Once-Human, Still Humane

[Talon]

Garrett blinked, then asked Varion,

"Anything like that?"

"Well... no... not quite..." The AI responded in a mutter.

Garrett 'hmphed', muttering,

"Some help you are. Eh, might as well clean up the rest of the mess."

With that, he abruplty charged forward and skewered several Fangire on the Orion Blades, then ripped all three apart by pulling the blades out to the sides. He re-sheathed them before performing what appeared to be a mix between breakdancing and some form of martial art, spinning on the palm of his hand and smashing through several more charging Fangire. He bounced off of his palm, landing on another Fangire's shoulder before heaving his weight backwards, throwing his victim into another Fangire, before both were ended by a clean slice from the Star Buster. Four Fangire left, they began to retreat, but could not make it, sadly...

However, their deaths were not by Garrett's hand.

"You're still... alive? No, wait... this is a different human. You're only at a rough 50%." A voice hissed.

The angular, lithe form of Nexus emerged from the trees, dropping a glassed-over Fangire, allowing it to shatter upon impact. The moon's light itself seemed hesitant to touch the Varion-look-alike as he stepped forward, segmented tail swishing. He twitched at the neck, muttering with narrowed eyes,

"Seems killing you just won't be enough. I'll have to dispose of Brother's summoning device as well..."

Garrett was in a state of muttering in a hoarse whisper,

"V-Varion... you know this guy?"

"Unfortuneately, yes. That'd be Nexus, the other of my kind."

He emitted a growl, adding,

"Or, at least, he was... until he betrayed our entire civilization and fused with the Cromian Hivemind... becoming that... 'thing' you now see."

Nexus smirked, the plating splitting along where his 'teeth' were located. A biomechanical maw was revealed, lined with sike-like teeth as the Ether Lord of Shadow hissed,

"Ah, it's good to know Brother hasn't forgotten me! Leader, Creator, and Hivemind of the entire Cromian species, Lord Nexus, at your service."

With that, he held his arm out to the side, stating with a cocked head,

"It's a shame I coudnt get to know this pilot as well, Varion, but I suppose it's for the sake of duty."

The twin black rods on his back suddenly launched into the air, fusing with two triangular pices of metal launched from his shoulder-plates. All four pieces magnetized towards eachother and fused into a staff-shaped object, falling into Nexus's extended hand.

"Hell..."

Varion made a choking sound, then yelled to Garrett,

"RUN, BOY!"

Paralyzed by confusion and fear, Garrett's legs felt as geletin as a five-foot long blade of crimson energy extended from the top of the staff, giving the impression of a scythe. Nexus's various jets ingited as he crouched down, gripping the scythe with both hands as he charged forward.

"...BREAKER!!!" He finished, cleaving the blade through Garrett's torso.

Nexus skidded to a halt behind the armored teen, smirking as time seemed to stand still. Garrett gurgled something, then energy coursed over his frame for a few moments before every volt, every immaterial ounce of the teen's energy erupted out of his body and armor in a flash of crimson energy. Nexus 'hmphed' as Garrett crumpled to the dirt, then the scythe dissapated, walking over to the downed, possibly dead, teen, of whom was now lying in a 20-foot crater.

"And now... I end our legacy." Nexus muttered.

[Azure_Ghidorah]

Kisara growled at Nexus, but, regardless of her mind protesting otherwise, she stayed away from the Varion-look-alike, very much aware that she would never be able to match him. She silently asked X to forgive her, because she couldn't deliver the message now if this being honestly intended to kill Garrett...

"You will do no such thing, Nexus." Mikarage growled as he coalesced next to the hivemind of the Cromians, a part of his misty body solidifying, allowing him to punch the Cromian leader away from the armored teen. The 'fist' returned to the mist, where it reformed into twin blades on both sides.

'I didn't want to directly intervene yet, but I must.' the mist thought, taking up a battle stance.

[Talon]

The damage from Mikarage's punch was nonexistant now as Nexus blinked, asking,

"A cloud... a cloud wants to fight me?"

He blinked again, bringing up a clawed hand to the side of his head. He stood silent for a bit longer, then suddenly broke into a fit of laughter.

"YOU MUST BE JOKING ME! HA! YOU HONESTLY THINK YOU'LL STOP ME FROM DOING WHAT IS NECCESARY?! A-HA-HA-HA!!"

He snapped back into a serious pose, twitching again.

"You can't be serious."

Seeing that the mist did not back down, he shook his head, then raised an open hand at the cloud. What appeared to be a swarm of needles, each composed of shimmering, pitch-black energy surrounded Mikarage. In a flash, they all shot forward into Mikarage, piercing many a hole in the, tohugh whether or not it was felt was still debated. Nexus raised his other hand, then lashed it forward, sending a bolt of the black energy forward and slicing through Mikarage. Nexus cocked an eyebrow, apparent by his eyes as he reached to his right shoulder, unsheathing a jagged-looking version of one of the Orion Blades.

[Azure_Ghidorah]

Mikarage grunted as the attacks passed through him, but gave no other indication that he was hurt, and surged forward, his blades held at the ready. As the mist reached Nexus, it carved four deep gashes into the Cromian leader's body. The mist finished by solidifying a foot and kicking Nexus away.

"You'll need to do much more then that to bring me down."

The mist then looked back at Kisara.

"You, substitute Shinigami, get the wounded boy out of here, I'll try to keep Nexus' attention focused on me." the mist spoke to her, channeling the telekinetic power of his creator.

Kisara nodded numbly, and went to pick up Garrett, only to find that, while armored, the boy was far too heavy for her to pick up.

"How the hell does he move normally under all this armor!?" the substitute Shinigami growled, resorting to her Mag Energy abilities to lift Garrett, cringing at the fact that there was light, which was sure to draw Nexus' attention. She told Onyste to 'get a move on it' do to the seriousness of the situation, so that the false dragon would travel at top speed, and help her make a quick escape so that the mist wouldn't have to strain itself.

Speaking of which, Mikarage let out as much of a roar as he could as he charged again, carving Nexus' arm off with one fell swoop.

[Fredrex00]

Kiva sees Nexus and stomps his way towards the evil being. He tackles him with a full forced spear. Nexus felt the power of Kiva's Dogga Armor head on, and was sent flying to the ground. Kiva stood in front of Garrett.

Kiva looks to Garrett, muttering "Stand back. I handle this." The Kamen Rider looks back at Nexus. He punches his chest, a gigantic clanging noise echoes the area. He growls at Nexus and then charges, the Dogga Hammer still leaning against his shoulder.

Kiva headbutts Nexus in the stomach and then gives him a straight hook to the mouth area. Nexus stumbles back and then is kicked in the stomach. Kiva then swings the Dogga Hammer in an uppercut like fasion and bashes Nexus in the face. Nexus is sent flying into the air.

Kiva then gives out an inhumane bark of defiance at Nexus. He again pounds his chest, ushering Nexus to attack him.

[Talon]

Nexus glared at the two, caught off-guard by their attacks.

"Seems I may need to be serious here... hmm. Haven't had to do that for a while." He snarled, wounds regenerating already.

He picked up his arm and let it re-attach to the stump, blade still in hand. He unsheathed his other sword, then rushed forward at Kiva first. Just as he seemed to impact, he 'poofed' into nothingness, and then Kiva was suddenly surrounded by several more Nexus's. Something about them didn't seem right, but time to think was lost as they all dashed forward, each slashing into Dogga Kiva with their blades, earning sparks and small cuts on the armor. All but one of them dissapated, and Nexus scowled.

"That's some dense armor. Hmm."

He shrugged, then re-sheathed the blades as he held out unclenched hands to either side, dark energy fomring in them again. A sphere formed in either palm before they lashed out and impacted Kiva, sending more sparks bursting off of Kiva's armor. Nexus ran through the smoke, snarling in glee as more energy spiraled around his claws, then slammed them into Kiva, the energy performing a sort of drilling effect that sent Kiva stumbling backwards, armor heavily scuffed, but still no cracks.

"damn. Ah well, time to switch targets for now."

He turned his head towards where Kisara stood, cocking an eyebrow as to why the his target was surrounded by prismatic energy and floating. He snarled again, rushing for the teen's floating corpse, howling,

[glow=purple,2,400]"I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO CONTINUE EXISTING!!! I WILL NOT GO THROUGH THE SHAME OF DEFEAT, NOR EVEN THINK OF IT!!! YOU AND THE DRAGON WILL DIE!!!"[/glow]

[Azure_Ghidorah]

Kisara blanched as Nexus charged at her, but move one of her hands from lifting Garrett to fire a second Mag energy stream, which slammed into Nexus' chest, halting him immediately. Kisara shoved, and Nexus was thrown a good distance back. By now, Onyste had arrived, Kisara's limp physical body still latched onto the saddle by the false dragon's own mag energy. Kisara gingerly set Garrett/Varion down on the false dragon's back, something Onyste didn't protest to, having lifted much more on her back before, before Kisara grabbed her body and remerged with it once again, the adrenalin coursing through her from the fight nullifying the chilling feeling.

"We've gotta get out of here, now! Or big, black, and creepy over there will kill us." Kisara said to Onyste, who gulped and took off running, power up her red thrusting gear to attain her absolute max speed, while Kisara kept Garrett in place on Onyste's back.

Meanwhile, Mikarage once again interposed himself between the fleeing substitue Shinigami and the Cromian lord, an audible snarl emminating from his form.

"I will not let you kill them." Mikarage re-affirmed, charging at Nexus again, and repeatedly carving into him.

[Fredrex00]

Kiva dusts himself off and then charges at Nexus, He then grabs Nexus by the neck and holds him. Nexus squirms at the sudden attack, but Kiva holds him with a tight grip. "I hate your kind. Kind that hurts. I HURT YOU!!!"

Kiva then wraps his left arm around Nexus' neck and the Dogga Hammer in the right arm. Kiva jumps into the night air and then flips, Nexus being beside him and headed towards the earth head first.

"DOGGA TOMBSTONE DRIVER!!"

They both smash straight into the earth, crating a gigantic crater. Nexus' armor was slightly damaged by the attack though. Kiva then stands up, whipping out the Dogga Hammer. He raises it over his head and then smashes it into Nexus' chest dead on. Nexus is sent deeper into the Earth's crust, the gigantic seal of Kiva bursting from the area around him.

Kiva then steadies the Dogga Hammer, ready for Nexus' next attack.

[Talon]

Tendrils of dark energy wrapped around Kiva's face as Nexus growled, a faint green light outlining his frame.

"I grow tiresome of this..." He snarled.

Kiva was hurled at Mikarage before being pelted back by waves of abyssal energy, then the berserking Cromian turned to Mikarage.

"You'll require a different approach..."

A searing pain shot through Mikarage's 'body' as Nexus focused a telepathic assault on the gaseous being, his body steadily growing greener. A mechanical roar shot through the area, and Nexus turned just in time to be assaulted by a torrent of blue 'flames', or what looked like fire. He snarled, the glow fading as a pair of red eyes shone through the dark, growling in a deep tone,

"You're still recovering, Nexus. I am NOT." The voice boomed.

Nexus growled, anger steadily rising before he grunted something, stepping back into the trees before fading from sight completely.

"He will fall by my hands, be sure of that..." Nexus's words echoed through the area.

The emotionless red eyes glanced at Mikarage and Kiva, and a large shape in the trees could be seen turning about and dissapearing as well.

[Azure_Ghidorah]

Mikarage cringed as he recovered from Nexus' attack, but was none-the-less grateful that the Cromian Lord was gone. Without a word, he disspersed.