[Mogtaki] TTGL: Continuous Spiral [EbonWings]

[EbonWings]

Listening to the footsteps that sometimes passed by the tent, Nera was perplexed as to why close to no one took interest in it. She had thought that there would be guards standing outside, but no. It seemed safe enough, but it ruined her plans of figuring out when they switched shifts. There have been a number of times where the other had tried to convince her to sit down and most of the time, Nera had insisted that she stay where she was.
“Did you actually arrive here on your own?” The girl stopped what she was doing and turned to look at him, not really sure how she should answer his question. In truth, she didn’t really feel inclined to. At least one of them seemed to be enjoying this. There was something about his inquisitive gaze that made her slightly uncomfortable yet at the same time, safe like she wasn’t in any real danger at the moment. Should she just follow on with her instincts and continue to listen for any changes outside or should she ignore it all and just sit down?
“General Aaron is also meant to be here...” The girl eventually stated upon wandering over to the table, standing across from where he sat, “but he told me to carry on while he left.”
“I swear. Aaron hasn’t changed at all.” The man laughed.
“Yeah...wait...what?” It sounded like he was reminiscing over something. How do they know each other and why hadn’t her father mentioned anything of him? Nera did not get an answer as the man’s eyes were focussed on something else. As curiosity would have it, she turned and took a few steps back further into the tent after seeing who it was, deciding not to interfere in the exchange.


She just didn’t know what to say or do at the moment. Nera had never had a good history with Beastman simply because she considered them to be the same in nature. How she managed to tolerate and grow fond of Xanieth was a mystery even to her. She expected to see Viral here, no doubt, but after pushing him into swamp water, she just didn’t know what to say or do that would make up for that. Nera decided that she should just avoid confrontation for now; she wasn’t in any position to fight in both physical health and skill.


“Ah..Welcome. I believe there are things that must be clarified now that I think everyone is present.” The man greeted Viral with a gesture of welcome. “I also don’t think I had the chance to introduce myself, last time. My name is Declan Jean Stryfe, founder of a group called Skyheed.” At that, he shot a pointed look at the youngest person inside the tent, watching with open amusement as she lit up in realisation, horror and then embarrassment. “Still planning on carrying out your plans, young miss?”
“...N-no....and it’s...Nera...” She mumbled, looking to the side.
“Alright...Feel free to take a seat, Captain.” If Nera wanted to sit, she was free to as he learned quickly that she was almost as stubborn as someone he knew.“To clear things up, we aren’t affiliated with anyone, to be honest, but I wouldn’t go as far as calling ourselves rogues and such of the like, yet. We don’t believe in the current rules or beliefs the Government has set and that’s all I’ll say. Some of the recruits you find here may or may not have once worked under such rules and regulations. I wouldn’t mind creating a relationship with the Dai-Gurren Brigade, but as things currently stand, I’m afraid it might stir the Government into action. It’s impossible to say whether or not that is avoidable.” Declan took in a deep breath and laced his fingers behind his back.“Otherwise, and I speak the truth, I had not expected that you would choose to travel here after all that has happened, but I am no less glad that you’ve both made it here safely.” He spoke calmly so that even the girl who had seemed to settle down at the very back of the tent heard. Declan, carefully surveyed the two guests, finding one to appear more worn in appearance than the other. He knew of the Gunman that wasn't theirs parked outside, but he was unsure of who it belonged to. Looking at it now, he was pretty sure who had travelled by foot and who by Gunman. Whatever happened there? Even if he was curious about those events, he was careful to mask it, allowing the other two time to think and ask their own questions.

[Mogtaki]

Viral wasn't looking like he was going to be very happy with them taking him in like this with no explanation, especially when he had entered the tent only to find Nera there. He wasn't gone for that long, what had she done with his Enkidu and what was she doing pretty by herself without any real explanation to how she got there in the first place either. It was obvious that he didn't agree with her being there, he hadn't wanted her to find where he was heading, especially faster than he had managed to. If she knew where the place was then she should had told him and even went ahead and said what exactly he was looking for, but of course she was probably too selfish for that too. Oh well, he wasn't going to let it get to him, he couldn't let her win and have her smugness go through the roof as her head inflated to the size of a Gunman, he was better than that and a better person than she was; although, it still was pretty nasty for her to have to put him through all that and make him look like a fool. Giving her a quick yet dismissive look, he walked over to seat that was spare and simply stood over it, probably because he didn't want to be seen as the submissive one in this whole 'capture and interrogation', although it seemed as if it wasn't going to be an interrogation at all.

Not letting the fact that this guy had multiple names for himself bother him, although it seemed to be strictly a weird human thing to do that, he did listen to what he had to say. Just what were they getting at with this whole 'not rogues' thing anyway, they were rogues and that was all there was to it; if they didn't have any connection to the Government or society at all, then they were rogues. He grumbled lowly at that, they had no reason to think they were of higher value than the vagabonds and beggars that roamed society, the only difference was they had guns and some strange cult-like following of other humans. He hadn't really seen other Beastmen around here, just how many of them were left was something he didn't know, but the thought of that was more interesting than what the guy was on about, whatever his name was again. Throughout the entire time he had spent back on the planet, he still didn't know what was happening between the citizens and the Government. Grumbling at his lack of understanding of the entire thing, he gripped the chair hard as his frustration surged as he waited for the man to finish speaking.

It was about time that he took the reins here, he wasn't going to be pushed around by some stupid humans carrying toys from centuries passed, "You and everyone else on this damn planet has wanted me in their presence countless times and you think you're special just because you found me? I did not come here because I wanted to, but the circumstances that have managed to bring me here are those that not only you can answer for me, but any idiot on your little rebel faction can tell me!" he started off, his voice already coming out of his usual Captain-like demeanour and reverting into his state of old, "What makes you think you're special? Did I ask what you wanted? I'm not doing a damn thing until I get a better understanding of this planet's state and why humans are killing each other again! I don't care what you want with Dai-Gurren, they don't even carry any of the morals the original Dai-Gurren did that I tried so many times to destroy before in the past! Just what is the Government doing that's making you humans revert into a savage plague upon this planet again? Is that all I was called to this planet for? To get permission to let a bunch of children with weapons into the Dai-Gurren's alliances? It better not be for the sake of your hide..."

[EbonWings]

Declan took a step back as if to create a physical barrier between himself and the enraged Captain. He had been caught by surprise and quickly assumed that this had not been the first time around Viral had been given an introduction like this. The man kept a levelled gaze with the Beastman, taking in a deep breath. “The reason behind all this?” Incredulous, Declan spread his arms out, almost on the verge of laughter upon hearing the question. He thought it was obvious. “The Government, the one Rossiu had taken responsibility for, is not as it once was but of course you already knew that, am I correct in assuming it so? There has been some shady dealings involving the Government, lately; the rumour of there being some sort of machine being built beneath Kamina City.” Declan went to pick up the rolled up bit of paper and spread it across the table. It covered the length as well as the width of the table with only a few inches falling off one side. What could be seen scrawled on the paper was an unfinished map on the bottom half and some sort of sketch portraying a large machine on the top half. That machine still appeared to be in its early stages of development, nothing more than a large stand at the end of a catwalk. “This is what my men have gathered on an infiltration mission a few years back. It’s incomplete but it was as far as they could get before they had to make a hasty escape. We’re still investigating how this works or what it does but I have a theory that if they are after you, Captain, they may be seeking a way to extract your immortality and somehow implement it to life today. The best way to get what they want is to first cause a disturbance that even the officials sitting aboard the Super Galaxy Dai-Gurren would be unable to ignore.” He paused to listen to what was happening outside the tent for a few moments. There wasn’t much of interest outside but there was always the chance that he could miss something exciting.

Though there was a reason he generally avoided going out into areas that were quite far from where he was staying at the moment, what had happened a few days ago interested him enough to dispatch a small army out near the marshes. At first, he had thought it to be some joke that a Gunman had been shot out of orbit but had chosen to get as close as possible to the crash site without being detected by other groups that might have been near. It was only pure coincidence to spot the Dai-Gurren Brigade there at the time but it was enough to persuade him to stay for a few more days. Absent-mindedly tracing a finger over one of the passageways mapped out by his scouts, one of them being the one to have his arms dislocated the day before, Declan glanced at his two guests, the look in his eyes alluding to the responsibility he had for them as long as they were in his territory. He had been responsible for the lives of his men the moment he decided that he would lead them so even if these two were not part of his established group, he would ensure their safety in place of his old friend, Aaron. Their relationship had not been as it used to over the past few years.

“One of the methods that have proven to be effective is discreetly getting various groups to carry out their plans in exchange for money, officially recruiting them into their own ranks for service in the future. There was a failed negotiation between me and an operative and they are more than aware that I know of their plans regarding this issue.” As he was explaining this, Declan cast a glance every once in a while at Nera, wondering why she had been sent here instead of someone more capable. As he had realised earlier, she shared features with someone he knew so it was likely that Nera was Aaron’s daughter. That had to be about right if he wasn’t mistaken. It had been a while since his last visit and the young child that always clung to the beliefs of her mother would have grown into a young woman since then. Declan thought Aaron would send someone who had almost or shared the same skills as the Captain, that was all. Of course...it’s his family. He continued, directing a question at Viral. “Is it true that there is a spy amongst the brigade? I was informed of it though it hasn’t been confirmed by more than one person.”

[Mogtaki]

Well this was going to be rich, so they had an explanation for him and the situation mapped out in front of him so he'd finally know what's going on. This was just typical of humans, they couldn't possibly think he knew absolutely everything there was about the planet and be briefed immediately when the Dai-Gurren were completely incompetent and slow. Viral wasn't switching out of his angry demeanour though, he still looked angry when Declan proceeded to over-dramatise the situation; of course, that was before the mention of the machine beneath Kamina City. There was secrets beneath Kamina City that humans were not supposed to get a hold of, ones that Rossiu was not supposed to reveal to anyone outside the main project that was completed years ago when the moon threatened the destruction of the Earth. He knew that was where Lordgenome had kept a massive battleship hidden away from the Anti-Spiral, but beyond that he knew the secret layer of Lordgenome that should had remained hidden. There were possibly millions of Beastmen hidden away underground still in their eggs unawakened because of the lack of Spiral Power to give them any, he only hoped that it wasn't that which they found. Despite the massive chamber containing little evidence that there was anything mechanical, it was still a machine in itself and a very powerful one with secrets that no human could possibly understand.

There was no possible way that they could had found that laboratory, it must had been another machine, surely. The laboratory and the existence of the millions of Beastmen was a secret only he and Lordgenome knew, even newly hatched Beastmen were never made aware of that place within the first moments of their lives since they were still mentally drained and unaware. His expression as he studied the map was evident that there was something of concern with this, still showing off an expression that was completely out of character for any Captain to bare. By the looks of it, they wouldn't had gone deep enough, even when using the elevator from the very top of Teppelin when it was still a Gunman, the laboratory was still deeper underground. Viral knew there was so much more that he knew about the underground than the humans thought they knew, not even Simon or Rossiu got this deep into the Earth to see it for themselves; luckily, it seemed as if it was all just a fluke that they had done this, it didn't appear that they had gotten as deep as the laboratory of Lordgenome's and the Beastmen's secrets.

By the sounds of it, they were wanting him to experiment on. The very thought of that made him sick to his stomach. There would had been no other method to that, Viral knew they wouldn't be able to accomplish it either due to it being Lordgenome's secret and an incredible amount of Spiral Power to boot. Somebody would need godlike Spiral Energy inside them and knowledge of Beastmen to extract a power. He continued to stare at the map, but as Declan talked it didn't appear that Viral was paying attention. Indeed he wasn't, he was too busy thinking about his fate and the endless torturous cycles he would have to endure, but to desire immortality was just disgusting. They probably had no idea how lonely immortality was, how crippling it was to the life of the bearer to never find peace; of course, it was even worse when you were a Beastman like him, to never experience the enjoyments of normal human life because your genes won't allow it. His mind was buzzing, he hadn't even realised Declan had stopped talking until a couple seconds later, looking up at him and everyone else in the tent before he slowly backed off, "...Yes", he said simply in a low mutter.

It all felt hopeless for him, he would have to do something about that apparent machine. He didn't care about the Dai-Gurren Brigade, he didn't care about this group of rogues either. This whole thing was pointing straight back at him every single time, whenever he asked a question about the situation it all forced its fingers right to him. It all felt like his fault, they were seeking immortality and he had it, despite knowing the crippling downturn of it. Beastmen held some sort of immortality to a degree, but only until they were killed while Viral could never be killed. He had true immortality, not the fake kind. He didn't have the power within him to destroy this machine, but it would had been even worse if he tried to destroy it only to be captured himself. He needed some way to either keep away from these people or kill off enough so that they'd quit; he didn't like either of those ways, "Why would anyone want immortality? Why should I be worth all this suffering? They're chasing after a pointless goal with no end!"

[EbonWings]

The silence that dragged on inside the tent placed an emphasis on the noises outside, making it appear seemingly loud in contrast. No one appeared to be in the right mood to speak right away after Viral’s anger had evaporated, the new information only just sinking in. It was unbelievable that a machine was being built beneath the city, something of a rarity in its own right. Since Viral had left, a few of those dedicated had volunteered their time and skills alongside a great few that were hired in order to help their world advance even more. New gadgets and gizmos were also invented to help pedestrians get around town or clear areas much faster than what a car could do. It came as a bit of an unexpected surprise to have this machine under Kamina City be the fruit of such efforts but then again, if one were to really consider the extent of human and Beastman ingenuity, the outcome was to be expected, though not used for war such as the one they were about to enter. It was as much a shame as it was a new discovery.


“So it is true...” Declan seemed disappointed by the answer, his shoulders dropping at the confirmation. He had hoped that what had been reported was just some sort of lie, an idea someone had spread in order to gain popularity amongst peers and superiors alike. At this rate, any plans waiting to be executed would be pointless and in vain if the Dai-Gurren Brigade’s plans were going to be easily negated. They were now no different to an open book that has fallen into the wrong hands. It was very likely that in the next few years, the Dai-Gurren may be no more if this was allowed to continue. Declan pondered this for a few more moments, trying to figure out if it was somehow possible to lure the other out, capture them and demand the information they needed on this particular project. Maybe, if they were lucky, they would stumble upon the culprit by chance, but the rate of that happening was very, very low as everyone knew. Lady Luck was not known to be so kind all the time. Noting that Viral looked to be in a train of thought and no longer seething with rage, Declan took the time to speak, feeling like he could breathe without risking the chance of someone targetting him for the mere action, “it’s unfortunate that I won’t be able to do anything about that rat short of asking you to keep looking....” That was all the two could do concerning the opposing side’s pawn and it was tempting just to drag Aaron here and beat some sense into him but knowing the man, it was very likely that he was working on some sort of plan. Declan suspected that this was very much the likely explanation for Aaron’s absence as he knew him well enough to understand the way he acted. Perhaps after all these years of no communication from both groups, Aaron might still have considered Aaron to be an ally the same way the Government saw him as an ally to gain. Sooner or later, they would be forced to make a decision that would determine whether they stood side by side or on opposite sides of the battlefield.



In some way, greed always managed to manifest itself in even the kindest souls and dark personalities, though small, resided within everyone. With this, there were two kinds of people; ones who feed and allow it to grow, and people who know how to maintain peace and balance within themselves. It was understandable that Viral had different views to people without eternal life. Mothers and fathers would want to be there to see their children and their children’s children grow up and lead a life of their own but, unfortunately, they did not have all the time in the world. Some people would want to stay, make a name for themself and continue to lead as example to the new generations to follow, being there every step of the way to watch them learn and grow as a community altogether. These were only some of the many possible reasons to want all the time in the world. “Our life is short and we have but one chance to make all the possible changes we can in that one lifetime. I can’t say that I haven’t thought about having immortality myself -there have been many times- but I can say that everyone has a fear and for most, that would be death; what lies beyond it and if there is anything waiting for us at all.” Declan said thoughtfully, eyes hardening. “Our views differ. I realise I may be applying my own thoughts to this, but I believe it is what most of us think.” He shrugged and later said, “the well-being of others might not come to mind and even if it is, as you say, ‘a pointless goal with no end,’ you never will know until you try. Let me ask you, Captain, what is it that you plan to do? I expect that in these times, people would look to you for guidance.” Declan watched the other intently. He was looking for an honest answer, but gave away none of his intentions behind the question.

[Mogtaki]

It was probably best to not tell Viral to keep looking for the spy, especially when he had made it clear that he didn't want anything to do with what the Dai-Gurren were doing now. They were a bunch of useless fools in his eyes, the most they had done was renew his Enkidu and keep the so-called 'Ancients' safe from harm. The fact that the Gunmen were called 'Ancients' stung him somewhat, all it did was make him feel as if he was ancient and about as worthy to them as a hunk of metal was to a museum. The fact that they had managed to lose the drill to the Lagann was bad enough, it just seemed everything they were doing was completely wrong and out of character for what he remembered the Dai-Gurren Brigade being. It was an organisation now, probably with a lot of funding from outside operations going on instead of being mentally and physically efficient like the original members were; there was a reason he found it hard to squash them as they battled their way to Lordgenome, but these guys were disappointingly pathetic compared. He didn't feel like he belonged with them at all, he didn't even know if he wanted to stay with them. He could easily get his Enkidu from them and head out on his own to thwart the evil that was poisoning the Earth, but they probably would have a tracker in his Enkidu or something like that, only to stupidly follow after him like the idiots they were. It was obvious that he wasn't pleased by the mention of him, his momentarily softened expression changed into a more vicious one once more.

The most Viral felt like doing was decking this Declan in the face and getting out of there, he had all the information he needed so there was nothing else holding him back. Letting out a grumble and looking away, his attention came back to Declan as he lamented over how nice it would had been to have immortality. All those reasons were horribly stupid, then again humans did age while Beastmen did not. Beastmen were all essentially immortal so long as they got their deep sleep when they needed it, but Viral was the ultimate immortal and wouldn't die even if he tried to. It would had been a completely different world if Beastmen were able to have children and live on to eternity so long as nothing killed them, that would spark up a whole new war and mass genocide of the Beastmen if humans were made easily jealous. That thought angered him greatly, even his reason for it was completely flawed, "Stupid naive thoughts! 'Scared of death'? Is that why your kind wish to turn me into a lab experiment because you're too scared of the infinite possibilities of life after death??" he spoke angrily, obviously getting back into his element again, "I've seen the physical realms that lie beyond death! Fighting Spirit! It all passes on to another existence after death, I have seen it all first hand! Even my Lord...Lordgenome...existed after death! His extraordinary Spiral Power fueled our spirits before his ultimate death! I still feel Simon's presence around me when I seek guidance!"

It was almost as if Spiral Power was completely non-existent in these creatures anymore, as if it had all been sucked out of them through war. They held no honour or glory, they just fought because they didn't like the other's ideals, "Immortality is a curse. The reason for mine long passed when Teppelin fell! It is a friendless journey, everybody around you dies eventually whether from old age, illness or wounds but you carry on living. Beastmen can't start their own families, but I dare not adopt one as I will simply watch them die in the end while I continue living. How would you feel to have to walk the endless lonely road of life to the end of days? To watch the world go by while you sit there accomplishing nothing because in the end it's all meaningless to you! I fought in the depths of space to free the humans from the Anti-Spirals and this is all the gratitude you've got to show for it...becoming a greedy and disgusting race of creatures who would fight over a glass of spilt milk!" he shouted at Declan, almost looking like he was ready to reach for that cleaver of his, "I'll tell you what I plan to do! I'll kill the problem! Eradicate them...that's my specialty, isn't it? But no, I took a vow to protect human kind...but...where does that leave the plan...? I'll DESTROY them! They don't need to be physically gone...they'll just repopulate like ants...but destroy their disgusting machine and tear apart the Government! Maybe I'll run this planet myself since I'm the immortal one! I can do as I please! Can't I??"