Sage Frontier Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of two Fakes! ❯ Some things, Money can't buy... ( Chapter 21 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own SaGa Frontier. SquareSoft does, though I made up Rita, Maria, and the enemy our heroes will face.

 

The rumbling grew louder and louder, and the shocks from the floor were becoming steadily worse as Blue, Rouge, and their friends laid on the floor, trying to avoid the plaster and tiles as they fell off of the walls and floors, but the more he tried to ignore it, the worse the ominous feeling in Blue's stomach became. He could tell Rouge was getting worried as well, as his arms shook violently were Blue held them. The only thing that proved that they weren't dreaming was the shrill laughter from Rita.

 

“Damn it, we have to retreat!” Fuse yelled over the noise, but there was nowhere they could've gone. Rita blocked the entrance into the basement, and something unidentifiable was coming from the back room. Rita stopped laughing, her face distorted with an evil, wicked expression.

 

“Oh, I don't think you'll be going anywhere, officer,” she said, pointing to the back room. Everyone turned, and Maria screamed. A very large machine had appeared, its rumbling as loud as Blue could've born. It resembled a battle tank, though not nearly as large, with a huge, metal cylinder. From that cylinder sprouted tiny cannons, which Blue knew were every bit as dangerous as the full-sized creations. Slowly, he stood up.

 

“What the hell is that thing!?” Red screamed, as Blue walked past him. They had to dispose of Rita and at least get Maria to safety.

 

“That is the Ritmo-Mark III,” Rita replied, narrowing her eyes, “The boys at Nakajima weren't keen on building it, but you'd be surprised what a little money can do. Now, are you going to be obedient little children and hand me my sister, or are you going to die noisily and soil my carpet with your blood?” She didn't even notice Blue walking toward a corner and grabbing a plastic bat, most probably Joker's from when he was a boy. Darius scoffed, and spat on the pristine carpet, causing Rita to glare at him.

 

“The only way you're getting aunt Maria is over our dead bodies!” he spat venomously. Rita's fists clenched angrily, and Rouge was sure that she'd break her bones if she clenched any tighter. Her eyes twitched, and Joker swore silently that he saw a vein throb in her temples.

 

“You little brat!” Rita yelled, her face turning a very deep shade of red, “I've raised you and your rat of a brother, fed you, and housed you when your useless parents died, and this is how you repay me!? With betrayal!?”

 

“You tortured us, you sick woman!” Darius yelled back, “You had Joker thrown in prison! You gave us spoilt food as punishment for failure, or sometimes none at all! And not just for one meal! You'd do it for days! I was raped under your care and you didn't do anything about it! You're lucky we're not murdering you for your “care!” Rita's face looked ready to explode with outrage, though for exactly what reason, Blue couldn't yet know. He had to keep focused, and he hoped Darius would distract her just a minute longer. He held the bat firmly.

 

“It's my fault you were careless in your operation!?” Rita screamed, as Maria looked at Darius, shocked with what she heard, “Your ineptitude is not my problem, Darius! To blame it on me is irresponsible!”

 

“I WAS 15!!” Darius screamed, and this time, tears fell from his eyes. His blood boiled; he wanted nothing more than to throttle that woman there and then. His mind snapped, he knew it had, but as he saw Blue, he understood that very soon, justice would be served. Blue's heart snapped when he heard the passion in Darius's voice, and he swung the bat as hard and as mightily as his strength permitted. He heard a loud crack, as the bat split in two, and then Rita's scream of agony pierced the air as she fell to the floor, her head bleeding slightly from being whacked on the head. Everyone blinked, not understanding exactly what happened until they saw Blue with the cracked bat.

 

“…Blue, what did you do!?” Rouge asked, his eyebrow raised in high confusion at what exactly just occurred, “Did you honestly just hit her with a baseball bat?!” Blue blinked, looking from Rita's unconscious form to his bat.

 

“I… I suppose I did,” Blue replied, equally as confused, “I guess she made me too angry. Sorry about the bat, Joker.” Joker chuckled from the entire scene, and then shook his head.

 

“Don't worry about it. It belongs to our cousin, Ness,” Joker replied, as Blue discarded the bat. The rumbling was still going, which he remembered as he turned and saw the machine Rita summoned. His lip thinned. It didn't appear to be able to do anything with Rita down, but they still had to do something about it.

 

“Fuse, what should we do?” Blue asked, turning to the flustered cop, who managed to just retrieve his handcuffs, “Should we destroy the machine or simply run away before Rita wakes up?” Fuse spent a minute examining his handcuffs before turning to his younger apprentice, who glanced worriedly at the machine as thought it might activate suddenly. Fuse pondered the choice he could make. He could run, but that machine might've had sensors or commands to stop them if they did.

 

“At any rate, we need to get aunt Maria out,” Joker reminded him kindly, frowning, “At least let Emelia and our aunt go. They need to be kept safe.” Emelia looked over at Joker for a split second, and when he nodded, she silently agreed to his idea. Fuse's lips thinned. He didn't like that idea, as it may put the two women in danger.

 

“Honestly, I have no idea what to do. If I send you both out, you might get into trouble if Rita has anyone else here working for her,” Fuse said sternly, crossing his arms, “Maria, you're our main concern. What do you want to do?” Maria blinked, shivering despite there being no cold in the basement when Darius turned on the furnace. She had regained a trace of color, but she still looked very weak. Joker hoped she would opt to head to the plane for safety, as well as some food.

 

“I… I don't know,” she whispered, and Rouge slapped his forehead in frustration, “I suppose we should leave, but I feel so weak. What if I collapse?” Fuse bit his lip. With her unstable condition, that was a very big risk indeed. He looked up at the steep basement steps, trying to figure out just what to do to satisfy everyone. Blue wanted to scrap the machine, Joker wanted Maria and Emelia to escape, and judging from Roufas, Rouge, and Red's wary glances at Rita's unconscious form, they wanted her cuffed and shut in a cell. Fuse finally sighed.

 

“Okay, this isn't getting us a damn farther,” Fuse finally said, “Emelia, you take Maria up to the kitchen and get her some food. Not a lot, since her body might not handle it well, but get her fed and get her some form of drink. She needs urgent care. As for us… we'll shut down that machine and arrest Rita all the same.” Emelia nodded, and carefully taking Maria's hand, led her back up into the kitchen. As she switched on the kitchen light up top, light spilled from the room onto the stairs, casting even greater light around the area.

 

“So what do we do first?” Rouge asked, “Do we cuff Rita or scrap the machine?” Fuse's lips thinned again. That was another rough decision. If they touched Rita, that might set an alarm, but if they dismantled the machine, Rita might wake up.

 

“All right, here's how this will work,” Fuse said, a sly grin forming, “Blue, you, Rouge, and Red will work on taking apart that menace of metal. Roufas and I will work on arresting Rita.” Blue nodded, but Joker raised a confused eyebrow, glancing around the room.

 

“What about us?” he finally inquired when Fuse said nothing further. Fuse looked over at Joker.

 

“Hmmm… Well, I know it's not much, but you two should investigate the other rooms. Make sure Rita doesn't have any other guests we need to rescue,” Fuse ordered. Joker nodded, and with Darius, ran into the back hall, thrusting open every door they found. Finally, Fuse turned back to Rita's nearly lifeless form, brandishing his handcuffs. He slapped one on Rita's left hand, brought her arm up so it was behind her back, and with Roufas's help, handcuffed her right hand.

 

“Think that's enough of a bond?” Roufas asked, adjusting his sunglasses, “She's pretty powerful for an older woman. I hope she doesn't escape.”

 

“She won't. These are titanium. Nothing breaks through them,” Fuse said, though inwardly, he also hoped she didn't somehow escape. Carefully, he hoisted the unconscious woman onto her feet, her head drooping as though she were sleeping. He turned to Blue and asked, “How's the dismantle going?” A grunt from Red told him it probably wasn't going very well. Blue turned, his face a bit pale.

 

“Nothing seems to break it open, sir,” Blue replied, “It's deflecting every spell Rouge and I put into it.” Fuse raised a worried brow at that remark, wondering just what materials Rita used for it. Suddenly, the machine jerked, causing Red to scream and Rouge to jump back. Blue blinked, and then looked at Rouge questioningly.

 

“Bro, I think we have a problem,” Rouge commented, pointing to the machine. It rumbled again, and this time, its eyes lit up. Blue's teeth clenched. It was activated somehow, and he heard a slow laughter behind him. Fuse and Roufas looked down and saw Rita was up, and the laughter was indeed coming from her. Red grabbed the discarded bat, but a quick suggestion from Alkaiser told him the bat wouldn't do any good. He threw it reluctantly into the corner.

 

“Oh, it's not just a problem,” Rita said darkly, her mouth twisting into the familiar cruel smile Blue had associated her with, “It's the path to your death! Ritmo-Mark III, ATTACK!” Rita's scream was all the machine needed as the cylinder at the top revolved and transformed into a large turret, with what Blue counted to be over fifty openings for bullets to come out of. Pushing Rita away, Fuse ran to join Rouge, Red, and Blue in the battle as Roufas kept a tight grip on Rita so she didn't try to run. She laughed as the turrets began releasing blankets of bullets across the room. Rouge fried half of the blanketing wave as Blue took out the other half, and Fuse set his laser to try and paralyze the machine. Red drew his laser sword and attempted to stab the machine, in the hopes that sparks would fly, but the machine's body deflected the blow perfectly. Red cursed.

 

“Damn it, it keeps reflecting our attacks!” Red exclaimed in frustration, “How can we get past its defenses!?” Fuse narrowed his eyes as he let loose a huge web of electricity from his laser, illuminating the walls further and igniting under the machine.

 

“We have to keep trying! We'll wear it down eventually!” Fuse yelled encouragingly, and then screamed as a vulcan was released right on him, “OW! Shit!” He staggered backwards from the blow, and both Rouge and Blue turned to him, terrified he'd been killed.

 

“CAPTAIN!” they both yelled, and then Rouge turned to the machine and growled, “That's it, you useless piece of scrap metal! I've had it with you! Energy chain!” Rouge focused all of his power into that spell and shot it straight at the turret cylinder. It hit dead on, and exploded, taking the vulcan out entirely. Red cheered, until the dust cleared to reveal that under that turret was a laser beam. Rita laughed again.

 

“You honestly think one spell took out an entire turret!?” she laughed, shaking her head, “Think again, sweeties.” Blue snorted with amusement. They hadn't destroyed the machine, but at least they knew one of its weak points. Charging up his own power, Blue unleashed Vapor Blast, skewering another part of the turret, taking out thirty bullet holes. The machine alarm sounded, and Rouge grinned.

 

“Nice shot, bro!” he cheered, “Think we're going to scrap it soon?”

 

“I don't know, but its turret is the weak point,” Blue replied, “Just keep… ACK!” Rouge blinked, and saw Blue hoisted up into the air by a giant, metallic hand. He raised a confused brow, wondering if Blue's spell somehow backfired, but when he looked back at the machine, he saw one of the arms were indeed missing. It was a new attack, thanks to the fact that the turret had been decimated.

 

“So much for that plan,” Rouge mumbled, and then called, “Hold on, Blue! I'll get you down from there!” He released another Energy Chain, but instead of shocking the hand, it got Blue instead, who yelped in pain and glared down at his brother angrily.

 

“Watch what you're doing, Rouge!” he scolded, eye twitching from the fact that he could barely move, “You nearly killed me!” Rouge's face flushed from embarrassment as Red let out a roar of laughter.

 

“Sorry, bro. I thought I hit it,” Rouge replied calmly. Blue rolled his eyes, but a laugh from Rita drew both their attentions.

 

“You did hit it, but my creation automatically redirects all spells aimed at its hand to its victim,” Rita replied, and grinned maliciously, “I do hope you don't hurt your brother too much. It's a pity when we murder our own family.” Rouge's eyes narrowed angrily. He had to get Blue out of that hand, but he didn't know what to do. Any special techniques would just hurt Blue, and though they didn't always get along, Rouge never wanted to hurt Blue again. He swore he wouldn't after their duel.

 

“Rouge, don't worry about me!” Blue called down, “Just bust this machine.”

 

“But what if I kill you? You heard what Rita said, didn't you!?” Rouge yelled back, “Blue, I can't! I made a promise to never nearly kill you again! I can't break it!”

 

“But you have to do something!” Blue called back, “You… eh!?” Suddenly, the hand dropped him and he crashed right into Rouge, both of them falling ungracefully to the ground. When they both stood up, they looked around, but the hand had vanished. Rouge looked over at Rita, who looked absolutely disgusted with them.

 

“Why'd it let him go?” he asked, and silently, Blue wondered the same thing himself. A drop of sweat rolled down Rita's head.

 

“Because all of that talk of loyalty and promises makes me want to retch,” Rita replied flatly, “Besides, I have different ways of killing you. Ritmo-Mark III, attack formation omega!” Rumbling began again, and both brothers turned to face the machine. Fuse blinked as he silently waited for something to happen, but minutes passed. Red looked apprehensive, and then turned to Rita.

 

“What the hell is attack formation omega?” Red asked, raising a confused eyebrow, “Because if it's to do nothing, it's working perfectly.” Rita smirked, and then a low, deep sound, like that of a large horn went off as green steam burst from behind the machine. Blue blinked, and then coughed. Something smelled horrible, and Rouge could only describe it as smelling of rotten eggs, onions, and dog poop. Everyone in the room, save for Rita, began coughing and sputtering.

 

“You have GOT to be kidding me!” Rouge yelled, “That's your last attack!? To make your stupid robot fart!?” Blue almost snickered at the realization that they definitely seemed to have won the battle, but the foul smell kept him from wanting to unplug his nose or open his mouth. He could hear Darius and Joker ask what such a foul stench was. Rita laughed.

 

“At least I'm not the one breathing it in,” she replied smugly. Rouge rolled his eyes. He'd gone through worse from a triceratops, a hellhound, and undead hordes. This was just pathetic to him. He glanced at Blue, who nodded. Both had an idea to defeat the robot.

 

“Well, then there's only one thing to do,” Rouge said evilly, as he grinned, “Thank the Goddess that Master Udon taught us chemistry back in the Magic Kingdom. Blue, now!”

 

“FLASHFIRE!” Blue yelled, and immediately, a whirl of flames surrounded the machine, igniting as soon as it came into contact with the green gas. Explosion upon explosion encased the poor machine, and soon, absolutely nothing was left in its place as the fire died down. Scrap metal fell everywhere, and Red had to practically dance around to avoid being hit as Fuse took shelter with Roufas under a table. Blue and Rouge were the only ones unaffected, even as a large pipe hit Rouge right on the head. Rita stared, eye twitching in disbelief as she saw her master creation destroyed by its own attack.

 

“WHAT!?” she screamed, as Darius and Joker ran in to see all of the destruction, “No. NO! You destroyed it! You destroyed my beautiful machine! Oh, how could this have happened!? No, it's not true! This is a terrible dream! NO!” Fuse inched out of the table and grabbed hold of Rita's arms as she struggled to escape the handcuffs. With a bit of effort, he restrained her.

 

“Rita, you're under arrest for not only the above charges mentioned, but for assaulting three police officers, five witnesses, and one innocent,” Fuse told her, dragging her up the stairs as she screamed, “Now shut up or I might just shoot you.” Blue shook his head, wondering just how Fuse would manage to pull that off. Just then, his phone went off, and sighing, he took the call as Rouge looked at him with concern.

 

“Hello? Doll? What's up?” Blue asked, and Rouge tilted his head, wondering why Doll would be calling again, “What!? That's great! IRPO is safe! Yeah, we have her. I think Fuse is bringing her into the plane. Yes, she's…” Blue stopped as Fuse screamed and was thrown back down the stairs, and he heard Emelia and Maria screaming as well. He felt a large source of dangerous energy, and quickly he said, “Doll, I'll call you back!” and hung up the phone. Rouge ran over to help Fuse.

 

“You all right, boss!?” Rouge asked, brushing dust off of Fuse, who appeared to be generally unharmed. Fuse stood up, shaking violently as he clicked his blaster.

 

“That woman's got more tricks up her sleeves. The whole house is a huge trap! We have to escape!” Fuse yelled, “Everyone, out!”

 

“But what about Rita!?” Darius asked, as Roufas and Red scrambled to throw open the basement trapdoor as they saw Emelia and Maria run from the house. Fuse shook his head, sweat beating down his face.

 

“Forget her, soldier,” Fuse said sternly, “We can't risk our lives on this one. We need back-up.” Blue glanced at Rouge, and both twins nodded as Rouge made for the stairs.

 

“We'll take care of this!” Blue shouted, running up after his brother. Fuse blinked as Joker ran past, obviously feeling escape was the best choice.

 

“What!? No! Blue! Rouge! Get back here!” Fuse yelled, but to no avail. Neither magician listened as they stormed up, even when Fuse threatened to fire them for disobeying him. As the two reached the kitchen, a large laser barely missed singing them, and Rouge nearly fell down the stairs jumping back. When it was safe, they dashed through the kitchen toward the large foyer, where the grand staircase stood.

 

“Okay, what's the plan, bro?” Rouge asked as they flew around the corner and up the stairs as laughter was being heard. It was loud, as though someone was laughing through a large megaphone, right in their ears. Blue's eyes narrowed.

 

“Normal restraints aren't cutting it, Rouge,” Blue told him quickly, “We can't kill her, but without magic, she'll slaughter us. That leaves us with one alternative.” Rouge blinked, and then gasped. He didn't like where Blue's idea was going.

 

“No! Blue, you can't be serious!” Rouge exclaimed in exasperation, “We can't morph into Aubergine! It's too dangerous! What if we kill ourselves!?”

 

“Rouge, we have no choice,” Blue stated grimly, as they stomped up the second landing, “If we don't risk our lives, the lasers will kill us. Aubergine's the only one who can survive if she attacks. All we need is to knock her out.” Rouge bit his lip as they continued to climb higher and higher, finally going well past five floors. The stairs finally ended in an attic, and the laughter continued on even louder than it was. Blue guessed Rita was on the roof. Rouge seemed to notice that, too.

 

“Why is it that these people just love fighting on the rooftop?” Rouge asked, as they sprinted down the dark, narrow corridor that ended in a slightly open door, “Is there something about falling off that attracts them to it?” Blue laughed as the door slowly came closer and closer, until his hand finally fell onto the knob. He hesitated.

 

“Rouge, should we morph here, before we fight?” he asked seriously. Rouge stopped, and looked down. He didn't want to morph at all, but he knew there was no other way. Rita was too dangerous, her robot simply a decoy to weaken them. He nodded, sighing with disapproval.

 

“We might as well, bro,” Rouge replied. Both brothers closed their eyes, letting their power build and build, and finally, a warm sensation took over them both as they unleashed their energy. When they opened their eyes, they were one person. His robes billowed in magnificent hues of purple, and his wings, one of an angel and one of a demon, flapped majestically as he threw open the door, striding onto the roof. Anita was there, but she stopped laughing the instant she saw Aubergine. She didn't recognize him.

 

“…I'm sorry, but who are you?” she asked, letting her echoing laughter die down, “Are you a contractor? I can explain the police outside. Just an accident, sir.” Aubergine smirked, and Rouge's laugh issued from him, though it was Blue's voice that spoke.

 

“We know why the police are here,” Aubergine said, “The question is, have you any idea who we are?” Rita raised a skeptical brow. She had no idea what this man seemed to be getting at, and she squinted her eyes as she took a better look at him. He did look vaguely familiar. Finally, she gasped. The man resembled both Blue and Rouge.

 

“Ah, you must be those boys' father,” Rita said, frowning, “Like I said, it was a misunderstanding. No need to do anything hasty.” Aubergine sighed, shaking his head.

 

“We ARE those boys. We have become one with the blessing of the Goddess,” Aubergine said, tilting his head, “A pity for you. Rouge was quite sure you'd recognize us.” Rita's eye twitched again, unable to understand just what this man was trying to say. Somehow, the two brothers became one person, but how could that be possible?

 

“So, you think your little fusion can stop me?” Rita asked, “You think you're going to kill me?”

 

“Not kill. You're not worth our energy to smite you,” Aubergine replied, “However, to stop is another answer. You have caused too much damage in this world. You must be silenced.” Inside of Aubergine's mind, Rouge glanced at Blue, who nodded. He had no true plan, but if they stalled for another minute, they wouldn't need to fight. Rita laughed.

 

“You sound to be like an angel of death,” she commented, amused, “Tell me, officer, how do you plan to silence me?” Aubergine hesitated, and Rouge knew Blue's plan had reached a limit. Blue's mind scrambled to think of something, but nothing appeared short of killing her. Rouge, however, thought of their magic. They had two that would help them, even if it might damage Rita. Psychic Prison would encase her in a bubble, but it would break soon enough. Energy Chain could paralyze her, but with their combined power, it would surely kill her. But, if they were the master of magic, surely they could change that. He suggested the idea to Blue very quickly.

 

`You think… we could control what the chain does?' Blue asked in their combined mind. Rouge, appearing as a spiritual hologram behind Aubergine, nodded to Blue, who also appeared as an apparition.

 

`It's worth a try,' Rouge reasoned, `If we don't do it, she'll break the Psychic Prison, and if we don't try something, she'll escape.' Blue had to agree. Rouge's idea was definitely worth a shot. Aubergine smiled as the two apparitions disappeared, and the two brother's voices became one.

 

“Binding you seems best,” Aubergine replied, “Energy Chain!” A large chain of lightning shot down from the sky, its neon green aura lighting the entire area in a soft glow. Using his hands to create complex symbols, Aubergine crafted the chain to soften itself and to wrap around Rita, but the woman jumped away, and the lightning crashed into the railing behind her. Aubergine growled.

 

“Ha! I'm not daft enough to let the likes of you `silence' me, boys,” she said, landing ten feet from her previous spot, “You'll have to do better than that to stop this wily fox!” With that, she dashed past Aubergine and ran down the corridor. Aubergine cursed angrily.

 

`Damn it! How did she get away!?' Rouge spat angrily, as Aubergine ran down the corridor after the woman. Blue's face took on an expression of determination. Rouge's idea hadn't worked, and though he didn't think it smart to try it again, as many things could ignite inside of the house, he did have a new plan. If they cornered her, they could bind her if he tapped into the Stasis rune.

 

`Just keep going. I have a plan,' Blue told him, as they continued down. Rouge glanced at Blue, and then shook his head as Aubergine flew down the stairs. Rita was already two floors down below, and making her way toward her room. They had to stop her.

 

`NOW you finally have one? Blue, I think it's a bit late for that,' Rouge stated. Blue ignored him, and once again, they let their minds meld back to Aubergine, who just reached the floor Anita fled to. He ran down the long hall, flying into the one door that was open. Rita was just stepping through the balcony to the outside. She looked up and grinned as she saw Aubergine there.

 

“Ah, so you decided to follow me after all,” she replied, and then chuckled, “No Energy Chain here, boys. You don't want to ignite my house, do you?” She laughed again, expecting Aubergine to back away in defeat, but when he remained, cold as ever, she ceased her laughter and glared as she asked, “What are you planning!?”

 

“You must not know that we're the master of magic if we fuse together,” Aubergine said, almost amused at the reaction he received, “What Blue has planned is a bit more complicated.” Rita's eye twitched, as Aubergine waved his arm in a half-circle, a small crescent of a moon appearing as his arm weaved. Rita went to run, to jump off the balcony and leave the house, but as she reached the banister, she found she couldn't even move. She tried again, but her arms and legs were frozen.

 

“WHAT TRICKERY IS THIS!?” she screamed. But the more she struggled, the more frozen she became as the rune in question began to work. She opened her mouth to scream one last insult, but the rune was completed. She froze over. Inwardly, Rouge cheered as he saw the stasis woman standing there.

 

`Nice plan, Blue!' he commented, high-fiving his brother, `Now what?' Aubergine walked over, lifting the static woman with no effort, his wings beating as he rose in the air.

 

`Now we head back to headquarters and lock her up,' Blue told him, `Actually, we should probably see if Fuse is still around. If he's smart, he's starting the plane as we speak.' Rouge nodded, and with a push from both Aubergine's angelic and demonic wings, the master was in the air, carrying the frozen woman. They soared out over the balcony and across the large parking lot for the bar. The plane was in view, and Aubergine saw everyone climbing in it. He dove a bit, slowing down, but then, the plane lifted off. Furious, Rouge cursed, but Blue calmed him as Aubergine continued to soar, hoping to catch the plane before too much distance was between them.

 

“Wait! Wait for us! We're… we're alive!”

 

-----------------------------(End Chapter)

 

And so, finally Rita is brought to IRPO custody, thanks to the master of magic, Aubergine! But, will the Stasis rune hold out, and how was it that Aubergine actually bent the nature of the spell to his will? Will anyone on the plane recognize our heroes when they're morphed together? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!