Chapter 10: Next Step
A/N: Again thank you for all the reviews. Did I forget to mention this was my first story? That makes it even better! Where would I be without you guys? Probably down in some dark alley being raped by gimongous turtles or something. Anyways, on with the story!
Disclaimer: I don't own Xenosaga…otherwise; Ziggy would have to stop using hair-care products.
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The sudden quake knocked Jin off his feet and he stumbled for a railing to hold onto. He quickly rerights himself and waits patiently as the train slowly approaches its destination. He steps out and sees four soldiers. Three of them were knocked out but one of them was lying in a pool of blood. (I guess Canaan is here…the blood is still fresh.)
He looks towards the elevator and goes to board it.
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"Left! Left again! Under! Cripes, that was close!" Jr. says, blood dancing in his veins.
"You know, Little Master, I have things just fine." Tony swerves the Elsa to the side to dodge a laser beam and then spirals around in the air to lose some missiles. "I am the world's number one pilot!"
"You mean two. You're right after MOMO."
MOMO blushes at the comment. "I'm not that great…Tony is much better…"
"There's no need to be modest, girl!" Tony veers the Elsa a hard left causing everyone to smash into each other. "I'll settle with us being even since you're hot!"
(He did not just say what I think he did.) Jr. think. (I'll make sure to ban his pilot's license later.)
"We're almost there!" Hammer says. "We're closing in!"
"Damn! The Immigrant Fleet is starting to fire more now!" Matthews notices. "And they're sending A.M.W.S. too!"
'No problem!" Tony continues to swerve around lasers and weapons like a madman. Surprisingly enough, he was surprised that no one got "extreme" motion sickness yet. He was really trying to go for that effect. But it seems that his plan failed…for now.
(Must regain….must not fall…) Allen thinks. (If I do, I need to…to do it next to…next to…the…) He starts to dance around madly, like a cow does when it's high. But no one notices, due to the fact they were watching the screen, hoping they wouldn't die.
"Alright! We're through!" Matthews says, slamming his fist on his chair. "Hammer! Find us a way in, pronto!"
"It seems that the lower docks are open…" Hammer says. "But it's heavily guarded by several A.M.W.S.s!"
"Is that the only way in?" Matthews was praying that he would get a no.
"Yep…just that one…"
Matthews shakes his head. (Aw, hell…we're gonna die…buckling…) He quickly presses a button that initiates a series of straps that plant him in his chair.
Everyone else quickly grabs a deathly hold of anything (or anyone in some people's cases such as Allen) except for KOS-MOS. She continued to stand in the center of the room next to Matthews' chair.
"Tony, Numero Uno accepts the challenge! Bring it on!" He kicks on the afterburner and everyone groans, because they knew they were in for one hell of a ride.
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Canaan slowly starts to flutter his eyes. He looks around and tries to move but can't. He looks down and sees restraints covering his arms and his legs. (Damn, they were thorough…I feel like a caterpillar…) He looks up to see Citrine and Yuriev conversing about something. (I should've known that Citrine was a good fighter…she is a U.R.T.V after all.)
"Ah, it seems that our fruit has woken up." Citrine says.
"You're one to talk, orange-top."
Citrine scoffs and pays attention to the battle outside.
Yuriev walks down the ramp and stops to look at Canaan.
"Well, Realian. It's obvious that someone sent you here. Was it Rubedo?"
(So this is the infamous Dr. Yuriev of the Yuriev Institute…the one who created the designer children…)
"Then again, Rubedo is too stupid to actually think this cleverly. Maybe someone else then…perhaps the commander of U-TIC?"
"Don't waste my time." Canaan looked away to watch the fight pursuing outside.
"Commander! It seems that something fast is coming our way…."
"What is it?"
Canaan sees the tiny white and teal cruiser ship, dodging attacks and moving through ships with expertise, coming towards them. (The Elsa?)
"It seems that their destination is the Durandal's docks."
"Let them come." Yuriev starts to glow with power. "Give them a hand, will you?"
Citrine is taken aback by his statement. (He…wants to help…? So that must mean Rubedo is on that ship…)
Yuriev turns around, hearing the elevator stop. He sees Jin standing there.
"An uninvited guest…" Yuriev says. "Are you with the Realian?"
Jin slowly draws his sword. "His name is Canaan."
Yuriev chuckles and explodes with power, sending a burst of energy at Jin, blowing him back to the wall. Jin raises his sword above his head and stabs above him. It strikes the wall and he is blown upwards, due to Yuriev's power burst. Jin bounces off the wall and flips through the air and lands on the glass platform on the other side of the bridge.
(Should've known…) Jin thinks.
Yuriev walks next to Citrine and looks down on Jin. "That was quite impressive."
(I doubt that physical attacks will be able to harm him…so I'll have to try a different approach…) Jin raises his sword with the curved part facing downward towards Yuriev. He raises his left hand right below the sword. He releases a blue beam at him, the same one when he fought Margulis back on Old Miltia as well as Labyrinthos.
Yuriev grins evilly as the blast approaches him.
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The Elsa zips through more laser attacks but then takes a hit near the cockpit.
"Hammer! Damage!"
"It's taken down our shields by 40 percent but our logic drive is still operational!"
"C'mon Tony, you can do better than this!"
"I don't need to take that, captain! I'd like to see you drive!" He zips over an Immigrant ship and then quickly darts to the side to dodge a HUGE beam. That Immigrant ship was completely blown apart.
"What was that?" Allen wonders, managing to control extreme motion sickness. Shion sees the same familiar gold weapon that she saw long ago.
"Proto Omega?" Shion gasps. "Impossible!"
"The probability of meeting it again is less than .008 percent." KOS-MOS says as she calmly stands in the middle of the room, not fazed by the violent movements of Tony's piloting. "A more likely name for it would be Proto Dora."
"How the hell does she…?" Hammer asks.
"I merely looked it up on the U.M.N. network."
Everyone looks dumbfounded for a second but Matthews voice breaks them out of their dumb state.
"TONY! Get us on that blasted ship now!"
"I'm trying!" Tony swirls around a beam, watching an A.M.W.S. getting destroyed in the process, and then zooms through two ships.
MOMO points to the lower part of the Durandal. "Hey look! The Durandal is destroying the guards at the docks!"
"What the? Yuriev is helping us?" Jr. wonders. "He's up to something…"
Matthews yells as Tony veers above an A.M.W.S. "Tony! What are you waiting for? Stop pussyfooting around and get us to the docks!"
"Damnit, and it was getting fun…" Tony mumbles.
(Wait a minute, so he was avoiding the Durandal on purpose…?) Everyone except Tony thought. (He was endangering our lives so he could have fun?)
Just as everyone was about to explode, Proto Dora fires a huge energy blast at the Durandal.
Everyone gazes in shock as smoke covers it. Jr. almost died.
"Whew…" Jr. says as he sees faint traces of his beloved red Durandal appear. The shields had deflected the beam so no scratch was present. "That damn weapon! I'm going to freakin' kill it!"
"Calm down, Jr." Ziggy says.
"Yes, it would be wise to heed that advice." KOS-MOS says. "If you were to go up against it, you would have a 100 percent of being annihilated."
"You must have a lot of faith in me…" Jr. grumbles.
"I am merely stating the facts of the most likely scenario."
Jr. lowers his head in shame while MOMO gently pats his shoulders. "It's okay. I believe in you!"
Jr. blushes but quickly gets rid of the blush as he moves his head up. "Thanks."
"What the…?" Hammer looks around. "We're already on the Durandal?"
"Of course! Tony Numero Uno is the fastest, coolest, bestest, sexiest, greatest…"
"We get it." Matthews interrupts. "Alright, Little Master, go do your thing."
"…awesomeist, wonderfuliest, modest, smartest, manliest, daredevilish, heroic…"
"You make it sounds as if it were a hobby or something." Jr. says as the others start to leave, clearly ignoring Tony's narcissism.
"That's because you keep doing it."
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Jin was shocked at what Yuriev did. Somehow, he had absorbed Jin's ether attack. "I must say you keep surprising me." Yuriev floats in the air and stares at Jin. He quickly pulls out his gun and fires several shots. Jin blocks them all with his sword and then slowly dodges a bullet, matrix-style.
Citrine interrupts his Neo impression by whacking him with his stick, sending him to the edge of the platform. "Enough with the antics."
(So much for that tactic.) Jin wipes his mouth and raises his sword. (Two on one…I don't like those odds…I'll need to get to Canaan…) He turns to look at Canaan but he isn't there.
"Uh!" Citrine falls down as a metal rod scrapes across the floor. A big red mark was lined across her neck.
"Get off of me!" Yuriev flies around trying to dislodge Canaan but his arms are like an iron vice. Yuriev stops flying and then explodes with power, sending Canaan towards the console. He crashes into it and rolls down the ramp. Jin quickly jumps up to try and kill Yuriev with his back turned, but Yuriev points a hand at Jin and he freezes in midair for a split second and is then blasted towards the glass platform. His body crashes and dents the platform. He groans a little and then passes out.
"That takes care of that problem. And it looks like the Durandal is in position."
He suddenly falters a bit in midair and falls to the ground.
(You won't win, my son.)
(I don't care! I want you out of my body, even if it kills me!)
(You just keep thinking that. U-DO will be mine soon.) He hovers up to the console and presses a couple of buttons. The Durandal jumps into hyperspace and Yuriev begins to fix his composure.
(I can't…Rubedo…you must…stop him…)
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"Whoa!" Everyone trips due to the jump and then ask if the others are alright.
"Damn, he must've jumped!" Jr. runs up to the train console and starts to press a few buttons.
The train light dimly appeared in the shadows and slowly started to become brighter as it slowly approached the station.
"We have to get moving." Jr. pulls out his guns and whips them around. "I want to end this as soon as possible."
"Just hold up." chaos says. "You're rushing again. Just calm down."
"He's right. Remember what I told you? Emotions will affect your judgement."
Jr. breathes slowly and closes his eyes. "Alright. I'm ready."
"Good. We'll show him a thing or two."
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A black Testament is standing on a meteor overlooking a planet that resembled Earth, despite the fact that it had some parts covered completely in a barren brown. "Ah…they're coming. And he's there too. Finally, some fun."
(Remember, don't harm anyone.) A voice says in his mind.
(You may be close to Wilhelm, Kevin. But I am the oldest of us. Watch it. I am not like the rest of you who joined the Testament for love.)
(Whatever.)
The Black Testament grins a little bit and then fades into space.
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Helmer stared out his window overlooking Second Miltia for the millionth time today. There was just nothing to do. He had done everything in his power to help Canaan and Jin. But now, all he could do was wait. Wait and see.
The door opens and Helmer turns around to see no one.
"That's odd."
"No, it isn't." An icy voice said.
Helmer froze in his boots. "He…Heinlein…!" He looks in the shadows and sees his outline.
"I see that you've been doing well. Already promoted this far, eh?"
Helmer slowly inches towards his desk and discreetly pushes a button calling for security.
Heinlein laughs causing Helmer's blood to freeze. He never expected to see him again.
"What do you want?" Helmer asks slowly, with a hint of fear in his voice.
"You know what."
"No! There is no way I'll let you…" Something sharp nicks his neck, causing a line of blood to appear. Helmer quickly puts his left hand over the cut to cover it.
"Next time, I won't miss." He turns to leave. "Hahahaha. Once a coward, always a fool."
Helmer falls to his knees. (Damnit! I couldn't do anything…) He slams his fist into his desk, causing his writing utensils and papers to jump up a bit. (So…he's begun his move. I have to warn Jin.)
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"Uhhh…." A boy's voice is heard within some shadows of a large area. He is wearing plain, white pjs while his hair resembled Wilhelm of some sort except it was frizzier. He opens his miniature brown orbs and takes a look at his surroundings. Twelve large cross-like shapes line the room. "This isn't…my room…and these…aren't my blocks…are they?" He slowly walks up the stairs and reads the inscription of the names to himself.
"Zohar Emulators…that's what they are…" The boy guessed. A sudden pain suddenly shoots through his head. "Trinity, sanctuary….the key?" He suddenly straights up and sees images of Shion and KOS-MOS.
"So…it's coming."
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A/N: Holy crap! Who's the kid? Cliffies…gotta love em. If anyone guesses right, I'll do something special! (Or give them something special if I can't think of anything.) I'm starting to slowly update more frequently because ideas have been popping inside of my head recently. It's probably because I'm going to quit my job soon and school's about to end…Woohoo! Expect a new chapter soon! Thanks again for reading. And remember to review! That gives me a great deal of motivation! Otherwise I will stop writing this and leave you all to die, not knowing what the ending is. I am so evil…