AN- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Yeah… I have no freaking clue about this fic. It just popped in my head while I was watching the Mythbusters Shark Bites special. The only things I can compare this to are the dude in the Lions Den and that thing from Star Wars. Lol. This is just one of a few weird ideas I made up while on vacation, one being Guardian in Wolf's Clothing, another a worst-case scenario about Shadow's rebirthing, and another a follow-up about Raven, Shadow and Moonbay after GF. I was thinking of making them all fics, but hey, I bet you guys wouldn't really care about those. Lol. Anyway, well enjoy!
Disclaimer- Nope, I don't own Zoids. I just own my OCs, this fic, this storyline, and the Hohle Organoids.
.:The Pit:.
A group of soldiers stood around a hole in the ground, staring down into the inky darkness. They could hear creatures scurrying around just out of sight, hissing at the Imperial soldiers and growling as they fought amongst themselves. One of them had an idea. He reached into a bag and threw in a small piece of meat, half expecting nothing to happen. Everyone was surprised when the creatures converged on the object and began tearing into it, devouring it within seconds, like starved piranhas. "What are they?!" one of the soldiers asked, staring wide-eyed at the dark creatures as they continued to greedily consume the remaining shreds of meat. "I don't know…" another soldier answered,
"… but they could be useful…"
Today, Prozen had a few prisoners to take out to the Pit, and because of recent Republican sightings in the vicinity, he decided to bring Raven, Major Schubaltz and Ibeyla and her Organoid in case the Republicans decided to attack. They had driven out to the small building instead of using their Zoids, knowing that the use of Zoids would announce their presence to the enemy.
Raven was sitting in the back seat, arms crossed and head lowered as he ignored everyone and everything. Ibeyla was beside him, arm resting in her palms as she stared out into the featureless desert, Obscura at her feet. The topless jeep sped closer to the approaching form of the building.
"Hey Raven… what are we doing out in the desert again?" Ibeyla asked innocently, turning to look at him with her bright emerald eyes.
"We're going to throw some war prisoners into the Pit I think…" he answered without opening his eyes or looking up.
"The Pit? I don't think I've heard of it before…" she said quietly, twizzling her long midnight-blue hair.
"It's supposed to be a military secret, so don't worry if you've never heard of it." Raven said, still not moving.
"Why do they drag prisoners all the way out her when they can just execute them at the base? It doesn't make a lot of sense…" she muttered, kicking her feet as she thought.
"Well… there's a cavern that's full of strange creatures that eat the prisoners, it's much more efficient to do it this way…" Raven said nonchalantly, as if not caring that they were about to through helpless unarmed soldiers to ravenous bloodthirsty creatures.
"Oh… that makes much more sense… thanks Raven!" Ibeyla said sweetly, smiling at Raven, whom still hadn't looked up. He simply grunted in acknowledgement, again, not moving. Ibeyla had grown used to Raven's aloofness, and although he was a little nicer when they were alone, when they were with others, Prozen in particular, he was back to his normal gruff self.
"We're here, sir." The driver said, the jeep coming to a stop in front of a small wooden building.
"Is this it?!" Ibeyla said, obviously disappointed by the simple appearance of the building.
"It's not supposed to draw attention, Ibeyla, it's supposed to be low-profile…" Raven sighed, sarcasm evident in his voice. Ibeyla took barely any notice, and she ran into the building to explore. Raven sighed and followed her, making sure she didn't do anything rash or hurt herself. Obscura leapt from the jeep and followed him, just as Major Schubaltz's jeep pulled up.
As soon as he walked into the small building, he was tackled by Ibeyla, who hugged him tightly.
"Karl!! I'm so glad to see you!!" Ibeyla shouted happily, excited to see her friend, who had been away for weeks on an assignments.
"Hello Ibeyla…" Major Schubaltz sighed and lightly hugged her back. Ibeyla finally let him go and walked past Raven, whom snickered quietly at her. She ignored him, and walked over to a hole in the floor.
The hole was very deep; an almost ten foot drop to the dusty ground. The lights directly above the ground illuminated it slightly, but the dark edges were eerily black. From the darkness, a pair of platinum eyes glared back at her, causing her to gasp and jump back, shying away from its gaze.
"You okay there, Ibeyla? You look like you've seen a ghost or something!" Raven joked as he walked up to Ibeyla's side, laughing at her.
"There's something down there, Raven!!" Ibeyla shouted, pointing to the pair of silver eyes in the inky blackness.
"Oh please…" Raven rolled his eyes, leaning down and picking up a large stone. He threw it at the eyes, but instead of hitting the eyes, the stone clinked off something metal and rolled back into the light. The eyes narrowed dangerously at Raven, and a loud hiss filled the air. The eyes darted from Raven to the rock, and they narrowed even more.
The silver-eyed figure emerged from the darkness, revealing its long body to the light. It looked like an Organoid, though it was pitch black and looked rather sickly from not being in the light. It growled and pounced on the rock, biting it with powerful jaws. The creature mouthed the rock, as if curious as to what the object was. It soon grew bored, and dragged the rock back into the darkness, still glaring up at Raven, eyes glowing with hatred.
"Raven! Why'd you do that?! That Organoid is dangerous!!" Ibeyla screamed, grabbing onto Raven's arm.
"Don't be a wuss Ibeyla! It can't hurt us from dow- it's an Organoid?!" Raven said suddenly, looking at Ibeyla curiously.
"Yeah… can't you tell? That's a Hohle Organoid… they're really dangerous and devour anything that falls to them. They lived in caves in Zoidian times, and were really dangerous. If something falls into their cave, they pounce on it and devour it, without taking time to even see what it is, let alone kill it." Ibeyla said, staring at the platinum-eyed creature with fear and awe, "Is that why Prozen wants to throw the prisoners down there? So the Hohles can eat them?"
"Yeah…" Raven said, staring at the Organoid blankly, "… what I don't understand is why don't they just jump out and escape?"
"Hohles don't like sunlight, and they live in the caves naturally, and since Prozen started throwing prisoners down there for them to eat, they have no need to venture to the surface for food…" Ibeyla said quietly, still looking at the silver eyes.
"Interesting…" Raven feigned interest, tearing his gaze from the angry eyes and walking over to Major Schubaltz, after prying Ibeyla from his arm.
"Ibeyla says that those things are Organoids." Raven said to the major, looking back over his shoulder at the hole.
"Prozen had a hunch that they were, but since they can't fuse or anything the only use they are is to execute prisoners…" Karl answered, following his gaze. Raven simply nodded and walked back over to Ibeyla, whom was still staring down at the pair of silver eyes, Obscura by her side. The creature hissed loudly, and Ibeyla shrieked and covered her eyes, as if expecting an attack.
"Jeez Ibeyla… it's not like its going to spit on you like a dinosaur…" Raven rolled his eyes, snickering at the young Zoidian's behavior.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that Raven…" Ibeyla said quietly, "… some of them are poisonous, and I don't think it'd be too hard for one of them to spit poison…"
"Whatever Ibeyla…" Raven sighed, walking over to a small bench and sitting down, still watching the young Zoidian girl's jumpy behavior.
Raven watched Ibeyla for the better part of an hour, finding enjoyment in watching her jump and cower and every little noise and movement in the Pit. She was skittish, and Raven found it a miracle she could pilot and fight Zoids at all, let alone match him in skill.
"I'm going outside with Karl, Raven!" Ibeyla said, turning away from the Hohle Organoids and running outside. Raven took barely any notice, just grunting and nodding his head to show he at least understood. Obscura growled and followed the Zoidian outside, leaving Raven completely alone.
A few uneventful minutes passed, and he quickly grew bored. Sighing, he walked over to the Pit and looked down, staring into the small lit area with idle interest. The same pair of platinum eyes glared back at him, and now a pair of bright yellow eyes was beside it.
'Now there are two?' Raven thought, not really caring that he was staring at two extremely powerful and dangerous Organoids. Raven stood near the edge of the Pit, not taking his eyes from the platinum-eyed one. He found himself unable to look away from the bright orbs; they were almost hypnotic, drawing him closer.
Raven shook his head, breaking the strange trance the creature had over him. The Organoid hissed loudly, its bright eyes narrowing, glowing with malice. He realized he had moved very close to the edge, only an inch of floor separated him from certain death. His eyes widened when he realized just how close he had come to falling in, how strong the creature's hold over him had been.
When that realization set in, he grew angry that he had let the creature gain control over him. Raven scowled at the two hidden Organoids, picking up another rock and throwing it at the eyes. The rock clinked off the Organoid's metal body, doing no more damage than a pistol round on a Liger's shield. A loud hiss filled the air, and the eyes further narrowed.
Raven found amusement in annoying the 'dangerous' creatures, and he sat down near the edge of the Pit, another rock in his hand. He narrowed his eyes and threw it as hard as he could, although this time at the yellow-red eyes. The rock banged off its metal hide, rolling back into the light. The yellow-eyed creature growled and slowly ventured out into the light, eyes locked on the rock. It rolled the small stone around with its snout, as if taking in its scent.
Apparently, the other creatures were attracted by the commotion, for a few seconds later three more shapes appeared from the dark, snarling and growing at the yellow-eyed one. A fight soon broke out between the gathered Organoids, teeth and claws bared in a snarling mass of figures.
'Wow… if they get that worked-up over a simple rock, I'd hate to see what they'd do to a person if they fell in there…' Raven thought, watching the fight with renewed interest. Two more, small creatures had joined the fray, which was nothing more than a tangled mass of snapping jaws, spines and talons. The creatures' dark shapes made them look like shadows, pressed low against the ground. The creatures ranged in size from the size of ravens to huge; the one with the silver eyes was as big as or a little smaller than Obscura.
All of a sudden, the platinum-eyed one roared, and the fight ceased instantly. It stalked slowly from the darkness, and the Organoids stood to the side, creating a path for it. 'That one must be like the leader or something…' Raven thought, noting how the fight had stopped instantly at its call. Raven watched as it walked closer, staring directly at him with its piercing platinum eyes. Raven felt the Organoid's hold descend on him, and the more he tried to look away, the tighter the creature's grip became.
Raven realized in horror that he couldn't move, that he had no control over his body… and that he was completely unable to defend himself. He drew in a sharp breath, but reassured himself that the Organoid wouldn't be able to reach him from down there.
Suddenly, the yellow-eyed creature snarled and rammed the platinum-eyed one, breaking its hold over him. Raven gasped and backed away, trying to keep as much space between him and the creatures as possible. He could hear the two fighting, and this fight sounded much worse than the little scrap he had seen earlier.
Loud snarls and yelps filled the air, and he was surprised when Ibeyla and Karl didn't come to investigate. Raven dared to look down at the fight, and was stunned. The two creatures were fighting with a ferocity Raven had never seen, and the other creatures were obviously surprised too, for they were keeping their distance from the warring Organoids. The yellow-eyed one rammed the silver-eyed once more, smashing it against the wall of the Pit. It screamed loudly, collapsing to the dusty floor with a hoarse cry.
Turning away from the now unmoving platinum-eyed one, the yellowish-red-eyed Organoid glared up at Raven, its eyes narrowing and growling loudly. Raven realized its intentions too late. Before he could even blink, the Organoid jumped up out of the Pit, landing before him with an enraged snarl, causing him to fall over with a yelp of surprise. Raven stared wide-eyed at the hulking Organoid, paralyzed by the sheer size of the creature.
The Hohle Organoid snarled, jaws open, exposing long teeth, dripping with clear liquid. Raven froze, afraid a sudden movement may provoke an attack. He kept as still as he could, watching the Organoid's body for any indicator of an impending attack. It just glared at him, as if daring him to make the first move, though Raven had no intention to start a fight with the much more powerful creature.
'Maybe I could defend myself if I can get out my knife…' Raven thought, taking note of the Organoid's blade-like teeth and raptor-shaped claws. Very, very slowly, Raven reached into his pocket, searching for the little switchblade Ibeyla always made him carry. He felt it through his leather glove, the small piece of metal his only weapon against the powerful creature.
He popped out the blade, which made a small shink, although it sounded deafening to Raven, and he was sure that the Organoid heard it. To his horror, the Organoid lowered its head down to his pocket, where his hand was still hidden in. The Organoid pressed its snout into his wrist, and he knew it was now, or never.
Raven whipped out the knife and stabbed upwards, the weapon connecting with the Hohle's neck, the blade slicing deep into its soft throat. The Organoid screamed loudly, and Raven felt warm fluid pour down his arm from the wound on the creature's throat.
Suddenly, the Organoid jerked its head, ripping the knife from Raven's left hand, which spun across the ground and into the Pit, far out of Raven's grasp. The creature hissed and lunged, snapping its jaws shut on Raven's arm. Raven screamed in pain, for the Organoid's teeth had pierced his left lower arm, just above his wrist.
Raven instinctively tried to yank his arm free, but he only succeeded in driving the creature's teeth further into his arm, making him grit his teeth against the wave of pain. The Organoid growled and opened its jaws momentarily, preparing to make a shot at Raven's throat. Raven used his momentary freedom to his advantage, putting his foot on the creature's chest, kicking it away as hard as he could.
The Organoid gasped hoarsely, knocked backwards from Raven's kick. However, it wasn't finished with him yet. The creature snarled and pounced, pushing Raven into the hard floor and knocking the wind from his lungs. Raven opened his mouth to call to Ibeyla and Karl, but all his winded lungs could produce was a raspy wheeze.
Raven was in serious trouble, but with his knife beyond his reach, there was nothing he could do to protect himself from the snarling creature on top of him as it began biting into him…
Ibeyla sighed and threw a rock from where she, Major Schubaltz and Obscura were sitting, resting in the shade of a large grouping of stone. They had walked a few minutes away from the building, just taking a slight break before Prozen arrived. She sensed something was wrong, her Zoidian instincts telling her to go back. Honestly, she didn't want to go back to that place until she absolutely had to, for the Hohle Organoids were just too terrifying to her.
Major Schubaltz was leaning back against the rock, his hat pulled down a little as he took a quick nap. Obscura was curled up at Ibeyla's feet, eyes closed as she listened and sensed the area around her, her tail tapping up and down to unheard cues.
Obscura yawned and lifted her head, blinking her bright amethyst eyes in the blinding desert sun. Her glistening pastel blue body gleamed in the sun, like a sapphire in the dull earthy tones of the sand. Her ruby wings were tucked inside her body, but ready to use at any moment. Her tail was wrapped around herself, the deep sapphire blade on the end a formidable weapon in combat. She was a gentle Organoid, more willing to quell an argument than jump into it. But if her master or friends were threatened, she wouldn't think twice about attacking, and was more than willing to give her life to save her Zoidian partner.
The calm desert winds blew gently across her smooth armor, helping to cool the Organoid in the heat of the day. She listened to all of the noises of the desert, sensing for threats or anything of interest.
Honestly, she was bored. She wanted to find something to do. Obscura sighed and listened for any kind of animals that might be nearby; a lizard to chase or a snake to observe, anything! Right now the only thing she could sense was a scorpion, but that was hardly worth getting up for.
Suddenly, she sensed something was terribly wrong. Just a few seconds later, she heard a faint cry coming from the direction of the building. Obscura's hearing was much more sensitive than her companions, so they didn't react to the almost inaudible noise. Her instincts told her to go and investigate, but she didn't want to leave Ibeyla or worry her.
'Karl can protect her… she'll be fine… but I can't say the same for whoever I just heard if I don't hurry…' Obscura thought, looking up at her two companions. She quickly got to her feet, eyes locked on where she had heard the cry. Her movement caught Ibeyla's attention, and she grew curious as to what had piqued her Organoid's interest.
/I'll be right back…/ Obscura said, spreading her wide ruby wings, /Stay here/ she added, launching into the pale desert sky, her pastel color almost melting into the blue. She flew relatively fast towards the open building, curious as to what she had heard.
It took her around a minute to reach the small wooden building, but as she was flying she had heard the snarls of some sort of animal. Remembering that they had left Raven alone, she became worried that maybe one of the Hohles had gotten him, or that Republican soldiers had found him.
Obscura landed silently on the wooden deck of the building, folding her glittering wings. She shook her head and listened, trying to determine what the noise had been. She smelled another Organoid, but the scent of Organoid was heavy in the air from the Pit, and was covered with a much stronger scent… the scent of blood.
Obscura's eyes widened as soon as she recognized the scent of blood, and she charged into the small building. The sudden shift from the bright desert sun to the darkness of the building momentarily blinded the great Organoid, and she stood just inside the doorway, blinking her eyes in an effort to speed her eyes' adjusting.
A wet, eating noise and a weak groan made her freeze, and she opened her eyes fully. Her vision began to clear, and she gasped at what she saw…
For in the middle of the room, near the Pit, collapsed on his back, was Raven, a dark figure on top of him, tearing at him with bloody fangs…
.:End of Chapter 1:.
AN- Okay, first off, I know its really weird, but hey, my mind was fried from Jet Lag and exhaustion, and watching sharks tear people apart on the Discovery Channel only fueled my idea-starved brain. This is the product of a vacation fried brain, and this will be a short fic, probably no more than five chapters.
I don't know about you, but I think this was the best I have ever written Raven, he seemed perfectly in character to me. I like how Obscura is like the all-seeing eye, knowing where everything and everyone is. Lol. Let's hope for Raven's sake she'll put aside her gentle ways to fight that Hohle Organoid! If not, well… Raven's Organoid food. Lol. XP Hope you liked this! I know I've started a lot of fics lately, but I need to jump around to keep from burning out on my older fics. I assure you, Guardian in Wolf's Clothing is not a one-shot!! It will be a sizable fic, maybe around the size of The Dark Savior. Also, I have started on chapter 4 of Fury's Core, that fic is not dead!! I hope you all liked this, this is shaping up to be as good or better than Broken!! Please leave a nice review!
Note to Anonymous Reviewers!!- I will reply to your reviews in my profile. Anonymous reviews are accepted and highly appreciated!!
All flamers will be thrown into the Pit!!
An Important Note to all Readers!!- I am going to my camp this Friday. This is a three day camp, and I will be out in the woods and completely cut-off from internet and computers. I will be unable to update, post, review and stuff. I will try to update as soon as I get back, because I'm sure you're worried about Raven here, and poor Karl in Broken! Lol. Hope I don't fall in the lake or get killed with Sillystring!! XP
Ibeyla :P