Some Author's Notes: Okay it's nearly been a year since I last posted anything...slight explanations are in order...I really hit writer's block. My grandmother died, followed disturbingly close by one of my friends dying, and when I was feeling particularly down from that, my dog kicked the bucket. Combine this with two jobs, six college classes, and juggling a social life, and I haven't cared much for writing, but I feel the time is right to get back in the groove.
In getting back on the writing track, I have understood that there's too much possibility for story for me to efficiently cover…it's one of the few flaws of Super Robot Wars. There won't be
I've decided to use this chapter to introduce extra characters, as is the Super Robot Wars way. There will be a few separate storylines before they all converge into a single story.
I will give out a couple warnings, be aware that this chapter does not feature Bass. Equally be aware that there are some heavy liberties taken with Megaman continuity.
Let me say that I very much appreciated the PMs that spurred me to get back into writing again, you guys are awesome.
Pesky Disclaimer: I do not own Megaman or any related characters, that's all Capcom.
Pesky Disclaimer: I do not own any SRW related characters, that's all Banpresto.
All that out of the way, let's steer into a new chapter.
--
To those that find these words, I am known as Warrior Roa.
Ruined, defeated, I have drifted through this world, bearing the shame of my failure.
In the final battle with my adversary, I allowed myself to become distracted long enough for him to open a hole in our dimension and escape through it. Seeing no other choice, I pursued him, but at great cost. I not only lost track of him, but I also lost my sister, Warrior Emmy, as we sped through dimensions. In the end, I arrived in this world without my physical form, and I was not able to contact anyone. Worse still, I had also lost my means of combat, a powerful armor that has served me faithfully. With no way of returning to my own world, I could only watch events unfold on this planet.
That was five years ago.
Unfortunately, I find this world is worse off than my own, which has come to me as quite a shock. After watching the indigenous life of this planet wage wars of genocide, I see that violence and hatred rule this world. This not only disheartens me, but gives me a fear that if he is here as well, then his power must be growing exponentially, for you see, as long as pain and suffering exist, he will gain power. As long as hate governs the mind, he will have life. As long as destruction is law, he will be unstoppable.
For five years, I've tried to come up with a way to combat his evil should he ever arise. It has not gone well. Two years ago, I finally made contact with someone. He was called himself Isoc. He offered to help me, but in doing so, bonded me to what he called a Live Metal, and then used me as an experiment on a human boy. We are now one, but I cannot contact this boy, this Kouta Azuma, because Isoc has purposely created a limiter that Kouta must wear on his neck at all times.
I feel a common ground between me and the boy. Like me, he too has lost his sister in conflict, completely unaware of her whereabouts. Like me, he was approached by Isoc for help, only to be betrayed and turned into a lab rat.
Used for countless experiments over the last year, he sees no time for peace, only dangerous tests before being hauled into a cell. It has had a bad effect on him, for he has kept to himself, largely unfeeling of the world around him, unless it has something to do with his missing sister.
I regret that as long as the limiter is in place, I cannot contact Kouta and we will not be able to draw out our full power until I am able to do so. So together, we must suffer and endure whatever games Isoc feels like playing, and the more time to that purpose, the more Kouta begins to slip into an inescapable hatred that threatens to consume him.
Luckily, not everyone in the facility views him as a toy. There is a single machine, a Reploid that goes by the name of Pallette that seems to cherish him. Despite his best efforts against it, the two have become something of friends, something that Isoc has allowed, as it gives him just enough will to survive. In addition there are two other humans forced into a similar predicament, twins that lost everything that was dear to them in a single battle. Named Vent and Aile, they are the only surviving members of what was known as the Guardians. Considering what they were up against, it was a miracle they survived. I should know, I was there, three years ago...
--
Entering Earth Cradle Airspace-Three Years Ago
"Okay, listen up!"
The voice echoed everywhere through the loudspeaker. Everyone onboard knew that said voice belonged to their commander, Prairie, and that she was about to give the fleet their final briefing.
"We've crossed the threshold into Earth Cradle space. It won't be long before the Mavericks come pouring down on us. As you all know, the Maverick Hunters felt that now wasn't the time for such a push, but we have no choice. Our kind has lived in fear for too long and now that we have the means to fight back, it is up to us Guardians to go out and reclaim this world for humanity! It'll be a hectic battle when things get going, so remember to look out for each other. You're all teammates, after all! One more thing, victory drinks are on me, so remember to come back alive! Prairie out."
Moving quickly through the sky, the Guardian fleet prepared for battle. Technicians rushed to repair all but the most superficial of damage to the behemoths of the sky, these great Air Destroyers. An impressive sight to behold, each of these vessels were as large as a football field and carried enough weapons aboard to topple mountains. While nothing elegant could be seen in their rather boxy designs, what with their straight edges that rid themselves of all instanced of subtlety with their exposed cannons all littered around a single, large gun emplacement and their wide-open hangar bays to either end, the sheer number of them was the sight to behold. Over fifteen of these were in the area, defying gravity with their size.
Each vessel was piloted by the military faction known as the Guardians, a mobile nation of human beings devoted to ending the threat of King and his army of Reploids once and for all. With Live Metals in higher production and the number of Hunters increasing, the Guardians had offered the chance for an alliance that would see them to victory, however, many of the Maverick Hunters agreed that it just wasn't the time for such an assault, or if there would ever be a time for it. However, despite this, the Guardians moved forward with their plans, gearing up for the ultimate conflict and battling their way through defensive lines to finally arrive at their target, the Earth Cradle.
The Earth Cradle was a massive, self-sufficient city protected by a dome of thick, black steel that was originally for the preservation of humanity, even if the world was destroyed in conflict. However, it had become the massive haven for the Reploids once King assumed his role as the ruler of the planet. Completed under his watchful eye, the once greatest chance for human survival had become the most impregnable Reploid fortress on the planet. As if its dome wasn't protection enough, it also possessed a unique ability to burrow deep into the ground if a threat proved dangerous enough, denying any chance of invasion with any but the heaviest of weapons.
"You did well, Alouette."
"Please, Ciel, it's Prairie now."
Leading the charge of the large, flat airships was the Advent. The vessel sported a thicker hull than its counterparts and enjoyed an experimental piece of equipment known as the gravicon system. Also displaying heavy missile launchers and an advanced close-in weapons system, it only had one rather apparent weakness the other ships didn't have: a rather discernable bridge, elevated to a rather vulnerable degree.
"You're right; you did change your name, didn't you? I still don't know why."
"I…maybe I'll tell you one day."
The bridge of the Advent was spacious, separated into two decks. The lower of the decks was devoted entirely to the comm., navigation, weapons, and science categories, with several control stations devoted to each. Soldiers, men and women alike, were seated, an eerie calm governing them as they readied for the situation at hand. The second deck was much higher, connected to the first with stairs. It was designed only for the commander to oversee her crew at all times.
The large command chair was empty. She did her best never to sit in it while her older sister was around, at least if she could help it. "Ciel," she said, "It would have been safer if you hadn't come." "Perhaps," the older one replied, "But I could hardly let you do this by yourself." "Thanks," Prairie told her sister.
They both wore a combination of white, black, and pink, which went without saying, as none of the soldiers had ever seen either girl in any outfit that wasn't dominated by the color. For the older Ciel, it was a black jumpsuit under her pink vest and skirt. Her interestingly compact high heels were pink as well, sporting a white trim that matched the headband she wore that managed to cover most of her hair, letting her blonde ponytail burst out from one end as her bangs shot out from the other. Slightly smaller, Prairie also wore the same black jumpsuit and pink high heels, but dressed in a pink jacket and pair of shorts. As the commanding officer of the Guardians, she wore a large hat with a sizable emerald displayed in the front center. Also like Ciel, her headwear revealed a long, blonde ponytail and bangs.
"Are you ready?" Ciel asked. In response, Prairie shook her head before saying, "It doesn't matter, I have to be. They're all counting on me." Ciel observed the serious look on Prairie's face and sighed inwardly. She figured it couldn't have been all that long ago when Prairie was still a small girl named Alouette that couldn't make a decision on her own to save her life. Now she'd managed to make it to the top of a military organization and was preparing to lead a final charge against their reploid enemies. She stopped, taking a moment to wonder if the situation was some sort of cruel irony to her sister, but decided against bringing it up. Instead, she decided to bring up a different subject.
"So, have you kissed him yet?"
It took Prairie a few moments to respond, mainly because questions of personal life were hardly a topic to bring up right before a battle that could alter history. "Wh-what?!" Prairie stammered a tinge of red appearing on her face. "That ace you seem to spend a lot of time with. What's his name? Gihren?" The smaller girl forced down her blush as she responded, "His name is Giro, and not that it's your business or anything…but yes." The older girl forced down a giggle as she said, "You know...you haven't let me meet him yet…" "Yes, well…" Prairie started before the klaxons blared. "Thank goodness," she thought as the operator reported, "Ma'am, several cruisers are heading on an intercept course! They're Repliforce! I count sixteen…eighteen…twenty-two cruisers! We'll be in their firing range in 180 seconds!"
Prairie cursed under her breath before mumbling, "Repliforce, a maverick by any other name…" She ignored a quick glance from Ciel as she sat down in her command chair and said, "Comm., connect me to the fleet." "Aye Ma'am," was the reply before a dull tone filled all ships. "This is Prairie, prepare for battle stations. I want all forward cannons ready for a simultaneous barrage within the next ninety seconds. All squadrons, be geared up for attack within 120 seconds. Remember, this is only the beginning. Prairie out!"
As she stayed silent for a moment, she felt Ciel place a confident hand on her shoulder and she took in a deep breath as she listened to her crew.
"Tronium charge at eighty percent and rising!"
"Gravicon system activated. Gravity wall extending!"
"Gespenst squadrons on standby! Lion squadrons on standby!"
"Medical teams are standing by!"
"Fleetwide report! All ships at tronium charge 110 percent!"
Resolved, Prairie stared ahead, glaring down the large dots in the distance as they began to draw closer. She was beginning to make out their shapes; larger vessels with sleeker hulls, each predominantly red with splashes of black highlights, save for the white v-shape that overtook the bow with a large, uppercase 'R' carefully placed inside. Both girls knew that a one-on-one confrontation with a Repliforce cruiser would result in the enemy's victory, but despite its numerous gun emplacements and hefty crew complements, the Guardian vessels had one advantage: range. Now, she waited as seconds dragged on. Each moment seemed an eternity as the ship and its crew became eerily quiet. "Eighty-five seconds," Prairie muttered under her breath. "Eighty-six, eighty-seven, eighty-eight, eighty-nine…" She swallowed deeply as she finally leaned forward in her chair and thrust her hand forward, exclaiming, "All ships, fire!"
The air sizzled under the tremendous power that erupted from all fifteen vessels; bright, golden streams of light pouring forth and streaking through their enemies. Charged particles met the sloped hulls of the Repliforce vessels, greeting them with searing heat that melted through countless layers of armor and caused monumental explosions that cast the fleet in the shadow of dust and debris. A second went by, then another, and more still to come before the bottom of the dust cloud opened up and three mangled wrecks careened, falling to the surface below as their engines slowly gave out, giving the impression of a sinking ship. Cheers erupted from the bridge as Prairie and Ciel joined together in a deep breath and sigh of relief, but it was short-lived as the remaining, relatively undamaged vessels soon lofted out of the cloud of dust and pulled forward.
"How," Prairie asked, "More of them should have been destroyed." Ciel thought about it for a moment until she realized, "The three that we destroyed must have intercepted the blasts. They sacrificed themselves for the rest of the fleet." Prairie nodded before saying, "Alright, there's no other choice, begin the assault."
--
Several decks below the Advent was the main hangar, complete with staff and pilots alike. Its gunmetal walls were relatively clean, as clean as could be with dozens of mechanics and engineers rushing to each box-like station and back to the walls and numerous equipment tables and once more back to the stations. As there wasn't enough time or resources to outfit every soldier with a Live Metal as the Hunters would, the Guardians had opted for reliable powered armors: the aging Gespenst and the newer Lion.
The Gespenst was a bulky armor, predominantly blue, with a pair of odd, long antennae and wide, flared shoulders. The thin pair of wings on its back were not capable of flight; rather, they help with stability. Its back housed most of its built-in weaponry, both the pods containing its split missiles and its slash ripper are contained there, but its greatest built-in weapon came from the three plasma stakes built onto its left wrist, its jet magnum. In addition, it could be armed with many different conventional devices such as machineguns and bazookas. Unfortunately for the machine, it was beginning to show its age as its performance had begun to drop and the armor was slowly being phased out by the Lion.
Built to resemble a jet fighter and remarked as a bit uncomfortable by some pilots, the cheaper, easier to produce Lion has begun to replace the Gespenst. It's sleek, slim design barely had any armor, but its speed and maneuverability substituted this. Not as heavily armed as the Gespenst, the Lion had to make do with its left arm-mounted rail gun and its right arm-mounted missile launcher. In an emergency, it could make do with the vulcan cannons in its chest, but the usefulness of the weapon was questionable. In addition, it lacked actual hands and could not use any weapon that could not fit into the manipulator device stored on its right arm. Despite its setbacks, it had one thing over the Gespenst, it sported a miniaturized version of the device that assisted airships in flight, the Tesla drive, and thus, it could fly.
"Pick up the pace!" A tall man shouted. His long, blonde hair nearly fell to his ankles, instead meeting his dusty, gray cargo pants. He brushed his bangs out of his blue eyes and readjusted his glasses as he sighed. Tugging on his red vest, he regretted wearing his white undershirt as it had quickly become ruined with all the dirt and grease about. "I said move it!"
Under his orders, technicians quickly scurried to their box stations and helped soldiers into their armors. It was easy for the Gespenst troops. The back of the machine would split open, allowing a soldier to quickly enter as the back of the unit closed and the stabilizer wings and missile pods were attached. Then the machine was good to go. Unfortunately, for all the versatility the Lions had, it was a bit different, as the person had to bend themselves at the waist and attempt to lie down inside the machine. Many soldiers claimed a degree of discomfort when trying to fit inside.
"I wish we'd waited like the Hunters had suggested," he thought, "but something has those Mavericks spooked. They've never left a hole in their defenses this wide before." The blaring sirens ended his thoughts as he quickly shouted, "You all heard the alarm! Go, go, go!"
One by one, Lions and Gespenst quickly herded to the front of the bay as the wall slowly parted, revealing the open battlefield to soldiers ready to fight their way to victory. Gespenst units quickly leapt and floated down to their battlefield below, awaiting the generic Pantheon units below, not hesitating to prove their worth against the featureless machines. Lions followed behind, quickly taking to the air and engaging their airborne enemies.
"Vent! Hurry up!"
"Give me a break, will ya Aile? My Gespenst isn't at its station and I don't particularly see you suited up either!"
Fraternal twins, Vent and Aile continued to bicker back and forth as they tried to locate their Gespenst. Both 15, they had grown up as orphans until their induction into the Guardians. They both had the same green eyes and brown hair, the difference being that Vent's hair was shorter and spikier due to a lack of care and Aile's was neater, straighter, and drawn into a pony tail that draped past her shoulders. The two sported similar blue jackets and while Vent wore tan pants, Aile had tan shorts.
"What are you two doing?" the blonde man asked them. "Heh," Vent started as he rubbed the back of his head and flashed a nervous smile, "We were looking for our Gespenst, but they aren't at their stations, got any ideas, Giro?" Giro adjusted his glasses again as he said, "Look, you two are important to me, I've been looking after you for a while now and I didn't want you on this mission." "Giro…" Aile began to say before Giro raised his hand and cut her off, "Since I knew I couldn't talk you out of it, I pulled a couple strings and managed to requisition two custom Gespenst type S. There's a lot more power in these two, so try not to get hurt, okay?"
Aile nodded to Giro's statement, but Vent's eyes lit up and he quickly cheered, "Awesome," which garnered a slight smile from Giro as he led them to the armors he'd selected. Upon first sights, however, Vent frowned as he said, "They look exactly the same as our old ones." Vent was right, there was absolutely nothing different about them, save for the tips of the flared shoulders and the skirt armor were white, but Giro shook his head and said, "That's for a reason. The enemy won't see you and see a threat, they'll just see another grunt, but don't be fooled; the type S has a much greater output. You'll have to get accustomed on the fly, but I've managed to make sure some of the old weapons were still installed for your sake."
As the grateful twins began to slip into their units, the vessel shook with a terrible force before the noise of explosions pelted their ears. Soon, Commander Prairie's voice came over the comm., shouting, "We have enemies attempting to board the vessel! Prepare for close quarters combat!"
Giro sighed before saying, "Your units have Tesla drives, so you'll be able to fly, when you're deployed, head above the bow and engage the enemy. Keep them off the Advent, no matter what." The twins nodded as they exited the hangar, into the battlefield.
A quick jump and a thought allowed their Tesla drives to activate, putting them in the air and allowing them to scope the battle and absorb the ensuing chaotic show the air around them displayed. "Unreal," Aile mumbled to herself as Lion squadrons dove into aerial dances with the birdlike 'Raptor' mavericks. The tall machines were of a different stock than the grounded Pantheons and Wildcats. Their thin frames allowed them a rather daring level of maneuverability that the Lions struggled to keep pace with. It was an unfortunate sight; Lions technically outclassed the Raptor mavericks in speed and agility, the limiting factor was the human pilot in the Lion, which ultimately hampered it.
Aile yelped, shielding her eyes as two nearby Raptors exploded, showering debris in her direction. "You gonna stare at them all day?" The question came from her brother, and though annoyed, she shook her head and quickly followed the boy to the top of the deck and stood in awe of the sheer magnitude of the battle. Gigantic cruisers, defying gravity with their flight clashing as their smaller fighters fought amongst themselves. Two bright beams of light came from an enemy vessel, aimed at the bow of the vessel, but were quickly absorbed by the dark splash of black that was the Advent's gravity wall.
"Hey, Aile," Vent shouted as two rectangular pods broke from his back, "Pay attention, will ya?" The pods shot upwards before leveling out and breaking away, each revealing for rockets that quickly impacted three of the Raptors. "Heh," he exclaimed as he whirled around, enjoying the free movement of flight as he drew the only external weapon he'd brought with him, a small, compact machinegun that was easy to heft in the Gespenst. He let bullets fly as he pelted enemies too close to the ship, keeping foes from accessing the vulnerable crew.
For her own efforts, Aile relied on closer combat, striking nearby enemies with her treasured M13 shotgun, a weapon that served her purposes well; putting sizable holes in those too close. She nimbly dodged to the side as one of her winged enemies came close and attempted to rend through her armor with its claws. Missing its mark, the maverick quickly chose to instead head for an access port to the vessel.
"Damn it," Aile muttered as the Raptor raised its right fist forward and let rapid fire bullets impact the pink vessel's hull, punching a hole through. "No you don't," the girl declared before shouting, "Slash ripper, go!" Concentrated, the pods near her waist broke away and extended blades, flying to the enemy she'd let get away and quickly connected, slashing through.
Confident in her success, Aile whirled around to greet the new Raptor that approached while her mind was elsewhere, quickly swooping for the kill. Luckily for her, the maverick was also too occupied to notice incoming danger in the form of her brother, the stakes on his left arm pulsing with energy as he slammed them into the unfortunate bird, a hot-blooded yell of, "Jet Magnum!" and three discharges of energy was followed by Vent violently tearing the stakes free as the machine exploded. "Watch what you're doing," he joked, "I can't keep saving you like this."
Aile sighed, eyeing her brother with discontent before hearing the deafening boom of a sinking Maverick cruiser. "I think we're actually winning," the girl said. "Well of course, we're the good guys," Vent stated in return. Their elation quickly ended when two figures appeared from streams of light.
"Feh," the first one spat in a harsh voice, "I guess the Doctor's device works." "Yes, this trans-server is most intriguing," the gentler second one replied. As the light died down, Vent and Aile could make the two out. The first had a dark look about him, as if the Grim Reaper had been contained in a machine. His dark, gangly build centered on his black and purple colors and sharp features. Each finger ended in a sharpened claw, forming the hand that gripped his glowing beam scythe. A crazed look was fixed to his face and the image was only made more haunting by his silver hair that draped over his shoulders and stretched to the floor. He wore a conical hat, bearing a skull with flaming eyes that had a glare which seemed to weaken the two humans. The other was of female build, a blue tint to her armor with splashes of white, an aura of sorrow seemed about her. Swirls of energy pranced about her lithe frame, sparking every time they connected. Pigtails shot from her head to her feet that waved in the wind and sparkled in the light of day. A staff adorned with precious gems rested behind her, floating as if it had a mind of its own.
Noting the light that heralded their arrival, several Lions quickly turned to greet them. "Hey, Pandora. Maggots." "Indeed, Prometheus." The Lions quickly let loose missiles from the fixed launchers on their right arms, sending hellfire and destruction to the enemy. Pandora said nothing as she raised her arms and her staff obeyed, flying in front of her and spinning, creating a shield to intercept the weapons, blocking every attack. "Fools," Prometheus scoffed, "Find solace in death." Bringing his scythe forward, he slashed through the air, creating a ripple that quickly burst forth and met the Lions in pursuit. For the first few moments, nothing, but as he smirked, each Lion exploded.
"That…that was twelve Lions," Vent stuttered. "No way," Aile followed, "They didn't stand a chance." "Hmm?" Pandora uttered. "Oh," Prometheus said, "Looks like we missed some insects. Shall we, Pandora?" The female Maverick nodded before adding, "I'll take that one," pointing to Aile. "Then you're all mine," Prometheus announced to Vent as he pointed his scythe at the boy. "Prepare to die!" Prometheus shouted as he dashed for the unprepared Vent, frozen like a deer in headlights. "I can't move," Vent thought, "Not with those creepy eyes staring at me…"
Vent braced himself for an impact that never came, rather, quick shots intercepted both Pandora's and Prometheus's paths. "Who dares?" exclaimed Prometheus before a hail of bullets rained down on him. Darting back and forth and barely in the human eye, a new figure appeared. With a frame designed like a more humanoid Lion with large struts on his shoulders, the Guarlion armor that Giro chose as his personal weapon of choice served him well. Far more expensive, the Guarlion was much faster than the Lion and sported an external 'Burst Railgun' which generated more power than the one built into the Lion. Despite general improvements in weapons, armor, and speed, its true claim to fame was the struts on its shoulders. As Giro deployed these forward, they split open, "Break field, on," he said as energy streamed out of the struts. Accelerating as the energy formed into a barrier, he quickly rammed Pandora with the Guarlion's sonic breaker attack, letting her fall behind him.
"You scum!" Prometheus shouted as his scythe cut slightly into Giro's Guarlion, bringing him to the hard deck of the Advent as he tried to gain his footing. "I'll destroy you all!" Prometheus swiped, his scythe whistling through the air as Giro spun away from the blow, noting the searing heat of the blade that barely missed his neck. "That's right, insect," Prometheus hissed, "Stumble about like a frightened animal," his scythe now being swung with greater fervor as the wild look in his eyes became accented by the ghastly glow of his weapon, he shouted, "Let me savor this!"
As Prometheus held Giro at back, both Vent and Aile found themselves pinned down by the quiet Pandora. The two humans raced to close the distance between them and their silent antagonist, whose staff continued to release tremendous bolts of energy that began to tear holes in the Advent. "I'm gonna get in close," Vent shouted to his sister. His boosters lit up as he charged forward with the request of, "Cover me!"
Aile nodded before firing her remaining missile pods and opening the panels on the chest-plate, letting the missiles do the job of suppression as tremendous energy filled the space in her armor. With a shout of "Blaster beam!" the energy broke free and struck Pandora, who chose to roll as she took the damage and eased her way out of it, but the time this took enabled Vent to get in close; plasma buckler charged, he shouted, "JEEEET…MAGNUUMMM!" and slammed his left fist into Pandora's side, unloading stored energy into his opponent.
Pandora staggered a bit before collapsing, a sight Prometheus caught out of the corner of his eye while grappling with Giro. Quickly knocking the human away, Prometheus rushed to his fallen comrade and sneered at his enemies. "I don't believe this," he snarled as he surveyed his surroundings. "How can I be losing to such inferior creatures? That's it! I've had it!" As if a surge of energy had overtaken him, he rushed Giro with raging fury, wielding his scythe with blinding speed. He slashed again and again, countless times blurring together as he slowly let loose a roar of satisfaction with each successive strike doing more damage than the last.
Both Vent and Aile leapt at him, forcing him back, but they too soon suffered his ferocity as both quickly felt the bite of his scythe. "That's better, much better!" the crazed reploid shouted as he slammed the hilt of his weapon against Vent's face. He denied Aile the chance of counterattack with a swift reversal of her jet magnum, a result that left her left arm without function. He laughed, derisive and maniacal, as he stood over the humans and told them, "I'm going to send you all to hell a piece at a time."
Quick streams of energy collided with the manic machine, who quickly uttered, "Who dares?" Only a hail of missiles from multiple angles answered his question, striking with precision before more bursts of energy struck him. "Where are you!?" Prometheus demanded. As the confusion soon grew in the humans as well, a single being appeared. Predominantly black with splashes of gold serving in places of ornament, the figure was tall and almost monstrous in build. A sort of golden crown rested on its head that sported twin spikes with a single jutting middle spike in the opposite direction. Its wing binders and shoulder armor helped to impose its size and threatening nature. From its curved, golden feet to its eerie green eyes, its mysterious form was nothing anyone present had seen before. As the figure raised its weapon, a rifle with bayonet attached to a segmented wheel, it spoke, "Maverick, do you think you can keep up?"
With that phrase, the figure seemed to fragment, briefly becoming a living mosaic before it vanished and quickly reappeared elsewhere, changing direction and angle with fantastic ability. Each time it performed this, its wing binders popped up and released rockets that quickly targeted Prometheus, the reploid unable to dodge an assault from all sides. Finally, the new warrior appeared beside the confused humans and looked down at them before turning his attention back to Prometheus. The wheel at the end of his rifle whirred to life as the figure flung it forward and dove it into his enemy, who barely managed to deflect the weapon and once more demanded, "Who the hell are you!?"
Stopping for but a brief moment, the figure merely replied, "Calico."
As Prometheus began to falter against Calico's assault, he received a single transmission that stated, "Prepare for reinforcements. W-01 will arrive shortly!" Before Prometheus could inquire further, a burst of trans-server light delivered a new warrior to the battle. "They sent him?!" A bewildered Prometheus exclaimed as the intense light died down.
Smooth and streamlined, the new figure had a red and white color scheme. A golden V-shape shone brightly on his forehead and swept back, keeping his long, blonde mane out of his face. His back held two fin-like protrusions lined with miniature thrusters, and aside from the green saber in his hand, he sported no visible weaponry. He made not a word or gesture; he simply rushed into Calico with blinding speed, nimbly avoiding the weapons Calico had easily used to defeat Prometheus and let a flurry of slashes fly, tearing into armor.
Undaunted, Calico resumed his strategy of fading in and out, letting rockets fly from different angles and saturated the area with munitions, but a peculiar thing happened that the hardy fighter had not anticipated; his new opponent vanished. There was no warning, no flash of light or noise; he simply wasn't there by the time a weapon should have made contact with him.
"What's happened to this battle," Vent wondered aloud as Calico defended from an assault from both this newcomer and Prometheus. "Where'd all these extra people come from?" Aile shook her head as she replied, "I don't have a clue, but the red one is insane, I can't believe it's outclassing everything we fought. It's unreal. I've never seen anything like it." Giro sighed before saying, "I have, but only once, a long time ago." As he watched the fight continue to unfold, he only whispered, "Vanishing…trooper…"
--
Inside the Advent, the bridge crew held on for dear life as explosions rocked the ship back and forth. "Status report!" Prairie shouted.
"Repair crews are reporting heavy damage to engines two, three, and five!" a soldier shouted.
"Weapon output has dropped to sixty-two percent!"
"Gravity Wall is losing power!"
"Maintenance crews are slowing down! Too many soldiers are coming back for repairs and resupply!"
"Zenith and Justice have broken through the defensive line and are attacking the enemy rear!"
"Sabre has been shot down; there are no reports of survivors!"
Prairie mulled the situation over. On the one hand, the situation was far from perfect. Any strategy the fleet had to begin with had quickly fallen apart and casualties were beginning to rack up. On the other hand, enemy casualties were quite high as well. With enough force, there was a chance they could break the enemy line and destroy the scattered forces.
"Prairie," Ciel said, "We both know that this isn't their entire army. It may be wise to call a retreat." "I can't," Prairie replied as she shook her head, "If we back down now, it'll be a disaster. We'll get picked off as we run away and when word of it makes it to others, it'll destroy any morale or hopes other humans might have. We push forward, no matter the cost."
As she made up her mind, the ship began to shudder and shake. A groaning noise was heard as the walls began to twist and tear against their own support and the effect caused rampant disarray with the systems of the vessel as consoles exploded and fires erupted from a colossal force.
"This is –ro, Rep—t, Thi--Giro, Come in!" Prairie waved to her communications officer to boost the signal. "New enemy is modeled after Huckebein, enemy possesses Black Hole Cannon! Requesting permission to use Omega!"
"Giro, this is Prairie, permission granted. Use of the Live Metal is approved."
Ciel quickly turned to Prairie and exclaimed, "What Live Metal? You couldn't have brought it!" Prairie stoically replied, "We push forward, no matter the cost." "You know what it'll do! It'll eat away at the user's life force and turn him into a walking weapon that can't even distinguish friend from foe!" Ciel countered, "How could you condemn someone to that!?" In her same stoicism, Prairie replied, "Giro and I know the risks. We'll face the burden of those consequences on our own. Hate me or hate the decision, but this is our gamble for victory." Surprised, Ciel exclaimed, "You planned this from the start, didn't you?" Silence. "Answer me, Alouette!" "I don't have to answer to you, Ciel. You should know that about me by now."
Ciel found herself unable to stare at the girl any longer and calmly said, "I thought I knew a lot about you." Under her breath, she added, "I thought you were better than this."
--
The upper deck of the Advent had become a wreck. As Vent and Aile stood together with Calico, they surveyed the damage one blast from their new enemy caused. Panels had been ripped out by the sheer force of the blast and part of the tower housing the bridge section was no longer present in any sense of the word.
Calmly, the figure straightened himself as he gauged his enemies. Upon counting his third enemy, he began to wonder where the fourth had gone to. Giro had far removed himself from the others, standing solemnly without movement. A brief moment passed before he uttered the phrase, "Emergency eject." In response to the order, the Guarlion armor broke apart in almost violent fashion, even grazing his face as it practically shattered, but it did not matter to him, not anymore. "Vent, Aile, take care of each other." These last words were too soft to make it to the ears of the teenagers. "What is he doing," Aile wondered as Giro raised his arm to the sky, producing a beige box wrapped in chains with a pair of red eyes.
An eerie pulse generated from the Live Metal that began to intensify as Giro shouted, "Limiter release! Chain program, unlocked! Operation Omega approved! Code: Sacrifice." The pulse grew into a field of light that took colossal form, enveloping the Live Metal and forming thick chains that shot forth and covered Giro. As the beast of light gained fiery eyes, it reached forward, clasping its hand around the chained man. Slowly, it drew Giro into its core and became whole. The monstrous creature stood an intimidating nine feet tall as it flexed its vigorous musculature. Dominated by thick limbs and a beige color from its heavily armored gauntlets down to the trailing coattails that ran from jacket, it let out a bellowing roar that shook the foundations of the ship that supported its incredible girth. As it straightened its body, it gnashed its head from side-to-side as its eyes cast an eerie glow.
"G-Giro?" Aile quietly called out. Worriedly, she outstretched her hand and took a step forward to her companion. Seeing her movements, what was once Giro quickly opened its palm in her direction and let a wave of destructive energy erupt from its hand. The force of the blast ate away at the hull and narrowly missed the girl. "Giro! What the hell are you doing?!" Vent snapped. In a silent, unsettling fashion, Giro merely raised his hand at Vent, letting another wave of energy lash out towards Vent. This time, the attack had a more fatal intent and required Vent to dodge.
The behemoth raised its arm at Vent a second time, ready to strike. As energy charged in its hand, Prometheus took the chance to attack. "I have you now, filth!" He shouted as he swung his scythe at the lumbering belligerent. With speed that almost gained a reaction from W-01, Giro's fist quickly grasped the Maverick, and with an emotionless display, loosed the charged energy. The energy washed over Prometheus and sent him hurtling away to plummet onto the unforgiving ground. One opponent down, he turned to his nearest target, the unconscious frame of Pandora.
As he reached for her, W-01 shoved his saber deep into his back, eliciting a howl of pain. As W-01 ripped free, he raised his saber at the monster that dispatched his ally in a single blow. As silent as his enemy, he charged.
As two mighty foes exchanged blows, a shaken Aile stood frozen in place. "He...he almost..." With a fervent shake, Vent shouted, "Aile! C'mon, get a hold of yourself! I don't know what's happening right now, but acting like a sitting duck in a battlefield's going to get you killed!" "Y-yeah," she shakily replied before hearing the thunderous boom of both Giro and W-01 slamming into each other.
Rebounding from the attack, W-01 hopped forward, sidestepping around Giro's advances before forming a buster out of his left hand and shoving it into Giro's face. He only spoke the words, "Black Hole Cannon," his only warning before firing off a massive ball of gravity that swept Giro into the air and began to crush him down inside itself. As the small anomaly began its task, it also began to consume that around it, ripping apart at the hull of the Advent and threatening to pull Vent, Aile, and the observing Calico inside. Without consciousness, Pandora's body scraped along the hull before being lifted in the air by the attack. Only W-01's timely intervention saved her, grabbing her limp arm as she began to pull away and for her own sake, weighed the lesser of two evils and charged his buster with simple plasma and fired, hurtling her away.
Calico looked at the display of power. "The inhabitants have used our gifts very well...perhaps too well. I'll require an adequate sample to bring back for my report. After all, I need to be as productive as my original...huh?" A spectacular sight jarred him from his thoughts. Barely, he saw the orb of gravity twist and strain before an armored gauntlet ripped through it and began to pull. The ball of dense gravity gave way to a greater force as Giro tore himself free with a roar of defiance. "I-Impossible..." Calico stuttered.
As his massive form slammed onto the hull of the Advent, he drew if own sword, as large as him, pulsating with a pinkish energy that formed a cross at the tip of the blade. With a yell, he swung, the full power of the Omega Live Metal giving off a hum as his blade clashed with, and overpowered W-01's. As his enemy fell back, he dove forward, his blade overflowing with energy as he swung downward. Understanding the intent, Calico began to hover before flying off the deck completely. As the twins began to wonder what caused his sudden departure, Giro's blade sunk into the ship in its vehement desire to eradicate its foe. The tremendous power the sword commanded caused explosions to cascade through the ship. "Giro! STOP IT!" Aile shouted, "You'll destroy the whole ship!" Vent yelled, but both fell on deaf ears. As Giro brought his blade upwards, the damage was being done. Even as W-01 rolled out of the way, Giro continued to pull on his sword, carving a swath through the ship as W-01 fired another deadly burst from his Black Hole Cannon.
The tectonic force from both attacks was too much for the great ship to bear. Its hull began to screech and groan as explosions littered the vessel. "Aile," Vent shouted, "Let's get out of here!" His twin agreed and both took flight, avoiding the destruction as the Advent cracked and snapped in two. As both halves plummeted to the Earth below, they spotted two figures in pink falling like stones. The twins nodded and flew towards them. Aile narrowly managing to catch a battered Ciel. "No!" Vent shouted as he missed his grab at Prairie and instead, the woman impacted the ground.
The twins and their passenger landed, watching the vessel in awe as its systems died down. With no Gravity Wall, half of the ship was easily consumed by the ball of gravity before Giro wrested free of the attack as he had done before. "Omega turned that man into a monster," Ciel muttered. "How could Prairie ask that of anyone?" Her tears mixed with the dirt and blood of her face as Vent shouted, "Prairie!" He rushed to wear the woman had plummeted and stood in shock. "What...what is...I...don't..."
What he saw was not his commanding officer. What he saw was a false image. A mechanical doll with the intricacies of a human being. Prairie convulsed and sputtered, most of her skin eaten away, revealing not bone, but hardened steel and wire. "What is this...wha..." his sister was just as speechless. Ciel sighed in Aile's arms before a few coughs. Her words soft, she said, "Prairie...Alouette, is a reploid. I found her, years ago. I raised her like family..." She twisted her body and arched her neck to view the devastation of littered airships and countless soldiers on both sides lifeless over the battlefield and solemnly declared, "This is all my fault."
"Hmph," Calico proclaimed as he descended. "It's more my fault than yours. I needed to see, after all." "What are you talking about," Vent demanded as the stake on his left arm charged. "Just who are you!?" Ignoring him, Calico said, "This was very interesting data. We picked the right world after all." At first as confused as Vent and Aile, Ciel quickly proclaimed, "It's you! You sent Meteor 3! You sent EOT!" Calico smirked as he replied, "I am merely a representative. As such, I would like to personally applaud your progress. All I need now is a sample to bring back."
As if on cue, Giro landed with a deafening thud. Surveying the battlefield, he let loose another roar. "Heh, that'll do fine." With a snap of his fingers, a large, circular object appeared overhead. The object's hollow interior quickly flooded over with fluid and several newcomers sprang forth. With a design similar to what Calico wore, the six orange warriors landed behind him. Their design was much less elaborate than his, lacking in ornamental design, as well as in some weapons. They each visibly sported twin pairs of cannons on their shoulders and each carried a handheld weapon similar to Calico's, but each end held a serrated wheel.
"Golar Golems," Calico commanded as he thrust his finger at Giro, "Take him!" Springing into action, the warriors quickly surrounded Giro, each taking their wheeled weapon and thrusting a serrated wheel forward by tether. One by one, they each latched onto a limb, struggling with the behemoth as they forced it into submission. "Leave Giro alone!" Vent shouted as he charged forward with his left hand. "Heh," Calico said in return, vanishing before appearing right in Vent's face, his handheld weapon thrust forward. He ejected the wheel of his weapon, lashing into Vent repeatedly before twirling his weapon around and aiming the barrel to Vent's chest. With a shout of, "Dead end shot!" Calico fired a stream of energy into Vent that sent the boy hurtling.
"Vent, no!" Aile cried as she set Ciel aside. Before she could even stand up again, Calico's weapon was aimed at her. "Dead end shot!" A point blank blast of energy leveled her into the ground in unceremonious fashion. "Now, Golar Golems, finish this up and take it back through the crossgate! We'll bring it to the Neviim and present it to the Spirit Emperor. It will be his decision if this world is ready for harvest or destruction!" The warriors nodded and each let electricity fly through their weapons, into Giro's body. Soon, he went limp and they carried him away, through the crossgate.
As Calico floated upwards to the crossgate, he noticed W-01 staring at him. With a confident look, he declared, "Next time, next time, little robot." With that, he flew into the crossgate and it twisted and bent in on itself before vanishing.
Undaunted, W-01 stood over Prairie's damaged body and lowered his sword. Before his next move, a female voice spoke to him, "Now, now. It wouldn't be very good if you destroyed such a close family member. Retrieve her and those humans. I want to know what just happened." "Acknowledged," he replied.
As W-01 stood over the battlefield, not even he could notice the ghostly observer. His red cloak and hood had a gold trim and concealed all but his face. The high collar of his cloak served to hide most of his face. Only his blue bangs and a sad expression in his eyes were visible. Unseen by many for far too long, he only had four words to speak.
"This only strengthens him."
--
Hellgate Facility-Present Day
A massive facility, nearly as large as a city, the abnormally named Hellgate Facility was a complex devoted to advanced research in a multitude of areas and was under the direct control of Gate, one of the four Heavenly Generals. He left one of his most trusted assistants, a calculating reploid named Isoc in charge of the facility. Isoc was known for taking certain liberties with this position, often shifting supplies to his already self-sufficient facility or performing less than ethical research on humans—to a point other reploids object to—and even other reploids.
As of late, however, the mad scientist seemed intent on perfecting a device he had acquired from another promising scientist. He had described it as 'remarkable' and capable of 'limitless potential', it all depended on the materials used, the delicate intricacies of each delicate part needed to be set in impeccable order, and most importantly, the core had to have all its variables worked out to their fullest.
"NN-GYAH!" the figure shouted as he was harshly slammed to the ground. "You're getting slower, Kouta!" his attacker shouted as he bounded forward and twisted in midair, His left foot raised high, he swung it down with all the lethality of an axe. Barely avoiding, Kouta scrambled to his feet and retaliated with a swift fist to his attacker's abdomen, a move that sent his enemy into the wall. "I'm apparently still fast enough to hit you, Grey!"
Several feet of space between them, the seventeen year old Kouta Azuma took this moment to take in a breath. The circular room he was trapped in was but a fraction of the space awarded by the building they were in, and yet its dome-shape was still enormous. Light cast down from the ceiling created a harsh combination of glare and heat that he knew his opponent was not affected by. He arched his head to the ring of windows two levels above them and he smirked. She was probably still watching him, she always was.
As Grey began to right himself, Kouta nodded in silence. He didn't know why, but thinking about her made his muscles tense underneath his black mesh. Becoming more rigid, he felt those muscles push against the red armor plating over his arms and legs. As he took in a slow breath, his chest heaved against the heavy crimson chest plate and he felt a surge of energy as the light glinted off his golden highlights in almost heroic fashion. He shook his head blue hair breaking free from his helmet and wiped the sweat that managed to break free of the fabric that covered half his face and as he coughed a bit, he remembered that when in the armor, his mouth was covered.
"I don't have much more left," Kouta thought as he mulled over his options. From his outward appearance, Grey did not look like much of a threat, but Kouta had learned not to trust the happy face. Grey's mocha skin was protected by an interesting black fiber that Kouta had noted multiple times could take frightening amounts of damage. Over that was his trademark red shorts and orange vest. He wore an oversized red collar that led down to two red tubes. Below his namesake gray hair was a marker; a red triangle on his forehead. What Kouta had learned about his unassuming form was that most of these items somehow held his abilities in check.
"Come on, Kouta," Grey announced, "you can do better than this!" With that yell, he charged Kouta; fist extended, and connected fists with his opponent. They bounced off each other before whirling around with symmetrical kicks, launched towards each other's face. Shifting their weight under gravity allowed them to land a fist to each other's chest, sending them both hurtling away from each other.
"Enough of this!" Grey yelled as he flexed, bringing his arms to his side and letting energy circle his body. Bathed in the light of his own power, he slowly moved, his image appearing as a mirage as his limbs swayed back and forth. Kouta understood the steps of the move and began his own counter. Focusing his own power, his hand produced a tiny spec of light that he let fly from his hand. Quickly, Grey punched once in the air with the shout of, "SoHaRyu!" The might of the energy he had gathered quickly leapt forward in the shape of a limbless dragon, streaking towards its enemy with its jaws agape. In response, Kouta's spec of light quickly burst to life, forming a ring of energy as he shouted, "Fire Dragon!" As its name implied, a flaming torrent of fire sprang free from the hole and took shape, Kouta's own dragon, whose flames roared in the sky.
The two attacks collided with titanic force, pushing both boys back as each struggled to keep up the ferocity of their attack. Neither gained an edge as the focus needed for their attacks began to take its toll. As Kouta felt himself losing ground, he could not have anticipated that Grey would cease his own attack, rolling to the outer edge of their display. As he dashed forward, Kouta realized he was completely vulnerable at this moment and all he could do was prepare as Grey's knee connected with his chin. The shock of the attack was not long, as Grey quickly pressed forward, driving a fist home into Kouta's chest that drove him against the wall.
As Kouta bounced against the unforgiving surface, he heard a quick, subtle, "Kouta! Call it!" "Wha-" he managed to get out before Grey delivered a swift kick to Kouta's ribs. As the boy spiraled back, Grey shouted, "Time to end this!" He thrust his arm into the air, ready to call out, "A-TRA—"
"That's enough, Grey."
Choosing now to enter the training session, a limber, yet well-constructed reploid stepped forward. His dominate color was red, with white splashes. From his raptor-like three-toed feet to the segmented armor on his chest and shoulders, to the dragon-heads resting on his wrists, Magma Dragoon held an intimidating presence. A blue jewel on his reptilian head helped process multiple sources of information from the battlefield and worked in tandem with the many golden spikes shooting from his head that served a multitude of purposes from radar to communication. Adding to his menacing presence was the presence of the two massive bursts of hair flowing from the back of his head.
"Master Dragoon," Grey quickly said, bowing in reverence. "Grey, that is enough for today, be on your way." "Yes, Dragoon," Grey replied, bowing again before leaving through the door that Magma Dragoon had entered. "Kouta," Dragoon began, "You have done a great disservice to the way of Kishin Ken. The Machine God Fist was made a mockery through your performance." "Hmph," Kouta replied, "You may as well have let Grey kill me. I'm already close to it on the inside."
Dragoon's sharp eyes locked with Kouta's before the warrior said, "The attendants say you have not eaten in several days. How do you expect to go on if you cannot even maintain the sustenance your body requires?" Disillusioned, Kouta replied, "I don't want to go on. I've been stuck here for two years, forced into this stupid training regiment instead of finding my sister. How am I supposed to keep going like this?" Looking away, Dragoon replied, "A man who has given up his life so willingly outside of battle is nothing but a coward and a fool. You are the first human to ever adapt to the fighting style of Kishin Ken and not be destroyed by the art. Are you to throw that achievement away?"
"Feh," Kouta spat, "If I'm going to be stuck here the rest of my life, then I don't care what I throw away; my accomplishments, my worth, my life, it's all for nothing anyways." "Silence!" Dragoon roared, his sharp voice cutting into Kouta as the boy winced. "I told Dr. Isoc that a human boy could not become a warrior of a machine's style. Be gone with you, child. Leave my sight until you are ready to stop sniveling and push yourself forward."
With those words, Dragoon turned around and left Kouta alone in the room.
Silent for a few moments, the boy finally asked, "How long are you going to hide in the shadows?" For several more moments, nothing was heard until finally, "I, uh, are you okay?" Slowly, the lithe form of a girl appeared. Wearing the clunkier boots of the older reploid generation, the blonde-haired reploid smiled sheepishly at Kouta, ignoring the sounds of her own oversized, metallic pigtails as they swayed back and forth, occasionally clanging together. Pressing her fingers together nervously, she said, "Grey knocked you around pretty badly…"
With the noise of shattering glass, Kouta's armor broke away, releasing the teenager and exposing the loose t-shirt and sweatpants underneath. As he breathed in deeply, he forced a strained smile as he felt his neck press against the heavy collar that inhibited him. It worked in conjunction with the invention Dr. Isoc had placed inside him: an internal Live Metal. However, its purpose was control, not assistance. After a moment, he replied, "I'm fine, Pallette." She nodded as automated mechaniloids arrived. The unimaginative, bland machines were excellent for helping instill a feeling of order in the facility and they quickly performed their duty, escorting Kouta through the many identical hallways and back into his holding area.
While his captives made their best effort to ensure that the room avoided appearing like a cell or cage, for Kouta, they failed miserably. The clean room was painted a soothing blue and bathed in low light, things that were deemed necessary to create a relaxing experience, but Kouta was sick of it. The monitor in his wall allowed him the viewing pleasure of reploid entertainment and the small bookcase beside his bed held numerous text, all on things long past, but other than two extra sections, one a bathroom, the other a closet, he had nothing to do most of his time.
He sighed before calling aloud, "You can come in, Pallette." Nearly stumbling in, the girl complied, presenting a tray of a few sandwiches and soup. "I figured you'd be pretty hungry by now," She began before he held up his hand and said, "Forget it, I'm done with all of that. If they want to keep me around, they'll have to force a tube in me." "Kouta, please, don't do this to yourself!" she cried out, "Think of—" "Of who, my sister? Don't even humor me! I haven't seen her in years, and you know what? I bet I'm not going to, either!"
Speechless, Pallette stared solemnly into the ground, avoiding Kouta's eyes before saying, "I know you miss her, but withering away to nothing isn't going to help anything. I mean, if she cares even half as much for you as you do for her, then if she ever found out what you did to yourself, she'd be crushed." He opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out, so she nervously continued, "She wouldn't be the only one sad either…I'd be sad too…" She quickly clasped her hands over her mouth, obviously not intending to say the last phrase out loud. She slowly set the food down and backed away.
"Pallette, wait," Kouta started, but she was already gone, the door closing behind her. "Just great," Kouta said to himself as he eyed the food. "That girl's just plain weird, even for a reploid." He let his thoughts sway back and forth in his mind before he let loose a growl of exasperation and sat down, grabbing a sandwich and hungrily ripping a chunk of it free.
--
"I had him, I had him at my feet, I completely flattened him," Grey stated triumphantly as he raised his fist to the sky in a display of victorious glee. "Yes, yes, I saw," the elderly voice of his mentor replied. "You did well Grey, but you almost lost control again. We may need to further tune your interface mechanism since you seem to have developed an interesting pair of weaknesses."
Grey forced an uneasy laugh at the older man. Hunched slightly and leaning on a cane for more aesthetic reasons than practice, the enigmatic Isoc was known for always wearing his lab coat over formal attire, no matter what his work may call for. He retained the bulky gauntlets and greaves of the older generation of reploids as he found them suited to his tastes. His long, narrow face was partly covered thanks to the metallic beard and mustache he wore. What could be clearly seen, however, were his piercing red eyes, always watching, always analyzing.
"I don't have any weaknesses," Grey said with disdain. "Ah, but you do, my dear boy. One, the further you are from the control mechanism, the less stable your advanced programming becomes. Two, while you are normally restrained in the vicinity of the control mechanism, prolonged aggression seems to hold a negative effect on your own interface mechanism and you begin to lose control anyways. As I said, some finer tuning could not hurt either problem."
Frustration building up in Grey helped prove the Doctor's point and he simply replied, "As you wish, Dr. Isoc." Isoc nodded, pleased at Grey's acceptance before saying, "But it is for later. For now, where has that girl gotten to?" "Which one?" a puzzled Grey asked, "Do you mean Pallette, or Layer?" "Hmph," Isoc stated, "I know where Pallette is, she does as I intended; she's keeping that boy Kouta alive long enough for my greatest project. I find Layer's location a bit more troubling. The girl was supposed to be making the correct adjustments on the Excellence Metals."
Grey shrugged. There were plenty of scientists around the complex, even in the room they were in. There was not a console in the room that did not have a technician staffing it, but Grey knew how Dr. Isoc preferred certain people on certain projects. "Doctor, why are you even messing around with Live Metals? It's not like we're weak like the humans." "Don't forget," Isoc replied, "That even you have a Live Metal, an internal one like Kouta. Used properly, they can increase anyone's power, be they human or reploid. It's one of the last great things that humanity invented that we reploids can actually benefit from. Do you remember the Omega Metal? Think of the terrifying power it held. It even sparked the interests of the Aerogaters." The Doctor paused for a bit and added, "It's a shame that had to abscond with it."
Grey nodded; he'd heard of the event, it had occurred only slightly after his own activation. The casualties inflicted were rather impressive, considering the humans and their inferior force. Then it hit him, "Doctor, Layer's probably visiting those humans again. You know how she favors one of them." Isoc chuckled as he replied, "Yes, the Guardian survivors. That would make sense."
Grey rolled his head back on his shoulders a bit before asking, "Why do you even keep them around, anyways?" "Because they're special. Barring your predecessor, W-01, they're the only ones that have had exposure to the warping energies of the Omega Metal. Seeing as how Gate would never part with his precious W-01, I settle for them. They hold unique properties that will allow them to draw on the experimental Excellence Metals. For now, they're nearly as vital to my progress as Kouta."
Long since learning to accept Isoc's machinations, Grey acquiesced. He turned his eyes to the pedestal that held the Excellence Metals. They differed from normal Live Metals in the fact that they were faceted to an armband and aside from their smooth outer surface and multiple neon slots; they were entirely unnoticeable, too unnoticeable. "Dr. Isoc," Grey called out. "Yes," the Doctor replied. "We have two Excellence Metals, I only count one."
A few moments of laxity passed before Isoc gained a grin on his face, followed by the words, "Very interesting."
--
The reploid known as Layer belonged to an interesting model line known for their extreme detail. While nearly all reploids could boast being individual, her model line was truly unique. From their dainty feet and long legs, to their strikingly seductive curves and the almost hypnotizing way their hips moved as they walked, to the size of their bust and their delicate hands, up to their flawless faces and renowned soft hair, the Artisan models were exactly that, art, walking art. Each one went on to become part of entertainment through movies, modeling, and singing. Perhaps that was why Layer decided she wanted to be a scientist.
When it came to science, it didn't matter how beautiful or adept at 'proper' mannerisms and etiquette you were; if your experiments worked, it was because of effort. She did not have to plaster a smile over her face every time someone complimented the way her purple hair moved in mirage-like fashion. She did not have to giggle every time someone told her that her lavender eyes inspired them. She did not have to dote on love when someone caught her fancy.
Unfortunately, lingering feelings of love were the source of her greatest problem.
Deep down, she knew what she was doing was wrong. She was throwing everything away, her career, her ideals, and possibly even her life, yet somehow, it was okay. The one she cared about was more important to her than her own safety. Still, she had worked hard for her lab coat, her nametag, and all the clout that went with them. As her heels clicked against the steel floor and she neared her destination, she knew she could turn back. As she typed in her identification code on the door that held the two Guardian siblings, she knew there was still time to desist.
As the door slid open and she chose to enter the darkened room, she built up her resolve and forced a pleasant smile on her face as she ignored the fact that most housing in the facility was the same, even if for prisoners. "Who's there?" a voice called out. Sitting up on her bed, ignoring her snoring brother on the other side of the room, Aile yawned, eyeing Layer before asking, "What are you doing here this late?"
Layer's smile fell. This was not the person she wanted to see. She would have much preferred Vent, now things were just awkward. "Uhm, Aile," she slowly started, trying to find the right way to word things now. Why couldn't her brother be the one awake? "I…" at a loss for words as Aile got up and walked towards her; Layer quickly thrust the Live Metal into Aile's hand and took a step back, saying, "I could only get the one."
A moment passed before Aile's eyes grew wide, "What are you doing? Do you know what will happen to you for this?" Layer shook her head as she replied, "I don't care, I've made up my mind and I want to help you both get out of here." Dumbfounded, Aile quickly said, "At least come with us." Layer shook her head as she replied, "I can't. Someone needs to make an opening for you. Just be ready." As she took a few more steps back, she said, "You'll know it when you see it."
"But," Aile started, hand outstretched, but Layer turned and hurried away. As Aile retreated to the room and slid down the wall in grief, her brother asked, "What's wrong? What was with all that commotion?" Like his sister, he too had been affected by Omega's presence. His own hair was red at the tips of all of his bangs. Aile let a moment pass before saying, "We're leaving."
--
Outside the city of research, night blanketed the sky, making what was next to occur even more noticeable. It started with a streak of light on the fringes of the facility, followed by another, and then a third. The streaks became coherent before forming a ball. In a bright flash, the light was gone, instead replaced with the smoking figure of a stranger.
"I made it," he uttered before erupting into laughter, "I MADE IT!" He quickly felt himself over, his armored hands moving over his pronounced musculature, he found himself intact. "I can't believe I made it through. However...where is everyone? They should be here. I was only a few minutes behind them."
Catching his attention were numerous spotlights, illuminating his blue and white armor. The intense lights glinted off the blades of his elbows and those jutting from his forehead, much like the V-fin of the Huckebein. Most peculiar was the extra jutting blades on his face, positioned near his mouth and giving much needed protection to his face; the blades rather resembled an oversized mustache.
"What's going on?" He asked as he shielded his eyes from the glaring lights. As he strained, he could make out the outlines of the facility's mechaniloids, each holding a rifle at his position. "I see," he said with a bit of disdain, "It didn't work the way it was intended. I got thrown in with a bunch of lifeless dolls." He felt a bit annoyed, since he already hated humanoid machines as it was. He was even more annoyed when one spoke.
"INTRUDER, SURRENDER YOURSELF. YOU HAVE TRESPASSED INTO THE HELLGATE FACILITY AND WILL BE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. ANY ATTEMPT TO RESIST WILL BE MET WITH FULL FORCE."
"I see," he replied, "So be it! I am Axel Almer! I WON'T TAKE ORDERS FROM A LIFELESS MACHINE! LET'S GO, SOULGAIN!"
His armor burst to light, revealing red cores on his wrists and chest that all pulsed with his energy. In response, his enemies opened fire, but for his Soulgain, the damage was unsubstantial. It could regenerate far faster than mere bullets could inflict damage. This in mind, it was easy for him to give a hot-blooded yell as he threw himself in the midst of them, his hands and feet his only weapons as he began to thrash enemy after enemy. Every kick sent his enemies flying. Every punch brought them down. To him, these weren't enemies, they were merely victims. "Genbu Gōdan!" he yelled, his forearms spinning wildly as they broke free, forming a twisting vortex of wind around them as they collided into crowds of enemies and neatly returning to him.
"Kishin Soju Geki!"
Axel dodged as a pair of flaming dragons streaked by him. Readying himself, Axel tensed as the golden claws of Dragoon's foot struck, lashing out with such force that even as Axel blocked the blow, he was still sent hurtling. "Intruder," Dragoon called out, "What foolishness forces you to attack this place?"
Axel straightened himself, shouting to his attacker, "I don't have to tell you my business! I'll blow through you and anyone else who gets in my way!" A vicious smile curling in his lip, Dragoon responded, "Very well! Then I, Magma Dragoon, challenge you!" Without waiting for Axel's reply, Dragoon charged, his fists burning with the desire to face a worthy opponent. Not willing to stand down, Axel screamed at the top of his lungs as his Soulgain armor overflowed with energy. He was willing to use this battle as a way to test his full abilities. He had to be ready; he knew he must be ready for the battles of the future. He knew he had to be ready for him...
--
I am Warrior Roa.
For five years I have seen this world and its progress. I find it has many steps to make if it is to survive the future. If these people are not careful, their world shall bear the same fate as my own. Already, I can see the veil of war blanketing this planet. However, I have noticed that there is something wrong with this world that not even I can understand. The lining of its dimension has become thin, reality seemingly altered. I cannot foresee the length of damage, but it could be quite extensive indeed. What this may hold in store for this world is unknown, but I know that it has many stories to tell.
Perhaps the damage of the dimensional walls will make it easier for me to break free. Perhaps the damage of the dimensional walls will make it easier for me to contact Kouta
Perhaps...only time will tell.
--
Ending Notes: Okay, the end of a new chapter. It didn't go the way I planned, but that's probably due to the length of time between writing chapters.
I decided to add some more Megaman characters to make the story a little more relatable to people who frankly haven't heard of, nor can be concerned about Super Robot Wars. Once again, I took some disturbing liberties in this regard, since I doubt there's an easy way to bring Aile, Vent, and Grey into a storyline that takes two-hundred years before they're born.
I took the liberty of some back-story for the sake of me trying to make sense of what I'm coming up with. Stuff like that'll help me understand where I'm coming from. A little Aerogater foreboding was at work there and it's almost dead on for how they would conduct a scouting operation.
I'll just say for the record that I believe a lot of the newer Megaman characters have all the characterization of cardboard and I'm pretty sure I could find a successful way to make them fall in love with fire hydrants. I suppose their great flaws being the lack of games they've appeared in, but all that said, Marino and Cinnamon had more character development than a lot of newer characters combined. Still, I suppose that's why I pounced on adding Layer, Grey, Aile, Vent, all those characters that I can do nearly anything with and it somehow still makes sense.
Actually, in a desperate grab to produce some characterization, I essentially merged Vent and Aile with the protagonists of SRW Reversal on the GBA: Raul and Fiona Gureden. It fits real well, considering that both Vent/Aile and Raul/Fiona were essentially gender swaps and that both pairs had the ability to modify their outer appearance for different combat situations.
I brought Magma Dragoon into the fray because I personally found him awesome and Capcom probably did too since he's the only fight sans that really annoying kangaroo in X7 that actually can be done in a freakin' ride armor. I combined his general 'badassness' with that of Forka Albark and his Shura God Ialdaboath from Super Robot Wars Compact 3 and Original Generations Gaiden. I actually took the fighting style of the Shura, Kishin Ken, and adapted it for the story. Kishin Ken literally means 'Machine God Fist' and I think that suits a reploid like Magma Dragoon rather well. A few others will wind up using the style as well, notable Grey when he's in his normal form, and Kouta to some extent.
Kouta, he pretty much stole the spotlight in SRW Original Generations Gaiden. I think he actually has the same potential in this story. As for back-story, I tried about as hard as Banpresto did when they invented him. Just for the kicks, I dug up X8's Pallette and tossed her in for potential love interests. Once again, with her, I fall back on characterization of a freakin' piece of cardboard.
Now as for Axel...wow, I cannot explain that one. All I can say is that Axel is the kind of badass that most awesome heroes WISH they could be–Devil May Cry's Dante cries himself to sleep at night because he's not as awesome as Axel– I don't think I can even properly display that. The best way to explain it would probably be to advise people to either check him and Soulgain out on YouTube (You can probably do that in reference to any SRW character I use that you're curious about) and watch him insert his awesomeness into his enemies' skulls with his fist.
Just as a few FYIs and Trivia:
–The scene in the Guardian battle where Calico appeared as reinforcements was originally to be filled by Heero Yuy of Gundam Wing fame, but I decided to limit myself to using only Megaman and Banpresto original characters, so I wound up with Berkt from Another Century's Episode 3, but finally went with Calico as it ultimately made more sense.
–I opted to leave some of the attack names in their original translations as best I could because once translated into English, they make no freaking sense. Sure, Axel's Genbu Gōdansounds somewhat okay as Black Tortoise Bullet, but when you get to things like Shinha Gōshou Sen and it translating into True Supremacy Strong Wave Palm, it just sounds awful considering you just saw him punch a man through a mountain. Consequently, if classified, Axel's Soulgain and Magma Dragoon are very much super robots and it's some kind of unspoken rule that they have to shout their attacks.
–While I intend to get back into the habit of releasing more timely chapters, I essentially have until around the end of the month to get a new chapter up, because if I miss that, I'll have my hands on SRW Z and I'll drop back into seclusion for that.
–One of the most important things about SRW is the fact that every character has a theme song to go along with their actions. I actually tend to listen to a character's theme when I'm typing about them. Since the question was asked in a review about what theme Bass would have, I've set about assigning all the Megaman characters with themes. I figured it'd be neat to share, if only for that one person out there that would play a certain tune per character. As a gag, most of the SRW characters actually call out their theme when they transform.
Bass: Theme of Forte (From Megaman 8)
Irm: Time to Come
Bullet: Vanishing Trooper (Only when piloting a Huckebein)
Excel: Platinum Lucifer/Fallen White Knight/Fallen Angel (Depends on the translation)
Prairie: The Steel Ark
Giro: Rail to the Dangerzone(While using Guarlion) Arrow of Destiny (As Omega)
Vent: Over the Time Flow
Aile: Over the World Wall
Calico: Zest Seven
W-01: Vanishing Trooper
Prometheus/Pandora: vs. Prometheus & Pandora (Megaman ZX)
Magma Dragoon: Crimson Shura God
Grey: Irregular Hunt (Megaman X Command Mission)
Kouta: Burn Now
...This list will more than likely grow...
–Like I said at the beginning, I have a request of some writers if they're willing to try some collaboration. If so, and I truly hope a few are up to it, then PM me.
Please read and review, it's been a long time since I've had my spirits raised with people taking the personal time to acknowledge me for better or for worse.