[JOURNAL] Nick ( GunSniper )

[GunSniper]

Self RPs:__________________________________________________  

[Gestalt Effect]

Following the Team Impulse Reunion...

Nick could feel the cold floor slam against her face as she came to a sudden awakening. The Executioner loomed over her with rage in her every changing eyes. Nick gasped as the clawed foot of the large organoid meet with her back, pressing her hard against the floor.

Nick had little time to even try and get up off of the floor before her whole body was lifted from the floor and cast to the wall. Nick used her right shoulder to absorb the impact of the wall and the floor that followed. The day just seemed to be getting better and better. Nick gasped again struggled to get up to her feet.

"Do your loved ones mean nothing to you child?" The Judge hissed as it walked around the Executioner. "Are you so dense that you have forgotten what you promised to me?" She grabbed Nick by the collar and thrust her to her feet.

"I-I didn't know... Kai was.. alive..." Nick gasped.

"Should that matter? What of Titus, What of Riot? Should I not spare them?" The Judge pressed her harder against the wall.

"Y-you should..." Nick's head rolled and struggled to keep upright. "Spare them... Aand Kai... s-she didn't know..."

The Judge released its grip on Nick and let her slide to the floor. "That beast with her needs to die... she needs to die." The Judge hissed.

Nick growled as she thrust her right hand and grabbed the Judge's leg. Quickly the cloth she grabbed along with the leg begun to smoke before bursting into flame. Nick's grip tightened with each passing second.

The Judge only watched as the puppet acted out and burned her leg. It chuckled darkly as it jammed its boot into Nick's side. Nick immediately recoiled her hand at the impact. Steam poured from Nick's arm as the hand cooled down once again. The entire time the Executioner watched as the event unfolded.

The fire on the robe was quickly extinguished as a swirl of black fog moved over the Judge.

"Such a naughty puppet... You are fortunate you are still of use to me." The Judge chuckled as the Executioner moved around it to lift Nick and move her to the opposite side of the room, where she would once again be pinned up against the wall like some crucifix decor.

The tight wires gabbed and wrapped around Nick as they pinned her up on the wall once more. Several wires plugged into her face and arm as the screen to her left begun to feed information on her heart, blood pressure, and brain patterns. God how Nick hated the screen.

The Judge followed behind the Executioner. Once Nick was secured to the wall the Judge stepped in once more. She reached up and grabbed nick's neck. "Fail me one more time and I will hunt down all three and force their blood on your hands." Her claws dug into Nick's neck as she gripped harder. "As for this Kai, I will spare her for now so long as you obey my every command without a single struggle. Are we clear my Iron Judge?"

Nick grunted at the tight grip of the Judge. Her only response was a slight nod. The movement not making the grip feel any better.

The Judge released the grip with a shove. "Now rest well. Tomorrow, you have a special assignment..."

Nick gasped as she was released once more. Several thoughts of vengeance pricked at her thoughts, but were quickly dismissed for fear of what would become of them. Nick's head hung low with another sigh. Sleep... would be welcome now. Even if only nightmares only waited for her. Her body ached, her mind screamed, her will drained.

The Judge watched as Nick begun to drift to sleep... Perhaps this Kai... could be useful... With that thought in mind she turned and left Nick to her nightmares.  

[Gestalt Effect]

Revenge for Crimes a Year Past:

The night was oddly cold this time around. Night patrol had just taken the shift away from the swing shift. It was so far a mindless routine for this base far near the reaches of the rogue territories. Nothing ever happened here. For being so close to the bandits and low lives, it was disappointing to some of the soldiers who transferred looking for some action.

But every Rogue knew there was nothing worth protecting on that base. No valuables to try and steal and the location was nothing desirable. It was merely a point in which the Imperials used to send early warnings in case odd activities went on. This base had once been in charge of excavating a temple far in the unknown territories, but when they had failed to retrieve an Organoid, well, it turned into more of a punishment to be sent there.

Three death saurers inhabited this base. Two remained still near the main area while one walked around the premises about two miles out. Its pilots bored out of their minds. For such a powerful ZOID they wanted to to actually get to use it on some bandit scum or something. Maybe even take out the King of Bandits! Just circles all day long.

Lightning Saix darted around the DS, to make up for its incredibly slow speed. They seemed to be amusing themselves by racing each other around the area, but they too wished to see some action.

The screen begun to beep in the cockpit of the DS. One of the pilots coming to a sudden awakening. "The hell..." He mumbled and looked over the screen. There was something, than nothing. "Damn dysfunctional-" Before he could blame his ZOID for the warning a bright light swept through the cockpit completely removing the head of the ZOID.

All the lightning saix begun to stir as a large black Fog rolled over the area. None of their communications or any sensors were online. All blind in the dark... More panic came as the pilots begun to hear unworldly screams. Each one driven to the point of madness before a sudden force tore them apart. Their ZOIDs so torn their origional form was unrecognizable.

The fog continued to the base. As in the case of the DS there was only time for one alarm before the fog engulfed the base leaving any communications down.

Screams were engulfed by the fog as the chaos escalated. A fire started near the north end of the base.

The Iron Judge tightened her right fist before withdrawing her whip. Behind the mask Nick grinned just as the whip was set ablaze. The Judge had told her what this base did. The soldiers who hurt Kai came from here, the imperial army itself is responsible for Titus' torment through endless experiments, and they were the ones who betrayed Nick. And tonight, as her mind succumbed to the nightmare, she would take revenge for what they had done. Even if the original soldiers might not have been here, they would all pay.

Not once did the Iron Judge need to use any other weapon. The whip served nicely. Soldiers became lost in their own nightmare and begun to off one another in delusions.

No warnings came to any of the other bases or near by ZOIDs. Not Even the rogues would receive a distress signal. The base simply vanished from the face of the planet without any notice. The Iron Judge's maniacal laughter would be the last thing any of those soldiers would hear before they meet with their maker.

When the fog cleared only the charred and shambled buildings remained. It had looked as if the whole place had been lost for centuries. No bodies or ZOIDs could be seen in the desert. Even the three Death Saurers were gone without a trace.

The sands were smooth as if never touched by ZOID or human. The Morning came with a red sky and a heavy feeling. What had happened that night... no one would know about until three weeks later when scout was sent to investigate the lack of updates from the base.

Nick stood on the top of a cliff overlooking the land she had just raided. her mind still lost to the nightmare as she looked satisfied at her nights work. The wind whipped her cloak about in the oncoming storm's wind. Dark clouds begun to gather overhead threatening a torrential downpour over the desert land.

Nick's eye glowed brightly as a devilish grin rolled across her face. It was only a matter of time now...

She turned around and begun to walk back toward the cliffs on the other side where the Jury was waiting. It would be time to rest again soon... before the next mission.  

[Gestalt Effect]

The Wrong Place at the Right Time:

The black wing blade roared with pleasure as it charged through the borders of the free lands. Chase Donnavan had to practice more if he wanted to compete with the white wing blade and have a slight advantage. It was exiting to finally meet the pilot of the opposite ZOID. He told his good friend all about it. The guy seemed cold, but he was the best friend a soldier could ask for, and a fine gunman. He was gonna go far.

Chase looked down to check a warning light that appeared on the screen for a moment. Suddenly the liger lurched forward than fell. Chase grunted. "What the-" He looked up as he spoke that stopped with his mouth ajar. Black fog had surrounded his ZOID. He had heard the rumors of the Judge and its black fog, but never believed any of it. The stories were far too bizarre to be real. And none came from a credible source.

"Probably just a storm..." Chase grunted as he tried to get his ZOID back on its feet and turned around. But any map or connection suddenly cut off. He was now blind in the fog with no way of contacting back up. He had wondered too far and alone. Something no soldier should ever do...

He covered his ears as screaming echoed in the fog. Crimson eyes appeared in front of him. Chase begun to sweat as fear covered his face. What he saw and what really was there was stretched and unfathomable. Every nightmare he had ever had stood before him and lusted for his blood.

The jury let out a banchie like screech.

As he did an odd cloaked figure appeared on the canopy of the ZOID. Chase looked up to the twisted mask and its one glowing eye. Its right and was withdrawn from the black cloak and starting to blaze with a red light.

Chase froze as his ZOID did. The blazing hand punched through the canopy of the ZOID and continued to tear through the thick glass-like substance as if it were nothing but paper. When the hole was large enough the Iron Judge ripped the man from his seat and cast him back to the sands below. Chase gasped as his body slammed against the ground. It wasn't long before the Iron Judge appeared behind him and shoved an iron toed boot to his chest and pressed down hard. Chase gasped.

"It would seem as though fate has chosen you boy." The Iron Judge hissed with amusement.

Chase had no time to even utter a gasp before his face was engulfed in flame and crushed by the Iron Judge's grip.

The Jury slammed its hooves into the head of the ZOID and ripped into the canopy, completely removing it.

When the fog cleared there was no evidence of the Iron Judge or Jury anywhere. The ZOID would be discovered by a republic scout and returned to the nearest republic base where Chase Donnavan's best friend was stationed. The body of Chase was discovered in the cockpit of the black wing blade mangled and nearly unrecognizable. A DNA test was used to confirm the identity.

The attack was blamed on the Rogues and bandits by several officers, but another group believed it to be the unknown fraction that was responsible for the assassination attempt. This is still under investigation...
 

[Gestalt Effect]

Recollection:

Nick stood in the center of a field of dying wild flowers. She remembered vividly what this particular field had looked like only a year before. It was lush field with an array of vibrant colors. Peaceful, relaxing, breath taking... now it was quite the opposite. Where there was vibrant colors there was now brown and dull green.

Nick pulled back her dark hood as she looked back toward the south end of the field. This was where she meet Titus and where she went to mourn the loss of her friend, Kai.

Only a year, such a short time for things to have happened. Nick had lost a 'sister', gained a 'sister', lost her mind, lost her 'soul', gained than lost everything in that time.

Nick's right hand clinked and groaned as her fingers balled into a tight fist. The palm begun to glow dimply as the heat sensors became active. Her thoughts stirred her negative emotions causing the hand to catch fire. Soon the wires begun to hiss as the fire became more intense.

A southward wind blew across the filed catching Nick's attention. The sudden bust quickly snapped her out of the vengeful trance. Steam hissed from her palm as the glow dimmed and her hand begun to cool. She looked to the ground and saw what very well could have been the last color in the field. And even that was dying.

Without a second glance she knelt down and plucked the flower from the ground. Blue, a beautiful sapphire blue... Nick inspected the flower as she rose to her feet once more. All alone, all its friends had wilted away and were gone. It was soon to join them, slowly as it tried to cling onto the one thing that made it so beautiful. Nick gritted her teeth as she looked over the flower. Seconds later the flower was caught a blaze. The fire quickly consumed the gentle flower. With a growl Nick cast the flower to her side, not caring the consequence.

That one flower fell to a pile of dry grass, which greedily took what fire it could to share to the rest of the field. The flame started off slow at first, but quickly grew as the winds helped move the fire across the field. Black plumes of smoke could be seen miles around for hours and when the sun set in the sky the land glowed with an eerie crimson reflection of the fire.

Days later Nick returned to the blacken land that once was full of wild flowers. Her cloak waved around in the gentle winds that still tried to carry the ashes about the land.

Nick looked over the lands, slowly taking in what it was now. She couldn't help but feel a connection to it. This once peaceful land was tossed into a hellish inferno and stripped of everything it once was. Now one can only hope that its peace will return.

The fire had burned itself out as it reached the sands. No one had made an attempt to stop it... no one cared to. These lands belonged to no one..
 

[Gestalt Effect]

Infamous Legends Never Die:

Nick collapsed on the floor of that accursed dark room. The cold stone floor was still more welcoming than the cockpit of the Jury. She pushed herself from the floor only to find herself forced back to the stone by a swift boot to the back.

Nick growled as she pushed against it.

"I told you if you resisted I would hunt down your friends." The Judge chuckled darkly with delight. "And you resisted so very hard today..."

Nick grunted and stopped struggling against the pressure of the sharp boot in her back. "He... helped me... find them...." She growled between grit teeth.

"And he saved me... from the empire.... now that they think I am dead... I can move more... freely... in the-" She gasped as the pressure on her back grew heavier. "-Territory..." .Nick growled the last part once the Judge removed her foot from her back.

"It... will be more... convenient for you.."

The Judge walked around to Nick's right side. "So it would seem.

The Judge tapped the chin of the mask."Now... what do we do now with you?"
It already -knew- what it was going to do, but the words were quite tormenting. With another chuckle the Judge kicked Nick in her right side, right where the metallic plates met with flesh, with a considerable amount of force. "Perhaps a few days without sleep will put you back into obedience? Or maybe it is time for an upgrade to your arm?"

Nick tried to scream as the boot made contact, but nothing would come out. She curled into a fetal position to try and ease the pain. The blow had made it very hard to breath. Her eyes widened as she gasped. The Judge only looked on the sight with satisfaction.

None of those options sounded very pleasing. Nick had a feeling that it would be a combination of the two...

It wasn't long before the Executioner emerged from the shadows and plucked Nick up from the floor and carried her to an iron table.

Once there it threw her back down on the cold surface. Chords coiled around the base of the table than found their way to Nick, binding her to the table tightly.

Nick begun to struggle weakly. The last time she was on this table the Judge had ripped out half of her body and replaced it with the grotesque prosthetic she now has. Dr. Fox's work was completely re-done. All but the device he had to keep her heart going.

The Executioner stood by in order to keep her conscious and alive. Its own chords plugged into the side of her face and neck. Though its face was unchanging, Nick could tell the thing was grinning at her. It loved to see her scream in pain. It hated humans for whatever reason. A hatred that was far stronger than anything on this planet.

As the process went on Nick screamed in pain, but was unable to find any relief for the pain. Every time she begun to fade from consciousness the Executioner brought her back promptly.

Her head was held in place so tight she couldn't see what was being done, nor did she care to. She could feel everything. Every little pull, every wire being cut and added, new armor being added. Executioner made sure of that.

The entire 'upgrade' was drug out as long as possible, every minute seemed like years and the entire process seemed like an eternity.

Once it was over Nick was not allowed to just lay there on the table and recover from the event. The instant the 'upgrade' was complete Nick was drug from the table and pinned back up against the wall. This time she would not be allowed to drift to sleep, instead she was left to watch the endless darkness for hours on end until the Judge returned.

"I have another mission..." The Judge chuckled. "Lets see if your friend did you any justice. You will return to the Empire, and investigate another one of the Ancient temples. I have another artifact that must be found."

Nick only glared at the Judge. She had no time to respond before the chords released her from the wall and let her fall to the floor with a loud thud.

She groaned, but before she could push herself from the floor that same sharp boot found her back and pressed down.

"Now tell me you will do better this time..."

"Y-yesss.....

"Yes what my child?" The judge pressed harder.

"m-m-mast-ter..." Nick growled than gasped as the pressure was released from her back. With a dark chuckle the Judge vanished from the room leaving Nick alone once more.

She struggled to her feet. As she did she paused, wide eyed, to see the changes made to her arm. People whom have seen it wouldn't be able to tell the difference, but she knew just at a glance.

The design was somewhat the same, only now it was sharper, stronger, and heavier... there was a new ability she could use with it now. But Nick knew it would only be more draining than the inferno grip...

Nick didn't take long to glare at the arm. She staggered out of the room blindly, and now trying to get used to the new weight the arm wielded.

As always the Jury was ready to go outside, and as soon as she appeared wires shot from its cockpit to pull her into the pilots seat.

While back in the Imperial territory, Nick had made a mental note to check up on the soldier. Secretly of course.

Jury let out a screech before galloping back through the unknown sands toward the Empire. While in the cockpit, Nick was finally able to close her eyes and find some welcomed rest. She would need it for this next mission...  

[Gestalt Effect]

Above the Sands of Black:

As always the small fog infested room was quite cold and unwelcoming. Nick had to press her hand along the invisible walls to find her way through the room as well as keep herself from collapsing on the floor. Her body was still weary from over using the palms maximum temperature.

As she neared the spot where she was usually pinned to the wall a sudden cold chill ran up her spine. Two crimson eyes cut through the fog like a knife to soft butter... unfortunately she was not alone and there was no doubt in her mind that the Judge was already planning on sending her to the next temple.

"I am disappointed that my Iron Judge did not crush that man's skull when the chance was given..." The Judge hissed mockingly at Nick. "I suppose he helped you as well? Saved your life like the last one?"

A small grin formed on Nick's face. She couldn't punish her for resisting this time, and even when controlled by the black fog the choice was not to kill the soldier. "Fate was with him, oh great Judge, it was not in our best interest for him to be killed."

Her words were just as mocking as the Judge's and earned Nick a quick backhand to the face. The iron gauntlets of the Judge left some new gashes and a nice bruise on the left side of Nick's face. It was worth it to piss the Judge off, even if it was by just a little. However, in the long run there would be another consequence to those words, but she would not get to see that until she arrived at the next temple...

"Indeed." The Judge hissed.

Nick spat some blood that collected in her mouth from biting her tongue on impact. "I suppose I am to find the last of your artifacts now?" Nick grunted as she adjusted her hand on the wall.

"You are useless to me as you are now..." The Judge chuckled as it pat Nick's right cheek. It took everything Nick had not to n** at the demon's fingers. The suppressed urge was symbolized through a silent growl. "You will go in the morning after your strength and usefulness have returned."

The Judge gave Nick another pat on the cheek before stepping back so the chords on the wall could move easily to their target. It wasn't long before Nick once again pinned to the wall with many chords plugged into the right side of her face, arm and torso.

Once she was secure the Judge tuned and vanished into the swirling black fog. Where was the Judge going? Nick could care less. She was just happy to be alone and able to get some sleep.  

[Gestalt Effect]

Dangerous Knowledge, The Mind Continues to Fade:

The fog swirled about the battle field as the three ZOIDs engaged in battle. Blaze took several swipes at the Jury with his blazing hand. None of the hits were quick enough to even Nick at the Bone ZOID. Saga nipped at the Jury fiercely with the same amount of success as Blaze. Nick growled from within the cockpit. -The deal was that your friends will not be harmed.- The jury spoke though Nick's mind. -They are not present within your ZOID. It is fair game. However, She wants it intact, for the most part.-

Nick couldn't help but be relieved at that information, but only by a little. At the same time she was slightly frustrated that Blaze had abandoned Titus and Kagi to find her. Titus would need his protection more than she did. As for Ander and his ZOID, that man had been though a lot over these past few days... The obliterators nearly killed him. Ironically the Iron Judge persona had saved him, than carved the Judge's mark into his face with the added mark signaling his sentence. Saga only showed up in time to save Ander from being taken. As for Ander's friend. Her fate was somewhat spared. However she may have terminated her friendship with Ander and not even known what had happened.

Nick winced as the information poured in from the fog of the past events with her ZOID. It was becoming more frequent, the information from the fog itself. Nick was starting to hear thoughts of those whom it had come into contact with even the smallest amount of fog. It was an unseen side affect of her constantly trying to control it and resist it. She chuckled darkly as her grip on the controls tightened. Her sanity fought hard with the Iron Judge persona to keep it at bay.

The information continued to pour in... Those two soldiers again. Now they were being dragged further into the Judge's affairs. It would be difficult for them to cover this one up with their superiors. Nick grinned as she caught a quick sight of Saga diving once again for the Jury. Perfect.

"Listen... Take... this report to the two Imperial soldiers. They need something... heheh... to bring to their superiors." Her voice wavered between the demonic Iron Judge and her normal exhausted voice.

Ander's eyes widened as the file was sent immediately to his ZOID. The document would need to be touched up quite a bit, but GOD where did that come from?

"The military, would be dangerous if they knew yet about what is really going on. It would make them... heh... heheh, a quicker target for the Judge and Jury. I know... I know you do not want that to happen. I know... Ander... I know all about it... There is little time... limited transmission... help them escape... please.... they... are good people... " Nick grunted as the Iron Judge once again begun to take over. "Hurt them and I will hunt down the rest of your clan... and force you to watch as they suffer."

Ander's brows furrowed. He did not like the tone in this woman's voice, nor her threats but she was right. For the sake of the innocent. The idea being proposed was hard, but it had to be done. "Understood..." He spoke before turning Saga about and exiting the battle to guide the other soldiers from the fog.

-Do not hold those words to my Pilot... They are not her own.- Blaze added just before Ander was out of transmission reach. The ZOID had caught a strange window in communications to send that message. Perhaps it had something to do with Nick sending her own transmission despite the Jury's and Executioner's presence.

The Iron Judge's attention than turned to Blaze. "I still need you alive, to fulfill a promise. Return to Titus...and Kagi." She hissed at her ZOID. The Executioner's own voice melded with Nick's.

Blaze hissed at the Jury and Executioner.

"She is -mine- fool. Now be gone!" The scythes on the Jury's back flipped around than swooped to knock Blaze back. Blaze lept out of the way of the first scythe but right into the path of one of the Jury's hands.

It wasn't but two seconds before Blaze's right arm was ripped from its socket. Electricity hissed from the wires in the arm as signals were sent to a hand that was no longer there. Blaze back away a little than charged forward. Ambitious, but it was not enough. Jury swat at Blaze with its other hand, this time it knocked the ZOID back quite a distance.

Blaze lost his balance and crashed forward onto his chin. Jury did not remain to continue assaulting the ZOID. With Blaze's right arm still tight in its clutches Jury vanished.

Once the Fog cleared Blaze was left to the plain sands of the desert. There was no trail for him to follow yet again. His signal on Nick was growing weaker... Best to return to Titus at this point. With some effort Blaze struggled to his two legs than traveled in the direction of Kagi's signal, in the rogue territories.

Nick leaned forward in the chair as the Jury returned to the hidden temple. Her grip was still quite tight on the ZOID's combat controls. Nick wanted blood... more blood, more death, revenge for being forgotten. A dark grin stretched across her face as she eagerly thought of her next mission. Her memories were tangling with the creator of the Fog's memories. Everything she knew was beginning to fade away into the subconscious, and anything left would grow distorted... Slowly, very slowly, she was loosing who she used to be to the affects of the black fog and the Iron Judge.  

[Gestalt Effect]

Outward Reflection of the Mind:

Nick awoke from her previous mission with an incredible burning sensation in her left eye. She growled and winced in an attempt to stop the burn. In this dark it was hard to tell if the eye was still functional. Her hands twitched in a feeble attempt to rub her eye free of the burn. The thought of loosing her only eye was slightly frustrating.
"What did you do this time?" Nick hissed as she heard the soft chuckle of the Judge.

"It looks more like you now my Iron Judge." The judge spoke simply with a slight hint of mockery in her tone.

Nick frowned at the comment. Oh how she was going to enjoy crushing that annoyance's skull in her grip. The thought put a devilish grin on her lips.

"If I weren't pinned to this wall, I would make sure your entrails decorated this room. You know that right?" Nick chuckled even more amused and eager at that thought.

The judge laughed and watched with satisfaction as a surge of electricity coursed through Nick's body from the wires. Nick clenched her teeth tightly until the shock waved ceased. At least that distracted from the burning.

"You have another task that must be completed."

Of course there was, there always was a task. However, unlike before where she would show her outward disgust for the upcoming blood bath, a grin stretched across her face as her eyes widened.

"good..." Nick gasped, still recovering from the electrical shock.

The judge grinned from behind her mask. This one had finally snapped....

As always, the Judge would leave the room before Nick was released from the wall. The heart and brain activity monitors would shut down as information was cut off. From the Judge's explanation of this task it would be another town raid, but with an added hunt. There was also some personal busyness to attend to.

Nick fell to the floor as the last wire pulled away. The room echoed with the sharp sound of metal as her palm hit the ground. By now she had mastered the technique of landing on her hands and feet.

As she rose to her feet she withdrew a bloody key ring filled with imperial soldier dog tags. She had hunted and collected those names personally. An accomplishment and a fitting gift. Her old friend should know the good news. With a chuckle Nick proceeded to the exit where the Jury was waiting.

When the black fog of the room was finally broken Nick was able to determine that her eye worked just as fine as it used to. She was able to see the Jury's blazing eyes with no problems at all. It still burned a little, but not as bad as when she had first woken up. Oh how the Judge was going to pay for this.

Nick stood silently as the Jury's canopy opened and those accursed wires came fourth to draw her in. It was the usual process... Once in the cockpit Nick immediately looked at the screen to see just what the Judge had done to her this time around.

Her eyes widened as she looked at her reflection on the screen. The right eye's glow increased. The only thing she had left to prove she wasn't completely gone, was gone. She looked hard into what was once a dull sapphire iris. Now it was as crimson as blood and the sclera was now as black as the Judge's fog. Nick would have glared longer at this monster glaring back at her if it were not the sudden jolt of the Jury taking off. The screen vanished soon after to leave the image to sink in. A good thing too as Nick was about ready to strike at it. Her right hand had already balled into a tight metallic fist.

"heheh..." Nick chuckled as she lowered her fist. "This mask should be obsolete..." Nick hissed with amusement as the Jury withdrew the Iron Judge's mask from the holding compartment behind the pilot's seat.

Before the mask was used to calm the massive migraines that the Judge would force on Nick to get her to submit. Once on Nick was partially in the control of the Judge. She had always managed to fight off the control in small amounts, but she had never conquered it completely. Now she was more than willing to take on the Judge's tasks without the harsh force. However, under her own terms. Nick had come to the realization that the more she got to work with the black fog the more she could practice controlling it herself. A gift ironically made possible by the Judge's modifications to her metallic half.
She could care less the details of it. She had a general idea.

As she mused a screen popped up to her right revealing the small village she would be executing judgment on. Small and not affiliated with any of the major military powers. Nick particularly took an interest in the church that was set up in the center of the village. The building over shadowed every other building making it stand out.

A devious grin stretched across her face as she took the Iron Judge mask and placed it over her face. That is where she would start...  

[Gestalt Effect]

Pawns and Pieces:

Nick had been dreading what was waiting for her upon their return to the 'base'. A new upgrade and a deceased organoid meant the Judge had some nasty ideas bouncing in her head and likely meant that more shreds of humanity would be torn away. It would serve as another reminder of what she had become, a monster. Her mind drifted for a moment as it recalled a certain memory that would see otherwise. A slight blush returned to her cheeks until the memory was shoved back into the depths of her mind.

The Jury came to a sudden stop and his canopy opened wide. All the cords that had plugged into Nick's mechanical side were released with his hiss. However, Nick remained in the cockpit with her hands firmly on the ZOID's controls.

"W-what?" She gasped. Her eyes widened and the glow in her right eye brightened.

The sky was black and thick with storm clouds. Wind blew harshly in the southward direction and the horizon was illuminated with the distant strikes of lightning. The smell of heavy rain was on the air, as well as the sharp smell of mechanics. Nick stared at the dark clouds until the massive hanger door closed tight sealing her and the massive Jury inside. Lights flickered on. Metallic footsteps echoed throughout the massive hanger, four sets than they were joined by a less sharp step. Rubber souls?

Nick glanced down the side of the cockpit to see the Judge, Executioner and to her surprise, Dr. Richard Fox approaching the Jury. This was not the base where her comfortable 'hole in the wall' was.

Before she could protest the massive ZOID's head lowered to the ground.

"Come now, let's not be late. We have some work to do..." The judge mused.

As instructed Nick scaled down the side of the ZOID's face and returned to her master's side. Dr. Fox made some notes on a clipboard he was holding than motioned for them to follow. He had to remember her, she was after all the first major re-constructive (with the use of ZOID metal) surgery patient. He even seemed pleased with the Judge's additions.

The hall connecting to the hanger was long and surprisingly dark. Rumbles of the thunder could be heard outside as the storm neared the massive laboratory. The Executioner had to crouch so low the organoid's chin almost scraped the ground. Thankfully the hall was wide enough for three of them to pass through...

Once they reached the door at the far end of the corner Dr. Fox lead them into another massive room full of surgical equipment for both humans and ZOIDs. Nick froze in her tracks when her fears were confirmed. She looked upon one of the tables to see that same deceased organoid, now stripped of its green color so it's bare metallic white shown, from the temple. Next to it a strange large contraption for holding something in place while suspended so that front and back may be accessible at all times.

As she gawked at the sight the Dr. had already gone to prep for surgery. A few other attendants entered the room, no doubt under the black fog's illusion to keep them from realizing just what was in this room.

Fear gripped at her as she approached the strange surgery table at the Judge's command. Soon the longest night of Nick's life would begin and all she had to keep her sanity was the rhythmic sound of a heart beat....

-Three weeks later-

Nick groaned as raised her head slowly. She could feel the pull of all the cords plugged into the right side of her face and the restraint of the rest of them over her entire body. Once again she was in that familiar dark room propped up on the wall. Most of the surgery was slightly hazy, being pulled and torn into by scientists before fading out at the Executioner's will left the entire ordeal seem surreal. The pain that lingered, however, seemed quite real.

The cords on the wall begun to loosen as Nick was released from the wall. She could hear the snapping noises of the cords and feel the pull in her upper back as they tore away from her body. Despite her groggy state she still managed to land on the cold floor on her hands and knees. Standing took a great deal of effort regardless and by the time she had managed to wobble to her feet she had noticed a body mirror awkwardly placed on the other end of the room.

Nick stumbled toward the mirror with purpose. Perhaps... perhaps it is not as bad as it feels? Maybe she just added some unseen component to the right arm? Perhaps she restored color to her skin and made her look like a human being so she could work better in the cities! The excitement threatened to choke Nick as it welled up in her throat. So hopeful was she that she did not realize the soft clicking sound she made when she moved or the gears in her arms as she trembled.

The Judge had to have returned her to her normal state. There would only be gain from it... But most importantly... She would be able to face -him- without feeling a twinge of embarrassment over looking like a mangled corpse. The thought caused excited butterflies to flutter about in her throat and stomach.

Than, as she reached the mirror, she paused. The smile that had worked so hard to establish itself on her lips slowly begun to fade. Her brows furrowed and her eyes narrowed. The glow in the right eye intensified. She could hardly recognize the pale creature looking back at her. Her hands trembled as she held them up to look at her metallic palms. A memory from the surgery flashed through her mind; she pleaded with the scientists to let her keep her only arm as they attached an exoskeleton of steel to it.

Both hands closed into tight fists as she looked back into the mirror to stare at the abomination. Her lips quivered as her jaw tightened.

"n-no..." she whispered through clenched teeth. Nick's own hoarse voice seemed so foreign, so unreal. A black tear rolled down her left cheek as the lips pulled back to reveal sharp fangs. Her head swayed from side to side as if trying to shake the image before her out of sight.

"THAT DAMNED b***h!!!" Nick roared as she swung full force at the mirror with her right hand.

The mirror shattered upon impact and once again as it toppled over and landed with a crash on the ground. Nick's breathing grew heavy as she watched the mirror shatter. Both hands remained clenched into tight fists. Her whole frame shook with rage as she continued to glare at the shattered fragments littered about the floor. There was no doubt that mirror was placed there on purpose, a mockery at what this 'contract' has done, a reminder at what she really was.

Whatever the reason, it didn't matter. The Judge was going to pay for this, she was going to pay dearly when the time came.