DISCLAIMER: Not many (if any) of the characters in the following fic belong to me. I extend my sincerest apologies to the actual owners for manipulating their characters in my own twisted storyline... Yet, I'm making no money off this, so you can't sue!!! (I hope)
WARNING: This fic has the potential to contain violence, adult language, adult content, and other stuff. But, hey, we're all mature here, so read on if you dare!
NOTE: Make sure to read the fic "Tools of the trade" by "Cecil"
NOTE2: Contact me at hostiledude666@neovampire.com


"Whatever," Ozzie said crossly, "just get the job done!" "That's what I do best," the swordsman replied. With that, Ozzie disappeared, leaving the heroes to face Slash. Lucca finally got back to her feet. "What are you doing back?" she asked weakly. Slash answered, "Ever since you defeated me and took my weapon I have been dishonored, shunned by other great warriors around the world. Only Magus would once again take me in as an apprentice. I have come to restore my honor!"

"I'll just have to outfight you again!" Crono shouted, charging forward with his Rainbow. Slash parried the blow and struck the warrior in the stomach with the butt end of his sword. Crono doubled over in pain "Crono!" Robo shouted, and shot his fist forward in a rapid series of disembodied punches. To his dismay, Slash was able to block all of them. Then he countered with a whirling blade attack, which sent the robot flying back about twenty feet. Angered, Lucca fired a critical hit shot with her Wonder Shot. It bounced straight off his head.

Slash laughed as he walked slowly toward the genius girl. But before he made it there, Ayla kicked him out of the way viciously, and started punching him. "Argh!!!" the swordsman grunted. Crono gritted his teeth and poured all of his considerable magic energy into one lightning attack. The Luminaire obliterated Slash, sending him flying back through a tree. "Yeah! Sword man not as strong as us!" Ayla exclaimed. But no sooner had she spoken than Slash slowly got up off the ground.

"That attack probably would have killed me when last we fought, but now I have trained long and hard. I trained only to feel the pleasure of causing pain to you." Crono slumped against a withered tree. What was this guy's problem? Why was he so intent on hurting him? But before the swordsman could make a move toward Crono, Robo's fist smashed into his face, sending him reeling. Then Ayla pounced on him, hitting him with a combo of a whole ton of physical attacks. When he finally managed to throw her off, his entire world burst into flames as one of Lucca's fire attacks burned him in the face.

Reeling backwards once again, Slash tripped over a log and fell to the ground. Since Crono was out of energy, Robo saw that it was his turn to act. Summoning massive amounts of Dark energy with his lasers, he blasted them toward Slash in one concentrated beam. The result was a massive explosion that filled the whole area with even more dust than it would normally have. When it finally cleared, the heroes looked over the edge of the rather large crater that Robo's attack had created. In the dingy future, however, it hardly seemed out of place.

"I thought the future would be better when you returned, Robo," Lucca finally said, "but the land here is still terrible." Robo turned toward her. "Don't worry; the future is much better. The only reason that this stretch of land is the same is that this is where we fought Lavos, and the land here was sucked dry of all its resources." "Ughhh... I'm tired now." Crono groaned. "Perhaps we should take you to the dome nearby. The enertrons over there should fix you right up from your fatigue. And we even have food now that the future is fixed!" Crono tried to decline because he wanted to rescue Marle as quickly as possible, but eventually Lucca forced him to go and get healed.

End of chapter 3
It seems that the plot has thickened now! What will happen to our heroes in the new future and what relevance will it have to the final battle with Magus? Find out in chapter 4!