Neru stands outside the Hall of Avatars in Heaven. She takes one last look around. Everything around her is so pure looking and technologically advanced even compared to the Sarange and Zarange. She sighs as she knows this is most likely the last time, she will ever see anything in Heaven. After all she disobeyed a direct order from the Goddess of Light. Something no Avatar has ever done before. Though deep down she knows she did the right thing. It was Blackfire, the people she was sent to spy on that helped save her friend while her own kind refused to risk the mission, which giving that if they were caught she isn't sure how much of a chance they would have had. So it only made sense that she side with Blackfire and finish the business with the Soul Stealing mage even if Fay was no longer involved rather than getting dragged into yet another endless battle zone. She steers her thoughts back the present and enters the hall.
She walks through the building with her head held high as she walks past other avatars and enters the chamber of judgement. There she sees a pink haired stern looking angel that is none other than the Archon of Light. They both salute. Neru asks “Archon! May I ask where the goddess is?” The Archon replies “The goddess is busy with other matters and unfortunately couldn’t make it here today. However, I have good news for you. Zelda in her mercy has decided to give you a second chance giving your prior record before the Blackfire Incident. Leave them and rejoin us in the Battlezone. Our enemies are making moves, and we need every avatar out there.” Neru was a bit surprised. Normally such disobedience would result in deascension or banishment for natural-borns like herself. Though she would be the first avatar to do so...of course no avatar has ever gone rouge before and they want to keep it that way.
She walks over to where hafane brands are in the chamber. Something only ever used on the most traitorous of angels to mark them as being forever banished from heaven. But were at least some of them like herself? Simply had questions and didn’t follow an order blindly? She remembers a time where not every disobedience was punished. That questioning some orders wasn’t always looked down upon. Even among the avatars. But now even normal ascended are expected to obey her every word. Once Zelda enforced what seemed like the spirit of her laws and was kind to all. But the more powerful her goddess seemed to get the more and more it was the letter of the law that mattered and the less they seemed to matter... Even back then some small part of her was bothered by it. It’s only now that she realizes though. And her view that mortals are in need of guidance? Based on recent experience that’s not true either. Perhaps… The archon interrupts her thoughts. “Well Neru? Will you rejoin your goddess?” Neru grabs the Brand of Hafane. “I can’t” The Archon becomes visible irritated which Neru knows isn’t the easiest thing to do. The Archon almost growls “What did you just say Avatar Neru?” Neru makes the brand heat up glowing hot and says turning to face the Archon “I can’t. This fight is no longer mine. Zelda is wrong. She is no longer my goddess and she is no longer the goddess she used to be...and I can't stomach being an avatar any longer.” And drives the brand into the back of right hand looking right into the Archons eyes unflinching before letting the brand fall to the ground, Her hand now forever branded with the mark of the Hafane.
The Archon breathes in to calm herself “I would ask if you understand what will happen at further disobedience but you clearly do. Leave and go be with mortals. And if you ever attempt to return I will end your life myself traitor. You only get to still be angel for the sole fact it was how you were born. All of heaven and even the most faithful of mortals will know your name and…” Neru cuts her off “ will shun me. If I die Zelda won’t let even my soul enter. Ya I know. But know this. I don’t go go join my lessers. The mortals are our equals. They came up with and executed a plan to save a friend in a place even our kind was too afraid to go. You misjudge them. Ascending isn’t what makes the few worthy. They were even before then” Neru takes her leave heading out the way she came. The other angles taking a step away from her upon seeing she’s branded. Neru leaves Heaven. Never to return again.
The boss of Blackfire, Tonya Sylvan, is sitting in her office, a neo futuristic military affair, at her desk going over various reports. She flips through them on her computer muttering to herself “Meeting with Mercio’s president tomorrow to discus a contract to help deal with black sail envokers. Might be better to see about them giving some small arms to us to ease the cash part for them. Probably would be easier overall for them and we get some good weapons out of it. Next. Abmins aren’t Monsters requesting asylum for some abmins. Easy yes. Uh…Hyperion…Trophy…..Hunting…Oh fuck them for even trying to request to open one of their fucking hunting grounds on our fucking world. What?!? the fucking bastards think me treating abmins as the people they are a fucking stunt or something? I’ll have Mute write them a rather rude go fuck themselves letter tomorrow. She enjoys that kind of thing” A knock on her office door is heard.
Tonya says “Enter” as the door is opened by Neru, in her orange avatar armor, who asks “Grand Commander Tonya.” Tonya raises an eyebrow “Avatar Neru? I thought Zelda recalled you since the matter of the soul theif is resolved and your…well incident where you refused to spy on us any longer.” Neru shows her hand now branded with the mark of the Hafane. Tonya says “Exiled as punishment huh?” Neru shakes her head “No. I was offered a second chance. They were gonna keep me as an avatar as things were heating up in the battle zone again. I branded myself. Zelda has changed and…well I lost all faith in her and see mortals as my equals.” Tonya says “Oh…need a job?” Neru seems a bit surprised “Oh…uh…well yes.” Tonya stands “Well come on then Major. I got a special project you are perfect for.” Neru says completely shocked “Major already!?!” Tonya grins “Ex Avatar, thousands of years of combat experience against other ascended including leading troops in to battle, still an angel so you can probably rip apart one of my most elite units faster than I can even see? So ya. Now come on” Neru follows Tonya out of the office.
Later in a dropship heading to a secure blackfire outpost. Neru looks over herself in her new uniform. Neru says “Not wearing that armor is…strange.” Tonya smirks “I’m sure you’ll get use to not having it summoned all the time.” “So where are we going?” “To a hidden facility. The most advanced one we have on the planet. I want you to lead and help develop our anti ascended task force. And if your willing aid us in developing ways to help us mortals defend ourselves from ascended. Rouge or otherwise” “And if I don’t want to?” “Assign you somewhere else” “Well since it’s my choice. Yes I will.” The dropship lands “Let’s go meet your first team”
The dropship lands and they get into some ground transport which takes them the rest of the way. Once at the facility she leads Tonya continues to lead. Tonya says, “Now while you will also be assisting some researchers here you will be training a single team for now and if everything works there will be more.” “do any believe in a god?” “No” “That’s a start with what you want them go up against but even with your anti ascended ammunition you realize the uphill battle this is right?” “Yes. But that’s part of what the researchers are for. Finding ways to give us the advantage. By either speeding us up or slowing ascended down.” They enter what appears to be a rather luxurious common area. Neru says “This is not a normal barracks. Even for you” “True but I felt the most elite team that is potentially going up against the grimmest odds deserve some luxury."
"Anyways, your team. The Red haired Sarange is Captain Junko Yamata. She’s proven to be a capable squad leader and dedicated soldier. Used to worship Sella but lost her faith after an incident that we ended up saving her home colony from. If this proves a success, she’ll probably prove to be your best subordinate once we expand the program. Corporal Reba Bair is a purple haired Void Elf. She doesn’t tend to express herself that much but she’d dedicated and since her species doesn’t have souls it gives a unique advantage others don’t as you probably know. Corporal Renka Kuwata is an Ice Sekro. She joined up after her village fled to our world to escape the abmin hunts and shows great promise with ice magic. Corporal Gavrick Strongpike is a morna dwarf. Good tinkerer, Sturdy and strong, Fights hard for his teammates. And then there is your problem child, Specialist Maki Takada. We found her lost and alone. She claims she comes from the days of the Ancient Empire and awoke from a forced cyro sleep into the universe as it is now. She was altered in her past and can now absorb biomass to alter her own including her appearnce to a degree from my understanding. She may not be telling us everything, but I can’t blame her on that one. Most would see her power and view her as a monster despite the fact she never asked for it. Though partially to the circumstances that she got it she can have a problem with most authority figures, which includes our own police on occasion. Earn her respect, however, and she’ll follow you into the jaws of the beast and she’s loyal to the team so no danger of her defecting. Just a chance that a portion of your paperwork might involve her.”
Neru says “Diverse” “And the only ones so far not tied to a god that’s willing to attempt going up against ascended.” Neru says “So I have to train and lead mortals to fight ascended that can go faster then they can see with weapons that while can kill ascended we about have to surprise them with the hope we eventully find something to slow my kind down and the odds as they look right now seem rather grim but my squad is dedicated to this?” Tonya says “Ya pretty much” Neru grins “Well my survival odds auctully improved so I’m all in.”
