Author Notes: Okay, so I decided to finish off this fic before continuing work on anything else. It's only got like literally four or five chapters left. I'll also start work on another Sonic fic for those of you who liked Tails's Luck, called Dream of Absolution but, it won't start until I feel content with where I sit with my other works. If you know where the title came from you probably know who it's about. Anyhow, thanks for the constant support, Don't forget to R&R, and I'll have chapter 20 up ASAP.
The Footsteps in the Darkness ~ SkullFox
Chapter 19
Aryn couldn't remember how long it had been since the last time he'd been on Papetoon. He didn't care how long it'd been either but, found himself asking how long it'd been anyhow. He and Iréa stayed in a single room in a small, drab hotel. After a bit of time Iréa realized that the dark furred vulpine had been eating an awful lot. He also seemed to refuse to move from the small room's bed. The pale furred she wolf that sat at the room's small table scoffed…
"Look you've been eating a whole lot…and I'm not even sure why you wanted me to bring a defibrillator and a shot of adrenalin…" She said, "But any kinky shit you can leave me out of."
Aryn rolled his eyes, "Don't flatter yourself sweetheart…I'd prefer my own paw." He replied, "Those are to be safe, what I'm about to do can be pretty fucking dangerous."
"What do you mean?" Iréa asked scooting her seat closer to the bed a bit interested in what he was saying.
Aryn swallowed a large bit of food he'd been chewing, "No single instance that we know of, has a psychic only displayed one ability…their primary skill is always tied to another, weaker one."
Iréa thought for a moment, "Well, Nex told me that you could control fire."
"Right…" Aryn replied, "That would be my strongest ability…see at Black Star they realized how powerful my pyrokenisis was…it was all they cared about, whatever destruction I could dish out…."
"So then what's your other ability?"
Aryn sighed as he sat down the large sandwich he'd been eating, "Astral Projection…"
Iréa donned a confused look, "Astral what?"
Aryn chuckled to himself, "Projection…think of it more as…forcing my soul out of my body for a prolonged period of time."
"That sounds pretty fucking dangerous to me." Iréa replied.
"Ya think?" Aryn asked sarcastically, "Stay out there in the Nether too long and you could get excommunicated from your body…the Nether is a confusing place."
"Then why do I have these things?" She asked pointing out the Defibrillator and syringe.
"I Projected once a long time ago, my body couldn't handle the stress, and for about two minutes my heart stopped." He replied, "The others in the team managed to pull me back but, I swore I'd never do this again."
"Then why do it?" Iréa asked.
"I learned something when I was Projected…" Aryn said, "Psychic ability seems to have some sort of connection with the Nether. I can see the energy psychics give off, like an intense light, if you were there you could swear to god you could feel it from a mile away."
"Aryn…" Iréa asked, "I know you stopped living last time you did this but, why did you swear you wouldn't do it again?"
"I was just afraid of what I might see this time…" He replied, "But, now I don't seem to have a choice. We've got a very narrow span of time and I can't wait any longer to find Kursed and McCloud before Eric finds whatever it is he's looking for. With Kursed, Eric, and the entire Black Star squadron there…wherever they are…It'll be lit up like fucking daybreak."
As Aryn lay back on the bed Iréa began to set up her things in case she would be needed, "How long do you think you'll be in there?"
"Don't know…" Aryn replied, "Just keep an eye on my breathing…if it stops, pull me out…fast."
Iréa was liking the sound of this less and less the more she heard about it, "Look…you be careful in there…you're pretty important to Uncle Nex, and those two being held need you alive."
"Yeah…" Aryn said closing his eyes as his head contacted the soft pillow of the bed, "…thanks."
~//~
It only took an instant before Aryn stood up rolling out of bed. He took a few breaths and turned to the bed he was laying in. He could still see himself laying there; it was and eerie sort of feeling to see himself like that, his black fur instead replaced by an entire body of red wavering light. Iréa stood by the now green luminescent form of the she wolf scanned over Aryn's vitals as he lay there motionless. As he looked around he noted that the place he was in was no different, accept that the world seemed to be bland, and blank of all color, any being of life seemed to be created of only luminescent bodies of light that housed the form of whatever animal or being they had belonged too. He sighed a bit before simply stepping toward the small room's wall passing through it like it wasn't even there. He hated the outside world when he was in this state, it remined him too much of death; there was no color, to anything that should have had color and lines and silhouettes seemed to smear and fade, riding on a wind that wasn't there, and the clouds above him swirled into a seemingly endless vortex that could only lead to the afterlife as far as he knew, or cared…He had seen it once before, but feared to look at it now…
Aryn simply kept his head level, in a ghostly fashion, flew off into the city. He didn't bother moving to dodge anything, rather he simply floated right through whatever there was in his way…
"Lets see…" He said to himself, "Nex's report mentioned something about the Vextor Estate building in the Delling District…best start there."
It seemed to take no time at all to actually reach his destination, but, unfortunately he could only see signs of animals with abilities that were most likely unaware that they were even different. When he couldn't find what he was looking for, Aryn levitated upward until the entire city was visible to him. Everything in the area looked no different; this was the problem with the Nether, it was far too easy to get himself lost, with no color to anything it was a simple mistake to see one building for another. As he scanned the landscape however his eyes caught something in the far distance. It looked like some sort of structure build on a lake, and there were more lights there than he cared to try counting…
"Wow…if that's not it…I'll kiss my own ass."
Taking no more chances with staying projected any longer, Aryn rushed off toward his body. However, several minutes passed and he found himself with a slight problem…
"I'm lost…" He told himself in disbelief, "FUCK!! If I would have just stayed on the fuck'n ground!!"
Aryn shot about from one place to another, in a panic; he couldn't find his body anywhere and was certain that he was running out of time. Luckily, as he passed another building he felt a familiar presence, it was his body, and he quickly made his way back to the room where he could see Iréa furiously pumping at his chest with her paws, apparently he'd already stopped breathing. He was just about to reach for his body, when something caused him to freeze. A familiar touch on his shoulder…
"Dee…" An angelic voice lingered through the eerily quiet scene.
He couldn't bring himself to turn around and face what he knew was there, "Emilia?"
His mind completely left the scene of Iréa trying her hardest to bring him back, as he felt a pair of soft paws wrap around him, it was a feeling he had missed for more than 10 years…
"Stop blaming yourself Drayvn…" She said, "…don't cage yourself up, don't do to yourself what they did to you all those years ago." Her paws slowly moved to the shackles on his wrists, "I know why you wear them. It wasn't your fault…"
He'd never known he could cry in this state but, as his tears fell he looked to her paws, "But…I…I let you die."
"Drayvn…you gave me the happiest years of my life…" She replied, "I have no regrets…neither should you. Take them off…stop burdening yourself with the guilt that you don't deserve." She said, "Just remember that I love you….and I'll be waiting here for you, no matter how long it takes…I'll always love you…."
All of a sudden he could feel the vixen's paws push him from behind causing him to stumble into his body….
Iréa was shocked as Aryn's body shot upright reaching out for someone that wasn't there…
"EMILIA!!!" He screamed before realizing that he was back in the land of the living.
"Hey…" Iréa said, "You okay? I've been trying to make you breath for the last 3 minutes."
Aryn sat there for a bit, staring at his paws. One of them reached up removing the key from around his neck…
"Did you find them?" Iréa asked.
"I'm pretty sure of it…yeah." He said staring at the key and shackles,
"Where are they?" The pale furred wolf asked.
"Just outside of the city…there's some kind of building out on the lake."
Iréa thought for a moment, "Hmm…Fort Benning. Used to be a live munitions site. Why would anyone want to go there?"
"Exactly…" Aryn said unlocking one of his shackles and allowing it to fall heavily to the floor, "I have to eat something." He said breathing heavily.
"You were only gone for an hour…" Iréa replied.
Aryn finally dropped his other shackle and began to rub his wrists, which had not been exposed to open air in ages, "I'll explain later…Astral Projection has more down sides than ups."
Aryn took none of his precious time to bother savoring what food he was given; his ability was a lot like his Pyrokinesis, it took a heavy toll on his body, which was damaged enough as it was. However, he found that he somehow felt better, better than he'd felt in years since waking up. As if an entire world's worth of weight had been lifted from his burden, he could breath again, and even thought he was alone now, he could understand that he would never really be alone as long as he chose not to. He felt somewhat horrible for what he'd done over the years, he'd ignored everything that Emilia would have ever wanted for him, for the sake of his own single minded revenge…he was never doing it for her, he was doing it to take the blame off of himself, to weaken the crushing guilt that he felt and forced onto himself for letting the only person he'd ever truly loved die, for loosing his unborn child, and most of all for being too weak to protect them. He realized most of all now, that his main priority was to save Krystal and Fox, before his brother ruined what chances they might have at a future…the way he had Emilia and Drayvn's…
Drayvn. It was something he'd not called himself in over a decade, it was his name, but, it was a name he'd declared himself unfit to carry as it was the name of the man that Emilia had loved. Drayven was simply a man he no longer deserved to be. It was as he reached into his pocket that he removed a small pair of metal dog tags and looked over them. The one marked with his name had a deep scratch across it's face, whereas Emilia's was kept polished and cleaned and shined like a new shining piece of jewelry…
"What are those for?" Iréa asked as Aryn slid them around his neck, he ignored the words, "Aryn?"
"Memories…" The black vulpine finally replied, "..and call me Drayvn."
The two made their way out of the city by foot as the walk was not much, and a car would serve little purpose when crossing a lake, he was also certain that one would make very little difference in the end, as there would be no running away this time…he would confront Eric and finally end everything. It was as they ran along the streets that Iréa looked over to Drayvn, who's only weapon for this entire fight was a single sword strapped to his belt…
"I can feel him…Eric is definitely there…" He said.
Iréa thought for a moment as she looked to the intense focus in his eyes, "There's something different about you…" She said, "Are you feeling alright?"
Drayvn looked to the white she wolf and smile, "I feel better than I have in over ten years."
"Nex would be happy to see you like this…"
Drayvn chuckled, "Probably…but, we've got work to do and I'm gonna need your help to do it. You a good swimmer? Cause it's the only quick way to the middle of that lake without being spotted. I'd rather kill Eric without being noticed."
As they stopped at the beautiful lake's edge Sol began to set behind the hills causing the entire area to go dark several small floodlights keeping the small factory lit…
"You really mean to kill your own brother?" Iréa asked.
Drayvn took a deep breath, "He killed me first. He killed everything I was, and everything I ever loved. Even if I realize that my own reasons were wrong…" He said looking to Iréa, "I will make him pay. What would you do if you were in my position? I know Nex told you…"
Iréa smiled, "I think I'd be standing right where you are right now."
"Good. Now lets go…I'm not sure how much time we have left."
~//~
The swim was exhausting, thought not unbarrable, Iréa found that opposed to what she'd believed, the waters were actually quite warm near the dark fox. He found that the facility they were headed for was much larger than he'd originally thought; it was lined with tall razor wire fencing, and there were large stacks of objects covered with large tarps. The grounds on the inside of the fence seemed oddly devoid of any signs of life, but, this was something that Drayvn had expected. As they approached the fence Iréa reached out to it only to have Drayvn pull her arm back…
"You wanna keep this arm?" He asked picking up a small stick which he tossed against the metal wire which instantly burst into flame, "There's enough electricity in that fence to power a small ship. Eric isn't trying very hard to keep me out."
Drayvn opened his right palm toward the chain link fencing which made an odd hissing sound before glowing white hot and slowly melting away in a large circular opening, which he then stepped through, waving Iréa to follow him…
"Don't step on the metal…It'll eat the shoes right off your feet."
Iréa stepped through the large hole, "That's an amazing ability…" She said, "Is it always hot or can you turn it off?"
"It's kinda like a kiln…" Drayvn replied, "Gotta get the fire going first…but, heating up such a weak metal is pretty easy. Unfortunately our bodies aren't equipped to handle the kind of heat I put out and eventually it can get to me." He said, "I've gotten pretty used to it thought."
As the two looked around the large shipping yard, covered with machinery that hadn't seen work in years, Iréa noticed something wrong, "This place seems a little deserted to me." She said, "Holding Fox McCloud captive, you'd think these people would try harder to protect themselves."
Suddenly Drayvn's ears perked up against the wind, "Iréa…hide."
"What? Why?" She quickly asked.
"Just do it!!" The dark furred fox shouted.
Sensing a bit of desperation in his voice, Iréa rushed off to hide behind a large forklift, as Drayvn slowly walked out into the open. Once in the open light he removed the gray vest he wore tossing it aside, leaving only a white tank top covering his chest. She hadn't noticed before but, Drayvn was packing more than a sword; standing out against the slightly baggy legs of his green and black camo pants was a long black sheath that almost blended into his combat boots perfectly, as well as a second across the back of his belt. She wasn't certain whether or not he was carrying a blaster or gun of any kind but, then again with his abilities did he really need one? She simply stood by and waited to see what it was that had the black furred vulpine's senses on end, she herself could smell something different in the air but, it was an unfamiliar smell that she couldn't place…
"Come on out!" Drayvn called, "Eric sent you for a reason didn't he?! Drake right?!" He asked.
In an instant a large metal drum flew toward him, it collided with Drayvn's fist only to burst into a flying barrage of deadly shrapnel…
"I had a feeling that you were nowhere near full strength when we met in the desert…" A chillingly calm voice carried on a slight wind that blew through the area, "You were taken out far too fast for someone with your reputation in Black Star."
"Psychokinetic…" Drayvn said, "Not a very common ability…even outside of the project."
The unseen assailant chuckled, "That's what the scientists all said, they also tried to use me like a fucking lab rat….I showed them thought. You should never fuck with someone who can freeze your insides. You have no idea how painful it is for your lungs to freeze over while you're still breathing."
"I have nothing against you kid…" Drayvn said, "Raven, Rose, Mashif, and Eric are the only ones I want. They've dodged death for the last time."
"So have you…"
Drayvn leaped away from his place only to have the ground freeze over in an instant, Psychokinesis was almost the exact opposite of his own power, allowing the user to not only levitate things and toss them with incredible force, but to freeze the very moisture in any object, even the air itself. It was as Drayvn stood there that his attacker stepped out of the shadows; it had been a long while since the blue scaled Drogan had first attacked him in the desert so long ago, he recalled how cold the ice encasing his body was, instantly numbing him to the bone. He still stood there however, every ability had it's weakness and this reptile's was no exception. He had to admit that like most other animal's he'd fought, Drayvn expected the young animal to stand there for a moment, but, instead the reptile rushed in on the dark furred vulpine. Drayvn knew that he couldn't keep his pace with the young Drogan, especially not in the beaten state Eric had left him in. As Drake attempted to land a powerful punch, Drayvn retaliated with one of his own causing their fists to meet. The Impact caused a muffled burst of sound to shoot out into the area as the reptile leaped away from the black fox,; he looked to his fingers, which had been mangled by the impact braking several of them. The Drogan interlaced his fingers pulling on the broken appendages until they all popped back into their proper places…
"Contained thermal explosion…" Drake smiled, "No wonder why Eric said to watch out for you. " He said, "When you can literally make ever punch explode on impact."
"Just leave……" Drayvn said, "This is your last warning."
"You know what?" Drake asked, "You talk an awful lot for being the same bloodthirsty animal I saw back on that wasteland of a rock. Or are you the same at all? Something's changed about you…you have none of the passion that you had before. It's almost like you truly don't want to kill any of us…but, that's just a crock, "You're the exact same as any number of us…my powers may have developed of their own natural cause, but, that doesn't make you and me any different. We were born and bred for war; we are all weapons and that's all we'll ever be…"
As the drogan said this his arms laid over with a thin coat of ice, "If you really want to die for something you're not a part of…" Drayvn replied as light blue flames scaled up his arms stopping just before his shoulders, "…then I'm just gonna have to kill you."
In an instant attack, a large ball of ice flew toward Drayvn, he'd never known the animal could project his power in such a way. However, as Drayvn dodged the attack he felt a sharp pain in his leg, only to find an icicle lodged in his thigh; it was a small shard of ice but, large enough to hurt. The burst of ice had been no more than thousands of tiny ice shards like the one jutting from the vulpine's thigh. In an instant Drayvn leaped to his feet throwing an intensely hot ball of fire hurling toward the reptile, which only met with another ball of the small ice shards which both burst into little more than vapors. Realizing that his vulpine opponent was injured, Drake rushed in toward Drayvn throwing a punch that struck the fox in the side of the face causing him to stumble back. Drayvn's entire face felt as through it had instantly gone numb from the attack. He was freezing the moisture of Drayvn's skin on impact, which was easily cured by heating up his body. As the animal stepped forward again he threw several more punches that the black furred fox managed to dodge, until Drake spun on his heels swinging his tail in and striking Drayvn in the shoulder. An instant shot of pain coursed through Drayvn's body, as Drake backed off. It was now that Drayvn noticed that there was a large ball of icicles frozen to the end of the animal's tail which lashed about a bit behind him. Drayvn's face contorted into a snarl of rage, he'd given Drake every chance to walk away, but the kid seemed obsessed with his own death. A thin barrier of ice shot up in front of the Drogan as a short stream of flames collided with it for a few moments only to have it suddenly stop…
"And what was that supposed to be?" The young animal chuckled.
Drayvn sighed, "A diversion." He replied.
In an instant the reptile noticed the shadow that was growing around his body; he looked up in one last instance, to see that the black fox had destroyed the cable of an old crane holding a huge rectangular container overhead. The impact of the 4 ton object slamming into the ground kicked up a mass of dust, which cleared away only to show that Drake had used his powers to erect to massive towers of ice, one to his right and left that had just barely managed to catch the falling structure a few feet from his body…
Drake found his way to his feet, and the ice that had formed over his arms retreated to his fists forming what appeared to be long blades. He let out a loud yell as he bolted toward Drayvn, if he let this fight carry on any longer there was no doubt that the fox would indefinitely kill him, but, as he drove forward Drayvn dropped his left should back causing the stabbing motion of the Drogan's right arm to graze his arm. As Drayvn drove his fist into the animal's chest, the flames of his arm instantly retreated into his fist and burst forward on impact, causing a small explosion of power to strike the reptile's chest, the mechanics of the attack working on the same principle of a Backdraft, suffocating the flames for a mild second before giving them an intense rush of oxygen to cause a small explosion. The impact caused the Drogan to scream in pain spatting blood onto the vulpine's face before his body was launched back into the metal structure that had nearly killed him forming a large dent in the surface of the container. The young reptile slid down to his feet, blood rushing from his mouth and nose and there was clearly internal damages done by the powerful attack. Drake attempted to take a step forward only to collapse to one knee, he looked to Drayvn one last time before trying to say something; the only thing that fell from the animal's lips was a thick spat of blood before his body finally collapsed to the rocky ground…
Iréa rushed out as soon as she noticed the reptile wasn't getting back up, "You okay?" She asked inspecting the shards lodged into his leg and shoulder.
"You tell me…" He replied, "They hit anything important?"
As she studied the injuries the white wolf sighed, "No…this one came close though…" She replied pointing at his shoulder, "You might wanna be more careful next time."
"What about him?" Drayvn asked growling in pain as he pulled the shard of ice from his shoulder.
Iréa inspected the downed enemy; the Drogan's eyes were wide open, but there was no life to his ice cold body…
"That explosion…or punch…" She said.
"Little bit of both…" Drayvn replied.
Iréa looked back to the fox, "Well whatever it was. It destroyed his rib cage, and crushed his lungs completely, I'm surprised he was even able to stand up at all after the attack."
Drayvn took a moment to catch his breath, "It's his own fault thought…I warned him." He said, "Come on…we gotta find those two lovebirds before Eric turns 'em into guinea pigs. And there's four more freaks like him between me and Eric."