Glitch IV - Chapter III: Termination

[SirNitram]

Albert had stopped playing. The things being said didn't make sense, and for some reason, made his head hurt. His hands settled onto the table before him, and he shut his eyes. The voices were not helping, insisting they were right.

[Charon]

Look at her, she knows what pain it causes.

"Shut up."

She, she would be willing enough. You know what she did so many times with others in the game, what she offered you once.

"Shut up!"

Look at her, the swell of breasts, curves up hips. She isn't as... supple, as Yuffie, but she will do. Won't she?

Matt glanced up at Al and Leah, and he was not the same, there was an animalistic look in his eyes. With a yell that was wholly inhuman Matt grabbed the chess board and through it off the table, scattering pieces everywhere. Then in an instant he was over the table, he tackled Al off of his chair and grabbed Leah, lifting her by her throat.

Matthew grinned in lust, leaning in, licking Leah along her neck, sniffing around her before he threw her on the table that had just before had the chess board on it, grabbing at her shirt and tearing at it to get it off.

Dimly, far in the back of the animal mind, it recognized that these were allies. But it was a far distant secondary thought. In the foremind of the creature was only the desire to fulfill it's wants.

[LadyTevar]

Shock froze her as Matt threw aside the table and grabbed her about the neck. Horror moved in rapidly, as he began to molest her.

NO! Not this, not again, I won't let you won't let you "WON"T LET YOU!" Leandra screamed, fully into a psychotic break as she began to fight back. Hands contracted into claws, tearing at Matt's face with her fingernails as she bucked and kicked. "Not again. Never again, Darek!" she snarled, lost in the flashback of days spent unable to free herself, to stop -HIM- from raping her repeatedly.

This time, she'd stop him. This time, she'd kill him.

Was it just the force of the fight was was causing the scattered chess pieces to go rolling? Was it just the way her torn top fell open, making it seem to outline something ... serpentine? Did something truly flicker in the air, or was it just imagination?

[Rukia]

When the door opened Rory had given up hope that Ted was coming and didn't look up. Her memory said that he never came but she knew that memory wasn't right. But someone sat across from her. She looked up, and smiled softly at the almost familiar face.

Nothing was said before a chess piece went flying past Rory's head. There was something going on at the other table. Jack had done something out of the ordinary. Rory's eyes grew large as something seemed to break the air around Leah. Matt was attacking her. Something was said about Derek and Rory stood. She felt the urge to help but didn't know how.

Suddenly she dove across the room and tackled Matt. Letting out a guttural growl. "Leave her alone."

[SirNitram]

That is not acceptable. The voice was still calm, but it was not pleased, either. Albert rose and pulled Leah behind him, becoming a barrier. The backs of his hands itched, and another voice in the depths was crying out for blood and death and mayhem for harming what was his.

"Don't. Do. That." He said simply and quietly.

[Charon]

Matt seemed to completely ignore the deep scratches along his face as blood began to drip from his wounds. Rory coming up from behind him was completely ignored until she tackled him. She made a mistake though if she thought Matt had simply turned into a dumb beast. As Matt went through the air with Rory he twisted and planted a foot on her gut. As he hit the ground he transferred his momentum and threw her off of him just as she finished talking.

Matt quickly got to his feet and looked first at Albert and Leah, then to Rory. The beast made a simple decision, one woman was unprotected and far more beautiful than the other. Matthew turned and ran towards Rory, grabbing her as she got to her feet and tearing at her clothes.

[Agent Fisher]

Jack had been frozen in shock, but quickly snapped back into action. The man bull rushed Matt, hitting him in the back, and hopefully knocking him to the ground. In the back of his mind, he had hoped to use this distraction, but his sense of honor had overridden his desire for freedom.

[Shark Bait]

Ted smiled back at Rory for a second before the commotion began across the room, as she jumped up he snapped himself out of his dazed state and realized there were other people in the room. He saw her get thrown across the room and suddenly his mind became exceedingly clear. “Would someone please remove Margaret Thatcher from the chambers!â€

[Rukia]

Rory was stunned for a few moments when she was suddenly the focus of Matt's rage. Before she knew that the tables had been turned she had been hit in the gut and was having her clothes torn at. Then he was gone. Someone had pushed him away.

She gathered her breath and jumped to her feet. She looked much like a jungle cat ready to pounce on it's prey. Her eyes flashed dangerously and she resembled a savage member of a tribe with her clothes slashed. She didn't even thank Jack as she attacked Matt again. Throwing Ted off and taking his place.

This was her fight now, at least until the guards came.

[LadyTevar]

Leandra crouched behind Albert in an odd crouch, her hands still clenched into claws held in front of her, ready for attack or defense.
Everything about her posture was wrong, however. To crouch like that, she'd need at least one hand down steadying her... maybe both. She shouldn't be able to keep her balance like that, she should be toppling over.

Yet the Ascended memories of those paying attention would tell she was fully supported and perfectly balanced ...
... and that her hands were not the weapons to fear.

[Dark Silver]

The others in the communal area staggered back, most fearfully, at the small brawl which erupted amoungst the normally well behaved individuals.

Guards were rushed in, stun-wands in hand, as they swept upon the scene. The crackle of energy and the deep hum filled the room as the guards didn't so much bludgeon, as impacted Albert, Leah, Rory, Ted and Matt - Matt and Ted where severly beaten with the stunning rods, their bodies begining to twitch with each impact.

The Guards grunted, as more filed, in "Communal Activities are now ended. Please return to your dorms. WE apologize for the lack of Cake."

The unconcious forms where dragged back from the white room, but they were not brought to their cells, instead, they were dragged to a much larger room, outfitted with technologies far removed from Earth.

"What happened Doctor?" the droning voice requested, seeming to come from all areas of the room, even as the five humans where thrown into metal frames, their bodies strapped down with titanium mesh lines, and a metal frame brought down over their heads.

The a new voice answered, accompanied by a heavy wheezing just before he spoke, and a slight Germanic accent, "The memory implants do not seem to be taking properly..." he spoke, adjusting his lapcoat slightly before turning to his displays - the brainscans of Leah coming up first, "They appear to be remembering their time. I can fix the problem, but it will take time Exodus."

The buzzing like tone coming from everywhere spoke again, seemingly annoyed, "We lack time Wily. The resistance even now, presses for advantage on this facility. Our rule is not so absolute that we can afford to waste on half measures. Assess and repair the malfunctions in the memory implants, Utilize memory enhancement program Epsilon Omega Three."

"hhheheeee, of course Exodus, it shall be as you command," the white haired, balding scientist answered, begining to bring up the neuro scans on the Ascended....

[Agent Fisher]

Jack stood back, watching the others being dragged off. Part of him desperately wanted to help them, but another deep down part told him to not to. That same part told him to observe, look for an opening and escape.

He shuffled down the hallway, following a group of the other 'patients.' The man looked to his right, spotting an open hallway. Suddenly, he broke from the group, making a mad dash for the end of the hallway, and hoping that he could find the exit from there.

[Shark Bait]

Ted was still twitching as he was thrown into the metal frame, he wretched a little a reflex from his mouth still being full of blood some of it his some of it Matt’s. However, his mind was suddenly more clear than it had been in what seemed like an eternity. He felt almost detached from the pain, he knew it was there but he could push it aside like it was nothing more than a hair hanging in his face. He suddenly remembered things He could not be sure which ones were real and which were part of the psychosis. Best as he could figure the stun batons had acted like some sort of primitive electroshock therapy. He tried to sit up and say something, anything but all he got was a weak twitch and a little burbling noise as he coughed up more blood. He didn’t recognize any of the equipment around him either maybe this was just a whole new level of crazy he never dreamed possible.

[Dark Silver]

Jack made his way through the halls - he was considered the less probably to escape, and thus never watched. As he moved off,, the corridors seemed to change, becoming less and less like the plain white corridors of the asylum, until he came to a solid steel door, without handles or visible hinges. It remained there, seemingly impassive, as if daring him to approach it.


----------------------

"Heeeeeeee, what is this?" Alfred Wily spoke as he came up to the frame holding Ted. "I would have thought the stun wands would have kept you incompatcitated..."

Wily seemed to smile, the faint white gleam beneath the bush mustache of his teeth was startling in the dimness of the lab. "It would have been easier if you were unconscious.....it would certainly hurt a lot less..."

Wily touched the control pad next to Ted's frame, and needles injected into the human's veins, instantly clearing the grooginess, but also making him feel as if his entire brain was on fire.

[Charon]

Matt had taken the most punishment from the guards easily. Once they'd dragged Rory off of him one guard had hit him on the shoulder to try to bring him down. Matt had barely twitched in response, then had struck out, shattering the poor bastard's nose. The beast raged, as it had tackled another guard and had begun to strangle the life out of him. Then more blows reigned down, Matt's body convulsed horribly but it refused to let go. Finally three of the guards peeled his hands away as another two continued to beat him with the stun wands. Matt seemed to be frozen in place for a few seconds as the electricity tore at his body, then he suddenly flopped forward, completely still save for twitches and staggered breathing.

Matt came to in a pool of his own blood, having a very clear image of what had happened. The human shivered violently and then vomited, mixing the bile with his blood which was slowly beginning to dry. His wounds were still untreated, but none of them looked like they were bleeding a lot, from what he could see anyway.

Matt's puffed up left eye tried to focus on something in the room, but failed. His right eye though, worked at least somewhat. Showing him that this was some room that he'd never seen before. Not here anyway, and there were others here, in cages like him. Matt tried to lift his arms but found that he was strapped down. Then he heard the insane laughter. Why did it seem so familiar?

[Shark Bait]

Ted screamed and choked on more blood then began making snarling and gurgling noise thrashing against the straps holding him down. He bent twisted and arched his back as far as the Restraints would allow trying to somehow dislodge the needles. Yet through all the pain some far off corner of his brain was still strangely analytical about this “you know all that pain is just going to throw off the scanâ€

[Rukia]

Rory had been pulled off Matt and quickly sedated. She woke up and fought the urge to scream. She struggled against the restraints. She still felt groggy and sluggish her head swimming with very little sign of letting up. She heard the laugh of the Doctor and winced. The noise was like nails on a chalk board.

Then she heard Ted scream. Her head jerked to the side and she watched as the needles punctured his skin. He thrashed and she pulled harder at the ties. Then she heard Matt cough. Before she could stop herself she screeched at him pulling hard against the restraints.

"You stupid son of a BITCH! Do you see what you've done. You've fucked everything up!"

Tears streamed down her face form rage and fear. She felt so helpless.

[LadyTevar]

Someone screaming, someone yelling, a feeling of danger....

Leandra woke groggily, her body making her aware of every ache and pain she'd received in the fight. She tried to move, and felt the restraints binding her, and that woke her fully.

Her blue eyes rapidly darted around the room as she struggled against the restraints, trying to figure out where she was. Everyone was there ... Albert, Rory, Matt, Ted ...

No, not everyone. Say nothing!

"Let me go, let me out! Who are you! What are you doing to Ted!?!"

[Charon]

Matt groaned as his eyes went out of focus and then came back again. He felt exhausted, like there was nothing in this world that could possibly feel better than just drifting off to sleep again. He bit his tongue hard enough to draw blood and the sensation was torn away.

Almost everyone was in this, torture chamber, now. And as the woman he'd tried to... Matt didn't want to think about it. But she was yelling at him, that it was his fault. Matt closed his eyes as the realization came over him, this was his fault. So he had to do what he could to make things right, didn't he? If this place existed, were the doctors evil? Had everything been a lie? No, that wasn't possible. Matt's own anger was a proof of that. But the doctors were overstepping their bounds now, and occasionally a villain had to try to be the hero.

"Hey!" Matt tried to yell, though it only came out as a whisper at first, muffled by the blood in his mouth. Matt growled as he swirled the blood together with his saliva and turned to look at the doctor, spitting as hard as he could to get it on the madman.

"Hey! Third place at the Science fair! You're laugh. It reminds me of the laugh of a clown I killed once." Matt didn't know why that seemed relevant, but the memories were all jumbled up now. "You keep this up and I won't make it quick for you like I did with him."

[SirNitram]

Analysis indicates superior technology than local base. Advise: Escape and acquire. Suitable Living Metal samples must be synthesized. The voice said as Albert was numbly manhandled.

"...Doctor..." Albert twitched. The stun rods had had their effect. "...A word..."

[Agent Fisher]

Jack glanced around, his body tense. The man reached the door. He ran his hands over it, trying to find some sort of hidden switch. He didn't find one.

"Fuck it, 'Who dares, wins'." He said, not sure where he had gotten that quote from, it seemed like something from his past life. He shrugged and pushed against the door, trying to push in all different directions. The man sighed, the door didn't budge.

Jack looked to his side and then noticed the keypad. "Shit." He said. He could try randomly punch stuff in, but that would probably set off alarms.

Suddenly, he heard voices. Jack looked around quickly, finding a shadowed alcove. He ducked inside it, watching as a pair of men reached the door. They punched in a combo on the pad and the door opened. Jack watched them walk through and then watched it start to close. Waiting until the last possible moment, Jack dashed through the door.

He was out. A big parking lot, fresh air. He smiled. Then realized he was standing still. Jack ducked down and moved to to the side of the building, trying to stay as hidden as possible. Finally, Jack reached the tree lines. He kept low, moving deeper into the woods. He found a large patch of mud and rolled in it, covering his bright white patient clothing. Finally, satisfied that he wouldn't stand out from a distance, Jack began the long hike towards the city in the distance, a memory surfacing, telling him how to navigate through the woods.

[Dark Silver]

Wily snapped his head as, one by one, the humans woke up from the heavy stuns. Amazing.....the amount of voltage they took would have put down much larger animals for far longer. He would have to remember to have the guards up the voltage and amperage....

Wily, the balding, bushy mustached scientist, looked to Albert, a slow smile behind his bush white facial hair, "Your the Converter....the Fractal Code Absorber...." Wily wheezed, a dragged out, horse 'hhhheeeeee' sound, "No...no word...not yet..."

Wily moved to another console, the main control panel, and pressed a series of buttons. The room was suddenly filled with the sound of buzzing, like a million insects where someone in the distance, coming closer, before the monotone voice spoke from seemingly everywhere, "Wily, the Ascended are awaken. You will initiate procedures now."

"Of course Exodus....this will only take a moment....."

The buzzing remained in the background, a incessant background music to the human's shouting.

"Don't worry humans.." Wily wheezed, "Soon, you won't remember a thing....."

Syringes plunged into the necks and stomachs of the humans in the containment frames - over each of their heads, metallic frames descended, gleaming points penetrating through their hair, throught he thin layers of flesh, and peircing the brainpans....

Then there was flame.



--------------------



Jack half stumbled, half ran from the gleaming black obelisk he had just escaped. His former friends had been taken away, to somewhere, and now, he was putting distance between himself and them.

The forest enclosed him like a lover as he made it - unseen by the few guards. He was lucky, really, not skilled in this instance.

Within ten minutes of traveling through the tangle of plantlife and trees, Jack was worn out, and unable to go anymore, collapsed on a collapsed tree. He was breathing so hard, he didn't hear the armored trooper coming up behind him, until the blaster rifle's barrel was against the back of his head, the voice accompanying it sounded like it came through a speaker, "Stay right there.....This is TK-519, I've got a prisoner, looks to be one of the inmates from the Citadel. Returning to squad."

It was obvious the orders of "get up and start walking" was implied to Jack with that report.

[Agent Fisher]

Jak felt the blaster rifle and sighed. "Shit." He muttered and stood. The trooper pushed him in a direction and Jack started walking. He hadn't been out for more than twenty minutes and he was already captured. Jack shifted his shoulders, trying to get comfy in his mud soaked patient outfit.

His only thought as he was lead away was that life was a cold hearted, mean bitch.

[Dark Silver]

Jack was "escorted" through the woods, though from the direction he was being taken...he could tell it was further away, not back towards the bland, black colored fortress of a building.

The Stormtrooper at his back kept the blaster rifle pointed at the human's back, though if Jack would have turned to see it, the finger was never on the trigger, and the Stormtroopers armor seemed to have bulked up considerably, on the right shoulder, a placard of a raven holding what appeared to be daggers in it's talon, dripping blood....

They walked for ten minutes, before the camp spread out before him. It wasn't a camp really, the entire forest before him was leveled, seemed to have been run over by truly massive machines, the impressions upon the earth immense and deep ruts. Columns of men in blood red powered armor stood at the ready, and in the distance, the steady "dakka-dakka-dakka-" of slug-throwers could be heard.

Jack was taken through the columns, towards what could only be called a mobile command center. Taken up a lift, and brought into the forward control complex, Jack's eyes fell onto the feminine form encased in golden power armor, over the right hand, what appeared to be a heavy duty blaster was prepped.

Samus Aran turned to Jack, and from behind the green of the faceshield, he thought he could see a smile, before she spoke, "Welcome Jack of the Alchemist. We have come to set you and your friends free."

Samus seemed to step aside, allowing Jack to look through the main viewer - columns of heavily armed men stood waiting, in the distance, a massive tank, bristling with weapons took point, tearing through the forest, crushing down century old growth, with barely a care - flashes of what seemed like artillery fire coming off the rear of the pyramid shaped behemoth and streaking through the air. They were steadily approaching the citadel.

"Bring Jack a suit of Armor and a Bolter." he would hear her say, without even asking if he would help, or knew her.....she seemed to take into account he already would.

----------


The Citadel rocked as the artillery and VLS missiles plowed into the outer layers. Wily looked about in dismay, as power flickered off and on, the needles retracting from the humans, and the pain vanishing instantly.

"Wily" the buzzing sound of Exodus spoke from everywhere and nowhere, "The Citadel has come under attack by resistance forces. Shields will withstand assault for approximately five minutes at current rate of bombardment. Initiate code Ragnorok on the humans. You have four minutes to evacuate."

The tower shook again, as the VLS missiles impacted on the cascade energy shields surronding the building, the tremors of shockwaves making their way through the shields, and into the building and ground.

Wily weezed as he was given his orders, reaching for the button which would kill the humans placed within the restraints, as well as flood the containment cells with a acid which would consume their entire forms within seconds. The plasma bolt which just missed his outstretching hand slammed into the console, destroying it immediatly, and sending the mad scientist flying back into a computer console.

"No so fast Doctor.." the man in blue and white spoke, the white metal helmet covered his entire head, except for his all to human face. The plasma cannon that was his left arm still smoked, and seemed to be charging up for another shot, as he took another step forward.

Wily's snarl of rage was audible even over the sounds of weapons impact, "Exodus! Megaman is here!"

"I know Wily. You have been deemed....a casualty. We shall miss your loss. I have dispatched Metal Man to complete Code: Ragnorok. Quick Man shall be there momentarily to collect your corpse. Have a nice day."

The buzzing was suddenly gone, it seemed as if the room was emptier for it, as Mega Man X ripped the restraints from the humans body. He pointed out the door, screaming at them to run, as he freed the last, then pointed his blaster at the suddenly feeble scientist. Wily fixed him with a code star, one meant to kill, before his head was was replaced with a quickly dissipating, fine molecular mist.

------------

The shields where lowered as the massive tank and the forward companies marched forth. Plasma cannons and bolter rifles tore into the automated and manned defense platforms - the Space Marines who were not obliterated in the opening volleys of plasma and eclectic energy weaponry taking the place of their fallen comrades.

Riding atop the massive tank, like some grand god, stood a far more decorated, blue and gold version of the power armor, golden filigry covering the shoulders and chest, dark black hair flowing behind him in the wind, a heavy bolter pistol in one hand, a power-sword in the other, pointed at the black building.

"For the Emperor!" came the cries from the gathered Space Marines, as they charged the Citadel. The shield was gone, now was for what they did best.

The Citadel's defenders never stood a chance....

[Agent Fisher]

Jack stood slack jawed as the feminine armor form. How did htis person know his name? Alchemist. For some reason that word stuck in his mind, it fit, it seemed right.

Finally, he found his voice. "Who the hell are you?" He asked in a confused voice. "Where am I? What's going on?" Jack said, turning when he heard someone clear there throat behind him. He spun around, and a pair men were there.

"This way, please." The taller said. Jack decided to follow, they could have killed him plenty of times by now, so why not? They lead him to what seemed to be a locker room. On a small table was a set of clothes and then next to it was a large shape. Jack looked it over, it was some sort of powered armor, like the ones he had seen, but not quite as bulky.

He shook his head and moved into the shower, stripping off the dirty clothes and rinsing off the mud. He dried off and put on the clothes, simple black bdu pants, t-shirt, and a black bdu jacket. Jack finished dressing and looks at the armor. The men from earlier return.

After ten minutes of trying to get the armor on, Jack finally returned to the command deck from earlier, a bolter pistol on his side. He spotted the armored figure from before.

"Please, tell me, who are you? And what's going on?"