Cyborg 009 Fan Fiction ❯ Ante Mortem ❯ Chapter Eight ( Chapter 9 )

Ante-Mortem

By: Wildfire Sky

Yea, even though I'm tired and stressed, I tried to get this next chapter to you as soon as possible. Supply and demand baby!! Incase you're wondering, my play went very well, in fact we're about to head off to a UIL competition to see if the play could advance to the level of state. I hope so. BTW, never tell an actor/actress "good luck" it's always "break a leg". Good luck actually brings them bad luck.

Don't ask. Don't tell. Just read.

It's all good!!

Oh yea, this kinda focuses on one of Black Ghost's generals, who is important to the fic as a whole, therefore I go into detail about his past a little. Enjoy!!

Ante-Mortem

Chapter Eight

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When Joe opened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by a black void, the air around him stiff and smelling of death and decay. There wasn't any visible ground, yet he found he could easy walk across the stretching darkness, his feet firm on the surface.

Glass?

He reached down to feel whenever surface he was standing on, yet his hands met nothing but air.

This is weird.

Cautiously he put a foot forward, and once again he found himself able to walk. He moved again, bending down to put his hand on the surface after his foot landed. Still it cut through air, nothing hampering its progress.

I wonder if…

Slowly Joe fell to his knees, bending his head forward. Straight through it went easily, nothing blocking him, no support. He laughed silently to himself, looking around at the black. He would have preferred a physical dream, but nothing but void would do. He sat down on the surface, crossing his feet and waiting for his dream to end.

"Enjoying yourself, 009?"

Joe's head jerked up and he glared around. He knew that voice…slowly he eyes scanned the area around him, looking for the black caped figure.

"Behind you…"

Joe jumped to his feet whirling around. Bright yellow eyes met his own, just inches from the tip of his nose. Surprised, Joe stumbled back, collapsing to the ground. Only, this time he didn't meet resistance under his feet, his entire body falling back and tumbling endlessly into the dark. He cried out in shock, praying that he would wake up.

"Calm yourself cyborg! Nothing will happen."

Instantly his cries ceased and his fall gently slowed to a stop and he was left floating in the air, glancing all around for Black Ghost. He spotted the figure off to the side of him, slowly making his way closer and closer. Joe's eyes narrowed viciously and he felt around for a surface to grip.

"Search all you want, 009…you are completely helpless right now. Believe it or not, I now control your dreams."

A black chair exploded out from underneath the struggling Joe, firming out and wrapping the boy in its seat, clamps popping out from the base and wrapping around his ankles, holding him in a tight grip.

Black Ghost paused, waving a hand out in front of him. A long table materialized between the two, laden with steaming food and drinks. Black Ghost sat down calmly as an enormous and regal chair shot up to meet his bottom. Fanning his cape out behind him, the evil man sat, motioning to the food in front of them.

"Hungry? Maybe some Japanese food?"

Joe stared as the feast slowly formed into some of the old traditional meals Joe knew so well. He wouldn't touch it though…not even in his dream. The evil man chuckled slightly and waved his hand again, the food was disappearing and quickly being replaced with a group of large pasta dishes, a pizza materializing directly in front of Joe.

"Perhaps some Italian then? We both know how much you enjoy Italian food."

Again, Joe turned away from it; hardly blinking as the food vanished, leaving the table empty. He could hear Black Ghost laughing cruelly.

"No, I can see that you're interested in something a bit more…enjoyable…"

Joe felt the slight rush of air as the surface changed again.

"How's this for you, 009?"

Joe glanced back over at the table, his chest suddenly squeezed for air. Francoise stared up at him, her naked body exposed for his wide, craving eyes. Black Ghost sat motionless, staring at 009 as the boy squirmed in his seat, satisfaction riveting on his face. This gave the masked villain so much pleasure to watch this boy torture himself, yet, he couldn't keep this up for much longer. Already he could feel his energy draining from his body as exhaustion took over. He needed to say what he needed and let the boy go for now.

"Cyborg 009,"he snarled, waving a hand and sending Francoise into the darkness, "You and I have seemingly come to terms with each other in the fact that I am slowly taking over your very life. Even now you cannot fight me in your own dreams; I can control your body and your words, able to render you helpless at any time…"

Joe glared at him venomously, "Why did you do this to me…how did you do this to me?"

Black Ghost cackled cruelly, his yellow eyes glinting, "My, my aren't we full of questions today? The purpose of this is of no concern to you, my cyborg servant. Indeed, you should feel honored to be part of such a grand scheme as the one I am concocting as we speak."

"You won't get away with this! I'll find a way to stop you!"

"Ha! Find a way to stop me?? Don't insult me with you foolish proclamations! You should know better than any cyborg that defeating me is an impossible task…and for you, it will be even harder. Every minute of every day I grow stronger, the poison spreads over your mind more and more swiftly until one day I shall have complete control and you shall be no more than a mere puppet for its master to play with."

Black Ghost stood up, spreading his hands dramatically, "Don't you get it, you ignorant cyborg scum? I am the master of this world!! Above every sickening creature that walks it…higher than God Himself!! And you think you can stop me from achieving my goals? Please!"

Joe struggled against his bonds, "We've done it before, Black Ghost…we'll do it again."

Instantly Black Ghost appeared directly in front of Joe, the chair scraping back against the invisible floor to make room for its master. The tall skull bearer towered over 009, his hands clutching the arms menacingly as he thrust his face forward.

"You are a fool, 009. Obviously, you still don't understand the full extent of your predicament…not long now, I will assume control of your brain and all of its functions; which include your physical and verbal movements. That means that your body will be completely under my control and there's no way to stop it. Try removing the poison and you'll die…try to overcome my powers, and I'll kill you myself…mention any of this to your friends and I'll have you kill them, before I murder you. Get it, now? You are at my mercy…as long as I'm inside your mind, I can hit you with pain at any moment whenever it suits me. Never again will you have a complete rest, unless I judge you need it."

Black Ghost shook slightly, his head dropping. Joe could plainly see that the monster of a man was beginning to weaken, the holds on his ankles already beginning to loosen and the table melting away to a brown puddle.

Black Ghost straightened slowly, taking a small step back, "Luckily for you, I must cut this meeting short…I have other things to prepare for…"

Now the black void around them was beginning to crumble, large chunks of blackness collapsing to the ground and shattering, the floor beneath becoming visible once again. Joe could feel the chair start to sag, the restraints finally melting away. He jumped up to his feet, turning to face his opponent.

"I'm finishing this right now, Black Ghost!" he cried, launching himself at the weakened man. Black Ghost merely stepped aside, sending Joe crashing to the ground. The Japanese boy jumped to his feet, his eyes hard with determination.

"Accelerate!"

Black Ghost chuckled dryly, his boy shaking with amusement, "Haven't you been paying attention to anything I said? You're not in control of your dreams anymore, I am. Try and fight me all you want, there's no way in hell you could ever lay a hand on me!"

Joe tried to accelerate again, but still he remained where he was, his powers disabled and useless. Black Ghost strode over, his hand balled into a fist. Joe tried to move, but his feet seemed to be glued to the ground, his body completely immobile.

"Idiot."Black Ghost smashed his hand against Joe's face, the boy's head snapping around as he stumbled for his footing. Black Ghost walked over again, snatching up Joe's chin with one hand as he brought up the other, "Here's a parting gift from you to me…"

Black Ghost sent his fist ramming into Joe's face, and instantly Joe's world exploded in bright white stars, his body tumbling endlessly downwards.

With a cry, Joe landed on a heap in the middle of his room, the bed sheet tangled over his body like mummy wrappings. For a moment, Joe lay on his floor, bewildered and frightened from the experience.

It was obvious now…Black Ghost had the upper hand in all of this…but Joe needed to figure out a way to get it back.

With a groan he picked himself up from the floor, straightening his bed sheets before climbing back in. He wanted to get some rest, for he was sure that the evil man was weak…yet, he remained awake, staring up at the plain metal ceilings, his thoughts wandering.

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Black Ghost collapsed into his black, throne like seat, hands curling over the skull shaped arm ends in vicious frustration. Although he would never openly tell any of his lackeys about this, every time he forced himself into the depths of 009's mind, it robbed him of every bit of energy he had in his body, forcing his to rest of extended periods of time.

He was getting stronger, there was no doubt about that, but as long as 009 kept fighting him like this, the progress would be slow and his risk of discovery increased. That was unacceptable.

Hotly, Black Ghost called for his senior combat commander, a man called Black Martinez. Moments later the large chamber doors slid open and the tall, muscular man sauntered in, his chest puffed out, black hair slicked back, and his eyes twinkling mischievously as he stroked his dark goatee.

Black was a stiff and robust man, a native of the island of Cuba and former commander of a small militia who rebelled against their former president in a coup. Alonzo Castro had received leadership of Cuba after his grandfather, Fidel Castro, died and his father, who was assassinated in a previous uprising led by Alonzo's own general, Adrian Martinez, father to a man named Jose Martinez…better known then as, Black Martinez, leader of the Gatos Negros, the Castro's private police force.

Black had sworn loyalty to Castro and his family, promising his soul to the tyrant's rule and protection. It was his duty to rid his master of any and all bothersome political officials or citizens. Although Black was a cruel, merciless man by any stretch of the imagination, he still held a fierce loyalty to his family over anything and anyone. So when Castro ordered him to kill his own father, Black immediately refused, instead organizing his band to have Adrian transported from Cuba to central Panama.

But the plan fell through, Black betrayed by his greedy lieutenant, who was looking for his own profit.

The Gatos Negros were ambushed in their own hideout, nearly wiped out by Castro's army, the day they were to depart from Cuba. Adrian Martinez was shot and killed in the fighting, Black subdued and taken before an unsympathetic Alonzo who sentenced him to be tortured in jail until he swore absolute loyalty to Castro.

It was there in the dark pit of a prison cell that Black received word of his father's death and was brought before Castro once again to swear his life to him. Clutched with despair and agony, Black instead cursed Alonzo and his family, denouncing him as a coward and a disgrace to Cuba.

Angered, Castro pulled out his gun, the same gun that General Martinez had owned, and shot Black in the head.

Left for dead on an abandoned beach, Black slowly bled, staining the sands around him a deep crimson as his life flowed from his body. But Black didn't die. He was found the next morning, unconscious and weak. Miraculously, the wet sand had formed a tight seal over the wound, preventing it from bleeding out. But he wasn't found by a doctor or a kindly native.

Black was captured by two Black Ghost operatives who'd came to take advantage of the rebellion uprisings and profit from the death and misery there.

When young Black Martinez awoke, he found himself staring into the cold, hard eyes of a scientist as the man bent over him, taking notes and measurements of his naked body. The scientist nodded from time to time, jotting down notes. Black opened his mouth to question the scientist, but his world suddenly went black as he slipped into a merciful coma.

It was months later when Black Martinez awoke. His body reformed to that of a cyborg. He could feel his new found strength as he was sent lose against numerous robotic servants, crushing their skulls will a squeeze of his hand, ripping through their bodies like a hot knife.

Exercising his powers, he came to realize he could not only summon up fire as hot as the center of the earth, but also manipulate it into and form or shape his heart desired. It was a marvelous trick and one he would often use.

Dressed in a black and red body suit, Black Martinez now called himself Black Diablo.

Instead of trying to run as the 00-cyborgs had, he stayed at his new master's side as Black Ghost's new assassin and commander of his armies. Someday Black Ghost would set Black against them, but that day had yet to come.

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Black now knelt in front of his master, head bowed solemnly as he awaited his new orders.

Black Ghost regarded him for a moment as he sipped at his cool wine, hands clutching the glass tightly. For such a powerful creature, Black Ghost rarely used him, sending the cyborg out on simple errands rather than pitting the man against the 00-cyborg team. Now Black Ghost found the battles little more than entertainment, hurling robot after robot against the enhanced men and woman, noting how their skills were improving with each fight.

As much as he hated the bothersome team, they were still his creations, and so the hope of finally taking them back had him constantly testing their skills for defaults and weaknesses that would be fixed.

The only problem was that he did utterly hate at least one cyborg…

"Diablo, I have a mission for you…"

The cyborg at his feet shifted slightly, eager for his assignment. He stood quickly as Black Ghost sat back in his throne, clicking a button on the arm. A video screen shimmered to life in the middle of the room, the screen illuminating their faces a bright blue as an image of Earth rotated on screen. A yellow dot flashed in the middle of a large island.

Silently Black Ghost observed Black for a moment before speaking, "Diablo, you new mission is of the utmost importance to my organization and its well-being."

Diablo bowed his head, "I will do anything for you, Black Ghost. What is your bidding?"

The skull bearing man motioned dramatically towards the green, 3-D island that now took up the entire hologram, "This is the country of Japan, home to thousands of hard working, honest Asians. The very people that help to keep his world in motion. And here…" the map shifting, magnifying over the flashing yellow dot, "…this is the city of Tokyo, its citizens victims of my last attack from the giant robot 0013. It is here where your mission shall be executed."

The image changed again, this time a boy appeared. Diablo stared at it curiously, noting the boy's strange red eyes. How fierce they seemed to him…they held the heart of a true fighter. He couldn't help but notice the bold name at the top.

"009? What does…"

"A means to an end, Diablo," Black Ghost replied quickly, "In two days time, your objective, 009, will be in Tokyo city. You are to make contact with the subject immediately and bring him to our Tokyo unit safely from which he will be transported here."

Diablo turned to look at his master, a skeptical glance crossing his face, "Sir, is this man not your enemy? Why would you welcome him into one of our units?"

"That, my faithful Diablo, shall be in my hands," Black Ghost regarded the man before him carefully, his yellow eyes flashing dangerously. Fearfully, Diablo took a step back. He knew he shouldn't have spoken so to such a great man, but he had to know his master's intentions with such a hazard.

Suddenly a shock of hot electricity shot through Black's body, his hair standing on edge, the current lifting his to his toes in pain. Quickly, he clenched his teeth together, fighting again the pain to threaten to overwhelm his senses. Foam began to bubble from Diablo's clenched teeth, his body shaking violently.

As quickly as it began, the shock ended, and Diablo crumpled to his knees, gripping the soft rug in his hands.

Black Ghost stood, staring down at the burnt cyborg kneeling before him, "If you were any lesser of a man, you'd be dead. That is one thing you should thank me for. I gave you the powers you now have, so how dare you question the methods in which I use them!" With a harsh sniff, Black turned away in disgust, "Get on to your mission now, Diablo. Fail me, and upon your return except to feel pain until I am satisfied that every piece of your flesh is burnt to a crisp. Understand me?"

Diablo struggled to his feet, bowing painfully, "Yes, master. I shall go immediately and I shall not fail you."

"Be sure you don't."

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"Good morning Joe!"

The single greeting fell on deaf ears, their owner staring out at the far wall blankly as he collapsed into his seat next to Albert. The German regarded Joe for a moment before turning back to his breakfast.

"I trust you had a nice rest, 009?" Albert said softly, trying to break through Joe's mental blockade.

But the Japanese orphan didn't respond, instead helping himself to a plate of food, silently stabbing the pancakes served and scooping them onto his dish, watching the warm maple syrup drizzle onto the doughy cakes. Not a word passed from his lips as he cut into the cakes and shoveled them into his mouth.

The group of cyborg watched him anxiously, but none more than Francoise. A pang of utter pity stabbed her chest.

She wanted more than anything to rush over to his side and smoother him with the love that threatened to explode from her body. But she couldn't do that in front of the others…in front of Jet. Then things would just go down hill and the two might never make up and be friends again. Something would have to give before the end of this.

Joe's thoughts were much along the same lines. He'd been sneaking short glances at Francoise, his heart thudding violently in his chest with each look he passed. Begging for her forgiveness might not help anything, but it was worth a try. Besides, this may very well be the last time he'd ever see her again.

So I'm really going through with this? Is my life in the cyborg team officially over now?

He had to leave. It was too dangerous for him to stay. With Black Ghost in his head, and the consistent blackouts, God knows what he might do. He had to leave; it was his duty as a leader. He wasn't worried that the group would fall into utter chaos. Sure, at the beginning there might be problems, but once everyone was calm, things would go back to normal. And Jet and Francoise could be together…as they wanted.

He would no longer be in the way of their love…

It would happen tonight.

Tonight would be his last night….

…as a member of the 00-cyborg team…

…and with his lovely Francoise….

Tonight, I say good bye…forever…

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Finally!! Once again, apologies for how long it took me, but right now my mind is absolute jelly. However, there is some good news in all of this!! Our UIL play has advanced to district. Only three more competition and then, hopefully, it's on to state at Austin!!

Yes I am a Texan.

No I don't have a horse.

And no, I don't wear cowboy boots.

In fact, I am African-American, go figure, huh?? Hopefully that little fact won't turn anyone away from my fanfic. If it does well then we all know that you're a racist dick and don't deserve to live on this planet. In fact, if anyone references my ethnicity in a way that is offending to me, I will personally hunt you down. Ok?

Any ways, now that that's out of my system, I promise not to take so long with the next chapter. You'll definitely have it by either Wednesday or Thursday, depending on if we advance or not. Okie pokie??

On to the review responses!!

GoldenAngel2: I thank you for your support of my SAT test. That thing was a living nightmare and my test administrator almost put me to sleep in the first five minutes. But I pulled through. BTW, I would be absolutely honored if you would make me some tapes!! If I need to send you money for shipping and handling or anything like that, please tell me so I can!! Thanks for your review and support!!

Holli:Don't worry, Jet'll be straightened out…I think…But I am glad I have a seal of approval for something about Jet. I was worried I was making him appear too OOC. But, you know, I try. And I took your advice and read it again and you're right, it doesn't need a rewrite.

Fantasygirl:Well thank God for Easter right?? Oh…we do have Him to thank…imagine that!! And come Easter, the Easter bunny'll be dropping off a couple of chocolate eggs for you readers!! So watch out next week!!

Dark Angle 0013:Hehehe…you have no idea how right you are my friend…

BabyG of Westlife:Who the hell is BB?? Whoever she is, hope she won't be too mad at me!!

Tomoe2Kenshin: They will see…hopefully…

Wolfwood11:You…you think I'm nice?? Oh happiness!! OH FORTUNA!! I thank you good sir/ma'am!! And ignore your friends…they just haven't been exposed to the goodness of fan fiction!! You should expose them…they must see our power!! I mean, we bring absolute strangers together…that should count for something, right? And I'm glad you can't predict what happens next. I don't want a cliché going on here. Thanks a bunch for the review!!

RedLion2:Yea, I think a lot of people are happy to see Francoise coming to her senses…at least from what I can tell. Thanks for the review RL2!! Hope to hear from you again!!

animefreak5483:I am glad you started reading this too!! And I'm glad you've given me so many reviews!! I was beginning to get depressed cuz my other fic isn't doing as well review wise. It's amazing to me…Gundam Wing has a hell of a lot more competition than Cyborg 009 (not say there isn't any…I got GoldAngel2 and Holli to deal with), so if you wanna get to the top there, you have really got to stand out or hit the deck!! Thanks for the reviews!!

Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed, it means so much to me!!

LOOK OUT FOR MY NEXT CHAPTER!! The plot thickens…