The Facility (Almost Perfect Part II)

Clara braced as Vyn lunged at her, albeit slightly slower than she had been moving before. She still had decent speed and almost connected as Clara dodged her face punch. The knee to the gut was met by Clara's sheath, and she tried to sweep Vyn's standing leg out from underneath her. If that succeeded, Clara would attempt to Sheath Bat her on the head to try and knock her out. If it failed, Clara would spin through and try and draw her blade swiftly to cut Vyn again across the thighs. Either way, Clara would then jump back and fire a couple of Swift Strikes at her from range.


Zachary had just finished setting up the last of the charges when he heard Gaige entering the room behind him. Gaige thanked him for rescuing her. Zachary deactivated his mask and smiled. "No problem. You wouldn't believe how much of a pain in the ass Altaria was. Oh, I've primed the self-destruct packs. This will detonate them." He tossed Gaige a handheld control unit. "There is a slight issue. The operational range is only 50 yards, with an 8 second delay. We're gonna need to haul ass once you hit it." He walked over to a table nearby and picked up his rifle. "Once we get out, I don't know what state Vyn will be in. I just hope you got some sort of plan."

Vyn continued to lunge, and as clara batted at her leg she leaned into it, letting it hit her, and used her wings she flew sideways slightly and flipped, dodging the attempted head blugeoning. Clara tried to slash her legs again, which had healed from the last bit of abuse, but Vyn blocked it with her hand, the blade cutting to bone. She attempted to wrap her hand around it and pull clara towards her to deliver a powerful punch with her other hand. If it hit it would push her back enough for Vyn to build up a blast of psionic energy between them and send clara flying. She'd jumped back and try that anyway if she missed, but it was less likely to hit since clara wouldn't be staggered.


Gaige took the trigger and nodded. "Then you better get a head start. I can escape the blast faster than you." She said. She handed him a small metal box. "Yeah, i have a plan. Press the button on that and throw it, then get Vyn through the portal it creates by any means. Its going to strip her of her power, but its also her power thats messing with her head. If I don't make it, save her for me. Now get running." She said, walking after him.

Clara grimaced as Vyn blocked her slash with her bare hand. The blade cut through the skin as if it wasn't there, stopping only when it met bone. Vyn tried to grab the blade and pull it towards her, and intemperate move as Clara simply withdrew it and used her sheath to block the punch. The force from the punch was enough to force Clara back a good bit. Vyn then swiftly charged a ball of psionic energy that exploded between them. Clara grunted in pain as she was taken off her feet and sent flying backwards.

Landing deftly on her feet, Clara switched blades to her Reiatsu Blade. She sped in a circle around Vyn, leaving an array of Afterimages in her wake. Then, she suddenly charged in, leading with her Gran Rey Cero-powered Blast Cannon as she approached. Clara then used the opening created to close the distance yet again, lacing Vyn with a trio of slashes while limiting her targeting to non-vital areas on the perfect human.


Zachary looked at the device Gaige had given him curiously. "I understand. I'll see you on the other side then." He ran to the door, then looked over his shoulder at her and winked. "Other side of the facility that is. Do hurry. I don't wanna accidentally shoot one of your friends in the face." He chuckled amiably. "Just kidding. But do hurry."

The corridors passed in a blur as Zachary commenced his thruster-assisted run through the maze of corridors that comprised the facility. He eventually reached outside and began scanning the area for Vyn and anybody else. Then he remembered the self-destruct. He ran as fast as his bots could take him and dived into a crater for cover. He braced himself for impact.

Vyn blocked the energy blast by forming a portal of Psionic energy between her and the woman, which sucked up the energy. A ball of purple energy formed in Vyn's hand, growing as the portal sucked in the attack. The ball coated her hand, forming a glove, and she blocked clara's slashes with it. Then she tried to backhand clara with the same hand, just as hard as before, but unleased the energy with it, a gran rey on top of her backhand. Even if she blocked it should send the woman flying.

Vyn started charging another attack in her other hand. The energy stretched out into a spear like attack, though it wasn't ready to go just yet. So instead she threw out 3 cero powered blasts at the woman to keep her back.


Gaige nodded. She watched him leave, then started moving and pressed the button when she was sure he was safe. Then she started to run, a feat which, with decimated legs, was very very painful. She made it to the front door with about 2 seconds to spare and about 50ft away when the faciltiy exploded. The blast hit her and threw her flying, and she crashed into the grass and stone, sparks flying off her suit. She did not move.


There was a deafening explosion behind her and Vyn spun. The facility went up in a blast of power. She went pale. Zackary had been in there. The realisation kicked in, that he was most likely dead and she let out an ear splitting cry of rage. She spun on the only one nearby and screamed at her. "This is your fault!" She said, and threw the Psionic spear of energy, which collapsed at the tip and started sucking everything infront of it towards the spear. Even if it missed, when it hit a tree or the ground it rapidly sucked in everything within 50ft, though she was able to resist its pull, then exploded with the force of a cero oscuros. She turned back to the facility and spotted a copper suit lying in the grass. With rage in her heart she shot towards Gaige, intending to kill her.

Clara's attack was on target, but it was absorbed into Vyn's hand. Undeterred, Clara continued with her attack, but was surprised to find that Vyn was blocking the blows with her energy-filled glove, which she then smashed Clara with. Clara was unprepared for it, and the energy released sent her hurtling into the ground with alarming force. She stood up out of the crater she had created, smoke rising from her armour. She charged at Vyn, cutting the 3 cero blasts away as she went. Just as she reached the girl, Clara heard a massive explosion behind her. She turned to see the facility disappearing in a large conflagration.


Zachary used his thruster boots to hasten his retreat from the building. He got outside as the first rumbles of destruction were audible. The blast grow instantaneously, throwing him forward with unmitigated force and indifference. He soared through the air like a majestic eagle before being brought back down to Terra Firma with a crash. Zachary slowly and painfully raised himself into a sitting position. He looked for any sign of Vyn or Gaige.


Clara was in shock, as she had not seen Gaige come out of the facility before it exploded. A primal roar broke her from her worry for the young tech as Vyn threw her spear at Clara. She ducked it, but it hit a tree behind her and the force sucked her in, despite her best efforts. The vortex then exploded violently, sending her through the perimeter wall and into the ruins of the facility.

Zachary located the source of the shout immediately. Vyn was above him, floating ominously. He called to her. "Vyn! Stop this immediately!" She pelted towards Gaige with unbridled fury and rage and hate. Zachary had one chance to end this. He activated the device that Gaige had given him and threw it behind Vyn. The vortex would hopefully halt Vyn in her tracks as it sucked her towards her destiny.

Vyn was in such a rage, she didn't even hear Zackary shouting at her. She was almost on Gaige, when she heard something behind her and a powerful pull of gravity caught her. She couldn't move. With powerful flaps of her wings she held off what ever was dragging her back. She started to roar, as Psychic energy built up around her. She was going to kill her sister, even if she was sucked into the device behind her.

A rift started to open above her, pulling on the area around them. The two gravity wells stopped each other from sucking the other in, but other things, people and trees, would start to be pulled into her psionic Rift. Gaige started to move. The pull started dragging her in, but then she was on her feet, anchored to the ground somehow. Vyn screamed at her.

"Stop it Vyn! Go through the portal!" She yelled. Vyn just screamed back. She started charging a spear of psionic energy. Gaige was faster. She didn't hesitate to deploy the massive cannon on her shoulder and fire it at Vyn's wing. No way. She threw out her arm and tried to stop it. There was a sickening crack as it ripped through her arm like it was nothing, and she blacked out from the pain.

Vyn's rift vanished, and her wings gave in. She fell through the portal into Asenda prime, into Kaytlyn's lab. Gaige slumped back onto the ground and started to cry. It was over. She needed to get to Asenda prime and check on Vyn, but blacked out before she could do anything.

Zachary shielded his eyes from the mess in front of him. Trees and rocks and other debris flew around the area as the two opposing portals clashed for gravimetric control. Vyn tried hard to escape, but the combination of the strength of Gaige's portal and the wear of the fight proved to difficult to overcome, and Vyn disappeared into the portal, the gateway closing shut instantly behind her. But not before Gaige sealed the deal by blasting her arm and wing off with her Railgun. Zachary winced, but he knew they could fix it later. The hardest part was done.

Clara emerged from her dirt nap and headed for Gaige. She spotted the young techpriest on the ground, not moving. "Gaige! Don't worry, I'm here!" The Vizard was there in a heartbeat, removing Gaige's helmet and checking for a pulse. Gaige was alive at least. Clara looked around and spotted Zachary heading towards them. "Gaige! Now's not the time for a nap!" Clara was up in an instant, weapon drawn and flashing the blade up to Zachary's neck. "Who are you and what happened to Gaige? Speak quickly!"

Zachary didn't move or flinch. "Look lady. I'm helping Gaige. She promised to help Vyn so I helped. But she needs help herself now. You see, one of the perfect humans took a disliking to her and, well, Gaige is half the person she used to be." Zachary put on a disarming smile, but Clara's sword arm twitched ever so slightly, her expression not changing i the slightest. "Explain." Zachary's smile melted and he matched Clara's steely gaze. "Gaige's legs were are gone. She's in a bad way. I took care of the one responsible, but I'm not a doctor. Gaige's suit stopped the bleeding and allowed her to walk, but she still needs help. And we need to hurry."

There was a burst of light and a loud popping sound as a portal opened up near the device Gaige had used to pull Vyn into asenda prime. A badly damaged Serena stepped out, in her normal form, and glanced between the trio. When she spotted Gaige she rushed over. "Is she alive?" She asked as she nealt next to the pair. Nodding she scooped Gaige up easily, despite the damage she'd taken.

"Kaytlyn sent me through to see if everything was ok. The other girl arrived, we thought it was odd that Gaige didn't follow." Serena looked at the woman, a vizard, Clara perhaps, and then the man. She didn't recognize him but seen the expression on his face change slightly when she mentioned the other girl. She turned and walked towards the open portal. "We will keep you in the loop Clara. Are you coming with me human?" She asked.

Clara was about to ask for more information from Zachary, when a new portal flared into existence nearby. Serena stepped out, looking as battle-scarred as the ground she stood on. Clara and Zachary both looked to the newcomer in curiosity. Serena hunkered down by Gaige and checked on her, asking if she was still alive. Clara confirmed it. Serena picked Gaige up and re-opened the portal and addressed the two again. Zachary tensed upon hearing mention of Vyn, but he said nothing. Clara thought at first to intervene, but there was something honest and trusting about the newcomer. She simply bowed affirmatively. "If you can guarantee her safety, I will not interfere. I will return to Liv and the others. Tadatomo and Laura took a bit of a beating, but they are alright. Please inform Gaige that I will see to it that they are cared for. Farewell." Clara bowed to Serena and Zachary and left.

Zachary moved towards Serena and the portal and nodded. "I'm ready. Is Vyn alright?" The was a tinge of worry in his usual laid-back demeanour. He holstered his gun and set forth.