Previously in Arcadia

[Jet]

The full list of missions and characters can be found here
http://wiki.endlessfight.net/doku.php?id...mz:arcadia

After the infamous Elf Wars, the world settled down a bit and tried to rebuild… But in the city Neo-Arcadia, all was not well…

Neo-Arcadia was founded by Megaman X to be a paradise for human and reploid alike, but due to the energy shortage reploids began to be discriminated against. One day the Neo-Arcadian government began naming scores of reploids as mavericks, prompting innocent reploids to flee for their lives underground and go into hiding. They were joined by a single human scientist - Ciel, who alone knew the tale behind Neo-Arcadia's aggressive policy change. She also knew that the band of resistance fighters wouldn't be enough to save them from the world power that was Neo-Arcadia and began her search for a legendary reploid that might be able to save them all, Zero.

Their search brought the resistance members to a long abandoned, underground laboratory, but it felt more like a tomb. With Neo Arcadian forces in hot pursuit, Ciel split her forces into two teams, knowing that all would be lost if they could not find Zero in time.

After clearing out several nests of mechanical spiders and surviving an ambush of pantheons, one of the groups came to a heavy door, which they quickly demolished. Inside was an old maverick hunter, but not the one they were looking for. Centuries of battle had left the Gawain in disrepair, and he was unable to tell friend from foe. A battle ensued, causing a cave in. The resistance forces had no choice but to retreat.

As fate would have it, Ciel's team did manage to locate and revive Zero, although the young scientist was the only survivor.

With Zero's aid, the resistance force was able to claim several key victories, the first of which was the destruction of the reploid disposal facility. In the process, many captives were freed, further bolstering the resistance ranks. One of these reploids was known as Elpizo, formerly a worker in Neo Arcadia who had accessed forbidden information in Neo Arcadia's archives. Like many other reploids, he had been pronounced a maverick and sentenced to death.

It became apparent that the resistance forces had acquired a number of skilled fighters besides Zero. Many of them had fled Neo Arcadia under the charge of being mavericks, and had acquired powers or abilities. Some were former war machines, which would have been decommissioned in light of the energy crisis. They were not on level of the legendary hero, or even the standard Arcadian officer, but as a group they succeeded in accomplishing great tasks. While Zero destroyed X's supply train, a group of resistance forces managed to steal the plans for an impending attack, giving the resistance time to bolster their defenses.

Leading the attack was none other than Fefnir, one of the four guardians. While Zero rushed off to halt Fefnir's forces, the guardian himself took a dropship to the front lines and assaulted the base. While this was going on, one of Harpuia's officers infiltrated the base and took out key targets. The resistance members were badly beaten by the guardian, but before finishing them he was forced to retreat and confront Zero. With Fefnir gone, the resistance forces were able to stabilize their defenses and rescue Ciel from Harpuia's lieutenant.

During the chaos of Fefnir's offensive, a group of resistance captives were able to steal a shuttle and crash land in the desert. A search party was dispatched, and after a tough battle with Anubis, able to rescue the survivors.

The resistance gained momentum after that, seizing assets of Neo Arcadia such as the factory used to produce energy crystals and elemental chips. They were able to defend their holdings successfully from a pair of giant mechanaloid tanks. During this time Elpizo decided to organize a second front for the resistance and establish a new, secret base.

The time had come to bring the fight to X. The resistance forces managed to break through Neo Arcadia's outer defense forts, scattering the Arcadian forces and humiliating Leviathan, the guardian. The resistance pushed the offensive further, giving the Arcadians little time to regroup. Before long they'd reached X's palace in the center of Neo Arcadia, where they were met by the guardians Fefnir and Phantom. Fefnir drew Zero off, leaving the resistance forces to do battle with the shadow guardian. It was their most difficult challenge yet, but through coordination and superior numbers they managed to subdue Phantom, who chose to self destruct rather than submit to capture or allow them to enter his master's palace.

Once inside they found X, who had been punishing the remaining two guardians for their failures to stop the resistance. Although Zero had not rejoined them, this was the best chance they were like to get, and battle was joined. X soundly defeated the resistance forces who were immediately teleported out, along with Harpuia and Leviathan.

As X was putting his house back in order Zero made his way into the throne room. Zero had been suffering memory loss since his revival, and the few that he could fit together told him that X was to be trusted and that he had been fighting for the wrong side. Zero joined with Neo Arcadia and began to aid X in the reconstruction, including providing schematics for a new type of pantheon.

After the resistance's push ended in disaster, Neo Arcadia pushed back, committing hundreds of shock troops and trapping the resistance in their underground base. Most of the troops were too weak to fight, but with the aid of Harpuia, who agreed to aid the resistance after learning that the X who had beaten him and his sister half to death was a copy, and a timely rescue by Elpizo, they managed to weather the brunt of the attack. Elpizo and Cerveau rigged the generator to blow and teleported everyone to the new resistance base, leaving the Arcadians to believe the resistance had been wiped out.

Back in Neo Arcadia X and Zero were mulling over a list of candidates to replace the old guardians when they were interrupted by Chief Justice LeCactank, of Neo Arcadia's judiciary, who had come to see the army scaled back now that the resistance no longer posed a threat. X revealed to the judge a holovideo taken by Matt the Met, which revealed how the resistance had escaped, and that there were scout craft out now searching for their new base. X dismissed the judge after justifying his continued expenditure on the Arcadian military, explaining to Zero that relations between the governing bodies of Neo Arcadia had been strained as of late.

Fortunately the television networks inside Neo Arcadia were broadcasting the aftermath of the resistance offensive, including Zero's defection and X's assurance that he would continue to protect the human population. Anticipating that X would send out scout craft, Harpuia and Leviathan cloaked the resistance base in a storm, buying time for the other soldiers to sneak into Neo Arcadia and steal a cloaking generator to hide their location.

While at the factory the resistance managed to obtain a valuable prisoner, Judge Schilt, who had been touring the facility when it was taken. Unfortunately they were unable to learn anything of value from him, before trading him back to the Jet, one of the new guardians, for Cerveau who had stayed behind to produce more elemental chips.

Now that Neo Arcadia knew of the resistance's continued existence, even if they didn't know their location, the resistance resumed their guerrilla attacks. They managed to hijack a train for supplies, and destroy a factory where X was building a pair of war machines.

During this time Elpizo had been devising plans for a secret operation. He gave the two guardians a list of strategic targets to assault, and the team of resistance champions leave to attend a fighters tournament on the outskirts of Neo Arcadia. He wanted as few people as possible involved as he dispatched his lieutenants Isos and Pasos to steal the second Baby Elf, locked away in the ruins of Dysis.

Meanwhile the tournament had wrapped up. Rioku had defeated Jody Bulldozer and recruited her to the resistance, she'd only fought in the tournament in hopes of getting off the street. Raven defeated Dig Gopher, an old mining reploid who was now permanently retired. Flasia, who had survived the battle at Outer Heaven outmatched Stark, whose weapons could do little against her. Rai prevailed against Zanji after a fierce battle. Flaringo destroyed Cheator Hax whose underhanded tactics didn't pay off. Sorrum lost to Andraia and Flash to Vector in a pair of extremely one sided battles.

After the first round of battles had concluded the tournament was restructured, due to participants dropping out or not showing up to fight at all. The next round would be two against two, with Vector and Rai facing off against Rioku and Flasia. Though Flasia tried to knock Vector out of the ring and thereby disqualify him, he and Rai proved too strong. Flasia was killed and Rioku knocked out. However, having nothing to prove, Vector left himself.

The next battle was between the team of Andraia and Raven against Riot Raquet and Paladin. Though Paladin's armor was formidable, his lack of ranged attacks gave Andraia and Raven an advantage. Riot had pleanty of firepower herself however, and with some assistance from Paladin was able to isolate Raven, whose arm Paladin sliced off. After Raven was knocked out, Paladin turned on Riot, who had grown weary of her bossy attitude.

The final round would be a battle royal between Andraia, Rai and Paladin. It should have included Vector, but he had left when Rioku had been knocked out. The two resistance members worked together against the large sword wielding reploid who, seeing that he could not defeat the both of them dropped out. Andraia and Rai fought an intense battle, but in the end Rai's determination to win proved stronger. Rai was the winner.

Or he would have been, if not for a late entrant. Zera the guardian jumped from the top box and landed on one knee, both of her fuchsia colored blades extended and ready for battle. “Don't fall too quickly,” she told Rai, “You've no idea how badly I need the entertainment.”

“Bring it bitch!” yelled Rai, who was angry about having his prize stolen away by this latecomer.

Zera's lip curled. Bitch? This dirty ruffian would speak to her that way. Well he'd learn.

Zera rushed in, knocking the bolt away with a casual flick of her fuchsia blade and sending it careening into the stands. Rai was clearly reaching for a weapon behind him, but its nature as a chain rod caught the mistress of blades off guard. The spring loaded weapon lurched at the guardian but Zera reacted, quickly jumping once, twice and dashing through the air, quickly narrowing the distance between Rai and herself.

Rai could only scramble backwards as her weapons slammed into the ground, missing him narrowly. Zera drew her hand back and unleashed Raijingeki, a forward thrust with an electrical attack mounted on her wrist. Rai acted instinctively now, bringing up his forearms to protect himself and the attack was actually blocked by the electric shields mounted there.

Stunned but a bit more confident, Rai tried to send out an electrical spread through the dirty arena but what little effect it may have had was negated by Zera, slamming her hand into the ground and creating a more powerful shockwave, Rakuhouha. The powerful shockwave knocked Rai back where he fell to his knees, he'd taken too much damage.

“Its over,” snarled Zera, holding both sabers on high. She brought them together to make one enormous saber and attacked with a downward swipe. A tremendous sword beam sprang forth and streaked across the arena. But before impact, Rai was transferred in a flash of light.

Zera's eyes opened in shock. “Coward!” she screamed into the now empty arena, “COWARD! …this is the second time today!”

The other resistance forces were recalled alongside Rai, summoned back by Elpizo to rescue Isos and Pasos' forces. The mission into Dysis had taken a disastrous turn, and the forces in the ruins were no longer a secret. With Neo Arcadia's elite forces barreling down on them, the window for rescue was rapidly closing.