I'm basically writing this because of you, the readers.
And Archaon, thanks for the continued reviews and the site URL. Here is where I find all my game info, give it a look. http / w w w DOT mmhp DOT net /
Read this one.
A blaster from the past C6)
Rock appeared in a flash of light, standing atop the sign that was on the front of the Hunter base head quarters. He sat down on it and watched the reploids and humans below him. They didn't notice him, as it appeared that people in this time had forgotten to ever look up.
He sat there a long while just watching people walk past the building and down the street and disappear into any of the tall buildings around. This was a tall city and Rock didn't like it, it held lots of interesting architecture but it was too cramped. He preferred living out on the edge of everything, like ranch home that he had first been activated in.
In an emotional impulse he called up a COM line and connected an automated surveillance satellite. He pulled up the coordinates where the small house had been and frowned as the image over his vision showed a last inner sea bordered by rocky wastes.
Rock shook his head and terminated the connection fully understanding that the home wouldn't be there but still upset. He heard gunfire, not plasma shots but actual guns. He jumped to the ground and ran toward the sound, it lead him out around the side of the vast building and toward a smaller one sat off to the side.
He swung the door open and stepped inside while calling his armor. Inside was maintenance shed and everything inside was for taking care of the grounds. The shots had stopped but he fallowed the sound anyhow. He was nearing the back of the building, having had to weave through aisles of tools and fertilizers when he heard voices.
"Man this is so cool, how did you find it?" the voice was still juvenile and overly excited.
"Calm down. I found it digging out in one of the ruins while we where on a training patrol. I even found enough ammo for a few shots. I got three bullets left. After that I'm goanna have to sneak down to the workshops in the garage and make some." The other voice was also young but in the way that reploids sound young even with a mature voice.
Rock stepped around the last shelf and found a young human standing beside a short reploid in blue armor. They held a rifle between them that he didn't recognize and against the far wall was a sack of sand with several holes in it. They where currently feeding the last bullets into the gun with excited eyes and quick fingers.
Rock leaned against the wall and waited for them to see him not caring about the firearm or that they used it without permission. "Can I fire it?" the human teenager picked up the light rifle and pointed at the sandbag.
The gun went of and a new hole appeared in the bag as more sand spilled from the other holes. The teen dropped the gun as the recoil stunned his arms, the gun fell and Rock leapt forward to catch it. He was to late as the gun hit the cement floor and the two shots went off in rapid secession.
Rock grabbed the gun and rolled back to his feet, turning and checking the two stunned boys behind him. The teenager was pale and trembling but unharmed while the reploid stood in openmouthed shock. The teen raised a hand and pointed at Rock before his eyes rolled up and he fell, his friend barely catching him.
Rock looked down and found two holes in his chest, clean bored and piercing his armor. He checked his diagnostics screen and found that the two bullets had logged very near to his power core. He looked at the gun in his hands and found the safety switch; flicking it off he bent down to the ground and picked up the two shell casings.
He put a hand on the reploid's shoulder and steered him out off the shed. The replied finally gathered itself enough to speak, "Are you ok?" he easily carried his friend while Rock lead him toward the doors into the Hunter base.
"I'm not seriously harmed. You should be more careful with firearms, especially archaic ones. And you shouldn't let anyone handle your firearms unless you are sure they can use them safely." Rock could feel his automated repair system already working on the damage caused.
They stepped inside the door and every eye turned to them as motion halted. Then total panic ensued, human clerks and secretaries dove for cover while reploid's rushed at them calling upon their armor. Rock felt the blue armored reploid under his hand tremble in fear as several busters and other weapons were leveled at them.
Rock let go of the reploids shoulders and let his armor disappear, and then nudged the reploid to do the same. The reploid trembled and let his armor go, making him drop an inch as he became shorter. A female reploid in white armor with a red cross on her chest and helmet pushed through the others and pulled the teen from his grasp.
"What's going on here?" the many reploids stepped aside, not lowering their weapons, as Zero came forward in his armor. "What are you doing? Mavericks don't walk in the front door caring unharmed humans. Somebody ask them what happened."
Several of the busters and weapons were withdrawn but one rather large nasty looking steel hook remained as its owner stepped forward. He was taller than everyone else and his armor was a sea blue hinted with green and silver. His armor was shaped and trimmed with fins and a long fish tail lashed the ground behind him. His face was slightly gray and his heavily lidded eyes watched Rock.
He pointed his hook at the reploid, "you're a rookie in training, why aren't you in your squad classes?"
The reploid trembled at the hook inches from his nose. "I'm sorry sir. My squad had a free hour and I wanted to show my friend my, my…"
Rock took the gun from under his arm and tossed it to Zero. "He found this and a few rounds. The two of them were firing it into a sandbag in the gardeners shed. He let the human fire it but the recoil surprised him."
Zero caught the weapon with ease and proceeded to check the clip and barrel. After finding that it was functional he tossed it to the reploid, who barely caught it. "The discovery of firearms is to be reported before use." He turned to Rock and stared at him, the glint of anger flaring to life for a moment before it was gone again. "So why is the boy passed out?"
Rock shrugged and raised his shirt, showing the two slightly sparking holes in his chest. There were a few half heard exclamations from the gathered reploids, for a reploid the wound would have been serious. "He dropped the rifle with the recoil and it went off, the shots struck me as I blocked the human from harm. The damage is minimal." Even as he spoke a half melted half flattened slug of metal was pushed from one off the holes, clinking to the ground by his foot.
"Medic!" the cry came from several mouths and was almost instantly followed by more reploids in white and pink armor swarming into the room. They caught him and tossed him onto a floating backboard and strapped him in place. They raced him down hallways as he struggled to free himself. I needle was stuck into his arm and broke as it hit metal directly below.
They pulled him into a room full of white walls and bright lights, talking faster than Rock thought possible. A scalpel was brought forward and cut into his skin around one of the first bullet holes. Everything froze as fast as it had started when the skin was peeled away to show plated metal and trailing wires.
Rock finally tore an arm free of the straps holding him down; he swatted the scalpel away from his skin and ripped another strap free. "It will heal itself unless you tamper with It." he ripped the last strap free and sat up. Another needle was trust into his neck but it snapped as it stuck the metal below.
Rock smacked the hand away and pulled the broken needle free. "I am not a reploid. I am a robot I need repairs not healing. There is no biotechnology involved in my construction." He reached out took up the dropped scalpel; he dragged it down the side of his head as they watched in sick wonder.
He griped the side of his face and lifted it away, reviling the complex circuits and motor control beneath that manipulated the thin polymer skin into expressions. "I see you understand now. Good." He placed his face back over the mechanics and grinned at them, enjoying the slightly morbid satisfaction of watching their pale faces. It wasn't often he did things like that and he didn't like to be frightening but if it got his point across he would do it.
He got up from the bed and walked out of the room heading back towards the main entrance. Walking down the corridor he saw Zero heading towards him and as Zero passed him he turned and fell in step. "You planed that didn't you?" he saw Zero's grin.
Zero shook his head, still grinning. "No I didn't have anything to do with that but it was funny. So what are you planning now? Abducting an operator next? Destroy the stairs while waiting for the elevators doors to open?" he broke out laughing then, "You cause more trouble than I do."
Rock frowned, then stopped as his face tried sliding away. He looked at Zero, seeing him watching him with that deep spark of anger in his eyes. "Are you ready for that sparing match?"
The anger disappeared and Zero gave him a predatory grin, "I think the question is, are you?"
Rock smiled back, easily imitating Zero's grin. "I could be missing an arm and be ready."
"Well then lets grab some witnesses and head down to the gym." Zero turned down a side hall and Rock followed. Zero just walked along and taped reploids on the shoulder as he passed. They fell into step behind them and whispered amongst themselves as the progression grew.
The progression had truly grown huge as Zero stopped at the door of X's office. The door didn't open when he hit the key so he looked back over his shoulder at the long line of reploids. "Looks like X heard us coming." Laughs sprang up and traveled back the crowded halls. Zero reached up and drew the hilt of his Z-saber from the fixed sheath holding over his shoulder.
Rock tried scanning the strange weapon as it flared and sparked with green energy but his scanning waves fades away after touching it. Zero slashed out, moving faster than Rock had calculated his speed to be and with four screeching glowing lines the doorway started to fall outward.
Zero stepped back but Rock stayed where he was, deciding to show off his own abilities. With a single hand he reached out and griped the door, his fingers bending in the metal around them. He hefted it over his head and turned, calmly placing it against the other wall. He turned back, careful not to grin at the handful of wondering looks.
"I thought you said you weren't a match for me without your armor?" Rock smiled at Zero then and restrained his quick reply.
Rock leaned forward and pushed at the large filing cabinet that was against where the door had been. "I said I couldn't match your speed without my armor." He gave a push and watched the cabinet slide back a few feet. "I never mentioned my strength." Rock smiled at the whispered words of wonder behind him as he easily shoved more furniture away from the doorway. He knew that most reploids of his size would have trouble with the filing cabinet. Their construction was mostly biotech and while impressive for flexibility and resistance couldn't handle extreme weight without having been made specifically for moving.
Rocks construction was solid; he could lift several times his own weight even without his armor. However his speed and flexibility without his armor would put him far below what most reploids where capable of. After seeing Zero use his saber he doubted he could match his speed at all.
After the furniture Zero waved his hand and several reploid's in their armor went marching in and dragged out a resisting X. he was stabbing their armor with a broken pen and shouting at them, "I have paper work to do! Leave me be! Zero, I wont judge your stupid contest!"
The reploid's carried him down the hall towards the gym with X shouting curses at Zero the whole way. Rock watched the blond haired reploid beside him, "It looks like X has had this done to him before."
Zero grinned but kept his eyes forward. Another reploid behind Rock stepped up and placed an arm around Zero's shoulders. "Commander Zero regularly has to drag X out of his office. Occasionally the rest of us help. But I don't think commander X likes some off the things Zero plans for him."
Zero shoved the reploid away with a mocking frown but another reploid slipped up beside Rock and clapped an arm around him. She was tall and had many features like a fox, including a pointed face and tall ears and a long furry tail that Rock found rubbing across his ass in a fashion that couldn't be entirely accidental. She leaned down against him and in a voice that sounded far to sultry for a warrior spoke. "Last time commander Zero had thrown a swimsuit contest and made X and himself the judges."
She leaned down close to his ear and whispered in a voice even more sensuous than before. "I won second place you know." Rock let her think what she would; he didn't find the beastly appearances very attractive. Actually he found it quite odd to give animal traits to something with such strong intellect but he couldn't argue that they didn't work well, several beast reploids where actually good enough to have come from Dr Lights mind.
As they neared the gym she must have realized he wasn't interested or perhaps she thought he wasn't 'capable' of what she wanted because she unwound her tail from around his buttocks and latched onto Zero's arm. Zero grinned and put an arm around her waist as they entered the gym. Rock saw a flash of pink around the corner of the hallway and knew that something unpleasant would happen to the fox reploid at some point, or maybe to Zero.
The reploid's that had gone ahead hadn't been idle; the obstacle track had been moved and rearranged so that it formed one big tangled confused ring with a large flat circle inside. Large seats and bleachers surrounded the obstacle ring and where already half full with reploids and humans. X was chained to a chair that sat high up in the bleachers and he was slumped forward and smashing his head against his knees.
Zero walked over to a large cabinet against the wall and tossed the doors open. Inside was a large array of train weapons, swords and clubs of wood and plastic and strange busters and firearms that launched large globs of sticky colored goop.
Zero took his buster from his arm and sat it on the floor, knowing only the research scientists would dare touch it, and then placed his z-saber beside it. He took a single goop shooting buster and a pair of wooden kendo swords that he strapped across his back. He turned and walked towards the ring while Rock examined his chouses.
Only a few reploids where around him as he studied the weapons before him. They had been made for training and as such where lacking in velocity and accuracy, he would be lucky to hit the broad side of Duo with one of these.
He chouse the best pair of busters and switched them with his own, piling them beside Zero's. He looked over and saw Zero warming up, going through several forms and movements with one of the swords. He looked at the chouse in melee weapons and frowned at the clubs and swords. He had rarely used these weapons and knew that his skill with them was poor.
He shook his head and turned away without one, but stopped as he saw a mop sitting in a bucket by the door. He stepped over to it and with a sudden motion spun it up into the air. As it twisted he lashed out with the blade of his hand and the mop head spun out and struck a large green reploid in the back.
The reploid turned around and frowned until he saw the mop handle spin back down from the air and Rock casually catch it between two fingers. The reploid turned back around with a shake of his head and told another smaller reploid beside it that, 'the drone is fighting with the broom closet.'
Rock griped his staff and walked into the circle where he found a pair of burly reploids holding a still chained X between them. Zero ran his eyes over the mop handle staff but didn't say anything. One of the burly reploids shook X and he raised his head with a look of resignation on his face.
X gave a sigh so loud that Rock wondered if he ruptured a lung before he shook his head and spoke. "Alright this is a fight but it's a no damage fight. Keep it off the bleachers and any stray paint amongst the crowd works against your score. By the end of a half hour, or until someone surrenders, whoever has more paint showing louses. Alright get it over with so I can go back to work."
The two Reploids carried X away to the bleachers while Zero used his paint buster to coat one of his swords with red. Rock shifted his hand away and fired a large blue glob onto each end of the staff, letting it run down some of the shaft before shaking the rest free. Zero bowed to Rock and Rock returned the gesture.
As soon as his head lifted again Zero struck, moving like a red blur as he lashed out in a sweeping strike that a live blade would have taken off Rocks head. Rock managed to duck backwards from the blade and block the return swing with his staff. He leapt back and fired his buster at where Zero had been.
Zero was gone, dashing into the twisted ropes of a net climbing wall. Rock headed the other way, watching back the other way as he ran for a towering ladder. Zero came streaking down from the side, lashing out with his red sword and trying to split Rock along the middle.
Rock sprang back, catching the tip of the sword against his side, the small spot of red standing out against the blue. Rock sprang forward, swinging the staff in quick short circles, forcing Zero to back away. Rock then raised his buster and fired, the blue goop flying slowly and missing the speedy Zero.
Zero ran of into the jumble of obstacles and Rock continued on towards the ladder he had spotted before. Zero lunged out of nowhere again but Rock dropped backwards, sliding forward while Zero passed overhead. He fired twice as Zero passed over, the first shot missing and sailing up against a stone wall while the other struck evenly against Zero's shoulder.
The crowd, silent until now, rose up with cheers and shouts. Far to many of them had spared with the ace hunter only to have never colored his armor. Zero found his feet and glared at Rock who stood near the base of the ladder a short dash away. The blue paint covering his shoulder and dripping down his arm where it mixed with the red paint on his sword. "I haven't been painted in a while, especially not before I had given the other person a good coat."
Rock grinned but held both staff and buster ready, "experience helps in all things. You use those dash jets a bit much, have you noticed I don't even have them?" Rock leapt up, pressing his foot against the ladder while his hand with the staff griped a rung. Zero charged forward, blade leading as he sprang of the floor toward Rock.
Rock calmly pushed away, falling past Zero and smacking him across the back with his staff, leaving a long blue line there. Zero hit the ladder and sprang away again, crossing over Rock and lashing out with fast hard strokes. When the landed Zero leapt back away from a sweep of Rock's staff. Rock frowned at the red Z lashed across his blue chest armor.
"Don't worry about experience, I have enough for you." Zero jumped forward again but Rock spun his staff in a great spiraling circle that Zero's sword was flung away from ever time. Then from the center of the whirling circle came a flurry of blue shots, striking against Zero's legs as he tried rolling away.
Zero was growing infuriated; Rock was easily keeping his sword at bay while spraying paint out at him. Zero shifted the red covered kendo sword to his other hand and shifted his hand into the paint buster. His fist shot hit the whirling staff and was tossed everywhere in a spray of purple as the colors mixed.
Rock stopped his staff and looked at his armor, he was covered in small splashes of purple from his head down to his feet. He looked up and saw Zero in much the same state but glaring at him. Zero tossed the painted blade up into the air and drew the other from his back, a quick shot to color it red, before changing his hand back and catching the first sword as it fell.
Rock shot a fresh coat of blue onto his staff and readied himself for Zero to move first. They stood their several long moments with the crowd cheering and shouting around them. Rock jumped back and dropped a red cube at his feet while firing blasts at Zero. The cube unfolded into the jet sled and as he stepped onto it its jets fired to life and he rocketed towards the surprised Zero.
Zero sprang aside as the sled carried Rock past, holding his staff as if it was a lance. Rock leaned against the sled, pulling it into a turn and higher into the air as the crowd broke into booing and jeering cries. Rock ignored them as he came towards Zero again, firing paint gobs while trying to ram the blond reploid. Zero took a hit without dodging and then jumped up, his two swords darting and striking.
Rock landed on his back but sprang to his feet again, tossing aside the broken staff and shifting his other hand into a buster. He smiled as he saw Zero trying to steer the jet sled. Rock activated his remote and told the sled to lean around, making it look as if Zero had gotten it to listen. As the sled passed by the ladder Rock spun the jet sled and rammed it into the ladder. Zero was tossed to the ground as the sled swung down and returned to Rock's side. Rock tucked the cube away after it had folded itself and walked over to where Zero still lay.
Rock stood over him and looked down while Zero looked up at him. Zero spoke first, "that was a cheap trick."
Rock grinned and held out a hand to him, knowing that this fight was over. "I call it tactical thinking. Besides, did you honestly think you could ride my jet sled that well?"
Zero griped Rocks hand and got up off the ground, "it wouldn't be the first time I learned something like that." He rubbed a hand over the large dent in his chest armor. "I must admit that you fight pretty good for an ancient pile of scrap."
Rock was about to comment on Zero's skill when the reploids and humans from the bleachers flooded into the circle. All of them where shouting about outside devices or cheating. Zero tried shouting over the many voices but they road over him like a wave over a stone.
A plasma sphere exploded overhead and everyone fell silent as X pushed past them to stand beside Rock and Zero. He glared at them until he was sure they wouldn't interrupt him, "I am the judge and as such I will judge the winner and any possible broken rules."
All around there was a great nodding of heads and muttered yeses. X waited until the last murmurs faded before speaking again. "As for cheating I have to rule that there wasn't any." He raised a hand to stop any protests. "The rules never stated that outside devices couldn't be used. And if it had been a rule I would have to take points away from Zero because he also used the jet sled."
There were several half spoken protests but Zero spoke before they could grow into shouts. "I did use it. And I don't hold it's use against him, he used it very well and only to make up for his lack of dash jets." There was much whispered talk over this and Rock could see many eyes studying his back and feet with their lack of jets.
X turned to the two fighters now and shook his head while a smile grew across his face. "I have to say that I haven't seen a sparing match get this heated before. And Zero I don't think I ever expected you to be painted so well." It was true; from head to toe Zero was covered in splashes and stripes of blue paint with splattered purple over it all.
X turned to Rock then and looked him up and down in the same way as he had Zero. "And your covered rather well yourself." Rock had slashes of red across most his body and over it all was the splattering of purple.
X turned to the crowd and raised his hand to stop the conversations that had sprung up. "I say it's a draw." The crowd was full of mixed reactions at the judgment. Many couldn't believe that Zero had been so totally painted by a drone, as many of them still called Rock. And others couldn't believe that Rock had held his own so well while being at an apparent disadvantage. Mostly thou they had been glad to see such a good fight.
"AND." Everyone stopped and listened to X as he spoke. "And I think I finally get to protest these events and my enforced judging." He raised a hand and snapped his fingers. As if with magic hidden guns rolled out of the ceiling, walls and floors. They opened fire with vast sprays of blue paint that coated the crowd as X vanished in a flash of light.
Rock calmly walked through the shouting Reploids as they struggled to get out of range. He found his busters and placed them on again before walking out the door. Behind him in the gym Zero was organizing a battle against the paint cannons while laughing at the joke.
Well I finally gave you the fight. It wasn't perfect but it wasn't too horrible. I didn't plan for the staff but I never could see Rock using a blade, it just doesn't fit his stile. Take a guess at what I was going to give him instead of the staff, I dare you.
Rock will be confronted about abducting Akako in the next chapter, and I may finally show a maverick battle but don't hold me to that. Who thinks the face peel was too much? If you want to hold a conversation concerning my thoughts on Reploid 'capability' email me with it. Remember keep the reviews on the site clean.
Review or this fic will wither and die. I just don't like it enough to write it without reviews.