Chapter 54 - The Lady of the Empty Seat

The Lady of the Empty Seat
Glowing orbs of a red colour began forming round Remilia before shooting towards the three men. Neo immediately raised his hand, the orbs slowing to a halt in midair ahead of him. But as he was focusing on this, Remilia pulled her arm back to throw Gungnir, only to be shot through the hand by Wesker, forcing her to drop the weapon onto the ground.

"Don't let her throw that thing," Wesker warned, "It never misses its target. Ellis, that's your job."

"R-right," Ellis dropped to one knee, placing his shotgun on his back and drawing a Magnum pistol from her waist, aiming at Remilia's hands, but not firing, waiting for the right time.

Remilia's temper flared, her red eyes glowing menacingly, summoning even more orb projectiles that began to rapidly circle her. She slipped her foot under Gungnir and kicked it into the air but was shot in the foot by Ellis. Stumbling forward, over Reimu, Remilia failed to catch Gungnir before it hit the ground again. Before she could recover, Remilia's foot was stamped on by Neo, who had frozen all the projectiles in place, keeping her firmly on the ground. Remilia tried to swipe her claws at Neo but her hand was shot by Ellis, who was proving to be unnaturally accurate with the powerful weapon. Her power was quickly fading away, her magical prowess being overridden by Neo's reality bending abilities. Without warning, Gungnir was thrust through her torso from behind by Wesker, proving his own extreme agility.

"Wesk, behind you!" shouted Ellis.

Wesker swung a punch behind him, which was diverted to the side by the back of Meiling's hand. In return, Meiling threw her own punch, slamming Wesker in the cheek. The incredible force tossed Wesker to the side like a rag doll. Meiling attempted to grab Neo's shoulder, reaching over Remilia but Neo caught her wrist just before she could touch him. However, something in Meiling's hand expanded outwards at high speed, striking Neo, striking Neo hard in the side of his neck. He stumbled to the side of his neck, Neo looked at Meiling, who was now holding a red staff with yellow ends.

"Take it easy, ojou-sama," persuaded Meiling to Remilia, "I can deal with this." Remilia begrudgingly stepped back without a word, pulling Gungnir out of her body with some strain, her regeneration kicking in.

A gunshot rang out. Meiling quickly swung the staff like a baseball bat towards Wesker. Wesker's bullet was whacked back at him, hitting him in the middle of the forehead, knocking his head back. Wesker growled as he lowered his head, removing his glasses to reveal shining red pupils. The bullet wound on his forehead did not even bleed, skin sealing itself up.

"Oh, wow," exclaimed Ellis, flabbergasted at Meiling, "That's so wicked! Why are Asians so awesome?"

Wesker ignored the comment, "Ruyi Jingu Bang," he noted about Meiling's weapon, "The staff of The Monkey King..."

Sora offered a hand to Rulia. Rulia looked down in disbelief and unwillingness. "Please, Rulia," plead Sora, "We need to work together, stick together."

"Why are you here?" asked Rulia, "I killed you. You should not be here."

Sora knelt in front of Rulia and lifted Rulia's chin so their eyes met, Sora no longer emitting light. Her comforting expression was lit up by Rulia's blue flame, "I am always with you. Wherever you are, wherever you go. I will never leave you. I never want you to leave me." Sora offered her hand again.

Taking a moment to think, Rulia took hold of Sora's hand and was pulled up onto her feet by Sora. "I-I'm sorry for what I did to you," confessed Rulia, "I don't know what came over me."

Wiping a hand over her face, Sora looked at her red stained hand, "I do."

"Ellis, don't shoot Meiling!" warned Neo. Ellis switched his aim back to Remilia, who was calmly holding onto Gungnir. There was a circular hole in the torso of the dress, her chest completely healed.

Meiling began walking towards Wesker. In turn, Wesker began walking towards Meiling, pulling up his black gloves. Meiling drew back Jingu Bang, again like a baseball bat. As soon as they were close enough, Meiling swung the staff. Wesker raised his left hand and caught the weapon before it could hit him. However, this did not stop the swing, the eight and a half ton staff striking Wesker in the side. His left hand and pelvis shattered instantly and he was launched into the air, appropriately like a baseball, down the runway.

Meiling immediately turned round and threw Jingu Bang, twirling vertically, towards Neo. Neo stopped the staff from smashing down on his head with his hand, the ground under his feet rippling. Jingu Bang swiftly turned the other way, Neo deflecting it with his foot. Amazingly, Jingu Bang was hovering on its own, fighting on its own, striking Neo with hits in multiple directions. Neo was able to block every attack, his senses and strength heightened from his Matrix abilities. A block to the left, a parry to the front. This was much too easy for Neo, his reactions so fast it appeared to him that time had slowed down. To Ellis and the other observers Neo was surrounded by a slurry of fast moving arms and feet.

But with Neo's heightened sense, he suddenly noticed the staff double, splitting off another exact copy of the original. In the slow motion bullet-time he was seeing, Neo could immediately tell the copy was moving towards Ellis, who was still on one knee, aiming at Remilia.

Neo quickly grabbed the end of the copy before it could fly towards Ellis but this left his outstretched arm exposed. The first staff came down on Neo's elbow. Despite Neo managing to bear the brunt of the force, he could still feel considerable pain but refused to left go of the second staff.

However, this meant nothing as the staff suddenly shrunk, escaping out of Neo's grip and out of sight, demonstrating its ability to change size.

"Ellis, look out!" shouted Neo.

Ellis looked at Neo to see the staff grow back to its normal size from out of nowhere performing a downwards slam. Using his instincts, Ellis rolled forwards, the staff striking the ground with ferocity, cracking the runway tarmac. It then swiped horizontally, Ellis ducking to the ground. The staff once more swung down, Ellis having to roll to the side to avoid. Neo, who had managed to get past the first staff and arrive at Ellis' side, kicked away the staff before blocking an attack from the first copy. Both staffs began to split into more copies, Neo barely able to keep up with all the blows with only four limbs.

Ellis rolled onto his front, raising the Magnum again. Meiling was standing to the side, carrying a copy of Jingu Bang. However, Remilia raised Gungnir in the air once more in her right hand. Ellis fired, successfully striking Remilia's hand forcing it to let go but Remilia did not recoil, catching Gungnir with her left hand and pulled back again. Ellis was ahead of the game, shooting Remilia's second hand, Gungnir falling to the floor again.

But then a hoarse growl rang out the area. Followed by shrill screams. Both of which Ellis recognised.

Suddenly, something slimy wrapped round Ellis' body and he was dragged backwards across the tarmac, "SMO - KER'S - GOT - ME!" he cried, dropping his Magnum.

Neo turned round, catching sight of an undead Smoker zombie on top of Area 51 tugging at Ellis with its tongue. However, the sudden disappearance of all the Jingu Bang was concerning. The surroundings began to dim, causing Neo to look up to see a massive Jingu Bang falling towards him, blocking out the sun in the sky. Neo would have dodged had Ellis not been under it too. The staff slammed down on Neo who managed to hold it up, large ripples spreading out across the ground. Despite the staff being massive in size, its weight was exactly the same but eight and a half tons was still an immense weight. With both his hands holding up the weapon, the size preventing Neo from just tossing it aside, all Neo could do was watch Ellis be dragged towards Area 51 as grey yellow eyed zombies with very generic clothes sprinted round the sides of the building towards Ellis, all crying out in hunger.

Wesker walked past Neo, his wounds healed, Samurai Edge in one hand and taking Neo's Glock out Neo's hostler. He aimed at the Smoker with the Edge and fired. The headshot caused the Smoker to explode in green gas. Wesker then focused on the two incoming groups of fast zombies, quickly despatching one by one with headshots as Ellis scrambled out of the tongue's grip, grabbing his shotgun.

As the two mowed down the rather pitiful zombie horde, Ellis thought of something. "Y'know, Wesk, aren't we breaking the Unwritten Law by killing these zombies? I mean, aren't these infected guys controlled by the Director?"

"I am not prepared to follow the Unwritten Law, if my enemies aren't," answered Wesker, shooting the final zombie in the face. Oddly enough, the dead bodies of the zombies were not that graphic, or even that realistic, their wounds not accurate portrayals of where they were actually hit. "Let's move." Wesker picked up Ellis and moved away from under Jingu Bang.

"You going to help Neo?" asked Ellis.

"I can't," admitted Wesker, looking towards the struggling Neo, "I'm strong but I'm not that strong." A man suddenly walked out of Area 51 and passed Wesker and Ellis, surprising the both of them. He was buttoning his black suit, his black sunglasses covering his eyes. As his formal shoes stepped towards Neo, he adjusted his black tie.

"Mister Anderson!" he called to Neo, "Surprised to see me?"

"No," answered Neo, simply.

Sora held Rulia's left hand and brought it up to their eyes making the One Ring on Rulia's middle finger very obvious. She took hold of the Ring, triggering the terrible burning headache again for Rulia. Rulia screamed out in agony as Sora began to pull the Ring off, Rulia's arm feeling as though it was being boiled.

"Sora!" cried Rulia, "Stop! It hurts!"

"Rulia!" argued Sora, "You are being controlled! You need to take it off-!"

Rulia's sight flashed white, Sora instantly disappearing from view. Rulia could see that she was trying to remove the Ring herself by pulling it with her right hand, though her left hand was clenched, resisting the removal. Upon realising this, she stopped trying to remove the Ring, the pain stopping. Breathing heavily, Rulia looked around, having reverted out of Shooter form.

"Rulia! You need to free yourself!" Rulia turned around to see Sora behind her, only her right eye shining to illuminate the surrounding area.

Rulia stepped back, "You're a hallucination!" she shouted, "You're not real!"

"Whether you think I am real or not, it does not matter," disputed Sora, "I am trying to help you. You are in trouble and you need my help."

"And how do you intend to help me?" growled Rulia, "Who are you?"

"I am the Red-" began Sora before the pain returned for another time, Rulia reeling in torment, Sora's words drowned out by her own screams. With her eyes shut, and holding her head in suffering, Rulia could just barely hear Sora's words.

"Do not lose control! Your potential in this new world could be your downfall!"

"What?!" cried Rulia, still flailing around, "What do you mean, new world?!"

"The world turned digital this morning."

Rulia's pain disappeared for a quick moment as she was flooded by realisation, "Yggdrasil, the God of the Digital World." Then the pain came back full force.

Agent Smith observed Neo straining under the staff, his injured arm slowly giving way.

"Luckily for you, I need you," stated Smith, pushing up the Jingu Bang, relieving Neo of some stress, but not all. Smith looked over at the Thunder Child and took control of it, the intact back cannons pointing at the staff. "Three... Two... One..." Smith and Neo gave the staff a heave to the side just as the broken vessel fired upon it. With the combined power of the three of them, Jingu Bang cleared a fair distance of land before it hit the ground. It rolled for a moment before shrinking and flying back to Meiling.

"Agent Smith," cursed Miku, with a growl.

"Skynet," greeted Smith, "How has your time been since you left Area 51?" Not too enjoyable seeing that you're back."

Miku looked over at Haruhi, who did not react but looked a little concerned.

Neo walked over to Wesker and Ellis, looking at the motionless zombie bodies, "They're completely digital," he noted, "They never physically existed before. Their code seems to have been programmed to specifically target Ellis."

"Aww, man," groaned Ellis standing back up, "Why?"

"You're a carrier, Remilia's a carrier. That counts as friendly fire," figured out Wesker, "Don't shoot a carrier. But how can pure digital beings have a physical body?"

Neo looked over at Smith, "Smith can possess others but he can't normally change their form when outside the Matrix. Why can he do this?"

"Because Yggdrasil turned the world digital," answered Rulia, stepping out of Area 51. Her pupils were glowing red, far brighter than Wesker's. She walked past Neo, Ellis and Wesker, her eyes fixed on Rokiahi. "That is why Skynet and the Director are in power. Because the universe is now a series of ones and zeros." Rulia trod on Ellis' Magnum on the ground. As she stepped forward, she flicked her foot back, the Magnum sliding across the ground behind her to Ellis. "But it does not explain why I have my powers."

Rokiahi grinned sinisterly, "You took your time."

Rulia walked past Smith, completely ignoring him despite his aggressive scowl, "I am looking for answers, Rokiahi. How willing are you to give them to me?"

"In the military," began Rokiahi as Rulia passed both Meiling and Remilia, "We are taught never to give secrets out to the enemy, even at the expense of our own lives."

"I don't want to kill you. I-" The headache and burning sensation returned stronger than ever, Rulia screaming out once more.

"You have not awakened yet, Rulia!" shouted Rokiahi, stepped over Reimu, "You are blessed with infinite personalities and hence boundless imagination, true power in a digital world. The world can be yours!" Miku nervously looked over at Haruhi again. Rokiahi took hold of Rulia's shirt collar and pulled her up straight. "Do you really have what it takes to defeat the Puppetmaster?" she jeered in Rulia's face.

With a roar, Rulia swung a fast right punch at Rokiahi but Rokiahi seemed to predict the attack ahead of time, dodging to the left. Rokiahi took hold of Rulia's outstretched arm and kicked Rulia in the back of the right knee. Now unstable, it was easy for Rokiahi to pull Rulia over onto the tarmac. While this did not hurt Rulia, her endurance having skyrocketed lately, her pride was draining.

"Your strings limit your very ability," lectured Rokiahi loudly, walking round Rulia, "But if the puppet is strong enough, it can pull back." Miku glanced over at Haruhi for a third time.

Rulia clenched her fists, the Ring scorchingly hot. As she stood up, the armour for both her arms clanked into place. "I am no puppet!" she shouted.

"Hit me then," ordered Rokiahi, with a disappointed look on her face. This echoed Rokiahi's own struggle to hit Naluri earlier that day.

"Don't do it!" called Sora from behind Rulia, placing a hand on her shoulder, "You are not alone! We need to work together!"

"You are nothing more than a distraction," responded Rulia to Sora, not turning her head, "Just go away before I kill you again." She was aware no one else could see Sora. However, Rokiahi was getting impatient. Suddenly, a shining blue sword rained from the sky, striking into the ground next to Rulia, the hilt not far from her left hand. While she was not expecting it, she did not seem surprised. The sword had an animal skull as part of the hilt, blue fire coming out of its eye sockets. Rulia's hand instinctively drifted towards the handle despite her better judgement.

"No!" cried Sora, pulling back at Rulia's arm, "Don't take it!"

"Hey girl!" shouted Ellis at the top of his voice, "Don't touch the sword!" Neo, Wesker and Smith looked at him. "It's Frostmorne! You'll lose your soul if you touch it!"

Rulia came back to her senses and tried to resist her hand's movements, to step away from the dangerous weapon but she couldn't, the Ring establishing limited control over her body.

"This is not what we agreed!" protested Miku quietly to Haruhi, who just smiled. Rokiahi stepped towards Frostmourne, put her foot on the blade and kicked it forwards, the handle falling into Rulia's hand.

Rulia felt her mind scramble, her thoughts corrupting and her self-control waning, Sora disappearing. "Strings..." she repeated. Her eyes were now glowing purple, a combination of red and blue. With unrestrained fury, Rulia swung Frostmourne at Rokiahi, emitting bright blue fire. Rokiahi summoned the Super Driver, protecting herself from the flames.

However, invisible strings tied to Rokiahi's body began to burn, the fire quickly following the strings up to someone invisible in the air, whose stealth camo began to malfunction.

"Psycho Mantis," recognised Wesker, "Master of telekinesis and mind reading. Rokiahi was being controlled all this time. But not by mind control."

"He's infected," noted Neo, "Haruhi or Sasaki must have been covering his traces so I couldn't see him. But then why are they revealing him now?"

Psycho Mantis flew off, retreating from Rulia. Rulia watched him fly away before turning her gaze to Rokiahi, who had stumbled backwards onto the floor.

"Rulia!" gasped Rokiahi, "I was being controlled by the Director! I didn't have any control over what I was doing! The AI Director, Skynet and Yggdrasil are in control!"

Rulia walked towards Rokiahi with no pity, dragging Frostmourne on the ground.

"This is not what we agreed, Yggdrasil!" shouted Miku at Haruhi.

"Your plan is flawed, Skynet," responded Haruhi, "It never would have worked."

"Of course it won't work, if you don't abide to the plan! We're never going to get what we want if this continues."

Haruhi drew the Hand Canon at Miku with a smirk, "That's a good thing."