+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ICZER-4 FANFIC -- PART 1
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
By Ed Hrzic
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright (c) 1995 by Ed Hrzic
-----------------------------------------------------------------
IT'S FINALLY FINISHED! Due to the thoughts of one of my friends
after seeing Iczer-1, he came up with his own concept of an
Iczer-4, and I decided to write a FanFic about it. Sit back
again, and let the imagination of Ed Hrzic take you for a ride.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Send comments to "bd981@@yfn.ysu.edu". Thanks!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
PART ONE -- "Birth of Iczer-4"
<< ONE >>
Iczer-2 was hovering slightly above the surface of the small
planet. She spun around when she heard the noise behind her.
What she hunted was nowhere in sight. There were too many rocks
that could provide cover. She turned again. And again.
Nothing there.
She sighed, and relaxed a bit, but kept up her guard. Her eyes
scanned without moving her head. The atmosphere of this small
planet was irritating her skin, even through her bodysuit. She
cracked her knuckles together, and waited.
There was the sound again. The small cat-like creature bounded
into her sight, and disappeared behind another boulder.
The boulder exploded into a flash of yellow energy, sending the
cat spiraling around. True to its cousins, it landed on all four
feet. Then it moved to a bipedal stance.
Iczer-2 thought, 'Shit. It's already taking on my
characteristics. I've got to kill it, and fast.'
The cat launched its own blast at her, mimicking what Iczer-2
had done several times earlier. She dodged by flipping backward,
as the bolt whizzed below her.
"Why the hell did I have to hunt this Iurthur anyway?" she
cursed herself out loud.
"Why the hell did I have to hunt this Iurthur anyway?" the cat
mimicked. It smiled.
"Shit." She flashed her saber and propelled herself at the
cat. It threw itself down into a crouch, and pounced upon her
with all four feet. They tumbled to the ground. It was about to
bite her neck when she brought both knees up into its chest,
sending it backward several feet.
Iczer-2 re-ignited the saber, and cleared her red hair from her
eyes.
The cat started changing. Slightly. The fur on its head
started to grow a little...changing color...to a metallic grey.
Iczer-2 channeled her energy into a power-blast and erected an
explosion where the cat was.
She shifted her view to the right. There was a small flash of
light, and the cat appeared.
"Teleportation already." She grunted. "Wonderful."
Both of them charged. Iczer-2 swung.
The cat parried.
Parried? With what?
Its own saber.
"WHAT?!" she screamed.
The cat extended its claws on its free hand, and sunk them deep
into Iczer-2's stomach, through her armor.
She screamed in pain, and stumbled backward and turned.
The cat leaped up and kicked her in the back of the head.
Iczer-2 fell forward and broke into a roll, spinning back
upward to the unsuspecting cat, who was now the victim of an
energy punch to its abdomen. It spewed up some blood onto
Iczer-2's suit. She picked it up by the shoulders and threw it
into a boulder. It yelped. The boulder cracked. The cat failed
to move.
She breathed hard.
The cat stirred.
She fired at it again. The blast caught it in the stomach.
Again in the left leg.
Again in the head.
The cat's outward frame was beginning to contract around it.
It was bursting from its own skin. The armor, the claws, the
hair, the face, the expression.
It was Iczer-2 all over again, but even more evil.
Iczer-2 stood in fear as the new Iczer rose from its previous
life. If the Iurthur mimicked all abilities of another, then it
would be able to use the Iczerio energy. It...SHE...was an
Iczer.
The Iczer took a step forward. She smiled. "Iczer-4."
"Iczer-4?" Iczer-2 questioned.
A bright light shot forward from Iczer-4's now outstretched
hand. It whipped past Iczer-2's face. A line of blood trickled
down her cheek. Iczer-2 raised her hand to her face and felt it.
She looked down at the blood on her fingers.
"No, you're nothing but an Iurthur. You're not an Iczer." She
extended her saber.
Iczer-4 did as well. "Are you to decide upon that?"
Defiantly, Iczer-2 answered, "Yes."
"Then you die with your answer." Iczer-4 flew forward.
Iczer-2 rolled out of the path of her and raised back to her
feet, gazing at the new enemy. 'This Iurthur mastered the
language too fast. Something's wrong.'
Iczer-4 leaped to the air and rained bolts down at her.
Iczer-2, expertly dodging, returned fire to an opponent who was
no longer there. Iczer-2 cursed aloud again. She knew it was
coming. Iczer-4 crashed into her back, and wrapped her arms
around Iczer-2's chest and flew downward. Iczer-2 tried to
struggle, but it was of no use.
Iczer-4 flung her into the ground. Hard. Iczer-2 coughed from
the dirt and sand. She tried to crawl some to get out of the way
from the next attack, but she was grabbed again.
Iczer-4 did a fly-by of a boulder. Iczer-2 connected with it.
Her mind roared, and the pain rocketed through her body. Iczer-
4 brought her forward and slammed her into another boulder. It
was crushed under the force. Iczer-2 coughed up blood.
"See?" Iczer-4 said triumphantly, stroking Iczer-2's face from
the side. Iczer-4 wrapped her arms around Iczer-2 again, and
twisted.
Iczer-2's agonizing screams shot across the planet. Her
powered body was fighting against the pain, but it was too great.
There was a loud snap, which rang into Iczer-2's ears like gun-
fire. Iczer-4 dropped her. Iczer-2 collapsed into a crumpled
heap on the ground.
She closed her eyes.
Iczer-4 rose into the air and laughed.
Laughed she did, and vanished into a teleportation beam.
The pain. Iczer-2 opened her eyes slightly. It hurt even to
think. She put her arms forward to steady herself. Her back
felt inflamed. She couldn't move. She tried to steady her
legs. She couldn't feel them.
She realized. She gasped and tried to move herself. It wasn't
working. It was true.
Iczer-2 was paralyzed.
<< TWO >>
Iczer-3 stood at the window of the Earth space craft. The
twinkling lights of the neighboring ship reflected off the glass,
creating a doubled effect.
She was more mature now. She had grown. She had fought. She
had won. Now she was fighting with the warm feelings in her
chest. She was a woman now. She needed to feel sensations she
couldn't feel with the all-female Cthuwulf. She wanted
something.
She wanted to feel 'alive'.
Putting her hand to the glass, she looked downward. The cold
surface reinforced her feelings, but didn't cool down her heart.
She looked at the boots of her suit. 'How ridiculous,' she
thought. She wanted to shake it off, with the rest of her armor,
and where real clothes and live like the humans do. Like Nagisa
does.
She sighed. Nagisa was still on Earth. She had her own family
to take care of, with Yaji. She didn't want to leave her, but
there was no choice. She needed to be with the settlement ships.
Iczer-3 saw a small powered suit fly by one of the ships,
conducting repairs on the other ship in small sections.
She smiled. "How far they've come in so few years," she
chuckled.
"With the help of the Cthuwulf, of course."
Iczer-3 turned.
It was Iczer-1.
"Sis!" she cried and threw her arms around her older sister.
"How are you, Iczer-3?"
Iczer-3 broke the embrace. "Could be better. I didn't expect
you to come by for at least another four days."
"I have to 'clean-up' on one of the planets that these two
ships are headed to. I'll probably be gone for longer than I
said before. Perhaps two weeks."
"Two weeks? What am I going to do till then?"
The door opened. A young man, Reki, walked in. He had a fair
complexion. Relatively medium sized, he was an expression on his
face than could cause others to think that he knows more than
people expect him to. His brown eyes were bottomless, as well as
his black hair. He looked longingly at Iczer-3 when he stepped
into the deck. He saw both of them and bowed slightly.
"Iczer-1. Iczer-3."
Iczer-1 looked back to Reki, then back to Iczer-3. She smiled.
"I'm sure you'll find something to do." She winked.
"Sis," Iczer-3 whispered, "don't say that."
"Am I interrupting? I can leave," Reki spoke up.
"No, no," Iczer-1 said, "I was just leaving. Take good care of
yourself, Iczer-3." She hugged her little sister again. She
turned and began walking out. "See you in two weeks as well,
Reki."
"Yes ma'am," he cheerfully replied.
Iczer-3 surveyed him as he bid farewell to Iczer-1. She had
known him on Earth during several visits, and found herself with
the warmth in her chest again.
She was intrigued by the young man.
"Hi," he said as he turned.
"Hi Reki," she said, faintly not knowing what to do, "why are
you here?"
"Oh, I was just on my break..."
"And you came down to see me?"
"Uh...yeah."
"You shouldn't have. Just for me," she turned.
"Well, since I was on my break, I wanted to ask you if you
wanted to have a drink."
A drink?
"A drink?"
"Yeah, you know. To talk."
Iczer-3 mentally ahead. Nagisa had told Iczer-3 about these
types of situations.
Reki was trying to put a move on her.
"Well, what do you say?"
Iczer-3 thought for a moment. She had nothing to do. If this
young man was going to show his affections for her, why not?
"I'd be pleased."
Reki cheered.
* * *
Iczer-2 tried to move again. The pain overwhelmed her again.
She gritted her teeth. The dust was flying into her eyes. She
cleared them away.
Why had she failed? She couldn't even feel her lower body. She
tried and tried. Getting an idea, she tried to levitate off the
ground. She couldn't. A tear fell down her cheek.
"Son of a bitch! How could this happen?"
Iczer bodies can heal, but could it heal past this? She had to
get back to the Cthuwulf. She couldn't move, let alone fly of
teleport.
"Save your strength," she said to herself. She laid back down
and closed her eyes. She began reaching out into the cosmos with
her mind.
* * *
Iczer-3 smiled at the young man. Then she sighed.
"Are you alright?" Reki asked, genuinely concerned.
"Yeah, I'm just worrying about my sister." She thought.
"Sisters."
"What's to worry about? You're Iczers, right?"
"Right."
"So there should be no problems."
"I guess so."
"Don't think about it." He drank from his glass.
She looked down at hers. What was it again? Wine? She sipped.
it burned going down, and she winced. It tasted good though.
Then the explosion rocked the ship.
Good thing she was in her body armor.
* * *
Iczer-1 was flying at top speed for the new colonization planet
of Yeeti. The humans had found it plausible to start a new
colony there, and the atmosphere was much like Earth's.
She needed to see if it was suitable for peaceful life. She
kept going. Hopefully there was no one on the planet. Not
like...
* * *
...the Lopany. Why had they been called the Lopany? Heaven
knows. That's the name that the Cthuwulf had given them. The
Cthuwulf had been enemies with them before the treaty -- and
since the humans were now allied with Cthuwulf, the Lopany were
the humans' enemy as well.
An insectoid race, extremely hostile, and bent on galactic
domination.
Isn't a shame that all those old sci-fi stories about aliens
were true?
The ship rocked again. Reki fell over in his seat. The drinks
spilled on the floor. Iczer-3 rose.
Reki groaned. "What the hell is going on?"
She looked out the window. The familiar insect shape of the
Lopany ships attacked the other human escort.
"The Lopany!" she screamed.
* * *
Candy cursed again. She knew the trip wouldn't proceed as
planned -- at least without any incidents.
"Isn't there any other defensive methods we can use?"
The man sitting at the control panel scrambled with the
controls frantically. "No, Captain. This is a passenger ship,
not a combat vessel. We have a few Class-C powered suits that
can be used. The Lopany ships don't seem very large, and
wouldn't appear to present much of a problem to them-"
"Then do it!" She hated indecisiveness. Especially as a
Captain. She wanted things done.
And done now.
"Captain!" the young man chirped.
She sighed. "What is it now?"
"Incoming message from the Lopany captain."
"Put it through."
The image of a vaguely humanoid face, covered in a chitinous
shell, pervaded into the screen.
Candy absolutely HATED them. After the earlier incident on
Earth with insects, she has had an aversion to them ever since.
"You would be wise to turn back, humans."
"And if we refuse?"
"You already have your answer." The screen went black again.
She slammed her fists down on another panel. "Shit!"
"Captain," a female voice said from behind the Captain.
Candy looked behind her.
"Perhaps I can be of some assistance," Iczer-3 said.
"Iczer-3! Of course! Please!"
"Don't worry. I've got it," Iczer-3 announced, then vanished.
'If she can't do it,' Candy thought, 'no one can.'
* * *
"You don't think you're going to go out there without my help,
do you?"
Iczer-3 turned to Reki, who was in a set of Class-C powered
armor, minus the helmet.
"It's going to be dangerous," she shot back.
"And besides, the Captain wants us to." Reki smiled.
"I don't want you to get hurt."
"What are you talking about? I'm the invincible warrior!" Reki
then struck a pose and promptly put his helmet on.
"Just be careful," she said as he left the airlock.
* * *
Iczer-1 flew through the limitless blackness of space to the
humans' new planet. She stopped for a moment and looked around.
"Iczer-2?"
>>> END OF PART ONE <<<
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Iczer-4 -- FanFic -- Part 2
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
By Ed Hrzic
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Copyright (c) 1995 by Ed Hrzic
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Based on characters created by Toshihiro Hirano
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Previous part available at "ftp.std.com" in "archives/anime-fan-
works/Miscellaneous/EdFics".
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Send comments to "bd981@@yfn.ysu.edu". Thanks!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
PART TWO -- "Bait"
<< THREE >>
Iczer-1 looked around again. "Iczer-2? Where are you?"
Iczer-2 reached out with her mind. "I don't know."
"Why are you contacting me like this? Shouldn't you come in
person?"
Iczer-2 winced. "I can't. I've been wounded. I can't even
teleport; it hurts too much."
"Where can I find you?"
"Just...just follow my mind's directions...you'll be able to
reach me."
Iczer-1 began to fly, guided by Iczer-2's mental guidance.
* * *
One of the Lopany cruisers exploded in a brilliant flash of
light. Iczer-3 drew her arm back, satisfied at the effect of her
attack.
A Lopany fighter began its rapid descent at her. She turned,
and the fighter exploded in a burst of gunfire. She saw Reki
saluting her.
"See? I AM useful!" he called. Iczer-3 could hear him through
her headset.
Iczer-3 breathed a sigh. He wasn't hurt. Yet, at least...
Another wave of fighters in their formation began their attacks
on the pair.
Reki dodged. "I can't believe we're the only ones fighting
these things." He launched a volley of missiles from his
backpack.
"Believe it cutey."
"Cutey?" Reki said, with disbelief.
Had she really said that?
* * *
Candy watched the last of the cruiser's particles vanish in the
vastness of space. She smiled, rather proud of Iczer-3.
"Open a channel to the Lopany."
A young man fiddled with the controls. "No response, Captain."
"Well, send this message: if you don't respond, we'll destroy
another of your cruisers."
About a minute later, the Lopany captain's face appeared on the
screen. "Humans! Stop your assault!"
Candy thought a moment. "I don't know if I should. Besides,
YOU were the one who attacked our PASSENGER vessel first. We
were only defending ourselves."
"We will stop our attack! Please call off your troops!"
Candy gestured to the young man. "Call off Iczer-3 and Reki."
The Lopany Captain heard. "You have only two people out there?
Two people what wiped out one of our cruisers and a fifth of our
fighters?"
'That much? Reki and Iczer-3 had been doing a good job.' Candy
smiled. "Yes, that's it."
"We thought only to defend ourselves as well."
"Defend YOURSELVES?"
"Yes, we have broken with the Lopany people and wish to live
away from them. We wish peace."
"Peace? First of all, you attack us, threaten us, then demand
us stop? You call THAT peace?"
"We both know of our race's 'arguments' correct?"
Candy folded her arms. "If you wish to call it that, yes."
"We thought that you would have responded to the other Lopany's
order to destroy us. We are in rebellion. Rebels are
slaughtered on sight in the Lopany culture."
Candy still didn't trust them. Their claim seemed to be
stable. The crew of the two ships may not like her decision, but
she would have to make it. "We are on our way to a planet for a
new human outpost, called Yeeti. Currently, the planet would be
large enough for two races. At least, two peaceful races."
She could already tell that the bridge crew was getting uneasy
with her decision.
The Lopany Captain was silent for a while. "You still don't
trust me, do you, human?"
"No, I don't, Lopany. We have a truce for the time being. Be
forewarned, if their is ANY further indication of malice, I WILL
order the destruction of your 'Rebels.'"
The Lopany Captain was a bit uneasy. "A-Agreed human."
"We will hold here for twenty-four hours. I will contact you
within that time period." She gestured to the young man. The
screen promptly went blank.
She left the bridge amid a confused and dazed crew.
* * *
Reki watched as another fighter succumbed to the round from his
auto-cannon. Behind him, Iczer-3 was whipping blasts left and
right at the incoming enemy attackers.
Reki cursed. "Damn! There are so many of them! We won't be
able to hold out forever! And my ammo is running low!"
"Hold out for a little while longer, Reki. We'll get through
them. I won't let anything happen to you."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."
Suddenly, the fighter hovered in air. Iczer-3 and Reki were
confused. Then the fighters retreated.
Reki steadied his gun. "They're leaving?"
Iczer-3 sighed. "Good timing."
Reki panted. "I couldn't have taken much more."
"Let's get back to the ship."
* * *
Iczer-3 and Reki walked through the halls.
"Did you really call me 'cutey?'" he asked, shyly.
Iczer-3 blushed. "That sort of...slipped out."
"But does that mean I've gained your acceptance?"
She stopped. "What?"
"Your acceptance." he repeated.
"I don't understand what you mean."
"Well," he took her hand into both of his own, "to be with
you."
She was at a loss for words. "I...don't know. I'm not human,
remember."
"So."
Iczer-3 heart beat fast. She wanted to run. "I...better go."
She did run.
<< FOUR >>
Candy entered her quarters and cursed loudly.
"Simple. Go to Yeeti and start a colony. Simple. But, no."
She turned on the tap to her bath. "We run into Lopany, of all
things, and they turn out to be so-called 'rebels.'" She pulled
off her shirt and slacks.
Sitting down in her underwear, she took a glass and filled it
up with some red liquid. She drank deeply and looked at the
glass. "Wine," she said aloud.
She sunk into the bath and laid back against the edge of the
tub.
'Can they be trusted?' She splashed some water on her face. 'I
don't know.' She let the hot water sooth her aching body. 'Am I
doing the right thing? Where's Rob when I need him?'
* * *
Iczer-3 opened the door to her quarters and let it close. She
leaned against it and slid down to the floor. She drew her knees
to her chest and began to cry.
'Haven't I grown up yet? What am I supposed to be? Human or
Iczer?' She cried for a while. 'I am an Iczer, but,
humans...I've been with them so much. Am I not a true Iczer
anymore? Like my sisters? Can't someone tell me the answer?
Nagisa, I need your help...'
She pulled off her armor and climbed into the soft sheets of
her bed and fell into a tearful sleep.
* * *
Reki was sitting in the mess hall, stabbing, but not eating,
his food at different intervals. He sighed and tried to eat. He
chewed distastefully, not because the food was bad, but he had
other things on his mind. He swallowed hard.
Ah, Iczer-3. What a woman. Reki thought he had a chance. He
seemed to be the only one interested in her.
Someone slapped him on the back. Reki looked up, and saw the
rather indifferent face of Troy looking down upon him. "Trouble,
Reki?"
Troy also acted as Reki's psychiatrist. Or something like
that.
"Oh, hey Troy." Reki resumed his prodding of the objects on his
plate.
"I guess so," Troy sat down across from him. "So, did it
work?"
"I don't know. She seemed to be intrigued, but..."
"Well, she's an alien after-all."
"True, but I thought maybe I would have had a chance with
another race...since every woman in the HUMAN race has sort of
thrown me away like an old-"
"Bra?"
"Uh...yeah. I guess that would be a good term."
"Well, don't worry. You're still young. Younger that I am
anyway."
"But...it's so hard...just once-"
He looked up, past Troy.
Troy noticed his sudden break in speech, and studied the
features in Reki's face. 'Reki is looking past me, so that means
someone must be behind me.' Troy turned around and saw Iczer-3
standing in the doorway to the mess hall, with jeans and a blouse
on.
"Is that her?"
Reki didn't answer.
"Must be." Troy turned back. She was coming toward the table.
Reki watched her every movement as she walked up to the table.
Troy sighed. Either this was going to be the beginning...or
the end.
Iczer-3 was now standing next to the table. "Reki? Can we
talk?"
Troy stood up. "Look's like that's my exit line. If you'll
excuse me..." he left.
"Reki?" she asked again.
"Hello.... Have a seat," he offered.
She sat down. "I'm...sorry about earlier...I don't understand
if-"
"It's okay," he said. "Maybe it's better if weren't with me."
"What?" she said. 'First he was interested in being with me,
and now he doesn't? What's wrong? Was it something I said? I
don't know anything about being human...'
"Perhaps it would be better," he stood up, taking his tray.
Reki was obviously sad. "Wait!" she grabbed his hand.
"Please."
He sat back down.
"I'm just not good at sorting out what I'm feeling. I've spent
so much time with humans that I'm starting to be like them. Not
like my sister, who can suppress them with a mere whim."
"It's okay. Hey, we all have those problems."
"I want you to know that my heart beats fast being next to
you."
Reki was definitely confused.
"I'm sorry. Perhaps I'm being too sensitive. If you don't
want to be with me, it's understandable. I'll just have to be
more like my sister."
"No. Don't do that. I'm not good with words either. I'm glad
that you feel the same."
'The same? He does care?' she thought.
"Well, I better get back to work," he said, getting up again.
"Isn't there anything I can do for you?"
"Are you doing anything for dinner?" he asked.
"No... that's the meal in the evening, correct?"
"Yes. Then I'll see you then, okay?"
She nodded happily. "Okay!"
Reki began to walk off, then he turned back. "You look good in
those jeans, Iczer-3." He then walked off again.
'What?' she thought as she stood and walked out. A memory of
Nagisa came to her mind...
Nagisa stood up from the bed. "Now, Iczer-3, some men will
complement you by saying that you look good in an outfit." she
smoothed her hands over her hips. "Actually, they are
complementing your figure."
"Figure?" Iczer-3 asked.
"Yes, a slim figure turns on many men."
"Like yours?" she asked again.
Nagisa blushed. "Yes, like mine Iczer-3."
"And what is 'turning on' mean?"
Nagisa blushed again. "Well talk about that later..."
Iczer-3 then remembered what it DOES mean.
She turned several different colors of red as she walked. 'I
didn't know I'd ever be able to do that to someone...'
<< FIVE >>
Iczer-1 continued to fly toward her destination.
Something ahead began to catch her attention. It fired upon
her. She dodged and returned fire.
It came into view.
The woman hovered before Iczer-1 and smiled.
"Who are you?!"
Iczer-4 smiled again. "I am Iczer-4."
"Iczer-4?"
"And my first target is the human colony transports. There,
the rest of my kind on the planet they head to will be able to
take their forms."
"What?"
Iczer-4 extended her saber. "But I tire of talking. You are
yet another Iczer, and shall be destroyed along with the other."
"The other? Iczer-2?"
"If that's what you call her. I left her to die, after I broke
her spine."
Iczer-1 screamed in rage as she propelled herself forward to
punch Iczer-4.
She blocked, spun around, and slashed Iczer-1 down her body,
shredding most of her armor.
Iczer-1 backed off somewhat, holding her chest.
Iczer-4 chuckled. "It will be far less painless if you stand
still."
"Never."
Iczer-4 flew forward and swung. Iczer-1 ducked and pummeled
her chest with several punches, then, with fist glowing, smacked
her with an uppercut.
After recovering, Iczer-4 appeared to not like the attack, and
launched her own with several energy blasts.
Iczer-1 vanished.
Iczer-4 spun around, just to have her neck grabbed by a pair of
hands. Iczer-1's eyes glowed with fury. "Since you broke my
sister's spine, I feel it only fair to brake your NECK." First
Iczer-1 channeled a shock into Iczer-4's body.
Iczer-4 thrust her knee up into Iczer-1, and broke the grip.
She backhanded Iczer-1, then kicked her into the chest.
Iczer-1 grasped at her chest and panted heavily. She looked up
in time to see a knee slam into her skull. Iczer-4 then
somersaulted and slammed her other knee into the back of her
neck.
Iczer-1's body flared in pain. Her nerves rocketed in
sensations. She turned to see that Iczer-4 was gone.
Iczer-4's voice was in her head though. "So now, Iczer-1.
Where will I be? Shall I finish off your sister? Or should I
start with the humans? Each has a viable vantage point. Destroy
your sister, and create a sense of uncontrollable rage in you,
making you make mistakes, so I can destroy you? Or shall I
destroy your other sister? You shall not know!" Iczer-4's voice
laughed.
Iczer-1 wasn't sure what to do.
>>> END OF PART TWO <<<
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Iczer-4
-------------
Part 3 of 4
Written by
Ed Hrzic
Copyright (c) 1997 by
Ed Hrzic
Based upon characters created by Toshihiro Hirano
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Previous part available at "ftp.cs.ub.ca" in the directory
"pub/archive/anime-fan-works/Miscellaneous".
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Send comments to "bd981@yfn.ysu.edu". Thanks!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
PART THREE -- "Sort"
<< SIX >>
Iczer-1 had to think of something quick. Iczer-4 was about to
destroy either the human fleet, or return to destroy Iczer-2. If
she went for the fleet, hopefully Iczer-3 could hold her off long
enough for Iczer-1 to get back.
She had to find out what was wrong with her sister. If Iczer-4
was even remotely dangerous, Iczer-2's help would be greatly
needed.
Iczer-1 reached out with her mind again.
'Iczer-2, where are you?'
Iczer-2 opened her eyes.
'Iczer-1...I'm at the edge of human Knownspace, on a small
planetoid. I can't even move. I need help.'
'I'm coming Iczer-2. Just wait.'
She would have to hope that Iczer-3 would be safe.
* * *
Iczer-4 stood upon the largest ship of the human fleet.
"It could be very simple: fire upon the insectoids, and have
both of these pitiful races destroy themselves."
She smiled.
"No. I would like to savor the pleasure of wiping out every
single one of them myself."
She teleported into the ship and looked around at the
surrounding framework. She heard footsteps, and she leapt up to
the ceiling.
A young woman was making her rounds. She had brown hair and
wore thin glasses on her face. She looked around, then made
several marks upon the clipboard she carried.
Iczer-4 dropped to the ground behind her.
The woman heard the sound and turned around. She dropped her
clipboard and was about to scream when Iczer-4 grabbed her,
putting her hand over the woman's mouth. Iczer-4 pulled her
close, extending her claws from her wrist. She traced one of the
edges down along the woman's face, drawing blood.
"Are you what humans call beautiful?"
The woman struggled.
"I guess we'll never find out," Iczer-4 said as she started to
drag the woman into the darkness.
* * *
Iczer-3 sat in the corner of her room, knees draw to her chest,
and head on them.
"Now what have I gotten myself into? Nagisa..."
"Remember Iczer-3, I won't be here forever," Nagisa said.
Iczer-3 looked up at her.
"What do you mean?"
"I won't always be around to teach you everything."
"Why not?"
"Well, sometimes you'll be off on another world, and you won't
be able to talk to me. Those are the times."
Iczer-3 shook her head.
"Then what do I do?"
Nagisa put a hand on Iczer-3's shoulder.
"Then you'll just have to trust your feelings."
"But what are my feelings saying, Nagisa?"
* * *
Reki sat in the mess hall. He looked at his watch several
times.
"Where is she? She said she'd be here for dinner."
Troy saw him from the table he was sitting at. He leaned over
to the young lady he was dining with and said, "Would you pardon
me for a moment? I need to speak to a friend of mine. I'll be
right back." She nodded and sipped her drink.
He went over to Reki and sat across from him.
"More troubles?"
Reki was startled.
"Oh, hi Troy. I was just waiting for Iczer-3."
"And you've been waiting for well over an hour."
Reki nodded.
"She said she would be here."
"Then why not go to her room and find out why she's not there?"
"I couldn't."
Troy folded his arms.
"Why not?"
"Because-"
"Because of what? Nothing, Reki. You're scared shitless
because of nothing. 'There's nothing to fear but fear itself.'
I believe Shakespeare said that. And it's true. If you don't
get up and TRY to do things, they'll never happen. If you wait
for things to happen, they never will happen either."
"Then, what do I do?"
Troy pointed to the exit.
"Well, for one, go to her room and find out why she stood you
up. That's about all you CAN do for now."
Reki nodded firmly, and left.
Troy made his way back to his companion.
"So, where were we?"
* * *
Reki stopped in front of Iczer-3's room. His hand reached up,
about to knock on the door. His knuckles came within an inch of
the metal, when he stopped.
"I can't do it."
'Or can I? Just knock.'
And he did.
Iczer-3 heard the knock at her door. She looked up from her
corner, at the door. She stood and stopped.
'What if it's Reki? What will I say?'
Reki knocked again.
'What if she's not there?' He knocked one more time. There
was no answer. 'She's not there.' Reki turned around and began
walking down the corridor.
Suddenly, the door opened, and Iczer-3 saw Reki walking away.
"Reki! Wait!"
Reki turned.
Iczer-3 paused in front of him.
"Let me...let me explain..." She paused yet again. "I...I..."
She couldn't do it. She leaned against the wall and slid to the
ground. "I can't explain. It's just my fault." She began to
sob.
Reki kneeled in front of her. He took one of her hands into
his own.
"Do you still want to have dinner?"
"Yes...of course."
"Well then. Don't sit here crying about it. It's not too
late." He hoisted her up and they began walking.
The walked through the corridors in silence, back to the mess
hall. They passed a young woman wearing glasses. A cold, icy
feeling shot through Iczer-3's spine. She fell to the ground.
Reki went to her side.
"What's wrong?"
"My back...I can't move. It hurts."
The woman disappeared from sight.
The feeling disappeared. She began to move again.
"What happened?"
"I...don't know. Something about that woman."
"I'll check," Reki said as he got up.
"No, wait. Something-"
But Reki was already gone. He turned the corner, expecting to
see the woman there.
But she wasn't. A straight corridor was in sight, but there
was no one there. Reki looked around.
"There's got to be an explanation for this."
Reki turned around and went back as fast as he could.
From the ceiling, two red eyes stared at him as he left.
<< SEVEN >>
Iczer-1 flew and stopped above a small planetoid. She scanned
around and saw Iczer-2 laying on the ground of one of them. She
flew down to her side.
Iczer-2 hadn't moved from the spot in nearly a day.
"Are you in pain?" Iczer-1 asked.
"My spine is...broken. What do YOU think?"
"I'm going to have to move you, back to where you can get
healed. The Cthuwulf base. Sister Grey can tend to you."
"What about that thing? Is it gone? Did you destroy it?"
Iczer-1 shook her head.
"I fought it, but it vanished." She slid her arms under Iczer-
2's body. She howled in agony. Iczer-1 lifted her up. "I think
it's on its way to the human fleet."
Iczer-2 grabbed her sister's arm. "You must listen to me. You
MUST. That thing is an Iczer, through and through. Whatever
powers it has are just like yours and mine, and somehow
increased. She must be stopped. Iczer-4 must be stopped."
Iczer-1 nodded. Then they disappeared in a flash of light.
* * *
Candy stepped onto the bridge.
She gestured to the same young man who operated the com
channels.
"Open a channel to the Lopany Captain."
Moments later, the Lopany's face appeared on the screen. Candy
made a bit of a sickened gesture.
"Good evening."
"If that's what you humans normally say."
"We need to talk about an agreement between our races."
"That sounds reasonable."
"I suggest my ship as a meeting place. But if you would prefer
yours, then please say so."
The Lopany shook his head.
"No, that will be fine."
"Please meet me in one hour. The main docking bay of this
ship."
* * *
Iczer-1 watched Iczer-2 in the healing tube. The bubbles rose
from the bottom, up her naked body, to the edge of her hair.
"You needn't be concerned with Iczer-2. She will heal in
time," Sister Grey said.
Iczer-1 turned to her.
"It's not that. It's the 'thing' that she talked about, and
what I encountered. She calls herself Iczer-4."
"Iczer-4?"
"I don't know how. She's not a true Iczer, but a twisted clone
of Iczer-2. It has all of her powers, and perhaps more. I don't
know. She defeated me in combat earlier because I wasn't
prepared. Now, I will be."
* * *
Iczer-4 stepped down the corridor. It was dark and musty, the
walls thick and slimy. She stopped and looked around. 'How
revolting,' she thought.
She stepped farther down and teleported into a small confined
space. There was an insectoid sitting on the floor in some sort
of meditation pose.
Iczer-4 smiled and stepped forward one step. The sound seemed
to echo in the small room, and the insect moved.
"Who...who are you?!"
Iczer-4 stepped closer.
"What do you want?" the insect asked again, more insistent this
time.
"It looks like I lied to myself. I think I WILL start a
conflict. And besides, I don't like Lopany anyway."
The Lopany Captain tried to strike her. Iczer-4 grabbed his
hand and snapped it in two. He screamed.
"You should know about the Iurthur. Natural enemies, are we
not?"
She put her fist up to his skull, and laughed.
* * *
Iczer-3 and Reki were leaving the mess hall. She was feeling
much better now that she had followed her feelings. She laughed
and smiled, talking with him as all companions due.
She felt something. Something was wrong. She turned to look
out the window at the Lopany ships.
"Something wrong? Iczer-3?"
"Yes...something is-"
Her eyes widened with horror as the one of the Lopany ships
exploded in a bright ball.
>>> END OF PART THREE <<<
[AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, this is the next to last part of Iczer-4.
To get the final part, you have to deal with my well-known
trickery -- along with your request for the last part, give me
your opinions about Iczer-4. You won't get it from me
otherwise!]
(
geocities.com/timessquare/alley/Alley) (
geocities.com/timessquare/alley) (
geocities.com/timessquare)