I'm rather surprised that my story is doing as well as it is. Quite frankly, I was sure this story would be just something that ended up in the bowels of and maybe get 20 hits a week and maybe a review every month or so. Imagine my surprise to see that the number of hits I get seem to go up daily, even if only by ten or so. I guess maybe my story is in more of a circulation now that its popping up on the favorite lists of 8 users? I don't know. Am I just not giving myself enough credit in regards to my writting? Maybe. That's not really for me to say. Anyway, here we are...another chapter. I guess we're about...halfway...a little over halfway done? I don't know. Depends on how much material I can think up that is actually mine and not part of the main story. Still I enjoy this. Who knows? Maybe I'll find myself writting a story for another game? Anyway, I guess you're sick of reading my babbling now, yes? Let's get to it then.
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The next week and a half had been fairly uneventful. It wasn't unusual for things to slow down between attacks, but this time it wasn't too far off from being...ridiculous. It wasn't sitting well with Vent and Aile. They enjoyed the down time, sure, but enough was enough! They spent most of their time doing what they usually did when things got this way: lounging in their room. Vent punched the wall.
"Damn it. Why have the attacks suddenly stopped?"
"Maybe we dealt a real blow to Slither Inc. when they attacked?"
"I guess that makes sense, but that doesn't sound like something that would stop a lunatic like Serpent. He doesn't care what happens to who as long as he gets what he wants: the Model W core."
The door slid open. It came as no surprise that it was Prairie. She couldn't even speak before Vent was already all over her.
"Finally! Where is it!?"
"...We don't know yet..."
"You haven't found one?"
"No. But there's something else very interesting going on."
Aile hopped off of the top bunk and joined her friends.
"Oh? What is that?"
"There have been reports of many people going missing lately. More specifically, within the last few months."
Vent tilted his head and blinked.
"Like...how many people?"
"By our current account, somewhere near four hundred."
Aile's jaw dropped slightly.
"Four hundred!?"
"Yeah. And that's not even the creepiest part."
Vent sighed.
"This just gets better and better, doesn't it? What's the gimmick?"
"There hasn't been any evidence at any of the abductions. Most of them take place at night. Those who see the kidnappings during the day only see a yellow blur before it, and the person it targets, vanish."
Aile thought it over for a moment.
"Then you're saying Slither Inc. is connected?"
"How did you know I was going to say that?"
"Its rather obvious when you think it over. Serpent still has to uphold the facade that Slither Inc. is still the good guy, right? The only reason they're not really doing anything is because it is related to Model W. Let me guess, they keep saying they're doing everything they can, but nothing happens."
Prairie nodded. Vent growled.
"Son of a bitch. Like every other corrupt corporate slimeball in history."
Prairie sighed.
"All stereotypes aside, I thought I'd just let you two know. If this is happening, then I'm sure that Slither Inc. is back on its feet. I could need you two at a moments notice. Who or whatever is abducting humans sounds fast. I have a bad feeling its going to be a pseudoroid."
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Vent sat outside on the deck thinking over the events of the past few months as wind tore through his hair. Up until recently, he hadn't realized how much fighting he had done. He sighed knowing it wouldn't stop until Model W was no more. He looked to the floor and a red, white, and yellow boot was standing there next to him. Zero's voice came from above.
"Hey, Vent!"
"Hey, Zero...waitaminute...what the fuck?"
Vent looked up and wasn't met with the hoving piece of metal. Instead he was met with a man that looked almost his age with a long blonde ponytail, and a broad, heroic chest with two green orbs adorned on it. What Vent could only assume was Zero sat down next to him as he babbled to himself. Zero looked at the humans shocked face and smirked.
"That was the reaction I was hoping for!"
"What the hell!? You're body...its...back!?"
"Not really, see I was tinkering around in my program files and came across a nifty little feature that projects holograms of me and the others back when we had our bodies. I've gone through a couple personally, but..."
Zero slapped Vent on the shoulder and he could feel it.
"Wait...if you're a hologram, how can you affect the physical?"
"This is the future, kid. If mankind couldn't make holograms that affect the physical in this day and age, I'd lose all hope in humanity."
"But...where did the hologram trick come from?"
"Oh, well, you see, X's dad...or...creator...he was Thomas Xavier Light, before he died, he put magical capsules all around the world that gave X suits of armor that made him disown serious ass everytime he got one! When X would find these capsules, a sentient hologram of Light would greet him. I guess whoever made we biometals knew about it and put it into us!"
Vent blinked.
"X was created by Dr. Light!? The Doctor Thomas Xaiver Light!?"
Vent felt another arm around his shoulder. This one was blue with a white hand. Vent turned to see who he could only assume to be X with his hologram.
"Yep! Dr. Light was my dad. Jealous?"
"Uh...where are the others?"
Zero grinned as he heard yells of surprise from Aile and Prairie somewhere in the airship.
"Judging by that, scaring the crap out of our friends."
Vent blinked, smiled, and sighed.
"You biometals sure are asses."
Zero laughed.
"Naw, that's just me."
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Vent folded his arms and blinked.
"So this is what you all looked like?"
He was getting his first look at what Leviathan, Fefnir, Harpuia, and Phantom really looked like. Leviathan was slim and smooth. Not surprising seeing as she was made for the water. Harpuia looked much like Hivolt had. Fefnir, packed two giant guns on his arms. Finally, Phantom...looked like a ninja. Essentially, they all looked pretty much like they would when they fused with Vent.
"So...I guess...yeah..."
Aile sighed.
"Leviathan, you scared the hell out of me."
Leviathan tilted her head and smiled.
"Sorry!"
Zero looked at each of his friends and frowned. X noticed and inquired.
"What's wrong?"
"...We're not all gonna fit in the corner like this."
X snorted.
"Well, maybe if your chest wasn't two feet thick."
"Hey, I prefer this. Nothing like the original. I like this body!"
Leviathan was drinking him in like she was caught in a trance.
"So do I..."
Everyone looked at the blue reploid.
"...What?"
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
For what seemed like the billionth time that evening, Vent was sitting alone in his room. Aile was probably being pestered by Prairie, Leviathan, or both at the moment, not that he would have known that. He heard the door open but didn't bother to look up.
"That you, Aile?"
"Um...Vent?"
It wasn't Aile. Vent turned.
"Rose, it's you. What's the occassion? I'm usually the one visiting you in the medical wing."
"Yes. It just I haven't seen much of you lately. I though maybe you might have died or something."
Vent scoffed.
"Me? Naw. I've just been watching myself better."
"Well...that's a relief."
"Yeah."
Vent gazed out the window. Rose frowned.
"You look troubled."
"I've got a lot to be troubled about knowing that Serpent is out to kill us all and rule over all humanity."
"I suppose that's true."
Neither of the two spoke for a moment.
"Vent, what exactly is it like out there fighting day in and day out?"
Vent chuckled.
"Aile asked me that very same question once. Its just as I said to her: scary. Everything wants you dead, but I can keep at it knowing that by stopping Serpent, there won't be more victims of his madness."
"..."
"Something wrong?"
"I'm sorry..."
"What?"
"I'm sorry."
"What do you have to be sorry for?"
"That I can't do anything to help you. We're always sending you out to fight the pseudoroids, just because you can use the power of the biometals and are the only one who can beat them without sacrifices! We can just root for you from the sidelines. We can't fight well enough to stop a pseudoroid without someone dying!"
"Rose, relax!"
"...You don't hate us because of that, do you?"
"What!? No! I would have never though of it unless you'd brought it up. Even so, I don't care. We can only do what we can."
"Vent..."
"And you can help me. Who's been patching me up whenever I get the crap kicked out of me?"
"...Me..."
"There you go. Now, answer me honestly."
"As long as you're not asking me how much I weigh or what my three sizes are."
"Has this always been bugging you? Is that why you're always right there ready to take care of me when I get back?"
Rose's face turned red. Vent couldn't see Rose's eyes through her bangs, but he could only assume that she was avoiding his eyes.
"...P-partly."
"And the other part?"
"..."
"C'mon, I said answer me honestly."
"I can't say."
"Sure you can."
"No, I mean I can't say it. I'm not ready."
"Alright. Take your time."
"Yes...if you'll excuse me, I'd best be getting back to the medical wing. I have patients to attend to."
"Sure. See you later."
"Yeah, see you later, Vent."
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Vent, Aile? You two get up here now! We got a lock on what we think are the captured people!"
By the time that Vent and Aile had reached the command deck, Zero, X, and the others were already there. Vent gasped for air as he spoke.
"Wh...where are they?"
A holographic map hummed to life and Prairie placed her finger in the area near the power plant where Vent had fought Hivolt.
"Area I. Its a scrap heap at this point. There's a lot of discarded metal and the place is falling apart. Its connected to the power plant and ever since Vent shut it down, Area I has been having some issues with what little equipment that still worked there. However, it seems that part of that is that much of the power is being drawn into the deepest part of the area. We're also picking up lifeforms. Humans. They haven't tried moving away, so we're assuming they're the ones who have been captured...yet there aren't enough of them there."
Aile frowned.
"You suspect that Serpent has been doing something to them?"
"Yes...I have a bad feeling that it has something to do with being...retired...if you catch my drift."
"Well then, if that is the case then lets go put a stop to it!"
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Vent stared into Area I and sighed.
"Prairie wasn't kidding. This place IS a scrap heap."
Vent was using Model Zx. He also had models P and H. Aile stuck with the two she knew best: Models F and L. Aile nodded.
"The people could be anywhere."
A green holographic visor popped over Vent's eyes as he scanned the area.
"I'm getting something at the far end of the area, just like Prairie said. It looks like there's a building between them and us though."
Aile sighed and shrugged.
"Let's get started then."
The wind and rain in the area made for rather unpleasant traveling conditions. The winds were strong enough to slow the duo down, even with the biometals. About halfway to the building Aile yelled out in frustration as she blasted a Maverick.
"Damn it! What kidnapper in their right mind would pitch camp here!?"
Harpuia's holographic eyes flashed.
"I bet I have a good idea..."
Even as holograms that could affect the physical, for some odd reasons, none of the weapons the biometals had back when they had their own body didn't work in their holographic state. It made them feel a bit useless, but they kept it to themselves in favor of letting Vent and Aile go on with their objectives. When the two finally got into the building itself, the lighting was poor as a direct result of Vent's shutting down the power plant. Not only that, the path split in two. The pair sighed and looked at one another. Vent pointed.
"I'll go forward, you take the hole?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"Aile?"
"Hm?"
"Be careful. This is your first time out. I don't want to have to think to myself that I could have saved you had I been there if you ended up dying."
"Dying is the last thing I plan to do."
"Good."
"Vent?"
"Yeah?"
"You don't need to worry about me."
"Sure I do. I care about what happens to you. That's what friends do, yes?"
"...Yes."
Vent and Aile finally began to travel their respective paths.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Vent, what took you so long?"
"Ran into a little trouble."
"What?"
Vent threw the head of a large lion mechaniloid at Aile's feet. She giggled.
"Really? I ran into a little trouble myself."
Aile threw a similar head at Vent's feet. He smiled.
"And here I was worried about you."
"Yeah, yeah. Come on let's go. The life readings are just ahead."
Vent sighed as he saw a familiar sight. A large gate resembling a garage door.
"Watch it in here, Aile. This is typically what I see before I see a pseudoroid."
"Got ya."
The two charged in, weapons drawn, only to be met with nothing. Vent gawked at the empty room.
"What the...?"
"There's..."
"No one...here?"
"Oh well, who cares? Let's go!"
As they headed for the exit there was a flash of lighting. Aile realized that Vent had stopped.
"Vent what's...!!!"
Vent had turned and was facing a weasel-like pseudoroid. It was yellow. Vent and Aile's thoughts were as one.
"This is what's been abducting all the people..."
"Well, well, well...look what we have here. Its just as I was told. Lord Serpent warned me you two may come."
Vent glared.
"And you are?"
"Model H Pseudoroid: Hurricaune. I assume you're here for the humans?"
Aile nodded.
"You might say that."
Vent's saber ignited.
"Now let them go."
"I'm sorry. I can't do that. We need cyber elves for Model W's revival. I'm afraid you'll have to fight for them!!!"
It was just as Prairie had said: Hurricaune was fast. In a split second, she was in Aile's face and knocked her away into the wall.
"Aile!"
As Vent ran over to check if she was okay, Hurricaune cut him off and slammed her fist into Vent's stomach. He was stunned for a moment before he vomited blood.
"How...did you...?"
"I thought you knew. I'm fast. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll have some fun with your little girlfriend."
Aile managed to recover quickly enough to see Vent blown away by a tornado.
"Vent! Why you little...!"
Large plasma bursts tore from the large guns on Model F. Much to Aile's dismay, she couldn't land any shots on her speedy enemy. In fact, once Hurricaune began pitching blades of wind at her, it took all she had just to dodge them. Finally, one hit her leg and she fell to one knee. Hurricaune picked her up and slammed her into the floor. Aile groaned as she stood.
"She's too fast...I can't beat her without Vent..."
The onslaught kept coming and Vent was still nowhere to be found thanks to Hurricaune's tornado. Aile was tiring, taking hit after hit, barely managing to land any of her own. Finally she fell to her hands and knees gasping for breath as the biometal deactivated. Hurricaune approached and lifted Aile by the throat. The pseudoroid's laugh was sickening and soaked with sadism.
"I know it hurts...I know. I've heard cries of pain from enough victims to know what it looks like."
Aile grabbed the psuedoroid's wrist in a feeble attempt to get loose. The robot stared at her with glowing eyes, striking fear into its victim. Lightning flashed into the background and everytime it did, Aile hoped it would fade away and she'd be in her room realizing she had just escaped a nightmare. But the pain, the horror. She felt it all. It was real. She couldn't escape and she knew that Hurricaune took sickening pleasure in it. The pseudoroid grinned, its teeth reflecting the light from the lightning bolts.
"Go on...scream...I know you want to...do so and your friend will come running back only to find you dead. Then I'll do the same thing to him. He'll try to avenge you only to fail. Nothing will stand in the way of Model W's revival...no one..."
Seconds felt like hours. Minutes became days. Only one things ran through Aile's mind that entire time.
"...Help..."
Hurricaune sighed.
"I guess the boy isn't coming. Oh well I guess he'll get the picture when he sees a limp, cold corpse in my hand. Time to die little human. How sad. And I haven't even heard that pretty little voice of you cry out in horror yet. Oh well. That's life. And your life is about to end. Any last words?"
As Hurricaune's grip began to tighten, Aile found her voice for the first time in what seemed to be forever and screamed the first word that she could think of.
"Vent!!!"
As if cued by her voice, a green saber ran through Hurricaune's chest in what felt like slow motion. The pseudoroid's eyes were wide with shock. Aile and Hurricaune looked behind the robotic weasel to see Vent standing there, saber in hand, and his eyes like they were when he had fought Puprill: Cold, full of anger, and devoid of kindness. His words held so much power in them, the one who had been striking terror into the hearts of others was now the one filled with terror.
"Leave...her...alone..."
Vent pulled his saber out, cut off the arm that held Aile and sliced the horrified pseudoroid down the middle. Vent caught Aile in his arms and moved away. Recovering from shock Hurricaune laughed weakly.
"It matters not, Model W's revival...is unavoidable...no one will stand...in Lord...Serpent's...way..."
The sadistic pseudoroid's fusion core overloaded and exploded. As the dust cleared, a small green ball of energy floated there. Harupia touched it and absorbed it into his systems. He looked up and frowned. Aile sat on her knees, head hanging, trembling. No one said anything until Vent spoke.
"Aile...? Are you okay?"
She didn't respond. Vent put his hand on her shoulder in an effort to comfort her.
"I know what you're going through... when it's your first time out, it can really rattle you."
Aile muttered something. Vent leaned in.
"What did you say?"
"...Rattle me...?"
Aile looked up at him tears down her face.
"Rattle me!? I was absolutely terrified! The pain, the way she smiled at me! I...I really thought that I was going to die! That no one would save me! If you hadn't come when you did...I...I..."
Aile threw her arms around Vent, sobbing.
"...Aile..."
"I'll be fine...later, I'll be fine...but right now...I...can't help it!!!"
Even when Vent embraced her and had her as close as he possible could, it still felt like he wasn't doing enough. The rain came down harder and the wind picked up as lightning continued to flash, illuminating the dark, cloud-filled sky. No one cared. At this point, the fact that everyone was still alive was all that counted. Vent frowned.
"I'm sorry, Aile...I promise I won't let anything like that happen to you ever again..."
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Well, it's late, but I think this chapter was really good. It's also bigger than most of my chapters. Sorry about the delay, but when I get a new video game, I lose interest in mostly everything else. And to make it worse, it was Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Gamecube version, mind you). Five words: BEST FINAL BOSS BATTLE EVER!!! Chances are it'll happen again around Christmas (assuming I get Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, and knowing my folks, I will). Anyway, I guess I'll shoot for Friday on the next update now that my sister is fighting me tooth and nail for the Gamecube. As a result, I'll have more time to write. Later much!
