Chapter 8: Just Karin
It has been an entire week since the battle between Ikki and the Screws. From then on, things had changed quite significantly. From then on, Ikki rarely saw Samantha and her horrible brood. They were still palling around the school, and Ikki did catch glimpses of them, but they never approached him. So far, he had yet to decide whether it was a blessing or a curse.
On the bright side, whether he had wanted it or not, Ikki now had a constant guardian in the form of Henry. When the older teen was either on break or off work, he would swing by Ikki's home and check up on him. He would never let on any cause for concern, thus not alerting Ikki's mother, but Ikki appreciated that he had someone to confide in. Sure, he couldn't talk to him about the medabots, but it was nice to have him there.
Another welcome ally with whom he could talk about things was Erika and her medabot partner Brass. Not long after returning home, Erika revealed that she too had an actual medawatch, much to Ikki's shock. The story goes that her father had missed her tenth birthday due to an interview with Dr. Aki himself. As an apology, the big man sent her father back with the tiny device. When asked why she had never worn it to school, Erika simply replied with one word, Screws, and the rest was history.
To Ikki's relief, he was no longer alone in this strange world of watches, robots, and criminals in spandex. However, it has been stated that the more things change, the more they stay the same. A fact that was made quite evident today…
…..
"Absolutely not!"
"Oh, c'mon Ikki. Just this one last time."
Ikki had his arms folded across his chest as an act of absolute defiance. When Erika had called him that morning to meet at the park, Ikki knew it was going to be something like this. Whenever Erika was on the trail of a big scoop, she would get this little tingle in her voice, and it was more than enough to make Ikki's skin crawl. Sure enough, when he arrived, there she was with a yellow and red polka dot dress; the source of all nightmares.
Today's scoop revolved around some sort of stalker that was hunting after young girls with red hair. Nobody ever got hurt, just a series of jump scares, but there didn't seem to be any suspects in the mounting case.
Why was Erika interested, you might ask, and what was with the dress? It reminded her of a case they had worked on about a year ago for the school newspaper. Apparently, a kid had been running around tickling cute girls, but he always disappeared before a teacher could catch him. In response, Erika brought over the only dress in her closet, curtesy of her grandma, and she forced Ikki to masquerade around as a girl. It was the single most embarrassing day of the young boy's life, and in the end Erika never even got the picture of the culprit. He had been found by the principal and long since reprimanded. To add insult to injury, Coach Mountain had sentenced Ikki to five hundred laps around the school track for indecent school attire. To say the least, he had ample right to be angry that Erika had even offered him the disguise a second time. She had even brought a red wig, too.
"But Ikki…"
"I'm putting my foot down on this one, Erika!" Ikki said snappishly. "People still snicker at me behind my back, you know! Coach Mountain even took a picture of me for his wall of shame. Remember that?"
At his wrist, he could hear Metabee snickering, and he shot an angry look at his watch.
'I am curious.' Brass stated in a monotone from Erika's wrist. 'Are you not a girl, Operator Erika?'
Erika huffed and turned up her nose.
"I'm not that kind of girl. I'm a hard action news reporter woman. No frills for this kid."
"And especially no frills for me." Ikki snapped indignantly. "I can't believe you dragged me out here for something like this. What makes you even think that weirdo is gonna be here anyway?"
"It's the most likely place he would go." Erika explained. "He seems to lurk around places where a lot of people like to hang out. Nobody has ever seen enough of him to make a profile against him, so this is the best chance to really get my name out there."
Ikki's scowl deepened. "Translation: you benefit from my misery."
'Don't be such a sad sack, Ikki.' Metabee continued to chuckle. 'Maybe someone will take your picture so your mom can post it on your refrigerator.'
"You're not helping." Ikki hissed at him before looking to Erika. "Forget it, Erika. If you want that picture, you're gonna have to find some other way to do it."
Erika scowled, and she put her hands on her hips.
"You know, that's some thank you after I saved your life."
Ikki's eyes flared.
"Excuse me?! If memory serves, it was you that got captured by the Screws."
"Yeah, but I was the one that beat Samantha while you and Metabee were left a smoking wreck."
'Hey, leave me out of this!'
"We had her beaten down most of the way to begin with! Besides, the rubber robbos cheated with a bomb."
Erika scoffed, and she turned her back to him.
"Just like a man. Always making excuses."
Ikki's eyes blazed, and at last he had had enough. Tossing his hands to the sky, he cut loose with an aggravated cry and then stormed off. He didn't stop moving until he came upon the water fountain on the far side of the park, several yards away from Erika. He took a drink to try and cool himself off, and then he breathed a long, hard sigh. Metabee whistled a low key.
'Dude, you reeeeeally need to learn to relax. No judging.'
Ikki had an angry retort for that, but he decided to hold it back. No reason to make himself any angrier than he already was.
"She really is my best friend." he finally admitted. "She just gets into these crazy moods, and it oftentimes results in me either getting hurt or humiliated. She always tries to make it up to me in the end, but that doesn't make it any easier."
Metabee hummed thoughtfully, and he offered the boy a nod.
'Yeah, I can see that. Just give it a moment, and I'm sure you'll be pals again. In the meantime, let's find something fun to do. We haven't seen hide nor hair of the rubber robbo gang, and my trigger finger is getting itchy.'
Ikki rolled his eyes.
"Oh, brother. Wasn't that last robattle enough for you?"
Metabee scoffed. 'I'm a rough and tumble, sharp shooting, medabot warrior. I eat, sleep, and breath robattling. I need it if I'm gonna survive.'
Ikki's eyes did a mirror move.
"Yeah, well, I don't. If I'm perfectly honest with myself and everyone within earshot, I'm perfectly fine with things being nice and quiet. Seriously, if I am never assaulted with another surprise again, it will be too soon."
He should have seen it coming. Really, he should have. No sooner had the words escaped his lips did something small and fast slam into the boy and knock him to the ground. The next thing he knew, something big, sloppy, and wet was doing laps across his face and was nearly drowning him. Lifting his arms in his defense, Ikki pushed the mysterious attacker back, and he was shocked to see a little white dog with brown, floppy ears now sitting on his chest.
"Salty!" Ikki exclaimed with a cheer.
The tiny dog yipped joyously, and he then licked at Ikki's medawatch.
'Hey, watch the merchandise, you furry monster!'
"Oh, dry up!" Ikki chided. "He's just a dog. Licking is just the way they say they like people."
'Well I do not like him.' Metabee said huffily.
Ikki gave his head a shake, and he proceeded to scratch Salty's ears.
"Now just how did you find me? The last time I saw you, it was back in the business district of town. So how did you end up here?"
"Oh! So, he's your doggy?"
Ikki looked up, and suddenly his heart went still. Standing before him was a girl about his age, and for all intents and purposes that shouldn't have been so staggering. But this girl was different. He wasn't sure why, but only one word seemed to come to mind describing this red headed wonder with pigtails: pretty. Ikki couldn't believe he was even thinking it, but he really did think she was pretty. Perhaps this was what always went through Henry's mind when girls came into the story? They sure didn't think the same way about him.
The girl cocked her head at him, and she offered him a quaint frown.
"Are you alright?"
Ikki jolted and remembered himself, and he rose to a sitting position while Salty sat on his lap.
"Sorry about that." he said bashfully. "Kind of caught me off guard. To answer your question, Salty isn't really mine, per se. I was walking through the business district the other day, and the little guy came charging down the street with a string of cans tied to his tail. I had been having a particularly rotten day, so I decided to help by yanking it off. "
"Oh, you're so brave." the girl gushed, and Ikki just melted.
From Ikki's wrist, completely unobserved, Metabee studied Ikki's face, and if he had a mouth he would have been smirking. Using the medawatch's wireless connection, he tapped into the internet and started playing the wedding march as loud as the speakers would allow. The sudden noise caused Ikki to jolt, knocking Salty off of his lap as he jumped to his feet, placing a hand over his watch.
"Excuse me for a second!" he said curtly before running behind a tree, much to Karen's confusion.
When he was certain she wasn't listening, Ikki turned a scorching look to Metabee.
"Dude! What was that for?"
'Hey, don't be bugging, bro.' Metabee said with a harmless shrug. 'You two were clearly having a moment, and it's my personal understanding that music is romantic.'
"You clearly don't know what that song is about." Ikki said pointedly. "What are you even talking? What moment?"
Metabee stared at Ikki for a long hard moment, and then his eyes went wide and he placed a hand to the side of his face.
'Oh, now I get it! You're having your first crush! Oh, how cute! I wish I had a camera. Wait, I do!'
The camera on the medawatch suddenly flashed, momentarily blinding the boy. Ikki rubbed at his eyes for a moment, and then he shot Metabee another glare.
"Will you stop that?! I do not have a crush on her. That's just gross!"
'You can't hide from your feelings, kid.' Metabee chided while wagging his finger. 'The heart wants what the heart wants. Look, you can just leave it to me. Back home, I was the king of romance.'
"Somehow, I doubt that." Ikki muttered to himself. "Do me a favor and pipe down! The last thing I want is for a crazy robot strapped to my wrist to give her a heart attack!"
'Ok, but the instant you change your mind, just let me know. I've got dozens of one-liners that are bound to get you some headway.'
"Oh, shut up!"
Ikki took a deep breath, and he put his watch away. He then walked around the tree, and he made his way back to the red headed girl.
"Sorry about that. A friend of mine was calling, and he thought he was being funny by playing music over the speaker."
The girl giggled.
"I have a friend like that. Whenever I'm upset about something, he'll do something crazy to try and make me smile."
Ironically, she frowned.
"Strangely enough, that same friend was supposed to meet me here today for a play date. I guess he got stuck working with his dad again."
"He works with his dad?" Ikki asked.
The girl shrugged. "Something like that. It's a long story. Oh, I don't think I gave you my name. It's Karen."
She offered her hand, and Ikki gladly accepted it.
"It's nice to meet you, Karen. You can just call me Ikki."
…...
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the two children and hidden in the shadow of a tree, a lone figure was watching them. With one eye covered by a lock of green air, the figure studied the two children as they made their way to the swings. He reached into the neck of his latex jumpsuit and retrieved a small, two-way radio.
"This is agent twenty-one to home base. I've got the kid in my sites."
'Are you sure it's the right one this time? You've acquired quite a name for yourself thanks to all those false alarms. Something our organization does not appreciate, twenty-one."
"Is it my fault there are so many dang red headed kids in this stinking city?" The figure said snippily. "I hate cities! I want to go back to the swamp. I was born there."
'You have a mission, and you will carry it out! Failure will not be tolerated."
"Alright! Alright! Sheesh!"
The figure put the radio away, and he looked back to the two children, the boy now pushing the girl on the swings. It was cute. He hated cute.
"I'll get the mission done, alright. But I'm gonna have fun with it, too. Time for Salamander to get to work."
He reached into a pocket on his suit, and he pulled out a medabot medal with a chameleon emblem on its face.
...
'I think you should just apologize. Logically, it would yield a better result than just walking off and throwing rocks for no reason.'
As fantastic as it was to have Brass around, Erika couldn't help but feel just the least bit annoyed with her new medabot friend. Though she wouldn't publish a story about them, Erika had tried time and again to learn more about Brass and her people. However, in terms of her race, she told Erika more of the same that Ikki had told her. As for Brass herself, there was only one word that Erika could think of to adequately describe the sailor themed medabot: nerdy. Seriously, the bot prattled on about nothing but statistics: statistics on the probability of stepping on a crack in the sidewalk, statistics on stubbing one's tow while blindfolded, statistics on the chance of biting one's tongue while eating a watermelon, etcetera, etcetera, etceter-freaking-a! It was enough to make Erika wish she had gone deaf.
However, there was a loyal side to Brass' personality, particularly when it came to her comrades. Now that they were bonded, Brass would often times drop little hints whenever Erika's boyish, and sometimes selfish, behavior tended to lead her astray, and when hinting failed she would just flat out tell her. What made it all the more painful for Erika was that, in all honesty, the bot always seemed to raise good points. Yes, Erika was starting to agree that she had been pushing Ikki too hard on their most recent case, and she should probably me more grateful to him after he worked so hard to save her from the rubber robo gang. She took a deep breath, sighed, and dropped the remaining rocks she had been tossing.
"Alright, alright. I guess it only is fair if I'm the one that apologizes. Any idea where they are?"
'One moment, please.' Brass whirred. 'Accessing GPS location circuits. Compiling data. Search completed! Metabee and his bonded are approximately thirteen feet to our southeast. They appear to be partaking in some rudimentary forms of recreations upon one of the park's many structures.'
Erika followed Brass' instructions and started for the play area of the park. It didn't take her long to spy the signature red shirt of her best friend over next to the swings. She started to call out for him, but she paused when she spied the red headed girl sitting on the swings. Perhaps it was a trick of the light or her breakfast digesting incorrectly, but it looked to Erika like Ikki was pushing this stranger, almost like he was on a... date? Her curiosity was officially piqued, and she ducked behind a nearby slide to watch the scene as it unfolded.
...
Ikki wasn't quite sure what had come over him. He had never even pushed Erika in the swings before, but here he was doing it for some complete stranger. He wasn't sure what it was, but there was something about this girl that just made him want to be around her. Being cute was one thing, but that only got someone so far with Ikki. In truth, it was perhaps the girl's personality that endeared him. She was sweet, kind, and perhaps a bit naïve. It didn't take much for her to befriend someone, it seemed, and just talking to her seemed natural. She was also incredibly polite. After pushing her a few times, she had purposely stopped just so she could push him, all while offering a smile and a curtsey of all things. To say the least, Ikki genuinely liked her, and he was glad to call her his new friend.
Just then, a sound tickled his ear, and he skidded to a stop on the swing while looking to the main gate. Sure enough, there was the Jolly Jingler ice cream truck right on time, and already a massive mob of children was swarming the clown themed vehicle searching for frozen confections. A quick glance towards Karen revealed that she too had her sights set on the truck, and she pulled out her small pink purse to count change.
"Don't worry. I got it." Ikki said quickly, prompting Karen to look his way.
"You sure? I don't mind paying for my own."
Ikki shook his head.
"It's my treat. I just got my allowance last night."
Karen considered it for a moment, and then she smiled and nodded. Ikki all but grew wings on his heels as he sprinted for the ice cream truck. He bought the two cones with every single cent of allowance he had, and not a single care seemed to creep into his mind. From his wrist, Metabee was watching him, and it could be said that he was wearing a fatherly smile.
'My little Ikki's got his first crush. Love truly must be universal if such ugly flesh sacks like you humans can make it look so cute.'
"I'm not kidding! Knock it off!" Ikki hissed with a small blush. "I'm just being nice, is all. My dad taught me that I was supposed to treat girls with respect, so that's what I'm doing. I'd do the same for Erika. Heck, I have done the same for Erika."
Metabee's green eyes sparkled.
'Well, look at you playing the field and acting all coy. I'm so proud.'
"OK, THAT'S IT!" Ikki bellowed angrily, prompting several to stare at him. "I've had it up to here with your mouth. Seriously, what's your problem? Even Henry isn't this crazy. Now, I don't want to make any more of a scene than you've already caused around her, so I'm begging you to put a lid on it, or so help me I'll take this medawatch and..."
To this day, Metabee still doesn't know what the rest of that threat was going to be. As Ikki was walking, something swept past him legs, and he lost his footing. The next thing he knew, he was lying face down on the sidewalk. He groaned, and he slowly got onto his knees.
Hey, kid, you alright? Metabee called, sounding genuinely concerned.
Ikki groaned.
"Yeah, I think so. What hit me?"
He could hear Metabee hum thoughtfully, and he raised his wrist so that he could see him better.
'Honestly, I think you're just clumsy. I do like the horns, though. It's cute that you're trying out my signature motif. Very chic.'
Ikki made a face at that, but then he felt the cold emanating from his forehead. He reached up, and sure enough there were now two cones proudly displayed upon his forehead as the melting ice cream began to drip into his eyes.
"Oh, gross!" Ikki spat with disgust while wiping the two ruined treats from his brow.
By then, Karen had rushed over, and she helped Ikki to his feet. After helping him dust off, she a hand over her mouth.
"Oh, my gosh! You're bleeding!"
Ikki followed her gaze, and sure enough there was blood. However, it was little more than some drips coming from a small scrape. Nothing really worth noting.
Karen opened her small, pink purse, and she retrieved a small first aid kit. She first sprayed an antiseptic on the scratch, making Ikki wince, and then she proceeded to place a small bandage upon it. In spite of the surreal nature of the situation, Ikki couldn't help but marvel as the swiftness in Karren's fingers. Even in something as mundane as tending to a scrape, she had a sort of dedicated finesse comparable to a surgeon. When she finished, Ikki took a moment to admire her work.
"You're prepared for just about anything, aren't ya?"
Karen looked up at him and blushed.
"That friend I mentioned earlier. He takes up a lot of martial arts. Karate, tae kwon do, but his passion is kenpo, the art of swordplay. He thinks himself some sort of modern-day samurai, and he gets pretty offended whenever someone says something to me that doesn't sound good. More often than not, I would have to carry him home to patch him up."
"Sounds like the overprotective type." Ikki chuckled good naturedly.
"You have no idea." Karen said with a laugh.
As the two carried on, there was a rush of wind, and then something knocked Ikki in the back of the head. He fell forward, but Karen was there to catch him. Ikki looked behind himself, but there was no sign of anyone.
"Ok, seriously! What the heck is going...aaaaah!"
Now something had grabbed him by the ankles and flipped him about, and the next thing he knew he was lying on his back and looking up at a terrified looking Karen. Ikki scrambled to his feet, and he stood protectively over Karen. He still didn't see anything. He could hear Salty snarling at his feet, and he felt Karen's trembling fingers touch his shoulders.
"Ikki, I'm scared." He could hear Karen whimper.
"Just stay close to me." Ikki said, though his voice cracked.
Just then, there was another rush of wind, and it seemed like something was moving towards Ikki at high speed. Ikki braced himself for whatever was about to hit him, and he flinched at the sound of a flash. However, he was surprised at the sound of an angry shout, followed by a clanking sound that hit against the sidewalk. He opened his eyes, and he saw Erika, with camera in hand, standing over a green medabot that was clawing at their eyes. He was a green, chameleon modeled medabot with grappling parts. Before Ikki could even ask what was going on, Erika took his and Karen's hands and started to drag them off. They took refuge behind a slide, and Erika peaked around a corner. The medabot was still rolling around on the ground trying to reclaim his sight. She'd almost feel sorry for him if he didn't look so silly.
She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she looked back to see Ikki.
"Thanks, Erika. I thought I had punched my ticket for sure there. How did you know he was there?"
Erika tossed her hair back, and she flashed him a haughty smirk.
"Oh, please, Ikki. I'm an experienced field reporter. With eyes as sharp as mine, I could tell just how big his feet were every split second they touched the grass."
Ikki folded his arms across his chest, and he didn't look convinced. Erika's smirk faded, and she sighed.
"Ok, ok. Brass spotted him. But I did use MY camera to blind him and save both of your butts, so you owe me big. Which reminds me."
She reached behind Ikki and extended a hand to Karen in greeting.
"The name's Erika, reporter for the school newspaper. Nice to meet you."
"I'm Karen." The redhead said while accepting Erika's hand with a shake. "Ikki, is she your girlfriend?"
"NO!" The two friends quickly shrieked in unison.
Ikki shot a look around the slide, and he could see that the medabot was back on his feet. He was a very, very angry robot.
"Stupid kids! I hate stupid flashes! Why do my eyes have to be so darn sensitive anyway? Now where did that red head get off to?"
Ikki slowly slunk back, and he seemed to be thinking things over.
"Hey, Erika, you don't think..."
"I don't think. I know." Erika asserted. "Remember what I said? Nobody has ever SEEN the Red Head Stalker, and now we know why. He's a medabot with the ability to become invisible."
"Red Head Stalker?" Karen asked, tilting her head curiously.
"That's what I've decided to call him." Erika explained. "Some weirdo has been running around harassing red headed girls. Nobody has been able to catch him, so Ikki and I came out here to try and smoke him out. Truthfully, this isn't going in any way like I was hoping."
"That's not important right now." Ikki hissed, his eyes still locked on the chameleon as he started his search anew. "He's obviously after Karen; she's the only one in the entire park with red hair. We need to get her out of here. If only we had something to distract the creep with."
"Oh, but we do, Ikki." Erika said wicked snicker.
Ikki looked back, and he could feel his heart sink as the girl pulled out a dress and a red wig out of her backpack.
"Oh, no."
"Oh, yes."
...
The chameleon medabot was starting to become irritable, and being irritable made him angry, and when he got angry people started getting hurt. Little children went running at the mere sight of him as he stormed through the play area, ripping a rocking hippo out of the sand and tossing it just for spite.
"Will you just calm down!" Salamander grunted from inside his head. "So you lost her. The little brat couldn't have gotten far."
"But we were so close!" The medabot groused. "She's the one, I'm sure of it. If the boss finds out we had her in our sights and she got away, he'll turn us both into boots and trot through the mud with us."
"I actually like mud." Salamander said defiantly.
Suddenly, there was a glint of red, and the medabot looked in time to see a small girl with a head of red hair racing towards the center of the park.
"There she is! Hey, get back here!"
He immediately gave chase, and eventually he fenced her in at the collection of trees in the middle of the park. She was huddled up at the base of a large tree, their back to him as he slowly made his way toward them.
"Now, now, that's quite enough, girlie." The medabot chuckled viciously. "Just come along quietly, and I promise that this whole thing will be painless."
The small figure stiffened at his approach, and they slowly rose.
"Oh, there'll be pain alright." they said, and the medabot immediately realized something was wrong.
The figure suddenly spun around, and their red hair went sailing through the air to reveal the black hair beneath it and the boy face under that.
"Surprise!" Ikki laughed while sticking out his tongue.
The medabot backpedalled, his bulbous eye growing even wider.
"Wait a minute! Y-you're not a red head! You're not even a girl!" He paused. "Why are you wearing a dress?"
"Trust me, it wasn't my idea." Ikki grumbled. "But that doesn't matter. Why are you chasing red headed girls around? What's the point?"
The medabot gave his head a shake to clear out any excess shock, and then he snarled.
"Name's Multikolor, and I represent the Rubber Robbo Gang. Why they want the girl, frankly I don't care. All I know is that it'll bring us one step closer to world domination. I'm on my way to the big time, and there's no way some chubby kid in a dress is gonna get in my way!"
He was understandably confused when Ikki cracked a grin, and he raised his arm to show off his medawatch.
"I think you're about to be very disappointed. Ready, Metabee?"
'Let's kick some bot!' the yellow medabot declared.
"Meda-morphosis!"
Ikki twisted the dial, there was a flash of light followed by the sound of armor snapping together, and then there was Metabee standing tall and proud. Multikolor's face dropped, and his shoulders sagged.
"Oh, no! Not you! Not the cop!"
Metabee chuckled cruely.
"Now this is what I call fun in the park. I've actually missed you, Multi. Kicking your butt was always a great stress reliever. So, trying to move up from petty theft to kidnapping? That's a pretty steep hill to fall down. How's about I beat some sense into you?"
Multikolor hissed again, but his face had broken out into a wicked grin of his own.
"Ya think ya got me dead to rights like before, eh copper? Well, I got news for you. The Rubber Robbo Gang has a killer benefits package."
Just then, there was a rustling in the trees, and two black and green, bat-shaped medabots popped into view. Their arrival caught Metabee completely off guard, and he ended up backing into a tree.
"Oh, no, not the three against one thing again! Would it kill you Robo jerks to play fair?"
"Probably." Multikolor jeered at his foe. "These little lovelies are called Noctobats, medal-less drones that our boss made for combat. Only the really important members of the gang get these puppies and look who's got them on his side. Me!"
Metabee looked between the two robots. Along with the obvious flying parts, they appeared to be armed with missile weaponry not unlike the ones in his head part. Whether they were seekers or not, he wasn't sure, but that still left him severely out gunned. He heard Multikolor give a throaty laugh, and the chameleon medabot began to slowly approach him.
"This payback has been coming for a long time, copper! I'm gonna make sure to take my time to make you suffer, tearing you apart one medapart at a time. Open fire!"
The Noctbats snapped to attention, and a flurry of missles went sailing from their silos built into their arms, and Metabee could only brace himself and take the hits.
...
Erika and Karen had just made their way up the sidewalk outside of the park when an explosion ripped the air. Karen was the first to turn, and she saw the smoke rising from the middle of the park. She gasped.
"That's where Ikki went!"
Erika flinched. That could have just been Metabee's seeker missiles, but there was no way to be sure. Even Ikki had never seen a chameleon medabot before, so there was no telling what kind of secrets its parts held. It was possible that he would need help.
"Karen, go and see if you can get a hold of the police. I'm gonna go back and..."
But the red head was already running off back into the park, and Erika had to run hard to follow and catch up.
...
Multikolor crowed with haughty laughter as he waved a hand to signal the Noctbats. The two drones ceased fire, and the smoke cleared to reveal a battered Metabee. His systems dictated that he had little to no integrity left in any of his parts.
"Ikki." he croaked weakly. "You ok in there?"
'Nothing I haven't been through already.' The kid grunted. He was going to have bruises in places he didn't know he had. 'We need to fall back! This guy has us outnumbered and outgunned.'
Metabee growled. He never liked the idea of retreat, especially after what happened to Kintarro, and it was only made worse because Multikolor was little more than a petty thief back home. His pride was taking a horrible thrashing. However, he wasn't about to give this cretin the satisfaction of victory, so he raised his guns with the intent of drawing up a cover.
"Hey, you!"
Metabee froze, and here came Karen stomping into view and filling the gap between him and Multikolor. With her eyes dark and her hands placed firmly on her hips, she no longer looked like the demure and naïve girl that Ikki had been spending his day with. She now looked like an angry amazon, and all of her pent-up frustration was aimed directly at the chameleon medabot. At last, Erika arrived to join them. Metabee glared at her.
"Erika, what the bot! You were supposed to lead her away!"
"It's not my fault!" Erika replied defensively. "This girl is determined."
"You just had one job, kid! One job!"
Meanwhile, Karen continued to stare down the green chameleon, and even the human inside was slowly becoming unsettled by the red head.
"Disgraceful!" She said with vice. "Bad enough you can't face your problems face to face, but you must cheat in order to win a silly battle. I cannot forgive such an honorless cur like you, and I am going to see to it that you regret it!"
Metabee and Karen stared at her with no small amount of shock, both trying to find where all of this fury had been hidden. Multikolor, on the other hand, had finally regained his composure.
"Is that so, girly?" He hissed while striking a ready pose as his Noctbats swooped in next to him. "Just how exactly are you going to do that?"
Karen replied by retrieving her purse, and she pulled from it a medabot medal. She looked down upon it, and she sighed.
"I know you don't like to fight, but I need your help. Please work with me."
With that, she opened the face of her medawatch, popped in the medal, and then twisted the dial counter clockwise.
"Meda-morphisis! Support mode, Neutranurse!"
There was a bright flash of light, and medabot parts appeared around Karen's body, moving in and snapping into place. When the transformation was complete, in the child's place was a pink and white nurse themed medabot. The nurse medabot trembled a little, but she stood tall and straight.
"F-f-field Medic, N-neutranurse, reporting for duty."
Metabee's optics went wide, and he cut loose with a long whistle.
"Helllllloooooo nurse!"
Neutranurse squeaked, and she spun about to face him. Her own optics went wide, and she placed a hand to her face.
"Oh, my! Sergeant Metabee, you're injured! Here, I'll make it better."
She lifted her right arm, and the pill shaped medapart opened up and bathed Metabee in a shower of golden sparkles. Slowly, his injuries began to mend, and before long he was back to full strength.
"How's it looking, Ikki?" He asked his medafighter.
'All green!' the boy replied. 'I'm feeling better, too. That's some cureall.'
"Gotta love the nurse." Metabee quipped as he moved over to Neutranurse. "It's good to see you again. If Sumilidon could just show up, then the old gang would be back together again."
He then wiggled his nonexistant eyebrows, and he leaned in closer.
"Of course, we don't need him around to have fun. What say you and I go dancing later?"
Neutranurse's trembling became worse, and she suddenly dashed off before taking refuge behind Erika. The girl frowned, and then she shot a glare at the beetle medabot.
"Yeesh, didn't your mother ever tell you about personal space? Ikki definitely has his hands full with you around. I guess I'll just have to be the adult in the room, like usual."
She raised her arm, and she twisted the dial on her medawatch.
"Meda-morphisis! Attack mode, Brass!"
There was the light, making Neutranurse scramble away, then came the snapping of armor, and now Brass stood on the battlefield as well.
"Field analyst, Multisailor Brass, is on the scene." She declared in her usual monotone. "Awaiting orders, Sergeant Metabee."
Metabee grinned to himself, and he turned back to a now very nervous Multikolor.
"Well, now, I'd say that evens out our numbers a bit. What do you say, MK? Feel up for a three on three robattle?"
Multikolor hissed, and he did his best to regain control of the situation.
"Bring three or three hundred and see if I care. As far as I'm concerned, I'm gonna be leaving this place with the red-haired brat and all of your medals and parts! So bring it on!"
"THEN IT IS AGREED!"
There was a rustling of leaves in the trees above them followed by the familiar shape of Mr. Referee crashing down between them.
"So called that." Metabee muttered to himself.
"LET IT BE KNOWN THAT AN OFFICIAL ROBATTLE HAS BEEN DECLARED BETWEEN THESE TWO TEAMS!" The referee boomed for all to hear. "THEREFORE, IT FALLS TO ME, MR REFEREE, TO REFEREE THIS MATCH AND ENSURE THAT NO ONE GETS HURT! FIGHTERS READY? RO-BATTLE!"
As soon as the ref jumped out of the way, Multikolor called to his drones.
"Attack! Blow them all to scrap! Leave them in pieces!"
The Noctbats rushed forward with silos blazing. However, before any of their explosive projectiles could meet their mark, Neutranurse stood in their path.
"Engaging neutra-guard!"
The nurse cap shaped fin on the healer's head began to glow, and a barrier appeared around her, harmlessly deflecting the missiles.
"Enemy assault pacified." She grunted as she maintained her barrier. "Please proceed with a counter attack!"
"You got it, babe." Metabee chimed in as he and Brass raised their arm weapons. "Open fire!"
Both he and Brass unloaded their weapons, and their attacks peppered the two flyers, forcing them to retreat.
"You and Neutranurse get after them." Metabee ordered. "Multikolor is mine!"
"Affirmative." Brass said while cocking her short shot rifle. "Repositioning for attack."
As she and Neutranurse ran off, Metabee shifted his focus to Multikolor, the chameleon now standing alone.
"Not so tough without your drones, are ya slick?" Metabee cheered as he started for him.
Multikolor scoffed.
"Ya got the drop on me, copper, I'll give you that. But it's a well-known fact that you can't hit what you can't see."
He suddenly vanished from sight. An instant later, a blow from nowhere struck in the face, knocking him down.
"However, what you can't see can hit you!"
…...
Back with the girls, Brass was taking her time assessing her shots. The two flyers had taken more defensive steps after the previous onslaught, and their movements were making it harder for her to get a good shot. Just when she had one of them in her sights, the second moved in behind her and opened fire, knocking her into the other who also took a shot. Brass eventually came to landing and had to scramble behind a tree where Neutranurse was waiting to quickly repair her damage.
"T-t-this isn't working!" the nurse themed medabot squeaked. "We n-need to try something else."
"They're flying erratically." Brass noted as another barrage of missles imploded near their hiding place. "Their A.I.s seem to be simple, so they make up for it with heavy attack power. If I had the time to properly scan their flight path, I could calculate where they will pop up next for a hit and run tactic."
'That's not gonna work!' came Erika's voice. 'Maybe if there was just one of them, but there's two, and you're the only one here that can fight.'
"I hate being a burden." Neutranurse mewled sadly.
'You're doing your best.' Karen assured her.
Just then, the tree they were hiding behind splintered into oblivion. The two female medabots scrambled to avoid a second volley of missles. Brass then skidded to a stop and started to scan the two Noctbats again, but this left her wide open. The Noctbats fired, and Brass was sent flying through the air before crashing to the ground, hard. After rolling to safety, a quick check showed that her leg parts were no longer functioning, and she had lost thirty percent of her head part's integrity.
'Stop standing around!' Erika snapped while Neutranurse tended to her wounds. 'Can't you scan and run at the same time?'
"I apologize, Erika." Brass grunted as she rose to her feet. "I'm just a field analyst, so I'm not used to fighting directly. I mostly assess a combat scenario and allow the more capable warriors to take over with my analysis to give them the best opportunity for victory."
'Well that's not gonna cut it.' Erika grumbled. She thought about it for a moment. 'What if...I take control? Like what the Screws did back on the docks. You can do the brain work while I run decoy.'
Brass quickly evaluated this, measuring each variable to the closest degree as she could.
"That would be...preferable. However, that would require putting the full weight of my armor upon you, not to mention added risk of injury."
'Not if we go with my plan.' Erika said. 'Swap us out and get to scanning. I'll let you know when it's time.'
Brass nodded, and with a snap her visor parted, revealing the girl's face within. Almost immediately Erika could feel the armor around her getting heavier, and it made her thankful that Coach Mountain was such a zealot when it came to physical health. After ensuring she could move well enough, she looked to Neutranurse.
"That forcefield thing you did earlier. Does it just stop projectiles, or can it stop solid objects in general?"
Neutranurse stared at her blankly.
"It is a virtually impenetrable barrier." she explained. "It has a short duration, though, and it puts a heavy strain on me to use. Why?"
"Just follow me." Erika said as she grabbed her by the hand.
Erika just back into the open, and she waved her hands wildly in the air.
"Heyo! Come and get me, tin toys!"
The noctbats spun around on her, and they opened fire. Erika quickly cartwheeled away, though she crashed rather unceremoniously into a tree.
"Geez, she wasn't kidding about how heavy this thing is." she grunted as she rolled to her feet and started to run.
Meanwhile, Brass was running her processor at a mile a minute, analyzing every minute detail of the enemy and assessing any potential weaknesses. A salvo of missiles went sailing through the air and crashed just a meter from Erika's heels.
'One. Two. Three.'
Another salvo launched, this time landing in front of Erika, forcing her to pivot to the side and run in the opposite direction.
'One. Two. Three.'
The next salvo barely missed Erika's head, instead blasting the base of a large oak tree to splinters, sending the truck crashing down towards Erika and forcing her to roll.
'One. Two. Three.'
The Noctbats fires again, and this time their attacks connected. The impact sent Erika flying through the air before landing in a heap on the ground. The attack had drained her arm and head parts to fifty percent capacity.
"Brass, I don't mean to pain, but this is really starting to hurt! Where's that info you were promising?"
'One. Two. Three.'
"Brass!" Erika wailed as another salvo went flying overhead.
'Sorry, Erika,' the medabot finally replied, 'but I needed to be sure of my data. There is approximately a three second delay every time missiles are discharged from the Noctbats' artillery. I propose you utilize Medafighter attack formation alpha-beta.'
"I don't know what that means!" Erika snapped.
"I-I do."
Erika jumped, and she looked to see Neutranurse standing next to her.
"Wow, you're quiet. Alright, then. I'll leave it to you."
Neutranurse took a deep breath, and then she stepped into clear view of the Noctbats. She cleared her throat.
"Excuse me, enemy drones, but I am over here."
The Noctbats spun about to face her, and they armed their missile ports.
"Be ready, Erika!" Neutranurse said as she dropped to one knee. "Vault on my mark!"
"Vault?" Erika asked.
The Noctbats opened fire, and Neutranurse brought up her neutra-guard at just the last moment, bringing up a cloud of smoke.
"Now, Erika! Jump!"
Erika finally caught on, and she ran up and jumped onto Neutranurse's shoulders before jumping again, sailing through the smoke cloud and over the Noctbats As she came down again, she turned and opened fire at point blank range. Her shots cleanly connected with the drones' headparts, and both fell to the ground with a sputter and a spark. Erika rolled once to recover, and she came up again with a proud look as she gazed upon the fried drones.
"Alright! Now that's what I call teamwork! Good thinking, Brass."
'Happy to be of help. Sorry it took so long to compile the data.'
"Hey, it worked didn't it. As for you," She turned to Neutranurse. "That was a pretty gutsy move you pulled. I didn't peg you for the kamikaze kind of person."
Neutranurse lowered her head, and she looked like she just wanted to find a nice hole to crawl into.
"It is my duty to see the mission through." she replied meekly.
Erika offered her a smile, and she placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, don't be so modest. You did a good job. Now, let's go and help Metabee. After all, you know he's completely helpless without us around."
Neutranurse nodded, and the two girls started back the way they came. But, unbeknownst to them, a figure was watching them. When they were gone, they swiftly closed in on the downed Noctobats and gathered them up.
"Target has been retrieved." the figure said. "Returning to base."
...
Metabee stood stark still. The trees around had grown quiet, and there was no longer any sign of movement. Inside his head, he could hear Ikki furiously going over his vitals. His revolver was in fuction cease, he had lost half of the integrity in his right arm, his head part had been scuffed, but his legs were fine. Multikolor was keeping to a hit and run tactic, but he had gone silent for the time being.
"Does it hurt, copper?"
Well that didn't last long.
"It must be humiliating for you to be beaten down so easily by someone like me. Oh, a mere petty thief beating the snot out of a battle-hardened member of the Medafighters. What a shame."
Metabee ignored him, cocking his submachinegun.
"Too bad you sent those lady bots away, but, then again, maybe that's why. Heaven knows your ego couldn't take it if the ladies really saw you for the pathetic medabot you are."
Metabee looked to the trees, and he took careful aim.
"I just want you to know, I'm going to savor this. It's not like those rick suckers I stole from really needed their stuff. They could just buy more; they were likely to do it anyway. Everybody has to make their way somehow, and this is how I choose how to do it. Get over, you worthless sack of..."
Metabee opened fire, and there came an explosion. A second later, a branch and Multikolor, who had been standing on it, crashed to the ground. The chameleon scrambled to get back onto his feet, and he looked up at Metabee with very wide-eyed shock.
"You...How did you do that?"
Metabee cocked his gun again, and this time he aimed it at Multikolor's face point blank.
"You talk too much. Now, here's the deal. If you don't want to get blown up and have your medal confiscated, then you're gonna have to answer some questions. Don't even bother trying to lie, because I'll know."
"And if I refuse?" Mulikolor spat defiantly.
Metabee's submachinegun started to hum, and the barrels started to glow a bright yellow.
"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! What do you want to know?"
"Tell me about the rubber robbo gang!" Metabee demanded. "Where did they get medabot medals and parts? What is their goal? Why do they want Karen?"
"Hey, woah, slow down Copper!" Multikolor interjected. "One question at a time. I don't know how our medals got to them. The last thing I remember before waking up bonded to this guy was that I was in lockup in the Medafighter Vault of Criminal Delinquents. Thanks for that, by the way. As for their goal, they want to take over the world, simple as that. Medabot technology is leagues ahead of anything earthlings could ever come up with by themselves, so it doesn't really surprise me that someone with an inferiority complex want to use them to dominate people. As for the red head, I don't have a clue. We agents are given information, but most of the details are on a need to know and apparently we didn't need to know."
Metabee made a face.
"That doesn't even begin to make sense. I thought you said you were a high level operative."
"I am!" Multikolor insisted. "But what you don't realize is that there is a very high ladder to climb, and there are scores of more levels above my own. I'm just a field agent meant for recon and abductions. Outside of that, I haven't the foggiest idea. Whoever the big boss is, he's the most paranoid beatnik I ever seen. Can I go now?"
Metabee laughed.
"Yeah right. Sorry, buddy, but you ain't going nowhere. You and your little partner inside have a lot to answer for, and it's time for you to get your comeuppance."
"Yeah, about that?"
Suddenly, the jawline of Multikolor's head part popped open, and a reptilian tongue shot out and wrapped around Metabee's throat, sending jolts of electricity throughout his body. Multikolor jumped to his feet, whipped his head around, and slammed Metabee hard against the ground before releasing him.
"Sorry, Copper, but you know the old saying. He who fights dirty and runs away lives to fight dirty another day. Later, sucker!"
He turned to run, but he stopped short when he saw Brass, with her hands on her hips, standing before him. He then heard Metabee getting back up behind him, and he angled an eye back towards him to see that Neutranurse was restoring him.
"You better get ready, scum!" Metabee snarled. "Because it's time to kiss your bot goodbye! Missle Launch!"
Brass jumped out of the way, and the last they saw of Multikolor was burst of fire and a plume of smoke. A moment later, a young man in rubber spandex fell flat against the ground as a chameleon medal landed next to his head.
"FUNCTION CEASE!" declared Mr. Referee. "The winner is Team Metabee!"
"Dude, I rock!"
"Mission complete."
"H-hope I was helpful."
There were three flashes of light, and Ikki, Karen, and Erika were now standing in the middle of the trees. Ikki bent down and grabbed the medal, and he quickly pocketed it.
"That's another Rubber Robbo roasted, and boy was he a slippery one."
"You ain't kidding." Erika said. "What a weirdo! Did you find out why he was hunting for red heads?"
Ikki shrugged.
"Apparently their boss wants them to find one in particular, but even he doesn't seem to know why. I can't shake the feeling that these Rubber Robbo freaks are up to some really bad stuff, and Karen is in the middle of it. I say we get her out of here and call the police."
"Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Ikki and Erika, and they could see that the Rubber Robbo was standing again with Karen clutched close to himself, a hand over her mouth stifling her screams. Ikki immediately went for his medawatch, but the stranger wagged a finger at him.
"Uh, uh, uh, little man. Turn that dial, and something untoward could happen to your cute little girlfriend here."
"You creep!" Erika snarled. "Let Karen go!"
"Nah, don't think I will. Bringing this kid back to the boss will get me back up another step of the ladder. Maybe I'll be able to get my own unit like his good for nothing nephew and his little friends. So say goodbye to your little friend, because I promise you'll never see her again."
"Never make promises you cannot keep!"
Something moving at a high rate of speed zipped between between Erika and Ikki, leapt over the Rubber Robbo's head, landed, and then slugged him in the side. He shrieked in pain, and he released Karen, who immediately ran to Ikki and Erika's side. As the thug crumbled to the ground, they could see a medabot sporting a three-pronged claw and hammer standing over him.
"Sumilidon!" Karen excmlaimed. "You finally made it."
'Say what?' exclaimed Metabee.
Sure enough, the sabre-cat medabot had returned. He offered the trio a wave, and he stepped away from the Rubber Robbo.
"Ah, Metabee and friends, good to see you all again. Sorry for running off last time. I'm a bit embarrassed to report that the cur gave me the slip. I have actually been trying to find you, so what good fortune that you've come across another of our comrades."
Just then, his entire body shuddered.
"Alright, alright, calm down! Will you three give me a moment?"
There was a flash of light, and then Sumilidon disappeared. In his place stood a young man about Ikki's age. He had jet black hair that was neatly cut, and he was dressed in a business suit complete with a tie. He rushed over to Karen, took her hands into her own, and he began to furiously look her over.
"I'm so sorry I'm late! Father's meeting went longer than usual, and I got held up! Is anything broken? Should I call an ambulence? Oh, no! I think you've got a broken nail!"
"Koji!"
Karen retrieved her hands, and then she gave him a gentle shove.
"Honestly, again with the coddling? I'm fine."
She stood up straight, put her hands on her hips, and then she flashed him a very proud look.
"In fact, I just one my very first robattle with my new friends Ikki and Erika. In truth, if it hadn't been for them, and of course little Salty here," she motioned to the dog that had appeared at her heels, "that cretin would have been able to make off with me. So, in all honesty, you should be thanking them."
The boy, identified as Koji, shifted his gaze towards Ikki and Erika. He looked more annoyed than thankful, but he appeared to be doing his best to smile and be friendly. He approached Ikki, bowed respectfully, and then extended his hand.
"My name is Koji Karakuchi. It is very nice to meet you. Thank you very much for lending your assistance and helping my friend in her time of need."
The presentation was as wooden as an oak tree, but Ikki could appreciate his effort enough to be civil.
"I'm Ikki Tennryou, and don't mention it. We were glad to help."
He started to accept the hand to shake, but Koji suddenly pulled it away. The better dressed boy looked like he had just pulled his hand out of a lion's mouth, and he was now eyeing Ikki very suspiciously.
"Tennryou, eh? Any relation to a Fuyuki Tennryou?"
Ikki's brows rose, and he tilted his head downwards.
"That's my dad's name. Why?"
Koji stood up straight, turned on his heel, and he started to walk off.
"Come on, Karen. We're leaving."
"Huh?" the girl said with a look of shock. "But why? What's the problem?"
Koji stopped and turned back around while shooting Ikki his most hateful look.
"It would seem you've been keeping bad company. This is the son of a known thief that tried to steal from your Uncle's company. They were probably trying to gain your trust so they could pull some kind of con."
"What are you talking about?" Ikki snapped angrily. "We just met Karen today! I had thought she had just moved into town. What's more, my dad is NOT a thief."
"How would you even know of that?" added Erika quizzically, and her reporter instincts started to kick in at full steam. "Wait a minute? Is your uncle...your uncle is Dr. Aki! As in the father of modern technology and medabots?"
Karen squeaked, and she ducked her head bashfully. Koji, on the other hand, scoffed.
"Yeah, sure, like you two didn't know. Once a thief always a thief, and like father like son. That's what my father says."
"Now hold on, buster!" Ikki seethed. He was literally shaking with fury. "I don't know who your dad is, and I don't care! You don't know anything about my dad. He's a good man, and an even greater dad. He would never steal, especially not from his job."
"That's not what my father said." Koji retorted. "My father is the vice president of the company, and he was the one that discovered the theft. I don't know how your father evaded arrest, but I'm sure his time will come soon enough."
Erika quickly grabbed Ikki in time to stop him from lunging and wiping the smug look off of Koji's face with flurry of savage punches.
"You don't know anything about my dad! He isn't a bad guy! He is a good man! You have no right to bad mouth him you smug, snotty, stupidly dressed, bad haircut wearing..."
"Let's just go!" Karen suddenly cried out, causing everyone to freeze and look her way. She was trembling, and there were tears rolling down her face. "Let's just go home, Koji. I'm sure my uncle is wondering where I am, and it's starting to get late."
Without waiting for him, Karen turned around and started to march off, but they could hear the sound her sniffling. Koji stood tall once again and straightened out his tie before shooting Ikki one last scornful look.
"Just so you know, I won't forgive you for making her cry, so do us both a favor and never talk to her again."
He went walking off, and Erika finally released Ikki. She had to grab him again, though, when he bent down and grabbed a rock to throw.
"Let it go! Let it go! Please do not make me start singing!"
"Why are you stopping me?" Ikki snapped while wheeling on her. "He was bad mouthing my dad, and you just stood there and said nothing!"
"Of course, I did." Erika retorted. "Ikki, he was baiting you. He wanted you to react and start a fight. He was grandstanding in front of Karen and trying to make himself look cool."
She let him go again, and Ikki finally threw his rock at a tree. It was the angriest Erika had ever seen him. Not even Samantha and the Screws had ever made him shake like that before. At his wrist, she could see Metabee looking genuinely concerned. Erika chanced a hand on the boy's shoulder, and she swore she felt heat emanating from his body.
"Come on. It's getting late, and I'm sure your mom is starting to wonder. Let's go."
Ikki sighed, and he nodded. The two friends then started their slow trek back home, both unaware that the rubber robbo they had captured was now gone. Agent Salamander was hidden behind a tree, and his eyes were locked on the boy with the yellow medawatch. This humiliation would not be forgiven, not by a long shot. He had worked too hard to get in the boss' good graces, and, while he wasn't exactly vice president of the organization, he wasn't about to lose it all to some punk kid that didn't even have peach fuzz on his chin yet. One way or another, he would pay.