It was well over three hours before Erika, Serge, Macus and Jouichirou returned to the Razorback having accomplished their mission. At least that’s the way it looked from their standpoint. They had gone into the warehouse, surrounded the virus on all four sides and…lost it. The rest of the time had been spent searching the building from the foundation up but to no avail. The damn thing was nowhere to be found so eventually, even Serge had given up. Why keep looking when it was probably going to turn up in a new location where they would most likely extinguish it?

“This is the first time that my variable gear hasn’t been damaged.” Erika hounded Serge when they disembarked from the Razorback in plain clothes. “Not even a scratch.”

“And…Jouichirou is unscathed too, must be our lucky day,” Serge teased. Most fights left Jouichirou as a major liability since his addition to the team was as a computer asset. He took charge of any technical areas in the field where Mirei could not go. Other than that, Serge spent most of the time watching Jouichirou’s back. As much as they pretended to dislike each other, the two men did know the meaning of respect.

Jouichirou whacked Serge in the back of his head playfully. “Luck had nothing to do with it. I have natural talents.” Now that he didn’t have to compete with Serge for Raven’s attention, he could cut the other man some slack. No more nasty comments or taunting remarks…for a little while.

Only Macus and Mirei seemed to have a problem with their recent battle. There were repercussions in allowing any virus an easy escape. It would only grow stronger later, evolving into gods knew what. And they were right to be concerned because Captain Raven was waiting for them by the bay doors, looking ultimately displeased. He never met them after a battle or mission. His habitual nest was in the captain’s office, waiting for their return patiently. Then, he would sit there, hands folded on top of his desk, eyes beckoning some good news. This was completely out of character for him as was the disappearance of a virus. Very peculiar indeed.

“I was listening to your progress when I heard someone suggest that the mission was complete over the comm-line.” Raven’s dark eyes gleamed dangerously. “Who gave that order?”

All of a sudden, Jouichirou felt like he had stumbled upon a deserted island in the middle of the ocean. All that stood between him and the shark infested waters were his team mates. One by one, they began to move away from him, letting him sink or swim on his own. “I scanned the warehouse at least ten times…and the docks. The thermograph readings revealed no sign of the virus.”

Inside, Raven nearly exploded at Jouichirou’s error, but on the surface, he calmly nodded. He was incredibly distressed that a virus had retreated into another part of town. The only reason for its attack would have been to gather information about the enemy. Now, the virus would be familiar with how STAND functioned and their main members. It would now pose twice the threat it originally had with one hundred times the firepower. That firepower being knowledge and all it required was a spark of crucial information to ignite a more powerful attack. *Should I inform him of my dissatisfaction in front of his friends or wait until later? The last thing I want to do is push him away from me.* “All of you should have your individual reports on my desk before the first shift tomorrow morning. Dismissed.” Better keep his temper under control.

As he was walking away, the quietest of footsteps began to match his rhythm, keeping up but staying at a safe distance. “Jouichirou…I would appreciate it if you would not stalk me.” Raven waited until he caught up before slowing his pace to speak with him. “I’m not blaming you for the whereabouts of the virus. However, I expect you to be more cautious. Spending three hours combing the facilities was not good enough to warrant a case closure. You should know better than that.”

“Macus wasn’t around…someone had to give the order.” He bit back the next justification attempt when Raven glared at him. “Yes, Captain.” Depression had settled in and the mild scolding had taken its effect on Jouichirou. He sensed that he had let Raven down, disappointed him. How was he supposed to start a relationship with the older man if he was a failure? The silence stretched down a few corridors and even on the elevator ride to the officers’ quarters. When Jouichirou couldn’t bear it anymore, he stopped in the middle of the hallway and watched Raven continue on, oblivious to his absence. So, there was nothing between them then? *I should have seen it coming. What would Raven want with someone like me?* Jouichirou hung his head shamefully, heading towards where his rank belonged. Beneath the chain of command. Definitely not on the same floor as Raven’s private suite.

“Jouichirou.” Raven called out to him, wondering why his date-to-be had forgotten about their plans for the night. He watched Jouichirou stop in front of the elevator, his hand print embedded in the screen. The summoned car opened up, waiting for him to enter but he didn’t. So, the doors closed again and off it went back down to another floor. “Where are you going?” Raven was not afraid to speak as loudly as he wished. This was his floor, his space, and no one would ever know what transpired between them.

“Out of your sight.” Jouichirou didn’t respond to the firm hand which gripped his shoulder, turning him around. He could feel Raven staring at him, wanting to know why he was acting like such an idiot. No, more like behaving as any infatuated young man would. And it really wasn’t infatuation either or some simple crush. Then, those dominating lips were crushing his own, those powerful arms guiding him to the closed elevator door. This was a new side of Raven, a part of him which he dared not reveal to anyone. It was the whisper of need, raw emotions taking over to replace his indifference and cold front.

After the first kiss drained them both of their breath, Raven broke free, having Jouichirou pressed between him and an absent exit. “I would rather you not take off in the middle of our date.” He smiled when Jouichirou recovered some of his self esteem. “Don’t think that I treat all of the crew in this fashion. There is only you, Jouichirou.” Another kiss and Raven’s hair became tangled in Jouichirou’s fingers as he was pulled even closer. Anything else which he wanted to say was smothered in heated movements which marked the fight for supremacy. Neither one of them wanted to give in or let go.

Eventually, Jouichirou was overcome with Raven’s kisses and caresses, he couldn’t catch his breath while trapped by the larger man. So, they parted for a moment with Raven helping Jouichirou to his suite. Even though the door was a few feet away, they had trouble getting there. Raven hoisted Jouichirou into his arms and kissed him again and again, exhausting them both. It seemed funny to Jouichirou, to be carried past the threshold of the suite by Raven, but he couldn’t laugh. Whenever he attempted to speak, his burning mouth was harassed some more by Raven’s hungry tongue.

“Raven.”

The voice which called his name froze Raven in his tracks. He abruptly dropped Jouichirou to his feet, nearly allowing his date to fall onto the plush carpeting before he reached over to steady him. There could be only one person who would have the gull to intrude on his private territory.

“Macus.”

Jouichirou wanted to run, to hide somewhere, do anything to prevent Raven from being seen with him. How would it appear to the second in command if he saw the captain taking a lowly officer into his quarters? Pretty bad from Jouichirou’s point of view. Raven could be reported to the higher officials of Tsaihe if anyone found out about their involvement. No matter how slight or premature their relationship seemed to be at the moment, Raven would be relieved of duty immediately. Tsaihe would not tolerate fooling around among the ranks.

Macus’ tall form stepped out from the partition separating the entranceway from the kitchen. He had managed to get ahead of Raven and make himself at home while making up a little speech in his head. Something which would illustrate just how unsatisfactory the teams’ earlier performance had been. Particularly Jouichirou. *Pathetic,* he thought to himself. That was a word he was going to emphasize until Raven’s ears stung red from hearing it. *That kid should pack his bags and stick to racing cars. Useless…stupid…incompetent…*

“Jouichirou!” Macus glowered at the captain’s dinner guest. Now was as good a time as any. “Do you know how many regulations you are breaching by being up here? Have you no consideration or respect for your captain?”

But before Jouichirou could open his mouth, Raven shouldered past him to stand nose-to -nose with his subordinate. “I chose to take him here to speak with him about the mission. Would you rather I shame him in front of his peers?”

“You’re jeopardizing your job, fool! How long did it take you to gain that rank?”

This was how Macus addressed the captain informally where there were no witnesses? *And he calls me disrespectful?!!* “You should be fired for speaking to the captain like that.” Jouichirou viciously grabbed Macus by his collar, having to really balance on his toes to reach, and shook him. Or at least tried to, it was too difficult to disrupt the frame of a man built like a tree trunk. “If you weren’t so tall, I’d kick your sorry ass for…”

Macus raised his fist but stopped when Raven shook his head. The man seemed to be mildly amused, enjoying seeing the two men go at it. His humor was originating from Jouichirou knocking Macus around with the other man not able to retaliate. That would teach Macus a thing or two about the proper decorum when facing his superior officer.

“Okay, Jouichirou. That’s quite enough…both of you.” Raven peeled Jouichirou’s fingers off of Macus who looked on in contained fury. “Macus, you have obviously gone to great lengths to speak with me. I will forgive your trespassing in my home and ask what it is that you want.”

“Never mind. It can wait.” He brushed the ruffled fur of his collar back into shape, pausing for effect. “But…another matter can’t. It seems that the virus is on the move again, this time more powerful. We think it might be targeting STAND. Of this, no one is certain as of yet. However, recent attacks have placed the various forms of viruses in a targeted pattern which forms a net around our base. Each new attack gets closer to sealing the framework pattern which forms a spider’s web around us. I suggest that we put the base on red alert and immediately begin to interpret the viruses actions as hostile.”

“Absolutely.” Raven turned to go back the way he had come, indicating that the two men follow. “We can’t take any chances with this. I want everyone working a double shift around the clock. There will be no open opportunities for any virus to strike at the heart of our operation.” His hand print receded into the console by the elevator, having it open for him instantly. Macus and Jouichirou entered after him, leering at each other. Or, at least Jouichirou was doing most of it. *I ought to curse his immaturity.* But, Raven found it to be flattering since it was a sign of youth and how the man was overprotective of his reputation.

The elevator stopped on the main floor, allowing them to disembark and head down the corridors. “I’ll be in my office if you need me.” Then, Raven was gone.

“I have other matters to attend to.” Macus continued to the parking garage where he drove off in one of the state of the art vehicles.

“Figures!” Jouichirou reversed his direction to check on the Razorback. The least he could do during the emergency period was to ensure that his favored flying machine was refilled and tuned to perfection. Mirei could run the computer better than he could but she would be lost inside the engine room of the Razorback.

**

“I feel something coming.”

Raven leaned back in his chair and gazed up to the never-ending blackness of his ceiling. Why had he requested that it be black? Wasn’t there enough of the dark illusion imprinted in his mind? Evidently not. Maybe he had chosen subconsciously to punish himself and going dizzy in a badly lit room was just the way to do it.

“What?”

The tall, blonde woman smiled brightly, bringing a glass of champagne to her lips. She wore an elaborately sequined evening gown, also black. The color must have dominated the theme of the room, influenced her decision in wardrobe fashion. “It will be soon,” she said dreamily. “He is here and that is all that matters.”

That brought a reminiscent glow to Raven, remembering the past once more. “Yes, but is he who we think he is or just a nicely modeled impostor?”

“You said so yourself, Raven. He has not forgotten. He has the dreams.” She stood behind the leather chair, looking out into the sunshine which shone brightly upon her light hair, brought out the crystal blue of her eyes. Reflected on the milky whiteness of her skin and…passed right on through it.

“You are right…Donna.”

Donna nodded to herself, taking another sip of her champagne. “He has returned to us. We are together at last.” She moved again, leaning against the back of the desk but not quite touching it. It wouldn’t have been possible considering she was as solid as the sunshine passing through thin air. No, she was not a hologram or a figment of Raven’s overactive imagination. Donna was reborn, reincarnated but as what? An unholy ghost perhaps. Surely not a human being as she had been years ago.

“Serge,” Raven murmured.

“Miran Treyn,” Donna echoed. “Does it matter what his name is now? He is ours. We will live again.”

“Yes.” But it was not Serge, formerly Miran Treyn, that lived inside Raven’s heart. His love now belonged to another man who promised him a new beginning. A chance to make amends for wrong decisions in the past. Miran was dead. A former life gone haywire with bloodshed. And Donna? Was she also dead?

**

In the command room, Serge was typing away on his computer, vaguely paying attention to Mirei in the background. He was dreaming. Again. The same recurring nightmare which haunted him. Begged him to kill Raven, set things right. Raven had killed him, brought him back to life as a clone. The only other person who knew this was Erika but she refused to speak of it. She accepted him for the man that he was, not the one that he had been. How could it be that he had an entire lifetime behind him - as long, if not longer than Raven’s - and the one damn thing that he remembered was only a dream?

Inside his dream, the man he had become was just born, naked as if inside the womb of his mother. No, the caverns of a capsule, locked down with codes, sequences and monitoring equipment. A phony life form existing on the memories of another. The blackness was everywhere, covering Serge’s fetal position protectively. Then, a light shone above him, flashing blindly at him.

“Who?”

“Serge! Come to me, Serge.”

An angel? A blonde angel as nude as he felt himself, calling to him. Arms outspread, wings fluffy and innocent, eyes as wide and passionate as he knew his mother’s had been. Serge floated up to her, reaching with one arm, trying to touch her. To contact salvation and understand. Just once, he wanted to comprehend what it was that was happening to him. Why the dreams were happening more frequently now and even more vivid.

“Serge! Awaken!” Her wings flapped out suddenly, arms more expressive than usual. The pupils of her eyes became coated with blood, streaking out wildly to encompass her personality with it. A forewarning?

He was no longer in the darkness, now it was a battlefield. Hundreds, thousands of people dead strewn at his feet. Why was he still naked? Did it represent his ignorance? *Black Valentine!* On February the fourteenth in the year 2097, the massacre of the earth had been partaken by the Incubator. Sending down hordes of viruses which the people of earth hadn’t been prepared for.

Skulls rained at his feet and he felt a certain madness revolving in his head. Overlapping the normal feelings which he knew weren’t evil. The scenery changed again, this time it was a room filled with high tech equipment. For some reason, he knew the name of every piece of machinery, what it was used for and how to operate it. He was wearing his variable gear but without the helmet, staring forward. And, there was a man beyond his range of vision, coming closer. The new variable gear was black, the visor tinted purple. Revealing one eye from behind it, a single tear bleeding from the corner of it.

Serge recalled gazing deep into those heavenly blue eyes, especially on mornings where he woke up to see that man next to him. Either him or that woman. That annoying blonde woman who continued to aggress him even when he slept. Donna. How? Who were these people?

“I’m sorry…I can’t allow this to go on.” The Halcyion Black variable gear raised its right arm, laser gun aimed at Serge’s head as he approached. There were no other words spoken, only the sound of a roaring blast ringing in Serge’s ears. Killing him. Or Miran Treyn. Whatever the hell his name had been as a true human. Raven had killed him. Why?

Shaking off his waking dream, Serge tapped the keyboard a couple more times with no apparent motivation. *Raven and I were lovers?* Was that so difficult to believe? The man did have some sort of allure which drove some of the officers insane with jealousy. It was just another piece of the puzzle, as was the woman named Donna. *Good grief! I hope this doesn’t mean that we had threesomes.* He grimaced and then shouted when every screen in the room projected a paralyzing beam of light, bathing the room in its brilliance. He heard Mirei gasp, having been caught while online with the net. Her mind was automatically locked down as the power surge rocketed into her neural pathways, silencing her implant.

**

“And then…I knocked him down with the flick of my wrist.” Jouichirou bragged to one of the lower officers in the holding bay. He had an alarming habit of twirling a sharp knife from his fingers while boasting. Other men would call him foolish and an impulsive idiot while the females, they ate it up. Loved the way he laid on the charm and kept it coming until…he solemnly informed them that a date would be impossible. His duties as an officer came first. Every inch of loyal bullshit that one person could possibly make up in five minutes, Jouichirou used. So he did stretch the truth just a tiny fraction of a millimeter. Big deal! Like Macus didn’t talk behind his back. Damn bastard probably had lots to say about the way he handled himself in battle. *Asshole!*

“Then what did you do?,” Kim shrieked, eyes shining with keen interest. This was one man that she wouldn’t mind getting to know outside of their work period. Of course, she was well aware of Jouichirou’s icy reputation. He was smooth as silk and a great conversationalist when it came to making the opposite sex swoon. But, as soon as he snagged a would-be girlfriend, he backed off faster than the speed of light. He was a difficult man to interpret. What went on inside his head? Maybe he had a secret lover somewhere… Just maybe.

“Well…Macus may tell this differently but you know that only my information can be trusted.” He leaned closer to her, holding the knife still between his fingers. “The coward ran off with his tail between his legs.” He smirked, allowing Kim some time to register the significance of such a victory. “What could I do? Since I’m the type who believes in mercy, I let him go. Didn’t want to scrape my knuckles anyway.”

Her eyes grew bigger with the images that passed into her mind. Jouichirou was looking better by the second. “Wow! Tell me more!”

Just then, an alarm began to ring and all of the lights sparked and then went dead. They stood still for a minute, waiting for the auxiliary power to kick in. Nothing came back on. The power source was completely dead, cut at the heart of wherever STAND sucked energy from.

“Come on!” Jouichirou ran up the ramp to the Razorback and had everything revved up before Kim could even take a seat. “This doesn’t look good at all.” Now, his serious side was taking over, covering up for the other part of him which screamed ‘screw-up’.

“What do you think happened? Why isn’t the power coming back on?” Kim was on the edge of her seat, watching numbly as Jouichirou flicked some switches and prepared for flight.

“I think that the virus just came to us. The sensors are picking up disturbances all over the building. All of our communication relays just went dead.” His fingers kept skimming over the keypad, registering one malfunction after another. “Access ways shut down, all doors locked and bolted before the power went off. Everyone is trapped until we can get the power up and running. I’m not going to wait for someone to do something.” The Razorback began to lift off of the ground, burning the surface of the platform as it did so. Jouichirou didn’t know what it meant to gently ease the engines into their normal capacity after igniting them. The immediate heat damaged the platform, warping it so that landing was no longer an option.

Kim suddenly had a vague idea of what Jouichirou had in mind. “You’re going to blow the doors? Do you know how many legal protocols you’ll be in violation of? We’ll both be reprimanded severely.” She was beginning to doubt her original judgment of the younger man. He was young, irrational and was going to get them both in a heap of trouble.

“You can say that I forced you to cooperate. Now fire up the lasers, I’m searching for the others with the thermal radar.” *That’s odd.* He began to have a much larger reason to worry. One that threatened to quickly shatter his resolve. All of the virus infections were centered in Raven’s office. *He’d better not be in there.* That bit of concern turned to fear. *Even if he is, he’s a strong man. Raven can handle anything.* Still, that thought amplified into a near panic scenario. *But he isn’t trained in combat like myself even if he is stronger. Will he know what to do if he does encounter the virus?* Little did Jouichirou know that he was about to find out just how capable Raven was at fighting.

**

“Mirei!” Serge gently shook his companion, disturbed by the slack-jawed look on her face. What did it feel like to be smothered by the vines of the net? To lose all control over one’s physical and mental functions? To cease to function at all? And there she sat, splayed across her seat from the intense shock which had struck her body. Mainly her mind but the flesh always perceived what the brain could not deal with. The brain acted like a scared child, throwing those signals into every nerve of her body. It was so close to being electrocuted that Serge ought to be sickened. He might want to relate to what it must feel like. The sensations. The emotions.

There was a barrier inside of Serge which either resisted emotions or had a sheer lacking of them. Because all he felt was common sense on the issue at hand. He had to make sure Mirei was okay. Why? Just because. Did he care? Not really. She was a friend but what did that really mean? Should he cry, take her hands in his own for the pure sake of comforting her? Try words similar to ‘please don’t die, Mirei. We need you.’ That was how serious her internal injuries could be. There was always the slim chance of a brain with an implant just stopping altogether. But Serge did not acknowledge sadness or concern for her health, only a clinical curiosity. Not for Mirei but for himself. Why was he not capable of feeling any emotions? Nothing more than a twinge of annoyance on occasion, perhaps the visitation of nausea after a flashback. And that was it.

Okay, he had to at least try. He was human. Of that he could no more deny than shoot himself in the head. Clone or no clone, he would not kick back his heels while Mirei suffered. “Mirei…you’ll be alright,” he spoke in a perfect monotone. She roused a little at the sound of his voice, murmuring something inaudible. “Mirei, can you hear me?”

“SERGE!”

Serge jumped back, startled from the booming voice which vibrated from outside of the locked door. Several inches of thick steel, operated by a pass-code and a voltage of power running through it. Now, it remained shut, keeping Mirei and Serge trapped inside and all others deterred from entering.

“Jouichirou?” That guy had one heck of a lot of nerve and even more personality to drive him to the top of Serge’s hit list. If he ever made one that is. To scream like that over the Razorback’s speakers in a time of crisis…he was so damn incorrigible.

“GET AWAY FROM THE DOOR!”

*Oh swell, here comes an explosion worth avoiding.* Serge grabbed Mirei under one arm and hopped over a computer station. As his arms were protecting his head from the noise he was anticipating, the door blew inward. “Could you have counted to ten first?” He picked himself off of the floor along with Mirei who was groggy, muttering drunkenly to herself.

“NO TIME!”

“For the love of God, turn down the volume!!!” Serge stormed into the Razorback and headed straight for the cockpit. Boy was he more than ready to knock Jouichirou’s eardrums out the side of his stubborn head. “Are you aware of the dangers involved in blasting that thing at such a close range?,” he yelled. It didn’t even occur to him and his quest for emotions that anger was included along with the package of happiness, sadness and downright fear.

The sight before Serge was a welcomed one, to see Jouichirou sweating it out over their state of emergency. He appeared to be genuinely on the verge of pulling out his hair. This side of Jouichirou would not be attracting any females but it did win him some respect. He rarely acted like a true adult, only let his outbursts go up and down like a yo- yo.

“The virus has infiltrated all of our security systems. Our entire base is affected. Everything is off-line. We have no communication available at all.” Jouichirou was content to ramble on until Serge stopped him.

“And…what gave you the right to cause so much destruction?”

“Raven…uh…Captain Raven…he might be in danger.”

This was new. Seeing Jouichirou nervous and worried over someone else’s safety besides his own. People were changing and growing all the time so why couldn’t he do the same? Why did Jouichirou turn over a new leaf while he was stuck living life out as a drone? “How so?” Calm as ever. Nothing phased on Serge. *All I am is a damn android!*

“His office is filled with the presence of the virus…stronger than anything we have ever measured before. It might be a higher intelligence that has been holding back until it could have a strategic advantage.”

“Threatening our captain and our base is one hell of an advantage.” Serge looked back to where Mirei was recovering as a result of Kim’s experience in neural functions. They both looked shaken but ready for action. “What are we going to do about it?”

“Usually, I wouldn’t ask you for the time of day.” Jouichirou got out of his chair, slamming it forward and into the console. His expression was desperate, pleading with Serge to help him. “But I need you now!” He held back the deeper emotions which would surely cave his heart in. They were only a liability now. If he believed that Raven was gone, then all would be lost. “Your variable gear is the only one aboard the Razorback. You are the only one who can go in there. Will you do it?”

Serge bowed his head, amazed at what he was hearing. “You are asking for my help?”

Jouichirou latched onto the sleeves of Serge’s jacket and pulled him dangerously close to witness how close he was to cracking. “DAMN IT! I said I need your help! Will you save our captain?”

“Yes, I will. But not for you. I wouldn’t want anyone to think that we had become friendly.” He gave Jouichirou a wane smile which gradually coaxed out a similar one. “Let’s do it then.”

**

Inside Raven’s office, the sun itself seemed to be harboring a grudge towards the dark confines of his imprisonment. Even without an implant, the intense glow from the virus had rendered him temporarily incapacitated. And so he leaned back into his chair, eyes closed, mouth turned up in a grin. He was remembering a distant past which now seemed much fresher. As if it were yesterday.

“We’re close. Very close. I can feel it.” Miran Treyn. Scientist. Genius. Trying to communicate with the satellite in orbit above the earth? Pure genius.

“You want me to stay?” Jouichirou? *Please don’t be hurt.*

“Any day now. It’s like any other language only more technical. The signals that it is giving out match some form of code. There is a pattern.” Miran Treyn. Friend. Associate. Fellow space traveler. How long had they known each other?

“That was sneaky. Even I wouldn’t have thought of that. Calling me to your office like I was in big trouble. I nearly cried, that’s how scared I was. Raven…there is so much about you that I don’t know.” Jouichirou. Subordinate. Crush. Futile infatuation?

“The project is NOT a failure. I will succeed. So close. I’m so close. The attacks are a misunderstanding. They’re attempting to communicate. No! Not machines! How can you say that about something much superior to our own networking devices? The way this…Incubator works…the viruses it sends down to earth…absolutely intelligent on an intellectual level far above that of normal humans.” Miran. Friend. Partner. Lover. *I loved him once.*

“And you killed me. Congratulations Raven. You have now completed your circle, back to square one. And that is the fate of the human race. To progress, move ahead in life…only to come right back to the point where they began. Ignorance causes wars, Raven. Are you prepared to wage a war with that which you do not understand? Do you want to take on each virus as it appears? To oppose the Incubator itself?”

“If that is what it takes.”

“Remember… do you remember when we were? Were alive. Were together. Were happy. We lived. Were on a precipice delightfully near to our destination. Almost one with the Incubator. Almost.” Miran’s memory died down to give Raven’s mind a good jolt. Let him relive the past once more for old time’s sake.

“But you died. I killed you. How can this be?”

“Raven…,” a leathery voice whispered.

“Donna.”

“Raven…,” she repeated.

Pegged down in what Donna and Miran chose to allow Raven to think, he began to believe that it was seven years ago. Black Valentine was the exact day that the Incubator started to wreak havoc with the people of earth. Black Valentine was currently on a rerun, replaying that fateful day. Was it too late to stop this Black Valentine? To prevent February the fourteenth from ending in bloodshed?

“He’s here. Alive. Our plan worked out perfectly, Donna. Miran has been reborn.”

The image of Donna laughed silently while Miran forced Raven to listen to the words he had uttered in her confidence.

“At first, I wasn’t sure. He seemed different somehow…not the same as we knew him. But, it has to be. Miran has been given a new life as Serge. I didn’t know how to handle it. Tsaihe discovered our genetics lab…attacked it full force. Cloning is illegal… a crime that may have a punishment as severe as death. Macus helped me then…disposed of the evidence…had Serge secretly released into society. We didn’t need to do much more than that, not with Ryo’s existence nearby. He doesn’t remember anything either. Naturally, Ryo has taken a liking to Serge, they were friends in that past life after all. But Ryo is unstable, something went wrong with him. I don’t know what to do now.”

“Oh?” She giggled, waiting for Raven’s thickened thoughts to continue.

“Serge came to us today, attacked me in broad daylight. I can charge him with any number of offenses as I wish. But, it isn’t his fault. He doesn’t know why he should hate me, only that I killed him. And that makes no sense to him because he knows he’s alive and isn’t aware of a past life. I’m going to recruit him…give him a chance to redeem himself for the tragedy that he almost caused the earth.”

“That’s right,” she mocked. “Miran was taken over by the Incubator…went mad with its power. And Serge should pay for the sins of Miran.”

“No…that is not how I saw it!”

“Isn’t it though? Miran took me away from you. You were jealous and so you killed him. You killed us both.”

“NO!”

“Yes. The blast killed Miran. I was in his arms when you did this…my body smashed into his delicate communications device and was torn apart. The antenna which impaled me ripped my heart in two. Was that how you wanted to end our romance? You couldn’t have Miran and you weren’t going to have me. And so you killed us.”

“That is not how it happened! You had both become corrupted by the Incubator. The earth was in danger.”

“And now who is in danger, Raven?”

*Jouichirou!* Although the name was mentioned deep in his subconscious, Donna immediately picked up on it. She had been reincarnated as a spiritual being, one that was directly linked to the Incubator. Half ghost, half alien, she had powers which had yet to be realized.

“Jouichirou? The child who needs you to hold his hand? How pitiful. You love me, Raven. You always have and will be doomed until eternity to love me. To need me. You need me, Raven.”

“You need me, Raven,” Miran echoed. “You love me. Only me. There is nothing that you can do now but embrace us. Me. We can be together again.”

“THAT ISN’T WHAT I WANT!” Raven snapped out of his trance, nearly tumbling out of his chair. The glow was still bright in his office, an ethereal presence giggling behind him. He turned to see Donna, the blonde lover that had once been his. Only now she looked less human than ever. She had grotesque wings growing out of her shoulders, fangs curling over her lower lip with a smile. Blood red pupils swirling in an abyss of hatred and omnipotence. Her being was several times larger than that of a normal human’s. And still, she could not take only any form of substance and fluttered there like a demonic angel.

“Give it up, Raven. You have failed. It is over.”

“No. This new Black Valentine can still be stopped. Serge has the power to stop it.” As Raven was speaking, he pressed his back against the corner of the desk behind him. Nimble fingers tapping out a long code of numbers onto the access panel underneath a hidden section of that desk. “We can end this.”

“But does Serge want to stop the Incubator? Why should he do anything for you?” This new voice spoke from Donna’s body but didn’t require her to move her lips. It had an eerie effect to hear Miran’s bold tone emanating from a woman’s form. “Get away from the desk!” Donna stiffened, eyes beginning to pulse with energy.

Raven had no choice but to refrain from taking any chances that might end his struggles. Deprive him of the victory that he so rightly deserved. To rid the earth of the viruses, the Incubator, everything related to the Incubator. Its ignorant evil had to be stopped at all costs. If not for his sake, then for Jouichirou’s. For the team of warriors that he had assembled for the sole purpose of protecting Neo Hong Kong and the rest of the world. Erika. Mirei. Macus. Even Serge. But especially Jouichirou.

“What is it that you want?” How could Donna have taken Miran’s side over his? She had vowed to stick by him to the bitter end. And where had Miran come from? Hearing his voice again after so many years shook Raven inside-out. What the hell was going on? *Miran is still in direct contact with the Incubator! Even after dying, he continues to live through that evil machination.* Yes. That had to be it. The viruses that the Incubator sends down to earth can infect either man or machine…sometimes both. *It would seem that even Donna was not impervious to the Incubator’s grasp. That is regrettable.* And he did feel remorse for her. Now that she had been converted, her second chance at life was gone.

“To destroy you,” Donna answered.

“To destroy you all,” Miran, Donna and the faint rumbling of a bad recording screamed. The mixed together. Miran representing the Incubator, Donna being the current revised virus which had infiltrated STAND. And the background noise…that had to be the Incubator itself, influencing its minions. What kind of force was the earth up against?

**

Inside the Razorback, the four occupants were scurrying about to get everything ready. Time was of the essence and there wasn’t even much of that to work with. Serge had strapped himself into the EX Driver and was familiarizing himself with its functions. He had flown it a couple of times, once when trying to steal it. So long as he was launched properly from the Razorback, everything would go smoothly. Being ejected into one of the outer walls of STAND’s compound could not be more unappealing. And Jouichirou was piloting…

*I should be scared…nervous…anxious. All I feel is curiosity. Is there something wrong with me?* Serge pushed a couple of buttons and made himself comfortable. *Then there’s Erika. Why do I keep thinking of her? We are what others would call a ‘couple’. I suppose it’s only rational that I be concerned for her safety. But what of Raven?*

“Mirei! Come on, we have to hurry!” Jouichirou gave her an angry glare when she sat in her station and did nothing. “Mirei!”

“Stop yelling at me!” She nearly burst into tears. “Where is Macus? He’s our team leader. I don’t want to take orders from you. I’m scared.” And then she did start to cry, burying her head in her arms and complaining. “I don’t like this at all.”

Jouichirou kindly patted her on the head, grabbing her attention. And then he smiled reassuringly while telling her it would be alright. “We don’t need Macus. It would be nice if he was here because I’m not so great at giving orders.”

“Yeah right!,” she laughed a little.

“But we have all been trained and we know what must be done. We don’t need someone to help us because all we have is each other. So trust me and fly this thing or I’ll crash it into Captain Raven’s office. And then what will we need Macus for?”

“Jouichirou…”

“Yeah?”

“You’re an idiot.” Mirei took control of the Razorback, activating the main bay door to release so that the EX Driver would not be flattened on the way out. They were approaching a bees hive of virus machines which swarmed around the top of Raven’s office. Jouichirou began to fire on them with Kim as Mirei began the countdown. “Serge, are you ready?”

“Yes. Waiting for your signal.” Static carried over with his voice but it was of no concern. They were going to do this and it was going to be done correctly the first time.

“Counting down….10….9…”

Three winged machines dropped to the ground below, bouncing off of an alien force field surrounding Raven’s dome encased office.

*I hope that Serge can break through that.* Jouichirou swung the center cannon to a particular angle, taking out more than five virus machines in a row.

“8…7…6…”

“This is it,” muttered Kim from her station with the lasers. “This job isn’t worth hanging around for a promotion.”

“5…4…3…”

“What about the fringe benefits?” Jouichirou could barely contain the grin which would make him a target for obscene questions.

Too late. “WHAT fringe benefits?,” Kim demanded to know. She wasn’t up on the rumors and even if she had been, Raven and Jouichirou would not be among them. No one dared to act disrespectful to the man who was so close to extinguishing the Incubator.

“2…1…LAUNCH!”

With Mirei’s shout, Serge felt the EX Driver lurch backwards and immediately timed the seconds it took to be released into open air. Then, he ignited the engines and pushed the vehicle downwards on a ninety degree angle. His intent was to smash the nose of it straight through the dome where he could continue the assault. First, he would have to go in prepared.

“Standby Linkage!” The EX Driver accepted Serge’s order, powering up his variable gear, checking his vitals, confirming his identity. “MARK!” All at once, an armor which defied explanation began to merge with Serge’s skin. Almost like a hot molten liquid but weightless and without the sensations to accompany it. Then it solidified, blanketing Serge’s entire body, save for his face, with a thin impenetrable gray armor. He was getting closer to plummeting into the dome but had to wait for the second coating. A much thicker armor covered the first one, protecting what was most vulnerable and allowing normal movement. He would need to move fast and his variable gear enhanced his normal speed and strength.

When the armor had finished encasing Serge’s body in its warmth, he was flung back against his seat. The EX Driver had collided with the dome, cracking away at it and leaving the vehicle beyond repair. But it didn’t matter, the Halcyion Scarlet (Serge’s variable gear) was ready for action. He punched off the top of his vehicle and looked down below.

There was Donna flying a distance away from him and acting like Raven would be mincemeat very soon. She gazed up at the intrusion and leered at him. “Serge.”

“YOU!” The woman in his dreams. The angel of death which had haunted him from his very birth. “Standby Hyper Mode!” His variable gear reacted to his anger, on the alert to give him an unlimited amount of power which would only last a short time. It would be all he needed to eliminate this vixen of a woman.

“I will regret killing you,” she sighed. Up she flew until she could peer into Serge’s visor to his enflamed eyes behind it.

“MARK!” The power surged within him as he pulled back his arm to punch her straight back to hell.

And all Donna did was to pluck a feather from her wings, raise it to her lips and blow. It sailed over to Serge, connected with his fist and tossed him backwards. He hit the dome with such force that it nearly killed him upon impact. That wasn’t all she had to fight with either. Serge found himself crushed into the dome, useless even as he fought with his hyper mode wearing down. If he ran out of time before he defeated her…

“Standby Linkage. MARK!”

Serge looked down just as Donna’s face changed into something truly horrible. “No! It can’t be!”

There stood another variable gear, the warrior could be no one other than Raven. It was much bigger than any of the other four gears. Filled with weapons and Raven’s fighting prowess, idly abandoned for far too long.

“The Halcyion Black!” Donna paled but aimed an onslaught of deathly sharp feathers at Raven. “It was destroyed.”

“No…it wasn’t.” Raven punched at her feathers, destroying them in one fell swoop. “Serge, listen to me. There is a function on your variable gear…only the Halcyion Scarlet has it. Only you can use it.”

“What are you talking about?” Serge tried again but couldn’t break free from the invisible threads which bound him to the dome. Donna may be preoccupied with Raven but Miran didn’t need to be seen to interfere.

“Activate Transcendence Mode. Before it is too late.”

“Don’t listen to him, Serge. All he has ever done to you is lie. Don’t trust him. Trust me. Don’t you remember me, Serge?” Donna turned her attention back to him, a sword forming behind her back.

“I’m not Miran! Standy Transcendence Mode!” He would finish the nightmares. Finish them with her. What a relief it would be to wake up and not hear her accursed voice calling to him. “MARK!”

Raven had not been anticipating the blast of power which Serge unleashed. It was far greater than even he had imagined. And so when it hit him, he could only think of one thing. *Jouichirou.* Then, he threw his own power in with Serge’s, making sure that Donna would not be reincarnated again. He had an instant to gaze up at Serge, to see the magnificence of the hidden transcendence mode. And that was how his thoughts came to a lurching halt.

End of Part 2