Choosing Sides

Author's Notes: I can't believe it either, it's another update! Anyway, most of you probably know I've returned to college, which means that between schoolwork and studying I'll have a lot less time to write. Plus, having to deal with the new rule about paragraphs is a total pain since I have to manually space all paragraphs in QuickEdit. But don't worry, I'm not shelving this fanfic! The more support I get, the more I'll try to finish it. And ... I've two very special surprises prepared for the readers who regularly check up on the story.

Osaka, Japan
One day has passed

"Guess what just came in?" Captain Commando glanced up to see Guile standing over him with a thin sheaf of papers in hand. "That's right, captain; the IDC just faxed over a complete transcript of voice communications from the days leading up to McGrath's last battle. Most of it is irrelevant, but the last sheet may interest you."

Commando accepted the papers with a nod. "Timestamped two hours prior to the fight. Let's see ..." It was only a short snippet of a conversation, but Commando frowned as he read it. Guile peeked over his shoulder. "McGrath places a call to IDC headquarters ... somebody codenamed Diamondtype answers him ... McGrath requests a mission abortion for the Phantoms ... Diamondtype wants to know why ... McGrath explains ... Diamondtype denies the request ... that's strange, right before he terminates the connection McGrath mentions that Kain is his only backup now. It looks like he wasn't talking to Diamondtype at all, just talking to himself."

"That's the conclusion that I drew," Guile answered. "Diamondtype obviously didn't believe his story on Marin."

Commando sighed. "And McGrath didn't push the point. So he knew - he knew that it was Marin. And she killed him for it, just as he said she would. But who is this Kain fellow - any ideas, Guile?" When no response came, Commando looked up and around the room. Only then did he realize that it was quite empty apart from himself. Commando whirled around, his eyes searching frantically, but they confirmed what he knew - he was alone. He called out twice and received no answer. His fists clenched as he muttered, "Dagnabbit, we just lost another one. And he was taken practically in front of me!"

Twenty minutes later, Commando, Gill, and Regina paced around the room looking for clues. "I don't sense any traces of his spirit," Regina reported at length. "And there was no indication at all ... whoever did this to Guile must have disabled my trap before going for the kidnapping."

"Tell me how this works again?" Commando requested.

"I have a shield set around each of the remaining contestants," Regina explained. "If triggered, it sends me a notice and then immobilizes whoever triggered it. Humans and most spirits, even one classed as high as Gill, wouldn't be able to break it. In theory, that would give us enough time to pin down the kidnapper."

"In theory," Commando frowned.

"Yes ... my sister must have disabled the trap." Regina sighed. "I'm sorry, I want to help, but ..."

"Don't blame yourself," Commando advised. "Is there nothing here?"

"Nothing that I can see," Regina answered. "Then let's keep a sharp eye on Scott Wagner. You know the story, Charlie and Guile are both gone now." Commando ran a hand through his hair. "Come on, Gill, we have a lot of work to do." They left the room together, deep in discussion of tactics. Regina watched them leave with mixed feelings.

After a few minutes, her head suddenly snapped up and she called out, "Who's there?"

"Fear not, it is only I." Dadallent faded into the room, trailing his long red scarf behind him as he bowed to Regina.

"Did you see what happened?" Regina asked, starting up from her position on the floor. "Did you see who took Guile?"

"No. It does not matter, we know who must have done it."

"Yes, but ... but I don't want to believe it!" Regina cried. "How could my own sister, who I've known for all my life, be doing this? I want her to tell me that it isn't true! I don't ... I don't understand what she's hoping to accomplish!" Regina broke down and began to weep.

"That no longer matters," Dadallent stated coldly. "I heard your tale about the Gate of True Hearts, goddess. Very sentimental. Do you still not realize what lies before your very eyes?"

"What do you mean?" Regina asked, looking up at him through tearstained eyes.

"Let me put it this way, you might find yourself confronting that gate very soon."

"I don't understand ..." Regina replied, sounding more confused than ever. She looked questioningly at Dadallent, but what little could be seen of his face revealed absolutely no emotion. She wondered what he really thought, what he really saw behind that blindfold of his. She knew why he was blind, of course; long ago, Dadallent had ritually taken out his eyes in order to enhance his spiritual vision. It gave him a powerful advantage in combat and he certainly didn't move as though he were truly blind. But how had he acquired Marin's weapon, the Psychisaber? So many things she wished she knew about him.

"They are blindest who keep their eyes shut," Dadallent answered pitilessly, as though quoting a proverb.

"Stop talking in riddles!" Regina exploded. "Just give me a straight answer."

"Perhaps I must, seeing as how you will not reach any conclusions on your own," Dadallent replied. "Goddess, very soon you will have to choose your side. You will either stand with your sister or with the mortals. This conflict cannot be avoided. You know that the humans cannot defeat a goddess. They can win only with your help, but then you would be fighting against your own sister. Can you do it? Or will you side with your sister? Your decision will shape the future of this world and perhaps that of the countless other worlds out there."

He turned around to leave, but Regina preempted him. "Dadallent ... you still have a heart."

"I did not say that," he answered stiffly as his stride abruptly cut off. "But it shows. I know the stories, you were once a great prince! Even after all this time has gone by, you still haven't lost yourself!"

He laughed harshly, no trace of mirth in his voice. "The prince faded when I was cursed and I killed him long ago. There is no kindness left in me, goddess. I live for only one purpose now, and that is to destroy. To that one end I have devoted my life and become as evil as any human ever could - so evil that Hell itself feared to claim me. You can end my existence, goddess, but I still have a part to play in the upcoming war. As for your angel Rynn, inform her that I will await her two days from now at the old temple." Dadallent dipped his head and stalked out of the room.

More confused than ever, Regina stared after him, gazing blankly at the area where he had been before turning around and staring at the far wall without really seeing it. Why do you have to perplex me like this? You're so different from the man I once knew, but I still believe that deep down inside you're still the prince who was admired by his people, even under the curse! She brushed a tear away from the corner of an eye and resolved not to let her feelings out, not this time. As for Dadallent's challenge to Rynn, Regina did not intend to let her angel die again in battle with the Chaos Prince.

Part of her asked why she cared so much. Dadallent had long ago cast away his humanity, and the story went around in Heaven that the Almighty punished him for his great sin by making him semi-immortal. Regina hadn't met Dadallent herself prior to the tournament, but she seemed to recall Marin having once met him. And if all the stories were really true ... it didn't bear thinking about. Even Gill and McGrath were wary around him, and wasn't Dadallent the one who had killed poor Urien? For that matter, the archangel was still recovering in Heaven. Regina sighed to herself. I'm too soft to fight. I always want to believe the best in everyone, but if what Dadallent says is true ... but it can't be. Right?

"Does something trouble you, Regina?" a voice from behind asked.

"I'm just worried about Dadallent, Samantha," Regina answered, half-turning to look at the new arrival. Samantha stood on the top step of the short flight of stairs that led into the lounge; possibly she had passed Dadallent coming in? "I've heard many conflicting stories about him. Did you know that he was once a great prince in Dacia? I simply wonder what could have happened to have caused him to fall so utterly."

Samantha's eyes hardened. "Regina, perhaps you do not understand this as you are a goddess, but I as a human have seen Dadallent in battle with the man I love most. I wish to see him killed and forgotten. Perhaps I may sound vindictive to your ears, yet these are my sentiments."

"I believe in goodness," Regina replied.

"I believe there is no goodness in him," Samantha answered firmly. "You are foolish to believe otherwise."

Regina seated herself on the couch as Samantha left the room in long-legged strides. The other woman was correct in a way, but not entirely. I want to believe in a person's goodness, even in someone like Dadallent. Am I being too naïve? I'm so confused ... I've never dealt with anyone from Earth before. Marin, where are you when I need your help? Talk to me, sister ... Regina had earlier sent a few of her angels back to Heaven to search for Marin, but they had returned to report that Marin was nowhere to be found. I love you all, my friends, but what do I do ...?

Meanwhile, Samantha was full of conflicting thoughts of her own as she headed for the room that, until recently, she had shared with McGrath. My husband fought three times with Dadallent, no clear victor in any outcome. We of the IDC have lost several soldiers to him. So many people have fallen beneath his bloodstained hands, yet Regina still believes that there is goodness in him? She must be so self-deluded. She calls herself a goddess; I will believe it when I see evidence of -

Her train of thought was abruptly cut off when her communicator rang. Pulling the thin device off her hip, Samantha took one glance at the onscreen computer and brought the communicator to her ear. "Attention all units, this is Captain Commando speaking. Scott Wagner has just been abducted by an unknown subject, tracking subject at short range by the hotel. Subject is wearing a helmet, a black jacket, and blue denim, riding a motorcycle with license plate R83BI1. All units respond immediately!"

"BEAT leader here," came the near instant reply, "we've already got a team on it."

"Apache here," Blake Wallis followed, "Lloyd and I are heading down to grab Recon Cycles, we'll be with you in an instant."

"This is Keychain," Samantha reported as she broke into a flat sprint. "I will take my Recon Cycle by the hotel lobby. Relay your coordinates to me, captain." Samantha rounded a corner as the coordinate set and a miniature map of Osaka appeared on her screen. Her Recon Cycle was parked by the hotel entrance, its dangerous-looking pair of warhead launchers affixed to the main frame. Samantha hopped into the pilot's seat and gunned the engine into quick start, pausing only to retract the missile launchers. Commando was already half a kilometer and rapidly widening the distance; two other dots denoted Blake and Lloyd ahead and to the right. Even as Samantha shot out of the hotel lot, she saw Blake and Lloyd far ahead zooming into the crowded and dangerous streets of Osaka.

And with that, the chase was on. Samantha paused only to turn her communicator to all-frequency mode and instantly she was at the center of a barrage of information, resentfully noting that she was the last in a long line of pursuers. Commando was closest to the target and a moment later had succeeded in tagging it; IDC satellites then relayed the information to Samantha's bike computer where the target in question was painted a bright red, nearly a kilometer ahead of her. "I can see the subject up ahead!" Commando shouted over the wind. "Do we have any air support here?!"

"We could scramble fighters from a nearby air dock," Lloyd called back, "but they'd need at least twenty minutes to arrive. Too conspicuous!"

"Fine!" Commando called. Samantha skillfully wove through the traffic while keeping one eye on her computer. This high-speed pursuit was just like the simulations - perhaps easier, come to think of it, now that she didn't run the risk of losing a tire to a random bullet. Whoever was driving the target motorcycle was no pushover, but neither was Commando, and the captain had an IDC recon cycle and thus the superior machine. While Samantha dodged through the busy traffic keeping one eye on the target screen, Commando steadily narrowed down the distance to the quarry. They were approaching the heart of the city now. "Almost there!" Commando reported. "Just give me another hundred meters and I can - holy -!" He was abruptly cut off as a sickening crunch blasted through the communicator, nearly causing Samantha to jump out of her skin. Two BEAT dots immediately turned to converge on Commando's position.

"What happened?" Blake called. No reply came for a few moments, although Samantha strained her ears and nearly ran into a car. A plethora of Japanese curses barraged her from all sides, but she merely ignored it all and gunned the engine. She had covered a significant portion of the distance between herself and the red dot, but she knew that she was playing a risky game by driving at such a dangerous speed. When Commando finally broke the silence, it was in a bare whisper. "Fell ... into a trap ..." he rasped out. "... watch ... for neck-heighth ... tripwires ..."

"Get a medic to him. Now!" BEAT leader shouted. "Who else is closest to the subject?"

"I'm on it!" Right before Samantha's disbelieving eyes, Blake narrowed down the distance at an incredible rate. Samantha ran a red light and changed to a lesser used street, barely avoiding being clipped by a car. Whoever was fleeing hadn't stopped at all and Samantha wondered how skilled someone had to be in order to do that. And from the way he or she dodged around, the subject had to have realized that he or she was being followed. Blake and a quartet of the nearest BEATS closed the distance. "BEAT leader, try to ambush the subject right on the fringes of the city!"

"We're setting up multiple staging points," the BEAT replied. "Corner the subject against the harbor if you can. All units, maintain positions and prepare to close in once the subject has been apprehended. We don't know who we're dealing with, so deal expeditiously with the subject. Subject is wearing a bike helmet, a black leather jacket, and jeans. Drives a standard motorcycle; engine's not too powerful, but he can sure pull some fancy moves."

"I see him up ahead! I'm taking the distance!" Blake cried. "But I don't see Scott Wagner anywhere! You think he might've - son of a, I'm going down!" Even through the channel, Samantha felt rather than heard Blake brace himself and a moment later he had crashed into the street. Blake's recon cycle and that of the four BEATs behind him all ground to a stop on the tactical threat display. "Ow ow ow ... this is Apache, there are tacks scattered all over the street and they got all five of us! Ouch! Send a medic ... we're in a bad shape, one of your BEATs is bleeding all over the ground. I think I've broken a few bones ... Apache, going into passive mode." His channel faded out.

Samantha kicked her recon cycle ahead, passing through a bridge and emerging into the main street once more. Lloyd was ahead of her but still a good distance from the subject and he was definitely approaching with more caution than either Blake or Commando had shown. Over the communications array, BEAT leader shouted out orders for the remaining IDC soldiers to fan out and search for Scott Wagner. With the mechanical efficiency of clockwork, the soldiers moved to comply with the command and Samantha passed a BEAT moving in the opposite direction. She was close to the target now, but they were beginning to move out of the city and she hoped that Lloyd at least would catch up. Samantha hated lone takedowns.

Dodging around a comparatively slow moving car - her recon cycle was pushing the 160 kph mark - Samantha nearly ran into a curb and dodged it only at the last moment. The hot air of the inner city stung her delicate cheeks, but she grimly pulled around and executed a near-impossible skid, throwing the recon cycle on a new course that saved her half a minute's worth of playing catch-up to Lloyd. Her hair whipped around wildly in her face and Samantha ducked to clear her vision. There was another shortcut around here and she intended to find it ... there! Samantha performed another one of her nigh-impossible maneuvers and raced off into a back alley so constricted that her legs brushed against the bricks on both sides. She cut down a little on speed; meanwhile, BEAT leader was still coordinating the chase. "Greyhawk, Keychain's catching up rapidly to you. Maintain your current tracking line."

"Understood, BEAT leader," Lloyd answered. Samantha shot out of the alleyway and into another street; glancing up, she was nearly blinded by the sun and bolted off. Directly under a bridge overpass Samantha stopped again to orient herself. She had nearly caught up with the elusive quarry on the outskirts of the town and was only slightly behind Lloyd. Coughing once - the city air was bad for her - Samantha gunned the recon cycle and shot out of the bridge's shadow. Looking up, she could Lloyd in his recon cycle and distinctive overcoat bearing down hard on another motorcycle. Samantha was still too far to see the rider of the motorcycle, but with the flick of the fuel injector she was once more rapidly covering the distance. She blurred past two whole blocks of residences and trees. "Greyhawk, I am covering you! Do it!"

"Understood, Keychain!"

"BEAT patrol, subject is in blockade area two. Spring the ambush on my mark," BEAT leader ordered. Samantha was now close enough to see the rider of the motorcycle, whom Lloyd had nearly caught up with. Suddenly, from a particularly narrow passageway through which the unknown target was passing, a harpoon flew out of the shadows trailing a long length of steel-shod cable. Samantha couldn't believe what she saw next; with superhuman reflexes, the motorcycle rider began to dodge even before the harpoon embedded itself into the building opposite its launch point. The rider threw the machine into a sideways skid at an angle which gravity should have pulled them both to the ground in a terrible wipeout; instead, the rider dodged under the harpoon, reached down to the ground, and with precise swiftness pushed himself upright again. Samantha's heart leapt into her mouth as she saw Lloyd blaze down the same alleyway, but the veteran Phantom had tricks of his own, too. He produced a Sparrow Dagger from his huge overcoat and flung it with his trademark deadly aim, cleanly cleaving through the cable. Lloyd gunned his engine and shot ahead; a moment later, two BEATs followed him from the alleyway on their own recon cycles.

"Subject escaped the ambush!" BEAT leader shouted. "Track him down! Medic, how are the others coming along?" Samantha zoomed through the narrow passage herself and she emerged beyond the city.

"Fine. Apache and Commando will both recover; they're not half as beaten up as we'd thought on first glance," the BEAT reported. "Raven and Highstrike will both be out of action for at least a week, though. They'll need blood transfusions and we're taking them to the nearest IDC base."

Ahead of Samantha, Lloyd had practically pulled up alongside the unknown rider and was trying to pull him off the motorcycle. The rider dodged at the last moment, causing Lloyd to nearly lose his balance. When the Phantom tried again, this time it was with a BEAT at his back. The rider kept out of arm's reach and then gunned ahead when Lloyd had to break away for a moment as a line of trees came zooming past them. Samantha was only about twenty meters behind them now.

Lloyd tried to close in again, but he caught sight of a telltale flash just in time and dodged to the left, hard; a moment later a bullet ricocheted harmlessly off the recon cycle's armor-plating front. The rider turned and aimed another bullet at the cycle's tires, but the armor caught this one too. Lloyd tried to approach from the side opposite the rider's gun arm as the two BEATs wove around in a complex support pattern. As they emerged into a particular wide intersection, however, the mysterious rider pulled the motorcycle to the right, hard, nearly running himself into the ground as the machine squealed in protest at being made to execute such an unnatural maneuver. His gun arm came up again and he fired; it was a shot that even McGrath would have been challenged to make, and yet it came through. The bullet ricocheted off the pavement and under the recon cycle's formidable front armor, blasting through Lloyd's tires. A moment later, the veteran Phantom had lost his balance and shot out of the cycle's seat as the machine crashed headlong into the ground. Lloyd flew a good ten meters through the air before crashing heavily into the pavement. One of the BEATs immediately swerved off to tend to him.

"Greyhawk!" Samantha shrieked. "Respond, Lloyd!" When no answer was forthcoming, she kicked the engine and chased down the target. The other BEAT had tried to run down the mystery kidnapper earlier, but the target had simply applied brakes at the last second and the BEAT shot past him - almost. The mystery rider backhanded the BEAT and left him sprawling on the ground clutching at a bruised windpipe. Samantha had to swerve to avoid a collision with the injured IDC soldier, but one glance confirmed that he would live; besides, more IDC-colored dots were converging on their location. Unfortunately, this had also bought the mystery rider enough time to run once more. Samantha's eyes narrowed as she fired up her own machine and resumed the chase.

The mystery rider turned again and fired a bullet which Samantha only barely ducked in time. Earlier McGrath had trained her to dodge bullets, but Samantha hadn't yet fully mastered the technique. Samantha had no weapons of her own, but she was wary of closing in for a takedown. She settled on a different course of action, dropping back some distance as another bullet came by, this one deflected off the recon cycle's front windbreaker. Samantha flicked a button and the recon cycle's two warhead launchers rose out of the bike's back. Selecting a homing missile, Samantha keyed the area in front of her target and launched a single rocket that streaked from the bike like a shooting star. The warhead's smoke was colorless and it raced across the distance that separated Samantha from her target in an instant. It flew on past the target, but only for a brief moment before it abruptly turned downwards and impacted the ground hard.

The concussion blast of the rocket impact knocked the mystery rider backwards off his motorcycle as his machine went skidding along the ground and straight into the crater left by the missile. The rider crashed into a tree and went motionless, falling heavily to the pavement before all movement stopped. Samantha skimmed over the road and pulled up alongside the rider a moment later; she left the engine on idle and approached the target of the chase. He was lying quite still on the ground except for the occasional groan and Samantha radioed a status report over the communicator. "Keychain reporting, I have apprehended the subject. Requesting an extraction team at my coordinates. BEAT leader, how is Greyhawk?"

"Not well, I'm afraid," BEAT leader answered. "No head concussions, mercifully, but he'll be out of action for at least a week. Four BEATs heading to your position now, they'll arrive in ten minutes."

"Thank you, BEAT leader." Samantha replaced the communicator on her hip and approached the mystery rider. He was starting to pull himself to his feet, but Samantha forestalled him by sweeping her left leg under his chin and a moment later had cleanly lifted him off the ground. Folding her hands behind her back, she pinned him up against the tree a good two feet off the ground with her leg and stood perfectly still. "Answer my questions. Where is Scott Wagner?"

A faint gurgle came in reply and the rider clutched futilely at Samantha's leg. Sighing, she eased up a little on the pressure; this, however, turned out to be a mistake when the mystery rider instantly retaliated by striking Samantha's left knee on either side, causing her leg to buckle and collapsing the chokehold. Samantha reeled backwards without falling as the sudden loss of balance disoriented her for a moment. She turned the motion into a backward shoulder roll and regained her feet, but was somewhat disconcerted to see the mystery rider assume a combat stance with no trace of injury or fatigue. Samantha's eyes narrowed. "BEAT leader, I may need reinforcements. The subject is uninjured and potentially dangerous."

"Copy that, Keychain. Reinforcements on their way."

Samantha eyed her quarry warily, on the alert for any sudden movements or any sign of weaponry. It was the mystery rider who struck first, breaking into a run that Samantha dashed forward to meet. The mystery rider swung with his right arm and Samantha countered with a powerful Minerva Kick that caught her opponent under the chin, knocking him backwards. Whoever the rider was, however, he managed to safely roll out of the fall and regain his feet before Samantha could follow up her momentary advantage. In an instant they had closed again and were trading blows hard and fast. This time, the mystery rider did not make the mistake of underestimating Samantha and they fought around the tree. And to her surprise and dismay, Samantha discovered that she was severely outmatched. "You are skilled ..." she rasped out.

The mystery rider made no reply. Samantha blocked a high kick and attempted to retaliate with a Minerva Kick, but the mystery rider pulled his leg back with incredible speed and Samantha's leg shot through empty air. She felt her leading leg tear through only empty air and mentally prepared herself, knowing that the technique's long cooldown was about to make itself felt. But the mystery rider did not exploit the opening, merely letting Samantha complete her attack and land safely on her feet. The rider beckoned to Samantha with a gloved hand; to her discomfort, Samantha noted that she was breathing hard while the rider showed no sign of exertion.

It was impossible to see through the rider's helmet, but Samantha had odd suspicions. She was taller than he - no great surprise, she was taller than most men - but the rider struck her as odd in more than one way. Instead of going straight in again, Samantha jumped and arced down on her enemy with an overhead attack, her powerful Full-Moon Kick that could bring a rampaging buffalo to the ground with one strike. This the mystery rider dodged by skillfully sliding out of the way and Samantha inwardly wondered who she could be fighting against. The rider did not attempt a counterattack and inwardly Samantha grimaced. Whoever he may be, he understands that my style is strongest in the counter offensive. What can I do when deprived of my greatest advantage? Her mind erupted into overdrive analysis and she could imagine McGrath's patient voice, coaching her in observing her enemies. Occupy him ... your allies arrive soon ...

So instead of trying a direct contest, Samantha tried to circle the mystery rider, who still wasn't putting up much of an offense. Samantha tried to angle the mystery rider so as to place the sun at her back. A little farther ... it turned out to be a mistake when the rider suddenly broke and made a mad dash for Samantha's recon cycle. Samantha herself had longer legs, though, and with a quick dash instantly caught up to the mystery rider. She reached out and seized his shoulder, then had his back leg hooked in an instant and pulled backwards, hard. The mystery rider lost balance; Samantha completed the attack by planting down her sweeping leg and throwing herself into a powerful spin, catching the rider under the chin with her other foot and making a twisting spin that sent the rider flying away from her cycle. The kick caught the target at the exact proper location and the helmet sailed off the rider's head as he executed a skillful tech hit to land safely on the ground.

Samantha's breath caught in her throat as she considered the mystery rider with disbelieving eyes. It was no man at all, it was a woman - one with flaming tresses that cascaded down to her shoulders now that the helmet was gone. "Marin ...?"

The mystery rider stood up more erect and nodded. "I apologize, Samantha McGrath; I did not intend for this to occur."

"What have you done to my husband?" Samantha whispered, cautiously edging closer. "To my friends?"

"It is not yet time for you to learn of their fates," Marin replied. "I apologize, Samantha, I truly do, for the necessity of my actions. You will see them again when this has ended. Pardon the discourtesy; I must take my leave."

"Wait!"

"Samantha, you will awaken in your bed with no memory of what has occurred. Please hold no ill-will towards me for I must do this." Marin extended a hand towards Samantha and the Phantom felt reality begin to dissolve. Was it only her imagination, or was the world beginning to lose coherence? And why did Marin's eyes look so inexpressibly sorrowful? "Sleep well, Samantha McGrath ... return to the light ... in another place ... another time ..." Samantha's eyelids fell and she knew no more.