The Raven
Part VI- Failure's Prey
The moon rose high, and with it came a trace of rain. The cool droplets fell from the grey clouds that inhabited the sky, causing the roof tops to become slippery and unstable. Raven ignored the promising danger, and ran with all her power, across the city's sleeping tops. Her adrenaline was out of control... She felt her power rise to their full potential. Her mind was clear and ready for anything that would come her way. This was it. As soon as she found the Cyber, she would repay Von Riechter... and she would do it however she could.
However, as focused as she was on the battle she was about to face, Jose broke her train of thought with his excited squirming in her arms. "We can't fail, Raven! The odds are outstanding! Your powers outrank Cybersix's any day... this will be the last time Father calls me a failure!" He floundered himself about, and laughed.
Raven's bleak expression did not change. "Tonight I will prove myself... I will not quit until someone lies dead at my feet!!"
Jose glanced up at her. Her eyes had lost their white and black, and had turned all green. He had never seen her eyes do that before. It made him think. As much faith as he had that she would succeed, he had just as much that she would fail. He had observed her personality for a long time, and it occurred to him that sure, she was evil.... but was she the ultimate evil Von Riechter had hopped for??
Deep in his mind, Jose truly wanted Raven to succeed with her orders; all of the other creations that Von Riechter had sent out to kill Cybersix had failed.... and they were later all destroyed. Usually, the destruction of one of his Father's fool mutants amused him... this was different. He enjoyed the company of the Ultra-Cyber.
Raven suddenly took a sharp left to a nearby alley. Jose looked around, confused. "What are you doing?? Cybersix is the other way!"
Raven smiled. "We're not looking for the Cyber right now... we're going to pay a little visit to her ogarish boyfriend..."
Jose looked at her, not approving. "What use will he bring us?!"
"Training Lesson number five... you'll catch the fish easier if you have the bait to do it."
Jose's face became dark and sinister. He laughed his triumphant laugh. "Yes! Raven, I think I love you!"
*****
Raven and Jose searched for what seemed hours, yet Jose's watch proved them wrong. They finally spotted Lucas walking down the deserted street, hands in his pockets, guard down. Raven's eyes glowed even greener, and she eagerly waited in the shadows. She had left Jose up on top of a Cafe's rooftop to keep him out of her way. She paused and hid in silence like a stalking tiger, hungry for game.
Lucas continued to walk towards her, silent and unmoving except for the odd cough now and again. Although he looked to be quite comfortable with his surroundings, he was weary of his bordering. He knew the city, and Cybersix enough to know that you never let your defense fall while walking home at night. He looked at the sky, then glanced into the allies. "It's too quiet. I hope she's okay..." He didn't finish his sentence. The suspicious feeling in the back of his head was replaced with the feeling of throbbing pain. He gasped, trying to regain his focus and balance. He slightly moaned, then fell to the ground.
Raven stepped from behind him, and tossed the broken tree limb to the side. Lucas' impact was so hard, that the huge branch snapped in half. She smiled evilly, and knelt down beside his unconscious body. She looked closely at his face, and observed a tiny spill of blood running down the side of his forehead, turning strands of his blond hair deep red.
She laughed to herself. "What's that matter? A little bump on the head never hurt anyone!" The silence was broken by the sounds of approaching footsteps in the distance. She looked up, and quickly dragged Lucas' body from the road, into the bushes.
*****
The alarm bellowed as the five Fixed Ideas smashed the glass to the bank. They climbed into the building, and began to break into the safe. Suddenly, they turned at the voice of a familiar foe.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" Cybersix swung her foot at the neck of the first Fixed Idea. He cried out and dropped to the floor, knocking over a table on his way down. The other's moved out of the way, and lunged at her. She jumped onto the back of the second monster, and covered his eyes. The low-intelligence level of the creature caused it to run it's head into the heads of two others.
She looked down at the defeated Fixed Ideas, then turned her attention to the remaining one. Oddly, it turned and ran. Usually when she fought a battle with Jose's goons, they didn't give up, let alone run. Before the monster reached the street, he tossed an object at her. She leaped out of the way, making sure it was safe. She watched as the object hit the floor and sat among the shattered glass.
She rushed over to it, picked it up, and looked inside it. Lucas's wallet! She gasped and took off after the culprit. 'This monster has Lucas's wallet... that mean's Jose must have Lucas!' She pushed her powers into her legs, and sped up.
The Fixed Idea kept looking behind it's shoulder, almost as if to make sure she was following. Cybersix found herself becoming suspicious. 'Something's going on...' she thought to herself. She looked above her, to see the outline of Data 7's body leaping from top to top on the follow.
*****
From the forlorn subway of the city, Raven and Jose waited. Jose sat cross-legged onto of a stack of craits that stood in the dark waiting area. "Ohhh... what's taking them so long?!" Raven rolled her eyes. Jose was once again proving himself to be most impatient.
"Don't worry. She'll be her very soon..." she turned her attention to their prisoner. Lucas sat on the cement floor, gagged, and groggy. His eyes were half open, half closed, and dried remains of blood crusted to his cheek and forehead. His tough body looked helpless and feeble in the tight ropes that bound themselves around his arms and legs. She prided herself. "This was so easy, Jose... the fake break-in, the bait set..."
"You've impressed me, Raven." Jose smiled and crossed his arms. "You'll impress me even more when I see you defeat the Cyber!"
Raven pet Nevermore's head. "Get ready. I think I hear..." she didn't have to finish. Out from the darkness, the Fixed Idea ran towards the pair, out of breath and drained. Raven directed his to stand at the bottom of the subway stairs. He obeyed and took his position. Cybersix and Data 7 didn't stop when they rounded the corner and ran towards the stairs.
"That's must be where Lucas is!" shouted Cybersix. Data 7 roared and sped up, ready to pounce. They Fixed Idea wailed and stood as if guarding a hockey net. Data 7 sprang onto the monster, making it fall down the steep stairs. The pair ran past the knocked-out Idea, and skidded to a stop when Raven dropped from the ceiling unexpectedly.
Cybersix stared at the figure for a moment, then clutched her fists. "You! What have you done with Lucas?!"
Raven kept the same calm expression on her face. "Greetings Cybersix. I was so hoping that you would drop by..." she looked behind her. "And Lucas was hoping that too." She moved out of the way, and let Lucas' image appear to Cybersix. She gasped. "Lucas!" She bared her teeth and looked to Raven. "Who are you?!"
Jose grinned and kept his distance. "Hello Cybersix..."
Cybersix glanced behind Raven and everything started to make sense. "Jose..."
"Cybersix... meet Ultra-Cyber 1!"
Raven lunged at Cybersix, slamming her against the wall. Cybersix cried out in pain, and threw a punch. Raven rolled out of the way, to have Data 7 jump on top of her and pin her to the floor. She growled and thrust her legs up, throwing Data 7 off of her.
Cybersix kicked her in the face when she turned around. Raven groaned and stumbled back, holding her balance. Cybersix and Data 7 stood waiting...
Raven touched her nose gently, and pulled it back to reveal blood on her fingertips. Her eyes glowed and she slowly looked up at them. "Not smart."
She held out her arms and did four back flips towards them. The final one she jumped and kicked Data 7 in the face. The panther went flying against the wall, making a sickening 'crack' sound as he hit.
From his safety, Jose cheered her on. "Yes! Get her Raven!"
Cybersix stopped as she felt the cement underneath her vibrate. "The train..." Cybersix made a break away from Raven and ran towards Jose. Jose's expression fell and he yelled for Raven as Cybersix griped his little body and stood on the tracks.
Raven looked at them. "Jose!" she ran towards the Cyber.
Cybersix loosened her grip on scared Jose. "I don't want to do this... let Lucas go!"
Raven stood beside Lucas, pondering what to do. "You don't have to guts to do anything to Jose, Cybersix!"
Cybersix held her ground. Every few seconds the blaring sound of the subway's horn echoed through the tunnel. Raven began to turn edgy.
She placed her foot on top of Lucas, who was starting to come around. "....cybersix?..."
Cybersix's heart melted. She couldn't stand to see him like that any longer. "Let him go!"
Raven darted her eyes about the tunnel, thinking. She couldn't stand to hear Jose's cries for help. "Okay, Cyber... let him go, and I'll release your boyfriend!"
Suddenly, the subway rolled out of the darkness, heading right for Cybersix and Jose. Cybersix leaped into the air, and landed beside Lucas, just as the subway was seconds away from hitting them.
Raven grabbed Jose, then got an evil smile on her face. "You know what, Cybersix?..." Cybersix faced her. "I don't do deals with good guys!" with a hard kick, she pushed Lucas in front of the moving subway train.
Cybersix's blood curdling screams pierced their ears. Raven and Jose disappeared out of the subway into the darkness, just as Cybersix shouted her last heartbroken words. "LUCAS!!!"
*****
Cybersix ran with all her might in the moon's last beams. The tears never did leave her eyes. She cried as she ran towards the hospital. She didn't even know what she was doing... Lucas was dead. The hospital didn't bring people back to life. She regretted never telling Lucas how she felt about him... now he would never know.
Her madness filled inside her, and at this moment, she made a vow to herself. "I will avenge you, Lucas... if it's the last thing I do!"
The End
Part VI- Failure's Prey
The moon rose high, and with it came a trace of rain. The cool droplets fell from the grey clouds that inhabited the sky, causing the roof tops to become slippery and unstable. Raven ignored the promising danger, and ran with all her power, across the city's sleeping tops. Her adrenaline was out of control... She felt her power rise to their full potential. Her mind was clear and ready for anything that would come her way. This was it. As soon as she found the Cyber, she would repay Von Riechter... and she would do it however she could.
However, as focused as she was on the battle she was about to face, Jose broke her train of thought with his excited squirming in her arms. "We can't fail, Raven! The odds are outstanding! Your powers outrank Cybersix's any day... this will be the last time Father calls me a failure!" He floundered himself about, and laughed.
Raven's bleak expression did not change. "Tonight I will prove myself... I will not quit until someone lies dead at my feet!!"
Jose glanced up at her. Her eyes had lost their white and black, and had turned all green. He had never seen her eyes do that before. It made him think. As much faith as he had that she would succeed, he had just as much that she would fail. He had observed her personality for a long time, and it occurred to him that sure, she was evil.... but was she the ultimate evil Von Riechter had hopped for??
Deep in his mind, Jose truly wanted Raven to succeed with her orders; all of the other creations that Von Riechter had sent out to kill Cybersix had failed.... and they were later all destroyed. Usually, the destruction of one of his Father's fool mutants amused him... this was different. He enjoyed the company of the Ultra-Cyber.
Raven suddenly took a sharp left to a nearby alley. Jose looked around, confused. "What are you doing?? Cybersix is the other way!"
Raven smiled. "We're not looking for the Cyber right now... we're going to pay a little visit to her ogarish boyfriend..."
Jose looked at her, not approving. "What use will he bring us?!"
"Training Lesson number five... you'll catch the fish easier if you have the bait to do it."
Jose's face became dark and sinister. He laughed his triumphant laugh. "Yes! Raven, I think I love you!"
*****
Raven and Jose searched for what seemed hours, yet Jose's watch proved them wrong. They finally spotted Lucas walking down the deserted street, hands in his pockets, guard down. Raven's eyes glowed even greener, and she eagerly waited in the shadows. She had left Jose up on top of a Cafe's rooftop to keep him out of her way. She paused and hid in silence like a stalking tiger, hungry for game.
Lucas continued to walk towards her, silent and unmoving except for the odd cough now and again. Although he looked to be quite comfortable with his surroundings, he was weary of his bordering. He knew the city, and Cybersix enough to know that you never let your defense fall while walking home at night. He looked at the sky, then glanced into the allies. "It's too quiet. I hope she's okay..." He didn't finish his sentence. The suspicious feeling in the back of his head was replaced with the feeling of throbbing pain. He gasped, trying to regain his focus and balance. He slightly moaned, then fell to the ground.
Raven stepped from behind him, and tossed the broken tree limb to the side. Lucas' impact was so hard, that the huge branch snapped in half. She smiled evilly, and knelt down beside his unconscious body. She looked closely at his face, and observed a tiny spill of blood running down the side of his forehead, turning strands of his blond hair deep red.
She laughed to herself. "What's that matter? A little bump on the head never hurt anyone!" The silence was broken by the sounds of approaching footsteps in the distance. She looked up, and quickly dragged Lucas' body from the road, into the bushes.
*****
The alarm bellowed as the five Fixed Ideas smashed the glass to the bank. They climbed into the building, and began to break into the safe. Suddenly, they turned at the voice of a familiar foe.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" Cybersix swung her foot at the neck of the first Fixed Idea. He cried out and dropped to the floor, knocking over a table on his way down. The other's moved out of the way, and lunged at her. She jumped onto the back of the second monster, and covered his eyes. The low-intelligence level of the creature caused it to run it's head into the heads of two others.
She looked down at the defeated Fixed Ideas, then turned her attention to the remaining one. Oddly, it turned and ran. Usually when she fought a battle with Jose's goons, they didn't give up, let alone run. Before the monster reached the street, he tossed an object at her. She leaped out of the way, making sure it was safe. She watched as the object hit the floor and sat among the shattered glass.
She rushed over to it, picked it up, and looked inside it. Lucas's wallet! She gasped and took off after the culprit. 'This monster has Lucas's wallet... that mean's Jose must have Lucas!' She pushed her powers into her legs, and sped up.
The Fixed Idea kept looking behind it's shoulder, almost as if to make sure she was following. Cybersix found herself becoming suspicious. 'Something's going on...' she thought to herself. She looked above her, to see the outline of Data 7's body leaping from top to top on the follow.
*****
From the forlorn subway of the city, Raven and Jose waited. Jose sat cross-legged onto of a stack of craits that stood in the dark waiting area. "Ohhh... what's taking them so long?!" Raven rolled her eyes. Jose was once again proving himself to be most impatient.
"Don't worry. She'll be her very soon..." she turned her attention to their prisoner. Lucas sat on the cement floor, gagged, and groggy. His eyes were half open, half closed, and dried remains of blood crusted to his cheek and forehead. His tough body looked helpless and feeble in the tight ropes that bound themselves around his arms and legs. She prided herself. "This was so easy, Jose... the fake break-in, the bait set..."
"You've impressed me, Raven." Jose smiled and crossed his arms. "You'll impress me even more when I see you defeat the Cyber!"
Raven pet Nevermore's head. "Get ready. I think I hear..." she didn't have to finish. Out from the darkness, the Fixed Idea ran towards the pair, out of breath and drained. Raven directed his to stand at the bottom of the subway stairs. He obeyed and took his position. Cybersix and Data 7 didn't stop when they rounded the corner and ran towards the stairs.
"That's must be where Lucas is!" shouted Cybersix. Data 7 roared and sped up, ready to pounce. They Fixed Idea wailed and stood as if guarding a hockey net. Data 7 sprang onto the monster, making it fall down the steep stairs. The pair ran past the knocked-out Idea, and skidded to a stop when Raven dropped from the ceiling unexpectedly.
Cybersix stared at the figure for a moment, then clutched her fists. "You! What have you done with Lucas?!"
Raven kept the same calm expression on her face. "Greetings Cybersix. I was so hoping that you would drop by..." she looked behind her. "And Lucas was hoping that too." She moved out of the way, and let Lucas' image appear to Cybersix. She gasped. "Lucas!" She bared her teeth and looked to Raven. "Who are you?!"
Jose grinned and kept his distance. "Hello Cybersix..."
Cybersix glanced behind Raven and everything started to make sense. "Jose..."
"Cybersix... meet Ultra-Cyber 1!"
Raven lunged at Cybersix, slamming her against the wall. Cybersix cried out in pain, and threw a punch. Raven rolled out of the way, to have Data 7 jump on top of her and pin her to the floor. She growled and thrust her legs up, throwing Data 7 off of her.
Cybersix kicked her in the face when she turned around. Raven groaned and stumbled back, holding her balance. Cybersix and Data 7 stood waiting...
Raven touched her nose gently, and pulled it back to reveal blood on her fingertips. Her eyes glowed and she slowly looked up at them. "Not smart."
She held out her arms and did four back flips towards them. The final one she jumped and kicked Data 7 in the face. The panther went flying against the wall, making a sickening 'crack' sound as he hit.
From his safety, Jose cheered her on. "Yes! Get her Raven!"
Cybersix stopped as she felt the cement underneath her vibrate. "The train..." Cybersix made a break away from Raven and ran towards Jose. Jose's expression fell and he yelled for Raven as Cybersix griped his little body and stood on the tracks.
Raven looked at them. "Jose!" she ran towards the Cyber.
Cybersix loosened her grip on scared Jose. "I don't want to do this... let Lucas go!"
Raven stood beside Lucas, pondering what to do. "You don't have to guts to do anything to Jose, Cybersix!"
Cybersix held her ground. Every few seconds the blaring sound of the subway's horn echoed through the tunnel. Raven began to turn edgy.
She placed her foot on top of Lucas, who was starting to come around. "....cybersix?..."
Cybersix's heart melted. She couldn't stand to see him like that any longer. "Let him go!"
Raven darted her eyes about the tunnel, thinking. She couldn't stand to hear Jose's cries for help. "Okay, Cyber... let him go, and I'll release your boyfriend!"
Suddenly, the subway rolled out of the darkness, heading right for Cybersix and Jose. Cybersix leaped into the air, and landed beside Lucas, just as the subway was seconds away from hitting them.
Raven grabbed Jose, then got an evil smile on her face. "You know what, Cybersix?..." Cybersix faced her. "I don't do deals with good guys!" with a hard kick, she pushed Lucas in front of the moving subway train.
Cybersix's blood curdling screams pierced their ears. Raven and Jose disappeared out of the subway into the darkness, just as Cybersix shouted her last heartbroken words. "LUCAS!!!"
*****
Cybersix ran with all her might in the moon's last beams. The tears never did leave her eyes. She cried as she ran towards the hospital. She didn't even know what she was doing... Lucas was dead. The hospital didn't bring people back to life. She regretted never telling Lucas how she felt about him... now he would never know.
Her madness filled inside her, and at this moment, she made a vow to herself. "I will avenge you, Lucas... if it's the last thing I do!"
The End
