DDR CITY: Raves of Revolution ~Loose Strings~

By Darkness Shade

A/N: Been awhile...I know, I know...I've been sidetracked by another little project for someone special ^_^, but at last I'm starting up again.

As usual, anything I use that isn't of my creation is copyright of whoever owns it....so let's go!!

P.O.V.: 1st, Ryan's

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Present Day....1 Year Later

Well......how you guys been doing? Things have been a bit interesting this last year, to say the least.

It's been insanity living with all of my new occupants....but hey, it's been good.

I must say, trying to adjust with Dark as a separate entity....I'm suprised we've still our sanity.

The fan girls were crazy enough when it was just one of me, but now that there's two.......speaking of which, we've just recovered from the latest one and Dark ain't looking too hot.

I walk over and point to a corner where Dark is huddled over and mumbling to himself.

"Must.....girls....too many...." he says, slightly rocking back and forth.

"Shouldn't you help him, Mia?" I say to her.

"Perhaps.....I've never seen him this bad." Mia said, going over to console him, "Darkness......"

I saw Dark turn his head ever so slowly and look at Mia, "Girls.......ah.....*blink*...Mia?"

Mia merely nodded and put her arms around Dark, taking him into her embrace......

And that's pretty much how things went day to day......unless we went in disguise.

Needless to say, our girls didn't take it very well; on more than one occasion either Mia or Charmy had, um, incapacitated the crowd.

That never helped, as it would cost us a lot of explanations and apologies to clean things up.

So, that was pretty much how things went from day to day, albeit we did get peace, especially after what happened after the last ordeal.

Little did I know of what was to come.

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Somewhere out in the reaches of space

At a place that has seen very little care....yet the scars of battle still appear as fresh as they did one year ago.

Slowly....an old wooden door slips open just a crack, allowing a small being to exit.

As it flies upward towards space, it almost seems to be thinking on its own.

It hurtles slowly through the vast expanse...its destination almost unknown....until...an unassuming, very familiar planet is soon seen.

The small shadow plummets through the atmosphere, appearing to be no more than a natural occurrence.

The shadow landed in the rubble of a complex, but this was no ordinary complex.

The walls were strewn along the ground, the only letter being able to be made out was a G.

The shadow wormed its way through the rubble, making its way downward.

Soon, it reached a room that seemed to have been untouched.

As it touched the floor, it soon began to form into its natural...or at least close to its natural shape.

"Ugh....that brat.....for so long I've waited.....but.." the shadow said, running her hand over a glass tube, "you my friend will help me."

Pushing a button, the shadow began to initiate a sequence of events.....

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Back at My place

I shot up in bed.

"Ryan, what's wrong?" Charmy asked, placing her arms around me.

"I don't know.....I just felt something....familiar." I said, lying back down.

"Well...I don't know what it could've been, but it might be nothing." Charmy said, resting her head on my chest.

I just sighed and placed an arm around her, falling back to sleep.

~Next Day~

The gang had assembled for breakfast as usual, Mia was cooking up a storm.

"Mia...you better never leave." Dark said, "I don't think I could take not being spoiled like this."

I shook my head and smiled, that was my other half for ya.

"Well...I've no plans in leaving, so you're stuck with me!" Mia said, flipping a number of pancakes up into the air masterfully as they landed upon our plates.

"Well, everyone, let's dig in!" Charmy said, wolfing down the pancakes.

"*sigh* Well....she may be a bit crude at times, but she's till my girl." I said, slowly chewing my pancakes.

"Did you guys notice anything last night?" Sonic said as he and Shadow were feeding each other.

That sure was something to find out, that Shadow was really a girl....I tell you I never saw that one coming, but now...they almost seemed meant for each other.

"Now that you mention it," Dark said sipping his OJ, "Mia did mention some kind of energy last night....but we just shrugged it off....didn't seem like too much of a bother."

"I hope so," Shadow said, "But it seems due for something bad to happen.....not that I want it to, but 'knock on wood'."

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Adventure Landing

We decided to try and get out to relax, kind of seems a bit petty nowadays, but DDR was still fun even after everything that we'd been through.

As soon as we walked in, we figured we'd be swarmed by the usual number of people, we'd been used to it for the longest while...but...nothing happened.

"Hmm...guys....does this strike you as...odd?" I said, noting the silence.

"You're right...usually you two are buried beneath a pile of rabid fans by now." Mia said.

"Well...I'm not complaining, it sure beats all them girls on us." Dark said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Oh, poo....and here I was ready to freeze them all." Charmy said frowning.

I sighed, that girl....

As we made our way through the arcade, we saw a large crowd around the DDR machine.

"Okay....that's a first..." Sonic said, "They're so obsessed with whoever is on the machine that they don't even notice us."

I decided to find out who was playing.

I tapped the nearest person on the shoulder, "Hey buddy, what's going on?"

"Are you nuts, haven't you ever seen Ry...." he started to say till he saw who I was, "But...that's impossible, your here, but.....the machine...and....."

"Great, his mind's gone." Dark said, lying him against a wall.

I must say, whomever it was he/she/it was very, very good.

Eventually, we managed to part the crowd....however, what I saw when I got there was enough to make me do a double take.

It was...me, or rather, a very good likeness of me.

"And who might you be?" I said, taking the opposite side of the dance platform.

"Me?" he said with a sly look, "Ryan."

"Hmph! That's funny, that's who I am." I said, returning the look of superiority.

"Well...perhaps we should see whom the best one is." he said, placing his money in the machine.

"Very well then." I said, doing the same.

"I've a bad feeling about this." Mia said.

"You can do it Ryan! Clean his clocks!!" Charmy said, being overly energetic as always.

I selected the first song, 'The Legend of Max'.

"Hmph, you never do the easy thing do you." my double said.

"Okay...cut the crap...you're obviously not human." I said, flying through the 343 beats per minute song.

"Hmm...your as perceptive as they said you were." my double said, dropping his charade.

"Oh, dear." Sonic said silently.

"Sonikku? Is something wrong?" Shadow asked.

"Um....yes..no...this may not turn out good." Sonic said, watching me battle with my robotic doppelganger.

'This technology.....I've seen it before.' Dark thought to himself.

'It reminds me of the reploids.' Shadow thought.

'Hey, are you reading my thoughts?' Dark thought.

'No, you just think I am.'

'Oh.....wait!'

"Look....something's going on!" Shadow said, pointing at the mecha me.

I glanced over and saw that my mecha me was glowing a dark shade.

'Oh, dear....this energy....it can't be!' Mia thought, readying herself.

As the song finished, there was no doubt whom the winner was....

"The original is still the best!" I shouted, doing my victory pose.

"Perhaps, but let's see what happens when I've got a bargaining chip!" Rep Ryan said, snatching Charmy and flying off, leaving a huge hole in the ceiling.

"Ryan! HELP!!!!" she shouted, trying to cast some attack.

"No you don't!!!" Rep Ryan said, knocking her unconscious.

"CHARMY!!" I shouted, flying off after him.

"Damn! He couldn't do that before." Rep Ryan said, throwing on the afterburners.

"You can't lose me that easy!" I shouted, obtaining my super form.

"That wasn't in the info either....she'll pay for the misinformation!" Rep Ryan said, slipping into hyper speed.

"NO!" I said, powering down, "Not even I can go that fast!"

I hovered there, "CHARMY!!!!!!!!"

~Later that Night~

"Cheer up Man! We'll find her." Sonic said, placing his hand on my shoulder.

"I hope so....but we can't sense him, so who knows where he is?" I said, hanging my head.

"Um....Sonikku?" Shadow whispered, "Something tells me you know something."

"What? Me...? N...no!" Sonic said nervously.

"Oh, Soooonikuuuuu..." Shadow said, running a finger around his quills.

Sonic felt a shiver run up his spine, "You know how to push my buttons don't you?"

Shadow just smiled cutely.

"Ryan...I think I can help." Sonic said, motioning for us to follow him, "Remember back to 2 years ago?"

A/N: See chapter "Backstory: Reploid Alert!" of DDR HEARTS for full story

Yeah, I remembered...how couldn't I?

It was two years ago that the remnants of G.U.N. had started their attack.

"Reploids." I said, more to myself than to anyone.

The scene seemed so distant now...almost foreign.

If it hadn't been for Yuni, we'd probably be gone right now.

After we were done, there was nothing left....but one scene stuck...

~Normal Time~

"Yes....I rememeber....before we reduced it to rubble, you waited as we took Tails and Knux's unconscious bodies away." I said, "What we're you doing anyway?"

"Hopefully enlisting an ally....although I wish that we didn't have to activate him just yet." Sonic said, heading down into the lower levels of the house.

"It sure is dark down here." Shadow said, clutching to Sonic's arm.

"Why are we down here anyway?" Dark asked, getting a bit annoyed.

"You'll see soon enough." Sonic said, pushing a brick and opening up a secret room.

The room was slightly illuminated, the only light coming from a panel next to an intricate looking machine.

"So, that's why my energy bill went up." I said, eyeing the equipment.

"Yeah, sorry about that...but it was a worthy cause." Sonic said, grinning and rubbing the back of his head.

He pushed a few buttons on the console and another wall slid out.

This time a glass stasis tube rose up and displayed...."A REPLOID?!" I shouted.

I didn't like this..."What in the Hell is that thing doing here?! Are you insane?!"

"Ryan...whoa! Chill out! He's different....that's what all the equipment is for. It's altered his original programming. As far as I knew, he was the only one that had been fully built. You see....." Sonic said, pausing for dramatics, "He's my duplicate!"

I blinked, "Wait wait wait! So your saying G.U.N. actually created duplicates of me and you?"

"Yes.....they figured if you can't beat them, copy them. Fortunately, I was able to secure him before his activation. Since that day, he's been undergoing a transformation."

"So, you really think he can help us?" Mia said, breaking her silence.

"I hope so, at least...that was my intention in the beginning." Sonic said, pressing a few buttons.

The tube began to hiss as the locks were broken and the front slid away.

Inside the tube, the lifeless form began to...awaken.

His (its?) eyes began to glow a bright red, but then changed to a calming purple.

Slowly, his arms began to grab the edge of the tube and he was pulling himself out.

I watched him just stand there for a moment, then he began to dash around.

'Wow...he's fast.' I thought, barely being able to keep my eyes on him.

He stopped and then just stared at us...moving from me..to Dark..to Mia..then settling on..."Sonikku..."

His voice was so familiar, almost like Sonic's...yet...something was just a bit different.

"Yes?" Sonic said.

"Where am I?" he said.

"My basement." Dark said, "What's it to you?"

The sonic look-alike just stared and then began to make a motion.

"Hold it!" Mia said, casting a stop spell, freezing him in place.

"That was uncalled for...is that any way to treat an ally?" he said.

"Oops...sorry...." Mia said.

"Well....why we've got you frozen, we'd like to ask some questions." Mia said, circling him.

"I guess that seems fair enough...shoot!" he said.

"One....what's your name?" Shadow said, still holding onto Sonic.

"I've no name....my project name was Replicant Sonikku 001....so if you must call me something, call me Reps." he..I mean Reps said.

"Okay...two...Who's side are you on?"

"I was originally one of three projects created with the sole purpose of surpassing our organic look-alikes...as far as I'm aware, I was the only one finished...but as for sides...I choose my own destiny." Reps said.

"Well...that means my programming worked." Sonic said, "Let him go Mia."

"Okay.." Mia said, disengaging the spell.

Reps stood there for a moment and began to stretch, "Man...how do you guys deal with those spells?"

I chuckled, "Well...a sense of humor? You're more human..um..anthro...than I thought."

"I'm full of surprises...now, why did you awaken me?" Reps asked.

"Um...you remember those other two projects? It seems that my duplicate managed to survive." I said

"And now he's gone and kidnapped his girl and we can't find him." Dark said.

"So, in other words...you want me to help find him?" Reps said, cracking his neck.

"Yeah...that's the gist of it."

"Fine then." he said, cracking his knuckles, "I assume you wish to leave now."

"That would be fine...just lead the way." Sonic said, motioning him to follow us upstairs.

~Another Place~

"That organic look-alike...he'll almost come for certain." Rep Ryan said to a mysterious shadow, "However, I'm angered that you neglected to inform me of the abilities he has gained."

"Is it my fault that you ran off for revenge before proper information could be provided?"

"Hmmm....touche'!" Rep Ryan said, walking around Charmy's cage.

Rep Ryan rattled the bars a bit and stared at her, "That fool...I may have his memory's, but his taste in women is definitely detestable."

"You're not half the man he is!" Charmy shouted back.

"And your just a lost dog...the way you cling to him." the shadow said.

"How would you know about that?" Charmy asked, "Wait a minute...you...your...."

~Back to the gang~

"Well....I've got a lock on his signal...the fool never did expect me to still be alive." Reps said, taking a stance.

"Okay then, just lead the way." I said, holstering my Keysaber.

"Just keep up." Reps said, jumping up into the air.

From out of his sneakers, a pair of jets popped out from the bottom and propelled him along the way.

"Too easy." I said, jumping into the air and flying straight after him.

"Not bad, human...not bad at all." Reps said, sailing through the air, the group in tow.

We traveled across the landscape, "How far is it Reps?"

"Not far...shouldn't take more than a half an hour."

I looked down, sometimes I forget how normal flying is to me, but how odd it must look to the people below.

Eventually, we touched down outside some rubble.

"Well...he's here." Reps said, motioning towards a doorway.

"Ryan...does this place look...familiar?" Shadow asked me.

"Hmmm...it does...but why though?" I asked back.

Sonic was walking around, looking at the wreckage.

"I think I just found out the reason you guys." he said, holding up a sign.

In Sonic's hands were the remains of a sign...my blood boiled when I saw it.

"That's....G.U.N.'s logo, isn't it Darkness?" Mia asked.

"Yes...it is." Dark said with a growl, "Let's finish this guy off and get the hell outta here."

We slowly crept downwards through the doorway, Reps leading the way since the tunnels were nearly pitch-black.

"So, any clue as to what this complex is?" Sonic asked.

"As far as I can remember, this part of the ruins must be some sorta hide-away that G.U.N. created in case they ever went against someone stronger than they were." Reps replied.

"Who knew that it'd be us....and yet..." Dark said.

"We beat them and they just won't stop bugging us." Shadow said, kicking an old door open in frustration.

Suddenly, a set of alarms went off.

"Oh, great...nice job Shadow." Sonic said as he ran off after Reps.

"Hurry...they know we're here, so we've not much time." Reps said, dashing through the tunnels.

~Back to the Villians~

"What the hell?" Rep Ryan said, looking at his monitors, "How did they find us? And how is he alive!?"

"Seems that they had a secret ally...how will you finish this?" the shadow said.

"You'll see...I do have a bargaining chip after all."

~Finally...~

"We're here...he's just on the other side." Reps said, motioning to a big door.

"Hmmm...any clue on how to go about this?" Dark asked.

"Hit 'em hard and hit 'em fast?" Sonic suggested.

"We have to plan...he has Charmy, so we can't be too rash with this." I said, thinking.

"Well...." Reps started, "I can camaflouge myself and sneak around to free Charmy while you guys deal with his reploid duplicate."

"well...that works...let's go." I said, pushing the door open.

The room was eerily dark.

"Where are you? We know you're in here!" I said, drawing my Keysaber.

"I'd put that away if I were you." said a pair of red eyes at the opposite end of the room.

Needless to say, I was a bit spooked...even after all my other adventures, I wasn't sure that this would turn out right.

"Fine...but turn on the lights." I said, putting it away.

"Good choice...and...*snap*" Rep Ryan said as the lights flipped on, nearly blinding me.

"Ah...damn pupils.." I said, covering my eyes.

"I see you brought your friends...but him...he looks like you, but something's off." He said, pointing at Dark.

"Yeah...and your point?" Dark said, glaring over his shades at my/our duplicate.

"Hmm...you seem like my type of guy...care to join?"

"Tempting...." Dark said, pacing around the room.

"You can't be serious Darkness." Mia said.

"What if I am...? I am a dark side after all..."

"So is that a yes?" Rep Ryan said.

"Sure, why not? These guys were getting boring anyway." Dark said, standing next to and slightly behind Rep Ryan.

"You traitorous bastard!" I shouted, "How can you?"

"Darkness...I...I thought you were different." Mia said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Figures...all we went through and he turns....he's not better than Ansemian." Sonic said in disgust.

"And now..my new ally, for your first act...finish off your old allies!" Rep Ryan shouted.

Dark just smiled, grasped his Keysaber and plunged it through Rep Ryan's internal systems.

"Wha....What?!" Rep Ryan shouted, coughing up what looked like blood mixed with oil.

Dark just grinned, "You fool!! Did you really beleive I'd turncoat on my friends and my other half....let alone my love?"

Mia just blushed at that.

I, however, smiled, "Seems our plan worked...good going Dark."

"Plan?! What plan?!" Shadow and Sonic said, bearing their teeth and growling at me.

"Ack!! Chill! It was Dark's idea." I said, "He figured my reploid self would be too caught up in his greatness to see through it."

"That's good and fine..." Mia said, then grabbing Dark and shaking him roughly, "But next time tell us!!"

"@_@, sorry." Dark managed to warble out while losing his bearings.

"Ahem!" Reps said, clearing his throat, "I've got Charmy, now...since Rep Ryan's barely moving remains seem to have just activated the self-destruct sequence, I say we get the hell out of here!"

"That's right fools! I'm going down, but I'll take you with me....argh!!" Rep Ryan said as I sliced his head off.

"That's enough outta you, now..." I said, grabbing Charmy, "Let's dash!!"

Debris was falling everywhere, even in death G.U.N. was trying to beat us.

"*sigh* Why won't anyone we beat ever stay down?" I remarked, jumping off of debris and heading towards the exit.

"We're almost there..hurry!!" Sonic said, spindashing a boulder to rubble as we flew by.

"Push it now!!" Reps said, slamming through the closing metal door of the exit.

The hole he created allowed us to narrowly escape from the exploding labyrinth.

We stood there surveying the wreckage of the once secret hiding place of G.U.N.

As the flames slowly lit up the night, we once again felt the fatigue of our actions.

"Just once, could we have peace?" I said, flopping down and cradling Charmy against me.

"*sigh* Well...its like this...anytime someone comes after us, why is it?" Dark asked.

"Because they're after you." said ???

"Huh? Who's there?" I asked, standing up and grabbing my Keysaber.

"No need for that Ryan...you should know who I am." said the figure, stepping into the light.

"You?! What are you doing here?!" I shouted.

"Do you think that this little light show of yours wouldn't attract attention?" he said.

"But you...of all people...I thought you disappeared?" Charmy asked.

"Rumors of my destruction are merely that....beside, how could you forget your old "buddy"?"

"I wish we could forget you, Kanbei..." Dark said without emotion.

"Oh...if it isn't the little "Dark" side? And when did you become your own person?" Kanbei said with a smirk.

"Just soon enough to kick your ass!" Dark said, cracking his knuckles.

"Please...this is what I get for wanting to invite you to a little friendly competition?"

"What competition?" I said dryly.

"You remember back when Konamison had his tournament on Dance Pad Isle?" Kanbei asked.

"Yes...we won if you don't remember." Dark replied.

"Yes...I remember that, you wiped out my partner." Kanbei said.

"Your partner? You mean that you..?" Charmy asked.

"Yes...I created the card game version of DDR that was used in the final round. I was pleased that you would be the guinea pigs, but...who knew you'd be so proficient with it." Kanbei said with a frown.

"Well...we are the best." I said with a grin.

"Quite...however, this new tournament will involve the latest portable version of it." Kanbei said, unveiling a device attached to his hand.

"That?" Sonic asked.

"Yes...now watch!" Kanbei shouted, as the device separated.

One half folded out into a arm-mounted card device, while the other half formed a dance pad and holo-projector.

"Impressive, but where's the screen?" I said with a smile.

"The image is projected virtually, so there's no need for a bulky machine like on DDRist Kingdom."

"Fine.....you know we'll be there....when is it?" Dark said, still not showing any emotion.

"You'll get the invitation soon...now, I must bid you ado." Kanbei said, disappearing into the darkness of the night.

"Um...he seemed like a winner...how do you know him?" Mia asked.

"Well.....beleive it or not, we were friends." I said.

"Then that whole Callie fiasco started, he ditched us to hang with her and her "cool" and "hip" friends." Dark added.

"Needless to say, his skills didn't rise...."

"...but ours did. He then grew jealous...."

"...He never could beat us, so he disappeared for the longest while...we thought he was gone."

"So now he wants to challenge you in a duel, eh?" Mia asked.

"More like a tournament...I've no idea what we're getting in to, but we need to stay strong." I said in a serious tone.

"Right..." I said..it was then that I noticed Reps had been just a bit too quiet, "Reps...you okay man?"

"Yeah...just...don't know where I belong now..." he said with emotion I've never seen in a reploid, "G.U.N. was my place of origin, but they were evil..."

This was definitely new to me, Reps may have looked like a robot, but he..he was more human then most people I knew.

I placed a hand on Reps' shoulder, "Hey...you're nothing like G.U.N. You're your own master now."

He nodded, "I know...but where do I belong? Its not like I have a family....."

Reps then felt a soft hand on his, "Reps...your part of our family now." Mia said.

"Huh? Wha?" Reps said, a bit stunned to reply.

"That's right." Sonic added, "Your one of us now, whether you like it or not."

I heard Reps laugh, "Well...when given a choice like that, what else can I do?"

"That's good to hear." Shadow said.

"Welcome to the family Reps!" we all said while Reps did the reploid equivalent of blushing.

As sad as it would be to leave this heart-warming scene, evil was still brewing out of the sight of our heroes.

"So...a tournament, eh? This may be the perfect chance to exact my revenge. I should've known better than to trust in G.U.N.'s outdated weaponry. I shall see you at the tournament Darkness Shade..."

Dark turned quickly and was staring at the debris, 'Did I just hear my name?'

"Darkness dear, is something the matter?" Mia asked.

"No..nothings wrong, lets just go home." Dark said, putting his arm around Mia.

As our heroes walked home, little did they know of what was to come....