Shake and Oddity's CYOA

Above the Maral Sector. Tommy of all people. Dying while fighting for our freedom. It seems surreal. Snake and Tommy are the only people that have ever really known me. All this time I have been angry at Tommy for staying out of the fighting. And now......What have I been doing all this time? It can never be the same again. Not without Crono. He is the glue that held us together. And yet....is it right for me to selfishly fight on my own, without a chance of success other then personal vengeance? With a practiced movement Samus removed her helmet and shook her head, her long blonde hair waving from side to side. The cryptic message by Magus had affected her. But she wasn't going to let him know that. You had to hide your emotions if you wanted the caped enigma's respect. "Crono.....was our last hope of ending this nightmare, wizard...you off all people should know that.......always sure of himself...positive no matter what the odds.......I....I am sure your leader is a fine man, but I doubt he is what we need. If Crono couldn't do it, no one can." Samus announced with no lack of dramatic flair. The wizard burst into a laughter that surprised Aran. "You think too highly of dear Crono. He had an unwavering confidence in his own decisions, but that was as well a blessing as a curse." Magus turned away from her. "The path to hell is paved with good intentions." Magus answered while gazing forward, as if there was something important to be seen. "I think I understand what you mean, wizard. But right now I could use a bit of confidence from someone I respect. And I don't respect that many." Samus announced bravely. Some times she didn't understand Magus that well, but he had her admiration. ".....what....are.....you..two......going on about..." the wounded soldier faintly chipped in. Snake had difficulty talking, enforced by the coughing and regurgitating of blood. "Snake !!" Samus' eyes lit up. "Don't try to move, I think you may have cracked a rib or two" she announced while feeling Snake's torso. "Ahh, the barbarian has awoken. As I said before, dear serpent, you don not win a war in one swift stroke." Magus gestured with an outstretched palm quickly transformed into a fist. "And you certainly don't win it by hurling small pieces of lead at the enemy." he added with a sneer. "And...your...parlor..trick's...ughh" with a grunt Snake's head fell backwards as he lost consciousness. "We better be there soon. He is bleeding internally" Samus said as state-of-factly as she could, but her eyes betrayed her worry. For many the face of Samus was as telling as a plain brick wall, but Magus could always spot her troubles through those green eyes of hers. "Descend this cursed piece of machinery now, and land us here. Do it gently; we don’t want the object of your affection mangled any more then he already is...." "He is not...." she blushed and bit her tongue. She had taken the bait Magus was dangling in front of her. Damnit, I wont let him pester me like this.....look at him grin. Magus stared right into her eyes with a faint upward curl of his lips that made her feel caught. With a move slightly rougher then she intended she steered the glider down. Only now did the destination dawn upon her. She nearly crashed. Why this place... Sephurst Stadium was being rebuilt. Link had allowed this. Give the people bread and games and they will honor you. As games cost nothing and a famine was spreading throughout Bhaktar, this was the most economic solution. He gave permission for the people to rebuild the sports center, although no-one from The Link Alliance would do as much as lift a finger to help them. It was far from completed, and once the work was finished it would be a stretch to say it compared to the original. The memory of the beautiful Sephurst Stadium of the past made this primitive structure fashioned from debris and rubble painful to the eyes. The Resistance had plenty of collaborators that were happy to work on this symbol of past glory, to revive a bit of what was lost. But the main purpose was not entertainment. The irony of birthing the new Resistance where the last one ended was lost on most people, but not on Samus. She set down the glider with much more subtlety then she had begun the descend. She athletically jumped off the glider, purposely waiting for Magus to pick up Snake and lead the way. Magus flashed that faint smile again, turned and walked toward the stadium. Aran, feeling foolishly, picked up Snake gently and followed Magus. They encountered a door with strange markings at the side of the Stadium. Magus flashed a pendant with a glittering stone and the door disappeared upwards. Magus descended the stairs with Samus following. The door behind them closed as soon as she entered. The stairs seemed to go on forever. After a walk through a dusty hallway a wooden double-door appeared in front of them. Magus knocked the doors open with magic before he ever touched it. A grand hall with a big rectangular wooden table was in the center, and various people Samus knew looked at them with surprise. Cloud and Auron were seated on both sides next to the head of the table, which was empty. Cloud was a natural leader just as Crono was as well as a great fighter, but his lingering in doubt when faced with big snap decisions had made him distrust his own judgment. Auron, the old veteran swordmaster, was respected to the point of awe by most of the members, always offering bits of insight from viewpoints no-one had considered before. Aeris was modestly standing in a corner as usual. Samus didn't know her as well as the others. Sonic the master scout was nervously pacing before he looked up. A cocky rodent with a big mouth, but invaluable for missions into enemy territory, as Samus recalled. She was glad Knuckles was still here to keep his attitude in check, although much wiser the echidna never equaled Sonic in sheer effectiveness when scouting. Squall was at the table with his head folded in his hands. She never could figure out that one. Capable with an unique weapon and lower magic spells, he was no more then a foot soldier because of an unwillingness to display his opinion, making his seat at the tactical meetings seem wasted. I wonder if he changed? Max Payne was listening intently. Max was no fool, but not one of the major players. He listened mostly and only spoke up when he had something to contribute. There was only one man missing, perfect for the job of leading this operation. He had been as close to Crono as anyone present here. Dante.........I should have known. Superbly gifted and confident in his ability, he was undoubtedly the best man for the job. Samus was pulled out of her brief flash of recognition as Magus' voice filled the chamber. "Aeris, get Snake a bed and work hard to get him into shape again. I bring the bounty hunter, Samus Aran, who has come to join our operation. Advise our leader." Magus ordered while he was still walking inside, his purple cape waving as he entered. Knuckles and Sonic helped Snake to the healing chamber, then Payne stood up and went inside a door to the left of Samus. Max, wait I don't kno....." Samus interrupted. "Patience, bounty hunter. Do not reject what you know nothing about" Auron interrupted her. At this time Max Payne came out the door he had entered before, and announced Aran and Magus could enter. Magus nodded towards the door and Samus followed, although she dreaded the position she was in, she was pleased she got to see Dante again. As the Magus opened the door and Samus walked in, the smile she had intended to impress Dante with changed into a face of utter disbelief. "Enjoy " Magus said with a smile as he closed the door. There sat Crono, the long lost leader with the renowned temper. "Samus.........do you know how happy I am to see you?" "C..Cro....Cr....." Samus struggled to retain her self-control."How.....what..." She swallowed and spoke as steady as she could . "How are you alive and where is Dante? Crono flinched as she mentioned Dante. "You know the story, although it didn't quite go as history recorded." he began. "I went to the stadium above , not knowing Dante had followed me, as he always did when I tried to do things on my own without support of the other members. I only learned he always did this a short while ago from Auron." Samus "I knew this as well. He was worried about you, Crono." Again Crono's face changed the moment she finished the last sentence. Where is Dante? "Solid Snake had heard a rumor from one of his contacts, Sam Fischer. He always provides us with invaluable information, back in the day he was the source we got so much good leads from. He was rushing to the stadium to confirm it. I was in there exchanging harsh words with Dante. He felt it was my duty to swallow my pain for Marle as everyone else did, and shouldn't take the cheap way out when the Resistance needed me most. I didn't even hear him. You know Marle and I.......*sigh* "I ended up fighting Dante instead of Megaman. It was all my fault, everywhere I looked I saw enemies to fight, even the best friend I ever had. We both were heavily wounded, I was knocked out. Dante was struggling, but he was the one still standing." Crono said with a sad smile. "Somehow I always knew he would get the better of me in a fight. The story Snake told me later was that I had been carried out by Solid, and that Dante was limping out of there. Just as Snake exited the arena he heard the ear shattering sound of zigs flying over. He ran as fast as he could, but the blast still sent us both to the ground. Dante hadn't been fast enough." Crono was looking more and more depressed as he told his tale. "After that I asked Snake to spread the word I had been killed, and leave it at that. I left for the deeper parts of Romaji, where I was born. I survived there for 6 months...I just recently came back and joined the Resistance again. We started aiding the population first, robbing food supplies headed for the hub and distributing clothing and such. Only recently we decided to risk a solitary operative to attempt to assassinate Link. The logical choice for such a mission.... "Solid Snake..." Samus finished. The door to the room flew open, and Magus came storming in. "I need to cut this little reunion short. Crono, I have something urgent we should discuss. Samus, leave us. Go check on your friend. I believe nurse Aeris is taking real good care of him...." he grinned. Samus didn't even respond to Magus' teasing. Her mind was racing trying to put everything into perspective. She went over to the healing room for some piece and quiet, as she didn't feel like joining the table. She caught a few sentences on her way over, and decided to listen. Payne: "I still can't believe it. He has been on our side for as long as I am, for God sakes I played cowboys and Indians with him when we were growing up! Did you forget that? I am telling you, I know the man!" he shouted. Cloud stood up and answered: "Did you ever see him kill for us, Max? Did you see him bleed? Not once Max. And no, I didn't forget. I am keeping it very much in min...." Auron intervened: "Information dealings go both ways. Everyone is ultimately on their own side. Sonic has confirmed Magus's suspicions, discussion is pointless. The final decision belongs to Crono, as it always has....." Everyone accepted the veteran's opinion as the end of their discussion. Samus went on her way..... Crono came marching through the door, flashing his famous temper. "Is he coming?" Crono asked short and gruffly. "Yes " Sonic answered. I just came back from him personally. He didn't seem nervous or anything, the filthy traitor. " "He should be" Crono stated with fire in his eyes. "And he will be be." Samus went inside to see Snake recovering nicely, sleeping the wounds of with the help of Aeris cure spells. "He will be alright in a few hours" Aeris said sweetly. She looked very tired. Something about Aeris' tone irritated her. Maybe she really wanted a little bit of Snake's attention now she had found him again. Just catching up between former operatives. She acknowledged to herself that she might be a little protective of her old friend, but it really wasn't jealousy. But still.......... Not everything was as it should be. She should be overjoyed. But even when she was talking to her hero, the thought that crept into her mind was "How is Snake doing? Is he going to be alright? " Everyone was seated at the table, waiting for Sam Fischer to arrive. When he was escorted in by Max Payne, the air was heavy with hostility and nervousness. "Have a seat" Crono said calmly. Sam sat down, looking from grim face to grim face to try and guess what this was about. "I want you to try something, Sam " Crono said as he stared the spy down. "I have a very good tailor. Try on this glove for me." He threw the glove right in front of Fischer, on the table. The Link Alliance symbol was turned up for all to see. "I have my own tailor, Crono. I don’t need any more gloves." Sam stated flatly. "Indulge me," Crono persisted. "What is this about Crono?" Sam was sweating right now. "Nothing, Sam. I just want you to try on the glove. It’s a very tight fit and custom made, and I think it was made for a guy just like you. Just try it." Crono's voice was relaxed, but his eyes were burning. It was hard for Sam not too look away. "This is nonsense. Max, you tell him. I have always supported you Crono, and I never charged you or Snake for the information. You know how much—" Crono was trembling with anger all through Fischer's reply. His face was reddening, a vein visible across his temple pulsating faster and faster. In a flash, Crono jumped up the table, katana unsheathed. The tip was at least a centimeter deep into Sam Fischer's neck, a trail of blood slowly slivering down the blade and the agent's neck. "AND HOW MUCH DID LINK PAY YOU, FISCHER? HOW MUCH ?!!" Crono's eyes were almost out of their sockets now, his voice all choked up with anger and grief, failing at every other word. "MARLE......DANTE........AND NOW VERCETTI.....PUT ON THE ****ING GLOVE SAM ! " Crono shouted. Everyone at the table was quiet, Payne and Sonic even looking somewhat intimidated. Quietly, Sam took of his glove and put on the marked one.It was a perfect fit. " So it fits Crono. Are you going to kill me over a ****ing glove? " "Damn right I am" Crono said calmly. In a flash it was over. The blade entered the neck just beneath the adams apple, exiting just above the shoulders. Fischer made a horrible sound, in an effort to breath through his damaged windpipe while blood was streaming into it. “For the fallen.....” Auron said softly. "Traitor," Crono muttered under his breath. With one quick arc he slashed upwards, blood sprinkling to all corners of the table. Suddenly Max Payne stood up and pointed his two guns at Crono, who looked absolutely radiant with insanity, covered in blood from the waist up. "He wasn't a traitor and you know it" Max stood up for his lifelong buddy. "How can we win this if we turn on each other? " Samus rolled up and charged Payne. The sheer force threw him against the concrete wall, where he sagged into an unconscious state. Samus was still pretty disturbed herself by the loss of control Crono had shown, which went far beyond his former flashes of temperament. But traitors don't deserve a better fate.....we have a war to win... Crono nodded his thanks at Samus. He spoke up, still panting from his emotional exertion: "We are a small force if identified. From the darkness we can strike, in the open we stand no chance. We must remain vigilant for any threat to our unity and spirit. We are battling a ruthless enemy, and any less then total ruthlessness from us will be our failure. We must succeed. FOR DANTE!!" "For Dante!!" All repeated. Magus walked up to Crono and whispered in his ear: "Looks like you are finally going to live up to your potential. There may be hope for you yet.......although lay off the corny speeches next time........" Auron: "I suggest we start packing our things and heading out. This place is not safe anymore." "And what do we do with this jerk? I bet he was with Fischer the whole way....I suggest you make good on your promise of a take-no-prisoners attitude and finish him off right here," Cloud Strife challenged, pointing at Payne. "I know a friend who can give us a safe place to set-up a new headquarters" Crono announced. "I don’t think Fischer would go as far as to reveal our location. I think we should stay where we are. We cant set-up another base like this one in weeks " Knuckles offered. Magus showed a sinister smile, "We could always go to deep Romaji, the Alliance will never look there. But I don’t know if we can evade Lord Kefka in such a large group. Don’t forget what happened to Sephiroth.....such a fierce and ruthless fiend made to serve Lord Kefka." Choice 1: 1: Crono should follow Cloud's advice and finish off Payne. 2: Crono should tell Sonic to keep an eye on Payne. CHOSEN 3: Crono should trust Payne and accept the outburst as a 1-time incident. Choice 2: 1: Crono and company should follow Knuckle's advice and stay put. 2: Crono and company should go to the Rintahr sector and stay in the basement of the arms-dealer Mario. 3: Crono and company should go to the Karinta sector and stay in the basement of Ken and Ryu's Dojo. CHOSEN 4: Crono and company should go to deep Romaji and face Lord Kefka. Author: Shake Back Home