Writing Firespark: An OB Fanfic [PG-VL]

[Blayze]

[center][b][u][size=1]Chapter XV: Nova (part II) aka Finale[/size][/u][/b]
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Blayze watched as the tower nearest his exploded, and he knew that Ezekiel was now gone. He smiled, thinking that there was no better tribute to his friend's life than the way she had died. He climbed the last few steps of the tower, and placed his weapon down, opening the slot on the communications array to allow the disc to be inserted.

Marauders and Theocracy alike were heading up the tower, apparently having driven White and Ikillion back. Blayze hoped against hope that his two friends were alive, and he hoped that he wouldn't be leaving this tower alone. But he shook these thoughts from his head, and concentrated on formatting the disc drive to broadcast this disc.

[b]"You really don't give up, do you, Blayze?"[/b] asked a slightly manic-sounding voice from behind him. The captain turned around, and saw Xion standing behind him, sword drawn, his clothes ripped and his skin charred. Various wounds covered his body, and blood ran down his hand onto his sword hilt.

[b]"I could say the same for you. How did you get here from the other tower?"[/b] asked the captain, standing to face his nemesis.
[b]
"Now that would be telling, wouldn't it?"[/b] hissed the assassin, [b]"It was awfully clever of you to send Ezekiel in as a decoy, wasn't it? Send her up the other tower, and let all the Guards go after her and not notice you. Devious. But she never had the real disc, did she?"

"Oh, yeah, that was the real thing alright. I had a copy made, just so we had twice the chance of broadcasting the signal. That disc Ezekiel was using was just as genuine as this one I'm holding."[/b] The captain dangled the disc in front of Xion, taunting him.

[b]"Give it to me and I will kill you quickly,"[/b] said Xion, his breathing heavy, [b]"If you choose not to give it to me, I will make your death as long and drawn-out as possible."
[/b]
[b]"You've used that threat before, and I'm gonna say this to it this time." [/b] He took the disc and inserted it into the disc drive, pressing the broadcast button. The contents of the disc were now playing on television screens all over the universe, essentially destroying the government.

"No!" shouted Xion, leaping towards Blayze. The captain, drew his knife and blocked the assassin's blade, and, with an incredible twist, he threw Xion's blade to the ground. It skittered across the platform and fell over the edge, quite possibly removing the limbs of any Marauders underneath.

Blayze drew his pistol and aimed it at Xion. He fired three times, into the assassin's chest. The plate of armour that covered it protected him, but the shots drove him back.

[b]"You can't kill me, Blayze. Many have tried, and none have succeeded,"[/b] gloated the assassin. But then, a tremendous shotgun blast smashed into his chest, and he was thrown backwards over the railing. He fell, grabbing onto another ledge. But as he looked up, a Marauder looked down, and stamped on the assassin's hand. For the first time in a long time, Xion felt fear course through his body. The bones in his hand were crushed, and he fell once more, landing on a small communications spike that was set on the ground. It drove itself through his sternum, blood spurting everywhere. The assassin spasmed, and finally, he died.

Blayze sighed as he saw Xion fall to his death, and then turned around to see who had saved him. Ikillion stood at the top of the stairs that led up to the top of the tower, a smoking shotgun in his hands. He was bloodied and beaten, with cuts all over his body, blood running down his hands,

[b]"Ikillion!" [/b]gasped Blayze, struggling to stand up, [b]"Where's White?"
[/b]
[b]"I...had to kill him. He turned on me, tried shooting me in the back before leaving me to the Marauders. But I had my armour on, so I was ok. I...I shot him, and I had to let the Marauders take his body,"[/b] the young mechanic gasped, sobbing.

[b]"White turned on you? Why?"[/b]
[b]
"Who knows? He just tried to shoot me..."

"It's ok, Ikillion...you did the right thing."[/b] Blayze watched as the Marauders came charging up the staircase, now with nothing standing between them and Blayze. The captain and the mechanic drew their weapons and readied themselves to die.

But, as the Marauders reached the very top platform, Ikillion stopped, lowered his shotgun and drew a small object from his jacket, about the same size and shape as a pen.
[b]
"What are you doing, Ikillion?"[/b] asked Blayze, [b]"They'll kill you!"

"I think not, captain,"[/b] replied the mechanic, pressing a button on the end of the device he held. His voice was different, more confident somehow. As he pressed the button in, the Marauders stopped. They didn't just stop charging, they stopped moving altogether. They had frozen completely.

[b]"What did you do?"[/b] asked Blayze, dumbfounded, [b]"How did you stop them all?"

"This is a neural controller,"[/b] said Ikillion, turning to Blayze and showing him the object, [b]"It allows me to control the movements of the Marauders, to some extent."

"You can control those things?"

"To a certain extent. I can either push their minds into overdrive, turning them into rampant killing machines, or I can shut down all neural functions, essentially paralysing them."

"Why didn't you use that thing before?"[/b] exclaimed Blayze.

[b]"Because I wanted to see you suffer before I kill you."

"What?!"

"That's right, captain. I am the one the government sent to kill you, not Xion. He was merely a pawn, a distraction, something you would know all about, wouldn't you? I was planted as a mechanic on the Grandice to make sure you noticed me, and I was ordered to knock out Raiyuu the moment before he killed you. That way I could gain your trust, and infiltrate the crew of the Firespark. How did you think Xion knew your every movement? Why did you think the Marauders were attacking this planet the moment you arrived here? I have been manipulating your every move since I joined your crew, captain, and now is the time you will die,"[/b] snarled the traitor, [b]"But, before I do, there is one thing that has puzzled me for a long time. How did you rob the bullion ship? It was an almost impossible task without more powerful weapons than the Firespark has at its disposal."

"Not impossible. Just difficult,"[/b] replied Blayze, now being held at gunpoint by this traitor, [b]"Joko was aboard the ship the whole time. He had been undercover as a bank guard for a long time, and finally he managed to get the bullion ship run. He was on the ship, so as soon as the Firespark turned up, he stopped the ship, set off a stun grenade in the cockpit, disabling the pilot, and let us in himself. Then he got off the ship and came home with us. The pilot did wake up halfway through the robbery, and he managed to shoot Joko, but Ezekiel knocked him out again, and we managed to patch Joko up before the damage was serious. That's how we managed to nail the government. Simple but effective, wouldn't you agree?"
[/b]
[b]"Ingenious,"[/b] said Ikillion, [b]"You got away with two hundred and fifty million credits that day. And now the time has come for you to pay it back with your life."[/b] Ikillion cocked the shotgun, giving Blayze just enough time to kick his legs out from under him. Both of the men fell to the floor, and Blayze grabbed his pistol and rammed it into Ikillion's face.

[b]"You betrayed me. You know, the deepest circle of Hell is reserved for traitors to benefactors. When you die, you are most certainly going to that circle of Hell."

"Then why don't you kill me and seal the deal?"

"I'm not that kind of person."

"You killed the entire crew of a Theocracy flagship cruiser! And you say I'm a monster! There were men, women and children on board that cruiser and you killed them all! Or was it easy when you couldn't look them in the eye? You are a coward, Blayze, and nothing more!"
[/b]
Blayze stood up, and fired a shot into each of Ikillion's limbs. Then he reached down and ripped off the mechanical hands that Citrus had grafted onto his arms.

[b]"You don't deserve these,"[/b] he walked to the edge of the platform, feeling a cool breeze rush through his hair, leaving Ikillion gasping and howling in pain on the floor.

[b]"Very good, captain,"[/b] said a cool, calm voice, [b]"Very good indeed." [/b] Blayze whirled around, and saw a man and a woman, both dressed in black suits, standing over Ikillion, who squirmed on the floor, writhing in pain.
[b]
"Who are you? How did you get up here?"[/b] asked Blayze, confused.

[b]"We are the ones who want you dead, captain,"[/b] replied the woman, her voice cold and lifeless, [b]"We are the ones who sent two of the universe's finest assassins after you, only for you to dispatch both of them. And now we want you."[/b]
[b]
"You want me? You tried to kill me!"

"Yes, but that was before we realised your potential,"[/b] said the man,[b] "We do not work for the government, captain. We want to see them gone as much as you do. We work only for ourselves. That is what you have wanted for so many years, isn't it? You wish to work only for yourself. Then work with us. You can be so much more than what you are now."

"You...don't work for the government?"

"We are what the government would call...terrorists. As are you, I believe, captain. It seems fitting for us to work together. Together, we can follow up what you have done here today, and we can bring this government down. Isn't that what you have wanted for so long? Isn't that what your crew lived...and died for? Think of Joko, Ezekiel, Citrus. Think of White, your oldest friend. If not for yourself, do it to honour their memories. Join us, Captain, and we can bring a brighter tomorrow."

"If I am to accept your offer, I need to know your names," he said, becoming increasingly interested in this offer.

"I am JJ,"[/b] said the man, [b]"And this is Revelation. We are collectively known as the Black Cell. We run Black-Ops. It really is very simple, captain. You will effectively continue your work as you have done these past few years, but you will be working alongside us instead. We have great funding, and we can supply you with a new ship. So what do you say, captain? Do you accept our offer?"[/b] The man extended his hand.

Blayze looked at the sky. He thought of Joko, Ezekiel, Citrus giving their lives to let him do this, and of White, so cruelly cut down by a traitor. He knew what must be done.

He reached out and shook the man's hand.

[b]"Welcome to Black Ops, Mr Stark. Please head down to ground level, where a ship will pick you up."[/b] Blayze nodded, and headed down the stairs, down towards the ground, as well as his new life.

Agent JJ made sure he was out of sight, then knelt down over Ikillion, drawing a small metal item from his inside pocket. He pressed a button, and a spike shot out of either end. It began to emit a high-pitched frequency of noise, and Ikillion clutched his ears to try and block the sound out.

[b]"Now, Ikillion, you failed us, but we can't let you go. You know too many Black Ops secrets. Goodbye, Agent Ikillion,"[/b] he snarled into Ikillion's ear. The frequency became higher and higher, and Revelation and JJ placed small earplugs into their ears. Ikillion screamed, and blood began to trickle out of his ears...

-----

Blayze's foot hit the dusty ground, a cloud of red sand rising up as he placed his heavy boot down. He clutched his stomach and staggered over to the handrail, holding on. He was injured, quite badly. He coughed, only just realising the full extent of his injuries. The smell from a pile of bodies, both Marauder and human, was only making him more nauseous.

Something stirred in one of the piles, so Blayze went over to check it out. He found a hand moving right at the bottom of the pile, and dragged the rest of the body after it.

[b]"Giving up so easily, captain?"[/b] asked White, a spattering of shotgun shells across his chest. Blood was leaking from the wounds, and it was obvious that he wasn't going to survive for long.
[b]
"Only...only if you give up, preacher,"[/b] replied Blayze with a weak smile, [b]"I ain't goin' nowhere without you..."

"Oh come on, Phil...an old man like me...or a young guy like you...which one is more likely to survive?"

"I ain't so young any more, White...and it looks like we're both in pretty bad shape as it is,"[/b] replied Blayze, hauling his friend up to sit up against the very bottom of the communications tower.
[b]
"Well...I guess we're goin' out together, old friend..."[/b] gasped the priest, and he breathed heavily, his every breath rattling as he drew lungfuls of air in. He probably had a whole load of shotgun pellets in his lungs.

[b]"I guess you're right..." [/b]the captain coughed. He closed his eyes. He was so tired...he needed to sleep.
[b]
"Goodnight, captain,"[/b] said White with a smile, and then he exhaled his last lungful of air, and passed, looking forward to the peace he had missed out on in life.

Blayze stirred, and saw as his old friend died. Tears ran out of the corners of his eyes, and he began to shake with huge, wracking sobs. Everyone he had known and loved had been killed in the last few hours. Vicky. TechHead. Joko. Citrus. Ezekiel. And now his best friend, White. He had been having a tough week.

[b]"Are you prepared, Agent Blayze?"[/b] asked JJ, coming down from the top of the tower, followed closely by Revelation. Blayze nodded weakly and hauled himself to his feet. A ship waited for the three of them close by.
[b]
"Can we...take him with us?"[/b] asked Blayze, indicating his old friend's body. JJ nodded, and Blayze walked over and picked the priest up in his arms.

They took their place on the ship, and it took off, leaving this dead planet behind.

It was time for a new beginning...

-----

The end of Firespark. Perhaps it will begin again one day, under a different name, in a different guise, but for now, it is over.

I truly hope you have enjoyed this series, as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

So, for the last time, here are this chapter's cameos:

JJ - Agent JJ, Black Ops
Revelation - Agent Revelation, Black Ops

And, as a little extra, here is a complete cast list:

Blayze - Captain Philip "Blayze" Stark
Ezekiel - Ezekiel, soldier
White - Father White, priest/weapons expert
Citrus - Citrus McCarthy, medic
Jokopoko - Joko, pilot
James - Police chief H. James
Shinmaru - Agent Shinmaru
Lady Asphyxia - Agent Asphyxia
Shinji - Shinji, Owner of Shinji's Restaurant
Vicky - Vicky, Joko's wife
Gavin - Gavin, bartender
Corey - Corey, bar hand
Retribution - Retribution, bounty hunter
Raiyuu - Lieutenant Raiyuu
Ikillion - Ikillion, ship's mechanic
Ozymandius Jones - Ozy Jones, bounty hunter
Sakura - Sakura, bounty hunter
Kitty - Kitty, bounty hunter
ULX - Xion, government assassin
Manic Webb - Manic/TechHead
JJ - Agent JJ, Black Ops
Revelation - Agent Revelation, Black Ops

Thank you very much for your continued support.[/size]

[Ikillion]

[COLOR=DarkSlateGray][SIZE=1][FONT=Comic Sans MS]Excelent ending, I turned out to be evil Awesome!... However letting my brains explode inside my head or whatever they used to kill me but yes its really been an honor to read this. like I said in the very begining I absolutly love all aspects of science fiction...and yet you leave me with another cliffhanger! Thats just plain out evil, even more evil than I was betraying everyone, and let me tell you that was pretty evil. Yet the curtain was bound to fall on Firespark at some time or another, atleast it went out with a slight bang?

See you space cowboy.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Sinistra]

[COLOR=Navy][SIZE=1]Yay! (Almost) everyone dies! Well, that was a pretty interesting ending. Sequel? I was confused by the Black Ops for a minute, but I read too quickly. It was a great story Phil, I hope to see more out of you.

[quote name='Ikillion']See you space cowboy.[/quote] Someday, somewhere...[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Disenchanted]

This is an awesome story Blaze, even more so now that ive now watched Firefly and better understand where the basic characters roles came from. The ending was unexpected and yet totaly cool. Excellent job.

[Revelation]

[size=1][color=#B2566B]That was something that I didn't see, I mean Ikillion was evil all this time? That was a complete and utter surprise! But poor Captain Blayze; he lost all of his friends and in the end walked off with his best friend's body in his arms. It was a beautiful ending to a beautiful beginning, cheers.

Yay I got a cameo! Short, but still awesome! I was a TERRORIST! MOAHAHA! Asians will rule the world! *cough cough* Anyways, I am happy to say that I enjoyed this story much, your writing is exquisite and unique. I love the way you are able to mold your story and create something so vivid, it feels as if it's almost real. It must be why I enjoy reading your sign-ups as well ^_^, once again, cheers.

I'll be watching for a Sequel... that is if you do one.[/size][/color]