Sorry I didn't update in so long. This story IS alive, and I have a lot more to post that's already written. Please enjoy this chapter. I made it extra long for you guys!
Riven's eyes fluttered open to a serene, sun washed room. His muscles tensed immediately, ready for action, but than he remembered where he was and relaxed. He snuggled back into the blankets, not wanting to lose their warmth, and emitted a small sigh.
Someone was banging around in the kitchen. Riven smiled. It was a strangely comforting noise. The racket stopped and the TV started up. The channels changed a few times and finally decided on what sounded like the news. Riven tuned in to what the anchorwoman was saying.
"We have some breaking news today. A seventeen-year-old boy was reported missing this morning. Riven Morin, the son of Dr. William Morin, was last seen in his father's office at Oso Corps at around ten o'clock yesterday. Police are on…"
Riven froze in shock. Dr. Morin. Where have I heard that name before? His thoughts grinded wildly, trying to turn out an answer. I know! One of the scientists at Oso Corps yesterday called a man Dr. Morin. I know he's not my father, my parents are dead and… that was sudden. He smiled despite the circumstances. Maybe his memories were coming back after all.
Riven steered his mind back onto the matter at hand. Come to think of it, I got out of there around ten o'clock. His eyes widened in horror and he shot out of bed. He frantically began to rummage for his clothes.
They must be looking for me. I have to get out of here. Another thought hit him with such force he dropped his remaining article of clothing and steadied himself on the desk.
They know! They must know about Ed and Caal. I can't let them get to any of us. He slipped his shirt on and buttoned it. He raced for the door but it opened and he crashed into Ed. Riven hurriedly backed up and tried to find a way around his friend.
"Slow down, Riven. What's wrong?" Riven gritted his teeth. He could easily push past Ed but he didn't want to hurt him. He met Ed's eyes and spoke earnestly.
"We have to leave. Tell Caal we have got out of here!" Ed put a hand on Riven's shoulder.
"Listen, I don't know what you're talking about and Caal's at school, its nine, but I've got some good news. I found your father. He's looking for you; they have it on television. Isn't that great?" Riven lurched out of Ed's grip and stumbled backwards.
"He's not my father or my foster father!" Riven watched his friend's eyes soften.
"I know this must be hard and all, you not remembering anything. But we can get this all sorted out. Let's call the number they had and talk to your dad." Ed took a step back when Riven looked up at him. His eyes were wild with determination and urgency.
"He'll kill you! He'll kill you and Caal and take me back there! I can't let him do that! I don't have time to explain. I'm sorry I got you into this mess but we have to go. Please, trust me." Ed swallowed hard and eyed his pleading guest.
"Alright, but promise me you'll explain when there's time." Riven nodded solemnly.
"I will. Where are your keys? We have a class to crash."
Ed pulled his car into a visitor parking space and pulled the keys out of the ignition. Riven leapt of the vehicle, making a beeline for the front doors of Mizone Highschool. Ed quickly caught up with his friend.
"Do you know what class Caal's in?" Riven asked hurriedly as they approached the doors.
"Nope. We'll have to ask at the office." Riven swung open the heavy steel doors with ease and started to run down the hall.
"Where's the office?" Ed drew alongside and pointed to a door just down the hallway. They reached it and Riven quietly opened the doors, drawing the attention of the two students and several secretaries inside. He was trying to hold his urgency in check, fearing he'd alert someone to the fact that something was wrong. They strode quickly up to the front desk.
"Excuse me, ma'am. I need to talk to Caal Hideo. Can you tell me what class he's in?" he asked politely. The plump woman at the front desk looked up from her computer screen. She had outrageously styled hair, so overly curled and crimped it looked fake. Her cat eye glasses framed dull, droopy eyes, with which she regardless them annoyingly. She looked extremely bored.
"I'm sorry. Mizone Highschool does not release student information to anyone but legal guardians." she replied in a nasal voice. Her expression never changed. Riven was about to give her a second chance, but a better opportunity presented itself. The office doors flew open and two policemen, guns raised, moved in. One of the girls in the office gave a squeak. Both officers trained their guns on him as soon as they saw him.
"Sir, please come with us." Were they kidding? There was no way Riven would even consider it.
"I'd rather not." he replied dully.
"I'm afraid that's not an option. We're under orders to do whatever it takes to bring you in." answered one of the men.
"Figures." Riven mumbled. With lightning speed that gave neither man time to react, he launched himself at the first man, grabbing his arms and bringing them over his head as both of them tumbled to the ground. The other policeman lowered his gun, unable to shoot because his buddy blocked his aim.
As Riven and the man rolled in a somersault he twisted the man's arms around and grabbed his gun, finishing by rolling off the top of him and into a standing position, gun trained on the second man. Hardly having time to react, the other police officer shot, but missed Riven by a good breadth. Riven rolled to the side and landed in back of his opponent. As the man turned around Riven dove into him, knocking both of them to the floor, one of the officer's arms pinned beneath him.
The man tried vainly to grab Riven's gun but Riven snatched the officer's arm free arm and pressed a thumb to a certain spot on his neck, causing the man to pass out. He leapt up nimbly, all of the action happening in the space of a few seconds. Ed stared open-mouthed at him. Riven drew the gun up and pointed it at the secretary, his voice coming out in a low whisper.
"Let's try this again. Where is Caal Hideo's class?"
Riven sprinted down the hall, his gun held in both hands and pointed towards the floor. Ed was panting somewhere behind him. Riven skidded to a halt in front of the door and slammed a booted foot into it. Ed watched in disbelief as the metal hinges bent and almost gave way.
Riven spun around swung his elbow into the door and sent it flying into the opposite wall of the classroom. Someone screamed from inside. Ed grabbed the doorpost to steady himself and watched as Riven calmly entered the room, gun visible to all.
Caal was startled out of his trance-like state when a thud and a groaning noise came from the class room door. It bent sharply inward and almost fell through. His teacher jumped back and stifled a scream. Someone to his left shrieked as the door came flying across the front of the room and crashing into the wall.
The teacher stared wide-eyed at the demolished door and than turned slowly to the door frame. A figure stood in the shadow of the doorway. It stepped into the room and the light and Caal tumbled out of his chair in shock. His best friend, the one he hadn't seen in two years, walked to the center of the room, a gun in his hand. Caal's own brother leaned in the doorway. Caal wasn't sure why he'd thought his friend would be the same old Riven.
The young man in front of him was a completely different person. He was taller by a good six inches than he'd been before, with a good deal more muscle. His hair was silver-white, and just a bit longer than it had been, sweeping down into his eyes. His face had lost any remaining childish pudginess; it was leaner, sleeker, and smoother, just like the rest of his body.
And there was a hardness to him, something that wasn't like him at all. He held the gun like he knew how to use it; his stance was the stance of a fighter, confident and ready. When he spoke, his voice was deeper also, unbroken and rich. Was this the same youth Caal has known those two years ago?
"I need to speak with Caal Hideo. It's very urgent." Caal stood up and made his way around his frightened classmates to his friend.
Riven turned his head and held his friend's gaze, relief flooded his azure eyes.
What precious little he remembered of his friend seemed to match the young man standing in front of him.
"Caal, tell him he's crazy. You have no idea what we've been through and he still won't tell me why." Ed breathed from the doorway jokingly. Caal smiled.
"Riven, you're crazy." Riven stifled a laugh and regained his composure. "It's serious though. We need to get out of here." Caal nodded.
"Alright, I trust you." he replied. "Some how I knew you would." his tone of voice was genuine. They picked their way to the door and Ed, who'd now rested enough to continue. The three stepped out of the classroom and Caal voiced the thought on everyone's mind.
"Where now?" Ed looked at Riven who looked down the hallway and tensed. A group of policemen and a SWAT team where running down it and towards the little group. Riven grabbed Caal's arm and raced the other direction.
"Not that way." he said almost humorously. "Is there another way out besides the front doors?" he questioned Caal.
"There's an emergency exit near the back of the school." Ed stuck his head between the two.
"It'll do." replied a thoughtful Riven. Caal took the lead as they hurried down the halls of the school.
As they turned a corner somebody collided with Riven. He barely flinched, but the person fell backwards. The girl on the floor looked up at him with surprise and opened her mouth to scream when she saw his gun. Riven bent down and pressed his hand against her mouth.
"Please don't scream." he asked quietly. She nodded and he took his hand away. With disbelief he realized it was the girl he'd seen at Oso Corps.
"You!" he breathed. She looked about to say something but he cut her off. "No, don't talk. The less you know of me the better. Please, just pretend we never saw each other, it's for your own good."
She looked at him defiantly, but Riven decided to make his exit. He quickly caught up with Ed and Caal. Caal stopped in front of a metal door with a pad lock. "This opens to the school's back lawn and athletic fields. It's locked though." Riven raised his gun and aimed it at the lock.
"No problem." he said over the gunshot. The lock fell off and Ed opened the door. The three companions stumbled into the blinding light outside. Before them stretched a massive field of neatly trimmed grass. Footsteps thudded close behind and Riven lead them in a sprint for the front of the school.
Not three feet later a troop of police officers came around the side they were headed for. A bead of sweat rolled off Riven's face as he spun to head in the other direction. No good. More law enforcement officers came from there to. A man in a khaki coat followed by yet another flock of policemen came through the door Ed, Caal, and Riven had come through not moments before. Riven backed up slowly.
I could outrun them, no problem. But Ed and Caal can't. He gritted his teeth.
That left one solution.
Morrison studied the three young men before him. Two were around the same height, one had brown hair and the other had silver. The latter gripped a gun tightly. The third was a younger version of the brown haired youth. Those would be the brothers, Ed and Caal. That meant the gun toting youth was who they were after.
"Riven Edge, by order of the Oson City police, drop your weapon and hold up your hands." Morrison watched the youth decide. This kid wasn't crazy enough to think he could take them all on, was he? Morrison was pleased to see Riven drop his weapon to the ground. The other two looked at their friend in disbelief.
But instead of raising his hands, Morrison's quarry fell to his knees and his hands dug into the soft earth. Sweat dripped down his face and onto the ground. His teeth were tightly clenched together, a look of pain and determination on his face.
It only took Riven a second to make his choice. He dropped the gun, watching it fall to the ground almost in slow motion. He initiated the process in his body, feeling pain and a tingling sensation creep up his back. The fiery hotness of the pain flared quickly and he dropped to his hands and knees, gasping and sweating.
Caal watched his friend in horror. What was Riven doing? He had been so determined to get away, but now it looked as if he was giving up. A pained intake of breath drew Caal out of his trance. Riven was breathing very hard, intense pain evident in each ragged breath.
"Riven…?" Caal hesitated. Riven's shirt tore in two places on his upper back. The smooth skin underneath stretched taut and broke open, leaving two gaping lacerations.
"Riven!" Caal heard his brother call with anxiety. The wounds grew larger and a soft mass coated in warm blood began to emerge from each cut. The growths grew bigger and taller, the blood on them running off in rivulets revealing white underneath. Suddenly Caal realized what was happening.
Wings! Riven was growing wings. The pair of feathered appendages reached skyward, their full height over eight feet. Blood still dripped off them, falling into Riven's hair and clothes. His breathing slowly returned to normal and his body relaxed again.
Morrison stood stunned.
"How did he…? Wha…?" he stuttered. Riven stood slowly until he was at full height. The wings beat down once, shaking off the excess blood. A pair of blazing, ethereal eyes searched out his own.
"What will it take…," a menacing voice cut through the silence, "…for you to leave here?" Morrison's eyes hardened into a glare. He had never backed down. He would never back down.
"I am under orders to…" "NO!" He was cut off by an outburst. "Forget about orders! What will it take for you to leave here?" Impatience laced the voice of the winged speaker.
"I never back down." retorted Morrison meaningfully.
"Fools!" came the reply.
Renee sat stunned, her emerald green eyes wide in disbelief. It'd been the same boy she'd seen at Oso Corps. She gingerly touched her cheek where is hand had been. It was still warm. She remembered the gentle but firm hand. A slow blush crept over her cheeks and she shook her head. No, Renee. Pull yourself together. She stood up and dusted off her skirt.
What was it he'd said? "Forget about me." The words echoed in her head. Fat chance. Something was amiss here and she wasn't going to be left out of the circle. As she replayed the scene her mind she came across a vital piece of information.
Caal and Ed had been with him. The single recurrent question popped into her head once again. Why? Why should she stay away from him? Why were Caal and Ed with him? Why was he running? The mystery man could answer all of her questions, she was sure.
It revolved around him. But Renee had no hope of ever seeing him again. Than it hit her. She cursed herself for not having thought of it before. A spark of determination entered her eyes as she fled quickly down the hallway.
"Chief! Hey Chief!" An annoyed glint crossed the chief's eye and he waved off the man he'd been talking to.
"What now?" he replied exasperatedly to the young wreck crew worker who'd so badly needed his attention.
"We found something. I think you should see It." the man breathed. The chief let out a disapproving grunt.
"Can't you do it yourself? I hired you so I didn't have to do it all." The younger employee shook his head vigorously.
"I know, but I really think…" The chief cut him off with a glare.
"Alright, but this better be worth my time." The two men of the wrecking crew began to rapidly walk through the vacant and crumbling warehouse. It was scheduled to be destroyed so a mobile suit part factory could be built. The crew was just following their standard procedure of assessing the building to be destroyed. A few empty warehouse garages later the chief was losing his patience.
"For your sake I hope we're almost there. I don't have time to waste on petty decisions. This is what we pay you…"
He trailed off as the object the 'petty decision' was to be made about came into view. It was, in fact, very far from petty. The chief's jaw worked slightly at the sight of an immense structure towering to the garage ceiling.
"We think it's a mobile suit, sir." chimed in the crewman.
"Well, that's obvious. Any dimwit could see that." The captain's insulting statement was actually a kind of ruse to hide his surprise. The machine was different than any he'd ever seen before, and by the looks of it, someone had dumped it here recently. There was nothing junky about it.
"Probably one of the new models." the chief mumbled. "Should we call the government, sir?" The chief's brain was racing. A suit like this would fetch a hefty price. Enough to live comfortably for a long while. On the other hand, whoever owned the mech was probably coming back for it.
"Um, well, uh…" He cleared his throat. What should be done indeed?
Riven gritted his teeth and drew his icy eyes away from the officer in charge. He tilted his head to the left slightly, where Ed was standing and spoke softly.
"Ed, I want you to take Caal and get out of here. Get as far away as possible, but don't go home. I will find you." A determined look crossed Ed's face and he nodded. He put a hand on Caal's shoulder and smiled sadly.
"Let's go." Caal's face twisted with anger.
"NO! I won't leave you Riven! We can help!" Riven turned to his other friend and looked over him calculatingly.
"It is better that you go. I cannot fight my best if I have to protect someone." Caal threw Ed's hand off his shoulder and took a step forward, fists clenched.
"I'm staying whether you like it or not. You need my help." Riven's eyes flashed and for a moment uncertainty flitted across Caal's features.
"Go. Go now." Caal opened his mouth for a retort but Riven cut him off with a downward slash of his hand.
"NO! I will not here any more of your excuses! Now leave!" Caal glared at his friend but allowed Ed to lead him away. As soon as the pair turned around they began to run. Riven nodded, relieved. He turned his attention back to the police.
"If you ever hurt them in any way, I will make you wish you never laid eyes on me." Riven's face and voice were the picture of cool serenity, but his eyes betrayed his true emotions. They blazed with cold fiery, waiting to be unleashed. The lead cop eyed him suspiciously and burst out laughing.
Riven only watched him warily. When his laughter had died down the cop smiled and spoke.
"Those are big words, but can you back them up? Whatever you think, you are still Oso Corps' lap dog. I am here to return you to them." Morrison's eyes widened a hair when jagged green lines flashed underneath Riven's skin.
"I am no one's lap dog." The grass at his feet stirred slightly in a nonexistent breeze. Green ran up Riven's skin again, this time continuing to fade in and out. A greenish gust sprang up near his feet and spiraled around his body.
He held out both of his hands to his sides, palms facing Morrison and his gang. The wind snaked down his arms and into his palms, forming two balls. Morrison watched, eyes narrowing, waiting for Riven to make a move. Some of his men fidgeted behind them but he motioned for them to hold.
He himself tightened his grip on his gun and readjusted his finger on the trigger. The barrel held a new kind of bullets, rubber ones with a taser-like tip that pumped 50,000 volts of electricity into whatever they hit. They should do the job nicely. Almost quicker than the eye could trace, Riven leapt towards them, crossing his arms and flinging them out in front of him, the balls of energy blasting forward. Morrison's face registered shock and then fear.
The boy had moved quicker than he'd anticipated. He pulled the trigger once, twice, three times even as he heard the guns of the others around him going off. The balls of energy dug straight into the earth on either side of them, but the smile at the horrible accuracy of the boy that had crossed Morrison's lips quickly dissipated. Huge shockwaves sped out from where the balls had hit, sending ground and greenish air rippling horrifyingly fast at the officers.
The bullets were blown out of the way by the waves and Morrison had no time to react. The waves crashed into his body as well as the men around him. The air was knocked out of his lungs and he suspected several of his ribs cracked. He was thrown to the ground several feet away from where he had been standing. His mid section screamed with protest when he tried sit up and he only fell back down, breathing heavily. His brow furrowed.
I underestimated him! He chided himself.
But it seemed the boy was not quite done with him yet. Morrison managed to prop himself up just enough to see Riven striding slowly over to him. He frantically groped for his gun, but spotted it yards away. His eyes turned back to the young man, watching him advance slowly.
Something silvery and liquid-like slid out of the youth's arm, near his wrist, and solidified into a foot long blade extending from his wrist. Riven stopped and knelt down beside Morrison, eyes flashing icy daggers. He deftly swung the blade, letting it come to a rest uncomfortably snug on Morrison's neck.
"I warned you once. Count this your second warning. I never want to see your face again." He straightened and faced the other direction, away from Morrison, but he didn't take a step further.
Morrison watched in satisfaction and horror as a steel tip protruded from Riven's side. Crimson droplets dripped from the tip before it was yanked out.