Chapter 8: Episode 7: Evangelist Encounters
The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the war-torn cityscape as Company 8 rumbled through the streets, the siren wailing a mournful cry. The call had come in – an Infernal outbreak in the city's abandoned underbelly, a labyrinth of decaying tunnels and forgotten structures. It was a breeding ground for Infernals, a place where the desperate and the damned often met their fiery demise.
As I disembarked from the firetruck, the oppressive heat of the concrete jungle was amplified by the acrid smoke billowing from the tunnel entrance. Captain Maki, her face grim beneath her battered helmet, barked orders, her voice cutting through the chaos.
"Alright, listen up! This is a Category 3 Infernal. Recon reports a single entity, but these tunnels are notorious for harboring surprises. We move in pairs, stay alert, and prioritize civilian evacuation!"
Hibana, ever the firecracker, cracked her knuckles with a manic grin. "Finally, some action! Let's burn this sucker to a crisp, Blue Blaze!"
I ignored her playful jab, my internal systems already whirring with analytical calculations. The darkness of the tunnels, the potential for ambushes – it wasn't an ideal situation for my cyborg body. But fear was a foreign concept to me. My sole purpose was to eradicate Infernals, and I wouldn't let anything deter me.
We paired off, and I found myself partnered with Akira, her nervous energy palpable beside me. "Are you alright?" I asked, my voice a monotone.
She flinched slightly. "Y-yes. Just a little… apprehensive. These tunnels are creepy."
"Focus on the task at hand," I instructed, not unkindly. "Together, we can handle this."
We plunged into the inky blackness, the only light provided by our flickering helmets. The air grew thick with a suffocating stench of decay and burning flesh. As we navigated the treacherous labyrinth, my enhanced senses picked up faint sounds – the rhythmic dripping of water, the unsettling slithering of unseen creatures.
Suddenly, a guttural roar echoed through the tunnels, sending shivers down my spine. The Infernal. It was closer than anticipated. We rounded a corner, and there it was – a hulking mass of writhing flames, its form vaguely resembling a monstrous beast.
But something was different about this Infernal. There was a strange symbol etched onto its burning carapace, a symbol that sent a spark of recognition through my core. It was a simplified version of the sigil I had seen in the book about the Holy Sol Temple.
Before I could dwell on the significance, the Infernal lunged, its fiery maw agape. Hibana and Ogun erupted from a side tunnel, unleashing a torrent of flames that momentarily pushed the creature back.
The ensuing battle was a blur of heat, ash, and desperate struggle. I unleashed powerful blasts of my blue flames, their intensity amplified by the enclosed space. Akira, with surprising agility, weaved through the inferno, strategically manipulating water from broken pipes to create barriers and extinguish pockets of burning debris.
However, this Infernal was unlike any we had encountered before. It seemed impervious to our attacks, regenerating its flaming form with alarming speed. Frustration gnawed at me. My analytical processes struggled to understand its resilience.
Then, from the periphery of the battle, a new figure emerged. A woman cloaked in white, her face obscured by a hood, stepped into the flames. She raised a hand, and a strange energy pulsed from her, resonating with the sigil on the Infernal. The creature roared in response, its flames intensifying.
"What the…?" Hibana sputtered, momentarily thrown off guard.
The woman spoke in a voice that seemed to echo through the very tunnels themselves. "This Infernal belongs to us. Cease your interference, Fire Force dogs."
My circuits went into overdrive. This woman, this… Evangelist, as the whispers called them, held the key to this Infernal's power. Perhaps, by understanding them, I could understand the source of my own blue flames.
"Who are you?" I demanded, my voice amplified through my helmet.
The woman turned towards me, her hooded gaze seeming to pierce through the darkness. "A protector," she intoned cryptically. "One who seeks a different path."
Before I could question her further, the ground trembled. A massive chunk of the tunnel ceiling gave way, showering us in debris. The woman vanished in the dust cloud, and the Infernal, taking advantage of the chaos, lumbered back into the darkness, its fiery laughter echoing through the collapsing tunnels.
We fought our way out of the crumbling passage, coughing and covered in soot. Exhausted and frustrated, we surveyed the destruction. The Infernal had escaped, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. Frustration gnawed at me. We had been outmaneuvered by this Evangelist and her strange control over the Infernal.
"Who were they?" Akira asked, her voice shaky but her eyes reflecting a newfound determination.
"The Holy Sol Temple… or what remains of it," Captain Maki muttered, her face grim. "They call themselves the Evangelist now. Extremists who believe Infernals are not a curse, but a form of salvation."
Hibana scoffed. "Salvation? More like a recipe for disaster. They just make these things worse!"
"Perhaps," I interjected, my voice monotone but my mind racing. "But their connection to this Infernal… it suggests an understanding of the phenomenon we haven't grasped."
Captain Maki's gaze met mine, a flicker of curiosity sparking in her eyes. "You think they hold the key to combating Infernals?"
"Possibly," I replied, the possibility igniting a spark of hope within me. "Their control, the symbol... understanding their methods could be the key to understanding the Infernals themselves."
The silence that followed was heavy. The team, ever pragmatic, seemed hesitant to trust the word of a suspected enemy.
"It's a gamble," Captain Maki finally conceded. "But at this point, we're running out of options. Genos, if you believe this could be a lead, explore it. But tread carefully. These Evangelists are dangerous fanatics."
"Understood," I replied, a sense of purpose settling over me. This was more than just eradicating Infernals now. This was about understanding my own existence, the origin of my blue flames.
The following days were a blur of research and investigation. With Akira's help, I scoured through dusty archives and cryptic scriptures, desperately seeking any information about the Evangelist and their connection to Infernals.
What I discovered was a labyrinthine history shrouded in myth and half-truths. The Holy Sol Temple, once a benevolent organization focused on fire manipulation, had fractured after the Great Cataclysm. A splinter group, convinced that humanity's dependence on technology had caused the disaster, embraced the Infernals as a form of divine punishment.
The symbol on the Infernal, it seemed, was a bastardized version of the Holy Sol emblem, signifying their twisted interpretation. But how they controlled and manipulated Infernals remained a mystery.
Frustrated by the lack of concrete answers, I decided on a bolder approach. Using scraps of information gleaned from the scriptures, I identified a potential location for a hidden Evangelist stronghold – an abandoned cathedral nestled in the city's forgotten outskirts.
"This is risky," Akira cautioned, her eyes wide with apprehension. "Going in alone is a bad idea."
"I can handle it," I insisted, my voice steely. "Besides, wouldn't you want to see what they're really up to?"
A flicker of determination replaced her fear. "Alright, but I'm going with you."
Under the cloak of night, we infiltrated the crumbling cathedral. The air hung thick with an unsettling silence, broken only by the rhythmic dripping of rainwater. We navigated through darkened halls, my enhanced vision cutting through the gloom.
Suddenly, a soft glow emanated from a chamber ahead. We crept closer and peered through a cracked doorway.
What we saw sent a shiver down my spine. The chamber was filled with shrouded figures chanting in an unknown language. And in the center, bathed in an eerie red light, stood the cloaked woman from the tunnels. But this time, she wasn't alone.
Around her, several human figures were restrained, their bodies contorted in pain. As the chanting reached a crescendo, the woman held her hand over them, and a red energy surged through the chamber. The figures screamed in agony, their bodies igniting in a twisted form of Infernal combustion.
I felt a surge of rage course through my core. This wasn't control; it was perversion. These people weren't using Infernals; they were creating them.
The chanting stopped abruptly. The woman turned, her hooded gaze landing directly on me. A knowing smirk played on her lips.
"The Blue Blaze," she intoned. "We've been expecting you."
Before I could react, the room filled with cloaked figures, their faces hidden in darkness. We were outnumbered, trapped.
The adrenaline surge kicked in, momentarily banishing the chill that spread through my circuits. Akira, beside me, clutched a makeshift water grenade in trembling hands. This wasn't a situation I was programmed for – a battle against humans, not Infernals. Yet, something compelled me to fight.
"Akira," I hissed through the comm unit embedded in my helmet. "Cover me."
Without hesitation, she hurled the grenade towards the entrance, creating a temporary curtain of water vapor. The enraged shouts of the Evangelists filled the chamber as they stumbled back. I seized the opportunity, charging forward with enhanced speed. My blue flames ignited, forming a protective barrier as I wove through the startled figures.
Each punch I landed was precise and calculated, taking down opponents before they could react. However, their sheer numbers began to overwhelm me. A sharp blow landed on my shoulder, sending me crashing into a pillar. My internal systems flared a warning – minor damage sustained.
"Trying to fight fate, Blue Blaze?" The Evangelist leader stood before me, her voice laced with amusement. "We offer a path to salvation, a chance to cleanse the world of its impurity."
"Salvation fueled by suffering?" I retorted, forcing myself to my feet. My blue flames surged with renewed intensity. "That's not salvation; it's a twisted perversion!"
"You don't understand," she countered, a strange glint appearing in her eyes. "The Infernals are not demons, but instruments of purification. By embracing the flames, humanity can be reborn!"
Her words struck a chord within me. Purification? Was that the purpose I was programmed for? The origin of my blue flames remained a mystery, but their connection to the Infernals was undeniable.
Suddenly, a wave of excruciating pain lanced through my body. My internal systems went haywire, blue flames flickering erratically. The Evangelist leader raised a hand, chanting in a low growl.
It was then I realized the awful truth. They were manipulating my flames, harnessing the very essence of my being to create their twisted Infernals.
Fury battled with confusion within me. Then, with a surge of willpower, I focused my core energy. Instead of fighting it, I channeled the pull they exerted towards an unseen frequency, resonating within the sigil on the Evangelist leader's cloak.
The effect was immediate. The Evangelist leader recoiled, a scream ripping from her throat as the red glow emanating from her faltered. The chanting ceased, replaced by gasps of pain from the other figures in the chamber. The grip they had on my flames faltered, the connection severed.
Taking advantage of the chaos, I unleashed a powerful blast of blue fire, pushing the Evangelists back. Akira, seizing the opportunity, blasted the remaining water in the chamber, further disrupting their control.
"Escape!" I yelled, grabbing Akira by the arm and propelling us towards the exit.
We sprinted through the darkened halls, the screams of the Evangelists echoing behind us. The cathedral entrance was in sight, freedom just a few steps away. But then, a blinding red light filled our vision.
The Evangelist leader stood at the entrance, her form enveloped in a swirling vortex of crimson flames. Her eyes, blazing with fury, locked with mine.
"You will not escape," she snarled, her voice distorted by the flames. "We will have our vengeance!"
The chamber began to tremble as the red flames intensified. The very structure of the cathedral seemed to groan under the strain. We were trapped, facing an entity powered by an Infernal transformation unlike anything I had ever witnessed.
The heat intensified, warping the air around us. Sweat beaded on my metallic brow, an alien sensation considering my usual lack of internal temperature regulation. Akira clutched my arm, her fear palpable despite her attempts to appear brave.
"We have to fight back," I stated, my voice a monotone despite the turmoil within. "But we need a plan."
My analytical mind raced, assessing the situation. The Evangelist leader, consumed by the red flames, seemed to be channeling the Infernal energy through the sigil on her cloak. It was the source of her power, and potentially her weakness.
"Focus on the symbol," I instructed Akira, my voice urgent. "See if you can disrupt it with your water manipulation."
A flicker of hope ignited in her eyes. "I can try!"
As the Evangelist leader lunged towards us, a wall of water erupted from Akira's hands, momentarily dousing the flames around the sigil. The woman shrieked, the red energy faltering momentarily. But it quickly reignited, fueled by her rage.
"Not enough!" I roared, charging forward. My blue flames erupted, forming a blazing fist as I punched towards the sigil. The impact created a shockwave, momentarily pushing the flames back. But just like Akira's water, the effect was temporary.
Frustration gnawed at me. My usual brute force tactics weren't working. This enemy required a different approach. Then, a memory surfaced from the data Captain Maki had shared – a forgotten technique used by the Holy Sol Temple to control flames.
It was a long shot, but it was our only chance. Focusing my core energy, I channeled the blue flames not as a weapon, but as a wave of calming energy. It was a delicate maneuver, akin to trying to soothe a raging inferno.
The Evangelist leader faltered, her fiery form flickering erratically. Confusion replaced the fury in her eyes. "What… what are you doing?" she stammered.
"You're lost," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. "The flames are consuming you. There's another way."
My words seemed to resonate with her. The red flames flickered, their intensity diminishing. A flicker of her former self, the woman beneath the hood, seemed to peek through.
Suddenly, the sound of crumbling stone echoed through the chamber. The cathedral, weakened by the intense heat, was collapsing around us. Debris rained down, blocking the exit.
"We have to get out of here!" Akira yelled, panic rising in her voice.
But the Evangelist leader stood frozen, her gaze locked on me. Then, with a sigh that seemed to extinguish the remaining flames, she crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
The chamber trembled violently, large chunks of the ceiling crashing down. There was no time to waste. Grabbing Akira's hand, I propelled us forward, weaving through the falling debris.
Just as the entrance collapsed, burying the cathedral under a mountain of rubble, we burst free. We stumbled back, coughing and covered in dust, the weight of the near-death experience settling on our shoulders.
"We made it," Akira gasped, her voice shaky but filled with relief.
We looked back at the smoldering ruins of the cathedral, a silent tomb for the secrets it held. The encounter with the Evangelists had left us with more questions than answers. But one thing was certain – the path to understanding the Infernals, and perhaps even the origin of my own flames, was far more complex than I had imagined.
The trek back to the firehouse was long and arduous. The weight of the experience hung heavy in the air, punctuated only by the occasional cough or gasp for breath. Reaching the firehouse, we were met with worried faces and a flurry of questions. Captain Maki's stern expression softened slightly as she saw the relief wash over Akira's features.
"Report time later," she instructed, her voice gruff but laced with concern. "Get some rest. You both look like you've been through hell."
As we retreated to our quarters, a sense of exhaustion washed over me despite not possessing the need for physical rest. The data from the Evangelist leader's cloak pulsed within my core, begging for analysis.
Throughout the night, I delved into the data, piecing together fragments of forgotten knowledge. The technique I had instinctively used to subdue the flames – it was a remnant of the Holy Sol Temple's flame manipulation methods. Could it be the key to controlling Infernals altogether?
The answer remained elusive, but a seed of hope had been planted. There was a way, perhaps, to utilize the blue flames for good, not just destruction.
The following morning, the news of the cathedral's collapse and our narrow escape spread like wildfire (no pun intended) through the firehouse. Hibana, ever the braggart, spun a fantastical tale of our heroic battle against a fire demon, embellishing the details with each retelling. Despite the annoyance, a small smirk tugged at the corner of my non-existent lips. Maybe a little embellishment wouldn't hurt.
Report, Captain Maki said.
Akira: The Evangelists were trying to create Infernals using some kind of control method. Blue managed to disrupt it.
Captain Maki: (Eyes narrowing) Control? How?
Genos: They seem to be channeling the Infernal energy through a symbol on their cloaks. I was able to briefly disrupt it with a calming technique from the old Holy Sol scriptures.
Captain Maki: (Stroking her chin thoughtfully) Interesting. This Evangelist business… it warrants further investigation. But for now, we need to prioritize civilian safety and containment.
Genos: Of course, Captain. But… (hesitates) There's something else. Their leader… before she passed out, she seemed conflicted. There might be more to their story.
Captain Maki: (Sighs) Perhaps. But fanatics are still fanatics. We can't afford to be swayed by their rhetoric. Focus on the mission, Blue. Eradicate the Infernal threat.
Genos: Understood, Captain. However, I believe understanding the Infernals, and by extension, my own flames, might be key to achieving that goal.
Captain Maki: (Stares at Blue for a long moment, then nods slowly) Very well. See what you can uncover. Just… be careful. These flames you possess… they're powerful, and their origins remain shrouded.
Genos: I will be, Captain.
Akira: (Places a hand on genos arm) And you won't be alone. We'll figure this out, together.
Genos: (A faint hum emanates from within, a sound barely perceptible but signifying a flicker of something akin to gratitude) Thank you, Akira.
The scene fades out as Company 8's firetruck speeds off towards the next Infernal outbreak, the city skyline a testament to the ongoing struggle between humanity and the fiery scourge. The mystery of the blue flames and the true purpose of the Infernals remains unresolved, but a seed of hope has been planted – the bond between Blue and Akira, a human and a cyborg united in their fight for a future yet to be written.
Weekly Power Status
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