[11] Android 17

[Burter Jr]

6. Android 17

"Our time is now!"

Something in the distance. Seventeen turned around. Who...?

"We will crush them!"

It was close. Somewhere, evil lurked.

"It is time to come out of hiding! It is time to face our destiny! Hell will live on, here!"

An approving crowd roared their approval, so loud the mountains began to shake. Seventeen looked down, gasping. Right there, in the caves of the mountain! What to do?! Tell Gabriel, or face them alone?

[Android 17]

The cybernetic warrior had been taking his time slowly descending the mountainside when he heard the first rumblings. He could easily ignore the faint tremors higher up the mountain, but the lower he climbed, the more they intensified. Seventeen suddenly lost his footing and started to slip down the mountain, flailing wildly as he struggled to reacquire his grip on the chilled stone. The android suddenly remembered that he could fly?for some reason he keep forgetting that helpful bit of knowledge when the going got rough. Kicking off the nearly-vertical surface, the machine-hybrid intended to rocket into the sky seconds later, but in his downward scamper, he had overlooked a wide ledge a few feet beneath him. After letting out a groan following his face first landing on the plateau, the android scolded himself for acting like such a moron, but seconds later, his attention was stolen from reprimanding his idiocy due to the sudden outburst that tore through the night air.

?Our time is now!? the raspy scream immediately captured the android?s interest, but even when Seventeen got to his feet to examine the plateau, he saw nothing, ?we will crush them!? The machine-hybrid darted forward; the voice was so close to him??It is time to come out of hiding! It is time to face our destiny! Hell will live on, here!" Seconds following the unknown being?s outcry, a deafening, damned chorus of demons screamed their approval. The cybernetic warrior covered his ears for protection against the overwhelming screams. He dropped to one knee as he tried to block out the deep, gravelly roaring, but when he looked down, what he was saw was far worse then any screaming.

Android Seventeen?s eyes grew wide at the scene playing out in the caves underneath him. Crouching down, the cybernetic warrior peered through the crack in the cavern?s ceiling. Now with a closer view, Seventeen gasped at the horrific sight. Demons stood in long lines, their exact numbers were undecipherable because of the android?s bad angle of sight, and the shadows that blanketed the back of the cave did not help his view. Still, the machine-hybrid could make out some details of the demons. For example, each of the warriors was identical to one another. Their entire bodies? were garbed in tight black fabric, and even their faces were obscured by masks. Black gloves and boots complemented their dark color scheme, only adding to their already immense veil of mystery. Still, the army of faceless warriors paled to their leader when it came to how intimidating they were. Up and down the motionless line of warriors, a much larger demon was pacing. Unlike his followers, he flaunted his grotesque appearance, perhaps his lack of shrouds may have something to do with rank, but the android knew nothing of the demonic hierarchy.

This hellish fiend?s skin was red like the titan the android had slain higher up the mountains, but the last demon?s skin was nearly flawlessly compared to the warty, carbuncle-infested flesh of this new monstrosity. Dense, ebony armor had been modeled over the creature?s chest and legs, and it feet were encased in obsidian greaves. In one of its clawed fists, it tightly gripped a massive sword?the likes of which the android had never seen. The final distinguishing feature of this demon was his metallic lower jaw. Reflecting the faint flicker of moonlight that was spilling into the cave, the prosthetic underbite greatly confused the android. Were the inhabitants of Hell actually intelligent enough to perform the type of procedure necessary for grafting artificial limbs and body parts? Then again, Seventeen had performed similar surgery when he lost his arm, and he had done that with only a manual, drugs, and some tools.

What was the android to do? These monsters were not going to just to sit around a cave all day and have a picnic. They meant business, but the army of angels was miles away. In the time it would take for the machine-hybrid to get back to the watchtower to inform Gabriel there was a strong possibility these demons would be long gone. Paige and Leo were the other two options, but were the whitelighters even close enough to hear Seventeen?s call? Before the cybernetic warrior could decide on a course of action, the demonic general in the cavern beneath him raised his sword high above his head and addressed his men once again.

?The day is ours! The denizens of this asteroid will be the first to fall to Satan?s Elite Brotherhood!? Having been silent for the last few moments, the lines of demons threw their fists into the air, roaring their approval. The android yelped at the loud cries and threw his hands back to his ears, but the battle cries of the demons were the least of his worries. Unknowingly beneath his knees, the ground was starting to crack, until a few seconds later, when it crumbled underneath the cringing machine-hybrid. Seventeen fell down a few yards and landed on his hands and knees. A small shower of rock scraped his back and served to only add insult to an already idiotic injury.

The android stood up rather quickly and brushed the dirt from his already tattered, stained shirt and jeans. When he looked up, he could see the countless sea of faceless demons. Their masked faces sent shivers down Seventeen?s cybernetic spine, but still, it was their leader that proved the most threatening out of all of them. He was not quite as gigantic as the last demon the android had fought, but the demonic general was still nearly two feet taller then the android. Apparently, he also was not the least bit pleased with his new guest. Several of the masked demons moved forward to attack, but their leader swiftly swung his sword to the side?an immediate sign for his forces to halt their movement.

?Only five of you remain, I want the rest of you to depart without delay, and prepare for the attack on the bulk of Heaven?s forces,? from a few feet away, the machine-hybrid could clearly hear how distorted and wheezy the demon sounded. Chances were the monstrosity?s imprecise voice was a setback due to the application of his synthetic lower jaw. In an odd display of their eerie skill, the ocean of demons vanished into the shadows of the cave. Seventeen, taken aback by a large group of warriors just disappearing like that, shook his head in disbelief and moved to face the six remaining hell spawn. The general, his fiery red eyes glaring at his intruder, pointed his heavy sword forward. His five masked mercenaries, all standing in a line, broke off into separate directions. The cybernetic warrior tried to follow all the bodies, but when the first strike came and nearly knocked the android off his feet, he quickly realized he was not going to have any advantage fighting these demon ninjas in the ill light cave.

Taking another hit to the side of the head, Seventeen let himself fall forward. The android rolled out of the grotto?s mouth, making it to a standing position just as next demonic warrior was moving to attack him. Reacting quickly, the machine-hybrid ducked underneath the gloved fist, and then dropped his hands, a shimmer of ki rapidly formed between his fingers. Closing his fist, there was a flash of sapphire energy elongating as the android pushed of his feet and swung upward. Stepping forward, Android Seventeen, now back to a standing position, glanced over his shoulder to watch the hell ninja separate at the stomach. No fluids escaped the layers of fused tissue, and that was something the android was glad of. He had been tired of all the bloodshed, and using the energy swords made the job a lot less messy.

Turning to face the mouth of the cavern, the cybernetic warrior prepped for the emergence of the four remaining soldiers. A sharp pain reminded the android that he was not battling any normal warriors. With a loud cry, Seventeen spun around and swung at the ninja who had just attacked him. The skilled assassin may have been adept at meticulously planning his fights, but the unorthodox outburst by the machine-hybrid threw a giant wrench in the demon?s battle workings. The cerulean saber cleaved halfway through the chest of the retreating demon. He fell backwards, and as he did, the android darted forward to deal the final blow. Sending the length of the sword through the ninja?s skull, Seventeen quickly prepared to engage the trio of demonic henchmen that were stalking him from the shadows.

Even though the moonlight betrayed the android by basking him in its full shine, the demonic assassins made no surprise attacks. Instead, all three of them landed several yards away from the android. Their veiled faces gazed from one of their dead brothers to the other, and then the trio raised their hands. With reflexes faster then the humble android could follow, the ninjas ripped their skintight black gloves off. Their revealed forearms were mangled and disfigured. Their skin was the same tone as a human?s, but several boney bumps disrupted the tissue at irregular intervals. Their ungloved fingers were gnarled and seemingly insignificant compared to the blood-soaked blade that poked out from the top of each of their forearms. Each of the ninja?s clenched their fists and flexed their bulging biceps. The thick blades that poked out from hallway up their forearms suddenly exploded free. Blood flowed from self-inflicted wounds as the blades unsheathed themselves from their prison of flesh, bone, and sinew.

Mortified by the self-mutilating acts of the hell spawn, Seventeen took a few steps back, but he never stopped paying attention to his currently motionless adversaries. The faceless ninjas flexed their shoulders and elbows even as their blood coursed from where the blades had torn through their flesh. Each of the blades had exited the skin and followed the length of the arm until they passed the hand. Even after they passed the ninjas now-useless fists; however, the blades continued for nearly another foot. The most disturbing fact was that Android Seventeen could not tell whether the demon?s new, natural weapons were made of bone or metal. They had a gray shine to them, yet on the other hand, they also seemed to lack any type of cutting edge except for the last few inches.

Then each of the warriors raised a single, mangled hand to their face mask and tore the black, fabric clean from their cranium. It seemed that the ninjas had worn the masks solely to disguise their lack of humanity. When they had been fully concealed, the figures could have at least passed as oddly-dressed humans, but now their true origins were grotesquely displayed, much to the dismay of the android. The ninjas were completely identical in appearance, and only slightly varied when it came to the exact tone of their skin. Their heads were completely bald, and their ears and nose were decreased greatly. Seventeen wondered how they managed to have such augmented senses under their circumstances?a tight mask and a small nose and ears. The most definitive feature of all three of the ninja?s was their mouths. Dominating the lower half of their face, their black mouths were lined with dozens of stout, jagged teeth. Saliva dripped freely from the demons? monstrous visages.

Android Seventeen created another sapphire saber of ki in his free hand. This prompted the ninjas to enter their attack mode. Hunching forward, they glared forward at their intended prey with delight, and just when it seemed the trio was going to lunge at the android, they suddenly dove into the darkness. Even with their pseudo-humanity shed, it seemed that the demonic ninjas were not content reverting to the primitive, deformed monstrosities they appeared to be. Before he could prepare for his second round with the bizarre ninjas, something caught the machine-hybrid?s attention. He turned to see the demon general who had ordered the five assassins to slay Seventeen. The armored figure was patiently standing at the mouth of the cavern. Motionless, his red eyes burned with an immense rage, but he made no move from the opening of the cave.

The sound of footsteps reminded the android of his current predicament. Turning sharply, Android Seventeen?s eyes grew wide at the boney blade mere inches from his face. Leaning back just as the weapon killed the air where his head had been seconds earlier, a bead of sweat fell from the machine-hybrid?s brow and hit the ground.

OOC: That was an awesome round opener Burter. It provided me more then enough material for three rps, thank you.

[Android 17]

The android was still leaned back when the next ninja came into view. Seething and drooling, the barbaric foe came rushing from the darkness. Seventeen managed to throw himself to the side just as his two attackers were moving to impale him on their arm blades. Still holding a saber of ki in each hand by their invisible hilts, the machine-hybrid dashed away from the two ninjas. Android Seventeen knew he needed some type of plan to successfully engage the three unrestrained demons in direct melee. As he tried to formulate something and distance himself from the two warriors at the same time, the last member of the trio parted through a nearby shadow like a phantom. With a straight kick to the back, the assassin drove its cybernetic target off balance. The android shot his hands out in an attempt to regain his poise, losing his energy weapons in the process. Seventeen stumbled a few times before regaining his equilibrium and avoiding falling on his face.

Taking to the sky, the cybernetic warrior only stopped when he was a considerable distance off the ground. Above him, the moon was only serving to complicate the machine-hybrid further. The light of the nearly-full moon was responsible for the majority of the ground beneath the android being masked in shadow. Those crazed ninjas thrived in the darkness, and Android Seventeen knew if he could not decide on a course of action he was a dead man. Stretching his arms out, Seventeen began to focus his ki, and soon enough, he had managed to create two, golden orbs of energy. Still gripping the shimmering spheres, the machine-hybrid dropped like a stone to the ground below. Hitting the cooled earth, the android darted forward as he slowly brought the churning balls of ki in his palms together. The first ninja escaped through the veil of darkness, but instead of capitalizing on a seemingly erratic victim, the demon became the hunted.

?Final Flash!? Seventeen cried, pushing his aligned palms into the chest of his demonic assassin and unleashing the devastating beam of ki. The golden light charred and then disintegrated the hell spawn, ending his life in an awe-inspiring flash that illuminated nearly half of the mountain. When the orgasm of light and heat faded, Android Seventeen was left exhausted and out of breath. Fueled by even more hatred, the remaining two ninjas struck at their fatigued target. The android managed to dodge the first few stabs, but eventually the bloodthirsty resolve of his two demonic rivals would win out. The first blade tore through the machine-hybrid?s side, cleaving off a small portion of his skin, but it was the other ninja?s strike to the shoulder that would hurt the worst. Unable to tend to both wounds, Seventeen went on the retreat once again. As the cybernetic warrior retreated, the excruciating wound on his shoulder resulted in a small stream of blood left behind in the air as he sped backwards.

Even as their wounded prey was fleeing from them, the demons stood in the same spot. They were enraptured at the sight of Seventeen?s blood dripping from their forearm blades. The android stopped withdrawing from the battle and put a hand to his shoulder wound. Fortunately for him, the demon had lacked enough striking power to tear deep enough into Seventeen?s shoulder to cause any serious wounds. Still, the injury was seeping blood, and it hurt like hell. Tearing off the rags his tee-shirt had been reduced to, the cybernetic warrior wrapped the cleanest part of the fabric around the stab wound. Although that would prevent further blood loss from the shoulder, the lesion on the android?s side would now be aggravated by any environmental change. After tightening his belt, Seventeen created an azure ki saber. The cylindrical shaft of energy hummed and scintillated in anticipation, and its user grin wildly at the two ninjas that were now leering at down.

Charging his motionless assassins, the machine-hybrid tightened his grip on his energy weapon?s indistinguishable hilt and grinned. The demonic warriors tilted their heads at the odd display of tranquility by their prey. They both darted from the immediate area, once again becoming one with the shadows that infested the wide plateau. Seventeen stopped in his tracks and paused his breathing as he attempted to detect his shadowy foes. Leaping sideways, the android avoided an apparent attack, yet when he rolled and shot back up to a standing position, he was nearly ambushed by the other ninja. By chance it seemed, when the demons shed their clothing and embraced their bizarre nature, they lost part of what made them such skilled assassins. Still, the creatures were rivaling Android Seventeen when it came to both finesse in battle and tactics, and the cybernetic warrior had the advantage?he was part computer!

Because he always enjoyed the sound it made, the machine-hybrid twirled the blue ki saber a few times in front of him. The whirling noise lifted some of the tension caused by having to contend with the two demons. Seventeen was starting to grow frustrated with the two ninjas. He would spend what seemed like forever having to narrowly dodge the savage strikes and sweeps of his enemies? weapons, and every time he would gain an opportunity to go on the offensive, the assassins would effortlessly weave in and out of his attacks. Android Seventeen finally exited the skirmish when he was double-kicked from the plateau by both of his opponents. The saber fizzled out the second the cybernetic warrior hit the ground at the bottom of the cliff and started rolling down another steep incline. Before he could react at all, the machine-hybrid was already at the end of he hill, his face and torso buried in a snow drift. If he didn?t doubt his ability to survive in this rapidly worsening situation, the android would be making sarcastic comments about himself right about now.

Powering up, Seventeen pulled his upper body free from the cold snow. Glancing up, he saw two black shades dart over the side of the cliff. The android channeled two spheres of ki as he prepared to initiate his next plan. The ninjas landed right in front of the cybernetic warrior, prompting him to condense his energy orbs into small discs of destruction. Android Seventeen unleashed the discs at the duo of ninjas, prompting them to dodge to opposite sides to avoid being cleaved apart. With a grin, the android created a ki saber in one of his hands and prepared. Rushing at the assassin to his left, the machine-hybrid pounced, pinning the panicked ninja with one hand and running him through with the ki saber in the other. Seventeen kept a firm grip on ninja?s neck until the demon stopped twitching. A sharp pain suddenly exploded down the thigh of the cybernetic warrior, yet he still managed to swing his ki sword before doubling over in pain. Even as he was falling over, biting his lip to contain the cries of pain from spilling from his mouth, Seventeen saw that he had hit his target. The ki saber had cleaved of the demon?s arm at the elbow and left both its natural blade and actual forearm imbedded in the android?s thigh.

When he hit the ground, the wounded machine-hybrid immediately discarded the azure energy sword and pried the limb from his bleeding thigh. A few yards away, the hell spawn seemed to be struggling with the reality of what had just happened. It was poking at its blackened stump; its dark eyes were wide with disbelief. Android Seventeen ripped a strip of fabric from the bottom of his pant leg and used it to bandage his new wound. The android wobbled as he stood, but he still managed to get to a vertical position before his demonic assailant even bothered to move. Seventeen took to the sky, rocketing up the side of the cliff and back up onto the plateau. When he touched back down on the high ground, he quickly looked back down to see it the demon had moved, but the android could no longer see his assassin. A warning by his internal display?the first in a while, reported to the machine-hybrid that an energy signature was rapidly approaching from behind him.

?Field open!? Seventeen screamed in a last-ditch effort to guard against the final warrior. The android turned around as the green globe of energy shot up around him, and he saw the demon in mid-flight, its remaining appendage aimed down at its prey. Its beady eyes widened as it tried to alter its trajectory. Android Seventeen watched its forearm blade hit the perimeter of his energy barrier, but instead of exploding instantly, the shielding started to bend inward. It was only for a few moments, but it was a long enough pause to make the cybernetic warrior almost lose his composure. There was a flash of green followed by a titanic explosion. The destruction left behind a thick smog, blinding the android as to whether or not he had achieved victory. Seconds later, the uncertainty dissipated along with the smoke to reveal the ninja on its back several feet away. Although not dead, the demon obviously was in no condition to continue the fight.

Quite a few yards away, the demonic general slowly made his way towards his fallen soldier. Android Seventeen kept his eyes on the menacing beast as it slowly marched to its defeated underling. The android reached to his waist to find his battle visor, but when his hands ran across nothing but dirty jeans, the realization set in. Seventeen remembered that had nothing after he met Leo and Paige near the summit. He must have left his equipment in the cave that was now almost half a mile above him. The cybernetic warrior only felt more like an idiot when he asked himself how he didn?t realize he?d left the giant sword of the avatar behind. Meanwhile, the demon general was now standing beside his fallen brother. The ebony-encased titan offered his free hand to the wounded ninja, and it seemed the fallen demon uttered some form of gratitude.

Seventeen was baffled by the act of brotherhood for a few seconds, but then the demon general suddenly yanked the wounded assassin off the ground and impaled him with his massive sword. The ninja convulsed and spit up blood for a few seconds before he collapsed on the blade. Kicking the corpse off his nearly five-foot weapon, the general turned to face the machine-hybrid who had just slain several of his soldiers.

?Only the strong survive in our world, human,? the demon said, his voice laden with metallic clicks and labored breaths, ?I did not spend the last few millennia preparing for this invasion only to watch my troops make fools out of themselves,? by the time he had finished his tangent, the demonic general had broken down in a fit of raspy cackles. Seventeen watched the armored pit fiend?s cackles turn into horrid coughs. Putting a clawed hand over his mouth, it looked like the demon was almost brought to his knees by the intensity of his coughing. He was already hunched over, his entire body wrought with minor spasms.

?You?d think in Hell you wouldn?t be able to catch a cold?? the machine-hybrid said with a smirk. He really couldn?t stop himself from making the comment, he was just being the kind of witty person he always was; however, it seemed that the enternal fires of everlasting damnation must remove one?s ability to take a sarcastic comment. The demon looked up at Seventeen, its red eyes flared to life.

?I am Azrael, you fool,? the demon spoke as he regain his composure, ?you are nothing compared to me!? The cybernetic warrior readied for combat, but before he could even take a deep breath, Azrael was upon him. Blurring as he took his slow steps forward, the demon suddenly shot several feet closer?his black and red form zigzagging faster then Seventeen could perceive. With a simple backhand, the android was sent over the edge of the plateau. As he fell, Android Seventeen looked up to see the intimidating hell spawn standing over the ledge?his searing red eyes burning holes straight through the android?s soul.

OOC: Once again, I have more then enough material for a final post.

[Android 17]

Android Seventeen tumbled head over heels down the hillside, the entire time the jagged, frozen earth aggravated his existing wounds and created a slew of new abrasions over his entire body. The machine-hybrid finally came to a stop against a large slab of rock jutting up from the steep incline. As he sat there, gasping for breath in the chilling night air, the cybernetic warrior tried desperately to fathom what the hell had just happened. Before he could even formulate a single, coherent though, he looked up the hill to see the armored demon making his way towards him. The only thing that was clearly visibly on the moonless hill was the general?s burning, red eyes. Using the tall rock for support, Seventeen pushed himself off the ground and readied for the hell spawn?s attack. It seemed that Azrael was biding his time?the demon wasn?t moving with the eerie speed he had previously displayed.

To get the first attack in, Seventeen tried to move forward, but he felt something holding him back. It felt like invisible hands were pinning him against the rock, and the more the android struggled to escape the unseen force, the more pressure he felt put on his body. The android, desperate to understand what was happening, looked down at the ground to see if something had a hold of his feet. When he saw nothing but his own boots twitching as he tried to move forward, he let out a loud obscenity and looked up to see his demonic assailant?s face a few inches away from his own. Android Seventeen pulled back, but whatever was holding him in place took him back too far. The cybernetic warrior?s head bounced off the unforgiving stone, leaving a deep, cracked impression on the rock and concussing the android. Seventeen?s head dropped forward, some blood dripping from the new wound on the back of his skull.

Azrael tightly clasped his victim by the hair and wrenched the machine-hybrid?s neck back. Because he was still half-unconscious, the android barely felt the pressure on his neck. With a labored laugh, the demon let his prey?s head slump forward again, and then Seventeen?s was released by the invisible force. Still hardly perceptive of his surroundings, the android fell to the side and started to slide back down the hillside. This time he didn?t feel the multitude of wounds open up on his chest and stomach from the jagged surface. Android Seventeen came to rest at the bottom of the frozen, uneven slide?only to realize he was a few feet away from a much steeper drop-off. His cognition returned as soon as the machine-hybrid gazed down the cliff.

Not wanting to find out how long the fall was or where it ended up, the android scampered up the incline. The cybernetic warrior had crawled only a few feet when a giant sword impaled the ground an inch in front of his face. Seventeen, eyes wide with horror, sat up immediately. With no means of using his mouth for expressing emotion, Azrael continued to leer at the android with those haunting pools of crimson. The demonic general tore his sword from the earth and jabbed forward, prompting the machine-hybrid to leap back to avoid the effects the steel would have upon spearing his stomach. It only took the android a moment to realize what had just happened. Then, like many coyotes before him, Android Seventeen plummeted into the steep, black abyss.

Azrael glanced over the edge of the gorge, waiting for his quarry to come flying out of the pit. Instead of the bony, little mortal; however, the demon was greeted with a giant beam of ki. The yellow energy wave struck the mighty hell spawn in the chest, forcing him to step back against the attack?s might. The contest of strength continued on for only a few moments more, and then the general manipulated the beam?s trajectory?angling it away from himself.

The android, now floating near the rim of the gorge, unleashed a stream of ki attacks against his armored assailant. Azrael batted each of the blasts away effortlessly, the entire time slowly making his way closer to the machine-hybrid. Seventeen, realizing that not only was he unnecessarily exerting his own energy, he was setting himself up for the onslaught of his demonic antagonist, pulled away from the demon. Now floating near the middle of the ravine, Android Seventeen watched the demonic general continue to glare at him. The crimson warlord raised his free palm, and a split-second later, a fountain of orange flames erupted outward! The android shot upward, escaping the sudden blaze by mere inches, yet even as he assumed his getaway was successfully, another torrent of fire cut him off. Seventeen spun around to move the other way, but he was engulfed in the next inferno unleashed by the demon. Azrael watched as his target?completely ablaze?fell from the sky and down into the darkness.

Heat and torment was all that Android Seventeen registered as he plummeted towards to earth so far below him. Even the chilling temperatures and high wind speed could not combat the flames that tormented his entire form. Even his landing about a foot of snow did nothing to extinguish the burning agony. Partially glad the impact hadn?t liquefied him, Seventeen laid in the snow as the flames licked his exposed flesh, searing and charring his body. He heard two heavy boots hit the ground several yards away and understood that he could not give up this easily. The machine-hybrid opened his hand, a small sphere of ki fluctuating above his palm. Azrael paused after landing to watch the mortal burn. The hellfire was punishing the human, but it was the random sparks that appeared over his prey?s body that intrigued the demon. The general tightened his fingers around the hilt of his heavy sword and started towards the fallen human being, prepared to deal the final blow.

Azrael raised his blade above his head and was seconds from ending the engagement when his seemingly incapacitated opponent sprung to life. Rolling over, Seventeen flung his hand, releasing a small disc of ki at the chest of his demonic oppressor. The warlord grunted (or maybe he wheezed, the degree of vocal distortion was too great to correctly comprehend what sound was what) and was staggered by the projectile. In his initial reaction to the attack, his sword was sent from his grip and vanished over the mouth of the yet another ledge. The cybernetic warrior?s eyes widened?the disc had not penetrated the ebony armor over the demon?s thorax. Both combatants were taken aback by this turn of events, yet the disc continued to fight to bore itself through the thick armor. Azrael was slowly forced back by the small energy projectile?s vigor, and even the armor on his chest began to splinter. Seventeen sat up, the flames he had previously been engulfed in had finally died out, but they had done their damage.

The android?s long black hair had been completely burned away, exposing the blackened, blistered tissue beneath. His blue jeans had been immolated by the unrelenting flames?both of the pant legs had been burned away entirely. The cybernetic warrior?s boots were shells of their former selves, yet the most damage had been dealt to the machine-hybrid?s skin: almost half his skin had been burnt away by the fire. In some places the damage was so extreme that Seventeen?s underlying muscle tissue had been opened to the elements. Even worse, the android?s core cybernetic workings were starting to malfunction from the degree of stress placed upon them.

The strained wiring and metal enhancements were releasing sparks of electricity all over Android Seventeen?s wounded body. The flickers of electrical energy danced over the machine-hybrid body, worsening his surface damage. Although the fire had done the most harm, they hadn?t caused any bleeding to occur. All the burnt tissue had been completely charred together; however, the sparks were rending his flesh wide-open, causing small amounts of blood to escape. Yet, at this stage, the nerves in the android?s epidermis were gone, and the minor wounds didn?t register with his brain at all.

A few yards away, the demon warlord shimmered out of sight, the ki disc continued on its path and struck a cliff wall. Seventeen tried to sigh in disbelief, but he found it hard to breath. He realized it was a possibility that his respiratory track had been damaged by the fire. The android raised his hand to see the top layer of skin completely burned away, yet he was still able to move his fingers. Azrael reappeared behind his battered prey, but before the hell spawn could attack, his would-be victim started to run away. By now, the demon was baffled by solely the fact that the human gave off electricity, but the general couldn?t comprehend the mortal?s ability to still operate after that much punishment.

Breathing hoarsely, the cybernetic warrior stumbled and tripped his way away from Azrael. Seventeen wanted to chuckle at how he constantly found himself fleeing from the giant demon, but the amount of fear and helplessness overwhelmed his sarcastic nature. The android had been in bad situations before?hell, he?d been in fights where he was completely pathetic compared to his opponents. Yet, Seventeen had never been in the same situations with a demon warlord, and even in the direst of predicaments, he usually had some form of backup. Now, he was stranded on an entirely foreign asteroid, with no support at all, fleeing from the wrath of a centuries-old hell spawn..

From behind him, the machine-hybrid could hear explosions?the wrath of Azrael was coming to consume him. Android Seventeen felt the ground around him break away underneath him as the detonations grew closer. The cybernetic warrior tried to escape the collapsing earth, but he just lacked the strength to dive aide. The drop was a short one, but when he struck the cave floor, the android landed on his right arm and felt his shoulder dislocate.

As he muffled his screams, Seventeen realized that the end of the game was quickly drawing near, and he needed to formulate some form of offensive before he was completely snuffed out of existence. The machine-hybrid popped his humerus back into his shoulder joint, and struggled to channel some form of usable energy. Above the cave roof, he could hear the thunderous footsteps of the warlord drawing near. A small, yellow sphere of ki illuminated the almost pitch black cavern. Seventeen struggled to once again stand and combat his demonic antagonist. Each time the android stood back up was harder then the last. It was becoming apparent to him that he was running out of time to prepare. The cybernetic warrior formed the glob of ki into a free-floating disc and readied himself. If this little plan failed, Seventeen knew he would be submitted to the full assault of Azrael.

The demon exploded through the roof of the grotto a few yards behind the primed android. Letting out a raspy, defiant scream, Android Seventeen spun around and unleashed the golden disc at the crimson general. The demon realized too late that he had once again misunderstood the cybernetic human. There was a massive flash of ki that illuminated the chamber. Seventeen tried to smile, but the spontaneous electrical sparks and horrid burns had voided the abilities of his facial muscles. When the momentary layer of smoke dissipated, the android immediately noticed his demonic adversary, knelt on the ground, hands covering his face and mouth. Azrael was lost in another fit of coughing, but this time, blood was escaping through his fingers as he choked and hacked. The machine-hybrid was about to continue his offensive when the demon suddenly shot off the ground.

?Field open!? Seventeen cried out, trying to protect himself. The barrier shot up in the nick of time, but the moment of relief soon turned sour. The general?s fist struck the perimeter of the barrier, but instead of triggering an explosion, the barricade around the android shattered. The momentum of the strike was dulled, but the demon still had enough power behind his punch to send the android clean through the wall of the cavern. The cybernetic warrior landed outside on what seemed to be the base of overbearing mountain. Adrenaline was the only thing that gave Seventeen the strength and will to stand back up.

The side of the mountain exploded, the sheer force was almost enough to send the machine-hybrid to his backside. Azrael stepped through the cloud of destruction and leered at his cybernetic opponent. The prosthetic over his mouth was ruined?a massive hole had been blown clean through its center, revealing the now-defunct wiring underneath. Seventeen watched the demon raise one of his hands to the side of the synthetic jaw, and without a single expression of pain, tear it off. The android watched the enraged demon heave the prosthetic to the wayside.

The broken metal application skipped across the bare earth a few times before exploding against a small rock. The machine-hybrid turned his gaze from the obliterated prosthetic to his demonic rival. Without the metal guard, the ghastly wound was free for all to see. The warlord obviously had suffered greatly from whatever it was that had completely severed his mandible. His upper lip was nonexistent, revealing both his gums and jagged, black teeth. Azrael raised his left hand above his head, and his sword reappeared in a momentary flash of flames. Seventeen took a few steps away from the demon as he tried to think up some type of plan. With narrowed eyes, the crimson general slowly started towards his unarmed prey. The cybernetic warrior continued to look around for something to use to his advantage, but he was at the base of the mountains?the wastelands were nothing but flat land with the occasional mound or lump of stone.

Just as it seemed all hope was truly dead, a flash of white and blue speckles appeared near the ground in front of Seventeen. When the flair subsided, the avatar?s sword was left, slightly impaled in the dirt. It was at that moment that the cybernetic warrior realized that someone up there loved him. Both android and demon dashed forward, yet it was the battered, charred Android Seventeen who surprisingly reached his objective first. With a single motion, the machine-hybrid tore the sword from the ground and was able to prevent his demonic foe from achieving victory. Azrael?s eyes widened, surprised that the android still had the power to stave his attack, as he took a step back.

Seventeen half-leaped, half-tumbled at the warlord and buried his sword in the demon?s left wrist. Although the blow failed to amputate the demon?s hand, it cleaved deep enough to sever numerous veins. The android pulled away from his stunned antagonist and watched Azrael drop his large sword. With his weapon hand, the demon tore off his partially-severed metacarpus. Android Seventeen cringed at the small fountain of blood that escaped the demon?s stump, but he could tell the injury hadn?t bothered the hell spawn.

Seventeen dashed forward, but this time it was the demon that narrowly blocked his adversary?s attack. The swords of Azrael and the machine-hybrid met one another with a spark, and their two wielders entered a contest of power. The android realized full well that he would lose in direct combat, but then a very devious idea entered his mind. The cybernetic warrior let go of his sword with one hand and threw that palm forward?unleashing a small burst of ki at his rival?s face. The small blast of energy struck the demon?s right eye, causing him to silently react to the pain. Azrael dropped his sword and started to teeter, and that sign of momentary weakness was all the incentive the android needed. Android Seventeen?sword raised high?attacked, knowing entirely that this battle was going to end right here one way or another.

[Burter Jr]

END OF ROUND

"Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrg!"

Seventeen landed on the opposite side of his oppenent. His sword was laced with blood. His body fuming from the finished fight.

He could hear the body of the demon dropping. Success.