Disclaimer: I don't own anyone or anything from the Mega Man ZX series, simple as that.
Summary: Fate clashes with destiny in an alternate world as Ashe becomes a Chosen One, but not with the Model A we all know and love. When Model W decides to choose her as its heir, is she destined to follow her ancestor's path and become the greatest threat the world has seen yet, or can she fight against her evil heritage and overcome the will of Model W?
Chronoforce's Lair - Arctic Ice Floes (Mega Man ZX Tunes - Rockin' On - Boss Theme)
"Time's up!" Chronoforce hissed, angling his body up towards the lake's surface as multiple shards of ice began shooting out from all around his body. Despite how exhausted he felt, Grey braced himself for yet another punishing barrage of attacks as the jagged spears began flying towards him at ever increasing speeds. To the young reploid, it felt as if he was stuck in slow motion while the rest of the world around him was speeding up beyond his level of perception, the Mega Man Model A barely able to avoid the incoming points seeking to impale his artificial flesh.
"Gah, he just moves so quickly!" the boy hissed as a particularly large shard shattered across his upper thigh, having hesitated a moment too long and allowing the deadly icicle to make contact with his body. Fortunately the shard didn't strike true otherwise it would have pierced even Model A's thick armor - but that didn't mean it didn't hurt any less! Chronoforce smirked maliciously as Grey screamed out in pain, spears of cold erupting from around the injury to coat heavily around his thigh. Upon noticing the youth's predicament, Chronoforce then whirled his tail around and sped through the water overhead like a torpedo, dragging Grey's partially frozen body behind him and along the gritty bottom of the lake bed.
"Heheheh! To think that somebody like you received Model A! After I'm done having my fun here, I'll take that biometal off your unworthy hands - have no doubt about that!" the creature jeered, as Model A winced upon hearing his sadistic words.
"Grey, I-I think we're in trouble here! I can't take many more hits like that!" it warned, as its biomatch painfully picked himself up off the lake bottom. "I'm not... giving up... just yet!" he spluttered, clenching numb fists as he staggered back up onto his feet tiredly. Fighting underwater was definitely not his strong point, the reploid thought to himself as he spat out a large mouthful of sand. As he wiped off the grainy sediment caking his lips, Grey barely had time to avoid the huge icicle rushing towards him from behind as Chronoforce charged overhead in the hopes of catching him offguard.
"You have no chance to escape my sub-zero realm! Just give up already and I'll bring your suffering to an end. Let yourself be carried away by the tides of time, to where a peaceful eternity of silence awaits..." the Pseudoroid whispered softly in his ear, his words chilling Grey's blood more than the coldness around him ever could. The coldness... he thought to himself as he floated down towards the bottom of the lake, eyeing the thick sheet of ice still coated around his upper thigh. Although Model A's armor protected him from the worst of the cold, the frozen liquid impeded his movements as he struggled to force his knee to bend against its will. Meanwhile, Chronoforce swam through the currents overhead easily as he watched the floundering Mega Man below, not looking like he was slowing down anytime soon thanks to that Time Bomb ability of his.
That's it! Like a bolt of lightning, inspiration suddenly hit Grey as he remembered that ice was nothing against the power of fire. He might not be able to move around so fast underwater, but Buckfire probably could. If he A-Transed into the Gaxelleroid, he should be able to move as quickly as Chronoforce was able to even with that time-twisting ability of his engaged. Chronoforce noticed the abrupt change of expression across Grey's face and wondered if the youth was finally giving up.
"Any last words before I tear you to pieces, Defective?" the Pseudoroid sneered, spreading out his gleaming limbs as he prepared to use his 'Icicle Bombardment' attack once more.
"Just one; A-TRANS!" Grey called out, Model A responding immediately to his thoughts as he pictured the Gaxelleroid in his mind. In a flash of white light, Grey morphed into the smaller Pseudoroid and caused the sheet of ice embedded around his leg to shatter completely. As Buckfire's searing flames heated up the waters all around him, Chronoforce roared in outrage and charged. Being an Ice-Type Pseudoroid, he was instinctively afraid of the sight of fire and rushed blindly at the threat ahead of him. Kicking his burning heels, Grey jumped overhead easily as Chronoforce's immense frame sped by underneath, his ramming charge missing the transformed Mega Man completely. The reploid youth retaliated with a barrage of Blazing Arrows as he turned back towards his retreating foe, and this time it was Chronoforce who screamed in pain as their flaming points penetrated the thin hull of his underside. Immediately the makeshift limbs shattered, the icicles adorning the Xiphosuroid's body starting to melt away as the temperature within the lake began rising rapidly.
The crab-like being's eyes glowed white with rage at the damage that the small reploid had caused, and how Buckfire's flames were making his home unpleasantly warm. "Look what you've done to my beautiful body! I'm going to rip you apart for this, Defective! You're nothing but worthless trash, unfit to lay eyes upon the Mega Man King!" he snarled as his processers began to overheat, causing his AI to malfunction. Grey's verdant orbs hardened at the threat, having long since grown tired of their lengthy battle.
"I've heard enough! I don't care about this 'Game of Destiny' or who the Mega Man King is, just stop this pointless fight! I don't want to have to hurt you any more!" he called as he tried to reason with the snarling maverick. Hissing in uncontrollable fury, the Xiphosuroid rose up towards the lake's surface once again, spreading out his remaining limbs before the gleaming icicles melted away completely.
"As if you could! I'm finishing you off now, rules be damned!" Chronoforce shouted, but before his gears could click themselves into overdrive, Grey dashed forwards and flung the bladed projectiles adorning Buckfire's wrists towards his prone foe. Whirling their way through the choppy waters, both edged blades bit sharply into Chronoforce's broken underside and shattered it. Not finished yet, the spinning blades continued to eat away at Chronoforce's weakened hull, Buckfire's Blazing Arrows from earlier having melted the circuits of the delicate interior. Gasping as his thick armor crumbled apart, the light in Chronoforce's eyes dimmed as he conceded defeat at last.
"Arghh...! Perhaps you're not quite as Defective as I was led to believe. No matter though... you are nothing more than a pawn... in the palm... of HIS hand. All you can hope to do... is flail about in the little time you have left. I may have failed... but one of the others will stop you... and you will never get to meet the Mega Man King! Hahahahah...!" the Xiphosuroid cackled before the rest of his remains shattered. Chunks of of azure material sank down into the depths of the crystalline lake, leaving sparkling fragments of Pseudoroid DNA behind. Those remaining pieces of data were quickly absorbed by Model A in the same manner it had done after Buckfire had been defeated, granting the exhausted Grey a well-earned new form.
(Mega Man ZX Tunes - Wonder Panorama - Area F - Lake)
"You've obtained Chronoforce's data!" Model A said, sounding as tired as Grey felt. Not exactly a surprise considering how unforgiving the long trek across the Arctic Ice Floes had been, especially after battling a large worm-like mechaniloid and then Chronoforce almost immediately afterwards. Relaxing his tense muscles, the young reploid transformed back into his Mega Man Model A form and allowed himself to drift along the cool lake currents, which felt almost warm now thanks to Buckfire's broiling flames. He sighed as he called the words of both Chronoforce and Buckfire, who had spoken highly of this 'Mega Man King' and how he definitely wasn't one being 'Defective', whatever they meant by that...
"Who is this HE, HIS, HIM guy that everyone keeps talking about? I wish I hadn't lost my memories otherwise this might all be a little clearer. Maybe that's why everyone keeps calling me Defective... I'm just not good enough..." he whispered sadly, thinking that perhaps he wasn't worthy of being a Mega Man at all. Model A tensed as it overheard what Grey had said and shook him angrily, furious at how he put himself down after surviving such a fierce battle.
"You're NOT Defective, Grey! Don't ever think that! Who cares what those assholes think, or whether or not there's already a Mega Man King? Whoever he is, I bet HE'S the one calling the shots behind those other Mega Men. If they wanna get in the way of finding out who you really are, then we're just going to have to take them down like we did Chronoforce! I believe in you, Grey. I wouldn't have chosen you otherwise, so don't you dare think that you're not good enough - not even for one moment!" it admonished, feeling relieved as Grey's lips slowly twitched upwards into a smile upon hearing its words. Gratitude wasn't an emotion he'd felt towards the little biometal before, who had mocked him more than once for his desire to help others, but it was nice that the wise-cracking device openly stated that it believed in him and what he was doing.
Before he could respond to Model A's little pep talk, Grey's communicator suddenly bleeped urgently. Thinking it might have been Nicol checking up on his physical status, the reploid opened the line but instead of the Hunters, it was the Sage Trinity instead. Each of the three men bore expressions of concern as they saw how roughed up the youth looked, having received considerable injuries in his battle against the powerful Xiphosuroid.
"Are you alright, Grey? That was a very rough fight, are you sure that you're able to continue?" Master Albert asked. Grey nodded, already feeling better after his short rest and what Model A had said to him moments ago.
"I'm okay thanks, just a little tired out after beating that Pseudoroid. I'll continue onwards after resting here a little longer if that's okay."
"You should probably head back to the Hunter's Camp and rest there for a while, Grey. We just scanned the area ahead and that building is locked down tight, probably thanks to those other Mega Men you encountered earlier," Master Thomas mentioned, referring to when Atlas and Thetis had intercepted him on the bridge. Model A sputtered crossly, outraged that their exit out of the harsh arctic terrain was blocked.
"W-what the hell are you talking about? Do you mean we came all this way for nothing then? How are we gonna get to the Oil Fields now?" the little biometal whined as Grey shushed it hurriedly. Master Mikhail spoke up next, hopefully none of the men being able to understand what Model A had said otherwise they might have been offended by its accusing tone.
"There's an old communications tower nearby that was abandoned years ago, called the 'Tower of Verdure'. It's been nicknamed that by the locals thanks to the natural foliage that's reclaimed it over the years, but it's not as peaceful as it sounds. Mavericks recently started appearing there so we sealed the area off, but I bet the computer inside of that tower is still operational. If you can make your way to the top of that building, you might able to hack into its system and unlock the Oil Fields manually from there or at the very least find an alternative route into the desert."
"So the Tower of Verdure is where I need to go then?" Grey asked, feeling slightly sceptical about the whole situation. Master Mikhail hummed thoughtfully, scanning the area around him for another route that wasn't so out of the way.
"It seems that way, yes. We're sorry to have put you through such an unnecessary journey, but using transervers simply isn't an option right now thanks to the increasing maverick activity out there. Regarding the Tower of Verdure and the recent irregular outbreak, it could mean that there's a biometal hidden somewhere around the area. If you could check it out and find out what the cause of the outbreak is, we would be very grateful to you. The chances are that it's nothing too serious, but if there is a biometal attracting them then it's only a matter of time before they affect the people living nearby..."
"Which means that I'd better stop them before they attack!" Grey said, frowning at the thought of innocent lives in danger. Model A groaned tiredly, sensing that Grey's dutiful nature was about to put them through something stupid again.
"But Grey, you're hurt after that battle! You need to rest!" the little biometal said worriedly as Grey suddenly smirked at its words.
"Model A, worried about someone else?" he asked, grinning playfully as Model A sputtered awkwardly upon being caught out. "Y-you got a problem with that? Obviously somebody's gotta watch out for you since you're determined to do or die!" it grumbled, trying to sound tough as it usually did. Master Albert smiled at their banter in an almost fatherly manner; their bond was growing faster than he expected, his two creations already caring about each other deeply despite the differences between their personalities. If they were like this now, how powerful would Grey and Model A become over the coming few weeks? He rather wanted to find out.
"Model A is right, Grey. You've pushed yourself incredibly hard today and continuing on your mission without adequate rest is dangerous. You won't be able to help anybody if you're all worn out, so as a member of the Sage Trinity, I order that you return back to Hunter's Camp and recuperate!" he said firmly, smirking as Model A gloated over 'winning' the argument. "Alright, alright, you guys win. I'll head back to Hunter's Camp right away..." the boy said, picking himself up off the ground before switching his communicator off. He felt much better already knowing that it wasn't just Model A who cared about how he was; Master Albert seemed to like him a lot, as did Master Mikhail too. Master Thomas was hard to read, but as the leader of the Sage Trinity, he probably had more to worry about that moment than how one single reploid boy felt about the crazy situations he'd been drawn into the past few days.
Legion Headquarters (Mega Man ZX Gigamix OST - En-trance Code - Trans Server - Save & Load)
As Grey journeyed back towards the distant Hunter's Camp, the Sage Trinity talked quietly amongst themselves about the reploid youth in question. As a Mega Man, Grey was progressing nicely indeed, having taken down two dangerous Pseudoroids in the course of a single day. Out of the three Sages, it was Master Thomas who had reservations about the young boy; unsure whether or not to believe he was truly up to the task of wielding Biometal Model A.
"He's quite an enthusiastic young man. The Hunters speak very highly of him, although all records of his past are completely untracable. Nobody knows who he is or where he came from at all... do you think it wise to trust him with the power of biometal?" the redhead asked his two partners. Master Albert frowned slightly, the conversation steering off into uncomfortable territory far too quickly for his liking. Fortunately it was Master Mikhail who piped up next, the amiable old man obviously favorable towards the silver-haired teen.
"I'm sure Grey's heart is in the right place, Thomas. He's only had Model A for a day, and look at how much he's accomplished in that time! The Hunters have already told us all about him and the circumstances in which they found him. I'm sure that whatever happened was an accident, and that he's not dangerous. He's just an excitable young lad, and we would do well to remember that we were once young like him too."
Master Thomas sighed. "You're right, Mikhail. I suppose I'm just a little worried about him, his well-being in particular. He just survived an encounter with an extremely dangerous maverick, and there's no telling what he might come up against in the future. You both heard what that Thetis boy said on the bridge; there are other Mega Men out there playing this so-called 'Game of Destiny' against one another, meaning that Grey's going to be put into a lot more danger sooner than we think. What do you think, Albert? You've been very quiet about this so far."
"Hmm? Well, I'm sure they won't be too much of a problem. Grey and Model A appear to be bonding well, and are obviously strong enough to take care of themselves. As Mikhail said, Grey is young, but he'll grow stronger over time as he learns from his experiences. I don't like that such a young boy is putting himself in danger's way for our benefit, but the power of biometal is as wonderous as it is powerful - and it's better that somebody with a good heart possesses Model A. In the event that things do get too drastic, we could always call the Guardians in for assistance. I believe that the two humans onboard - Vent and Aile is it? Yes, I believe that they are Mega Men too, and are experienced in dealing with rogue mavericks."
Master Thomas nodded, feeling assured. "Indeed, you are both correct. Forgive an old man for worrying so much about this; obviously you both see something in the boy that I cannot, but I trust what you say and that Grey is indeed capable."
"Not at all. You have every right to be concerned, Thomas. Now, since it's starting to get quite late, I suggest that we take our own advice and rest for a little while too. It's no good frazzling our minds over what's going on; I'm sure that something will come up later and we'll find out what's going on at last. I'll see you gentlemen later on," Albert said, as he bade his working partners farewell for the time being. Stepping out of the plushly decorated headquarters, the green-haired man looked around carefully as he headed into his personal quarters. Making sure that nobody was listening, Albert tapped into the communicator on his earpiece and sent out a message to the recipients in question...
"Attention DAN - #001 and DAN - #002. I've received satisfactory reports on Mega Man Model A, but there's been no word on our other young entree in the Game of Destiny and I need information. Therefore, I have a new mission for the two of you; find Mega Man Model W and bring her back to the laboratory if you can, but if not, then just find out where she is and report back on her physical progress. The usual rules apply; do not let anybody see you and do not engage in battle unless absolutely necessary. You know the penalties otherwise. Master Albert out."
City Outskirts - Cinq Ville (Mega Man ZX Tunes - Metallic Soul - Theme of Biometal)
"Ughh, my aching head..." Ashe grumbled irritably as she clamped both palms over her eyes, wondering if she'd ever wake up normally again. Three times now she'd woken up feeling like shit, her head throbbing as vague memories of earlier events struggled to rise through the cloud of fog that had invaded her mind. Breathing in deeply to settle her frazzled nerves, Ashe was startled that unlike the sterile laboratory she'd last woken up in earlier, instead she could smell... flowers? Stirring gently, the Model W user could feel the tickle of grass underneath her cheek, as well as the warmth of sunshine beaming down from above to warm her bruised body to the core. Nearby, the chirruping cries of birdsong could be heard, their musical calls chasing away the thumping headache inside of her skull.
"Where... are we now?" the girl whispered as she cracked open her eyes. As her sight came into focus, Ashe was pleasantly surprised to find herself in a beautiful forest clearing populated by wild flowers. Surrounded by a sea of pink, white and yellow petals, the silverette was enveloped in their heady scent, soothing her aching head as the scent of late spring and fresh air cleared her mind. Suddenly a twinge of pain in her chest caused Ashe to wince, as she recalled her last clear memory of when that young man... Aeolus, his name was? How that Model H user had stabbed her through the chest and ended her life. As the cold tendrils of death peeled her last conscious thoughts away, Model W had roared to life, the scene fading away in a river of blood and fury as the ancient biometal took control.
"Good afternoon, Ashe. Did you sleep well?" Model W asked as it sensed its biomatch awaken, thankfully appearing none the worse for wear despite the serious injuries she'd received last night. It smirked as the girl grumbled petulantly upon hearing its voice inside her mind, obviously not a morning riser. "Afternoon already? It was the middle of the night, the last thing I recall..." she grumbled as she rolled over, frowning as she realized she was laying upon something hard. Stretching her hand out, Ashe froze as she touched something that almost felt like a body. Flicking her eyes downwards, the girl startled as she came face-to-chest with a decapitated galleon. Its head lay lopsided in a patch of grass nearby, the dull optics seeming to watch her forlornly.
"Holy shit!" she yelped, jumping up onto her feet in shock. Buried amongst the flowers all around her were the scattered remains of dozens of mavericks laying in bits and pieces around the forest clearing. There had to have been at least a dozen of the things, all in various states of decimation as if something or someone had laid waste to them while she'd been asleep. No prizes for guessing who, she thought to herself as she gazed down at her palms. Coating her palms were the telltale markings of artificial blood, dried and crumbling as though she'd been clawing their remains all night long - which she probably had done, come to think of it. The chemical stench rolling off her hands made her recoil a little; how did she not smell it through the flowers?
Model W patiently watched as its young biomatch brushed the dried material off her uniform. At least she wasn't squeamish, and seemed to be calm despite the chaotic situation she'd been forced into the past several days. After she'd finished cleaning her hands, Ashe then peeled off her Raiders' jacket which was stiff with her dried blood. There was no saving the coat after the damage it had received when Aeolus stabbed her last night, the Model H user's blade tearing a jagged gash through her chest region. Finally she was done, looking scruffier than she normally did but at least no longer looking as though she'd walked through a slaughterhouse. Yes, the girl was adapting well - and was accepting its presence faster than even it had expected.
"Do you know where we are, Model W? I don't think I've ever been here before," she then asked, as Model W hummed thoughtfully deep inside her. "We're somewhere in the region of Cinq Ville, quite possibly on the outskirts of Area A. The capital city itself isn't too far off from here, as far as I can tell. I landed us quite near in case you needed more... adequate medical attention than I could provide," it finished quietly. Ashe blinked in surprise.
"Cinq Ville? But that's continents away, how did we get here so fast?" she asked. Ah, so she didn't remember what happened after all. Model W responded to her thoughts, picturing a small island located out in the middle of the sea and the course it had taken throughout the night as it flew towards the closest continent it could find. Cinq Ville itself was a series of small countries joined together, forming protectively around the capital city of Inner Peace where the majority of the civilian populace on the continent lived. Ashe bit her lip as she tried to remember what she knew about the country; it had been led by a reploid man called Serpent up until around five years ago when he was killed during a huge maverick attack that destroyed Slither Inc. and almost consumed the whole city. She frowned; yet another good person slaughtered thanks to those hideous creations...
"You forget, we were teleported to that island base after you were kidnapped. When you... lost consciousness last night, I took control of your body and headed towards the closest civilisation I could find. It shouldn't be too much of a problem to get you back home though; from what I remember about Inner Peace, there's a transerver network inside the city that can teleport you back home a lot quicker than I can get us by flying there. It's been a number of years since the city was rebuilt, so there shouldn't be any problems finding one and using it."
"Except money, that is. A big transerver jump isn't going to be cheap," Ashe replied as she rummaged through her pockets. Her civilian identity card was still on her person thankfully, enabling her access into the city without raising too many issues as to why an underaged girl was walking around on her own. The Raiders had forged an identity for her in the event she became seperated from them, so that she wouldn't be arrested or taken into custody if the authorities caught up with her before they did. As for affording the extensive teleportation trip overseas, the silverette was pleasantly surprised as she pulled out pocketfuls of E-Crystals. Easily enough to afford a one way trip back into Outlands...
"I thought you might be needing some spare change, so I went on a little hunting expedition while you were recovering," Model W grinned, pointing subconsciously at the bodies of the mavericks all around them. Ashe glanced at their pitiful remains, feeling no sympathy for the creatures as she imagined the cutting blades of Model W gutting them like fish for the precious energy crystals sealed within their cores. "Thanks, I guess," she grinned back. Maybe having Model W around wasn't so bad; after all, it seemed to be looking out for her wellbeing more than anybody else had lately. The biometal was surprised when it felt the rush of pleasure flow through its biomatch, its connection to its host so well developed that their network was in near perfect synchronization with one another.
The trek towards Inner Peace was a quiet one as Ashe and Model W left the flowery clearing, following the signs pointing out the pathway towards Inner Peace. After several minutes of travel, the silverette suddenly noticed that there wasn't a single maverick or irregular to be found at all, the forest completely devoid of all artificial life. There were telltale signs of their presence of course; nests and damaged vegetation where they'd stalk their unsuspecting prey through the undergrowth, but it seemed as if the area had just been... abandoned for some reason.
SNAP
Ashe froze. The faintest shiver of tension rippled down her spine as her hair stood on end, ancient human instinct roaring to life as the sensation of being watched made itself known. Model W also froze, sensing that something was amiss. Had it missed an enemy? While the presence didn't feel hostile, the biometal also disliked the feeling of being watched so intensely. "Come on," it whispered, guiding its young biomatch away from the thickest growths of vegetation where a potential ambush would be most likely. Ashe didn't stop jogging until the green door of Inner Peace came into sight, the Mega Man finally having reached the city entrance. Fumbling through her pockets, the silverette quickly swiped the false identity keycard through the appropriate slot and breathed a sigh of relief as the red light flashed green to allow her entry inside. As Ashe stepped through the door, she looked back into the forest one last time, half expecting something to jump out at her. Still there was nothing, but she could still feel the piercing gaze of whatever it was that had made that sound. Immediately as the door slammed shut behind her, the feeling passed, but Ashe felt no more relaxed. Taking a deep breath, she turned on her heels and made her way into the inner city, following the underground pathway as she prepared to enter civilisation.
(Mega Man ZX Advent Tunes - The Chosen One - Theme of Albert)
"You could have stopped her... why didn't you?" Pandora asked, as Prometheus silently watched the Model W user slip inside Area C. Oh, he could have stopped the girl quite easily if he had wanted to, but something compelled him to stay his hand for now until he'd found what he'd been looking for. Ashe seemed... different from when he'd last seen her somehow, actively talking with her biometal as she made her way through the forest of flowers. According to Thetis, the silverette had transformed upon her death at the hands of the Model H user, the injury she'd received fully awakening the dormant shard within. The sheer power she must have unlocked to reverse death itself... he had to know if it was true, and judging from the sea of maverick remains they'd found her sound asleep at, apparantly it was.
"I've been thinking," he said slowly as an idea came to life inside his mind, "that we've been playing this Game of Destiny and following Master Albert's wishes for far too long," he finished, as Pandora's eyes widened in shock. Ever since their original escape before they were recaptured and imbued with Model W, they'd always talked about the various ways they'd escape Albert's clutches and of the things they'd do once free of his control, but this was the first time that Prometheus had openly suggested defying him. The female Mega Man looked around nervously as if expecting their creator to appear any moment, but Prometheus continued talking, seemingly enthralled with whatever plan he was cooking up.
"This Ashe... I believe she's the one we've been waiting for all these years. You know as well as I do that Model W requires a strong will to use else its power consumes its host's soul, but hearing them talk to one another like that, how Model W concedes to her desires... it looks as if it has chosen her as its heir after all. Perhaps... perhaps if we get her on our side, she can help us strike at Albert and end this farce once and for all..." he said, his crimson eyes flickering back and forth quickly as he began plotting. Pandora bit her lip. His plan seemed viable, but how were they going to get the girl on their side without Albert knowing? He knew everything; even just thinking about this was incredibly dangerous, their master had warned that any defiance, even imagined, was not to be tolerated at all.
"The heir of Model W... the Mega Man King..." she said, smiling faintly at how the words rolled off her tongue. If her brother was right, then Ashe's appearance could only be a good thing - if they played their cards right, that was.
Lifting his head, the male reploid breathed in deeply as he studied the sprawling city of Inner Peace before them. The civilian populace, so blissfully unaware of the danger that had just strolled into their vast city. He then frowned. No, Ashe wasn't a danger, or not she was yet anyway. Like the child she was, Ashe lacked the killing instinct necessary to fuel Model W's true strength and had barely tapped the potential of her biometal. Even the fight she'd had against the other four last night was nothing compared to what she could really do if pushed... but how to coax that kind of power out, and how to get her to trust them?
"Cinq Ville... I never expected to return here again so soon. How odd that Model W would choose to return here of all places..." Pandora whispered as Prometheus nodded in agreement. It was an unusual coincidence now that she mentioned it. Shrugging their shoulders for now, both Prometheus and Pandora jumped down off the branch they'd been perched on and walked into the clearing before the city.
"Come, let's see how our young King is handling herself in there," the male reploid said, as both siblings rose up into the air and flew overhead to spot where their quarry had gotten off to.
Cinq Ville - Area C (Megaman ZX Tunes - Brilliant Show Window - Area C - City)
The cool evening breeze ruffled Ashe's short hair as she stepped out onto the city streets, crowds of people passing the silverette by without a second thought as late afternoon began to settle across Inner Peace. Overhead, the skies were beginning to glow orange as the sun dipped beyond the landscape's horizon, the city lights beginning to switch themselves on one by one now that nightfall was approaching. Moving away from the heaving crowds, Ashe wandered through the streets by herself as she searched for the transervers that would take her home. As much as she'd wanted to visit other countries before, all she wanted right now was to return home and see the familiar sands of the Oil Fields once again. A good meal, a hot shower and a long sleep in my nice warm bed wouldn't go amiss either, she thought glumly to herself, wondering exactly when she'd last eaten...
THUMP
"Hey, be careful!" a voice called out, as Ashe, suddenly aware she hadn't been looking where she was going, flushed red with embarrassment upon realizing she'd walked straight into another person. A pair of reploid men dressed in dark green uniforms stood before her, looking surprised at her sudden appearance. Snapping out of her thoughts, Ashe stepped back a pace and held up her hands, hoping that they hadn't taken offense to what she'd done. City dwellers could be rough towards outsiders, a Raider had told her some time ago.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to walk into you like that," she apologized, still flushing with embarrassment. Model W sighed inwardly; the girl shouldn't be apologizing to those worms, rather they should be apologizing to her for getting in the way. Nonetheless, the reploid men seemed fine, and smiled warmly at the girl when they realized it was just an accident. "That's okay, I was just surprised, that's all. Are you alright, miss?" the darker-haired of the two said, holding her small hand gently. He was a handsome young man, with jet-black hair, dark brown eyes and olive-colored skin. The other man next to him was taller and more pale, with long blond hair and startlingly blue eyes.
"Yes, I'm fine thank you. The name's Ashe, by the way. Miss makes me feel old," she joked as the dark-haired reploid laughed. "I'm Carrelet, he said, while the blond grinned. "And I'm Hareng. Guardians at your service, Ashe!" they said together while bowing their heads. Ashe relaxed, feeling at ease immediately. These people were fine; she'd have to prank the asshole who made out as if city people would shank her if she so much as looked them the wrong way. Carrelet tilted his head as if he remembered something.
"You look like you've just come into town. You wouldn't happen to know anything about what's gotten people so unsettled today, would you?" he asked, as Ashe frowned. "Umm, know about what?" she asked in return, growing slightly nervous again. This had something to do with her, she knew it. Carrelet must have noticed her abrupt change of mood as he let go of her hand and adopted a casual expression. "Oh, nothing so terrible's happened, don't you worry about that. It's just that people have reported seeing strange sights all day, and with what happened five years ago when the last big maverick attack hit, the people here are... well, let's just say they're slightly uneasy about what they've seen."
"What Carrelet means to say is that locals believe they've spotted an unusual black maverick flying around the countryside sometime this morning. They called us Guardians in to investigate, but so far there's been no sign of it at all. What we did find however were scores of destroyed irregulars, their remains littered around the city perimeter as if whatever caused their deaths had been circling around the city. As you looked like you've just come into town, we just wondered if you might have seen anything that could help us with our investigation, that's all," Hareng finished, eyeing the silverette's rather battered-looking appearance in a rather suspicious manner.
Ashe gulped. A black maverick, flying around and destroying other mavericks? she thought to herself as Model W trembled inside her core slightly. It could only have been them, or rather Model W in particular, having a careless moment with its fun and attracting people's attention. Hold on a moment... Guardians? The Guardians of the Grand Nuage, right? Hareng blinked as Ashe paled even more, looking like she was about to faint. The dream she'd had the other day was recalled vibrantly all of a sudden, in particular the great airship that blasted her from the skies. If they knew she was the black maverick, they'd never stop hunting her. She'd never be safe again...
"Are you alright, miss? You've gone very pale..." Carrelet asked, forgetting momentarily that she didn't like being called that. Snapping out of her daze, Ashe edged away as politely as she could, giving the impression that she'd waylaid them long enough. "I haven't seen anything, I'm sorry. This black maverick though... it didn't hurt anyone, did it?" she asked. Hareng bit his lip. It hadn't hurt anyone... yet, but that wasn't a good enough reason to leave something so powerful unchecked. The only thing that could destroy mavericks so easily was a Mega Man, and aside from their two, whatever lurked outside was something only they could handle. These people were utterly defenceless should it appear again. Before he could answer her however, a scream drew their attention towards the end of the street.
(Mega Man ZX Tunes - Crisis Zone)
A plump man ran down the road towards them, screaming at the top of his lungs as he panted for breath between cries. "Run for your liiiives! The mavericks are invading!" he howled, repeating himself over and over. At once, the crowds of people on the street scattered like chaff in the breeze as the faint sounds of gunfire could be heard in the distance. Immediately Carrelet and Hareng unshouldered their rifles, looking ready for action. Meanwhile, Ashe was facing all sorts of dilemmas. If the mavericks were invading, they could only be here for one reason and that was to get revenge for what she and Model W had done to them. However, she couldn't abandon innocent people to suffer like she had in the past, orphaned as an infant because nobody else could protect her. However, if they stayed, she could be discovered as the rogue black maverick and be hunted by the Guardians, or worse, they could get hurt, and all because of her...
"Get behind us, Ashe. Here they come!" Carrelet cried, pushing the girl behind him protectively as scores of galleons and other assorted mavericks bounded around the corner of the street, making their way directly towards the trio. People continued to scream, fleeing through the streets in a panic as Ashe suddenly realized that the irregulars were focused completely on them. She looked back and forth between the two reploids anxiously, both men prepared to give their lives away if it meant protecting the civilians here - but they had no chance against so many of the feral machines on their own...
Model W whined internally, torn between assisting its master or giving into its instincts and throwing itself into the approaching horde. It anticipated feeling the hot rush of artificial blood splattering across its blades again, spilling across the streets as a show of its might, but its biomatch's will was stronger than its own and the ancient biometal was forced to comply with her wishes for the time being. Making her mind up, Ashe pushed past Carrelet and slipped past his grasping hand as he tried to pull her back away from them, but the Model W user sprinted towards the charging horde so inhumanely fast that even they stopped in surprise. Turning to the right sharply, Ashe wheeled around the corner and slipped into a series of backalleys, hoping against hope that they'd take the bait and leave the two Guardians alone. As she anticipated, the mavericks followed her direction, spilling into the tight pathways behind her and blocking her exit out.
Carrelet fired up his communicator immediately, his core hammering inside his chest as he feared for the young girl's safety. "Commander Prairie, this is Carrelet! I need Vent and Aile down here immediately, there's a maverick attack going on right now and a life is in danger!" he cried. On the other end of the receiver, he could hear Commander Prairie issuing her orders to both of the Chosen Ones onboard, apparantly having already noticed that trouble was brewing.
"Understood! They're already on their way; protect the civilians at all costs until they arrive! Commander Prairie out!" the pink-clad commander replied before closing off the link. Somehow, I don't think that's going to be a problem, the dark-haired reploid thought to himself, having noticed just how intensely the mavericks in question were focused on that one girl. Glancing over at Hareng, both men nodded to each other as they followed the path that the girl and the irregulars had taken.
Weaving her way around the twisting backalleys of Area C, it wasn't long before Ashe realized she'd taken a wrong turn somewhere. Slamming up against a strong wall, the silverette thumped the material angrily, leaving a sizable dent behind in the metal frame. Behind her, the Model W user could hear the excited garbling of the irregulars as they cornered their prey, and turned around slowly to see their numbers spread out in an attempt to surround her.
They stopped a few paces away, chattering to one another excitedly in their strange language as their optics flashed a variety of colours. Leading the horde were the ever-present galleons, the most common and recognizable types of maverick across the world. The other types she didn't recognize at all, perhaps unique to the region of Cinq Ville. Unlike the vaguely humanoid galleons, they strongly resembled various mechaniloid animals, similiar in appearance to creatures like dragonflies, crickets and reptiles. The silverette glared at them viciously, her golden eyes glowing brightly as Model W prepared to defend its host at all costs.
"Go on, get the fuck out of here!" she hissed under her breath, trying not to excite them any more than they already were. Instead of attacking, the irregular pack bounced around her playfully, seemingly happy just to be nearby. It was then that a sharp whine suddenly pierced her skull, causing her to clutch her forehead in pain as the whining sound continued to rise in pitch. Just as her earpieces felt like they were about to explode, the agonizing pitch finally eased off, leaving her breathless as beads of sweat rolled off her skin. "W-what in the world was that?" she breathed, slumping back against the wall behind her. Flicking her gaze back to the mavericks still surrounding her, Ashe froze as she noticed that they were staring at her intensely, garbling to one another like before... yet this time, their words were coming in clearly instead of incomprehensible gibberish.
"So this is the Mega Man King?" one of them whispered, as another nodded. "The Lord Weil returns to the place of his birth, back to where the core first fell from the stars centuries ago..." another said. Ashe blinked, wondering if she'd finally cracked at last. She could... understand what they were saying? She wasn't born here though, was she? Though maybe Model W did fall from the stars... perhaps they were talking about that? Her headache continued to grow worse as the mavericks continued to jabber to one another, feeling claustraphobic as they appeared to be edging closer towards the female Mega Man. Her head started to spin, crimson light threading her vision as she reached the limit she could stand. Summoning up every scrap of energy she had let, she called for Model W to do something, anything - just to get her the hell away from these things!
At once the transformation occured, far more quickly than it had last night. Within the span of a single transformation, Model W knew its biomatches body as if it had been with her all her life, knowing her inside out as it spilled forth from the jagged scar across her chest. Thick miasma trailed across her limbs to harden, revealing the black armor of the Dark Mega Man, Master of Model W. Her golden gemstone flashing, Ashe opened her predatory eyes as she gazed mercilessly upon the mavericks still surrounding her, too numb with shock to realize how just much trouble they were in.
"Get the hell away from me!" she roared in a dual-toned voice, her powerful forearm swiping forth effortlessly as the lethal blades that served as wings fanned open to shred through the crowd in a single slash. Artificial blood rained down from the skies at the force of her blow, Model W singing in delight as it got to taste their fear and dismay upon serving the Mega Man King as vital sacrifices. Slashing and sweeping, Ashe made short work of their remains, the frenzied attacks coating her black armor thickly with their rich red fluids.
Just then, Vent, Aile, Carrelet and Hareng rounded the corner, their mouths dropping open in shock at the bloodied monstrosity that looked up to meet their eyes. Standing over the mutilated bodies of the irregular horde was the black dragon-like maverick that the locals had described, except this time it was down in the heart of the city in search of new prey. The two reploid men stepped back warily, edging behind both of the Mega Men Model ZX. Never before in their lives had they seen a maverick as frightening as this one.
"S-so it's true! There really is a black maverick that was responsible for destroying those other irregulars outside the city!" Hareng stammered, shaking in fear as a deep snarl rumbled from the throat of the beast. Carrelet stared numbly, recognizing the being's face through the draconic helm adorning its head. "Hareng, isn't this the same girl that you and I were talking to just moments ago? She must be a Mega Man, just like our two!" he whispered as the blond man nodded. Ashe continued to growl savagely, stepping forwards a pace as Vent's verdant eyes suddenly hardened.
"Stay right where you are and don't move. I don't know who you are, but you're obviously carrying an unidentified biometal and are extremely dangerous. Demerge and come with us immediately, or we'll have to take you down. Don't make us hurt you," he said sternly, his green eyes staring unflinchingly into the golden orbs of his foe. Her armored plates rattling, Aile watched as the 'wings' of the Dark Mega Man fluttered back and forth anxiously, as though she were torn deciding between fight and flight.
"Dangerous? Me? What are you talking about? I was just defending myself!" she growled, spreading her wings forth as though motioning towards the remains of the mavericks all around her. Carrelet bit his lip. Her statement was true in a way, for they'd chased right into the alleyway, but still... I've been chased all over the place by people who wanted to kill me and have succeeded at least twice. I'm not a bad person because I want to defend myself! the silverette thought bitterly as Model W growled in agreement. Who were these assholes to treat her like another maverick? They didn't know anything about her or what she'd been through lately! Responding to Ashe's growing resentment, Model W's energy began crackling around her armored plates menacingly. The lights around the city began to dim as her energy levels skyrocketed, causing the ground beneath their feet to tremble.
Aile shuddered. "She's not going to listen, Vent. We've got to take her down as quickly as possible, there are too many civilians at risk if we iniate a full scale battle," she whispered quickly, noticing how Ashe's posture was becoming more hostile with every passing moment. Vent nodded, eyeing the two reploid men standing behind him nervously. This was no place for them if a fight was to break out.
"Carrelet, Hareng; you two need to get somewhere safe at once. Head back to the Grand Nuage and tell Prairie we've found a rogue biometal user. She'll know what to do!" he said, as the two reploids saluted. "Aye aye, Commander!" both men replied before they teleported back to the airship. Ashe looked up, watching them leave almost sadly. Satisfied they'd be safe for the time being, Vent turned his attention back towards the Dark Mega Man standing before him, levelling his Z-Saber at her throat warningly.
"Are you going to give up and come with us, or do we need to beat you down?" Aile asked, as Ashe growled in return. "I've done nothing wrong and I have no reason to trust you," she said dismissively, turning away as through they weren't worth another thought. Vent sighed, sweatdropping slightly at her abrupt response.
"Looks like it's going to be the hard way then. Why do they always choose the hard way?" he grumbled before dashing towards his foe.
(Mega Man ZX Tunes - Pallida Mors - Versus Serpent)
As the male brunette dashed forwards to sweep his Z-Sabre at the girl, Aile jumped backwards and fired off the shot she'd been charging for the last few seconds. With a speed that, by all rights, should be physically impossible, Ashe backflipped away from Vent's deadly blade and hopped up onto the tall fence behind her, expertly maneuvering her armored form as lithely as a champion gymnast. Vent's eyes widened in shock at how quickly she'd moved, as if her armor weighed absolutely nothing at all. Just as Ashe landed on the top of the fence, balancing delicately on one foot, she crouched as Aile's plasma sphere rolled towards her, waiting until the very last second to jump. Just before it looked like the other female's attack was about to strike true, Ashe suddenly disappeared, reappearing again to twist through the air as she moved to avoid Vent's second attack as he wall-jumped his way up to meet her.
Slashing furiously as he rolled through the skies, Ashe again avoided each and every one of his attacks, her plated body twisting this way and that as she ribboned through the air like an eel underwater. Unlike Vent, who was landbound and destined to fall towards the earth, Ashe remained aerial, the fanned blades of her wings spinning around as she not only blocked each of thde lethal slashes that Vent threw at her, but continued to power herself through the air above them. Switching her Blaster for her own Z-Saber, both twins nodded at each other before seperating, wall-jumping up both the wall and the fence in an attempt to meet the Dark Mega Man on her own terrain.
However, Ashe had already anticipated the move, and waited in place tauntingly before folding her wings together and dropping down towards the ground like a rock. Both twins clashed blades in the air, missing her completely and falling to the ground as well as they struggled to seperate their tangled limbs. Just before Ashe hit the floor, she fanned open her blades and glided away easily, laughing as both Mega Men Model ZX landed heavily and rolled across the ground, becoming disarmed from the force of the fall. Snatching up their blades, both Vent and Aile flushed angrily as the Dark Mega Man blew a loud raspberry at them both before darting out of the alleyway and into the streets outside.
Civilians out late that night screamed as a black maverick suddenly burst onto the scene from out of nowhere, the drivers on the roads slamming their breaks down in shock as Ashe's monstrous form glided across the street. Vent stared after her, astonished that she was abandoning the fight just like that. Aile scowled in anger; she hadn't been made to look so stupid ever since Prometheus had goaded her into firing so he could turn her own attack back against her. To think that this little bitch could mock her and her brother like that...
"She's getting away, we'd better follow after her before anyone gets hurt!" Vent said, bringing Aile's attention back to earth as she nodded and followed after her brother. Wistfully, the male brunette wished (and not for the first time) that they still had Model H onhand, both Mega Men Model ZX barely able to keep up with the speedy Dark Mega Man in the skies as they were forced to run through the panicking crowds. Vent sighed again as he wondered where those biometals were, and how they were doing ever since they'd been stolen...
Nearby, Prometheus and Pandora watched the chaos unfold in the streets below with a smirk across their faces. Their plan was going much better than even Prometheus had predicted; the Model W user learning how to handle her new power without them even having to lift a finger. The Chosen Ones of Model's ZX were already at the girl's throat within moments of encountering her, tempting the ancient power hidden within the Mega Man King. While they were experienced biometal users and more than a match for Aeolus, Atlas, Thetis and Siarnaq combined, Ashe was a different kettle of fish altogether and possessed the ultimate biometal for her very own purposes. Once they found out that the girl possessed Model W itself, Vent and Aile would stop at nothing to defeat her - meaning that it was only a matter of time before the young silverette gave into fate and fully embraced her rightful heritage.
Once the girl tasted innocent blood for the first time, she would at last be worthy of her birthright as the Mega Man King. Prometheus licked his lips at the thought of Ashe becoming worthy of her role as heir at last. Throughout the course of human history, he'd learned that every King, no matter how powerful they were, needed a consort in which to guide them, and if anybody knew how best to cause bloodshed and destruction, it was him.
To be continued...
Author's Note: Oh Prometheus, whatever are you planning? I'm sure it can't be good for anybody, least of all Ashe. The poor girl's in enough trouble as it is. My apologies for the late update also, I struggled with forcing myself into writing this particular chapter and got rather more sidetracked than expected. Again, my thanks to zhead, Zohaku, the unknown and Trader for all your wonderful reviews. Regarding OC's, I wouldn't mind having a go - but trying to write them and actually writing them well are entirely different matters and I may struggle putting them in at all with what I've got planned next. Drop me a PM anyway and I'll see what I can do, but no promises.