By Final Fantasy GX
Disclaimer: I do not own Cyberchase. It belongs to PBS Kids, among others.
Summary: Will the returned Crimson Blade, altered but still as evil as ever, achieve his ultimate goal? Who will become tangled in his dark designs? And, most of all, who will survive his vicious onslaught? New allies, new threats, and old enemies combine to make the Cybersquad's desperate fight against Crimson harder than ever…
Rating: PG-13 (minimal gore, death, violence)
Author's Note/s: Whoa, that last chapter was massive. Bloody hell. -falls off chair-
Slider makes a small appearance here. (Small…?)
Re-edit notes: Phew. I'm getting tired… must go get something to eat. –munches on sandwich- :D Editing is going well at the moment.
Chapter 8: A Violent Encounter
"I will not have you destroying my chance of gaining revenge!" Crimson Blade yelled at Hacker, frustrated with the green cyborg's suggested plan of attack. "Too many weaknesses, too many ways your plan could go wrong…no…" His voice trailed off into mutterings as Buzz and Delete exchanged meaningful glances. "Complications… there is always a simpler way of destroying those who have caused me pain…"
Walking away from the table where Hacker was sitting (the green cyborg having a somewhat perturbed look on his face), the malevolent glint in Blade's eyes gleamed dangerously as he muttered to himself in a hoarse whisper:
"No… I will murder them myself…"
"Sorry?" Hacker asked, not quite catching the creature's words, and got up from the table.
"Never mind!" Crimson snarled, whipping around to face the green man again. "Take us to R-Fair City…where all things shall come together…" he muttered under his breath again.
Hacker was just about on the verge of cracking and screaming at the insane creature when something occurred to him that, surprisingly, he hadn't thought of beforehand. "What about Motherboard's brats?" he asked harshly. "Surely they'll be along in a few minutes to try and stop us."
Crimson Blade's face, quite suddenly, changed entirely; he actually smiled – no, grinned – and said, in an extremely pleased tone, "Oh, you don't need to worry about them…not at all…"
The green cyborg immediately caught on.
"You mean, you took care of those meddlesome kids?" Hacker almost danced with glee, but thankfully managed to restrain himself.
Blade nodded sinisterly. "Yes. The one you call Matt…his death was quite slow and painful. Very enjoyable indeed." He sounded as though he were simply talking about the weather. "Then again, so were the others'…" he added as an afterthought.
"What exactly did you do to them?" Hacker leaned forward, eagerly hanging on to every word.
"I locked the rest of them in the freezer: that silly Doctor, Jackie, Inez and that cyber bird."
Hacker was stunned and speechless, for once in his life. "And how did you manage to achieve this without them somehow outwitting you?" he asked cautiously. Blade was only too happy to oblige.
"Well…I travelled to Control Central and arrived just before that Dr Marbles sent out the call to the Earth children. I managed to divert the signal and twisted it for my own means," Crimson Blade explained. "Of course, Dr Marbles thought you were at Pompadoria, wreaking your usual havoc, because he had received a report, but, again, that was my doing.
"Once I had completed that part of my plan, I captured the Doctor and overpowered him easily." He snorted. "He may be a cyborg, but I am much, much stronger. Anyway, when the kids had come back via the portal I created, I lured them into a room and trapped them. And so… that was the demise of the Cybersquad."
"What about Motherboard?" Hacker said, on tenterhooks. "Surely you didn't leave her out of it…?"
Crimson shrugged. "What was the point? I have nothing against Motherboard. She has not caused me pain, therefore I do not cause her pain."
He was interrupted by Hacker slamming his face on the desk in mental agony. "The perfect chance," he sobbed, "The perfect chance! And you blow it…argh… the things I have to suffer…"
The insane crimson eyes flared in sudden annoyance. "Oh, shut up."
Hacker shut his mouth. He didn't particularly want a fight on his hands, especially after the news that Crimson could easily overcome a cyborg. Those silly children were out of his way, however…and this Crimson Blade, whoever he was, could turn out to be very useful…
Nodding, he set the co-ordinates, switched on autopilot and flew neatly out of the hangar. Looking out the corner of his eye at the twisted creature standing, statue-like, at the window, whispered:
"You'd better watch out, Crimson…you should know what I'm like with partners…"
-
The green-and-black ship landed safely in R-fair City, where it was met by shrieks of terror by the inhabitants of the cybersite. Citizens and visitors alike ran as if the Devil were after them – but considering the type of creature currently in the ship, no one could blame them.
The ones who were brave enough to gather into a small crowd at the base of the Grim Wreaker waited nervously for the emergence of their much-feared national enemy. But it was not he who appeared first.
Silently the ramp rolled down; silently the people waited. Many held their breath in expectance.
A foot stepped down from inside the Wreaker, and for a single moment all present thought that Dr Marbles himself had at last defeated Hacker. These hopes, however, were soon quashed as the rest of the creature appeared.
Scarlet eyes gleaming in the dull afternoon sunlight, Crimson Blade sauntered down the ramp with all the bearing of a victorious opponent. Sparks of light glinted off the metallic surfaces of his android counterparts; his ill-matched wings fluttered slightly in the light breeze. A collective gasp rose from the crowd as they recognised his different features, and Blade then halted just before the end of the ramp. Immediately, a space cleared in front of him as they all scrambled backwards to get as far away from him as possible.
It was then that Hacker descended the ramp with Buzz and Delete, standing threateningly behind Crimson Blade. Though the crowd then lay eyes on him, there was not a sound, for by this time they had all determined one thing: that no matter how much they knew about Hacker's bad deeds, it was nothing, absolutely nothing compared to the strong feeling of evil emanating from this new creature. It was like a blanket that choked and smothered, a feeling of horror so real that it made you want to turn and run in the opposite direction, and keep running until there was nowhere left to go.
But the real horror had only just begun.
-
Meanwhile, not too far away, Slider, the teenager from Radopolis, was walking across the well-beaten grass, backpack slung across his shoulder and map in his hand, when he caught sight of a single thing that made hip stop and drop his map: the Grim Wreaker standing in the middle of a crowd of cyber-citizens.
"Hacker," he muttered.
Ever since the events with the Encryptor Chip, he had been searching for his father all over Cyberspace; and now, here was the one being who had caused his father's disappearance. Grabbing the first person that ran past him in terror, Slider pulled it behind one of the booths and asked urgently, "Tell me, quickly. Is Hacker here?"
The android in his grip twisted in an attempt to get away, and finally sobbed, "It's not only Hacker, it's this new creature that he's got with him…please, let me go!"
"It's all right," said the brown-haired teenager firmly. "Tell me more about this creature."
"Oh… God… It's - it's awful…" The robot moaned and tried to pull away again. "Insane red eyes… and the features of many people, all blended into one body… but the worst thing is the horror." For the first time since Slider had spoken to him, the many-coloured robot stopped struggling and stared at him in utmost revulsion. "It makes you want to run and run and never stop! Don't go near it… I'm warning you now… it's just horrible..."
As Slider released his grip on the android, it gave a half-choked sob and sped off in the opposite direction, heading away from the Wreaker. The teenager watched it disappear behind some rides, before pulling out a communicator he had made and calling Matt's Squak Pad.
-
"Greetings, citizens of R-Fair City!" Blade said loudly, his somewhat high-pitched voice echoing around the silent circle of people that surrounded him.
"My name is Crimson Blade. I suppose you're wondering what we – the Hacker and I, that is, - are doing here."
Agitated, Slider watched the screen anxiously as he joined the back of the crowd, and heard Crimson Blade's speech begin. "Come on, Matt," he whispered. "Come on."
"Well, it just so happens that I am trying to find someone. And you might just be able to help."
A small beep. A crackle. "Answer it, Matt!"
"You probably all know this person - "
The teenager clutched the communicator in his hands and risked a glance at Crimson Blade. Something was going to happen, he knew. He could feel it, see it in the glint of the creature's red eyes: something very bad indeed.
" - and that's why we have come to you in our time of need."
Still no answer. Almost panting from the strain, Slider punched in the numbers again with a trembling finger and waited once again.
"I hope you don't find my presence too terrifying." A small chuckle. "I certainly can't help the way I look right now."
A few more beeps, then –
"All I ask is that you help us. We won't hurt you, we simply want to find this person - "
Matt answered. "Yeah?" he greeted the tall teenager with a surprisingly grave face.
Slider almost fainted with relief. "Matt," he whispered. "Hacker's here."
"What?"
"He has this other creature with him. It's here right in front of me."
"Tell me what he looks like. Quick. This could be a matter of life or death."
"It already is, Matt…" Out of the corner of his eye, Slider saw a single figure step out from the crowd as Blade spoke the name:
" – who goes by the name of Cy Clone." In horror, Slider watched Crimson start to draw something out of his jacket –
"Slider!"
"Sorry, but someone is about to be killed here!"
"Hurry, Slider! What does it look like?"
"Red eyes, mismatched body. I can't stand here and watch someone be murdered, you know!"
something that gleamed like cold fire in the dim sunlight.
"We're in a bit of trouble at the moment, but we'll try and get there as soon as we can. Slider, be careful. Crimson Blade - " The signal cut out.
Furious, Slider stuffed the communicator into his backpack and shoved his way to the front of the crowd. Already, Cy Clone was looking apprehensive, as a huge knife - the one that had belonged to Hacker - was thrust in front of his face; the crowd murmured in surprise and fear.
"No, don't anybody move!" Crimson said. "I am capable of destroying all present here, quite easily!"
No one could question that statement. There was an awkward pause as everyone looked at each other, uneasy.
"Do you know what he did to me?" Blade suddenly yelled to the crowd, voice rising as extreme hatred coursed through him at the sight of the one who had helped in destroying him. Many shook their heads; Cy Clone did not dare to speak with the blade hovering inches from his face, and simply looked confused.
"He killed me, once! Do you recognise me at all?" the question was suddenly directed at the clone capturer.
"No," at last Cy spoke in an undertone. "I do recognise some of you, but I have never killed anyone."
"That's where you're wrong." The hand holding the knife shook with pent up excitement. "Do these two words ring a bell?" He paused, before bringing his face up close to Cy's and whispering hoarsely:
"Delete clone…"
Another pause.
"What do you mean by that? I'm a clone trapper. It's what I do."
"You put my short life to ruin by sucking me up like that, returning me to that android over there! But of course that meant I was no longer a sentient being! I was dead!" Crimson Blade shrieked. "I was DEAD, do you hear me! But it won't matter anymore, because now you're going to suffer a fate alike to mine!"
He brought the knife up and was about to send it hurtling into Cy Clone's neck, decapitation style, when at last Slider broke through the last of them and yelled, "STOP!"
Immediately Crimson Blade switched his deadly gaze from the frozen Cy Clone onto the teenager, and Slider felt his sudden bravery melting away like water on sand.
"Uh…" he said hesitantly, backing up slowly. The crowd was unresisting at his back. "Please… don't kill him…"
"Oh, I won't kill him just yet…" Blade hissed, lowering the knife and turning to face the teenager.
Slider knew then he was going to pay dearly for what he'd done.
Hurry, Matt…