-Aftermath-

Chapter Eight - "Doomsday Radic"

There was a loud crash. Not your everyday car crash or a pot crashing into the floor, but a crash that signified that the end was near. Snyde ended up tipping over in his chair when he saw that the wall right next to him get knocked down. On the ground, he slowly looked up, tired and still half-asleep, as he saw the white Reploid of flight, known simply as Radic the Jet.

"So you must be Snyde! Snyde the Shadow, no less!" He laughed maniacally to himself, spotting the black Reploid without any difficulty. And he was asleep too! That was always an added bonus, plus it made his job so much easier. "I won'teven let youknow what's about to happen! DIE!"

It was in two seconds that Snyde came back to reality, noticing that that the half cuffs on Radic whirred to life, sliding down his arms and clicking, a second piece slid out to create a strange cannon. It took another two seconds to realize that the cannon had just fired out a vortex of strange, purple wind directly at him. Rolling off to the left, he grabbed out his sword and stared the Reploid down, angered and confused by what was going on. Just who did this guy think he was, attacking him like that?

"Heh heh... I see you have a sharp eye. Good!" Radic cackled, pleased by this. As much as he wanted the money, he couldn't pass up opportunities such as this. "It seems that I will have myself a grand fight. Don't disappoint me, Snyde!"

"Wait just a sec..." Snyde was back on his feet, and posed for battle. "Just how the Hell do you know my name? Who are you!"

"It's all a game..." he answered simply.

"What!"

Now wasn't the time to talk, as Radic wanted to say at first. Instead, he just continued with his assault, firing continual volleys of vortexes and tornadoes, which easily tore through the buildings cheap material like butter. Snyde ran down the stairs, looking for anybody that he should watch out for. Making it to the bottom, he noticed that he was, indeed, in the bar, and cursed under his breath. Then, noticing another door, he kicked it open to find the bartender, asleep. Running over to him, he put him on his shoulder and ran out of the collapsing building. In a matter of minutes the entire place looked like an unstable block of Swiss cheese, which promptly fell to the ground, dust.

The man, who was put down, was told by Snyde to go find shelter, and warn any people on the way. Faithfully, he ran off into the darkness, as Snyde looked off into the sky to see Radic, hovering ever-so-coolly in the air, his arms folded. Another maniacal laugh echoed in the air as Radic slowly made his way downward, his targets reflection bouncing off of his visor from an unknown light in the distance...

"Very impressive... yes, it seems that we were wrong to underestimate you, Snyde..." he told himself, and slightly chuckled. In no time after that, he charged full-speed, his intention purely to kill. "Your head shall be my battle trophy!" A matter of seconds was all it took as he found the straight-arm punch he had thrown was caught by one hand, completely stopping him. Almost. Throwing another, he too found that it was caught, and he struggled, struggled to push himself forward. Slowly but surely, he made way, Snyde's feet dragging across the pavement, toward his destination... a manhole.

Snyde must have noticed this, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, as he calmly spoke, "If you think I'll fall for something like that, then you won't stand a chance."

"Wh-what did you just say!" Radic fumed.

With that, Snyde released his grip, startling his attacker. But before he had a chance to catch himself, he found that he was grabbed by the arms, and then swung, flying toward a wall. Having no hardly any time to react, he quickly threw his legs behind and started his engines, flames erupting from where his feet should have been. Sparks flew as he found himself edging closer and closer, and he desperately tried to pull himself away, before it was too late. At the last second, he finally came to a halt, the cement wall right at his 'heels.' Barely letting a sigh out, he had to dodge the right as a flash of light came crashing down upon him--Snyde had jumped into the air and attempted to strike down on him, but missed terribly, only leaving a large cut where he once was.

"Damn, I missed," Snyde said, and faced Radic once again. His sword was shining brightly, but from what, was unknown. "Next time I won't."

"Hah! A wise guy, eh? Well, two can play at that game!" he sneered, before letting fly a couple of twisters from his twin cannons. He watched as Snyde nimbly did a flip over them, landing directly in front of him, swinging his massive blade yet again. Radic hovered back, hardly an inch away from the razor-sharp steel. It was in that moment that another tornado went flying, and then another, followed by another. Being no fool, Snyde started to avoid the attacks, trying to get away from what he considered to be a small, cramped area to fight with.

Radic soon began to follow, intent to not lose his target, continuing with his assault. It was apparent that Snyde made his way out and away from the town, past the opera house. Not only was he trying to make his way out, however, but he tried his best to move people out of the way if they happened to be there, and to not damage property. Little did he realize, though, was how much faster his chaser was, and he was soon directly above him, not letting up on his attacks, which caused small explosions upon contact with the ground. Snyde could hear his taunting above him, like 'You can't escape,' or 'Just give up.' Getting fed up, he quickly stopped, watching as his opponent flew for a few more seconds before realizing what had happened, and tossed his sword at him, hand axe-style.

"Heh heh heh, is that all you've got?" He taunted, snatching the blade by the handle with one hand. Noticing Snyde's eyes had widened, he laughed again. "While you've got skill, or talent, should I say... I know almost every trick in the book. You can't defeat me!" He began to laugh maniacally at this point, twirling the sword like a baton perfectly, and then threw it up in the air, just to snatch it yet again. "My turn." With that he lobbed it toward him with all his might, the sword turning into a guillotin. Without and hesitation, Snyde braced himself as he caught it as well, this time his hands on the flat part of each blade. He was pushed lightly back, his feet screeching along the steel-flooring, and he heard Radic's voice ring in his head, "Not bad, I'll admit. But as I said before, it'll take a lot more than that to defeat me, as you can plainly see..."

"Cut the bullshit already, and answer my fucking question!" Snyde cursed aloud, angry as he swung his sword down. "Just who the Hell are you, and why are you trying to kill me!"

"Oh, I see, it's answers you want?" He said, smugly. "I suppose I could 'humor' you, if you must, before I take your life..." He slowly lifted himself up into the air, far above Snyde, but still audible. "My name is Radic the Jet, and my reason for being here, to kill you, is quite simple--You see, it's all just one, big game, Snyde. One big game... And in this game, YOU happen to be it. Everything for a brilliant prize... A prize that no one it their right mind could possibly pass up!"

"A prize? What kind of prize?" he urged for an answer, taking a step forward. "Just who's your employer?"

"Hah, like I'd just tell you about our 'employer.'" He stopped to laugh a bit more, and continued. "His identity is to remain a secret from you, in case you somehow manage to survive... though I doubt it... All I know, is that this is a game; a game which you're the target, reeking of that beautiful prize! And I plan to snatch it all up! Hah hah hah!"

Like a rocket, Radic launched himself forward, his sights locked onto the mysterious Reploid. What he met with was the sword, his fist smashing upon the smooth, well-polished surface. Letting his force go, he silently fell back, and watched as the swordsman swung his blade around in a commendable fashion. Not missing a chance, Radic also reached into the darkness, blindly grabbing a long, steel pole, and became poised for battle. The two powerhouses came at one another, and a loud bang, as the metal clanged and jingled about. With a sudden retaliation, the two became intertwined with their own weapons, staring directly into each others faces... It became clear, right then, right now, that neither force was about to give up, that the two had high stakes, for honor, and pride.

"It all comes down to this, eh, Snyde?" Radic spoke, his voice slightly rasp. His grip tightened on the pole, and he pushed even more of his might down. "One of us will die here, and the other shall receive a wonderful prize...What do you say? SNYDE!"

Snyde did not reply, as he only gave out, hopping back, watching Radic stumble. It wasn't his time to strike, though, and he knew it, as Radic charged once again, swinging his pole with an almighty force backing him. Soon more bangs could be heard, as they both continually swept away the oncoming blows with their own, and dodging others. They both traded places, and started moving up and down the streets, no longer minding the surroundings, both wanting to go for a kill.

The hunter and the hunted eventually reached the very middle of the seemingly deserted town, both still not showing any signs of fatigue, both still wanting to go at it, both still prepared to meet their end at the other. It was then that with a quick fling of the wrist, Snyde had actually managed to knock the pole away, sending it flying over a small structure. A scream erupted immediately after, as Radic landed to the ground on one knee, covering what appeared to be an arm with no hand.

"Damn you!" he spat. Oil had begun to drip from his wound, splattering the ground with it's reddish color. "Look at what you've done to me... you bastard!"

"Sticks and stones, friend," Snyde finally retorted, resting his blade on a shoulder. "Obviously, you had it coming, and good riddance is what I say. Stupid kid..."

"Kid! Why, you... Snyde...!" he growled under his breath.

"C'mon, let's get this over with..." he got into a lazy stance, his arm extending outward, his eyes focusing on his foe. He slowly slide his sword from his resting spot, allowing Radic to take a long look at his reflection, still holding his own arm, before it landed on the ground, obstructing vision. Snyde closed an eye as he faced, what he figured, to be the end. "The grim reaper has better challenges to throw at me... You're just a waste of my time..."

"Waste... of... time...? Waste of time..." Was all Radic could muster up to say. He couldn't believe at the treatment, that he, one of the elites, was receiving! "Stupid... kid..." He had been called a stupid kid, from some guy who he had never given a care until now. "No one treats me like some... piece of trash... in fact, that should be YOU!"

In rage, Radic began lashing out at Snyde, with both arms and his legs, while screaming and yelling. Snyde could only watch with a certain level of satisfaction as he easily dodged everything thrown, before delivering a perfect uppercut to the jaw, causing Radic to go flying, just to crash into the ground. Trying his best to get up, Radic was quickly back into the air, and turned just to meet Snyde's foot. Falling back down, a single crack ran across his visor, and a growl was heard as he flew off into the sky, still keeping his eyes on the Reploid.

Going far past all of the buildings, he took a look at the entire layout of the town, before snickering to himself. "Hee hee hee. Who the fuckin' Hell cares if I lost a hand? With what I'm going through, I'll be able to get myself more than just a hand! Hah hah hah... Yes, soon. But first I'm going to take this little bitch with me, even if it forces me to levelan entire city!"

His arms whirling back to life, the two cuffs he bore swiftly shot forward, a small click to confirm. Taking his two arms forward and slamming them together, it became clear that the halves had formed an even larger cannon, and tiny jolts of electricity soon started to fly, daring to lash out at the very creator. Soon, very soon... it would all be over. The humiliation he had just earned; the pain no less. He would make certain that everyone were made clear of this, and rot.

A swirl of energy began to build at the tip of his cannon, a spinning into a small, but powerful, vortex. It was made of pure air, and it began to grow larger and larger in size, almost to the point where not even Radic could control it. Yet he didn't stop. He continued to let it increase in size, until it was even bigger than himself. Laughing hysterically, he finally called down, "SNYDE! YOU ARE SO GOING TO DIE!"

It wasn't required for him to yell like that, since Snyde could perfectly see what was happening. The clouds themselves were sucked into the deadly vortex, allowing him to see the massive, purple energy building. His eyes nearly popping out of his head, he tried his best to calm himself down as he readied his sword, preparing for the absolute worst. He wasn't exactly sure if he could reflect something that wasn't made of plasma... but he would definitely give it a try, unless he found the thought of being blown to smithereens exciting.

Right then, right before Radic fired, everything seemed to slow down--as if in slow motion. The air that was accumulated finally fired, tugging some unknown object behind it, looking as if it would never hit. Snyde raised his sword over his head, going at an even slower pace, his eyes cracking from the stress. Building began to crumble away around him, as the ball still continued to suck things up, allowing it to enlarge even further. When it was first fired, it was double the size of the two Reploids. Now it was three times the size of Snyde himself. The comparison almost caused him to drop his sword, but he prevailed, as he thrusted his sword, bashing into the air, tearing a small portion of it open, gusts of air blasting out at high pressure, threatening to push him out of the way.

"Hah hah hah hah!" Radic could only laugh as he usually did, watching the 'show.' "How sad. Not to mention pathetic! Trying to stop the inevitable? How clichéd! Why don't you just stop and give up now? It's not like anyone will actually thank you for your deeds after this over!"

Snyde growled under his breath, noting that the ground beneath him was beginning to crumble to dust. His footing would soon give... "What's it matter to you... Even if I continue the city will be destroyed... Unless this isn't as strong as I've come to expect!" He pushed deeper with his trusty blade, the ball distorting around him, not being able to handle the pressure of two opposing forces at once. It would only be a matter of time... and Radic sensed this.

"Please, spare me, Snyde!" he chuckled a bit, happy at what was happening. "No matter what you do, the same thing will happen!" Another laugh howled from under his helmet. "You see this town? The people that live here? Better go on and say goodbye! We Reploids all have the same purpose in life! To destroy and kill everything that comes in our way! You can't escape from your destiny! It doesn't make any difference what you do! It's futile to resist such a fate!"

"Damn it... even if you are correct..." Snyde struggled with his words, "I'm still going to try... and prove you wrong!"

"Heh heh... resisting even after I told you it was meaningless, huh? I guess you'll go down to the bitter end! Well, that's fine by me. The more you struggle, the more you just prove yourself wrong!" he mused, hoping for another comment so he could reply back.

No one bothered to reply, however. The ball, trying its best to withstand all of the abuse, had finally made its way to the breaking point. In one last moment of desperation, it squealed, and twisted itself into a knot, before exploding, letting all of the compacted air finally out, free to leave the captivity. But from all of the pressure, practically everything in the way didn't even have a chance to be knocked down, as the building were disintegrated in a matter of seconds. Anything that could possibly have stood up to the powerful blows were lifted off the ground, sent flying back. Bodies, of both humans and Reploids, were found flying through the vast amounts of debris, along with contruction tools, and large, metal support beams. It was either that the people died from direct contact from the blast, or they were hit from the random objects. It didn't seem to matter what would happen, as it would all lead to the same exact thing--death.

"It's the end of the game..." Radic watched on, noting the power that he had unleashed. "It's the end of the game, and it's game over for you! Hah hah hah hah!"

But from what Radic couldn't see from the mess created down below, would have shocked him. Surprisingly Snyde lasted, using his sword as a shield from the wind. He had to close both of his eyes, as the wind was still capable of whipping at his sides, including his face. He was just amazed at the power one could create! From air, no less! Still, he knew that as long as this continued, Radic would just continue to destroy. "Damn him... Damn him to Hell! Do you hear, me, Radic? Isaid damn you to HELL!"

It was far too late, however. Radic couldn't even hear him, as another blast had somehow come, and caused the ground to completely give, throwing Snyde out into the air, blasted to where everyone else was meant to go. He wondered what would happen then, to him, to the town of Mejak, not to mention Quisar and Gloria. He wondered if Flachion and Jackle O'Riely were there, also ending up in the same predicament. He wondered, if possible, of other things as well... Things that he did not like to think of, but discovered this may be the last time he'd be able to live with those memories.

All he could do, was think. And remember.

To be continued...

Author's Notes: Yet another long break. I am sad to say that I lost interest in this, but out of nowhere I randomly decided to start working on it again. So, yay to all who read this. Also, for those who are curious, I have gone back to the last seven chapters and re-editted everything. So now, instead of have 100+ typos, I only have 50+ typos. :P

Anyways, about this chapter. This definitely is one of the more serious fights I have planned, considering that hundreds of thousands die (if you didn't guess). Yep, Radic is very "radical" in everything he says and does. Of course, I find that I like his character quite a bit, but that is just me. So, next chapter, will Snyde survive? Obviously, he must, or I would be lacking a main character. But what other exciting turn of events can possibly unfold! Find out... whenever I update next!