S-CRY-ed Fan Fiction ❯ The Spectre's Seven ❯ Chapter Three--Project Zero ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: Woot. Still don't own stuff 'cept for my original characters. Cheers to anyone who is reading my pathetic story.

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Chapter Three--Project Zero

Everyone was taken back to Asuka's house shortly afterwards, horror overwhelming them.

"I can't believe this," Mimori shook her head. "Now what is going to happen!? If the Mainland decides to pull out of the Lost Ground…"

"Relax, Miss Kiryu," Urizane told her, munching on a watermelon. "Let's just wait and see what happens. Clearly the Mainland will know that those two weren't Ryuho and Kazuma."

"What makes you so sure?" Asuka asked, sitting at his desk. "This just may give the Mainland the perfect reason to pull out."

"Even more so, if those two WEREN'T Kazuma and Ryuho, then who were they? And what do you think will happen to Kanami?" Mimori turned to Elian. "Elian, do you know anything?"

Elian shook his head. "In the midst of the confusion, I was so confident that they were Kazuma and Ryuho. Besides, if I used my Alter in a place like that, then the focus of everyone's attention would be directed back to us."

This was true.

"So you don't know anything?" Mimori sighed. "Kanami…"

"If I believe anything at all, I'd say that we just witnessed the famous bandit who has been robbing everyone all over the Lost Ground." Asuka spoke. "Wouldn't you agree, Miss Kiryu?"

Mimori pondered for a moment and then nodded. "Now that you mention it, Mr. Tachibana, it does seem vaguely familiar."

"Are you two talking about those pesky bandits who have been robbing from the Mainland recently?" Urizane looked back and forth between the two. "I remember them from back in HOLY! They'd always be up to no good, stealing from the big organizations, but back then, they were no big deal."

"Probably because we were dealing with Kazuma and the other Native Alters." Asuka perched his chin in the palm of his hand. "But ever since HOLY disbanded, they've become even more of a nuisance. No one knows what they look like or anything."

"Professionals eh?" Urizane whistled. "But now they have a hostage. Before they try anything, we have to get Kanami back."

"That's our top priority," Asuka said. "As for the confrontation with the Mainland, we'll just have to be ready for anything they decide."

"But how will we be able to track them? We don't know anything about them or where they'll strike next." Urizane pointed out.

"They always seem to show up when a big event comes up," Mimori explained. "It shouldn't be too hard predicting their movements…"

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Kanami was taken back to Raviel and Gray's house that night as they unloaded the monument and hid it in the basement of the house. Sydney kept watch on the girl as the work was being done. He was a tall, skinny guy in his mid-twenties. His sky-blue hair fell in his face and stuck out on all sides.

Kanami was silent the entire time they unloaded the monument and sang praises to one another. Later on, Raviel approached Kanami with a question.

"So, do you know how to cook?" He asked her.

"W-What?" She was taken back by the question, expecting something more hostile.

"I asked if you know how to cook," Raviel flashed her a big grin and held out his hand. "By the way, I'm Raviel."

"Kanami Yuta," Kanami hesitantly took his hand and shook it.

"Normally we don't take hostages," Raviel explained. "So I'm sorry about all of this."

Kanami didn't speak.

"Hey come on, it'll be fun," He tried to loosen the tension in the atmosphere. "Anyway, my buddies and I really don't know how to cook, but seeing as you're a lovely lass, you might know."

Kanami smiled. For some reason, she could not sense any danger emitting from this man. "Yes…well…A little."

"Even a little is fine by us." Then he laughed. "Yes! No more takeouts."

"You mean you've lived here all this time and never had a home cooked meal?"

Raviel stiffened. "Well I wouldn't say that…Except I don't think that you can call Gray's 'Secret Household Surprise' exactly edible…" Then he leaned down and whispered, "I heard he puts toilet paper and old socks in it."

This remark caused Kanami to giggle. "Well then Mr. Raviel, I'd be happy to show you how to cook. I learned a lot by myself but I had some help from my friends as well."

"Really!?" Raviel beamed. "You'd show me? Well that's great! No more Toilet Paper Surprise from Gray!"

The two were destined to become the best of friends.

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Two weeks since the burglary at the plaza took place passed. Isaac Crane had not gone back to the Mainland, but stayed in the Lost Ground instead. Something still captivated his interest.

The Mainland wrote back a letter to him acknowledging the acceptance of Project Zero, but now asked for a location. Isaac tapped his pen against the wood of his desk and looked out the window, past the wall that stood dryly on the outskirts of the city. Beyond that, he saw the wreckage of what used to be the mighty building of HOLY.

Over the last four years, the Mainland had attempted to reconstruct HOLY and the building itself, but did not get more than halfway until reconstruction was finally ended. The reason being that the rebellious Native Alters and Inners relentlessly attacked and caused more damage than what the Mainland could afford.

"But what a perfect location," Crane marveled as he ran his fingers down the windowpane. "What a perfect laboratory. All time would be reduced in half and an army could be constructed so much simpler than if everyone was sent to the Mainland."

He quickly seated himself and withdrew paper from within his desk. He would ask for five-hundred men- - No! One-thousand men! One-thousand men from the Mainland to rebuild HOLY. It made perfect sense. Project Zero could be executed from within the halls of a new HOLY.

"Like a chessboard," He mused cunningly. "All the players are at my disposal."

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It was like smuggling goods from a ship to a certain area. A week later, one-thousand construction workers were shipped off from the Mainland and were put under the command of Isaac Crane. Reconstructing HOLY wasn't some big secret. In fact, within the week that the men were put to work, there were five attacks from Native Alters and Inners.

The first four attacks alone came from the Native Alters. But with Isaac Crane around, the men had more to fear than just the Native Alters.

One day after the fourth attack, two men sat down on the new steps of HOLY on their lunch break.

"You know our Boss, Crane?" The first man with maroon hair asked his partner, unwrapping a sandwich from its plastic bag.

"Yeah," The shorter man with blue hair nodded. "What about him?"

"You see what he did with those Native Alters that attacked us yesterday?"

"And the two days before that? And the day before that? Yeah I saw. Real jackal if you ask me."

"Can't say that aloud," The maroon-haired man said, blowing a few loose strands from his face before biting into his sandwich. "I've never seen an Alter User like him."

Even the blue-haired man had to agree. "He seems like a good-natured man. But underneath that face is a wicked personality. When those Native Alters came snooping about, I didn't even see him lay one finger on them!"

"Just a bunch of chanting," The first man snorted. "Scared the heck out of me. Next thing ya know, those Native Alters are taking orders from HIM!"

The second man looked around. "Word has it that all of them are still here. You remember those HOLY guys from way back?"

The maroon-haired man shuddered. "Who could forget?"

"Well this reunited HOLY thing…they have the uniforms already. All those Native Alters that Crane controlled are on our side now."

"How on earth could a guy like him take control over seventeen Alters at one time!?"

The blue-haired man leaned forward and whispered, "They say the name of his Alter is 'The Puppetmaster'."

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The very last attack dealt with thirteen Inners. None of them knew what hit them as the Alters that Isaac controlled swept through them with ease. They were all taken into custody and shipped to the Mainland.

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That was almost a month ago.

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Mimori Kiryu had not found any clues leading to the whereabouts of Kanami or her captors, but there had been repeated robberies from the Mainland's new construction crew. Nothing too major, but then again, it all seemed like a cover-up to Mimori. Lately, the newest rumors included something along the lines of a 'new HOLY' and the project was being sponsored by a wealthy British man named Isaac Crane.

Of course, these proved to be more than mere rumors when the news that thirteen Inners had been taken hostage and sent to the Mainland to be presented with their punishments came about. That had been in last week's paper.

She sighed. It was times like these that she wished she still had Cougar's assistance. He seemed to know everything, despite his hyperactive behavior, and if it had anything to do with HOLY, he would surely know. But alas, she had heard from Kazuma of his passing and she was deeply saddened.

So many lives had been taken at the time of HOLY's downfall and it pained her so.

But if it was true that HOLY was planning another round with the Lost Ground, then it would mean trouble.

"I knew that the Mainland wouldn't pull out," Asuka told her one day after she showed him the paper. "And I also knew that they wouldn't give us our independence either. They're too predictable."

Ah yes, too predictable indeed.

Just as, Mimori found, the bandits were as well.

Another shipment of supplies would be coming in from the Mainland to the construction site this week. No doubt about it that the bandits would be there to stake their claim. With all of the recent robberies from the Mainland's new project lately, Mimori had figured their pattern out. The robberies hadn't been real big and had often been done at the airport when the planes would exchange the materials. But nevertheless, she knew when they would strike next. Mimori decided to make a plan. She would go there and, one way or another, meet the bandits and arrange for a ransom to be made on account of the girl. It had been a month now.

Mimori felt just awful for having left the girl in such a horrible environment for so long. She wanted to believe that the girl was alive, as there had been no recent accounts of dead bodies, but then again, who knew for sure? But if Mimori could get in touch with the thugs now, then she could get Kanami back.

But she knew how reckless her friends were. They would just get in the way. So she would have to go and meet them herself.

Suddenly, Urizane stormed through the door, fuming.

"What the heck!? I don't believe this!" He roared. Asuka and Elian were behind him.

"What's the matter Mr. Urizane?" Mimori asked.

"First off, don't be formal with me." He said, directing a finger to her. "I hate formalities. Secondly, what in the world is going on over at HOLY!?"

Mimori tensed. So, the secret was out…

"You mean it's the truth then?" She asked. "They've decided to reconstruct HOLY?"

"It's more than that!" Urizane turned to Asuka. "Tell her, Tachibana."

"Everyone's talking about it." Asuka explained. "Supposedly, they're rebuilding HOLY under a new commander."

"Any idea on who this 'new commander is?" She asked.

"Nada," Urizane intercepted the question. "Continue."

"Anyway," Asuka resumed. "there have been several attacks made while the construction workers from the Mainland have been over here. Four assaults by Native Alters and one made by Inners."

"Yes, I was reading about the Inners," Mimori blinked. "But what about the Native Alters? I didn't read about that…"

"Of course you wouldn't." Urizane answered for Asuka again. "We got this information from some underground resources."

"Urizane do you want to explain or should I?" Asuka asked, annoyed.

"Geez, don't get your undies in a twist, Tachibana. You can talk." Asuka glared at the larger man at that remark.

"ANYWAY," Asuka snarled. "It's true that we heard about the Native Alter attacks from the locals who live near HOLY, but they said that those same Native Alters have been seen wandering the premises in shiny new HOLY uniforms."

"Oh my," Mimori gasped. "So they aren't kidding? But what would change the minds of those Native Alters?"

"Simple," Elian, who hadn't even spoken once the whole time, answered. "They're under a trance."

"A trance?" Mimori turned to Tachibana. "How?"

"No one knows," Asuka shrugged. "But that's the result of ALL of them. As for the Inners…well…they picked a fight against those Native Alters working for HOLY now and they've been taken hostage and shipped off to the Mainland."

"But why the Mainland?" Mimori asked. "It seems unreasonable. Why would they take them off the island for a trial?"

"It's not a trial," Urizane said. "But no one knows WHAT it is."

"Sounds to me like something fishy is going on," Asuka turned to look at all of them. "I wouldn't be surprised if they were trying to bring back some other loony like Mujo from off the Mainland."

"Dear Lord, then we'd definitely be hearing from Kazuma and Ryuho." Urizane slapped his face in his hand.

"Well what if we took a trip and paid a visit to this new 'commander' of HOLY?" Asuka suggested.

"What? How? Would they even let us back in?" Urizane turned on his heel to stare down the younger boy.

"It's a thought," Asuka shook his head. "After all, I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Yes," Mimori stood up. "I think it's a good idea as well."

"Miss Kiryu?" Urizane's jaw dropped. "All right, all right. But that probably means that we should go there looking our best, right?"

"More or less." Asuka replied. "Well I still have my old uniform, but what about you guys?"

"I still have my pride in what HOLY stood for," Urizane told him. "Of course."

"As do I," Mimori said. "Elian?"

The small boy nodded. "But Miss Kiryu, do you believe that it's a good idea that you go too? The Mainland could still be looking for you. After all, you haven't contacted your family at all in the last four years, have you?"

"The kid has a point," Urizane agreed.

"Regardless, I have to find out for myself what the Mainland is trying to achieve by reconstructing HOLY." Mimori turned to Asuka for support. "Mr. Tachibana, you agree with me, don't you?"

Asuka held up his hands. "I don't like confrontations. Go if you'd like, Miss Kiryu, but be warned that you may not like what you find out."

"I've known about worse," She said. "Now, shall we get going?"

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From over the wall, a man with long green hair stared at the reconstruction of the one thing he despised- - HOLY.

"So, they still wish to test my patience?" He frowned, causing the lines under his eyes to deepen. "Very well then. Zetsuei and I will give them a warm welcome."

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Wootness for the return of Ryuho. And yes, that's really him. I had actually planned on writing more to this chapter, but it's late now and I'm tired and I'll probably save it for another rainy day. Sorry that the last few chapters have been nothing more than introductions (rushed might I add), but I'm such an impatient person who doesn't want to dwell much on introductions before getting the story in order.

So here we have Isaac Crane who plans on reconstructing HOLY to use for a 'laboratory' that has to do with 'Project Zero'. And that's about it. Anyway, more to come in the next couple of chapters and apparently, we're going to be hearing from Ryuho soon.

Or maybe I will. Depends on if anyone is even reading this. But who cares. I feel like writing so, oh well.

Cheers for now.

Kat