From Zero To Oblivion
In his dark chamber, Zero sat, and waited.
Far away, he could hear the sound of running footsteps, one after another. A slow, grim smile spread across his mustached face.
They were almost here. He would not have to wait much longer.
The footsteps slowed, then stopped.
A muffled gasp resounded in the air, as someone was overcome by the sheer ruin of the chamber.
Zero stood up, and went to greet his guests.
************
The place was a mess.
"Jesus…Who could have done this?"
Massive holes had been blown in the walls. Small fires burned, apparently fuelled by solid rock. The ground was littered with pieces of metal, which had evidently been torn off from somewhere and used as clubs.
Chan took a step forward…And tripped, foot slipping on a plastic object. Cursing, he leaned down, to take a better look at it.
It was a pair of sunglasses, neatly broken in two at the bridge. One lens had a spiderweb crack, and the other was a distant memory.
"Now what?"
Ogion's voice jolted Chan from his reverie. The rest of the group had moved in, ready for one final fight.
"I…I don't know. We wait, I guess."
They didn't need to. A sardonic voice sounded in the distance, beyond the flames.
"Well, well. Looks like the prodigal sons have returned home."
"Andro, Ryan, circle around to flank him. I'll stay here with Ogion, and keep him talking."
Chan kept his voice low, fearful of alerting whoever was out that. Like twin shadows, the two nodded, slipping away in near-silence.
"Why, is that a gun I see? Nice taste, boy. But children shouldn't play with the weapons of adults."
Faint laughter resounded, echoing hollowly in the room.
"You're the tournament host, aren't you? Move into the light. We can't see you."
To his surprise, the mysterious speaker complied, revealing a massive, mustached man, wearing a...skirt? Razor-sharp knives gleamed in the dim firelight, producing a distinctive clinking noise.
"I am…Zero."
"What have you done with the others?"
The question caught Zero off guard. With a wave of his hand, he brushed it off.
"It does not matter. They are alive, I assure you. However, they no longer factor into the equation. YOU do."
From the corner of his eye, Chan saw Andro and Ryan moving into attack position. They just needed a bit more time…
"Exactly what do you want from us?"
"Want? 'Want' is a worthless, petty term. I don't 'WANT' anything from you. The question is, what do I need?"
Zero stressed the last point like some kind of psychiatrist. He accentuated the point with a dramatic swirl of his dress/cape.
"Okay, okay. So what do you need?"
"I need power. I need the energy that can be received only by fighting. So…Show me the power of DHS! SHOW ME THE FRUIT OF YOUR PATHETIC LIVES!!!!"
The volume increased with each world, finally becoming a full-out roar.
Chan nodded slightly.
"I see. You want a fight? You're gonna get one. Andro, Ryan? Take him."
And the final battle of the KOF tournament commenced.
************
Like a stealth bomber with an inferiority complex, Andro came down from above. Both blades were out, prepared for the final, decapitating stroke.
Ryan leapt in from behind, booted foot aimed at Zero's head. A massive propeller of water churned at the end of the kick, ready to chew Zero to bits.
Chan moved in, handgun thundering. Quartz bullets streaked through the darkness, red lights tracing their way towards his opponent. World-Eater rushed, discarding shield in favor of a massive overhand sword slash.
From somewhere to his side, a ball of bubbling green flame screamed ahead, followed by the largest shards of metal and rock Ogion could find.
Zero was being attacked from all sides, in a well-coordinated assault. This was a team attack, involving timing, strength, and simple low cunning. And the boys excelled at the last point.
Zero half-turned, cloak/dress whirling out, and turning World-Eater's sword aside with its multiple edges. His turn became a full spin, and all concerned tried to lurch back, in an attempt to avoid the lethal hem of the blade-dress.
Ryan failed to dodge in time, and was sucked in, lacerated, and flung aside. The projectiles were simply spat right back, causing Chan to duck for cover, as wild explosion resounded behind him. Andro was the only one who scored a successful hit, which was ignored in Zero's spinning frenzy.
Everyone, including the Stand, backed away. Approaching Zero was like coming near a furnace, with a blender somewhere in the flames.
"Alright, change in the plan."
"There was a plan? I thought we just beat on him till he cried for mercy!"
Ryan shot a glare at Andro.
Chan pointed at the whirlwind of steel, ignoring the other two.
"He's guarding everywhere except his feet! Guys, hit him there!"
"Yessir!"
Ryan dropped to the ground, bringing a foot around in an awkward but powerful sweeping kick. Unceremoniously, Zero staggered and almost fell, feet suddenly knocked from under him.
"RUSH MARINE!!!"
Andro tackled Zero, grabbing him from behind. Blades dug into the man's back, as the boy fought for a grip.
"NOW!"
Chan flung himself forward in a rushing punch. Ogion aimed a savage lance of mental fury at Zero. Ryan performed an aerial attack, blasting downwards, with a comet-trail of water behind him.
Then, a second sun arose in the chamber, as a sphere of painfully bright light burst into existence. The DHS team flew.
Chan hit the ground next to Alistair, both smoking wrecks. Somewhere else, Ogion negotiated his own contract with gravity, crumpling and not rising.
Incredibly, Ryan had been relatively untouched, though his shield had instantly disintegrated upon impact. He took on Zero one-on-one, fists and feet striking away in a brave but futile effort. Even from the start, it was hopeless. Ryan couldn't defeat Zero with his elemental powers. Without the protection water gave him, he had no chance whatsoever.
Zero blocked one of Ryan's kicks, knocked aside a palm strike, and swept his entire cloak across Ryan's stomach. Like a puppet with strings cut, Ryan went down.
With a cruel smile on his face, Zero aimed a kick at Ryan, intending to crush the boy's windpipe…
***BLAM***
A bullet caught Zero's foot, blowing right through.
Zero swore, pivoting on his undamaged leg to face his attacker.
Chan had managed to rise to one knee, with a white-knuckled grip on his revolver. Smoke rose in a faint trail from the barrel, attesting to the live ammunition Chan was finally using. There was a kind of determination in his face. Behind him, World-Eater mimicked the pose.
"So…The puppy has grown teeth."
Zero concentrated, isolating the pain of his injured foot, ignoring it the way he ignored the myriad of other minor wounds across his body.
"But not soon enough!"
A shadow image of Zero blurred forward, blasting through Chan's defenses. Fists and cape swipes promptly assaulted the boy, sending crimson blood flowing once more.
Then, a massive shockwave of wind blasted by, blowing Zero away. Ogion got up, summoning another wave. With all his power, he flung it at Zero again…
The wave split, sending each end passing around the man. Both waves roared by, impacting once more against the thoroughly-abused wall.
With a smirk, Zero climbed to his feet, dress flapping around his feet.
"You can't defeat me. You were foolish to even think you could. HAKURA MESSHOU!!!"
The lights momentarily went out. A black hole had formed, drawing everything into itself. Massive spheres of energy blasted out. And the running began.
Chan flung up the Aegis, enlarging it to cover himself. However, the massive shield cracked, as blast after blast of energy rammed home. Gritting his teeth in agony, Chan planted his feet, draining power from his Stand to power his shield.
Ryan weaved like a maniac, somehow managing to dodge the bursts aimed his way. A well-aimed one blew his feet away, sending him sprawling on the floor. Ducking behind the largest piece of rubble he could find, he prayed for deliverance.
Andro teleported back and forth, warping away just as his previous position was annihilated. But the moment his internal energy ran out, he was left stranded in the open, with no choice but to block and take the hits.
Ogion resorted to point-defense, shoving away each incoming blast with the force of his mind. Everything breakable was broken for the second time, as projectiles flew back and forth.
Finally, the blasts trickled away, giving a last few coughs of energy. Cautiously, the team peeked out from behind their hiding places, wondering what the new development brought.
The entire room was filled with dust, and several of the massive pillars were mere memories now. Somewhere in the center of the room, a human shape formed from the smoke…
"THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD ENOUGH!!!"
Chan raised and aimed the Mage Cannon, as World-Eater dropped its shield, to reveal a HUGE chaingun of its own. Smaller copies peeked out from behind it, each wielding similar ordnance. As one, the horde of Stands aimed, fingers tightening on triggers.
Andro's eyes went wide.
Ryan watched Chan begin to glow purple, in the aura that preceded his ultimate attack.
"Um…We might like to get some cover."
Paling, Andro and Ogion nodded, diving for cover as Chan went Postal. Over the high whine of the chaingun, the rattle of bullets, *thwumping* of grenades, and the hideous screaming of miniature rockets, they could hear Chan's maniacal voice.
"DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!"
When the firing stopped, the only thing in the distance was a small figure, utterly shot through. It staggered one more step, and collapsed.
*************
"It's over, isn't it?"
"Yes. Zero's dead. Whatever he was planning will never come to pass."
"All that matters now is finding a way out. The entrance was sealed. We'll have to take the hole at the end of the room."
"Sounds good to me."
Slowly, the team began to limp towards the end of the room, heading towards the promising light of the exit. Ogion supported Ryan, who could barely walk on his own. Andro, scorning aid, walked tall and proud, leading the way. Chan, so very tired, holstered his weapon, placing a hand on the wall to guide his path.
To their credit, they almost made it.
Halfway through the chamber, there was a brief glow, and the humming of machinery began.
"What? What the…"
Light. Painfully bright light filled the room.
Like the voice of the Almighty, a sound came from somewhere within there. The voice of Zero.
"You lose."
Blinking, Chan recovered enough to see that Zero stood once more, whole and healthy. In his hand, he held a remote, filled with an incredibly confusing amount of buttons and levers. Zero's finger hovered above a certain massive, red one…
"When I press this button, all your energy goes to the Zero Cannon. All the punches, all the psychic assaults, all the lightning, and the many, many bullets. All the internal energy that powered them will become the fuel, for the complete and utter destruction of the world as you know it. Special thanks to Chan, for kindly providing a good third of the damage."
As one, all stared at Chan, who was trying to bury his head in the hard floor.
"You've gotta be kidding!"
Andro crouched into fighting stance once more, only the slow speed of his usually smooth and blurring motions betraying his exhaustion. Ryan shoved himself upright, hand out and pointed. Faintly, tiny electric sparks danced at the end. Chan aimed to the best of his ability, hand shaking with fatigue. Ogion simply shrugged, summoning a halo of green fire.
"That's weird…I thought you were resting in pieces all the way over there."
Zero shook his head.
"Ha! I'm prepared for EVERY contingency. That was just a taste of my genius. But before you die…You should know exactly what has been happening. The entire tournament was a front, to gain enough energy to power my orbital weaponry systems. Rage and hatred are the fuel of the Zero Cannon, and there is nowhere else I can get a finer supply. Now, PERISH IN THE LIGHT OF A NEW WORaack!"
***KA-BLAM***
Chan blasted the control from his hand with a well-aimed shot, as everyone exploded into sudden motion.
"THE CONTROL! GET THE CONTROL!"
Andro performed a football slide, knocking the remote even further from Zero's reach. With a snarl, Zero brought his fist down on the fighter's head, knocking him to the ground. Quickly recovering, Andro sliced upwards, placing a high stroke that actually slashed Zero's face.
"Bastard!"
Zero swept his cape under Andro's guard, inflicting a myriad of small cuts and slashes. The boy shrugged it off like a bean bag, and slammed his forehead into Zero's, bringing his leg up between the man's legs.
Cursing and clutching himself, Zero staggered back, struggling to remain conscious against the wave of pain rolling up from his injured loins. Behind him, Ogion nabbed the control, staring at the complex series of buttons and levers.
"Turn everything off!"
"Got it!"
The psychic reached out, and began to hit switches at random. Around them, a small quake rocked the area. Something far away shattered.
"Not that! You'll bring the entire place down!"
Zero recovered from the horrible agony, kicking Andro away. He turned towards Ogion, intent on tearing him to pieces with his bare hands. Gulping, Ogion tossed the control to the nearest person: Ryan. Snarling, Zero took a step in the direction of the rapidly-retreating fighter…
….And was met with an incredible punch to the face. World-Eater threw an impressive follow-up combo: Right jab, left uppercut, right haymaker, double palm strike. Just to irritate Zero further, Chan, in a rare moment of bravery, swung at the back of his head with the handle of the Mage Cannon.
Zero ducked, dodging the strike to the back of the head. He took several punches, which didn't help his mood much. There were too many distractions, all obstructing him from his main goal, the reclamation of his remote control.
The man promptly eliminated the biggest obstacle, by elbowing Chan in the gut, and snapping a backhand into his face. Glasses shattered upon impact, knocking Chan backwards. He wasn't seriously injured, but he would have to wait for the stars to go away before he was any use in battle.
Then, he turned to the three still standing.
"Give…It…Back."
Ryan smirked, clutching his prize tighter.
"Make me."
He would soon regret his words, as Zero charged the group, maddened beyond reason.
The following fight, save for the flying blades and psychic effects, could have made the Top Ten Old West Barbrawls' Hall of Fame. Zero suplexed Andro completely *through* the floor at one point, after which Ryan snatched up the biggest chunk of it and tried to flatten the man.
What remained of the wall was completely shattered, as Ogion mentally shoved Zero into them, then got slammed into the remaining half when he tried to follow up. A side slam drove Ryan's head *into* the wall, but Andro smashed Zero right through, before he could take advantage of Ryan's momentary immobility.
Andro briefly dueled Zero with blades, only to have them chipped beyond use, and going back-hand-to-hand. Chan, rejoining the fight, sent Zero flying into his seat with a mighty gut-punch from World-Eater, only to have a shard broken over his head when he closed in, and hurled away in a patented Nage throw while he tried to clear the dust from his eyes. Ryan was bowled over, as he tried to interfere, his dropkick met by a blast of some kind of force.
Not bothering to get up, Ryan threw out a sweep, but Zero simply rolled back away from it.
As soon as Ryan's leg was retracted, he pulled into a crouch.
As soon as Zero's feet touched ground out of the roll, he leaped in. Zero was leading with a kick that would slam Ryan's face back into the floor, reducing the small team by a weakened Adept.
Zero's foot was inches away from Ryan's face; at that moment, Andro, who had long since recovered, slammed into the KOF sponsor with the Army of One. The warrior's clones followed his every motion, slashing and kicking repeatedly. Zero tried to fight back, but the real Andro had been lost somewhere along the way, allowing a clone to get in his attacks instead.
When the attack ended, an exhausted Andro slumped to the ground, too tired to even stand.
It was worth noting that Zero's super bar was fully charged, what with the energy siphon under his clothes, and the countless hits already blocked.
The fact that Ryan had stolen his control didn't help matters much.
He performed the Hakura Messhou three times, raining starry death down onto them all. The entire team blocked and dove, but the inherent cheapness of the move soon caught up with them. More that half of the volley had aimed at Ryan, blowing the fight out of him. The others tried to head back, but they didn't make it in time, still recovering from concussions.
Very slowly, Zero walked over to Ryan, who was attempting to grab the control that had fallen right in front of him. It was singed, but undamaged. Ryan's body had taken most of the impacts. His belly wound had reopened, leaving him in a massive pool of his own blood.
Zero reached down, brushing aside Ryan's pitiful attempt at retaliation, and snatched the control back.
He cleared his throat, hitting the big red button as he did.
"There. Now, the Zero Cannon is turning towards Southtown. On this monitor…"
Zero pressed another button. A screen flickered into life, revealing the view of…deep space? A massive station floated in the background. It seemed like a massive cannon, aimed towards the unsuspecting earth…
"Behold!!!"
A ray stabbed down, a mile-thick column of destruction.
************
The citizens of Southtown never even knew what was coming.
One second, they were seated in comfortable seats, waiting for the fighters to be brought out to them. The next, they were dead.
A single blast struck the stadium, annihilating everything. The entire area simply ceased to exist, component molecules spread to the four winds. Unnoticed, camera feeds flared, and blacked out, leaving the thousands watching television wondering what had happened.
They didn't have to wait long. The ray spread out, in a clean, rapidly expanding circle of death. It was perfectly clear, like ice spreading across water. Everything it touched crumbled, perishing in the painful brilliance.
Everyone in the first kilometer perished, flash-fried in the wake of a second sun. The ground itself rippled, sending buildings and vehicles toppling in the path. Secondary explosions went off everywhere, and fires started in the heat wave that promptly followed. People screamed, ran, died. Some were so crushed in the panicked scramble that followed, that their corpses were carried for several meters, before sliding to the ground.
It was as though someone had overturned an anthill. There was no cohesion, no leader of the fleeing mob. All concerned simply ran, in an attempt to get away, as far and as fast as possible.
************
"…You bastard…"
"…The entire city…"
"…That's really bad shit…"
"Do you even know what you've done?"
"Yep," Zero said, a slow, relaxed grin spreading across his face. "I fulfilled my lifelong ambition. I nuked Southtown."
They didn't know how to answer that. All they had seen was the massive ray stabbing down, with no indication of its effects on the city beneath. But it had to be bad, didn't it?
"Now, where was I? Ah. I'll kill your pathetic group of fighters, of course, as I have no more use for you. If you don't resist, I might even make it quick. There's nothing else you can do about the situation, anyway. There're more than twenty Zero Cannon units in deep space."
"Oh, but there is something we can do."
There was the sound of three sets of knuckles being popped, in anticipation of hitting something. Hard. Ryan, still slumped behind Zero, showed no sign of getting up.
Zero watched their determined, furious expressions.
"You couldn't defeat me at the height of your ability. Now, in your current condition, there's no way you can win."
He swirled his cloak, waiting for them to advance. To his surprise, the entire team didn't move, as if waiting for…something…
Zero felt a wave of lethargy pass through his body, slowing down his movements. The surroundings blurred, and he staggered, falling to a knee.
"YOU!!! What…What…"
Andro stepped forward, smiling.
"Poison. Always the great equalizer. I brewed it myself before this, from one of Ogion's tablets, and a compound I synthesized myself. Each and every one of my blades have a small dose on it. You've taken enough to stun an elephant."
With a curse, Zero took a step closer.
"Maybe…But I don't need my speed…To destroy you."
"We shall see. Guys? Let's get the hell outta here!"
The speed of their retreat stunned Zero. Andro tackled Zero, bowling him over, even as his fingers snatched for the control. Normally, Zero would have easily blocked, replying with a devastating counter. But right then, his joints moved sluggishly, refusing to obey him.
Behind Zero, Chan and Ogion scooped Ryan's form up, carrying him between the two. Then, all three bolted for the exit.
Silently, Zero railed at the fates. If they had stayed, poison or no poison, he would still have killed them all. As it was, he would have to give himself a shot of stimulants, before he would even be up to speed. And that would take time.
But the path to the exit was a mile long. He could spare the moments he needed. Cackling, Zero began the slow, painful process of extracting the medical kit from the place underneath the monitor.
************
"Whew…I think we lost him."
Chan slumped against the far wall, exhausted. He was nursing a stitch in his side, simply too tired to run anymore. With the draining of terror-filled adrenaline, the strain of every little injury began to tell.
Ryan was struggling to hold his guts inside him, hands wrapped round a spreading red stain on his abdomen. He was taking the pain well, but stress was showing on his face. Andro, always the professional, removed a whetstone from his pocket, and began to sharpen his blades once again.
Ogion stood a little bit apart from the group, thinking hard.
Then, he spoke.
"Zero is still coming. I can sense him in the distance, approaching at tremendous speed."
"What? But I thought…"
"Apparently, he has ingested a stimulant, to counteract the effects of Andro's poison. There is no way we can outrun him."
"So what do we do?"
Ogion turned slightly.
"Go. I'll remain to slow him down as much as I can."
Andro shook his head.
"Ogion, don't try to be cool alone. He'll kill you. This isn't a movie, damnit!"
"No. It is not. But it is true that I'm still rather healthy, and have the highest chance of survival. Besides…"
A faint smile spread across Ogion's face.
"…I'm always cool. I feel that this discussion is not important. I'm staying, no matter what your decision is."
"***Sigh*** Alright. Looks like we can't change your mind. You heard the man, Chan! Let's roll!"
Andro scooped Ryan up, and began to carry him down the long pathway.
Chan turned to follow. As he did, he paused briefly, and drew a small bottle from his jacket. With a simple, underhand throw, he tossed it to Ogion.
The psychic caught the bottle, giving it a confused look.
"What's this?"
"Your medication. If you get out of this alive, you'll need it."
Ogion stared at the little bottle for a long time. Then, he drew a single pill from it, swallowing it dry. Then, he tossed it back to Chan.
"Keep it. I intend to go clean after this."
Chan nodded, shoved it back into his pocket, and ran off, following Andro.
Ogion took a deep breath, and looked straight ahead, ready to meet the bringer of death.
************
Chan and Andro ran and ran, terror giving them a second wind. Ryan was half-dragged, half-carried between the two, as they lugged his motionless body between them.
Blood trickled from between Chan's fingers, as he struggled to support Ryan.
"Andro…He's bleeding like there's no tomorrow."
"If this goes on, he not gonna have a tomorrow. Why're you complaining? We're carrying him, after all."
They continued their desperate run, for many long minutes. Behind them, they heard explosions, and various rumbling noises. A blast of black light followed, one that washed over them harmlessly.
Risking a look back, Andro saw that the area right behind them was now in ruins, as if a demolition crew had recently moved through. Even as he watched, unnatural fire struck the far wall, burning on the solid stone. A ball of something struck the ground with a wet, squelching noise, and began to melt into the ground.
Shuddering, Andro ran even faster.
************
Zero drew back once more, considering the slight young man who had dared to defy him. The two had been battling for some time, and Ogion was beginning to show signs of strain. Frost speckled his singed robes, and a halo of green fire burned around his head. Many small cuts decorated his shredded outfit, none of which were bleeding cleanly. If Ogion survived this, he was going to need intensive medical care. If he survived.
Zero began to pace back and forth, keeping the psychic in view.
"You're pretty good. So far, you're the only one of your team who has posed any challenge."
Ogion nodded slightly. His only reply was a bolt of mental force that shook Zero's feet. Growling, Zero shook off the effects, and continued walking.
"You know you cannot defeat me. Why do you still fight?"
Still no answer. A wall of flickering blue light arose, a thin curtain spreading between the two. Finally, Ogion spoke.
"Because…Every second you're delayed gives the others another second to run."
Acknowledging the comment, Zero closed his prowling, and began walking closer. He shifted slightly, preparing his blades to full effect.
"When I'm done with you, I'll rip out your heart, and fasten it to the Zero Cannon."
"Actions speak louder than words, asshole. Let's rumble."
************
Finally, the exit was in sight. Only a few meters more, to safety.
The boys let out an audible sigh of relief, followed by a nervous glance backward.
No one was following them. Somehow, they still could hear the battle raging the distance, getting noticeably softer.
Chan nudged Andro, pointing straight ahead of them with a disturbed expression of his face. Two people, silhouetted by the sun, were busy walking right towards them.
"You know those two?"
"Yep. Kula's 'sisters'. She mentioned them before."
"…"
The two women stopped, just before the entrance to the tunnel.
"Is Zero in there?"
Chan nodded, jerking a thumb in the direction they had just come from.
"He's in there."
As if to punctuate the point, the earth heaved, leaving everyone staggering for several seconds.
"…And taking on Ogion."
"Good."
The two boys shifted to one side, letting Diana and Foxy walk through.
Andro turned towards Chan.
"Someday, I'm gonna have to ask you how you happen to know the name of every girl we've met in this damn tournament."
"It's a long story. I'll tell you later, if I'm through hurting you by then."
"I'm looking forward to it. Now shut up and lift your portion of the load."
************
Zero was enraged. You would think that would mean that he was losing. But in actuality, he was winning. Even though Ogion got his hits in, Zero was more or less dominating.
Zero knew Ogion was better than that. He knew that the young man had the fighting prowess that could rival his own. He knew that it was possible that Ogion could be the man who would get the privilege of killing Zero once and for all.
But why was his fighting so poor? After knocking Ogion down with a kick, Zero realized what was going on: Ogion was holding back. Zero grabbed Ogion off the ground and held him up by his shirt. The man hissed, while trying to hold back his rage. "Why? Why are you holding back? Why will you not fight me with all of your ability?"
Blood ran down Ogion's chin as he smiled. "You're really pathetic, you know that? Did you ever think in your pea brain that maybe there's more to life than fighting?"
"No. Fighting is the only thing."
"I have nothing to prove to you. Don't expect me to be your big prospect." Still smiling, Ogion raised his middle finger to the. "Now shut up and kill me, you sad bastard."
Insulted, Zero finished the match with his most feared maneuver. Nobody knows exactly how to explain what would happen during the Gokusa Zanjin, or "Bladestorm." Those who became its victims were in too much pain to be able to tell what was going on. Only a few beings have actually accomplished the move and none of them are the type to explain. But the only thing the people watching at home could see was intense brightness accompanied with Ogion's screams.
When all was said and done, Zero looked down at Ogion's lifeless corpse. Somehow, he heard a…thumping noise. Very slowly, his gaze traveled up…to a small, glowing spot on the man's forehead.
"Oh, no."
The final burst that followed took out what remained of the room.
************
A few moments later…
Zero lay where he had fallen, completely unable to move. He felt a strange heaviness, one that seemed to press down on him from all directions. He couldn't even turn his head.
Broken spine, he thought blearily. Must've been debris from the explosion…
So. He was as good as a vegetable now. But it didn't matter. His plan would live or die without him.
But then, he heard the sound of slow, steady footsteps, as people, two of them, by the sound, began to approach. Zero closed his eyes, and waited for the end.
************
Chan and Andro turned, as a massive explosion lit up the sky once more.
Even Ryan was jarred awake by the brightness, bloodshot eyes fixing upon it, even as his hands gripped on even tighter to his stomach wound. It was bleeding much less, which meant that Ryan's extraordinary resilience was finally catching up. Either that, or Ryan was simply running out of blood.
"Wha…" Ryan coughed wetly.
"What was that?"
"Beats me."
Andro watched, face impassive as ever behind his mirrored visor.
"Think Ogion survived?"
"Maybe. Maybe not. That seemed like his last gasp to me."
They stood there for a while, considering the chances.
Then….
"Nah. He's too tough to die that way… Isn't he?"
"We'll worry about it later. Let's move. We need some serious medical attention. Southtown's just over that hill, okay? Maybe there'll be a hospital…Or something…"
As they crested the hill, taking in the nice, fresh air of the afternoon, they saw a sight that crushed all remaining hope to rubble.
Over the hill, illuminated by the hellish red light of fires, Southtown burned.
(Well, this is the second to last chapter already. Did Ogion die in the final blast? What do you think? The chapters that follow will wrap this fanfiction up. Whew. Writing this chapter took quite a lot out of me, but rest assured that I'll finish it. As always, any suggestions are welcome, so please read and…)