How did the world change in just a few years? I thought that with the Vigilante Corps still stationed at Earth without the Allegiance, there would still be light in this dark forest. The world is damned…

Ava was awestruck as the ship they were in hovered closer to Earth. Once the pinnacle of justice and goodwill in the universe became the home of evil and tyranny. Countless warships hovered across the blue atmosphere. Even with the hive of death machines covering the planet, Ryan and Ava were still able to cross through the blockade without trouble. They have successfully hidden their ship as a cargo shuttle. Ryan finalised the gear on him while Ava piloted the ship to land on a docking port on the southern side of Singapore. The ship lowered, its legs touching down on docking bay 14. Ava, would be in a casual attire to clear security measures. Ryan, on the other hand, would make his way out of the ship quickly and towards the central database terminal that is located right in the heart of the country. The thrusters on his back and boots activated. The Spectral would hover up into the air, flying at a steady pace right into the night sky. The glow of the flames that emitted from the thrusters vanished into the clouds. 

As the ship had been registered into the immigration database, Ava would arm herself. She tightened every buckle on her suit. The quiver on her back would be fully loaded with arrows. The padding on her wrists would be equipped with various throwables. As she was fully armed, she wore her mask back. The domino mask perfectly aligned onto the silhouette of her face as she was ready for combat. The ramp lowered as a bike shot out of the ship. Ava would begin to meet Ryan at the agreed rendezvous point before they begin the infiltration.

~~

The Ordinance hovered over the dark skies of Singapore. Monarch had his hands locked together, gently resting on the bottom edge of his helm. 

“Unfortunately, Kal Rexington survived and the patrol garrison of Mbongu took a severe blow.” Edenia was standing in an awkward position as she explained to Monarch the details of the mission. Behind her would be several members of the Tariol Operators.

“So you're telling me that not only did the town in Mbongu became a warzone, the enemies of the Front managed to walk away?”

“With all due respect, sir, if Kal died in the hole, the other two would’ve left with a low moral.”

Omega turned his head away with disbelief.

“Edenia, she needs educating.” Aiden Lee, outside the Ravage suit, whispered to Omega with his palm on his face.

The room grew eerily silent as Monarch stood up from his chair, staring into the eyes of Edenia.

“You’re absolutely right.”

Edenia’s eyebrows raised as she was astonished from his reply.

“If we wanted Kal to just perish, that would’ve been the outcome. I had a better plan. Injure him severely and have evidence that he still lives on so that his friends will stop at nothing to find him. Eventually, all 3 head operators would be in the same place at the same time. An opportune moment for my entrusted Tariol Operators to capture them. They will be used as martyrs for the whole universe to see that insurgents of any sort will be executed by the Front. Clearly this responsibility is too much for a swordswoman and a marksman.” Monarch would rest both his hands on the edges of the table.

“I uh…apologise…sir.” Edenia’s eyes lowered as she felt timid. The room grew silent yet again. Monarch would slowly sit back down on his throne as he cleared his throat.

“Omega will station you elsewhere. Now, we must act fast. I summoned all of you here right now because the Allegiance are getting bolder with their attacks. I fear it will be a matter of days before the rate of their attacks rises. All of you will be on watch over key settlements of the Front in the explored regions within the sector. Ravage, you and one other operator of your choosing will watch over Earth. I expect you to respond swiftly should there be any infiltrations. Start in Singapore and then move to the other database terminals.”

Aiden would nod.

“Considering a speed freak and this failure of a swordswoman, I pick Ashe.”

Ashe, on the other end of the room, was resting on her scythe. She immediately picked it up as she strolled over to Aiden’s side.

“I know you would pick me. I'll get the ship ready, boss.” She rested her weapon on her shoulders as she walked out of the room. Slowly, the others joined her to exit the meeting. Aiden remained in the room as he knew Monarch had some final words for him.

The Supreme Leader stood up. He walked to the glass panel as his hands were tuck behind his cape. He came to a halt right at the edge of the platform.

“What a sight to see…Dark clouds with the moonlight shining through…Look closely and a cyan light can be seen shooting through.”

Ravage raised a brow as Monarch mentioned that. Monarch pivoted to face Aiden.

“Yes, your old rival Ryan is here.”

“How are you certain, sir?”

“Being a man of power, I tend to know all…See all…Expect something from him soon.” He waved his hand. Aiden walked out of the room. He controlled his rage as he took his final steps out of the Supreme Leader’s chambers. Aiden and Ryan had a long history together. Once company rivals, Aiden wanted to perfect his greatest invention, the Ravage suit. However, Ryan stopped him and tossed him aside into a prison. He never forgave him for that. This duty given by Monarch is the ultimate revenge.

~~

Ryan wrapped his fingers around a branch as his left foot stood right at the edge of branches below him. He was perfectly hidden on a tall mangrove tree. Ava on the other hand, was on crouch right behind a boulder but was still granted a view over the Castle Lion, one of the few Database Terminals located on Earth. Even with over dozens scattered across the planet, every single terminal was linked to one another. A perfect advantage for Ryan and  Ava.

The two advanced. Ryan activated the stealth tech on his Spectral suit, leaping into the night sky as he prepared to clear watchtowers scattered across the outpost. Ava, on the other hand, began firing arrows towards ground patrol. As each sniper was knocked out by Ryan, patrol units would be swarmed from afar by arrows. The sweep cleared in less than a few minutes. The swiftness of the duo managed to rid the Terminal of its exterior defences without triggering an alarm. Ryan would land down right at the gates of the Terminal. The swift decline would crack the concrete floors beneath his feet. As he stood right up at his regular posture, a zipline arrow pierced a truck right beside him. Ava would quietly make her entrance to the gate. The two gave each other a quick look before walking in together. However, they barely made it through the gate.

As the gigantic metal gates slowly slid apart from each other, a hulking suit would activate right before the duo’s very eyes. Its eyes glowed red as its fist was charged with some form of energy. Ava primed her weapon to target this metal monster. However, a scythe would swing right towards her, knocking her back far. Ryan, painstakingly caught in the middle of this fight, would divert his attention to the hulking suit. However, he recognised it. The red band branding on its pauldrons to the metallic armour skirt. It was Aiden Lee inside Ravage.

“So nice of you to join us, Ryan Lou!” He would land a punch. As his fist collided with Ryan’s abdomen, it would release an energy burst that knocked Ryan back further. The punch knocked him through walls and towers before eventually halting at a truck. He slowly recovered himself as he set his eyes on Ravage slowly walking to him with fury.

“You imprisoned me for years on end! Finally, I will take what you stole from me. The Spectral!” 

The plasma beams hidden inside his wrist gauntlet would reveal itselves. Ryan looked up as his eyes connected with Ravage. He went into an orthodox attack stance, his right hand clenching tight as his left hand was relaxed, palm facing forward.

“Let’s brawl, Aiden.”

At the height of his anger, the eyes of the Ravage suit glowed brighter. Smoke emitted from within the eye sockets as the armour platings tightened. Aiden charged, the loud thumping sound of heavy metallic weight clashing right at the concrete floors slowly increased as the Ravage suit’s fists began charging with energy. Ryan remained calm. The plasma blades of the Spectral suit hummed as he stood still, a man waving a red flag right at a charging bull. In range, Aiden threw a punch. However, Ryan managed to manoeuvre past as he swiftly flew through the air, landing right on top of the hulking Ravage. He tried to sink his blades into the neck of the suit with the intent of destabilising the central processing unit. However, he was caught in the act as Aiden reached for him, grabbing him and throwing him into the air.

“Not going to be easy this time, Ryan!”

As Ryan was afloat in the air, a photon beam would collide with his armour. It was a reactor embedded inside the centre of the Ravage suit, a new addition that Ryan could not have predicted.  Thankfully, the Spectral suit had faced worse. The attack was a minor blow to Ryan but it provided Ryan time to rethink his attack strategy to this old enemy.

Meanwhile, Ava picked herself up from that strike. She was not far from the fight between the Ghost and the Metal Monster. However, she too had an enemy to duel. As her visions focused, she would see a woman breeze walking towards her with a long weapon resting on her shoulders. She was wearing a crimson leather tunic with a leather skirt overlapping leggings. The mask had a glow, almost as if it was channelling an energy source. The detail that made Ava in utter disbelief was her scythe. A golden blade bolted together with an alloy of sorts. The strange markings that were embedded on the handle were of a clan in the Vigilante Corps of Earth. A vampire clan. She knew who she was.

“Miss me? Ava?” As she finished her sentence, she would swing down her scythe, causing an energy rupture on the impacted surface. Ava, however, was able to recover in time to flee the explosion. She grabbed her bow as she slowly walked backwards from her.

“Ashe? Is that you?”

She would then rest the scythe down on the floor. Without hesitation, she removed her mask. It revealed Ashe’s face. A pale skinned woman whose eye bags were very obvious. Her lips were oddly red with fangs resting on it. Her eyes were red in colour as the luminescent crimson glow of her pupils faded momentarily.

“Playing the corrupts now huh, Ava? How the heroes have fallen.”

As she tried to attack Ava again, Ava would fire a hallucinogen arrow. The arrow flew past the curved end of the scythe blade, dodging it immediately before Ashe could attempt to divert its path.  Its syringe end would pierce Ashe’s abdomen. Moments upon impact, Ashe fell to her knees, disoriented.

“Ava, I know you. This is Monarch’s doing. Let me and Ryan save you from this shit he made you into.”

As Ashe pulled the arrow out, she would look at Ava.

“He made me stronger. He allowed me to kill the man who…” She stuttered as she paused for a moment. “The man who raped me…” Her eyes lowered momentarily. “While all you did was give me a FALSE PROMISE!” She immediately swung her weapon up, successfully depriving Ava of her primary weapon. Ava took steps back as she was clueless.

“You should’ve helped me when I needed it then. I don’t need your help now.” She swung her weapon down. However, Ava voided the blade end as she caught the handle.

“I know what you have been…and I’m sorry. Let me help you before you do something wrong…” Her eyes watered as it connected with Ashe’s. Ashe paused for a moment before…

“Too late.” She let her weapon fall. Leaning back, her body completely dissipated into thin air. Before Ava could even react, Ashe appeared. She teleported into the air behind her as she held a small knife in her right hand. She slowly fell towards Ava as she was about to stab her. However, Ryan swept in, knocking her back just in time. The collision pushed Ashe right into a fuel tank, exploding as her body dented the casing. Ryan handed Ava her bow.

“She’s gone…” Ava looked up to Ryan as her eyebrows caved in. Ryan turned to the explosion. To both of the duo’s amazement, Ashe successfully teleported out of the explosion, appearing right in front of the fuel tank. Her weapon flew right into her hands as she rested it right at her shoulders. As they panned to the oil tank, it was Ashe advancing slowly. To the vehicle parking zone, it was the Ravage readying for a charge. Ava primed her bow and Ryan’s plasma blades ejected once again. Amidst the chaos, a beam would shoot down behind both Aiden and Ashe. Both Ava and Ryan looked at it as a body formed. The figure slowly grew sharper…and sharper…and sharper. Their eyes narrowed, then widened as the purple glow of a visor shined through the beam.

Monarch teleported down from the Ordinance that was cloaked and lingered from above. He wanted to attend to this specifically. He hid his hands behind his cape as he locked eyes with the duo.

“We have to go…now!” Ryan grabbed Ava’s hand. Immediately, she pulled her hand away from him. “No! The son of a bitch must pay for what he did to Ashe.” Ava primed her bow with an arrow armed with a photon explosive. “No!” Before Ryan could pull the bow back from her, she fired. The arrow flew through the air. It was directed right at Monarch’s heart before…he grabbed it. He caught the arrow as it neared him. As Ava was priming her arrow with another shot, Ryan forcefully grabbed her, flying both of them out of the scene. The thruster flames slowly faded into the air. Monarch, however, predicted this.

He would squeeze the explosive end, triggering the photon explosion. However, the burst halted. The blue energetic waves would be manipulated. It then wrapped itself around Monarch’s fist, slowly turning purple. Monarch then raised his hand up, pointing his fingers right at the thruster flame. As thunder started forming in the scene, a beam of energy shot out of Monarch’s palm. It went on a direct course as it impacted Ryan’s thruster pack. The damage caused made both Ryan and Ava decline into the dark tropical mangrove roots that surrounded the Terminal. 

Monarch shifted his view to Ashe. “Narrow down the possible files they were looking for.” 

“Yes, Boss.” Ashe’s body faded away into thin air. Monarch then shifted his view to Aiden.

“Find them and bring them to me.” Monarch then rested his hands on his hip. Aiden then looked to Monarch, still filled with anger from the fight. “What the hell do I get in return?” Monarch tilted his head. “The Spectral suit…and perhaps a measure of respect.” Ravage turned his head, angered, as he charged into the wilderness. Monarch looked up at the smoke trail that Ryan left. His visor’s glow slowly faded away as the brightness of the lightning reflected on the tinted visor, alongside a pair of eyes that could barely be seen through it.