DISCLAIMER: I don't own the rights to any- Do I really need to put this? You know that Capcom owns this entire series. I do, however, own the rights to that stupid copy of Command Mission, which is currently sitting at GameStop because I'm too lazy to get my ass out there. $1.89 a gallon sucks.
"But it is, Zean, it is." The deep, sadistic voice rang out again. Zean's PET had been switched on the whole time. "You see what I mean? NetCrime hasn't ceased to exist. Far from it. And the authorities are blind to it. You, my friend, have to be the one to open your eyes. That's why I'm here. To awaken you."
The words were repeated, over and over, in Zean's subconscious. It had been three days since they were spoken, and not once had the buzzing left him, like furies dancing about his head.
Zean had not gone to school in days. What was the point? He knew everything that they would teach him. And, if all else failed, he could educate himself. It wouldn't be difficult; he was a fast learner. Wait... Learning...
"HEY!" Zean exclaimed out loud. He whipped out his PET with lightning speed. Staring back at him were those crimson eyes, with almost no sign of surprise behind them. It was inhuman, and it made Zean falter, if only for a second. Once he had regained his composure, he began his accusations. "You called me Zean!"
"No, I didn't," Yan replied in a gravely, unamused tone. "And I was enjoying the peace and quiet, before you blew a gasket. Now, what in the CyberWorld could POSSIBLY be so important?"
"Three days ago, you addressed me as Zean."
"You said you didn't want a formal title."
"I don't."
"THEN WHAT IS IT?!"
"As far as you're concerned, my name is Zero. I never told you my real name."
"Well, if we're going by distance, I must be miles ahead of you, jackass. I'm living in your PET. Let's go down the list: I could've checked one of your emails, I could've just checked the information of the owner, I could've checked the last login, I could've... You get the point. You're going to have to be a LITTLE smarter than THAT if you want to end global suffering."
The words were cold and biting. There was no need for that. "Whatever," Zean said dully as he switched off the PET, placing it back in his bag. This new Navi was the last thing he had been expecting when he started programming his own customized partner. He had wanted a friend, someone who he could talk with... this abomination was brazen, loud, cocky, and above all else a psychopathic murdering bastard. He would like nothing more than for me to turn him loose on the Net so he could wreak havoc, wouldn't he? Zean thought.
He sighed and flopped down on his bed, for the umpteenth time this week. This was all way, way too much. His parents were gone. His Navi was a nut job. He had beaten a man until he was unconscious earlier this week. Something was definitely changing inside of Zean, and probably for the worse.
Just then, his PET rang out. "I thought I switched you off?" he said, surprised.
"Let's just say you pressed the wrong button, for old time's sake."
"Old time's... what?! We've known each other for less than-"
"You're going to want to see this." Yan opened up a file, obviously from some sort of news site. Something seemed familiar... a beach with waves ten feet high, but somehow serene and tranquil... a lively boardwalk... this was the corner directly outside of where his parents had been staying! And in front of the house... no, couldn't be...
"...And as you can see, multiple cars have been piled here on this seemingly friendly street corner, another victim of the recent outburst of NetCrime. We at Action News 6 would like to inform all of our viewers that the situation is totally under control. Security Navis will be here shortly and..."
Yan closed the file. "Bullshit. Security Navis are weak, and out of practice. They can't do a thing."
It was just plain abnormal. Days after his parents untimely demise, and now another family had crashed? Someone else like him could be out there, mourning the loss of their parents, not knowing what to do...
"Yan, we're leaving. Order me a Metroline ticket."
"To...?"
"You know as well as I do where we're going."
"...I knew you'd make the right decision. Welcome, Zean, to the corner of pay and back."
Another easy move. It was unlike the syndicate to degrade themselves to such small things as car crashes, but they had gotten the attention of the media. She stood there, reveling in the beauty of the destruction. Now they feared the unknown. Someone was nipping at their ankles, pricking them in the side. She was that low-lying beast. She was that thorn in their side. It wouldn't be long, now...
"Are you done? I thought you said we'd just do this and leave. You're daydreaming again, aren't you? Would you pay me just a minute of your time?!"
"No."
"YOU'RE JOKING. We're getting the hell out of here. NOW. I'm sick of doing this. It's too easy! These computer security devices are a joke! Can we PLEASE move on to the big heist?"
"You're the only joke here."
Another protest began, but she switched off her PET. What an annoyance that one was. Soon, she will have outlived her usefulness, and she could be disposed of. Soon...
Somewhere in the Cyber World, a small, feminine Navi pouted. She had an aquiline face, with large, glistening gray eyes. Her small frame was clad in a red leather outfit, sleeveless, with white gloves that extended almost three-quarters of the way up her arms, which were now folded. She tapped the toe of her glistening silver boot impatiently.
"Honestly, you'd think she'd respect me for everything I do. 'Ceres, go pull of this crime.' 'Ceres, I need you to go and make these cars crash.' It's not even like I get to do anything interesting," the young Navi said, to no one in particular.
This pouting could have gone on forever, if she had not heard something warp in, not far from where she was located. "Oh, damn it, what NOW?!"
She would have probably shouted more obscenity, if she had had the time. Instead, she was forced to spring out of the way of gunfire. Catching a glimpse of the offender, she froze. Crimson eyes; no, not eyes, but rather something that was altogether different. Slits. Crimson slits in the side of the figure's head. Who, or what, was this?
In her stupor, Ceres totally ignored her operator barking at her. "Ceres, what the hell is going on? Ceres? You complain about not being paid attention to, then ignore me? CERES, WAKE THE HELL UP!"
Again, the gun fired. This time, Ceres was prepared. She watched the oncoming bullets speed up, gradually, and then merely spread apart, missing her by inches. Her attacker was only surprised for an instant. Again he leapt to the offensive, this time baring some type of claw-weapon, slashing in a sideways motion, as if to rip her head off. There was no questioning it. This one was going for the kill.
Ducking, Ceres found herself in perfect position to unload on the offender. Forming a large whip in her left hand, she brought it hard upwards, leaving a gaping wound in the attacker's midsection. Timing it to the millisecond, Ceres whirled and brought the whip across the body of her attacker, this time... slicing him totally in half?!
Yan was shocked that he had let his guard down. Even more shocked was Zean, who was under the impression that Yan was totally invincible.
"Yan..."
Coughing up a little blood, Yan strove to find words. "I...I don't know... how..." he paused for a second, looking down. The gaping wound was healing itself, the tendons stitching themselves back together, bone melding back into its original shape. "How I could've let her think for a minute that she had won." Yan reared back and threw a roundhouse punch, sending the mysterious female Navi spinning across the ground.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Zean exclaimed. Yan had been dead. He knew it. His vitals had dropped to zero, along with his hit point counter. If he had scientifically tested the data, it would've shown that Yan was totally gone. So, how was it that he had just reformed there and thrown a sensational haymaker?
"Just another perk of being created by someone as skilled as you... hey, where'd she go?"
Zean looked around the scene. The Navi in the red dress was gone, totally disappeared from the scenery. Suddenly a message appeared on his PET, written in all capital letters. Not amused at all, Zean turned and left the scene.
"Come on Yan. We're going home."
"But you didn't even..."
"Yes, I did. We're done here."
