Organization Chaos 2: Living Ashes/Summary

## Episode 1: To the Next Phase and to the Next Stage

Calias and Hannah have been training non-stop since GLACIA was founded. As the new Burning Rangers they have to be in top shape for their first mission, which is soon given to them. Flame dispatches them to check out a distress signal emanating from Bootstrap Butte: The Birthplace of Motorsports.

The new Rangers arrive in the wild western racing hub, only to be met by two skunks guarding the entrance to the town. They introduce themselves as Rough and Tumble, claiming that the town is “under new management”, to which Cal and Hannah respond by speeding past them after stealthily opening the gate.

In the town’s saloon, the Dash siblings are introduced to Lady Emerald, Deputy Heraldo Higgins and their freedom fighter crew. Emerald explains that the town was taken over two months ago by a man named “The Overlord”. They make plans to infiltrate his fortress the following day.

While they sleep, one of the freedom fighters, a famous racer named Stripes the Star, throws rocks at the window to wake Calias. The two of them sneak off to a cave where Stripes has hidden a car, which they use to go joyriding.

Their fun is soon cut short when the Overlord appears, threatening them to go home. Calias realizes that the weapon the Overlord has is some version of the Chaos Blade as he and Stripes make a quick getaway. Stripes drops Cal back off at the saloon, and he attempts to get some sleep before the big infiltration.

## Episode 2: The End and the Beginning

The next morning, Calias and Hannah meet with the Freedom Fighters and they make an infiltration plan over a burnt breakfast, courtesy of one of the Freedom Fighters: a pink-haired, human woman by the name of Charlotte Mathers. Soon after, Hannah is on the ledge of the fortress, attempting to gather information. She discovers that Overlord has a Chaos Blade right before she’s discovered by one of his goons.

Hannah quickly calls for backup, to which Calias and the Freedom Fighters respond, starting a battle in the street. Cal jumps up to the ledge and the two Rangers break into Overlord’s office together. A battle immediately ensues, with Overlord easily matching both Calias and Hannah's strength combined. He shows off his Chaos Blade's ability to shoot a laser beam, which Cal jumps in front of to protect Hannah, who hides. Overlord then reveals his trump card, a purple gem hidden in a case in his desk. Hannah tries to stop him from reaching for it, but she's too late, Overlord places the Ampythyst on his blade, granting him an exponential power boost that grows stronger and stronger the longer one holds the gem.

The overwhelming power explodes the fortress, sending Calias flying out into the street. The Freedom Fighters rush over, but a single beam from Overlord's enhanced blade incinerates them in one fell swoop.

Crippled by despair, Calias only watches as the Overlord walks toward him. Then, in a single moment, Calias is struck down by the madman... The Phoenix hears a voice that tells him "Fear not. You will rise again."

Calias opens his eyes to the familiar sight of the saloon's upper room. It's that morning again...

Meanwhile, back at GLACIA HQ, Major Violet Meadows attempts to hold a conversation with Flame, who she refers to as "Sonny" in her mind. Flame is worried about the Rangers mission, but his time for worry is cut short by the arrival of a visitor in the HQ. A tall bird with green feathers, and a damaged beak looks unmistakably similar to the other result of Project: Phoenix, Polybius. He introduces himself as Nihil, of Babylon. Violet invites him to follow them for questioning.

## Episode 3: Styx Helix

Flame and Violet interrogate the familiar visitor, who seems to have no idea who Polybius is. Flame informs him of what happened when Polybius tried to destroy Central City. Nihil is still confused, but begins to wonder if the scars he does not remember obtaining have something to do with those events. Nihil comes to the conclusion that he was Polybius, but that someone must have placed a spell on him. Flame does not appreciate this outcome, but Violet attempts to make him see a different perspective. In the process reveals that she knows of the General's childhood, yet the two set this aside for the time. Nihil claims that his power, the Phoenix Factor was taken from him somehow, fearing that he lost worthiness of it when he was Polybius... Flame immediately realizes the power must have passed onto Calias...

Calias awakes, gasping for air. Rightly confused as to how he and Hannah ended up back in the saloon, he comes to the conclusion that he must've been dreaming. Emerald then calls them downstairs for breakfast, just like she did in the "nightmare". When they go downstairs, more and more things happen just as they did before. Charlotte reveals to the group that she possesses telepathy, and Calias makes sure to tell Hannah about Overlord's Chaos Blade this time, hoping that things can go better than they did in his supposed dream.

The infiltration begins, and Hannah enters through the open window of Overlord's office. After a brief conversation between Hannah and Overlord, Calias breaks in and the battle commences with Rough and Tumble joining in. Overlord reveals that he knows of Calias' origins, which the Phoenix dismisses for now, continuing the fight until Overlord once again claims the Ampythyst...

Cal attempts to grab Hannah and flee from town, but turns to stop as half of Bootstrap Butte is destroyed in one blast. The siblings cling to each other as the madman slays them both. A voice again calls out to Calias in the space between life and death, telling him to use what he learned to succeed, and that he will continue to rise again.

## Episode 4: The Best Laid Plans...

The General and the Major bring Nihil to see Dr. Dash. The good doctor tells Nihil of the experiments that he and Dr. Starline had performed to create Polybius, and lets him know that he is happy that Nihil survived, hoping the bird can have a second chance at life. Nihil comes to a resolution that he must make amends, and that he wants to meet his clone: Calias. To this end, he requests to join the Burning Rangers. Dr. Dash begins removing some of Nihil's cybernetic implants, while the two sheep continue their conversation. Violet reveals to Flame that she is his half-sister, much to the General's dismay.

Once again returned to the saloon that morning, Calias awakes, screaming. Calias explains to Hannah that he believes he's caught in a time-death-loop. Downstairs, Cal employs the use of Charlotte's telepathy to confirm his situation with the rest of the group. He suggests a plan to take the Ampythyst for themselves in order to defeat Overlord.

The siblings quickly infiltrate the fortress, together this time. they reach the office, and catch Overlord off-guard, who then reveals his real name: Hunter Klein, the man who caused the atrocity in a mercenary guild town a few months prior. It was this same incident that spurred Hannah into action to steal the Chaos Blade. Hannah and Calias fight Klein, trying to keep him away from the Ampythyst. Klein seems to recognize Hannah, but she does not reciprocate. Calias successfully handcuffs Klein, while Hannah goes to grab the Ampythyst. Klein somehow uses Chaos Control to teleport over to his desk, causing Hannah to grab the Ampythyst out of it's case to keep it away, however...

The Ampythyst has a strong effect on Hannah, causing her to lose her mind as the gem increases her natural abilities a thousand-fold. Hannah screams as she begins to destroy the town, vaporizing Charlotte and blowing up the fortress. Calias escapes the explosion, and tries to break Hannah out of the trance, but to no avail. Hannah corners Calias, but Stripes arrives in her car, hitting Hannah, and distracting her long enough for Cal to get in before driving away. The two arrive at the closed town gate, Calias gets out to open it, but is caught in one of Hannah's explosions. Stripes and Calias are gravely injured. They apologize to each other before Calias passes again.

This time, Calias asks the voice its identity, it denies, but asks him not to give up. Calias feels lost, unsure of what to do next...

## Episode 5: A Special Rising

Calias faces down Klein once more. He has failed to keep him from obtaining the Ampythyst again, and he lets the Overlord kill him. The Phoenix has been through one hundred and thirty loops at this point, not once learning what he needs to do to keep everyone alive. As soon as he wakes up in the saloon, he decides to run away and not look back. Thirty minutes later, Cal finds himself lost in the desert. He gives up, collapsing on the sand. He laments that the voice stopped talking to him a many loops ago.

Then, a familiar voice draws Cal's attention, and he finds himself face-to-face with his late partner Grizz. Calias surmises that this is all in his head, but listens to the apparition anyway. Grizz gives him a pep-talk, convincing him to be the leader he was always meant to be, and to not try shouldering his burdens alone. Calias becomes determined, and races back to town, as the Grizz apparition fades away into a ball of light.

Calias runs into Stripes on his way back, who tells him that everyone has been looking for him. They race back to town, and Cal tells the group that they need to go to the only place he hasn't been in Bootstrap Butte, the gem mines.

Flame and Violet take Nihil to see the Director of GLACIA Giovanni Fifticinco. Nihil requests to join the Burning Rangers, and Fifticinco asks Flame and Violet their opinions and comes to a conclusion: Nihil will shadow Flame as an intern. Then, an alarm sounds. A group named the Ice-Pac is attacking the Twin City Bridge. Fifticicno makes the decision to send Flame, Violet, and Nihil to stop them, only after Nihil obtains a new uniform.

## Episode 6: House of the Rising Phoenix

Calias and Hannah venture into the depths of the Bootstrap mines, where they come across the original resting place of the Ampythyst. According to a plaque written in ancient Babylonian, the gem was created by Griffius the Alchemist as a power source for a space craft that was insufficient. It was sealed underground to keep it away from evil hands. Entering the geode triggered a booby trap, which collapses the room in on Calias and Hannah, killing them.

Calias wakes up in the saloon once more, now with a solid plan. He starts by trying to save breakfast, only to make it worse, then he once again explains the situation to the Freedom Fighters. Calias comes up with a plan to distract Klein long enough to steal the Ampythyst, and hold him back long enough for back up to arrive. Hannah sends an urgent message to Flame before the group heads out.

Meanwhile, on the Twin City bridge, the Ice-Pac (A gang of Ice-Based crooks consisting of the crazy penguin B. Wild, the depressed jerboa B. Groovy, and the masked strongman B. Cool) are causing havoc. Flame and company arrive, with the two sheep piloting mechs, and Nihil fighting on foot. B. Cool destroys the cockpit of Flame's mech, and tosses the General at Violet's mech. Flame fights back with his laser gun, while Nihil rushes to the aid of the civilians. In over their heads, Flame puts aside his misgivings about Nihil in order to stop the Ice-Pac.

## Episode 7: Turn the Page Pt. 1

In his office before the Freedom Fighter's plan is to be carried out, Klein reprimands Rough and Tumble. Their conversation is cut short by another goon calling on the radio to let Klein know of a development, "Someone just blew open the mines!!" In response, Klein sends the skunks to investigate, which plays well into Cal's plan.

At the top of the butte Calias sets off a Chaos Blast, which draws Klein's attention. Surprised that Dr. Starline gave Calias Chaos powers, Klein is confident that he'll succeed without using the Ampythyst. His assuredness coming from the fact that he also is a creation of Starline, called Project: Prometheus.

The Overlord calls out Project: Phoenix, which Calias responds to with a snarky taunt. Klein teleports with Chaos Control to the top of the butte, only to be shot by Heraldo. He quickly brushes off the shot and begins fight Calias. Hannah races down the cliffside on Cal's motorcycle determined to obtain the Ampythyst in it's case while Calias keeps Klein busy.

The Freedom Fighters join Calias in combatting their oppressor. During their mid-battle banter, Klein tells Calias of their shared origin, explaining why he can use Chaos Energy. Calias sends Heraldo and Charlotte down to back up Emerald and Stripes, while he continues to trade blows with the Chaos Blade wielder.

Hannah breaks through the guards at the fortress, and obtains the Ampythyst from Overlord's desk before jumping out the open window. Stripes drives over to pick Hannah up, and the two drive off towards the town gate hoping to get the Ampythyst out of Bootstrap. Meanwhile, the other three Freedom Fighters concentrate on taking out Overlord's goons.

Klein teleports away from the battle with Calias, appearing right in front of Stripes' car. He splits the vehicle straight down the middle with a focused beam from his Chaos Blade. Hannah drops the Ampythyst, and Klein obtains it, once again becoming over-powered. Calias, unwilling to let this loop be another failure, musters all his strength, drawing on the power of the Phoenix Factor, and launches down to Overlord. With the wave of a hand, he teleports Hannah and Stripes back to the top of the butte, and reengages the Overlord in super-powered combat.

Back on the Twin City Bridge, Flame, Violet, and Nihil face off against the Ice-Pac. With a few quick moves, they're able to detain the crooks. However, B. Wild attacks once more in desperation while Flame is distracted. Nihil pushes Flame out of the path of the ice spike, saving his life. Following this, Flame finally gets a chance to check his communicator. Seeing Hannah's urgent message, Flame and Nihil speed off towards Bootstrap Butte, the former riding on the latter's back.