Ch. 7: Return of the Zeta Overdrive

Destroyed City: Unknown Time

Zero is in his Element Overdrive and is on his left knee, panting hard and banged up badly. "Damn." Zero says. An evil laughs comes from above him. Zero looks up and sees an unknown IS. "With your friends dead, how do you suspect to win now?" The IS asks.

Zero looks around and sees Ichika and the gang in there IS units, busted up and dead. Zero looks back at the IS. The IS slowly flies down with a greatsword in its right hand. "Damn you Omega." Zero says as he bleeds out from his injuries

Omega raises his greatsword in the air. "It's over for you, Zero." Omega says with an evil smile. "I have failed, Zeta, everyone, I'm sorry." Zero thinks. Omega swings his greatsword.

Dorm: Ichika/Zero's Room – 3:17 a.m.

Zero sits up fast and panting hard. "A dream? No, that was a nightmare, but it felt so real." Zero says to himself softly. Zero looks to his right and sees Ichika is still asleep. Zero then looks at Zeta's dog tags that he has around his neck.

"Zeta, am I feeling fear for the first time?" Zero asks softly. Zero clenches the dog tags with his left hand. "Am I afraid of Omega? Is he going to win? No, I can't think like that, I ,no, we will win." Zero says softly as he stares out the window. "I'll find your bodies and put them back to rest, I swear it." Zero says in his head while still staring at the sky.

IS Academy Arena 1

Everyone, expect for Zero, are in the locker room waiting for the matches to be posted. "Where's Zero?" Charlotte asks. "Yeah, where is he?" Cecilia asks. "I don't know." Brittany said. "Ichika?" Rin asks. "I don't know either but he did seem out of it this morning." Ichika replies.

"Please clarify." Laura said. "He seemed that he was distracted by something major, other than their graves being dug up." Ichika said. They all try to figure it out. "Sorry for the wait, here are the matches." A voice said and the matches appeared. "So they've finally posted them." Zero's voice said. The gang turns around and sees Zero in his IS suit.

"Zero, when did you get here?" Ichika asks. "Just a few minutes ago." Zero replied. Rin walks up to him. "I was worried you big idiot." Rin says to him. "Sorry, I had to figure some things out." Zero said. "Come on Sis, we're first." Zero said.

"Ok." Brittany says as she walks next to Zero, heading to the hanger. "He seems to be fine." Cecilia said. "He's putting on an act." Shana said. "Really?" Charlotte asks. "Yes, even I'm able to tell." Laura said.

Hanger 1

Zero and Brittany are in there is units. "Are you alright?" Brittany asks Zero. "Yeah, why?" Zero asks. "I can tell that you're lying." Brittany replies. Zero turns his face away from her slightly. "Don't worry about it, let's go." Zero says and then flies onto the field. Brittany shakes her head. "He's too stubborn, let's go Zeles." Brittany says and Zeles's wings pop up and she flies onto the field as well.

Arena Battlefield

Zero and Brittany are on one side of the field and their opponents are on the other side. They are in Uchigane. "This will be easy." Brittany says. "Cool it, they're 2nd and 3rd year students and you're only a 1st year with little experience." Zero says to her. "Don't be a downer Bro." Brittany says to him. A voice comes over the arena's intercom. "Alright everyone, the first match – Zero and Brittany vs. Kari and Rika. Let the match begin!" The voice said and the buzzer sounds. They all collide with their swords.

Zero and Brittany are easily overpowering their opponents. Kari raises her sword. Zero's eyes widened and he froze as he remembers his dream. "You're mine!" Kari says as she charges at Zero. "Bro!" Brittany says and she blocks the attack. "Bro, snap out of it!" Brittany says as she turns her head. Zero snaps out of it and points his sword at Kari and a beam fires out of the tip. Kari's shield hits 0.

"Sis!" Rika says and she charges at him. Brittany intercepts her with a 4 slash combo and depletes Rika's shield to 0. The buzzers sound. "Kari and Rika, shield's 0, winner: Zero and Brittany!" The voice said. "Aww, we lost." Kari said. "Good match." Zero says as he offers a hand up. "Thank you, you too." Rika says.

Zero hears something and sees a purple crescent wave coming at him. Zero pushes Rika and blocks the attack with his sword. "Brittany, get them out of here." Zero says as he continues to block the attack. "Got it." Brittany says and gets them out of there. After Zero sees that the arena has been cleared, he redirects the attack at a wall.

Ichika, Houki, Cecilia, Rin, Charlotte, Laura, Shana and Brittany enters the field, all in their units. "You ok?" Shana asks. Zero is scanning the sky. "Yeah." Zero says. An evil laugh comes out of nowhere. "Where is that laugh coming from?" Houki asks. Everyone is looking around. Zero then sees something beyond the clouds.

"Come down and show yourself!" Zero yells. A grey unknown IS appears from the clouds. Everyone is surprised to see a new type of IS. "It's been a long time since we've met face to face, Zero." The unknown IS said. "That voice." Shana said with her eyes widened. "Omega." Zero said. (Omega's I.S. is a smaller version of Silver Omega from Megaman Zero.)

"I see that you have a scar from when I slashed you with that Gold Gospel." Omega said. Zero suddenly shifted to his Element Overdrive. Everyone deploys their weapons. Zero extends his arms out to block them. "Zero, let us fight with you!" Rin said. Zero turns his head and Rin sees his eyes are in the spiral form combined with his Dragon Eyes.

"Alright." Rin says as she backs up. "Rin?" Charlotte asks. "He wants to do this alone." Rin said. "What did you see?" Laura asks. "He's combined his Spiral Eyes with his Dragon Eyes." Rin replied. Shana is shocked and looks at Zero. "So you plan on fighting me alone?" Omega asks. "Yes." Zero said as a black aura surrounds him.

"What's he doing?" Brittany asks. "Duel Overdrive." Zero said and a black sphere covers Zero. "Did he just say Duel Overdrive?" Ichika asks. The black sphere disappears and reveals Zero in his Element Overdrive form but with his Darkness Overdrive colors. "Duel Overdrive: Darkness Element." Zero says.

"Duel Overdrive." Cecilia said. "Darkness Element." Rin said. "He combined his Overdrives." Shana said with shock. Omega laughs. "You think that this is going to stop me?" Omega asks. Zero deploys his scythe. "Let's find out." Zero said. Omega reaches over his right shoulder with his right hand and grabs his greatsword. (The same one that Omega from Megaman Zero uses.)

Zero and Omega charge at each other and creates a shockwave upon collision. Rin and the others get sent flying. "What power!" Charlotte says as the gang regains balance. Zero and Omega attack each other using their unit's abilities.

After 35 minutes of fighting, Zero gets knocked to the wall and falls to the ground. "Zero!" Rin yells with concern. Rin pounds on the arena's shield but can't bust through. Omega walks over to Zero and picks him up. Zero is panting heavily.

"Don't tell me this is all you can do?" Omega asks and then tosses Zero to the left. Zero hits the ground. Everyone can only watch. Omega kicks Zero multiple times. "Is this all the power that the great Zero of Zeta has? What a joke." Omega says as he kicks Zero and sends him to the wall. Zero stares at Omega. Zero spits out blood.

Omega walks closer to him with his greatsword in his right hand. "It's over." Omega says as he raises his greatsword to the air. "Zero!" The gang yells and Rin starts to cry, thinking that she's going to lose him.

"Is this it? Does my nightmare come true here? Zeta, everyone, I'm sorry." Zero says in his head and then he closes his eyes. "So you've accepted your death then? Goodbye, Zero." Omega says.

Unknown Place

"Don't give up!" A female voice said. Zero opens his eyes and he's in a white room. Alkaid, Edge and Talon appears in front of him. "Don't you dare give up now!" Edge says. "But I can't win, even with my Duel Overdrive." Zero says in a given up tone. Alkaid walks up and slaps him. Zero is shocked by this.

"It's because you're afraid that your nightmare will come true and that you're afraid that you can't control your power." Talon says. "I'm afraid of losing control?" Zero asks. "Yes and that's why you can't access our power." Alkaid says. "You need to get rid of that fear." Edge says. "But how?" Zero asks. "Trust yourself and your friends." Talon says.

"Release your fear and trust them." Alkaid says. "You're right, I can't be afraid, I have to trust them but more importantly, trust myself." Zero says and Zedept starts to glow. "That's it, now go and kick his ass." Alkaid says. Zero nods and they vanished.

Arena 1 Battlefield

Omega goes to swing his greatsword to deliver the final blow when a giant shockwave pushes him away. "What?" Omega asks in shock. Zero stands up. Everyone is watching and are confused by what just happened.

"Omega." Zero says as he starts to walk to him. "I'll stop you here, without fear and with trust in myself and trust in my friends as well!" Zero says and a white aura around him. "Isn't that aura?" Houki asks. "Zeta Overdrive?" Everyone says in unison. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Zero yells.

Suddenly a white light appears and engulfs Zero. "What's happening?!" Omega asks. The light dissipates and Zero appears in his Zeta Overdrive. Zero opens his eyes and they're in their ripple patterns. Omega is surprised by this. "What is this power?" Omega asks. "Don't you remember that I destroyed that Gold Gospel before the summer with this power?" Zero asks.

Omega then remembers. "Right." Omega says. Omega puts his greatsword on his back. "Retreating Omega?" Zero asks. "I'm done having fun today." Omega said as he turns his back to Zero. "We'll meet again, Zero." Omega says and flies off into the clouds. Zero stares at him as the gang flies to Zero.

"How did you unlock it?" Shana asks. "I've been afraid, thinking that I would lose control of this power and hurt everyone that are close to me and the people that I care for deeply for, especially you Rin." Zero said. "Oh, really?" Rin asks. "Yes but thanks to Zeta, I'm no longer afraid and now I will fight with everyone at my side for now on. I won't fight alone anymore."

Zero says as he looks up at the sky. "Thank you Zeta, even in death you're still looking out for me." Zero says in his head.