This is Rated R for blood, violance and similar themes. Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Do Angels Fear the Reaper? CHAPTER 4 Preparations went under way. Kei watched with compassion and curiosity as Chris and Centurion shared a short but not meaningless hug. It seemed like they would never again be comrades in this war. She was also happy that she could finally be on her way to find Yuri. No telling what dangers she might be in or what dangers that Techtonica could produce. Chris then walked over and gave her a hug. “Come back sometime if you are in the neighborhood,” he smiled. Kei nodded with a smile of her own. “I might just do that,” Kei added. “Enough, we march, Techtonica grows restless,” Centurion muttered. “You mean you grow restless,” Chris added just loud enough for Kei to hear. After a few more moments of preparation, they headed for space. The dead of night wrapped around their small ship once again and in a couple days’ time they would hit Nexus. -- Kei scratched her head and stretched her arms, “I’m getting a shower.” “Fine,” Centurion spoke from under his cloak. He was seated and looking rather statue like. The sight of him still drove Kei’s skin up the walls. In the bathroom she disengaged the skin tight nano armor and folded it on the sink next to her. She then turned on the water and got in. The water splashing off her back brought up memories she tried to forget, of missions and situations in the past. Yuri was always there for her and she was always there for her in return. Being apart like this was wearing her down day by day, but at least that would be solved in time. Right now she was working with the greatest killer the universe had ever known and she was scared of his true intentions whatever they may be. He fights a war that may never end. All these years gone by there are colonies and planets of humans all across the galaxy. The latest combined census guessed at 100 trillion people, give or take 50 billion. How can one man, well one deranged yet noble being kill them all one by one with his antique sword? She didn’t know what to think about that. All she wanted to do was to save her good friend. All too often dire circumstances mounted up. Hell after hell faced them and they never were paid enough, but this time was far different than any before. They quit the 3WA and now they were living their lives on with or without each other. A time feared for many years ever since school together where they met and became great friends. She walked out of the shower now freshened up and ready to take on the universe once again. She felt younger even. She decided to make sure of something. She wrapped a towel around herself and walked back out to where Centurion was sitting, no the Reaper. “Cent, uh Mr. Ham,” “Speak,” he remained unmoving on his chair. “What will we do when we get there?” “We will search and destroy,” “What?” Kei tightened up the towel she was wearing. “You search, I destroy. Techtonica will plague me no longer after this final night!” “I see, well I don’t want people to die needlessly,” “Those humans will not die needlessly,” he growled under his breath. “I don’t want you to just kill them for no reason,” Kei pleaded a bit. “I always have a reason, Kei.” “Your war is with Techtonica, not the innocent humans. What their relatives did has nothing to do with them!” “It is a curse.” “Curse?” “Humans are a disease plaguing the universe. They are the ones who will seek its downfall, not I. I will make you one promise and my word is law.” “I’m listening,” “I will not kill those pathetic humans for what their relatives may have done to my people, I will not kill them for the reasons I have killed so many. I will also do another thing as a covenant to the promise,” he stood up and threw his cloak aside. He then glanced over at Kei and just stood there. “Alright, thank you, um,” “Get some close on! Damn woman!” he turned around and sat down again. “What, ah, for crying,” Kei was flustered and frustrated at the comment, she then left for the back room to change. She grabbed the nanoarmor and set it to her jeans and a t shirt. She walked back over to the pilots chair and sat down, after an hour or so she decided to bring it up, “You find my body unappealing?” “Did you forget what I was?” he looked over at her from his chair. “You take me for a human, foolish, if you must know,” he stood up and walked over to her. In a low animalistic tone he spoke into her ear. “I prefer my women with fur and a tail.” “Right,” Kei tried not to think about it too much, “I’m sorry.” “You needn’t be any sorrier than you already are, that goes for all humans,” he spoke frankly. -- “Your passports please,” a drone spoke from behind a window at the Registrar’s Center. It was in orbit around the planet. It was also nicely lit, well fortified and armed station which made sure no one got there for free. Kei handed over the passports which soon allowed them to proceed. They took a small ship and landed it outside the main dome. Kei looked up at the immensity of it all. It was as incredible as she remembered. She had gone here only once before after a very hellish mission. She wished she was that young again, but that was only an afterthought. “Shall we proceed?” Centurion asked. “Of course,” Kei replied. They walked through the gate and showed their passports once again. The man there eyed the two of them. Centurion was in full body armor and had a sword at his back. Kei was in a rather sexy bikini crafted from the nano armor which was partially camouflaged as her own skin. “Something wrong?” Kei asked and took Centurion’s arm in her own. “No, carry on,” the man gestured them to proceed. Centurion ripped his arm away and gave her an evil look, “I will be on my way. You find a terminal or something. Unless of course you know where she’s staying at.” “I’ll handle it, you just keep your promise,” Kei smiled. To think they might be able to do this mission of sorts without casualty. “Ok, terminal, there‘s one,” Kei thought aloud as she walked over to it. Upon arrival, she quickly searched for where Yuri was staying at. “She’s not far away, heh.” The lights went out, people screamed in shock. Centurion was no where to be seen. Kei looked around in the darkness trying to figure out what happened. The entire main dome was pitch-black. The only way to cut power completely was to take out both generators on the ground and hack into the main orbiting satellite. Only one thing came to mind. Their cover was blown. “What the hell’s going on?” Kei shouted. A man screamed from behind her. Blood sprayed and dripped from Kei’s body. She armored up at once becoming as black as the scenery. Only thing visible here and there were the stars above. She looked around in the night. She dared not to turn on the night vision. There were no moons to cast light and the domes have yet to turn their power back on. The backups must have been severed as well. People screamed and ran. Some ran into her and scrambled to get away. Others fell to the ground having been trampled. Kei waded through the crowd only to have more blood sprayed upon her from another dead human. They were taken out one by one as they ran. Kei had no idea who could be so sadistic or systematic. “I’m going to regret this,” Kei said as she put on the night vision option. People were running for their lives. One by one the humans were slashed and cut to pieces in a primal fury. “Reaper! Where are you!?” she blasted into the air. Her voice was strong and unyielding. She was furious for once and had no idea what she would do next. Her personality and instincts have taken over her fear. He did not respond. People continued to run. Their blood started flooding the ground. People slipped and fell only to be sliced apart. “REAPER, SHOW YOURSELF!” Only response she could get was the screams from the people fleeing. She watched the crowd and realized Yuri could be in there somewhere. She could have been trampled to death if not brutally murdered. “Yuri, are you here?” she shouted. She landed amidst the crowd scanning for her face, nothing showed up. She waded through the crowd towards the massacre only be hit hard with a sword. She hit the ground uninjured but deathly angry. She realized her suspicions were right. She stood up and started pushing people away from her. The Reaper stood before her completely drenched in the blood of humans. His face was completely red and dripping with blood. “You broke your promise,” “OUT-OF-MY-WAY!” he shouted with sheer fury, he has become the Reaper in its truest sense. “NO! I will not stand for you to kill so many!” Without a word, without hesitation he slammed his sword down upon her, she parried with her own blade only to see it crack. Centurion’s sword as antique as it was, still thirsted for blood and had strength to spare. “I can’t save Yuri if you kill her!” Kei tried not to let her emotions overwhelm her. She had to be strong as always. She had a mission and right now she was in trouble. She threw him backwards and healed her blade, she brought out a second one as well. She moved into a battle position with powerful blade on each arm. The Reaper spoke, “Look you vile excuse for talking meat, if you don’t stand with me, you stand against me!” he growled in a very animalistic tone. His body was quivering in anger as he brought his sword now dripping with blood into a fighting stance once again. Kei tried to reason with him, “I will not have you killing people because of this petty war, they did nothing to you!” “They exist!” “We all exist! We all live, we all should live!” “We don’t deserve to live!” he charged forward bringing the sword down hard upon her armor. The force of the attack busted the formed arm shield and went straight to her arm nearly cutting it off if not for her pulling away in time. “Damn you!” Kei brought her own blade to arms and swung it as best she could at him. “I’m already damned, meat!” he struck the blade and busted it off and then struck another death blow. People continued to run in fear. Centurion parried an attack from Kei and pushed her aside. He then tripped a human and lobbed off her head as she fell. Blood sprayed both of the combatants. “We are the same,” the Reaper mused. “No we are not!” Kei spat back at him. She lunged forward again now regretting bringing him here. She only wanted to save people and now they were being massacred. She thought this being for being honorable, but he is only a demon as the rumors said. She would have to correct that mistake. “Kei, is that you!?” a voice called from a yard away. She had long blue hair and ragged clothes. “Yuri?” Kei turned only to have a blade strike her in the arm. It broke through the defenses once again and sliced her arm. She fell to ground in shock and pain. Now her blood joined the river at their feet. “Vile, wretch!” The Reaper pulled his sword back as he stepped towards Yuri. Kei caught a glance and ran forward. A strike, armor and flesh pierced and then flesh once more. Kei fell to the ground when the sword was removed. Yuri stood their holding her wounds that would be fatal. She only laughed. “Your sword is weak,” Yuri’s voice changed as her body shifted and remolded. Her skin became blood and then blood red armor. Her face became a flat panel. True evil is faceless. People continued to run in fear. The screams never stopped. Most of these rich folk have never known fear. The Reaper gripped and regripped his sword at the sight of his greatest nemesis. “My, isn’t this entertaining?” Techtonica cackled. She marveled at the humans scurrying around the them. “Not entertaining enough,” she reformed her arms into rocket launchers and fired blasts at the crowd. People were incinerated instantly. After a few more blasts the screaming stopped. Bodies burned where they once ran. Kei held her wound which bled freely. She was weakened and dieing, but not fast enough to keep her from moving. She fought to get to her feet. “Still able to fight?” Techtonica laughed. “Bitch,” Kei coughed up a bit of blood. “Centurion Hammerfall, I’m sure you know who I am, the one that slayed your father before your eyes. You were what? 10 years old then?” she laughed having ignored Kei entirely. His eyes would flash red with rage having been reminded of his nightmares and his inherent reality. “Get out of here, Kei,” Centurion ordered. “What?” Kei turned to him. She was just about to shout back at Techtonica. “Get out of here before I kill you myself!” he turned to her and struck his sword down upon the ground before her. Kei rocketed away to find Yuri, still holding her wound. She hoped to have armor help some how. She super heated her right hand and burned the wound closed. Modern medicine would serve to help her plenty if she survived this. Right now, she was deeply furious and not understanding of the situation. The situation was about to get worse. “Hehe, sending the puppy away are we?” Techtonica mused. “I hate humans.” “Enough to forget about the most important thing?” “What?” “That the beings you knew as your own kind are all humans now, and that you have slaughtered more of your own kind. More than I ever did in that black war?” she laughed out loud at the idea. “What?” Centurion took a step back. “You nearly killed off all of your own kind!” she shouted. “Damn you!” “I was always a damned being upon the day I was created. I could care less who lives or dies anymore. They can all die!” she reformed her limbs into gattling guns and aimed them at him. “All we have left is death,” he grinned and licked the blood that dripped passed his lips.