Author's note:
First fan fiction everyone! I've written a lot of material over the years, mostly original fiction, and finally have something decent to show for it; or at least something that I consider decent enough to post for your reading pleasure, and probable scrutiny.
Why write a fic for Altered Beast though? Because I feel it doesn't get enough love. The PS2 update/remake was ok, if a little disappointing from a game play point of view, and the characters were frankly two dimensional, but the ideas and concepts behind it are rich to plunder for source material. Because there are so many holes in the narrative, I can make up my own material to fill in the blanks and flesh out the characters as I see fit.
I'm always trying to improve as a writer, so please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome, flamers are not.
Also, if you enjoy this story, please feel free to check my other stories once I have posted them. I'm currently working on both Ratchet & Clank and Starfox stories, but have hit a wall with the latter. Hopefully I'll have something for you all soon.
Thank you all, and please enjoy.
- RevenantReaper337
Disclaimer:
Altered Beast, associated characters, organisations, and intellectual properties belong to Sega. All other real world organisations and products belong to their respective governments, companies, etc. Original characters and creatures belong to me.
'Thoughts and song lyrics'
Flashbacks
"Speech"
Chapter 1:
This Lonesome Road
'I walk a lonely road,
the only one that I have ever known.
Don't know where it goes,
but its home to me and I walk alone...'
-Green Day, Boulevard of Broken dreams
October 15th 2012
Somewhere off Highway 285, Colorado
10.34am
Five years. Had it really been that long?
She sighed deeply. An autumn breeze blew the tresses of crimson hair from tired emerald eyes as she continued to walk down the deserted highway, hands in pockets as reminiscence clouded her mind. Five long years; of living on the run, never settling in one place for more than a few weeks before moving on. Always striving to keep one step ahead of her pursuers, always having to keep looking over her shoulder. No contacts, no friends, nothing. Just her.
On more than one occasion they had come close to catching her, boxing her in, hunting her down without mercy. But she always seemed to find a way to slip the net, to fade away and disappear without a trace. Undoubtedly they would catch up to her and try again, but not just now. The last time she'd seen one of them was three weeks previous while they chased her out of a motel room in Iowa and into the night.
Five years was a long time on your own.
She'd be lying if she didn't admit that she missed some parts of her old life. Stability, friendship, a purpose to her existence that made up for the losses she had suffered as a child. But her purpose had become corrupted along the way. Immoral, twisted, so far removed that she could no longer accede to their increasing demands.
So she left.
She snorted as she remembered how that particular conversation went. People like her were considered too 'valuable' to leave the organisation other than in a body bag or otherwise permanently 'retired'. Instead, she chose the third option. They wanted a weapon? She'd give them one. All those year of training, moulding her in to a discompassionate killing machine. How ironic that they would get to see the results first hand.
She remembered how she fought her way out of the facility, cutting a bloody swathe through any who opposed her. She sought to escape from her old life, and by God it had worked. For the first time in years, she tasted freedom; free from the dark confines of the underground base, free from the morally questionable experiments, and free to choose her own path in life.
Unfortunately, the organisation didn't take kindly to her actions and scrambled to hunt her down like an animal. 'Appropriate, all thoughts considering.' She yearned to roam free, instinct guiding her from place to place, warning her of imminent dangers. In that respect, she felt more animal than human, a side effect of what they did to her over the years.
She continued to walk on up the highway, dried autumn leaves crunching under her boots as her legs ate up the crumbling median. Suddenly, her ears pricked up at a familiar yet distant sound. Keen sight picked out the shape of a sky blue Ford pickup truck around three miles behind her and approaching at a rapid rate. Her eyes narrowed in thought as she considered her options. It definitely wasn't the organisation; they'd be more discreet and probably greater in number, so it was probably just a local on the road to somewhere. Satisfied that there was no immediate threat, she adjusted the strap of the backpack over her shoulder and turned back to carry on walking.
{()}
Marvin sighed, rubbing a hand across tired eyes. It had, after all, been a very long week. First there was the funeral, then the sombre aftermath at the wake. Dealing with the lawyers, the creditors, and selling the old house had taken it out of him.
'And now this…'
Kathy might act all high and mighty at times, but she was still his little sister, and he would always come running for her. He'd gotten the call in the early hours of the morning, and though barely coherent, his sleep addled mind understood the panicked tones and he could picture her tear stained face. The debtors wanted to repossess her home, their parents previous home before they moved to Maine, in order to cover the outstanding debts on their parents' estate.
Mom still owed a lot of money, something she inherited from Dad when he died. Too many scams and bad investments on his part had whittled down what little money they had, leaving them living virtually hand to mouth. Both Marvin and Kathy got jobs as soon as they were able to in order to support their parents. For a while at least it seemed to work, lifting a burden on the family finances. When he'd finally left home to follow his career, he had been assured that everything was fine and that money was no longer tight. Somehow, he'd never believed it could get this bad.
Marvin did what he had to; he reassured his sister that he was on his way, packed an overnight bag, and took the first flight out in the small hours of the morning, thankful that he was still on bereavement leave and didn't have to go to work for a while. As soon as he had landed, he'd rented a blue Ford pickup - more appropriate than a car considering where he was going - and was now driving down the nigh empty highway toward the town where he grew up.
Tall trees lining either side of the road shed their autumn leaves, leaving behind a tapestry of golden red to be swept aside in a billowing cloud as the pickup passed by. He allowed himself to relax in the driver's seat, fond memories of time spent in these very woods as a child chased away his apprehension and warmed something deep inside.
Despite the circumstances, it was good to be home.
As he passed the turn off to the old Johnson's place, he noticed something moving ahead on his side of the road. Drawing closer, the 'something' grew into the shape of a woman with a back pack slung over one shoulder. 'A hitchhiker? Or maybe her car's broken down and she doesn't have a cell phone...I'd better check on her, see if she's all right.' Pulling to a halt just in front of her, Marvin wound down the drivers window and called out to the woman.
"Excuse me? Lady?"
The woman in question stopped and slowly turned towards him with wary eyes.
'My God, she's beautiful…'
Standing before him with a hand on a cocked hip and another supporting her pack was the very essence of feminine perfection. She stood around 5'11 by his estimate, probably in her mid twenties. Her pale, youthful skin was flawless, neatly accenting the thick mane of chestnut red hair that flowed in shimmering curls and tresses to the middle of her back. The sturdy boots, skinny jeans and tight fitting leather jacket she wore over a plain white tank top showed off her toned and athletic figure, which still maintained sleek feminine curves. 'And those eyes…' Those emerald orbs were like none he had ever seen, flecked as they were with hints of crimson that seemed to dance before his sight.
"Can I help you?"
Marvin blinked and shook his head as he was pulled back to the present situation by her voice, wariness evident in its tone.
"I, uh, saw you walking on the side of the road and wondered if you broke down someplace."
"No."
Her tone wasn't exactly hostile, but it was evident from her bluntness that she didn't trust him.
"So...you're hitching then?"
An indifferent shrug.
"Where you heading to?"
"North."
"Anywhere in particular?"
"Just North."
"I'm heading to Pine Falls a few miles yonder; I can give you a lift if you want."
She seemed to consider for a moment, speckled orbs flickered over him, the pickup, and the surrounding woods. It was a movement he recognised from his late father, a result of his time in the Marines, analysing the environment for a potential threat. 'Didn't have her down as the military type, then again maybe she's just paranoid.' Finally her eyes came to rest on his own.
"Sure."
Before he could answer, she was in his passenger seat, buckled up, with her pack between her legs and an expectant look on her face. 'Goddamn she moves fast.' Putting the Ford back into drive, Marvin swung back out onto the asphalt and on the way to Pine Falls once again. A glimpse to his side revealed that his passenger was sitting ramrod straight, staring unwaveringly into the distance. 'Weird. Like, paranoid weird.' Feeling awkward in the deafening silence, he attempted to make conversation.
"By the way, I forgot to mention. My name's Marvin, Marvin Brandon. Might I have yours?" The woman didn't so much as blink, continuing to stare forwards as she answered. "My name..." she paused briefly, as if in consideration.
"Nadia... Just Nadia."
{()}
Deep below the sands of the Nevada desert lay a virtual labyrinth of light and metal, a facility dedicated to a single purpose. Few knew of its existence. Fewer still graced its sterile halls and faculties.
One such person, a tall, well built, black suited figure walked into a spacious metal lined office. His chocolate coloured skin was slightly pitted and scarred, complementing his bald skull and black goatee-moustache combo. He sat forward in the office swivel chair, the dark room bathed in the glow of the wall mounted screens.
Keen brown eyes hidden by mirrored shades observed the live satellite feed on the monitors, following the image of a red headed girl walking along a deserted road. Suddenly, a blue pickup pulled alongside her, and after a brief exchange of words she got in. His eyes narrowed in thought as the truck pulled back onto the road and continued northward. Instinctively, he reached for the encrypted cell phone in his suit pocket and dialled a fourteen digit code. A warbling sound followed by a dull click, then the phone began to ring. On the third ring, a tired yet gruff voice answered.
"Yeah?"
"It's me. I think we've got a positive."
A brief pause.
"Where?"
"Colorado, just south of a town called Pine Falls."
"You're sure?"
"Watching it right now, General."
The General murmured in consideration.
"Fine. Do what you have to, but I want my weapon back Carter. Preferably intact."
Carter's lips twitched in amusement.
"I'll see what I can do General Forrester. I'll contact you again when I have the details."
"See that you do, agent."
A click signalled the end of the conversation. Carter slipped the phone back into his suit pocket and continued to watch the monitor over steeped fingers.
"Soon, Alpha. Very soon."
So, what do you think? Good? Bad? Need improvement?
In case you're wondering, Carter is the guy in the suit who shows up in Luke's flashback cut scenes in the game and sends him on his mission. Ditto with the general, he's only in one cut scene! The characters are merely a plot device and don't have backgrounds or names that I know of, so I took the liberty of trying to flesh them out a little. You'll be seeing more of them in future chapters.
As for the OC's, I tried to give them a distinct feel that would be reflected in their thoughts. Marvin is friendly in nature and clearly smitten, while Nadia is paranoid and purely all business.
Until next time, please review and check out my other stories once they're posted.
Thanks for reading
- RevenantReaper337