FanFic: Ragols Gift

[Freeze]

She cast Resta first bringing Cerberus’ systems back on line, and then cast Reverser. Deepfreeze coughed twice and sat up.

“Dying by Grants is far worse than Megid!” He groaned.

The axe tail thumbed down between Cerberus and Deepfreeze, and just missed Crystal. She stared at it cross eyed and breathing heavily.

“Too close!” Deepfreeze said, “Move!”

He grabbed Crystal by the arm and dragged her away. Aphrodite joined Falcon and Sahara as they charged the dragons rear. It swung at Falcon who high jumped over the tail. The tail swung back at Sahara. She ducked and Aphrodite jumped back. The axe put a cut through her uniform just above her belly but didn’t touch the skin. She charged forward again. Ash, Striker, and Amanda attacked the wounded leg. The rangers fired at all sides moving when the dragon spit at them. Crystal charged in and attacked the other front leg. More hunters beamed down and joined the fight. The dragon batted them away like dolls. They came right back. Amanda spotted the white haired HUmar she had run into a few days ago. He ran up beside her, smiled and attacked the leg. The dragon batted them away. They charged in again. The HUmar had a pair of the real Sange and Yasha. Not nearly as impressive as Falcons and not nearly as rare either. Word had obviously gotten out as more hunters joined the fight. The Lazarus Dragon was bleeding heavily. It swung its tail catching a small group by surprise. Deepfreeze gasped at the sight of the hunters falling to the ground, sliced in two. No one he knew but no less upsetting. Falcon jumped on the tail as it swung by and began hacking at it. The dragon finally went down and the hunters moved in for the kill. The dragon stopped breathing, and then it turned into a purple blob. There was a bright flash and it flew up into the air. It formed into a giant eye ball. Ten tentacles grew out of it; each was tipped with a tooth filled mouth. The monster made a strange gurgling sound. One tentacle shot down at a group of hunters. They scattered but one FOnewearl dressed in red was too slow. It landed with a thud encompassing her. There was a crunch and a short scream. It lifted off the ground leaving a small spot of blood. It chewed a couple of times then swallowed. They could see a ball that used to be the force slide down the tentacle. The rangers started shooting. The hunters either switched to guns or techniques and the forces fired every technique they had. The tentacles began attacking, gobbling up hunters faster than they could count.

“We’re getting slaughtered!” Cerberus said.

“And with this many hunters we should be doing a lot more damage than this!” Deepfreeze replied.

One tentacle charged at Falcon. He jumped back and when the tentacle landed, he sliced the tip off. The tentacle snapped back and the creature let out a high pitched scream. Another one landed between Amanda and the white haired HUmar. He attacked it but his Katanas wouldn’t pierce the skin. Amanda dug her Lavis Blades into it and pulled her blades apart slicing the tip off. Deepfreeze looked at his shot then at Bernie’s launcher.

“The enhanced weapons!” Deepfreeze gasped, “Only the enhanced weapons are working!”

“Then we have to get everyone out of here!” Cerberus replied.

Deepfreeze tapped his communicator.

“All hunters, back to the ship!” He cried, “Repeat, all hunters return to the ship. My team form up. Amanda’s team report to my position.”

No one left. They continued to attack the creature. The creature continued to feast.

“Only the enhanced weapons are having an effective.” He yelled, “Techniques are not working either. All hunters regroup on Pioneer Two before it slaughters us all!”

Amanda turned to the white haired HUmar.

“He’s right!” She said, “You should return before the monster eats you!”

He looked at her Lavis Blades and nodded, “Are those enhanced weapons?”

She nodded.

“Very well!” He sighed, “Get it for me!”

“I will!” She smiled.

He turned and ran for the warp. Most of the others began to run as well. Both Bernie and Ash refused to go. Sahara wasn’t leaving either. Falcon turned to her.

“You must leave!” He said.

“I can’t leave you to fight this thing!” Sahara replied.

“You can’t do any good here!” Falcon shook his head, “Take Bernie and Ash with you.”

She nodded and took off for the warp. She grabbed the two men by the arms. They tried to struggle free but her grip was too strong. Falcon turned and headed for Deepfreeze’s position. Crystal ran up behind Deepfreeze and grabbed his arm.

“What are you doing?” He frowned, “Get back to the ship!”

“All right!” She nodded, “Just be careful. I want to see you again.”

She let go and ran as hard as she could. The monster continued to feed on the retreating hunters as well as the few who remained. Deepfreeze’s team regrouped first followed by Amanda’s.

“We need to bring this thing down.” HitmanJ said.

“Right!” Deepfreeze nodded, “The rangers will lay down a suppressing fire. The hunters and Aphrodite will be in charge of those tentacles. Pair up. One ranger with one hunter. Break!”

Deepfreeze took off with Amanda on his heels. Falcon went with Cerberus as they circled around. HitmanJ and Aphrodite went left and Lisa and Striker went right just as a tentacle dropped on their position. Striker stopped and attacked the tentacle, slicing the tip off. Lisa stopped and ran back to him. The last of the hunters made it to the transporter and vanished leaving the creature free to concentrate on Deepfreeze’s people. The rangers fired as the hunters stood guard. A tentacle flew at Deepfreeze. He ran out of the way and Amanda attacked cutting the mouth tip off. Another attacked Cerberus and Falcon severed it. Every time they sliced a mouth off it would retract and then regenerate a new one. The monster seemed to be interested only in the rangers and ignored the hunters. It would attack and they would move, then the hunters would attack. Neither side appeared to be making progress.

“We can’t keep this up forever!” Amanda gasping, “I’m getting pretty tired!”

“Me too!” Deepfreeze replied wiping the sweat from his brow.

One just missed HitmanJ by inches. His fatigue was definitely affecting his reaction time. Another tentacle flew at Deepfreeze. This time he was too slow. Instead of eating him, it hit him sending him flying across the field and away from his hunter protection. Sato made a sound like a bell ding.

“Photon blast!” Deepfreeze smiled gasping deeply.

Another tentacle hit Cerberus the same way. Then HitmanJ and Lisa. The impact caused all their Mags to charge. The creature then turned to the hunters. Three tentacles swung at Falcon. He jumped and dodged each one. A fourth one hit him from behind and sent him flying. Another one swung at Aphrodite. She grabbed on as it impacted her. It lifter her off the ground. She screamed as she rose up in the air. The creature tried to shake her loose. She could feel her grip slipping. Finally it flicked her across the field and landed on Striker. They tumbled a couple of times before they stopped, ending with her lying on his back. She slowly climbed off of him.

“You’re a lot harder than you look!” He groaned.

“Hitman!” She gasped and looked around, “Where is he?”

“Don’t know!” Striker replied, “I see Lisa’s shots though. Come on, she might know!”

The pair took off at full run. Slashing at any attacking tentacle. As they got closer to Lisa they could see shots from a mechgun and a shot gun.

“Go!” Striker waved.

Aphrodite nodded and broke away from him. The creature swung at her knocking her down. Bhima chimed. It tried to eat her but she rolled out of the way then swung her wand, slicing the mouth off. She hopped to her feet and ran. Amanda went for another one but didn’t see the attack from the side. It sent her sailing into a tree. Her back hit the trunk. She gasped as the air rushed out of her lungs then fell to the ground. Her Mag chimed indicating a full charge. Striker came flying behind her. He hit the tree and fell on top of her. He rolled off of her back and sat up trying to recover. His Mag chimed too. Falcon attacked two more then dodged three before one finally hit him. It pounded him into the ground. It dropped on him with its mouth open. He stuck up his katana’s and sliced the mouth in half just as it tried to chomp him. It snapped back and roared before healing. The rangers continued to fire doing only minor damage.

“Do you think the photon blasts would have any effect?” Deepfreeze asked Cerberus.

“I doubt it!” Cerberus shook his head, “Unless we channel the energy through our weapons.”

“That might burn them out!” Deepfreeze yelled over the noise.

“Most likely!” Cerberus nodded, “But it’s the only way to transfer the photon energy to the higher frequency!”

“If we chain them, they might have enough energy!” Deepfreeze said then tapped his com button, “Anyone with a photon blast converges on my position!”

To his surprise, everyone responded. Falcon and Striker fended off the tentacles as Deepfreeze explained what they were going to do. Everyone placed their Mags on their weapon and lined up side by side. The creature didn’t attack. It appeared to be watching them. They aimed their weapons at him then discharged their blasts one by one. The ancient symbol appeared first under Deepfreeze then went down the line. When the last appeared a giant light ray shot from each person. The eye went wide as the light wave washed over it, disintegrating every molecule. When the dust settled there was nothing left of the monster. Deepfreeze picked up Sato and dropped his smoking shot gun. The blast had not only burned out their weapons it partially melted them. He stroked Sato softly. Sato began to purr.

“Good job, buddy!” He said softly.

“Thanks!” Cerberus replied.

Deepfreeze looked up at him and frowned. Cerberus smiled and shrugged.

“Oh ya!” Striker cheered, “No one messes with us!”

Aphrodite grabbed HitmanJ and pulled his mask off.

“We won!” She cheered and kissed him.

Falcon just stared at his melted swords. Amanda stopped and looked at him.

“What’s wrong big guy?” She asked.

“These were the most powerful weapons I shall ever possess.” He muttered, “Their not even worth scrap!”

He let them drop to the ground and walked away.

“I’m sorry!” Amanda said softly.

She knew how much they had meant to him. He loved powerful weapons and those were a dream come true. She actually felt bad for him. Lisa was heading back to the transporter too. She was holding Pushan tightly and looked very sad. HitmanJ and Aphrodite turned and followed Deepfreeze and Cerberus. Amanda stood for a moment and watched her friends. She put her hands on her hips and smiled. These were good people who had been through a lot. She was lucky to have met them all. Striker walked up beside her and put his arm around her shoulders.

“Looks like it’s just you and me sweetheart!” He smiled.

“Remove your arm before I rip it off!” She growled.

He pulled it away and looked around at the blood stained field.

“I wonder if this is what the Dark Falz battle looked like when it was over.” He said softly.

“If it was, then I understand why some of the hunters ended up traumatized!” She replied.

“Come on!” He nodded, “At least let me buy you a drink!”

She thought for a moment then nodded, “All right, but don’t read anything into this. I’m only going for the free drink. Even though you really bug me, you’re still my friend.”

She headed off to the transporter. Striker tugged his shirt down and smirked.

“Yep!” He sniffed, “She wants me!”





<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Freeze on 2006-10-06 20:03 ]</font>

[Freeze]

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

Cheers roared for each hunter that stepped out of the transporter. They were immediately mobbed by the media. Security worked to keep people back as they crowded around. Striker was the last to step out and enjoyed every moment of attention. Deepfreeze knew there was no hiding from this. He signed autographs for the children and patiently answered questions from the media. Lisa looked very upset and tried to get away. Falcon stood proudly, boasting about his accomplishments. Sahara stood beside him answering her own set of questions. Aphrodite clung to HitmanJs arm as they fought through the crowd, answering questions and signing autographs as they went. Cerberus and Amanda were surrounded by a group of children who seemed to hang on every word they said. Several of the hunters who had fought the dragon were taking interviews. Doctor Montegue and Elenor stood by the hunter’s guild. She even waved at Cerberus. Montegue was anxious to gather up the final bits of information the hunters had collected. Amanda finished talking to a six year old Newman girl and looked up to see the white haired HUmar smiling at her.

“Nice work!” He said.

“Thanks!” She smiled.

“Names Rainami!” He said.

“Amanda!” She replied.

“Can I buy you a drink?” He asked.

“I can’t!” She said.

“Oh!” He sighed and started to walk away.

“Wait!” She called.

He turned and looked back.

“How about tomorrow!” She asked.

“Tomorrow!” He nodded and walked away.

Cerberus looked at her and frowned.

“I thought you liked Deepfreeze!”

“I do!” She blushed, “But he’s ten years older than me. He’s more like a big brother. Besides I think some one else is staking her claim.”

“Huh?” Cerberus tilted his head.

She pointed to where Deepfreeze was standing. Crystal fought her way through the crowd and practically jumped on him. He returned the hug but appeared to be unsure if this was what he wanted. Cerberus saw it and frowned slightly.

“It’s a start I guess!” He shrugged and took a note pad from a boy.

“Yep!” Amanda nodded and smiled.

Her family kept getting bigger. Aphrodite and Lacy acted like little sisters. Sherry was her real little sister and now she had two big brothers to look out for her. She smiled at the thought of what her father would think when he found out. A human girl tugged at her shorts. She couldn’t be any older then four. She was holding a collectors card that had Amanda’s picture on it. She took the card and stared at it. It was her rookie card. They must have printed it just after she signed up. She signed it and handed it back.

“Thank you!” The girl smiled, “You’re my favourite!”

The girl skipped off to her parents. This was the real reason to be a hunter. Because of her that girl could grow up safe. Amanda was more proud of herself now than she’d ever been. Cerberus squeezed her shoulder.

“Worth it, isn’t it?” He said.

“Yes, it is!” She choked back a tear.

“Some hunters just can’t see this side!” He said softly, “All they see is the money!”

“Fortunately there are still some of us left!” She replied.

The crowd finally broke up and went home. The hunters could finally go home and relax.


The next day Deepfreeze and Amanda reported to Principal Tyrell to give their report. Cerberus and Falcon went to debrief Chief Natasha. The others all stayed home to rest and let the days events finally sink in. Deepfreeze and Amanda ran into Doctor Montegue afterwards. He was very glad to see them.

“Deepfreeze my boy!” He cheered, “I’m so glad to run into you, ha ha!”

“You were waiting here, weren’t you?” Deepfreeze frowned.

“Well yes!” Montegue sighed, “So what tidbits did you bring me?”

Deepfreeze handed him a transcript of Lazarus’ computer. It contained project information on everything but no details to reproduce the work. Montegue quickly scanned through it.

“Scary stuff!” He said at last.

“One thing still bothers me Doctor!” Amanda said, “Why was Lazarus completely absorbed, but Sahara and Kireek weren’t?”

“As far as I can conclude, the Idola D-cell samples they were using were slightly mutated.” Montegue explained, “Looks like the only way they could actually absorb some one was if that person was injected with this catalyst stuff first.”

“Both Kireek and Sahara were accidents!” Amanda said.

“Lucky break for them!” Montegue laughed.

“Well, we destroyed all the relevant research!” Deepfreeze said, “Hopefully nobody will try this again!”

“I wonder what ever became of Mr. Kireek?” Amanda pondered, “WORKS was supposed to take him away.”

“If they did get him out, then he’s probably locked away in some laboratory!” Deepfreeze shrugged.

“Black Paper took a big hit on this one!” Amanda said, “Do you suppose we’ve seen the last of them?”

Deepfreeze shook his head, “If what Bernie told me is true, then they go all the way back to Coral!”

“I must be running along now!” Montegue said, “Thank you and take care!”

He waved and ran off. Deepfreeze turned to Amanda and smiled.

“I’ve got to be going too!” He said, “I’ll see ya later!”

“Good bye, and thank you!” She replied and kissed him on the cheek.

He nodded and disappeared into the warp. Amanda paused for a moment then headed to the check room. She was meeting HitmanJ and Aphrodite for dinner and needed some money. Striker was there gathering up his belonging.

“Heading out so soon?” She asked.

“Yep, the androids that slaughtered my family are still out there!” Striker nodded, “Elly gave me some surveillance footage of them leaving the facility. They headed north instead of south to the transporter.”

“I hope you find them!” She smiled.

“Come with me!” Striker asked, “I could use somebody like you beside me!”

“I can’t.” She shook her head, “I have to be here when Pioneer Three arrives. There’s no telling how long you’re going to be gone. I received an E-letter from Coral. My father and sister are on that ship.”

“That’s great!” He smiled, “Say hi for me!”

“I will!” She said and gave him a hug, “Take care of yourself!”

He gathered up his belongings and headed for the main transporter. She turned to the check girl who was smiling at her.

“He’s just a friend!” Amanda said, “Three hundred meseta please!”


Sue had been waiting in this store room for twenty minutes now. The cleaning chemicals and brooms were starting to bother her. She was growing very nervous. Clenched in her hand was a small disk. A disk that wasn’t supposed to exist. She shifted from her left foot to her right. The Doctor was late. Perhaps they found out about him. Maybe he had been caught. No, he was too smart for that. Sure, he played the moronic scientist really well but he was just as devious as Osto and Lazarus. The door creaked open and the Doctor slipped in.

“You’re late!” She said.

“I was being followed!” The Doctor replied, “Montegue is becoming suspicious. He followed me halfway here!”

“He doesn’t know, does he?” Sue asked.

“Not yet!” The Doctor replied, “We must proceed very carefully. That fool Lazarus got careless and now all of Pioneer Two knows what we’re up too. If this makes it back to Coral...”

“It won’t!” Sue snapped, “I’ve all ready contacted our agent there. Black Paper will be the only ones to see that report!”

“Good work!” The Doctor smiled.

“What about Kireek?” Sue asked, “WORKS has him!”

“Don’t worry!” The Doctor waved, “At this very moment our people are recovering him. WORKS is no match for us.”

“They beat us in the facility!” Sue began.

“No, we let them win!” The Doctor said.

“But why?” Sue frowned.

“It was the only way to ensure the explosion would take them all out!” The Doctor grinned.

“You knew about the bombs!” Sue exclaimed, “But how?”

“Our little frosty HUcaseal informed us of Deepfreeze’s little plan!” The Doctor said, “The facility was all ready compromised and its destruction was the only way to protect our projects!”

“You used Deepfreeze!” Sue smiled, “Excellent!”

“You better go before someone spots you!” The Doctor said.

Sue nodded and slipped out the door. Doctor Mome gripped the disk tightly and smiled. The research was his now. He could do whatever he liked and he had all ready prepared subjects waiting at the southern research facility. Lazarus had been smart to build an emergency facility. For now he would lay low and act dumb. He checked the hallway and slipped out.

[Freeze]

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

Pioneer Two’s dance hall was packed. It seemed like every hunter, scientist, and politician had shown up. Everyone was dressed in fancy suits and dresses. Only the androids looked under dressed. Amanda stepped through the door wearing a sparkling blue dress, diamond necklace, and earrings. Her hair was tied back and she was wearing dark lip stick and a hint of makeup. Everyone stared at her as she made her way to the bar. Falcon and Sahara were there talking to Cerberus who was wearing a black bow tie around his neck. He looked cute. She couldn’t help but smile.

“Hi, Amanda!” He said.

“Greetings!” Falcon nodded slightly, “How are you faring these last couple days?”

“I am exhausted!” She sighed, “All these interviews and autograph sessions, not to mention guest appearances are wearing me out!”

“Fame can be a cruel companion!” Cerberus nodded.

“Indeed!” Falcon mumbled.

“Falcon and I have been swamped with offers from Blacksmiths trying to get us to endorse their weapons!” Sahara said, “Worse yet, Tyrell closed the transporter this morning so we can’t even get away!”

“I know!” Amanda sighed, “Planet’s off limits until their investigation is done.”

“It’s just PR that’s all!” Falcon grumbled.

Amanda took her drink and scanned the dance floor. Bernie and Ash were talking with Crystal and her brother. Ash seemed to be very taken by her. She showed a little interest as well. Lacy was out dancing with Rainami. Amanda slid out of their view.

“Something wrong?” Cerberus asked.

“See that white haired hunter dancing with Lacy!” Amanda pointed.

“Yes!” Falcon nodded, “So?”

“I let him buy me a drink the other day and now he thinks we’re dating.” Amanda replied.

“So?” Cerberus shrugged.

“What’s wrong with him?” Sahara asked flatly.

“He’s very cold!” She sighed, “He’s serious all the time and when he does crack a joke, it’s really twisted. He kinda creeps me out.”

“The fun never stops for you!” Cerberus smiled.

“Striker may have been annoying but this guy is more machine than you guys!” Amanda said, “At least Striker showed some kindness now and again.”

“Say, where is he?” Cerberus asked, “I haven’t heard one of his smart jabs in quite a while!”

“He’s gone!” HitmanJ said stepping up to them.

He was wearing a black tux and had even gotten a hair cut and shave. Aphrodite was wearing a red dress and had tied her hair up.

“You look very handsome tonight!” Amanda smiled.

“Thank you!” HitmanJ replied.

“He does clean up pretty well doesn’t he?” Aphrodite giggled pinching his cheek.

“Striker went after the two androids that slayed his family.” HitmanJ sighed.

“Alone?” Cerberus frowned.

“He asked me to go but he’s not returning until he’s avenged his family!” Amanda replied, “I can’t be away for that long!”

“Aphrodite told me about the letter from your sister!” HitmanJ smiled, “Its great news!”

“What?” Cerberus asked.

“Yes, tell us Amanda!” Sahara said excitedly.

“My father and sister have gained passage on Pioneer Three!” Amanda smiled.

“That’s great!” Cerberus smiled.

“Congratulations!” Falcon said.

“Thanks!” Amanda blushed, “Say I haven’t seen Lisa. Is she here?”

“Ya, she’s dancing with a short HUcast named Foxhole.” Cerberus replied, “Energetic little guy!”

“Cerberus set them up!” Sahara laughed.

“I didn’t know you were Mr. Matchmaker!” Amanda grinned.

“That’s so great!” Aphrodite giggled, “Now you need to find a match for Falcon here!”

Falcon growled. Sahara elbowed him in the arm.

“So, what are your plans for the future?” Amanda asked.

“Sahara and I have decided to join the Guardians of Pioneer division of the guild!” Falcon announced.

“There’s lot’s of people that need protecting!” Sahara said, “And after seeing the corruption that’s going on, they need all the protection they can get!”

“How noble!” Aphrodite smiled.

“Aphrodite and I are going to take it easy and see if this works out!” HitmanJ said squeezing her.

“If it does, what will you do if you want a family?” Cerberus asked.

“There are always lots of newman children that need adopting!” Aphrodite replied, “How about you?”

“I don’t know!” Cerberus shrugged, “Deepfreeze and I usually just get sucked into some crazy adventure. We never plan for anything!”

“Say, where is he?” Amanda frowned.

“Said he had a meeting to attend!” Cerberus said, “He told me not to expect him!”


The beach was very peaceful at night. The warm air felt good on his sore muscles and the fresh ocean air seemed to revitalize his lungs. It hadn’t been easy sneaking past the guards in the lab. Deepfreeze had used the service tunnels instead of the warps so he could make sure no one was watching when he entered. Fortunately the guard on duty had been sleeping at Elly’s station. Deepfreeze had decided to wear a T-shirt, a pair of Kakis and running shoes so he wouldn’t draw attention to himself. His Ruby Bullet was stuffed into the back of his pants. He had left Sato at home. He paced back and forth then looked at his watch for the fifth time. She was late. He didn’t like being planet side without his protective gear and Gal Da Val Island wasn’t exactly the safest vacation spot. He started to pace again. A figure stepped out from the shadow. It was the red haired girl in the hooded cloak.

“You’re late!” He frowned.

“Sorry but stealth is essential to my survival!” The girl replied.

“I want to thank you for supplying those weapons!” Deepfreeze said, “We couldn’t have done it without you!”

“I’m just glad I can still help the people of Coral!” She smiled.

“I wish you’d come back to the ship!” Deepfreeze sighed, “They could use a hero like you!”

“They have enough heroes!” The girl shook her head, “I’m no hero, just a victim!”

“You’re more than that Rico!” Deepfreeze smiled, “You’ve certainly been my guardian angel!”

“I’m no angel!” Rico shook her head, “I may look human but the dark creature is still inside me. When Dark Faltz died it released my spirit with some of its own body material. I’m not human Deepfreeze.”

She pulled back the hood. Deepfreeze remained expressionless but gasped inside. Rico had dark spots on her forehead and neck that looked very much like bruises. Her eyes were the most frightening. The eyeballs were black as night with bright yellow irises and shimmering red pupils.

“I’m still at war with it!” Rico said, “I don’t know how much longer I can maintain control. IT calls to me. IT wants me to return so IT can have a physical form once again. The people on Pioneer must not know of my existence. I am dead. Living death.”

“I understand!” Deepfreeze shook his head, “If there’s anything I can do?”

“There is!” Rico said, “There is a traitor aboard the ship. I don’t know who but I do know a copy of Lazarus' work still exists. If he doesn’t have the information yet, he soon will.”

“Who, who’s got the information?” Deepfreeze asked nervously.

“Black Papers little puppet!” Rico answered.

“Sue!” Deepfreeze spat.

“Yes!” Rico nodded.

“Do they have the enhanced photon technology too?” Deepfreeze asked.

“No!” Rico replied, “The only copy existed in Lisa’s Pushan. I erased its memory. I have the only copy now.”

“That’s good!” Deepfreeze sighed.

“I have reason to believe that another research facility exist some where in the south.” Rico said, “I haven’t found it yet but I do know it’s an emergency facility and is very small. No doubt the traitor will remain in hiding for a while before heading there!”

“This gives us some time!” Deepfreeze said.

“Not as much as you might think!” Rico said holding up a finger, “Some of the test subjects were moved to the facility through a warp in the basement. From what I can tell it was a cargo warp designed to move large objects to a secret transporter here on the island. I found where the transporter had been!”

“They removed it fairly quickly then!” Deepfreeze sighed.

Rico nodded.

“I’ll look into it then!” He said, “Keep me informed.”

“Thank you!” She smiled and hugged him, “I knew I could count on you to help our people!”

“It’s the right thing to do!” Deepfreeze smiled.

She let go and pulled away.

“I have a personal request!” She said looking down, “Look after my father. He has no idea what’s really going on!”

“I will!” Deepfreeze replied, “I promise!”

“Thank you!” She said and kissed his cheek, “And take care of yourself.”

She turned and disappeared into the bushes. Deepfreeze turned and looked up at the full moon shining down on the water. This was a heavy weight that had been placed on his shoulders. At least he could turn to Cerberus for help. He wouldn’t tell the others though. They had done enough and deserved to live a normal life. He on the other hand would have to follow Rico’s lead and dive into life of secrecy. He’d have to do away with his ranger uniform. It was too well known. He’d retain his section ID for the hunter authority but all else had to go. Except Sato of course. A promise is a promise. There was another problem too. Cerberus was just as famous as he. For Cerberus to accompany him, He’d need a new paint job.

“He’s not going to like that!” Deepfreeze muttered.

It might be better to leave him out too. He wanted to say goodbye to Amanda but he wasn’t sure it was a good idea to tell her. He sighed and headed back to the transporter. Rico had effectively ended his life with this request. Quite possibly it would be literally his death, but Pioneer needed him and he had sworn to protect the innocent. The transporter pulsed with bright blue light. He sighed deeply, stepped in, and disappeared never to be seen by the public again.

FIN

[Tallus]

sequel please!
I found this story extremly captivating. i loved the huge cast of characters, and what they went through. i really hope you do tie up a few loose ends with a sequell or an epolouge.

[Freeze]

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I've already started working on the sequell. It may be a while before I can post anything but it is coming!