her mind stopped on one particular point... He was her enemy a few moments ago, ready to kill her if need be. She was not innocent by any means either. This sudden realization brought a sick feeling to her stomach.

Ballistica struggled in Serpent's arms for a moment, then she pushed him away and slapped him across the face. She lingered momentarily, breathing heavily. No sooner had their moment of silence passed than she turned and ran out of the arena, leaving Serpent alone, his pride injured more than his face.

Serpent made no attempt to go after her. There he stood, staring in the direction that Ballistica had vanished...

*************************

Orphan found Serpent in his quarters, lying on his bed. He walked in timidly, not wanting to disturb his friend. He pulled up a chair and sat at the bedside.

"Good job on that battle..." Orphan said unenthusiastically.

"..."

"What's wrong? Haven't you ever been slapped before?" He asked jokingly.

"Of course. But that isn't the point," Serpent explained. "It's just that there was no reason for her to do that. I know why she is like she is now though. After pulling a stunt like that, what self respecting guy would want to do anything with her? Anyway, it doesn't matter now. When rejection is that apparent, I at least know my bounds."

Orphan was surprised to see Serpent say that he knew what boundaries were.

"Heh," Serpent laughed. "Maybe Cobra will have better luck with that woman."

Orphan didn't respond. He looked around impatiently, then stood up. "My match is gonna start soon. Don't want to be late."

"Of course not. Whatever you do, don't hug the girl at the end."

They both laughed, and at that, Orphan took his leave.

*************************

“Round 3 of the winner's bracket has come to an exciting close, with some unexpected twists and turns!!”

“Tourney giants Oppression and Serpent have made it to the top, crushing the competition like tiny bugs, but soon they will have to face their greatest opposition: themselves!”

“But for now, we begin the next match of the loser's bracket, with two of the most prospective candidates for the final battle!”

Orphan strode over to Grid 2, the spotlight burning brightly in his eye. He blinked rapidly as he looked around the stadium with an arm shadowing his sight, observing all of the cheering fans. Most of them were there for Juliet, but that in itself was practically a given. Nobody wanted to cheer on a contestant who showed little promise, much less one who couldn't 'wow' the crowd.

“Grid 1, Juliet, the dazzling femme fatale with smooth moves!! And maybe a little something else as well....!”

“Grid 2, Orphan, the unpredictable underdog!!”

He winced upon hearing his newfound title, which didn't seem to suit him in the least. Underdog, maybe, but unpredictable was the last word that ACs would use describe his fighting style. In the first match, Oppression had read his moves like a book, and it hadn't been the first time either.

Now head to head with a new opponent, Orphan was met with a dirty look and didn't know how to react. Instead, he settled with staring back, looking at the female in front of him unblinkingly; who he still felt was vaguely familiar, but hard to identify.

“So... you show your face once more....”

“....Huh....? I don't understand. Have we met before?”

“Humph. It's foolish of you not to remember the faces of your enemies. Maybe you'll understand once I humiliate you in front of all these people...”

“....”

At a loss for words, Orphan merely stood speechless as he examined the cheery crowd and waited for the announcer to begin the match. His memories wandered elsewhere as he thought about what he could have done wrong to upset his opponent like this, but kept drawing a blank every time. I wonder what's her problem... he wondered, feeling confused. Well, regardless of that, this is my last chance. If I lose this one then there won't be another time.

A few seconds later, the announcer's chirpy voice soon made it's presence known all over the stadium. “Alright.... it's time to commence!!”

“Round 3, Match 1 of the loser's bracket!”

“Juliet VS Orphan!”

“Contestants.... ready?!”

“.............GO!!................”

The match ensued, and both competitors got into motion. Juliet blasted away with her silkies, but Orphan managed to evade the energy shots with relative ease. He ran in between the buildings to stop for a breather, and also to formulate a strategy.

This'll be tough, Orphan thought to himself. I know I can't stay hidden for long, since she also has those pesky harpies... but at the same time her energy management shouldn't be all that great. I'll need to face her head on eventually, but maybe if I bide my time for a while..

Taking a step out into the open, Orphan fired a couple bazooka shots towards his opponent's general direction. No response came from the other end.

“... You're too slow,” came a voice from his side.

Orphan cocked his head to the left, surprised to see Juliet already over boosting around the structures and straight at him. She sent several energy beams flying his way, but with a nanosecond to spare he managed to dodge them. However, she wouldn't let up.

She continued her path straight towards Orphan, sending him flying and crashing a few meters away and into the hard ground. Then, activating her harpies, they circled around Orphan as he recovered, lasers positioned to strike.

He scrambled away as they fired, searing the ground that was just bellow him. Then, rolling up to his feet, he activated his exit orbiters, utilizing them while rapid firing his gast rifle.

The bullets went flying all over the place, but Juliet merely boosted upwards as they flew past her. Then, looking over to where Orphan was, she realized that he was gone. The assault was merely meant to be a decoy.

“Over here,” Orphan uttered from behind. Juliet whipped around, only to see Orphan dashing straight at her, the harpies following with every meter gained. However, once at close range, he did not strike; instead faking her out at the last minute and boosting around her while firing all of his weapons.

At the same time, the harpies settled down around her, taking aim at their new target.

She tried her best to evade, managing to slip away from the wrath of the harpies but failing to avoid the collective fire of the bazooka and rifle attacks. Their tremendous impact sent her plummeting back down to the Earth, but she recovered partway, levitating in mid air and then adjusting her boost to pursue the opponent once more.

Orphan back boosted to keep away from her, just as she let loose a salvo of hydra missiles. They split into several groups of four, each screaming viciously as they attempted to collide upon their target. He tried to turn around to concentrate on flying away, but that's when he noticed the harpies were also surrounding him.

Filled with the terror that he was now surrounded, Orphan tried desperate to shoot at the missiles multiple times, a move that he learned from watching Serpent battle. Unfortunately, as much as he tried, there were just too many of them, and before he knew they were right to his face, exploding upon impact. In the aftermath, a large cloud of smoke covered half of the Yeri Block Stadium.

“So much for that,” Juliet said to herself.

Orphan, nearly burnt to crisp, fell down to the buildings looking motionless. He regained a bit of his strength at a few seconds into the fall, checking his heads up display and seeing that the energy meter was declining rapidly.

“80%...”

“70%....”

“65%.....”

“50%.....”

Finally gathering his wits and pulling himself together, he used his remaining energy to boost himself up from a backwards position, then launched himself straight at Juliet; his energy and heat meters stabilizing in the process.

They fired at each other at mid range, energy levels still dangerously low. Nonetheless, they used the remains of their boost power to dodge attacks left and right, falling down to the earth while dancing around each other in some attempt to gain a strategic advantage over the other. Finally...

“WARNING: ENERGY LEVEL DEPLETED. CHARGING IN PROCESS.”

Juliet had run out of energy first, after relying heavily on her silkies. She tossed them towards the ground, quickly swapping them in favor of her hydras and launching them at Orphan.

“ENERGY LEVEL DEPLETED. CHARGING IN PROCESS.”

Orphan, too, was sent into charging as the missiles showered upon him. Both were down to only a handful of AP, and falling helplessly to the cold, unforgiving floor below. It was clear that whoever fell first would lose first, and at the rate they were going it appeared to be Orphan.

The crowd bit their nails as the last seconds of the match came, and the opponents were a few meters from falling. They held their breath as they waited for the final moment to come, that is, until the unpredictable occurred.

Orphan shook himself out of a dazed state, just before they came within level of the buildings. He fired his gast several times at Juliet, who could do nothing to evade in midair. Then, the recoil became just enough for him to adjust his footing.

Taking advantage of the situation, Orphan planted his foot down to quicken his landing. Sparks flew dangerously into the air as he skated alongside a structure effortlessly, seeming to desire a safe landing. Then, using every last inch of his ability, he chose the opposite and leaped into the air, back flipping around an helpless Juliet.

She froze in surprise.

Then he shoved all of his weapons directly behind her while turning on his EO, a slight smirk on his face.

“Guess it'll have to end evenly, then...”

The shots were fired, and the impact sent Juliet flying across to the other end of the arena, towards the out of bounds zone. At the same time, recoil had once again acted with Orphan and he was sent flying out of the stadium as well.

“BOOM!!”

At the exact same time, they landed outside of the arena with a loud crash. Rubble was sent flying away in their wake, and the audience was stunned and impressed at the same time. They didn't know what to make of such an unpredictable match, and who won or lost. But a couple minutes later the official decision could be heard.

“Ladies and gents... this is a rare case, folks!! Once in a lifetime!! This battle, Juliet VS Orphan, has ended in a draw, as both competitors landed out of bounds at the same time!!”

Confusion reigned in the stadium and it's observers as they murmured about the outcome of the match, and what was to happen as a result. Juliet looked over to where her opponent had landed, still smiling, and still having that stupid, cheeky look on his face.

She knew that Axel would eat her alive later for not winning the match, but somehow, she didn't feel.. as afraid as she thought she would be. She also knew that she failed on getting revenge on the person who ultimately ruined her past life, sending her down to the sewers while struggling for survival for every waking second of her life.

But something about his eye, his look, was friendly and warm; evening inviting.

Ahh... what am I thinking?! Juliet thought, feeling her temperature rise.

She took one last glance over to where Orphan was sitting. His eye was blank.

Juliet had no time to react. She heard a familiar voice in her head.

"You are a failure. You came for revenge, and you lose! And in a draw of all things!"

"It's not my fault!" she screamed.

"Oh? The who's fault is it?! His?!"

Juliet looked at the incapacitated Orphan. She didn't respond.

"I thought so. You have broken your side of the bargain, and now you must face the consequences!"

A high pitched scream started blaring in her ears. She brought her arms to her head, screaming in agony. She twisted and thrashed in excruciating pain. She struggled to her feet, hands still clawing. The torturous yells were enough to wake the dead, and nearly did. Orphan stirred to consciousness, disturbed by the incessant noise. What he saw was horrific.

He jumped to his feet and rushed to Juliet, trying to calm her down.

"What's wrong?!" He yelled.

"That sound! STOP THAT HORRIBLE SOUND!" She continued writhing in pain.

"There is no sound!"

She wriggled free of Orphan's grasp and bolted through one of the passageways leading away from the arena. He ran after her, following as best he could through the winding hallways of the complex, but he quickly lost track and gave up the search. He returned to where Drifter's room. Serpent, Cobra were there as well. Drifter, in just a few hours, was recovered enough to be out of bed. Serpent no longer showed any signs of hurt, to his pride or otherwise. Cobra seemed anxious for his upcoming battle.

"Did you guys see that?" He asked as he entered the room.

"See what?" Cobra replied.

"Juliet. She went nuts after the match..."

"Maybe she couldn't take the defeat."

"I lost too you know, and I'm doing just fine. Apparently though, we've met somewhere... I can't imagine where though. I've never seen here before in my life."

Drifter stood quietly, apparently contemplating some deep quandary.

"Anyway," Orphan turned to Cobra, "when is you're match Cobra?"

"Soon. I should actually be getting there right now. There's one battle before me, but I like to be early," Cobra smiled cheerfully.

"Well good luck then." Orphan said.

"Thanks," Cobra said, then scurried off to begin his next battle.

Silence filled the room for the rest of the evening. They watched the remaining matches, appearing intent to any outsiders, but each was delved in their own train of thought.

***********************

Juliet ran frantically through the hallways of the arena complex, clutching her head, tears of pain streaming down her face. She ran into areas where traffic was scarce, and eventually she came to a poorly maintained area. Just when she thought she could take no more of the horrible squeal, it began to fade and eventually ceased. There, in a dark hallway, with no one around, she slumped to the ground in relief, believing that Axel had a soul.

The hallway was a poorly lit, the only illumination coming from the reflected lights of the main hallways. Juliet looked down the pathway. There, she saw two figures, silhouetted against the light. Her heart sank, as she knew why they were here. The two approached, and Juliet waited for her impending doom.

***********************
NEXT DAY
***********************

Orphan woke up early the next morning to the sound of the alerter. He was being notified of an emergency at the emergency devision of the hospital wing, though no specific reason was being provided. He checked on each of his friends, to see if any of them had initiated the alert, but all were sound asleep.

who could be calling for me...

Orphan arrived at the intensive care wing, where a physician was there to greet him. He was informed that Juliet had been found in a closed section of the complex, barely alive. She was transported here, and after being stabilized, she began asking to see him.

Orphan entered the room. Equipment cluttered the area, making it difficult to reach the bedside. When he had finally navigated the minefield, he stopped and stood at Juliet's side, who awoke from the disruption. She looked up at Orphan, relieved to see him.

"What happened?" Orphan asked.

"Axel," she began, "sent his henchmen after me."

"Why would he do that?" he wondered.

"Heh... I made a deal with him for saving my life. In all reality, this is all linked back to you, ya know?"

"How could that be though? I've never met you before..."

"Sad, how you can't remember me. Back at Rex's castle..." Then it hit him. Orphan could finally remember where he'd heard the name 'Juliet' before. "True, the new body doesn't help, but I still recognized you even with your... renovations."

Orphan laughed slightly. "Well, yours were a bit more extreme than mine."

"Are you implying anything?!" Juliet seemed a bit offended.

Orphan was quick to respond and change the subject. "No! Uh... Anyway, why did you wake me up so early?"

"I have to let you know..."

"Know what?"

"About Axel's plans."

"Yeah we know. Ballistica already told us."

"She knew relatively little. The truth is, Axel is planning something beyond just fixing the final battle. He plans to interrupt the match himself, and eliminate the final participants, taking their battle tactics and strategies. I wasn't able to glean much info while in the organization, but I do know one thing: The forces that Axel will have amassed will be great."

"Hmm.... what do you think we should do?"

"YOU need to find a way to defeat him... he's no pushover, I'm sure you've heard. He has spies within the tournament, so he knows who you are and what you are. I can give you one piece of advice... find as many friends as you can before that final match, and be ready to stop Axel in his tracks."

"But who would I get besides those I already have with me?"

"You can use Oppression. He's a great fighter, and would be a great asset to defeating Axel. Others like Yamato, or Failed Launch can help as well."

"And what about you?" Orphan asked, curious.

"Who would want a failure like me?"

"... We would, of course. If this Axel is anything like what you've described, then you HAVE to help. You were right there next to him, so you know at least a little of how he fights."

Juliet lay there in silence.

Orphan, taking the absence of a response as a refusal, stood up and began walking to the door and was about to exit, but Juliet stopped him."

"Orphan... thank you. And there is one more thing. Axel has a portion of your father's memory.

Orphan's heart skipped a beat. "What?"

"Axel has some of Widower's memory. If you want to continue your 'quest', you will have to defeat him."

Orphan looked back at Juliet. For some reason, his heart skipped another beat.

I'm gonna have a heart attack at this rate he thought. One last look, full of confidence, and Orphan left to tell the others .
=============================
Notes by Laeq:
Alerter - a telephone type device, used to alert someone of an emergency or otherwise let them know that they are urgently needed. In this case, it's used to let Orphan know that he needs to go to the hospital wing to see Juliet

The revised tourney standings will be posted with the next part.
I don't have it available at the moment lol

[Shark]

Part 9- Doubt
---------------------------------------
Pacing in a circle around the room, he felt anxious as many different thoughts raced in his head. Turning over to the small 'crowd', who was busy chattering amongst themselves and looking quite puzzled; Orphan found it extremely awkward to be taking the leadership role in a situation like this. Granted, it wasn't like it was anything too big, but still an odd change of pace.

Clearing his throat rather loudly to garner their attention, they were effectively silenced as he stood up to deliver his speech. “Glad you could make it, everyone,” Orphan spoke in a voice as dominant as he could muster. “I'm sure you're all very puzzled as to why you were summoned here, so I suppose it should be my first task to enlighten you.”

“It would be arduous to explain this in great detail, so let me get straight to the point: This tournament is all just a false pretense, schemed by the tournament host himself, Axel.”

The response did not generate as much buzz as he would have thought. Instead, only two of the three newcomers, Yamato and Failed Launch, whispered amongst themselves but didn't seem too surprised. Oppression, on the other hand, who was already reluctant to attend the meeting, sat isolated in a chair at the back of the room. His face showed virtually no emotion as the statement was said clearly, and it seemed as though his thoughts were elsewhere as well.

Sighing, Orphan rubbed his forehead looking exasperated. The recruits he had gained for the final battle against Axel were rather small, but he at least hoped they would take things more seriously. At the current rate, it seemed as though they didn't care much at all.

“Listen, all of you,” Cobra shouted, making his voice heard over all of them. “I'm not sure if you understand the gravity of the situation, but Axel and his followers are planning to attack the participants of the final battle, then stealing and analyzing their battle skills. He is a very powerful AC who is not to be taken lightly, and chances are many of the tournament's other participants are working undercover for him. That makes everyone in this room--”

Orphan coughed a little, then promptly realized his mistake. It didn't matter if he was in the final battle or not, since it was just like Ballistica said; he was already quite high on the Organization's hit list, and they might have calculated for such an occurrence. If that was the case, they could be planning to take him out too, in addition to the final two.

“--Uh, almost everyone in this room a potential target. So if you don't want to get yourself killed, it would be wise for you to ally yourselves with us. Stick with the plan, and fight conservatively; dealing only as much damage to the opponent as necessary. That way, you'll be more prepared to counterattack when the final bout comes around.”

“Hmm, so are you telling us to simply forfeit?” Yamato inquired, a skeptical look on his face. “Whether it's a setup or not, and whether or not he will try to attack me, I came here to win. Anything else would be against my sensei's wishes.”

“But--”

“While I feel that Yamato does have a point, I'm willing to cooperate with you guys if that's what necessary. Safety should be more important then winning, right?” Failed Launch piped up.

“Well... that was the idea. We need as many allies as we can to even hope that this plan will work effectively. Axel... he may not even be fooled, but we've got to at least give it a shot. Yamato... and you too, Oppression.... is this tournament really all that important to you?”

“........While I recognize that your intentions are good, I don't plan to abandon my honor by playing weak against my opponents. I will not follow that part of your plan, however, if you need me as an ally then I shall prepare myself for the final round.”

“I suppose that's good enough for me,” Drifter spoke up, almost uncharacteristically, and smirking. “Seeing as we're up again in the next round. There won't be any need to hold back.”

The smirk was returned by his blue clad rival. Oppression, on the other hand, seemed to lack the same kind of enthusiasm that the other two did. Instead, having heard the plan, he stood up from his seat and started walking towards the exit. It was apparent that he had no intention to cooperate.

“Wait, Oppression... aren't you going to have a say in all of this?” asked Orphan.

The white one stopped momentarily, seeming to contemplate something. But, instead of turning around to reply, he hastened his pace towards the door and exited with a small slam. The others were left nearly speechless for a few minutes after his semi-dramatic exit.

“Sheesh... what the hell is his problem?!” Serpent asked, looking very annoyed.

“Control yourself a bit, bro,” said Cobra. “It's not like we can force him. But, likewise, it was a bit odd of him to leave just like that. Without a word. Anyone want to see what's up?”

“Leave it to me,” Orphan volunteered, automatically. The rest of the group wasn't too surprised by his enthusiasm, seeing as Oppression and himself seemed to have some kind of unique bond that the others lacked. If anyone had a chance to knock some sense into him, or find out what was going on, it would be Orphan; and only him alone.

Stepping out of the meeting room and whipping his head around a bit, he wondered which direction Oppression would've taken. It took him a while, but eventually Orphan figured that he wouldn't be at the tournament area, seeing as there was plenty of time before the next round. Instead, he settled for taking the route out of the main tournament building, heading towards where the bulk of the buildings were in Yeri Block.

A chilling atmosphere brought uncertainty into his mind, but Orphan tried his best to suppress it. He didn't have much of an idea of what Oppression had in his mind, but one thing was certain: he would be a very important ally in the upcoming battle. And knowing Oppression, it would be him whom would make it to the final round, and be targeted by Axel. The absorption of his mind... that couldn't be allowed to happen.

Soon, rain became more and more evident in the night sky; and it didn't take more than a few minutes for it to come down in vast torrents. His movements were slowed down considerably and his armor became wet and soggy. But he wouldn't turn back in spite of it. Not when there was a very important mission up ahead.

It wasn't long before Orphan spotted a familiar, white speck on top of a skyscraper. It was easy to spot him in contrast to the darkness that surrounded him. Lightning crashed ferociously like an army of tanks moving across a battlefield; illuminating everything for a few seconds. Yet in spite of this, the figure stood tall and unmoving, close to the source of all the commotion. It all seemed to emphasize his bold demeanor.

Boosting up to the top of the large skyscraper, Orphan landed behind Oppression with a slight clank. His back was turned but what he was staring at, or thinking about was a complete mystery.

“So you came... what do you need this time, Orphan?”

Surprised that his detection skills were just as sharp as ever, Orphan responded, “About what we talked about earlier. Don't you care in at least the slightest bit?”

“An elaborate setup, by the tourney host, Axel. Long before I entered this tournament, I had already figured it was something along those lines. But, of course... there was something that I needed to accomplish here...”

“....And what was that? It couldn't be more important than what Axel is trying to do right now. We need to stop him right in his tracks, before his antics and the whole organization situation gets out of hand.”

“....Perhaps you're right. But, the whole way you're trying to go about it is all wrong. I refuse to be a part of it.”

“But why? What exactly are we doing wrong?”

The thunder rumbled particularly loudly, then Oppression turned around. His look was stern and his piercing green eye seemed to stare deeply into Orphan's soul. Then he stepped forth, the rain almost repelling away in respect of his presence.

“Tell me, exactly. Why did you enter this tournament?”

“That's simple. To find and overcome opponents stronger then myself, and to train.”

“And do you feel that you've accomplished your goal?”

“Well... in part. I feel that my loss here has told me I need to gain more experience. It's made me realize just how much I need to go that extra mile...”

“..... Orphan, it's not your fighting skills that are weak. It's easy to tell that you've been trained in multiple backgrounds in the past. Tactically and physically by your former mentor, Blind Eye. By Dragon, who taught you to overcome emotions. The amount of experience you've gained by traveling around the world may even equal, if not surpass most ACs in the tournament.”

“....How did you know I was trained by those two? And more importantly, what are you trying to get at?”

“How I learned about you is not of any importance. But quite frankly, the point is this: no matter how much experience you gain, you'll still be weak. Do you want to know why?”

“......”

“It's because of doubt. In every battle... you can't help yourself, and worry about killing the opponent... am I right? It's not really in your nature to fight with that intent, but you know you must press on. For your father. For Widower. And for everyone else who is close to you. That's the only thing that's really driven you to get this far.”

“............”

“But know this Orphan: you'll never win a real battle fighting half-heartedly. Not against tournament opponents. Not against the Organization. And certainly not against Firefly. If you don't fight with that particular intent.... the intent to inflict serious harm, even to kill, then you may as well pack it in and give up as a fighter.”

“....The intent to kill, huh? I think you've got it all wrong...”

“Oh? Then prove me wrong.... right here and now.”

They stood face to face, an intense but unspoken atmosphere shared between them. Then Oppression dropped his weapons. All of them. The rifles were thrown away far beyond a practical reach, to the other end of the roof. “Hit me once... I promise I won't use any of my weapons. If you can, I'll be a part of your little plan... and maybe I'll even acknowledge your abilities... a little...”

Surprised, yet still very much compliant to the battle conditions, Orphan got into a battle stance, both weapons held out in front of him. The fight began immediately as he did so.

Orphan fired several bazooka rounds at Oppression. They were dodged reflexively. Boosting around to gain a better position, Orphan then opted to strafe and aim with his rifle, to follow up the initial attack. The shots came out quickly in rapid fire, creating a small explosion, but when it cleared he was nowhere to be found.

Where did he...

Interrupted in mid thought, Orphan whipped around, noticing a presence in the corner of his eye. It was his opponent, standing atop one of the large, elevated fans on the roof. He was looking slightly displeased.

“Is that the best you can do?” Oppression asked. “Your fighting style seems unreasonably... dry. Learn to focus your attacks harder.”

Activating his EO, Orphan took fire at Oppression who leaped a short distance and dodged in response. Then, attempting to catch him in midair, Orphan followed suite and took out his complete arsenal.

Before he could even complete his attack, Oppression adjusted his boosting back down to the roof. An idea quickly formed in Orphan's head as he spotted the fans below. It was a bit risky, but at the moment it felt like a decent option to take down a speedy opponent like Oppression.

Boosting back, then swooping down like a hawk, Orphan got himself ranged from the opponent, and point of impact, as he rapid fired both his EO and rifle both at the opponent, then the spinning fan below. He tried to be precise with the attacks, adjusting his aim narrowly to match the motion of the rotating blade.

Oppression dodged the first wave, just as the other wave was deflected off the fan below. He barely dodged that too, but seemed a little less prepared as Orphan had already dished out another barrage of attacks, this time coming from his father's weapon.

Reacting with instincts, he side boosted just a couple nanoseconds from impact. Then, looking back to the sky, he whipped around just in time to see Orphan returning to the edge of the roof, boosting at him at maximum velocity.

Oppression sidestepped just in time to avoid a fearsome kick in the ribs. He then stepped away again as a second strike came, this time by the other leg. Then, not seeming to waste the opportunity, he planted his fist into Orphan's chest, knocking him back a bit. He proceeded to uppercut him in the chin, sending him flying a few meters into the air, and then back down to the ground with a cold, wet splash.

To both, it was clear that the fight had ended; and Oppression had once more emerged victorious. Weapons or no weapons.

“I must admit, that last attack was impressive and it did manage to surprise me a little,” Oppression said, walking over to pick up his rifles. “However, as I suspected you still have a long way to go... before you catch up to anybody...”

It was almost time to begin the next round. He looked as though he were ready to boost off, but apparently something changed his mind. He paused for a moment.

“To be honest, my only intention for entering this tournament was to fight you. Odd, isn't it? Now that I've accomplished my goal, the remaining matches are little more than a formality. However, I will say this... it's nowhere in my plan to go easy on opponents.”

With that, he set off, soon appearing to be nothing more than a dot in the sky.

Orphan lay there, pondering. Wondering if his weakness had been identified, and, if it was; what he would do to correct it. He was still a long ways from beating Oppression. He knew that after three straight losses. But now he wondered what needed to be done to take down a much more powerful entity, specifically that of Firefly.

The rain was lessening, and the sky became much lighter. The tiny drops of water on his armor began to dry up; but on the inside, he still felt largely disappointed with himself.

[shearx]

Part 10 - Breaking Point
---------------------------------------------
Orphan walked solemnly through the halls, back to where the others were gathered. As he took each step, he continuously thought about what Oppression had said about him... about why he would always be weak. Doubt. Hesitation. During the fight, he had thought of new strategies, new tactics, but still he failed to so much as scratch his opponent.

He examined the fight, and those from before, and tried to think of why he had either lost, or why he had won. With David and his lackeys, Judas, The Arc, and Noah, he had won in order to help his father. When he fought and killed Blind Eye, he did so because he was betrayed. Against Wanderer, he fought to protect his own life. With Dragon, he fought to safeguard his mind... But in every battle since, he had failed to overcome his enemy. Drifter... he didn't fully defeat him. Rex he also failed to eliminate. And he completely lost in his first bout with Firefly...

Why, after those times when I did finish my enemies, can't I do it now? Is what Oppression said true? Orphan thought deeply. No... it has to be some other reason...

Before Orphan could finish his thoughts, he reached the meeting room. He paused a moment before entering, afraid of what the others would say. He finally entered, and the occupants all turned, almost simultaneously, to look at him. What they saw disturbed them: A sullen faced AC, deep in thought and exhausted... he looked ghostly.

"Well?..." Yamato was the first to speak.

Orphan turned his head slightly, looking at the ground, his face contorted in shame. The others apparently got the picture, as no one followed up on the matter. Drifter decided to pick up the remainder of the meeting in place of Orphan.

"Listen, guys," Drifter looked around the room, at everyone gathered there. "The point of this whole plan is to give a sense of ignorance where there is none; to play a game we aren't supposed to know about. This means to fight like you would before: with everything you've got. I think that you took Orphan's words for something they weren't. He asked for cooperation in defeating Axel when the time comes, not to give up before. Fight like you mean it, but remember to conserve your energy for the biggest fight." Those around the room all nodded in subtle agreement, some seemed a bit relieved. Yamato in particular seemed more liberated than any other.

After some questions here and there, mostly about clarification regarding the plan, the group dispersed, leaving only Serpent, Cobra, Drifter, and Orphan. The stood in awkward silence, as if someone had just died and they didn't know what to say. The quiet persisted, until it was finally broken by a knock on the door.

Serpent sighed in relief, and quickly volunteered to answer the knock. He hurried to the door, which he opened. He froze, his face cold and unmoving, surprise and embarrassment etched into his caricature.

"What's the matter, Serpent?" Cobra asked, perplexed as to his brother's demeanor.

"It's... it's... it's..." Serpent stuttered.

"It's who?" Cobra came and jerked the door fully open, revealing the subject of his brother's surprise.

"I... uh..." Ballistica faltered, searching for her words.

"Why did you come here?" Cobra pushed in front of Serpent protectively.

Ballistica blushed, standing there sheepishly, one hand rubbing the back of her neck. "I came... I saw people leaving... just thought I'd... see what's up..."

"Hah, I bet, heart breaker." Cobra continued. Serpent finally came to his senses and pushed his brother out of the way. Cobra stumbled a bit, then he looked at Serpent, his pride a bit damaged.

Serpent tried to hide the emotion in his voice. "Forgive my brother... I believe you need to speak to Orphan. Unfortunately..." He motioned towards the empty shell that still stood motionless a few feet away. "He seems a bit busy with whining about losing Oppression as an ally against Axel."

"What? You plan on fighting him? That's suicide! He's been know to hold his own against three or four ACs at a time!And when he has his 'friends' with him, you'd best stay away from the whole bunch!"

Serpent chuckled slightly. "What? One moment you're all emotional, then the next you're slapping the guy in the face, them emotional again, and now you're trying to give us advice?! The only thing you can advise us on is how to change your personality every five sec-" Serpent's speech was interrupted by a firm slap to the face, not by Ballistica; she was abashed once more, looking at the floor. The slap had come from Orphan, who had apparently been jarred from his trance.

"Serpent, don 't talk like that! You're not exactly the most pleasant person to be around. That personality of yours can get offensive at times."

Serpent looked at Orphan with an evil intent, as if he had just been betrayed by his own brother. His eye filled with anger. Orphan didn't notice as he had looked back to Ballistica and was explaining the situation to her. Cobra however, did notice, and his eye filled with fear. He had seen it once before, before they had met Orphan. Cobra tried to intercept his brother, but he was too late.

Serpent lunged at Orphan, punching him square in the face. Orphan fell backwards, landing on the floor. He slid on the surface a few feet from the force of the blow. He looked up at his attacker, eye filled with rage and complete surprise.

"What the hell is your problem?!" He said as he picked himself up from the floor. Serpent was about to lunge forward again, but Cobra caught him and slammed him against the wall. Serpent struggled, then finally relaxed a bit, anger still pulsing through his veins.

"I'll tell you what my problem is! It's you! What with all of your 'high and mighty' talk. You think you're the best of us all, think you're better than us! Better than me!"

"I've never said that!" Orphan yelled back. Drifter was on his toes, ready to move at any moment to hold Orphan back. Ballistica still stood in the open doorway, appalled at the reaction that was provoked out of the beast that was Serpent. "Why would you think that?!"

"Why? Because you're always making the decisions, never asking what we think! Never asking what we should do, always telling us what to do!"

Orphan heard the words, and realized the truth of them. There were only a few occasions when he had asked what the others had wanted. He was selfish. Could this be what Oppression was talking about? he wondered.

"Ah, you know it's true, don't you?" Serpent continued yelling.

"It's true. But if you think you could have done better, then please, by all means, start making the decisions!" Orphan retorted.

"Fine, as my first decision as 'leader', I expel you from the group."

Orphan's eye widened and he took a step back. He didn't expect something like this to happen....

"You have no right to do that," Drifter broke into the yelling. "Orphan invited you to come along, and this is how you repay him?! By rejecting him? Serpent, if anyone should leave, it should be you."

Cobra was offended by the comment this time. "So now you're picking on him? You're lucky we even came, so soon after our brother's death!" He released his grip on his brother, and the two stood defiantly.

"It was your choice! We've all lost someone close! Orphan's father is dead! My brother is dead! Your brother is dead as well! It isn't like he forced any of us to tag along!" Drifter took Orphan's side against the brothers. Ballistica now stood between the two groups, unsure of what to do. All she could do was watch the situation unfold.

"And what have we accomplished in the meantime?! All we've managed to do is unleash an ancient death bringer that we have no hope of defeating! All that Orphan has done is cause ALL of us grief! I should have left him in that prison back at Rex's castle."

"And where would you be then, huh? Dead, or worse, stuck in that same jail. With out his help, you could never have taken Rex alone. You barely lasted against Juliet and the other two!" Drifter was now getting angry.

"Why are you taking his side anyway?! He killed your brother! HIM! Why don't you get revenge!" Serpent was treading thin ice, bringing up that subject.

"STOP!!" Orphan finally interjected. "I had no choice against Wanderer. What would you have done?! Let him kill you?"

"I certainly would have looked for a different solution than to kill him! Drifter," Serpent looked towards the blader. "You KNOW there was another way! Do you really feel comfortable walking around with your brother's murderer?!"

Orphan could not stand being called something so despicable. He boosted forward past Drifter, moving faster than he had ever realized he could go. He Grabbed Serpent by the shoulders before he could even react, and rammed into the back wall with such force that the concrete cracked and crumbled, laying bare the re bar support beams that reinforced the wall. Cobra attempted to pry Orphan from his brother, but failed and was eventually himself pulled away by Drifter.

Serpent looked at Orphan with fire in his eye. Orphan looked back, tears starting to fall. "I had no other choice! I would have been killed!"

"Is that your excuse? 'Kill or Be Killed'?" Serpent mocked.

Orphan took the blow, wincing as he absorbed it. Then something hit him... Is that... Is that what Oppression meant?... "Serpent, how did it come to this?" Orphan said calmly, the pressure on Serpent's shoulders letting up slightly.

Serpent laughed. "I don't know. I guess it started with your losing to Oppression, then me assuming it, then insulting her," he looked towards Ballistica, still standing in the same place. The rage left his eye. "You were right you know... I am not a very nice person to be around am I?"

"Sometimes, but that's just you." Orphan leaned closer and whispered in Serpent's ear. "You can see it in her eye can't you?..." He then loosed his hold on Serpent and helped him up. Drifter released Cobra, who staggered slightly.

Cobra, not quite understanding the situation, left the room in a hurry, rushing past he flabbergasted Ballistica. Drifter apparently also decided to take his leave, as he also left the room. Only the three, Orphan, Serpent, and Ballistica were left.

"Wow..." Serpent whistled lowly. "This is awkward... I bet that was a show, eh, Ballistica?" She said nothing, but instead turned and ran away from the situation. "That seems to be all she does. Turn and run..."

"You can't blame her ya know. She must be shy in her own way, at least when it comes to personal situations..." Orphan said.

"So what exactly happened with Oppression that is so delicate?"

"I lost to him for the third time... but I learned something from him as well."

"And what would that be?"

"Well, during our fight, he said I would always be weak because of 'doubt'. At first I didn't understand him, but now I do. He said that to instill doubt in me. He said it to make me think of why I succeeded in my past battles, and now always seem to be losing. Ever since my fight with Dragon, I have been wary of my battles, unsure and ultimately unwilling to injure my opponents for fear of killing them. I now realize why I could win before, and not now."

Serpent looked puzzled, "And why would that be?"

"In all those other fights I had something to fight for. My father. For my life. For my mind. But what do I have now? I need to find something to fight for. What that is, I have yet to find out..."

"Well, you could do it just for the sake of it. Even if it isn't a life or death struggle, just fight for the sake of winning."

"But that is a shallow reason. Winning isn't everything."

"Maybe, but I can assure you that the one you're fighting is only thinking about winning, and if necessary, that means killing you. Just fight for the moment. If you don't, you'll never truly be at your full potential."

Orphan thought over the words of his companion turned enemy turned teacher. "Is that all there is to life though? Fighting?"

"Hell no! Fighting isn't all there is. For one thing, there's women..." He looked at the now empty doorway, then back again. "Food is another good thing... and upgrades... and...." Serpent continued naming off seemingly random things, not really making any sense. Orphan laughed. Just a few minutes ago, they were ready to kill each other, and now they were talking like nothing had ever happened.

Orphan stopped Serpent's random list, bringing them back on track. "Serpent, I have to fight Oppression again, for one last time..." He looked into Serpent's eye, who looked back. Serpent was thinking the same thing that Orphan hoped he was...

**********************

"Ladies and gents, welcome to the quarter finals of the tournament! This match is sure to be heated as Serpent and Oppression face off!" The announcer's voice blared.

Oppression stood in the grid 1 position, his opponent hidden on the other side of the arena. He was still disappointed from his last battle with Orphan. He listened as the announcer prepared to begin the match, and when the signal was given he boosted forward, preparing to make short work of Serpent. He stopped midway across the courtyard, anticipating Serpent's typical opening move: come out with bazookas blasting. But Serpent did not appear from behind the structure... something was wrong.... He looked all around. To his left, behind him, to his right, but nothing was there... Oppression decided to take a look at the grid 2 starting position. He boosted around the obstructing building and saw the position empty.

"Got ya." Was the only voice Oppression heard before he felt the barrel of a bazooka pressed against his back.

"About time!" Oppression said. "Orphan, let's tango!"

-----------------------------------------------------
Current Tournament standings:

[Shark]

Part 11- Pride
---------------------------------------------
A grin formed on his face, and Oppression vaulted back just as Orphan pulled the trigger. The debris settled down and they stood on even ground with one another.

Then without a moment's notice, Oppression started emptying his rifle ammo at Orphan, who ran out of the way just as they demolished the building behind him. Clicks of madness sounded throughout the arena as bullet after bullet was discharged; causing utter mayhem.

In a similar fashion, the audience seemed just as much chaotic as the battleground was. They yakked on and on about what was taking place, and why nothing was being done to stop the match. Most wondered where Serpent could've possibly gone, and that Orphan, who had lost to Oppression already, was replacing him no less. Even still, there were a select few who didn't really care; and enjoyed watching the match unfold; predicting who would win. It didn't seem as though either had the edge at the moment.

“Well.... look who decided to show up...” Drifter mused as Serpent snook into the room, looking left and right.

“Yeah yeah, I know what you're going to say,” he dragged on as they looked at him skeptically. “Maybe I shouldn't have done that, but what would you do? I had a VERY good reason for letting Orphan replace me in this match.”

“And...?” Cobra uttered, looking a bit bitter. It seemed as though he never did get over the previous day's argument, as confusing as it was, and was on shaky ground with the rest of the group. Nonetheless, he still had mind to hold to his presence as they watched the ensuing battle via the room's television set.

“Well you see.... it's like this,” Serpent began, finding it hard to gather the words. “Remember the other day, when Orphan came back to the room looking all depressed? He and Oppression had another match that day... and he lost again.... badly....”

“So...he wants a rematch? Is that all the reason you're giving us?”

“It's not like that, bro. Don't ya understand? This battle is very important to Orphan. It not about fame or glory. It's not even about experience. This is his fight, and it's about pride! We have no right to interfere with that.”

“Humph. So basically it's his chance to prove himself... to show Oppression that he can carry his own weight, in his own way... ” Drifter postulated.

“Exactly. The last time they were in a battle, Oppression basically insulted his way of fighting; calling it halfhearted or whatnot. Now, I'll admit I'm no genius to what occurs in his mind, but that affected him.... a lot.... so much that he began to doubt whether or not he was doing the right thing,” Serpent continued. “Do you want to know why he's really out there? To prove his worth to Oppression. To show him that's hes much more than what he was called, and more importantly to back up that he has the resolve to save his father, and to defeat Firefly as well.”

“Is that so?” said Cobra. Although, on the inside he felt as though Serpent raised a valid point; and that would also explain a couple of the things which happened previously. Still, it was not easy to forgive his brother or Orphan for their behaviors, and that was something that he couldn't come to terms with.

The three of them watched the television screen silently, as the camera panned an overhead view of the Yeri Block Stadium. Inside, Orphan was fending off Oppression's attacks desperately, who seemed to have gained a slight edge again.

“What's the matter, Orphan?” Oppression asked. “I thought you were going to show me something different... but it's just the same as any other match we've had.”

“You're wrong,” Orphan replied as he evaded several attacks. “I know much better...”

He activated his boosters, circling around the tiny buildings and unleashing a full on assault against the opponent. EO, rifle, and bazooka attacks flew across the arena with unrelenting force, and although Oppression was able to evade most of them, he was starting to get overwhelmed by the few intervals he could attack back compared to what was being dished out at him.

Then, in a surprise move, he released a hohshi from his core. Orphan cursed under his breath, his radar getting all fuzzy and his shots starting to fly off target. He swerved from side to side, trying to track down where Oppression could've gone off to in all the commotion, but failed to do so. Instead, he decided to take a different approach altogether.

Jumping into the air briefly, Orphan whipped around in a circle, launching bazooka shells at the surrounding buildings in an attempt to flush out the opponent. Chunks of cement and dirt began to fly everywhere as the shells rained down around the arena, wrecking havoc upon everything in sight. And that, in turn, seemed to trigger it's desired effect.

Oppression leaped up from somewhere at the back of the arena; although it seemed that it wasn't in surprise, and that he was fully prepared. He flung a couple of quick EO and rifle shots straight at Orphan, who was still trying to recover from the hohshi's adverse effects. The attack was successful, and Orphan staggered back down to the buildings where he was forced into charging.

The audience was now looking tense; momentarily forgetting that the battle should never have been and wondering what would happen next. They didn't care that Serpent was absent anymore. All they knew is that the battle was an intense one, and they wanted it to go on.

Oppression landed on the ground, stopping a few meters in front of Orphan and holding his rifles out. Again, he repeated his favored assault and showered Orphan with shells. Orphan rolled out of the way just in the nick of time, taking cover behind the buildings and waiting for his energy to recover.

However, the tactic was evidently useless as the opponent proved much smarter than to pass up a golden opportunity. Oppression chased Orphan as he retreated, pushing him into a corner where the only escape was to either to get rid of the opponent, or to boost up. Neither appeared to be a viable option.

“So, is this where it ends? Another loss? Have you learned nothing from your previous defeats?”

“....It's a distinct possibility, Oppression... that I haven't really learned anything...”

“....Oh?”

“But that's why I'm here today, doing what I do best. I'm here not only to prove a point to you, but to myself as well. Maybe I didn't pick up anything since the last much. Maybe, my skills haven't improved at all. That doesn't mean I should pack it in and give up fighting. On the contrary, it gives me all the more reason to move on....”

“......”

“Coming here, I hadn't convinced myself or my comrades that I could win. In fact, the odds of victory right now seem very slim. Yet, there were more than a few good reasons to come anyway. To demonstrate my worth. To move a step closer to Firefly's level. This is my battle, and my pride; so if I have to fight you over and over again, win or lose, then so be it. I won't let up until I've beaten my opponent..”

“Heh... win or lose, huh?” Oppression smirked, looking only slightly impressed by Orphan's resolve. Yet, in the time it took for him to say everything, his energy meter had probably gone way up. Still, that didn't matter to him. He felt as though his opponent had improved... even if just by a little. That made for better competition.

The Earth seemed to crumble under Orphan's weight as he took a bold step forward, eye full of determination. He felt strangely spirited, and as a result, felt new strength come to him; both in body and mind. At the same time, a familiar tingling sensation came over Orphan, and his details began to glow an eerie blue...

Elsewhere, confusion was a muck. Two bipedal ACs, shadowed by the surrounding dark area, paced back and forth as they wondered what to do about the upcoming match. Another AC was with them.... a quad, and he was sitting on a tall armchair, legs crossed in an awkward position. He looked as though he were deep in contemplation as he watched the match from a room safe above.

“Sir, I don't understand. Shouldn't we have stopped the match by now...?”

“No. Didn't I explain this to you already? Let it play out for now... I need to observe something. Of course, he'll be need to be punished for this later... disqualify the absent one. Serpent.”

“Understood... although I still think that halting the match right now would be a better idea.”

“Heh, don't you know an entertaining match when you see one? This could prove very interesting, to say the least.”

His eye whirred back and forth, looking at one opponent to the other. Both indeed appeared to be worthy competitors, but there was something... different about the purple one. Something that made him more magnetic, more powerful. But that at the moment was very unclear.

Back at the battleground, Orphan walked up to Oppression, brimming with confidence. It was the power again, which felt vaguely familiar; only this time, he almost had a subconscious control of his mind and he didn't lose some of his memories like last time. It felt different, but oddly refreshing.

Oppression looked mildly surprised by the change. So, he's tapped into the power again; I can see that he's learning to control it. But not by much... he thought. This should be interesting. Bring it on, Orphan. Show me what a descendant of Omega can do.

Then, the action took place without a hitch. Orphan activated his boost momentarily, giving him a lift as he jumped over top of Oppression and showered him with rifle shells. Oppression was knocked into the ground with surprising force, but recovered in a matter of seconds. He turned around completely to fire at the opponent, who merely strafed away from the shots as they pounded into the structures behind him.

Bounding into the air and on top of the buildings, Orphan gained a height advantage as he aimed his assault at the ground below. Despite this, Oppression wouldn't allow himself to be held back. He hopped from the buildings side to side, carefully timing his movements to get away from the shots and eventually meeting Orphan at the top of the structures.

From then on, both exchanged attacks at a blinding rate; making it difficult for the audience to even keep up. The skill of the two combatants was made clearly evident, although it seemed as though Oppression actually had a bit of trouble keeping up. They quickly advanced from long range to close range, taking the fight to a personal level.

Boosting from structure to structure like two streaks of white, they eventually got into a struggle match near the middle of the arena. Explosions erupted with tremendous force as either opponent took hits. But it was obvious that someone had to be on the losing end, sooner or later...

Orphan side flipped out of the way just a nanosecond before feeling the wrath of Oppression's dual rifle combination. Then, in a surprise move, he whipped out his exceed orbiter and bazooka, chipping the surface of the building that Oppression was standing on. The attack was largely successful, breaking the edge of the building while striking Oppression's toes, and at the same time causing him to plummet to his doom.

Trying desperately to recover, Oppression tried to boost back into the air as gigantic rocks threatened to crush his meager form. Regardless, the attempt failed in record time and Orphan took out his rifle, firing several bullets at Oppression's chest and hastening his fall. As a result, he crash landed through multiple buildings, causing even more debris to appear around them.

Not wasting any time, Orphan boosted at maximum velocity, charging over to where his opponent had landed and knocking him back a few meters. Then, still in midair, he blasted away with his father's bazooka, pounding Oppression deep into another structure and creating a fairly big crater to boot.

Examining the damage, Orphan followed suite and landed inside the crater, but received a harsh welcome as he was punched badly on the cheek. Staggering back, he could barely keep his composure as he looked at Oppression, one arm next to his cheek and the other holding both rifles. The next thing he knew shots were flying right before his very eyes.

Flying back as a result of the impact, Orphan planted his legs into the ground below while slowing down his landing, creating deep skid marks in the process. He dived away just in time as dual rifle attacks hit the building above, causing small chunks to fall down and nearly crush him.

Then, getting his trigger fingers ready again, he was shocked upon realizing that no shots would fire.

Out of ammo... Oppression thought, looking at his rifles and dropping them in disappointment. Orphan did the same with his weapons. They had both run out of ammunition before the match could finish, except for one last weapon. Exceed orbiters.

Tension practically cut into the atmosphere as they stood within firing range of one another, and both with dangerously low amounts of AP. The audience was almost completely silent, in anticipation for the next move. A few more shots would decide it. And that was what both were worried about.

Suddenly, Orphan and Oppression both activated their EO, at the exact same time. Time seemed to slow down from seconds to minutes as they charged at each other, letting their respective weapons finish the job for them. Just... fight for the moment, Orphan thought absentmindedly, remembering Serpent's words.

Then everything stopped abruptly as an announcement came over the arena. “Grid 1 AP 0. Grid 2 Wins.”

Utter silence prevailed for a couple of seconds. Not so much as a whisper heard anywhere.

And then, the crowd went wild. Cheering came from everywhere, the naysayers of the match turning into wilding, approving fans. It seemed as though they didn't care whether or not it was not to allowed. To them, the match was simply astounding; and that was all that mattered.

Orphan stood isolated, largely in disbelief; the color of his details turning back to normal as he looked at his fallen opponent. Oppression just smirked, getting up to his feet.

“So... you've improved. That's good to know. Maybe you stand a chance of beating Firefly after all,” he said, walking away nonchalantly.

“But... Oppression...” Orphan murmured under his breath. He felt as though he wanted to say something important, but couldn't find the words. At the same time, he felt overjoyed. He had actually beaten Oppression... and that was a sign of good progress. Whether it was close or not.

“Orphan!” came a familiar voice. Orphan turned around, surprised to see Serpent walking up to him. Cobra and Drifter were following slightly behind, albeit lacking the same enthusiasm. Especially Cobra. Something was up. It seemed as though the argument had sparked something deep in his mind; something that he couldn't get over. However, the moment didn't last more than a minute as the expected announcement was heard over the arena. And the announcer sounded quite displeased.

“Participants, an official announcement: due to the nature of this match, and the fact that it was not intended to be, the victory will NOT be permitted. I repeat, the victory will NOT be permitted. Grid 1, Oppression, will be allowed to auto advance to the finals despite his loss. Also, the participant Serpent is hereby disqualified from redoing this match for not showing up in the allotted time. Thank you.”

“Sheesh... spoil sport,” Serpent muttered, annoyed as usual.

Orphan felt differently. Nothing, not even the announcement, could spoil the moment.

*****

After another trip to the hospital wing, Orphan felt rejuvenated as he ran off to join his friends at the usual place: Drifter's room. Sneaking inside without a sound, he was a bit surprised to see the two brothers looking antagonistically at each other, as if going for another bout. It seemed like deja vu all over again; and already his good mood was beginning to falter.

“Damn... what's up with ya, bro? I'm just wishing you a little luck for the next match and you up and give me the cold shoulder...”

“What's my problem? You're my problem! I'm sick and tired of your whiny and stuck up attitude... it makes me sick just hanging out with you guys anymore! Every last one of you!”

“Wha...?” Serpent said, looking dazed and a bit hurt at once. He didn't for long, however, and his expression quickly turned to anger. Drifter was silent. It seemed as though he didn't want to interfere in the matter. “You take that back....! Just what the hell made you think this way? WHAT?!”

“Umm...”

Orphan looked at the both of them, open eyed, and a bit fearful. Cobra gave him an evil looking glare, then left the room without saying another word. The only sound in the room after that came from the clock ticking.

Then, in a matter of moments, Drifter decided it was time to break the silence. He grabbed the remote from the couch, flipping on the television set to the only channel available. Serpent turned around to the screen reluctantly, pretending not to care much even though his brother's match was coming up soon. It was against Failed Launch, the female AC that they had met earlier.

Then suddenly, a horribly, ugly, truth reared it's head to all of them. It was anything but a pleasant picture.

“Say.... you don't suppose that, Cobra... the way he is, is going to shake up the plan?” Orphan said quietly, voicing all of their thoughts.

“Hmm... I'd say that's a possibility, but not a likely one,” Drifter answered. “Cobra may be angry at us right now, for whatever reasons, but I doubt that he would ruin anything that's for the greater good. He's smarter than that, give him a chance.”

“Yeah... I guess you're right.....” Orphan said with uncertainty.

The only sound that came from Serpent, oddly enough, was a small “pfft”. Nonetheless, they all eyed the screen with anticipation as the next round began. Both opponents assumed their respective grid positions.

“Ladies and gents, now here's a battle we can all appreciate! All the rounds of the winner's bracket have been decided, so now it's time to decide who will join Oppression in the final round!! Next, we have one that should prove very interesting, with ACs who have very distinctive... and different, fighting styles!! Give it up for Cobra and Failed Launch!!”

Both of them received a moderate, respective amount of fan attention. And then the match resumed shortly. Things got off to a slow pace as they ran around the buildings, searching for each other. Failed Launch looked especially cautious, boosting from structure to structure and taking occasional peeks into the distance. Even still, she had little luck with locating the opponent.

“Hmm... I wonder where he is,” she wondered aloud.

Suddenly, a few seconds later, she felt a presence loom behind her. It felt imposing... nearly malevolent, and she quickly realized that it was the opponent judging from the shape of the shadow hanging near her.

Forcing herself around, she pointed her weapons at Cobra's chest, and began to fire with all of her might. The attacks seemed effective, definitely, as Cobra's AP began to dwindle little by little. But, he did barely more than wince as he absorbed the impact. Instead, he took his free hand out; shoving Failed Launch aside with a forceful slap that echoed violently throughout the arena..

The audience “Ohhh-ed” with stupor as they witnessed the act; but thought it as nothing more than a slightly aggressive battle tactic. But then, Orphan had a sinking feeling they were about to see a lot more where that came from. Even Serpent, who was nonchalant just moment before, looked completely and utterly startled.

Failed Launch slowly got up to her feet, slightly distressed. She levitated into the air using her auxiliary boosters, letting loose a storm of machine gun shots at the opponent. Cobra boosted out of the way, then blasted at her with a fearsome, hot, grenade shell. She was forced into the ground, her body overheating badly.

But that didn't stop Cobra. Not for a second. This time, he got up close, and then fired yet again; and several more times to make sure that Failed Launch stayed down. The audience was stunned silent. They didn't know what to make of all of it; whether or not Cobra's action were necessary towards victory or just plain brutal.

Failed Launch lifted her good arm weakly, barely holding it out and trying to pull the trigger to defend against the assault. This time, Cobra blasted the weapon away entirely; the resulting impacting forcing her arm back and nearly snapping it. Then he fired yet another grenade, burning her already weak body.

It was clear that Failed Launch had to hold back from even screaming in pain.

“Uhh.... Grid 1's AP, Failed Launch, has been reduced to zero.... Grid 2, Cobra, has won the match...”

Things didn't end there, even, with the announcer's official announcement. Cobra, his eye full of bitterness and hate, burned his opponent five more times with every deadly, fierce shot that came from his launcher. Then he walked away from the arena without so much as a care.

Leaving his opponent, Failed Launch, burnt black, unconscious, and badly damaged.

Serpent was in awe, but not in a positive way. It didn't take anymore than that for him to storm out of the room, looking for his brother, and not even waiting for the reaction of the other two. There was no reason... his beef was with us. There was no reason why he would've taken out his anger on her! he thought, as he raced through the corridor.

------------------------------------------
Notes by Laeq
If you would like to see some screenies from the fight between Orphan and Oppression, click [HERE]

[shearx]

Part 12 - A turn for the worse...
==========================
Serpent hurried through the hallways of the complex, anger and displeasure coursing through him. He imagined what he would say.... what he would do to his brother, for the horrendous act that Cobra had just committed. Orphan and Drifter struggled to keep up, losing sight of Serpent several times around corners.

Serpent reached the arena, hoping to see his brother, but he was nowhere to be found. He stopped is the middle of the battlefield, looking around with frustration, wondering where his sibling could be. Failed Launch had already been rushed to the emergency wing, in critical condition.

How could he.... what could've caused this in him? Serpent thought. The death of their brother certainly played a role... but it was obvious that most of Cobra's distraught attitude stemmed from him.

Just then, Orphan and Drifter caught up to Serpent, panting and exhausted. “Any sign of him?” Orphan asked. Serpent was silent, which implied the answer.

“We better find him, and quickly.” Drifter said. “After doing something like that, there's no telling what he's up to now.”

Serpent stayed silent, deep in thought...

*********************************

Cobra left the arena with a face of stone. No emotion showed on his face; no regret, no anger, no rage, only the cold face of brutality. As he wandered the halls after the match, no longer feeling welcome among his companions, the realization of his actions slowly crystallized on his consciousness.

He could not think of a valid reason for his actions, except that in mercilessly beating his opponent, a detached, dissociated figure, it somehow felt like he was taking out all of his frustrations on Serpent and Orphan and Drifter, whom he all knew well. The truth of his self began to show itself. Regret, pain, sorrow, guilt, disgust... all of these flooded his mind. He fell to his knees, bent over with anguish. I nearly killed her... she may be dead, in fact... his mind was being crushed...

Not having payed attention to his whereabouts, Cobra managed to wander to the abandoned sector of the complex. Amidst his sobs, Cobra managed to notice the arrival of two ACs. He quickly tried to regain his composure, but did poorly. He rose, and faced the entities, expecting to see Serpent and Orphan. But what he saw instead were two that he had never seen before. One was White, with red and blue accents, wielding two fierce looking laser rifles. The other was blue, sporting white and black details. His weapons, 2 sniper rifles, showed his apparent expertise in the field.

“Who are you?” Cobra demanded.

“We are servants of Axel, the host of this tournament.” The blue one responded. “I am Aceshot-” he said, bowing slightly.

“-And I am Dehyring, the first.” Continued the other.

“What do you want?”

“Axel has sent us to bring you before him. Your recent... activities are of some concern to him, and he wishes to speak to you. Personally.” Aceshot explained.

Cobra was hesitant to believe them, but the thought of someone important wanting to speak to him directly, not his brother or that snotty Orphan, was enticing. Cobra quickly forgot the warnings about Axel and followed the beckoning of Aceshot and Dehyring. As he followed behind the two, he suddenly remembered that he had just killed – or nearly killed – another contestant. Fear entered Cobra's mind, as he realized that maybe he wasn't going so much to be talked to, but punished in some way for his actions.

After some time, and the ascension of several flights of stairs, the reached a rather inconspicuous door, with a keypad to the side. Aceshot keyed in a rather lengthy code, and the door slid open silently. The room behind the door was dim, being lit only by sunlight that streamed in from the windows at a sharp angle. Dust was accented to the rays, floating and careening mindlessly. The sunlight fell across what looked like an oddly shaped throne, in which sat a rather bulky figure, his armor reflecting the light.

“Leave us.” He said, in a deep, booming voice. Aceshot and Dehyring quickly obeyed and left through the same door they entered in. Cobra stood, rather nervous, alone in the room with the ominous presence.

“You know, the penalty for killing another participant in the tournament intentionally is death....”

Cobra's initial fears seemed to be confirmed.

“Cobra, why did you do that to another participant, when you knew full well that this tournament is not about killing?”

“I... I don't know, sir.” Cobra replied, not giving a second thought to the shadow knowing his name.

“Were you angry? Frustrated? What?” The figure urged.

“It was... my brother, Serpent. An argument between he and one of my companions-”

“Orphan?” Cobra was surprised that the person in from of him knew so much about him.

“Cobra, I know about you and your companions, about Orphan, and your little 'resistance'. You're angry that you are hardly given a second thought when it comes to decisions being made in your group, and in your former family, correct?”

Cobra stood silently.

“You have every right to be angry. What you did shows me that you have an untapped ability, that you have not been given the opportunity to evolve as you should have.”

Still silent.

The figure laughed slightly. He stood up, and walked into the light that was splayed across the room. “As you may have guessed, I am Axel.”

Cobra knew this already, and thought the comment to be nothing but an affirmation.

“Cobra, you have been held back your entire life. Your actions in that battle were appropriate, given your circumstances.”

Cobra was shocked to hear something like that: that injuring someone was 'appropriate'. “How is something like that 'okay'?” He asked.

“You were angry, and still are. That was your inner self trying to break out. You enjoyed what you did, and you know it. Else, why would you have continued your assault if you knew you had won?”

Cobra thought back to the moment, not more than an hour before, when he had brutally attacked Failed Launch. He remembered his feelings then. Exhilaration, joy, freedom. He came to the sick realization that he did enjoy it. “What I did is disgusting!” Cobra cried halfheartedly.

“Maybe,” Axel shrugged, “but you want more. You want responsibility. You want someone to depend on you, to trust in you. You want to be the one in charge.”

Cobra knew all of those things were true, and his face showed it. “Yes...” Cobra said, almost unwillingly.

“Cobra, I am giving you that opportunity. I won't even ask you to divulge the secrets of your friends' resistance. But I'm sure that at the end of the day, you'll find that all of your doubts and assumptions are unfounded.”

Cobra remained standing there, an strange sense coming over him. One of reluctance, of unwillingness or disapproval, but there was also his desires. What he wanted most had been lain out for the taking...

**************************

Serpent, Orphan and Drifter stood at the bedside of the gravely injured Failed Launch. She was unconscious, with tubes and sensors and wires attached in various places. Each was silent, as nurses managed the machines that monitored Failed Launch's vital signs. No one spoke, as they all wondered why Cobra could have done such a thing.

Serpent appeared to be in anguish, thinking that he had somehow been the cause of his brother's rebellion. He had mentioned that he was unhappy with all of them, but Serpent had somehow personalized it and took it to heart.

Without warning, Serpent turned and left the room, leaving Orphan and Drifter to speculate. Soon after he left, a familiar face replaced him. Ballistica, having heard and seen the news, came to see how Failed Launch was faring.

“Oh... I'm sorry...” She said as she noticed Orphan and Drifter. “I'll let you two finish.”

“No, it's okay.” Orphan replied. “We were just on our way out.” Both he and Drifter began to leave, when Ballistica stopped them.

“You don't happen to know where Serpent went, do you?” She asked sheepishly.

“No, why?”

“Well, it's just... his brother just did something terrible. I'm sure it affected him a at least a little.”

Drifter laughed slightly. “Slightly more than that, actually.”

“I see...”

“Say, you're up against Cobra next, right?” Orphan wondered.

“Yes... to tell you the truth.... I'm... afraid of him.”

“I don't blame you, after the show he just put on. I'd be hesitant to fight him, actually.”

“That's a surprise, seeing as how you just beat Oppression, the favorite to win the tournament.”

“You saw that?” Orphan seemed embarrassed.

Ballistica looked shocked. “Of course, nearly everyone in the complex saw that match!”

“It wasn't for the show, anyway. It was for myself.”

“Well, you have a strange way of being selfish.” She chuckled.

“Anyway,” Drifter interrupted. “I think it's about time for my match.”

“Oh yeah... with Yamato again. He was a tough one.”

“Tell me about it. We'll see how the fight goes this time around, though.”

Well, good luck, Drifter.” Orphan said.

Drifter just nodded and turned to leave. He reached the door and pulled it open, revealing what could possibly be the biggest shock of their life. There was Cobra, coming to visit the one he nearly destroyed. All three were stunned to see him there. Orphan stared at him, finally getting the chance to study him firsthand after the incident. What he saw puzzled him. Physically, it was the same Cobra he had been traveling with. But his demeanor had changed. Something about this new Cobra disturbed him. And he wasn't the only one. Drifter and Ballistica both showed equally that something was wrong.

Drifter blocked the entrance, as if to prevent Cobra from entering. If Cobra tried to slip past, Drifter would move slightly to block him.

“Move.” Cobra said, his voice commanding and powerful, though he said it with the same tone he had use in his speech before. Drifter held his ground.

“Move.” He repeated, putting more force behind the word. Drifter still would not budge. Then, with lightning fast speed, Cobra had lifted his bazooka and fired a shell square at Drifter's chest. Drifter barely had time to react as he moved his body out of the way. He avoided getting hit in the chest, but instead took the full force of the shot in his shoulder, disabling his left arm. Orphan had reflexively pushed Ballistica behind him, forgetting that she was an accomplished fighter. She did nothing to stop this however.

Drifter pulled back his parrying blade in retaliation, prepared to thrust it right into his old friend. Cobra stood with his weapon held up, his eye glazed over.

“I said move.” Cobra repeated once again.

“Are you insane?!” Orphan yelled.

“No. Just.... redeemed.”

“Wha.... what are you talking about, 'redeemed'?”

“It doesn't concern you. Now let me by!” He commanded once more.

“Why would you want to see the one you nearly killed?” Ballistica asked, still hiding behind Orphan.

“That's my business.”

“'Your business'?! We can only imagine what that would be.”

Cobra was silent. This seemed to confirm the suspicions of everyone. Ballistica finally left the save haven behind Orphan and came to stand in front of the door with Drifter, further blocking Cobra's path. Orphan soon joined the barricade, and together they blocked the now twisted Cobra.

“Do you really think I'd kill here? Don't you know me better than that?” Cobra said, trying to sound innocent.

“Apparently we don't,” Orphan said, “because the real cobra would never have done what you have.”

Cobra only smirked, then he turned and left.

Orphan, Drifter and Ballistica were stunned by what had just happened. They just now began to realize the extent to which Cobra's anger extended. They didn't have much time left until Drifter's match with Yamato. Drifter hurriedly left the room, intent on making it in time. Orphan was left with Ballistica and failed Launch.

Silence ensued between them, either from tension or the strange atmosphere. Ballistic took the initiative to break in. “I'd better go find Serpent... He's looking for Cobra after all, and we just saw him.”

“Yeah... he's not gonna be too happy.”

“Well... he has to know.”

“Of course.” At that, Ballistica took here leave. Orphan thought deeply on the recent events. Cobra, Failed Launch, Axel, Oppression, Juliet...

Wait... Juliet! Orphan though to himself, now realizing that he'd almost completely forgotten about her. He quickly left Failed Launch to her rest, and headed towards Juliet.

When he arrived, he first thought that she was still in bad shape. But upon further inspection, he saw that she was doing much better than before. She was asleep, and Orphan, not wanting to disturb her, was about to leave, when he was stopped by a weak voice.

“Orphan.” Juliet said, drowsy from sleeping.

“Juliet. Are you alright?” Orphan asked her.

“I'm fine. I saw what happened with your friend Cobra. Sudden turn for such a mild mannered character.”

“No kidding. He just came to see his crop. Or harvest it.”

“He wanted to see Failed Launch? But Why?” Juliet wondered.

“He never said. But he implied his intentions. Say, do you think that Axel could have anything to do with this?”

“Maybe. In the brief time I worked with him, I saw that he was shrewd, selfish, and basically evil. If given the opportunity to absorb someone from the opposite side, he'd pounce on it.”

“Maybe he did just that with Cobra...”

“It's a possibility. More likely than not, actually.”

Their conversation was interrupted by the TV in the background, as Drifter's match had just started to be broadcast.

“I hope he does okay.” Orphan said.

“Drifter'll be fine. He did well enough back with Rex, I'm sure he can handle a little rematch.”

“Yeah, but he almost lost last time. Yamato's sure to have studied Drifter since then, and learned how to fight him...”

“If he has, then so what? A true master doesn't learn from watching. He learns from practicing.”

Orphan looked over at Juliet with a bit of surprise. “Oh really?”

“Yes really, you didn't end up beating Oppression by watching him did you? No. You won by fighting him 4 times.” She said that last part with a chuckle.

“Yeah, yeah.”

On the TV, the announcer began to introduce the contestants.

“Welcome, everyone, to the next round of the loser's bracket! This match features two contenders who've fought before, and who have both show how fierce a blade can be! Give it up for Drifter and Yamato!” The crowd cheered and boomed at the mention of the two.

At the arena, Drifter stood in the grid 1 position, calm and sincere. He waited patiently for the start of the match, intent on winning.

Yamato also stood in his position, phasing out all of the noise and clamor. He had fought for the chance to fight Drifter again, to settle the score. To show his master that he was ready.

“For you master, I will win this fight!” He said under his breath. The announcer began the match, and the two bladers bolted towards their final showdown.