Chapter 3

Almost a week passed before Warrock could convince Subaru to Wave-change again, and only because of extenuating circumstances (a virus swarm at the supermarket for example). After that, Warrock and Subaru had had a serious heart-to-heart about the terms of their partnership. Subaru had even written is down, point by point, like some sort of diplomatic agreement (which it probably was). Both parties had a lot to learn.

Warrock's terms were to better understand humans, specifically Subaru as he tended to differ from the norm. The ET's understanding was limited, but he was beginning to grow accustomed to human life and the odd things it entailed: eating, sleeping and socializing (though the duo did very little of the last one).

Subaru's part entailed much more, physically that is. Warrock observed that Subaru was well acquainted with combat (a hidden skill he somehow possessed in his slight frame) but EM warriors necessitated much more than fighting sills. Subaru had to learn to control his wave state, utilize weapons, and pay attention to multiple enemies all at once. Warrock drilled Subaru constantly, instructing him semi-calmly through the learning process until he deemed the boy adequately enabled to control his frequency without the alien's help. It was a relief when the two didn't have to deal with awkward situations as a result of inexperience. Subaru didn't care to number the instances when he discovered himself accidently phased through the ground, a building, or even a person.

The common factor that both seemed to unite the two completely was, ironically, the waveworld. The endless network of transmission pathways (waveroads), signals (creatures called Mr. Hertz), and programs (netnavis usually) were strange and exotic. Denpa existed everywhere and Rockman had the freedom to explore it. Warrock was sure that it was the only thing motivating Subaru to transform. The human child had no interest in fighting viruses like Warrock so thoroughly enjoyed.

As the days passed, the alien realized that he was content to share his autonomy as an EM being and relived that he had found refuge on this quaint planet called earth. Warrock kept such thoughts to himself, he was aware that such emotions were foreign to him. The boy was "rubbing off on him" (an expression he had learned yet still didn't understand completely). And though Denpa-Henkan had not gone according to plan, despite Subaru's vulnerability to EM control, Warrock was grateful for his new situation. He was almost at home in Subaru's transer, and quite frankly, he was growing fond of the boy. Subaru was exactly like Daigo when it came to his curiosity for science and discovery; both were enthusiastic to an un-tolerable degree when they got interested in something. The only difference was Subaru's personal seclusion; it hid his similarity to his father's friendly benevolence. The boy claimed he didn't care about people, but Warrock knew his impulse action would always be to help those in danger.

The only thing that worried Warrock about Rockman was that they would find him. It was only a matter of time before this brief intermission came to an end. Warrock had to be ready; he couldn't grow attached; he might just have to leave.


Hoshikawa Subaru:

A month had passed since the monorail accident. Subaru's was pretty sure his life had turned completely upside-down since the moment he agreed to Denpa-Henkan with Rock. He had been hesitant to do it again at first, enduring the alien's complaining and begging to transform. But after the initial shock he found that he secretly enjoyed being Rockman, more specifically, the amenities it included: superhuman abilities and unlimited access to the wave world. Any kid who hadn't dreamt of possessing superpowers at one point in their life was a deprived child. Of course the exploration opportunities appealed to him even more. He could travel the waveroads, crossing hundreds of miles in seconds, remaining invisible the entire time. Subaru was purposefully unsocial, being an EM human made it much easier to avoid people (*cough* Luna-chan *cough*).

Warrock was a different story. Subaru wasn't yet sure how he felt about the alien he now had to suffer from 24/7. Subaru was an only-child, and an introverted one at that. Now he virtually had a younger sibling living in his transer. The ET could be annoying at times; whether Subaru was training, doing schoolwork, or in his labs Rock always had something to say. But the alien's curiosity (and ignorance) about humans often amused Subaru. Though Rock came off as gruff, harsh, or uncaring, Subaru could tell he was developing new conclusions about earth and its people.

Subaru's skill set was rapidly expanding; it now included activities such as 'wave-battling,' exploring and memorizing earth transmissions, avoiding his group of stalkers, and managing homework and lab work in the little free time left over. He remembered the long days spent in boredom before all this had happened, now there didn't seem to be enough hours in a day. But to be honest, he wasn't complaining, just adjusting.

His thoughts wandered over these things as he flashed down a waveroad. Since he had become more adept with wave-change, he didn't need to focus as much, allowing him time to think and plan. It was already past three 'o clock, and he had told his mom he would be at the labs while he was in fact, patrolling the skies for viruses above Kodoma Town. That had been his main cover in the past month – he would do his schoolwork in the morning before heading out to AMAKEN where he would check in with Amachi-san, ensuring that the man wouldn't come in and visit him while he was 'working,' aka: traipsing around as Rockman. But no excuse was fool proof, anyone could come looking for him soon, and he had been out for nearly four hours. There was also the matter of avoiding Miss Luna-chan. Despite Subaru's outright refusal to go to school with her, she hadn't given up. She was unabashedly determined. Subaru could not fathom why she was so intent on dragging him into her campaign; it seemed a little extreme if you asked him. He wondered if she had alternate motives for persuading him to come to school, just like he had other reasons for not wanting to go.

Now back in his own lab, Subaru undid the dempa-henkan. He was prepared for the dizzying after affects by now, expertly retaining his balance. He quickly sat down, tucking into the task of writing down his observations about the waveworld that he had been recording. His notebook was filled with exhaustive notes on the different types of viruses, programs, and even sketched maps of transmission pathways. If anyone looked in, they would assume he was simply keeping his lab journal, but if anyone saw his work, they would wonder if he belonged in a loony bin. Subaru made sure that he either carried his notebook with him, or kept it locked in a file cabinet.

Satisfied with his work, Subaru shut the notebook, stuffed it in his bag, and grabbed his red jacket off the chair he'd been sitting in. He shut and locked the door to his lab, but as he turned to leave, a commanding, feminine voice lilted down the halls to reach his ears. No… not again.

Luna and her groupies had been following him relentlessly since that day he'd found Warrock over a month ago. Someone must've told her that he was 'doing research' in his lab. He glanced down at his transfer, only now realizing that the time had ticked away, the hour hand reaching four. He'd wasted too much time. Quickly but quietly he raced down the hallway in the opposite direction, glancing over his shoulder as he rounded the corner. Luna, Kizamaro, and Gonta had just turned down the hall were his lab was located, but luckily it seemed they hadn't glimpsed him. A small feeling of satisfaction barely had time to register before Subaru smacked into something – no someone – hard.

The collision left him sitting on his butt, rubbing his forehead with a small grimace fixed on his face.

"Pardon me!" the apologetic voice quaked nervously.

"Sorry," Subaru mumbled, "wasn't watching where I was going." He finally recovered enough to look and see who he had run in to.

Subaru knew most people who worked at AMAKEN, but this face was unfamiliar: pale and angular, his grey eyes were sunken and shadowed, his longish hair fell over his face and obscured nearly half it. The man was tall and thin, but seemed to be hunched protectively over a package that he clutched to his chest as if he were hanging onto it for dear life.

"Sorry," Subaru said again as he stood.

"Who are you, boy?" the man's voice quavering voice queried as he took a hesitant step back.

Subaru was used to this, "You must be new here. I'm Hoshikawa Subaru. I do research here." He would have offered his hand to shake, but the other man seemed loathe to release his package. Suddenly a memory clicked. Subaru snapped his fingers, "I'm a friend of Amachi-san. He told me we were getting a new researcher. You must be Shinsuke Utagai-san, right?"

Utagai's eyes widened fearfully, much to Subaru's confusion. "What has he told you about me?" he practically shouted, but his voice shook all the same.

Casting a backwards glance and the corner only a few feet behind him and desperately hoping that Luna hadn't heard the man's outburst, Subaru tried to placate the paranoid man. "Nothing… I mean, he hasn't told me much, just that we were getting a talented engineer and that you have already invented some pretty incredible things!"

"Liar!" the man shouted. His whole body was shaking, with anger or fear Subaru couldn't tell.

It was at that, inopportune moment that Luna's gang arrived on the strange scene of a flustered Subaru and panicked researcher.

"More people, "Utagai groaned releasing his package with one hand and clenching his skull with it, "more humans. I can't… I can't…"

Of course Luna would immediately think it was Subaru's fault, she already thought he was a no good troublemaker that constantly played hookey, even though he had explained it to her that he was homeschooled. It only added to the mayhem when she started yelling at him to apologize and remedy his mistake.

"Hoshikawa-kun! What the heck are you doing?!" Luna raged.

"N-nothing! I didn't do anything!"

"Then why is this poor man practically crying after running into you?"

She meant it as a figure of speech, but Subaru's mind hadn't forgotten the earlier collision with Utagai-san, "It was an accident, I swear! And he wasn't this bad till you came around!" Not strictly true, but it would do for now.

"What!?" Luna's voice went up another notch in her fury, "You're blaming this on me!? Well I should inform you that –"

"WHY IS THERE A SHOUTING MATCH GOING ON IN MY LAB!" Amachi's voice suddenly came from right behind the group , making them all jump."

It was silent for a moment before Subaru mumbled quietly, "Well you just added to it."

"Zip it, Su," Amachi said with authority. He silently appraised the group standing before him, including Utagai, who was surreptitiously edging away from the others.

"I knew I couldn't trust you," Utagai suddenly said, his voice strong but quiet, "he told me I wouldn't be safe, even here."

Amachi's eyes fell on his fellow researcher and softened fractionally, "It's alright Utagai, you can trust these guys." He stepped over to put a hand on Subaru's shoulder, "You've met Subaru-kun it seems, and these are his friends: Luna-chan, Kizamaro-kun, and Gonta-kun."

Subaru wasn't sure how Amachi knew the names of the Kodoma High students, but he didn't appreciate the easy-going way he called them his 'friends.' Unfortunately, Amachi's reassurance meant nothing to Utagai. The man squeezed his eyes shut as if he were hearing other words, turned on his heel, and ran down the hall in a terrified sprint.

Amachi sighed, closing his eyes in a way that seemed he had just sent a prayer toward heaven in petition for the departing man. The ensuing silence was enough to make all teenagers present feel awkward. Subaru's mind raced, trying to think of the best excuse to get away from all these people, but something else was eating at his thoughts. He had been getting a weird vibe from Utagai-san, a presence that didn't feel human. Since dempa-henkan with Warrock he had begun to get a sort of 'chill' when viruses were nearby; but this, this was more intelligent – more malevolent.

"What was that all about," Kizamaro finally broke the silence, pushing his glasses up on his nose as he made his inquiry.

Amachi sighed again, but answered the question, only his attention was now focused on Subaru, "Do you remember my telling you about our new recruit?"

"Yeah," Subaru said slowly, "That's him right, Shinsuke Utagai."

"Yes, indeed, but I didn't tell you the whole story behind his arrival. Do you remember who invented the interactive holographic displays for the transer."

"Wasn't it invented by a researcher in that government lab further south, Mifune or something like that?" Subaru phrased it like a question, not sure where this was going.

Amachi nodded his head gravely, "That was Utagai-san's old boss. When Utagai finished his prototype for the screens, he showed it to his boss, a man whom he had thought was trustworthy."

"Wait!" Subaru interrupted, too outraged by the oncoming epiphany, "You mean the screens were Utagai's design and Mifune stole them from him!?"

The senior engineer's silence was enough of an answer, "It took me a lot of convincing to get him to transfer here. He's had a lot of difficulty trusting other people; I really want to give that luxury back to him. No one should have to deal with betrayal."

Subaru was stunned into silence.

"He still doesn't seem to trust you completely yet either, Amachi-san, does he?" Luna said quietly. Her eyes were unreadable as she added, "But it means a lot that you keep trying to care."

Amachi smiled at the girl, "Thank you for saying that Miss Luna-chan. I'll probably check on him a little later today. In the meantime, have fun!"

With a wave and a laugh, Amachi strode back down the hall from whence he had come, and it was only too late that Subaru realized he had just given Luna the permission to haul him off, which is exactly what happened. Luna grabbed his collar and proceeded to drag him who-knows-where.

"Let go!" Suabru tried in vain to pull away from her iron grip. Oh, it would be so heavenly to be able to turn intangible like in his wave-form right now. But no, he must suffer. The group had only just made it through the front sliding doors of the facility, when Luna stopped.

"I'm not letting go till we've had a long hard talk about school. It's been a month – a month – and you've done nothing but avoid me and blow me off like I'm not even trying. I'm sick of it!"

"Then why don't you just quit?" Subaru ground out as the collar of his shirt attempted to choke him again.

Suddenly, that threat was no longer there. Luna had released him. He was so stunned that he didn't react instantly, just stood there and stared, transfixed by the expression she was giving him. She looked angry yet confused, only her eyes remained hard, their fierce determination never waned.

"Because Hoshikawa-kun, I honestly think it would be better for you to attend school, and I want you to see that too."

Subaru did not know what to make of that, luckily he didn't have to think of it for too long. Above their heads, glass shattered, a deadly rain falling from a second story window. Subaru's reflexes took over, he grabbed Luna's wrist and harshly jerked her underneath the over-hang where Kizamaro and Gonta had been standing. The tinkling of glass on the cement might have sounded pretty, but he knew Luna and he had been seconds away from having more than a few painful lacerations. The girl in question was staring wide eyed at the prisms littering the place where she had been standing.

"Kid!" Rock's voice was discreet as an alien's could be in this situation. It was all he needed to get Subaru's attention. A beam of blue light shot from the broken window, arching over AMAKEN before settling on one model rockets in the courtyard. In another flash of light a being stood atop the nose of the rocket regarding the complex with yellow eyes.

"Cygnus," Warrock growled the name with a tone of loathing Subaru had never heard him use before. The EM being's most noticeable feature were long white wings, spread wide, that protruded from its back; a black, swan-like bill hung over his face, shadowing his eyes; and black, webbed feet completed the bird-like appearance.

Subaru narrowed his eyes. He didn't know who Cygnus was, but he had a pretty good idea what he was. He needed to get away from this group so he could converse freely with Rock. His sneakers crunched the glass as he started running around the side of the building.

"Hey, where are you going," Gonta seemed to be the only one with enough presence of mind to ask what he was doing; hopefully he had enough to get the other teenagers out of danger as well.

Subaru didn't stop, but shouted over his shoulder, "To get help!"

Whatever Gonta's answer might have been, it was drowned out by the emergency sirens that suddenly wailed into life. Subaru used the distraction as cover to duck around a corner, pressing his back to the wall as he held his transer up.

"What's going on Rock?" he demanded, trying to keep his tone serious when he was still dealing with a racing heart from the surprise of being attacked.

"It's Cygnus, one of my ex-comrades sent to hunt me down."

"Okay," Subaru said quickly, "But that doesn't explain how he's visible. He's affecting the physical world!"

"He's figured out dempa-henkan it would seem. Don't tell me you didn't feel it back there, when you ran into that other human in the hall."

"Yeah, but why is he attacking AMAKEN then? Why would Utagai-san do that? He seemed more afraid than belligerent." He glanced back down at Rock to see an uncharacteristically uncomfortable look on his dragon-like face, "Warrock! What are you not telling me?"

"FMians… take over creatures that have a weakness inside of them, whether it is loneliness, trust, or a desire, and we can use it to manipulate that creature to a breaking point. It is then that we can fully merge and unconditionally control that creature. In this case, it is humans."

Subaru couldn't hold back the horror; it was plain on his face. Warrock looked away.

"Why didn't you tell me this before!?" Subaru exploded, "Does that mean that you've been controlling me all this time?"

"It seemed like it would be a sensitive topic." Warrock said mildly despite Subaru's death glare, "And contrary to your hasty conclusion, I have not been controlling you. I may have been able to do it at first, but I did not; now that you expect the transformation, I don't think I could control you even if I tried. Bringing down Cygnus is completely left up to you."

Despite is frustration with Rock's secrets, he was right. Cygnus had just become the more pressing matter. He was possessing a human, and, now it seemed he was endangering the scientists of AMAKEN. Subaru wasn't sure what the FMian's ultimate goal was, or how this destruction would help them find Warrock, but he had to do something.

Subaru took a deep, calming breath, letting it hiss through his teeth to ready himself.

"Okay, Rock, what do I have to do."

"In order to rend the dempa-henkan you need to break him down. EM beings need a certain threshold energy level to possess someone. After that, the two will separate. The human will go free, and Cygnus will probably run away. Without dempa-henkan, we are much weaker, especially on earth. To stop him completely, you will need to catch him annihilate every last shred of his dempa."

Subaru sucked in a breath at that, "Isn't that wrong?" he asked, his voice devoid of the emotions roiling inside him.

"It is what he wants to do to both me and you." Warrock said seriously, "Dempa-henkan is powerful because it is uncommon to find a human who will match to our wavelength. If he cannot catch me when we divide, he will come back and kill you so that I won't be as much of a threat."

"So either we win or be killed?"

"Exactly." Warrock's tone was grave, but Subaru had noticed over the past few weeks that the alien was accustomed to battle. Odds did not defeat him, only losing did.

Subaru closed his eyes and took a preparatory breath, "Ready?"

"Do you even have to ask." Warrock answered in a gleeful tone.


Shirogane Luna:

Luna desperately wanted to chew Subaru out for wrenching her arm like he had, but the twerp had managed to slip away yet again. Geez, he was really getting starting to annoy her. All things considered, he shouldn't be at the top of her list of worries while chaos reigned in the lab, but he was. When had her priorities gotten so rearranged?

"Prez!" Kizamaro yelled, panicked, "We need to get out of here!"

"Where'd he go?" she asked.

"Who? Subaru-kun? I don't know! But it's dangerous here, we need to leave!"

"C'mon Prez!" Gonta said gruffly, scooping her up and beginning to run. Kizamaro was right on his heels.

Smoke was billowing from the main building, alarms wailed throughout the complex, and employees were running haywire across the grounds. In the mess of it all, no one bothered to look up. It was only because of her position in Gonta's arms that she happened to spot a strange sight. It was a man, dressed in a costume of some sort, balanced precariously on the nose of an in-progress spacecraft.

"Who… what is that?" she muttered, pointing a shaking finger at the anomaly.

Gonta skidded to a stop, and Kizamaro turned his bespectacled eyes to the sight, just in time for the man to zero his yellow eyes on the threesome. The man – thing – glared, mouth pressed in a fierce frown.

"No one shall escape my just punishment!" he proclaimed, finally drawing the attention of the other scientists in the area. He flexed his wings downward, throwing scores of razor-sharp feathers at the front gates. Luna's group was unfortunate in their proximity; the resulting explosion threw Kizamaro off his feet. Only Gonta and Luna's combined weight kept them grounded. But the most detrimental effect of the attack was the fact that the front gates were now in smoking ruins.

"That," Kizamaro coughed beside Luna, standing slowly, "might take some time to get around."

"There must be another gate," Gonta growled.

"The fence goes around the entire complex," Luna whispered, "I don't know where the next closest exit is, and if we can even make it in time."

"Whoever this is, he's pretty aggressive," Kizamaro added quietly, "What is that anyway, some sort of combat suit?"

"He looks like an alien from a TV show I watched when I was younger." Gonta added.

"Not helping Gonta-kun." Kizamaro hissed.

"HUMAN'S," the thing yelled, "This is your rightful fate for being the lying, betraying pieces of filth that…"

A violet blast to the face cut him off mid rant.

"Now now," a new voice called, "Let's not get too cliché with the boring, evil monologues."

The threesome's heads whipped around so fast it nearly gave them whiplash. Only a few paces away from them – in all his odd spandex-armor glory – stood the stranger that had saved Luna a month earlier: Rockman.

The bird-man seemed to recognize him too, clenching his hands into claws as he hissed, "Warrock! So you are here on this infested planet!"

"Actually, Cygnus," a deep, gravelly voice emanated from Rockman's visage but his lips didn't move, "This is Rockman. Pardon the bad name, but the kid isn't very creative."

"Shut up, you idiot." Luna saw Rockman grit out quietly.

"He's my ex-comrade," the voice came again, "I can say what I want."

That's bizzare, Luna thought, it's like there's a third party introducing them. But I don't see anyone else.

"Well then, Rockman," Cygnus strung out the name like a taunt, "Are you going to surrender to me? I think you know what I'm after."

"What are you –" Rockman began, but the voice cut him off.

"You can't just show up here and do whatever you want Cygnus! And I won't forgive someone who has turned on me. We will be the ones to send you home crying to Planet FM."

"You betrayed me, your clan, and your king! You have no ground to speak of loyalty or otherwise."

"Are we just going to stand here and talk," Rockman cut in, still speaking quietly, "I don't have all day."

"YES!" the disembodied voice agreed, "Enough talking, more fighting!"

To Luna, who had been avidly following the conversation, she noticed Rockman stumble on his first step as his left arm jerked him forward. Strange. But he caught himself and immediately surged forward, seeming to blur out of existence. Cygnus leaped off his perch, sending more exploding feathers at the hero before diving into the fight. Both moved so fast, her eyes could barely follow. Flashes of green, blue, and violet sprung from various weapons that materialized in Rockman's hands. Cygnus fought with dexterous movements, utilizing the reach his wings provided for him. Occasionally they blinked out of existence entirely, as if the fight was merely a mirage.

"Prez," Kizamaro had her wrist and was tugging her back as she was too riveted by the battle to move, "We need to go. Rockman bought us time, but we have to make use of it."

"Do you want me to pick her up again?" Gonta asked.

"It's fine Gonta-kun, we'll just do it this way."

They were running again, pulling a reluctant Luna along beside them, but the boys were still talking quietly.

"That conversation was odd, don't you think?" Kizamaro whispered between labored breaths.

"I still think they're aliens."

"We can't conclude that until further analysis of the facts we have."

"Whatever." Gonta eloquently deadpanned.

"Why are we leaving Rockman-sama to fight all by himself!" Luna suddenly interjected, "We need to help him."

"Did that look like the kind of fight we could help with?" Kizamaro answered, ever the logical one, "Besides, help is on the way. I can hear that the Satellite Police squad is nearly here."

"THEM!" Luna all but screeched, "They hate him. That inspector thinks Rockman-sama causes all the trouble! He's defending us."

"If you want to tell him that, be my guest, but not until after we get out of harm's way."

Luna scowled at Kizamaro. Though her head agreed with Kizamaro's judgment, her heart didn't. She wanted to do something, not just sit on the sidelines.

Like him.

She spotted Amachi-san in the distance, running in the wrong direction. He was returning to the main lab building, bypassing the security locks on the doors under the red warning lights. Luna took off, racing to grab the door before it could click shut behind the scientist.

"Prez, what are you doing?" Kizamaro and Gonta caught up to her, panting as the unexpected sprint added to their exertion.

"Let's go see if Amachi-san needs any help," she suggested, slipping through the door and expecting the boys to follow. They didn't disappoint.

The cool hallways were dark except for emergency lights; the explosions must have interfered with the main power sources. Other than the metronomic blaring of evacuation sirens and their footsteps, the halls were quiet.

"Which way did he go?" Gonta grumbled.

"He's faster than what his physique would suggest." Kizamaro grumbled, nervously pushing his glasses up his nose. "Prez, we really shouldn't be here."

Luna set off down the hallways, looking as confident as she didn't feel, "Don't they have a main control room that monitors all the activity in the labs? He probably went there. It'd be the best place to observe the situation." Kizamaro gulped loudly, but Gonta followed carelessly.

Right then left, down the main corridor… Luna recalled the layout of the lab; repeatedly trying to track Subaru down through these corridors proved to be good practice for the present circumstances. She managed to get them to their destination without a wrong turn.

Amachi was there among the monitors, brilliant, neon warnings flashing on nearly every one. Something seemed to be making the devices go ballistic, but as to what, Luna couldn't decipher.

"Amachi-san!"

The man in question jumped, placing a hand on his chest when he recognized the intruders.

"Luna-chan! What are you doing here? I thought everyone had been evacuated already." His focus was shifting between the group and the screens as if he had developed a sudden case of ADHD.

"We came to ask if you needed help with anything." She answered.

"No," he said shortly, returning his full attention to the digital read-out; his eyes glittered from the backlight, wide and absorbing every detail.

"Pardon me Amachi-san," Kizamaro interjected, "I realize this isn't the best time for a scholastic lesson, but what is going on?"

As if on cue, the main holographic screen sprung to life, reading OVERLOAD in scarlet capitals.

"Shoot," Amachi grumbled, typing full speed on his virtual keyboard before answering, "There are two, highly-dense masses of EM waves right here on the AMAKEN campus. They're only generating about a millionth of the energy we gather from the outer space source, but the close proximity is flooding the circuits. I'm currently trying to shut down the generators and 'blow off steam' in some of our less dangerous research labs."

"I…I see," Kizamaro stuttered, pushing his glasses up his nose.

Amachi was too busy to even shoo them out. After a minute, some of the warnings had died out, but chaos still reigned.

"Where did they come from?" Amachi muttered to himself, "And they're ambulatory, like the movement is independent."

"It could be the two alien-things fighting outside." Gonta explained.

Amachi only spared him one small glance before keying a command. The holo screen now displayed a myriad of security cameras and, after a second, he clicked one to magnify it in the main window.

"Rockman-sama!" Luna felt the name slip from her mouth of its own accord. The two… what-ever-they-were could now be at what might be called a stand still. Rockman's left hand had been replaced by a sizable cannon, pulsing with energy. It was leveled at Cygnus, who didn't seem to be doing anything to defend himself; but still, Rockman did not fire.

"What is he doing!" Gonta punched his fist in the air as if he was watching some exciting cartoon, "Shoot Rockman! Get that sucker!"

But Rockman didn't hear them… obviously. In a flash of light, Cygnus morphed, speeding in a blue beam towards a satellite tower and taking the vertical route from there.

Amachi's mouth was hanging open, his brain finally lagging behind his optical signals.

"Where did he go?" Kizamaro asked.

"Ran away," Gonta said with a hmph, "Cygnus the coward."

"No," Amachi said in a monotone voice, "That energy source jumped the EM wave. He's traveling towards AMAKEN's upper orbit satellite." That snapped him out of his revere, "What is going on!?" he yelled.

Luna took a step back; she'd never witnessed the scientist be anything more than friendly or focused. When he saw her confusion, he took a calming breath.

"W-well," she stammered, "We don't know who or what they are, but Rockman – the navy blue one – is a good guy. He's saved me twice now. Cygnus – the other – said he was going to destroy the lab because humans were…"

"Wait," Amachi cut her off, "He said 'humans', as if he wasn't one?"

"He also said something about 'Planet FM' and betrayal." Kizamaro added helpfully.

"Hey," Gonta asked, "Are they really aliens?"

Amachi gave them a wide-eyed, fearful glance. He seemed caught between understanding and disbelief, despite how far-fetched the story sounded.

"I…"

Whatever Amachi was going to say was cut off by another obnoxious warning light. The scientist regarded the news for barely a moment before all the color drained from his face.

"What is it Amachi-san?" Luna asked.

The genius swallowed, "This is really bad."


Hoshikawa Subaru:

"You're going easy on him Subaru! Why are you holding back?" Warrock's frustration permeated every syllable. Since the FMian couldn't fight himself, he wanted Subaru to make up for every ounce of his fervor; and well… Subaru really didn't have much of a fighting spirit.

Subaru grit his teeth, "Fighting him is different than just deleting a virus, Rock."

"If it's the human your worried about, you're not going to hurt him. In fact, the longer you wait, the deeper the possession will grow. Prolonged contact with his host will only increase his power and control over the individual until fission is permanent. All logic points to defeating him here and now – mercilessly."

"I know."

"Then chase after him!" Warrock demanded, pulling Subaru forward by his left arm… again. "He went up that waveroad, the one on the right."

Subaru regarded the path, tipping his head back till he couldn't see any father, "That one goes straight through the atmosphere…"

"Problem?" Warrock growled.

"Will it be okay?"

"I don't know," Warrock's sarcasm had been developing in leaps and jumps as of late, "Will it hurt if you pass through a building? Will it hurt if you travel at the speed of light? Will if hurt if you stop breathing during Denpa Henkan? Hmmmm… let's think about this."

Subaru scowled at the interface on his arm where Warrock's ruby eyes were glinting with mirth.

"In other words, I'll be fine."

"When you're composed of EM waves, you don't need an atmosphere."

"You could have just said that."

A sigh, "Where is the fun in that."

"You're an alien from a belligerent planet. You're not supposed to care about having fun." Subaru couldn't help but point out.

"Says who?" said alien tested.

"I'm ignoring you now," he opted for shifting his frequency and leaping up to the waveroad.

"It's because you don't have a good comeback." Warrock said smugly.

Riding the waveroads was always a rush. Weeks ago, he'd needed to go slow, unable to cope with the dizzying speeds. The sights would blur as his vision was unable to keep pace with his body. But after some practice, he could gauge the speed and timing he needed in order to get somewhere specific. Though he could move at light speed, it wasn't always beneficial. He'd learned that by accidentally over shooting his target by a few thousand miles on multiple occasions.

But this was easier. The satellite signal was a straightaway; and on top of that, he could feel Cygnus's signature waves – his Z-waves.

It took less than a second to arrive. Cygnus was waiting for him, riding the waveroad that gently revolved with the satellite's trajectory.

"Cygnus," Subaru called, "Surrender Utagai-san. You know I'm stronger than you."

"You were never very good in actual combat, Cygnus, you were a better tactician. You must have realized by now that you don't have the advantage." Warrock added.

Cygnus sneered, "You knew I favored more underhanded methods than a fair fight Warrock, then why didn't you realize that I also didn't come unprepared."

"What is he talking about?" Subaru whispered to Warrock.

"Dunno kid, but stay frosty."

"What?" Subaru felt his brow furrow in confusion.

"It's an expression. It means stay focused."

"Where did you hear that? Even I haven't heard that before and I'm…"

"I said stay focused, kid!" Warrock yelled.

"Well, you're not helping!" Subaru grouched right back.

"How cute," Cygnus purred at their squabbling, "Warrock, it seems rather inconvenient that the human that matches you wavelengths is not under your control."

"It's fine." Warrock growled.

"Well," Cygnus said in a sing-song voice, "I hope he doesn't live down near that lab."

"Why?" Subaru asked, a feeling of foreboding dragged his heart into his stomach.

Cygnus only smirked in response.

In the silence of space, no sound came as a warning. The satellite simply lurched, its course suddenly veering for the blue planet below.

It took a second for Subaru to guess the reason, "You engaged the space-side thrusters." He leveled a glare at the swan-like FMian.

He was examining nonexistent nails, "This human is quite smart. He knew exactly how to power the craft so it would fall just right. Too bad his talents don't include trusting people, or I never would have been able to exploit this splendid opportunity of destroying some of our enemies."

"Amachi-san holds Utagai in high regard," Subaru spat, "So don't go mocking him."

Cygnus froze, the fingers he'd been inspecting twitched. "Nothing you can say will change the way he feels." The bird-man rasped after a few seconds.

Catching on, Subaru pressed, "I think Utagai-san will be very happy at AMAKEN labs. He will have his chance to shine. And I will personally be there to cheer him on."

Cygnus's hands had moved to his head, his yellow eyes wide and unfocused, "SHUT UP!" he demanded.

"Now would be a good time, kid." Warrock suggested.

"Ya think?" Subaru murmured, summoning sword data. Green flames swarmed bout his left arm, leaving a glimmering blade in its place. Cygnus belatedly readied and attack, but Subaru struck first. Bending low into a dash, he brought his weapon up, slicing across Cygnus's chest in one swift movement.

The FMian screamed, curling in a ball to conceal the static that blurred his features. Once his hand had reverted, Subaru tackled the dempa-human, blending both their frequencies with the waveroad and riding it back down to earth. In the moment before impact, he turned them both tangible, where they slammed into the pavement beneath the transmission tower. The impact hit Cygnus full force while Subaru remained relatively unhurt from his position on top.

Now both visages of the man could be seen: the demon swan and the unsuspecting scientist.

"Come out!" Subaru growled, charging his basic blaster and releasing the shot, point blank.

With one last gut wrenching scream, cyan energy flowed away, taking the form of a fiery swan. Cygnus's true formed hovered beside the unconscious Utagai, but Subaru now had his blaster trained on the FMian. In this form, there was no hope for Cygnus to fight back – they both knew it.

"Tch, my plan is still in motion. These humans will still die. Let me save this one."

"That won't save Utagai," Subaru answered darkly, "Leave, or I will kill you."

He didn't want to do it; killing a sentient creature seemed wrong in every respect. But he wasn't going to let Cygnus get close to this man. He had yet to keep his word: he promised to see Utagai shine.

After a moment's hesitation, Cygnus disappeared in a flash of light.

Subaru sighed in relief, but…

"There's still once small problem, kid." Warrock interjected.

"Yes, thank you Captain Obvious, I got it."

"Captain who?"

Subaru grinned, he had won this time.


In a second Subaru was once again riding the satellite transmission; only this time he was backwards, sliding down to earth with the falling craft.

The metal was heating, red hot from the friction of the air particles. Rattles and groans were now audible in the upper reaches of the atmosphere; the satellite wasn't designed for re-entry. Subaru estimated he had about five minutes to deal with it at this rate.

All the panic he should have been feeling was pushed to the side as he thought.

"Well, this is all up to you, kid." Warrock admitted unhelpfully, "space craft is not my area of expertise."

"Thanks, Rock."

"No problem."

"Sarcasm can still be lost on you," Subaru sighed.

He didn't think he had the power to push it back into orbit. Should he change the frequency? No, it was probably too big for that. Did he have enough weapons to destroy it? No, they most likely didn't have the penetrating power anyway. Each idea he came up with was immediately shot down by his own reasoning.

Don't panic. Don't panic.

He snapped his fingers. Jumping back, he let himself free fall at the same speed. Charging his blaster, he took aim.

"You know that won't do anything." Warrock muttered.

Subaru ignored him, letting loose the blast. It collided perfectly with the nearest connector for the wing of solar cells, causing the bracings to buckle and break. As a result, the satellite upended, tipping sideways. With more surface area exposed in a less aerodynamic fashion, it was only a matter of time before the wear and tear overexerted the machines durability.

Friction cause the steel to flake like dry skin, and Subaru entertained himself by firing his remaining weapons through the crevices as they appeared. Within a few minutes the entire craft had crumbled into smaller pieces that burned in the atmosphere. Only a few sections were large enough to make it to the surface, but due to decreased mass, the trajectory had changed significantly enough that they fell into the sea.

With a sigh of relief, Subaru gently landed on the asphalt of the AMAKEN grounds. Remaining invisible, he ascertained that someone had found Utagai beneath the radio tower. The satellite police had arrived and were scratching their heads at the absence of viruses. And the employees were bustling around to set things back into a state of order.

"Might as well go home and avoid this whole mess." Subaru muttered to himself.

"Might as well." Warrock repeated.

Subaru gave the alien on his wrist a half-hearted glare, "I have some questions for you though, and you're not off the hook until you explain them to me."

Warrock had the presence of mind to look sheepish, or as sheepish as a glowing, green dragon-alien can look.

Subaru sighed, "…Right after supper. I'm starved."


Shirogane Luna:

Amachi's knuckles were white as he clenched the desk. The countdown was irrevocably ticking downward, only three minutes left.

"Leave!" he commanded Luna and her group in the calmest voice he could muster.

"No." Luna deadpanned, folding her arms over her chest.

"No offence, Amachi-san, but it wouldn't do any good. We'd never escape the blast radius in time. We're dead either way." Kizamaro logically rationalized his rebellion.

Amachi closed his eyes, realizing the truth of those. Was this karma for not believing what Hoshikawa-senpai had reported about the EM ETs? Was he to lose his lab and his life in the same day for denying their existence?

"Hey," Gonta grabbed everyone's attention, "It's not on that curvy line anymore. What does that mean?"

Amachi's head snapped up, eyes tracking the readout. The timer clicked once more before breaking and zeroing out. The satellite had fallen short. The trajectory streams had split and landed fifty miles off target – in the ocean.

"Do we get to live?" Gonta asked, without the excitement that news should have merited. It was like he never realized – or thought – they were in danger.

"Rockman-sama!" Luna gushed, "He did it! He saved me again!"

Kizamaro pushed his glasses up his nose in relief.

Amachi had to sit on the floor. Saved. They'd been saved by an alien in spandex. His eyes drifted to the screens, and he noticed that 'Rockman' had returned. But right now, he really didn't care. He was alive.

Luna felt like preening. Her hero had saved the day again! She would have to make sure Amachi-san also put in a good word for Rockman-sama, after all, he had been a witness…

…which reminded her, "Amachi-san, why did you come back into the labs if you knew it was dangerous?"

The young scientist turned on her with nostalgic eyes, "Because this lab, AMAKEN, was founded, built, and nurtured by Hoshikawa Daigo-senpai himself. And he asked me to take care of things if anything happened to him. I promised him I would."

"I don't think he would want you to put your life in danger over it." Kizamaro muttered.

"It's my choice what I do," Amachi countered, getting to his feet with a grunt, "Now, if you kids are done risking your lives with me, I really need you all to head home. Your parents will be worried, and I've got a lot to do around here thanks to that Cygnus guy. So, shoo!"

As gently as possible, Amachi herded them out the door.

"Yes, good idea." Luna agreed, "We need to figure out where that idiot Hoshikawa-kun got off to after he ditched us."

"Alright Prez." Both boys muttered simultaneously.

Amachi closed the door behind them, but his hand remained resting on the handle.

FMians, huh? It has a nice ring to it, Senpai.


Let me know what you think of this so far, and if you see any mistakes... I don't have an editor so it would be helpful if you point them out! :)