Chapter 7: These aren't Ravens
"Daddy! Daddy! Where are you daddy!!!" "I'm right here Renee" her father's deep voice resounded around the corner The building was in flames, the product of an arsine attack by a delinquent looking for attention, and Renee was stuck in her room, surrounded by the fire, she was only a little kid "Daddy help me!" tears streaming down her eyes, this was the first time she had ever been afraid, this was the first time she had seen destruction "Don't worry sweetie" he had just entered the room, "Daddys here" on his back was her little brother Jeff, still asleep A log fell from the ceiling, onto her doll house, the flames licking her dolls until they melted into a plastic puddle. Renee's mind began spinning, the smoke slowly suffocating her "Hang on Renee" Her dad leap across a gaping hole on the ground, they lived in a 2 story wooden house, the only one on Mars. He tried to pick Renee up but she wouldn't have it, she cowered into the corner, holding her most prized possession, a pendent giving to her by her mom "Sweetie" her dad said, she looked up "I'm still here" and patted her head, "lets get out of here" his voice still calm. Renee felt calmer, whenever her dad spoke she felt like water, calm and tranquil. She jumped into his arms and he turned toward the doorway. He jumped over the hole again and rushed down the hall toward the stairs, a fire erupted infront of him almost burning Renee. Down the stairs he went careful that neither his offspring got burned by the fire on the railing, he saw the door wide open and glanced at the cool night. He dashed thru the living room, not yet engulfed by flames and out of the door. He let go of Renee and told her to take Jeff with her "Daddy, wheres mommy? How come shes not out here?" Renee's innocent tone stuck his heart, he still had to go back and get her. "daddy, DADDY!!" Renee was screaming at her dad, he had left her to run back into the building when it struck her ".mommys still inside." she stuttered
She had woken up from her trance, her heart still pounding, Chris where's Chris she asked herself "Come back alive you hear!!!" she heard Jean yelling next to her Renee looked up and saw Chris in the elevator, his hand waved as the door shut "CHRIS!!!" Renee screamed, but he didn't hear it "Renee!" Jean turned toward her, "are you ok now?" "no, what's happening? Where am I???" Renee was confused the last thing she remembered was being in the arena with Chris when she heard an explosion "your in the garage, come on we need to get out of here" Jeans tears were wiped away all that was left was the eyeliner that streaked her face. Renee looked at the man that Jean was helping up, he had a wound on his leg. "Where? She asked" her mind went to her AC but it was in another Garage across the building "To my car, hurry" she was speeding up now, the man she was holding was using a bloody pole as a crutch
The 3 of them ran down the corridor, derbies of metal on the ground, mostly from the ceiling and side of the walls not the walls themselves. People were still running out of the Nest, Renee was disgusted to see Ravens running away but she was running also so she kept her mouth shut. Her mind wondered to her brother, where was he? She thought and soon the thought changed to Chris and his crooked smile, she hoped that he was still alive after this. "This hallway, I never park my car in the garage" said Jean, they ran out of the Nest and into the outdoor lot. The area was littered with dead people, the ones who came to watch the arena battle no doubt, all of them were scorched from what it looks like a flamethrower. He turned and looked up she saw Adieu battling with another AC, fighting side by side with Cheery Wood, they where surrounded by 5 ACs all with the same emblem of a 9- ball. She had seen this before.in the arena on Mars she remembered a similar design, but instead it was of an 8-ball. Jean shouted at Renee to get into the car, Renee turned and saw Jean in a red car, she took one last look at Cherry Wood her idol and jumped in.
Jean sped away, past a smoldering green AC at the entrance. Renee didn't want to turn around, she didn't want to see the battle that raged on in the background. She heard the explosions she heard all the muted screams, she heard people dying. She began to flash back to her child hood, back to that fire.
Jean looked into her rear view mirror, she saw that Renee had zoned out again, seating in her seat not moving, breathing slowly she saw her hand grip on the jeans she was wearing. Jean looked at Steve, he was still in pain but smiling at her. Jean thought she was calm, she thought she was in control, but she wanted just hide in a corner, away from all of this. She was on the high way now, far from the nest but destruction had already preceded her. The city was in ruins, a few ACs here and there some logged in the buildings not moving, others completely destroyed. More scorched people laying on the ground, she kept her eyes on the road, trying not to see the destruction and death. An AC fell nearly crushing the car if Jean hadn't swerved earlier. It was a Raven called Addler who had almost crushed them. The AC was sliced in half, the upper torso had crashed onto the road, the one who had caused the destruction was another AC with the 9-ball emblem, It was also equipped with the BITE laser blade, and took aim at Jean's car with a rifle. "Hold on!" she yelled and pressed the pedal of her car to the floor. She looked for the nearest exit and speed toward it, all the while the rifle bullets nearly missing her car. She had just gotten to the exit when she heard a loud noise from the trunk of her car and a violent shake reverberated, a bullet had caused a giant gaping hole at the back of the car, she turned and looked at Renee, she was still sitting, as if nothing had happened. Jean was glad that Renee was ok and not hurt, she faced the road again and sped off into the night.
We have completed our mission, is there anything else you wish to be accomplished?
Said a cold mechanical voice resonating from the AC with the 9ball emblem
"That is all, you may return to the stasis pods to recharge you are all dismissed"
As you wish, we will depart now
"good, good, the 9ball army seems to be working as they should" a voice just as cold as the machine responded, "We have eliminated 7 Raven's Nests, the Ravens will no longer get in our way" "Are you certain that these 9balls are in you're complete control?" a female voice resounded on the link "Yes, remember the one released on Mars? It malfunctioned and went on a rampage, meeting its end at the Avalon Arena, did they find out which Raven terminated it?" another voice this time from an old man, his voice was bearly a whisper. "Negative, the Raven's identity has been erased from all records, it was also presumed that the Raven took out our experimental projects as well" the cold voice replied "Ah yes, in the Lost Fields" the old man's face dull without expression, "make sure these 9balls don't malfunction" and with it he closed the com link "I'll make sure of it" the cold voice shut off his link "Transmission end" the female spoke
"Daddy! Daddy! Where are you daddy!!!" "I'm right here Renee" her father's deep voice resounded around the corner The building was in flames, the product of an arsine attack by a delinquent looking for attention, and Renee was stuck in her room, surrounded by the fire, she was only a little kid "Daddy help me!" tears streaming down her eyes, this was the first time she had ever been afraid, this was the first time she had seen destruction "Don't worry sweetie" he had just entered the room, "Daddys here" on his back was her little brother Jeff, still asleep A log fell from the ceiling, onto her doll house, the flames licking her dolls until they melted into a plastic puddle. Renee's mind began spinning, the smoke slowly suffocating her "Hang on Renee" Her dad leap across a gaping hole on the ground, they lived in a 2 story wooden house, the only one on Mars. He tried to pick Renee up but she wouldn't have it, she cowered into the corner, holding her most prized possession, a pendent giving to her by her mom "Sweetie" her dad said, she looked up "I'm still here" and patted her head, "lets get out of here" his voice still calm. Renee felt calmer, whenever her dad spoke she felt like water, calm and tranquil. She jumped into his arms and he turned toward the doorway. He jumped over the hole again and rushed down the hall toward the stairs, a fire erupted infront of him almost burning Renee. Down the stairs he went careful that neither his offspring got burned by the fire on the railing, he saw the door wide open and glanced at the cool night. He dashed thru the living room, not yet engulfed by flames and out of the door. He let go of Renee and told her to take Jeff with her "Daddy, wheres mommy? How come shes not out here?" Renee's innocent tone stuck his heart, he still had to go back and get her. "daddy, DADDY!!" Renee was screaming at her dad, he had left her to run back into the building when it struck her ".mommys still inside." she stuttered
She had woken up from her trance, her heart still pounding, Chris where's Chris she asked herself "Come back alive you hear!!!" she heard Jean yelling next to her Renee looked up and saw Chris in the elevator, his hand waved as the door shut "CHRIS!!!" Renee screamed, but he didn't hear it "Renee!" Jean turned toward her, "are you ok now?" "no, what's happening? Where am I???" Renee was confused the last thing she remembered was being in the arena with Chris when she heard an explosion "your in the garage, come on we need to get out of here" Jeans tears were wiped away all that was left was the eyeliner that streaked her face. Renee looked at the man that Jean was helping up, he had a wound on his leg. "Where? She asked" her mind went to her AC but it was in another Garage across the building "To my car, hurry" she was speeding up now, the man she was holding was using a bloody pole as a crutch
The 3 of them ran down the corridor, derbies of metal on the ground, mostly from the ceiling and side of the walls not the walls themselves. People were still running out of the Nest, Renee was disgusted to see Ravens running away but she was running also so she kept her mouth shut. Her mind wondered to her brother, where was he? She thought and soon the thought changed to Chris and his crooked smile, she hoped that he was still alive after this. "This hallway, I never park my car in the garage" said Jean, they ran out of the Nest and into the outdoor lot. The area was littered with dead people, the ones who came to watch the arena battle no doubt, all of them were scorched from what it looks like a flamethrower. He turned and looked up she saw Adieu battling with another AC, fighting side by side with Cheery Wood, they where surrounded by 5 ACs all with the same emblem of a 9- ball. She had seen this before.in the arena on Mars she remembered a similar design, but instead it was of an 8-ball. Jean shouted at Renee to get into the car, Renee turned and saw Jean in a red car, she took one last look at Cherry Wood her idol and jumped in.
Jean sped away, past a smoldering green AC at the entrance. Renee didn't want to turn around, she didn't want to see the battle that raged on in the background. She heard the explosions she heard all the muted screams, she heard people dying. She began to flash back to her child hood, back to that fire.
Jean looked into her rear view mirror, she saw that Renee had zoned out again, seating in her seat not moving, breathing slowly she saw her hand grip on the jeans she was wearing. Jean looked at Steve, he was still in pain but smiling at her. Jean thought she was calm, she thought she was in control, but she wanted just hide in a corner, away from all of this. She was on the high way now, far from the nest but destruction had already preceded her. The city was in ruins, a few ACs here and there some logged in the buildings not moving, others completely destroyed. More scorched people laying on the ground, she kept her eyes on the road, trying not to see the destruction and death. An AC fell nearly crushing the car if Jean hadn't swerved earlier. It was a Raven called Addler who had almost crushed them. The AC was sliced in half, the upper torso had crashed onto the road, the one who had caused the destruction was another AC with the 9-ball emblem, It was also equipped with the BITE laser blade, and took aim at Jean's car with a rifle. "Hold on!" she yelled and pressed the pedal of her car to the floor. She looked for the nearest exit and speed toward it, all the while the rifle bullets nearly missing her car. She had just gotten to the exit when she heard a loud noise from the trunk of her car and a violent shake reverberated, a bullet had caused a giant gaping hole at the back of the car, she turned and looked at Renee, she was still sitting, as if nothing had happened. Jean was glad that Renee was ok and not hurt, she faced the road again and sped off into the night.
We have completed our mission, is there anything else you wish to be accomplished?
Said a cold mechanical voice resonating from the AC with the 9ball emblem
"That is all, you may return to the stasis pods to recharge you are all dismissed"
As you wish, we will depart now
"good, good, the 9ball army seems to be working as they should" a voice just as cold as the machine responded, "We have eliminated 7 Raven's Nests, the Ravens will no longer get in our way" "Are you certain that these 9balls are in you're complete control?" a female voice resounded on the link "Yes, remember the one released on Mars? It malfunctioned and went on a rampage, meeting its end at the Avalon Arena, did they find out which Raven terminated it?" another voice this time from an old man, his voice was bearly a whisper. "Negative, the Raven's identity has been erased from all records, it was also presumed that the Raven took out our experimental projects as well" the cold voice replied "Ah yes, in the Lost Fields" the old man's face dull without expression, "make sure these 9balls don't malfunction" and with it he closed the com link "I'll make sure of it" the cold voice shut off his link "Transmission end" the female spoke