The MG Effect: Chapter 12
Brooklyn stirred in his sleep, then realizing where he was, he sat bolt upright. Looking down at Meridia, his eyes met obsidian black ones.
"About time you woke up, lazy sod."
Next thing she knew, Brooklyn had pulled her into a tight, warm embrace.
"Meridia, you're okay..."
Meridia was a bit surprised to feel her shoulder grow moist from his tears. He eventually pulled away to look her in the eyes.
"You have no idea how worried I was about you."
"Brooklyn, I know this is a little hasty, but we can't waste any time. Boris is going after the other Branzers, and-"
"Just how many are there?"
"Six, but we have to go, now. We can't let Boris get to the others or we're screwed." She muttered fighting to get up, but fell back on the pillows from lack of energy.
"Dammit..."
"Meridia, you're still too weak to go anywhere. If it hadn't been for Drayea, you would be dead right now."
"I know..."
Brooklyn scowled at the floor.
"And when I see Boris again, I'll-"
"It wasn't Boris that did it to me."
"What?"
"Boris isn't strong enough to do that much damage... It was Branzer Leviathan."
Meanwhile at the Blitzkrieg Boys' place, Drayea had just finished explaining her past after regaining it from the transfer. Tala had picked her up off the ground and sat her on the bed positioning her so that her head was resting against the front of his shoulder and her back was pulled against his chest, arms wrapped protectively around her waist. As it turned out, the dream she so often had was from the night she broke out with Branzers E-Fusion, Turnabout and Genesis II, who was the boy she remembered, Saidran. They were all her siblings, taken from the same mother.
"Damn, that makes my childhood look pretty good."
Drayea rolled her eyes at the comment. Typical Tala response.
"No kidding."
There was a short pause. Drayea turned her head to look at Tala. He looked over at her, somehow knowing what she was about to say by her eyes.
"So, how do we break it to the guys?" Drayea asked.
"Who says we have to tell them? They'll figure it out sooner or later. They're not stupid."
"Though some are more so than others..."
Tala chuckled at the sarcastic comment, knowing she was referring to Ian. Drayea suddenly sighed and turned away. Sensing something wrong, Tala turned her face in one hand so she looked into his eyes.
"Is something wrong?" He asked softly.
"It's just... With Boris always after me, I don't know if it's safe for you to be around me. I don't want to see you get hurt, especially after seeing what happened to Genesis."
Tala smiled at her selfless concern.
"I'd rather chance it if it means being with you."
He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips, making her gasp slightly, but nonetheless she kissed him back. His hands lifted and rested around her neck as her arms wrapped around his when he kissed her with more passion. Drayea smirked against his lips before playfully pushing him down onto the bed, putting her on top of him. Tala quickly responded by forcefully but gently pushing her over so that he was on top, his arms braced on either side of her head to keep from suffocating the phoenix wielder. The kiss was broken by Tala, who looked down at Drayea. He knew she had been in this position before, and the last thing he wanted to do was spark a replay that might trigger the fight-or-flight instinct. Drayea, sensing his concern, managed a half-smile, and he could see it in her eyes that nothing was wrong. Satisfied with his answer, he leaned down again and captured her lips in a fiery kiss.
Drayea gasped inwardly when she felt Tala's hands move down to her shoulders and gently slide down her sides, stopping at her hips before moving back up again. She responded by curling her fingers into his fiery red hair, almost surprised to feel his tongue on her lips, begging for entrance. Shyly, she gave it to him, gasping when his tongue swept over her lip and explored her mouth, leaving no area unchecked. A soft moan came out of her throat, making Tala smirk against her lips. His hands stopped at her shoulders, gripping them gently. Her hands moved up his chest and undid the clasps of his jacket before removing it and dropping it on the floor, putting Tala in his white, orange and blue pants and a black muscle shirt, likely borrowed from Kai. He wasn't as burly as Bryan, Kai and Spencer, but either way his slender physique was very well toned. They both pulled away after a bit for air, Tala getting up off of Drayea and lying on the bed beside her and wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her back against his chest and burying his face in her soft brown hair. Using the crook of his arm as a pillow, Tala was a bit surprised to feel Drayea place a hand over his before he drifted off.
Back at the hospital, it took quite a bit of effort to try and get Meridia to stay in her hospital bed. That didn't mean the doctors trying to keep her from moving succeeded. Being as stubborn and iron-willed as Meridia was, she forced herself up to her feet, clad in a change of clothes Brooklyn had brought her with Apocalyptica in her pocket.
"This is crazy Meridia, you can barely stand, how do you expect to fight in this condition?" Brooklyn asked.
"I never said I was fighting."
All that got from Brooklyn was a confused look.
"I have to get back to the BEGA HQ and delete all information regarding the Branzers if I want to save them. It's their only chance."
The door suddenly opened, a dark figure blocking the light.
"That won't be necessary."
Brooklyn stepped protectively in front of Meridia, glowering fiercely at the figure.
"Leviathan, you scum." Meridia snarled.
"Flattery will get you nowhere." She replied offhandedly. "That's not why I'm here. Hand over Apocalyptica and I won't do anything to you or your boyfriend."
"You'll have to go through me and Zeus first."
In a split second, Zeus's blade was out and spinning, prepared to fight. Leviathan shook her head and folded her arms.
"Pathetic. You should know by now that I'm far too powerful to be daunted by mere child's play."
She looked up.
"Besides, everyone knows the big sister always wins."
Meridia narrowed her eyes, unable to believe what she had just heard Leviathan say.
"Not going quietly, eh? Fine."
Drayea sleepily opened her eyes some time later, habitually starting to get up when she was pulled back down, followed by a soft, sleepy groan from a male voice. Looking over her shoulder, she was a bit surprised to see Tala still there with one arm locked around her waist. Try as she might, trying to get loose only made Tala tighten his vice-like grip.
"Dammit..." She swore under her breath.
"Why must you keep moving?"
Drayea looked over at Tala again to see one topaz-blue eye opened and looking at her sleepily.
"Has anyone ever told you what a death grip you have?" She asked snidely.
Tala only responded with a smirk and pulled her closer so that he was speaking right into her ear.
"Shame though. I was really comfy right here."
"Aw, my poor widdle ickle Tala-kins..." She mocked with a stomach-turning baby voice.
Tala had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.
"If you ever use that nauseating voice again, I swear I will hang you with your own innards."
"Lovely mental image. Thanks." She replied derisively.
"Any time."
"Oh, you..."
Before Drayea could react, Tala pulled her very close, making her hands rest on his chest while managing to make her face him. The phoenix wielder blushed at the close proximity, making the wolf force back a smirk.
"Oh, you're so enjoying this." She growled.
The comment only made Tala smirk openly.
"What if I am?"
"Jerk."
Tala's smirk broadened.
"And don't you forget it."
Drayea sighed in mock defeat and rested her head against his chest.
"Well, I guess I can live with you being a jerk." She murmured with her eyes closed.
"I guess I can live with you being… weird."
Drayea looked up, eyes glinting playfully.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"How many girls- or people for that matter- do you know who can drive me off the deep end with an antic as small and insignificant as nailing me with a snowball?"
"True."
"Point made."
Drayea just smirked.
"Branzer Project captured."
Boris looked to the doorway at the monotonous voice. Branzer Leviathan had an unconscious Branzer Genesis slung over her shoulder. Judging by the scratch marks on Leviathan's face, Genesis hadn't gone down without a struggle. Typical.
"Which one should I get next?"
Boris smirked.
"Maybe you should pay an old friend of ours a visit."
Meanwhile….
"HA! I win again!"
Ian scowled at the TV screen.
"So tell me Ian, what does it feel like to lose 37 consecutive games of Space Bugs to an 'amateur'?" Drayea taunted as she leaned back on the couch, adding air quotes to the earlier-used insult.
"Shut up."
Tala high-fived the phoenix while Bryan and Spencer smirked at the downfall of the reigning Space Bugs champ. Their fun was interrupted by Drayea suddenly going very, very still and tense, like she felt something.
"Dray? You okay?" Tala asked warily.
"GET DOWN!"
She sprung from the couch, dragging Ian with her and tackling Tala to the ground at the same time as a loud 'BLAM!' came as the wall on her right exploded.
"Geez, do you have a 6th sense or something?" Ian asked.
"Actually, yes."
The Blitzkrieg Boys got to their feet as the smoke cleared, revealing…
"YOU!" Drayea spat.
The unnamed girl in the doorway smirked.
"Miss me Drayea?"
The girl's eyes fell on Tala, who responded with a death glare, but was cut off when Drayea stepped protectively in front of her team.
"Whoever you are, leave them be." She hissed.
The girl snickered, folding her arms and shutting her eyes as if she were amused by Drayea's words.
"It's Seya if you must know, Branzer Leviathan if you prefer."
Drayea's eyes widened.
"You're Branzer Leviathan?" She asked disbelievingly.
"The one and only, kid."
Before Drayea could react, Leviathan shot forward and tackled her through the far wall and outside into the back, creating a large hole where she hit. Leviathan smirked as she stepped through the wall while Drayea forced herself to her feet despite the pain.
"Fine. If it's a fight you want, a fight is what you'll get."
With a fierce war cry, Drayea leapt forward with both hands engulfed in an ice-blue aura, ready to fight. Leviathan charged in response as the two made contact, both swinging incredibly forceful and powerful blows of energy at the other. As strong as Branzer Leviathan was, Drayea had the speed, dexterity and maneuverability as well as some kind of unseen power fueling her instinct to protect her friends.
"C'mon Drayea!" Tala yelled.
The phoenix wielder's eyes blazed red as she switched to pyro powers and Rycarraea's essence took control. The aura around her changed from frost blue to fierce red as she charged and leapt into the air, making a huge arc over her head with a foot before slamming it into the ground, making a huge wave of fire and smoke shoot up, canceling out a bolt of black energy from Leviathan and temporarily blinding her.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
In a massive burst of energy, Drayea aka Renavatio threw both hands forward, launching a huge blast of fire, ash, rock and magma, Rycarraea's Torrid Volcanic Emission attack. The smoke and debris from the resulting explosion cleared finally, and Leviathan was flattened on the ground from the superpowerful blast. Drayea slowly walked over as Leviathan struggled to get up, covered in burns and frostbite.
"I'm only going to say this once, so listen and listen well lest you had plans to come back. I have my memory back, I can merge with either one of my bit beasts, and I can control the power of Black Dranzer. Come back again, and it will be the last thing you ever do." She hissed venomously, eyes glowing a fierce red. Leviathan narrowed her eyes in a death glare before disappearing in a swirling black mist.
A defeated, burned and frostbitten Branzer Leviathan returned to the BEGA HQ, and the fact that there were still three other Branzers aside from Renavatio.
How could she have become more powerful than me? It can't be possible…But she still beat me…Dammit!
Frustrated and impatient, she smashed a fist onto her desk, causing it to nearly break in two halves.
Wait... A smirk appeared on her face. That's it...
Back at the Blitzkrieg Boys' place, Drayea had effortlessly repaired the hole in the wall, but had taken some supplies the team didn't see from a safe in the cellar and retreated there. Hours passed, and the only sounds coming out of there were keys on a laptop being pressed, a metal saw grinding against more metal, and a welding torch's blow.
Dammit.
Drayea pulled the protective welder's lenses up and skillfully attached the end of one of the two tubes on the metal into its port. It was taking much longer to get this done than she had expected. Turning back to her laptop, she punched in a few more measurements and in return got a few more numbers for something else.
Perfect.
A knock suddenly came on the door at the top of the cellar stairs.
"Drayea? What are you doing down there, it's been 5 hours." Tala's voice informed her with a hint of concern.
That long?
She could hear the door being opened and shut again as footsteps came down the stairs. Without even bothering to look over her shoulder, Drayea took the piece she was working on and fitted it onto the manikin she had designed to have her own measurements, all down to the last millimeter. As said ice wolf reached the bottom of the stairs, she flipped the lenses down and set to work on the next piece.
"Drayea, what in the world could you be working on?"
The phoenix wielder sighed and flipped up the lenses.
"Would you believe me?"
Tala leaned against the wall, arms folded.
"Depends."
Another sigh.
"I'm creating a kind of indestructible titanium alloy armor with Rycarraea's and Kaexalea's essences in it. I'm hoping that it will help me regulate my power and protect me from other attacks as well. It's going to take me a long time before I get it all just right, since I have to get the measurements perfect."
"I see." He looked up at her thoughtfully. "What parts are you making, exactly? Maybe I can be of service."
"I already made the chest plate and left gauntlet, and I still need the right gauntlet, 2 leg guards, 2 shoulder guards, and tailbone armor." (Sort of like the Ronin Warriors' armor, if you've heard of them. Do an image search on them and try to picture it mechanical.)
"Man, you do have a long way to go."
Drayea shot him an indignant glare.
"Don't remind me."
Tala looked over to the manikin at the armor. The chest plate had a kind of transparent dark blue orb in the middle of it, and inside that was what looked like the piece of her launcher that held the blade before launch. The same thing was over the hand's guard on the gauntlet.
"What in the world is this?"
Drayea glanced back at the chest plate.
"Oh, that? That's where the bit chip goes. I used the parts of my old launcher and upgraded them so it would hold it in there."
The phoenix flipped the lenses back down and continued working, this time on the right gauntlet and starting from scratch. After only a minute or two of Tala watching her, she sighed and flipped the lenses back up again.
"Look, if you want to help, hook up your laptop to mine and see if you can write a program that will allow me to control this thing with mental commands."
"You got it."