War Act I: Factory of Heroes

Proving Grounds: Forgotten City, Industrial Complex

1821Y 03M30D 0900H

"Keep the wagon moving and keep your hood on at all times." Mat ordered Smirf behind him, as hordes of mutants are pouring from every direction. "Thirty-three confirmed kills, Eight heavily injured, fifty we are currently engaging; more coming from all direction." Azaleah reporting in.

"Menan got poisoned," As Luci was trying to get a bunch of huntress off him. "Shiro cover us, I'll get Menan onboard." Shiro moves to the rear in a flash. Luci got Menan onboard and gave him an antidote. "Rest a bit Menan, we will take care of this." Baby trying to get his spirit up.

He looks forward and stared at their captain. Amaze at the fluid movement; no wasted action. A stream of mutants come pouring towards their Captain. He swept two with his hammer, broke the face of another with his shield. "System... App... Recorder," Hates himself a lot right now, telling his body to move, burning with desire so great.

Acki, and Luci are having a hard time, both accustomed to a very aggressive fighting style, not worrying about anything else but fighting. Now, they both need to protect themselves, each other, and the wagon. Mat noticed this. "Azaleah, Whiteout." The whole area lighted up revealing dozens of mutants lurking about. "Now, clean up."

Acki immediately jumps away from the wagon to give himself lots of space for his swings. The rest of the fighters followed suit, Luci aimed at groups to not waste energy. It was only a few seconds, but it gave them enough breathing room.

"How much farther," Luci desperately asks. "At our speed, an hour," Azaleah answered.

"Keep it up till we get there if we die, we lose the wagon, we lose our chance of getting out. Now..." A huge crash interrupted Mat. "Huge life force dead ahead." Azaleah pinged them. A massive mutant was charging from their front, screaming as it goes. Mat step forward to intercept when he realizes there's a horde behind it. "Mhirfa, pra..." As he met up with the charger.

Smirf saw the horde went pass him, and now, their bloodlust is aimed towards her. She held on her wagons leash and on her ladle tighter. Luci started to cast to intercept the horde. "Pink... Grand... Ar..." Acki shouted. " Luci, sides!" Half a dozen huntress rush towards her, ignoring the defenders. In her desperation, she changes her stance and change her spell to... "Sword," killed the attackers in one fell swoop, she immediately looked at Smirf. A bunch of mutants already lunge at her.

She can not do anything about it now.

Half a dozen mutants covered Smirf, each desperately trying to get a piece of her. As the mutants fall off her, to everyone's relief. She was petrified, kneeling while her rosary was dangling at her hand. Luci let out a sigh of relief and chuckled.

The wagon hatch suddenly opened. A girl came out, fair-skinned blonde in peasant attire. As the girl moves towards Smirf, it's imagery flickered changing her appearance into a golden armored warrior covered in flowing white garments. A white Philosopher's Stone shot out its back and made a halo around it.

"Apparatus bellicus," uttered with a robotic voice, six different swords came flying out of the wagon arming her, five of which attach to the halo making it look like bladed wings. "Haereticus," growled at the sight before her, swung her sword cutting down the mutants, her wings impaled the rest, clearing out the area around Smirf. Expressionless as it looks around with golden eyes, with a constant stream of that familiar white aura. "Ipsos Maledicos," Fired a ray of sunbeam from its eyes, straying hapless mutants in its line of sight.

So that's Guardian Angel activation prerequisite. Azaleah thinking it over when Mat called her. "Wake Mhirfa and get us on the move." Finishing up the charger in front of him.

Cat move, now! Smirf heard her. Azi? She opened her eyes and saw everything was clear. "So'liel, what ya doin' out here." Looking at the ordinary peasant girl beside her. Just standing there expressionless. "Nevermind Sol, get us outta here." Giving her the leash. "I'll go tend to Menan."

. . .

Proving Grounds: Forgotten City, Central

1821Y 03M30D 0930H

They move steadily but slowly, stopped taking counts of the kills, as the relentless barrage of mutants is unending. As the skies grew darker, more and more fragments of blue lights become more visible; shooting up and moving towards the cathedral.

"T'is ain't normal, we've been here before... not this many of em and not t'is dark." Smirf starting to lose hope. Tsk, A dark red light started to illuminate the linings of Mat's armor. " Azaleah,"

"Two blocks, to the left" she answered immediately.

"Whiteout," He commanded, Azaleah flooded the whole area white. "Now, floor it!" Shouting at Smirf at the back. "Kay, hang on." Smirf grabs Sol's hand and got her on board, she whips the leash sending her wagon running. Mat jumps and rode on the hood. Luci fired ahead clearing the way through.

As the wagon hit the curve, they saw the firehouse, with solid metal shieldings and reinforced walls. The garage opened up allowing them in. As the doors slammed shut behind them, an angry mob started their rampage outside.

Menan got up, Smirf assisted him still weak from the accumulated poison.

"The solar eclipse usually lasts more than two hours; the total solar eclipse will come in twelve minutes, this would last for about eight minutes." Azaleah reporting into Mat. "That was just an hour!? Hah ha..." Acki laughing out loud. Luci breathing heavily. "An hour more of this,"

"Te heh, at least we're safe now." Smirf reassuring everybody.

"Safe!?" Red aura seeps at the slits of Mat's helm as he walks towards the door. "Fuck today," The walls started to shake, small debris falling everywhere, abundant cries and howls can be heard outside. Acki grinned and pick up his sword. "Finally," Baby cracking her whip. "Ca'li, vamanos." Menan grips his sword and stood up, Smirf tried to stop him but got frightened by the way he looks. "We are bringing war, baby!" Shiro chuckling ominously in the background.

"Lucii..." Smirf tugging at her robe. "Stay here love," patting her on the head. "Nar'vash you bouffon, stop idling around." Her black sphere swerving as it flew towards her.

Smirf's heart race as her comrades started walking out the door. Their bloodlust drowned out the noises, all she could hear are low chuckles going out the door.

Cat, Smirf senses got back, realizing someone is still there. All teary-eyed she look at Azaleah, sitting on So'liel's shoulder. "Azi..."

"I have been calling you, where have that tiny brain of yours ran off to." Sitting on So'liel's shoulder. "Ah was..." Something caught her attention.

"Hey, Luci hurry up! The mutant king just arrive..." Menan shouting at the distance. "Hurry up, you useless..." Luci pushed the black sphere out the door then closed it.

"Cat!" Azaleah shouting at her. "Yes, Azi..." She stood up in shock. "Dumb Cat, just pray." Told her calmly. "I will..." She knelt down, clasp her hand, the rosary dangled from her arm and started.

"Pater Noster, qui es in caelis..." her white robes started to turn dark, slowly enveloping her. "...sanctificetur Nomen Tuum," Even petrified her prayer can still be heard like a whisper in the wind. Sol'liel activated her archangel mode. Azaleah transferred to Smirf's shoulder.

Mutants started to break in, So'liel curse at the sight of them. "This is gonna be a long day." Azaleah yawning, while Sol'liel carve at the mutants.

. . .

Proving Grounds: Forgotten City, Central

1821Y 03M30D 1100H

Cat! Cat! Someone is calling her, as she opened her eyes the sun's rays almost blinded her. "W'at..." Smirf stood up immediately then fell back down feeling dizzy all of the sudden. So'liel caught her, assisted her as she stood on her feet. "Dumb Cat, relax." Azaleah scolding her yet again. "Their all fine."

Her visioned cleared up, the whole firehouse was a wreck. Piles of mutant corpses around her almost made her puke but she regained her composure immediately and started to walk towards the door. So'liel and Azaleah followed her, making sure after everything she does not just stumble to her death. She opened the door, the sun was the first to greet her then...

"Oh, your awake love." Luci sitting on her sphere beside the door. "I was... " Astounded by the piles of corpses in front of her.

"Boss, I found a.... another dead mutant." Menan kicking around the corpses.

Mat holding up a huge malformed mutant corpse, it's body charred black. "That's their king Love, he has been holding that for a few minutes now. I am somewhat unsure of what exactly is he doing with the poor thing." Luci furrowing her forehead.

"Just thinking of uses for it, like 'this is a king, should be something of worth', Hoh ho ho." Azaleah badly imitating Mat. Smirf chuckled as she said it. "Yes, that's kinda like him."

Mat suddenly drop it then opened a console, getting everyone's attention. Even with the helm covering his face they could feel he was displeased. "Capitán, what happened?" Baby came rushing, he just signaled her and started looking around again.

Azaleah chuckled. Luci stood up and stared at her. "Spill it, potty mouth." Smirf cornered her nodding at the sides. "Okay, okay, geez." a console opened up beside her, showing Mat's Profile. "See anything... odd — half-wits?"

"Oh, Captain's whole name is Matrean, I didn't know that" Baby above riding on Ca'li. "He is as old as I am." Acki noticing the commotion earlier. Smirf looks at her side and there he is. "Smirfy, don not look at me like that." Menan checks again the profile. "No way!" Exclaimed. What is it? Everyone started to ask him as he pointed it out.

Smirf read it out loud. "Title, Undead... Ah don't get it." Everyone looked at Smirf agape. "W'at!?" She asked everybody. "Love, 'Undead' is a unique title given to someone who does not die in battle." Luci explaining. "Not just... not dying in battle, it's undying in battle," Menan explained further. "He never even died once."

Smirf spaced out.

Baby pushed Menan away. "Hermana, it just means he is special."

"Oh, Ah knew that." Snapped at them making everyone laugh.

. . .

Proving Grounds: Forgotten City, Central

1821Y 04M01D 1600H

They move to a different safe zone and decided to spend the night there before moving back to town. Smirf opened up her kitchen; started to prepare dinner.

"Captain, that solar eclipse was really off. I should say." Luci asking it, as they circled around the bonfire. "It was the systems attempt to stop us." He answered lazily. "Why, would they need to stop us?" Baby asking him eagerly. "Hm, beats me... doesn't matter."

Menan threw firewood to the flame. "Anyway, have you decided what to call us?"

"Hm!?"

"... Oh, yeah. Renaming the guild." Acki remembering. "Mat, why don't you take on being our guild master." Everyone concurred

"I'll rename it, got no plans besides that." Mat answered coldly. Everyone remained silent after that.

Smirf called out. "Menan, help me with the pot and wares." He stood up and Acki followed exclaiming how hungry he was.

"Captain, what made you choose the Guardian." Baby listened closely as Luci ask. "Because... I am in a hurry." Luci laughed at his answer, Baby sighed. The others came in with the food laughing. Smirf started a prayer but boys couldn't wait.

They rested early.

Morning came and they headed straight to town.