Chapter 9: Electrical Encounter
"We're sorry, Folly." Tizio apologized.
"Yeah, for real." Caio concurred.
Inside their unique hideout, the two small robots were standing right in front of Folly, the Jester sitting on the back of her shadow creature, Inverse. Sempronio stood right beside the Jester, arms folded. They were just delivered the news of Tizio and Caio's respective failures in their tasks from earlier in the day.
But Folly couldn't help but smirk despite their somewhat terror-filled apologies.
"Oh, it's quite alright~"
Tizio and Caio's eyes both widened, and they exchanged glances before looking back at their boss once more. Even Sempronio cocked his head towards Folly, having expected her to scold them like she did when she got drenched in rain because of their inability to call her sooner (though Sempronio still believes the blame is hers alone).
Before the minions could respond, Folly took over, placing her left leg right on top of her right knee with a smug smile. Her gaze fell upon Caio, her smile making even this Batton visibly frightened as he shook in his non-existent boots.
"If anything was left behind and it got into the enemy's hands, it'd tie them to Graver, not us. It would've been better if you came back with what you found, but it's not that big of a deal, honestly~"
Her gaze then fell upon Tizio next, and just like his Batton ally, this Mettaur jumped when she looked at him with her sinister smile.
"As for you, it's in your nature to want to challenge Mega Man and his Chosen One~" She coo'ed. "And using those Chosen Ones we found, Keegan and Jack, were a good starting point for our experiment."
Folly then placed her hand on her chin as her smirk changed to a more natural, calmer smile. "Still... They weren't enough. Three Mega Men in our control have come back to their senses, and we don't have access to anymore right now... And the Gravers aren't proving themselves to be very useful. We'll have to kick things up a notch soon before things actually become a little troublesome for us..."
Sempronio turned to face Folly completely, still having his arms folded. "Mistress, if I may?"
Folly looked at him with one eye open, curious to what he had to say. With Folly's approving nod, Sempronio continued, "What of the Biometal we found in that Pseudoroid, Wingwave?"
Folly smirked once more, placing her hands on Inverse's back while the beast purred in a surprisingly cute manner.
"...Well, your 'Mistress' has been researching this Biometal. I'm still not entirely sure who created this Pseudoroid or the Biometal or how both were here on the island, but those are questions I have for Master... Whenever he has the time to reach back to me."
Folly looked at Tizio and Caio who straightened their postures immediately.
"The Biometal contains a soul that I recognized the moment I laid eyes on its compact form~ This rock is how we're going to kick things up a notch."
"But we need a stupid host, don't we?" Caio asked in annoyance.
"Indeed." Folly confirmed with a nod. "We found Keegan and Jack of all people, didn't we~? We'll just have to repeat the process again. But unlike those two, I have chosen a useful host already. Hopefully he'll be a better opponent for Rokku than the three he's faced so far~"
Sempronio stood and lowered his arms. "If that boy succeeds in liberating this Chosen One, won't that be troublesome for us?"
"Perhaps." Folly answered. "But win or lose, it doesn't really matter~"
Sempronio nodded, seemingly content with the response. "We await your command, Mistress."
"As you should," Folly countered smugly. "But we alone won't be enough for the plan."
With a sinister grin from ear to ear, she hops off Inverse's back and places her hands on her hips in a rather sassy manner.
"We'll need the cooperation of another teammate: That fashion diva~"
Rokku walked through the halls of the Guardian outpost on Selena Island. Although he was now a Guardian, he hadn't yet explored the Ground Base much... given that he only yesterday became a Guardian. A reminder of how busy things have gotten for the young lad. Regardless, Rokku made his way to the infirmary to check up on two individuals he's met and fought recently.
Unfortunately, the battle at the rocky shores gave the Gravers ample time to escape with all their resources. Other than the broken remains of the Mavericks that were sent out, there wasn't anything useful for the Guardians and Sentries to take. The Gravers left behind were captured and incarcerated. Just like the last batch they gathered yesterday in Kairos City, these Gravers weren't very cooperative.
Still, the cavern itself was noted to be...artificially made, not a natural occurrence. That detail has left Rokku a little puzzled since he left there and made it back to the region he's most comfortable at. However, that was a focus for another time. Just like the Quarry.
Entering the room, he found a very large muscular man in a bed, wrapped in bandages, a shorter but still tall young man in another bed with bandages wrapped around his primarily, and finally a shorter little boy also with bandages around his forehead. All three were awake and aware of Rokku's entry in their shared room.
"Hey there." Rokku greeted as his Biometal floated out of his pocket and hovered beside him. "Model M and I came to check up on you guys after... Y'know, the fight we had. How you guys holding up?"
Alphonse was abnormally tall and muscular. The "behemoth" title that the Gravers gave him was somewhat fitting given his abnormal physique. Despite his somewhat scary appearance, he did look quite handsome and could probably be a ladies' man with how good looking he was. He had black slicked-back, somewhat spiky hair too. Although he had slightly tanned skin, his body was a similar color to some of the bodysuits Rokku tends to see people wear nowadays... Or just have that color as their skin for a variety of reasons.
...Rokku personally didn't like bodysuits or any of that aside from when he's megamerged.
Still, Alphonse was the first to speak. "It's been rough, I won't lie. But the Guardians and Sentries have been taking good care of me despite my condition. I am very grateful."
"We both are!" Model Gu, sitting on a desk right next to Alphonse, replied.
"Ha ha, I'm sure happy to see you again, Guts Man!" Model M replied, sounding the most eager Rokku's ever heard him since meeting the Biometal.
Keegan had light skin and wild-looking mid-back length blond hair. He looked younger than Alphonse but he was certainly older than Rokku. His body wasn't as muscular than Alphonse's, not by a long shot, but his slim yet muscular body was nothing to scoff at either as his broad shoulders were the most defining trait for Rokku. His fiery red eyes were also very noticeable to the boy... He couldn't tell if the mind controlled yellow eyes or his burning red eyes were scarier.
"I'm also making a fine recovery." Keegan replied next after he heard Model M talk with an old friend of his. "I would love nothing more than to get off this bed, but the nurse insists I stay put..."
Rokku chuckled a bit. "I guess I'm glad I'm not in your shoes...?"
He sounded like he regrated those words after he spoke. Not only because Keegan seemed mildly offended by his words but... Given how much he's done in such a short span of a time, a good long rest sounds good right now.
"You want to repeat that?" Keegan asked eagerly.
"Haha, sorry~" Rokku chuckled some more, this time in a nervous manner. He then looked at the final person in the room. "How about you, Jack?
The youngest in the room had short white hair and piercing blue eyes. His skin was easily the lightest and fairest of them all. He had average physique as expected of a 8-9 year old like himself, but he was fit all the same. He wore a simple blue and white dress shirt and a bodysuit underneath much like Alphonse; same color and all.
"I'm okay!" Jack replied with a beaming smile. "The pretty nurse said we'd all make a great recovery really soon!"
Right behind Rokku, Aimer entered inside.
"Oh? Rokku?" She greeted before walking past him. She headed towads Jack, but continued speaking. "Didn't expect you here."
Jack watched as Aimer approached him and the young scientist spoke.
"Here you go, Jack. Model Ic is all good to go."
She gave Jack Model Ic, a small Biometal looking like he was wearing a parka hoodie akin to what Jack wore when he was megamerged. She then went to Keegan with another Biometal in her other hand.
"And here you are, Keegan. Model Fi is set too."
Aimer placed the Biometal in Keegan's hand. He looked like the helmet Keegan wore when he was megamerged, complete with the flame on top of the helmet like a torch. However, the torch wasn't...real. It was like it was toy, not being legitimate. Then again, that'd be quite the problem design-wise if Model Fi genuinely had a constantly lit torch at all times...
"Wow! That was fast!" Jack cheered.
"Agreed... I expected this to take much longer!" Keegan exclaimed in astonishment. "I can reignite my flame once more!"
"Fortunately, Fi and Ic didn't require a whole lot of repairs." Aimer admitted. "Model Gu went through what seemed like years of not getting any touch ups..."
"Hey, it's not my fault!" Model Gu retorted. "Blame whoever brought me back in this weird body!"
Aimer folded her arms and frowned.
"Sadly though, just like with Model Gu, I couldn't find anything useful data about who did this to you guys. All I found was a unique brainwash program installed just like with Gu."
"All the same, I thank you for the help, madam." Model Fi replied.
"Absolutely! I didn't think I'd be with a Chosen One under these circumstances." Model Ic added before looking at Jack. "Do you mind if I stick with you? We're compatiable together and all..."
"Yay! I'd love that, Mr. Ic!" Jack grinned and practically hugged his Biometal.
Rokku smiled watching a new partnership form. Having seen Model Gu with Alphonse, Model Fi with Keegan, and Model Ic with Jack, he was glad to see Biometals and Chosen Ones being as friendly as he and Model M were.
"I'm glad to see you guys being friends!" Model M shared the group's enthusiasm as he floated closer to them. "But Ice- Er, Model Ic, if you don't mind me asking, where were you before you met Jack?"
"Sorry, but I don't really remember." Model Ic apologized. "I kinda just...came back to life? All I remember was being in a cold, dark room before some jester grabbed me. The rest is a blur but I remember fighting you and your partner."
"I see..." Model M then turned to Model Fi. "What about you Fi?"
Model Fi floated out of Keegan's hand. "I'm afraid that my story's a little similar to Ice Man. I don't remember how I came to be, but I... Well, let's just say I've partnered with Keegan for a year now."
"But we were caught off guard by these strange looking Raiders." Keegan continued. "We came to this island to visit. We didn't expect villains to be here."
"All the same, we're lucky to have met each other after all this time." Model Fi stated. "It's been centuries, hasn't it?"
"It sure has!" Model Ic agreed. "It feels like we woke up from a long sleep in a brand new world."
"I felt the same way." Model M nervously chuckled in agreement.
Aimer frowned as she heard Model M converse with his fellow allies.
"Robot Masters from the 21st Century being revived in modern day..."
Rokku himself was puzzled by what they were talking about. He hadn't gotten to know his own partner, just knowing he's the living legend called "Mega Man" according to Folly and her goons. But he looked at Aimer next given that she sounded like she had even more knowledge than he did.
Even Model M looked at Aimer. "Hang on. You know about me?"
Aimer placed her hands on her hips. "I figured it out the day we met. Not a lot of people remember the past since a lot of recorded history is pretty scarce. But I know how Robot Masters were...essentially the precursor to Reploids like myself."
"We're gonna have to get to know each other a little better, Model M." Rokku grinned nervously. "We've been partners for days now after all and I feel like there's so much I don't know about ya."
"We just haven't found a good time to really talk about it." Model M also laughed nervously. He knew quite a bit about his partner, but his partner didn't know much about him. He felt a little guilty about that as Rokku, being the person he chose to use his power, deserved to know his past. But Mavericks, Pseudoroids, and Berserk Mega Men have occupied their time, sadly.
"Still, we have four Biometals with souls from the 21st Century." Aimer began thinking aloud. "Not to mention those... Three stooges that looked like a Sniper Joe, Mettaur, and Batton; robots also from the 21st Century."
"You mean the Trouble Trio?" Rokku asked, rubbing his temple with his index finger as he had an intense thinking face. "That's what Tizio said earlier, anyway. Sounds like they took my idea from when we first met..."
"Yeah, yeah." Aimer waved him off dismissively, not particularly fond of the name. "The pieces are coming together here, guys. If these wackos have any other brainwashed Mega Men, they probably have Biometals with souls from the same era as the ones we have here."
The thought pained Model M. Assuming Aimer's theory was solid, he'd see another Biometal from his era which means it'd be possible he'd see another familiar face like the three he's already reacquainted with.
But this was just a theory at the moment. As far as Model M knew, they had no idea what the enemy had in store for them.
"...If you're right Aimer, then Model M and I will have to save them just like Alphonse, Keegan, and Jack!" Rokku slammed his right fist into his left hand with a determined look.
"I'll gladly lend you my strength." Alphonse spoke up, earning the attention of everyone in the room.
"Huuuh...?" Rokku muttered in surprise.
"Years ago, I was forced into this new body by people I can't remember. The experience has been difficult to go through, and the Gravers abusing me did nothing to elevate my suffering. Still, they are clearly working with a greater evil." Alphonse explained. "I was once a soldier in a nation that had been overrun with Mavericks. Even though I did not intend to be a soldier, I still wanted to be useful. Now, with my Biometal, I'd like to get a little payback on the big cheese in charge of all this."
"I hear that!" Model Gu roared.
"Ditto!" Jack also agreed, earning the attention of everyone just like with Alphonse. "Last I remember was that weird hard hat bot bopping me on the head with a mallet! They're called Mettaurs right? And it sounds like they're affiliated with some evil group you guys know? Then I want to help too!"
"I swear on my flames of justice that I will purge this island from these evil invaders!" Keegan roared excitedly.
"Sentiments are shared with all of us, it seems!" Model M cheered.
Rokku was taken aback. He didn't expect this at all. A smile formed on his face as a bit of weight left his shoulders, but before he could say anything, Aimer beat him to it.
"That's great you guys!" Aimer grinned excitedly. "Sadly, I don't think it's a good idea to start moving until the nurse gives you guys the OK to do so. But Rokku, Model M, and I will be waiting on all of you when you're seriously ready to help out~ The more, the merrier!"
Jack then frowned. "...Ummmm. That reminds me... After what we did, will the Guardians or anyone really accept us...?"
Rokku frowned as well, folding his arms. "What do you mean?"
"I'm from Empire City. I don't have a home to go to since my Grandpa died a two months ago..." Jack explained. "Some Guardians were going to this island and I snuck on one of their ships to come. I wanted to be a Guardian since I could help people and have a home, but... Rokku is a Guardian, isn't he? I fought him..."
Rokku sighed as he gave the situation some thought.
"You weren't yourself, Jack." He began. "Neither of you were. And if Folly or the Gravers have any more Chosen Ones like you, then they probably won't be themselves either. If you wanna be a Guardian, I'll vouch for you!"
"R-Really?!" Jack beamed. "Thank you, Mister Rokku!"
Rokku shrugged bashfully, blushing a bit from his appreciation. Aimer couldn't help but smirk noticing.
"Speaking of which, where's Raiden?" Model M asked.
Rokku snapped out of his bashful state and shared Model M's sentiments. "Oh yeah! I thought he might've been in here too, but he's totally not! I mean, sure, he's part of Sentry and not the Guardians, but these guys are working together!"
"Oh Raiden? The guy with the blond and black hair?" Aimer asked. "He actually came here with Keegan and Jack, but he left a while ago. Raiden was stubborn, saying his arm was fine and everything. Maybe it was, but he should've stuck around until the nurse gave him the actual go ahead to leave."
Rokku frowned a bit. "Aw, shucks... I was hoping to see him after how helpful he's been."
Aimer blinked. "Did he meet that guy at some point?" she thought.
She personally didn't know Raiden even though they were part of the same organization. All she heard was that he got his arm hurt at the rocky shores and then left from the Guardian outpost despite the nurse's protests.
"Oh well, guess you'll have to catch him some other time." Aimer shrugged.
At sunset, a short-haired spiky teenager with blond and black hair walked in Kairos City. His right arm was covered in a cast by the Guardian nurse he spoke with, but he left not even an hour later. His arm hurt, sure, but he felt he didn't need the cast. He kept it on despite his disagreements, however.
Outside of his Sentry gear, Raiden wore a simple black, yellow and red outfit. His hoodie was predominately red with the front and back being black. He wore baggy black pants with a fancy yellow belt holding up those pants. Finally, he wore yellow and black shoes resembling that of converse shoes from the old days, but with modern day flair. That white cast on his right arm stook out and not in a good way according to Raiden.
He hasn't been a member of Sentry for a full year and he's already gotten well acquainted with his group. He's even met a Mega Man that didn't look too much younger than him and he was a Guardian if he's heard his sources right. The thought of working with a Mega Man, even as one as young as that one, put a smile on Raiden's face.
But he didn't have work completely on his mind. Taking his focus was a certain coffee shop that he was hustling over in hopes of getting there before it closed for the day. He knew a Guardian named Antoine who's been spending time on the island certainly liked coming to this coffee shop and just from the few visits Raiden's had, he couldn't help but agree with that Guardian's taste.
"Great." Raiden thought eagerly in his mind as he spotted the shop from afar with people still sitting outside of it peacefully, minding their own business. "It's still open."
Just as he was going to open the gates to get to the front doors, he heard a shriek from not very far. The Sentry soldier wasn't the only one to hear the scream as other bystanders looked on in the direction of that scream. To Raiden's shock, he saw a girl being chased by some bat robot. The girl looked to be wearing a professional business outfit despite her not looking much older than him. She had clutched her head and was running as fast as she could from the bat robot, its sinister eyes and creepy smile and cackling doing nothing to put Raiden's mind at ease.
"Stay away! Stay awaaay!" The girl cried.
Her fright got the other people scared and fleeing too. Even a small bat bot like this one was enough to get the people frightened and running away. Raiden thought that was a bit embarrassing at first since it was just one small Maverick that could probably be taken out with one shot, but then he had to remember that this island's inhabitants have been dealing with quite a bit for the past few days. Any Maverick would frighten them.
But then the bat bot started shooting energy shots from its mouth, almost like it were spitting these blasts. They barely missed the girl's feet, but when the shots hit the ground, it made a loud explosion sound. The girl jumped each time the shots just barely missed her foot as she ran, screaming even more as she feared for her life.
At that point, Raiden used his left hand to reach for his belt and pull out a Sentry-issued Buster-Pistol and start dashing after the girl and bat bot while the people fled screaming as much as the girl he was following.
"Hold it right there!"
He shouted more at both the girl and bat bot as he chased them. He thought he could catch up to them, but they were moving surprisingly fast. Raiden had to push himself further to catch up to the bat bot especially. He wanted to shoot, but with the bot hot on the girl's tail, he was afraid of the possibility of his shot hitting the girl instead. Not helping was the fact that Raiden was right-handed and guess how his right arm is doing now. He'd keep his Buster-Pistol on hand, anyway. When he had a good chance, he'd strike.
The girl turned a corner and then fled to an alleyway with the bat bot laughing as it followed right after her. Raiden clicked his tongue and ran faster to catch up before the girl got hurt. Making a sharp turn and dashing into the alley, he frantically screeched to a halt as he wasn't running into an alleyway at all, but rather a dead-end between some tall buildings in the Downtown area.
But even more shocking, the girl and bat bot were nowhere to be found. It was as if they disappeared in thin air which wasn't impossible given the world he lived in where teleportation was prevalent. But there were zero signs of them jumping the walls to get to the rooftops or anything. The girl was wearing heels too, so there was no way she did that.
He was beginning to question if what he was just chasing was even real, but he felt that was too ridiculous to believe. But what wasn't too ridiculous was another dreadful thought he just had. Rather than ponder it, Raiden quickly turned around to escape, but his route was completely blocked by a new arrival.
He could barely see this individual, but he knew they were female and looked...clownish to Raiden. But although the setting sun created a lot of shadows in this area, especially where Raiden was at, the soldier could've sworn he saw the girl make an unnerving smile in the shape of a crescent moon that glowed brightly.
This girl extends her hand out to Raiden and speaks, "You will do just fine... Raiden~"
Before the young man knew it, he was sinking to the ground via something he's never seen before. And it wasn't a slow descent either. The last thing he heard were the sinister giggles from the girl who called out his name before he disappeared completely. His vision went dark after that...
"...The cave was empty. Looks like we were too late."
Rokku and Aimer were speaking right outside the Guardian outpost. The sun had practically set completely, allowing the night to creep over. The two teens had talked about the results of their respective investigations with Rokku finishing up his report.
"Well, that bites." Aimer pouted. "We can apprehend as many of these Gravers as we'd like, but it's not going to mean much if they aren't talking..."
Rokku didn't understand the legal stuff or the process of getting information. He didn't really care much, either. It just wasn't on his mind. But he agreed with Aimer's complaints.
"...Yeah." Rokku frowned.
"What about you, Aimer?" Model M asked, floating beside Rokku.
Aimer had her hands in her lab coat's pockets. "The investigation was pretty lousy to be honest. Someone was definitely there, and the Gravers are easy to pin the blame on. Even that weird Batton, Caio, was there trying to take some weird object away. I managed to take it from him, but that's all that we could salvage. These guys sure know how to make a clean getaway..."
"I bet Folly is the reason for that. Or at least part of it." Model M theorized. "It's just like with the Bank in Kairos City. Her powers mean that people can leave instantaneously. It's a scary concept."
"No kidding." Aimer reluctantly agreed. "It's faster than Transerver teleportation... It's like entering through a door."
Rokku had his hands on his hips. The thought of Folly made his skin crawl. "Sooo... What did you find?"
Aimer shrugged her shoulders while her hands were still in her pockets. "Not gonna lie, I don't know yet. And honestly? I'm kinda expecting it to be pretty useless in the long run."
Both Rokku and Model M exchanged glances. They both noticed Aimer's aggravated tone. Rokku choose to speak up before his Biometal companion.
"Uhhh... And why do you say that?" He asked.
Aimer closed her eyes and shook her head. "...A lot of my research has been turning up empty lately. And I hate it. Models Gu, Fi, and Ic didn't have any data relating to our enemy, that weird coffin Wingwave came out of has data that's corrupted beyond repair, any intel me, Sentry, and the Guardians did get was useless, and the Gravers... Well, we know they aren't going to talk."
Her lips began quivering as she looked away. "...Merrie Jane has been the most helpful here so far. While everything I've done hasn't helped much..."
Rokku frowned. He didn't like how this was going. "Hey, don't say that. You've been extra helpful!"
"Yeah!" Model M agreed. "I wouldn't be here now if it weren't for you!"
"And weren't you the one who found out that we're dealing with some Nocturne Empire?" Rokku reminded her with a grin. "Don't start talking down on yourself now! I didn't give you my Grandpa's journal for nothing, did I?"
Aimer sighed and smiled a bit. "You're right. You're right. Both of you are. Sorry, I'm just... A little frustrated. All of these constant battles, constant research, and constant Biometal repairs has been overwhelming, to be honest."
Rokku didn't disagree with her there. The fighting has felt like it's been nonstop.
But Aimer then looked at Rokku with a look of concern. The boy had noticed her expression and was visibly taken aback as he had never seen her look so...worried before.
"What about you?" Aimer asked.
"What about me?" Rokku parroted in innocent confusion.
Aimer folded her arms across her chest. "I'm researching and investigating, but you and Model M are doing all the heavy lifting. Are you both feeling okay?"
"...I'd be lying if I said I was okay with this." Model M admitted. "But I know I have experience with this kind of thing. In fact, I know that there were times when I dealt with these kinds of things in a single day before the day would be saved..."
Rokku waved Aimer off with a chuckle. "I'm fine~ If it means Selena Isle's safer, then I'll keep on fighting with Model M~!"
Aimer looked at her friend with a brow raised. "...Are you sure? Like, I woke you up last night to fight Wingwave. And I was there when you were getting your butt kicked..."
It was Rokku's turn to frown, but he looked rather offended. "Hey! I did not need to be reminded of that!"
"Well, she is telling the truth, Rokku." Model M agreed nervously. "I think we could've dealt with it eventually, but Aimer really made a difference."
Rokku looked at his Biometal friend, still having that offended look. "Of course! Aimer was super helpful then!"
"And it sounded like Raiden was helpful today too." Aimer noted, earning Rokku's attention again. "Not to mention the Sentries in Kairos City yesterday..."
"I've had some close calls." Rokku frowned, softening his expression despite knowing exactly what Aimer meant by her words. "But I'm getting better. I trained with my Dad just once today and it helped out today against those Gravers! The more I fight, the better I get, and the easier this is gonna get~"
"I know, but we've been doing so much lately." Aimer explained. "You're a Mega Man and you can take bigger hits than the average person, but I can't help but still feel concerned."
"Aimer, I'm fine." Rokku assured her. "I get what you mean, but I'm fine, really. Those Sub Tanks really do be healing me up even if they taste kinda funny."
The young scientist sighed herself, almost in defeat. "...Alright, if you say so."
Rokku then walked ahead, turning around and pointing his thumb backwards. "Model M and I are gonna hang out in the city for a bit. Y'know, do a little look out~ After that? I'm heading straight home."
Her expression did not change at all as she watched her friend walk ahead. "Okay. I'll talk with the boys some more and see if they can remember anything about the enemy that could give us an advantage."
Rokku gave her a thumbs up before walking away with Model M floating into his pocket. Aimer just stood there and watched her friend get farther away from her. The wind started to pick up, making her lab coat and her hair dance before settling back down.
Her brows tensed up as she turned and entered the outpost without another word.
Rokku had entered Kairos City after speaking with Aimer. As he walked on the sidewalk, his mind was on two things: Him being out after dark in the city gave him a strong sense of dejavu and his last talk with Aimer.
"...Model M?" Rokku spoke out loud as he walked.
"Yeah?"
"...Why was Aimer like that?"
Model M was confused by what his friend meant by that. "What do you mean?"
"She kept asking if I was okay." Rokku said. "Even though I totally am."
Model M remained silent for a bit. He recalled the conversation clearly. "...But you weren't being honest with her either."
Rokku's brows furrowed in confusion. But Model M was having none of Rokku's apparent innocence. "Her concerns are valid, you know? We HAVE been fighting a lot lately. I won't be surprised if you parents start talking to you too."
The boy frowned but nodded. His companion spoke the truth. "...Well, I have been feeling more tired than usual... But I think that's because I woke up so early last night... And you bopping me on the head didn't help, Model M."
Model M shifted erratically in Rokku's pockets. "I said I was sorry!"
Rokku chuckled a bit at his friend's behavior, but he then frowned again. "I don't wanna worry Aimer. Or my parents. Or anyone. I gotta get better. And I don't know if Dad alone can help me with training or whatever it is I gotta do to get better..."
"On the bright side, we got Mega Men to help us too." Model M noted. "Once Alphonse, Keegan, and Jack get better, they can help us!"
"True!" Rokku agreed with a big grin. "It'd be nice to have people like me helping out~!"
Suddenly, the skies were filled with bright colorful lights followed by loud booms. It made Rokku and the other civilians in the area stop or at least slow down as they observed the skies. After a few seconds, the skies were filled again with the lights and a boom.
"Uhhhh...Fireworks?" Rokku asked, tilting his head.
More of those lights and booms came. Some of the civilians were as confused as Rokku, some were excited to see fireworks so soon, and some were just annoyed to see them. The fireworks Rokku did see were just colorful explosions in the sky, but one particular firework was much bigger than the last few and when it exploded in the sky, it took the shape of the head of some kind of Jester. More explosions appeared and just like the previous one, they took shapes. One of golden stars, one of pink hearts, one of the Jester again, and one of a certain modern Blue Bomber's head.
Rokku's brow furrowed when he saw the initial Jester-shaped firework in the sky.
"...Folly."
The masses in downtown were either running away or keeping their distance as they witnessed a cheerful Jester girl skipping around the streets and sidewalks, materializing small portals that released the fireworks into the sky. She let out a excited laugh as she hopped to a tall pole and swung around as she got to the top of the pole, her laughter echoing out in the night as she released a big firework in the sky that shared her appearance.
"Come out, come out, wherever you aaaare~!~" The Jester sang, hanging off the top of the pole with a single hand. "Oh, Blue Bomber~! Oh, Mega Man~! Come to mooooi~!"
"FOLLY!"
The Jester girl had a big smile as she looked down and saw a familiar armored boy looking up at her with his fists on his hips. She began to laugh eerily as she swung around the pole upon her descent. She then hurled herself from the pole towards the boy as her laughter grew louder. She pranced across the ground until she stopped right before the boy, her arms spread out as one last firework display featuring the Jester and the modern Blue Bomber filled the sky again.
"MEGA MAN~!"
As her tiny portals disappeared, Folly stood before the Mega Man known as Rokku. Her little show had ceased, and she had her hands behind her back with a smug smile.
"You came just in time, Mr. Hero~" Folly grinned. "I was beginning to run out of fireworks! Glad to see you catch on fast~"
Rokku wasn't as gleeful as she was though. He just stared at her, blinking occasionally. "You wanted me, didn't you?"
"Oh? What makes you say that~?" Folly teasingly asked.
Rokku's arms left his hips and they slouched towards the ground. "Come on, you know what makes me say that..."
Folly frowned mockingly. "Aww~ Mega Man doesn't sound happy to see me~ After I worked so hard to get your attention too? How cruel... Boo hoo~"
"That's the thing," Model M interjected. "Why did you want our attention and after all this time?"
Folly quickly stopped her fake sorrowful tone and clapped her hands together. "I'm glad you asked, original Mega Man. You and your Chosen One have been doing a great job so far. So much so that I wanted to see you personally. You do look stronger than the first time I saw you~"
Rokku frowned as his lips quivered. Every time she spoke it made his skin crawl for reasons he has yet to decipher. And he hated it.
"But stupid mercenaries aren't going to cut it." Folly continued, holding up her index finger. "You've been playing your role right so far, but I need to test you some more to see if you really are the right man for my script~"
"I don't want to be in your script!" Rokku shouted. "I'm not a good actor anyway!"
Folly couldn't help but giggle over the boy's ignorance and innocence. She shouldn't be surprised that he had no idea what she was talking about and yet here she was. The result left her almost weak to her knees. Keyword being almost.
"You're such a cutie~" Folly teased. "I hope to see more of that cute aspect of you in the upcoming battle~!"
Rokku grits his teeth. "You called me out so I can fight you? All for some "script"?!"
"What's your endgame here?" Model M asked.
"Hehe, oh, I'm sorry." Folly apologized sincerely, taking a hop backwards with her hands still behind her back and her smug grin returning. "It's not me you will be fighting. I would love nothing more than to fight you, but if I'm to be honest, I feel I'm not quite ready to fight you yet~"
Rokku was confused evident by his change in expression. He had no idea what she meant by that, but theories ran through his mind. Was she implying that he was stronger than her? Was she waiting for a particular time to fight him?
But a more important question crossed the mind of not only Rokku, but Model M as well.
"...If you aren't here to fight us, then what-"
Before Model M could finish his question, Folly quickly interrupted him.
"Rest assured, we will end this night with a good battle~" Folly grinned. "I have another Mega Man for you to fight against. He is my final Mega Man~"
Folly then held her arms out as if she was presenting something on her right. As if on cue, a big portal materialized. With a Ta-daa~! from Folly, another armored individual walked right of the portal. Armor wise, it was somewhat like Rokku's own armor with Model M, except instead of blue, black and white colors, this individual had black, yellow, and red colors.
He wore a black armored plate on his upper body resembling Rokku's jacket but far more armored and had a yellow thunderbolt symbol on the chest area. His overall bodysuit was red unlike the typical navy or black color, but like Rokku's bodysuit, it was armored. His boots were predominately yellow and black with some red highlights and this color design was shared with his gauntlets. His hands were red with yellow fingertips.
The man had two distinctive aspects that made him stick out: The two giant gray electrical surges on his back as if they were his backpack and the yellow thunderbolt themed dynamo-esque "mask" over his face.
This individual had a serious frown on his face...but the same yellow eyes the past Berserk Mega Men did, unlike any of them, his eyes were eerily more focused than them all.
Folly still had her arms out as if presenting this Mega Man to Rokku. "He's my final Mega Man~ I'm excited to have you battle him. You'll find that he's quite e-"
It was Model M's turn to interrupt Folly as with pain and worry in his voice, he shouted out, "ELEC MAN!?"
The shout made Rokku visibly wince, but he too had a worried look on his face. It sounded like it was another person Model M knew, just like with Guts Man.
Unfortunately, Aimer's theory from earlier was right on the money.
Folly, on the other hand, was rather displeased with the interruption. Her arms dropped to her sides in defeat as she just glared at Rokku, more so glaring at the armor around Rokku. "...Yes. It's Elec Man. Thank you so much for spoiling the dramatic surprise."
"You got another brainwashed Mega Man, huh!?" Rokku shouted. "How could you do this to people!?"
Her smug smile then returned as she went behind the electric Mega Man and rubbed his broad shoulders in a surprisingly seductive manner as she looked at Rokku. "Teeechnically, I didn't do it. I personally don't like brainwashing people, but fortunately for you, this is the last one I have~"
She popped her head beside the stoic electric Mega Man she had. Her head playfully appeared on the right side of his head and the left side of his head, going back and forth as if she was playing whack-a-mole. She finally stopped and patted the head of the taller man, even if it meant her hand was patting the helmet he wore.
"I know that you have "liberated" the last two Mega Men~" Folly resumed, hand still on top of the man's head. "This one here isn't himself either, but you can save him too, y'know~? I'm actually hoping you succeed again~"
Rokku kept his eye on Folly despite her teasing behavior. He didn't know what she meant by the fact that she didn't brainwash this guy or the others, but he didn't care. He had another Mega Man to liberate.
"Our Mega Man here is going to test your might~ I hope you produce some wonderful results, Mr. Hero~" Folly grinned.
"What results are you looking for...?" Rokku asked in a more annoyed tone.
"Don't worry about thaaat~" Folly teased. "Just focus on the battle. Once you beat him, he'll be back to his normal soldier self~"
Rokku raised a brow at that last part as a portal appeared behind the Jester. But before she hopped into it, she said something else with an eerie smirk. "Do your thing, Raiden~"
Rokku gasped as Folly entered the portal and vanished. Did she say what he thought she said?
The Mega Man finally spoke. "I've been waiting for this, Mega Man Rokku."
"Raiden!?" Rokku exclaimed. "Is that you!? What did Folly do!?"
With a cold stone glare, Raiden held out his right hand as electricity started surrounding it in an intimidating manner. It sure spooked Rokku seeing it, even if it was mostly because he was already reminded of Wingwave...
"She gave me a Biometal of my own." Raiden explained in a cold tone. "I knew you weren't talking to yourself earlier, but I thought I was just hearing things."
Despite how bad the situation had become, Model M noted Raiden's behavior. Akin to Keegan and Jack, he wasn't a berserk Mega Man like Alphonse was. It appeared that whatever brainwashing Folly supposedly didn't implant, it just twisted the user's personality in a negative way. Raiden clearly had memories of what happened earlier today as Model M recalled how Raiden joked with Rokku about talking to himself earlier.
But Raiden's words here made Model M realize that Raiden was a Chosen One just like Rokku this whole time but didn't realize it...until he became a brainwashed victim like the other Berserk Mega Men.
"She says I'm her last Mega Man." Raiden continued. "I could care less what her goals are, but thanks to her, I get to use my new power to crush you!"
"Raiden, this isn't you!" Rokku shouted, holding up his hands defensively.
"YOU DON'T KNOW ME!" Raiden barked viciously.
With a swipe of his hand, Raiden sent a big beam of electrical energy towards Rokku. The boy had the insight to dodge out of the way with a quick dash, but Raiden's entire body was surrounded by electricity. Before Rokku could blink, Raiden appeared in front of Rokku. His eyes widened as Raiden engulfed his left leg with electricity and did a roundhouse kick, sending Rokku flying towards the ground.
The people had long fled the scene, meaning Rokku didn't have to worry about them getting in the way, but that kick really hurt.
"The Thunder Beam..." Model M muttered. Rokku wanted to ask what his friend meant, but Model M continued. "Rokku, you don't want to get hit by that."
Rokku quickly got back on his feet and readied his Mega Buster as Raiden took his time walking towards him menacingly, a contrast to how fast he was just a second ago. Although he didn't want to fight Raiden, he had no choice but to if he wanted to liberate him like the last two Mega Men. This battle was personal.
"Raiden, I'm gonna fight you." Rokku announced. "But I want you to know that I'm sorry you were brainwashed in the first place."
"Shut up." Raiden simply spat and shot another beam of electricity. This was the Thunder Beam Model M was talking about. Honestly, Rokku didn't even need Model M to tell him to dodge that. Not because it was a no-duh instinct, but because that attack of Raiden's just looked extremely dangerous. Rokku dodged it again with a roll, but Raiden shot another one immediately after.
"AUGH!" Rokku was struck by the Thunder Beam and collapsed on his back. He slammed his fist to the ground and got back up.
He now knew why his partner warned him not to take a hit from the Thunder Beam. It hurt. A lot.
"Interesting." Raiden mused. "You're still alive after taking a direct hit."
Raiden's words even supported Model M's warnings, but Rokku was indeed still alive and kicking.
Rokku groaned as he ran and shot at Raiden, but his opponent was too fast. He'd surround himself with electricity and start dashing around. Of all the opponents he's fought thus far, Raiden was easily the fastest. Not even Wingwave was this fast.
"Hgnn...!" Rokku kept shooting, hoping he'd shoot Raiden somehow.
"Calm down! You won't hit him at this ra-"
Model M tried to advise his partner again, but Raiden then darted towards Rokku with his hands covered in electricity. He grabbed Rokku and held him in the air as the boy cried out in pain from the electrocution. But Raiden wouldn't just fry Rokku like this. After torturing him with electricity, he'd then throw him away. Rokku was sent flying towards a parked truck, creating a dent to the passenger side before falling to the ground.
"He's a lot faster than before..." Model M noted aloud. "Elec Man was always fast, but he wasn't THIS fast. He's almost Quick Man levels of fast!"
Rokku had no idea who Quick Man was, but that wasn't his focus. He then looked at the big-wheeled truck behind him as Raiden, once again, slowly approached Rokku. The blue hero then had an idea as he tried to get back on, using the truck to support himself.
"...Raiden has an electric-based Biometal." Rokku theorized aloud. His Buster transformed into the Super Arm, he grabbed the giant tire from this truck and plucked it from the truck with ease. He internally apologized to the owner whom he did not know. As he was doing this, Raiden shot another Thunder Beam towards Rokku. "So, let's see him use that Thunder Beam...on THIS!"
Rokku then chucked the tire towards Raiden. The tire collided with the Thunder Beam...and completely obliterated it. But in the explosion, Rokku dashed right through and released a Charged Shot into Raiden's chest, much to his surprise.
Raiden was struck and flung back, but he maintained his footing much better than Rokku has with his own hits.
"That's not what I expected to happen, but I'll take it...!" Rokku muttered as he ran and kept shooting at Raiden.
"Sorry Rokku, but that Thunder Beam is like a lightning strike." Model M explained. "And lightning striking a tire can actually destroy it like you just saw."
"I know that now." Rokku dodged Raiden's electrified leg sweep and kicked Raiden in the face, charging his Buster to shoot again while Raiden was staggered. He was less than pleased with Model M's factoids. "I was lied to all these years! I can still get struck by lightning in a car after all!"
With another Charged Shot, Raiden was sent farther back than the first shot. He staggered as he got back on his feet. He had no idea what Rokku or his Biometal were talking about, but he didn't care.
He began to laugh. "Hehehe... Hahaha... HA HA HA!"
Rokku was creeped out by Raiden's laugh. "What's so funny?!" He shouted, assuming Raiden was laughing at Rokku and his phobia.
"...This is the strength of a Mega Man, huh?" Raiden sneered. "I like it. You survived my Thunder Beam while I've been surviving your blasts...
"You've survived my Thunder Beam while I've survived your own blasts..." Raiden sneered. "We shouldn't be surviving these attacks and yet here we are."
Raiden investigated his hands as electricity started forming around it with loud thunderous crackles and sparks. "...This is the strength of a Mega Man, huh? I like it!"
He then clasped his hands together and held them out as a web of electric energy spread out from his fingertips. With his hands outstretched, he fired beams of electricity at Rokku. The boy rolled out of the way before hopping off the ground and running circles around Raiden as he kept firing lethal blasts. Raiden then grinned as he tracked Rokku's movements and with a simple point with his index finger, he fired a big beam of electricity which struck Rokku in the chest again, sending him crumbling to the ground.
"AUUUGH!" Rokku rolled on the floor, covered in electricity for a moment. He lied there, grunting and groaning from the pain as he rolled on his back.
"What's the matter, Mr. Hero~?"
Rokku winced as he looked up to see Folly sitting at the edge of a balcony on a building nearby. She had a smug smile, one which Rokku could still see clearly even despite the height differences.
"Surely that's not all you can do, right~?" She called out to him.
The boy couldn't tell if her shouting were genuine cheering or teasing. But he got back up regardless.
"We can't keep taking hits like that." Model M warned.
"I know." Rokku frowned.
Almost like a flash of lightning, Raiden appeared right in front of Rokku once again. He engulfed his fists with electricity and prepared a punch. His opponent's sudden appearance initially surprised Rokku, but he grits his teeth and uses his newly equipped Super Arm to counter Raiden's fist with his own. Even with Raiden's electric energy, Rokku's Super Arm was vastly superior which sent Raiden flying away with a loud grunt.
But Rokku wasn't done.
Equipping his Wire Buster next, he shot his claw out and it snatched onto Raiden's leg. With a hard pull, he yanked Raiden back to him. With Super Arm back on, Rokku then slammed his fist down on Raiden's chest, making him crash against the ground and send pavement into the air.
Raiden noticed Rokku's more fierce expression...and it just made him smile. His entire body was then engulfed with his electric energy. Rokku hopped backwards as Raiden exploded in energy and he was lifted to the ground.
"HA HA HA!" Raiden laughed as he began releasing more beams of electricity in a far more violent and wild manner. The explosion even forced Folly to flee into her portals as a Thunder Beam went straight towards her.
Rokku held out the hand of his Super Arm, blocking the beam heading his way. It didn't block the pain completely, but it was enough to keep Rokku standing still. However, Rokku's hand was transformed back to normal and not of his own volition.
"W-Wha?" Rokku gasped before diving straight down and escaping another beam before Raiden stopped.
"We're out of the Super Arm energy!" Model M announced.
Rokku had thought he ran out because his usage of the Super Arm against Keegan and Jack. Aimer hadn't taken Model M for examination since she was busy herself. For as tough as the fight against the others were, Rokku hadn't taken much physical damage unlike with Alphonse and Wingwave.
He wishes he had Aimer check out Model M. That Super Arm was actually doing something to Raiden. But another idea crossed his mind as Raiden quickly closed the distance between the two and started using electric-infused martial arts.
The training with his Dad was useful with the Gravers, but now Rokku had to use his training on a single opponent instead of a group. Despite that, Rokku was hesitant to punch or kick Raiden, focusing purely on dodges. With some side-steps, some ducks, some short hops, and even some blocking with his arms and legs, Rokku realized something in his head.
"I got something from Jack and Keegan didn't I...?" Rokku thought.
When he defeated those two earlier, he had taken their weapon data from their Biometals just like he took data from Alphonse's Biometal. Model M had confirmed it to him after the rocky shore mission.
His Super Arm had no weapon energy left, his Electro Wave probably wouldn't be effective towards Raiden, and his Wire Buster was something he needed to use sparingly or risk getting electrocuted. He had to use his newest weapons, something he hadn't tested until now.
But then again, he's been testing his newly acquired Special Weapons with each new foe thus far anyway.
Rokku had been charging his Buster while dodging, and after counting a punch with his free arm, Rokku shot a Charged Shot at Raiden's chest, but the man quickly vanished. The shot didn't hit Raiden and the blast hit the truck Rokku tore the tire from. He internally apologized once again as the truck exploded, but some sixth sense in his mind told him to watch out for a hit coming from behind.
Raiden was preparing for an electrical slice with his hand, but Rokku ducked and swept his leg across the ground, tripping Raiden up. Rather than attack further, Rokku used this opportunity to get some distance from Raiden and gather his bearings.
"We gotta wrap this up, Model M." Rokku panted. He was getting desperate, so he had to bank on what he had acquired in a earlier bout. "That Special Weapon from Jack or Keegan's Biometals... Can we use them?"
Model M gave it some thought. Although aware of the special weapon acquistions, Model M didn't have the time to tell his partner about it. That would change this very moment, but he was regretting not telling Rokku about the new weapons until he's in the heat of battle.
"We have acquired Fire Storm and Ice Slasher." Model M stated.
Rokku's eyes widened. "Wait! That's it! When Aimer was with us against Wingwave, she used her ice chip against him...! Maybe we can use-"
"The Ice Slasher probably wouldn't do anything to Raiden." Model M told him.
"Whaddya mean?" Rokku objected. "Aimer said that ice chips-"
"I'm not going to lie to you, I can't think of a time when the Ice Slasher worked on anyone BUT Fire Man, but the Ice Chip Aimer used on her Buster-Pistol worked on Wingwave. It could be worth trying..."
"What about Fire Storm?" Rokku asked quickly.
"Hgnnn... I don't think Fire Storm did much to Elec Man either. But it did something at the least..."
"It doesn't have to hurt him, it's just gotta be useful." Rokku frowned.
Model M seemed to be surprised by Rokku's statement. "Well, in that case, then it'll certainly be useful."
"Glad to hear it." Rokku nodded.
He aimed his buster and equipped the Fire Storm weapon. Coming out of his Buster was a big blast of flames with a fire shield being casted around his body the moment he released the shot; just like when Keegan used this attack.
Raiden was caught off guard by the presence of the firey wave approaching him. "What the-"
He didn't know what to do but prepare to shoot a Thunder Beam at it, but he was surprisingly too little too late as the blast him.
"Agh!" Raiden was pushed back by the blast.
Rokku took the opportunity while his opponent was staggered to run up to him and drop kick him in the chest, sending Raiden flying to the ground on his back.
"Like I suspected, it didn't do much..." Model M noted aloud as Rokku got back up after the drop kick.
"But doing something is better than nothing." Rokku added.
Rokku ran to Raiden and started shooting at Raiden with regular Buster shots. Raiden got back up and turned into an electrical entity and started zipping around as a electric sphere until he got close to Rokku and rammed into him as a electrical sphere, sending both of them crashing into a nearby building.
Raiden bounced back after the collision, the electricity dying down as he stood and watched Rokku crawl out of the building wall he was slammed into.
"What's wrong, Rokku!?" Raiden shouted, earning a tired look from Rokku. "Is that all you've got!?"
"Absolutely not!" Rokku shouted angrily, clenching his fists.
The boy's sudden yell caught even Raiden off guard as his eyes widened a bit. Folly, who was watching from a new location on the rooftops, was frowning as she took notice of her test subject's attitude.
"I won't stop!" Rokku continued, swiping his hand away. "Not until you're back to normal! Both you AND your Biometal!"
"Hmph, why would you risk your life to do something as pointless as that?" Raiden retorted. "You can't beat me. My Biometal is superior! And with it, I can be better than who I once was! I can cast aside my Reploid origins and become a Mega Man!"
"You're wrong!" Rokku argued. "You won't be a Mega Man like this! Your Biometal isn't even talking! How can you even be a Mega Man if you and your Biometal aren't really working together!?"
Raiden remained silent for a bit, but his brows furrowed as he took in the words of the younger fighter. "You're strong, but you're naive. You won't get far in this life. But I'll keep going until I beat you completely!"
"And I'll keep going until you're normal again!" Rokku shouted and aimed his Buster and used his Ice Slasher weapon that he equipped. At such a close distance, the arrow-shaped ice blades rammed into Raiden and froze him still.
As Raiden was frozen, Rokku jumped towards him and had his leg out for an axe-kick. However, Raiden suddenly broke out of his icy prison, shattering it with his electricity. He swapped the kick away with his own arm infused with electricity and prepared to use his other hand to zap him with his Thunder Beam, but Rokku aimed his Buster and just released a semi-Charged Shot at Raiden's face. It wasn't as powerful as a proper Charged Shot, but this quick charge would be enough to catch his opponent off guard. Raiden was staggered once again, ceasing his Thunder Beam attack. Using this opportunity, Rokku ran and shoulder tackled Raiden, sending him back again.
"ENOUGH!" Raiden shouted as he exploded in electrical energy once again. The beams of electricity started going wild and violent once again, but unlike before, Rokku was directly hit by the beam.
"OW!" He yelped, but he quickly regained his footing and decided to use the Electro Wave baton weapon to completely absorb the beams of electricity that Raiden was releasing in his rage. This attack was all too similar to Wingwave's desperation attack, something Rokku was realizing. But his baton was almost like a lightning rod absorbing the electricty as best as Rokku could. This was, admittedly, a split second decision, but if thought he could at the least counter Raiden's electricity with his own. Turns out his baton functions as a conductor as long as Rokku could withstand the pain should it be too much for him to bear.
When Raiden turned into an electric sphere and shot himself towards Rokku, the boy jumped right over Raiden's sphere-form and shot more of the Ice Slasher towards Raiden while he returned to normal from his sphere-form. The consecutive rounds of Ice Slashers hit Raiden's back completely, freezing him again.
The fact that he was hit with more than one Ice Slasher amplified it's freezing effects, making it difficult for him to escape just like last time.
"What the...hell are you hitting me with...?!" Raiden thought as he tried frantically to break free once more. His frozen state meant he couldn't talk whatsoever until he was free.
Raiden got back up and aimed his finger to shoot more Thunder Beams at Rokku, but with each dodge, Rokku shot more Ice Slashers from his Buster. Raiden's Thunder Beam managed to destroy the shards, and he'd dodge them more with his speed, but Rokku would track his movements. He was amazed he was capable of tracking such speed, but he realized that it wasn't that Rokku was able to track his speed. Raiden was simply getting slower. With this in mind, he'd shoot more consecutive Ice Slashers which would overwhelm Raiden and freeze him again.
He'd break out of the icy prison once more, but Raiden stopped attacking completely and stood there while wobbling. He looked as if he was low on strength as he shakingly raised his finger to try to shoot again, but Rokku shot his final Ice Slasher at him, freezing him again.
With his Ice Slasher weapon completely out of energy, Rokku swapped to his Fire Storm weapon and walked up to Raiden with a big frown. Holding his Buster with his free hand, Rokku aimed directly at the tired-out Raiden and released a point-blank Fire Storm. This blast would break the ice and send Raiden staggering back again.
Finally, Rokku would switch to his Buster and release a fully Charged Shot, completely defeating Raiden as he was simply unable to fight back after being weakened so much.
Raiden was sent flying back, bouncing off the ground until he finally stopped sliding on the ground. The armor around his body disappeared in a bright light, almost as if the Biometal cancelled the transformation while Raiden was beaten.
A familiar energy sphere came from Raiden's body just as his armor vanished and the sphere flew right to Rokku's body. Once again, his body glowed briefly as he absorbed the powers of Model El.
"...We've absorbed Elec Man's weapon but..." Model M began, but began running an internal analysis following the weapon get sequence. "We seemed to have an error with the weapon acquistion..."
But Rokku's acquisition of a new special weapon meant very little to him right now. When the armor around Raiden dematerialized, Rokku gasped and ran up to the fallen young man.
"Raiden! Raiden!"
Rokku got on his knees and looked at the Sentry soldier. His cast was nowhere to be seen and he was dressed in casual clothes. But Raiden wasn't moving. Rokku was spooked as he started shaking Raiden's body.
"Hey! Raiden! Get up!" Rokku shouted, his voice cracking a bit.
"He's still breathing..." Model M assured his partner. "That's good. He must've been overexerting himself in the battle when you started using Ice Slasher on him... That's so strange. I remember the Ice Slasher not doing much of anything against him before..."
Faintly, Rokku could hear cars rapidly approaching his position, but he paid them little mind as he watched Raiden's body. He was breathing as Model M told him, but the fact that he knocked him unconscious still worried Rokku. The past Berserk Mega Men sure weren't knocked out...
Folly watched as Guardian and Sentry vehicles arrived on the scene. She smiled to herself, her fingers barely touching her lips as she kept her eyes on Rokku and his cries of concern.
"Well done, Rokku~" Folly whispered to herself. "Rest up now... Things will only get tougher from here on out..."
With that, a portal appeared behind Folly and slowly stepped backwards into the portal, her smile spreading ear-to-ear as her vision of Rokku slowly disappeared...