Artificial

Chapter 24

The next morning, Brandon was at the Demon Council,
I told my siblings,
Penny and Leon about Anton to which Penny and Leon sigh in relief.
Brandon calls us once the explanation was over,
apparently the Council will now announce their plan for war.
My siblings stayed behind sense they didn't really care,
we parked in the seats of the arena and the Council begun to announce their plan. "Thank you all for patiently awaiting your summons, now then on to the meat and potatoes of the plan.
So after several discussions weve concluded that we should have two forces, the main force who will engage the Exorcist head on and a elite special unit made of the strongest of the strong,
the intelligent of the intelligent. When I call your name,
step into the ring."
The Council members call names one by one and seperated them by elements, it was roughly thirty minutes of name calling. "You all are the main force,
our front lines,
your role is to merely weaken their numbers,
retreat is a option but surrender is not, we heal much faster then they do so if need be switch with your allies in the back. Next up is our elite squad,
they will go in through the sewer system into Greenville and enter the Exorcist HQ, find their storage of weapons and destroy that first then find the pope leader and bring us his head.
Failure is not a option and this whole operation hinges apon your success, we will meet up in three days time at noon, march apon our enemies! Any questions?!"

Everyone was silent but the moral was high, just to clarify for those who didn't know if they were on the elite squad he paged names,
which were Brandon,
Leon, me, Penny, the S rank demon named Xander, a oni named Raina,
the two yuki-onnas name Flecia and Crystal, Chief of the Light Tribe Kogo and his brother Sillva,
they were older men that looked about late sixties to early seventies.
And lastly two Wind Tribe ninjas named Kage and Souza.
After that we were dismissed,
we returned back to home and I paged my siblings to my room for a quick talk, Sora closes the door behind her and I begin the talk.
"Listen, I know this is last minute but I need you three to come with me, I have some urgent buisness to take care of and I know there are some people that will be less then happy to see me. Mind lending me a hand?" Chase says did I even have to ask, Sora responds with okay and Terra asks where we going.
I clue them in and we make our way to Greenville,
I text Kenneth and Elaine,
asking where they at to which they both respond at some building in Greenville about to hold a meeting with his unit about the war.
I tell him I'm on my way to deliver that dual to him and if he's willing to hear me out in exchange for his aid. Just like before he says dual first, information second, cooperation is a maybe.

Two hours later we arrived in Greenville following the GPS.
To my surpise there were no Exorcist on patrol but when we arrived at the building there were Exorcist out the wazoo, naturally I was spotted and that was why I brought my siblings to which they kicked ass using their elements,
scorching, freezing and shocking the Exorcist unconscious.
The first floor I had rougly fifteen Exorcist aim at me in which I requested Kenneth and Elain, they looked at me like I was suicidal then drew their swords while still aiming their guns,
I sigh as I speed blitz them all and knock them out with hand to hand combat. The second floor my sibling broke through a window and started throwing Exorcist through walls and beat on them with some chairs,
not dead but probably wishing they were. Third floor I created a shadow ball and vaporized their guns by chucking it then asked if they still wanted to go at me. These were luckily smart and took me to the fifteenth floor to Kenneth and Elaine. The meeting was still going so I was asked to wait outside the door,
knowing Exorcist all too well I'm about to walk into a trap,
knowing Kenneth and Elaine though they aren't stupid enough to lose their info broker.

After five minutes I was paged in, my siblings followed and of course guns were aimed.
"LOWER YOUR WEAPONS!"
Kenneth commanded.
"This is my fight."
I look around the room, by the looks of it this place is used for weddings unlike weddings in a church,
Kenneth draws his shirasaya Spirit Blade and we make eyes contact,
I create a shadow katana and take stance as well.
We begin to slowly take steps towards one another then those steps turn into sprints, this isn't a battle between man and devil, nor is it a battle between runes and aura, this is a battle between two men slashing it out to their hearts content.
We cross blades,
taking turns slashing,
thrusting and parrying each other's sword, I block and let Kenneth's blade slide down mine then diagonally slash to which he back flips then horizontally cuts my chest, I attempt to stab him but he side steps and stabs me twice.
Man this human is just incredible, I could train for years and still not come close to beating him in a sword fight.
I parry his blade then punch him in jaw to witch he kicks me on the side of my knee cap, spins then hits my upper thigh on my other leg.
We keep having at it,
hacking, slashing,
more thrusts then lock blades, rather then try to over power the other in a test of strength,
we twirl our blades trying to cut the other's wrist but instead end up side jumping and barrel rolling three times then landing on our feet.

Kenneth vertically slashes and I thrust, parry then slash his back landing first blood for me,
his wound wasn't deep thankfully, knowing him though he won't let a mere flesh wound stop him.
A few more minutes worth of clashing of steel and shadow,
his sword breaks on him as he over swings, all guns were aimed at me the moment my shadow katana was at his throat, I throw my katana to the floor and it merges back into my shadow,
my siblings were daring them all to make a move while Elaine was defusing the situation.
Kenneth again yelled for everyone to stand down to which they luckily do.
"Men bring us a table and some chairs!" Some Exorcist do as told and so me, my siblings,
Kenneth and Elaine sit down and discuss the plan of the Demon Council.
After hours of back and fourth between the Exorcist, Kenneth and Elaine, loyal ties were questioned real bad.
"Listen to me, if Brandon has his ways, the Artificial race as well as the Exorcist will be wiped off the face of the earth, I hate to word it like this but were going to have to expend the majority of both forces just to kill this mutal threat, we all have to think of the bigger picture here, so please give me your loyalty."
Some more back and fourth with the peanut gallery but in the end they agreed to give me their loyalty and so we formed our little plan and plotted our schemes and concluded today's plan.

That evening when we returned to HQ, none of us could even be mentally prepared for the horrors that awaited us.
"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN WERE NOT GOING TO HELP HER?!"
Leon yells as soon as we enterd the living room,
it came directly from Brandon's office, we rushed into the office and wanted to know what the hell was going on.
"MY DUMBASS OF A FATHER SAYS PENNY GOT KIDNAPPED AND IS BEING HELD HOSTAGE AT SOME FACTORY UNTIL ALL OF US GO THEIR TO TAKE HER PLACE OR SOMETHING!"
Leon yells and Brandon attempts to clarify that he's the only one that has to turn himself over,
refuses and states that we are like a buisness and that we all have a price on our heads and that when we go out into the field for missions
or for casual reasons we take the chance at being captured and so he refuses to comply and that Penny was a big girl and that she can get herself out of this.
Sora and Chace punch Brandon out of his chair and onto the floor,
Terra slaps Brandon the second he tries to get up and speaks what's on everyone's mind. "You dumbass! Don't give us your buisness crap! Tell us where that damn factory is before I start breaking something!"
Chase ignites his fist and does a faint punch to Brandon's crotch,
stopping just before he could break it.
Sora growls under her grit teeth about to choke Brandon out as she grips his throat with one hand putting her thumb over certain spot that makes breathing easier. "If you want to keep digging that grave of yours just wait and see what happens."
Terra makes static spark around her clenched fist and I demand to know where that factory is to which Brandon tells us where the factory is,
more afraid that Chase would castrate or neuter him.
We bolt out the door with Leon in tow, rushing in the direction of the factory, don't worry Penny, help is on the way!