Radiant Falcon Fan Works #9

Mega Man Eternity Cross

Hey guys, it's Zack. Just want to let you know that I'm not dead, and that part two of the Colonel's Revenge arc will begin shortly. First I want to say thanks to to the two of you (you know who you are) that are currently following this story. You guys are the reason why I picked this story back up. Let no one say that "protect the fans" means nothing. Secondly, I'm going to go through the story and correct any inaccuracies, errata, plotholes, and stuff what I forgot in the coming weeks. I had a bit of a computer issue and now I lost all the data from my archives, so I'm starting completely from scratch. You may see that in my profile.

Don't worry, though, I don't plan to forget about this story in particular again.

Mega Man Eternity Cross Continues...


soundtest 0F: previously on... - Spain (Outrun Europa)

[MESSAGE FROM (encrypted source)]

My name is Strider Hiryu. When last we met, I was visiting the Strider Outpost in Tibet with my student Roll Light, the Time Master Quint, and one of my former enemies Tong Pooh((1)). All of a sudden, Roll informed me of a potential enemy, asking about his sister or something like that. I'm sure it's just some drunk soldier who wandered into the Strider Outpost, which I'll give him credit for even successfully attempting that, if nothing else. Time to see what he wants.

-=STAGE 5 Pt. 2=-

Colonel's Revenge

[=READY=]

soundtest 0C - Strider Outpost Tibet

Frame: Central Hall, Strider Outpost; 14:00 GMT, 20XX

Any Strider Outpost was particularly well guarded. How this one guy got past security was beyond the comprehension of any mortal man. Special-A Class Strider Takeshi Hiryu had just left the command room, and was heading back to the balcony when he answered a call from an unknown number. As he answered it, there was a man on the other end asking where his sister was. "I don't know who you're talking about." the Strider had said, to which the non-Strider intruder said "Do not play dumb with me, Hunter. I know you're keeping Iris here."

Oh that explains it. He was delusional. "I don't think you're from around here, so let me make something crystal clear: you're on my turf."

"As if I care! Return Iris to my custody or suffer my wrath!"

"First of all, I don't know anyone by the name of Iris. Secondly, who are you anyway?"

"I am Colonel Kyle Thorne of the Repliforce!"

Striders have had many acquaintaces of various affiliations over the centuries, but never had they encountered a Repliforce member. Not like they knew what that was anyway. "Look, Colonel. If Iris is here, she's most likely looking for you. But I am certain she's not here. So, you know, disarm and back off."

"I will not. You have my sister, and even if you didn't, a soldier chooses war and death over peace and dishonor!"((2))

Hiryu hung up on him, and called his android friend and trainee Roll. "You got all that, Roll?"

"Loud and clear. Sounds like he needs to brush up on the Art of War."

Hiryu raised an eyebrow. "Since when did you read Sun Tzu?"

soundtest 0D: Quint's Theme "Mega Man-o-War" - tranquilizer ~Yagami Team~ (The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match)

Frame: Hall 3E, Strider Outpost;at the same time

The Time Master known as Quincy Sairasu – Quint to his friends – had detected a chronoscopic framework hotspot, which indicated what was commonly known as a rift in the space time continuum. "This is Quint, patch me through to VAVA." he said as he tapped the back of his hand. "This is VAVA, responding."

"VAVA, I'm getting some temporal SNAFUs here."

"Define SNAFU."((3))

"What would you do if a long-dead soldier wandered into the Strider base, without anyone catching wind of it, and started wreaking havoc?"

"I'd find him and shoot him, but that's just my Maverick showing. Last I checked, you do things by the book, anyway."

"He may have information on Hien."

"Then what are you waiting for, go get him!"

Quint nodded his head, and pulled back the right sleeve on his hoodie. All Time Masters are equipped with a technology from 20XX called Armor Recall((4)), which allowed them to summon their armor suit remotely and equip it instantaneously. Though the technology wouldn't be widely available until 21XX, Earth Guardians got a prototype early. And as Quint posed as an alternate reality Mega Man when he worked for Wily - covertly trying to find and destroy the Time Skimmer he stole, mind – to say nothing of his Time Master occupation... you can see where this is going. Quint rolled back his right sleeve, which revealed a watch-like apparatus with five buttons with different labels for each century the Time Masters oversaw: 19XX, 20XX, 21XX, 22XX, and 23XX.((5)) He pushed the one marked 20XX, and in seconds, he had reappeared in a green suit of armor, bearing a white crest shaped like a diamond, and completely white hair, compared to his typical brown hair with white streaks.

Each Time Master also came equipped with standard issue Rapid Reload ((6)) energy pistols and the Acceleration Module found in 21XX reploids after the first Maverick incursion. Quint's original weapon, a clumsy and unwieldy jackhammer-pogo-stick hybrid called Sakugarne, was actually created by Dr. Wily, perhaps to undermine his ability to counter the original Mega Man. (though, in fairness, when Rock did eventually acquire that weapon, he tossed it in the recycling bin after one use. "It sucked", said he.) However, he used the parts from Sakugarne to create a weapon he referred to as the Switch Axe, a weapon that could theoretically morph from a zweihander to a battleaxe and back((7)).

As Quint dashed away, the Switch Axe on his back, a Strider had noticed the rushing robot and said "I think we have a weapon like that..."

Frame: Balcony, Strider Outpost; 14:05 GMT

Tong Pooh, the second-oldest of what had been known as the Winds ((8)), was walking down the balcony, taking in the view. It was a beautiful view, and she had previously surmised that the reason her father, the alien ruler Mei-oh wanted to conquer Earth wasn't its military might or strategic value, but its sights. As she took a breath of the mountain air, the ceiling started to crumble. A soldier, bearing a suit of armor resembling decorative fatigues and wielding what appeared to be a club, fell down from the heights, blunt end of the club facing down, as if he stabbed downward.

"I am sorry, but do I know you?" Tong Pooh asked as nicely as she could, what with being an assassin from another world and all. "You seem to be lost."

"Nay, I am searching for my sister Iris. She's here in this building, and I will not rest until I find her."

"If she was in this complex, I am sure the Striders would help you find her efficiently."

Right then, something clicked in the soldier's head. "Striders? What are Striders?"

"Even I am not truly sure. There are those that say they are bounty hunters, others that say they are ninjas. What I do know is this: they are your friends unless proven otherwise."

"Perhaps they can help me retrieve my sister from the Maverick Hunters."

Now it was Tong Pooh's turn to raise an eyebrow. "The last I checked, we don't have a organization like that in this world, though I could be wrong." She then asked, "what did these Maverick Hunters do to you or your sister?"

A voice from the other end of the balcony shouted, "there he is!"

In a swift motion, the soldier took action by grabbing Tong Pooh's neck, and holding his club to her forehead. "Stand back or she d-guh!" that last syllable was uttered by a kick to the gut, which was followed up by the assassin vaulting over the soldier. "That is what you get for thinking I am simply a meat shield, as you humans would say."

"I am not human! I am Colonel Thorne of the Repliforce, and I am INVINCIBL-ulp!"

Colonel Thorne doubled over in pain, and the person who was heading towards the balcony was revealed to be Strider Hiryu. "Remind me never to get on your bad side." he said.

"I am sure that has not stopped you."

"True."

soundtest 0E: after the fact - Mission Report (Mega Man X6)

Frame: Outside Strider Outpost, Tibet; 14:10 GMT

after saying their goodbyes to the rest of the people there, three people who had entered the Strider Outpost with the express intent on finding Hien found instead a man out of time. "That was a bit of a bust." Roll remarked. "Did we find anything on Hien?" she continued, to which Hiryu responded, "Well... no. One of our techies hooked me up with an Option((9)), though."

"Cool! What does it do?"

"It's called Pilot((10)); it's supposed to track anyone or anything, anywhere in the world."

Hiryu had held out a technological wonder of a triangular badge, which just so happened to hover. "Can we use it to find Hien?" Roll asked. "Decommissioned Strider Hien is located in Moscow, Russia." a synthesized voice within the badge spoke.

"That was fast."

"I can track faster than any robot currently on the planet."

Roll smiled, "and it's got a way with words, too."

Before they left the premises for Russia, another voice said "WAIT!" fairly loud. The party turned around to see Colonel Thorne standing at the entrance to the Strider Outpost. "I wish to join your cause. Your friend told me of your intentions, which are noble enough." Strider Hiryu raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to join us? Don't you still need to find your sister?"

"The way I see it, my best bet is to travel with those who are already traveling. Besides, your friend told me she wasn't here. Or rather, not now."

As soon as the soldier said those words, the fourth member of their party finally arrived. "Sorry I'm late, guys. I had to convince the big guy here to join our party.", Quint said. Roll asked Hiryu, "What is this, a RPG?"((11))

"You know what they say, the more the merrier." Hiryu answered. He then turned to Quint. "What does he mean by 'not now?'"

"Maybe you should listen to a story I'm about to tell you..."

[-EYECATCH-]

[notes]

((1))

I realize that in previous chapters I referred to the character as Ton Pooh, but I picked up the most recent Strider game, and in that game, she's referred to as Tong Pooh. From here on in, the character's name is Tong Pooh.

((2))

That's how wars get started.

((3))

SNAFU actually stands for Situation Normal, All Fouled Up. There's a less than family-friendly term for this too.

((4))

Here's a Time Trap reference again.

((5))

Okay, here's a serious bit. The Time Masters focus on five time periods in this fic: the War Against Destiny of 19XX, the Wily Wars of 20XX, the Maverick Wars of 21XX, the Elf Wars and Neo Arcadian Period of 22XX, and the Game of Destiny period of 23XX. Time Masters focus less over the Battle Network, Star Force, or Legends eras of the Mega Man timeline, since Battle Network and Star Force are their own unique timelines and Legends is technically too far in the future to accurately track.

((6))

for the European fans of mine (if there are any), Rapid Reload is a Gunstar Heroes-alike for the PS1 also known as Gunner's Heaven. The game never reached American shores. In universe, Rapid Reload refers to the clipless design of energy pistols, such as the ones Axl uses in 21XX. They're called Rapid Reload simply because they replenish ammo quickly.

((7))

I've been getting into more another Capcom property lately, namely Monster Hunter, and though I don't use the Switch Axe nearly enough (Charge Blade/Hammer for life), the weapon does translate well to an improvising robot like Quint. It's better than that stupid pogo stick.

((8))

The Winds, in the most recent Strider game, refers to the team of Pei Pooh, Nang Pooh, Tong Pooh, and their teacher Xi Wang Mu. In this story, only Tong Pooh remains.

((9))

Options are a common gameplay mechanic in the Strider games as a whole, so to not include them here would be criminal. In-story, they're classified as mechaniloids akin to Mettaurs, since they do not come with an onboard AI. Well, except for...

((10))

Another element from the new Strider game, Option-D, aka Pilot, acts as your navigator to point you in the right direction, effectively a less annoying, more efficient version of Alia from X5, and also a necessity due to the metroidvania nature of the game.

((11))

I don't think Roll plays many video games in the official timeline, since she's so busy with housekeeping and, on occasion, being in fighting games. Then again, this arc is basically turning into an RPG anyway, so why not hang a lampshade on it?

[Character Spotlight]

Takeshi Hiryu

"Strider Hiryu, the High Tech Assassin"

Though only in his early-to-mid twenties, the Strider known as Takeshi Hiryu is the greatest asset to the Strider para-military organization, having achieved the Special-A Class in only a decade. Despite his legendary status, Hiryu technically doesn't belong to the organization, having took up mercenary work. An orphan and without any living siblings, he trains the android Roll Light in the way of the Strider; yet the two seem to be rubbing off on each other. He can be a bit brash, but he can back it up. Although only human, his achievements stand alongside the previously discussed Mega Man.

[MESSAGE FROM ROCK LIGHT]

Hey guys, Mega Man here. Things have been quiet for a bit, but then some guy who claims to be named Mega Man X enters the scene. If that's the guy Blues was talking about, then I'll need to have a talk with Dr. Light. If that wasn't enough, Syakuei's being tracked by Wave Man, who isn't one of my Robot Master contacts.

?: "Rock, get your blue can over here before this guy shorts out my powers!"

Let's meet up again in Stage 6: "Water Can Destroy Pulseman!" That doesn't sound good...