Prototype Zero

Aione, Mirage, Zero, and Shun stand face to face with Genesis and Kosuke. Genesis is standing by the beds where her unconscious parents lie.

Aione: “What have you done?! If you dare touch my parents-“

Kosuke: “Your parents are fine. No harm will come to them. Not unless you do as I say.”

Aione: “What do you want?!”

Zero: “Genesis! Why are you doing this? What do you hope to gain from this?!”

Genesis: “Exactly what I want, ultimate power and domination over all under my supreme reign. But in order to do that, I need you to help me with something.”

Shun: “But why do you think that we’ll help you in any way to achieve that?”

Genesis walks closer to the hospital bed where Aione’s parents were resting. He raised his hand over her father’s sleeping body. His hand resonated with a black and green energy that looked malevolent. Aione’s expression grew angrier by the second.

Genesis: “Cause if you don’t, I’ll shatter every single one of their bones with just a thought.”

Shun: (I can’t move…he’s…he’s so strong. I can’t even open my mouth to speak. His power has a presence that is very intimidating. I don’t know what to do right now.)

Kosuke: “So what is it gonna be? Your parents or our deal?”

Aione: “What is it that you want anyway?”

Genesis: “Right now I’m on the run. Missing like a ghost in the shadows. I can’t get ahold of all the resources that I need right now. But from the info that I’ve gathered, you have someone who’s really good at deciphering code.”

Shun: (Kohana!) “What do you want from her?!”

Genesis: “Well we were hoping to use her expertise of hacking, deciphering and decoding to gather some serious intel for us in our little conquest here.”

Shun: “What is this little conquest of yours anyway?”

Genesis: “Well…we plan on taking this whole world by storm so to speak. First we establish dominance here in this great city that we all live in here. Then we take this power of ours and spread our reach across the countries until we take over this heap of rubble called Earth.”

Aione: “Well what makes you think that we’ll allow you to do that?”

Kosuke: “Because with his strength and my smarts, there’s no one alive that can stop us anyway.”

Zero: “There’s no way we’ll allow you to get as far as taking over anything. We’ll stop you no matter what the cost!”

Shun: “I’m sick and tired of hearing this babble long enough. We’re gonna stop you here and now…LET’S GOOOOO!!!!!”

Kosuke and Genesis jump backwards through the hospital room window, breaking the glass along the way. Kosuke gives off a confident smirk as he fades out of view before Zero and Shun run to the window to see Genesis and Kosuke retreat back to the woodland behind the hospital.

Shun: “We’ll trail them from here. You look after your parents and I’ll meet up with the guys to pursue Genesis.”

Aione: “Yeah. Be careful.”

Shun nods his head to Aione before turning back to Zero and moving before thinking. All in one movement, Shun and Zero jump out of the window in pursuit of the escaped duo. Aione rushes to her hospitalized parents’ side to comfort them with a whisper. Mirage stands at her side to be there for her and her parents.

Aione: “I’m so glad that you’re okay.” Aione raises her head. “I’ll make you pay for this Genesis!”

*Meanwhile*

Gabriel and the mysterious machina continue their fight in the forest where the battle seems equal but the machina has an ace up his sleeve that he hasn’t revealed yet.

Kaida: “We’ve gotta keep our wits sharp in this battle. Stay focused and calm. Wait for him to close in and use Bind.”

Gabriel stands in a calm but offensive stance while the enemy zips back and forth between the surrounding trees as he looks for an opening.

???: “You can stand there all day and waiting for an opening that I won’t give you! This environment is perfect for me. You can’t possibly win here.”

The green machina zips and zooms back and forth between the trees, using them as cover. It was at that moment that Kaida had sparked an idea.

Kaida: “Gabriel use Enhance-Wind!”

Gabriel: “Okay!”

Gabriel’s daggers were swirling with an energy that resembled a small tornado around them. He wielded them with ease as if the property change in his weapon hadn’t affected his ability to use them.

Kaida: “Use Cross Slash on the trees as you detect movement. Don’t give you an opening!”

Gabriel stood still for a second to focus and find the slightest sign of movement from his opponent. A leaf fell from a treetop and with an instant, Gabriel launched a powerful wind slash at the tree reducing it to a stump of its former self. Gabriel continued to slash at his opponent as he moved from tree to tree dodging the attacks thrown at him. The green machina stops in a tree and hides behind its trunk to recalculate his thoughts.

???: “Damn…this guy’s good. I didn’t expect him to deal so much damage. Too many hits from those slashes alone could do some serious damage. I’ll have to snipe my way out of this.”

The machina detaches a sniper rifle from his back underneath his cloak and steadies himself as to not be detected as well as get a clear shot at Gabriel. He takes aim and charges his shot. The winds die down in the field. He scopes a clear shot and fires it. The shot cuts through the wind and hits Gabriel in the head. Gabriel is sent flying clear across the field and knocked onto the ground.

Kaida: “Gabriel! Gabriel! GABRIEL!”

Gabriel’s body is left lifeless and limp. He doesn’t respond to any of Kaida’s cries. The machina appears from the trees and puts his gun back on his back. He bears a grin of satisfaction on his face.

???: “Well it seems fitting that you only know the name of the machina that shot down your little friend. Name’s Caliber. Once I have someone in my sights, I never miss. See you never.”

A voice breaks the silence as Caliber turns to walk away. A figure begins to stand up and speak.

Gabriel: “Caliber’s the name, right? I’ll have to remember that before I crush you.”

Caliber: “How’d you survive that?! I hit you straight in the head! You should be dead!”

Gabriel: “I let you think you hit me. I caught the glare from your scope just before you shot me. After you fired, I timed the speed of the bullet and increased the speed of wind around my daggers to create a wind barrier around me to absorb the impact of the bullet while letting it hit me and making you come out of hiding, thinking that you had defeated me. Sorry for worrying you so much, Kaida. Now where were we?”

Gabriel’s face grew serious as the wind surged violently around his daggers. In an instant, Gabriel launches himself at Caliber with no reaction time for him to defend. Gabriel started a quick, unrelenting barrage of slashes onto Caliber’s body.

Kaida: “Now, Gabriel! Finish this with Cloak and Dagger!”

Gabriel’s slashes came to end as he jumped back slightly and dashed past Caliber. Only when Gabriel had sheathed his daggers that Caliber had fallen in defeat. Caliber had only enough strength to move his head and utter a few words.

Caliber: “Why not destroy me here and now? Why leave me here to suffer and die?”

Gabriel: “We’re not here to kill you. We won’t let you stand in our way either. Killing isn’t what we do. This is us giving you a second chance to redeem yourselves and your evil ways. Working for Genesis will bring you nothing but misfortune.”

Caliber: “How did you know that?!”

Kaida: “The rest of my teammates are in pursuit of him now.”

Caliber’s face grew surprised then disappointed. He could only hold his head down in shame.

Caliber: “Lord Genesis…I’m sorry.”

Kaida: “Let’s go catch up with the others.”

Just as Kaida and Gabriel turn to walk away, Caliber musters up the strength to speak once more.

Caliber: “I’ll be back again, as a rival. I’ll find my own strength and then we’ll have a rematch.”

Gabriel smiles at Caliber.

Gabriel: “You’ve got it.”

Kaida and Gabriel turn and run towards the hospital.

*Meanwhile*

Shun and Zero continue their pursuit of Genesis and Kosuke. They are chasing them through the forest behind the hospital when they meet up with Takashia, Misery, Iteza, and Tri-Blaze. They talk and catch each other up on current events as they run.

Takashia: “So the leader of the Black Diamonds is teaming up with Genesis for the sake of revenge and world domination?”

Iteza: “This guy is insane. We have to stop him at all costs.”

Misery: “He’s too dangerous to leave undetected anywhere.”

Tri-Blaze: “He’s a global threat. A powerhouse like him running around the world can start wars on a global scale and tear this planet apart. We have to make a stand now.”

Zero: “I agree. We finish this today.”

Shun: “I see a clearing up ahead.”

The group emerges into a field deep in the forest. Genesis and Kosuke stand there ready to fight as if they aren’t planning to run any longer. Shun, Takashia, and Iteza stand behind their respective machina and prepare themselves for a serious fight.

Genesis laughs with a cackle and yells into the open.

Genesis: “Now Zero! We were both created to be the most powerful machina the world’s ever seen! Join me and let’s rule this planet together!”

Zero: “I can’t do that! I can’t betray the friends that I’ve made here. This planet has too much to offer for me to turn around and destroy it. Instead of destroying it, join us and help save this planet.”

Genesis: “We can be its saviors or rule with an iron fist as its gods. Join me!”

Zero: “I can’t do that! We’re gonna put a stop to you right here, right now!”

Genesis: “Fine! Have it your way!”

Zero unsheathes his sword while Genesis charges energy into his fists. Both machina lunge at each other with intense energy as they collide with a blinding light.

Common Purpose-End