Civil War

"I'm not letting you kill them. I'll be killing you." Ariel stood in front of Gian-Luca and Vidia, who just moments before, were about to be completely annihilated by Jophiel's rain of blades.

"Did you just… protect them? Ariel, what are you—"

"I've thought about it Jophiel," her wings widened to shield the subject's faces. "Maybe what we're doing in this facility isn't right after all."

"Huh???" Jophiel was extremely confused. "Have you not completely understood the vast ideals of A.X.A.? How could you dare to think that way as an Overseer. These guys are just mere subjects, and you should know that!"

On the ground, the subjects were just as confused. Vidia thought back on just moments before, being told by Ariel herself; "...This is where you belong Vidia. That goes for all of you—this is where you irregularities belong." But now suddenly she was helping them, and it brought bewilderment to the two.

Gian-Luca then remembered the division in their group just moments ago; "Wait… What happened to Ian and Veronica?"

Turning his head back, he spotted the two walking towards them; unharmed and unscathed.

"What?" He was even more confused.

Jophiel on the other side, continued his interrogation. "Don't get in the way of my work Ariel. I've never interfered with yours, so why are you doing this? You know we can't let the subjects escape, and just like you said—this is where the irregularities belong, right?"

"It may be, but we're discarding their rights of freedom by keeping them contained in this facility. They should be—"

"RIGHTS OF FREEDOM?" Jophiel was quickly triggered. "You're telling me that these fools deserve the right to be free? Fucking bullshit. Freedom my ass. THERE'S NEVER BEEN FREEDOM IN THIS WORLD!" There was silence that followed. "You should know that better than anyone Ariel. It was this very world that stripped us of that so-called 'freedom'. That 'freedom' doesn't exist anymore, and that goes for us and these subjects."

"You can't relate these subjects to our kind Jophiel. They were living ordinary lives on Earth like everyone else. They don't deserve to undergo the same treatment as we do—"

"BUT WE DIDN'T DESERVE TO UNDERGO THE TREATMENT WE RECEIVED EITHER!" His shout echoed the expanse. "You know what, fine. If you're gonna get in my way, I won't hesitate to kill you either. I'll just wipe out every single one of you fools." Jophiel continued to flap his wings, raising higher towards the ceiling. Ariel did the same in response, rising her level to that of his.

Still on the ground, Gian-Luca and Vidia were helped up by Ian and Veronica.

"Perfect timing huh Luca," Ian nudged him.

"Yeah… What happened? Weren't you guys fighting her? Why is she on our side all of sudden? It's almost like she's a completely different person."

Ian snickered. "I used my ability on her."

Gian-Luca's eyes grew wide. "Wait… you mean—?"

"Yeah, I completely warped her ideals. Her Overseer-driven mindset has been completely wiped, and I overrode it with that of a justified one. Following that, I indirectly commanded her to help us, and to kill Jophiel."

Veronica listened on the sideline. "That's crazy… I never knew your ability could do something to that extent."

Ian smiled back. "There's a lot to it. Midas helped me realize that."

The entire group had a joint recollection of advice and planning told to them by Midas.

"When striking our personal Overseers, we need to take into consideration that they have the advantage due to knowledge. They're the ones experimenting on us everyday, observing our development, and are the ones who bestowed us our abilities in the first place. If let's say; me and Venus were to fight Chamuel head-on ourselves, we'd have a complete disadvantage. Chamuel knows the extent of our abilities, from tip-to-toe, meanwhile we're unknowing of his own power."

"So what are you getting at?" Ian asked him.

"We shouldn't face our own Overseers alone." Midas crossed his arms, "We need to have at least one other subject from another Overseer with us, because then, it gives us a slight edge. For example, if Ian were to fight Chamuel with me, we'd have a bigger advantage compared to me fighting alongside Venus."

"HEY!" Venus yelled. "You dare—"

"No I'm not underestimating you Venus," Midas sighed. "I'm not directly referring to combat power. Chamuel oversees the both of us, whereas Chamuel doesn't oversee Ian. He wouldn't have nearly as much knowledge on Ian compared to the two of us."

"Ah I'm starting to understand," Ian nodded his head.

"Yes, the stratagem here is to fight them in pairs, but not our designated ones. We must fight them in pairs consisting of one originally belonging to that Overseer, and one belonging to another. The one pertaining to that Overseer will provide the pair with knowledge on the Overseer themselves, whereas the other can play a supporting role without having their abilities fully understood due to pertaining to another Overseer. It's advantageous back-and-forth."

The recollection ended.

"And so Veronica gave me the insight on Ariel that I needed. Luckily enough, she had no idea what my ability was." Ian pointed, "And now look. I've been able to take advantage of that fact by imposing my delusions on her, and now she's subconsciously under my control."

In the air, Ariel swirled around Jophiel.

"It doesn't have to be this way Ariel. You're supposed to be on my side. We could easily kill the subjects off right now."

"You're wrong Jophiel," she hovered across him; "It's better this way. A.X.A.'s ideals are corrupt."

"Tsk! Since when did you start thinking like that? You were never like this before…" Jophiel looked down at the ground. He noticed Ian smirking up towards them.

Realization struck; "No… did you…?" His frustration grew. He now realized the power present, and why Ariel was acting this way. "IAN DISABLE IT RIGHT NOW!"

Ian shook his head. "Kill him Ariel," Jophiel read his lips say.

Suddenly Ariel jolted forwards, glazing the air as she nearly missed an aerial attack.

"SNAP OUT OF IT ARIEL! YOU'RE UNDER IAN'S CONTROL!" Jophiel yelled.

Ariel didn't respond. She kept swooping back and forth towards Jophiel for attack after attack. It was as if she had tuned out his voice entirely. The two exchanged blows with their mechanical wings, grazing each other's balance as sparks flew everywhere.

"Urgh!" Jophiel was slashed across his cheek. He tried blocking a direct attack from Ariel, but the impact against his wing caused hers to slide upwards.

"You're getting annoying." Jophiel disengaged his metal feathers. He swung his wings around in a spinning motion, charging up a load of blades to be sent flying in Ariel's direction. Rather than blocking the attack as expected, she dodged them. She used her flexibility to her advantage, and impressively avoided each feather that sliced through the air.

This grew even more frustration onto Jophiel, and now it had sprouted impatience.

"I'm just wasting my time!" He looked towards the subjects watching on the ground. He realized a possibility; "Would his mind control stop if I just killed him?" He stared at Ian.

Instantaneously, Jophiel sent a singular blade flying in Ian's direction. The action was so quick it was nearly unnoticeable. Except to one person.

Right before impaling Ian's neck, the blade was blocked by the tip of Ariel's wing, who'd arrived just in time. "Don't you dare!" She yelled.

The blocked blade completely sidetracked it's route, now deflected in a completely different direction. It ricocheted off a nearby wall, bouncing back towards Jophiel who was unaware.

An immense pain suddenly jabbed Jophiel's leg. "AGH!" He looked down. There, was the singular feather he'd sent towards Ian just moments before. Blood now seeped from the wound on his thigh, but luckily he wasn't on his legs. Being airborne meant no need for physical assertion on anything below the waist.

"All you fools will pay for this…" He amassed his growing rage. He looked at Ariel, understanding she wasn't in her own mind at the moment.

"Even if this isn't your true intent, you're still getting in the way of my responsibilities. I will never hesitate to kill you, or anyone!" Jophiel now boosted towards Ariel. "IT'S BEEN NICE KNOWING YOU ARIEL!" He yelled before impact.

Impalement.

The clean sound of metal slicing through flesh, reverberated throughout the room, and past the blaring alarms.

"Ariel…?" Jophiel coughed. Dark blood spurted out, staining Ariel's white suit.

"Why would you… do this..." Life faded from Jophiel's eyes, as his impaled body hung onto Ariel's wing. Blood trickled from his now gaping stomach, down his legs and onto the floor. It was raining blood.

"We opposed each other, it's only natural it would end this way." Ariel watched her colleague mercilessly.

The cold eyes brought a shudder to Jophiel's bleeding warmth. "You better use a Trinity Gem… and revive me when this is all over…"

"No." She placed her hand on his chest. "You're dead to me."

She pushed Jophiel back, sliding his body off her now blood-stained wing. And as his wound detached from its maker, he could slowly feel himself detach from life as he fell towards the ground.

Upon impact, his senses were erased, and so too was his life. Blood splattered everywhere, and his metal feathers scattered about.

Overseer Jophiel was now dead to the hands of a former ally.