Perfection. It has been a dream for the world since the fall of man, and it has yet to be achieved for humanity. This world we live in has so many flaws...the humans of this world need protecting.

A figure stood at a large window, overseeing the magnificent city that graced his view. His ruby eyes narrowed as he beheld the daily hustle and bustle of the city.

They need a hero...a savior. A perfect being that will lead the humans to greatness.

I have already achieved that greatness.

He turned to face the four other beings in the room with him and narrowed his eyes further. His four Guardians gazed at him expectantly, ready for their new orders; but the figure standing over them only smirked very faintly.

And with that greatness...I shall seek the greatest power...therefore I will truly be the savior of this city and cleanse the filth from its streets.

***RS***

HONK! HONK! HONK! HONK!

"Ungh…" She grumbled as the alarm went off, after the fourth time of hitting the 'snooze' button. Reaching to silence it once more, she moaned in iiratance as the alarm shut up upon her knocking it backwards….only for it to turn right back on as soon as it hit the floor.

"OH FOR CRYING-!" Swiftly she sat up and fired her weapon at the screaming clock….obliterating it to nothingness. For a moment, only silence was heard in the room, before a booming voice came from the room just beside her.

"RAVEN! I SWEAR IF YOU'VE DESTROYED ANOTHER CLOCK, I'M GOING TO TAKE THAT STICK OF YOURS AND SHOVE IT SO FAR UP YOUR-"

"Oh bite me!" The girl slowly rubbed her face, moaning lightly as her vision got out of it's fog and she gazed at all the broken pieces of the murdered clock, scattered around the floor.

What was that? The fifth clock this month? Seven sounded more like it honestly….Groaning, she stood and slowly trudged for a cabinet in the small room. Becoming apart of the Resistance wasn't exactly glorious, but it gave her what she needed.

A cot to sleep on, tools for her blaster, and a place to put trinkets. Anyone under X's command would view this as a prison cell.
To her, this was as close to freedom as anyone could get...ESPECIALLY with that Megalomaniac in control of Neo Arcadia...

"Raven! I swear if I come in there and find an obliterated clock-"
"Oh buzz off old man!" Raven shot back, taking her weapon from the cabinet she was provided. It looked like a long staff with two blades on each end. After adjusting it to a certain length, she placed the weapon on a holder on her back.

She then huffed and opened the door-

"AH! I knew it! I KNEW it!" a gruff looking geezer-like reploid with green armor and an eyepatch over one of his optic sensors was standing at the door. He was pointing at Raven accusingly and flailing his arms wildly.
"That is the 15th one this month!"

"Seventh." Raven deadpanned, an unamused look on her face as she moved the guy out of her way. As she came into the light of the hallways, her midnight black armor became more apparent. She had red highlights here and there, along with a light blue visor that was currently sitting upwards, away from her eyes.

One striking feature about her, was her fiery red hair, that practically looked like it would burn anyone upon merely touching it.

Her appearance certainly didn't detract from the fuming reploid following her.
"Don't try to wiggle out of my lecture, young lady!" he pointed accusingly at her as he stormed after her. "Do you know how low we are on supplies anyways?!"

"Considering I do all my best work in the dark, you'd think I'd be better off as a nightshifter, old timer"
"My name is JAKEN to YOU, young lady!" The reploid fumed. "You may be highly regarded by Ciel; but you have been nothing but a PAIN to me!"

"Well maybe if you quit following me around, old man, maybe I'd be less of a pain in your a-"

"Good morning, Raven!"

Raven walked into the control room and looked over as a girl in a pink and red outfit approached her, holding a file in her hands. "Did you sleep well?"

"Ask her about the 20th CLOCK she's destroyed!" The older reploid grumbled.

"Seventh." Raven rolled her eyes, before approaching the girl. "Ciel, about the mission this evening." She motioned towards the older reploid. "Can I take gears-for-brains instead of Zero?"

"My NAME is Jaken!"

Ciel looked from Jaken, back towards Raven, a concerned look on her face. "Oh. Did you and Zero have another spat?" she asked tentatively. "You know, he really doesn't mean-"

"Listen Ciel. I know you have an attachment to Zero." Raven put her hands on her hips and grimaced lightly. "But he and I have very different fighting styles, and he's only going to get in my way during the mission."

"Funny. I was thinking the same thing about you."

Something shot through Raven's spine and she glanced over her shoulder, as a tall red reploid with blazing orange hair came into the room. He had a small frown on his face and was looking pointedly at Raven, who snerked and waved a hand in the air.

"Oh look. It can think." she mocked.

"Raven I know you have many grievances with what Copy X has done to your family." Zero started to say, taking note that the girl in front of him noticeably tensed up at the statement. "But we have to work together in order to stop him."

"Oh spoken like a true hero." Raven crooned, waving a hand in the air for emphasis. "When I want your sympathy, I'll ask for it."

Zero scowled lightly and made a motion towards the computers. "Listen, Raven, We can't afford for this plan not to work. Your cloaking techniques would give us the edge we've been waiting for to continue sabotaging Copy X's bases! If you can't swallow your stupid pride for the sake of others-"

Raven's eyes narrowed and she took a step up, her face directly in front of Zero's face. "This has nothing to do with PRIDE. You think I'm PROUD to be apart of this stupid war? After everything I've experienced? Everyone I've lost? Knowing the one thing that means the most to me could be stripped away from me, without my knowledge?"

"Zero! Raven!"
Ciel quickly got in between them, holding her arms against the two. "Please. This isn't the time."

There was a moment of tension, before Raven finally backed down and turned. "Ciel, call me when you need me. I'm going to the training room."

Zero scowled as Raven left the room, before he looked towards Ciel and made a motion with his hand. "Ciel; are you certain me working with Raven is a good idea? Ever since she GOT here, she's been nothing but a bitter know it all, who can't seem to SHUT her mouth!"

Ciel put up her hands very slightly. "Listen, Zero; Raven has lost a lot thanks to the war….she hasn't always been this way." She made a motion with her hand. "Besides. With her special abilities, she has potential to help you ultimately put a stop to this war once and for all."

"How is Raven's cloaking abilities going to turn the tide for us?"

"Oh that's not the only ability she has, Zero." Ciel turned and started typing into the computer. "Raven has this ultra ability that enables her to be capable of dangerous feits…" She paused and tried to type a key again and again….but the computer wouldn't respond.

Zero made a sarcastic face. "Does this ability include disabling technology and getting on my nerves?"

"Zero, please contact Faucon to meet me here." Ciel glanced at Zero. "It appears our system is down again."

He nodded and started heading out of the room in a different direction. Zero couldn't help but glance out the door that Raven had exited, and frowned lightly.

***NA***

She ran as fast as she could, nearly running into other soldier reploids, as well as knocking over a few things as she sprinted down one hall, skidded across the floor and continued to bolt down the long corridors of the base.

How could she have allowed herself to get so distracted AGAIN?! She had been doing her work! Her reports! Her findings!

The sounds of feet skidding across the floors could be heard, as many reploids quickly dove out of her way as she ran. "SORRY! EXCUSE ME!" She called out as she blew past the fourth group that only watched her as she ran.

"Foxfire!"

The girl paused and glanced behind herself, still running at top speed. She saw someone flailing their long, spindly arms at her. "LIEUTENANT FOXFIRE! LOOK-"

CRASH!

She found herself flat on her stomach and felt someone land on top of her, with a loud grunt. All around them, spare parts rained onto the floor, loud clangs filling the halls.

"Ah! Lieutenant! I Apologize!"
"Lieutenant!"

She groaned as she sat up, rubbing her gloved hand to her helmet and winced slightly at the pain she was now feeling in her back. She started to get up, but she was quickly met by two Reploids who were already at her side. Another was practically groveling at her side.

"Lieutenant! Forgive me! I didn't see you! I deeply-"
The reploid got moved over as the girl scrambled to retrieve her datapad that had been THROWN across the hall, alongside many spare parts here and there, scattered due to the impact.
She managed to get herself up and brushed off her tech, before turning and grimacing.

"You three! How long has it been since the briefings started?" She asked quickly.

"Th-the briefings?"
"Lieutenant Foxfire, The briefings started well over half an hour ago," one of the reploids reported.

The girl known as 'Foxfire' made a face, and quickly turned heel, continuing to dash down the halls, leaving the other three to pick up the rest of the mess themselves.

Foxfire panted lightly as she ran.

Late again. Late ONCE. AGAIN. If it wasn't for her getting so hyperfocused on her work for Commander Phantom, maybe she'd actually keep track of the flipping TIME for once! What did it make this? Only the HUNDREDTH time she was late? Compared to the almost THOUSANDTH time she had actually-

"Foxfire!"

She managed to skid to a stop this time as the doors she was speeding towards opened, letting out three men in armor, all taking note of the dashing girl coming right for them.

"Shadow! Sobek! Sandstorm! Please tell me I didn't-"
"You missed the entire briefing!"

Foxfire stood there, her eye twitching, before she SMACKED a hand to her face and groaned as the other three peered over her.

One of the three had dark blue armor with yellow highlights here and there, a big grin on his face and his hands on his hips. "What does this make? Nine hundred?"

"Nine hundred fifty seven, Sobek." Another soldier with deep purple armor with red and black highlights confirmed, putting up a hand and glancing towards the other two. "Missed at least…"

"YEAH, and what, more than a thousand that you made it, but were late?" the last of the three soldiers grinned. He had Orange armor with white highlights here and there, but one of the most care-free looks on his face.

"One thousand, seven hundred and twenty five." The purple armored soldier replied. "To be exact."

Foxfire groaned lightly, letting her hand slide down her face slowly, giving a small glare towards the purple-armored soldier. "Thank. You. For ELABORATING that, Shadow." she grumbled lowly.

The boys laughed, before Sobek put a hand on Foxfire's shoulder. "Eh, don't worry about it, Fox! Master X is used to it! Besides, your boyfriend already excused you at the start of the meeting, saying you were working on looking into all those reports of that new rebel that's been giving us problems."

Foxfire's face flushed red. "Commander Phantom is NOT my Boyfriend!"

"Yet." Sandstorm grinned lewdly and rose his eyebrows at her, causing her to SMACK him across the face. However the orange armored soldier only laughed, her blow not phasing him in the least.

Sobek put his hands to his hips and grinned. "Relax, Foxfire, we're only teasing. You didn't really miss much; it was just most of the sentries giving new reports."
"Only one report was actually worth noting." Shadow waved a hand slightly. "The one about the new rebel who apparently has some sort of cloaking device that has been baffling our soldiers."

"Cloaking device?" Foxfire suddenly went from wanting to continue her assault on Sandstorm, to being interested in what Shadow was saying. "Is it….similar to Commander Phantom's cloaking tech?"

"Not quite." Shadow looked towards Foxfire, holding out a hand for her to see. "The Cutting Shadow Squad uses technology that can be manipulated at will and speed. It works alongside our systems, and even causes our surroundings to change for our favor."
As he spoke his hand flexed, releasing a blackish energy from his armor that was already making the area around the four darker.

After a moment of demonstration, he deactivated his power and crossed his arms loosely. "However, according to one of Commander Hurpuia's scouts, when this rebel vanishes….the surroundings don't change at all."

Foxfire weighed this information and her grip on her datapad tightened. "...that suggests this new enemy may try to infiltrate one of our bases…." she muttered lightly. "...I'll add this to what I need to research, Shadow."

Shadow nodded lightly as Foxfire typed something into her data-pad, before she glanced towards the doors that the three soldiers had come out of. For a moment she seemed perplexed.
"...why….are the Commanders still in there?"

"Master X wanted to speak with the Commanders privately." Sandstorm replied lightheartedly. "We were briefed on the problem rebel, before being asked to step out."

"I think Master X has been informed about some kind of power source that he wants fighting by our side." Sobek kept his hands on his hips, glancing towards Sandstorm. "It probably has something to do with your elemental types, Storm."
"What makes you say that?"
"Well it has 'fire' in the name." Sobek waved a hand in the air.

"Yes, but it also has 'sky' in the name." Shadow pointed out, a serious look on his face. "That could very well point to an elemental Commander Harpuia knows about."

As they talked Foxfire took in bits and pieces of their conversation, looking stunned for a moment. Those words….those words together….was….Master X after the Sk-

"Lieutenants."

The four turned as the door was opening, allowing the Four Guardians of Master X to emerge and gaze at the group before them.

Almost immediately, the four quickly stood at attention; though Foxfire nearly dropped her datapad in her haste to stand at attention. Fumbling quickly to grab the device, the pad hovering in the air as she attempted to gain control of it; Shadow's hand quickly snatched the device, before allowing Foxfire to reclaim it as all of them stood professionally and on alert.

"The Guardian Lieutenants are ready for duty, sir!" The four of them sounded off in unison.

"Listen, the four of you." Sage Harpuia, the leader of the Guardians, approached the four Lieutenants, his hands behind his back and a serious look on his face. "Our forces are increasing to find this new rebel known simply as 'The Raven'."

He made a motion with his hand. "This rebel has been a thorn in our forces' side….almost as big of a nuisance as Zero himself." Harpuia frowned seriously. "The four of you will be assisting your respected Commander in hunting down this thorn, and causing him to atone for his sins."

"Sir, yes sir!"

The Raven… Foxfire looked thoughtful for a moment. That name is...hauntingly familiar….though...Command Harpuia said it's a mech….surely….surely it couldn't be….no….no that's impossible…

"In the meantime, along with hunting down this 'Raven' character," Fairy Leviathan pipped up, standing next to Harpuia. "You all will be expected to carry out our orders to our soldiers to double their efforts."

"Roger!"

With that, from the back of the Guardian group, Hidden Phantom made a motion with his hand. "Foxfire." he said in a low tone, before simply turning and walking down the hall.

Foxfire gasped and quickly went after Phantom, hearing the other Lieutenants snickering softly behind her, causing her to sneer in their direction as she went after her Commander. As she looked back, Sobek and Sandstorm were making kissy faces and grinning like idiots.
At least SHADOW was actually being serious.

Morons.

She followed Phantom down the halls until they got to a particular area of the base that was marked with a skull-like symbol on the door. The briefing area of the Cutting Shadow Squadron.

Phantom was unfazed by anyone he passed, a look of focus in his eyes; while Foxfire followed, looking around the area to see who was here and what things may need her attention.

There were reploids buzzing around the room, collecting intelligence and busily planning the next move of the armies. There was nonstop chatter, pictures being pulled up, gossip about the latest move of the Resistance.

Foxfire's steps slowed when she noticed a particular image on one of the many screens they were walking past.

...an Image of a figure dashing away. The armor was black and had various sharp points on it…

She stopped walking and couldn't help but try to make out the image.

...if she didn't know any better….she'd say that looked….a lot like-

"Foxfire."

She gasped and quickly turned her head. Phantom was already a good ways ahead of her, having stopped at a particular door and was looking back at her expectantly.

A light blush of embarrassment came to her face. "Y-Yes Sir! I apologize!" The Lieutenant quickly caught up to the leader of the squad, stepping into the room he was motioning her into, while he closed the door behind them.

Foxfire set her datapad down and watched Phantom walk past her, stopping at a computer and began typing at it.

"I trust the other Lieutenants gave you a quick summary of the briefing?" Phantom asked, keeping his eyes on the computer.

"...y-yes sir." Foxfire slowly approached him, but didn't dare get any closer than she had to. She gazed up at the screen, seeing several pictures of a black blur being spotted on security cameras.
"They….mentioned an individual who is able to cloak himself from line of sight."

Phantom glanced towards Foxfire. "All we know about this individual is that they have compromised two of our weapons facilities, as well as assisted in rebel gatherings on the edges of Neo Arcadia."

Foxfire frowned slightly at the information she was given. "...Shadow mentioned that he didn't think the cloaking tech matched that of the Squad."

"It does not." Phantom confirmed, nodding towards her. "The Squad's techniques allow us to change our surroundings to our advantage. This individual's abilities seems to blend in with the surroundings."

"Then I will research what tech have those capabilities for you, sir."

"Please do, Foxfire." Phantom looked back towards the computer. "This is a very important task and I can think of no one more qualified to find that information for me, while I send my troops to find the source of this 'skyfire' power that Master X wants us to find."

Foxfire's face was practically on fire at his praise. Phantom thought no one else was qualified...that made her twice as determined to-
She suddenly paused at the last part of his statement. "...wh-...Sky…...fire?"

"It's not the true name of it." Phantom replied, keeping his focus on the computer. "Many call it by different names. Elmo's fire, Sky fire, aurorae, Lighting storm….it is a power that is said to cause damage to all sorts of elements of power...and yet at the same time, provide healing capabilities."

Phantom pulled up a seperate image on the screen, showing a depiction of a figure standing in a series of waves and flames that surrounded the sky.

Foxfire's body stiffened slightly, a small look of dread on her face.

"Master X believes that since the last time this phenomenon was seen with the resistance, that they have something to do with it." Phantom continued, narrowing his eyes at the picture. "Harpuia has already pointed out that the last time reports of this Phenomenon happened, soldiers from both sides of the war were mysteriously eradicated…Master X wants to find and control this power source for the protection of Neo Arcadia"

Phantom frowned, standing tall. "And while you address this problem rebel, I will be leading my troops in a search for this source."

The Lieutenant was quiet for the longest time, her eyes dead centered on the painting that the screen was showing.

The figure was standing in the middle of a city, it looked like...glowing optics while lightning and fire surrounded it, destroying everything in its path….
Foxfire glanced to the side for a moment. Something seemed to go through her mind...before she reached out and touched his shoulder. "Commander Phantom….there's something you-"

"Commander Phantom!"

Both FoxFire and Phantom turned as one of the reploids of the squad came running in. "Sir! We're receiving reports of a rebel attack on the East sector of the city!" The solider reported. "They must be after the information that Master X gathered!"

Phantom narrowed his eyes and turned. "Alert Harpuia and his air force. Hanumachine and I will take a group assault from the rear."

"Roger!" The solider ran out the door.

Foxfire quickly moved to reach out for him "Commander-"

"Stay here and find more information on this rebel, Foxfire." Phantom glanced back at her. "I expect the best from you. Understood?"

"...Yes sir…"

With that, Phantom left the room, leaving the Lieutenant to ponder.