(Notes: I don't own any of the rights to Cyborg 009)
(Author's notes: Welcome back for yet another chapter! I'd like to thank everyone that's been reading. This chapter however, I'm sorry it's taken me so long to write. Partly due to that May has been a very very busy month here, and partly due to that ..idk ..Just not liking how this chapter turned out but you be the judge :)
Anyone remember the big ultra sonic monsters at the end of the series? I guess it's a bit of a spoiler.
Klatch or klatch ..ak: The sound 004's leg seems to make before he fires his leg rockets. 002 had a primitive ver of 009's exceleration mode. It's often overlooked.)
Declaration of war:
"Mutation of the virus !" Dr Gillmore nearly rushed the poor meek drone of a science assistant out of his chair in his rush to the computer screen to see just what he was talking about. "Just what dose that mean!"
" Dr Gillmore sir .." Crawling back to his keyboard, the meek scientist adjusted his huge glasses before typing away on his laptop once more in retrieving more vital information." We're not completely sure. Form looking at these graphs, Miss 3's brain waves are off the charts and the infected cyborgs are beginning to follow the same patterns ..."
Dr Gillmore backed off from the science assistant in a huff and nearly into Dr Eekamen who was watching from over the dr's shoulder. "Tell us something we don't already know!"
" I am ! " Insulted, the meek scientist spun around in his office chair to take defense of his diagnostics "I'm saying something new and strange is defiantly going on here we just can't figure out what it is because the virus is changing so fast! "
" Dr Gillmore please .." 001 looked up at Dr Gillmore with worry in his eyes. " I'm just as scared for my team mates too but anger and panic will not bring them back any faster. We must trust in the remaining members and trust that soon there will be a cure for the virus."
Taking a sighing deep breath, Dr Gillmore tried to subside his anger. Half, only half of the cyborgs logged into the dreamland matrix were left.
Powering up his physic energy, the small baby's eyes began to gleam. " Don't worry dr, I'll try my best to help monitor the remaining cyborgs brain waves so that the scientist can concentrate their full energy on the sick."
High in the turbulent skys above, the worn but faithful red by plane soared closer towards it's destination. Dodging winds and up drafts, the old plane shook uncontrollably in the furry of the storm. It took everything in Jean Paul's power just to fight to keep the aircraft under control. His plane wasn't made for this type of flying and worry was starting to creep in. Especially, since his plane handled so poorly in his previous attempts. Now that the storm was much worse than before, there was no telling what lied from one cloud to the next.
Jean Paul swallowed deeply in holding back his doughts. He had to make it though. He had to do this for his sister's sake.
009 leered over the front seat of the biplane trying to gain Jean Paul's attention. " Just how much longer will it take to get to our destination?"
Clenching the clutch tighter in his leather gloved hand, Jean Paul subsided though his worst fears with a fake bout of confidence. "Soon, we're very close to the pavilion now."
Just as 009 laid back to try and relax for the remainder of the nervous flight, a scream from what sounded like the depths of hell rang out from the darkness.
"004! " In an instant, 009 jumped to his to his senses. Glancing over the edge of the plane's seat, all he could see was the blunt darkness of the storm. However, a slight rumbling sounds seemed to drone from the thundering skys.
Glancing farther over the plane's edge, not only was 009 met with yet another bust of surging energy from the storm as the tormented screams ended, he was met with the suprize of his life. Bursting though the blackened cloud bank in a rage of uncontrolled furry was the fabled dragon Jean Paul had warned him about, and it was coming straight at the tiny biplane.
Long and snaky, this hellion of a monster seemed to stretch and coil on for miles. Blood red and midnight black razor sharp scales feathered down it's back cutting anything they touched to shreds like a stray piece of hair being dropped on a knife blade. An ear piercing screech drowned out any sounds of the wind when the dragon opened it's gaping mouth reveling teeth as large as skyscrapers dripping with sliva.
"LOOK OUT!" In a desperate attempt to dodge the beast's furry, Jean Paul pulled back hard on the clutch stick sending the plane spiraling upwards and out of the way just in the nick of time.
The furry of the long snaky dragon's body as it pasted shook the plane with the roughest turbulence felt on this fight yet.
Nearly falling out of the plane during it's acrobatic up clime , 009 gripped the gattling gun he was sitting behind and thanked god for the seatbelts still holding him in place.
Leveling the plane out of it's death spiral, Jean Paul screamed back to 009. "You see that gun you're hanging onto? Now would be the perfect time to put it to good use!"
"right!" Bravery over took his fears, and without another though 009 gripped the gun by it's handles. Despite never using such primitive weaponry, somehow he knew just what to do.
Just as the dragon was making it's return trip, Jean Paul cut the plane back in the opposite direction sending the aircraft in another dizzying spiral. Ducking down in the seat, 009 managed to level out the gun in the perfect aim position.
"FIRE! " Showers of bullets rained back in the face of the dragon hitting it's mark. Small spats of blood sprayed from where the bullets struck, but it made no difference in the dragon's speed and rage. The bullets only managed to fuel the beast's anger. With a death tone screech the dragon rushed at the plane missing it's tail by meer inches.
" PULL UP, PULL UP! " 009 screamed for the panic for his dear life. The dragons teeth were so close to him that he could see ever mark of death left by last victims he had claimed left in their final moments.
Then the most horrible thought bolted though 009's mind. "Could the other cyborgs be dead!"
Jean Paul once again flipped the plane in another instant acrobatic spiral upwards. Jostled about the plane, 009 held his post as best he could. Looking back, the dragon seemed to had disappeared from view.
" No ...something isn't right. " Tasting the ultimate panic of fear, 009 searched franticly for the dragon's whereabouts. However, the cloud bank beneath them was too thick hiding everything around them. "Jean Paul..."
Suddenly the cloud banks in front of them parted in two, rolling aside like ocean waves revealing the hellish dragon screeching towards them at bullet speeds. Fangs ready for death.
Jean Paul turned to 009 gripping by the neck of his shirt. "JUMP!"
"What!" Impossible, he'd die for sure on impact.
" JUMP ! What are you waiting for! "As Jean Paul gripped his shirt tighter the look on his face as he looked 009 straight in the eyes said it all.
"No ..Jean Paul ..." Not given the chance to argue, Jean Paul knocked 009 over the edge of the biplane into the abyss and confusion of the raging storm.
Awaking in the darkest regions of 003's dream mind, 008 picked himself up from off the dusty rubble filled dirt path he was laying in the middle of. Stretching out the stiffness in his body, 008 turned to look at his surroundings ." Whoah ..man what is this place? It looks like what's left of hell on earth. "
Indeed it was. Covered by the darkness of night with the exception of the soft glow of the full moon, was a forest in the middle of no place. Atlest, what was left of one. The last few trees and bushes remaining where only a short lived memory of the mightily forest that used to be. Burned out tanks lay in craters still on fire as if they where just struck. Spent gun casings and shells lay in strives around guns long lost by what's to be assume by their dead owners.
Instantly, 008 was reminded of his own past. " This place.."
This place was worse to see than when his own nation was torn by civil war. Thankfully, by the efforts of him in his spare time, and his old comrades full time, Mumba was becoming a fully prosperous nation. However, this place that he was in now, what was it to 003?
Walking over to one of the burned out tanks, 008 gazed over the edge of the crater. Noticing the faded paint from the emblem on the tank, it was soon clear what vision this was of 003's.
" How could I have never guessed it before .. " Backing away from the crater, a few stray pebbles fell over it's edge. " 003 was one of the original four. The age of the weaponry says it all. This was 003's test activation."
Hearing a twig snap in a distance, 008 thought it best to keep moving. There was no telling who or what could be lurking in the woods that could hurt 003 or him.
Dashing off into the woods, the sounds of footsteps still seemed to follow him. Before long, 008 found himself near a slow moving stream nestled in between small cliffs of rock.
" Dammit. " 008 hissed to himself as he took cover under the covering of some low laying bushes near a stream. "She must be scared out of her mind. "
The sound of twigs snapping still seemed to follow him, who ever it was, what ever it was. Was moving at accelerated speeds.
"009? 002?" Softly, 008 questioned the logical answers in his mind. When suddenly with ninja like stealth in the silent night, what ever it was swept past him. Ducking slightly in hopes not to be seen he waited for it to pass. When all seemed silent, 008 peered cautiously from his hiding space.
It was then when he saw her standing tall looking almost domineering above him on the rocks above the small creek. Her beautiful face was dawned with scars of dirt and blood stains. Dressed in a green cyborg uniform, her outfit was ripped and torn from the rage and ware of hard battle. Her tattered red scarf waved like a battle flag in the wind.
" 003! o my god I'm so happy you're safe!" Rushing from the bushes, 008 ran out into the middle of the creek meeting his lost friend half way. " They didn't harm you did they ..?"
"Stay back you Black Ghost FREAK! " Falling to one knee, 003 klatched her leg into firing position. The look of determination on her face said it all. She would not be taken prisoner again.
"What! Those are 004's powers!" The panic of confusion rang out tough 008's mind. "Whats the meaning of this! Don't you remember me? 008...?"
Backing away was all 008 could do. He didn't want to do anything to hurt her. However, he continued talking lost sense into her. " Don't you remember all the times we spent hanging out on the dolphin on long watches, or that time we pissed off 002 by naming the ship, or that picnic at the beach? "
Her glance of rage and death never changed as she watched him cower to the corners of the creek. " All I remember was some warped minded scientist taking every piece of humanity out of my body and leaving me this messed up FREAK of a woman that you see before you. Some war hungry little putts like you chasing me with guns and tanks wouldn't understand."
"War hungry little putts ..!" Out of all the cyborgs besides 003, he was the least war hungry out them all. As the others soon found joy in their off times in finding new lives in the world they once lost, he enjoyed giving the same gift to others who had nothing . He told her this often when they talked. How could she forget?
In his panicked trance, he stumbled over a jagged rock in the creek. Falling into the mercy waters, 008 was able to see his reflection on the surface before he hit. " WHY!..Why am I wearing this Black Ghost army uniform!"
" Die you sick, freak DIE! " With a twisted girlish laugh, 003 fired her leg rocket directly at 008.
The rocket screeched towards 008 and he prayed for the best. It was times like this when he wished his creators gave him stronger powers than to just swim, but his powers, the feeling of them being there seemed to be missing.
" I'm not your enemy! " Plunging out of the way just in the nick of time, 008 missed the blunt of the blast. However, the shockwave of the explosion slammed him against the shore like a rag doll.
"Please 003 ...I'm not your enemy ..." He didn't dare to move, in her state there was no telling what she would do next. He would never want to hurt her even in a state like this. However, if he had to survive he would give her a run for everything she was worth.
Jumping down from the rocks, she moved in acceleration speeds. In a flash of blurred colors, she appeared instantly in front of his face. With no remorse, she bent down to look him over. " O ..My, my..This lil soldier is all finished playing so soon..."
In satisfaction of seeing she had broken her new toy well, 003 gave him a swift kick to the gut. However, 008 felt nothing. His adrenaline was fully drawn. Rolling over to hide the feeling of her boot, there was only one way out if he could make it. Only one way he could possibly lead her to safety and sanity. One way without hurting her. Somehow ,some way he would get her out of this war torn place or die trying.
Finished playing was the least thought from 008's mind .
Stumbling to his feet, 008 took off running for all he was worth into the remainder of the woods.
" How..? How could he still move after all that ..? Enraged that her efforts had no effect, 003 took off after him like a bat out of hell . clicking her acceleration mode, she hissed between her teeth. "I'll be sure to finish you off this time toy solder. I'll show you just what the perfect weapon of destruction can do..."
"It's working .." 008 glanced in a series of quick looks behind him as he ran hard past burned out tanks and broken trees. No matter how fast he moved, or where he seemed to run too, she was always behind him just steps away.
Stiffening her gun hand she unsuccessfully fired a few rounds in his direction. " Enough.. Enough, I'm done playing."
Strangely the battle zone seemed alot smaller that it had seemed at first. Seeing where the forest had ended, 008 soon realized the horrible truth on where he had lead her too.
"Dammit!" Screeching to a sudden halt, 008 stopped inches from the electric razor wire fence he was about to run into. "This whole area ..It was inclosed ..?"
Deep exulted breaths caught up with his stride as he gasped for air. " This was Black Ghost's head quarters all alone ..I only lead her back to .."
She was only seconds from his tail and now there was nothing he could do. He was trapped and the end was certaint.
" So I see you were gonna call for your friends ..." Taking to one knee, 003 shot her final leg rocket in his direction.
008 close his eyes in wishing not to see his final moments. " 003...003 I'm sorry I couldn't be the one to save you from your hell."
The room was completely silent as the meek scientist continued to ponder over his latest readings. "This isn't good .. This isn't good at all. "
Suddenly, 008 screamed in horror out of his sleep before falling silent.
"008!" Floating over to 008 the physic baby took ahold of his hand in hopes to offer him comfort. Turning towards Dr Gillmore, 001 broke the sad news." He's become another victim to the virus."
" Dr Eekamen, Dr Gillmore come here quick!" The meek scientist called over the two respected doctors over though his firestorm of typing. " Something else odd is happening. "
"O..Not more horrible news. " Dr Eekamen seemed to cower away from Dr Gillmore's threatening looks with good reason.
Rolling his chair away from his lap top, the meek scientist let the two doctors see the results of his latest findings. " 009, though he hasn't been infected, seems to be surging out some kind of energetic brain waves ..."
(to be continued)
(Post notes: With 003 becoming less and less like her sweet old self, will there be any hope for restoring her to normal? What will be the fate of the final three logged in cyborgs? Is 009 gonna die? What happened to John Paul? What's this strange light? Find out next time)