Dedicated to Sidier who helped me and my friends in more ways than we ever had the right to ask for.
The Depths of Shadows
My name is Tech Kraken.
And I am by all accounts…
…a maverick.
I have willingly joined a coalition of reploids who, as part of their operational objective, seek in no uncertain terms to annihilate all human life within their crosshairs.
I have pledged to dedicate all of my power to make sure that the submarine in my possession drills into the tectonic plates of this "Area Zero" and detonates, resulting in an earthquake that will bury the human inhabitants in the bowels of the earth and assure them a death in darkness. And I intend to, in all manners of speaking, go down with the ship.
I suppose one could say that I am a maverick suicide bomber seeking to take down as many humans with me as possible.
I am, beyond dispute, a maverick. I have accepted this label.
…But it wasn't always like this.
There was a time when life made sense.
There was a time when roles were clearly and sharply defined.
There was a time when I walked not among mavericks, but among hunters.
There was a time when I had direction. A time when I answered to a dark, but noble lord.
He was the leader of the Zan'ei army, known in the vulgar tongue as the "Cutting Shadow Squadron."
His name was Phantom, the "Hidden General."
He was the shadow to Master X, the world's greatest light.
And I was his servant.
I remember our drills like it was yesterday.
Every morning without exception, Phantom, our leader, made sure we harbored no illusions about the ugliness of our duties.
He reminded us that we were notmembers of the Rekku Army, whose commander, Sage Harpuia, cleared the very air humans breathed.
We were not regulars in the Meikai Army, whose leader, Siren Leviathan, cleaned the water humans drank.
We were notsoldiers of the Jin'en Army, whose general, Tōshō Fefnir, lived for the thrill of battle.
We were warriors of Phantom's Zan'ei Army, whose sole purpose was to wipe out the Maverick resistance to Master X's glorious utopia of Neo Arcadia.
Our mission was one of dirty work and righteous cruelty. We stained our hands with reploid blood so Master X could keep his clean.
My late master's invocation echoes in my mind even now:
All of life is divided into light and shadow. One leads, the other follows. The latter is ugly so the former can be radiant. Master X gives light to the people and we give death to Mavericks.
I still remember the interactive creed that always followed:
"WHAT IS MASTER X?" Phantom would shout, his blade reaching for the heavens.
"LIGHT TO THE PEOPLE!" we would affirm.
"WHAT ARE WE?" the Dark Lord would demand.
"DEATH TO MAVERICKS!" we would answer.
So we repeated. Such was the creed of the Zan'ei Army. It was hardwired into every one of us, but me especially.
Out of all the members of this group, I was closest to the Hidden General. This was only natural, as it was I who was tasked with hunting down those who dared to distort the shadows of our ranks with the shade of treason.
It was my duty to treat everyone in our unit—from the noble Phoenix Magnion to the incompetent Burble Hekelot—as a potential enemy and to be ready to insert my fangs of ice into our very own comrades upon Phantom's command.
This was my life. Master X was the light, Phantom was his shadow, and I was the shadow of Phantom. Things made sense.
Until he came along…
…the Red Maverick…
…a crimson insurgent who wielded as his weapon a blade of light—a light that brought not salvation, but damnation. A light that, in his hands, became an instrument of murder that cut down all in his path until there remained nothing before him but his very namesake:
…Zero…
With his arrival everything changed.
He did the impossible, penetrating the defenses of Neo Arcadia and overcoming the Big 4 Generals, all of which retreated upon defeat.
Except my master.
He alone was loyal enough to the light he served to give his life to stop the Red Maverick from reaching his target.
His efforts were wasted.
The resistance "hero" survived with barely a scratch.
As if robbing me of my master wasn't enough, Zero killed Master X shortly thereafter.
Within one day this…demon…robbed me of all meaning in life.
I was once the shadow to Phantom and he was the shadow to Master X.
With them gone…I was a shadow to no one…
And now… there is no direction…nothing makes sense…
Phantom's light, Master X, is gone and in his place, Dr. Weil rules over Neo Arcadia.
He's a human…but every bit of a maverick that the Zan'el Army hunted back in the day!
A human maverick…how did things become so distorted?
Dr. Weil drafted me into his latest scheme, "Operation Ragnarok," with which he aims to wipe out all nature outside the reach of his dirty, bloodstained hands.
I accepted without hesitation. I care not about the future of the planet, nor who rules over whom. I agreed to abide by this half-baked scheme (and the slow-witted Mino Magnus) because I knew it would draw him out—the man who took Phantom, my master—the man who took all meaning from my life…
…except vengeance!
It is for this cause that I await the Red Maverick now.
Red Maverick…do I deserve to call him that, given what I am now? Would Phantom not seek to kill us both, since I too am threatening humans? Or would he look at my motive to avenge his life with approval? Does Dr. Weil's status as ruler make Zero right? Should I side with the man who killed my master? Is that what Phantom would want?
I…don't…know…
…No…No!...NO!
Everything is Zero's fault! He's the one who put Weil, the human maverick, in power! He's the one who killed Master X! He's the one who murdered Phantom, my master! He's the one who took all meaning from me!
Vengeance is all that matters now! I must—Wait! He's here! I see him coming!
As if on cue, the Red Maverick entered my domain and stood before me.
Guilty as he was, I felt Zero deserved to know why I planned to kill him so he would know what he took from me.
"You're here..."I uttered with accusation.
Surprisingly, the murderer indulged me, or at the very least did nothing.
"I've been waiting a long time for this, Zero! I'm not just one of the Eight Warriors, I am a remnant of the Zan'ei Army led by the late Phantom. I am Tech Kraken!"
I had to fight to maintain my nerve, not just because Zero's undefeated record (a record that included my master) gave him intimidating infamy, but because I had to focus on the only cause he left me in life.
"I only put up with that Weil and this whole plan just so I could get revenge on the one who defeated Phantom! Feel the rage of my former master! I will enjoy sinking these fangs of ice into you!"
"I AM THE BLADE OF VENGEANCE!" I shouted as I got in my fighting position.
With that, our fight began in earnest. We were under water, giving me the home field advantage. I began by launching two reflector shots, which ricocheted off the walls.
The Red Maverick dodged them with incredible agility, as I expected he would.
I threw ice shards sharp enough to slice a molecule like they were hailstones being hurled at a storms pace. He was able to destroy most of them, but at least one caught his arm—his saber arm.
The Red Maverick remained undeterred.
Before I could capitalize on my attack, he opened fire with a charged shot from his pistol. It hurt more than it should have. He must have equipped it with a fire-based modification. I quickly disappeared in my ink "portal."
I reopened the portal just enough to extend my claws and stab him from behind. He dodged me at the last minute.
I repeated my attack, this time from above. I missed him, but I managed to slice his firearm in two.
The Red Maverick showed no fear.
I tried my attack a third time and my arms felt the sting of his saber's light. In reaction, I exited my portal and reappeared behind him.
He leaped at me with intent to cut me down, but I was able to create an Ice Shield at the last second, which suffered the fate he intended for me.
I retreated into my portal and reappeared far above him.
He leapt at me again, but this time I was ready. I launched my trademark Ice Javelins. He managed to cut through one of them but the other hit his saber arm once more and cut far deeper than my last attack—deep enough to force him to drop his saber.
The Red Maverick remained calm, as if this happened every day.
Regardless, I had to intercept him before he could pick up that Saber. Without it, he would surely stand no chance.
I launched a sphere of freezing energy at the saber, just as he went for it. My aim was true. The Red Maverick was entombed in blue ice.
I retreated into my portal, and opened it beside my prey just enough to launch my claws with intent to pierce the tomb of ice and cut through the Red Maverick's heart.
I never got the chance.
With ungodly might, he burst free from his tomb and with his free arm—the arm I never thought to damage—he reached out, seized my tentacles, and violently dragged me out of my portal!
Before I could register my surroundings, he slammed me against the wall with extreme prejudice and, while I was still frozen in shock, he seized his saber with both hands and uppercut me with a fire-based attack that might as well have split the heavens. I was cut in two before I knew what happened.
My ocular circuits were the first to go.
"I CAN'T SEE!" I shouted in pain, before quickly realizing that I had not only lost my sight, I had not only lost the fight, but I had lost my life.
…I had failed…
…I suppose I deserved as much given my crimes…
"Hragh! I have lent my strength to Weil, and now I must pay. There's no way for me to save Phantom's soul... But...I did what I had to do! Phantom! Forgive me!"
And with that, the light of death consumed my form.
…
…
…I felt like I was drifting…
…Was this cyberspace…?
…The afterlife…?
Before I could focus, I felt myself being dragged with the suction of a black hole.
When I came to, I was in my body, fully restored.
It seemed Dr. Weil revived me in a final attempt to stop Zero from halting Ragnarok's true purpose of destroying Area Zero from above. The fool!
Regardless, I would not let this second chance to kill Zero pass me by. As long as I remained alive, so would my vengeance!
My next attempt was more pathetic than the last. This time, I could not stand Zero's gaze upon my shame.
"Gragh! There, that's it! G-go...There's no need to see my pathetic death...Go, Zero!"
He obeyed, even as the light of death claimed me once more.
…
…
…
…Once again, I was drifting in darkness…
…Once again, I was without direction…
But this time…there was no suction…no one seeking to bring me back to life…I deserve no such thing…I had failed…failed my unit…failed my master…failed the light he served…
Suddenly, I felt something…
The drifting stopped.
My senses gathered their focus. I could now make out what had touched me. It was in the form of a human's hand, but metal like that of a reploid.
I lifted my head and standing before me was Phantom, my master.
Impossible!
Unless…
…Yes. Yes! It made sense now! This must be the afterlife!
Upon appreciating my destination, I immediately bowed my head once more, my form prostrate.
"Master Phantom…I…I'm sorry…I failed…"
My master didn't budge, nor did he betray any emotion, good or ill.
I continued with my pathetic plea.
"I tried to hold fast to your creed…to be your shadow…to serve you and thus serve the light you followed…but…I did…terrible things…maverick things…to do what needed to be done…"
My master remained still, both in movement and disposition."I tried to avenge your life and that of Master X…but I have failed…I became a maverick for nothing…I am a failure…I now…beg…what I have no right to ask for…"
"...Please…grant me forgiveness…redemption…"
At last, my master spoke.
"You have failed…" he affirmed
Hearing that from his mouth cut me deeper than Zero's blade, but I deserved it.
"…but so have I," he finished.
I looked up in shock. What? That can't be! What does he mean?
"I spent my life in service of a false light," he answered
"A false light? Impossible! You served Master X!" I cried in his defense.
"No. I served a pale vainglorious imitation of Master X!"
"I don't understand…" I uttered in confusion.
"When I fell to Zero's blade, my soul drifted here, to cyberspace. It was here that I learned all the truths, just as you will."
Truths? What was he talking about?
"The most crushing truth of all was the fact that the man I thought was the light of the world was merely a copy designed to stand in for the authentic light, which had all but left the Earth. And in following his orders I became an instrument of murder and oppression."
I rose in shock at my master's confession.
"Zero's assault upon me, the false light, and all of Neo Arcadia was the most just action the world had seen in our lifetimes. It was us who were the Mavericks, not him."
I floated in place, once again feeling all meaning leave my life. My conviction, which was once resolute, was now straying as through an infinite nothing with no center of gravity…
…I found myself wishing I could die again and be free from this pain…only to be reminded that this is the afterlife and there is no such escape…
"Come," Phantom beckoned me.
At my master's voice, I regained some composure and followed him.
"You asked for forgiveness and redemption for your failure."
I listened eagerly for his next words.
"In darkness like our own, there is neither."
I remembered this truth well. After all, I was the one who executed traitors without pity or second chances. Still, knowing my lot and hearing those words from him robbed me of a hope I had no right to possess in the first place.
"But in true light there is both."
True light? What did he mean?
My answer soon presented itself.
Standing before us was the hero of the Elf Wars, the Legendary Blue Messiah—the real Master X.
He locking arms with Zero in comradeship, who must have died stopping Ragnarok.
Seeing my killer being welcomed by our lord with open arms made my blood boil. He was vindicated in his struggle, a struggle I thought to be evil, but in reality, was righteous. His glory highlighted my shame. At that moment, all my failures came rushing back to me. I failed to defeat Zero, failed to avenge Phantom, and I just learned that even if I had succeeded, my actions would have been counted as wickedness. I had wasted my entire life doing wrong in the name of doing right. There was no hope for me now.
Or so I thought…
…until X turned his gaze upon us.
In his eyes I saw forgiveness and gentleness. Forgiveness I did not deserve, but was freely offered nonetheless. At that moment, I understood what my master meant regarding redemption. I would find it in the forgiveness of the true light that was X, and find meaning in service to the same.
At last, Phantom bowed before X, even as he embraced Zero, the one who killed us both.
And as his shadow…
…so did I.
Author's Note: It is with sincere gratitude and honor that I pinned this fanfiction for you, Sidier. I knew Phantom was your favorite character from the Zero Series and since I had no artistic skills, I provided what I could with this tale of the lone survivor of his unit. I can only hope you can accept this humble offer of gratitude for all the translation work you did for me and my friends! God bless and Godspeed, man! Thank you for everything!