Eternal Night

[Deleted]

Eternal Night
Book 1: Awakening

A screen turns on.

Username: Reno Leonheart
Password: ****

Loading…

Search for: Subject 38461… Password: ****

…
…
…

Subject 38461
Code Name: The Gun
Gender: Male
Blood type: Inconclusive
Race: Inconclusive
Estimation of age: Subject’s DNA profile has a 50% match to DNA profiles of species from eons ago. Subject’s age of life is approx. 23 years out of approx. 167 years to live.
Anomalies: Subject seems to have the ability to manipulate; fire, water, electricity, can shift earth, cause great gusts of wind, cause ice to appear out of nothing and can cause flash blizzards, manipulate light and darkness into destructive forces, and anomalies we can’t even read with scans.

Subject also has a fox’s tail and ears with no human ears. Blood tests show that there is no trace of fox DNA in its blood.
Subject’s blood contains DNA of Human blood and two unknown DNA sources.
Subject can go weeks at a time without food or sleep and function normally as well as go minutes without air and suffer no brain damage.
Subject has the ability to see in total darkness.
Subject has a high rate of cellular regeneration. We estimate its age with normal cellular regeneration to have been near 1000 years.

Discovery: Subject was found 20 years ago in the Badlands south of the city. Subject was erratic and resisted capture…

Find: Location

Searching…

Location: Silent Screams Industries central HQ. Subject is under heavy observation and life support due to extreme damage caused by its last attempt at escaping. Subject has no visible evidence of damage but scans show that internal organs were systematically shutting down, starting with the least important organs. Organs have been restored and Subject is now fully operational.

The reflection of a girl appeared in the monitor. She had shoulder length dark red hair, and the greenest eyes one had ever saw. She wore a black one piece-sneaking suit, with a red 9mm handgun holstered on a belt around her waist. She turned away from the screen and peered into the dimly lit room. The rows of computers that were useless to her went far in either direction. Nobody was special in Silent Screams, unless you were a subject.
Silent Screams Industries, the largest company in the remaining world we have left. It owned everything; the streets, the buildings, even the government. That way they can do what ever they wanted without having to worry about anyone getting in their way. If a civilian spoke out and fought back, they would be either shot dead in their homes with their families, or suddenly disappear never to be seen again. But in this world, everybody welcomes death with open arms, because no one wants to be a subject.
No one really knows about the great disaster. Not many remember it anymore. Written language was long forgotten after everything collapsed and was rediscovered around the time SSI was founded a hundred years ago.
The girl suddenly jumped as someone spoke to her through the earpiece in her ear. ‘Hey Lynda wake up. You only have a few minutes left till the guards come back.’
She looked up at the ceiling, ‘I told you to call me Lyn’ she whispered. When the voice laughed at her she scowled. ‘Sorry Lyn I promise I will from now on’
Lyn smirked and sneaked through the shadows heading for the elevator. She paused as she sensed something move within the darkness around her. Her hand strayed to the red gun at her belt and unclipped it slowly when the voice yelled in her ear, ‘Lyn! A Wrath! Behind you!’
She turned just as a thin metallic hand reached out from the darkness to grab her. With a quick movement she grabbed the arm and drew her gun. She pointed it into the darkness until she heard the clink of metal and fired.

Suddenly the dark wasn't so dark anymore.

‘Guards are up you better get out’ the voice called.
Lyn quickly dropped the arm and dashed off, not bothering to check if the wrath had really shut down. She kicked open the stairs door and jumped each flight of stairs down. She ripped open the exit door and stepped out. As she did a bright light turned off in her face and a man's voice boomed out from a megaphone. ‘Freeze!’
Lyn stopped and sighed. ‘Damn you guys are fast!’ She yelled, drawing her gun again and shooting out the light. ‘But so am I!’
When the cops managed to get another light on, Lyn had disappeared, already a few blocks away. She slowed her run to a walk and looked over her shoulder for any pursuers. When she felt it was safe Lyn opened a small panel on her forearm and pressed a button and a black motorbike melted into existence next to her. She sighed and climbed onto it. Looking into the sky she whispered ‘Finally... we have the information to rescue him’

Chapter1: The Rescue

SSI didn’t always control Deep City. Nor was its name Deep City, but no one remembers what its name really was or what it was like, except SSI. Now it’s just a series of slums after slums after slums. The rich live in the half plate above the rest of the city. Why don’t people just leave? That’s because no one has ever left this place alive. That’s why the Resistance was created.
The Resistance, a rebel group created by a man named Jack Leonheart twenty years ago. Its purpose was to win back Deep city from SSI. Unfortunately, what Jack had learned was that SSI was much more than just a company. It had it’s own military of robots that came at an endless supply, genetic mutations of strange powers and great strength, and the worst of them all; Mech, giant towering weapons of mass destruction. Jack realized that his attempts were futile with what little he had, but that all changed when he arrived.

Lyn crossed over a highway bridge looking over the East district. After every mission she would wind her bike up so that it would make such a noise that it would wake the whole half plate. Lyn hated rich people.
She took an off ramp into the district. Smiling to herself as a cop car zoomed by her unknowingly that they just drove by the person they’re looking for. She stopped at a bar called ‘The Blood Bath’. It was called this because the owner liked to make bar fights amongst his customers for the fun of fighting.
Lyn walked in and spotted an old man at the bar. Waving she walked over, ‘Morning Tom, where’s Fol?’
Tom had once been an owner of his own Bike shop. But because SSI had found the Resistance’s base hidden under the shop, they destroyed it. Now the old man with white curly hair is the barkeep at The Blood Bath. He looked at Lyn and smiled, ‘Lyn! Good to see ya, shall I get some breakfast ready for you? Last time I seen mister Fol would be going down the elevator and hour ago.’
She shook her head at his offer, ‘I need to see the boss about the job’. Lyn waved again before walking along the bar and into the back room.
An elevator door opened and a tall, muscular, battle scarred man walked out. He had one blue eye; the other was lost in a battle long ago and was now covered by an eye patch, hidden beneath his dark shaggy hair. He wore no shirt and baggy cargo pants.
He stopped in front of Lyn and towered over her, giving off a small snarl, showing his jagged broken teeth as he looked down at Lyn full of wraith, which surprised her to some degree.
‘What’s the matter Fol?’ She asked sounding concerned.
His expression and stance softened and he passed by her, ‘Go ask Jack’ he muttered.
Lyn watched him turn the corner before walking into the elevator. She pressed B4 and closed her eyes. ‘Ask Jack what?’ She whispered.

When the doors reopened a scientist with short blond hair walked in. He wore a white lab coat with a brown shirt and jeans. He looked at Lyn with a look of shock on his face. ‘Uh, Lyn… your back so soon?’
Lyn took a step out of the elevator and pressed all the buttons on her way out. ‘Yes Klein I am.’ She replied and continued to walk, taking a side-glance at Klein as he stepped beside her.
‘Jack says the mission is a bust,’ he muttered. When she stopped, Klein figured he was going to be yelled at again, when she started laughing.
‘Didn’t he read the message? He’s in the central tower we can get a rescue mission.’ Lyn sneered. ‘I suppose a low level scientist like you wouldn’t know,’ she laughed again.
‘Back when he was around I was the first man he came to for help.’ Klein said angrily.
Lyn’s faced softened and she smiled at her friend. ‘I know Klein I’m only teasing. I’m thankful for your customizations to my equipment.’ She drew the gun at her waist.
The gun looked like any other handgun. Except for the dark tint of red and the design of a bright red rose on either side of the barrel and handle. On the back of the handle was the engraving of the word ‘Rose’. Lyn pulled out the clip and looked at the white bullet shaped orbs. It was these orbs that were the real beauty of the gun. They were magically enchanted to regenerate after every shot. Which gives one the ability to never run out of bullets by what Klein says.
‘I mean, who knew that magic really existed and could create a gun that never runs out of bullets’
Klein shuffled and half hid his face in embarrassment. ‘It took a lot of reading and guesswork. I can repair them anytime now. Just don’t break them because it took me forever to disable that damn trap on it, and I still don’t know how to build one.’ He looked down, and then a thought occurred to him. ‘Speaking of repairing guns, come by my lab after the meeting.’ He said and ran back to the elevator.
Lyn watched him go and shook her head. ‘Poor Klein always forgetting things.’ She said, looking back at the gun before holstering it at her side.
Opening a set of large double doors, which led into a small meeting room. The room it self was drab and colorless, just like the 10-man council. Jack was a muscular man but small. His hair was the same color of red as Lyn’s but cut short. Jack wore a gray shirt with an urban cameo vest and urban cameo army pants.
‘Lyn I’m in the middle of a meeting’ Jack spoke.
Lyn simply shrugged, ‘I figured I would come to you and your band of old sausages and get a congratulations in person.’ She glanced around at the other men. They were just as drab and boring looking as the walls surrounding them.
‘Congratulations for what? A mission that doesn’t get us anywhere?’ Jack barked. This was retaliated by a cold glare by Lyn.
‘What do you mean doesn’t get us anywhere?!’ She yelled. ‘It gets us a lot closer than we were before’
‘All for what?’ Jack stood up and slammed his hands on the table. ‘An assault on SSI HQ would be utter suicide. Even for you Lyn’
Lyn shrugged again and walked away. ‘Fine I’ll go rescue him on my own’ She said with a wave.
‘Lyn you are confined to base until further notice!’ Jack ordered with a snarl.

Lyn ignored Jack and returned to the elevator, taking it to B1. As the elevator stopped a voice spoke on the intercom. ‘If any guards spot captain Lyn, please confine her to her room’
She smirked and stepped out into Klein’s lab. Along each wall were computers, scanning equipment, and a small armory. A door next to Lyn led to the firing range. Walking over to a small table, Lyn picked up a small SMG. She toyed around with it and fired a few shots into the wall. ‘KLEIN I’M HERE!’ She yelled.
Ripping open the door, Klein stuck his head out. ‘HEY! Don’t fire weapons off in my lab!’ He yelled angrily.
Lyn put the gun down and put on an expression of innocence ‘But I didn’t hit anything’ She said.
Klein sighed and quickly tossed her a black-tinted gun. It was similar to Rose but the designs along the barrel were of thorns that wound into a wilted rose on the handle. On the back was the name ‘Reno’
‘Reno huh? That’s the same name I put in the computer at SSI’ Lyn scratched the side of her head. ‘Wonder who he is?’
‘His father’ Klein said and disappeared behind the door again.
‘Father? But I thought he had no living family?’ Lyn followed Klein to the firing range.
‘He doesn’t, well to the point of saying he doesn’t’ Klein replied.
Lyn looked back at the gun and held it in front of her. ‘The sights are the same’ She took a shot that hit the bull’s-eye. ‘Same accuracy’ She fired several quick shots which formed a circle around the first. ‘Same speed and ammo capacity.’
‘You really shouldn’t worry about ammo capacity with an unlimited bullet handgun. By the way it’s made for the left hand.’
Lyn looked at the gun. The switch to change from Anti-Personnel rounds to Anti-Armor rounds was on the wrong side for her hand. She switched hands and placed it in the empty holster at her belt. For some reason the guns didn’t need a safety.
‘Klein, we’re rescuing him tonight!’ She said suddenly.
Klein was taken back at first but nodded in agreement. ‘We’ll need a plan first. And an extra man just incase’

A few hours later Lyn and Fol stood outside a large culvert that led into SSI Central Tower.
Fol now had a black bulletproof jacket with a shotgun strapped to his back with the words ‘For use of emergency’ painted on the side of it, and throwing knifes lining the center of it in front. On his belt was a small pouch of various tools to break into a building with, and another small belt of throwing knifes. Sheathed in his boots were two long, curved knives with inverted blades

Lyn was wearing long, black, shorts with a matching short-sleeved shirt and survival vest. She looked at the culverts and spoke ‘Klein are you sure of this?’
Klein spoke through the earpiece into both of their ears. ‘Of course I am! Do you really think I’d pick the most dangerous way to get in? When you follow this culvert to the very first ladder you see then you’ll come upon the underground parking lot. Head for the elevator afterwards and it will take you as far the 3rd floor where visitors are allowed. There you’ll have to take a security elevator with the code I’ve provided and it will take you up to floor 63 where he is being held. Once you make it to his room you’ll have to turn off the life support systems and wake him up. Oh by the way he may try to fight you.’

Lyn nodded to Fol and jumped into the culvert with him. No water had flown from the culvert in years but the air was still damp and the walls were covered with a yellow colored slime. Lyn looked back at the small spot of light that was continuing to get smaller. ‘How much further is the ladder Klein?’ She murmured; something didn’t feel right about this.

‘It couldn’t be much now’ Was his reply. ‘Why what's the matter’
Lyn was about to speak when the feeling left. ‘Never mind’ She started on the ladder. When she had reached the top she pushed on the cover.

The garage was silent. A security guard slept in his booth as a manhole opened up nearby and Lyn peeked out from under it. She glanced around before sliding it sideways and pulling herself out
Fol climbed out after her and replaced the cover. He looked over at the booth and saw the sleeping guard.
While Lyn looked around for an elevator she heard a small grunt of pain and Fol returning with a bloody knife. ‘Were here to save someone, not kill them all!’ Lyn hissed.

They found the elevator easily enough and finding it empty, they took it to the 3rd floor. The outside public was allowed to go this far in the building. Lyn and Fol stepped out of the elevator into a silent hallway much like a hospital ward. They took no more than two steps when an office worker stopped them. ‘Do you work here?’
Lyn made a quick excuse and smiled politely. ‘Why yes we do! We’re here to deliver subject 38461 to the West wing for testing.’
The man eyed her suspiciously. ‘Oh really, well I am head of subject transfers and I haven’t heard of any transfer requests. And where are your visitor badges?’
Lyn’s mind began racing. If she didn’t get rid of this guy, Fol would surely kill him for asking to many questions. ‘Well you see the request was delayed and umm… we were sent…’
Her fist shot out like lightning punching the man out with one quick jab to his chin. She then looked to Fol who looked at her with annoyance. ‘What? I didn’t kill him.’
After stashing him back into the elevator (and making sure the man was really alive), they both silently walked down the hall meeting no one else. They came across another elevator with a number pad.
Lyn pressed in the code Klein had given her and the elevator was called to their floor. ‘Klein will this elevator take us there?’
‘Yes it will work. Though I am surprised that old code still works’

The doors suddenly opened and there was a bored looking scientist standing in the elevator ‘Going up?’ He asked.
Lyn was dumbstruck for a moment before suddenly realizing what happened ‘Uhh err… Yes please’. They both stepped on board and stood behind the man.
‘Which floor?’ He asked.
‘Oh…ahh err the 63rd,’ Lyn mumbled.

They stood in silence and Lyn took a better look at the man. His hair was blond and cut short, with bangs over his eyes. Lyn looked at his reflection in the elevator door, He had blue eyes and pale skin. He was no taller than Lyn about 5’9’ and rather thin.
He noticed her looking at him and smiled ‘So what do you do?’
Lyn figured he wasn’t high up so she went with the same excuse ‘We’re from the West wing, here to transfer a subject to the West wing.’
He nodded and looked half interested ‘Transfer huh? Can I ask who it is?’
Lyn heard Fol’s knuckles crack behind her ‘Uh 38461’
The man looked surprised ‘The Gun? Do you think they should have just you two transfer him, what if he wakes up?’
‘Then I’ll just have to subdue him, he’s only one small guy’ Lyn said.
He shrugged ‘I suppose, my name is Evan’
‘I’m Lynda, with a ‘y’’
The elevator stopped and it’s doors opened. Evan stepped out and gave them a peace sign “Peace and later and all that”
The doors closed and Lyn chuckled at him “Yea Peace and Later”. She looked at Fol who looked at her sternly which caused her to step back ‘What we didn’t have to knock him out this time’

The elevator stopped again at the 63rd floor and the doors opened into a dimmer hallway. Lyn stepped out quietly and looked down each way. ‘Which way Klein?’
‘Head left and he’s the 3rd door on your left’
The two walked in silence again. Lyn peered into each room was they went by. One room was empty and the other had a dead body lying on a table, Lyn had to double check to see if the arm hadn’t twitched as she passed. They stood outside the third door and waited a moment.
Fol looked at Lyn and shook his head; there wasn’t any sound of footsteps. Lyn opened the door slowly with a small creek and quickly closed it behind her. She turned on the lights and gasped in awe at what she saw.
Inside of a large white cylindrical chamber, with large hoses being fed to it from somewhere else; was a sleeping man with long dark red hair. On his face was a mask for oxygen for he was suspended in some kind of fluid. Lyn went to the controls turning off the hibernation sequence and drained the fluid from the chamber. She opened the chamber and undid the mask when he started to wake.

It was cold; I could feel someone wrap something around me. I heard a woman’s voice, it was gentle but demanding, ‘Hey are you alright?’ she asked.
I couldn’t speak. I wanted to but the words would not come. I opened my eyes slowly and looked at a red haired girl standing over me. Suddenly I managed to gasp out, ‘Who are you?’
She shook her head at me and gave me some clothes ‘There isn’t any time for introductions, we have to get out of here’
Suddenly I fully became aware of everything. I was in a Silent Screams ward, I had passed out after a battle. I now noticed a muscular man behind her, he was not a warden but a soldier and she was not a nurse, and she looked so familiar. I slowly pulled on the jeans and gray shirt and I noticed something missing ‘What no weapons’
She looked at me and then passed me a gun. It was my own gun, black tinted with thorns and a wilted black rose; ‘Lefty’ I called it sometimes. I looked up at her when she had turned her back. How could she have held my gun? It has a trigger release trap that goes off whenever someone holds it other than myself.
She looked back at me and spoke ‘Come on we’re going, we can’t waste anymore time’
‘Who are you?’ I asked again.
The girls face flashed with frustration and she spoke harshly ‘There’s no time for that were going now!’
They led me through a quiet hallway and down two elevators. I guessed it was late at night; there was not as much security, the human guards usually sleep. We stepped out into a garage. I waited until the man was between the girl and me; wait is he Folgir? I quickly tripped up the girl grabbing her around the neck placing the gun to her back. ‘So ready to tell me who are you now?’
The man took a step towards me but the girl stopped him. ‘My name is Lyn, I’m a soldier for the Resistance here to rescue you. That is Folgir’

I smiled and winked at Folgir ‘Your first mistake was trusting your target, the second mistake was giving your target a weapon, and your third was doing this all on your own’ I let go of her.
She turned to me and sighed, ‘Fine give me the gun back then!’ She said holding out her hand
I smirked and put it back in my pants. ‘No, your fault for giving me a weapon’
She raised her hands in frustration ‘Fine then, at least tell me YOUR name’.
I shrugged ‘You should already know that my name is Crono Leonheart’

Lyn scowled at Crono. He was beginning to tick her off. ‘Listen, we could just as easily put you back into hibernation and I think that’s a good idea’
She lunged at him and he easily side stepped tripping her in the process. Lyn stumbled up right and threw a hard punch at him, which was caught in one hand. Crono smirked and flipped her onto her back and held the gun to her chest. ‘Folgir help me’ She cried.
Folgir showed his sharp broken teeth as he smiled. ‘Naw I’ rather fight a hun’dred robots than tangle with Crono again’
Crono smiled and released Lyn ‘Why thank you Fol, I am glad to see you are well, friend’
He nodded back ‘Aye and tis grand to see you awake Crono’ they shook hands and nodded to each other.
Lyn was fuming ‘Hey! We can’t just stand around being buddies in the garage’
Crono nodded ‘Your right we should not linger here any more than we have to’
Lyn turned to the manhole and was about to take a step when a burst of electricity erupted as two Androids stood facing them. They both were covered in a shiny suit of cyber armor with helmets that covered their entire face. One suit was trimmed with red cybernetics and looked like a male and the other was trimmed with purple cybernetics and looked like a female.
The male removed his helmet and black spiky hair flowed out. ‘Crono! It has been a long time since I have been able to fight you’ He opened his eyes which where crimson red. ‘How I have missed trying to kill you,’
Crono smirked ‘Yes it has, how long has it been Zahn?’
Zahn threw out a small white shaft. ‘Over 18 years looks like your resistance friends are not so much your friends are they Crono?’
Crono looked at the shaft and pressed a small touch screen button. A black strand extended and from either side condensed light particles formed to create a thin but deadly sword as sharp as any metal crafted. Crono spun the blade around once, the green blade humming as he did, before turning it back off.
‘Awe do not be like that Crono, I have gotten so much better and you have been sleeping for 18 years’
‘Robots do not get better Zahn- they get replaced by better robots’
Zahn was a special android that could process the emotion of anger and use it to his advantage. He gritted his teeth and turned on another Beam-Sword, this one was colored red like his eyes. ‘I will make you eat those words Crono!’ He dashed out and tried to stab Crono in the neck. He moved his head slightly and tossed the sword to Folgir behind his back.
Folgir turned on the sword and slashed at Zahn’s arm but only got the pavement that crumbled from the blow. Zahn had stepped back and slashed down at Folgir viciously. It took Folgir everything he had to block each hit from the deadly light. Crono ran and kicked Zahn away from Folgir who grabbed the shotgun on his back and took aim. ‘Hey Fol, do you think you can take these guys and stall them?’
‘Aye good sir, I’s stall em enough for ye’ Folgir stepped towards the robot’.
Lyn stepped forwards and opened the cover. ‘Quick get down’ She watched as Crono jumped down the hole and looked at Folgir. ‘Make sure you come home Fol’
‘Aye marm I’ll be home for some grub. Now you two just scurry off now’
Lyn climbed onto the ladder and pulled the cover over her head. The last thing she saw of the battle was Folgir knocking away an attack from Zahn and kicking him straight through a concrete pillar.

[Deleted]

Chapter 2: No Family Ties

The CEO of Silent Screams Industries was an unpredictable man. He knew everything about everyone, but no one knew him or saw his face. Zoma stood in front of his desk in his darkened office. The dark green walls seemed even darker with the thousands of books that lined them. The office was small with very little else in it besides the desk and chair

A quiet voice called out from the darkness. ‘So Zoma, why weren’t you successful in preventing Crono’s escape this time?’

‘Super Soldier 1 blocked our path. Zahn was easily defeated but I wounded him before you called me back sir’ Zoma said.

The elevator dinged and a short, fat, gray haired scientist ambled into the office. ‘Good evening sir. I have almost completed repairing Zahn and I expect him to be-’
‘That won’t be necessary Dr. Geral’ The CEO said.
‘But sir, if Zahn isn't not repaired then-’
‘I have no use for machines that cannot do what I ask! Take Zahn’s body and send it to the junkyard and make sure you erase everything from it.’ The voice suddenly had gotten sharper and clear.

Dr. Geral stepped back and bowed. ‘Yes sir. Would you like me to do the same to Zoma?’
‘Yes but leave her here for now. I’ll send for someone to do it later’
The doctor bowed and left. Zoma silently blinked at what she had just heard, the CEO’s voice had gone quiet again ‘Zoma, I’m sorry for having to do this to you but… With his help perhaps you will realize your potential.’

From the darkness came a loud snap and a small flash. Magnetically pinned to her neck was a small EMP bullet that sent an overloading shock through her circuitry causing her systems to freeze.
The robot’s bright purple eyes went cloudy as if she were dead. The CEO called for someone to take the disabled robot. The man that arrived was Evan, he was given a disk ‘Load this into her program after she has had her head wiped. And only erase to the last 5 minutes of recording’

He looked back out the window behind him to the city as a confused Evan removed the android. ‘I hope you appreciate the help. It may be the last I can give you before…’

Crono and Lyn had walked in silence since they had entered the culvert. They both dread the possibility of what could have happened to Folgir. Suddenly Crono spoke ‘So why did you come and rescue me. To wait 18 years to bail me out seems a little long do you not think. What is going on?’
Lyn looked away for a moment, something obviously was wrong. ‘Lis’en, I was never involved with any of Jack’s doings.’
‘What was Jack doing?’
‘He betrayed you soon after you were captured. He said one day we will bring him back but every time I tried to start a mission he always shoots me down.’
‘You seem pretty okay for being shot all the time.’
‘Eh? Oh I’ve never been injured once. Never had a broken bone, gunshot, stab, head trauma, internal bleeding-’
‘I get it, I get it. Your good for being so young’
‘So young!’ Lyn yelled, ‘You can’t be much older than I am! How old are you!?’
He looked at the ceiling for a moment and scratched his head ‘If you count my time being alive then I am about 40.
Lyn looked amazed then smirked ‘40 years old huh, if you’re that old I’m amazed at how you make yourself look so young’
He shrugged ‘Being in suspended animation does that to you’
At that Lyn’s eyes started to twitch in anger and she whispered so quietly, ‘Arrg he even has comebacks he’s 40 years old for hells sake how can he do that?’
She stopped suddenly and put her hand to her ear. Crono listened for a moment ‘A transmission?’
‘I- I think it’s a transmission, the signal went dead some time ago.’ Lyn said. ‘Hang on and I’ll download it to my phone’.
She clipped the earpiece into the back of the phone and sent the message to her phone to be play on speaker.

‘Leah you there? Come in Leah. Ahh it’s no good her radio must be dead err sometin. Some help she is down here. It’s her fault if she doesn’t make it to camp. Hey what was that? Hello? Leah? Ahh it’s no use just some mumbo-jumbo about something being alive down here. There’s only myself and that damned Leah. Hey what… what the hell are you…’

Suddenly the man screamed out in fright and a loud screeching sound over a constant splatter of blood followed by a thud before the transmission ended and a pair of razor sharp blades flew out of the darkness with the same loud screech.

Lyn turned quickly and delivered a straight hard kick right between the blades and into the face of a black-scaled creature. Its body was small with several legs on each side. It stood back onto its legs just as Lyn kicked it hard into the air while drawing her gun. She took a quick aim and shot six shots that all found their mark easily.
When the creature lay dead Crono inspected it. ‘Earwigs… they get nastier every time I see a new one.’
Lyn looked at him oddly and walked towards the exit shouting, ‘Come on it’s only a bit further.’
They stepped out to the opening of the culvert. The sun had just begun to peer-in between the Half-plate and the city wall that cast a heavenly glow to the dark city.
Dropping into the ditch they crouched low and creped along the ditch until the walls grew small and climbable. The two came to a small parking lot with no cars around.
Lyn looked worried as she glanced back at the ominous crimson-red tower that loomed overhead. ‘Our vehicle got towed, Klein can you hear me?’
As she tried to contact Klein, Crono looked back at the building. Then something rolled down the slope into the ditch that caught his eye. He looked at it for a moment before he realized what it was. ‘Folgir!’
Lyn turned and followed him to Folgir. As they approached him Lyn drew her gun and glanced around before kneeling down. ‘Fol are you okay?’
The warrior looked to Lyn and slowly sat up. ‘Aye marm, tis only a small wound. She got me with that whip o’ er’s’
Crono shifted slightly, ‘So you must have taken Zahn. He doesn’t use whips’
‘And isn’t a girl’ Lyn said.
‘But this girl wasn’t some pretty face. Shes a dangerous one to look out fer sure’ Folgir said. He stood up before continuing ‘She was bout ta finish me off when she suddenly stopped fighting. Then she said we’s were free ta leave for the moment’

Lyn sighed as she stood ‘That gives us about a day to deal with Jack before having to worry about SSI again’

Crono turned at a sound behind him and pointed ‘More like ten minutes’
Lyn looked back and saw what he meant. Over twenty robots each equipped with large beam-edged partisans were ambling along to them. They were human shaped with very little plating on their body. Crono turned to Lyn and held out his hand ‘Give me my gun!’
She slapped his hand away and turned back to Folgir. ‘No way! How do I know you’ll give it back?’
‘It is my gun.’
‘I’ve had them since I was old enough to fire one which is WAY longer than you’ve owned them!’

Folgir handed her Zahn’s Beam-Sword, ‘Take this marm. Crono’ll turn those bots to bolts with two guns ‘e will’
Lyn took the sword reluctantly and passed Rose off to Crono who took it carefully. ‘Relax Lyn, I will give it back’

He strolled off towards the robots. Upon coming closer to them he got a better look at them. ‘Just a bunch of APs eh?’
They seemed to recognize him too as they dispersed and allowed him to walk right into the center of them. Crono looped the gun in his pants before crossing his arms. ‘Well well, I have not seen you guys in 18 years. I hope you got better!’
As if it felt the sting of the insult an AP stepped out from behind Crono and slashed down at him with its partisan. As it struck the ground Crono glanced back at it. ‘You guys got faster! Impressive’
Another stepped out in front of him and slashed again. This time it clipped a piece of his hair before getting stuck in the ground. Crono stepped onto the pole and jumped into the air kicking off the AP’s head. As soon as his foot connected, his other foot shot out knocking off the AP’s head behind him. He landed on his feet and kicked up both partisans slashing two more AP’s in half. Swinging the partisans around he spun in circles smashing anything with the poles that was within range. The poles broke and Crono rammed the rest of it into an Ap’s head before firing a shot into it.

Lyn heard the shot and turned back. She couldn’t see Crono but she heard the noise of metal on metal. Suddenly the remaining AP’s rushed in, partisans poised to stab. Lyn stood up and took a step towards the battle when Folgir stopped her.
Suddenly a hail of bullets threw the AP’s back. Crono was spinning fast and firing both guns all with deadly accuracy not one bullet missing it’s target.

When the parts of AP’s were strewn about Crono bent over. Nearly out of breath he huffed out ‘Whew! What a chore that was’
Lyn had helped Folgir to his feet and assisted by Crono they both held him upright, stumbling and tripping over the rest of the uneven ditch to the smooth pavement.
After walking through ally-ways for several hours Lyn had become quite frustrated at the lack of support she received. ‘God forsaken Klein he was supposed to have transport back at the parking lot! Why can’t he follow plans like a good boy and arrive on time’
Crono and Folgir both looked at each other with the wounded warrior shaking his head at Lyn. ‘So Lyn, how do you suppose we get a transport’ Crono whispered
Lyn looked down the ally as a car passed. She turned back to the others with an idea ‘C’mon I wanna try something, anyone have something to write with?’

Moments later, as another car was driving down the street, Folgir stepped in front of the car. As the car was about to strike him however, Folgir simply picked up the car as if it was a feather and held it over his head with one hand. Upon scaring the man and taking his car, Lyn wrote down something on a slip of paper and handed it to the man ‘We’re so very sorry sir. I promise your car will not be damaged and it will be found safe and secure with the keys hidden inside of the driver side wheel-well in an ally between 25th street and 31st street in the East District’

She dashed off to the car as Crono stepped from the ally. ‘It is amazing, I knew Folgir was strong but I never knew he could do that!’

Lyn was about to take the drivers seat only to have Crono take it. She was about to say something when he gave her a look that meant that he was not to be trifled with on the issue. She slid quietly into the passengers seat and they slowly drove away. The drive was relatively slow which caused Lyn to resume chatting angrily.
‘Why can’t you drive faster we need to get back to the base before Jack has time to set up any defenses and we need to rescue Klein if he was discovered, WHY WON’T YOU DRIVE FASTER!’
This was replied by a calm voice ‘Because the cops would look for fast cars and Jack probably thinks you failed and he would not kill Klein he is to important to the Resistance’
Lyn leaned forwards and looked at him with hate ‘There is no Resistance anymore, Klein’s just image now. There haven’t been eny real missions since you were captured! All we’ve been hitting is small targets nothing any big, and most of them are solo projects. Jack is paying off SSI to let us have the small scores so we can keep the population happy and good willed because they make such best subjects!’

As they turned onto the off-ramp to the East district just as a cop car was driving up the on-ramp. As they passed Crono took a side-glance to the side mirror watching the car. When it made a u-turn he swore and pressed hard on the gas. The car revved loudly before stalling.
‘God damned stick shifts!’ Lyn yelled.
The police car suddenly ran into the back on their car shooting it down the ramp. Crono restarted the car and it shot off like an arrow down the rest of the ramp. ‘Lyn take Folgir’s shotgun and get those cops off us’
Lyn reached back and picked up the oversized shotgun and broke her window. She poked out the gun and fired right into the front hood of the car behind causing it to suddenly explode. Lyn glanced back at Folgir and yelled ‘Since when did your gun have explosive bullets’
Folgir gave her a wicked smile through his pain ‘Ah “found” em tha other day’
They came out to an intersection when another car ran into the side of theirs causing it to spin madly into a light post. Crono re-shifted and tore off down a different street. He looked out his rear-view mirror and saw several blinking lights chasing them. ‘Wow cops have better response time. Lets see how much better they got at driving’

Crono turned hard and slid onto another street and then down into an ally side swiping another car as he glided out of it. He made a tight corner turn causing mass chaos behind them. Cars that couldn’t make the turn hit the walls of buildings or other cars. Crono suddenly pulled the E-break and turned the car around and drove backwards. He drew Reno and shot out the tires of the first few cars causing them to crash into one another. As they came to a 4-way intersection, Crono pulled the e-break spun the car 270 degrees and hit the gas hard causing the back end to slide out and sideswipe another car.
Lyn looked at the street sign before taking out another car. ‘Crono! How is your drifting skills?’
He looked at her in disbelief, ‘I think they are okay, why?’
‘Take the next left then another left and you’ll come to a ramp to take the lower streets near the base!’
‘Alright just hang on!’

He took each turn easily and noticed the ramp. It was a 1-way ramp and was just large enough to do a proper drift. Crono pulled hard on the E-break turning the car sideways and drifted into the ramp. Lyn couldn’t turn her eyes to the window and was praying in her head that the car wouldn’t grip the road and send them through the guardrail. But the grip never came and they slid easily out of the ramp and as if the car knew they were safe, suddenly gripped the road and shot off like and arrow.

Luckily they didn’t have to travel far when Lyn spotted the bar. They circled around and left the car between 25th and 31st, walking back to the bar by cutting through alleys and avoiding the sentries hidden throughout the area. As they approached the bar Crono walked in front of Lyn and pushed open the door hard.
The bar was full of people eating breakfast and talking. When the doors burst open and Crono strolled in it went deathly silent with a few hushed whispers here and there.
‘Is that Crono?’
‘It can’t be I thought he was killed’
‘No you fool he was captured by SSI and escaped for a second time!’
‘Jack isn’t going to like this’
‘I heard he can take out a score of robots single handedly’
‘You think he’ll try to fight Jack?’
‘If he does I hope he kicks his lazy ass out of here! What kind of leader is he!’
‘I went on a parts mission with him and we were attacked by scavengers. Right before I was about to be killed by a flying piece of metal he caught it and he didn’t get so much as a scratch!’
‘He can’t do that. Not even Jounchi could catch a scavenger’s scrap’
‘He did I SAW it!’

Crono glanced around. Most of the faces he recognized and some young ones that he didn’t. He noticed two nasty looking thugs standing next to a door. When he tried to gain access they blocked his way and he turned casually to the bar. He also noticed a few hated glances blended within a sea of happy but poorly fed looking people.

Old Tom had his back turned when Crono sat at the table and waited until the bar had become noisy before calling out called out. ‘Hey Tom, where can I find a new bike?’ this caused the old man to jump and turn quickly. ‘Crono! Your back my boy!’

This was the first and only time Lyn had ever seen Crono have such a happy face as Tom came around the bar and give Crono a tight hug. She then suddenly realized that Tom didn’t notice her, and decided to have a one sided conversation with herself.
‘Lyn my girl so are you! Morning Tom! Look who I’ve brought back. Yes yes I see that now do you want some breakfast Lyn?’ she yelled.
Tom let go of Crono and turned to Lyn. ‘Yes Lyn I’m glad for you to be home as well. But I know you will because of your endless supply of luck’
‘More like a curse’ Lyn said sadly.
‘Naw dun be like that marm. Tis your skill that keeps ye livin.’ Folgir whispered in her ear.

Tom and the three conversed in the back room. The news that they heard wasn’t very good. ‘Klein was confined to a room somewhere and his lab was locked off. The base is also on lockdown in fright of a ‘leak’ and a traitor’
‘That traitor being Jack’ Lyn snapped. Crono gave her a harsh stare and bid Tom to continue. Tom nodded and indicated the door opposite of the one they entered from. ‘That is a secret entrance into the base to the food stores. Not that there’s anything left so it hasn’t been used in months’

‘Months? You mean the stores ran out? How come Jack did not go steal some from SSI. He did that all the time even before I arrived’ Crono interrupted.
Tom shook his head. ‘After you were captured Jack struck a deal with SSI. He would stop attacking anything to major, like food, parts, and armory lines. And they wouldn’t retaliate to the little skirmishes.’
Crono stood up and looked out a small window. ‘The skirmishes would not matter anymore. If we stopped attacking the factories they can just build more. The idiot, where is Jack now’

Lyn turned her eyes to the ceiling ‘Probably hiding out in the war room with his old war chums’ She growled.
Tom walked to the elevator door and called for the elevator. ‘This probably isn’t being watched. But be careful anyways’

The elevator door opened up and the three stepped onto it. Crono pressed the button and nodded to Tom. ‘Thank you Tom. Try to create a secret diversion for us’ Crono said. Tom simply gave a wave and said ‘Dun’t worry I gotta little idea in mind’ before the doors shut.

Crono noticed that there wasn’t a floor indicator so he turned to Lyn who seemed to read his mind. ‘The food stores are on B3 which is the only other thing in B3 besides the Mech hangar’
Crono’s eyes widened for a second before an idea formed in his mind. It would have to wait however as he had other urgent issues.
‘How many Mechs does the Resistance have’ He asked.
Lyn grinned and closed her eyes ‘Why do you plan on stealing them? Can you even use a Sniper or a Powerhouse’
‘So a Sniper and a Powerhouse? I am guessing its four or eight-legged, orange, with two long range Sniper rifles mounted on its shoulders with a Single medium to long range Rifle in its hands-’
‘With a concealed close to medium range bazooka for close up encounters in its leg hangar and a radar with a radius of over 250 square miles-’
‘And a well built, but speedy Powerhouse with two-eight missile heat seeking launchers on its shoulders and two powerful medium to short-range bazookas’
Lyn looked suspiciously at Crono ‘How do you know about Delphinus and Axielmar?’ As the elevator doors opened, Crono whispered, ‘because I designed them before I was captured. It’s a shame the Ranger was not rebuilt. Must of reminded Jack to much about me’

The food storage room was quite large, and empty. The endless rows of shelves were bare, except for some cans that had somehow been frozen and exploded. But for some reason no one bothered to clean it up and had rotted out long ago. Crono drew his gun and walked to the switch beside the exit and turned off the lights. He opened the door slowly and peered out into the hall.
It was empty and gray. Why was this place so gray? Crono stepped into the hall and made his way down the hall with Lyn and Folgir close behind.
‘I ‘ate this place. Tis to gray ‘or mi liken’ Folgir spoke quietly. Crono nodded ‘Aye, I do not like this place at all friend’

As the reached the elevator door it dinged as the doors slid open. A large man dressed in black like the others, was about to step out of the elevator when Crono hit him hard and fast with the butt of his gun. The man staggered back slightly stunned by the hit. Before he could regain his balance Crono flipped the gun back into his hand and pointed it at the thug.
‘Hi there! Want to go through that door for me?’
The thug, knowing he was beaten, walked quietly into the hangar. As he descended the steps, Crono cracked him hard on the head with the butt of his gun. When the thug didn’t fall yet again, Crono stepped back and nodded to Folgir. Smiling he stepped behind the thug and gave a sharp flick to the soft spot on the back on his head. Dropping the thug like a bag of bricks. Crono looked at him with amusement. ‘Where do you get it?’ He spoke.
Folgir showed his jagged teeth by smiling ‘’M surprised ye didn’t say anything when we ‘ad fought years ago’ They boarded the elevator and took it straight down to the bottom floor.

The doors opened to two more guards. Lyn quickly jumped out and ran up to them calling. ‘Hey Guys!’ before delivering a hard punt to the crotch of one guard.
As the other guard stood dumbstruck by what happened, Lyn threw a series of hard punches and kicks to the guard’s face and body knocking him out before he hit the ground. Dusting her hands off she turned to Crono who stepped over the first guard. ‘Nice moves’ he said.
She gave an elegant bow and stepped over the other guard. ‘Thank you I’m highly proud of my skill. I’ll take you for a few after this is over’

In the meeting hall Jack stood silently as a guard made his report. ‘Sir the disturbance in the bar has been dealt with.’
‘Any sign of Crono?’ Jack asked.
The guard shook his head and continued, ‘The old man didn’t tell us where Crono and the two traitors before drawing a shot gun and opening fire. We had no choice but to take him out’
Jack turned off the screen and turned to the doors. He had only 10 guards but it should only take that much, if only it were that easy. As if he knew it was coming the doors suddenly burst open. Crono, Lyn, and Folgir stepped through, weapons drawn. The two guards by the door were swept out of the way by Folgir’s massive strength. Three more rushed in, assault rifles raised. Folgir spun around and quickly drew three knives from his belt and threw them all with deadly precision.
Lyn rushed at two more incoming guards. Taken back by the sudden rush by a former ally they hesitated to fire. That was all that Lyn needed as she punched one in the face and kicked out the kneecap of the other. The first got back up and jumped on Lyn only to be flung off into the other guard like a doll. Lyn raised her gun and pointed it at the guards. ‘Stay still and I won’t hurt you more’
Crono jumped onto the meeting table and ran straight for Jack. The remaining guards rushed towards the table to pull him off only to have him jump over their heads. They all turned swinging a baton each but they only swung at air as Crono stepped back. He quickly stepped forwards and gave a quick string of punches to the bodies of the guards.
Jack stepped in to attack Crono but even he was knocked back by a hard back kick. Crono skipped backwards and swung his out stretched foot around in a wide arc catching each guard in the head. As Crono swung back around he drew his gun and put it to the forehead of Jack. ‘Hello Jack’
Jack glanced to the gun at his forehead and back to Crono. ‘Long time no see ancestor.’
‘I am not your ancestor no more. You betrayed your family Jack and I can never forgive that!’ Crono snarled. The corner of his eye started to twitch. As Lyn drew closer she held her gun at Jack who glanced at her which caused Crono to push harder on the gun.
‘Do not look at her your business is with me!’ Crono yelled.
Jack looked back into Crono’s eyes and was over come with terror causing Lyn to look as well. The red speckles in his eyes had now started to spread into small red pools amongst the shrinking green. Crono blinked and the red in his eyes had disappeared but Jack could feel the anger that seemed to flow from Crono to himself through the gun at his forehead.
‘Jack I am not going to kill you. But you must never use the Leonheart name ever again. Understand?’ Crono snapped.
‘Yes…’ Jack whispered.
‘And you can have your weak Resistance and go back to SSI. And I am taking your base so you better be out of here in an hour!’ Crono eased off the gun and let Jack walk around him. The 10 councilmen got up and left quietly with Jack.

Crono put away his gun and looked at Lyn. She scratched her head and pulled out the ribbon tying her hair up and shook her head. ‘So that’s that huh? Now what?’
‘Now we figure out our new name!’ The three turned to see Klein standing in the doorway. Lyn squealed ‘Klein!’
He scratched the back of his head and smiled ‘Uh hi guys. I almost got caught so I had to hide.’
‘Really? Cause Tom said you were caught’ Crono said.
Klein looked at Crono and chuckled ‘Back in charge already eh?’

[Deleted]

Chapter 3: The Underground

The CEO of Silent Screams was in one of his strange moods again. His voice seemed frightened and paranoid as he spoke to Dr. Geral. ‘Doctor, how long is it before you can cure me?’
The doctor was slightly reluctant to give his answer to the CEO during his strange phases. He cleared his throat and began ‘I’m sorry to say sir, that your condition is no less different than last time you had asked me a few weeks ago’
There was a loud thump and suddenly the CEO’s voice was full of anger ‘I had never asked you whether my condition was any better, I asked how long is it before you can cure me!’ He snarled.

He became calm all of a sudden when the doors to his office were opened. Jack stepped in followed by two, human sized robot guards. Each was armed with a small, black submachine gun. Since he had decommissioned his bodyguards, the CEO had to use a less powerful means to protect himself. ‘That is all Doctor. And regarding my new bodyguards, scrap the Zoma program and use the remodeled version of the Zahn program in the second android.’

The doctor bowed and left the room with the guards, leaving Jack in the darkness alone with the CEO. Now the voice had a hint of madness to it as he spoke with a strange happy tone, ‘Jack, how are you today? Not faring things well I hear. I also heard that Crono stormed your base with only 2 others and they took it from you and your three thousand strong soldiers. Now why would a thing like that happen?’
Jack made a motion in which to speak but the CEO cut him off before he could. ‘Because you’re not a true leader like he is! Just think of it for a second, even after 18 years of not hearing a thing from him, the three thousand soldiers are still loyal to him and not you. Now why is that?’
The CEO raised his hand and in a brief flash of green light, Jack now lay against the elevator doors with a large hole blasted deep but not through his chest. The CEO’s voice had gone quiet and calm again, ‘Because… you are not him’

The morning after was a sad one for the crumbled resistance. In the confusion of the liberation by Crono, no one had noticed Tom’s dead body in the ally behind the bar. A guard leaving his sentry post was walking down the same ally. He wore a flimsy brown vest overtop a gray shirt and jeans. He had short dark hair and hazel eyes. He shouldered his battle-rifle as he noticed his relief. ‘Hey! Tara what took you so long?’
Tara had long blond hair and bright blue eyes and the prettiest eyelashes. She wore a pink short-sleeved jacket with fur cuffs at her wrist and collar, and a matching pair of long shorts. ‘You’ll never believe what happened Jarek!’ She squealed.
He shrugged his shoulders and smirked at her. ‘What now, did you wreck an eyelash?’
She gave him an irritated glare before which caused him to step away. ‘No you fool. Crono came back and he’s booted Jack outta the place and says the Resistance is no more.’
‘What the?’
‘I said-’
‘No not you, that!’ Jarek pointed to the dead body of Tom the barkeep.

Inside the bar was a scene of joy and cheer. Folgir took to the kitchens and, using his hidden talents as a chef he managed to make a delicious beef stew using what was left of Jack’s food. (However the beef wasn’t beef but rat meat but it tasted all the same)

Crono sat in behind the bar looking over the new faces. He noticed Lyn amongst them, having breakfast and chatting with them like any other soldier. Crono watched as she teased, flirted, and argued with mainly guys over simplest things. His focus was broken when the doors opened and two soldiers carrying a body between then walked in. Standing up, he hopped over the bar and stopped at the sight of Tom’s body. He addressed the two soldiers quietly, ‘Where did you find him’
The soldier named Jarek saluted quickly ‘I was just coming off duty when I noticed the body in the ally behind the bar.’
Crono nodded before stepping aside to let them pass. ‘Take him to the morgue and place him with the rest please.’ They both saluted and carried Tom’s body down below.
The room was silent except for the odd whine from an infant. Lyn rose from her seat just as Crono walked into the back room. As the noise of the crowd started up again Lyn spoke quietly to Folgir who was sitting behind the bar with his eye closed, ‘I know Tom was close to Crono, and I know that he has seen a lot of death, but I didn’t know that Tom’s death would effect him this much’
Folgir nodded and spoke without opening his eye ‘Aye, Tom’s death tis a ‘ard un for us all. But Tom wuz the one who found Crono after he ‘ad escaped from SSI. He wuz the one who healed em up ‘nd cared fer em. Tom wuz like a father ta Crono, ta have him die soon after being reunited wuz probably Jack’s idea’
Lyn sat on the floor and held her legs to her body. ‘I dunno Fol. Tom said he had a plan, maybe it hand got outta’
‘Ye mean it got outta ‘and’ Folgir corrected.
‘Yea just that like’ she murmured

A few hours had passed, and he bar had filtered out. Soldiers on sentry duty left, others went about the base as usual.
Lyn had dozed off during that time. She awoke to the quiet snores of Folgir sleeping away beside her. She stretched herself out and stood up slowly just as Crono emerged from the back door with Klein. Both looked quite worried about something as they passed her without a second glance and climbed the ladder to the roof followed soon by Lyn. They stood over the back wall, each carrying a scope. As she approached Lyn called out ‘What’s on going?’
Klein was startled by Lyn’s call and turned quickly. ‘The highway sensors said something heavy and big was coming this way’
He peered back out to the highway exit for the district but it was Crono who pointed it out. ‘Look! Halfway down the ramp, it’s a tank!’ He said before handing Lyn the scope. She peered through it and located the large silver tank with some kind of shield blocking all of the front except for the main cannon crawling down the highway ramp she recognized it at once.
‘A turtle tank’ she spoke.
Crono looked at her oddly ‘Turtle tank’
Klein looked away from the scope and explained, ‘a turtle tank is very slow, slower than most average tanks, thanks to that large metal shield in front of it. But they are difficult to damage.’
Lyn lowered her scope and kicked a rock off the roof. ‘The evil scum. They’re going to null the treaty by attacking us!’
Crono shook his head. ‘No they will not. According to Klein, the treaty can only be nullified if we attacked them. They will probably attack something else so we will defend it.’ He turned and headed for the hatch with the others right behind him. ‘Klein, send a warning through the district and tell everyone to go to a safe zone. Once your done I will meet you at B5. Lyn, wake up Folgir and find a way to distract that tank until everyone is safe.

The two went about their tasks. Klein stopped by his lab and sent out a message to the district about the danger. He picked up a bag and met Crono on the bottom floor who was waiting with several soldiers. Amongst them were Jarek and Tara.

Klein nodded to Crono who nodded back before speaking. ‘My comrades, today we are going into the caverns below this floor to find a new base. One that SSI does not know about.’
A slim soldier with black hair and gray eyes called out from the back. ‘Then why can’t we just use the underground part? It’s built like a bomb shelter!’
Another soldier, shorter with flat brown hair and glasses elbowed him in the ribs. ‘Don’t you lissen Nero? He said one that SSI doesn’t know about. Jack probably told them all they needed to know to sweep this area clean’

Crono nodded before examining the walls of the meeting hall. He looked back at Klein who stood examining them as well.
‘Well Klein?’
The scientist shrugged as he kicked the nearest wall. ‘Beats me man I’m a scientist not a carpenter. Although Jack did say that he put a wall over another cavern entrance.’
‘Well that should not be too hard to find’ Crono said before suddenly kicking the wall so hard that his foot made an impression in the solid concrete behind it though no one had noticed besides him. The next wall he went to was also solid. The third one however snapped and fell apart when he kicked it. ‘I think we found the wall’
Before he started down Klein stopped him. ‘Wait. Those clothes look pretty uncomfortable on you.’ He said.
Crono looked down at himself, the shirtsleeves were to short on his arms and the jeans were much to tight on his legs. ‘Yea I guess your right. But my clothes are at SSI and they are pretty tattered’
Klein smiled as he tossed the bag to him ‘Here then you’ll need these’

On the surface Lyn sat in an ally with Folgir who was holding the an RPG launcher. She peered out around the corner and rushed out to the other side of the street followed by Folgir. She looked up at a sentry who was making signs with his hands. She glanced back at Folgir who nodded. ‘The lookout says that the tank is on 24th street with no back up’
Folgir murmured under his breath ‘Wit a ‘urtle tank it needs no backup. I’m glad ye brought this wit ya’
Lyn peeked out around the corner again. Seeing the coast was clear she bolted down the street. The sound of the tank was clear and loud but there wasn’t any sign of it. Lyn looked about and yelled back to Folgir, ‘Where the hell is it’
Suddenly the tank burst through the wall of the building next to Lyn. Folgir dived and tackled Lyn out of the way just as the tank’s front treads landed where she was standing. Folgir helped Lyn to stand but before he could stop her she started yelling at the tank.
‘Hey what do you think your doing blockhead. That was a building you just ran through,’ She yelled. The Tank grinded to a halt before the cannon swung vertically and came to a stop pointed right at the two. Folgir’s sharp ears heard a small click and he kicked the cannon up. The shell was blasted straight into the air.
The two watched, as it became a black dot in the sky. Lyn spoke rather calmly, ‘That’s not good.’
But the warrior wasn’t through yet. He flipped over the RPG and fired it at the shell, detonating it before it fell back to the earth. Lyn sighed as she kicked the now empty launcher, which was their last one.
‘So much for that eh’ She said.
Folgir looked back at the tank that was trying to re-aim. Before it could aim at them again he rushed forwards and held the cannon in the air. The Tank started its treads again and pushed against Folgir but he dug into the ground and held the tank still. With his muscles bunched and veins standing out all over his body he grunted back to Lyn, ‘Lyn! Grenade!’
Lyn unclipped the only grenade from her belt and rushed the tank. She did a small skip before leaping high into the air and plunging the grenade down the cannon’s barrel. She kicked off the shield and landed behind Folgir yelling ‘Now!’
The warrior smiled and gave a mighty shove, sending the tank back across two streets. Lyn smiled as she twirled the grenade pin around on her finger.
‘Bye-bye’ She said in a childish voice. But when the tank never exploded her tune changed quickly, ‘Aww crap Klein gave me a dud!’
Instead the tank seemed to disappear instantly. Lyn stood wide-eyed at where the tank had been before scratching her head.
‘What the?’ She said looking rather confused.

The two walked to where the tank had been and found that the pavement and earth below it had collapsed into a large hole. Lyn started to laugh and fell to the ground holding her sides.
‘Well wadd-ya know? The city streets saved ar’ butts this time’ Lyn gasped out after managing to control herself
Folgir grunted, ‘Aye, but wut caused this ’hape of ‘ole. Just big ennuf so that the tank won’t climb back out yon ‘ole’
Lyn scratched her head again before speaking, ‘I dunno, but let’s get back to base before more SSI come’

Below the surface Klein looked at the hole in the high ceiling that he had made with a laser cutter. ‘Hopefully that will sink the tank far enough that it will help Folgir and Lyn’
Crono stepped out of the shadows next to him. He wore a brown leather jacket covering a navy blue shirt with several undistinguishable, dark colored shapes. His pants were simple black jeans but they had several tight straps, which were littered with different tools and devices. It was these that Crono was still admiring.
‘These are almost as good as my old bag’ He said before plucking a long knife from a sheath on the side of his leg.
‘Well… since your bag was ruined I’d figure when we rescued you I would try to make a replacement’
‘Thank you Klein’ Crono said before tying a long red cloth around his forehead and looked at his team. ‘Alright, lets continue on’

The tunnel wasn’t natural. The walls were smooth and round; this reminded Crono of tunnels built thousands of years ago. They entered another large, three entrance cavern. As Crono and Klein walked around the cavern, Jarek and Tara sat on a large slab of rock.
‘Hey Jarek, what do you think is down here’ Tara whispered.
The soldier shrugged and peered around in the semi-darkness. ‘I hope there are mutants or bugs.’
She shuddered at the thought of bugs ‘Lets hope there aren’t bugs down here’

A few feet away, Nero and the other soldier were conversing in whispers as well. ‘Hey Jace what do you think were down here for?’
Jace checked his compact shotgun and aimed with it. ‘We need some field experience. We’re still rookies’
‘Hey you two quit yammering,’ came the voice of the veteran. He was tall and slim with graying black hair. Nero threw a rock at him, which he caught easily. ‘Give it a rest Wolfe’

Crono had come back from the deeper cavern. ‘This is as far as we go. Klein, go back to the surface and start an evacuation. That side passage leads to another small cavern we can use for a ward and storage. Also tell Lyn and Folgir to come down here.’
Klein looked beyond Crono to the passage he had come from. ‘What is down there?’
‘It’s to dangerous down there to go any further. Not until I come up with a plan,’ Crono said.
‘A plan for what?’
‘A plan to get past a lizard’

Klein watched him go about telling the others not to enter the cavern. He was confused by what he said but took the long trek with Nero and Jace back to the surface.
‘I’ll have to get a digging team to make an elevator shaft to the surface,’ he thought to himself. His thoughts were broken when Nero spoke.
‘Hey Klein what’s going on?’ He said.
Jace shook his head before speaking, ‘Were going to the surface to evacuate-’
‘No I don’t mean what were doing. I mean with Crono, why aren’t we going any further?’
Klein shrugged, ‘your guess is as good as mine. He said there is a problem ahead. He didn’t say much though, something about a lizard. He also said the cavern was safe enough and I agree. Any SSI bomb that goes off won’t affect us down that deep.’

They arrived to the surface and Klein started and evacuation of the civilians except for the repair and salvage teams. The two foremen were twins, both in size, roundness, and facial appearance, right down to their heavily bearded faces and long un-kept black hair. Their identical blue beady eyes twinkled with such gentleness as they greeted Klein.
‘Well hallo der Klein, Hawo can we be ‘f h’assistance’
Klein smiled and bowed to them both before speaking, ‘Foreman Grum, Foreman Crum I have a small job for you and your teams’
Foreman Grum was cheerful, ‘Well mah reh-pair team been ah waitin’ for sohm work.’ His brother gave a nod to this.
‘Aye mah salvage team be reh-day for eny-thing’

Klein nodded and told them what they had to do. The teams went off pass Lyn and Folgir who were just returning from above. He told them their new orders and returned to his lab with Jace and Nero. Knowing that his computer will likely need to be replaced, he downloaded his entire hard-drive onto a memory stick (right down to solitaire). Next he emptied the small armory of machine-guns and rifles into boxes along with a large assortment of ammunitions, and sent them with Nero and Jace who both complained about the task.
‘Is this some kind of rookie thing?’ asked Jace. The other agreed, ‘Yea why do we have to carry these back down?’

Klein placed another rifle into Nero’s box as he spoke, ‘Just because your soldiers and not in a salvage crew doesn’t mean you can’t help with evacuating. That’s part of your job.’ He sent the two off before loading another box with many broken handles for beam weapons and following.

Below in the cavern, Crono, Lyn, and Folgir stood in the tunnel in a hushed meeting. Jarek nudged the man named Wolfe who was helping people into the cavern, ‘Hey Wolfe what do you think Crono and the rest are talking about’
The veteran grunted, ‘I don’t know and I don’t care Jarek’
Jarek grumbled and walked away, ‘aww but you always say that man’

The three went down the tunnel deep into the next cavern. It was larger than the previous one and the ceiling was almost out of sight. Crono busted a small metal orb before tossing it high into the air. As it reached it’s peak a bright light shone from it as it floated there like a mini sun. Lyn looked down from the miniature sun and would have screamed if the sight of what she saw hadn’t taken away her breath first.
In the center of the cavern was a large black-scaled creature with a long winding neck to a thin pointed head with large horns around it like a crown. Its feet were bigger than a tank with long dangerous claws that matched its long slender spiked tail.

For once in her life, Lyn couldn’t make a smart-ass comment and sounded frightful ‘Is that a-a-a’
‘Dragon?’ Crono answered
‘Yes!’ Lyn yelled.

Suddenly the dragon awoke as if it was sleeping. It gave a long mighty yawn before noticing the three. Even though the dragon was big, its voice was no louder than theirs as it spoke slowly and calmly but with deep rumbling growls.
‘Hrrum, well now, it has been thousands of years since I had laid eyes on Humans hrrrum.’
‘And It has been some time since I had the privilege to speak with dragons’ Crono said.

The Dragon eyed Crono before speaking again. ‘Ahh how mistaken am I? Hrrrum I see only two Humans, hrrrum you boy are of a race that I have long forgotten and are now probably extinct’
‘It does not matter what I am. I have come to ask you of a favor’ Crono replied. The Dragon raised its head in interest as if it was used to being asked favors. ‘And what might you ask of Erimar? The last of the Dragons’ He asked.
‘It is a simple one. Safe passage through your domain for innocent people trying to escape their death’ Crono said.

Erimar snorted and a small stream of purple fire crackled in the air before going out. His voice seemed to shake the cavern as he spoke although its tone had not changed at all. ‘And since when are Humans innocent?!’ He began, his voice deepening with long buried anger. ‘They kill off my kind for thousands of years and then you say they are innocent!’

His head reared back and purple flames leaked from the sides of his mouth before he blasted a stream of fire at them. Crono raised his hand just as the fire was about to engulf them and the fire stopped inches from it.
Lyn opened her eyes when she did not feel herself get burned and noticed the golden dome, which seemed to radiate from Crono’s palm incasing the three and preventing the fire from doing any serious harm
When the flame subsided Erimar gave a hearty laugh, the anger seeming to have disappeared from his voice. ‘Well now hrrrum, I haven’t seen anyone withstand my flame for even longer hrrrum.’ He gave a sniff and shook his head obviously feeling defeated. ‘You may let them pass by; I will hide myself so I do not attract unwanted attention.’

Crono bowed low to the dragon as a sign of gratefulness, ‘Thank you Erimar. I will be as quick as I can. But we have many families and soldiers as well as equipment. It may take some time’
Erimar and walked away shaking the cavern as he went into the shadows seeming to disappear into the darkness as he spoke, now his voice seemed to radiate through their minds. ‘Fear not, for I have other places to sleep. But be warned boy, there are much more violent things in the underground than I’ with that, they heard no other sound from the dragon except one final rumbling growl through the rocks.

Crono smirked before turning to Lyn and Folgir. ‘I guess I did not need your help with this,’ He said.
‘What the heck you think I would be good for!?’ Lyn yelled.
‘Well I really needed Folgir not you, he could have lifted him’ Crono retorted and walked past her. Lyn kicked a rock that caused a crack in a small boulder. Stomping after him and with every stomp she made her foot made a heavy imprint in the ground. She was furious that she was put through that ordeal.

[Deleted]

Chapter 4: The Deeper Underground

During the night, the salvage and repair crews had taken everything out of the old base that was worth anything; wall panels, electrical wiring, scrap metal, and various pieces equipment that couldn’t be replaced easily.
Klein was working on setting up a defense to guard the rear entrance as the evacuees went deeper underground when Crono, who had returned from the passage, had immediately come to Klein and told him to have everyone ready to move by sunrise. Klein noticed that Crono’s eyes had become distant and somewhat dim, and that he retreated into the side cavern to be alone. Something he had only seen once and something he couldn’t explain or understand. So he decided to talk to him about it after had prepared everyone.
Lyn had noticed Klein go into the side cavern and followed him. This time she was not going to miss the plan. She crept down the tunnel until she could hear the two talk clearly enough.

‘Is it the same as last time?’ She heard Klein speak. Crono’s voice however was no louder than a whisper and it sounded weak, almost frightened.
‘Yes. Though I can feel it, it is not the same, If I had not brought Lyn or Folgir I would not have used my powers.’

Lyn shifted slightly to hear better and accidentally kicked a small rock. She held her breath when Crono stopped speaking but let it go quietly as Klein spoke again.
‘But you said that your energy returns over time from your body naturally absorbing it back through objects.’
‘It is like antibiotics; your body needs more as your use it more often. Well I am the same way only I need to mix my drugs-’

Suddenly someone tapped the top of Lyn’s head with the butt of a gun. She looked up to see Crono looking down at her with hard eyes, ‘I though I had said I wanted to be alone’
‘Well Klein came and bothered you’ was the only argument she needed because after the words left her mouth than Klein spoke in her defense.
“It’s true I did disturb you,” he said.

Crono continued on pass Lyn, “that does not matter. You came on worry of my own well-being while she was just being nosy.”
“Nosy! I saved your sorry behind from SSI, I should be in the loop about what is going on” Lyn retorted, trying to keep her voice low but was failing miserably.

That had done it. Before she could blink I grabbed her by the collar and held her a hairs-width away from my face as I spoke.
‘And I appreciate and thank you for saving me. But that does not mean that you are in any way special Lyn. You would not last long against some of the more dangerous creations SSI has made.
Her stubbornness returned and she pushed away from me and stood tall even though she is no taller than I am, and her voice had become sharp and dangerous. “Oh really now? And what dangerous creation of SSI do you know? Quicksilvers! Heavy-arms! You know nothing of what SSI can do now or what they even have done. You’re just gonna go on as if eighteen years never happened and get everyone killed. And as of so far I haven’t seen anything so special about you that say you can save us. So lets go right now and see what you got I an’t afraid of you!”
Klein stood between us arms raised and shouting, “Guys calm down the last thing we need right now is a fight to break out!”
Pushing past him Lyn stood toe to toe with me, rage filling her eyes and they blazed bright even in the dimly lit cave. With an intense look she tried to stare me down, but unfortunately for her, I have faced the Grim-reaper and did not back down, so she said; ‘Well are you up for a fight or not, No weapons just our bodies!’
I was never one to start fights or ever liked fighting, unless I had to defend myself, or people who could not defend themselves. But it had all changed once I came to this dammed city. So I smirked and walked away saying; “Fine meet me out here in one hour”

Pulling a hood over my head I slipped into the crowd of people and waited the hour. News had spread in minutes about the argument and the approaching fight.
‘You hear? Lyn just picked a fight with Crono and he accepted!’
‘I told you he wouldn’t stand for Lyn’s behavior. I hope he knocks some sense into her’
Another joined the two saying; ‘I heard that Lyn is mighty angry though. Remember that time she got angry at her bike and kicked it twenty yards away from her.’
Someone else from another fire-pit over heard them and yelled at the man; ‘Wat!? Don’t be daft man, no man or woman has the strength to do that but that Folgir feller and he’d kick it to the moon iffen we had one. Lyn’s a dangerous girl without a weapon if you ask me. It’s all thanks to that Jounchi who deserted us.”

I opened my eyes suddenly and picked myself up off the ground and left the fire-pit. I noticed a large ring of people gathered around a large square mat. I heard Lyn’s name before I slipped into the ring of people. She was standing on one end of the mat eyes closed as if meditating, behind her in the crowd Folgir and I made eye contact and nodded to each other. Slipping off my hood I stepped out and onto the mat.
Seeming to sense me Lyn opened up her eyes and slipped into a fighting stance. The fires of rage no longer burning into her eyes but the intensity still lingered, seeming to me that she truly did not fear from dangerous fights.
“So let us get started,” I said before tossing off my jacket.

In a blink she crossed the mat and rammed her fist into my gut and already was throwing another to my face. I ducked and flipped her onto her back and made some distance. She flipped herself onto her feet and launched at me with a high kick missing again as I stepped aside, but not far enough away to escape the straight kick from her opposite foot aimed at my chest and knocking me down. I picked myself up quickly and Lyn was jumping at me again with another high kick. Catching her foot I pushed it into the air causing her to fall hard on her back. Bringing her feet back down she locked them around my neck and flipped me even harder onto my face.
The two of us stood up and faced each other again. The crowd had gotten into the fight and started yelling jeers and tips.

“That’s it Crono send her through the cleaner”
“Keep moving and don’t stop she’ real quick Crono”
“Go Lyn Go”
“Take ’er down Crono!”

Lyn’s eyes flashed with anger again at the support I had gotten. She quickly came at me with a series of wild kicks and punches that were obvious to detect and block or dodge. She made a high swinging kick to my head that I ducked and hit her hard in the side with both fists.
The crowd roared as Lyn stepped back holding her side. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath through her clenched teeth and released it slowly and opening her eyes. They were strangely calm now like the silence before the worst of the storm.
I eased slightly, keeping every nerve on end; ready to move when I had to. Relaxing myself further I called out; ‘Ready to give up?’ She gave a smirk and replied, ‘Not a chance!’ before rushing again.
I took a step backwards as she launched herself again into a fury of punches that were both quick and well marked. Hardly had I time to block one hand when the moment it is blocked it would be switched with the other.
So quick and precise they were, a true trait of Raze. Is she his daughter? No, her hair is red as blood and his silver as the moon. His eyes are blue as the ocean, but her eyes… the same as my own.
Suddenly just as I knocked away her hand, when a hard boot landed a hit on my chest and I stumbled back into the crowd. Catching me before I fell the watchers stood me up and one called to me; ‘It’s alright Crono you can do it”
Suddenly I felt a wave of pity sweep over me. As I looked through the crowd I noticed how only Klein and Folgir were the only ones trying to cheer Lyn. Everyone else was on my side and yet she fought on knowing how stupid she must have looked trying her best to fight me, an outsider in a sea of brothers in arms.

I stepped forwards and held up my hand, ‘Stop’ I said. ‘This is useless’
I looked at the crowd that had gone silent, then back to Lyn. ‘I see it now Lyn. I no longer wish to fight you’[/I]

The statement dumbfounded Lyn. Still with her hands raised for combat, the anger seemed to disappear from her features and her eyes were gentle and bright but confused. ‘What?’ She finally said.
“I no longer wish to fight you Lyn,” he repeated. “I can see now why you are special. And I know more about you through combat than words could say. I trust you now, and that is why you will be my second along with Klein.’
Her hands dropped as fast as her jaw did. “Your what?’
He smirked, “Your first duty will be to get the civilians into lower levels. While I go to the surface”
At this Klein stepped in, “The surface? But SSI would be all over you. What are you going to do out there?”
“To get food, oh I am also taking my guns back Lyn.” Crono replied as he walked into the crowd. And that was the last they saw or heard from him that night.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully and by early morning, most were awake and hungry. Folgir had managed to make a hot tasty broth using what was left of the rat meat and although it wasn’t very filling, it warmed the body and raised some tired spirits.
By mid-morning Klein and Lyn had the civilians ready and moving. The going was slow as there was so many people and things to carry. Folgir and the repair team managed to rig up several large carts using barrel lids as wheels and the barrels split in two for the cart to help with larger objects. Klein had set up a defense outside Erimar’s cavern to wait for Crono and his team.

With each step, the crumbled Resistance went further and further into the underground. By afternoon Klein had estimated that they were 2 miles beneath the surface when a soldier approached quickly from the rear of the line. It was Jace who had gone with Crono’s team to the surface. Klein allowed him to regain his breath before speaking.
“Klein we did it! We have food and a whole truck packed with it! Crono and the rest are driving it back now we need some helpers to bring it down.”
Lyn stepped in saying; “Wait, how did you get here so fast then”
The rookie’s face broke into a wicked smile, ‘Crono leant me his bike,’ he said and broke out laughing at the horrified look on their faces. Klein called Folgir, and several soldiers to head back and help with the food. Several civilians who had overheard the conversation agreed to go as long as there were soldiers.
“Hey Fol take your cart with you,” said Lyn.
“Aye marm I weel,” he replied with a smile.

After another few hours of trekking they came to the largest cavern yet. In the darkness the large roar of water could be heard clearly. In the distance were long beaming rays of beautiful sunlight that seemed to radiate from the ceiling far above.
Lyn was shaking with excitement. ‘The Sun! Klein the Sun it’s the Sun!’ She yelled before jumping down the slope at top speed. Within minutes she was in the distant sunlight dancing.
Klein had watched her go and continued to move everyone into the cavern. Civilians who had never seen the sunlight because of the half-plate were just as amazed with the wondrous rays of light and laughing at Lyn, still dancing the in the spotlight.

Suddenly Folgir came charging through the mass of bodies with his cart yelling for Klein. ‘Klein! Klein where arr ye! Klein! Wat ya dooin standin ‘round f’ore? Cahn’t ya see Lyn’s inna heep of trouble!’
A quiet murmur raced back through the ever-growing camp and everyone looked towards Lyn.
Klein looked back at Lyn still far in the distance, “Are you sure Fol? She looks like she’s dancing’

He growled and dropped his cart, ‘Then use those bi-nocs o’ yer’s ye pudden ‘ead’ he said before dashing off faster than Lyn did.
Jumping to the cart Klein peered through his scope at Lyn in the distance. What she was really doing looked as though she was fighting an invisible enemy at first. But soon Klein noticed dark shapes flashing out of the darkness at Lyn who was knocking them right back just as swift.
He turned back to the soldiers quickly issuing orders, ‘Wolfe, Daniels, McNeil, take ten others and get out there now they need help!’
They stood idle and looked at him. The one named McNeil called back, ‘Why should we? You’re just a scientist! You’re no soldier or captain. We’re not risking our necks to save her’
Klein looked to the sea of unwilling people and called, ‘Will no one help Lyn’
‘We will!’ It was Jace with a load of snacks in his hand.

Nearby Nero was in a foul mood at Jace’s success and better mission, when Jace had come back with snacks from the food van. ‘Nero there’s no time for snacks we gotta go help captain Lyn!’
The two quickly gained their things as ran off towards Lyn with the cries and bellows from their elder soldiers.
“Bah Nero and Jace do anything to be a hero”
“Likkle Jace and Nero trying to be soldiers he he he”
Gripping their weapons tightly they continued on with the sound of their harsh laughter and Klein’s voice trying to give some encouragement.

Lyn had been in constant battle for over twenty minutes with large mutated, and disease ridden dogs with grotesque and mutilated bodies. She had managed to keep them at bay and take no serious wounds. Some with just a mere flick of the arm sends a flying dog in another direction, others with strong hard punches or kicks, and others by avoiding the beast altogether with a twist of her body or a bound away.
Suddenly they had scattered with the sudden appearance of Folgir who slew the nearest dog with his large knife. They stood back to back with Folgir handing Lyn a set of automatic handguns and some ammo and taking two of his own. Using firearms seemed to slow down the assault with only short but fierce attacks from the dogs before a chance to reload their weapons.
‘So who’s all coming eh?’ Said Lyn
‘Ah tink none weel come’ replied Folgir.
‘So how many are there?’
‘Ah saw about two ‘core and ten’
‘You could have said fifty’
He smiled before they started firing at the next wave and yelled over the noise of gun shots; ‘Ah know Ah wanted ta make it sound less’
They had killed five more in the attack, which dwindled their numbers to thirty-seven and using up the last of their supply of bullets. Drawing his two daggers Folgir snarled at the beasts causing them to slink away in fear but only for a brief moment as they slowly approached their prey again. Lyn shook off the feeling of impending doom and put on a brave face. ‘Pshaw is that all you hounds have’
Folgir twirled one of his knives in his hand as he joined the taunting, ‘Yaw tis that all ye got’
‘Nice to know you Fol’
‘Don’ tink nutin of it marm weel get oot of it’

The dogs ready to pounce, when they scattered again at the battle cries of Nero and Jace; Yalihooo! Death on the winds! Yalihoooooooo!’
The two launched themselves into the light like two howling wolves firing with SMG and shotgun alike until their ammunition was spent. In the attack they had killed over twenty-five of the dogs as they now stood four-square with Lyn and Folgir holding each a weapon of their own.
Nero with a small sickle attached with a twenty-foot long chain to a small, but heavy mace head. Jace held a pair of Tonfa, a club with a handle out one side, which he held them from.
Lyn noticed the curious object then smiled sweetly to them both. ‘I like your addition to the battle cry. Death to the winds’
‘No. Death on the winds’ Nero corrected.
‘Whatever I think I’ll use it eh Fol?’
‘Aye nice and loud now’

They launched themselves into the remaining dogs with the war cry echoing far and sounding like a large pack of angry wolves; ‘ Yalihoo! Death on the wind! Yalihooooo!’ The remaining dogs only half-heartedly fought now, they were tired from being repelled by Lyn and these new invaders to their home were much to quick and powerful for them. Only two or three got away, back into the safety of the ever-deepening caverns where the invaders would not go.

Nero and Jace both sat in the warm sunlight with deep scratches covering their arms and legs. Nero had taken a nasty scratch across the cheek, which Lyn had said would probably leave a scar. After the rush of their first battle wore off they sat and conversed over the events of the battle.
‘Did you see me hit that dog in the face?’
‘Did you see when I sent that one flying into two others?’
‘What about when Lyn kicked one at me and I finished it off’
‘Or the one I blew away with my shotgun’

Folgir shook his head at the two rookies as he cleaned his knifes off on his pants before sheathing them. He was about to say something to them when Lyn placed a hand on his shoulder and whispering to him; ‘let them chatter on. Sure that was a life threatening fight but that was no battle. When the time comes they will have their battle, and if they survive they will do the same thing, but they will weep at the friends they’ve lost.’
He grumbled and looked at the ground with his eye. ‘Aye da first battle ish usually a ‘ard un. Such a long tiem ago twas mae first’ He looked back to Lyn who smiled at him.
‘Come of think of it, I never really had a real battle myself.’

They took their time returning to the camp, as they did not want to meet what was waiting there. Upon noticing their return, Klein walked out to meet them in the darkness. His voice was dull as he reported what happened after Folgir had left to save Lyn. The camp was ready and the mini-sun was set high in the cave. Lyn however was interested in the news that Crono’s team had returned but he had not.
‘That’s strange, you think he’s talking with Erimar?’ She said.
‘Who?’ Nero, Jace, and Klein’s voice rang with puzzlement.
‘Oh uhmmm’ Then Lyn told the three about the encounter with the Dragon. Nero and Jace were both amazed having heard of legends of Dragons long dead.
‘Cool I didn’t know dragons really existed’ Nero said.
‘Nero, you didn’t know what a Dragon was until I just explained it to you’

Then a large commotion broke out with in the camp. Upon hearing several gunshots the group hurried to a scene with Crono standing alone on a crate of food surrounded by people, gun drawn and pointed at the ceiling as the only sound that could be heard was the patter of rocks hitting the ground from the gunshots in the ceiling. Lyn elbowed her way through the crowd and whispered to a flat orange haired rookie wearing a green vest; ‘hey what’s up?’
The rookie looked to Lyn with his dark hazel eyes, ‘Cronos come back and he’s rightly ticked off. Now quiet I’m trying to listen.’ He whispered harshly back to Lyn.

He stood in silence with his eyes closed for several moments before opening them and scanning the crowd. When he spoke, his eyes were like a knife driving into your soul ever so slowly and his voice dripped with anger, though he looked as a father would look if his son had lost a sheep.
‘So,’ he started, ‘this is what has become of the Resistance. No more do I see a family who would risk their lives for another, no, I see no family, I see cowards, cowards who do not want their freedom enough to fight for it unless they have to. Cowards who will only go into battle so long as I am there, for I am the great hero like legends of old that will be the savior of you all. I am mortal like any other, and I can fail, and I can make mistakes, and I can be wrong.’
He jumped from the crate and walked towards the crowd looking to the faces of people he once held deep respect for; Wolfe, McIntyre, Hareb, Oland, and others he knew not so well. But with every old face came a young one full of fire and determination, which did not falter when his eye came to theirs as it did with every elder. Striding slowly around the ring he continued to speak.
‘I need people who would die so that others would be free, so that they could be free. I need people who will help others even if it means they meet their doom.’ This caused more of older soldiers to look away even more, and yet every young face he came across did not. It was they, who could win their freedom. Strolling back to the crate Crono jumped on it spoke a verse from a song Lyn didn’t know.

We are, We are the Saints!
We take away the pain!
It does not matter what they gain
We shall make it all in vain

Lyn was in a daze like most others who stood listening, her world seemed distant and her focus was on something she couldn’t really see, or that wasn’t there. Crono was speaking, but it was not his voice but a gentler one. Snapping back at the cold harsh voice of Crono who had begun speaking again.
‘I give you all two choices. You can leave and return to the surface for I have no use for cowards who stand and laugh as others risk their lives.’ At this most of the faces turned downwards in shame.
‘You will be given two days worth of supplies and after that you are on your own. Or you can stay and fight and more than likely die in battle so that others can live free.’
At this the crowd became alive with rookies who had pushed their way through everyone else with Nero leading the group with a still bleeding cuts across his face. The rookies all circled around Crono with Nero stepping out. His face bright with courage and more determination than anyone else as he spoke loud and proud; ‘Crono; us rookies have only one thing to say!’ He raised his fist in the air and all at once the cave exploded with the war cries;
‘Death for freedom!’
‘Yalihooooooooooo!
‘Death on the wind’
‘Yalihooooooooooooo!’

The last echoed through the cave sounding again like wolf howls. Crono smiled and winked at Nero ‘Death on the wind eh?’
Lyn kept her distance from Crono and stood on the outer ring with Folgir and Klein. ‘You see that?’ She said.
Klein and Folgir exchanged worried glances before looking at Lyn.
‘See what?’ asked Klein.
Shaking her head and shrugging her shoulders she spoke; ‘I dunno. Maybe light trick me eyes’
She looked back at Crono smiling and cheering with the rookies, for a moment she had thought Crono looked much younger, like the rookies around him. As if the war cry kindled some pleasant memory from his past