Tearing through the brush covered ground Rozzu could not help but feel uneasy. Uneasy about the location, uneasy about the payment, uneasy about the target, the whole thing was just plain suspicious. But none the less she needed the money and thus took the job. So here she was rushing through the heavy bushes and low laying shrubbery. Her twin katana strapped tightly to her back and a plasma gun holstered to her upper thigh. Her white jacket zipped halfway so to partly cover the weapon. Pushing though a huge palm leaf she ducked down to avoid a low flying craft. The craft let of a soft hum, so that someone who was not listening for it would not hear it. This is a common feature amongst security, stealth and scout ships. And at the height it was flying anyone but Rozzu would have been spotted, this factor was derived solely from the fact that Rozzu was a Photothorian, a green humanoid species that had developed amongst the heavily forested surface of the planet Thoria. They had evolved developing plant like features such as; leaf covered shoulders, the ability to generate their own food internally, with a process similar to photosynthesis, and the ability to manipulate plants. In fact in made them nearly impossible to be seen when the hid amongst the brush. Another distinguishing feature of the Photothorians was the fact that the only way to distinguish them was their personal magenta markings. Each Photothorian had a series of natural marks that stood out against their dark green skin but natural next to their dark rose red hair and pupil less dark pink or red eyes. Rozzu was no exception to this having red eyes and petal like markings over each of her eyes that reached around to her ears. Any other markings were covered by her black and light pink body suit. She waited patiently for the craft to pass before moving on.
"Whatever is going on it must be important." She hopped over a large boulder and slid dipper into the brush.
It was unlikely that whatever was going on at the location a few feet to the east was as low profile as she had been told it to be. Her employers had specifically gone out of their way to find her for the job for a reason. And she had been suspicious as the fact they were paying her upfront and with such an amount that could be compared to getting a king's ransom for killing a beggar. But as she had stated earlier she needed the money and the pay was good. Though under no circumstances was she going to stick around if things got out of hand. It took her longer than she would have liked to get close enough to actually see the location. Climbing up on a rock she paused to scout out the area. It was more like a military installation than anything else. And if there was one thing she did not tamper with it was the armed forces of any species. Except for the Beeorians but that was just because of the war between her people and theirs. There was no financial gain when it came to killing and beating those filthy Beeorian.
"What could they want with someone from here?" She shook her head and dived back into the shrub.
Crawling across the ground she began to search for her target. He was supposed to be an easy to spot creature, with a cat like appearance and the garb of an ancient scholar. Though from outside the building it would be hard to get a clear look so she would have to find a way inside without having to simply hack and slash her way in.
"Did anything show up when you did the sweep?" One of the heavily armored guards was greeting the security ship from before.
"No sir, nothing that would cause us any problems," The guard from the ship answered with a rather uneasy tone as if to say he was expecting something to happen, "Has the good doctor began his experiment?"
"No, the test subject is being stubborn." So that is what this all about.
Experimentation, now that was a cause worth killing for. Rozzu only held this belief after being someone's rat for their cruel and twisted experiment. They had felt she would be the perfect subject, being so far from Thoria and the fact she was considered an outcast amongst her people for being a mercenary. She was about to move closer when something came into view that made her grip the ground beneath her to keep herself from charging straight in. It was a Beeorian and not just any Beeorian this one had to be a high ranking bug based on the armor it was wearing and the large gun strapped to its back.
"Crap…" She wrapped her hand tightly around the handle of the plasma gun.
The Beeorian stood about eight feet tall, nearly two feet taller than her, and the pattern of black horizontal stripes only made it look taller. The spikes on its head and its bug like eyes and mouth just made her want to hurl. Such a disgusting creature and of course its armor was modified to accommodate its four stingers; the splinter like projectiles in its wrists and the short dagger like ones in its feet. If it came down to a fight with the creature it would be a difficult one.
"The doctor says that you need to do a ground sweep," It screeched in a sickening tone, "To sniff out those who can hide in the bushes."
The guards nodded and headed out in the opposite direction of Rozzu. The Beeorian however moved across the metallic floor towards her.
"Come on out Photothorian! I can smell you!" It laughed, "I fought in the battle of Leggia in know who you are…Rozzu!"
Damn it, she had no time to think it over. Instinctively she pulled the gun out and sprung from her position. It did not take long for the Beeorian to register her and quickly released one of the stingers in its wrist to use as a dagger. Much to Rozzu's liking the weapons of the Photothorian were as organic as her, so the butt of the gun stretched out and melded with her body thus priming it for battle. She was to close for it to be effective so she pulled a katana from its sheath with her free hand and slammed it against the Beeorian's stinger. Pointing the gun at its head she laughed.
"You leave to many openings," She curled her fingers one by one around the gun's trigger.
"Only someone as arrogant as a Photothorian would call this an opening."
It swung its leg up revealing the stinger in its foot, and successfully forced her back. But it did not stop there it pulled the gun from its back and fired one of the missiles in it at her. She jumped easily and flipped flawlessly over it. Taking the time to holster the gun, releasing her just as easily as it had melded with her. As soon as the gun was secure she pulled the second katana from its sheath as she landed. Having no plans to allow the Beeorian to continue shooting at her she moved slicing the gun clean in two. The Beeorian dropped it and she quickly caught it with her foot. She cradled it for about a moment before flicking it away with a quick swing of her leg. For its core was quickly overheating. As the gun flew to the left at its low altitude it exploded.
"I see you are as good as they say." The Beeorian pointed out the curved hilts of her katana.
The curved hilts had a purpose, they allowed for a small hole to be included that would allow the material that made her arm guards to latch onto the katana. So when the blades disappeared into petals she could let go of the hilts without fear of losing them.
"Well then you will not be surprised when I cut you clean in two."
"Tell me," His smirking, if you could call it a smirk was getting on her nerves, "When the good doctor used you in his experiments did he mark you?"
Her whole world seemed to have fallen out from under her; she was hunting the man that had used her? The "Good Doctor". Who was he? What was he? She tugged at the collar of her bodysuit. Not even noticing doing so.
"I see. Then his experiments were not as joyous as I have heard."
"Joyous?!" She snapped, "What joy is to be found in being used so a mad man can achieve what none should have."
The Beeorian laughed; did it even have a clue what was going on? All she knew was that she could not count on her savior to save the poor soul currently trapped in the doctor's den. He had stormed the building without harming a soul. Pulled her from the machine and carried her out of the building into a magical realm. Like the eye of a storm he came and left just as quickly as the impending storm to follow. Millennium was the man who had pulled her from the fire. But he had so many names; The Creator, god, Millennium, The One of a thousand lives, Maka. She could spend a lifetime listing them. He was kind and disliked conflict. How she wished she could be more like him. But it would be impossible she could not simply turn the other cheek like him. She was not strong enough. But Rozzu knew that there was one thing she could do and that was to end the "Good Doctor's" life and keep anyone else from being used to his gain. Sure Millennium would disapprove but sometimes force was the way to go and the only thing standing in her way was this foolish Beeorian.
"Well then Rozzu what are you going to do about it?" The Beeorian chuckled.
His face was disgusting, his feelers and long thin tongue wiggled about his mouth. It made Rozzu want to vomit. But that would be awkward, not just that it would leave her feeling drained and there for vulnerable.
"I'm going to kill you quickly and then go after the doctor." She point one of my katana at what would be considered the Beeorian's throat.
"Kill me?!" It laughed, "You assume you can."
"I have killed your kind before." It was true.
The Beeorian did not seem shocked by this, "But unlike them I had the Good Doctor give me a few…enhancements."
"You're insane."
Her head pounded as memories I would love to forget flooded back in. She could feel the phantom grip of the Good Doctor's henchmen as they held her down. Rozzu was struggling, her dark rose colored hair falling into her face. It had been longer before the events had taken place, but after a fight with scissors between her and the Good Doctor left the hair on the left side of her hair extremely short. Though as it reached around her head it gradually became longer and longer until it reached shoulder length on the right side of her face just behind her ear. Her bangs had also been caught up in the fray. She had one extremely long bang on the far right of her face, then two shorter ones before one that reached down between her eyes in the middle of her face. Her bangs did not reappear till the far left side of her face with two shorter ones. Later her hair would grow out more evenly in the back but she kept the rest as it was. But at the time of the memory all it stood for was a sign of diffidence against the Good Doctor. A small victory from when he tried to shave her head in order to make the experiments run smoother.
'Let go of me!' She remembered crying out as she flailed desperately.
All her fidgeting had forced the Good Doctor to call his henchmen to hold her inches above the table. The tan rags she was forced to call clothes were nearly torn from her body in her attempt to gain leverage.
'Now now child it will be over soon.'
Fading back to reality Rozzu found herself holding her head with one hand as the Beeorian studied from afar.
"I see," He was not so condescending, "You have been suppressing these memories."
"Shut up."
Having had enough of the creature she stabbed her katana into the ground, without letting go of her head. It cracked and rumbled as the blade seemed to have disappeared. And before the Beeorian had a chance to move a furious swarm of rose petals exploded from the ground. Moving to swiftly to be dodged once inside the swarm they began to cut the Beeorian to shreds. He howled in pain as Rozzu simply let herself drop to her knees. As the last of the petals exited the ground the Beeorian fell as well. His breathing was labored.
"Y….You…." His words being slowed by the lumps of spit in his throat.
"Return to your hilt," Rozzu began to slowly stand up clutching the hilt of the in ground katana, "blade of dancing petals, Freesia."
And just like that the petals spun back and tore through the Beeorian, back into the ground and up towards Freesia's hilt. The petals quickly grouped together and turned to the steel blade it had been moments before.
The Beeorian was now struggling to stand on all fours, "S…So…that is Freesia…"
Rozzu nods and lets the other blade fall to her side as if to strike a pose. Her grip remains tight though.
Pointing to the other the Beeorian draws his last few breaths, "Th…en….that is…"
"Amaryllis."
"I see," He lets himself fall, "Then as a last request…"
"Please you are not dying," Rozzu spit, "What about those enhancements the Good Doctor gave you."
The Beeorian laughed, "Well I guess that plan did not work, I was going to trick you into getting closer."
Rozzu pushed one foot down into the dirt, "These katana have names for a reason. Get up, trash!"
The Beeorian jumped up in a cat like manner, the cuts on his body quickly vanishing. A concept that reminded Rozzu of one of her friends from the planet Earth in the twelfth dimension. Cadence Wilson, the ex-assassin and now reformed hero.
'Don't let your enemy trick you into thinking yourself into defeat.' Cade had told her once.
It was good advice and she had been told something similar long before. But none the less Rozzu nodded and smiled at her friend. If she died now what would Cade think. Would she have really given it her all? No Rozzu was still warming up and if she did not kick it into high gear the ability to regenerate would do her in. And Cade would laugh. Not at her death but because she should know the ability through and through. After all Cade did demonstrate her ability on a daily basis. Even though that was not her only ability.
"Now what are you going to do?" It chuckled, "You can't kill me."
"That is what you think," Rozzu swung Freesia up at a diagonal and then quickly back down again.
The Beeorian chuckled as it released its wrist stringers and charged her. Rozzu spun to the right to avoid the first strike but the second came much faster and she barely had a chance to block with Amaryllis. Freesia spinning in her hand now she tried to swing it down like a pinwheel but the Beeorian dodged. However swinging Amaryllis forward she landed the bladed squarely in his shoulder. Unfortunately the Beeorian kicked her in the gut with the heel of his combat boot, knocking her backwards and forcing her to pull the katana from his shoulder. Though instead of getting frustrated Rozzu began to laugh. It started out as a chuckle but it quickly turned into a full blown hearty bellow of a laugh.
"What is so funny?"
Rozzu turned Amaryllis on its side to hold it horizontally in front of her face. Blood dripping from the cold metal.
"Amaryllis finds you quiet tasty." Rozzu stepped forward and began to charge.
The Beeorian took a step back but the katana Amaryllis still managed to graze the skin on his face. A small stream of blood let loose as a result.
"Of course, Amaryllis has a taste for its enemy doesn't it?"
"Yup."
"Then what of Freesia?"
"She likes the way you smell."
Stumbling backwards the Beeorian took note for the first time of a rather distinctive scent. It smelled like honey and jasmine and it was coming from him. When Freesia had cut through him it had left behind its special pollen which served as a homing beacon to the katana. Allowing the petals to home in on its enemy, making for a cleaner and more accurate cut. It was almost unnoticeable in the heat of battle, especially when you were trying to avoid being cut by Amaryllis. For that katana became sharper as it consumed its target's blood. When both katana were in their released forms Amaryllis would follow Freesia instinctively. Then with the right wielder the blades could be directed from a far. Although their petal forms were not the only plant based forms they could take. On occasion they took the form of vines or wood. Though with all this power the two blades had become rather temperamental, to the point that Rozzu was the only one who could call the pair forth at full power.
"You are going to die," Rozzu jumped forward, "Get used to it."
Amaryllis disappeared in a flurry of white petals, slashing about the Beeorian. Rozzu landed and pulled Freesia forwards and cut the Beeorian. Jumping sideways she spun through another cut to the Beeorian's side, pausing behind him.
"I will not die!" He spun back to grab her.
Rozzu released the raging Amaryllis' hilt and grasped the back of Freesia's hilt with her now free hand. Amaryllis' hilt bounced along with her movements as it was still attached to her arm guard. Tightening her grip on Freesia she rammed it into the Beeorian's chest. Impaling him, pushing all the way through, and ripping him open on the other side. He hung there for a moment, arms still reaching for her, he was in shock. He would have had her too had she not lowered herself for the attack.
"Now dance Freesia." The blade exploded into the thousands of furious white petals inside of the Beeorian.
As the petals shot out from him, his body fell to pieces. Purple blood squirting wildly about. Freesia and Amaryllis spun about like cherry blossom petals on a windy day. Rozzu watched, her face void of emotion, as what remained of the Beeorian crumpled and slid about. He had practically exploded but at a speed too quickly to launch any part of him into the air. He simply fell into a heap. No signs of regeneration, though the armor had hide it earlier it still seemed clear that the Beeorian was not going to get back up. With nothing left to say about the scene Rozzu turned towards the base and began her approach. If anything the Good Doctor's death would be much more satisfying. Or at least she hoped it would be. The hood of her white jacket had fallen off during the heat of the battle; she took a moment to quickly pull it back up over her head. Freesia and Amaryllis had stalled for a moment over their fresh kill before flying back to their respective hilts. Returning to blade form Rozzu slide them back into their sheaths on her back. The connection to her arm guard released the katana as they entered their sheaths. Quietly Rozzu let her arms fall to her sides and slide quietly into the base.
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