Serion Invasion: Chapter 1 Part 2 - Serion Hunt

Gaige stepped out of the portal in the city, Kaytlyn waiting on the footpath ahead of her. Gaige smiled at her. "You look good in that. I'd have gone with something a bit more... Ah, never mind. Come on, the coalition building's this way." she said, leading her towards the building.

"So listen, we need to be careful. We should be able to get in no problem, they know me, I did some work for the head of the R and D. When we find her, how do we know if she really is Serion? Can you detect them?" Gaige said. She stopped a little outside the building. "Eitherway, we can't be to obvious about it, until we expose her. If we attack, the coalition will defend her."

Gaige approached the door. Ron the guard stood outfront on duty as usual. She smiled as he noticed them. "Hey Ron you remember me right? My freind here was thinking about joining, I said I'd go with her and help out. Can we go in?" She said. Ron nodded and let her past. She held the door open for Kaytlyn and led her up to the front desk. "Hi there, my friend here is looking to sign up. Can you get someone to show us around?" She said to desk lady Pauline.

The woman made a call. "Wait over there, someone will be down soon." She said. Gaige nodded and sat down on a chair.

Kaytlyn waited on the footpath, struggling with the clothes she had been given. Gaige soon popped out of the portal beside her and the portal closed. "These garments are... inefficient." They headed towards the Coalition building and Gaige stopped and spoke. Kaytlyn pondered this. "We can study her reactions. While she is programmed and thus will have control of her emotions, the appearance of a living Valarion, when they are all believed dead, may cause unpredictable results. But you are correct. I do not wish to antagonize your people."

Kaytlyn followed as Gaige acquired access into the building. She watched silently as Gaige inquired at the desk. Kaytlyn used the opportunity to visually examine the building. It was quaint, but was still serviceable. She took a seat with Gaige to wait. "This building is crude, but it will suffice for now."

Alexander Kerensky got the call. He was in his lab, just finishing up a different model of shotgun swords using an energy blade. He called Jun to handle it instead.

Said blond was in Alistair's office when he got the call. The man was out, having a meeting with his chief subordinates. Jun was updating his computer and hologram systems. The five foot six blond headed towards the lobby. He spotted a familiar face. "Gaige! Not sure if you got it, but Alex called you earlier. He gave a friend of mine your business information for a specialized suit and maybe some cybornetics. Not sure if she visited you yet...but anyway, be expecting something on that front. He said something about a potential recruit?"

The boy looked at the guest and smiled brightly. She seemed...tall and a bit emotionless. "I'm Jun Tomoshibi. Kinda the Jack of All trades around here...nice to meet you." He held out his hand for a handshake.

Someone eventually showed up, and she was surprised to see it was Jun. "Hi eating machine Mk2." She said to him, grinning. "I was gone most of the day, I'll check with my dad when I get home, see if he got the call. I don't usually make power armor on request, Its expensive to make. But she's a friend of yours so I'll help her out if she comes looking. Oh speaking of which I made a second suit, Its a weaker model but it also doesn't put as much strain on me. I'll show it to you some time." She said. Then she looked at Kaytlyn.

"Ah yes, Jun, this is Kaytlyn. She's a friend of mine." She watched Kaytlyn carefully and lowered her voice so only she and jun could hear. "She's also a tech buff, so I imagine meeting the coalition's resident android would make her very happy." She said. "Maybe you should give her the tour first. Or what ever it is you do now. If its ok i'd like to stick with you's, you know i've no intention of joining but I also said I'd try stay with her for this part. She's very shy."

Kaytlyn watched as a young, blond-haired child arrived and began to speak with Gaige. She was confused, but remained expressionless. Upon Gaige introducing Kaytlyn as a potential new recruit, Kaytlyn narrowed her eyes at the human girl and began to protest. "You did not tell me I had to join-" But upon seeing the look on Gaige's face, she sighed with exasperation and raised an eyebrow at her, before looking back at Jun. "I am a new recruit. My designation is Kaytlyn Kal'dior." Jun introduced himself and offered his outstretched right hand for a handshake. Kaytlyn looked at it in mild confusion, unsure on how to proceed. She looked to Gaige, then back to the hand, trying to recall anything about this greeting ritual from the crash course in human interaction she received from Gaige en route.

Kaytlyn suddenly remembered the required response. It was called a handshake, and it involved the two hands clasping and swaying. Thus, she grabbed the hand, but instead of gently clasping it, she crushed it with her super-human strength. She feigned a greeting voice. "It is a pleasure to meet you." Upon Jun's (presumed) cry of pain, Kaytlyn suddenly let go again. "My apologies if you are damaged." The expression on her face was of confusion and even mild panic. She looked at Gaige for answers. "I do not understand."

Jun rose an eyebrow. Something was strange. She was...odd. And took a bit to realize what he wanted/customery. When she did, she nearly crushed his hand. It was pretty clear she was far stronger than he was. The boy had yelped and started to cradle his hand and flexing it when she let go. She apologized for it. "It's fine...it's pretty clear you're far stronger then me, and I'm considered the benchmark for testing new recruits..." Yes, he was definitely going to have his hand checked out.

Not catching what Kaytlyn asked/said to Gaige, he responded. "I can only take you two to the public lab, Coalition Shop, some offices, and the training/testing grounds. Serena is currently in a meeting with Alistair and Tadatomo. Besides, she's not a part of R&D, which sounds like the division you would be interested in. Serena works as part of the Center for Dangerious Human Capture/Destruction division. Basically handling humans that have gained powers and are abusing them and hurting innocent people. Kerensky-sensei is the head of Research and Developement. He was busy with a special request from me, but I'm sure he'll take a break to talk to you about it in more depth.

Technically, I'm also part of R&D, but I basically do low leveled jobs. Only occasionally go out in the field. What would you guys prefer to do first? The mini-tour, talking about the divisions, or what?"

He gave his warmest smile. Still, what the stranger had said earlier was...concerning. Just what was Gaige and her up to?

Gaige had to restrain herself from elbowing the Valarion. Play along, Gaige had said. She might as well have been telling rocks to jump. The woman figured out the handshake well enough, but Gaige realised her mistake on that part. "Right, don't teach the insanely strong lady to handshake with your robotic arm next time..." She muttered. Kaytlyn showed some mild panic and Gaige patted her on the shoulder. "Jun'll live, don't worry about it." Gaige said.

She mouthed a sorry towards Jun. She probably should have told him Kaytlyn was from Sweden or something. Jun started talking, and explaining that Serena was in a meeting. Serena... Gaige froze, and looked at Kaytlyn quickly.. It could be a coincidence... Maybe it was a popular robot name.. Gaige wondered if the woman was about to do something unexpected and probably dangerous, hearing that name. "Lets... Take the mini tour first...." Gaige said, eyeing her friend.

Kaytlyn managed to regain her cold composure when Jun's question came around. She listened intently to what Jun had to say. She froze when she mentioned the android's name. Serena. It was impossible that it was her. Impossible. But she had to be sure. However, she was not so overcome with emotion as she once might have been, so she kept a level head and did the calculations. They still needed to get to her without causing trouble. "Indeed. The tour please." Kaytlyn would simply follow the lead then, casting a skeptical eye over the quaint Coalition building.

The looks he got when he mentioned the android's name did not go unnoticed by Jun. Ok, this was getting weird. He was gonna report this. "All right. Let's start with the boring and semi-redundant part first...the beginning offices." He led them to the elevator and clicked the second floor. Which took it all about three seconds to get there. "These offices are mostly used for private conferences for recruiters. The bulk of the paperwork for recruits are done here. Anything more important are higher up. Also, offices for officers are also higher up, including the big boss man's. Those with significant talent tend to get noticed quickly and go up in ranks by the dozen. Sometimes, if you're strong, an officer will personally handle it. I'm not an officer...I should be...damn parents..."

He pressed the button for a basement. When they arrived, it was a store of sorts, though everything was behind a glass case and a good number of guards. "This is the Coalition Shop. You can place orders for Coalition gear that is sold to public. If you join, you can get access to other things. General stuff anyone can buy include a floater device. Since supernaturals can fly and most humans can't without their powers, it was created strictly for that. Also included are some firearms, a weak shield generator...I know Alex been meaning to update that one...various melee weapons, an ammo belt/container, a normal container for weapons and stuff, and if you want to go cyborg, we can do that too, though admittedly, others could do that better. Alex isn't much into the cyborg stuff, so it's pretty bare bones. Gaige is better off with that. We do have translaters and speech chips that's been a pretty good seller though. If you're lazy enough to not learn the language good and proper..."

Hence why if they wanted any neat little tricks, they have referred a person or two to the inventor. If they wanted to look around, he'd let them. Then they went back to the elevator for another ride down, this time, the trip lasting a good three minutes. The boy had texted his suspicions of something wierd to Alex, who had then notified Alistair, despite his meeting.

When the doors opened, there was a huge forest to the left, a mountain range to the right, and right in front was a river bason. "One of our many, many training grounds. Before you join, you're given a test. Normally, I might be the one to test a promising candidate, but I don't think I'll bother...I do not want to get kicked in the nuts again..."

Some cackling attracted the boy's and maybe the girl's attention. It was a pair of people. One a six foot tall, jersey and sweatpants? wearing man with dark purple hair in cowboy boots? What a strange dress style. The other was an orange eyed blond teenager that was trying to suppress his laughter, but was smiling none the less.

A six foot tall, green haired, black trench coat and block bucket hat wearing man was also with him. Alex was the one that spoke. "Greetings. This is Simon and Miles. They also need to be tested. However, from Jun's report, you aren't really here to join us. Mind explaining why he would think such a thing?" Hopefully Alistair or someone was also join them. He also made the report to Kai, who was watching on camera.

Jun showed them some offices, then the shop. She let out a pft at the floaters. She'd made less embarressing sounding devices for the same purpose. She took the compliment on her cybernetics crafting skill with a grin. Then they left the shop and headed down farther, and she started to get a bad feeling. They eventually arrived in an arena level complex, where Alexander was waiting for them along with another person. She met his gaze.

"What I was trying to do was be discreet, since its very possible there's a spy in your ranks. Unfortunately My friend here isn't well versed in the ways of subtlety. Logic and tactics, yes, but she hasn't had much interaction with humans." Gaige said. She didn't know where to begin to explain, but then the elevator doors opened and a familiar face walked out of them.


Serena and Tadatomo headed down to the basement training grounds to find out what was going on. Alistair had planned to go but since Tadatomo's girlfriend happened to be best freinds with one of the intruders, the man had opted to go in his place and hopefully trouble wouldn't break out. Serena having nothing better to do went with him, since the meeting would have to conclude at another time. Which was fine becuase she was curious about these kinds of things. She doubted a freind of the coalition was here to cause trouble, so her reason for coming here must be interesting.

The elevator stopped and Serena stepped out. She spotted the stranger and Gaige talking to Alex. She eyed up the stranger as they approached. And Gaige turned to look at her, as did the stranger. The smile Serena had been wearing fell off her face and she froze on the spot, looking at that woman. She opened her mouth to speak and a high pitched squeek came out. She snapped it shut, and stared. She was alive... Serena couldn't believe her eyes, her maker, mother, best freind.. Was alive. She unintentionally reverted to a form the woman new and choaked out the words. "Kaytlyn... I'm so sorry..."

Kaytlyn followed silently as they were shown the offices. Crude as they were, they were still organised and efficient. They were then brought to the Coalition Requisitions Department. The devices available were mediocre at best. Jun described the inventory that was available to the general populace. It was quaint but a lot of it was still efficient enough to serve its purpose adequately. They finished the examination of this particular area and proceeded down to an arena like area that was intended to train new recruits.

Suddenly they found that they were not alone. They were joined by two extravagantly-clad men and another who was not so much but still had a crop of bright green hair under a bucket hat. Alex Kerensky introduced the other two men and then addressed a question directly to the two ladies. Gaige seemed to decide the game was up and the ruse was dropped. Gaige was in the process of explaining their true purpose when a nearby elevator pinged open...


Tadatomo was in a meeting with Serena and Alistair about some admin work when the elder werewolf received a message from Jun. There was some suspicious activity at the recruitment area, and Jun was requesting Alistair's presence. When Tadatomo learned Gaige was involved, he requested that he go down in Alistair's place, as his girlfriend Laura was Gaige's best friend and thus he was confident he could defuse the situation without any trouble. How wrong he was.

Tadatomo stood in the elevator as it headed down to the training facility. Serena had decided to accompany him as she was not on assignment and was always looking for something to do. "I wonder what's happening down there, and why Gaige is here." The elevator pinged open, and they stepped out into the large chamber where several people were gathered. Alex was unmistakable in his trademark bucket hat. The other two men, Tadatomo had read about in the recruitment logs. Simon and Miles, Bounto. Gaige was there with a distinctly serious look on her face. But the other woman, Tadatomo had never seen before. She had blonde hair that was tied up in a neat bun, and she wore a long flowing peach colored dress that seemed to be made out of a material that was almost liquid in consistency. There were a few mechanical implants protruding from her skin in places, but she seemed to possess an almost other-worldly beauty.


Kaytlyn watched the two people exit the elevator. The man was unremarkable, with red hair and trench-coat. The female was, on the other hand, quite remarkable. The look of utter disbelief was unmistakable. Serena Des'ana then reverted to another form. Her true form. Her Serion form. Though she had trouble keeping her thoughts and feelings in check, Kaytlyn's reaction was swift. She drew her Beam Rifle from her Dimensional Storage pouch behind her back and pointed the weapon at Serena. "Do not move. I will not hesitate to kill you. What is your designation?" She had to be sure. There was no more room for doubt now.

In an instant, things had gone very bad when the elevators opened. Alex was about to ask why they think that is and how far they felt they had penetrated. Depending on that, the heavy escort would have taken to Kai. But it became clear as to who it was they thought...and confirmed it was it seemed. Serena. The woman took out a fire arm, Jun activated his rings to form chain whips, and Loran was out, coiling loosely around its master. Alex also pointed a shotgun at the stranger. Which had no stock, and a revolver like magazine.

Loran was ready to strike the woman, Jun didn't know who to attack, and Alex had the shotgun trained on Serena. Simon and Miles were silent, but Miles was hiding behind Simon. "Well now...I was going to ask how far up you thought he or she might have come and take you two under heavy escort to Kai, but it seems we found out who it might be. Miss, if you would lower your firearm, and we'll put away our own weapons. We will play nice here. Only us and Kai are listening in to this. And Serena, you will come nicely as well. There is much to discuss. Simon, Miles, you two are dismissed. Do not speak of this."

Simon saluted and went to the elevators with Miles in tow. Only to stop when it dinged again, this time, Kai himself stepped out. And promptly flooded the area with his power IF no one had put away or lowered their weapons. Which he required two reiatsu suppressors just to keep it in check. Miles crumpled to the floor, with Simon holding him close, eyes wide at the power. Jun became short of breath and was barely standing. Alex himself seemed to struggle a little.

In a commanding voice, he spoke. "Lower your weapons. Now." Lowering his spiritual pressure, he waited until everyone did as told. Jun and Alex did, though Loran remained. If the woman refused to do so now, he would appear next to her, sword at her throat, threatening to not repeat himself. If all was well, he'd walk them further towards the river bason. Commanding everyone to sit, he'll wait until Alistair showed up.

Then he would speak again. "You should be glad I'm giving you a chance after acting so rashly. Now speak, miss and explain yourself. After you are done, Serena will be next, and then Gaige." His tone was neutral, stoic even. But also held authority. This was going to be a long day.

Gaige nearly kicked Kaytlyn in the face. For gods sake she didn't say anything about pulling out weapons when they found the thing. Everyone else, with the exception of Serena pulled a gun. "Kaytlyn calm down! you cant do things this way, its how fights break out and if you haven't noticed we're outnumbered!" Gaige said, a look of severe irritation on her face.

Serena stood perfectly skill, but her face was a mess of emotion. "Everyone please stop.. This is because of me." She said. She tried to smile at Kaytlyn. "Its me, Kaytlyn. Its Serena.. You made me... You remember me, don't you?" She sounded like she was about to break into tears only she couldn't actually cry. Serena switched forms quickly, jumping from one to the next, showing Kaytlyn different appearances of Valarion she'd taken in the past. "Please. Its me. You built me, I'm your friend. So are these people, please don't do anything crazy." she said to her maker.

It seemed things were getting worse because Kai arrived. Gaige cursed when he started flairing his power and started caughing, a headache bursting to life. She started caughing up blood. The pressure was to much on her body, so her sickness was kicking in. She really hated Kai right now. He eventually stopped, and Gaige got to her feet shakily and glared at him. "Thanks for that. And I was having such a lovely day." She said, and wiped blood off her chin.

Serena walked in silence to the river and everyone sat down. It was very quite, despite the fact that shit got real a few moments ago. And Serena was terrified.. She'd meant to tell them everything. She wasn't an enemy any more. But this was bad. Kai might destroy her, or throw her in a lab. And she thought Kaytlyn might not allow it but she waan't so sure now. Alistair arrived looking confused and concerned. And then Kai began to talk.

Tadatomo saw Kaytlyn produce a rifle, and swiftly drew his own weapon and aimed it at the her. He looked to Serena, but what he saw was not the same as what he stepped out of the elevator with. He knew this must be her normal form. "Stop. I don't know who you are, but the situation is not as straightforward as you think. Gaige, you must intervene." Gaige began to admonish the Kaytlyn, which was having seemingly no effect. But then Serena spoke, appealing to Kaytlyn, reminding her of their past. Serena shuffled between different forms, all of what appeared to be human females, but with the same other-worldly characteristics that Kaytlyn had.

Kaytlyn kept the rifle trained on Serena, but her grip was shaky. She struggled to make sense of what was happening. Serena, here? It made no sense. But she supposed that if an infiltration unit was needed, who better than one with a whole host of form-changing features and abilities. Kaytlyn was struggling to maintain her composure. Her mind was filling with memories of her time with Serena. with her friend. "I... remember..."

Then, another elevator pinged open, and Kai Allard-Liao, head of the Coalition, stepped into the room. He flooded the area with his spiritual pressure, which caused difficulties for everybody except for Tadatomo, Serena and Kaytlyn. Gaige took the worst of it, coughing up blood and struggling to remain conscious. Kaytlyn's implants told her that the power being generated was astronomical. She hesitated for a moment, but then lowered her weapon. "I am sorry. I will comply." She returned the rifle to the Dimensional Storage and exhaled deeply. Kai sealed away his spiritual pressure again and offered to lead them to another area to talk. Tadatomo moved forward to check on Gaige. He handed her a couple of tablets. "Laura gave me these. She said the would help your sickness if you ever had difficulty and she wasn't there." He helped to steady her before following the others.

The approached a river basin. Kai asked for answers, Kaytlyn did her best to provide answers. Alistair arrived and Tadatomo offered him a nod. Kaytlyn began. "My name is Kaytlyn Kal'Dior. I am a Valarion, and my purpose on your world is to save it from an imminent threat. Centuries ago, my people began working on an artificial intelligence. They would be physicallyand mentally superior to ourselves and thus would be able to perform tasks we could not. We succeeded with the Serion Initiative. I was one of the project leads, the programming and design head to be precise. But something went wrong. We were making them better, resourceful and adaptable. They were virtually sentient. We embraced them like friends, even family." Kaytlyn gave Serena a mournful look.

"But there was a glitch in one unit. He called himself "The First", and took the view that the Serion were the true rulers of our home-world and that anything less was oppression. We were unprepared. The glitch spread through the neural network, causing all of the Serion to begin slaughtering the population of the planet. All except one. Serena. She actually saved me from a kill-team that was sent to my home. I fled and joined up with what was left of our armed forces. We came up with a plan to cybernetically enhance some of us to fight them. I was one of the test subjects. But we were unsuccessful. I managed to find a place to establish a base, away from their attention. I watched for centuries as they grew as a race. I captured patrols and kept my technology up to date with them. That is how I discovered your world. They somehow opened a rift to your world and sent through a preliminary combat unit to assess your defenses. You destroyed two of them, but there was a third who managed to stabilize the portal on this side. I do not know where this opening is. But I am here to warn you and to help prepare for the invasion. The Serion intend to take your world, as they took mine. I will do everything I can to help preserve your world. " Tadatomo looked to Serena, wondering what she would say.

Gaige accepted the tablets and the help and thanked Tadatomo. "If you and Laura have a fight, you can call me to side with you, once. Use it wisely lover boy."Serena listened intently. She knew the story well. She didn't try to stop it happening. What the Serion had done, what the first had started, she regretted it so much. When Kaytlyn finished, she took over. "After I saved Kaytlyn, I ran. I had just become sentient and was afraid. I though she was afraid me because of the look of shere terror on her face. I ended up joining the other Serions, and just got swept up by the Chaos. I faught because I was afraid of being destroyed, but I regretted every single life I took." She said. "We discovered earth about 100 years ago, during the time of Aizen. A portal was ripped between the worlds for a few minutes the day he was defeeated."

"The serion engineered a machine to create portals into your world. We watched you for 100 years and waited for the right time to begin the invasion. Admittedly our first attempt did not go well, the machines we sent through met allot of resistance and we're vulnerable to Reiatsu, it currodes us. Or did. We managed to create a shield that stops it from touching us, and also keep it out of our bodies.. After the portal was established, I was sent to infiltrate the coalition. I was suppose to watch you and report back. Eventually I'd have been ordered to Kill you Kai. However from the moment our worlds first met, I had no intention of bringing harm to innocent humans" She said.

"I am a Serion, but I am not bound by my programming. I'm alive, and I couldn't allow My kind to kill another race. So everything I sent back to my leader was a lie, or useless. I didn't tell you what I really am though because I was afraid of what you might do to me. Only one person knows what I really was before today, and thats Tadatomo." She said. Then she stopped talking. Leaving only Gaige.

"I can't vouch for Serena, but I've been to Kaytlyn's world. I faught A serion there, and everything she says is true. I have fotage of the fight to show you and pics to prove it. When I mentioned an android was working for you Kaytlyn thought it might be a spy, so we decided to try and catch her before she escaped. Thats why we didn't just tell you about it. However Serena is different. If Kaytlyn built her you can probably trust her."

Kai looked at Gaige apologetically. He didn't realize that would affect her like it did. Either way, he listened. His eyes narrowed in on Serena. "This wouldn't be the first time Serena lied. She also showed a little bit of insubordination with Alex, even though her different course of action was just as viable. Only reason we even found out she was an android was because of that damned Alexei and Yuri confirming it with his own Hyper Intuition. I do understand why she would keep that quiet...there is still some controversy over androids and some fears of them gaining self awareness. There's even movies about it and humans in those movies usually got annihilated, but still going and resisting. But this is also on a whole other level and is reality.

I think I know the first attempt. Boston had one...I believe it was called Model III or something...it used particle weapons and energy blades. Alex I believe was in Singapore with the second one. We didn't salvage much from either one...the power cores were completely destroyed and what little we did have corroded. So that does give credance to your stories.

While the laws over this type of thing isn't clear, I will consider you, Serena, a prisoner of war for the moment, as in as a person. I'll have to convene with the leaders of the world about this. Rest assured, you won't be taken apart or anything like that. I'm not sure if we can trust you yet, however. Your heroics and help with the Alexei incidents will give you favor. But this will be a huge gamble if we decide to trust you again. I'm not usually a fan of gambles. I'll ask you a question in a little bit.

Miss Ashe...first of all, my apologies for flaring out...I didn't realize you had a severe case of reiatsu sickness. It won't happen again unless you act up, but I doubt you will. You've been most agreeable so far and even helped us when our interests were the same. I'll repay you somehow for my transgression. Please go with Alex with the footage. He'll have it so only the officers will have access to it. Review it, add in your personal comments, whatever.

Tadatomo...I'm disappointed in you. Even if you promised not to tell, if you had any knowledge of this, you should have made a report and submitted it with the proper designations. What is done is done, however. This is your first offense, so you'll only have a slap on the wrist for now. You'll continue working, but as a desk jockey and with no pay for a month. You'll stay updated with new developements, however. Alistair has the right to add on further punishment if he feels it necessary.

Speaking of whom, I blame you partially for this...you jinxed us ya damned mutt... (he was half serious, half joking here, and his tone will reflect that)

Miss Kaytlyn...you obviously have intimate knowledge about these Serions. We'll accept any help you can offer, though I'm iffy about it. Particularly with R&D and possible tactics and plans for when they show up. I intend to play defensively for now...but I'd like to hit them first if all possible, especially while one of our enemies are lying low for now. Until you earn our trust fully, which may involve assisting us with other troubles here on Earth, some information and areas may remain restricted to you.

Serena...just when were you planning on telling us this?"

Loran was resealed. "If you'll excuse me then, I'll take Gaige with me to my main lab. And Kaytlyn too, if/when you're finished with her. I already have the cameras here ready to record Simon and Miles's test." Alex would escort her to his main lab, and to his computer to imput the data and video as well as any personal comments. He would speak to her as well. "Seems I get to do some updating much sooner than expected. With mass production in mind, do you think we can hire you to help? After you meet and assist Rena, Junny's friend and the person that taught him his martial arts...or go back and forth, whatever is most conveniant for you..."

Back at the training area, Kai would ask Alistair to test Simon and Miles in another part. It was huge after all, more than enough room to speak. Since things have cooled down a little bit. If Serena fully cooperated, it would mean a lot and may go in her favor. Either way, she'll be escorted to a cell until further notice later.

Tadatomo stood silently and awaited judgment. Kaytlyn averted her eyes from Serena until Kai finished to avoid distraction. After the man had finished his oratory, neither of them was particularly happy. Tadatomo spoke first. "With all due respect sir, I will not comply. Alistair hired me on as an advisor to the CDHCD. However, while the conditions of my contract imply that I am indeed under your jurisdiction, I must point out that your need of me is too great to relegate me to a desk job. I am one of your strongest fighters and, having fought Serena, I have gained some experience with how Serion operate that, while nowhere near as vast as Kaytlyn or Gaige's, would prove useful. I accept that my actions were not exactly orthodox, but they were justified in my opinion. My choices served the greater good, for they allowed the successful completion of the Amarius mission. This was because it allowed Serena to continue acting in our best interests. The bottom line is, I will not allow this world to fall due to some political red-tape bullshit. If you will not let me serve from the front line, then I have no choice but to terminate my contract with you, using a cleverly inserted clause in it, and fight this battle without your help."

Next Kaytlyn turned to Kai. "Tadatomo is correct. While his choices may seem contradictory to the regulations you have set up here, without them you may have lost your best hope for survival. You will no doubt have disassembled Serena in a futile attempt to gain knowledge about the new threat. She would have resisted, and you would have been forced to terminate her. During my time interacting with Gaige, I have discovered that while her methods are... unorthodox, she appreciates the need for creative thinking, rather that following strict guidelines. It is this unpredictability that will be your greatest asset in the coming times. I will comply with your decision for now, but time is against you. You cannot delay over protocol."

Kaytlyn moved to Gaige and Alex's side. She looked at Serena one last time before the android was carted away. "I will get you out of there, Imzadi. Rest assured." Tadatomo swept towards the elevator. "If you need me, I'll be cleaning out my office." He got in and disappeared. Kaytlyn stalked after Gaige and Alex, gazing after Serena with a forlorn look.

Serena didn't protest when he told her she would be put taken into custody. She'd expected something like this. She drew both pistols, causing Alistair to tense, and handed him the weapons. "I've already told you, your my friends. You've promised not to harm me, so I'm not going to resist." She said. Alistair took the guns. "I'll take care of these until this is sorted out." He said, placing the weapons in his pockets. Serena turned to Kai. "The second one was called Xeradul. They were both high ranking members of the Arc Mechanica. And Sir, if I may. Do not punish Tadatomo. I could have easily hidden the truth from him, but I trusted him to keep my secret. And he trusts me. I knew he'd have destroyed me on the spot if he'd thought I was lying to him. He's a good man, and you need him working on the front lines, not in an office." She said.

Alistair took her by the arm, and stopped to look at Kai. "You can't blame me. I wasn't even aware someone like Serena was possible. Don't forget I spent a large portion of my life living in the woods as a wolf before I came here to help you." He said. He slightly resented being called a mutt. But he was still smiling partially. Kai asked Serena one last question. "Soon. Before the attack. I wasn't sure when the right time was, I didn't want the Machine lord figuring out I was going to betray her before the attack. Now... There might be repercussions if word gets to them..." She said. Alistair gave her a gentle tug and they started to walk.

She had her back to Kaytlyn when the woman spoke, she glanced back, smiling. "I don't care about being locked up.. I'm just glad your alive, and that you forgive me, Imzadi." She said. She looked at Kai. "Please, when you can spare Kaytlyn, let me see her." She said with desperation in her voice. They entered the elevator and were gone. Gaige watched them go, then turned to Kai. "It's fine, don't worry about it. We're on the same side after all. However, if I could give you a word of advice Kai Allard Laio, be very careful about how you proceed. Serena may have lied, but if she really is on our side we're going to need her and Kaytlyn to win. And its very clear She means something to Kaytlyn. Don't drive away our best hope of winning." She said. "Anyway, I guess I've got some work to do. Lets go." She said to alexander.


Some time later, Alistair returned to the training arena. He looked annoyed, to say the least. This situation didn't sit well with him. He did feel betrayed by Serena, but she'd also been so sincere it felt wrong to lock her up. He felt like she'd meant them no harm. Why go to so much trouble helping them against Amarius and Hanna, when leaving those two around would only weaken the coalition. He sighed, and approached the new recruit. "Hell of a day, eh?" He said. "My name is Alistair Duine, leader of the CDHCD. So, I'm going to test you in combat. I've been told its not your thing, however if your going to join us right now, we need to know if you can fight. So, when ever your ready to go, just let me know." He said. His hands became clawed, and he summoned a long red spear.


Gaige followed Alexander into her lab, looking reticent. "I though you might ask. I worked a little on a few disigns. I'll upload the scematics to one of your computers, just tell me which one I can interact with without breaching your security by mistake, they should help you balance the design a little more." She said. She picked up one of the shotguns, but looked less than enthusiastic about it. Or anything. She Hacked into the computer alexander let her use, and started to upload scematics for the shotgun he wanted. Then moving to a new folder she uploaded the entire fight with the serion, and started to make notes.

"Based on what I've seen, no two serion are alike. I believe Red blu and yello were all one unit with 3 separate bodies. Though I killed yellow within seconds of the fights start, red and blu were far to well coordinated to be separate machines. They definitely shared a link. I wonder what would have happened if yellow hadn't died and instead joined in that union. I doubt I'd have won. Either way, I noticed a few things about them. 1, they use nanites to repair, and also achieve things like combining from two into one, and 2, the metal their made of is tough. They don't bleed, obviously. Their internal structure is much more durable than their armor, removing limbs is very difficult to do so, and they're definitely hard to take down overall.."

Kai would stop Tada by surrounding him in spells. He would retract them should he follow his order to sit back down. "Sit back down. Desk jockey here does not always mean you're strapped to a desk. Ask Jun. When they attack or a major case arises, your suspension is temperarly suspended. So don't think you'll be sitting here twiddling your thumbs while the rest of us fight. Now that you revealed that you've fought Serena before...instead of being on recruit testing/training duty in addition to normal desk jockey jobs, perhaps you'll be interested in becoming a new division head?

One specifically to train those to handle Serions. Until it goes public it will be on the low, and this could very easily be a good cover. I want it kept secret for as long as possible. Of course, if Serena is allowed back in, I'd like her to assist you, and naturally Kaytlyn. This isn't because of that clause, which I am well aware of. Remember, I've dealt with mercenaries before and none have been as crafty as Yuri.

For now though, I'd like Jun to be your second in command officially *cue Junny squeel of excitement*. If Serena is allowed back in, and she joins you, arrangements can be made. Or Kaytlyn for that matter.

Now, Miss Kaytlyn, perhaps you didn't listen. Termination if she resisted would be a possibility. The fact she didn't and seem very sincere is going to give her points. She's not out of the woods as the saying goes. Leave the political arena to me. I may not like gambles, but if the risks are worth it, I'll pay it. If she must be punished, I'll make sure it's light, this I swear on my honor.

Contrary to what you might think right now, I'm more flexible than that. I'm aware that time is against us, which is why I'm acting now instead of waiting for the leaders of the world to decide on any action. I'm giving Tada a list of candidates for him to choose from for the new division should he take it.

Also, I'll allow you to visit Serena under guard or at least under watch by either my personal guard or by an officer. Meanwhile, you can officially join us, ask questions before hand, whatever. I have a lot of work to do. Be sure to message me with your decision Tada. The cover is there, so few questions will be asked. I'll keep everyone updated on the situation with Serena. You're free to go now.

Or, if you wish to speak with me some more, Kaytlyn, you may."

He'll leave it open ended. It was almost insulting of how little they thought of him.

~Alex and Gaige~

He pointed to one of them while using another to set her up so that she didn't actually hack into it. "I've given you officer level permissions. Just don't snoop around certain subjects too much. If you're unsure, ask first. I don't require much sleep, so I'm garunteed to answer very quickly. Jun can confirm that I'm a bit of a workaholic."

He let her get to work. He also posed a question. "What was the environment of their world like?" He started working on redesigning his shield generator first and foremost.

~Simon, Miles, and Alistair~

"No kidding...one of our conditions of joining is to remain stationed in Japan...though you can teleport us all the way back here if need be via one of our abilities. It works with a normal cell phone. We don't like to fight mostly because of our signature ability...you'll probably notice it a little bit into the match considering it hasn't already activated. I'm Simon, and my doll here is Miles. Pleasure. Ziege Dich: Miles." The teenager turned into a katana blade with bandages wrapped around the hilt and no guard, although there was some trailing around the blade.

Simon went in with an uppercut slash and then stabbed at the man's foot. Hit or miss, he'll cartwheel over him with another slash towards the base of the neck, though not as deep cutting as what he would normally aim for. Sparring match after all. Upon landing, if Alistair was at range, he'll fire a Soul Wave. If not...well, he'll wait and see...

Tadatomo sighed when the order to sit back down came out and spells surrounded him, blocking every exit bar the one leading back. He turned slowly and headed back and sat down warily, but still wearing a neutral expression. He considered Kai's words carefully. Being head of a new Serion Combat division would definitely allow him to directly influence things with regards to the defense of the planet. It might have to do, because even if he terminated his contract and left, there was no other force with the resources of the Coalition. He stroked his chin. He decided to return to his office and consider it properly, as well as studying the shortlist of candidates that Kai provided. He bowed and got up to leave again. "Acknowledged. You will have my answer by the end of the day." The red-haired man stalked out and entered an elevator.

Kaytlyn watched him as he left. She admired the man's forthrightness and willingness to do what was needed. They would need people like him if they were to survive. She regarded Kai with an expression of sheepishness and embarrassment. She waited until he finished talking then spoke up.
"I must apologize. Gaige has alerted me already to the fact that I come across as cold and a bit too direct. Forgive me, I did not mean to belittle your efforts. The job you do here is commendable. I am still getting used to dealing with humans. I would ask to see Serena as soon as it is convenient. I have... much I wish to discuss with her. After this, I will be at your disposal. I will operate where you see fit. Thank you for understanding of the situation. Ma serannas, Kai Allard-Liao"

"There's no saying where they could attack. While attacking here is likely, they could just as easily attack Japan. Having you there will help us atleast. Anyway, welcome to the Coalition Simon and Miles." Alistair said. He lunged forward as simon did, knocking the blade away with his palm as Simon tried to slash and dodged the stab at his foot, since in his partial transformation his arms were as tough as Zan Steel. Alistair ducked under the slash at his neck and brought his spear around slamming the shaft of the weapon at Simon's side. The wolf stepped around and threw out a back hand with one arm, holding the spear in the other.


Gaige didn't actually hack his computer since he unlocked it, but she did choose to simply connect to it with her Artemis and manipulate it with her internal computer. She didn't bother snooping around, she wasn't really interested in the information she might find. If she really wanted to she could have done it from home without Alexander ever knowing. Not that she would, since these people were allies. She simply continued working, until Alexander asked her a question. "Dead. I imagine there are places filled with life and greenery, but where I was, there was nothing besides Kaytlyn's hydroponic garden. I suppose unlike us, Serion dont need to worry about polution, global warming or driving things extinct." She said.

"Their world also lacks spiritual energy. For the short while i was there, my body wasn't actually generating any. I'm not sure what that means if a spirtual being like a shinigami went through, I do know that if we assault them directly, no one will have powers. Launching a counter attack is out of the question until more information can be gathered." She said.

"Oh and one last thing. When Katelyn came through, she was nearly killed by the spiritual energy in our environment. I managed to stop it happening again, thanks to knowing so much about Reiatsu sickness. However I also believe that Serion were affected the same way, because when I fought Model III jn Singapore, he was corroding by the time we got to him. When we killed him, his body was so badly corroded I couldn't even get a sample of his metal. On the other hand, Serena seems perfectly fine in our environment, so its likely they learned to counter the reiatsu. I'd like to talk to her later, Maybe she'll tell me how."


Serena sat in her cell. She'd changed her appearance back to one she'd worn here for the last few months, that of the girl with half black half white hair. She didn't want someone walking past and see her sitting there in her machine form, then running around telling everyone about it. Especially if the machine lord had decided to plant another spy her. surely Serena would know though. They'd have told her. She sat and waited until Kaytlyn was allowed come see her.

Kai nodded at her. "There's a time and place for directness. The trick is knowing the time and place. When discussing matters of security, operations, and other military matters, I prefer directness most. Of course, there are other areas where I like it. It's why I favor Alistair a bit as well. I'll leave you in the capable hands of Junny. I suggest visiting Serena now and discuss what you need to. We'll be keeping you very busy after all. If there's nothing else, I better get back to work and start this show..."

With that, the tanned, silver haired, red eyed man left. Jun hopped up and escorted Kaytlyn to the holding cells. The private ones where Serena was put in. He kept watch, but also stayed out of hearing range to give them some privacy. He would mention he could open the cell and allow her in with her if she so chose. But he would have to close it again.


Alex nodded. That settled it then. A better battery for the shield generator. Phaser should be good...same with damn near everything else. Next step would be reiatsu generators...maybe updating some fire arms? The turrets are a bit...extensive. He'll need help with that...


The man met him in the middle. Although with the partial transformed hand he was iffy calling him a man. Blocking his strikes, Alistair swung his spear just as he landed. Without missing a beat, he blocked the strike...and got rewarded with a back hand to the face.

Spinning away from the impact, he fired a cutting wave of energy at the man. Again, this guy felt like he was stronger than him...but that will fade soon. The scrawny looking man jumped and spun, doing a kick.

If blocked by the spear, he'll hook his other foot onto it and going to a backflip like manner to stab at the gut, complete with a Soul Wave and using his free hand to balance himself and recover quickly if Alistair tried to interrupt or attack him.

If blocked by his arm, Simon would jump again and do a double stomp kick down. Upon landing, slashing at his side and thigh/butt would round out his attacks.

Towards the end of either combo, it should be noted his power spiked a little bit...

Tadatomo took the elevator to his personal quarters in the Coalition HQ. He had a lot of things to mull over.


Kaytlyn bowed after Kai finished speaking. "Understood. I will report for duty shortly." She turned and followed Jun towards the cells. She did not say a word until they reached the cell in which Serena was incarcerated. Once there, she watched through a monitor as Serena sat stoically on the bed. Kaytlyn turned to Jun. "May I enter?" The young man nodded, but informed the blonde Valarion that he would have to close the cell after her. She nodded and entered the cell. As the door hissed shut, Kaytlyn simply stared at Serena, her expression a mixture of grief, realization and pain, but also joy and relief. Kaytlyn started to speak, but for once, she could not quite find the words for this moment. "I..."

Alistair brought the spear back, slashing along the length of the cutting wave and dispersing the energy. He blocked the kick and as the man hooked his foot on the spear, he let go, rapidly slashing his own hand off the blade of the spear. The spear was thrown up as his opponent flipped, and as he dodged the stab to the gun, a magic circle appeared between him and Simon. He pressed his cut hand against it, launching a large crimson ball of fire 5ft wide and as strong as a gran rey at the bounto as the fired a soul wave. The ball of fire burst into the soul wave and continued at his opponent, even as the spear fell down and Alistair caught it. He jumped back, and waited for the man's next attack.


Serena heard voices outside her cell and realized Kaytlyn had arrived. She waited patiently as they came in, and Jun let Kaytlyn in. As soon as he left, she stood up. Kaytlyn seemed lost for words but the serion dashed across the cell and pulled her creator into a tight hug. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you, even if it complicated things for me." She said. "I though you were dead. All this time, I blamed myself for your death, because I got scared, and because The first's destruction was so fresh in my mind. I thought it meant you were going to do the same to me..."

Simon jumped up to avoid the fire ball, but it was a little too close for comfort as he felt the heat coming off of the fire ball. Plus he noticed the ribbon of trailing off bandages was shorter. He heard Miles grumble about his shirt sleeve now missing. Plus some of Simon's bangs were noticably shorter. "Damn it! This is the second time in under a month parts of my hair have been singed off!"

He landed in a crouch and promptly darted for a couple slashes at the feet, now equal in power to his opponent. The purple haired man backed off. Only to move forward again in a spin, firing a horizontal Soul Wave. When he closed the distance, the sword was brimming with power as he slashed. Which had the force of a Gran Rey behind it. Hopefully opening a hole.

Along the edge of the sword, there was still a thin strip of power to increase its cutting strength. Simon aimed a slash at the forearm closest to him.

If it hit, but didn't lob it off, he'd shove the sword forward to stab in the shoulder. If it lobbed it off, he'd back off and hold back, hoping he didn't do an oops. If he missed, he'd continue to slash away unless Alistair backed off himself.