After the city had been set ablaze, extraterrestrial grating shrieks filling the streets like smoke off the fire of heavy bombardments that flashed light in the darkening districts, an active warzone impossible to rest through as it felt like just the tension of the battle alone could rip the city apart, the following silence was perhaps the most extraordinary sequence next. The bright lights at the gate have dispersed, and the flaming flower stretched over the city fades away into the night sky. The most prominent light source remaining are the buildings themselves, the windows all over the city awake even in the abandoned outskirts. High above the tower that stands at the center of the city, the man whose black cape waves in the breeze takes flight in a dive towards the gate, though descends sharply to not reach it but rather land by the border between the two regional rings, his path marked by the bright blue comet tail.
That blue comet lands down in the middle of the plaza where the last stand against the horde was fought, but as the man stands up straight and inspects the square once riddled with bodies so abundant that the stone brick floor was difficult to discern, he finds not a single one of those bodies present. To his shock, there's no remnants of the mob other than the damages the battle left behind, the defenses present such as the crystal cylinder leading to the metal corridor along with the circle of turrets still operational, simply passive given a lack of targets.
The man wanders in circles by the plaza's center, spinning slowly to pan his gaze at the full battlefield, seeking any remaining corpses especially since they didn't seem to vanish when they were defeated individually. There is however no longer presence of them despite the full scan, checking back to the golden web barricading the staircase, the stem of the diamond cocoon still present attached to the barrier.
A distant though growing hum catches his attention, prompting the man to turn towards the sound: behind himself. Upon doing so, he catches sight of an approaching golden ray coming from the very end of the metal hallway –leading a second pink ray–, both descending seemingly from the height of the moat still wrapped around the city inside the wall, mostly covering the gate albeit both have been breached, revealing the open fields ahead expanding out to the distant valley mountains mostly cloaked in darkness.
After glancing through the apertures, his attention returns up to those two rays hurdling straight at him like comets about to crash, though he doesn't find the threat to seek safety. He just stands tall as one by one, each of the rays lands a few feet in front of him, the impact of the landing blasting a breeze that pushes back his cape though his body remains solid on his boots. In the position of the golden ray's landing stands the cyborg, whose diamond forearms swiftly morph back to gold, reverting in a similar fashion to her transformations from her human skin. One of those forearms was extended into a tentacle that's wrapped around the gunslinger, suspended a few feet above the ground before being gently lowered to his feet. Just as he grounds himself, the pink ray whose head surges with electricity lands a few feet beside him, that electricity still surrounding the woman whose own pink hair waves back from her landing. Her white irises dim to black as the arcs coursing around her body dissipate, after which she glances around while the tentacle wrapped around the gunslinger uncoils and retracts back into the cyborg's arm. The head of the tentacle morphs into a full hand, returning her to a humanoid appearance, allowing the gunslinger to wander a few steps forward while gazing around the square too, all three of them similarly astonished by the tranquility of the battlefield due to the absence of the beasts.
The cyborg and leader exchange glances and the cyborg nods, a silent discussion that provides the leader what he needs to know to wave both of his hands, immediately following a sudden ignition of every turret around the plaza as well as the entire wall, bursting in a blue blaze. Not only does the crystal wall circling around the plaza's edge light up, but so do the two metal walls isolating the street. In fact, as they gaze down that street to observe this fact, they notice the distant moat engulfed in azure flames, the entire ring set ablaze. They turn around and watch the defenses lose shape as they become one with the fire once again, dispersing into the open flame that evaporates in the navy twilight sky, beneath the clouds white and purple.
The cyborg faces the staircase, specifically the golden web obstructing it, but at that very moment the golden web seems to start melting quickly, branches drooping before collapsing altogether, splashing on the ground before evaporating. In only seconds, the final remnants of the battle is dispersed other than the collateral damages as craters riddle the stone floor, but miraculously not a single building had been grazed.
Upon the collapse of the final strings of the web, melting into a liquid that evaporates on the ground, another mob is revealed standing at the top of the staircase, but they're not the alien monsters. Instead, it's a crowd of people, some dressed in the city's civilian fashion like dresses and vests, others in their own native attire like cloaks and tunics. They don't snarl and shriek, but they do murmur to one another, not charging down the staircase in rage but they cautiously stroll down each step.
All four Bellators watch the crowd approach them, their expressions mixed with astonishment, perplexion, curiosity, and delight. Those tones reflect in the voices of their murmurs too, taking in that same sight of a clear city, the absolute absence of the army abundant enough to annihilate all within the walls. Now before them all they can find remaining to even infer a battle had taken place are the dents in the stone floor which could likely be patched in a week given that it was ultimately only present in a single street and plaza.
While the residents of the city crawl down the staircase, the four warriors glance at each other, and a gentle smile breathes on Kokei's face. That smile is caught by Ekitai who can't help but bearing one too, a subtle but genuine smile before he again glances at the protected innocents whom he helped save. It was a victory that awarded him little in tangible resources, he didn't gain any credits as part of financial compensation, nor did he pick up any interesting loot and tools to keep as trophies. Yet there was a sincere serenity in his yellow eyes, watching the refugees chatter upon reaching the bottom of the staircase, spreading over the plaza to admire its standing state, the revelation dawning on them that their home was intact despite what felt like a despairing raid. His open hands rest at his side, the ends of his overcoat picking up from the gusts of nightly wind, the gentle yellow rays of light painted over him from the windows of the buildings unscathed.
He watches the citizens and refugees pass them, all of them giving the four a glance first, flashing smiles and nodding in appreciation, murmuring appraisal that all blends together. They circle around the warriors like a river flowing through a large rock, many of them approaching the buildings that are their home which they weren't sure they'd be able to return to.
Couples step up to doors that open up, enchanting them with glee before they take steady steps inside, marveling at the untouched state they were left in. Families carefully enter their houses, parents holding onto their children though some of them pull off of their hold to dash inside the houses in uncontainable joy. Many walk down the streets branching from the plaza, some down the very lane that the monsters sprinted over, taking note of the craters left behind though it's nothing they can't safely walk around. Men and women can be seen placing their hands on the walls of their shops in disbelief, their smiles gleaming. Some of them are elders supporting themselves with canes, relieved that they wouldn't need to rebuild their lives all the sudden, saved from the stress of starting again after all they've done to construct a sustainable lifestyle for themselves and their family.
Watching the city's people slowly reacclimate to their homes after the back-to-back raids, Ekitai's eyes widen upon the shock of a sudden reminder breaking his tranquil expression, prompting him to face Meditat to ask worriedly, "So what happened with the Syndicate raiders? What are we doing with them?"
Also having been taking rest to the same sight of recovery, Meditat turns his head away from the other streets being again populated, instead focusing on Ekitai before answering calmly, "All the raiders by the gates were relocated to the central tower for maximum security, along with the fact that they're already storing the remainder of the members. I believe it'd be best if we bring them when we depart and find an operational E.G.A station to leave them for trial. I understand if you might have other preferences and I'm willing to hear them, though I do think they deserve a proper legal process and any punishments determined from it."
Ekitai frowns upon the answer and lowers his head in contemplation, understanding the leader's intentions of turning in the members of the organization he was once a part of. Given the E.G.A's authority and the weight of the crimes, it'd be most likely that the hunters would be imprisoned for life at best. He ponders to himself for a few moments with that in mind, which Meditat watches in silence, aware of the unease this decision may cause.
At last, Ekitai raises his head before requesting, "One thing, please."
Meditat tilts his head in curiosity, silently agreeing to listen to his plea, waiting respectfully.
That frown present still on his face, Ekitai lets out a sigh before proposing, "Let these people keep any of the equipment that can be salvaged off the Syndicate. Honestly, I always felt uneasy bringing Core World firepower to the Rim knowing the power imbalance, but since they brought this upon themselves, the least they can do is give these people something to better protect themselves. Maybe some…good could come out of this then."
Meditat's head tilts to the other side, taken aback by the proposition. Kokei and Dana both face Ekitai too in intrigue to the idea, though Ekitai keeps his patient gaze on Meditat, confident enough to come forth with the proposal though apprehensive to what support he'd get to a matter that, from his eyes, appears personal to him. He frowns as Meditat reflects in silence, lowering his chin. The city's people still in the plaza remain around the edges, focused on the buildings at the border, though most of them stroll out into the branching streets to find their homes.
Meditat straightens his neck and reaches his hand out to place it on Ekitai's shoulder before deciding, "That's a good call, we'll help them in the center with the salvage procedure, provide them any necessary guidance, and I'll have Orial clean their systems to wipe any trackers or locking mechanisms."
He pats Ekitai's shoulder twice before retracting his arm with, "You're right, maybe it'll help them down the road, both with defense but I could see them finding other civil benefits, I know they'll appreciate it."
A smile returns to Ekitai's face, relieved at the answer to which he nods and thanks, "Thanks man, that's all I ask for."
Meditat nods back and mirrors, "Thanks to you, this city will see brighter days."
He then turns to face Dana before gratefully recalling, "And if it wasn't for your discovery, I'm not sure that we would've managed to dispel this assault. I haven't seen you evolve yourself during a fight in quite some time, but I'm glad you took the risk, there might have not been any other way."
Dana lets out an electric chuckle and shakes her head before reminiscing lightly, "Yeah well, last time I did I don't think you were too fond of me disappearing to leave you with a room full of Exhumans, you had a lot to rant in the span of three minutes."
Meditat chuffs and shakes his head upon the memory's resurgence, asserting back defensively: "You're not wrong, but you forget that you hadn't announced anything before hibernating. For all I knew, you were resting while I was hardly holding my own."
Dana chuckles again and playfully bumps Meditat's shoulder with the retort: "Oh I didn't forget, I was just hoping you would. But this time I figured you all could handle it, and it turns out that I was right."
Kokei sways her head side to side and hesitantly picks apart, "You say that like we had it all under control, which I'm not exactly sure about…."
Ekitai chuckles and appends in a jest, "Yeah we had everything under control, I'm sure we could've kept at it for another five minutes if we wanted to."
Dana shakes her head at the blatant sarcasm, but she focuses back on Meditat before more sincerely explaining, "Either way, I sent you explanatory documentation on the process I used, including detailed blueprints to design the necessary modules. It's honestly not too resource intensive, there's only a few augmentations that I had to implant on my cells to harness the batteries the way I needed, but once I figured it out the first time it was pretty simple applying it to complete the other weapon systems. At least it was a lot simpler being able to use the same batteries, changing the fuel source usually would be the most complicated procedure."
Meditat hums in curiosity, crossing his arms over his chest as his lenses seem to subtly flicker constantly. He remains silent yet attentive as if reading an invisible text, standing in front of his three allies who now face him in intrigue.
While the lenses continue to flicker, Meditat studies in a voice half present as though splitting his focus, though his voice does seem greatly invested, full of wonder: "Wait, this is incredible! You're using the exact same Exmatter solar batteries as before, you're just routing power from them differently, and if anything in a manner more streamlined. It's a similar approach to how I've been powering my own mechanisms, though I admit I don't think I've done it with the same purity as here."
Joining in from the same body, the British voice of Orial admits: "I concur, these are impressive schematics, I'm unsure if I would've reached them in a manner as timely as yours. The efficiency of these systems is spectacular as well, I may have a few suggestions though this is a solid foundation!"
Dana tilts her head from side to side before acknowledging, "Well, it's still nowhere near as efficient compared to regular power conversions, there's a reason people don't normally do this, I doubt it'd be a serviceable substitute for powering most electronic applications."
"But it's the perfect weapon," Meditat assures while continuing to read from his flickering lenses, "Not only for concentrated lasers, but you packed them in a combustible format. I could see this being further expanded, applying it to defensive barriers, gas mixtures, this framework has just about the same potential as Anti-Exmatter energy!"
"And it's accessible everywhere," Kokei chimes in with her own arms crossed, her head low in rumination.
Immediately, Meditat's lenses stop flickering and he turns to face Kokei as both Dana and Ekitai do, watching Kokei lift her head and face them before elaborating in marvel, "I mean I hope I'm not wrong here, but you're saying that she's using the same kinda Exmatter solar batteries that's used in like most modern appliances, right? Pod engines, Connect batteries, hell I'm pretty sure the fridge back home runs off one of them. So like, assuming you're not using a completely different type of power source, really you should be able to build these anywhere."
Just then, Meditat and Dana face each other in an exchange of gazes which they hold still, their bodies frozen to which Kokei glances between them in puzzlement to their silent discussion.
Silent at least until the revelation is spoken from Meditat's mouth: "Anyone can build these weapons…anyone."
Immediately, Meditat faces Kokei to elaborate on this epiphany in explosive enthusiasm, "When I heard that Exhumans were the only ones capable of harming the monsters, I thought that that was it, that there was no fixing all of this. I mean it's a miracle that you survived, but I knew it'd be infeasible to have you dismantle every nest, even if I was able to, even if all four of us could, we would never be able to properly clear the Superverse of these."
Meditat then turns to face Ekitai while continuing, "But we don't have to! If we could get this out to everyone, the E.G.A, any world's planetary or local governments, police forces, even individuals with the means to engineer this themselves, they could all start clearing the nests around them! I'm sure there will still be people who need outside help like ours, but with this information, we don't need to try saving every single person ourselves!"
Lastly, Meditat turns to Dana upon the conclusion, "They can be the heroes too, they can help! I mean there's infinite possibilities with how this can be used, and I'm sure that if everyone was able to acquire this knowledge, they'd find those ideas! He thought he took away our only ways to defend ourselves but even he didn't realize that we've been living with the very tools we need, we've been studying it and harnessing it to the extent that, as Kokei said, it's practically everywhere. None of these schematics require greatly rare resources, all that everyone's missing are the instructions on how to put them together. We need to deliver this to the masses, to everyone, the whole Superverse needs to know that this can end, and that they can end it with what's already around them!"
Stunned by the sheer eagerness radiating off Meditat, Dana recoils as both Kokei and Ekitai stare dumbfounded. Dana quickly glances at Kokei before facing back at Meditat before apprehensively querying, "I mean, I'm not against you distributing those files everywhere, if anything I'd love that idea, but with the chaos everyone's been dealing with already, how would you get this to everyone's attention? I mean it's one thing to maybe try getting the E.G.A's focus, which itself is a titanic task, but what you're asking for is…a lot, isn't it?"
Meditat shakes his head with confidence before boldly declaring, "Then I'll tell everyone this myself, right here, right now."
He then turns around and takes a step away from the three before commanding, "Orial, execute Protocol Logos."
Kokei and Ekitai show bewilderment though Dana just stands still as Orial's voice concerns, "Sir, I have to ask, are you certain about that command?"
Behind Meditat, Kokei lifts her head before warily asking, "Uh…-what are you doing?" to which he turns around.
Standing closer to the staircase, Meditat faces Kokei to whom he answers, "I'll be breaching every video and audio network, and transmitting a live broadcast meanwhile having the file package downloaded to every capable device all within reach. It's one I've not yet deployed before for reasons, but as our reach to various networks public and private have grown over the years, the effectiveness of this move will have too."
Immediately, Orial is the one to clarify: "His reasons for not deploying this protocol should be simple: it would be perhaps one of the greatest cyber crimes he could commit. He developed this as a simple thought experiment, but there is quite a comprehensive list of federal, planetary, and E.G.A laws he'd be breaching with this one move. This would be a dangerous test of judging his legal flexibility, as under normal circumstances this would definitely result in a manhunt unlike anything the Superverse has experienced in the last century."
Kokei clenches her teeth after the rather striking clarification, recoiling back and glancing at Dana before asking, "Uh…that sounds…like a lot…."
Dana glances back at Kokei and concurs, "Yeah I know, I mean I've known about it but I figured it'd never be used."
Ekitai frowns in genuine conflict with the idea, his forehead scrunching, his head low in silence. Though while he contemplates, he does mention in a sincerely curious understanding, "There's no better excuse than now to use it."
All three of the Bellators stare at Ekitai instantly at the same time, but it's Meditat next who speaks to build upon: "He's right, right now there are these nests all over the hundred worlds, spawning these Pawns who nobody has the capability of defending themselves against. People are forced to retreat from their homes to keep safe, and as we just saw, even minor mistakes can result in a whole assault that may decimate populations. I know the ramifications of this protocol, I built it, and yes it was majorly as just an experiment to see if it was possible, but I did have intentions that one day there may come a moment where it would be needed. And right now, what we could give everyone far outweighs what they could take from us."
Between the three other Bellators who stand side by side, Kokei frowns in conflict to the prospect of such a grand criminal action, similar to Dana whose hesitance is worn on her posture. Despite having already mentioned justifications to the plan, Ekitai still seems on the fence over the idea, still frowning with a low head, as it seems that the leader has taken a step too far ahead.
However, Dana's first to raise her head and sigh before agreeing, "I mean he's not wrong, it's selfish to hoard this information simply to avoid getting ourselves in trouble. There's not much for us to get out of it, Kokei and Medit already have the power within them, I've handled it for myself, and Ekitai knows what modifications are needed. But then what, we already struggled against this one attack, we'd be spending years just trying to find and destroy every nest, who knows how many will perish by then because of that?"
Kokei lets out a sigh too and lifts her head upon the acknowledgement, "You're right, it's our responsibility to help these people, even if it means risking ourselves in the process. Isn't that the whole deal with everything we're doing anyways? I guess in that way, this isn't all that crazy, right?"
"Well, it is certainly crazy," Ekitai refutes as he raises his head, though he then gently smiles before continuing, "But it's the right kind of crazy. Well, I'm sure you know, if you do have to go on the run after doing this, we'll all be running with you."
Facing back at his team, Meditat listens to the support he's been given, and to that he nods his head and softly thanks, "Thanks you all…none of this would work without you."
Then, Meditat turns around and answers the question, "Yes Orial, I am certain."
After a brief pause, Orial ultimately accepts, "Very well sir, completing network access. I will be shooting the broadcast concurrently with the mass download. The broadcast endpoint is being prepared now."
All the sudden, blue holographic screens project off Meditat in all directions, not covering him exactly but rather leaving blue square panels that are angled towards him, forming a partial bubble with one directly above him and others a few feet from him.
Each of those square panels then wake up to relay a video feed like a mirror, reflecting back the image it's facing, all of them including Meditat given that they're surrounding him.
Civilians and refugees further along the edges of the plaza still outside take notice of the appearance of the holograms, murmuring to each other in intrigued perplexion. Some of them knock each other's shoulders to grab their attention, warranting initially annoyed responses though they quickly become enamored at the same sight. Civilians dressed in their proper dresses reach for the attention of refugees in cloaks, all sharing that same moment, watching together from afar.
Inside a bedroom, a young woman brushes her hair while she approaches the window across from her bed to find that circle of screens surrounding the man at the center of the plaza, her house not bordering it but rather composing one along the edge of the next ring at the top of the staircase, allowing her a further elevated view. Her brushing slows down as she stops in front of the window, staring straight at the phenomenon.
Kokei, Ekitai, and Dana all watch the procedure begin as Dana's body begins to shorten subtly, morphing to take on a shape more akin to her human appearance, her broad shoulders shrinking and her huge musculature receding, reaching Ekitai's height and continuing to adjust.
Standing in the center of the mirror screens, Meditat just stands still as Orial states, "The recording environments have been established for each transmission format. The network tree has been fully established to receive the broadcast. The server tree has also been fully established to receive the file package, which will begin once the broadcast does. I can begin the broadcast on your command."
In front of his team who all watch him side by side in anticipation, Meditat faces the staircase, and takes in a deep breath. His lenses then flash, and he states the command:
"Broadcast."
Underneath the sun still vibrant over the skies, officers dressed in the familiar navy blue uniforms with white epaulets on their chest stroll down the smoothed dirt road, two organized lines moving in opposite directions. Their weapons aren't actively over their arms, instead they hold with their hands trays of what looks to be meals, a sandwich accompanied with a bowl of soup and glass of water. On both sides of the road are arrays of white tents of varying sizes, each of them housing a crowd of people mixed between those same officers and other folk. In those tents are rows of beds along with areas full of tables people are currently sitting at with those same trays in front of them, some of their focus on the wide holographic screen playing what appears to be film footage shot like a sitcom: three people in casual clothing chatting inside the set of a small apartment.
One of the officers strolling down the road diverges into one of these tents, walking past fellow comrades with empty hands resting at their side. They chatter amongst each other though the volume of conversation renders all of them nearly incomprehensible, thus that officer doesn't pay too much attention to any particular words. He instead just ambles past the rows of hovering beds partially occupied by people of varying ages and attire, most of them leaning towards casual, for they appear to be everyday civilians even if not from the same origin since some are dressed wildly differently, like a few in what resembles traditional Chinese gowns. Passing the beds, the officer reaches the table at the end of the tent, where he then places the tray down and slides it forward in front of a bald boy dressed in a black hoodie that bears the graphic resembling an insignia of a flaming lightning bolt emitting a frosty mist. The boy's currently watching the screen playing that same sitcom, but the officer taps his shoulder to pull his attention, bringing the boy to stare at the tray through black irises among an orange sclera. On the boy's forehead is a black dot in the shape of an eye, and after he glances at the officer and hears the words he speaks in a gentle tone, his attention returns to the tray he's provided. That officer saunters off back towards the exit, leaving the boy to frown at the meal for a few moments before picking the sandwich up with both hands and lifting it off the tray.
As he pulls the sandwich towards his mouth, the sitcom on screen begins to start lagging, stuttering every second, glitching back and forth between frames before all the sudden displaying a completely different stream featuring just one being in a portrait shot, dressed not in casual clothing but an azure suit with a bright glowing obelisk insignia on their chest, their face masked white, their eyes only marked as parallelogram lenses all beneath a black hood. It's that being who speaks in a masculine voice not entirely human but rather modified to distort his cords: "People of the Superverse, I hope that wherever you are, whatever you are dealing with, you have a moment you can spare with me," which pulls the boy's attention back to the screen, his arms naturally moving the sandwich back towards the tray in a switch of interests.
Suddenly everyone at the table previously minding their own business with their food or each other turns towards the screen curiously to listen to the Spirit sympathize, "I know that this may very well feel like the darkest hours of history, that fate has turned against us in a manner so absolute that it's deprived us of our own autonomy to resist. We have lost our people, and now we are losing our homes. I am not here to argue otherwise, I am not impervious to this loss either, nor am I an exception to the sense of powerlessness these last weeks have oppressed."
In silence, the teenage boy watches the broadcast with a somber frown, listening to the Spirit continue: "The scale of our loss lacks proper terminology to represent, its unprecedented nature leaves us little protocol to reliably traverse these times. I unfortunately have no remedies for the tragic event weeks prior, I can only offer my own condolences in that matter, and for that I apologize."
Under the gloomy gray skies that cover the silver skyscrapers surrounding the square plaza, the benches inside the open orbs wrapped said plaza are filled with citizens majorly being adults dressed in professional business attire, whose focus are to those skyscrapers, or more specifically the massive holographic billboards that'd typically showcase various ads but now all display the exact same stream: the Spirit in the same frame, speaking to the countless crowd whether they're seated at the benches with food in hand, or currently standing in the lines on the plaza floor, waiting to approach the hovering food trucks which there's only a couple of present, far less than a month ago.
Regardless, the attention of all those in Space Square has been diverted to the different billboards, halting those lines absolutely, including the woman dressed in a brown blazer matching her long hair, seated alone at her bench with a slice of pizza in hand –topped with a mixture of spinach leaves, mushrooms, and chunks of meat–, a green holographic screen at her side mirroring the same broadcast. She keeps to herself just like the familiar man seated beside her, who sports short black hair, dressed in a navy blue business suit.
Both of them as well as the whole crowd all listen to the Spirit condole, "I hold great admiration for your efforts at adapting to the changing climates, congregating communities to strengthen one another; despite the inexcusably unparalleled dilemma we're all facing, you're still fighting to hold it all together, and that determination alone deserves to be commended."
On the plaza's ground, the lines stand still, running alongside the central memorial atop the hovering platform where the five golden statues stand. One of the men waiting in the line, who's dressed in a full business suit pairing a gray blazer with samely colored dress pants below his black hair tied in a messy man bun not properly kempt, watches the billboard of the man, who perfectly resembles the statue in the center of the memorial right below, resonating: "So it is with great heartache to watch the past couple days so aggressively tug against your valiant efforts."
Inside the clean meeting room with a white floor, ceiling, and walls other than the wide window screen parted on the whole of the right side, of the nine hovering black leather chairs, three of them are seated on by adults dressed in business suits: an old bald man, a younger man with a blonde man bun, and a woman with long black hair. Past the window is that same sight of the silver city under the gray sky, a dull palette that melds into a single haze, colorless for the supersun's nowhere to be seen, its light filtered and dulled from the clouds. Therefore the entire room is monochrome, emitting a drab that stains the moods of the three remaining executives, who just sit across one another at the end of the table closest to the door, a table that was meant to house many more board members, a table that once did. Yet now it's only the three of them who stare towards the far other end of the table where one of the empty chairs stand in front of the window, and standing in between is a fully rendered hologram of the Spirit, distinguished only by a subtle translucency that denotes his intangible nature, yet his words sound as clear as though he were present in the room in his grieving, "For this senseless cruelty to resurge so quickly, and to attempt to tear at what we've been toiling to rebuild."
Basking in the strong cyan rays of the evening sunlight, waves glimmer as they crash into the golden shoreline of the vast beach, intermediating the sea from a distant forest. The sea vibrates and ripples under the two wheelless bike pods that soar just a few feet over it, zooming at racing speeds. They drive side by side, both of the drivers exposed given the open nature of the vehicle, one of them dressed in a black suit with a long cloak which emits a blue light on the inside, same as the tall collar around his neck. His silver gauntlets grip the handles of the bike as his blonde spiky hair blows back, his eyes focused on a three-dimensional hologram projected above the dashboard, displaying a portrait of the Spirit speaking, the top of his cape part of the animated model. Beside him is the other bike driven by the man in the purple hakama matching his short hair and slung against his back is a yellow gus hat though the paint fades to reveal its kale green color. One of his eyes is covered by a black patch though the other is able to watch the hologram projected above his own bike's dashboard, running the same 3D stream of the Spirit reflect, "It has been especially merciless that the beasts who've emerged from these alien nests that's spread over our worlds like an invasive infestation have appeared invulnerable to all our defenses."
Those invasive roots jut out of suburban houses forming a neighborhood in the deep of night, countless black branches sprouting out of roofs. Racing out of the open door of one of those houses is a father and his two daughters, one of those daughters being first to reach a bus pod, hovering just above the road, with a sleek black exterior accented with green streaks that emit a vibrant luminescence. Standing beside the open door to that pod is the man with broad shoulders, dressed in a bright yellow vest alerting attention to himself, waving his hand. His wide blue eyes focus on the family as he desperately calls to them, his scruffy black beard slightly under his scar along his left cheek. He invites the family inside the pod, though while the first daughter reaches quickly on her own, the second drags slower, a red towel wrapped around her upper arm, and just having it outside where the breeze can reach her is enough to cause her to writhe uncomfortably. Beside her follows the father who has a red towel wrapped around his right knee, staggering his walk by a limp. From inside the bus, a speaker plays the voice of the Spirit admitting, "It has stripped us of our ability to defend our homes, and left us to abandon them, to relinquish what we've worked so hard to recover."
Beating down on the many dunes forming the sand sea of the endless desert, the cyan light shines on the grains that sink the boots of two hikers who trek up the wave, trying to match each other's pace as they fight just to advance. One of those hikers is a man who seems to be in his forties, wearing a brown haori over a blue hakama amidst the heat, lugging a large hiking backpack slung on him by physical straps closed except for a small opening that allows a hilt to stick out, connected to a sheathed blade, another sheath hanging in his belt though shorter, resembling a tanto in length. His companion is a younger girl, in her early teens and not as tall, wearing a red hakama, the skirt white. She wears a gus hat perhaps oversized for herself, but helps to absorb the heat, as she overall isn't weighed down as heavily as her companion. The hat does obstruct her though from watching the holographic projection emitting off the man, that projection being a three-dimensional portrait of the Spirit recounting, "A show of absolute authority has been made against us, one that has declared its reign irrefutable, its oppression inescapable, for wherever it chooses to advance, it forces us to retreat."
Facing one of the holographic panels reflecting himself back, the Spirit stands under the twilight sky as a gentle breeze brushes against his cape. He lowers his head for a silent moment, pausing his speech. He then lifts his head back up before declaring in a voice bolder, "But their control is not unbreakable."
Inside what appears to be a control room located in the stretches of space as told by the window screens stretching around the room, the room itself designed similarly to those from Fort Icarus based on the circular design housing rings of desks occupied by officers in navy blue uniforms focused on holographic screens, those screens all display the same stream of the Spirit speaking to much of their shock. An older, commanding woman stands behind one of the officers, watching the screen with sharp eyes as she listens to the Spirit reveal, "Along with this broadcast, I am forcefully installing a package of files to every capable device reachable, so if you are reaching this broadcast, your Connects and other computers likely are downloading this as we speak."
One of the pirate samurai's purple eyebrows raise upon hearing the news which elaborates, "I apologize for the intrusive method, but these files house the necessary design information to build and manufacture tools capable of interacting with these monsters, 'Pawns' as they're called, and their nests, such as weapons capable of destroying them."
Flabbergasted by the claim, the commander inside the space command room jogs around desks, shouting to another officer who swipes his hand from his own personal screens over to the huge window screens, causing a few of those screens to instead begin projecting various documents of text along with images blueprinting cylindrical batteries and different patterns of variously colored hexagonal nodes marked with unique glyphs. The commander freezes still upon this sight, entranced as are the other officers as the Spirit still in all of their personal screens explains, "These designs do not require exceptionally rare resources, in fact, its core instrument is one that's abundant among us. The very batteries we have used for well over a century, harnessing the power derived from our own supersun, is the key to our victory over this invasion."
Stunned by such grand statements, the reptilian boy just stares at the screen in utter wonder as distant shouting from the exit pulls the attention of a few officers at the table, just now placing trays of food down for the refugees yet to be served. Those officers face the exit in disbelief to the exclamations, prompting them to shout back before bolting off in a run towards that voice, being called away from the refugees who remain focused on the voice imparting, "The very Exmatter batteries powering your home, the Connects playing this broadcast, even the weapons that have already attempted to dispel the infestation."
In one of the many long white corridors of the X-Prints headquarters, researchers and engineers alike stand around still, fixated on the broadcast playing in countless instances off many of their Connects whether it be in the forms of flat displays or three-dimensional models. It's enough that other doors along the hallway dematerialize open, allowing intrigued coworkers to step into the mob who make room for them to watch the same screens, initial hesitant curiosity quickly becoming awe upon listening to the Spirit bestow, "We were scourged under the impression that this outbreak was indestructible, yet the solutions to undoing this nightmare have been with us all this time."
Flocks of officers rush into one tent in particular, where at the end sits an older officer behind a desk, his brown hair pulled back in a black bandana, one eye covered in a black patch. Behind him display several holographic screens projected in front of the back wall, revealing those same documents and blueprints, and standing in the center is the body of the Spirit though faded in a blue tint and subtly translucent, yet he stands at the height of the other men, present in the tent as he explains, "We have researched it and harnessed it as everyday power, we have already mastered the very tool that can put an end to this infestation. Which leaves me one request I urge from everyone hearing this broadcast, and everyone whom you'll share the information of this broadcast to."
Surrounded by the mirroring panels, the Spirit again pauses, his head remaining straight, though he seems to fall in a trance of thought, perplexing the three of his allies who stand behind him. They watch him curiously raise his head up the staircase in front of him.
Upon lifting his chin, the Spirit finds that at the top of the staircase is a whole wall of people watching him in silence, packed tightly enough that no space seems to pass through, especially with several rows behind one another of people trying to lift themselves high enough to watch the speech.
As he turns his head, he finds the line extending for as far as he can see along the rim of the second ring, as while he speaks at a respectable volume not blasting himself over the city, he's accumulated a staggering audience.
Yet after panoramically gazing at all those along the ring, he turns around to face the edge of the plaza, letting his attention sway as though on a search.
That gaze is caught by what he finds to be a dense cluster of watchers standing in the plaza, keeping a proper distance from the team but clearly engaged. All around the plaza in fact are men and women watching in awe, some of them through the open windows of the bordering houses that breathe yellow light into the city at night. Many more concentrate in the streets branching from the plaza, unable to push any closer to the speech, for it's as if entire districts have converged to this one square, all of them waiting in a mix of anticipation and puzzlement from the pause.
Further back in that jammed street is the group of refugees dressed in their green cloaks, holding each other's hands to remain connected as they certainly risk spreading out and losing each other in the flood. Even those tall enough to peer over a few other civilians still struggle to carry their sights even to the entrance of the plaza, but those shorter than them are stuck with practically no view but the folk directly in front of them. This includes the boy eager to peek between hips, wanting so badly to see any further, though is ultimately stuck in the pack.
Scanning the masses from a single point, only able to identify those by the edge closest to him, the Spirit pauses upon staring towards one of the streets. Despite being unable to scan any deeper, he just holds that gaze, stuck in his own thoughts, his own meditation while continuing to be recorded to the hundred worlds, as if he has just inexplicably spaced out.
From perplexed to concerned, Ekitai's eyebrow raises as Kokei frowns anxiously, and Dana –whose golden body has sculpted itself to her human shape but for her face– slowly takes one step forward, prepared to offer support for what looked like a troubled friend.
That's when the Spirit abruptly turns back to face back to the panel directly ahead of him, once more lining his sight towards the staircase, prompting Dana to pause and retreat her step.
His gaze directly into the recording panel, the Spirit takes a deep breath in, then gently exhales through the mouth he draws his specification with, "A request I'm making as just another member of the humanity that stretches across the hundred worlds, bound together by our nature," as his right hand reaches for the edge of his black hood.
"Just another man," as he pulls that hood back, triggering luminescent blue cracks to rapidly crawl over his white mask, fragmenting into countless shards that dissolve into light as the hood is fully reclined off his head, freeing the wavy black hair behind the Latino face of the man whose starry azure eyes gleam upon his reveal spoken in his unmodified, natural voice, "living under the same blue sun."
That face is recorded and broadcasted to the same billboard screen plastered on not only one of the silver towers, but the many others all over the metropolis.
Both of the green eyes of the woman in the brown suit widen as she stares in shock, the same as the man beside her in black hair, just like the many other inhabitants seated at the bench, some of them standing up in utter disbelief.
Stuck by the same spot in front of the memorial, for the line hadn't advanced since the transmission's start, the man in the gray suit stares with a dropped jaw at the screen beside the many other citizens whose murmurs rise in surprise and wonder, though their voices don't raise above the man's naturally spoken request: "People of the Superverse, you now have the knowledge to repel this infestation, I now implore those with the resources and capacity of production to build these weapons and partner with proper defense groups with the means of combating this threat. I ask local defense forces to clear the nests in their area, but furthermore I ask for those with the means of further reach to maximize your efforts in vanquishing as many of these nests as feasible, wherever they can."
Chatter rises among the officers under the tent who've gathered by the commander to watch Meditat stand before the schematics as he urges, "I respectfully seek the Earthly Governmental Alliance's assistance in utilizing these tools to erase as many nests as possible, not only in the Core Worlds and its neighbors, but the Rim too. We cannot choose where we allow these nests to remain standing, we must cooperate to absolutely annihilate this infestation from every world orbiting this one sun."
Driving over the sea along the golden coast, both of the pirates listen to the man above their dashboards muster, "I am aware of this request's weight, but I ask that for those with the ability to make a change, we devote ourselves to recovering our home."
Onboard a truck pod illuminated with strips of scarlet light to give sight for the mob of men dressed in the Syndicate uniforms primed for their approaching assaults, those men are temporarily focused on the holographic man standing at the center of the bed, his cape waving in the local wind as he acknowledges, "I am well aware that some people will take this chaos as an opportunity to steal what they can from one another, that is simply a component of our nature," triggering a few grunts and frowns from those men.
All officers in the space station's control room watch the broadcasts on their screens, which the commander turns to upon hearing the man sigh and append, "People will always make room to make themselves their enemy, as I do not doubt that even after this effort is completed, crimes between man will occur. I cannot ask that to be changed without asking humanity to simply transform into something else."
As the father is escorted inside the bus, the man in the bright yellow vest climbs in the pod himself, allowing the doorway behind him to exhale a cloud that materializes an enclosure. He begins to stroll towards the aisle, passing a woman dressed in a black blazer with green highlights sitting at the driver's seat, staring at the dashboard where a holographic screen of the man emits the sound of his voice. The man in the vest turns around to watch that same screen projecting the man's plea, "But I am asking that we acknowledge and prioritize the greatest threats to life in our worlds. Because I know that a focused humanity is far more than capable of cleaning our home from this invasion, and I am asking that we cooperate towards that effort. I ask for these great demands because I alone cannot save the Superverse."
"In fact, I alone did not make this discovery," Meditat admits as he stands under the projective panels in the plaza, "It was with the help of my friends that I now hold this knowledge I can now pass onto you. Only through joint efforts can we hope to free the land that we've been forced to flee from."
Standing beside Ekitai and Kokei, Dana again takes a step forward, but this time follows it with another all as the gold on her head begins to morph, growing a bowl of thin strands off the top of the head as the face sculpts itself before shifting color, the strands turning to an amber tone just as the two notice her sprint, unable to catch her hand in time.
As a gust of wind pushes both Meditat's cape and his wavy black hair, it does the same to the amber bangs atop Dana's head as she steps to his side, her entire head and half of her neck reverted to human skin, her lime green eyes shimmering with life, her skin blended with the golden metallic armor that continues to her shoulders and below. Just as Meditat's eyes slide towards her, she directs in her own natural voice, "With a mission this great, if we can contribute to this cause, it should be our top priority."
All the sudden, the three board members in the colorless meeting room stand from their seats, even the old man jumping out in complete bafflement, slamming his hands on the table as both the woman and the younger blonde man just stare speechlessly at the second holographic woman standing beside Meditat, the same one who'd typically be projected in this room, and yet never thought to be seen in these circumstances, never imagining her to so confidently assert, "X-Prints has historically been a bastion for defensive research to find solutions to problems previously deemed impossible, to grapple with powers beyond us and raise ourselves to its echelon."
Many of the city's folk on the benches are stunned to see that face now of all times, but no man has a reaction as overcome as the man in the navy blue suit, his eyes wide as he listens to that voice rally, "And now more than ever, I am calling for it to focus its resources into researching the very matter we have founded ourselves on, to grapple it at its most purest state, and wield it into tools that can supplement our defensive efforts!"
Under the vibrant purple sky, Meditat glances at Dana for a moment which she catches with the turn of her own head, and after that brief exchange Meditat faces forth again to repeat, "We are aware that we are asking for a great deal, but this is not a conflict that we can wait for others to resolve for us, and I think we have all come to that revelation ourselves," as he then turns around and gestures with his hand towards himself.
That gesture is targeted directly to both Ekitai and Kokei who stand beside each other, keeping a distance from the projection sphere. They're suddenly dumbstruck by the gesture, in fact it's Kokei's first instinct to turn around too as if assuming that the gesture is aimed past her, leading her to face the distant crowds watching them in silent awe, standing in place.
It's Ekitai placing his hand on her shoulder that spins her head back around, and with a silent nod he confirms the intentions she had already felt. A flicker of nervousness enters her, but she shakes her head to subside that feeling, understanding the calling which she faces ahead as Ekitai's hand is pulled off her, and they both begin to march forward.
Returning his gaze forward, Meditat faces back at the hikers who have reached the top of the dune that surveys the lands below where their focus zones in on a flat plain between the waves featuring a huge vibrant blue oasis among a small forest of green trees among which is a village of wooden homes gated by a large fence around the entire field, barricading itself from clusters of black nests that protrude from the bases of the surrounding dunes. As they stand to rest and admire their destination in sight, observe distant people hoarding around the pool or roaming between buildings in the distance, they take the moment to watch Meditat bring his right hand towards his chest as he assertively urges, "If you can fight by seeking safety, fight."
Crowding the long white hallway of the X-Prints headquarters are the men and women in formal attire pausing their work to stand around in the corridor together, watching a sea of the same broadcast play around them whether it be in the flat screens or portrait holograms all display the same man's open hand ignite in a vibrant azure flame as he summons, "If you can fight by providing equipment, fight."
All of the standing officers in the space command room watch the stream huddled together with the commander, watching enamored as the man raises his hand in the air which closes to a fist as he calls, "If you can fight by clearing land, fight."
Upon raising his flaming fist to the sky, which dances in the wind that pushes his cape to the side which waves like a flag, Kokei and Ekitai appear in the frame, Kokei beside Dana and Ekitai beside Meditat, the four standing side by side in front of the countless billboard screens covering the silver city, all of them emitting Meditat's roaring voice raise, "We, the Bellators, will fight with you. All of us need to fight together, because right now, this is not a fight between humanity."
In front of every single display, whether it a simple audio transmission, a flat screen recording not only the four warriors but the environment past them, portrait holograms depicting their full three dimensions, or full body holograms allowing those four to stand life size all across the hundred worlds, in every single instance of the broadcast under his blazing fist among the sparkling twilight sky, Meditat assembles, "This is a fight for humanity!"