Meeting the Truth

"GRAGH!" Spike skidded across the ground on his feet with his arms in front of his face. Krauser approached him with his hands emitting green smoke.

"You're still not powerful enough to defeat me. I suggest continuing with the task before I report you as M.I.A." Krauser mocked.

"Heh. Well I suggest that you back away before you're reported as K.I.A.!" Spike rushed in with his hands charging electricity.

"Hmph, you think a threat like that will work?" Krauser grabbed both his arms threw him above his head "Who do you think gave you these augmentations?! I know everything about it, including how to counter it!" A nozzle came out of the palm of his hand and sprayed liquid all over the lying Spike.

Spike crossed his arm in front of his head to try and defend himself against the oncoming liquid "GAH! Shit, no!...Hang on." He stood up "This isn't acid, it's just normal water." He looked at Krauser "You thought the water was going to electrocute me, didn't you? Too bad for you, I have this suit on."

"Yes, you are safe, until you use those electrical powers of yours."

"Wha-"

"The suit will open up microscopic holes where you use the electrical powers, at which point, the water will enter your suit and contact the skin and, well, I'm sure you know the rest." Krauser explained with a mocking tone.

"GRGH, I never knew that! He knows all of my weaknesses. He metaphorically built me, so it would make sense that he has a way to counter everything."

"Will you surrender and do your original task, or continue to your unnecessary demise?"

"Tch." Spike brought out his claws.

"So, you continue to persist. And for what reason?"

"As if you give a damn!" He rushed in preparing to stab him.

"Hmph." Krauser held his right hand out.

Spike launched his fist at him. Krauser caught the spikes between his fingers.

"You're...kidding...!"

Krauser tilted his hand and broke the spikes.

"GAH!" Spike stepped back and held the hand where his spikes broke.

"It must really hurt to have a part of your body broken, but at the very least, it will grow back, albeit, slowly." Krauser taunted.

"D...Damn you...!" Spike cursed.

"You wouldn't be in so much pain if you'd just follow your orders." Krauser pushed his glasses up "Not only did I create your way of fighting, but I've also observed your battle capabilities. I can predict your every move."

"Predict this!"

Krauser looked to the side before being blasted away by a large red beam. Krauser crashed into a rock that was a long distance away from the road. Spike looked to the side where Walker was bent down.

"Well...we're never going to use that move again."

"It's one of those rare times where I agree with you." Stalker replied.

Walker looked up to Spike. They both stared in silence.

"...Why'd you help me?"

Walker stood back up and brushed his sleeves "Don't get the wrong idea. I just wanted to kick that guy's ass."

"Hmph, I had him right where I want him."

"Really? It looked like you were getting your ass handed to you."

"Shut up!" Spike yelled back "Anyway, I feel like I should say thanks...but I don't want to."

"Ungrateful prick..." Walker muttered before sitting down "Damn, that last attack made me exhausted."

"Tch. Now that you mention it, I'm tired too." Spike lied down.

Walker sighed "I wonder how Filia's doin'."

Filia kept launching tendrils after tendrils at Valentine, but the nurse kept dodging every one of them. She jumped into the air and threw a rain of scalpels down on her. Painwheel ran in front and spun her blades to block them. She then spun it faster as she was hoisted up and flew towards the still-airborne Valentine. The nurse took out her bonesaw and slashed at the monstrous girl, but she flew down in time and approached from behind.

"This is an interesting turn of events. I didn't expect you to turn on us easily." Valentine commented.

"Valentine...!" Painwheel then swung her gigantic pinwheel blade around and launched it at the nurse. Valentine did a back flip and landed both her feet on the sawblade. She then jumped off and did another back flip as she dived down at Painwheel with her foot out and calipers attached to it. Painwheel crossed her arms as she got kicked to the ground. Valentine was still in the air when Filia flew above her, and then did a dive kick with a mouth around her foot. Valentine could only counter with her own kick, with the calipers still attached to her feet. Filia flipped over her and landed near Painwheel.

"She's hard to hit." Filia said.

"We need to think of something, now!" Samson said.

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking!"

"Filia!"

Just then, Painwheel jumped in front of her with her blades spinning behind her, as they deflected the oncoming scalpels.

It was then that Samson got an idea "Looks like that thing has a use, after all."

"Samson-"

"We'll talk about name-calling later." He looked at Painwheel who was glaring at Valentine "We'll need its help."

"What's the plan?" FIlia asked.

"I'll tell you both. Hey, you, come 'ere." Samson called out to Painwheel.

Painwheel ignored him and just kept staring.

"Hey, you deaf or somethin'? I said come 'ere!"

Painwheel still ignored him.

"Hrgh, stubborn little-" He then looked at Filia "Why don't you try?"

"Huh? Okay." Filia turned to the monstrous girl "Hello! Do you mind helping us?"

This time, Painwheel perked up and turned towards Filia.

"What are they up to?" Valentine just watched as Painwheel walked over to Filia and talked with her. Then both of them nodded and turned back to Valentine.

"Valentine!" Painwheel suddenly rushed up to her with spikes coming out of her right arm. Valentine brought out her bonesaw and blocked her arm.

"If this is your plan it isn't exactly-" She looked over Painwheel's shoulder to see Filia's shoes hit her face "Ugh!" Valentine skidded back a couple of feet.

Filia then moved her head towards the ground as Samson dug himself into it and came out from beneath the nurse's feet. She jumped up in time but failed to block the incoming punch from Painwheel. She landed on her feet then dropped to one knee.

"Tch, so that's your plan? Simple, but a little effective, I'll admit." Valentine said. She then turned her head and saw Krauser with his back against a rock "Looks like we can't exactly win against a couple of these kids." She looked towards the other two "It's your lucky day girls." She jumped towards the right and grabbed Krauser.

"Valentine...what are you-"

"They got us outnumbered with the bait-and-switch and techniques." Valentine carried him by his shoulder "We'll have to run, and come back another time."

"...Very well." He looked at Spike "Porcupain..." Then at Painwheel "Painwheel..." He looked back at Spike "From now on, you are marked as traitors as Lab Zero. The next time we meet, it will be on the orders to kill." Krauser pressed something and they both teleported.

"Glad that's been dealt with." Samson said.

Filia ran to Walker "Walker, are you fine?"

Walker groaned "Why the hell are you worried about me? Sides, it'll take more than some of Crackpot's punches to break me."

Samson opened his eye on the Walker's back "Your broken bones and bruises tell me otherwise."

"Let me act like a man, you freak."

Spike looked at the both of them and then back up at the sky "I'm a traitor now, huh? Well, on the bright side, no more work." He tried standing up, and could barely stand on his feet "If you'll excuse me, I gotta find someone." He walked away.

"Wait." Filia called out to him "Your badly hurt, too. Don't you think you should go to a hospital, or at least get some rest?"

"What are you, my mom?"

Filia looked at him angrily "I'm concerned about you, you jerk!"

"Forget the little bastard." Walker sat up "Leave him. We're not his babysitter."

"Filia..."

Filia turned her head to see Painwheel "Um, thank you."

"Filia...do you...remember me...?"

"Uh..." She just stared at her, thinking hard "I'm sorry, but I lost my memory, so no."

"It's me...it's Carol..."

"Carol..." Filia then widened her eyes "Wait, I think I do know you."

Spike, who didn't walk far just looked back "Hm, I guess that means she's free to do what ever." He looked back at Walker and just stopped. He stared at him for a while.

"You're really lazy, y'know that?"

"That's thanks to you, big bro."

Spike then fell to his knees and grabbed his helmet "Grgh...! Rgh...! Not...again...!" He banged his head onto the ground a couple of times before bringing it up "Agh! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!" Then, spikes bursted out of his helmet.

Everyone then looked at Spike in shock "What...just happened...?!" Walker said.

"Is he...?"

The spikes then retracted as he feel onto the ground and his helmet broke into pieces.

"That was...sudden." Walker commented.

Later, Cerebella came back while holding a barely conscious Francis on her shoulder, the pieces of Ms Fortune in one of Vice Versa's hand, and an unconscious Kage in the other.

"Hey, what did we miss?"

Stalker opened an eye in front of Walker's jacket "We barely survived against that doctor and his nurse, then lightning boy over there screamed and fainted." He answered, as he pointed a tentacle towards Spike at the last part.

"What about you?" Walker asked, specifically towards Francis "You look like you didn't do exactly well."

"You try...fighting against...a metal armed soldier...and a magic boy...in a row..." Francis spoke.

Walker then stood up "Okay...now what?"

"Well..." Filia looked towards Spike.

Walker noticed this "Fine, we'll get him some help."

"Really?"

"He doesn't look like he'll be fine on his own, anyway." Walker said as he walked towards him "I might be an anarchist, but I've got a conscience."

"You're gettin' a bit soft, Walker." Stalker told him.

Walker punched him in response "I can still pound you hard." He reached Spike and turned him onto his back "Alright let's get you to a-" He looked at his face and widened his eye.

"...Hey, what's up?"

"No...way..." Walker rubbed his eyes and stared at Spike again "...S...Spike...?"

"Walker...Hey..."

The others just looked confused as when Walker suddenly just stopped.

"What's up...with him...?" Francis said.

"Beats me." Cerebella replied.

Spike then started gaining consciousness again, and slowly opened his eyes "I'm...starting to hate these painful flashbacks." He muttered. He then saw Walker staring at him, and promptly sat up and skidded back "W-What's up?! You wanna fight or somethin'?!"

"...Spike...It's me."

"...Huh?" Spike tilted his head.

"It's Walker." Walker stood up as he put a thumb on his chest "It's your big bro."

"Oh, okay...Wait..." The gears started working in Spike's head as he just registered what Walker said "...WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" He immediately stood up "Wait...You're tellin' me, you, a rough, brickheaded dumbass, are my big brother?!"

"I'm still registering the fact that a sarcastic, rude bastard like you is my little brother!"

Everyone on the sidelines just stared back at them, with their mouths wide open.

"I'm not starting to get hairballs in my ears, right?" Ms. Fortune said.

"They're...brothers?" Filia said.

"This is a shocking developement." Kage said.

"When did you get up?!" Cerebella immediately yelled at him.

"You Wise Ass!"

Everyone turned around to see Peacock walking towards them twisting her arms and giant fist mark on her face "I'm gonna pound you to the ground, Miss Muscle Head!"

"Oh yeah, you and what army?" Cerebella taunted.

The Black Egrets then surrounded them, with Parasoul, Arselite, and Mage, all battered and bruised.

"And people say I'm the loud-mouth." Ms Fortune said.

Note: Got this stuff done, finally! Sorry about the delay...again. I had mock exams and shit, but I finally did this.

Oh yeah, and I have another story called Multi-Dimensional Agents, and I'd like you guys to read and review it. Yeah, yeah, shameless plug, I know.