Yes! Here's for longer chapter-ness! Hope this is a better length for you then previously. Oh, and the coupling for this has been decided, one a bit different to what I usually have… never mind. Hope you enjoy, nonetheless.
"Go on. Go out and kill anybody that opposes me,"
"I… I will,"
He turned to the hesitant looking clone, and suddenly a sickeningly horrible realization dawned on him. I completely forgot about programming the clone's memories… so they just think like the original, and how many have been released?
"Goddamn it!" he swore, turning to two suddenly alert guards. "Get him!"
Both guards lunged at the clone. Two seconds later, they were sprawling on the ground as jolts of electricity shot through their bodies. Donovan shielded his eyes from the blinding electricity, but there was no way for any of them to shield their ears from the deafening screams of pain.
"You cannot defeat any of us so easily. Even if you kill me, there are still more of us out there whom you so foolishly released," The clone clenched one hand into a fist, and the lightning stopped abruptly. The guards were now motionless on the ground, aside from a slight twitch every so often. Donovan glanced down at their lifeless faces. They were well and truly gone.
"Are you telling me that the original has the capacity to do that? Then why the hell didn't he do it, instead of letting us capture him? What a damn fool!" With that, he pulled out a small pistol. "Your original is a fool,"
"That he may be, but he could bring you down easily. As could I, but instead I am going to save more innocents from your deadly actions. Farewell,"
Before he had time to pull the trigger, the clone disappeared. Only swirling emerald leaves were a sign that anyone had ever been there.
"…shit,"
He turned to another still motionless clone lying on the bench. How could I be so foolish? Now there are god knows how many Ryu Hayabusa clones running around… against me! What a complete and utter fool I am!
Nevertheless. He had some work to do. And that, in this case, was to see what it was that drove the super ninja to do what he did.
Well. I could try experimenting on the original. But that wouldn't be so easy. On the other hand, this clone contains all the thoughts, but isn't quite fit to be released as of now… then it's settled. No margin for another idiotic error.
Connecting the electric nodes to the temples of the motionless clone, he easily accessed the brain data and was astounded.
Dear god. This super ninja is a complex person.
But wait. What's this…?
He watched the characters scroll across the screen with a growing smile on his face.
It's that girl. That one he sacrificed himself for. How noble.
He… what is this?
He… feels for her… like this? What a fool! This makes my life so much easier. Now all we have to do is capture the girl, and he will be submissive to all! Only problem is… where would I find a girl such as a kunoichi like her? The aid of the clones. Never would she expect an attack from her friend. This is brilliant.
Pulling the nodes off, the computer screen instantly went blank. He turned back to his chemical table with a smile of satisfaction on his face.
This plan is perfect. Foolproof. Now all I have to do is net myself a girl.
-o-
At first, she thought she was dreaming. That swirl of chestnut brown hair, surely it couldn't be. She had seen him die…
"Hayabusa!"
The ninja looked up, and with calm steps walked over to where she and Hayate were standing.
"Kasumi, Hayate. How nice to see you,"
Something felt… amiss. She couldn't quite explain it, even to herself. But she was nervous about something, and it was not the way she normally felt around Hayabusa. He felt… wrong.
Her eyes moved to Hayate's face for a brief moment, but it was enough to tell her that Hayate had picked up on something amiss as well. Her brother was agitated; he kept running a hand down the hilt of his sword.
Suddenly, she knew. Or that could have been the sword blade swooping down at her.
She ducked and rolled. The sword blade flew harmlessly over her head, cutting through the air. She pulled out her own katana, fire burning in her eyes.
"You're just a clone. Under Donovan's control. You're not the real Hayabusa,"
Hayate seemed reluctant to pull out his sword, even knowing that the Hayabusa standing in front of them was the enemy. She lashed backwards with her hand, a sharp slap on his arm.
"Brother, snap out of it unless you want to die!"
The word 'die' seemed to snap Hayate out of his reverie. Her brother pulled out his sword, just as the Hayabusa clone began laughing.
Hysterically. Insanely.
She took a step back, readying her blade.
It was unnerving.
All the years she had known Hayabusa, she had never heard him laugh before. Especially like this. Between laughing, he spoke.
"You don't understand. There are a lot more of us now, more then you can ever imagine,"
Could that mean… Hayabusa isn't really dead?
No. They probably cloned him and then killed him. I saw him die. He didn't make me feel instantly wary. My instincts… I can trust them. The real Hayabusa is dead, and there is nothing I can do about that…
Except kill this horrible… imposter.
She and Hayate both moved at once. Simultaneously. Simultaneously, the blade of her katana sunk into the clone's chest as Hayate's blade imbedded deep within the clone's stomach.
She had thought it was a clear win. Until Hayate staggered back, clutching his arm.
The clone fell to the ground, dead. She pulled out hers and Hayate's blade.
"Brother! Are you alright?"
Hayate nodded slowly. From where she was standing, there was a sizeable slash, slowly and methodically dripping blood onto the ground, mingling with the clone's blood.
That seemed almost too easy. Hayabusa is harder to take down then that.
"We have to get to DOATEC. Now. Will your arm be alright?"
Hayate nodded again. "I will be alright,"
She tore a strip of material off her ninja gi, wrapped it tightly around her brother's arm.
"That's the best we can do for now,"
Hayate's golden brown orbs wandered to the corpse on the ground, before he shuddered and turned away.
"This is sick,"
She nodded, not having the courage to look back at her friend's face. So similar, yet so absurdly different at the same time.
"Come on, we must go. Hayabusa, we will avenge your death,"