CyberSin
by The DeathBunnie
Shinigami Bob dared to challenge; I dare to answer.
Dun dun DUN!!
Well, folks, here I am new and already responding to challenges with
inane banter and moronic fics. Anyway, this is in response to
Shinigami Bob's challenge for a cyber-style thing. If anyone can
tell me where I got this from, I'd be happy to know. It just came
out, but it seems like I'm stealing it from something. To me, it
reads like "Hackers" meets "Ghost in the Shell" meets "Johnny
Nuemonic" (or however the hell it's spelled) with a little bit of
"Lain" thrown in for good measure. I dunno. Watch it go poof and
die.
*_*
Stuff to know; Of course, this is AU. Duh. I suppose that's a
warning in itself, though. "AU? AGGGHH!" Also, the people are a
bit OOC, as would testify to the AU, but I tried to keep them as
close to the originals as possible. Maybe some mild language, and,
of course, a complete and total lack of making any kind of sense.
Er, as an additive, I'd like to make it known that I don't hate
Amelia. She just annoys the hell out of me. Hm. Did you ever
notice how, in a FanFic, when the author says something like that in
the beginning, it usually means utter hell for the poor girl?
Amelia: Nooooo!
Author: What the hell? What are you doing here?
Amelia: I'm here to protest this potential unjust treatment against
me.
Author: Oh, hell no, I'm not doing one of those things where all the
characters come and talk to the author just like in all of the other
FanFic, no way, no how.
Xelloss: You already are, Bunnie-San.
Author: DAMMIT!
^.^
"Shit, fuck and damn!" {(Author's note; scratch the 'mild' in 'mild
language' warning. Heh.)} Zel's hand slammed down on the keyboard
sending plastic bits flying. He seemed sated for the moment, then
with an infuriated growl he snatched the plug from the socket and
smashed the keyboard against the floor.
"Do you really think it deserved that?" a female voice intoned from
behind him. He ripped off the input glasses from his face and spun
around to face Lina as she leaned against the doorjamb. She had that
coy, know-it-all smirk on her face. "After all, it was only a lump
of plastic; it's not like you can blame it for your complete lack of
skills. Only you can prove what a talent less, third-rate, sad, good
for nothing, utterly -"
"Right, I get the point," he bitterly retorted, sending a glare her
way. Leaning back in the chair, he idly kicked off the foot stops
and hit the switch, lowering the throne-like metal monstrosity down
to floor level once more. Hopping out a few feet before it stopped,
he unplugged the VR gloves and sighed, tucking the glasses away on
top of his head after unplugging them as well. "I was so close. I
could have practically touched him! And he STILL got away with the
files."
Lina sighed and closed her eyes, shuffling the forelocks of her
flaming red dreds with her right hand. "Which ones?"
"Most of the interface module lockout sequences, as well as half of
the Mercurium Project data this time."
Her eyes bugged out. "You're...you shitting me, right? There's no way
he could have gotten all that...he wasn't in the system for more than
three minutes!"
Shaking his head, he pushed past her as he headed out, trying to
disguise the slight wobble in his step from sheer exhaustion.
"Whatever he is, he's not all human. That's all. He's probably got
so many chips implanted he couldn't get within ten feet of a bowl of
dip."
At that, Lina burst out laughing and slapped his shoulder. "I can't
believe it; did you actually just make a joke? You must be more
tired than I thought."
"Machines don't get tired," he commented with a wry grin, and was
rewarded with a bonk upside the stylized metal plate that covered
half his face and matched the rest affixed to most of his body. He
patted her head lightly as he watched her try to rub the pain away
from her now-bruised hand. "We also don't respond well to being
whacked by little girls."
She stuck out her tongue. "You're not a machine and I'm not a little
girl." And with that, she kicked his left kneecap - she knew for a
fact that it wasn't metal - and smirked. "Now get down to the
kitchen and let's get some food!"
The pair headed towards the elevator that lead even further
underground, Lina dragging the still-limping Zelgadis alongside.
*************************
He slumped back in his seat, closing his eyes with a groan. That had
been more than a workout than intended; this guy was good, there was
no doubt about that. The fact actually worried the hacker somewhat;
this guy had practically predicted his every move. There was no
way, but it seemed so true.
Tapping his left temple lightly, the tiny metallic projections that
protruded from just outside the corner of his eyes slid away back
into his skull - no glasses were required for him to swim in the
ultrasonic digital nightmare world. Leaning forward, he continued to
disconnect from the mainframe, pulling plugs out of his wrists,
ankles, then small of his back, and finally the base of his skull.
Stretching languorously, he stood and arched his back with a few slow
pops as he reached over for the black silk robe thrown carelessly on
the floor and slipped it on just as the electronic voice boomed
throughout the room.
"TWENTY-FOUR-FIVE-TWELVE-TWELVE-FIFTEEN-NINETEEN-NINETEEN."
He paused, then nodded, tucking back a lock of purple hair. "I'm
here."
"RECONNECT TO TERMINAL INTERFACE. DATA TRANSFERRENCE REQUIRED FOR
IMMEDIATE PROCESSING OF NET GAINS."
Sighing, the slim figure tied the belt of the robe before tucking his
feet into matching black slippers. "I just disconnected. It can
wait until tomorrow, can't it?"
"DATA TRANSFERENCE REQUIRED FOR IMMEDIATE PROCESSING OF NET GAINS."
Muttering to himself, he finally shook his head. "Tomorrow," he
announced, and his refusal was followed by a sharp scream as a jolt
of digital agony ripped through him. Collapsing to all fours, he
fought for breath as he shakily replied, "R...right. Immediate.
Didn't... didn't quite catch that p-part."
******************************
Down in the galley, Zelgadis sat prodding disinterestedly at his
food. His gaze rose occasionally to the others whom he regarded as
friends.
There was Lina; a promising guardian despite her age. Self-trained,
to boot. She was often a lot of trouble, but then again that's what
made her so magnetic. Everyone grew to like her, sooner or later.
Well, like or fear. She was much fiercer than she looked.
Gourry wasn't a guardian or a hunter; really, he was just hired
help. But it was obvious the attraction he held to the
guardian-in-training, and so they let it be. He was more honest than
any of them, and most took it to be because of stupidity. Zelgadis
knew better, but usually said nothing.
Sitting closest to him was Amelia. She looked so out of place here
with the wide, innocent eyes and the white-tipped black hair that
shadowed her face. She was a guardian in training as well, though it
was well-known she really wanted to be a hunter. Perhaps that was
why she clung so tightly to him. Perhaps.
"So that Jell-o guy got more stuff this time?" Gourry piped in even
as he swatted a roll from Lina's plate.
"His name," she replied, while smacking the back of his head and
grabbing the food back, "is Xelloss. Xelloss. Xel. Loss. Why
can't you get that right? Xelllllloossss."
Shrugging, Gourry snatched the roll back. "Maybe because it's such a
stupid name. Why would anyone name anyone something like that? It's
worse than... than..." He paused in thought.
"Zelgadis?" Lina chimed in helpfully as she prepared to punch him
squarely in the face.
"Yeah, definitely worse than Zelgadis, though not by much," Gourry
nodded, landing promptly on his back with a thud as the fist smashed
home.
Rolling his eyes, Zelgadis finally threw his roll to Lina to pacify
the two. "It's his serial number."
The others looked at him, dumbfounded. Amelia finally spoke up.
"Serial number? For what?"
"For him. Xelloss."
The other exchanged confused glances, and Zelgadis explained, "I told
you, he's not all human. Most of his body is wires, cables, input
ports... there's hardly anything left beneath his skin that's human. He
was manufactured - augmented - and the company that made him gave him
a serial number. When he started out, he was just a number, but now
he's a name; the letters of his name correspond to the numbers in
his serial. I think he thinks he's being creative."
"So... " Lina counted. "So, his serial is twenty-four, five, twelve,
twelve... err...fifteen...nineteen, nineteen? Wow, and I thought Amelia
had a long name." Amelia stuck out her tongue at Lina, who
continued, "How exactly do you know all this, Zel?"
"I've been after him a long time," he remarked, then returned his
gaze to his cup of mocha signifying the end of this line of queries.
Knowing when to let something drop, the others shrugged and went back
to fighting over the food - they still weren't quite sure why they
did it. It just seemed like the thing to do.
******************************
The next night they woke up and went back to work, Lina at her books,
Amelia at hers. Gourry was pulling the usual guard duty in this
sector and he commonly stopped by to say hello to the girls, who
always seemed to enjoy the polite attention and friendly (if not
slightly irritating) company.
But Zelgadis, he was really at work.
Through the VR headset he saw information fly past. Other travelers
in the digital circumference buzzed past, little more than flickering
lights. He knew he was clearly visible, though; he had both the
ability and inclination to make himself as clear as possible. While
others used the circumference for information and entertainment, he
made it his priority to be seen so everyone would know that he was on
the hunt.
His prey would be back tonight, if only to test the restraints and
look for traps. He'd never actually gotten to see the hacker, but he
knew that when he came out he would be just as clearly visible; he
loved to play, he loved to be seen. He was famous, after all; not
that anyone in the circumference would dare stop and chat with him.
Once he was seen, the area usually cleared out - with a slight
warning beforehand. Ah... sound the alarms.
Through the tangle of wires and lines he could see the little
travelers clearing out as the cry went up. 'Lock up the files, but
it'll do no good; Serial Number Sam is on the prowl for food.' He'd
been taught that stupid nursery rhyme for as long as he could
remember, but it was obsolete. It had been dubbed illegal for
'Serial Number Sams' to be produced after 2340, and by now they'd all
died out. They had short life spans anyway; despite the contracts
they signed, their manufacturers usually dismantled them the instant
they lost their edge. Spare parts were hard to come by, after all,
and fetched a high price on the market.
He readied the nets; if this were indeed Xelloss, he'd have to be
ready to act fast. Trap them in their digital projections then track
them back to their bodies. It was usually easy as pie, but this one
was faster than anything he'd seen before. This guy was probably
permanently affixed to a terminal; his corporeal body was more than
likely nothing more than a bit of flesh and a brain with wires in it.
It was the only way for him to move so fast here.
The light was growing up ahead, so the bastard had lit himself up
like a neon sign. It was just like the pretentious asshole to be the
most visible thing in the area. It was strange, lavender sort of
luminescence, and as he grew brighter he tensed, ready to launch the
burning cage that would anchor him from his body...
...when he felt pressure on his shoulder. Or rather, where his
shoulder would be if he were corporeal. "Hunting rabbits again?"
The voice was chillingly soft, and he started nervously, jerking
around to face the intruder.
"I'm on duty - this is a restricted area. Clear out." his voice
trailed off as he caught sight of the entity projected before him.
Was it male or female? Judging by the lithe, slim body, it was more
than likely male, though the maker hadn't gone to any great lengths
to project an air of masculinity. Purple hair framed a pale face,
and a black gloved hand still rested on his shoulder from beneath the
undulating mass of shimmering purple-black robes the figure was
swathed in. There was a breathtakingly mischievous smile curling the
thin lips and as the head canted, eyebrows raised.
"Hello?" The voice was like a chainsaw cutting through silk,
grating the back of his brain while slipping and caressing everything
else. The hand released his shoulder and the figure moved closer,
their faces only inches apart as the creature searched the hunter's
eyes. "Is anyone home in there?"
And it was then that he saw it.
With the projection so close he could see the eyes; they were
purple, entrancing, but they were diamond-shaped with slit pupils.
Ingrained on the purple irises were serial numbers... twenty-four, five,
twelve, twelve...
"...fifteen, nineteen, nineteen!" he blurted out, eyes wide. Shit! It
was him! He brought up the launcher and Xelloss's eyes narrowed
dangerously as he drifted back then made a sharp jerk to the left, so
fast it was barely visible. He glanced back over his shoulder,
having momentarily forgotten about the source of the mysterious light
earlier, and Xelloss spoke up with a chuckle.
"It's called a diversion, hunter. I'd think you wouldn't be dumb
enough to fall for it, but, well, now I have my answer." The figure
continued to dart left to right randomly, circling the hunter in a
dizzying dance of distraction, the swirling, shimmering robe
flickering like a mirage.
"So what are you after this time, then?" Zelgadis attempted as he
tried to set the sights on the flickering figure.
"That's a secret, you should know that," Xelloss tsked, grinning
wildly and disappearing in an impossibly-fast move, only to reappear
directly behind the hunter and grab the weapon from him. Tutting and
chuckling, he raised the massive launcher onto a shoulder that
shouldn't have been able to take the weight - he obviously had a
master's control over this form - and tilted his head. "I wonder. I
wonder. I wonder if I turned this up all the way, then hid you,
would your friends find your projection before your body rotted
away?"
The grin was absolutely malicious, but Zelgadis returned it boldly.
"You really think I'd carry something that could trap my own
projection?" he bluffed, hoping he sounded convincing. It was quite
probable that he'd die long before his friends found his projection
if this guy hid him.
The figure seemed to ponder this, then snickered. "Yes, I think you
would." And with that, he fired.
****************************
Dammit... what had happened? Every inch of his body burned as if on
fire and he couldn't move a muscle. There was no telling how long
he'd been out, but if the pain raging through him way any indication,
he had been trapped for a long, long time. He'd always wondered what
it would feel like to be netted; his prey had made it obvious that
it was quite painful by their screams. Funny. He couldn't seem to
scream now, even though it hurt like hell.
His solitude was interrupted by a sharp pain in his nose - gah! What
was that?! Jerking back to consciousness, he winced as the bright
lights assaulted his eyes. "What? Huh?" His throat was dry, making
his voice an almost unintelligible croak.
"Your projection doesn't carry a regulation net, you know," a
familiar voice intoned with mild irritation. He squinted up to find
Lina standing over him, a small jar of smelling salts in her hand.
"We almost never got you out of that thing. You're just one lucky
bastard, that's all."
His stare was blank, completely uncomprehending, and Amelia chuckled.
"With that expression, he looks a lot like Gourry, doesn't he?" That
got his attention, and he shot her a glare causing her to flinch back
in mock-terror.
Sitting up slowly, he raised his hand against his forehead to block
out the pain, groaning low. "What happened?"
"We-ell... he had you cornered, but I showed up just in time, luckily
enough," Lina beamed.
"I was there, too!" Amelia pouted, elbowing the redhead, who went on
as though she hadn't heard.
"So I happened upon you just as he fired, and managed to get him with
my own net," she grinned.
"But I helped her hold it!" Amelia wailed.
Zelgadis looked back and forth between the two of them. "You were
both supposed to be studying. What were you doing in the
circumference anywhere near me? I was in the deep files."
"Well, we were..." Amelia looked over to Lina who shrugged.
"We were researching the central perimeter's deep file integration
notes for the exam."
He pondered this a moment, then smirked. "With a hunter-only
projection net?"
A slight falter, and she managed a hopeful smile. "Uh... we were
granted it for security measures in case Xelloss showed up?" she
ventured.
"There's no such thing, you know," Zelgadis remarked as he started to
pluck the monitoring wires off his forehead and chest.
Lina blanched. "I meant the outer perimeter," she added hurriedly.
Smirking, he stood and clarified idly, "Not that. I meant that
there's no question about it on the exam." The two girls exchanged
glances, knowing they were caught, and he patted them on their heads.
"It's okay, I won't tell. I appreciate you looking out for me, even
if it could've gotten you ripped or kicked out of the academy."
"Yeah, well, the same could be said of your projection net. What did
you do to that thing, anyway? It was practically impossible to get
it off!" Amelia yelped excitedly - no doubt hoping to build one of
her own.
"You know I can't tell you that," he started, then something seemed
to click in the back of his mind; something his brain had been
screaming since Lina first started talking. "You shot him with your
net?"
Shrugging smugly, Lina nodded. "Yep. Then I fired one on him with
your net when he dropped it, just to make sure. I got him stowed in
the lockout files."
The both looked around, but Zelgadis was already gone.
********************
He was going to be dismantled. When he didn't return with the files
within a few days, they would have already started to dismantle him
for spare parts, and he couldn't do a damn thing about it because he
was stuck in this net! He shifted restlessly, the burning threads
cutting into his arms through the translucent robe that flickered and
hovered about him, barely there. He had his mind on other important
things at the moment and the robes took up a lot of memory.
If he could cry, he probably would.
Giving up his struggles for a while, he rewound the scene and played
it back in slow motion. The hunter had been right there; the source
of all his problems, the one thing that made his job such a problem.
And so much fun. No other hunter had come so close to netting him
so many times. Was that why he hesitated? Not that he hesitated
long, of course. He really got a kick out of that expression on the
hunter's face when the threads wound around his projection - he could
even picture the way his corporeal body would have shuddered and
twitched as the ties to his mind were temporarily severed.
Speaking of projections - he paused the playback to just before he
fired, getting a good look at the body - why had he chose such a
strange form? He had looked like some kind of elven creature. The
ears were pointed and thin, along with his eyes. His features were
sharp, cutting, his skin a pale sky blue in contrast to the dark
sapphire eyes. There was what looked like a series of stones
embedded into the chin and just under the eyes, no doubt for
intimidation purposes. They actually succeeded in making him look
rather fetching. He had worn the usual navy and red hunter's
uniform, though there were a few items attached to the belt that he
doubted were strictly regulation. The net he carried definitely
wasn't regulation.
Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice the hunter come up behind him.
Reaching out, he grabbed a bit of net that was wrapped around the
hacker's throat that he'd apparently managed to loosen, and with a
sharp tug he tightened it again causing the prisoner to gasp and
croak out a groan of pained protest.
"Now that I've got your attention," Zelgadis started
conversationally, "I'd like to get a few pieces of information from
you. The more helpful you are, the faster we can retrieve your body
and finish this off."
Xelloss glared at the hunter of his shoulder and snorted, the robe
flickering back to a more solid state as he straightened up in an
effort to regain his dignity. "They're going to start disassembling
me any time now. I don't see why I need to bother cooperating."
Zelgadis found himself staring at the figure, then he blinked out of
it. "Bullshit. They wouldn't disassemble their star and we both
know that. Besides," he added with a snort, "as fast as you are, I
can't see how there's much left to disassemble."
The hacker's eyebrows raised, and he huffed. "I think that's
entirely uncalled for. There's plenty of me left, thank you very
much. But, thanks for the compliment," he grinned. The grin
faltered as he felt a hand on his hip between the glowing bands that
bound him.
"I don't believe you," the hunter whispered, lips brushing against
Xelloss's ear.
Xelloss jerked, then frowned as he flinched away. "Don't touch me,
hunter-boy." He paused, then added, "Unless you want to be trapped
in the net, too."
Tapping out a code on the wrist pad, he disengaged the net around the
hacker and met his gaze evenly as he brushed a hand against the white
cheek, causing Xelloss to flinch away, shaking his head. "Don't
touch me."
The hand immediately fell, and he nodded. "Fair enough. What are
you after, then? I remind you that you're still in the lockout
files; there's no way out of here. No connection to the
circumference."
Xelloss nodded slowly, understanding his meaning. It wasn't a
reminder that he couldn't escape; it was an assurance that the
mainframe he was connected to wouldn't be able to intercept anything
he said. But still... "That's a secret."
"I see," Zelgadis nodded, his tone somewhat darker. "Will you at
least tell me who you're working for?"
The hacker was silent, but soon the shaking of his shoulders was
clearly visible. Closing the distance between them, Zelgadis tried
to steady the prisoner with a light hand on his shoulder which was
immediately shrugged off with an accompanying slap that resounded
throughout the chamber.
"Don't touch me!" Xelloss screamed, a hint of hysteria in his voice.
"They're going to disassemble me! Goddammit!" He swung a fist at
the hunter, who simply took the blow stoically. "You don't give a
shit! Just keep me here, alright? Just keep me here and you won't
have to worry about your precious files much longer because I'll be
in tiny pieces in a bunch of jars on the sale rack!"
Taken aback by this sudden outburst, Zelgadis was momentarily stunned
into stillness. It wore off soon, however, and despite the hacker's
earlier protests he grabbed him and held him close, saying nothing
until the robed figure's wild thrashings finally subsided to tearless
sobs, his voice barely audible as he whispered, "It's going to hurt.
I wonder if I'll feel it here?" The hunter's heart broke at the
resigned tone in Xelloss's musings. "They'll have to start soon,
won't they? If I'm dead then they can't harvest the parts... they're
no good. Maybe I have one more day left... how long have I been here?
Please don't touch me." It was almost an afterthought, accompanied
by a half-hearted push against the hunter's chest.
Zelgadis made no moves to release him and instead held him tighter,
closing his eyes. "Tell me who you work for and I'll get your body
back. I can't let you go; it would be too obvious to the
higher-ups. But I can bring your body back here and you'll be safe."
"Just leave me alone," came the monotone reply.
Taking another route of action, Zelgadis smoothed back the purple
locks of hair gently, pressing a kiss to the faintly-struggling boy's
forehead. "Why don't you want to be touched?"
Silence, at first. Then a whisper, "That's a secret, stupid damn
fleshie."
Fleshie. He hadn't heard that word in a long time; not since the
world was filled with 'Serial Number Sams' who used it as a
derogatory term towards their fully-human counterparts. It actually
made him chuckle a little, and Xelloss pushed at him harder. "No,
no," Zelgadis smiled, "I wasn't laughing at you. I just... haven't heard
that word in a long time."
Xelloss offered a tiny - though the hunter found it absolutely
radiant - smile. "Sorry. I'm just not hip, I guess."
"I guess so," Zelgadis conceded, then brushed his lips against the
white temple, pushing back the purple strands gently. "Are you going
to tell me where I can find you?"
The hacker shuddered at the touch, then sighed, giving up. His death
was imminent; it didn't really matter anymore. "Promenade
Enterprises, basement level twenty-six." He shifted and sighed,
finally relaxing against the body offered. He felt the hunter's
shudder and smiled slightly; his own projection was freezing compared
to that of a 'fleshie', but the hunter was doing a good job of
pretending not to notice. He added playfully, "I'll be the third jar
on the left, in case you get confused. Please be sure to get all
eight bottles of me or I'll be really sad."
"I don't doubt it," he smirked, disengaging himself from the
entanglement of the hacker's robes. "Now keep quiet; I'll be back
in no time."
"Liar."
Zelgadis smirked. "Maybe." And with that, he disconnected.
**************************
Jerking out of the chair, he immediately ripped off the gloves and
glasses before jumping out of the chair. Lina was waiting for him in
the doorway, but he pushed past her hurriedly and she called out
after him, "What's the rush?"
"Got a corporeal to catch. Need to get there fast," was all he said
as he disappeared down the hall.
Her eyebrows raised, then she grinned and looked back at the console
he was sitting at. Lockout files always kept a record of all
activity within them... too bad Zel was in such a hurry he'd forgotten
to erase it.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
by The DeathBunnie
Shinigami Bob dared to challenge; I dare to answer.
Dun dun DUN!!
Well, folks, here I am new and already responding to challenges with
inane banter and moronic fics. Anyway, this is in response to
Shinigami Bob's challenge for a cyber-style thing. If anyone can
tell me where I got this from, I'd be happy to know. It just came
out, but it seems like I'm stealing it from something. To me, it
reads like "Hackers" meets "Ghost in the Shell" meets "Johnny
Nuemonic" (or however the hell it's spelled) with a little bit of
"Lain" thrown in for good measure. I dunno. Watch it go poof and
die.
*_*
Stuff to know; Of course, this is AU. Duh. I suppose that's a
warning in itself, though. "AU? AGGGHH!" Also, the people are a
bit OOC, as would testify to the AU, but I tried to keep them as
close to the originals as possible. Maybe some mild language, and,
of course, a complete and total lack of making any kind of sense.
Er, as an additive, I'd like to make it known that I don't hate
Amelia. She just annoys the hell out of me. Hm. Did you ever
notice how, in a FanFic, when the author says something like that in
the beginning, it usually means utter hell for the poor girl?
Amelia: Nooooo!
Author: What the hell? What are you doing here?
Amelia: I'm here to protest this potential unjust treatment against
me.
Author: Oh, hell no, I'm not doing one of those things where all the
characters come and talk to the author just like in all of the other
FanFic, no way, no how.
Xelloss: You already are, Bunnie-San.
Author: DAMMIT!
^.^
"Shit, fuck and damn!" {(Author's note; scratch the 'mild' in 'mild
language' warning. Heh.)} Zel's hand slammed down on the keyboard
sending plastic bits flying. He seemed sated for the moment, then
with an infuriated growl he snatched the plug from the socket and
smashed the keyboard against the floor.
"Do you really think it deserved that?" a female voice intoned from
behind him. He ripped off the input glasses from his face and spun
around to face Lina as she leaned against the doorjamb. She had that
coy, know-it-all smirk on her face. "After all, it was only a lump
of plastic; it's not like you can blame it for your complete lack of
skills. Only you can prove what a talent less, third-rate, sad, good
for nothing, utterly -"
"Right, I get the point," he bitterly retorted, sending a glare her
way. Leaning back in the chair, he idly kicked off the foot stops
and hit the switch, lowering the throne-like metal monstrosity down
to floor level once more. Hopping out a few feet before it stopped,
he unplugged the VR gloves and sighed, tucking the glasses away on
top of his head after unplugging them as well. "I was so close. I
could have practically touched him! And he STILL got away with the
files."
Lina sighed and closed her eyes, shuffling the forelocks of her
flaming red dreds with her right hand. "Which ones?"
"Most of the interface module lockout sequences, as well as half of
the Mercurium Project data this time."
Her eyes bugged out. "You're...you shitting me, right? There's no way
he could have gotten all that...he wasn't in the system for more than
three minutes!"
Shaking his head, he pushed past her as he headed out, trying to
disguise the slight wobble in his step from sheer exhaustion.
"Whatever he is, he's not all human. That's all. He's probably got
so many chips implanted he couldn't get within ten feet of a bowl of
dip."
At that, Lina burst out laughing and slapped his shoulder. "I can't
believe it; did you actually just make a joke? You must be more
tired than I thought."
"Machines don't get tired," he commented with a wry grin, and was
rewarded with a bonk upside the stylized metal plate that covered
half his face and matched the rest affixed to most of his body. He
patted her head lightly as he watched her try to rub the pain away
from her now-bruised hand. "We also don't respond well to being
whacked by little girls."
She stuck out her tongue. "You're not a machine and I'm not a little
girl." And with that, she kicked his left kneecap - she knew for a
fact that it wasn't metal - and smirked. "Now get down to the
kitchen and let's get some food!"
The pair headed towards the elevator that lead even further
underground, Lina dragging the still-limping Zelgadis alongside.
*************************
He slumped back in his seat, closing his eyes with a groan. That had
been more than a workout than intended; this guy was good, there was
no doubt about that. The fact actually worried the hacker somewhat;
this guy had practically predicted his every move. There was no
way, but it seemed so true.
Tapping his left temple lightly, the tiny metallic projections that
protruded from just outside the corner of his eyes slid away back
into his skull - no glasses were required for him to swim in the
ultrasonic digital nightmare world. Leaning forward, he continued to
disconnect from the mainframe, pulling plugs out of his wrists,
ankles, then small of his back, and finally the base of his skull.
Stretching languorously, he stood and arched his back with a few slow
pops as he reached over for the black silk robe thrown carelessly on
the floor and slipped it on just as the electronic voice boomed
throughout the room.
"TWENTY-FOUR-FIVE-TWELVE-TWELVE-FIFTEEN-NINETEEN-NINETEEN."
He paused, then nodded, tucking back a lock of purple hair. "I'm
here."
"RECONNECT TO TERMINAL INTERFACE. DATA TRANSFERRENCE REQUIRED FOR
IMMEDIATE PROCESSING OF NET GAINS."
Sighing, the slim figure tied the belt of the robe before tucking his
feet into matching black slippers. "I just disconnected. It can
wait until tomorrow, can't it?"
"DATA TRANSFERENCE REQUIRED FOR IMMEDIATE PROCESSING OF NET GAINS."
Muttering to himself, he finally shook his head. "Tomorrow," he
announced, and his refusal was followed by a sharp scream as a jolt
of digital agony ripped through him. Collapsing to all fours, he
fought for breath as he shakily replied, "R...right. Immediate.
Didn't... didn't quite catch that p-part."
******************************
Down in the galley, Zelgadis sat prodding disinterestedly at his
food. His gaze rose occasionally to the others whom he regarded as
friends.
There was Lina; a promising guardian despite her age. Self-trained,
to boot. She was often a lot of trouble, but then again that's what
made her so magnetic. Everyone grew to like her, sooner or later.
Well, like or fear. She was much fiercer than she looked.
Gourry wasn't a guardian or a hunter; really, he was just hired
help. But it was obvious the attraction he held to the
guardian-in-training, and so they let it be. He was more honest than
any of them, and most took it to be because of stupidity. Zelgadis
knew better, but usually said nothing.
Sitting closest to him was Amelia. She looked so out of place here
with the wide, innocent eyes and the white-tipped black hair that
shadowed her face. She was a guardian in training as well, though it
was well-known she really wanted to be a hunter. Perhaps that was
why she clung so tightly to him. Perhaps.
"So that Jell-o guy got more stuff this time?" Gourry piped in even
as he swatted a roll from Lina's plate.
"His name," she replied, while smacking the back of his head and
grabbing the food back, "is Xelloss. Xelloss. Xel. Loss. Why
can't you get that right? Xelllllloossss."
Shrugging, Gourry snatched the roll back. "Maybe because it's such a
stupid name. Why would anyone name anyone something like that? It's
worse than... than..." He paused in thought.
"Zelgadis?" Lina chimed in helpfully as she prepared to punch him
squarely in the face.
"Yeah, definitely worse than Zelgadis, though not by much," Gourry
nodded, landing promptly on his back with a thud as the fist smashed
home.
Rolling his eyes, Zelgadis finally threw his roll to Lina to pacify
the two. "It's his serial number."
The others looked at him, dumbfounded. Amelia finally spoke up.
"Serial number? For what?"
"For him. Xelloss."
The other exchanged confused glances, and Zelgadis explained, "I told
you, he's not all human. Most of his body is wires, cables, input
ports... there's hardly anything left beneath his skin that's human. He
was manufactured - augmented - and the company that made him gave him
a serial number. When he started out, he was just a number, but now
he's a name; the letters of his name correspond to the numbers in
his serial. I think he thinks he's being creative."
"So... " Lina counted. "So, his serial is twenty-four, five, twelve,
twelve... err...fifteen...nineteen, nineteen? Wow, and I thought Amelia
had a long name." Amelia stuck out her tongue at Lina, who
continued, "How exactly do you know all this, Zel?"
"I've been after him a long time," he remarked, then returned his
gaze to his cup of mocha signifying the end of this line of queries.
Knowing when to let something drop, the others shrugged and went back
to fighting over the food - they still weren't quite sure why they
did it. It just seemed like the thing to do.
******************************
The next night they woke up and went back to work, Lina at her books,
Amelia at hers. Gourry was pulling the usual guard duty in this
sector and he commonly stopped by to say hello to the girls, who
always seemed to enjoy the polite attention and friendly (if not
slightly irritating) company.
But Zelgadis, he was really at work.
Through the VR headset he saw information fly past. Other travelers
in the digital circumference buzzed past, little more than flickering
lights. He knew he was clearly visible, though; he had both the
ability and inclination to make himself as clear as possible. While
others used the circumference for information and entertainment, he
made it his priority to be seen so everyone would know that he was on
the hunt.
His prey would be back tonight, if only to test the restraints and
look for traps. He'd never actually gotten to see the hacker, but he
knew that when he came out he would be just as clearly visible; he
loved to play, he loved to be seen. He was famous, after all; not
that anyone in the circumference would dare stop and chat with him.
Once he was seen, the area usually cleared out - with a slight
warning beforehand. Ah... sound the alarms.
Through the tangle of wires and lines he could see the little
travelers clearing out as the cry went up. 'Lock up the files, but
it'll do no good; Serial Number Sam is on the prowl for food.' He'd
been taught that stupid nursery rhyme for as long as he could
remember, but it was obsolete. It had been dubbed illegal for
'Serial Number Sams' to be produced after 2340, and by now they'd all
died out. They had short life spans anyway; despite the contracts
they signed, their manufacturers usually dismantled them the instant
they lost their edge. Spare parts were hard to come by, after all,
and fetched a high price on the market.
He readied the nets; if this were indeed Xelloss, he'd have to be
ready to act fast. Trap them in their digital projections then track
them back to their bodies. It was usually easy as pie, but this one
was faster than anything he'd seen before. This guy was probably
permanently affixed to a terminal; his corporeal body was more than
likely nothing more than a bit of flesh and a brain with wires in it.
It was the only way for him to move so fast here.
The light was growing up ahead, so the bastard had lit himself up
like a neon sign. It was just like the pretentious asshole to be the
most visible thing in the area. It was strange, lavender sort of
luminescence, and as he grew brighter he tensed, ready to launch the
burning cage that would anchor him from his body...
...when he felt pressure on his shoulder. Or rather, where his
shoulder would be if he were corporeal. "Hunting rabbits again?"
The voice was chillingly soft, and he started nervously, jerking
around to face the intruder.
"I'm on duty - this is a restricted area. Clear out." his voice
trailed off as he caught sight of the entity projected before him.
Was it male or female? Judging by the lithe, slim body, it was more
than likely male, though the maker hadn't gone to any great lengths
to project an air of masculinity. Purple hair framed a pale face,
and a black gloved hand still rested on his shoulder from beneath the
undulating mass of shimmering purple-black robes the figure was
swathed in. There was a breathtakingly mischievous smile curling the
thin lips and as the head canted, eyebrows raised.
"Hello?" The voice was like a chainsaw cutting through silk,
grating the back of his brain while slipping and caressing everything
else. The hand released his shoulder and the figure moved closer,
their faces only inches apart as the creature searched the hunter's
eyes. "Is anyone home in there?"
And it was then that he saw it.
With the projection so close he could see the eyes; they were
purple, entrancing, but they were diamond-shaped with slit pupils.
Ingrained on the purple irises were serial numbers... twenty-four, five,
twelve, twelve...
"...fifteen, nineteen, nineteen!" he blurted out, eyes wide. Shit! It
was him! He brought up the launcher and Xelloss's eyes narrowed
dangerously as he drifted back then made a sharp jerk to the left, so
fast it was barely visible. He glanced back over his shoulder,
having momentarily forgotten about the source of the mysterious light
earlier, and Xelloss spoke up with a chuckle.
"It's called a diversion, hunter. I'd think you wouldn't be dumb
enough to fall for it, but, well, now I have my answer." The figure
continued to dart left to right randomly, circling the hunter in a
dizzying dance of distraction, the swirling, shimmering robe
flickering like a mirage.
"So what are you after this time, then?" Zelgadis attempted as he
tried to set the sights on the flickering figure.
"That's a secret, you should know that," Xelloss tsked, grinning
wildly and disappearing in an impossibly-fast move, only to reappear
directly behind the hunter and grab the weapon from him. Tutting and
chuckling, he raised the massive launcher onto a shoulder that
shouldn't have been able to take the weight - he obviously had a
master's control over this form - and tilted his head. "I wonder. I
wonder. I wonder if I turned this up all the way, then hid you,
would your friends find your projection before your body rotted
away?"
The grin was absolutely malicious, but Zelgadis returned it boldly.
"You really think I'd carry something that could trap my own
projection?" he bluffed, hoping he sounded convincing. It was quite
probable that he'd die long before his friends found his projection
if this guy hid him.
The figure seemed to ponder this, then snickered. "Yes, I think you
would." And with that, he fired.
****************************
Dammit... what had happened? Every inch of his body burned as if on
fire and he couldn't move a muscle. There was no telling how long
he'd been out, but if the pain raging through him way any indication,
he had been trapped for a long, long time. He'd always wondered what
it would feel like to be netted; his prey had made it obvious that
it was quite painful by their screams. Funny. He couldn't seem to
scream now, even though it hurt like hell.
His solitude was interrupted by a sharp pain in his nose - gah! What
was that?! Jerking back to consciousness, he winced as the bright
lights assaulted his eyes. "What? Huh?" His throat was dry, making
his voice an almost unintelligible croak.
"Your projection doesn't carry a regulation net, you know," a
familiar voice intoned with mild irritation. He squinted up to find
Lina standing over him, a small jar of smelling salts in her hand.
"We almost never got you out of that thing. You're just one lucky
bastard, that's all."
His stare was blank, completely uncomprehending, and Amelia chuckled.
"With that expression, he looks a lot like Gourry, doesn't he?" That
got his attention, and he shot her a glare causing her to flinch back
in mock-terror.
Sitting up slowly, he raised his hand against his forehead to block
out the pain, groaning low. "What happened?"
"We-ell... he had you cornered, but I showed up just in time, luckily
enough," Lina beamed.
"I was there, too!" Amelia pouted, elbowing the redhead, who went on
as though she hadn't heard.
"So I happened upon you just as he fired, and managed to get him with
my own net," she grinned.
"But I helped her hold it!" Amelia wailed.
Zelgadis looked back and forth between the two of them. "You were
both supposed to be studying. What were you doing in the
circumference anywhere near me? I was in the deep files."
"Well, we were..." Amelia looked over to Lina who shrugged.
"We were researching the central perimeter's deep file integration
notes for the exam."
He pondered this a moment, then smirked. "With a hunter-only
projection net?"
A slight falter, and she managed a hopeful smile. "Uh... we were
granted it for security measures in case Xelloss showed up?" she
ventured.
"There's no such thing, you know," Zelgadis remarked as he started to
pluck the monitoring wires off his forehead and chest.
Lina blanched. "I meant the outer perimeter," she added hurriedly.
Smirking, he stood and clarified idly, "Not that. I meant that
there's no question about it on the exam." The two girls exchanged
glances, knowing they were caught, and he patted them on their heads.
"It's okay, I won't tell. I appreciate you looking out for me, even
if it could've gotten you ripped or kicked out of the academy."
"Yeah, well, the same could be said of your projection net. What did
you do to that thing, anyway? It was practically impossible to get
it off!" Amelia yelped excitedly - no doubt hoping to build one of
her own.
"You know I can't tell you that," he started, then something seemed
to click in the back of his mind; something his brain had been
screaming since Lina first started talking. "You shot him with your
net?"
Shrugging smugly, Lina nodded. "Yep. Then I fired one on him with
your net when he dropped it, just to make sure. I got him stowed in
the lockout files."
The both looked around, but Zelgadis was already gone.
********************
He was going to be dismantled. When he didn't return with the files
within a few days, they would have already started to dismantle him
for spare parts, and he couldn't do a damn thing about it because he
was stuck in this net! He shifted restlessly, the burning threads
cutting into his arms through the translucent robe that flickered and
hovered about him, barely there. He had his mind on other important
things at the moment and the robes took up a lot of memory.
If he could cry, he probably would.
Giving up his struggles for a while, he rewound the scene and played
it back in slow motion. The hunter had been right there; the source
of all his problems, the one thing that made his job such a problem.
And so much fun. No other hunter had come so close to netting him
so many times. Was that why he hesitated? Not that he hesitated
long, of course. He really got a kick out of that expression on the
hunter's face when the threads wound around his projection - he could
even picture the way his corporeal body would have shuddered and
twitched as the ties to his mind were temporarily severed.
Speaking of projections - he paused the playback to just before he
fired, getting a good look at the body - why had he chose such a
strange form? He had looked like some kind of elven creature. The
ears were pointed and thin, along with his eyes. His features were
sharp, cutting, his skin a pale sky blue in contrast to the dark
sapphire eyes. There was what looked like a series of stones
embedded into the chin and just under the eyes, no doubt for
intimidation purposes. They actually succeeded in making him look
rather fetching. He had worn the usual navy and red hunter's
uniform, though there were a few items attached to the belt that he
doubted were strictly regulation. The net he carried definitely
wasn't regulation.
Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice the hunter come up behind him.
Reaching out, he grabbed a bit of net that was wrapped around the
hacker's throat that he'd apparently managed to loosen, and with a
sharp tug he tightened it again causing the prisoner to gasp and
croak out a groan of pained protest.
"Now that I've got your attention," Zelgadis started
conversationally, "I'd like to get a few pieces of information from
you. The more helpful you are, the faster we can retrieve your body
and finish this off."
Xelloss glared at the hunter of his shoulder and snorted, the robe
flickering back to a more solid state as he straightened up in an
effort to regain his dignity. "They're going to start disassembling
me any time now. I don't see why I need to bother cooperating."
Zelgadis found himself staring at the figure, then he blinked out of
it. "Bullshit. They wouldn't disassemble their star and we both
know that. Besides," he added with a snort, "as fast as you are, I
can't see how there's much left to disassemble."
The hacker's eyebrows raised, and he huffed. "I think that's
entirely uncalled for. There's plenty of me left, thank you very
much. But, thanks for the compliment," he grinned. The grin
faltered as he felt a hand on his hip between the glowing bands that
bound him.
"I don't believe you," the hunter whispered, lips brushing against
Xelloss's ear.
Xelloss jerked, then frowned as he flinched away. "Don't touch me,
hunter-boy." He paused, then added, "Unless you want to be trapped
in the net, too."
Tapping out a code on the wrist pad, he disengaged the net around the
hacker and met his gaze evenly as he brushed a hand against the white
cheek, causing Xelloss to flinch away, shaking his head. "Don't
touch me."
The hand immediately fell, and he nodded. "Fair enough. What are
you after, then? I remind you that you're still in the lockout
files; there's no way out of here. No connection to the
circumference."
Xelloss nodded slowly, understanding his meaning. It wasn't a
reminder that he couldn't escape; it was an assurance that the
mainframe he was connected to wouldn't be able to intercept anything
he said. But still... "That's a secret."
"I see," Zelgadis nodded, his tone somewhat darker. "Will you at
least tell me who you're working for?"
The hacker was silent, but soon the shaking of his shoulders was
clearly visible. Closing the distance between them, Zelgadis tried
to steady the prisoner with a light hand on his shoulder which was
immediately shrugged off with an accompanying slap that resounded
throughout the chamber.
"Don't touch me!" Xelloss screamed, a hint of hysteria in his voice.
"They're going to disassemble me! Goddammit!" He swung a fist at
the hunter, who simply took the blow stoically. "You don't give a
shit! Just keep me here, alright? Just keep me here and you won't
have to worry about your precious files much longer because I'll be
in tiny pieces in a bunch of jars on the sale rack!"
Taken aback by this sudden outburst, Zelgadis was momentarily stunned
into stillness. It wore off soon, however, and despite the hacker's
earlier protests he grabbed him and held him close, saying nothing
until the robed figure's wild thrashings finally subsided to tearless
sobs, his voice barely audible as he whispered, "It's going to hurt.
I wonder if I'll feel it here?" The hunter's heart broke at the
resigned tone in Xelloss's musings. "They'll have to start soon,
won't they? If I'm dead then they can't harvest the parts... they're
no good. Maybe I have one more day left... how long have I been here?
Please don't touch me." It was almost an afterthought, accompanied
by a half-hearted push against the hunter's chest.
Zelgadis made no moves to release him and instead held him tighter,
closing his eyes. "Tell me who you work for and I'll get your body
back. I can't let you go; it would be too obvious to the
higher-ups. But I can bring your body back here and you'll be safe."
"Just leave me alone," came the monotone reply.
Taking another route of action, Zelgadis smoothed back the purple
locks of hair gently, pressing a kiss to the faintly-struggling boy's
forehead. "Why don't you want to be touched?"
Silence, at first. Then a whisper, "That's a secret, stupid damn
fleshie."
Fleshie. He hadn't heard that word in a long time; not since the
world was filled with 'Serial Number Sams' who used it as a
derogatory term towards their fully-human counterparts. It actually
made him chuckle a little, and Xelloss pushed at him harder. "No,
no," Zelgadis smiled, "I wasn't laughing at you. I just... haven't heard
that word in a long time."
Xelloss offered a tiny - though the hunter found it absolutely
radiant - smile. "Sorry. I'm just not hip, I guess."
"I guess so," Zelgadis conceded, then brushed his lips against the
white temple, pushing back the purple strands gently. "Are you going
to tell me where I can find you?"
The hacker shuddered at the touch, then sighed, giving up. His death
was imminent; it didn't really matter anymore. "Promenade
Enterprises, basement level twenty-six." He shifted and sighed,
finally relaxing against the body offered. He felt the hunter's
shudder and smiled slightly; his own projection was freezing compared
to that of a 'fleshie', but the hunter was doing a good job of
pretending not to notice. He added playfully, "I'll be the third jar
on the left, in case you get confused. Please be sure to get all
eight bottles of me or I'll be really sad."
"I don't doubt it," he smirked, disengaging himself from the
entanglement of the hacker's robes. "Now keep quiet; I'll be back
in no time."
"Liar."
Zelgadis smirked. "Maybe." And with that, he disconnected.
**************************
Jerking out of the chair, he immediately ripped off the gloves and
glasses before jumping out of the chair. Lina was waiting for him in
the doorway, but he pushed past her hurriedly and she called out
after him, "What's the rush?"
"Got a corporeal to catch. Need to get there fast," was all he said
as he disappeared down the hall.
Her eyebrows raised, then she grinned and looked back at the console
he was sitting at. Lockout files always kept a record of all
activity within them... too bad Zel was in such a hurry he'd forgotten
to erase it.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-