Paradox [Job]

The bumps are what finally awoke her. The shadows of light dancing on her skin as the sun struggled through the tiny holes above her face. Mythica couldn’t exactly tell what was going on, her senses too weak to pick up on any external signal of her surroundings. However, one thing was very clear. She was not where she was supposed to be. Enclosed, cramped and encased in something. Why? The question lingered at the edge of her mind. Where was here? What was happening? And how did it happen? All of these thoughts raced through her head, but before the woman could even consider any answers, the edges of the box split apart! Light came flooding in from her left, the muffled sound of voices and machinery could be heard all around, assaulting her ears with the loud mechanical clanging. Her eyes finally adjusted she saw exactly what was outside of the space she was stuck in. Metal bars, and a large room. Her face squinted as a screeching sound rung through the air, shaking her eardrums. Something was happening. She was moving. The entire cage rattle and shook as it was pulled from its crate. A whole new world shone high above and all around as the young girl tried to make out what was happening. From what she could see, it was a massive garage of some sort. All around her she could see hundreds of other crates being shipped and moved by large vehicles… And what looked like robots? This was not good. She was not at all anywhere she recognized. Finally the urge to escape hit the wizard. This was not at all how she planned on going out. Like some caged animal. Mythica’s instinct kicked in and she began to focus her energy, her eyes narrow with hatred… But soon turned to shock. Nothing was happening. Her power wasn’t there! What was this? She had never felt this sensation before… Helplessness. The girl frantically looked at her hands to notice no reaction in them at all. Her body felt cold and almost numb… Nothing. With that action taken, the girl did notice something else however… A thick metal collar around her neck. A small beeping light steadily blinked on and off. She grunted angrily, pulling at it as hard as she could but it would not come off! Over and over again she yanked, but nothing changed. That was until the collar gave of a high pitched ringing sound that hurt her ears, followed quickly by an abrupt shock to the neck which extend throughout her entire body! What was this collar, was it the reason she wasn’t able to use her magic? She could know nothing for certain, but theories were quickly running through her head. Along with the urge to escape. BUt for now she could only feel pain from the shock. SO much so that she could do nothing else but collapse on the ground of her cage, breathing heavily as her muscles spasmed and twitched. Finally a shadow appeared over her eyes. She tried to make out what it was, and as it came closer into view she could see it was a person. They were wearing an odd black suit. Covered in head to toe. And an ominous looking mask.

“So this was subject 7X-12?”
“Yes sir. Project: Paradox”
“Seems a bit feisty, that collar will hold?”
“That’s what it’s built for, sir. She won’t be able to cause any trouble so long as it’s around her neck.” Mythica couldn’t tell where the 2nd voice was coming from, but she could hear it all around her. The exhaustion soon set in, and she couldn’t even bring herself to speak. “Good. Have Paradox brought to verification. Sell the rest.”
“At once.” The cage was moving again. The figure in black moved out of the way and the blinding light from above returned to shine straight into the girl’s eyes. And soon darkness crept back into her view as her mind slowly drifted off into shadow…

Pain. Anger. Shock. Regret. These were the only emotions Mythica felt over the time after. How long had it been now? A few hours? Days? Weeks? She had no idea. Ironically her sense of time was all fuzzy now. All she knew was that her situation was very wrong. She needed an out, but had no idea where to even begin. Everything was disorientated and weird. She could only see odd shapes and colours before the pain returned. It always came back. No matter how long it had been, she could feel it. Creeping up her legs and arms until it hit her spine. Shooting through everything. Blood. She could taste blood. Dripping from her lips and maybe her nose. Onto the metal floor she finally awoke. Her sense came flooding back and Mythica’s body quickly rose upwards! Breathing heavily she stared ahead with a wide eyed expression. Nothing there except a grey steel wall. After a few seconds her head slowly turned, still breathing heavily she noticed a small steel platform extending from the wall. It appeared to be a bed of some sort. A small white pillow lying on its edge. Her hands crept up to her face, feeling it for a moment before her eyes noticed the holes. Small red dots along her arms and legs. She had also been wearing something entirely different. A grey suit that looked more like a gown patients at hospitals were forced to wear… But Mythica knew this was no hospital. Something much more sinister was a foot. Something even she could not have predicted. Something moved past her and she instinctively turned to see it. A glass wall. The girl slowly got up, her head dizzy and painful, her body weak and heavy. She stumbled for a few moments, placing a hand on the glass to steady herself. Finally she could get a good look at what was out there, and none of it made any sense to her. From what she could tell, it was some sort of prison. That much was obvious. But where? And why was Mythica here? This obviously wasn’t work of the Magic Council. They didn’t even know she existed. How did she even get here in the first place? That was the most important question as far as Mythica was concerned. No matter how hard she tried to remember though… She couldn’t. She had no idea what she was doing before ending up in this predicament. None at all. And something was determined she would never remember…

Carrick sat still at his desk, looking over his screen. Behind him was a tall window overlooking the metropolis of Bosco. The most advanced city nation on the planet. This had been quite a day for the man. The day he finally found something strong enough to bring to the other side. At least that’s what he had hoped. There was no guarantee that it would work, but he had his hopes. And the evidence backed up his theories quite a bit. All that was left now was to wait until the right time. They couldn’t always send stuff through whenever they wanted, it was too dangerous. At least that’s what had been proven through the last few tests. For some reason the gate could only take so much input before it shut down, erasing every molecule inside it instantaneously. But this specimen was far different than the rest. She was strong. Even if her power was limited now, Paradox had shown considerable tolerance to pain and probing over the past few weeks. Now Paradox was set to travel to the other side and be used in their most dangerous experiment yet. Reality Gem. The gate had allowed them to move between Earthland and Avalon almost instantly. Luckily for them it was also quite large. For years now the Nova Corp was able to transport people and gear across, until they eventually built a foothold in the strange and hostile new world. And it was there they discovered the Reality Gem. An ancient black stone that twisted and altered the very reality of it surrounded. While the natives weren’t too happy with this, there was little they could do to stop Nova Corp. They were far more technologically superior, and encountered little resistance with their plans. However, that was the least of Carrick’s concerns now. Because the project had nothing to do with whether or not Paradox could make it through the gate, but if she could be used to fuse with the gem. Recent tests had determined that the gem had unnatural reactions to organic matter. More research was conducted and Nova Corp was found out that when working in unison with organic matter, its power could be manipulated and controlled. And now the time was finally here to create a prototype of their new design. Fusing the gem with a powerful human being, making them unstoppable. Of course there was much concern that even if this test did work, the being would simply turn on the corporation. But that’s what Carrick was here for. Find the best way to contain Paradox at all costs. And he thought he might just have a way. While they live in a world that brims with magic, there are ways to suppress this. Luckily for Nova Corp, Carrick has had much experience in this field. He was a successful operation leader of a police force that specialized in tracking down and disabling magic users. While simply anti-magic collars and cuffs worked like charms on the regulars, Paradox was indeed no regular. She was far stronger, and far different than the rest. As a result, she needed something equally as strong to hold her magic back. That’s where the nano cells came into play. A highly developed nano-cybernetic cell that when inserted into the bloodstream could adapt and blend in with its host’s body. However, when the host starts to inhibit magical powers and urges, the cells react in unison to release pulses throughout the body, stopping the magic from its source. Even fused with the reality gem, Paradox would be unable to fully control her own power without Nova Corp’s say so. And recent tests discovered this to be highly effective on other wizards as well. Paradox has shown no differences than any of the others. The operation was long and painful, but now she was filled from head to toe with these nanobots that could inhibit all of her magical abilities. All that was left now was to equip Paradox with the standard nerve control exoskeleton and she would have zero control of her own body. A super slave for Nova Corp. And her first order of business would be to put down the annoying resistance that inhibited Nova Corp’s operations within Avalon.

“Sir!’ Carrick looked up from his desk as the door to his office quickly flew open. A younger gentlemen quickly walked towards him and dropped a pile of papers on his desk. “We have the latest test results. All green. We found the perfect specimen for this project.” Carrick smiled and stood up, before turning to face the tall window overlooking Bosco. “She isn’t taking it too well I assume?” The other man hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. “I’m afraid not, sir. As instructed the guards have left her alone in her cell, but… She won’t stop screaming.” Carrick raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“She proved to be almost perfect… Although Paradox’s psychiatric profile left much to be desired. Whoever she was before we found her.. She wasn’t exactly the most mentally stable being on the planet.” Carrick frowned before looking over to him slightly. “While unfortunate, it matters little. Her job does not require her mind to be healthy, only her body.” The man nodded. “O- Of course sir.” Carrick stared out the window for a few more seconds before turning again and clapping his hands together. “Well then! Let’s not keep her waiting any longer. It’s time. Start the gate, I’ll be down shortly.”
“Right away, sir!”
“Oh! And one more thing.” Carrick said as the man stopped and turned towards him. “Hm?”
“When the procedure is finished… Make sure Project: Void knows he’s been replaced.”

More pain. It always came back. Just when Mythica thought it might be over, her body jolted with more and more pain. She creamed. She cried. But no matter how loud she was, it never stopped. Strapped to that table with the hot lights shining down on her for what felt like an eternity. She could feel her bones scraping together. Her blood boiling with rage. Her heart beating like it was going to pop out of her chest at any moment! The pain never stopped. And Mythica knew that as soon as she got out of here, they would all feel the same thing she did for eternity. If it was even living people behind her misery anyways. She hadn’t seen another living thing for days. Only cold, lifeless machinery. Operating on her for hours at a time. And the word part about it all was that she was completely helpless to stop them. No magic left her body no matter how hard she tried to command it too. She was weak… And she knew it. She tasted her own blood again and that’s when a thought came into her mind… If only she swallowed… This could all be over. It only took a few drops of her own blood and this whole operation would come crashing to the ground. If she only gave into the dog demon’s desires… She could be free. But at what cost? Sacrificing her already fragile mental state to yet another demon? Losing control of her magic was just the beginning, soon the dog demon would have her entire mind and soul. Was it worth it? To stop the pain? To rip apart all those responsible for her screams? All she had to do was swallow the drops of blood forming in her mouth… And she would become a living nightmare. Maybe later… For now she was just too tired. For now she needed some sleep… And the pain had just stopped. Maybe she could rest a bit before the pain came back.. And then they would all regret they ever laid their eyes on her.

“Alright, so here’s the plan! Echo, Delta, and Gamma, you three are responsible for their communications. Drop in from 20’000 feet and make your way to the satellite dish! Disable it long enough for Alpha and Omega to infiltrate and extract the target!” Vincent yelled as the aircraft threatened to drown him out with the intense roar of the engines. “After your objective is complete, you three will head to the rendezvous point and provide cover for Alpha and Omega. Target is likely to be weak, and won’t have consciences. This place is crawling with Novites, so as soon as you have the target, to make a run for it. They’ll throw everything they got at you, so count your bullets and check your corners! This mission may be our only chance at winning this war, and we can’t afford to blow it, understood!?”
“Understood, sir!” Vincent nodded. “Good, then prepare yourselves! First drop is in 3 minutes!” The soldiers in the aircraft quickly prepared their gear. Checking everything twice to be sure. Vincent walked past them towards the cockpit. Echo, a white haired girl, eyed him as he passed her. As the door closed she scoffed and looked over to Delta. “Funny how this mission might be the most important one of the war, yet we aren’t even being told who we’re getting.” Delta, an older man with black hair shrugged as he checked his magazine and sites. “Not our place to know. You know the rules. Void seems to think they’re important to the Novites… So that means they’re better with us.” Echo chuckled as she rolled her eyes. “Always defending him.”
“Would you two cut the chatter? Trying to focus on making sure this thing works.” The man across the aircraft said, looking at a screen attached to his arm. “You do realize we’re diving head first into a Novite nest, right? What’s that thing gonna do?” Echo asked. The man responded with a sigh. “Well, if you MUST know, it’s gonna make YOUR job a lot easier. Mini EMP, disables security systems and other electronics without the right chips in them.” Echo scoffed. “Yeah, if you get it to work Gamma. I don’t think it’ll make much of a difference either way. My drone is never spotted.”
“Well there’s a first time for everything.” Omega said as she stood up and attached her rifle to her back. “Ain’t that right babe?” She winked at the man sitting next to her. Middle aged, brown hair and beard. Team leader Alpha. “Not sure I get the reference.” Echo said as Alpha smiled and chuckled to himself, looking over his weapon. “You’ll understand when you’re older.” Alpha responded. “Ain’t that the truth.” Delta commented as he looked towards the ceiling. Echo turned back to him with a half confused stare before rolling her eyes and standing up, grabbing the ceiling handle next to Omega. “Well I’m sorry we can’t all be married to the captain of the team, but some of us still know how to handle our weapons better than our mouths.” Omega’s expression quickly changed from a smirk to a blank stare, while the others simply snickered in response. “Oh really?” Omega said turning to face the youngest member of the team. “Well let’s see if you choke on those big words huh? Turn on your kill counter, I’ll turn on mine.” Echo stared Omega straight in the eyes just as the others got up and got into their positions. “Gamma, you’re recording this, right?” Echo said while staring at Omega’s eyes. “I always record missions, yes.”
“Good.” Echo said as she flicked a little switch next to trigger. Suddenly the tiny screen on the side of her weapon flickered to life with three zeroes. Delta and Alpha looked to each other and then back at Echo. “Oh this mission just got a hell of a lot more interesting.” Omega didn’t say a word, but did the same. “Highest score wins.” She finally said, chewing the gum in her mouth. “You’re on, grandma.” Any further response was quickly interrupted as the entire aircraft shook suddenly, and Vincent walked out from the cockpit. “All right soldiers! Your time is up, Echo, Delta, Gamma, get to your jump positions! Go! Go! Go!” He yelled, motioning with his hand as the three did as instructed. Echo kneeled in front, facing the back of the aircraft. Delta crouched just behind her while Gamma stood behind both of them. A bright light appeared from the roof of the aircraft, it covered the entire cabin with a red glow. Suddenly the rear hatch began to slowly open. A rush of wind and air drowned out all other noise and the intense glow of the sun flooded the inside of the aircraft! The blanket of clouds moving past at incredible speed in front of them. Nothing but the wind could be heard for a solid 5 seconds before a long buzzer sounded, and the light turned green! That was the signal. Echo instantly pushed her legs forward, diving off the edge of the plane and into the veil of clouds. Delta and Gamma soon followed behind. Vincent yelled orders at the remaining two, and they quickly got into positions of their own and awaiting the signal for a similar procedure.

Echo landed first. Her feet touching the ground before her body quickly followed with a roll. As soon as she regained her balance she tapped a silver clip in her shoulder, quickly detaching the long blue parachute from her suit. Removing the weapon from her back she loaded it and moved forward across the desert landscape towards a large outcropping of rock. It was there she took cover and turned towards the sky. Her heads display scanning the empty blue for the signatures of her squad. Delta and Gamma were close bye. Good. The faster they united the faster she’d be able to move forward with the mission and kill some Novites. She was notified the second her teammates landed and immediately began to move towards their meeting point. In the distance she could see their target as well. A large looming structure with a round satellite dish attached to its top. Her objective was simple. Infiltrate their communications, locate Alpha and Omega’s target, and then disable the Novite’s comms. Shouldn’t be too difficult, considering the entire area was nothing but rocky desert canyons and outstretched rocks. In the middle of the night as well, it was hard to spot them. They had state of the art sensor tech, completely hiding them from the scopes of the standard motions sensors the Novites liked to use. They were ghosts in a sandstorm, almost completely invisible. Echo knew this and made sure to take advantage of this fact. This far out from their target she didn’t need to worry much about getting spotted by the enemy. For now all she needed to focus on was reaching the rendezvous in time to initiate the the second stage of the operation… Infiltrating and disabling their communications facility so that Alpha and Omega could extract the target while their enemy was blinded. To be perfectly honest with herself, Echo wasn’t too worried about the outcome of this job. She had done dozens like it before. She might’ve been the youngest and most inexperienced member of the fireteam, but she was far from helpless. For the past 3 years she had been fighting the invading Novites, first on her own in any way she could until the resistance found and recruited her. And even though the invaders were tough, she was confident that one day they would kick them off their world and reclaim their independence… One day.

“Comm check. Echo.. Checking in.” Echo said, her voice sounding filtered and digital through the confines of her helmet. She waited for several seconds until she got a response. “Comm check… Delta checking in.”
“Comm check… Gamma checking in.” Good, all three members of her squad had landed safely. Flipping up a screen on her wrist, Echo could see her location in relation to the others. Two other green dots blipped on the screen confirming their positions, and Echo was headed for the center. Her enhanced speed and strength allowed her to carefully but very quickly hop between the rocks and over small crevices that littered the entire area. This entire region used to look completely different. A lush savannah that was used for rice farming… Yet all that changed when the Novites descended from their portal and destroyed the land in their search for fuel. Now it was reduced to nothing but a rocky desert wasteland. Maybe with all their fancy tech, the Novites also had a way to undo the mass amounts of destruction they had caused to her world… But that was just wishful thinking. She couldn’t imagine anything could reverse the effects of something this destructive. Nonetheless, she could still do her best to prevent them from doing the same thing somewhere else. That is why she was here after all, fighting for what she believed in.

Finally the meeting point was in view. A large rock that arched over one of the bigger canyons, creating a bridge of sorts over the dark crevice. She could see one of her teammates already there, standing in the middle of the rock, but he was too far away for Echo to tell who it was. Checking her screen once more she determined this was Delta. Not that she was very surprised, Delta was normally the first one to get things done during their missions. He was considerably faster and stronger than Echo anyways, but that was alright. Her job wasn’t to be big and overpowering. She waved with one hand as she ran up to him. Delta nodded. “About time.” He mocked. Echo rolled her eyes underneath her helmet and shrugged. “Saw a pretty rock, wanted to capture the moment.” She responded aptly. “I’m sure.” Delta remarked before turning his head to the horizon, staring at the large object loomin in the darkened distance. “Gamma should be here by now.” Echo said, looking around cautiously. “He’ll be here. Likely scanning the area before we move forward. You know how he is.” Delta replied, checking his weapon again as Echo received a blip on her screen. “Ah, found him.”
“Where?”
“Over the ridge.” They both looked up and saw Gamma climb over the last boulder on top of the large ridge that towered above them. Without saying anything, he proceeded to leap off of it and fall towards the two! Gamma turned his body mid air however and threw out a long grappling hook that quickly attaches itself to the rock and slowed his descent until he let go just above the ground. “I think I may have missed the designated landing site. No matter, we’re here now.” Gamma said as he regained his balance. Tugging on the hook a few times until it came loose, quickly retracting into its case. Delta didn’t respond, but turned and continued towards there objective. Echo just nodded towards Gamma and did the same. Gamma sighed in response and followed closely behind, checking his scanner for any potential threats in the area.

“We better hurry.” Gamma said, trailing behind the other two. “We only got a small timeframe to do this. Alpha and Omega will be at the holding facility within the next two hours. If that dish is still operational when they get there, the-” He was cut off by Delta. “Yeah, we’re all fully aware of our roles, we don’t need a reminder.” He said coldly, through the confines of his helmet. “I’m just saying… I’d be taking this mission a little more seriously if I were you. So you even realize what’s at stake?” Echo rolled her eyes underneath her helmet before responding to Gamma. “To be perfectly honest, not really. We’ve been fighting the Novites for what, 3 years now? We’ve learned everything we can about them, where they come from, what they want. They’ve burned our cities and enslaved our people. And after all the fighting Void thinks that a single weapon has the power to turn the tide of the entire war? I’ll complete the mission, but I doubt our success will make much of a difference.”
“You have too little faith in the man… He’s got us this far.” Echo finally turned back to face Gamma. “And how far is that, exactly? Have we gotten ANY closer to City of Walls? Have we recaptured our towns and set our people free? Do we even know who is leading this invasion? No, we don’t. For all we know Void is still working with the Novites…”
“Shut up.” Delta finally said. “What? It’s true, he could st-” Delta lifted a hand and gave the halt signal. Both Gamma and Echo stopped dead in their tracks and waited further instruction… They both knew what that meant. “Movement ahead… 20 meters. Down the ridge. You see?” Gamma and Echo silently walked up besides Delta and peered down the canyon wall to the road below. As he said, there was indeed a bunch of movement. A military checkpoint to be specific. And it was right in the middle of the canyon…

“Any way around?” Echo said. Gamma took a look at his scanners, tapping a few buttons on his wrist pad. “Not for another 8 kilometers. The canyon is too wide to cross anywhere else. We need to use the stairs they built into the side.” Delta nodded. “Of course, if they see us and alert their friends, our entire mission is compromised. We’ll have to do this silently and quickly.” Echo knew that much for sure. This was far from her first mission. Luckily for them, however, the place didn’t seem to be heavily guarded. A few well placed sniper shots from up here could easily take out the checkpoint’s sentries while two of them snuck down and silently took down the straglers before they ever knew what hit them.

“Alright. You two head down then, I’ll set up a spot about 20 meters higher. As soon as the second body falls, you head straight for sides and take out the ones on patrol.” Echo said, taking a knee and removing the large pack on her back. She didn’t hesitate to open it, revealing the contents included several pieces of what looked like a pretty high end sniper rifle. Taking them out one at a time, she quickly attached each piece to its specific slots and after a few moments it would finally be finished. Holding it high up for the world to see was her prized M-24 Wraith rifle. She couldn’t help but smile at it for a moment before looking over to her two companions. WHom had already started down the canyon wall without waiting for her to get into position. At least they knew what they were doing… She had hoped so anyways. Not wasting anymore time admiring her sniper, Echo would quickly get back up and carry the heavy weapon as fast as she could towards the specified location. It didn't take long. Despite the rocky cliffs, Echo wasn’t being very careful. She didn’t need to be. She had spent her entire life in this region. SHe had memorized almost every detail and hole in the ground, her feet knew exactly where to go before even her mind did. Nowadays though it was a different story. She wasn’t able to return here as much as she would’ve liked. Ever since the Novites invaded, the entire region was on heavy lockdown. She and her family had been pushed out and now she was going to take her home back, even if she needed to kill for it.

A few moments laster, Echo was in position. Lying on her stomach with her intimidating looking black rifle gleaming in the sun, she spotted her targets. The checkpoint wasn’t all that big, thankfully. It only consistent of two sentry towers and a small gate. Most likely this was meant to regulate the movements of troops, nothing too important. After all, this comm facility was supposed to be a well kept secret… But Void knew everything about the Novites. She scanned the checkpoint for a few more moments, trying to get a read on how many soldiers were at the base. If there were too many for Delta and Gamma to handle, she might need to intervene as well. Speed was key. If even one of the soldiers called for help, their entire mission risked complete failure. That wasn’t an option. They had all sacrificed so much in this war, and now according to some they had a real chance of winning it now. A secret weapon the Novites didn’t want anyone to know about was sitting just under their noses. Of course, something was odd about this whole thing though. If this supposed weapon was so important to the enemy, why have it in a facility all the way out in the desert? Wouldn’t it be much more safer in their walled off Head Quarters in the mountains? This whole situation didn’t site right with Echo, but she had her orders. Perhaps the Novites decided secrecy would be the best defense of this weapon… Or they had plans to use it somewhere nearby. Either way, it wouldn’t matter for long. It was her duty to help take it off their hands for good, and use it against them in any way possible.

Finally spotting Delta and Echo again, they were hiding behind a large outcropping of rock only a few meters away from the checkpoint. Delta looked up directly towards Echo and slowly nodded. She knew what that meant, and quickly loaded her weapon. Breathing in silently, she slowly moved it towards her first target… A lone soldier standing guard on the tower farthest from her. Thankfully her weapon had a silencer. Unless they see him get shot, they’d have no idea he went down. The railings of the towers were eye, making any body that fell down shielded from the view of the others. Finally, Echo released the first shot! It zoomed through the air at high speeds, colliding directly into the helmet of her target! No sound came except a small grunt, and he was down. THere was no way their armor could protect them against the Wraith. Its rounds were armor peircing and could kill just about anything if landed in the head. Luckily nobody saw the soldier fall, and she quickly moved towards her 2nd target. Just as he turned to notice the absence of his partner, she released the second shot. This time the bullet hit him straight in the neck! He choked on his own blood for several moments before collapsing to the ground. She breathed a sigh of relief when his death went unnoticed by the soldiers below.

With the two sentries down, Gamma and Delta knew it was their turn to move in. Delta gave Gamma a hand signal to go around the left side. Gamma quickly nodded and did as instructed. Delta carefully tipdoed his way around the rock, being extra careful not to make any noise as he silently unhooked the long blade from his chest. This knife was his favourite tool, and it had saved his life more times than once. Just as he was about to enter the view of the checkpoint, he stopped. He only stuck his head out to silently observe the patterns of the guards. Thankfully they seemed completely unaware to their presence. Echo was an excellent sniper, and knew exactly where to hit her targets so they wouldn’t make much sound upon their death. Delta continued to moniter his target until his back was turned. Not wasting this chance, he rushed forwards with his knife and plunged it deep into the soldier’s neck! He gagged and dropped his weapon. Delta looked over to see Gamma take out his target with a quick neck snap, both bodies dropping in synch. Good, another two down. From what he had remembered, there was at least two more. Each guarding both sides of the gate. Only one problem. The gate was in an extremely exposed position. Delta and Gamma would need to rush them head on, giving the guards more than enough time to call for help. Echo could snipe them, but even she wasn’t quick enough to kill both before help was called. He knew her weapon almost as well as she did. The Wraith needed to be reloaded after every shot. Perhaps its only flaw. There seemed to be only one option left. He and Gamma would need to land a precise shot with their weapons both at the same time. This plan didn’t sit too well with Delta, but there wasn’t really any other option at this point, and they had come too far to fail now. Turning over to Gamma who was awaitng a command from him, he gave him a few hand signals to communicate the plan. Gamma hesitated for a second but slowly nodded, taking out his silent side arm. Delta did the same and got ready to pop out from behind the rock and down his target. Counting to three in his head, he nodded at Gamma and the two quickly exposed themselves! THey were in direct view of the two soldiers who quickly took a step back and raised their weapons. However, they were both on the ground before they could fire. Two precise shots was all that was needed from them. Once their targets were down, Gamma and Delta would quickly run over to finish them off. The whole process only took a few seconds before they were wiping their blades clean of blood.

“I was wondering what you were planning to do there.” Delta heard a chuckle from behind him. Turning he saw Echo sliding down the canyon’s less steep wall with the black Wraith in hand. “I always figure something out.” He responded bluntly. “Oh I should hope so, otherwise you wouldn’t be in this line of work, now would you?” She continued to laugh. Echo was more surprised they didn’t make up a plan for those two guards before they came down. Gamma was checking his radar once more before speaking up. “Aye, we’re close now. This checkpoint must’ve acted as one of the entry points into the comm facility. Most of it is underground.” He said scanning the surroundings. “Should be pretty simple from here. The Novites relied on secrecy for its defense, they didn’t spend a lot of resources on security.” Delta nodded. “Then let’s move. We gotta get those systems down for Alpha and Omega.”


Mythica’s senses were starting to slowly return, however she wasn’t exactly sure where she was. Her eyesight flickered in and out of focus before finally coming to full functionality. Her face was expressionless save for the few twitches of her muscles after coming back after so long. Surrounding the girl a cool mist drifted downwards on all sides and she began to slowly rise from her laid back position. Around her the room was dark and covered in shadows. The only light came from the various view screens that dotted the walls. However, she care little and took no notice of those things, as her focus was tuned much towards her arms and legs. Coming out of them were various small wires, which had been implanted into her skin! Her eyes widened suddenly and she quickly tried to pull them out, but she was met with an intense sting of pain throughout her entire body! She screamed for a moment, before the pain went away as she let go of the tubing.

“Th- This is Paradox? This is the weapon?!” A voice said behind her. Mythica wearily turned her tired head to view the source of the noise, only to find two black figures. Armed with weapons that looked like more advaned versions of her own. They dorned heavy, bullet-proof armor, and wore ominous looking gas masks. “I guess so. We don’t have time to speculate. It won’t be long until the realize its gone. Take it.” The other one said, a male. The girl nodded and quickly rushed over to a console nearby. Mythica hadn’t the strenght to say or do anything, except stare at them with tired hazy eyes. The woman fiercily typed something on the console while the male solider slowly walked around the container Mythica was sitting on. He looked at her curiously, before reaching out and grabbing her chin with his hand. Mythica wanted to kill him. She wanted to kill both of them. But whatever these monsters did to her had left the girl in a constant weakened state. There was little she could do except accept whatever it is these two mysterious figures were planning. For now at least. She’d figure out a way to break out of here and kill everyone in her path in due time. “She has a clock in her eye…” The man said to his comrade. The woman simply chuckled. “That’s what these freaks do. Experiments on living people. Likely what happened to her.” Finally, after a few more seconds of typing, Mythica felt a sudden ease in her skin. A relieving feeling as the tubes connecting her appendages to unknown machines began to detatch themselves, leaving behind only marks of their presence. Mythica frowned and drifted, almost falling off the table before the man caught her. “Package retrieved, heading to extraction point now.” The man said, hoisting Mythica over his shoulder…

4 days later Mythica awoke once more. This time in a very different spot. The light above her swayed slightly as she began to regain her focus. This feeling was starting to get repetitive. If she had to lose her concscience one more time, she’d make sure everyone responsible died screaming. “Ah, you’re awake.” She heard a voice say. She looked over and saw an older man sitting in a chair in the corner of the small room. Now that she had better vision, she noticed how small the room actually was. And how dirty it was… Mythica’s enhanced senses picked up on the smell first, causing her nose to scrunch up instinctevly. This was not the same place she had been in before. Whoever had kidnapped her first at least kept her cell clean. Whoever was behind this kidnapping clearly didn’t care as much. “Was wondering if you were ever going to come too.” The man said again. He had thick black hair, a longer nose, and round glasses. He sat there, maybe 10 feet away from Mythica reading from an old book. It wasn’t until Mythica leaned upwards that he finally took his gaze away from it and stared directly at her. “Curious. I wasn’t aware Nova Corp cared about the looks of their experiments. For what purpose would they have for putting a clock within your eye? Seems cruel if you ask me.” He said, speaking mostly to himself as Mythica was still regaining her senses. The first thing she did when she sat up was look at her arms and legs. The tubes were gone, but the marks were still there. Even if they were faded slightly. A long silence hung over the room as Mythica continued to look over her own body, the old man staring at her the entire time. Finally Mythica spoke. For the first time in months.

“What happened?” Were the only words that left the girl’s mouth. The man shut his book and leaned forwards. “You’ve been asleep for 4 days. Our team managed to rescue you from Nova Corp. You were in bad shape when we found you, but you should get a lot beter now that you’ve rested.” Mythica was silent yet again. This was by far the weirdest experience she had felt in a long time. And she must’ve let it happen. How else could she have gotten herself into this mess? What else could’ve triggered something like this? Hell if she knew, her memory was all fuzzy. She had no idea where she was, and what had happened beyond a few faint memories. She needed to get back to her guild. “Where am I?” She asked again. The man smiled slightly and stood up. “You’re safe. That’s all you need to know. The name’s Void.” He said again, extending a hand to help her to her feet. Mythica was reluctant at first, but soon sucummbed to the feeling and grabbed his hand. She stood up and felt her balance a little shaky. Odd… This brought back another memory. One that happened so long ago. When she was far younger. She had met her adoptive father in a similar manner. Confused, tired, and having a severe lack of memory. Only back then the room was a lot brighter, and cleaner. The window overlooking the capital of Crocus was a site to be seen.. And she’d never forget it. But that was all in the past, her father was never coming back from his long disappearance. Instead Mythica tried to focus on the present. This man, in front of her, was named Void. He certainly looked old enough to be Merlin’s age, but then again, that man never did seem to age from what she could remember. Every memory she had of him, he had looked the exact same. Even after reuniting with him after 8 long years of absence. His looks did not change. What else should she have expected from the man who taught her everything she knew about magic. But then he vanished yet again. Leaving her all alone in this dark, cold world. It was partly his fault for the way she turned out. And it was his fault she was doing what she was. She would never forget that. And if she ever saw him again… She’d rip him limb from limb for all the pain and anguish he put her through. His leaving had much longer lasting effects than anything she had experienced beforehand. And anything since.

“You alright?” The man said again. Mythica’s attention snapped back towards Void who looked down on her with a concerned expression. “Y- Yeah.. I just need to k- know what’s going on..” She said, putting a hand to her head. “Right. Walk with me. I’ll tell you everything.” Void said, opening the room’s single door and stepping out. The first thing Mythica noticed was the stench of gasoline, smoke, and steel. Odd. She followed him closely as he lead her down a myraid of hallways. They all seemed brightly lit, and multiple people walked through them. Many of which gave Mythica odd stares and whispered to each other as they passed. She wasn’t exactly sure why, but something was certainly off. She must’ve been pretty important. Despite the lack of memory she had before, Mythica could still make out bits and pieces of her conscinece from when she awoke in the oddly dark room beforehand. Those mysterious figures that had rescued her brough her back to this place. Must’ve been. Who else could Void be referring too when he said that? Of course she had no idea who these people were, or why they had rescued her, or even who her captors were! OR EVEN WHERE SHE WAS! Of course, that would all probably come in the next few minutes. Void did say after all he would tell her everything. “First off, I’ll rip off a few band-aids first. You’re not in Earthland. I’m sorry, but its true. You are currently in the world of Avalon. A once beautiful and vibrant realm that was completely destroyed by nuclear war a few hundred years back.” Mythica blinked surprisingly a few times, but other than that, Void saw no other reaction come from the girl. “Huh. Not what I was expecting.”
“This isn’t the first time I was unwillingly brought to another realm.” She told him. Void shrugged. “Yeah, I guess not. Earthland seems to have the reputation for being a hub world for many other realms. I should know, I’m also from there.” He said through a smile. Mythica didn’t react much to that either. Other than the intial surprise of being shocked, tortured, and having limited amnesia, she didn’t find her current situation all that odd. “Well, the other thing you need to know is that you’re currently stuck here.” He said. Mythica raised an eyebrow. “You plan on keeping me a prisoner?” She asked. Void chuckled. “Nah, we’re not like the guys who dragged you here. What I am trying to say is that there is only one known way between Avalon and Earthland. And unfourtunately the people who kidnapped you and brought you to this hell have it compeltely under their control. Locked away within their headquarters inside a massive, well guarded fortress city thousands of miles from here.” Mythica sighed. “This sounds like it’s going to take a lot of work.” She said. Void nodded. “Aye, it will. But lucky for you, you’re in the presence of someone who can help you get home.” She turned curiously. “If you’re willing to do something for them, that is.” Of course, there was the catch. She hadn’t kept her hopes up super high. “You see, the people who took you belong to an Earthland Corporation know as the Nova Corp. They specialize in magical and tehcnical fusion. Making machines and weapons made of both.” Mythica became slightly interested afterhearing that. Her own guild did something simialr. Perhaps she could benefit from this little trip after all. “A few decades back they found an old magic artifact that could open rifts in time and space, and create portals to other dimenshions. After years of study, they eventually ended up finding their way here, to Avalon.” Void said as they turned a corner and walked down a flight of stairs. “If this world has been destroyed by nuclear war, what does the Corporation want with it?” Mythica asked. Void shook his head. “We’re not entirely sure, but they’ve been here for years. And recently they’ve started to bring prisoners from Earthland to their labs here for experimentation. Why that is, we can’t say, but you were one of them, Paradox.” Void said. Mythica’s mind went back a bit, she had heard that name before. Back in the pirson facility, she remembered one of the soldiers call her that. Why? How did they get that name? “Why is it you and your people call me Paradox?” She asked. Void looked back at her curiously before responding. “Well, that’s the name they had written on your file. They tend to give all their human experiments code names like that.” She shrugged. “Well, the name is Mythica.” Void nodded. “Arighty, pleasure to meet you Mythica.” She didn’t respond after that, only continued to follow him through the endless hallways, hoping that this long walk she was being put though would be worth it in the end.

Not long after, they reached a large steel door at the end of a bigger hallway. Two armed guards stood next to it, and nodded at Void before the entire thing began to shift and open for them. Mythica followed hiim through quickly to notice just how big the next room was. It was massive. It looked like some sort of command center. They were on a balcony overlooking the entire thing. Within the command center, dozens of people rushed about, all performing their assigned tasks, whether that be on a terminal, monitor, or otherwise. In the center of it all was a massive holographic image of what looked like a planet… But not of Earthland. This must’ve been the world she was currently stuck on. Avalon. Her eyes narrowed slightly when she saw it. She had no interest in this place at all. She would not stay here any second longer than she was forced too, so the sooner she was given the help she’d need to break into the Nova Corp’s base of operations, the better. She quickly followed Void down a flight of steps and towards the main holographic image. At its base was a large table, many people working along its edges. However, a few of them caught Mythica’s attention. The only ones with body armor, and weapons. Void nodded at the armed indivuals as he walked towards them, before quickly coming to a halt at the table’s edge. Mythica put her hands behind her back and looked at all of them with the same bored, irriated expression. “Jeeze, you think she’d be more happy too be out of the Novite’s hands.” She heard one of them whisper. Mythica did not respond, all she did was continue to stare at them with no hint of change on her face. They all did the same, giving her suspicious looks before turning to their leader, Void. Void nodded and broke the silence. “Well then, I’m happy to say that Operation: Paradox was a complete success. You managed to break into the research facility completely undeteced and extract the target with little resistance. Of course, the Novites will have scoured the entire surroudning area by now looking for you, but its safe to say they’ll never find anything useful.” The group chuckled. “And as you probably know by now, this girl is the weapon we were looking for: Paradox.” He said again, motioning to Mythica. She didn’t exactly know what they meant by ‘weapon’ but she wasn’t going to let anyone control her like one. If she was going to kill anyone, it would be on her own accord. Nobody would tell her how or when to do it. THe group looked back at her with unsure expressions. It was clear that Mythica’s presence was nothing like they had expected. THey were told they were going to retrieve a weapon, nobody expected that said weapon was a living person. Not that it mattered much now, though. This is what they got, and Mythica knew she’d kill many people on her way out of this godforsaken world. Wether they were Nova Corp or otherwise.

“Paradox’s real name is Mythica, and she would prefer if you would all call her that instead.” Void said again. The group looked to each other and nodded. “Good. Now then, we will move onto our next objective.” After saying that they all looked a lot more focused and ready to listen to what their commander was about to say. Mythica on the other hand only turned her head towards him with a monotone face. “We’re going to hit the Novites where it hurts. And that means the bigger targets are now open to us, thanks to Parad- I mean Mythica.” He said. The holographic map of the world quickly spun and zoome into a specific location within the middle of the desert. What was displayed was a long track across the sands, and on it a massive white train, traveling fast across the hellscape. Mythica viewed it with interest, but still wasn’t sure how this was going to help her get out of here, so she kept quiet and decided to listen, hoping the answer would come from Void. “This train serves a huge part in the enemy’s supply chain. It transports minerals and raw oil from the Novite’s mines and oil rigs from the south to their main headquarters within the mountains. It is heavily guarded as a result. We need to take it out.” Mythica couldn’t help but smile after hearing that. Finally, something fun to do, and a good chance for payback as well. “However, there is a problem. The rails are shielded and prevent anything from getting too close to them. If anyone were to step within 10 meters of the rails, the shield’s systems will detect the trespasser as a threat, and discharge a powerful electric current towards them. Strong enough to isntantly kill anyone.” The team looked at each other nervously. “As a result, blowing the tracks is not an option. Instead we must destroy the train itself. The armor plating and outer shielding however prevent any ordinace or heavy weapons from accomplishing that task, so our only option is to destroy it from within. You will all be air dropped from 20,000 feet, and land directly on top of the train as it passes. From there you will need to make your way to the nearest entry hatch, and place explosive charges at key points throughout the train. However, because of how important it is to the Novites, it will have a hefty guard force ready to fight you when you arrive. THanks to our new friend Mythica, though, they should no longer be much of a problem. If the files we have on her are right, her abilities can make quick work of the defense force.” She smirked at the group in front of her. “You know what I’m thinking, Void? Why don’t we show a display of what exactly your people risked their butts to save. I say I go in alone and give you the full demonstration.” Mythica said with a cheerful grin. The group and Void all turned towards her with the same looks. Before a couple of them started to laugh. Mythica’s grin slowly faded into a deep scowl. “W- with all due respect Par- I mean Mythica, that is a highly ill advised idea..” Void said. “ILL ADVISED? IT’S FUCKING SUICIDE!” Another person yelled before cackling with laughter at the mere suggestion. Fine, if they had no faith in her abilites, she’d SHOW THEM.

Suddenly, the ground beneath the room began to creak and rumble slightly. The laughing died out quickly after that as everyone stopped what they were doing and listened. “What in the hell?” One of the armed men said. The creaking continued to get louder and louder, as if something underneath the floor was moving. Everyone except Mythica seemed to be in a state of confusion and fear, before it all changed to shock. Without warning, the metal panels of the floor burst open and long golden chains whipped out into the air! Each one of them snaked through the entire room, wrapping themselves around multiple people! Many people panicked and ran for their lives, but the chains let none escape. One by one they were snatched and pulled into the air to hang from their legs or arms or even bodies in suspended horror above the ground. Including Void and the armed team next to him. Many of them struggled to get out, but to no avail. Mythica had not moved at all, or even looked away from her original spot. ANd like before, her scowl had not changed even slightly. After a few more seconds of dangling, Mythica finally moved her head upwards to look Void, who was hanging by his legs, directly into the eyes. “I think I’ll take my chances.” She said. Without another word, the chains vanished and everyone fell harshly to the ground. Mythica then turned and began walking out of the room as they stared at her. “I’m going to destroy that train. Anyone on it while I’m there is going to die.” She said coldly, exiting the room.

A few hours had passed since then, and nobody dared to try and stop the time wizard. She was on amission, and anyone who interfered with that mission was going to get hurt… Or worse. Why did Mythica insist on going alone? Why did she threaten to kill those that accompanied her? Simple. She wanted revenge… And she wasn’t going to let anyone steal it from her. Every SINGLE soldier on that trian was going to die screaming for the organization they worked for. She didn’t care if they were dock workers, pilots, or actual guards. All of them would know fear just before the end… And Mythica was going to be the one who gave it to them.

The dropship’s doors slowly opened and Mythica peered out into the world for the first time since she had gotten here. It was just as destroyed as Void said it was. Even from this height she could see the war torn landscape. What looked like a lush green realm filled with life was nothing but a desert wasteland now. Who knew what sort of effect that had on the population. Mythica hadn’t been here long enough to know what the regular people of this world were like, and how badly the Nova Corp had hurt them. But in the end it really didn’t matter to her that much, she was only here for one reason. And that was to get out. The people helping her assumed she was helping them, but that  was not at all why Mythica was doing this. She needed to get revenge, and she needed their assistance to escape Avalon. She figured by destroying this train for them she’d be able to garner more trust, and of course strike back against those who did her wrong in the process.

The time was now. Mythica spritned out of the back of the dropship and leaped out of it! The rushing air was cold upon her face, but it did little other than strengthen her resolve as she descended to her target! It took about a minute, but Mythica was finally able to see the faint outline of the train tracks below her. Seeing this, she angled her body slightly to the left so that she’d be able to easily land directly on top of it. Assuming the pilot was on time. If she missed this  landing, it was going to be his fault, and Mythica was going to be the one to teach him the error of his ways. Close and personal. It didn’t seem like that would be needed however, as through the thick grey clouds she could see the train coming. Smirking, she dove forwards, causing her body to fall faster straight towards the incoming locomotive.

Those onboard the train had no idea what was going on. At first, everything was perfectly normal, and then suddenly they heard the loud sound as if something had hit the train! Followed closely by the entire thing shaking. Orders were given to investigate the roof, and they were followed. A squad of security guards were dispatched and climbed up the sides of the white train to the roof. That’s when they saw her. Mythica stood on the back of the train, an insane smile across her face. Not exactly knowing who she was, the soldiers instantly opened fire! In a yellow flash, she avoided every single shot fired and instantly moved forwards with alarming speeds! The troops eyes widened as they soon realized what they were dealing with, but by that point it was far too late. Mythica appeared directly in front of one of the soliders, and shoved his head straight into the metal armor of the train! Death followed shortly after for the others as the girl teleported from spot to spot, breaking one of their arms, kicking one off the edge of the train, and grabbing the last one by the throat and crushing his wind pipe instantly. This commotion soon gathered the attention of ALL security personelle, and Mythica welcomed all of them. She summoned her weapons and let loose on the incoming soliders! Elegantly dodging and weaving her way past their projectiles while releasing her own! The yellow magic bolts zoomed through the air and downed multiple troops in a single volley, but that was far from enough. Mythica leaped high above a small clump of soldiers and rolled on the ground behind them, grabbing hold of one of the bigger troopers and swinging his body around to be used as a shield just as his comrades fired at her. He died instantly, and Mythica used a magic empowered kick to throw their dead ally directly at them! A few of them dodged it in time, but unfourtuantely two were hit directly by the body, and the impact alone was enough to throw them off the edge of the speeding train and to their deaths.

By now all sirens were blaring on the train, and it called for reinforcements. Mythica wasn’t about to allow any of them to escape though. Using her rifle, she shot the remaining troopers behind her and focused again on the army climbing from car to car in front. They were directly in her way, and all of them would be punished for it. Mythica extended an open palm and slammed it into the armored plating of the train below her. Soon shaking could be felt and it was followed by the thunderous course of breaking metal as dozens of golden chains came breaking out of the train’s hull and attacked anyone in sight! Strangling, twisting, and throwing anything they touched, all the while Mythica fired shot after shot with both her weapons, causing a body to drop with almost every bolt. Now the soldiers were more focused on the chains Mythica had summoned than the time mage herself, and that was good. It made their surprised expressions when she rushed them all the more entertaining. She was slowly but steadily gaining more ground. The only thing stopping her from ripping through their lines was the occasional volley of fire that she was forced to dodge. However, that would soon change when Mythica heard the sound of a fast approching machine. Turning her head she saw it. Two white gunships rushing towards the train, with the Nova Corp insignia painted along the side. Cocky bastards. Mythica growled to herself and dove for cover just as the first one spun its massive machine gun and let loose on the wizard’s position. She’d have to play it smart. A single shot from one of those gunships would be enough to kill the girl. But first they’d need to hit her.

Mythica would vanish from site in a yellow flash before reappearing directly in front of a soldier, slamming his head with the end of her weapon and rushing forwards again, leaping off the edge of the train car towards the other just as the gunships reaquired her as a target and prepared to fire agian. The two flew side by side and rushed towards the girl’s position, flying low for maximum accuracy. The armor plating of the train withstood the pressure of the gunship’s machine guns, and they were starting to catch up to Mythica as she sprinted across the roof. However, the pilots were shocked to realize that they had been chasing a decoy. Upon hitting the girl with a bolt, she shattered into a million tiny pieces before disappering completely. A moment passed before Mythica reappared directly on top of the large gunship’s windows with a maniacal grin! She didn’t waste any time pulling out her pistol, firing multiple shots into the glass! It only took three before it shattered completely, the two pilots falling back in their chairs with mutliple bloody bullet holes. The entire ship began to spin out of control as smoke rose from the cockpit! Mythica quickly leaped up onto the roof of the vessel and proceeded to use her magic power to jump off and teleport mid jump! Mythica would reappear a minute later on the wing of the second gunship… Not exactly how she planned it. The rushing air and fast movement of the vehicle caushed the time mage to lose her footing and she fell over onto her back, rapidly sliding off towards the edge of the ship! With all her strength she turned her body around while it slid and grabbed onto the nearest piece of metal she could, halting her descent! Grunting with strain, Mythica slowly but surely began to pull herself upwards as the troopers on the train below began to open fire on her position! Using her free hand she summoned the pistol and began to fire off multiple shots in their direction. A few hitting their targets, but many missing completely! The strain of holding onto the gunship was taking a toll on her aim. Growling angrily to herself, Mythica decided to try something else.

Summoning all the magic power she had, Mythica quickly brought up her legs and pushed off the the wing of the gunship, providing an elegent backflip as she ached through the sky. Just as the ship turned to face her again, however, yellow magic seals appeared on its bottom, and suddenly many yellow chains shout up from them! They quickly dug themselves into the armored plating of the gunship, and shot through the air towards the ground! The force of the chains caused the gunship to jerk as it got pulled by the chains and careened towards the surface! The ship had no way to avoid what was about to happen, and Mythica landed back on the surface of the train as she watched the ship crash directly into a canyon wall, exploding in a brilliant ball of fire! Smiling, she turned back to the now awestruck soldiers, but it didn’t take them very long to realize that Mythica was still alive, and she was very much still intent on completing her mission. Without hesitation, they all opened fire on her once again, and Mythica proceeded to follow the same plan of attack she was doing before. With their gunships gone, Mythica knew there was probably going to be some time before they were able to call more reinforcements. She needed that time to cause as much destruction as possible, it nothing else mattered to her at the moment.

Dodging bolts left, right, and center, Mythica skidded on the ground until she found herself now sheltered behind a large antenna, bodies all around her. She turned to peek her head over from her little temporary shelter to see how much farther she had to go until she was close to the front of the train, and much to her dismay, there was still a ways to go. This train was a lot longer than she thought it was. And to make matters worse, it looked like they had called in the actual big guns now. SHe could feel the magic power from where she was, mostly because Mythica hadn’t come across another magic user at all since she had arrived in Avalon. Turning to see who exactly it was, she saw a soldier that looked significantly different from the rest. Instead of the usual white and blue armor that the normal Nova Corp troopers wore, this man was covered in black reflective armor, with blue linings. Not exactly what she imagined, but she could safely assume this was the man who had the magic power she was feeling right now. Not that it mattered much to her in the end, though. He was still in her way, so she’d have no choice but to kill him. Of course, even if he wasn’t trying to stop her she still would’ve slaghtered him, along with every other person on this goddamn train.

Giving her weapons one last check, Mythica prepared to go all out on this figure. She needed him gone as quickly as possible, sadly she didn’t have the time to relish in the thrill of the fight. Mythica would soon find herself in the thick of it once again, leaping over the little shield she had taken refuge behind only a moment earlier. Mythica teleported multiple times across the train, rapidly closing the distance between her and her target. The rest of the soldiers panicked when they saw this, and blindly fired at her last known position each time she vanished, however, the man in black seemed unphased by this movement of hers. Instead, the second Mythica got within melee striking distance, he lifted up a hand and Mythica found herself face first in a shockwave of magical energy! THe impact caused everyone, even the remaining Nova Troopers to get pushed back, a few unfourtunate souls falling off the edge of the train. Mythica however was lucky enough to be a fairly skilled wizard. Instead of falling she teleported mid air and found herself back on the train, standing across from the black wizard with a look of irritation in her eyes. He’d raise his hand again, and suddenly four magic seals appeared directly behind him. Suddenly, out came magic missiles! All of them tracked onto Mythica. They were so fast, Mythica didn’t have the time to teleport! All she could do was dodge them with her acrobatics! The entire train shook from the impact as a few missed missiles smashed into the hull, but it still kept moving. It was obvious to Mythica that this wizard knew what he was doing, and knew exactly how much punishment this train could take. That didn’t stop him from releasing more missiles for Mythica to dodge. This time however, Mythica was more than prepared to teleport. Vanishing and reappearing directly in front of her target, she delivered a hard kick in his stomach! He grunted and flew backwards, skidding on the white armored plating of the train. However, Mythica wasn’t done there, as she kept teleporting closer and closer to the wizard! With multiple shots fired after each teleport, the man was forced to play defensively, at least for now. Mythica had the advantage in speed and gap closing, but there was still little she knew about this mysterious figure… And still a long way to go before she reached the end of the train...

Attack after attack she dealt, but this man seemed to know exactly what she was doing. It was quite annoying to be perfectly honest. She gritted her teeth and kept shooting while dodging his own attacks, but every attempt she made never seemed to work. He kept dodging her bullets almost as well as she avoided his missiles, so Mythica knew she’d need to mix things up a bit if she hoped to get past this guy. Without saying anything, her minute flow ability triggered and Mythica’s speed increased dramatically! Combining it with the teleports, she rapidly closed the distance between them yet again and this time she appeared directly behind the wizard! She spun around and attempted to him directly in the head with the back of her rifle, yet he seemed to predict this and turned just in time to grab the bunt of her weapon. Nobody touched her guns. With an angry yell, she kicked him in the stomach and it surprisingly hit! He certainly wasn’t expecting that attack! He skidded several feet before mumbling something underneath his helmet, and he took out a weapon of his own. A long blue electric blade. Mythica ignited her own blades, long yellow magical swords manifesting on the edge of her weapons. With one more teleport, she ended up directly above him! He anticipated this and moved backwards, parrying Mythica’s first blow as she landed, but she quickly followed up with another strike from her other weapon. The two parried eachother’s blows non stop on top of the train as it continued to rush down the tracks. Only the arena would start to change soon. Ahead, the train was heading straight for a dark tunnel that wear underneath a mountain range. As soon as the train passed underneath it, the battle got significantly darker. Now only the rushing lights of the tunnel walls and the flashes of their magics lit up the area. Mythica was relentless though, her assaults lighting up the train every second in magnificent yellow flashes. The wizard kept up with her however, and seemed to be significantly trained.

Finally having enough of this, Mythica summoned her yellow chrono chains! They shot from the sides of the train and went directly for the wizard! Wrapping around both his legs and his arms. Mythica would take advantage of his restrained position, and release several shots into his chest! The armor which seemed to be magically infused absorbed most of the damage, but it was still significant enough to send him flying on his back. Not hesitating any longer, she leaped up above her downed target and prepared to deliver the final blow.

She stabbed him directly in his chest with both ends of her two guns. He coughed and sputtered underneath his helmet, but soon his body fell limp. Mythica knew in that instant she was victorious. Not sensing any other magic users nearby, all she needed to do now was find a way inside the train and finally put an end to it. Once it exited the tunnel anyways...

12544/12500 Words.