Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Medabots or any related names and brand(Who belong to Kodansha, Natsume, Hasbro, Nelvana and a bunch of other people I'm not sure I know),I am writting this fic out of fun and I am not making any profit from it and I'm poor,please don't sue me!
AN: To Jack: Sorry but there is no joining, I already got all my characters. Sorry if I misled you in anyway.
Chapter 2: Body of Metal
One of the things I learned about Medabots is that they have an instinctive knowledge of what time of the day it is, some sort of inner clock. I discovered it when I realised I knew that it was late afternoon when I reached town. I entered town in a calm neighborhood, the kind you see in Anime with nice house surrounded by white walls. In the distance I could clearly see a school with a clock tower indicating it was indeed around 4 PM, exactly what I tought. Up ahead I could see a small park, as I got closer I could hear and see a fountain. It was a nice park with a bunch of trees, bench, a monkey cage, a slide and some swings. Nobody was around and I decided it would be as good as any to stop, thus I sat down (or rather up considering I had to leap up due to my short stature) on one of the benches. I could feel heat in my legs, I had run so fast for so long my articulations were overheating, and I was still 'panting', altough I held no control over it. At least I wasn't sweating.
I felt so confused. How could this be? I was a Medabot? Could it be just a dream or was it the impossible truth? I looked at myself, if I believed my eyes, or optic or whatever, it WAS true. My body was now metallic and robotic. I guess I better describe myself now. Beside my blocky yellow and blue forearm, my arms are small and look so frail like a lot of Medabots and are yellow. My purplish blue shoulder pads are mostly square but one of the corner is dulled and I got a golden canon sticking out sideway. For a moment I wondered if those were decorations or had actual firepower. My chest is mostly that weird purplish blue that seams to be my main color, but there is two vertical yellow rectangle in the middle. My chest has such a weird angle that sometimes I wonder if the original intent was to make my type female but it was changed half-way in the design process. My... lower body, for lack of better word, is all purple exept for a yellow plate of armor screwed to the front with two visible screws one above the other. My upper legs are large and yellow, just like my ball like knees. My lower legs,who also partially cover my feet (like Metabee if you wish) are the same purple blue and my feet themself are yellow. My feet have this strange vent coming out of the top. When I first saw them I had NO idea what they were for. I also have a cylindrical yellow device stuck on the outer side of each of my feet, even now I'm not sure what those things are for.
Back then the only thing I couldn't see, for obvious reason, was my head. But luckily I had a water fountain nearby, and with luck it would be calm enough for me to see myself in it. So I leaped down my bench and slowly walked over the fountain. If I still had a biological heart I can tell you it would have been beating loudly. I was very nervous of what I would see, but I had to be sure I truly was a Medabot from head to toe. Off course the idea that I could only have the body of a Medabot was ludicrous, but at that time I wasn't thinking straight, I was still under shock. So I reached the fountain and the spot I was looking down was just calm enough. My image appeared in the natural mirror. It was slightly deformed but I could see a big purplish blue head. I first noticed I didn't have eyes but a visor! A loose 'T' shape, but the 'foot' of the 'T' is very short and ends in the middle of my yellow face plate. Above my visor is a large half circle yellow formation, some sort of armoring with a screw visible in the middle. There is also some kind of slot tracing under the armor plating, aligned perfectly with the screw and going up a few inches. As if that yellow plate could be move up, but I decided not to try just yet. On each side of my head I have what might look like ears, dark blue formation from wich shoots upward two pointy golden metalic piece, a bit like mock canon. What was a real surpise was the discovery of what I first tought to be wings coming from my back. Those things look like bird wings when spread high above themself with two blocky 'feather' sticking at the top, they are mostly dark blue exept for a large yellow trim on their 'underside', or the outer side if you wish.
I reached up to touch those device, I tried to move them but they were stuck upward, it wasn't very comfortable to try to pull them. I decided to satisfy my curiosity and try to move that yellow plate on my head. I slowly reached up, I took a second to look at my hand when it passed in front of my eyes... or optic. I need to ask someone wich it is. I finally reached it and pushed up, it slowly went up then locked into place a top my head. That's when it happened, I suddenly became aware of everything around me, even behind me! It was as if I was seeing it all, but in black and white, no color. I stopped for a moment to feel it. I had a radar, that was amazing and also a bit confusing since I could still see in front of me. I suddenly detected kids coming in my range, they were playing with a ball, passing it as they ran through the park, they seam very young, since they were about my height. One of them missed and the ball rolled toward me. I reached to shut down my radar, sliding down the armor plate just as the ball hit the back of my foot. I turned around and grabbed it . A boy came to me and I handed him the ball.
"Thank you Mister Medabot! What's your name?" Asked the boy.
"My name?You want my name... It's... it's... it's Cruise-Gunner." I managed to say.
"It's a nice name. Bye bye!" He said, running off to his friend.
I suddenly realised I couldn't remember my name! I had instinctively blurt out the name Squidguts had given me. I THINK it was Squidgut who gave that name to me. Sure it wasn't half-bad but it was kinda weird, even if the kid liked it. I didn't understand, I tried to remember my name but I couldn't. Every time I recalled the time I was human, even my MOTHER seamed to call me Cruise-Gunner! Why would parents name their HUMAN kid 'Cruise-Gunner' ? It was just as confusing as the radar. I decided to try to find a new name, but until then I would use Cruise-Gunner. I sweared I wouldn't end up like the Doctor in Voyager, spending seven season trying to find a name but having something bad happen everything I choose one and then ending up with a name like 'Joe'.
For now I couldn't just stand around wondering what my true name was, I had to find someone from the show, I had to contact Doctor Aki, even if there was almost no chance he had a cure for this. I tought for a moment about what to do and decided I should find the 24 Hour Hop-mart. I recalled my school years, and teacher only leave school at around five. I considered the distance betweem me and the school I saw in the distance and decided to head there: with luck I could ask someone where was the 24 Hour Hop-Mart, and maybe someone knew exactly WHAT type of Medabot I was. Thus I walked toward the School clock tower I could see in the distance, hoping I wasn't wrong and that it was really a school. Off course if this was really Japan, I was right. For a moment I realised I just talked with a Japanese boy and understood everything, in fact the Rubberobos were japanese as well... so now I could speak and understand Japanese, what a strange thing, I wondered if I could speak and understand English and French like I used to when I was human. For now I headed off toward the school.
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"So how much efficiency did you gained since last time I was here?" Asked the young woman, her nose stuck to the glass separating her from the tin-pet assambly line.
"75% according to the latest study." Answered Dr. Aki with a wide smile.
"Wow... impressive Grand-pa. You're factory is as impressive as ever!" Complimented Nae, getting off the window.
"Thank you." Replied the doctor as the two started walking again.
"So how long will you be in Japan?" Inquired the older man.
The girl seam to think for a second "I'd say about two month." She answered "It's the time I got before Engineering School resume... I'll probably go back home after the Championship."
The Doctor nodded and pulled out a key card as the pair reached a locked door "I see... Have you seen Henry since you got here?"
The girl shook her head "No I didn't have time yet. I heard some impressive news about the Phantom Renegade and Space Medafighter X tough, Henry seam to be just as talented as always, especially as a Medafighter."
The door opened to a darkened room were many liquid filled glass tube were glowing slightly. Each tube was containing a Medal.
"Henry's been of great help, thanks to him we already saved a lot of Rare Medals. We got twice as many as last time you visited." Explained Dr. Aki, showing his grandaughter the room.
"Impressive..." Said Nae before she gasped, remembering something "...By the way, I found this outside, is it one of yours?"
Nae pulled the Medal she had found out of her pocket and showed it to her Grandfather. The red stone was reflecting the light from the glass tube. The doctor took it in his hand to observe it more closely.
"No...it's the first time I see a Red Stone Medal... and I know for sure that nobody else in the world knows how to make Medals. How intriguing, even the oldest Rare Medals have an aquamarine stone." He commented.
"Then maybe we should try it out in a Medabot then! I was thinking of getting one of my own, I mean it's only natural since I am your grand-daughter." Proposed Nae.
"Allright, we'll go to storage and you can choose the model you like... I'll show you our new line!"
"I'd like something very Japanese like. I don't see much of those at home in America." Commented the girl with a grin.
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Samantha had just finished eating dinner and went to her room. Peppercat was sitting at the girl's desk, browsing the web. The Medabot turned her head when she heard the door open.
"I found something boss!" She declared happily.
"What you got?" Asked the Medafighter, walking toward the computer screen.
"They say here that Ladybug Medal are good for shooting, but for fast and manoeuvrable shooters, not the tank kind. I checked the compatible models and I found this new model!" Explained Peppercat, bringing a window to the foreground.
Sam's eyes went wide "WOW! This is perfect! It's cool, looks a bit like you and will be perfect for the team!"
"And you just saved enough money to afford it. I also know Mister Henry's store just got it lately." Added the CAT -type.
"Allright! Tomorow after school we're getting a BPT!" Cheered Samantha, raising her fist to the air.
Peppercat then mimicked her Medafighter"YEAH!" She called.
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I finally reached the school, and just in time too because I saw a few adults exchange a few words before parting ways with good byes and whatnot. The school was the kind you seam to always see in Anime, with the large flat roof student can visit, the clock tower, the white walls surrounding it, the dusty courtyard, everything. I closed my eyes for a second to get ready. Sure I was a 1 meter tall robot now, but Medabots were common in this world, so there wouldn't be anything weird about me asking for direction. One of the teacher, a man in a grey suit, was walking in my direction. I tried to relax and act as casual as possible as I walked slowly so I could meet him, trying to look like everything was fine... while it really wasn't.
"Hm... excuse me... sir. " I said, stopping and doing a quick bow "I am new in town and I am looking for the 24 Hours Hop-Mart. Do you know by any chance the direction from here?" I asked as politely and as calmly as I could, trying to sound like one of the normal Medabots, as not to arouse suspicion.
"Hm... the Hop-Mart... Oh yes, take the second to your left from here, then the first right, at that point you'll reach the river, take the bridge you see on your left and you just keep going straight and you should see the store." Explained the man, without much enthusiasm.
"Thank you very much sir... I'm sorry I bothered you. Good bye." I finished, before bowing again and walking past the teacher.
"Wait... tell me, who's your Medafighter?" He inquired.
I stopped dead in my track. I didn't need a split second to consider what to answer because the answer came to me naturally and I was sure of it.
"I don't have a Medafighter." I said, before dashing off in the direction of the 24 Hour Hop-Mart, leaving behind a surprised and intrigued teacher.
The direction the man had gave me were perfect and easy to follow. Soon I had reached the river. Once again I felt like I truly was in an anime, wich is legitimate considering where I was and am. The river was just like on the show and many others, with steep grassy side and small bridges. It was a calm little stream, but I guessed it could rise pretty high in times of high rain. For some reason the water seam to invite me, it was particularly tempting since the Sun was shining and I had been running for the past minutes, overheating my legs servos.
"I'm already starting to get used to thinking of myself as a Medabot... I wonder if it's a good sign or a bad one?" I tought.
Swimming would have to wait, not only I didn't know if it was safe for me, being a mechanical and electronic...device and all, and I had to find Henry if I was to have any chance of ever regaining my human form. I decided I need to take another rest, my head was spinning once again from all of this. I ploped down on the ground.
I wasn't sure WHAT I would tell Henry, Doctor Aki and others... I couldn't see myself just burst in the Hop-Mart claiming I was a human and I needed help. For all I know the Doctor wouldn't be able or want to help me, and they could also just not believe me and dismiss it as malfunction... wich could mean trouble. This was all going too fast... it seams like it was hours ago I was in class, waiting for the day to end... and now I'm a Medabot, lost and stranded in a city I barely know. It was scary and thrilling at the same time, the new feelings, the radar, the fact I wasn't sweating. I took a moment to observe my canons. I had weapons built into my body now, and there might come a day I would have to use them and the idea was making me nervous. Not only didn't I know how to use those blaster: I had no training or knowledge of battle, at least nothing serious, that I could use. How ironic for a guy who never did any fighting to end up with weapons built into his own arms. I made the conscious descicion to avoid getting into trouble, not that I would challenge anyone to a Robattle...
Robattle... for some reason the word started to appeal to me at that point. It felt like such a mystical event, a goal, something I wish to do and victory seamed so noble at the time. It seamed like fun! As odd as it sounds my 'Medabot instinct' was telling me I should be fighting...but I fought against the electronic impulses of this new body that was clouding my toughts and judgement. As noble as a Robattle could be, I was in no shape to battle and did not had the skill to do it...
At least I tought so, but I was reminded many time that day that Destiny is a temperemental Lady...
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"Hello Henry!"Chimed Chidori as she entered the calm convinience store.
"Hi Mrs. Tenryo! We don't see you around here often." Replied the young man happily "If your looking for Ikki, I think he's at the park, in a sparing session with Rintaro."
"I'm not here for Ikki, I came here to see you." Replied the woman, walking over to the counter.
"Oh? What can I do for you?" Asked Henry.
"Well Salty found this adorable Medal..." She started, pulling the said Medal out of her purse "And I tought I could use some help around the house so I was wondering if you had any idea wich Medabot I should be getting?"
Henry raised a brow in surprise "You want a Medabot? Allright... let me see that Medal. "He gently took the Medal and looked at it closely. "A Bear Medal... with a Red Stone. That's an unusual color, do you know where your dog found it?"
"Nope... but don't you think that red is pretty? "
Henry sweatdropped "Hm...yeah... it is I guess... So what kind of help do you want? I tought Metabee was already helping with you with the chores?"
"Oh yes, and he's doing a good job, but I need someone strong to help me in the yard you see." Explained the woman.
"I see...I think I got JUST the model for you! It's all new and came in today! I'm sure it'll fit perfectly." Said the young man, rumaging underneath his counter before pulling out a box with Medaparts in it, most of them green.
Henry pulled out his best salesman smile "The GDN, the Gardener -type! It has strength and precision, a water sprinkling system and a multi-purpose gardening tool that doubles as a weapon in battle! The Medawatch is included and just this week we got a sale on Tin-pet, 50% when buying the Medaparts! So what do you say?"
"Hoh look at that little straw hat, and the flower on the shoulder. That is so adorable! I'll take it!" Replied Chidori with a smile.
"Allright then! Want me to assemble it for you here?"Proposed the clerk.
Chidori smiled "Why not? I'm not sure I'd know how. You've been of great help Henry, thank you."
"At your service m'am!"
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I was sitting by the river thinking of what I was gonna tell Henry. A bad habit of mine: prepare a speech before something important but not being able to deliver it at the moment and end up regretting it. No point in telling you I have, or had, lots of regrets in my old life. Even tough the Sun was on it's descent it still felt warm, I'm not sure how I could tell but it was hot outside that day. The Sun was stil shining and the river still looked inviting. Some Medabots are aquatic and/or waterproof but I didn't even know what type I was and it's was near impossible for me to guess. All I knew is that I had guns and a radar, not much to guess from don't you think?
Anyway, I wasn't sure what to tell Henry... I doubted he would even believe my wild tale of being human, my only ace was my knowledge of the serie. I hoped if I told him I knew of his secret identities maybe he would believe I'm from an alternate universe, but the problem was to break the news to him. Gosh I always hated breaking the ice, not matter what the reason.
I shook my head violently. No! I would not fall in the same stupid pattern I was in when I was human. I made a lot of mistakes due to fear, and if I miss the chance to returning home and regain my humanity because of fear of the unknown it would be just plain stupid. I was a Medabot now, a cool looking one at that! I had no reason to be afraid of rejection or anything, Henry's an Anime good guy, he wouldn't do anything bad to me. I stood up and clentched my fist. I was firmly resolved NOT to be like myself, not while I was here, no matter how long that may be. For the first time since God knows when, the little voice of doubt in my head was gone... it was like I had left it behind in my weak human bodies, it was as if I was aware of my power!
Sadly my passionate resolutions were interupted in a most violent way. I was hit on the side by a projectile that exploded on impact. I was send flying down the grassy slope, landing next to the river. My left side hurt like hell, I was feeling the metal of my outer armor bending inwardly! It was an horrible feeling, but as painful as it was I found it much easier to block it out than if it had been human pain. I looked up to where the missile had come from and found two Noctobats flying nearby! They were the ones that were with the four Rubberobos! I was in pain but I managed to get back to my feet, my left side of my chest piece had a large burnt mark and a dent, there was, thank the gods, no visible hole. Either I had good armor or the Noctobats prefer fast shooting to powerful missiles. I would late learn it was the latter.
"We finally found you Cruise-Gunner!" Said the first one.
"You're coming with us, wether you want it or not! So if you don't want to be hurt don't fight back!" Growled the second.
"Why...ah... why did it take you this long to follow me?" I asked, holding my side but realising it was not helping in any way, since I wasn't bleeding.
"Well we had to finish the clean up. We might be evil but we never leave a job undone." Answered the first one.
"Riiiight..." I replied.
I'm pretty that I reacted to that stupid remark with a classic anime sweat drop, but now is not the time to mention sweatdrops... we'll leave that to later. For the time being I was faced by two Noctobats and I had no real idea on how to fight them off, but I knew one thing: I did NOT want to go back to the Rubberobos. Not only I didn't wish to be sucked into their harebrained scheme, but they probably don't treat their Medabots well, and that wasn't a very good prospect. I was scared by my defenselessness, but I just couldn't act as a coward, I promised myself I would be courageous!
"N...NO! I won't go back with them! Why are you... why are you with them anyway?They're evil!"I asked the two Noctobats.
"Maybe... we're evil too! PSYCHO MISSILE!" Shouted the second, blasting a volley of missiles at me!
I shrieked and started running. Everystep was making me cringe in pain from my side but I tought I would be safe near the bridge up ahead! I ran beside the river as fast as I could, the missiles close behind me. I heard the first one fire a volley as well! Suddenly the ground exploded at my feet and I was projected straight in the river! I pierced the water head first. The river was cold but calm and for a moment I was completly lost until a missile entered the water, stopping near me before floating up to the surface. I audibly gasped when I realised I was sinking and that my air pump was pumping in water! My humans instincts kicked in as I started to panic, attempting to swim as I got closer and closer to the bottom.
"I'M GONNA DROWN!HELP!" I called as I hit the bottom...
Reality also hit me when I realised I had said that in a perfectly audible voice. It reminded me I wasn't an air breathing human but a Medabot, and that as so I couldn't drown! At least when not damaged. I looked at myself, I didn't seam to have trouble moving, except I was slower off course, but this felt great. I could even put aside the pain in my side. I looked up and saw the two shapes of the Noctobat flying in circle above my position. This was not good, I was stuck underwater. I started to slowly walk on the bottom the river, following the small current of about 3 knot... how I knew the current's speed was beyond me but did not matter to me at that point. I walked toward the side and started to climb up, as the side were quite steep. I started kicking, hoping to swim slightly. It was working because I was aproaching the surface, I was lighter than I expected. I broke the surface but I musn't have been very silent because the Noctobat quickly noticed where I was! I scrambled out of the water before another missle exploded in the water near me. I resumed my running, still wincing as each step reminded me of the pain of being hit in the chest by a friggin missile!
"You're not gonna outrun us that way Gunship!" Called one of the Noctobat, not that I cared wich one it was.
They were right, not only was I slowed down by my previous damage, but I also felt slight pain in my feet, probably due to the explosion that threw me in the water. Also the Noctobats were flying, I was running on the ground. I was suddenly hit by another missile, this time on my right leg. It was horribly painful and I lost all feeling in my feet as I was thrown on the ground. A nearby explosion sent me rolling and one final missile hit very close to my left arm on the ground. I managed to stip up, my leg was bent in an unnatural way that would have made me sick if I still had a stomach. It was burnt on it's flat side and my knee armoring was blackened and thorn slightly, but luckily I barely felt it, from the knee down my entire Medapart had blackened, meaning it had ceased functionning. My arm was in no better shape, I had a gash on my forearm and my entire arm hurt like heck. I could see the circuitry of my forearm and there even was some short circuits occuring. This was really bad, I was too damaged to move and in horrible pain from my arm and side, luckily I didn't had to deal with my leg. I felt a sting in my left arm as some wires crossed and my canon suddenly came to live, sending a blast to the ground, taking m by surprise. I didn't control the recoil from the shooting of the small blast and my arm flew up in the air and then felt down, going limb as I lost all feeling of it.
"You're not much of a fight for a Gunship -type... now come with us before we have to eject your medal in a very painful way." Chuckled one of the Noctobat.
Gunship? So that was my type? I had no time to difest that information because the idea of being...ejected out of my body froze me in horror. I realised that mean I probably was...trapped in a Medal somehow and that is how the Robos found me, laying on the ground. That time I felt I had lost was the time I had spent offline! Thinking back to that darkness, to that void that I don't remember experiencing for more than a few seconds still terrified me! I would not let them send me to darkness... my Medal was not gonna eject!
"No...no... I won't...I won't go..." I started to say, determination building inside of me.
I had never felt so determined about something in all my life! I was fighting for my freedom here, and for the first time of my life I felt true passion for something! I was NOT gonna let them BEAT ME! I raised my right arm and took aim, I clenched my fist but nothing happen, I couldn't fire my blaster.
"Hahahaha! That defective mess can't even fire!" Mocked the other Noctobat.
The situation was getting desperate but I was not going to be a coward again, I would fight, fight... FIGHT!
"I WON'T LET YOU!" I screamed, with surprising strength.
The rage, the passion that was building inside of me... I suddenly felt it. It was like energy bursting deep inside of me and suddenly spreading to my body, like the short circuits I had felt earlier but it felt nice, not painful. It was all over me and I suddenly realised the Noctobats were flying back in fear... something was going on... I felt my arm again, I could move it and the pain was gone. I looked at my arm and saw the gash was still there tough. I realised with shock that my arm as glowing... I was glowing all over for that matter! That incredible energy I felt inside of me... I knew what it was! Not only because of the show, but I knew it in my heart...in my medal. I willed my leg to move and I managed to stand up, my glow was increasing and I even made the sun look pale in comparision. I was now glowing in a bright blueish light even I could see. The energy coursing throughout me was incredible, it was a rush imposible to describe, a feeling beyond words! I raised my fists to the sky, knowing exactly what to do.
"MEDAFORCE!!!!"I shouted as powerfully as I could, bringing down my fist in front of me, aiming at the two Noctobats.
Somehow I willed all this burning energy to leave me, firing in a powerful beam at incredible speed toward my enemy. The escaping beam left me incredibly drained but I saw the blast hit the two flying robot, creating an explosion and sending them flying away incredibly far. I almost expected to see a cloud of smoke apear at the horizon or a little 'ping' star ,like Team Rocket, in the sky! I felt down on my knees, suddenly out of any energy or will. I felt sleepy, incredibly sleepy... I wasn't afraid of the darkness that was coming, it was my choice and I knew my Medal was not ejecting. I wasn't ceasing to function, I was falling asleep. The Medaforce had drained me of all my energy, that added to my damage, I just couldn't fight Morpheus's embrace anymore. I felt face first on the ground. The last thing I remember is the sound of fabric in the wind and two white feet landing in front of my face. Two feet I recognized very well.
"Ro...ku...sho..."I managed to say before everything went black and peaceful.
To Be Continued...