The Fury of the Brotherhood. (Closed)

[Guest]

(Approximate time, unknown. Date, unknown. Year, unknown

Location: Approaching Drachman borders with both Creta and Amestris)

As far as he knew, he was part a civilian tour group headed to Creta. Go see the sights! Enjoy a little bit of foreign nations! Or, go on leave away from the Glorious Motherland so as not to be caught up in the midst of all the damned politics. He never liked politics, always bothered him.

But, now the public transportation of theirs was approaching the border, after several hours of traveling by the highway. The snowy lands of Drachma were now few, and making way to the rocky territories of Western Amestris and Creta.

'God. I hope nothing goes wrong with this trip' Hei comments to himself, foolishly tempting Fate to screw with him, royally.

[Guest]

SUDDENLY, A BAZILLION ANIMALS ATTACK HEI AND RIP HIM APART AND EAT HIS FACE OUT BEFORE RIPPING HIS RIPPED PARTS INTO MORE PIECES. AND THEN DEVOUR HIS SOUL AND DESTROY HIS ENTIRE BODY, BEFORE RAPING SAID PIECES. Or so it would've went had Hei really been tempting fate, which is, so far, has always been consistently a douchebag in history of mankind itself, and merkind.

Instead, the Xingeseman would be greeted by a high wall in the middle of a mountain which laps into a square. A gate is present at front, and a guard, of odd peculiarity. He has a mustache, and would be wearing what would be Medieval Xingese fashion of clothing (think Ming dynasty in the real world), holding a yari spear, towering over Hei. Means he really is tall.

"Answer me these questions three, mortal FOOL." Pronounces in Xing the Xingman guard, "What walks on four legs at dusk, two legs at noon, and three legs on sunset?" Even if an answer was given, and a correct one at that, suddenly the guard launches himself as to protect the contents of the gate which blocks the tunnel into the mountain. Thrusting spear and swinging it at Hei with wild abandon.

[Guest]

The bus stops shortly at the ... was that a mountain? What was a mountain doing here? Or more accurately, what was one mountain peak doing out in the middle of nowhere that had only flatlands instead of a mountain range? Honestly, Hei was puzzled, this was an international group of tourists on their way to Creta, namely London, why did they approach a mountain? He hadn't heard about this ...

Then again, he hadn't read the information carefully when he signed up for this tour in the first place, and wasn't even sure if he was on the right vehicle. Nonetheless, the tourists seem to be getting out here, as the giant Xingese guard seemed to be standing in the way. The self-loathing Xingese from Drachma had to resist the urge to attack the guard, seeing as he was six feet and several inches tall with a giant spear. Besides, he wasn't here to start a slaughter fight.

"Answer me these questions three, mortal FOOL: What walks on four legs at dusk, two legs at noon, and three legs on sunset?" the guard yells. With obligatory ominous echo to supplement his voice. And then he just stood there, as if waiting for an answer.

The tourists began answering, and it seems Hei had joined the Special Needs tourist groups ...

"A werewolf? See, he goes on fours when just before its light. Walks around like a person in the noon. Then he hobbles around clutching his head cause he don't want to be a wolf again!" Hei's faith in humanity waned a little.

"Chimeras? They can have extra limbs growing out of them when they want, and they might do it when it's darker and all!" Hei's faith was now rock bottom.

"A baby! You let 'em crawl on all fours. Lop off their legs and let 'em drag themselves by their hands. Then give 'em a little crutch and let 'em hobble around on three limbs!" Everyone was staring now. Hei's faith went into the negatives.

"Of for the love of the Soviet Bear ... It's a MAN! Metaphorically, he crawls on fours when in the dusk of life, walks uprigh-" Hei's answer was cut off by the yari-wielding Xing guard attack him. The Drachman-Xingese decided to stop talking and instead dodge the spear, by rolling off to the side, as the blade of the weapon impaled the bus ... and sent it back a couple meters and off the blade from impact alone.

' ... Ahhh **** so much for not fighting.' he was now at the guard's right side, ready for battle. How, oh how, was he going to attack someone towering overhim, clearly having a lot of strength to back up his body, and unarmed saved for his shotgun and knives? well, let's see what happens next, then.

[Guest]

A single drop of a tear fell from the guard's cheeks as in the first time in history, a mook actually saw what horrors he has done to those innocent people, despite wanting to kill one man. A revelation hit him on how he has done such atrocities. Sobbing as he broke down, crying, his tears stream into a waterfall to the ground. "WHAT HAVE I DONE TO THESE POOR OLD PEOPLE?! I am not a proper guard, I am a MURDERER! FAREWELL, CRUEL LIFE."

Without even consideration towards even a pep talk from Hei, the man turned around, gave a smile to Hei, spun the spear around and plunged the blade through his chest. Impaling himself as blood poured from said wound to the floor. Mingling with the tears. His hat fell on Hei, it had a feather, and looked mighty fancy.

"Farewell... cruel world... good bye... father... mother... your son did horribly... I could not be a ballet dancer like I always wanted to be..." And so his breath passed into a single sigh, his body went limp, falling to the ground as the gate opened up invitingly, drawing sight of a long corridor, and at the end... somehow another same looking guard stood with a Naginata this time, and a large Walrus mustache.

[Guest]

. . .

"What ..." Hei uttered that one word, in confusion. That was all he had to say. Nothing else. And then he noticed that the gates had opened, and there stood

ANOTHER FUCKING GUARD WITH A LARGE POLEARM AND MUSTACHE. Hei shook his head, and gingerly stepped around the man who had committed suicide with his weapon, proceeding inward, still confused and approaching the second giant.

"Pardon ... " he inquires in Xingese, out of habit, "But ... do you know what just happened here?" He honestly had no idea if it was safe to be asking the similarly armed guard before him about just what was going on. This was so not what he wanted to do for his vacation, honestly. And if this damned guard wouldn't give him answers, he'd rip the fool's mustache off and shove it down his throat before then ripping his arms off to club him to death with them.

[Guest]

...

The guard was silent, looking out at this puny thing that resembles Hei. Scratching his crotch as what would have been a pubic hair stuck to it, despite wearing pants. He shakes his hand as said pubes fall towards Hei's direction, before a fart that echos, to which would be seen as green was visible. Blowing out and being suctioned below the gateway he also guards which reveals there is some path behind him. A draft.

"Once upon a time, there was this warlord, who was my grandpa. We were sworn to protect these lands no matter whom inhabit it, and as you can see, our family for several generations actually guarded this place. Tasked to ensure no visitors which are ugly, like you, are allowed inside. But there is a tale behind that, the great Dragon XuChi, was a great and terrible poet whom can cause ears to bleed, whom had... *An hour later* AND SO, that is why, I wear no underwear."

He smiled at Hei, spreading his legs, taking up a combat-like position, "READY YOURSELF PEKING DUCK! This warrior going commando shall KICK YOUR ASS." And so, he swung the blade with a thrust, this time, more skillfully and not with wild abandon.

[Guest]

. . .

His mind went blank at the mention of the idiot's family. Honestly, he saw the mouth of the guard moving, but all he heard was an annoying buzzing noise. So, naturally, he just ignored the guard, and stared blankly off into space ... and thus ignoring any insults.

Apparently, this went on for an hour, the tourists outside were horrified and transfixed at the scene! A moderate height Xingman staring down a towering giant of Xingman.

"READY YOURSELF PEKING DUCK! This warrior going commando shall KICK YOUR ASS." the guard bellows, snapping Hei out of his reverie of snapping the fools neck and burning his corpse. Followed with a thrust forward at Hei.

'Ah ... nucking futs. I thought I already killed him' the Drachman-Xingese groans mentally, deftly side-stepped at the last moment to avoid getting stabbed right in the chest. The naginata's blade passed by ... and Hei grabbed a hold of the weapon before the Xing guard could withdraw it ... or swing it.

"Oh really? I wonder if you'll be doing the ass-kicking, or be getting your own ass kicked!" Hei simply declares, now with a death grip upon the odd weapon. His fingers were already starting to crush the metal, a little more pressure and he'd probably break it into two.

[Guest]

The guard did not seem to really budge much, it was just that in that moment, his hand, A HAND, freed itself from the handle of the blade as the other held on, withdrawn the belt of his girth, pants loosened and fell, flaps moved as what would be apparent he indeed is going commando, is pulled out. Urinating upon Hei's eyes which would definitely sting as he kicks his pants like missiles at Hei's face as to blind him, and further illustrating with ANOTHER KICK to Hei's face as to launch him back before further damage can be done to the metal.

"I KNOW THE ANCIENT ARTS PASSED DOWN IN THE XINGCHU GENERATIONS! You cannot win. Make your time. All your life are belong to us." Says the Xingese Giant leaking out with urine. Inclining as to pull back said Naginata and were it released, it would be plunged diagonally from bottom to rightwards up at Hei's flank, aiming as to cleave him into two.

[Guest]

And. That happened. And his opponent was indeed not a liar. And Hei was knocked back. And he was blind. And he was going to get cleaved in half.

Or not.

The Giant didn't realize that his naginata was broken. You see, the moment that urine hit Hei's eyes caused enough irritation that he finally clenched hard enough to break the damn weapon. In short, his fingers are burrowed into the metal, have ripped it off from the main staff, and now have a large bladed spearhead in their grip. So, when Mister Commando Xing-Guard decided to swing his Naginata, he misjudged the swing due to the length of his weapon suddenly decreasing by at least forty centimeters of steel.

"God ... this is so fucking RETARDED! I go out of my way to pay out of my damn pocket for a nice trip, and the next thing I know, I'm attacked by giant, fucking, burly Xingese men who happen to be IDIOTS!" the Drachman-Xingese snarled aloud, his patience was now at its limits. So much that, after using his left hand to clear his eyes (rubbing the god-damned urine out of there) for a moment, he was more than happy to kick this guy's ass. Which he promptly did.

More like, Hei went flying across the short distance and drop-kicked this guy in the face. That's a fairly standard maneuver for Hei, considering his fondness of targetting the face. If successful, the enemy would be sent flying back a good distance and maybe leave a dent in the gates. It unsuccessful to hit the face, it would promptly break any bone located in whatever part of the body used to block. And it would break metal. And it was going to hurt, a lot. So much, that this giant was probably in for a surprise.

[Guest]

Surprisingly, the man was confused, baffled, being more skilled than the last Xingese guard, as in it took for him longer to succumb. Plunged back into the gates that it burst open, his face broken in many places, as he let out a final sigh signifying his death. A death without pants. Urine leaking and intermingling with blood. Somehow. Fecal matter having been released as it is common knowledge when you die, you defecate, if you were in fact aiming to defecate, his was a turtle kind of defecation, where it was half peaking out and half inside, but now, fully outside. A final fart was let out in a sigh that in fact signified his FINAL DEATH. And so passes the legend of the dead Xingese man who can fight with urine. His story years later would be passed down to have been a powerful warrior of renown, where in a small village called Huang in Xing, he would be the warrior saint of the place.

The opened gateway led deeper into the tunnel that was far and wide, to... ANOTHER GATE GUARD. Whom was also Xingese, and wore armor of gold. Had a beard with a huge walrus mustache, wore purple velcro sneakers, wore sunglasses, and held two Guan Dao, dual wielding them, Akimbo style. He was an extra foot taller. Also wore some purple Qing hat with a feather parked to the right side.

Oddly and rhythmically shaking his head in and out, biting down on his bottom lips as spit flies out, humming a beat of a tune. It was evident that his teeth had the surface laden with gold. He had a resemblance to those two other guards, except this one gave off a very deadly aura. One so deadly, it can make one faint of heart, in fact, faint.

[Guest]

Hei paid the fellow no mind. In fact, he was still trying to clean off all the damn urine! Well, at least another elderly tourist offered him a handkerchief to use, and Hei was glad to have some cloth to use to clean the filth off!

"God-damn. This is freaking disgusting!" he bitches and moans as he finally removes the traces of whatever that damned stinging substance (he was now mentally blocking out the fact it was urine) was. He calmly thanks the tourist, who just rambles on about how it's wonderful that Hei was putting on such a spectacular and realistic show for all the others.

Hei took a look back at the tourist group. There was a bunch of different emotions in there: Bored, excited/interested, and Cloudcuckoolander. No one was distraught that there were two corpses on the ground, no one was complaining that some giant was basically stripping himself to battle in the nude. Hell, they were either entertained enough that they didn't care, OR they were BORED ENOUGH that they didn't CARE!! It was ridiculous!

"Hey! You ... just what's the big deal around here?!" Hei shouts at the third guard, but not without groaning at the sight of the man. His head was feeling ... lucid and bright for some odd reason.

[Guest]

So this little bird speaks to the greatest of warriors around. He who conquered shadows, he who decimated Leise Todd. He who was greatest and most powerful. He who is like a Solid Snake on pinata and steroids. The guard in the blings is the GREATEST. His is that of power and might. Being asked what's going on around is so... demeaning. He will have to show this ruffian his TRUE POWER. That of screenshots and imitations!

"Fool, I am Shikaraku who is a Breaker of things, my power is that of a THOUSAND WHALES. You stand no chance against ME. What is going on is that you will be killed because you DIE." That said, the guard, flexes his legs, ready to leap and rend the flesh from the smaller Xingese man.

Ready to destroy him into nothingness. To reduce Hei into but a gore of bones. And he did just that, he DESTROYED HEI, HIS BODY, WITHOUT ANY RESISTANCE, AND EVERYTHING ABOUT HEI UNTIL HE GOT WIPED OUT. THEN, HE ATE HEI, AND FARTED HIM OUT, AND DESTROYED THAT FART.

(GM OOC: Wait a minute, you can't do that. I am editing this shit. NO AUTOHITTING.)

(Shika OOC: ); )

And so, using the power of a MILLION ELEPHANTS, Shikaraku PROPELLED HIS LEGS, he was so fast, he zoomed on top of Hei and outside, until he went to the horizon accidentally, and with the power of a HUNDRED FISH LUNGS, he was able to breathe in outer space, probably. Thus started the legend of the Xingese astronaut, where he was the first tallest person in the world to go to the moon. Where in a village called Huang, a statue of Shikaraku stayed there, in golden splendor, shining brilliantly for all to see.

[Guest]

. . . Hei blinked. This was too damn weird, now. WHAT JUST HAPPENED? What? For a moment there, it felt like he DIED! He had had plenty of near-death experiences before to have a taste of the possibility of the sensation.

And yet, he was alive ... and no there was a sunroof above him with light shining in from where the third, golden-adorned guard had went flying through. . . .

"What the ffffuuuu----?" his sentence was not finished! NO! HE PRIDED ON SPEAKING CORRECTLY IN WHATEVER LANGUAGE HE KNEW FLUENTLY! But alas, sleep overtook the unfortunate Drachman-Xingese, as he collapsed to the ground, the hanky in his hand now relinquished, for it had been contaminated by ... chloroform!

The elderly tourist had grinned as Hei first sunk down to his knees, oh yes! His wicked deed had been done, the elderly frail Drachman man smiled at Hei's face, looking back in confusion, the light fading, the crafty fellow's mouth revealed ... fangs? But before Hei could do anything else, he passed out.

"And now, the first phase of our revenge ... is complete! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Went a booming, echoing demonic voice that let out a slew of high-pitched maniacal cackling joined by a chorus of other shrill voices and the obligatory burst of thunder ... even though it was bright and sunny outside and THEY WERE ALL INSIDE A MOUNTAIN.

[Guest]

A bright illumination spread light to what would be the Xingese's eyelids, tempting him to awake. Vigor fills through veins and a strength as well, but with the distinct absence of a scaly arm. Instead, something human, normal, was in place. Feelings that weren't leathery but more sensual.

A whistling hum sounded higher, pounding vibrated the land, being shaken from the moist ground. Fistful of mud slapping across the sleeveless arms of Hei, and two brief smacks took place.

The horizon was red, bleached with the smoke of soot and ashes, fire was all across. Trenches etched the landscape scarred by the carnage of war. Surreal in every sense, dim in light, a permanent sunset lay at the end. The blackness of smoke accompanied by Hellish organic ships floating from the skies, slowly blowing whatever is at the horizon. An old Mauser C69 was in fact grasped by Hei, as what would be a man wearing a Pickelhaube stirred the Xingese to awaken. Superficially resembling Nikolaus, save for a lack of disgusted contemptuous look given, drawn to have a more urged face.



"Achtung, dummer Junge. Dies ist keine Zeit zum Schlafen! Du wirst sterben, wenn du hier länger bleiben!" Two more slaps followed to Hei's face after such unintelligible and unknown dialogue, becoming clearer, "SOLDIER, we are at WAR. This is no time for some rest. The Drachmans have broken through the lines with their mechs, and it is up to us lancers to take care of them. They may bombard us from orbit with their shuttles, and it is up to us to push them back. Take the war back to their Czar!"

He would pull Hei up, shoving a rotating lance to Hei's chest, as he held his own. It was almost Medieval-like, whilst the two of them wore quite the antique uniform (think WW1 German uniform). Being surrounded by piles of bodies, all similarly dressed, as giant apparitions of machine slay dozens of those similarly dressed.

"Lead the charge, Captain. Whatever enemy we face in those trenches, are no longer normal men and women. They are undead corpses revived by steam power to fight. Our job is to destroy these abominations."

[Guest]

'Urrrrrghhhh' the Xingese complained inwardly, while clutching his forehead with his free arm. What happened to him? The last thing he remember was an idiot trio of giant Xingmen wielding enormous spear weapons guarding some giant tunnel inside a mountain. Two slaps met his face, stunning him awake now. Who was the ungrateful bastard tha-

"SOLDIER, we are at WAR. This is no time for some rest. The Drachmans have broken through the lines with their mechs, and it is up to us lancers to take care of them. They may bombard us from orbit with their shuttles, and it is up to us to push them back. Take the war back to their Czar!"

And for some reason, the Xingese was lost. Who was this guy? WHAT CZAR? And mechs? Shuttles? What on earth?

"Lead the charge, Captain. Whatever enemy we face in those trenches, are no longer normal men and women. They are undead corpses revived by steam power to fight. Our job is to destroy these abominations."

Hei now had a lance, in his left hand. In his right, he held a rather old and worn ... was this a gun? God, it looked like an antique. Still, a gun was a gun he supposed ... just a what sounded like heavy artillery raining from Hell's Gates sounded outside the trench and massive quakes followed with the screeches.

"Holy mother of all shit!" the Xingese exclaimed, more in excitement than with fear. Those damned Czar loyalists idiotic, picky drunk Drachman fools ... wait. No, that's what Amestrians were, or at least the second half of those phrases. Or something! Wow, maybe that nap really took out more of him than he thought.

"ATTACK!" he just randomly shouts. It's technically followed by a long string of synonyms that get drowned out by more explosions, while Hei jumps out of the trench and charges forward to meet the enemy. Lance and gun in hand, he was ought for blood.

[Guest]

A massed line of men followed Hei, with lances, impaling many yet some being blown into sinews of gory ribbons that rained. Plasma bombardment from space vaporized many others, until the charge was as far into the enemy line, past the no man zone where all but two now are alive. Hei and the Lieutenant.

Large machines, mechs of flesh married with the mechanical, stared into Hei and the Lieutenant, whom the Lieutenant leaped and impaled one such mech. A minuscule minority among a majority of hundreds which pool over throughout the battlefield. Towering over the networks of enemy trenches, standing above ground. Looking down and disintegrating with rays of death attached to that fleshy pod of an arm they all have in

"Captain! Get into that tunnel in the trench! I will hold them off as long as I can, this mission relies on the strongest to get through the microwave corridor, that only the strongest survive! Only a Xingese like you." He says, plucking the end of the lance from the mech, and unto another he leaps and impales, the former said mech exploding into cinders, "From there, you will find a portal into the Drachman mothership, you must face the Czar's black guards themselves before you can kill the Czar himself! NOW GO!"

Leading into the tunnel, into a sanctum dim and deep, underground, was a legion of steamwork brainless zombies wearing tatters of an old Drachman uniform (think WW1 Russian uniform). Eyes glimmering red, shining brilliantly, their wheezes were of steam, and their weapons were of firearms. Mechanical legion roving slowly with tough hides, guarding the inner sanctum into the long and narrow microwave corridor. Most likely it will fry whomever goes in there, and boil the skin that it may tear, that the person of the faintest standing may die. Already many melted corpses linger there, that of cyborgs sent for the job. Oozing flesh and metal.

[Guest]

God. How many ... things did he cut down? They looked human, but at the same time they were blatantly not. Cybernetic pieces jutted forth from their body, necrosis was evident and instead metal and plastic kept the corpses intact.

They WERE the living dead, eyes blank and bodies either shambling forward to aggressively coming forth with weapons drawn. Men whose minds were lost entirely, enslaved to whoever or whatever was responsible for controlling them.

The Xingese was not amused. Fortunately, the lances were quite durable, and Hei made good use of it. He would sweep wide and put enough force behind each swing to easily bat aside any enemy that was in his way, all the while rushing forward to get out of the No Man's Land. Plasma rained from giant floating ... no ... NO, FLYING beasts that honestly looked like giant squid creatures. Multiple-legged 'vehicles' were marching about, stabbing into corpses and any crippled survivors, contributing to the plasma bombarding with their weapons. This was a hellish battlezone, with creatures of all sorts of disgusting appearances and function out to kill.

. . . And one by one the brave men who followed him fell. Vaporized by the plasma, crushed by the giant organic machines, or skewered and shot by the reanimated infantry that then proceeded to gnaw on the flesh. 'Til at last, they made it out of the dead zone. He and one other soldier, surrounded now by Spider Tanks and hundreds of walking Corpses, all mechanical beings with the guise of flesh atop them.

At this juncture, Hei's lance was practically melted due to exposure to plasma bursts, his Mauser was out of ammo. So, before his lieutenant gave the bright idea to run into the trench and proceed down a hallway filled with microwave emitters to go fight the Czar and his elite guard, the Xingese leapt at the nearest mech, a Spider Tank, nabbed of its spindly legs and spun around to hurl the damn thing at a gathering of enemies. A perfect strike, just as the Lieutenant tells him to go, and so Hei does!

'No point in staying put. And the sooner the Czar is slain, the sooner this madness all ends!!' is the rationale for his choice, leaving the only other soldier with him to die. With nothing more than his bare hands, he tore through the few mechs waiting inside the trench and finding ... the corridor that was mentioned.

No time for thinking, Hei charged in, intent on getting to the other end.

[Guest]

A legion of shambling steamwork apparitions shuffled towards Hei as the gates opened to reveal a clean laboratory-like environment. Neat and tidy with tiles about and around constituting the squarish room. In said room was another door opposing the entrance, aptly labeled, "Микроволновая номеров". Yet in such a small confined space for something that contains all the steam soldiers, were all those creatures, lunging forth to feast upon Hei.

Forgetting what training they received to fire a gun, they went to the basest of instincts -- that of hunger. Taking larger steps than usual, filled with a new vigor as the smell of flesh entered their nostrils, in such a confined room as well. Dozens of them, swarming around Hei, surrounding, and enveloping.

Some of the fresher ones leaped from above, using such fresh constructs too, recent, updated. Made of plasticine. A plastic-like material founded only on Mount Spadiriya, a den where spiders feast upon all mortals that are foolish enough to try to take the hardest plastic material known to man. Abundant there. Fueling the Hellish war machine that is the Czar's.

The only such thing of plausible intelligence was the hive one, a man of paleness, wearing a trench coat, and a mask with two slits where the eyes should be. Gazing from atop a catwalk overlooking the entire battle. The entire swarming. Gesturing, as if commanding them through will alone, the vastness of a horde. What little flesh that peeks through his hood is shown to be disfigured.

[Guest]

The Xingese was not amused, he was unarmed and outnumbered about fifty to one. Not to mention, the 'Microwave' corridor was actually after this lab. So ... yeah. This was a horrible day for Hei.

The older model Steam Soldiers confronted Hei first. Given their age and being relatively weak constructs, the Xingese didn't have much trouble taking them down. In fact, before they could able close to claw him, he would send them flying about in pieces with powerful kicks planted into their chests. For some odd reason, though, they only attacked one at a time. The twenty older models were soon downed and out-of-commission with relatively little effort from Hei's part.

The newer models weren't so brittle, and unfortunately not as much lumbering as their outdated counterparts. Hei narrowly avoided a sudden leap by one, which attempted to bite into him all the while, and give another one a sock to the face. Unlike the prior batch, these all swarmed him at once, attacking from all directions. The Xingese stayed on his toes, avoiding as much as he could and punishing any failed attempts to strike with counter-attacks, sending them flying, breaking off limbs or snapping joints. The numbers disadvantage didn't really mean much when you have superhuman strength, it seemed. It didn't take long for the first wave of fifty to all go down, at which point Hei bellowed.

"WELL? ANY MORE OF THESE FREAKS I CAN BREAK APART? HUH?" he tempts fate. Like a retard, as more of these ghouls were emerging from ... where on earth were they coming from? He had no idea where or how they got in here, seeing as how he last checked he took out the previous set and saw no others lurking. So how did a WHOLE NEW WAVE come out of nowhere?

[Guest]

From the catwalk leaped the Hivemind. Local commanders of the steam soldiers. Pacing limbs snapping upon every motion it brings the Hivemind closer to Hei. Irregular and erratic movements, twitching cranium, and a masked visage that peers into Hei, without fear. A confidence one would not find when an entire army was wiped out. An army he commanded.

Their presence was merely well hidden, that of the steamwork ghouls. Unsheathing from his scabbard a Katana. Raising high it shined brilliantly, assuming stance, lowering said blade to point backwards, holding the Katana against his waistline.

"Will... you... give... me my death...? Will you... be the one... to kill... me? I have... looked for you... for a long time... my beloved... death. I waited for years... for the one... to go through the corridor... the chosen one... assume your stance... I will not hesitate... please end this... eternal torment of mine..." The hivemind pleaded, a construct chosen for his mind, something not doing this out of his will. A slave of the Czar's. So obvious, so disfigured, so mechanical. Twisted abomination spurred into servitude with implants for absolute loyalty. A fallen warrior.

In a glorious final charge, he ran past Hei and drew his Katana outwards, standing opposing from the Xingese, holding the stance of the strike as his back faced that of Hei. A battle decided by a single strike, holding the pose, tensions arose. His heart beat thumped faster for every passing second. Hoping his plea was answered by a death he long sought, that others have failed to satisfy him in.

[Guest]

The Xingese had gotten into a defensive stance the moment the Hivemind had dropped down from the catwalk. It was aggravating to deal with these Steam Corpse Dolls already, now he had to deal with one that could possibly wield weapons with ease?

His annoyance, however, was quelled by the voice of the Hivemind, a mechanical and cold voice from the body that was mostly artificial now, and one so pitiful. A weak voice that asked for an end to its torment.

As the Hivemind held its stance, for about a moment before it charged, the Xingese for all that came over him, responded to the pitieous and wretched being: "I promise nothing. But I intend to win: So I'll end your suffering."

The Swordman Hivemind rushed forward, blade drawn. He was quick, probably fast enough to kill normal men with ease. But such speed wasn't quite on par with the man-made monster tha was Hei. He had gone through hell and back twice over to become how he was now, and by god he made the best use of his physical capability. The Xingese-Drachman went past his opponent, the other duelist, in the same moment, both blurs as they cut past each other and ended with their backs facing one another.

His left hand was extended, as a fist, a thrown punch, and he held his position much like the enemy held their stance. And for a long second, they just stood there.

. . . .

Blood splurted from both duelists' chests, Hei due go a long gash that cut upward across his chest from his left side up to his right, and tore out of his shoulder. The Hivemind found itself having a new hole where its once-functional heart was. The first to drop down was Hei, on his knees he went as he gripped his marred right arm with the hand that had struck the Hivemind.

He was soon joined by the Hivemind letting its blade clatter against the ground before falling forward, muttering what seemed to be a garbled 'Thank you' before impacting against the surface, while the other Steam Dolls did the same (more accurately, they seemed to fall apart). Hei didn't quite catch what the Hivemind said, or was thinking: After all he was cursing on how he had let himself get injured this severely.

-Intermission of Five minutes while Hei tries to scavenge for bandages to deal temporarily deal with the wounds.-

So, he wasn't really good with a needle and thred to stitch the continous gash back togehter, instead forcibly wrenching the skin together and then constricting it with an overabundance of bandages to substitute. This would heal, horribly, but so long as he could move and fight, he didn't care. His right shoulder was a more sever annoyance, and he seemed to have lost a great deal of mobility with it, but he was left-handed, so again: That didn't bother him much.

Kneeling beside his fallen opponent, one who clearly did not seem a Czar loyalist, but instead a poor soldier forced to serve as a slave to the wicked man's will, Hei bid a silent prayer. He tended to do that, a grace or a gentle word that the souls of his enemy (unless they were Amestrian) would rest easily, no matter what religion the believed or where they were headed. And then he bid an apology as he took the katana.

He had no weapons on him, and this was the only viable one left that he could possibly use with a single hand. Either way, now was the time. Time to confront the Czar and his Black Guard and make them pay for what they'd done. Bandaged and right arm waving limply in the air, he approached the appropriately labelled door, halting before it while it began to unlock itself automatically.

Sliding aside, the door revealed

[Guest]

Unleashed from such opening was a torrent of heat that would blow unto Hei's face, causing sweat to roll, as the corridor was long, to no end. The Katana itself would melt as entry should be made. A long journey to be undertaken, one that any lesser men would give up, and those stubborn to have walked, with strong wills but frail bodies, were melted. There were thirteen corpses on the path ahead. All oozing, bubbling. Whatever was to be seen of them, was but the jade associated with Xing. The only thing that remained, imprinted with a shackled dragon on such emblems left on the bubbling superheated corpses.

The microwave's heat was Hell in itself. A journey that all die, whomever go through would perish. Hopeless. A pain that surges through bone and blood can be felt. Tearing at the heart. Skin flakes and dries into blackness. A smoke arises, sizzling flesh can be heard. It must be well done, drifting into the deeper categories of that which is steak.

Yet the journey would induce fatigue, despite being only halfway, that a willpower, were it ever so high, allow such a long journey, farther than any of the other 13 bodies seen. 13 bodies dead. Inglorious. Fleeting. Forgotten. Forever obscure for their failure, as they were nothing more than expendable.

Voices murmur in the background, drifting through the head...

"...He is just one of a dozen..."

"...It's just a fluke, give him another dosage..."

"...He displays a tenacity for survival..."

"...Obsolete..."

"...I don't care if he dies from overdosing, just give him another...!"

"Subject fourteen is needed no more... Subject zero is ready to be experimented on..."

All of it abstract in one way or form, as if recalled, yet such recollection is nothing more than a frustration, as no more can be drawn out. For all the struggles, it is but a lacking... as the journey through the deadly hallway of death lingers still.

[Guest]

God, it was blazing hot in here. That or. Never mind, his skin was practically burning at this rate: That katana he had 'borrowed' earlier melted already, meaning that it would be a matter of time before he burned up too. So, off the Xingese dashed, down the long, long hallway. Already, he was sweating profusely, the heat was dazing him so much that it was difficult to keep going in a straight line, sometimes bumping into the walls and scalding his skin.

All the while, as he tried to keep moving forward, dropping from a sprint to a dash, he heard ... voices ...

"... Understand this: You are obsolete. You are nothing ..."

'Oi, slit eyes!'

What on earth were these voices inside his head? Why WERE there voices inside his head? He didn't know. He couldn't know. He just had to keep moving, because the mission called for it.

"... I don't care HOW you do it, but Subject Fourteen must DIE ... NOW! ..."

'I'll put a bullet in your yellow ass if you don't hurry up!'

What was that? There was ... something. No, one voice that stood out among the rest. It was ... harsh, accusatory, and definitely condescending. Where had he heard someone speak to him like that before? He had not met anyone in Mother Drachma who did, so who could it be? Not that it mattered, he was about half-way through, his uniform was probably going to catch ablaze ... or not? How did microwaves work again? Either way, his flesh was burning and eyes and throat stung from the heat.

"... Your destructive habits will be the end of you ..."

'Stop stuffing your face with Peking Duck! We've got a job to do!'

GOD. That voice. That one voice that had the same god-damned tone to it. It was just ... so ... aggravating. The speaker must have been such a god-damned retard that when Hei brutally murdered and tried to suppress the memory of his existence, Hei couldn't suppress that annoying sound that was his voice. Either way, he had to hurry. Hurry. Except, he was on his knees. His legs had given out from the distance he had just covered. How long had he been in here? Two minutes? Three minutes? The door was just ahead, he couldn't stay, he had to make it. He had to kill the enemies of Drachma. So onward, he went, crawling on his hands.

"... If it can't die, then it must be put to good use."

'What's the matter? Too cowardly to fight? I wouldn't have expected more from a disgusting beast of a backwards nation of rice-planting peasants.'

With his left hand he pulled himself forward on the ground, his body ... felt so weak, but his right arm, was now reacting to whatever these voices where. Clearly, some part of him was angry to hear all of this, but ... why? The Chimera's arm was twitching violently, claws and scales revealed while it dug into the metal floor of the corridor. God. He hated that voice.

"... Pathetic. It can't do one thing right ..."

'Quit showing off your pathetic Xingese skills. Go find a factory job if you're that desperate for work!!'

He was at the door. Well, he didn't know, his sight was nothing more than a blur now, and here he was leaning against the door, so confused as to register that he was at the end. He didn't know. He couldn't know, his mind was entirely wrapped in a massive case of delusional thinking. What was he doing here now?

'Could we have expected better from a yellow coward like you? Science has proven those with small wangs, like you, just don't have the guts either. Isn't that sad, my rice-planting-scumbag-of-a-target?'

"... ... ... Go away."

He snapped, finally losing it. He couldn't take this anymore. THIS VOICE.

'Silence, you inferior-

"STUKA!!! He shouted that name, not knowing why ... not caring why. It just felt ... like the right name to curse at. "GO ... AND ... DIE!!" his shouts were punctuated by a single punch from the Chimera arm, or really a backhand hard enough to punch right through the door that he was leaning against, but ... he didn't know. His mind was too wrapped in hate and delusion, that ... ... was he going to die here?

[Guest]

The mighty shout shook the hallways, signs of static presented digitally. The matter of the Xing restored, as a new vigor was present. What was burnt, was no longer such, what was scalded, was fresh. What was melted, had recomposed. The hallway itself regained and mustered itself, after such a reality disturbed for but a moment.

Such a hard hit dented what would be able to contain explosions worth several megatons. Blasting it back as cool air blew, drafting at the Xingese's face as a bliss in the hallway of Hellish inferno made. Yet it was vastly different. Whereas he walked into Hell, now he walks into the coldness of Ice. Points peaking below were made of solidified water, and perhaps some nitrogen. Several tanks were aligned in a row among rows, leaking out cold air from the top of the lid.

Yet what was around were mechanization as to secure. Lasers that moved and covered the room in an asymmetrical grid. Uneven yet flowing. Turrets aligned and moved, as the laser itself was the targeting array... yet they were unaware. Only such awareness made by obstructions of the security.

Moaning could have been sworn to be heard from the organic festering organs married to machine, from the turrets themselves. Mashed for the single purpose of guarding an elevator. Clearly this room was deserted by no life but machine and Hei himself. And in front of his path was an open elevator, an inviting sanctuary for what he hath suffered.

Leading to the lowest point downward several kilometers below Earth... as to reveal a cavern mixed with the flattened and orderly surface of manmade artificial catwalk constructs, and the presence of one...

One whom when seen, wears the body of a female, as much as she wore similar yet feminine face to the survivor of the hallway, and had an uncanny resemblance in uniform as well, save for the inversion of color. What was black, is white, and what is white, is black. Such was the inversion of the color scheme. As she stood upon the end of the spacious and catwalk leading to a T intersection, and she was the one in the middle. Back turned when the titular Xingese would approach, if he were to approach "normally" that is.

[Guest]

Something ... wasn't right. He noted that he had fallen out of the corridor that was once blazing out, and now he was sprawled out in this floor, which was ... extremely cool in comparison. But, that wasn't what didn't feel right.

No, his body was now 'normal.' Heck, his entire attire was back to 'normal.' There were no tatters in his uniform, no bloodstains. His wound from the Hivemind earlier was gone, and his flesh was no longer charred. But, most amazingly, he felt rejuvenated. Just moments ago, he was severely wounded and on the brink of death, and now he was just fine and dandy!

Was ... that just his imagination then? No it couldn't be, what he just felt was ... so ... real . . . ? Bah, he hated thinking so much about silly things like this. Instead he gripped the katana that was also newly restored and took off to the elevator, not caring about his surroundings, seeing as how nothing was quite trying to kill him. Down, down, and down he went.

And before he knew it, he was ... inside the Czar loyalist's base? Or something, and ... standing before him was his next opponent. Err. Wait.

'Why does she look so familiar?' his blade was at the ready from when the elevator doors had opened, but ... while he had stepped out, he was a bit wary to approach this strange female entity before him. Something was screaming at him to attack. But ... why?

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