Finding Faith

The Talisman, it seemed, didn't stop her confusion. Just, sort of directed here where she needed to go. Took her on auto-pilot. Didn't even give her directions, because she was heading to Everest before she realised she knew where she was going again. T'was a strange Array to be sure. But a huge one, and a powerful one. To cover an entire continent-sized cavern like Zian-Zi. Aang Feng sure was scary. She could see how he managed to keep a whole world of supercharge warrior types polite and friendly by his mere presence somewhere in said world. Which added to the question of why he left. Surely, a man that great would have the foresight to know that the world was going to explode if he ever left it. And yet left it he did. Ulv thought as she ran, and ran as she thought, but couldn't come up with a reason. And besides, soon she was given a reason to focus on something much different.

Approaching Everest, she slowed down as she could sense people, Cultivators. Apparently the teams that Ci had told her about. But there was also the sound of fighting, the smell of blood, and the swoosh of Chinooks. She wondered what kind of Cultivator came by Chinook, but was dissuaded of that theory, as she was nearly taken out by a Troll. One of Caanan's old toys. She stopped it's fight, made sure it was dead, and then hurried towards the origin point. If they were here, then that was not good. Whatever those scavengers wanted, Ulv needed to stop! And, despite all odds, despite everything Mirja had done to them to set them back, when she arrived, she saw a warzone. They were able to hit a camp of Cultivators, and not get torn apart.

Not saying there weren't losses. Dozens of their Perfectus foot-soldiers were dead, and adding in that Troll she had killed, there were two others and a large man. An Atlas!. Memories flooded her mind of the last fight she had with one of them, at the same time as she activated her Tulpa and rushed it with a shriek. Her fist came low, and the Atlas didn't turn fast enough to blow her, so she shattered it's ribs. With the guard down, his current opponent was suddenly reinforced with another cultivator, and the two of them struck with palm strikes in the same location. Despite her fear, fury, and Hope, Ulv was in control of her mind, ultimately. And she knew what that strike was. Taiju Twin Snake Palm. These two, were Taiju Snake Style practitioners.

The Whole World didn't run off one variation of the four main styles. Even back in the Golden Age, there were different schools, from people wanting to express themselves differently, or from people being too out of the way to get formal training in the mainstream. So other people, made other things. The World Snake, Jormun Gandr - a man who did not like Blood Fists, as he was born with a sense of aesthetics that disagreed with it's brutal and simplistic approach - created Taiju Snake Style instead. It focused Meln to the hands, and then struck outwards, using the enhanced palms or fingers to hit nerves and cause intense pain, as if bitten by a poisonous snake. Taiju Twin Snake Palm was one of the most powerful techniques, requiring two practitioners to use, it would cripple and often obliterate the point it struck, with sometimes fatal results.

The Atlas, did not disappoint. He let out a gurgled roar, staggered, vomited blood, and collapsed, dying in the snow. Ulv, seeing him die, turned to the approaching helicopters, and gathered The Wind around her hands. With that, she enacted Shrieking Mountain Wind, blasting such a mighty billet of wind that it smashed the Chinook upside down. And probably knocked out the pilot as well, from the way the aircraft made no attempt to recover, just plummeted to the ground and exploded, fuel tanks rupturing dramatically. While it was cool, there was the second helicopter to deal with. And a fool trying to attack her, but he was merely Perfectus, so he got his arm ripped off and beataen to death with it.

"HA! What a brilliant move!" a man was by Ulv's side, with a grin as more reinforcements were coming. A woman stood with a more serious, and intense expression, but said nothing."I'm Hazu, this is Noctis Gandr, we are of the Taiju Snake Style school! I thank you for your help, sister!" He was loud, he was Boisterous, and he was one who enjoyed the ideal that all Cultivators were Family. Just how Ulv liked her Cultivators.
"Save the thanks for after we get out of this mess. I feel, we are going to need all the help we can get" Ulv replied, looking as the 'chopper stopped, and it's people jumped out. Three women, in shiny bodysuits landed, and then two more large Atlas. The bodysuits looked like the Eve Bodysuits, but different, as did the women themselves. They had no hoods, and their eyes were dull and glazed. Like they had seen horrors, and then had that knowledge wiped away. She couldn't underestimate them for a second, even if they did look broken.

And then, finally the last man dropped down. This man, was broad shouldered, tall and muscular, much like a Troll but more orderly and less grotesque. It was clear that he was the leader from the way he held himself. He looked to the gathered opposition, and then smiled when he saw Ulv.
"Ahh, Echidna! It is wonderful to see you here. Come, come, see the fruits of your loins. While not directly, it is your existence that gives us life! Except, the Atlas. The Atlas aren't your children" . Ulv rocked back on her heels, as if struck. She had heard about what was going to happen to her if she remained captured. She was designed to give birth to him, and others as well. How they managed to get their hands on her genetic data, she didn't know. The lab that she was in was left a ruined mess, but they had to have managed it somehow. Ulv was sharply, unbiddenly reminded of their plan. She was going to be the Mother of Monsters, and this man in front of her....he was the King Of Monsters. Typhoon Project!