CHAPTER 3: First Conflict: Seconds To Respond
You know, when you pointed at that hotel I was positive we were going to be SLEEPING ON BEDS!" Erik's shout interrupted the silence as the two trekked through the thick greenery of the area. From what the redhead gathered from Gaven, the further they were from civilization, the less likely they'd be found by anyone from the Corporation. The only problem the red haired teen had was that he was hauling a heavy suitcase through rough terrain, had slept on said suitcase in the hotel's grounds-keeping shed using a coiled hose as a pillow, and was running on little sleep. Okay, so maybe that was three problems.
"Hey, can't have a money trail. Why do you think we took all this food?" Graven quipped to Erik.
Though Erik understood the reason, the irritation of sleeping on a hard surface was still nagging him in the form of stiffness, though the walk was finally starting to loosen his muscles. "Will you at least tell me our destination?" Erik pleaded, gaining a chuckle from the glasses-wearing teen.
"A few miles from here there's a train station." Gaven pulled out his new, favorite blue umbrella, and used it as a pointer gesturing ahead of them to unseen landmarks. "The tracks lead to the Tekano-Uvoku state line, so we'll hitch a car until we reach the border. From there we'll take an outdated Mercury Trail near Ganzula's Mountain. That will get us to the Marinami River, which in turn will lead us to Secota's state line and the Indigo National Forest," Graven pause in his speech, making Erik worry.
"And then?"
"No flipping idea."Gaven nervously chuckled, refusing to meet Erick's gaze as he slipped the umbrella back into the straps of his pack. "I didn't plan much further from that point. I'm sure it'll come to me once we get that far."
Erik's mouth dropped at this statement. Seriously? Great, just great. They were going off on a less-than-half thought-out adventure, while people were looking for them with intentions to take their heads. Metaphorically, he hoped. Well, Gaven's head anyways, that was for sure. "At least I got that going for me." Erik groaned, earning a raised brow from Graven who glanced back in confusion.
"Anyways," Gaven said, returning his attention to their hike and gestured down the faint trail. "I see a good-sized clearing up ahead, let's take a break, and from there get a little training in. It would be a good idea to find out what you already know, and see if we can't discover what your default Soul Fuse is."
...
Shifting lights, flowing numbers, coded text, and a flurry of images appeared and disappeared upon a series of numerous connected screens. The wall of the current room was covered in glowing monitors displaying digital memory, bundles of cables and wires just visible between the gaps beyond them consumed the wall behind the monitors. Truly the construct was the work of a well funded computer genius. A flutter of the hand, and a chorus of clicking keys instantaneously summoned massive amounts of raw data, source codes, and other information. Whatever the User desired was easily summoned to any of the screens, and as far as Mino was concerned, what was being shown was far more important than what was being said around her by her current 'guest'.
"Ah, is the warming computer unable to melt the icy heart you bear?"
The annoying comment could only have come from Gerald. The scientist seated at the computer bank didn't need to turn her head to confirm that. Ignoring his presence as she always did, Mino continued her work. A picture of five figures was brought up to display on the screens along with numerous amounts of data on each one, and their current conditions as reported by her fellow coworkers.
"Wow, the Origin Project. I thought that was put down when-"
"Don't you dare say her name!" Mino snapped turning around with piercing eyes, "She is dead to our cause, and a failure to this project." The sudden eruption of emotional anger and sadness at the same time earned Mino a soft whistle, and slow applause from Gerald. "Wow. So the calculator can feel emotion."
"What-" She stopped herself, pausing to regain her composure. Her concentration was officially broken, and she glared at the intruding Megaman. The quicker she dealt with him, the sooner he'd be gone. "What do you want?"
"Heh, just thought I would inform you that Echo squad reported in. They're closing in on Gaven."
"And why would I want to know this?"
"The same reason as Haley. Revenge-filled closure." Gerald smirked as he waited for Mino's response. It did not come, however, and after a few seconds of silence the face-off ended, and woman returned her attention to the super computer. The smirk slid from Gerald's face, the defeated look mixed with one of boredom as the man took his leave with a trail of grumbles following in suit. When she heard the door close Mino removed her glasses and headset, rubbing her strained eyes. The dealings of a traitor were none of her concern. Gaven was nothing... just thinking it was a lie. Deep down, she knew that she would take joy in reading that portion of the trackers' statement when the teen's 'accidently' death was reported. But it wouldn't be enough to truly make her happy, not until she out did 'her'. The pain in Mino's chest was quickly, and willfully pushed away and out of her mind; there were critical things to complete, and not a lot of time to do it.
...
"Alright, now you do it," Gaven said with his mechanical-like blue-clad arms crossed. He signaled for Erik to mimic the first level transformation with a sharp nod of his head. The area they had found was mostly clear of trees with a level terrain and most importantly, far from any sign of human life. They'd been in the large clearing for about an hour, going over the basics. Gaven was impressed with what Erik already knew; it was more than most beginners started with, though it was far from the level he'd need to be at in order to survive on his own.
Taking a deep breath, Erik concentrated his thoughts, seeking the feeling he'd felt... 'has it really only been two nights' was a thought that crossed his mind as he remembered how it felt... to become something else. "SOUL RELEASE!"
He swept his hand to the side. A white line circled him, spreading and transforming him into a Megaman. As the light subsided Erik looked over his mechanical form, seeing that it was identical to Gaven's.
"For future reference, there will be times you will have to change while moving. Keep in mind that you won't always have the chance to find your calm when you need to transform." Gaven waited until Erik nodded in response before continuing. "This first stage, Release, is also known as the Megaman stage, and your Buster is the only weapon available in Release. Soul Fuse is very different then the basic Soul Release, and draws power from a secondary source. The most important thing to remember when fighting another Megaman is that all Soul Fusion's can and will disobey laws of physics." Stopping his lecture pacing, Gaven turned around to look at Erik who was listening intently. "Like Mark's laser bullets, which are energy and solid at the same time, or Kaz's ability to manipulate fire."
"And Haley's control over her tail." Erik added, remembering the pain of being stab in the shoulder.
"Yep. On a related note, and I know I mentioned this after the warehouse, but it needs to be elaborated on, and face it, you were still pretty shaken up then. Any damage taken will vanish when you change Souls, though they are still going to hurt a lot and you still need time to recover. A Fuse will help you recover faster than a Release, but it drained more energy and still hurts. Research is still being done on that, and that hurts too. If you lose any appendages, you'll recover them if you change immediately, though you're going to feel some major phantom pains, but that's why you'll still see some Megamen with scars and other battle damage. I lost an ear once and-"
"Alright! I got it, I got it. Don't get hurt." Erik responded getting a little agitated at all the talk of pain.
"One last thing then. You can also recover by switching between souls." Gaven smirked at Erik's eye roll, though he knew the other teen was still paying close attention. "Moving on. From what we know each soul fuse is unique, and that each Megaman can obtain up to six souls."
"'We?"
"General term. Megamen and researchers in this field." Gaven clarified.
"And how does one gain more souls?"
"There are three ways. One is to find a soul crystal and challenge the soul within, though seeing as how many have been found that's highly unlikely these days. Second is to be given one by somebody else, not unlike a transfusion. Third... well, is to kill another Megaman while they're in that form." The last one immediately caught Eriks attention.
"Megaman will kill each other... to gain more power. So, if there're multiple groups... then the struggle is of adaptability and strength rather than numbers?"
Gavens silent nod confirmed Erik's guess. "Yes, unlike most settings for war these days, one fighter can make a huge and noticeable difference. Hence why more souls mean more power, means more respect. There're a few who don't follow that policy, but they're the exceptions, not the rule."
"Do you..? Have you..?"
"I have never intentionally taken another's life."
Erick was silent for a moment. "The thought of hurting another is..."
"The last thing you want to do." Gaven said, finishing his sentence in understanding. There's a lot more I need to teach you, but you're scratching the surface at least. Now then, watch this." Gaven said with gesture of his hands. "DARKNESS BEACON, SOUL FUSE: BASS EXE."
"So, you can say other things than just 'Soul Fuse' when changing?" Erik asked, not really expecting a response as the answer was apparent. He watched in amazement as a tornado of purple energy surrounded Gaven until it closed in, transforming his armor into a new appearance. Gaven's color scheme had gone from various blues to black and gold. His gauntlets now bore short arm blades, his helmet now crested and ridged with what looked like bat ears, and his chest armor had become lighter and pointed at the shoulders.
"Wow... that, wasn't really all that much of a change. Not compared to the three from the warehouse." The redhead concluded.
Gaven face-palmed at Erik's statement and grumbled. "Well, sorry it ain't all fancy kid." With a sigh, he continued his tutorial. "Remember that, with Megaman, looks don't decide anything in combat, not even elemental affinities." He warned, reminding Erik how, even in basic form, Gaven had thrashed Kaz and Mark, who were in their advanced forms.
"But they couldn't unleash their full power either, not without being discovered, and weren't you in that form at school?" Erik counter with a curious look on his face as Gaven seemed dumbfounded.
"Well aren't you just the intelligent one. And you are correct, to a point. Looks don't determine strength, but appearances reflect Souls and Souls determine abilities."
"I have my moments of insight," Erik grinned, only causing both teens to chuckle. "Alright, since that form is simpler, I'm guessing its abilities are meant to be hidden. What can you do when you're in that form?"
"Oh, no-no-no. Not telling. Unspoken rule for all Megamen these days; Never inform anyone of any ability you possess, even if it's your best friend." He paused, "Unless it's during battle, and then it'd better be a more 'show' with no 'tell' kind of informing." Gaven amended. "Ever since… well, it's not anything unusual in any war, but in the last twenty years or so, Megamen have had a greater tendency to switch sides without warning."
"Why's that?"
Gaven went silent at this question, contemplating how to best respond. It wasn't like it was a big secret, but the truth wasn't pretty. He settled for a toned-down version. "The Corporation made sure to shatter any and all trust between all the other groups, to the point that the groups themselves are falling apart from within, while the rogues are-"
"Joining the Corporation." Erik concluded with a frown. That can't be a very reliable group of subordinates.
"Enough talk, it's time to see who you've got for a Fuse." Gaven said, abruptly changing the topic and avoiding any more related questions. He smacked his fist into the open palm of his other hand.
Apparently the Corporation was a touchy subject for the teenager and Erik felt it wasn't wise to push someone you were only starting to get to know.
"Uh, wait, what?" Erik suddenly said, finally registering Gaven's sentence and action, and help up placating hands. "I do not want to get my ass kicked."
"We don't have enough time to actually train you the normal way. You know enough to avoid killing yourself, so now we need to focus what little time we have to give you the tools to fight as a Megaman and keep others from killing you. Now listen, I want you to relax, close your eyes and reach out for a name."
"A name?"
"The name of your Soul Fuse."
"Oh," Erick closed his eyes for a second, then cracked one open to glance at Gaven. "I thought I wasn't supposed to be calm about these transformations."
"Shut up and concentrate. I meant that you shouldn't get use to having that luxury." Gaven said flatly.
Sighing, Erik closed his eyes. It was strange; in this form his thoughts seemed a bit clearer and more relaxed... it was like he was all alone in a soothing ocean, the water caressing his skin. Then in a flash, the same 'something' he'd heard when he'd first activated as a Megaman cascaded around him and a name came to him. Erik opened his eyes, about to say the name of the Soul and immediately noticed Gaven's gaze wasn't on him, but focused past. Spinning around halfway to look, Erik found out why. At the edge of the wide clearing were two people in identical blue armor... Megaman.
"Well then, like I said; Just enough time to give you the tools," Gaven responded, moving his fingers into position. "You did get the name, right?"
"Yeah," Erik nodded, eyes widened and shifting between the two figures. "How come we couldn't sense them?"
"They probably have a jammer." Gaven's eyes narrowed slightly. "You take the one behind us."
"There's nobody behind... I stand corrected," Erik said as he turned back to Gaven, noticing a third Megaman much closer than he felt comfortable with. Granted, that distance was far enough that they'd not even be visible. Lifting his shaking fists into a defensive stance, it was clear that he was nervous and maybe a bit scared as well.
If he could have avoided it, Gaven wouldn't have force him into a fight this soon. Facing three Megaman, who had no reason to hold back at all, while protecting a rookie would have been difficult on his own, though not impossible. And he had warned Erik that he was going to have to learn fast. Perhaps this was the best way.
"I've… encountered these people before. They're skilled hunters, but use that Soul Fuse, no matter which one it is, and you'll have a good chance in a one-on-one," Gaven said trying to ease Erik's nervousness. "That, and you got me. If you get too deep in trouble I'll get you out, partner."
"Right... partners." Erik said, feeling a little better... though not by much. Gaven was telling him to trust in a power he had never used before and barely understood. But, like he said the night they'd left his house, they were going to have to trust each other. Even if that meant believing in something that his whole upbringing told him was insane. With a simple nod the two started to head toward their respective opponents, Eriks heart beating like a drum in a hailstorm. "Divide and conquer."
Gaven nodded then gave his full attention to the two Megamen in front of him. "Squad Echo... it's been awhile, Simon. Must be doing good as of late, seeing that you're team has replaced my last trio of stalkers." Gaven called out at the burlier of the two. At first the addressed figure didn't respond at all, and seemed to hesitant to start a conversation.
The man settled for ignoring Gaven's small verbal jab, avoiding any banter and spoke plainly. "Laddie, don't ya make this harder on me than it already is." He said in a strong thick Irish accent, a small frown on his face. Had there been any observer that could see more than a bunch of blurry figures, it would be clear that these two knew each other, perhaps very well, and that knowing didn't seem to sit well with Simon. The man beside him remained silent.
Simon had a rugged look about him, his age was possible near early thirties, and the scare near his left eye suggested a seasoned warrior. The other man had maintained his silence through the greeting, and looked to be in his twenties. He stood about equal in height to Gaven, and his skin was tanned beneath the armor. His brown eyes were full of focus, and were only one sign of being a skilled and promising fighter.
The brown eyes shifted to the older man. "We have a job sir."
Simon's frown deepened.
"It's alright Simon... I know." Gaven nodded slightly, his face carefully neutral out of respect for the strain on the elder Megaman's conscious. "Now then gentlemen, shall we get started?" Gaven's arm swept to the side the sword on his arm trailing energy in its wake, the gesture getting the responses he expected.
"QUARRY WALL, SOUL FUSE: STONEMAN EXE."
"SHARPENED, SOUL FUSE: CUT MAN."
Simon's armor had become bulkier, and appeared to be made of boulders. The armor was red marble from the waist down, and from the waist up it was gray granite. The helmet he wore resembled the head of a square-edged rock golem. The girth of his armor made a very intimidating sight, making one ponder whether the wall he'd been wrapped in could be penetrated, and if he could actually be hurt.
His allies' new form was not as simplistic as that of the moving rock.
In a set of lean, dark orange armor embellished with silver scissor blades, the unnamed warrior was likely faster, and highly probable as a bigger problem. Both his hands had a set of those scissor blades as well as one protruding out of his helmet. What worried Gaven the most were the tight cords running along his arm between the shoulder and the forearm, suggesting a hydraulic system that would strengthen the pressure the arm blades could exert. The outer edges of the shears were dull, while the insides were likely keen as a razor.
Gaven had just told Erik to never judge a Megaman by their appearance, but still, "This might get a bit messy."
...
Uneasy, fear, confusion, and sick were only some of the things Erik was feeling as he headed toward his first opponent... Wow, this felt eerily like the time he was pitching at last year's game. How could he even compare those two? This was completely different; He was about to fight someone who wanted to kill him!
"Um, I guess I can't talk you out of this, huh?" The person in front of Erik kept silent, only unnerve the teenager more. "Not much of a talker?"
"You are aiding a traitor, and thus will be brought in for questioning."
Okay, so maybe he wasn't about to be killed, but being captured really wasn't any better. Eriks face paled a little as the Megaman slowly paced closer. His eyes were very eerie, and last time Erik checked, purple like that was not natural. What was visible of the stranger's skin was oddly pale... This guy was scaring the hell out of Erik just by standing there.
"...Uh yeah," A weird and very unsettling silence drifted between the two, and Erik could tell further conversation wasn't going anywhere. It only took a moment for Erik to realize he was being offered the first strike, like a batter waiting for the pitcher to throw the ball. "Not so different from baseball then." Erik muttered, but received no reaction from his opponent. That was downright freaky. Lifting his fists, the red head screamed a wordless battle cry at the top of his lungs, charging the frightening stranger.
...
Sparks flew as Gaven's arm-blades met the scissor blades in a rapid session of thrusts, parrying, and counterstrikes. All the while they were jumping and dodging in different directions, causing pauses in the exchange of blows to seem like dancing. Both Megamen were fast with high-level reflexes, and were smart enough to avoid falling into any patterns. Gaven's only problem was that, despite the blades on his arms, this form needed distance to perform any attacks other than strikes while the opponent could fire off the scissors pointblank.
Gaven spotted a possibility in the terrain, a chance to break the stalemate. Taking a new route yet again, he dodged another swing, rolling under it and gliding toward a nice sized boulder near where Simon was standing, one of the few in the arena the clearing had become. Touching ground for a brief moment Gaven jumped, turning around as he took the high ground. He was now facing his opponent, who'd followed him to avoid letting him get the range he wanted. A flash of purple flames from behind and a brown robe appeared, covering Gaven's body. Stretching out one hand, Gaven summoned a dozen mini portals.
"Move outta the way!" Simon roared, jumping in front of the orange Megaman, his feet braced and his hands crossed in front of him to block the attack that was about to come.
A frown flashed on Gaven's face at Simon's intervention, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared as he unleashed an assault of a dozen Meteors. The aptly-named hand rockets tore apart everything they touched, a massive cloud of smoke easily raised by the impact alone.
Observing the scene from atop the boulder, Gaven remained ready, waiting for any sign of movement. Then he jumped into the air in a flash, barely dodging the attack by the bladed Megaman, and levitated at the apex of the accent. Not willing to except failure, however, the orange-armored man gave chase, jumping up to yet again engage Gaven.
"Try this!" Gaven smirked as a swirled orb of purple essence formed in the hand still hidden in his cloak. He was careful to avoid telegraphing the move, concealing the building attack. As soon as his attacker reached his position in the air, the teen fell under the strike and spun, slamming the orb into the orange Megaman's armored chest. An impact strong enough to shatter bones sent him straight back down, crushing the boulder below as his opponent collided with it.
Before Gaven could taunt the fallen and unconscious Megaman, his torso was introduced to a giant rocket-powered stone fist. As the crushing force cracked his light armor, Gaven's concentration was broken. The strike, and loss of levitation sending him plummeting to the ground. "Medic," He coughed, raising his face up out of the dirt, "Please." Pushing himself back up slowly, Gaven noted Simon making his way toward him.
"You're a sly lad, Gaven, I'll give ye that, but ya cannot run forever." Even though he held the upper hand, there was no joy in his features, and he took no pleasure from the position. The man took a defensive stance, readying to counter whatever Gaven might use.
The issue for Gaven was that, while his current form was powerful and fast, it had nothing in its arsenal that could get through that armor... not without also killing Simon. Observing his area, Gaven looked for any sign of tactical advantage like the boulder had givin him against the scissor Megaman. To his left was a hillside, the trail they'd been on winding back into the rougher terrain. To his right…
"Sorry to say, but I still have one trick up my sleeve." And a flash of light signaled Gaven's return to human form.
Simon raised an eyebrow at this sudden move. "Surrendering... I don't see how that- GAH!"
...
Left, right, left, kick, left.
Erik's strikes each missed, either by being dodged or swat away by his opponent right hand. Erik was being toyed with, that was very clear. Anger started to replace the teenager's earlier emotions, the adrenalin erasing all of Erik's panicky thoughts.
The emotionless Megaman said nothing, though his actions were clearly telling Erik that he should just give up already. He grabbed the redhead's right fist and, with a display of strength, flipped him around and twisted his arm.
Erik's breath left his lungs as he felt the guy's right knee dig into his back while somewhere across the clearing an explosion went off.
Who was he kidding? He had no chance. These were soldiers, killers, spies; whatever role this "Corporation" saw as needed, they were trained to fill it, to neutralize their enemies. What did he, a high school kid who'd just discovered all this two nights ago, really think he could do? He hit the ground, though he was far too dazed to feel it. He was only aware of his attacker's presence until a sharp pain in his arms and back that told him that he'd been pinned to the ground, though no move was made. What was he waiting for?
"Use that Soul Fuse… and you have a chance."
Well, if he wasn't going to attack… Erik gritted his teeth and recalled the ocean he'd felt before.
"HARKENED SOUL QUICKMAN!" He shouted, the sudden transformation throwing Erik's opponent right off him. It was amazing, the feel of power coming over him, washing way his worries and giving him a veil of protection. Erik stood and blinked, observing his new form in the seconds it took for his assailer to recover. His colors had changed to a scheme of red, golden-yellow, and black. His armor felt lighter, no, his whole body felt lighter, almost as if he would float away if he were not careful. Yet, it somehow also felt more durable, stronger, even though most of what he could see of it wasn't much different than before.
Among the differences was a pair of curved blade-like objects on each arm, pointing outward from the sides of his gauntlets from just in front of the elbow. He could tell that something like an emblem was attached to the front his helmet, and it felt like a small boomerang when he placed his hand on it, though he'd have to find a reflective surface, ask Gaven, or take it off to tell for sure. There wasn't time to try the first methods, and it would be a bad idea to try the last at the moment. All-in-all, the form seemed to be meant for one thing, and Gaven had a pretty good guess as to what.
"Shadow requiem..."
Oh, no you don't!
"SOU-"
Before his opponent could transform, Erik collided with him in a flash. He used both hands for leverage as he pushed the Megaman with much force as he could and kept going, building momentum remarkably fast. And just like that, Erik had gained the upper hand.
Now there was only one problem; he had no idea what to do. Thankfully it was a very short lived problem. They crossed the clearing in an instant, and Erik had just enough time to note that the trajectory was in the direction of Gaven's battle before they hit a stone wall.
...
Gaven watched as Erik and his opponent collided with Simon, an amused look on his face. The force great enough to send the golem Megaman hurtling toward the hillside. Erik fell backwards due to massive impact and his forward momentum transferring to the rock Megaman. Erik's opponent sprawled on the ground where he fell after being crushed between a giant boulder of a man and the destructive force known as momentum.
"Not quite the unstoppable meeting the unmovable, but it's probably better that way."
Giving his main attention to Simon, Gaven flinched as the man collided with the hillside and ricocheted up, again as he fell onto a boulder and bounced again, then a few more times as Simon tumbled uncontrollably down the hill, slamming into things until finally rolling to a stop at the bottom.
"And I don't care who you are, that... had to hurt." Noting the flash of lights signaling the two assaulters reverting to human form, Gaven walked over to where Erik was staggering to his feet. As the shorter teen found his balance, Gaven was able to identify Erik's Soul Fuse now that he wasn't moving at who-knows-how-many miles per hour.
"Anyone catch the number on that runaway?" Erik grinned.
"You were the runaway." Gaven answered, taking the bait for the old classic joke. "Not bad for your first fight."
"Really?"
"No," Gaven smiled as the hopeful look on Erik's face vanished and the other teen fell over, "that was actually pretty dumb luck. None the less, all three are down for the count, so it's still a victory. Now come on, we need to move, and fast." He offered his hand and helped Erik back to his feet. The two made for their belongings which had been safely secured before they'd even started training. Then they turned to where the trail left on the opposite side of the clearing, leaving a battle field containing three unconscious Megaman
StonemanEXE & BassEXE: Megaman Battle Network, Cutman and Quickman: Megaman