Toon Lagoon
Disclaimer: Same as before...
Author's Note(s): To the anonymous reviewer's question, I have an answer. Organization XIII sends COBRA and the FOH as well as numerous Heartless and Nobodies after Bryce, Samantha, and Hyde.
---
"Bryce!" Samantha shouted, as the T-Rex lumbered away. She was sure the half-Indian had been killed, either by the T-Rex, or had drowned when she saw him kick his legs and swim downward.
"Oh God..." Samantha said, gasping, knowing that several people had been killed, Bryce probably being one of them. The wave of emotions that hit her was intense. Relief she was still alive. Terror at how close she came to being killed either by the hostage takers, or the COBRAs. Unexpected sorrow that Bryce was in all likelihood dead...
Ellie instinctively took the younger woman in her arms feeling warm tears soak into her shirt. "I think you'll be pleasantly surprised..."
Bryce climbed up the dock, spitting water from his mouth, rifle still in hand. "Oh thank God you're alive..." Samantha began, "How did you get past that dinosaur...I thought he got you when he was bobbing under water."
"I swam as far as I could under the dock. The dinosaur couldn't get to me there." Bryce replied.
"I was worried." Samantha replied.
"What about Hyde?" Bryce asked, "Have you seen him.:
Samantha shook her head. Bryce replied, "We've got to go find him and somehow get the hell off this island."
"Bryce, we can't do that." Samantha replied.
"Yes we can. Yes we will." Bryce replied.
"Bryce, all those people out there. We can't leave them to die." Samantha replied, pleading, "Come on, weren't you a soldier before. I thought soldiers protected people who couldn't protect themselves..."
Bryce stared, impassive for a few moments before saying loudly to the surviving tourists, some of whom were restraining the Baroness. "Alright." Bryce replied, "This is what we'll do. The Visitor's Center, and the emergency bunkers are the safest places for these people right now. Hammond and his people obviously already know this, as do the tourists."
"What about you?" Samantha asked.
"I'm going to help Hammond's guys get this park back together. But maybe a bit of information from the Baroness here may be a bit helpful..." Bryce replied.
"I'll never talk..." Baroness said snidely, straining against her bonds.
"Very well then, I don't have any use for you." Bryce replied, flicking the selector switch on his AK to single fire.
"Bryce..." Samantha warned, "This isn't right."
"She wouldn't balk at causing your death, or the deaths of God knew how many innocent people." Bryce replied, coldly.
"You can't just kill her." Samantha reasoned.
"Samantha, this woman ordered at least one massacre while buffing her nails. She brushed her hair while people died. I'm not about to let her get away with this." Bryce replied.
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze too long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you." Ellie Sattler began.
"Baroness, I'm not going to kill you." Bryce replied, "I am going to leave you tied up in this warehouse and let some other creature do that work. I hear death by compy is rather painful..."
"Wait!" The Baroness began as Bryce began to shepherd people out to the entrance.
"What." Bryce replied.
"I'm not telling you anything of value, but just to inform you that the Organization has you three marked. They have no intention of allowing you to leave the Five Islands alive..." The Baroness shouted to the retreating group.
---
The Emergency bunkers were scenes of activity and carnage. Wounded tourists and park workers were being treated by some Jurassic Park medical staff. Ellie went to help a wounded black man, who was clutching his left arm, from several feet away Samantha could see the radius and ulna protruding through the skin.
"Mommy, where's my Mommy." A little six year old girl wailed.
Samantha watched as Jurassic Park employees and frightened civilians were milling about, not even giving the terrified girl a second glance. Several Jurassic Park security force members were unlocking some large steel cabinets containing a wide assortment of weapons. She saw Bryce was running towards Robert Muldoon, coordinating the efforts.
"Hey..." Samantha began, as she sat next to the terrified kid, sitting beside her, not quite knowing what to say but wanting to try and help the poor child anyway. She put an arm around the child's narrow shoulders, holding her close, "They're looking for your mommy and everyone else out there."
The child sniffled and Samantha asked, "What's your name?"
"Sharon..." the girl replied.
Bryce wandered over to them and said, "I don't see Hyde anywhere right now."
"Do you think he's..." Samantha began, not wanting to spook Sharon.
"I don't know, honestly." The CIA paramilitary replied, and handed Samantha a radio and there was a second one on his belt with a headset, "I'll go out there and look for him, but there's no guarantees that I'll find him or that I'll even come back."
Sharon clutched at Samantha's side. The half-breed man with a gun was talking scary. "Bryce," Samantha began, "You're scaring the kid."
"Look, we'll discuss tact and scaring kids in survival situations later...If I don't find him, or come back, I want you to look for Hyde or find your way off this island and get yourself out of here with the remaining Ansem reports." Bryce replied.
"Bryce..." Samantha began.
Bryce turned around as Samantha regarded him with her soulful brown eyes, "Be careful."
Bryce nodded as he switched the safety off his AK and ran behind a Jurassic Park reaction force element. Samantha watched him go, feeling the same worry she had felt earlier when the T-rex had nearly eaten Bryce.
"Robert," Hammond said, concern etching his voice, "I wonder if you'd be good enough to take a gas jeep and bring back my grandchildren…"
"Sure." Muldoon replied.
"I'm going with him." Ellie replied.
Samantha stood up just then, "Ellie, I want to go too."
"Absolutely not. I can't babysit two people while looking for my boss' grandchildren." Muldoon snapped back as he unlocked a steel cabinet, taking a Franchi SPAS 12 shotgun and inserting several red plastic shells, "This is a man's job, too tough for girls."
"We can discuss sexism in survival situations later." Samantha remarked, throwing on a yellow Jurassic Park rain slicker.
---
Dennis Nedry jumped into a jeep, the modified shaving cream can with all fifteen animal species in his JanSport backpack. He didn't realize that his bag had a GPS tag implanted into it by Peter Ludlow, who tracked his progress on a laptop.
The sign as he approached the gate into the park read 'Danger, 10,000 Volts' but Nedry knew the fence was turned off. He pushed it open with one hand as sheets of rain fell, soaking everything and anything exposed.
In his private office, which was a very well protected space, Ludlow watched the screen of his laptop showing a map of the island, showing a red moving dot, briefly stopping at the Park's main gate.
Nedry continued through the driving rain, cursing, checking his watch. This damn storm was fogging up his glasses and the windows of the jeep. Six-forty five. God damn it. God damn it.
"GOD DAMN IT!!!" Nedry shouted as the large white sign reared up in his view. CRASH!The jeep fishtailed into the sign as Nedry slammed the brakes on.
Nedry cursed again when he stepped out and saw that the sign was the sign that pointed the way to the East Dock. He pointed the arrow at one fork in the road, then the other, before spinning it with frustration and following the road further into the park.
As Ludlow watched Nedry's progress, he couldn't help but smile snidely. Nedry was going the wrong way. The bastard thought he was so clever, but in reality he was a fool. He was little more than a pasty to pin this entire disaster on, and secure Ludlow's own rise to power.
"I should have been there by now. Should've been there by now…" Nedry grumbled as he looked at his watch. Six-fifty-five. Five minutes and…CRASH.
"Damn!" Nedry swore as the jeep crashed through a barrier and went over a fallen tree off the road. He walked out of the jeep seeing that he couldn't back out, he went over to the power winch in the front of the jeep and began to pull on the steel hook and cable assembly, dragging the cable down the hill before slipping and falling.
It watched the clumsy creature from the fronds of a thick stand of ferns, as it emerged from the strange egg with lights. The creature had just fallen down the hill.
A strange hooting sound could be heard as Nedry groped around on the bottom of the hill, reaching around the mud for his glasses. "My glasses. I can afford more glasses…"
He turned around as he heard the hooting sound. There wasn't a damn thing there. He headed over to the bole of a large tree, away from the hooting sound. It was damned creepy out there. No signs of it. He wrapped the cable around the tree, hearing the strange hooting-crooning sound again.
He peeked around the tree, in time to see a small, relatively frail looking dinosaur, standing roughly five feet tall. "Yeah, that's nice," Nedry began, and walked off saying, "Gotta go…"
He heard another hoot and turned around. The dinosaur looked harmless as it regarded Nedry with wide eyes. "Nice boy. Nice boy. Nice dinosaur. I thought you were one of your big brothers, you're not so bad."
The dinosaur continued to regard Nedry, "What do you want, you want some food? Look at me, I just fell down a hill, I'm soaking wet, I don't have any food."
The dinosaur looked at Nedry again who continued his tirade, "I have no food on me. I have nothing on me. See the stick, see the stick. Yeah, yeah. Stick, stick stupid. Fetch the stick boy."
The dinosaur stood its ground, though its eyes followed the stick. "You don't like the stick…Ah no wonder you're extinct. I'm gonna run you over when I come back down."
Nedry continued up the hill and heard the dinosaur again. He turned around just in time to hear the creature hiss with an accompanying rattling sound as a large, colorful frill flared out on the dinosaurs neck. At the same time a wet blob smacked into his chest. Nedry touched the sticky black fluid, just a bit more viscous than road tar. It burned the skin. He ran for the jeep. Another blob struck his face around the eyes and it felt like his face was on fire.
He fled into the jeep rubbing at his eyes. Luckily he'd closed them before the dinosaur had spat into his face. A fat lot of good eyesight did him when he heard the same rattling sound, seeing the dinosaur inside the jeep with him.
The jeep shook as Nedry's screams echoed into the jungle night…
---
Samantha beheld a scene of chaos when the jeep arrived just outside the Tyrannosaur paddock. "Where's the other car?" Ellie asked, as she noticed one of the electric Ford Explorers, which traveled in pairs, was missing.
"Where's the other car?" Ellie asked again as she, Muldoon and Samantha grabbed flashlights.
"Alan!" Ellie shouted, as she shined the light about.
"Dr. Grant!" Muldoon shouted.
"Alan!" Ellie added.
"Grant!" Muldoon shouted.
"Oh my God…" Samantha remarked, closing her eyes as she stood amidst the ruins that were the thatch hut bathroom.
"I think this was Gennaro." Muldoon said as he upended a palm frond with one booted foot.
"I think this was too." Samantha said, sickened at the sight of a severed forearm.
"There's a stand of brush over there so you can lose your lunch." Muldoon replied sternly.
Samantha didn't need to be told twice. She ran behind the bushes and promptly lost her lunch. She groped around her handbag until she found the half full tin of Altoids. Grabbing two of them she stuffed them in her mouth, trying to kill the aftertaste of vomit.
"Samantha? Are you alright?" Ellie asked.
"I've felt better." Samantha replied, weakly.
"Hey, it's not every day that you see..." Ellie began.
Samantha was about to reply when a groan interrupted her. She spun round, seeing that the moan came from a pile of palm fronds and thatch. She pulled the fronds away with Ellie's help and the two women saw Ian Malcolm lying on his back, one leg bent and crooked at a weird angle.
"He put a tourniquet on..." Ellie began. Muldoon came running just then.
"Ian? Ian?" Samantha began, gently tapping his face.
"Remind me to thank John for a lovely weekend." Ian replied.
"Can we chance moving him?" Ellie asked Muldoon.
"Please chance it." Ian replied as a distant roar sounded.
Samantha and Muldoon helped Malcolm into the Jeep. Ellie ran over to the wall. "Ellie come on!" Muldoon said, as another distant roar echoed.
"The other car!" Ellie shouted. Muldoon rushed over, indicating to Samantha to stay with Muldoon.
"Dr. Grant!" Muldoon began after he and Ellie climbed down.
"Alan?" Ellie said, fear and pain in her voice.
Muldoon tugged on her sleeve. Three sets of footsteps led deeper into Jurassic Park, there was hope after all.
Meanwhile Samantha heard a garbled transmission from the radio she carried in her handbag. "Bryce?"
"If you thought escaped dinosaurs, COBRAs and North Korean intelopers were bad news, I've got even more." Bryce began. A burst of gunfire could be heard, as well as Bryce swearing.
"Bryce?" Samantha asked, visibly worried.
"I'm still here, barely." Bryce replied, "Be careful there are several Dusks running around the Park..."
Samantha felt the ground shake. Ian Malcolm glanced at the water filled footprint of the Tyrannosaur. "Did you feel that?"
Samantha nodded. "It's an impact tremor that's what it is..." Malcolm continued.
Ellie and Muldoon were approaching the jeep just then. "We gotta get out of here. We gotta get out of here. Now. Now. Right now!" Malcolm was shouting.
Ellie and Muldoon reached the Jeep just in time to see the T-Rex burst from the foliage, roaring. Muldoon started the engine and floored the gas pedal.
"Must go faster..." Malcolm began, as the T-Rex took two mighty strides toward them.
"Look out!" Ellie screamed.
"Down!" Muldoon shouted as the Jeep passed underneath a fallen tree, smashing the windscreen.
The T-Rex snapped its jaws, snapping the right mirror, narrowly missing Samantha's arm. She shut her eyes and leaned forward.
"Get off the stick!" Muldoon shouted as Samantha's leaning had moved the stick into the first gear.
"Bloody move!" Muldoon added. Samantha shifted her weight and Muldoon moved the shift, jamming his foot into the gas pedal.
The Jeep put on an extra burst of speed and distanced itself from the Rex. "Think they'll have that on the tour..." Malcolm commented.
Muldoon was about to reply when he saw it. It was a vague impression, as the jeep was traveling at sixty miles per hour, a gray elongated body, no face so to speak. Muldoon didn't dare slam on the brakes, the T-Rex was still around. WHAM! The jeep smashed bodily into the Nobody, and its occupants could hear the sickening crunch of bone. Samantha turned in time to see the mangled remains of a Dusk twitching in the middle of the road...
----
Bryce switched magazines on his AK, cursing the fact that this battle with the Nobodies had eaten up two magazines of ammunition of 7.62x39 mm ammunition. Finding 9mm rounds hadn't been hard, Jurassic Park's armory was full of them. Finding ammo for his AK had been a good bit harder. The occasional NKPA or COBRA Viper carrying that sort of weapon provided a source of ammo.
"Samantha?" Bryce began on the radio, in time to hear a roar.
Dear God...Bryce thought.
"Bryce?" Samantha's voice answered on the other side.
"Are you alright?" Bryce asked.
"I'm fine. Shaken, but I'm fine." Samantha replied.
"Good. I think our friend Mr. Nobody just put in an appearance or three..." Bryce replied.
"I ran into one on the road. Muldoon hit it with the Jeep." Samantha replied.
"This could be a disaster. Stay where you are, I'll see if I can't collect Hyde and get us out of here..." Bryce replied.
---
Samantha sat in the emergency bunker, beside Sharon. "Did you find my mommy?" Sharon asked.
"No, not yet." Samantha replied, and then brightened as she reached for her radio, "Bryce?"
Over the radio, Bryce reply sounded, "Yes?"
"What's your mommy's name?" Samantha asked Sharon.
"Rose, my mommy's name is Rose." Sharon replied.
"Could you look for a person named Rose?" Samantha asked.
"I would if I had a last name. I mean Rose being a common name..." Bryce replied, "And why do you have me doing this?"
"Bryce, please..." Samantha said, "This little girl's all alone in this bunker. Could you please help?"
"Alright, ask her what her mother's last name is?" Bryce asked.
"Sweetie, Mr. Bryce can't find your mommy if he doesn't know her last name." Samantha began.
Sharon pulled a little medical bracelet from around her right wrist. Samantha read it. "DaSilva. Her mother's name is Rose DaSilva."
"I'll see what I can do." Bryce replied.
"Hey, got yourself a little friend?" Ellie asked.
Samantha whispered Ellie's ear, "She can't find her mother...I've got Bryce looking."
"Do you think that..." Ellie began.
"I hope not." Samantha replied, eyes flickering to Sharon who was sitting quietly drawing something on her sketch pad.
"I'll go check on Malcolm." Ellie began.
"How is he?" Samantha asked.
"He's regained consciousness." Ellie replied.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Samantha replied, picking up on Ellie's tone.
"He's been going on about 'other dimensions' and 'alternate realities' since he woke up." Ellie replied.
Samantha felt her blood turn to ice. Did Malcolm suspect that she wasn't from this reality?
"Are you alright?" Ellie asked, noticing Samantha seemed obviously distressed.
"I'm alright." Samantha said, "I'm just a little worried, there are still people out there..."
"Bryce?" Ellie asked.
"How long have you..." Ellie replied.
"He's just a friend." Samantha replied, adding, "I'm actually seeing someone else, back in Chicago."
"Oh." Ellie replied as Samantha turned her attention back to Sharon.
"What've you got there, sweetie?" Samantha asked.
Sharon was now fast asleep. Samantha put a blanket around the sleeping child's shoulders. Sharon was muttering something incoherently, "Wimpy...Popeye...Jeep...Dudley..."
Samantha's eyes fell upon the sketch pad. She could see several sketches, reminding her of her own childhood. Pictures of an assortment of cartoon characters. Popeye the sailor, Eugene the Jeep, Wimpy eating a hamburger, Olive Oyl, Sweet-Pea, Nell and Dudley Do-Right. She flipped to the next page.
The same characters were drawn on the next page. However there was a difference. Popeye was being overwhelmed by several Dusks. Wimpy was hanging upside down, clearly dead, from the sign of his favorite hamburger place. Eugene the Jeep was running with Sweet-Pea in its arms. Olive Oyl was desperately trying to use a frying pan to fight off more Nobodies...
Samantha turned the page again to see drawings of fire and ash, of ruined buildings, of the different characters lying dead. And in the center of the drawing was a drawing of the crossed out heart, the symbol of the Heartless.
"Samantha?" Ellie asked.
"What's going on?" Samantha asked.
"It's Malcolm, he wants to talk to you." Ellie replied, "Alone."
Samantha reluctantly headed over to the small room where Ellie was helping Dr. Harding treat Malcolm with the limited medical supplies they had.
"It's probably the morphine drip that's got him babbling about alternate dimensions." Dr. Harding, Jurassic Park's veterinarian replied, as he walked out of the room.
"Ah, Miss Grayson," Malcolm said, semi-lucidly, "you're not from around here, are you?"
"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." Malcolm replied, "Actually it isn't surprising, the existence of other realms and worlds. I'd explain more, but the mathematics of it would be a bit, ah, technical for you."
"What else do you know? How do you know?" Samantha asked.
"If I discussed how much I knew, Miss Grayson, I'd be here all night." Malcolm said, in the tone of a mildly bored professor, "But how I know about these other worlds? Simple. Physicists have always postulated that other dimensions may be possible. Yours is just one of an nth number of dimensions that exist in the universe, or as I prefer to call it, multiverse."
"What about the Heartless and the Nobodies?" Samantha asked.
"I sometimes think they're a kind of plague. Other times I think they're here to clear the decks, so to speak..." Malcolm replied.
"But that could mean the extinction of us. Of people." Samantha replied.
"So?" Malcolm replied, "Life always finds a way."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Samantha asked.
"Life, living things, and not just people, will find a way to get rid of the Heartless and the Nobodies or they'll perish. It's simply the history of evolution. Life expands, crashes through barriers, painfully, maybe even dangerously, but there it is..." Malcolm replied.
"But people might not..." Samantha began.
"Might not, what, survive. That doesn't mean other species won't, or other life won't. It may take a few millenia after the Heartless go for life to regain its present variety, but there you have it." Malcolm said, "We however, have the power, maybe not to save every dimension or every world, but we have the power to save ourselves..."
Samantha knew at that moment that she was going to do everything she could possibly do to make sure that people would save themselves. They say the pen is mightier than the sword, I hope that also means the word processor is more powerful than the Heartless, or the Nobodies or prehistoric monsters or whatever six eyed, blade spitting monstrosities are out there...Samantha thought.
---
Bryce crept towards the hotel sector, which he knew was a three way war zone. Jurassic Park reaction forces were dealing with Heartless and Nobodies together with the occasional COBRA or FOH, if the gunfire was any indication.
He heard the sounds of a squad breaking down a door just a floor up. He remembered being in that position in Iraq. The pulse pounding moments of running up to the stack, being clustered with the troops. The breacher standing there with his shotgun aimed at the hinges. The nod of the first man. The shots that destroyed the door lock. Everybody inside. First man followed swiftly by his second, moving in opposite directions, searching the room no wider than a few feet, where an insurgent could easily pop up and kill you immediately.
He knew not to surprise such a squad. A man with a gun in that situation could easily get himself shot, but if he had the help of the Jurassic Park Emergency Reaction Force on his hands his task could be a hell of a lot easier.
A radio crackled just then, "Squad One, cleared second floor. Hostiles, four neutralized. Casualties, none. Dead, five guests. Survivors seven..."
Bryce grabbed the radio just then and answered up, "Squad One, friendly personnel approaching your position. Do not open fire...I am a civilian armed with an AK-47, approaching your stairwell..."
Bryce took his hand off the rear handgrip of his AK as he stepped into view of a dozen armed men, carrying Beretta 9mm sidearms, shotguns and M-16s.
"Put your weapon down!" One of them shouted.
Bryce complied, putting his AK on the deck. "Get down on the ground, palms up! Keep your hands where we can see them."
"I'm the one who contacted you on the radio." Bryce began.
"So who the hell are you?" The squad leader, an Australian with a permanently sunburnt complexion, asked.
"Bryce Lightfoot, I'm a security contractor." Bryce replied. Kinda true...
"Where'd you get that AK?" The squad leader asked.
"I jumped one of those NKPA pricks, using the Glock that's concealed on my right hip." Bryce replied.
"You're taking point." The squad leader said.
"Right." Bryce replied, recovering his AK, flicking the safety catch to auto.
Bryce headed to another door, as a massive Costa Rican with a 12-gauge shotgun took station near the door jamb. Bryce nodded as soon as the Reaction Force Member behind him squeezed his left shoulder. The big Tican shotgunner fired three rounds into the hinge and gave the door a mighty kick.
Bryce charged inside the room, sweeping from the nearest corner to the furthest with the muzzle of his AK as the man behind him did the same with his sidearm. Suddenly a Nobody popped up between them. Both Bryce and the squad leader fired, hitting the Dusk with almost twenty rounds of 7.62 and 9mm rounds, nearly ripping the creature in half.
Bryce kept moving, old juices from Iraq and Mexico flowing, his AK held in such a way that he could snap it up and fire if need be. "Closed door right." Bryce called.
"Ruiz." the squad leader said.
The big Tican chambered another shotgun round, aiming it at the doorknob. A single loud blast tore the lock apart as Ruiz kicked the door open. Bryce charged in, with Talbot, the squad leader, right behind him.
---
"Something's wrong." Ellie began, "Something's wrong. He should've been back by now..."
Ellie was referring to Ray Arnold, who had left the emergency bunker fifteen minutes ago to restart power. The engineer had since not been heard from.
"We've got to restart the power. We have to call for medical help for Malcolm and the others." Ellie began.
"Let's not be to hasty, I mean he's only been gone..." Hammond replied.
Ellie grabbed a radio and stuck it on her belt, with a headset. Samantha followed Ellie. "You two can't just stroll down the road..." Muldoon began, bringing up the shotgun and loading several more rounds into the magazine together with more on his vest and a thick web belt, "You're not exactly headed to the mall..."
Hammond spread out a set of plans, "This isn't going to be like switching on a kitchen light, but I think I can look at this and then talk you through it..."
Ellie, Samantha and Muldoon moved out towards the power station, past the western fence of the Raptor containment area. The bodies of two guards lay torn apart near the concrete wall, the wiring atop the fence had been chewed through.
A dead North Korean raider lay face down on the sand, his rib cage split open in four places from raking claws, his innards ripped apart by the jaws of the raptors.
The trio continued down towards the road. "I see the shed, we can make it if we run..." Ellie began.
"No, we can't..." Muldoon replied, "Because we're being hunted, from the palms straight ahead. It's alright..."
Muldoon's voice was calm, collected, his face a mask of focus. He knew exactly what the hell he was going to do right now. "Run, towards the shed...I've got her...run...now!"
Ellie and Samantha took off towards the shed, Samantha stumbled, the pumps she wore weren't exactly suitable for running around on a jungle trail. Ellie helped her to her feet.
The two women slammed the chain link fence behind them and ran into the power station. "OK we're in..." Ellie said over the radio, switching her flashlight on.
"There's a metal staircase going downstairs. Follow it." Hammond began.
Following Hammond's directions lead them to a fenced in area with two generators, and a bank of circuit breakers. Hammond read out the instructions for restarting power, and Samantha and Ellie complied.
"I think we're back in business..." Ellie began.
Samantha smiled wearily and then screamed. The head of a velociraptor poked its way through a tangle of pipes, narrowly missing Ellie.
Both women backed out of the space and Ellie banged against a pipe. Something brushed her shoulder. "Oh Mr. Arnold..." She sighed with relief and then let out a terrified shriek. Arnold's severed arm dropped to the floor.
Ellie scrambled one way, and Samantha another. Ellie headed for the front door, the way they'd come in. Samantha raced over to a back exit she saw and felt the heel of her right pump catch in the catwalk. She tripped forward. The raptor chose to pursue Samantha when it saw her stumble.
I'm not gonna make it. I'm not gonna make it. I'm gonna die. Oh God! No! Samantha thought as she ran out the back door. The raptor smashed through the door and was almost upon her.
"ARRAAGGGHHH!!!!" A loud bellow echoed from the brush as the raptor was promptly tackled by Mr. Hyde running at full speed. The two creatures skittered across the field in a tangle of limbs, tail and jaws.
The raptor sunk its teeth into Hydes' forearm.
"AGH!" Hyde screamed before grabbing the Raptor's upper jaw, jamming a finger into the eye sockets before twisting the head like a jar lid. Samantha heard the crunching of bones as Hyde stood up, shaken but not seriously harmed.
"Are you alright?" Hyde asked.
Samantha numbly nodded before noticing Hyde's right arm was bleeding. "You're bleeding..."
"It's only a small cut for Christ's sake." Hyde remarked.
"No, let me help you." Samantha said, as they headed back to the emergency bunker.
As they sat down inside the bunker, Samantha began to break open a first aid kit, taking some antiseptic as she began to treat Hyde's injuries. "OW!" Hyde shouted.
"Will you sit still." Samantha replied, "You're like a big baby."
"Oi! That stuff is worse than liquid fire!" Hyde snapped back.
"It's just rubbing alcohol." Samantha replied.
"Just give me a stiff drink for the love of God." Hyde replied.
"Sit still and let me help you." Samantha replied firmly.
Hyde complied as Samantha put some gauze padding around the bite and then wrapped a bandage around it. With the exception of the firewater that she had put on his wounds, Samantha's touch was soothing and warm.
He smiled, despite himself. It had been a long time since anyone had shown him any kindness. Most of London feared Edward Hyde, shortly after the disappearance of Dr. Jeckyll. Since permanently transforming into Mr. Hyde, the Jeckyll side had largely vanished. Hyde, after being chased from London, had gone into a self imposed exile, claiming he needed no further human contact. Yet Samantha's kindness and compassion brought out warm feelings he hadn't felt in a long time...
"Oi, where's Bryce?" Hyde asked.
"I don't know." Samantha said, as she keyed the microphone of her radio. "Bryce?"
"I can't talk right now. We're about to secure Hammond's Bungalow..." Bryce began.
---
The Nobody was moving deeper into the jungle, and so was Muldoon. When the creature stopped, Muldoon extended the SPAS 12 shotgun's stock, slowly taking aim when another Dusk popped out from the bush, landing on top of him, pinning him to the ground, winding it's long arms around his neck. The world seemed to narrow, like an ever collapsing tunnel. The last thing he expected to hear was a burst of gunfire and the tunnel widening.
The Nobody was currently spastically twitching on the ground, shot full of several holes, spurting grayish blood onto the ground. "There's more of them in Hammond's bungalow." Bryce said as he helped Muldoon to his feet.
"Mr. Talbot, let's take back Hammond's Bungalow." Muldoon replied.
The squad approached the bungalow slowly, finding the doors were locked. Ruiz took a crowbar from his backpack and attacked the door, taking it of the hinges. Bryce burst into the antechamber, Muldoon right behind him. Four Dusks came out to meet them. Bryce gunned down two of them with a burst of fire from his AK and Muldoon blasted the other with burst of fire from his shotgun.
Bryce signaled with one hand to move down the corridor, towards the open door into the dining room. The security team entered, finding more Nobodies and gunning them down. Suddenly another side door opened.
"COBRA!!!!" shouted a trio of Alley Vipers, firing and killing Ruiz. The squad turned their guns on the Vipers and emptied entire magazines into their attackers, reloading and going into the next room.
Bryce charged through the next door into a pantry of some kind. Hiding underneath a shelf was a man with blondish brown hair and a slim build. "For God's sake, don't shoot me..."
"Get out from under there!" Bryce demanded, still training his weapon, "Keep your hands where I can see them."
The Englishman crawled out from underneath the shelf, "For God's sake, I'm not with those blokes."
"Get out of there." Bryce demanded. The man complied as two of the security team searched him, finding nothing.
Another team had just dragged a slim blonde woman from the living room, after killing several Nobodies that were hiding in the room.
"Rose!" The Englishman said, "Thank God."
"Chris!" Rose began, and embraced her husband.
"Rose daSilva?" Bryce asked.
"Yes." Rose replied, peering up curiously at Bryce.
"I think we've met someone very important to you..."
"Sharon? Oh my God...how..." Rose replied.
"She's fine." Bryce replied.
Sharon threw her arms happily around Chris, glad that her daughter had survived the disaster that Jurassic Park had become. Bryce led the DaSilvas and other survivors towards the bunker as Muldoon made a radio call, "Jurassic Park is secure..."
---
Samantha heard the door to the bunker open and turned around. Sharon shouted, "Mommy!" and ran up the staircase, "Daddy."
Chris and Rose embraced their daughter with more than a few tears. "Thank you mister..." Rose began.
"Bryce Lightfoot." Bryce replied.
Samantha looked warmly at Bryce and smiled her thanks. Bryce nodded in acknowledgment as John Hammond walked out of the bunker. Bryce, Samantha and Hyde went to follow him.
"GAAAHHH!!!!!" Hammond began, a strangled cry emanating from his voice as he saw his bungalow. Windows had been broken and shot away, the French Doors in the back had been shattered by a crashing raptor, as he walked inside he could see numerous antiques had been cracked, broken or shattered by gunfire.
"Who's responsible for this?" Hammond began. All the Jurassic Park security men pointed at Bryce.
---
"You'd think Hammond would be grateful that I helped get his park back in order." Bryce grumbled as they got back onto the boat that would take them to the next island.
"Bryce, you leveled his bungalow." Samantha replied.
"I did not level the bungalow, it was still standing when I left it." Bryce replied, "If he wanted to blame someone, blame Organization XIII."
"I do think grenades flung into each room, followed by bursts of automatic fire does constitute leveling." Hyde replied snarkily.
"Hey, there were Heartless in every single room, not to mention FOH sleepers and a couple COBRA agents. I wasn't taking chances." Bryce replied.
"It did the trick, but I you now have a letter that says you're no longer permitted to set foot on any InGen property for the rest of your natural life." Samantha remarked, "At least if I need someone to remodel my apartment I know who to call."
"Hey." Bryce remarked as Hyde guffawed.
"I was talking about you too." Samantha remarked, "And your drunken revelry with the British soccer hooligans."
"Oi, those were wankers that knew 'ow 'o 'ave fun." Hyde replied.
"Well having fun is good, but with as little devastation to the surrounding area as possible." Samantha replied, aiming her comment at both of the men.
Bryce couldn't help but smile. What the hell was it about that girl? He'd known girls like Samantha before. Are you sure you have? What is it about this one that makes her not just some pretty twenty-something? He hadn't felt this way about a woman for years, having lived a rather solitary life after the Army and now in the CIA. He had been very comfortable with his relatively solitary existence, but this woman, with her desire to stand for justice and truth, her idealism and passion for her trade of journalism, not to mention the fact that she was definitely a haunting beauty had melted right through his guarded exterior.
What's he thinking? Samantha thought, stealing a glance of Bryce. The half-Native American stared out towards the horizon, a look of deep concentration on his face. What is it about this man that fascinates you? Is it because he's so mysterious, so guarded...? I mean I know next to nothing about Bryce aside from what he's told me. I can tell he's hiding something, the journalist in me isn't letting that go.
"I may have leveled the bungalow, but at least we got some innocent people to safety." Bryce replied.
"Will you bloody quit debating and let me 'ave my 'angover in peace..." Hyde grumbled.
---
Finally the boat stopped in another harbor and the three clambered ashore. Samantha was reminded of distant memories of her own childhood, the architecture of the island lent itself to that impression, a cheerful, vaguely nautical motif.
It was then that they noticed a three and a half foot tall creature, yellow in color, about the size of a medium sized dog, walking on its hind legs, and staring at the three humans.
"Jeep Jeep."
"Aww, it's adorable." Samantha began.
Hyde let out a savage roar."What? It's Eugene the Jeep, he's completely harmless." Bryce remarked.
"Jeep?"
"RARGGHH!!!" Hyde shouted and dove at Jeep.
Jeep promptly teleported several feet to the left as Hyde's flying tackle caused him to run smack into a pier piling.
"Jeep." Jeep said, and walked up the nearby cliff wall to the top of a hill.
"Let's follow it." Bryce began, "Maybe we can find some answers."
"Bloody Jeep..." Hyde replied, "I'll kill 'im, I'll kill 'im..."
"Hyde, what's gotten into you?" Samantha asked.
"He's gone nuts, that's what." Bryce replied, "Maybe it's this land. This is a land of old cartoons, if our pal Eugene the Jeep is any indication, and maybe it's causing Hyde to act crazy. We won't know until we look."
---
"And stay out!" Popeye shouted.
Bluto went flying several feet before landing on his back, propelled by Popeye's spinach powered fist. "Oh dear, I don't suppose you're having a good day."
"Who the hell are you?" Bluto asked.
"Someone who is interested in a business deal with you." Peter Ludlow replied, "One that will achieve everything you desire..."
"What do you have that I want?" Bluto replied.
"For starters, I may be able to help you get with your lady friend, without Popeye's interference." Ludlow replied.
"I'm listening..." Bluto said.
"But first," Ludlow replied, "You must do something for me."
"What?" Bluto asked.
"You must capture this creature called Jeep. Some...associates of mine are rather interested in him." Ludlow replied. He felt a certain compression around his heart, a certain painful feeling he'd been feeling these past few weeks.
---
"Well maybe we can find some answers here." Samantha said, pointing at a sign that said Prof. Brainstine.
The trio entered the lab of a short man with a long white beard, snow white hair, and wearing a derby hat, pinstriped trousers and a black jacket. Jeep walked into the room, teleporting through the wall just then.
"YOU!!!!" Hyde shouted and charged towards the animal. Jeep teleported himself into Samantha's arms as Hyde crashed through the wooden wall, making a massive hole in it and leaving a mess of debris on the floor.
As Samantha stared in amazement Jeep nuzzled and licked Samantha's face. "Hey, that tickles..." Samantha giggled.
Bryce laughed as he saw a severely annoyed Hyde lying amidst the wreckage of the wall. Hyde growled at both Jeep and Bryce. Samantha gave him a disapproving stare and Hyde suppressed all the rage inside.
"Oh dear." Professor Brainstine remarked.
Jeep turned towards Hyde and stuck out his tongue. "Jeep Jeep..."
"Professor." Bryce asked, "What exactly is Jeep? And why the hell is Mr. Hyde reacting so negatively to it."
"A Jeep is an animal living in a three dimensional world-in this case our world- but really belonging to a fourth dimensional world. Here's what happened. A number of Jeep life cells were somehow forced through the dimensional barrier into our world. They combined at a favorable time with free life cells of the African Hooey Hound. The electrical vibrations of the Hooey Hound cell and the foreign cell were the same. They were kindred cells. In fact, all things are to some extent are relative, whether they be of this or some other world, now you see. The extremely favorable conditions of germination in Africa caused a fusion of these life cells. So the uniting of kindred cells caused a transmutation. The result, a mysterious strange animal." Brainstine said formally, raising his right index finger.
"That's all well and good," Bryce replied, "But what about why Jeep's causing Mr. Hyde to act like a baboon."
"That's a good question, let us perform some experiments..." Brainstine replied.
"Hold on..." Samantha began.
"Just some simple tests to determine the extent of Mr. Hyde's sensory capabilities. I have a theory that something to do with Jeep's scent is causing your friend Mr. Hyde to go berserk." Brainstine replied.
Several moments later: "Your friend Mr. Hyde has a very acute sense of smell." Brainstine said.
"Just how acute?" Bryce asked.
"Put it this way, only a Bloodhound has a stronger sense of smell..." Brainstine said.
Just then a tall, very thin woman with shiny black hair walked into the room. "Jeep..." Jeep said, and jumped down from the ceiling where he had been standing, just out Hyde's reach.
"Aww, hi Jeep..." Olive began.
"Grrr..." Hyde growled.
"Who's this ugly brute?" Olive said.
"I do hope you were referring to my gunslinging counterpart." Hyde glowered, gesturing at Bryce.
"No, he meant you." Bryce snapped back.
"Brute?" Hyde replied, "I'll have you know I was once a gentleman of some renown in London..."
"Emphasis on the was..." Bryce snapped back.
"Will you two quit sniping at each other for five minutes." Samantha replied, frustrated. She had been almost eaten by dinosaurs, terrorized by ancient gods and dragons, been the prisoner of an irascible soul and a sadistic blonde woman, and now on some strange island where cartoons from her childhood were coming to life.
Jeep stuck its tongue out at Mr. Hyde. "Just you wait, wanker..." Hyde spat.
"Hyde..." Samantha said with a warning tone.
"I'm sorry," Brainstine said, and turning to Bryce, Hyde and Samantha said, "I didn't catch your names."
"Bryce Lightfoot."
"Edward Hyde. Call me Mr. Hyde."
"Samantha Grayson."
"Olive Oyl." The woman replied, "Are you three from around here? Where are you from?"
"Let's say we're from out of town and leave it at that." Bryce replied.
"Hey Olive I'm..." A muscular fellow in a sailor's outfit walked into the lab and stopped in his tracks, "Shiver me timbers, who are ye?"
"Popeye," Olive began, "This is Bryce, Hyde, and Samantha..."
"That's Mr. Hyde..." Hyde replied.
"They're not from around here." Olive replied.
"I can tell ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh..." Popeye replied.
"Look, this is going to come kind of suddenly, but have you seen any black robed guys, gray contortionist monsters or black glowing eyed things?" Samantha asked.
"No we haven't." Olive replied.
"Wait," Brainstine replied, "Dudley Do-Right, one of our Mounties, was by here saying that he'd seen a pair of glowing eyes in the deep woods, near the river."
"Bingo." Bryce replied.
"Jeep Jeep?" Jeep said.
"Did someone mention me?" A blonde haired, handsome man in the red tunic, blue trousers and black boots of a Mountie.
"Yes, in fact these two gentleman and the young lady are curious about the glowing eyes you saw in the woods." Brainstine replied.
"Well," Dudley replied, "I do believe we've not been formally introduced."
"Bryce Lightfoot."
"Ah, how." Dudley replied raising a hand.
"First of all, nice guess," Bryce replied, "I am in fact a Native American, an Arapaho..."
"Or 'alf Arapa'o..." Hyde remarked.
"And second of all," Bryce replied, glaring at Mr. Hyde, "No tribe I've heard of does the 'how' gesture."
"Ah, I apoogize oh warrior of the Sacred Plains." Dudley replied, "And who is this large specimen, he looks like trouble..."
"He is." Bryce replied.
"I am Mr. Hyde. Pay no attention to the 'alf-breed 'ere." Hyde replied.
Dudley turned to Samantha and gave her a gentle kiss on the hand. "Charmed to meet you miss..."
"Samantha Grayson."
Hyde glared at Dudley with an expression that screamed Touch 'er again and I'll rip off your 'and, wanker...
Bryce felt himself get a bit heated, finding himself glaring at Dudley and Samantha. "Nice to meet a gentleman..." Samantha replied.I had such a crush on Dudley-Do Right when I was ten...
"Boyfriend?" Dudley asked Samantha, indicating Bryce.
Hyde snorted derisively. "No." Samantha replied.
"No need for jealousy, mister." Dudley said, "My heart belongs to another girl...her name is Nell."
"He's not really my type anyway." Samantha replied, "A bit too rough around the edges..."
Although not too rough, and a bit too mysterious...Wait a second. Where did that come from? I mean I'm seeing Tyler back home...Samantha replied.
Why the hell am I getting jealous over this girl. It's not like I'm seeing her, or that I have any interest...Get back in the game, Lightfoot, in all probability when you get back to the real world, you're never gonna see her again. You'll be back to your life...all...by...your...lonesome...Bryce thought. The idea of returning to his formerly solitary existence, carting across the world's hotspots didn't seem to appeal as it once did.
"Bryce?" Samantha asked.
"Huh." Bryce replied.
"Are you alright?" Samantha asked.
"I'm fine." Bryce replied.
Uh huh...Samantha thought. There was that mulling, musing expression, barely perceptible, but it was there. The look of an eternal bachelor contemplating the state of his life.
Bryce turned all business again, letting that brief glimpse she'd had disappear back under the implacable facade.
"So Dudley, what about this creature you saw in the woods?" Bryce replied.
"I only got a brief glimpse." Dudley replied, "But it was about three feet tall with glowing eyes..."
"I think we know what you're facing." Bryce replied, "Those creatures are called Heartless."
"What manner of creature is a Heartless?" Brainstine asked.
"I'm not so sure myself, but all I can say is that they're purely evil." Bryce replied
"Where do they come from?" Brainstine asked.
"We don't know yet." Samantha replied, "But all we know is you're world is in serious trouble if these things are around."
"JEEEP!!!!" came a terrified shriek.
Bryce and the others turned around in time to see two Nobodies dragging Jeep away. Bryce raised his rifle and Samantha smacked it down, "You'll hit Jeep."
"I would not." Bryce countered.
"POPEYE!!!" Olive shouted. A hulking, bearded brute was currently dragging Olive away.
"Stand away from her you!!!" Popeye said, about to jump into the fight when several Dusks jumped into his path.
Popeye fought, swinging his mighty fists, braining at least one or two Dusks with his powerful punches. But the sheer numbers were too much. One Dusk gave him a powerful strike into the midsection, doubling him. Two more Dusks held Popeye fast as Bluto dragged Olive off.
Bryce ran out into the fight, shooting steadily already, killing several Dusks. Hyde jumped into the fray, literally, descending and drop kicking one of Popeye's captors in the head with two massive bare feet. The sickening crunch of bone could be heard.
It was too late, Olive Oyl and Jeep were being dragged off towards the Huricane River. Sitting in a motor launch was Peter Ludlow.
"I knew it!" Bryce shouted as he saw Ludlow sitting at the helm, and he started the motor, driving the boat away.
"What do we do now?" Dudley asked.
"We go after them." Bryce replied, grimly, "Do you have a boat?"
"I'm a sailor, of course I have a boat..." Popeye snapped back.
"Good." Bryce replied.
---
"What is that thing?" Bryce asked, as they looked at what looked like a small cartoon steam boat.
"Me ship, the Olive." Popeye replied.
"What a piece of junk..." Bryce remarked.
"Watch what you say!" Popeye snapped.
"This thing 'ill brave the rapids after Bluto?" Hyde replied, "Bollocks to it, I'll just swim after the wanker!" Hyde replied.
"I outta..." Popeye began, hands balling up into fists.
"Knock it off." Dudley said, "We've got to help Jeep and Olive...for I am an officer of the law..."
The group piled into Popeye's boat and Popeye put it in gear, as they headed straight down the Hurricane River.
The boat picked up speed and headed down a gorge of rapidly moving water. "Bluto's crazy enough to go through THIS!?" Samantha shouted as the group was thrown around the pilot house of the boat.
Popeye stayed calmly around his helm, expertly navigating the rapids as the rapids jolted them around. "Popeye, I hope you know what you're doing." Bryce replied as the boat bounced down a small water fall, jolting Bryce against a bulkhead.
Waves bounced over the bow of the boat as Popeye gunned the engines. At times the bow was underwater. Samantha could see Popeye had a certain single minded determination as he pursued Bluto and Ludlow.
"Please tell me when it's over..." Hyde moaned, looking green.
"What's the matter, landlubber, sea sick..." Bryce replied.
"Bryce, you're an ex-Army guy." Samantha reminded.
"Yeah, but I started out in the Navy before transferring into the Army." Bryce replied, "So I do have my sea legs."
The boat passed under a grounded ship, leaking water from several pipes, drenching Popeye's boat and several of its occupants.
The sound of a cannon firing drew their attention. A large steel ball splashed into the water just to the port side of the boat.
"That can't be good for his boat." Bryce replied, "If it's a powerful cannon and that's a wooden boat, she'll start to crack and splinter in these rapids right about..."
"I hope that thing cracks before Bluto's aim improves." Samantha replied.
BOOM. A cannonball sailed right over their heads.
CRASH! The sound of wood creaking, groaning and finally snapping could be heard. As they rounded a bend a woman's gasp and scream could be heard. "Popeye! Help!"
"I'm coming Olive!" Popeye shouted. Popeye grabbed a can from the folds of his shirt, "Bryce, take the helm."
Bryce grabbed the large ship's wheel as they rounded a bend, bumping over some more jarring rapids. "Bryce, now I see why you transferred out of the Navy to the Army." Samantha remarked.
Popeye snatched his Spinach can and began to eat the contents when the boat shook violently.
"Did you hit something?" Dudley asked.
"I don't think so." Bryce replied as a large tentacle crossed the bow.
Popeye jumped from the boat towards a rock where he'd seen Bluto trying to plant a big kiss on Olive's lips. Bluto's eyes were closed so he did not see that he was about to kiss a large fish...
"Where's Ludlow..." Samantha said, as she began to step towards the pilot house door, "..And Jeep?"
"Samantha, with that big octopus out there I wouldn't..." Bryce began.
"Bryce..." Samantha began before she was bodily lifted out onto the roof of the pilot house of the boat. Standing on top of the pilothouse was none other than Peter Ludlow. His clothing was torn in several places, what looked like an expensive Armani suit was clearly ruined. About half his skin had turned black, one eye had turned into a yellow, glowing orb, antennae poked from his forehead.
"One false move, Lightfoot and I break her neck." Ludlow said, "Despite the rather, ah, unpleasant cosmetic changes I've undergone, the enormous strength I enjoy now is a huge advantage."
Samantha felt her feet dangling several feet off the ground, saw her vision start to blur as Ludlow's hand was around her neck, applying pressure.
"Go ahead and try it Ludlow..." Bryce replied, noticing out of the corner of his eyes that Hyde was creeping up on Ludlow from beind but severely enraged.
"Really," Ludlow began, "You'd allow such a waste to..."
"RRAAGGGHH!!!!" Hyde roared, enraged, as he tackled Ludlow from the side.
Ludlow, surprised, promptly let go of Samantha. Bryce ran underneath her, catching her in his arms. "Are you alright?" Bryce asked.
Samantha nodded. "Get inside the cabin and lock the door..." Bryce began.
"Bryce, I'm not some weepy damsel in distress constantly needing..." Samantha began.
"Can we argue about this later?" Bryce replied.
"Jeep! Jeep!" Jeep shrieked in alarm, hanging from inside a fishing net, on top of one off the smoke stacks.
"Can you give me a boost?" Samantha said, "I think I can reach him if I had some help..."
"Sure." Bryce replied, crouching low and cupping Samantha's right foot. He pushed upward, and Samantha grabbed a hold of the only ladder rung on the smoke stack, holding on for dear life until Bryce walked underneath her, allowing her to get footing on his shoulders.
Samantha tugged at the net, feeling the boat sway under the rapids and the octopus' gripping. "It's OK, I've got you..." Samantha began.
"Jeep..." Jeep said, as it looked down at the deck below.
"It's OK, I won't let you fall." Samantha replied. Jeep was out of the net but steadfastly refusing to let go of it, for fear of falling.
"Trust me..." Samantha said.
Jeep let go, falling into Samantha's arms before Bryce crouched lower, and helped them get down there
Meanwhile Hyde and Ludlow were grappling each other. Ludlow wrapped a massive Heartless hand around Hyde's neck. Hyde yanked on Ludlow's growing antennae, causing a shriek of pain from the half-Heartless.
Ludlow kicked up with one knee, driving it into Hyde's groin. Hyde doubled over in pain as Ludlow flipped him onto his back, strangling Hyde with overwhelming strength. Any second now Hyde would be dead and...
Ludlow felt a hard metal object jammed against his skull, the barrel of an AK-47, "Choke on this..." Bryce began, emptying an entire clip into the Ludlow-Heartless' skull, sending black blood and bone fragments flying everwhere.
Meanwhile, Popeye had just landed a devastating blow onto Bluto's chin, knocking him out. Olive kissed Popeye on the cheek and Popeye declared, "I'm strong to the finish because I eat my spinach..."
"Popeye, look." Olive began, "It looks like Bluto dropped something..."
---
Chaos affects not only this world, but many other worlds besides.
In the "Ansem Reports" my apprentice Xehanort had written under my name, I found the records of his hideous experiments along with his hypothesis about the door that had appeared out of the darkness in the basement.
All living things have hearts, and all hearts hold darkness deep within.
Worlds are no exception. If a world is a being, the heart it holds must be colossal…
…and the darkness at its core must be monstrous indeed.
Did Xehanort pass through that door in an attempt to contact that dark realm?
No, not only Xehanort.
It appears my other five apprentices, believing it was for the sake of research, stared deep into the darkness and were pulled into it.
Even, Ienzo, Bleig, Dilin, and Eleus…
They have ceased to be human.
I, too, have had everything taken away from me, banished to a hollow realm of nothingness.
What is Xehanort hoping to gain with my pilfered existence?
Will my people cease to smile?
If the light of hope has been extinguished, I shall henceforth walk with darkness as a friend.
Here, in the realm of nothingness to which I have been relegated.
Darkness is the midst of nothing.
"Darkness in Zero."
Thus, I shall be known as DiZ.
---
Several hours later, Bryce, Samantha and Hyde were with the others in Brainstine's lab. "Bryce, why are you rubbing your shoulder?" Olive asked.
"Samantha." Bryce replied.
Overhearing this, Samantha replied, "I don't weigh that much."
"It wasn't weight that bothered me at all." Bryce replied, "It was the fact that however much you weigh was concentrated on the heels of those damned pumps of yours..."
"It's time you men feel the pain high heels cause women." Samantha replied.
Hyde laughed brusquely. Bryce glared at him.
"So what was this document?" Olive asked.
"It is yet another secret Ansem report." Bryce replied.
"Ansem report?" Olive asked, "What's going on here?"
"There's something serious going on with your world, and maybe mine too." Samantha began. "This report might hold the key to stopping them."
"We're helping to try and stop them." Bryce replied.
"Then we wish you good luck." Brainstine replied, "And to be on your way, to save our world, and all of our worlds..."
---
"Crazy, isn't it." Bryce commented, as they waited on the shoreline.
"What do you mean?" Samantha asked.
"If it hadn't been for that nutjob, Cole, the three of us would never have met one another." Bryce replied.
"Where would you be right now if we weren't here?" Samantha asked.
"Probably providing security for some pissant mining company executive." Bryce replied, "You?"
Samantha felt a slight pang inside, "My boyfriend Tyler and my old college roommates Amanda and Lauren were coming to San Francisco when Cole brought me over here."
"How long were you with him?" Bryce asked.
"All four years at Great Northern University, he was the freshman quarterback for the GNU Huskies." Samantha replied, "What about you, Bryce, are you married, with someone...?"
"I live on my own." Bryce replied, "I guess the lifestyle of a private security contractor isn't exactly conducive to being with a woman."
Samantha could hear more than a twinge of regret in Bryce's voice. "Hey, if you're ever around San Francisco just give me a call..."
"You sure Tyler won't mind?" Bryce asked.
"You're incorrigible, do you know that?" Samantha asked.
"I doubt the wanker knows what incorrigible is..." Hyde remarked sourly. Any second now I could easily snap 'is neck...Wait, why am I feeling all this jealousy towards Bryce...It's obvious, she's paying 'im more mind...
"I'm smarter than I look." Bryce replied.
"Well, it seems you three are managing..." Cole said as he appeared in a shimmer.
"So what's our next quest." Samantha replied.
"To an island of heroes of inhuman strength and skill. Heartless and Nobodies darken their skies still..." Cole said as he began to vanish...
---
TBC: Up next our heroes visit an island where heroes from the Marvel realm make their homes...