The Raven
Part IV- The Raven on the Hunt
The lightning crashed outside the window, sending another pail blue flash across the room. Seconds after, the thunder bellowed, making the floor quake under Raven's feet. She sat in one of the many forlorn rooms with a fireplace, and big, cushioned chairs. A chandelier on the ceiling hung low, but remained motionless and dusty. Beside her chair was a tall, golden bird cage, but with no bird. Her raven sat outside the cage, still as stone.
'I wonder why Jose doesn't use this room more often.' she thought to herself, watching the yellow flames dance in the bricked fireplace. After the previous night when Jose had announced that he had given her a name, she wanted to find a quiet, private place to think. She found it.
She took a sip of her drink, and let herself sink into the comfort of the chair. 'Jose must have more faith in my then I thought.' Until now, she had presumed that Jose never actually had that much confidence that she could succeed with her orders....oh, he acted like it, but somehow his whole enthusiasm wasn't into his beliefs.
Suddenly the thunder again bellowed, startling her. She sighed and waited for her heart beat to return to normal. Strangely, this being her first time experiencing a lightning storm, she was captivate by it. It was mysterious for her, as well as soothing. A while before, when she asked Jose what it was, he simply replied, "A mer phenomena created when positive charges from air masses move to negative charges on the ground." Her intelligence told her that in English, that was lightning.
Even though Jose had loathed the huge raven that now sat on the chair's arm, he had agreed to let her keep it, as long as she used the cage he had provided for it. She promised that the creature would be kept in the golden prison, but whenever she could, she let it loose.
"Jose's not all that bad." She turned her head to the raven, and calmly spoke to it. "I think I'm starting to enjoy his arrogant company. I suppose it isn't all his fault that Cybersix and Data 7 have escaped him....she must be more to handle then Von Riechter had made her out to be."
She paused for a minute, and was about to continue, when she heard a familiar squeak out into the hallway. Her magnificent hearing caught the sound of shoes walking down the hall. "Hmmmm...." she carefully listened. "Loafers, brown, about size ten....oh, oh! It's Jose! Back in your cage!" She shooed the raven into the cage, and locked the wired door. No sooner had she seated herself back in the chair, when the chamber's door scraped open.
Still facing the fireplace, she marked behind her as the door opened, then slammed closed. Jose approached the back of her chair, then jumped out from behind it just as another flash of lightning snapped across the room. Raven gasped and jumped slightly. Jose's faced lit up from his accomplishment. "Hahahahaha! What's the matter, Raven? Scared of a little lightning?" He held his stomach, and laughed until the thunder shook the floor. A second later, he was grasping a hold of Raven's neck in her lap, shaking.
Raven smiled evilly. "What's the matter, Jose? Scared of a little thunder?"
Jose made a lip-on. "Hm!" he jumped off her lap, and sat across from her in the other chair. "I have some news that you'll be pleased about." He paused and looked at the bird cage. There was the raven, staring him right in the eyes. He frowned and shuttered. "I hate those retched creatures!"
Raven looked to the cage and held up her hand. She make a 'shoo' motion, and the bird turned it's back to them.
Jose cleared his throat. "Ahem, as I was saying, I has some news that you'll be pleased about. Tonight we will go out into Meridiana and search for Cybersix..." he was in the middle of his speech, when she leaped off the chair and rapped her arms around him, lifting his little body into the air.
She shut her eyes and squeezed him tighter. "Oh thank you thank you thank you..."
Jose squirmed and whined as he tried to squiggle loose from her grip. "Just my luck an Ultra-Cyber, with one hundred times my strength, would hug me! LET GO!"
Raven opened her eyes, and let him drop to the floor. Jose's body made a 'thud' sound as he landed on his butt. "Sorry, Boss." She should have known that Jose wouldn't be use to any kind of affection towards him. Just then, she started to wonder how even herself knew of affection. 'It must be one of the emotions Von Riechter gave me' she concluded.
"AS I WAS SAYING, RAVEN," Jose barked as he seated himself again. "Tonight we will go to Meridiana, and search for Cybersix. Father expects nothing from the best from you...as do I. Stay out of sight, and stay with me! You were designed to work with me, not for me." Jose tried to sound decent, but something inside him was green with envy of his father's liking and confidence in her.
"Yes, Sir!" Raven said enthusiastically. Jose nodded, and was about to leave, when she caught him in the middle of his pace. "Um...Jose...can I inquire about the relationship between Von Riechter and yourself? I've been here for months, and I still don't know why your always so content with pleasing him."
Jose stopped, back to Raven. He fell silent for a minute, then sighed. "I suppose your going to have to learn sometime." He turned and walked back over to the chair, then sat down. Raven leaned in, preparing to listen and store the data.
Jose looked her in the eyes, then started. "Okay, first of all, like yourself, I'm not totally human. I am a clone. An organism born artificially from a subject to be alike them in every way. Father created me so that when he died his projects and dreams would live on.... unfortunately, he also suspected that my genius would conduct me to destroy him. To make sure I did not ever try to overpower him, Father altered my genes slightly, and eternally imprisoned me into this retched body! He once called me his finest creation, but now he has no faith that I will succeed with anything."
Jose eyes narrowed, and he sunk into the chair. In a dark, low voice he whispered, "Sometimes I wish I could escape this form....and take my vengeance...."
At that moment, Raven sensed that Jose did not enjoy being Von Riechter's son as much as she had endorsed. She felt her insides burning, her soul being corrupted by a feeling of anger and hate. What is this new feeling? It was almost as if she wanted to get vengeance for Jose....Had Von Riechter done it? Had he implanted her with the most dangerous emotion of all?...had he implanted her with, vengeance?
The patter of rain drops smashing against the window, and sometimes the slight rumble of thunder were the only sounds in the room. Raven glanced over at the ten-year-old, observing him, as he rested his face in his hands. She was also strangely captivated by the idea of rebelling... 'take over her creator, and give Jose is revenge....hmmm.....NO! What are you thinking about? Von Riechter gave you life, him and him alone is the only reason your sitting here at this moment. You are loyal to him and ONLY HIM.' She shook her head.
Jose finally raised his head up. "Alright, Raven. I've answered your question, and the night is still young. Let's go."
*****
The streets of Meridiana were dark and chilly as they walked down the alleys and sidewalks. Raven, Jose, and five Fixed Ideas were on the hunt for Cybersix... and their leading hunter looked to be confident about her chances.
They had been walking at the same pace for an hour around the sleeping city, not finding one sight of the Cyber or Data. Raven looked to the Fixed Idea's shoulders, where Jose sat, looking like the captain of a ship. "When are we going to find them? I'm ready to put my abilities to the ultimate test." She smiles evilly, and smacked her fist into her palm.
Jose looked down at the Ultra-Cyber. "Silence, Raven. We'll find her...we'll find her if we have to stay out the whole night!"
They continued walking down an alley, then suddenly, by chance glancing up, Raven caught sight of a shadow leaping on the roof tops. She gasped, and without warning to anyone, she jumped straight up into the air at a phenomenal speed, and landed square on the roof of a near-by building. All Jose and the Fixed Ideas saw or heard was the 'whoosh' of the air as she leaped off her feet.
Raven looked behind her, letting her hair make the same whooshing sound as when she jumped. Her night vision caught the mysterious shadow jumping gracefully from roof-top to roof- top, with some kind of animal by it's side. Raven gasped, and said to herself, "That's her! That's Cybersix!" With that, she started to follow close behind.
Up head, Cybersix and Data 7 stopped to rest. Cybersix stood with one leg on the roof's ledge, and the other on the roof. "Meridiana looks peaceful tonight...I wonder what Jose is up to. It seems too quiet to be anything good." As if agreeing with her, Data 7 came beside her and sat down.
Suddenly, Cybersix's thoughts were shattered when she felt a pain down the side of her head, and the feeling of motionless. She realized that she had been knocked down onto the roof, after being taking a blow to the head. She looked over and saw Data 7, who was in pouncing position, trying to fight off a black figure. Cybersix's eyes widened. 'Could it be? Another Cyber?' She jumped to her feet, and hurried over to Data 7 and the shadow. Raven was about to heave another punch to Data 7's nose, when Cybersix grabbed her wrist.
"Stop!" Cybersix yelled.
Raven turned her head suddenly, and looked into Cybersix's eyes. He emerald eyes were now glowing a bright green, not showing her peplus. Raven let out a terrible "HISS!!" Cybersix gasped and stumbled backwards. "What are you?!" she yelled. Data 7 leaped out of Raven's view to Cybersix's side, and got prepared to run.
Raven turned and stood in a ready to chase position, and smiled evilly. "I'm your worst nightmare, Cyber 6!" Suddenly, she raced towards them, causing them to turn and at a sensational speed, jump away into the night. Raven laughed. "You cannot escape, Cyber 6! I will find you! You can run, but you can't hide from The Raven!" With that, she jumped into the shadows, and continued to hunt.
*****
Jose paced back and forth in front or the huge painting of Von Riechter. "Oh no...Father will be here any second...what am I going to say?! 'Father, I lost the Ultra-Cyber'....NO NO NO!! Oh...He's going to be so mad!!" It was the next morning bright and early. Jose and the Fixed Ideas had looked all night, but couldn't locate Raven after she ran off to catch Cybersix.
Just then, the painting started to wave and move, as if in a dream. Von Riechter's young face was replaced with his image 'now', and he looked mad. He bared his teeth as he talked. "JOSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" he yelled. "You call me last night, quite late, I might say, and inform me that Ultra-Cyber 1 had gone after Cybersix.... I call this morning, and I expect to hear that you have her!"
Jose swallowed, which hurt his dry throat. "Um....you...you see, Father...it's...it's like this....we, we went out, and she had spotted the Cyber, so she went off to try to catch her, and.....and...." Jose's voice changed from small to microscopic. "....we can't find her."
Von Riechter's face came up close to the screen, and his eyes narrowed in total anger. "WHAT?!?!?!?! JOSE!! WHY MUST YOU FAIL AT EVERYTHING?! ULTRA-CYBER 1 WAS MY FINEST CREATION!! YOU CANNOT DO ANYTHING RIGHT!!"
Jose leaped under his office desk in pure fear.
"WHEN I GET DOWN THERE, I'M GOING TO...." He was suddenly cut off by a familiar voice.
"Your going to do what, Sir?..." Raven stood in the office doorway, arms crossed, leaning against the frame.
Before she could say anything more, Jose was attached to her waist, squeezing her like he was never going to let her go. Raven didn't know weather he was glad to see her okay, or if it was out of fear that if she wasn't okay, Von Riechter was going to kill him.
"Ah, Ultra-Cyber 1. I am relieved that you are unharmed...no thanks to my irrelevant....son. As I had predicted, he has failed once again...but I'm sure because of your absence, you have good news for me." He smiled eerily at Raven, and leaned back in his chair.
Raven silently looked down at Jose, who was still strapped to her waist....was it true?...was he...trembling?? "Yes, Sir. But first, I would like your permission to speak freely."
Von Riechter listened. "Permission granted..."
Raven put her hand on top of Jose's black hair. "It was not Jose's fault that I was miss located last night. I was responsible for staying with Jose...he did not know that I disobeyed his orders to stay with him."
Von Riechter pondered for a moment, then spoke. "Very well. Jose, you were lucky this time, but next time you will not be so lucky." he turned his attention back to Raven. "Now, what have you done, Ultra-Cyber 1?"
The room fell silent, as she spoke her news of her accomplishments the previous night. "Sir...I know where she is hiding."
To Be Continued In Part V...
Part IV- The Raven on the Hunt
The lightning crashed outside the window, sending another pail blue flash across the room. Seconds after, the thunder bellowed, making the floor quake under Raven's feet. She sat in one of the many forlorn rooms with a fireplace, and big, cushioned chairs. A chandelier on the ceiling hung low, but remained motionless and dusty. Beside her chair was a tall, golden bird cage, but with no bird. Her raven sat outside the cage, still as stone.
'I wonder why Jose doesn't use this room more often.' she thought to herself, watching the yellow flames dance in the bricked fireplace. After the previous night when Jose had announced that he had given her a name, she wanted to find a quiet, private place to think. She found it.
She took a sip of her drink, and let herself sink into the comfort of the chair. 'Jose must have more faith in my then I thought.' Until now, she had presumed that Jose never actually had that much confidence that she could succeed with her orders....oh, he acted like it, but somehow his whole enthusiasm wasn't into his beliefs.
Suddenly the thunder again bellowed, startling her. She sighed and waited for her heart beat to return to normal. Strangely, this being her first time experiencing a lightning storm, she was captivate by it. It was mysterious for her, as well as soothing. A while before, when she asked Jose what it was, he simply replied, "A mer phenomena created when positive charges from air masses move to negative charges on the ground." Her intelligence told her that in English, that was lightning.
Even though Jose had loathed the huge raven that now sat on the chair's arm, he had agreed to let her keep it, as long as she used the cage he had provided for it. She promised that the creature would be kept in the golden prison, but whenever she could, she let it loose.
"Jose's not all that bad." She turned her head to the raven, and calmly spoke to it. "I think I'm starting to enjoy his arrogant company. I suppose it isn't all his fault that Cybersix and Data 7 have escaped him....she must be more to handle then Von Riechter had made her out to be."
She paused for a minute, and was about to continue, when she heard a familiar squeak out into the hallway. Her magnificent hearing caught the sound of shoes walking down the hall. "Hmmmm...." she carefully listened. "Loafers, brown, about size ten....oh, oh! It's Jose! Back in your cage!" She shooed the raven into the cage, and locked the wired door. No sooner had she seated herself back in the chair, when the chamber's door scraped open.
Still facing the fireplace, she marked behind her as the door opened, then slammed closed. Jose approached the back of her chair, then jumped out from behind it just as another flash of lightning snapped across the room. Raven gasped and jumped slightly. Jose's faced lit up from his accomplishment. "Hahahahaha! What's the matter, Raven? Scared of a little lightning?" He held his stomach, and laughed until the thunder shook the floor. A second later, he was grasping a hold of Raven's neck in her lap, shaking.
Raven smiled evilly. "What's the matter, Jose? Scared of a little thunder?"
Jose made a lip-on. "Hm!" he jumped off her lap, and sat across from her in the other chair. "I have some news that you'll be pleased about." He paused and looked at the bird cage. There was the raven, staring him right in the eyes. He frowned and shuttered. "I hate those retched creatures!"
Raven looked to the cage and held up her hand. She make a 'shoo' motion, and the bird turned it's back to them.
Jose cleared his throat. "Ahem, as I was saying, I has some news that you'll be pleased about. Tonight we will go out into Meridiana and search for Cybersix..." he was in the middle of his speech, when she leaped off the chair and rapped her arms around him, lifting his little body into the air.
She shut her eyes and squeezed him tighter. "Oh thank you thank you thank you..."
Jose squirmed and whined as he tried to squiggle loose from her grip. "Just my luck an Ultra-Cyber, with one hundred times my strength, would hug me! LET GO!"
Raven opened her eyes, and let him drop to the floor. Jose's body made a 'thud' sound as he landed on his butt. "Sorry, Boss." She should have known that Jose wouldn't be use to any kind of affection towards him. Just then, she started to wonder how even herself knew of affection. 'It must be one of the emotions Von Riechter gave me' she concluded.
"AS I WAS SAYING, RAVEN," Jose barked as he seated himself again. "Tonight we will go to Meridiana, and search for Cybersix. Father expects nothing from the best from you...as do I. Stay out of sight, and stay with me! You were designed to work with me, not for me." Jose tried to sound decent, but something inside him was green with envy of his father's liking and confidence in her.
"Yes, Sir!" Raven said enthusiastically. Jose nodded, and was about to leave, when she caught him in the middle of his pace. "Um...Jose...can I inquire about the relationship between Von Riechter and yourself? I've been here for months, and I still don't know why your always so content with pleasing him."
Jose stopped, back to Raven. He fell silent for a minute, then sighed. "I suppose your going to have to learn sometime." He turned and walked back over to the chair, then sat down. Raven leaned in, preparing to listen and store the data.
Jose looked her in the eyes, then started. "Okay, first of all, like yourself, I'm not totally human. I am a clone. An organism born artificially from a subject to be alike them in every way. Father created me so that when he died his projects and dreams would live on.... unfortunately, he also suspected that my genius would conduct me to destroy him. To make sure I did not ever try to overpower him, Father altered my genes slightly, and eternally imprisoned me into this retched body! He once called me his finest creation, but now he has no faith that I will succeed with anything."
Jose eyes narrowed, and he sunk into the chair. In a dark, low voice he whispered, "Sometimes I wish I could escape this form....and take my vengeance...."
At that moment, Raven sensed that Jose did not enjoy being Von Riechter's son as much as she had endorsed. She felt her insides burning, her soul being corrupted by a feeling of anger and hate. What is this new feeling? It was almost as if she wanted to get vengeance for Jose....Had Von Riechter done it? Had he implanted her with the most dangerous emotion of all?...had he implanted her with, vengeance?
The patter of rain drops smashing against the window, and sometimes the slight rumble of thunder were the only sounds in the room. Raven glanced over at the ten-year-old, observing him, as he rested his face in his hands. She was also strangely captivated by the idea of rebelling... 'take over her creator, and give Jose is revenge....hmmm.....NO! What are you thinking about? Von Riechter gave you life, him and him alone is the only reason your sitting here at this moment. You are loyal to him and ONLY HIM.' She shook her head.
Jose finally raised his head up. "Alright, Raven. I've answered your question, and the night is still young. Let's go."
*****
The streets of Meridiana were dark and chilly as they walked down the alleys and sidewalks. Raven, Jose, and five Fixed Ideas were on the hunt for Cybersix... and their leading hunter looked to be confident about her chances.
They had been walking at the same pace for an hour around the sleeping city, not finding one sight of the Cyber or Data. Raven looked to the Fixed Idea's shoulders, where Jose sat, looking like the captain of a ship. "When are we going to find them? I'm ready to put my abilities to the ultimate test." She smiles evilly, and smacked her fist into her palm.
Jose looked down at the Ultra-Cyber. "Silence, Raven. We'll find her...we'll find her if we have to stay out the whole night!"
They continued walking down an alley, then suddenly, by chance glancing up, Raven caught sight of a shadow leaping on the roof tops. She gasped, and without warning to anyone, she jumped straight up into the air at a phenomenal speed, and landed square on the roof of a near-by building. All Jose and the Fixed Ideas saw or heard was the 'whoosh' of the air as she leaped off her feet.
Raven looked behind her, letting her hair make the same whooshing sound as when she jumped. Her night vision caught the mysterious shadow jumping gracefully from roof-top to roof- top, with some kind of animal by it's side. Raven gasped, and said to herself, "That's her! That's Cybersix!" With that, she started to follow close behind.
Up head, Cybersix and Data 7 stopped to rest. Cybersix stood with one leg on the roof's ledge, and the other on the roof. "Meridiana looks peaceful tonight...I wonder what Jose is up to. It seems too quiet to be anything good." As if agreeing with her, Data 7 came beside her and sat down.
Suddenly, Cybersix's thoughts were shattered when she felt a pain down the side of her head, and the feeling of motionless. She realized that she had been knocked down onto the roof, after being taking a blow to the head. She looked over and saw Data 7, who was in pouncing position, trying to fight off a black figure. Cybersix's eyes widened. 'Could it be? Another Cyber?' She jumped to her feet, and hurried over to Data 7 and the shadow. Raven was about to heave another punch to Data 7's nose, when Cybersix grabbed her wrist.
"Stop!" Cybersix yelled.
Raven turned her head suddenly, and looked into Cybersix's eyes. He emerald eyes were now glowing a bright green, not showing her peplus. Raven let out a terrible "HISS!!" Cybersix gasped and stumbled backwards. "What are you?!" she yelled. Data 7 leaped out of Raven's view to Cybersix's side, and got prepared to run.
Raven turned and stood in a ready to chase position, and smiled evilly. "I'm your worst nightmare, Cyber 6!" Suddenly, she raced towards them, causing them to turn and at a sensational speed, jump away into the night. Raven laughed. "You cannot escape, Cyber 6! I will find you! You can run, but you can't hide from The Raven!" With that, she jumped into the shadows, and continued to hunt.
*****
Jose paced back and forth in front or the huge painting of Von Riechter. "Oh no...Father will be here any second...what am I going to say?! 'Father, I lost the Ultra-Cyber'....NO NO NO!! Oh...He's going to be so mad!!" It was the next morning bright and early. Jose and the Fixed Ideas had looked all night, but couldn't locate Raven after she ran off to catch Cybersix.
Just then, the painting started to wave and move, as if in a dream. Von Riechter's young face was replaced with his image 'now', and he looked mad. He bared his teeth as he talked. "JOSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" he yelled. "You call me last night, quite late, I might say, and inform me that Ultra-Cyber 1 had gone after Cybersix.... I call this morning, and I expect to hear that you have her!"
Jose swallowed, which hurt his dry throat. "Um....you...you see, Father...it's...it's like this....we, we went out, and she had spotted the Cyber, so she went off to try to catch her, and.....and...." Jose's voice changed from small to microscopic. "....we can't find her."
Von Riechter's face came up close to the screen, and his eyes narrowed in total anger. "WHAT?!?!?!?! JOSE!! WHY MUST YOU FAIL AT EVERYTHING?! ULTRA-CYBER 1 WAS MY FINEST CREATION!! YOU CANNOT DO ANYTHING RIGHT!!"
Jose leaped under his office desk in pure fear.
"WHEN I GET DOWN THERE, I'M GOING TO...." He was suddenly cut off by a familiar voice.
"Your going to do what, Sir?..." Raven stood in the office doorway, arms crossed, leaning against the frame.
Before she could say anything more, Jose was attached to her waist, squeezing her like he was never going to let her go. Raven didn't know weather he was glad to see her okay, or if it was out of fear that if she wasn't okay, Von Riechter was going to kill him.
"Ah, Ultra-Cyber 1. I am relieved that you are unharmed...no thanks to my irrelevant....son. As I had predicted, he has failed once again...but I'm sure because of your absence, you have good news for me." He smiled eerily at Raven, and leaned back in his chair.
Raven silently looked down at Jose, who was still strapped to her waist....was it true?...was he...trembling?? "Yes, Sir. But first, I would like your permission to speak freely."
Von Riechter listened. "Permission granted..."
Raven put her hand on top of Jose's black hair. "It was not Jose's fault that I was miss located last night. I was responsible for staying with Jose...he did not know that I disobeyed his orders to stay with him."
Von Riechter pondered for a moment, then spoke. "Very well. Jose, you were lucky this time, but next time you will not be so lucky." he turned his attention back to Raven. "Now, what have you done, Ultra-Cyber 1?"
The room fell silent, as she spoke her news of her accomplishments the previous night. "Sir...I know where she is hiding."
To Be Continued In Part V...
