Re: Mega Man Zero Five: Part III - Five Stones, One Legend

SwampertOwnage Wed May 15, 2013 12:06 am

At first, the super thick door didn't seem like it would give way. But the blow had unbalanced it, and it was only a matter of seconds before it fell with a deafening crash, leaving a sizable dent in the floor.

**NebulaGregarZX** Wed May 15, 2013 12:23 am

The second the metal barrier was gone, X2 dashed inside. He may have been miles from any guards, but the noise had likely been heard by now, and they would come to investigate soon. "Where should I plant this...!?"

SwampertOwnage Sun Jun 30, 2013 10:52 pm

The system, having been power deprived for years by now, took it's time in rebooting. Distant as they were, the sounds of approaching Hive forces could be heard far above. They weren't going to play around this time; the entire garrison was being brought to bear on the intruder below. By now the missile's targeting system had finished booting, and the console displayed an interactable hologram of the planet, as well as a space for entering the firing coordinates.

**NebulaGregarZX** Mon Jul 01, 2013 1:22 am

"Close enough...!" X2 frantically remembered the instructions he was given for the device, opening up the panel and attaching it as he was told to, setting the time limit for... two minutes. If he dashed the whole time, not pausing once, he would probably make it out... but then he would attract attention. Changing his mind, he set it to five minutes, as they might be more preoccupied chasing him, and not so much with examining whatever he had been doing there.

He closed the panel up as the timer started, running out of the room. "Uh oh... I have to get out of here right away!" He began to dash away from the direction the footsteps were coming from. X2 wasn't really too confident about taking on a bunch of enemies in a fairly enclosed space with a time limit.

SwampertOwnage Mon Jul 01, 2013 1:46 am

(The whole place isn't about to self destruct, but considering what IS about to blow to kingdom come, I thought this was appropriate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tJcWQ9xqwY )

Unfortunately for X2, there was only one passage into the chamber the massive weapon resided in; the way he had entered. The frantic footfalls of his soon-to-be-enemies-if-he-didn't-haul-his-metal-ass-out-right-now could be heard almost perfectly clear by now. Either he'd have to attempt bypassing them, or take his chances fighting them off with a three hundred second countdown timer of doom ticking away.

**NebulaGregarZX** Mon Jul 01, 2013 2:07 am

Slotting the Ultimate Buster chip in, X2 lamented that he really didn't have much of a choice before firing a fully-powered blast down the corridor, immediately running for it. He wouldn't be able to sneak out; his only chance was to blast a clear path through the enemies. The second his weapon had cooled off from firing, he shot another blast, leaving any enemies in its way with no time to advance or ready a counterattack as he dashed away as fast as his metal frame could move.

SwampertOwnage Sun Jul 07, 2013 2:20 am

The blast flew down the corridor before smashing through a whole file of Hived Galleons, one of which was carrying a rather large ordinance weapon. Upon being struck, the unit's weapon fired off it's large payload into the ceiling far above, causing large sections of the weakened metal to break off and fall. This sparked a chain reaction, and eventually the entire lower section of the base began to crumble. X2's second charge shot, in the mean time, punched through the first wave of fallen debris, clearing a path to escape with. There was limited time though, as another surge of junked Duritanium began to rain down from above.

**NebulaGregarZX** Sun Jul 07, 2013 6:11 am

Rather than risk making the situation worse, X2 went ahead and charged through as fast as he could. Better that he take a couple of shots from spitefully stupid Mavericks than being crushed by falling ceiling, or trapped by the rubble. "This isn't going as well as I'd hoped."

SwampertOwnage Mon Jul 08, 2013 4:19 am

(Btw, why is the text practically white when I'm typing it up? I can barely see it in the box when I'm working)

For what must have felt like an hour, X2 forced and blasted his way through what seemed to be an endless stream of Galleons, Pantheons, Variants, Shelltanks, and other assorted Hived peons. By the time he made it out of the now semi-collapsing HQ, the countdown timer was less than thirty seconds away from launching the massive ballistic warhead skyward.

**NebulaGregarZX** Mon Jul 08, 2013 4:41 am

<Look at the second row of buttons in the editor. The one on the far-right, "Switch Editor Mode", fixes that problem.>

[00:29... 00:28... 00:27...]

"Am I going to make it!?" X2 was in a panic by now. He had to escape NOW, but enemies kept getting in the way, and if he didn't blast them, they'd stop him and get him caught in the blast. But firing the Ultimate Buster while maintaining his dash was hard to do...

[0018... 00:17... 00:16...]

With a yell, the ultimate copy of X fired off five blasts, one right after the other, trying to ignore the fact that his weapon was overheating. It was all he could do now to keep dashing, moving as fast as he could.

[00:05... 00:04... 00:03...]

He could see the trees now! He was at the door, almost in the clear!

[...00:00.]

SwampertOwnage Mon Jul 08, 2013 5:19 am

(Ah, there we go. Thanks, Neb)

As soon as the timer reached zero, the Energy Crystals pilfered from the Hive outpost warped in, powering up the massive missile's thrusters. With an incredible roar that shook the earth around for kilometers, it shot upward and punched a hole right through the hatch above, soaring up into the skies. The force of it's thrust shot through all of the halls in the Innerpeace HQ's lower and ground levels, blowing everything out of it's many exits like leaves before a hurricane. The force shred apart anything that was near the launch tube; those who were caught in the blast further down were slightly more fortunate, as they weren't obliterated upon contact.

The roaring winds shot X2 out of the exit like a bullet, slamming him into the ground outside almost a mile away. In the skies above, one could see the sun shining off of the ICBM's metal casing as it soared skyward, preparing to come back down with a vengence.

**NebulaGregarZX** Mon Jul 08, 2013 5:26 am

<Thank Haar; he's the one who figured it out.>

Looking up at the explosive in terror for a second, X2 started to run away as fast as he could. being outside the base might not really be out of the blast zone, and even then, being anywhere near an explosion's range could mess him up.

SwampertOwnage Mon Jul 08, 2013 6:04 am

(I'll have to do that then. Tomorrow though; it's 2 am here, and I don't even know why I'm up posting this late)

Ten seconds after X2 made a break for dear life, the incredibly large weapon veered course, wheeled around and plummeted back down towards Terra Firma, the nuclear weaponry inside primed to detonate upon impact. Five seconds later, and the skyscraper-sized missile impacted the earth; there was a blinding flash of white, casting harsh black shadows behind anything and everything for miles.

Then came the shock wave; the very surface of the earth boiled and evaporated, forming a gargantuan crater. Intense heat, far hotter than any standard weapon could ever produce, incinerated everything it came into contact with in a matter of milliseconds. A miniature earthquake was triggered as the tetonic plate below was shaken, causing even further damage. And to top off the devastation, the massive signature mushroom cloud formed above where the Innerpeace HQ once stood, reaching up over ten miles into the skies above.

**NebulaGregarZX** Mon Jul 08, 2013 6:11 am

<It's 2 AM over here, too. I'm up because... uh... why AM I up this late? Hrm. I guess I'll shut down and go to sleep after this, too.>

While he was safely out of range of the explosion, the very edge of the shockwave caught X2 and sent him flying. This wouldn't have been a problem, if he didn't hit his head against one of the trees, then fall to the ground and become covered by a couple of smaller trees that had been uprooted by the force of the blast.

Out for the count, but he considered himself lucky to still be alive. Or, rather, he would when he woke up later.

<Time for a scene change! Now, the point of the distraction was for the main group to be able to move to an area better suited to meeting with the airship group, right? Because somehow, it's not adding up in my head. Probably because I'm tired, but still.>

SwampertOwnage Mon Jul 08, 2013 10:44 pm

(It was, more or less. The original idea was to provide literal covering fire so that the ship could move in. It'd be much easier on the group of they could simply make a pick up instead of moving a group so large through the forest, especially since most of them are humans)

Back at the Area A base camp, mass pandemonium nearly set in when the detonation was both felt and seen in the distance. While the radiation from the nuclear explosion posed no immediate threat, the temperature had already risen by ten degrees, and was still climbing. Wasting no time in hailing Fefnir's airship, X gave them instructions to wheel it on down to their location for immediate extraction. "Alright, we're on our way, X! Sit tight, and try not to get roasted before we arrive!" came the reply before the comm line was cut.

Shooting back down through the atmosphere, the Innerpeace cruiser was rapidly approaching the site while instructions for evac were given out by the Fire General to everyone, who were all present on the bridge. "Okay guys, that nuke that went off? If we don't get the refugees outta there, the temperature spike it caused is gonna make 'em nothing but piles of ash in the next fifteen minutes. Once we're overhead, get down there and get 'em onboard. We're not wasting time with the gravlift; Harpuia and Falcona are gonna plant this thing right down in the forest."

**NebulaGregarZX** Tue Jul 09, 2013 1:49 am

A figure sat on the catwalk above, waiting to hear those words. "It's almost time..."

<I expected it to take a bit longer, but this actually works better for something...>

In the midst of trying to organize the humans before the ship touched down, there was a loud noise at the edge of the camp.

Salvie turned to the source of the sound, a Galleon Hunter that appeared to have fallen on its face. It was clearly a Maverick, given that there was fleshy substance sticking out of its armor. She froze up, unable to figure out what to do. Tell X? No, he was busy. Tell Dracoex? Also busy. And she couldn't take the time to be discreet, but if everybody realized the threat, there would be a panic...

She chose the simplest option: going over there and cutting it up herself. The girl slipped away from the crowd of refugees and hid behind a tree, hoping to disguise the flash from her Megamerge before approaching the enemy.

It was immobile, but it might not stay that way for long. Salvie pulled her Sonic Sabers out and assumed the stance Dracoex had taught her, then proceeded to slash at the Maverick. It was awkward, fighting an enemy that didn't fight back. It only took a couple of strikes to dismantle it without altering anybody, but...

"UNKNOWN EN-ENTITY DETECTED."

Wheeling around at the voice, Salvie found herself looking at a red light, hiding in the shadow of the trees. It was about eye-level, and moving side-to-side slightly as it approached. She tightened her grip on the blades, ready to attack.

"ALL COMPANY MEMBERS, ATTAC-ACK."

That was probably a bad sign.

Without further warning, shots came flying from the trees, all trained on Salvie. She tried dodging... but tripped over the Maverick she had just destroyed, falling out of the way of the attacks.

More Galleons began to pour into the camp. The red light stepped in, revealing itself to be just another Hived Galleon, but considering that it had been giving orders, it was probably the boss. It must've been a scouting party. And she'd just inadverdantly lead them to the camp.

The leader of the group cocked its head at the sight of the humans, who were pretty clearly aware of the threat now. "INNERPEACE REFUGEES DETECTED-DED-DEAD. ALL-AL UNITS, ATTA-TACK."

SwampertOwnage Wed Jul 10, 2013 4:18 pm

Panic was almost instantly among the human group as the Hived Galleons advanced, raising their weapons and firing off a volley of lethal (albeit poorly aimed) projectiles. Before they could impact, a massive wall of ice appeared in between the aggressors and their intended victims, absorbing their fire before breaking apart in the process. Behind where the barrier stood, Fairy Leviathan knelt on the ground, her Ice Halberd impaled in the ground. Lifting her head to view the new enemy, her eyes momentarily flashed a cold, icy blue before she stood. "Everyone, get out of here; I'll deal with these miscreants."

X, having seen the commotion, began rushing through the throng to help. Seeing the blue armored warrior approaching, the Ice Guardian held up a hand. "No X, the humans need you to help protect them till the ship arrives!"

"But Leviathan, there's too many! You can't be sure if-"

Giving a mock flip of hair if she had any, Leviathan scoffed. "Oh psh, it's quality that counts, and these little nothings don't have any of that going for them. Besides, don't you have any faith in your daughter, X?" As if to prove a point, the Reploid gave a slice with her Halberd, loosing a pair of massive Ice Dragons. The vicious beasts tore into several Galleons, freezing and shattering them with sub-zero fangs. Following up her minions' attacks, Leviathan herself charged into the fray, spinning and striking with blizzard like grace and ferocity. Pausing for a second on seeing X still standing there, the humans now finally overcoming their panic and retreating, she yelled out, "Don't just stand there X; go!"

Nodding after a moment, X dashed back after the group, deciding that he had best trust the Ice Guardian. After felling another segment of Galleons, only to find more awaiting, Leviathan noticed a green-armored human faced with a contingent of the Hived Mavericks. "Salve! Over here!"

***

The atmospheric burn having subsided, Fefnir's cruiser shot down into the forest towards the extraction point. Harpuia and Falcona's piloting skills proved superior, putting the massive craft down on a pinpoint location no less than fifty feet from where the refugees stood. The hatches on the side shot open, launching their access ramps down within seconds. Seeing this Dracoex, who was near the lead of the group, shouted out with all the urgency he could muster, "Everyone, make haste! Flee to the ship's refuge, now!"

**NebulaGregarZX** Wed Jul 10, 2013 6:51 pm

Zana, hearing Leviathan's yell, looked at where her friend was surrounded, immediately Megamerging and charging after them.

She took down three Galleons in one swing, giving her friend enough room to get back on her feet, but more Mavericks rushed between the two, pushing her back. The Mega Man could've crushed them all, normally, but the heat was making her feel oddly weak. "That's not normal... Why am I so dizzy...?"

Zana! You're vulnerable to Fire, and it's definitely heating up here... The original Leviathan over there is probably strong enough to handle it, but you're not going to last - let alone fight effectively - in this!

Panicking for a moment, she fired a barrage of less-than-impressive Ice Dragons into the air, trying to open a way out for her friend as they crashed down on and around the Mavericks.

Stop, you might hit Salvie with that, without aiming properly! Leave it to Leviathan to rescue your friend for now, and go help somebody else!

She looked back at where her friend was trapped, hesitating before looking away. "Ugh!" The girl grunted before dashing at another group of Galleons, which had surrounded another human. Zana cut them down as quickly as she could, but she knew she wouldn't be able to keep this up for long. It was just too hot, and she wasn't accustomed to this weakness.

Salvie herself was fighting for her life, desperately trying to break out of the mob.

Salvie, these Mavericks seems to have subroutines programmed in that make them unnaturally aggressive towards the users of Biometal! You won't be able to hold out until somebody rescues you, and you won't be able to fight your way out without help!

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" She yelled, furiously attacking at her enemies. "I don't need your help! I don't need anybody's help! I-" The Model H Mega Man was cut short as she was clubbed from behind, knocking her to the ground.

Struggling for a bit, she found that there was no room to get up. It was all she could do not to get shot to pieces by the Galleons standing over her, flailing around to throw off their aim. "I... I..."

Three of the Mavericks were cut in half in one motion, their metallic remains crumbling to reveal Zana, trying to help her friend out.

Unfortunately, several more showed up to push her friend back. That was all the help Salvie would be able to get from her friend, but it was enough for her to stand back up. "I... I need your help." She mumbled. This time, much louder: "Model H! Help me!"

He wasted no time telling her what to do. Concentrate on me. Don't think about the way you've fought so far. Just try and think along the lines that I do. Now, lash out at your aggressors with, cut them down and prove to them that you are no easy prey!

Thankfully, as a number of icy projectiles rained down on the Mavericks, they were a little bit distracted. Enough for Salvie to follow the advice.

Closing her eyes and breathing slower, she slid into a lower stance, her blades held to the sides. When she opened her eyes, any fear she had before disappeared. And for good reason.

The Mega Man lunged at one of the Galleons, cutting it into ribbons before kicking off of it, jumping into the air. As the Mavericks tried to take aim and shoot at her, the thrusters in her helmet, boots, and on her back activated, sending her out of harm's way.

Once out of the crowd, she slashed at the air with one blade, then the other. After this strange warm-up, she swung both blades together, generating a wave of energy that cut the whole group down! "I'm not feeling the effects of the heat as much." She didn't seem as concerned about the enemies, though they WERE now lying in pieces on the ground. Still, she probably should've been a bit more worried about the remaining ones attacking the camp.

That is because you have a resistance to Fire elemental damage. Naturally, this heat doesn't affect you very much. It also has to do with the way your brain works, which is now much more like my own. Now that you're using my power correctly, you should focus on saving any humans who have been caught by Mavericks.

Salvie sprinted to the nearest group of Mavericks and began to lay waste to them, now moving much more freely in her armor. "Already on it."

<And this, my friends, is why you always read the instructions manual on a piece of equipment that you know nothing about.>

SwampertOwnage Wed Oct 02, 2013 11:55 pm

(and the text has become ultra-light blue yet again. I'll fix it once I finish this reply)

Leviathan, despite her prowess as a Guardian and General, was simply one against too many. She had not the skill of Zero, nor the potential of X, and she could not keep pace with the ever growing number of Hive-infested machines. Unconsciously, the Ice General began retreating slowly, step by sluggish step, only giving ground whenever there was no alternative. Eventually the line of combat on her end reached up to the point where she was alongside Salvie, who seemed to be dealing with the nuclear-generated heat far better than she was.

"Salvie, down here!" the Guardian called upwards, fending off a pair of thrusts from a Variant Fencer before impaling it with a burst of ice shards.

**NebulaGregarZX** Thu Oct 03, 2013 1:34 am

As Salvie dropped down to cover Leviathan, a spray of shots tore into the Mavericks from inside the ship. This was not a haphazard barrage of projectiles - they were deliberately aimed at the individual Mavericks vital areas, intended to cripple and destroy them with a minimal number of shots.

"Come on, I didn't rescue you from these weaklings so they could overwhelm you! Leviathan, focus on helping the evacuation. I'll see what I can do about holding off these Mavericks."

A blue beam of concentrated energy show through the air, cutting through rows of Hived Galleons effortlessly and radiating a chilling cold, keeping the temperature from raising for a few seconds and freezing the ground where it impacted... or, what was left of the ground it ripped up. The slippery, uneven surfaces made it difficult for the Mavericks to stand upright, causing some to fall onto others, and generally spreading chaos throughout the enemy's ranks.

Zana wordlessly unmerged and boarded with the refugees, not having the spare energy to speak anymore. Meanwhile, Salvie had been cutting down anything that got past the previous volley, giving Leviathan and the others room to get on the ship. "Let me handle this for now, Ms. Leviathan. I have something of an advantage in this area." She threw another Sonic Boom, cutting another set of Mavericks apart before they could even get within striking distance.

SwampertOwnage Wed Nov 27, 2013 5:07 pm

At one of several hatches through which the refugees were boarding Fefnir's cruiser, Dracoex stood by and helped those who were struggling to enter through the panicking mob. Noticing Zana's almost deathly pale face as she passed by, the emerald armored Reploid took the young Mega Man by her arm and gave her aid in clambering aboard. "You fought most fiercely Zana, but you ought to find rest soon. You are still young, and human no less. I would not put it to you to remain in such a state for long."

The spray of gunfire, as well as the all too familiar voice ordering them to retreat, placed a somewhat annoyed expression upon Leviathan's face. Giving her foes one final eruption of icicles to remember her by, she shouted out to Salvie "You just watch your back!" and dashed towards her brother's ship, recalling her Ice Halberd while she was at it.

**NebulaGregarZX** Wed Nov 27, 2013 9:42 pm

As Salvie continued to fight off the Mavericks, keeping them at a distance with Sonic Boom slash-waves, the voice yelled to her.

"A Mega Man, huh? I'll ask about it later. Most of the refugees are on-board, so you can start retreating soon. I'll watch your back." Accentuating his point, he shot a pair of Galleons in the head that had actually thought to ready their weapons.

Throwing another attack, the girl took a step back, sweating a little as the heat finally got to her. Even with her resistance, the heat was absolutely insane. Any normal humans still out here were probably ready to collapse.

"Bah, if the laws of physics weren't different in this world, I might be able to keep this place at a stable temperature longer, but... ugh." The voice yelled again, accompanied by another freezing-cold beam. "...Alright! Green kid, get on board now!"

Wasting no energy to reply, Salvie retreated to the ship, climbing in with the last of the refugees.

The owner of the voice, standing somewhere above her, yelled into his Comm. system. "Fefnir, I've confirmed that everybody in the area has been brought on board! Close the hatches and get us out of here!"

SwampertOwnage Thu Nov 28, 2013 1:14 am

No sooner than the last refugee had made it aboard, the cruiser's bay doors gave deafening hisses as they sealed shut. The hull, which had until that point been taking a constant peppering from enemy arms fire, shimmered and hummed as it's shielding once again powered on. With a mighty roar the massive ship flared it's engines, aiming itself for the skies above. While it's cargo of humans was still shaken, there was a universal sense of relief that the entire congregation felt, and a calm silence aside from heavy breathing settled in.

Looking out one of the port windows, Burnout held a confused expression as he saw the still-lingering mushroom cloud from the detonation X2 had set off. "...and after all this time, I thought no one kept weapons like those anymore..."

**NebulaGregarZX** Thu Nov 28, 2013 2:31 am

Nebula, standing next to Burnout, shook his head. "I bet it was already decommissioned. This is too far from HQ for us to get access to without being noticed, and honestly, I dunno if anybody with the know-how to get it primed and fired would be able to get through the forest itself and the Mavericks."

The White Reploid put away his weapon, trying to sort out some of his thoughts. "...So, we're going after Kosa and Tryton for their Ether Stone fragment now. Then we can go after Copy Elpizo. ...We'd better be prepared for a total offensive, or a stealth mission. I don't see the point to throwing manpower at them when they can just lock the gates and drop Hive creatures on us, but at least now we can cure infections. But I think we'd better plan our mission carefully. They'll see us coming miles away, and sneaking in can't be easy."

"Once we get those two on board, we'd better hold a strategy meeting. Burnout, you haven't been with us long, but I think you've got a general idea of how we operate. It's a bit different from being a Maverick Hunter, isn't it?" He smiled a little at the bits he could remember from his time before a frown crossed his face. "...Was there a Maverick Hunter named Nautilus? He'd have been an E-Class Hunter, I think, blonde hair, mostly standard appearance, medium-size build?" He mentioned that Kosa was a Class-A Hunter... I wonder if I knew a version of him in my own world. I usually didn't remember interactions with higher-ranked fighters. I was cannon-fodder. The only person who I really talked to much was... was... who was that, again?

SwampertOwnage Fri Dec 06, 2013 4:26 am

Burnout gave a sigh as Nebula went on a lengthy explanation, crossing his arms in a somewhat annoyed manner. "Huh. Go figure that the big guns we needed were made inaccessible when it REALLY counted. Why not disassemble the whole shish kebab in the first place?" The White Reploid's question did, however, give pause to the Maverick Hunter. "...come to think of it, I seem to recall one or two fleeting instances where such a figure appeared in my peripheral vision. Why? You happen to know this fella?"

"...also, where's your blue and silver compadre? I haven't seen him since he headed off to detonate that thing."

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