For less than an hour, Azul was in a meeting room on Rift's Earth. Not really happy he would say if you asked him. He was remembering the first time he was here and he talked to Jane.
-FlashBack-
"Nice Armor," Jane said to him slightly apprehensive. "I knew I should have came armored up. Stupid Operator."
"Woah calm down," AzuI said. He noticed an icon appear above her head. She was under a spell. The biotic strands that came off her let him know she was frustrated among other things by it. She did not like being in Mass Effect. "You know you are under the influence of something. Want me to remove it?"
"Oh God please yes!?" With her permission, he activated Mental Cleansing. As soon as it washed over her a large blast of energy came out of her. She was quite dangerous and powerful. "Thank you." She smiled as a helmet came over her head an armor appeared. "You helped me complete a quest that has been bothering me for years. I can actually return back now." She tapped away at some things he couldn't see. "Darn it. New quests are popping up here. Guess I cant leave till Soverign is stopped."
"Glad I could help." I leaned up from against the wall when she called me. I turned to see her eyes glowing. "No reason to force yourself to stay though."
"You are definitely a weird one. You have been to a few places already but have not taken ownership of any. That tells me two things. One you arent a conquer and two you are under level 25 most likely." She took a strong stance as if everything was in her favor now. "How about you join me and become my subordinate?"
"I liked you better before. No to becoming your subordinate." Azul felt a feeling of pain from the moment she took a step forward. "You dont want to be mine that's for sure."
"You never asked me." Jane countered.
"Fine do you want to be my subordinate?" Azul took the bait.
"Hell no." She held her side and started laughing. "Hahaha but thanks for asking. I am sorry though. Just I am really bad with people. Any time I see a chance to mess with them, I take it."
"That is a good way to get killed." Azul turned and kept walking after that. She started calling again. "What is it this time?"
"Sorry. Really I am. My Operator told me to be myself and not well someone I am not. Which is really confusing. Also, your body language threw me off a bit."
"How so?"
"I couldn't read you really. Your voice told me you wanted to help. But your body was poised to strike the moment I would try to attack. I was not gonna break the agreement. I just was scared. Ugh, this is infuriating. I dont like coming from this kind of position." Jane stepped back. Almost as if to retreat from the situation itself. "I do not like having the control. I need things on my terms. THings go wrong if I dont."
"Ok. Well if there is a next time, maybe it will go better."
"It definitely will. I want a next time. Your laid back enough that I dont have to get stressed out from backstabbing."
"If you say so. Here a way to contact my operator for yourself. In case your operator gets to busy." Azul was suprised at her candor. Much better than he thought it would go.
"Thanks." She stepped forward and offered her hand to him. He took it and gave it a shake before letting go. "Also my ID in case you get bored and want to talk. My Operator is lazy so I dont recommend contacting him."
"Well alright. You may want to ask you, Operator, all that he does for you. You might be surprised to learn there is a lot going on."
"Maybe. I am 303 years old and so far, I have trouble with other Users and my own Operator. Maybe it's just me then?" Jane didnt not take what he said to heart much. 'He did not react to me lying about my age. So he cant be in the '20s. Or he has something blocking it off for him.'
"Just try to have fun and relax more. That was what I was told I needed to do."
"Yeahhh." Her voice came out in a drone. She didnt believe him. Azul didnt know what happened between her and the Operator she had but damn it seemed like it sucked. "We have to meet again. I want to, at least, know your name, before we possibly become enemies." She smiled then Rifted out.
"Ok." Azul Rifted out as well. Arriving back in front of the Citadel he stopped. The Trickster had surprised him.
"Glad you two didnt fight. She has been through a lot. With this having worked out, I want you to meet another User. This one is a newbie. They are in the same place as yourself and Chari. So it shouldn't be to much trouble for you to help them."
"So all the way back to Super Robot Taisen.. it is so far away!" He groaned.
"Yes but only you are going. You won't have Galtea signal there. Time will have passed a week here. With the amount of energy you have a day to save that User as well complete another objective.' The Trickster's voice was a little apathetic.
"You sound like you dont want me to complete the objective?" Azul asked.
"I personally do not. But enough of the others do. The price of us existing as one creature with different aspects." The Trickster stopped and watched a shuttle pass by. "Azul... be careful. It is not dangerous but.. you could lose something important if your not careful."
-End flashback-
Shaking his head he thought it funny in some parts. "Tch so many punks. So little time to kill." Azul said looking at his status. Specifically the quest log. 'I need to do what the others did before. Trust my Companions and Followers to go to places themselves. Hopefully, they do not die.'
"Hey, newbie." A guy came up behind him. When Azil didnt act he tried touching him. "Ouch," he was shocked by electricity. "Hey asshole, I am talking to you."
Azul was deep in thought and was not paying attention at all. "Maybe if I.. no then I would be spread to thin everywhere else. Do I need to Pull more stuff? Might as well when I get back anyway. I have a bunch and I have given mt people more than enough resources to help with everything."
"This kid is pissing me off!" The User said. "He needs to be taught a lesson." Thinking since he didnt recognize Azul he had to have been a new User or a rookie. 'I just need to get him to strike first to avoid the penalties. Heh, I am so smart."
"If you do you will be penalized heavily." A short orange-haired woman said. "Only self defense is allowed. This is not that."
"Shup up loser. You need to stay in your lane!" He snapped at the woman who was only trying to help.
"I warned you." She stood to the side enjoying the spectalce of idiots getting in trouble.
The User reached his hand out and touched Azul's armor. "Ahh!" His hand was cut off by pure magic. It was one of Azul's aeons that was set to defense. "My hand! My skin its deteriorating!"
"Its withering idiot." Another User said. He dressed in what looked like to be animal scales and furs. He then looked to Azul who didn't even react just then. "Hey man, it was a mistake he was just .. acting out of hand. Can you here me asshole?"
"Oh my god, you fuckers are stupid." Jane said as she arrived. A quick look around the room let her know all who she expected to make had done so. She watched the screaming then looked to Azul and look at his ID. Above Azul's head was the busy marker. A quick look at the log showed it was like that since he arrived. "He actually cannot hear you period you idiots would have known that if you paid attention."
"Shut up!" The man with the withering arm said. "Message your lapdog and tell him to stop the spell."
"He is not my lapdog!" Jane stomped her foot. "I tried before, to stubborn." Realizing her wording she was almost upset at her self. 'They would not catch that. I have logs that show we have interavted with each other on Feros and in the Alliance logs. Panicked for nothing.'
"Yeah, Jane likes bad boys. That guy is a little puppy." Swift said when she entered the room.
"Shit who freed you psycho?" A User covered in robotics asked. He didnt look to happy. "Why are you here? You dont play as well as red over there."
"Just here is all." Swift stared hard at him.
"Ah, crap did I miss the meeting?" Azul said as he came back fully. His alarm went off the moment the meeting was suppose to take place. "Guess not."
"What were you doing that was so urgent?" The orange hair User asked.
"I was doing some.. bah nevermind. Dont want to bore you with the details." Azul looked at the others who were staring at him. "What?"
"Let's begin," Jane said. "So someone is targeting Users. Old and New. There plan is old school villain crap. Take over everything and set themselves as head buba. I am here to tell you not to take the deal they offer you. This is what happens when you do."
On the screen was the appearance of Users but as husks. A spider-shaped control devices on their chests and neck. A bomb if you look closer. A few in the room knew what the devices was from. A Resident Evil game. One of the newer ones at that.
Behind one could see companions with control devices strapped to there heads. Any resistance and a limb was cut off. A mechanical spider was then put in its place.
"This is horrible." Orange hair said. A guy next to her winced in pain.
"It gets worse, but I won't go into furthur detail than this," Jane said. "To combat this, all you have to do is allow the Administration to do a scan of you and your belongings for any tampering with, as well any problem you may have had with your Operator. Have they been acting funny or distant for some reason or another? "
"I say point us to the battlefield and let us get the rewards No point in letting them run a scan on us." A User dressed in a leotard said. Farely flashy clothing like a Superhero. But an attitude like an idiot.
"I agree. The rules are in place to protect from stuff like that in the first place." A young woman behind him said. Dressed in similar clothing but not as flashy.
"Oh, boy." Azul mumbled getting up to get a drink. "So bloody thirsty."
"You talk as if you have done it already." The User with the destroyed arm said. "I bet you havent."
"Ting, ting," The spoon hit around the rim of the sink. Azul had stirred the cocoa he fixed himself dropping to marshmallows in, he turned to see everyone looking at him.
"What!?" He scratched his helmet before pouring the contents in the filter. "I think my suit looks good. Is the color scheme off?"
"No, you idiot. Have you let the admins look you over?" Orange hair asked a little upset. 'Why does this guy act like this doesn't concern him in the least. A few of the Users here have been watching him the entire time. Jane's focus has defintely been on him. Even Swift is paying a little more attention to his movements.' Standing up to go and get a drink herself, she made sure to barely touch Azul.
"Oh, yeah why? Here is the proof." Azul tapped the interface icon showing the admin logo. "There happy now?" He paid no mind to the User since he doubts she would have caused a scene. Especially with Jane and Swift looking at him as a backup. 'So far so good. Neither have sent me a signal.'
"You just trusted them like that?" Another User asked amazed. He had on what looked to be standard Military gear with a few upgrades. The side had the French Flag on it. Most likely Rainbow Six International. Or something to that effect. "This could all just be a scenario for more points or something."
"That's nice. So when it turns out it's not, dont ask for help. In fact, all those that believe so raise your hand despite the evidence you have seen." Several raised their hands up. "Turn your interface to me as of now when shit hits the fan, I will not lift a finger to help you." Azul shrugged and marked all those who voiced there opposition earlier that had raised their hand as well. "See now you wont have to help me and I won't give a crap about you either. When you get your asses caved in and dying.. you only have yourself to blame."
"Heh, it's not like it will be the end of us anyway." Another User said. "So what's the big deal? You are just one User."
"Heh, except that permanently dead. You are right about me just being one User. With so many strong Users like yourself, it will be a synch to win." Azul did not really care about the majority of them in the room. The little intel he received, gave him just information to help. The biotic strnds flowing in the room was off the charts.
"I dont like your tone." A User that stood next to the guy with the missing arm said. He was dressed in a GI with a weird logo on the back. A weird energy flowed out of him. Azul knew it was Ki. The same kind as Riku generated when he gave her the Saiyan blood last time. This time she did not receive it. "Show some respect kid!" He stepped forward hair going a light blond color.
"I dont want to be here. So hey no one is happy." Azul was getting irritated for some reason. He couldn't put his finger on it. A smell in the air was bothering him. Looking around he just saw a few candles lit. Observe showed they were all normal ones. "Ughh I am sick of relationship problems. Is it because I am angsty that I am like this?"
"You are talking out loud. You know that right?" Another User to the side dressed like an old monk from DnD said. "You feeling alright?" Azul shook his head no at that.
"Duel me!" The GI wearing User said.
"No," Azul said without thinking.
"Coward." The GI wearing User said disgusted. His blood told him Azul was someone to enjoy a fight. From looking at his posture he could tell their was martial training in the man. 'Why wont he fight me?'
"Yah mama." He responded flippantly. A few of the Users chuckled at that.
"Insolent wretch!" The User with the missing arm said. He had stepped forward causing trouble like before.
"You little lint licker." Azul smiled under his helmet. Jane held back a chuckle.
"Pestulaent swine." The GI wearing User said moving closer.
"Cootie Queen," Azul said to the one-arm man.
"I am a man!"
"Not much of one."
"That's it!" The User charged at Azul who just stood there. "I'll teach you some respect!" His hand started to glow with red energy.
In respone it was hit by placed Biotic Shielding that was held since Azul moved away with his drink. "Boom!" It smashed against Azul's biotic shield shattering it instantly.
'Overcharge!' Azul activated the ability but added Lighting to his fist first. "Thunder Punch!" He went straight for the man's open mouth. His fist slid in effortlessly with the added power.
"Bzzzt," in seconds the User started spasming. Azul put his hand around the man's head and pulled him closer. His fist went deeper into the man's throat. He spread his fingers when the Users tried to dislodge himself. "Bzzt," the electricity picked up as Azul reached his hand into the man's stomach. Using the energy in the suit he kicked the power to the max. The User shook uncontrollably till his health hit zero.
"Well damn." A User said as he watched. "That is some serious... fisting.." A few others nodded. They didnt have it in them to laugh.
System: User defeated. Exile under terms of the agreement. Awarding points to offended party and rewards... calculating complete... 13,000 Points. High Pull awarded.
"That was unexpected," Azul mumbled as he read the screen. "So can we please stay civil? I have a really bad case of nausea."
'What did you get from reading his soul?' A purple hair User in the back said. She was by the cookies munching way since arrival. 'This has been a it of a bust. However, some other promising things have happened.'
'Nothing! Some idiot hit him their personal power already.' The User grumbled frustrated. 'His souls is dark and twisted. Something is eating away at him. I think we should not mess with him in the future.'
'Well shit. I am not paying back 'Biscuit' for his loss.'
The meeting continued for another two hours before people started to depart. A User that looked like a child walked up to Azul. The others started whispering watching it go along. Jane was about to go up to Azul but was stopped by Swift. Shaking her head no, she convinced Jane to step back and watch.
"Excuse me," the child User asked with a small voice. It sounds old and tired. As if the very idea of him speaking pained him. "Will you help me?" He outstretched his hand slowly towards Azul. The biotic strands that came off the User made Azul drop his guard.
Grabbing hold, he felt his Pather Power kick into high gear. "What do you need help with?" As Azul held the User's hand, he felt knowledge enter his mind. It locked itself away till he was capable of using it. With a nod outside of his control, he watched as the User turned into light. "Woah!"
"Thank you." The User mouthed. Only thing left was an orb that floated into Azul.
System: User Ceripco has deleted himself and passed over his possessions to you. Operator is resting in a pocket inside your Nether World.
"Well bully for him I guess." Azul shook his head and looked at the remaining people.
"You are really something else." A blue haired User said. He gave Azul a salute and walked out. "I look forward to the next meeting." A blue jacket with a falcon on the back was the only thing that stuck out.
"So.. you doing ok?" Swift asked prodding for info. "Get anywhere with your people yet?" Her eyebrows moved suggestively.
"Fuck no. It is like a freaking wall of fuckery blocking us all from each other. I dont know. They have changed on several things. Its pissing me off. And I dont want to be that asshole and be pissed off about but I am. I rather they just say let's not be togethor and go from there. A lot easier than whatever is going through .." Azul stopped talking as the funny feeling from before built up. His power's started going haywire. "I am suppose to be healthy! What is wrong with me?!"
"Woah Azul calm down." Jane really was trying to clam him with magic. It did not work. Her eyes went wide. "Oh no. Head back to your ship at once. Do not let anyone stop you." With a wave of her hand, Azul was ejected from the area and was back on the Citadel hanger.
"Why did you do that?" Swift asks looking at her friend. "You missed your chance with him just now."
"I have to get this sent off, just wait!" Typing away at her Omni-tool and sending a message to her Operator in record speed, she plopped down exhausted. "Haaa, that little bitch."
"Explain," Swift said. She had a knot in her stomach that got worse by the moment. "What little bitch? You mean orange hair?" Jane gave her a nod agreeing. "What did she do?"
"She used her power on him. After that idiot who tried to touch him did. She made it worse. He drew out Azul's desires. She switched his morality and boosted his paranoia." Jane didnt know what to do besides warn Maldova and have her Operator warn Galtea. "It should work out in the end."
"You should have jumped his bones then! He will return to his moral self and then your boned. And not the good kind." Swift said exasperated. Her hands on her hips as she looked at Jane. "I need to blow off some steam. Wanna come with me to Magic? We can go and tag team Sauron."
"Hmmm, sure," Jane said sitting up. "We need to get ready even more so for the big event." Both then left in a Rift.
As for Azul..
He stumbled as he went back to the ship. Several personnel just gave him funny looks. They figured it was just another person drunk and heading to sleep off on board. Tifa passed by and ran and helped him onboard. He made all the way to the lift with her help. As they both made it into the elevator things started to get crazy. Tifa was antsy. She wanted to tell him something but didnt know how to. Images of people togethor messed with his head anytime she touched to help him.