Miles above the earth in the cloudy skies, the Grand Nuage soared through the skies. All aboard were weary from yesterday's attack that had taken place in Inner Peace.
The Guardians' soldiers had their hands full ushering civilians away from the battle zone, but since most of the people happened to be in a "running mood" that day, they just had to make sure that no one got trampled to death.
At the same time it took Vent, Aile, Ashe, and Grey everything they had to suppress Neal's destructive rampage, otherwise the casualties would have skyrocketed.
Pandora wasn't able to do too much in regards to combat, but in the end she was able to get through to Neal in the end. Her body was nearly totaled in the attempt, but all that mattered was that everyone came out of this relatively not dead.
The mechaniloid patrols, which were supposed to suppress the attacks as well, were preoccupied in the Outlands handling rogue mechaniloids, and were thus unable to interfere.
As for Aeolus, Siarnaq, Atlas, and Thetis, the four Mega Men who instigated Neal into transforming into a violent berserker and sent him into a mad frenzy, were nowhere to be found.
Neal himself had taken some slight injuries, although his psychological state was a little iffy. His recovery would be a bit rough, and it would be difficult for him to move about in the open for a while. Or at least until his body and cybernetic implants recovered from the shock.
As for Model E, the source of this dark power would have to be confirmed before it would ever be safe for Neal to use him again.
Mega Man ZXA Soundtrack – Babel Tower
At the same time in the highest floors of Legion Tower, one imposing figure stood above four heavily injured ones. The room itself was circular, the overhead lights off, the only light source being the large monitor displays that showed footage of Inner Peace's prior events.
"Your incompetence astounds," the large man said with a hint of distaste from the front of the room. The monitors on the opposing wall played images of Neal in his supposed Dark Form completely thrashing the four evil Mega Men in the various and cruel ways he had.
On their knees behind the large man were Aeolus, Siarnaq, Thetis, and Atlas; all of them covered in bandages beneath their clothing with the addition of various slings. Aeolus had a sling on his right arm and a cast on his ribs, in addition both his hands were in casts. Siarnaq's face was covered in bandages beneath his scarf, and was wearing a neck brace. Thetis had bandages on the sides of his head and a brace on his back. Atlas had bandages on her nose, a cast around her stomach, and braces on her arms.
"Not only do you fail to end the life of this… upstart," the large man continued with venom in his voice, "but you dare to come back before me with your tails between your legs."
"THIS DEFEAT IS UNFORTUNATE," Siarnaq said in a flat tone.
"I honestly can't believe how easily he trounced you four," the large man said rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Well how were we supposed to know about that power!" Atlas suddenly blurted out. "Your intel never said anything about the boy having that kind of power!"
"Please give us another chance," Aeolus said in a level tone. "We will not fail you."
The large man stopped rubbing the bridge of his nose and looked at the monitors in disdain. "Count yourselves fortunate I'm sponsoring the Game of Destiny. Otherwise you would've been dead the moment you set foot back here," he said in a cold, emotionless expression.
"We will not fail you again! We promise!" Thetis pleaded, only to have Atlas jab him in the ribs, sending him sprawling to the ground in a whimpering heap.
"Oh I know you won't," a psychotic voice said from behind them.
The four Mega Men turned around and saw a sinister silhouette in the darkness. The only discernable features they could see were the new figure's massive scythe and bloodthirsty smile. He seemed to ooze power, and his very presence was enough to drive stakes of fear through their hearts. Their faces drained of all power as the new figure strode towards them, his massive scythe poised over their heads.
Several days since the incident at Inner Peace.
Up in the medical ward of the Grand Nuage, Neal slowly felt the feeling returning to his muscles. They were sore, but at least they'd respond to his own commands. It was certainly better than yesterday, which he hardly remembered any of it at all. But aside from that, he was able to move. The only problem; He was still strapped into his bead.
So, he did the only thing he could do in that situation.
"AHHHHH! HELP! HELP! THEY'RE KILLING ME! HELP! HELP!" he cried at the top of his lungs.
The next moment the door was knocked out of its hinges by a green metal guitar. A second after that Vent, Aile, and two grey-haired individuals in red, purple, and grey armor he didn't know with roulette-mounted blasters stormed into the room.
"We heard you scream! What happened!" Vent demanded as he poised his sword.
"What happened?" Neal asked sweetly. "You TIED me to a fuckin' bed! What do you THINK happened? I PANICKED!" he suddenly spat, straining against the restraints holding him with what strength he had.
"Then why'd you say 'they're killing me'?" Aile asked.
"It could've just as easily happened with me tied to a damn bed!" Neal cried. "Now get me out of these things before I really freak out!"
Vent sighed as he and the others dropped out of their megamerged states. "If you have enough energy to freak out, I suppose you have enough energy to move around."
Aile undid the straps holding Neal down and removed the catheter in his arm. A moment later he leapt out of the bed as though he couldn't get out of it fast enough. "Ugh," he moaned as he held his head. "What the heck is going on? I hardly remember anything."
At that moment everyone else in the room grew deathly quiet. A few Guardian members had poked their heads in through the door to see what was going on, but a threatening glare from the girl with the silver ponytail sent them running like rabbits.
"Neal. I think you better come with us," Vent said putting a hand on his shoulder. "There's something you need to know."
Neal suddenly felt very uneasy. The other four shuffled their feet around him, but he eventually swallowed his fear and began moving forward. "I'm ready. Tell me what happened."
Vent, Aile, Ashe, Grey, and Neal walked into the bridge. A few of the console's screens were damaged, and a couple control panels were blown out completely. On whatever monitors were working were the images of a war-torn Inner Peace. When Neal entered, everyone flinched, as though they were about to be struck.
Prairie looked like she hadn't slept in days, the bags under her eyes and her downtrodden expression testament to that. Seeing her like this, for some reason it made Neal hurt on the inside, as though he had done this to her.
"Commander. Neal is awake," Vent reported.
Prairie nodded as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Thank you. Vent, Aile, Ashe, Grey, I need you four to step out of the bridge."
The four of them looked to each other nervously before walking out of the bridge. After the door closed behind them, Prairie leaned back in her seat and removed her hat. After wiping some sweat off her forehead, she put her hat back on and somehow regained the dignity a commander possessed. "Neal. Remember yesterday when you went to Inner Peace?"
Neal faltered. "I don't remember anyything after Aeolus, Siarnaq, Atlas, and Thetis surrounded me and beat me to a pulp," he said flinching at the memory. "But… I did something bad… Didnt'I?"
Prairie nodded regretfully. "I'd tell you, but I think it'd be better if I showed you."
Gardenia, Tulip, and Marguerite all warily activated whatever overhead monitors hadn't been blown out. After they flicked to life, there was various footage of a warrior in sickly white armor with a green rapier and a murderous flair about him on the screen. For the next half hour, Neal watched as the white-armored warrior continued to destroy and fight his way through Inner Peace. Somewhere along the line, the picture was freeze-framed, and a rectangle drawn around the murderous warrior's face. It suddenly zoomed in on the picture, and a horizontal line moving down the image multiple times, increasing the clarity with every sweep. On the last sweep, Neal was looking at his own face, the murderous pink eyes an horrifying smile looking right back at him.
Neal immediately took a step back and nearly puked. "That… That's me isn't it?"
Prairie weakly nodded. "Fleuve is looking into how this happened as we speak. He and his staff have been working around the clock, but we haven't been able to find out that much about how this could have possibly happened."
The next moment, his hands went to the sides of his head and a sharp pain went straight through his skull. Suddenly horrifying memories flooded back to the surface, the footage of himself serving as the stimuli. "Oh god! Pandora! What happened to her! Where is she?" he cried in a panic
"Come with me," Prairie said with a sigh. Neal immediately followed her through the metal doors, and at the moment he was sweating bullets.
A short walk later, Prairie and Neal walked into one of the medical rooms. Neal looked to the bed and saw Pandora covered head to toe in bandages. Several devices were hooked up to her, including a heart monitor, brain wave monitor, and respirator.
"Oh god," Neal whimpered as he walked over to her bedside. "Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god."
"Neal…" Prairie said half-heartedly.
Neal fell to his knees beside Pandora's bed. "I did this to her. I did this to her. How could I be so weak?"
Prairie put a hand on his shoulder. "Neal, this was out of your hands. If this is anyone's fault, it's mine. I should've sent backup with you, regardless of the risks."
Neal finally felt himself snap in two, tears streaming from his eyes uncontrollably as his shoulders shook. "It wasn't your fault Prairie. It was mine. It's just like they said. I'm no real Mega Man. I'm just a kid who got lucky after finding a Biometal. In the end… they were right about me… Everything."
"That's… not true…" a weary voice croaked out. Neal looked up to see Pandora weakly open her eyes. "You're… by far… the strongest person… I've ever known."
Neal's shoulders continued to shake as his tears fell to the floor. "Pandora, how can you possibly believe that? I've hurt you so much, and it was all because I'm so weak. I don't even deserve to be alive right now… let alone forgiven."
"Hey, I could say the same thing about myself," Pandora said back, finally regaining some of her strength. "Or, do you not remember all the trouble you went through for me."
"But… That's different…" Neal said feebly. "I never woke up hooked up to a heart monitor, brain wave monitor, and respirator."
Pandora got out of the bed and began to remove the bandages on her head and face. "Neal. What's done is done. There isn't any point in complaining about something that's already happened after it's already happened."
Neal's head hung low, and he was at the lowest point in his life. But… at the same time, a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "Pandora… I don't know when or how… But someday… I'll repay you for this."
Pandora got out of her bed and put her hands on his shoulders. "Just keep being who you are and we'll call it even. Okay?"
Neal nodded weakly as he wiped the tears from his face. "Thank you. Now I just have to apologize to everyone else, so you just get back in bed and get some rest," he said, the tears on his face betraying his happy demeanor.
Pandora nodded as she got back into her bed. "Okay Neal. I'll see you later."
Neal nodded as he got up and wiped the last of the tears from his face. "Prairie, I mean, Commander Prairie. Would it be okay if I speak with you in private?"
Prairie was slightly taken aback by the forwardness of Neal's request. "Well um, I uh…"
Neal sighed as he headed for the door. "I can understand if you don't want to talk to me by yourself," he said sadly. "I suppose you should have Vent and Aile keep an eye on me anyway. After yesterday and everything…" he said solemly, his voice trailing off.
Prairie shook her head. "No Neal, I trust you."
Neal chuckled to himself as he opened the door for Prairie. "I actually find that a bit surprising. All things considered and all."
Prairie yawned as she stepped out the door. "If you want this girl's opinion, I think the best place for getting things out into the open is on the sky deck."
Neal nodded as he gestured for her to take the lead. "I'll just follow you then. My head's a bit foggy right now."
Mega Man ZX Soundtrack –Fragments
A few minutes later, Neal and Prairie stood at the bow of the Grand Nuage, right behind the golden angel mounted on the front, its wings cutting the wind away from them as the airship moved through the skies.
"So Neal. What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Prairie asked.
"Well…" Neal said rubbing the back of his head. "Since that time I told you my life's story in your office, there's something I've been wanting to ask you."
"Hm? What is it?" Prairie asked as she met his eyes.
"Um. Well," Neal started nervously. "I'm not sure if you'd really know about this or not but… Do couples… between humans and reploids… Do you know if they ever work out?"
A slight blush crossed across Prairie's cheeks. "Well…"
After a few minutes of thinking about that, she thought of the only human/reploid couple she ever knew. That one night all those years ago played through her mind, and she could almost hear the fragments of the destroyed space station screaming through the heavens as they careened towards the Earth.
"No. Not that I know of," she admitted after a minute, a look of sadness momentarily crossing her gaze.
Neal sighed as he walked forward and leaned his back against the railing. "Oh."
A moment of awkward silence passed between them before they spoke again.
"Um. Prairie?" Neal asked.
"Yes?"
"Um… You told me that your older sister was Ciel right? And that a long time ago she led the reploids against the humans of Neo Arcadia to freedom?"
Prairie nodded.
"I'm not sure how much is true, but I had heard that a legendary reploid clad in red armor with golden hair helped her in her goal to find an alternative source of energy to end the conflict. Is that true as well?"
Prairie nodded again.
"Well, I'm just spitballing here, but… did your big sister… fall in love with that legendary reploid?"
Prairie sighed as she looked off into the distance.
"Oh! I'm sorry!" Neal said, realizing he had touched on a dicey subject. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
Prairie shook her head. "Don't worry about it," she said, the sad look in her eyes gone. "But, as for your question, I'm not entirely sure, but from what I could tell, I can pretty much guess that sis cared about Zero very much."
"Zero? From the Maverick and Elf Wars prior?"
Prairie nodded.
"I see," Neal responded. "Um. Do you think I could ask you one more question?"
"Sure," Prairie replied. "What is it?"
"If it isn't too much trouble," Neal started. "Do you think you could tell me whatever happened to Zero? The history texts I've read could very well have been doctored to suit the human government's needs, so I'm not really sure what the truth is in this world anymore."
Prairie sighed as she looked up to the sky. Her mind slowly drifted back to a different time. One where her name wasn't even Prairie, but when she was still a little girl named Alouette.
"It was toward the end of the Second Maverick War. Area Zero, the last of the world's nature at the time, had been saved. But then… Weil, the ruler of Neo Arcadia, had sent the Ragnarok, a space station of unbelievable destructive power, on a crash course with Area Zero. Zero went up into space to stop Weil's plan from succeeding."
Prairie started to cry, and Neal was about to implore her to stop, but she continued to tell her tale regardless.
"Zero had managed to defeat Weil, but the Ragnarok continued on a direct crash course with Area Zero. As the Ragnarok was about to hit Earth's atmosphere, its speed was about to get to the point where Zero couldn't Trans back to the base if he didn't leave. Then… That's when Weil fused himself to the core of the Ragnarok, becoming a sinful abomination to match his twisted heart. Zero realized that if he destroyed the core, that the Ragnarok would break up in atmospheric reentry, and Area Zero would be saved."
As Prairie retold her tale, Neal felt as though the events of centuries past were folding out before him. For once in his life, he felt like he was actually being told the truth. The whole truth.
"Zero… He defeated Weil just before the Ragnarok entered Earth's atmosphere. The sight of it burning up through the night sky will forever be engraved into my memory."
Neal never realized just how deep the world's problems went. It was as though he had become a piece in a centuries long game of chess. He was far from the king, making him either a Pawn or a Bishop.
"As sis looked into the sky, in her heart she believed that Zero would return someday. So, she made it her life's work to create a better world for him to return to."
"So then… Zero… he…" Neal started, not knowing what to say.
"We were never able to find his body," Prairie said. "In the midst of the Ranarok's wreckage, all we were able to find was Zero's helmet and a few pieces of his armor."
"And then the Ragnarok fragments became the Model Ws that have plagued the world today," Neal concluded. "Thus, connects the events of the past to the present across the expanse of time."
"That's correct. After that, well, you know the rest," Prairie finished.
Neal sighed as he looked up to the heavens. "Hearing all of that, it really brings things into perspective doesn't it?"
Prairie nodded as she followed his gaze. "I like to think that's true."
The two of them continued to watch the skies for a long time before the silence between them was broken.
"So… What was Zero like?" Neal asked.
"Well," Prairie said. "He was strong, courageous, and most of all he never gave in," she said with a smile. "It makes me glad that I got to know someone like him."
"Sounds like a really great guy," Neal replied. "I wish I could be more like him. All I ever do is cause trouble for other people," he said as his shoulers slumped, a dejected look on his face.
"Hey, don't sell yourself short," Prairie said putting a hand on his shoulder. "You and Zero are more alike then you think."
"Really? How so?" he asked averting his gaze from the ground.
"During that attack at Legion, and again when you faced the four Mega Men," Prairie recalled, "you never gave up. You kept getting back up and you kept fighting."
Neal looked up to the sky upon hearing those words. "Zero. I wish I could've met you. You lived, fought, and died for so many, but hardly anyone really knows what you've done." He clenched his right fist and raised it to the heavens. "Zero. I swear that I will continue fighting. I won't give up, no matter what, and once all of this is said and done, I hope that when you look down on us from wherever you are, I hope that you'll be smiling."
Prairie smiled as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Neal. Thank you. I'm sure that Zero appreciates your words."
Neal turned back to Prairie and looked her in the eyes. "Prairie. You haven't slept since my transformation, have you?"
Prairie regretfully shook her head. "I've been doing a lot of work lately. Organizing troops is no small feat."
"I'm sorry," Neal apologized. "But I promise this to you too. Even if I have to die trying, I'll bring this world its true peace, and maybe you can live a normal life too," he said in confidence.
"Thank you Neal," Prairie said with a slight curtsey. "I'm thankful I was able to meet you."
"But, Prairie, can you promise me something?" Neal asked as he took a few steps away from the railing and walked back towards the hangar.
"What is it?" Prairie asked.
Neal turned around and faced Prairie, a smile on his face. "Promise me you won't die before I do? If you died before I brought this world its true peace, I might not be able to continue fighting."
A slight blush formed on her cheeks as Neal continued to walk away. For a brief moment, she thought that she had seen a little bit of Zero in his eyes the moment he asked that of her.
"I promise Neal," Prairie said as she walked after him.
Neal smiled as he motioned for her to take the lead. "Thank you Prairie. I promise I won't fail you again."
As the two of them walked back to the hangar, Neal spoke up again. "Oh, Prairie, could you make me one more promise?"
"What is it?" Prairie asked.
"Promise me you'll get some sleep," Neal answered. "I can't stand to see you shuffling around like that."
"What about the others?" Prairie asked smugly, a mischevious look in her eyes.
"Oh! Uh, yeah, them too," Neal said hiding his blush.
Mega Man ZX Soundtrack – Metallic Soul
Fleuve and his assistants were working slowly and steadily, scanning every aspect of Model E they could in order to determine what had caused Neal's sudden and violent transformation. They'd done everything from molecular scans to electrono-graphs, CAT, neutron grafting, template prognoses, complete circuit diagnostics, and even carbon dating. So far no trace of the dark energy that had made itself known yesterday could be found.
As Model E floated in the glass cylinder placed in the middle of the lab, a multitude of wires and sensors stuck onto him, Fleuve was looking over another set of test results that had been taken. As with every other test prior, no real evidence was yieldable that Model E was any different then when he had been scanned the first time.
With a silent hiss, the metal doors opened and closed. Neal, wearing only a black T-shirt and blue jeans entered and walked over to Fleuve's side. "Fleuve, how is the patient."
"Oh Neal! You'r up!" Fleuve said in surprise. Like a lot of other people on the ship, he too looked sleep-deprived. Of course, he probably didn't get the opportunity to work with Biometal every day, so it was possibly his scientist's pride keeping him going.
Either that or coffee. You could never really tell with the scientific crowd.
Neal nodded. "Have you found anything out?"
"No. Not at all," Fleuve said sadly. "We've scanned Model E from corner to corner, inside and out, and haven't found anything different from when we first scanned him."
Neal looked into the tank and met Model E's 'eyes'. Model E immediately turned away, probably in guilt over seeing his Chosen One in such a beaten-up state. "Fleuve. Could you run a couple tests on me?"
"Hm? Why?" Fleuve asked, looking up from his test results.
"I don't think Model E is the problem," Neal said as he walked to the center of the lab and put his hand on the side of the tank. "I think I'm what caused the transformation."
"But how can that be?" Fleuve asked again. "It isn't like you on your own have the capabilities of a Mega Man."
"True, I don't, but that monster, that thing, it came from inside me," Neal said as he looked at his own reflection on the outside of the tank. "I'm not sure exactly how, but we can't rule out the possibility that some part of me caused it."
Fleuve sighed as he put the test results on the desk in the corner. "Very well then. Get in the capsule. We'll see if we can find anything."
Neal nodded as he stepped into one of the capsules at the far end of the lab. After the glass casing whooshed shut in front of him, he felt himself being leaned backward until he was staring at the ceiling. The next moment a U-shaped metal bar moved from its position at his feet to above his head. The next moment a green wall of light was formed under the scanners, and it slowly moved down the length of his body, taking in every aspect of his being as it repetitively scanned him.
After a few minutes, the capsule rose back into its upright position, and the glass casing slid out in front of him. "So. Did you find anything?" he asked as he stepped out of the capsule and stretched his limbs.
"No results were yielded from you either," Fleuve admitted as he looked over the results of Neal's scan. "It's like whatever energy caused that transformation was simply… expelled from your system, or is just very well hidden."
"Well that's kinda what it felt like," Neal said rubbing the sides of his head. "Oh, one more thing. Were you able to get an accurate read of that card I gave you the other day."
"Oh that? I finished my work on it before… you know," he said as he walked over to a table with a glass dome and a blue grid-pattern on the bottom. "I was able to confirm that it is still functional, and is still perfectly compatible with any of today's computer systems."
"What is it?" Neal asked as he looked at the mysterious blue card.
"It appears to be some kind of all-access pass," Fleuve stated. "Its origins seem to stem from Neo Arcadia, the old haven for humans during the first and second Maverick wars."
"Ah. I see," Neal said as he looked at the card. "So what does it do?"
"I'm not completely sure, but I would theorize that it acts as a key card against most security systems," Feleuve explained. "It might be possible to use it to bypass electronic security systems, but for its coding to be reactivated, I would need the help of someone with an intimate knowledge of Neo Arcadian technology. However records of that time's technology are far and few imbetween."
"Really?" Neal said, looking into the tank at Model E. "Well, when Model E still had a body, he lived in Neo Arcadia. I'm sure he could be a big help."
"But we have yet to finish testing him," Fleuve replied. "We're not sure what would happen if he's taken out of that containment field."
"Fleuve. How long have I been asleep?" Neal asked flatly.
"Three days," Fleuve replied.
No wonder I'm so hungry, Neal thought to himself before speaking again. "Then if you weren't able to find anything after the three days of non-stop testing, wouldn't you think it'd be safe to let him out of?" he asked.
After a minute, Fleuve sighed as he opened the tank. "Very well. Here."
The glass capsule rose away from the floor with a miss as fresh air entered the air-tight chamber. After a minute, Model E floated over to Neal. "Are you sure about this?" he asked.
"I am," Neal replied. "I'd like to continue working with you. Is that okay?"
" . . . Sure," Model E replied after a tense moment.
"Good," Neal said as he snatched Model E out of the air. "Now let's take a look at that card key."
Neal placed Model E down in front of the lab table with the card key on it. After a few minutes of just looking at it, Model E turned to Neal. "I can't activate it as I am now. I'd need to access its own programming in order to get it working again."
"I'm guessing since you don't have hands, that we'll have to do that," Neal replied, placing a certain emphasis on the last word.
"That?" Fleuve asked. "What is that?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Neal asked as he took Model E in his hands. "Megamerge!"
Upon seeing the flash of light, Fleuve's lab assistants screamed as they ran out the room, thinking they'd have to deal with the white-armored monster again. When the light cleared, Neal stood in his Megamerged form, his red/pink armor contrasting to the white walls of the lab.
"Well, at least we don't have to worry about you transforming into that other form when you megamerge," Fleuve replied in relief. Still, now that Neal's awake, I'll need to ask him what he felt before his transformation.
"Okay Model E," Neal said as he picked up the card between his fingers. "What do I need to do?"
"Turn your head a bit," Model E said. "I need to see what I have to work with here."
Neal did as he was asked, letting Model E use his eyes to take in all the lab's features. After a minute, he felt Model E bring him to a stop.
"There. Take those link wires and attach them to the sides of the card," Model E instructed. After Neal walked over to one of the computers and took a pair of connective wires and hooked them to the upper right and lower left corners. "Now, start up the computer and I'll take care of the rest."
Neal booted up the computer, letting the computer link itself to the card's circuitry. After the screen came up, Neal let his arms relax at his sides. After a moment, he felt his arms moving on their own accord, his hands typing in various combinations of keys as Model E looked at the screen with his eyes. After several minutes of activating old code and lining new ones through the card's systems until a green symbol of N.A. appeared on the monitor.
Neal activated the All-Access Card.
"Model E was that really necessary?" Neal asked as the message flared across his visor.
Model E sighed. "Just doing something different."
In a flash of light Neal fell out of his megamerged state and was back in his regular clothing. "So what exactly is this thing supposed to do?"
"From what I can tell, if you run it through any card reader or under any scanner, it'll plant a type of bug in the computer systems that will allow you to get past any security measure," Model E explained.
"Fleuve, do you know if there's anything else like this in circulation?" Neal asked.
"I'm not completely sure, and even if there was, it wouldn't be as small as that," Fleuve said pointing to the All-Access card. "If anything, it would have to be as large as your arm."
Neal pocketed his prize with a smile on his face as he headed for the door. "Now all I have to do is get that Droid Popper that Vent and Aile owe me and I'll be set."
"Droid Popper?" Fleuve asked. "Weren't those things made illegal years ago?"
"I'm sorry, but I've probably said too much," Neal said before running out the lab door.
At that moment, Fleuve thought to himself, I forgot to ask him about before his transformation. Still, I suppose it's work for another day.
In the Grand Nuage's viewing deck, Vent and Aile watched the landscape pass below as the airship flew through the skies.
"Man. That was one hell of a battle yesterday huh?" Vent asked as he leaned against a wall.
"I'm still not sure what happened, but hope the others are okay," Aile replied. "Ashe, you, and I are plenty experienced, but that Grey kid, Pandora, and Neal took most of the damage during that last fight."
"We'll just have to wait this out and see," Vent replied. "But still, the fact that the other four Mega Men are working together is a little unnerving."
The next moment the metal doors slid open, and Neal walked into the room and headed for the window. "Hey guys. You two okay from yesterday?"
"Mostly," Aile replied. "How are you though?"
Neal put a hand to his throat and rubbed it a bit. "Throat's still a bit sore from yesterday. Although I don't remember everything that happened. Head's still a little fuzzy."
"Yeah, that's understandable," Vent replied.
"I have to say though," Aile started, "fighting against you like that felt the same as when we fought against Serpent."
"I'm sure it was," Neal said. Now isn't the right time. I'll just thank them later.
"So is there something you wanted to talk about, or did you just come here to look out the window?" Aile asked casually motioning to the windows.
"I've actually come to talk to you regarding a previous article of business we had discussed prior," Neal started. "I seem to recall you two promising me a new Droid Popper after I lost my last on."
Vent and Aile suddenly froze. "Oh. You remember that?"
"Yes. I do," Neal said flatly. "Remember, your motto was 'We take anything anywhere, legal or otherwise'. Was it not?"
Vent sighed. "Ugh. Fine. I'll get on it."
"Thank you," Neal said smugly. "Oh, and sorry about the other day," he said not-so-smugly. "I'm sorry if I caused any lasting injury."
"Yeah, my back's still sore-" Vent said before Aile clamped his mouth shut.
"It's okay," Aile said as she struggled against Vent's flailing. "After all, you didn't mean to do it on purpose."
Neal nodded. "Oh, by the way, who were those grey-haired characters. I kinda remember them slowing me down during my little rampage and I wanted to thank them for it."
"You mean Ashe and Grey?" Aile asked. "Well, they left a half hour after you woke up. You must've missed them by a few minutes."
Neal shrugged his shoulder. "Oh well, I'll just thank them the next time I see them. See you later," he said as he left the room.
A moment later Vent finally managed to wrestle Aile's hand from his mouth. "Why'd you stop me mid-sentence?"
"You were about to say something uncalled for," Aile said sternly. "He feels bad enough about what happened already. You don't need to bring it back up."
Vent sighed as he looked out the window. "If Giro were still here, he probably could've stopped Neal sooner."
"Well the fact is he isn't," Aile rebuttled. "We can't afford to waste the life he gave us either."
Pandora sat up in her bed, looking out the window and watching the clouds roll by as the steady hum of monitoring equipment filled the room.
A moment later the metal doors hissed open, and Neal walked in with a tray of food in his hands. "Hey Pandora. I brought you some lunch."
"Thanks Neal," Pandora replied as the metal tray on the side of the bed folded out in front of her. "I was getting a little tired of the hospital food anyway."
Neal set the lunch down on the table and took a seat on the edge of Pandora's bed. "Um, listen. Once again, I'm sorry."
Pandora looked away from the window and faced Neal. "About what?"
"About everything that happened yesterday," Neal said sadly. "When I was still in my berserker mode, I nearly totaled your body again."
Pandora took Neal's hands in her own and looked him in the eye. "Neal, it's okay, I forgive you. So please don't beat yourself up over it any longer."
Neal sighed as he turned his gaze to the window, away from Pandora. "I'm sorry, but it's just that… I had no control of my actions back then. The feeling of that dark power running through my body… It was terrifying."
Pandora let go of Neal's hands and looked out the window as well, watching the clouds pass by. "Do you remember anything. From when you had transformed?"
"Only a little bit," Neal said with a sigh. "After I fought the four evil Mega Men, I completely black out. After that, I felt like my body was on fire… And then everything turned black."
"Black?" Pandora asked.
"I'm not completely sure how to describe it," Neal said. "All I remember was being surrounded on every side by this dark… stuff. I was completely trapped, and I was afraid I'd be there forever."
Pandora turned away from the window and back to Neal. "What happened next?"
"After what felt like forever," Neal started, "I remember a voice calling out to me. When I heard it, I moved forward, and then a bright light enveloped me."
"What happened after that?" Pandora asked.
"When the light cleared, I felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around me," Neal finished. "After that, the burning sensation disappeared, but I blacked out again a moment later."
Pandora nodded. A few moments later she lifted her spoon and began to eat her lunch. "Neal. I want to thank you again."
"For what?" Neal asked.
Pandora giggled a bit, and being able to do so felt good after so long. "For saving me from my own darkness. I'd given up on being free a long time ago, but you gave me the courage to believe again. So thank you."
"Nah. I didn't really do that much-" Neal said, but was cut off mid-sentence as he felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around his waist.
"Thank you Neal," Pandora said as she sat back down in her bed after letting go.
"Well um… I'll just leave you to your lunch," he said as he got up from the bed and headed to the door.
That evening after the sun had set. The Grand Nuage flew through the skies silently, the clouds parting as its hull cut through them. Standing alone on the roof was Neal, his trench coat flowing in the wind behind him as he looked up into the night sky.
As the wind too made his hair flow back, the door to the hangar opened, and Prairie stepped out onto the roof. "Oh, Neal, I didn't know you'd be here."
Neal turned around and saw her coming over to the railing at the front of the ship. "Oh, Commander Prairie. Sorry, I didn't think anyone else came up here."
"Hey, when we're alone you don't have to be so formal with me," Prairie said smiling as she stood by the railing and looked at the stars as well.
"Right. Sorry," Neal apologized.
"For a guy, you sure do say sorry a lot," Prairie said jokingly, poking a bit of fun at the fledgling MegaMan.
Neal huffed as he turned his gaze to the starboard side. "Why's that such a big surprise?"
"Sorry, sorry," Prairie giggled half-heartedly.
"Prairie, you seem down. Haven't you gotten any sleep yet?" Neal asked.
"Not yet I haven't, but I will right after this," she said looking back at the stars.
Neal looked back up at the stars too before talking again. "These stars. Are they the same as back then?"
"Hm?" Prairie asked, trying to decipher the meaning of his question. "Oh, yeah, I suppose they are," she answered after the meaning dawned on her.
For the next few minutes, Neal and Prairie continued to look at the stars together. As the clouds rolled around the ship, the moon's light shone onto the two of them.
Prairie was about to turn in for the night when a sudden gust of wind rushed by her. "Oh no! My hat!" she cried as her commander's hat was whisked away into the night sky.
"Don't worry! I've got it!" Neal said as he stepped onto the railing. The next moment he launched himself into the night sky in a mighty leap. Just as he was about to begin falling, he plucked Prairie's hat out of the air before barely grabbing onto the railing.
"Neal!" Prairie cried as he nearly fell off the ship, but quickly pulled himself back up.
"Here's your hat back," Neal said casually as he placed it on top of Prairie's head. "Try not to lose it, okay?"
"How can you be so relaxed about this?" Prairie asked as she adjusted the brim of her hat. "You nearly fell off the ship again, and there wasn't going to be an ocean to break your fall this time either."
"Well, I guess it's because you've done so much for me, and I figure getting your hat back for you is the least I could do," he replied with a smile.
"Neal…" Prairie said as she looked up into his eyes.
"Um… Prairie…" Neal said as he felt the atmosphere suddenly change around them.
Prairie slowly took a step towards him and looked up into Neal's eyes. After a tense minute, Prairie nervously got up on her toes and leaned toward him. At the same time, Neal felt his heart racing, his face heating up, and his palms getting sweaty.
Just as Prairie's face was an inch from his, her eyes suddenly drooped shut, and she fell forward. Neal quickly caught her in his arms to stop her from falling. When he looked at her face, he realized that she had suddenly fallen asleep.
"Oh… Well… I guess the lack of sleep has finally gotten to her," he nervously said as he looked around. After an awkward minute he picked Prairie up bridal-style and headed back for the hangar.
After going down in the elevator, he realized that probably everyone else in the Grand Nuage was asleep as well. Or at least that would be assumed since the whole place was as quiet as a graveyard.
"I guess the lack of sleep finally got to everyone else also," Neal said as he looked around.
After a minute or so, Neal headed back into the elevator.
The metal doors to his room silently hissed open before he entered. He silently walked over to his bed and laid Prairie down on top of the covers and fluffed up one of his pillows before placing it under her head.
"Hey Neal. Why did you bring Prairie in here?" Model E asked.
"I don't know where Prairie's room is, and since I didn't want to wake her up, I figured the best thing I could do was just bring her here," Neal whispered.
"But where are you going to sleep then?" Model E asked, a little sceptical at the current situation.
Neal looked over to the corner of the room and found a lone chair. "I guess I'll just sleep there since the top bunk's mattress is in storage," he answered as he walked over and took a seat. After removing his trench coat and placing it over himself like a blanket, he felt himself fell asleep, his own exhaustion finally catching up to him as well.
Just a little filler chapter before the story progresses any further.
Also, before anyone says anything, Prairie's office and her bedroom are two different places, and Neal had only been to the prior, and doesn't know about the latter.
P.S.
As of now, all FanFiction are to be on a college-based hiatus.