Prrt! (That was a purr of delight) There is a hint of a famous coupling here, but you may not like the outcome. And you know what? I don't care! *dances* I also have no idea what the base of the Guardian Force is called, so I'm going to make it up. *deep breath*So, it's the day after… here we goooooo…
Chapter 16: 'Allo, did you miss me?
Irvine was disturbed.
It was hard to upset a pilot like him. Obsessed with money, yeah, a lot of guys were like that in the mercenary business, but something was going on that he couldn't handle. It was a number of different things all rolled up into a ball – Prozen being found alive, that weird Rhyss taking off in a stolen CommandWolf to come back whining like a child, and the fact Thomas…Thomas idiot that he was…had crossed over to the proverbial dark side and had abducted the president's mother! And then…the house…four very dead bodies…and completely devoid of anyone else…
Hermann was having kittens.
This only happened in the big budget flicks, or a really, really bad fanfic written by a lusty 12 year old with a Mary Sue that would, of course, be in love with the lead character who would love him/her back. Of course, no one new had turned up, so he suspected things were safe.
But there was also the suspicion of something else. He didn't like these new friends of Hermann…in fact; a lot of them were now appearing. The Red Sun, some sort of elite fighting squad…they didn't skulk around the base, Hermann was keeping them close as negotiations between the Empire and the Republic broke down. And…that feeling…
Rhyss had been speaking with them, telling them about how Prozen had disappeared…
He's a dangerous man…
Irvine swayed and clutched the side of his Zoid, trying to regain his mental footing.
No.
Yes!
No.
Yes, Prozen was dangerous, but he played by a set of rules. He was open about what he wanted with his prey. The grapevine was silent; he had made no demands, in fact, if anything, people had been saying he was sick. But then, if you were melded with a Zoid core, wouldn't you be sick too? There had to be some side effects. Had to be.
And still, that thought rattled around in his head. He could hear Van down the other side of the hanger talking to the new recruits about it all and emphasising on how evil the minister was.
Yeah, he was evil, but look who he was working with. If I were in the same position, I would have grabbed power for myself too. He wondered what it had felt like to watch your country's future being slowly piddled down the drain as the bureaucrats argued around you, knowing you could do it better.
He'd never told Van and the others about that little thought. It sort of made sense to him. He didn't like Prozen, hell no, but he had the right idea.
It was a well documented fact that a shake up of powers in a government was sometimes good for things. Fresh blood and stuff. As far as Irvine could see, it wasn't Rudolph making the decisions, it was his minders…
Life sucked.
"Hey Irvine!"
Oh, that nasal drone, that tone of voice. He scowled and turned around to see Moonbay grinning at him like a Cheshire cat.
"What's up, Moonbay?"
"I don't know. Van sure looks happy, doesn't he?"
"He'd probably have a great career in politics if he tried. Are the Guardians being permitted out yet, or have the Red Sun taken our jobs? I meant their jobs…Shit."
"Ooh, so Irvine wants to be a member of the Guardian Force, does he?" Came the mocking reply.
"No."
"You can't fool me, Irvine. You like that glory."
"Go away, Moonbay."
"No." She pouted. "I actually came over to talk to you. About…things."
"Things?" Little alarm bells went off in his head.
He knew how Moonbay felt about him. It was hard not to pick up all the hints she'd been throwing at him over these last few weeks of things, from the last battle to now. He remembered Mammy telling him that there came a time in every woman's life when she wants to settle down and pop out little babies - The whole thought left him very cold. Him? Being a father? No way in hell. He knew he was hot, hell, even sexy, but damn it…Moonbay wasn't what he was looking for. He liked being friends with her, she was great to laugh with and play jokes on Van, but…she annoyed him. Something about her grated across his nerves if they were together for a long time, and it wasn't just her singing.
He didn't want to break her heart, but he wasn't that much of a loser to ruin his own life either.
"Can it wait?" He asked. "I have stuff to do."
"I'll help you."
No, no, don't use the look, don't use the…shit…
"I…I have to work on my Saix."
"I'll help you!"
"No!"
"Are you avoiding me?"
"Moonbay!" He threw his hands up in the air. "I need some space. Everyone's been following me around, especially that Rhyss woman."
"Oh she has, has she?"
Ooh, angry Moonbay. Jealous Moonbay.
Not a good thing.
"She keeps asking me what I think is going on, and then I get headaches and stuff. I don't like it, and neither does she, I think I need some time off."
"Maybe you're sick?"
"No, I doubt that." He met her gaze and sighed, deciding to try a different track. "Have you noticed that Fiona's been acting a little strange?"
"Irvine, this is Fiona we're talking about. An ancient Zoidian."
"Yeah, you have a point." But it still didn't explain how she sometimes looked at him. It was a look he'd seen when he was just starting out, and he'd only just mastered his CommandWolf. There was a guy who thought he was the best at everything, and once, Irvine had crossed him…that look…it said you are nothing. I don't care about you at all. A variant of the look had been bestowed upon him by Hiltz, but at least the guy aimed at you. No…something about Fiona, since that final battle made his skin crawl.
"Moonbay? Irvine?" He jumped, turned around, and met with the red-eyed and vacant look of the resident pot-head. Okay, so Fiona wasn't into smoking cones, she had the look of one. That slight smile…
"Hi Fiona." Moonbay gave her a grin. "Van sure is working out those kids, huh?"
"I think he'll need to, if Prozen is back. Why can't he just go away?"
"I think everyone's wondering that, Fiona." Irvine muttered. "Look, ladies, I'm going to go and see if I can break into Thomas' shed again and see if he has any components I could…uh…borrow. I'll see you later, okay?"
"Yeah, sure…" He heard Moonbay dismiss him, and he certainly didn't miss the last remark about him being an arsehole. Irvine had remarkably good hearing.
He could feel Fiona's gaze burn into his back and fought the urge to run until he left the hanger floor and into the corridors of the Dynoc Base. Then he began to run. He continued to run until he was outside on the perimeter of the base, lightly guarded with so many inside. So far all was quiet.
Almost quiet.
There was a jeep parked close to his final destination, and more interesting was that the door to the Thomas' shed was wide open. As he watched, something flew out and hit the ground – it looked like a mess of cables. Irvine drew his gun and padded closer, skin crawling…
Then something hit him and he was on the ground, a heavy weight across his chest, pinning him to the sand. His gun landed at the sandalled feet of…
"Irvine Sisco, I presume?" Asked the cultured tones of the man of the hour.
Irvine stared as Prozen crouched and poked at the gun with a fragile finger. The man looked…transparent…and had the sensation of tiredness all around him, weakness.
"Uh…"
"Gunther, dear, if you could just take that gun away and out of Master Sisco's reach, I think we'd all feel safer…" That voice was familiar…
Prozen nodded, lifted it up, and Irvine tensed. He's going to shoot me…isn't he?
"The man's name was Randal Smiley, but you knew him as Derringer. He had hurt your pride, and you felt that the only way to get him back was to hurt his Zoid…it was a Stealth Viper…given to him by his father before he died…and something went wrong…he shot you…you shot him…But while you came out with a scar on your side, he died from the blood loss. You are a very lucky man."
"What the hell?"
Prozen stared at the gun in his hands, swaying slightly. "Your weapon told me. I'm afraid I've always been able to do that. I had drugs to suppress it. Was what I said true?"
"…Uh…yeah…"
"Oh dear. I was hoping I was making it up." Prozen stood up, unsteadily, and trotted to the car and dropped the gun onto the back seat. "Mrs Camford, can I sleep soon? I can't handle seeing imprints like this. It hurts too much."
"Of course you can dear. You'll be all right."
"Mrs Camford, as in president Camford?!"
"Ex-president, Master Sisco. I'm going to get off you and you will be a nice man and be very quiet so we can go inside and talk about things." The weight gently lifted from his torso and he stood up, dusting off his pants. "…This is…"
"Come inside before anyone sees us." She took his hand and lightly pulled him into the coolness of the building, where, as his eyes adjusted, he could see Karl…Karl Shubaltz, the calm and sophisticated bastard with a bloody IronKong, glaring in Prozen's direction.
"I thought you promised not to leave my side, Gunther."
"Mrs Camford required my help." The minister replied and peered at him blearily. "Why are we here? I want to sleep, Karl. I need to sleep. I'm so tired…"
"I know, just wait a while longer, okay?"
Irvine watched, amazed, as Karl reached out and stroked Prozen's hair. The minister purred in response and moved to his side, submissive.
"What do we do with the mercenary, children?" Asked Evelyn, giving Irvine a long hard look. There was a clank behind him as the door was closed, and a pair of bright green optical sensors seemed to see right through him. Ambient made a sighing sound and sat back on his haunches, as Irvine trembled and slid to his knees, trying not to wet himself.
"We tell him he's in deep shit." Karl replied. "Because something is digging into the base. Gunther?" A light shake. "Is Irvine infected?"
A sleepy hand touched Irvine's forehead, and Prozen looked into his eyes. "…No. He's not infected. But the taint of Rhyss is everywhere. Have you been suffering from migraines all of a sudden?"
Deciding not to waste time, Irvine nodded. "Yeah?"
"You have a very strong mind that is set in it's ways. Rhyss was using a form of mind control that is born in every individual who accepts the Kaiser into them. A mental subliminal suggestion, a string of words, sinking deep into your mind without you knowing. Let me guess…I am dangerous, and must be destroyed at all costs?"
"How'd you know that?"
"The words are branded on your forebrain." Came the simple reply, coupled with a yawn. "But you are a stubborn person. I think we can trust him. He reeks of suspicion and fear…someone like that will be picked up and killed by the Reapers."
Evelyn sighed. "We can't have that. They have enough innocent blood on their hands. Okay Irvine, you are going to sit down and be very quiet, listen to what we have to say, and then make your own judgment. Should you decide to follow us, but with the knowledge that you're going to betray us for the money, Gunther here will know, and probably short-circuit you. He's already done it to two men who tried to catch us at the motel. It wasn't pretty, but it proves you shouldn't try and wake him up without just cause. Will you listen?"
"Okay, guess I don't have a choice. Is it okay if I ask why are you here?"
Karl grinned. "Last place anybody will look. You're going to be a good boy and be quiet about all of this, because last night my brother and Raven were almost killed by a group of men using the latest in military hardware. They didn't get too far, seeing as we had a friend in a high place who took care of most of it."
Irvine's lilac eyes widened. "That attack…!"
"You heard about it?" Evelyn asked, sharply.
He felt Ambient at his back, laying his talons on his shoulders and growling softly. "Yeah…everyone's saying it was him."
"Gunther was asleep. He's been sleeping since five in the afternoon yesterday after fixing Raven up to the best of his abilities and woke me up at five this morning. Do not ask." Karl gave Prozen another…affectionate…glance. "We stayed in a motel that night. The house…well, the kitchen anyway, was totalled."
"Then what about Raven? And Thomas?" Irvine asked.
"Still at the motel." Karl patted his shoulder. "You're a good man, Irvine. I know you are. Are the Red Sun here?"
"A couple of officers…why?"
"They're not human. They're ancient Zoidians, who have been asleep for many, many years. And do you know why? Because they want to keep Zi for themselves. The Zoidians were not as beautiful and as amazing as we all thought they were…"
"Well, Hiltz was proof of that." Ooh, wrong thing to say. Prozen hissed quietly, his eyes narrowing, and Irvine felt a sharp pain register in both his back and his shoulders – Ambient's talons dug deeply into his skin. "I, uh…shit!"
"They are Reapers. Killers." Prozen's voice was different, low, soft, dangerous. "They slept because I evaded them as a child. People…were kind enough…to take pity on the pilot of the DeathSaurer, and hide him away. Then, many years later, I awoke to a world that was vastly different from the world I had once known. Do you know why the desert seems to expand? The Zoidians sucked all life out of Zi. Out of my people. The Red Sun came and burned innocents to the ground, and took lives to create their machines of war." His eyes seemed to glow in the darkness of the shed; he seemed to wrap the shadows around himself. "The Reapers slept, and now they are awake again, and slowly spreading themselves and their poison into the minds of man. Feel lucky you escaped because of your arrogance."
"Yeah? Yeah? Then why the hell didn't you say this when you were in power you idiot!?"
"Because, moron, I have been drugged since I was ten years old! Everything I can do now was suppressed by paranoid and frightened humans!"
"Aww, don't tell me, you're a Zoidian too?"
"No! I am Rare Hertz! I will not stand for this! I'm tired, I'm weak and I'm hungry! I've been pushed around for a very long time and I need to rest. Stop being a pain in the arse, Irvine. I don't need this."
"Yeah, well neither do I." Irvine looked away; still surprised at the outburst he'd received. It didn't seem true, but at the same time, there was something vastly different about the minister. He always seemed to stand out from the surroundings, and now, he could see it up close, it was quite astounding. The hairs on the back of his neck were stiff, not through fear, but through the pent up energy in the air. As Prozen moved back to Karl's side to nuzzle into his arms, he felt the energy dissipate.
Wow, piss him off and the lights flicker. That's some party trick.
"So you two think that his story is true?"
Karl and Evelyn exchanged glances.
"…Oh dear…"
"I hoped it wouldn't come to this…"
Prozen extended a hand and the light bulb above Irvine began to glow brightly. "Rare Hertz were the proverbial life force of Zi. They gave their energy freely, powered ZoidEVE…and therefore, Zoids. They were greatly desired because of their innate ability to channel and produce free and seemingly endless energy. If all the Hertz should die, so too would EVE. The Zoidians longed for EVE, so they stole her from her guardians. Our war was terrible, so many died, and finally we had the upper hand, when the DeathSaurer was born…and I…was it's pilot. My father, and the willing sacrifice of my family's lives created her. The Zoidians caught me, tortured me for years, until at last my Zoid freed me and I took as many lives as they had taken from us. But I was not strong enough. The Zoidians…had done something to me. I almost died…but some of our forces managed to rescue me in time to put me to sleep. Just as Fiona slept. When I awoke, I seemed okay…until the humans dampened my mind, and made me one of them. The Dark Kaiser…the program of destruction of all life except Zoidians was started once more, only…instead of inside their Reapers, their police force…it was inside me."
"The DeathSaurer…you found it because it was yours…?"
"Yes. Just as all those ruins attracted me through the suppressed memories of the past. But it is also in another. Alisi Lynette. I was the prototype." Prozen winced. "If I die, ZoidEVE dies with me. But if the Dark Kaiser is re-created…and…perfected…then there will be no need for me anymore…but…"
"But?"
Those crimson eyes closed for a minute. "Nothing."
He's lying.
"Absolute truth minister, or I squeal."
"I don't know yet…something to do with making Zoids. Ambient sealed my memories from Dark Kaiser, and when I resurrected him, he returned them to me and now remains as my guardian."
"Yeah, I was wondering how he was alive again." Irvine looked up at the organoid above him. "So you three are hiding out here?"
"Yes."
"And it was my luck that I wandered into you?"
"Oh yes."
"So…for a small fee…I'll keep it quiet."
"Fair enough. May I ask why?" Evelyn asked.
"Because. Those Red Sun guys are taking honest jobs from people like me. And you know how I like to stick up for the little guy."
Karl rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Sure. Fine. Just keep your mouth shut or Ambient will tear you apart. I don't think Gunther could stop him either."
"I can see this is going to be the beginning of a beautiful…business…deal…"
"Just shut up and find us some spare apartments."
~ to be continued.
Bweeee~~ More author's notes: I apologise in that I'm skipping around the timeline a bit, where you get no sense of real day and night. This is around midday/early afternoon. Then one more day, and during the night…well…lots of bad things…I thought I had to rewrite this chapter because the last one was slotted in after it was written. But when I read over the text here, I realised Prozen hadn't really said anything to anyone, and this quick and compact "this is what I am, deal with it Irvine" thing sort of worked. The more I write this story, the more I realise that this is completely fanciful. Ah well. I suppose it's more refreshing then the normal stuff you've been reading. Van/Raven, Van/Irvine, Van/Fiona, Van/himself, Van/Zeke, Raven/Rhyss, Raven/Karl, Rhyss/Specula, Moonbay/Irvine, Moonbay/Doctor D-
Hiltz: Okay, stop. You knew the moment you put down the thing about Van and himself that you were asking for trouble.
Prozen: *That really wide happy grin he does when he thinks you're not looking* You forgot the Thomas/Zeke pairing ^^
Hiltz: *flatly* Don't encourage her, love. She can dig her own grave by herself. The rabid fangirls will destroy her in due time. Her sanity is already fragile. She's writing THIS for Chrissakes.
