LOTM: Chaos Simmers: Lost Challenger Arc - The Challenger

  LOTM: Chaos Simmers

 Lost Challenger Arc 

 Episode 3 - The Challenger 

 by PhantomSix 

 With assistance from Adie98 



Part 0 - Musuko Orzechowski
 Austrian Federation, New Earth 

 Vienna 

 City Center 

- Musuko: Smile.

''A final flash from his camera illuminated Harper Creasey's lifeless body, blanketed by a worn brown cover. Musuko thumbed through several of the day's products before choosing to erase all but one, the snapshot of Creasey's face. There was no purpose in keeping the pictures, after all. There was still so much left to be handled before the day's end. Harper's body was nowhere near a concern. Just validation to his contractors. He could already hear crowds of civilians mourning over Natasha's corpse. ''

- ???: I-I've never seen one this close before.

''Musuko turned over his shoulder and smiled. A teenage girl, wearing a red sweatshirt plastered in the Angel's Spear insignia, was standing in the apartment's doorway, fiddling with her hands. ''

- ???: If you want, I can lea...

''- Musuko: No, I'm just finishing my shift for tonight. It's quite alright if you want to see him for yourself. ''

''She stepped closer, then kneeled beside Creasey's body. As if she was hoping to see his dead eyes open for a last time. Musuko reached into his coat, past his camera. He felt the jagged tip of a huntsmen's knife coarse around his fingers.''

- Musuko: Are you family?

''- Girl: With the Creasey's? No. I was in France when his grandfather came was killed in custody. What was his name...''

''Musuko brushed a strand of stray brown hair from Harper's corse face. ''

- Musuko: John.

''Her eyes lit up. As if something had relighted her interests. ''

- ''Girl: Yes. John Creasey. I never knew he had family.''

''She looked back at Musuko, standing under a crevice of sunlight slipping through a shattered window. She had a bruise under her left cheek. Something he had just took notice of. ''

- Girl: Do you have family in Vienna?

''- Musuko: Hm? Oh, never. My father, he...he hates crowds.''

- Girl: ...

''- Musuko: I was planning on coming with a close friend. An American I met during my rounds in the CP.''

- Girl: What was his name?

''Musuko caressed the blade with his fingertips. It was only seconds now. Only until the crowd clears.''

- Girl: Mister?

''- Musuko: His name was Eric. Eric Kory. He died in service recently. ''

- ''Girl: Oh. I'm sory. ''

''He heard slurred German yells from policemen gathered around the city pavement, attempting to thin out the crowd. There was shouting, talk about the occupiers, followed by gunfire. ''

''- Musuko: I should be leaving. ''

''The girl extended her hand. More of her was brought into the crevessed sunlight, perfectly illuminated. ''

''- Girl: My name's Lydia. ''

''Musuko flinched. The shouting from below had erupted into paniced screams. More gunshots. This was the moment. ''

''- Lydia: My grandmother lives in the complex. Across from where the Mistress was killed. Maybe we'll see each other...on another occassion.''

''He released his hold on the knife's handle. It was too much mess for needless sadism. ''

- Musuko: Leave.

- Lydia: But...

- ''Musuko: Please. For my sake.''

Lydia nodded and smiled, working her way across the wooden scaffelding edge into the building's side and towards the moetl's finished first story.

- Musuko: Lydia...

- Lydia: Ye-...

He took aim and fired three rounds from a handgun retrieved from a slot in his camera. Two landed in her chest, with the third gazing her chin. With the first bullet, Lydia lost her footing and tumbled off the nest, landing awkwardly. Musuko slid a crash helmet reading AS Civil Investigation Branch from his head and kneeled by Creasey's body, brushing off a strand of golden-blonde hair.

- Musuko: I always hesitate with children.

He turned to Harper's lifeless face, expecting a response.

- Musuko: Then again, so do you.

Part 1 - Harbringer
 England, New Earth 

 Manchester Center

 Undisclosed Angel's Spear Facility 

''Everyone in the Director's office sat in silence. Yusha shuffled documents in his hand, then threw the pile across the room, erupting into laughter.''

- Director: Chancellor?

''Hikari sat back in his chair, regaining control over himself. He wiped tears from his eyes and muffled his mouth with a single bandaged hand.''

''- Hikari: I apologize. It's just...heh...it's the complete...the complete...''

''- Cerberus: Jesus, man, control yourself. ''

- Hikari: I can't. I really can't. Your saying...you want us to use STIs to win the conflict in the Middle East?

- Director: A rapid, eradicating infection, yes.

''- Cerberus: It would be extremely, considering the lack of sexual education courses. And schools. ''

''Hikari reached across the table, grabbing a second box of tissue paper. In between wipes, he took a retake of a poster pinned to the wall displaying a "visual chart" of the virus, then felt himself lose control again. ''

''- Hikari: You're a riot, Sal. ''

''- Director: I am the Executive Director of Middle-Eastern Affairs concerning the Angel's Spear Organization. I am not "Sal". ''

- Hikari: Still...don't these "space ruptures" seem like more of a concern than convincing infected Arabs to band together and fuck?

''- Director: For the last time...oh, that reminds me. ''

''The Director charted a holographic display of the Orion Arm, with a yellow marker hovering above New Earth. Scarce red markings were roughly spread across half of the surrounding cosmos. ''

- Hikari: What's this?

- Director: This is the territory held by the Red Circle's Guntai Corps.

The dry goods box slipped from Yusha's hands.

- Hikari: Currently?

''- Director: This is a chart from 2063. That's four years ago.''

''The virtual depiction flickered, then powered off completely. ''

- Hikari: Holy shit.

''- Cerberus: Right. They've been driving over half a civilization's worth of refugees to the Orion Arm's center seeking shelter. Do you know where that puts us?''

He nodded.

''- Hikari: Right in the middle of it all. ''

---

 Ų̸͈̫̼͎̜̼͎̱̺̤͖́̉̓͐̾͛̕̚ń̶̨̙̭͕̟̤̦̖͎̝̘͇͓͓͗͊͌̅̍͝ͅk̴̯̻͛̌̿͆n̵̙͍͔͚͔̟͚̆o̵̳̫͉̘͕̤̲̜͖̰͉̥̩̲̐̽̚͜w̵͈̼̝̜̱͓̟̼̮̹̹̰̏͌̽͆͆̂̅̿̊̈́̕͘͘͝ͅn̶̗̫̔͊́̿̕ ̷̛̖̒͂̈́͐̃̄̾̏́̈́͠D̷̳́̍̓̃̈́̂͘ͅį̶͈̻́̀̃̒̋̓̚͘m̴̡̟̣͉̯̱̱̋̇͒͗͜ȅ̷̢̱̮̠̩̱̫̻͓̟͍̘͖͇̖̈͗̑̌̊̔̀́͌̎ņ̸̙͉̮͚̭̠̝̙̊̍s̷̮͊͛̓͐͊͒̔ȋ̷̧̜̜͖̰̭̣̙̖̘͍̪̱̄̄̿̎͐̾̊͒́͂́͝ǫ̵͚̞̹̟͉͙̦͒̂̓̾͗̈͊̿̓̈̈͝͝͝ͅn̶̤̻͉̪̟̱̺̝̓̄͒͗̂͑͐̀̓̕͝ͅ 

''Yoi opened his eyes. He was there again. The world in his dreams, though this time was different. He felt lighter rather than weighted. Sane rather than losing control. As if something was pushing him upward. He was gravitating in a void of vibrant colors, a purple chain linked to his left ankle. Everything seemed in control. Even if it was anything but.''

- Yoi: This is familiar.

''- The Harbringer: This is home. This whatever we want out of it. Whatever we demand from it. This is where disappointment dies. A buffer zone between reality and illusion. Between thought and action. ''

''The Harbringer was concealed from sight, though his whispers echoed temptingly. Everything turned dark again. Yoi was weighed to the empty space below him. There was no longer a void of colors. Only purple spotlights, lighting up a path. Yoi pulled the hood of his garment over his head.''

''- Yoi: You wouldn't bring me to The Other World to kill me. Otherwise you would have done so already.''

''- The Harbringer: I thought I understood you. Your desires. Your games. ''

''Yoi paused under a lavender streetlamp. He watched as the trail faded off into the abyss. ''

- Yoi: So maybe you did.

- The Harbringer: But...

''The lamp burned violently. A red flame began to burn through the steel, the metal structure melting into a black pool. Yoi watched as the black ichor wrapped around his legs.''

- The Harbringer: ...but it was all another lie, wasn't it?

''Yoi sank to the ground, forcing his way towards the charred red hands that began to wrap around his chest and waist. He swung once. The edge of his blade broke through the hands effortlessly. More came, rising from ''

- ''The Harbringer: Please, don't struggle. Can't we go back to the way it was? All those years, gone and passed...''

- ''Yoi: Your dying, V'dahka. And your world is dying with you.''

- ''The Harbringer: We had too much fun together. I miss what we were. I miss us. As all of these years we killed. We killed them together. You had to grow. You left me to die, and I still waited by your side. Can't we live through that one last time?''

''A claw mark ran across Yoi's stomach. Four more followed through his flesh and covered along the width of his waist. The darkness seemed to contort around him. ''

''- Yoi: Is this why you lured me here? So we could PLAY?''

''- The Harbringer: Precisely. I've already considered the little one. He's...insufficient. It must be you.''

Yoi pushed the tip of his blade to the floor, splintering the link chained to his foot.

''- The Harbringer: He'll die without you. My militia will pursue him to the ravine's end. Of course, it's in my power to spare him. ''

- Yoi: I no longer have a need for the chancellor. The Noroi will take his body as he watches helplessly.

''A gust of frigid wind forced him down. It was colder now. The Harbringer's eyes were visible through the chafts. Ever piercing.''

- The Harbringer: You need me.

''- Yoi: I needed you to safeguard my life. ''

''Everything in The Harbringer's world began to fall apart, straying away from rest. His eyes were no longer distinguishable from the crumbling walls of reality. A hand came to rest over Yoi's shoulder, which he pawed away.''

- Yoi: And now, we're both grown...your no longer a use to me.

''- The Harbringer: Then we'll die here. Together.''

''The ground gave in underneath them. ''

-'The Harbringer: Together.

Yoi sank into a vague undergrowth. ''He raised himself from the ground, and instantly the fog cleared. He was laying in the ruins of a string of Irish settlements, concealed behind a mountainside. One of the wooden houses was set ablaze. ''

- The Harbringer: Your tense.

- Yoi: Your sick.

''- The Harbringer: Ah, so you love your family? Let's explore that.''

Part 2 - A Board Meeting
 2045 - Market Square, London Prime 

 Akiara Industries Central Establishment  ''Karma tapped his foot impatiently, rubbing the temples of his forehead. Another speaker rose to his feet, shuffling a folder of documents restlessly. ''

- Karma: Well?

''- Board Member: Um, right...for the preceding months, there have been several attempts on the lives of Angel's Spear Councilmen, with Mistress Natasha Mullner serving as an exception. The T.C. branch has proposed a new civil polict, in which of...''

''The presentor, a tall Caucasian man with delicate green eyes, tore at the bullet wound in his chest before collapsing on the board's verticle glass conference table. Karma lowered his pistol and tucked the firearm into his sidepocket, waiting.''

''- Karma: Three weeks have passed...that's twenty one days...and all I've heard is the same nonsensical BULLSHIT over and over! It's maddening, really.''

''He spun around and forced the barrel against a thin, blonde women's chest. He cocked it, his breath and eyes heavy. ''

''- Karma: YOU...tell me. How do you prepose that win an armed conflict against...well, just about everyone. ''

- Women: Um...

''Eight shots pertruded through the women's chest. Karma sighed and shoved her motionless body to the floor, taking her seat. ''

''- Karma: Alright then. Let's try something else. ''

''He reached under the table and lifted a box filled to it's verge with various plastic explosives onto the glass counter before sliding it forward. He cocked the pistol a second time. The murderous amber in his eyes had grown to a raging, wild flame.''

''- Karma: I want a solution - a satisfying, managable solution - within the following, say, ten minutes. Or we die. We all die. Now, who's first?''

Kolman Reeds, a taller man at the table's rear, lifted his hand.

- Karma: Yes?

''- Kolman: With all due respect, Chairman Akabane, I believe that these 'conferences' are doing nothing but HUMANIZING us. They're driving us from the only reasonable solution. A simple solution.''

Karma dropped the side arm into the box, visibly interested.

- Karma: Go on.

''- Kolman: An ethnic cleansing, sir. The Caucasian race is clearly dominant. We control the market, we control the army...these these 'minorities' do nothing but use resources genorusly gifted to us by our benefactors. ''

- Karma: A second Holocaust?

''- Kolman: No, never. The Holocaust will seem minascule in comparison to this. A systematic extermination of the opposition. Of course, it will take millions. But the benefits...the benefits will guide us through the current economic crisis.''

''- Karma: And suppose it doesn't. Suppose this all fails. Suppose the Angel's Spear is broken. What then?''

- Kolman: You see, I believe...I believe that...

''Karma, in a sudden rush of anger, forced Kolman's face into the glass work surface, shattering it. Kolman collapsed to his knees, clawing at bloodied shards of glass skewered into his eyes. He returned to his desk, exhausted and rubbing the temples of his forehead.''

''- Karma: Your suggestion will be noted, Mr. Reeds. This will conclude our board assembly. You are excused. Now get the fuck out.''

''As the remaining board members threw themselves through the exit doors, he paced back to the office's full-length windows. He watched as London turned black. There was gunfire exchanged between Civil Protection officers and insurgents on Alban Highwalk. A building in the city's lowered half caught fire. Everything had begun to fall apart, as it was intended to. From the vivid reflection, he noticed a man watching him, slanted against the doorway.''

- Karma: Nagisa...

- ''Nagisa: What happened to you? From since I can remember, you cared for us. For everyone. Then you found the Keys. It fucked with your head.''

- ''Karma: Nagisa. Litte Nagisa came back for me. For a while, you had me thinking that...''

''- Nagisa: That we left. We did. But I knew you would come back. You always did.''

Nagisa noticed the trail of blood under his foot and stepped away, helping himself to a mint from a glass jar resting on Karma's desk.

''- Karma: S you left me here to die. ''

- Nagisa: No, we di-...

''- Karma: You did. You were afraid. I know you were. He told me.''

- Nagisa: Who?

''Another construct erupted into flames down the street, accopmanied by he frantic hum of gunfire. Karma smiled. These people had no cause or reason. No ideology pushing them to violence. They were children, looking for something - anything - to place their anger on. They were hopeless in that sense.''

- Karma: The man in the suit.

Nagisa shrugged and took a second mint.

''- Nagisa: Relax. I don't have any care for you or your Men In Black sex fantasies. That's, obviously, not why I'm here.''

''- Karma: I thought so. ''

- ''Nagisa: I came for the mints. But while I'm here...''

He drew a knife from a holster, strapped to his left thigh.

''- Nagisa: Lay a FINGER on Kaede, and I will fucking gut you. ''

''He disppeared into through the doorway, his footsteps leaving bloody pritns on the carpet. Karma flipped open his phone. His head continued to burn.''

- Karma: Yeah?

- Caller: '[There's a disturbance in the Austrian Sovereignty. It's concerning the air to the throne. She's been killed.There's a disturbance in the Austrian Sovereignty. It's concerning the air to the throne. She's been killed.]'

''Karma's smile returned. So long that the Princess was dead, there was time left to kill...''

Part 3 - Charred Memories
<p style="text-align:center;"> Ų̸͈̫̼͎̜̼͎̱̺̤͖́̉̓͐̾͛̕̚ń̶̨̙̭͕̟̤̦̖͎̝̘͇͓͓͗͊͌̅̍͝ͅk̴̯̻͛̌̿͆n̵̙͍͔͚͔̟͚̆o̵̳̫͉̘͕̤̲̜͖̰͉̥̩̲̐̽̚͜w̵͈̼̝̜̱͓̟̼̮̹̹̰̏͌̽͆͆̂̅̿̊̈́̕͘͘͝ͅn̶̗̫̔͊́̿̕ ̷̛̖̒͂̈́͐̃̄̾̏́̈́͠D̷̳́̍̓̃̈́̂͘ͅį̶͈̻́̀̃̒̋̓̚͘m̴̡̟̣͉̯̱̱̋̇͒͗͜ȅ̷̢̱̮̠̩̱̫̻͓̟͍̘͖͇̖̈͗̑̌̊̔̀́͌̎ņ̸̙͉̮͚̭̠̝̙̊̍s̷̮͊͛̓͐͊͒̔ȋ̷̧̜̜͖̰̭̣̙̖̘͍̪̱̄̄̿̎͐̾̊͒́͂́͝ǫ̵͚̞̹̟͉͙̦͒̂̓̾͗̈͊̿̓̈̈͝͝͝ͅn̶̤̻͉̪̟̱̺̝̓̄͒͗̂͑͐̀̓̕͝ͅ  ''Yoi pushed himself through a shattered bedroom window and stepped into the charred remains of his childhood. He had already tried both doors, which he could now see were chained from within the house. He saw his mother's body first, laying sprawled out across the bload-soaked living room carpet.''

- Yoi: Savages.

''- The Harbringer: So you remember. But do you remember their faces? They're fleshy smiles? And those eyes...''

''Yoi knelt besides his mother's corpse and tilted up her pale face. It was as if she would jump forward to embrace him. To calm his aching mind.''

- Yoi: What did thy do to you?

''- The Harbringer: The Blitzem were merciless. They beat her, they chained her to the bed to play with her aching body. When she asked for water, they bathed her with nails, and threw her into the living room.''

''The Harbringer leaned forward. His hot breath scorched through Yoi's neck and shoulders. His black tongue hung from his unwinding lower jaw.''

- The Harbringer: Do you want to her what my favorite part of all of this is?

- Yoi: ....

''- The Harbringer: You could have saved her. And yet you cowered in the attatic. You heard her screams. And when the urge to act came onto you...you ignored it. ''

- Yoi: ...

''- The Harbringer: You failed. You failed all of them.''

''Yoi rose to his feet. He pulled at his mother's door. It too was chained shut. Screams rang from inside. Wild smoke poured from within the crevesses. ''

''- Yoi: What are you hoping to get out of all of this? Are you trying to make me feel regret for a part of me I killed years ago. I never failed. These people...they failed me.''

''He turned back. His mother's body was no longer resting on the stained living room floor. She had vanished. She had finally gone from mind. From thought. ''

''- The Harbringer: Why won't you stay here? Why are you so insistent on returning to a reality that casts you out? I'm the only one who understands you. ''

''- Yoi: Your pathetic. It shows in your words.''

- The Harbringer: You promised you could fix me...

''- Yoi: N'vashak. Never for a moment had I believed that you could be "fixed". You were brought into life broken. Your whole life was an afterthought. All I could do was tempt you to believe otherwise.''

''Yoi cradled a smoldered teddy bear in his hands. With his hand wrapped around it's furry neck, he began to strain it. ''

- Yoi: Until the time came when I could throw you off of my shoulders.

''With a sudden jolt, he tore off the plaything's head. The leveled household began to tremble. Yoi remained standing, untouched, as the upper stories collapsed before him. He saw his brother's bedside, blanketed in stars. Stars...''

''- The Harbringer: Didn't it hurt you? When Enani was killed?''

''- Yoi: Enini brought it on herself. He believed he could win the war with his own hands.  The bed caught fire, then sunk into the floorboards. Yoi took notice of a violent star anchored in the sky. It grew smaller with every passing minute. as if reality itself was dying. Losing it's influence. ''

''- Yoi: The purple stat. What will happen when it dies?''

''- The Harbringer: We can make it just like...so long ago. You can stay with me.'' ''The floorboards below them shattered, giving in to a wide, cavern underneath the house. Yoi sat on a slab of charred wood drifting over the cave's miry floor. A stretch of purple light illuminated him.''

''- The Harbringer: You can find comfort in the illogical. In the unexplainable. ''

- Yoi: Mom wouldn't want that. ''The building's remains began to melt into black ichor, sinking into the cavern opening. The sky was now a dark purple rather than a raging blue. The star was reduced to a violet mark. ''

- The Harbringer: You...you didn't...meet Dad yet.

''- Yoi: Dad's dead.  The purple star closed on itself, leaving a scarlet red sky behind it. Yoi collapsed onto his bloodied knees. He was now kneeling before The Harbringer's throne, caught in another fit of laughter. ''

- The Harbringer: Please...what would...mother...say. ''His flaring eyes melted through the hallow chamber. They were completely isolated, besides a torch igniting Yoi's face.  - Yoi: Woud you like to hear the terrible irony in all of this?'' He drew his blades. ''- Yoi: Mom couldn't stand you either. ''

Part 4 - Gunfire
''Yusha stroked the mark on his wrist. What had started as a hive of purple dots had spread, branching out across his forearm and taking a darker pitch. The dropship's engines thundered across the docking deck, pulsing with raging waves of air. He flicked on the straps of his vest. Unnaturally, he was afraid, perhaps for the first time in his life. ''

''- Ceberus: Cheer up. We only die if they hit us.''

''- Hikari: Hm? Oh, right. ''

Moisture began to build up in his mouth.

- ''Ceberus: You know, there's really no need for you to ship out with the rest of us. Your the chancellor of the United Kingdom Sovereignties. Your a war hero. They need you.''

- Hikari: He killed Dad.

''- Ceberus: He's DEAD, Yusha. For the fifth time, I think.''

''- Hikari: He always comes back. One way or another.''

''- Ceberus: This isn't a fucking Transformers movie. Nobody is immune to death. Besides, I'd take you to bed over Meghan Fox any day. ''

''- Hikari: Yeah, I mean...wait. Who the hell is Meghan Fox?''

''- Ceberus: You know what, forget I said anything. Just keep your head on a swivel. And when you find the weak link, don't hesitate. ''

''He dropped a switch blade into Yusha's palm, the handle engraved with his initials. ''

- Ceberus: Cut it loose.

''The dropship's reinforced metallic doors slid open. Another infantry division boarded before the aircraft lifted off and faded from view. Only one remained on the docking platform. ''

''- Hikari: Oh, Matrov. One last thing.''

- Ceberus: Yeah?

''- Hikari: You're heading back for him. Aren't you?''

''- Ceberus: Don't get your panties in a bunch. Senator Otoko is a key concern. Of course, you have to understand that you wandered off-chain. ''

- Hikari: We were ATTACKED.

''- Ceberus: Still, there's no guarantee for his safety. If he dies, a heavy toll will be placed on the council. But you are the voice of the people, Yusha. If you die in combat...''

- Hikari: ...the dream dies with me.

--- <p style="text-align:center;"> Greenland, New Earth 

<p style="text-align:center;"> Nuuk City

<p style="text-align:center;"> The Harbringer's Throne Room 

''The Harbringer fell to his knees, no reduced to a humanoid size. He expectorated another pool of black ichor. Yoi lowered his blade and stepped forward, raising The Harbringer by his swollen throat. ''

- The Harbringer: Please...

''- Yoi: Mother never listened to me. Sje was too obsessed with you and your pathetic delusions. The slut could never hear enough of you. She died over you. And, all the while, I was cast aside. ''

''He threw him across the throne room's narrow stone bridge, elevated over a twelve-mile cavity. The Harbringer rose, attempting to conjure any power he could find within himself. But nothing remained. ''

''- Yoi: All while I was dying. Choking on my own blood. ''

''- The Harbringer: So dedicated on bringing me into your nightmare. You decided on turning me into this. Does my suffering amuse you?''

- Yoi: Overwhelmingly so.

''Otoko formed a ring of shards from the soil, encasing The Harbringer in a make-shift cage. A sphere of purple energy began to form above him. ''

- The Harbringer: Tsunicke?

- Yoi: Rotting Man's Pit.

''The sphere fell and connected with the cage in a heavy collision before detonating. Yoi smiled. The scorching violet light was vividly beautiful, even for the seconds that it lasted.''

- Yoi: What a lovely sight.

''For a second time, he approached The Harbringer's aching body. The sword rested against his throat. His pale skin began to crack and fade. His scars resurfaced. ''

- Yoi: Perhaps you taught me something after all.

<p style="text-align:center;"> Swiss Republic, New Earth 

<p style="text-align:center;"> Alps Mountain Range

''The landing craft took the form of an iron coffin, sealed off by a match of metallic hatches, which trembled wildly against gusts of turbulence. There was more "power" in the craft's engines - more disorderliness. Yusha bit the bottom of his lip, penetrating through the skin. The Noroi Mark had begun to swell. It no longer took a single form - only patches of dark skin. Dark, burning skin. The dropship hit another wave of turbulence.''

- Hikari: I thought you had everything under control.

''- Driver: We're experiencing, difficulties with the drive. The old....shit.''

Artillery strafing began to tear apart the Swiss countryside below, leaving behind fumes of smoke.

''- Pilot: The old shit's decided it's tired. ''

- Hikari: ...

''- Pilot: She'll be alright. There's an insurgent cell rushing the northern border. From what I know, they're light and shouldn't pose as an obstacle. Taking camp across the entirety of the Alps. My ass if they get farther than that. ''

''Hikari leaned in the direction of the window, drained of any energy. His skin had become deathly pale. His veins began to pop. He caught sight of a blur of black entities, growing in size and number.''

- Hikari: Shit.

- Pilot: What's wr-...

''Several small anti-aircraft missiles approached them. One struck the tail. The aircraft began to ripple through the sky, inching closer to ground.''

- Hikari: You said they were armed lightly!

- Pilot: What the fuck does it look like?!

''The plane exploded into flames and split into three burning pieces which began their descent. Max clung onto the burning middle section of the plane, his eardrums burst. The air coming to him lessened and lessened. Slowly, he began to lose his grip on consciousness. Everything went darker. And darker. And darker.''

''Yusha awoke laying in a small nest of debris and mechanics. The pilot was dead - a single rotor had skewered through his chest. Using a torn cushion as support, Yusha lifted himself from the ground. They had landed burrowed between two protruding mountainsides, giving view to the agroterrorist encampment. It was a sea of banners. A sea of firearms.''

Part 5 - Closing
<p style="text-align:center;"> England, New Earth 

<p style="text-align:center;"> Manchester Center

<p style="text-align:center;"> Undisclosed Angel's Spear Facility  ''Cerberus clasped onto his wounded arm. The bullet had barely skinned. Of course, this was intentional. He vaulted forward, struck back by a second bullet, this one landing in his chest. ''

- Musuko: That's some healing factor of yours.

''A stream ran from his mouth and down his chest before forming a pool by his torn kneecaps. ''

- Musuko: It's a shame that it won't you much longer.

''Musuko discharged another round through his shoulder and watched as his weakened cells failed to recover. The odor of burning flesh and gunpowder grew stronger than before. ''

''- Cerberus: What are you still here for? Look around you. You won. ''

The remains of the facility observatory collapsed on itself in the foreground.

''- Cerberus: But...that's not what you wanted. ''

''- Musuko: Your alive because we have too much fun together. Slaughtering these people? That was my responsibility. But this...''

He drew a blade and stuck it into Matrov's mouth.

''- Musuko: This is for me. ''

''Musuko forced the knife deep into Cerberus' throat several times before his body surrendered, slumping over on itself. There was a box of tissue paper beside his foot, largely untouched by the assault. Musuko began to clean himself, watching as the remaining survivors crowded beside the watchtower, fighting for their lives.''

''- Musuko: What Hitler, Napoleon, and Lenin had failed at, we had accomplished in less than a months worth of time. ''

''He was talking to seemingly no one, though he felt as if Cerberus would have approved. Everything was coming together as arranged. There would come a day when he would have to face himself. To assay who he truly was. But that time was still far. For now, all was calm. ''

For now, he could finally rest and watch as the world he grew to scorn tore itself apart.

To Be Continued...

LOTM: Chaos Simmers

Lost Champions Arc

The Challenger...

Afterwords

 * From PhantomSix: It's finally, and I hope it brought onto some aspects of the Chaos Simmers timeline that I looked over in the past. Terminology articles for characters Yusha Hikari, Yoi Otoko, Musuko Orzechowski, and Angel's Spear will all be created in the future. Also, I apologize if this episode took a month to be released. I've been occupied with other projects. I believe that there is still room for improvement, so constructive criticism and feedback is welcome. Again, future episodes WILL be longer and introduce more of the Chaos Simmers timeline.