Cruel Intentions
By RaVen0us
Part five: Deadly affection
(Note: Previous readers. There are two Thomas's in the story, as you have noticed right now o_o. WHAT? The other Thomas is a bad guy? Yes, just for a change I want him bad. Anyway, Keep up with the phase ^^; it's tedious but it's worth it. No flames, and read the disclaimer-Ravenous)
Credits go to skeyeta-chan for the beta^^V
"/" - means trail of thought.
"---" - means a sub-part of a part.
*****
"I told you I'm good."
No response.
"Oh, well maybe I guess he's really dead then. Isn't he shadow?" Thomas said lazily, and then fishing out a cigarette from his pocket, he lighted it up with the match by the kitchen counter. With a deep inhale, he blew a couple of smoke rings, and brought another stick to Shadow's mouth. The dark organoid sweat dropped.
The dark blonde let out a small laugh, as shadow shook it off. "Oh I forgot, you can't smoke. But I think this place would need it, eh?"
He squat down, bending one knee forward as he stared at Raven's limp body sprawled out on the kitchen floor. His indigo eyes are still staring out in shock, his mouth partially open in a frozen attempt to scream, but the expression is lifeless, for his gray-haired head is stained with a deep crimson that is now creating a small pool on the floor.
"Ah, it's nice meeting you Raven. I see you are me in this world---and you-- " his cold green eyes narrowed into angry slits, his one hand grabbing the lifeless face as he held it up against him. "YOU are my enemy in my world--- so killing you here is just enough satisfaction for me." A sardonic smile crept up the dark blonde's face.
Raven---or Blitz Flyheight, Thomas has always been strangely attracted to him, the gray-haired teen always got the balls every time he charged at him on the battlefield. He always anticipated it every time they met, and after several skirmishes the wanting turned in an almost, insane and unnatural fascination.
He lifted the pale face and thumbed the red mark on Raven's/Blitz's cheek, "You know, you always have been pretty----" And with that, he placed a hungry and mocking kiss on the unmoving mouth. "Too bad---"
He stood up, then taking out the gun from his pocket, he blasted the gas pipes from behind the kitchen stove, causing the flammable fluid to spray every where, he then walked to other rooms, doing the same thing--- hitting or spilling anything that had the reek of kerosene and gas on it. When he was finished, he and the dark organoid walked out of the house and he placidly tossed the cigarette from his mouth to the cabin's entrance.
As soon as the whole place exploded, he was spirited away safely by Shadow into the woods.
Thomas frowned when they inspected the geno breaker hidden within the dried tall trees, to him it was not kept in such good shape---and it didn't have the A.I. console SIMONE in it.
/Oh good,/ he thought, /---of course, he doesn't look SMART enough to think of such a program./
Thomas smiled in secret, remembering the strange events that occurred the past few weeks that got him into this strange world. It had been a dark night and after being badly beaten with SIMONE malfunctioning at Blitz's daring attack, Thomas hid himself and his zoid along the mountain paths, as he tried in vain to remove the portable back up software of SIMONE before the whole system was damaged thanks to the meglomax move that had hit the core of the program. It had started to rain and flashes of lighting in the sky started to scatter every where---and then a different strange light suddenly struck in front of his view. Knowing that it was surely NOT from the sky, he called out for shadow's aid---who clamped him in to safety by the time the blinding light had nearly enveloped him.
When he came into consciousness, Shadow was already releasing him, spotting a place where they could land on. It was strange then, because he noticed the place was covered with snow---
Then he fell down on something hard, smacking a hard surface that he knew could not be the ground. Whatever he had fallen into it moved and with his quick reflexes he jumped down, it was then that he noticed that the zoid he had fallen into was a Di Bison.
It was the same zoid he swore saw Lt. Blitz piloting. /Great, I fell into the lap of the enemy/
"Goodness, are you alright?" That was not Blitz and he was very relieved when he heard a different voice. Out came a lanky and pale figure with deep blonde tresses of hair. He tried to stand up, observing if the solider was from the imperial or republican side. He couldn't tell, he could only make out that his uniform is a dark teal color with some beige---/but, that voice--- it sounded like very much like m---/
He limped closer and noticed that the pilot had a small red mark identical to his under the left eye. He gasped, as the figure reached out a hand to see if he is alright.
The man was a mirror image of himself.
"Oh, my god!" The man cried out in surprise, "Y-you are---"
Reacting on instinct, Thomas punched the other pilot in the guts causing the other person to be instantly rendered unconscious. In a few minutes Shadow landed beside him also reacting in surprise as he turned the figure around from the snowy ground.
"He looks very much like me, Shadow. Isn't it strange?" He murmured, touching the pilot's face. The blonde hair, the red mark and even their build, every thing except the clothes---he looked every inch like him. He wondered if this was a sick joke---or if there is some strange magnetic storm that brought him to an alternate world. It would be the best explanation or theory that he could think of since there was no way TWO people would exactly look the same, unless he had a missing twin brother. BUT he didn't have a missing twin brother, and the only brother he knew, older to him by few years, Karl Lichen---was killed several years ago.
"Those bastards" he recalled, as the painful memory still haunts him, seeing how Karl was caught in a cross fire---right in front of his own very eyes.
"Lt. Thomas Schubaltz! Do you read me?!" A desperate voice crackled from the com link receiver from the Di bison, and he was hesitant to go in and check. That was his name; he is Thomas Schubaltz---
"Lieutenant, answer me! Is everything okay?"
He looked at the unconscious figure lying down the ground, /Is he---?/
"Thomas!" The voice said again, this time it sounded more worried. "---this is your brother talking, dammit! This is Karl! Read me, over!"
He felt a strange rippling sensation shoot up to his spine, /Karl?/ he thought excitedly licking his dry lips after getting over the shock, /Karl is alive!/ It was then he concluded he WAS stuck in another world. The man lying unconscious, was his alternate version of himself---and a lieutenant at that. Hastily, he dragged the other Thomas and quickly exchanged their clothes. Mumbling something about a tight ugly-colored uniform, he rushed into the cock pit. He felt his heart skip a beat when he looked at the com link. The ashen blonde hair and the green wide emerald eyes are just like he last remembered them---it is Karl, there is no mistaking it. He might look like he was in his late 20's now, just as he would have expected his late brother to look like if he was still alive. And he is wearing an imperial officer uniform.
"Returning on duty, sir!" he can't keep the choked tone in his voice, noticing that the image of his brother was very much alive and looking at him with relief and worry. How he wanted to reach out at the impression, stroke his fingers on it and kiss it, cry with it. He has always looked up to his late brother, even after his death---his admiration and longing for him have grown so much that it reached a point of obsession. He had dreamt of how he would look, how his voice will sound---how it would feel to touch him. He smiled in memory when he recalled that in one night he woke up having a raging hard on just dreaming about him.
But now he is alive and he is just what he had always imagined---a regal looking imperial officer. Even when they are young he excelled in everything, so he didn't wonder when he learned that he is the colonel of the imperial fleet as they talked. Karl found it strange that his younger brother suddenly sound interested and eager to talk to him when he had been icily avoiding him for the past few weeks. He even had to chase him with his zoid to catch up to him when suddenly a white light had swallowed the Di Bison into thin air.
"Are you alright? That strange light came out of nowhere---where are you?"
Thomas looked around the other Thomas was still unconscious in the snow, wearing his black assassin garb that he placed on him. Shadow sniffed at the body and then coughed, gasping out a rigid boxed metal material. /Of course, the SIMONE back up portable program. / He brought it with him!
"Lieutenant--no, I mean Thomas! What are your coordinates?"
Thomas glanced down at the Di bison and noticed it was custom-made to suit his liking. /So this "Lieutenant" is just as pretty damn good with technical stuff as I am/ "My coordinates?" he said, and heard a weird beeping sound within the Di Bison that responded to his voice. In less than a moment the coordinates start to map out in front of him.
"Why don't you ask Beek to send the result in that area and we will search for you?"
"Beek?"
"You're A.I. Program?"
"Oh,"
/Nice, he also got his own A.I. console then!/ Giving it a quick run down, he noticed the controls are much more simpler and less complicated than SIMONE. In few minutes, he sent Karl the data,
"I' m afraid there is less we can do, the coordinates seems to be very faulty in that area---can you manage?"
Thomas begin to think, he will finally get the life he wanted---and getting out of the middle of nowhere would be an easy task if he re-booted SIMONE to the Di Bison and fused it with this "beek". But then, the other Thomas would wake up---and the others would soon learn of the exchange.
He had to think of a plan, he had to send him away. Maybe by triggering a device on SIMONE to create an effect to attract another magnetic storm---
"Thomas? Can you manage?"
"Of course I can," he smiled, a smile that Karl hadn't seen for such a long time. "After all, I'm home."
The com link signed off, after wavering on and off-signal for several minutes. It is then Karl noticed something---Thomas usually wears the portable com link on his face, where was it now?
*****
Mean while,
"Hey,"
"Don't you think it's early for an interrogation? Please leave me alone." Thomas muttered, sighing heavily and turning away from the young colonel's direction. His clothing material made a squeaking sound as he tossed about, and he cursed silently. He wondered why his other persona even liked black leather.
"Thomas, I need to talk to you. Who are you---really?"
The blonde sat up, looking at Van in a perplexed manner. Did the young colonel believed all he had said even in spite everyone mistook him for a nut case? "Okay---" he paused, "Why so?"
"Just tell me what you are---who you believed you really are." The brunette replied, crossing his arms towards his chest. He looked at him with full seriousness, "Please."
He took a deep breath, "I am Lieutenant Thomas Schubaltz, I'm an officer of the imperial army and a member of the guardian force."
"Guardian Force?"
"The republic and the empire formed an alliance," he told him, and the next thing he knew, he is explaining everything from where he had came from. That the alliance was formed to ensure peace and security after the war, that his Majesty Rudolf is very much alive. He continued telling that the Van he knew is his lieutenant counterpart in the republican side that he have been teamed up with, and that reign in whole Zi is so far as peaceful and with order, and he continued so forth. After finishing his story, he wondered if at any point did the republican colonel believed in him.
/After all, he asked him first./
"About Blitz, you know what happened to my brother?"
Thomas shuddered, "You became the most bitter of rivals. And he is not called, Blitz---he is known as Raven and he is with the dark organoid shadow. Prozen named him because he can't remember his name when he was found during the Wind Colony attack---âE? he noticed that Van is gazing at him strangely, "W-what?"
"What happened to my father?"
"He died trying to protect him and the colony. That's what I know."
The colonel leaned his back beside the jail cell and sighed heavily, "What a same difference. The situation is very much like when we adopted Blitz. He was found without a name and was traumatized by the lost of his real parents, but he was never adopted by Prozen. The officer with my father narrowly escaped and presented him to my sister. I heard of a young boy being adopted by Prozen---but was definitely not him, it was you."
His green eyes narrowed, and he leaned forward to the bars, dying to know, "How did that happen?"
The colonel shook his head, "Well, they said that at that day, there are two brothers piloting a zoid. The older one, Karl---is preparing for a training program for the qualification exam for young cadets in the military academy, your parents are also following closely behind. You, are riding with him at the rear seat, and both of you have find your way to training by the wind colony. Then there was an attack of the imperial forces to claim a dark organoid near that area, and as they said, you and your brother were caught in the crossfire. He freed you from the rear area, and you made it---he didn't. Your parents didn't make it alive either."
"Then why Prozen?"
The dark onyx gaze turned to him, "Maybe you came across him some how. After all, learning that you are a Schubaltz and the only surviving one, he'd have taken it as an advantage that you're an imperial asset, and to raise you like his own and into a mad military genius---" he paused, "Sorry."
"Why should you be sorry," he said bitterly, "---you know that I AM a mad military genius."
"Don't lie." The colonel said so firmly that it even surprised himself. " You are not that Thomas. You are the Lieutenant Thomas of this guardian force. I believe in you."
He looked at him in full surprise, "Why? How---"
Van fished out the portable link from his pocket, and handed it to him. "This is yours right? I ordered some members of the crew to check the whole geno breaker. You are right, it has no link or whatsoever with it. Even the compiled data on your account 'here', does not say anything about an A.I. program called Beek."
"Because instead, there is a SIMONE."
"Well there is also another good reason," he continued. "Before I talked to you all about this, some of my men saw the wandering dark organoid. They captured it and sent it Lt. Blitz---imagine the surprised look at my brother's face when the organoid attempted to suck him in!"
"Shadow?"
"Well, he is your dark organoid here right?"
"Yeah," he mumbled, /Probably, because I find myself also in a geno breaker/. "But in my world, he was---"
"Raven's." The colonel pointed out, and moved off the wall. "Blitz is really freaked out afterwards, it took him at least several minutes before he can tackle down the organoid. It was the same one that killed his real parents and he thought it was going to kill him this time. He swore it sounded like it was crying when he kicked it in the neck, and it called him by that name---Raven."
"I don't know he can understand organoids."
"He has been hanging around with Zeke for sometime, so maybe he knows how organoids speak." He replied then adding, "Thomas, this is the second time someone called Blitz as Raven. It's much more than a coincidence. Plus, your story seems to justify what happened to him right now. So I believe you are telling the truth."
"So you are going to help me find my way back?" there was hope in his voice, finally a person who believed in him.
"Yes," he answered, "--and we need to find the other 'you' before it's too late."
*****
[Back to the 'other' world]
Thomas scouted the whole area and managed to find the lieutenant clothes that Raven almost ditched, they were thrown off from the impact and he proceeded to change into them. He was tempted to take the geno breaker as well, /Hmm---it is not yet time. I will probably have to leave it there for a while,/ he thought and an objecting metallic grunt came from Shadow. He stroked the organoid's nose. "Of course not you silly, I'm not going to leave you again--- you know I have to do that so I can convince everyone."
Convince everyone that he is the lieutenant that they knew when in fact he was not.
After making the other version of himself 'disappear', he wasted no time installing his A.I. console into the Di Bison and getting rid of beek. His SIMONE is very much capable of anything he need to know, he hacked through the system files of both the imperial forces and the republican army, and downloaded all the information he would need. He learned that the war in Zi is over, he learned about the guardian force where he is one of the allied members. Van Flyheight is a lieutenant and not a colonel in this place, and was alongside with Fiona. He later learned that the blonde zoidian was also 'his' object of affection. He frowned at the thought, /I never liked zoidians, I am sick of having a couple of them in my own world now. / There is also Irvine and Moonbay, the spiky haired rogue to whom he destroyed the command wolf when SIMONE's over ran the system and the transporter girl who had the thick armored gustav. After scanning and looking up some personal information on them he grew even more annoyed in learning he is also their 'friends'.
/I can't even bare the sight of them in my place, and now I have to put up like a sissy hanging around with them and working with them. But I have to- --/
/---my brother is here with them, and I'm not going to lose him again this time./
*****
In a weeks time he became well versed with everyone's position, mannerisms and the goings on with the military in both sides. He prepared his own cover, acting out like what the 'other' Thomas would be like, and that means from time to time he has to be comical. He'd have to act brain dead when Fiona is around, or act jealous and arrogant when Van shows up, or argue endlessly with Irvine. They never seemed to question him, which was good.
"Hey Thomas, what happened to beek?" Irvine once asked, upon noticing that he isn't wearing the portable link to his head.
"Still intact," he replied crossly, not bothering to look up at him as he tinkered with some gadgetry and devices. "Why so?"
Irvine gave him a strange look, "Ermm--No I mean the portable link on your head, it's like seeing you naked without it."
"Because it is so annoying, I had to ditch it."
"You've WHAT?"
He then stood up, and leveled his gaze with Irvine. For the first time, the darker boy noticed that there was something very odd in Thomas' eyes, they seemed to coldly pierce him like shards of ice. Irvine stepped back,
"Oh what do you know? I'm going to upgrade him to something far more superior than what that thick skull of yours could even understand, that's why!"
Irvine gawked at him while he spoke and Thomas didn't care, he was getting tired of pretending. He offered an excuse, "I'm tired and I have to get some rest now. Leave me alone."
"Hmm, I guess you'll be in a better mood if I told you Fiona would drop by and bring us some drinks for us here."
He shook his hand gracelessly and turned back to gather up his work, "Then tell her I'm not thirsty, and I'm going away in a short while to the hangar area."
Irvine jaw dropped, Thomas turning away Fiona? "But it's FIONA! You never missed an opportunity to be alone with Fiona!"
"Well it's about time I give up then, I just realized how pathetic it was to pin away hopeless to a person who does not love me." He replied sardonically, "So would you mind, you're blocking my path."
He didn't bother to wait for the other youth's reply and Thomas' shoulder hit Irvine roughly when he passed to Irvine's left side. "Shit Thomas! What's fucking wrong with you?"
*****
"Call me lieutenant, civilian." He mumbled, and proceeded farther into the hangar and then to his Di Bison. He looked cautiously around before he whispered, "You can come out now, shadow."
Shadow let out a metallic roar and beamed out of the Di Bison and stood beside him, "Have you monitored SIMONE lately?"
Shadow nodded with a low metallic purr, "What---you found Blitz? A version of Blitz in this world?" His green emerald eyes narrowed, disgust and rage fill him once again. Blitz. That lieutenant is a pain in the ass, skilled and unpredictable---fired with the constant passion to be the best his skill is the only one that could rival Flyheight's. Unlike the spiky haired one, Blitz's reason to strive to be the best pilot in Zi is to avenge the sudden untimely death of his real parents. He hates zoids and he always screamed it on the battlefield that---he hates punks who even think they can pilot them.
And he even became more of a pain in the ass when he learned that Thomas owned the dark organoid that killed his loved ones.
Placing himself at the cockpit, Thomas activated SIMONE. "You're a good boy, Shadow---so I wonder who he will be---" he glanced at the result of the data and frowned, seeing the very face of his enemy. /He didn't change at all---except the clothes---/
"SIMONE close into the image." He ordered, and the computer, taking up a (hacked) satellite provided image of the youth resting by the desert cliffs came to view. It was the same gray hair, the pale features and the familiar red mark on the cheek. The only difference was he is wearing a dark and partially armored pilot suit---and he is with a geno breaker.
"Where the fuck did he get one of those!" /There is only one geno-breaker and its mine! /
"SIMONE, focus to the image even closer!"
The person supposedly that is 'Blitz' is roaming around the area by the cliffs, he could see that the gray-haired pilot looks worried, sad and angry at the same time. All the emotions playing on his face, Thomas reached out andstroked the image at his monitor.
/I could now imagine how wonderful Blitz would be with such sweet pain creased on his beautiful face---/
The pilot on the monitor seems to contemplate whether to ride the geno breaker or not, he cried out, "Shadow! Where are you?"
He listened closer to the audio, /Did I hear right---he called my dark organoid--/
"Shadow! Dammit!" the gray haired pilot cried out once again, and a blue haired girl with her blue organoid specula came out of the view.
/What is Reys doing with that punk, I wonder--/
"Enough Raven, it would be useless searching for him now."
"Who asked you?!" he bitterly replied, "I didn't ask you to help me---I can do this on my own!"
/So---Blitz is Raven, eh?---/
The blue haired zoidian muttered something incomprehensible in reply, and left Raven by the cliffs. As Thomas observed the whole incident all over in his monitor, he came in an assumption that this 'Raven' was the alternate version of who he was back in his own world, and vice-versa. Then a clever plan went into his mind.
/Suppose---I capture 'Raven'? /
After all, in this world he is the officer. It would be also a nice pay back---capturing Raven is also like capturing Blitz in his own twisted reason. Since the gray-haired boy is parallel in a way to himself, he could predict his moves and take him down even without using a zoid in the battlefield. He would rely on something far more superior than those punks, AND that is--- HE is smarter than the rest of them. There would be also much rewarding perks afterwards, he will get a rightful recognition for capturing the man that whole Zi wants, and beat Flyheight from it. He will gain more respect than before and earn their trust. He will rise through the ranks--
And eventually, he will also get the acknowledgment he so deserves from his brother, Karl.
Thomas wasted no time tracking enough important information on Raven, that in a matter of few weeks, he came up with a slow and deliberate plot to finally have Raven in his clutches. It will be a dangerous game, and by the time it's over, Raven/Blitz will be sorry that he was born.
"Shadow, suppose you go and pretend to be his lost organoid?"
*****
/Gee, Tommy! You are not pretty shabby yourself!/ an emerald eye peeked out from the mop of ashen blonde hair to glance over the young Thomas,
/Of course, I'm not! I'll be better than you someday!/ he recall saying those words, as he tried piloting his big brother's zoid. Karl was around 14 or so, and he was barely 10 at that time. The whole family is going to watch him practice near the wind colony for a pre-qualification in the military academy.
/How could you be better?/ a teasing warm chuckle came, /When all you do is tinker with those toys of yours?/
/They are not toys! They are my creations!/ he pouted, struggling behind the rear seat. His short sinewy child arms prevents him from reaching towards the pilot seat as Karl snatched the little mechanical device from his place, a cross between a radio, a disc player and a mechanical sharpener.
/Hey, give it back! No fair!/
/Just return the controls to the front seat, and I'll give this thingie whatchamacallit back! Whaddya say?/
/All right! All right! Now gimme!/ he screamed, and moved back the controls to Karl's, and then instantly snatched back his little creation. He became quiet for a while, as Karl proceeds to move his zoid in an accelerating speed. With childish delight, he quickly forgot all about his gadget and peered through the window. He can't imagine that Karl could drive so smoothly and fast.
/Wow, brother! You are REALLY cool!/
/That's just the half of it--- watch this trick, Tommy!/ and with a simple pull in the controls, he sends the zoid leaping high to the air like it was flying. While in mid-air, he fired the ammo in a couple of big boulders along the way, clearing a bigger path for his soft landing. He remembered gawking and then cheering in delight. /That's awesome!!!--- can you do it again? /
/Karl, stop that immediately!/ The com link opened at Karl's screen. It was their mother, sitting by the rear-seat, of their father's saber fang. She was scolding him, /That is not a good move, you are giving your younger brother bad ideas on piloting zoids!/
He rolled his green eyes there goes another sermon. /Geez, mom! It's just a trick!/
/Well that kind of 'trick' is not tolerable once you joined the academy. Your father and I have high hopes for you. Okay?/
Karl sighed, /Okay--/
/Son---/ It was their father's turn to talk now, an imperial army officer. He was hardly ever affectionate and his prime concern was that at least his eldest son, pride and joy Karl, would eventually follow his footsteps someday. /---remember this is the wind colony, a republican area. The tension between two sides are tight, so you should be careful out there./
/Sure thing, dad!---/ the older man frowned, and Karl made a sigh, and then made a salute. /Understood. Colonel, sir!/
And with that, their father signed off.
/Gee, Dad's scary sometimes, ain't he?/ he squeaked, peeping out behind Karl's seat when the conversation is all over. /It's hard to imagine you becoming like dad, Karl. He really wants you to become an officer like he is. /
/Well, I'm not like him./ Karl retorted, and then grinned, looking behind the seat so he can look straight to his brother's small blotchy face. /I'll be BETTER than him./
/You'll not be harsh?/
/Nope/
/You'll not be barking orders all the time?/
/Officers say orders but they don't yell all the time. But I'll try to be a reasonable one./ he said, his words firm and full of promise. /AND, by the time this war is over, I'll be an imperial colonel before I even turn 28! /
But Thomas wasn't listening to him. The younger boy is staring out of the window. /Are you listening to me Tommy?/
He pressed his nose close to the window, his green eyes widening in alarm. /Are those command wolves? What are they doing out there? /
/Yes, they are from the----/ Karl was not able to finish his sentence, without warning, a heavy shell suddenly struck from behind them, shaking them in a sudden impact. Everything was in chaos. The air suddenly turned to pitch black with smoke and the color of reddish flames starting to lift up to the air. Several shells shattered again, and this time, there are more screams and more voices. Karl cursed as his zoid's system froze and it fell on its side upon impact. He heard some crying behind him, and noticed that Thomas was bleeding from the head, and that half-of his body was pinned down by the fallen and broken parts in the cockpit.
Their monitor opened again, /Dad!/
/Karl! Get out of there immediately! You are getting in the cross fire of the imperial army!/
/What are they doing striking offensive at the republican area? / Karl cried, /Is this---/
/It is none of your concern, Karl----just go!/ The screen flicked violently as another shell crashed near them, their father swore mildly, mumbling something about some nutcase attacking a republican area without proper notice. Karl cannot shake off the crying sound coming from behind, Tommy is really caught in a mess and that if another shell exploded, he'll get thrown off from the rear seat. Karl unlatched his seat buckles and turned around, helping his little brother trapped from behind.
/Karl, what are you doing? You have to get out of there!/
/I'm not leaving Thomas behind!/
There came another blast, and the monitor shook violently once again. This time it had shut off for good. /Dad! Mom! Dammit!/
And Thomas was still crying loudly, and another shell exploded above their heads. /Karl! I'm scared!/ he said in between sobs, /We're gonna die!/
/No, you're not!/ He hissed, as he pulled the chunks of debris that have been pinning his younger brother. Ignoring his own gash at his right shoulder, he winced in pain as he pulled Tommy out of the rubble. The explosion caused some after shock, and the roof caved in, Karl then shoved Thomas off near the hole outside the cockpit before it pinned him down. /Go, Tommy! Run now!/
/No! I'm not going to leave! You're stuck---/
/Look, Tommy---you are small enough to get out of here! I trust you. Get some help! /
/No! /
Karl looked despairingly over at his stubborn little brother, despite the concussion at his forehead, the boy still refused to leave. And his stubbornness happens in all the wrong places. /Then do it for me, go have this----/
He grabbed something from his breast pocket it is a small shiny badge from their father that was given to him as something like a family memorabilia. Thomas was always fascinated with it, but they won't let him touch it because he was always too young. Karl threw it into the air and as far as he could and it instantly caught the little boys attention.
Thomas climbed out of the cockpit and out of the zoid and ran after it, catching it with his small hands. In a few minutes, he was thrown by a loud impact of spontaneous explosions. By the time he came to, he stared in horror as what remained of the two zoids---Karl's and his parents, are reduced to nothing but a pile of rubble and burning fire.
It was so much a shock, that everything within him just went blank as he let out a soundless cry.
--- Meanwhile,
/Sir Prozen?/
/Yes?/ The white haired man answered, the current situation in the wind colony cost a few fatalties, some civilians and annoying persistent bunch of republicans. Besides why would he care, when they already find the dark organoid?
/There is a young kid out there riding a zoid---I think we need your help/
/Can't you stop a puny kid? /
/Not really sir---we downed him--but/
The white haired officer was irritated and didn't wait for an answer as he made haste out of his jeep, He saw a small heap of smoke and a group of his soldiers gathering about it in the small area where lay an Iron Kong MK II laying down the center and it looks like it's cockpit was blasted off. Surrounding the zoid are three green horns that are all but working. Giving it a quick run down, he noticed that all the knocked-out cold green horns were strategically hit on a particular weak spot.
/You say a kid did this? /
/Yes sir, and he is still in the cockpit. / the soldier paused, /No one could drive an Iron Kong MK II from the republic not unless---/
/There are some civilians casualties some of them I heard are from the empire. Must have been an angry survivor./ he replied abruptly, Prozen made his way at the small crowd of soldiers who instantly paved their way for him. They all seem to be reluctant to go inside the broken Iron Kong. By the time he pressed towards it, he was quite surprised on what he saw. He expected to see a young teen in it, and he find crumpled by the cockpit is a tiny wisp of a boy with dark blonde messy hair that is barely even 12. He noticed that he has fierce, mad angry green eyes and that blood is trickling in an open head wound. He was clutching a gun on both hands and is aiming frantically to anyone who goes near him.
/This is the boy?/ He nearly laughed, /What are you all afraid at?/ with those words, he quickly grabbed the boy easily in both fists, disarming the gun from his grip. The boy cried and let out a howl, struggling to regain the possession.
Prozen threw him down to the ground so the boy would calm down. /You there,/ He barked, /Do you have a name, little kid?/
That moment the boy became silent, and stared at him---/My---my name? I don't know. /
/I think he is in shock,/ another officer remarked, /poor kid, must have been pa---/ the voice trailed off, and the officer gave a quick run down over the young boy, and then gaped. /Goodness, Prozen! That must be Schubaltz's little boy!/
/Are you sure? Then does that mean the civilian casualties are----damn! Are you even sure about that officer?/
The officer nodded mutely, and pointed out. The kid is holding something closely against his chest and Prozen inspected it a little closer. The boy flinched when he touched it, /No! /
/Where did you get this kid? This is the imperial in----/
/My father!/ he cried, /He gave it to Karl!/
Prozen is sure he heard of the name, Karl is the eldest son who had the making of a promising military officer. He now believed that the Schubaltzes were on of the accidental casualties. If this young one knew that the imperial forces accidentally killed his family, it would ruin his ambition. But then again---he can take advantage of it.
/You killed him! You killed my brother! I hate you!/ The boy cried angrily, charging to the older man, pounding his small fists helplessly to his legs. It was useless, and with one swipe, Prozen knocked him to the ground and sent him crashing down against side of the Iron Kong. The other soldiers and officers froze, not knowing whether to be angry with their superior officer or help the boy.
/Damn it, Prozen! He is just a kid. That is Schubaltz's youngest boy! He is the only one that survived the damn attack!/
/Suppose I adopt him?/
/What?/
/His whole family is dead, and if there is anyone who will be responsible about this matter, it would be me. I think I'll take him in/ and with a hidden malevolent smile, he continued. /Besides, their family has long been intensely royal to the crown for more than 40 years---I'll be more than 'honored' to raise little Thomas here as my son. /
The boy sat up and stared at him widely, /That's right. Your name is Thomas. That's what your father called you. Will you mind if I can call you Tommy? /
He quizzically stared at this strange adult, the name indeed has a familiar ring to it. /Yeah---/
/Well, Tommy---/ Prozen kneeled close to him, so both of their faces are nearly both in level to each other. /Can you tell me how you managed to run the Iron Kong and still freeze all those green horns? /
Thomas spouted words that he thought would sound rather insignificant to the adults, but Prozen and the others listen closely and became impressed. Even the funny-haired female officer behind him looked surprised. Prozen turned to the woman, /You know---with a knowledge like that, we could first teach him how to protect himself---/
*****
Mission accomplished
Thomas trampled off the woods, leaving Raven's geno breaker behind. The zoid is pretty useless without SIMONE in it. He should get back his gear and ride back that Di Bison, and he called shadow to quickly mobilize with it. It's been sometime since he and shadow have been together, the dark organoid pretended to be Raven's but in the end, it only drew the gray- haired mercenary into a trap. He believed it was actually his own Shadow.
And he also foolishly believed that he was a harmless man called Lt. Thomas Schubaltz.
"Well he is damned wrong,"
The place slowly burned down to the ground, billows of smoke tainted the snowy mountain caps and the peaceful serene morning air. The moment the Di Bison appeared few feet away from him and he hastily got into it and opened his com link. It's was time to reap his own reward---
"This is Lt. Thomas Schubaltz, I request for back up. I have captured Raven."
!-continued-!
By RaVen0us
Part five: Deadly affection
(Note: Previous readers. There are two Thomas's in the story, as you have noticed right now o_o. WHAT? The other Thomas is a bad guy? Yes, just for a change I want him bad. Anyway, Keep up with the phase ^^; it's tedious but it's worth it. No flames, and read the disclaimer-Ravenous)
Credits go to skeyeta-chan for the beta^^V
"/" - means trail of thought.
"---" - means a sub-part of a part.
*****
"I told you I'm good."
No response.
"Oh, well maybe I guess he's really dead then. Isn't he shadow?" Thomas said lazily, and then fishing out a cigarette from his pocket, he lighted it up with the match by the kitchen counter. With a deep inhale, he blew a couple of smoke rings, and brought another stick to Shadow's mouth. The dark organoid sweat dropped.
The dark blonde let out a small laugh, as shadow shook it off. "Oh I forgot, you can't smoke. But I think this place would need it, eh?"
He squat down, bending one knee forward as he stared at Raven's limp body sprawled out on the kitchen floor. His indigo eyes are still staring out in shock, his mouth partially open in a frozen attempt to scream, but the expression is lifeless, for his gray-haired head is stained with a deep crimson that is now creating a small pool on the floor.
"Ah, it's nice meeting you Raven. I see you are me in this world---and you-- " his cold green eyes narrowed into angry slits, his one hand grabbing the lifeless face as he held it up against him. "YOU are my enemy in my world--- so killing you here is just enough satisfaction for me." A sardonic smile crept up the dark blonde's face.
Raven---or Blitz Flyheight, Thomas has always been strangely attracted to him, the gray-haired teen always got the balls every time he charged at him on the battlefield. He always anticipated it every time they met, and after several skirmishes the wanting turned in an almost, insane and unnatural fascination.
He lifted the pale face and thumbed the red mark on Raven's/Blitz's cheek, "You know, you always have been pretty----" And with that, he placed a hungry and mocking kiss on the unmoving mouth. "Too bad---"
He stood up, then taking out the gun from his pocket, he blasted the gas pipes from behind the kitchen stove, causing the flammable fluid to spray every where, he then walked to other rooms, doing the same thing--- hitting or spilling anything that had the reek of kerosene and gas on it. When he was finished, he and the dark organoid walked out of the house and he placidly tossed the cigarette from his mouth to the cabin's entrance.
As soon as the whole place exploded, he was spirited away safely by Shadow into the woods.
Thomas frowned when they inspected the geno breaker hidden within the dried tall trees, to him it was not kept in such good shape---and it didn't have the A.I. console SIMONE in it.
/Oh good,/ he thought, /---of course, he doesn't look SMART enough to think of such a program./
Thomas smiled in secret, remembering the strange events that occurred the past few weeks that got him into this strange world. It had been a dark night and after being badly beaten with SIMONE malfunctioning at Blitz's daring attack, Thomas hid himself and his zoid along the mountain paths, as he tried in vain to remove the portable back up software of SIMONE before the whole system was damaged thanks to the meglomax move that had hit the core of the program. It had started to rain and flashes of lighting in the sky started to scatter every where---and then a different strange light suddenly struck in front of his view. Knowing that it was surely NOT from the sky, he called out for shadow's aid---who clamped him in to safety by the time the blinding light had nearly enveloped him.
When he came into consciousness, Shadow was already releasing him, spotting a place where they could land on. It was strange then, because he noticed the place was covered with snow---
Then he fell down on something hard, smacking a hard surface that he knew could not be the ground. Whatever he had fallen into it moved and with his quick reflexes he jumped down, it was then that he noticed that the zoid he had fallen into was a Di Bison.
It was the same zoid he swore saw Lt. Blitz piloting. /Great, I fell into the lap of the enemy/
"Goodness, are you alright?" That was not Blitz and he was very relieved when he heard a different voice. Out came a lanky and pale figure with deep blonde tresses of hair. He tried to stand up, observing if the solider was from the imperial or republican side. He couldn't tell, he could only make out that his uniform is a dark teal color with some beige---/but, that voice--- it sounded like very much like m---/
He limped closer and noticed that the pilot had a small red mark identical to his under the left eye. He gasped, as the figure reached out a hand to see if he is alright.
The man was a mirror image of himself.
"Oh, my god!" The man cried out in surprise, "Y-you are---"
Reacting on instinct, Thomas punched the other pilot in the guts causing the other person to be instantly rendered unconscious. In a few minutes Shadow landed beside him also reacting in surprise as he turned the figure around from the snowy ground.
"He looks very much like me, Shadow. Isn't it strange?" He murmured, touching the pilot's face. The blonde hair, the red mark and even their build, every thing except the clothes---he looked every inch like him. He wondered if this was a sick joke---or if there is some strange magnetic storm that brought him to an alternate world. It would be the best explanation or theory that he could think of since there was no way TWO people would exactly look the same, unless he had a missing twin brother. BUT he didn't have a missing twin brother, and the only brother he knew, older to him by few years, Karl Lichen---was killed several years ago.
"Those bastards" he recalled, as the painful memory still haunts him, seeing how Karl was caught in a cross fire---right in front of his own very eyes.
"Lt. Thomas Schubaltz! Do you read me?!" A desperate voice crackled from the com link receiver from the Di bison, and he was hesitant to go in and check. That was his name; he is Thomas Schubaltz---
"Lieutenant, answer me! Is everything okay?"
He looked at the unconscious figure lying down the ground, /Is he---?/
"Thomas!" The voice said again, this time it sounded more worried. "---this is your brother talking, dammit! This is Karl! Read me, over!"
He felt a strange rippling sensation shoot up to his spine, /Karl?/ he thought excitedly licking his dry lips after getting over the shock, /Karl is alive!/ It was then he concluded he WAS stuck in another world. The man lying unconscious, was his alternate version of himself---and a lieutenant at that. Hastily, he dragged the other Thomas and quickly exchanged their clothes. Mumbling something about a tight ugly-colored uniform, he rushed into the cock pit. He felt his heart skip a beat when he looked at the com link. The ashen blonde hair and the green wide emerald eyes are just like he last remembered them---it is Karl, there is no mistaking it. He might look like he was in his late 20's now, just as he would have expected his late brother to look like if he was still alive. And he is wearing an imperial officer uniform.
"Returning on duty, sir!" he can't keep the choked tone in his voice, noticing that the image of his brother was very much alive and looking at him with relief and worry. How he wanted to reach out at the impression, stroke his fingers on it and kiss it, cry with it. He has always looked up to his late brother, even after his death---his admiration and longing for him have grown so much that it reached a point of obsession. He had dreamt of how he would look, how his voice will sound---how it would feel to touch him. He smiled in memory when he recalled that in one night he woke up having a raging hard on just dreaming about him.
But now he is alive and he is just what he had always imagined---a regal looking imperial officer. Even when they are young he excelled in everything, so he didn't wonder when he learned that he is the colonel of the imperial fleet as they talked. Karl found it strange that his younger brother suddenly sound interested and eager to talk to him when he had been icily avoiding him for the past few weeks. He even had to chase him with his zoid to catch up to him when suddenly a white light had swallowed the Di Bison into thin air.
"Are you alright? That strange light came out of nowhere---where are you?"
Thomas looked around the other Thomas was still unconscious in the snow, wearing his black assassin garb that he placed on him. Shadow sniffed at the body and then coughed, gasping out a rigid boxed metal material. /Of course, the SIMONE back up portable program. / He brought it with him!
"Lieutenant--no, I mean Thomas! What are your coordinates?"
Thomas glanced down at the Di bison and noticed it was custom-made to suit his liking. /So this "Lieutenant" is just as pretty damn good with technical stuff as I am/ "My coordinates?" he said, and heard a weird beeping sound within the Di Bison that responded to his voice. In less than a moment the coordinates start to map out in front of him.
"Why don't you ask Beek to send the result in that area and we will search for you?"
"Beek?"
"You're A.I. Program?"
"Oh,"
/Nice, he also got his own A.I. console then!/ Giving it a quick run down, he noticed the controls are much more simpler and less complicated than SIMONE. In few minutes, he sent Karl the data,
"I' m afraid there is less we can do, the coordinates seems to be very faulty in that area---can you manage?"
Thomas begin to think, he will finally get the life he wanted---and getting out of the middle of nowhere would be an easy task if he re-booted SIMONE to the Di Bison and fused it with this "beek". But then, the other Thomas would wake up---and the others would soon learn of the exchange.
He had to think of a plan, he had to send him away. Maybe by triggering a device on SIMONE to create an effect to attract another magnetic storm---
"Thomas? Can you manage?"
"Of course I can," he smiled, a smile that Karl hadn't seen for such a long time. "After all, I'm home."
The com link signed off, after wavering on and off-signal for several minutes. It is then Karl noticed something---Thomas usually wears the portable com link on his face, where was it now?
*****
Mean while,
"Hey,"
"Don't you think it's early for an interrogation? Please leave me alone." Thomas muttered, sighing heavily and turning away from the young colonel's direction. His clothing material made a squeaking sound as he tossed about, and he cursed silently. He wondered why his other persona even liked black leather.
"Thomas, I need to talk to you. Who are you---really?"
The blonde sat up, looking at Van in a perplexed manner. Did the young colonel believed all he had said even in spite everyone mistook him for a nut case? "Okay---" he paused, "Why so?"
"Just tell me what you are---who you believed you really are." The brunette replied, crossing his arms towards his chest. He looked at him with full seriousness, "Please."
He took a deep breath, "I am Lieutenant Thomas Schubaltz, I'm an officer of the imperial army and a member of the guardian force."
"Guardian Force?"
"The republic and the empire formed an alliance," he told him, and the next thing he knew, he is explaining everything from where he had came from. That the alliance was formed to ensure peace and security after the war, that his Majesty Rudolf is very much alive. He continued telling that the Van he knew is his lieutenant counterpart in the republican side that he have been teamed up with, and that reign in whole Zi is so far as peaceful and with order, and he continued so forth. After finishing his story, he wondered if at any point did the republican colonel believed in him.
/After all, he asked him first./
"About Blitz, you know what happened to my brother?"
Thomas shuddered, "You became the most bitter of rivals. And he is not called, Blitz---he is known as Raven and he is with the dark organoid shadow. Prozen named him because he can't remember his name when he was found during the Wind Colony attack---âE? he noticed that Van is gazing at him strangely, "W-what?"
"What happened to my father?"
"He died trying to protect him and the colony. That's what I know."
The colonel leaned his back beside the jail cell and sighed heavily, "What a same difference. The situation is very much like when we adopted Blitz. He was found without a name and was traumatized by the lost of his real parents, but he was never adopted by Prozen. The officer with my father narrowly escaped and presented him to my sister. I heard of a young boy being adopted by Prozen---but was definitely not him, it was you."
His green eyes narrowed, and he leaned forward to the bars, dying to know, "How did that happen?"
The colonel shook his head, "Well, they said that at that day, there are two brothers piloting a zoid. The older one, Karl---is preparing for a training program for the qualification exam for young cadets in the military academy, your parents are also following closely behind. You, are riding with him at the rear seat, and both of you have find your way to training by the wind colony. Then there was an attack of the imperial forces to claim a dark organoid near that area, and as they said, you and your brother were caught in the crossfire. He freed you from the rear area, and you made it---he didn't. Your parents didn't make it alive either."
"Then why Prozen?"
The dark onyx gaze turned to him, "Maybe you came across him some how. After all, learning that you are a Schubaltz and the only surviving one, he'd have taken it as an advantage that you're an imperial asset, and to raise you like his own and into a mad military genius---" he paused, "Sorry."
"Why should you be sorry," he said bitterly, "---you know that I AM a mad military genius."
"Don't lie." The colonel said so firmly that it even surprised himself. " You are not that Thomas. You are the Lieutenant Thomas of this guardian force. I believe in you."
He looked at him in full surprise, "Why? How---"
Van fished out the portable link from his pocket, and handed it to him. "This is yours right? I ordered some members of the crew to check the whole geno breaker. You are right, it has no link or whatsoever with it. Even the compiled data on your account 'here', does not say anything about an A.I. program called Beek."
"Because instead, there is a SIMONE."
"Well there is also another good reason," he continued. "Before I talked to you all about this, some of my men saw the wandering dark organoid. They captured it and sent it Lt. Blitz---imagine the surprised look at my brother's face when the organoid attempted to suck him in!"
"Shadow?"
"Well, he is your dark organoid here right?"
"Yeah," he mumbled, /Probably, because I find myself also in a geno breaker/. "But in my world, he was---"
"Raven's." The colonel pointed out, and moved off the wall. "Blitz is really freaked out afterwards, it took him at least several minutes before he can tackle down the organoid. It was the same one that killed his real parents and he thought it was going to kill him this time. He swore it sounded like it was crying when he kicked it in the neck, and it called him by that name---Raven."
"I don't know he can understand organoids."
"He has been hanging around with Zeke for sometime, so maybe he knows how organoids speak." He replied then adding, "Thomas, this is the second time someone called Blitz as Raven. It's much more than a coincidence. Plus, your story seems to justify what happened to him right now. So I believe you are telling the truth."
"So you are going to help me find my way back?" there was hope in his voice, finally a person who believed in him.
"Yes," he answered, "--and we need to find the other 'you' before it's too late."
*****
[Back to the 'other' world]
Thomas scouted the whole area and managed to find the lieutenant clothes that Raven almost ditched, they were thrown off from the impact and he proceeded to change into them. He was tempted to take the geno breaker as well, /Hmm---it is not yet time. I will probably have to leave it there for a while,/ he thought and an objecting metallic grunt came from Shadow. He stroked the organoid's nose. "Of course not you silly, I'm not going to leave you again--- you know I have to do that so I can convince everyone."
Convince everyone that he is the lieutenant that they knew when in fact he was not.
After making the other version of himself 'disappear', he wasted no time installing his A.I. console into the Di Bison and getting rid of beek. His SIMONE is very much capable of anything he need to know, he hacked through the system files of both the imperial forces and the republican army, and downloaded all the information he would need. He learned that the war in Zi is over, he learned about the guardian force where he is one of the allied members. Van Flyheight is a lieutenant and not a colonel in this place, and was alongside with Fiona. He later learned that the blonde zoidian was also 'his' object of affection. He frowned at the thought, /I never liked zoidians, I am sick of having a couple of them in my own world now. / There is also Irvine and Moonbay, the spiky haired rogue to whom he destroyed the command wolf when SIMONE's over ran the system and the transporter girl who had the thick armored gustav. After scanning and looking up some personal information on them he grew even more annoyed in learning he is also their 'friends'.
/I can't even bare the sight of them in my place, and now I have to put up like a sissy hanging around with them and working with them. But I have to- --/
/---my brother is here with them, and I'm not going to lose him again this time./
*****
In a weeks time he became well versed with everyone's position, mannerisms and the goings on with the military in both sides. He prepared his own cover, acting out like what the 'other' Thomas would be like, and that means from time to time he has to be comical. He'd have to act brain dead when Fiona is around, or act jealous and arrogant when Van shows up, or argue endlessly with Irvine. They never seemed to question him, which was good.
"Hey Thomas, what happened to beek?" Irvine once asked, upon noticing that he isn't wearing the portable link to his head.
"Still intact," he replied crossly, not bothering to look up at him as he tinkered with some gadgetry and devices. "Why so?"
Irvine gave him a strange look, "Ermm--No I mean the portable link on your head, it's like seeing you naked without it."
"Because it is so annoying, I had to ditch it."
"You've WHAT?"
He then stood up, and leveled his gaze with Irvine. For the first time, the darker boy noticed that there was something very odd in Thomas' eyes, they seemed to coldly pierce him like shards of ice. Irvine stepped back,
"Oh what do you know? I'm going to upgrade him to something far more superior than what that thick skull of yours could even understand, that's why!"
Irvine gawked at him while he spoke and Thomas didn't care, he was getting tired of pretending. He offered an excuse, "I'm tired and I have to get some rest now. Leave me alone."
"Hmm, I guess you'll be in a better mood if I told you Fiona would drop by and bring us some drinks for us here."
He shook his hand gracelessly and turned back to gather up his work, "Then tell her I'm not thirsty, and I'm going away in a short while to the hangar area."
Irvine jaw dropped, Thomas turning away Fiona? "But it's FIONA! You never missed an opportunity to be alone with Fiona!"
"Well it's about time I give up then, I just realized how pathetic it was to pin away hopeless to a person who does not love me." He replied sardonically, "So would you mind, you're blocking my path."
He didn't bother to wait for the other youth's reply and Thomas' shoulder hit Irvine roughly when he passed to Irvine's left side. "Shit Thomas! What's fucking wrong with you?"
*****
"Call me lieutenant, civilian." He mumbled, and proceeded farther into the hangar and then to his Di Bison. He looked cautiously around before he whispered, "You can come out now, shadow."
Shadow let out a metallic roar and beamed out of the Di Bison and stood beside him, "Have you monitored SIMONE lately?"
Shadow nodded with a low metallic purr, "What---you found Blitz? A version of Blitz in this world?" His green emerald eyes narrowed, disgust and rage fill him once again. Blitz. That lieutenant is a pain in the ass, skilled and unpredictable---fired with the constant passion to be the best his skill is the only one that could rival Flyheight's. Unlike the spiky haired one, Blitz's reason to strive to be the best pilot in Zi is to avenge the sudden untimely death of his real parents. He hates zoids and he always screamed it on the battlefield that---he hates punks who even think they can pilot them.
And he even became more of a pain in the ass when he learned that Thomas owned the dark organoid that killed his loved ones.
Placing himself at the cockpit, Thomas activated SIMONE. "You're a good boy, Shadow---so I wonder who he will be---" he glanced at the result of the data and frowned, seeing the very face of his enemy. /He didn't change at all---except the clothes---/
"SIMONE close into the image." He ordered, and the computer, taking up a (hacked) satellite provided image of the youth resting by the desert cliffs came to view. It was the same gray hair, the pale features and the familiar red mark on the cheek. The only difference was he is wearing a dark and partially armored pilot suit---and he is with a geno breaker.
"Where the fuck did he get one of those!" /There is only one geno-breaker and its mine! /
"SIMONE, focus to the image even closer!"
The person supposedly that is 'Blitz' is roaming around the area by the cliffs, he could see that the gray-haired pilot looks worried, sad and angry at the same time. All the emotions playing on his face, Thomas reached out andstroked the image at his monitor.
/I could now imagine how wonderful Blitz would be with such sweet pain creased on his beautiful face---/
The pilot on the monitor seems to contemplate whether to ride the geno breaker or not, he cried out, "Shadow! Where are you?"
He listened closer to the audio, /Did I hear right---he called my dark organoid--/
"Shadow! Dammit!" the gray haired pilot cried out once again, and a blue haired girl with her blue organoid specula came out of the view.
/What is Reys doing with that punk, I wonder--/
"Enough Raven, it would be useless searching for him now."
"Who asked you?!" he bitterly replied, "I didn't ask you to help me---I can do this on my own!"
/So---Blitz is Raven, eh?---/
The blue haired zoidian muttered something incomprehensible in reply, and left Raven by the cliffs. As Thomas observed the whole incident all over in his monitor, he came in an assumption that this 'Raven' was the alternate version of who he was back in his own world, and vice-versa. Then a clever plan went into his mind.
/Suppose---I capture 'Raven'? /
After all, in this world he is the officer. It would be also a nice pay back---capturing Raven is also like capturing Blitz in his own twisted reason. Since the gray-haired boy is parallel in a way to himself, he could predict his moves and take him down even without using a zoid in the battlefield. He would rely on something far more superior than those punks, AND that is--- HE is smarter than the rest of them. There would be also much rewarding perks afterwards, he will get a rightful recognition for capturing the man that whole Zi wants, and beat Flyheight from it. He will gain more respect than before and earn their trust. He will rise through the ranks--
And eventually, he will also get the acknowledgment he so deserves from his brother, Karl.
Thomas wasted no time tracking enough important information on Raven, that in a matter of few weeks, he came up with a slow and deliberate plot to finally have Raven in his clutches. It will be a dangerous game, and by the time it's over, Raven/Blitz will be sorry that he was born.
"Shadow, suppose you go and pretend to be his lost organoid?"
*****
/Gee, Tommy! You are not pretty shabby yourself!/ an emerald eye peeked out from the mop of ashen blonde hair to glance over the young Thomas,
/Of course, I'm not! I'll be better than you someday!/ he recall saying those words, as he tried piloting his big brother's zoid. Karl was around 14 or so, and he was barely 10 at that time. The whole family is going to watch him practice near the wind colony for a pre-qualification in the military academy.
/How could you be better?/ a teasing warm chuckle came, /When all you do is tinker with those toys of yours?/
/They are not toys! They are my creations!/ he pouted, struggling behind the rear seat. His short sinewy child arms prevents him from reaching towards the pilot seat as Karl snatched the little mechanical device from his place, a cross between a radio, a disc player and a mechanical sharpener.
/Hey, give it back! No fair!/
/Just return the controls to the front seat, and I'll give this thingie whatchamacallit back! Whaddya say?/
/All right! All right! Now gimme!/ he screamed, and moved back the controls to Karl's, and then instantly snatched back his little creation. He became quiet for a while, as Karl proceeds to move his zoid in an accelerating speed. With childish delight, he quickly forgot all about his gadget and peered through the window. He can't imagine that Karl could drive so smoothly and fast.
/Wow, brother! You are REALLY cool!/
/That's just the half of it--- watch this trick, Tommy!/ and with a simple pull in the controls, he sends the zoid leaping high to the air like it was flying. While in mid-air, he fired the ammo in a couple of big boulders along the way, clearing a bigger path for his soft landing. He remembered gawking and then cheering in delight. /That's awesome!!!--- can you do it again? /
/Karl, stop that immediately!/ The com link opened at Karl's screen. It was their mother, sitting by the rear-seat, of their father's saber fang. She was scolding him, /That is not a good move, you are giving your younger brother bad ideas on piloting zoids!/
He rolled his green eyes there goes another sermon. /Geez, mom! It's just a trick!/
/Well that kind of 'trick' is not tolerable once you joined the academy. Your father and I have high hopes for you. Okay?/
Karl sighed, /Okay--/
/Son---/ It was their father's turn to talk now, an imperial army officer. He was hardly ever affectionate and his prime concern was that at least his eldest son, pride and joy Karl, would eventually follow his footsteps someday. /---remember this is the wind colony, a republican area. The tension between two sides are tight, so you should be careful out there./
/Sure thing, dad!---/ the older man frowned, and Karl made a sigh, and then made a salute. /Understood. Colonel, sir!/
And with that, their father signed off.
/Gee, Dad's scary sometimes, ain't he?/ he squeaked, peeping out behind Karl's seat when the conversation is all over. /It's hard to imagine you becoming like dad, Karl. He really wants you to become an officer like he is. /
/Well, I'm not like him./ Karl retorted, and then grinned, looking behind the seat so he can look straight to his brother's small blotchy face. /I'll be BETTER than him./
/You'll not be harsh?/
/Nope/
/You'll not be barking orders all the time?/
/Officers say orders but they don't yell all the time. But I'll try to be a reasonable one./ he said, his words firm and full of promise. /AND, by the time this war is over, I'll be an imperial colonel before I even turn 28! /
But Thomas wasn't listening to him. The younger boy is staring out of the window. /Are you listening to me Tommy?/
He pressed his nose close to the window, his green eyes widening in alarm. /Are those command wolves? What are they doing out there? /
/Yes, they are from the----/ Karl was not able to finish his sentence, without warning, a heavy shell suddenly struck from behind them, shaking them in a sudden impact. Everything was in chaos. The air suddenly turned to pitch black with smoke and the color of reddish flames starting to lift up to the air. Several shells shattered again, and this time, there are more screams and more voices. Karl cursed as his zoid's system froze and it fell on its side upon impact. He heard some crying behind him, and noticed that Thomas was bleeding from the head, and that half-of his body was pinned down by the fallen and broken parts in the cockpit.
Their monitor opened again, /Dad!/
/Karl! Get out of there immediately! You are getting in the cross fire of the imperial army!/
/What are they doing striking offensive at the republican area? / Karl cried, /Is this---/
/It is none of your concern, Karl----just go!/ The screen flicked violently as another shell crashed near them, their father swore mildly, mumbling something about some nutcase attacking a republican area without proper notice. Karl cannot shake off the crying sound coming from behind, Tommy is really caught in a mess and that if another shell exploded, he'll get thrown off from the rear seat. Karl unlatched his seat buckles and turned around, helping his little brother trapped from behind.
/Karl, what are you doing? You have to get out of there!/
/I'm not leaving Thomas behind!/
There came another blast, and the monitor shook violently once again. This time it had shut off for good. /Dad! Mom! Dammit!/
And Thomas was still crying loudly, and another shell exploded above their heads. /Karl! I'm scared!/ he said in between sobs, /We're gonna die!/
/No, you're not!/ He hissed, as he pulled the chunks of debris that have been pinning his younger brother. Ignoring his own gash at his right shoulder, he winced in pain as he pulled Tommy out of the rubble. The explosion caused some after shock, and the roof caved in, Karl then shoved Thomas off near the hole outside the cockpit before it pinned him down. /Go, Tommy! Run now!/
/No! I'm not going to leave! You're stuck---/
/Look, Tommy---you are small enough to get out of here! I trust you. Get some help! /
/No! /
Karl looked despairingly over at his stubborn little brother, despite the concussion at his forehead, the boy still refused to leave. And his stubbornness happens in all the wrong places. /Then do it for me, go have this----/
He grabbed something from his breast pocket it is a small shiny badge from their father that was given to him as something like a family memorabilia. Thomas was always fascinated with it, but they won't let him touch it because he was always too young. Karl threw it into the air and as far as he could and it instantly caught the little boys attention.
Thomas climbed out of the cockpit and out of the zoid and ran after it, catching it with his small hands. In a few minutes, he was thrown by a loud impact of spontaneous explosions. By the time he came to, he stared in horror as what remained of the two zoids---Karl's and his parents, are reduced to nothing but a pile of rubble and burning fire.
It was so much a shock, that everything within him just went blank as he let out a soundless cry.
--- Meanwhile,
/Sir Prozen?/
/Yes?/ The white haired man answered, the current situation in the wind colony cost a few fatalties, some civilians and annoying persistent bunch of republicans. Besides why would he care, when they already find the dark organoid?
/There is a young kid out there riding a zoid---I think we need your help/
/Can't you stop a puny kid? /
/Not really sir---we downed him--but/
The white haired officer was irritated and didn't wait for an answer as he made haste out of his jeep, He saw a small heap of smoke and a group of his soldiers gathering about it in the small area where lay an Iron Kong MK II laying down the center and it looks like it's cockpit was blasted off. Surrounding the zoid are three green horns that are all but working. Giving it a quick run down, he noticed that all the knocked-out cold green horns were strategically hit on a particular weak spot.
/You say a kid did this? /
/Yes sir, and he is still in the cockpit. / the soldier paused, /No one could drive an Iron Kong MK II from the republic not unless---/
/There are some civilians casualties some of them I heard are from the empire. Must have been an angry survivor./ he replied abruptly, Prozen made his way at the small crowd of soldiers who instantly paved their way for him. They all seem to be reluctant to go inside the broken Iron Kong. By the time he pressed towards it, he was quite surprised on what he saw. He expected to see a young teen in it, and he find crumpled by the cockpit is a tiny wisp of a boy with dark blonde messy hair that is barely even 12. He noticed that he has fierce, mad angry green eyes and that blood is trickling in an open head wound. He was clutching a gun on both hands and is aiming frantically to anyone who goes near him.
/This is the boy?/ He nearly laughed, /What are you all afraid at?/ with those words, he quickly grabbed the boy easily in both fists, disarming the gun from his grip. The boy cried and let out a howl, struggling to regain the possession.
Prozen threw him down to the ground so the boy would calm down. /You there,/ He barked, /Do you have a name, little kid?/
That moment the boy became silent, and stared at him---/My---my name? I don't know. /
/I think he is in shock,/ another officer remarked, /poor kid, must have been pa---/ the voice trailed off, and the officer gave a quick run down over the young boy, and then gaped. /Goodness, Prozen! That must be Schubaltz's little boy!/
/Are you sure? Then does that mean the civilian casualties are----damn! Are you even sure about that officer?/
The officer nodded mutely, and pointed out. The kid is holding something closely against his chest and Prozen inspected it a little closer. The boy flinched when he touched it, /No! /
/Where did you get this kid? This is the imperial in----/
/My father!/ he cried, /He gave it to Karl!/
Prozen is sure he heard of the name, Karl is the eldest son who had the making of a promising military officer. He now believed that the Schubaltzes were on of the accidental casualties. If this young one knew that the imperial forces accidentally killed his family, it would ruin his ambition. But then again---he can take advantage of it.
/You killed him! You killed my brother! I hate you!/ The boy cried angrily, charging to the older man, pounding his small fists helplessly to his legs. It was useless, and with one swipe, Prozen knocked him to the ground and sent him crashing down against side of the Iron Kong. The other soldiers and officers froze, not knowing whether to be angry with their superior officer or help the boy.
/Damn it, Prozen! He is just a kid. That is Schubaltz's youngest boy! He is the only one that survived the damn attack!/
/Suppose I adopt him?/
/What?/
/His whole family is dead, and if there is anyone who will be responsible about this matter, it would be me. I think I'll take him in/ and with a hidden malevolent smile, he continued. /Besides, their family has long been intensely royal to the crown for more than 40 years---I'll be more than 'honored' to raise little Thomas here as my son. /
The boy sat up and stared at him widely, /That's right. Your name is Thomas. That's what your father called you. Will you mind if I can call you Tommy? /
He quizzically stared at this strange adult, the name indeed has a familiar ring to it. /Yeah---/
/Well, Tommy---/ Prozen kneeled close to him, so both of their faces are nearly both in level to each other. /Can you tell me how you managed to run the Iron Kong and still freeze all those green horns? /
Thomas spouted words that he thought would sound rather insignificant to the adults, but Prozen and the others listen closely and became impressed. Even the funny-haired female officer behind him looked surprised. Prozen turned to the woman, /You know---with a knowledge like that, we could first teach him how to protect himself---/
*****
Mission accomplished
Thomas trampled off the woods, leaving Raven's geno breaker behind. The zoid is pretty useless without SIMONE in it. He should get back his gear and ride back that Di Bison, and he called shadow to quickly mobilize with it. It's been sometime since he and shadow have been together, the dark organoid pretended to be Raven's but in the end, it only drew the gray- haired mercenary into a trap. He believed it was actually his own Shadow.
And he also foolishly believed that he was a harmless man called Lt. Thomas Schubaltz.
"Well he is damned wrong,"
The place slowly burned down to the ground, billows of smoke tainted the snowy mountain caps and the peaceful serene morning air. The moment the Di Bison appeared few feet away from him and he hastily got into it and opened his com link. It's was time to reap his own reward---
"This is Lt. Thomas Schubaltz, I request for back up. I have captured Raven."
!-continued-!