No matter how cold and unfriendly the world outside became, the
kitchen and cafeteria of MHHQ never failed to be a warm and welcoming
place. On stressful days, Celeste found that she could always take
comfort within its secure walls.
Hot and tired after a very sucessful round in the Training Gym,
Celeste sat up on a table in the kitchen, idly kicking her feet and
wondering with mild impatience when she was going to get to battle a
real Maverick. Before her sat Terrence and Phillip, who were silently
and methodically stripping potatoes of their jackets. Having a
conversation with the two ex-kennel staff reploids was usually as
thrilling as watching paint dry on a fence, but Celeste decided that
she was desperate enough to talk to them. She needed to put her mind
at ease.
"Hey fellahs..."
T and P instantly stopped peeling and whipped around to face the
Huntress.
Now that she was in the hotseat, a fresh layer of sweat rose on
Celeste's skin and replaced the traces left from her earlier training.
"Tell me something, guys...what do you think about love?" Celeste's
right hand unconsciously tightened around the piece of paper balled up
in it. It was the note that Zero had left under her pillow last
night. It didn't have his name on it, but it was still pretty damn
obvious who it was from...there had been brown and white cat hair all
over it.
"Love...?" Terrence and Phillip blinked at each other as their
sluggish minds tried to process an adequate answer to this oh so
complicated question.
Phillip was the first to speak. "Isn't that what leads humans to
make more morons?"
Celeste ground her teeth. "Fall on your knees and thank your God,
Phillip, that I can't find anything good and solid to throw at you
right this minute."
Panic swam in Terrence's blank eyes. "Have we been stupid again, Ms.
McTreggor?" He squeaked. "Please don't tell Lady Draco! She can't
stand it when fellow Canadians act stupid. If she gets word of this,
she'll crack our heads together...again!"
Three surly knocks suddenly landed outside of the kitchen's locked
door.
"Knock-knock-knockin' on the kitchen door!" T and P sang
automatically, although neither of them made a move to get up and
answer the angry summons.
A scarlet titanium boot kicked the door clear off its hinges.
"Uh oh," T and P said in unison. They both dove for shelter under
the table that Celeste was still perched on.
A severely cheesed-off Zero barged through the maimed doorway. By
the looks of his singed armour and the neat row of odd teeth-marks
crisscrossing his shoulder, the Hunter had been at the losing end of
some battle. Zero ripped off his helmet, revealing a rather humourus
'helmet head'. The Hunter flung the gilded headpiece against the wall
opposite to him hard enough to make a dent in its sturdy twice-forged
titanium. Then, with the loudest voice and most vulgar vocabulary he
possessed, Zero told everyone present exactly what he thought of Sigma
and his mother.
"That's the loudest profanity I've ever heard!" Terrence remarked
from his hiding spot.
"Zero!" Celeste slid off of the table and threw caution into the
wind as she ran towards the frenzied Hunter. "Calm down! What's
wrong?"
Zero merely continued to howl like an unfed wolverene. Celeste could
pick up only a few broken words...and she didn't like what she heard.
The disjointed phrases consisted of
"Draco...Sigma...Skysheen...Spartans...we're all gonna die!"
"Soooo..." Cain sighed wearily from across his office desk where
Zero had officially delivered the bad news with Celeste there for him
as support. "What you're saying is that Sigma, Red, Skysheen, and the
Spartans went bats and offed all the human Hunters present before
trying to get you to join them?"
Zero bobbed his head slowly, weighed down with disbelief.
"That's it, then." Cain mumbled, creaking back into his stylish
chair. "By starting the mass production of reploids, I've effectively
doomed the entire human race. And mother said that I'd never
accomplish anything in my life. I've certainly shown HER, haven't I?"
The elderly scientist gave a short, humourless laugh.
"Sir...shouldn't we start working on a counterattack plan right
away?" Celeste inquired.
Cain lurched to his feet. "Of course, my dear...after I visit the
pub downstairs for some...inspiration." He excused himself and
exited, shakily singing something along the lines of, "It's the end of
the world as we know it...and I feel fine..."
"Argh! This is by far the worst goddamned day I've ever had in my
life! Damn Sigma! A fury is in my brain!"
X found it difficult to keep his voice devoid of the exhaustion that
pressed down on him as his short steps tried to stay in time with
Zero's long, passionate strides. "It...can't be all...that bad," the
blue reploid puffed optimistically to his friend. "After all, Cain
promoted you to the leader of the Regal Dragons..."
Zero gave a tremor of a growl. "It's not 'Regal Dragons' anymore, X.
It's been renamed the 17th Unit. But whatever in bloody hell its
name is, I don't want to lead it." Zero reached the training room and
bashed its heavy doors open. The gym was empty.
"What are you going to do in here?" X puzzled.
Zero waved his arms around helplessly. "Oh...I don't know. Maybe
I'll bash my head against the wall a few times. That should cheer me
up."
"Come on Zero...maybe Sigma doesn't want to kill off the entire human
race. Maybe he just wants to...enslave them or something."
Zero shook his head slowly, sorrowfully. "X, you're one of my best
friends and I love ya like a brother, but you're living in a world of
MAKE BELIEVE, with elves and moogles and little dragons named Smaug.
Sigma wants the entire human race to go pppfht... off the face
of the planet, for good. That'll be a gargantuan task to
complete...it could take centuries. After all, to put things bluntly,
most humans have sex drives that would send any jackrabbit into an
early grave. But the point is, our best Hunters have gone Maverick
WITH him. We have no defense against his attacks."
X shook his head defiantley, as if he had been thinking of a
counterattack to this statement for ages. "Not entirely true."
"Oh? 'zat so?"
"I want to join the Hunters."
"Uh...what was that you said? I think we have a bad connection.
Aren't you the one who thinks that violence is oh so wrong?"
X had seen this one coming. "I'm not saying that I think it's right.
But I also think that it wouldn't be very nice of me to let the
humans fend for themselves. Will you let me into the 17th?"
Zero blinked twice in rapid succession before throwing back his head
in a long howl of laughter. "X, what do YOU know about fighting?
You're not even equipped for battle! What're you gonna do, throw your
shoes at the Mavericks? Or maybe you'll preach them to death with
sermons on how wrong war is."
X retorted in a silent voice. He was absolutely heartbroken, and it
showed on his contorted face.
Zero softened at the pitiful sight. "Aw come on X...I'm just looking
out for your safety. Didn't you hear what I said earlier? The
Mavericks now have Sigma and the Spartans on their side. What worries
me most is the fact that they also have Red! That gal can crush beer
cans against her head."
"So? Anyone can do that."
"While the cans are still full?"
"...Oh. She can do that?"
"You betchya. Look, Cain is organizing a counterattack on the
Mavericks that'll involve the 17th. It's basically a suicide mission.
Our best fighters have gone with Sigma. There's no one left who'll
want to be a Hunter."
"Y'think?" A feminine voice challenged from behind the crimson
reploid. The half-word wafted up from a sea of din that had suddenly
appeared with the voice.
X and Zero both stared at each other for a second prior to turning
around.
There was Celeste, decked in her light fighting gear. A prize smile
lit up her fairly simple face, giving it a glow of beauty. And behind
her were equally eager Hunters. A lot of them. A few reploids were
scattered amoung the ranks, but most of the mass was made up of
humans. Zero recognized a few of them with disbelieving eyes...he saw
Paul Wells and his Night Vipers (most of whom had been humans in the
first place), and a few residents from the refugee camp...including,
much to his surprise, Tess and a young male beside her that Zero took
to be Josh.
"We're all part of the counterattack, Zero." Celeste explained.
"We're in the 17th, under you. I know that humans aren't as good at
fighting as reploids are, but now that Sigma has officially declared
war on humans, what're we supposed to do? Wait to die? If I'm going
to be killed, I want it to happen while I'm protecting my existance,
and the existance of my family and friends. The others agree."
A ripple of positive murmur rose from the large band behind Celeste.
'When humans are threatened, they can turn into nasty war machines.'
It was Skysheen who had told Zero that on the first day he had arrived
at MHHQ. Finally, the Hunter knew what the Mechadrake had been
talking about. Celeste and the others seemed ready to fight to the
death before they would be axed by Mavericks. A slow smile dawned on
Zero's face, relaxing the worried lines that had been etched into it.
Humans. They couldn't think ahead, they couldn't educate their
young...but damn, they could fight. He had found a new respect for
them.
"Okay Hunters!" Zero shouted with new energy. "Welcome to the 17th.
When we can finally locate where Sigma is hiding, we'll be right
there to kick him in the groin. Some of you won't return from the
mission when that day comes...actually, a hell of a lot of you won't.
But that's not what's important right now...let's get some training
done!"
A small candle with a proud, unwavering flame lit inside of Zero as
he watched his new troops practice what they knew about fighting
Mavericks. Some of the recruits were already decently trained, and
they helped out those who were not. Zero hungirly anticipated the
coming battle. Shame was threaded in with the hunger, because Zero
knew that he looked forward to the spilling of blood on BOTH sides.
Some emotions died hard. Oh well.
X was beside the observant Zero. "Doesn't look too shabby," he
remarked.
"Yeah, I guess." Zero sighed absently. His gaze was pegged on
Celeste who was busy far across the other end of the gym.
X flicked his eyes up towards his new leader. "You still like her,
huh?" There's no need to mention who X was referring to.
Half of a nod was the only response.
"A lot?"
"Oh yeah."
"I think she likes you too," X drawled, "but I doubt she'll ever say
it to your face. She's a human, you're a reploid. I don't think the
two species are...romantically compatible."
"Duh."
X nervously rubbed the back of his neck with a hand. "Well...it all
might work out in the end. After all, did a cult of great prophets
not once say, 'Love is sweet misery?'"
"That was Aerosmith, X, and they were a far cry from 'great'. No,
what you said earlier is true. A reploid's mind has desires, but his
body doesn't know what to do with them. It's a pretty cruel thing to
do to us if you ask me!"
X patted his mourning friend on the slumped shoulder. "Come now,
don't worry. Look...do you want me to talk to Celeste and see what
she thinks about the whole situation?"
Zero actually flushed a little bit. "Uh..well...I guess if you want
to." The Crimson Wonder thought that X meant he would talk privately
to Celeste when he got a chance. He was sadly mistaken.
X took a deep breath. "HEY CELESTE!" The word rang through the gym
like a gunshot.
Celeste (and about half of the occupants in the gym) looked up at X's
hail.
When he had the Huntress's attention, X motioned towards Zero, who
was paralyzed with a numbing species of shock. "ZERO MAY NOT BE A
HUMAN LIKE YOU'D BE ACCUSTOMED TO, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN HE CAN'T FIND
WAYS OF MAKING YOU HAPPY!"
Laughter raged through the gym. Celeste turned about three different
shades of red before she slunk off to hide somewhere. Zero remained
an oil painting. Giggling, X wisely scurried away.
"Another day another box of stolen pens," Celeste quoted to no one in
particular as she crashed on her bed. Between that day's training and
X's nice public announcement, Celeste was completely spent...but she
quickly regained some energy with an adrenalin surge when she felt a
dreaded, unmistakeable presence trickle into her mind...
"I wanna be an Airborne Ranger!" Torrent sang to Celeste's
subconsciousness.
Torrent? Just leave me alone for today...please?
"I wanna live a life of danger!"
Go away! Celeste couldn't keep the tremour out of her
thought. I always get sick after we do this 'Mindspeak' thing...
It's quite normal to experience nausea after a session of
Mindspeak, Pretty One, Torrent chuckled, after all, it puts an
enormous strain on the mind and body. But you'll get used to it.
After all, your father did.
Celeste didn't respond to this statement, but Torrent fed off of the
wild emotions she was experiencing.
You're wondering why you have the ability to Mindspeak, right
dear? Torrent asked for her. It's simple high school
genetics. Somehow, through random mutations, this freakish telepathy
gene found its way into your father's bloodline. The gene is
expressed as complete dominence, not incomplete dominence...which
means that you either have the ability to Mindspeak, or you don't.
There's no such thing as just having 'a little' of it. Plus, there's
a good chance that you're a carrier of the gene as well, and can pass
it on. And that's what worries me. I've been studying your bloodline
for almost a century now. Most of you are unaturally good fighters.
A few of you have Mindspeak. A very few of you have both abilities,
yourself and your father included. I can't stand humans with gifts
such as these. They're dangerous For this reason, I worked on luring
your father to a showdown. Killing him had been rather useless, for I
found out that he had sired two children. I'm afraid you must be
gotten rid of.
Celeste simply stared unseeing into the empty air like a corpse.
Torrent changed the subject quite suddenly. Have you ever read
'The Chrysalids'?
...no.
Oh. Screw you then. I'm going to cut this conversation short by
asking you what I always do. When are you going to come and visit me?
I'm afraid I can't have you running on the streets, especially now
that there's an all out war versus the Mavericks now.
Celeste gave the same answer she always did. Never. She
meant for the word to be bold and steady, but it turned out more like
a kitten's mew.
Heh...we'll just see about that hon. You know as well as I do
that you'll end up here eventually. Tune in for more Mindspeak later!
Same Bat Time, same Bat channel! Torrent cut off his line
suddenly like the slam of a door, leaving Celeste very much alone,
frightened, and sick. Her heart gave a startled flip-flop as she
realized what had happened to her father. He hadn't gone after
Torrent because of pride, as was the popular belief. Rather, he had
pursued the aquatic Mechadrake in hopes that Torrent's death would
mean the liberation of his own mind. Mindspeak had been driving him
to the point of insanity.
And Celeste knew that sooner or later, she would crack under the
strain of constantly being on the other end of Torrent's
communications. Eventually, she would do as her father did and hunt
down the lizard before she lost her mind.
"Hi guys." Joey joined the small, downcast herd of elementary school
students at his school bus stop. There really wasn't much reason for
the band to be so depressed; only one more week remained in the prison
of books and authority that they called school.
A chubby kid named Eric waddled up to Joey and returned the greeing
with "Hey Joe, can I copy your math homework from last night?"
"Nah."
"Awww..."
A low, ominous rumble suddenly ebbed through the street and thummed
in childrens' ears. before trailing off mysteriously. Joey raised an
eyebrow at his robust friend beside him. "What did you have for
breakfast today?"
The sound shuddered through the neighbourhood again. This time,
everyone took notice of it, as it was now more like a soft roar than
like a growl.
"Whoa momma!" One kid squeaked.
A titanic nightmare then lifted itself from the horizon of city
rooftops. A huge flying fortress, draped in black, savage purple and
other war colours, began to drift slowly towards the children like a
threatening stormcloud that promised to never lose its quietly
terrible power. The all-too-familiar crest of the Mavericks flanked
both sides of the gigantic vessel. Strangely enough, nothing about
the winged behemoth approaching them scared the children. In fact,
they were excited. It wasn't every day they were treated to such a
magnificently fearsome sight. Questions and theories on the machine's
purpose and origins flew thick amoung them.
"Maybe our schoolbus broke down and it's here to take us to school?"
"I bet it's a floating ice cream truck! I hope so...I missed
breakfast."
"I remember hearing something about Mrs. Krabapple buying a new car.
Do you think that's it? Some car!"
"Is it a Ford? Maybe we'll get to see it crash and burn!"
Vile restlessly paced back and forth in the belly of Storm Eagle's
flying fortress, which had been christened The Roc just last night.
The Maverick tried very hard to avoid looking out the porthole-style
windows of the fortress -- viewing the city of Kapcom at such a height
made his old wing mechanisms twich with a lonely ache for the wind.
Yet at the same time, he wanted to take a look at what kind of turmoil
the humans below were getting into with potential death floating above
them. Vile hoped that the sight of the flying machine was at least
botching up morning traffic. Torn between two urges, he finally
decided on taking a trip to the cockpit and having a coffee with The
Roc's proud owner, former Spartan Storm Eagle.
"Nice place ya got here," Vile commented over a cup of decaf with
double sugar.
"Thanks," Storm returned through a mouthful of blueberry muffin. He
swallowed. "You should thank Sigma. He got us the funding for this
little baby, and got its construction underway ASAP. We even have the
1001 airport to ourselves to park it! Siggy said I only need to pay
him back in charred human corpses." Storm winked. "Sounds good to me!"
Vile grinned broadly beneath his cowl as he hefted his feet up on the
table between them and tilted his chair back. "And to me. But for
today, why don't we just take it easy and drift around a bit...chase
our prey until they're at their most hysterical...then strike."
"Ah...fun in the sun. Great idea Vile!" Storm tapped his wristcom
and established a link to the navigation deck.
"This is navigator Black from the deck of The Roc," a fuzzy voice
declared in a few seconds. "What are your orders, sir? Our weapons
are ready."
"Don't use them just yet." Storm ordered his underling. "We're
going to strike a little fear into a few human hearts first. What's
our current location?"
"We're just a few blocks away from a large collection of human
children." The navigator observed.
"Excellent!" Storm crowed. "Do something to scare them. Fire a
false shot, or release the cage of Evil Clowns upon them. Stir up a
little fun."
"Yessir." The navigator concluded.
Ten minutes later, the steady monotone hum of the engines remained
unchanged. Vile and Storm simply held a staring contest. Nothing
seemed to be happening. When Vile began to tap his finger on the
table impatiently, Storm quickly and wisely slammed open the
communication line to the navigation deck once again. "What's the
freakin' hold up?" The avian snarled at Black.
"Umm...it's about those kids you wanted us to scare, sir..."
"Well, did they go running home to mama?"
"I'm afraid not, sir. We're currently directly above them...but all
they're doing is chucking rocks at us."
"Hey Krabapple!" Joey shrieked above the roar of the Roc's engines.
"This is for that 'D' you gave me on my report about World Countries!"
With that, the small boy pitched a stone at the hovering craft
directly above him. The projectile met and parted with the Roc's hull
with a sharp ping! "Canadians DO live in igloos," Joey
continued. "it's a proven fact! My dad told me so!"
Fat little Eric joined in the fun. Puffing with the effort, he also
hurled a rock at the vessel that was supposed to have sent them
running like rabbits in fear by now. "THAT was for the time I ate
chocolate cake in class, and you sent me to detention just because I
didn't give you any!"
Another hunk of mineral went flying up to meet the Roc. "There's one
for yer old man!" A kid yelled gleefully.
Very soon, a thick hail of stones had the Roc under fire. The
schoolchildren were having themselves a grand old time.
"This is crazy!" Storm yelled as he observed the school kids below
from the naivgation deck. "What does it take to scare people these
days? I guess we'll have to start bringing out the big guns. I
really feel like breaking something." Storm turned on his heel.
"Black, what's the nearest major structure?"
Black's fingers flew over a keyboard for an answer. "There's a
school building just five blocks from this location, sir."
"Perfect! Aim and fire!"
The kids cheered as they watched the monster above them turn tail and
begin to receed. They kept right on celebrating until a sleek cannon
lowered itself from one of the Roc's flanks. A dim glow radiated from
the cannon as it charged up...then...
Kaboom.
The kids watched in hushed awe as an orange ray speared from the
weapon and stabbed some unfortunate building in the distance. A
ghastly explosion followed, along with the blaring of car horns and
the screeching yowl of a pissed off cat.
Joey was the first to speak. "Um, hey guys...what just went 'boom'?"
A slow smile thawed Eric's face. "I think...I think...that
was the school that got blown up."
What followed was a spectacle of cheering and jumping and cartwheels.
The kids broke off from each other heading towards the city parks and
arcades. The children had earned their liberation. There was much
pint-sized singing and dancing in the streets that morning.
"We got out of schooool! No more school todaaaaay!"
X looked at Zero with pleading, bleary eyes. "It's too early in the
morning for training, Zero."
"Wuss. Look at all these humans around you!" Zero swept a hand
around the gym. "They were all out of bed and into training today in
mere seconds! Now come on. You're got a lot of practice ahead of you
if you want to do battle with a major enemy. Let's begin." Zero hit
a button on the wall next to him. A panel on the opposite wall hissed
open. A small robot rabbit with cannons where its ears should have
been timidly hopped out. Zero shoved X in its direction. "This is a
typical class E Maverick drone," Zero explained. "you'll find them all
over the place in occupied territory. They're simple to off. All
right X...let's see what you can do!"
The rabbit cocked its head curiously at X and blinked rapidly.
Shaking, X slowly raised his arm cannon...then dropped it again.
"I can't do it," he mumbled.
Zero narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"I can't do it. I don't wanna shoot the bunny."
"Aaaarugh! What am I going to do with you?" Zero pressed his
fingertips against his forehead. "Let me show you something, X."
Zero raised his head again. "Tess! Tessa Ewell... May I see you for
a second?"
A young human female bounded up and saluted her commander.
"Tess, do you see that little bunny near X?"
Tess craned her neck. "Yes sir. It's a class E drone."
"And we know what to do with class E drones, don't we?"
In answer, Tess tore the two-handed laser rifle from the holster on
her back and fired once. The deadly crimson ray that the gun produced
smacked into one of the rabbit's ear-cannons, tearing it right off.
The drone squealed in terror and hopped around in unending circles.
With a hop and a flip, Tess cut off the rabbit's path, grabbed it by
the neck and expertly cleaved off its head with a lightdagger.
Reploid blood washed her hands. Tess grabbed the bunny's maimed head
by its one ear and presented it haughtily to Zero, who smiled in proud
approval.
"Well done, Tess. Here, give the nice bunny head to X."
Tess shrugged. "Sure." She placed the head in X's hands. X's mouth
was slack.
"Y-your hands...t-t-they're covered in b-b-blood," was all he could
stammer.
The Huntress observed her greasy black human paws. "Hmmm...you're
right. There's only one thing to do about that." With that, Tess
drew a happy face on the wall next to her with her pointer finger,
using the robot blood that graced her hands as ink. She then returned
to practicing her skills against a class A Maverick.
"There you go, X," Zero began to lecture. "if a human can shoot the
bunny, then surely you could. If you learn how to make use of the
abilities you have, you should be able to --" Zero was cut off by the
impatient bleep of his wristcom. With a typical sigh, he switched it
on. "Whaaaat ees it, man?"
"Uh...Zero?" It was Celeste. She was supposed to be on her break
from training. "Could you come to the observation deck? We have a
slight problem."
Being true to its name, the observaton deck of MHHQ gave a
spectacular view of the city and its ongoings. Carefully placed video
cameras and monitors allowed for an in-depth look at some of the more
secluded parts of the city. And what Zero saw was not at all good. A
magnificent Maverick flying vessel took up a great deal of the
picture, along with some plumes of smoke rising from a couple of
wrecked buildings.
"Well, it looks like the Mavericks have officially started their
war!" Zero said almost cheefully. He had been waiting for this. "It
looks like we're going to have to double up on the evacutations and
start the counterattack. The Hunter turned around. "X, I want you to
go downstairs and round up some..." Zero stopped in midsentence and
frowned. "Where in the sam hill did that fellow go? He was right
behind me a second ago."
A hasty search was conducted around the room until Celeste tapped a
monitor and cheered, "Here he is! He's on Maplemain road..."
Celeste's voice trailed off as a realization dawned on her.
"...chasing after the Maverick vessel..."
Joey could hear nothing but the wind whizzing by his ear as a dull
roar. His father's mud-spattered navy blue pickup truck continued to
barge down the highway; sitting in the open back of the vehicle, Joey
got a great view of the grand buildings shrinking on the horizon as he
was taken further and further from the occupied city of Kapcom.
The boy instinctively tried to flatten his tousled hair with his
hand, but his mane was beyond salvation in the rushing wind. Joey
didn't really notice; he had other things on his mind. He was
bubbling inside with a strange brew of sadness and excitement.
Sadness because he was leaving his home city ('twas the only home he
ever really knew!) and excitement because he didn't know where the
magical and mysterious journey of the pickup truck would take him.
All he knew was that his mom and dad had made him pack a hasty
suitcase that morning. Then the three of them had piled into the
truck and, zoom! They were off. Destination unknown.
Joey had a good idea about why they had left Kapcom so suddenly.
Maverick reploids had taken over the city, killing humans, destroying
buildings, end of the human race, blah blah blah. At least, that's
what he had picked up from his parents' earlier conversation. And
apparently, Joey's family wasn't the only one to hit the road; several
strange cars were neck-in-neck with their own. A frantic horse race
for life where the winners would gain a slim chance of shelter and the
losers would become dog food.
Joey crawled up to the sliding window that divided the truck's cab
from its back. He poked his fair head into the opening. "Hey mom and
dad, where ARE we running to, anyway?" He inquired.
Joey's father took one hand off the wheel and tilted his oversized
cowboy hat forward just a little bit. "We're goin' to Canada, my
boy...No Mavericks in Canada. Your pa's gonna teach you how to build
an igloo and ice fish!"
The truck sped ever onwards to the boarder. It was probably for the
best that Joey's father didn't know that ignorant Americans were a
favoured snack amoung the Mechadrakes of Toronto.
Kill the beast...cut his throat...spill his blood...
These words ran through X's mind as he blasted himself a path
through the sea of Maverick bad fellows. The chant was a favourite of
Zero's; he claimed it fired up the killer instinct. And maybe it did.
Although the sadistic poetry had chilled through X's head when he
first began to recite it, he found that the more he chanted, the less
the violence surrounding seemed to bother him. He was in a trance.
Every bolt in his body was saturated with the will to protect humans.
Freaky.
Kill the beast...bash his head...do him in...
X never took his eyes off of the shadow of the Roc. It was truly a
nasty thing; although poison seemed to pulsate from its frame, its
slow, careless way of floating in the air made it look almost passive.
The blue reploid wearily wondered if he'd ever catch up to the
fortress; wave after wave of baddies broke upon him. The city was
completely occupied...
X caught very swift movement to his left. Without hesitation,
without reason, he whipped around and fired at the new threat. "AY
YAH! Take that! You can't have my ice cream bar!"
A red Ford with a pink lawn flamingo taped to its hood and a license
plate that read 'LIL BSTRD' promptly screeched to a halt. A very
irritated teenager unrolled his window and leaned out to examine the
huge scorch mark that now resided on his car. Seeing X and his
smoking arm cannon, the teen bared his teeth which were already
showing some faint niccotine stains.
"YOU DON'T SHOOT AT THE CIVILIANS, YOU DOINK!"
Well exc-uuuuuse me for trying to save your lousy species...
"Um...Zero...X is doing very well on his own out there, but maybe
you'd better follow him just in case..."
Zero resurfaced from inspecting his fingernails and looked up at
Celeste who was studying X's progress through the city on one of the
monitors in the Observation Deck. "Hm? You say something Celeste?"
Celeste was starting to get peeved. "You heard me."
"You're cute when you're mad."
Celeste ignored that. "What's X trying to do, anyway?"
Zero allowed himself a slow, casual intake of breath. "Oooh, I have
a feeling that he wants to take down that entire flying fortress all
on his own. Some sort of berserker battle program seems to have kicked
in with the human race being threatened. I guess he was built to
fight after all!"
Celeste became alarmed. "The entire fortress? By himself? Good
God! He'll be killed!"
"I imagine so."
"Aren't you going to HELP him? He's your friend!"
Zero pouted mockingly. "Aww...I was gonna spend all day staring at
Baywatch reruns. Well...I GUESS I can keep an eye on him for a little
while..."
Zero ducked the paperweight that Celeste threw at him.
"Heheh! Okay, okay! No need for projectiles. I'm off!"
"Go away Mr. Bee!" X sobbed hysterically as a ferocious Bee Blader
chased him relentlessly down Kapcom's wrecked highway. "I don't love
you anymore!"
Zero slowly rolled his head around on his shoulders as he tried to
take in what was left of Kapcom's main street. Destruction to his
right. Death to his left.
What fun.
Continuing to track X down, Zero eventually came upon a yellow and
black schoolbus that had obviously seen some action earlier. It now
lay on its side, contorted and twisted like some nameless monster
about to give birth. A pudgy child with an overturned saucepan
resting on his head as a crude helmet suddenly ran from behind the bus
and smacked Zero in the shin with a gnarled, blackened tree branch.
The Hunter yelped.
"Take that, Maverick!" The boy crowed as five of his merry men
sprang from behind the sheltering bus and proceeded to abuse Zero by
whacking him with sticks, pelting him with rocks, or pulling at his
hair. Zero caught a rock as it flew towards his face. "Okay. What's
this all about?" He grunted.
The fat kid brandished his stick with boyish triumph. "I'm Eric,
leader of the Rabid Squirrels Hunting Unit!"
"Uh. I should have figured. Look kid, I don't like to kill dreams,
but you're too fat to lead much of anything other than a line to the
cafeteria. Where are your parents?"
No answer; the assult on Zero promptly resumed doublestrength.
"Hey...(OW!) Cut it out you guys!...Let me pass...(ACK!) Damn, that
smarts! If you stop now (OUCHIES!)...I'll give you chips...(YIKES!)"
A gutteral yet familiar voice suddenly pierced through the boyish
battlesounds...
"'EY! YOU KIDS WANT SOME CANDY?"
The Rabid Squirrels unit stopped their beating and slowly looked at
one another and around them for the source of that new voice.
The voice hailed again, a raspy sound that seemed to float from the
leaves of a nearby tree on the roadside. "Hey! You kids wanna be in
a movie? It's called 'Erotic Adventures in the Phone Booth!'
Now the boys looked at each other in utter panic, terrified by the
unseen and potentially perverted summons.
"Um...Eric..." one of the boys wavered, "I think I've gotta go now..."
"Yeah...me too..." another boy followed up. Soon all of the boys
were suddenly full of excuses to leave the Rabid Squirrels. They
surrendered their 'weapons' at their commander's dirty running shoes.
Eric became startled. "Hey...wait! Come back!" As he watched his
troop dash off without him into the afternoon sunlight, his squinty
eyes brimmed with huge tears which begam to slide unchecked down his
fat cheeks. "Screw you guys!" He finally screeched after his
friends. "I'm going home!" He stomped off in the oppisate direction.
With that ordeal over with, Zero cocked his arm cannon in the
direction of the tree where the mysterious voice had come from. "All
right...who's there?"
The sheath of leaves rustled a bit before an unmistakeable
reptillian head adorned with a black ponytail jumped out of the leaves
like a jack in the box. "Hello!" Red Draco sang.
Zero lowered his arm cannon. He lowered his jaw as well.
"Thought I'd just help you out with that road block," Red declared
as a forward flip brought her down from the tree. She plucked a few
stray leaves out of her hair. "I've been keeping an eye on those
orphaned kids, you see..."
"'Orphaned kids?'" Zero repeated in disbelief. "But...you killed
those humans in the Regal Dragons. I thought you were a Maverick?"
"Hm? Oh yeah, that thing," Red said absently. She grimaced slightly
as she pulled a tree snake from under one of her shoulder pads and
handed it to Zero. "Here, be a dear and hold him for me. Reptiles is
people too. Yeah, I still AM a Maverick. The reason I was looking
after those kids is because I wanted to eventually use them in an
experiment to see if humans can be molded into mindless machines that
would kill their own kind without question. I was planning on
submitting a whole huge report to the Mavericks, as well as Mechadrake
Assemblies Inc. It's something they'd be very interested in."
The faint flutter of hope that Zero had dared to feel when he first
saw Red pop out of the trees snuffed itself out like a candle flame.
Angirly, the crimson Hunter drop kicked the tree snake that Red had
asked him to hold. It went spinning through the air like a small coil
of rope and out of sight. "Why did you get my hopes up by helping me,
then?" Zero spat. "Why didn't you just let your 'test subjects' beat
me into submission?"
Red frowned when she saw how Zero treated the snake, but the frown
quickly dried up as she pinched one of Zero's cheeks. "Because it was
the safest thing to do, Bunny. You have a short temper and that
charming bloodlust...eventually you might have ended up hurting those
kids badly, and my experiment would be shot. As it stands now, I can
always just find those boys and assemble them when I'm ready to
continue my research." Red suddenly glanced at her Mickey Mouse
watch. "Holy Mother Tiamat, would you look at the time? Must be
going!" Red leapt into the air and pumped her wings until she was
wheeling above Zero like a scarlet bird of prey. "I'll be seeing you
very soon, Honeybunny! Until then, remember to eat right and listen
to heavy metal music! Oh, and my apologies for nearly killing you
that day Skysheen, Siggy and I turned sour."
Zero's arm cannon hung forgotten at his side; he hadn't even thought
about so much as lifting it. Instead, he waved his arms up at the
Mechadrake above him and shouted "Wait! Where you going?"
Red pulled herself into a sitting position in the air and pointed to
the east where the Roc hung ominously. "Going to the Roc to visit my
dear brother, I suppose."
"'The Roc'?" Zero puzzled. "Is that what the fortress is called?"
The draco snorted. "What did you expect? 'Tommy's Holiday Camp'?"
Without another word, Red glided off to the east as she had promised
and was swallowed by the sunlight, leaving behind the deserted
fortress of the Rabid Squirrels and an emotionally scrambled Zero.
Vile peered out of one of the Roc's portholes and pointed down in
disgust at the blue speck squirming on the street directly below.
"What ungodly thing is that?"
Storm Eagle, who had the sharpest eyes of anyone on board, looked
over his commander's shoulder. "It appears to be X, sir. Remember
him from MHHQ? He's jumping up and down like an idiot, waving his
arms at us. I think he wants a confrontation."
Vile paused in thought. "X, hmm? He still owes me ten bucks. I'll
confront him all right. Get the Chimera Mech ready."
Storm looked nervous. "Sir, that 'Mech' isn't meant for fighting.
We use it to put books on high shelves. It won't hold very well in
battle. In fact, the right arm is loose and ready to fall off at any
given moment now."
"Storm old friend...it's not about how you fight...it's about how
flashy and impressive you look while doing so! Now prepare to lower
the Chimera and I to the highway."
X's world shook as the Mech that had been lowered above him took a
step. And again. And again. X was jostled and jolted until the
purple and blue breastplate of the Chimera, adorned with a silver
sillhouete of a lion with a dragon's tail and wings, was right in
front of his face. The Roc hung suspended above the two warriors,
eagerly awaiting the battle to follow.
Vile was speaking. Smooth and seductive. It seemed as if all
traces of Skysheen had been purged out of that nasty purple shell.
"Hello X. Isn't it a nice day? Let's play a game. I'm going to see
how many of your teeth the Chimera can punch out in a minute. Then
I'm going to try to beat that record! Do you understand? Let's begin
then. Oh, wait one minute." Vile smashed his way over to a nearby
parking meter where he inserted a dollar for the parking of the Roc.
With that done, the Maverick dashed into X and pretty much mowed him
down.
X knew right then and there that he had made a bit of a mistake.
When he had a chance to catch his breath and the red haze in his eyes
cleared a little, X made a valiant attempt to fight back, but he may
as well have been emptying the ocean with a teaspoon. The Hunter felt
as if he were being bashed over the head repeatedly with a sack of
hardcover Stephen King novels...you know, the really big and heavy
sort that he likes to write on occasion. X collapsed, completely
spent. From afar he could hear Vile gloating "See! I TOLD you it was
a fun game!..."
A plasma shot flew through the air with a comforting sizzle, like
frying bacon. It smacked into the Chimera with sharp report. The
Chimera's right arm flew clean off.
"Argh!" Vile shrieked above X. "Who built this cheap thing? GM?"
Zero screeched to a halt just past the collapsed form of X. "Whup,
whup, wahey!" He sang as he began to charge up another shot for the
former Mechadrake and his cheap Mech suit. "Hey Vile! Yo' momma's so
fat, the last time she saw 90210 was when she stepped on the scale!"
He released the shot, but it just missed the Maverick as he hopped
onto the Roc's lowered platform with the Chimera. Vile disappeared
into the Roc's belly, but a styrofoam cup of coffee flew out seconds
afterwards, obviously hurled by the irrate loser. "Here! Have some
coffee! Coffee is the spoils of your stupid joke!" Zero ducked just
in time and the cup landed behind him on X's still form. The scalding
brew spattered all over the blue Hunter, bringing him around.
"AHHH! TOO HOT!" X rolled around on the floor for a bit before he
noticed Zero standing above him with his hands on his hips. All at
once, he came down from his berserker high.
"Um...hi Zero." He said with an edge of a whimper. "I guess I'm not
ready to defeat him..."
"Gee whiz X, you think so?"
X fell silent.
Zero finally cracked a smile as he helped X up. "Don't worry about
it. Vile was built to be a war machine, so he's not going to go down
easily. We'll get a chance to throw things at him some day. For now,
there's a lot of occupied areas in the city that we need to clear out.
That should give you some practice, and who knows? You might even
become as great and godly as I am some day."
X brushed himself off. "Cocky little bastard, aint'chya?"
"Let's not get sore. I've had a very rough day." Zero set his
teleporter for MHHQ and was swept away by a crimson beam.
X did likewise. "Don't tell me about rough days..."
"All right X, it goes a little something like this." Zero tapped his
finger twice on the lit up map screen beside him. "There are eight
badass ex-Spartans -- or Mavericks, if you will -- who are on the
rampage and are having lots of fun kicking people in the bum.
According to my spies, each one of the nasties has vital information
on finding Siggy's fortress...."
X narrowed his green eyes at the map before him. "Spies?" He echoed
dubiously. "Are you sure your 'spies' always have their information
straight?"
X saw an offended shadow splash over the alien-green light that
glowed on Zero's face. "My spies are only the best, X my boy. I pick
them all myself. The information I just told you came from my top
man, Bill!" Beaming proudly, Zero jabbed a finger at the dark, far
left corner of the computer mainfraime where a greasy-haired,
alcohol-soaked slug of a human male lay snoring loudly. "Bill's NEVER
wrong with his information! Right, Bill?"
Snore.
"I said, RIGHT Bill?"
Snort.
A white hot plasma shot fired by a certain irrate crimson reploid
screamed through the air and ferociously burned the wall just inches
from Bill's rolling head. The human merely scratched his rear and
murmured "Yeah Martha, I'm getting up...ah hell, we're not playing
cards again with the Wilsons tonight, are we....?"
Zero stormed over to the corner where Bill had quite literally made
himself at home. He picked up the so-called spy by the flabby scruff
on his neck like a firey red cat with an unruly kitten. Throwing the
door open, Zero booted Bill out into the hallway. The human rolled
down the corridor for a few feet but still did not wake up. The door
slammed shut again and Zero walked towards X, brushing off his hands.
"Okay, let's forget about Bill. But anyway, I know for certain that
this information on how to find Sigma's hideout is correct. I suggest
that you start by taking down Chill Penguin first. He has a base on
the Alaska-Yukon border..."
X shook his hands with his palms outwards towars Zero. "Whoa, wait a
second. I'm going alone?!"
Zero pretended to look surprised. "Why, yes. This is strictly a one
man job." He moved behind X and started to give the blue Hunter
little pushes on his azure plated shoulders, prodding him towards the
door. "I would go, but there's far too much to be done at MHHQ as it
is...organizing armies, filling out equipment orders, doing
laundry...those kind of schlepps. Off you go now." Zero gave his
friend a cheerful, final shove out of the computer mainframe and
leaned grinning on the doorway.
Distressed, X slowly looked around him. "Where's the base? Where do
I go?"
"On the Alaska-Yukon border," Zero repeated as he slid the door
behind him again. "here's a tip: head north." A few ominous thunks
and thuds were heard from behind X as the entrance to the mainframe
was locked. The corridor would have been silent if not for Bill's
thick snores.
X tapped the human lightly on his sagged shoulder. "Um, excuse
me...do you happen to know which way is north?"
Bill roused himself, pryed one sticky eyelid open and tried to focus
on X. "Ask the bartender in the pub," he rasped. "He knows all. He
gave me tips on weaseling out of my third wife's child support
payments."
X was disgusted. "Oh, isn't that just nice. Never mind, I'll find
Alaska by myself, thank you."
Bill laughed harshly; his throat to his stomach was coated in a
lovely beer-induced mucus. "Don't throw a hissy fit, Astro Boy. That
base Chill Penguin took over used to be one of ours, and the radio
frequency still seems to be up. Just go to the teleporation capsules
on the third floor and ask the crew there nicely to beam you to the
old base and they'll do so. Just don't ask them to teleport you to
Disneyland, cuz they'll do something cute like teleport you to Death
Valley, or put you in the middle of a crowded city street -- minus
your clothes." A tiny hint of soberity seeped into Bill's bloodshot
eyes. "Trust me...It's happened. Not at all a pleasant experience."
Genesis wearily removed his helmet and combed his shaggy fingers
through the sea of flattened fur atop of his equally shaggy head. He
inwardly pined for a cup of coffee as he regarded the wailing human in
front of him.
"Mrs. McTreggor, we're doing all you've requested," the reploid fox
rumbled. "Your daughter, Celeste, has been locked in room 215 of the
infirmary, which is a private room. We will keep her under
observation for as long as you wish...but you must forgive me when I
say that I REALLY think you're overreacting..."
The young woman in front of Genesis promptly sunk further into rage
and worry, carving haggard lines in her modestly smooth features. For
an instant, she strongly resembled a rustled mother hen. "Genesis, I
have every reason in the world to 'overreact' like this. Celeste came
to visit me in the refugee camp earlier today...just by the way she
was acting and talking you could tell that she -- oh hell, why am I
explaining this to a reploid. You probably don't know the first thing
about maternal instinct." Silvia McTreggor bit off her sentence with
a choked sob.
Genesis fell silent for a few seconds, slightly offended. He had
worked for months with injured humans. He prided himself in being an
expert on the species, and thoughtless remarks like Silvia's often
burned him up. Of course he knew about maternal instinct.
Silvia grabbed the stage again once she had regained her composure.
"I'm sorry, Genesis," she apologized, reading the fox's mind. "I'm
just so scared. The way Celeste talked to me today...it was almost as
if she were saying goodbye. She had a distant, preoccupied look in
her eyes." Celeste's mother began to stumble clumsiliy over her words
again. "She looked the exact same way my husband did before he went
after Torrent Leviathan and got himself...got himself..." The words
'Torrent Leviathan' escaped as a puppy's yelp. Silvia broke down
again. "I just know she wants to go after Torrent. I think she wants
to avenge her father. Please...keep her locked up and don't let her
go anywhere, at least for tonight!"
By now, Genesis was damn sick of melodramatics. "All right...all
right. We'll keep our eyes on Celeste. Now please return to the
refugee camp...quite frankly, you're scaring the patients."
"You've got dat right!" An unidentifiable human voice chimed from a
nearby bed hidden behind a drawn privacy curtain.
Silvia complied with a silent nod of thanks. Zero, who had been
talking to Genesis prior to Silvia's outburst, stepped back up beside
his ex boss and laughed. "Holy crow, what a woman. I can see so much
of Celeste in her, and at the same time they're as different as night
and day. Celeste's jammed packed with energy and youth, and her
mother looks so tired and serious."
Genesis did not share in Zero's humour. He slowly shook his head.
"Give her another 15 years or so, and Celeste will be exactly like her
mother."
Genesis' unhappy remark slowly quenched Zero's amusement like a tall
drink of water. "Are you serious?"
Genesis laughed lightly in his turn. "You've still got a lot to
learn about humans, Zero. How old did you say Celeste was?"
"She'll be 20 soon."
"Ah yes. She's in the prime of her life now. She'll hunt tirelessly
and recklessly, given the chance. But she's also at an age where
she'll begin to seek out serious, life-long companionship." Genesis
narrowed his eyes at Zero. "That reminds me, I wanted to talk to you
about something."
"Oh goody," Zero sighed, hardly enthused. The sigh was more of a
reflex action from his days of working in the Medical Unit than
anything; the words 'I want to talk to you about something' were once
dreaded bell chimes that preluded a lecture from Genesis about the
latest screw-up that Zero had pulled.
"Zero, if I'm not mistaken, you're quite in love with Celeste."
"Hell," Zero snorted. "It ain't much of a secret, especially since X
announced it in the middle of the training gym not long ago."
Genesis grinned teasingly. "Oh, don't be so bitter. I'm personally
fascinated by this whole thing. It's quite rare for a reploid to fall
in love as deeply as you have, and it's especially rare for a reploid
to fall for a human. Is your love based on...how should I put
this...physical attraction?"
The room all of a sudden became unbearably stuffy for Zero.
"Yeah...part of it, I guess..." the scarlet Reploid stammered.
"Ha!" Genesis clapped his soft paws together. "Rarer still! Most
reploids are lousy at judging a human's physical beauty. Do you know
what makes a human appear 'beautiful' to another human? It's merely
an instinct that subcontiously tells the observer that he or she has
stumbled upon a potential mate that is healthy and fertile. Of
course, we reploids have little use for such an instinct, so it isn't
nearly as strong in us as it would be in a human. Yet, you're
breaking a lot of reploid stereotypes by falling in love with Celeste.
You're a strange little 'ploid, Zero."
Zero did not really appreciate being stuck in centre stage as an
example for a report on the latest breaking biology news story. "I
thought you wanted to tell me something, Genesis," he huffed. "Let's
go. More matter, less art."
Genesis growled faintly and melted back into his grumpy, serious
self. "Very well, let's dust off the sugar coating. You're spending
far too much time with Celeste. There's a great chance that she's in
love with you, too. Sure, it sounds sweet, but as I said before,
she's probably beginning to look for a mate. In the short term, you
would appear to be a prize catch. As much as I hate to admit it,
you're a great guy...protective, fearless, blah blah blah. But you're
still a reploid. If you were to do something radical like marry
Celeste, a lot of sacrifices would have to be made by both of you,
including the potential of children. I just can't see it working out
in the long run. Humans are meant to spend their lives with other
humans, not advanced machinery. I'd hate for either of you to get
hurt like that. In short, try not to be so affectionate towards
Celeste. It'll pay off down the road."
Zero's gears twisted, knotted and collapsed with each of Genesis'
seemingly harsh but true words. Deep down, frozen solid inside him
had been the very same concerns, but until now he had been to selfish
to thaw them out. Now that they were exposed, they were raw and sore,
painful to touch. They could not withstand the onslaught of Genesis'
advice. Zero realized he could never tear himself away from Celeste,
at least never completely.
"You're right Genesis," the Hunter announced. "As corny and awful as
it sounds, a human probably couldn't prosper in the arms of a
metallic. Nevertheless, I don't think I could ever stop thinking
about her. Thanks for your advice, though."
Genesis raised one furry eyebrow behind his opaque shades. "Being in
love must be something else," he remarked with a smirk. "No wonder
the human population is somewhere in the zillions. I'm happy to give
you advice at any time...whether you follow it or not is your own damn
business."
Zero suddenly slammed his open palm against his forehead. He had
completely forgot about X in Alaska. "I'm going to check up on X,"
Zero assured Genesis who was leering uneasily at him. The hunter
flipped on his wristcom.
"X? How's it going up there? X? Where are yooooou?"
At first, there was nothing but the fuzzy cheer of static. Then:
"IT'S FRICKIN' FREEZING UP HERE, MR. BIGGLESWORTH!"
"X! You're alive!" Zero howled with laughter for no reason
whatsoever. "Is everything all right?"
"I'm fine so far." Even through the bad reception, Zero could hear
X's teeth clacking together. "I'll be meeting up with Chill Penguin
soon enough. I'm admittedly taking my time, I've met some nice people
up here. Remember that innocent little bunny-type Maverick you tried
to get me to kill back in training? I've been having a real nice
conversation with one of them. He showed me the Northern Lights and
some pretty icebergs. Too bad he tried to shoot me in the back at
that time, and I had to kick him into the Arctic ocean. He was a
really funny rabbit." X ended his sentence with a preoccupied giggle.
"Here's a joke he told me before I offed him. Jack and Rose were
standing together on the bow of the Titanic, when suddenly Jack says --"
"Whoops, got a call on the other line," Zero drawled apologetically.
He had little patience for jokes that day. "Sorry, X. I'll contact
you soon!"
The bare-walled room was as windowless and friendly as the Death
Star. There was only one exit and it was guarded religiously by a
lanky reploid nicknamed 'Roadkill'. Celeste was not discouraged;
something deep from within called to her, lulled her. Calmed by the
sweet nature of the summons, a hardly-noticeable current of yellow
fear told that Torrent had run out of patience. She had not gone to
visit him in the sewers as he had requested of her several times
before...so now he was taking matter into his own claws and calling
her to him instead.
Going over her escape plans one more time, Celeste plucked Matzah
(now a good size) from his nap on the drab hospital bed. Matzah
cuddled in her arms, completely content and trusting. Unfortunately,
that trust would not last very much longer. She tucked her lightsabre
handle into her pocket; she had been allowed to keep it while under
observation. To be disarmed was considered dishonourable. She did
not have her titanium vest with her; she would have to make do with
fighting in street clothes.
Celeste poked her head out of the hospital room's door ("Wow,
unlocked, how brilliant."). She thanked her lucky stars that Genesis
had picked the lackluster Roadkill to 'guard' her. Roadkill was down
the hall a bit and had his spiky back to Celeste, talking to a fellow
Hunter about boring matters.
"I'm sorry about this, Matzah," Celeste whispered to the cat seconds
before she wound up and hurled the screaming tom down the hallway.
Roadkill and his friend exchanged 'What-in-the-hell' looks as they
took off towards the commotion. Celeste slid out of her prison and
pounded down the hallway, unseen.
Ah, so Celeste, you are on your way at last. Torrent cut off
his flow of sweet mind-drugs.
Celeste stopped abruptly in the middle of Maplemain's crowded
nightlife, earning her strange stares and plenty of breathing room
from the passerbys. It was as if she had suddenly woken up from a
sleepwalk and realized where she was.
Come now darling there is no reason to be scared, Torrent
assured her, sensing her wildly mixed emotions and feeding off of
them. I only wish to...talk to you.
A sleepy grey mist swathed Celeste's brain again and took over.
She unconsciously plodded down a sleeping side street. The haze
lifted, and the Huntress found herself before a sewer-manhole with the
cover removed. Had she done that?
Come on down, Celeste. The potatoes are boiling, the kettle is
singing, and I dare say that I'll catch us some fish.
Staring down into the black abyss, Celeste did not feel at all brave
or heroic. She felt as if she were going insane. Over and over
again, she recalled the feeling of her mind turning a sickly green
from too much of Torrent's mindspeak. Over and over again, she saw
her father die at the Leviathan's feet. Those images and feelings
were the fuel that propelled her as she descended down into the manhole.
Darkness. Cold, slimy water closed in around Celeste's ankles. It
took every ounce of will she possesed to keep from screaming like a
doomed maiden in the Minotaur's Maze.
Thrilled with Celeste's terror, Torrent's howl rattled in her head.
Ha! Daughter of Jake! Where do we go now? Where do we go?
Two clammy paws landed on Celeste's shoulders with a cold that
seeped through the thin materal of her T-shirt. An unseen, damp
reptilian snout nuzzled the back of her neck affectionately.
"Sweet Child O' Mine..."
Pip was finding it very difficult to work at his computer with Zero
leering eagerly over his shoulder like a psychotic schoolmaster whose
yardstick swung freely. Pip cleared his throat once, twice, hoping
that the sound would prod Zero back a few steps. The crimson reploid
merely leaned in closer. Pip was finally forced to surrender his
gentle British manners.
"Mr. Zero sir, with all due respect, I find it very hard to work on
this banner when you're watching my every move like that."
"Just making sure you pick the right graphics, Pip old chap."
The medic reploid sighed wearily and regarded his work onscreen so
far. Two bitmapped mountains flanked the bold "WELCOME BACK!" text.
Oh how tacky and false those mountains looked. The banner was for X,
who was expected back from his fight with Chill at any moment.
"Don't you like the mountains, Mr. Zero?" Pip ventured.
"Mountains're nice."
"Too inanimate for my tastes," Zero snorted. "Try something else."
Pip scrolled through the graphics and highlighted a frame showing a
frisky dolphin in mid-leap. "How about dolphins, Mr. Zero? Dolphins
are such pretty fish."
"Dolphins are mammals, you twit." The Hunter muttered before pausing
in thought. "Yeah...I say go with the dolphins. They ARE nice."
Several others in the vicinity strolled over to help Pip and Zero
solve the banner dilemma. The computer mainframe, decked out in
swanky dressings, was packed with Hunters eagerly waiting to greet X
upon his return. In fact, the entire theme of the party was 'Welcome
Back, X'. Zero grimaced sourly. A better theme would probably be
'Let's All Vomit in the Men's Room Sinks'. More than one human in the
room drank up the punch bowl with longing, thirsty eyes; drinking had
been forbidden until X's arrival. Many of the human Hunters were
notorious for breaking up parties early by getting loaded and bashing
beer mugs over each other's heads. Celebrations usually finished in
the Medical Unit with a fine load of concussions to treat.
Zero was jostled by bodies in all directions. His mood began a
dangerous downward spiral; he hated to be crowded. It was a phobia
that probably stemmed from his cramped 30-year hibernation in the tiny
subway tunnel nook. He took an unseeing step backwards, his heavy
foot landing on something small and squirming. A frightened yelp
leapt up to his ears, followed by a sharp pain lancing through his
right hand. Zero let out a yelp of his own as he jerked up his hand
and inspected the skin which was now broken by a crescent-moon of
human teeth marks. He snapped his head behind him and was met with
the wrathful glare of a miniature Paul Wells.
"Wha'dja do this for?" Zero seethed as he thrust his
blood-smeared hand in the path of those burning eyes. His mood had
hit rock bottom. "I'm sorry I stepped on you, but jeez -- you don't
have to bite my hand off. You humans carry diseases! Have a little
consideration!"
Paul Wells then pushed his way through the crowd to stand beside his
son. The fear and hurt drained from the boy's eyes as he turned from
Zero and buried his face in his father's stomach. The family
resemblance was stunning.
"Clyde's sorry that he bit you," Paul drawled apologetically for his
boy. "He does that a lot when he's hurt or scared. He can't help
it...I guess I don't need to point out to you that he's..." Paul
stumbled over his sentence. "Not really all there."
Shame rebounded Zero's foul mood. He had observed the kid a while
ago back in the refugee camps, and it had been easy to tell that the
lights were not all on upstairs. He apologized for snapping whilst
patting Clyde on the head. Clyde recoiled at the Hunter's touch.
"Once the drinking starts, this place won't be suitable for kids,"
Zero reminded Paul. "Why don't you take him back to the camps?"
"I'm entitled to party," Paul grinned, "and there's no one to take
care of him in the camps."
"What about your wife?"
"Don't have one."
Zero raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Divorced?"
This question obviously struck a sensitive nerve. Paul glowered,
turned red and veered back into the crowd with Clyde in tow. Needless
to say, Zero was slightly confused until a nameless human boldly
patted him on the shoulder and said "Zero, you silly beast...Clyde is
literally what we call a 'little bastard.'"
"Oh dear," Zero sighed. "I have to learn how to mind my own
business." Excusing himself, he swam through the crowd until he
reached the punch bowl. Putting its blood-red contents to good use,
the Hunter dunked his injured hand and began washing it, oblivious to
the mixed bags of disgusted and surprised glares that were hurled by
the disappointed humans. Of course, no one dared to even think of
objecting to Zero's bathe.
The door to the large room smacked open. Everyone turned in unison
to see who the latecomer was. It was Genesis. And judging by the
snarl twisted on the fox's furry face, he had not come to celebrate.
In his right paw, he held the scruff of a very miserable-looking
Roadkill.
Genesis dumped Roadkill in a heap at Zero's boots. "My friend here
has something to tell you, Zero," he said in a mockingly excited tone,
like a child ready to show off a new toy at Show and Tell.
Roadkill trembled like a peasant before the feet of a wrathful god.
He flicked his eyes halfway to meeting Zero's own before he lost his
nerve and dropped them again. He had obviously done something
dreadfully wrong, as he could not even bring himself to speak.
Genesis was all to glad to tattle on him. "I left this dolt in
charge of guarding Celeste. You remember how her mother wanted her
under lock and key, right? Well, not only did Mr. Brilliant not lock
Celeste's door, he ALSO let her escape."
Zero tapped a finger against his jawbone and regarded Roadkill
thoughtfully for a full three seconds before he leaned over and
wrenched off the Night Viper's badge from the wild bot's shoulder.
"In case you can't figure it out," Zero said in even tones to Roadkill
who looked up at his commander in bewilderment, "that means you're
demoted. We may as well put this in the bathroom, about all it's good
for is toilet paper." Zero tucked the rent badge nicely amoung some
hidden compartment in his armour before he let loose and wailed on Road.
"Are you a COMPLETE idiot? Answer me that one question, please!
You're really in for it now. Because of your stupidity, Celeste's
more than likely to be hunting an extremely dangerous Maverick on her
own right now. I'll say his name slowly so maybe the worlds will
penetrate your thick skull and make some sense. TOR-RENT
LE-VI-A-THAN. Great work! Allow me to remind you that we NEVER allow
human females to hunt on their own, let alone take down the big
fellows!" Zero had to pause for breath. Using that time efficiently,
he cut his eyes down at Roadkill who seemed to be trying to melt into
the ground like a puddle. "Need I remind you why we enforced that
rule? Remember what happened to that nice young girl, Katt Luck, a
few months back when SHE went hunting on her own?"
Stories of the horrors that had been inflicted upon Katt while she
had been a prisoner of the Mavericks had floated around the HQ like
the whispers of uneasy ghosts. Roadkill's eyes grew wide as he
recalled the very disturbing collection of events; torture,
starvation, and the very worst of all...'genetic termination'.
"Oh no...oh no..." was all Road could manage to whimper.
Zero clapped. "Wow. You remembered! I'm so proud of you. I was
originally going to put you in the kennels, but you know what? I dare
say you're smart enough to be more of a help in the kitchen."
Faint cheers from Terrence and Phillip wafted from the very back of
the silent room. They were delighted at the idea of a new friend.
"No!!!" Shrieked Roadkill, flattening himself at Zero's feet.
"Don't send me to the kitchen!! PUH-LEEEZE! I'm sorry! I'm so so
sorry! You have no idea!"
It was Cain's human compassion that saved the weeping Roadkill from
the potato manacles. The old man shuffled up beside Zero. "I don't
think Road would be much use in the kitchen," he stated matter of
factly. "I need a lab assistant...I'll take him on board."
Roadkill's sobs for mercy ceased at once. His eyes shone huge as he
rolled over on his back before his saviour like a submissive puppy.
"Oh, THANK you sir! I'll be the best damned lab assistant this side
of hell's creation. You'll see!"
"As for the rest of you," Cain said out loud to the room's occupants,
"what Zero said is very true; Celeste is in a great deal of danger. I
want all of you to organize into a search party. I hope none of you
mind getting a bit muddy, 'cause you're going to be searching the
sewers."
Suddenly the faint buzzing of words in the room took on some meaning.
It was obvious that no one minded getting dirty because a great deal
of the Hunters in the room eagerly followed Zero to the
Hunter-Dispatch area. Only Cain, Roadkill, Pip, Genesis, and Terrence
and Phillip remained.
In the uneasy stillness that followed, Pip eagerly called his boss
over to the computer where the banner he had laboured over was still
displayed.
"Do you like it, Mr. Genesis sir?" Pip beamed with pride. "I made
it myself."
Genesis rubbed his chin as he looked at Pip's hard work. "Wow. You
made that all by yourself?"
Pip nodded proudly.
"It sucks," Genesis snorted, puncturing Pip's pride at once. The fox
grabbed the small medic by one arm. "Come on, back to the Medical
Unit with you. I have a feeling that Celeste's going to be in need of
some major medical attention when she's brought back."
X hardly noticed the sad excuse for a 'party' that surrounded him
upon returning to the mainframe from his battle with Chill. He was
oblivious to Terrence and Phillip's wild confetti-throwing and
singing. From far, far off he could see Cain smiling at him and
asking how things went. Completely engulfed in the muddled maw of his
trance, X could only mumble one thing in response to the scientist:
"My dad...I saw..."
X trailed off. His mouth went slack as if he had suddenly lost his
mind. He collapsed in a blue heap, stray icicles dripping slowly off
of his armour. Cain, Terrence and Phillip all died down at once.
Cain narrowed his eyes, puzzled. He absently scratched his back with
his cane and asked X to repeat himself, and to make some sense this
time if it weren't any trouble. X complied to the best of his ability.
"I saw him. The ghost of my father. In the Arctic."
Cain frowned. "All right X. No more Shakespeare for you. That
stuff is obviously rotting your brain."
X lifted his head from his arms. He got on his feet and stabbed Cain
with a firey glare. "I saw him," he insisted in a low, monotone
voice. "I don't care if you don't believe me, but I know what I saw.
I asked him who I was, and why I was created, but he didn't answer
those questions..."
Without warning, Cain whipped X over the head with his multipurpose
cane. There was a percussive, bonking sound and X staggered a few
feet before coming to a halt and shaking his head in a futile attempt
to halt the out of control merry-go-round within. "What was that
for?!" The reploid wailed.
Cain smiled, pleased with himself. "When I start to see things, I
find that hitting myself on the head clears up the illusions. I just
thought I'd share my folk medicine. Did it work?"
"I don't know, because I know for a FACT that I WASN'T seeing
things," X snarled, still clutching his bruised head. "If Light's
ghost was only an illusion, how do you explain how I got THESE?" X
kicked out one foot. In the place of the dull blue paint that had
coated it before, the boot was now covered with a racy red and white
layer. The boot's new, streamlined nature told that the much-coveted
Emergency Acceleration System (EAS, yay!) had been installed. Cain
merely gaped, completely stunned. No one at the lab knew how to
install EAS in reploids. What X was saying had to be true.
X absorbed Cain's shock with relish. "NOW what do you think?" He
asked with a sharp and slightly smug smile.
"Oh, those colours are SO last season," Terrence lisped with a
feminine wave of his hand. Only Phillip found humour in Terrence's
imitation.
For the first time upon his arrival, X noticed the lack of Hunters in
the mainframe. "Where did everyone go?" He asked. "Where's Zero?
He was supposed to help me take down the next nasty."
"They were all called out to an emergency," Cain drawled absently,
still focused on studying X's new shoes. "Celeste's gone hunting
Torrent on her own. Zero's heading the search party."
Now it was X's turn to be stunned. "Whatwhatwhat?"
Cain joyfully tapped one boot with his own foot in a half-assed test
of the EAS's durability. He could not be bothered to give X more
information on Celeste. "I'm afraid the rest of the Mavericks will be
left up to you and you alone, X. Oh, that reminds me." Cain
resurfaced from his EAS worship. "When you beat Chill, did you
receive any information about the location of Sigma's fortress?"
"Well, kind of," X said as he slowly extended his left hand. He
uncurled his fingers and lying quietly in his palm was a small
soapstone carving of a penguin. Its crystal eyes glittered teasingly,
hinting that information might be stored within them. "When Chill
blew up eight ways from Sunday, this was left behind. I have a
feeling it won't be any good on its own. I guess all eight Mavericks
are gonna have to go until we can learn what this is for and if it'll
tell us the location of Siggy's fortress."
Cain caught the heavy note dragging down X's voice. "X...you don't
mind going after the next few Mavericks by yourself, do you?" He
ventured. "I don't think Zero can help you out for a while...finding
Celeste is top priority for him, and you can't take any human Hunters
with you. The terrain would be far too dangerous for any of them."
X shrugged listlessly. He didn't care if he would have to run a
marathon across the Great Wall of China. He just wanted to rest for
now. "I should be all right on my own. Besides, I have a feeling
that Light will only show up again if I'm alone." Out of the corner
of his eye, X glared wrathfully at Terrence, Phillip and Roadkill who
had all started snickering again. They settled down once X's eyes cut
through them. X continued. "I only wish I could do something to help
find Celeste. I can't stand the idea of her with Torrent, especially
after what happened to Katt."
"Hm, yes, that concern had crossed our minds," Cain grimaced.
"Why did she go after him in the first place?"
"The popular belief is that she is going to avenge her father."
X fetched a bucket and began to mop up the puddles of icicles that he
had shed since his return. "What she's feeling right now is silly
human pride," the Hunter drawled.
Cain shuffled through his disorganized memory. "I think there was
once a hit song with those same lyrics."
X paused in his cleanup and leaned heavily against his mop. "At this
point, it doesn't matter whether those words belonged to me or some
drippy human singer. What's important is that Torrent is probably
turning poor Cel into a pretzel right about now."
One solitary fish. Alive without breath, as cold as death, never
thirsty always drinking, all in mail never clinking. It swayed
aimlessly through the thick sludge, completely engrossed in the
important business of surviving. It was an old fish, a veteran that
had been scarred by countless battles with fishermen and tossed
ceaselessly by stormy waters until it had finally been allowed access
to the calm haven of the sewers. Unfortunately, its heroic life came
to a rather abrupt end as the vicelike jaws of a Mechadrake closed on
its body.
Torrent Leviathan paddled his way to shallower waters in his beloved
sewer. All at once he leapt from the soup up onto one of the ledges
above the surface. Prying the freshly killed meat from his jaws he
hummed a little battle tune as he poked his snout in the air, trying
to pick up the scent of his prized treasure above the other
interesting variety of smells that the sewer had to offer. He locked
onto the desired scent right away...the fertile richness of a human
female, bearer of life. Proceeding in that direction, Torrent hummed
louder until he could eventually see, from far off, the dim fire he
had put together for his treasure. It wasn't long before he was
finally able to see the treasure herself. Surrounded by rare and
delicate possessions that such a princess deserved, Celeste glared at
her captor and 'breadwinner' as he approached with the daily kill.
Torrent tossed the dead, rubbery fish down before the fire. "Hello
my dear." The fish slapped and flip flopped feebly at Celeste's feet,
not completely dead. As she stared down at it in disgust, Torrent
smiled. "Are you going to eat today? It might be a good idea. You
haven't eaten much in the past three days."
Three days...the words echoed and bounced in Celeste's buzzing head.
MHHQ was probably worried sick about her. "Have I been down here for
three days, Torrent?"
Torrent wordlessly stretched his supple blue body behind Celeste and
curled around her like a boa's embrace. Celeste's back was against
the Mechadrake's flank and she could hear him rumbling contentedly in
his chest, very much like the sly and malicious cat that he was. He
began to drift off in what was most likely the pretense of sleep.
Celeste was left alone to her thoughts.
She had been with Torrent for three days, all of which the drake had
treated her like his queen. Piled around the fire and glittering in
its uneasy light were wonderful gifts that Torrent had somehow managed
to acquire and present to her in a futile attempt to please
her...clothes, jewelry, money. Celeste had refused to even look at
the loot. She was still in the casual T shirt she had been wearing
upon meeting Torrent, even thought it was filthy by now. However, she
was missing her lightsabre as Torrent had managed to disarm her on his
'sneak greeting'. Celeste was secretly mortified about that; a
Huntress was never supposed to let her weapon out of her sight.
What frustrated Celeste the most was the fact that she had come to
meet Torrent for a showdown...a final decision as to who would be the
master of her mind. But from day one, Torrent showed no aggression
towards her whatsoever. Just the opposite. He treated her like a
prize. She was his finest treasure, and he was just going to enjoy
her presence for a little while before anything was done. Torrent was
a dragon at heart, after all; coveting and hoarding were his nature.
But Celeste mind churned ceaselessly on the frightening prospect of
what Torrent had in mind for her after he was tired of her 'visit'.
He was extremely erratic, after all...
Next to her leg, Torrent's eyes suddenly flashed open and his aura
stabbed into Celeste's mind. He chuckled low in his throat and hauled
up a cruddy corner of his mouth in a smug grin. He had locked into
her last thought very nicely. He hauled himself up onto his webbed
feet and towered over Celeste who was frozen on the spot. Torrent's
presence in her mind numbed her limbs.
"So my dear...you want to know what'll happen to you? I was hoping
that you'd allow me to enjoy your company for a little bit
longer...but if you're in a rush, I'll tell you your options now. Is
that all right?"
Reduced to a paranoid child, Celeste chewed on a thumbnail and
whimpered quietly.
"Very good." Torrent reared back his head and squatted down by
Celeste's ear. "Here's option number one. I can make a lot of money
on you. And I mean a LOT."
A terrible (and perfectly valid) thought then crossed Celetse's mind.
Torrent read into it and snorted.
"No, not prostitution. That's so done. No my sweet...you don't know
it, but in the underground there is a very pretty price on your head
to anyone who can deliver you alive. The same price was on your
father's head...and several other members of the McTreggor bloodline
dating back several decades."
This news was extremely disturbing to Celeste, yet far within her she
felt a faint note of strange excitement and pride sing out. All of a
sudden she was an outlaw? Cool! But...
"Who wants to find me that badly, Torrent?"
Torrent laced his dirty fingers behind his head and tilted it back in
a yellow smile. "This is where the age-old question pops up: 'How
far will you humans go to guarantee the existence of your species?'."
Torrent was able to sense Celeste's frustration with his stalling.
"The Inheritors of Eden want you, child," he announced solemnly.
Celeste felt as if she were living a bad comic-book story.
"Inheritors of what?"
"The Inheritors of Eden, an organization that has been around for
ages. If I were to deliver you to them, I'd be rewarded an insane
amount of money."
Celeste boggled slightly.
"It goes like this." Torrent moved closer to Celeste in automatic
response to her shying away. "The Inheritors would love nothing more
than to add the McTreggor bloodline to their ranks. They know about
your fighting history and they also know about Mindspeak. You would
not be mistreated if you joined them. You'd live a rich and
meaningful life if you were willing to...cooperate with their program.
I gave this offer of eternal happiness to your sire, and just to let
you know the fool was too 'faithful' to his mate and children to take
it. But you...you are not obligated to this world in any way. Will
you allow me to deliver you to the Inheritors?"
Celeste felt like a sponge in a bucket of water. More had been
thrown at her than she could possibly absorb. It took some effort,
but she managed to wipe the slack-jaw off of her face to seriously
consider what Torrent had said. The Inheritors of Eden. Somehow that
sounded like the kind of thing that would change your life if you
dared to indulge in it.
"Torrent, why don't you tell me what the Inheritors do?"
Torrent was taken aback. "Why, daughter of Jake...would that matter
if you were happy?"
"Yes, actually, it would matter a great deal," Celeste grimaced.
Torrent suddenly thumped himself down on his hindquarters and drew
Celeste close to him like a grimy child with an overused teddy bear.
Celeste hardly flinched; she was getting used to this erratic
behaviour. She simply marinated in the Mechadrake's stench as he
rocked back and forth with the her head against him.
"Sweet Child O Mine," Torrent purred soothingly like a mother
comforting a baby, "that question is irrelevant. If you are given a
chance to live a perfect life, don't question it. That's what got
your kind kicked out of paradise in the first place." Torrent paused.
"No, I don't think you are ready to join the Inheritors of Eden. I
guess we'll be going on to option two now..."
All at once, Torrent hopped to his feet. Celeste went for a bit of a
tumble. She cowered, expecting the Mechadrake's claws to dig into her
flesh at any second. However, Torrent wasn't even looking at her. He
was looking over his shoulder, his spiny ears turning and scanning.
Although Celeste couldn't hear anything, she could sense that Torrent
had.
"Torrent, what -- ?"
Be still, Torrent's whisper trickled in her mind.
Celeste clamped her mouth shut and strained with her inferior human
ears for a hint of what Torrent was so worked up about...
"Yum. Sewage."
Paul and a handful of his Night Viper underlings sloshed through the
maze knee-deep dirty water. The foul sludge reflected their moods.
They had found very few traces of Celeste and Torrent over the past
few days, and they were beginning to lose hope.
"I wonder if the other parties are having any luck," one of the
Vipers thought aloud.
"I sure hope so," Paul said. "This may not be fun, but at least
we're not one of the groups that has to search the R-Section
labyrinths. Down there, the water can get neck-deep."
"Double yum."
The group splashed on, Paul at the head. Bringing up the rear was
his second-in-command, a human male named Ozzie. Ozzie had tripped
and fallen into the scummy fluid earlier that day, and he was utterly
miserable now as his wet clothes slapped against his skin. To top it
all off, there was a chilly draft billowing from one of the many
passageways. It was conditions like these in which a person could
easily catch a --
"Ah--CHOOOO!"
The sneeze had snuck up on Ozzie without warning. It blazed through
the catacombs and bounced off the walls happily, like bells ringing in
the new year.
Paul glowered at Ozzie in disgust. "God bless you."
Ozzie grinned sheepishly.
"If Torrent was nearby," one of the reploids in the group remarked,
"he's long gone by now."
The sneeze had reached them like a gunshot. Celeste's face lit up
with hope upon hearing it. That sneeze HAD to belong to a member of a
search party! She sprang up, intending to yell out her location, but
before she could even make a sound, a clammy hand closed around her
mouth with alarming strength. Torrent swept Celeste off of her feet
and tucked her under one arm as he dove into the water, paddling
swiftly towards an escape route. In a very few seconds, Celeste's
lungs began to feel as if they were bursting at the seams, yet Torrent
didn't show any intentions of surfacing for air. He merely pressed
onward through the silent, watery tomb, oblivious to Celeste's mental
screams of panic. The Huntress' mind fizzled out as her body went limp.
Celeste surprised herself by waking up. She was laying on solid
ground and panting furiously, her body obviously retrieving its oxygen
debt. Her throbbing head just about blew up when she tried to sit up.
When she finally succeeded and the black spots stopped slam-dancing
in front of her eyes, she was treated to Torrent Leviathan suddenly
thrusting a vial of unidentifiable clear liquid under her nose.
Celeste instantly drew her head back. Good move. Unfortunately, her
back met with a wall and the vial was right in front of her face once
more.
"Okay Torrent, what's with THIS?"
"Option number two, my dear!" Torrent cackled. "I need a guinea
pig. You'll do nicely."
"Is...is it some kind of super virus?" Celeste cracked as she tried
to become one with the grungy bricks behind her.
"Oh, puh-leeze!" Torrent rolled his eyes. "Not only is the whole
'super virus' thing cliche, it's also completely useless. Humans are
one of the most genetically diverse species in the universe. Sure, a
virus would wipe out a handful of them but there would always be a
percentage that would survive. It's called meiosis and humans undergo
the process specifically for protection against killer diseases. What
DO they teach you in school?"
Celeste's pale mind could only recall learning the ABC's.
Torrent waggled the vile under Celeste's nose again. "What we have
here," he announced, "Is a more fun and exciting way of Mavericks
getting rid of humans. My pet name for it is 'Crazy Juice'. Once
this stuff enters your blood stream, your sanity gets shot to hell.
You quite literally become stark raving mad and will blindly attack
anything that moves. Can you imagine it? Mavericks pitting one
berserk human against another in the arena...placing bets on their
favourite...raking in the cash. Sure beats horseracing! You save on
oats, too."
"And you want to TEST this stuff on me?!"
"It would be very nice if you would cooperate," Torrent said airily.
"See, at this point, I don't know if the effects are permanent.
A...friend of mine ran a bit of a test for me. He/she used it on a
pack of orphaned kids, but they ended up mangling each other in the
final stages of their insanity before any results could be confirmed.
Ever see a bunch of kids kill each other? Sad sight, my dear, sad
sight indeed."
With the deadly speed of a cobalt cobra, Torrent had coiled around
Celeste and held her fast, laughing at her desperate struggles.
Celeste could see one of Torrent's claws glittering dully, poised just
above her right arm, ready to draw blood. Just a little bit of the
stuff rubbed into a fresh cut would do perfectly fine...
But no. Torrent dropped his hand and gave Celeste some slack.
Celeste scrambled out of his hold. "I'm not being fair to you,
child." He rasped. Celeste whipped around and faced the Mechadrake,
adrenaline singing and pounding against her eardrums. She was ready
to die fighting tooth-and-nail against the devil. But Celeste's
foaming at the mouth didn't change Torrent's sad tone. "I'm not being
fair to you," he repeated.
Celeste squared her shoulders and wiped the greasy film of sweat off
of her forehead.
"I can't just infect you with a disease while you're defenseless,
then watch you die without a prayer in the world. You came for a
showdown. And a showdown you shall get. I allowed your father the
same privilege, after all." Metal hissed against metal as Torrent
the Tenderhearted suddenly unsheathed a six-inch hunting knife. Dark
light flashed on its dim surface as it was jammed in a crack at
Celeste's feet. Celeste gawked at the weapon as if it were a spirit.
Dried, black blood dulled the blade's brilliance. Blood that could
only have belonged to...
"Jake." Torrent finished the thought for Celeste and gave a lukewarm
grin. "Yes, this is your father's blood before you. I used this
knife to slit his miserable throat, and I never cleaned the blade
after that. It was an unforgettable battle, let me tell you. Your
dear old da' was a great representative for humankind. Here, this is
for you." Torrent graciously tossed Celeste her lightsabre. He had
ignited it for her, and in her trance Celeste nearly caught the weapon
by its pulsating neon blade. That would have cost her a hand.
"Myself, I will be fighting with just these dirty little fingernails
of mine," Torrent announced grandly to a make-believe audience.
"But...let's add a bit of Shakespearean zest to the duel, shall we?"
Torrent hummed softly as he withdrew his vial of Crazy Juice.
Holding it in his balled left hand, he carefully dunked each of his
talons on his right hand in the deceptively harmless-looking clear
fluid. Then he set the vial down and blew on his hand like a woman
trying to speed up the drying process of her fingernail polish.
"One scratch and you're bats," Torrent rhymed for Celeste with a
final shake of his spiked hand. "Awright...let's goooo!"
The limited English vocabulary simply fails to come up with words
that are
spectacular enough to describe a battle between two individuals who
have the ability to tap
into each other's thoughts and feed off of each other's emotions.
Comparing a fight that is
fueled by Mindspeak to a normal fight between skilled fencers is like
comparing the
apocalyptic raging of divine warriors to grunting, clumsy cavemen
splitting each others'
skulls with crude clubs.
Shimmering waves of glaring, neon heat shed from Celeste's
lightsabre. The false
warmth spawned the perspiration that condensed on her forehead and
gushed down
her neck in rivulets. Her shredded T shirt was soaked with a
nauseating mixture of dirt and
sweat. The coppery scent of fresh blood was also seeping its way into
the delightful
concoction that was growing on the mangled cotton; just minutes ago,
Torrent had delivered a stinging tail whip to the Huntress that had
drawn a fine diagonal line of red from her right shoulder all the way
down to the left joint in her hip. The furious pumping of her heart
did little to halt the slow but steady flow of blood. For the moment,
the wound didn't bother her very much. Celeste knew that the thing to
watch was Torrent's poisoned right paw, which the Leviathan swung
freely.
Any other human in the same furious battle would have dropped dead
long ago of blood loss or dehydration, if not both. Strangely enough,
Celeste did not feel any exhaustion whatsoever. The battle had forced
her to learn how to use Mindspeak
to her advantage. Raw emotions were cascading between her mind and
Torrent's, and by
feeding off of her foe, she was able to plead with her body to lend
her a nonstop flow of
adrenaline.
The wild emotions, thoughts and memories that ebbed and flowed
between Celeste and Torrent during the battle were potent, random and
nonsensical, a bizarre mix of everything felt by a newlywed couple on
their wedding night to a rookie soldier on the front lines for the
first time. Hate, love, anger, terror, lust, passion. Both their
minds were so cluttered with the unusual emotional sludge that neither
one of them could make sense of exactly what the other was thinking.
Their fighting was completely wild with no strategy at all.
Numerous slashes crisscrossed Torrent's body. His eyes burned
baleful and red with ambition. He was under the same drive as
Celeste. He wanted to cut off this wild frenzy of emotions, he wanted
to grab them by the neck and strangle them. Neither of them could
continue to torture their bodies for very much longer. In the battle
with Jake, it had been the human who had weakened first. But Celeste
was younger and full of ginger by the looks of the calm blue fire
burning steadily in her eyes...was it possible that she could outlast
him...?
NO. Jaws agape and terror renewed, Torrent leaped for Celeste
throat. The Huntress simply swerved to one side and rewarded Torrent
with a gash along his neck. Torrent roared in pain and rage,
unsheathing his claws once more. He would drive the (respectable)
little crackwhore off of her prissy dry perch of land and into the
water. THEN they'd see who would outlast who!
Torrent's webbed feet slapped against the brick floor, the percussion
to his howls as he marched with unwavering speed to where Celeste was
standing. But Celeste did not back away in terror as Torrent had
planned, even when he bellowed a lovely dragon-roar just inches from
her face. She had become a complete statue. She was not even looking
directly at the Mechadrake; she was looking beyond him with glazed
eyes. Her lightsabre extinguished itself as it slipped through numb
fingers and clattered to the ground. Triumph thrummed through
Torrent's cooling mind; he had driven Celeste to shock! Extremely
pleased with himself, he delicately bared his lemon teeth to nibble on
the Huntress' jugular. The first spurt of blood was always the best...
Suddenly, the statue was a she-cobra who flashed at her assailant's
thigh with a dull black fang. A red arrow of burning pain shot
through Torrent. Too dumbstruck to even bellow his displeasure at
being skewered through the leg, the Mechadrake looked down to see the
shaft of a blade protruding out of his muscular thigh like a
blackened, broken bone...the shaft belonging to the very same blade he
had slit Jake's throat with. Torrent had shown it off to Celeste and
jammed it in the ground moments before launching his attack. But
when had Celeste recovered the blade...? Torrent's fevered
mind could not recall.
Torrent averted his slack jawed gape (which was very unbecoming on
him) from his injury to Celeste's face. She was enjoying herself,
feeding off of his pain as he had done to her so many times. It was
apparent from the satisfied smug expression that oozed to every corner
on her face and settled into the corners of her mouth and jerked them
up into a malicious grin that did not seem to belong to her. Then
Celeste opened her mouth to speak.
"Drink your own medicine, Torrie."
It was not Celeste's voice.
It was Jake's.
Heights. X liked heights, especially on windy days. X also liked
airports, and seeing how he was now on the windy roof of terminal 5 of
Airport 1001, he was having a pretty neato day all in all.
At that moment, X was supposed to have been confronting Storm Eagle
who had taken over the port, but he was allowing himself a little rest
first. His legs were stretched out before him, and on his lap was the
new helmet he had just received as a gift from his 'dad'. It was a
fine white and blue headpiece with a crest of dual tapered fins that
would make ceiling bashing a whole lot of fun.
X ran his fingers along the edges of the bladed helmet as he prattled
on to Light's form, which was still shimmering in the capsule that X
was leaning against. The love-starved reploid insisted on talking to
his father whenever he had the chance. Light still refused to tell X
about his past and rarely said anything other than what X's latest
upgrade doohickey was good for. X didn't mind; he just liked to have
someone to talk to.
"So, let me tell you a bit more about this friend of mine, Doc."
"I don't know X," Light said in a hollow and exasperated tone of
voice. "I'm really not joking when I say that this is long distance..."
"Ah, you're doing fine." X assured him as he fixed his new helmet
onto his clammy, mussed nest of brown hair. "Anyway, like I was
saying, this Zero fellow is quite a character. We didn't really like
each other when we first met, but he turned out to be an okay fellow.
Now we're pretty much best friends. I've noticed a few weird things
about him, though. For one thing he has a hard time handling the
death of anything that's important to him in any way. Like this one
time he left me in charge of feeding his goldfish. I kind of...forgot
to do it, and the stupid critter went belly up. So you know what Zero
did? He dragged me down to the parking lot and slammed my head
repeatedly with his car door. That's part of the reason I'm so
grateful to get this helmet of yours, Doc. My old one is kind of
bashed up."
Light nonchalantly stared off into the wild blue yonder. "This
friend of yours does seem interesting," he drawled. "Who did you say
his creator was?"
X shook his head. "I didn't. He claims to have been abandoned at
activation."
For the first time during their long conversation, Light appeared to
be interested in what X was saying. "Really? That IS interesting.
I'd like to meet this fellow some day. Shouldn't he be helping you
to defeat the Mavericks?"
X drew a long sigh that was saturated with self-pity. "Yeah...but
for now, I'm all alone." The azure reploid then went on to tell the
whole sad story of Celeste going after Torrent, and how Zero had gone
chasing after her. "Remember how I said that Zero hates to see
anything or anyone close to him die? Well, I'm sure he wouldn't be
able to live with himself if anything happened to Cel."
Light's ghostly pale brow was furrowed in thought. "I see," he
muttered. "You're saying that he cares for a human?"
"Oh hell yes." X craned his neck back to get a better view of his
father. "He's admitted it several times to me. I kept it a secret,
of course." X's voice wavered a tiny bit at the end of the sentence
as he recalled just how much of a 'secret' he had kept Zero's
fascination for Celeste.
Light suddenly began to laugh heartily.
X was puzzled. "Is funny?"
Light's laugh trickled off into a chuckle. "In a way, yes," he
grinned. "Technically, humans and reploids aren't supposed to fall
for each other because of all the nasty complications that can arise.
But now that I hear it's happening...well, the basic idea is kind of
nice! Maybe the two species can coexist after all. X, next time
anyone is giving our happy couple a hard time about being together,
kick them in the shins and tell them it's from good ol' Doc Light."
"I'm way ahead of ya."
Torrent braced himself. When he was ready, he screwed up his courage
and grasped the hilt of the blade lodged within his leg. Setting his
teeth he slowly freed the dirty metal from its fleshy bed. The
acoustics of the nauseating self-surgery were particularly
interesting, between the drawn out slurping sound the knife made as it
left its sheath and Torrent's own high-pitched whine. Jake, in the
shell of his daughter, was not taken aback at all. The Mechadrake
could taste the acidity of Jake's triumph. It was an acrid spot on
the roof of his mouth that was slowly spreading to coat his forked
tounge.
"You're going to want a band aid for that, Torrent."
Torrent simply rumbled, hunched over his wound. Then he rose slowly,
like a twisted weed growing out of filth. All at once he hurled the
bewitched knife into the watery vein beside him. He no longer had any
reason to be proud of it. Celeste had retrieved her lightsabre and
was now advancing on her prey. The tables had certainly turned.
Torrent was bleeding furiously. He couldn't fight with a lame leg.
Celeste was the mouthpiece for her father's spirit once again. "I
didn't want anything to do with the Inheritors, so why would my
daughter?" The Huntress (Hunter?) swung the lightsabre in a wide,
lime arc. Torrent dodged none to gracefully. His leg was now
dragging. Celeste was still advancing. "Leave my daughter alone.
Leave her thoughts to herself. Leave the McTreggors alone. Do you
think we ASKED for the 'gift' of Mindspeak? Do you think we're proud
of it? Why do you think we never tell anyone about it? What have you
got to fear from us?"
Torrent slowly coiled as his arch nemesis approached. "More than you
think, Jake ol' chap."
There was a sudden, blue flash. Celeste could feel Torrent's hot
breath hissing on her left arm a nanosecond before all five of the
sacred poisoned talons on the altar of his right paw sunk into her
skin. The Huntress' world turned upside down as her back slammed into
the wall. As she slid down, she could feel the rough brick licking
along her skin like the tounge of a very large cat. She regained her
equilibrium just in time to see Torrent slither into the soupy water
beside her ledge. The leviathan was gone, but he had infected Celeste
with his experimental virus. He had left a happy Maverick.
"Another turn, another fork stuck in the road." Zero glared
hatefully at the series of tunnels before him that snaked their way
further into the catacombs. Frustration had free reign of his mind
and it was tearing him apart. He couldn't keep half of MHHQ's
fighting force way down under to keep up their fruitless search for
Celeste. There was an actual war going on. That's where everyone was
supposed to be...
Zero dismissed it temporarily as he irritably waved for his small
troop to follow him down one of the randomly chosen passageways. The
trio of nondescript reploids complied silently; their commander was in
a very foul mood. About ten minutes later, the small group met up
with a nest of three completely exhausted Night Vipers.
Zero regarded the two reploids and one human with bleary, hopeless
eyes. "Did any of you find anything?"
"No sir."
"Not yet sir."
"We ain't found shit!!"
Everyone glared at the third Viper who was quietly upset to find that
nobody shared any pleasure in his jokes.
"I'm pretty sure this is all useless," one of Zero's reploids dared
to say once everyone had had a good stare. "kind of a
needle-in-a-haystack type of thing --"
A pain-soaked roar from afar cut him off. Everyone was jolted at once.
Zero's eyes flared deliciously as he mentally pinpointed where the
cry had wafted from.
"Bingo-bango!"
The virus got down to work very quickly. Celeste, still slumped
against the wall where Torrent had left her, could feel it tingling
all around her body like the marching feet of thousands of icy ants.
The straight, sharp lines of the sewer brickwork began to melt down
and swirl madly before her glazed eyes. The world in itself was
rapidly becoming more and more psychedelic.
Hang in there Kitten, her father's ghostly mind whispered
soothingly into her own. Ironically enough, the voice was the only
truly real thing that Celeste could hang on to. Help is on the
way.
Celeste became frantic at the thought of being left alone in a
strange place while a freak virus was taking over her body. Are
you leaving me here? You CAN'T go! I've been wanting to talk to you
for ages!
Celeste could sense Jake's regret. Sorry my dear, but you might
say that this is long distance. I'll just say that I'm extremely
proud of you. Give your ma my love! The famous Hunter's presence
burned out of Celeste's mind like a candle flame, leaving her very
much alone.
It was at that moment that the virus slammed into the Huntress full
tilt. Her eyes were drained of all traces of sanity. She rose slowly
to her feet and unsheathed her lightsabre. She knew only one thing;
some human had to die.
Her potential victim came into the light very quickly. Seven figures
burst into the chamber. One of them, a huge crimson demon with a
fire-yellow tail, spotted her right away and rushed towards her with
open arms while chanting her name over and over in a slow, unearthly
voice. Celeste was not interested in him. She could smell the
hateful human that cowered in the very back of the group, safe behind
a shield of reploids. She had to reach him and skewer him at all
costs. With an alien battle cry, the possessed Huntress charged the
red devil before her, the devil that was blocking the way to her
rightful prey.
"Holy fish on toast," Ozzie gawked. "Get a load of that look she's
giving me!"
Zips the reploid tossed a wide grin at his young human friend.
"Maybe she's coming on to you," he teased.
Ozzie shrugged and smiled feebly. "Hey, if you've got it, you've got
it."
Nobody, not even Zero, said anything for a full five seconds as they
observed the beast of a girl fretting across the room. She fearlessly
padded around them, lightsabre drawn, growling and drooling like a
blood-starved cat in a cage. She never pried her eyes away from
Ozzie, the single human who was snug in a shield of reploids. The
musty scent of his blood drove her wild, and the shrieking leviathan's
voice in her head assured her that the blood would smell even better
once it splashed on the pavement...
Ozzie suddenly reeled in surprise as he recognized the human girl
that was tearing him apart with those bloody optics. "Whoa!" he
yelped. "It is Celeste! We've found her!" He began to move
towards her, but Zips pulled his arm back sharply.
"Not a good idea. Something's not right about her. She looks
rabid."
"I know that," Ozzie snarled, insulted. He tried to pull away
from his friend, but Zips gave him no slack. "I worked in the Medical
Unit for a time. I need to get a better look at her! I can help..."
"Stay where you are!" Zero barked in a quietly commanding voice as he
barred the way to Celeste with his arm. "Zippy's right. Something's
happened to her."
Celeste chose that moment to strike. She bounded towards the
Hunters, her sabre held in front of her like a knight's lance. Her
tangled, unwashed hair flew behind her like a comet's tail, and the
shredded ribbons of her shirt flapped like the banners of an unholy
army. An unearthly scream, not unlike that of a banshee, wailed from
beyond her yellow teeth. She was revved to cut through Ozzie's live
shield with everything she had.
Luckily, Zero was prepared. He likewise charged Celeste, his arms
outstretched like a fisherman's net, expecting her to break for him.
Even Ozzie's inferior human ears could hear the shocked sadness that
weaved into Zero's voice as it rose above the girl's hellish din.
"Celeste...Celeste dear, what did he do to you...?"
Unfortunately for Zero, Celeste wasn't breaking for anybody. A hot
shower of sparks and black blood washed over the Huntress as she drove
her lightsabre into the crimson reploid's upper left arm and ripped it
out again. A terrible scream broke free from Zero, and he
instinctively kicked at his attacker. The sharp steel toe of his boot
slammed into Celeste's shin with a sickening crack of splintering
bones. Issuing a pained wail of her own, Celeste collapsed on the
spot, the agony of her broken leg making her violently sick to her
stomach.
Leaving a spatter of blood as he pounced, Zero tackled the stricken
girl and pinned her neck against the ground with his good arm. He
couldn't help but crack a malicious grin at the irony of the
situation. He secretly always wanted to have a nice 'roll in the hay'
with Celeste ... and here she was below him, even though love had
absolutely nothing to with the position. (so to speak!)
That's when Zero's nearly-forgotten 'dark side' suddenly surfaced
like a bubble in bad jam and drew a sick pleasure from the situation.
All of the reploid's compassionate feelings for Celeste drowned as
Bass' cobweb-strung voice invaded his head.
That's the way to do it, little bro! Just like old times, huh?
Zero silently agreed with his brother. The female below him was his
rightful quarry and was at his mercy. He could do to her what he
pleased. He tightened his grip on the Huntress' neck, allowing his
long-starved evil psyche to savour her terrified helplessness and
pain. The blood that laced the vomit puddled around Celeste's head
accented his rapture...
What was he thinking?! Zero panicked and quickly regained
control of his emotions. He eased his death-grip on Celeste's neck.
The smothered fire leaped back into her eyes as he did so. She clawed
at the Hunter, but was still pinned under his bulk. She couldn't
twist out from under him and she was only going to hurt herself
trying. Zero was beginning to consider knocking her out with a
careful blow to the head when a quick breeze whipped past his arm.
Startled, he jumped off of Celeste just in time to see a nullifier
dart burrow into her left shoulder like a tropical bird immersing
itself into a flower.
The drug worked extremely fast. Celeste's face had already gone
slack and stupid by the time she reached up and pulled the dart out of
her skin. From his viewpoint, Zero could see that the dosage she was
shot with was much smaller than what was usually given to a reploid.
Studying the syringe with wild-animal curiosity, Celeste suddenly
eased her eyes shut and allowed the dart to slip from her fingers.
She settled down, but she did not lapse into total unconsciousness.
Weariness and fear invaded Zero. He clutched at his injured arm, his
thoughts buzzing painfully through his head. For months, he thought
it was safe to say that he fully converted from a villain to a good
fellow ... but now he realized that a portion of his soul was still
shaded black from his days growing up with Bass. And it was more than
just his trademark bloodlust. Zero shuddered as he watched Celeste
convulse in the swath of the nullifier. His mind played back the
raven emotions he'd experienced during their struggle. Horrified, he
realized that when he had Celeste at his mercy, he wanted to hurt her,
rape her, even kill her. Certain circumstances could revert him back
into the masochistic, power-hungry brother of Bass. He would have to
be a lot more cautious with his emotions, or he could seriously end up
hurting her...
"Hey Zero!" Ozzie suddenly called and grinned whilst twirling his
nullifier gun triumphantly. "I TOLD you to let me handle this! I
mean, I'll give you credit for trying to knock out Celeste like that
... but hell, it was totally unnecessary!" He stopped twirling and
frowned up at the reploids around him. "ALL of you have got to give
more credit to us humans."
The ring of reploids around Ozzie merely gave a collective grunt.
A small bucket of relief quenched a little bit of Zero's panic. The
other Hunters hadn't realized the evil side of his attack on Celeste.
That was one headache avoided. Temporarily pushing the ugliness out
of his mind, Zero kneeled beside the semiconscious Huntress and
carefully gathered her up, wincing as she weighed down on his injured
arm. Celeste subconsciously felt the jolt to her broken leg and
became fretful again, kicking and squirming.
"Do you want me to take her?" Zips inquired. "With the way she's
moving around, I'm sure she's hurting your arm even more."
"No thanks. I've got her," Zero said. He grinned as Celeste flopped
around like a landlocked fish. "Actually, when working for the
Medical Unit, I had to handle a countless number injured humans.
Ozzie had the right idea with giving her a small shot of nullifier."
Zero nodded in approval at the human who grinned in acknowledgment.
"But here's a trick that'll get her to settle down completely."
With that, Zero shifted Celeste slightly so that his left hand
reached over her face, covered her eyes and pressed her head against
his chest. In no time at all, the rigidity of the Huntress' body
thawed and she became completely relaxed.
The observing reploids were impressed with the quick and effective
results. "What did you do?" they all wanted to know.
Zero shrugged modestly. "Darkness and a heartbeat," he explained.
"It's an instinctive reaction. It reminds most humans of being back
in the womb, so they settle down. Doesn't work all the time, but hey,
it's always worth a try! Now, who's up for getting out of this Happy
Place of Fun?"
Celeste's dreams were stormy and vivid. It was hard for her to
actually determine when she was dreaming and when she was awake.
Furious activity spun around her. The first thing she was aware of
was the icy sponge that washed and dressed the nasty wounds on her
arms chest. Then there was the fiery agony of her leg being set.
Celeste howled and cursed, frantically tugging at her restraints and
scanning the room for a human to take her pain out on. Then something
sharp bit her upper arm and injected a sweet, liquid lullaby. She
surrendered to sleep's less troubled waters.
But in an instant, Celeste's eyes flew open and she was glaring at
the reploid fox who was hovering over her and jabbering medical jargon
to two nearby friends; the red demon she charged earlier, and a small
British 'ploid with a stupid hat. Celeste could filter in a few
broken phrases: "highly unusual virus", "uncontrollable lust for
human blood", "can be diluted, but will be very painful".
The next thing Celeste knew, she was hooked up to an IV and the
blonde-red reploid was beside her bed, gently squeezing her hand and
telling her to be brave. Celeste had no idea what he was rambling
about until a faint burning sensation began to pour into her veins.
The burning gradually became more and more intense until it was
downright excruciating. Celeste's screams respectively reached higher
and higher scales until she finally passed out.
Torrent...? Celeste cautiously approached the Mechadrake, who
had his spiky back turned to her. Torrent? she repeated.
Torrent did not turn his eyes from the sewer brickwork. This is
the last time you shall dream about me, Daughter of Jake, he said.
I just wanted to offer you my congratulations.
For...?
Torrent snorted and wheeled around. He slit his eyes at Celeste.
For surviving my virus, of course! And for defeating me. The
amount of physical and mental pain you've suffered is incredible. And
yet, you've remained so damn optimistic and cheerful! You really are
a McTreggor.
So...I'm going to be okay? Celeste ventured.
Torrent nodded. Indeed, he rumbled. Thanks to your
services as a guneia pig, I decided that I won't be unleashing the
virus. I have more pressing matters to attend to back home at
Mechadrake Assemblies. Besides, I trust you humans will breed
yourselves out of existence in a little while, so why bother with
genocide?
Um...good point, I think.
I leave you to think about that, Torrent lolled and winked.
And I leave you with this final message. Sooner or later, the
Inheritors of Eden WILL get their hands on you. Maybe tomorrow.
Maybe years from now. Maybe they'll even wait for your children. But
when the time comes, do yourself and the world a favour. DON'T resist
them. Torrent snaked his neck around Celeste's own. He nuzzled
at her cheek with his bumpy snout, chuckling at the Huntress' unspoken
disgust. Well then, this is goodbye. Take care...Sweet...
'Sweet Child O' Mine', Celeste automatically finished up for
him.
Torrent suddenly pushed her away roughly and lashed at her with his
tail. Caught off guard, Celeste yelped and staggered backwards to the
lip of the sewer platform. She teetered on the edge for a split
second before falling off. She braced her body for the splashdown
that was sure to follow, but it never came. She just fell...and
fell...and fell...
"Mr. Zero sir...there's not much you can do for her. It's up to her
to pull through the effects of the anti-virus."
"Shut up Pip."
"Oh...okay."
Celeste lay half-naked and almost motionless under a complicated net
of wires and tubes. Why can't humans heal as quickly and easily as
reploids? Zero mourned. He was anchored to Celeste's bedside,
clutching a handful of her matted brown hair. He did his best to tidy
the girl up a bit by running a comb through that handful of hair, over
and over. The repetitive motion allowed his thoughts to crawl through
his mind. He couldn't stop thinking about how he was responsible for
Celeste's broken leg, and he couldn't forget how badly he wanted to
hurt her when she was at his mercy. What if that happened again?
Maybe it would be best to take the advice Genesis gave him way back
and try to fall out of love with her ... nah, he couldn't do that.
That was like asking him to stop breathing. Zero sighed, and started
on a new handful of hair. I'm a selfish bastard, he thought
dully as he gently wrestled with a fresh set of tangles. Celeste's
safety was on the line, and he couldn't even make the effort to stay
away from her. But that wasn't very important at the moment. All
Zero wanted was for Celeste to open her eyes, look at him and tell him
that she was okay...
The sickly sweet smell of charred flesh wafted into the Medical Unit.
Zero grimaced as the scent introduced itself to his nose. Turning in
the direction of the stench, he was met by a medium-rare X.
"Whoa! X!" Zero gaped at his charred friend, forgetting about
Celeste's hair for a minute. "Good God! Are you all right?"
X's barbecued form swayed back and forth like a tree that was about
to be toppled by stormy weather. His blackened hair stood up on end,
indicating that he'd obviously been shocked repeatedly with several
million volts of electricity.
"I have a headache," X mewed pitifully before passing out.
Genesis and Pip picked up the reploid between them and moved him
to a more comfortable resting place. Zero reached over to pick up the
small figure that tumbled out of his friend's grasp. The destruction
of each Maverick boss always left a carving in its form. X's last
battle had been with Spark Mandrill ... and yet, Sparky's figure was
not that of an ape.
"Looks like some kinda yellow rat," Zero mumbled to himself as he
studied the object. "But what kinda rat has a lightning bolt for a
tail and red cheeks...?" Zero stroked the rat's puffy cheeks in
curiosity, and was rewarded with an intense blast of electricity.
That woke him up.
"Pikachu!" the seemingly innocent rat introduced itself sweetly once
Zero's world stopped reeling.
"Well, at least Sparky had a sense of humour," Zero cracked. He
delivered the bewitched carving to the computer mainframe, wisely
deciding not to touch it again if it could be helped. On his way back
to the Medical Unit, he realized X had defeated seven of the Mavericks.
Only one more to go...
"Come on, Celeste. Haul your cute little human carcass up into a sitting position. You can do it."
"No..."
"We have to start rehabilitating you."
"Lemme 'lone...too cold."
"You've got to be kidding. The entire Medical Ward is a sauna. Genesis insists on screwing around with the temperature, even on a beautiful day like today. Speaking of Genesis, he's sick of taking care of your bedpans, and he insists that you get out of bed today. So UP!"
Celeste's stale blanket was ripped from her. Sharp air needled her skin for the first time in three days. Celeste yelped from the shock and grabbed the tail of her quilt just as it trailed away from her. She yanked at it with all the fluttering strength she had. Zero responded on the other end with a much firmer tug. Celeste's woolly security slipped away from her. The Hunter grabbed her by one shoulder and helped her sit up. Totally washed out on drugs, Celeste contorted in response to the sudden cold, like a withering hag. Her inability to keep her right eye open did little to improve her looks.
"Lookin' fine," Zero lied. He parked a wheelchair next to the bed. "We're going to go for a little walk. The fresh air'll do you good. Here, I'll help you get in." Zero hefted Celeste into his arms. "The weather is beautiful, and ... uh ... ... why are you leering at me like that?"
Celeste ate Zero up with her good eye right before she threw her arms around his neck like an affectionate spider monkey. She pressed up against him. Severely flustered (and pleasantly surprised at the same time), Zero staggered backwards and did his best to keep his composure. What in God's name was this gal doing to him?! The startled Hunter opened his mouth to yell for backup.
"GEN--ulf!"
Celeste's mouth closed over Zero's own, cutting him off in mid-holler. Hey! This was fun!
Genesis padded into the room just then. He grinned as his shaded eyes fell on the tangled Hunter and Huntress. "Warned ya!" he sang in Zero's direction.
"About what?" Zero said aghast, looking down at Celeste who was now back to dozing with her head snuggled contentedly against his chest. "I was just about to take her out for a nice walk, but she took a hyper spaz when I lifted her up."
"I warned you to stay away from Celeste," Genesis said, his bushy tail swishing irritably from side to side. "But of course you didn't listen. Now she's fallen for you. The conditions are perfect...she's almost 20, you just saved her life, it's springtime, and she's under an ocean of medication. Ta da."
Flattered, Zero carefully set Celeste into the wheelchair. "What does her medication have to do with anything?" he wanted to know.
"She's on morphine," Genesis explained. "That stuff can really mess with your mind ... the truth suddenly becomes much easier to tell...or, in this case, act out. Under normal circumstances, I doubt that Celeste would've even told you how she felt. But thanks to the magic of morphine, her desires surfaced and she was perfectly comfortable with climbing all over you like an oversexed orangutan in heat."
"Oh...man..." Zero trailed off as he eyed Celeste's broken leg and was reminded how it ended up that way in the first place. Damn erratic emotions. So now the human was officially in love with him. Well, what good was that if Zero would always be at the risk of hurting her?
"Guys, please, could you give me five minutes? I'd like a moment to talk to my dad."
X's fan club -- a platoon of rabbit-like Tombots -- paid no heed. They simply bathed in their own silent awe, looking up at their blue mentor with adoring eyes. They were the only still and quiet animal life residing in Sting Chameleon's teeming techno-jungle. Reploid beasts and unnatural genetic hybrids squawked from every corner, their eyes flickering like unearthly flames. Dense foliage draped the pseudo trees and a dark green light shimmered in the humid air.
"That's quite a following you have there," Light's ghost remarked from the ice blue capsule behind X.
"I know," the Hunter sighed. "These dumb rabbit bots have always had a thing for me. Do I smell like carrots or something? I don't get it!"
"Maybe it's that new armour I just gave you," Light suggested jokingly. "I guess white and blue is a turn-on for rabbits?"
"Everything is a turn-on for rabbits," X snorted, his fingers running possessively over his sleek new jacket. Besides making him look snappy and sharp, the armour would reduce damage to his systems considerably. "All of ya go home now! 'kay?"
Nope.
Light chuckled sadly. "I guess we'll have to say our goodbyes with an audience."
X's eyes suddenly grew huge and blue with shock. "Wh-what goodbyes?" he stumbled.
"Goodbyes. You know, as in ciao, cherrio, au revior, shalom, God be with ye..."
"You're...leaving? For good?"
Light's holographic ghost shifted uncomfortably. "Yes,foralongwhile," he slurred, attempting to hide the emotion that was puddled around his words. "I've done what I can to help you...the rest is up to you...I can't stick around for any longer."
Reality bit into X's heart with icy teeth. "No!" he yelped. "You can't leave me alone like this!"
Light turned his back to X's face like a brick wall. "Sorry old boy..."
"I'll get REALLY mad..." was X's pathetic threat.
"I've told you before, this is long distance..."
"I'll throw one of these Tombots at you!..."
"If I could stay with you all the time, I would..."
"I mean it! I'll do it!...oh God, you're the only one who I can really talk to..."
"You're like a son to me..."
"I can hardly even say something to Zero without getting some smartass retort..."
" 'I never married and my dog is dead...' "
"Plus, he's too busy with his pet human to care about anything I say anymore..."
"Companionship is very important..."
"He's with her all the time...couldn't even help me defeat the Mavericks..."
"The bond between male and female..."
"Why doesn't he just SLEEP with her?..."
"Human and reploid..."
"Let us all offa the hook..."
"Those two could be the hope some day."
Father and son stopped ranting simultaneously. They simply stared at each other for a long time, sharing the same silent message of understanding. Light broke the spell by offering a last, sad smile to X just before shimmering out of sight. One second his solid image was there, and the next he was just diamond-like particles twirling in the heavy air like enchanted sparks rising from a mage's fire, scattering and dying forever. X was left very much alone.
Soaked with misery, the blue reploid plunked himself down next to the hollow armour capsule, listening to the liveliness of the forest around him and watching the sunbeams bounce off his new armour. The Tombots shyly loped away, abandoning their fallen hero. Only the smallest one remained faithful, and it cuddled up to X's leg. Moving in a daze, X scooped the little robot up into his arms and huddled over it so that his tears wouldn't drip on its metallic skin.
"Come back, dad...you're the only one who understands me..."
"Mmmhmmmmaaaaow." Sting Chameleon opened his beaky mouth in a yawn. "Good morning, Han. Milk, toast, and Eggo waffles if you please..."
No response.
Sting eased one bulging eye open and scanned his small chamber from his viewpoint on the ceiling. "Han, my dear boy...where are you?"
Still nothing.
"Wake up, old chap!" Sting swung himself down from his perch and slithered to Han's favourite corner. He scraped aside some of the moudly leaves and grass piled there. His efforts eventually revealed a trembling, middle-aged human male. Han. Han was once the head ranger of the forest until the day that Sting arrived. Sting thought it would be pretty nifty to have a human slave to terrorize, so he kept Han alive. Now the reptilian reploid loomed large over the terrified homo sapien.
"You humans really think you're something else," Sting hissed. "Am I right, Han?"
"N-no--no no no, sir!"
"Let's not lie. You all exist just to defile this planet with more of your kind, and -- goddamit, how many times have I told you to keep your fists BALLED UP, Han?! I can't stand the sight of those ugly opposable thumbs! Now hide them before I break them off!"
Han squeaked and sat on his hands.
"Good." Sting swung himself back up to his outpost. He closed his gruesome eyes dreamily. "Now sing me my song."
Han did as he was told without delay:
"Wonderful!" Sting cackled. "Well done, Han. You may keep your thumbs for one more day...oooh...all of a sudden I don't feel so fresh...I think I'm being watched..." Sting turned around. X had entered the room as silently as a cat during Han's song, and judging by the Hunter's creased face, he was not in a pleasant mood.
"Hello, Sting."
Sting stiffened. "Hello, X. Please stop looking at me. You're making me feel ill."
X nonchalantly twirled a Boomerang Cutter with one finger. "Not an option," he drawled. "I want to see if it's possible to make paper dolls out of synthetic chameleon hide. I like to watch."
Sting blanched at the sight of X's new armour, and, most of all, the Boomerang Cutter, which happened to be the only weapon capable of jolting him off his leafy throne in the rafters. "I suppose this'll be one of those fight-to-the-death deals, won't it?" he said.
"Yep."
"All right then. Off we go."
"So you see," Zero said to Celeste as he aimlessly pushed her wheelchair up and down some of the HQ's hallways, "it's best that we remain friends...at least for now. Do you understand?"
Celeste rolled her head, too zonked out on morphine to really hear anything Zero said. "Hmmm...heh heh...."
"All right, Celeste?" Zero repeated.
"Heeee ha...sure. God, I'm stoned."
"Attagirl. It's for your own good. I don't want to end up hurting you."
"How 'bout no longer being masochistic?" Celeste sang to no one in particular.
"You don't hear a word I say," the Hunter sighed. "I'm taking the coward's way out by saying all this to you right now."
"Where's my Flintstone phone? I wanna call Ernie and Bert."
Zero's wristcom hissed into life. The Crimson Wonder stopped abruptly to answer it, and the sudden jolt nearly sent Celeste flying off her wheelchair.
"Mr. Zero sir!" Pip squeaked over the 'com. "X thrashed Sting, but good! Come to the Computer Mainframe."
The Big Kahunas of MMHQ filled the Computer Mainframe, including Paul Wells who was holding the sticky hand of Clyde. Clyde sucked on his fingers and looked around the darkened room with wide eyes, in silent fear of the illuminated Cyclops-eyed monitors that peered down at him. Zero was the last one to arrive, pushing Celeste along with him. Everyone pressed against the exhausted X and his spoils; a jade chameleon statuette and a fellow named Han. X was holding on to one of Han's arms, and the crazed man was straining to get out of the grip. X eventually let go, and Han clawed his way through the crowd, laughing, crying, and screaming something about Great Big Sea. He wailed all the way to the Men's bathroom, where he locked himself in a stall and refused to come out for the rest of the day.
X nervously set the jade chameleon on the table, like a magician preparing some grand trick for a new audience. Now the pieces of the puzzle were all together; the soapstone penguin, the jade chameleon, the sapphire eagle, the ruby mastodon, the onyx beetle, the diamond armadillo, the brass octopus, and the cheap plastic pikachu. The animals statues stared at each other, exchanging wordless greetings and ageless secrets with their glittering eyes...
And nothing happened.
Noiseless seconds dragged on into minutes. Some of the humans began to stir restlessly; a cough here, a mutter there. Celeste finally broke the spell.
"Well this is a whole lotta nothin'."
The silence in the room was shattered all at once. People suddenly became full of ideas on how to squeeze out the information on Siggy's fortress that was undoubtedly hidden in the animals.
"Cut 'em open!"
"Step on 'um!"
"Give them a right nasty scolding!" (This was Celeste in all her morphine-induced wittiness.)
Forgotten in the commotion, Clyde Wells became fed up with the nonsensical noise and heat. He was drawn towards the animals, which reminded him very much of his zoo playset back at home. He went over the setup with critical eyes. Why were the animals all staring at each other? Maybe they didn't want to look at each other. Clyde carefully began rearranging the figures to suit his taste...
Celeste turned around in her wheelchair to glare at her propeller. "This room is too small for such noise," she remarked. "Settle 'em down, great leader."
Zero smacked his hands together and raised one arm into the air like a schoolteacher. "All right, everyone," he called out. "Quiet down...quiet now...don't make me flick the lights on and off...all right, that does it. SHUT UP! I GIVE YOU ALL PERMISSION TO SHUT THE HELL UP RIGHT NOW!"
The roar of the rabble trickled into a murmur. Everyone in the room faced Zero, who smiled in relieved satisfaction.
"Thanks, folks. Now, as we all know, these statues most likely contain information on the location of Siggy's fortress. I'm not exactly sure on how to extract the info, but if we all work together and make a nice pot of coffee I'm certain that ... oh, for Christ's sweet sake ... Paul, could you get your kid away from the display?"
Paul sheepishly made his way up to the front to fetch Clyde. Just as he reached for his son, Clyde moved the last animal in its place. A blinding flash stabbed everyone in the darkened room. Hands flew up to eyes and curses were yelped. When it all settled down and the spots cleared, a hologram of Siggy himself was hovering above the table, in the centre of the circle of animals, sneering down at the sea of dumbfounded Hunters.
"An army of Mavericks," he said, his voice hollow like pebbles falling into a tin bucket.
Zero looked blank. "What?"
"An army of Mavericks," he repeated. "One in the million will have the coordinates for my fortress. Once you have those coordinates, two of you -- and only two -- may teleport in and have a nice chat with me."
"You mean," X said slowly, "it's not a walk-in deal?"
"Oh no no no," Siggy chuckled. "My fortress floats. It's quite spiffy, and I really can't wait to show it off. The battle between the armies will take place in three weeks. On the outskirts of Kapcom. Champion reploids versus bug-eating tree dwellers and a few broken-down tin soldiers. This oughta be fun." Without another word, Siggy's ghostly image faded to black and was gone.
"This is it, then," Celeste said soberly, never taking her eyes off the cold, lifeless statues on the table.
"Yep. Armageddon," Zero said flatly.
"Reploids versus humans," Paul chimed in.
"And no stupid meteors," X mumbled.
"Or Aerosmith," Tess added.
"Three weeks," Josh said.
"Everyone who can will have to fight," Cain concluded.
"One Maverick in the entire army will have the coordinates for Siggy's fortress. Terrible odds," Ozzie reminded everyone.
"We can do it," Zero said. "When I first arrived here, Skysheen told me that human Hunters could overwhelm with sheer numbers. Plus we have the Malamutes. The dogs. They can help us."
"Well!" Genesis clapped his paws together. "We've got a lot of planning ahead of us. Let's get busy."
Celeste slowly picked her way down to the kennels,
limping along with the aid of a crutch. Her thoughts
dragged as heavily as her bound leg. She felt like a
condemned horse.
"Won't be able to fight like this," she told Zero
sadly.
Unable to bear his friend's slow, sorry plodding
anymore, Zero swept Celeste up and plunked her on his
shoulders where she teetered in surprise.
"Don't worry 'bout it. Genesis will really be able
to use your help, anyway. Now, allow me to go off
topic for a second and ask you an important question.
Why did you go after Torrent by yourself? Were
you single-handedly trying to restore your family's
honour and put your father's soul to rest, or were you
just on cheap horse crack?"
Celeste leaned forward over Zero's head. "Maybe it
was a bit of both."
"Come on now, be serious."
Celeste slung her crutch on her shoulders, confident
of Zero's hold on her ankles. "I guess a lot of
people think I was going after Torrent to avenge my
father," she said, "and a lot of folks think that dad
went after Torrent to prove that humans don't
suck when it comes to fighting. Maybe those reasons
had something to do with the showdowns...but there was
a lot more to it. Trust me."
Zero's interest smoldered pungently. "Like...?"
For a split second, Celeste tossed and dressed a few
daring ideas in her head. Should she tell Zero about
Mindspeak? Unload her anxieties and talk to her
friend? Risk the information leaking out and her
being alienated and subjected to endless tests?
"I'd rather not say. I have secrets that I'd like to
keep. But let's just say that I have no more reason
to go after Torrie."
"Spoilsport. But I'm not going to press. Lord knows
I have my own secrets, too. But if you ever need
anyone to talk to, I'm always...whoa, mind your head!"
The abrupt warning came a second too late; Celeste's
forehead gonged on the top of the doorframe.
"Warned you," the Hunter laughed as Celeste yelped
from her saddle. "Anyway, like I was saying, you know
that you can trust me."
"Yeee-ah."
"Now, down we go to the kennels. Have y'ever met
Mama Rowlf before?"
Celeste shook her head. "Can't say as I ever have.
The name sure sounds interesting."
"Then it'll do you good to keep your mouth shut when
you see her. When we say that the kennels are right
next door to Hell, we aren't joking. You'll see."
Celeste saw.
Mama Rowlf was a grade-A bitch, metaphorically and
literally. She was a bipedal reploid German Shepherd
with blazing red fur, blue eyes that shot icy glares
with ease, a mouth that would have sent Genesis
crawling under a rock, and a permanent sneer that
registered never-ending contempt for her moronic staff
and the world in general. She towered proudly over
everyone else in the kennels, the undisputed ruler
over the rows of silver cages that housed the yapping
Malamutes. The kennels were dark, hot, noisy and
reeked of doggies and incompetence. Celeste had to
take only one look at the kennel staff as they
shuffled, stared blankly and wasted time to understand
why Mother Rowlf was on eternal PMS.
"Hey Rowlf," Zero said, his voice a sunny birdsong.
He knew that he was not a favourite of hers.
Darkness rolled over Mama Rowlf's face as she looked
at the Hunter and Celeste. "Well, well. Zero. Come
to grace me with more of your demoted Hunters?"
"Nooo..."
"More of your stick-swinging yahoos who couldn't peel
a barnacle off their ass, yet you expect them to learn
how to properly take care of my poor puppies?"
"They're not your pups, they're Cain's. Listen to
me..."
"You want me to take in this young lady, right? Once
again you expect Mama Rowlf to flop out a boob and
yell, 'drink up!' to yet another slack-jawed yokel.
Forget it. No vacancy for vacant morons. Out out
out!"
"ROWLF!"
"What?"
"We need your help, and the dogs'. There's a war
going on."
Celeste and Zero witnessed an incredible event that
would never, ever repeat itself; Mama Rowlf wagged her
tail happily. "A war! My little puppies are going to
war! Oh, what a world." She settled down and touched
her cold nose to Zero's, which was wrinkled in disgust
at his putrid surroundings. "I don't suppose you'll
be handlin' one of 'em?"
Zero laughed shortly. "Yeah right. We're talking
Armageddon here. Siggy's declared mass war a week
from today. X and I will be going after Siggy
himself..."
Mama Rowlf furrowed her fuzzy brow and rubbed her
chin. "X...?" She did not know too many Hunters;
frankly, no one liked to visit her.
"I brought X to meet you once," Zero reminded the
kennel queen. "You knocked his head off his shoulders
after he dropped a puppy that peed on him."
"Ah yes, now I remember. That Jack Aster in blue.
Someone oughta call the fashion police on him.
Anyway, if you won't be using the dogs, I suppose
there'll be some other Hunters to mishandle them."
Zero nodded. "One of them will be this lovely lady
over here!" He gave Celeste a friendly shove towards
the unpleasant mountain of teeth and fur.
"Ah..." Mama Rowlf stooped down and squinted her "I
See All" eyes at Celeste, who glumly allowed herself
to be sniffed and poked.
"You're a human..."
Celeste remained silent, remembering what Zero told
her about keeping her mouth shut before entering this
hole of hell.
Rowlf smacked the Huntress upside her skull. New
Year's Day bonged in Celeste's head for the second
time in one hour. Zero put his hands on her shoulders
to stop her three-legged staggering, but he didn't
dare say anything towards her attacker.
"Answer me, girl! You're a human, right?"
"Yeee-ah. I am. Celeste."
Celeste's world quaked anew as Mama Rowlf grabbed her
small hand in her huge paw and pumped furiously.
"Wow! Don't get too many of your kind down here.
Right proud to meet a Domesticator, I am! You'll do
well with my dogs."
Celeste just wanted to go home and nurse her new
migraine.
"Follow me." Rowlf started down the kennel hall,
Celeste limping in tow. "These here are some of my
fine Malamutes," she crowed, waving a hand at some of
the cages they passed. "They CAN be used as attack
dogs, but they're more effective at moving injured
fighters to safety. Since you'll be helping Genesis
(by the way, when you see him, tell him he still owes
me five bucks), that's what you'll be using the dogs
for. I like you, Celeste, so I'm going to let you use
the finest we have."
With that, Mama Rowlf proudly opened a large cage.
The huge Malamute inside immediately sprang to its
proud feet. It was a fine dog with markings that
would've shamed an Oreo cookie. Its back was a dark,
rich black and its belly was a creamy white. Its eyes
were bright and shone with playful intelligence. Its
peaked ears moved about on the top of its lupine head,
scanning the area like small satellites.
Celeste cocked her head at the perky creature. "Cute
little bastard."
Rowlf beamed. "His name's Tommy."
"Tommy?" Zero snickered. "Jessi's playmate? The
proud father?"
Mama Rowlf's smile wilted and pulled its roots to the
corner of her mouth. "Let's not remind Mama Rowlf
about that Terrence and Phillip incident. 'kay?" she
growled.
Genesis paused long enough in his packing of medical
supplies to look at Celeste and scratch his head in
bewilderment. "No kidding. She gave you Tommy to
help us?"
"Turns out Mama Rowlf really likes me," Celeste
sighed. "For some reason, that makes me want to cry."
"I'm not surprised. She can be rather intimidating.
By the way, I'm really gonna need your help taping
ripped up humans back together in this battle, so
thanks a lot for crippling yourself beforehand and
gaining an excuse to stay out of the fighting! Pip
and I will need all the help we can get."
"Sure..." Celeste flumped down on an empty bed beside
her.
Genesis sensed the human's depression and pat her on
the head. "Now now," he crooned. "Don't be so
disappointed. You'll see plenty of action. You and
Tommy will be pulling mangled people off the field.
Doesn't that sound like fun?"
Celeste gave her friend a polite smile. "Of course.
By the way, who'll be running the Medical Unit here
while we're fighting out there?"
"Ozzie," Genesis drawled as he pawed through a
mismatched assortment of items in a drawer. "He used
to work here before he ran off with the circus -- er,
I mean, the Night Vipers. He's a bit rusty, but he
remembers the essentials."
Ozzie burst through the doors of the Medical Unit at
that moment, lustily clutching a rubber tube above his
head like Quasimido with the body of Esmerelda on top
of the Notre Dame cathedral. However, he was howling
"Enema!" instead of "Sanctuary!" It
was definitely a disturbing sight, and every human
patient in the room pulled his cover over his head and
sobbed quietly.
"Yeah, what else does he need to know," Celeste
mumbled.
Genesis' visor flashed in annoyance. "Celeste, your
depression is not doing my karma any good. If I show
you something neat, do you promise to pull your chin
out of your cereal?"
"I didn't mean to depress you. I'll leave..."
"Shut up and look at this," Genesis said as he
creaked a small velvet box open in front of Celeste's
eyes. There, nestled in royal purple, patiently lay a
tiny silver whistle. The lights in the room skated
effortlessly across its surface, leaving a trail of
rainbow that soothed Celeste's eyes. It looked pretty
old.
"It's gorgeous," Celeste gasped. She meant it.
"Isn't it though," Genesis said. He snapped the box
shut as Celeste reached for it, like a clam protecting
its pearl. "Sorry my dear...I don't want greasy
little human paws to touch this. Nothing personal.
It just means a lot to me. I've had this trinket for
as long as I can remember...and best of all, eet's got
eerie powers."
"What does it do?"
Genesis tucked the box away with the rest of the
stuff he was bringing to the battle. "I have a
feeling you'll see soon enough."
"By the way," Celeste said. "What's our army being
called?"
Genesis grimaced. "The Starship Troopers."
"Oh my Lord, that's lame."
"Easy, Tommy...heel!"
Those three words became Celeste's entire vocabulary
the minute the "Starship Troopers" departed for
Siggy's fortress and the massive battle that waited
for them.
"He's just excited to see the light of day," Genesis
chuckled as he waved at the huge open space that
yawned every which way. Behind the troops lay the
city, a nest of diamonds that glittered in the
twilight.
Celeste said nothing, keeping a short leash on Tommy.
Something was making her uneasy...very, very uneasy.
And it wasn't just the battle at the end of the trail.
It was the plain itself, the sprawling space that
made her feel so tiny, the strangely lifeless,
dried-up grasses which clattered softly like
impossibly thin bones whenever a hot puff of breath
stirred them.
"Genesis...I don't think I can stand this. This
place is seriously creeping me out."
The fox chuckled. "Not surprised. Like most humans,
you were born and raised in a city with noise
surrounding you at all times. You're probably
overwhelmed by the silence and sheer size of this
place."
"No...it's more than that, I'm sure. Why the hell
isn't this place developed? Where are the humans?
Forget that, were are the animals? There's
nothing here!"
Genesis laced his hands behind his head as he walked.
"You ever learn about World War III?" he asked.
"Happened just before humans started to seriously
build 'bots."
Celeste nodded. "My great-grandmother lived through
that war. Heard all sorts of stories from her."
"Nuclear weapons were used, as you know," Genesis
said. "And although it wasn't quite the end of the
world like people predicted it would be...well, I'll
say this much; this area used to be developed. Hell,
it used to thrive."
"Good God!" Celeste yelped. "You mean..."
"Kapcom definitely isn't the only city in the world
with a huge, dead prairie surrounding it, Celeste.
'Skeleton Grasslands' like this one won't be able to
safely support long-term life for quite a few
generations yet." Genesis arched his back. "They've
made for some excellent battle-grounds, though," he
growled. "Humans sure love tradition when it comes to
slaughtering each other." He wheeled around at the
antlike line of Hunters who were staggering far behind
under the weight of the medical supplies they were
carrying.
"Come ON!" he roared. "My gramma can move faster
than you idiots...and she's DEAD!"
Night flopped its dark flank on the Skeleton
Grassland. Celeste found an unnaturally large hill
that rose out of the flat land like a growth. She
parked herself there, tucked her knees up to her
chest, and watched the ongoings in the camp below her.
Fires were being built, food rations were being
burned, and eventually the humans slunk off to find
some place to sleep...quite a few of them in pairs.
Celeste could hardly blame them for having a good time
together before they died tomorrow. Domestic
discipline was lax for that very reason. The Starship
Troopers had been accurately named.
The fires burned low and red and hot, but Celeste
couldn't even think about going to sleep. She peered
out across the west for a sign of the Maverick army.
She didn't see any trace of enemy camp...but what she
did see nearly made her strangle on her heart anyway.
The plains were glowing ever so slightly. A
pulsating, calm purple that could barely be noticed.
Its quiet subtlety is what squeezed Celeste's insides
with hot claws...the way the radiation just lay there
like some ancient but deadly beast...the terror it had
been spawned of all those years back...the terror that
ate acres of land, tormented thousands with slow
deaths, caused hideous birth defects and mutations...
Like your Mindspeak, perhaps?
Celeste froze. Who said that? No answer, but
at least it wasn't Torrent who'd spat ghosts in her
ear. And tomorrow, it was all going to happen again.
Humans clutching at their bloodied wounds, screaming
and dying, the way they'd always done before...
"Hey. You all right?" Zero mounted the hill.
"No!" Celeste crackled as she pointed to the glowing
plains. "LOOK at that!"
"Yeah, I guess it's kinda creepy," Zero drawled as he
sat down beside Celeste. "I had a feeling you'd be
disturbed, so I thought I'd keep you company."
"Thanks. I need it. This place is just so...I don't
know."
The two sat in silence for a little while. Suddenly,
something heavy and damp leaned into Zero. Surprised,
the reploid turned around to find Celeste sobbing on
his shoulder.
"You only seem to do this when I'm around," Zero
chuckled softly as he put his arm around her and
rubbed her back. "There now. That's what I came here
for. Have yourself a good one."
The storm passed in a few minutes, and the two
resumed their silent radiation-gazing, Celeste still
in the crook of Zero's arm.
"I wonder what Gen would say about a human and
reploid getting married," Zero mumbled.
Celeste snapped out of her sleepy state. "What?" she
squeaked.
"Oh...just thinking up some long term plans," Zero
smiled. "You know how I feel about you...and I know
how you feel about me." Zero told Celeste about her
antics under morphine. Celeste blushed, but she
smiled shyly.
"It wouldn't exactly happen tomorrow," Zero said.
"Hell, I gotta get out of Siggy's fortress alive.
'sides that, I want to learn more about myself and my
past. But in the long run..." he gave Celeste a quick
squeeze. "I want to take care of you someday."
Unwinding himself, Zero reached behind him and placed
the heavy, cold hilt of his lightsabre in Celeste's
hands. "Here. I gave this to you once before, when I
started to train you. I want you to keep it now."
Celeste stared at the metal cylinder, which glowed
strangely in the purple-and-red. She was overwhelmed.
"It's a Lucas..."
"You bet. They don't make 'em anymore."
"But...you...have to fight tomorrow."
"Hell, I got plenty others. Not Lucas's, but the
factory-run crap from the HQ. I'll manage."
"But...I can't take this! It's too valuable!"
Zero stroked Celeste's head with a quiet smile.
"Well...it's not quite a ring," he laughed. "But I
kinda figured the tradition called for an exchange of
sorts. How about it? Will you marry me someday?"
Celeste stared at the sabre for a good while longer
before she put it back down in front of Zero.
Zero looked crushed, but Celeste put a hand on his
knee for a second to reassure him. Then, she slowly
rolled up her left pant leg. There, to Zero's
astonishment, was a small leather sheath. And from
the sheath, to Zero's additional astonishment, came a
gorgeous dagger, which Celeste handed to her husband
of someday.
Zero studied the dagger very closely. It was unlike
anything he'd ever seen. The hilt was made of two
crystal-studded snakes that twined around each other.
In between its rich coils lay thin golden
slabs...adenine, cynine, guanocine, thytocine. The
blade was a simple point of silver.
"Two snakes forming a DNA helix," he mumbled. "Very
clever. It must mean something. Where'd you get it?"
Celeste shrugged. "It was the middle of the night
when dad left to go after Torrent. I was half asleep
when he came into my room, hugged me and said he loved
me. I woke up in the morning and that was beside my
pillow. I guess he put it there. Damned if I know
where he got it...he always had his secrets. Needless
to say, it means a lot to me. I've been carrying it
with me almost everywhere I go. I'd like you to have
it. In case you can't get it through your blonde head
by now...my answer is yes."
Celeste happily sank back into Zero and fell asleep
in a matter of seconds. The Hunter quietly played the
part of the pillow for the rest of the night, staring
out over the slow, purple breathing of the Skeleton
Grassland and thinking about what the future would be
like with a human beside him. His thoughts almost
drowned out the sound of Bass screaming in his mind.
Idiot! You'll turn back to us. Trust me. Why
don't you listen to that fox who smells like piss?!
Mark my words, baby brother. She's a human, and
she'll break your heart. Just wait 'till she gets a
hankering for some bacon in the oven. You can't give
her THAT.
At some point in the night, a cold wind sprang up and
shuddered through Celeste, who curled up into a fetal
position but did not wake up. Zero gently swung his
ponytail over his shoulder and covered the Huntress
with a thin blanket of hair. Then he went back to
guarding over her sleep like he'd done so many times
before.
"Oh, the city's alight with lovers and flame, and
bright blue eyes..."
Maugrim sang softly in time to his marching feet,
which swept over the dry grass like black death and
cracked the blades beneath them. The sickly snapping
was echoed hundreds of times behind him, mixed with a
crescendo of clanking armour.
"An entire Maverick army at my disposal!" Drunk with
excitement and anticipation, Maugrim draped his arms
around J.T. and Duskclaw. "This is gonna be sweet.
Lord Siggy made some good choices for his Generals,
I'll tell you."
"Yeah, we get cool CB radios," Duskclaw giggled,
lifting his black Motorola into view. Before anyone
could stop him, he turned it on.
"310 calling Unit 323!" Duskclaw barked into the
radio.
"Unit 323," a slightly-panicked voice choked out over
the waspish sea of static. "What is your command?"
"Stop jerking off!"
"Uh...10-4?"
Duskclaw clicked the radio off and threw his lupine
head back in a howl of laughter.
Maugrim frowned. "Dusk, behave yourself or I'm
taking that away. This is no time to be stupid. In
about twenty minutes, we'll be gutting sacks of humans
like so many salmon."
Duskclaw lapsed into silence as he thought about the
game before him. An entire Maverick army was at his
hairy back, but only one of them possessed the
coordinates needed to teleport into Siggy's fortres...
And Duskclaw happened to be that Maverick.
What fun! Dusk's smile dawned slowly with the sun.
He gathered the coils of his weapon, a ferocious whip
that was aptly named the Rattler's Fang. The
objective of his sadistic 'game' began to form, and it
entertained him as he marched. Some unlucky human
female would discover that it wasn't so hard to get
the coordinates from him after all...but in return,
she'd have to stay and play for awhile. Just like
Katt Luck. Life was dull without a girl to torment.
About a mile behind the advancing army, the rising
sun spilled the shadow of Sigma's floating fortress
across the Skeleton Grassland. The blackness
slithered behind the troops like a guardian serpent.
"Papa sing my sing my song!..."
Day's dawnin', skin's crawlin'...
The army advanced rapidly towards the Hunters, a
silvery river of chrome shimmering in the new
sunlight. Celeste arched her back, narrowed her eyes,
and allowed one longing hand stray to her lightsabre
sheath. Instincts swam rapidly through her blood like
fish in a stream, leaping playfully and calling to her
tensed legs, daring them to beat down the hill towards
the army along with the rest of the Hunters, like a
little missile, weapon forward, mouth open in a
war-cry...
No. Can't fight, won't fight. Will help Genesis
like I said. Keep promise. Yeah. I'm a good girl,
I am.
Celeste ground her teeth. Life was treating her like
a little bitch lately. She turned her back towards
the Mavericks, disgusted with herself. She certainly
wasn't a fan of wars, but the sight of that advancing
army was delicious in some twisted way. She marched
back to the medical tent. X and Zero were leaning
(carefully) against the flabby exterior, talking their
plans over in low voices. Celeste snatched bits and
pieces of their conversation.
"...get to the fortress...."
"...gotta find the bloody coordinates first..."
"...split up? Main attack force..."
"...on crack?"
"Bite me..."
Zero noticed Celeste standing beside him. He excused
himself and pulled her aside.
"Good morn to you, missus. I assume you still have
my sabre?"
"Of course."
Zero nodded. "Listen. Keep our little, uh,
engagement under wraps for now, all right? Even after
this whole Maverick mess is settled, I don't think
that the idea of a human / reploid relationship would
fly with the rest of civilization so soon after a war.
It might take a while. But our time will come...all
we need is a little patience."
Celeste nodded.
"Just a little patience. All right?"
"I know what you mean. Don't worry about me. I'm
young, I can wait."
Zero grinned. "Thanks, Cel. This whole 'Maverick
Fortress Go Boom' project is only the first step. X
and I will be waiting here until we get the
coordinates to enter the fortress." He gave Celeste a
quick squeeze. "Whatever you do, watch your
back out there. Mavericks don't give a damn if
you're helping some poor Johnny Deformed off the
field. They'll kick you upside the head regardless.
Keep your eyes open, your ears strained, and your legs
shaved."
"I will. And -- wait a minute -- my legs
what?"
Tess wrung her sweaty hands over the handles of her
heavy laser rifle. Her terrified mind rattled her
thoughts until they strayed back at the day she
decided to join the Hunters.
I did it just to get out of that damn refugee
camp...for better living conditions...thought it would
just involve training in action simulators...never
thought it would lead up to this. Dirty trick. I
miss maiming Class E bunnies...
Tess watched the glimmering vein of Mavericks slowly
flow towards the heart of Hunters.
Now I'm on the front lines. One Maverick out of
that whole mess has the coordinates we need. Oh, what
in God's name do I do now?
"Steady, colt," Paul Wells murmured to Tess. "You're
jittery. Don't do anything until I give the signal."
The head of the Maverick army was so close to the
Hunters that Tess could see his red eyes burning in
sunken pools in his head. Maugrim. He was flanked by
two lackeys. On his tail was his army. The hoard
rustled and clanked, eagerly waiting for their
General's signal.
Maugrim's liquid eyes cooled as he looked up at the
rise in the land where Paul and Tess stood. He raised
a hand towards the Hunters.
"Humans. I hope you are prepared to kiss your
monkey-asses goodby--"
A firey laser beam suddenly lanced from one of the
Hunters' rifles. Maugrim's head exploded in a shower
of synthetic fur, fluid, and metal.
Dumbfounded, Paul looked beside him. Tears streaked
down Tess' face, burning paths in the layer of dust on
her cheeks. The smoking barrel of her rifle slanted
downwards and planted itself in the soft earth.
"I'm scared. I want to go home." she sobbed.
The armies leapt on each other. All Paul could see
were wolf fangs...
Celeste learned very quickly that she'd be taking
care of two types of people in the Medical tent.
Those who were genuinely hurt and moaned like the
dying, and the rabble with minor injuries who were
well enough to leer and cat call.
"Hey Chicky! Don't I get to be shot up with drugs?"
Sweat plastered Celeste's bangs to her forehead. She
lugged water and blankets to and fro, and now she had
to deal with smartasses. She grit her teeth as she
tripped over Tommy for the fifth time that day. The
malamute rested after each run he and Celeste made to
bring another injured Hunter off the field. She was
glad at least one of them could rest.
"Bug Genesis," Celeste mumbled sleepily. "Drugs are
bad, mmkay?"
"Heh heh...how 'bout a sponge bath?"
Oh, for the love of... "Ask Genesis nicely
and give him lots of money. If he's in one of his
'moods' you just may get lucky," Celeste said as she
dropped her huge load of blankets in Pip's
outstretched arms. The small reploid was completely
buried in the mass and very possibly smothering, but
Celeste didn't give a monkey's butt. "I need fresh
air. I'm going to have a cigarette now."
Rejuvenated by the sad means of nicotine, Celeste
darted like a squirrel among the fighting troops.
Tommy bounded ahead of her, his small cart bouncing
and clattering against the uneven ground. He was a
valuable companion; he could track down severely
injured Hunters and move them to safety.
Tommy picked up the scent of fresh blood. He took
off like a bat out of hell towards the source. Her
breath rattling in her lungs and her lame leg slowing
her down considerably, Celeste chugged behind,
panting. Tommy was leading her to a rather secluded
area.
"Tommy, where the hell are you taking me -- oh man
... is that ... "
Celeste screeched to a halt. Duskclaw towered in her
path. An unconscious, unidentifiable human figure was
sprawled face-down on the grass behind the huge wolf.
"G'day, miss."
Celeste's back bristled. Her lightsabre was already
drawn. "You're Duskclaw, right?"
"Indeed I am."
"Who's that behind you?"
"Oh ..." Duskclaw shrugged nonchalantly. "A friend.
He's kinda half dead now, and he's no good at
Monopoly, so I figure I'll kill him in a bit. What a
character he is! A great big bear of a man, and he's
sobbing for his 'dad'. You wouldn't be interested in
playing now, would you?"
Celeste's "witty comeback" cache was extremely low,
and since she was always too short on time to refill
it, she couldn't waste time with words. Instead, she
slashed a red line down Duskclaw's maroon pelt; a
bloody gouge that ran from the wolf's left shoulder to
the right side of his hip.
Taken off guard, Duskclaw yelped and jumped back,
panting with exertion, just as Celeste, who forgot her
vow to take it easy, charged for him again.
This time the wolf was ready. The lash of a whip
split the air like lightning. It coiled tightly
around the Huntress' right arm and burned a bloody
ring just above her wrist. Celeste howled, but she
wisely kept her hold on her sabre.
The pain intensified as Duskclaw gave a jerk on the
whip handle, drawing Celeste right up to his heaving,
lupine face. "S-24, N-64," he breathed in her face.
Celeste blinked back the tears of pain that blurred
her eyes. "W -- what?" she gasped.
"S-24, N-64. Those are the coordinates to get into
Sigma's fortress. Two may enter. Go tell your little
friends now, and have a nice day."
Duskclaw loosened the whip and bounded off, clearing
the path to the wounded human behind him. Celeste was
completely confused as to why Duskclaw left her alone,
but she didn't have time to waste to stand and puzzle
things out in the wind.
"Tommy? Where are you, boy?"
At the sound of his friend's voice, Tommy slithered
out of a patch of long, dry grass. He had been hiding
himself.
"Thanks for your help," Celeste snorted. "Come on,
let's see who this is."
Genesis stepped out of the Medical tent to join X and
Zero as they watched the violent sea of warriors churn
below them. The smell of blood hung in the air like a
thick red mist. X shook his head at the fighting.
"Terrible," he mumbled.
"Arousing," Zero grinned.
"Tiring," Genesis sighed as watched Celeste and Tommy
pull yet another maimed Hunter towards him. The three
met up with the Huntress, who appeared very down in
the mouth.
"Who you got there, Celeste?" Zero said.
"Paul. He's on his way out."
"Done all I can...not going to be enough."
Celeste and Genesis looked helplessly at Zero parked
bedside Paul's bed. Paul was completely motionless,
but the reploid was whimpering and murmuring to
himself, clenching and unclenching his fists.
"It's really too bad about Paul," Genesis said, "but
I'd like to know why Zero's so broken up about him
specifically. There are plenty of other near-dead
humans in here he could moon over."
Insensitive bastard. Celeste suddenly
remembered something. She padded softly towards Zero
and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her
with dead eyes.
"My poor boy," he said in a raspy whisper that was
devoid of energy.
Celeste had no idea what he meant. "S-24, N-64.
Those are the coordinates, Zero. I'm really sorry
about Paul."
Zero blinked a listless thanks. Then he transformed.
He knocked over his chair and stormed out of the
tent. In a few seconds, the protesting voice of X
wafted back to Celeste and Genesis.
"OW! Let go! That's my EAR! Where are you dragging
me to--?"
X's squeals cut off suddenly like a door had been
slammed.
"Celeste, I never knew you had the coordinates,"
Genesis scratched his head.
Celeste nodded heavily. "I got 'em from Duskclaw,
the Maverick who sliced up Paul like that. It was
weird, though...he just gave them to me and left. But
he also gave me this." Wincing, Celeste held up her
right arm that Duskclaw had lashed. The wound wasn't
bleeding anymore, but for all the world, Celeste could
swear that a small film of foam was gathering on it.
"I think you'd better check it out. I haven't been
feeling so hot since I got it."
Genesis took a close look at the ragged wound. He
sniffed at it suspiciously and rubbed a bit of the
froth between his fingers. He stuck out his tongue a
bit ... a sure sign that he was disturbed.
"Oh hell...this we don't need."
Celeste blanched. "What is it?"
"Heh. Bad news, my dear. You've been poisoned."
A purple-red sunset flushed the sky as X and Zero
touched down on the surface of Sigma's flying
fortress.
"'Sigma's Flying Fortress.' Sounds like a casino,"
Zero snorted.
A summer evening wind brushed at the Hunters' skin
gently. It was a ghostly feeling. Zero went over the
plan.
"Here we are thanks to the sacrifices of many brave
men and women, yadda yadda. I'd ask for a moment of
silence for them and Paul," Zero's voice went heavy,
"but I know that you're a fidgety bastard, X, and you
couldn't lie still for your own funeral. Here's what
we're going to do. We'll split up. According to
reports, the fortress has a main defense force on the
upper levels. I'll keep it busy and you slip in.
How's that?"
Zero didn't wait for a whole answer. He sped off,
leaving X hanging in mid sentence.
I have scaled these city walls ... only to be with
you ...
Zero shimmied up a steep wall, a difficult venture
due to the fact that the wall was as smooth as ice.
But I still haven't found what I'm looking
for...
Indeed, Zero had no idea what he was looking for.
Even after spelunking for 15 minutes, there was no
trace of a "main defense force."
Could be just over this wall...
Zero swung himself over the top. From his view, he
could see that four walls connected to make a box.
What the hell? Wonder if this is the place?
Zero leapt down from his perch. He was now
completely enclosed; quick escape would be impossible
if it were needed. He inspected the prison. On the
far north wall, he noted some scratches ... a verse
that looked like it had been etched into the wall with
claws. Zero squinted at the words:
The second Zero finished the last word, something
huge whizzed by his ear and stuck itself into the wall
just beside the Hunter's face. A lance. Spidery
cracks, spawned by the impact of the weapon, skittered
across the verse. Zero bit his tongue as a draconian
shadow fell on the wall, its wings outstretched from
one corner to the other. The crimson reploid didn't
even need to turn around to figure out who the main
defense force actually was. The guttural voice was a
clue enough.
"I am the Lizard Queeeen!"
This was going to be a long night.
Poisoned. Now why does this crap always seem to happen to me?
Celeste idly kicked her legs over the edge of the table while she waited for Genesis to return. Funny, she didn't feel as if she'd been poisoned … she was a bit sleepy, but that was it. Outside, the dull explosions of battle thrummed in her ears. At least she was safe here for the time being …
Genesis returned. He looked puzzled, an expression that was very unbecoming on the confident reploid fox.
"Well Celeste, I ran those blood tests. Good news and bad. You're not poisoned, per say. That's the good news. Now here's the bad. I don't know what the hell is in your blood right now. If anything, it's a narcotic. How do you feel?"
"Drowzy," Celeste yawned on cue.
Genesis scratched his head. "Wild. I guess the Mavericks use the stuff to slow down the human Hunters … but they would be more likely to use a poison that would kill you in screaming torments, y'know?"
That was a thought that had teeth, and it occupied Celeste's head all right.
"I wonder what's up?" Genesis mumbled. "This is too weird. Moreover, I don't like the way that poison smells."
Celeste blinked. "What smell?"
"You probably can't smell it," Genesis snorted with an air of reploid superiority, "but I can smell it from clear across the room, even though we washed your arm and bandaged it. Bitter stuff. I don't like this at all. At any rate, I want you to take it easy until I know what's up. Try getting some sleep."
Both armies were well aware that X and Zero were already in the fortress. The coordinates had been found. Any fighting between them was now just senseless killing.
And for that reason, it continued.
It wasn't about serving a particular leader anymore. It was just about taking out aggressions: humans were sick of living in fear of being overthrown as the dominating species. They were backed into a corner and they would fight claw-to-claw for their territory. This, of course, only aggravated the Mavericks further.
Deep in the swamp of clashing metal, oil and blood, Josh was dealing with J.T, one of Maugrim's last remaining Fenris soldiers. The humans were holding up surprisingly well; the Mavericks had underestimated them and were simply unable to match them in numbers. J.T. wasn't particularly fond of battle; he was not trained. But things were getting desperate.
Josh was on an adrenaline high, enjoying himself immensely as he easily danced around the staggering wolf before him who raked at his stomach with clumsy swipes.
Froth that was laced with grief for the loss of Paul and confused compassion for Tess' role in the death boiled in Josh's stomach and flecked his lips. He was in a furious trance. He slugged J.T. in the stomach with the butt of his laser rifle. As the wolf doubled over, Paul cracked him over the head. J.T. clutched at his abused skull and yelped shamefully like a puppy.
"J.T.!" Duskclaw called sharply to his companion from a safe distance. "He's berserk. Forget him, fall back!"
As Duskclaw spoke, a red beam grazed a hot path on his left shoulder.
"Bloody hell! J.T.! Get back here NOW!"
J.T. bounded away from Josh and took his place beside Duskclaw. Duskclaw glowered at Josh, who likewise glared down at the duo from a swell in the earth. His stance dripped silent pride. The dying sun graced his skin with blood.
"Who's in charge of your army, human?" Duskclaw called up to the Beast on the Tumour.
"What do you want? I'll relay any messages you have."
"This battle is becoming pointless. The Hunters already have the coordinates, and neither side can do anything now but wait to see the outcome. I say we quit the spat this evening, hmmm? We need a break and some repairs, and YOUR kind can't remain on this wasteland for very much longer if ya'll wanna hear the pitter-patter of little feet in the future!"
Some of the insanity drained out of Josh's eyes. His pupils dilated. He touched earth again.
"It sounds reasonable," he said. "I'll see what can be done. You'll get your answer in half an hour. Meet me back at this spot." Josh walked in search of authority, his laser rifle clacking hollowly against his armoured thigh.
J.T. scratched his head and grunted. "Well, you brought HIM around real quickly."
Duskclaw snorted in return. "I saved your green pansy-ass, that's what I did! Your problem -- no, every Maverick's problem - is the fact that they don't know how humans think. That's the key to winning the war. Oh sure, use brute force and hunt 'em out…they'll dig themselves deeper underground. They're slippery bastards. Back them into a corner and they'll fight like wild dogs."
J.T. still looked puzzled. "So why…?"
Duskclaw was gradually sinking into a pool of disgust. "You're supposed to be the smart one," he said. "Didn't you hear what I said to that monkey-boy?"
"Well…yeah!" J.T.'s eyes lit up as he recalled the brief conversation. He was starting to understand.
Duskclaw nodded. "Humans are really only terrified of threats they can't see," he explained. "Insanity, sterility, disease…you can't see 'em sneak up on you. You can't prevent them. And when they do attack, you can't fight back. You have no control over what happens to you. Humans can't stand that. And speaking of humans…" Duskclaw poked his nose into the air and picked out a foamy, bitter scent among the nearly overpowering death-musk that hazed the field. "…we have one stop to make before we lead the troops home. Follow me."
J.T. looked uncertain. "Do you really think that Maugrim would've stopped the battle?"
Duskclaw sighed and adjusted the black coils of the Rattler's Fang into a more comfortable position on his hip. "Well, you see, friend, Maugrim is kinda splattered all over the Grasslands at the moment and he won't be leading jack whoop from now on. I'm in charge. Now let's go pick up our package."
Celeste woke up slowly, her brain sending a sluggish wave of panic as she realized that she could barely move. Her limbs felt as if they were tied to cinderblocks. Around her, she could hear muffled cries.
This is screwed. I can't move. What's going on?
She was able to slit open her eyelids. Garish white light from the Medical tent opening poured onto her face and flooded her vision. For a panicky moment, Celeste thought she had gone blind … until an enormous wolf, a silhouette cutout in the white sea, hung its shaggy head over her bed.
"Well well, here's my little princess," the shadow said low purr. "The Rattler's Fang did a number on you, eh? Good! Come with me, little one. We'll take good care of you."
"Gen…" Celeste began, but the cry for help slid back down her throat and choked her.
"No noise now," Duskclaw whispered soothingly. "We don't want to wake up the other nice Hunters. Right, J.T.?"
Celeste's vision cleared enough for her to see a green wolf flank the other side of her bed. The lupine Maverick flicked one of his claws and a few drops of stray blood splashed on Celeste's face.
"Oh…I doubt they'll be waking up for a long time."
"Red, Red, Red. What am I going to do with you, my sweet Reddy?"
"Try leaving me alone and see what happens!"
Zero slowly turned to face the huge Mechadrake roosting proudly atop of the opposite wall. "That's not an option, honey. I want to get over that wall."
"Hmm. Probably not gonna happen," Red drawled as she held out her left and curved her claws towards the wall where her lance was embedded. Some unseen force caused the formidable weapon to wriggle out of its new crevice and fly back to Red's open hand.
"Magnetic Fetch," Red explained as she observed Zero's puzzled look. "I can call the lance back to me after I've thrown it."
"Ah," Zero said thoughtfully. "All this time I thought you'd have to get it yourself."
Red snorted. "That's stupid. Why be a throwback to the caveman era? I ain't huntin' mammoths." She fell silent, glaring down keenly at the Hunter below. She squatted diligently on the north side of the "box" that Zero was trapped in, leaning on her lance for support. The unbroken wind lashed at her raven ponytail, whipping it to and fro. It was easy to tell that her battle instincts were slowly seeping into her limbs.
Zero squared his shoulders. "So you're this 'main defense force,' eh?"
Red's tounge flickered. "Yare."
"And this is going to come down to a fight, obviously."
Now Red was grinning, showing teeth. "Yare."
"That's too bad. I was hoping for some melodrama. I'd sob and cry, ask why you betrayed me and killed all those nice innocent people. Then you'd break down, touched by my emotional side, and you'd say, 'Why bless my soul Zero, I've been a right nasty bastard! I have seen the light!' and life would be cool again. See?"
Red cleared her throat and slowly fanned out her wings. They blotted out the dusty purple sky like giant, leathery blinds. The Mechadrake looked like a huge bird of prey, ready to kill. "Well, Zero," she rumbled, "we have a saying back home in Toronto, and we go by it religiously."
"What would that be?"
" 'Life is short, life is shit, and soon it will be over.' "
The two warriors stared at each other, sinking in a suffocating muck of love and hate. Finally, Zero managed a lopsided, sickly grin.
"I love you, Pumpkin," he smirked.
Red's grin likewise looked diseased, but it was sharper, hungrier. "I love you too, Honeybunny."
Red raised her head to the sky and bellowed. She threw herself down into the box, battle instincts churning in her eyes and fluids. The remains of the sun's light bathed itself on her lance's silver blades and glanced off as the weapon met Zero's light sabre with an echoing clash. The arena was quickly filled up with the battle-prelude until the ominous sound overflowed and splashed onto the rest of the Fortress and the Plains below.
The metallic scent of fresh blood was just beginning to bloom inside the stuffy Medical tent when Genesis walked back in. His eyes bugged out of his visor and his jaw went slack as he regarded the occupants of the tent, now silent, their throats cut open, their blood trickling down their necks and soaking into their sheets.
"Good God!"
Duskclaw's arms were full of limp Celeste, so it was J.T. who whipped around and tensed, ready to pounce on Genesis at the first sign of resistance. But Genesis only hung his head and wrinkled his nose sadly. He removed his visor and rubbed his damp eyes with the back of his arm.
"Didn't know you guys were quite this bad," he half-mumbled, half-sighed. "Kill a bunch of bedridden humans who have no hope in hell of fighting back…how low can you possibly get…" Genesis straightened up and replaced his visor. He ran his claws through his sweat-plastered hair. "Sorry Paul," he grunted quietly. "I'll take care of Clyde."
J.T. loosened up and took a look around the silent tent, the vivid splotches of red against the sterile white, the blood caked on his own claws and matted in his fur. Duskclaw, however, was unfazed.
"You need to stop talking to dead people, freaky little man. Come along. Quietly, now."
Genesis dried up in a hurry. "Like hell!" he roared, bristling. "Put Celeste down. So that's what that poison was for."
"Right," Duskclaw grinned. "Why do you think the whip is called the Rattler's Fang? Rattlesnakes bite their victims, then let them run off…but the scent of the venom lets the snake find its prey later, when it's too weak to move anymore."
"Hrrmph," Genesis snuffled. His hand unconsciously fell to the niche in his armour where he was storing his nearly forgotten whistle. His options were limited if he wanted to protect Celeste, who was writhing feebly in her net of fur and muscles. A plan was starting to unfold within Genesis. Thinking on his feet was his strong point. He was, after all, a fox.
"All right. I'll come, as long as you don't hurt her."
"Oh, sure," Duskclaw snickered. "Come on."
The four stepped out of the tent. Below them, the war was churning to a halt. The armies were separating, going their own ways, carrying their own who couldn't walk. A fresh breeze dropped from the blackening sky, washing the humid, sticky scent of war from the plains. Lightning forked the sky in the west, promising rain. Mother Nature was experienced in cleaning up after her children and their rebellious, more metallic children.
The two wolves and the fox paused for a second in a rare moment of mutual enjoyment. The cool breath of air felt good against their tired, sweaty faces. The break didn't last long: Josh came trudging up the hill to meet Genesis, thoroughly exhausted. A line of blood ran and dripped from under his left eye to his chin.
Duskclaw drew himself up to his full height. "Stay there!" he barked.
Josh looked up at the tent for the first time, confused. "The hell?!"
"Don't come near us," Genesis warned. "We'll be all right. Find Pip and the two of you do whatever you can for the folks inside the tent."
J.T. took a firm grip on Genesis' shoulder and led him away from the Medical tent and past Josh, who was completely taken aback, but stood his ground. Down the hill they marched, joining the river of Mavericks that slowly flowed its way back towards their Fortress.
Don't breathe fire…oh, for the love of God, don't breathe fire…
Zero prayed harder and harder as his viewpoint got less and less pleasant. He was on his back, Red's lance pressing against his chest, which he strained against with desperate strength. The Mechadrake's cavernous maw, lined with dripping, yellow teeth, snapped a bare inch away from his face. Zero dared to take one hand off the lance he was straining against to jam his lightsabre in Red's neck, just under her powerful jaw. She didn't appreciate that. Howling, she reared back on her hind legs again…raising Zero and his jammed lightsabre along with her! Zero's weight dragged him downwards, the sabre ripping through the Mechadrake's hide. A crimson rain of scales and blood showered the Hunter. The triumph that sparked in him was short-lived…as he fell downwards, Red smacked him with her lance like a child playing T-ball. Zero and his sabre went flying in opposite directions. The sabre bounced once against the concrete and rolled to a gentle stop behind Red's barbed ankles. Zero, however, splattered against the east wall. Red was laughing like a lunatic, despite the river of vital blackish-red fluid that positively flowed down her long neck.
"Got a one way ticket on your last-chance ride, got a one way ticket to your suicide!" she chanted as she tossed her head, beads of blood splashing in all directions. She leaped into the air, hovered for a second and chucked her lance where Zero lay, stunned.
And, by some miracle, she missed.
The lance cracked into the wall like a lightning bolt, right beside Zero's right hand. The Hunter's fighting instincts directed him as he groped for the lance and took hold of its cool shaft.
Cursing, Red held out her hand towards her weapon, claws curved. The lance wiggled free once more and flew back to its owner…this time with Zero in tow.
"Hey!" The Mechadrake snarled. She held up the weapon horizontally, with both hands. Zero dangled like an athlete who was too tired to attempt his last chin-up. "Let go, you little red monkey! No hitchhiking on the Deltawyrm Lance!"
"Hmrrmm…" Zero mumbled through the red haze that filled his eyes and mouth. "Get away from me Bass, I ain't dead yet." Instincts taking over once more, he booted Red square in the stomach, subsequently discovering the one weak spot of all Mechadrakes.
Not even Red, who could have half her neck chewed up without being fazed, was quite prepared for the fun of getting slugged in the gut with a sharp metal boot. Her eyes bulged out upon impact, her tounge flopped out of her mouth, and her claws loosened their grip on her lance, spilling Zero and the deadly weapon on the ground together.
Sense found a path into Zero's little head once more. Hardly missing a beat, he scooped up the lance and sprang at Red with every fibre of strength in his body. The stunned 'drake flopped and toppled like a stack of building blocks. By the time she was lucid again, she herself was on her back, this time with Zero pressing the lance against HER belly.
"Uh, man, not good," she whimpered.
Zero grinned. "Wanna cooperate now, Reddy?"
Red was in complete submission now, all fours up in the air. "Leave me alone!" she shrieked, utterly terrified. "Get away from my stomach!"
"Ah…so even MECHADRAKES have a weakness, huh?" the Hunter grinned. "I don't believe it! You guys can't stand being in a state of submission! You don't like having your stomach exposed! Once you're on your back, you're screwed. Please excuse my very poor choice of words."
"I'll let you go up the stupid wall! Just let me up!"
The lance receeded. Red shakily hauled herself up on her feet. "Jeeeeeeezzz…"
Zero stared at his former friend.
Red grinned, more like her old self now that she was back on her feet. "Nice fight, old chap."
Zero couldn't help smiling back. "Felt good, didn't it? If I were human, I'd want a cigarette. Now, you'll let me go up the wall?"
"Of course!" Red bowed. "I'm at your service."
"You're selling what now?"
"Silly. It's a little thing among Mechadrakes called "battle respect." You defeated me…I have to assist you in any way I can."
Zero's face lit up. "Great! Because, you see, there's this guy named Sigma…"
"Within limits," Red snorted.
"Oh. Well, maybe one day we'll be on the same side again," Zero said.
"Yes. And maybe one day, angels will fly out of my-"
"Take me to the top of the wall," Zero coughed suddenly.
"Certainly!" Red grabbed Zero by his ponytail. "Let's fly!"
The dragon tensed her back legs and launched towards the top of the east wall, massive wings slicing through the night air, her cargo screaming the whole way up.
J.T. took a deep breath and tiptoed to the heavy,
double-locked cell door. He pressed his body against
the icy metal and peered in through the frosted
window, his breath fogging up the translucent glass.
Celeste and Genesis were curled up together in the
the black dampness of the corner furthest from the
door. They looked like two sleeping, helpless puppies
in a whelping box just emptied of their brothers and
sisters. Celeste was the sickly pup that would
eventually be culled, and Genesis was the protective,
ferocious pup that no one could handle.
J.T. carefully grasped the door handle and turned it
slowly, avoiding any noise, he couldn't afford to make
any noise this time, oh please don't let the door
squeak when it opens…
Success.
J.T. exhaled and padded softly to where the two pups
lay, half shrouded by wet darkness. The wolf cursed
inwardly when he noticed that Genesis was still draped
over Celeste. He'd been protecting her since they'd
arrived. But it would have to stop now. Duskclaw
wanted Celeste in the lab, chop chop. J.T. carefully
reached for the human at the bottom of the little
jumble…
And received a face full of Genesis for his trouble.
J.T. shrieked and batted a big paw at the furry
hurricane that slashed at his throat. The lucky shot
struck home, and the fox tumbled across the dank
concrete floor. He regained his composure and rolled
back onto his feet just in front of Celeste, bristled
and snarling, hunched over like a rabid dog.
"Stay away from her!"
Startled by Genesis' uncharacteristic ferocity, J.T.
backed away. "You can't keep this up, Genesis."
"Watch me!"
The door boomed shut again. J.T. was gone, for now.
Celeste rose her head wearily. She was still slow,
but the effects of the Rattler's Fang were slowly
starting to slip away. "Thanks, Gen. I really wish I
could defend myself, but they took my lightsabre."
Genesis cooled down and sat next to where Celeste
lay. "I know, hon," he murmured. "Just try to
relax."
He'd stopped saying "We'll be all right" a long
time ago.
The cell was alive with dead sounds, water dripping,
paws scurrying. Celeste breathed deep of the
blackness and steadied herself.
"Gen…we can't hold out for much longer, can we."
Genesis squared his shoulders. "Honestly? No, we
can't."
"Any plans…?"
"Not really."
Celeste wasn't upset. Just beaten. Tired. She sank
back down and closed her eyes. Seconds after she
drifted into a troubled sleep, she was prodded awake
again by a grinding sound…the haunting sound of a
weapon being sharpened. Celeste opened her eyes
completely. Genesis was still beside her. He'd
unsheathed his claws, and we was filing them on the
rough stone floor. Their points glinted wickedly in
the dull light. Celeste's own powerful thoughts
caught scent of the disturbing current running through
the fox's mind.
"Genesis, what are you doing?" she said in alarm, now
fully awake.
Genesis didn't stop whetting. "The second Duskclaw
ushered us into this toilet, I swore to myself that I
wouldn't let them take you alive. I intend to keep
that vow."
"Uh…what do you mean?"
Genesis wasn't one to beat around the bush. "I'm
going to kill you before they can get their hands on
you, and I want to make it as quick and painless as
possible."
Celeste blinked, disbelieving. "I don't understand,"
she said stupidly. "I'm your friend."
"You have the wrong idea," Genesis chuckled without
humour. "I'm your friend, too. And Zero's. That's
why I'm going to do this."
Terrified reality seeped into Celeste's eyes. "You
don't have to. I can take whatever they dish out."
Genesis took a firm grip on Celeste's right
shoulderpad. "If I thought that," he said quietly, "I
wouldn't go through with this. If you were a reploid,
or even just male, I'd let you go through whatever's
coming to you. But it's not like that." Genesis
tightened his claws. "See, Mavericks don't kill their
human female victims. That's the problem. A few
months ago, Katt Luck was in the same screw-up
situation as you're in now…we found her a week later,
starved and beaten…but that wasn't the worst of it."
Genesis stared into space and bit his lip as his mind
wandered back to that godawful day. Katt half
conscious, her skeletal body draped between two
Hunters, her eyes sunken, black and ghostly, and a
rusty red gash across her lower abdomen, crawling with
infection, roughly sewn up… "Well, you know me by
now, I'm far from squeamish, but it's even difficult
for me to think about what they did to her. But let's
just say the Mavericks ripped her open, but they
wanted her to live. They had a specific purpose for
their 'operation.'"
Celeste didn't miss a beat. "Sterilization?"
"Bingo."
"Christ," Celeste said in a hazy voice as she turned
her eyes down to the floor. "That's awful."
"Of course it is, and the smarter Mavericks know it,"
Genesis said. "Duskclaw is a known terror, he's
dedicated his life to studying human behaviour and
thinking patterns. It makes for a fun playtime. He
knows that genetic termination is the cruelest thing
you can do to a human, particularly females, and
that's why he does it! He loves torture, and that's
why I'm going to kill you before he makes you his new
playmate!"
"But what about you?"
"Pah!" Genesis half-laughed. "No worries. I may be
with the 'enemy', but I'm still a reploid. Worst they
can do to me is give me a dignified death. But if I
were to let you go through what Katt went through,
Zero would never forgive me."
A curtain of silence fell over the duo. As Celeste
digested the rather horrific information Genesis fed
her, she drew a shaky, sob-laced breath. Genesis was
right, but she couldn't just stand by and let herself
get killed. Caught cruelly between instinct and
reality, Celeste was frozen on the spot, a green
current of adrenaline trembling through her body,
washing away the last of the Rattler's Fang poison.
Genesis sensed the restless tossing and turning of her
instincts and grinned gently, pulling her into a hug.
"There now dear, it's for the best."
Without warning, the fox shoved Celeste roughly out
of the embrace. The Huntress took a bit of a tumble,
instincts screaming through her blood. Panicked, she
looked up just in time to see Genesis bear down on
her, vicious teeth streaking white through the
darkness, the glittering blackness of his claws aimed
for her neck. Her system in overdrive, Celeste let
her genes take over. She rolled into a sitting
position. Genesis fell short of his target and
thudded on the sandpaper-rough stone floor. He
grunted, sat up, shook his head and leaped again.
"It's for your own good! Stop screwing around,
you'll make this harder!"
Celeste silently locked her hands together and swung
her arms. Her elbow caught Genesis in the stomach.
An "Ulf!" sound sprang from the fox's gut and he
rolled backwards, hitting the ground hard. A small,
silver cylinder jumped from Genesis' armour and
bounced twice before it rolled to a stop in the middle
of the cell. Celeste watched it in a trance for a few
minutes while Genesis lay flat on his stomach like a
run over chipmunk, sucking in air. The whistle shone
anciently, brilliantly, a spectre from a past life.
"Genesis!" Celeste said suddenly.
Genesis opened one eye, his tongue lolling between
his fangs, his breath rasping. "Wh-what?"
"Your whistle."
Genesis' tinted eyewear fell on his prized
possession. "Oh…"
"Maybe it can help us."
"Oh, nice, daughter of Jake. How?"
Celeste narrowed her eyes. "You told me the stupid
thing had powers or some crap!"
"Yeah, well, I lied!" Genesis painfully hauled
himself to his knees. "If I knew it would actually
help us, I would've used it by now. I usually just
carry it around as a good luck charm. Fat lot of good
it did us, eh?" The fox grinned in spite of himself.
"Have you ever played it before?"
"Yes. It DOES sound kinda nice. Very soothing. But
it does jack. Listen. We're both stressed out. Take
a break, and we'll talk further about where you're
gonna end up. 'kay?"
Celeste nodded slowly and lay back down to mull over
her thoughts. Genesis sluggishly picked himself up
from the floor and sulked with his bruises in the
opposite corner like an unruly schoolboy. The whistle
lay between them, watching.
With the cold of the floor seeping through her back
like water, Celeste, who felt strangely at peace,
thought about what route to take next. The situation
pretty much sucked. There was no escape…
It works, you know.
Mindspeak. Celeste's eyes flew open. Oh no. Not
THIS.
The voice in Celeste's head was smooth, and curled
softly within her, like gentle grey smoke. It meant
no harm. The whistle. The fox can't use it, but
you can. It works.
I sure won't miss any of this when I'm dead. Who
is it this time? You're not Torrent, I know that
much.
I'm the very same who talked to you that night on
the Skeleton Grasslands. I've known you all my life,
and athough you don't remember me, I chose you to
bring me into life. I'm obligated to get you out of
this, although I'm in no state to physically appear.
Close your eyes.
Celeste complied with little hesitation. After all,
this newcomer was pretty tame compared to Torrent's
loud, yet somehow subtle, perverted thoughts. And it
looked as if Mindspeak was going to be a normal part
of her life, sadly enough.
Relax. Go to sleep.
Whether by some force or her own exhaustion, Celeste
tipped into a sleepy blackness as if she leaned too
far back on a chair. She opened her eyes to a dream.
She was a little girl, not much older than four, with
pigtails and a red yarn sweater that itched her badly.
She felt weak, as if she'd just recovered from a long
bout of sickness. Her chubby fingers were wrapped
tightly around a silver cylinder -
A whistle! Neato!
It was a whistle like Genesis'. Its mouthpiece was
still wet, as if she'd just played it.
Celeste's breakfast jumped around in her small
stomach. Before her was a forest of tubes, tubes that
seemed to stretch from the ground to the sky from her
viewpoint. The room was dark, the only light was the
unworldly, greenish-white pulsing of the material
inside the cylinders. In the tube directly in front
of her, some kind of black, leathery creature stared
at her gently with cinder-eyes while it floated in its
bed of sustenance. Curious, it cocked its reptilian
head at Celeste with a childlike curiosity.
Satisfying approval flowed into her mind like warm
soup running down her throat. Whatever the creature
was, it liked her. It scratched softly on its glass
wall. The top of the tube opened with a dry serpent's
hiss, and the creature gripped the slippery rim,
dripping, hauling itself into the biting cold air and
slithering towards the floor, inching to Celeste,
fanning its small wings to dry it off…
Celeste's eyes jumped open. She was her regular
19-year-old-going-on-20 self again, staring at the
sickly ceiling of her prison. The droplet of dirty
water that subsequently splashed on her forehead was
the final kick that verified she was back in reality.
The hell was that all about? she asked
fiercely of the stranger.
A flashback you can't recall, if you can figure
that one out! It's a long story. But to make it
short, that was me as a juvenile Mechadrake, and that
was you as a little girl among the Inheritors of
Eden.
Celeste moaned inwardly. Not this crap again. I
can't take this anymore.
Never mind that, the stranger huffed.
You'll know more someday. For now, you're getting
the hell out of here. First step. Grab that whistle
in the middle of the room.
With nothing to lose, Celeste rolled over sleepily as
if she were in bed. She reached lazily for the
wizened instrument. Genesis looked over his shoulder
and cocked his head at her.
"Ya'll right? Whatchya on?"
Celeste didn't answer; the stranger was speaking to
her again. Blow it.
The Huntress couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at
this command.
Disgust. Oh, grow up! You used to be such an
innocent little girl…ah, humans. Just do as I
say.
Celeste put the whistle to her lips and drew one,
clean note from the instrument. It was a lonely but
purposeful sound that made her feel a little homesick.
For the first time in weeks, she thought about her
mother (as distant as she always was to her daughter),
and her little brother. Most of all, she missed her
father and the way he was always there for her, the
way he understood her, the way he always smiled
although underneath he was rather sad and confused.
Genesis watched in interest as Celeste finished and
lowered the whistle and breathed a sigh. The silence
that was temporarily pushed up by the music rained
down black on the chamber once again. Nothing
happened.
"I don't want to say 'I told you so,'" Genesis said,
"But I told you so!"
Celeste wasn't so sure. Something was suddenly
different…something was stirring.
"Last stop!" Red sang as she perched on the top of
the wall. Her chest puffed as she breathed in the
clean night air. "Aaah, nice!" she exhaled. Suddenly
remembering her package, Red swung Zero up by the hair
as if she were pulling up a carrot, and set him down
hard on the wall beside her. The Hunter was
whimpering and rubbing his scalp.
"There you go, honey. All set! Look below you."
Zero did as he was told. The wall he was on seemed
to plunge down forever, but when it finally met the
bottom, it paved the way to a steel door that looked
rather unfriendly…
Red read(!) Zero's mind. "Past that door. That's
where Skysheen hangs out," she explained. "Or maybe
you know him better as Vile. I don't know how you
crazy Hunters talk these days. But if you wanna get
to Siggy, you're gonna have to get past motherfargin'
Vile first!"
Zero stared down into the pit. "Hooray."
Red reared and snuffed the air again. "X is coming,"
she said matter-of-factly.
Sure enough, a small, timid blue form heaved itself
onto the platform and stared at the door as if it was
going to grow teeth and eat him. Zero drew in a
breath to yell down at him, but Red smacked him upside
the head.
"Shh! Skysheen's also in the area."
Zero snapped his mouth shut again. "But won't Vile
get pissy because you helped me?" he dared to whisper.
Red snorted. "Well, let's all hope that the little
purple bastard at least remembers a wee something
about Battle Respect."
Zero sensed slight friction. "Ah, Reddy? You seem
bitter. Don't you even care that I'm about to rip
apart your little brother?"
"Hmph." Red cocked one arm on her hip and looked
away from the Hunter. "Of course I mind, but at the
same time I want you to rip his helmet off and feed it
to his rear. Sky's been a real jerkoff since he
became Siggy's second in command. I left my friends,
I killed those humans, I nearly killed you, all in the
name of love. I had every intention of sticking by
Sky. My loyalties are to my brothers and sisters, as
Sky's should be. But noooooooo, he's totally
forgotten about Mechadrake Assemblies Inc. Hell, he's
forgotten about ME! Look at me! I'm the stupid 'Main
Defense!' Wowie zowie, thank you sir, may I have
another kick in the ass?"
"Well…." Zero didn't quite know what else to say.
A purple streak hissed down the gothic tower opposite
Red and Zero and materialized far below, right in
front of X, who seemed to seep into a terrified blue
puddle. Vile.
"And besides," Red continued as she glanced down, "I
can guarantee that Vile's gonna flatten you. He's got
the Chimera with him, and he's buffed it up or some
crap. So best of luck to the two of you."
"Thanks," Zero sighed. "It's a nice day to die."
"It always is," Red chuckled. The sound bubbled in
her throat and suddenly died. Her face twisted into a
snarl and she twisted her supple neck this way and
that. "Damn…"
"What's up, Red?"
"What the hell?" Red bellowed. She clutched
her ears and howled incoherently. Her eyes darkened
to the rusty colour of dried blood, a rather unnerving
sight.
"Red!" Zero cried out, rather terrified that he was
beside a Mechadrake going berserk.
"That SOUND!" Red shrieked, completely
possessed.
"What sound?" Zero was slightly distressed.
Red didn't answer. She whipped around on her perch
and launched in the air, the old brick crumbling under
the impact of her takeoff. Her stinging tail caught
Zero in the shoulder with such force that the Hunter
lost his balance. Zero yelped and tumbled off the
wall, head over heels. The raven wind shrieked and
laughed at him as he fell…and fell…and fell…
"Well well well X, long time no see."
X stared wide-eyed at the faceless demon before him,
his knees swaying and trembling.
"What, you have nothing to say?" Vile laughed
shortly. "You come to confront me and all you can do
is stare like a fish in an aquarium?"
X's tounge would not move.
"And you think you can beat me? Silly ignorant
little boy."
"I…" X gulped.
"You can't run. No one can help you. Only me. And
I'm the Beast."
Vile's dramatic effect was ruined by Zero, who came
screaming down from above like a meteor, limbs
flailing in all directions. He splattered on the
ground between X and Vile. Both were rather taken
aback.
Zero silently staggered to his feet and collected
some of his loose bolts that were scattered
haphazardly on the ground. X simply gaped at his
friend.
"What the hell are you starin' at?" Zero snarled
weakly as X slowly pointed over the crimson Hunter's
shoulder. Zero turned around.
"Oh my holy cow, it's Vile!"
The Maverick cocked his head at the two Hunters
before wisely turning to retreat through the steel
door that marked the entrance to his lair. His first
attempt to escape was marred by the fact that the door
didn't open and he ended up striking it with a
gonglike clash. Vile staggered, shook his head to
clear it, and tried again, this time succeeding. The
dark hallway beyond the steel gate swallowed him up
with ease.
X thawed and started towards the gate, but Zero
thrust out one arm, which caught X in the stomach.
"Stay back ol' boy, I'm going after him."
Before X could agree, Zero kicked open Vile's door
and was off like a shot.
Genesis was creeping up to Celeste again. The
Huntress watched him warily out of the corner of her
eye.
"Hold on Genesis."
The fox sat up. "Nothing's gonna happen!" he
snorted.
Celeste calmly twirled the whistle between her thumb
and forefinger. "You just watch. Follow me."
Celeste got up, dusted her pants with her hands, and
calmly walked towards the tiny glass window in the
door. She stood on her tiptoes and peered through
it. Her heart leaped into her throat; there was J.T.
again, tagging submissively behind Duskclaw, who
strode with all confidence towards the cell. Duskclaw
had a dart gun in one paw. Nullifier. Now she was in
for it.
Four, three, two, one… the voice in her head
whispered.
A tremendous crash roared through the room outside
the cell door. A red and black reptilian form
screamed down from a newly-bashed hole in the isolated
tower's fragile roof. Duskclaw and J.T. turned at the
same time to face the hulking red Mechadrake that
glared at them, hunched over, with bloody, possessed
eyes, her lance at the ready. A little tongue of fire
lashed out of her mouth with every breath she heaved.
"Who!?" she frothed. "Tell me, who has one
of those goddamned whistles in their greasy paws?"
Duskclaw and J.T. exchanged hopelessly baffled looks.
"Too slow!" Red swung her lance once. There
was a coppery snick! sound, and that was the
gruesome end of Duskclaw, J.T., and the Fenris
Soldiers.
Red kicked the bodies aside and stormed towards the
cell that contained Genesis and Celeste. Celeste
yelped at the utter locomotive chugging towards her,
and she leaped far back from the door. Wise move.
The door bulged and groaned as Red slammed it with one
fist, but it did not open. Snarling, the 'drake took
a few steps back, pawed at the ground with one clawed
foot, and charged the door with her tremendous
shoulder. The hinges blew clean off and the door
collapsed. Red filled the doorframe from top to
bottom, her eyes blazing.
Genesis looked at Celeste. "Damn, it works all
right. It summons berserk Mechadrakes! Ha, this is
fun, isn't it? We're gonna die, aren't
we? Hehe!"
Red dipped her neck at Celeste and pounded towards
the Huntress, who pressed her back right up against
the wall furthest from the door, her mind flashing
back to her hellish fight with Torrent, her hand
unconsciously groping the sheath where her lightsabre
used to be.
Whoa now, calm down my girl. I wouldn't steer you
wrong. Stand still.
What choice did Celeste have?
Now Red was charging towards Celeste, her lance
lowered, aimed for the human's soft stomach. Celeste
dug her fingernails into the bricks.
"Oh my holy GOD!"
Red still charged like a hell-bent unicorn, Celeste
grit her teeth, closed her eyes, and prepared to meet
her father on the Happy Hunting Grounds, while Genesis
just screamed like some demented child.
The angry pounding of reptilian feet suddenly halted.
The tip of Red's lance hovered a bare quarter inch
away from Celeste. The Mechadrake's eyes drained and
flared their normal(?) green.
"Well I'll be." She turned her lance upright and
scratched at her oily black hair with one claw.
"Where am I? What am I doing here? Oh, hello
Celeste!"
Celeste opened one eye. "Yeep."
"And Genesis, nice to see you too."
Genesis just glared. "You are completely psycho."
"You just noticed? What's been going on? I feel
like I've just danced mambo number five with Satan."
"I…uh…" Celeste shakily handed Genesis' whistle to
Red. "I played this and you came barging in here like
you were possessed. It belongs to Genesis, so kill
him, not me."
Red's eyes expanded like ice at the sight of the
little twitter-tube. "Hat rack of Mother Tiamat!" she
swore in awe. "I don't believe you HAVE one of
these!" She snatched the whistle from Celeste and
thrust it in Genesis' face. "All right foxy boy, HOW
did you get this?"
"I don't know," Genesis said flatly. "And that's the
God honest truth."
"Yeesh," Red snorted. "Show me a reploid with a
complete, normal past, and I'll show you a Mechadrake
that doesn't like to snack on cats. Anyway, what you
have here is a 'Caller.'" Red flipped the small flute
over in her palm. "They can be extremely dangerous if
you don't know what you're screwing with. The sound
of a Caller is what 'shocks' a juvenile Mechadrake
into life."
"Uh…" Celeste recalled her flashback with the whistle
and the baby black Mechadrake swimming in the tube
before her.
"Something up, Cel?" Red asked.
"Well, actually, I was wondering how something like a
'juvenile' Mechadrake could exist. Aren't Mechadrakes
a breed of reploid? Reploids don't grow."
Red pat Celeste on the head. "Ah, little miss Rocket
Scientist over here. You can't put a limit to the
potential of the reploid species…that would defy our
entire purpose, hmmm?"
Celeste narrowed her eyes in thought; she was not
satisfied with this answer.
"Tell you what," Red bargained. "You give me a
detailed explanation on where human babies come from,
and someday I'll tell you all about baby Mechadrakes.
Fair?"
Celeste slowly wiped her flushed face with her hand.
"Nevermind."
"Thank you." Red continued. "Anyway, juvenile
'drakes like the sound of the whistle," she repeated.
"On the other hand, play this sucker in the presence
of a mature 'drake, and you've got trouble. We can
hear the sound from quite a distance, no matter how
quiet it is. And we hate the sound. If we hear it,
we fly straight to the source and destroy it -
anything to shut the stupid thing up. We can't resist
the call, and it pisses us off. But you gotta be
specially trained in order for the whistle to have
that effect."
Genesis and Red both eyed Celeste at the same time.
"Stop looking at me like that," the Huntress said
weakly. "I don't know anything more than you two do."
"Best leave the McTreggors to their own strange
selves," Red grunted at last after a good long bout of
silence. "Her dad was pretty flap-jackky too. Now,
to business!" Red gave Genesis a friendly slap on his
back. Genesis staggered halfway across the cell.
"Gen old boy. I think this whistle is best left with
me."
Red was a great deal taller and more foreboding than
Genesis, but that didn't keep the fox from bargaining
with the leviathan. "What'll be in it for Cel and I?"
Red gazed idly at the chewed-up roof of the prison.
"Well, I can get you two out of here easily enough.
The sooner the better. X and Zero arrived not too
long ago…some nasty sparks are gonna fly shortly."
Celeste jumped. "You saw Zero?" she squeaked in
terror.
"Saw him!" Red snorted. "Hell, I fought him!"
"Wh-what happened…?"
"I ripped off his limbs, tore his dripping heart out
of his chest, ate it raw, and then I smote him good!"
"RED!"
"I'm JOKING!" Red guffawed. "Geez, you're gullible
Celeste. We did fight, but it pretty much came
out to a truce. Well, actually, I lie. But at any
rate, I took him by his hand and led him to Vile's
chamber. That's where he wanted to go. And now you
two are getting out of here."
Celeste cocked her head at the red Mechadrake and
summoned her courage. "Red…"
"Yare?"
"Are you with us or against us?"
For the first time in her entire life, Red looked
completely exhausted. "Please don't ask me that," she
sighed as she looked back at the seeping bodies of
Duskclaw and J.T. "I confuse very easily. Grab my
hand."
Something suddenly bit at Celeste's mind. "Wait a
minute! Zero's lightsabre! He gave it to me, and
Duskclaw took it! I have to…"
Several metallic boots were ringing on the steps up
to the cell. Voices were shouting from the hallway.
"Forget it!" Red howled. "There's no time!"
"But…"
"We're leaving NOW!" Red grabbed Celeste by her
collar and Genesis by his arm. "Those Mavericks'll be
able to figure out that I was the one who skewered
them wolves, and I'll be confronted about it soon
enough. But why screw myself any sooner than I have
to?"
I guess I should go in… X mused. He pressed
his hot cheek against the cool metal door. But
Zero said I should wait here… he strained his ears
to the din beyond the door.
Thud thud thud.
Muffled cursing.
CRACK.
Louder cursing.
Errie silence.
"Hell with this!" X summoned his courage and dashed
in.
Battered and completely spent but far from
disheartened, Zero lay on his back in his tiny cage,
his scorched fingers laced behind his dented helmet.
He knew very well that he'd reached the end of the
line, and he was quite prepared. Here he was, locked
up tight, and his sabre was a little metallic smear on
the foot of the Chimera. There was one alternative
left, made possible by the love of Celeste, and Zero
was ready to carry it out for the good of her race.
He just had to bide his time and wait for the right
moment-
The good of the human race. Good God, I can't
believe what I'm thinking. What a stupid turn my life
has taken.
Determined to enjoy his last few moments of life,
Zero idly kicked at the trembling green bars of energy
that locked him in. Each kick produced a surprisingly
soild-sounding clang! that was murder for
anyone who was sensitive to sound.
"I could keep this up all day!" he sang over the din
Vile towered over the cage in his Chimera, which had
pounded Zero into his sad state. "Knock it off!"
"It's my cage, little man, and I shall do as I wish."
"My name is Vile."
Zero tired of his game and slowly sat up, his body
creaking and groaning with the effort. "Wrong," he
grimaced. "It's Skysheen."
"Bzzt, now YOU'RE wrong. Skysheen was a human loving
jerkoff."
"…who was mauled by a human girl just barely out of
puberty," Zero snickered.
"Ah yeah, your little pet human. Say, I have an
idea. After I've turned your head into a handpuppet,
I'm going to find your little friend, burn her alive,
and then burn the ashes. Ah yes, that should be fun."
Zero rested his head in one hand. "Well gee, I
dunno," he said thoughtfully. "See, she mangled you
once. I have a feeling she'll do it again and again.
Say, I'm being a real bastard today. If I were you, I
would've killed me a long time ago. What're you
waiting for?"
Vile's answer came dashing through his maw of a
doorway. X slowly turned his gaze from the pent-up
Zero to the behemoth that was Vile, and all hope
abandoned his sinking eyes.
The former Mechadrake was quite pleased with X's
predictable arrival. "TWO hand puppets!" he cackled.
X was quite bewildered by this statement.
Zero glared at his friend, half disgusted and half
amused. "X, you're far too fond of getting yourself
into nasty situations that involve little prick robots
that like to hide behind big huge mech suits."
X buried his face in his hands. "Oh, I am SO
screwed."
Outside the fortress was dark. The black air was
thick, heavy and humid. A few lingering drops of
water, the remains of the heavy thunderstorm that had
roared through most of the night. Now it just fussed
and growled; it was holding off for a bit, recovering
for another tantrum.
Celeste was straddled on Red's neck, her legs
dangling as the Mechadrake cut through the air with
her massive wings, weaving around the ancient gothic
towers that speared the sky. Lights from small tower
windows flecked the night and provided some guidance
for Red. Celeste tried to suck in the dank air, but
it stuck in her throat, never quite feeding her lungs.
She was becoming rather uncomfortable. However, she
had the best seat for the flight; poor Genesis was
trusting his life to Red's firm grip on his body. The
fox was facing downwards, frowning hugely at the mat
of grass that sprawled far, far below the fortress.
He was obviously not a fan of heights, Celeste
observed. She took a firmer grip on Red's neck, and
recoiled in disgust when her fingertips met with a
ragged, scabby ridge of a wound. Red flinched a bit
at the touch.
"Hands off that specific area of my neck if you
please, miss McTreggor! No questions, thank yoooou!"
Celeste glumly shifted her grip. She wasn't having
very much fun. The rain stung her in the face like
wet bullets. Her clothes were soaked through, and
even the oven-like wind was making her feel chilly.
Besides that, Red was very fond of reckless flying.
The dragon would head full speed towards one tower,
banking sharply when she was just a few feet away from
splattering all over its side. Then she'd laugh about
it. Red repeated this sport several times until
Celeste and Genesis were rightfully scared halfway out
of their minds. If the two complained, Red would
accuse them of having no sense of adventure shortly
before breaking into a series of stomach-clenching
barrel rolls.
Besides the slim chance of surviving Red Airlines,
Zero's lost sabre was also gnawing at her brain…
"Stop pulling my hair!" Red suddenly bellowed into
the wind.
"Can't we go back for the sabre?" Celeste pleaded.
"No no no a thousand times no! Grow some damn wings
yerself, then you're welcome to get your stupid
sabre."
Genesis, from the baggage coach: "What's so
important about that sabre anyway, Celeste?"
"It's a Lucas, and it's Zero's."
"Well, why'd he give you something so valuable?" Red
asked.
Celeste was cornered like a fox in a hunt, the hounds
howling at her. Zero had warned her not to talk about
the sabre, and now she'd screwed herself. How did she
explain this?
"Well, we…"
"…'exchanged our weapons along with our vows,'"
Genesis finished up for her with an unkind snicker.
"Common tradition among human Hunters in love, given
the fact that their crappy salaries couldn't pay for
any piece of jewelry that didn't come out of the
gumball machines at Walmart. But a human and a
reploid? That stupid jerkoff. I warned him to stay
away from you."
Genesis was disgusted, but Red was just confused.
"Why would anyone wanna get married, settle down, and
end the good life of late night Hunting and wild
moonlight?" the Mechadrake puzzled. "I don't get it.
Must be a pain in the arse to have a mating instinct,
eh?"
"Yeah, it sucks," Celeste sighed.
"You know Celeste," Genesis said flatly, "if you get
married to Zero, the whole thing's gonna eventually go
to hell. Too many biological and cultural differences
between the species."
"Thanks for your vote of confidence," Celeste
snarled. "Gee whiz, at this rate, reploids and humans
will be running through flowered fields, hand in hand,
singing 'Happy Shiny People' in no time at all!"
"Just speakin' the truth," Genesis grumbled, his
voice drowned by the howl of the wind.
"No fighting," Red said sternly. "Now listen, both
of you. Lecture time. No being understands the
terrible beauty that is human love and sexuality, and
the mystery has not been unraveled, even over
centuries. But aside from desire, companionship, and
its resulting offspring, there is obviously a deeper
reason as to why a young pair decides to make two
hearts beat as one. Celeste and Zero's affair is a
pure example of love conquering lust, and is
especially a prime example of patience, problem
solving and thoughtfulness."
Celeste and Genesis went blank.
"All right, I'll translate," Red sighed. "Celeste's
love for Zero, for obvious reasons, goes way beyond
her just wanting to throw him down and mount the pony.
Surely the feeling is mutual between them. And I
admire that."
Blood bloomed in Celeste's cheeks as she hung her
head slowly. "Reeeeeed…"
Genesis was laughing. "Tasteful!"
"What what?" Red said, dismayed. "I try to be deep
and philosophical, and no one understands what the
hell I'm trying to say. In such cases, I guess old
ways are the best!"
Once again, the earth quaked in protest as the
Chimera smashed it with merciless metallic paws. Once
again, the nasty purple and blue bulk of the mech,
with its silver hybrid silhouette, filled X's eyes.
Once again, Vile was saying something about playing a
game. And once again, X knew he'd gotten himself into
a real fun fix. Only this time, Zero wasn't able to
take him by the hand and yank him out of danger. No,
his saviour was behind bars, cursing Vile in ten
different languages.
Vile slowly reeled back one huge, armoured fist and
let it fly. X ducked the blow and scurried under the
Chimera's arm. He screeched to a halt beside Zero's
cage, panting in terror, seeking useless protection.
The behemoth reared, exhaled slowly, roared sleepily
and lumbered its way towards the Hunters. Vile was
merrily stalking his prey, he was in no hurry.
"Don't run to me, I'm not your mama," Zero hissed at
his friend. "It's about time you grew up. Do your
best to wear him down. I'll take care of the rest.
All right?"
X widened his eyes at Zero. "You're kinda confined.
How're you gonna manage?"
"You just watch."
X suddenly went flying, courtesy of Vile and the
Chimera, so he didn't get a chance to watch anything.
Shaking off his hangover, the small reploid David
stood steadfast, staring down his demon, assulting the
goliath with a hail of white hot plasma shots, but he
wasn't getting too damn far.
But that was fine. All Zero needed was a diversion.
He lifted his scorched and smoldering left arm up to
his eyes. Clamped to his wrist was the typical
nondescript chrome ring that clenched at the wrists of
all reploids, and for good reason. The wrist was a
vital area on humans and reploids alike, and a slashed
wrist could likewise mean death for a 'ploid.
Staring at his own smudged eyes in the metal ring,
Zero carefully reached for Celeste's dagger, his last
weapon, from a niche in his boot. This, too, he
brought to eye level, silently admiring the
mysteriously fine craftsmanship of the glittering
serpentine DNA helix that formed the dagger's hilt.
Against the background music of mechanical whirring
and pounding and X screaming like a fisher's wife as
he was splattered against and peeled off several of
the walls in Vile's dimly lit chamber, Zero sadly
thought about Celeste as he caught some of her scent
wafting from the dagger. Oh sure, Zero thought, there
was a chance that he would be revived. Reploids
always had a second chance. But how long would it
take? Months? Years? Decades? What would happen to
Celeste in that time? She wouldn't get younger, that
was for sure. Chances were good that she'd get
married to some human Hunter and have a critter or
two. Zero's Lucas would be forgotten, or given to the
Hunter in question. But Celeste wouldn't be to blame.
She couldn't help her instincts, could she?
Zero had a tendency to look at the worst case
scenario.
At any rate, her kids would need a safe world to grow
up in.
The reformed reploid sighed at his own philosophical
cheese as he went to work with the dagger. With its
tempered tip, he carefully worked at the minute screws
that bit into the chrome ring and his wrist. He
grimaced slightly as each screw left its deep sheath
of metallic bone and skin. This wasn't a fun job.
But when the wrist guard fell away and Zero was left
staring at the complicated network of veins and wires
that swished and churned silently underneath his thin
layer of skin. And he was scared of what he was about
to do, scared of the cold knife biting into his warm
skin and letting the blood flow.
But it had to be done.
The Chimera's mammoth back was facing Zero, within
leaping distance. X was doubled over on the floor
before the godlike, remodeled book-organizer and its
proud rider. The Hunter's breathing was shallow and
laboured. He couldn't take anymore. This was it.
Zero braced himself and dragged the serpent's knife
along his exposed wrist. A thick black rope of blood
instantly welled up from the gash. Cold nausea crept
down Zero's stomach as he watched his severed
wrist-wires turn about lazily like a nest of
multicoloured adders, spitting sparks dangerously
close to the slick black river of fluid. He liked the
sight of fresh blood, but not his own.
Zero closed his eyes. He was all set. He hauled
himself to his feet, his carefully thought-out battle
cry ready to flick from the tip of his tounge.
Vile reared back one of the Chimera's legs, ready to
kick the heap of X before him into oblivion. A sharp
cry stopped him.
"HEY! VILE!"
The Maverick turned around to see Zero standing in
his cage, clutching the shimmering bars, one of which
had a oozing river of circulatory fluid inching down
it. Zero's eyes darkened to a terrifying shark-black.
A poisonous grin lit up his face, and a gritty red
halo hung heavily around the Hunter, dancing faster
with each passing second. His systems were going into
overdrive.
"YER MA'S A WHORE!"
The sound of Zero busting out of his cage was like a
spray of bullets hitting a line of wine glasses.
Debris rained down on all sides of X and Vile. Zero
fell with the metal hail. He landed on the Chimera's
back just as the severed wires of his wrist made
contact with his flammable blood. Zero's fist was
subsequently enveloped in a screaming, electrical
fireball. The Hunter slammed the whole hellish
inferno down the open neck of the Chimera, into the
cockpit where Vile sat, stunned. The Mech's systems
screamed under the fire as if it were alive, and it
slowly buckled down onto its knees. The flame
consumed it like a hungry beast, along with Vile and
Zero. A dull explosion rocked the chamber, and
everything went milk-white…
Heavy raindrops spattering down on her, Red, leaning
on her lance, looked up sadly at Sigma's fortress, the
sharp, stiff grasses of the Skeleton Grasslands biting
at her bare ankles as they swayed in the baked wind.
She knew exactly what was going to happen to Zero and
Vile. One would never yield to the other. They would
simply cancel each other out, like an acid and a base.
Red heaved a sigh and waited for the moment.
She didn't have to wait long. A very small but bright
haze of white bloomed from one particular sector of
the fortress like the birth of a new star. It was at
that exact moment that the two most important scents
in Red's life fled her nostrils forever: the scent of
her brother Skysheen, and the scent of her best
friend, the Hunter Zero.
"Both of ya are ijits," the Mechadrake muttered.
"Especially you, Zero…fighting on a side you were
obviously never meant to be on. Always had to bust me
arse looking out fer ya, you silly twit. Now you're
gone. What am I gonna tell Celeste?"
Red turned to look at the young McTreggor who was
straggling back to Kapcom with Genesis and the last
few Hunters left on the Plains. She stopped suddenly
and stared back at Red.
"You all right?"
Red grinned slowly. "Sure, I don't know."
Celeste came to stand beside Red, rather dwarfed by
the Mechadrake's massive frame.
"You think Zero's all right?"
Red paused. "He can hold is own." It wasn't quite a
lie.
But lying to Celeste never quite worked out. Red
knew the Huntress didn't buy a word. She could tell
just by the way the human was staring at her with
expressionless but piercing eyes.
Red gave it up and gave Celeste a quick hug. "It's
all right. Things'll work out. I promise. Now go on
home."
Celeste quietly did as she was told. Red watched the
poisonous plains swallow her and the other Hunters up.
"Yes Zero, you ARE an idiot," Red snorted at her
friend. "Proposing to a young human girl just minutes
before you go off and get yourself killed? What do
you expect her to do, wait for your sorry ass to be
revived?"
Red made a decision. Fanning out her wings, she
tensed her back legs and sprang into the air,
raindrops hissing like grease on a frying pan as they
spat on her ever-burning snout. Shielding her eyes
from the small but stubborn storm, the dragon chugged
her wings against the wind, thankful for the friendly
darkness that hid her as she flew back to Siggy's
fortress.
Zero…
"Uh…"
Zeeeeeroooo! I'm on my way to take you home!
"Oh. Oh damn."
You have some 'splaining to dooo!
"I know…"
"Zero!"
This time the voice was tangible.
"Zero! C'mon…!"
Not to mention stricken.
"Get up! Come on…" the voice slid down a notch to
teary. The owner started shaking Zero's mangled frame
back and forth. Without bothering to open his eyes,
Zero slapped the hands away.
"Hey…" Surprised and a little hurt, the voice reared
back. It sniffled wetly.
After some struggle, Zero managed to open his eyes a
tad and lift up his head slightly, despite the hammer
that throbbed and pounded inside his skull. He saw
two things he could've done without; his own body,
burnt and gnawed in half, and the sight of X weeping
like little Nell Down by the Well. One thing cheered
him up slightly; Celeste's dagger was at his side
faithfully, completely unmarred despite the hell it
burned through. Quite a weapon.
Zero gritted his teeth against the pain that ripped
down his body with burning claws. He closed his eyes
and lay back down, and the agony eased slightly. "Aw,
c'mon now, X…"
"Zero…you're okay, right?"
"Uh…well, I don't know too much about the reploid
anatomy, but I do know it's a bit hard to survive with
only your upper half intact…" Zero broke off as his
lungs started to rattle coldly. "Ah no." he coughed
thickly. "You're on your own."
X started to quake. "Aw no!" he cried. "You're
fine!" he started to pick up his friend, whose eyes
flew open as pain racked him once more.
"Ow ow ow OW, put me DOWN!" Zero screeched, gurgling
on a mouthful of blood as he did so. He spat the
stream aside venomously. "Listen to me, X," the
crimson Hunter began angrily, but his voice trailed
off, his scalding words drying in his mouth as he
looked up at X, who was shaking, sobbing quietly,
trying very hard - with little success - to keep his
tears in check.
For an instant, Zero was taken back to Skull Castle, a
lonely and confused newborn who positively bawled as
he watched his stricken brother wilt and die under
some mysterious chip that their late father had
planted in him. And Bass had been understanding of
Zero's grief.
Zero grinned a bloody, blackened grin. "Aw, what the
hell. You go on and cry it all out. You'll be a
better man for it."
That was X's cue to howl like an abandoned wolf
pup, but he didn't take it. Without a word, he just
hugged his best friend tightly, tears spilling
quietly. Zero surprised himself by hugging X back,
with only one arm as he needed the other for balance.
A lonely sadness bloomed in the dying Hunter as the
embrace tightened.
"I'm sorry," X gulped suddenly.
"Sorry for what?"
X put Zero down. "Sorry for being such a jerk when
we first met," he snuffled, wiping his nose with the
back of his hand.
Zero grimaced at X's bad hygiene. "Make sure you
don't touch me again or anything, X. And what do you
mean 'being a jerk?'"
"Oh…when we first met in the cafeteria. Remember?
You called me Astroboy, and I called you Ponyboy, and
I threw that apple at you and you beat me up for it
and…oh God, I'm going to miss you."
Zero chuckled. "I'd almost forgot about all that,
you know?" he said faintly. He didn't have much more
time. "You have nothing to be sorry for, X, so don't
worry your head. Come now, take a second and collect
yourself. You're up against Siggy by yourself.
Here." Zero unfurled his fingers and inched Celeste's
serpent dagger towards X. "Take this. Yeah, no need
to say it, it looks like a crappy little pocketknife,
but there's something more to it, I think. It might
come in handy. Even if you don't use it, give it back
to Celeste and tell her to wait."
"Huh?"
Zero smiled bleakly. "Nevermind, you'll see someday.
Just take care of her for me. And for the love of
Schweppes, take care of yourself. I'm not gonna be
around to take you by the hand any longer. Now go
away. Just let me sleep." He closed his eyes one
last time.
Life had been good to Zero sometimes, and other times
it screwed him over, but in general, it just confused
him. Now he was at the end of it, and he had tried to
live it the best he could.
So I'm no different from any human. Or better.
No reploid is. What a great time to stumble upon the
secret of life!
With that last thought, the black curtain fell and
concluded the life of the Devil's Son.
X stumbled blindly through the corridors of Sigma's
fortress, unaware of where he was going. Angry
Mavericks swarmed him, but somehow he mowed down
platoon after platoon, his arm cannon having a life of
its own. Nothing was real. It was all a dream. Only
Celeste's dagger was real. Staggering drunkenly into
a cold blue cement pillar, temporarily out of range of
any enemies, X clutched at the rough surface and
sobbed. Zero was gone.
"Hey."
He was being watched. X shamefacedly rubbed at his
watery green eyes with his palms.
"No sense in hiding it. Nothing wrong, we're all
upset, eh?" the voice was friendly, but savagely
familiar.
"Red…?"
"Yare."
X looked up at the Mechadrake for the first time
since she betrayed the Hunters all those weeks back.
She pearched on a gothic spire not too far up from
where X stood, like a regal gargoyle, wings
outstreched, dark ponytail fluttering as one with the
night sky in the cool wind. She held a gorgeous,
almost antique lightsabre across her chest. The blade
was lit, and its lime light reflected off her dark
armour, drenching the sombre metal with a shimmering
green hue.
"Nice to see you, X!" she said cheerfully. "This is
Zero's Lucas. Nevermind why I have it. I just have a
feeling you can use it." She threw the relic down
from the tower. It bounced once and rolled to a stop
in front of X's boots. Upon impact, the blade quickly
scurried back into its hiding place with a slurping
hiss.
"Tell that friend of yours that he's an ijit," Red
snarled, "and that I'll never let him rest as long as
these wings drink air. Now get along, you! Siggy is
close. He's very close. It's always easy to tell
where that funny looking creep is hiding, 'cause he
smells bad. There's a tip from me to you. Make the
most of it, wha'!"
Red was gone as suddenly as she appeared.
Zero opened his eyes.
The air in Vile's chamber was stagnant and heavy, but
still and peaceful. Zero yawned and pushed his arms
upwards, and got a start as someone grabbed his
outstretched hand and gently helped him to his feet.
Zero scrambled up and rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
"Bass?"
Bass was looking his normal self, with his sharp
toothed, self-confident grin and oily black armour
which was still augmented with its usual gold
trimming. Some things never changed.
Zero smiled lopsidedly at Bass. It was all he could
do to let his brother know that he hated him and still
loved him dearly at the same time.
"Hey Zero. Ready to go?"
"Where?"
Bass silently pointed down. Zero looked, and saw his
shell, twisted, battered, scorched but peaceful, lying
on Vile's grimy floor.
"Oh yeah. That thing."
Bass cleared his throat. "So Zero, we strayed from
the path during our lifetime, didn't we."
Zero narrowed his eyes defensively. "I did the best
I could in life. Your lessons on humans were totally
bogus. I was forced to live among them, befriend
them, save them, and even heal them. At first I
couldn't stand it, but I learned to admire them after
a while. There are reasons to, trust me."
Bass simply raised one eyebrow at Zero, arms folded
across his ebony chest.
"Well, it's true," Zero finished lamely.
Zero received quite a surprise when Bass hugged him.
"I'm just glad to see you again, baby brother," Bass
murmured soothingly in Zero's ear. "And if Wily ever
saw this, he'd start to wonder about me." Bass let go
and lightened up. "Besides, your life is far from
over. You'll be revived some day…still plenty of time
to go berserk against the humans you love, eh wot?"
Before Zero could respond, Bass grabbed him by the
wrist. "We've got catching up to do, and so little
time to do it in! Come on, let's go see that goldfish
that stupid friend of yours X never fed."
Lying there in the sun,
All things to everyone,
Run runaway.
I'm your sweet sugar Candy Man
Run like the wind
Fly with me to Bounty Land
Bite me, I'm yours
If you're hungry, please understand
This is the end
Of the sweet sugar Candy Man!
