The CRISIS Chronicles: Devil's Pass
Me: Hello to my fans! Welcome to the second installment of the CRISIS Chronicles!
Kronos: Oh, finally...
Me: (evil glare that would make Wiel wet himself) You, shut up.
Kronos: (gulp) Uh...shall I do the disclaimer?
Me: Nah, Katani will do it.
Katani: MEEP! BladeofMoonlight does not own Megaman ZX!
Chapter 1: Bloodstained Shadows
/No P.O.V., twelve years ago
The makeshift table was kicked aside when its owner entered the room. She took off her bloodstained coat and threw it onto the bed. A chair was roughly pulled away from a window, and collapsed in. The girl, about five or six in age, sobbed quietly into her arms, the dying light of day illuminating her untamed red hair. The red-and-black stone pendant around her neck was still hot and glowing red, its hunger for negative energy slowly being filled.
The girl wrapped her gray kitten tail around her knees, where her liquid-logged pants clung to her skin. "Mama." She cried. "If only you were here. You would've stopped this from happening! How can I face my friends, knowing that I'm at the heart of the maverick raids?"
After she spoke, she picked up a class photo and stared at it. Her eyes flickered sadly, scanning her friend's faces. They'd hate me if they knew the truth. Everyone who knows it hates me...why wouldn't they, when I'm the heir to a legacy of pure evil?
Her door swung open. The girl jumped and turned around.
A boy was standing in the doorway, a heavy cloak covering most of his body. You just just see his chest plate and helmet, which were both pitch black with a red crystal set in the middle of the head piece.
"Come on, Katani." He stated. "We're heading for another attack sight."
The girl's soft gray kitten ears flattened against her head, and she whimpered. "No, not again, not so soon, please." She buried her head in her arms and began to cry. The boy let out an annoyed sigh, as if expecting her reaction. He walked over and picked her up bridal-style, carrying her out and towards the ship.
The man waiting for them shook his head. "What is up with her?" He asked, annoyed, as the boy put Katani down and put on her seat belt before she could make a break for it. "Kronos?"
"She has her mother's moral sensitivity." Kronos replied bluntly. "Come on, Albert. You should have seen that coming."
Albert gave Kronos an acidic look. "I told you not to speak of that woman. I can always put your brother in the task force instead."
"Go ahead." Kronos sounded bored. "I hate publicity. It's irritating. But I bet my little bro would just eat it up. He loves violence. I'm more of the behind-the-scenes type anyway." He glanced at Katani. "I'll get our little friend here to the city." The ship pulled to a stop. Kronos grabbed Katani by the wrist and pulled her out the door and into the burning city.
/Several minutes later
The city fell into chaos. Mavericks shot randomly at fleeing civilians. Those who weren't fast enough died, their negative energy flooding through the air and into the red-and-black pendant, which glowed fiercely as it devoured its meal.
Katani stared out into the carnage and bloodshead, tears running silently in rivers down her cheeks. Watching this occur, helpless to stop it, was worse than being stabbed repeatedly with Kronos's time blade. The civilian's cries cut into her like nothing else. Guilt gripped her heart. This was worse than hell...
Her hand slipped into her pocket, making sure the bottle was there. It was. She clutched it tightly, hoping she'd be able to get past Kronos. And amid the chaos, she snuck past her guardians and into a nearby house.
Taking a shaky breath, she opened the bottle and drank. A few seconds later she hit the floor, a lifeless look crossing her face.
Moments later, Kronos kicked the door down and saw her lying on the floor. Walking over, he picked up the bottle and read the content label. He shook his head. "What are you up to, Katani?" Sighing, he tossed the bottle aside and smirked.
"But this does make things interesting." He picked up Katani's motionless form and carried her to Albert, informing the man that his only daughter was dead.
/later
You could only imagine the curator's shock when one of the bodies he was about to bury suddenly sat bolt upright, alive as ever. Without a word, the little girl jumped off the table and ran for the mountains.
The side of the volcano was still, for the moment, when Katani lowered herself, shaking, onto the inner rocky paths. She glanced down at the pits of lava, gulped, and darted towards the yawning tunnel opening on the other side.
"What are you doing here?" Katani nearly jumped out of her skin, and spun around. Kronos stood behind her, red eyes showing mere curiosity.
"K-Kronos? I-I was just exploring. I-I wanted to know where this goes." She pointed towards the yawning gap where the tunnel began.
"Of course...'just' exploring, in the 'Devil's Pass' of all places..." Kronos rolled his eyes. "You need to brush up on your lying technique."
Katani sniffed, taking a step back, ready to run if she had to. "I'm not going back, Kronos. I'm not going to let dad use me anymore!" She gave him a look filled with defiance.
Kronos shrugged. "Then you better hurry. The dogs will be let loose soon and this volcano is going to erupt any minute now." As if on cue, the ground started shaking. "You'll want to be on the other side of this pass when that happens."
"Wait...you're not going to drag me back to father?" Katani asked, confused.
"I owe that man nothing." Kronos replied coldly. "To him I'm just a pawn. From now on, I only fight when there's something in it for me, the Time Demon." The ground began to shake more violently, and the sound of barking filled the crater. Katani's ears flattened. "That's your cue, kitty-cat. Run!"
Katani bolted down the pass. Kronos smirked. "I can't wait to see how things will play out now." He vanished.
/Present day
"Mission Complete." The computer voice droned.
Aerios sat down, flabbergasted. "I can't believe it. It's only been a day since they left."
"The CRISIS unit has gotten quite the reputation..." Colonel remarked. "This is their 30th successful mission in the last three months."
Aerios shook his head. "30 missions in three months? This is crazy, even for chosen ones!"
"Never underestimate us." A male voice floated through the room. Aerios turned around.
Neo lead the rest of his unit-Maria, Aeolus, Atlas, Thetis, Siarnaq, Iris, Amy, Lucas, Jade and Heather into the command center, his trademark confident smirk on his face as his wings vanished in a flash of light. "Come on, Aerois! You of all people should know what we're capable of."
Amelia finished typing something on her computer and nodded. She had gotten some training and became the unit operator. "Good work, guys." She stated. "That factory is toast."
Atlas yawned. "Great, I was getting tired of all this running around."
"Are we dismissed?" Heather asked hopefully.
"Sure. Go get some rest, because frankly, you've earned it." Colonel smiled at them. Iris brightened immediately.
"Thanks big brother!" She turned and darted down the halls towards the residental area. Eager to get some shut-eye, her friends followed.
/Atlas's P.O.V.
I was having a strange dream. I was standing in a ruined hallway, and I could hear shouting and the crackling of fire outside.
"Where is she?"
"Damn that demon spawn!"
"She can't be far! Keep searching!"
I frowned. Demon spawn? That's a conveniently label. I looked out a window. There was a mob outside, all holding torches, signs and weapons. Y'know, the usual crowd. They were fanning out, turning over cars and breaking into random people's houses. I could hear frightened screaming and shouted voices, demanding an explanation. The only two words I could pick out were "Katani" and "Sylyer" My frowned deepened. Katani Sylyer? Who was this person, and why was there angry mob on the streets wanting her head?
Gradually, the sound of someone crying got my attention. For some reason, the racking sobs seemed louder than the chaos outside. I turned around and followed the voice, back to the source.
I slowly opened the door and felt my eyes widen.
A girl, probably 16 or 17 judging by her size, was curled up in a corner, sobbing quietly. She didn't look quite human-she had gray kitten ears and tail, and claws slid out of her skin and stretching several inches long.
"Why?" She sobbed quietly. "All I've ever done is...help them..." Her tears fell faster when she said that, and she curled up tighter.
I walked forward slowly, as if approaching a skittish animal. "Are you alright?" I asked carefully.
Sniffing, she looked up at me in alarm. "Don't hurt me!" She cried, scrambling away.
You couldn't tell I was concerned from my facial expression, but I was. "Geez, are you mistaking me for one of the losers outside? I'm insulted."
Her ears flicked uneasily. "Who are you?"
"Atlas." I stated, taking another step towards her.
Her eyes flashed, and she scrambled to her feet. "No! Don't come near...they'll hurt you too!"
The yelling from outside was getting louder, and loud footsteps sounded through the empty halls. "There she is!" The girl's ears flattened in terror, and she kicked a window open and jumped outside.
"Run!" She yelled over her shoulder. "Hurry, before he finds you!"
"Who are you?" I yelled. She said something, but it was to faint to make out.
I sat upright in bed, trying to regain proper breathing pattern. The images from the dream were still fresh in my mind. "That was weird..."
Run! Hurry! Before he finds you! Who the hell is 'he' supposed to be? I banged my knuckles against my forehead. Nothing was making any sense. I had never remembered a dream so clearly before...
I got up, walked over to Iris's room, and knocked on the door.
"Come in." My friend called sleepily. I pushed the door open to find Iris sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes. It was at least three in the morning. "What is it, Atlas?"
"I had a weird dream." Iris's eye twitched.
"If this is Lucidrale's fault, he is in BIG trouble. It's too early in the morning to have to put up with his antics." If there was one thing the Light AI enjoyed, it was practical jokes.
"I don't know if he sent it, but it's bothering me." Quickly, I described everything I had seen, while Iris listened attentively. When I finished, she looked down at Model I.
"What do you think, Lucidrale?"
"Interesting..." The AI's voice echoed through the room. "Not all dreams come from the subconsciousness. Some are sent to you for a reason, like a plead for help...have you had this dream before?"
"No." I admitted.
"I see. Let's see if it happens again. For now, you two should get some more rest."
/No P.O.V.
The bar was loud and crowded, filled with all shapes and forms of rowdy, lawless men. The perfect cover. Authorities were too busy handling drunken men and random brawlers to notice the young black-armoured man discreetly making his way through the crowd to a back door at a shadowed end of the bar.
He opened the door and stepped inside. Waiting for him was a giant of a man, who was smoking and looking annoyed. Despite the murky, thick air, the visitor didn't seem bothered by it. He was holding a long broadsword with a ancient clock engraving on the hilt.
"You can put that down." The man said gruffly. The young man shrugged and drove the tip of the blade into the earth. He permitted himself a small smile before walking over to the table and sitting down on the vacant chair.
"Good evening." He said cheerfully. "How's business?"
The other man glowered at that. "You know damn well how business is going, considering that you're the only one who got out of the trading post before it got stormed by Legion!"
"But that is just one post, isn't it?" The younger boy asked innocently. "You're crime boss, right? Are you seriously out of options after the loss of just one post?"
"What part of you doesn't realize that we now have the famed CRISIS unit on our backs?"
"Correction." The boy replied coolly. "YOU have the CRISIS unit on YOUR back. Heh, that group of naïve kids don't even know I exist. NO ONE knows I exist. Which is why I'm still up and kicking."
The man was clearly getting angrier by the second. "Do you want your payment or what, punk?"
"Alright, alright." The funny thing was the boy didn't seem the least bit sorry. "So what's the deal?"
"You get your act together, and get my train of goods back on track. It goes through what used to be Feral territory. I want a post in the middle of that plain so I can expand my black market!"
The boy examined his gauntlet, apparently uninterested. "That's such a simple job. Can't you think of anything more worthy of my talent?"
The man raised an eyebrow. "Is this enough to catch your interest?" He placed a vial full of gold liquid on the table.
Boy, did that ever get the boy's attention. "Y'know, you could have just said you had this instead of lecturing me."
"Hold on hotshot. There's more to the mission. After all;" the burly man laughed at this, "who gives up something like this as payment for a convoy alone?" He placed the check on the table, and looked back at the boy's hypnotic red eyes. "I want you to bring down my rival corporation. And when I say down, I mean, all the way down."
"Interesting." Those red eyes sparkled with confidence. "You want me to do the dirty work for you, so you can avoid the publicity?"
"Yeah. But I warn you, give me one good reason to think you aren't holding up your end of the bargain, Time Demon, Legion will know more than just your name."
"You're threatening me." Suddenly, the 'Time Demon' lost his playful attitude, and sounded dark and serious. His hand slipped down to his side.
The man shrugged. "Nothing personal."
In his mind, the boy debated whether or not to pull the trigger. He didn't really feel like it, but the man had made it unavoidable. He had no wish to be a public enemy; it was much easier to get what he wanted when the world was oblivious to his presence. Which meant that anyone who threatened to expose him must be disposed of.
No one heard the gun go off. The sword at the entrance was glowing brightly, heeding its master's order. The man slumped over on the table, a bullet wound in his skull. An annoyed sigh escaped the Time Demon's lips. He slipped the gun back into it's holster, and picked the vial up off the desk. "I always get what I want." He grabbed his cloak and his sword and pushed the door open. There were still authorities there; apparently they had busted a couple Raiders that had been doing business. Once again, the boy smiled to himself. Good. No one would notice one stranger leave when they had something more interesting to watch.
He dropped a handful of EC on the table. "Sorry about the mess." He said, a trace of faked accent in his voice. Then he turned and left the building.
Now all I need to do...is find the cat-girl and the angel. He chuckled to himself. They'll both be mine!
End Chapter
Author's Note: Well, how's that for the start of the second installment? I think I actually did pretty well, especially with the scene at the bar. Oh yeah, I'm on a roll! Just who are the mystery girl and the new enemy? Well, you'll have to stick around to find out!
And pleeeeeease review! I need them! They're like chocolate, and just as addictive!