FanFic: Phantasy Star Online: Darkness Falls [Chapter 6]

[Stormsworder]

((Woohoo, finally worked on this some. I got some much-needed information from Wikipedia, thankfully, so that helped out in writing this. This is essentially a new version of Darkness Falls, and one I WILL keep with writing. The first two chapters may be a bit short, but that's how its meant to be. It'll get longer later on. Also, I'm aware this seems to be written quickly, which it was.))

Chapter 1: The Door to Darkness
A.U.W. 3082

Lieutenant Michael Faye peered through the scope of his Sniper, tuning out the nervous chatter and whine of machinery as Pioneer 1’s military forces slowly made their way through the mysterious ruins. Everyone who had gone before their team had never come back out. This made Michael nervous, but he did his best not to show it. A good soldier didn’t freeze of in fear in the middle of a battle… But still, he couldn’t shake the bad feeling he had about these ruins. Something evil was in here, something terrible…

Deputy Commander Heathcliff Flowen, leader of the force, approached him. “Lt. Faye, have you spotted anything yet?”

He shook his head, not even looking towards his commanding officer as he continued to keep watch. “Not yet, sir. It’s strange… There doesn’t even seem to be any traces of the earlier teams that were sent in… Just what got them? And where are their bodies?”

“I don’t know…” Commander Flowen murmured. “But it does have me worried.” He brushed his white mustache with one hand, a grim look on his face. “Continue to keep watch. Whatever got the science team could come after us.”

“Don’t worry, sir. I’ll—“ A scream of terror cut him off, coming from the front ranks. Michael pointed his rifle to the front, his heart racing as he saw a pit there in front of the ranks. What had scared them like that? What could make grown men and women scream like little kids…?

That was when he saw it. A monster began to crawl out of the dark pit before them. Its body seemed to cycle through life and death, its flesh shifting and changing, mutating even as it pulled itself forth from the darkness. It was so horrible, so monstrous, that Michael’s mind couldn’t comprehend it accurately.

“Fire! Fire!” Commander Flowen shouted, his sword in hand. Photon bullets leapt forth, joined by the missiles from the Garanz assault mecha. But “IT” wasn’t even fazed. “IT” crawled forth with eager anticipation, cutting a swath through their forces. Michael stared wide-eyed as soldier after soldier fell. He was so numb with shock that he didn’t even see how most of his comrades died. Their dead and mangled bodies only hinted slightly at their terrible and sudden deaths…

“Fall back! Lieutenant, provide us with covering fire, but do your best to stay out of that thing’s reach!”

Michael snapped out of his daze, immediately firing off rapid shots at “IT”. The Photon bullets did nothing more than draw its attention to him. He wasn’t able to move as he felt and ancient and terrible evil enter his mind, going through it as if it were reading a book.

“You are not the one…”

“IT” towered over him, its flesh rippling as a massive hand gripped him around his waist. He was lifted into the air, his Sniper falling to the ground with a loud clatter.

“But you will suffice…”

“IT” pressed him against its rippling flesh, and immediately Michael could feel the flesh crawl forward onto his body, as if its flesh was alive also. An excruciating pain spread forth wherever the flesh touched him, and Michael began to scream in pain and agony. His struggles only quickened the process, his body now being pulled into “IT”. With a final scream, darkness filled his vision, and his soul was ripped from his body by the dark force that had slumbered in the ruins for 1000 years…

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

Danielle Sterling stood at her door, straining to listen to the conversation her father was having with his colleague. She couldn’t tell what it was about, but she knew it was serious.

“Whatever was in there was incredibly strong and nearly wiped out the entire force. Flowen barely escaped, but he now has this strange new infection that we believe is from the life form that killed the unit. Dr. Osto will soon send you a sample of this D-Type Factor to you, since he believes its uses as a catalyst in creating bio-weapons will be unparalleled to anything else,” the unfamiliar voice spoke.

“Bio-weapons? Perhaps… I will carry out my own controlled experiments on it. We may finally make a breakthrough…” Her father trailed off, discussing some scientific jargon that just made Danielle more confused. She quietly shut her door, making her way to her bed and lying down on it. Confused thoughts swirled through her head. Her father had grown very secretive about his research and wouldn’t tell Danielle a single thing about it. It was a boring life, with him always obsessed with his work and not caring about her. She yearned to get away and do something exciting instead of always sitting around…

“When Pioneer 2 gets here, I can go back to Mom, and she’ll be nicer to me than Dad is…” she whispered to herself, repeating what she would always tell herself over the years. They would be here in two years… Just two more years…

Danielle sighed, turning onto her side and closing her eyes, thinking about how much fun she would have being back with her mother. It didn’t taker her long to doze off, dreaming of her mother and being with her again as she often did.

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

Rico Tyrell sat on the edge of her bed, her head down, tears trickling slowly down her face. Heathcliff Flowen was dead. Her mentor had died suddenly and mysteriously. She had just seen him not long ago, and now he was gone…

She wiped her face, her glasses lying on her nightstand. But she didn’t put them on as she looked out her window at the full moon above. The soldiers didn’t tell her the details behind his death, making her suspicious. What exactly had happened? Lately, the government had been keeping a lot of secrets from them. Rico and a few others had noticed strange reports about the food consumption and the size of the Central Dome. While the public was oblivious to this, she and her friends immediately knew something was going on. But they couldn’t really look into it, seeing as how this was a government matter.

The government has always been corrupt… I bet the Alliance of Nations back on Coral is having some major problems now… There’s always war and corruption when it comes to our government, it seems…

Rico let out a frustrated sigh, wiping the tears from her face. She could only imagine how her father would react to this news, hearing that his close friend and the one who he told to watch over her was dead.

“Two more years,” she whispered softly. “They’ll be here in two years…” Rico shook her head slightly, her mind racing through her thoughts as she pulled the covers over her. So many things had happened. She would get to the bottom of this, no matter what it took.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Stormsworder on 2007-04-17 17:18 ]</font>


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Stormsworder on 2008-05-13 18:28 ]</font>


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Stormsworder on 2008-05-15 17:32 ]</font>


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Stormsworder on 2008-05-18 07:53 ]</font>

[Stormsworder]

((This had to be the hardest chapter to write because the info I printed out for PSO got me confused... Hunters had existed for a while, yet the info for the current year said that Rico formed the Hunters, a defense force. I tried my best to adapt to it, so it may sound a bit off.))

Chapter 2: The Hunters
A.U.W. 3083

“Tyrell, the animals have been attacking the civilians. I thought you said they were peaceful!”

Rico frowned, staring Principal Hakuro in the eyes. “They were, sir. I have no idea why they’ve suddenly grown violent. I’ve been looking into it, but nothing’s come up.”

Principal Hakuro scowled. “Then look harder. Pioneer 2 will arrive in less than a year. I don’t want them landing and being harried by these animals when they were told it was safe.”

Rico was growing irritated slightly, but she struggled to keep it out of her voice. “I understand, sir. It’ll be taken care of.”

Hakuro’s scowl deepened. “It better be, Tyrell. So far you Hunters have been pretty useless with helping us as of late. I don’t see what Colin ever saw in them. Just a bunch of rogues, that’s all you are… Humph. You’re dismissed, Tyrell.”

Rico turned away, walking out of his office. As soon as the doors hissed closed behind her, she let out a frustrated sigh. Principal Hakuro was as controlling and power-hungry as they came. He acted like the Hunters were so much lower than the rest of the citizens. They were just servants, tools to him… While her father had great trust and faith in the hunters, Hakuro absolutely despised them…

“And we’re trying to find out what’s going on, but a handful of hunters can’t do much on their own…”

“What if you called all of the hunters you trust the most to form a group to look into this?” the familiar voice of her friend Kana spoke as the Force stepped forward, wearing flowing black-and-red robes. Her black hair was pulled up in an intricate style. “I’m sure an organized team would do a better job at solving this problem, and maybe it will help you to get Hakuro to ease up a bit.”

Rico smiled wearily at her friend. “That is a pretty good idea, Kana, but I’m not really sure if any of the others would come. It’s been pretty difficult finding anything out, and I’ve worked with some of the others a couple of times…” She brushed one of her locks of red hair out of her eyes. “Get some of the others and have them meet me out in the Residential Sector, I guess. We’ll go with your idea, Kana.”

The Force bowed her head slightly. “Very well. I’ll get them for you, Rico.” With a slight smile, she turned away and began to walk off down the corridor, her shoes clacking slightly on the metal floor. Rico allowed a slight smirk before heading off herself. Principal Hakuro was in for a surprise.

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

Rico took a deep breath of the crisp morning air, listening to the singing of the birds around her. This part of the Residential Sector was currently home to only the native animals, but when Pioneer 2 arrived, it would become the new home of a significant amount of the ship’s passengers. But for now, she enjoyed relaxing out here in the warm sun sometimes, catching a breather while sifting through her jumbled thoughts.

She tilted her head to the side slightly, watching as Kana stepped into view on the rough dirt path, her dark blue eyes scanning the area. When her gaze fell on Rico, she nodded slightly and motioned her hand behind her. Several others stepped forward, dressed in the armor of their different professions. Rico knew all of them, Hunters who she had worked beside on the Surface Exploration Team when they had first arrived. These were people she trusted with her life.

Rico took note of all the familiar faces before she started to speak. “I know this is sudden, but I’m glad you came. This has to do with the order from Principal Hakuro, as you all may know. He ordered us to investigate the violent outbursts of the native animals, but so far, we haven’t gotten anywhere in that investigation. Kana gave me an idea. I chose only my friends I could trust the most, you, for this. I propose that we form an official organization to look into this matter and defend the citizens from these violent animals.”

Zanryu, the Ranger who was Kana’s husband, spoke up. “It’s a good idea, I agree. It’d be much easier to find out what’s going on if we formed such a group instead of being as disorganized as we are now,” he said, his voice muffled by the black mask her wore. He ran a hand slightly through his black hair, the scar over his left eye giving him a menacing look, even though in truth he was actually a kind-hearted person.

“And if there are others we can find and trust, we can recruit their help,” Rakion spoke in his metallic voice, the RAcast folding his yellow-armored arms. He had been Zanryu’s partner for several years now. “With a larger force than what we have here, the investigation may go smoother than it has.”

Rico nodded, satisfied. This was going better than she had expected. She shouldn’t have doubted that her friends would be willing to band together like this. “So then, who’s with me?”

Without hesitation, without pause, the Hunters all stepped forward as one. Rico couldn’t help but smile at this. Just like when they arrived six years ago and were assigned to the Surface Exploration Team, they had all chosen to follow her. As she spoke, her voice was firm and filled with determination. “We Hunters will be the ones who get to the bottom of this while Hakuro just sits at his desk. We’ll be the ones to protect our friends and families here on Ragol from this threat.”

A roar rose up from the group as they pumped their fists in the air. Rico knew that her friends would stick with her through this. She was about to speak again when she heard the familiar roar of a Booma from behind her. Within seconds, several other roars accompanied the first, along with the howls of Savage Wolves.

Why am I not surprised?

Rico pressed a button on her storage unit, holding out both hands to her side as light gathered into her hands, forming her massive Red Sword. Her friends readied their weapons, ranging from rifles and mechguns to double sabers and staves.

As the animals drew closer, their eyes filled with bloodlust and rage, the Hunters prepared themselves for a fight.

[Stormsworder]

((Huh. I actually managed to find it without too much effort. Well, don't worry. I'm a decent bit into this on paper and I'm definitely planning on not letting it die. I'm working on this while writing my fanfic for ObsCure at the same time. Yes, I'm back on the scene. ...and probably getting no reviews... Now that I look back on this, I realize the first three chapters really need to be rewritten with more details... Meh.))

Chapter 3: Arrival
A.U.W. 3084

Rico brushed a strand of her red hair out of her eyes, adjusting her glasses slightly as she walked down the pathway through the forest that led to the Residential Sector. The day had finally arrived. Pioneer 2 would reach Ragol after so many years. She would finally be able to see her father again…

Maybe father will take Hakuro’s place… I hope he does… Hakuro is too much like the leaders on Coral. They desired for power after Photon energy was discovered and put our world in the sorry state it’s in. And they did the same when that strange meteor arrived…

Rico tried to push the thought of the government’s corruption out of her mind as her anger rose up inside of her. Now wasn’t the time to be thinking about the incompetent government of her home world. There were more important things to do right now. Hakuro had ordered her to scout around the Residential Sector to see if any more wild animals were causing problems.

“I hate you, Dad!” Rico looked up as she heard a girl shouting from near one of the buildings. “Sit and rot in front of your microscopes and computers for all I care! I’m leaving!” Rico raised an eyebrow as she watched a young girl storming out of one of the buildings and taking off into the forest. A few seconds later, a tall and lanky man with long, disheveled brown hair and blue eyes, dressed in the uniform of a member of the Pioneer 1 Lab, came to the door. He only glanced in the direction the girl had left for a second, an indifferent look on his face, before pressing a button to close the door.

That was Ethan Sterling, that big-shot scientist in biogenetics. Why is his daughter so mad at him? I thought he was a decent guy from the bit I talked to him…

Rico was still wondering just what could have happened when her comm link crackled to life, Kyle’s voice coming over it. “We’ve got reports of wolves out near the Residential Sector where you’re patrolling. Care to check it out, Rico?”

“Sure thing. I saw a girl running in that direction.”

Kyle sounded a bit worried. “Not good. Better find her fast. You have thirty minutes until Pioneer 2 arrives.”

Rico pressed a button on her arm unit, then held out her right hand as light flowed into it. Her Red Saber materialized, its Photon blade humming softly. “Let’s hope I can find her before the wolves do.”

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

Danielle was sitting with her back against a tree, her knees pulled up to her chin, strands of her brown hair falling over her blue eyes. She was crying softly, sadness and anger swirling around inside. She had felt this way so many times, and she hated it. Her dad never cared about her, never loved her. All she wanted was for him to be nice to her, to be proud of the things she did. But he was never proud, and he never cared. He hadn’t even looked at her when she suggested that they go and watch the arrival of Pioneer 2. When he had instead said that she had to go with him to that island again in a few minutes, she had snapped on him. That was when she had stormed out of the house and ran into the forest, to an area where not much development had been going on.

“I hate him…. I hate him so much….” She whispered with a quivering voice. “When Mom comes, I’ll never go back to him…. I never will.” Danielle wiped away the tears, feeling a bit angry at herself for crying over this. It wasn’t like it hadn’t happened before… She should be used to something like this by now. Not a day went by when they didn’t argue over something. Soon she wouldn’t have to worry about it though. Pioneer 2 was arriving today. She would be free of that man and finally be with her mother again.

Danielle lifted her head slightly, hearing the slight rustle of leaves from the bushes nearby. She looked to her right, but nothing was there. It was probably just the wind, but it was odd that she didn’t feel the breeze…

Another rustling of leaves reached her ears, this time to her left. Danielle quickly turned her head, her eyes widening as her gaze fell on a light brown-furred and grey-skinned Savage Wolf, its red eyes locking onto her. It let out a low growl, then lifted up its head and howled. Danielle could hear another growl from her right, a second Savage Wolf coming from the foliage. Fear rose up inside of her as she realized she had made a very stupid mistake. She had gone into one of the undeveloped areas where the animals roamed freely. Lately, they had all been told to be careful because of the increased violent outbursts, especially around this area…

They both slinked forward towards her, their paws padding softly on the grass, the sound lost beneath the rapid pounding of her heart. “N-No…” she whispered, her voice trembling as much as her body. The Savage Wolves growled again, tensing, their muscles rippling beneath their fur as they prepared to leap. “No!”

The first Savage Wolf leapt at her, teeth bared, saliva dripping from its mouth. A red Photon blade dug deep into its side, the energy searing through its flesh. The blade ripped out sideways, flinging away the Savage Wolf’s corpse. The second wolf looked up, just as the blade dug into its neck, ending its life in one swift and fatal blow. Danielle looked up, still trembling in fear as a woman with red hair and blue highlights in her hair lowered the Photon saber. She was clad in a red and white hunter’s uniform, a red ring on her left arm. Her red-colored eyes narrowed behind her glasses with frames of a matching color. Seconds passed before the woman relaxed and looked down at Danielle. “Are you okay?”

“Uh… y-yeah….” Danielle stammered, realizing with awe that this was Red Ring Rico, the famous hero herself. She chided herself for making such a stupid mistake as coming into this area while slowly getting to her feet. “Thank you.”

Rico nodded, but she had a serious look on her face. “You should go back home. It’s not safe out here.”

Danielle thought about her father, and her anger pushed through her fear, all thoughts about the mistake she had just made vanishing. “I’m not going back. I hate that man.”

Irritation appeared on Rico’s face, but it quickly passed. “Would you rather die out here at the hands of these animals?” Danielle ignored her words, turning to face the tree she had been sitting against, starting to climb up it. “What’re you doing? Are you even listening to me?”

Danielle looked down, her navy blue vest waving slightly in the gentle breeze that now came. “I already told you, I’m not going back,” she said stubbornly. “You don’t know what he’s like. I’ll wait here until Pioneer 2 gets here so I can go with Mom instead of him.” She looked up once more, grabbing the branch above her, her feet bracing against the bark of the trunk as she made her way to the higher branches. When she looked down, Rico still stood there.

With a sigh, Rico shook her head. “Fine. I’ll clear out the rest of the Savage Wolves reported in the area and come back to check on you.”

Danielle felt a bit surprised by this. “I’m fine. I can take care of myself.”

“Like you did with those wolves?” Rico retorted. “They nearly killed you, kid.”

Danielle frowned a bit. “I’m sixteen, so don’t patronize me.”

Rico put her left hand on her hip, her eyes narrowing as she squinted up at her. “Maybe you should cut back on your attitude. Look, I know you hate your dad, but don’t take it out on others. I was just trying to help. Is this how you thank me for saving your life?” She just shook her head now, her hand dropping to her side. “When I get back, I’m going to take you back to the Central Dome.”

Danielle was about to protest, but when she looked down, Rico had already left. Danielle hesitated, a pang of guilt in her heart, along with irritation at herself.

How stupid can I get? I get saved by Rico Tyrell, the hunter that I’ve always aspired to be as good as, and then I go off and get into an argument with her. But… I’m not going back to Dad. I never will.

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

Rico had really been irritated by the young girl. She had one serious attitude problem, and it had tried her patience. She strode through the forest, activating her comm unit. “Kyle, I found the girl, but she wouldn’t go back. Dr. Sterling has one hard-headed daughter.”

“Huh? Dr. Ethan Sterling? The big authority in biogenetics along with Dr. Osto?” Kyle asked in surprise.

“Yeah. You know anything about him?”

“He’s been working with Dr. Osto Hyle ever since the meteor impact twenty years ago. I even heard he’s been involved in some big secret project. Rumor has it that he pretty much doesn’t care about his daughter at all, even though he denies it. I doubt he even told her about her mother’s death.”

A shiver ran up her spine, memories rising unbidden to her mind. “How did Kate die?”

Kyle’s voice dropped a notch, taking on a deadly serious tone. “Black Paper.”

Rico hesitated. Black Paper was an underworld syndicate that most people thought was just a group of black market traders. In truth, they were a force under direct control of the Alliance of Nations. “Why? Why would they get her?”

“A buddy of mine thinks she got too close to something they were hiding. Something big. Something about Ragol.”

Rico thought about all the strange info that had been dug up regarding Pioneer 1. Dr. Sterling working with Dr. Osto, the Lab Chief of Pioneer 1, on a secret project, his own wife being killed by members of a group under government control… “We’ll talk about this later, Kyle. Be careful that the wrong people aren’t listening.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Without another word, the comm link shut off.

Rico slowly looked around, focusing on her mission once more and pushing thoughts of the strange conspiracy out of her mind. It was then she realized that it was way too quiet. Not even the song of the birds reached her ears. It was a forest of silence, and it sent chills up her spine.

The Savage Wolves aren’t even around, and they were supposed to be around here in large packs!

She gripped her Red Saber a bit tighter, pushing through the branches into a clearing that allowed her to see part of the Central Dome. A red symbol was over the top of it, growing outwards around one of the towers. Pioneer 2 had arrived! A beam of red light shot straight through the air while a blue beam came down to the lower of the two towers on the Dome. With the guidance beams in place, the ship would be making its descent.

Rico couldn’t help but grin. After so many years, they had finally arrived. But the grin fell away as goose bumps popped up along her skin, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. Something was wrong, terribly wrong.

Without warning, there was a massive explosion of energy that swept forth, engulfing the Central Dome and cutting off the guidance beams. The energy engulfed everything in its path, spreading forth like a hungry beast. Rico had no time to react as the bright blue light filled her vision completely.

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

Danielle’s legs dangled in the air as she looked out at the Central Dome from her perch on the tree branch. Her heart was racing with excitement as she saw the two beams of light. She had waited for this moment for so long. She would finally be able to see her mother’s kind and loving face again.

Danielle blinked rapidly now, squinting at something she saw behind the Central Dome. It was a large transparent shape, “wings” opening up behind it. For a moment, time seemed to stand still for her. Her entire body felt cold and numb all of a sudden, and she felt something there in the distance, something ancient and evil.

As the explosion engulfed everything, Danielle felt the cold evil wrap around her, slipping into her mind and searching for something. She felt so cold and tired, and before the explosion of energy even reached her, Danielle had slipped into the darkness that had crept into her body.

[Nitro Vordex]

Wow. This is exceptional in my opinion. I'd like to see more of this. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_yes.gif

I thought the Principal was a girl at first in Chapter two, but I figured it out. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime2.gif

[Stormsworder]

((Heh, glad ya like it... http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif))

Chapter 4: Forest of Silence

Rico let out a frustrated sigh as she heard the hiss of static from her comm link. She hadn’t been able to raise anyone across any of the channels. It was almost like she was the only person alive on the face of the planet.

Don’t even think like that, her mind chided, the rational side of her kicking in. There are others, and you have to find them. You can’t be the only one alive. Maybe that explosion just fried the circuitry in everything. It would explain how you survived and how everything around doesn’t even look like that explosion occurred.

Pushing away the despair that crept through her, Rico retraced her steps through the forest, barely noting the unusual silence that surrounded her as she tightened her grip on her Red Saber. She stopped now, not sure why as her red eyes slowly scanned the area. Then it dawned on her. This was where she had met Ethan Sterling’s daughter, if memory served correctly. Could it be she was still here? She peered up at the tree, scanning its branches to see if the girl was still on any of them, but she wasn’t. She looked down now, examining around the base of the tree. She caught a glimpse of something in the grass, and it took her confused and worried mind a bit to realize that it was a person lying face-down in the grass.

Rico rushed over to the person, laying her Red Saber on the ground and gently grabbing their shoulders before turning them over. It was the same girl from before.

“Don’t be dead,” she whispered with worry, checking the girl’s pulse and breathing. Relief flooded through Rico as she discovered the girl was still alive. She apparently had fallen from the tree or something, a few scrapes and bruises on her. She was fortunate to have survived, but there was no telling if she had broken anything or had a concussion. “I need to get her somewhere safe… She won’t last long out here.” Rico stored her Red Saber, even though her mind was screaming at her not to put away her weapon in such a dangerous situation where she didn’t have enough information on what was going on or what dangers lurked around her. She picked up the girl with ease in both arms, noting absently that she had to be just a teenager still.

Looking around for a second, Rico then continued to retrace her steps, making her way back to the Residential Sector. Her arms not even straining, she pressed her elbow against the switch to Dr. Sterling’s home and stepped through the door as it opened with a hiss. “Dr. Sterling? Dr. Sterling!” Rico called out, being answered only by silence. Rico frowned, straining to hear anything within the residence, but all she heard was her own pounding heart.

Rico shifted slightly to get a better grip on the girl, closing the door behind her with another press against a button with her elbow. She cautiously made her way deeper into the house, entering the living room. Her eyes flickered over to a computer desk in the corner with papers scattered about it and the chair still pushed in. It looked like someone had been working there just moments before. Rico gently set the girl down on the couch, worried since she still hadn’t woken up.

I wonder where Dr. Sterling is, though… Her eyes flickered over to the computer, narrowing behind her glasses. I wonder if there’s anything on there that may say what happened, or maybe where he even is… Curious, Rico strode over to it and checked the monitor, glancing over the various charts. They didn’t make any sense, but two caught her eye. It was a chart of the energy levels from some undisclosed source in the Central Dome area, but the coordinates weren’t familiar to her. They had risen dramatically right before the explosion. “Energy levels… Maybe it has to relate to the explosion. But where did the reports come from? Who sent them?” She looked at another chart, her heart beating faster in her chest. “D-Cellular Activity in subject Gamma 059…?” She glanced between it and the energy chart. They seemed almost the same, but there was one major difference. The energy levels had declined. The D-Cellular activity didn’t.

D-Cellular… Isn’t that related to the D-Factor they found in the meteor all that time ago? What were they making? What in the world were they trying to do?

Rico frowned, confused thoughts whirling in her mind. Something dark had been going on within the Pioneer 1’s research groups. Had Heathcliff been involved in it?

She shook her head, trying not to think about it as she looked back at the girl, focusing on her. Did she even know what her father had been involved in? With a slight sigh, Rico accessed her storage unit, checking her weapon names on the screen. She found the one she was looking for and took out a plain Handgun that she had kept with her in case of emergencies. She set it down on the table in the middle of the room, glancing once more at the girl. Rico couldn’t afford to waste time staying here. She had to find any survivors. Hopefully the girl would be fine on her own.

An explosion that left no marks, unknown experiments, peaceful animals who suddenly became violent… What’s really going on?

Having no answers, Rico adjusted her glasses slightly before drawing her Red Saber and heading out the door. It was time to enter the forest once more.

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Danielle groaned in pain, her head throbbing painfully as she slowly came around. She forced her eyes open, trying to take in her surroundings even though her vision was blurry. The place looked familiar… Was she in her house?

She slowly sat up, rubbing the side of her head a bit. How did she get here? One minute she was outside, and the next she was in her house with a pounding headache. She blinked rapidly to clear her vision, recognizing where she was. She was in her living room, but her father wasn’t at his computer like he usually was. Her wandering gaze fell on something on the table now, definitely not remembering it being there before she left. It was a weapon, a Handgun, its green Photon charge glowing softly. “What’s this doing here…? It can’t be Dad’s…” She swung her legs over the side of the sofa, carefully picking up the Handgun. Maybe whoever had brought her to her house had left this here. She had never actually used a weapon before, but something inside of her told her that she would need it.

Danielle looked around slowly, feeling like she was in a dream. Walking over to the door, she pressed the button to open it, the hiss sounding incredibly loud in the silence. She stepped out into the bright sunlight, squinting as she looked around. Why was everything so quiet?

She shuddered a bit, feeling cold for an instant. She shook it off and began to walk forward, following the path back that would lead to the Central Dome transporter. As she walked, she wondered what had happened. Wasn’t there an explosion? Everything seemed perfectly fine, though!

Danielle frowned, looking around slowly now as a sound reached her ears. It was oddly familiar, one that she could have sworn she had heard before. It was almost like a mosquito buzzing in her ear.

“Ow!” she cried, feeling something sharp jab deep into her right arm. As she looked down, she saw a giant purple insect with a sharp, long, needle-like mouth hovering near her arm. Danielle immediately felt fatigued and drained, recognizing the creature as a Mothmant. Fear shot through her, but she struggled to get a grip on herself as she lifted the Handgun and fired point-blank at the insect. It fell to pieces as the bullet ripped through it, but three more began to buzz around her. Danielle aimed up at them, sweat trickling down her face as she fired rapidly. Somehow, she managed to hit them even though her hand trembled like crazy. Her eyes darted around quickly, fear still filling her. She spotted the gate to the next area nearby, even as more buzzing filled the air. She sprinted for the gate, which had barely opened before she was heading for the next one. Brown-furred creatures dug themselves out of the ground around her, claws slicing through the air just inches from her head. But when she reached the gate, she realized with dread that it was locked. The security system must have activated to keep the animals from spreading beyond the area. “No! Open up!” she shouted, slamming her fists against the metal. “Open up! Open up!”

As the creatures roared behind her, fear gripped her heart in its icy hand. Danielle spun around, panicking as she saw how close they were. The animals, Boomas, growled softly as they bared their viciously sharp teeth and flexed their deadly claws. Their purple eyes had a malevolent glare in them, and their muscles rippled under their brown fur. Danielle brought up the Handgun, a primal roar pounding in her ears as she pulled the trigger rapidly. She didn’t even realize she was screaming until it died away in her throat, her breathing coming in ragged gasps. She fell back against the gate, sliding into a sitting position and staring at the bodies of the two Boomas. Danielle was still sitting there, her heart racing painfully fast in her chest, when she was found minutes later by the same woman who had saved her before in the forest.

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

Rico gently gripped the girl’s arm, going over her story of what had happened in her mind. This girl, Danielle, was lucky to be alive. Inexperienced and facing down the wild animals on her own for the first time ever? “Tell me how bad it hurts, Danielle,” she said softly to the teen, her fingers pressing lightly on her bloodied arm. Danielle suddenly yelped in pain, trying to pull her arm away, but Rico kept a firm yet gentle grip. “Ssh, calm down,” Rico instructed, trying to soothe the scared girl. “It’s not too serious, but we need to clean this up so it doesn’t get infected.” She helped Danielle up, making their way to the small stream that flowed through the area. She sat the teen down first before taking a seat on the grass beside Danielle.

“Did you find anyone?” Danielle asked Rico now, the pain still clear in her voice.

Rico shook her head sadly, carefully washing off the blood and cleaning the wound as best as she could. “I haven’t been looking long, but so far, no luck.” Rico ripped off the right sleeve of Danielle’s short-sleeved shirt in a long enough strip to bandage her arm, being as gentle as she could. “I’m going to check the Central Dome next. Maybe there are survivors there.”

“Can… I go with you…?” Danielle asked quietly, looking up at Rico.

Rico nodded to her. “That’s probably the best thing to do.” She thought back to when she had left Danielle alone and immediately regretted that decision. The teen had gotten hurt because she had been on her own. Why hadn’t she just waited for Danielle to wake up instead of going check out things on her own and leaving message capsules around? Granted, the capsules would be useful in telling any survivors or anyone who came from Pioneer 2 that there were some people still alive, but she could have done it with Danielle around, too.

“Rico, I’m sorry…”

Rico looked at her in surprise. “Why are you apologizing?” she asked, a bit bewildered by the sudden apology.

“The way I treated you before… I’m sorry for being such a jerk. I’m not as tough as I thought after all. When they attacked, I was so scared. I didn’t even know what was doing.”

Rico looked into Danielle’s eyes, seeing the fear that was still evident inside. So, I guess being in a dangerous situation like that made an impact on her… That’s good. At least she isn’t so confident anymore. She won’t make that same mistake again.

“It’s okay. You don’t need to worry about it,” Rico replied sincerely. She tightened the makeshift bandage a bit, then rose to her feet and held out a hand to Danielle. “Right now, let’s stick together and focus on searching for anyone else, okay?” She paused a beat, then allowed a slight smile. “I’ll even help you learn how to fight.”

Danielle looked up, her blue eyes locking with Rico’s. She nodded a bit, taking Rico’s hand. Rico helped Danielle to her feet, placing the Handgun in Danielle’s hands. “This is all I really have for you to use right now, so just stay back and let me handle the brunt of the fighting, okay?”

As Danielle stared down at the Handgun, Rico frowned a bit. There was a slight tremor in Danielle’s hands and a look of uncertainty and fear in her eyes. But who wouldn’t be feeling this way in a situation like this? “Rico…” she said slowly now, as if uncertain about saying this. “What do you think happened to everyone?” She asked the question in a soft voice, barely audible over the running stream.

Once more, she couldn’t help but be shocked by the sudden change from a hard-headed teenager to a shell-shocked girl. “I don’t know,” Rico admitted, adjusting her red ring on her left arm slightly. “I can’t even raise any of the others hunters. Now that all of the monsters are violent instead of just a few…” her voice trailed off before she shook her head. “We’re in for a rough time, but together we should be able to do just fine.” Rico looked towards the gate that she had found Danielle by, trying to develop a plan of action in her mind while taking out a message capsule.

Rico noticed the curious look on Danielle’s face now as she held the orange capsule in her hand. “What’s that for? Is it for someone who comes looking for us?”

With a slight smile, she nodded her head. “Exactly. And maybe leaving behind these will help anyone who comes from Pioneer 2 to follow us and find out what’s going on.”

Danielle’s expression brightened a bit, a hopeful look in her eyes as she followed after Rico once she had finished recording the message. “Mom’s gonna come… I know it.”

Rico felt a pang of sadness in her heart as she saw that hope in the teen’s eyes. There was no way she could break it to her young friend that her mother wouldn’t be coming.

Kate Sterling would never come.

[Stormsworder]

Chapter 5: Mother Earth of Dishonesty

“Okay, so we’ll see if the transporter to the area around the Central Dome is functioning, but with the explosion, it may not work. If not, we’ve got a long hike ahead of us.”

Danielle scratched the back of her head slightly. “The transporter isn’t far from here, isn’t it?”

“No, it’s not, but the switch for the gate is on the other side of it.” Rico frowned, looking at the locked gate she had found Danielle by. “We’ll have to make our way through the entire area to reach it. The security system must have activated automatically when the animals began entering the areas.”

Danielle looked up at Rico, brushing a strand of her brown hair out of her face. “Guess things can never be easy, huh…?” She pulled out the Handgun from her vest pocket, handling it carefully as they walked back through the residential section.

“Of course not,” Rico answered with a slight smirk on her face. She adjusted her glasses slightly. “If no one’s here, they must be inside the Central Dome,” she murmured to herself, just barely audible to Danielle. Her smirk had fallen away now. “I hope…” she added quietly.

Danielle looked up at her again, the trees they were walking under filtering the light from the afternoon sun. “Huh…?”

“Sorry, just thinking out loud,” Rico replied now, shaking her head. The pathway’s gate hissed open before them, opening up into a wide-open area. To their right was a bio-gate, its lines of light glowing red. Left of them was a locked gate, but no switch was near it. Danielle couldn’t understand why it was locked. The area looked pretty clear. She was about to step through, but was stopped as Rico held her back by gently gripping her shoulder. “Wait.”

Danielle was confused until she saw the ground in the next area shift slightly. “What in the world…?”

“Boomas. They dig through the ground and can pop up almost everywhere. It’s rare to ever see just one. They travel in groups almost all the time. Tan-furred Goboomas and purple-furred Gigoboomas are increasingly tougher.” Rico readied her Red Saber now. “Didn’t you know about them?”

“I… uh… w-well…” Danielle was a bit flustered. “I kinda forgot…”

Rico just shook her head now. “Stay back near the gate and cover me, okay?”

Danielle nodded, raising the Handgun as Rico ran through the gate. As soon as the Boomas dug themselves from the ground, Rico struck with such speed and precision that Danielle stared in awe. In two swipes, both of the animals in front of her fell to the ground. More Boomas and a few Goboomas emerged, Rico lifting her head slightly as she crouched down. She dodged a strike from a Goboomas, spinning in one fluid motion and cutting into its back with her Red Saber. A Booma came up from her left, but she raised her left arm to block the attack with her Red Ring, kicking it hard in the gut. The Booma staggered before Rico thrust her free hand forward, a fireball shooting from it and into the animal’s face. The remaining enemies surrounded her, but Danielle could just watch as Rico unleashed her Gifoie technique. Flames wrapped around her, spreading outwards and engulfing the Boomas and Goboomas.

Wow… She really is as good as they say… She thought to herself, completely focused on watching the hunter. “Danielle, behind you!!” Rico shouted now, startling Danielle a bit. She glanced back over her shoulder in time to see a Booma bring its claws down. She let out a yelp of surprise as she staggered out of the way, hearing the claws whistle past her head. If she had been just a second late… Snapping up the Handgun, she let loose a trio of shots that tore into its face. With a moan of pain, the Booma fell forward and didn’t move again.

A roar came from her right now, and Danielle took the Handgun in just her right hand before blasting the Booma at point-blank range, the weapon held sideways.

“Wow, not bad,” Rico commented, walking up to her now as the gates unlocked. “But you need to pay attention to your surroundings. If you had been alone, you’d be dead right now.” She had a serious look on her face as she spoke, making Danielle feel a bit ashamed for making such a stupid mistake. After a second, Rico allowed a slight smile. “Still, though, you did okay for a beginner. I bet you’d make a good Ranger with more training.”

The most famous hunter around saying I’d make a good Ranger? No… She’s probably just saying that to make me not feel so bad. There’s no way I could be a Ranger… Mom is, but I’m not…

Rico headed for the southern gate, glancing back over her shoulder with an encouraging smile. “And I’m not just saying that.”

Danielle was caught off guard by this, wondering if it was that obvious what she was thinking. She quickly followed after Rico, shaking off the surprise she felt. Without even thinking, Danielle spoke as they entered the next area. “Mom is a Ranger. I want to be like her, so I practiced a bit until Dad made me stop.”

Rico raised an eyebrow now, looking down at her. “Why would he want you to stop?”

“Because he’s a jerk,” Danielle replied, a hint of anger in her voice. “All he ever cares about is his experiments, especially ever since we arrived. It’s like he doesn’t even care about me anymore. That’s why I ran off.”

Rico paused slightly, her eyes flickering a bit. She laid a hand on Danielle’s shoulder. “Well, things are different now. You do have someone here who cares about you. Me.”

Danielle was even more surprised now, a small smile spreading across her face. She felt better now, more confident than before. She wasn’t alone anymore.

Rico nodded to her, then looked up to scan the area. “Okay… That gate to the left leads back to where I found you.” She pointed to the gate on the right in the distance, a small creek running near it. “The transporter is right through there.” She walked forward now, a focused look on her face as she held her Red Saber in one hand, Danielle keeping close beside her. Rico suddenly tensed up, just as Danielle spotted the shadows on the ground. Three bird-like creatures dropped to the ground, sitting there and not moving towards them. They were just smaller than Danielle, covered in yellow feathers with their stomachs being colored white. Their short wings rested at their sides, red eyes just over its short beak. Two antennae-like appendages rose from their heads, swaying gently in the breeze.

“Uh… Aren’t those Rag Rappies? They don’t look so dangerous…”

“Looks can be deceiving… Although I have to admit, they are cowards…” Rico pressed a button on her wrist unit, the Red Saber vanishing. Particles of light gathered into Rico’s hand now, taking the shape of her Red Handgun. Without waiting, she raised the weapon and firing quickly at the three Rag Rappies, one shot for each of them. As soon as they were hit, the creatures immediately began to scurry away. “Did I mention they were cowards?”

Danielle raised an eyebrow slightly. “Yeah, really…” She walked after Rico once more as they headed for the gate on the right, walking through it. The path curved around slightly, revealing an area slightly smaller than the last with trees spreading their shade over the ground. The transporter was there to the left of the path, still active with red rings of light. “Hey, it’s working…! We’ll be able to get to the Central Dome quickly now.” She looked back at Rico, who nodded a bit. Her expression was hard to read, but Danielle could almost see a look of dread in her eyes. Danielle’s smile slowly fell away as she realized what Rico was thinking. There was no telling what awaited them at the Central Dome. Would there be survivors there? Or would everyone be gone or dead? Shuddering a bit, Danielle followed Rico into the transporter, hoping for the best.

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

The warm rain on her face felt comforting… for a whole five seconds. It was just a light shower, but already she was very wet with her shirt plastered to her back. Her wet bangs fell in front of her face, forcing her to continuously brush them out of her way. Danielle gazed up at the dark clouds overhead as they went through a gate and down an incline. When Boomas and Goboomas dug themselves from the wet ground and Rag Rappies dropped from the air, Danielle was ready. As Rico charged in to fight in close-range combat, Danielle covered her with well-placed Handgun shots, scaring off the Rag Rappies. When the final Booma fell, a pack of Savage Wolves leapt into the area, the blue-furred Barbarous Wolf that was the leader growling at them. Danielle stayed back on the incline to where the Wolves couldn’t get around to her back so easily, taking careful aim. Two well-placed shots brought down the Barbarous Wolf, and as the Savage Wolves let out mournful howls, Rico rushed in with her Red Daggers and cut a swath through them. The gate before them unlocked, Rico continuing her pattern of recording message capsules before they headed through the gate.

The pathway they were now walking down was a bit narrow, the foliage and naturally-formed rock walls giving them only about eight feet or so of walking space. Rico only glanced into the two gates they passed by, both of them leading only to dead ends. The path opened up to a larger area before them, more Boomas, Goboomas, and Gigoboomas attacking. Rico took one step forward, exchanging her weapon out for her massive Red Sword. Danielle couldn’t help but be amazed at how easily the hunter wielded the weapon, not even straining as she swung it. The Savage Wolves that leapt out from the trees hoping to make Rico their next meal were instantly met by a hail of green Photon bullets. When it seemed all clear, Danielle noticed a buzzing sound in the air. “Huh?”

“Oh great… Mothmants,” Rico muttered. Danielle frowned, recalling when one of them had attacked her, its needle-sharp mouth going deep into her arm. She raised her gaze skywards, trying to find the Mothmants. That was when she spotted them, lowering some kind of giant nest thing. It had a large, purple sac-like body with green legs that looked like they were composed of vines. “You shoot down the Mothmants. I’ll deal with the Monest.”

“Uh, right.” Danielle brought up the Handgun, squinting a bit as she aimed at the Mothmants that were now hovering about in the air. It was harder to hit them, since they were so small, but she took a deep breath, focusing on steadying her hand. Her first two shots missed them by a longshot, but the next ones hit their marks. The insects were blasted to pieces by the Photon bullets, their frail bodies unable to withstand the impacts. Danielle lowered the Handgun now, seeing Rico drive the tip of her sword down into the fallen Monest and finishing it off. She pulled the Red Sword out of the ground, swapping it for her smaller Red Saber as she looked between the eastern and western gates. “Hey, how would you feel about checking the east area while I go west? The warp to the entrance to the Dome would be in your section, but I want to check and see if there is anything in the other direction.”

Danielle hesitated now, a bit uncertain. “Are you sure…?”

Rico nodded. “And if you can’t handle them on your own, head over to my end, okay?”

Danielle took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. “Okay.” She watched Rico head through the western gate before she turned to the one she was to go through. The large circular area beyond it seemed clear. A set of bio-scan gates, their lines currently red, blocked a warp pad tucked away in an alcove. With the gates red, she couldn’t get through.

Wandering around, she went to one of the corners where a small space was hidden. There, her gaze fell upon a large, ancient-looking brown monument. Confused, Danielle looked up at the symbol located at the top. It was a circle with three points on it. For some reason, it seemed oddly familiar. But she had never seen the monument before, only heard about it. Danielle brushed her hand against its weathered surface, wondering why it felt so strange. It didn’t just feel old. There was something else, something she couldn’t really describe. A chill ran up her spine, coldness wrapping around her like a blanket. A fog settled in her mind, distorting her thoughts as flashes of images shot through her mind while a strange dark voice whispered words she couldn’t understand. She was sinking into darkness, the dark presence taking her in, willing her to sleep…

“Danielle! Danielle, wake up! Hey, Danielle!”

Danielle winced, forcing open her eyes. Rico was kneeling over her with a worried look on her face. She had never seen Rico this worried before, but why was she like this? What happened? “Ugh…” she groaned, her head throbbing as she closed her eyes. She felt so tired still.

“Danielle, stay with me! C’mon, stay with me!” Rico shook her slightly, one warm and wet hand against the side of her neck over her carotid artery. “Don’t close your eyes! You have to stay awake!”

Danielle tried to focus. She had remembered blacking out after touching the pillar, but why? And why was it so hard to breathe? “R-Rico…?”

“Yeah, it’s me. I’m here.” A relieved look spread across Rico’s face as she pressed her fingers slightly to the side of Danielle’s neck. “Good. Your heart rate’s almost normal. I was worried you wouldn’t pull through.”

“Wouldn’t pull through?” she managed to murmur weakly, feeling Rico’s hand against her back as the hunter helped her to sit up.

Rico nodded. “When I came in, there were a bunch of animals all around. I thought that maybe they got you, but there wasn’t a scratch on you when I found you. You weren’t breathing, and your heart had almost stopped. If I had been any later…”

Danielle realized that she was shivering slightly as she gazed up at the monument. All of this had happened when she had touched it. Much to her surprise, though, it was now glowing. Strange characters adorned its surface, glowing with golden light. The circular symbol on top glowed with red light instead of gold. What had happened to her exactly? She was confused and scared. That feeling… it wasn’t one she wanted to have to endure again.

Rico carefully pulled her back slightly to where Danielle’s back was resting against one of the rocky walls covered with vines, her red eyes filled with concern. “Just take it easy and rest a bit… We won’t move on until you’re ready.” Her eyes flickered back towards the monument now, and Danielle realized that Rico was curious about investigating it.

Well, she is a scientist, too. Not just a hunter. It’s fine by me… I don’t even think I can walk right now. Rubbing her eyes a bit, Danielle watched Rico examine the monument, recording data into her arm unit. She looked really confused, a frown on her face as she glanced between her unit and the monument, murmuring something to herself. Finally, she let out a bit of a sigh, placing a message capsule on the ground at the base of the monument. “Any luck?” Danielle asked now as Rico headed back over to her.

Letting out another sigh, she shook her head. “No. I can’t translate those runes… And that thing looks way too old to have been placed here when we arrived…” Rico frowned deeply as she looked back at it, then shook her head once more. “Well, no time to dwell on it… We need to keep looking.”

Danielle nodded a bit, bracing herself with one hand against the wall behind her as she slowly stumbled to her feet. Rico handed Danielle her Handgun, which Danielle didn’t even remember dropping. Nodding her thanks, Danielle headed out into the circular area and to the alcove with the warp pad. As they stepped into its teal light, they were both sent to the ledge above them, the Central Dome now towering over them. They proceeded through the gate in front of them, nearing the entrance to the Central Dome. They were about to see about opening the door when the ground shook beneath their feet. A massive ape with black fur and blue patches of skin on its arms had landed in the area. Its red face turned towards them, yellow eyes peering out at them before it beat its massive fists against its chest and let out a cry.

“W-What the heck…? Is that a Hildebear? I thought they were supposed to be friendly!”

Rico gripped her Red Saber tightly, a frown on her face. “Apparently now. Whatever you do, make sure that thing doesn’t punch you.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice. I’m not going to even let it get near me.” Rico rushed forward, Danielle covering her from behind with shots that distracted the Hildebear. Annoyed, it swung its massive fist at Rico, who ducked under the punch and slashed up at its wrist. It let out a howl of pain, stumbling back and holding its wounded arm. The Hildebear opened its mouth, shooting out a fireball that very nearly missed Rico. The ground just to her right scorched black by the fireball, Rico waited for it to swing at her again before ducking and ramming the tip of her Red Saber deep into its gut. The Hildebear’s yellow eyes rolled back in its head as it toppled forward, nearly crushing Rico. Luckily, she jumped out of the way in time, pulling her weapon free.

Danielle lowered her Handgun slightly as she watched the fallen beast for any sign of movement. There was none. “You’re lucky that thing didn’t crush you when it fell… I wouldn’t have been able to pull you out from under it.”

Rico pushed a strand of her red hair out from her face, nodding grimly as she looked at the Hildebear’s corpse. “Yeah. That was too close…” She walked over to the door, examining it silently. Danielle could tell by the look on her face that the news wasn’t good. “It’s completely shorted out. We need to find another way in.” She adjusted her glasses a bit, scanning the area. Her eyes narrowed a bit as she looked towards one of the white walls, going over to a vent built into the side. “And I think I just found it.”

[Stormsworder]

Chapter 6: Growl, From the Depths of the Earth

“Is it really such a good idea for me to be the one leading the way as we crawl through some dusty and dark vents?” Danielle asked quietly, pushing herself through the ventilation shaft, Rico right behind her. She had to resist the urge to sneeze what felt like every ten seconds, and she was starting to feel claustrophobic, the darkness closing in on her and making her heart race.

“Yeah, the thought occurred to me just a little too late.” Rico spoke up. She had kept talking to make sure Danielle was holding up okay in front of her. “Are you holding up okay though?”

“Well, I could be better. I want to hurry up and get out of here. You think we’re close to an exit or something?”

“We should be.”

Danielle took a deep breath, hoping she was right as she continued to push herself forward. But after another push, she suddenly felt herself pitching downwards, her hands grasping at empty air. There had been a junction in the shaft, and her uneven balance sent her plummeting down the dark shaft with a scream. She tried to find something to grab and stop her descent, but the smooth metal had no handholds. Her hands were raw from the metal brushing against her bare skin as she tried to grab something, and the metal actually began to feel hot. She gasped as the shaft suddenly leveled out in a curve, light abruptly filling her vision as she slammed through a metal grating and landed hard on solid rock, skidding and rolling several feet.

She gasped slightly in pain, every square inch of her body aching or burning in pain. She didn’t need to look at herself to know that her arms, legs, and face were scraped up from her landing, and she was still trying to catch her breath from the shock of the impact that had knocked all the breath out of her lungs. She just laid there, eyes squinted shut as she silently hoped she hadn’t broken anything. Danielle was about to open her eyes and try to stand up when the ground shook slightly from massive footsteps, footsteps that were coming towards her.

What in the world could be that big? Not even a Hildebear has that loud of footsteps from what I can remember!

Danielle kept her eyes closed as the footsteps stopped, breathing slowly and evenly as heavy sniffing sounds filling the air just to the left of where she lay. Suddenly, something hot and slimy ran along her arm, turning it over and running along where the skin was scraped. The pain abruptly intensified, and Danielle struggled not to cry out in pain and fear. Something large pushed her side and turned her over onto her back. The hot and slimy thing ran along her other arm, and Danielle risked opening one eye slightly. What she saw nearly made her scream in terror. A massive dragon straight out of the legends on Coral she heard as a kid stood over her, its head down near her left arm, its long pink tongue lapping up the dark blood on her arm. Its yellow eyes locked with hers, and Danielle quickly shut her eyes, desperately hoping it hadn’t actually seen that she was awake and alive.

The dragon’s tongue wrapped tightly around her forearm, pulling it slightly as its jaws closed on her all the way up past her elbow. Danielle’s eyes jumped open and she pulled the Handgun from her waistband, just as the dragon jerked on her arm and flung her into the air with ease. Danielle screamed in pain as her shoulder was wrenched from its socket, the dragon’s jaws opening and closing on her body instead around her midsection. Danielle felt its razor sharp jaws biting down slightly, its deep growl filling her ears. She managed to aim the Handgun into its mouth, feeling relieved that she at least managed to hold onto it. Taking careful aim, she fired the weapon, its green Photon bullets slamming into the back of its throat.

Danielle was flung to the ground, landing hard on her injured left arm as she rolled slightly, the shrill roar of the dragon hurting her ears. She managed to look up, catching a full glimpse of the massive beast. A curved horn rose from the middle of its forehead, its scales a tan color with patches of dark green. Its two legs ended in three massive, deadly talons on each foot, its bat-like wings having two claw-like “toes” on the forward-most part. Its long tail split into two smaller sections near the end, each section having a deadly spike on it. All it even needed to do was step on her and she would be finished.

The dragon growled, and with a flap of its mighty wings it rose into the air, glaring down at her with its yellow eyes. Danielle stumbled to her feet, feeling light-headed and dizzy. The dragon hovered high above the floor, and it was just then that Danielle realized she was within a massive cavern beneath the Central Dome. She squinted slightly as the dragon opened its mouth, flames rushing forth towards her, eager to consume her. Danielle’s eyes widened, her entire body paralyzed with fear, unable to move out of the way as the flames eagerly closed in on her…

Danielle felt arms wrap around her waist, and she was pulled down to the ground, a wave of heat washing over her. She cringed in pain as she hit the ground with her right side and dropped her Handgun, hearing Rico’s voice over the roar of the flames and the beating of the wings. “Danielle, how bad are you hurt!?”

Danielle felt weak with relief, but she was still in pain. “M-My arm…” she began, but the dragon cut them off with a mighty roar. It flew to the top of the cavern, tucking in its wings to its side and diving down towards the ground while spinning rapidly. It tore into the ground with ease, magma splashing out onto the ground, casting an eerie orangish glow over the ground near it. Danielle stood with Rico’s help, her eyes searching for her weapon. She quickly spotted it on the ground, stumbling over to it and crouching to pick it up.

“Danielle! It’s underground!” Rico shouted as a deep rumbling filled the air.

Danielle looked up, the burrowing shape of the dragon speeding towards her, the ground rippling. Danielle was slammed backwards into the cavern wall, pain shooting through her body as she collapsed to the ground. She could barely breathe, the pain sharp and unbearable. She had never taken a beating like this before, and she was worried that something was broken with that last hit. Danielle winced in pain, trying to pull together enough strength to get her good arm and her knees under her, but she just couldn’t manage. She could barely make out Rico dodging the dragon as she ran over, slinging Danielle’s good arm around her shoulders and helping her to stand. “There’s no way we can beat this thing! We have to get out of here!”

Danielle blinked rapidly, dimly wondering where they could even go. As her vision cleared slightly, she spotted a door all the way across the area, built into the rock of the wall. It was Pioneer 1 technology, and it was there only chance of escape. “D-Door…” she managed to say, nodding in the direction of it across from them even as the dragon burst from the ground and hovered in the air. As if anticipating their escape path, the dragon landed on the ground in between them and the door and let out a deep growl.

Instinctively, Danielle tightened her grip on the Handgun in her right hand as Rico got a better hold on her. “We’ll have to run by it. You ready?” Rico asked, looking over at Danielle. Much to her surprise, Rico looked slightly nervous.

“To be honest… no… but oh well…” Danielle looked back at the hunter, her entire body hurting. It wouldn’t be easy, but they had to try. “Let’s go.”

The dragon roared at them as they ran forward as fast as they could manage, flames building up in its mouth. “Can you run on your own?” Rico asked quickly as she watched the dragon.

“I think so!” As the dragon reared its head, they separated, Danielle managing a shambling run past the dragon’s left flank. Flames scorched the ground where the two had just stood seconds before, the dragon missing them completely. Rico reached the door first, her fingers flying over the controls as Danielle joined her. The door wasn’t opening. “Rico?”

Rico had her teeth bared slightly, a look of frustration and worry on her face. “It won’t open!”

An incredibly loud roar came from behind them, a wave of fetid, hot breath washing over them both. Danielle felt her blood run cold as she and Rico glanced over their shoulders, the dragon’s head right behind them. “Rico, you get the dragon…. I’ll try and open this door.”

With barely a nod of her head, Rico drew her Red Sword. She spun around, swinging the blade with ease at the dragon’s head. Danielle tried to focus on the controls, her heart pounding in her chest as she went over in her mind what she knew about messing with electronics. Praying she knew enough to get the door open, Danielle went to work. Both of their lives were at stake.

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Rico stared up at the dragon, sweat trickling down her face. She had barely arrived in time, saving Danielle from the dragon’s flames. Now she was alone, trying to hold off the beast while Danielle attempted to get the doors open.

Rico gripped the hilt of her Red Sword, swinging the heavy blade at the dragon’s left leg. The Photon blade seared through its flesh, cauterizing the wound as soon as it was made. The dragon growled and snapped at her with its jaws, barely missing her. Rico swung up at its neck, her muscles straining slightly as she managed to land a light hit. The dragon spread its wings, lifting itself up with such a mighty flap that the resulting gust of air nearly knocked Rico off balance.

Rico scowled and swapped the weapon for her Red Handgun, firing shots of yellow Photon energy at the beast. Much to her surprise, it began to spin rapidly in mid-air, somehow managing to keep itself hovering as fireballs shot down from it and rained down on the area. Rico strafed while firing at the dragon, shouting over her shoulder. “Danielle, how much longer!?”

“I’m working on it! I just need a few more seconds!” Rico glanced back, the teen working on the door controls with a focused look on her face.

“We don’t have a few more seconds!” Rico looked towards the dragon once more. They were getting nowhere fast. At this rate, it would wear her out before moving in for the kill. Flames filled the dragon’s mouth once more, and Rico turned and ran as a blast of hear washed over her back. It had been a very narrow miss. “Danielle!” she shouted, the flames building up again.

There was a slight hiss from behind now. “Got it!” Rico spun on her heel, running towards the door and pumping her arms for speed. Danielle stood at the door, Handgun in her right hand as she fired at the dragon to cover Rico. As Rico sped past, she grabbed Danielle by the back of her shirt and jerked her through the door while slamming her fist down on the controls. The door hissed shut, just as the dragon’s flames had raced towards them.

Danielle was gasping, sweat running down her face, her left arm limp by her side. Blood covered the right side of her face and her arms, bite marks on the top part of her left arm, her chest, and her upper legs. Her pants were tattered and ragged, skin showing through on some parts, the grey cloth stained red in some places. She looked like she was about to collapse from exhaustion.

Rico looked around slowly, sweating herself from the intense heat of the area they were now in. It was a cave, rivers of magma flowing around them. There were large doors there, apparently installed by Pioneer 1. But why hadn’t they been told about these caves? She never remembered hearing anything about them. What was Pioneer 1 hiding?

“Danielle, sit down for a second. You’re as pale as a ghost.” The area seemed clear, so they could afford to rest a bit. She was worried for the teen, who nodded shakily and sat on the ground as Rico kneeled beside her, gently rolling up her shirt sleeve. It was as she thought. Her arm had been dislocated, pulled right out of socket. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t get there sooner,” Rico apologized quietly, feeling guilty as she took some bandages from her storage unit. She used some of them to clean the injuries, wishing she had thought to bring more. Her supplies were limited. If they ran out, they would be in major trouble. “You’re lucky to have survived that long against that dragon.”

Danielle looked up at her, dazed slightly. “I almost didn’t…”

Rico had her arms bandages, using a Resta technique to help with her injuries. She gently gripped her left arm, looking into the teen’s blue eyes. She had done this before a few times, and she always hated it. “This is going to hurt, okay?” she warned in a soft voice. Danielle nodded shakily, looking scared. Tightening her grip, Rico cringed as she pushed the joint back into its socket. Danielle screamed in pain, her body quivering under Rico’s grip as she tried to soothe the team. “Calm down. It’ll be okay…” Rico whispered, Danielle’s scream slowly dying away. She was holding her arm now, gasping heavily.

“Ow… I-It hurts…”

“I know, but it’ll go away soon…” Rico sighed softly, rising to her feet. She wished she could do more to help, but she had to conserve supplies and the strength to use techniques.

Danielle was starting to calm down now, slowly looking around. “Where… are we? What is this place?” she asked finally, apparently trying to take her mind off the pain.

Rico shook her head, helping Danielle to stand. “I don’t know. We’re somewhere under the Dome, though.”

Now Danielle frowned, confusion in her eyes. “The government had to know about all this, right? So why didn’t they tell us?”

Rico went over the question in her mind. A dragon, underground caves… Why had the government hid this? Apparently they were conducting some kind of secret operation. That much had been gathered when she and the others had investigated the matter. But what was it?

A hiss came from deeper within, followed by several more. Something was waiting for them from within the caves, and they had no choice but to go deeper…

((To be completely honest, my knowledge on dislocations is iffy. And my dad isn't around for me to ask him about it. XD And I had no internet to look it up. So yeah... XD))