S-CRY-ed Fan Fiction ❯ The Spectre's Seven ❯ Chapter Two--Raviel ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: Did I forget to mention that I don't own s.CRY.ed? Well, except for Raviel, Isaac, and uh…Raviel's posse.

A/N: What the heck? Why not get started on the plot right now? Here's chapter two.

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Chapter Two--Raviel

"Hey moron! Stop counting your earnings and get down here!" A well-built man in his mid-thirties shouted up to the rooftop of their home.

"Yo Gray." A young man leaned backwards over the porch roof so that he was dangling by only his legs. He waved to the bigger man and gave him a big grin. "What's happening?"

Gray rolled his eyes and took the palm of his hand and pushed the younger man back onto the roof. "Don't do that. You'll break your neck." Gray scratched at his black goatee and turned around. "And don't be up there counting your gold neither! If some Alter User sees you with that much cash, they'll be swarming this place faster than you can say 'Sorry Gray'."

"Sorry Gray," Gray heard the other man chuckle and he gave an exasperated sigh.

"Raviel, you little brat, you'll never learn!" Gray shouted.

"Come on Gray, you know that that was an excellent prank." Raviel jumped off the porch roof neatly and dusted himself off. "I wished I could've seen the looks on their faces when they opened that vault and POOF! Nothing."

Gray couldn't help but smile. "Ya, it was great." He ruffled the younger man's dirty blonde hair. "It'll probably set the Mainland's troops back about a month on supplies. Not that that matters to you, right?"

"Not at all," Raviel said and followed the older man into the house.

Gray and Raviel were partners in crime. Raviel had met the older man when he was ten and Gray was nineteen. Gray took the younger boy in and taught him the art of thievery, which Gray had to admit, Raviel was mighty good at. But that was fifteen years ago.

Gray was older now, not as deft as he used to be. Still, he was in good shape with brute strength and arms that surpassed any normal man. His raven hair hung shaggily in his face, but never seemed to reach his shoulders. And his clothes were always dirty, like the black tank top and blue jean pants that he wore today. About the only thing that Gray took pride in was the goatee that grew under his bottom lip.

"Every man has his pride," Gray had told Raviel one day, reaching for a cigarette.

That was another thing about Gray. He had a bad habit of smoking.

Raviel didn't mind though. In fact it was strange. They had almost nothing in common other than robbing from other people. Raviel was a clean freak, despite his living quarters, and always tried to look his best- - such as the dark shirt and pants that he liked so much.

"Rule number one: always be clean shaven. You never know when a pretty girl is nearby. Rule number two: don't stand out. Black's not always a bad color." Raviel had said this to Gray the first time they had done an actual robbery together.

"Right." Gray had responded indifferently.

Inside the house, Gray lit a cigarette and turned to his younger roommate. "You heard about our next big break from Sydney, right?"

Sydney was their third accomplice in their wrongdoings and often supplied them with the information, disguises, and lock breakings.

"No," Raviel replied.

"Supposedly, there's gonna be some sort of peace treaty going on tomorrow at the plaza between the Mainland's government, and the resourceful ones here on the Lost Ground." Gray let the rings of smoke flow from his lips as he pulled the cigarette away.

"So?" Raviel asked, obviously deprived of interest. "Why would Sydney care? Or you for that matter?"

Gray chuckled. "Figured you'd say that." Raviel pushed past him and walked into the kitchen. "Come on Rav. Don't tell me you'd be willing to blow the deal and just settle for that measly four-grand you got from the train station."

"A living's a living." Raviel replied, searching through the refrigerator for food.

"Even if it means blowing off a ten-thousand dollar statue?"

"TEN-THO- - OOOOFF!" Raviel jolted too quickly and knocked his head against the roof of the refrigerator. His hands immediately fled to his wounded head.

"Thought you'd see it my way." Gray said as he walked out of the kitchen.

"Ten-thousand dollars!?" Raviel followed him out into the living room, foodless, with his hands still up behind his neck. "What in the heck for!?"

"It's an offering," Gray explained, taking a puff from his cigarette. "from the Alter Users here to the Mainland. Kind of like a 'don't-pull-out-of-the-Lost-Ground-and-leave-us-starving' kind of offering."

"How generous." Raviel cracked his knuckles. "Since it ain't going to any good use, they won't mind if we just take it off their hands for em' right?"

Gray's lips curled at the ends into a big smile. "Sydney will be over at noon to explain the details."

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Mimori Kiryu was worried. What if they still turned down the Lost Ground? Surely there would be no sense in cutting everyone off of the supplies…right?

She and Tachibana had volunteered to help represent the Lost Ground when the Mainland's government arrived today. She only hoped that she and a few other rational Alter Users would be enough to convince the Mainland not to pull out from the Lost Ground. While it was wrong that the Mainland continued to be so controlling, perhaps there was some agreement that they could all come to and be satisfied.

She stood at the door, clad in her long tan overcoat, watching the outside.

"Miss Kiryu," She spun on her heel, snapped from her thoughts. "Are you ready to go?"

She stared at Asuka, who was neatly dressed in clothes that Cammy had bought for him.

"Yes," Mimori nodded. "Now is our chance to stand up to the Mainland." She lowered her head. "But I hope it works. Can you imagine how many people this will affect if the Mainland decides to pull out now?"

"Personally Miss Kiryu, I hate being indebted to the Mainland." Asuka sighed. "But you're right. There must be some way that we can see eye to eye with them." Then he added, "Kanami wants to come too."

Mimori did not protest. In fact, she was happy that the young girl cared so much. After all she had to go through, she deserved to know the truth and not be sheltered by the lies of everyone around her.

"Then, shall we go?" Mimori asked.

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There had never been anything like it before. The Lost Ground had never seen such a day where people everywhere gathered around, unified as a whole. Today, the Lost Ground would finally know if the independence that they had desired for so long would finally become a reality. And, of course, in the crowd were several familiar faces.

"Blasted Mainland!" Came a gruff voice from within the back of the crowd. "Why do they continue to play with us like puppets!?" The man was large, his eyes squinty, and in both hands he held watermelons.

"Urizane, not so loud," Warned a young boy with dark blue hair. "There are men all around us who would love to start a fight at this particular moment."

Urizane, former member of HOLY, stared down at Elian.

"I know that," The larger man mumbled.

"I wonder if a certain reckless duo will make an appearance." Elian hinted at the two greatest Alter Users of all time.

"Heh," Urizane chuckled. "If they showed up at all, they would be the reason the Mainland would decide to turn down our independence. Let's hope for once that they DON'T show up."

It was Elian's turn to laugh.

"But wouldn't that be a sight to see?" Urizane looked towards the sun.

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Coming up from behind was a man full of anticipation. He was calm, wore a top hat and a crushed velvet suit. Tinted spectacles sheltered his eyes and he observed the crowd closely.

"What do you expect to find here, Mr. Crane?" A bodyguard whispered to the taller man.

"The answers to everything," Isaac Crane replied unashamedly. "If our new plan goes through, we won't have to give the Lost Ground their independence." He smiled. "All is going according to plan."

With the new project in the works, the Mainland wouldn't need to worry about trivial matters such as 'Kazuma' and 'Ryuho'. The crowd was in an uproar. Today, all decisions were made.

Even by those who could jeopardize the freedom of the Lost Ground.

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The silhouettes of two men formed, side by side, at the back of the audience. Across the plaza sat a rusted brown vehicle, waiting patiently for the time to come.

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Several men greeted the representatives of the Lost Ground on top of the platform in the center of the crowd.

"My friends, we stand here today…" The negotiation had begun. It was time.

A man with green hair dressed in a tattered gray cloak stumbled into a guard, smelling of whiskey.

"Woah there buddy!" The guard pushed the drunk off of him.

"S-Sorry there officeeeerrrr…" The drunk slurred. "I didn't see you there…" Then the man turned with an abrupt start. "You fiend!" He cried, shoving an older bearded man.

"What on earth…?" The guard and two others jumped into the middle of the commotion.

"This here fella stole my wallet!" The green haired man accused.

"Huh?" The bearded man looked around. "I ain't done nothing! I swear!"

"You lying heathen!" The drunk seethed, pushing the bearded man for a second time. "Here he stands lying to ya officers! He done stole my wallet while ya all weren't paying attention!" Then the drunk smiled. "You gonna get it now ya dumb hick! Pickpocketing from an old man!"

"Old?" A guard questioned. "All right buddy, you step away from this man now, you hear?"

Finally the drunk settled down. "I'm sorry officers. I won't be starting anymore commotions." He glared at the bearded man. "Keep the wallet if you want. It only has pictures of my dear family in it anyway."

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A man with brown hair, dressed in a black suit with the badge of the Mainland tagged on, casually walked past the guards, wearing his best smile. Locked in the building in front of him was a valuable piece of success. Withdrawing a small card that he had just recently obtained from his pocket, he pushed it into the card slot.

"Officer Kawazuki…access granted." And the door opened.

Here came the next relay point.

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"I'm sorry officers," The drunk apologized again and went on his way. The guards didn't take their eyes off of him until he disappeared into the crowd. The drunk glanced around for a moment, keeping from looking suspicious, and then slipped around a corner. He pulled off the gray cloak, revealing a tattered HOLY uniform. To the left, he heard a motor running. There was his ride.

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Inside the building, the man in the black suit wrapped the ropes around his legs and arms skillfully. Then, he pulled the gag over his mouth and lay in wait.

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"Hey," Officer Kawazuki paused after the commotion died down. "I can't find my ID card," He slapped his thighs and looked in his pockets. The other guards shared the same commotion and they turned towards the building that contained the monument.

"The monument!" Another guard gasped and the six guards dashed towards the building.

The door was unlocked, but inside was a man, gagged and bound.

"My word," Kawazuki shook his head and stepped forward, pulling the gag from this man's mouth.

"You fools!" The man screamed. "I turn my back for one moment and this Native Alter ties me up and throws me in here! You're supposed to be protecting the Mainland Government!"

The officers had no time to speak, as this furious man gave them no chance.

"Hurry and catch him! Catch the Native Alter who did this! He fled to the east! To the east of here!" When an officer made a move to untie the man, the man screamed. "Are you bloody deaf!? Go catch the Native Alter!"

Trembling, the officers scurried out of the room.

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On the western side of the plaza, the car unloaded the man with green hair.

"Set the bombs accordingly," The driver reminded the man, who nodded. "Give em' just enough time to look while I head back to the garage."

As the car sped off, the man with green hair wearing the tattered HOLY uniform began to work.

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"Heh, heh," The man untied himself and stood to his feet. In the corner of the room was the monument, perched on the float, ready to be deported to the front. Directly across from the float, in the back of the room, was a garage door. It had been used when the gold monument was delivered. He rubbed his hands together and set himself to work.

Unlatching the garage door, he worked to pull the float back towards the rear entrance of the garage.

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The car worked its way around the building to the eastern side of the plaza. He was to look for a flash from a mirror. When he did see the reflection from a pocket mirror, it would be time to make the load.

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Within just a few minutes, the float had been settled in front of the garage door. Now all that was left was to distract the guards he had sent out on the eastern side. The man tied himself up once again and hopped out of the building like an angered rabbit. He was lucky.

The guards were just on their way back as the infuriated man bounced out the door.

"What are you doing!? Idiots! Incomprehensible idiots!" The man's face was red now with anger. "Do not let the Mainland know what is going on!" He warned. "Do this quietly and without drawing TOO much attention!" The man nodded in the other direction. "He ran for the south gate! Hurry!"

Without a word, the guards left the man in search of a Native Alter they would never find.

When they had disappeared, the man hopped around to the back of the garage, loosening his binds and tossing his clothes to the side. There he stood, clad in gray and red garments. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a small pocket mirror and opened it, raising it towards the sun.

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The driver caught the glimpse of the reflection of the sun, he pulled the car out of neutral and drove towards the garage.

"Take care of the rest," The man in gray and red told the driver and motioned to the garage door. Retreating around the side of the building, the man waited. He waited for the final scene.

The driver jumped from the car, pulling a large black hat over his head and opened the garage door. There was the float, ready to be latched to the back of the car.

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"And as a token of our gratitude," The woman representing the Lost Ground spoke. "we, the Lost Ground, have constructed a gift for the Mainland."

"Oh boy," Urizane said from within the crowd. "We have to buy happiness?"

"So much for our independence," Elian sighed.

Then the ground shook thunderously as clouds of dust filled the area. Everyone in the audience fell to the ground in horror as the bombs went off consecutively. One by one.

"Wh-What!?" Urizane glanced up slightly, as he shielded Elian with one arm.

"Independence with the Mainland!?" Came a loud voice in the western section of the plaza. "Impossible…" As the dust cleared, a man wearing a tattered HOLY uniform came walking towards the audience.

Mimori gasped. It couldn't be…

"Ryuho!?" She cried.

"Miss Kiryu! Get down!" Asuka pulled hard on her arm, but she would not be brought down.

"Ryuho!" She shouted again.

Then, more gasps as another man cut through the crowd and jumped up onto the stage. He ignored the cries from the crowd as he turned towards Ryuho in the far western corner of the plaza.

"Ryuho! Let's destroy the Mainland together!" This man with the brown hair…

"Kazu-kun!" Kanami squirmed out of Asuka's grasp. "Kazu-kun!"

"No, wait…" Asuka whispered. "These men…" He stared up at 'Kazuma' for a moment. "It can't be them…"

"Kazuma!" Ryuho shouted. "Come! Let us vanquish them together!"

'Vanquish…together?' Tachibana's eyes widened in surprise. 'Never! It can't be them!'

As Kazuma was about to make his break from the stage, Kanami jumped out in front of him, barricading his path.

"Kazu-kun! Kazu-kun!" She shouted. Then, a sharp pain was felt deep within her heart, 'This man…he looks like Kazu-kun but his eyes…his mind…No…it's not him?'

The man named 'Kazuma' began to sweat. If he didn't leave now, he would be left behind and the plan would be ruined! He had no choice.

"Aha! A hostage!" Kazuma snatched Kanami up and tossed her over his shoulder. "This goes to show you all that this isn't a joke! The Mainland is out to destroy all Alter Users!"

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"Why you wretched little boy…" Isaac Crane removed the glasses from his eyes as his body glowed with an ominous power. 'I will control you and make you regret those words!' He held his hand out towards Kazuma. 'My puppet…'

But a staggering thing happened.

'Kazuma' was not affected by Isaac's power.

The boy continued to run through the crowd, Kanami over his shoulder, until he met up with Ryuho on the other end.

"Stop them!" Someone shouted. "Stop them both!" But the crowd was in a panic. No one could reach them now.

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"Why did you take the hostage!?" 'Ryuho' asked the Kazuma look-a-like when they were far from the plaza.

"I didn't have a choice!" 'Kazuma' replied.

"It doesn't matter," 'Ryuho' mumbled. "She will be of no use to us anyway and she can't tell the Mainland nothing."

Then they saw the car up ahead, the monument attached to the back.

"Sydney! Raviel!" Gray stood outside the car, flailing his arms.

"NO! You idiot!" 'Ryuho' shouted to him.

"Huh?" Gray stared blankly at him. Then he saw the hostage on 'Kazuma's' back. "Hey, you have a hostage!"

"Thank you Captain Obvious!" 'Kazuma' opened the passenger's side, disposed of Kanami, and shut the door behind him. 'Ryuho' jumped in the back seat.

"Great," Gray smiled. "Now let's get the heck out of here." And he sped off into high gear.

"I can't believe you Gray! You're SUCH a moron!" In the backseat, Raviel rubbed a hand through his dyed hair.

"Well how was I supposed to know that you two bumbling idiots nabbed a hostage!?" Gray shouted back.

Sydney, dressed as Kazuma, looked down at Kanami. "Sorry kid. But thanks to this big oaf here, you ain't going home anytime soon."

Kanami bit her lower lip. "So you two…are disguised as Ryuho and Kazu-kun?"

"Yeah!" Sydney laughed. "What a great mastermind I am! Wouldn't you agree, Rav?"

Raviel laughed. "Now all that's left is to find out where we're gonna pawn that big statue."

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Back at the crime scene, Isaac Crane could only shake his head.

"I thought you told me that the men named 'Kazuma' and 'Ryuho' were Native Alters!" Crane snapped at his bodyguard.

"T-They are," The man stammered.

Isaac relaxed. "Then that man…who posed as Kazuma…" He smiled. "That's all he was after all…an actor."

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"Tachibana! Miss Kiryu!" Urizane and Elian met up with the two up on the stage. "What on earth are you doing here!?"

"I could ask you two the same thing!" Asuka retorted. "Where have you been all these years!?"

"Doesn't matter," Elian replied. "Looks like we have some issues. So Kazuma and Ryuho are back?"

"Don't tell me that you can't even recognize them!?" Asuka's eyes narrowed. "Anyone with half a brain could tell that that wasn't them!"

"W-What do you mean?" Mimori asked.

"First off, Kazuma and Ryuho, buddies? That's already a negative. And secondly, Kazuma didn't even recognize Kanami. Besides, why would they come out of hiding now? Especially to attack all these people?"

Then another voice caught their attention.

"T-The monument! The monument is gone! Someone has stolen it!"

Asuka turned back to the trio. "I rest my case."

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Okay, I lied. It wasn't exactly an INSIGHT into the two old heroes, but close enough. Next chapter will deal more with the old cast of s.CRY.ed. This one was still kind of a boost…that sucked…and just had some random robbery lol. It was probably a rushed chapter that needed more time and energy. Oh well.

Kat