Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Rockman.exe or any of its characters.
Mark of the Beasts
Netto's telepathic communication 'blah'
Saito's telepathic communication "blah"
Chapter 19
Iris stands in the ruins of a once great city overlooking what is meant to be the finally battle against the Cyber Beasts in her navi form. Behind her Colonel and Barrel now stand watching this great and yet tragic event. Being held prisoner by Falzer she alone now knew of the reasons behind the great war and the horrible tragedy that now played out before them.
-Flashback-
"Why did capture me? I thought that you wanted to delete anyone that was a threat to you and this disgusting war.", Iris screamed at Falzer from her chained position in his prison.
The bird navi said, "You don't understand half of what you think you do. I'm going to tell you a little story my little birdie about a pair of twins, twin brothers."
"As though I care about them. All I want is to see this conflict and you two gone forever.", she shouted struggling helplessly against her bindings.
Falzer walked over to the younger navi and slapped her hard leaving a red mark on her face. "I know that I have done awful things...things that I should never be forgiven for, but there is still a small sliver of hope for the future. That boy you were with Saito or Rockman as he's more commonly known is part of the key to the outcome that you and some many others desire...including myself."
"What do you mean? Why would you desire...death?", Iris asked confused over the sudden change in behavior the beast was displaying. At first she thought it might be some kind of psychological warfare game that he was playing, but one look into those emerald green eyes told her otherwise. One thing that had kept Iris alive up until this point was trusting her instincts and they told her that she should her Falzer out. "Go ahead, tell me this story.", she said in a neutral tone.
"Very well then.", said Falzer pleased with her decision, "As you know this war started four years ago and even today it still leaves a path of destruction across this entire planet. What the people of this world don't know is how it started, I do."
The Cyber Beast released the chains that held Iris, but kept her in his prison. "This story actually starts much further back than four years. Nearly twelve years ago a well known family named the Hikari's were blessed with twin boys, but as fate would have it one of the twins was born with a genetic defect that eventually took the elder child's life. A disease I'm sure that you're familiar with, called HBD. The father couldn't standby and watch his son die so in his elder son's final hour he transferred the mind and soul of this boy into the body of a navi. That navi was the Rockman from our world."
"You mean that the champion of us navi's from so long ago was actually human in the beginning? So then the Hikari's from Earth have gone through the same thing, but that means...", Iris trailed off putting pieces of this giant puzzle together.
"Yes, the Saito from Earth is Rockman and Netto is his twin brother. Like those from Earth the Hikari twins here became heroes to the people, human and navi alike. That is until the Beast Factor was discovered. It wasn't intentional, but that isn't what triggered the madness. No that comes later. You see the Beast Factor that creates 'The Guardians' is actually the remains of the first 'Guardians'. Many twisted groups learned of the awesome power that the Beast Factor possessed such as the ability to appear in the human world without Dimensional Area generators or Copyroids like you possess."
"So then somebody went after the Beast Factor and that was you two, wasn't it?", she accused the Cyber Beast pointing her right at him.
Falzer shook his head, but kept his eyes locked with hers, "No, that is not the case. A criminal organization learned of the Legendary Power and sought it for their own malicious purposes, so they attacked the facility where it was being held."
Iris remembered seeing Greiga and Falzer before many times in some ruins that nobody ever entered for fear of a brutal end. At that site she had witnessed the two sworn enemies speaking to each other, but not once raising a claw while in that vicinity. "The old ruins, that's where this got out of control."
The Cyber Beast smiled sadly and said, "Yes, those ruins are the remains of a once great city...DenTech city." Falzer sat the girl down gently before she could fall and joined her on the floor before continuing the story, "When the criminal organization came for the Beast Factor it reacted defending itself by seeking out those with the purest hearts matched by only by their courage. It sought out the Hikari twins and transformed both of them into pure blooded navis."
"But that means that you are...Oh my god...It can't be!", she pushed him away and started puking off in the corner. When she finally stopped she felt a gentle being placed on her shoulder and turned to meet the sad eyes of Falzer...no it was Beyondard's Saito and she now knew it. "Why did you two do all of this? You were heroes of the people, so why? WHY! HOW COULD YOU TWO DO SOMETHING SO AWFUL!"
Holding his clawed hand over her mouth he spoke, "Please let me finish before you go off rambling." When he felt her stop struggling Falzer said, "That organization wasn't quite ready to give up on obtaining that power through whatever means necessary. Somehow they were able to uncover the Hikari family secret, the one about Saito. Their intentions were to blackmail the Hikari's in order to obtain the Legendary Power for themselves, but in truth they would've never been able to control it anyways.
Moving Iris away from the vomit he began to tell her about the final days before the war broke out, "Netto and I had adjusted to our lives well after being converted in full fledged navis. When they tried to black mail us they kidnapped our parents as insurance that we would obey them and not go to the police. Netto and I recklessly charged into their hideout to get our parents back. We were so foolish and because of that our parents were killed and the secret got out. The rest of the world turned their backs on us while the group that killed our parents managed to slip away. We blamed the entire world for what had happened and worst of all we blamed each other."
"There's more to it that you're not telling me, isn't there.", she said.
Falzer nodded and replied, "Netto went to get rid of the evidence that could expose the truth about me while I went to save our family. They sent the data before Netto could stop them and it distracted me long enough for our parents to be murdered right in front of the both of us. The people responsible for killing Mama and Papa were arrested that night, but when our secret got out people actually began to...they rejected us and halfassed all of their work allowing the culprits to escape. During the last day of the trial my brother and I were present when the verdict was announced as 'Not Guilty'. Everyone knew that it was a load of bullshit, but they hated us so they denied Yuuichiro and Haruka Hikari their justice. After the trial was dismissed Netto and I struck using the full power of the Beast Factor. They never knew what had hit them and in a matter of minutes we had not only completely lost ourselves to the madness, but we also destroyed the entire city letting escape alive. When the slaughter was over we began to blame each other for not being fast enough, strong enough to stop that organization before they could do the damage that they had caused. That is when the Civil War the ravages this planet today began. I have been fighting my own brother for the last four years...trying to kill him because of something that I no longer believe."
"Then why don't you two just stop.", she questioned not being able to understand his point of view.
Falzer shook his head and said, "Too much water has passed under the bridge. The hands of time cannot be turned back no matter how much we desire to do so. The only path left to us is death. And our deaths shall come at the hands of those who are truly meant to be 'The Guardians'. You can sense it and so can I. Fate has already made the final decisions for us, so now all that we can do is play our parts through to the end. We will make amends with our deaths." He took her hands into his own and said, "I have one final request to make."
"What is it?", she asked letting her curiosity get the better of her.
"Do not let them repeat our mistakes. If the same events unfold in their world, then it is up to you to prevent the madness before it corrupts and destroys them.", Falzer answered.
"I will do what I can.", she said.
Iris watched as Falzer walked over to the door to the prison cell and looked back at her. "You are free to go, but beware of 'The Black Talon'", he said before disappearing in a shimmer of pixels.
-End Flashback-
"Now this tragedy must come to it's inevitable end.", she said confusing both her brother Colonel and his NetOp Barrel.
"Let's end this.", stated Falzer as both he and Greiga assumed their truest forms. Falzer transformed into the giant red bird that had been seen before in DenTech city back on Earth While Greiga became the enormous dark blue dog that he truly is. With a mighty roar the battle began.
Netto charged at Greiga summoning a CyberSword, but was struck down by the giant dog's claws before he could strike. Up in the sky Falzer flapped his huge red wings showering Saito with explosive feathers.
Using Area Steal Netto escaped Greiga's claws only to end up getting blasted by a sonic wave sent straight from Falzer's mouth. "Hey, no fair. The two of you are tag teaming us.", the youngest hybrid shouted.
"This battle hasno rules. You either win or lose.", growled Greiga as he closed in on Netto showering his student with a steady stream of fire. The green eyed youth dropped to the ground trying to shield his body from the flames using his hands.
Earth's Rockman plowed into the side of the Cyber Beast's head shouting, "Two can play at this game."
"How true Saito, but you should be more concerned with yourself.", said Falzer as he unleashed yet another sonic wave that struck both twins. "This is too easy. I expected from the both of you. I guess that you two don't want to go home as badly as we thought.", he taunted before both hybrid shot out of the smoke and knocked Falzer out of the sky. Recovering from the attack the bird said, "Now that's what I'm talking about."
The dog Cyber Beast pounced at the two hybrids, but they used their smaller size to move out of the way letting the Cyber Beasts crash into each other.
"We should have seen that coming."
'Yeah, larger bodies are harder to move.'
Not giving their opponents time to recover both Netto and Saito prepared for a program advance. "CyberSword, WideSword, LongSword...battlechips in. Download, Program Advance, Dream Sword.", they both shouted before swinging the massive swords at their counterparts causing a huge explosion. When the debris cleared the two giant Beasts remained with only a slight blemish on their armors.
The twins were so caught up in surprise that Falzer managed to clip both of them with a strong sonic wave created by a flyby.
"We've got to force their hand, NOW."
'I think that I have an idea.'
"Time to say goodbye. We truly believed that you were the answer to everyone's prayers...I guess that we were wrong.", said Greiga as he moved in for the kill. He laughed sadistically before saying, "After we're finished here I think that I'll pay your friends on Earth a visit. I'm sure that your world could use a little chaos and bloodshed."
"No you won't.", shouted Saito getting back to his feet and aiding Netto in doing the same.
"And just who's going to stop us...You? Don't make me laugh. The two of you can barely stand without one another and after such a short fight...how disappointing.", mocked Falzer. "Heh...I bet that the two of you really think that we're just going to let you win or slip away, but that's notgoing to happen. We meant it when we said that you will either win or lose. And when I say lose I mean everything and everyone that you two have ever cared for."
Greiga chirped in as he stopped many feet away from the twins, "Look around you. This is the remains of Beyondard's DenTech city, this is where your counterparts and their parents died along with all of their 'friends'."
Both Hikari's caught something in the way that the mighty dog navi had said 'friends'. It sounded so hostile and full of disgust like he had just uttered the most vile word on the planet.
The dog navi sank down locking his four huge feet into the ground and lowered his head towards the boys. As he opened his mouth particles of light began forming a ball of light between his enormous jaws.
'This is it!'
"No! We're not finished yet! Come on Netto we've got to stop them somehow."
'Yes, but how?
"As brothers...We can do anything as long as we're together."
'You're right. Let's do it...Oh Shit!'
"Goodbye.", said Falzer as the ball of energy reached the full size of Greiga's mouth.
"Light of Ruin!", he shouted unleashing a deadly beam of energy that would've covered his entire body with ease. The beam ate up both Hikari's and continued to travel obliterating buildings that remained til now. When the light from the attack finally died down and the smoke cleared all that remained of the twins was a superheated mass of molten rock forming a ditch from Greiga past the city limits.
"I guess we've failed to atone, yet again.", said the red bird as he settled down next to the other Cyber Beast. "I truly believed that they were the ones. We were wrong again, so now the war will continue."
Beyondard's Netto looked away in disgust knowing that his brother was right. "DAMN IT!", he shouted into the sunny sky. "Well since you failed me like that I'll carry out our threat. Let's go to Earth and destroy it.", Greiga growled before opening to door between the two worlds. Both Cyber Beasts jumped through and prepared to annihilate the Earth's population as they had in Beyondard.
Iris began to cry knowing what fate was in store for the people of the Earth. "They lied...I was deceived...I believed you Falzer you lying bastard!", she shouted at the door connecting both worlds.
Colonel placed his hand on her shoulder and said, "It's not your fault. Those two are deceptively cunning and anyone would've bought that story especially after he released you like that."
Barrel looked away disgusted and said, "Now 'The Resistance' will most likely attempt to seal the rift between the two worlds while the Cyber Beasts are on Earth. Without those monsters here to command their armies 'The Resistance' will surely succeed before their return."
