S-CRY-ed Fan Fiction ❯ The Spectre's Seven ❯ Chapter Eight--The Single-Man Rescue Team ( Chapter 9 )

Disclaimer: Yeah. You know the drill.

A/N: Heh, like the title? Yeah. I did that on purpose. This chapter was actually supposed to be longer, but I have a big problem with writing detailed things. ^^' Gotta work on that.

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Chapter Eight--The Single-Man Rescue Team

'I was…dreaming…The people in my dream…their faces…remained a mystery to me, yet I know I have dreamed about them before. My hero…who was once young, now older…His body is broken, but his spirit remains just as strong! He, too, is dreaming…Dreaming about someone important to him.

But then my face turns, and I can see several shadows dancing upon the boundaries of my dream. They twist and turn, twist and turn…! Until they finally melt into a single life form. The long and slender shadow remaining stands victorious above the shattered form of defeat--The defeat of two soldiers, fighting for the ones that they love.

Again I continue to spin into darkness as my body chills and cold eyes stare back at me, yet I cannot find their owner. His words are like a foreign tongue, too intricate to understand. Before this vast silhouette, three more shadows are drawn, but they do not belong to a single shape shifter…They are the souls of people whom I once recognized as people…One who even felt closer to me than the other two. But then they drift away into the welcoming blackness…And all ceases to be…

…This is the first dream I've had in a long, long time…'

-----------------------------

Crane carried the girl into the looming doorway, created by the shattered window, until his feet no longer touched solid floor. Seven colors of the rainbow illuminated the holographic doorway, leading into another world, as the door to the previous one shut tightly behind him. Feeling his old home beckoning him forth, the man in the top hat stretched his long legs forward, continuing across the invisible hallway that was the Other Side.

'So long it has been,' He thought, words meaning too little to describe his escalating merriment. 'And now, I shall find the true heirs to my estate of power--the invincible Spectre of our time!'

Stopping the in middle of his tracks, almost abruptly, he waited patiently as the colors shifted into a solid form, revealing stone tiles, treading around him like a large box, mounting higher and higher, until the final construction revealed an altar, much similar to that of an old ghastly tomb.

"Behold! The Gateway into the Graveyard!" Crane's voice boomed, reverberating off the walls like imperceptible bouncing balls. "The key into finding my children begins here!" And with that, the man set the child upon a large stone table, set in the northern section of the room. Waving his hands above her, as though he were clearing something away, a holographic setting of a distant scenery lit up over the girl, casting a new light around the dreary and empty room.

"If this child is indeed of the Yuta lineage, the same woman from Project M, then there is no doubt about her connection to me now. To think! After twenty-six years the prodigy of my own specimen comes kneeling before me, as though she, herself, is waiting to be captured. And the child is psychic--a mind reader! She can see the future, the people around her…especially those whom she has come into contact with…"

Leaning forward, his hands held tightly behind his back, Crane observed the child's dream as it happened in her mind, like a movie of sorts.

He frowned as he realized that most of the faces could not be delineated.

"Her power has not yet reached its full peak…But no matter. With time and energy, there is nothing to this minute problem that has arisen." His back turned and he looked to the southern wall. "As the Puppetmaster, I can read the whereabouts of ALL Alter Users, keeping their dependency of their Alter usage in mind. A man or woman who uses their Alter frequently can be identified more easily than one who does not. So then!" He whirled back to the sleeping child, her dream still displayed over her head.

Tilting forward again, he brought his hand up to touch the silhouettes in her dream, curious as to who just may be on her mind…

"Child of the Spectre, heed my words as the father who bore you your mighty gift. I seek the arms and allies of six men or women, bound together in a quest to fight for me. Show me the light of all you've seen, and with many prayers, perhaps you have been in contact with their shining lights."

Slightly stirring, Kanami could feel the intimidating words of this man ring in her mind. His own Alter…it was too powerful to resist. Slowly her hand rose, almost limply at first, until it straightened and a single finger touched a shining silhouette from the dream displayed above her, and Crane beamed.

"Ah, so you have come into contact with your brethren? This is most pleasing. Show me their faces."

"Alas," The girl replied meekly, her full consciousness still locked away in slumber. Her voice, simply mechanic, was a result of the Puppetmaster and his strings on her. "I cannot."

The smile disappeared quickly and Crane tapped his forefinger against the gray color of the stone table. He had expected this, was afraid for it, but no matter. Even if their faces could not be distinguished, their movements and Alter dependency could. And if enough Alter reliance was noticeable, he would eventually begin to see them.

When he had visited here last, he could already see the faces of some of his pawns, although they were nothing of interest to him. Yet, it glorified him as to how often his pets were taking advantage of their own abilities.

"Fine. Then show me the single individual of your dream. I must find these children of the Spectre. I must find them now." But he was startled. Suddenly her hand began to drift elsewhere, pointing to another black figure, and then another! Much to Crane's amazement, this child had been in contact with more than just one Spectre. And it took a child of the Spectre itself to find another one of its kind.

That's how the Spectre worked.

And what else could Crane expect!? They were the most powerful of all his creations anyhow! If he had asked to find a normal Alter User, one without any importance, any Alter User in this child's place could find that particular pawn, so long as their Alter dependency was standard or even higher. But that usually was not a problem for Crane. Any Alter User adored showing off his or her own power. It was the greed of being unique and powerful that fueled this human infested world. All cockroaches. Alas, this child was special and was one of Crane's own. So he could guarantee her word on the ones she had committed to being the indomitable Spectre.

Again and again her hand drifted to new figures, some mobile while some not as they danced along in her dream. Finally, her hand wilted, and fell again lifeless at her side.

"Six? You know all six of them? Ha! What news! What prodigious news! To think! You know not one or two, but all of the others! It will be no time at all before they are by my side, marching along the stretched roads as superior generals, overtaking the weak and downtrodden!" Again, Crane turned, and began to pace up and down the aisle, from the south wall, to the north wall, and to the south again, like a pendulum on a clock.

Then he spun again, his arms outstretched. "Well then! Show me their status!" And the six shadows in Kanami's dream began to grow, emerging into six shapely silhouettes, right above her. Crane observed, through the girl's thoughts, of course, their Alter status. As the seven colors of the rainbow began to fill inside the blackened silhouettes before him, he waited patiently until the colors rose no more.

He felt his lips tug against his jaw line. What? How could this be!? Three of the Spectre showed no life at all! Not even one tiny bit! There, lingering above the girl, were three black…empty…shadows.

"Im…Impossible!" Crane shouted, anger seizing him. "Three of my Spectre are dead!? They have deceased!? F-Failed to exist!? My unbeatable Spectre!?" His head turned, and he forced himself to calm his nerves. "No, they had no idea of their powers. If they had, their outcomes would be different…Yes…I can still find them." Then he closed his eyes and brushed the thought away. "No, no, I am not ill. I will find them again through different means."

And he looked up again.

His disapproval was instantly overridden as he saw that two of his other Spectre had almost entirely been filled with the Alter's glow. Again he smiled, stepping forward. "Ah, at least two of them have not failed me. If they continue to use their power like this, then it won't be long until I can see their faces and know my true Spectre…"

Then his eyes drifted to the sixth Spectre and his face twisted in misery. The final outline of the form had very little Alter glow. He was not dead, Crane could tell, but he had might as well be. The Alter glow rose a total of eight inches on the silhouette of the Spectre, not even meeting the outline of the knee.

"H…How disgraceful! What a waste of a power!" Crane summoned the shadows away, his eyebrows furrowing together. "And to THINK! I used my creative mind to give each and every one of these Alter Users a unique power, and even my own Spectre has the nerve to eschew it!"

But he would think of punishments later. It had grown darker already in the real world.

"At least I can find three of them," Crane mumbled, his dry voice nearly reaching audibility. Slicing his hand through the open air, a portal in the wall before him and the unconscious girl materialized, and a vortex of swirling colors appeared, awaiting his command.

Giving a quick smirk, he stepped around the stone table, haunting the entrance into the vortex.

"The one thing about Alter Users is that they can never die. The consequence of an Alter User is purgatory…forever looming on the Other Side…severed from their own soul. The body of an Alter User remains existent for all eternity…"

Slowly pushing himself further into the entrance of the vortex, Crane cupped his hands together around his mouth, pushing his mind past the thundering crashes of the open gates to purgatory, where the souls of his pets lay. "Spirits of the deceased, I command you! Give way the identities of your superiors, wherever and whomever they may be! Send word that they are summoned before Judgment! The Divine Ruler! And tell them to make haste!"

'For my time here grows shorter,' The man thought miserably. Every moment here was torn away from his own lifespan. Oh, how tragic it was! The thought of being doomed in purgatory like all of his inferiors! His own pawns!

But these distressful thoughts were quickly removed as the lights of three figures began towards him, and again, he felt neutral. With arms wide open, he welcomed them back into the world in which they had been lost, his fingertips twitching.

"My children!" He greeted, "Children of the Spectre! Come closely! Bathe yourselves in the warm light of the world, back to where you once came from!"

The shadows, their bodies slowly becoming fashioned by garments and features of a normal human, said nothing as they stepped through the vortex of purgatory and into the altar. Standing side by side, their shoulders squared and relaxed, they looked upon their keeper, the one who had bid them forward.

The trio were dressed in black and silver uniforms with a single golden badge on their left arm that read "Elite" in bold font. Yes, they were all garbed in normal HOLY attire, with the exception of the silver lining that ran down their coats with matching buttons and silver elbow length sleeves, and the near glossy black that colored the rest of the fabric. Over each pair of eyes was a dark visor, shielding their features, and a tall and proud general's cap over their heads, preventing any lock of hair from escaping into the vision of another.

Finding it too good to be true, Crane sidestepped in front of each of his creations, touching their shoulders slightly. The first was a man of normal height while the second was of irregular size, standing far taller than Crane. The last, however, was not male, and was a single female, shorter than the other two. Her uniform, unlike the males, was also of HOLY attire, but black as well.

"My Spectre," Isaac Crane whispered, the smile tugging at his lips. "So wonderful it is to finally become acquainted with you." Taking a step back, he held a hand up to his wide chest. "I am Isaac Crane, your master and creator. I have summoned you here back from purgatory to fulfill your mission as the HOLY Elite Alter Users and serve me. Your powers, as Spectre, have already been refined upon coming here, enhancing your abilities as Alter Users. The child here…" The man turned, gesturing to the child who still lay upon the altar, "is also of my prodigy…Or, DNA structure, rather. Until the others have been located, it is your duty to ensure the safety of HOLY as well as the safeguard of this child. Do you understand me?"

"Yes Commander," The three replied in mechanical unison.

"Good," Isaac nodded, picking Kanami up with a single arm and turned his back to his new toys. "Then let us return to HOLY."

The mouth of the man of irregular size twitched fretfully.

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Three days after that embarrassing defeat, Asuka lay in his cell, his eyes to the ceiling, waiting for his punishment.

He had been sentenced to be refined that morning, early on, right before Isaac Crane had to give his speech before the entire Mainland Board, who had arrived that night to interview him the following day. Rumor had it that Mimori Kiryu was to appear with him, which, no doubt, meant that he had taken her hostage as well.

Asuka grunted, his eyes narrowing. He knew from the start that those bandits were nothing but trouble! Associated themselves with Crane, they had…And now that one thief that Ryuho and Kazuma had let flee at the docks had turned Mimori over to the new Commander of HOLY!

"Son of a…" Asuka stilled his tongue and simply pounded his balled fist against the uneven mattress that he lay upon now. Dust swirled up, causing him to cough inwardly. He dared not to make any loud noises, for fear that Crane's toadies would come in to torture him once again.

Nearly suffocating on his own coughing, Asuka turned over onto his side, pulling his knees to his chest.

'Cammy,' He thought despondently. 'I regret to inform you that I have let not only you down, but all of my friends as well. Forgive me for what I may become, as I now have no control over my own life.' Thoughts of his love for her only made him feel even worse. "I am…so sorry…" Asuka choked, forcing unwanted tears away from his eyes with a rough wipe of his hand against them. "I'm such a miserable…good-for-nothing…"

It was nearly time now. They would be coming to get him soon. What an alluring gift this would make to the Mainland, who were all in approval for the experiments on Alter Users. It would be a sacrifice in honor of Crane's good work and obedience to the Mainland. And now…

He jerked slightly as the metal door was opened and a large figure haunted the gloomy doorway.

"Get up," Spoke a hard and gruff voice.

Asuka regretfully turned over, staring at the man clad in black. He was tall--taller than a normal man, dressed in a HOLY uniform that was completely black and silver. On his badge read "Elite", instead of "HOLY". Tachibana almost wished he could see the eyes of his executioner, just so that he could see the emotions rising within them, but alas, they were covered by a dark visor, lined with military headgear.

"Elite?" Asuka found himself asking by accident. "What…"

"Get off the bed."

The younger man did as he was told, almost mesmerized by the new member of HOLY.

"We are HOLY Elite," The man replied as soon as Asuka was off the bed. "You have been summoned to be refined. Come with me."

Waiting for himself to be chained by the hands, Asuka was led dejectedly out into the hall, where he walked sluggishly behind the taller man with broad shoulders. Tachibana didn't even have the gull to stare at anything else but the back of the man, wondering how the irregular fellow felt before him now.

Caught up in his own thoughts, Asuka hadn't even realized that he had been led outside into the cold morning, the sun not even stirring from its place in the sky. Looking up, quizzically, at the still starry sky, he was jerked towards a black car, obviously of HOLY brand.

"But I thought…Wasn't…The Refining Lab is supposed to be inside, right?"

"Shut up and get inside the car," The man ordered, opening the passenger's side, waiting impatiently for Asuka to climb inside.

Torn between obeying and defying the man, Asuka simply fell into the seat, swinging his legs inside the car. The door was slammed behind him and the HOLY Elite member hustled into the driver's side, closing the car door after him. Turning the key over in the ignition, Tachibana was jerked back into the seat with a start as the car pulled out of the parking lot.

'I don't understand…Is he taking me elsewhere?' Possibilities ran though the younger man's mind like a waterfall, until a key was thrown in his lap. It was the key to unchain his cuffs.

"Undo the locks," The gruff man told him. "Do it before I decide to rip your wrists off instead."

Almost driven to spit something nasty back at the man for being so rude, Asuka thought it better not to look a gift horse in the mouth (if that really was what it was called at the moment), and just release himself from his fetters.

The speedometer on the dashboard continued to rise, as though the HOLY Elite member were really eager to get away from Headquarters. It befuddled Asuka even more when he made the turnoff to leave the city and enter the slums of the Lost Ground.

Introverted, Asuka tossed the cuffs to the floorboard and held his hands in his lap. He was curious as to where this man had intended to take him, especially if it was away from HOLY. Perhaps…another refining lab? But then why did this man have him remove his binds?

"Forgive me for sounding rude, but where are we going?" Asuka asked after a long period of time. "Why did we leave HOLY and why did you have me remove my cuffs?" Suddenly, a horrible thought seized Asuka and his head jerked to look at the man whose lips were brought together in a thin, hard line. "Are you going to kill me?"

"Don't be stupid," The man muttered. They just crossed through the gate and entered the off-road trails. Pulling the gear into the drive for this kind of travel, the man continued. "You're supposed to be protecting them."

Confused by these words, Asuka struggled to respond. "Pardon?"

"The people you care about. Aren't you supposed to be protecting them?"

"I…er…"

"Acting reckless like that only gets you killed. I would leave the recklessness to the likes of Kazuma and Ryuho." Still, the man did not take his eyes off the road.

"What would you know about Kazuma and Ryu- - "

"If I catch you near HOLY like that again, I'll personally refine you myself."

So then…that meant…?

Then the car halted to an immediate stop. Asuka recognized this place well. He was only three miles from his house. The engine remained running and although the man still did not turn to face Asuka, Tachibana knew that he wanted something.

When the purple haired youth did not respond quick enough, the HOLY Elite member said, "Get out."

Unable to hide his smile, Asuka replied, "Thank you…for letting me go like this…But…This is near my house…How did you know- - "

"Make better choices next time," The man advised. "Now get out of the car before I take you back to HOLY."

Silently assenting to the man's orders, Asuka climbed out of the car and turned to the man. "I feel as though I know you. Were we old colleagues or something?"

"That's a forbidden question," The Elite member replied. "You had probably better get going."

"Mimori Kiryu is in the hands of Isaac Crane," Asuka rushed.

Nothing but the humming of the engine was heard for several seconds, which seemed to last for hours.

"…Why are you telling me this?" The man asked, almost bitterly.

Unable to respond right away, Tachibana shrugged. "I…I…Just, something told me that I ought to let you know."

"What? You think because I let you off the hook, I'm gonna do it for her too?"

"Well…I…" The Native Alter felt himself step away from the car, and shut it slowly. Obviously, he had angered the man.

"I'll see what I can do," Was what Asuka heard before he closed the door and the man sped off, leaving dust clouds behind.

Morning had crept over the horizon line, showering the Master of Eternity Eight's face.

And then he smiled.

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"So," Kazuma said, leaning back in his chair. Cammy had mended both the wounds of the Shell Bullet Master and Ryuho, and so the two were covered in bandages. "Tell us how you were able to defeat us again."

"Again?" Raviel sighed. "All this to get my companions back?"

"Kazuma, tell him the truth already!" Cammy commanded him harshly, almost annoyed.

"…Tell me what?" Raviel asked flatly.

"We ain't got your friends," Urizane put in for Kazuma. "Kanami let them go three days ago."

"Huh!?" The chair that had supported Raviel's weight slid back against the floor. "What!? And you guys LIED to me all this time!? I've done NOTHING but talk to you for three days and you guys kept the truth from me!?"

"You were talking about SAND MONKEYS," Ryuho grunted, rubbing his sore arm. "And besides, can you blame us? You're not exactly our favorite person."

"Gee, well, at least the feeling is mutual," The blonde thief mumbled, plopping back into his seat. "And by the way Kazuma, the reason I was able to defeat you two is because you're both idiots."

"HEY!" Roared both Legendary Alter Users.

"Raviel, if you're not going to be serious then I don't think we have anything to discuss." Urizane, furious as he was on the inside, tried to remain as calm as possible in place of Ryuho and Kazuma.

"All right, all right." He mumbled. "But that's free info. I don't like giving away free info. Maybe I'll tell you later."

"Jerk." Kazuma muttered, acrimoniously folding his arms over his chest.

"Like I've already explained," Raviel began. "I don't have Mimori Kiryu. And I don't care under what circumstances you decide to believe or not believe me, it's the honest truth. I brought her back here safe and sound three days ago."

"And it's the same for your comrades," Ryuho replied. "Kanami set them free."

"Speaking of which, where is my dear friend Kanami?" Raviel grinned. "It seems like I haven't seen her in ages!"

Narrowing his eyes, Urizane answered for the rest of them. "Crane's got her, along with Asuka Tachibana."

"What!?"

"It's true," Elian affirmed. "They're both being held hostage at HOLY."

"Which is JUST where we were heading the other day before you showed up." Kazuma added sourly.

His remark prompted Raviel to roll his eyes. "You? Puh-leeeze. I took you and your friend there in a matter of five and a half minutes. Isaac Crane would've demolished you AND your remains. Then I wouldn't blame him if he began stomping up and down on your ashes and then proceeded to set them aflame. You two aren't exactly the nicest of people."

"Aw, man, shut up!"

"It's the truth!"

"Oh my dear Lord…" Urizane held his head in his hands.

"I'm serious!" Raviel continued to rant and rave. "Mimori and I saw him take stronghold of a small village in the northwestern region and completely DEMOLISH the place! I mean, even though those freaks were cannibals, it still doesn't mean anything but STILL!"

"Cannibals!?" Ryuho exclaimed. "You took Mimori to a cannibal village!?"

"Hey! I didn't know it at the time and to top it all off, Sea Monkeys destroyed our boat…"

"Oh no, here we go again about the monkeys…" Kazuma couldn't help but stick his tongue out at the bandit.

"Hey! I saw that!" Turning serious for a moment, Raviel continued. "In any case, Kanami is my friend and I'm bound and determined to get her back."

"Sorry pal, but that's our department," The Shell Bullet Master laughed. "Why don't you leave it to the professionals? After all, we ARE the Legendary Alter Users."

"Oh can it, you friggin' mummy." The thief retorted.

Kazuma looked down at his almost new attire of bandages. "S-Shut up, okay!?"

"I could care less about what you two decide to do," Raviel said. "Either way, whether we join up or not, I will get Kanami back."

"Over my dead body!" Kazuma jumped to his feet.

"What? Is it a race now?" Raviel also stood, rising to Kazuma's challenge. "Is there a trophy involved too? 'Be the first to free Kanami and get a shiny new medal'! Or is it just the fact that you can't stand to accept that Kanami doesn't need you anymore and has found new friends?"

"Why you puffed out little…"

"Oh yeah? What was that?"

"Okay, game over," Cammy said, reaching over to grab the remote to the TV. "Let's watch some television now, shall we?"

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She lay, almost lifeless, in her own dark and dreary cell. Not even the light of the world could touch her now. More like a zombie, who would assent to any given command, the moment irrelevant.

The ebony haired woman could not focus, her own name scattering from her mind. She thought she had felt light as a feather once, as though she had been moving, but it was not her own feet that distanced her from cell to cell.

Wait…a cell?

More like an earthly place. One that had been denied light as her own chamber did now.

Is this really necessary?

The feeling in her right hand growing numb, she felt her body turn over and become weighed down by gravity. Her right arm only hindered the sluggish movement, and hit the floor by her side.

Who are we to question orders? Here, hand me that bottle and syringe.

Feeling a slight noise reverberate in the back of her throat, the woman grew slightly agitated, and let her face slide inward so that the bridge of her nose met the cold floor. She had fallen from her cot earlier that night.

Reformation? By God! It worked!

Her raven hair fell in pools on the concrete floor, unkempt, shadowing her pale features.

Look at that. The poor thing is so out of it, she almost appears like a ragged doll. She'll be completely under his control now.

Only the thundering sound of the earth opening widely was beating against her ears.

"Hello, Miss Kiryu. You're looking well today."

Guhh…

"Don't struggle to look up. You probably don't even know where you are. You've just gotten back from a fine trip from an underground research lab. I must commend you, my dear. You were more of a help than I expected you to be."

Arm…sliding across the floor…this…man…

"However, this will not do. You and I are scheduled to meet in front of the Mainland this morning, in just a few moments! You are simply a wreck. Shall I help you undress?"

Her head was being pushed up by a moving limb, warm and stronger than she. But her eyes, failing to focus, could only stare at the black blur before her. Then her ears began to ache from strong rumbling from this man.

Laughter.

"No, you probably wouldn't like that, would you?"

A flat surface smoothed the top of her head, straightening the tangled mess. Then, again, the feeling came…!

The same feeling that had washed over her like water from a stream that purified, no, altered her very being…!

…Alter…?

"You'll do just fine."

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Isaac Crane led his new puppet down the hall by the hand, her head bowed, as though deprived of sleep, and her body easily moved against his as they walked side by side. All of Crane's subordinates trailed along behind them, in two single file lines.

"May the Elite come forward!" Isaac cried enthusiastically, waving his free hand in a half circle over his head. They came to the front entrance of HOLY, where twenty of the board members were waiting with endless streams of reporters. "Ah! Welcome! Welcome!" The man beamed, anticipating the silent intakes of breath from the crowd before him.

His arm slid around the shoulder of Mimori Kiryu, still clad in her old HOLD uniform that had grown monotonous in color from the lack of light. But although the fabric's shade had diminished into dull tints, the glorious beams of the sun hid the gloominess with its own magnificent radiance.

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Raviel's jaw dropped lower than his hunched body, his blue eyes pulled from their sockets as he gaped at the TV screen. No one was in any better of shape than he.

"It can't be!" Ryuho exclaimed. "Mimori!"

"What's Crane doing with her!?" Kazuma followed up.

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HOLY Elite stepped in behind Crane, who still waved to the crowd, while Mimori fell against him, almost drunken-like.

"Friends of the Mainland, I welcome you." Still, the façade continued. No one longer cared about the premeditated interview scheduled for that day. Everyone was shocked to see the heiress to the Kiryu fortune standing next to one of the most powerful men in all of the Mainland.

"Mr. Isaac Crane…!" One reporter called attention to himself. "Is that the Princess of the Mainland!?"

"Yes, that would be correct," Crane responded, licking his lips. "The Princess and I have formed an alliance together. For the last four years she has been working undercover with me, allowing the rest of her family and friends to believe that she had perished by hostile Native Alter actions. It was a sacrifice well spent, especially since it has brought me here to the Lost Ground, attempting to reconstruct order within a new HOLY for everyone here!"

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"What a bunch of lying bullsh- - "

"Kazuma!"

The hotheaded man turned to Cammy, who, although in disbelief herself, maintained a cool temper. He said nothing, but grunted instead.

Raviel, who felt himself growing warm with anger, sat directly in front of the TV, leaning forward, and blocking everyone else's view. He didn't care. This was an outrage.

-----------------------------

"How is it now, Commander Crane, that she looks so pale and uneasy? Has she not been treated well?"

The new Commander was crushed and offended. "How rude! The Princess treated unjustly under MY care!? Certainly not! She just has merely been deprived of sleep. Haven't you all heard about the demise of her parents just a week ago? Let the child grieve for Heaven's sake!"

This was certainly fair enough.

-----------------------------

"Her parents…" Ryuho swallowed. "…are dead?"

"How awful!" Cammy's hands fled to her mouth.

"It has to be his doing!" Urizane concluded, holding a watermelon strongly in his hands.

Raviel said nothing as he continued to watch, and the fury grew within him.

-----------------------------

"Oh…Oh yes that is true. We have indeed heard of this terrible tragedy…" Another Mainland board member said. "Miss Kiryu, you have our deepest sympathies."

A smile curling at the end of his lips, he used his free arm to tilt the end of her chin up, her eyes still unfocused and void, as though the pupils had disappeared. Her once lovely hazelnut eyes had faded to gray, and her face had whitened beyond any signs of true illness. Only the hair that fell into her eyes kept all from being seen.

"She tells me that she is very grateful for your generosity," Crane lied, keeping his attention on the young woman. "…Very grateful indeed."

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"When I get through ripping his blackened heart out from his oil infested blood stream, I'll- - "

Urizane and Elian (as small as he might be), restrained Ryuho from taking his aggressions out on the TV.

"Get a hold of yourself, Ryuho!" Urizane shouted, hoping to bring SOME kind of sense into the man's brain. Ryuho's long green hair, fueled by the constant shaking of the stubborn Alter User's head, whipped back and forth, the darkness in his eyes intensifying.

"What has that brigand done to Mimori…!?" The Master of Zetsuei shouted to no one in particular.

Raviel was tempted to make a smart remark about the word "brigand," but he was too absorbed into the TV. Besides, Kazuma did that for him.

"Brigand? The only brigand around here is hogging the TV!" Kazuma turned to the screen.

"When I say brigand, I don't mean simply a thief of money or objects, Kazuma." Ryuho argued. "This man stole Mimori's sense of dignity! Look at her! She is not even herself!"

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Onward the conference continued, as the topic immediately turned to Crane's new Elite Members, whom the Commander introduced heartily. Then the conversation was directed to Isaac's hopes and goals for the future of HOLY.

"With the willing members of HOLY increasing and the constant funding from you good people, I don't think that it will be very long at all until the Lost Ground has reached true independence. What the Natives and Inners want here…why, it is of something in which they are not even SURE that they need! Freedom? What is freedom without choice? And are the people capable of making their own choices? I believe that they need someone strong to guide them. Someone to make them HOLY! Turn them into men instead of the run down broken humans that they have evolved into."

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"If I have to listen to that idiot babble on for just ONE more MINUTE…" Kazuma snatched the remote up from off the table. "How can anyone buy into that garbage!? Don't they know about the hostages he's taken!?"

"Asuka, Kanami, and now Mimori…" Ryuho, calm by now, was allowed to move alone by himself, so long as he could be trusted not to do anything illegal.

"We have to get them back!" Urizane proclaimed. "At all costs, we must ensure the safe return of Miss Kiryu, Kanami, and Asuka!"

"What about me?" A sudden coldness fell about the room as all eyes darted to the door where a youth clad in torn HOLY garments stood, the entry closed behind him.

"Asuka!" Cammy wailed, her eyes watering.

Without further delay, the wooden door was instantly ejected from its hinges, trampling Asuka and rendering him dazed on the floor with the heavy block on top of him. Jumping through the open doorway, armed with pistols, came Gray and Sydney, who each landed perfectly on top of the broken door and the smashed body of Asuka.

"All right you Native fiends!" Gray roared, cocking his firearm. "You're obviously in league with Crane, so before we bust you up, you had better tell us what you've done with Rav!"

"Yeah!" Sydney chimed in. "We see what you do with your other friends, like Miss Kiryu! Handing her over to that two-timing Isaac Crane!"

"…Huh…?" Was the unison.

"My friends!" Raviel jumped to his feet, arms outstretched. "You've come to save me!" Then he paused. "Eh…wait a minute…Gray…We had a pact, remember? No rescuing the weak and downtrodden? You broke that, I hope you know."

Gray shrugged. "That rule was based all on a matter of interpretation." Then, blank for a moment longer, he shook his head and stared at Raviel, eyes bulging. "Rav!? You're alive!?"

Rolling his eyes, Raviel replied, "And that was a perfect example of delayed reaction time."

"Wait, what are you doing hanging around the enemy!?" Gray asked, angrily, and lowered his gun.

"Guess it's the same reason as you," Raviel admitted, discomfited.

"So you broke the pact as well?" The oldest man shook his head and hit himself in the face with his hand. "So much for that…"

"Well, how did you find me?" The blonde thief questioned.

"We heard that Crane had the rich girl in his position and we knew that you had been with her last…"

"Excuse me!" A muffled and unhappy voice from underneath the door interrupted. "I am NOT a stepping stone, so if you would be so kind as to GET OFF OF ME, PLEASE?"

"Dear Lord, Gray, the door is talking…" Sydney breathed, backing out into the open.

"Asuka!" Cammy rushed forward, her arms reaching out, and pulled her husband out from underneath the rubble of the door.

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As the interview ended, Crane led the Kiryu woman back inside, a hand around her shoulder. The HOLY Elite followed closely behind, the man in the back looking after the younger woman.

Not even allowing Isaac to savor his incredible lie regarding Mimori, a HOLY-S member scurried up to him, and whispered softly into the older man's ear. Seconds later, Crane gave a jerk, his face reddened.

"What!? How did Tachibana escape!?"

"W-We're not sure Sir. We've been looking for him all morning, but no traces can even be found. We tried asking the Elian, too, but it seems as though something had distracted them at the time. There is no current footage of anyone going in or out of the cell."

"Then how could he disappear!?"

"We…We're looking into that as we speak."

There was not even the faintest glimpse of a dancing smile playing at the HOLY Elite member's lips. He knew that now was not the time.

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^^' Messed up huh? What's Crane gonna do now? Apparently, he doesn't have complete control over one of his Spectre…

Hope it was okay though. Please R&R (with nice thoughts please. No flames).

Kat