GT: Well, last chapter, as you all know...was kind of a...well...SZ?
SZ: *looks up from playing Megaman X Legacy Collection* things went up shits creek without a paddle the moment Metal Sonic appeared.
GT: Yes, yes, but also before that. What with what happened with Jin appearing and all that.
SZ: Ahh...well yeah...Tsubaki was really conflicted during that fight..and the second fight...another copy of Sonic, Manic, Sonia, and Roll.
GT: Yeah...blame executive meddling on that one, folks. Was gonna be a lot different and something was gonna happen, but nope. Blame the co-writer of our group story Monarch of Mobius who did not like what was planned.
SZ: Yeah…
GT: Anywho...As usual, we own only the OCs. Everything else is owned by their respective companies/groups/whatevers. And now…*gets tackles by SZ* Gwah!
SZ: Don't you dare! Don't you demon dare!
GT: ...
SZ: I will hurt you, and I will make it look like a bloody accident!
GT: Um...SZ?
SZ: What?
GT: When you tackled me, you caused a button on my phone to be butt-pressed. *pulls out the phone and shows the screen reading 'Mechagodzilla City - Rampage'* See?
SZ:...god d-
?-?-?: *deep rumbling roar in the distance*
GT: ...I blame you. *room explodes from a laser the size of the building hitting it*
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...okay I'll bite. Why is there a Metal Sonic?!" Ragna exclaimed, Rexy huffing in agreement with a bone in her jaws.
"Well...do you remember what we were seeing earlier on when we'd come up to those Obelisks?" Makoto recalled, "I'm thinking that that last time Little Planet was here, Eggman put Metal Sonic here as a test of sorts but he went nuts and Eggman abandoned the project and he got stuck on Little Planet."
"...But if that's the case...How is he even functioning and how did he get that copy ability?" Manic pondered.
"Well, let's think a bit more," Makoto replied, "Did anyone see anything else from those visions?"
"Oh! Paradox-Hakase!" Roll realized, "Didn't one of those visions of the planet's past have him taking a hedgehog, possibly Metal Sonic, with him?"
"...I think so... " Tsubaki noted, holding her chin in thought, "But that lab we've been seeing in the last few...could it belong to the person behind what's happening to Little Planet?"
"Well, it never really showed how far Eggman got on his possible attempt at taking over Little Planet. For all we know, the last few places we've been were made by Eggman and adapted by the place," Sonia noted.
"Then how do you explain that robot that released Metal?" Sonic asked, leaning against the wall as he looked out the window, "That robot had to be Eggman's handy work, and yet we didn't see a speck of Eggman, nor his robots anywhere. Explain that."
"..."
"...Are you okay, Sonniku?" Roll asked in concern.
"Oh yeah. I'm perfectly fine with the fact that Eggman had made a Metal Me," Sonic said sarcastically, "I'm fine with him calling me a fake and him claiming he's the REAL Sonic!"
"That'd get on anyones nerves," Manic noted.
"A-and there's the fact he can use the abilities of those we've already fought here," Noel pointed out.
"Don't remind me…" Sonic muttered, "How many of those Obelisks have we fought again?"
"Six areas...two each...so twelve."
"And for all we know, there may be two more in the last area," Ben noted.
"So that means there's fourteen total…"
"And two more that Metal me can add on to what he can do," Sonic grumbled.
"Maybe...not…" Makoto blinked, "You didn't say he could do any of the things the guy Ben fought, maybe that's because Alien X didn't let that smoke stuff get away."
"Now that you mention it...for some reason I did that…" Ben remembered, "Alien X turned the smoke into a crystal."
"...So we might need to get that smoke sealed up before Metal can absorb it…" Manic noted, "...and pray the last two won't have anyone scary strong."
"I don't know I feel like with each one we beat the enemies we face get more...difficult." Ragna spoke up.
"He has a point…" Ben sighed, "The last guy I fought was tough…"
"You needed a literal cheat form to beat him…" Ragna smirked mockingly.
"Oh shut up," Ben pouted.
As everyone seemed to be lightening up, Roll noticed Sonic had gone back to the driver's area. She moved over to it and looked inside to see him sitting at the wheel, holding up his Medallion and simply...look at it.
'That voice at times…' Sonic pondered to himself.
"Justice Phorizer!" Izayoi cried out as she fired the Distortion Drive at him.
Sonic was about to jump, "Don't dodge."
'Who said that?' Sonic's eyes widened.
"Shift your legs into a strong stance and swing down now!" the voice shouted.
Just as the attack was about to strike, Sonic swung. The energy blade was split into two and curved around and exploded behind him. No one was aware of the soft glowing starting to cover his blade. Izayoi frowned after seeing the blue hedgehog deflect her attack.
"Scarlet Justice!" the possesed Tsubaki declared as the aura covered her again before she sent dozens of energy blades at Sonic, "Sonic Saber!"
The voice came back into Sonic's head, "Dodge the first three strikes before using the flat of your blade to block the next attacks and return them to the others. Then, jump over the attack."
Sonic nodded and followed the voice. Everyone watching couldn't help but awe at how skilled Sonic was with his blade. It was then the tip of the blade was covered in the gold energy.
"Now! Call upon the might of Soul Surge!"
"S-Soul Surge?" Sonic pondered.
He looked up and yelped. There, Izayoi had a blade out, ready to cut him in two vertically. It was then he noticed that she was moving as slow as a snail with small red targets appearing over various places on her. Was this the Soul Surge that voice spoke of? Sonic quickly struck a few of the spots and went behind her. The glow on his blade faded away and Izayoi cried out as she was tossed into the air, the spots Sonic struck with his blade wounded.
"Such insolence!" Tsao snapped as he jumped back from him, throwing his shield at the hedgehog as it spun madly like a saw, intent on beheading the hedgehog
'Too slow,' Sonic thought, about to dodge.
"Do not dodge."
'?!'
"Stand your ground and block with your blade's flat. Tsao expects you to dodge, but will be thrown off if you can deflect his shield."
Sonic swung his blade, putting the flat against his free hand, and grunted at the shield collided with his sword. Sparks raced off the collision of the blades of the shield against the sword. Sonic let out a roar as he swung his sword, sending the shield away from them.
"What?!" Tsao gasped before Sonic rushed at him, managing to slice into Tsao's armor, cutting almost all the way through before the rooster managed to jump away from the hedgehog.
"Was it...you?" Sonic whispered his question directly to the Medallion.
"Sonikku?"
"Ah! Wh-whoa!" Sonic yelped as he nearly fell out of his seat and scrambled to put the MEdallion back on, "O-oh! Hey, Roll! Uh, just uh...just getting ready to drive on out of here is all. Gotta hurry to that Metallic Madness place I think he called it, after all."
"...Okay…"
"In fact, I….I...woah," Sonic whispered, stopping the bus to see what looked like a large, mechanical fortress.
"...Sonikku, I think this was something Eggman-hakase made," Roll noted.
"Why do you…?" Sonic began to ask before Roll pointed at an incomplete statue of Eggman before his transformation, "...oh. Keep forgetting he was so fat and ugly back then."
"His modern appearance is most definitely an improvement…" Roll agreed before seeing the gate before them slide apart, "I really hope we know what we're doing…"
"So do I, Roll. So do I," Sonic agreed before driving into the fortress.
=...they've arrived= Metal Sonic noted, his optics flashing for a moment as he stood up =Shall I intercept?=
"Wait until the last two are destroyed, Metal Sonic," the figure ordered, "When they are gone, absorb the temporal essence from them to further your power."
=...Understood...and the Time Stone?=
"Retrieve it and if possible, the other ones they have."
=Understood=
"Soundwave, Khyber, when they do defeat the second of the last bit of security here, do make sure to split them up so that Metal may enjoy proving whom is superior between him and the blue hedgehog."
"With much pleasure…" Khyber agreed, sharpening a knife.
"Looks like it was never completed here," Ben noted as they looked around.
"Hey, that computer's still working there," Manic noted as he ran over to a console and began to type at it, "Now let's see if those lessons from Bentley can come in handy...seems to be from several years ago, roughly around a year or so of me, Bro, and Sis reuniting as the Sonic Underground. ...Okay, I'm in."
"What's it say?" Sonia asked.
"It seems that his plans were to Roboticize Little Planet," Manic noted, "Use it to become the ruler of time itself even."
"Yeah that sounds like Ro-butt-nik back in those days," Sonic agreed.
"Seems that he was also using this to test out a new machine meant to beat us. 'Project Infinite,'" Manic went on as he pulled up another set of files, "Looks like that project is Metal Sonic."
"Of course it is," Sonic scowled, "What's it say he has?"
"Let's see...Huh. He was supposed to be 100cm," Manic noted, "Weighs about...125.2kg? Dang, that's kinda heavy...and seems he was supposed to adapt something called 'The Phantom Ruby.'"
"?!" Rachel nearly flinched for a moment, nearly dropping her tea cup.
"Lady Rachel, is everything alright?" Valkenhayn asked in concern.
"...I am fine. Just...I feel as if someone mentioned...the Phantom Ruby…"
"Ah. That would be worrisome if that were to be removed from Little Planet," the butler agreed.
Manic let out a slow whistle, "He really went all out on making the dude. Two separate CPUs, monocoque titanium frame, a 250cc, 4-valve Orgon Fusion Engine, even a Tesla Power Coil." he read a bit further before laughing, "He scrapped it!"
"What? Why?" Tsubaki asked before reading it and cracking a smile, "Oh my…"
"Come on~! What's so funny?" Makoto asked.
"S-Seems that the unique properties of Little Planet messed with the AI in Metal Sonic," Manic snickered before pressing play on a video file.
=WHOO! WHOO! OH MY GOD! SONIC ADVENTURE 2, BITCHES! SONIC ADVENTURE 2!=
=Metal Sonic, get a hold of your-nononononono! I just built that statue!= Robotnik snapped.
=Uh, boss? He's uh...he's drawing stuff on the buildings= Dingo noted.
=What? What's he...METAL SONIC!-!-!=
=PLRRRRRRT!=
=...I believe he gave us a 'raspberry,' sire= Sleet noted.
=WHAT?!=
=Ooh~! Booty!= Metal Sonic exclaimed =Give me that booty! Show me the booty! How about the booty? I like da booty!=
=Ah! Metal Sonic, I order you to stay away!=
"...Wh-What am I watching?" Ragna asked as Sonic was barely holding onto Roll to avoid falling on the floor from lack of breathing due to hard laughter.
"Yeah...All the damage we've been seeing since we entered here? It was all him going nuts and doing randomness," Manic snickered, "Robotnik dropped his plans and left, leaving this guy stuck here in his crazy state."
"...wow….and he thought no one would try and fix the damn thing and expect the current Metal we're facing?"
"Most likely."
"...What a dumbass."
"Someone just called me a…!" Eggman began before a loud tearing sound was heard, "...What was that?"
"I think those were some of your blueprints falling into the paper shredder, sire," Starscream noted.
"?!" Eggman looked at the shredder, "Ah!"
"Okay, who had a feeling one would be here?" Manic asked as they were soon before an incomplete statue of Robotnik where an Obelisk with a red and black star gem was on the top.
"Deep down I did, but part of me didn't want to look at one of these things again," Sonic admitted.
"Yeesh. I forgot he looked like this," Sonia noted with a cringe.
"He has had A LOT of work done," Sonic chuckled, "Ah...at least he's bearable to look at now."
"Haseo, the Ring please?" Makoto asked, kneeling down to the fox.
"O-okay," Haseo replied, giving it to her.
"Everyone stand back," Makoto advised, "No clue what we're gonna get from Ben's gallery of people and aliens to fight."
'I'm just hoping it's not Kevin juiced up from the Ultimatrix or Aggregor…' Ben thought.
"Whatever it is...I hope it's not total nightmare fuel…" Ragna muttered as Makoto activated the Obelisk with the Ring.
"Ben, wait!" an twelve-year-old Gwen called as she ran out of the Rustbucket after 11-year-old Ben.
"You made them say that, didn't you, Gwen?" Ben demanded as he turned around to glare at her, "'Cause you're so jealous you can't turn into aliens like me!"
"You honestly think Azmuth would listen to me or anyone else? You did this to yourself, Ben!"
"I'm the one wearing the Omnitrix! I can turn into whichever alien that I want and no one can stop me!"
"I beg to differ."
Gwen and Ben tensed and turned to the voice's direction. The two barely avoided a red laser beam that slammed into the Rustbucket, knocking it into the air and crash land on its side several meters away from where it had been parked. Smoke emitted from the glowing orange/white barrel of a pitch black blaster with red jagged designs covering it. The weapon was fused to a bulky beast-like humanoid with a four-clawed hand, fanged mouth with a glowing yellow/white inside, razor sharp spikes going down its back, and a glowing red ring for an eye.
"I am here for Azmuth."
The gem cracked open, releasing the black and red smoke that engulfed it. Ben stared at the smoke, his Omnitrix arm shaking a bit. Ragna grit his teeth as he scowled, glaring into the smoke.
"This is...quite interesting," a deep, metallic voice echoed before the smoke dissipated, revealing the humanoid beast, "You have grown, Ben Tennyson."
"Malware," Ben spoke.
"And Ragna the Bloodedge as well? What an interesting surprise," Malware chuckled, "I see you still have that technological wonder as an arm and an eye still."
"Bastard!" Ragna growled.
"Malware? …!" Roll gasped, "Ben-san, isn't that the alien who…?"
"Yeah," Ben replied.
"And this is why I hate techno-related aliens. They're always after my damn eye and arm," Ragna growled in annoyance.
"Well of course...what worth do you have beyond that, after all? Your sparkling personality? It's surely not for your appearance I can assume, hahaha," Malware taunted as he began walking forward.
"..."
"Interesting…" Malware noted before turning his head towards Noel, "I sense something about you. Something...far more advanced than the Azure Grimoire."
"E-Eh?" Noel asked before yelping as the barrier formed, cutting her, Ben, and Ragna off from everyone else.
"Ben…" Ragna began as Ben looked at the Omnitrix.
"Not good. Still recharging from that Max Steel fight," Ben replied.
"Ugh...Did I ever say that I hate it when that thing takes so goddamn long to recharge?"
"A lot," Ben replied.
"...If you two don't mind…" Malware began as he walked towards them, mainly Noel, "I wish to examine this…'thing' personally…"
"...th...thing?" Noel repeated before Ragna defensively stood before her.
"See that arm of his? The blaster one?" Ragna whispered, earning a nod, "It was a separate weapon. Unlike other Galvanic Mechamorphs, he absorbs technology instead of upgrading it."
"I suppose it can be said rather then enhances the work of others...they enhance me." Malware interjected aiming his arm cannon, "All is just a tool to further my own progress. No need to over complicate the story, children." he spoke before he fired off the cannon, sending a huge red beam of energy.
The trio scrambled out of the way as the beam went past them with the sound of static filling the air as it hit the barrier and dispersed across it. Ragna regained his footing first, only to look up as Malware was before him and slammed him into the ground with his regular clawed hand. Malware laughed as he aimed his cannon at his face and began charging.
"Hold still. I want to remove everything but the half of your skull with the eye I want," he explained.
"Zero-Gun: Fenrir!" a voice called out before Malware was forced away from Ragna by a barrage of plasma shots firing from Noel's Bolverk, "Get off of him!"
"That tingled… My, what wonderful...weapons," Malware spoke, looking at Bolverk. He raised his arm and backhanded Ragna, who attempted to attack from behind, and sent him flying away. Malware then began walking over to Noel.
Noel jumped back and unleashed a barrage of shots at Malware, making him block with his blaster arm, before her gun shifted into a rocket launcher, "Bullet Rain Zero-Gun: Thor!"
Malware charged up his arm as he aimed up and fired at the same time as Noel. Both attacks met with a large explosion. As the smoke obscured Noel's vision, she failed to spot Malware's arm stretch out and grab her leg, dragging her down and slamming to the ground.
"How fascinating. It's capable of altering its form at will," Malware observed as he reached his hands out to touch Bolverk.
"Dead Spike!" the demonic beast head erupted from the ground and slammed into Malware, knocking him away from Noel as Ragna ran over to her, "No way are you getting your greedy claws on that."
"So angry all the time…" Malware laughed as he extended his arm and punched Ragna, sending him flying away. He then turned to Ben, "How rude...I forgot all about you, Young...well not so young anymore Benjamin." he laughed.
"Ugh…" Ragna and Ben grunted as they got up, "I really hate this guy…" a beep made them look at Ben's Omnitrix to see it turned green, "Oh finally!" the two looked at each other, "Stop that."
"...Is it wrong that I find those two more like siblings then Ragna and Jin?" Manic whispered to Sonia, earning a nod of agreement.
"Oh...what new alien will you use this time Benjamin...oh don't tell me? Diamondhead...or have you somehow regained the Conductdoid powers? What did you fancy that form again? Feedback?" Malware taunted, earning Ben's full attention, "But then again...we know how that went last time...hehehe."
"Yeah," Ben replied as he activated the Omnitrix, "But like you said; I'm not so young anymore." he cycled his aliens before gently pressing down on the raised top, releasing the flash of green light that faded to reveal a blue and white humanoid jellyfish-like alien, "Amphibian!"
"Hm? Now what is this? I've never seen an alien like this one before," Malware noted.
"Let me show you then," Amphibian replied as he began to float into the air before firing a blast of electricity from his 'arm' tentacles at Malware, knocking him back and causing his form to spasm, "Won't get me the same way twice!"
"Yes...so I won't…" he grumbled, reforming as he aimed and began shooting at Amphibian, who flew around the blasts before returning fire with blasts of electricity.
"I forgot that Galvanic Mechamorphs hate getting zapped," Manic noted.
"Oh, playing smart…" Sonic noted.
Amphibian flew around zapping Malware who blocked as best he could. His body slowly becoming harder to stabilize as small tendrils of his own mass flailed around. Malware growled as he raised his cannon and began shooting indiscriminately. The wide barrage of fire forced Amphibian to fly around to avoid each blast.
"Carnage…" Malware picked up before crying out as two slashes of the red and black flames of Ragna sliced into his blaster arm, cutting it off, "SCISSORS!"
"Cute." he spoke, reforming his other arm into a similar blaster, his severed arm then regenerated with another cannon as well, "But such simple organic tricks won't work on me!"
"Oh no you don't!" Amphibian shouted before shocking Malware's back, making him growl in pain as he lost stability of his form once more.
Malware growled as he aimed both arms back and launched twin blasts that forced the Omnitrix wielder to duck away lest he get hit. Malware reverted one of his arms to normal as he swung it around and slammed it into Amphibian's chest, sending him sliding away. Malware looked at the palm of his hand which happened to smack the Omnitrix symbol and noticed something.
"My my...how your beloved toy has changed since last I got my hands on it." he spoke a copy of the symbol in the palm of his hand, "My what's this...an...ultimate function. Oh how violent, Benjamin. I'd never take you for the type to weaponize sentient lifeforms."
"Huh? Wait...how did you…?" Amphibian began to ask before his solid green eyes widened, "You...You helped make that predator-based Omnitrix copy!"
"What a pointless question. Of course I did. Copying the schematics for your old Omnitrix was easy...and watching you squirm was...amusing. I take it you've already come across the Nemetrix and its user. Yes...it was built with the concept of hunting...you," he pointed at Amphibian, "Designed to hold the creatures that kill all your forms. Hehehehe...and now I have the schematics for...Ultimate forms as well. My how handy."
"Not for much longer," Amphibian replied before slapping his emblem and turning into Rath, "What?! Lemme tell ya somethin', Omnitrix: Rath was going for Feedback!" he growled, "That's cool. Rath can handle it. Know why? Because Rath...IS GOING ULTIMATE!" he tapped his emblem and the spikes emerged and quickly replaced Rath with his Ultimate form, "Hmph. Ultimate Rath."
"An Appoplexian...stange how fitting that species is for you." Malware laughed, as he looked at his palm, "Hehehehe…."
"Why is he laughing?" Ragna asked.
"Because I had a thought...why should I let you have all the ultimate fun?" he held up his hand as the omnitrix symbol within was absorbed into his palm, "I really should thank you for always helping me find a new form!" he laughed as his body began to ripple and alter.
"...That can't be good…" Makoto whispered in a bit of worry.
Malware stepped forward as his own body folded over itself, forming an armored appearance. His shoulders became larger with two curved spikes jutting out of each as his forearms transformed into their cannon forms before hands extended out of the barrels. Three glowing cross shaped stars opened along his chest and down his abdomen. His head reformed, becoming more humanoid in shape with a single red eye and his glowing mouth still visible.
"Oh you have got to be freakin kidding!" Ragna shouted in outrage.
"Thank you for the...upgrade, hahahaha!" Malware laughed as he towered a head taller then Ultimate Rath, "I suppose you can call this...Ultimate Malware!"
"Hn," U-Rath grunted, giving a simple nod, before rushing at him.
Ultimate Rath swung a punch at Malware...only for his fist to be caught with almost no effort. Ultimate Rath grunted, trying to free his hand, as Malware laughed at him. He raised his free hand as it began glowing with energy before he punched Rath sending him flying away. Rath hit the barrier while sparking with red energy. He slowly got up and growled at U-Malware.
"Well, this is not good," Tsubaki noted, "And there's no knowing if this won't time out like Ben does."
U-Malware raised his arms as he blocked each of U-Rath's blows. Malware growled as his hands reformed into claws as he began swinging at Rath, forcing him to duck around each attack. The two punched at one another, sending them both skidding away from one another. The two charged and clashed with one another, only for Ultimate Rath to grunt as he sparked with electricity from Malware's glowing fist.
=What's wrong? Not too tough am…?" U-Malware began before Ragna's blade bounced off his armor, "...Oh? Was that supposed to hurt?"
"What the hell happened to you?" Ragna asked.
"The Ultimate function lets an alien race evolve through years of civil war between the same species, becoming the perfect life form to kill its own kind. I was already that...instead...I made myself the perfect life form...to kill anything Ben Tennyson becomes!" he shouted, grabbing an attack from both U-Rath and Ragna before his hands lit up and he released a wave of energy that lifted them both into the air against their will.
He clapped his hands together, making them slam into one another with great force. He then swung his hands down, slamming them into the ground and creating a small little crater in the shape of their smashed together forms.
"B-Ben-san! Ragna-san!" Noel gasped out.
"Oh yes...I almost forgot about you," U-Malware chuckled, slowly turning his attention to Noel.
"?! O-Optic Barrel!" Noel shouted as she fired an energy bullet at him.
Malware held up his hand as he released the same energy wave, stopping all the energy bullets. He then swung his hand to the side, sending them all flying at Ragna and U-Rath just as they were getting out of the crater. The two blinked for a moment as the shots hit them with several explosions. The smoke from the attack dispersed by a spinning silver ball shooting out of it and slammed into Malware, making him skid back a few inches. The silver ball bounced around before stopping by Noel, uncurling to reveal U-Cannonbolt with Ragna in his arms.
"Ugh. Just my luck…" U-Cannonbolt sighed.
"So...he can adapt to whatever form you take...what can he do for Cannonbolt?" Ragna couldn't help but say out loud.
Ultimate Malware growled as his torso stars began lighting up and fired off multiple branching laser beam photons. The three panicked as U-Cannonbolt used himself as a shield the beams exploding on impact and covering the area in another blanket of smoke.
"You had to ask!" Cannonbolt shouted. He was then picked up by Ultimate Malware and held up above his head. Ultimate Cannonbolt rolled into ball form for defensive measures.
Malware laughed as he turned his head up and his jaw opened wider as he blasted a beam from his mouth sending Ultimate Cannonbolt flying high into the air and hitting the top of the barrier. Malware stopped shooting letting him drop back down, once he was close to slamming back down on him, Malware swung his arm and spiked Ultimate Cannonbolt, sending him flying at Ragna and Noel.
"I got…" Ragna began before U-Cannonbolt crashed into him, sending him crashing into the barrier, "oof!"
"Did we get him…?" a dazed Ultimate Cannonbolt asked.
"Does it look like it?" Ragna's muffled annoyed growl was his response.
"You know..it's honestly pathetic with how easy this is…" U-Malware noted before deflecting an energy bullet aimed at him, "...heh heh...nice try, dear."
"Zer…!" Noel began before Bolverk was suddenly shot out of her hands, "Ahh!"
"You are vastly out of your league dear girl. High end weapons...against me? Now that's just not wise." Malware taunted catching Bolverk and let his red data lines spread across it before tossing it down, "Scan and replication complete." he laughed as both of his hands morphed into monstrous black and red copies of the guns. He then aimed and began shooting at Noel, who began running to avoid the barrage of red energy bullets.
"...Okay that's just unfair," Manic frowned a bit, "Dude can copy any weapon he touches."
"Hahahaha!" Malware laughed as he shot at Ragna and Ultimate Cannonbolt.
"This is crazy!" Ragna shouted, keeping pace with the rolling Ultimate Cannonbolt, using him as a shield to keep the bullets from hitting him, "Can't you turn into that unfair Alien God Z thing?!"
"Alien X! And I don't want to do that if it'll drain my Omnitrix!" Ultimate Cannonbolt argued, "Plus, do you REALLY want Malware to copy that Alien's powers?!"
"..." Ragna thought for just a second, "NEVER TURN INTO THAT THING!"
"I KNOW!"
"You're getting rather annoying, Mister and Mister Odd Couple." Malware spoke, shooting from his torso and mouth again, creating an explosion that sent them both tumbling across the ground, "Now...about that arm and eye of yours, Bloodedge?"
"Oh crap...we were so panicked we forgot that…" Cannonbolt groaned as he grabbed Ragna in a bearhug and rolled up to keep him from Malware's reach.
"MMMM!" Ragna screamed from inside the shell as Malware reached them.
"This is fine...I'll just cook you both from inside and then crack the shell open to get my reward." Ultimate Malware laughed as he formed twin giant cannons.
"MMM!?"
"...though…" U-Malware paused as he looked back at Noel, "I suppose an appetizer wouldn't hurt…"
"Don't you even touch her, creepy virus thing!" Makoto snapped from outside the barrier. Ultimate Malware's head twisted around on his shoulders to face her, his mouth seemed to widen and curve into a giant disturbing smile at her response.
"Well now...isn't that a wonderfully entertaining response from the peanut gallery?" Ultimate Malware spoke to them, "That's true. Your little friends are forced to watch...oh the looks on their faces...when I slowly murder...each...and...every one...of you."
'?!...m...murder…' Noel thought, fear in her voice as she began to shake.
"MMMM!" Ragna shouted upon hearing that.
"What do you want me to do?! If he gets a hold of your arm then we really will be in trouble!" Ultimate Cannonbolt spoke up, still audible to others.
"MMM!"
"And still they continue to talk," Ultimate Malware noted under his non-existence breath.
"Shut u-" Ultimate Cannonbolt began before rolling out of the way of a shot.
"This is getting tiresome, Tennyson. Come now; you know that each time you won, it was only a bout of your luck. Every time I've come back, I have only gotten smarter, stronger and better. Not even your ultimate forms are much help now!" Malware laughed, forming twin cannons as he blasted the ground sending Ultimate Cannonbolt flying into the air, causing him to uncurl and made both him and Ragna crash into the ground near Noel.
"Oof!" Cannonbolt groaned as he pushed himself over to his back, revealing Ragna was his landing pad, "Okay...maybe...he has a point…"
"You think…" Ragna groaned.
"If Ultimates are useless...then let's go with a classic." Cannonbolt spoke getting up and reaching for his Omnitrix.
"No you don't!" Malware shouted, shooting a beam at Cannonbolt.
Everyone flinched as an explosion went off. A green light went off from the smoke as a figure stepped out. A grunt was heard as a fist slammed into a hand.
"You know...maybe Gwen was right all those years ago...fight smart." Diamondhead spoke, his body shimmering as he stepped into the light, "Not that I'll admit it to her face though!" he laughed, forming blades from his arms.
"That form beat me once in my weakest form! The pride and audacity that it can beat me now as an ultimate being...is a sign of your utter arrogance, Benjamin!" Malware shouted as his arms reformed and projected beam sabers.
"Yeah...well let's test that!" Diamondhead smirked.
The two charged at one another as the two clashed their blades arms repeatedly. Malware spun around and aimed a cannon at Diamondhead, only for the Petrosapien to punch his arm into the cannon. Malware grunted as multiple spikes pierced through his weaponized arm, causing it to explode. Malware reformed his arm but failed to notice a punch that sent him skidding away. Diamondhead grunted as he punched the ground and formed a ramp of crystals that uppercutted Malware, sending him stumbling back. Malware looked up as Diamondhead ran up the ramp and jumped into the air as he came down with his fist aimed at him.
Ultimate Malware roared as he fired a beam from his mouth. Diamondhead punched his fist as the beam began reflecting off his hand. The force of the beam kept him airborne for a few moments as he dropped down until he punched U-Malware in the face, making him stumble back.
"Lasers don't work well on reflective surfaces," Diamondhead whistled as he rolled his shoulders, "I remember now how bad it is to fight you with an organic life form...or tech. But...crystals...oh, that's got an advantage."
"...I will admit, Petrosapiens are quite tricky to deal with due to their crystalline bodies…" Malware admitted before smirking, "But they are not immune to sound attacks.."
"?!" Diamondhead tensed before quickly jumping out of the way of a sound blast.
"I told you, Ben 10, nothing of yours can stop...AH!"he shouted as his arm was cut off by Ragna's sword which was thrown in scythe mode, "Why you scrawny little…"
"I'm not scrawny! I'm lean!" Ragna countered as Malware was run through by a Diamond lance made by Diamondhead.
"Gh?!" Malware tensed as he staggered back. He then cried in pain as multiple spikes exploded from the lance, tearing through his body.
"Did he go down?" Diamondhead asked as Malware's arms grabbed his face, "AH!" he panicked as he aimed his free hand and began shooting diamond shards that pierced his head and arms.
"It will take more than that to be rid of me!" Malware spoke, oozing out of the spikes as he stood on the lance and then pinned Diamondhead down to the ground. His mouth opened as he formed a sonic cannon from inside as it began humming and charging up a blast.
"?!" Noel tensed, looking around for her guns before spotting a piece of diamond on the ground, "..."
"Now d-gah!" Malware roared out when a diamond shard suddenly stabbed him in the back, the corrupted Galvanic Mechamorph growling as he turned towards Noel, "You little brat!"
"?!" Noel tensed up, about to dodge before Malware grabbed her, "Kya!"
"You are….wait…" Malware paused, tensing as he suddenly let Noel go, "You...what are you…?"
"Ha!" Diamondhead roared forming his right arm into a giant sword as he swung down and cleaved Malware in two from his shoulder to his hip, "Ragna now!"
"Nightmare Edge!" Ragna shouted, slashing with his sword as he cut down from Malware's other shoulder, leaving an X shape in his body.
"Gh?!" Malware grunted out, his form starting to crack "...you two...be wary around that….that thing with you…" he growled, glaring at Noel, "It...it's something that shouldn't be…" at that, his body gave out before he could finish what he was saying, transforming into a broken Obelisk with the gem shattering once it hit the ground.
"What was he saying?" Ragna asked.
"Don't know...don't care." Diamondhead grunted shedding his giant blade arm.
"The smoke!" Manic called.
"...shit!" Ragna realized as the smoke began to rise from the remains of the gem.
"I got it!" Diamondhead called as he slammed his hands on the floor and a dome of crystals engulfed the Obelisk before the smoke could fully escape, "Whew."
"That was close…" Sonia sighed in relief.
Diamondhead grunted as the crystal dome condensed itself into a sphere as big as his head, leaving just the Obelisk and the broken stone, "There…" He picked up the sphere, "Let's get this into the safe."
=...They're starting to catch on…= Metal Sonic noted.
"More like they realized it upon your first encounter where you showed off your abilities and not simply pretended to just be a duplicate of the blue one," Khyber noted, "You allowed your second blade to be revealed too soon."
=Noted…= Metal Sonic replied =...there is still one left…=
"With any luck...they will have too much trouble with this one to contain it," Khyber spoke, "But in the end it doesn't matter; we are just letting our prey tire itself...and then we take the kill."
=...Sonic is mine. You do what you wish to those other lower lifeforms= Metal Sonic stated.
"Right, right. Take your prey and I'll take mine." he replied as he walked off to prepare his own things.
=...= Metal Sonic said nothing as he walked on the opposite direction.
"Okay...last monolith...and it's gonna be from an alternate timeline…" Ragna muttered as the group looked around the area for the last monolith.
"Okay, before we do anything, let's take care of one thing," Manic informed before pointing at Sonic, Roll, Makoto, and Ben, "You four stay on the bus when we find it."
"Huh? Why?" Ben asked.
"To be completely honest? Metal Sonic is after Bro, Sis-in-Law can't be far away from Bro or she'll be hurt literally, Ben can turn into things that could help Bro win, and Makoto because Ben needs her if he transforms into Omniketsu by accident and because she can punch really hard," Manic replied, "Like, harder than any of us can."
"It...makes sense." Ben admitted, "Plus I can charge up more energy with this if need be," he pointed to the Omnitrix.
"And we can make sure no one tries to steal the other Time Stones," Makoto added.
"It's oddly...very tactical…" Ragna spoke.
"Exactly," Manic smirked
"If we end up fighting some kind of super warrior that we need those four, I'm blaming you." Ragna pre-empted his own complaint as he started walking away.
"H...hopefully that won't be the case..r-right, Noel?" Mai asked.
"...hai…" Noel answered, a near empty tone in her voice as she followed Ragna.
"...Noel?" Tsubaki pondered, walking over as she touched noel's shoulder, "Are y-"
"Don't touch me…" Noel coldly ordered, walking away from Tsubaki.
"Is...something wrong with Noel?" Sonia pondered.
"She might still be shaken by Malware," Ben noted, giving a shudder, "I know I am. Even after he was destroyed when I shoved the Omnitrix into him after what he did to Feedback, I still have times that I remember him and can't help but shiver."
"He was just creepy…" Makoto spoke, remembering some of his mannerisms.
"...I think it's more than that…" Mai spoke, "Did anyone notice something the moment she picked Bolverk up?"
"...She did seem to tense for a moment…" Roll answered, "After that...nothing."
'...Did Malware end up breaking the limiters in Bolverk?' Mai thought, 'If so…is she about to wake up into THAT form?'
"Weird…" Ben spoke up, "Well I guess we'll have check on her later. For now, we should focus on dealing with the current big problems."
"...right…" Mai slowly nodded.
"I know this is meant to be a good idea and all, but I'm so bored~" Makoto groaned, sitting at the round table.
"True, but look at it this way as well; we'll be rested and ready for if Metal Sonic and whatever's wearing the Nemetrix when they attack," Ben pointed out, "Plus…" he motioned towards Yacker, who was throwing a metal ball that Rexy chased after, picked up, and brought back to Yacker, "You get to see some really interesting stuff."
"...True…" Makoto muttered, "Still...I wanna do something~"
"Checkers?" Roll offered.
"Against Ben? No thanks…" Makoto deadpanned.
"Hey, you know you and everyone else who plays against me when I use Greymatter or Brainstorm always end up being a lot better at the games than others are," Ben defended.
"Yeah, but when you're not using them, you're still good," Makoto argued, "Mmm….sometimes I wish the bus had a gym built into it or something…"
"That would be dangerous…" they all spoke.
"Ugh...oh wait! Truth or Dare?" Makoto offered.
"I guess it can't be terrible…" the two males in the room agreed.
"Nothing involving clothing," Roll quickly informed.
"So...yes?" Makoto asked.
"Sure." they all agreed with simple nods, "Nothing too crazy!" they all quickly added.
"I'll take what I can get!"
"Okay, you stupid ring. Where the hell is that last Obelisk?" Ragna demanded, shaking the Ring until screaming as it pulled him off through a reinforced steel door, several support beams of the building he was pulled into, out a wall just before the building collapsed in on itself, and then repeated it for several more buildings until finally stopping at an Obelisk with a red and black gem shaped like a katana on the top, "...Owwwwwwwwww…"
"Well...that happened," Manic noted.
Sonia rolled her eyes and summoned her phoenix/spear, "Let me." she tapped the butt of the spear on the ground and engulfed the others and herself in a burst of flames that dispersed to reveal them beside the downed Bloodedge, "And this is why you don't make fun of something sentient that is needed for something important."
"Shut...up…" Ragna snarked as Mai poked him with a broken pole she picked up, "Stop it…" he groaned before getting up, "Well...this is ominous…" he spoke, seeing the Obelisk, "Who's gonna wake it up? Not it!" he shouted, quickly giving the ring to Mai.
"Eh?!"
"Not it/No thank you/Nope/Iie..."
"Aw come on!" Mai barked at the others before sighing, "Oh fine…" she tapped the Ring on the Obelisk and both lit up brightly.
"Yahoo!" a figure shouted as he tossed around people while running down the hall.
His hair was white and a red coat flailed around behind him as he picked up speed and continued plowing through the armed guards in his path. The figure came to a skidding halt in front of another person in his path. The other figure blinked, revealing them to be Ragna. He stared at the other white haired and red coated man. The clear differences being this other man was bare chested under his red coat, and his eyes where both pure blue.
"Not cool, dude." the Blue eyed man spoke up, "That's totally my style." he laughed, pointing at Ragna's hair and coat, "But then again I'd copy me too. I mean, look at me."
"Oi. I'll have you know this jacket's a gift," Ragna scowled.
"Whatever dude. Now if you don't mind...I'm going that way." the man pointed behind Ragna, "Move it or lose it, Emo me." he joked, motioning with his hands clad in fingerless gloves for Ragna to step aside.
"You're really asking for it, jackass." Ragna growled.
"Ooh...I'm shaking in my boots." he joked.
Both then reached behind them before pulling out their swords. The other man holding a large claymore sword with a skeletal guard and a crown at the end of the pommel. Both clashed, causing a huge gust of wind that blew anything not nailed down over.
"Well...this might be fun!" the man smirked his eyes turning a demonic red, "Let's get crazy!"
The Obelisk's gem cracked open and the smoke engulfed the Obelisk. Unlike the other times, instead of just three...the barrier appeared and everyone was inside of it.
"Oh that's not good," Sonia noted, moving Haseo behind her as footsteps were heard in the smoke where the Obelisk was before the white-haired figure stepped out.
The figure whistled wolfishly as he looked everyone over especially the girls present, "Well...this might be really fun!" the man smirked, resting his giant sword over his shoulder, "So...where's the party at? Or are you guys my surprise party? Cause if so...the ladies can stay...the guys can go ahead and leave."
"..."
"...What? You expecting the pizza delivery guy or something?" he asked, "That actually sounds good though...Peperoni...no meat lovers special...no olives!" he went on as he stabbed his sword into the ground and sat down, "But then again Supreme can't be beat...man is this a dilemma…."
"Uh...what?"
"Oh wait...you guys probably want to fight me, right?" the man asked them, "I mean why else would you have all those sharp and dangerous things?" he pointed to their weapons, "So...that means one of two things...Either you guys got hired to kill me...or your demons who also want to kill me?" he listed, "Either way...you guys aren't gonna get a win today…" he laughed as he kept going at his own pace, leaving them all dumbstruck at how fast he took over the situation, "Hey I know you...you're that Emo ripoff of me!" he laughed pointing at Ragna, "How you doing man?"
"..." Ragna's eye twitched, "Emo?!"
"I mean you got too much black dude...more Red!" he laughed "Its all about that passionate red...too much black and you just look like a lameass edgelord." he went on, "Plus come on dude...spiky white hair...it's all about that smooth hair man." he smirked flipping his hair back.
"...Oh he is dead. Deader than dead," Ragna grumbled in anger, a dark aura coming off him as he glared at the guy.
"Edgelord~" he sang, everyone flinched as Ragna charged at him and stabbed his sword forward...Only for the man to raise his free hand and block the sword between his middle and index finger, "Hey cool sword!" he laughed as he lifted the weapon and Ragna up before tossing him back at his friends at a speed so fast they had no time to jump out of the way.
"What the hell is this guy!?" they all shouted.
"Name's Dante~" he sang, "Son of Sparda the Demon Knight, that's right I'm half demon." he explained, "But I'm all...sexy!" he added flipping his coat back to show off his abs, "So ladies...what say we…" he blocked another swing from Ragna with his sword, "Dude...I'm trying to get some action here...do you mind?"
"Will you take this seriously, jackass?!" Ragna snapped.
"Oh I am...just chillin and messin' with you specifically, edgelord," Dante countered with a smirk.
"Stop calling me that!" Ragna shouted only to blink as a white pistol was aimed at his face.
"Alright fine...if you want me to take you kinda seriously...you asked for it." Dante smiled, pulling the Trigger as Ragna freaked and ducked to the side as a bullet flew out and tore a giant hole through a building.
"Da HELL!?" Ragna shouted.
"Ebony...Ivory, time to get to work." The man spoke, holding up black and white handguns as he aimed and began shooting at Ragna, forcing him to avoid attack after attack.
Each time he either had to avoid a rapid barrage of bullets or one bullet that could tear through buildings. Raga was able to get close enough to swing his sword only for Dante to block with his own sword, all while holding Ebony in his teeth and aiming Ivory at Ragna's face. He prepared to fire only to jump back to avoid a wolf made of the ground erupting from it, trying to aim for his neck.
"Bad dog!" Dante spoke, shooting the stone wolf and destroying it, "Well this might actually be interesting...tell you what how about ALL of you guys come at me all at once? You know keep it fair."
"Gladly," Manic replied, donned in his armor with wolf knife in hand, "No one makes my pal this mad...unless it's another pal that's just joking around."
"I swear I will throw you to the proverbial wolves!" Ragna barked at Manic.
"Sure, sure. In the meantime…" Manic stomped his foot and a pack of stone wolves emerged, "Sic 'em."
"Let's party!" Dante smirked twirling his guns as they began glowing. Everyone gawked as he began shooting bullets covered in dark red energy that exploded brightly.
Manic flinched as Dante kept shooting while charging into the pack of stone wolves. The gun shots stopped only for the entire pack of wolves to explode into bits of stone as Dante jumped and flipped over Manic. His arms now covered in black gauntlets with white lines glowing along them and resembling wolf heads, matching clawed greaves also decorated his legs as well.
"Howl Beowulf!" he cheered as he punched a stone wolf, crushing it to dust with his fist. He then flipped forward as he landed an axe kick to another wolf, tearing its head off before using it as a stepping stone for his next big leap. He reared his right fist back as large flashes of light escaped the gauntlet like exhaust from an engine, "Ha!" he shouted as he shot like a rocket at Manic and struck him with a punch that sent him flying away and into the barrier.
"Gah!" Manic grunted from the impact before landing on his armored face, "Guh!" he got up, shaking his head, "Man...that smarted almost as bad as Makoto when she's annoyed."
"Come on, guys...I'm barely even trying here. Come at me all at once or we're gonna be here all day with this," Dante spoke, "I can already tell...none of you are stronger than my best."
"Cocky arrogant...ugh. Seriously, how many dudes am I gonna meet today that act like Bro when we were younger?!" Manic grumbled as he moved over to Ragna.
"No clue, but the attitude reminds me of Ben when he got too cocky in anything really back when he was eleven," Ragna compared.
"Yeah well guys, here's the thing," Dante spoke, overhearing them, "I'm not even going 25 percent on you." he smirked widely as he held his arms out, "So...come on…" he taunted them clapping his hands and waving them over, treating them almost like animals.
"...Rampage?" Manic suggested.
"Rampage," Ragna agreed.
Manic stomped his foot on the ground and this time a pack of wolves the size of trucks erupted from the ground, charging out at Dante. Dante chuckled before he charged in at the wolves. He reared his arms back as he began punching them and destroying them one by one. As he punched one wolf he was surprised when Ragna jumped out from between two of the wolves and he stabbed his sword forward. Dante's eyes widened as everyone saw Dante run through by Ragna's sword.
"Got him!" Ragna smirked only to blink as his sword...wouldn't pull out of Dante's chest, "Wha?"
"Best you got?" Dante smirked as he brought his fist down and punched Ragna, sending him flying and through several of the wolves. He landed with a grunt before he grabbed the sword protruding from his chest and yanked it out, making the squeamish close their eyes and turn away, "Ah much better." Dante sighed, holding Ragna's sword as his wound closed, seeming as if he was never harmed to begin with.
"Oh my god that was gross…" Manic groaned trying not to lose his lunch.
"What the hell was that?!" Ragna shouted, "How...how are you...?"
"Duh!" Dante laughed resting Ragna's sword on his shoulder, "Half demon...Hello, what do you think that means?" he rolled his eyes, "I can't be killed like a human can." he added, "Here, I'll prove it." he spun the sword around and aimed it at his chest again.
"No no! Don't dont'!" Mai shouted.
"You sure? It's actually kind of funny. My body makes this squishing sound whenever I get stabbed through the lungs!" Dante laughed as he tossed Ragna his sword back, "I told you...all of you at once."
"We did prove we can get a hit on him," Ragna noted as he and Manic regrouped with the girls-and Haseo-, "Maybe take off his head and it'll be done like that."
"No...you're wrong." Mai spoke as they watched Dante summon his giant sword once more.
"You didn't land a hit...he let it hit because it doesn't matter." Tsubaki spoke, "He heals so fast he's just grown accustomed to letting people know he's not worried about landing a hit." she explained, having already examined his behavior and fighting style from what they have seen.
"See? The redhead gets it," Dante smirked.
"And if he was telling the truth about not even being at a quarter of his maximum...then we have a long fight ahead of us." Tsubaki added as Dante began to let his attention wander and began cleaning his ear with his pinky finger.
"Come on, guys. I don't got all day. I have a business to get back to and a LOT of bills to pay. Did you know Neon costs a lot of energy….cause boy I didn't!" Dante laughed, "Oh by the way, what's wrong with the blond over there? Shy?" he asked, motioning to Noel...who was still standing their with a near emotionless look on her face, "Wow. She is out of it…"
"...N...noel-nee? Daijoubu?" Haseo asked, looking up at her in concern.
"...Bolverk."
"Bol-what?" Dante raised a brow before narrowly avoiding an energy bullet at the last second, "Woah now! Easy...almost took the boys out there, little l-" he narrowly dodged another, "...Okay seriously, let me get a word i-" he dodged yet another, this time aimed at his head, "Alright, this is getting…" he stopped as the next one seemed to hit, only for him to tilt his head back down and reveal the energy bullet stuck between his teeth, he spit it out as he groaned, "Okay...now this is getting old."
Another bullet came at him, only for Dante to vanish from sight. Everyone blinked as that happened. Everyone quickly turned around as they felt a gust of wind as Dante appeared behind Noel, his sword held up high and ready to strike.
"Gotcha," Dante smirked as he slashed down, only for Noel to suddenly sidestep the slash.
"...Engaging target…" Noel spoke, her voice sounding empty...almost robotic in a way as she turned back around and aimed Bolverk at him, "Disarming…"
"Wh-" Dante began before Noel shot his sword out of his hands, sending it into a wall, "...Okay. That is some deadly accuracy." he smirked clearly still not worried before Noel's gun changed into a large chaingun, "...and that's a bit overkill." he spoke as he was rapidly shot and sent crashing into a building and bring it down upon him.
Noel lowered her weapon after a while. Her eyes visibly widened slightly as a scaled monster hand grabbed a bit of rubble, only for it to revert to a regular looking human hand in the blink of an eye that no one else noticed the change. Dante gasped for air as he pulled himself free of the rubble tomb that was dropped on his head. His bullet wounds closed as even his clothing repaired itself via magic of some sort.
"...Okay. That actually kinda hurt…" Dante admitted as he held a finger up and spit up several energy bullets, "Hey look at that...knocked out my wisdom tooth...oh and it's back." he groaned, "Thanks anyway!" he rolled his shoulders, earning total silence in response, "...You know it's rude to not resp-"
"Re-engaging target…" Noel spoke as she fired more energy bullets at him.
"Seriously?!" Dante exclaimed, he raised his arm and spread his leg in a defensive stance and...all the bullets just bounced off of him while a faint aura began emanating from him. "Royal Guard…." he smirked, letting the energy bullets all bounce off his body.
"...changing tactics…"Noel whispered as she got into a stance, her guns changing into a large railgun, energy starting to build up in it.
"...Okay seriously, how many forms do those thing h-" Dante began before Noel pulled the trigger, unleashing a large laser right at him, "?!"
*BOOM!*
"Okay...I thought I'd never say it, but Noel? Yeah, she scares me," Manic admitted.
"WOOHOOO~!" Dante's voice laughed, making everyone even Noel flinch. A figure walked out of the smoke revealing a large armored entity, the armor made of black stone like materials with red glowing streaks throughout and a large helmet with multiple visor slits. The armor faded away as Dante laughed happily, "No one has ever made me pull out that trick in ages! Alright...maybe I can take this a little more seriously!" he laughed as a red aura exploded off him, making everyone flinch at the sheer killing intent that came from it.
"Owowowowowowowowowow!" Makoto, Roll, and Sonic exclaimed, rolling around on the floor while their tails stuck out, Rexy being the only one with a straight tail and not on the floor in pain but simply hiding under the table.
"...Yeah, I think they got jinxed," Ben sighed as he turned into Big Chill and began to fill bags with ice.
"...Rate of danger increasing…" Noel whispered a bit, "...Preparing defensive tactics…"
"..." Dante smirked as his eyes turned from icy blue to a deep crimson red. He stepped forward and cleared the distance between him and Noel in an instant, "Let's party!" he laughed as he punched her in the abdomen and sent her flying into Ragna, sending them both tumbling across the ground.
"Ah...damn that hurt…" Ragna grunted as he got up, helping Noel up a bit, "You okay?"
"...Damaged...staying in far ranged mode…" Noel whispered as she jumped back.
"...Okay seriously, what's gotten into her?" Ragna whispered, 'That monotone voice...why...oh...oh no...oh fuck no..don't tell me she's a…!' Ragna mentally began.
"No you don't!" Dante spoke, clearing the distance again and making Noel look up as he was face to face, "If we're gonna do this, we're gonna do this right!" he spoke, aiming his sword at her.
"Don't forget me, A-hole!" Ragna snapped, forcing Dante around as he slugged him in the face.
"..." Dante smirked, raising his sword and swinging it down, however what many could not see is Dante's arm swinging in multiple angles quickly, faster than others could see really.
Ragna tensed as multiple cuts formed along his clothing and him, each and every one shallow but still. It proved Dante's point as he aimed the tip of the sword to his face. Dante smirked as he turned around and spun his sword around like a buzzsaw and blocked all of Noel's bullets. He then performed a sweeping kick around him, destroying the wolves that were starting to form from the ground before they could even get out. A bit of heat went off and he grabbed the blade of Sonia's spear, only to grunt as his hand started smoking while the blade on her spear glowed with a white energy. He threw her away and checked his hand to see it covered in blisters.
"Ugh...What kind of spear is that?" Dante pondered, "Holy or something like it?"
"Possi…" Sonia began.
"Zero Gun...Thor," Noel spoke, up in the air as she fired multiple rockets from her rocket launcher.
"...Okay, what's gotten into Noel?" Sonia blinked as Dante began to dodge the rockets.
"...Mai?" Tsubaki whispered to the blunette, "Do you know?"
"...n...no…" Mai answered, '...Please don't give me that look…'
"...Mai..." Tsubaki warned, giving Mai The Look.
"...Please don't tell Makoto or Ragna this," Mai begged as she whispered some things to Tsubaki.
"...soka...soka...wait...wh…?!" Tsubaki's eyes slowly widened from the info my was feeding her, "...a...are you sure?"
"Hai," Mai replied with a nod.
"That...that actually makes sense now…" Tsubaki realized.
"Eh?"
"Before we found you on Prison Island, we were involved with rescuing Noel, who had been kidnapped by Starscream and brought to this vessel called the EggCarrier," Tsubaki explained, "Shockwave...discovered that she, well, wasn't human. You telling me that...it's all but confirmed it."
"...Hence why you can't tell Ragna or Makoto unless absolutely necessary," Mai whispered to her again.
"...understood," Tsubaki nodded.
"How about some assistance here?!" Ragna called out, blocking a strike from Dante.
"HA!" Dante shouted jumping back as he held his sword reverse handed behind his back as it began glowing, "Here comes the style!" he shouted swinging the sword and sending a giant red crescent blade of energy.
Everyone scrambled out of the path of the attack as it hit the barrier. Everyone turned back to the impact...as cracks began forming along the barrier. Dante spun his sword around as he looked up with them.
"What we looking at?" Dante asked confused.
"How did you do that!?" Ragna shouted.
"Uh...let's see...I'm half demon...Rebellion is the sword of magic…" he listed off naming his sword, "I'm a handsome beast…" he added with a chuckle as he swung down and blocked multiple swings from his enemies.
"We meant how you were able to crack the barrier because you were chosen as the guardian of this spot!" Ragna barked.
"...Guardian?" Dante raised a brow, "...oh I get it...I was summoned...okay. Who's the wiseass who did the summon? It was Arkham wasn't it….no...Mundus...oh I swear to god if it was a witch out to make a contract with me again..."
"The planet," Ragna replied, "Some sorta automated defense system because of it being here longer than a week when it should only be here for three days."
"Really...that's it?" Dante asked plainly, "Wow. You guys are REALLY slow at this whole clear a dungeon and save the world thing!"
"We're in the last area and it's only been a day and a half since we learned about this damn place!" Ragna argued, "And it doesn't help that every other boss we run into, including you, it's from another alternate timeline! And to make things worse, there's this taller metal version of a friend of mine out there that can absorb the smoke that's left when you guys get beaten that lets him have all your powers, magic included, to use at his disposal!"
"Okay...So a basic Tuesday for me then, huh?" Dante pondered before a shadow came over him, making him look up at the giant wolf bigger than the buildings snarling at him, "...Wow. That guy is good." he smirked as it bit down on him. After a moment, Dante forced the wolf's jaw open as he aimed Ebony and began shooting inside its jaw until the whole thing began crumbling, "So...to save the world, you need to beat me...man, what is this cosmic irony shit that the guy who's the son of the strongest demon is summoned as the semifinal boss...I mean that's some cliche RPG nonsense."
"You're telling me," Manic noted as Dante caught his knife's blade and grunted as smoke came from his hand, making him throw the hedgehog away.
"Two of you with those kinds of blades?" Dante asked, "Okay, now it feels like a Wednesday. And considering you said that I'm from an alternate timeline, might be different rules to things that can and can't hurt me since those shouldn't normally hurt." he grunted, shaking his hand as he healed, "God dang it...this means I have to owe that idiot agent Enzo since he called the holy weapon thing...man…" he grumbled to himself, "Goodbye pizza funds for the week."
"Do you ever stay on one subject?!" they all shouted, minus Noel.
"No, not really...I mean this is nothing new to me so while you guys are probably freaking out...I'm just worried about how I'm gonna make rent this week. They don't pay you for being sexy or killing demons for fun...I need to get hired to get paid for it...and even then they always fine me for property damage." Dante went on as he blocked an attack from Noel without paying attention and tossed her back to her friends, "Just be thankful you're not going against my bro."
"...wh-why?" Haseo asked.
"You'd all be dead within a matter of seconds before you could even draw your weapons." he explained, "Yeah my brother is a total creepy power hungry psychopath. Who really loves that katana…"
Everyone blinked for a second and turned to Ragna. Ragna just shrugged in equal confusion at how that description drew a great deal of parallels to his own brother.
"Also he's totally evil and wants to take over hell and invade the human world...man I wish Mom was still around. She'd set him straight." Dante sighed.
"Why do you all keep looking at me, dammit?!" Ragna barked as they were all looking at him once again.
"You two...are...very….uhm….alike…" Mai explained.
"Hell no!" Ragna and Dante shouted.
"I am way more handsome!" Dante added.
"...Though to be on the safeside, your brother isn't a brocon, is he?" Ragna whispered to Dante.
"Hell no…"
"Does he go crazy with wanting to kill you?"
"Well to be fair, he wants to kill everyone…" Dante added, "He mostly wants me dead so he can fully inherit Dad's demonic power and become the strongest Demon alive."
"...Does his katana freeze and create ice?"
"More like cut the air and space…" he explained, "It's also kinda the key to open hell itself."
"What the….HELL?!" the others all shouted.
"What? Dad was a demon and mom was human...you see kids, when a mommy and a daddy love each other very much…" Dante began.
"Dude seriously?!" Manic exclaimed, Tsubaki's hands already on Haseo's ears.
"Oh come on how else would I be here if Mom and Pop didn't hook up?" Dante laughed, "Sides I'm a demon….not a monster. I'm not gonna finish that stuff with what I can only imagine is a kid...speaking of, why do you guys have a kid with you...what are you, the world's worst parents and/or siblings?"
"We weren't expecting the barrier to cover all of us!" Manic argued, "Also, he's technically my little step-bro, but regardless!"
"Alright...I'm starting to like you guys." Dante laughed, "Tell you what? As one world saving super handsome hero to another...I'll cut you some slack here." he laughed as everyone relaxed before another burst of red aura knocked them all back a step, "I'll exhaust all my energy so you guys stand a chance!" he laughed as lightning fell from the sky through the barrier creating a hole at the top as it struck him.
Everyone took another step back at the new figure that replaced Dante. Standing there was a red and black demon with scaly skin, wings extended from his waist like his jacket once did, the red of his torso opened up like a jacket as rib cage like spikes framed the black center of his torso. His head was now covered in a carapace of bone that framed his head before turning into horns. His mouth opened revealing sharp teeth as his red eyes flashed brightly.
"This is me at my maximum...Devil Trigger!" Dante spoke in a raspy voice as his wings extended, "All of my demonic blood activated and transforming me into the monster I keep hidden within! I'm coming at you guys with everything at once. Be ready for it!"
"...In that case...Manic, you and the others stand back…" Ragna ordered, a grin on his face as he gripped his arm, "He wants to go all out...I might as well too."
"Wait. Ragna, are you sure?" Mai asked.
"Hell no!" he shouted, "But can you feel that…?" he asked, "He's a monster...and now he made himself look the part...Might as well give him something." he grasped his fake arm, "Restriction Number 666 released. Dimensional Interruption Field Deployed!" he grunted before giving a roar as the red orb on the back of his fist opened, revealing a black and red smoke before it solidified on his arm, transforming it into its larger demonic clawed state, "BlazBlue: ACTIVATE!"
"...Azure Grimoire...detected…" Noel whispered, eying Ragna as she stood in place.
"So you got a little bit of monster in you, too...Alright!" Dante cheered pulling out his sword, "This party's getting crazy! Let's Rock!"
The two rushed at each other and swung their blades. The two collided and a shockwave erupted from the impact, nearly knocking everyone off their feet.
"Hell's Fang!" Ragna roared, swinging his untransformed arm at the same time Dante swung a fist, making another shockwave on impact.
"You can pack a punch, pal...but it takes more than that to take down a demon like me!" he spoke as he spun forward and slammed his leg to Ragna's head, sending him down to the ground. He held up his sword as the blade began glowing.
Ragna looked up as Dante aimed the tip at him and thrust it at him, resulting in his flying forward as a cone of energy formed around the tip of the blade resembling a giant spear coming down on him. Ragna lifted up his sword and stabbed it up at the same time. Both blade tips clashed, causing a surprisingly large shockwave from such small surfaces impacting. Black and red energy arced off the two blades like lightning as everyone flinched from the pressure.
"You may be a devil...but me?" Ragna began as he leaned forward, glaring into Dante's eyes, "I'm a Reaper…"
"Then bring it on! I've been beating the reaper since I was 8!" he cheered as the two pushed the other back and clashed weapons again.
"Dudes, this is nuts," Manic admitted, holding onto Haseo so the shockwaves wouldn't send him flying off.
"Tell me about it!" Mai exclaimed, using her spear to stay in place.
"This...is insane!" Tsubaki spoke, her sword stabbed into the ground, "How can they contain that much power without tearing themselves apart?!"
The two red blurs tackled into one another as their swords clashed. Dante growled demonically as he pushed Ragna back before knocking him away. Dante spun his sword around and began swinging it, sending multiple energy slashes flying at him. Ragna roared as he swung his transformed arm, the limb becoming a blur that collided with every single slash and blowing them up.
Dante growled as he landed and rushed at Ragna again. Ragna grunted as he swung up to block the stab, but the force stull sent him skidding back. He then grunted as Dante jumped into the air and swung down in a powerful swing. Ragna blocked with his sword and both arms, only for the attack to still fragment the ground around him. Dante pushed down as he pinned Ragna to the ground with his own sword keeping him from using his arms.
"If this place is strong enough to bring me here, then be ready Mr Reaper. You're gonna need to face things that could be worse than me!" Dante spoke, earning his attention, "Are you ready for whatever monsters will come out next!?" he asked, grabbing his face with his demonic hand, he then jumped and flew into the air carrying Ragna before lifting and tossing him into and through a building.
"Dunno...Are you?!" Ragna's voice shouted as black and red energy bursted through every single window of the building.
"Oh ho! Quippy... I like you." Dante laughed as he landed and pulled out Ebony and Ivory...from...somewhere on his person. He aimed and began to concentrate red demonic energy into the pistols before he began rapidly pulling the triggers, sending a barrage of energy bullets the size of missiles that tore through the building.
"Dead...SPIKE!" Ragna's voice roared as a massive demonic dragon/wolf head burst from the ground before Dante, fangs bared as it headed straight towards him.
Dante spun his sword around and held up upside down as it began glowing. He swung it up sending a sword beam that cut the monstrous head in two. Dante stabbed the sword down as his wings curled around his waist, forming coat tails almost.
"Heh...let's just say it's a good thing unlike my brother I don't believe in doing special moves," he laughed as he pulled his sword out and pointed it at Ragna.
"Tsk...man what even is he...If this guy is only a half demon, how strong are they in his world?" Ragna groaned as he got ready to attack again.
"Ragna, was it? Not a lot of folks can handle this form. Last one was a demon punk from some place I don't care to remember about…" Dante spoke, "You're going on the list!"
"He said this form will exhaust his power...but he's still going strong...How much power does he have?!" Ragna asked as the two prepared to attack one another again.
Both raised their swords upward in a stance to prepare a downward swing for their next attack. In the span of a second the two let loose another surge of their energies that spread out as shockwaves. The moment both ripples of wind clashed the two seemed to skip forward and across the ground as they swung down at the same time. Everyone flinched at the deafening sound of their blades clashing with such great force. It was soon followed up by a gust of wind from two great forces coming to such a sudden halt. Dante pushed Ragna back a step but to the latters shock the returning air they dispersed with their attack resulted in his being pulled in closer as Dante brought his sword back down for a follow up swing. Ragna grunted as he swung his transformed arm up at the same time.
For a moment, all became silent. Everyone finally opened their eyes when they felt no more gusts of wind or shockwaves. Everyone looked to see Ragna's transformed arm as it was thrust through Dante's torso, glowing red blood dripping from the demon half breed's wound. They all sighed, thinking it was over only for them to gasp as Dante instead grabbed Ragna's arm and yanked it out violently.
Ragna jumped back panting and shocked at the fact that despite running his fist through his chest, let alone where his heart should be...Dante still stood there, his wound healing so fast it looked like nothing had hurt him to begin with. Dante coughed blood as he stood there.
"Man that hurt...I mean like really hurt. Dude, healing organs is a pain in the ass! I mean like a total bitch…" he laughed, tapping his chest a few times, "There it goes...phew. Almost worried their for a second. But yep hearts ticking again." he laughed as he wiped the blood from his mouth and reverted to his normal form, "There we go...you burned up my Devil Trigger with that one, had to waste all the energy to heal that before it became an issue."
"Can anything kill you?" Ragna asked, trying to process all that just happened.
"My brother can kinda...but well I mean I'm still alive...so something is keeping me from croaking." Dante laughed.
"...Yeah, that's it," Ragna growled, his emblem appearing behind him.
"Huh? An emblem?" Dante pondered
"Let me show you...THE POWER OF THE AZURE!" Ragna roared before his blade struck Dante in his surprise, "Let me show you…" he grasped his sword in his transformed arm and let it fold out into scythe mode before his limb became a blur, ripping spheres of red energy from Dante, "There is no Hell."
'Gh! I...I feel it! That blade...it's ripping my actual soul out?!' Dante thought before a final slash was made into him before Ragna was engulfed in the energy of his arm, the limb and blade becoming a wing that proceeded to rip out thousands of red orbs from his body, 'He...he really is a reaper, huh?'
"There is only Darkness and…" Ragna ripped his wing around before spinning around, "DESTRUCTION!"
"Well...Ragna went Astral Finish again," Makoto noted, seeing a slanted pillar of darkness erupting towards the sky.
"Yeesh...Wonder who they went up against that made him use that?" Sonic pondered.
Only a few pieces of the Obelisk collapsed to the ground, a tiny shard of the gem on it falling with it. As the smoke began to leave, Ragna swung his transformed arm and the smoke was absorbed into the demonic eye in the palm before he clenched his fist and it changed back. He swung his arm and a faint wing of darkness appeared briefly.
"Ugh...That guy was as much a pain as the asshole in the mask," Ragna grumbled, "And if his brother's anything like Jin and ended up challenging him, guy's probably dead by being cut in two."
"You okay?" Manic asked after a moment, walking over to him.
"No! I'm pretty sure he wasn't even at his strongest…" Ragna spoke, "Call it a feeling….anyway, let's find that Time Stone..." he took a step before feeling something under his foot, "Huh?" he bent down and picked up a piece of paper...revealing the last Time Stone, "'Found this while playing around with you guys. Was in that giant wolf's mouth.' ...I hate that bastard."
"Wait, really?" Manic blinked.
"How did he do that?!" Ragna asked, "When...how...I just...oh, I hate that guy!"
"Sonia, get over here. We got a delivery you need to make!" Manic called.
"Let us pray we never meet someone like him again." Tsubaki spoke, "I felt him touch certain places…" she growled in embarrassment and anger, Mai nodding in agreement.
"...Okay, should've had them all aim between the legs," Manic growled under his breath before they heard something land from a tall place near them, "...Oh no."
"It's that robot!" Mai gasped as Soundwave stood up.
"Oh come the hell on!" Ragna growled.
Soundwave let his bird-like attachment remove itself before flying off away from the area. His torso proceeded to open...and a completed blade of Izayoi was brought out.
"?!"
"Wh-What?! But...But didn't Bro slice that to pieces?!" Manic gawked, taking a step back.
Soundwave stabbed the blade into the ground before it formed a pitch black dome that engulfed everyone. No sound...no voice...no sight...no sense. It was all gone. After several moments, Soundwave exited the dome, the Time Stone in hand. His visor lit up before several charges went off, collapsing the remaining buildings down...right on the dome just after Soundwave flew off in stealth jet mode.
"Well, come on~" Makoto grinned in amusement as Roll was blushing.
"C-Could I go back and pick Dare?" Roll asked.
"Nope. Gotta tell it," Makoto replied.
"I can't believe you asked her that for Truth," Ben muttered, Rexy barking in agreement as Yacker fell off the Anubian Baskerville, laughing.
Before Roll could speak, a flame erupted in the middle of the table and startling them. The flames dispersed, revealing Rhongo, Carn on the phoenix/spear's back. The two weapons glowed before changing back into Medallions that landed on the table.
"What's going on?" Ben asked as Sonic scooped up the Medallions.
"They only way they'd do this is…" Sonic whispered before his eyes widened, "We gotta get to the others!"
"H-" Makoto began before the bus was suddenly rocked, "?!"
"That heck was…?!" Sonic began before the bus was rocked once more.
"Out now!" Ben ordered.
The six exited the bus just before they were knocked away by the bus exploding. Ringing erupted in their ears as their vision blurred. For several moments, they were all stuck on the ground, trying to regain their senses. As the ringing dissipated and their sight began to refocus, a shadowed figure was revealed emerging from the flames and burning wreckage.
=Time Stones...have been obtained= Metal Sonic declared, the Time Stones that had been in the safe in his left hand =Proceeding with the next phase…= his free arm transformed into a silvery substance that shot out and ensnared Sonic and Roll =You are coming with me= before Ben and Makoto could do anything, Metal Sonic vanished with the two.
"That was…" Ben began before a sharp pain went off on a spot on his neck, "Gh! Metal...Sonic…"
He collapsed fully to the ground, a needle sticking into his neck. Makoto reached for him when several hit her in the back, knocking her out. Khyber emerged from his hiding spot, smirking. His gills flared and a whistling noise went off. Hypnotik emerged from the ground and Khyber jumped onto it before it grabbed the two and proceeded to fly off. All that remained in the area was the burning wreckage of what had once been a fortified bus/mobile home.
GT: Oh, this is not jolly good, is it?
SZ: No...no it is not...things have really gone bad.
GT: Yep. I mean, for one...the others...they're probably dead. Another, the bus is gone. One more thing, Khyber and Metal Sonic just took the survivors off for their own purposes along with Metal sonic obtaining the Time Stones that had been in the bus and-possibly-the smoke holding Malware's essence. You're just gonna have to wait until next chapter. Tune in next time for the finale!