The being in front of me had a red gazelle-like design. His body was a sand color, with details in red, black and white. He had two cannons for arms with long red hooks on the wrists, and a pair of red and black horns with the appearance of sword blades.
This was something similar to those machines Dr. Weil created one year ago. I remember fighting Deathtanz Mantisk, a mantis-like machine that had the ability to speak and think. Was this thing in front of me the same kind of machine I fought?
The gazelle responded to the gunfire by roaring and shooting flaming arrows out of his cannons. Sachiko and I sensed the danger and ran away from the police cars, yelling at the officers to do the same. Most of them heard us and followed suit while the others continued to shoot at the red gazelle. The flaming arrows hit the police cars that were lined up and caused a giant explosion. I could feel the heat even at a safe distance!
Sachiko, the remaining police officers, and I hid behind more cover and peeked at the gazelle, which was now dashing towards us with tremendous speed! If this was the Accelerated World, I would have stopped it in its tracks and sliced it to bits. These thoughts were the same thoughts that occurred to me one year ago, when monsters like that gazelle appeared in the real world.
"Is Ragnarok happening again?" Sachiko asked.
"I don't think so. If it was, we'd be seeing laser beams and more of that guy by now," I said.
"Go home, kids!" an officer yelled at us.
The officers continued to shoot at the gazelle with their pistols, but they didn't do any damage at all. The gazelle jumped into the air and hovered for a few seconds with his foot facing us. At that moment, I yelled at everyone to scatter, pulling Sachiko with me.
As we scurried away as fast as we could, the gazelle flew down with a huge amount of momentum and speed. It crashed into the ground and made a moderately large crater in the middle of the street.
"Wh-What are you?" I cried.
"Me... Pseudoroid Buckfire! You... Mega Man!" the gazelle, who was apparently Buckfire, spoke. It was as if Japanese wasn't his primary language.
"M-Mega Man? Me?" I was confused. I wasn't the blue bomber who had his own line of video games in the late 20th century. (A/N: In this story, Mega Man only exists as the classic series. The X, Zero, ZX, etc don't exist.)
"Biometal!" Buckfire roared.
"This?" I asked, holding up Model Z and feeling pretty stupid.
"Must... Destroy!"
"Run!" Sachiko cried.
She pulled me away from Buckfire, who shot more flaming arrows at us. We ducked and dodged as many as we could, but Sachiko was hit by one in the leg.
"Agh!" she cried as she fell.
I stopped to try to help her up, but her knee was burnt by the flaming arrow. Fortunately, it didn't look too bad. I ripped off a part of my long-sleeve shirt I was wearing and wrapped it tightly around her leg.
"C'mon, Sachiko. We gotta move!" I said, trying to pull her up.
"You have to leave me..." she gasped, wincing at the pain.
"No! I can't do that!"
"This thing wants you, not me!"
I glanced forward and saw Buckfire charging towards us at top speed. We were no match for this machine. If only I could Burst Link and become the Red Hero again...
"Go!" Sachiko cried.
I pocketed Model Z and carried her with my arms around her neck and legs. I started to run, but Buckfire flew up into the air, readying himself for another flying kick. I tried to put as much distance as possible between us, but I was a lowly human being. I was no match for a machine. Buckfire landed directly behind me, causing me to fly forward and drop Kuroyukihime.
"Dammit!" I cursed.
Buckfire roared loudly, making the earth rumble beneath us. I pulled out Biometal Model Z in response and hoped for the best.
Please. Give me the power to protect the ones I love. I don't want any more people to die!
Buckfire jumped into the air for another kick.
"Model Z!" I screamed.
R.O.C.K. ON, said a voice.
"R.O.C.K. ON!" I yelled at the top of my lungs as Buckfire flew downwards.
"Biolink established. R.O.C.K. system, online!" came the same voice again.
A blinding white light enveloped me as the transformation sequence began. It was similar to entering the battlefield for Brain Burst, except that I wasn't completely remodeled. I know for a fact that I didn't gain a helmet, but something did change my vision a little.
The white light disappeared and I saw Buckfire still falling down towards me. But he was in slow motion for some reason. So, without thinking, I pulled out my weapon and slashed him away.
"L-Lan? Is that you...?" Sachiko asked.
"I think so," I replied, feeling weird.
I stared down at myself and noticed that my attire had changed. I was now wearing an outfit that resembled Zero's look. This time, it really did feel like armor instead of clothes. The armor felt slightly bulkier, which was more noticeable in the arms. I touched my head and felt no helmet and just my normal hair. I looked behind me and saw that I also didn't sprout any golden hair, which was odd.
"Lan, enough of looking at yourself. You have an enemy to defeat," said a voice in my head.
Although I was startled by the voice, I followed its orders and switched my view to Buckfire, who was now in front of me.
"Mega Man... Model Z... Die!" Buckfire growled.
I dashed forward like a speeding bullet and sliced one of Buckfire's cannons off with the Z-Saber. I was already used to the speed and strength of Model Z, due to the fact that I've been using a nerfed Zero in Brain Burst. This was pretty much the same.
I turned around and was surprised to see Buckfire directly in front of me! He bashed me with his head and I flew backwards into a building. He chased me and threw his hooks that were around his wrists into the air.
"Watch out, those are sharp," said the voice again.
I recovered quickly and batted them away with the Z-Saber. I dashed forward again at Buckfire, charging up for a Charged Shot. I jumped over Buckfire and hit him in the back with a Charged Shot, which I nicknamed as the Saber Smash if I used it with the Z-Saber. It dealt a good amount of damage, but I wasn't done yet. I used Shoeunga, which wasn't element-charged, to send Buckfire into the air. I jumped with him and used Entsuizan to send him back to the ground. I then finished it off with a Rakuretsuzan and stabbed him right in the face.
"Gaahhh!" Buckfire roared in pain.
I finished off Buckfire by pulling out the Z-Saber and decapitating him.
The fight was over, but there was probably a war raging on between these things and the other Chosen Ones. I turned around to face Kuroyukihime and smiled.
"Not bad, huh?" I said.
"You're really good at surprising me," she chuckled.
I walked over to where she was resting and carried her like before. I walked over to where Buckfire laid and kicked his body, making sure he wouldn't come back to life. After a few seconds of no movement, I walked to where we left the police officers.
"You guys okay?" I asked them.
"Yeah. Wait… aren't you that kid from earlier?" one of them said.
I wasn't sure how to answer. If I told them the truth, would they hunt me down and question me? Would they take Biometal Model Z away from me?
"You can trust them," the voice in my head spoke again. I had a feeling it was either Zero or the Biometal.
"Yeah, I am," I finally answered.
"Wow. And you took care of that monster by yourself?"
"Y-Yeah."
"That's amazing! You should think about joining our team-"
"Sure, sure. First, let's make sure everyone's alright," I interrupted.
I set Kuroyukihime down gently and walked over to where the line of police cars blew up. I looked for survivors under burning car debris, but was unable to find a single living person. The people that remained here all died.
I walked back and heard a fire truck in the distance. The siren was getting louder and louder, indicating that it was coming closer.
"You should check the buildings for any survivors," Sachiko suggested.
I nodded in response and dashed into a burning building. I then noticed that I had a black visor over my eyes and that I could use it to scan the area for people. I went into many rooms and scanned them all, but found no living person, just like at the car wreck. Disappointed, I jumped out of the building and found myself standing before a few fire trucks and firemen. They were all staring at me.
I avoided their gaze and returned to Kuroyukihime, who was being tended to by paramedics. They put some cream on her leg and wrapped it in fresh cloth, telling her that she should take it easy for a while.
"Can you stand?" I asked her.
She tried to stand up, but toppled over. I caught her before anyone else could and carried her just like before.
"Don't worry about it," I said mainly to her. Then to the other people at the scene, "I didn't see any survivors, but you can double-check if you want. I'm going home."
Without waiting for a response, I dashed back to my place, which didn't take very long. I liked the Biometal. It gave me the power to protect the ones that I loved and to get away from the scene so I wouldn't be asked any questions.
I entered the house and set Sachiko down on the living room couch carefully.
"So how do I change back?" I asked Model Z.
"Easy."
And in a flash of light, I returned to my normal human form. Model Z appeared in front of me, floating directly above Sachiko's head.
"Y-You're floating!" I cried.
"I emit an anti-gravity zone that's slightly bigger than my size," Model Z explained.
"Oh. Wow, I'm amazed at how Ciel had access to such advanced technology..."
I sat down next to Sachiko's feet and reached for her hand. She took my hand and held it tightly with a smile. I was glad that she was safe now.
"So what was that thing? He called himself Buckfire," Sachiko asked Model Z.
"That is a Pseudoroid, an artificial Mega Man. They draw their power from a Biometal rather than being humans that merge with a Biometal," Model Z answered with a calm voice.
"So there's more Pseudoroids out there?"
"Unfortunately, I don't know the answer to that."
"I think I may know what has the answers," I spoke up.
I got up and walked to where I had set the cracked tablet I found at Ciel's old lab. I picked it up and got myself a cable, just in case it didn't work. I attempted to turn it on by pressing a switch on the top. The screen flickered on, but the text was barely readable. So I inserted the cable into my Neuro Linker and to the side of the tablet. I flipped through a few windows on my HUD and began to download the data.
"This might take a while," I said apologetically.
"Don't worry about it. We have plenty of time," Sachiko said.
"Don't you have to go home soon?"
"I'll call my parents."
So while my Neuro Linker was downloading the data from the tablet (there was quite a lot!), Sachiko called her parents and told her she was safe and that she was staying at my place for a bit. I don't know what her parents said, but I was sure they were asking if she was really okay and all that overprotective parent stuff.
"They said I could stay for as long as I needed to," she said, turning her head towards me.
"That's good. I'll take you home when it gets dark."
"You two are lovers, correct?" Model Z interjected.
Sachiko's face quickly turned red and so did mine. Although we've been a couple for over a year, we haven't told very many people about it, and often got shy about telling other people that we were a couple.
"Y-Yeah. Why?" I answered.
"Just making sure," Model Z said as it glanced between the two of us. "Did I say something wrong?"
"N-N-No! Don't worry about it," I said quickly.
After a few more minutes, the data was done transferring over. I sat back down next to Sachiko and cabled with her so she could see the data too.
I opened the new folder that was created and looked over the text documents with Sachiko. Unfortunately, we weren't able to understand much of it since it was mostly the basis of creating Biometals and such. There wasn't anything useful in this tablet.
But we found an audio file that seemed promising. I opened it and listened to the person talking, who sounded like Ciel.
"Biometal Report Classification #555913 *Chosen One* This message is intended for Lan and Vent, who will someday receive the Biometal I have created. In order to fight against Model W, I have constructed Model X and Model Z with the data I have obtained on X and Zero. There is still so much I don't understand... And I was forced to use the research on Model W as a basis for constructing the other two models. In other words, the ones with the potential to use Model X and Z, are the same ones with the potential to unleash Model W. As a chosen one, you have the power to save or destroy the world. I can only hope you use the power for good and that you will decide to guide the people to a bright future."
After the message was over, Sachiko and I sat in silence, still processing the information was just given to us. It was surprising to see that Weil was still alive (although not physically) and still trying to accomplish his goal.
"So Vent and I have the choice of becoming Heroes or destroying the world. Isn't it obvious that we'll choose to become Heroes?" I remarked.
"Maybe... Maybe Model W has the power to influence your decision?" Sachiko suggested.
"That sounds possible."
I detached the cable from my Neuro Linker and went into my room to look for the first tablet that I had received the day I learned Ciel was missing. I found it in no time and went back to the living room. I cabled with it and downloaded the data just like with the second tablet. After it was finished, I found that there was an audio file in this one too. Looks like the audio file only appeared when it was in a Neuro Linker. But why?
"There's an audio file in this tablet too," I told Sachiko.
"Alright. Let's hear it."
I cabled with Sachiko again and played the file. Once again, it was a girl speaking, more than likely to be Ciel.
"I discovered a Model W fragment a few months ago. By whom it was created by, I do not know. But I do know that this person created multiple Model Ws from the pieces of Ragnarok. How and why they managed to capture Dr. Weil's soul, I do no know either. I've managed to find one giant Model W and attempted to destroy it. However, due to the recent events, I believe that I didn't completely destroy it and that it has split into multiple parts scattered throughout Japan. I've entrusted the Biometals to the individuals I deem worthy and hope that they do what I could not.
Until then, I have provided a Model W searcher that will only work in the hands of the person who has Model X or Model Z."
I looked through the folders for the scanner, but couldn't find it. Did Ciel include it through the audio file? I checked my own folders and noticed that a new program was installed without me knowing.
"Sneaky," I said quietly.
"Is it in your Neuro Linker already?" Kuroyukihime asked.
"Yeah."
I opened it up and saw a map of Japan on a green grid. I pressed the "scan" button and a thick green line went over Japan. Red dots appeared in various places, but there was a large clump around Tokyo.
"Looks like we'll be travelling throughout the country," I said.
"Y-You're going to bring me along?"
"Of course. Why not?" I asked, confused.
"Because you're the only one with a Biometal."
"That's true. But I feel more comfortable with you by my side." It was a somewhat cheesy line to say, but it was true.
"Well, when you put it that way..." she sighed. "But how will you get from place to place?"
"That's easy," I said, glancing over at Model Z.
"I'm not going to let you carry me around everywhere," she pouted. "At least, not after my leg's healed."
"Uhm... What else would you suggest?"
Kuroyukihime narrowed her eyes and thought hard for a few moments. Obviously we couldn't drive, so getting a car wasn't an option. We didn't have enough money for plane tickets every few hours, nor did we have a fancy teleportation system that could transfer us from city to city... or did we? Well, maybe not us, but Ciel...
"I have no idea," she conceded.
"I have one. Let's go back to Ciel's lab to see if she has any teleportation devices," I suggested.
Sachiko stared at me blankly, as if to ask 'Seriously?'.
"I'm serious. If floating Biometals that can transform a human being into a fighting machine is possible, I'm sure teleportation is too."
"Alright then," she sighed again. "But after my leg is better."
"You could use Model Z." I turned to Model Z and it flew towards me.
"Sorry Lan, but you are the only one that is able to access my power," Model Z responded.
"Oh. That's right, I forgot."
Looks like we were going to have to wait until Kuroyukihime's leg recovered. Although I didn't mind very much, there were Model Ws that needed to be destroyed and Pseudoroids to be stopped (maybe). The world was in peril again but I had to wait for my girlfriend to feel better before saving it!
"Why did our life suddenly turn into a manga?" I wondered aloud.
Sachiko only giggled in response. I didn't expect an answer from Model Z, since it sounded like a very dumb question.
[Database]
[Buckfire the Gaxelleroid - A pseudoroid with gazelle traits from North American Indians. Equipped with a fragment of Model W, Buckfire specializes in blitz tactics. He uses his Biometal's output to superheat the blades on his arms and head, as well as to shoot fire arrows from his cannons.]
[Biometal Model Z - A Biometal created by Ciel that has the replicated data of Zero. Its Biomatch is Lan. Once R.O.C.K.'d ON, its nickname is the "Red Mega Man".]
