Chapter 9
Thunder rumbled as Deathstorm stepped out onto the main temple's steps, a sneer on his face. The feeling of power he felt coursing through his body made him laugh with pure pleasure as lightning tore open the sky on Jungle Planet. Rain began to fall in sheets as he transformed from robot mode to dragon form. His great wings spread and with just a single flap, he was forty-five yards above the temple roof, circling before letting loose a roar and flying off towards the mountains in the distance.
The pair of golden optics that watched him narrowed as the form scowled. The form was covered in a brown traveling cloak that hid its body from view, but as thunder roared, the sky being torn open yet again, the form grasped the cloak and whipped it away from itself, exposing its true form, the brown cloak flapping about its neck.
Protoform X frowned as the deadly new addition to the Dark Axis forces faded into the distance. He hadn't expected the band of conquerors to successfully control the strong will of a Cybertronian with a small device like that. It seemed impossible, but then again, if there was anything he recalled from his past experience with small organizations like this, it was that nothing was totally impossible.
He shifted his gaze towards the stars, taking in the locations of the worlds that made up this small power that held the future in their hands. It seemed ironic, really. Rather than a much larger, more experienced, well-known power, only a small, inexperienced, third-rate power was actually aware of the danger and were using whatever methods they had to investigate and they were willing to use their meager resources to try and stop a massive band of dimensional conquerors. The Dark Axis seemed to consider the Intergalactic Federation not much of a threat, but they were becoming aware of the capacities of this meager power.
Protoform X himself was all too aware of the Federation's abilities in battle, for he himself had been engaged in one with them as his opponent. He had learned the hard way that they were to never be underestimated, especially when the freedom of others was threatened. Humanity, the main species in the organization, was a deadly race due to their capacity for forgiving and destruction merged into one force.
It was strange, really. Humans were weaker than the Dark Axis soldiers, yet they were more powerful in groups, especially when armed with lasers, starfighters, and alien tech that they knew little about. They seemed to find information about the tech they took from other powers and incorporated that information into their own, making it more powerful, deadlier, and tougher in many ways that didn't make sense.
The one thing that puzzled him about the humans was the fact that their hunger for freedom was far stronger than that in the beings he had fought alongside many times in his past. They seemed to yearn for it more than those who had been fighting for it for many years, human time. It seemed to be the force that drove them to unite into one world and spread outwards, becoming the leader in an alliance that was considered weaker than the others.
Yet, something else seemed to be driving them, and this one feeling was one that was a mystery to even himself. He had seen many beings during his lifetime fight and die in the name of freedom, yet they weren't considered true freedom fighters like it was with the humans.
"Humanity…what does that mean?" he murmured, watching the stars as they began to fade from view.
In Lacroa…
The setting sun shone brightly in his eyes as they emerged from the prison corridors into some kind of chamber. He squinted his eyes shut, trying to keep the light from blinding him. He waited a few seconds before he opened them, slowly taking in their location.
"Where are we?" he murmured.
Deed moaned slightly on his back. Voltage glanced at him before he adjusted his grasp. "You okay, Deed?"
"Ugh…Not really. I need something to eat before I pass out," he whispered.
"I bet. Sorry if I don't have anything on me," Voltage said apologetically.
Deed managed a weak grin. "It is all right, my friend."
Voltage glanced about the chamber. "So, where are we, anyway?" he asked.
Deed pointed with a shaky finger. "We are in the main entrance chamber for Lacroa Castle. See the double Mana Circle there? That is the family crest for the king and his family," he said.
"Family crest? You mean this place is the central command center?" Voltage asked.
Deed cocked an invisible eyebrow. "Central command center? I do not know what thy be talking about."
"…" Voltage sighed before speaking. "Back home where I come from, the central command center is sort of like a castle, only there is no royal family crest. It's sort of like…" His voice trailed off as he struggled to come up with a comparison. "…do you know what a command post is?"
Deed nodded. "Yes. We have them on the ramparts to house the heads of the guards during combat."
"Good. Well, it's sort of like that, only it's not located on anything. In fact, it's much different. The central command center is where the commands of battle are given from. It's also the storehouse for many different weapons including shield generators, blasters, and long range weapons. There are also runways for launching our fighter craft and some even have docks for warships," Voltage explained.
"Fighter craft?" Deed inquired.
"Yeah. They are flying vehicles capable of great power and speed, powered by energon engines and they use rigid wings for lift. A rudder and a set of flaps enables steering and adjustment for altitude. There's even a set of flaps on the wings used for adjusting the angle of the craft's climb or dive," Voltage stated.
"Engines?"
"Yeah. Did you think we used simple methods to power our machines?" Voltage asked.
"Machinery that does not use manual power? Mana…"
"Big shock, huh?" Voltage remarked, looking back at him with a glint in his youthful brown eyes.
"Yes. I must say it is…" Deed's voice trailed off.
"Voltage. The name's Voltage," the Gundam carrying him said.
"Well, then I must say that it is a big shock indeed, Voltage."
"Anyway, if you don't know what a warship is, then…"
"I know what a warship is," Deed remarked.
"Good. The only difference is that there's a metal hull, energon engines to power it, and many weapons that you haven't heard of," Voltage remarked, shifting his grip on the Knight Gundam.
"Energon?"
"Yeah. It's the mineral we use to power our vehicles and machinery. Almost everything is powered by energon, except for the basics."
"Almost?" Deed asked, obviously wondering what his rescuer was talking about.
"Let's just say that there's one thing that doesn't use energon for power," Voltage said, his voice suddenly growing soft as he recalled the shape underneath the water of the Atlantic Ocean.
"What be that?"
"You don't want to know."
"Oh."
Voltage adjusted his grasp a second time when suddenly a blast of cold air struck him head on. He barely dodged to the side, Deed's arms tightening painfully around his throat. "Whoa!"
"Heh. Well, well. Seems like you managed to find someone here," Subzero's voice purred from the shadows.
"What's it to you, you traitor!?" Voltage snapped.
"Now, is that any way to greet an old friend?" Subzero asked mockingly.
"You're not my friend anymore! If you were, then you wouldn't be a traitor!" Voltage spat.
"I'm sorry you feel that way about me," Subzero mocked. "I guess we'll have to change that…"
"Voltage! It's Voltage, traitor!"
"Ooh. You changed your name? Not something I expected, but nonetheless, it will be a pleasure to kill you!" Subzero sneered.
"What's that got to do with anything?" Voltage yelled.
"This. ICE BOMB!"
Voltage felt his Soul-Drive seize up in his chest as the bombs of ice formed in the air in front of him. His eyes shrank in horror and he braced for the impact he knew was coming.
"AURA SHOCKWAVE!"
"SHOCKER CANNON!"
"SOLAR FLARE!"
"SONIC WAVE!"
"Super Magical Violet Tornado!"
"Captain Punch!"
"MANA PULSE!"
BAOOM!
The explosion rocked the whole castle as the eight attacks collided. The shockwave blew the two Gundams flat onto their backs, the wind knocked out of their bodies.
"…" Subzero didn't even say anything as he stepped out of the shadows, puzzled.
"Looks like we'll finally settle the score now!" Sayla said as she stepped out of the smoke, laser sword glowing brightly.
Deed struggled to sit up, stunned by the sudden appearance of these mysterious warriors.
"Who art thou?" he murmured.
"Who we are isn't important right now. Right now you need to stay back behind me," Sayla said, glancing back at the injured Gundam.
"Still the same as always, Yashaki. I should've known that you would protect the weak," Subzero murmured as he stepped out of the shadows.
"Doesn't matter. You still owe us for that betrayal you pulled, and you know it!" Sayla snapped. Her laser sword began to glow brighter.
"Where are the rest of your little teammates?" Subzero asked.
"Right here!" T.J. yelled, darting out of the smoke, fist clenched tightly, drawn back for the punch.
"…ATTACK!" the Dark Axis Gundam roared.
"ZAKOOOOO!"
"Incoming!" Sayla snapped, her hand shifting back to normal.
"DAH! I kill you for Zeta and Gouf!" Demon Dom cried as he suddenly barreled through the charging Zako hoard.
"Great! Just great! Why did they have to bring him along?!" T.J. moaned as he dodged a bullet.
"Not sure, but this time, we must be prepared," Zero murmured.
"What? Why?" Shute asked as the others emerged from the smoke.
"I sense that he has gained new powers."
"Powers? As in Unicron's powers?" Shute breathed.
"I fear that may be so, Shute, but we cannot be certain without further evidence," the knight said grimly.
"What're you guys doing here?" Voltage blurted.
"Here to save your aft, that's what," Meisha said, hefting her laser pistol.
"Heh. What can you guys do now?" Subzero remarked, holding his beam sabers at the ready. "Especially with more of my Zako army and Demon Dom?"
"Zane, you and the others keep the Zakos busy. I'll handle Demon!" Sayla said.
"Right!"
"Are you sure, because if he has Unicron's powers, you won't stand a chance!" Kicker said worriedly.
"I may not, but it's better than sitting around and doing nothing!" Sayla remarked getting her gun ready for battle.
"Dahhhh…"
"ATTACK!" Subzero screamed.
"Now!" Zane yelled.
The battle began immediately. Voltage barely dodged Subzero's thrusts as it was, but with a knight Gundam in bad condition on his back, there was no way he could fight. He jumped to the side and laid Deed on the ground.
"Why are you here?" Voltage asked, glaring at Subzero.
"Simple: I'm here to destroy you and prevent you from getting your hands on the Superior Dragon!" Subzero hissed.
"You won't stop us because we are the Intergalactic Federation!" Voltage snapped.
"Heh. Your ideals are puny against the might of the Dark Axis!" Subzero said with an evil glint in his eyes.
"Why do you want to stop us from getting the Superior Dragon?!" Voltage screamed.
"Simple really. You are too weak to handle its immense powers! Only one such as the Supreme Commander of the Dark Axis can wield its powers!" Subzero cried.
"…" Deed was silent during this whole exchange. The power he had fought so hard to protect was about to become that of the Dark Axis…
And yet, here were these fighters from a land unknown even to him…
"EVERYONE! COMBO MANEUVER! NOW!" Sayla yelled.
"Roger!"
"Sun Missile! Level 40!" Zane thrust his arm forward, unleashing his signature attack.
"Sonic Wave! Level 10!" Syrus fired off a sound wave that forced a bunch of Zakos to cover their audios.
"AURA SHOCKWAVE!" Sayla slashed as hard as she could, unleashing her signature move.
"AURA FORCE DEVESTATION!"
"HAI! ICE IMPACT!" Subzero roared.
Both attacks collided in an explosion of light and sound, but the oncoming shockwaves weren't as powerful as they were normally. Voltage felt his Soul-Drive stop in shock as the realization sank in: they were doomed unless a miracle occurred.
"Mana Shield!"
As a hail of machine gun bullets came right at them, Voltage braced for the impact on his body armor, expecting to feel surges of electricity along the wounds, but instead, what he heard sounded similar to bullets ricocheting off an energon shield.
"Huh?" He opened one of his eyes cautiously. A surprising sight greeted his eyes.
"What?"
He opened both eyes just in time to take in the sight of a female soldier holding her hands out in front of her, a strange seal similar to Zero's Mana Disks in front of them, her short hair blowing about her face, violet eyes narrowed in determination as the hail of bullets continued to impact her shield.
"…Can it be…?" Deed was shocked. She was back?!
"Voltage! Get Deed out of here!" the soldier yelled. "I can't hold this back forever!"
"Uh, right!" Voltage hesitated, but he grasped Deed's limp form and picked up the knight Gundam. "C'mon! We're getting outta here!"
The soldier gritted her teeth and upped the power to her shield, her muscles straining to hold back the ever increasing bullet numbers.
"Halt! Cease fire!" Subzero hissed.
The bullets stopped, giving the soldier enough time to grin.
"Take this! Mana Disk!" She gripped the edges of the disk and twisted her body, throwing it like a Frisbee at him.
Subzero snarled and activated his jetpack, hovering above the incoming disk.
"Fire Wave!" the soldier cried.
"WHA!" The wave of fire barely nicked his armor, making him realize that she was toying with him.
"INCOMING!" Sayla cried.
The soldier glanced back and barely dodged as a powerful shockwave came right at Subzero. His eyes shrank as it impacted with a satisfying explosion.
Sayla ran up, hand in weapon mode. She stopped at the soldier.
"Name and rank, soldier!" she barked.
"No time! Incoming!" Zane yelled, shoving Sayla to the floor just as a rocket launched from Demon Dom and a few Zakos impacted the palace wall behind her.
Debris fell around them, held off by only Zane's aura guard.
"AGH! Man! How much power does this guy pack!" Zane grunted.
Kicker stood next to the wall, hand on his code. He felt like calling out his starfighter's name, but he doubted it would even come to this new dimension.
"Primus…I sure hope a miracle occurs," he murmured.
On Earth…
President Warren shifted in her seat as she studied the reports sent by Ciel and her team dealing with the investigations into the control horns and their control mechanisms.
The values of life are very important to all of us here in the Intergalactic Federation and to those of us who wish to see a peaceful universe with no war, no poverty, no hunger and no famine, let alone savage practices amongst some of the other space-faring races.
The Dark Axis is our complete opposite. They have no value for life in any form, especially organics and mechanicals alike. They tend to prefer control over the mechanical beings of the universe, and they gain this control through the devices known as control horns.
In their closed state, they look relatively harmless and are pretty much powerless, unless given a time to activate and initiate complete control over the mechanical being it's attached to.
When activated, the control horns use a complex algorithm to completely override the mechanical being's personality programming and rewrite it to a standard the Dark Axis can connect with. The personality programming is shut down and stored in some kind of small point in a void that we have taken to calling the Brain World. Not much is known about it, just that somehow it connects to the mechanical being's central programming and connected also to a central hub called the Brain Center.
We are still working on researching this, President Warren, so it will take some time to fully take apart the control horn's complex functions. I hope this is good enough for now.
Ciel Lang
Orca
Agricultural Department, Intergalactic Federation
The President set the report down on her desk and laced her fingers behind her head. So far, the investigations were going well, but she knew from personal experience that things always had some kind of hidden cost.
The mention of this Brain Center was the most mysterious aspect so far. What was it exactly? And what was the connection?
"The Brain World…what is it?"
She knew that Primus had many Autobot, Decepticon, and Minicon sparks located in him, but she wondered if there was a much deeper level beyond that. A level that no Cybertronian bothered to investigate. A level that could be very well the key to discovering more about the control horns and a way to disrupt the programming within.
She shifted through the stack of reports, finding one that had been sent from Seto on Kax, where they were conducting intense research into the BagguBaggu and the petrification process and ways to reverse it.
President Warren.
Seto here. Thought I'd send you what we've managed to gather.
Seems like the Dark Axis discovered a way on how to alter molecules in those they petrify and turn to stone. It's supposed to be scientifically impossible, but somehow, some way, they did it.
It's actually a very ingenious method, although it's very complex. The simplified version: those critters have the ability to transform the flesh and blood of those that are stung into pure stone using nanotechnology. The nanotech they use utilizes taking stone molecules then swapping them out with the organic molecules inside the bug's body. Nanotech isn't supposed to be used like that, although they have taken it to the most extreme level possible and taught us that it is possible to use nanotech to change the appearance of someone.
We're working on a method to reverse it, but without one of the BagguBaggu for a test subject, we can't test out any of the methods.
One of these methods uses the same kind of nanotech the Dark Axis uses, but in reverse. We swap out the stone molecules in the organic's body for the organic ones. It's bound to work, although I think there is a much easier method.
Hope this helps.
Seto Kaiba
Kax
Engineering Department, Intergalactic Federation
President Warren smiled. Seto and his people were skilled engineers, and they were the best there was. If anyone had to find a way to reverse the process, then they could.
She set the report aside and grasped the next one in the stack, this time from Famous concerning the internal systems of the Dark Axis soldiers they had captured.
Famous here.
Look. I'll just say it straight out. These guys are very intelligent, although we have discovered something surprising. We're still not sure as to what this is, but we're pretty sure that it has to do with whatever method they use to produce some kind of strange power source. It looks like a sphere with rings around it, normally two, but some have three or one. There's a surprising variety of these things. Some have flames in them, but most have lightning and dark energy inside of them, almost like Unicron's spark energy. I'm enclosing an image as to what they look like.
Anyhow, the Dark Axis is very smart when it comes to designing their Zako soldiers. We've been working nonstop since yesterday trying to figure out how all their systems interlink with one another. They have set up all weapons systems with their mind chips and movement systems, but not like the Transformers.
It's much different. Their weapons are linked to their limbs in a unique fashion. They're almost like extensions of the original limb. But this is only for those that can transform.
Most are designed in a normal fashion, and only one or two had these 'Soul-Drives' as we call them. We've removed them and are studying them currently in a high security facility on Connection Seven.
Here's what little we've learned about them:
They are not mechanical. They are sort of a combination of mechanical and organic technology, almost technoorganic, but not quite. We're not sure fully, but here's what we think. They may have removed human souls to make these things, although some of them show signs of having been created by normal technical means and manifesting it into a highly advanced artificial intelligence system in the form of a flame or lightning.
This may help.
Famous
Netopia
Networking and Energy Department, Intergalactic Federation
Her eyes widened as she read the information. Human souls being used to create Soul-Drives? Some being created by normal means was acceptable, but using human souls was way out of line.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
"Huh?" She hit the button on her desk. "Yes?"
"President Warren? Someone's here to see you," Grey said.
"Okay. Send them in."
She had no sooner removed her finger from the comm unit when the door slid open and Xenphyr, the head technician at Earth Federation Medical University, the top medical school in the organization, stepped in.
His red-brown hair was disheveled and his grey-green eyes were a little glassy, but he carried himself with urgency. His lab coat sported numerous black stains and a few energon splotches here and there. Underneath his lab coat, his shirt was rumpled and his pants were wrinkled, as if he had spent the night working on studying something important, which he had.
"President Warren…"
"Xenphyr. What brings you here?" she asked. "Normally you don't come down here. What's going on?"
"Did you read the report Famous sent?" he asked in a low voice.
"Yes. I did. Why?" she asked, wondering where he was going with this.
"Well, remember that intense battle down by the TCDA a little over a month ago?" Xenphyr asked.
"Yes. Why?" the President asked.
"The one who attacked the school…Commander Sazabi, I think…was just brought in by Sayla before they went out on patrol."
"So?" President Warren remarked.
"We did a bit of intense study on him to determine how he got Unicron's powers…and well…" His voice trailed off.
"Hold on! Back up! Did you say Unicron's powers?" she blurted.
Xenphyr nodded grimly. "Yes. I did."
"But…didn't we just destroy him?" President Warren murmured.
"Apparently not, for we discovered that he had been infused with a small portion. Not much, but enough to do some major damage to the entire complex. We also did some study on the power source he had and…" Here Xenphyr hesitated.
"Yeah? Go on," President Warren urged him.
"We found out that it was developed artificially, but a second source we studied revealed that it was human," Xenphyr said quietly. He put his hands to his temples and rubbed them. Obviously he had been working late last night.
"What?" President Warren whispered.
Xenphyr nodded. "It's true. Remember the Orcan technology that Ciel had me develop to save lives?"
"Yeah. It works by transferring human minds into a Reploid body. So?"
"We just did a scan and we found out that the frequency of energy given off by this thing was the same as that of a human soul. Further examination confirmed the worst. The human soul trapped inside the second Soul-Drive had been corrupted by something." Xenphyr removed his hands and looked her in the eyes.
"Human souls in Soul-Drives?" President Warren murmured softly.
the medical officer nodded grimly. "Yes. The human soul, when out of its body, is in an extremely vulnerable state, meaning it can be corrupted by software or by a negative emotion, such as hate or rage. We think that Sazabi, in his human life, was overcome by hatred for something, such as an experiment or something of that nature."
"How did you determine this?" President Warren asked, standing up.
"Like I said. Study. We also know that when horrible experiments are carried out, such as using human test subjects in World War II for deadly germ warfare, the negative emotions run rampant, further tainting others. Same thing happens with normally created Soul-Drives." He looked at her with a grim look in his eyes.
"How did you find that out?" President Warren asked, now suspicious.
"I found something in my office a few days ago. It was a Soul-Drive, but with a note that said 'Study this. You'll be surprised at the results' with a strange sigil beneath it."
"A strange sigil?" She blinked her eyes in confusion.
"Yes, but I don't have the note with me. It's back at the University in my office," Xenphyr admitted.
"But what about this Soul-Drive you found?" she prodded.
"We studied it and it turns out that this one was created through normal means. You remember that we Orcans specialize in AI's, right?"
President Warren nodded. "Yeah."
"Well, this was taken to the next level. The studies we conducted confirmed that it was indeed one that had been programmed, but it had a blank template. In short, it was one that had been created. We've got it in storage now, undergoing study. We're thinking of building a body for it."
"Okay. But why?"
"Look. We need extra backup in case the Dark Axis attacks again. We know that they're after some kind of Gun Utilizing Nano Driven Automated Mecha, so we might as well build one of our own designs."
"Using the Soul-Drive you found?" President Warren asked.
"Yeah. That's the idea."
"Do you have an idea for the design planned out?" she asked.
Xenphyr nodded. "Yeah. It's all set."
"Gender?"
"We're not sure yet, but we think the Soul-Drive might have a female personality. We're only guessing on that part."
"Name?" President Warren asked.
"I'm not sure, but there was a strip of tape on it that said 'Solar'. I think it might be the Gundam's name."
"Okay. Do you have a name for the project you're proposing?" the President asked as she sat back down.
"Yeah. I'm thinking of calling it the S Project," the medical officer replied.
"Okay. I'll ask Ciel to help you out on this."
"No need. I informed her a few hours ago. She gave me the okay."
"…Okay then. It's in your hands."
"Thanks, President Warren."
She merely smiled as Xenphyr stepped out of her office. But deep down, she felt shocked, and horrified beyond mere words.
What she had learned was the most awful thing she could've imagined…
Elsewhere…
A pair of brown eyes flits about the camp, taking in the locations of the guards and the blast marks reminiscent from the battle a few weeks ago. The doors are still lying four miles away and the Zako bodies have begun rusting over, the prisoners long gone, having taken the opportunity to bolt after the mysterious intruders had left in their ship.
Only the guards remain on station, highly alert, although it is pointless now that the doors have been broken off.
He laughs slightly at the sight. He knows that the Intergalactic Federation often left telltale clues they had been there, but not all the time.
"They are sure not that smart, especially since the Intergalactic Federation left their calling card behind," he murmurs, knowing full well that their calling card was the devastation of the areas they visited and liberated.
One of the guards looks over, barely spotting him as he ducks behind an overturned army tank used by the foot soldiers.
He tenses as a guard comes close, his hand closing around his sword.
The guard peers around, only to meet a gruesome end as a spurt of mech fluid and oil flies, landing on the ground behind the still body. He opens his eyes, wiping the mech fluid out of one of them and spitting some out onto the ground.
"Pfft!"
He removes his sword and pulls the body behind the tank, disposing of it in a crudely dug hole. He wipes his sword with a cloth and sheathes it.
"One down, nine hundred more to go," he murmurs…
In Lacroa Castle…
The grenade barely missed her as she flipped to the side, landing on the ground with her gun at the ready. Sweat streaked her face and soaked her uniform, making it stick to her body. She narrowed her eyes as Demon Dom unleashed a slew of bullets at her.
Snarling, she fired off several lasers, but they did little to interrupt his killing spree. His optic was flaring with rage and enjoyment for his sport.
Sayla rolled to the side and grasped a grenade in her hand and pulled the pin. She flipped it right at Dom, bouncing off his armor and landing near him.
"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" she yelled, diving to the ground.
FWAM!
The explosive charge went off, scorching Dom's body and making him cry out in pain as the intense heat enveloped his form, making his armor melt and fuse with his weapons. His arms seemed to fuse to his sides and his large bulk began to sag as the gundanium metal was exposed to intense temperatures created by energon explosives.
"GYAAAAHHHHH!"
She smirked as the Dark Axis weapons expert melted into a heap of slag, his optic lens flaring with rage, hatred, and despair as his life ebbed away from several opened fuel lines.
The black liquid pooled around his body, making him seem like a demon from the Pit rising from a chasm opened in the earth. He also looked like a demon, his guns fused to his back, hunched over like menacing horns. His arms seemed to extend from his sides and his head resembled a skull that had flesh still attached. (Imagine a zombie, but taken to the extreme.)
His cry of pain echoed for a few more seconds until the last of his life force poured out and his optic went dark, signaling that he was dead.
"What?!" Subzero whirled around, eyes small in shock as he took in the distorted form and mech fluid pooled around it, Sayla grinning as she stood up.
"Looks like your little minion is out for the picture," she said confidently.
"I doubt it," Subzero hissed.
"He is. That energon grenade was positioned right in front of him, and I'm sure that Chumly still remembers how lethal they can be at close range!" Sayla remarked, suddenly growing serious. She clenched her fist and her right hand changed into her laser sword. "I know that he's still in there!"
"FOOL! He no longer exists! Just me, Subzero! I won't go back to being a human!" Subzero screamed, ice shards clustering around his body.
"Oh, boy!" Sayla squeaked.
Subzero thrust his arms forward, launching the shards right at her.
She braced for impact.
On Earth…
Guneagle sat next to Baku's bed that evening, holding the musha close. He could tell that he was still scared by the experience and he felt sorry for him.
Baku whimpered in his sleep, prompting the young flyer to start rubbing the musha's head, running his hand through the soft gundanium hair lovingly. He began to shudder a little at the motion, but he didn't even shy away, for right now, Guneagle was the only one he could turn to.
He felt frustrated at not being able to help Baku in any way. It felt like he had been stripped of his wings during a battle with the Dark Axis, fighting on the ground, unable to provide any help to them from the air. The fact that he wasn't able to help left him feeling also a bit sad.
He closed his eyes and murmured in Baku's audio one last time. Not much, just three little words. Yet those words made him feel better all the same.
"I love you…"
In Lacroa…
The shards homed in on Sayla's form, making Subzero smirk all the more. Zane's eyes widened in shock and surprise as they came right at her.
"NO!" he shouted.
He broke off from his fight with a few Zakos and ran towards Sayla who was braced for impact. Adrenaline boosted his speed, enhancing his reflexes and muscles for fight or flight. His heart pounded in his chest as he increased his speed. He gritted his teeth, gathering his aural energy for one shot. If he failed, then Sayla would be dead, as would he.
"Here goes nothing! SOLAR SURGE!" he roared.
The energy began to gather around his body, making the air waiver as the light waves were bent to his will. His hair began to move as if in an invisible wind, and his blazer began to wave behind him. He threw his arms forward, the light energy gathering around them. "HAAAAH!" He clenched his fists and the light energy fired in a pulse of energy, streaking towards the shards of ice and impacting them.
The ice shards disintegrated into many pieces before a larger, more solid shard impacted, causing an explosion that blew the two humans onto their backs.
Sayla went skidding on her back, her gun taking the brunt of the impact. A few military rations flew from her belt and landed on the floor next to the two Gundams.
Voltage stared at one of the packs before he glanced back at Deed. His gaze shifted back to the military rations and an idea formed in his mind.
He dove for one of the packs and his hand closed around it just as a Zako opened up on him. He pulled it close to his chest as he landed on the ground, the bullets impacting the stone wall behind him, sending chips raining down on him and nicking his armor, drawing little bits of mech fluid.
He commando-crawled back towards Deed, holding the pack in hand.
Deed looked up at him as he got onto his knees and placed a hand on his shoulder. He opened his mouthpiece and grasped one end of the pack in his teeth. He tore it open and spit out the top before handing it to the famished knight.
"Here. It's not much, but it'll restore your strength somewhat," Voltage explained as he handed the pack to the knight. Deed took it and looked at the contents.
"What…?"
"Look. Just eat. We need your help," the Earth-Gundam explained.
"O-okay." Deed reached in and took out the rations inside. He opened his own mouthpiece and crammed the food in his mouth.
As soon as it touched his tongue, he began to feel slightly better. The feeling began to come back to his body and he felt his strength returning. His whole body tingled as the Mana began to course back through his circuits and systems. He felt his Gunsoul pulse increase with power and he smiled.
He finished eating and looked at Voltage. "Thanks."
The other Gundam removed his hand from his shoulder and he staggered to his feet, feeling his strength gathering again.
He focused his Mana and he began to hover off the ground. He felt a fluttering sensation in his gut as he stared in shock and amazement.
"Mana…!" he whispered.
"Looks like you regained your strength, Deed!" Subzero hissed, his beam sabers glowing brightly as he lunged at the knight.
"Mana! Give me your power!" the Knight Gundam yelled. The blue energy began to glow along his hands and he pushed them out in front. "MANA SHIELD!"
"Impossible! You weren't given enough food!" Subzero yelped.
"That's the beauty of Federation rations. They can give someone enough strength to keep fighting, depending on what world they're made on. For Earth, the rations restore your strength to almost half," Sayla explained as she dodged a grenade from a Zako soldier.
"…" Subzero was silent.
"You still recall, right Chumly?!" Sayla purred.
"NO! I'M NOT HUMAN ANYMORE!" Subzero roared. But something stirred in his Soul-Drive, something he had sealed away...
SDGIFSDGIFSDGIF-Flashback-SDGIFSDGIFSDGIF
The three friends ran through the grass, laughing, playing innocently as the sun shone down on them.
One of the humans was a boy with messy brown-black hair and brown-grey eyes and a stocky build. He wore a simple T-shirt and shorts, nothing on his bare feet.
The second, a boy with short reddish-brown hair and youthful brown eyes laughed as the first boy tackled him, rumpling his blue shirt and red shorts.
The third boy jumped on top of the other two, laughing as the wind teased his light blue hair.
"Hey, Chumly?" the second boy asked.
"Yeah, Jaden?" the first boy, Chumly, wondered.
"Do you think we'll be friends forever?" Jaden asked.
"I know it, Jaden!" Chumlu chirped.
"What about me?" the blue-haired boy pouted.
"You too, Syrus, you too…" Jaden giggled.
SDGIFSDGIFSDGIF-End Flashback-SDGIFSDGIFSDGIF
Subzero stood there, unable to launch the attack as he had planned. What…What's happening?! he thought. He couldn't be regaining his humanity, could he? If so, then he had to kill himself to prevent it, and yet…he couldn't. It felt like his body was unable to move.
"This…this can't be happening…" he murmured.
Sayla watched in amazement as he hesitated. Her eyes widened as she noticed how his body seemed to be unable to move. His eyes glinted strangely, almost as if something were trying to reach out to her. Was it possible…?
The teenage commander knew that it was foolish to get her hopes up, especially in a fight that she knew they couldn't win, yet this time it seemed right to get her hopes up. She gripped her gun and charged at Subzero, knowing that time wasn't on their side if he could keep his humanity at bay.
"CHUUUUUMLYYYY!" she yelled.
Subzero didn't answer. Instead he clenched his fists and yelled out in rage, startling her. "DIE, HUMAN SCUM!"
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!" She fired off a barrage of bullets that peppered the ground in front of him, stitching a pattern towards him.
He sneered at her attack and tensed. Just as the bullets neared him, he jumped to the side, his hand going for one of his beam sabers and he gripped it.
He removed it from its slot and ran right at her, the glowing blue-grey blade igniting and shining menacingly at her in the dim light from the sun. "HAAAAAAH!"
He slashed as hard as he could, the unexpected force from the assault knocking her gun clean out of her hands. The weapon went sailing end over end before clattering to the ground a good ten yards away from her. She glanced over her shoulder at the spot and cursed. She had let her guard down.
"Now, time to die!" Subzero screamed.
"NO!" Sayla tensed her body and brought her hand up in a blocking motion.
"Heh. You think you can block my weapons with your bare hand?" Subzero sneered.
"I don't think it, I know it!" Sayla said, hearing the familiar phrase that had helped them out so many times before slipping past her lips.
Subzero grinned as the blade came down, ready to cleave her in half.
Instead of feeling the familiar jolt of the blade cutting through flesh, what he felt was a sudden jolt of pure force as something closed around his beam saber's blade. He glanced at her, stunned that she had indeed managed to catch the blade in, not one hand, but both hands!
"WHAT?! Impossible! No human can stop the laser without having their hands cleaved off!" Subzero blurted.
"That's because you think in terms of pure power now! You forgot what it means to be human, and that is what is going to lead to your downfall!" Sayla said.
"So? What does being a human have to do with the fact that you stopped my beam saber with both hands?!" Subzero snapped.
"A human learns to deal with the pain, to accept their limitations, even if it means that they lose something! But you obviously forgot that I'm a hybrid of two races! Human and Reploid!" the hybrid spat.
"Hah! Even a hybrid can't stand this for long!"
By now, the other battles had stopped and the fighters were watching Subzero and Sayla duke it out.
She knew that he was right, for the flesh on her left hand was beginning to feel too hot for her liking. She tensed her body and, with a sudden jerk of her arms, sent the blade downward at an angle. Subzero's eyes shrank in amazement as she planted her smoking hand on the ground and brought her foot up in a Metalikido kick. Her foot made contact with his lower jaw and he was sent sailing back for fifteen yards. He skidded onto the ground, throwing up dust and dirt before springing back into action with a handspring. She flipped onto her feet and clenched her fist tightly before throwing a punch at his lower torso. He dodged to the side and lashed out with a side kick, nailing her in the lower torso. She grunted, but didn't let up as she used her momentum to amplify her next punch. Her armored fist made contact with his chest and he staggered back, struggling to draw air into his intakes. She didn't give him any time to take in air. She leapt into the air and using her momentum, spun around before delivering her signature move combination: She lashed out with three punches at the same time, one after another: one to his face, one to his chest, and one to his lower torso. The triple punches forced him back. By now he was gasping, drawing air into his intakes. He glanced up, only to receive a roundhouse kick to the side of his head before he staggered back, rubbing the area of impact. As he looked up, his eyes shrank in horror as her palm impacted his chest, right over his Soul-Drive.
"Yeah! Nothing can survive that combo!" T.J. grinned.
"Hmph. Just as I figured. No one, and I mean no one, messes with her after that," Zane said, a slight smile visible on his face.
"Zako! No! Zako!" the Zakos moaned.
"Good timing," Kicker sighed.
"All right!" Voltage yelled excitedly.
"Finally," Baston murmured.
"What…? How…?" Subzero slumped to the ground, beaten, battered and worn out from the fight.
"It's over. We win," Sayla remarked, panting heavily, her uniform now obviously soaked with sweat, yet she still stood strong.
"Not…by a long shot!" Subzero rasped. He struggled to sit up, but he couldn't. His body wouldn't let him.
"Sorry, Chumly, but it is. You can't fight us now and hope to win. We're the winners here. Not you," Meisha remarked.
"…" Subzero looked at her menacingly, but she didn't yield.
"It's over."
"Okay. We won, but now there's one question that I can't find an answer to," said Syrus. "How in Primus' name are we going to get back home?!"
"…" No one had an answer for that.
In the shadows of Lacroa Castle…
The intruder looks at them with his brown eyes. He grips a huge fan in one hand and sighs.
"And I thought they would have figured out dimensional travel by now…"
He snaps the fan shut and draws a crude square in midair. The portal shimmers before fading and appearing in front of the groups outside his hiding place.
"This will get them back, hopefully in time to stop the third one…"