A good story as well, I particularly like reading more of the events of flames life, who he knew and the like.
Ask and you shall receive:
Omega's Tale: Zero MissionIt's been many years since I last saw Flames. Many years since I felt the clean air of that planet in my lungs, felt the pure water trickle down my throat and felt the exhiliration of fighting by his side. Death tends to do that...make it seem like an eternity since you did all that you did whilst alive. It's been even longer since the aptly named 'Zero Mission' during which we first fought together.
The Resistance had recently gained a large quantity of members and this was to be our first mission since our increase in number. A team of 6 was assembled and told to neutralize Xan's forces who had recently captured one of our warehouses outside of Neo Babylon. Two more experienced members, me and a large Anthro wolf known as Si, were to lead the group and provide support to the newer members. Those newer members were 3 Reploids and a teenage Anthro: Flames.
The first thing I had noticed about him that really stood out to me was his eyes: he had the battle-weary eyes of a warrior, he had seen death and possibly even dealt it out at some point. He wore no armour and didn't have the standard handgun almost every member carried with them. Instead he wore clothing that allowed for a lot of moment and carried with him an ancient blade that appeared to have been enhanced with modern alloys. I decided to treat him as I treated everyone else: Firmly, but with understanding and kindness.
We stormed the warehouse, taking out any and all threats whilst also giving the team demonstrations and allowing them to gain experience themselves. They were all quick learners and followed our orders well. All was running smoothly and it looked as if our Zero Mission was going to be a success...that is, until we got deeper into the building. There were far more droids and many traps had been placed for us. Secret passages and extensions underground had been constructed, only adding to our irritation. Eventually we had no choice but to split up and hunt the remaining droids in groups of 3. I took Flames and a femake Reploid who wished to be referred to as "Crystal".
She was almost suspiciously accurate with her shooting and wasn't suprised whenever a droid emerged out of a secret section within the wall or dropped down from the ceiling. I simply thought that she was focused and couldn't be startled easily, so I ignored my suspicions and instead focused on the blade-weilding Anthro, Flames. He moved very swiftly and was clearly very skilled with his Sabre. His lack of a ranged weapon or suitable armour didn't affect his efficiency at destroying droids at all, rather it seemed to be better because of it. Perhaps he had learnt martial arts and thus preferred fighting this way. I didn't know then and I still don't know now.
It wasn't until we were approaching the last 6 or so corridoors that things went wrong. A small army of droids suddenly appeared behind us, dropping in from the room above and blasting through the walls to reach us. I told Crystal and Flames to scout the area ahead whilst I dealt with the sudden attack. After the mission Flames told me everything that had happened next, as I only reached him in time to hear the end of it.
He and Crystal had reached the next room when a blast door had suddenly slamned shut behind them. The moment he looked behind him Flames was shot in the back by Crystal, just as a levitating machine in the corner whirred to life. She used a remote control of some kind and sent the machine over to Flames, who was then sealed in an electrified capsule. I arrived at the blast door in time to hear Crystal announce to Flames that she was a spy for Xan and planned on sending Flames to Xan as a test subject to be tortured over and over. She then used the machine to transport him two rooms ahead, where she also hid, awaiting further orders.
As soon as I knew of her plan, I did all I could to break in, but the blast door wouldn't be damaged so easily. Instead I utilized the hole in the ceiling made by the droids to get to the floor above. I reached the room above the one I had been trying to break into, charged up my energy and fired a powerful charged shot into the floor before jumping down into the room below. I chased Crystal down and easily dispatched of her light armour with but a single charged shot. The energy of the blast knocked her unconcious and gave me the chance I needed to restrain her and free Flames, who had been hacking away at the capsule with all his might, despite getting electrocuted each time. The cracks in the capsule held testament to his determination. There was but one room left at the end of a long corridoor. I told Flames to search the last room whilst I called the other group and told them of our current status. I still look back on my decision to send him off alone and wish that I had not been so foolish. It took a while for me to reach Si and his team as a signal jammer was hidden somewhere in the building and the others had to destroy it.
By the time I reached the last room, I found Flames heavily wounded, Sabre still clutched in hand, looking down on the burning remains of a large mech of some sort he must have fought. Neither of us said anything. There was nothing to say...
