Aeka Takayama's Story

The two hulking powered exoskeletons took one step back while the Umibozu consolidated their positions. The Commander, a middle aged officer in a tan uniform turned towards a pair of soldiers immediately following the assault. The pair of Type 303s reloading their Autocannons for another assault. The men checked their weapons, and then checked them again as a cacophony of electronic communications played across their signal ops.

"Targets confirmed neutralized, fall back." An Umibozu Sniper reported, staring into the Bar through a high powered scope, seeing through it's walls and displaying a sensitive thermal image of the Patrons lying in wait, and those wounded or dead.

"The Princess is neutralized, as is the Major and the Officer, prepare the package and fall back."

Two Umibozu near the rear ranks set down a large football shaped device. Keying in a thirty minute timer, and entering two command codes, the timer was set on the 150 Kiloton thermonuclear device.

The plan was quickly unfolding, but given the supernatural nature of the Penance, it was starting to go south. Hit the Undermarket and leave no survivors. That was the Prince's orders.

There was the sound of slicing flesh, and a cry out as the Wraiths worked on the ranks of men. In a fountain of blood, the Soldier's comrades returned fire, trying to hit the scintillating ruby and emerald green lights, and sending 5.56 Silver jacketed depleted uranium slugs towards the flurry of light. Though when the pair attempted to attack the powered suits. Their attacks would be rendered all but ineffective as the magnetically stabilized nanosteel, a metal capable of stopping Aschen disruptor bolts cold, and easily able to withstand something as a high powered laser dissipated their attacks. The Men inside ignored the pair, and bore their weapons back onto the frontal facade of the bar.

All while the Commander's radio clattered in protest.

"We have supernaturals out here, we're not equipped to handle this! We're taking casualties!"

"It doesn't matter, we're going to have company soon, all units fall back! We have thirty minutes to clear this blasted place!" He said in response

Almost with the snap of a finger, the Soldiers were quickly trying to fall back, with the Wraiths in tow and cutting through their ranks

The two Powered Exoskeletons took several steps back, turning back to the bar and loosing another deafening volley of 20mm vulcan rounds into the now trashed facade as they walked back.

Just outside the Chaos, a lone figure adorned in a Skull like mask stood in silence as he watched everything unfold in front of him. He let his senses stretch outwards as the Umibozu quickly tried to fall back. His hand slowly clenched the pistol holstered in his side, and he took a step forward. He nodded somewhat at the soldiers. The prince was if anything thorough.

"In and out." Bishop said to himself, silently observing everything unfolding.

---

Two more sets of narrowed eyes watched the bar from an Adjacent rooftop, as Major Kusanagi pulled the wires from the back of her neck, wires that were hooked to a transmitter that wirelessly controlled a remote gynoid body.

"Shit.." She cursed under her breath, before she vanished in an audible buzz as her therm-optical camouflage engaged.

She broke out into a full run towards Penance, M-5 drawn and firing at the Umibozu, catching them in tight groupings. She had to act quickly, because she didn't trust Randin not to have an inner monologue.

Especially while Aeka was laying on her back, propped against the bar itself with her abdomen sliced clean open, intestines hanging from the gaping maw of her wound, and the poor girl crying hysterically. Cries that, as time progressed grew quieter, as the life slowly began to leave the Princess amid the carnage. Umibozu forces covering their retreat, and firing still into the bar.

Coming to the girls Genevieve responds first curtly all business, her face changing suddenly exclaiming about my wound she rips off a piece of her cloak binding it. "Forgive me Miss i forget sometimes wounds such as this tend to worry people, I've had much worse though i must thank you i can be a tad reckless". Smiling at her his gun still pointed at the door Randin yells out to him and Genevieve to get behind the bar yelling back he says, "don't worry about me get everyone out of here i can handle myself you've met the only surviving Alamo member after all" Grinning Devilishly at Randin. "Plus i gather you've got precious cargo as it is" motioning the severely wounded Aeka "She needs immediate help".

Taking his jacket off he tosses it too Genevieve "Help her use that to apply pressure to the wounds, excuse me i'm going to go and say hi to our new friends". Stepping forward his focus sharpening to a point like the edge of his sword he starts running full tilt toward what was left of the front Shells coming through again. Cutting every round coming his way he smashes through the front like paper, a bloody battle wages before him between the wraiths and the soldiers and right in front of him two shiny Mech's all wrapped up like presents noticing the enemy retreating he mutters "well i just can't have you leave the party without your just desserts". Darting back and forth he moves with unnatural speed advancing on the mechs he makes to slash clean though both.

Yelling back at the bar "WE NEED TO GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE BOYS AND GIRLS THEY'VE GOT SOMETHING BIGGG"!!!!

"Genevieve caught the jacket. "I'll get right on ... that." He was gone before she could finish. She knelt down next to Aeka, closing up the large hole before pressing the jacket hard against the wound, keeping everything inside and slowing, but not completely stopping, the blood flow. "Shit."

She could see the Princess seemed to be passing out. She was losing the girl. "Damn it, no!" She slapped the girl against her cheek. "Stay with me, girl."

"WE NEED TO GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE, BOYS AND GIRLS, THEY'VE GOT SOMETHING BIIIGGG!!!" She heard The Last shout from his position.

"That's not good." She stayed knelt next to Aeka. Moving the poor girl would only kill her faster. She needed more time, as the girl was fading fast already. Unless ...

"Listen to me, lady. We're about to run out of time. I am going to try and heal you, but you must promise never to tell a soul. Do you understand?" She watched as Aeka's head drooped, and she took that a yes. If Aeka lived, she had to remember to tell her once again.

Genevieve silently chanted an old angelic healing spell as her fingertips begin to glow and sparkling little lights seemed to leap and dance from each finger. As she completed the chant, she touched Aeka's side next to her abdomen. Now all she had left to do was wait.

Zach glanced at Randin, then at Aeka, then snarled. "Fuck no. Adam, what's going on?"

"Just, standing the-fuck. Fuck fuck fuck."
"Does that mean what I think it means?"
"Yeah."

The dragonbinder glared at one of the fool newcomers as he ran out into the new round of fire, wincing as the idiot screamed. "Oh, I'm going to kill him with those fucks...Copper, get to your lady and do what you can. This needs to fucking end, and fast."

Reaching into one pocket, he drew a medallion on a chain out, holding it to his mouth as though a walkie talkie. "Jegun, shit went south. Penance got trashed, and I think a fucking Taiyou hit squad just dropped a fucking nuke outside our fucking doorstep. If you've got suggestions, get your motherfucking frozen ass down here pronto."

The man then dropped the coin on the ground and stomped down with his heel, the metal shattering. A new wave of bullets shredded by overheard, causing both Judicars to growl as the Umibozu fled with two enraged wraiths on their heels, the two sharing a look.

Adam snapped at Zach, as the dragonbinder shot back.

"Get his trunk."
"Get that bomb."

Zach turned and sprinted for the painting on the way, diving into what appeared to be solid wood and vanishing, as Adam heaved himself upright, charging through a torn portion of the wall and then diving and rolling out of the line of fire, edging forward for the device on the ground.

Realizing she didn't have time to wait, at least not here, Genevieve slowly rose, cradling Aeka's limp form in her not-so-weak arms. Despite the ease of lifting the girl, it would be a slow gentle walk over to the skull, meaning the women might not make it out of the bar in time. However, Genevieve was NOT going to abandon the young one when she could possibly survive.

"Hey, hotshot!" She called back to The Last as she eased her way through the chaos and destruction. "Do you think you can give me enough time to escape with the girl? If it's possible, I just need five minutes to reach the escape door out back ... Can you pull that off?" She silently pleaded that he could as she listened for a response.

"I've got the girl," Randin was at Aeka's side in a moment after squaring things away with Zacariah. If the daemonus' healing spell had worked, the young Taiyou's wound would be completely repaired and Randin wouldn't have even known she was hurt in the first place. He stepped cautiously towards Genevieve, his hard blue eyes making a quick pass over her figure. Penance patrons weren't exactly a friendly lot... he'd need to be careful.

"Randin Kaye," he introduced himself, "WCP-" The words froze in his throat. "Uhm." He technically wasn't a cop right now - Kraggen had only suspended him a few days ago. "...Terran citizen with good intentions." He nodded gruffly. "Aeka here is in my care, thanks for-" The detective ducked briefly as another flurry of gunfire roared through the bar and splintered several rafters. "-for looking out for her. We have a ride incoming. If I were you, I'd stay in here. The Undermarket is probably crawling with this those things." He held his magnum at-ready position, looking suspiciously out towards the smoky battlefield near the front of the bar. Penance had defended itself.

"You hanging in there darling?" Randin stooped to one knee near Aeka and offered her a smile. He quickly examined her for wounds.

Hearing Geneveive yell from the bar The Last flips backwards retreating back into the bar firing shots at the mechs in such a way to disrupt there view momentarily. "No problem doll although it appears they are already retreating, i think they might have a bomb or something Randin was it?? I hope your ride comes fast because otherwise we're screwed i'm going to go try and find the bomb before its too late". Tossing a makeshift device at Randin "press the button on that when your ride is here if i fail, i don't particularly want to be ashes". Darting off he focus's tired of playing grab ass with the Mech's he darts through, slashing at their legs to topple them over dashing his way to what he believes to be the bombs location given the retreating soldiers from the area eliminating any that cross his path by bullet or sword.

Like the Wraiths before him, the Last would find his blade unable to cut through the nanosteel armor of the retreating exoskeleton suits. In fact, when he ran up to them they would attempt to swat him away with a quick swipe of their large arms, and then a hail of 20mm gunfire. The kinetic force of each depleted uranium round would put more and more stress on his sword. If he kept cutting through them, inevitably his blade would break.

As Geneveive tried to heal Aeka with her power, at first the wound would appear to knit together and slowly heal. At least until Aeka's own innate abilities detected an alien energy gathering around her. Genevieve would likely find strange wooden cylinders beginning to form around her, and a powerful interference with her magic which all but ground the healing spell to a halt, retaliating with a powerful energy wave that would likely cause sudden, immense, and incapacitating pain. The wooden cylinders remained for several moments, casting a force-field around Aeka, floating there in a staggered formation around the Taiyou princess.

As the Last ran around trying in vain to locate the bomb. Major Kusanagi had just finished pulling the wires from the bomb's electronic interface. Cables that went from the bomb and into the back of her own neck.

Once she had finished with that, she turned back to the Tavern, where the Umibozu had largely cleared out. The Major quickly broke out into a run, vanishing as her therm-optic camouflage engaged.

Randin would find Aeka laying unconscious still, wooden cylinders lazily floating around her, a massive bloodsoaked blotch in her abdomen.

It seemed as the Last was slicing and dicing through incoming ordinance, one of the rounds he cut sent shrapnel, where the round would have supposedly impacted the wall, it was cut in two, with shrapnel cleanly slicing the Princess open, and peppering her with fragments of depleted uranium and hot lead.

The door to the tavern opened up just as Randin was making his way back to the girl. Major Kusanagi was standing there, her imposing form back-dropping against the chaos of what just happened.

"You work for me now." She said flatly to Randin, her hand outstretched. "I wanted to make sure Shimizu hadn't gotten to you first. I'll brief you on everything when we get out of here, but first we need to stabilize that wound." She said, pointing to Aeka.

"And not with Magic, she's resistant to Magic and if you use any on her it may kill her. We're going to have to do this the old fashioned way." She said, pointing to Zach.

"You, get me some towels, we need to put pressure on this to stop the bleeding." She then turned to Randin.

"Find me a needle and thread."

Running he notices the cyborg lady Motoko Kusanagi from earlier disappear near where he thought the bomb was, must of had a backup he thought to himself. Running to where she came from he found the bomb already disconnected "huh i guess that means she's on our side kinda, well at least the side that doesn't want to blow up an entire city". Sighing he shrugs and checks his wound the bleeding having stopped mostly thanks to his unnatural healing, while the wound was still bad it wouldn't interfere as much as it did. He was going to have to strike fast and hard on those mechs before they realized the bomb was disarmed, his sword while indestructible cutting the mechs legs he had not been able to get clean cuts due to the large arms which he had narrowly avoided being crushed by.

That and the entire damn things were made of nanosteel incredibly hard to cut even for his sword not that it couldn't, he would have to go for the legs to slow it enough to go for the narrow viewing window stabbing through to the pilot. He would have to finish this fight fairly soon or he would tire out and lose his focus, losing his unnatural speed,reflex's, and everything else. He wasn't so sure he could take him them on like that then. This is going to get ugly he thought to himself, darting in for the attack striking at the legs with unmatched speed.

Zach stepped into view in time to get ordered to grab towels, dropping the oversized trunk in his hands to the floor as he gaped at the lady he'd only a few minutes ago seen torn in half by gunfire. "What the fu-"

"Oh." His eyes had found the bomb. Muttering under his breath, the man flinched as he retrieved towels. "Oh fuck, Adam's going to be pissed." Hurrying over to Aeka, the man applied the makeshift dressings and then placed pressure with startling precision for a "simple thug".

"Get your ass in gear, cop boy."

---

"The hell did that bomb go?" Grating the words, Adam scanned one more time, glaring as another round of gunfire tore into the Penance's front. Glancing at the retreating team, he saw the wraith's slashing and weaving, the rounds passing through their non-solid forms like bullets through smoke, the occasional round that struck their claws pinging off the talons with grating squeals. And then the fallen cursed, the sight of the idiot slashing rounds and fruitlessly striking at the mechs sending more shrapnel into the very building he was supposedly protecting.

A glance at the guns in his hands, and they clattered to the ground. "Fuck that."

With speed his heavy body deceptively hid, he raced after the assault team, whistling shrilly. Molk and Tholk peeled off instantly, flashes of lurid light before slipping into and through the buildings around them. Adam lunged forward and lashed a hand out for the Last's collar, aiming to yank and throw the man down the street the other way with a strength far beyond what any mortal man could possess.

"Shithead, you're causing more damage to us then them!" Roaring as he attempted to fling the man, in his twist he lashed out with his other fist for the arm of the nearest mech. Unlike the fool, however, Adam was no human. The bedrock hard knuckles of his hammerblow packed the power to blast a deep dent in tank armor, knocking it onto one track for a moment or two.

With the instinct only generations of war could bring he sensed Adam before he saw him barely darting away the brute tearing away a piece of fabric. Yelling at The Last angrily he was fast fallen angels usually are, strike that angry fallen angel noting the savage punch leveled at the mech. Seizing the opportunity he darts at the mech if staggered stabbing through the viewing visor trying to finish the pilot, flipping backwards afterward to address Adam Ruin.

"Calm down big guy we're on the same side here, i'm pretty sure that they're the ones shooting rounds at the place not me i was the only one distracting these damn things allowing the others to heal the wounded i'm leading them away and have facing the other direction how the fuck am i hurting anyone". Some of his anger leaking out despite his best intentions calming down he took a less angry tone "look either we can start something for no reason or we can take out the fuckers who shot up the damn bar in the first place i'd rather do that up to you pal". Tightening his grip on his sword he readied himself knowing if this angel reacted badly he'd have to step up to an entirely new level fallen angels were highly unpredictable, The Last had fought a few in his long and storied lifetime. The last time he fought one it had taken everything he had to defeat the fucker it had taken his left arm off in the process, hoping to avoid that he readied himself keeping an eye on the mech ready to react to that as well.

With the instinct only generations of war could bring he sensed Adam before he saw him barely darting away the brute tearing away a piece of fabric. Yelling at The Last angrily he was fast fallen angels usually are, strike that angry fallen angel noting the savage punch leveled at the mech. Seizing the opportunity he darts at the mech if staggered stabbing through the viewing visor trying to finish the pilot, flipping backwards afterward to address Adam Ruin.

"Calm down big guy we're on the same side here, i'm pretty sure that they're the ones shooting rounds at the place not me i was the only one distracting these damn things allowing the others to heal the wounded i'm leading them away and have facing the other direction how the fuck am i hurting anyone". Some of his anger leaking out despite his best intentions calming down he took a less angry tone "look either we can start something for no reason or we can take out the fuckers who shot up the damn bar in the first place i'd rather do that up to you pal". Tightening his grip on his sword he readied himself knowing if this angel reacted badly he'd have to step up to an entirely new level fallen angels were highly unpredictable, The Last had fought a few in his long and storied lifetime. The last time he fought one it had taken everything he had to defeat the fucker it had taken his left arm off in the process, hoping to avoid that he readied himself keeping an eye on the mech ready to react to that as well.

Genevieve slowly clambered to her shaky feet, rubbing the small goose-egg on the side of her head. Her thoughts were pretty hazy as she tried to recall what had caused her to momentarily black out. As the daemonus glanced around and observed her surroundings, she tried to remember. "I ... left Terra ... landed here in Wing City ... fighting broke out again ... tried to heal the girl ..." She looked over at Aeka and the wooden cylinders.
"Ah, yes ... that happened." She stepped closer to Motoko Kusanagi. "She must be Royal ... What can I do to help?"

Randin's initial surprise at seeing Kusanagi alive was instantly replaced with cold, calculating reason as she gave her orders. Aeka was wounded - healing her was their first priority.

Holstering his magnum, Randin bounded the bar counter and quickly headed towards what looked like a supply closet. "Want to point me in the right direction, Zach?"

While the Umibozu continued their retreat, thy largely ignored their pursuers. This meant the Mechs would stop attacking the Last should he stop attacking them. Though his sword was useless against their armor, as it would take much more than an enchanted blade to penetrate their armor.

As Adam lashed out against the second Powered exoskeleton, the slave arm would move to try and block the blow. The sheer force of the individual's attack knocking the Exoskeleton on it's back, and leaving a small, fist sized indentation in the forearm of it's nanosteel armor.

The Mech's pilot oriented himself, and then fired two 40mm grenades towards Adam and his accomplice, each grenade detonating in a powerful concussive blast that would flatten nearby structures and shanties.

The two 40mm grenades were followed up by a flurry of 20mm Armor piercing depleted uranium slugs, which. when cut in half would send shrapnel zipping out in all directions. Further endangering the occupants of the bar.

---

"We need to stabilize the Princess and then exfil, the Umibozu won't leave us along for long once they find out the bomb didn't go off."

"They'll come back with much more force unless we get out now!" The Major called out, while turning to Genevieve.

"You can stay out of the way for now, there's no sense in endangering yourself too." She added. turning to Zach and Randin.

"Help me get her onto one of the tables. We're going to have to carry her out of here."

Ready for the response he flips backward only to be blasted back by the force of the grenade slamming into the side of the building next to him coughing up blood. "Shit that actually really hurt" standing up wiping the blood off he is quickly greeted by 20mm rounds barely avoiding the first round he sets into a flurry of motion dancing around the round. Moving out of sight he darts back into the bar, the mechs were retreating anyways that he just wasn't getting decent cuts "i can cut fate but nanosteel apparently to much right now" muttering under his breath. Seeing the girl Aeka wounded he sets about to helping them picking up the girl he sets her on one of the tables. Even though he knew this was possible he didn't like it, i mean shrapnel was better then a 20mm hole in a person he still felt responsible turning toward the Major Motoko Kausanagi "i owe this girl one big time tell me what to do and it will be done".

Genevieve stood back, but she had no plans on leaving until she was certain Aeka would survive. "From the look of things, she'll need a quick patch and once we get out of dodge, she can receive proper medical attention. Since I highly doubt I can make it out the front undetected, I'll help the effort here. Once the battle here has stopped and the girl is stable, however, I will take my leave. I have drawn too much attention to myself as it is."

She hated to sound so cold, she truly wanted to stay and help, but the small healing power she had used would send a red flag to Mark. In other words, she would need to leave the planet rather soon.
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Back on Terra ...

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S GONE?" Mark stood angrily over his cowering minion. Genevieve, the last remaining daemonus in existence, had managed to escape her room of solitude several weeks ago, and the bumbling, good-for-nothing imbecile whimpering at his italian-leather shoes had been unable to locate her. "Do you mean to tell me that every available demon has searched every bloody corner of the entire bloody planet and, still, Genevieve is NOWHERE TO BE FOUND?!?"

"We searched everywhere for the daemonus, your grace." The demon managed to control his cowardess to continue his report. "There wasn't even a trail to follow, like she was refraining from using the full extent of her powers."

" YOU DON'T BLOODY THINK I KNOW THAT?" With a furious swipe of his hand, Mark vaporized the demon. "IDIOTS! THE LOT OF YA! UNLESS SOMEONE HAS ANY IDEA ON LOCATING THE GREATEST WEAPON WE HAVE TO FIGHT THE ANGELS, I WANT THE WHOLE BLOODY LOT OF YOU OUT OF MY SIGHT ... NOW!" He roared the last bit so much ferocity, the demons fled in fear.

"Sir?"

Mark was approached meekly by a young demon called David. "This better be good, kid."

David smiled proudly. "We found her, sir."

Adam cursed as the barrel came up, and even as the grenade sailed towards him, his open palm was screaming around. Inhuman strength and perception combined to do the impossible, as his hand slapped the grenade away from himself and the Penance. Unfortunately, it didn't go very far, striking a building and detonating with a roar. The man was plucked and thrown by that blast, hurtling into another shop on the other side of the street, crashing through the front and tumbling through the floor into the counter.

Groaning as he fought unconsciousness, blood streamed freely from his nose, ears, and half a dozen cuts just on his face. Looking at himself, he scowled at the sight of deep, deep bruising over most of his torso and arms, remnants of being far to close to what would have been lethal for a human. Out of the line of fire for the moment, Adam was damn well content to let them run like hell.

"That went like shit."

---

"Behind the counter, big fucking box with a damn medical cross on it, jackwit." Snapping off as he maintained the pressure on Aeka's wounds, Zachariah glared and snarled with draconian menace at the fool returning from outside. "Don't even think about fucking touching her till she's stabilized, you lowlife fucking prick. WE caught your fucking backwash of shrapnel, so I advise you get the fuck out and don't come back before I rip your balls off and shove them all the way down your throat."

Waving Randin off with a toss of his head, Zach's form rippled, a look of almost ecstatic pain on his face as with sickening noises, reptillian arms burst from the center of his torso, sliding under the girl and cradling, before he lifted Aeka from the floor with only the smallest of grunts. Carefully maneuvering the girl to a table, he shifted his focus back to maintaining pressure.

---

With a palpable wave of warning radiating from him, the white haired man strode down the avenue of the Undermarket, one hand tapping a significantly sized magnum against one thigh. As he can across the combat damage, his expressionless mask shifted to a scowl, his blood coming to a slow boil as he took in his own property, the Penance.

Less than a minute later, he opened to door, only for the blasted piece of wood to fall inward off its hinges. Jegun's scowl deepened. Glaring around the room, his eyes found Kusangi. "What happened, and who did it. Feed me bullshit, and you'll never quite know what sent you to meet your gods."

"She's a little busy," Randin glared at the white-haired man, his voice stern but not unkind. He handed off the medical box to Kusanagi as Zach lifted Aeka onto a table and assisted with the medical efforts. Randin wasn't going to be much help here - Aeka was in good hands. Best diffuse the tension in the bar as best he could.

"I can answer your questions," he stepped back towards Lobos, meeting his eyes carefully, "your bar was attacked by Umibozu, Taiyou special ops. They were after that girl-" He nodded towards Aeka. "-and they very well would have killed her had your men not stopped them. You've saved an innocent life, and you have my thanks. We'll be out of your hair just as soon as she's stabilized and able to be transported."

Genevieve watched the newcomer, keeping a close eye on his hands in the case he should reach for a weapon. She wasn't very experienced in trusting anyone - she only barely trusted the rest of the bar patrons - and this guy was no different. Under her cloak, she held her right hand on the holster on her .45 mag. Should he try and harm any of the wounded, she was ready to fight back. If he let them flee unharmed, she could slip away unnoticed all the easier.