A worldwide transmission was sent out from a defected Osean pilot who was shot down. The battle group sat outside an abandoned city in which the pilot was hiding in. An operation was made to recover the pilot and bring him back for information. The girls helicopter squad had brought Nakamura in his Spec Ops Nissan GTR R35. hid by an abandoned house waiting for the moment to commence the recovery. The aviation patrol submarine I-401 waited near the bay and found Osean ground forces coming to capture the pilot.

I-401 Iona: Convoy of six vehicles heading to the recovery point

JS Laffey: Aye, Akagi did you get that?

JS Akagi: Roger, it's time.

Marble was in his room, talking with two new pilots when the alert came one. Lieutenant Ouroboros as well as Lieutenant Simon got some of the spare F-14's and joined Anima's Zero squadron. Mobius 1 and his squadron also took the switch to F-14Js. The U.N.C.A.F forces took off and headed towards the abandoned city. Meanwhile, Nakamura listened to Hatsune Miku songs as he drove to the recovery zone. After navigating the ravaged streets and dodging lone Osean soldiers, he arrived at an abandoned drug store where the pilot was hiding. He was hiding under the desk with a small pistol. Nakamura brought him to the car and provided a small snack of sushi for the road.

Meanwhile, it was quiet in the sky, the only noises that could be heard was the chatter from the radio and the chaos in the city. Sounds of small gunfire rang out as street kids ran and Osean soldiers fired at everything that moved. Marble watched from above, while Eagle, Phantom, Skye, Simon, Mobius, Cipher, Pixy, Ouroboros, and Ryzen Squadron flew and patrolled over the city. The helicopter squad was waiting on top of a building, with the girls quietly waiting and having rifle's pointed at the door.

Marble: ESM-online, T.R.A.D.C system-online

Simon (Zero 7): Roger, Zero 6

Ouroboros (Zero 8): Master Arm on, awaiting orders.

Skye: Ugh jeez. Hearing you guys act like machines makes me want to crash. I get Marble can't help it, but you two rookies don't need to follow under his shadow.

Phantom: That's funny coming from someone, who has fallen head over heels over someone who only believes he is a weapon.

Eagle: But at the same time, Marble's presence started with a battle to everyone. No one knows what he did, who he was, and what he saw beforehand.

Pixy: Why do you think that?

Eagle: Because every time I look at him, no matter his cold, lifeless stare, I can't see a weapon. I see a lost kid who is looking for his home. he is doing everything he possibly can to get there, even pushing himself to limits that most people know better not to do. That is my theory.

Ryzen 2-1: Are you purposing that Marble comes from a darker background?

Eagle: I just can't see how someone as lost and curious as Marble, to earn the name, Crimson Demon. I don't see the monster everyone else sees.

Marble: Nakamura has recovered the pilot but they are racing away from Osean light APC's. Skye, Mobius, Phantom you are clear to engage ground targets.

Strike Team: Aye

They began a shallow dive as they broke formation. Nakamura's R35 roared loudly throughout the city. The defector held tight as Nakamura drifted around the outskirts of the city, dodging enemy fire. Skye came in low and strafed one of the tanks. Phantom dropped guided bombs over the streets to create craters in front of the convoy. Mobius launched Air to ground missiles at three more trucks. Two more managed to get through the fire and continued the chase. Skye turned back around and mowed them down with gun fire.

Osean F-15E's and F-22's approached from the west. They were armed with Air to Ground missiles. Phantom, Simon, Ouro, and Ryzen squadron turned to engage. Ryzen 2-1 fired his EML and took down one of the F-15E's. They broke formation and the sky got loud and intense as planes roared through the night.

Ryzen 2-2 got behind one of the F-22s and gunned him down. Zero 8 weaved through the buildings as he shot a missile into the side of another F-15, and then gunned down two more. Marble turned to engage and did a cobra against an F-22, shooting a sidewinder into the body of the plane. Phantom then claimed the last one in a vertical climb, shooting a missile into the wing of the last F-15.
Nakamura stopped the car at the abandoned hotel the helicopter sat at. An easy mission complete as Nakamura brought the pilot to the roof where the Helicopter was waiting. Another Helicopter picked up the car and the were flying back to the carrier.

Zero 8: That was a good warm-up

Ryzen 1-2: Air Superiority secured

Zero 7: That was a good duck hunt

Phantom: Easy....too easy.

Marble: Correct. A lone small contact, approaching fast.

Zero 8: Say what

Zero 7: A drone....

Marble: It's the unknown contact. The one I engaged and damaged.

Phantom: This should be interesting

Skye: This was getting boring. let's have some fun.

Ryzen 1-2: .....

The drone flew past and everyone turned to engage it. It went evasive as multiple U.N.C.A.F planes pursued it.

Ryzen 1-2: Ryzen squadron, disengage

Marble: Ryzen where are you going?!

Zero 8: Somethin's off.

Ryzen 1-2: Shuts off radio

Phantom: Damn them!

Unknown: Crimson....
The fight continued, but it got grim as Skye, Phantom, and Mobius ran out of weapons and retreated. Zero 7,8 and 6 stayed within the fight. But the unknown target had its sights glued on Marble as he jolted back in forth to avoid the lock. Marble pulled vertical and rolled inverted, activating his ESM pod. The unknown aircraft got a lock.

Unknown: F-14 with red stripes....

Unknown: I got you!

It fired its infamous TLS. It nearly scrapped the engine block of Marble. Zero 7 got behind it and fired his guns. The unknown pulled a cobra and flew past Zero 7. It locked him as he quickly went evasive. They flew over the buildings as the chase continued. The drone loosed off a missile at Zero 7. Marble noticed that his RPM warning alarm started beeping. Marble disregarded and fired guns at the drone. It disengaged Zero 7 and went back for Marble. Marble went into the clouds with Zero 8 right behind the drone. Marble's airbrakes slammed up as he pulled back, pulling a kulbit and ended behind the drone.

Unknown: Just like last time....

Zero 8: This ain't lookin good

Marble locked on and fired a missile. The drone pulled a cobra over Marble. The AA-3 shot past the drone's afterburner. Zero 8 overshot the target as it dropped flares.

Zero 8: I'll be the bait, you shoot-em, Zero 6

Marble: Aye

Zero 8 brought his F-14 low over the hills. Marble followed close behind. His RPM level was rising to extreme levels again.

Zero 8: Now!

Marble fired his guns. Once again the drone maneuvered out of the shot. The duel raged low through the city. The game of cat and mouse changed as the drone re-engaged Marble. The sound barrier waves shatter the windows. The shards flew into their intakes, unaffecting their chase however. The drone kept its hyper-mobility up, making it hard to get a good hit. however, Marble was beginning to show his exhaustion.

Zero 8: You guys head home, I'll deal with this pest.

Marble: denied, I need to collect data.

Zero 8: Damn it Zero 6, you'll kill yourself!

Marble put on his D.E.M.O.N system from passive to active in an attempt to hinder the drone's performance. but Marble's processor stress limit was exceeding.

Unknown: R.I.P.P.E.R system online......too bad, Crimson Demon.

Marble: My electronics are down, switching to a private combat server database

His systems came back on as the drone sat on Marble's tail. Zero 8 shot past again to be the bait. The RPM alarm was blaring rapidly. The drone began collecting data on their flight performance. But then....Crash. Marble's nose cone slammed into the drone's tail. It was ripped from the base of the tail and Marble radar was in ruins.

Marble: Agh!!

Unknown: Damn..

Zero 7: Marble!

Zero 8: Everyone disengage.

The drone suddenly went vertical and disappeared into the clouds. Marble leveled off. He was bleeding blue blood from his nose. he coughed and his breathing was heavy.

Marble: Shutting down...combat systems....for.....life support.

Zero 7: Oh dear...

They flew back to the carrier while the drone was no where to be seen. Marble had passed out again and the D.E.M.O.N system flew him back the rest of the way. Marble was rushed to the med bay with Skye and Phantom right behind him. Meanwhile Ouro went to go talk to the leader of Ryzen squadron.

Ouro: Good shooting up their mates.

Ryzen: ....

Ouro: What's with the dull look? you seen quite tired, wanna talk it out over a coffee break?

Ryzen: there are a lot of stuff going on in the shadows...
even we who fight in the frontline probably will never know that...that...the project XAF...

Ouro: a project huh....

Ryzen: Well it or she was meant to be similar to Marble...or even the rival

Ouro: * that sounds quite dark indeed*

Ryzen: recently it's flying toward to the battlefield to gain combat data for put against intruders

Ryzen: It seems like it's interested with Marble.....seems like it's trying to push Marble to the limit and see what he's capable off. but now I think XAF will view Marble as an enemy instead of an ally.

Ouro: I see, I'll be frank, Marble was pushing himself to death, not his limits

Ryzen: Well Anima units in the end are like kids
you need to teach them in right way.

Ouro: that's true.... and a bit sad

Ryzen: Yeah...

From afar, Skye and Phantom had been listening in. Skye was quite excited, Phantom on the other hand, wasn't happy.

Skye: No way. Other Anima?! I want to meet them.

Phantom: I wouldn't get your hopes up...

Phantom: Anyone that views my best friend, my wingman, my little brother as an enemy....is an enemy to me.

Skye: Are you saying.....

Phantom: Let it be that if a single one of those Anima so much as get a lock on Marble. I won't care how long W-heavy industries and A.A.I have been the best of partners. I will kill those Anima without hesitation.