Center of Operations

Andy walked out from the meeting room straight to a long hall leading to his room. The hall had soldiers positioned like statues every column. The Soldiers increased as they reached his room, Malcolm dismissed him self as Andy entered his room numbered 102. He sighs at the sight of the impossible normal looking room white fine furnishing and sub-standard furniture. He sat on the couch, placing his legs on the coffee table, from where he sat, he could feel the waves passing, it reminds him of a cradle, slow moving, almost non existent, but still there.

Most of the United States sunk during the shakes, and everyone important was evacuated, but do to terrible weather surrounding the continents, most of them didn't survive, only a few influential people survived, and Andy was one of them, the most influential apparently as he was now appointed the new President. The survivors were sent in a warship somewhere in the Atlantic Sea near the coast of Puerto Rico. The others on warships similar to the one where the government officials were sent.

Until the lands are tested to be safe from any unwanted eruptions, they cannot return.

Andy sighs practically relaxing, yet his mind was restless, he stands up and looks out to the balcony, he steps out greeted by the sea breeze, he saw a flock of bird fly by in a V formation, they were migrating from somewhere, but where would they go now, Andy wondered.

The ship out of no where shook like it was placed on flat ground, Andy was not surprised. "So it has begun." He said. The wind shifted and the sky impossibly grew darker.

Wish-woosh, the waves joined the wind, the ship would shake every now and then, and stop. Alarms sound off, red blinking lights bleeped every corner, warning everyone of unknown danger. Soldiers ran from corridor to corridor, saluting to the high ranking officers, there guns around their shoulder, prepared for any form of attack.

They were all in position, it was as if they were prepared for any form of attack, then another shake came, this time followed by a loud growl.

Light as bright as day light shot open from every corner of the ship, it moved left to right in syncronicity with the others, it was searching for something.

BLEEP

The sonar bleeped from the bridge.

"Captain, we got something." a soldier said.

"How far?" Impatiently, the captain demanded an answer.

"Not far, but it's moving quick?"

"How quick?" The questions were never ending, then the bleeping sound speeds up. "North, 10 kilomiters away, its moving at immeasurable speed sir, faster than light."

Then miraculously, the threat disappears. "Well?" The captain asks, sending Morse Code to other ships. "It's... It's gone."

He did not lie, but something hit the ship, followed by gun shut from left to right.

"It's here!" The captain yells, the soldier sounds the siren from the outside warning everyone else, but before he could do it continuously, something caught him, it came through the thick metallic walls of the ship, something big and dark in color, it dripped something acidic, something dark like ink. It looked like a giant a worm, no a tentacle. Up close, it had faces embedded on it, eyes everywhere, arms popping out here and there, it was an abomination.

The Captain took a shot at it, 5 times before it reacted to him, attacking him with it's vile fluid, he avoided it but it got his arm, he yelped, the soldier did as well, before he broke in two, and the captains arm, dissolved like paper on fire.

The gun fire continued left to right, they were under attack, and he had to warn everyone. He broke the emergency button's glass and pressed it before passing out from the injury.

Something was attacking them, and it's gonna win, its the end of them, that was the captains thoughts as he faded into sleep, admiring, if not disgusted by the soldier he, just earlier was commanding.

A light bleeped from the phone, it didn't ring, just a bleep of light which pretty much caught Andy's attention. He picked the receiver and placed it on his head, he listened to voice from the other line, it was more static than anything, but he understood it. "Is it?" Andy stroke his other cheek with his free hand, he un-crossed his leg, before, sitting straight saying. "No... I understand, we will make preparations. We will send help to the other ships... what? No, we will get things under control." He listened for a few seconds more, seemingly bored. "Yes, I'll see to it that it's done. Yes, be careful, i'll see you. bye." He placed it down, and looked across the room where his guest sat in full black.

"Is this how you normally look?" he asks his guest, curious.

"Normally, I would say yes, but in this situation, let's just say I look like this to make you comfortable." He said picking up last weeks news paper and browses it.

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"I'm only looking out for your health, I need it to be easy for you to trust me."

"Trust you? I trusted you before, and look where that got me? The President? Seriously, I'm not cut out for this crap job." Andy complained looking away, wondering why this man (or not man) was helping him at all, but he knew something was strange with him, he just didnt know it yet. "So you think this Pandora Project will get me where I want to be?" Andy asked, this time curious as to what the man would say.

"Im not thinking it will." he popped an innocent smile before putting down the news paper and folded his hands together over his crossed legs. "I'm saying it will." he assured, his tone shifting into a commanding tone.

"Humans are going to be stronger." He explained this time playing with the sugar cubes piled up in front of him in a pyramid. "And they will oppose you, the Pandora's... Well let's just say that i'm an investor... Donated a few blue prints to a certain dead-forbidden-erased-technology."

"You had something to do with the project?" Andy asked curious, maybe this freak was just a greedy investor who wants all the profits for hims self, cause hell knows where the other investors are, they could be dead, or dead. "I've seen the videos, you were there, you and i know what they're capable of, but can they defeat... your other creation... so to say..." Andy asked.

"Let's take a risk shall we?" He suggested convincingly. "On this boat, there are 400 humans, out of those 400 only 200 soldiers, you have only 400 guns and rifles with alt east 300 rounds per soldier , 10 riffle bombs, 10 missiles and oh, lets say a nuke. You have a mini army with sticks and stones, and the nuke? Well, its no use either way, so lets cancel that out."

He continues, still piling up the sugar cubes. "You can risk the lives of 200, or say, risk the life of one who could actually do something."

"Are you saying i'll send my men to a war they cant win? what if the Pandora fails?" Andy argued, still frustrated at the thought of trusting one, even with much evidence, he was still not at ease.

"It's the risk you have to take, trusting someone like me, something someone like me suggests, the Pandora Project which your father started, the Pandora Project which you just enforced and approved earlier. Its the risk you have to put your neck on to be deserving for this position, don't disappoint me for sparing you." he continues still playing with the sugar cubes.

"It's them, or death, with your order, they will do what you ask, the demonstration so to say, it's something everyone will know about, its just what you need for the east to fear you."

"The East posts no current threats, they're scattered all over so much so, still collecting themselves. There is no war, there's just your war." Andy complains. "But... Let's risk it." Andy says. "I'll trust you again, but I'm telling you, there's no War... Malcolm."

"Oh, but there will be, Mr. Mann, there will be war, and it best be prepared for, and what better preparation than an army of women stronger than a hundred men." Malcolm smiles, placing the last sugar cube on top of the pyramid collapsing it.

The sirens wail then.

"It's time." he says, picking his stuff up and heading for the door. "I'll be on the deck,probably cowering ." he waved his hand opening the door. "Do your Job, and I'll do mine." he reminded before closing the door, leaving Andy.

The first thing Andy did was pick up the phone and dialed the number neatly written on a small piece of paper. Malcolms hand writting looked like it was type-written, impossibly neat, no imperfections anywhere, Andy takes a deep breath before speaking. "Yes, Professor Krueger? I'ts time." he says, expecting her to make all the preparations. He was about to say more before the lights flickered cutting all communications within the ship. The warning lights flickered red, with a bleep sound.

His door was shut, probably something for repercussions, metal doors slid down replacing the windows, he was trapped, it seemed the ship thought it would protect them, but a secret not many knew was that protection could be a prison which would kill you.

"Hope they move fast." Andy mumbled to him self his eyes pretty focused on the blinking lights followed the the warning sirens.

Sirens blared and alarms wailed out. Warning of danger and caution. The danger that was an enemy. This was no time for second guessing for Ingrid Bernstein. She has her orders and she will make sure that they are fulfilled.

The young girl ran up a corridor in the ship. Approaching a corridor, she brought her back to the wall. observing one turn before looking down the right. The red head decided to take a right as she made her way deeper into the ship. Meanwhile, Sailor on board ran in the opposite direction. The girl's serious expression didn't change, as she felt he was getting closer and closer to the enemy.

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Flashback
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"Your orders are these Ingrid..."

A woman spoke. The voice belonged to Elizabeth. Elizabeth handed Ingrid her orders. She would continue to talk to the girl, picking off where she let off

"The ship will be attacked and you must both eliminate the threat and cause minimum casualties to those on-board this ship, although the President is your number one priority if you must have casualties"

She listened intently at her superior's orders. She nodded knowing what she has to do. Though the thought of sacrificing many people for just one person did not sit well with her

"Elizabeth, i will protect everyone on this ship... I will save everyone even if it costs my life!"

The blond haired female nodded hearing this.

" you are also restricted so you will not be able to use the full power of your stigma... The professor wishes to show the world what Pandoras can do without the use of their ultimate power"

This brought a shock to the almost stoic girl. Ingrid nodded and simply accepted it. With that Elizabeth and Ingrid went their separate ways

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End Flashback
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"Into the helicopters!!!" a voice echoed from a distance, there are still gun shots, explosions not far, everyone was escaping the warship being attacked. "CAPTAIN!" The soldier yelled finally finding the captain of the ship, woozy from loosing his arm. "Warn... The Presidents... Shi..." He manages to say before passing out yet again.

The soldier did what he could as he lays him on the floor, cleaning his wound with water, applying iodine before wrapping it with bandage, he sweats, turns from left to right, he places his rifle on the ground, and ran towards the phone line, he dialed it, It rang slowly, he turned left to right again looking out for the enemy. "This is Srgt. Regan Cole of the US Navy, Sir, you must evacuate the seas, we are currently under attack.." He paused, listend to what the president had to say before continuing . "But Mr. President, it... it's a monster, you must evacuate sir, go on full speed to shore."

He listens impatiently. "Please sir, if you will not leave, save your self, save the rest of the world..." Then static followed, seemingly cutting all communications.


"To the helicopter!" One soldier yelled not far from the bridge, Cole picks up his gun and placed the ships Captain on his back running towards the helicopter.

The helicopter was halfway on the air before it was swiped clean by a large creature still hidden under the water, the helicopter explodes before them sending Cole to his back a few meters away. Gun fire is still heard from everywhere as he opened his eyes, his vision was blurry, his balance off. Blood came out from his left ear, someone was telling him something. He couldn't understand. The captain was still lying beside him, he picked him up. But another exploasion happened, this time in the bridge, it broke the warship in two, sending Cole off board together with the captain, he loses consciousness, but he saw the creature, move away as the ship was destroyed, it was now headed for the presidents ship.

Running on. Passing those that came against her. Up the steps she went to be on the top deck. Destruction and devastation was around her . she saw tentacles rise from the sea as they would strike at helicopters that were there. She spotted one that was about to take off.

Running over to it, her hair blowing into the breeze, She wasted no time jumping in the side of the Helicopter. Almost at the same instance she spoke in a commanding tone to the pilot.

"take me to the monster, now!"

"no way thats madness miss, I'm going in the opposite direction"

" DO YOU WANT TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE DIE YOU SELFISH FOOL! I'M A PANDORA! BRING ME THERE NOW!"

With the fear of now being Mentally abused by Ingrid, he complied with the girl. Lifting off the other people, who were on it got off for fear of death.

Now up in the air, the helicopter brought her to a tendril that was about to destroy another helicopter, trying to escape. Without warning she jumped out and dove straight at the tentacle. Vector lines appeared by her hands as two tonfa blade appeared in them. These were the weapons that The red head had, known as Divine Trust.

As she went past the tentacle, a line appeared on it, parallel to her. Moments later the flesh was cut right through. This allowed the fleeing helicopter to escape. Digging both tonfas into another she stood on top of it. She readied herself to the realiation, Ready to dodge when the time comes.

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It felt nothing for several seconds before everything on the water shook, helicopters flew away but was sucked in by a loud cry coming from the depths, it wailed in pain as it shot up from the sea, revealing it's true appearance, shadowing over the large warship like its a toy boat.

It searched for it's enemy, eyes scanning the waters but found nothing, it growled once more before arms molded out from its tentacle seemingly aiming to catch the enemy, it moved like a domino, countless like hair, moving like a shark, it moved from the top end racing for the end, where the Pandora stood. The Creature moved slow, but the arms seemingly attached to it didn't. A thousand cries wailed as the arms draw near, it begged for forgiveness, cursed, screamed, tempted, every kind of cry, all different voices, it came near, an arm finally reached its destination, its fingers reached out to the Pandora leg, held it and did nothing but that.

Spoiler:

This was what the Pandora had to kill?. The girl was overwhelmed y the entire size of the monstrosity! It was the legendary kraken of old. In fact, she was so overwhelmed she only realized then and there. she was snagged by the beast.

She snapped out of her shock and wasted no time in slicing that tendril off too. with her left handed tonfa. Before the 'hand ' was retracted, the red head ran up the arm. Perhaps it was the light or maybe the water's work, but there appears halfway up the arm to be two Ingrid's attacking the beast's extremity.

However,if the monster spoke about the matter, it'd probably say its true. Simultaneous attacks occurred up the arm, cutting the tentacles as though about to make sushi with them. This was the ability Ingrid has. After all she was a Tempest type pandora, who specializes in all out attacks.

Its true she was dealing with a truly massive adversary but that means the weak point was that much bigger!

He heard footsteps, hard stomping from the other end of the room, they stoped infront of his door, speaking. "Mr. President, please step back from the door." they ordered. The president did as he was told, still cautious, later a small explosion occurred blasting the door open.

"Are you okay Mr. President?" Malcolm greeted, emerging from the cloud of dust and diminished flames. Andy covered his face with his right arm, coughing ever so lightly because of the smoke, soldiers waited outside ready to accompany him to safety. "What's going on?" Andy asked innocently.

"The creature we caught in Cuba escaped." The soldier said, escaping the darkness. "Colonel Santiago Martinez." He introduced him self, "We should leave the ship sir, it's no longer safe here." he says.

"We cant." Andy shook his head, I wanna see the situation for my self. Malcolm laughed then. "Mr. President, we should leave, you wouldnt wanna see it, really." Malcolm insisted, by the Colonel shook his head, "Let him see it." He said. "let's escort him to the deck."

Malcolm shook in fear stuttering half words as he silently followed the soldiers. Andy followed them as well, but it didn't take long before he heard the sound of a battle field. Gun shot was fired from here to there, the creature was so massive that it could be seen even from where they were, its tentacles reached where they were, does explaining the gun fire. The ship was battling the tentacle which probably took half his mens lives already. But then the creatures cried from a distant, before they knew it, someone was attacking it. There she is, a pandora, Andy was sure.

"WHAT?!" The Colonel was confused. "What is that thing?" he asked.

Andy smiled. "It's a Pandora."

The Colonel was still shocked, his eyes locked on the creature trying to follow its movements in the dark, it seemed there was more of them from there distance, but from what he heard, there was only one.

"It's the project you terminated, Colonel." Andy grins, amused by what the Colonel might say next, or what he may not say for loosing his face.

An angry outburst of german rises above the whine of the rotor blades of the helicopter that the professor was now looking out the side of at the creature.

Instead of being awed by the creature, she is angrily beating her headset off the interior of the chopper. After a short while, it crackles into life, allowing her to hear the pilots of the various helicopters.

Looking a bit relieved that her comm's were now working again, she turns her rapt attention back to the struggle below. She is worried about Ingrid, as the lone soldier in the helicopter proves, this things limbs are dangerous. She's bandaged up what remains of his left leg and he's fading in and of consciousness.

She watches on, nervous, observing her life's work, and those who are also watching. Tempest was not the best choice for this foe, however it was easier to show than Accel. Ingrid needs some assistance, but the Professor know what would happen if another Pandora were to assist. The small fire from the ships seems to be utterly ineffective. What can see do, she's nothing more than a scientist, she doesn't have a clue what to do in this kind of situation.

She looks around the helicopter, wildly, desperately. Her eyes fall on the gun, folded away, beside the door. She recognises it as one of those ones with the spinning barrels, that shoots very fast.

Suddenly, her mind hazes, she can't think, it's like shes wrapped in fog. She blinks it away.

She's sitting at the mounted gun, barrels rotating slowly. Surprised she looks back into the helicopter. The injured soldier is looking at her with one eye open, a strange expression on his face. "That was impressive, never seen someone prep and arm one of those that quickly before... Didn't realise you were a soldier too."

She looks back at the gun, "How did I?..."

Again her mind flashes, suddenly she know how to use this weapon, and what she needs to do.

She releases the safeties, and barks an order into her comms.

The helicopter swings round. The Professor opens fire, the gun blasting into life. She's good with this thing, unnaturally good.

She directs the stream of bullets right into the things face, blasting its eyes. Just the advantage the Pandora has been waiting for.

Something popped at the creatures eye, small and irritating, it succeed, perfectly aimed at it's iris, it growled angrily finding the source of the annoyance, it hovered it's face close enough that anyone on the chopper would be surprised, it growls, loud enough to shatter a normal humans eardrums, strong enough to push them back, and it's saliva an acidic substance toxic enough to melt metal, but the Pandora was restless in battling its limps it turns back to it, and growls over it, or the many it's it appeared, there was more than one, but the eyes all over its arms revealed it had the same face. He's fighting only one Pandora.

The arms pop free from the creatures limbs, followed by what looked like a shoulder, then a head, there were people inside them, the other arms popped out as well, some crawled towards the pandora, some walked, slowly, they eyed her, thousands of them from every tentacle, eyes locked on her, studying her, hostile, they were, human, once were, but it seemed not anymore.

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"Y'all heard the creature, get the garl!" One yelled. "GAAAA!!" All yelled in unison.

The curiosity was gone from their eyes, they no longer walked aimlessly, they now ran, ran towards the Pandora, the closest one jumped towards her, seemingly not caring about what could happen to him. The others attacked the other her, and the other her, and the other her, there were many of her. But they were more.

Many had fallen into the water only to swim back or be taken back by the lingering tentacles. They had no special weapons, nor techniques, they only had numbers, and what seemed to be a never ending life, they just move, even if you rip their skin, even if you break them in two, the only way to really get rid of them is to pulverize them, until they are no more.

They were what moved under the creatures skin, the lives it had took, forever trapped as mindless lifeless prisoners of the sea.

The fearless girl continued to run up the arm she had focus on her eyes as she decided to try and push the tempest she had further. She needs all the assistance she can to take this monster down. She heard the roar of pain from the creature, yet at that moment Ingrid did not strike it, neither her or the tempest of her.

Looking up at the helicopter her eyes widened in both fear and amazement. There she was, the professor going to the front line to assist her..... But... she was just human, she will die of the monster gets anywhere near her.

She became all the more focused knowing what she has to do to get done. She saw an opening. If she can pierce the upper pallet of the monster, she would kill it. Easier said then done as she felt the muscles of the beast go into spasm. This ceased the thought of her going into a third second tempest as she waited to see what emerge.

What she said made the fearless pandora who was so close to her goal panic. Her breathing became quicker as her pupils shrunk to dots. not again. Not like last time. They were humans. The could be alive. They could be still there. She noticed some were freshly clothed, Members that were probably killed in today's attack. There was no way she could do it, She cannot kill them. She took a step back as the horde would run and swarm around her and her tempest. However with the fear, showed a misstep on her part as the tempest vanished, leaving only her alone to fend against this swarm.

Just like back then....


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Flashback
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"promise to protect the powerless.... please, In-grid"

A girl was see before Ingrid, laying on the ground. It was a bloody massacre. It was the first Nova attack that she bared witness to, near the train facility she and other girls were in. many of he girls had broken limbs and bones, or even ripped of their sockets. But for others, like Marin, she was to be drawing her final breath. Ingrid began crying not wanting her sempai to leave her. She nodded as she tried to respond to the wishes of the girl.

"i... i will do it Marin! JUST DONT GO!... p-PLEASE Dont leave me!" The eyes of the dying girl was losing it color. It wouldnt be long before she was dead. Marin smiled looking at Ingrid for the final time. " you will be be great ingrid..."

The girl's voice echo'd in her mind. Her name over and over again.

Ingrid...

Ingrid....

Ingrid...

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End of Flashback
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"Ingrid!....INGRID...RESPOND!"

The voice was clear and commanding. It was clear who it belonged to. The voice came from the ear piece of the tonfa user. Elizabeth knew of the situation Ingrid had, and why she tried to defend all those many people. A dying friend request. She knew why she blacked out against these possessed humans. She was there after all, she was the one who killed the nova back then. Her only regret back then, as perhaps the strongest pandora, was that she did not get there sooner. She wont fail this time.

"the parameter's of the battle changed! There is nothing you can do for these... monsters! You are authorised to use Pandora Mode. I repeat, utilize Pandora mode!"

The girl looked on from another ship looking to see whether she will do this or not. She narrowed her eyes, waiting with bated breath. Can the unranked pandora gather the courage to overcome this obstacle?

"Show to the world we are a force to be reckoned with! If not for us, then for Marin, for you!"

With that the golden haired girl ceased the transmission with Ingrid. She sighed a little knowing that even with Pandora mode, there will be the problem of the after effect of it. taking out a phone as dialed a number and waited for a response.

"Its me... be ready to catch Ingrid when she has eliminated the target..."

She then hung up on the receiver of the call as she looked with with cold, soul piercing eyes as the catastrophe that was out there.

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Martinez watches over the distance wondering if this really was the project he terminated a few years back, if it was, then he regrets doing so, if he had only approved it, maybe he wouldn't be a colonel now, maybe a General, no maybe retired and very wealthy, he laughs.

"I highly doubt they can kill off a monster like that, do you have any idea, any idea at all on how many of my men died just to tame that thing? 5,000, 5,000 in the first hour." he laughs even more. "That thing took my hand." he flexed his arm revealing a mechanical arm. "I'm lucky to be alive." He laughs even more. "And if you expect me to believe that a experiment will defeat that thing, then you must've lost you mind, no offense Mr. president."




The other soldiers were silent, Andy watched in silence as well, he couldn't wait to talk back, but decided not too, cause he himself now was unsure, but he waited, eyes staring into the darkness where the fire from the sunken ship burned the night sky.