Enter The Sandman

Certain Defeat

Kyeru simply sits on the ground, staring at Zandere, his eyes filled with shock.  He is completely unable move, and his entire body trembles.  Sweat starts to drip from his forehead down the side of his face.  His eyes lose all the light that they had throughout this entire mission.

"I supposed you want an explanation, huh?" Zandere says quietly, staring at the two with a serious expression.

Kyeru still says nothing, and starts to tremble slightly more.  Raikami walks forward, his body surging with electricity.  "You've got a lot of explaining to do, with all do respect, sir."

Zandere squints his eyes, and turns his back towards them.  "It wasn't easy... but I did what I had to do, as a father.  

"As a father?  You mean you've betrayed the academy, for your son?"

"Well, you could say that.  You see... Kyeru's mother has been very sick lately.  The academy doesn't have the technology that could cure her.  But the assassins do.  I've been working on that cure since I've joined them..."

"No... there's more to it than that!  You wouldn't join the assassins because your wife is sick!  You would go on a mission in order to get your hands on some of that technology!  What are you hiding, captain!?"

Zandere grins slightly, and looks towards the door.  "You mean your eye can't simply tell you?"

"Quit playing around... spit it out!" 

Zandere turns around, and stares at Kyeru's ferocious looking eyes.  "I joined simply because... I wanted to."

Raikami's cybernetic eye glows, responding to his furiousity.  "For such a stupid reason, you betray the very thing you honored to protect!?" he shouts.

He charges towards Zandere, his entire body surging from lightning.  When he gets close, he swings his fist at Zandere's chest, but then suddenly disappears.  Zandere slowly turns around and grabs Raikami's hand, who has appeared behind him.

"You always lacked power in your attacks... you only had the advantage in speed.  But I didn't plan on fighting you two today."

"Too bad!  We're taking you down today, whether you are our captain or not!" 

Zandere chops at Raikami's neck, then slams him on the ground.  He steps on Raikami's chest, pinning him down.

"Look... I don't want things to turn out this way.  Why don't you two join us here?  The pay is actually better here than at the academy..."

"You want us to kill our comrades for money!?" Raikami struggles to shout from the ground.  Zandere presses his foot harder on Raikami's chest.  He turns his head towards Kyeru, and looks at him seriously.

"My son... I know you have always looked up to me, like I was your idol.  Now today is the day to finally make your dad proud... join me at the assassins temple, and we will cure your mother's sickness.  We will live without another debt.  And... we will be alive in the bosses' new world."

Suddenly the veins beside Raikami's cybernetic eye start to glow red.  "You mean that's it!?  You actually believe in that crap that woman is feeding you!?"

Zandere turns his head towards Raikami, and lights his fist on fire.  "Her judgement is final, and true.  The one who possesses time, can foresee the future.  Unless things are drastically changed, the bosses' predictions are never wrong.  The new world will be true... and we will all rejoice.  So now I'll ask you again... join us."

Raikami slams his fist on the ground, and electricity bursts from his body.  Zandere quickly jumps back and boils the air around him with fire.  Raikami stands on his feet, and pounds his electric covered fists together.