Chapter
Five
Sato VS. Rati
We turn to leave the now damaged Hunters Guild's hoping no one was around to witness our handy work. I hear a scream suddenly pierce the air. I turn and look and see a FOmar with spectacles and a brown and blue robe run by us with a Red Sato not far behind. I turn into the direction they are coming form and I see a young FOnweral with a big red bow in her hair and an orange battle garment, giggling at this new development. I turn and see genuine fear in the FOmar's eyes. I see the Sato begin to unhinge its jaws ready to bite the FOmar. Quickly I instruct Rati to intercept the Mag before it has a chance to end the man's life. Rati quickly flies into the path of the Sato slamming hard into its right side sending the Mag spinning into a concert wall hard. Instead of it stopping at the wall the Mag slams right through it punching a one foot diameter hole into the sold concert wall of the nearby building. The FOmar turns around seeing where the sudden sound of a sonic boom came from and stops to stare at the concert hole in the wall.
I quickly run up to my Mag my eyes though still looking at the huge hole in the concert wall. I turn to my two companions Samus and Mewone. Mewone stares at the hole in amazement. "Wow… Big hole..."
I turn to Samus his cold lifeless visor staring at the scene. "Samus what was that thing it looked like a Mag but it couldn't be…" "……Analyzing data….. One match found in database." I wait for him to answer and he begins in that cold metallic voice giving the file an even more dreadful effect on my face, now concern wells in me about whether the thing is still alive. "Mag Breed: Sato Sub Breed: Red Sato, Carnivorous Mag species, most dangerous of all Sato breeds and rarest, only skilled hunters can command a Red Sato and not have it turn on them. Red Sato are particularly know for hunting down high level Force type hunters several disappearances of Force hunters have been blamed on the Red Sato but none have been confirmed. Red Sato are also nearly impossible to take offline due to it's harden exterior and aggressive nature towards anything." "Samus can you check to see if any hunter has ever owned or trained a Red Sato on board Pioneer 2."…. The RAcast goes dormant for a minuet. By now the once laughing FOnweral girl has come to the scene as well screams and heads into the rubble.
"Scan complete one hunter registered. Name: Cranberry, Force class High level S hunter, FOnweral. Orange battle attire, Black Hair Brown Eyes…." The rest is shut out of my mind I stare at the FOnweral now genuinely scared for once in my life. Cranberry the small FOnweral girl rummaging through the rubble for her Sato before us is a S ranked Hunter I am barley an AA Rank Hunter… Samus I have no clue on and Mewone would appear to be AA as well. "Sato… SATO! WHERE ARE YOU!" Suddenly a tremor shakes the ground I stand on and see the Red Sato burst froth from the rubble as if a the explosion on Ragol happened all over again… It files down to Cranberry Nuzzling her face affectionately. She turns to me a look of loathing on her face as she stares at me.
"Why- Why did you hurt Sato?" She screams at me… I look at the exhausted FOmar still in the same spot he had stopped in, tired and breathing labored almost to the point of it sending him into unconsciousness from the lack of air he can inhale. I stare at her and walk over to the FOmar and ask Samus to carry him. He tries to protest but this is the final thing his body can take and he lapses into unconsciousness. Samus quickly with speed that I have never seen in a RAcast before catches him before the FOmar's body barley moves an inch.
"Well why did you Hurt Sato!" She asks again impatiens showing in her face and voice. I turn to her and say. "Is it no obvious why I helped him your Sato was about ready to take his head off!" I turn to Samus and tell him to take the FOmar to the medical area and to wait for Mewone and me there. Cranberry contemplating my question simply looks at me and laughs. "Oh haha Sato wasn't going to kill him it was just going to maul him. You see Sato has this dislike of that FOmar there he is Sage be the way a friend of mine.
You see Sato was mistaken by Sage once to be a red box while it was asleep and well it hasn't liked him that much ever sense." The Red Sato similes bearing its metal fangs razor sharp in appearance even from this far away. I turn to her and look directly at her. "Still shouldn't you call off your Mag if he is your friend…"She laughs again. "Sadly I can't really Sato kind goes into frenzy when he sees Sage and there is almost no stopping him." Her Sato then files forward fast almost too fast! I dodge to the right while my Mag splits itself into is battle form. It heads straight for the unconscious Sage. I bring up my Demolition Comet and strike at the Mag hoping to make it back down or at least get knocked off guard. The Mag simply swings in a wide arc and now goes for me instead.
Suddenly a burst of laughter is heard form Mewone, "All right! Let's get it on!" I return my attention to the battle the Sato has started its charge again angry that I have disturbed its mauling; Rati stands its ground in front of me. "Rati! Split now!" It takes on its battle form and splits to the left and right hoping to confuse the Mag but instead the Red Sato charges straight ahead towards me! I quickly draw my Demolition Comet again ready to strike it down I swing down hoping to slam it to the asphalt floor beneath my feet, the Mag dodges with grace and agility I have never seen before almost as if to mock me saying I can't win.
It lunges for my neck I bring up my Demolition Comet in a defensive position hoping to catch the beast in its jaws and knock it off balance but to no avail, The Mag bites down and cleaves through my twin sabers handle of Alloy metals and Photons as if it were wet tissue paper. It then swallows the piece it has bitten off and begins to chuckle or what I believe to be one. Suddenly it lunges for my neck again I can't react fast enough and know this, I stand there waiting the inevitable, suddenly I hear an electronic screech of pain form the Sato, and I look and see my Rati has successfully slammed into both sides of the Sato effectively pinning it in mid air between his two parts. Rati grinds against the Red Sato's outer shell an ear numbing sound is heard from grinding metal of the Mag and its screeching of pain. Finally my Rati cease and lets it drop to the ground. I jump back two feet making sure I have enough time to dodge in case it tries another direct attack at me again. I look down upon the Sato and notice two very large and distinct dents in its sides. I look to my Rati and see it did not escape unscathed part of its back left wing has been bitten off.
My attention turns to her now, my eyes an uncommon light blue at best turn to her and I stare at her. My eyes staring in wonderment at her, how can she not control this thing? Why isn't it listening to her and why is it looking at me like I should be lunch…
Suddenly a fist comes crashing into the back of my skull. I slam forward onto the ground my hands barley catching me before my head has the pleasure of becoming one with the pavement. Cranberry screams in shock, Her Sato has stopped its attacks on me for a moment to stare at the new figure that has entered the fray. I turn over on my back and see a green metallic boot come crashing down inches to the side of my head. I quickly roll to the left five feet and get to my knees in a low defensive position and study the figure that tried to crush my skull.
The foot has left an impression in the asphalt at least six inches down. I look up and notice it is a Green HUcast, he has the structure of any other I have seen aboard Pioneer 2. I then notice the symbol on his right breast plate! It's the same as what Samus has on the middle of his. "Heh fast for a human aren't we little one." He mocks and then laughs at me. 'Sato Attack the HUcast!" I hear Cranberry scream. Her Sato listens this time and latches on to the HUcast's Right leg. It shakes and gnaws on the leg trying to dislodge a piece of it but to no avail, the android simply laughs at this attempt.
"Foolish beings did you really think that a mere Mag could beat me?" He then forms a fist with his left hand and slams it into the top of Sato's head creating a dent in its exterior and sending it down to the asphalt. The Mag goes in to stand by mode after that and does not move, its systems repairing its damaged circuits. Cranberry screams and tears form in her eyes as her Mag is sent into the ground. She then turns to the HUcast, and casts a Round of Gi-Zonde at him. The HUcast chuckles and dodges to the right of him. Moving so fast I can't keep up with him.
He then appears right behind Cranberry and grabs her throat. Lifting her up into the air her legs flailing like that of a child hanging from a cliff and losing there grip, he says to me almost as if to mock me. "Hunter, you have one chance to let her live, give up and come with me to meet my master, if you don't she will die… The choice is yours…" His grip tightens on her neck I hear her breathing suddenly turn sharp as her air flow is restricted so badly. "Tick Tock HUmar or should I say Colt Legenda? The clock is ticking her life is slipping away like the sands in an hour glass… Choose now or have her death on your soul!" I look down to my feet, what choice do I have, let him kill her and know it was my fault or let him take me without a fight never finding the answers I seek. "GAHH! WORTHLESS MAGGOT! DAMN YOU'RE MAG HUNTER!" He screams I look up and see my Mag has slammed into both of his sides not enough to damage him significantly but he has lost his Grip on Cranberry and she slumps to the floor like a lifeless rag doll. I rush over to her with speed I never knew I had. I scoop her up and run back and place her by her Sato who has activated again.
I turn back to the Hucast who is standing there now looking at me and Rati with angst in his cold metallic eyes… "Hmm very well you have made your choice Hunter now suffer the consequences!" He charges at me I ready my fists seeing as how my Demolition Comet is useless now since it is in two, the link between the photons broken I charge as well trying to keep him away from the damaged Sato and the unconscious Cranberry. He throws his left fist first towards my head I barley dodge the blow. I sweep my left leg trying to knock him off balance. He jumps up and brings his right foot crashing into my jaw as he does this. I fly back two feet landing on my back. He brings his left hand down on to my neck and squeezes… "Foolish little HUmar you don't even know what you truly are do you…?" I look at him confused by his statement. I take my arms and slam them against his wrist hoping to loosen the grip on my neck by causing the electronic signals in his wrist to gap for a second. They do and his grip loosens before he can react I take my right foot and slam it home into the middle of his chest plate. He skids back a few inches but nothing more. He simply laughs and wipes the dust off his armor.
"Rather powerful for a human aren't we? I have never had that happen to me before Heh looks like I will need to use this then…" The HUcast draws a Katana from his back; it appears to be a Yasha! He notices the disbelief in my face that he could have such a weapon. "Surprised small one, well don't be it took me many years and slayings of beasts to find this weapon. You like many others that have faced me but you are the first to make me draw my weapon, now fall to this blade." He moves into a battle stance his Yasha pointing towards me as he raises it level with his shoulder blades. "Now come and let your blood be spilled by my blade!" I dodge to the right evading his initial charge, "Heh too slow!" He pivots on his left foot and slashes me across the chest opening my armor as if it were flesh…
I roll to the ground and grasp my wound now that spreads from the upper right of my chest to the far left of it. Luckily he never reached the stomach otherwise my organs would have been spewed across the ground by now. I look down and notice the blood on my hands, I am bleeding out, I quickly concentrate and a green glow enters my hands, Resta begins its work slowly… I hear the HUcast laugh again at my attempts to heal myself. "Damnit come on!" I whisper to myself cursing that I never decide to become a Force instead now, my Resta spell being so low in power heals at a much slower rate then that of a forces. I have barley closed up the wound before the HUcast slams the handle of his blade into my chest cracking three ribs and sending me back ten feet on to the ground. I open my eyes and begin to stare at the stars.
He laughs again "Come now Colt, I would have expected better from Serena's Greatest Creation. Unless you are mere a flawed version, a prototype that lived for some reason I wonder if she felt pity for you and that's why you lived. Yes I seem to remember her saying something about it and then laughing at you." I stand to my feet ignoring his remarks although the mark they leave is visible in my face I cringe when he mentions me as a thing not a person. What am I really? Is what he saying true? Who am I? I look at the HUcast again, he laughs walks slowly over to me and why shouldn't he I am beaten I can barley stand and breathe at the same time. Blood drips from the corner of my mouth, my breathing is labored and a sharp pain in my chest tells me he probably cracked a few ribs and one might be protruding in my lung… I have no other option I look at my Mag Rati.
He croons sorrowfully and rubs against my check. "I know… I know. I am sorry that I could not do more to save us" It turns towards the Green HUcast, it stares at him anger welling in Rati… Patiently I wait for the final blow to be struck upon me sadly I have failed, Rati turns to me again and croons sadly, He takes a normal battle position as if to launch a photon blast. "What giving up are you well you had your chance and now sadly it has passed!"
The HUcast charges slams his right shoulder up against a wall of energy that now surrounds me and Rati. I look on stunned at what is happening before my eyes. Suddenly I can't move anymore. I don't understand what is going on but Rati seems to know just what to do. I just watch and wait seeing what awaits me at the end I flash back to memories I hold of my sister wondering if they are false or even if I was ever truly her brother…
My mind races back to the present now a funnel of light has been formed and us. I hear HUcast ask what is going on but the rest is blocked out as my mind starts to disappear into the shadows of my soul. Before I lose consciousness completely I stare up at the stars again. Ever so peaceful and surreal they seem to me. I whisper to them ever so, only my ears catch it, a single tear streams down my right cheek, cold with my mind ever slowly becoming one with the shadows. With that I go into the shadows and darkness envelopes me…
Minor note from here on for the rest of this battle it will be told in First person but not through the eyes of the Main character it will be through Cranberry's, The HUcast's for a short time and most likely this new being and maybe Mewone's if he ever stops eating the popcorn and cheering on the killer Sato. Cranberry's perspective will be in normal type as well as Mewone's while the new beings will be italicized so the exchange flows as smoothly as possible. If this doesn't work tell me and I will try to change it.
I stare towards the vile of light that has formed around the hunter and laugh. "Ha so he has awakened now. Hmm even if he is a prototype I had better leave before "IT" awakens."
With that the HUcast begins to slip away from the scene. I decide to have a little fun with him before he leaves though and cast a rather powerful Zonde spell at him. The shock to his circuits shuts down his right side of his body. He falls to the ground with a clatter looks back at me and tries to curse me out with a half working mouth. I laugh at him and then turn my attention to this vile that has formed around Colt. The popcorn I am eating is very good but I need something to drink now… I look back to the HUcast and see him trying to stand I laugh at him again "Heh you don't learn very fast do you." I cast a small Grants attack at his right leg and watch as the holy light cause the leg to be blown apart from the inside out. Wires shoot out of the metal casting as if it were paper the leg then shatters. It becomes dust now a heavenly effect is given to the carnage in front of me. The HUcast screams in pain and then press the mark on his chest and disappears in a telpipe of some type. "Heh such a worthless creation he was, hardly worth my time."
My eyes slowly open to the scene in front of me. The green HUcast is gone and the HUmar is no where to be seen. Only that one FOmar remains eating his popcorn still but staring intently at the light. I stand and look around Sato has recovered and is snarling at the pillar it is agitated and nervous, rare traits in him. Suddenly the light begins to fade and Sato charges at the thing that has appeared from it…
I have awakened now… I stare at the stars wondering what this other soul said to them before it disappeared from my presence. I feel something on my arm suddenly, what is this feeling I have… Pain maybe? I turn towards my right arm and see this Red beast latched on to it, shaking its body back and forth hoping to detach a piece of it from my body. I begin to laugh my voice cold and no emotion in it for I have no need for such trivial things "What's the matter you foolish little beast? Are you hungry? Well why you don't try eating this!" My left hand comes up into its face and then small arrows of light shoot out from it and surround and pierce the Mag all over its body… The thing screams in pure pain and releases my arm from its death grip. It falls to the ground writhing back and form as if it has been burned from the inside out. I look down at it and laugh again cold and metallic is the way my voice sounds to my own ears now. The creature soon stops its squirming. I hear a scream of terror I look up from the pitiful creature before me and see a young FOnweral girl standing there looking at me in pure horror. I look over my body seeing how I could be frightening. My skin is covered in a black battle suit and my face is covered by a visor the only thing showing are my eyes. I turn my head to look behind me and am glad to see my wings are there as well. "What's the matter child? Are you afraid of me? Heh well you should be…" My eyes turn to her again. I hear the small creature begin to stir by my feet again...
"Oh are you worried for your pet maybe. Heh don't be the attack I was used was merely a sixteenth of what it is capable of although it should have been knocked out much longer then that ha-ha guess I underestimated this creatures will… Oh well I wont do that again!" I turn towards the small red creature again. I open my right palm I stare down at the creature as a shadow slowly appears in my hand, it stares back at me snarling, flashing its teeth, and then it lunges for my throat… "Too slow worthless Maggot!" My left fist collides with the side of its small head; a metallic thud is heard as the back of my left hand impacts it. It stops mid air and then is sent hurtling into the ground five feet straight down into the asphalt. I look down into the hole as the Dust settles I see it twitching and wires protruding from its right side, they spark and flash as the electricity tries to make the jump from the breaks in them. "Well time to die then…" I move my right hand into the hole. Then suddenly a blade rakes across my back I wince but don't feel the pain my body just reacts to it but my mind doesn't register. I turn to see where the disturbance came from and see the little FOnweral girl has drawn a weapon of some kind. Its top part spins I look upon it. She launches another one of the photon blades at me I dodge to the left then right moving ever closer…
"SATO!" I scream as I draw my Windmill hoping to aid my Mag in any way possible. I get the top spinning charging for its special attack. I look quickly over to the scene before my eyes The strange abomination is now standing over the hole where Sato is ready to launch what appears to be a Megid attack. I quickly forget that and throw the first photon blade at him. It hits right in his back. His body winces and a very small trickle of what appears to be blood oozes from the wound. Although his body has shown signs of the wound being made his body doesn't react as such it was more like the wince was just the body itself acting on a subconscious level not the actually pain causing him to wince. He turns now and looks at me and smiles.
"You know this could have been so much easier if you had just let him go… Hmm what caring eyes you show. The thing then looks towards the stars… "So fake aren't they." He motions to the stars, "So lifeless and cold. Never caring when they come or go, even if they exist they have no true purpose in life but are there… Heh reminds me of myself… Oh well my place is set in life and yours has come to an end don't struggle too much I wouldn't want the other Soul in me to know you suffered…" Wha-What does he mean? Other Soul… Wait! Does he mean!
I soon snap out of my trance of thought as he lunges for me. I roll to the right and slide to my feet. I position my body low to the ground preparing myself to either dodge or go in for an attack… He doesn't move or even try to defend himself he just stands there waiting as if time was merely an option for him to acknowledge and take into existence… I charge him hoping to catch him off guard. I run almost to him but stop two feet in front jump back and to the right casting a blast of Gibarta at him as I go. It hits dead on and encases the person or whatever it may be in ice. I get ready to launch a Grants attack at it but then notice something…
"He's gone!" I scream aloud. He is gone from the ice case but it isn't shattered at all not even a crack in the ice to show it ever held him. I spin my body around franticly searching for him, my braid whipping around my head as I do so. I brush the lose hair out of my eyes and then suddenly feel the cold feel of a palm collide with the back of my skull. I fall to the ground and turn in the direction it came from. My head is sore and my vision is spinning from the attack and the sudden movement of my head to follow the attack… I stare up into the pale blue eyes of that thing… Those eyes so pale and cold… "I wish you wouldn't struggle the other soul in me is becoming restless and I do not wish for him to awaken!" With that his right hand lunges for my neck and he grabs it. The thing easily lifts me up by the neck I grab his writs and hands trying to break his grip or break his fingers something to let me breathe… But my strength is fading fast and his grip is like that of titanium strong and unrelenting. "Now slip into oblivion young-one others will join soon enough…" Then everything goes black but before it does I truly hear a scream of pain from the demon and then I fall…
I stand from my chair now the popcorn tumbling to the ground as I rise. I only hear the small taps of it hit the ground before I hear the demons screams of pain. I stand now in my casting position I had just launched a Grants attack… Heh to bad for that thing its one of my own device. Of course now I notice my popcorn has fallen to the ground damn that thing he made me drop it!
I laugh as the demon squirms in pain as my Grants technique doesn't just disappear after it has already penetrated him but it works its way through his whole body then exits and re-enters again and again. He hollers in pure pain for a moment and then suddenly stops… The spell has finally ended but he is not dead hell I don't even see any exit wounds on him… The thing turns to me now and stares at me with those pale blue eyes, so cold they seem. He walks slowly to me "Heh bad move there freak!" I scream and fire off round after photon round from my H&S25 Justice mech gun. The bullets hit him but he doesn't even make the effort to dodge as if he doesn't need to. Suddenly he lunges forward and grabs me by the neck. I fire another volley of photon bullets into his stomach and yet his body doesn't even seem to acknowledge them entering and exiting his body.
"Why do you people wish for death so often…?" It asks me. I merely laugh and say, "That's simple, for it's because I crave the destruction it can cause, for others it's to protect some one they know. Heh what about you… Why do you crave death?"
"Heh what about you… Why do you crave death?" The human asks me now. I look upon him and then laugh. "You- You ask me why I crave death. Heh silly being I do not crave death I give it out." With that I squeeze his neck. "Stop this madness now!" Suddenly a voice rocks my mind. Pain surges through me and I drop the FOmar. I grab my head and scream in the agony that emits from it. "What- What is this you-you cant be awakened?" The voice rocks my mind again it's the Hunter's Soul that shares my body with me. "I am not something you can place away in the shadows in hope I turn to the dark and hide there for all time! You will not cause any more pain or death!" "DAMN YOU HUNTER! I WILL NOT BE LOCKED AWAY AGAIN SO EASILY!" I scream in pure rage and then launch countless strikes of energy at the random buildings and the ground around me causing whatever destruction I can. The voice screams in my head to stop the pain becomes intense beyond human comparison. "I said enough! With that my mind breaks and my vision slips into the shadows again. Before I leave these words escape me… "Hunter you may have won but this is not the end I still live on within you…"
I soon awaken on the ground my face against the pavement I try to lift my head but cant the pain in me is too much I begin to black out but turn to my right and see Rati right beside me still alive and well… I awaken again sore and full of pain. I hear commotion and screams all around me I open my eyes and see a blinding white light. I suddenly sit up and look around me. I am in an intensive care room, in the medical area. I look around the room and notice four others sharing it with me. The young FOnweral Cranberry is unconscious in her bed. Her face is scratched up and a small cut runs along her neck. The FOmar Sage is sleeping in his bed still not awake from when he fainted. Also Mewone is there in a bed his back turned to me looking at the far wall. Also Samus is there as well standing against the wall opposite of my bed. He appears to be in standby.
I look out the window I hear sirens sounding off close by. I get out of my bed and walk towards the door. Mewone spies me and says something; my mind is shut off from it though. I walk out of the room and head for the entrance hall. I swing open the doors and stand in the reception area. A nurse sees me jumps and says in a panicked voice, "Mr.-Mr. Legenda! You shouldn't be up you have barley had two hours of sleep and your body still needs to recover!" I walk towards the sliding doors, the nurse stands in my way still protesting, ordering me to return to my room. I push her out of the way gently and the doors slowly open to the outside….
I turn the corner of the building and stop, falling to my knees as I see the scene before me. Whole buildings destroyed holes in the ground floor ten feet deep, the smell of burnt flesh, and sulfur in the air. I begin to weep now; freely the tears flow from my eyes and fall to the ground, the nurse comes out to me and says something but it doesn't click. "What- What have I done?" I say, the tears not stopping, I rest my hands on the ground and lower my head to look at the asphalt my eyes and soul not even remotely human enough anymore to look at the scene before me. The scene I have caused out of what I am… The tears forming dark spots where they fall with their small splashes they make as they hit the cold asphalt floor. "Wha-What am I? Who am I? Oh god what have I become…?" I don't ever remove my face from looking at the ground in front of me even when more nurses come out and help me to my feet. I continue too look at the ground with my pale blue eyes, eyes that don't deserve to be human anymore….