Author's Notes: Geez, this is probably the fastest I've ever written! Hopefully that's a good sign... Anyway, thanks to my two guest muses on this chapter, V300 and Rufus. Thanks to all who reviewed as well:

Cherry6124- Updates should be once or twice a week, Hyne willing, so don't worry. Thanks, and there will be Selvine if Irvine ever works up the guts! ;)

Kamela- Thanks, hope you keep reading.

Refugee- Oh that's good, I was worrying I'd messed up the action scenes! As for sneak previews, we'll see, lol!

Yunalesca78- Yup, takin' mah sweet time, hehe! I've got a good lot of build-up before we get any action. And thanks for the grammar point, I always get that mixed up! I hope you can put up with it for a short while longer- chapter 2, 3 and 4 are already written and I'm too lazy to change it!

Rads- Shoulda known you'd love the injured guy, lol! As for the hat… its just one of those unsolved mysteries, I guess! And you know you can always be the beta reader if you want. ;)

And now, I give you the second chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, you get the idea.

Rage

Chapter 2: Force

"Hey now do ya see me down the way?

Been watching you every day..."

Special Delivery

The Offspring

            The struggle had been brief and futile, the drunk perishing swiftly and soundlessly. His killer crouched on the hillside, surveying the town he currently haunted. He was there for quite some time before he felt something approaching from behind. He turned round to see a ginger tomcat looking at him quizzically. Laughing quietly, he stroked it, beckoning it to join him. It was a stray, and had seen a few fights judging by the look of it. It's fur was dirty and matted, it's tail ragged and worn. The top of it's left ear ended in a bite mark, and overall it looked thin and hungry. Not knowing why, he reached into the dead man's pocket, smelling the half-eaten beef jerky inside, and fed it to the cat piece by piece. The stray mewled gratefully and devoured the meat hungrily. He chuckled again, finding the creature amusing in it's ignorance.

            "Here you sit," he whispered gently to it, "In the company of the most terrifying being this land has ever seen. I, who have inspired terror in the hearts of thousands, then ripped their hearts from them. This entire planet feared me once. Ah, those were the days..." His nostalgic smile darkened. "But then they took it all from me," he hissed. "I could have slain them all, but I wanted a challenge, and I let one grow too strong. He humiliated me, sending me kicking and screaming into the pit. The taste of defeat still stains my mouth. But I can see you understand that, my friend," he nodded, speaking of the cat's thin, injured state. "Maybe that is why I haven't killed you yet. You have also known losses. Or perhaps it is just that you can sit in my company, ignorant of the horror you face, and be satisfied with your meagre meal. Your arrogance is incredible. It is most gratifying to see I am not the only one who makes errors of judgement, so you may live." He returned his gaze to the vista before him, idly stroking the feline, which purred contentedly. He sat in silence for some time before speaking again.

            "It was my arrogance last time that led to my downfall; I see that now. That is why I wait." He swept his hand out, indicating the whole of the small settlement. "I could destroy it all, slaughter everyone in it, and become stronger by doing so. But that would give my hand away. So I pick them off one at a time, let the fools become terrified of their own shadows. Sooner or later they will send for help, call in those who are strong, those who they think can deal with the worst they expect, a serial killer or a pack of monsters. And when the strong come, I will know how much of a threat they pose. I will know them and their strengths and weaknesses. And when I finally attack, they will not be ready, but I will. And then none will stand against me!" He laughed again, a darker laugh this time, as he imagined the days of blood to come. The cat, uncomprehending of anything that was said to it, merely curled up and went to sleep, no longer hungry.

                                                            ***************

            The T-Rexaur was almost upon him when Irvine caught a blue blur at the corner of his eye. Suddenly the dinosaur was thrown back a few feet from a violent impact. It bellowed in pain and confusion, it's jaw broken from the strike. Irvine stared on in disbelief. What in hell had just happened? Then he looked back to the ground and saw him standing there, his fighting pose flawless, muscles bulging with raw power, Ergheiz gauntlets held ready for another attack.

            "Zell!" he cried in relief, then broke off as pain from his broken rib lanced his chest again.

            "Thought you could use a hand buddy," the young fighter replied, never taking his eyes from the beast, which was about to charge again. "But hold the conversation for the moment, huh?" He dashed forward, dodging a lunge and hammering a savage uppercut into the creature's face. It reeled backwards and Zell burst into a flurry of rapid strikes, precision hits slamming home into the creature's soft spots and joints. It screeched in pain and terror, never having known such resistance from any prey before.

            Irvine just watched in shock, his mouth hanging open. He's moving so fast I can barely see his movements! Damn, when did he get so quick?

            The beast lashed it's enormous tail forward and Zell leapt back to avoid it. The creature used the momentary respite to back off and ready for another charge. Irvine's surprise grew as he saw it was barely standing, one leg almost buckled underneath it. Blood was pouring from a dozen different wounds, and five of it's fangs were lying shattered on the ground. And he doesn't have a scratch on him! the cowboy thought, wondering if he was dreaming. Another twinge from his torso put that idea to rest, but he still had trouble believing what he was seeing. How can he be doing this?

            Before the monster had a chance to move, yellow light flared around Zell and he grinned wildly. His limit break enabled, the fighter launched a succession of mighty blows which brought the creature to it's knees. He screamed in triumph, and powered up for the last hit. "BURNING RAVE!" he shouted. His body glowed red and smoke billowed from his ears in rage. Lifting his fist high, he smashing it down into the earth. A fissure cracked across the ground towards the fallen fiend. It opened it's remaining eye and had one last glimpse of it's opponent before the eruption of pure force ended it's existence once and for all.

            Zell smirked at his fallen foe and finished the other one off with a casual blizzaga, not even bothering to watch it die. He walked back over to Irvine and helped him to his feet.

            "Thanks for the assist," the injured gunman said with a smile.

            "Don't worry 'bout it," the blond replied nochalantly, starting to walk to the exit with him. "I gotta say though, pretty poor performance Irvine! You needed help with just two T-Rexaur's?"

            "I called for help when I thought there was only one!" Irvine said, annoyed. "You know it's dangerous taking them on by yourself. How did you do that anyway?"

            "I've been training a lot lately," shrugged Zell. "Guess I'm getting pretty strong now. But even still man, you're one of the 'legendary sorceress killers'," he laughed, using the media's term for their group. "You should have been able to handle one!"

            "Alright, alright, I didn't junction a GF this morning! Yes, I know it's stupid, but I needed to blow off some steam. Anyway, I try to keep memory loss to a minimum when I'm not on a mission."

            "I know how you feel, I'm the same," agreed the blond with a nod.

            "In that case, it's lucky you had some with you today. I wouldn't have liked to have seen you take that thing on without a damn good strength boost."

            Zell gave him an odd look. "What do you mean? I didn't have any with me."

            Irvine's stopped dead and looked incredulously at his companion. "You're joking, right?" Zell frowned and shook his head. "You mean you're that strong on your own?! And that fast?! But-but-"

            "Like I said, I've been training a lot recently," he replied uncomfortably.

            The cowboy gave him a calculating look. "Have you been training every free moment you get? Is that why we've hardly seen you at all lately?"

            "I suppose you could say that..."

            Irvine sighed. "Zell, is this because of-" he started, and was cut off by a quick nod from the blond, who couldn't meet his eyes. He sighed again. "It was a year ago man, you have to move on."

            "I know. It's just... I still can't believe it. I mean, how could she do that to me? How?" he asked. This time his gaze met Irvine's, who saw the pain there, still fresh after all this time.

            "I don't know dude, I really don't."

            "And him," Zell snarled, "I don't know why I didn't rip him apart there and then! I swear, if I ever get him alone in a room, I'll-"

            "Hey, chill out!" Irvine said worriedly. "Murder and GBH aren't the best ideas in the world you know!"

            "But what he did... he deserves it... I swear..." Irvine's worry shifted to alarm as his friend started to glow slightly in his rage, faint light seeming to flow from his body. Did he just use an aura or something?!

            "ZELL!" he yelled, "Calm down for Hyne's sake!" Zell blinked and shook his head a bit, clearing his thoughts.

            "Sorry 'bout that," he said, his voice closer to it's normal tone. Then he noticed Irvine's look and he frowned. "What?"

            "Did you just... use an aura or something?" he asked suspiciously.

            "No, you'd have noticed me casting it. Are you sure you're ok?" Irvine noticed that the glow had vanished. He blinked another couple of times.

            "Never mind, I must have hit my head a bit harder than I thought. Anyway, I was going to ask you what you were up to on Friday night."

            "Well, I was gonna get some training in, why?"

            "Yeah," nodded the cowboy, "Thought so. Anyway, it's Laguna's 40th birthday, so we were all gonna fly over in the Ragnarok, help Kiros and Ward throw him a surprise party. We even got Squall to come along, and you know what he thinks of El Presidento..."

            "Good point."

            "So you in?"

            Zell shrugged.   "Whatever."

            Irvine felt a cold chill run up his spine and he looked his friend in the face. Zell's eyes widened as he realised who he sounded like. "Ok, I just scared myself there... Sure! Should be a blast, and I suppose I haven't seen everyone for a while. When you leaving?"

            "I'll let you know when we arrange it," smiled Irvine, then winced again. "But first, let's cut the chat and get me to the medbay, huh?"

            "Sounds fine to me buddy," Zell grinned as they passed out of the Training Centre.