Rebirth (Saber)

[Mani4c]

Schatten was blasted away by the blast, a small trail of blood leaking from his chest. The viral commander smashed into the wall of a nearby brownstone, and landed face first on the pavement. "Ugh...I'm...I'm not finished yet." Schatten struggled to his feet, ready to engage Saber again, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Caesar had walked over to Schatten, ignoring the risk posed by both Saber and Viral, all to stop Schatten from reengaging. "No...you're not, but save your strength, you're not yet ready to face him. This test run was a success, you're abilities give you a unique edge in a fight, but you need to balance that with a strong Melee skill set, I can help you with that." Schatten glared at Saber, but ultimately relented. "Very well, I know when I am outmatched, for the moment anyways."

Viral looked at Mani4c and Noxus, smirking. "Mani4c, Noxus...give your bro a hug." Viral held his hands out to his sides, his tone lacking any kind of menace. Noxus looked at Mani4c, who, despite his trepidation, decided to give Viral the benefit of the doubt. Noxus and Mani4c both walked within arms reach of Viral...which proved to be a mistake. Viral's grin turned sinister in a millisecond, and Onimaru shouted a warning to the duo. "LOOK OUT!" But he was too late, Viral clenched his left hand into a fist and swung down at Mani4c's head. His strength was somehow even more formidable than before, easily matching Claymore in terms of raw power. The blow shattered the back of Mani4c's helmet, knocking the remains of it from his head and crushing his skull, Causing a spray of blood to erupt from the back of Mani4c's head.

Before Noxus could even utter Mani4c's name, Viral lashed out with a snap kick at Noxus' neck, there was a sickening crunch as Viral's foreleg smashed into Noxus' neck, crushing the man's neck and sending him flying into a wall with a heavy *SMACK*. Viral grabbed Mani4c by the hair and lifted him to eye level. The hybrid avatar gasping in agony. "That was for the two of you putting me in that bind to begin with." Viral let go of Mani4c's hair and drove his knee into the wounded avatar's stomach, knocking the wind from him and fracturing some ribs.

Viral looked at Abraxas' group next, and began to slowly advance on them, his smirk becoming blatantly murderous. "Buuuut, I guess I should thank them...after all." Viral flared his aura, the ghostly black serpents swirling around him like leaves in a cyclone. "Thanks to them, I can kill Abraxas, rip the flesh from Hecate and Thorn's carcasses to use as throw-rugs...and Lilith..." The newly reborn virus' gaze turned particularly venomous when looking at his former lover. "I'm going to make you beg for death...and then, being the merciful gentleman I am...I'll oblige...slowly."

[Saber]

Saber brandished his sword when Caesar interrupted their fight, the sword pulsing with energy as he expected a 2 on 1 battle coming his way. But all this new avatar did was stop the battle before its conclusion, and the lack of a threat allowed him to calm down, deactivating his limit breaker and reverting back to normal. Due to the short amount of time using it, he showed no signs of fatigue, and simply stood there, watching the two talk with a stern glare.

Baretta just stood there, frozen in fear. Viral had taken down both Mani4c and Noxus without a second thought. He seemed to have reverted back to his old ways of malice and torture. And then he did the unthinkable, he singled out Lilith and said he was going to kill her. That snapped her out of her fear-induced paralysis.

As Viral advanced on them all, there was the sound of two guns clicking behind him "That's enough Viral! Have you forgotten everything that's happened up until this point? Lilith is your lover, the person you cherish most in your life, and you want to exterminate her just like the rest of them?! SNAP OUT OF IT!"

[Mani4c]

Viral listened to Baretta's tirade and grit his teeth. "You DARE to tell me to snap out of it!? I have had a MONTH to simmer over having her taken from me, turned into Abraxas' whore like that cock-huffing sorceress and that toss rag who's standing next to him!" Viral jabbed his finger at Hecate and Thorn before whirling around to face Baretta, his eyes bloodshot and filled with psychotic hatred. "She said it herself, she CHOSE to leave, she's a TRAITOR! And Traitors die ignominious deaths!" Viral grabbed Baretta's chin and flicked his wrist, a knife flying out of his sleeve. Viral flipped the blade open and held the knife's point millimeters from Baretta's eye, the slightest twitch threatening to blind her. "And if you get in my way, I'll peel your eyelids back, cut out your eyeballs, and feed them to you!"

Before Viral could continue his rant, there was a sharp *CRACK* blowing apart Viral's knife and right hand. There was a second crack half a second later, blowing off Viral's left hand and freeing Baretta. Viral looked up and saw Mani4c of all people, his skull still possessing a gaping hole in it, holding a magnum revolver that he had yanked from a commando's holster. "Don't, touch, my girlfriend...you cuckolded FUCK!" Mani4c punctuated the curse with a second gunshot, blowing a hole in the virus' head.

Viral's body leaned back, only to catch it's footing and right itself. Viral's destroyed face had a furious scowl on it, his one eye radiating hatred. "You wouldn't be ALIVE if it wasn't for me you scum sucking pig!" Mani4c smirked, "Yeah, well at least my girlfriend isn't being fed the pipe from some wannabe Albert Wesker, a shit-eating legionary, and a stupid anime knockoff who thinks he's king of the viral heap; asshole!"

Viral roared in a rage and charged Mani4c, who grabbed a stun baton off of another commando and charged Viral, knocking the virus's arms aside and striking him behind the knee to knock him down. Mani4c then dialed up the stun charge on the baton, overloading it and jamming it into Viral's throat. "GYAAAARGH!" Viral screamed in pain and entered sleep mode, smoke curling off of his body. Mani4c looked at the viral generals, his expression fierce as he leveled the revolver at them. "ANY OTHER MOTHERFUCKERS WANNA TOUCH MY GIRL AND FUCKING EAT LEAD TONIGHT!? HUH!?"

[Saber]

Baretta was stock still when Viral pointed the blade at her eye, before it was shot from his hand by a still injured Mani4c. Who was once again placing her on a pedestal as he defended her and bashed Viral's personal issues. Without any trouble at all, Mani4c crippled and shut down Viral's rampage, and even dared to take on the generals all at once. She had to admit, it got her face red with embarrassment, but the good kind.

Zeus, watching the display with an amused glint in his eye, turned and started walking away "I've seen enough, I'm heading back. Coming, Lilith?"

Thorn's eye twitched as she stared at the unresponsive Viral, a ball of darkness forming in her hand "Toss rag, am I?" The ball started to crackle with black electricity, condenscing itself and growing larger as she reared her arm back to throw the condensed ball of corrupt data at Viral, pure rage in her eyes.

[Mani4c]

Mani4c lifted his pistol and shot a hole through Thorn's wrist causing the orb of energy to dissipate. "Yeah, you are...now look, Thorn, is it? I know that the only "hard situation" you like is being spread eagle with Abraxas on top of you, but I don't like little shits who attack people when they're down...even if that person is a raging dick." Justicar looked at Mani4c, was this truly the non-aggressive, soft hearted clown that he had been sent to collect so long ago? He was a completely different person now. Strong, brave, and willing to fight to protect his loved ones. "He's changed in so little time...is this what his father intended by making him so young at heart?"

Mani4c stepped forward, not a trace of fear on his face. "You know what...fuck this...Line up and bend over assholes, I have a lead enema for you." Mani4c opened fire at the generals, his other hand still holding the baton. Mani4c continued to advance, each step punctuated by a gunshot aimed at a general.

Caesar looked at Schatten and nodded, "Loathe as I am to agree with Zeus...we should leave. Lilith!" Lilith changed her arm into a shield and blocked any bullets headed her way, walking over to Schatten and protecting him as she headed towards Hecate with Caesar in tow. "Hecate, a portal, now. Unless you WANT to become a prison bitch." Hecate scoffed and snapped her fingers. "Porta!" a large portal with room for five appeared behind her. "Leave if you want, Genome should be done with his science fair project by now."

[Saber]

Saber watched as all of the generals retreated for now, eyes narrowing as he watched Schatten get pulled into the portal *...This isn't over...Anyone whouses me and my friends as test subjects are going to pay...*

Baretta looked at Hecate when she spoke, trying to make sense of what she meant "...'science fair project'...What is she talking about?"

[Mani4c]

Mani4c watched as Lilith, Caesar and Schatten left through the portal. He grit his teeth, partly due to pain, partly due to annoyance, when he noticed Saber glaring at Schatten. "Saber...one asshole at a fucking time alright? Rule numero Uno about emotions, don't hold grudges with an opponent. It makes you act like a dumbass." Mani4c looked at the remaining generals, specifically Abraxas. "What's the matter big shot, afraid to take your lumps like a man!?" Abraxas simply chuckled. "Mani4c...so much bravado. You're nursing a hole in the skull from your own team mate...do you REALLY want to fight me?" Mani4c spit on the ground at the Generals' feet. "I don't need my powers, or to be in top shape to fuck you up..."

Abraxas was about to respond, when suddenly, the rescue VTOLS, as well as the assault VTOLS, flew overhead, turning around and opening up at the generals with their auto-cannons. Hecate put up a barrier and pointed to the portal with her free hand. "M'lord...perhaps we should disengage for now. We still have much to do before we claim this dungheap as a hive." Abraxas was silent for a minute before responding. "Very Well...until next time, my dear foes." Abraxas turned and walked through the portal, Hecate looked at Thorn, Ripper and Zeus, a hint of disgust on her face. "Feel free to stay and be ripped apart, it would certainly make our home smell better." With that, Hecate lowered the shield and abandoned her companions as she entered the portal.

Mani4c dropped to one knee and looked at Viral with an annoyed expression. <Shepard, have a VTOL come down and pick us up...and prepare an isolation cell for Viral, no scans, no hellos...just toss him in a fucking pit and leave him for a bit.> 

[Saber]

Ripper and Thorn both walked into the portal, vanishing from view. Zeus on the other hand, simply walked away, before ripping a hole in cyberspace with a swipe of his hand and vanishing.

Saber calmed down considerably when the enemy had all retreated for now, walking over to Viral and inspecting him. He seemed 100% cured, but the way that Mani4c was regarding him seemed to make things seem a bit off to him. "...Gone back to his old ways?" Baretta gave Saber a dull glare and crossed her arms, her foot tapping irritably"He knocked Mani4c and Noxus down with a single punch, regarded Lilith as one more person he needs to erase, and threatened physical harm to me after I tried to make him come to his senses, what do you think?" Saber sighed and shook his head, walking back to the Durendal "...This is going to be a long war..."

[Mani4c]

The VTOL's set down and opened their hatches so the NPD officer's could board them. Mani4c placed a set of stun-cuffs on Viral, hacking them to increase the charge on the cuffs if he were to wake up. "Great, I don't have those viral powers any more, and for what? So this asshole can run around being a psychotic dick again..." Mani4c dragged Viral by the scruff of his neck, tossing the comatose avatar onto the VTOL and looking at Baretta. "Well...ah, fuck it, I needed a makeover anyways. Baretta, I need a favor from you and Saber, I'm gonna get upgraded to replace all the shit I lost cause of Viral being separate from me now. I'd like you and Saber to design a CAS mod for me. One each."

[Saber]

Baretta looked to Mani4c while Saber had his attention on Viral, who was being dragged back onto a VTOL, thinking about Mani4c's request "Of course, Mani4c. We all could use a distraction after this little endeavor. I can't promise anything immediate though."

[Mani4c]

Mani4c nodded, "That's good...and, I ummm. I wanted to ask...wouldyouliketogoonadatewithmewhenthisisallover!?" Mani4c sucked in a breath and looked at Baretta, realizing that she would probably have NO idea what he had just said. "Uh, what I meant was...would you like to go on a date with me when this is all over? Just, you and me, a movie, dinner...maybe, ummm, maybe you could...sleep over at my place?" Mani4c was blushing furiously, and fiddling with his fingers. "Because...well, y'know, I don't spend most of my cash, so I've got a lot to burn. And, and..." Mani4c pulled Baretta into a kiss, leading to a surprising amount of cheers from the NPD commandos.

Mani4c had tanked a crushed skull, taken down Viral without much difficulty, and had dared the most powerful viruses in the North American network to try and attack him, he had earned a large amount of respect for his courage, and now, the commandos were siding with him. "C'mon Cap! Say yes!" "Yeah, he poured his heart out to you!"

Meanwhile, Noxus was helped to his feet by Justicar, the former underground leader having problems walking. "Heh, Mani4c's distracted by his love life again..." Justicar growled angrily, he may have respected Mani4c, but the fact that Noxus had been ignored by his own brother angered him. "I should beat him senseless, thinking with his dick and leaving you to suffer." Noxus chuckled, "And you're NOT like that with Amp around?" Justicar was silent, "Justicar, Mani4c cares about me just as much as he cares about Baretta, he just knows that I can take more punishment as well. So relax, will you?" Justicar was silent for a moment before letting out a small growl of assent. "Very well."

[Saber]

Baretta blushed when Mani4c started pouring his heart out, not quite sure what to say. But then he pulled her into a kiss, and she started to swoon a little, returning his kiss . Then she heard all of the troop rooting for him, and she started to laugh inside *Jeeze, talk about peer pressure.* When she finally broke the kiss, she smiled and took Mani4c's hand in hers, smiling at him "...Idiot...What am I ever gonna do with you~"

Saber noticed the hooting and hollering of the guards and chuckled, shaking his head. He cleared his throat to get the troops' attention "Alright you lot, let's give these two some alone time and sweep the red light for refugees. No telling when Abraxas will target this place again, and the less casualties here, the better."

[Mani4c]

The Commandos gave a simultaneous cry of "YES SIR!" and began to sweep the area, several of them giving Mani4c a pat on the back as they passed. Mani4c laughed and rolled his eyes, "If this was all it took to get popular with the jarheads, I should have smashed Viral in the head a loooong time ago." 

Suddenly, there was a small beeping noise coming from Noxus' right arm, he retracted the armor covering his forearm, revealing a small holo-projector. Noxus activated it, opening a communications channel with Shepard. <We're nearly done mopping up, about 50 drones attacked us out of nowhere, now we just need to get the civvies to a safe zone we've set up in the Asian network. How are things on your end? I was having trouble getting in contact with Baretta.> Noxus looked over at Mani4c and Baretta, noting the admittedly adorable lovestruck looks on their faces. "She's...preoccupied. Why, did something come up?" Shepard nodded, <We had that egghead of yours, Byte, observing Mani4c's code, when all of the connective programs between him and Viral started shorting out. If he doesn't get them fixed soon, he's gonna lock up.>

Noxus sighed, "We're...going to have to replace them, Viral ended up getting his own framework...unfortunately he's back to his old demeanor, though his homicidal behavior seems to be limited to anyone who gets in the way of killing Abraxas and his forces." Shepard sighed, <Shit...that's not good. Alright, I'll get in touch with Bit and The Doctor...maybe Forge too, his work with Saber wasn't too bad. Just make sure he and Baretta stop playing hide the salami before he locks up.> Noxus cut the connection, just in time to see Mani4c cry out in pain and drop to one knee. "Shit! W-what the hell is going on!?"

[Saber]

Baretta dropped as well, keeping Mani4c stable as he was clearly in pain "Mani4c, what's wrong? Talk to me!" "He's locking up." Baretta looked at Saber as he approached, his skystrike armor currently active and his wings folded in for stability "Locking up? Why would that be happening, is there anything we can do?" "I don't know the cause, but I've experienced those symptoms first hand. He needs immediate attention or it will only get worse...I'll fly him to Bit and the doctor, so they can stabilize him for repairs."

He knelt down, offering to take Mani4c from Baretta's support. Reluctant at first, Baretta nodded "Mani4c, go with Saber, he'll bring you back to the Durendal to get fixed up. I'll stay here and make sure everyone returns safely, but I'll come check on you the moment I return, alright?"

[Mani4c]

Mani4c looked at Baretta and smirked, "H-hey, I've felt worse, remember when Viral punched a hole in my head? that was some shit wasn't it?" Mani4c tried to laugh, but winced as another bout of paralysis hit him. "eh heh, ow! Hurts to laugh." Mani4c looked at Saber and nodded, "Y-yeah, let's get goin' bud."

[Saber]

Saber hefted Mani4c up and supported him with one arm around his shoulder "Hold on tight Mani4c, I don't carry passengers often and I don't plan to waste time with you in this condition." Kicking his thrusters on, Saber flapped his wings and took flight, making his way to the Durendal "Bit? This is Saber, I'm bringing Mani4c in for code repair. ETA, 2 cycles." <Understood, I'll inform Byte and the doctor, so we can stabilize him.>

(End thread)