Kruger shook the mans hand as he walked into his office. "Anything to report Captain?" He asked, looking at the average sized man wearing a Republic uniform. He had his military hat under his right arm, saluting at Hermann and Rudolph.
"We didn't find much of anything sir. Whatever was there got cleaned out fairly quickly." Captain Sam Roberts, a proud military man who had been stationed at the Jade River Base his entire career, never seeing much action until recently
Kruger nodded. "Thoroughly checked it?"
"Yes sir, a few things we couldn't understand but for the most part we covered it fully."
Rudolph stepped forward. "What do you mean things you couldn't understand?"
Sam shrugged. "Few things in another language, bunch of tablets. Few other things."
Rudolph turned his attention to Kruger. "Maybe we should send Van and Fiona to look at it. It might be something important."
Kruger nodded. "Alright, Roberts. Take them and show them everything you found."
Roberts put his hat back on and saluted. "Yes sir." He turned and walked out of the room.
Hermann looked over at Rudolph. "If you don't mind me asking, why are you sending Van and Fiona to look at it?"
"Because there might still be something we don't know, and it could mean the difference between life and death." Rudolph said with a strict tone.
Herman nodded. "If you say so."
Sam walked around finally finding Van and Fiona, talking to each other. "New orders, your coming with me to look at the ruins of Rusiano."
Fiona didn't like that idea. "Why?" She said, her voice carrying a worried tone.
"Orders from Emperor Rudolph and General Kruger." Sam said, bring his hat back under his arm, revealing soft brown hair combed back.
Van smiled. "Its fine by me." He stood up but felt Fiona pull on his arm.
"Wait Van, we can't go there." Fiona said, holding Van's left arm tightly with both of her hands.
"Why not." Van lost his smile.
"There's something about that place, I don't like it."
"Relax Fiona, why are you so worried about that place."
"Dr. D and two other people were killed there when we went to look at it, Hilz was hiding there as well."
Van looked down, feeling his heart drop after hearing his old friend had been killed.
"We cleared it out, there aren't any troops." Sam said.
"That's not what I mean." Fiona said, still holding Van.
"Fiona it's all right, Captain Roberts already went through the whole thing and found nothing."
"Except a few tablets we need you to take a look at." Sam added right after Van finished.
"See Fiona, all we need to do is go and take a look at a few tablets, it's all right."
"You died once Van, and your lucky to be alive one more time. Don't you think you should take advantage of it?"
Van looked at her, and took her words under consideration. "I know, but this is nothing dangerous. You heard what he said."
Fiona shook her head. "Why don't you understand Van, you don't know how I felt when you were dead. I don't want to lose you again."
"Fiona, will you listen for once." Van was beginning to scream at her again. "It's something I have to do."
"Van, we found Zoid Eve, we stopped Prozen, we stopped the Death Sauer and Death Singer, what else do you have to do."
Van looked at her and ripped her hands away from his arm and walked out. "You won't understand it."
Sam looked at them both. "Are you going to come?" He asked Fiona.
Fiona looked up at him and nodded.
"Alright, we leave in three hours. Get some food and get some warm clothes." Sam put his hat back on and walked out.
Jason sat there, staring at Ryss and Specula. She hadn't talked any, trying to ignore him. But he would never let that last, his love for torment never went away. "Raven's hurting. Very, very badly."
Ryss looked up at Jason, not answering him back.
Jason smiled. "He wants Fiona back, a lot more then he wants you." He watched, as Ryss again didn't reply. "Poor kid, lost a love he was never supposed to have."
"Why do you have to be so cold, just kill them all and get it over with!" Ryss shouted at him, annoyed with Jason.
Jason laughed. "No, not much fun there."
"You'll kill them anyways, so what are you waiting for. Take them out of the misery you put them in."
"Yea, I will kill them. But for now Ill simply play games with them, give them some enjoyment in there last days." Jason kept his smile.
"You want to kill every living soul." Ryss stood up and walked over to Jason. "So why are you letting them live, not to mention bringing them back from the dead."
"I have a few reasons. Testing their will and strength, the fact that I enjoy tormenting them." Jason stood up. "But I suppose the biggest reason that I can't kill them. Zoid Eve won't allow it, neither will the Tiger. So I will simply drive them insane in their minds and hearts, waiting for the Tiger to be reborn, giving him the fight he so desires. And obeying Zoid Eve wish to give life a last hope."
"So your not in command." Ryss said, a little surprised.
Jason gave her a smirk. "No Ryss I'm not, the Tiger has controlled my life since the day I took command of it. It does that to a child, twists them to its own desire. Amazing Zoid when you think about it. And now, in three short days it will come back to life. Killing all, the screams of terror and pity filling the air, the blood that flows through are bodies covering the ground, and are minds asking are selves why did this happen, why." Jason smiled.
"Your no better then the lives you want to kill Jason." Ryss walked behind him. "Evil and cold, ruining lives without regret."
"There is a difference Ryss, when a man rapes, murders, then steals from a family then he is the only one who has accomplished anything while the lives of many are ruined. While I will kill everyone, leaving to one to feel any sorrow, and making way for a race that won't abuse the gift we have been so privileged to have."
"But in the end, you're still a monster, a genocidal madman who is angry at the universe." Ryss smiled. "And as for no one feeling any sorrow, what if you lose."
"I won't Ryss, I never do."
"Van and Raven are more skilled then you could ever think, Zack and Fiona will find a weakness in the Zoid, and then you will fall along with your cold, dark dream."
"No Ryss, I will end this. I wish you knew what the universe was truly like. Wars started because leaders want nothing more then power and riches. Murders to gain personal pride, while shattering the lives of many. Abuse on others, even though we are all God's children." Jason pulled out a knife and grabbed Ryss's left hand, gently cutting her palm. He then put the knife in his palm and gently cut it was well, putting his hand next to hers. "You see Ryss, we all share the same blood. Two completely different people, but are blood is the same. We each have hearts and souls, and we have feelings and dreams. Yet no man ever seems to understand that, so he kills off his own brothers and sisters for land, money, and pride. One death is a tragedy, 100 deaths is a massacre, and everything higher is a nothing more then a number Ryss. You no longer have a name or a life, you are just a number. That is why we have wars and why we kill, because we don't give a damn how many people we kill. So Ill end it for them, save them millenniums of torment and suffering."
Ryss looked down at her palm, admitting to herself that what Jason had said did have some truth in it. "So you think you can play God, determine when life needs to end and a new one needs to be born."
Jason smiled, jumping on a ledge that rose above the pit. "Zoid Eve is God, the Tiger is Satan, and I am the Reaper. Armageddon is near, and Genesis will occur. The shadows are crawling out of the darkness Ryss. Van, Raven, Zack, Fiona, and yourself are going to be the last beam of light to stop us, lets see how well you five perform when the future of life lies in your hands."
"We have before, Prozen and the Death Sauer." Ryss watched Specula come up besides her.
"I am more evil then Prozen can dream, and the Tiger is nearly 1,000 times stronger then the Death Sauer. You will find this slightly more challenging Ryss." Jason smiled and jumped off the ledge onto the floor and sat down, closing his eyes.
Raven lied there in the cell, still asleep from Hilz's attack. The dim lights flickering and the hot damp air filled the cell with a musty smell. Raven's body, exhausted and worn, was barley alive and what remained of him rested silently. A dream came to him, a dream about the girl he loved, about the girl that tore his heart from his chest and crushed it under her feet.
Raven looked at Fiona, everything around him nothing but dark space though he could see her clearly.
"Why did you leave me Raven, I wanted you to stay with me." Fiona said in the soft tone that soothed Raven.
Raven stared at her, it seemed like a dream but at the same time it seemed so real. "I. Yo. You wanted me to leave. Remember how you told me goodbye, how Van was the only one for you."
Fiona shook her head. "Van doesn't listen to me, he doesn't love me like you do. Come back to me Raven. Please."
Raven watched Fiona turn around and slowly vanish in the blackness.
He woke up breathing hard, sweat running down his hair and clothes. Raven shook his head at the dream, trying to pull himself together. He had hoped she would leave his heart, but that didn't seem like it was going to happen. Raven missed her, even though they had been enemies for years he loved her for some reason, and he hoped she loved him back. But then a thought crossed his mind, knowing how this was nothing more then a game, Jason holding all the cards. "Jason!" Raven screamed, rage filled his soul, and fire burned in his eyes. "Jason! If you want me then come and get me! Quit hiding and tormenting me!" Raven stood up and kicked the cot, bending over to hold the wound on his legs. This was all a nightmare, but its reality still affected him. Raven knew his short romance with Fiona had to have been Jason's doing, but still he loved her and he wanted her. Van was the only thing standing in his way, and for that he could do nothing. If he killed, Fiona would hate him like she had the years before and if he let him live she would stay in love with him. Unless the dream he had was true, that thought lingered in his mind for hours.
Van and Fiona stared out at the icy lands. The Command Wolf in front of them leading them to the old ruins that had everyone so worried.
"How much longer Captain?" Van asked over the comm.
"Almost there, maybe an hour at the most. Were lucky the weather calmed down, make this trip a lot faster." Sam said, reading some data that came up on his console.
Van looked back at Fiona, she seemed to be daydreaming as she stared out at the snow covered lands. "Fiona try and pull yourself together, this is simple. Nothing will happen I promise."
Fiona looked at him, her eyes puffy from some tears.
"Fiona." Van said, worried about her. "What's wrong?"
"You made that promise before Van, you didn't keep it."
Van looked at her, but didn't say anything. Those words hurt him inside, but maybe that is what she wanted to do. Maybe Raven wasn't out of her heart yet. Van turned back and kept his eyes on the white Command Wolf. Time went by quickly, arriving at the mountains the city had been built in. "So this is it." Van put on a heavy jacket, hopefully keeping the brisk cold off of his skin.
"Uh huh." Fiona replied soft and slowly.
"Well let's get this over with." Van helped Fiona out of the cockpit, for some reason she seemed tense.
Sam walked up to them and pointed to an open passage in the cave. The three walked in, looking around at the steel walls and roof, the concrete floor below.
"This is what it was when you cam here?" Van asked Fiona.
She just nodded back to him.
Sam pulled out a handgun and took the lead.
"I thought you cleared it out?" Van asked as the captain pulled out the gun.
"Doesn't matter, last thing I need is to be unprepared." Sam smiled and turned his attention back to the front.
They walked for about an hour, finally reaching the room Sam and his team had found the tablets and writings in.
"I never saw this room before." Fiona said, feeling something eerie about it.
"We had to use TNT to open it up, sealed with steel and rock." Sam said, pushing a few rocks away. "This one right here scared me to death." He pointed down at a carving, a Tiger on it and a picture of a devil standing next to it.
Fiona looked down at picked it up. "Tigeren og djevelen gjennomstreifer verdenen en gang til, forlater wraith av God og pusten av Hell i der vekker." She said, looking down at the broken bottom of the tablet and shook her head. "I don't understand what it means."
"You don't?" Van said staring at her. "How come?"
"I don't know, I just can't read it for some reason." Fiona said. "Something about this though." She stared at the picture, she knew she had seen it before but wasn't sure where.
Van watched as Fiona closed her eyes and fainted. "Fiona!" He yelled, picking her head off the ground gently. "Fiona."
"What did she faint for?" Sam asked, looking down at the now shattered stone.
"I don't know, last time she did it." Van's memory began to jog, truly remembering the last time she had fainted like this. Her memory had began to come back to her. He looked at the shattered carving, the head of the devil seemed to be smiling at him, burning through his soul and mind. He shook the thought away and looked back at Fiona. "Come on Fiona." He grabbed her chin and shook her head gently, finally waking her up.
"What happened?" Fiona said, dazed and nervous.
"You fainted." Van said, laughing a little. He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "Are you alright?"
Fiona nodded and got up. She stared up at the top of the room, it was about 50 feet high and pitch black at the top. Only some light set up by Sam and his team during there excavation.
"Uh guys." Sam said, his voice twitchy and frightened. "Here, quick."
Van walked over at the small hall, and looked down it. "Oh my God." He heard Fiona start to come over. "Fiona, I don't think you want to see this." He said, his voice nervous as well.
Fiona ignored the warning and walked over. Down, along the entire hallway. Pictures like the one that had been carved in the stone were painted on the stonewalls.
"That is really, really nice." Sam said getting out of the small passage.
Van walked over to the first painting and rubbed his fingers along it. "Blood." He said, his heart now racing with fear. His hair glowed in the dim light from the sweat building up. "It's dried blood." Van felt a chill running down his entire body, and listened as Fiona screamed. "Fiona!" He ran towards her, watching her point straight ahead. There stood a dark figure, hiding in the shadows of the cavern. "Who are you!" Van screamed at the man, holding Fiona tightly against him, she was crying out of fear cold and shivering.
Sam ran back and started firing at the figure, watching as it vanished before he fired all of his shots. "What the Hell was that?" Sam looked at the gun, shaking from the fear and chills running throughout his body.
"I don't know?" Van replied, holding Fiona. He looked down at her and gently kissed her on the forehead. "It's alright Fiona." Van turned and looked back at Sam who was still staring down the cavern.
"I think its time to leave." Sam said running out of the cavern.
"Yea, I think your right." Van replied, trying to keep Fiona close to him but she refused to move. "Fiona, were going."
Fiona stood there,
crying and shaking. "It. It's. H. Him." She said in slow intervals, her voice
scared and sobbing. She pointed up at the picture on the cave, and once again
fainted to the cold hard floor.