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Post by Man on Aug 21, 2015 15:00:22 GMT -5
The sun had just begun to dawn in the east when the native birds of Lupin IV began to chirp through the windows of the king’s new palatial compound. Ivan woke to the beaming rays of their solar system’s twin stars, which crept over the dark jagged mountains. The man’s lips parted slightly, surprised by the clear-cut skies, he remained inert on his king sized bed while absorbing the view. The sky was embellished by the various colors that ranged from shades of red, orange and yellow, to pink. What beauty… he thought. It was going to take a few more nights before the man adapted to the change in scenery. Having grown up with a pitch black sky and thousands of stars sprinkled across its endless expanse, the experience of a planet’s sun rise was breathtakingly gorgeous.
Taking a deep breath, Ivan buried his face into his pillow and closed his eyes. Today was hump day and, like any other day, there was work to do. Ruling an entire planet was scratched out of his bucket list, but the job was more exhausting than he ever imagined. There was so much politics and regulations involved, paired with his incessant need to do research, there was little sleep to be had. His body warmed up and his eyes relaxed, lulling him to give in and sleep a little longer. He loved how it felt. He reveled in it. He could stay in bed all day if he could, but there was still too much to do. Not yet… In a valiant effort, Ivan’s eyes shot open as he exhaled vigorously and ripped himself off his bed. Just in time, as his toes caressed the marble floors, a knock met his door.
“Your highness, are you awake? You have a busy day ahead of you. If you don’t get up soon we’ll fall behind schedule!”
Ivan rolled his eyes as he slid off his bed and cringed as his feet made contact with the chilling floor. “Come in!” he said, almost in a shout. AEVA entered his chambers soon after, closing the door behind her. “Remind me to install a carpet,” he said as he started to strip off his pajamas and hop into his royal getup which consisted mainly of a white robe with golden streaks and a matching hat.
“I’ll add that to your itinerary,” the android responded, unfazed by the red man’s exposure.
“Speaking of which, care to jog my memory?
“You’re not going to shower?”
“…”
“Very well, today you have your general weekly meeting with the representing figures of the konatsian and hera people.”
“That’s right,” Ivan looked at the roof with a contorted face as if trying to remember something. “Sayako and Zal…Zal..”
“Zalam’gar.”
“Why are these meetings necessary again?”
“To keep the konatsians and hera in check; it is important to build a trusting relationship with them if you are to remain their kind and just ruler.”
“Right.” Not to mention, they took a lot of the load from Ivan’s shoulders. By making them responsible for their respective races, Ivan was able to keep them complacent with the turn of events by making them feel as though they possessed some kind of control over their fates. Technically, all he had to do was lay down the laws and his new deputies would see to it that they are followed and respected; it was the only real and effective way to govern. He could not do his job without delegating responsibilities to his lackeys, he just led the orchestra –they did all the work!
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Post by Man on Aug 21, 2015 15:00:33 GMT -5
“…furthermore, soil irrigation in this region is at an all-time low. I’ve been running some historical analysis for the past few days, tracking down its progress throughout the years and my calculations have revealed to me a disturbing decay in rainfall…”
Ivan propped his head over his vertically standing arms with both fists buried into either cheek as he fought the urge to doze off. AEVA had been giving the assembled team a breakdown of her findings upon researching the planet’s stability. Before them was a holographic map of Avalon’s borders. The landscape consisted of beautiful red fields of grass extending to tree-lines far in the horizon. Its only flaw was that it was too perfect. There was not a single river or lake which interrupted its progression and AEVA feared the marveling plains of Avalon would deteriorate and become a desert. Such news was very important to the new king, but it didn’t mean it wasn’t hard to pay attention. After listening to AEVA’s stagnant and robotic voice for over an hour, it proved to serve as his limit. He could not stand another minute! Finally, someone interrupted.
“That won’t be a problem, the people of Whitewater will send food and water to these locations,” Lord Sayako stated. She sat across the table from Ivan and Zalam’gar with one leg folded over the other. She was the gem of her people, whom carried their distinctive blue skin and orange hair proudly.
“That’s very generous of you, Sayako,” Lord Zalam’gar promptly responded with evident skepticism. His intense yellow eyes only exalted by his silver hair and skin. “What would you like in return for this generous offer?”
The hera woman’s eyes narrowed as a smirk crept on her face. Ivan simply observed with the same bored expression, although the back and forth between both races seemed to gradually garner his attention. Perceptive as ever was the konatsian. Their people might have joined under one flag, but the racial differences were still there. They were quite a match, Ivan thought. The word “free” was not it the Heran dictionary unless it benefit them, but konatsian pride would never allow them to accept ‘charity’. Sayako’s legs would unfold as she locked her hands together and placed them on the table with a business tone. “Protection,” the word came as surprise to those present. Zalam’gar expected some kind of price for resources.
“Protection.” The konatsian repeated, as if questioning what he had just heard.
“Yes, crime in Whitewater has increased considerably since the fall of The Great Wall. No doubt, protesters to your highness’ reign. My people have been experiencing difficulty tracking these offenders. If you send me troops, I will send you food and water.”
“-That great and all, but it will only work temporarily, we need a more permanent solution,” AEVA pointed out.
Ivan’s eyes shot open as he saw opportunity to close the extended meeting and slammed his hands on the desk to bring attention to himself and avoid them from droning off with other nonsense. Everyone turned to look at him as intended. “Right, so we’ll build a canal from Whitewater to Avalon that will increase soil irrigation and expand our agricultural regions. I will also consult with my lab and see whether we can cook up some kind of pesticide to help with farming.”
The Lords seemed pleased with the plan of action King Ivan offered. The scientist sighed, relaxing in his chair for a moment, thinking the meeting had been adjourned. Until AEVA opened her mouth again. “Now that that’s settled, let’s discuss the crimes in Whitewater.” Ivan nearly fell off his seat after hearing that. He glared at the android, pondering whether he should shut her down for a few days. “We’ve been doing this for an hour now, perhaps an intermission is in order?” Ivan protested. He gazed at the Lords, hoping they were complacent; however, they seemed geared to power through the meeting.
“I disagree,” Sayako responded. “My people’s lives are in danger. I would not waste another minute without taking action.”
Zalam’gar nodded in agreement.
“Alright, so the meeting continues.” AEVA concluded. Ivan sighed.
The holographic mapping of Avalon was soon switched off, displaying Whitewater instead. Pin pointed were reported instances of crime. In each case, there were emblems of the previous reign dropped over the victim’s corpse, which implied two things; one, all crimes were committed by the same group; two, they were followers of the late King Helios. They were an organized and professional group, always erasing their tracks. Not to mention, the erratic pattern in which they chose their targets made it impossible to discern where their next attack would take place.
“Wait, but if they’re followers of Helios, why attack Whitewater?” Zalam’gar questioned. “Wouldn’t it make more sense to attack Avalon?”
“Whitewater has always been the main source of food and water even before King Ivan’s regime. The only reason the Hera had been able to keep the biseijin out of their soil is by agreeing to transport these resources.”
“So they’re trying to starve us…”
“Take down the source of our food and water and we become vulnerable to attacks.”
“Alright, I’ll deploy Model Zero, he’ll take care of it,” Ivan assured. Zalam’gar and Sayako glanced at each other with confusion and then turned to their king.
“How? We don’t even know who’s doing this.”
“Yes, but we know what they’re after. With our current data, we should be able to locate possible future attacks,” he explained.
“That is correct,” AEVA continued. “And although there doesn’t seem to be a distinct geographical pattern, we should be able to discern the most probable areas to finding our culprits.”
The holographic map is soon replaced by what appeared to be one of the sprinklers in King Ivan’s palatial courtyard. There was nothing unique about it. The object continued to spray water on the grass while following its uniform rotation movements. “Consider this sprinkler. Can you see the water droplets coming out of the sprinkler?” They nod. “Can you see where they land?” They nod. “It is impossible for us to predict where each of these water droplets will land; there are too many variables. However, if you follow it to the source, you will find the sprinkler.”
“Their home…”
AEVA nods and inputs data into a terminal. The sprinkler dissipates and a map of Whitewater is displayed once more on the hologram. The Lords observe as the computer starts calculating based on the android’s mathematical equation and creates a shaded region. “This is where you’ll find our little outlaws.”
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Post by Man on Aug 21, 2015 15:01:01 GMT -5
As accustomed, Model Zero was found within the training facilities inside of King Ivan’s Palatial Compound. The room was pitch black, so dark the scientist almost fooled himself into believing the android was not present until he heard the grumbling of his castle’s foundation shaking under the might of his intensive maneuvers. It was a good thing there were good engineers behind its design. Ivan leaned over the glass window in hopes of making out some kind of movement, but all he could perceive were sudden shockwaves bursting sporadically all over the chamber. Model Zero had long surpassed the speed of perception. The scientist had yet to measure his exact acquired velocity, but he felt almost certain that the android could reach the speed of light if it were at all possible. Ivan chuckled to himself, entertaining the thought a bit longer before dismissing his naïve fantasies.
It did not matter how impressive the android proved to be, it was physically impossible to reach the speed of light. After all, speed is inversely proportional to mass. In order to reach the speed of light, Zero would have to find a way to momentarily disregard his mass; which was impossible in the scientist’s eyes. With that said, taking another look at the android’s movements, he was damn close to it!
Without wasting another moment, Ivan boomed in through the intercom. “Zero, I’m afraid you will have to postpone your training session. I have a mission for you.”
In an instant, the simulation ended and the lights of the training chamber turned on, revealing the android floating at the center. His armor had been singed and churned by the simulated attacks. With all the restrictions he had applied to himself, it had become very difficult to evade all the assaults the computer tossed at him. Without a word, Model Zero descended and Ivan entered the chamber through a hidden compartment as soon as the gravity had been shut off. Zero’s long golden hair seemed to fold up as gravity was abruptly shut off, as if someone had been pulling on a rubber band and then releasing it. The rubber band would jump up and down until reaching its stability.
“Master.”
“Zero, how did your other mission go?”
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Post by Man on Aug 21, 2015 18:28:07 GMT -5
Ruling an entire planet was a big job. As its leader, King Ivan had many things to address, such as the issues and struggles each of his citizens were forced to endure. For example, the soil irrigation they had been discussing, and the many war criminals whom still wander the lands of Lupin IV. Soldiers and citizens still loyal to the previous reign of Helios whether by faith or brainwash, they performed all kinds of terrorism across the globe in the name of their fallen leader. Martyrs they were. However, another issue was getting the general populace to recognize their new ruler. Lord Zalam’gar and Lord Sayako helped dilute the mass of the work, but Zero was also tasked with such responsibilities. There were isolated villages all over Avalon and Whitewater who were disconnected from society and did not realize Helios’ reign was over. Model Zero had been sent to find some of those villages, inform them, and then tax them; which included everything required of him to prove such dominance…
The android flew over the blood red plains of Avalon. His golden streaks fluttering with the breeze as he soared through the air. He must have been through some twenty villages by now. With him, he carried a small electronic card reader. One of the first things the scientist changed was the way in which currency flowed. No more paper and coins. Everyone now possessed a device which could be scanned for and automatically deduct payments as well as transfer funds. For all their advanced technology and floating city, they lacked finesse in some departments. Lupin IV did not possess a solid banking system as adapted in other civilizations, but King Ivan had invented a temporary system to replace the old one while a new and more furbished arrangement was ruled. Meanwhile, Zero was stuck recollecting.
The card reader made his job easier since he didn’t have to physically carry the funds in hand. With that said, ideally, taking a trip around the world would soon become obsolete. Terminals would be built in every town and village, where people would submit their payments and have them fed directly to a central storage mechanism. Of course, Lord Zalam’gar and Lord Sayako would help out by collective the taxes on their side of the planet, but the android still held the grand bulk of the exercise. During his venture he had witnessed many bizarre individuals, some of which included arrogant konatsians who thought they could ambush the android and steal all the collected tax money. Jokes on them. Even if they could somehow overwhelm the Zero and steal his card reader, the funds had already been transferred to The City of Avalon. It was a one-way ticket with no return.
Zero set his sights for the next approaching village and began his descent. Settling on a patch of grass, he waited patiently, but nothing was happening. The inhabitants simply glanced at him and continued with their daily routine. The android had expected them to recognize him, but it seemed he had to take the long route with this village. Whenever Zero visited an establishment, the villagers would line up before him so he wouldn’t have to scourge the town. The android sighed and took initiative. Whenever this occurred, he would target the homes. Since every working individual had a home, it would be the best way to account for all those who lived in the village. However, the first door he knocked on was met with utter silence. There was no response and Zero could not sense any living creatures. As a fool proof to himself, Zero used his built-in scouter to scan the building. It was possible he was still getting used to the way living beings were sensed, or the owner of the home was an android which could not be detected through a more… organic approach. As it turned out, neither was the case; the home was empty.
Zero took a mental note to remind himself to visit all the empty houses later on. He had arrived just as the clock was about to hit noon, so it was understandable that the respective homeowners would not be in their homes, but at work. Model Zero scanned the buildings ahead and approached the next one, this time certain there were living beings inside –three to be exact. The android knocked on the door. Glancing to his right, he spot a small little elven boy peeking through the curtains of his window. Closing his eyes, Zero focused on the muffled words of the inhabitants as they began to discuss amongst each other.
“Mommy! There’s a stranger outside our door!” the little boy cried.
“Stay away from there, hide behind the couch!” the woman said.
Zero could hear the footsteps as the woman neared the door. He could almost feel as she leaned against the door and took a glance at the android through the small hole on her door. Zero opened his eyes at that moment and stared at her through that very hole. He remained composed, without moving a muscle. By now, the android would have expected the woman to open the door and address his presence, but she had done nothing of the sort. In fact, the woman had long since reported him to the authorities; whom had just arrived at her doorstep. Zero sensed their presence and turned to meet two konatsian men standing behind him in uniform.
“Is there anything we can help you with?” One of the soldiers asked. The tone in which he spoke served as a cue to the android that they did not recognize him.
“I am Android Model Zero, I come on behalf of King Ivan to collect your taxes.”
“Ivan?” one of them responded, flabbergasted. The officials looked at each other and then back at the android. “Whoever this Ivan is, his legislations don’t apply to this village. We follow only one and that is King Helios.”
Zero raised his eyebrows. Could it be? He thought. It seemed Zero had discovered yet another village that was not yet aware of the events which had transpired. He wondered how they had missed the fall of The Great Wall, or the herd of Moujuujin flying overhead to storm the castle. It appeared that news traveled slow in Lupin IV. The android made a mental note to suggest an improvement of media throughout the globe, he was sure Ivan could pull off something as simple as that. After all, how could the scientist rule an entire planet without the ability to seamlessly communicate with the populace? Such a system would simply not function, and Zero had training to do, he could not spend the rest of his life doing house chores for his master while at the same time prepare to for the annihilation of New Vegeta.
Zero turned from the door to face the officials head on. His expressions were as serious as ever. The men might have felt a bit threatened by his imposing presence, but the android simply wanted to convey the sobriety of the statement he was about to make. “King Helios is dead.” Their eyes widened. The officials stepped back with a gasp. “Blasphemy!” one of them cried. The other one wielded his polearm; a long shaft with an axe-shaped blade at the end. “Do you understand the repercussions of what you are implying? I’m afraid we can no longer let you go after making such a claim. Your heresy is an act of treason, and that’s ground for capital punishment!”
Without another word, the man took a step forward and swung his polearm across the android. However, the blade cut cleanly through a fading image of the red android before it faded completely. “What the…” “-An afterimage!” Model Zero had been standing in-between the two soldiers. He had not drawn his weapon, instead he spoke softly in their ears. “You’re making a mistake.” The konatsian officials froze on the spot, a sense of dread running up their spine as the hostile individual crept up behind them. Scurrying to the far end, near the home’s entrance, they turned around with each of their weapons in hand. The other soldier possessed a spear. “Calling all forces, we have a hostile man in red armor. We need back-up immediately!” they spoke through a small radio. Zero smirked, ’so they do communicate.’
The android walked up to one of the soldiers. They were frozen in place by their nerves. One of them managed to break free from the paralyzing fear and thrust his spear. Unfortunately for him, Zero disarmed him with a backhanded slap of his wrist. Within just a few moments, the area had been surrounded by dozens of soldiers. It was a small village, so gathering troops wouldn’t take so long. Snatching the intercom from the soldier’s hand, Zero spoke through it in hopes of dissuading aggression. “Attention. I am Android Model Zero, I come peacefully as a messenger and I carry with me news of grandeur. King Helios and his reign has fallen. Lay down your weapons and swear loyalty to your new benevolent ruler, King Ivan.”
“Denied,” a voice answered through the device. “How do we know you’re telling the truth?”
“I killed him.”
Gasp! Despite Zero’s initial speculation, the crowd did not receive his news as well as he had anticipated. The populace seemed to be disturbed and riled up, as if prepared for another great war. The android figured they probably didn’t believe him just yet. After all, how could you believe? A century of struggle and torment, being ruled by the biseijin for so many decades, fear had been etched into their skin from the moment of birth. Now a suspicious man in red armor walks up to their humble village and tells them that they no longer have anything to fear. It would take more than that to convince them. If the android was lying and this was some sort of test, the cruel biseijin would use it as a device to justify further torment and desolation.
“In that case, Model Zero,” the android’s name almost spit out through the intercom. “You are hereby charged with treason and murder. In the name of the great King Helios, mark my words, you will be struck down.”
Static. The line was cut off. Zero dropped the intercom and turned to the masses waiting for him past the home’s entrance. The two soldiers behind him crawled away in fear towards the far extremes, throwing themselves into the bushes. How puzzling, he thought. The android escorted himself out of the home’s property and out in the open. Everyone held their weapons towards him with defiant expressions and a fiery passion in their eyes. How cumbersome. The android pondered how to change their minds. Clearly, they were not fighting to defend their ‘beloved’ crown, but out of fear. It was likely that Zero would have to defeat them all, but how would that help his cause?
“CHARGE!” The soldiers readied themselves and marched towards the android. Possibilities rushed through his mind. Usually, Zero would not be concerned with the inherent safety of an individual, but these were now King Ivan’s people –his people. A list of techniques under his possession run down the android’s mind. They were all hostile and deadly, he did not have a single attack which could not shatter their bones and kill them within seconds. Regardless, they say necessity is the mother of invention. Based on purely instinct for the first time, Zero made a move which had not been premeditated. He had a rough idea of what he wished to do, but he didn’t know how it would actually effect the outcome.
Raising his arm forward, palm facing out at his targets, a shockwave pulsated from his hands and washed over the populace. The soldiers were swept from their feet and pushed back by an invisible force; a similar technique was actually used on him long ago when he challenged Conri Lane in his gravity chamber. It was a weak and somewhat passive ability, it served its purpose as their formation had now been broken. Any injuries sustained were self-made as some may have fallen into their own weapons, or their comrade’s. Zero remembered a moment after that he indeed possessed such a technique which would help him for crowd-control. Then again, it wasn’t as much a technique as it was an object.
Looking at his left wrist, Zero ejected a small capsule from a hidden compartment in his arm’s gauntlet. He pressed on a trigger and tossed three nets; left, right, and center. The soldiers were soon captured and contained within the energy nets Ivan have invented for him. Zero was never too sure when such devices would prove useful to him in battle, but it appeared that they held some value after all. Zero approached them slowly, stopping at the center. Men and women cried in horror. By now, citizens had gathered, others ran to their homes and locked the door. A few were armed, but they were not trained in militia. They stood frightened and scared, watching helplessly.
“Listen to me!” Zero spoke up. It was perhaps one of the few select moments where the android had ever raised his voice. “About a month ago, a great war took place in the plains of Avalon. The Great Wall was demolished. Konatsians, Hera, and Moujuujin alike joined forces to overthrow King Helios and his kingdom. I stood next to three valiant individuals; Lord Zalam’gar, of the Konatsians, Lady Sayako of the Hera, and the brave Plation. Thanks to their efforts, and Plation’s selfless sacrifice, you are now free from the biseijin’s century-old dominion. Stop this foolishness!”
They were awestruck. Smiles crept on some of them, indicating that the android had somehow managed to gain credibility. Between King Ivan and Plation, the android must have been picking up on some public speech skills. With that said, some of them were still skeptical, and they were the ones who needed to be persuaded. “Lies!” They cried. “King Helios would never fall! He’s trying to trick us!” Zero sighed.
“Then where are the Gors?” Zero responded. The populace’s eyes widened as if they had just awakened from a deep sleep. Ever since The Great War, the black inhumane machines had been absent across all of Avalon and Whitewater, any which remained were remnants of a discontinued chain. “If King Helios is truly alive, why have the Gors disappeared?” A smile crept on Zero’s face as the soldiers began to stand down and surrender. The android suddenly made a lot of sense. Some of them began to chant. As Zero predicted, they had no true loyalty for the previous ruler, they only feared that they would be punished the moment they allowed their obvious contempt for the biseijin resurface.
“King Helios is dead!” One of the officials cried with utter joy. Everyone followed along, chanting the words so that everyone who hid in their homes or the bushes would realize and join them outside. “King Helios is dead!” “King Helios is dead!” In spite of this, Zero’s attention was quickly garnered by some kind of hoax. It had to be, for as the crowd continued to cry with long awaited freedom, he was met with a very familiar face which emerged from within the crowd.
“King Helios is…” “-Right here!”
Dead silence. Fear struck faces gazed towards the center as an all too familiar figure walked over the pavement. Zero himself was somewhat dumbfounded by the turn of events, but it just wasn’t possible! His small body, the green skin, his complexion of a wrinkled chipmunk, even his voice and his long purple robe, it was all there! “I take a small vacation and everyone thinks I’m dead!” the small biseijin glares at the android and smirks. “What, you thought you had defeated me that easily? As if!”
“That’s impossible, I saw you die with my own eyes…”
“Well then, you might want to get those eyes checked!” Helios walked along the crowd and they each parted. The soldiers and civilians all bowed down to the great ruler and begged for forgiveness. The biseijin kept his distance from the android. “How about this, I’ll give you one more chance, android. Leave now and never return, otherwise, I’m afraid my hand will be forced!” Zero raised an eyebrow quizzically. The Helios he knew would never give him such an offer, and if he did, it proved he lacked confidence to back up his words. There was simply no way for the creature to be alive when he purged his brain with his own saber. And even if the thing was still alive, Zero would never back down. With or without Plation, he would defeat the thing again. No, he was convinced that this was an imposter.
“How kind of you, but unfortunately I must decline. You see Helios, I am no longer bound by your spell. After a month, I am much more powerful than I was before. You stand no chance against me. Surrender and I’ll make your death quick and painless.”
The biseijin grimaced with putrid anger radiating from his green stare. “You impudent fool! You dare challenge me!?” Suddenly, his robe would flutter with an inexplicable gust of wind. His eyes glowed an ominous green and their surroundings darkened despite the clear blue sky. Green flames burned on the pavement, forming the outline of a transmutation circle as the alleged Helios spoke in an ancient tongue. His spell was soon cast, just like before, and a large beast had been summoned. Citizens gasped and ran for their lives. “It’s the Ox-Beast Spirit! It’s Goliath!” they squandered in terror. The moujuujin growled, its roar strong enough to tear down buildings, its size large enough to block out the sun.
“How about now?” the biseijin teased, out of breath. “If I were you, I would run for it!”
“I already said no.” Zero repeated. A nervous drop of sweat rolled down the biseijin’s green skin.
“What!?”
The android smirked.
“I’m warning you, if you do not leave this instant, I will kill you!”
However, Zero already had him figured out. After being warned so many times, the android called his bluff. The real Helios would have never offered him a chance to escape, it was too much for his pride to bear. “Then do it,” the android challenged, taking a step forward. The biseijin panicked and stepped back, “Wait, are you serious?” Zero took another step. The closer he got, the more the biseijin scurried to keep his distance. The citizens had begun to catch on and regathered to witness the event. Zero stopped in front of the alleged Goliath and rest his hand on its muzzle. “This is an illusion. I already liberated the real Ox-Beast Spirit from Helios’s spell. You are nothing more than a conman.”
Pushing his hand past the muzzle, the ostensibly fearsome Goliath faded like an afterimage. Model Zero broke through the illusion and revealed the true culprit, a konatsian whom had probably taken advantage of King Helios demise and their poor communication to make the villagers do as he pleased. The man quivered, tears of despair welling up in his eyes as the android unsheathed his saber and pressed it against his throat. “P-please! I give up, you win!”
The civilians cheered. “ALL HAIL KING IVAN!”
Learned Technique
Kiai - This is an attack where the user shoots a blast a Ki at their opponent by screaming. It has the ability to shove the target around, but does not do much damage.
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Post by Man on Aug 24, 2015 16:15:05 GMT -5
“I see,” The scientist said. Ivan scratched his chin while pensively gazing at the floor. “So there are still villages who have not heard of my ascension to power, they still believe King Helios walks these halls. With their advanced technology, I would have thought Avalon’s media devices were much more capable, but I guess that’s how they managed to stay in control for so long. It’s not that they aren’t able to create mass communication devices, it’s that they chose not to. By keeping that kind of technology scarce, King Helios had been able to effectively disarm all who opposed him. Interesting tactic…”
Ivan himself would see himself adopting such a scheme, but the scientist was much too ambitious and proud. He wanted everyone to know his name and worship him. Unlike the biseijin, he invited people to challenge his dominion. With Model Zero at his side, he was completely untouchable. Those who possessed the fires of rebellion in his eyes only served to reinvigorate him as he watched those flames burn out. Let them burn houses! Let them wreak havoc across the royal blood plains of his kingdom! The gilded android would purge them with his majestic blade, the people of Lupin IV would adore them and honor them as the greatest saviors of all time! The scientist’s lips curled into an ominous grin, his darkened gaze settled on the android, but his mind was elsewhere.
“Master.” Zero didn’t like to waste his time standing around. If Ivan didn’t have a task for him, he would much rather return to the training chamber; of course, he would never disrespect his creator. The android stood patiently with the same expressionless face staring at the red man. Ivan’s eyes would shift, indicating that his mind had returned to the present upon the android’s call.
“Ah, yes.” The scientist cleared his throat and locked his hands behind his back. “Model Zero, you have a new mission. Heretics have been causing mayhem in Whitewater. You are to track them down and eliminate them. Lady Sayako will brief you on the details, she is currently waiting for you in the hangar bay.”
“Yes, Master.”
Without another word, Model Zero set out for the hangar bay. In his mind, the sooner they were done with this mission, the sooner he could resume his extensive training. As described, Sayako had been waiting for him at the hangar bay, at the top of Ivan’s castle. The woman stood beside her aircraft, staring out through the bay entrance. Miles above land, she admired the beauty of Avalon’s skyline, the red plains just beyond the city’s border, and the forest line which marked the start of the mountain ranges. She closed her eyes, taking in the cool breeze as it caressed her fair blue skin. Her long orange and wavy hair flowed with the wind currents so elegantly. Model Zero stopped, observing her for an instant before speaking.
“Lady Sayako.”
The woman smiled and turned to greet the android. “I have to admit, Avalon is beautiful, but it still doesn’t compare to Whitewater.” A sly grin crept up her sassy lips. As expected, the android had nothing to respond. “I’ve been waiting for you, Zero. Let’s get going, my ship will get us there in 4 hours.” The Hera slowly approached the aircraft, but Zero stopped her before she could grasp the handle bar.
“That is unnecessary.” “-Huh?” “It will be faster if I fly there.” “H-hey, wait, what do you think you’re doing?” Model Zero approached the blue woman and held her in his arms. Sayako’s cheeks blushed a soft pink as he did, but the android was benign to any discomfort. She was a strong woman and very independent. Being held so forcefully must have made her feel powerless and ultimately uncomfortable. “Hey, wait a minute! I can carry myself! Let me go!” She commanded, but the android would not listen. Still holding her in his arms, the android walked towards the bay entrance. “Forgive me Lady Sayako, but this will be faster. Hold on tight.”
Before she could protest again, Zero jumped out of the hanger bay and jettisoned through the sky towards Whitewater. The hera screamed, grasping onto the android with all her might as they soared through the sky. “ZEEEROOOOOOO…!”
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Post by Man on Aug 25, 2015 19:52:54 GMT -5
Whitewater, where Avalon’s beauty was marked by the plains of uniform red grass and the floating city’s outline in the sky, this one was distinguished by its replete diversity. Yellow and green leaves, mud trails, all kinds of flowers, streams and flowing rivers, bridges amongst many other features which made it so beautiful. Whitewater was home to the Hera and the leading capital in agriculture with its vast farmland. Automated drones survey the crops for optimal maintenance and harvest. The land had once been plagued with total anarchy before King Ivan assumed the mantle of King. Now, the citizen of Whitewater had grown to accept their new ruler, taking solace in the fact that Lady Sayako was representing the voice of her people. In spite of this, there were still a few who had not reconciled with the changes. The struggles between konatsians and the hera were far too deep for some to forget; there were actually individuals who were loyal to King Helios and so they felt it was their duty to undermine Ivan’s reign and avenge the fallen.
“-Hera, Konatsian, and Moujuujin tore down the wall and marched through the plains of Avalon. There must have been thousands standing in the line of battle as they faced off against the nasty Gors. Meanwhile, Ivan flew across the battlefield and right into the biseijin’s door! The battle was fierce and, at times, it seemed like all hope was lost –but through perseverance and a strong sense of unity, we vanquished the vile biseijin and claimed our freedom. And that, kids, is why we must always remember to be kind to our peers. Together, we can do anything!”
Tiny blue Hera, all with orange hair, looked up at their teacher with big curious eyes and impressionable minds. Their mouths were agape as their teacher told the story of how their great and powerful King Ivan overthrew Helios’s malignant reign with the help of Plation and company. The story itself was not very accurate, already contorted by the process of verbal propagation in a society with no broadcasts to inform them of current events. Unfortunately, many of the children had been left orphaned by the war as their parents took to the plains with blood and sweat. The teacher would only hope her story of grandeur would somewhat help ease their acking hearts and create a new generation of Hera where understanding and unity was the norm. Many grown citizens were far too gone for their minds to be shifted and their opinions concerning the konatsians swayed; according to them, they were better off when Helios still lived.
The bell rang throughout the school and classes were dismissed, everyone went home. The heran teacher would stay behind at her desk, filling in reports concerning children whom had not returned to school since the incident. Many were lost during the event, others had disappeared without a trace. She could still remember the chaotic state of anarchy they had been in prior to this new regimen. She truly believed it was for the better. No longer were there gang bangers lurking in the streets, the Great Walls wouldn’t protect them from outside influences anymore. Just when she was finished filling out her paper work, someone would knock on her door just as she stood from her desk.
Tap, tap, tap…
Surprised, she looked up with the warm and caring smile only a grade school teacher could have. She hadn’t expected visitors. “Why hello there, may I help you with anything?” The teacher closed her eyes and smiled genuinely as a gesture of acceptance and welcoming to the newcomer. From the opened door stood a blue heran with torn jeans and a short jacket demonstrating his slim body and well-rounded abdominals. He had orange raven hair and carried a pistol in hand, however, that was customary. Contrary to popular belief, Whitewater was not so white; having been brought up in a world of lawlessness and constant disorder, it was not particularly interesting to witness an armed individual –even within an institution.
“No,” the man responded solemnly. His stern expression promptly became twisted as he grinned like the very devil and aimed his hand-gun at her head. “-But maybe your great and powerful king will help you!”
“I sense you’re in distress. Why don’t we calm down and talk about it? There’s no longer a need to point weapons at each other.” Still smiling ostensibly benign, the woman reached for her drawer.
“Don’t move!” the man warned, removing the safe-guard from his hand-gun and taking a step forward. “I swear I’ll shoot if you make another move.”
The woman’s gentle and kind visage soon deformed into the grimace of an experienced fighter. “Not if I shoot first!” she roared. The teacher snatched a hand-gun of her own which she had kept safely hidden within her desk. It only took an instant between the screaming and the glaring as both veterans aimed their guns at their heads and pulled the trigger with a resounding BANG! echoing and repeating throughout the classroom and into the outside. Birds and animals scurried from their hiding places and fled the scene in search for shelter. Sirens blared and any citizens whom had still been within the buildings would begin to flee without another thought.
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Post by Man on Aug 27, 2015 19:13:36 GMT -5
The blue hera woman bitterly fixed her hair upon landing. The blatant look of distress was all over her face, “Zero, don’t do that again.” She warned. The Lady of Whitewater did not take well into being picked up so casually by the android. Certainly, they had arrived at a much faster pace than it would have taken them on the aircraft, but she would have preferred the extra hour or two against being choked to death by the unrelenting winds. Model Zero had not responded, he simply smiled and started walking. Sayako pouted and begun explaining the situation to the android. Ever since the The Great Wall was demolished and the biseijin’s rule relinquished, a band of misfits had been raging across Whitewater, committing all kinds of disturbing deeds. Left behind on every instance was a piece of paper with the emblem of the biseijin, a stylized “M”.
“Fire!”
Zero and Sayako’s attention was prompted by the cries of a fleeing citizen of Whitewater. The man was splashed with ashes all over his burnt clothing, and steam had still been rising from his blue skin. Zero looked back from where he had come from and they detected the billowing cloud of smoke rising from the outskirts of the city. The fire had just started from the looks of it. Sayako and the android ran towards the site, and by the time they arrived they had a wildfire in their hands. “The crops!” she exclaimed in horror. An entire field of produce lay to waste by the careless mistake of a baffoon. “This was no mistake,” Zero responded as he kneeled down to a knee and picked up a piece of paper. Sayako looked over his shoulder to take a glance. Gasp! “Followers of King Helios!”
Model Zero stood up from his crouched position and surveyed the area. There was no trace of their culprits whatsoever, it appeared they were dealing with professionals. Firefighters gathered soon after with their sirens blaring. Men and woman of Hera exited the building and started spraying water in an effort to kill the fire. Unfortunately, not even Zero could stand in the way of nature, it was best to let them do their job and extinguish the flames the old-fashioned way. The pair would scour the vicinity for clues which may aid them in deciphering the perpetrators. However, there was nothing but fallen droids laying on the ground. Sayako grimaced.
“Why would they attack the farm? They will starve to death too!” she protested.
“They probably stole a handful before setting it on fire,” the android reasoned. Zero crouched over the robots which were tasked with taking care of the crops. He had been aware that they acted as surveillance as well as caretakers, unfortunately, the chip in which the visual data was stored had been removed or destroyed. They were meticulous. Regardless, Zero was still able to discern a very troublesome clue. “Look at this…” he prompted, demonstrating the broken droid to the hera. “Aren’t those,” she started. “-the marks of a blade.” Zero finished. Upon observing the very damage the droid had received they were able to infer the type of weapon used in its destruction. The hera used guns and the konatsians used blades…
“Damnit,” Sayako muttered. It would have been easier if the culprits were from her own people, but if the terrorists were actually from Avalon then it could cause another war between them. They were also able to conclude that no hera would be involved in this chain of attack as they did not get along enough to do so. Model Zero would stand straight and observe his surroundings. His eyes would fall on several individuals, as well as various citizens gathering out of curiosity. Some of them had been injured in the fire, however there were no fatalities. In Zero’s eyes, they were all possible suspects. It was a troubling thought for the android, not knowing whom to target. Taking down the enemy would be a walk in the park for him –there was no one strong enough to stand up to him, but first he needed to find out who they are. His scouter could detect the power-level of every individual within the city and even miles away, but they couldn’t tell him who was guilty…
After they finished prospecting the crime scene, Zero and Sayako retreated to an enclosed building where they could review the chain. There was a large monitor on the wall and a computer, AEVA had been sending them data from her findings and Sayako presented them to the android. “All reviewed cases thus far fit with their MO, further supporting the possibility that this was all performed by a single group of likeminded individuals.” A map would come up on the large screen, it was Whitewater, and it possessed various red dots scattered across the country. Each red dot represented an instance in which they believed their terrorists were involved. “MO?” Zero questioned, unfamiliar with the jargon.
AEVA appeared on a corner of the screen, “Modus Operandi, or Method of Operation, The term is used to describe someone's habits of working, particularly in the context of business or criminal investigations.”
Sayako sat over a desk and crossed her legs. “You see Zero, everyone has a certain method they stick to whether they realize it or not, these patterns can be discerned to help us learn about our suspect’s psychology, such as goals, temperament, identity, etc. For example: every time you go on a mission, if I’m not mistaken, you start off by collecting information and staying in the shadows. Once you have collected enough information you engage your foe and dole out their punishment as quickly and swiftly as possible. –Even in fights! What do you do? You get a feel for your opponent, you learn their… MO, understand?”
The android nodded. “So the MO of our suspects include the piece of paper with King Helios’ symbol and the blade marks on the droids.”
Sayako smiled and nodded. “That is correct. The piece of paper tells us they have a purpose. They want to send us a message. ‘King Helios may be dead but his kingdom lives on.’ It also tells us that they want credit for the actions they committed. Based on this analysis, we can conclude that they will strike anything that may hinder King Ivan’s rule, as well as anyone who supports it. As for the damage done on the droids…” “-Konatsians.”
“What!?” Another window opened on the screen with the silver konatsian staring at them. He was perplexed by what he had just heard. “You’re saying my people are the terrorists behind these acts of violence? Impossible!” His nose wrinkled with anger at the thought. Sayako maintained her composure and nodded.
“You and I know full well that my people only use guns and other projectile weapons. The fact that all damage on every incident was inflicted by a bladed weapon is strong evidence against konatsians, Lord Zalam’gar.”
“That’s ridiculous,” the konatsian growled in anger. “We’re short on food ourselves, why would they do such a thing!?”
“We don’t know, it could mean we’re facing martyrs. Lord Zalam’gar, I think it be best if you don’t send those troops we talked about –at least, not until this whole situation is dealt with.”
“Very well,” he responded with regret. “Lady Sayako, I promise, if anyone within Avalon is linked to this, I will find them and make them pay!” With that, the konatsian cut off communication and his window vanished from the screen.
“Now that that’s settled, I finished running my algorithm,” AEVA spoke. Zero and Sayako looked to the screen as a shaded region appeared over the map of Whitewater. The region had a color scale of green, orange, yellow, and red; green represented the least possible location while red represented the greatest. “Using the mathematical principle I alluded to during our conference, I was able to create a formula that –based on the ostensibly random locations of each incident, it can tell us which is the most likely location of their home.”
“How’s that?” Zero inquired. He did not know much about mathematics, but that looked a bit far’fetched to him.
“Well, you probably don’t do this but you’ve observed living beings long enough to understand the way they live. It is a fact that your place of residence determines where you go for groceries, to wash your car, take your kids to school, or even walk your dog. Taking all of this into account, I’ve been able to scientifically determine where the suspect’s most likely residence will be found.” AEVA explained. Zero nodded in agreement.
“However, this area is still quite large…” Sayako noted. It would be nearly impossible to question every person within the region. By the time they found out who their culprit was, they would have already escaped the city and moved to another location. Unfortunately, AEVA stated that the search could not be refined with more data, and to get more data they would have to sit and wait for another attack –something Sayako was not about to do.
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Post by Man on Aug 27, 2015 20:51:18 GMT -5
“When did this happen?” Sayako asked. Her and Zero were called to the scene when the school’s public safety officer reported the sound of gunfire. The entire institution had been evacuated long since. Sayako grimaced as she saw the body of a female teacher lying on the ground by her desk. The classroom was filled with blood and, fortunately, no children witnessed the atrocity. At first glance it appeared to coincide with the modus operandi of their terrorists, and the location seemed appropriate in relation to the map they had developed. Sayako picked up the piece of paper with King Helios symbol, clearly displeased with herself that she had not been able to stop the homicide.
“It looks like she put up a fight,” Sayako concluded. The teacher had a gun in her hand, which she had kept stored within her desk in case of an emergency. Blood flooded the floor, but more importantly, there was a puddle of blood near the entrance. “Someone collect a sample of that blood and take it to medical personnel immediately.” She ordered. The hera turned to the classroom and began to envision how the crime must have occurred. It seemed someone approached the teacher right after class was dismissed about two hours ago. They stopped at the door, the teacher stood from her desk, she pulled the trigger and then… “Zero, check her body.”
As requested, the android kneeled over the school teacher and inspected her body. What he found was perplexing. “She’s been shot…” Sayako’s eye’s widened. Her suspicion had been on point. There was only two sections on the floor with blood; the woman’s corpse, and the entrance, if their suspect had used a bladed weapon, there was no way they could’ve killed her at a distance. He would have had to get close, meaning there would be a trail of blood leading from the woman’s body to the entrance. Specifics aside, the use of a firearm violated the establish method of operation. “So there’s two possible conclusions…” she started. “This is a copycat, taking advantage of the city’s turmoil and using Helios’ symbol to mislead us..” “-Or a hera is involved…” Zero interrupted.
After doing some research, Sayako and Zero found the home of the teacher’s family. Sayako broke the bad news to the poor family regarding the death of the school teacher. As one would expect, tears would stream down from their eyes as they mourned for the loss of their daughter, wife, mother… However, although Sayako understood their grief deeply, she still had a job to do and that required questioning them regarding the woman’s life. “I’m really sorry about this, I know you’re in great pain, but I must ask you some questions.” She explained to the crying relatives. “There is a group of terrorists out there who are not afraid to take away a life. Please, help me help you, help me stop these monsters before someone else dies.”
The family conceded and spoke of the woman’s daily life. She was a history teacher, the sweetest woman to ever grace Whitewater. She was the mother of two children and wife of a man whom she devoted her entire life to. When she was not at home tending to her loved ones, she was at the school living out her passion as a teacher to grade students. However, the more they spoke the more confused Sayako became, it just didn’t make any sense. Here was the most innocent and loving woman one could ever know, she was borderline perfect! Why would anyone wish to kill her? “Do you know of anyone who would’ve wanted to do harm to her? Maybe her husband?” They shook their heads insisting the couple were saints. “Perhaps something seemingly insignificant like a fight with your neighbors?” They shook their heads.
Sayako looked to Zero and sighed. “I don’t understand, why would they kill someone like her?”
The android was silent, after thinking it over he came up with a question of his own. “How does she feel about our new King?” He said. Sayako’s eye’s widened, that’s it!
“King Ivan?” one of them clarified, “She loves him! She’s always telling kids the story of how our great king liberated our land of the cruel biseijin and unified our race.”
“That’s it, the MO! Good job Zero.” She said, patting the android on the shoulder. Zero was unresponsive as usual. No emotion. “I have one last question… Do you know of anyone who dislikes King Ivan?” The relatives nodded and gave Sayako and Zero a pair of names. The hera thanked them for their bravery and they left the vicinity. Soon after, the DNA sample had been completed and they got the image of a hera as expected, whose name was within the list of suspects the family had provided. Sayako grinned, everything was starting to wrap up nicely, she thought. With no delay, Sayako and Zero would head out to the man’s residence. Sayako insisted they travel by car as to not arouse suspicion, Model Zero conceded. They pulled up by the man’s residence. “He’s inside, just one.” Zero said after scanning the home with his built-in scouter.
The woman knocked on the door three times. “Open up, this is Lord Sayako of Whitewater. The gig is up!” Promptly after, the sound of shattered glass leaked from the inside. “He’s escaping!” she cried. Model Zero vanished out of thin air in just moments. He already had a lock on the man’s power-level so there was no escape. The android stopped short of three feet in front of the man’s path with his pistol loaded and aiming at his head. The hera raised his hand in the air in defeat as Sayako approached him from behind. “You’re under arrest for homicide.” She said, grabbing his arms and placing cuffs on them. The man cursed. Tsk!
One crime had been solved but they still weren’t done. Sayako and Zero interrogated the hera only to discover that he had no ties with the heretics. He was a copycat. He heard someone was committing multiple acts of vandalism throughout the city and thought he could get away with killing someone if he used Helios’ symbol as a cover. Sayako slammed the table. “Damnit! I thought we had ‘em!” she cursed. Everything seemed to fit in, the attack took place in a location that fit with their map and the suspect’s home was within AEVA’s shaded region. Back in the conference room, Sayako and Zero were discussing their next plan of action when a window opened up on the display screen.
“Lord Zalam’gar,” Zero said. He looked as flustered as ever, he always seemed to be angry about something.
“Zero, Lady Sayako, I’ve been doing some research on my side and I think I found a connection to you case.”
“Really!?” Sayako shot up from the desk she was sitting on. The konatsian nodded.
“I captured a few suspects, blacksmiths and craftsmen, artisans. They said they were approached by a gang of herans who threatened them at gun range. As a result, they were forced to forge konatsian weaponry for them in exchange for their lives and future service.”
“So they’re not konatsians?” Sayako said in disbelief. Zalam’gar smiled slightly and nodded. He couldn’t show it, but the man was glad his people were not involved with the incident. In fact, Sayako was also glad. “I see, that’s actually quite cunning.” She admitted. “By taking bladed weapons, they knew we would be misled to believe they were konatsians. As a result, they remained completely under the radar.”
“They wanted to incite war between Whitewater and Avalon,” Zero commented. Sayako and Zalam’gar nodded in agreement. Everything made sense, it all fell into place like a jigsaw puzzle.
“Well, did you get any names?”
“Yes, two.”
Soon after, the Lord of Avalon forwarded the information he had gathered to their computers and with it files of two citizens of Whitewater. Herans. Sayako performed a search for their names in the computer’s storage system and located their address. She grinned after realizing that they both fell within AEVA’s shaded region. With Zero in tow, Sayako headed there personally –again in a car. As it turned out, none of them were at their homes and their family members didn’t know where the two had disappeared to; however, they did know where they worked. Sayako and Zero discovered a flaw in AEVA’s map. While she had been spot on in the location of their home’s whereabouts, she had forgotten to include the whereabouts of their jobs, which would have generated a second shaded region on the map.
Regardless, it was all trivial now as Sayako and Zero apprehended the terrorists shortly after pulling over at their jobs. They were many, some of them ran, others stood their ground and fired their guns. Lead and gunpowder filled the air, but none of them were a match for Sayako’s ability with the sniper rifle or Zero’s massively superior strength and speed. Most of the prisoners were shipped the Lupin Space Station, a jail orbiting the red planet. Others were taken to Ona’s Laboratory so she may continue her research. In the end, Whitewater was in peace again, the konatsian’s honor cleared, and a war avoided. As promised, Lady Sayako would send food and water to help with Avalon’s shortage and Lord Zalam’gar would transport his trained troops to be stationed in Whitewater and help with maintaining peace and security all over the country. And Zero…
He went back to his training. End.
[Zeni + 60% planet bonus]
Learned Technique
Kiai - This is an attack where the user shoots a blast a Ki at their opponent by screaming. It has the ability to shove the target around, but does not do much damage.
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Post by graderr on Aug 30, 2015 12:08:08 GMT -5
6,358 zeni awarded
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Post by Lord Zasham on Sept 9, 2015 23:24:11 GMT -5
Technique approved.
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