Chapter 10
Written By Illuminet
Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter.
"..."-Indicate Speech
'...'-Indicate Thought
:::xXx:::
-Preface-
Dragon...
The program that is a representation of the raw destructive power that courses deep within the Proto-type Gear. With the failure to tame the beast the Proto-type became, Frederick proceeded no further with the Proto-type, dubbing it a failure, and left it in an incomplete state. While Frederick finally began to work on what would be the first complete Gear in the world, the Proto-type was a mindless doll serving under the scientist. Unknown to Frederick previously, the persona of his son (thought to have been erased during the Gear conversion) and that of the Dragon came into contact within the Proto-type's body. Despite what is known about the Dragon thus far, it is not completely a mind that runs on animalistic instincts alone.
With an agreement struck between the Human Frederick II and the Dragon, the Proto-type was fully completed, and to assure no harm would come to either of them by each other, both personas agreed to relinquish most of their control in order to create yet a third entity within the body which would be the dominant one (Freddie / Sol Badguy). It has been this way ever since the creation of Justice was still being completed.
:::xXx:::
-Main Story-
Underground Lab, Castle Ruins...?
'The last dance is starting...'
Sol thought to himself. Both he an his opponent charged head on at each other, battle cries erupting from their throats as they closed the distance between each other. That Man skidded to a stop in his tracks, bringing his left hand forth to impale the ground with the Fire Seal.
"Savage Fang!"
Before Sol could react, he was engulfed in a whirlwind of crimson flames as they rose up from the ground underneath him like a volcano erupting lava. Sol was about to recover in mid air, but noticed too late That Man was waiting right under him from the disbursing flames.
"Aces High!"
He leapt at Sol, encasing himself in a sphere of electricity as he charged at the floating Gear. Sol's roar of pain was lost amongst the sound of thunder. At the peak of his jump, That Man slashed out with another attack, using his gained momentum to twist in the air, letting Thunder Seal finish off with a downward chop that left florescent trails of light behind the blade. Sol was struck with the final onslaught, and was sent way back, crashing into a wall and ricocheting off it like a basket ball. Sol collided with the ground face first, hard.
'Sol!'
He heard Justice within his head. A smirk appeared on his lips underneath his damaged armor.
'Don't worry about me. Just get Dizzy down from there. Hurry!'
He ordered, getting to his feet, as he heard the rapid foot falls of That Man as he was running towards Sol. He jumped slightly in the air, flames gathering in front of him.
"Tyrant Rave Alpha!"
That Man propelled himself forward at an impressive speed as shield of fire protected him from the front. Sol growled.
"Fuck off, bastard! Don't think you get me so easily this time. How about a taste of your own medicine? Tyrant Rave Beta!"
Just before That Man's fire shield could connect with Sol, Sol countered with an upward swipe of his right claw, halting That Man in the air with a ball of flame. Sol then came forward with a downward swipe with his left claw, making the sphere of fire explode, sending out a shield of fire that made That Man sail hard through the air. Sol was not finished as he dashed towards his still airborne adversary. Before That Man fell to the ground, Sol jumped in the air, twisting in much the same fashion as That Man had done earlier against Sol. Sol struck That Man with a downward cut of his sword arm, which was charged with electricity. That Man struck the ground with immense force, bouncing up slightly, allowing Sol to finish off with a well timed uppercut of his sword arm to make the Man go through the air, twisting three hundred sixty degrees before falling roughly on his shoulder. That Man got up quickly from the ground.
"Getting creative with our techniques now, are we? Well, you always were a fast learner, even when you were still just Human. It would also seem your much more invulnerable to the Outrages attacks than I originally counted on. I guess that's the price paid for making these weapons considering the genetic coding involved with their making."
That Man stated.
"I could care less about your stupid Outrage and all the principles behind their making. You made them so you could kill your own created race of beings. What were we all to you? Sheep? While you played God and created us just so Humans could nearly kill us all again?"
Sol asked him. That Man's shoulders slumped.
"Had the Gears not tried to make war, these Outrage would have never had to been used and would just be collecting dust in their cases. Gears brought their own destruction when they claimed they had independent thought."
That Man said. Sol scowled under his armor.
"What, now your saying we should have let ourselves be used as weapons of war just for the Humans amusement and ambition? Bull shit! Had Justice not stepped in, we would be killing each other to this day just so the Nations of the world could get their greedy little hands on new territory! That war was your fault! You're the one who created us!"
Sol accused him.
"I know of the sins committed by myself on the world, and I accept them willingly...Frederick, I have sacrificed much and committed my sins without reserve...all for the sake of saving all life on this little planet we call Earth. I know what your doing right now is just, Frederick...however you must refrain from stopping me now. On this planet, Slayer is God. And weather he goes lightly on you or not is his decision. You must be ready later, not now. Your own family could be killed if you decided to take me down now."
That man explained. Sol shook his head.
"If you think I'm going to allow myself to wallow in my hatred and anger for you, your dead fucking wrong...Say I did things your way, do you actually think I could live all eternity knowing I killed some freak and saved the world and having my family loathe me for abandoning them rather than trying to save them now?"
Sol countered That Man's words.
"Have you not heard a word I've spoken to you, Frederick?! You will lose everything now if you defeat me and face him. Is that what you really want? To lose everything now rather than claim them later when you know your fully prepared?"
He was angered by Sol's refusal to just cooperate. The Gear was so adamant he was blind to what could be seen as the bigger picture.
"Say what you want, old man. I've made my decision so long ago, and your speech about me saving the world won't change it. It is my decision to make after all...now shut up and live with it."
Sol said calmly before charging at his enemy. He was through with words, now his fists had to do the talking for him. That Man took the defensive as Sol came bodily forward with a giant sweep of his claws, causing sparks to flicker off the surfaces of both Outrages. That Man staggered back slightly from the force of the blow. That Man went for a counter attack, but only ended up getting swatted back by Sol's tail. With him momentarily stunned, Sol grabbed the sides of That Man's cloaked head before slamming it into his own armored one. Sol brought his head back again, intent on head butting his enemy again, but That Man's cloak went limp in his arms.
"What the fuck...!"
Sol turned his head just in time to see a hefty sized fire ball descending on his head. He ditched the cloak and jumped back to avoid the attack, but did not count on the fire ball dispersing in the ground and sending up pillars of fire jutting out from the ground one by one. Sol was struck and left skidding on his back rather roughly.
"I have to admit, your determination is great, but ultimately a waste of effort."
That Man said, almost tauntingly. Sol growled as he stood up. It was scary to think how closely the two looked like each other in Human form. That Man's skin was a bit pale though in comparison to Sol's, and his hair was a dull grey color. Had the spiky hair been allowed to grow longer, one could almost say they were twins.
"Heh, keep thinking that. But you and I both know you didn't expect me to be able to retaliate so easily. Your getting more and more worried about the outcome of this fight, and we've barely even started. That's why you keep telling me to decline right now...your afraid I really will beat you and that I won't be able to do the same with Slayer..."
Sol said knowingly. He may have been given a little scare initially when That Man summoned the Outrage, but the weapons were not as effective against him as he would have initially thought either. Sol now had the confidence to be able to finally get payback for all the things That Man did, not only upon Sol, but almost the entire factory made Gears in the past. He charged at That Man once again.
"Sacred Edge!"
That Man moved his right arm in a circular motion, summoning a ring of electricity. The energy gathered into the Thunder Seal's blade as That Man slammed the hilt into the ground. Lightning struck the ground in a wave as bolts cascaded down from the ceiling. Sol smirked inwardly before moving to the side to evade the attack.
"Imperial Ray!"
Sol jammed his tail into the ground, sending a large trail of fire through the ground at That Man, in much the same fashion as That Man had used his Sacred Edge attack. That Man evaded, coming quickly towards Sol and lashing out with both the Thunder Seal and Fire Seal. Sol brought up his arms to guard against the blows, holding the blades of the weapons in his hands tightly. Sol brought his tail forward, slashing into That Man's flesh repeatedly with rapid thrusts of the tail. That Man was bleeding from many wounds all over his chest and abdomen as Sol continued to hold him in place, daring him to let go of the Outrage. It did not go unnoticed to Sol that each blade was beginning to heat up. Electricity slithered across the Thunder Seal's blade more rapidly as it's clear blade began getting brighter. The blade of the Fire Seal was becoming red hot as the temperature of it's surface kept rising. Sol gritted his teeth together since it was becoming harder and harder to hold the blades. Suddenly, when Sol's tail was aimed low, That Man quickly brought his foot to stomp on the tail and hold it underneath his foot.
"Hold still."
That Man said as the tail began to wriggle. That Man came forward brutally and head butted Sol hard in the forehead. Sol's head jolted back as he got stunned by the action. That Man was far from over, however. With Sol's grip loosening from having been taken by surprised, That Man lunged forward roughly as he crossed the blades over each other. He brought the two weapons to Sol's face, where he struck Sol's eyes with them. Sol let out a vicious roar as his hands came over his eyes. From underneath his hands, blood kept running down his face where his eyes were located. Sol stumbled back, sensors going off in his head and telling him his eyes had been damaged by the intense heat generated by the Thunder Seal and the Fire Seal.
'Shit! My armor would have to be removed and put in stasis to repair this kind of damage, and I'd be left way to vulnerable...'
Sol thought as he continued to back away, hoping his sensors would soon tell him his eye sight would soon be restored. Nothing happened.
"You were careless, Proto-type. It would seem this will be your undoing as well."
Sol heard That Man say. He was struck viciously in the ribs by a blunt object. It was actually the pommel adorning the hilt of the Fire Seal which had struck him as That Man came forward with a quick but powerful jab. Sol's head reeled to the side as he was hit by the flat of Thunder Seal's blade. That Man came with a rapid succession of moves, slashing and striking Sol all around the body hard. Sol soon knelt to his knees as Thunder Seal's hilt struck Sol in the back of the neck. Sol then went airborne as That Man landed a powerful uppercut with the Fire Seal. Sol fell on his back heavily.
"You still have much to learn, Proto-type. After I dispose of you up on the surface, I'll move the location of my lab somewhere you can't find me. When the time comes, and you defeat Slayer, you'll see Justice and Dizzy then. Foster the malice you feel for me within you, and soon you should hopefully be able to defeat Slayer once a few centuries have gone by."
That Man's voice came to his ear. Sol growled as he tried to get up, not willing himself to give in to the direness of the situation.
"Leave him alone!"
Sol's ears perked up.
'Dizzy...?'
He soon heard what sounded like an explosion and then felt someone gripping onto his elbow with one hand while the other was on his back.
"Hurry up and put your armor in stasis!"
That had been Justice's voice. Sol complied and willed his armor to be removed. His vision was a blur of color for a brief moment before the shapes became more recognizable. Justice's face filtered into his vision.
"Damn, I was too over confident."
Sol muttered as he looked at her.
"It's a good thing I got Dizzy up in time or you might not have been able made it."
Justice said. Sol smiled before rising to his feet. Dizzy was attacking brashly, but it was enough to hold That Man at bay. Sol smirked.
"Hey Dizzy, that's enough, I'll take over again!"
Sol shouted to her. Dizzy complied quickly and dashed back from That Man.
"It seems you don't like playing fair, Proto-type."
That Man said, his voice seething. Sol kept a smirk on his face.
"I think you've gone unfair ever since the very beginning, so go ahead and spew your shit about what's fair and what's not, because I could give a rat's ass on what you think. This ain't no boxing ring, so rules don't exist here, bastard."
Sol said confidently. He summoned out his armor for a third time since arriving here.
"Ah, much better. Now let's continue where we left off."
Sol said. That Man sighed, but complied and ran towards Sol with immense speed. Sol also charged, but stopped quickly and halted in place when That Man was only a few feet away from him. With a wave of his sword arm, Sol sent out a flat beam of light that caught That Man off guard and sent him off his feet and into the air. His momentum carried him over Sol, who had red light emitting from the emblem of his head piece. Sol soon shot a laser from the emblem, which caught That Man in the blast, before making him fall on his back. That Man quickly rolled out of the way to evade Sol's claws, which tore into the ground where That Man used to be.
"Grand Viper!"
That Man slithered across the ground like a snake with the flames trailing around him. Sol brought his arms up to guard the attack, feeling himself getting pushed back from the force of That Man's attack. The direction soon changed as That Man leapt up into the air, creating a searing inferno from the Fire Seal's blade. Sol did not hesitate to go up after him. Sol quickly grabbed him by the legs as he spun That Man on his back, where Sol put his knees on. Sol then dive bombed to the ground while kneeling on top of That Man. He made That Man crash into the ground face first, his knees digging into That Man's back harshly.
"This isn't going to be your victory."
Sol stated. That Man swiftly rose from the ground, knocking Sol off of him. He attacked with a downward slash of the Thunder Seal, which Sol barely avoided. Sol brought an arm to defend against Fire Seal as it followed up with the other Outrage.
"Crescent Slash!"
That Man faked a side slash with the Thunder Seal, which Sol had fallen for, trying to rush in for a counter attack, only to be knocked up into the air as That Man performed an inverted front flip, letting Thunder Seal strike with a small bolt of lightning. Sol fell on his stomach, getting up quickly to evade a side swipe of the Fire Seal as it's blade cut into the ground.
"I've had enough of this."
That Man said.
"That makes two of us."
Sol answered back.
'There's one way to end this quickly...'
Sol thought to himself as his muscles tightened. The two Outrage were starting to glow fiercely with their innate magic properties. Without much regard to his own safety, Sol blasted his thrusters at full speed as he charged towards That Man. When Sol was in range, That Man showed no mercy. He thrust out with the Thunder Seal, as it's blade became engulfed in a large wave of electricity. Sol got caught up in the large blast, and was pulled towards That Man by the Thunder Seal's energy. That Man positioned Thunder Seal blade so Sol would be placed almost over him. The Fire Seal's blade trembled violently as That Man jumped up after Sol's body, being propelled by a geyser of red flames. That Man passed along side Sol's who had been enwrapped in the flames of destruction. That Man smiled.
'Frederick...this technique won't kill you, only render you unconscious for a few days or so...I hope you understand that I do this for your own good...'
That Man knew his words would never physically reach to Sol's ears, but hopefully he could learn to understand. That Man was surprised by a blur of red that came in front of him. He soon felt himself being propelled upward by force. That Man opened his eyes in shock to see what was propelling him upward.
"That's impossible. You should not have been able to remain conscious from an attack that powerful, Gear or not!!"
That Man stated in disbelief. Sol continued bringing That Man up, as his arms crossed over by That Man's neck, his fingers holding either side of That Man's head. Sol's armor began falling off in large jagged pieces, disintegrating before they even touched the ground. That Man's eyes widened in understanding.
"You...sacrificed your armor just to use your attack...'
That Man uttered. The helmet on his head also began falling off, leaving only the head piece dangling on Sol's forehead. The biggest and most arrogant smirk was plastered to Sol's face. The two stop their ascent when they rammed into the ceiling. That Man's vision went black.
"You lose."
Were the only words he heard before bright light filled his vision. The light faded, and the illusion disappeared from the ruins of a castle back into an ordinary room.
"Dad, wake up!"
Sol grunted as he heard Dizzy's voice. He was laying on his stomach, debris littered all around him. He felt to hands resting on each of his shoulders. He stood up shakily with the help of Dizzy and Justice. He held his head piece to his forehead.
"Where is he? Is it over?"
Sol asked. Justice guided him to another fallen body. That Man lay on his back, bleeding profusely from numerous wounds on his body.
"You've grown strong, Frederick...I couldn't handle your last attack...please hear me out, if only for just a moment, Frederick..."
That Man said weakly, his voice strained. Sol kneeled before the fallen Gear maker.
"Fine. I guess I could at least do that much for you."
Sol stated quietly.
"Listen Frederick...with me dying here, Slayer will appear very shortly...I have something that I want to give to you..."
A mysterious black flame surrounded That Man's arm as he held it up in the air. The flame gathered into his palm, beginning to extend further outward until it formed a weapon. A scythe with a white shaft and a long, black, curved blade. Although it's design was simple, a great power emanated softly from within. That Man placed the scythe in Sol's reluctant hand.
"What the hell is this suppose to do?"
Sol asked as he turned the scythe around in his grip to view all aspects of it. That Man let out a heaving breath.
"Like you, this weapon is a proto-type blade...a hidden piece to the Outrage set...unlike the others, however, this weapon was designed by me for you...so that you could have a greater chance at defeating Slayer when the time comes...this time is too short for my liking, but if this is how it's suppose to be, I'll just have to accept it..."
That Man explained, his voice getting weaker and weaker.
"Whoa, hold it. What kind of magic is this thing used for? Hell, how am I suppose to use this anyway?"
Sol asked. That Man shuddered out another weak breath.
"Don't worry, son, it works exactly like its siblings..."
Was all he said before closing his eyes. Sol put his finger on That Man's neck, feeling for a pulse. None came.
"Is he...?"
Justice asked. Sol looked up at her and nodded.
"Yeah..."
He wanted to say more, but a sound caught his ears. The sounds of clapping.
"I'm very impressed. It would seem your creator didn't even know the true depth of your powers."
Sol turned towards the voice, finding a well dressed man sitting on what appeared to be a moving piece of cloth. An eye glass was on his left eye and a wooden pipe hung from his lips. He looked fairly old, but his eyes were filled with a youthful gleam Sol had never seen in most people of old age.
"Who the hell are you? You wouldn't be Slayer by any chance...?"
Sol said, his right hand unconsciously gripping the head piece on his forehead harder while the left one tightened around the shaft of the scythe.
"That is correct, and you are the Proto-type Gear, yes? It is an honor to meet you, Mr. Badguy."
Slayer said in a tone of voice that was much to cheery for Sol's ears.
"Can't say I feel the same about having to meet you, though."
Sol stated gruffly.
'Justice, get Dizzy and yourself out of here. I'll handle this. It is my responsibility after all.'
Sol told her.
'Are you sure? We can help you, though.'
She told him. Sol refused. He didn't need them involved anymore than they already were.
'Please, Justice...get out of here. I'll be there shortly.'
Sol said. He didn't know if he could hold up to those words from what That Man said about Slayer. He couldn't tell which one had the upper hand in terms of true power, but he was pretty sure Slayer was the one with the advantage.
"Come on, Dizzy, let's go. Your father will handle this."
Justice said in a hushed tone. It was against her better judgement, seeing as That Man was dead, she could fight freely with her armor now, plus Sol had sacrificed his armor in the fight with That Man and that meant he couldn't summon his armor back from stasis in quite some time. Dizzy looked confused.
"But..."
She began, but Justice simply shook her head, and Dizzy became quiet. Slayer stood up when he saw the two female Gears about to leave, his cape came up to go over his right shoulder.
"Hold on a moment. If you want to make this a three on one fight, I will not stop you. The time predicted by your creator has come far sooner than he ever thought possible, so you are probably far to weak alone to defeat me, Mr. Badguy."
Slayer stated. Sol kept his face neutral, but inside he felt nervous. He did not care nearly as much about his well being as in comparison to his family's well being. They could be killed in this fight if they were allowed to participate.
'But then again...they'd be dead anyway if I get killed against him...'
Sol thought to himself.
"Listen carefully, you three. Despite how your creator may have made it sound like, I do not really have a wish to take over the world all that much. It is much more interesting seeing events unfold in this world from the shadows. I'm only putting up a fight because my people want me to. I will leave this world alone if you can impress me enough to make me yield to you. I won't say it will be easy, since my kind would rather have the mortals champion dead at my feet along with the rest of the other mortals."
Slayer explained.
"You sure you want to do that? Bending the rules in our favor and letting us get away with just impressing you rather than going all out in a fight to the death, huh?"
Sol asked. He was suspicious. If it had been Sol who was in Slayer's place, he wondered if he would do a thing like what Slayer was doing now.
"The reason I sympathize is because like you, I am also a family man. Of course, I don't have a child of my own...excuse me, I am beginning to ramble like the old man that I am. As I said before, I won't make things easy for you, but if you give it your all, you may be pleasantly surprised with the results. Think on it, I've got time to kill anyway."
He said, straightening the neck tie and smoothing the tuxedo he wore.
"Dad, please?"
Sol heard Dizzy say to him. It struck him as a little odd that someone like her would want to fight when she didn't really like to in the first place. He lowered his head to think for a very brief moment.
"Alright, if that's all that has to be done, then I'm fine with that...Alright you two, get ready."
Sol said. Justice summoned her armor on her body, and Dizzy's wings extended to full length, revealing the two systems spawned from her Gear nature, Necro and Undine.
"Before we start, let's get you dressed appropriately, shall we?"
Slayer said, swinging out with his cape, which extended outward greatly. Sol brought the scythe up to block the attack, but nothing happened. The cape soon returned to it's normal size as Slayer once again put it on his shoulder. Sol looked down at himself.
"Well I'll be damned..."
Sol muttered. Somehow Slayer made Sol's clothing reappear. Sol was glad he wouldn't have to keep holding his head piece up. Sol switched the scythe to his right hand before picking up the discarded Fire Seal in his left hand. He then cracked his neck audibly.
"Dad..."
Sol heard Dizzy call him. She sounded as nervous as he once felt only moments ago. It was understandable considering her lack of experience at combat.
"It's okay to be scared, just don't give up. Me and your mother are here for you."
Sol whispered softly, so soft that Dizzy barely heard it. Still, she had and she felt better and more secure. Truth be told she'd rather not have a violent confrontation, that seemed to be the only possible solution, and if her parents were going down, she wouldn't be far behind. Still, she was determined to see a different outcome. A more positive one.
"Show me the powers you Gears possess."
Slayer taunted.
'Here goes...'
Sol told himself. He decided to go first, and charged head long with Slayer, who remained standing in place. Wordlessly, Sol lashed out with the scythe in a horizontal strike, but Slayer's form simply disappeared.
"Behind you."
Upon hearing the voice, Sol didn't hesitate to spin around and slash out with the Fire Seal, however, before he made contact, he was struck hard in the face with a back fist that sent him toppling to the ground. Justice soon came up to Slayer, Dizzy not far behind her. The two simultaneously struck Slayer, Justice with an extending talon and Dizzy's wing Undine stabbed with a small blade of ice that formed in her palm. Slayer simply moved his right hand about in quick succession, guarding against all their attacks before retreating back suddenly. He skidded back in their direction as his fist came out at an amazing speed, striking them and sending them flying way back from the force of the impact. Slayer crouched to avoid a high slash from Sol behind him, and was about to retaliate, but Sol slashed out with an upward motion of his scythe, leaving a trail of inhuman black fire off the tip of the large, curved blade. Slayer stopped momentarily to avoid rushing into the black flame, but Sol got over his initial surprise very quickly and hacked at the flames with Fire Seal, creating an explosion of black fire that sent Slayer off his feet as he was caught in the massive blast.
"Holy shit! This thing is powerful...whatever it is..."
Sol muttered to himself. He wasn't even sure what he fully pulled off, but the attack seemed to come naturally. Slayer got up, coughing, a gaping wound lined his chest. Slayer looked to it before smiling.
"Amazing...I felt that...it's been a very long time since someone has been able to injure me. It would seem like your weapon can prevent me from regenerating very quickly. I guess your creator really had high hopes for you."
Slayer stated.
"Yeah whatever."
Sol muttered. He went on the offensive, hoping to keep Slayer distracted while Justice and Dizzy had a chance to attack the Nightwalker from behind. Sol came with a downward swing of his scythe, but Slayer teleported away before he could be hit. Slayer was about to retaliate, but Sol came forward quickly to slam the hilt of Fire Seal into Slayer's chest and send the him flying back through the air, only to be intercepted by Justice, who slashed him with her blade arm. Dizzy followed up with a lightning dagger created by Undine that homed in on Slayer's location in the air. Before the projectile could hit him, however, Slayer spun out of harms way, letting thin red wings sprout from his back as he dived bombed at Justice, and struck her squarely in the chest and knocking the wind out of her. Upon touching ground he rose up again to add another devastating hit, that blasted Justice high into the air. Before Slayer could descend from his attack, Dizzy intercepted him using her other wing, Necro, to form a mini wheel of flaming scythes. Slayer was struck and left to ascend with the projectile, but quickly got away from it. This time Sol chanced at intercepting Slayer in the air as he jumped towards the Nightwalker, a spark of fire appearing on his left fist where he held Fire Seal.
"Not quite..."
Slayer said as he turned to see Sol bring his fist forward, the fire on his fist exploding into an arrow shaped flame. Sol thought he had him until Slayer moved himself out of the way to deliver a downward punch that sent Sol face first with the ground. Slayer teleported after this and reappeared on the ground a few feet away. Dizzy came forward, crouching suddenly as Undine appeared and made a large jagged icicle pop up under Slayer. He evaded it with yet another of his teleporting techniques and appeared in front of a surprised Dizzy. Before she could react, smoke filled her vision and she began coughing. Before she knew it she felt her legs get kicked out from under her and she met face first with the ground.
"Ow..."
She groaned as she rubbed her head. She saw Slayer sitting on his cape, cross legged.
"Due to Mr. Badguy's black flame technique, I would have to say your start was okay at best. Your teamwork will need some improvement. Once that is obtained, I have a feeling you will all start doing better. Adaption is key."
Slayer said. Sol got up slowly.
"This guy's a pain in the ass, but he would make for an interesting sparring partner..."
Sol muttered. He looked towards Dizzy.
"Dizzy, you go first this time."
He told her. Dizzy thought she might get pale, but refused to give in to fear and stood up tall.
'Justice, since we can communicate like this, were going to have to try and assist Dizzy as she goes first.'
He told her. Justice understood.
'Alright, lead the way.'
She said. Dizzy dashed, or rather, hovered towards Slayer as he rose from his sitting position. He readied himself to go on the defensive against her, but Dizzy ended up skidding to a stop with her arms crossed over her chest. She extended her arms outward shortly and sent a large trail of fire aimed at Slayer.
'Teleport behind him and push him into the attack, Justice, before he teleports himself.'
Sol ordered. Justice disappeared in a rising ring of light, appearing behind Slayer. This caught his attention and he turned to see, distracted from Dizzy's attack for a split second. Justice rammed him in the back with her shoulder, making Slayer lose balance. Slayer grunted as he went forward and connected with the raging flames, Justice swiftly moved to the side in order to evade the attack so she wouldn't get caught up in it.
'Okay...I guess this scythe will enhance the type of magic I like using, which happens to be fire. It also renders him unable to regenerate very quickly at all...all I have to do is have Dizzy and Justice juggle him around in the air and allow me to get some black flame magic hits in...well, it's a start...'
Sol told himself. He rushed towards Slayer, who was still riding the wave of flames trailing from the ground. Sol smirked before jumping up into the air.
"Tyrant Rave Alpha!"
Sol tested to see if he could use a black flame version of his earlier attack against one of the Assassins. To his surprise he was able to pull it off, and the smirk on his face grew wider.
'That bastard was right, this thing isn't hard to use at all once you figure it out...I probably don't even need Fire Seal, but I won't get too cocky. Hey Justice get ready to intercept him after I hit him with this attack. Send him over towards Dizzy and have her attack him afterwards...'
He said. Justice complied, waiting for his attack to meet with Slayers. The flames from Dizzy's attack finally dispersed, but before Slayer could do anything else, Sol struck him with the black flame, making Slayer grunt in pain as he was engulfed. Sol's attack served to pop Slayer up higher into the air. Justice jumped up to strike Slayer with several swift blows of her claws as she ascended with him. When she felt the time was right she turned towards Dizzy.
"Dizzy, catch!"
Justice swung her electrically charged tail downward, catching Slayer and slamming him down towards Dizzy's direction. Unfortunately for Dizzy, she was too awed by the tag teaming techniques her parents pulled off and was kind of left in a trance from it all. That was because she originally wasn't a fighter like they were. Fortunately for her black wing, Necro, he responded quickly to Justice's words. Dizzy held her hands to her head as she felt herself losing control, not even noticing when an eerie black portal opened in the ground in front of her to swallow Slayer up when he descended. Everything went black for a while after that, as Necro took control and aimed at the standing grave that rose up from the ground with a special bow that shot magic arrows that struck the coffin, shattering it. Dizzy was finally able to see again as her mother touched ground.
"Oh no, I blacked out again..."
Dizzy whispered, worried. The only other time something similar happened was when she was forced to fight I-No.
"Good work, Dizzy."
Justice said, praising her daughter. Dizzy blushed. The moment was short lived, however.
"LOOK OUT!!"
They heard Sol roar. They turned to see Slayer coming at them at incredible speed as he glided through the air, his fist extended outward to strike the two down. Justice quickly pushed Dizzy out of harms way before taking a defensive posture. The hit from Slayer was indeed power, and knocked her back exceptionally far upon impact, and making her skid across the floor on her feet. She was about to retaliate, but Slayer ended up behind her, ramming her hard in the back with his shoulder and making her topple over.
"Bastard..."
Sol snarled as he came quickly forward to strike Slayer. Before Sol could reach the Nightwalker, however, Slayer grabbed his cape and swung it outward in an overhead fashion, letting it enlarge to strike all three of the Gears. Before they knew it, they were falling from the ceiling, landing in random areas around the room.
"What just happened...?"
Dizzy said as she got up from the ground Slayer simply clapped.
"Ah, much better display. That indeed was a far more superior start compared to the last round. And those black flames you keep conjuring are very effective, Mr. Badguy. I haven't felt this kind of pain for eons. And it's all thanks to you. I'm almost satisfied, so I must insist you three continue the good work."
Slayer commented them. Sol got up and shrugged.
'Easy for him to say. He's stepping things up gradually as we continue, and I'm usually not the one to over exert myself given the chance. Guess this just isn't one of my days.'
Sol thought to himself, grimly. He knew he couldn't hold back against Slayer, but old habits die hard. Slayer stood ahead of him, adjusting his neck tie casually as if he didn't have a care in the world. This made a small smirk form on Sol's lips. He rotated his shoulder blades and shifted his neck from side to side to remove all the kinks left, his smirk growing wider. He felt something writhe awake within him.
'Funny...this guy reminds me a lot of myself. Take all that regal feel about him away and he would even kind of act and sound like me, too. Interesting..."
Sol's smirk continued to expand. He knew it wasn't the right time to analyze his opponent like this, but for some reason, he couldn't help himself. Slayer's brow raised in question.
"Is something the matter, Mr. Badguy? You seem...distracted about something. Care to enlighten me?"
He asked. Sol's smirk became a grin.
"Distracted? Sorry, but my vision has been clear on the mark from the beginning to now. And it's only gotten clearer. It's time for me to take my family out of this place and back to the surface. Not even someone like you will stop me any longer."
Sol stated. He plunged the Fire Seal into the ground, leaving it behind.
'Release Me...'
Sol clutched his head piece. The Gear nature wanted out. It wanted full control.
'This is risky. Can we really trust you?'
His Human side questioned.
'How can you not? We have clung together for so long and I have shown no sign of hostility towards you, Frederick. We have both agreed who would be the leader of the body, and that was our creation, the one who calls himself Sol Badguy. Why now do you show so much more resistance to me compared to that day long ago when we agreed to create him?'
The Gear nature questioned back. Sol didn't know what happened, but he was no longer in the large room of the underground laboratory, facing Slayer. Everything had gone black around him and all he could hear were the voices of the two other personas from which he was created.
'That's the longest I've heard you speak since...ever. Not even when we agreed to the creation of Sol did you speak so much. What's bringing this all on, all of a sudden?'
The Human side asked, sounding rather intrigued.
'...Because I was to incompetent, I let Dizzy get captured by our enemy's servants only a few days ago. She would not have to be fighting anyone if she had been saved back then. Even if she is a Gear, her peaceful upbringing does not make her suited for battles like this, unlike our Gear brethren who fought in the Crusades.'
The Gear side said softly. The Human side seemed touched.
'I can understand that. Still...your waiting may have been better for Dizzy in the long run. Hear me out on this: With you deciding to leave everything to Sol and eventually letting Dizzy get kidnaped, she was able to free Justice, who in turn led Sol here so that he could destroy that Man once and for all. Slayer may be the strongest one alive on this planet, but he is going easy on us because he sympathizes with Sol. On the whole, if we can take care of Slayer's need here and now, when everything is all said and done, Dizzy will come out of this experience with not only her father...but her mother as well. Anyway, all you need is Sol's approval. You've convinced me by your words, already...'
The Human side said. Sol regained his focus, finding himself kneeling on the ground. Dizzy and Justice were on either side of him, holding on each of his arms.
"Dad, what's wrong?"
Dizzy asked, sounding rather frantic. Sol stood up, smiling down at both of them.
"You two both have helped a lot. I want to take care of things now from here on out, though."
He told them. Sol walked past them towards Slayer.
"Well Slayer, let's enjoy a great show time."
With that, Sol blacked out once more, letting his complete Gear self take over his body for him. There was indeed a risk to letting the Gear nature take control of his body, but as it was with the case of Slayer, Sol was willing to take that risk.
:::xXx:::
Johnny's, Sol's room
"Uhhh...what the hell happened...?"
Sol said groggily to himself. He lifted himself upright to sit in his bed, rubbing his eyes with his left hand. Sol felt really stiff all over his body, and the simple action of sitting up made his back ache.
"Shit...I don't think I've ever felt this sore before since...ever. Was that whole thing with that bastard and Slayer all just some kind of dream?"
Sol grumbled to himself.
"No, it all happened."
A female voice said to the side of him. Sol, having been caught off guard, fell off his bed.
"...now that fucking hurt."
Sol muttered to himself as he felt many of his joints pop audibly with his actions.
"You okay?"
Justice peered from her vantage point on the bed over at Sol who was sprawled on the ground.
"Justice...damn, you scared me half to death. Is Dizzy okay?...And what happened with Slayer?"
He asked as he got up. Justice nodded.
"Dizzy's just fine. What ever you pulled off against Slayer, though...I don't know, but I will say that it was something I've never seen you do before..."
Before she could say anything more, Sol interrupted her by kissing her on the lips. The action was so sudden, Justice was caught completely off guard. After a lengthy moment, Sol finally released her lips, but kept his arms around her waist.
"Forget it, I don't want to know as long as I won and you two are safe and alive. As for the kiss, that was just to get payback for surprising me and making me fall out of the bed. Anyway, did Slayer say anything afterwards?"
He asked her. Justice didn't answer him immediately, due to her surprise over the kiss, but she quickly got over it and continued to talk.
"All he said was that it was fun and that the two of you should spar sometime in the future. Afterwards a woman appeared besides him and the two disappeared without a trace."
Justice answered. Sol nodded.
"I see..."
Was all he said before he resumed kissing her.
"Where'd you get those?"
Sol asked, referring to Justice's pajamas. She blushed slightly.
"Well, besides these, I only have a few more sets of clothing that Dizzy bought for me four days ago. That's how long you've been sleeping for, you know?"
Justice told him. Sol nodded.
"Feels like I've been sleeping for that long."
Sol commented. He was just about to take things further, when who should up and walk in but Johnny.
"Hey, how is Sol...HOLY SHIT!!!!!"
Johnny was stunned to say the least. He was being glared at with three flaring golden eyes, plus one crimson eye. He averted his gaze, which only fell on Justice's exposed breasts since Sol had his arm under her shirt to lift it over her head before the two were rudely walked in on. Of course, Johnny's scream alerted the rest of the girls within the place and they all now crowded the doorway to peer at the couple. Sol was getting annoyed, as was Justice.
"DO YOU FUCKING MIND???!!!"
The two Gears roared. The door was slammed shut in record time.
"Damn...we are so dead now..."
One of the girls said. Johnny couldn't help but agree with that statement.
:::xXx:::
Dizzy got home a few hours later from some shopping, along with Testament, to get her mind off her comatose father, who had been asleep for four days so far. The two went to check in on Sol and Justice, but ran into Johnny, who had his back to them and seemed to be listening in on something along the wall because his head was against it.
"Damn...still going at it. Gears must have a lot of stamina."
Johnny mumbled as he turned around and began to walk away when he noticed Testament and Dizzy.
"Oh, you two are back. Uh...just so you know Dizzy, Sol has awaken finally."
Johnny said. Dizzy's eyes sparkled.
"Really? Then I'll go check in on..."
Before she could move forward, Johnny halted her.
"Sorry, Dizzy. You may not want to walk in on them right now."
Johnny said in a nervous voice before walking by. Dizzy stared at his retreating form, confused.
"Huh?"
Was all she got out. She decided to disregard Johnny's warning and was going to go to the door, but Testament stopped her by putting a hand on her shoulder.
"He's right, Dizzy. It would be best to leave them alone for now."
He told her. Dizzy now looked at him confused.
"You too, Testament?"
She asked. His eyes were closed, and his cheeks were slightly flushed.
"Just listen. Can't you hear it?"
He said. Dizzy decided to use her Gear senses. What she heard with them made her face go red with embarrassment.
"Yeah...I guess we wait then."
She said. Testament only nodded.
About four hours since that time, Sol finally left the room, Justice not too far behind him.
"That was nice. Been awhile since we've done that, eh?"
Sol said as he stretched, a grin on his face. He was in a good mood. Justice nodded.
"Yeah...but now I'm starving. It's a little after noon, so we could still get something to eat for lunch if you want."
Justice said to him. Sol agreed.
"Yeah, good idea. I feel like I could eat a couple of Humans if I wanted to. Preferably one of those Humans would be Johnny."
Sol joked. After he said that, the said person came into view.
"Er...Hey Sol, just want to let you know that Ky just got here. You should probably go meet him now."
Was all Johnny said as he quickly went out of sight again. Sol groaned.
"Damn it all...That boy always seems to come over when I'm in a good mood."
Sol muttered. Never the less, Sol made his way to the front of the air ship to meet with the police officer, and Justice followed behind him. Ky waited patiently by the front door. Sol decided to use his usual annoyed mode.
"What do you want now, boy?"
Sol said, a frown on his face. Ky merely shrugged Sol's attitude off.
"Nice to see you've regained consciousness, Sol. Too bad your manners haven't improved much. Anyway, as you know, in normal circumstances most people would panic if they knew Justice was still alive. To clear you of being guilty for her resurrection, I have informed the public that you helped in the destruction of Justice four days ago. Of course, all of us here will know the truth that Justice has regained her free will and is living here with you now. I suggest you either have her name changed, or simply don't call her by her name in public at all. Now then, if you will excuse me, I have to attend to my own family now. Good day."
Ky bowed his head slightly, before turning to open the door.
"Wait, boy. I have one question. What happened to Raven and I-No? And what about the Outrage?"
Sol asked, stopping Ky from leaving. Ky stood at the door, not turning to face him.
"After a long battle with those two, our team finally overcame them with our greater numbers. I had tied them up to be placed under arrest once we found you and Dizzy, but after retrieving you, they were nowhere to be found. All we were able to bring up with us were the assassins. As for the Outrage, both of the swords were recovered successfully."
Ky explained.
"Was there also a scythe there, too?"
Sol asked him.
"No...nothing like that was seen save for the two swords. Why? Should there have been? Was it another Outrage or something?"
Ky turned to Sol, his eyes showing with intrigue. Sol shook his head.
"Forget it, just must have been my imagination then. Besides, you already have the whole set, right?"
Sol lied. Ky nodded.
"That's true. Well, I should be going. And remember Sol, you have three more weeks before the end of this month, so I'll check in on you then."
Ky informed him. Sol sighed.
"Yeah, yeah."
Sol said unenthusiastically. Ky finally left.
"Dad, your awake now!"
Sol turned to receive a bone crushing hug from his daughter.
"Whoa, easy there, Dizzy. I'm not as young as I used to be, you know?"
He said. Dizzy didn't seem to hear him as she held on to him tighter. He put a hand on her head, ruffling her hair a bit when he felt his shirt getting wet.
"There's no need to be crying, Dizzy. You should be happy. In just one week's time you got to meet both your parents, right? And we're both still here with you, too."
Sol said, trying to comfort her.
"I am happy, Dad. These are tears of joy. I got to find out who my parents are, and they are both here with me right now. I don't think I could be happier than I am now."
Dizzy stated. Justice put a comforting hand on Dizzy's shoulder.
"We'll always be here for you, Dizzy."
She said. Dizzy wiped her tears away and nodded, a smile gracing her lips.
"We should get everyone together and celebrate with a big party. You did save the world after all, Dad."
Dizzy said. Sol shook his head.
"We all did our part against Slayer. So we all saved this little planet we call home."
Sol said.
"Well, if that's your logic, then I won't argue with it."
Justice said. Dizzy nodded.
"I think I know just the place we should go, too. We should invite everyone. Johnny and the crew, Officer Ky and his family, Baiken and her two companions, Dr. Baldhead, Testament of course and...hmmm...who else is there?"
Dizzy pondered as she counted off with her fingers. Sol shrugged.
"Just have Johnny and the boy make all the calling. They seem to have all the connections here in Zepp...and just about everywhere else."
Sol said.
"Well, whatever the case may be, I'm still hungry so I hope those two can get everyone rounded up quickly."
Justice said to Sol. Sol nodded.
"Yeah, me too."
:::xXx:::
And so...
In the end, everything turned out for the better. Dizzy was reunited with both her parents, who got their revenge against their nemesis after so many years of waiting. Ky and his family will be around for another month and three weeks on their vacation, much to the annoyance of Sol. Johnny and the crew (including Potemkin.) are of course still around considering they live in Zepp. Baiken is miffed because she didn't get to kill That Man herself, but hopefully she'll get over it in due time. Anji and Chipp still live in her house. Faust is still the top doctor on Zepp, and with Ky coming to Zepp, Faust finally had someone to exorcize his patient, Zappa (it's about time he did, too...). And last but not least, Axl is also hanging around in Zepp with his wife Megumi. Now then...whatever happened to Raven and I-No?
:::xXx:::
Unknown...
"I still can't believe we got bested by only a small group of people...damn it, this fucking blows. We could take down armies bigger than them, and we still failed."
I-No had been ranting while she tuned the strings of her guitar.
"Think for a moment, I-No. Don't forget that many of the opponents we faced were amongst some of the most powerful mortals alive. They make any normal army of simple warriors look weak anytime, anywhere."
Raven explained to her. I-No sighed.
"Yeah, I guess so. Looks like none of our efforts helped in the matter, considering our master is dead, though."
She stated. Raven nodded.
"Indeed. Although I have been angered by this over the past few days, I have a feeling that this all ended out the way it did for the better. Our master wanted death, because his sins became too much of a burden to carry, and there was no one out there who was willing to help him except for us...and even we weren't enough. Only the one who used to call him father could also be his savior."
Raven stated.
"Yeah. I guess another good thing to come out of that big battle is that were both finally free as well. Maybe it's time to go out and start a band. I've always wanted to do that at least once in my life."
I-No said as she got up and stretched. Raven eyed her curiously.
"You want to start a band?"
He asked, as if not believing his ears. I-No glared at him.
"What? You don't think I got the talent to start a band?"
She asked him, her glare sharpening. Raven held up both hands apologetically.
"No, it's not that. You have plenty of talent. Just, you never seemed to strike me as a woman who wanted anything other than her eternal youth, that's all."
He replied. I-No's eyes soften as she held out a hand.
"Why don't you join me? I'm sure we can find some kind of affinity towards a musical instrument you could use."
She said. Raven sighed.
"I doubt it. As much as I'd like to help, making me one of the band members would probably not be a good idea."
He stated. I-No laughed.
"Ah, you never know. It's about time we got rid of this depressing aura you always have about you, anyway."
She told him. Raven simply shrugged.
"I suppose. But I rather like being the dark depressed person that I am."
Raven said softly. Now it was I-No's turn to shrug.
"Suit yourself. Now come on, we have band members to scout for."
She said, walking away. Raven got up to follow her.
"Do you even have some kind of a name for this band you want to start?"
He asked her. I-No thought for a moment as she walked.
"How about -The Midnight Carnival-?"
She said.
"The Midnight Carnival?"
He repeated. I-No nodded.
"Kind of catchy, don't you think?"
She responded back. He thought about it for a little bit.
"Yeah, it is. A bit odd, though, if you ask me."
He said. I-No laughed.
"Don't worry. There are plenty of weirder names out there for bands anyway."
She told him. Raven nodded.
"If you say so."
He said. The two walked away, to start new lives for themselves. Maybe even the bad guys can have happy endings, too.
-END-
Note: Well, this is the final chapter. If you liked this story of mine, hopefully, you'll like others by me as well. Thanks for reading. See you again.
-Illuminet