Chapter 28
I was not believing it. I wasn't going to believe it until I saw it with my own eyes again. But, Kami, I felt it. I felt it deep inside my own dark soul. For some unknown reason evil always knew evil.
I ran until I got to…the military base? What was going on hear? If some sicko thought that they could kidnap my son and use him; they had it coming to them. I jumped the fence and ran inside the base. The whole thing seemed empty. There was something more to this. I ran down the halls. Where? Where? Where?
We finally meet again. I stopped. My heart skipped a beat. How could it be? How could it be? I stood in awe staring at the familiar Andalite body.
"What the hell?!" I demanded. I got in a fighting stance and clutched my fist. "I killed you!"
The Visser laughed. There was something different about him. He didn't have the smell of slug in him. It was all Andalite. Oh, but it was him alright. There was no one else that could laugh like that. Maybe you did, he replied. Maybe you didn't. You see, you never actually remember what had happened that day have you? How could you know if you had or hadn't?
I closed my eyes for a moment and searched inside me. "No, I killed you," I said. I opened my eyes and glared back at him. "I killed you."
If you really must know, he replied. Crayak.
"What?!" I demanded.
Yes, Crayak was able to save me, he smiled with his Andalite eyes. Not only that, but he provided me with an Andalite body. Not an Andalite host body, mind you, but a real body. Good bye Kandrona.
"You slime," I growled. "Where's my son?!"
Oh the little runt? he questioned. Don't worry, he's still alive. Crayak ordered me to capture him not kill him. Seems he's got big plans for the runt. However, Mrs. Raptor, I was ordered to kill you.
"Don't make me laugh," I laughed. "In order for you do that you'd have to be as strong as Crayak himself. You're not even near it."
No, he agreed. But they are.
Then the double me-s came out from behind. Such a marvelous work they are, really. He turned and smirked at me. They're cyborg clones. A regular clone would mean she would have your weaknesses as well as your strengths. And, only one would be the strength would be equal to you. But, two? Twice the you. All those times you bleed in my presence has become quite useful.
"Hmp, as if those raptor want to be-s could trash the original."
Believe me, Rip, he replied. They can. Kill her.
Pain!
Pain!
They moved so fast! I didn't even see them move! I just felt the pain in my side. They were almost as fast as me, almost. I had to uncloud my thoughts and concentrate on these two. I swung around and my fist caught Red in the cheek. She just grinned at me with delight. It didn't even phase her. She swung at me for the gut this time I was able to dodged her. But, not the blow that went to my back from Black. I fell to my fours. This was ridicules. Nothing was stronger than me! Nothing! Not even two Rip Raptor wannabes cyborgs.
I stood on my feet and let off a storm of energy from my body. Before I knew it not only was my energy coming back to me but two identical ones as well. Those wenches! They had used their own energy to counter mine and send it back to me. It's exactly what I would've done. These two were really exactly like me. But they were not going to defeat me. I had to find new tactics that's all. I had to find them fast.
This things had my body and my mind, so I had to use my heart and soul to defeat them. My soul? No! There was no way I was going to do that again! I promised myself and the universe that, that hideous monster would never show it's face again. The came buy me again. I caught a flash of blades in there elbows. I couldn't get hit with those. I timed them and ducked. Their blades collided with each other. I had to act fast. I tripped them both, one with my tail and the other with my legs. Then I was back to my feet and I shot a series of ki blast at them.
I stood there breathing hard. I was getting two old for this. Why had Cray given me some assignments or something to keep me in shape. I got to spoiled. These things on the other hand knew nothing but to fight. It made me sorta grin at myself. There were what I couldn't be, perfect weapons.
Then there was sharp pain in my gut. Red had come up and gutted me with her blade. How?! "Shimatta." I looked at her in the face. My cold blue eyes met her cold green eyes as she smirked. Green? Here eyes were green? They weren't perfect copies of me! I overcame the pain and kicked her with both my hind legs. She flew back and the blade left my gut. But, before I could gather myself there was another pain in my back. I looked down and another blade came out of the same hole that the first and struck me. Black was waiting for me and she had gotten me from behind. These things, they didn't need to be perfect copies there were killing me anyway.
I had to escape them and get them to a place that I could handle. My thoughts were too clouded in this area. Too many things in this room clouding my thoughts. I'll be right back Grae.
I found a serge of power and threw them both off me. I had to get higher. Besides they were blocking the door downstairs. I took advantage of the moment they were using to collect themselves and made it to the elevator. I punched it closed and aimed for the roof. I took the moment to breath and rip my clothing to make bandages for a few wounds. I had to give myself credit I was taking the hits from myself good. Did I just think that.
The elevator started to rattle. Damnit they were underneath! Another rattle! And on top! Top or bottom? I looked up. There were a good 10 more stories to go. I had time. I jumped up and ripped open the ceiling. Red was up there to meet me. This was a chance I had to take. I had little time, but it had to be done. I jumped on the roof. She greened at me, and I smirked. "Say good bye to your sister."
"Hmm?"
I swung my hand around, and suddenly the elevator wasn't going up anymore. It was falling. It was falling quite fast. Red and I struggled to keep our balance. Down below I heard Black piercing through the floor to get to where we were. Which, in my opinion wasn't too safe either. I had to get off period. I kicked up and charged up my ki to fly up the shaft. I expected Red to follow, but she just looked up with daggers in her eyes. She obviously wasn't liking the games I was playing.
I made it to the top just as I heard the elevator crash beneath me. I kicked open the doors and I was on the roof. Had Red survived? Did Black do as well? I stood tense and ready. I as high up. I never realized just how high this building was. I was never allowed up here after all. Then the sound of chuckles filled the shaft. They were both alive?!
A fist was suddenly in my jaw and another in my back. Damnit! I should've known! I could've even survived that fall! My eyes met Black. She was unharmed. Damnit, even I would've had some bruises. I should know everything about these monsters. I was the same monster!! They were both in front and behind me within seconds. They were cyborgs. They weren't pure flesh and blood like I was. That gave them an advantage. It was worse that there were two of them. If only I could take one down. Damnit! If there was only one I wouldn't be in this pickle. In the current state I was in though I don't think I could even handle one. I had to get away and heal. It was my only chance. But, how the hell was I going to get away? I just couldn't leave Grae by himself either. I knew one for certain was that Visser wasn't going to kill Grae. First off, he was too valuable to him and Crayak. Second, was that it would be the only reason for me to come after him at the moment.
They had gotten off of me for a moment. I stood at the ledge. I knew any moment they would come after me again. I was waiting for it. I felt there movement and waited. I waited until they were each millimeters from hitting me. When that time came I kicked up my feet and back flipped off the building. I half expected them to follow me. But, as I was falling I saw that they just remained on the roof top and glaring down at me. My feet hit the top of a large vehicle that was moving below. I fell back wards in exhaustion. I was beaten. For the first time I was beaten. But, I was alive. As long as I was alive I could still beat them. I just needed some help and a few band aids.
* * * * *
I had wanderer back to where the reception was held. I was hoping to find one of my comrades there. When I arrived there I noticed that there was no one but the fire department, a few witness and the police there. No one I could use. Dangit! That meant I had to walk some more to someone's home. I was tired. My body was too tired to move on. And, my will felt as if it was dead already. My mother's intuition was the only thing that kept my mind push my body.
I wasn't even aware of anything. As far as I know the twins could be right behind me ready to kill. I stood up strait, trying not to attract attention to myself. Act natural. I was pretty sure that no one after an attack like that would even be looking outside their homes to recognize me. I climbed up the porch steps and leaned forward against the door. I just stood there and breathed a few times. My hand reached weakly for the door bell. I waited only a moment until the door opened.
"Is Copper home?" I stood there. I didn't even look up to see who answered.
"You're Rip, aren't you?" the female asked. His little wife I assumed. "What are you doing here?" Sure, never mind the fact I just dripped a gallon of blood on your front porch.
"I need to see Copper," I breathed.
"What do you want with him?" she demanded. "Haven't you caused enough already. He isn't available."
I looked up and glared at her. "I need to see Copper Ookami," I stated again. I stood up as strait as I could. I tried to look a little threatened. As threatening as some one who just got their ass whooped could look.
"Rip?" I recognized my best friend's voice instantly. "Kami, Rip!" He came from the door. "What in the matrix happened to you?"
"I …I …" My knees finally decided to give way. He caught me quickly.
"Dusty! Hurry and get some ice," he called to her. I don't know if she hesitated or not. I just know I had to tell Copper. I needed his help. We had gotten to kitchen before I summed some strength and shoved myself from me. I had no time for this.
"Rip, you need to sit down."
"No time," I said. "I have no time." I stood up tense and strait as if I was expecting for them to come crashing through the roof at that very moment. Which I should have been, there was every chance that they could do so.
"Rip, you need to settle down," he said. "You have to calm down and tell me what's wrong."
"Visser," I said. "The Visser."
He looked at me strangely. It was as if thought I was delusional from my blood lose. Afterall, he was the one that saw me kill the Visser. "I'm not delusional!" I yelled. Maybe I was a little. "That damn sorry excuse for a villain is back!"
"Don't you yell at him!"
"Dusty!" Copper scolded. "Rip, c'mon even if he was still alive there's no way he could do this to you." He's right he didn't!
"Heh?! Move!" I flew up above their heads and caught the ceiling that was falling. The twin chuckled as they stomped down on the piece of ceiling I was holding up. "You filthy bitches!" I summed up my strength and threw them off through the wall. "Copper, get Dusty out of here!"
He didn't nearly try to hesitate. In fact I think he was helping her out of there before I even told him to. Copper had an entrance to the tunnels in his house. I knew that's where he'd be going. The tunnels, of course! Not even they could get through those things. They were transparent and everything in there was transparent! Thank God for Rat Trap! I just had to draw them away far enough so I could get there myself. I knew I had to stop running at one point, but now wasn't the time to do that. I had to run if I wanted to live and save my son.
I got away. I don't know but what act of God got me out of there, but I was out of there. I leaned against the doors of the tunnel. I knew they weren't far behind me. I smashed in the control panel. I had to make sure there was no way they were going to get in. Even if they saw me get in, if the controls didn't work, they couldn't get in. I slide down the wall. I was exhausted, but for now I was safe.
"Rip!"
I looked up. "Oh…heh…you found me."
Copper went to his knees in front of me. "C'mon, let's get you patched up."
"Cops….I….I don't think I can do it."
"Of course you can, you're Rip Raptor, you can do anything."
"Copper, I was so careless," I felt my eyes water. "I just let him …I just let him take him…and I just ran away."
"Rip, what's wrong? What happened?"
"The Visser…he has him," I rubbed my eyes. "He has Grae!"
He froze. I had failed to tell him this important factor before because of the delays. It's the reason why I wanted to go to Copper first before anyone else. Grae was our son.
"He…he has our son?" he questioned.
I nodded, sobbing. "I'm so sorry Cops. I tried, I tried to get him back. I tried to protect him. I tried. I clinched my fists but I couldn't! Damnit I couldn't!" He suddenly grabbed him in an embrace.
"It's not your fault BG, it's not your fault," he comforted. "It's his fault and it's their fault. It's not your fault. We're going to get Grae back. We have Zane, and Sabra, and Rat Trap, and Keensan and you brother. We can get him back. We will get him back. But, we have to heal you up first. You cannot face anything in the state you are in. You are injured and delusional." He helped me up. "C'mon, Sabra will know just what to do with you. You didn't fail, Rip, because you're not finished yet."