Book 5: The Blaster Master
Chapter 4: A Momentary Break
As the three vehicles backtracked towards Sector 1 from Sector 3 and 2, MegaMan Volnutt began to tell stories to the group about his world along with his version of Earth called Terra, which is inhabited by artificial humans known as Carbons. He also shared a bit of his backstory when a long time ago, he was originally a Purifier Unit from Elysium known as MegaMan Trigger, to protect the Master System from being threatened under the orders of The Master, one of the last remaining humans of his world. After MegaMan and The Master visited Terra to observe the lives of the Carbons, The Master gave him one final order before his death a few days later, the destruction of the Master System by deleting all of its data from its Library, so that Terra will belong to the Carbons.
Then MegaMan told the group about how he was reverted into a baby after a battle with Sera which also caused him to have amnesia, until several years later when he, alongside Data, were found by Barrel Casket, Roll's grandfather, and were taken under his care. Later on, Roll gave him the name MegaMan Volnutt from a video game character, while Data became the Caskett family's pet monkey. And when MegaMan grew older, he became a Digger, with Roll acting as his operator and mechanic, and Data as his support unit, to search for Refractors and other resources for the Caskett family as well as defeating Reaverbots that protects the underground ruins and fighting Air Pirates, most notably from the Bonne family, in his many adventures. The group reacted with shock and awe at Volnutt's story, along with his amazing feats which included a fight against Theodore Bruno, the Bonne family's strongest and largest mecha; stopped MegaMan Juno from activating the Carbon Reinitialization Program; and even defeating Sera in a rematch on Elysium. He was even able to regain most of his memories back thanks to Data and Yuna.
"Amazing..." Bronya commented from inside the Time Mazine with Geiz and Volnutt inside. "You managed to save your world not once, but twice. The Bronya is impressed."
"Hehe..." Volnutt rubbed the back of his head. "Well I couldn't have won without Roll's help, along with the rest of my friends. Even Tron Bonne and her family helped out at times."
"I guess the Bonne family aren't so bad after all." Gunvolt remarked from the comms screen alongside Copen, with Jason, Eve and Shirabe on another screen.
"Hmm... I'm a little worried about the Elder System activating after your rematch with Sera, Volnutt." Copen said.
"Yeah." Volnutt nodded in a serious tone. "Whatever it is, it could harm Terra and the Carbons. That's the other reason why Yuna, Sera and I have to return to Terra, to put an end to that system before it's too late."
"I see."
"Though it'll probably be a while before we find a way back to your world." Geiz replied. "That's the other reason why we need those Gjallarhorn fragments. Maybe one of them might lead you back to your world."
"I hope so." Volnutt replied back. "Though I was wondering if you guys can help me and my friends stop the Elder System?"
"Definitely." Geiz nodded. "Who knows? Maybe there might be a Gjallarhorn fragment hidden in your world too."
"Geiz is right." Gunvolt agreed. "Team XDR's got your back, Volnutt."
"We're not afraid to lend a helping hand." Shirabe added.
"Thanks, guys." Volnutt smiled.
"We're almost reaching the end of the tunnel back to Sector 1." Eve informed the group. "By the way, how were you guys able to reach the underground areas again?"
"There was a large elevator that's enough to fit in a few vehicles." Geiz answered. "We'll lead you to where it is in a moment."
"Got it." Jason noted. "We'll let you take the lead then."
"Alright, let's go!" Geiz declared as the Time Mazine and Rairyu moved ahead with SOPHIA following behind.
Sector 1: Forest Area
Once the vehicles arrived at Sector 1, they quickly head for the elevator with Rairyu and the Time Mazine leading the way. Luckily there's no mutants and mines lurking around since the mutant guardians have been exterminated. When they arrived at the entrance of the elevator, they were shocked as they noticed a small outpost nearby, manned by soldiers in green combat uniforms with the Guardians symbol on one of the tents.
"Okay, did not expect the Guardians to build an outpost here." Gunvolt remarked from inside Rairyu.
"Ah, forgot to mention why they're here." Geiz answered from the comms screen. "After Bronya, Samus and I reported to Prairie about our recent discoveries which involved Jason and SOPHIA III, she requested permission to build an outpost on Sector 1's elevator entrance to defend it in case the mutants discover its location."
"Kohaku and Reiko volunteered and brought along a few Guardians troops to build the outpost, while Grey and Ashe, along with a few Guardian troops, assisted Samus with transporting her spaceship back to the Guardian Base for repairs." Bronya added.
"I see, that explains everything." Eve noted from another comms screen. "Can her ship fly though?"
"Unfortunately not after Samus told us about the state of her crashed ship, so it will take a while before it can take to the skies or even fly through space. Dr. Fleuve is examining her ship at the moment."
"Guess she's gonna be stuck on my planet for a while longer." Jason said.
"Ja." Bronya nodded.
"Hey, you guys!"
"That sounds like Kohaku." Lola recognized the voice. "Ix, wanna go out for a bit and say hello?"
"I don't see why not." Copen replied before opening the cockpit and jumped out to greet Kohaku.
"Oh, Copen! Lola! Welcome back!" Kohaku greeted. "How's the expedition so far?"
"So far so good. We've liberated Sector 2 and 3 from the mutants." Copen informed.
"And we've got plenty of data chips to upgrade the MAs!" Lola added. "We've recently got the Hover Pack, allowing the MAs to fly for a short time."
"Wow, that sounds really useful!"
"Hehe, I know right?"
"Hm?" Kohaku noticed the red MA next to Rairyu. "That red MA... that's SOPHIA III, right?"
"Mhm." Copen confirmed with a nod. "I take it you heard the info from Prairie earlier?"
"Yup, along with its driver, Jason Frudnick. I wonder if I could meet him for a moment?"
"Hmm..." Copen hummed before turning around. "Hey, Jason! Could you come out here for a sec? Kohaku wants to meet you!"
"Okay!" Jason replied. "What about Eve?"
"Bring her too! It will only take a minute!"
"Got it!" Jason complied as his MA's cockpit opened up before he and Eve jumped out of the MA and approached them. "Hi there, I'm Jason Frudnick. Nice to meet you." Jason greeted after taking off his helmet.
"And my name is Eve, Jason's co-pilot. Nice to meet you."
"Gunvolt and Jason found Eve from one of the domains in Sector 2." Copen explained.
"Oh, I see." Kohaku noted before turning to Jason and Eve. "Anyway, I'm Kohaku, an operator for the Guardians."
"Hello there, Kohaku." Eve greeted back while Jason nodded.
"By the way, any signs of the mutants still lurking around this sector?" Jason asked.
"Nothing yet at the moment." Kohaku replied. "I guess defeating the mutants guardians was one of the reasons why this area is safe. But we're not going to let our guard down just yet."
"Good. However, there's still the other sectors left to explore, and more mutants will spawn until the other mutant guardians and that meteor are destroyed." Copen stated.
"True. So I guess you're gonna head for the next sector?"
"We've obtained the Hover Pack data chip on Sector 3, so we should be able to head for Sector 4 on the left side of this sector." Jason replied.
"But we're going to head back to the Guardian Base for a moment to rest. We've been in here for quite a while." Eve added.
"Ah, okay then." Kohaku noted. "I'd better not hold you guys back. My sister and I will hold the fort until you finished your rest."
"No problem." Copen replied. "But remember to stay safe, okay?"
"Don't worry." Kohaku assured, tapping her holstered X-Baton on her hip. "I can protect myself now after having training sessions with Major Himeko and Shinji Ogawa. Dr. Fleuve even provided me with an X-Baton. You should get one too, Eve, so you can protect yourself from the mutants."
"But I don't know how to shoot." Eve said.
"That's okay, I'll teach you how." Jason replied. "I did some firearms training while I was in the EDF. We'll go through the basics one step at a time."
"Thanks, Jason." Eve smiled.
"Well, time for us to go, Kohaku. Though where's your sister at the moment?" Lola asked.
"Exploring this sector with a small handful of Guardian troops in case there's any mutants hiding around." Kohaku answered.
"Got it. Tell her we said hello, okay?"
"I will! Have a safe trip back!" Kohaku smiled and waved.
"Nice meeting you, Kohaku!" Jason smiled back as he, Eve and Copen head back to their respective vehicles and drove towards the elevator.
Once the elevator reached the surface, the vehicles moved ahead until they saw the large magenta airship parked right outside of the cave. "Jason, Eve, Volnutt, say hello to the mobile airship base; the Grand Nuage, also known as the Guardian Base." Geiz announced.
"Whoa..." Jason, Eve and Volnutt spoke with awe at the sight of the airship.
"That ship is a lot bigger than the Flutter, though I'm not sure if it's bigger or smaller than the Bonnes' airship." Volnutt remarked.
"And yet you were able to bring that pirate ship down single-handedly." Bronya mentioned. "Once again, the Bronya is impressed."
"Well the Flutter is only an exploration aircraft with no weapons, so I had to do something before we're shot down. Good thing Roll was able to detect the pirate ship's weak points."
"Understandable."
"Is this your first time seeing an airship, Jason?" Shirabe asked.
"Yup." Jason answered. "Though during my time in the EDF, there were some aircraft and other vehicles at their main base. They were planning on building an airship in the future though."
"For me though, yeah, definitely my first time seeing an airship. I never expected it to be this large." Eve commented.
"Anyway, let's park our vehicles in the airship's hangar before we meet up with Prairie. Follow us, Jason." Gunvolt declared as the Rairyu and Time Mazine drove towards the hangar bay with SOPHIA following behind.
Guardian Base, Hangar Bay
Once the vehicles arrived inside the hangar and parked them, they disembarked the vehicles with Jason and Geiz taking off their helmets and met up with Silure.
"Ah, welcome back! Good to see those vehicles in one piece." Silure greeted the group. "And I also see some new faces in your group."
"Mm." Copen nodded. "This is Jason, Eve and Volnutt. And Jason's the driver of that red MA."
"I see. Nice to meet ya. I'm Silure, head mechanic of the Guardians."
"Nice to meet you too." Jason replied while Eve and Volnutt nodded.
"The vehicles took some damage while fighting the mutants, but we're okay." Gaius informed. "Good thing there's several recharge terminals on the sectors to repair them."
"Not only that, we've discovered plenty of new data chips in the sectors and installed them onto the MAs. Let's just say that the MAs have gotten a lot stronger than before with those functions unlocked." Lola added.
"Heh, that's good to hear." Silure grinned. "I wonder if I should call up Fleuve to examine those chips for a while?"
"I don't see why not." Gunvolt approved. "What about you, Jason?"
"Go for it." Jason also approved. "Just try not to break them by accident."
"By the way, how is Samus's spaceship doing?" Bronya asked.
"Come with me, I'll show you." Silure replied, escorting the group to Samus''s spaceship as they saw several mechanics repairing said ship with one person staring at its front. "Hey Samus! Gaius and his team are back!"
"Hm?" Samus turned around and faced them, now wearing a light blue bodysuit. "Oh, it's you guys. Everything okay down there?"
"So far so good. We've liberated Sector 2 and 3 from the mutants and obtained data chips for the MAs and Jason's suit." Gaius replied while Silure returned to work. "We're planning to go to Sector 4 next, but I suggested we return here and rest for a while."
"We've also found two people within the two sectors." Shirabe added. "Eve-san? Volnutt?"
"So you're Samus Aran Jason and the others told us about. I'm Eve, Jason's co-pilot for SOPHIA." Eve greeted with a bow.
"And I'm MegaMan Volnutt. But just call me Mega or Volnutt."
"Wait... MegaMan?!" Samus exclaimed with wide eyes before approaching him. "When did you get so tall?"
"Huh?" Volnutt blinked. "Have we met before?"
"Uhh... Samus? Not the MegaMan you met before. Volnutt's from another universe." Gaius pointed out.
"...Oh." Samus responded. "So it's just like Vent and Aile. Same title, different universe."
"Vent and Aile?" Volnutt repeated.
"Those two are also MegaMen called Chosen MegaMen." Bronya answered. "They transform using Biometals to become MegaMan."
"Ohh..."
"Wait a sec. What do you mean 'not the MegaMan you once knew'?" Gunvolt asked.
"I'm guessing you saw the 4th Smash Bros. tournament, Gaius?" Samus guessed.
"More or less." Gaius shrugged. "Though I'm surprised at the newcomers, especially MegaMan and Pac-Man."
"Pac-Man?" Shirabe repeated.
"He's from a classic arcade game made by Namco." Gaius answered.
"Yup." Samus nodded. "And as for the MegaMan I met during the tournament, he's nearly the same size as Shirabe. That, and the only armor parts are his legs, arms and helmet."
"Ah, I see. No wonder you asked that question." Volnutt noted. "Would be nice if I could meet him someday."
"My ship can travel to that universe, so I'll gladly take you there if there's time. But..." Samus turned to her ship being repaired by the mechanics. "That crash landing caused by the Dimensional Quake earlier did a number on its systems, so repairs will take quite a while." She turned back to the group. "Also, I had to transfer my AI, Adam, into a temporary support pod until the repairs are complete."
"What support pod?" Copen asked.
"She means me." A support pod that's the same shape as Lola's battle pod, but in an orange and red color scheme with green optics, floated towards the group and hovered beside Samus. "Greetings. I am Adam, an AI for Samus's spaceship."
"What the?! That looks like my battle pod!" Lola exclaimed.
"Oh yeah, forgot that I allowed Dr. Fleuve to use my battle pod design a few days ago." Copen recalled. "Did you ask him to make one, Samus?"
"Well he did examine my ship and saw the state of its systems in need of repair. That's why he suggested to transfer Adam into a pod until further notice." Samus answered.
"At least I'll be able to accompany her to provide assistance. Also, this pod has plenty of useful functions which is perfect for performing various tasks." Adam said as several small bits purged out of the pod and began floating around it.
"Whoa! I didn't know Dr. Fleuve made that feature for the pod!" Joule exclaimed.
"I'll have to admit, he's a very capable scientist."
"You do realize that Copen was the one who made that pod for Lola in the beginning, right?" Gaius pointed out.
"Ah, of course. Dr. Fleuve did mention the one who made the battle pod and accepted permission to use its blueprints."
"Yup, I did." Copen confirmed.
"So where's Vent and the others, Samus?" Gunvolt asked.
"They should be at the command center examining the map data of Sector 1 to track down any mutants that might be hidden." Samus replied.
"Since you have obtained the map data for Sector 2 and 3 during your expedition, may I suggest giving it to the commander to expand the search for the mutants?" Adam suggested.
"That's the plan." Gaius nodded. "We should get going now. And if we ever need your help, we'll let you know."
"Got it." Samus replied, briefly showing off her Zikan Phone with an orange and red color scheme along with a green border around the screen. "Just give me a call and I'll gladly give you a hand."
"Word of warning, her Power Suit is fully upgraded so try not to get caught in the crossfire or rely on her help too much."
"Don't worry, I'll save that until we storm the entrance of that meteor." Gaius smirked. "Gotta play my cards right."
"Fully upgraded, huh?" Volnutt repeated before looking at his arm. "Maybe I should ask Dr. Fleuve to provide me with some special weapons to use."
"We'll do that after we meet up with Prairie, okay?" Shirabe replied, earning a nod from Volnutt.
"See you later, Samus!/Nice meeting you, Adam!" Jason and Eve said before the group head for the command center, leaving behind Samus and Adam to observe the repairs of the spaceship.
Guardian Base, Command Center
When the group arrived at the command center, they saw Prairie, Vent, Aile, Grey and Ashe looking at the map of Sector 1 on the main screen. "Hey guys, we're back!" Gaius greeted them and earned their attention.
"Oh, welcome back." Prairie greeted back. "How's the mission so far?"
"So far so good." Bronya replied. "Sector 2 and 3 have been liberated after defeating the mutant guardians hiding there."
"Not only that, we've even obtained data chips to upgrade the MAs." Shirabe added. "These will be useful as we explore the other sectors."
"That's good to know." Prairie replied before turning to Jason. "And you must be Jason Frudnick, driver of SOPHIA III?"
"Yup. A pleasure to meet you, Commander Prairie." Jason replied back with a salute.
"Hehe, at ease, Jason. No need to be too formal." Prairie smiled, prompting Jason to move his hand down. "Oh? And who are you two?"
"I'm Eve, Jason's co-pilot for SOPHIA III." Eve bowed.
"And I'm MegaMan Volnutt, one of the people that got hit by those Dimensional Quakes. Just call me Mega or Volnutt if you want."
"WHAT?!" Prairie and the Chosen MegaMen exclaimed in shock.
"Are you serious?! You, a MegaMan!?" Ashe exclaimed, pointing at Volnutt.
"Yup." Volnutt nodded. "And before you ask, I'm from another universe and pretty much the only MegaMan around. Though that name was given to me by Roll because of a video game character."
"...Huh, fancy that."
"So I take that you're from another version of Earth?" Vent asked.
"Yup, it's called Terra." Volnutt answered.
"I see. I wonder what your world is like?"
"Well..." Volnutt rubbed the back of his head. "The planet is covered with water, only several small islands remain where people live. They use ancient technology powered by Refractors in order to survive."
"Whoa..." Prairie and the MegaMen responded.
"So a great flood happened in your Earth, huh?" Aile mused.
"Not only that, Refractors are used as energy and fuel." Grey added. "But I guess even Refractors have limits?"
"Mhm." Volnutt nodded. "That's why I became a Digger to search for Refractors for money and for powering up flying machines and boats."
"Interesting..." Prairie mused.
"Volnutt's a very skilled Digger during his many adventures, that's why he's joining the Rebellion to fight the Neo Time Jackers until we can send him back to his world." Copen said.
"Who knows, maybe there might be a Gjallarhorn fragment hiding in his world." Gunvolt added.
"I see." Prairie noted. "In that case, you're welcome to be part of this team."
"Looking forward to working with you guys." Volnutt smiled before looking at his right arm. "Though it would be nice to have most of my special weapons again. There are times where my Mega Buster won't be enough to tackle some obstacles."
"I'll be sure to notify Dr. Fleuve to give you the weapons you need." Prairie replied before turning to Eve. "Now then Eve, when did you join the team?"
"Jason and GV found me unconscious in a domain at Sector 2 after defeating a mutant guardian." Eve answered.
"It was a giant mutant crab, by the way." Jason added.
"A mutant crab, huh?" Ashe raised her eyebrow. "Did it involve attacking its belly as its weak spot?"
"Actually it was the head."
"Oh, that works too."
"Also had to cut off its claw arms since it kept blocking the head." Gunvolt said.
"Good thing there's two people to deal with that crab since one person can distract the crab while the other deal with its weak points." Aile commented.
"Yup." Joule agreed.
"Were you also a victim of the Dimensional Quakes, Eve?" Prairie asked.
"No... at least I think not." Eve shook her head. "Sorry, I'm having amnesia at the moment so I can't remember much."
"Ah, my apologizes. I hope you'll have your memories back soon."
"Maybe I will as long as I travel alongside Jason and his friends."
"That's good to know." Grey smiled. "I also had amnesia from the beginning since I was created in a lab. It's a long story."
"I see." Eve noted. "I'd love to hear that story, Mister..."
"Grey. Just call me Grey."
"Oh yeah, forgot the introductions." Ashe realized. "I'm Ashe, a bounty hunter."
"Hello there, my name is Aile."
"And I'm Vent, nice to meet you."
"Likewise." Eve smiled back.
"Anyway..." Gaius pulled out his Zikan Phone. "I have the copy of the map data for Sector 2 and 3 on my Zikan Phone. Permission to transfer them onto the main console?"
"Granted." Prairie approved with a nod, prompting Gaius to transfer the data with a few button presses.
Moments later, the main screen now showed the layout of Sector 2 and 3. "Okay, that should do it." Gaius said while putting away his phone.
"So Sector 2 is a residential area while Sector 3 is an industrial area." Vent mused with his hand on his chin.
"We're heading for Sector 4 next which is the Waterworks Area." Jason said. "There's a link tunnel on Sector 1 that will lead us to that sector."
"You mean that one over there?" Aile pointed at said tunnel on the far left.
"That's the one." Jason nodded.
"Hmm..." Ashe glanced at that one tunnel icon on Sector 3. "What about that link tunnel on Sector 3? I'm a little curious about it."
"Hm, the Bronya was wondering about it now that you mention it." Bronya said.
"Tulip?" Prairie requested.
"Mm." Tulip nodded before examining said tunnel icon. "This link tunnel will lead towards Sector 7; the Planetary Depths Area."
"That area leads to the depths of this Earth? Is it even safe?" Shirabe questioned.
"Not sure, but let's save that for later. Sector 4 comes first." Gaius answered. "But since it says Sector 7, that means there's also a Sector 5 and 6."
"I see." Jason noted as he glanced at the tunnel icon leading towards Sector 7. "Sector 7... I wonder if that area has that entrance to the meteor we've been looking for?"
"By the way Jason, Gaius told me you're part of the EDF, correct?" Prairie asked, earning a nod from Jason. "I was wondering if I could contact your commander, if there is one."
"I have their contact address back at my lab, but I'm a bit worried that the moment you made that call, the mutants will take notice of the signal and began heading for the EDF's main base." Jason replied.
"And considering how they're able to take over an entire factory, including a large control gear, they're smarter than they look." Copen added.
"I see... that's definitely a problem." Prairie noted. "They might also try to attack our base if that happens. But still, some assistance from the EDF would be nice."
"The only option is to go to their base in person. Luckily I know where their base is." Jason said before turning to the operator. "Tulip, can you disperse the map screen for a moment? I need to see what the outside looked like from our current location."
"Understood." Tulip complied as she dispersed the map screen and showed the front, back and sides sceneries on the large screens.
Jason observed the screens until he saw a mountain at the screen showing the left side. "There." He pointed at the screen. "Head towards that mountain and you should find the EDF main base. You'll know by looking at their white flags with the EDF emblem."
"Thank you for the directions, Jason." Prairie nodded before standing up from her seat. "Vent, Aile, take care of the airship while I pay a visit to the EDF base. Gaius, I need you to take me there using your Time Mazine."
"Yes, ma'am!" Vent, Aile and Gaius complied.
"Everyone else, feel free to take a short break before continuing your mission. You've been in the underground areas for quite some time."
"Understood, Prairie." Gunvolt replied as he and the others nodded.
"Good. You're dismissed." Prairie nodded. "Gaius, shall we get going, or do you need to rest for a while?"
"Nah, I've got plenty of energy to spare. We'll head there immediately." Gaius replied.
"Very well, then let's go." Prairie replied back before she and Gaius began heading out.
"Keep Prairie safe, okay?" Vent said to the Rider.
"I will! I'm not gonna let anyone harm her when I'm around!" Gaius assured as he and Prairie left the command center.
"So, what do you guys wanna do first?" Aile asked the group, until they heard rumbling in their stomachs, making her chuckle. "Hehe, never mind, your stomachs answered my question."
"Let's head for the cafeteria to get something to eat." Vent declared. "That, and I'm curious to hear about your adventures, Volnutt."
"Sounds good to me." Volnutt smiled.
"One other thing." Copen raised his finger. "After we eat, I need Jason, Eve and Volnutt to come to the R&D lab with me to examine Jason's Blaster Rifle and suit, along with Volnutt's arsenal."
"Thinking about upgrading their gear, Ix?" Lola guessed.
"That's the plan." Copen confirmed. "Bronya, Shirabe, care to help out?"
"Sure, I'll be happy to help." Shirabe accepted.
"Not this time, Copen. The Bronya will take a break to play video games before assisting Dr. Fleuve." Bronya declined.
"I understand." Copen noted.
"Upgrading the Blaster Rifle and my suit? Think you can handle it, Copen?" Jason asked.
"The same goes for my gear too." Volnutt added.
"I'm a scientist who built Lola as a battle pod, remember?" Copen smirked. "I'm not afraid to try something new."
"He's right, you know." Gunvolt agreed.
"Heh, good point." Jason chuckled.
"We'll be counting on you then." Volnutt smiled.
"Well, let's go and have something to eat first." Eve declared.
"Follow us, everyone." Vent replied as the group head for the cafeteria to eat and drink.
As time passed, the team shared a meal with Jason, Eve and Volnutt at the cafeteria while sharing stories. Afterwards, Copen and Shirabe escorted the three to the R&D Lab to examine their gear for any possible upgrades to develop, while everyone else performed their own duties until they're ready to resume the mission.
As for Gaius (who transformed into Geiz) and Prairie, they already left the airship using the Time Mazine, heading for the mountain where the EDF base is. Several minutes later, they arrived at their destination where they saw several large buildings and facilities along with a large metal front gate with several watchtowers and automated gun and missile turrets around the base and some flagpoles with the EDF emblem on the white flags.
"I think this is the place." Geiz said, looking at the main screen from inside the vehicle. "So how are we going to get in?"
"Let's ask those guards at the front gate." Prairie said, looking at the guards armed with assault rifles patrolling the front gate. They were also wearing white and blue soldier uniforms with white helmets and blue visors.
"Very well. Stay with me, Prairie." Geiz declared before he and Prairie disembarked from the vehicle and approached the guards. "Excuse me, sirs!"
"Halt!" A guard responded, pointing his rifle at the two while the other two guards approached and also pointed their rifles. "State your business."
"Easy there, we're not here to fight." Geiz assured with his hands raised. "We're just here to meet up with your commander."
"Which unit are you from?"
"Allow me, Geiz." Prairie stepped forward, prompting him to step back. "Greetings. I am Commander Prairie Alouette from the Guardians. We're here to see the EDF commander to inform about the mutant attacks."
"Mutant attacks?" Guard 2 repeated. "We never had any of those from our area."
"That's because we're a special division sent to investigate mutant activities around the other areas. Does any of you know about the meteor that crash landed on this planet years ago?"
"Meteor?" Guard 3 repeated. "I didn't remember of a meteor crash landing on Earth." He turned to the other guards. "What about you guys?"
"No, not me either." Guard 2 shook his head.
"Hold on..." Guard 1 pondered with his hand on his chin, until he remembered something. "I think I remember hearing mutant rumors about it from the people inside the base. I chose to ignore it thinking it was nothing more than a hoax."
"Unfortunately, it's not a hoax." Prairie confirmed. "Geiz, the photos please?"
"Yes, ma'am." Geiz complied, taking out his Zikan Phone and revealed the photos on a holo-screen showing the mutants living on the underground areas, which shocked the guards at what they saw.
"Earlier, I've sent a small team lead by Geiz to investigate the underground areas and saw mutants taking over the sectors. We believe that the mutants are connected to that meteor." Prairie explained.
"Turns out that meteor had mutant cells inside and they've been growing over the years until the right time to strike. And since the humans chose to ignore investigating the meteor after it crashed, the mutant cells were able to grow without any interference." Geiz added.
"My god..." Guard 1 gasped in horror.
"But why Earth of all places?" Guard 2 questioned.
"Probably due to the planet having plenty of resources to survive. And they're infecting the planet as we speak." Geiz answered.
"And if we don't stop them soon, Earth and its people will be infected by the mutants." Prairie added.
"I see..." Guard 3 frowned before turning to the guards. "Guys, I think we need to inform Commander Mitsuba about this."
"Mitsuba?" Geiz repeated.
"Mitsuba Greyvalley; she recently became the commander of the EDF after Fikes Blackwood stepped down to live in peaceful retirement." Guard 3 explained. "She's also a recent graduate from the EDF military academy, earning her the rank of Captain."
"She also has plenty of trustworthy allies on her side." Guard 1 added. "There's Reynold Hardin, acting as Mitsuba's sub-commander; Lian Ambird, chief operator for the EDF; Jiequan Liu, chief mechanic for the EDF vehicles; and lastly Mayvy Hawkins, chief scientist of R&D."
"Wow." Geiz commented with awe.
"I know, right? Anyway, I'll go and contact the commander right away." Guard 2 replied before heading for the guard post.
"Thank you, sir." Prairie bowed. "By the way, does any of you know about Jason Frudnick?"
"Wait, that genius?!" Guard 1 gasped. "I haven't seen him in a long while! Did you two meet him?"
"We did." Geiz nodded. "He was able to find a creature that could revitalize the ecosystem, but it escaped. He's chasing it down as we speak into the underground areas."
"It escaped underground?" Guard 3 repeated, until his eyes widen in realization. "Oh crap, that's where the mutants are hiding!"
"Correct." Prairie nodded. "Thankfully he was able to find an abandoned working battletank that comes with a blaster rifle and a suit inside. He should be fine."
"Oh, thank god." Guard 3 sighed with relief. "At least he'll be able to protect himself. Good thing he did his basic combat training. Some of us were with him during that time."
"That's good to know."
Guard 2 then approached Prairie and Geiz. "Okay, you two are free to enter the base. I'll escort you to the commander directly after you park your vehicle inside the garage bay."
"Thank you for your cooperation." Prairie bowed. "Geiz, shall we?"
"Mm." Geiz nodded as he and Prairie boarded the Time Mazine and watched the main gate opening up, allowing them to drive inside with Guard 2 escorting them.
Once inside, they were in awe at what the EDF base have; several power plants, airfields, barracks, communication towers, war factories, R&D labs, armories, refineries and construction yards. Eventually they reached the garage bay where they parked the vehicle and disembarked from it before the guard escorted the two towards the EDF Headquarters.
EDF HQ, Commander's Office
Meanwhile inside the EDF HQ's commander's office, Commander Mitsuba Greyvalley (who's seated behind her desk) and her sub-commander Reynold Hardin (who's standing beside her) are currently having a conversation with two people who they've never met before.
"So let me get this straight, Gilliam Yeager and Cecilia Alcott, you two are from different worlds with the former being a dimensional traveler and the latter from another version of Earth and were suddenly warped to our world because of a strange quake, correct?" Mitsuba surmised to the two visitors.
Mitsuba is a woman with cyan eyes and long beige hair tied with two long twintails on her back along with wearing a white hairband. Her commander's outfit consists of a blue and black color scheme along with a small white shoulder cape with the insides having a cyan color along with an EDF emblem on her left shoulder and a small short red tie on the center. Lastly, she wears long dark brown pantyhose with a pair of white shoes.
"I would say that your story is a bit nonsensical, if it were not for the many witnesses from our soldiers, our scientist Mayvy and our operator Liam, who saw you two appearing inside our base after that sudden quake." Reynold commented.
Reynold is a man with dark green eyes and short dark green hair along with wearing a pair of transparent glasses. His officer outfit consists of a blue, grey, and black color scheme with the EDF emblem on his left shoulder, along with a pair of black shoes.
"At least you're willing to believe in our story, as strange and ridiculous as it sounds." Cecilia replied with a British accent before sighing. "And I was at a beach at night during that time with some of my friends until that weird quake happened. Though I still wonder why I'm wearing my IS Academy uniform when I arrived here, along with my IS that also has my bodysuit."
Cecilia is a young girl with light blue eyes and long light blonde hair that forms drill-like curls at the ends, along with a royal blue headband that holds her hair up. She also has a pair of blue earrings. Her uniform consists of a white blazer with long sleeves, a long skirt, dark pantyhose and black shoes. There's also black frills on the end of her sleeves and skirt.
"Hm, so that's what you've been doing before that quake happened." Gilliam noted. "Though what does 'IS' mean, Miss Cecilia?"
Gilliam has grey eyes with long purple hair with his right eye covered by a long fringe. His outfit consists of a white and dark green fingerless pilot suit with some purple on his leather gauntlets and his shoulder and knee pads, along with a pair of white, purple and silver combat boots.
"IS means Infinite Stratos, a special exo-skeleton power suit with advanced technology and enhanced combat capabilities." Cecilia explained. "Mine is the blue one called 'Blue Tears'."
"An exo-suit, huh? Interesting." Gilliam mused with his hand on his chin. "I also use a power suit, but it's quite different than your IS. It's called the 'Gespenst'. Though I did not expect the suit to appear with me in this world too along with my large mech bearing the same name but upgraded; the Gespenst Type-RV." He turned to the commander. "At least your chief scientist is taking good care of the suits at the moment."
"Yes. Mayvy just sent me a message about the suits. Don't worry, she'll take care of them until you need them once more." Mitsuba assured.
"Thank you for that, ma'am." Cecilia replied. "I just hope she doesn't try to make any drastic changes to my IS without my permission."
"I understand."
"Though try to be careful around Mayvy. She can be a bit... eccentric when it comes to discovering new technology." Reynold cautioned.
"That's... the part I'm afraid of." Cecilia sweatdropped.
"Anyway, did any more of those strange quakes occurred in this world as well?" Gilliam asked the commander.
"Not really, only the most recent one when you two appeared." Mitsuba answered. "Since you're a dimensional traveler, are you able to find any theories on what caused those strange quakes to happen in the first place?"
"Not much at the moment. If I can find a clue, I might be able to figure out where those quakes originated from."
"Ma'am!" A soldier's voice came from the door's speakers, earning everyone's attention. "I've brought in the visitors who may know about the mutant activities. Also, they encountered Jason Frudnick during their expedition."
"Jason Frudnick?!" Reynold gasped, remembering the EDF scientist.
"Mutants?" Cecilia repeated while Gilliam raised his eyebrow.
"Thank you for escorting them." Mitsuba replied to the soldier. "Send them in."
"Yes, ma'am!" The soldier complied before opening the door, allowing Prairie and Gaius with his helmet off to enter the room before closing the door.
"So you must be the ones that the guards mentioned at the gate." Mistuba said before standing up and saluting. "My name is Mitsuba Greyvalley, the current commander of the Earth Defence Force."
"And I am her sub-commander, Reynold Hardin." He introduced with a salute. "And you two are...?"
"Commander Prairie Alouette of the Guardians." She introduced as she and Gaius saluted. "And the one next to me is Gaius Cornell, one of my bodyguards."
"..." Gaius though stared at Gilliam and Cecilia with his eyebrow twitching and hiding his state of shock. "Gilliam Yeager from Super Robot Wars and Cecilia Alcott from Infinite Stratos?! These surprises just keeps on coming, huh?!" He mentally exclaimed.
"Why is your eyebrow twitching? It's quite disturbing." Cecilia asked the Rider.
"Ah!" Gaius stuttered before shaking off his state of shock. "S-Sorry about that. It's just that you two looked similar to the ones I've met before."
"Is that so?" Gilliam responded.
"Oh! I didn't know you currently have visitors at the moment." Prairie said as they moved their hands down. "What are your names?"
"Major Gilliam Yeager, a dimensional traveler and a member of the Earth Federation Army, or EFA for short." He introduced with a salute.
"And I'm Cecilia Alcott, IS pilot from England and a student from the IS Academy." She introduced with a curtsy. "I'm also the current head of the Alcott family."
"A noble that's also a pilot? Now where have I seen that before?" Gilliam thought while lowering his hand.
"IS?" Prairie repeated.
"IS stands for Infinite Stratos, a special exo-skeleton power suit with advanced technology and enhanced combat capabilities." Cecilia explained.
"Interesting..." Prairie mused before turning to Gilliam. "And as for you, you're a dimensional traveler?"
"That is correct." Gilliam nodded. "I was doing my normal patrol back in my world when that strange quake occurred from out of nowhere which blinded my vision. And when my vision came back, I arrived in this world wearing my Gespenst power suit. My mech was also warped to this world."
"A strange... quake?" Prairie repeated in shock with Gaius reacting the same way.
"What about you, Cecilia?" Gaius asked.
"Well... last time I remember was chasing Ichika and Houki at the beach at night... using my IS." Cecilia answered.
"You did what?!" Prairie and Mitsuba exclaimed.
"Is there a reason why you're using an IS to chase those two? Because that kind of behaviour is uncalled for." Reynold asked the IS pilot.
"I-I... Well..." Cecilia slightly looked away, struggling to answer.
"Let me guess..." Gaius crossed his arms. "You were jealous that Ichika was going to kiss Houki?"
"Gh?!" Cecilia stuttered in shock. "H-How did you know?!"
"It was just a guess." Gaius replied. "That, and I've watched the IS anime before, so I pretty much know the plot."
"Who is Ichika and Houki? Are they your classmates?" Gilliam asked Cecilia.
"Yes." Cecilia nodded. "Ichika Orimura, the lone male IS Academy student; and Houki Shinonono, another IS Academy student and sister of Tabane Shinonono, who's the creator of Infinite Stratos. All three of them are from Japan."
"So Tabane's the one who created the IS..." Gilliam mused, before blinking when he heard about Ichika's profile. "Wait, lone male IS Academy student?"
"You see, only females can pilot the IS, and Ichika's the sole exception of that rule. How he can use the IS is quite the mystery." Cecilia explained.
"When you say 'lone male IS Academy student', does that mean..." Prairie began.
"Yes. IS Academy is an all-girls academy." Cecilia answered. "And the moment he got enrolled there, let's just say every girl went bloody crazy about him. At least me, Houki, Charlotte, Laura and Lingyin have some self-control... most of the time."
"Charlotte, Laura and Lingyin?" Mitsuba repeated. "Are those the names of your other friends?"
"Yes, my classmates." Cecilia nodded. "Charlotte Dunois from France; Laura Bodewing from Germany, and Huang Lingyin from China. Also, they were at the beach with me that night in their IS, chasing after Ichika and Houki."
"Unbelievable..." Reynold facepalmed. "I'm starting to see why Ichika had trouble attending that academy, not to mention Tabane's questionable choice of creating IS that can only be used by women."
"I guess this means that you and the others got warped by that Dimensional Quake, huh?" Gaius surmised to Cecilia.
"Dimensional Quake?" Gilliam repeated. "You know something about it?"
Prairie and Gaius shared serious looks to each other before nodding and turning to the group. "Yes, we do." Gaius confirmed.
"What we're about to reveal is strictly confidential information." Prairie added. "If too many people knew about this, it could spell trouble for all of us."
"I see." Gilliam noted, knowing about the unexpected dangers since he's familiar with dimensional activities during his time as a dimensional traveler. "You have my attention."
"The same with us as well." Mitsuba noted with the others agreeing with a nod. "Your secret will be kept safe."
"Good." Prairie nodded. "Gaius, if you'd be so kind?"
"Very well." Gaius replied, clearing his throat. "It all started with a powerful relic called Gjallarhorn..."
Guardian Base, R&D Lab
Meanwhile, Copen had recently finished the gear upgrades for Jason and Volnutt for the missions ahead, with the latter now wearing a blue and light blue helmet with round light blue sections with red circles in the center over his ears. Jason and Volnutt also have jet boosters on their legs with their respective colors. Volnutt also has hover shoes on his feet.
"So, like the new upgrades I've given to you guys?" Copen asked the two.
"It's great." Jason smiled, looking at his jet boosters. "This will definitely increase my mobility with the dashing, not to mention allowing me to hover."
"These boots are also useful when you don't have to worry about landing on the ground after jumping off a very large cliff." Lola stated, standing right next to Copen. "They'll allow you to hover safely back to solid ground, so no more broken legs."
"That's good to know." Eve smiled before looking at Jason's Blaster Rifle. "Also, thanks for giving the Blaster Rifle a charged shot. I kind of figured its firepower could use a little extra kick."
"I'm honestly surprised it didn't have that one." Jason commented.
"What about you, Volnutt?" Shirabe asked, standing beside Copen.
"Feels like an improvement." Volnutt commented, looking at his legs and feet. "Usually I have to rely on my jet skates to move faster but it's not very maneuverable, so thanks for the jet boosters and hover skates. Also, thanks for the new helmet."
"Well you're not a MegaMan without a special helmet." Copen smirked. "Your new helmet will help you guard against knockback damage, along with having an enhanced lock-on reticle. Just tap the button on the side of the helmet to activate it."
"Got it."
"As for your special weapons, I modified your other buster arm and installed copies of two of my Ex-Weapons onto it. One of them is Arrogant Fang which materializes a lance that fires a laser beam. The lance can also spin like a drill and can be fired like a missile. The other weapon is Blazing Ballista which fires an explosive arrow at the target."
"Wow." Volnutt remarked with awe, looking at his right arm. "Though now that I think about it, Arrogant Fang feels like a multi-purpose weapon compared to Blazing Ballista."
"You'll probably need the latter for any ice obstacles." Lola replied. "...if there is an ice sector."
"Fair enough."
"Hey guys!" Gunvolt greeted as he and Joule entered the room. "Finished with the gear upgrades?"
"Yup, just recently." Copen nodded. "I was about to give Eve her own X-Baton for self-defence. Oh, that reminds me, could you give me your Dart Leader for a moment?"
"Is it for a upgrade?" Joule guessed.
"Only one way to find out." Gunvolt said before giving his gun to Copen.
Copen immediately went to the workbench and performed a few adjustments onto the gun. A few moments later, he returned the gun to Gunvolt. "There you go. Your gun can now fire more powerful bolts like a normal buster shot, along with having a charge shot that can pierce through armor and terrain. You can still tag enemies with those shots by the way, but with more impact. It's called the Dyaus Clip."
"Nice." Gunvolt grinned while looking at his gun.
"That's not all. Push the button on the side of your gun."
"Hm?" Gunvolt said before looking at said button. "You mean like this?" He pushed the button, and a beam sword appeared from the gun nozzle. "No gacking way. Is that...?"
"Yup." Copen nodded. "Your very own energy sword which also works underwater. Now you won't have to worry about being defenceless while underwater."
"I'm surprised QUILL or Xiao never even thought about those kinds of upgrades for GV's gun." Joule remarked.
"Probably because their resources are limited or they don't have the blueprints or materials for those." Lola replied.
"I'm gonna have fun with these upgrades. Thanks a lot, Copen." Gunvolt smiled before dispersing the energy sword and holstered his gun.
"Anytime, GV." Copen smiled back before taking out his Zikan Phone and approached Eve. "And as for you, here's your X-Baton." He used the phone to materialize the X-Baton onto Eve's hand. "Now you can actually defend yourself. The Baton Mode for close-range, and the Blaster Mode for long-range."
"Thanks for the gift, I'll use it well." Eve smiled, holstering the X-Baton to the side of her hip.
"Oh yeah, here's one for you too, GV." Copen materialized another X-Baton onto Gunvolt's hand before putting away the phone. "You're gonna need an extra weapon just in case."
"Once again, thanks Copen." Gunvolt smiled, holstering the X-Baton onto the other side of his hip.
"Looks like we're all set to continue our expedition, huh guys?" Jason asked the group.
"Seems like it." Shirabe replied. "Though I think I'll stay here alongside Bronya and the others. Maybe you should give the others a chance to explore the other sectors."
"Sounds fair." Gunvolt agreed. "By the way, the reason why I'm here is because Vent and Aile need us at the commander center immediately."
"Something up?" Copen asked.
"We'll find out soon enough." Joule replied. "Grey and Ashe are also there, so let's not keep them waiting."
"You guys go on ahead, I'll go see Dr. Fleuve if he needs any help." Shirabe said.
"Understood. See you later, Shirabe!" Jason replied before the group head for the commander center while Shirabe went to the hangar bay to look for Dr. Fleuve.
Guardian Base, Command Center
Back at the command center, Vent, Aile, Grey and Ashe are observing the map of Sector 1 on the main screen, until Jason and the others arrived, earning their attention. "Good, you're here." Vent said to the group before looking at the screen. "Come and have a look at this."
"What is it?" Copen asked as the group took a closer look at the screen.
"While you guys are busy, Gardénia detected mutant readings coming from the link tunnel leading towards Sector 4." Aile informed.
"A lot of mutants are heading for Sector 4 from the looks of those readings. They must be looking for something." Gardénia added.
"Looking for something?" Jason repeated. "They're not looking for Fred, are they?"
"Or maybe they're detecting a Gjallarhorn fragment reading?" Gunvolt guessed.
"It could be either one of those, or maybe both." Eve said. "Whatever it is, I think we need to head for Sector 4 now."
"Agreed." Vent nodded. "Jason, Eve, GV, Joule, Copen, Lola, head for Sector 4 immediately and find out what those mutants are looking for."
"While you're there, remember to deal with the mutant guardians and obtain any useful data chips along the way. You're gonna need them for the other sectors." Aile added.
"Got it." The group nodded.
"Since Shirabe and Bronya aren't coming with us this time..." Lola turned to Grey and Ashe. "You two wanna come along instead?"
"What?/Really?!" Grey and Ashe responded, with the latter feeling excited.
"Mhm." Lola nodded. "Your A-Trans abilities might prove useful as we explore the other sectors, not to mention your skills as Hunters."
"Now how can I say no to that? I'm in!" Ashe accepted with a grin.
"Well, if you're asking me to join the expedition, then I guess I'll come along too." Grey also accepted.
"Volnutt, you're coming with us too." Copen turned to Volnutt. "Now that you got your gear updated, you're more than ready to explore the underground areas. Show us what an experienced Digger can do."
"Leave it to me." Volnutt replied, punching his open palm with his fist.
"Now that we had our rest, along with updating our gear, we're ready to resume our mission." Eve stated.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Jason smirked before tuning to Vent and Aile. "Okay, we're heading out now!"
"Good luck, you guys./And be careful in there!" Vent and Aile replied with a salute.
"Roger!" The group saluted back before leaving the command center while Joule and Lola went back into their respective pendants.
Once the group arrived back to their MAs parked in the hangar bay with Grey and Ashe already transformed into MegaMen, they quickly got on board their respective MAs with Volnutt riding on SOPHIA III, and Grey and Ashe riding on Rairyu. Afterwards, the MAs drove off, heading back into Sector 1 a few moments later. They quickly approached the tower which is where the link tunnel to Sector 4 is located.
"Okay, there should be an entrance to the tower right above us." Jason said as the group looked at the tower.
"Though why the heck would they place the entrance on top instead of the bottom?" Ashe questioned.
"Who knows." Gunvolt replied. "Anyway, time to give the MA's Hover Packs a workout."
The tires of the MAs turned downwards and ignited flames, causing them to fly upwards onto the platforms while also destroying more mutants with their main cannons. Once they reached the entrance of the tower at the top, they went inside and destroyed more mutants and rotating turrets until they arrived at the link tunnel entrance at the bottom.
"Looks like this is the place." Volnutt said as the group looked at the entrance.
"Yup, the link tunnel that'll lead us to Sector 4." Eve confirmed. "Stay vigilant, everyone. No doubt stronger mutants roam inside that sector."
"Thanks for the heads-up, Eve." Jason replied. "Right then, we're going in!" The MAs quickly drove inside the tunnel.
"You know, it would be nice if we can find a data chip containing some kind of aqua module, allowing the MAs to properly traverse underwater areas." Lola commented.
"We'll have to defeat the mutant guardians to find out." Grey replied.
"I just hope those mutants haven't discovered Fred or the Gjallarhorn fragment yet." Copen said.
"I hope too, Copen." Jason replied as the MAs drove deeper into the tunnel.
Chapter 4: A Momentary Break
END
Author's Note: Well, a lot of stuff happened in this chapter. First off, Jason, Eve and Volnutt meeting with the Guardians, especially Samus and the Chosen MegaMen. Secondly, gear upgrades for Jason, Volnutt and Gunvolt, along with Eve having her own X-Baton. Third, Bronya and Shirabe will stay at the Guardian Base, while Grey, Ashe and Volnutt explore the other sectors with Jason's team.
And lastly, Prairie and Gaius meeting up with the EDF commander Mitsuba at their HQ, along with encountering Gilliam Yeager from Super Robot Wars and Cecilia Alcott from Infinite Stratos, both of them were struck by the Dimensional Quakes from their respective worlds. As for Mitsuba, Reynold, Mayvy, Lian, Jiequan and Fikes, they're from Super Robot Wars 30. However, these are the AU versions since they're from the EDF, not the canon versions. Also, I loved their mothership, the Dreisstrager, especially when it's fully upgraded. Maybe it will appear someday during Team XDR's adventures. Oh, and if you're wondering what the EDF emblem looks like, it's the one from Earth Defence Force 5 game.
Anyway, it's back to the action as the team explore Sector 4 in the next chapter. Stay safe and see you next time!