Paradox 1: Nightmares

[Kursed]

This is the first chapter in the Paradox series with an estimation of aleast three books. I hope you all like it.

(Steel Resonance: Your char. comes in through the second book, Gales of Souls, because this one is set before GOS. I on purpose made the name like that.)

Warning: some blood, gore, language and violence.



-----------------
Chapter 1: Betrayal

A masked black cat weaved herself through the crowd. She stopped and leaned against the pole. Lunaris wanted to take her mask off but if she did, she would lose the bet between her and Kay, her husband. She straightened her black and gold medieval dress and looked to the clock hat towered over the crowd. It was almost eleven o’clock. Lunaris continued on her search and noticed something on the floor below her. She headed slowly down the stair case. Another masked figure walked up to her.

“May I have this dance, madam?” He offered his hand out.

“Sorry but I’m looking for someone.”

“Who are you looking for?”

“A friend, I can’t say who or I’ll lose the bet.” Lunaris explained. “I have to find him before midnight.”

The man laughed,” good luck with that”

“Where have I heard you before?” Lunaris asked herself. “Wait, your Ash, Rachael’s husband.”

“Yes, I am. It’s nice to meet you in person.”

“Now to find Kay,” Lunaris mumbled. Ash listened but nodded and walked away.

Lunaris continued down the stairs and headed to the bar were drinks where being served. She stopped behind one particular person that had his back turned to her. He turned around and almost bumped into her.

“Found you, Kay.”

Kay removed his mask to reveal a blue grey wolf with deep amber eyes. His black jackal mask had a Celtic style crown that matched his necklace.

He chuckled, “Oh fine, you’ve won.”

Kay drank his drink in one gulp and while putting his masked back down, led Lunaris onto the dance floor. He spun her in front of him; Kay put his hands on Lunaris’ waist and started dancing.

“So what do you want me to do?” Kay asked.

“Still thinking,” Lunaris laid her head onto the wolf’s chest, listening to his breathing. Though it was peaceful, Lunaris had an inner feeling that something bad was going to happen. To her, it always does.

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

An unknown masked figure in a big princess dress looked over the crowd. She was looking for someone. Her black fur glistened in the light, unlike her sister she was black and blue with ice spikes that had formed long ram like horns on her head, luckily the mask was shaped in a way that the horns looked like a part of it. She winced as her earpiece turned on and static filled her ears, she pressed onto and nodded.

“They’ve spotted her,” She turned to a man.

“How exact is this information?” he asked.

She smirked, “Straight from the horses’ mouth.”

The man started to walk of but the black cat stopped him.

“She and the wolf are mine.”

The man disappeared into a room and the cat turned back to looking over the crowd.

Just you wait, Lunaris, you’re mine, And she, Disaster, will prove that she was the Black Water’s best experiment.

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

Lunaris felt like she could fall asleep, but she didn’t. The clock made her jump awake and tense up as it struck midnight. Everyone removed their masks; some started laughing as their friends revealed themselves. Someone bumped into Lunaris’ back, making her and Kay’s muzzle meet. They kissed; when Lunaris pulled away she started to look for something on the ground.

“What’s wrong, darling?”

“I’ve dropped my mask.”

Kay reached down and picked up something. When he straightened to his full height he revealed it to be Lunaris’ mask now stepped on and squashed

“Oh dear,” Lunaris mumbled.

“Here,” Kay took his one off the top off his head. “You can have my one.”
He put the mask on Lunaris, he chuckled. “It suits you.”

Lunaris glared at Kay but soon started laughed

BANG

Screams echoed though the hall and every one started running. Ash stood at the top of the stairs.

“Lunaris-” Ash couldn’t finish his sentence for a bullet tore through his chest; he collapses and rolled down the stairs. More screams echoed out at the sight.

“It’s Black Water!” Lunaris wasn’t sure who yelled it out.

Kay looked around, “this way.”

He pulled Lunaris hand; she stumbled as she ran after Kay

“Kay, I can’t run like you!”

They ran into the main foyer and Lunaris tripped. Her head, with the mask on, hit the ground making a faint crack. Blood trickled down her face and the mask.

“Lunaris!” Kay stopped and turned to her.

“Watch out!”

BANG

The bullet went through Kay’s chest, blood squirted out as he collapsed. Lunaris crawled to his fallen body; the masked figure turned to her and fired. The bullet turned into a fire ball and hovered in mid air. Lunaris raised her head and narrowed her eyes. The fireball zoomed back at the attacker, they collapsed.

“Lunaris, run, escape,” Kay shut his deep amber eyes the last time. Tears dripped down Lunaris’ face as she stood back up and faced her attacker.

“I will never forgive you for this, Disaster! If I ever see you again, I will kill you!”

Lunaris growled as Disaster stood back up, aqua eyes to fierce gold. Lunaris ran past Disaster and out of the mansion.

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

She looked up at the pale moon; it had been months since the attack. Back then she was married and was happy. Now her future and identity lied in shambles.

“Lunaris, you can’t go on like this.”

“Just watch me.”

Rachael, a human, stood up. She was the surrogate mother of Lunaris’ child and she grabbed Lunaris’ shoulder. The black cat snapped her head around, her eyes where no longer kind, happy and gentle like they were before but angry, hurt and full of blood lust. Her robotic eye gleamed with a brilliant blood red. She stepped away and started walking.

“What will Kay think?”

Lunaris stopped, “Kay’s dead, Ash’s dead, everyone at the ball was killed except for me. So many innocent live were killed, not just that nigh, all because of that one organization.”

“You can’t go against Black Water alone.”

“They created me and I’m going to make sure that they regret it.

“Lunaris!”

“I’m no long Lunaris. I’m Valkyre.”

Valkyre let the wind blow through her hair, she stood on the railing as the street screamed with noise below her. She watch the “normal” people living their “normal” lives in this dark evil world. Thunder cloud floated in above her and lightning flashed, matching the spotlights on the corners of the building. In one swift movement she spread her wings.

They were 8 metres long and was black with fiery flight feathers like the rest of the markings on her body. Valkyre watched the city and leaned over the edge she beated her powerful wings. She zipped past buildings and under pillars.

She was the only Black Water experiment to live as long as she did and Valkyre will keep it that way, forever. For she alone ruled the sky and the night.

[Steel Valor]

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

1. The man laughed, ”Good luck with that”

2. “Here,” Kay took his one off the top off his head. “You can have mine.”



3. Rachael, a human, stood up. She was the surrogate mother of Lunaris’s child and she grabbed Lunaris’s shoulder. The black cat snapped her head around, her eyes where no longer kind, happy and gentle like they were before but angry, hurt and full of blood lust. Her robotic eye gleamed with a brilliant blood red. She stepped away and started walking.






A couple of typos I saw when I was reading over this.


1. The G is supposed to capitalized

2. Instead of "my one", "mine" is better

3. Couple of S are missing. "Lunaris" isn't plural therefore an 's is needed.



It's a pretty good start, just watch your typos.

[Kursed]

oh, thanks for noticing that. I must of missed those mistakes when I did the final spell check. I sort of rush when I type the draft up.

[Kursed]

Chapter 2: Forever lost


Valkyre kept her wings steady, maybe flying for eight hours straight at roughly 500km/h wasn’t one of her absolute best ideas but she had no choice. The soft white clouds past bellow her, they were the only peaceful thing Valkyre has ever seen and it was always one of her favourite things to do while flying was to dive through as much clouds as possible; but this time it was different.

Valkyre walked through the door and turned to the golden brown wolf that was waiting for her. He was in his fifties, Valkyre could see that by the collection of white tiped fur starting to from on his muzzle, but that also could be because he was a big worry wart at times.

“Why did you call me Ebon?” The black hybrid asked.

“It’s Visigoth, your creator, he has terminated all of his experements,” Ebon explained.

“Then what does that have to do with me?”

“A lot, even the teras are gone.”

Tera was what Valkyre described them as terrible monsters; that were part human part beast all predators. Valkyre hated them and she still remembered seeing innocent experiments and civilians being killed by these creatures. They are the only experiment ever to match her in their abilities, but they were extremely hard to control.

“Valkyre,” Ebon continued. “You are the last experiment left ever created by Visigoth, the last experiment with a soul. You are the only chance we have left of ever defeating both him and Black Water.”

“Why me?”

“I don’t know but you have to flee, you need to put this life behind you and forget about it….”

“Forever.”

Valkyre narrowed her eyes, she has never been more betrayed, Ebon gave his life to keep the black hybrid safe and now he just chucked Valkyre out into the dark world around them. A faint hum made her hover as group of robots swooped down on her. Valkyre felt the adrenaline enter her body, without the increased heart rate. Valkyre, literally, had no heart at all.

She flew up to the larges one and launched a powerful upper kick, they looked like the Teras but where robot and were much harder to kill, much harder. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a black speck in the corner of her eye. When she turned to the speck she was rammed by another robot. Valkyre fell a few feet than surged up in the offensive. Valkyre kicked the robot’s head again, this time a round kick, both heads spun on the neck but didn’t fall off and made a squelching sound. Valkyre punched one and elbowed the other. Both heads fell off and the robots fell. Two splashes were heard as their metal bodies hit the freezing sea water.

Valkyre turned to the others and shut her eyes to concentrate. She shut her wings and started falling; the black hybrid disappeared into the clouds. Valkyre quickly reopened her eyes and shut her wings harder, diving faster. She suddenly came out of the dive only metres above a rock plain. Two tera-robots misjudged the distance and made a sickening crash as they did a face plant into the unforgiving rock. The remaining three followed her across the plain a second faint rumble meet Valkyre’s ears. Valkyre went as fast as she could over a giant hole, for seconds after the blowhole opened up, sending water at a high pressure at least 500 metres into the air.

Valkyre looked over her shoulder as she landed on the cliff face. None of the tera-bots could of out run the blowhole, none. Valkyre turned to walk away, but came face to face with a Tera-bot. She went to scream but all she felt was electricity surging through her than nothing.

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

Valkyre blinked as the bright light tore into her eyes. She pulled her hand up to block the light but found that she couldn’t. She couldn’t even move her legs. She was strapped to an operating table with a surgeon light above her. Voices of other scientists was heard somewhere behind her.

“So you have finally wakened up,” A deep voiced man walked up.

“So have you finally stopped being a jerk, Visigoth?” Valkyre said sarcastically.

“I see nothing has changed, Lunaris,” Visigoth turned to the scientists. “You can ask questions now that she’s awake, if she cooperates.”

“Yeah; when I rip your spleen out through your throat.”

One of the scientists stepped forward, “How fast can you fly in one period of time?”

“As fast as I need to.” Valkyre deliberately didn’t answer the question. Visigoth narrowed his eyes.

The next scientist that stepped up didn’t have a chance to say anything for Valkyre just muddled it up in his head using her telepathy. Visigoth sensed this as the scientist said everything backwards. Visigoth charged at the black hybrid, she hissed.

“Please be nice to these scientists,” He said through closed teeth. “They represent a famous business man wanting to buy you.”

“That “famous business man” is infact a drug dealer and I’m not a pawn that you can capture me so you can sell me.”

Visigoth didn’t answer but back handed Valkyre hard.

“Our agent doesn’t like the merchandise being damaged,” One of the remaining scientist said.

“I’m sorry, but that seems to be the only way to control her,” Visigoth explained. “Now the information that you want, Lunaris here is capable of reaching 800 kilometres per hour when flying with an average cruising speed between 90 and 150 kilometres per hour. Drugs are now useless control method because she is extremely in tolerant.”

Visigoth paused so the scientists could write everything down.

“Get the fuck out of my head,” Valkyre tasted blood in her mouth, and laid there scorning. Visigoth turned to hit her again, but a black cat creature walked in.

“I don’t think its best to antagonise her anymore,” Disaster stepped into the light. Valkyre scorned at her.

“Fine, take her back to the cage,” Visigoth said, he led the scientists away, leaving Valkyre with Disaster.

“I won’t let them buy you,” Disaster whispered while realising Valkyre from the table. Valkyre sat up, rubbing her wrists. “Trust me.”

“Why should I? You destroyed my life.” Valkyre narrowed her eyes she stood up.

“I have something to show you.”

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

“What do you want to show me?”

Disaster answered Valkyre question by opened the door. They both walked in and Valkyre let out a gasp, for there in a large capsule was a wolf robot. It was white with gold Celtic markings. It had powerful guns folded on its back and ribbons coming from its shoulders.

“It’s a prototype, it is almost finished, but it needs a soul to be complete,” Disaster explained. “And they have found that soul. It is….”

“Kay.”

[MadMoose]

Wow, this really good. I haven't read all the GOS storyline and everything about Black Water but this makes me want to.

Keep it up! :wink:

[Black Knight]

It's brilliant so far, can't wait to see more. ^^

[Kursed]

okay heres some more.

Chapter 3:. Finding the way

Valkyre felt a tear fall down her cold face, “How could they do this? How?”

“I too thought that when I heard it,” Disaster looked at Valkyre, she too was close too crying. “I’m sorry of killing him, I really am.”

“It’s okay.” She looked up to the wolf.

“So you have found my prototype.” A voice behind him made them freeze. Visigoth walked up. “Disaster I was expecting more from you.”

Disaster’s eyes flashed with hate and Valkyre realised the truth. Their eyes meet for a second and Disaster nodded. She walked backwards to the controls of the prototype and pressed a couple of buttons behind her.

“What are you doing? Step away from there.” Visigoth yelled.

“We’re escaping!” Both disaster and Valkyre fell to the ground when the wolf opened his eyes and broke his glass cage, sending glass and liquid everywhere. The wolf leapt out at Visigoth and landed in front of him without a sound, quite unusual for a heavy robot of his size. Visigoth had produced a gun ready to shot but the wolf snapped at the gun and made Visigoth dropped it.

“Faust, don’t kill him!” The name came out of nowhere yet Valkyre still said it and got a response from the wolf. The wolf backed off.

“How can you attack your own father?” Visigoth was shaken with deep gashes on his body.

“No father would experiment on his own children,” Disaster walked up to Valkyre. Visigoth ran away.

Faust, can you destroy a wall to escape? Valkyre asked Faust telepathically, his amber eyes instantly meeting hers. Valkyre didn’t know how she had the ability to talk through her thoughts but she hadn’t worked out her powers yet neither had Disaster.

Anything you wish, Faust faced a wall. He raised the guns on his shoulders and started charging up. He suddenly launched a powerful blood red beam that was absorbed into the wall.

BOOM

The wall exploded with a brilliant sonic boom, Valkyre shielded her face from the explosion and was some how immune to the fire. She looked at Disaster that was also immune same with Faust. The explosion had gone clean through the wall and they could see the night sky on the other side. Suddenly the Base’s alarm went off.

“Okay, that isn’t good,” Disaster looked up at the alarm then to soldiers entering. She could see the angry eyes of the tera-bots.

“Let’s go!!” Valkyre ran through the fire and leapt into the air, she spread her wings.

Eight metres wide with black feathers and red flight feathers, they instantly caught the wind. Disaster followed after and, too, leapt into the air spreading her own wings, which was 5 metres across and where black with blue tipped feathers. Faust ran after them and jumped at least 10 metres in the air before folding his guns back and spreading his own wings. The feathers where actually lasers and Faust still needed to run to fly.

“So you do have a use,” Disaster mumbled talking about Faust. Valkyre looked back at Faust; he had the same amber eyes as Kay. Valkyre slowed down to fly next to Faust.

“Faust, did you remember anything before you were created?”

No, only you seem to be familiar, He replied. Why?

“No reason.” Valkyre felt heartbroken, Disaster could see it.

Did I say something wrong? You’re heartbroken.

“You can sense feelings?”

Yes, and life-forces, too.

Disaster smiled, “Well I think it’s wrong that you don’t know our names. I am Disaster and this is my twin sister, Valkyre.”

Rain started pouring from the sky around them, Valkyre looked around. “We can work on introductions later; we need to find shelter before we get soaked.”

The trio circled towards the ground and to a cave.

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

Valkyre looked deep into the fire, thinking, who am I? Valkyre put her hand over the fire; it licked her but didn’t burn the black hybrid. Valkyre felt something inside her, like the fire’s soul, she channelled into it; feeling how the fire shifts and moves. The fire responded and moved like a bird around Valkyre’s hand.

“How can you do that?” Disaster’s voice broke Valkyre’s concentration and the fire exhausted making everything dark.

“Oh bugger,” Valkyre mumbled. She channelled into the power again only to find that it was gone. She concentrated hard to find it, but there was nothing.

“Well whatever it was,” Disaster continued. “It was cool.”

Come here, you two, Faust voice made them turn to the robot. I’ve found something.

Disaster and Valkyre ran to the robot. He stood beside a hole in the ground; wind could be heard screaming through the cave. The insides looked like an ancient ruin just waiting to be discovered, the floor was some metres bellow the entrance.

“Whoa, it’s like a maze of passage ways,” Disaster looked up at Valkyre and Faust. “Let’s discover where it leads to.”

Disaster grinned recklessly when Valkyre nodded in agreement.

What?! But you don’t know where it might lead to, Faust objected to Valkyre’s decision. We should stay here where it’s safer!! Val-

“We’ll be right back,” Valkyre interrupted Faust as she stood over the hole. She jumped down, Disaster stood up next to her sister.

“Cannonball!!” Disaster jumped down after Valkyre, tucking her legs up onto her body and disappeared into the cave.

Woof.

(Poor Faust....

And it annoying, well to me it is, when you go to re write the story into a book and you notice every single mistake you've made.)

[Shotgun da ferret]

Hey, you took Jack's catchphrase!!! No one takes his catchphrase. -.-

Hurry up with the next chappie!

[Kursed]

<.<

>.>

XP

Chapter 4: The awakening

Disaster quietly lifted the rock that covered the exit. She looked around and got up out of the hole. The rock silently swang back down into its place, following with a thumb and a muffled yelp. Disaster turned back to the rock and lifted it again.

“Sorry Val,” Disaster looked down at her sister, which was rubbing her hand after it got crushed by the rock. Disaster helped Valkyre up to the platform. “Where are we?”

“I think we’re in the centre of the ruins,” Valkyre looked around and walked towards the centre, Disaster followed, she stepped on a tile that glowed, and rumbles made the floor shake bellow the hybrids. “Okay what did you do now?”

“Nothing.”

“Duck!” Valkyre held her hand out as Disaster ducked and a large fire monster came at them. Valkyre felt the surge within her and instantly channelled it. The fire monster instantly roared and flew backwards exploding into ashes. Fire licked across the floor like lightning before disappearing.

“What the fuck was that??” Disaster looked at Valkyre confused.

“I’m not sure.”

Disaster noticed something behind Valkyre, “Oh, pretty.”

Valkyre looked behind her to see a glistening white crystal. It sat on an altar with unknown writing on it. Disaster bolted up to it her eyes glistening with the jewel.

Typical, Valkyre thought to herself, she watched Disaster try to reach for it, but her hand went through it like she was a ghost.

Disaster put her hands on her hips, “And how am I going to be a world famous treasure hunter now? I can’t even hold the world’s largest diamond.”

Valkyre walked up next to her sister and looked into the crystal. Inside raged a storm of energy, fire energy by the looks of it. Valkyre thought. But the fire energy is black instead of the normal red. Valkyre narrowed her eyes.

“Can you see it?” Valkyre asked.

“See what?”

“There is a energy storm inside the crystal.”

“Valkyre, there’s nothing there, you’re just seeing things,” Disaster noticed Valkyre reaching out for the crystal. “Wait.”

But it was too late, the crystal exploded with light as it felt Valkyre’s touch, showering the room with black light. Disaster fell back to the ground from the blast; her head hit the cold unforgiving stone instantly knocking her out.

“Let me go I’ve got to help my sister!” Valkyre yelled unable to remove her hand off the stone. Suddenly pain sheared through her body like electricity, like nothing she had ever felt before. Somewhere in the back of her mind, the black hybrid knew she had to get away from it. With the last of her fading strength, she pulled until she finally wrenched herself free. It was too much for her as Valkyre felt herself collapsing into the darkness.

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


She pressed herself against the back of her cage as hard as she could, trying to pull herself into a tight little ball as her cage was pushed through big double doors. She knew where she was. In a yard outside the back of the lab, the yard she looked out at, in the dead of night from the lab window. The yard where they trained Teras to bring down prey and tear them limb from limb.

A tera grinned into the cage as it was placed onto the ground, they looked like any “normal” human but they all had black lifeless eyes and silver Mohawk hair. Basically they were clones that, on word, could sprout claws and fangs, transforming from a mammal to a velciraptor like creature with 5 metre wingspan.

“Got your running shoes on piggy?” the tera asked pushing a thin, ropey finger through the cage bars and wiggling it. “Wanna race? Wanna play cat and mouse? You’re the mouse?”

She eyed him evilly, then faster than lightning, leaned over and chomped down on the tera’s finger. He sucked in a deep breathe before yelling out in awful pain. Her beast-like teeth scissored through skin, flesh and even bone, tasting the horrible blood. Another Tera instantly jumped forward slamming into the cage, knocking it across the yard and spilting it in half completely. She laid there stunned for a second before rolling aside as a black shadow appeared above her. A fully transformed Tera landed where she was, it had green scales and brown feathers and membrane on its wings.

She spat out dirt and blood as she weakly stood up, the tera turned to her. It stood as big as a four wheel drive car, towering over the child. She growled, the tera was the one she took his finger off. The tera leapt at her, she tried to dodge but the reptile dug his razor sharp teeth into her exposed arm. She let out an ear splattering scream and instinctively slashed out, her clawed hands dug into his neck. She ripped through the jugular vein, blood squirting onto the hybrid girl as the reptile collapsed to the ground surrounded in a pool of blood.

“No!” she screamed as the two other teras ran forward. Clutching her head, power streamed through her veins.

Suddenly the tera’s disappear in a flash of black and pained screams. She looked up at where the teras once were and almost retched, she stepped back and collapsed. The burnt remains of the monster laid on the floor, their flesh was burnt black and some bone had snapped in half from the heat. The blood around them was practically boiling from the dark heat wave. The scientist ran up to the hybrid, one scoped her up and placed her, quickly like she was some sort of disease, into a new crate since the last had been destroyed.

“Oh my. Did you see that?!” One scientist said. “It destroyed two full grown Teras in one hit.”

“I hope that doesn’t have anything to with it’s name,” A younger scientist kneeled infront of the cage. “Hey, Lunaris.”

Lunaris ignored the scientist and just curled up in the back of the crate soon falling asleep.

-----------------------------------
"Valkyre! Don't go too far away!"

Valkyre ignored Disaster's yell and soared higher. They where high, high up where the oxygen was pretty thin. The sun was hot and bright on Valkyre's back and wings, she had nothing but open sky all around her in every directon. Valkyre had worked out that she could fly really high into the atmosphere, were few planes would even think of flying this high; yet some how Valkyre was resistant to the almost lack of oxygen, and the pressure of space above her. She had estimated it to be about 60 kilometres into the sky at least. Disaster couldn’t fly that high, her wingspan couldn’t catch the air and she wasn’t built to breathe that little oxygen. Faust hasn't even tried and properly wouldn't, so up here Valkyre was alone; Which she preferred.

Why did the crystal gave me a electric shock where Disaster couldn't even touch it? What does this have to do with me? Valkyre rubbed her arm; it was only the next day after the shock from the crystal.

She took off her arm guard. Pale scars from the tera ripping her arm when she was 12, glistened in the sunlight. There was no way that she would get use to those nightmares, how the scientists took blood, injected her with huge doses of various drugs constantly to see how she reacted, swallowing radio active dye and taking X-rays to see how here blood circulated with out a working heart and always feeling sick, tired, hungry, thirsty and is pain. Especially those operations to graft robotics into her body after her heart officially stopped hours after she was born. The artificial heart in Valkyre’s chest meant that she had no pulse at all and every year she had to have it “upgraded” as she grew, if they didn’t it would of fallen out of place and Valkyre would bleed to death.

She put the arm guard back on and looked forward. A flash in the side of her eye made her snap around so fast she didn't even think about it. She relaxed when she saw that it was just a flash of lightning from a newly formed storm. Valkyre hovered, narrowing her eyes. She was like, five feet away from her original spot.

"What was that?" She asked herself. She held out her hands and with little thinking, channelled into a force deep inside her mind. Suddenly a ball of fire appeared in her hands, the black hybrid smirked. So the crystal had done something good.

(A little in sight into Valkyre's past and her relation to the teras)

[Kursed]

Chapter 4, oh gosh. And I have almost finished the draft version (not on computer though, I am yet to write that part up) so to catch up I put the next two chapters up.

Chapter 5


"Okay, make sure no one sees you land!" Valkyre yelled over the rush of the wind. It was some hours later and night was already falling, the house far up on a hill was their target. Valkyre's only problem was to make sure no one will see them land at the house. No one sees them, and then the group stays safe. Disaster and Faust landed gracefully on the ground, both running to a halt. Valkyre swooped low to the ground and landed at the foot of the stairs to the house. The door opened and a golden wolf walked out, his eyes flashed in confusion and relief.

"Valkyre, but I thought I," Ebon walked towards her.

"Told me to stay away?" Valkyre finished Ebon's sentence. "I guess I can't."

Ebon weakly smiled, "Fine. Come inside."

Valkyre walked after Ebon, then Disaster. Faust stood on the veranda, hesitating like he knew that a 1.3 metre tall cyber wolf wouldn't fit. Valkyre knew it wasn’t his size that was stopping him. She walked up to Faust and put a hand on his shoulder, the wolf shuddered.

What have they done to me? Faust said only to Valkyre. She looked him into the eyes, he looked back

After you were killed, Valkyre replied. They put your soul into this form. I had no control over it. Just remember who you are, please.

Well since you said please, I will try. Faust's eyes shone in a fierce determination. He looked at Ebon which had walked up behind Valkyre; Disaster had told the old wolf everything. Wait where’s the other two?

When Faust said the "other two", he meant Ebon’s other two sons: Binghi and Rusty.
Rusty was Ebon’s youngest son, and was known for his recklessness and constantly getting into trouble. Like Faust when he was Kay and alive, Rusty shared in his brother’s love for technology. It was unsure if Rusty did want to continue on with the project Kay had started before his death, Valkyre hated how this project was kept in secret from her but Valkyre could never get herself to go and find out what it was.
Binghi, on the other hand, was the most sensible one of the three brothers, but still had the love for technology; more the designing side than the building. Binghi resembled his deceased mother.

Suddenly a rust coloured wolf with blue-grey points and bright red eyes jumped onto Faust. The young wolf was wearing a simple plain blue t-shirt and cameo pants that was one size to big, Valkyre could see the rope belt. Binghi which was sliver with black points walked up next to Ebon.

"Don’t worry I heard everything," Rusty looked up before turning back to his robot brother. He started rubbing Faust’s head with his fist. "This for all those months you made me and Dad worry."

Hey don’t I have a say in this.

"No."

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

A nudge into Valkyre’s stomach made her stir. It was late in the night and Rusty had creped up to where Valkyre was sleeping, he kneeled next to her, next to Rusty was Faust. Valkyre was sleeping on her side on the floor, and every now and then, she would twitch her ear, muzzle and even hand. Faust could she the faint pierce marks on her hands where her claws would cut into her hands with frustration. Those wound would properly never heal properly.

Come on Val, wake up.

"No five more minutes."

No you’re waking up now, Faust leaned over Valkyre’s makeshift bed and pulled the sheets of with his mouth.

Faust was yet to work out how to do everything know he was on all fours but at the moment he was doing fine. Valkyre cringed, curling tighter into a ball.

Poor thing, Faust thought to himself.

The only time Faust has ever seen Valkyre at peace was when she was sleeping, but even that had its time. Valkyre was born and raised a predator; she had the claws and teeth to prove it. Her teeth weren’t normal by having two sets of canines and a third set hidden behind that could swivel back and forth in her jaw like a snake, armed with venom. Not even Ebon had worked out the role of that venom yet, for at the moment it was useless

"What do you want?" Valkyre mumbled sleepy, she had one eye open slightly.

"We’ve found them," Rusty said.

"Found what?"

Others like me, Faust explained. Valkyre was now awake and sat up.

"But, Bu… How many?"

Only one.

"Where are they?"

"I have their last location, buts it’s outdated by six months at least, I’m not sure if they are still there."

"I’m going to check it out," Valkyre stood up

"Why?" Disaster had over heard their conversation. "Rusty said that they could be any where by now. And They could be anything."

Faust looked over his shoulder at Disaster, which was standing at the door, Valkyre narrowed her eyes.

"What about them?" Disaster pointed to Rusty. "Hasn’t they lost enough."

"We are doing fine." Binghi stood up.

"yeah sure, and what do you want to lose now?"

"Get out." Valkyre stepped forward.

"Why?"

"I said GET OUT!" Valkyre furious raised her hand in a flash a ball of heat formed on Valkyre’s hand and exploded. Sending Disaster into the walk in cupboard across the hall and forcing the door shut. In the mirror Valkyre saw her eyes had turned a deep blood red colour. Disaster slammed on the door with her fists but it didn’t budge.

"Oh just you wait Lunaris Valkyre!"

That won’t keep her, Faust said just to Valkyre.

It will keep her there long enough that we’ll be already gone, Valkyre replied. Valkyre walked out to the room and almost ran into Ebon, he looked up to Valkyre. The black hybrid couldn’t tell what her adoptive father was thinking for his eyes had all mixed emotions. A small, unsure smile appeared on Ebon’s face.

"Go," Ebon said. "I’ll keep Disaster busy."

"Thanks," Valkyre took the bag Ebon was holding out.

"Why did you come back?" Ebon’s question stopped Valkyre

"Like I said you’re family," Valkyre looked over her shoulder. "The only family I have, Dad."

A tear rolled down Ebon’s face, she put it on over her shoulder and walked past the old wolf and to the door. She walked onto the veranda and jumped down the stairs, before her feet hit the ground she spread her wings. The flight feathers hit the ground, kicking up the dirt which trailed after Valkyre as she soared higher into the sky. She looked back and saw Faust beating his own wings.

"Lead the way," Valkyre yelled over the rush of the wind.

Chapter 6

(This is an actual corner in the town I live in; I just edited it around so it fits with the time. And no the shop that is in this story doesn’t have a underground lab under neigh it. Yeah most of this chapter had been taken from Maximum Ride)

"Hmm," Valkyre spread a sheet of paper on a burnt out car. She took out a small personal computer and turned on the pen light, though she didn’t really need it. Valkyre double checked the co ordinates. Faust watched, checking the almost falling down street sign at the end of the street.

Nah you’re right, Faust said. If the co ordinates are right, this should be it.

"Yeah, but that’s a big If."

Across fro them was an old burnt out corner shop, two banks one on each side opposite corner, of course they were long since robbed and destroyed and a police station that had been long since abandoned. Faust and Valkyre stood in front of the police station.

"Well crap," Valkyre sat down on a burnt and close to unrecognisable police car. A creaking sound made Valkyre instantly stood back up. The driver’s side door fell off, clanking on the road.

I concur with that assessment. Maybe there was a lab here or something that got knocked down.

Valkyre raised an eyebrow, nodding towards a building that said "circa 1894"

So much for that theory, Faust mumbled. What now?

"We’ll check it out," Valkyre hesitated to cross the street, like there was going to be some hothead street racer about to come screaming down the main road.

She stood in front of the store and peered in; she couldn’t find anything of interest and started to head around the back when voices made her freeze. Unfortunately, the apartment house above the stop was inhabited by some of the more scum sucking members of society; which was conducting "business" right now, at six in the morning. Valkyre shuddered as she leaned against the cold wall; it was close to minus six degrees. No snow, it never snows in this district.

Valkyre could determine two voices at least in the small courtyard behind the shop.
She had worked out that she could see through walls and blobs of heat could appear, like infra red, where the guys seem to be squatting in this bombed out wreak of a building. Twenty minutes after the second guy had left and didn’t come back; Valkyre rounded the corner and sprinted to the back door. Finding it unlocked, the black hybrid creped in. The door slammed shut, making Valkyre freeze.

"Hey what was that?" One voice yelled out. Valkyre ducked under a window. There was a flash of light from a torch.

"Dude its just a stray dog," A second, rough voice replied. "Just a stray black dog."

Stray black dog? Valkyre breathed out when the voices disappeared.
She opened the door quietly this time watching the "stay black dog". It gently trotted into the shop and sat down facing Valkyre.

"Oh god, that was close," Valkyre whispered when she shut the door. The black dog glowed and changed back into a white wolf. Fuast got back onto his four paws.

Lucky I had already worked that trick out.

Valkyre moved across the room staying out of the squares of light coming from the windows. The shop had once been a real estate agency. The hybrid started looking around; opening doors. Tapping walls for hidden compartments. She opened a hallway closet.It was empty, its walls nothing but broken plaster, showing bare laths within. The shelves had been taken out ages ago.

"Wasn’t that door shut before?" A voice far behind them said. Valkyre turned around

Didn’t you shut the door?

I did. It must have drifted open, Valkyre stepped back into the cupboard. She stifled a shriek as the back wall disappeared behind her and felt her falling. Valkyre instinctively tucked her head in to her chest and brought her hands up. One arm let out a nasty crack as she landed on it. She just laid there stunned when she reached the foot of the stairs.

Vally, are you okay?

"Yeah I’m just bruised," Valkyre sat up. She cringed, trying not to scream in pain when she tried to move her hand. "I think."

We’ve got to get someone to look at that arm.

"Its fine, just sprained."

Faust didn’t argue with Valkyre for she had already stood up. Her eyes had dulled to a pale sickly yellow. They stood in front of a tunnel that had been built less than a year ago. With the pen light in her hand, Valkyre headed down into the darkness.

There is a wall in front of you, Faust said some time later.

Valkyre reached out, she had had pretty good night vision and didn’t need to be told that beyond her outstretched fingers was a door. Valkyre awkwardly gripped the doorknob, turning it, just to see. The door opened and a fetid, dank stench wafted over them.

Are we too late? Faust asked. Valkyre didn’t answer; she didn’t even want to think about it. This stale air meant only one thing to her; Death.

Valkyre stepped forward, dim lights showed her a second door and she opened it. They went through this second door, then stopped and starred. They were in a lab, a lab just like the one back in the Black Water base that Valkyre escaped from. There was computers, all shut off; tables with dusty equipment. Black boards and white boards covered with faded diagrams.

"Faust can you find the prototype," Valkyre said quietly. "I’ll see if I can get any information."

Faust nodded. Valkyre waved her way through the tables over to one computer. She climbed onto the lab stool in front of the computer and grabbed the computer mouse.
Faust walked up, he placed his front paws on the desk.

Try big c, little r, big r, zero, five, little e and nine.

Valkyre gently shoved Faust’s chest with her elbow he softly fell to the ground. "Shh
I’m meant to do the hacking."

She typed in the password and pressed enter. She shuddered from the feeling that she was being watched; but Valkyre quickly pushed it to the back of her mind. The computer whirled to life, a list of icons pooping up on the left hand side of the screen. Valkyre got out her little hand held computer and connected it to the computer. She skimmed the icons until she found what she wanted. She sent them to her computer.

I think they will realise that their files are missing.

"Faust this place is abandoned." Valkyre disconnected the two computers when the transfer was complete.

She turned to Faust only to find him standing infront of a fabric covered wall. Slowly Valkyre walked to him and pulled back the cutain . Behind the curtain was cages. Cages with sleeping forms in them. Mutants. Just like Valkyre.As far as Valkyre knew, she was the only viable and oldest experiment. Then she realised that the experiments weren't really sleeping, they weren't even moving. Valkyre reached out and ruffled her hand through Faust's silver fur. She didn't need to be told that they were even alive anymore. Faust noticed one cage in particular, Valkyre looked in. There was was a silver bundle, big as a cat with purple toes and tail tip. It was breating but by just.

Its her, Its the prototype.

"Break the cage door," Valkyre ripped a strip off the fabric curtain and made a make shift sling while Faust gentle gripped the bars in his muzzle. He pulled the door off and placed it down without making a sound. Valkyre reached in, placing a hand on the silver. She scooped it up in her hands and placed it in her sling. Her injured hand screamed in pain.

"Come on lets go," Valkyre stood up and ran out of the lab.

Five minutes later they were back in the sky. Valkyre checked the prototype, knowing that there was any chance of it not surviving the journey. Thats why they had had to get back to Ebon as fast as they could. She looked forward and her breath caught in her throat. There was smoke rising far off in the distance. And it was coming from Ebon's place.

"No."