Greetings, everyone, BassDS back once more with the next chapter of Shooting Star Lovers as we reach the half-way point of the current re-uploads. I know there may not be many reading the story, but for those that have, I appreciate you all taking the time to do so, even if I don't deserve it from my past screw-ups. But hey, it's a new year, so what better way than to embrace it than trying to right the wrongs you've done in the past year, or in my case, the past three years.
Yeah...I got a LOT of making up on that one.
I'll have a little bit more to talk about some changes I've made next chapter, so until then, I hope you all enjoy.
Shooting Star Lovers
Ch.4 Prologue, Part 4 – Three Simple Words
Mega Man and Rogue made their way up the winding staircase as they finally reached the skylight of the citadel; shards of glass that fell from the dome ceiling shattered into pieces as the rest above them hanged on slightly.
"I was wondering when you would show up...I was getting pretty bored..." Gemini's voice echoed as he emerged from the dark shadows that filled the room.
"Where. Is. Sonia!?" Mega Man shouted in anger.
Gemini grinned as he held up a small glass orb on a chain with Sonia held within it; still passed out. "Sorry if she can't hear you; she's a little tired out at the moment."
"Wretched little..." Lyra seethed in anger.
"Sonia!" Mega Man lunged toward Gemini Genesis, only to be blown back by the small barrier of electrical energy surrounding him.
"Hahahaha...you can't even touch me! Tell you what, I'll let you try again..." he said as he spread his arms out, practically inviting them to attack him.
"Easy, Geo...there's no point in being goaded by him. Otherwise we'll end up like bugs flying right into the zapper." Mega said.
"Well then what do you suggest?"
"How about grow a spine?" Rogue said as he dashed toward Gemini Genesis
"Ah, it seems we have another misguided fool. What makes you think you can do any better?" Gemini Genesis smirked as his intensified his shield just as Rogue swung his Destructix toward him; Laplace siphoning off the electrical aura. "How in..." Gemini found himself at a loss for words as his shield vanished and Rogue struck again, this time the blade making contact and damaging the arm that held Sonia's prison, but still keeping a tight grip on it, despite the pain.
"What is my enemy's greatest strength becomes their greatest weakness. I drained your aura and converted it to raw energy and coursed it through my Destructix, then using it as an enhancer for my own use. That is the power of the Mu Metal."
"Grr...I don't know who you think you are...but I must admit that I'm impressed..." Gemini Genesis said.
"I could care less about your compliments."
"Too bad that was the only shot you had. Now I know what your little toy is capable of." he grinned as his arm began to heal, replacing the damaged bits of data that was lost until his arm looked brand-new, as if Rogue's attack hadn't made a scratch. "Defeating you two with the powers I've gained will be simple, and the best part is, I hold all the cards." he smirked as he held Sonia's orb to his chest and it began to meld into him, with half of it sticking out proudly on his chest. "Defeating you will be simple."
"I'd like to see you try!" Rogue dashed toward him and swung hard; the Destructix coming down right onto Gemini Genesis' shoulder as data rapidly was lost from the wound.
"Was that suppose to hurt?" he grinned.
"Grr...don't mock me!" Rogue cried in anger as he swung once more, this time damaging his other arm, but Gemini Genesis didn't even flinch.
H...how" Rogue exclaimed.
His response came from Sonia's blood-curling scream as she came to and blood slowly began to trickle down from her arm and shoulder, the source of the blood coming from almost the exact spot where Rogue had struck Gemini Genesis.
"Sonia!" Lyra cried out.
"I told you; I hold ALL the cards. It's simple. Any damage I take, she will receive instead, leaving me perfectly unharmed. Simply put: if you want to destroy me, you'll have to destroy her as well! She's a part of me now..." he grinned evilly.
"G...Geo..." Sonia groaned in pain as she opened her eyes slightly to look down at him.
"Gemini..." Mega Man seethed as he tried to keep his emotions in check.
"I didn't think it was possible, but you're more of a snake that Ophiuca was!" Mega barked
"I'll take that as a compliment." Gemini Genesis grinned.
"Then that's a small price to pay." Rogue said as he began to pour his power into the Destructix.
"Rogue, what are you doing!?" Mega Man said as he grabbed onto his arm. "We can't kill Sonia!"
"Back off." he retorted as he pushed Mega Man to the side. "He obviously isn't leaving us with a choice. He made it obviously clear; she's a part of him now. She's merely a shield, and to win, you have to break through any shield to ensure the victory is yours." he said, only to have Mega Man blindside him completely and ram his fist hard into Rogue's face; cracking his visor and destroying parts of it.
"I REFUSE to let you cast aside Sonia's life! There's always a way! Everyone matters! Haven't you ever known someone who was more important in your life than yourself!?"
"Shut up!" he glared as he rose again and struck Mega Man in the face; knocking him down to the floor and destroyed the left part of his visor. "You don't know ANYTHING!" He said as he watched his rival rise up. "You can't save everyone."
"Gah...well, I can try."
"Geo..." Mega thought as he looked on.
"I'll admit, its fun watching you two go at it, but I'm getting real bored of doing nothing." Gemini Genesis said as he formed his large arms, but they only lasted a moment as they turned into two masses of energy before leaving Gemini Genesis' body as they turned back into his normal arms and the energy masses taking the forms of two more clones.
"Ugh...great. I REALLY don't like these odds..." Mega Man said.
"Well who said I like playing fair?!" Gemini Genesis proclaimed as he sent his clones into battle and began to float as he busted through the remains of the glass ceiling of the skylight.
"He's getting away!" Lyra said as Gemini Genesis left the citadel.
The clones raced toward Mega Man as they formed their ElecSwords and swung them down hard, only to meet with the steel of the Destructix.
"Rogue!"
"We'll finish this dispute later, so you better not die to him. Now go!" he turned his head a bit as their eyes met.
"I don't plan on dying. Not today." Mega Man said as he warped away.
"Now then..." Rogue said as he rubbed the spot of his face that Mega Man punched, then lunged out and swung his blade as it cut the two clones' ElecSwords in half. "Who's ready for round 2?"
Elsewhere within the park, the cloaked woman watch the events unfold before her. It was clear things were not going as they had been planned.
"He needs to be dealt with. This wasn't suppose to happen."
"No..." her master's voice spoke out to her. "This can work to our advantage."
"How is that?"
"With any luck, this will cause them to be pushed to their limits, and if their lives are placed in jeopardy, then that may very well be the key to awaken the light within them. But even then, we still have much to do, and its not the appropriate time. Keep an eye on them. If neither light is awakened, we simply bide our time until it is right."
"And Gemini?" she spoke.
"If it comes down to it, ensure their safety. Then exterminate him." his voice calmly stated.
"But what about HIM? Shouldn't we prevent him from getting involved" she asked.
"You make a valid point..." his voice spoke. "Fine then...see to it he is dealt with, but do not kill him. You still have much to do before you can have your petty revenge. Understood?" her master's voice finished before it faded away from her mind.
"Very well. I understand." she said and watched from afar as Mega Man began to catch up to Gemini Genesis.
"I've waited so long for this..." Gemini Genesis grinned as Mega Man warped in front of him. "Destroying you will satisfy me greatly...then once you're out of the picture, nothing will stop me!"
"I don't know what you have planned, but it ends here!" Mega Man seethed in anger as he stared his foe down.
"But if you try to end me...she will be the one to pay." he grinned as he placed his hand on Sonia's orb. "Kill me and she dies with me!"
"Sonia..."
"And with this in mind, I have the advantage! Lightning Fist!" Gemini Genesis raised his fist back and pumped it toward Mega Man, releasing a powerful burst of energy as it took on the form of a clenched fist and struck him in the chest.
"AAAHHH!" Mega Man cried out as it struck him full force as he coughed up some blood and his wounds from his earlier fights began to take its toll on his body.
"C'mon, Geo!" Mega exclaimed.
"Please Geo, Sonia's counting on you!" Lyra cried.
Mega Man opened his eyes once more at the mention of her name. He wasn't about to turn his back on Sonia now when she needed him the most. Using as much strength as he could while being as weak as he was, he regained his bearings and righted himself in the air once more.
"You just don't know when to die, do you?" Gemini Genesis muttered as he pointed his finger into the air. "Genesis Storm!" Without notice, the barrier that covered the park began to produce bolts of EM lightning as he concentrated them toward Mega Man.
"Battle Card: Holy Panel! Super Barrier!" Mega Man produced a sphere of energy around him as the attack hit, saving him from the brunt of the blow, but the residual power still managed to inflict more pain on him.
"Gah...ok, I felt that one..." Mega said from within as he gripped his claw around his arm.
"Omega, are you alright?" Lyra asked.
"Never felt better." he groaned.
"We don't have many options here...we're running out of time. We won't last much longer at this rate." Mega Man said as he glared up at Gemini Genesis.
"Things have changed, Mega Man, Omega-Xis...I am not as weak as I was before. I will make you pay for ruining everything. I was stringing Cepheus along like a puppet; made him think only I could be trusted. I had to bide my time until everything fell into place, ensuring Planet AM was eliminated so no one stood in my way. When the time was right, I would destroy Cepheus and become the FM King myself, and with Andromeda at my fingertips, Galaxies would have been mine! But then you, Omega-Xis...you just HAD to steal the Andromeda Key, threatening all of my plans! Luckily, with Cepheus being as paranoid as he was at the time, retrieving the key would be simple. I decided to make my move if I got it myself, or if one of the other FM-ians did; dispose of them. However, you defeated me, and I thought it all ended there. Luckily, Cepheus revived me and that gave me another chance."
"I don't get it...if that was your plan from the start, why didn't you take the key for yourself when you finally gave it back to Cepheus?"
"I couldn't..." he seethed. "I had no clue he would have resurrected the other FM-ians. I had to play along. As strong as I was, I was outnumbered four to one. And with Cepheus watching us, the time just wasn't right; I couldn't risk blowing my cover, but I plan to rectify that now! Genesis Thunder!" he yelled as five bolts of lightning attempted to strike Mega Man, but being as injured as he was, he barely avoided them.
"Mega Bust-...!" Mega Man had formed his buster and began to charge it, but hesitated when he remember Sonia's predicament. "No...I can't..."
"Too soft!" Gemini Genesis proclaimed as he warped down and struck Mega Man in the head, completely destroying his helmet in the process.
"Geo!" Mega and Lyra cried as Mega Man ended up flying into the side of the park's clock tower.
"This is too much fun!" Gemini Genesis cried in laughter as he looked on. "And it's all thanks to you, little puppet." he said and tapped Sonia's sphere
"Why you...!" Lyra warped out from the hunter and raced towards Gemini Genesis. "I won't let you harm Sonia anymore!" she charged at him, only to be trapped inside of an electrical sphere and shocked violently.
"The same applies to you, Lyra. You didn't give me as much trouble as Omega-Xis and his human, but you were still a thorn in my side. I don't want to play with you yet, so why don't you take a nap!" he said and flung Lyra right onto the roof of the clock tower, the impact knocking her out.
"Lyra!" Mega Man said as he managed to break out from the side of the clock tower and lunged toward Gemini Genesis, only for him to vanish before his eyes. "What the..."
"Behind you." came Gemini Genesis' sadistic voice as Mega Man turned around, only to have Gemini Genesis grab him by the neck as he struggled in his grip.
"Geo!" Mega growled as Gemini Genesis began to shock the both of them in his grip.
"For once I'm actually sad; sad that this has to end." Gemini Genesis said with a dark grin.
"Not...a chance..." Mega Man said as he fought against the electrical shocks and placed his hand on Gemini Genesis' arm. "Sonia...is counting on me...and I'll never give up on her!" he chocked out.
"You humans and your emotions...such a joke." Gemini Genesis grinned as he shocked Mega Man more.
"G...Geo..." Sonia softly spoke his name as she slowly tried to open her eyes.
"Now then..." Gemini Genesis said as he took his free hand and struck it into Mega Man's chest and began to pull it out, tearing Mega away from Geo, but still leaving him transformed. "So glad you could come out and play, Omega-Xis...tell you what, I'll kill you first and save your host for last." he said and threw Mega Man onto the rails of the roller coaster track.
"You can try..." Mega said as he raised his claw and struck the sphere holding Sonia, hurting both her and Gemini Genesis.
"AHHH!" Sonia cried out in pain.
"Why you...!" Gemini Genesis fumed as he threw Mega on the lower part of the tracks before placing his hand on the damaged sphere. "Grr...damn you, Omega-Xis!"
"Sorry, kid...I did what I could..." Mega groaned before he passed out.
"No...Mega..." Mega Man said weakly as he struggled to his knees, but looked up as Gemini Genesis landed in front of him as their eyes met.
"No more games...this end now!" Gemini Genesis cried out as his arm began to become enveloped in electricity as he raised it high to bring it down on Mega Man, but stopped as soon as he fully raised it, and his arm lost its charge.
"What's going on!? My body...it's frozen in place...!"
"Wha...?" Mega Man looked up at him.
"I won't...let you hurt him...!" A fully-aware Sonia proclaimed; small lines of blood running down her face and arms as the sphere holding her glowed red and soon fully enveloped Gemini Genesis.
"Sonia!"
"How!?" Gemini Genesis asked, very shocked at this.
"You said it yourself, lightning rod, I'm a part of you now..." she said as she looked down at Mega Man. "Geo...please...now's your chance; destroy him... I can't keep him like this for much longer..."
"Not a chance! Then you'll die too!"
"I know...but if dying means making sure you and everyone else is safe...then it's worth it..." she smiled down at him. "You've had to be burdened with so much...now it's my turn..."
"No...grrr...I won't let this happen!" Gemini Genesis groaned as he struggled to regain control of his body.
"Do it now, Geo...please..."
Mega Man just lowered his head as thoughts raced through his mind, his mind trying to decide what was best, but his feelings began to cloud his judgment. Finally, he lost it and just exploded; his emotions now in control.
"You idiot!"
"Geo..."
"You talk about bearing the burden yourself so I don't have to, but you're forcing one on me! I refuse to carry the guilt of killing one of my friends, even if it's for the greater good...I refuse to kill my first friend..." he gulped as he raised his eyes up to see hers. "I love you, Sonia, and I absolutely refuse to kill the one I love!"
"Geo..." Sonia muttered to herself as she absorbed his words into her mind. "He...he loves me..." she thought as she a warm feeling of relief came over her despite the pain and blood loss, but that moment was all Gemini Genesis needed to take control of the situation.
"This...isn't HAPPENING!" Gemini Genesis said as he struggled to control his other arm and with all his strength, clenched it into a fist and struck himself in the stomach, hurting him and Sonia as the powerful blow was enough to make her pass out, allowing Gemini Genesis to regain control of his body.
"Sonia!" Mega Man lunged toward him, only to have his neck caught in Gemini Genesis' hand and thrown violently down into the ground below, knocking him out.
"Damn, that hurt! Grr...annoying human..." he said as he looked at Sonia's fallen form within the sphere before looking down at the large hole the impact of Mega Man's body made.
"Well...doubt he could've survived that...I know she wanted him alive, but like I care. I planned on killing all of them in the end..." he said as he averted his gaze toward Mega. "Now then...I have some unfinished business to take care of, then I'll finish with the remains."
"Vanishing Rogue Break!"
With that, the Gemini Clones began to break up until nothing was left of them, their data beyond capable of reforming into new bodies until slowly what was left faded away.
"Now that the small fry are out of the way, it's time to take out the source." Rogue said as he felt Gemini Genesis' enormous power fill the air, but also sensed it weakening somewhat.
"Looks like he found a way around that guy's little trick..." he said as he attempted to move before driving the blade of the Destructix into the floor as he tried to gather his strength. The clones hadn't been much of a challenge, but not being used to the Destructix's power for this long took a toll on Rogue. "Just another challenge to overcome..." he said as he collected himself. "Mega Man...you've met your match..." he said as he rose to his feet and pulled the blade out from the floor. "Now then...let's take care of business and put that guy's lights out."
"...zzzzztttttzzzzz..." Laplace began to say from within the blade.
"What is it now?" he asked.
Before he knew it, a blast from out of nowhere knocked Rogue all the way to the other side of the large room.
"Who's there!?" he struggled to his feet as the smoke cleared. He gazed on through until the smoke, but got no response.
"...zzzzzzzztttttzzzzz...!" Laplace said as more blasts tore through the smoke as Rogue dodge them, managing to use the Destructix to divert some of the blasts away.
"Show yourself!" Rogue demanded, but received no response once more. "Fine then, have it your way! Chaos Surge!" The Destructix glowed bright red as Rogue spun in a circle as the blade created a circular aura that spread out and heavily destroyed parts of the room.
"...zzzzzzzttttttzzzz..."
"Shut up! What am I suppose to do? It's not like I can see them." Rogue barked back at Laplace.
"Dark Hold!"
In an instant, Rogue found himself trapped inside a dark sphere, unable to move as he began to lose more of his strength, feeling his strength draining out of his body
"What the...hell is this?"
Soon the sphere became pitch dark inside, then without notice, Rogue felt something strike him hard in his abdomen as the sphere began to fade away; the Destructix dropping to the floor as it reverted back to Laplace, who was out cold, and Rogue's wave change canceling out as Solo fell to the floor as finally passed out from exhaustion and the powerful blow he was dealt.
Solo laid on the cold floor as the cloaked girl walked up to his body and removed her hood, freeing her hair as her violet eyes gazed upon Solo.
"Consider this a warning, I'd end this now...but this is all I can do. And I can't have you interfering in my master's plans." she said coldly.
She looked down and gazed at his face, but as he kept her eyes trained on him, her head began to throb as she groaned in pain before falling to her knees.
She cried out and moved both her hand to her head as the pain worsened.
"What's...happening to...me..."
The pain began to intensify as she struggled to pull herself up onto her feet as she opened a portal up and tried to walk toward it as she felt the throbbing continue.
Images began to flash through her head of a younger version of her staring out over the ocean with a white haired boy as the sun was setting, another as they ran to avoid falling rocks, then the last one as the boy held her hand as they dangled over the ocean as their surroundings began to fall apart.
"Ahhh...those memories...mean nothing...to me..." she groaned as the throbbing began to die down while she looked back at Solo.
"Next time...I'll end this..." she strained herself towards the portal as the pain slowly began to subside, but still lingered on within. "And if I die trying, I WILL take you with me..." she said and entered the portal as it closed behind her.
"Sonia...I'm sorry..." Geo said as he found himself falling down into a void. It looked like this was the end of the line for him, as he fell down into death's cold embrace.
"I gave it everything I had...but I guess it just wasn't good enough..." he said as he closed his eyes as darkness surrounded him, but as it almost engulfed him, a bright light within the darkness pierced through and lifted the shadows around him as his eyes opened once more, and before him stood a young man around his age; his back turned to Geo as light covered his body in a luminous aura. Despite the glow, Geo could only make out one thing: the figure had hair like him. Slowly, the being turned; Geo couldn't see his face as the light shone even brighter, the figure offering its hand to Geo.
"Who...are you..."
No response came.
Slowly, Geo moved his hand upward to the figure's, and as their hands met, Geo could make something else out too: a smile on the figure's face.
"Oh, I've waited so long for this...almost makes me want to savor it, but with all the hell you put me through, I really don't feel like torturing you." Gemini Genesis said as he landed before Mega and looked down on him.
"Any last words?" he knelt down and moved a hand to the side of his head. "I didn't think so."he gloated as he opened his hand up and faced his palm toward Mega.
"I would say it's been fun knowing you, Omega-Xis...but we both know I'd be lying." he smirked as an orb of electricity formed in his hand as he prepared to aim it at Mega, only for him to stop as a tower of light erupted from down below as he looked over at it.
"Damn, that's bright..." Gemini Genesis said as he shielded his eyes as a figure rose through the light as it began to die down, revealing Mega Man floating before him, a blue aura covering his whole body, while his normally brown eyes now glowed an equally elegant blue color.
"Still alive, eh? You're more stubborn than Omega-Xis. Do me a favor and wait your turn; I promise I'll deal with you in just a moment." he said as he focused his attention back onto Mega, but as he released his attack toward Mega, only for Mega Man to form his buster and fire toward Gemini Genesis' attack, knocking it away from his friend.
"What's the big idea!?" Gemini Genesis growled as Mega Man pointed his buster toward him. "Hey now...are you forgetting something?" he said as he pointed at Sonia's sphere. "You try and hurt me and she feels it." he grinned as he relied on his human shield to protect him.
Without notice, Mega Man warped in front of Gemini Genesis as his hand began to emit a bright light as he thrust it toward his chest and griped the sphere tightly as he began to pull it out from Gemini Genesis' body.
"Ahhhh! S...Stop!" he groaned in pain as Mega Man yelled out and excavated the sphere from him, following up by a buster shot to his foe's chest as it sent him flying down through the wooden pillars of the roller coaster track before crashing into the ground.
Mega Man descended toward the ledge of the clock tower as the sphere shattered and its escaping light deposited Sonia into Mega Man's arms; his aura enveloping her body and began to completely heal her wounds.
"Geo..." she spoke his name as she peacefully rested in his arms as sleep overtook her, mentally and physically drained from the hell she was put through.
Mega Man landed onto the ledge and set her down next to Lyra as a blast rode up into the air and struck the giant barrier as Gemini Genesis appeared across from them.
"Grrrr...you..damn you!" he lunged toward Mega Man, only for him to charge right back at him and thrust his fist into Gemini Genesis' chest where the sphere had been, and sent a powerful burst of energy surging through his body.
"AAAAHHHHHH! N...No...!" Gemini Genesis cried as he moved back and held his hand to his wound; his data beginning to disperse as it began to destroy him from the inside out.
Mega Man warped up to him once more as his hands began to glow and landed several strong jabs to Gemini Genesis' chest and abdomen, destroying even more of his body in the process, but Gemini Genesis found and opening in his attacks and used it to try and retreat.
It was meaningless.
As he dashed away, Mega Man warped right in front of him as his eyes stared right into Mega Man's. For the first time in his several existences, the FM-ian felt fear.
"No...please...don't..."
Pleading was futile, as Mega Man grabbed Gemini Genesis by the neck and hurled him up in the air; his buster glowing brightly as he aimed it at Gemini Genesis and yelled as he released a fully charged Mega Buster as it struck the front of the FM-ian's body, sending him toward the top of the barrier as it and the combined power of the buster tore through him relentlessly.
"THIS CAN'T...BE HAPPENING! NOT...AGAIN!" Gemini Genesis cried out as the core that sustained his revival shattered, and with it gone, his body gave way, resulting in his permanent deletion. With his energy gone, the barrier died down as the night sky enveloped the war-torn park once more.
Mega Man looked up into the sky as his eyes returned to normal and the aura faded as he passed out and fell down onto the tracks of the roller coaster as his wave change canceled out.
The morning sun shone down on the park as its rays seeped through the broken window of the citadel as Solo slowly woke up; his body aching all over as he struggled to his feet.
"What happened...to me...? Everything's such a blur..." he groaned as he looked over and saw Laplace laying next to him. "Hey...wake up..." he said as he nudged him.
"...zzzzttttzzzz..."
"You remember what happened?"
All he got was a tired response from him.
"Why do I even bother..." he said as he placed his hand on his head. "All I remember is darkness...then that's it..."
Suddenly he remembered destroying the Gemini Clones, then Mega Man crossed his mind.
Solo looked up at the morning sky from the broken skylight as he rose up and looked down at Laplace. "Get in." he said as he held his hunter out and absorbed Laplace into it as he jumped through the opening, fighting back the pain in his body as he surveyed the damage.
"Looks like he managed to pull through." he said as he looked around and saw Geo and Mega laying atop the tracks; Sonia and Lyra laying on the ledge of the park's clock tower. Solo kept his eyes trained on Sonia as he looked down at her. "I guess he found a way to spare you from death..." he said as he took out his Hunter VG.
"Transcode 002: Rogue!" EM waves enveloped his body as he became Rogue before looking down at them. "Can't believe I'm doing THIS again..." he said with a small bit of disgust in his voice.
"What a mess..." Jack said as he looked around at the destruction.
"Have we found them yet?" Ace asked as he walked through the park entrance.
"I was wondering when you'd get here, bro" he replied. "And no, nothing..." Jack said with a grimaced look on his face.
"And we can't track their Hunter VG signals, either. That giant barrier's magnetic field is still lingering in the area." Ace said as he watched some of the Satella officers make their way all around to try and find Geo and the others, while checking to make sure the building structures were stable.
"Ace, I'm picking up something approaching us..." Acid said from within his hunter.
"Like I said, Acid, it's probably just the area around us making your scanner going out of whack." Ace retorted it.
"Hey." came a voice from behind them; Ace and Jack turning around to see Rogue warp right behind them, carrying Geo and Sonia under both his arms.
"Rogue!" Jack exclaimed as he turned around and looked at the Murian.
"You were saying, sir?" Acid said.
"Geo! Sonia!" Ace said as he moved over to them as Rogue set them down on the ground. "Are they okay?"
"Well they're alive, aren't they?" Rogue quipped as he looked over at Jack. "Here." he said and tossed him Geo and Sonia's hunters; Mega and Lyra recuperating inside the devices.
"What happened out here?" Ace looked up at him as Rogue began to turn away.
"I haven't a clue...all I can remember was dealing with some grunts the one responsible for all this made to try and slow us down. After that, everything's a blur to me. When I woke, I found them like this."
"That so..." Ace said as Jack motioned for some of the officers to take Geo and Sonia back to WAZA to evaluate them and make sure they were okay.
"But WHY can't I remember what happened? Something just...isn't sitting right with me..." Rogue thought as he began to walk away.
"Rogue, wait!" Ace said as he got up and walked near him.
"I'm out of here. I got what I wanted." he said as he cocked his head a bit and looked back. "Don't tell them I brought them to you; the last thing I need from HIM is thanking me." Rogue said as he warped away.
"He has such a way with words..." Jack said sarcastically.
"Well whatever happened...I hope they can fill us in once they're able to tell us." Ace said as he looked over at the resting Geo and Sonia as they were being checked on before being prepared to head to WAZA.
"Let's go home. We've done all we can do here."
Meanwhile, in a dark sub-dimension within the Bermuda Maze...
The cloaked girl struggled as she walked out of the portal as she made her way through the empty, vast space.
"Why did those memories come back...?" she groaned and held her head. Despite the pain she felt being mostly gone, it still lingered in her head. "I don't want to remember...any of it. He's nothing to me...!" she struggled.
"Yes...he betrayed you; left you for dead while he survived...until I saved you. Those memories are just that: a painful reminder of his betrayal." the dark voice echoed out.
"He'll...pay..." she said as the darkness began to overtake her and cover her in a dark aura, levitating her as her body began to fade away into the vast emptiness of the shadows.
"We've still much to do; but it is not yet time. The moment I seek is far off, but fast approaching. We must bide our time until then for my return to come. Immerse yourself in the my darkness, let it be one with you; to bend to your will." the dark voice calmly said. "Then you will get your desire for revenge..."
"Solo..." she muttered as she succumbed to her dark sleep and faded away, unaware that she was only a smaller pawn in the grand scheme.
A few days later...
"Well, look who finally woke up." came Mega's voice as Geo opened his eyes to see Mega, his parent and Sonia with Lyra there beside him.
"Where am I..." Geo asked as he cleared his eyes from sleep.
"Duh, your room, where else?" Mega quipped up.
"What's going on here..." he asked as he moved up in his bed to sit upright.
"Easy there, son. You don't want to move-" Kelvin said as Geo felt a pain in his side.
"Oww!" he said as he lifted up his shirt to see his lower torso in bandages.
"Be grateful it's only a broken rib, young man..." Hope scolded him, but then her motherly instincts took over as she moved up and hugged him. "Don't you EVER scare me like that again!"
"Honey..." Kelvin sighed as he looked at his wife.
"Oww...Mom...that stings..." he winced in pain. "Oh...Sonia!" she finally came into Geo's mind as he looked over to see her smiling.
"About time you woke up." she said.
"How long...was I out?"
"Almost two days. You were in pretty rough shape." Mega said.
"I'm just glad you're OK...that's all I care about..." Sonia said.
Geo looked over at her as his mind raced like a lab rat, and suddenly remembered the last conscious moment he had before waking up in his current state.
"I agree...but I swear Geo, you can be just as reckless as your father was at your age." Hope sighed and folded her hands.
"Oh, come on, I wasn't that reckless, was I?" Kelvin whined a bit at his wife's comment.
"Anyway...I'm sure you're feeling hungry after having not eaten for close to two days...might as well get started on dinner." Hope said as she got up and headed downstairs.
"What exactly happened?" Geo asked his dad, dumbfounded.
"I'll tell you another time." Kelvin said as he scratched the back of his head and chuckled a bit at the thought. "Guess I better go and try to get on your mom's good side." he grinned as he got up and headed downstairs as well.
"Sometimes they can be a bit too much...Oh, how are you doing, Mega? I know you kinda got thrown through the ringer a bit." Geo asked.
"Meh, could be better."
"As much as I hate saying this; with how I'm feeling, I have to agree with him." Lyra reluctantly said.
"That reminds me...what happened to you, Sonia? Last I remembered, you got pretty banged up, but there's not a scratch on you..." Geo asked as he looked over at her.
"I'm not sure exactly...When I came to, I was at WAZA...despite the pain I felt in those spots, I don't have a single scratch on me, but I remember every single bit of the searing pain I felt from the whole thing..." she said as she looked down.
"But...what happened to Gemini? The last thing I remember was being thrown down right into the ground..."
"I'm not sure...Jack said Solo found us, and that we were all passed out...and Solo couldn't have fought Gemini; he was passed out too...
"I wonder if those clones he fought really gave him that much of an issue..." Geo pondered upon hearing this.
"But Ace did say he was able to find out that Gemini's wave signature had completely vanished, so it's probably safe to assume that Sparky is gone for good." Mega added. "Good riddance, that's what I say. Now if you don't mind, I'm itching for a fight; I need to shake some of this pain off. Be back later." he said as he warped away.
"Is fighting all he ever cares about? Honestly, Geo, I don't know HOW you can put up with him..."
"You kinda get used to it, I suppose." he grinned.
Lyra could only sigh.
"I better keep an eye on him, then; if he pushes himself too hard out there, he's liable to hurt himself even more. Such a hard head..." she muttered as she left the room to follow after Mega.
Sonia could only giggle as her friend left, leaving her and Geo alone.
With the two Wizards gone, silence soon fell in the room as the two of them remained quiet; both avoiding eye contact with one another. It was a very awkward moment for them.
"Sonia, listen, I..."
"No, Geo...I'm sorry for putting you in that situation. I...I wasn't thinking rationally...all I wanted was to stop seeing you get hurt, you've always protected me, and I wanted to protect you, but I didn't realize what I was putting you through...It's just..." she said as she began to silently cry.
"I know...with the position we were in, you were only focused on making sure Gemini couldn't hurt me, or anyone else for that matter. That's the same thing I would have done if it were the other way around." Geo said as he looked over at her and moved his hand to place it atop hers as she laid them in her lap.
Sonia jumped at this as she looked over.
"One thing I've learned being with Mega...being in the heat of battle can affect your thinking and make you think of things you normally wouldn't do..." he said as he grabbed her hand in his and motioned for her to sit on his bed as she rose up and sat down in front of him as her tear-filled eyes looked into his. "It can make you say things you normally wouldn't say, too."
"G...Geo..." she cried as he moved his free hand up to wipe away her tears.
"What I said...back at that moment, I meant every word of it. You were my first friend, my first brother, but these past couple of years have changed that...and I see you in a different light now...I've struggled with these feelings ever since that day on the pier, being scared of what the repercussions would be, but I know now I can't feel better unless I act on my emotions and deal with what comes from it...Every word I said back there was true, Sonia...I'm in love with you." he said as he gripped her hand.
Sonia was closely on the verge of breaking down completely. "I've struggled with the same thoughts; always being scared of what my feelings would do to our friendship, I didn't want to lose that; I didn't want to lose you..." she said and placed a trembling hand to his face. "I love you, Geo, and I never want to lose you...you mean so much to me..." she said as tears began to break out down her face again. "I never want to feel that fear again..."
"You won't..." he said as he cupped her face in his hand and inched closer to her face as they both closed their eyes, their lips connecting as they shared a deep kiss; both of them feeling the love and emotion the other gave into it before tenderly parting to look into each others' eyes as they rested their foreheads against the others.
"As long as we have each other...we'll never have to face anything alone again." he said as he wiped away the rest of the tears from her face. "From now on...we're in this together." he smiled at her as he held her hand tightly in his.
"Just shut up and kiss me again..." she lightly chuckled and blushed a bit as she stared lovingly into his eyes.
Geo happily obliged.
