Part 26: Wonder Panorama

The Guardian train cruised into Hunter Base unopposed. It maintained top speed all the way to the train station, where it promptly detonated in a massive fireball of destruction, causing as much of a diversion as possible for Vent's mixed Guardian/Hunter squad as they jumped out just before the impact. Guided by the Hunters, the group went straight from the train station to the transerver, where they quickly set up a base of operations and established a link to the Guardian Base. Moments after the train impact, the Guardians had established a foothold behind enemy lines, turning the tides on the maverick forces of Legion as they were suddenly engaged on two fronts. As more and more Guardian and Hunter troops poured out from the transerver - troops that had been held back for precisely this purpose - they pushed towards the enemy's exposed back, while also establishing a bulwark against any additional forces attempting to leave Legion. Meanwhile, the main Guardian forces quickly gained ground on the beleaguered mavericks, spearheaded by Zero Omega, who tore through anything that got in his way, reducing hundreds of mavericks and mechaniloids to wreckage in mere minutes.

Within the space of ten minutes, the Guardians went from defending against an overwhelming enemy to launching a major offensive into enemy territory.

The first phase of the plan had worked perfectly.


Model L was the one making Aile's face smile, but the Chosen One felt it too. The red dots on the map were rapidly winking out of existence, while the blue ones continued to take up organized, fortified positions around the Hunter Camp. Soon the main assault forces would break through the maverick army and meet up in the Camp, where they would all make their final push together.

"That worked out even better than I thought it would," Model L remarked casually. "Remind me to compliment Zero on his plan later."

No kidding. That bit with the train was pretty tense, but now we're totally kicking ass!

You know, it feels nice to win, on occasion. I lost to Zero so many times that I'd almost forgotten what it felt like.

Fleuve interrupted their discussion with a status report. "Over half of the maverick forces have been eliminated, and most of our forces are only taking minimal casualties. It's like the mavericks just...stopped trying."

"That's because they're mass-produced and poorly programmed," Model L replied. "They don't know how to handle this situation, and it doesn't seem like there's anyone left out there to command them, so they're not functioning as well as they were. In essence, they're panicking."

Never thought I'd use psychological warfare against an army of machines, Aile thought offhandedly. Model L mentally smirked but refrained from commenting.

"Well, I think we've done all we can from here." Model L turned to Fleuve. "I'll leave the rest of the cleanup and command of the Faith to you. We're heading down to Hunter Camp with the rest of the troops. We'll command the offensive into Legion City from there."

Fleuve nodded. "We'll take care of it. Good luck, and keep in touch."

Model L nodded, then left the room. Shortly afterward, she returned control of Aile's body to her.

"Only want to be in control for the interesting parts?" Aile quipped, though she really didn't mind. It was still slightly unnerving to feel someone else moving her body around - now she knew how Prairie must have felt while merged with Zero.

"Hah, no. I actually want to continue work on my new Biomerge modifications. I have essentially completed the process, but I think I can make it more efficient and give you a higher power output, and maybe some new abilities. I'd like you to have every advantage possible for whatever comes next." Despite not saying it exactly, they both knew what she meant.

I'm coming for you, Aeolus.


Vent had just finished sweeping the rest of Hunter Camp for mavericks and was returning to the transerver base when he ran across Aile ordering troops around, looking like she'd been doing it all her life. Even the scattered hunters had no trouble accepting her orders, despite most of them having never met her before. It was a side of his sister he hadn't known existed, but he wasn't surprised to find.

But there were some parts of her that were still the same. "Vent!" She yelled as she ran at him, tackling him so hard they almost ended up a in a pile on the ground. "I'm so glad you're safe! You had me worried there for a moment."

"Sorry," he replied, a hint of sheepishness in his voice. "I would have been fine, but the operation as a whole definitely would have been a disaster without Ashe there to back me up." He glanced around briefly. "Speaking of which, where is she? I've been too busy cleaning up the base to check in on much of anything."

Aile opened her mouth to reply when a Guardian up on a sentry tower shouted a warning. "Incoming pseudoroid! It's riding down the tracks at high speed...looks like some kind of rhinoceros!"

"Damn!" Aile reflexively started issuing orders over her communicator as her trident appeared in her hand. "All units, prepare for pseudoroid attack! Slow it down but don't engage, let Vent and I handle it!"

"Relax Aile, it's just me," Ashe's voice said over the communicator.

"Ashe!" Aile let out an exasperated sigh, mixed with a bit of relief. "All units, hold your fire and let the 'pseudoroid' through. Ashe, what are you doing, scaring us like that?"

"Oh come on, you didn't actually think that pseudoroid could beat me? The guy was an idiot! I'm just using his form because it's actually got a pretty sweet top speed, especially when grinding these tracks."

"Good to know. How long until you arrive?"

"Right...about..."

They could all hear Ashe as she screeched along the rails, jumping off just before they ended in a twisted mess caused by Vent's train. There was a flash in midair as she A-Trans'ed back into her own body, then landed neatly beside them with a flip.

"...Now."

"Showoff..." Vent muttered with a smile.

"What can I say? I like to strut my stuff," Ashe replied with a mischievous wink.

"Think I'm gonna vomit," Aile replied, shaking her head. "All right, are you two ready to move? Zero's going to be here in a matter of minutes, and you need as much of a head start as you can get."

"Agreed. Come on Ashe, you can tell everyone how awesome you were after we save all their lives," Vent said, dragging her off by the hand.

"Aw, but I want to do it now..." Ashe pretended to whine, but went along willingly. "I guess I'll just have to do even more awesome things between here and Legion HQ."

"You do that," Aile replied, "just be careful, both of you. I'll see you there. And take care of my stupid brother!"

"Did it ever occur to either of you that I can take care of myself?" Vent asked rhetorically.

"No," both girls answered anyway.

As the other two Chosen Ones ran off, Fleuve contacted her communicator. "Aile, I'm reading pseudoroid activity in the lake near Hunter Camp. I think it's the one that was in charge of the mavericks there before we took over. One of the clean-up squads has it pinned down but they can't get near the lake. Can you handle it?"

"Of course!" Aile replied. She was the Model L Chosen One, after all – her biometal worked best underwater. "Tell the squad to keep it there, I'll deal with it." She took off towards the lake, which she remembered was on the east side of the camp.

"All right. I've informed Zero as well. If you aren't finished by the time he gets there he'll come assist you."

"That won't be necessary," she replied with a confident grin. "That pseudoroid is never going to know what hit it."


Ashe and Vent headed towards the destroyed train station to meet up with the Guardian squad stationed there. Vent's runaway train had reduced a large portion of it to rubble, but there were still several fully-functional trains nearby that a resourceful person could get running again. There was also nothing stopping reinforcements from arriving by train, and the Guardians were there to make sure they had some warning in that event.

Luckily enough, that hadn't been a problem.

As they arrived at the wrecked trainyard, Vent and Ashe asked for a report from the squad commander that came to greet them.

"Nothing happening out here, sir," the skinny brown-haired reploid reported. "You're clear to move out."

"Sweet!" Ashe exclaimed. "Hopefully it stays that way all the way to Legion."

"Maybe, but I think that's wishful thinking," Model X replied.

"Oh? Why's that?" Vent asked.

"You both saw what the Maverick Virus did to those people in Legion while we escaped. But we haven't seen a single infected civilian on the battlefield, only mechaniloids."

"So, you're saying that..." Ashe started, but Vent finished, "...Legion is currently the home to a large population of crazy, bloodthirsty, mindless maverick-zombies?"

"Basically, yes. It is doubtful that they would be coordinated enough to travel with the mechaniloids, so it would make sense to leave them behind in Legion. They also serve as a rather formidable defense force."

"A defense force that most of the Guardians won't want to shoot." Vent grimaced.

"Well then, at least we won't have to worry about them attacking here any time soon," Ashe replied, trying to look on the bright side of an all-around bad situation. "Why don't you guys leave a couple behind just in case and go join up with the main force?" The squad commander nodded and ran off to do just that.

"So, you know this idea is crazy, right?" Vent said, walking towards a nearby train.

"Yeah, but I still don't think it's the craziest thing I've ever done," was Ashe's nonchalant response. "In fact, considering the past few days, this seems pretty tame. Besides, it's not like we came up with the idea."

"No, but we agreed to it. And you have to admit, Zero's plan is working pretty well so far."

"I think most people agreed to it because they couldn't think of anything better," Model X pointed out.

"Maybe. Personally, I think it suits my style, so I'm all for it," Ashe replied with a shrug.

"Not surprised," Vent chuckled as he climbed into the engine car. He hooked up Model X and Model P to the train's security, and they blew past it in seconds. Vent allowed himself a satisfied smile as the train roared to life. "All right. Hopefully this train ride goes a bit smoother than the last one."

"I certainly hope so," Ashe replied. "I'm gonna take a load off. Keep watch for me, man-slave, while I take a nap." She hopped into the captain's chair, closed her eyes, and did exactly that.

Vent shook his head, but said nothing as Model X started the train's engine and headed for Legion.


After briefly checking in with the Guardians surrounding the lake, Aile leapt down into the icy waters. Must be an ice pseudoroid. That means it's good in water – makes sense that it would retreat into the lake, then. Model L's powers kept her from feeling the sub-zero temperature of the water and cleared her vision – the only way she could tell she was actually under water was that she could float. She activated her thrusters and hovered in place for a moment.

You know, it occurs to me that I've never actually used you underwater before, Aile mentally remarked to her biometal. Is there anything I should know?

Not particularly, Model L replied. It's mostly the same as when you used me with Model X, though the power increases you've received from the Biomerge apply here as well. Ice dragons and such should be easy to summon, and you've got an increased thrust capacity. Try not to shoot yourself into the floor.

Come on, give me more credit than that.

I was just teasing. Anyway, despite this being my native environment, be careful. The lake is being chilled naturally, so whatever this pseudoroid is, he's got a respectable amount of power if he can nearly freeze an entire lake. I can insulate you from it but don't expect any help – a regular reploid would freeze to death in minutes.

What about Zero? Without the protection of Model L, would the legendary reploid be a match for such freezing temperatures?

Zero is built to withstand much colder temperatures than this. Beside, if nothing else, he could probably just blow up the lake.

Once again, Aile was amazed not only by the amount of power Zero had, but by how nonchalantly Model L talked about it.

She set her thrusters to low output and sank slowly towards the bottom of the couldn't see anything suspicious, just some plants and metal wreckage that lined the lakebed. Model L's scanner didn't seem to be picking anything up either.

Any ideas? It can't be that hard to find a pseudoroid...

The range of my scanner is rather limited, so keep looking. Pseudoroids aren't known for being patient, I'm sure it'll-

"Well what have we here?"

Aile couldn't see whoever had spoken, but the shifting of water currents told her that there was something rushing at her from below. She shot herself sideways just in time to avoid something as it shot through the spot she'd just occupied. She spun around to see what it was, but instead got hit full-on by the something she thought she'd dodged. She shot through the water like a baseball, and had barely stopped and steadied herself before she saw a double row of gnashing teeth flying straight at her.

Since the dodging tactic hadn't worked, Aile tried going on the offensive. She made an overhand swing with her trident, but the teeth veered down sharply just in time to dodge it at the same time she got clubbed in the side again. This time she slammed into the bottom of the lake before she could stop herself.

Aile winced as she pulled herself off the lakebed. "Model L, what is it? Half the time I can't even see it, and it seems like it's everywhere!"

"I take offense to that," the voice said again, sounding annoyed, and coming from directly above her. She jetted sideways right before the pile of teeth slammed into where she'd been standing. She kept her wits about her and was ready to dodge a follow-up, but this time there was nothing except a rising pool of mud and dirt where the pseudoroid had slammed into the lakebed. "I am not an 'it'."

"Well if you're not going to introduce yourself, I have no choice but to be rude," Aile shot back, stalling for time. Model L, can you tell what this guy is?

I'm getting a lot of electrical interference from him, but I think he's-

"I am Coldeel the Eelroid, and you are trespassing in my new domain!"

-an ice-element eel pseudoroid.

As the mud cloud settled, the first thing to emerge was a large set of teeth, frozen into what seemed like a permanent grin. They were attached to the front of a long, segmented body, covered with thick armor plating. Small arms and legs were pressed to the sides at a few points along the length of the body. They looked awkward and out of place.

"You mean the Hunter Base?" Aile continued to stall. If he's ice-element, where's the interference coming from?

I don't know, I'm working on it.

"Yes! Master Thomas said it would be mine to rule as I pleased! And everything was going fine until someone crashed a train into it! A train that started spilling Hunters everywhere!"

Aile smirked. "Yeah, sometimes my brother can be a real pain."

"He's only lucky that I'm not so great out of the water, otherwise I would have...gah! I shouldn't have told you that! Oh well, you're in my domain now, and I'm not letting you go!"

Aile quickly discovered that the reason she'd been having so much trouble dodging was that Coldeel could manipulate his long, segmented body very precisely, allowing him to rush at her for a biting attack while simultaneously whipping his body around for a body slam. Aile was hard-pressed to dodge while also unleashing a few Ice Dragons and Ice Needles of her own. Unfortunately, that same dexterity allowed Coldeel's body to easily slide out of the way of any attack she sent at him.

This isn't going well, Aile remarked to her biometal as she spun sideways to avoid another tail swipe, then fired an Ice Dragon forward at Coldeel's face as he shot forward for a bite, causing him to veer harmlessly away. Any ideas?

I'm working on it, just hold him off for a bit longer, Model L said, sounding preoccupied. And stop trying to hit him with ice attacks, I don't think they're going to work.

I hate to be the one to tell you, but ice attacks are pretty much all we've got!

Then hit him with the trident!

Aile shot upward to avoid a tail sweep, then brought her trident around to meet the follow-up bite. She almost managed to get Coldeel to bite down on the blade, but he veered away at the last moment, allowing her to take a quick swipe at his back instead as he shot downward. His plating was pretty thick, but she thought she may have done some damage. Unfortunately, judging from the lack of reaction from Coldeel, it wasn't much.

His armor is too thick for a slash to penetrate. I'll have to try and get a stab in, see if I can hit anything important...unfortunately she had no idea where the "important" parts of an eel were.

After a few more narrow misses – and a couple of painful hits – Aile realized she wasn't going to get the opportunity she needed. Coldeel was very careful with his attacks, always attacking from awkward angles and prioritizing defense, retreating from any counterattack she tried to mount rather than take a chance.

As her feet rested on the muddy lake bed after evading Coldeel's latest attack, Aile readied herself for the next, but it never came. She looked around for her opponent, but could only see clouds of muck stirred up by their battle. Model L's scanner came up blank as well.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were stalling for time." Coldeel's voice seemed to be coming from everywhere.

"I could say the same about you," Aile replied. "Why don't you just come straight out and face me?"

"I suppose I could...I just thought I would have a little fun first. But you're right – whatever it is you're stalling for, it's best that I kill you before you have time to finish."

A sudden jolt of pain shot through her body. She felt Model L's body armor absorb most of the jolt, but it still hurt. Worse, she had no idea where it came from. It was followed shortly afterward by a few more. Though she was now prepared for it, the quick blasts of pain were enough to take her breath away.

Model L, what's happening? Another burst of pain, this time feeling like it came from the back of her skull.

It's electricity, Model L explained, still sounding distracted. It's passing through the water incredibly fast, and so erratic that I can't trace the source. Unfortunately you're the most conducive material down here, so it's all being drawn to you. I can insulate you from electricity somewhat, but it's too much for me to handle all at once. Just hang on a little longer, I'm almost finished.

"Hmm...that doesn't seem to be working as well as I thought it would..." Coldeel's voice said from somewhere in the dirt cloud. "Maybe your body is built in a similar manner to mine? That would explain a few things. Well, no matter, I'll just increase the voltage."

Aile fell to her knees with a cry of pain as a huge blast of electricity shot through her body. She could tell Model L was doing her best to absorb it, but the power Coldeel was sending into her was overwhelming. I need to get out of here. He's less effective out of the water, I just need to get out until Model L is finished...

She shot off the ground and headed for the surface, but she didn't get far before Coldeel rose out of the dust cloud to chase her. She dodged his first swipe as his teeth shot past, changing direction only slightly, but had to stop and zigzag downward to dodge his next rush. As soon as he was past she shot upward again as fast as she could, but then she felt the sharp pain of an electrical blast shoot through her. She faltered only slightly, but it was enough for the eelroid to get the jump on her – he came at her from a blind spot, ramming head-first into her side. She spun out of control, no longer sure which way was up, and before she could right herself she felt his long, armor-plated body close in around her, squeezing her arms tight against her body. Before she could struggle to free herself he wound his body around her tightly, wrapping her up in his coils.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you go that easily," Coldeel said, a mocking hurt in his voice. "You see, I don't like sharing, so I prefer to keep my toys to myself until I'm finished with them."

Aile, I'm finished, but I have some bad news.

I don't really need any more of that right now, Aile replied as she fought to free her arms, but failed.

I've finished our Biomerge, but we're going to have to re-Megamerge to start it.

If you hadn't noticed, that doesn't really do me much good at the moment! She managed to free one of her arms, but felt the pressure on her body increase. It was getting hard to breathe...

Well, when I started, you weren't being crushed. I fail to see how that's my fault. You shouldn't have let him get you into this situation.

Lecture later, help now! She's almost worked her second arm free when Coldeel chuckled.

"Oh, there's nothing I like better than to see prey struggling to live, not knowing that they had no hope of winning all along."

Aile's body lit up in a blaze of pain as electricity coursed through her, far more than anything Coldeel had shot at her before. She bit back a scream – she didn't want to give him that satisfaction. Her arms went slack, losing all of the gains she'd made against the mechaniloid's coils, which quickly wrapped themselves back around her, crushing her completely.

After what seemed like years the shock finally subsided, but Aile's mind was still reeling from the pain. She could barely remember what was going on, and couldn't form a coherent thought of what to do next...

Until she felt Coldeel's coils crushing her chest again. She pushed back against them with her one trapped arm, and managed to get enough space to get one more gasp of air into her lungs before they coiled tightly again, suffocating her.

"It's no use, you're mine now. No matter how hard you struggle, I'm not going to let go."

Model L, help me! Aile cried frantically in her mind, panicking.

Don't worry Aile, I've got a plan.

I can't breathe, I can't-

Trust me, Aile. I'll handle this.

"I'll admit, I'm a little disappointed. I thought the Model L Mega Man would prove to be a greater challenge when fought underwater. Oh well. The old always yields to the new. Good bye."

Black started closing in on the edges of her vision as another massive shock pulsed through her body. The last comforting thought she had before she blacked out was, at least I didn't scream.


Coldeel kept the voltage up for a few seconds after he felt the girl go limp, just to be sure she wasn't faking it, but figured she'd had enough when her Megamerge ended in a flash of light. He loosed his coils and let her little humanoid body float up through the water, coming up level with his eyes. She looked so frail and harmless, just floating there.

"Hmph. Pathetic." He opened his mouth, his rows of razor-sharp teeth ready to cleave her little body in two, when her eyes shot open, their blue irises staring directly at him. He paused, confused, for just a second – but just long enough for her to mutter one word, obscured by the water, but still audible to his ears.

"Megamerge."

And his world became a blast of blue-white light.


"Sir, there's a strange energy reading coming from the lake," Gardenia reported.

"Define 'strange'," Fleuve replied.

"Well, it sort of resembles Model L, but there's something...something more." Fleuve gave her a questioning look. "I know, I know, it doesn't make sense, but that's the best way I can explain it. It's similar to how Model L looks on the scanner, but there's other readings mixed in too, on more wavelengths than I've ever seen before at once."

Understanding that was the best he was going to get, Fleuve nodded. "Call Aile, make sure she's all right. It might have something to do with that pseudoroid."

"I'm trying sir, but I can't connect," Tulip answered.

"What do you mean, you can't connect?" A hint of fear trickled into his voice. "Do you mean...?"

"No, it's not that. If she were dead I would still be able to raise her communicator. It's like her communicator isn't even there. It's like Aile doesn't even exist anymore."

Fleuve stood quietly for a moment, then said, "Inform Zero of the situation. I want to know exactly what happened. And...tell him to hurry."


Coldeel fought to get his body under control as a massive blast of air and water blew him backward through the lake. The blast of light had only lasted a second, but as he'd been staring right at it, his eyes took a few moments to readjust to the murky darkness of the water. Once he could see again, he saw a completely different person floating gently in the water in front of him than either the Mega Man he'd been fighting, or the human girl who'd floated there lifelessly a moment before.

Thin armor had reappeared over her entire frame, covering her from neck to foot, like a bodysuit. It seemed to flow over the curves of her body like water, and glistened in the watery light like scales. It was impossible to say what shade it was, as it seemed to change from one moment to the next. The surface appeared to ripple as water flowed across it, the edges blurring, but when he blinked it was solid again. It made her figure hard to follow in the shifting light of the water.

Her hands were covered in a white material, likely more pliable than the rest of her armor, so she would be able to wield her trident more efficiently. Her boots were also white, though slightly bulkier, as though they had extra protection in them, and with a white ring running around her leg just above the ankle. They were flat-bottomed, but with curious openings near the heels.

Her helmet was relatively unchanged, though it was now made from the same eye-bending material as the rest of her armor. Two fins protruded from either side to protect her ears, resembling a strange mix between a wave and a fin, as well as a white crest along the forehead with a deep blue gem in the middle. There was a thin sheet of material coming out from under the back of the helmet, but he couldn't tell what it was. Occasionally it resembled hair parting and waving in the current, but most of the time it looked like one solid piece of material with the texture of a solid metal plate. If pressed, he would have said with was both multiple pieces and one solid piece, breaking apart and reforming constantly.

The backs of her legs had two small protrusions each, one on her calf, and one on her shin. They had openings on the ends, and were probably used for propulsion. There were two more on her back, on the tops of her shoulder blades.

The only part of her that hadn't changed at all were her cold, ice-blue eyes, and they were staring directly at him.

Coldeel snorted contemptuously. "Well, that was impressive. But do you really think you can defeat me just because you got some new armor? You're still the same, pathetic Mega Man."

"Am I?" the woman answered. "I think you'll find you're mistaken."

Coldeel raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then what, pray tell, are you?"

The woman smiled coolly. "I am Fairy Commander Leviathan, Siren General of Neo Arcadia, and former Blue Lord of the Meikai Army.

"And I believe you just called me old."


Nothing was working. Even at full power, his electrical attacks that had previously yielded excellent results now produced no reaction whatsoever when they struck her – provided they did strike her. More often than not his attacks passed right through her, like she wasn't even there. He tried to grapple with her, but she now had some trick where she disappeared just before he could reach her, only to reappear behind him, but instead of attacking, she just let out a mocking laugh. He tried to use the dirt from the lake bed to disguise his movements, but she must have been able to track him somehow, because he still couldn't manage to surprise her.

And through the whole thing, there was the smile. It was equal parts mocking and condescending, and completely infuriating. She was playing with him, and she wanted him to know it. The worst part was, there was nothing he could do about it.

"How did she suddenly get so damn strong," he grumbled to himself. "It's not fair!"

"No, it's not," the woman named Fairy Leviathan replied, though he hadn't intended her to hear him. The voice was behind him again, so he spun to meet it. She still floated there calmly, her arms crossed, no weapon drawn, and that insufferable smirk still plastered across her face. "Life so infrequently is.

"However, that is currently your problem. Mine is that I'm needed elsewhere, and you have taken up far too much of my time. It's time to say goodbye."

There was no bravado in her voice as she spoke – it was just a simple truth. Coldeel had no doubt she could follow through on her threat, as he was clearly overmatched by her new form. He saw only one choice available to him.

The eelroid ran.

One of his biggest advantages was his speed, His armor and body were designed to allow for minimal water resistance as he swam, making him incredibly fast in water. Much like he'd previously used his speed to attack, he now used it to make a very hasty retreat. He kicked up as much silt from the lake as possible to cover his tracks, and devoted all his electrical energy into masking himself from her tracking abilities. He'd been so much faster than her before, even with her new powers there was no way she would be able to keep up with him now...

There was a rush of water around him, followed by a sickening crunch as Coldeel swam face-first into something hard. He opened his eyes again just in time to see massive coils of ice, thicker than his entire body, coalesce all around him and wrap him tightly, much the same way he'd done to Aile. He tried to squirm out of their stranglehold, but the coils constricted even tighter, nearly crushing his body into a gooey pulp with a single push. His armor plating, build to withstand the water pressure of deep-sea diving, groaned as it buckled under the strength of the constricting ice.

The silt in front of him parted mysteriously for a moment, and Leviathan appeared with a heavy sigh, shaking her head. "You silly thing. You really thought you could run away from the Queen of the Ocean?" Her lips pouted, but they couldn't hide the malicious glint in her eyes. "Now you've wasted enough of my time that I don't even have time to give you the long, painful death you deserve. I'll just have to settle for quick and terrifying."

And, much to Coldeel's surprise, she swam away.

The eelroid blinked in confusion as she disappeared back into the silt, which quickly billowed up to cover everything again. "You're just going to leave me here?" He exclaimed.

"Oh, no," came her reply. Her voice was already a good distance away. "I'll leave your fate to Jormungandr. You see, he just woke up and I'm afraid he's rather hungry."

"To what...?" Coldeel's question was answered by a pair of glowing eyes that suddenly appeared in the swirling mud and rock. He was just barely able to make out a gigantic mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, crafted entirely of ice, before it bit down on him, punching through his armor like butter.


Just as Zero arrived at the lakeshore he felt a massive shudder through the ground, followed moments later by a huge explosion shooting water up from the lake, which fell back down as a light drizzle and a light mist. He readied his sword at his side and prepared to jump in, then relaxed when he saw the lone figure emerging from the lake in front of him. Even if she looked different, he knew immediately who it was. And by the way she carried herself, with complete and utter confidence and seeming disdain for everything around her, it definitely wasn't Aile.

He waited patiently while Leviathan walked up to meet him, and was startled when her armor started to change in a series of white flashes. The helmet disappeared, while the piece of material that seemed to be coming out of it parted into strands of glossy blue hair that fell down to the middle of her back. The two sets of dash turbines on her legs were the next to go, followed by the two on her back. She was now clad in only her bodysuit, which hugged her curves – all of them – quite favorably. It appeared to be black, but every time sunlight touched her it reflected back as a deep ocean blue. The final change finished just as she reached him – the heels of her boots smoothly rose up two inches, putting her eyes on level with his chin. Despite having just walked up the muddy lakeshore, they were also immaculately clean.

Leviathan stopped a step away from him, then put one hand on her hip as she flicked her newfound hair back with the other. "Well?" She asked, a hint of teasing in her voice. "What do you think?"

Zero kept his expression neutral, and his eyes on her face. The intensity of her ice-blue eyes sent a chill down his spine. "The bit with the heels was some pretty impressive balance, but I don't see how any of the rest is practical for battle."

She chuckled. "Oh, Zero. Always so clueless. This isn't for battle. This is for you."

Then she took one step forward and kissed him full on the lips. Zero barely had time to register it was happening before she pulled back, looked him in the eyes, and sighed heavily.

"The forbidden fruit is always the sweetest," she said cryptically.

Armor reappeared all over her body in a white flash, though it was different from what she had been wearing when she emerged from the water. Zero guessed that she now had a separate set of equipment when she fought underwater versus when she fought on land. Her underwater set had looked like it allowed for increased maneuverability, while this set was clearly made to provide maximum protection.

First to appear was her helmet, which was relatively unchanged. Her hair, however, morphed into something else entirely. While its thickness remained unchanged, it changed from its glossy blue to a more metallic mix of blue and white, with gray in between. The hairs looked more like very small, very thin pieces of metal rather than actual hair. When her head wasn't moving the strands were thick enough to form a solid sheet, protecting the back of her neck from anything but the most powerful plasma blasts and energy weapons from penetrating through. It wouldn't absorb a blunt-force attack, like from a club, but anything strong enough to hurt her through the "hair" and her helmet would probably take her head right off anyway, so it was a moot point.

Next were thick shoulder pads that went almost up to her chin, but stopped far enough back that they wouldn't block her peripheral vision. Chest armor appeared that extended from her neck all the way down to her elbows and waist, with some interlocking pieces around her joints and abdomen so she could still move freely. Separate pieces appeared on her forearms and extended into a gauntlet that covered halfway up the back of her hand, the whole thing much thicker than than the rest of her suit, but it left the rest of her hands with just their white, thinly plated gloves for protection. Zero judged that metal that thick would easily be able to catch and parry all but the strongest beam weapons.

The two dash thrusters reappeared on her shoulder blades, though slightly bigger than before, and with flaps extending out from the bottoms to direct the airflow, allowing her greater control while airborne, though Zero doubted they were powerful enough to allow for full flight – not while she was decked out in this much armor, anyway. Maybe it she were wearing her underwater gear...

The dash thrusters reappeared on the backs of her legs, along with yet more armor that wrapped all the way around her leg, with a special joint at the knee to allow her unrestricted mobility. A thin sheet of armor, similar to what her body suit was made of, appeared around her waist, attached to her chest armor. Starting out blue at the top and fading to white as it went down, it hung down almost to her ankles like a skirt, but left an open area down the front that allowed it to split open, keeping her legs unencumbered. Her boots bulked up around ankles, with a white ring around the top, and the telltale opening of a dash thruster appeared on the bottom...but the two-inch heels remained untouched.

The whole ensemble was colored in a variety of blues and whites, with the white mainly on joints and loose plates as well as on the tips of the helmet fins, while the sturdier armor on her limbs and chest were mainly blue.

"Is that better?" Leviathan asked sarcastically.

"Uh...yeah," was all Zero managed to stammer out, still not fully recovered from the kiss. He really hadn't been expecting that, and wasn't quite sure what the proper response would be. So he didn't have one.

"Hmph." Leviathan turned her eyes away and practically stalked past him, heading back toward the Guardian forces. Zero shivered slightly as a chill breeze swept in behind her. "I'm glad you approve."

Zero watched her walk off without a backward glance. The first battle the God of Destruction has ever lost, he thought sardonically to himself as he hurried to catch up with her and match her stride. He decided he was better off just ignoring the issue.

"So, what happened to Aile?" He asked,

"She passed out fighting the pseudoroid, so I'm in control for the time being," Leviathan replied coolly. "She'll wake soon. Let's get back to the group and get ready to move, we can't afford to be late."

"So, the Ice Queen cometh?" Zero said with a smirk.

"Indeed." A menacing grin spread across her face. "Place your bets; Hell is about to freeze over."


Author's Note

Woot fanservice! :D

This part was originally longer, but I cut a bunch of Ashe and Vent stuff just before posting. I decided I wanted to add some more meat to their scenes, and it started getting so long that it was detracting from Leviathan awesomeness. It also took place a short time after the Coldeel fight, so it felt weird time-hopping around between breaks. It just works out better this way. Luckily for you, this means part 27 is already about half-written, so maybe it wont' take me 11 months to finish it. :P It also contains a brief cameo that a lot of people should be happy to see... ;)

"Wonder Panorama" is from the first ice level in ZX. I love walking in the snow with this song going. It just works. I can't explain why. Anyway, the version on the soundtrack has this cool fake-vocal thing going that you either love or hate, and I love it, so it's one of my favorite songs.

Zero's not quite back to kicking butt yet, so you'll have to wait a bit longer to see the God of Destruction really get into the swing of things. I've got some really sweet stuff planned for him for the finale that you probably won't see coming. You'll also get a bit more explanation on how Leviathan's Biomerge abilities work once Aile wakes up, and you'll also get to see the more fancy moves she's got once she has something more challenging to kill.

Leviathan's new appearance took a lot of thought, which is partly why this chapter took a while to post. I changed it like four times. I was basically going for a cross between her Zero body, Aile's human form, Aile's Model L form, and Lenneth from Valkyrie Profile, but with more armor. She's supposed to look like a walking fortress on land. For her underwater version I was trying to make her as mobile as possible, and I wanted her to resemble a fish somewhat, but enough so much that she looked like an actual fish. It's mostly in the armor, which is supposed to resemble fish scales.

For those too lazy to look it up, Jormungandr is the serpent who circles the world in Norse mythology. Thor fishes him up and punches him at one point! He's supposed to kill Thor during Ragnarok. A lot of things in the Zero games are named after Norse mythology so I thought it fit nicely for a giant sea serpent made of ice.

Once again, thanks to all the people who keep visiting, reading, and reviewing. I'm not sure how people keep finding this fic when it hasn't been updated in a year and has been swallowed into the depths of the interwebs, but it's pretty cool regardless. :)


Outtakes

Zero kept his expression neutral, and his eyes on her face. The intensity of her ice-blue eyes sent a chill down his spine. "The bit with the heels was some pretty impressive balance, but I don't see how any of the rest is practical for battle."

She chuckled. "Oh, Zero. Always so clueless. This isn't for battle. This is for you."

Then she took one step forward and kissed him full on the lips.

A few moments later, Zero pulled her body closer to his, then they both fell to the ground, their hands -

Author: CUT! Zero, Leviathan, what the hell do you think you're doing?! You're supposed to -

Ashe: You're on the internet, man. Rule 34.

Author: What?! NO! No no no no NO! It doesn't work like that! I forbid it!

Vent: Too late. You can't stop the internet. Besides, do you blame him? She's pretty hot in that new suit.

Ashe: *glares*

Vent: I mean...uh...gotta go! *retreats*

Author: GAH! Well...fine then! At least they won't see any here! End chapter!