Ch.7: Ripped Apart
The site was called CD, short for Cyberspace Development, home to the most genius inventors in a section called the Digital Zone. They had completed a new way of digitizing data when the Hacker stole their prototype model and then modified it for his own evil design.
Now labeled the Cyber Ripper, the Hacker used his new deadly weapon on whatever cybersite he came across. Buildings vanished, trees disappeared, and the innocent civilians who were unlucky enough to get caught in the beam digitized into dust.
The Cybersquad had to stop Hacker before anyone else got hurt, but when they finally encountered him on a junk cybersite, it became clear that things were not going to be as easy as they looked.
It didn't help matters that the team was arguing today. As Matt stood there watching the chaos of Didge almost getting his tails fried by the green beam, the carrot-haired boy remembered that he had had a huge argument with Jackie and Inez before this whole deal went down.
However, before Matt could even think about the nature on what the argument was, a black arm suddenly reached out and dragged him behind a pile of junk, just as another beam shot down.
"Whew" Matt breathed, looking towards his savior " Thanks Jacks,"
"No problem" said Jackie " even though you're a jerk I couldn't let you get fried,"
Matt was about to question what she meant, when another more important issue popped up in his mind.
"Where's Inez?" asked Matt, instantly looking around for his friend.
His eyes soon found both her and Didge hiding in a junk pile nearby. Both were shaken and bruised, their mouths puffing exhaustion as the Hacker's cackles lashed out into the night. This whole Cyber Ripper attack had gone to far, eyes narrowing in anger, Matt became even more determined to stop it.
Curious to where the Hacker could be, Didge slowly peeked his head up over his and Inez's junk pile to see where the villain was. It was a bad choice, as the Hacker immediately spotted Digit's beak and erased his and Inez's hiding place. Now, both him and the girl were totally exposed!
"Inez, this way!" called Jackie, urging her friend over to her and Matt.
Taking the cue, Didge and Inez sped immediately to Jackie and Matt's hiding place, but Inez never made it that far. Tripping on an old, rusted pipe buried in the ground, Inez fell flat in the dirt and the Hacker charged up the Cyber Ripper to fire.
"Inez!" cried out Matt, instantly springing to feet, getting in the way of the beam's path.
His friends crying out in horror, Matt got hit full force with the Cyber Ripper's beam. As it tore off his flesh he screamed in pain, and then vanished into digital dust.
There are many facts to consider to what it feels like to die; painless, like you just float forever in space, or painful, like if your living in a nightmare that just won't end. Matt didn't feel as if he felt any of those things, his whole soul just felt lost.
"Where…am I?" thought Matt.
There were other things floating with him in this drab sense of space. Objects that looked like belonged in towns, and people who lay unconscious in some kind of stasis set of mind.
"Am I the only one awake?" thought Matt, curiously " Why?"
His answer soon came as a dark form approached that looked strangely familiar to his eyes. Once near enough so he could make out the newcomer's features, Matt's eyes suddenly widened in shock as he recognized the shade he had encountered back on When Rich Action Knocks. Along with him, were some other Lost, scouring this dismal wasteland.
The voice of the King Lost could suddenly be heard, stunning Matt to the core.
"We were attracted to the data" whispered the King's voice " The Cyber Ripper brought many things for us to consume. But when we spotted, still fighting to stay alive, our kind took pity and decided to save your soul,"
After the King's voice faded away, Matt suddenly found himself encircled by the Lost. The auras around their bodies glowed blue as they fed their energy into Matt.
The next thing Matt knew, he was whole again, awakening in the grounds of Control Central with the concerned faces of his friends hovering from above.
"I remember now" thought Matt in his mind " I am a Lost,"
"Yes you are" said the King's voice " and now that the essence of light is in our hands, the world will fall to the darkness, and Cyberspace shall be reborn,"
Meanwhile, back out in the ruins, the Hacker was still busy loading as much Phoenix gold as he could into the Wreaker when the Cybersquad finally decided to make their move and attack. Using some vines they had measured and woven into a net, Slider and Didge covered up the Hacker before the cyber-villain could get far.
Using her magic, Sharri captured Delete, while Jackie bagged Buzz with a sack she had retrieved from the Cyber Coop. Inez made her way over to the skiffs carrying the Phoenix Gold and quickly confirmed that it was the same gold that was stolen from When Rich Action Knocks.
"I bet it was Hacker who stole all the gold and framed Matt" said Didge " He hid the gold here so that he could back for it later,"
"You birdbrain!" shouted Hacker " If things were that simple I would have kept the gold and let your friend rot in jail!"
"And where is Matt?" asked Slider.
Before the Hacker could answer that question though, the whole site suddenly shook violently and a pillar of purple light erupted into the air. Shockwaves shuddered through the sky as pulses felled trees in their path.
A red haze now covered the entire sky, and the land was shaded dark. The ancient seal that been placed thousands of years before had finally been broken. The Lost had been unleashed!