All was silent in the extraction department. Nary a whisper in the air as the seconds ticked by, the twelve agents who stood behind him all nervously glancing at their wristwatches. Two minutes until the start of Day 45, two minutes until the beginning of the final crucible.
How fitting, for it to start here at the source of the corporation, at the manta that surrounded their singularity.
He once found the sight unbearable, the weight of his misdeeds too heavy to bear. Perhaps it still was, perhaps the guilt was simply buried in favor of a greater purpose.
It mattered not, for the scenery now offered him nothing but comfort. No longer could he feel the burden, leaving only the knowledge of this forever constant. No matter what happens from now on, he could always trust in the totality of his sins.
This guilt that remained bound to his heart, he had learned to respect it, for it was more devoted than a well beloved.
He was sure, no matter how high he reached, no matter how far he ran, no matter where this delusion of his led him, it would be there on his final day, lying in his coffin.
Like she who never left, it was the sad fireplace corner of his despicable black soul.
That is why he held no fear for what is to come.
…Yet he still took a step back as a pillar of luminescence arose from the center of the department. It was not light, nay, that would suggest it lit up its surroundings. The golden ray within his sight did not give, it dragged in the light around it, bending reality that he may see both what is in front and behind at the same time.
He took a step back, yet the reason was not fear, nor was it force. Nay, it would be more accurate to say his foot was moved backwards, for space itself rippled under the power of G-Corp's singularity, a shockwave felt by reality itself.
And from the forest of pillars a single figure appeared, her face behind a mask.
How ironic, that a shard of a pillar hid Garion from her fears, his sin used to cover hers.
"I-is that…" The words of the agent became nothing more than a whimper, lost in the vastness of the department. One among them attempted to run, though it meant little when an execution bullet automatically activated, turning the agent into dust and returning them to the records department.
Ayin vaguely recognized the employee as the only one among the picked agents who wasn't among the former apostles.
No fighting had occurred, yet they had already lost one of their combatants to fear. A glance at the others showed them to be faring no better.
At that moment… someone laughed, the voice washing away the dreadful silence.
The voice belonged to Ayin, yet it was not him who laughed. It was a mask, the facade of a leader, just like the days of the smoke war.
He slammed Paradise Lost to the ground, a hundred crimson blades appeared from nothing to attack the Arbiter.
"Indeed! An Arbiter has come! With the power of the wings at their fingertips they have arrived to bestow upon us their delusional judgement!"
A burst of fairy rushed at them, Ayin took a single step forward, the attack dispersing upon making contact with the E.G.O he wore. Not a scratch was to be found.
"The Head deigns to challenge God in his own heaven. Charge on! Make them understand the fragility of their authority!"
Ayin did not notice it, but a crimson light radiated from Paradise Lost as pale wings appeared upon his back for but a moment.
With Justitia in his hands, Edward was the first to charge onward with a zealous scream that held no fear. His fellow ten followed not a moment later.
"GROOOOOOOAAARRRRRRRRHHHH!"
The roar of the beast thundered across departments, shaking the facility to its very foundations, dust falling from the ceiling as an earthquake occurred under its sheer power.
-Connecting to general facility systems—SUCCESSFUL, CONNECTED TO FACILITY MANAGEMENT. WELCOME, ASSISTANT MANAGER A.
-Synchronizing all department communication lines—SUCCESFUL. EXTRACTION DEPARTMENT EXEMPT ACCORDING TO PROTOCOL BINAH.
Over a thousand reports flooded her mind from every corner of the facility, Yesod scrambling to organize it all. Angela began to sort through them immediately.
Casualty report: Nearly every clerk's mental corruption level above acceptable levels, twelve confirmed suicides, the rest in a hysteric state of mind. Three agents killed by the abnormality's appearance—dubbed Apocalypse Bird. All three were Tier IV equipped with HE E.G.O, losses acceptable considering the circumstances.
Systems report: Total facility blackout, TT2 disabled, all other systems active. Reactivation of TT2 is secondary, the day is to be completed according to her creator's orders. Crimson Dawn arriving in ten minute's time.
Abnormality report: Seven Qliphoth overloads. Meltdowns of Blue Star and Nothing There are of critical priority, the rest could be ignored without significant risk. Four breaches—Army in Black, Mountain of Smiling Bodies, Queen of Hatred, Clouded Monk.
Apocalypse Bird report: Currently located in the Welfare department, being engaged by two surviving agents. Cogito readings suggest power comparable to WhiteNight. Three eggs detected across the facility, each bearing resemblance to the birds of the dark forest. Further readings show the eggs to be acting as an 'anchor' to the abnormality. The destruction of the eggs will likely result in the suppression of Apocalypse Bird.
Managerial report: Vital signs normal. Sudden spike of energy detected, the core suppression had likely begun. Reinforcements currently deemed unnecessary.
"Benjamin! Explain the situation to captain Myo, we're locking off lower Central command in one minute!" Angela did not bother to get confirmation, she knew she could trust Benjamin to handle any task she gave him.
"Gebura, The Mountain of Smiling bodies has breached containment in the Information department, suppress the abnormality immediately." Mountain was of critical importance, they had to prevent a stage III scenario at all costs.
The current situation was grasped, analyzed and solutions were decided within a single moment. As though a floodgate had opened with her orders to the two sephirot, hundreds more came pouring out.
The captains of Welfare and Disciplinary each rushed to handle Blue Star and Nothing There's Qliphoth meltdowns respectively. All other Tier V agents were ordered to begin suppression on Army in Black, converging only on critical departments as total suppression was impossible under current conditions. Clouded Monk received a bounty, and began to be hunted down by Little Red Riding Hooded Mercenary in the Records department. All employees were put on high alert for the possible sudden appearance of Queen of Hatred, the facility did not have the manpower to spare for her suppression.
Every Tier IV agent was assigned either Small Bird or Big Bird's eggs, the singular nature of Apocalypse Bird allowing for hit and run tactics where lower tier agents would otherwise be useless.
Angela trusted the Rabbits to handle Long Arm, they were nothing if reliable when it came to killing.
And just like that, Angela could do nothing but watch, her thought processes far outpacing the rate at which the facility moved. She was out of orders to give until the situation shifted.
Angela could do nothing but stare at the small panel by the edge of the office's monitor, displaying the steady heartbeat of her creator, and pray that his previous confidence was not unfounded.
For all the power that E.G.O could grant a person, it truly was incredible to watch how it paled in comparison to that of an arbiter. Of the eleven who charged, the only survivor among the four who wielded WAW gear was Knight of Despair's, by virtue of the abnormality's blessing.
Even among those wielding ALEPH gear, only Edward and BongBong still stood tall, the rest having sustained grievous injuries one way or another.
Slowly, the Arbiter raised a hand. A single pillar followed the motion, levitating next to Garion.
"MOVE!" Yelled out Edward as he threw himself and BongBong to the ground, the rest of the agents who stood behind him did the same, all except one. Having already been forced onto his knees, the agent who wielded Mountain's hammer could do nothing but watch as the massive pillar was shot towards him faster than a bullet.
The pillar did not push, it did not impact. It simply moved through the agent's body and his suit, as though there was nothing inhibiting its path. Nothing remained of the agent's torso or his head, the rest of his body falling to the ground as though it was cut clean in half.
Morale was clearly shaken by the display, Ayin didn't allow the wound to fester for even a single moment. A hail of crimson weapons targeted Garion, with graceful steps she dodged every single one of them.
Though grace meant little when a winged staff wielded like a hammer made contact with her body, throwing the Arbiter several meters away. He pressed onward, another hail of weapons to disorientate, another swing of his staff to make impact.
The Arbiter appeared to have had enough, massive amounts of energy beginning to gather within her hands. Ayin immediately slammed his staff to the ground as he knelt, the shockwave came just a moment later.
The forest of divine weapons that had risen from the ground to protect him were blown away as though they were nothing more than dust in a storm, scattering into the air before disappearing. Somehow, there was a beauty to its power, the shockwave rippling across space like the stroke of a brush that brought ruin to all it touched. It was an attack well practised for artistic carnage.
A crown of thorns appeared upon his head, his E.G.O suit blazing alight as the abnormality that it was made from dedicated its strength to protecting its father, leaving nothing more than a dull pain in his chest.
Blood poured from the crown that he willingly bore, the crimson liquid now covering the field behind him, blown away by the shockwave's power. A glance revealed not a single agent to have survived, their organs ruptured and their brains blown apart.
The hand that was raised high to release the shockwave fell low, signs of wear beginning to show on Garion's body. She now stared quietly at him, the deafening silence of the battlefield their only companion.
"..."
"..."
And across that silence, his words spread to reach every corner of the department.
"I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live, and ye shall stand, and ye shall know that I am the Lord."
His crown turned crimson for a moment, while the blood that covered the field behind him turned golden. An exchange had occurred, a transfer of sin.
The punishment that was bestowed upon the sinners who lied behind him, the untilting scale of the world that judged all deserving of suffering, he chose to bear the burden instead.
A tiny cut, a broken bone; a tear shed, a trauma unconfronted. All of it was for him to bear, for he was responsible for every evil in the world, for his divine will had decided it so.
So it shall be. Unjust punishment shall be undone, and proper judgement will be bestowed upon him most deserving. A thousand wounds were inflicted upon his body, yet the child ensured the safety of the father.
The sinners behind him stood, his agents rising to oppose his enemy once again. They were not healed, for there was nothing to heal. No harm had ever befallen them, for he had decided it so.
Delusionis Martyrdomus, gloria Domino.
And with a single gesture, they charged once more.
Notes:Warp: 'L-Corp facility-x' beginning in five minutes, all personnel who fail to board in time will be permanently disposed of. Train: 'L-Corp faci—"
"Cock up your ears Rabbits! L-Corp is calling in double the usual manpower, we're dealing with a third trumpet here!" Myo yelled as she internally cursed. She had no memories of what actually went down in L-Corp's facilities but she knew for a fact that nothing good came from them.
She reveled in bloodshed, they all did, but being sent off to the slaughterhouse certainly wasn't it. Nearly all of them will be lost down there, and most who remain will be disposed of to ensure absolute secrecy.
Not that they had a choice of course, even if Maxim and his Rhinos would suit the enemy much better, the Rabbits will still be the ones getting sent in on account of facility-x's underground structure. Commander Nikolai thought it was idiotic, but L-Corp was their most lucrative client by a landslide, meaning when they told the Fourth Pack to jump they only asked how high, never the why.
So when L-Corp called demanding sixteen squads and a captain, the requested personnel was immediately assembled with no mention of how such an order violated their contract.
She cursed once again, her last memory update was nearly a month ago as well. Hopefully Rudolph will remind the next Myo of the drink Maxim owes her.
"Beginning warp jump, all personnel prepare for immediate combat."
With one last sigh for the trip, Myo was flash frozen in a cryopod.
The moment they arrived at the facility, a dozen reports immediately appeared upon her helmet's interface. The map of central command, where her other squads were located, the strange creatures stored within the department, the main threat they were facing, possible future threats, their current objective.
All of it was nothing more than fluff of course, they only had one goal: terminate everything within their sights.
"All Rabbits converge on Main Hall 2." Myo ordered before charging ahead, sixteen rabbits following behind her. They cut down a group of employees who were too slow to evacuate, then blew open a stuck elevator door before dropping down to their destination.
One hallway over they found their target, a massive egg wrapped in a strange cloth.
"Concentrate fire!" A storm of bullets followed suit, millions of ahn's worth of ammunition expended within a single second. Each bullet was powerful enough to pierce steel, yet the egg showed no signs of damage.
Their target thankfully offered no resistance, their first round of ammunition expended with no casualties.
Then another round was spent.
Then another.
Then another.
Then another.
Minutes passed, and they continued to fire, the facility around them shaking as they heard great roars in the distance, muffled by the sound of their firearms.
As thousands of rounds of ammunition fell to the ground, cracks slowly crawled up the egg, its wrappings beginning to be torn apart as blood seeped out of its gaps. As futile as it seemed at first, the Rabbits were doing damage.
But just as the crack neared the precipice of the egg, darkness consumed them.
Their helmets relied on sensors other than light, they couldn't even perceive the brightness of their surroundings in order to nullify the effects of a flashbang, yet the world still turned dark. It was not darkness caused by a lack of light, but rather a presence that devoured their senses.
Then, the once muffled roar of the beast was heard in all its terror, Myo couldn't even make out the sound of the firearm within her hand. Out of nowhere a being worse than any creature of the ruins appeared, a pair of grotesquely oversized claws connected to a torso that lacked any other limbs; a gaping mouth at its center that resembled a tunnel of teeth that lacked an end, seemingly consuming the very light around it.
And over it all its head resided, the long neck attached to it seemingly reaching towards the heavens themselves.
Myo never got the chance to give further orders, two wings of pitch black spreading open to reveal a thousand eyes shining brightly, freezing them all in place. The swing of a claw followed a moment later, cutting a bloody swathe through half of her Rabbits.
The dazzling light was suddenly replaced by blind panic, a storm of bullets once again unleashed upon their enemy.
It mattered not, every projectile bounced off its body, not a single feather ruffled by their unending attack. One among the Rabbits drew a blade before charging in, the beast's gaping mouth stretched out to consume them whole.
Three Rabbits attempted to retreat, realizing the danger of close quarters combat, a tiny twitch from the monstrosity's talons split them all in half.
With masterful accuracy a Rabbit shot one of the many eyes blind, the creature slammed its claws to the ground in response, the debris crushing several Rabbits more.
For the first time in years, Myo felt utterly powerless. With blinding speed she weaved in and out of its range, avoiding every attack that came her way and with each charge landing a dozen strikes with all her strength. It didn't matter in the slightest.
She was not a foe, she wasn't even a distraction. She was nothing more than a speck of sand caught in a great storm, each strike she avoided leading to several Rabbits becoming collateral. Perhaps it wasn't even swinging at her, perhaps it didn't even notice her squad's presence, such was its uncaring power.
And eventually, her luck had run out. One of its talons having grazed her helmet, the world turned blank.
A Claw lacks the will to act, a Beholder lacks the mind to understand. Their powers are great, yet they could never hope to see what 'truth' is. They could never hope to rise above the swamps below.
That is why Arbiters are necessary, a monarch to control the devil and the angel.
An Arbiter sees all, their minds unbending, their sights all encompassing. They face the worst and the best of humanity, defending all from what the outskirts and beyond have to offer.
Unbound by subjectivity and uninfluenced by personal morals, they see only the objective truths of the world and direct humanity as needed.
In that sense, I would consider myself to be a failure of an Arbiter. I do not see all, I do not understand the world that surrounds me.
I understood the truths that were drilled into my mind, and perhaps I even believed in it once upon a time, long long ago.
The so-called objectivity of those around me, I saw in its fullest.
Yet I dared to let my gaze stretch just a little further.
Cracks I could see in the grand vision, tiny veins of darkness that stretched deep into my being. It was practically unnoticeable, a single blink and it would be gone, yet it persisted, still quietly haunting my existence.
It planted a seed inside of me, a crevice of doubt that would one day devour my soul whole.
Do I regret it?
I have no answer to offer. Not to others, not to myself.
After all, I am blinder than all, for I dared to open the veil and let the darkness beyond spill into my soul.
I took a bite from the apple of wisdom, yet there was no God to punish me. With a mind filled to the brim by doubt and silent fear, I served the Head, expecting great retribution. Yet there was none, and I found that more terrifying than any promised torture.
At the end of the day, we were nothing more than human. No less stupid, blind or biased than any other.
Only, they were too blind to realize it. Piling lie upon lie, justification upon justification, they've built a mountain of tormented flesh consuming itself until the end of time, kept together by a force that fooled itself into becoming God.
There was no grand vision, no final objective, no great threat. There was only humanity, and the city it built. A delusion of grandeur brighter than any other, blinding all that gaze upon it.
Yes, a delusion. I saw it, and I'm sure that man saw it too.
So why? Why does he march onward? Embracing a delusion even more ridiculous than that of the Head.
"Let My strength be with thee, let the currents not overwhelm thee. Know that I am the Lord, and know that My power is absolute."
The words held power, rewriting reality itself to change what had already transpired, those who had fallen rising from the dead.
Yes, his words held great power, yet they were not omniscient. Try as he might, he could not wish away reality, nor could he destroy karma. He could only redirect it, every impact of a pillar and every charge of fairy being inflicted upon him rather than his fanatics.
And even while protected by a being that held itself to divinity, the Head still overpowered them, each attack leaving a tiny bruise in spite of the son's blessing.
In spite of that man's confidence, he could not hope to reach 'truth'. His words were nothing more than a delusion, no different from the Head.
Nay, it was even worse, for he did not hold even half of the Head's power in his hands, his claims to divinity even more erroneous, a lie even more fragile.
"Onward! In the name of the Lord!"
No different from the Head, he makes his subjectivity into the truth through the strength of his faithful, continuing to delve deeper into the realm of delusion.
…Yet he is different. He sees falsehood for what it is, he simply denies it within his own mind.
"I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even if they die."
I simply do not understand, the reality of his being remains forever out of my reach.
This terror of the unknown, my only wish is to be freed from it…
One by one, pillars began to surround her being.
Yet I cannot hide from my own wisdom, such is the curse that I was blessed with.
They resonated with their wielder's emotions, the scriptures upon its surface blazing alight.
Then, I shall pour it all into this circle of nine. To leave my soul hollow, freed from burden.
All twelve of her foes charged in an attempt to stop her deliverance, their weapons tearing her body asunder as she stood in place, uncaring of the damage inflicted.
That I may find the bliss of oblivion.
Every pillar found a mark. Only one among her foes survived, continuing to drag his broken soul across the millenia to challenge her very existence.
Yet this burden I cannot escape from so long as I live, even my two companions having rotted under the millenia. No longer does bloodshed make my heart flutter, no longer does silence bring peace.
All that awaits me is remembrance, and fear.
"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
Eleven others stood once more, exalted by the twelfth. With their hollow shells in hand, they opposed her once again. She did not have much more resistance to offer, her last attack being near suicidal.
A tiny chip had formed in her mask, and Ayin knew it was time.
"Edward. Lead the squad up to support Angela in the completion of the day." Not one among them questioned his order, for their faith was truly absolute, consuming the entirety of their souls and leaving nary a wisp behind.
Ayin raised his staff with shaky hands, blood continuing to pour from his head. The hand the Arbiter raised was no different, they were both exhausted beyond measure.
"I shall shatter this visage of doubt with my own two hands."
Myo did not awake to chaos, she did not awake to bloodshed. The air was still, nary a sound in her ears. Surrounding her was tranquility, only the remnants of a disaster remaining.
Over her body resided a great tunnel of jagged ivory, a single eye at the top of it all looking down at her. Its gaze promised nothing but salvation, holding neither hatred nor hostility. It promised her nothing but bliss in oblivion.
Yes, the beast that stood over her granted peace for all, and her Rabbits had become a part of its unstoppable creed. Now, she too was to be granted its salvation.
With blinding agility Myo escaped its beak, her shattered helmet left behind to be consumed by the beast.
"Yeah right. You're nothing but a monster." She was no stranger to creatures trying to instill strange delusions into her. All one had to do was just brush it off.
Though, that still left her caught in a futile struggle, a quick glance showing her to be the last survivor of the Rabbits.
"Heh, the Ravens are always breathing down our necks and now you've just slaughtered my entire team. I think the damned birds have it out for me." She joked to herself between labored breaths. Myo was nothing if not fearless in the face of death.
'Jump to the right.' A familiar voice suddenly commanded in her head. She did not question it for a moment.
It would prove to be the right decision when a massive claw fell on the ground before sweeping to the left of her.
"Angela?!" She screamed, recognizing the voice of the trophy assistant the manager had with him whenever they renewed the contract.
'Taking into effect today, I have been given temporary command of the facility due to the manager's absence.'
Myo pushed through exhaustion and bafflement to chuckle in spite of it all. "Hell of a first day."
'All other targets are nearing complete suppression. Only your target remains uncertain. Please jump.' A talon swept across the floor below her.
"Keep giving commands like that and I'll have this thing dead in no time."
' That is my intention. The abnormality is guarding the egg with its own body, please follow my instructions to reach and suppress the target.'
The roar of the beast that seemed to cause a miniature earthquake showed it wouldn't be anywhere near as simple as Angela had put it, though Myo grinned nevertheless.
She dropped her gun before drawing two blades. Lone fighting is much more her style anyways.
Notes: