Mega Man ZXA: Rebirth Redux

by NeoNazo356

A month has passed since the fall of the Ouroborous at the hands of the Hunter, Ashe. When it finally looks like peace has been achieved, a new evil stands to fill the void that Albert left behind from the shadows, and the past begins to collide with the present, and the Game of Destiny if nearing its final conclusion. Full summary inside.

12. Wellspring of Emotions Redux

Previously on Mega Man ZXA:R Redux…

"You know guys, I think we've been out here long enough. Prairie, why don't you take Lily back home, and Aile, I think your brother may need some help with what he's doing," he said suddenly getting up, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I've got something I need to take care of, so I'll see you later," he said slightly motioning to the side, Aile and Prairie spotting their follower out of the corner of their eye but keeping the fact hidden.

"Alright. I'll escort these two to the Transervers, then get my brother," Aile said as she led the two off, Neal keeping them in his sights until they successfully reached the Transerver station. When he was sure they had left, Neal looked out the corner of his eye and started heading to the center of Inner Peace, a set of footfalls behind him as he left the cafe.

"You want me... Come and get me..." Neal said as he headed off into the distance, the remains of Slither Inc.'s head office profiling the horizon. "If we're going to fight again, it'll be on my terms. Not yours."

To be continued…

Right now!

---

Mega Man ZX Soundtrack – Onslaught

Running as fast as his legs could carry him, Neal glanced behind him as he weaved in and out of the crowds, seeing his suspicions confirmed as Atlas, the Flame Mega Man, stormed after him. Having been spotted, Atlas, who by chance had come across the dark-haired teen thinking he wouldn't come to a public place like Inner Peace, cast aside all means of subtlety as she literally bulldozed through the crowds, sending people flying until the commotion caused everyone to part in front of her well in advance. Neal, having not hit or even grazed anyone, remained anonymous as he sped through the crowd, his heart pumping at the moment he'd spotted Atlas in the crowd.

'I've been off the grid for a couple weeks, so unless they have some kind of Biometal Radar, or we've got a spy on the Grand Nuage, the two of us being at Inner Peace at the same time must be coincidence,' Neal thought to himself as he ran, turning around the corner as he swung around a lamp post and leapt over a young couple, spotting the familiar black and yellow barricades blocking off a portion of the street, a couple guards blocking people from entering the area.

While the majority of the damages had been cleared from the energy conductor that fell onto Inner Peace after Slither Inc. collapsed, the area within a half-mile of the center where Slither Inc. once stood was still an off-limits area. The first energy conductor had fallen off entirely, but the other five were able to remain on the structure long enough for it to collapse on its own footprint, the casualties minimized since the citizens of Cinq Ville were able to vacate their homes once parts of Slither Inc. began to fall from the sky. The epicenter of the collapse of Slither Inc. following the "energy runoff", was a massive dead zone, littered with tons upon tons of rubble, which even in recent years had yet to be removed, simply because there was no urgency on the matter. It had taken three years to clear away the worst of the damages from the first energy conductor, while in the more recent two damages around the edges of the collapse zone had been cleared and new businesses established.

"You there! Stop!" the guard ordered as he saw a teen in a dark blue and black leather jacket running towards their post.

Ignoring the two as they stepped towards one another and formed a human wall, Neal fell to his side and slid between them and under the checkpoint's fence* like a baseball player would to home base. Quickly getting back to his feet, he rushed off into the now-vacated work area, since cleanup efforts were postponed until further notice.

"Mike, call it in. We've got a runner approaching Ground Zero," the first guard said, only for the cries of people from the crowd to draw his attention, as did his partners.

The next moment a well-built woman with brown and orange hair suddenly burst out of the crowd, rearing her fist back before she suddenly decked Mike as he reached for his radio. Before his partner could respond, she rounded into a roundhouse kick to the jaw and sent him flying, crushing Mike's radio under her shoe as it hit the ground before she leapt over the fence and followed after Neal, who had taken to running up one of the larger pieces of debris before leaving her line of sight after jumping off the apex.

'Mega Man Model E... I will make you pay for what you've done to me,' she said as a twinge of phantom pain ran through her nose and jaw, remembering how he had pulled a cheap, sucker punch on her the last time they fought.

However, it wasn't only her that had a bone to pick with him, and the Flame Mega Man looked forward to the look in his eyes as they completely crushed him. She just didn't know it yet.

---

Mega Man Zero Soundtrack – Crash – Short Loop

*Pant pant pant*

CRASH

BOOM

"Man, I must really be out of shape," Neal thought as he continued to run further and further into Inner Peace's Ground Zero. "Before, something like this would be nothing. Now…" he thought to himself, the sounds of destruction behind him nearing. "I've been standing still for too long, and there isn't a lot of room on an airship to exercise." 'Unless I missed the gym,' he thought. He'd mentally smack himself in the face later if need be.

*Rumble rumble rumble rumble*

A few minutes later, Neal came upon a large, cleared-out area in the middle of Slither Inc.'s Ground Zero. The area was a few hundred feet wide in diameter, and in front of him a wide path connecting this central area to the outside of Ground Zero. If he remembered his topography correct, the road was cleared out to make room for the heavy lifting equipment to bring out some of the more dangerous materials from where Slither Inc. once stood, forming bore of a jagged C-shaped ring of rubble. The area he was presently in, with the spires of concrete and debris, resembled an open lotus.

"There you are, Model E Mega Man," Atlas said coming into the clearing, the ground cracking at her feet before she de-merged. "You put up a good chase, though you might've gotten away had you not wasted time with the women and children."

"Hmph. I just wanted to make sure no one interfered with our rematch," Neal said with a smirk. Given that Atlas wasn't fast, and she could be goaded into making mistakes easily with a bit of prodding. Given the fact that they were on more solid, and less mobile, ground, the two of them were brought down to a closer level, where neither really had the advantage or disadvantage.

"It isn't only her you have to worry about," a voice said from his left, more sets of footsteps drawing his attention to his remaining three sides away from Atlas.

Mega Man ZX Advent Soundtrack - Phalynx

To his left where he heard the second voice, a blue-haired reploid kid with his hair styled into the infamous "ahoge"** in predominantly blue clothing stepped into the area. At first glance he looked like a girl simply because of his voice and face, but after a secondary glance, Neal saw that whoever this was, it was either a very feminine boy, or just a very flat-chested girl. Hell, Atlas was the most masculine person he'd ever seen out of both genders, yet even she had a little in the balcony. Then again those could've been pecks.

"That is true. Only a fool would believe it to be that easy," a slightly pompous-sounding voice said from the right as its owner stepped into the light. The figure had long silver hair with a pale green tint, a pointed fringe that covered the right side of his face, characterized by a sharp stoic expression. Like Atlas, he wore a sleeveless green jacket with yellow trim, though his was designed to resemble Serpent's. Something that made Neal scowl as he recognized the look in the guy's eyes. At his side he carried a gold-handled sword with a red sheath, but what he also noticed was that on his ear pieces, he had a set of gold earring-like attachments.

"TARGET ACQUIRED," a monotone voice said from behind him. Looking over his shoulder, Neal saw a reploid teen with spiky purple hair, pale skin, and small irises. He wore purple clothing and had a red scarf around his face. For some reason, Neal felt as though he knew this guy, though he hadn't spotted anything in the figure's motions to confirm his theory.

"You! Just what do you think you're all doing here?" Atlas demanded, showing that she knew the other three, but didn't know they'd be showing up.

"We are here for our own reasons," the silver-haired teen spoke as he placed the end of his scabbard onto the ground, his hands resting on the pommel. "I am here because I heard of some fool Mega Man stepping into our game."

"I'm here because this guy will only get in my way," the blue-haired teen said with a hidden edge of malice in his voice.

" . . . PURPOSE: TO GAUGE POTENTIAL THREAT LEVEL OF MODEL E MEGA MAN," the purple-garbed one spoke, though something in his voice conveyed he was also there for his own reasons, the gears -metaphorically speaking- in his head clicking, swearing he'd seen this guy somewhere before, but couldn't process it.

"Hm. Let me guess you guys are the wielders of… Model H," he said pointing to the silver-haired teen in green. "Model L," he said pointing to the blue-haired teen in blue. "And Model P," he said looking over his shoulder to the purple-haired teen in purple. "With Atlas carrying Model F, it's like looking at Neo Arcadia's Four Guardians straight out of the history texts. However," he said crossing his arms. "Half of your genders are wrong."

"And pray tell, what is the basis for your claims?" the silver-haired teen asked, an eyebrow raised at the casual mentioning of Neo Arcadia.

"Heh. Unlike the sheep of this country, I don't simply believe everything I've been told. I actually seek out the truth," Neal remarked. He was glad he'd actually found that truth. Even if only after so many years.

"Well, it seems you are not a complete fool after all," the silver-haired teen said with a bit of a grin before he turned to Atlas. "Still, just because you beat this fool doesn't make you a fool as well."

"Keep your mouth shut, Aeolus. This is between me and him," the Flame Mega Man said pointing a finger at the dark-haired teen.

"Regardless, we simply cannot leave this in only your hands," Aeolus stated as he reached behind him and pulled out a green and yellow biometal with a white face and a red gem on its forehead. "After all, Neal has bested you before. Megamerge!" he shouted as he brought his Biometal and his sword's pommel together, a whirlwind forming around him before it parted, his new form consisting of aerodynamic green and white armor. In his hands he wielded two swords, one shorter than the other. "I am Aeolus, the Wind Mega Man, Chosen One for Model H, and I shall absolve the world of all fools."

"Yeah. I'm not about to let you guys have all the fun," the blue-haired teen said with a seemingly innocent-enough smile as he tossed a blue and light blue diamond-shaped emblem in the air before catching it in his hand. "Megamerge!" he shouted as he was enveloped in a large slab of ice, shattering it to reveal a blue water-oriented form, a large turbine hanging off the back of his head, and multiple fins on his armor. "I am Thetis, the Ice Mega Man, Chosen One for Model L. I shall change this world for the better," he said as he swung a halberd with plasma blades on both tips.

"TARGET ACQUIRED. INITIATE INFORMATION ANALYSIS. COMMENCING PLANNED COMBAT PROCEDURE. MEGAMERGE," the purple-haired teen droned as he assumed a fighting stance, his body dissolving into a dark haze as it spiraled around his eyes, which glowed ominously as the haze shifted. A moment later the mist reformed, revealing a purle and white stealth-oriented form, yellow gauntlets on his wrist with inset red crystals, his scarf forming twin capes flowing off his back, and a large beak-shaped mask covering the lower half of his face, the top half of his face completely shadowed apart from his eyes which seemed to glow unnaturally. "CODENAME: SIARNAQ. SHADOW MEGA MAN, MODEL P."

"Hmph. Fine, you can fight. However, the last blow will be mine. Megamerge!" Atlas shouted as she took her Biometal before slamming it into the ground, transforming into Model F form in a pillar of flame as she had done before.

"Four on one then? That hardly seems fair," Neal said as he reached into his pocket and brought out Model E, keeping a tight grip on it just in case anyone tried to separate him from it.

"The world is not a fair place, plebian," Aeolus said as he leapt into the air and began to hover. "The sooner you realize that, the more likely it'll be that you shall survive to see the coming world."

"Yeah! If the world really was fair, the oceans wouldn't be as filthy as they were now!" Thetis growled.

"I BELIEVE THE SUBJECT: NEAL, WAS SPEAKING RHETORICALLY," Siarnaq noted, something about the dark-haired teen making him oddly talkative.

"Oh? Siarnaq does sarcasm now?" Atlas asked. "Well, today is just full of surprises," she said before her Knuckle Busters folded out onto her arms. She'd only been in town by chance when she saw Neal there, and she wasn't about to let the opportunity go to waste. Out in the middle of nowhere, it was unlikely anyone would hear his cries for help. 'Hell, even if someone did hear, it isn't like they'd actually get up and do anything.'

"That aside... This fight won't start if we keep babbling. Megamerge!" he said as he transformed in a flash of light, assuming his Dawn Stance as his eyes darted from side to side, the only blind spot being directly behind him. Given who was at that position and who Siarnaq emulated though, it would be paramount to painting a target on his chest.

Trust me, it makes sense.

Mega Man ZX Advent Soundtrack – Slam Down

At the moment the battle began, Atlas leapt into the air and began firing her bullets at Neal, the ground being pelted with bullets as he ran to her left. As Siarnaq disappeared into the shadows, Thetis ran forward with his halberd and opened with a horizontal slash, Neal leaping over the attack and moving to slash down at him, only for Aeolus not sent him reeling through the air and slam into a slab of metal by a large cyclone, a deafening thud ringing through the air as Neal's ears rung in his helmet.

"Tch. Cheap shot," Neal grumbled as he pried himself out of the wall, his back sore from the attack that hit him from behind.

"You should really watch your back," Aeolus said drolly, smirking as Siarnaq materialized behind Neal and readied a trio of kunai at his exposed flank. To his surprise however, Neal was able to turn around in time and parry each energy knife with the flat of his sword, taking a step backwards with each attack thrown. The next moment Neal rushed at Siarnaq, though the Shadow Mega Man seemed to be able to dodge with more time left over than usual.

'This guy... he hesitated for some reason,' Neal thought to himself. 'At the same time… I hesitated too. Do the two of us know each other?' he asked before a low screeching noise brought him out of his reverie. Turning around, he crossed his arms just in time to block the impact from a large dragon made of ice, portions of his armor becoming encased in frozen water as Thetis smirked. "I'll stab you for that," Neal growled as he slammed himself into the wall, dislodging the ice as the Ice Mega Man continued to smirk.

"Heh. Stab my ass," Thetis smirked before- "YOWCH!" he cried as a white-tipped arrow suddenly found itself in his armored rear, a priestess-esque Cyber Elf flying over to the magenta-armored Mega Man's side and bowing slightly.

"Neal-dono, while I was able to get a shot in, none of these guys appear to have any prominent weak points, or at least not any worth taking the explicit time to exploit," Kyudoka said with a bow as she floated by Neal's shoulder.

"It's alright. You did good," Neal nodded, Kyudoka disappearing in a flash of light before the now-blond's eyes widened, Atlas leaping through the air at him before bringing her fist down. When her Ground Breaker connected, a slab of earth suddenly struck Neal in the chest and sent him flying through the air before he landed on the ground. Groaning to himself, his eyes suddenly widened before he quickly scrambled away, one of Siarnaq's Cross Stars stabbing a few inches deep into the ground where he once stood, no hesitation in his action. Alright, think. Atlas is fire, Aeolus is wind, Thetis is ice, and Siarnaq is shadow. I know a little of what each does, but I doubt that will help me if I keep getting blind sighted like this, he thought looking into the long shadows cast across the impromptu battle arena, the sun beginning to set in the distance. I can't see that Siarnaq guy, so it's likely he's in the shadows, waiting for me to slip up, he thought as Aeolus dropped down to his side, crossing his blades before sending a shockwave forward.

Holding his hand against his blade, the edge caught the point of the attack, his feet being dragged back before his back was suddenly pelted with kunai from behind. Losing his focus, the shockwave slashed his chest and sent him spinning to the side. The moment he regained his bearings, Thetis appeared behind him and stabbed the ground with his halberd, ice creeping up his feet and binding his ankles, locking him in place. Looking up, he saw Atlas running at him again with her right arm reeled back.

Not wanting to get hit with another Megaton Crush, he quickly brought his right arm back as his Pile Bunker appeared and conformed to his hand. Right before Atlas' attack struck he swung his arm forward, but his attack only grazed her, whereas hers sent him flying backwards due to the difference in their reach, blood flying out of his mouth before he smashed a concrete spire sticking out of the ground, collapsing on top of him.

"I still think I could've taken him on my own," Atlas grumbled to herself with crossed arms.

"Phft. If Thetis hadn't held him down, he would have dodged your thuggish attack and hit him with his own," Aeolus returned with crossed arms.

"Can it rich boy," the Flame Mega Man spat. "Once the Model A and ZX Mega Men have been taken care of, you're next on my list," she growled. At the same time, a pebble from the pile atop Neal fell to the ground, though no one noticed it, sans Siarnaq, when Thetis joined in their argument and moaned about Atlas taking "his kill".

The next moment to everyone's shock, sans Siarnaq, the pile of rubble exploded in all directions at the moment a neon green energy spike shot through the rock, a slightly battle-scarred Neal having performed the One Inch Punch and freeing him from his prison.

"You guys *pant* certainly talk a lot," Neal said with a smirk as he got to his feet and popped his back.

"TARGET IS ABLE TO CONTINUE. CONTINUING COMBAT," Siarnaq said as he rushed at Neal, pulling out a silver katana*** from behind his back and swinging downward, only for Neal to catch the blade on the end of his own sword and send it away. The two continued to clash blades wildly as sparks flew, though Neal's Machine Body was inevitably slower than Siarnaq's Reploid Body, as well as his Biometal being designed for speed. Leaping back, Siarnaq dashed to the side before disappearing in a haze, leaving the magenta-armored Mega Man out in the open.

Is Siarnaq hesitating? Aeolus wondered. No. There's no reason to. I must be over-thinking things, he thought before sending another cyclone out at Neal. This time the attack was dodged, but not before Atlas launched a grenade at him, the explosive catching him in the chest and sending him through the air, Thetis leaping off the side of a spire before slashing him into the ground with his halberd, a gash across his armor and a crater beneath him.

Damn it... These guys aren't cutting me any slack are they? he asked forcing himself to his feet, a bit of blood escaping his lips as he fought to remain conscious. Man, where are Vent and Aile? Even if it'll be four against three, I can at least handle one while they get the others.

"I don't know, but for the time being we may be on our own," Model E stated.

"Oh joy," Neal muttered to himself sarcastically, not noticing Siarnaq materialize behind him, a Cross Star at the ready.

---

A few minutes earlier…

Aile, Prairie, and Lily soon appeared in the Transerver room of the Grand Nuage after rushing to get back, nearly plowing down the people in line to get there. Quickly placing their stuff to the side, Prairie quickly ran to the bridge, Aile tapping into her comm. and getting in touch with Vent.

"Lily, go to your room and don't come out until I tell you to, alright?" Aile asked in a no-nonsense tone that the little blond recognized from her mother. With a nod she ran off, Vent picking up his end of the line as soon as she had left the room.

"Hey sis. Done dragging Neal around with you and the girls already?" he asked smugly.

"This isn't the time for your stupid jokes!" Aile cried. "Atlas spotted us in town, and Neal ran off to lure her away from the civilians! We need to get over there and back him up!"

"I'm almost done here. Where should I go?" he asked.

"Head to the shopping district. That's where Neal was last before we separated," she said stepping back onto the Transerver. "I'll tell you where to head once I get Prairie to confirm his current location!"

"Alright! I'll get over there as soon as I can!" Vent said, having finished arranging for the delivery of Neal's belongings to the Grand Nuage. "However, it may take me a few minutes, even with Model X."

"Just get there as soon as you can! I'll meet you there as soon as I'm able," Aile said as she began setting the coordinates.

"Aile are you crazy? You don't have Model X. What if you get caught?"

"I'm not losing anyone else. Never again! Now shut up and get over there!" Aile shouted back into her comm., causing the brunette on the other end of the line to fall over. "And so help me! If you don't make it to Neal before I do, I will kick your ass all across this ship!" she shouted before violently cutting off the link, the Transerver taking her back to Inner Peace.

---

Mega Man ZXA Soundtrack – The Chosen One

The moment Siarnaq had gotten behind him, the fight had been brought to an end. After the Cross Star slashed across his back and through his armor, barely missing his body underneath, Atlas suddenly pelted him with explosives as Siarnaq vanished from sight. Not giving him any time to recover, Thetis and Aeolus sent out a combination attack, the Ice Mega Man's ice shrapnel being accelerated to unimaginable degrees by Aeolus' cyclone, which not only froze pieces of his armor and slashed into his body, but the electricity from the attack also paralyzed him. Just barely maintaining his megamerge, Neal fell to the ground as blood and other fluids began to leak out of his body onto the ground, his magenta armor slowly turning crimson before Atlas strode over to him, a smirk on her face as she raised her foot into the air.

"Ha! What do you think of me now?" she asked stomping on the side of Neal's head, sending it into an inch-deep crater as the sound of his visor cracking rung through the air.

"And so, the tale of the Model E Mega Man comes to a close," Aeolus said drolly, the sound of cracking metal ringing through the air as Atlas stomped Neal's head into the ground once again, a sadistic smirk on her face as a part of his visor fell to the ground.

"You never stood a chance against us," Thetis said happily as he leaned against his halberd.

"TARGET CONDITION: CRITICAL. ESTIMATED TIME UNTIL EXPIRATION: THREE MINUTES, EIGHTEEN SECONDS," Siarnaq stated autonomously.

"Wh… Why…?" Neal groaned as he coughed up a wad of blood. "Why… are you doing this?"

"Why? Why are we doing this?" Atlas asked. "Because we can. Because the strong triumph over the weak."

"As uneloquent as her statement is, what she says is true," Atlas said crossing his arms. "You never stood a chance against us."

"Your weakness is a testament to all humans," Thetis spat darkly. "You think you can do whatever you please, with delusions of changing the world filling your head. However, it is we, the strong, that will change this world for the better."

"PRIOR ELIMINATION OF THE FLAME MEGAMAN WOULD HAVE GIVEN YOU A 25% INCREASED CHANCE OF VICTORY," Siarnaq stated. "FAILURE TO DO SO HAS RESULTED IN YOUR OWN DEMISE."

As the four Mega Men began to laugh around him, or rather all of them with exception to Siarnaq, long shadows being cast from the remains of Slither Inc., and Neal slowly lost the will to fight.

Mega Man Zero 3 Soundtrack - Darkelf

D... Damn it... My body... why can't I move... my body...? Neal cried in his mind as the world began to grow dark around him, the abyss slowly overtaking him.

"Neal! Neal stay with me! NEAL!"

Everything's... so cold... he thought as he looked down at himself, seeing a pool of crimson, metallic fluid slowly forming a puddle around him, Atlas stomping his head as more fluid breached his mouth, staining his teeth crimson.

"Neal! Don't die on me!" Model E shouted. "Come on Neal! You're stronger than this! Stronger than I am! Get up, please!"

This feeling... Is it... death? he asked as he felt his body grow deathly still. Elpizo's words continued to fall on deaf ears.

"Nikola! Neal's gone into cardiac arrest! Do something!" Model E cried as he felt Neal's body slowly come to a halt.

"RRRR! I'm trying!" Nikola cried as he zapped Neal's heart from within, the puddle his body laid in rippling a bit from the slight convulsion. "He's lost too much blood! It won't restart!"

So this is the end then... Mom... Dad... Prairie... Lily... I'm sorry... I'm sorry I... couldn't go any... farther than... this... he sighed as everything turned black, even before his eyes began to close. As they did so, he was suddenly able to see Aile in the distance, but with his vision blurry as it was, all he could make out was a brown and blue blob amidst the grey of Slither Inc.'s rubble. In the eternity that he thought he'd been looking at her, all she did was stand there out of the Four's sight, completely unmoving.

A... Aile...? Why won't... you help... me...? he cried to himself as he tried to reach out to her, tears leaving his eyes as he suddenly broke down inside, much to Atlas' utter joy as she saw the life leave his eyes seconds later. At the moment they did so, his left hand fell back into the puddle with a soft plop and his body grew limp, the Model E Mega Man lying dead on the ground.

---

A few minutes before…

After getting back to Inner Peace from the Grand Nuage, Aile made her way through the city to its center, following directions from Prairie and Gardenia as they kept a lock on his Biometal and his vital signs. A few minutes after, her heart nearly stopped in her chest at the Operator's words.

"A-Aile! Neal's vital signs! They're dropping!" Gardenia cried as she monitored Neal's heart rate through his Biometal. "He's going into cardiac arrest! He'll flatline in the next two minutes!"

"Neal! NOOO!" Aile cried as she continued to shoot off through the back streets, coming upon an unguarded checkpoint as she began to make her way through Ground Zero and to its center. "Come on Neal! Stay with me! I can't lose anyone else! Not after… Neal! Come on! Don't die on me!" she cried as she continued to run.

As she navigated her way through the rubble and debris, the rest of the world tuned out as she pushed her Machine Body to its limits and beyond, another two minutes passed before she began to near the center of Ground Zero. Keeping to the shadows, she quickly but quiety made her way into the exact center of Inner Peace. What she saw however would burn itself into her memory forever.

Laying battered, bruised, and mutilated in the middle of the battlefield were three of the Four Mega Men, and in the center, Atlas stood over the beaten form of the Model E Mega Man, his armor cracked and slashes across his body. However what truly horrified her was that beneath and around him was a metallic crimson puddle, growing larger by the second as she could see the now-blond-haired teen growing paler and paler. As the life slowly left him, Atlas cackled madly as she stomped the teen's head into the ground again, a few drops of blood bouncing into the air as a loud cracking sound rang through the air.

'Damn it! If I had Model X, then I could Megamerge! I could save him!' Aile cried to herself as she looked into Neal's visible eye, tears leaving hers as her hands went to her mouth, the teen's eyes clouding over before they began to close. Maybe forever.

"Aile! Aile listen to me!"

Model Z? Aile said into her mind as she tried to hold back her sobs, tears streaming on her face as she could see Neal's left hand twitch. Almost as though he were reaching out to her.

"Aile! Listen to me! If you want to save him, then shout Megamerge as loud as you can!" the Biometal ordered.

What? But I thought only Giro could Megamerge with Model Z! she thought realizing what he was implying.

"That isn't necessarily true. While Vent was always too immature to make him a compatible Biomatch, your calm demeanor is similar enough to Giro's that you could Megamerge with me on your own," Model Z explained.

Then why didn't you tell me sooner? she cried into her head.

"You and Vent seemed most comfortable Double Megamerging with both Model X and Model Z," the Biometal spoke. "It didn't seem important, since you were able to use more power than each Biometal could on their own, so I never mentioned it until now."

Then why the FUCK didn't you tell me this SOONER! she screeched irately at the voice in her head. I could have gotten here minutes earlier and helped him!

"I tried to, but you completely turned me and the rest of the world out as soon as you stepped off the Transerver. The only reason I could get through to you now was because you completely stopped. Look! We can talk about this later! If you want to save him, you have to snap out of this and Megamerge!"

Gritting her teeth as she dug into her pocket, Aile took Model Z out of her pocket and prepared to fight the Four Mega Men off. Even if she had to end their lives to save Neal's.

However, before she could, everything suddenly changed.

---

The next moment in the center of the battlefield, there was a pulse from the downed Mega Man. But it didn't come from his heart. Instead, it came from his entire body, a hazy image of it rising out of him even as he lay motionless on the ground.****

The next moment…

Mega Man ZXA Soundtrack – Soul Ablaze

"Gyah!" Atlas suddenly cried as a wave of dark purple energy sent her flying back, the force behind it nearly breaking her foot as she landed on her back a few yards away. Immediately, the Four Mega Men brought up their guards as the initial shockwave began to give way to a rising column of dark energy, the ruins around them shaking, almost like that of an earthquake.

N-Neal...? Aile thought as she remained hidden, unable to move under the crushing weight of the new power being exuded from Neal. It was almost suffocating, so dark it sent tingles down her spine. There was only one time in the past she felt an energy this malicious, and only two words formed in her mind as the ground shook at her feet.

Model W.

As the shaking intensified, staring at a 1 from the first "pulse", slowly rising to a 3, then leaping straight to a 7 on the Richter Scale, Neal's body began to rise from the pool of blood by some unknown power, the pillar of dark energy seeming to be originating beneath him. The next moment he released an inhuman cry from the depths of his body, shaking the air as the tremor suddenly rose to an 8, the shaking beginning to affect Inner Peace outside of Ground Zero.

"GROOOOOAAAAAARRRRRR!"

The next moment, the blood and mechanical fluids that lay strewn across the ground began to bubble, some of it steaming before it rose into the air in thin streams. The next moment they re-entered Neal's body through his numerous wounds as he adopted a hunched position, his deep roar continuing as the pillar of darkness began to gradually block him from view, his fists clenched so tight that you could hear it through the air, even as the Earth shook in fear beneath him.

"RAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Neal cried into the heavens as he threw his head back as his arms and legs spread, his cries piercing the heavens as the dark energy suddenly parted all the clouds above Inner Peace.*** As his eyes glowed neon pink, far brighter than they ever had before, and visible even behind his visor, the darkness around him suddenly intensified before he became completely obscured from view.

---

At the same time miles away in the Grand Nuage, Prairie could only grip the ends of her armrests to the point that the metal was wrent, as Neal's life signs suddenly spiked after he had flatlined for ten seconds. The next moment however there was a small pulse from his heart, and for a moment she thought everything would be okay. However, those hopes were dashed as his pulse suddenly skyrocketed, his heart going a mile a second as the cardiograph began to leap up and down.

To make matters worse, a massive energy spike suddenly shot out of the center of Ground Zero, the readings going off the charts, before said charts suddenly detonated, sending Gardenia, Tulip, and Marguerite flying backwards against the walls, the control panels suddenly ablaze.

"What the- What just happened?" the blond demanded as she rose from her seat.

"We-We don't know!" Tulip cried as she pulled a piece of shrapnel out of her visor. Thankfully it had only pierced the casing, and none of the delicate components within. Or behind it.

"Our equipment was unable to cope with the strain," Marguerite added as she helped Gardenia to her feet, the blond straight-haired Operator seeming to get the worst of it. "Nothing like this has ever happened before. Not since…" she trailed off as she grew deathly quiet. "But even then, the level of energy rising this... it's unprecedented!"

"Neal..." Prairie cried as tears fell from the corners of her eyes as she saw his pulse slowly returning. However, there was something off about it. It was calm. Almost too calm.

Neal… What's happening to you?

---

Almost as quickly as the tremors had risen, they had just suddenly… ended. Just like that. However, the air suddenly began to grow cold around them. Enough so that even Thetis felt the change.

Mega Man Zero 3 Soundtrack – Apocalypse Now {Remastered Version}

As the last of the dark energy began to evaporate, the last of the rubble falling to the ground before coming to a stop, the Four Mega Men were suddenly brought up to guard as the Model E Mega Man stood once more. However, his new appearance, accompanied with the fact that he was now standing, began to intimidate them. Especially since then-blond had been at death's door mere moments ago.

The majority of his armor was now gone and his coat cast aside, nearly all forms of magenta removed as his body was now encased in sickly white armor with gold and magenta ornamentation, all set over a dark blue jumpsuit that was almost pitch black.

The soles of his shoes were now colored magenta, white spikes jutting upwards and slightly forward, golden bands placed around his ankles that came to fine points on the outside rim. The white armor was form-fitting around his shins and slightly bulged around his knees, coming to a point above them with meganta diamonds placed just below. Up his thighs were two thick white-armored bands, a third curling upward to his hips. He had a slightly raised collar above his armored chestplate-trimmed gold, and a similar white plate descended down past his naval, his chest and body armor held in place by three gold emblems on each side and held in place by white clasps going to the other side of his body, similarly armored. His shoulders were now donned in white armored, the tops and sides lined with gold with matching epaulettes hanging down, a golden armband around his bicep as white armor seemed to flow seamlessly into a white-armored gauntlet that covered his entire forearm, his fingers now clawed. The way his armor appeared, it was as though he were wearing a suit of armor made of bones, ad for the mostpart his visor remained the same, covering the right side of his face as his beret-like hat sat atop his helmet, the gem set into it glowing darkly. From the base of his skull, his once-blond polymorphic hair was now pitch black. Black as the deepest void and lacking its original luster, flowing down to his waist like a cape.** While his face remained stoic, painfully similar to Siarnaq's own visage, were his eyes which bespoke anything but cruel neutrality.

Both were a cloudy neon pink color, and seemed to glow unnaturally against the shadows cast across his face. Even moreso than Siarnaq's own, who even at that moment shook slightly in fear. Fear. An emotion he thought he'd cast aside long ago after his betrayal.

For a few seconds he stood still, almost like a statue, apart from his cape-like mantle of hair that flowed in the wind. The next moment however all around flinched as his right hand suddenly flexed, a loud snap piercing the air before he summoned his rapier handle once more. However, instead of a crimson blade forming, instead a pointed blade of golden energy* appeared, his face suddenly being pulled into a near face-splitting smile.

"Heheh... Heheheheh... HahahAHAHAHA!" he suddenly cackled into the heavens, revealing that his canines were now elongated into sharp fangs.** "What's the matter you three? You scaaared of the new look? Do I teeerrify you? Strike feeear into your hearts? Well, I'd strike fear into me too if I had to face something like, well, me. GYAHAHAHAHA!" he cackled once more, his voice now possessing a new edge to it. Condescending like Aeolus', cruel as Atlas', seemingly carefree as Thetis', and yet as cold as Siarnaq's all mixed into one.***

That statement seemed to be enough to snap the Four out of their shock. While the Model E Mega Man's change in appearance was somewhat shocking, they made the assumption that he'd been playing at being dead or simply not holding back any longer, waiting to catch them off guard, only to get carried away at their evident shock.

Though with Siarnaq you couldn't tell apart from his eyes, and second, oh how wrong they were.

Atlas' almost too-immediate response to his condescending statement was to chuck a firebomb at him from her Knuckle Busters, which he quickly caught and clamped his hands around. The next moment it detonated, a thick smoke cloud billowing from the source of the explosion.

Mega Man Zero 2 Soundtrack – Supreme Ruler

For a moment Atlas smirked, thinking she'd taken the Model E Mega Man down for good, and that all of his words prior were simply bravado. When it cleared however, the Flame Mega Man, as well as the others, were greeted with the almost taunting sight of Dark Neal simply clapping the dust off his hands, completely unscathed and acting as though he were clapping his hands free of eraser dust.

"The elegance of a raging bull. That's all you have going for you," Neal taunted as his single visible eye landed on her. "And to think I used to be intimidated by you," he chuckled heartily. "You've definitely fallen out of your prime since then, Atlas. Hahahahaha!"

What's going on with him? Aile thought as she witnessed the sudden change, reminiscent to an Overdrive form. It's almost like he's become a...

"Dark Neal?" Model Z asked, slightly familiar with the "evil twin" concept due to the artificial memories programmed into him.

"You know, since I'm faaar more powerful than I ever was before, I feel it only be fitting if you take me on all at once. Keep things interesting," Dark Neal said a bit too happily, his face tugged into a seemingly-innocent-enough grin, his visible eye forming an upside down U like an eye smile.**

"You'll regret your foolishness, plebian," Aeolus spoke as he rose into the air slightly. "I don't know what it is you did to change shape like this, but it won't do you any good, I can assure you of that," he said Air Dashing at Neal and priming his blades to slash at him.

Mega Man ZXA Soundtrack – Dance Macabre - Second Act

As Aeolus charged at Dark Neal, Siarnaq materialized behind the Wind Mega Man and fired off some shuriken at him, the tiny stars spinning through the air past Aeolus as they neared the now-white-armored Mega Man, only to be deflected off the end of his golden blade. When Aeolus came down on him with a double slash, Dark Neal lazily raised his E-Rapier in a horizontal block, yawning lazily with his free hand with closed eyes as Aeolus hung in the air for a second before dashing away.

"Let's see you stop this!" Atlas growled as she leapt at Dark Neal from behind, her Knuckle Busters primed for her Megaton Crush as she brought the attack down at the dark-haired teen's exposed back, kicking up a cloud of dust. When it cleared, while Dark Neal's feet had shifted a few inches, he'd swung his free arm under his right armpit and caught the attack like it was nothing.

"I caught that attack like it was nothing," he said smugly, displaying the same eye smile from before. Atlas could only seeth in fury as she began to swing her fist at him madly, forsaking her Knuckle Busters for the sensation of crushing him with her own hands. However, each hit was either dodged entirely or deflected as he stepped backwards. The next moment, Thetis rushed at him from behind and swung his halberd down at him, only for his blade to get deflected by Dark Neal's E-Rapier as he held Atlas' fist back with his remaining hand.

"Hehe. This is fuuun," he chuckled happily, both Mega Men narrowing their eyes as they began their assault, Atlas' fists continuing to get blocked by Dark Neal's empty-handed fighting technique, while Thetis' halberd kept getting deflected by his E-Rapier, sparks forming off their attacks as the white-armored Mega Man held his ground quite easily.

Looking out the corner of his eye, and then in front of him, he smirked as he saw Aeolus and Siarnaq launch their own attacks at his front and exposed rear flank, the prior launching a cyclone while the latter launched a barrage of shuriken and kunai. Catching Atlas' extended hand, and deflecting Thetis' halberd before grabbing his wrist, the white-armored Mega Man spun on his heel before throwing the Flame Mega Man into the Wind Mega Man's attack, cries of pain wracking her body as she was electrocuted while Thetis cried out as his armor was riddled with throwing stars and knives. As Atlas fell to the ground, her body sparking from the force of the element-dominant attack, and Thetis began to pick the offending objects out of his armor, Dark Neal could only smirk at the shocked look on Aeolus' face, and at the slightly less-neutral look on Siarnaq's.

"Aww. Why do the bad guys aaalways get the cool elemental attacks?" he pouted. "Oh wait. I've got one too," he chuckled before he leapt high into the air above the battlefield and began hovering, his mantle-like hair waving in the breeze as he brought his left hand toward the Four. "This one's for a special lady who I suspect is actually a man," he said as a ring of energy formed around his wrist before it began to flow into his hand in two streams, one crimson and one purple. As they collided a foot away from his palm, the two energies sparked chaotically as they began to reject one another, though were continually maintained as they started at the size of a marble before it grew to the size of a grapefruit, then a basketball. When the energy sphere was charged, he held a sphere nearly two feet in diameter a few inches from his palm, the two energies seeming to be trying to break their way out of an invisible shell. "Let's see how you like my... Blazing Nova Blast!" he shouted as he brought his right fist back, the Pile Bunker's bolts rising out of his clawed fingers before he brought his fist forward, the sphere of energy shattering in front of him as a myriad of crimson and purple energies arcing with traces of the other suddenly descended upon the battlefield like a rain of fire and brimstone.

Not wanting to get hit by an attack of an opposing element, Thetis quickly grabbed his halberd from the ground and ran as fast as his legs would carry him. When the first crimson energy blast hit the ground, the area within a yard's diameter of where it hit was suddenly blasted in every direction, peppering the Mega Men with tiny pieces of shrapnel both significant and insignificant. When the first purple round hit the ground, the Four found themselves being slowed down as a purple energy wave spread across the field, subjecting them to more attacks from both the crimson and purple energy blasts until they were hit directly, Atlas and Siarnaq getting hit by the purple rounds while Thetis and Aeolus were struck by the crimson.

"You! That was my attack you just used!" Atlas spat as she tried to shake off the slowing effect of the purple energy blast, finding herself slowly regaining movement. However, as the slowest out of the Four right behind even Thetis on dry land, this would be a real handicap for her if the white-armored Mega Man decided to attack her.

"I prefer to call it... legally ambiguous creative modification," Dark Neal chuckled as he slowly descended to the ground, landing without a sound as the battlefield grew quiet as the grave. However, that didn't last long as both Aeolus and Thetis charged at him with their blades ready, the latter seeming worse for wear after that attack hit him, his armor chipped. Aeolus suddenly broke to the left and lashed out at him with his twin sabres. Thetis on the other hand broke to the right and tried to slash at him with his halberd. However, both attacks were unsuccessful as Dark Neal blocked the Wind Mega Man's attack with his E-Rapier, while catching the end of Thetis' blade between his fingers, stopping both their attacks with relative ease.

"You know, I don't normally hit girls, but your ass is kinda pushing it," he chuckled as he held the duo's attacks at bay.

"I'm not a girl damn it! I'm just effeminate!" the Ice Mega Man growled as he tried to wrench his blade free, only for his opponent's grip to remain inhumanly strong.

"Then take some testosterone or grow a moustache or something, because I'm just going to continue assuming that you're a chick and that Atlas is really a guy unless she does something girly or takes a bit of estrogen within the next century," Dark Neal said before suddenly pulling the blade out of Thetis' hands by the blade, the Wind Mega Man surprised before his eyes widened in shock as he was suddenly knocked away with the Ice Mega Man's halberd like a baseball bat.

"My weapon!" the Ice Mega Man cried finding his hands empty as his weapon was how held by his opponent, whose rapier seemingly disappeared as he now wielded the weapon like a bo staff.

"You should be more worried about your ass than your weapon," Dark Neal smirked as he swung it around his arm and waist before bringing the point down at his opponent's nose, who just barely leapt back just in time to not get it clipped. "I hear bitchy girls like it from the back."

"I told you! I am not. A. Girl!" Thetis cried in outrage. He honestly had enough of that crap in high school when people thought he was a transvestite.

"That's what she said," Dark Neal chuckled before suddenly going on the offensive, swinging the stolen weapon with an heir of crudity, yet finesse, as the icy weapon's tip continually caught it owner's armor. A few steps back and his foot suddenly caught on a piece of debris from the previous attack, causing him to fall over before Dark Neal suddenly leapt over him and brought the staff-like weapon down sideways, the Ice Mega Man barely holding it away from crushing his neck while his opponent smirked. "Oh? You like doing it on the ground? Well that's unusual," he smirked before looking over his shoulder.

When Aeolus came at him with his blades drawn for a double overhead slash, Dark Neal simply flipped forward and caught the sides of his head with his heels, using Thetis' weapon as the fulcrum before sending him flying into a large piece of debris, which slightly cracked from the force of the attack behind it. At the moment his feet touched the ground, Thetis suddenly found himself flying over the white-armored Mega Man's head and crashing into the Wind Mega Man, forming what would have been a compromising position had they not been the same gender.

"Ah, young love," he chuckled offhandedly as he dusted his hands off. Looking to the side, he saw that Atlas and Siarnaq had finally shaken off the haze that had hindered them, the latter rushing at him while the prior fired a wave of bullets at his back, only for them to curve around him and come straight for the white-armored Mega Man. Said Mega Man lazily deflected half the shots, the other half hitting because they were only allowed to, and none of them caused any real damage aside from a slight jarring. The next moment Siarnaq came down at him from a high-powered overhead swing with his P-Katana*, the surprising force behind the attack bringing the white-armored Mega Man to his knee. The look on his face however when Siarnaq's feet touched the ground spoke otherwise.

"Ah, Siarnaq, the Shadow Mega Man, holder of the Model P Biometal," Dark Neal spoke as he looked directly into the LED-like light within the confines of Siarnaq's helmet. "I think someone of your persuasion will really appreciate this one," he said holding his right hand to the side, purple and silver energy spiraling together before it formed a giant eight-pointed shuriken with a hole in the center, Dark Neal's hand lazily holding the silver purple-trimmed throwing star once it had formed. "Scattering Throwing Star!" he said throwing the weapon at Siarnaq, who deftly dodged the weapon as it flew through the air. At the moment the tip of one of the ends hit a piece of debris however, it suddenly shattered, sending glowing energy knives flying through the air, two for each Mega Man.

Atlas was the first to get hit, as despite her best efforts got one knife to the shoulder and another to her ass. Thetis and Siarnaq, finally getting untangled, bolted to the sides as the knives came at them, only to curve in the air and seek them out. Aeolus took to the skies and trying to deflect them with his swords, only for them to bounce around and over his attacks before hitting him in the thrusters, sending him falling to the ground as Thetis continued to run. As fate would have it however, he tripped on another piece of debris and-

"Aiiieeeee!" he screamed shrilly as both of them nailed him right in the ass.

"Caaalled it," Dark Neal chuckled humorously before he looked over his shoulder and saw that Siarnaq had yet to be hit by the foot-long projectiles "Impressive. Then again, you are a some kind of super-ninja," he remarked as the Shadow Mega Man flipped over his hand and avoided another knife, finding his back to a piece of debris. Trying to run to the side, he nearly strangled himself when he found himself stopped, his eyes widening within his helmet when he saw that one of the projectiles had caught his scarf, pinning him to the wall. Looking up, he saw the remaining projectile almost at him.

"GYAAH!" Siarnaq cried mechanically as he quickly brought up his left hand to block the weapon, his gauntlet taking most of the damage, though the knife still found home in his arm. Yanking it free, he found that each knife was shaped like a flattened kunai with three holes down the length of the blade, and ornamental red ribbons tied on the end.** His had a bit of metallic blood on the end, showing that it had gotten through his armor.

"Well... I see you all have the point, heheheh," Dark Neal chuckled as he watched the Four remove the throwing knives from their bodies, Thetis rubbing his ass and moaning in pain as he did his. "Still... that attack seems a tad... lukewarm. I know!" he said snapping his fingers with a smile on his face. "I'll copy Thetis' Ice Dragon attack next. Hmm… Don't really have a fancy name for it in mind, so I think I'll just shout out whatever comes to mind," he said shrugging his shoulders before he held his hands out to the sides, glowing neon green sphere of energy crackling with black lightning appearing in his hands before they grew to be six feet in diameter. "Dark Sweeper!" he shouted as purple eye-like markings suddenly appeared on the sides of the spheres, oscillating around the field before they suddenly burst. When they did so, two neon green segmented serpentine creatures with crustacean-like heads suddenly started circling around the dark-haired teen as he observed them. "Hmmm... Maybe I should've called the Dark Crabs. Oh well. Time for the mauling," he said waving his hands dismissively, sending them to sweep around the field as he kicked back to watch the show.

The first one rushed at Siarnaq, who had just freed his scarf from the throwing knife that had pinned him. He quickly threw a Cross Star at it, but the four-pointed projectile only bounced off the hard shell-like head, not even damaging the purple eye that seemed to follow his movements. As Siarnaq continued to run, evaporating from sight with his Shadow Dash ability as the first Sweeper followed him, Thetis had managed to pull both the knives out of his ass, but took it really hard from the back a moment later as the second Sweeper plowed into him and brought him down real easy.

"Heheheheheheheh, and she said she was a he," Dark Neal chuckled with a tittering laugh as the Ice Mega Man moaned. Be it in pain, that went by unnoticed. "I could make sooo many dirty sex jokes right now. OH!" he said adding a pelvic thrust at the end.***

As the first Sweeper gave up on catching Siarnaq, it suddenly lunged at Atlas, though Aeolus had fallen into its line of sight after the second Sweeper tried to get at him, disgust evident on his face at the Ice Mega Man's incessant moaning. When he saw the thing's maw opening as it sped towards him, he quickly summoned a trio of Electric Pinwheels, the electrified blades passing through the thing's body, causing electricity to arc across it only to wait out the attack. Summoning another cyclone, he quickly flew out of the way even as the thing plowed through the electrified winds, catching Atlas in its maw just as she got up.

A second later as if following a silent command, the two Sweeper suddenly whirled around before heading towards one another on a crash course, a neon green explosion flaring as the two Sweepers disappeared, Atlas and Thetis falling to the ground, their armor smoldering. When Atlas opened her eyes, she could only narrow them at the way Thetis was laying on top of her suggestively. However, she couldn't find the strength to kick him off at the moment, and it only irked her more at the white-armored Mega Man's next statement. And not for the reason most would think.

"So you like being on top huh? Well, I'm nothing if not... flexible. Hooohahahahahaha!" Dark Neal cackled wildly as he slapped his knee and hunched over, continuing on like a madman on a shroom-induced head trip. A moment later he stopped laughing and assumed a more serious stance, looking around to see that while Atlas and Thetis were most likely out for the count, Siarnaq and Aeolus were the only ones in any real condition to fight. Shrugging his shoulders, he walked toward the remaining two fighters before saying-

"Eh, I've got nothing fancy in mind for Aeolus' attack, so I'll just go with something basic," Dark Neal said crossing his arms across his chest. "Black Probes!" he called out as he snapped his fingers, black wormholes suddenly appearing behind him, two soldier-like Cyber Elves wielding rifles floating out. Their wire-wings were black and their attire white with orange ornamentation. What really stood out however were the pink W-shaped visors they wore. "Say hello to my little friends!"**** he cackled as they suddenly opened fire, which despite the size of their guns pack as much wallop as Atlas' Knuckle Busters as the ground in both the Dark-Elves lines of sight were peppered with rounds, Aeolus flying away while Siarnaq dissolved out of the shot's range. Seeing the shots being peppered across the ground and Thetis beginning to regain consciousness, Atlas suddenly kicked him off of her and behind some debris as she began to run out of the way of the shots, her legs burning as she pushed herself far past her body's limits.

---

Aile couldn't believe her eyes. A few minutes ago, Neal had been laying in a puddle of his own blood and had probably flatlined. When he reached out to her, she felt like her heart was breaking in two as she saw the life slowly leave his eyes. However, there was suddenly a massive earthquake, possibly shaking all of Inner Peace, and when the smoke cleared, Neal had ascended into a new form.

From there he proceeded to beat down the Four Mega Men, countering each of their attacks or shrugging them off entirely. Then he began using a myriad of partially-copied attacks and had them on the run, none of them being able to fight back against him. What really got to her however was when Neal summoned a pair of dark-looking Cyber Elves with rifles, and when they started shooting at the Four Mega Man, the coordinated attacks seeming to push the Four further and further away from one another as Dark Neal stood in the center.

After the Four began to run around for a few minutes, Siarnaq quickly running behind a thick slab of concrete to hide, Aeolus flying into the sky only to get shot down and crash amongst some more debris, Thetis being gunned down as he fell behind some cover, Atlas was the last to be gunned down, seemingly refusing to take any form of cover. As she fell to the ground, the brunette wondering how it was possible for her to still be Megamerged, Dark Neal began to stride over to her, a dark look on his face as he did so.

A few seconds later Aile moved to step in, though not for the reasons most would imagine.

---

A few seconds before…

Mega Man ZXA Soundtrack – Divine Hammer

"Well well well. Seems you're all out of steam huh?" Dark Neal asked as he walked over to Atlas' downed form. Craning her neck to look up at him, all of her strength exhausted, she could only narrow her eyes before spitting at the visible half of his face. Raising a clawed hand and wiping it off with a flat expression on his face, the Dark Model E Mega Man reached down with his right hand and suddenly grabbed Atlas by her throat, slowly lifting her from the ground until her feet were kicking at air, her hands gripping his wrist as she remained suspended. "You talk a pretty big game, but when someone decides to grow a pair and fight back, you just can't take it can you?" he asked suddenly putting the squeeze on her. Even as her feet began to connect with his chest and her grip tightened with what little strength she had left, the white-armored Mega Man just wouldn't budge. "You know. I seem to recall you being responsible for the Maverick Raid in Plaza 7. Maybe I should do the world a favor and put you out of your misery. Make sure no one has to put up with your bull shit ever again," he said squeezing her neck four more times, the Flame Mega Man wheezing as she tried to breath, finding the white-armored Mega Man's grip like a vise.

"Megamerge!" a feminine voice suddenly cried out as a new figure leapt into the battlefield, Neal looking over his shoulder to see that the body definitely matched the voice coming from it.

The new figure was garbed head to toe in a black skintight bodysuit that showed off all her curves. She wore red shoes with black soles, yellow bands around her ankles, and red shin guards that stopped at the thighs with an empty space in the front. Wrapped around her thighs were units of black armor that only seemed to accentuat her curves, two glowing emblems at her waist as a three-part white-armored bandoleer clung to her lower body. Over her body she wore an open sleeveless red jacket with yellow trim around the collar and white trim around her biceps, and on her forearms were red gauntlets with a yellow section at the front, a glowing light-blue jewel set into the center of each. In her hand was a white handle with a clear sky-blue beam saber, and her ear pieces had fierce-looking points on the sides, and her long polymorphic blond hair flowing in the wind. Though her visor obscured the top half of her face from view, he could tell who it was almost immediately.

"Ah, if it isn't Miss Short Shorts herself gracing me with her presence. Finally decided to come out of your hidey hole have you?" Neal chortled with an exaggerated bow to the newly-inaugurated Model Z Mega Man, even as he held Atlas off the ground by her throat. "You know. There's something different about you. Is it your hair? I think it's your hair," he said adopting a thinking pose Atlas still kicking him, only for it to be as much of an annoyance as a gnat.

"Neal, that's enough! You don't have to fight anymore! Just put her down already!" Aile shouted keeping her Z-Saber poised. 'This isn't like him at all. The Neal I know would never torture his opponents like this. Not even if they nearly killed him,' she said looking into the eyes of the struggling Atlas, seeing something she never thought she'd see from Model F's Biomatch. Fear.

"Don't have to fight anymore? Are you kidding? With this power, I don't ever have to stop fighting," the now-blond chuckled as he shook with each chortle. "You know, I should be thanking you for leaving me for dead in a puddle of my own blood a few minutes ago. Had you not left me to die, I never would've discovered the wondrous power Model E secretly held," he said casually, ignoring the way she flinched at his wording. "The guy's been awfully quiet, but it's probably just because things are going well for me," he said shrugging his shoulders. "Oh, but where are my manners. Here. I'll let you have the first swing," he said holding Atlas out to Aile by her throat and presenting her like some kind of piñata. "Heheh. I wonder what kind of candy will come out of this one."

"Neal, that's enough! Can't you see they're all beaten? Half of them can barely move. Look, I understand you're angry at Atlas for what she did, but actually killing her won't bring anyone back," she said trying to talk him down.

"Maybe..." Neal trailed off as he slowly lowered Atlas to the ground, only to swing around and slam her into a large piece of rubble, blood flying out of her mouth before the dark-haired teen looked over his shoulder with a smirk. "But it'll make me feel better."

"Neal, you aren't acting like yourself. Snap out of it!" she shouted.

"Not acting like myself. Boy do you have it backwards," he chuckled as he finally released his hold on Atlas' throat, letting her settle onto the ground in a crumbled heap, greedily sucking in air as the pressure on her airways were finally cleared. "Everyone wears masks, hiding the ugly parts of themselves they don't want anyone to see. Even goody-goody two shoes like you have a dark side. I'm the only one around here proud enough to ADMIT IT!" he said suddenly swinging his left leg around and kicking Atlas in the face with a loud -Crack-, re-breaking the nose that had finished recovering just yesterday. "Besides, don't you want your precious Biometals back? I heard around that you and Vent used to have six, but then four of them got stolen, and then they turn up in the hands of these chuckleheads. Tell me you're not guilty of conspiring to get them back."

"This and that are different!" Aile said looking to Atlas as Neal removed his foot from her face, seeing blood flowing out of her nostrils and her eyes half-lidded. "Look, we can get the Biometals back later. Right now you just need to take a deep breath and calm down. These guys aren't a threat to you anymore."

"... Heheh... Hahahahaha! Not a threat! Oh that's a good one. You know who else people didn't think was a threat? Serpent! And yet for being no threat, the guy sacrifices half the county to feed a worthless piece of ROCK!" he shouted as the ground shuddered under him, almost as if in fear.

"What? How did you know about that?" the now-blonde asked in shock.

"You aren't the only one privy to top-secret details. In fact, I know more than you or Vent could possibly imagine!" he said as he began stalking towards her, the anger pooling off of him nearly tangible as he continued to move towards her.

The next moment however a blue energy blast with a pair of red contrails circling it suddenly struck him from the side, sending him rolling across the ground before he flipped back onto his feet. Looking up, he saw the blue-armored form of Vent leaping into the field, looking at Aile in shock.

"Aile? Since when could you Megamerge with Model Z on your own?" he asked incredulously before looking around the field. "DAAAAMMMMMMMNNNNNN! What happened here?" he asked seeing a few of the Four scattered across the field.

"Vent, there's something wrong with Neal. I think he's being manipulated by the Model W fragment that Model E used to be," Aile said keeping her eyes trained on Neal. There was something definitely off about him.

"What? But Model E said he cleared it out," Vent said in shock.

"Maybe, but it's possible that Model E is still receptive to negative emotions," Aile said to herself. 'And me leaving him to die out of shock didn't help matters either,' she said, flinching as the teen's words repeated themselves in her mind.

"You know, I should be thanking you for leaving me for dead in a puddle of my own blood a few minutes ago. Had you not left me to die, I never would've discovered the wondrous power Model E secretly held."

"Looks like ya have somethin' on your mind, Aile. Mind sharing it with the rest of the class?" Dark Neal asked condescendingly. "Ah hell. It doesn't matter. With all your babbling and stalling, you let these guys get away anyhow," he said seeing Atlas, Thetis, Aeolus, then Siarnaq teleport out of the area. "If you think you can take me on when the four of them couldn't, then be my guest," he said summoning his E-Rapier into his right hand, the Pile Bunker growing out of his hand in the other. "I'll give you 'til the count of ten to come at me with everything you got before I kick you around a bit for letting those guys get away."

"Aile, what's he talking about?" Vent asked suspiciously.

"TEN!" Dark Neal shouted foregoing the one through nine, Vent and Aile's experience battling Pseudoroids suddenly flashing to the forefront of their minds as they got ready to fight the berserk Mega Man.

Mega Man ZX Soundtrack – Trap Phanatics {Gigamix}

Aile was the first to respond, bringing her Z-Saber up to deflect Dark Neal's slash away from her, Vent peppering his side with shots, or would've had he not rapidly punched them out of the air with his Pile Bunker.

"The fuck?" Vent cried before Dark Neal suddenly rushed at him, a purple ring of energy forming around his left wrist as he cocked his fist back. When he swung it forward, Vent had narrowly dodged to the right, only for Dark Neal to pivot on his heel and deck him across the side of the face with a super-charged haymaker, sending him flying head over heels before he landed back-first in a piece of debris, which slowly collapsed on top of him.

"Vent!" Aile cried as her brother left her line of sight, only to quickly get her bind back in the game as Dark Neal charged her with a rain of stabbing and slashing attacks. "Neal! Seriously! Stop this!" she said as she deflected his blows.

"And why should I huh?" he asked, a smile forming on his face as the now-blond-haired Mega Man actually seemed to be giving him a fight. "If you'd just let me finish up, Models H, F, L, and P would be back in the Guardians' hands."

"Neal, what you were doing was inhuman!" Aile argued back. "You can't seriously consider going Maverick can you?"

"Me going Maverick? Serpent was a Maverick for years, fooling an entire country and playing both sides out like a board game. You really think anyone aside from the Guardians will know what I did here today?" he asked as he and Aile clashed blades. Though physically he was now superior to her, she wasn't giving up either, and had actually begun to push him back.

"What on Earth are you talking about? And how did you know about Serpent?" she said as she forced him back, her sky blue blade clashing against his golden.

"My breath would only be wasted," Neal said as he and Aile gained some distance from one another. "You seem to forget just how the people of this country, no, this world are. Lives with plenty of food and comfort. People have stopped bothering to think with their heads. They're nothing more than ornaments. Marionettes that don't even care if the puppeteer cuts their fellow's strings, only complaining about it when their own are cut."

"Just what are you trying to say?" Aile asked in shock.

"I'm saying..." he trailed off as he lowere his sword and tapped his chin chin with his free hand. "For example: I could kill off an entire country if I wanted to, and then all I have to do is say the word Maverick, and no one will care anymore, just as long as they're told that the 'Evil Maverick' has been stopped. Hell, I could be the one to tell them the Maverick was taken care of, and I'd still get off scott free!" he cackled, swinging his arms round wildly, motioning to Inner Peace in every direction. "Humans can't even be considered living anymore. Moving about with no purpose like the living dead. Doing nothing while their world falls apart. Humans that feared Reploids, their own creations, and took their immortality from them, even though throughout history it was the reploids that always suffered while humans did nothing. Laboring away for their ungrateful masters, fighting and dying in throngs for wars humans were no longer willing or even capable of fighting on their own. The humans that have fallen so far from their prime. And the two of you really be satisfied with that? Fighting for people who would rather mourn for a figurehead like Serpent than for a real hero?" he asked as Vent hauled himself out of the rubble. "Serpent was nothing more than a traitor who sacrificed them by the thousands, saving a few only to sacrifice them later, and even after all that they treated him like a hero," he spat. "Raised him on a pedestal and worshiped him as though he were a God. Humans' eyes may be able to see farther and in greater clarity than ever before, but even then, even with their precious Machine Bodies, they are still BLIND!"

"You're wrong! People can do stuff for themselves! They can change the world on their own!" Vent said finally pulling his foot free and dusting himself off. "If you're going to become a Maverick just like Serpent, then we'll just have to bring you down. Friend or not," he said raising his X-Buster. "Aile! Why aren't you doing anything?" he asked when he saw she hadn't gotten into a stance.

" . . . He's right Vent. He's right about everything," Aile said suddenly finding herself dishearted. "People... They don't care about anything anymore. All they want is to live carefree lives under the work of another. Even as thousands of people were sacrificed to feed Model W, no one cared. They just did nothing while more people continued to die, and if we hadn't been there to stop Serpent, then he'd probably be ruling the world right now."

"HAH! See! You finally get it!" Neal cried happily. "Atlas used Plaza 7 as a test run for those giant mechaniloids, so why should we limit ourselves from hunting those guys down and taking their Biometals? Huh? Tell me why."

"Because that would be WRONG!" Vent said as he fired a charged shot at Neal, who brought his Pile Bunker out and struck the oncoming attack, shattering the first one only to get knocked back by the second. "Even if humans are like that, it doesn't mean we shouldn't fight for their sakes. I thought you of all people would understand that."

"You understand nothing about me! How I have suffered! You don't even know the real reason humans got Machine Bodies. Do you?" he asked as he narrowed his eyes. After a minute of silence, he received his answer. "I thought not. You may have power, but even then, you're still as blind as the rest of them! The same as those pathetic humans centuries ago, jealous of their own creations! Who couldn't be happy with anything they had, always wanting more but never being satisfied!"

Mega Man ZX Soundtrack – Determined Eyes

The next moment however eight purple energy shots lashed out across Dark Neal's form, while at the same time a blue lightning-shaped bolt bounced around his form eight times in quick succession, the rapid attacks bringing the pink-eyed teen to his knees.

"Who fired those shots?" Aile asked as she turned away from Neal's smirking form.

"Over there!" Vent said pointing to the west, two figures standing against the setting sun on a spire of rubble.

"Small world, huh guys?" the first figure said as she stepped down, revealing herself to be Ashe in her Model A form. "Still, what's the big idea, starting the party without me?" she asked as the second figure stepped down. He too wore the Model A armor, though he had large red yellow-trimmed plugs jutting out of his back, and had a scar on the left side of his tanned face. "Aile, like the new look. Kinda... retro," she said thinking back to Vent's Model ZX form, which she had fought before, Ashe remaining behind that day in the quarry due to injuries.

"Hey Ashe, is that what a Maverick looks like?" the scarred boy asked suddenly pointing to Neal as he rose from the ground.

"Yep. And boy is he uuugly!" she swore. "Bet the right side of his face is disfigured and everything."

"Ashe, wait this isn't what you-"

"Let's show these guys what you've got Grey," Ashe said tuning out Aile. "If things get too tough, I'll bail you out."

"You got it!" the now-addressed Grey said as he began to run forward. "A-Trans!" he called out as he transformed into a black-armored panther-like shape.

"Woah. I don't remember you having a pseudoroid like that before," Vent said in surprise as Grey was almost upon Neal.

"He's new," Ashe said offhandedly as Grey finally pounced.

"Graaawr! Let's see you handle this!" he said as he swung his electrified claws at Neal, who only blocked both of them and held them at bay, even as the larger opponent bore down on him.

"You'll have to do better than that you pussy-" was as far as he got before the panther-like reploid opened its mouth and fired a charged energy beam from a cannon in his mouth right at his face, sending him flying backwards before hitting another concrete spire, a large pile of rubble burying him completely.

"Yeah! Way to go kid!" Ashe whooped. "So, mind telling me who that guy was?" she asked turning to Vent before turning to Ashe. "So, what's with the new look?"

"Ashe... While I appreciate what you and your brother-"

"Cousin."

"Cousin, did, it was completely unnecessary," Aile said crossing her arms. "He was just on an adrenaline high and needed to come down from it."

The next moment the ground at the A-Trans'd Grey's feet began to crack. A few seconds later after looking down, a studded white-armored fist suddenly shot out of the ground before connecting with his chin, sending him and bits of his armor flying into the air before he fell on his back, Dark Neal landing on the ground with his back turned as he exited the hole.

"I was in... the middle... of a conversation..." he said as he got to his feet, his body sparking with electricity periodically as he brushed some dust off his shoulders before he turned to Ashe. "Why don't you run along, ponytail. The adults aren't finished speaking."

"You son of a bitch! I'm not a child!" Ashe shouted before she ran at him shrilly, her busters firing off a myriad of shots, all of which were deflected by Dark Neal's E-Rapier before he suddenly slid his right foot across the ground and tripper her, sending her flying overhead. As the Model A Mega Man flew haplessly over his head, Dark Neal spun around beneath her before charging up his Pile Bunker, striking her with his right fist before he sent her flying through the air, bouncing off a bile of rubble before coming to a stop on the ground.

"As I said. I was having... a conversation..." he growled angrily.

---

Back in the Grand Nuage, right around the time that Neal's pulse had dropped to zero, the group was finally able to get a set of eyes down there using a security camera meant to monitor for trespassers into Ground Zero. With several already in place, Marguerite hacking into the network and deleting the original footage while copying it for later use into the Grand Nuage's database, the group was able to witness Neal's transformation. As horrifying as it was.

One moment he was dying on the ground, then he really did die, then his blood started flowing back into his body before he was completely obscured from view, despite the types of scans they ran on it. When Neal's new form appeared, Prairie almost had a heart attack, having seen pictures of Elpizo's Dark Form through pictures that Zero had taken of the fight with his optics. For Neal to transform like that was almost as shocking as the methods he employed, and like Aile, she hypothesized that because Model E was originally a Model W, must've responded to his negative emotions.

Planning to later classify it as a "Dark Overdrive", she could only watch with a mixture of fascination and appall as the then-dubbed "Dark Neal" continued to wail on the Four, taking everything they had and throwing it back at them. Especially when he made those four copied-and-modified attacks.

The dirty jokes were lost on her because that wasn't what she was focusing on.

What really got her attention was when who she thought was Giro emerged appeared, only to later find that it was Aile, having somehow solo Megamerged with Biometal Model Z. His next speech really shocked her. Especially since every word of it was most likely true. Copy X, Weil, and by proxy Copy X MK II had employed the same tactics before-mentioned.

However, as the fight escalated once more to a four-on-one match, Prairie got up from her chair before going to Fleuve's lab, then all but dragging him to the new Transerver room and had him begin setting the coordinates, watching the fight for the few minutes it took for the coordinates to be finalized on one of the monitors connected to the bridge.

---

Mega Man ZX Soundtrack – Battle Giga Mixture {Gigamix Soundtrack}

No one knows how it started, but as soon as Ashe had lifted herself all the pile of rubble Dark Neal launched her at, another four-on-one fight had started. Ashe was pissed off at the darkened teen's earlier comments said at her so casually, Grey was acting overprotectively for his cousin after she had gotten herself off of the ground, Vent got into the fight because Neal's darkened ideals conflicted with his own, and Aile fought to keep him in line, while hopefully bringing the full-scale conflict to a close faster. After all, the guy had just fought four Mega Men of varying elements and spent who-knows-how-much energy while doing so. How much longer could he fight?

"A-Trans!" Ashe cried as she A-Trans'd into Siarnaq and began launching a flurry of energy knives at him.

By the way she's using that shape, she must not know about Siarnaq's additions, Dark Neal thought as he deflected the attacks with his E-Rapier, Grey suddenly rushing at him. With a shout of 'A-Trans', the Model A Mega Man had transformed into Hedgeshock, using her Rolling Dash ability to accelerate before bouncing off a piece of debris, her spikes forming out as Grey transitioned into Hedgeshock's Rolling Spike attack, a yellow and orange buzzsaw flying through the air. So it isn't just Humanoids these two can copy. The Trans suffix obviously means Transformation, though as for the A I couldn't give a RAT'S, he thought as he leaned to the side and kicked the transformed Grey in the side, sending the yellow pseudoroid flying. Ass, he finished.

"Ow! Oh! Ooh! Sonofa!" Grey cried as he transformed back into Model A form, bouncing across the ground a few times before coming to a stop at the edge of the battlefield on a piece of debris. "Oooooooooow."

"So. Mind telling me how you and... Grey," Vent said watching the teen fall into a crumbled heap at the base of the piece of debris he hit, "found your way to Inner Peace?"

"The details are boring, so I'll get straight to the meat," Ashe said from her Buckfire form, firing the Gaxelleroid's Burning Arrows. "We came into town via Transerver to get the kid some clothes after we got to a quaint little outpost town in the Outlands. There was an earthquake right as we got here, and Model A said he felt a Model W around here."

"Former Model W, and we just need to tire Neal out until we can find a way to separate him from his Biometal," Aile said running by them before zig-zagging toward Neal and stabbing the sword down from a leap, chunks of debris scattered, which Dark Neal blocked before Aile suddenly rushed to his side and slashed at him. "Come on Neal. It's me, Aile. Why can't you stop fighting and let me talk to you?"

"We have nothing to talk about. Not only did you leave me for dead back there, but our interests also conflict with one another," Dark Neal said with a narrowed gaze, losing all playfulness it had held before.

"I thought you were happy I left you like that," Aile deadpanned.

"Did you think I wasn't joking?" Neal demanded as he suddenly stopped moving, the others waiting to see what was going on between the two. "When I looked up from the pool of blood I was laying in, my blood, I saw you standing there, just outside the battlefield, and you did nothing. Didn't move in to help me or hinder them. All you did was watch. For all your preaching, you're no different than these other complacent humans," he said in a low tone, Aile feeling as if he'd just driven a knife into her chest.

"They having some sort of falling out?" Ashe asked, Vent grunting as he remembered that one incident when they were escaping from Plaza 7.

"After I'm done here, I'm tracking those guys down, and taking the stolen Biometals, whether you like it or not," Dark Neal said as he rushed at Aile and started slashing and stabbing at her, the two exchanging blows before Vent's charged shot flew towards them, the two separating before Neal found himself landing atop a large horseshoe crab-shaped pseudoroid.

Utilizing the Xiphosuroid's Time Bomb, the white-armored Mega Man's movements seemed to slow, though in reality it was her perception of time that had actually sped up. A-Trans'ing to Vultron, she used the Condoroid's Guitar Hammer to send the black-haired teen flying back and into Grey's awaiting jaws as he'd transformed into Bifrost, the Crocoroid seemingly unaffected by the Xiphosuroid's electronic warfare as his jaws clamped shut around the dark-haired teen.

"You think that'll stop me?" Dark Neal asked as he held the Crocoroid's jaws open.

"No, but this will!" Ashe said as she fired her Laser Shot at the trapped Mega Man, only for him to leap to the side and easily clamp Grey's mouth shut over the blast, which ricocheted inside his mouth before he cried out, the blast flying back her which she dodged. Grey returned to Model A form and began rubbing his sore mouth before Dark Neal suddenly decked him with the Pile Bunker, a crack in the side of his helmet as he came to a stop on the dusty ground.

"You... *pant* were saying?" he asked, though showed signs of tiring.

Good. He's slowing down. Maybe now we can finally calm him down enough. He isn't thinking rationally anymore, Aile thought as the white-armored warrior fell to his knees. "Neal..."

"Don't even start Aile..." Dark Neal said as he started getting up. "Aeolus, Atlas, Thetis, and Siarnaq all fought to kill. None of you can match that, so compared to them, you'll be easy."

"What? The four of them are alive!" Ashe cried in shock.

"We'll... explain later," Vent stated.

"If you think you can stop me, then you can go ahead and try," Dark Neal said as his neon pink eyes began to glow brightly, the sun just about to set in the distance as dark purple energy began to pool off of his body. A moment later however, a flash of light appeared behind him before anew figure entered the battlefield.

Mega Man Zero 2 Soundtrack – Awakening Will

"Neal! Stop this, please!" Prairie cried out, still in civilian clothing as she ran at him buried her face into his back, almost on the verge of tears.**

"P-Prairie?" Dark Neal asked in shock, his neon pink eyes flashing to cerulean the moment he saw her.

"Neal, it's alright! There's no reason to fight anymore! The four of them have left," she said looking up into his eyes. "Please... come back to me..." she said softly, her eyes pleading as she stared into Neal's, which had begun to shift between neon pink and cerulean.

"Prairie... I..." he said as the pink began to bleed out of his eyes, returning to cerulean as his body began to grow weak. A moment later his armor's mass shattered, leaving the skintight bodysuit underneath before it reformed Model E, his body being enveloped in a flash of light as he returned to his civilian garb as Model E clattered to the ground, his optics darkened.

"I'm sorry..." he said in a whisper as everything went dark around him once more, unconsciousness claiming him. However, this time, he felt warmth instead of coldness, and there was nothing him keeping him back from his slumber.

---

As you can see, I made a transition from a mindless berserker to a crazed, battle-happy psychotic egotistic maniacal super-bastard. Went into further detail to explain his armor, and as you may've noticed, I've changed the venue for their fight.

As for the bit at the end when he finally comes to his senses, that came up when I was talking about this chapter with Kuraselache. And speaking of which, give her story Megaman ZX: Aspects of Omega a read sometime. It's started to get really interesting, and you might see a familiar face in there.

P.S. In case you have or haven't noticed, when Aeolus, Atlas, Thetis, and Siarnaq are all in one place, I mention them as "the Four" or "the Four Mega Men". That's to mirror how Harpuia, Fefnir, Levaithan, and Phantom were the Four Guardians, sort of as an anti-thesis.

I only mention his because now it seems most prudent to. More of a broad-and-general note than one of the chapter-based Author's Notes at the end of each chapter.

Speaking of which… before that, here's an attack listing for Dark Neal's added roster.

---

Blazing Nova Blast – An alteration of Atlas'/Model F's "Shattering Energy Ball" attack (the technique not gained from A-Trans). Creating a ball of energy just away from his hand like with Fistleo's Spark attack, instead of launching it, shatters it with his Pile Bunker and sends a flurry of energy blasts. The crimson detonate upon impact and send smoldering debris in every direction, while the purple cause a slowing effect.

Scattering Throwing Star – An alteration of Siarnaq's/Model P's Cross Star and "Kunai" weapon attacks. Sending an eight-pointed Fuma (Giant) Shuriken out, once the weapon makes contact with the enemy or a solid surface, will scatter seeking energy knives across the field that will seek their appointed targets out. Regardless of whether or not they are deflected.

Dark Sweeper – An alteration of Thetis'/Model L's Ice Dragon attack. Is centered around an attack that utilized the Baby Elves Crea and Prea to send out floods of clones and attack from multiple angles. Appear to be partially-sentient, as they are able to respond to changing battle conditions around them. Coming into contact with one another will cause a bright explosion.

Black Probes – An alteration of Aeolus'/Model H's "Electric Pinwheel" attack from ZX and "Bit" attack from the Boss Fight in Mega Man Zero 2. Creates two soldier-like Cyber Elves at his sides that fire energy blasts. Despite their size, they pack a mean wallop. They bear similar features to Model W.

---

Author's Note:
* I'm referring to the fences found in construction yards or crime scenes with the upside down V-shaped legs and the long horizontal boards with diagonal black and yellow stripes on them.

** Literally translating to 'stupid hair'. Is Thetis' hairstyle.

*** Phantom, Model P's template, possessed a katana. No reason exists that Phantom should not have access to it now.

**** I guess the best example would be the "pulsing" effect from Inuyasha, whenever someone has a spike in their "power level". Or something.

*** Think of when Sasori's ULTRA-high-pressure water cannon parted a cloud in the skies, then made it disappear. Just on a much larger scale.

** Neal's hair is no longer polymorphic blond in his Dark Form, and is styled after Zero E.X.E.'s, from the Battle Network timeline. Not to be confused with Zero's of the Mega Man timeline.

* Neal's normal E-Rapier is crimson, and while the transformed Elpizo's first form's rapier is displayed as magenta/white in the game, his Dark E-Rapier is based on the artwork.

** The "sequence" for Elpizo's transformation show him growing fangs, or at least according to my interpretation.

*** Think the Joker's voice from the new Batman movies, mixed with Roberto's from Futurama when he's about to do something crazy, add a mix of Naraku's carefree demeanor (from Inuyasha), a little insanity from Dr. Weil (need I even say it?), and you have Neal's new voice. More or less. He won't be as deep as any of theirs.

** For anyone who watches/watched Naruto, you'll know who I'm cameo'ing.

* Phantom's bladed weapon from Mega Man Zero 1 and Mega Man Zero 3. Will now be used in this story for the sake of continuity.

** Think May Chang's kunai from Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood.

*** Peter Griffin's laugh and Glen Quagmires' signature "OH!"

**** From the 1983 film, Scarface: The World is Yours, made famous and used many times since then.

*** What Naruto pretty much did to Neji at the end of their fight.

** A take from Naruto when Sakura hugs Sasuke to get him off his Curse Mark high.