Talking

Thinking

Please note that this story assumes Star Force does not exist, or happens after this. I loved this idea from the moment it crystallized in my mind. Hopefully you guys will as well.

Chapter I: The Future

A young man clad in black shirt over which a blue jacket hung loosely, stared up at the propaganda filled sign that shone in the darkness of the slums. The dimly lit board, which showed a picture of the current "president" of the Earth, was the only light around. Chip Hikari sighed deeply at the slogan embellished on the board in bright orange letters.

"It's certainly true without the whole 'prosperity' part of it," Chip said grimly adjusting his jeans, "We wouldn't be in this state if that man wasn't in charge."

"That's kind of dangerous talk." another teen dressed in a red and yellow jacket walked up to stand next to Chip, "You know what can happen to people that defy him."

"Yeah yeah," Chip waved his hand in dismissal, "Myles, you of all people should know that I couldn't give a damn what our wonderful leader has to say."

"Yeah well, as your best friend I feel the need to remind you ever so often so I won't feel guilty when you do get caught." Myles replied grinning up at his friend "So what's on the agenda for today."

"Nothing really," Chip kneeled down and inserted a cable into a terminal connected to the billboard. "Just my usual chaos."

"I don't know how they never catch you doing this crap." Myles bent down to watch his friend in action.

"I must be just that good," Chip typed madly on the laptop resting on his knee, putting his hacking skills into action

"That or your outdated technology."

"Ass. This laptop works perfectly fine."

After a couple minutes, the billboard began to flicker and turned to static. Moments after that a similar picture showed up on the billboard, only now the president was dressed up as a clown.

In that moment everything was decided.

Chip's computer sparked and exploded, sending the pair flying backwards. The young Hikari felt dirt digging into fresh, shallow cuts as he slammed into the ground next to his friend.

"What the hell!" Chip coughed as the smoke stung his eyes. "What just happened?"

"I think someone is on to you." Myles sat up, "That or your computer finally died. I'm betting on the former."

Suddenly the shrill sound of police sirens filled the air. Chip scrambled to his feet, cursing to himself.

"We've got to get out of here Myles!" Chip pulled his friend up

"Split up and meet back up at the place?"

"You got it!" Chip shot off down an alleyway. Unfortunately, it didn't take long until he heard the sound of heavy metal feet slamming on the ground behind him.

"Shit! Am I really that big of a target that they'd send Cross Fusion Police after me!" Chip rounded the corner, only pausing for a moment to take a look back. When he did his worst fears were confirmed. Several humanoid shapes were following him. They were decked out in armor, and looked all the exact same.

"All basic Chaser models..." Chip mumbled to himself as he began to scale a ladder on the side of a building, "Not sure if that's a good or bad thing..."

Chip quickly made his way to the rooftops. Moments later, the Chasers lept up the the roof right behind him. Chip quickly picked up speed and ran to the other side of the rooftops. He didn't pause for a second, before leaping to the opposite rooftop.

"Gotta remember to thank Mr. Chaud," Chip thought to himself, rolling with his momentum. "Of course then again he'll probably berate me for doing stupid things again."

Chip looked over his shoulder, to see the Chaser models in mid air over the rooftops.

"You've got to be kidding me..." Chip sighed to himself, "They're being awfully persistent lately."

Chip turned to run across the rooftops again, only to come face to face with another trio of Chaser models climbing onto the roof. Chip's head whipped to the left and right to find that he was about to be surrounded.

"Today is just not my day..." Chip prepared for the inevitable

All of a sudden, one of the Chaser squads was sliced in half at the waist, splattering blood all over Chip's face.

"What...? Chip had barely anytime to react as something grabbed him around the waist. The mysterious entity whispered the simple command of 'run' and flung him roughly over to the next rooftop. Chip landed hard on his back and rolled painfully on the hard surface. He took a quick glance over to where his savior was, only catching a glimpse of his appearance before remembering the stranger's command and bolting as fast as he could in the opposite direction.

From what Chip could tell, the figure had been someone in a Cross Fusion. He had been decked out in red and black armor with extremely long blonde hair, and from what Chip inferred from how he had killed the Chasers, used a energy sword or two.

"Well thanks to whoever that was." Chip slid down a ladder and ran through the streets toward what he and Myles had called "Home" for a long time, "He saved my ass..."

After a few painstaking minutes of sneaking around and avoiding curfew patrols, Chip finally saw the only place he could call home.

Chip carefully pushed the half attached door inward before closing it behind him.

Not hearing a single noise from inside, he called out, "Hey Myles! You there!"

When he didn't hear a response, his heart dropped straight into his chest, and he began to slightly panic. Chip quickly uncovered the entrance to the basement and lifted up the trapdoor. He practically fell down the stairs only to find his friend calmly eating a sandwich and lounging on the couch.

"Why the hell didn't you answer me?"Chip was furious.

"For all I knew you could have been one of the police replicating your voice or something." Myles answered calmly, before returning to his sandwich.

Chip sighed is defeat before plopping down in one of the old recliners.

"So what was with the irritation?" Myles took another bite of his sandwich.

"Some police cross fused with Chaser models tried to arrest me on the way back." Chip replied.

"How'd you end up escaping?" Myles asked

"Some person saved me. I think they were a cross fuser." Chip leaned back in his chair.

"One outside of the government? No way!"

"I'm being perfectly serious here," Chip scowled at his skeptical friend.

"I never said you weren't! It's just amazing that something like that could exist." Myles mused.

"Yeah. I kinda wish I could cross fuse like that. I wonder what it'd be like to be able to stand up to those assholes," Chip leaned forward in his chair, halfway in a day dream.

"Well forget it. You'd either have to steal one or get lucky to find a dead body of a police officer."

"You know this is why I made this our new home," Chip quietly said

"And why is that? I thought you just liked the decor here," Myles joked

"This looked like an old lab of some kind. I sort of hoped something like that might exist here.

"Keep on dreaming buddy." Chip glared at his friend, who ignored it and kept on speaking, "There's not gonna be something like that just buried here."

"Well I keep on hopin-" Chip was interrupted by a crash upstairs, "What the hell was that!"

"Sounds like somebody followed you." Myles got to his feet.

The only warning was the crash of the trap door being ripped wide open, before Chip was tackled by a strange purple armored figure with a mounted cannon on his shoulder.

"Culprit captured." a strange mechanical voice spoke from beneath the thing's helmet that sent terror flowing through Chip's entire body, "Preparing to neutralize and carry to holding facility."

Hmmmm rather short chapter. I'm thinking future chapters will probably have at least double the length of this one. This was just such a good place to end it. As always R&R!

-Forscythe