THFH - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Ventor’s rescue

Back to the lair, on a gym room, Dragun was meditating peacefully. Zero was behind him, sad, heartbroken, guilty, and hating to himself about what happened to Ventor. He punched the wall without Dragun noticing. Then, he saw some staffs and threw to the ground as Dragun noticed this.

“ZERO! What’s the matter?” he snapped turning to Zero.

“I was out. I was out and I did... I did something.” Zero explained nervously and stressed as he walked to some weights. “Something happened and then I... And I...” then, he threw the weights to the ground.

“Zero. Kneel.” Dragun said sternly.

“I did something.” Zero said as he kneeled sadly. “I did something really stupid, Master Dragun.”

“Go on.”

Ciel and Naruto watched at Zero behind. Ciel was relieved that Zero has returned, but she felt herself bad about what she said at him.

“I know why you chose him now.” Zero sighed.  “I know that there's a reason why he's the better son and I'm not.”

Dragun understood this and calmly, he said to his son: “Zero, you always bear the world's problems on your shoulders. It is an admirable quality when you are a protector of others.” He explained at Zero.

As he walked to Zero, he kept talking.

“But you must realize that while, at times, you may not be my favorite student... it does not mean that you are my least favorite son!” Dragun smiled at Zero as the reploid widen his eyes.

“You are strong, passionate and loyal to a fault.” Dragun kept explaining as Zero stared at him. “These are the merits of a great leader as well, but only when tempered with compassion and humility.”

“But, Master Dragun, I messed up big tonight.” Zero said sadly. “I mean big.”

He drew the broken parts of Ventor’s swords and put them in the ground in front of Dragun.

“They took him.” he added.

Ciel and Naruto were shocked about hearing this. Ventor… gone?

Dragun was shocked and sad about what he heard and asked.

“Ventor?”

“Yeah.” Zero answered.

Dragun stood quiet for a moment and start to breathing as he got angry, but then, he calmed himself, knowing the problem between Ventor and Zero.

“Then the time for hiding is over.” he said on a stern and calmed voice. “We must return to the surface to take back what is ours.”

Zero got his head up in shock but he soon realized that Dragun would forgive him.

“By your wish, Father.” he said as he nodded.

Dragun walked as he put his claw on Zero’s shoulder to cheer him up and went away. Ciel walked next to Zero and kneeled in front of him.

“Ciel…” Zero said.

“Zero… I… I’m sorry.” Ciel begged.

“Why?”

“I said that I hated you because of…”

“No…” Zero interrupted her putting his finger on Ciel’s mouth to shut her up. “It was me. You were right all along, including Ventor. I’m sorry, Ciel…”

Ciel hugged Zero as he blushed. Then, he hugged her back.

Later, the Heroes and their friends, including Dragun, were around a table, thinking on a plan to save Ventor and stop the Generals.

“Long have we been in hiding.” Dragun said. “Perhaps too long.”

“Well, what do we do now?” Naruto asked worried.

Zero, with his crossed arms, walked and answered firmly:

“I'll tell you what we're gonna do.” he said as everyone looked at him. “We're gonna rescue our brother, and then we're gonna save New Toon City.”

Back in the Wise Tower, the capsules with the monsters were getting ready for the Ansem's ritual plan. Ventor was inside of one of the capsules, unconscious.

Meanwhile, in Ibuki's house...

Alvaro and Berix were putting their battle uniforms. Alvaro's one was a silver armor, ankles and black boots, as Berix put his combat armor.

As they got ready their weapons, Berix stared Winry in shock.

“Whoa!” he muttered as Alvaro watched at Winry.

Winry was wearing a purple and black ninja outfit with a ninja sword and her wrench-blade on her pocket. Ibuki wore her causal ninja outfit.

“I got it on my last trip to Japan. You like it?” Winry asked at Berix.

“Oh yeah.” he answered impressed.

Ibuki picked up a new hockey mask to give it to Alvaro.

“No way!” Alvaro muttered as Ibuki gave him the mask.

“You can't go trick-or-treating without your mask.” Ibuki said to him.

“Oh, babe. Thanks.” Alvaro thanked at her as Berix and Winry looked at them with a smile.

Meanwhile, back in the Tower, as the plan was starting to get ready and the clouds moved around the tower; Magus, Tsubaki and the Phanteons were guarding the doors.

“As ordered, no one gets into the tower...” Tsubaki reminded at the Phanteons.

“...no one interferes, no one bears witness.” Magus added.

Suddenly, they heard some knocking at the door. Magus did a gesture with his hand and the Phanteons hid in several directions. Tsubaki and Magus walked at the door and opened.

“You've got to be kidding me.” Tsubaki groaned.

They saw Alvaro with Cowabunga Ninja's head mask, distracting them as part of the Heroes' plan.

“Cowabunga, dudes!” Alvaro chuckled. “I'm here for little Ansem's 13th birthday party!”

Zero and the others jumped over the wall to enter in the tower and save Ventor.

“Leave now!” Magus snapped.

“Oh, but you don't understand, gentleman. I got...” Alvaro insisted as the heroes did their part of the plan.

Meanwhile, inside of the tower, Ansem was there on hid DiZ uniform, watching the altar with the capsules around him. In space, the Lylat Stars aligned and a beam crossed them towards the Earth to it's destination: the altar with the capsules.

Suddenly, a strange portal started to appear as the altar started to glow. It was the same portal that Ansem/DiZ discovered 3000 years ago.

“At last!” Ansem exclaimed. “After 3000 years, the time is finally at hand!”

Next, the capsules with the monsters turned in direction to the altar. One of them, with Ventor inside, however, was the responsible thing that something went wrong. Ansem, noticing this turned in shock to see his general brothers.

“What...? What have you done?!” he demanded.

“Your time for giving orders is over.” Onslaught answered.

“You don't understand.” Ansem tried to explain miserably. “I want to send these creatures back to undo the damage that was done so many years ago.”

“Time has done nothing but made you weak!” Onslaught snapped. “We have our own plans.”

Ansem got serious, but he explained.

“Immortality is a curse, brother. Trust me, I've lived long enough to know. We have to find that 13th monster. It's time to end it!”

“No!” Onslaught said as he did some steps forward. “Our time is just beginning.”

It was obvious, Ansem's true intentions are revealed.

Meanwhile, on the gardens, the Heroes were fighting to the Phanteons, Tsubaki and Magus.

Alvaro, Sakura and Marone were fighting some Phanteons; Ibuki was fighting Tsubaki as Winry and Berix fought Magus.

Zero was fighting other Phanteons as Ciel had a shield to protect herself from the attacks. Zero and Ciel ran towards Roxas and Namine who kicked other Phanteons' butt.

“Little help, Roxas!” Zero called at his brother.

“I'm on it!” Roxas answered as he did a team technique with Zero, using his keyblade to launch Zero to other Phanteons.

“Over here!” Ciel called at the others, who followed her to a corner of the garden, where Dragun was attacking to the Phanteons with his dragon attacks. All the Heroes made their way to the entrance, as the Phanteons blocked their way and ran towards them.

The heroes just jumped on the robots' heads to get their way towards the door.

“Heads up, dudes!” Naruto chuckled.

“Goal!” Zero exclaimed as he kicked a Phanteon away.

Ibuki, Winry, Alvaro and Berix took care of the last Phanteons who were behind the door and cleaned the way.

“Guys, front door's open! Now!” Ibuki called at the others.

“Two minutes for high sticking!” Alvaro said as he hit a Phanteon with his stick.

The rest of the heroes followed them as Zero distracted at the Phanteons and threw a smoke pellet to them in order to distract them and ran to the door.

“Dudes, that rocked!” Naruto chuckled as he and the others ran to the front door. “Let's go again!”

“NARUTO!! IT'S NOT PLAYTIME!” Sakura roared with an angry mark.

Marone and Zero jumped and kick two Phanteons who ran after the heroes to clean the way.

Next, the group managed to enter in the building but they stopped and looked back to see Magus, Tsubaki and the Phanteons running after them!

“Guys, what do we do?” Namine asked.

“I'm working on it, Namine!” Roxas snapped.

Alvaro saw a vase and had an idea.

“You break it, you buy it!” he said as he got his hockey stick and broke the vase with it.

The alarms sounded and the front door closed as the Phanteons were about to enter in the building.

“What the heck is going on?!” Magus demanded furiously.

“Yeah!” Zero exclaimed in victory as the others cheered. “All right!”

“All right!” Alvaro smiled as he high-fived with Naruto and Berix. “Nice!”

“Nice work, Alvaro.” Ibuki smiled at him, getting his attention.

“I have my moments.” Alvaro said proudly.

“Now, come on.” Marone chuckled.

“Whoa, check it out!” Ciel called at the others as she looked the portal.

“That would be the swirling vortex to another world, I assume.” Roxas said as he looked at the portal.

“Cool! I want one!” Naruto exclaimed happily.

“Will you at least find your brother, please?” Sakura growled at him.

Naruto obeyed and looked in a capsule.

“Ventor, is that you?” he called, hoping that Ventor would be inside.

However, the Ratcicle was the only one who was inside of it and roared at Naruto, who screamed and jumped back. Marone just bursted into laughter as Sakura just facepalmed and sweat dropped.

“Sorry, wrong cage!” Naruto called at the Ratcicle.

Zero and Ciel, luckily found Ventor on his capsule.

“Ventor!” Ciel exclaimed.

“We got him!” Zero called at the others.

“Out of the way, please.” Roxas asked at them, before he putted a sort of mini bomb in the capsule to get Ventor out of it.

When he activated the bomb, everyone cover themselves as the bomb exploded, opening a hole in the capsule. Zero came closer to Ventor to see if he's okay.

“Hey, buddy. Come on, man. Up we go.” he said to Ventor as he helped him to get up carefully. “There you go.”

Ventor coughed and  he was about to collapse but Zero helped him to stay awake. As he recovered himself, Berix gave Zero his brother's blades now repaired.

“You're gonna need these if you're gonna lead us out of here.” Zero said to Ventor, trying to ask him forgiveness for his mistake.

Ventor grabbed them and smiled at his brother, knowing that they are brothers again.

“I'm gonna need you too.“ he said at Zero.

Zero smiled at him back, as he realized that Ventor didn't hate him because his mistakes. Ciel and Dragun watched this and smiled at them.

“Ventor.” Marone called at him with a relieved face.

“Marone!” Ventor exclaimed.

They looked for each other for a while and they leaned to kiss each other... however, Marone slapped Ventor on his face!

“OW!” Ventor groaned in pain. “Why did you that for?!”

“That's for letting them kidnap you!” Marone snapped as Ventor stared at her confused. “But this... this is because you're still alive.”

She was about to kiss him as Ventor let her to do so, until, they heard a scream coming from above. It was Ansem who fell to the ground next to them.

It was their time to know Ansem's true intentions.