Chapter 48

"Hm..."

I stared at... something, I guess.

"Hm..." Where's Shulk and all them? Did a thing happen to them? Are they still in Sword Valley and stuff?

I grunted, rubbing closed eyes. Damn... what if they're like, in a big fight? I can't just...

A groan slipped past my lips. Dammit. I tried not to attached to them in any capacity, telling myself they were just video game characters...

But to me... if I'm being honest... they're more then that.

Shulk talking with me, Reyn guarding with his shield, Sharla constantly healing me, Dunban with his wisdom... Melia's regal speech and Riki being the funny oddball in this group...

They're my friends.

"Hey... Linada?"

The doctor, who had come out for a good stretch and likely some fresh air, paused to walk over to me. "Yes, Andrew?"

"Uh..." I narrowed my eyes. "Is there... any way to get to the Mechon... uh... Sword Valley from here?"

She tapped a finger to her forehead with a thoughtful expression blooming on her face. "Well... two come to mind."

"Can you tell me how?" I asked, standing, with a short wince with the overwhelming stiffness in my body. "Ugh..."

"You could ask Miqol to take you via Junks," spoke the Machina. "However... from what history records can tell me... there are plenty of hostile Mechon residing in Sword Valley, with numbers only growing. Junks would likely be shot down before you could ever hope to land."

"So... great," I mumbled. "Please tell me option two is a less dangerous option."

"Well... overall for the village... yes," she spoke, pausing. "Though personally for you, much more dangerous, in all honesty."

"Whatever. I can probably take what's coming!" I declared. "So... what is it?"

"Well... there's an out of power teleporter here in the village," she spoke. "If you can slay some Mechon here on this part of the Mechonis, we could use their cores to power up the teleporter."

"Wait... there's a teleporter here... and in Sword Valley?" I paused as she nodded. "Huh... okay, then. Oh, yeah. Why's it more dangerous for me?"

"The teleporter will compress your body into minuscule bits, taking you to a hyperspace, and compress your whole body back to normal at the destination, all in less then 0.24212 seconds."

I tilted my head. "Huh... wait, less then a... uh... quarter of a second?" I sighed. "That sounds... very, very unpleasant."

"Yes, and... humans were never meant to be compressed and un-compressed in any time less then 30 minutes," admitted Linada. "But if you do survive... you would be in Sword Valley, and able to-hopefully-meet up with your companions."

With a grunt, I adjusted the sword on my back. "They aren't my companions." The words are out of my mouth before anything else. Crap.

"Oh?" Linada tilted her head slightly. "What would you call those adventurers you have spoken much about, then?"

I sighed as I started to walk away. Might as well. "They're my friends."

I sensed her smiling as I left the village.

...

"Geez!" I let out a grunt as I deflected as laser off of my sword, the gauntlets forming as I tossed my sword into the air. With a loud grunt, I punched clean through the Mechon, before tearing my arm out to catch my blade and block a chainsaw coming from behind me. "These Mechon... ugh!" I slid away and let out a harsh breath as I cracked my neck. "They're getting tougher..."

A harsh beeping rang out and the chainsaw detached to fly at me.

"Gh!" Blocking, I willed a greave to form and kicked the chainsaw back, right through the face. The Mechon let out a whizzing of odd sounds before falling to the ground.

"Phew... huh?" I ducked as bullets shot at me. "Oh, that's just great!" I grasped my sword, blocking more bullets as I dashed away.

Huh... I don't think I ever tried this... but can a shockwave hurt them? I concentrated an aura around my blade and swiped as I rolled from the furious screech of the incoming storm of promising death.

The Mechon was cut in two, the two halves of its body falling to the ground in a pile.

I also saw the shockwave rush through the air, fading to nothing before any environmental damage was done.

"Alright... so..." I walked closer to the chainsaw Mechon, forcing the sharp weapon out of its face. "Let's see... I gotta grab their core, right?" I glanced at a hand as the gauntlet un-formed. "Uh... do I... just... I dunno... force my hand into it?"

I could sense the general location of the destroyed Mechon's core, tangled up in a bunch of wires and other crap.

"Great," I muttered, before forcing a hand into the machine with a grunt. A wince came out as a light electric shock got me, before I managed to tear out the core of the now dead Mechon.

I feel like Raiden. The thought came to mind. All I need is a vibration sword and a robot body okay I am nothing like Raiden.

A smirk made its way onto my face, and I laughed at my foolishness, looking up at the blue sky.

"Home..." I mused, settling my sword on my back. "What is home anyway?"

I shook my head at the random question and yawned, holding the core of the Mechon.

...

"There..." Linada let out a breath. "That should do it."

I stared when a sudden bright light shone out, and I swore as I shielded my eyes. "Ugh... so that's the teleporter, huh?"

"Indeed." Linada yawned and stopped. "It will connect to the teleporter in Sword Valley... one of them."

"There's several?" I questioned, tilting my head.

"Yes... and it's quite random which one it connects to," spoke the Machina.

"Well... ain't nothing else to do but try it!" I steeped towards the teleporter before stopping. "Ah... thanks, Linada." I nodded at her. "I'll be back... hopefully."

"I shall pray that you return in one piece," she replied, nodding back.

I stepped into the teleporter, and screams rushed out as something happened to me, oh god, it was me, that hand coming out of my stomach was-

I was on the ground, looking up at a dusty ceiling.

"Ugh..." I picked myself off the ground with a groan, staggering. "Damn..."

I could sense internal injury and a few broken ribs.

"Well..." I grimace, leaning heavily against a door. "I've been through worse-WHOA!"

The door opened, and I fell forward onto the ground.

15.42 metres down.

"UGH!" I spoke out as I hit the ground. "Ow... huh?"

Then came the distinct sound of battle.

And lasers. That too.

I got off the ground, and dashed towards the growing sounds of battle.

Rounding a corner, a loud hiss came out of me as a laser flew at my face. My instincts howled, and I drew my sword to slash apart the laser.

I rushed forward, using my momentum to slide along the floor, below more lasers before rolling to my feet, rounding another corner, slashing-

"OH SHOOT!" I held back, and got off with a light cut to Sharla's stomach. "Sorry-"

"Andrew?" I noticed her heaving for breath, covered in wounds. "How did you..." She shook her head. "That... that isn't important right now. But... this really isn't good."

I turned to the side to see Metal Face charge at me, a mechanical cry edging the claws that came forward.

A laugh came out, as loud as, no, louder then Mumkhar's shout, and I tossed my sword into the air and met his claws with my gauntlets forming.

"RED COAT!" roared the half-Homs, a grin coming over the metallic face as he forced me away.

I winced as I slid away, and I dashed forward with greaves forming for a flying kick.

"HAH!" Mumkhar shoved me back, and I slammed into a wall, his claws detaching afterwards at my face.

Shulk caught my sword and grunted. "Andrew, catch!" he yelled.

I nodded, punching my sword which deflected the claws, spinning in the air as the claws returned back to the faced Mechon.

"Curses..." grunted Dunban, cutting at a faced Mechon. "These ones just keep coming...!"

I caught my blade and morphed, blade clashing with claw. "RARGH!" I slashed, and flew up just enough to avoid claws that came back like boomerangs.

"EAGLE FLASH!" roared Mumkhar, a blast of flame streaking towards me.

I let out a harsh grunt and cut apart the Ether attack, descending as fast as possible to avoid lasers from a faced Mechon Shulk instantly cut down using Buster before another-

"Getting distracted?" I grunted as Mumkhar leapt out of his Mobile Suit, claws flashing at my heart.

"Aura Slash!" I hissed out, my blade grinding against his claws. What's going on...?! I should be able to... Wait...

A distinct glow shone from his claws, and Mumkhar grinned as he forced them inside me, and ripping them out. "Heh... I won't hold back anymore."

I winced, and concentrated a shockwave around my sword before swiping, and Mumkhar dodged. "Gh!"

"MANIFEST!" screamed a voice, and a fiery bolt crashed down, grazing Mumkhar as he moved.

Melia too...?! I smirked as I moved forward. The whole gang's here! "Stab Wave!"

Mumkhar growled, snapping his fingers. His Mobile Suit moved in front of him, nullifying my strike. "Tch...! Do you really think that's enough?!"

"Uh... I didn't say a thing except calling out my attacks!" I called, letting myself revert to normal. "So... I mean... whoa?" I grunted as Melia collapsed near to me. "Hey... you okay, princess?"

"I... hah..." Her breathing was laboured, uneven. Her heart was working overtime just for her to function, too. "I am... quite alright..."

"Well, excuse me, princess, but I would personally disagree," I spoke, withdrawing my sword and the gauntlets and greaves forming just in time to clash with the semi-metallic adversary lunging at me. "Gh...!"

"HA HA HA HA!" Mumkhar laughed, forcing me back with each swipe of his fierce claws. "Come on, Red Coat! After killing Reyn, I thought you would've been stronger then this!"

Everyone froze, and one strike from all the faced Mechon around was enough to force them sprawling to the ground.

Shulk stared at me, ignorant of the new wound he suffered. "Wha... Andrew... you..."

I growled, shoving Mumkhar back. "Hah..." Damn. This is not good.

"Well... looks like the big hero here is going to become the villain, huh?!" cackled the enemy before me. "Heh... how pretentious of you."

I let a long sigh escape.

"Andrew..." Everyone was looking at me with shocked gazes, but Shulk was the only one to actually break the sudden, heavy silence that settled over the battlefield. "Tell me..."

Shulk swallowed, and the blade of the Monado burst out.

"Did you kill Reyn?"

"I..." I sighed again. "I feel like you should be asking how I got to kill him, but... for all intensive purposes... yes, I did kill Reyn."

Shulk shook, his breathing turning abnormal. "You... you..."

Dunban closed his eyes, and Riki (when did he get here? I wondered) looked at the ground.

Melia took in a long breath. "I... believe... that you..." She stopped. "That... in..."

"He was..." I didn't flinch as the Monado's beam shot out, cutting my cheek, just look at the blonde.

"Don't you... don't say anything," growled Shulk. "Not until..." He let out a long sigh. "Not until... we're somewhere... safer." He turned. "Where did Mumkhar..."

A few dozen Mechon flooded the area, with Mumkhar powering up his Mobile Suit again.

"How boring," he drawled. "And here I thought you would tear each other apart now."

"Mumkhar... you will pay for your sins!" shouted Shulk. "For Colony 9... for killing Fiora... for the Emperor... THIS ENDS NOW!" he howled.

"Heh... well, let's see if you're man enough to keep those threats!" roared Metal Face. "Mechon... CHARGE!"

The several dozen Mechon charge forward, most aerial units, though the ground still shook with some ground units.

"Melia!" shouted Shulk, as we took a defensive formation.

"Summon Aqua... and Summon Copy!" declared the mage. "Manifest!" A sea of pure Ether water washed outwards, engulfing all the Mechon units. She leaned against me with her breathing being replaced by a loud rattling noise.

"Hey..." I let out a grunt. "Riki, Sharla-"

"You two stay back with Melia," spoke Shulk. "Dunban, Andrew and I will go forward."

The older Homs nodded and charged forward.

"Andrew..." Shulk stopped me with a hand. "I... had a vision that you killed Reyn." A small chuckle came out of him. "It's just... hard to take in that Reyn's dead again."

"He was under Egil's control," I spoke. "He-"

"Egil...? He made Reyn attack you?!" grunted Shulk. "That..." He grunted, dodging a hammer from a random faced Mechon. "Let's talk later! Right now... we need to help out Dunban!"

I nodded, and an odd feeling spread over me as I ran forward.

Like a huge weight I wasn't aware of taken off my back.

Thank you all for reading!