Chapter X - A Night to Remember
Wow... I guess I really did build some muscle. Shiroji thought as he looked at himself in the mirror. He still couldn't believe that only a few weeks of being a Seeker would improve his physique to such an extent, however it was to be expected considering how much more active he had become. Snapping back to reality, he started rummaging through his drawers for suitable clothing for his date. After about ten minutes, he found what he was looking for and laid the outfit on the bed and admired the look, his heart pounding faster and faster with each passing second. For as long as he could remember, he had feelings for Sierra, but he never had the courage to ask her out. Tonight, however, he was determined to tell her how he felt.
"Tonight's gonna be a good night!" Shiroji said, smiling to himself as he got dressed and admired the effect of his outfit in the mirror. Gelling his blonde hair back into spikey waves and putting his shoes on, he walked out of his room and went to wait for Sierra in the living room.
"Oh man... All of these clothes and I still don't know what to wear tonight!" Sierra exclaimed as she laid all of her clothes out on the bed that the Akihikos generously allowed her to use while her parents were away on their business trip. Dressed in nothing but a blue pair of panties and a matching bra, she stared at one piece of clothing to the next. Normally she would just throw on a pair of jeans or a skirt with any shirt that seemed to look cool together. Tonight, however, was a special night and she wanted to look her best. Finally deciding on a skirt, she started to look for a matching shirt.
"This could work!" She said to herself with a smile, holding up the shirt to her body and the skirt at her waist to admire the effect. Pleased with the appearance, she slipped her clothes on and started to do her do her make-up. She wasn't holding anything back tonight: She had been waiting for this night for almost three years now, ever since she first developed her crush on Shiroji. Once she was finished applying her blush, she stared at herself in the mirror. Achieving what she wanted and more, she smiled, grabbed her purse and walked out of the room to meet Shiroji downstairs.
In the living room, Shiroji was so nervous that he took to pacing in front of the tv. What if my outfit isn't her taste?! What if she doesn't share the same felings that I have for her? Many questions similar to these and more raced through his mind, making him worry even more. Just as he was about to lose his cool, someone walked into the room that not only calmed him down, but the sight of her just took his breath away. Wearing a blue skirt that reached a little bit more than half way to her knees, matching knee-high socks and a thin, long-sleeved shirt with a chibi angel on the front of it, Sierra was so beautiful that even a goddess would be put to shame. However it wasn't the outfit that did it for him, it was the fact that her hair wasn't in its usual braid but was streaming down her back elegantly.
As she walked down the stairs, she couldn't help but get nervous. What if he doesn't like me that way?! Did I overdress?! Oh man... I should've at least braided my hair back... She thought restlessly as she entered the living room to find Shiroji, only it wasn't what she was expecting at all. In fact, it was better. Shiroji just stood there, staring at her in a light leather jacket used for formal occasions with a plain white collared t-shirt underneath, neatly pressed black pants and matching dress shoes, his hair was gelled back in a spikey, wavy form. Her breath was just taken away as she took in the handsome man before her.
"You look great!" The two of them said in unison.
"Do you really think so?" Both of them said, once again in unison. Both of them just shyly turned their heads to the side, blushing. After a few minutes have passed, Shiroji decided to break the silence.
"So umm... You let your hair down..." He stated nervously. Running a hand through her hair, she looked back to him.
"I know... I'll go braid it real qui-" she began, but Shiroji stopped her.
"No don't. It looks nice." Shiroji admitted, his face turning redder by the second.
"Thank you!" She exclaimed. "I like what you did to yours, too."
"Thanks." Shiroji replied, smiling.
"So... what movie are we going to go see?" Sierra asked him curiously.
"I don't know yet. I wanted the both of us to decide so I figured we could pick something when we got there."
"Sounds good to me." Sierra said, smiling at him. As they walked to the front door, a voice spoke up from the kitchen.
"Hold on, you two..." Shota shouted, walking over to the two of them. "I want to know exactly what theater you are going to in case of an emergency."
"Romanoff Theater, Dad." Shiroji replied.
"Okay then. Just make sure I don't have to go down there and pick you up because things start 'heating up' if you know what I mean." Shota told them, winking.
"DAD! Seriously?!" Shiroji exclaimed, blushing more violently than ever. Sierra, however, was laughing.
"Hey! I made a girl laugh! That's my first victory today!" Shota joked, making Sierra laugh even more and making Shiroji roll his eyes, smiling all the while. Promising to behave, the two of them walked outside only to be stopped by Shota once again.
"Hey Shiroji!" Shota called out, making Shiroji turn around. Once he saw that he had his attention, Shota tossed a set of keys to Shiroji.
"Dad... are you sure?!"
"Yeah! You have a license. Put it to use!" Shota told him. "If you put a single scratch on her, though... Hell will break loose!"
"I won't, Dad... I promise." Shiroji replied, excitedly walking to the garage. Once the doors opened, a shiny blue 1981 Chevy Corvette greeted him in all its glory. Sadly, it had to be modified since gasoline was outlawed ten years ago and now all vehicles run on electricity, but it was still the sexiest thing on wheels in Shiroji's eyes. Looking over to Sierra, he could tell that she was also captivated by the beauty of the vehicle in front of them. Getting in the car, Shiroji started the car and the engine roared to life, all five hundred and ninety horse power that his father built himself. Throwing her into gear, the Corvette rumbled as it rode down the driveway and into the street, the noise attracting the attention of the neighbors, all nodding their heads, and some even whistling, in approval of the beautiful example of the true era of muscle cars.
As they pulled up to the theater, Shiroji let Sierra out of the car.
"I'll be back in a sec. I'm gonna go park this beast." Shiroji told her, driving off once he got the nod from her. Finding a parking spot proved to be rather difficult, however he eventually found one and parked the car. As he got out, he made sure to lock it to prevent someone from stealing it, then walked back to the theater. Suddenly, he got a creepy vibe: the kind you get when someone is watching you. Checking to see if anyone was watching, he pulled out his ParCon and activated its new radar system. Noticing that there were no signs of Nightmares or Vibrants around, he put his ParCon away and shrugged the feeling off. Must be my imagination...
Spotting Sierra, he waved to her, who waved back as she walked over to him.
"Took you long enough, slowpoke! What did you do, kiss it good bye?!" She teased.
"No... I just had a wierd feeling that someone was watching me was all..." Shiroji admitted. As they began to walk over to the movie listings, Sierra grabbed onto Shiroji's arm and leaned into him as they walked, making him blush so violently that he was practically glowing. Finally deciding on an action film involving two Seekers who go undercover, they walk inside to get their snacks and drinks, and sat down in the theater as the previews started.
About an hour into the movie, Shiroji felt a sudden weight on his shoulders and caught a wiff of the smell of a sakura cherry blossom. He turned his head to see Sierra leaning her head on his shoulder, her eyes fixated on the screen. Smiling to himself, he slowly reached an arm around her and held her close to him.
"Shiroji... What do you think of me?" Sierra asked suddenly.
"W-What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean..." She replied, tilting her head back slightly so she could look into his eyes.
"Umm... well... I mean... err..." Shiroji stammered, blushing once again. Smooth, genius... Smooth... Then she asked him something that caught him more off guard than when he fought Volcan Ifrit.
"Do you like me?" The question was so sudden that he actually jumped slightly, choking a bit from the sip of his drink that made its way down his wind-pipe.
"Well of course I like you!" Shiroji whispered, being mindful that they were still in a movie theater. "You're my best fr-"
"That... That's not what I'm asking..." Noticing how she couldn't look him straight in the eye when she told him that, he knew that the moment has finally come.
"Sierra... I-" Shiroji began, however a loud bang caught his attention and he started to look for its source. It didn't take him long as he found an old man hovering above his seat, glowing as he slowly transformed into an orange, bear-like being with giant hands. The explosions were coming from energy that was being gathered in his hands that were tossed randomly throughout the theater. Before Shiroji could get himself and Sierra out of their seats, however, a flash of purple streaked overhead and the Vibrant was cut in two and slowly transformed back to normal. Suddenly, however, five more Vibrants, all the same as the one that was just defeated, appeared next to the purple-armored Seeker. Recognizing the bug-like appearance of Scarab, Shiroji decided that he would leave it up to him and get himself and Sierra out of there.
"Come on, Sierra. We need to go." Shiroji told her, grabbing her hand and gently pulling her out of her seat. As they reached the exit to the theater, they were blocked by one of the Vibrants, this one was black and had green chest armor with spikes coming out of the shoulder.
"Where do you two think you're going?!" The Vibrant asked. "The party's just about to get fun!" He said, aiming a palm at Sierra, but Shiroji pushed her out of the way and took the hit himself.
"SHIRO!" Sierra cried as Shiroji was sent flying into the wall. The Vibrant grabbed Sierra and ran off.
"Get your ass back here!" Shiroji shouted, running after the vibrant, clutching his side all the while. No matter what happened next, he had to get her back. He just had to. Two more Vibrants blocked his path, allowing the boss to get away.
"Dammit!" Shiroji swore as the boss Vibrant ran through a door with a sign that said 'Roof Access' on it. Determination overcoming him, he tried to run past the lackeys, but to no avail as they pushed him back. Suddenly, Shiroji's shadow came to life as it struck both Vibrants in the chest, returning them both to normal. Not a second later, Scarab appeared before him from his shadow.
"Are you okay?" Scarab asked as he helped Shiroji up.
"Yeah. But he's got Sierra!" Scarab just shook his head.
"Why haven't you Shifted yet?" Scarab demanded. Shiroji didn't answer. "I have my hands full with the lackeys right now... You are the only other Seeker around for a good while. Not even Reaper with his speed will be able to make it here in under five minutes... You are the only one who can save her."
"But-" Shiroji began to argue, however he was picked up by the collar of his shirt, suspended in mid-air by Scarab.
"What's more important?! Your identity or her life?! I'll warn you right now, one of these choices will make me your enemy." Scarab threatened, tossing Shiroji to the ground and swinging his arm to the side, allowing an energy blade to form at his fingertips. "I'll leave the decision to you." He told him as he dashed off to confront the remaining lackeys. Shiroji didn't even have to think about the answer, for it was so obvious: Sierra's life was worth more than his identity. She would be put at risk of interrogation if she were to ever be questioned by NES or Vibrant alike, but if he didn't do something here and now, she would die.
Rushing to the roof, he pulled out his ParCon.
"Shift! M3G4!" As Shiroji finished transforming into Mega Man, he pulled out a blaster, kicked the door to the roof open, and aimed the blaster at the Vibrant, who was holding Sierra over the edge of the building. "Let her go!"
"Mega Man!" Sierra exclaimed, however a shake of the Vibrant's arm made her scream. Firing a warning shot near the Vibrant's foot, Shiroji stared at the Vibrant coldly.
"Let her go!" He repeated, this time the Vibrant laughed at him.
"Poor choice of words, pal!" He said, releasing Sierra and allowing her to drop to the ground. Without a second thought, he rushed past the Vibrant, leapt off the edge, twisted around in mid-air, pulled out his second blaster, and fired a Dark Shot at the vibrant, causing him to collapse and return to his human form. Returning both blasters to their holsters, he twisted around again and dove after Sierra, gaining speed by pinning his arms tight to his body and putting his Air Dash skill to use. As he became parallel to Sierra, he grabbed her and quickly spun his body down to land on his feet, the sidewalk cracking slightly from the sudden impact.
"Are you hurt?" Shiroji asked her, helping her to her feet, but had to catch her again as her legs gave out from underneath her. "You know... I should start charging you. I am starting to become something of a bodyguard to you." Shiroji said, laughing. Although she was still scared, Sierra managed to smile at his joke.
"I'm okay, thanks to you." Sierra replied, hugging Shiroji. As she let go of him, she started to look around frantically. "Is Shiroji okay?!"
"He's fine. The other Seeker, Scarab, helped him get outside." Shiroji lied. Sierra breathed a sigh of relief as her fears passed.
"I'm glad to know he's okay... I should go look for him. Thank you so much, Mega Man! I don't care what they say about you on the news, you truly are a hero." She told him as she walked over toward the direction of the Corvette.
"A hero, huh?" Shiroji said, letting the words sink in. Suddenly snapping back to reality, Shiroji began to panic. "Oh shit!" He swore as he ran away from the forming crowd of Mega Man fans and media. Crap I'm not going to make it to the car before her! He thought as he ran faster. Suddenly, Scarab appeared and started to talk to Sierra. When she looked away, Scarab motioned his head to the left. Following the movement, Shiroji saw an alley and understood right away what Scarab was doing: He was buying Shiroji some time to transform and beat her to the car. Nodding his appreciation, Shiroji ran to the alley and Shifted back to normal then ran for the Corvette, putting on the worried act so that when Sierra eventually did make it to the car, he was able to convince her that he was told by Scarab to wait there. Suddenly, she started to cry. Not knowing what else to do, he ran up to her and hugged her. For about ten minutes, they stood there within each others' embrace, both shedding tears.
"I was so scared!" Sierra cried.
"I know... I was too..." Shiroji replied softly, trying to calm her down a bit. "I'm just glad you're okay."
"When I saw you on the ground after that Vibrant hit you..." She began, but the rest was cut off by Shiroji, who couldn't stand to see her cry anymore.
"I don't."
"Huh?!"
"Your question earlier... I don't..." New tears started to form in Sierra's eyes, but before she could say anything, he kissed her. At first, Sierra was shocked, however she didn't resist. In fact, it soothed her. Once the kiss was over, they just looked at each other.
"I thought you just said-" Sierra began, but once Shiroji shook his head.
"I don't like you, Sierra... I love you." With that, she hugged him so tight that he could barely breath. From the shadows, Scarab watched them as they got into the car and drove off.
"Shiroji Akihiko... Mega Man... You are an interesting one, indeed..." He said to himself as he sunk into the shadows at his feet.
First off, the 1981 Chevy Corvette is owned by Chevy and is not my own creation. All credit to this sexy and amazing vehicle belong to them entirely. Also, as always, I am interested in the ideas you all have for OCs. If you want to have an OC appear in the story, just fill out the following information and send it to my Inbox. (Please don't post your OC in the Reviews... They will be ignored.) Just please keep in mind that not all contributions will be accepted.
(1) First and Last name of character
(2) Male or Female
(3) Age
(4) Appearance
(5) Seeker? (If yes, please include the following info)
- Code Name
- Seeker Appearance
- Character Referrence, if any
- Main weapon(s) of choice (may have up to thre individual weapons)
- Elemental Affinity (if any. May only have up to two different elements)
- Special Technique (Please try and be creative.)
(6) Background Story. (If a location is included, describe it as best you can and I will place the character's origins in the area most suited to them.)
If your character is a Nightmare or Vibrant, do not fill out the Seeker information.
The following OC requests will NOT be accepted:
(a) Any of the following character references:
-Zero
-Axel
-Bass
-Rogue
-Mega Man or X
-Harpuia
-Phantom
-Fenrir
-Leviathan
-Life Virus
-Gospel Mega Virus
-Alpha
-Duo
-Nebula Grey
-Gregar
-Falzar
(b) Maverick characters
(c) God-like enemies/allies
(d) Racial or profane character ideas