My first fanfiction posted online and my own sequel to Azure Striker Gunvolt. I want to apologize ahead of time for the long prologue.

Character personalities and details are written under my own impressions, so I understand if you as the reader have contradictions.

Now enjoy (I guess)!

Gunvolt didn't know what to think. His mind was filled with a lot of questions. His heart was filled with betrayal, anger, and despair. He trusted the one man that made him who he was. The one man that helped him when he was captured. Now... that one man was dead. Asimov was dead. Gunvolt couldn't understand his feelings. They were too jumbled. He felt like screaming at the top of his lungs but at the same time his mouth felt slammed shut. Zeno and Moniqa appeared before Gunvolt just as the elevator reached its bottom in Babel. Zeno and Moniqa looked only a second happy from seeing Gunvolt's safe arrival only to be turned into shock upon seeing Asimov's dead body resting on its knees. Moniqa's face right away starts to pinch up and she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks, as she fell to the floor. Zeno was looking from Gunvolt to Asimov and then back to Gunvolt again. He started to demand what had happen but Gunvolt couldn't say anything. He thought that if he opened his mouth to talk he would cry instead and then that would be a lot more mess. Zeno continued to demand Gunvolt for answers but he could only walk forward slowly. Everything happened too fast. Gunvolt couldn't accept all of this. Distraught by his mixed feelings, Gunvolt stumbled and fell toward Zeno. Luckily, Zeno caught him and could only stare at his friend in wonder and a hint of anger. But after Gunvolt wouldn't raise his face to look at Zeno his face slackens with sympathy and he held his friend closer.

Zeno looked over Gunvolt to Moniqa and told her to stand up. She refuses and continues to cry on the floor. Zeno himself was clueless on what to do. Either he would have to bring Gunvolt back to QUILL headquarters, console Moniqa, or at least do something with Asimov's body. Zeno decided to call in the others from QUILL and tell them to handle with Asimov. As for Moniqa he will leave her to cry her woes away. Gunvolt needed somewhere to stay if he wanted answers from him.

News spread fast with their leader, Asimov, found dead. Like Zeno, the QUILL members wanted to know what had happened. Zeno could only tell them that they had to wait as he found a bed for Gunvolt to rest in. The room that Gunvolt was in was well protected so that no one could break in if they were too impatient for answers. Just as Zeno was about to leave something emit a glow behind him. He instantly turned around and saw a girl with light brown hair and transparent blue butterfly wings floating above Gunvolt. "Lumen," Zeno whispered upon seeing her. Lumen nodded and replied, "It's me, Joule." Zeno's face showed confusion and Lumen could understand why. "I have become one with the Muse. And I am now inside of Gunvolt." Zeno digest this information before asking Lumen- Joule, what had happened.

"You gotta tell me everything from the beginning!" Zeno cried. Joule shook her head apologetically.

"I don't think it's my role to tell you," Joule replied. Zeno wanted to ask why not but Joule only floated closer to Gunvolt and disappear. The whole room fell back into darkness. Zeno stare down at his friend, expecting him to wake up but he evidently didn't. Considering that he had to be patient, Zeno left the room without another glance back.

With Sumeragi gone, peace was thought to come after... but it didn't. The people went awry as they wondered what happened to the Sumeragi who supposedly protected them. Sumeragi was considered a government for these people and with it gone everything went into anarchy. Town and cities broke out and there was an uproar on who should lead the people. There was so many contradictions that groups were made. Groups that went with this idea and groups that went with that idea. Nobody could agree with each other. Since the death of Asimov, QUILL has also started to disband. They thought they could stay together and be the new government but none could take the role or none would want to take the role of being the new boss. So the QUILL members left one by one. In only a month QUILL was no more. All that was left was Zeno and Moniqa. Moniqa was almost at the brink of leaving herself. "Without Asimov, QUILL is pointless..." Moniqa said, still depressed from Asimov's death.

"Don't say that Moniqa. Aren't we family?" Zeno asked Moniqa sternly. "Besides, we'll probably get answers if Geeves woke up." Zeno turn his stare toward the room Gunvolt was sleeping in. It seemed like Gunvolt has been in a coma since his fight with Asimov.

"What would you do if GV was actually the culprit behind Asimov's death? What would you?!" Moniqa shouted at Zeno. He could only look down, speechless.

"QUILL said they were going to help the people but they just left..." Sharply, Zeno turned his head back to Moniqa and shouted, "I don't want you to be mixed up with those people! Moniqa, Geeves may need you!" Zeno's harsh tone triggered Moniqa's tears as she sunk to the floor to cry. These days she wasn't holding up so well. Asimov was a fatherly figure for her too. "Dammit..." Zeno cursed under his breath. "Hurry and wake up, man!" Zeno referred to Gunvolt.

Done with Moniqa's crying Zeno decided to step out into the city. He was armed with firearms in case any crazy people were around to convert him. Even from a distance Zeno could see the glow of the city. Not from its light but from another possible fire that broke out downtown. Zeno cursed again and hurried for the city. QUILL had been taking care of the city but it became such a chore. The people were unreasonable and would often attack the QUILL members who tried to help calm their quarrels. It was the last straw when a group of QUILL members went to the city only to be tricked and injured. Some were captured but not long as other members of QUILL helped them out. That's when the members who were involved came to base and announced that they were quitting. That their only goal was to take down Sumeragi, not help the people who discriminated adepts. Zeno gotten more stressed because of all the drama but he held on, knowing that if he kept QUILL alive, Asimov would be alive too.

Zeno reached the city but stayed back quite a bit so he could observe what was happening. Once again, people were burning down cars, burning down stores, burning down ANYTHING just so they could cause an uproar. "Humans can truly be animals, can't they?" A voice said from behind Zeno. Zeno flinched and quickly pivoted and point his gun at whoever it was who spoke. It was a boy. He was covered head to toe in white clothing. In front of him was a shield that was tall as him so shooting wouldn't have done anything. Zeno couldn't quite tell but from the dancing flames of the fires behind him, Zeno could see the boy give a smirk. "It's a shame really. If my father was still alive he would have picked up all of these people in his hands and guide them." The boy sounded melancholy but only a second before saying something else. "But I guess I will be the one who will be guiding them in his place."

"Who are you?" Zeno asked, wary of the boy's proximity. "Shouldn't you be with them, causing trouble and stuff?"

The boy stared at Zeno not amused by his behavior. "I'm not like these people. They are followers. And I'm a leader." The boy stepped closer to Zeno as if he wanted to be heard. "I'm wondering who you are. Your clothes look awfully familiar. It gives me a bad taste to my mouth." These clothes...? Zeno thought and look down at them. Where could he have seen them...? Then Zeno remembered Gunvolt. There was times when Gunvolt would have transmission errors. Could this boy be the cause? When Zeno did connect with Gunvolt sometimes a bit during a battle he seemed like he was in a struggle with someone. It didn't seem like any Sumeragi. It sounded like a boy. Like HIM. Zeno instinctively pulled out his bigger gun and small gun, arming them on both of his hands.

"Okay, I don't know what's up with you, man. But if you meant bad news to Geeves then you mean bad news to me too." Zeno expected as much as the boy hid behind his shield.

"Don't act rashly now. You do see what's in front of me, right? But then again, this is more than just a shield." Right before Zeno's eyes the shield transformed into having an arrow like thing on it. "If you're the last adept I have to kill then that would at least bring back the pride that I have lost during my battles with the Azure Striker." Zeno, scared from being on gunpoint, dropped his two guns and raised his hands to the side of his heads.

"Whoa, dude! I'm not an adept," Zeno lied. "I'm just a normal human being, see? No septimal energy here." The boy only squinted harder at Zeno to make sure.

"Then tell me, why would a 'normal human being' work with the adepts?"

Zeno gulped from the pressure. "Because adepts are not who you think they are. True, there are the few evil ones like Sumeragi. But other than that adepts are just normal as us… human beings."

"Lies!" The boy shouted and Zeno flinched from his sudden loudness. "Adepts are the ones who killed my father. They used him and then killed him like he was just a toy passed its prime."

Zeno almost couldn't let the words out his throat as he stammered, "A-adepts didn't kill your dad. S-Sumeragi did. And now they're gone." The boy hitches up his arrow shield and Zeno's heart thumped faster in his chest. "J-just cool it, alright?! No one would hurt you anymore. I mean, haven't you a-avenged your dad already?" The boy seemed like he didn't notice himself lowering his shield. But by this gesture Zeno feels like the boy was starting to calm down. It may have been a bad move but Zeno tried to make light conversation so he could leave with no problems. "So these people... how come you're not leading them yet?"

It was a bad choice of topic as the boy snap his glare back to Zeno's face. The sudden movement made Zeno jump and sweat bullets. "I can't," the boy said and turned around to face the other way while continuing to talk. "They won't listen." Zeno didn't knew what to do. In this chance he could either escape or try to attack. But attack seemed to be the worse option. He could make a break for it but that might guarantee his death too since the arrow's shot might just reached him before he could run even a meter away. The boy's voice broke his thought as he concluded to say, "That's why I need a hostage." He glared back at Zeno once more. Zeno couldn't help it but he began shaking. "You're coming with me. It's alright. Know that you're doing it for the good of mankind."

It was a dark building that could be considered abandoned but there was a few appliances here and there that had the vibe of "home." Or if not home then at least "safe." There was not much wreckage around so it proved that it was a good place to hide from the havoc happening in town. Even though Zeno was supposedly held "hostage" he wasn't tied up. "I'm not going to be as desperate as to keep you tied up. I will just have to momentarily trust you in not running away. Otherwise..." The boy made the emphasis by transforming his shield back into the arrow head.

As the boy stoked the fire that sat between them Zeno asked again. "Uh, can I at least know your name?" The boy paused a bit from the question before resuming on making the fire bigger.

"You are in no place to ask for my name. As the hostage you must tell yours first," the boy said.

"Fine," Zeno sighed. "It's Zeno."

"Is it?" Before Zeno could confirm the boy cut him off and continued to talk. "You may call me Copen. Remember it well because this is the only time I'm telling you."

"Right, Copen..." Zeno muttered. "So why do you need me as a hostage? I thought you were one of those 'good guys?'"

"I don't need to answer you," Copen replied as he plop down a huge pot on top of the blazing fire. Zeno was shocked at the cold answer but was more annoyed at the boy's attitude.

"I don't need to sit here and take this. I'm not even tied up so-" Before Zeno could continue to argue Copen cocked a gun at him. Zeno's gun. "Why you..."

"Sit down. I don't want to tell you again." Zeno did as he ordered and he could only continue to sit there as Copen cooked his dinner. Everything was silent from that moment on. The only noise was the crackling of the fire and the boiling of the pot. When it over boiled Copen haul the pot away from the fire. Zeno was too mad to stare at the boy's every move so he bowed his head down, helpless on what to do next. There was always the communicator but Zeno was wondering if he could really receive any help from Moniqa. She seemed broken and fragile that if Zeno called in about what was happening now she might be thrown into the loop. Plus, Gunvolt was the one Zeno was betting on saving him. "Here," Copen said. Zeno looked up to see Copen handing him a teacup. Tea. This guy just prepared him tea? Like this was some normal visit? For some reason that pissed Zeno off and he couldn't stop himself before he reached out and brush aside the teacup. It went flying across the room before breaking on the hard ground. Zeno was shaking once again, part fear and part anger. He didn't know what Copen was going to do next but whether it was yelling or killing him it didn't matter. He rather be dead than be this guy's hostage. And he was Gunvolt's enemy anyways. Zeno braced himself for whatever but what came out of Copen was only an exasperated sigh. "Fine. You don't need to accept the tea." Copen went over to his side of the fire and sat down with his own cup of tea. "Okay, Zeno," Copen said Zeno's name disgustingly. "I want some answers. First, where is the Azure Striker? Is he dead or alive?" He blow on his tea and gulped the whole thing in three counts.

Zeno was at first pondering on how he would answer that question. Should he lie and say that Gunvolt was dead? Or should he at least annoy Copen by saying Gunvolt was alive? Then Zeno remembered what Copen had said earlier to him when he wanted answers. "I don't need to answer you."

Copen stared daggers but he didn't do anything like threaten Zeno as he said, "So he is still alive? I thought so." Zeno cursed at himself for making it obvious. When he didn't answer it was most likely the answer would be "yes." Copen poured himself another cup of tea as he asked another question. "What do you belong to? What does Azure Striker belong to?" Zeno continued to not answer. "Answer me." Zeno stayed silent. Copen once again sighed and got up from his sitting position. He carefully put down his teacup and went over to Zeno. Copen grabbed ahold of Zeno's collar and pull him up from the ground. "You better answer me or I will kill you with your own gun," Copen finally threatened. "It was bad enough with adepts but a human that works with the adepts are almost worse."

Zeno only gave Copen a sly grin as he said, "Go ahead. Then you'll get no answers at all." Copen was shocked at Zeno's retort and could only throw him back on to the ground in response.

"Then I will slowly beat it out of you. I swear, every adept will be demolished and when I do get the last one then I will get humans like you next."

Zeno started laughing. For some reason he felt cocky. Probably because he had a strong reason for Copen not to kill him so he almost felt invincible. "You spout about being a leader for those people who are raising hell in town but I don't know if you're so human yourself to lead them." Zeno could see it. The anger that was reflecting Copen's eyes. His red eye color seemed to darken then glow again only to return back to dark.

"You...!" Copen started and pulled one of Zeno's gun from his back. It was the big one. He pointed it right at Zeno's face and cocked the gun. Zeno was frightened. Was Copen really going to shoot? Maybe Zeno got too carried away and said the wrong thing. Dying this way was not what Zeno had imagined. He always thought he would die a heroic death. Not die as a hostage. And Zeno wanted to at least know what happened to Asimov before he goes. Zeno also realized that dying here would leave Moniqa alone. Sure, there was Gunvolt but he remained to be unconscious. How will Moniqa react to the disappearance of Zeno? Just thinking about it made Zeno lose heart as he understood that Moniqa would be more shattered than she was now. Zeno broke eye contact from the gun in front of him and slowly look down. If he was going to die... then he wants to die quick and painless so that the shame wouldn't creep up into him and kill him first. Copen gasped from the action and yelled at Zeno, "You're not going to fight back? What's wrong with you?" Next thing Zeno felt was a hard smack to his head. From this impact he fell to his side and continue to lay there as his vision blurred and darkened. Something warm was running from his head but Zeno couldn't feel any pain as he blacked out.

When Gunvolt eyes fluttered open he saw himself in a bare room. QUILL, he thought. I'm back here? Gunvolt slowly sat up and looked around the room some more. IVs rose from his arms and bandages wrapped his abdomen. At first Gunvolt was confused on why he was in bed. Not until a minute later did everything came flooding back in. The defeat of Sumeragi's mastermind, Nova... then the escape with Joule... only to be stopped by Asimov... and be killed by him. No. Gunvolt was brought back because Lumen- no, Joule- entered his body to give him strength... which he used to kill Asimov... After absorbing all of the details back Gunvolt started shuddering and he begun to weep quietly. "Joule... Joule..." Gunvolt called into the room. "Where are you, Joule? Are you here... with me?" As in response the whole room glowed and it took Gunvolt a moment to realize it was coming from him.

"Gunvolt, remember that I will always be a breath away..." He heard a girl voice say. Not just a girl's voice. Joule's voice. Joule flew in front of Gunvolt and greeted him with a smile. "Gunvolt," she said gently. Her appearance was that of Lumen but Gunvolt could tell that she was truly Joule. Her presence felt that way.

"Joule... I'm glad you're-" Gunvolt couldn't finish his sentence as he brushed away his tears.

"It's alright, Gunvolt. I will always be near you," Joule once again reassured. "But I think we need you to rise again. For someone else you care for..." Gunvolt look up to Joule and almost asked her who when the door to his room slid open.

"GV!" Moniqa screamed and lunged for him. She fell short and only reached Gunvolt's side of the bed before she started blubbering, "Zeno! Something happened to Zeno! He's been out and hasn't return yet!" Gunvolt doesn't know how long he's been out but it must not have been long if Moniqa showed no signs of his deep slumber. Gunvolt could only stare at Moniqa lose herself before she got up to grab Gunvolt on the shoulders. "I know you're feeling a lot right now but you need to find Zeno! He's the only left so if he's gone..." Moniqa dropped her hold on Gunvolt and cried into her hands. Gunvolt already understood what Moniqa meant. Asimov was gone... by his own hands but losing someone else that he considered family would really make things worse. A little motivated Gunvolt got up and walked pass Moniqa. She hopefully looked up from her hands at Gunvolt.

"I'll bring him back," Gunvolt begun quietly. Then he looked up in determination as electricity flow through his body. "We can't lose any more people." Moniqa managed to put on a smile as she watched Gunvolt bolt out the door.

"I can help you," Joule whispered into Gunvolt's ears. After she finished her words Gunvolt felt a surge of septimal energy and he glowed with the colors azure and cerulean around him. Gunvolt got outside and saw the city from away. Something was glowing orange from the middle of it. Gunvolt decided to check out that place in case Zeno got himself in that mess. But it was almost reluctant as he went for the city. "No regrets, Gunvolt. You had to do what you had to do. Your family needs you right now so let's help them," Joule encouraged. Family, Gunvolt thought. Ha, Gunvolt agreed to that term before Asimov betrayed him. Now it was only Joule that he could trust. "But what is it that's driving you then? To save Zeno?" Joule said as if she was reading his thoughts. Gunvolt hesitates to answer but Joule answers it herself. "You may doubt him but you still love him. As family. That bond may be scarred but it could still be stitched up." Gunvolt listened to Joule's words and considered them. They sounded true and it seemed to describe what he did feel. It seems like since Joule became part of him she knew how to put his feelings into words.

"Let's go, Joule. Together."

When Zeno managed to open his eyes he saw that he was at the same place he was at the last time before getting knocked out. The dark building. There, in front of the fire, sat Copen. At first he looked like was staring straight at Zeno but that's when he discovered that his eyes was closed in slumber. Zeno try to sit up but his head throbbed in response and Zeno moaned in pain as he fell back down. Instinctively, Zeno reached up to where his pain was and felt around it. At first he expected his hair to be sticky with his own blood but instead there was bandages wrapped tightly around his head. He must have done this, Zeno thought and look over to Copen. But why? Even though he was the one that stole my consciousness in the first place? Zeno didn't knew what the kid was planning but he was fed up and wanted to just return back to QUILL headquarters. Then he remembered something. Zeno quickly but quietly fumbled around his pockets to retrieve his communicator. Luckily, Copen didn't frisk him. Zeno turned the communicator on and whispered-shouted into it, "Moniqa! I need your help! I'm in serious hot water right now!" Zeno paused himself before he could say anymore. What was Moniqa supposed to do? She couldn't just come here alone. She would get hurt... "Uh... Moniqa? I was kidding... I've got it all under wraps, ha ha..." Zeno whispered. Zeno expected Moniqa to start scolding him on his humor but he heard nothing but... static. Dammit! No transmission! Zeno discovered too late. He huffed and limply drop the communicator. So I can't get out of here, huh? I'm going to be stuck here as a hostage with this sadistic kid. Then Zeno started thinking of Gunvolt. Geeves... I need you, man. There's no better time than now... Then speak of the devil a crash reverberated throughout the area. Zeno, with wide eyes, searched the surrounding darkness for the cause of the noise. Copen jumped awake and started searching the area too. His eyes came to rest on Zeno and he rushed to him.

"What did you do?" Copen demanded and started to grab Zeno's collar again. Before Copen could hold him up to his face a piece of debris fell from above and landed on him. Zeno fell to the floor, released from Copen's grip. The whole building seem to get more torn down that the ceiling was continuously spewing out chunks of stone. Zeno knew he had to get out but when he tries to get up blood rushed to his head and the pain throbbed unbearably enough to make him fall back down. A sound was heard above Zeno and he could feel small sands of the structure running down on him. A piece of debris was going to squish him! Just as Zeno predicted a piece slipped from the ceiling and fell for him. That's it. I'm not going to die heroically. I'm not going to die as a hostage. But I'm going to die from a gacking rock... Zeno quickly thought as he closed his eyes, bracing for his death. Except... it never arrived. Zeno wondered about this until he felt it. The thickness of the air. It was electrifying. Zeno's eyes flew open. "Geeves!" He exclaimed upon seeing Gunvolt standing near him with his Flashfield up. Gunvolt took a glance back and turn to pick up Zeno. "Hey! I'm not your bride or anything!" Zeno protested as Gunvolt dropped his Flashfield and held him that way. Debris was still falling from above but Gunvolt was agile enough to bring both out of the way of danger. It was like he was never bedridden. Zeno was so happy that his friend came to rescue him as he hoped he would. But the happiness only lasted for the time being until they both returned to QUILL headquarters.

When both entered the building Moniqa rushed to Zeno's aid. She set him up on a bed and changed the bandages on his head. Gunvolt stood back as he quietly observed Moniqa's first aid skills. Zeno's head may have been damaged but that didn't stop the questions that swelled up. When Moniqa was finished fixing him up, she got up to leave Zeno to rest. "Geeves..." Zeno started which also stopped Gunvolt from walking away. "I need answers." Zeno stared intently at Gunvolt. Gunvolt swear this was the first time he saw Zeno that way. But even with the serious face Gunvolt was reluctant to give him answers. It was too much work. And too painful remembering. Moniqa also stared at Gunvolt in curosity like she wanted answers herself but was afraid to ask.

"If you want answers, I'll give them to you," Gunvolt said and looked away from both Zeno and Moniqa as he continued to talk. "It's true. I killed Asimov." Zeno knew that was going to be the answer yet he couldn't help but get angry.

"Why..." Zeno shook with anger. "Why did you have to kill Boss Man? You traitor!" The shouting made Zeno's head throb more but he ignored it. Gunvolt didn't say anything to deny it which made Zeno almost jump out of his bed to hit him but Moniqa held him back. "Give me one good jitt of a reason why you had to kill him! We were supposed to restore order after Sumeragi died down. But without Boss Man... without Boss Man... QUILL is ruined!" Zeno couldn't stop ranting. The pain on his head felt like nothing now as his madness covered it up. Gunvolt still didn't give a response to Zeno's outrage.

"Oh be quiet, Zeno! You're being too loud," Moniqa said while trying to push him down in bed. Suddenly the whole room glowed in light. Out from Gunvolt came Joule, her face smiling even with the tension in the air.

"Zeno," Joule begun. "All you have been doing is accusing, Gunvolt. Haven't you ever thought what Gunvolt's perspective may be like?" Zeno stared at Joule with the same expression he had toward Gunvolt. Joule didn't seem to notice as she told Zeno, "Go on."

Zeno was reluctant but he caught himself to know that he was being unfair. With a sigh, Zeno asked, "So... can you explain what happened?"

Gunvolt was quiet at first but he replied, "I killed Asimov because he... he wanted to use QUILL and the satellite from Sumeragi to wipe the whole human existence. Now, it's your choice on whether you want to believe me or not." Zeno was shocked at what he heard and it all sounded so farfetched like a lie.

"Why would Boss Man want to wipe the human race if he was fighting for it the whole time?" Zeno asked in a harsh tone. This all seemed fake. A cover story for his crime.

"He said the humans deserved it. That they were the ones that discriminated adepts so they had to pay for it." Gunvolt sounded more sure than he was earlier. Like he wanted Zeno to believe in his story. But it still sounded farfetched. How could Asimov do something that bad? He was such a good guy, a determined leader that hoped for freedom to all kinds. Adepts and humans. Zeno wanted to deny Gunvolt's explanation but it was quite reasonable. Adepts were discriminated because humans feared them of their power. Because of this Sumeragi was created to "take care" of those adepts. Except they were only turned into weapons and were used. Asimov must have bide his time by acting like he wanted freedom for all when he only wanted freedom for adepts. Zeno's head hurt with the possible truth that clouded his brain. He squeeze his eyes closed.

"The Azure Striker is right. That man you called Asimov... he attacked me and robbed me of my gun. HIs motive was injustice." The voice startled the three as they look toward the entrance of the door. There stood Copen, bleeding all over his white clothing. He leaned to a nearby wall, panting.

"H-how did you get in?" Moniqa questioned, her voice with a hint of fear.

"So you guys are from the group called QUILL, huh? Well, the reason I was able to get in was because security wasn't tight. It seems everything became a down low here since the Sumeragi died." Copen could barely stand up but he managed to continue talking. "Azure Striker. I wanted to see you. And now that I did, you haven't died. Imagine my surprise right now."

Gunvolt stared emotionlessly at him. "What do you want? If it's a fight you want then you're too weak to do anything."

Copen grit his teeth and replied, "It's true. I am, but..." Copen pulled something from behind his back. Zeno's large gun. He positioned it to Gunvolt's head. "I want to at least-" Before Copen could say anymore Gunvolt shot the gun from his hand and it landed a few feet away from him. "No matter," Copen breathed as he pulled out another weapon, Zeno's other gun, and pointed to Gunvolt again. "I'll-" Once again he was cut off as Gunvolt shot the gun from his hand and it went flying away.

"You're making yourself more of a disgrace than you should be. Stop wanting my blood for stupid reasons." This time it was Gunvolt who pointed his gun to Copen. Copen's face darkened and he let go of the wall so he could fall to his knees.

"GV is hurting no one, so it's better off if you stop your predation," Joule backed Gunvolt up. Copen didn't respond as his consciousness slipped away. He fell forward flat on his face. Gunvolt sighed.

"I guess someone else needs some TLC," Gunvolt said to Moniqa.

"R-really?" Moniqa asked, surprised at Gunvolt's generosity. "But he might be dangerous."

"Not really. He doesn't have his other fancy-shmancy gimmick that had Sumeragi's copied attacks. I say he's a normal boy now," Gunvolt explained and fell back to silence. The little bit of conversation made everything seemed back to normal again. Almost. But only momentarily. "I'm off," Gunvolt declared and stepped over Copen's faint body to leave.

"Wait, Geeves!" Zeno called for his friend. Gunvolt actually halted in his steps but he didn't turn around to face him. "L-listen. I guess I could sort of understand why you had to... kill Boss Man. So for the sake of us can you at least stay?"

Gunvolt laughed but it wasn't a hearty one. It sounded mean and curt. "Ha, are you sure you can live to see my face? The possible culprit who might have murdered his own boss?" Zeno felt guilty from accusing Gunvolt. Maybe he assumed because he was desperate for an answer to Asimov's death. But he knew that blaming Gunvolt was stupid. Gunvolt wouldn't have hurt someone unless he had a solid reason to. Hell, Gunvolt wouldn't have hurt the adepts from Sumeragi if he wasn't missioned to do so. He was a strong-willed boy who would only do something that he thought was right. QUILL had a one tracked mind and that was to disperse the Sumeragi group. Gunvolt agreed with their way of thinking and joined, obligated to helping out if it meant killing some adepts to making the remaining adepts free. There was also the exception of QUILL's leader, Asimov, who helped free Gunvolt when he was captured. But when Asimov went against what Gunvolt thought was their primary goal he had to act back because that's what he thought was right. It could be right. Gunvolt doesn't seem to be the type to lie.

With much mixed feelings inside of him, Zeno finally answered. "We need you, Geeves. What's remaining of QUILL needs you."

"Then I'll stick around," Gunvolt said and finally turned back to face Zeno and Moniqa. "For your guys' sake and..." Gunvolt paused a bit before finishing up his sentence. "my sake too."

It was going to be slow to regain back each other's trust but the fact that it's starting was good enough. However, back to the damaged building that Gunvolt destroyed, a group of two came dawdling over to it. The whole building was in crumples and nothing was to be found in the rumble. Well, nothing normal. The two, expecting something like unique trash that may be used for their survival, started digging through the heaps of concrete walls. It was almost pointless to keep on searching but the two felt the need to go on. Even if there was nothing they decided they would sleep here since holes would be dug in the debris and they could use that as a borough to rest in. That's when one of the two finally found something hidden in the dirt. It was white. It was big. It was a shield.

"Look at what I found!" The first stranger shouted to the second one. The second one perked up and ran to the first.

"What is that?" Stranger number two asked.

"Isn't obvious?" The first one said and activated the shield's secret weapon. An arrow. He cackled from the sight of it. "We just hit the jackpot, Xac!" The second one, Xac, still looked confused.

"How so, Zod?" Xac questioned, oblivious of the shield's use. "I know it's a weapon but we can't start uprising with that."

"Not as a shield. Nope. Not as an arrow. Nope. But something else." The first stranger, Zod, replied and hitch the once again shield over his shoulder. "This is what's going to happen..." He explained the plan to Xac and Xac nodded at Zod's every word. Then his eyes widen.

"That's... cool," Xac commented breathlessly. "Can you really do that?"

"Of course. But only if you agree to do it," Zod reminded him. Xac excitingly jumped up and down agreeing to the deal. Zod snickered. "Alright then. It's time a new group arises to take over the people and their world."

Again, sorry for the long prologue!

Again, sorry for the long prologue. Other chapters won't be this way. So anyway, please leave a review (if you want to)!

To see the gist of what my OCs look like, check my bio.