-¤Reincarnation¤-

Echo glared at the flying machines, as they lowered slowly towards the temple. So, they're gonna come or what? He then thought. What if they were hostile? I mean, they could be like the Clonoids I saw in my memories. But... They might have vital information on me. What to choose? Echo then looked downwards. Then back up, as two beams appeared from both of his hands, shining in a bright crimson light. You can't be too careful...

The crimson flash of twin Pylon blades was more than a give away to a veteran soldier. Septimus needed no further invitation than the steady glow. twin weapons of his own, pistols of absurd length were brought forth from his coat, a long overcoat that flowed out around him. he took aim at the figure as soon as he could seem him, broadcasting his exact position on Septimus's personal frequency. Without waiting, he opened the mental link with his mistress and began to advance upon the figure. Seconds later, he received confirmation from Serenity that Secundus had the target in his sights.

Echo, noticing a glint, high above, readied into a battle stance. He didn't have time to go against it, but he did so, by reflex. It was like his body did things on its own. Why did I do that? Echo looked up at the glint. he felt it was danger. But he couldn't see what it was. He squinted slightly, trying to perceive further detail in the object. Guns. How did he know it was dangerous even before completely distinguishing the object? he didn't know. But what he knew now, was that the newcomers did not come in peace. he lifted his blades, and backpaces twice.

One gun lifted, the other hanging by his side, Septimus advanced slowly, his golden hair flowing in the slight breeze that swept small clouds of dust before him. He stopped at a reasonable distance from the dark clad figure who had two ignited Pylon blades and stood in a ready stance. "Echo Hunter, I presume?" he called out in his clear, deep voice. His face was stony, but even so, the shine in his blue eyes implied an enjoyment in the situation. The lifted gun was trained on, not the other person's head, but his foremost Pylon blade.

Echo glared at Septimus. His canines rattled against the back teeth as he growled quietly at him, his eyes glistening with anger. His pylonic blades shined gleefully, ready to lacerate. "Yeah," Echo blurted out, "That's me."
Echo still was glaring at Septimus, and at his guns. He tried to figure out what he was going to do, but with no answer. "How do you know me? Do you know anything else of me? Who are you, and what are you doing here? Once you've got those answers, I'll be able to talk with you peacefully."

Akito jumped back as the troops burst in, her half metal face glinting in the light. She drew her own weapon, holding it in a defensive position. She had no idea what was going on, and suddenly wished that she had never even known who the Clonoids were, and that maybe she wouldn't be in this situation where whe had no idea of what to do.

"You're renowned as perhaps one of the most statistically powerful NeoClonoids ever to exist, that is how I know you," Septimus's voice resounded throughout the space between the two would-be duelists, "Of you the only other information I have is that you are dangerous and have been marked for capture by both sides of the Human-Clonoid war, that is essentially the extent of my knowledge of you. I am Septimus and, officially, I am here to recruit you on behalf of the Alliance. Unofficially, I offer you neutralization as a better alternative to being pulled into a fight that will only cause you pain. That is my identity and purpose. Now, I leave it to you to make your choice." The whole of his monologue was spoken without emotion being betrayed in either facial expression or tone of voice. The prim lips twitched into a slight smile at the end, however, and he lowered his gun.

The rest of the squad, or rather half of them, were arrayed in hidden positions around the scene. The ones missing were Septimus, who was on the field 'negotiating', Secundus who was covering Septimus, Tirtius who had taken Sextus and entered the temple to assess the internal situation. Thus it was that the two 'ran into' Akito. Tirtius's immediate reaction was to engage, but Sextus held him back. In his highly refined accent, Sextus called to her, "Who are you and what is your purpose?"

Akito's grip on her weapon tightened, ready to attack as the two saw her.
"I am Akito, I was only exploring!" She called back, her one eye narrowed. She wondered what the group seemed to want with Echo, but her question was answered as her altered sense of hearing picked up on the conversation between Echo and Septimus.

Echo glared at Septimus. His blades flared up into a red light. Echo's eyes glistened in rage. "So, in other words, and much more simple- you would like to kill me. I can't remember what the hell I did before. I don't remember anything, not even me being the most powerful NeoClonoid ever lived, as you say."
Echo then crouched slightly.
"But as I have just recently woken up from a long and deep sleep, my wish wouldn't be to go back into that dark space again, and for eternity," Echo answered. he put one blade in front of his face, and one behind his back. He didn't know why he did so, he just did it. "If you're going to kill me, you should just as well try now, before I do something worthy of the most powerful NeoClonoid."

Septimus sighed, "That's not my place." At the same time, Quintus walked onto the field, Serenity sitting elegantly on his shoulder. Her control on her men relaxed, she was in near full cognition. "I have waited along time to find you, Echo Hunter," the toll of her voice took up a melodic cadence, "You see, I need your help. I need someone strong enough to kill me. these others have not to do with this, though they will follow my orders at the slightest indication, they will not interfere." She unstrapped herself and Quintus reached up and plucked her off. The big hand set her down gently, a small, beautiful girl. The tattoos covering Shiva's skin glowed with a fierce magenta underlain with crimson. Her feet took delicate little steps toward Echo until she stood three meters. "Shall we begin?" Serenity's smile was deadly. The look on Septimus's face was less than pleased.

Inside the temple, Tirtius swore, "She's gonna' do it!" His own Pylon blades were revved into action. Sextus gave a sad glance in the direction and a sigh escaped his lips, "Akito, please, what is your connection to Echo Hunter?"

"I don't have a connection, I just found him here and helped him..." Akito said, starting to feel uneasy as she heard what was happening over with Echo.

-Sorry about the short posts, I can't think of much to write for this... -

"If you want to die, you've asked the right person, all right!" Echo answered, angered slightly by the face he found annoying plastered onto Serenity's face. He growled slightly, and his beams lightening up, blaring out red lights. He dashed at Serenity, blades at the ready. Rocks flew at the side as he treaded swiftly past them. The leaves on the vegetation next to him shifted their places, some following Echo.
"Rrrarrrh!" he yelled, as he heaved one blade in Serenity's direction.

"Then you couldn't stop him from fighting? You couldn't just convince him to walk away from this?" Sextus was almost pitiful as he asked, he definitely looked disheveled all of a sudden. Tirtius shook it off. "She's got Septimus and Secundus to back her up, and neither of them are just gonna' let her die," he said as he pushed past Akito. With a quick turn back to her he said, "If you really do have a care for that Echo guy, I'd go help him out, 'cause he's gonna' get crushed. Sextus, we're here to find that machine!" The two moved further into the temple.

Shiva stood there until just before the blade would have rent her body and dodged with unnatural speed, but not fast enough. Blood leaked from her stomach where it had cleaved through her dress and reached the flesh. Septimus lurched forward but was restrained by a sudden force of Serenity's will over his. "Watch," she called as she spun around Echo and fired up one of her own Pylon blades. The feral light screaming out of her palm as she arced it down to hit Hunter in the back. The quickness of her movement kicked up both dust and leaves around her, a small whirlwind of debris fluttering around the two combatants.

It took Akito a couple of seconds for the information to sink in before she leapt across the vegetation towards the fight.
"ECHO!" She yelled, trying to get his attention away from the fight for even a split second.

Echo recoiled slightly as he noticed Serenity attacking behind his back. He wasn't even controlling his body anymore, it was his body controlling him. All he did was by reflex of some sort. He put a hand to his back, feeling slight pain as he noticed that some of his mechanics had been reached, but nothing too serious. he quickly went back into his normal stance, and then uplled out his two yplonic blades once more. He dashed towards Serenity, slashing in random ways, no rythm in his attacks, but deep concentration preventing him from doing something stupid. As he dashed towards Serenity, one leg stood near the ground. The foot of that leg quickly shot down upon the ground as he was very close to her, and he twirled over her, head slashing with his pylonic blades, aiming for weak parts on the stomach, head and back.

The blade which had flashed out before had disappeared back into Alos's hand, but now it sprouted out again in defense. The other hand too had grown a Pylonic sword. She swung both of them upward with incredible force, with the intention of blocking the furious attack from above. For the most part, she succeeded, but one of the slashes got through to her shoulder. Serenity dropped down as Echo landed behind her, sweeping her blades together in a rising arc towards his chest.

Echo landed onto the ground, and saw that Serenity was already counterttacking. He backpaced at the last moment, and Serenity's blade dug through his armor, revealing slight jolts of electricity and electrical circuits. He stood up, glaring at Serenity. Seeing the state she was in, if he continued, he would finish her off quickly. She wanted to die? So be it!
Echo dashed towards Serenity, and locked her head in a stable position. He put a outdrawn hand under her chin. A pylonic blade slowly ejected from the hilt situated on his palm, meeting Serenity's neck. "One more move, and I'll kill you right there," he warned her, "Now," he continued, looking around, "I've heard a few words all around this place. Where are the others? You better tell me now, if you don't want to sleep like I did, eternally."

The distraction was too much, she lost her grip. Secundus smiled down the barrel of his gun as he pulled the trigger. The bullet that riffled out of the barrel spun through the air with perfection. Every variable had been accounted for. The shot would land itself directly in Echo's exposed right leg. At the same time, Primus bolted from his hiding place, his pistol gripped tightly in a shaky grasp. Even in his rattled state, he managed to aim the gun roughly in the right direction. With speed that denied the laws of reality, Septimus was holding one of his long barreled guns no more than five centimeters away from Echo's face. Quartus stepped out from the large slab of fallen rock that had previously obscured him from view, the Gatling gun bound to his right arm locked up into a volatile position. Quintus even dropped into a fighting position, of martial arts origin.

Echo noticed Primus jumping, so he avoided the gun's trajectory, but it was only then that he heard the gunshot siffling through the air, the tormented wails of the cut wind piercing into Echo's ears, as the bullet jabbed into his right leg. Blood shot out in a pillar for one clear second, just to fall down and flow on his leg the other. Echo's blades disappeared in his hilts again, as he fell down to one knee, grasping tightly his wound. He glared at Serenity, as the other Clonoids surrounded the small group.
Echo's other hand grasped against the dirt, small rocks fleeing from his hand as he scraped them. Echo was breathing heavily, his dark green armor glinting in the few rays ofsunlight when it moved. A faint but slow and low growl escaped Echo's mouth.

"No!" Serenity screamed, "I told you to stay back! He won, fairly!" She whirled around to glare at each of her men in turn. "Each of you, this conduct is deplorable, dishonorable. I gave him my word that you would stay out of the battle! Do you seek to destroy my credibility?!" She turned to Echo, her short hair violently swishing as she did. She smiled sadly. "I've only been bested once before... You are deserving of your title. I am forced to apologize for the actions of my men. If I had a sense of honor I would fall on my own sword," her voice had a sweet ring to it. The Shiva's hand shook with the exertion, she still held back her men who were concerned only with eliminating the threat to their mistress. "We leave now," whether she spoke to her own or to Echo was hard to tell, "Goodbye, Mister Hunter, and to your companion." She slumped slightly, as if tired. Quintus immediately leaped forward to hold her up. Before turning away, she straightened herself again. "I hope only that we shall meet again, Mister Hunter, and that perhaps next time I might give of myself a better account," and with those final words Serenity withdrew. The others followed her quickly, except for the ones inside the temple, and Septimus who lingered for a moment, staring at Echo in his prone position. "We will meet again, Hunter," his deep voice took on a whole new level of foreboding, "I hope, for your sake, that you kill me before I have the pleasure of drawing this weapon on you in that hour." he stalked away after his mistress, the breeze still ruffliong his outfit.

The two still inside were now in the chamber where Echo had been 'sleeping'. Tirtius was examining the cables, delicately brushing aside vines and leaves. Sextus was scanning every inch of the port that seemed to spew the cables forth, his legs suspending him from the mechanical bindings upside down. Both worked in silence consumed as they were in the dark environment.

Echo glared at the two left Clonoids, weakly standing up, one arm on his stomach. As he stood up, an electric shock espaced from his leg, going into the ground. His green eyes flared of fury, as he looked at both of the henchmen. Echo's blades faded away in the nothingness, silver lights flashing in the wind, until they were too far apart to perceive. He glared at the two. "You're still here?! Don't you have something better to do, like follow the others?!"
Even though Echo spoke, he didn't expect an answer. Jeez, ten minute I woke up, and already got into a fight. Echo slumped onto a tree, blood spurting from the wound in his leg, and red lines crawling upon his tight grip on his stomach wound. His eyes tightened shut as the high pain woke up in his body. He growled, and he double over, falling on one knee. D*mn, that girl knows where to hit...

Tirtius abandoned his work to sidle over to Echo. Quickly digging into a small pouch on his pant-leg, the NeoClonoid dropped a package of bandages and some ointments. "I assume you can at least patch yourself up?" his voice was somewhat mocking. The helmet on his head shook from side to side as Tirtius lightly chuckled in a disapproving manner. With that, he left, trudging back through the dust motes to continue his observation of the chamber. Sextus had meanwhile moved on to what looked like some sort of control interface that had been nearly completely overrun by some form of creeping vine that was absolutely covered in thorns.

Echo growled at Tirtius. Echo stood up, slightly wobbling at first, but then he stood up straight and perfectly. "I don't need to get healed. I'm fine," he blurted out. He turned to Sextus, and traipsed over to him. Echo glared at Sextus. "You don't talk alot, do you?" he asked, abruptly. Echo then looked down at the control pad. It was still working very feebly, but the vegetaion that had crawled over it had broken most circuits. If it hadn't been for that, Echo wouldn't be awake at the time.

"I talk when I need to," Sextus smiled up at Echo from where he stooped. He glanced briefly at the wound on Echo's leg. "You may want to patch that," he watched the blood leek out for a moment before returning his gaze to his work, "Echo, I need to know something. I need to know why you fight..." The hands didn't leave their ministrations to the panel, nor did the eyes, but the emotions that suddenly became very complex in Sextus's intonation showed that at least some thought was turned towards Echo Hunter as a being.

Tirtius glanced up from his own work to shake his head at his companion before turning to look around. "What happened to the Akito girl?" he called over to Sextus, but didn't wait for an answer before he leaped up and walked through the dappled light to look out through the temple's structure. His thoughts took a path somewhere along the lines of, 'She didn't seem to be aware of the situation, but if she brings the Clonoid hammer down on our heads, we're going to want to be scarce really soon.'

"Why do I fight?" Echo repeated, "I dunno. It's like a... Reflex to me. Ever since I woke up again, I always have these reflexes. I don't know exactly why I fight? I just found it right to try and kill Serenity, who was trying to kill me back first," Echo explained. he actually thought about that question. Do I really not know why I fight? Is this all reflex, or just subconsciousness?