Storm

Now by himself, Ryo galvanized himself to explore Genesis Laboratories in utter secrecy. He discovered a trail of bullets that the Yakuza fired at him while he was escaping from them in a dirt pathway leading into a dark forest. Ryo already foresaw their betrayal, but he did not expect it to be so sudden while on a mission. He predicted that they were attempting to frame him for the theft, which seemed to be the reasonable action that Sez would have done because of his manipulative behavior.

Ryo crouched down and followed the trail of bullets up the dirt path. He scanned his surroundings using his tactical visor to check for threats from the laboratory. Heat signatures began to pick up on the visor, pinpointing that he was close. From his vision with the memory fragment, he recalled hearing about how much energy was required for a particular transfer. He knew that energy generated heat, which meant he was on the right track to the laboratory.

It didn't help that Ryo was having flashbacks of when he was a pawn to Sez and his Yakuza gang. Being forced to steal the memory fragment without having an inch of judgment was something he was always accustomed to as a member of the Yakuza. Even though he was considered a high-ranking member, he considered leaving harsh, yet understandable.

Rustling in the forest caught Ryo off guard. He leaned forward until he was on his knees to prevent himself from being seen. Two armored soldiers from Genesis approached the dirt path with their rifles drawn, patrolling the border of their territory. Ryo slipped into shrubbery and awaited their vulnerability.

"I'm fucking tired man," One of the soldiers complained. "How much longer until Stormfield does something? We've already lost our men to a bunch of fucking kids."

"So, you heard about that too, huh?" The opposite soldier replied in a concerning tone. "He's taking his sweet time. It's only a matter of time before he finishes up. He's got a troublemaker in his sights too."

"Who gives a shit? I don't want to get my ass hauled to Sagittarius. Do you?"

"No, but do we have a choice?"

Ryo could not believe it. The memory fragment was correct with its information. He grasped his combat ax and peeked his head out from cover.

"Let's just say that if I get my ass hauled there, I'm taking you with me." The soldier quipped, slapping his soldier comrade on the shoulder.

"Shut the fuck up, man," The comrade replied, turning around. Sudden rustling from Ryo's position caught the soldier off guard. He pointed his rifle towards the shrub. "Hey, I think there's something over there."

"Probably a bird," His ally replied. "No one usually comes here, you know that, right?"

The soldier disregarded his partner's lighthearted nature and approached the shrub. He pressed against the top of the shrub and jolted outwards, stepping behind. An unidentified weapon shifted the soldier's attention ahead, but there were no signs of movement.

"What do you see?" The clueless soldier asked from far away.

The ax mysteriously soared through the air at the soldier, striking him in the head until he sprawled on the ground. Ryo magnetized his weapon with his mag booster, retrieving it in the trees above. He leaped down and struck the other soldier's with the end of his ax, stunning him and sending him to the ground. Ryo kicked away the soldiers' rifles and grabbed one of their necks with the ax aimed at their throats.

"Where's the laboratory?" Ryo asked, threatening to slice the soldier's throat.

"I'm already dead, why would I tell you?" The soldier spat in disdain.

"You're right," Ryo whispered. Without hesitation, Ryo slit the guard's throat and watched as blood splattered across mother nature's chilling atmosphere. The opposing soldier shouted in agony after witnessing Ryo brutally murder his friend. Ryo approached the other soldier and kneeled down.

"You- you- you've got that nanosuit," The soldier stammered. "Who the hell are you? Yakuza?"

"I could be," Ryo said, grasping the soldier's throat and placing his weapon near his throat. "Care to explain?"

"O-Okay, just… just put down the weapon." The soldier begged.

"No."

"O-Okay, wait…" The soldier lifted both of his hands in surrender. "The Yakuza took the suits, all right? I don't know anything more than that, I swear!"

"Where's the laboratory?" Ryo asked.

"N-Northwest from here, okay? Now, let me go!"

Ryo wanted more information on the mysteries that he had encountered. He tightened his grip on the soldier's neck and pinned him further down on the dirt. "Who is the Jester?" Ryo asked, seeking information regarding his sister's death or disappearance.

"The Jester? That crazy bitch?"

"So, you know who it is?!"

"N-no, I only know that the Yakuza talked to her. I don't know where they are, I fucking swear! I fucking swear, please."

Ryo's bitterness and anger over his sister's disappearance began to engulf him with wrath. He sensed his sanity slipping the more he thought about the ones responsible. Genesis, the Yakuza, and the Jester were all linked to the same objective. "You killed my sister," Ryo said, dropping the ax and grabbing the soldier's arm. He pulled it back with his nanosuit to enhance his strength, snapping the bone in half like a twig. The soldier wailed in pain as Ryo grabbed a hold of the soldier's neck.

"Not me," The soldier cried. "But I know who!"

"Who?!" Ryo yelled.

"Like I'd tell you, fucker!" The soldier snatched Ryo's ax with his opposite hand and swung it towards his shoulder. Ryo parried it by swinging it out of the soldier's hand. He wrapped his hands around the soldier's neck and snapped it with a single twist.

Ryo sighed and deactivated his nanosuit with a push against his chest. He removed the soldier's cybernetic armor piece by piece, revealing a middle-aged man dressed in a black hooded bodysuit. Ryo had no sympathy for anyone related to the disappearance of his sister. He snapped off the soldier's leg guards and began suiting up as a Genesis soldier. The soldier's suit was excruciatingly tight at first, but after self-adjusting it, he found out it was one-size-fits-all.

Ryo attached the soldier's helmet on and was met with a brand new interface linked to a neural interface, much like his nanosuit's capabilities. He took a deep breath and adjusted his helmet. Multiple unrecognizable screens popped up on his interface, asking to confirm the identification of the fallen soldier numbered XJ49. Ryo confirmed it by using his brain, leading to him accessing the database of Genesis Laboratories through a menu screen.

After swiftly disposing of the bodies in secret, Ryo grabbed one of the soldier's rifles and followed a map towards the laboratory's entrance. As the dome-shaped sanctum of secrets, Ryo began having traumatic memories of when he was on the rooftops with Sez and the Yakuza. He approached the main entrance through a stone pathway. Well-trimmed grass and turf surrounded him, along with multiple soldiers patrolling the premises.

"Halt," A masked Genesis soldier approached Ryo, wearing a red cloak around his left shoulder. "XJ49. Your partner is not here. Where is KJ36?"

Ryo was silent momentarily, remembering a strict code of conduct and honoring it no matter how out of position he believed it was. "KJ36 wanted me to inform you of a weapon recovered at the scene," Ryo said, handing over his combat ax to the commanding officer. "He wants you to bring it to your superiors for further examination. He is currently examining the scene as we speak."

The soldier examined the ax. "This looks like one of the weapons that the Yakuza retrieved from Lucia," He said. "Very well. I'll inform the others of a rogue Yakuza. It's up to us to keep them on track. Head back to your post."

"Yes, sir," Ryo said, turning around. He waited for the commanding officer to turn back into the main lobby of the laboratory. The automated doors scanned the officer, opening the entrance. Ryo turned back and followed the officer, shrouding his footsteps by taking diligent steps forward. As the officer moved towards the elevator in the distance, Ryo swiftly dashed to his right to enter a small gap where no surveillance pointed near his circumference.

Revisitation to Genesis Laboratories retained a completely different meaning after Ryo's heist. The multilayered and overtly complex labyrinth filled with secrets of Aries's crimes was written on each and every single floor. The sleeping pods filled with bubbling-colored liquid to preserve the nude deceased individuals inside were enough to get Ryo's stomach-churning with extreme discomfort. He had only explored a handful of floors; he could not imagine what other terrifying experiments the people of Genesis were employing themselves with.

Ryo followed the right corridor, finding himself in an intricate and seamless chrome-colored lobby with cyan neon lights beaming across the floors. The embossed walls were illusion-like, forcing Ryo to stare only in front of him. Scientists, much like the ones that had forced Ryo and the Yakuza to wear the nanosuits from the underground before the heist, were giving speeches to cadet soldiers and students about the importance of preservation. Ryo walked past them and eavesdropped on their conversation, hearing that they spoke intellectually about maintaining energy.

"I can't believe it," One of the cadets embraced the idea of Genesis. "An infinite energy source? This could save billions of people in Aries! On Earth!"

"Precisely," One of the scientists replied. "But we've found it too difficult to replicate Fragment Alpha. No other source was like that."

Ryo wondered what they were speaking about. He stood by an unguarded passageway and stood still with his rifle in hand.

"I'm not particularly fond of how we would go about acquiring said energy source," Another cadet inquired. "A sacrifice? Is that why you have the subjects of the Fon encased in these sleeping pods?"

"Our project never refers to their cryogenic process as a sacrifice," The scientist replied. "It's more of… an involuntary act of preserving humanity. They are unaware that their lives will protect billions of others. They are simply incapable of understanding."

"But the Fon is so fascinating," The cadet replied. "Is there really a need to tamper with them?"

"Such is their fate." The scientist replied.

Ryo shifted his feet back into hiding, summarizing what he had just eavesdropped on. He could not quite comprehend fully to the extent of what they were talking about, but he had a rough idea. His heart pounded with disbelief and doubt, unsure if he was doing his job as a member of Sunlight. He had to have been, he thought, since their threat, lethal force, and collaboration with the infamous Yakuza. Their defiance of the law proved to be enough, regardless of whether or not their end goal was to create infinite energy.

"If you'll follow me to the third floor," The scientist beckoned to the other cadets and recruits. "I'd like to show you a little bit about our subjects."

Ryo peered out from the solid chrome wall, watching the group of Genesis personnel escort themselves to the main elevator in the lobby. He walked out and maintained a stable stance that the Genesis soldiers were accustomed to; straight posture, rifle in arms with safety features on, and powerful strides.

He made his way through a narrow archway into another set of corridors, leading to testing facilities with scientists present inside. As he walked past, Ryo was able to see through a glass grid-like window. He was able to see a wide variety of intricate trinkets, such as labeled jars, vials, and a plethora of unorganized notebooks, journals, and folders. To prevent suspicion, Ryo did not loiter around their testing facilities for long. He moved ahead and passed through a set of elevators that he had entered.

Three Genesis soldiers exited the elevators as they opened, nodding at Ryo as they passed through him. Ryo entered the elevator and moved to the third floor to follow the scientists and cadets as they toured around the laboratory. Ryo swallowed immensely in nervousness, reminding himself of the disastrous heist and how nerve-wracking it was.

The elevator door opened, and Ryo was immediately greeted with a sleeping pod filled with one of the Fon humanoids. He was reminded of his first interaction with the pods, and now, he wanted to know the truth about why they had been captured.

In the dark dimly-lit corridor on this floor, Ryo traced the voices of the moving scientists and cadets to his right. No guards were present where he stood. He caught the scientist presenting information regarding one of the Fon humanoids residing in the sleeping pods. Ryo firmly stood near the edge of the wall, pretending to guard the sector as he eavesdropped once more.

"This is an example of the Fon humanoids I spoke of earlier," The scientist continued. "Although they're not like humans, they have characteristics and traits that resemble human behavior. I consider them aliens, in fact."

"Remarkable," One of the cadets admired, approaching the sleeping pod. "So, what exactly is the benefit of having the Fon subjects in these pods?"

"Preservation," The scientist replied. "Specifically, rehabilitation of the mind. Are you curious about the liquid that they are currently residing in? It is a rehabilitation drug that our scientists have developed over time. It helps rejuvenate their bodies and keeps them stable until our scientists are ready to experiment with them."

"I can't help but feel uneasy about this," Another cadet mentioned while squirming. "They look so much like us."

"I assure you that their lives will have ample care by our experts before being experimented on," The scientist explained without any sense of remorse or regret. "Know that their sacrifices were not in vain. They will be handled as delicately as they can be. Remember, you are not to speak about this confidential information. As a cadet, you will be dedicating your time… wait." The scientist paused.

Ryo wondered why the scientist stopped so abruptly. He peeked his head out and saw two Genesis soldiers conversing with the small group.

"Where is your badge?" One of the guards asked, eyeing the cadets. "You three. Go with him." He firmly said, referring to the second guard by his side.

The cadets wrapped their arms around their shoulders in nervousness as they moved with the other guard back the way they came. The guards surrounded the scientist, nudging his shoulders with the ends of their rifles. "You are unauthorized down here. Your cadets have seen too much. Perhaps you need to be reminded of your role in our domain."

Ryo clenched his fist. Despite him being on enemy territory, even he knew that enemies had demons of their own. He edged his foot out, straightened his posture, and stepped out from the corner with his rifle seized carefully between his armored wrists.

"Halt! Who goes there?" One of the guards surrounding the scientist shoved him aside and pointed his rifle towards Ryo. "XJ49… what are you doing down here? You have no orders to be down here. Return to your post immediately."

Ryo conjured up his greatest acting skills and remained calm. "I happen to be here on behalf of my commanding officer," His fervent and brash attitude increased his confidence when speaking to the enemy. He raised his eyebrow to seem more convincing, but he realized that his helmet obscured his inner temper. "There's a rogue Yakuza on the loose. He informed me to inform you. Either you report to the first floor, or you're subject to immediate dismissal."

"What's that?" The opposing guard seizing control of the scientist released their grip. "What's a rogue Yakuza doing on the loose? I thought the underground knew their place."

"I told you before," The guard lowered his rifle down to his hips after understanding Ryo's command. "Those Japanese freaks don't know how lucky they got it. If you ask me, Rion should have put them in their place long ago. Negotiation, my ass. Now all they want is a piece of the pie."

"Hey, don't say his real name, you idiot!" The other guard smacked his comrade on the shoulder. "Have you forgotten that we're under surveillance? Mr. Stormfield could fuck us both up."

"Who the fuck cares? He's out there spying right now for intelligence. He's not gonna see a damn thing once we bribe the surveillance guards."

"God, once he finds out that you're saying all this-" The guard shrugged off immediately, realizing that his words were voicing aloud to Ryo. "Forget it. Let's just find that rogue Yakuza. XJ49, I hope you don't mind, but keep your eye on this cretin. Some scouts earlier knew too much about what was happening on the lower levels. I trust you know the reason why."

"Don't worry, I do," Ryo lied. He shifted his head to his right, eyeing the scientist. The man whimpered, fearing for his punishment. "You two had better head up immediately. The commander will be expecting the both of you."

"Come on, let's move." The guard beckoned for his ally to follow towards the elevator. Ryo turned his head back, watching them sprint away to nothingness at the end of their short journey.

Ryo had been holding his breath the entire time he watched them move. He gestured his left hand by his side, activating his mag booster. A jagged metal pipe that held the wall's foundations on the third floor extended out, penetrating through the two guards in perfect alignment. Both of them were instantly suppressed and killed on direct contact. The scientist yelped in surprise and collapsed on the ground, dragging his perspiring palms across the white chrome floors.

The only sounds that echoed through the singular hallway were the drops of spilled blood from the guard's bodies and the desperate gasping from the scientist. Ryo turned around to face the scientist backing into his corner. His irritated temper got the better of him.

"Japanese freaks…" Ryo muttered.

"W-What do you want!?" The scientist cried, begging for his life on his knees. "Please, I didn't know that the scouts couldn't be down here! I was only trying to-"

"Shut up," Ryo interrupted, pointing his rifle with one hand towards the scientist's face. The scientist laid back against the ground, holding in his breath while praying underneath his tongue. "I'm not here for that. I want answers. Now."

"Who… who are you?"

"Tell me what it is you do here. The pods, Sagittarius, everything," Ryo ordered with a firm voice. "What is Genesis's goal? Why are they negotiating with the Yakuza?"

"You… you're the rogue Yakuza… aren't you?" The scientist asked.

Ryo remained silent, refusing to answer.

"You… you have to understand what's going on here. I'm not siding with anyone, I swear it! The pods… I had nothing to do with it!" The scientist panicked, curling up into a suppressed position. "It was Rion! It was him and the rest of your people! All they wanted was the… the… wait. You're the one who stole…"

"Who's Rion? Answer me!" Ryo yelled.

"Hey, who's down here?!" An echo from the opposite side of the hallway distracted Ryo as the Genesis guards called to investigate the walls crashing inside. Ryo turned around and activated his mag booster again to crush the walls together, preventing anyone from entering on the opposite side. Doing so caused another distraction for Ryo, allowing the scientist to sprint away around the corner.

"Wait, get back here!" Ryo yelled, chasing after the man. He collided with the walls at the end of the corner and found himself near an elongated corridor where the scientist sped away.

"Mr. Stormfield! Mr. Stormfield! The rogue…" The scientist cried.

Ryo clenched his teeth in major annoyance. He activated his ignition booster and thrust forward, tackling the scientist on the ground and keeping him quiet. The two of them found themselves near a shiny chrome-coated double door with a glossy exterior. As the scientist attempted to drag his hands across the floors, Ryo seized control of him and pinned him in place.

"I want answers right now, you fucker," Ryo's impatience got the better of him. "Who are they holding in those pods? What's Sagittarius-"

"Did you hear that outside just now?" A muffled voice inside the double doors called to one of their allies. "Maybe I should check on it."

"Are you crazy? We don't have time for that right now. We need to watch through Mr. Stormfield's security footage. That's our fucking job." Another voice argued.

"Well, maybe we need a better job," The voice replied. "I'm not about to sit in this fucking room for twenty-four hours doing whatever the hell Rion says. We're not his pets."

"Stop saying his name like that, for fuck's sake! Just because we're in the lower levels doesn't mean you can run your fucking jaw like that."

Ryo removed his Genesis guard uniform by activating his nanosuit, engulfing him with the nanomachines and crumbling his uniform to pieces. His helmet visor attached itself to his head as he listened closely through the door with his neural interface.

"You don't want to go inside," The scientist whispered, peeking his head up at Ryo. "Mr. Stormfield knows-"

"Shut up," Ryo said, slamming the scientist's head against the floor. "Shut up and don't move."

Ryo stood up and hesitated for a split second before placing both of his fingers in between the double doors. His fingers clattered against the chrome doors, sliding it open by the most minuscule amount possible. He peeked his eyes inside the slit he created for himself, catching a dark room with a massive control panel supporting a giant screen television. Two of the arguing guards remained in their seats watching obscured footage through the screen. The screen's movement mimicked a hidden portable camera on the run through a snowy valley coated in salt. Although he could not quite get an appropriate glimpse at the footage, the room's existence itself was suspicious.

"Man, who knew those Fon were so stubborn?" One of the guards commented. "First you have one of them speaking tongues like they're from fucking foreign land. Then you have literal teenagers trashing us like we're nothing. What makes Mr. Stormfield think that anything's going to change now? He's been egging at these freaks for ages."

"Are you going to be patient?" The other guard replied, annoyed by his comrade's attitude. The guard pressed on a glowing yellow spherical button and held it. He edged forward in his seat and spoke into a microphone. "Mr. Stormfield, what's your location right now? Our scanners are catching you into the mountains in Sagittarius. We won't lose communications, will we?"

"No." An amplified muffled voice called out from the moving footage. The voice seemed to whisper in secrecy, and the guards only amplified the voice knowing full well that it was a mere whisper.

"Oh, I understand, sir," The guard replied. "We have full coverage over our side. You ring loud and clear."

"Excuse me for a second," The one known as Mr. Stormfield on the camera footage called out to several people surrounding him. The camera revealed a small group of people traveling through the salted mountains. Their faces were too difficult to make out, but Ryo did recognize someone instantaneously. A woman with hot pink hair drenched in snowflakes reminded him of the person that he had battled in the Hullbreaker Tunnels. Ryo's mouth opened in awe, knowing that Genesis was linked to Lucia and her plans.

The camera spun around and headed for a massive boulder in the midst of the salted mountains. Heavy breathing began to fog the camera's screen as the amplified voice began ringing through the room much louder than usual. "How many... fucking times... did I tell you idiots to stop contacting me during the day?" Mr. Stormfield's gritty and hostile voice saw no remorse for the guards' behavior. "That white-haired girl is already on my tracks and you should know it by now. If you contact me one more time when I'm near them, then I'll kill you both myself when I return."

"Y-yes, sir..." The speaking guard whimpered as the other chuckled. "Cutting all communication now. Be safe, sir. We'll be here when-"

"Hey," A familiar voice called out from behind the massive boulder. "What are you doing? Are you okay?"

Ryo's heart nearly stopped itself fatally as the camera turned around. Her face, covered in gentle rain sprinkles and delicate snowflakes called for the one behind the camera. It was as if she was calling out to Ryo himself in his most vulnerable state after losing her to the Jester. But now she was alive and an angel that had been raised through heaven and hell back. Uncontrollable words were seemingly uttered through Ryo's mouth, as he could not withstand the surge of joy realizing that her sister was alive.

However, he realized that she was in much larger trouble than she had ever been in before.

"Sumire..." Ryo whispered.

"Huh?" Both guards called out and noticed Ryo standing near the doorway.